PART ONE, CHAPTER TEN: "LIGHTNING CIPHER"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY-

"Heat up, Cernunnos!"

Earth's roar twisted grass and mud at the call of its master.

Viscous browns geysered up, then stalled in the air- one moment, then two- and dried. Flakes of dried mud and small pebbles rolled off the side of the newly formed dome. At five meters in height, it surrounded our team's flag- a respectable barricade, but would it hold against the opposition?

One youth's right foot traced a molten arc across the field's muck. Ash and earth scattered from the tips of the boy's fingers. He took a deep breath and, with a wild crash, slammed his palm to the ground. Thick earthen walls emerged on all sides, another layer of defense. I marveled at the talents of my classmate.

Rock Hoshino, rank ninteen on Kawagusa General Academy's placement exams. Born on Muspelheim, transferred to Niflheim to apply for a spot in Karatsuba. A powerful earth manipulator who learned Scattered Ash CQC from a former demonslayer, Akashi Amane. Guy might be the second strongest Vanguard in Class 3-C.

"Gekkou, I got this side done!" Rock wiped the sweat from his brow. He scanned his surroundings, no doubt looking for a special someone. "Yamashina can't blitz our flag at the start of the game if there's a dome- you said that, right?"

I grinned. "Yeah, she'd have to come here in person. She'd have one... no, two more people with her if she came- Satou Shibuya and Kozue Kotobuki, I bet. If that happens, I'll be counting on you to lend me your power."

Rock cracked his neck. "I ain't losing here. Satsu's pops is scary, but backing down isn't an option." He smiled. "Try and keep up, Gekkou."

Awkward laughter turned both our heads. The source, a red-faced girl with silvery hair in a bob cut, elbowed the taller boy with red hair and suntouched skin in the side. She- Satsuki Sanae- glanced towards the distant school, a view clipped slightly by the mud walls that separated us.

"Betahara, I can't see their flag." Sanae frowned.

"But they're in classroom 3-A, right?"

Sanae nodded. Her eyesight never ceased to amaze me.

Satsuki Sanae II, rank fifteen on the placement exams. Second daughter to the head of the Sanae clan, one of Niflheim's five primary slayer clans- Sanae, Kusanagi, Gekkouhara, Shiranui and Gagetsu. A wind manipulator, the most capricious among three siblings. An aspiring Chaser, I think. Still, there's one card I need to prep. Let's leave these two alone.

I grinned. "You two can flirt. I'm gonna chat with Kitamura, kay?"

The two burned bright red, but didn't refute. Youth, how beautiful! Anyway, other matters beckoned. I strode across the field, stepping through muck and puddles. After all, the field came in two flavours: shoveled and swampish. No alternatives presented themselves in the face of Niflheim's abnormal weather.

I arrived at my destination without noticing. Clear as day upon sight, not so much when on hunt. This prey moved on a whim with neither rhyme nor reason. And so, the sight of his athletic frame seated on a distant bench caught me by surprise... no, not the sight. The atmosphere. Visual stimuli came afterwards.

There, hunched forward with a towel on their head, sat a youth with problems far worse than a bad attitude. Hands clasped together, the youth's cerulean blue hair shook wildly in the wind. He stared at the ground with unwavering fervor. Even when I called out that goliath didn't look up.

I struck a pose with my hands in the air. "Kitamura, enjoying that high school life?"

"No."

The reason being the lack of life in the youth's surroundings. He, Kohei Kitamura, exuded a wild sort of pressure. Anyone without training might avoid him not on purpose, but due to basic survival instincts. I could tell that today, Kitamura bursted with excitement. No, anticipation.

"You're gonna take it back, right?" I asked. "Your seat, that is."

Kitamura nodded. The earth seemed to rumble as the youth rose from his seat. Hands clenched into fists and ripped free the towel on his head. The face beneath, rugged and handsome, carried but a single flaw—

"Yeah."

—a horizontal, lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

-UNKNOWN-

"They'll come up the staircase, won't they?"

Yamashina nodded. "The windows are locked, so they won't be able to slip in without breaking them. Assuming the goal is to avoid collateral, the invading party will in fact have to come up the stairs."

I frowned. "A little dull, but fair enough. Also, you're too close."

From end to end, the our battle plan marked the black board. The scope of our strength, what we knew about the opposition, and who to send where. We named our squads by colour for ease of recognition. The composition left something to be desired, but I and Yamashina agreed for sure on one thing, a matter I might have fought against a day prior.

"Shibuya," said Yamashina, "You're with me."

"Actually, you're with me." I corrected.

Our initial squad composition consisted of Kotobuki, Ikuzawa, Rurisaki, Yamashina and I. On paper this remained the same, but in practice only I and Yamashina would act together. Kotobuki called us "Double Trouble," a squad name that 3-A almost universally vetoed in favour of the simpler, more sleek "Squad Gold."

Iori Ikuzawa received command of "Squad Silver," which consisted of two actual squads- one mixed squad and the all-girl squad. Noteworthy members included students whose names I'd been forced to learn. Guren and Ichi Sashizumi, plus Botan Tachibana- a telekinetic, a rotation generator, and a shapeshifter. Tachibana showcased her ability by copying my face.

