The white ball bounced up from Ogata's wrist as she desperately dove to intercept it from meeting the floor. On the other side of the net, Shana was still descending from her aerial spike, leaving her immobile in that one second she was off the ground.
Her attack had indeed been denied, but the ball was still about to arc over the net, and was still well within the powerful Flame Haze's reach as soon as she would touch down. It was at this moment that one of the girls from Ogata's side leapt up and smashed the ball with her hand to drive it into enemy territory, before Shana could have the opportunity to react.
It was a decisive impact. As narrow as Shana was to touching the ball when she dove after it, it was nowhere near close enough. The ball bounced up and down, gradually regressing in height, as the Flame Haze stared at it in surprise.
"Whew! You don't go easy on anyone, Shana-chan," Ogata said as she made her way to her side and offered her hand.
The Flame Haze eyed her for a moment, then allowed herself to be helped up.
"Wow! That was amazing Ogata-san!" one of Shana's teammates exclaimed in awe as she approached the school's volleyball captain.
The tomboyish girl grinned shyly. "Not really," she said as she turned to the scoreboard.
2-14... with Ogata's team holding the losing points. "I just didn't want Shana-chan to destroy us completely."
"Don't be so modest captain!" said another girl, who then pointed at Shana. "When she first tried out for the team a couple of weeks or so ago, she annihilated all of us by herself, in five minutes. Wouldn't you say this is progress for all of us in such a short time?"
"She's right," Shana said. "I felt a real challenge this time." She smiled, as if the girl had brought up an old memory. "You're really serious about your training."
Ogata crossed her arms and grinned wider. "Well, it would be boring if we just let you toss us around like that all the time," she said before returning to her side of the court to continue the match.
Episode 6: Personal Development
Sydonay's Shintetsu Nyoi plunged into the heart of an armor-clad Flame Haze before flinging his limp and bloodied body aside. Nearby, a large creature with the build of a brown rhinoceros beetle standing on two legs pummelled another Flame Haze into the dirt with its two mighty fists.
It was on the edge of civilization, in an agricultural province near Hong Kong, so there had been no need to set up one of the time-stopping Seals. Besides that, it would have alerted any other entities in nearby of a battle. With that information in mind, Sydonay and the Dashing Earthly Fiend Ribesal had ambushed the scouting party and swiftly dispatched them—restricting themselves to only physical assault.
"That's all three of them," said the General as he returned to his human form and pulled out his cellphone. "Pirsoyn, handle cleanup here would you? Make sure there isn't any trace of a struggle or whatever is left of these Flame Hazes, not even a hint of residue in the air."
"Alright, I'm on my way," said a young and eager voice on the other side of the line, and the Thousand Changes dialled another number.
"Hello? Bel Peol, I hope those documents are ready."
In her study at the manor in Misaki City, Bel Peol studied the sheets spread over her desk, and glanced at the monitor of her recently acquired laptop. "I've already prepared your papers a couple of hours ago," she said on her smart phone with international coverage. "The Chanter of Elegies was just cooperative enough for a small trade."
"Every move with more than one thing gained," Sydonay said over the line. "You're almost frightening sometimes."
"Flattery won't earn you any praise Thousand Changes," Bel Peol said with a smirk.
"I don't intend to fish for any. In any case, all we have to do now is make their false report seem like our troops are moving northwest."
"With any luck, those fools at Outlaw will buy it and leave themselves vulnerable. Have you rallied enough Denizens over there?"
"Enough to match the Flame Hazes, as long as I'm here, but as I've learned through experience, even a surprise siege needs at least three times the strength of the defenders, particularly if we plan to hold the area afterwards."
"True enough. Keep gathering Denizens without attracting attention, but make it quick. We should have only a month or so until Outlaw sees through our string of ruses. Vy that point, I won't be surprised if they take the initiative here too."
"Fine," Sydonay acknowledged. "By the way, how is Hecate doing?"
Bel Peol smiled; it was a different expression from the conniving grin she usually made, although no one would see her sincere expression. "Well..."
