PART ONE, CHAPTER FIVE: "SERVILITY"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY-

After a tongue-lashing from Shizuka, classes continued.

"—And so, as I haven't finished my teaching plan, today will be self-study!"

Mr. Hasegawa proudly spoke, as if he'd waited an eternity to make this lackluster announcement. Afterwards he wrote the words "WORK HARD" on the blackboard, then exited with a well-apparent spring in his step. If this had been the worst of things, I wouldn't have cared.

"As class representative, I think we should do some review."

Seriously stating such, Yamashina crossed her arms. Whether she was trying to show off or not, I couldn't tell. Given her self-assured expression, she was confident in her ability to teach. I could admire such confidence. In fact, I found it somewhat captivating. That, however, was beside the point!

This is self-study. One is supposed to study... by themselves.

In other words, it was for relaxing. Nobody in their right mind would agree with that golden girl. Who would want to review as a group? Perhaps some might use class time to play around with, but not to study. People would never make responsible use of a free period. Such was simply part of youth.

Comrades, state your thoughts!

"I'm cool with it."

The boy next to Yamashina said this. He had short light-blue hair and, leaning against his desk, a single bamboo sword. If I had to describe him, he was... fairly handsome. Enough so to acknowledge him, but not to threaten my position at the top. If I remembered correctly, his name was Kozue Kotobuki.

Kotobuki's little brother, is it?

"I suppose we should review demonslaying history," Yamashina murmured.

My interest sank to an all time low. This topic meant there was little for the exalted me, Satou Shibuya, to learn. It was, after all, my strongest subject in middle school. I wasn't going into demonslaying as a career, but I knew enough to support Shizuka's own dreams. I could relax without feeling guilty.

"Shibuya?" As I put my head down, Yamashina called me.

"Hm?" I frowned.

"Are you coming?"

Me? Myself? I? Why would I go to the front of the class? I had nothing to teach these insects, especially during my self-study period. The fact that the oh-so-foolish Yoshida Yamashina even considered asking me could be taken as an insult. Honestly, did this girl actually score the number two position?

"...You dare—" I paused.

The girl had a passionate glint in her eyes, one that said "no" was the wrong answer. To her, the competition had already started. She came at me right out of the gate, and she wasn't pulling any punches. Such reckless disregard for the exalted Satou Shibuya's circumstances, I loathed it.

"You're a class representative as well," reasoned Yamashina, "Shall we review together?"

My gaze turned cold. I wasn't a competetive person, not in the slightest, but even a paragon of temperance like myself would get mad if thrown under the bus. This was more than simply a challenge to me. This was comparable to being made light of, or so I thought. As a result, I decided to show the girl her place on the food chain.

"Very well."

After straightening my tie, I pushed in my chair and headed to the blackboard. As we walked, the two of us kept our eyes locked. Finally, the we reached the front. There was a moment's pause, one we spent sizing each other up. It was only now that I properly took in the girl's appearance.

The golden girl (as I called her) stood overcome with a nervousness I hadn't noticed at the time. She was picturesque, serving as the ideal representation of a productive student body. Not a single imperfection, not a single mistake. This was the code that Yoshida Yamashina strove to abide by.

Not even an inkling of unpreparedness presented itself in her apparel. No wrinkles on the black-gold blazer fitting her slender frame, nor the carmine tie beneath. Her plaid skirt, red in traditional Kawagusa fashion, reached to her knees. There truly was nothing noteworthy about Yoshida Yamashina's dressing habits, a textbook model student for sure.

Straight golden hair, ordinarily reaching her upper back, fell in thin strands over her left shoulder. Binding it was her only personal article, a black and white scrunchie. Her sharp gaze and blade-like countenance, traits many thought intimidating, paired quite well with her golden eyes. Seeing all this, I couldn't help but restate my thoughts:

This girl is beautiful.

Yamashina erased Mr. Hasegawa's message from the board. Afterwards, she grabbed a piece of sky-blue chalk. I too grabbed a piece, mine red. Nobody realized the tension between us, and the reactions we received differed greatly from what I'd expected.

"Why are they staring at each other so hard?"

"No way, are they—"

"Don't say it!"

How embarrassing!

And then, as if silencing the class, Yamashina cleared her throat. It didn't take much longer for the chatter to fizzle out, especially after the two of us broke eye contact. We turned to the blackboard, and I used the opportunity to cool my recently-heated face. Finally, as if she'd waited for me to relax, the golden girl spoke.

"Where shall we start, Shibuya?"

