The Way We Are (part 18 of 20)

The Butterfly Effect

To keep in the “theme of the kitchen”, it was a recipe for failure.

And quite a failure it had been since the taste testers all became ill and had to be rushed to the hospital after eating our concoction. It wasn’t like it was going to kill them or anything serious…They might have to have their stomachs pumped, but that wasn’t entirely my fault. It wasn’t like I picked all the incompetent participants for our group.

Bad luck. That’s all that it was.

Either way, I was quite thankful that the whole mess was over with and done, although I was wishing that something remotely exciting would happen now that I was stuck in a classroom half-listening to the mundane rumbling of my Japanese teacher’s lecture.

I really must have zoned out at one point, because the next sound I heard was the bell signaling the end of fifth period.

Good, just one more class…but it’s physics…god, I hate equations…

Slumping in my seat, I buried my face in my arms that were laid on my desk.

“Hey, did you hear about that middle schooler who got attacked on campus last night?”

“Yeah, Yoshida Kiyone. She’s in the choir, right?”

“I think so, I heard that’s when it happened, when she was on her way back to the dorms.”

“That’s so horrible…Have the caught any suspects?”

“I don’t believe so. To think that there’s some sick pervert out there…Eah!”

“Someone said that it was a monster, you know, like a vampire or something.”

Monster…? Could it have been…

“That can’t be true—“

“But they said she had a bite mark on her neck!”

…Orphan…?

“Then the guy who did it really is sick.”

“Yeah, and I heard they found two other girls besides just her.”

“So there were THREE attacked last night?!”

“Seems that way.”

“Goodness…Well, I certainly hope that something is being done about it.”

“I heard the Executive Director was in quite an uproar when she found out.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. She goes off at any little occurrence.”

“Hey, at least she gets stuff done though.”

“I guess you’re right, but that doesn’t mean she has to scream all the time.”

“I know what you mean. I don’t see how Kikukawa-san puts up with it all the time…”

All useful information seeming to have been exchanged between the two, I effortlessly tuned out the rest of their conversation as I shifted my head so I could look out the window.

I wonder if it really was an Orphan…If anyone would know, it’d be Sakomizu…I guess it’s about time I paid him another visit…

“Alright, alright, calm down and take your seats,” boomed our instructor as he entered the classroom, “Turn to page one-eighty-six…”

Absentmindedly pulling out my book, I did as I was told.

Heh, but I’ve got to feel some sympathy for Shizuru though…Suzushiro will probably be raising kane this afternoon…

“Do you hear me, President?!”

I stared down at the cup in front of me, it’s contents stirring from the blow the desk it sat upon had just received from the zealous blonde who continued her rant that had started at least five minutes ago. I took said cup into my hands, a safety precaution, I assure you.

Yes, Haruka-san, I hear you loud and…well, loud.

“—We’ve had three victims in one night. It is time for us executives, no, for the entire council’s danger management skills to be tested. Therefore, we need your approval for the right to investigate, and we need to raise the caution level until we capture the criminal.”

“But other than the blood taken away,” Reito chimed in, looking over the assault report copies we had got our hands on, “it seems like neither this nor that happened, so we shouldn’t have to take things that far.”

The executive director, appearing to be totally appalled by the remark, was quick to snap back, “Vice President, you can only say that because you’re a male. There isn’t any other case as horrifying as this to a female. Additionally, rumors about vampires and monsters have started to circulate…President, your decision, please.”

Monsters indeed…If this had occurred only a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but now…

Breaking my contemplative silence, I finally spoke, “You’re right. For once, I agree with Suzushiro-san.” I took Haruka’s baffled expression to mean that reassurance was necessary, “I’m counting on you.”

“My honor is on the line,” the girl declared before spinning on her heels, “Yukino!”

Tate, Reito, and I watched as Haruka marched out of the room in her usual fashion, Yukino slipping out quietly behind her. Once their footsteps had faded away down the hall, we all let ourselves relax a little.

“Motivated, isn’t she? That’s great, but are you sure about this?” Reito questioned me.

“I’m female as well,” I replied, although the excuse was a weak one for a HiME like myself, “Besides…”

Idly, I traced my finger over the mark that had embedded itself on my left side.