"Now I'm the top scorer," she'd joked. I didn't laugh.

Reika Rurisaki (a mermaid non-human- she seemed confused when I called her a shark) and Kozue Kotobuki received command of "Squad Platinum," which consisted of the all-male group and the other mixed-gender group. Notable players included Walter Washio and Kamui Reiss- a vibration generator and a lycanthrope.

All the world's restraint and then some kept me from mocking these lesser abilities. Counter to me, Yamashina considered ways in which to utilize them. Eventually though, she came to a conclusion that fell in the grey area between "giving up" and "innovating." Those who wouldn't be useful in direct combat were to help Ikuzawa set up on the roof.

Odd, isn't it.

To be honest, I'd never considered the idea of working with a group until then. Or rather, perhaps "working together" didn't fit the bill? It felt more like using the pieces afforded to you, I think, but that's besides the point. In the end, we decided to focus on facilitating fast communication between our groups. The grunt work of this task fell on Ikuzawa's group, who went up to the roof.

Once all was said and done, Kengo Kusanagi's voice boomed across the intercomm.

"Attention all students. The game of Capture the Flag between Class 3-A and Class 3-C will now begin. For those currently in class and vice-versa, please avoid distracting each other. Thank you, have a nice day."

This lead to the current situation.

Pristine white stairs surrounded us on all sides, a spiral that seemed endless until one looked down. Light filtered in from the outside wall, comprised almost entirely of glass. A flock of black birds flew by, warped and twisted by the window wall's make. One could almost imagine their incessant cries, the beat of their numerous tiny wings.

The two of us, Yamashina and I, marched down the third floor staircase at a brisk pace- faster than a walk, but slower than a sprint. Our footsteps, a light pitter-patter, echoed down to the floor below where second class students studied. Each step beat through my soles like a small earthquake, a bizarre notion indeed. I couldn't have recognized it as excitement, not at the time.

I felt the cool glass through my contamination suit's thin make. The fingers of my left hand traced the curved surface without much thought on my part.

▂▃▄▄▃▄▄▃▂▃▄▄▃▄▄

A ceaseless murmur, repeated over and over in the recesses of my mind. Not quite my voice, but still mine- a strange statement, no doubt. A voice originating within the self that I identified as belonging to something else, my ability. It didn't speak any human tongue- it didn't speak at all. Closer to a white noise, a hollow rustling that did little to distiguish itself from my own thoughts.

"Shibuya, have they entered yet?" Yamashina peered over the stair railing, a thick wood of some sort- mahogany, I think. She glanced over her shoulder to see my response.

"You're distracting me."

With a frown, Yamashina leaned on the railing. Elbows pressed on the surface, I heard a small sigh escape her lips. A cursory glance in her direction came back negative- no change in facial expression, at least none that I noticed. As I continued down the staircase, my mind began to wander- menial tasks dulled the brain.

Does Yoshida Yamashina go to a gym?

You wouldn't notice at first glance, not if Yamashina wore her uniform. Her slender frame struck me as waify at first, though later observation concluded her frame as the result of hard work and exercise. Flat stomach, firm legs, each showed through more easily in the tight anti-contamination suits we wore. Not to mention her hands...

Oh, I'm at the bottom.

The second floor's halls were empty, just as I'd expected. No footsteps, no bloodlust, nothing of note. I could say with confidence that nobody new had entered the school, not since the game started. I took my hand off the wall and thumbed my palm. All things considered, my hands were softer. I won this particular bout, as expected.

From above came Yamashina's voice. "What about Kotobuki?"

I pressed my hand to the wall and closed my eyes. Golden lines scanned the framework in my head, an image I burned into my memory. I traced each person- each body, face, and hairstyle- and found my target on the opposite end of the school, in the other staircase. I identified the second, third, and forth persons until I found the shark-toothed girl paired with Kotobuki-

T-They're larger than expected. No, don't think about it.

"Kotobuki and Rurisaki are in the other staircase. That fool Ikuzawa is on the roof with," As I removed my hand from the wall, I struggled to remember the names of my other classmates. "The Sashizumi sisters and Tachibana, I think? They're still setting up the item on their list. How dare they keep me waiting?"

"If you don't mind my asking," Yamashina changed the subject, "Do you need to touch the wall to see our surroundings? Your feet would suffice, wouldn't they?"

"Hmph," I crossed my arms. "Have your hands ever shaken? Of course they have, but it's hard to prevent when given thought. On the contrary, they seem to shake more after you notice. Unfortunately, it's the same monkey logic here. The less I think, the easier it is."

Yamashina crossed an arm over her chest and began to stretch. "That seems like a fatal flaw."

"Nonsense, the reverse applies too." Oh, there it is. I should prepare. "The better I understand something, the easier it is to do. Steel, for example. I have to think about it to make it, but I can't if I think about it. The answer is simple- learn and understand the composition of steel."

I scanned the side of the staircase, the metal bars that supported its glossy railing. The bars shone dully in the day's murky greyness, which revealed signs of rust and wear on their surface. That can't be safe, I think. I knelt and dragged an index finger down the metal's cool surface. Structurally sound, but unseemly in my eyes.