"I-It's only natural that we cover modern demonslaying history."

"Then I'll go first," she stated.

All eyes were us. I realized this too late, and a bead of sweat formed on my brow. I wasn't bad with being the center of attention. Rather, it was one of my strengths. However, it was a strength I hadn't wanted to use. I produced a small sigh, then peered over at Yamashina. The two of us accidentally locked eyes once more, but I broke eye contact first.

Now Yamashina spoke.

"The year 2028 was when Germany, then split into east and west, passed a bill preventing the conscription of non-humans and superhumans against the Demon threat. This preceded the construction of artificial islands such as Niflheim, Muspelheim, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, so on and so forth. Such became economically and technologically plausible after the conception of a Germany-Japan alliance. What is the treaty these two countries signed?"

In response to this, hands shot up.

"The Yggdrasil Treaty," I answered.

"Correct. Both countries have a close relationship, hence why it isn't uncommon to see those of mixed descent on artificial islands such as this."

Shizuka and I were two such people. That man, a Demonslayer, was Japanese... not quite. Born on Vanaheim, not on the mainland. Our mother, a Demon researcher, was born in Germany. In our case, that man's brown hair beat out mother's platinum blonde. Shizuka took after him, and I after mother. Not in terms of appearance, but supernatural ability.

"I'll go next then," I said.

She nodded.

Now then, time to get serious.

In the end, Yamashina proved herself quite knowledgeable.

-S0012-

Afterwards, the day flew by.

Classes had just let out for the day. Being the lost lamb I was, I started looking for the Student Council room. My initial plan to ask Mr. Hasegawa, however, fell through. For some reason, I couldn't find him after class. Not in the hallways, not in the faculty room, nothing. It was all very strange, to be honest.

What kind of teacher is this fool?

The next thing to do was ask another student, but that's where things got complicated. I finished asking some third floor students about it. None who I asked seemed to know, so I decided to move down a floor and try again. A wonderful plan, yes?

My footsteps echoed down the second floor halls. It'd sounded livelier from the third floor, but things seemed to've died down before I'd arrived. The second class students didn't have much reason to stick around compared to the first class students. Unfortunately, I wasn't given time to consider the implications of such an idea.

Heralded by a bell's jingle, a voice sounded behind me.

"Satou Shibuya."

T'was a familiar method of name-calling, but the voice itself only slightly so. After straightening my tie, I turned to face she who'd spoken. After all, who could fault them? Satou Shibuya rolled off the tongue, and saying it was only natural. Such good taste couldn't go unrewarded, not in good faith.

Now then, now then... hm?

I knew this person.

The scent of cherry blossoms reached my nose. I was reminded of the many flowers we'd hidden in books, and resulting times her father'd scolded us. To protect the sanctity of beauty, as he'd described, fell well within their family code. This was why he'd doted so heavily on his daughter.

Her uniform couldn't be called neat. The dress shirt, in constant battle with her ample bosom, had its sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Her black-gold blazer was nowhere in sight. Only the skirt kept its sanctity, cut just above her knees.

Deep crimson hair traced a wild arc, bound to form by a single silvery bell. The resulting ponytail reached the backs of her knees. Contrasting the wildness of her design, the neatness of her bangs. She made no effort to hide the piercing red eyes beneath. This was—

"Kei?" I murmured.

Yes, Keiko Kusanagi. It'd been a long time, and I doubted she remembered me. What's more, the name Satou Shibuya definitely wouldn't ring a bell for her. That didn't explain how she knew it though. I narrowed my gaze.

Either a certain red-haired vampire had sent her, Midas had sent her, or she'd remembered me. If such was the case, would she perhaps confess her undying love? The third scenario, though unlikely, was a favorite for tonight! To my knowledge though, she wasn't an idol.

"Are you an idol?" I asked.

"An odd question, but no."

Very well, I'll scratch Kei off the list.

"Did that red-haired vampire send you?" I asked.

"...The Vermilion Shinso?"

"I suppose not. Then the Golden King?"

She frowned. "No."

Which means—

"...Then you're here to confess your undying love?"

"What an unpleasant thought," Kei murmured.

I'd gotten ahead of myself, like I'd been trying not to do. Still, it was fine. Even counting my mistakes, nothing could detract from my perfection. With that in mind, I turned an index finger towards myself and kept the conversation going.

"Do you perhaps remember me?"

"I don't understand the question, sorry."

That stung a bit. "...I-In any case, can I help you?"

"I'd like to borrow a moment of your time."