If it’s one of those creatures again—

“Fujino-san…? Is there something wrong?” the male asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at me.

“It’s nothing. Let us trust that Suzushiro-san will handle this situation. Now, onto other business…”

Sakomizu acknowledged by presence as he continued his gardening, “Mmh. It has become a bit…troublesome…”

“Troublesome? It’s just another Orphan like the others, isn’t it?”

“…That’s not entirely true.”

“So you’re saying that it’s different from an unexpected Orphan?”

“The people higher-up are really touchy about it. It seems someone, if not something, is manipulating all of this.”

So someone else out there is stirring up trouble for the First District too, eh?

“Interesting. If it’s your enemy, it could be my ally.”

“I doubt that…Then you plan to do nothing this time?”

“Heh, if you want something done, you have Miss Justice,” I reminded the man, smirking as a result of my own sarcasm.

I heard an amused sigh slip from the teacher as he figured out whom I was implying, “She’s been on probation since that recent re-exam incident. She locked herself up in the Library’s basement in order to finish her thesis.”

“At any rate, don’t count on me. I have my own objectives.”

A pause.

“What did you find? Over there…”

I thought back to the night when Mai, Mikoto and I had broke into the abandoned research facility…to my mom’s wrecked office…the old toy of Duran’s and the weird number on its collar…The truth was, we didn’t have an answer yet. Yamada was still looking into it after all this time. He had told me he thought he was getting close about a week ago, but he still wasn’t completely done with his search.

What was that number—

“Let it go,” Sakomizu interrupted my thoughts, “Nothing good will come from digging up the past.”

“Mind your own business,” I snapped as I stormed off.

Now that I thought about it, maybe it was about time to call my informant again to see if there was anything new to report. Yamada hated to be interrupted when he was working, but he couldn’t complain as long as I kept paying him, right?

Retrieving my cell from my pocket, I lazily dialed the man’s number as I walked across campus.

“Yamada, it’s me. Find anything new?”

“Kuga…Yeah, actually, I did.”

“Well?”

“Come on, you know how this works by now.”

I snarled in impatience, “Right…When do you want to meet?”

“How about tomorrow night? That’ll give me time to collect all my notes.”

“All right, see you at nine.”

Hanging up, and desperately fighting the temptation to hurl my phone at the nearest tree out of frustration, I managed to slip the device back into it’s usual resting place in my jacket, albeit a little forcefully, as I continued to make my way to my bike.

Damn Yamada and his money…eh, but I guess he’s got to make a living somehow…It’s just one more day anyway…twenty-four hours…I can wait that long…

Surely, I wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

There was still no culprit for the school ground assaults, but there also had not been any further attacks last night. Was this because of our heightened security? I hoped so, that way our efforts, well, Haruka-san’s efforts and my credibility for putting her in that position, were not in vain.

Earlier in an emergency Saturday meeting in which we had received an update from the Executive Committee, we had decided that it would be in the best interest if the Student Council stayed on campus for the evening. We weren’t being forced to stay all night or anything, but if any leads or progress were to take place, it would be wise for the council to be present to handle the situation.

And that’s exactly where we were now. It had turned dark outside about an hour ago, but that didn’t cause Reito to leave his post by the window. He hadn’t spoken or moved in quite a while from what I had observed. Tate Yuichi was also present, but he, unlike his upper classman, was seated at one of the tables, leaning back in his chair as he continuously checked his cell phone. I’m sure that he was bored and would have rather been elsewhere, but there was something about the expression on his face that was telling me it was more than that.

Taking a sip of my green tea that I had brewed only a few minutes ago, I decided to try to get some kind of reaction out of either of them.

“Another night, isn’t it?”

“Hopefully nothing will happen tonight, either,” Reito plainly stated without even the smallest flinch.

I had never seen my friend so apprehensive before. Even Tate wasn’t his usual lax self as of late…What had happened to cause such an extreme change in attitude in these two? I knew that it wasn’t just these latest events; I had noticed a while back that something seemed different in both of them, but even with my keen perceptive abilities, I knew that I didn’t have enough information to make a logical assessment. But if I had to make a guess at this very instant, it would certainly be on something extremely simple and yet immensely complicated…the cause of most male’s angst: a woman.