She's not watching right now, I think.

Let's do the school a kindness.

"One thousand foes—"

Golden reiki traced circuit-like lines along the lone bar's surface. I ripped free my newly metamorphed weapon- a vaguely sword-shaped item, a little over a meter in length. Its blunt edges and rounded tip gave the impression of a practice sword or perhaps a baton. Light but tough, I assured myself this tool was safe for recreational use...

"Shibuya?!"

"Oh, you saw. No matter, I'll put it back when we're done."

Yamashina's frantic journey down the stairs distracted me from my first swing. To properly hear the weapon's sound, I made a downward stroke and struck the ground— crack.

"No, perhaps a little lighter?" I mended the ground and went to work adjusting the weight.

"What if someone saw you on camera?" I heard her behind me.

"How foolish. If they did, they heard me say I'd put it back." I traced a horizontal arc, striking the adjacent series of metal bars. A dull thunk echoed and I, satisfied, lowered my weapon. I'd call this one Hawkbit- stupid, but usable. "Also, don't you have to get ready?"

Yamashina sighed. For some reason she seemed drained. "In what sense?"

I turned around. "Oh, I didn't say it? They're here."

In less than a second I witnessed the golden girl go from confusion to bewilderment to what looked like frustration. She darted up to the wall and pressed her back to it. One eye open, she peered around the corner and into the adjacent first floor hallway.

"How many are there?" Yamashina cracked her knuckles.

With a roll of my eyes, I took my place on the wall. "Two."

"Who?"

"Does it matter?"

Yamashina glared at me.

Honestly, what a hard girl to please!

I touched my hand to the wall and closed my eyes.

In my mind's eye I glanced over the school- my field, my territory. First the third floor, then the second, and finally the first. At the front entrance I found two individuals- a taller boy, and a rather short girl. The taller boy, with his right hand to the adjacent wall, spoke to the smaller girl about something. I couldn't hear them.

"A stupid musclebound boy and a midget girl," I reported. "They're standing at the front entrance, talking to each other. And before you ask, no, I cannot hear them. Or rather, I could if I wanted to, but that's another matter entirely."

"It's likely Hoshino and Sanae. Is the taller one touching anything?"

"The—?!"

The wall behind us sputtered to life. Concrete pushed through tile and wrapped around my wrists, ankles, and neck. When I looked down, I discerned the bindings to be shackles. Concrete shackles, what a strange concept. I glanced left, where Yamashina- Wait, she's gone?!

"I should've expected this." Her voice came from above.

I glanced up to find her kneeling on the staircase's wooden railing, a full four meters above. Her gaze slid down the wall until we locked eyes. Her eyes briefly lit up, but she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She stood up and walked down the railing.

I forced a smile. "You reacted faster than expected."

"I'm a Raiju, after all." Yamashina jumped to the ground.

A warning would've been nice!

With a faint golden crackle, my bindings turned white and crumbled to salt. I retrieved Hawkbit and distanced myself from the wall.

"Rock Hoshino is a powerful earth manipulator," said Yamashina. She peered into the hallway. "The second one, Satsuki Sanae, is a wind manipulator. To engage, we should..."

"I'll go first," I said.

"First? Hold, Shibuya—"

I was halfway down the hall before she finished that thought.

Honestly, I couldn't fathom the common mind. If you've found the enemy, the battle is already decided. I scanned the outside world through the numerous windows that passed, where mucky fields and dirty goal posts greeted me. I came to a halt five steps later, when I spotted two figures just outside the building's front entrance.

The first, a tanned boy, still had one hand pressed to an adjacent concrete wall. I thought so, anyway. Couldn't see the end of his arm from where I stood. The second, a short girl with silvery hair, checked on the entrance from around a corner. Outside the school, rather. Trying to evade direct battle, hm? What a fool.

Now then, let's put these mutts to work.

I turned the corner, Hawkbit in hand, and greeted my foes. "You fools dare enter my domain?"

The boy squinted. "This is Satou Shibuya."

"Definitely him," said the girl.

Of course. It's unfortunate, but you'll be losing now- wait.

Strangely enough, I couldn't move- something prevented me. Not just my legs, but my arms as well. When I tried to look down, my chin hit a hard surface. Rock? No wait, stone shackles... wait, we're doing this again? Back against some sort of stone plate, I clicked my tongue. With a sigh, I returned my focus to the fools before me.

I sneered. "Stone cannot bind me... hm?"

The world seemed to rotate. Or maybe my angle of view shifted. Slowly, my focus changed from the fools before me to the pristine ceiling above. Relaxing, like the soft leather seat in a dentist's office. I almost wanted to relax, nay, to fall asleep, but-

"Wait, what is this?!" My eye twitched.

The stone slab I was shackled to, it's rotating? No wait, are they trying to get me on the ground?! No way! I'd rather die than lose in such a foolish manner!

I easily pulled my arms free of the stone. Before I could smash the bindings on my feet, stone ribbons wrapped around my arms and pulled my back to the slab once more. What a farce! What a bizarre turn of events! This was the sort of thing you'd see on a humorous social media video.

Golden reiki crackled at my fingertips.