I didn't give the notion much thought. Less because I didn't care, more because I lacked a reason to decline. My schedule, while not entirely free, wasn't particularly backed up. I didn't mind humouring my childhood crush. A single matter, the elder Kotobuki's request, was the only business I had today.

"Should we move elsewhere?" I asked.

"No, here will be fine."

"Very well, you have my attention."

Following those words, silence fell. Kei glared daggers into my chest, an unpleasant experience for sure. I couldn't immediately understand her problem. After a bit of reflection, however, I realized what had caught her attention. Kei stepped forward, entering within arm's length of me. She breached my absolute territory with little regard for my thoughts on the matter.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your hair?"

"I removed the dye," I retreated a step, "Also, you're too close."

"You're not allowed to wash dye into school sinks."

"I didn't, fool. What do you take me for?"

Kei's brow tensed, but she didn't comment. The girl, taking my request into consideration, pulled back a few steps. She took a deep breath, as if calming herself, and then returned her gaze to me. The redhead cleared her throat.

"You shouldn't join the Student Council," she said.

"I was invited to the Student Council room, not to join. Mind you, joining doesn't seem like a bad idea. No, maybe that's why Kotobuki the elder invited me? I suppose that'd make the most sense. She wouldn't be the first to covet my majesty, but I can certainly make her the last. My, what a good line! I'll be sure to remember it."

"Apologies," Kei frowned, "But you've lost me."

"Don't worry, it isn't your business to begin with. Or rather, you're awfully knowledgeable about my personal ongoings. You can't be faulted, I suppose. Few aren't curious about one such as myself, but let's put that aside. May I ask what your so-called 'deal' is?"

Her expression oozed with pride. "I've been watching you since the middle of lunch."

Ah, I understand.

"Are you a stalker? And in love?"

She frowned, remaining silent.

"Very well," I sighed, "I'll bite. Why were you stalking me?"

"I was watching you," Kei corrected, "Because I was told to do so."

"Your client has good taste. Who sent you?"

"Does the name Minako Minakami ring a bell?"

I slowly nodded. Before I could give a verbal answer, however, Kei's eyes lit up with a familiar passion. I recognized this passion, having fallen victim to it against a certain gyaru. I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it. My brain immediately kicked into overdrive, searching for an exit route.

"Don't you dare—" I took a step backwards. Against this foe, it wasn't enough.

As if carried on the winds themselves, Kei appeared before me. It'd been abrupt, far too fast to see without my ability. The weight of her hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. In turn, my signature scowl surfaced. Partially due to disgust, partially because I lamented this waste of unprecedented martial talent.

"I shall tell you of Mi... Minako's noble cause," She said.

"Tch."

Kei cleared her throat. "In the wake of evil and destruction left behind by the Golden King, delinquents were in a state of unrest. The groups in this area may work under the Golden King, but he is a tyrant. His means are neither just nor noble. Minako is absolute justice."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"And so, I will protect Minako's noble cause. She will unite all delinquents on this island, accomplishing what the Golden King could not. Such a tyrant isn't fit to sit on his throne, Satou Shibuya. Surely you understand, right?"

"I don't. Can I help you?"

I lifted a hand to brush Kei's hand aside. The redhead didn't seem to mind, easily releasing her grip. Strange, however, was the flash of bloodthirst I sensed from her. Just as easily as it'd appeared, it soon fizzled into nothing. Needless to say, my alertness peaked.

"Minako senses something special in you, like a wild beast trapped in a cage of normality. Now that I've seen you up close, I'm starting to understand. It seems, however, that Minako hadn't fully grasped the depth of your ferocity."

I narrowed my gaze. "Oh?"

Kei stepped forward. "You too are a practitioner of a demon-slaying kenjutsu style, Shibuya. The flexibility of your shoulder muscles, not to mention the way your hands are callused... below the first joints of your fingers and your thumb, is it? My hands are the same."

"Impressive."

So her senses were already honed to such a point? To think she could gauge my martial prowess with a single touch. Through clothing, no less. Kei had entered the realm of an untouchable sword master. I'd always thought she was strong, but this was abnormal. This was monstrous talent, similar in nature to my own.

How interesting.

"Still, a wild beast trapped in a cage of normality? Minakami has a way with words."

She averted her gaze. "Minako didn't phrase it in such exact terms..."

"In any case, is that everything?"

Keiko made a difficult face. "Technically, yes."

"In that case, I'll be leaving—"

"Before that," Kei stepped in front of me, "You seem familiar with that red-haired vampire. I'm unsure of your past, but it must be dark if you believe he'd send someone after you. In that sense, I have some information you might want. Shall we make a deal?"