With the umpteenth ‘click’ of Tate’s cell phone flipping open, I sighed, “How about we call it a night? I’m sure the two of you are as equally tired as I am.”

“I agree,” Reito answered, finally turning away from the window, “We aren’t doing anything by just sitting here…And Haruka-san has our phone numbers in case something does come up.”

Without a word, Tate stood and made his way to the door, disappearing from my and Reito’s sight in haste.

“I wonder what Yuichi-kun is upset about?” I commented, glancing back over at the other male.

“I’m sure he’ll tell us if he needs to,” Reito remarked, “Now then, allow me to walk you back to your dorm, Shizuru-san.”

I obliged, though it wasn’t like I really had a choice. The ironic thing was that if we were to be attacked, I would be the one doing the protecting for the both of us. Hopefully, I prayed, that wouldn’t be the case.

After collecting our things and locking the door behind us, Reito and I walked out into the darkness of the night in silence.

The sound of our heavy footsteps echoed through the courtyard, and it was then that I decided to question the young man walking beside me. Reito and I had known each other for quite some time, and in all honesty I really did consider him a friend despite how formal we were around each other, so it was only natural for me to be concerned about my humble Vice President.

“You seem a little distracted lately,” I stated quite bluntly.

If the boy was shocked at my words, he certainly didn’t show it, “Is that so?”

“I do not mean to intrude, it just seems that you are…distant at times. Did something happen?”

Reito kept his lips sealed momentarily, and I could tell that he was contemplating my question thoroughly. “It’s just that I’m…concerned…about a certain individual…”

“Concerned? About what?”

“…It’s complicated…and I’m sure I do not even know the whole story myself, so…”

In other words, you’re not at liberty to tell me…But…I’ve felt the very same far too many times…

“I see. Is there anything I can do? Talk to this person maybe?”

He shook his head, “I appreciate your concern, Shizuru, but at the moment I don’t think there’s much anyone can do.”

I flashed a small sad smile, “That seems to be the case as of late, doesn’t it?”

Reito laughed briskly, easing up just a tad, “Indeed.”

I spotted Yamada sitting alone in one of the stations in the back corner, a sweaty half-empty beer bottle before him, puffing on the cheap cigarette between his lips. In the relatively short time I had known the man, I had only seen him smoke on one other occasion. When I had pressed him about it, my informant had told me it was an old habit that had started in college whenever he was seriously stressed about something.

I knew it wasn’t a good sign.

Stopping by the bar, I called for a glass of water, and it was promptly handed to me moments later, the middle-aged balding bartender giving me an annoyed frown because he wasn’t earning anything with my being there. It wasn’t like I was legally old enough to purchase a drink anyway, not that I would have. I had chosen a long time ago to keep any harmful substances, alcohol included, out of my system. Besides, after being around Midori, who wouldn’t come to that same conclusion?

Ignoring the look, I made my way over to where Yamada was waiting and sat down at the booth next to his, our backs facing. I took a sip of the cool liquid in my glass in an attempt to calm my nerves, and without having to prompt anything, Yamada began the conversation I had been itching to commence.

“That number was an account number. Most companies that deposited in it were dummies, but when you follow the major flow of money, you find two names.”

“What are they?”

“From here on, if you want me to keep investigating, it’ll cost you extra. It’s life threatening for me too.”

Enough with this stalling bullshit.

“Deal,” I retorted without hesitation.

“Iwasaka Pharmaceutical. The other is the Searrs Foundation.”

“Searrs Foundation?”

Sanada Yukariko. The extent of my knowledge on the woman began and ended at about the same place. She was the nun of the campus chapel, aiding the students when they asked for guidance and sometimes even helping with any moral disciplinary measures the Executive Committee might send her way. So what would drive this pure soul to committing such foul acts? That was the question that deprived me of some precious sleep, but when I did manage to drift off, I was still hung on my original conclusion…Surely there had been a misunderstanding.

I had implored Suzushiro-san to hold off on any interrogations until today when the whole council could be present, and when I arrived at the school, I was pleased to see that the stubborn girl had listened to my wish. Upon approaching the Executive Committee room, I saw that all the other Student Council members were already present and congregated just outside the door.