"Don't mock me!" I hissed.

"This is him for sure."

"Yes, definitely."

My brow tensed. "Why do you people keep saying that?!"

Crashing thunder came in response. I found myself spinning through the air before I could react, slab and all. Each shackle fell to bits, and I disorientedly dropped to my feet fast enough to watch my stone bed doing cartwheels down the hall. As it crashed flat to the ground, a golden bolt came to a halt- fast footsteps that transisted into a slide.

"Tch," the tanned boy raised both hands. Open palms.

Yoshida Yamashina knelt, completing the bizarre quadrilateral we now formed. Electricity crackled from from her hair and arced between her fingertips. She turned, golden eyes tracing a glowing arc amidst the gray gloom. She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'll support," said the silver-haired girl. Her voice was calm, and she made a rather bizarre wave. Some sort of code? "Rock, focus on Yoshida Yamashina."

The tanned boy, Rock, nodded.

Yamashina leaned forward. Back hunched, fists raised in front of her face, she kept her eyes on Rock. She found the time to speak. "As I said, Rock Hoshino and Satsuki Sanae. An earth manipulator and a wind manipulator, respectively." She didn't look in my direction.

I took a moment to collect myself. Deep breaths. "Noted," I said. I lifted my sword and focused on the silver-haired girl, Satsuki Sanae. Sanae then. "I'll get this one. It's unfortunate, but try not to lose before I finish up. I want the other one too."

"Hm? Very well." I don't think she heard me.

What an irritating girl.

No matter, I cleared my mind of distractions. I'd let my guard down and my foes made a fool of me. A small misstep, but nothing to learn from. Sword in hand, my eyes locked on the silver-haired girl's own. That's right, you're my focus. Take heed-

"Woah, hell!"

I narrowly evaded a fist-sized rock. It hit the wall behind me and dropped to the ground with a heavy thunk. I glanced back and forth between the rock, and the silver girl who threw it. She picked up another projectile from the ground, a slight smirk on her face.

"You nearly hit me!" I readied my weapon fast enough to block the next shot. Stone shards scraped my cheek, but didn't draw blood. "The goal is flooring a person you damned ingrate! Are you trying to pick a fight?!"

Sanae tilted her head. "That's a good question."

"So that's how it's going to be, hm? Pragmatism over honour? Fine, very well! I, Satou Shibuya, will put you in your place. Prepare yourself-" I sidestepped another stone. "Would you stop throwing stones you god forsaken barbarian?!"

Sanae didn't say a word. She picked up another rock.

She's mocking me! Do words mean nothing to this fool?!

The golden girl slid to a halt in front of me, arms raised in front of her chest. Startled, I stepped back. Before I spoke, a molten hot blur rushed up- Rock Hoshino. Arms raised, he slammed a palm into the girl's guard- wait, isn't this just a game?!

Yamashina ducked under a strike. I suddenly found the tan-skinned boy spinning through the air, wild confusion spread on his face. He landed on his hands and shakily hopped to his feet. Does that count as safe? Isn't that cheating-

"Shibuya, what are you doing?!" yelled Yamashina.

Another rock zoomed past. "This all seems rather wacky."

"Just deal with the other one, okay?!"

"You dare speak to me in such a manner-"

She darted away before I finished.

How annoying!

After a deep breath, I gauged my strength. Reinforcement, back online. Alteration, reversion, both in the process of booting up. Making a weapon was the limit of my ability right now. Optimization stalled- the least vital of my abilities, and thus the last to come back online.

Fortunately, the exalted Satou Shibuya doesn't need his full strength to deal with a foe of Satsuki Sanae's calibur. That's right, let's get some practice in.

Sword gripped in both hands, I envisioned the fruits of my childish labours- Kusanagi swordplay's thirteen forms sword forms and five unarmed forms. The crimson wind and the heavenly host. To face the Kusanagi's storm was foolish. The Path of Jupiter had no match.

"You bear witness to Satou Shibuya," I spoke. An introduction, like always. "A sword of the Kusanagi, an unstoppable existence walking the Path of Jupiter."

Sanae paused.

"The Sanae aren't fond of the Kusanagi to my knowledge, but it makes sense." I checked my weapon. Blade, dull. Straight, no structural problems. Could do with a little optimization. "The Sanae's Path of Mercury is just a lesser Path of Jupiter if you really think about it."

"Those your last words?" She cracked her knuckles.

Twisting winds intensified, an attempt to drag me forward. I'd angered her, stepped on a few toes. An unsatisfying tone, for sure, but she'd taken it. Her worth fell. Such a meaningless existence, how could any red-blooded human being handle it? Such a struggle whet my appetite.

One foot pressed to the ground, I pointed my sword at the worm in human skin. I glanced to my right and found Yamashina and her foe already entrenched in battle. One, two, punch, duck, step, guard. Throw. Throw? The golden girl moved too fast for the opposition to react.

It's like she's playing jacks.

Fwoosh! Whipping winds brought me back to reality. I found a ring of stones surrounding Satsuki Sanae, no doubt carried on the wind. She pointed a finger at me, as if aiming a gun.