"A deal, is it? I'll at least hear out your terms."

"Consider my precious Minako's invitation."

There was no reason to decline her request. She'd said to consider it. Such greatly differed from demanding I join. Given her choice in words, helping Minakami wasn't a dead-set requirement. Kei had become more reasonable since I'd last seen her. Far more beautiful as well.

"Very well," I sighed, "Tell me."

She nodded. "That red-haired vampire skipped a year."

"I don't understand the problem."

"He'll be coming here in two or so weeks."

I frowned. "Wasn't he supposed to be leading Kokorobuki?"

"I'm unsure of the details, but I have heard rumors. Most point towards the idea that he's looking for someone here, at Kawagusa. I have reason to believe this too."

Looking for someone, is it? The Golden King beat that red vampire and his old leader, so why come here? The current Golden King was the obvious suspect, or so I thought. There was no reason to think that Midas wouldn't do it, especially given his vicious streak.

No, perhaps the red runt knows it wasn't Midas?

How did he know to come here? Someone had definitely clued him in, but who? I considered this for several moments, but only Genjou came to mind. Only he had the correct intel. Only he had the gall. Just the thought was enough to irritate me.

I narrowed my gaze. "Kei—"

"Please don't act so familiar."

"Kusanagi," I corrected, "Tell Minakami that I'm not interested in helping her."

Kei sighed. "You weren't interested to begin with."

An undeniable truth, but could the exalted Satou Shibuya be blamed? Perhaps so, but not in good faith. In any case, I did have one last question. I doubted Kei would answer it though. I cleared my throat, turning my focus back to the redhead.

"By the by, where's the Student Council room?"

-S0013-

"My, I'm home!"

The sound of my voice echoed across the Gekkouhara clan house.

I slipped my shoes off, tossed them aside, then made my way down the long corridor. My footsteps were silent, the result of ten years spent learning Gekkouhara-style demon slaying. In the end though, there wasn't any reason to sneak in a house like this.

With a flash, two figures appeared at my sides. It wasn't as if I'd been noticed, they simply knew I'd be here. After all, why wouldn't I be? A wise man had told me the worth of punctuality, and I'd taken his words to heart. It was this lesson that allowed the twins before me to properly do their jobs.

"Young master, allow me to take your coat," My butler, Sentogawa.

"Shall I fetch your glasses, Master Genjou?" And my maid, Kanae.

A single nod set them in motion. With each step I took, part of my school uniform was removed. First the blazer, then the tie, then the shirt. It was replaced with a black shirt, which Sentogawa quickly buttoned. As the collar was adjusted, Kanae removed my contacts and slid my square-frame glasses into place.

The walk from the front entrance to the practice hall was all it took to settle in.

Snow wafted in from the practice hall's open windows, exposing those near the three-by-three meter entrance to the wintery winds outside. To the artificial island's natives, who had braved the cold their entire lives, it wasn't too bad. On the contrary, "mild" would best describe it. Few could complain about the snow at this point.

From the nature-exposed practice hall, metal against metal sounded. The rhythmic clacking adjusted in accordance to the bout's intensity, as if a poorly constructed beat with little in the way of proper pacing. I easily recognized the small figure inside, who duked it out with one of the trainers.

My cutest little sister is doing well.

Having confirmed this, I started towards my room. Down a corridor to the left, straight, and then another right. Upon arriving, I turned to dismiss my twin servants. The two bowed, disappearing in another flash. Such low speed, unfitting of a true blood Gekkouhara, was at least enough to earn a servant position.

Ara, they're good enough at that. It's fine.

With that, I entered my room. Darkness greeted me, shrouding the room in a black haze. I snapped my fingers, prompting the room's lights to activate. An artifical white glow washed over the area, dispelling the brief illusion of mystery. With a small nod, I marveled at my room's newest addition.

There, in the very center, was a bearskin carpet.

A mighty foe indeed, I'd faced it fair and square. Its tenacity quickly withered away after the thousandth cut to its flesh, but the fear of death never kicked in. A snap of the neck was enough to end things, cementing my respect for the creature. None would forget its valor, especially not I.

I decided to relax for the rest of the day. I stretched my arms, after which I plopped down on my bed. The room's pristine white ceiling was calming, on some levels. Since I had trouble keeping my eyes open, a small cat nap was in order. I frowned, quietly thinking about events to come. In the end though, it all came back to one question:

What will you do, SHIBUYA?