As soon as I was in proximity, Haruka immediately addressed me, “Fujino Kaichou! It’s about time you got here!”

“Ara…am I late? We did agree on eight o’clock, did we not?” I lightly questioned.

“It’s eight-o-five,” the blonde pointed out.

Thankfully, Reito intervened before this pointless dispute could continue, “Well, now that we’re all here, shall we proceed with the interrogation?”

“Right,” Suzushiro snapped, instantly getting back on track, “Since Yukino and I were the only one’s present last night, I want to ask the questions.”

I sighed, “That seems fair enough. Has the Sister said anything of the incident?”

“No, she hasn’t spoken a word at all,” Yukino softly informed me.

“And what do we know of the situation?”

Haruka was quick to answer me this time, “At approximately ten-forty-three p.m. a scream was heard just outside the church. When we went to investigate, we found Sister Yukariko holding a bow-like weapon in her hands, standing over an unconscious Senou Aoi who had obviously been attacked due to her ripped clothing. After the Sister was apprehended, we took Senou-san to the hospital to have her injuries taken care of.”

“I see. Let us get on with this then,” I remarked, and after Reito had politely opened the door, we all silently filed in.

The woman in question sat in a lonely chair positioned in the middle of the room, her expression forlorn, her gaze cast to the ground. She didn’t even stir when we came before her, taking our scattered positions around the room.

Once we had all settled in, Haruka began her questioning.

“Sister, we’re here to ask about the events that occurred last night,” the Executive director began as if we didn’t know what our gathering here was about, “First, is there anything you’d like to say?”

At the lack of response, the girl continued, “What were you doing on the school grounds at such a late hour?”

Silence.

“What was that weapon that we saw in your possession? Where was it obtained?”

Silence.

“What motives did you have for attacking Senou-san?”

Still with no reply, Haruka ran her fingers through her short bangs with a raspy sigh, “If you remain silent, there will be nothing we can do for you.”

Silence.

“The circumstances are collaborating against you. Please honestly tell us what happened. We can still take care of the situation at this point.”

“Haruka-san, now—“ Reito jumped in.

“’Now, now’, will not solve the problem,” the blonde harshly interrupted, “We even have an injured person.”

“But we haven’t found this weapon that you claim to have seen, or the arrow that injured Senou-san, right?” the male coolly argued, maintaining his composure all the while.

It…disappeared? Could that mean—

“We witnessed the event!” the girl defensively shot back, “Sister was at the site with a strange weapon. You saw it too, right, Yuichi-san?”

Suddenly being dragged into the conversation, Tate’s expression rapidly changed from pensive to shocked, and then finally to uncertain, “I…umm…really don’t…”

Yuichi-san…?

Still with no backup, Haruka continued to press forward, “If you remain silent, in the worst case scenario, we’ll ignore your academic punishment but have to—“

“Hold on,” I interjected, “Suzushiro-san, will you leave me alone with Sister for a while? I’ll take the case over from here.”

Not wanting to openly challenge me in front of the others, particularly the Sister, Haruka simply nodded in defeat, “…Yes, Kaichou-san.”

After everyone had left, some more reluctantly than others, I closed the door and turned back to Yukariko-san who continued to remain speechless.

“Ara, it must have been very unnerving to be surrounded by so many people asking you horrid questions like that…I apologize for any discomfort we might have caused you, Sister,” I sincerely told the woman, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as I passed by to retrieve a chair for myself.

Once I had positioned myself in front of the nun, I paused before sitting, “Where are my manners? Would you like anything to drink? Tea perhaps?”

I only received a shake of the head in return.

Slightly disappointed in the response, I went ahead and took a seat, “Let us get to the matter at hand then. Sister, your presence at the scene of the incident is unquestionable, and that inevitably makes you a suspect…”

I noticed the older woman’s brow crease, one of the first signs I had seen from her this entire time. With this, I continued.

“…However, that does not necessarily condemn you of being the assailant. Only you know what happened last night, and the only way that I can help prove your innocence is if you tell me what took place.”

Finally, Sister Yukariko tore her gaze from the floor to look at me. Her eyes were lined with tears, but not a single one fell from the blue orbs.

I gave the woman a comforting smile, “You didn’t attack Senou-san, did you?”