She wouldn't break a window, would she-

Bang! I ducked under a shot. No time to think. I stomped the ground and stepped forward, exiting the school building. The distance between us shifted from six meters to one. She stepped back as I swung. I saw a distant tree fall over. Shoot, too strong. A little weaker.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Sanae's face turned pale.

"Wh- you started it! Fool! Rat! Pidgeons are just the rats of our skies!"

"What does that even mean?!"

I swatted aside another shot. My sword traced a vertical arc. Sanae yelped, narrowly evading my upswing. In the distance, the school's gates flung open. Next, she ducked under a horizontal swipe. A storm of moist grass scattered on the wind. The groundskeeper could take a day off.

"How unexpected!" I hopped backwards. "Is my condition really so bad that I can't even swing a sword? Honestly, you'd be better off laying down right now. I'll even let you lick my boots, little rat."

Sanae didn't respond. Heavy breathing and all that.

Oh, wait!

This struck me as the perfect opportunity. Strike when the opponent is exhausted, yes? She made for an easy target when she wasn't moving. I took aim against my forearm and pointed my sword in Satsuki Sanae's direction. She took a moment, then got frantic.

"Rock?!" Sanae took a step back.

Too slow. He won't get away from that golden girl.

Sword raised, I locked onto my target. A distant tree, far enough. Golden reiki traced jagged circuitry along the surface of my weapon. Crimson winds coalesced with absolute aurum. The Path of Jupiter's third sword form manifested, a technique of the Kusanagi's demon-slaying martial art.

"Path of Jupiter, third form-" I thrusted. "Shrike."

A crimson needle killed the distance- a deep red line pierced what the eye could see. Soundless, not a single chirp to its name. Red gave way to gold as my reiki took the stage. Only the distant rustle of branches marked this momentous occasion.

Satsuki Sanae stood there, unmoving. Her eyes focused hard on the gleaming needle that pierced the air next to her head. Her eyes slowly shifted down the weapon, then to me. I retracted my sword as the needle crumbled to reiki particles.

In the distance, I watched a branch fall from a distant tree. A little blurry, but I fortunately landed the attack. A splendid display! Marvelous! O Satou Shibuya, how perfect thine are! Even in poor condition, you never miss a beat!

I'm the strongest, after all.

A slight smile on my lips, I turned my head to take in my surroundings. A beautiful gray day, one of Niflheim's grayest. On the horizon, snow already fell. My gaze fell to the two at my back- the tanned boy and the golden girl. Neither said a word, but their focuses differed. Yamashina, with her eyes on Rock, and Rock, with his eyes on me. He didn't move.

"By the way," I glanced back to Sanae, "shouldn't you be falling now?"

The girl stumbled backwards without a response. She fell bottom first to the ground, heaving and wretching. I won, as expected. I always won, no matter the circumstances. The exalted Satou Shibuya had no match. Not even Genjou Gekkouhara and his rather crude classmates.

Yes, a distant stone fortress told me everything I needed to know about my current foe.

Not a coward, but a smart man. Despite his confidence, Genjou knew the scope of Satou Shibuya's power. He knew that failure did not exist in this head. And so, the snake created his ideal battlefield- a place to utilize his own blinding speed and unparalleled acrobatics.

I turned to Rock. "Yamashina, I don't care anymore. You can have this one."

"Shut your mouth." The boy stepped forward, fists clenched.

"Hm? Over there, over there." I shook my sword at the battle-ready Yamashina who had both fists raised. "I'm done for now, I can't be bothered to play with you. Fight her."

"R-Rock, forget it. I'm out, just run," said Sanae.

"Yes, you're out!" I frowned.

When I turned back around, the tanned boy seemed to realize his situation. This wasn't actual conflict. This was a mere game, a means to gauge our strengths. One hand pointed in my direction, the other towards Yamashina... what great escape were you planning, Mr. Rock?

Swirling reiki coated my arm as I pointed it towards the tanned youth. A stone sphere took form in my hand. I'd liked Satsuki Sanae's trick and thus wanted to try it out myself. Alteration, booted up. Scanning for data corruption, I think. No matter.

I lined up my shot with Rock's shoulder. "Can the exalted Satou Shibuya go two for two? Shall we find out-"

It's heavy.

The stone sphere grew heavier in my hand. I didn't understand why until my eyes once more fell on Rock Hoshino. My gaze jumped between the sphere and the tanned youth, then I put two and two together. I frowned. Did he really think this would stop me?

Reiki strengthened my muscles. "Cease your foolish struggle."

"You're strong as shit!" Rock clicked his tongue. "What the hell?!"

"I'm the strongest, after all."

A golden blur appeared between Rock and I. My eyes couldn't adjust, not in this state. Before I could react, the tan-skinned youth was doing cartwheels through the air. Even I saw the shift from confusion to fear as he realized what happened. Dust and grime took form beneath him.

"Cernunnos!"

Then, in a flash of mud and stone, the youth disappeared. All that remained with an assortment of stone pillars, some of which immediately crumbled. The exchange ended before I realized. I didn't grasp this until the golden girl slid to a halt in front of me, electricity scorching the earth beneath her feet. She didn't seem amused.

