Burning Bright

New Friends

{ November 19th, Day 47 }

"Yarai-kun~! Fukui-chan~!" Kurusu-sensei called. "Segawa-san~!"

"Saki~!!" Shigeno called. They were looking for Yarai and the two girls. "Kurusu-sensei, Yarai told us to wait here and get ready to leave..."

"Are you sure we should be moving around like this...?" Matsumoto asked.

"But I'm worried about them...!" Kurusu-sensei said. "I can't just stay quiet and wait around for them to come back."

"Ye-Yeah, you're right... I've never seen saki so agitated before... She did say that Yarai disgraced her so much that she wanted to die..." Shigeno said. "I wonder if... Yarai did something terrible to Saki..."

"Segawa-san~!" Kurusu-sensei called. "Yarai-kun~! Fukui-chan~! Segawa-san~!" 'I'm curious as well... I know that he's not someone who would do something like that...'

The horse-apes growled at Torako, Yarai, and Segawa.

"Don't tell me that you want to... f-fight!? Against those animals!?" Segawa said nervously.

"..." Yarai kept his eyes on his opponents. "These guys are following their 'fight-or-flight' instincts, and have chosen to fight. That's why... we need to teach them that rather than fighting, running was the better choice."

"Huh!?" Segawa said. "Do-Don't be ridiculous! There's no way you can do that! Kyaaahhhhhh!" she screamed as Yarai and Torako dodged another attack that destroyed the ground in front of them. 'N-No way! What's with the power behind those claws...!? There's no way he can win...'

"Do you really think they'll let us run away at this point?" Torako asked her. "Yarai-kun is right! We have to fight!"

"!!" Yarai said when they were surrounded by all three of them at once. One of them swiped its claw at Yarai and Segawa, while the one Torako injured swiped at her.

"Eek!" Segawa thought. 'N-No... he can't dodge... And if Fukui dodges, that one will hit us as well!'

"Tch," Yarai said, gritting his teeth and punched the claws of the one attacking him. At the same time, Torako braced her spear against the ground and aimed it at the paw coming her way.

"Kyaaahhh!" Segawa screamed. The horse-ape attacking Torako screamed too. Its paw was being stabbed by the blade of her spear. They could see the tip of the knife sticking out out the back of it. Torako gritted her teeth and held on tight as it recoiled from the pain, ripping its paw from her spear. "... Eh?" Segawa said as she and Yarai slid back, unharmed. 'We-we're okay? Why...? And Fukui was able to fight that thing on her own?'

"Hey, keep your mouth closed or you'll bite your tongue," Yarai told her. "Don't get separated, Fukui!" Torako retreated to stand next to him again.

"!" Segawa said, closing her mouth. She looked at his hand. 'Keys... No way. Don't tell me that this guy... Used those keys to stop the claws!?'

"Tch. That hurt," Yarai said. "I guess I can't win with just power."

'H-He's really going to fight!?' Segawa thought. 'Th-This guy isn't human...' The two uninjured horse-apes growled and attacked again. Yarai deflected one attack with his keys, while Torako stabbed the paw of the other.

"... Shit. It's hard to move... because I have to carry this extra weight..." Yarai said.

"!" Segawa said. "Hmph. You could at least think of it as your way of repaying me! You owe it to me, remember?"

"What do you mean?" Yarai asked.

"Stop pretending! You've always been like that... pretending to be a lone wolf, acting cool, and staying away from other people. You're like an idiot!!" Segawa told him.