“…No.”

“Did you see who or what did?”

“…Yes.”

“Can you tell me what you saw?”

“…You…wouldn’t believe me if I did…”

“I think I should be the judge of that, ne? Please, continue.”

The woman paused, internally debating with herself on what to do, or possibly trying to find the right words to describe what she had witnessed, but either way, her facial expressions told me as much.

“It was…a…creature, a monster…I thought I was dreaming…Maybe I was and I…really did those horrible things—!“

Reaching out, I placed my hand over the Sister’s, “Something so vivid couldn’t have been a dream...Now, what of this bow weapon?”

“Again, it doesn’t seem possible but…but it just…appeared in my hands.”

“And where is it now?”

“I-I don’t know…”

A pause.

“…You were trying to help Senou-san, weren’t you?”

The woman gave me a solemn nod.

“Do not worry, Sister,” I began while standing, “leave the rest of this to me. I won’t allow you to be wrongly accused.”

As I started to walk back towards the door, a sharp intake of breath halted my movement, and when I looked back over my shoulder, Sister Yukariko was standing as well, a hand stretched out in my direction.

“Fujino-san…”

“Mmh?”

“W-What I’ve said…”

“Nothing will leave this room without your consent. Now, come.”

With another nod of the head, the woman followed me back outside. We walked down the hall to meet up with the others, receiving a suspicious look from Haruka in the process.

“Reito-san, would you mind escorting Sister back home?” I quietly requested.

“What?! We’re letting her go?” the busty blonde immediately interrupted.

“Yes,” I calmly replied, “there is no point to further contain an innocent bystander.”

“Innocent bystander?! But we saw—!”

“Suzushiro-san, do you not trust my judgment in this matter?” I almost coldly questioned, my eyes meeting the other girl’s in a deadlock.

The Executive director dared to battle my gaze, but eventually crumbled, turning her head away, “O-Of course I do…”

“Good. Then I do believe we are done here for the moment. Haruka-san, I ask that you please continue your search.”

“Yes, Kaichou. Yukino, let’s go.”

Once the two girls were gone, Reito gave me a nod before motioning to the silent Sister, “Shall we?”

As the two began to walk, Sister Yukariko kept her eyes on me, still looking quite nervous about the whole situation. Once again, I gave her a reassuring smile, but once both she and Reito were around the corner, that smile quickly faded. Resting a finger against my cheek, I sighed.

So Sister is a HiME as well…or it certainly seems to be that way…What a mess this is becoming…but what does it all mean…?

Continuing the mental warring inside of my head, I made my way to the student council room.

Occasionally, and I mean occasionally, Shizuru would leave her laptop in the Student Council room, which was exactly what I was hoping would be the case today. The room was almost always locked, but I made sure to be prepared for that in advanced.

So why didn’t I just call her? I didn’t want to be a bother, especially on a weekend when she might be busy. That girl would have dropped anything she was doing for me if I asked, and as much as I appreciated that kindness, I wasn’t about to abuse it. Besides, even if this expedition ended up being a bust, I could just wait until tomorrow…maybe.

Despite it being the weekend, I still parked my bike in its usual hiding spot. After making the trek to the school, I went straight to the Student Council room, but surprisingly when I reached out for the door, it easily shifted with my slight pull.

It’s open? That’s not like Shizuru to leave the door unlocked…I wonder if the council is here for some reason…

I placed my ear up against the door to see if any noises could be heard on the inside, but when I was just met with silence, I deducted that it was empty, and with a shrug I slid the door open.

To my luck, my burgundy-eyed friend’s computer was sitting upon her barren desk, and plopping myself down in the black leather chair, I promptly switched the thing on. It took a second for the laptop to boot up, but once it did, I rapidly typed away, trying to find any information there might be on this Searrs Foundation or Iwasaka Pharmaceutical, which I had actually heard of before.

I had only been at my search for a few minutes when I heard some voices coming from the hallway. I instinctively paused in my typing, fearing that I might be discovered before disregarding the thought and pressing onward. It was only when the door itself began to slide open that I stopped again, this time turning towards the door to witness an obviously surprised Kaichou who quietly gasped at my unexpected presence.

“I’m sorry, I’m borrowing it again.”