"Honestly!" Yamashina clicked her tongue.

"No matter, he didn't seem particularly tough." I tossed aside the stone in my hand. "You said he was a threat to look out for? I'm disappointed! I expected a much greater foe, not foolish tricks and a trip to the dentist-"

"Shibuya, can you find him?"

"Honestly, why do you people keep interrupting me?!" I threw my sword at the ground. No good, keep calm and composed. I cleared my throat and retrieved my weapon. "N-Not anymore, and most certainly not outside the school building. Why would you ask knowing how it works?"

Yamashina stepped towards me. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but paused. She glanced to the downed Sanae, then back to me. The golden girl took a deep breath and sighed.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. We took down one of their scouts, that's good enough for now. It's almost time to meet up, so we're heading back now. The other squads should be done by now too." Yamashina turned around. She paused, then glanced over her shoulder at Sanae. "You're out, head to the gym."

I watched the silver-haired girl push herself up from the dirt. She gave us a rather mean look, then wordlessly departed in the gym's direction. She wouldn't cheat, would she? I kept an eye on her back until Yamashina called me.

"Shibuya?"

"Ah, yes. Let's head back."

Not before repairing the collateral, however.

-S0021-

Everyone expects to arrive first, I think. You leave early under the assumption that being there before anyone gives you a bizarre sort of seniority. Unfortunately, you're rarely the only person with that idea. It's never about leaving early, but rather leaving earlier than everyone else. An ever-changing goal post that you cannot see or even tangibly quantify.

The exalted Satou Shibuya subscribed to being fashionably late. At least, on paper. Mother and sister dearest were sticklers for proper timing, keeping meet-up times, so on and so forth. I never got it. The obvious assumption was that you'd wait for me to arrive, no matter how long it took. When I suggested this, Shizuka sat me down and left the room. She didn't come back.

No, was she trying to prove a point?

That's right, I remember she came crying to me the next day. She'd apologized for something (I wasn't sure what) then showered me with pastries and sweets. In retrospect, that series of events made a little more sense. Sister dearest was something of a worrywort, but she did a good job hiding it. What a wonderful sister!

Wait, I'm getting sidetracked.

Yamashina and I weren't the last people to enter the classroom, but we certainly weren't the first. Kozue Kotobuki and Reika Rurisaki, complete with the students under their charge, beat us there. The two leaders stood in a corner, discussing something with one another. Not the game, I think. No, maybe it was. They seemed rather serious.

Though it looks a bit odd with a single desk unstacked desk in the corner. Oh bother, it doesn't matter. I'll stack it before we head out again.

I took a seat on my desk while Yamashina made her way to the front of the class. She went down a long list of names on the blackboard and scraped one off. Satsuki Sanae, I think. I didn't have the presence of mind to remember worthless names, but Yamashina did so with ease. One had to wonder what value such knowledge would have after the examinations.

Everyone is splitting up, aren't they?

"We've downed Satsuki Sanae, heiress to the Sanae's Path of Mercury." Yamashina said this without turning around. The squeak of chalk against the blackboard brought all eyes to her back. "Rock Hoshino has a bizarre technique. He'll bind you to a stone tablet and lean you back until you're out. I wonder, who would fall for such a technique?"

Y-Yes, I wonder who!

Kotobuki raised a hand. "So we did the patrol, we've gotten first blood. Doubt things are gonna be as cut and dry next time, so what's the plan?"

"Actually," I leaned back on my desk, "We don't need to do anything. We're ahead. If the time runs out under these circumstances, we win. I won't say we should barricade ourselves in, but it's something to consider."

"No way it'd work, top scorer." Kotobuki shook his head. "They have a fort, and we can't block off the school's entrances. Someone's bound to find a way in, we should swarm 'em."

Yamashina cut in. "They've got at least two aces up their sleeves, I know it. We've got a handful of aces ourselves, but only a few would be able to handle a two-on-one, let alone a class-on-one. We'll be able to work better once Ikuzawa's group finishes on the roof."

"Wow, you're gonna bank on the weird cartoon plan Shibuya suggested? The lightning one, not the turtle one. They're both cartoonish though."

"Cartoon?! It's a brilliant idea!" I kicked the stack of desks next to me. "A magnificent marvel of battlefield tactics that nobody of lesser mental faculty would ever think of. I'll admit it looks and sounds rather foolish, and maybe television inspired me, but still!"

The golden girl nodded. "Yes, we're going to try Shibuya's odd plan."

"Ignoring me, hm? How very mature."

I watched Kotobuki and Yamashina continue their discussion, completely independent of my nigh unquestionable opinion. Barbarians, all of them- their foolish refusal to heed my words said enough. Not that I cared, though. Not one bit! If push came to shove, I could carry this entire team with one hand-

"...Shibuya, where'd you get that sword?" A sudden interruption.

"—?!"

Startled, I fell off my desk. Thankfully I landed in my chair and not on the ground. My gaze shifted to the shark-toothed gal who'd startled me. Back hunched, thin fingers gripping the edge of my desk, she gave me more time of day than I wanted. A bizarre thing to say, for sure, but even artillery on par with Gagetsu wasn't enough to-

No, don't think about it. Don't even acknowledge it.

Seeking to save some face, I kicked my feet up on the desk. Play it off, play it off. My eyes slowly moved up to the gloomy girl's face. Too slow, wrong route, don't think about it. Circle motion, Satou Shibuya. Around the room, then to her face. Her dull eyes focused on mine, and then on the sword I'd accidentally dropped to the floor. Shoot.

"F-From somewhere." I jerried around with my right hand, but didn't look at the floor. After three or so attempts, I won the hellish crane game. With a small sigh, I picked up my sword. I could see the shark-toothed girl fending off creepy laughter.

The thing about Reika Rurisaki, it seemed, was her almost vehemont refusal to take me seriously. She didn't take herself seriously either, I think. I'd coincidentally caught a glance of her before we'd changed. She'd worn the uniform's sweater instead of the blazer, but no shoes. None that I'd seen, so it seemed.

Did she honestly wear flipflops in this weather?

Honestly, what a barbarian. Now, in her faux anti-contamination suit, you could almost look past the bizarre protogremlin-esque tendencies she did little to hide. I could sing praises about her figure now, but I had yet to see her eat. With teeth such as those, I had to wonder- did she hunt in the same manner as the malevolent mermaids of yore?

I shivered. "Weird, what are these conflicting feelings?"

"Your eyes glazed over for a sec."

"Don't think about it. I mean, don't comment on it." I cleared my throat. She didn't notice, did she? I don't think so. "Now then, I trust your and Kotobuki's patrol went well? No conflict, I'm assuming, but no abnormalities either?"

Rurisaki blinked. "Nothing."

"Very good."

A good response, and also a natural end to a conversation. Good, no need to put up with this ticking timebomb of a chat. I sat up straight and dusted myself off. My eyes skimmed the room, we were waiting on Ikuzawa's group now. Yamashina probably needed input. With a nod, I got up-

"...So where'd you go to school before this?"

Or not. What a question, what a question. I'd never entertained the thought of disclosing such information. Rather close to home, you see. My middle school had a poor reputation of being filled with problem children and unsavoury youths.

Myself included, of course.

In my last year, twenty-nine students were suspended and eight were expelled. Three teachers resigned- one to be a full-time mother, the other due to threats from a student's family, and the other because he was caught stalking a middle school girl. It was no miracle such an environment created an existence as loathed as the Gekkou District's Golden King.

Still, perhaps it'll shut her up.

"Irving Kweisenveil Middle School," I said.

"That place for German-speaking students?"

I nodded.

Rurisaki frowned. "Top scorer, huh? Is that why you write your name with an S. in the middle?"

This is not the reaction I wanted. Or rather, you noticed that?!

"You've... heard of I.K. Middle School, yes?" I squinted.

"Named for Irving Kweisenveil, the slayer who single-handedly turned the Battle of Worms in mankind's favour." Rurisaki spoke in a creepy, almost murmurous tone. Or rather, she always spoke like that. "It's thanks to him that Cthylla didn't break our defense line."

I scowled. "He's also the reason Cthylla fled to Vanaheim."

Shizuka and I had family on mother's side in Vanaheim. The man hailed as a hero had done some serious damage to our family tree. He should've known merely wounding an amphibious Archdemon would make it look elsewhere for food. How very troublesome.

Maybe sensing my distaste, Rurisaki changed the subject. "...So what's the S. stand for?"

A good question! "You're curious, you're curious?"

"Uh, er, sure. I guess."

I crossed my arms and puffed out my chest. The last time I'd given the explanation, everyone on the Round Table laughed at me for days. I put them in their place when I defeated the Vermilion Shinso, but they almost certainly still mocked me. Perhaps my one-person audience would receive this ripe biscuit of golden knowledge better.

"It stands for Schneider," I said this with a quiet pride.

"I... see. So-"

"Schneider is my mother's maiden name, or so you'd think. That man... no, my father adopted mother's surname when they married. The family has temporarily adopted my father's name, but that's a temporary fix for certain family issues. Truly, that man ruins everything he touches-"

"Wait, Schneider?" Rurisaki's brow tensed. Her voice lowered. "As in the Schneiders? Champions of the Eisenritter? Lords of the Watership Covenant? Slayers of Zathog? Those Schneiders?"

I nodded. "Correct, correct, and correct. Three in total, how smart. No, perhaps it should be four? Grammatically speaking, I suppose that'd be true..."

Rurisaki leaned in, eyes confused. She spoke quietly. Quieter than usual, even. "You're just gonna spit that out like it's nothing? You're not trying to keep it a secret or nothing?"

"Why would I?"

"Karatsuba is proctoring this time."

"And?"

"And, well... aren't Eisenritter and Karastuba at each other's throats? Over the Zathog incident, I mean. Doesn't that, like, concern you or anything? As a Schneider?"

"But I'm the Alpha."

The hunched girl gave me a bizarre look, as if she were talking to a doorknob. How very odd. She glanced around the room as if scanning for something. Maybe she didn't find what she wanted, but she turned back to me. Brows furrowed, lips pursed, she knelt until she was on eye level with my sitting posture.

Or rather, you're too close.