“You’re sporadic, as usual,” Shizuru commented as she walked closer.

Ignoring her playful words, I continued my investigation, “Iwaska Pharmaceutical is one of this academy’s sponsors?”

“Yep, I met the important people during the School Anniversary Celebration.”

“But, as I thought, there were no names from the Searrs Foundation or the company affiliated with them...” Pushing away from the desk, I stood to leave, “Thanks, Shizuru.”

“Don’t play too dangerously.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I gave the girl an amused smirk before exiting the room and heading back outside.

The disappointment of coming up empty handed in my search weighed heavy on my mind as I made my way back across campus. Although I had sincerely doubted that I would find any substantial information on this vague corporation, the small hope that some valuable tidbit of information would be found lingered on, so needless to say, I was distressed at finding absolutely nothing at all.

Come on, think…Searrs…where have I heard that name before? Searrs…Searrs…Alyssa Searrs…That elementary girl…from the choir…She sang at the festival…her English had surprised me—! Yamada said that the Searrs Foundation used a U.S. corporation for cover…could it be? Is she somehow related to this? But she’s just a kid…Hmm…What do I know about her…? She attends Fuuka Elementary…sings in the school choir…Didn’t Mai say something about seeing her and Miyu Greer together? That seems like an odd pairing…Miyu Greer…adopted daughter of Father Joseph Greer…The church?!

Instantly, I began to head in the direction of the chapel, the high steeple looming over the trees revealing its exact location.

The church certainly would be an inconspicuous place…I never even thought about checking it out before…Although, I doubt there would be anything questionable in the main auditorium, surely not…I wonder if it has a basement…?

As I approached the building, I could hear voices from nearby, and I immediately pressed my back against the nearest tree, peering around to take a look.

Executive Committee? Oh…this must have something to do with those recent attacks…So much for going that way, I guess I’ll have to look for another entry point.

Snaking my way around the church, it didn’t take long to find a back doorway. It didn’t surprise me that the door was locked, but it didn’t stay that way for long, and I was grateful that I had brought my picks along with me today.

After descending two sets of dimly lit stairs, I rounded a corner and could make out a voice, which sounded much like that of an older male, from further down the hall. Carefully, I crept closer.

“Who ever thought Sister would be a Valkyrie? ’Look to oneself before looking to others’…The vampires are working well.”

“True, ‘It is dark at the base of a lighthouse,’” I proclaimed as I walked into the light, making my presence known, “Who would have ever thought to find a place like this under the church?”

Father Greer seemed to be rather shocked, disturbed even, at my sudden appearance, and I, likewise, was unnerved to see both him and Fuuka’s “Golden Angel” in this obviously covert place, even if they had been substantial pieces in bringing me to this very spot.

“Alyssa Searrs, how I’m amazed. Although it’s not a major organization on the surface, for you to walk around with your real name is quite a dignity…”

The man shifted uneasily, and in an instant, my element was in my hand, raised and ready to fire.

“Tell me, what do you guys want? What brought you guys to this academy?”

And then, suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through my head, a loud ringing deafened my ears, and my vision went white before fading to darkness.

Forcing my eyelids open slowly, I tried to focus my blurred vision, and when everything finally aligned, I could only make out what appeared to be an abandoned factory of sorts, but what astonished me the most was that I was suspended from a rope, tied in a way that I couldn’t move my arms in the least.

How did I—!

Out of nowhere, an Orphan appeared in the sky, and no sooner had I seen the creature, it began flying right for me. With nothing else to do, I tightly shut my eyes.

Duran! Someone! Help!

As if my prayers had been answered, the next thing I knew I was falling. I hit the metal platform below with a loud thud, rolling down its angled tiles a few feet before coming to a stop. Gazing upward, I was astonished to see who my rescuer had been.

“Mai!”

“Natsuki! Are you okay?” the busty girl hastily questioned as she flew over.

“Yeah,” I informed her as I stood, “Burn through these ropes, will you?”

Once I was free, I quickly made my way up to the level walkway, Mai hovering along beside me.

“What happened? How did you get here?”

“I was looking into the Searrs Foundation—“

“Searrs Foundation?!”

“An unknown capitalist organization that uses the guise of a U.S. corporation,” I explained as I continued to sprint, “It’s power can even decide the succeeding President.”

“Please correct that,” a monotone voice intervened, stopping us in our tracks, “It’s not mere decision. From the oldest time in history, we have been determining the fate of the world…For the coming of the Golden Era.”

“Miyu-san? Alyssa-chan?” Mai uttered.

“You guys!” I called out, not wanting to believe what I was seeing myself.

“Why?!” the fire HiME followed, “You’re joking, right? Miyu-san, Alyssa-chan?!”

I watched in wonder as the older girl kneeled down, the blonde elementary student whispering something inaudible into her ear before Miyu leapt high into the air, her left arm changing into a blade as she came at Mai and me. Materializing my element, I tried to shoot at the platinum haired girl who easily dodged all of my shots. When Miyu reached the same platform I was standing on, I didn’t hesitate to summon my Child.

“Duran! Load Chrome Cartridge…Fire!”

I can’t honestly say that I know what happened next because it happened so fast that I couldn’t keep up. All I know is that there was a large explosion that sent Mai, Duran and myself flying backwards from the blow. Luckily I managed to snag a piece of the now-destroyed railing, but I couldn’t say the same for my Child as I watched the silver wolf hit the ground below with a startled and painful yelp.

“Duran!”

After securing a landing spot, I allowed myself to drop to the platform below, running to my Child’s side immediately.

“Duran…Disperse for now.”

I could feel him digress with me in my mind, emitting a low whimper at the same time. Standing my ground, I ordered him again, and this time he obeyed, but I could still feel his uneasiness within me.

It was about at this time that I heard a high-pitched cry that could only belong to Mai’s Child, Kagutsuchi. The white dragon and the Orphan that had attacked me from before darted through the sky, fireballs disrupting the calm darkness of the night. Not long before the battle had started, it abruptly ended when an aimless shot from Kagutsuchi hit one of the storage buildings and it erupted into furious flames, consuming the Orphan in the process.

“What amazing power,” Miyu’s voice once again cut through the night air.

I watched as the restless dragon moved forward, obviously waiting for the command to incinerate the two girl’s with his mighty flames, but of course the redhead would never give that command on her own.

“Mai, blast it now!” I tried to plead with the girl, knowing that if the pair weren’t dealt with now, they would only cause more problems in the future. Not to mention they had kidnapped me…I wasn’t too thrilled about that either.

Mai’s silence prompted the other girl to speak yet again, “Tokiha-san, you are an interesting being. We’ll meet again.”

At that, I quickly raised my weapon again, “You won’t get away!”

Before I could fire, a great white light shone from the Searrs girl’s hair, burning my eyes, and then, in an instant, the two simply vanished.

I cursed mentally before snapping my head in the direction of the redhead, “Why didn’t you blast them?!”

“That would have killed them!”

“And they weren’t just trying to do the exact same thing to you?!”

“But—!”

“You know that they’ll just try to come after us again!”

That certainly got her thinking, and Mai, with no countermeasure, could only hang her head, “But…”

With a rough sigh, I tried to calm myself and quietly called for my child again, jumping on his back after he had switched to flight mode.

“Forget about this for now. We need to get out of here before the authorities show up.”

I didn’t wait to see if Mai, and Mikoto whom I hadn’t seen until right before I left, took my advice or not, but I’m quite sure that they did.

When I finally made it back to the apartment, I immediately went to the cupboard to retrieve some painkillers for my continuously throbbing skull. Whether it was hurting from the blow I had taken in the church basement or the stress that was beginning to build up over the mess that had just happened, I couldn’t be sure.

After I had forced a couple of the pills down my throat, I lumbered over to the couch and fell back on it’s soft cushioning, draping an arm over my eyes.

Why does everything have to keep getting more and more complicated? If Mai had just taken those two out…but…what were they? Miyu…she’s some kind of…android…and the Searrs girl…Searrs Foundation…What does it have to do with...Eh, stop thinking…I can’t…I can’t think right now…

Blindly reaching out at the coffee table in front of me, I eventually located the TV remote and pressed the ‘POWER’ button, the device against the wall coming to life with a flash.

I dumbly flipped through the channels before my exhaustion got the better of me and I lost myself to the world of dreams.