I scooted back in my seat but Rurisaki leaned forward, keeping her eyes on mine. Her expression seemed to tense further and further with each second spent staring at me. Soon I leaned back far enough to worry about falling over. Rurisaki leaned unsettlingly close to my feet. Zen escaped me.

D-Don't think about it.

"I-I'm about to get very angry." Sweat condensed on my brow.

And, in an endless rising game, the situation grew more bizarre. The shark-toothed girl rose, then glanced over her shoulder at the distant Yoshida Yamashina, who looked in our general direction. I think she wanted to discuss tactics, but didn't want to interrupt. When the two of us looked in Yamashina's direction, the golden girl turned back to the blackboard.

Rurisaki stared at Yamashina's back for a moment, craning her neck to look at the slightly taller girl from a different angle. She stood up straight then stared directly down at her feet, I think. Rurisaki glanced back to me. Then to Yamashina. She no doubt gave some eldritch idea a serious amount of thought, such that I found myself scooting further backwards in my seat.

What is this girl doing? Is she doing the thing I do?

As was customary when I got sidetracked, I felt obligated to interrupt her train of thought.

"Insect? Worm? Rat in human skin? Reika Rurisaki?" I said.

With a bizarre shiver, light returned to Reika Rurisaki's eyes. I watched the facial spectrum shift from befuddled to realization to red-faced embarrassment. Is that what I looked like?!

I squinted. "Are you... ill? In the head?"

"A-Anyway, er." Rurisaki cleared her throat. "Yo, I think Ikuzawa's group is back. We can, uh, chat later. Or something. I'm gonna go talk with Kotobuki. You and Yamashina have to, uh, discuss tactics. I'll leave you two to that."

Sure enough, Iori Ikuzawa and his squad had returned. A little worse for wear, it seemed, but I doubted conflict to be the source. Still, the raven-haired youth entered seeming even more lethargic than usual. He glanced in my direction and clicked his tongue. A good reaction, he knew who cracked the whip in these parts.

Right, let's finish up.

I turned back to Rurisaki. "I didn't get much out of talking to you, but fear not. The exalted Satou Shibuya gets little from basic conversation to begin with. To expect anything more is arrogance, the likes of which I've never seen. Would you not agree?"

"Yeah, uh, bye." The girl walked off... no, she paused. She glanced over her shoulder at me. "I mean, can we talk later?"

"I'd rather not, but very well. Not lunch, I've got business. After school, maybe? At this exact moment in time, I lack after-school plans. This may change after lunch. N-No, I doubt it will, but it very well might. Or rather, it's not like I want it to change-"

"Thanks, okay, bye." She sauntered off.

H-How abrupt!

No matter, this left me time to stew on the bizarre interaction I'd entertained. I stood up from my seat. Arms crossed, I marched to the front of the room to meet Yamashina. I stopped one step short of walking into the blackboard, then turned to face the golden girl. She handed me a piece of chalk. Yellow? Fair enough.

Yamashina cleared her throat. "Regarding our plan of action-"

"...Do I strike you as bizarre?" I asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"As in weird. I'm not accustomed to pointless discussions and passing interpersonal relationships, you see, so I haven't fully grasped the conventions."

"We're discussing this again? So be it, I'll bite the metaphorical bullet." Yamashina took a deep breath. She stared at the chalk board for a moment, then cleared her throat. Next, she turned to face me. "If I may ask, Shibuya, why me?"

"Hm? I can't ask someone with better social skills than me, can I? The goal being to maintain superiority, of course. It's an uphill battle against people more experienced than you yourself. I'm not interested today, so I settled with you."

Her brow twitched.

"Furthermore," I continued, "I believe we've already had a similar discussion. With that said, I've determined you the best person to ask. Be grateful, I don't usually discuss personal issues outside of family. You must be eager, so let's get to it. Tell me, do I seem out of place?"

The golden girl opened her mouth, but paused. She glanced around the room, then took a deep breath. With sharp eyes trained on me, she held her breath for three or four seconds before exhaling. She put her stick of chalk down and turned around.

"What are you doing?" I squinted.

"Taking a walk."

Before I could counter, she stepped out of the room and slammed the door behind her. The room's ambience, the faint chatter of my classmates, reached a startled yelp before disappearing entirely. The room's atmosphere immediately chilled. It's obvious when lukewarm turns to tundra, I think. What a bizarre thing to say.

I turned my head and found all eyes on me. Different than usual. I wonder why? Those glossy eyes, narrowed and pointed like knives...

Oh, I get it.

It was the atmosphere I'd grown used to in middle school.

Odd, how very odd. I hadn't revealed my identity as the Golden King. Those eyes lacked reason. Had I done something wrong? I didn't think so. Within the last hour, within the last week, I recalled no wrongdoing. The exalted Satou Shibuya easily recognized mistakes, and this was not a mistake. However, the air in the room stated otherwise.

How troublesome. Perhaps getting an explanation from the source would help. I put down the chalk and went to stack my desk. Afterwards, I hastily strode to the classroom door. Oddly enough, the eyes on my back were uncomfortable. Best to face them head on. I turned around as I exited the room.

"Guard the flag, I'll be back."