A girl with shoulder-length greenish hair and a school swimsuit kicked her legs up and down on the surface of the water while her eyes were shut tight and her cheeks were puffed like a chipmunk's. Before her, a boy waded backwards slowly while holding onto the girl's hands.
"That's it Hecate, you're getting the hang of it," he said encouragingly as the water rippled lightly.
The two of them were still in the shallow side of the school's pool, so Yuji's feet could still touch the ground. This was only the third time the Crimson Lord had really practiced how to swim, but floating and foot paddling, even with assistance, was some fine progress.
"Just keep that up, Hecate, don't forget to straighten your legs," Yuji spoke while backpedalling. "And... breathe in."
Hecate continued forward as she raised her head above water to inhale more air before continuing. The whole time, her eyes were still closed.
"Don't be so stiff," Yuji told her, smiling. Seeing her so awkward was amusing in its own way. "Just relax, it's as easy as flying. Don't worry, I won't let you drown."
No sooner than he had said those words did his ears—well above water—pick up the sound of a pair of people approaching. He and the Priestess were not really permitted to use the pool, but since no one would be using it during that time, the Mystes had assumed that no one would catch them.
As intimidating as Hecate could be to the others, he felt there would be less trouble if the two of them just hid. He suddenly sucked in air and pulled Hecate—who was still holding her breath-deep under the water along with his own body near the edge of the pool. Through the refracted surface above him, he watched as a couple of students roamed around the pool. Although he couldn't make out their faces, he could tell that they were probably searching for something.
He emerged with the girl five seconds after the coast was clear.
After gasping for air, he scanned his surroundings. "That was really close huh?" he said with relief. "Maybe we really should just rent-?"
There was no response from the limp girl in his arms, the very same one he had just dragged under to avoid detection.
His face paled immediately. "Uwah! H-Hecate?!"'
"...She should be doing just fine," Bel Peol said through the receiver of her phone.
"Selling Outlaw's document templates to Bal Masque; we've really reached a new low now, haven't we, my Backstabbing Bitch, Margery Daw—ahahaghh!"
It was the usual conversation between Margery and Marchosias, ending with the woman's fist slamming into the hardbound covers.
"Shut up, stupid Marco," she said. "That information on the Silver's progress and primary strengths was far more worth it than that 'bonus cash' they threw in." She downed her third bottle in a row. "And even if we hadn't agreed to it, they would have gotten it some other way,"
"You're drinking more than usual though, almost as if you're just a teensy bit guilt—Bwaaaargh!"
Margery hammered the base of her empty bottle on the Crimson Lord's vessel. "I said shut your trap Marco."
"Joking aside, how do we know they're not bullshitting us, my Desperate Damsel, Margery Daw?"
"We don't. But they're also aware that we can leak their information to Outlaw, so they shouldn't treat us lightly." She sighed and stirred the liquor in the bottle.
"Personally, I still can't believe the Bal Masque is actually offering us a shot at him."
"Think it'll be a trap?"
"Assuming the Silver is as strong as they say, then I don't think there'll be much of a reason for it to be. We'd probably end up being its practice dummy if anything else."
"Yeah, if the Silver is a project they've been working on it for this long, since at least that time that we formed the contract, then they might not lie about the Silver being that overpowered," Margery said before emptying the booze in her hand. "'Strength to topple Tokyo Tower effortlessly'? As much as I'd like to say I'd believe it when I see it, I can't ignore their resources and that mad scientist's abilities."
"So basically, they're not worried about telling us the truth because it would be unstoppable when it's completed anyway."
"Maybe... We'll have to take any gaps in strength seriously. If I'm going to have my revenge, then I should at least reach a level where I would be able to defeat Sydonay in under ten minutes."
She sighed again as she opened another bottle of booze with a flushed face, evidence that she was already pretty tipsy. "But right now, we can't even match that red-headed brat, and we only have a few more months left until the project is complete."
"More than enough time to build up our rage and develop new tricks, eh, my Wildest Card, Margery Daw?"
"Yeah, I don't intend to die at the end of this road, not anymore," The woman declared with a wolfish grin as confidence returned to her. "I just hope Bel Peol won't be too mad at us for breaking the Silver to pieces right in front of her."
Two girls walked home together, one petite with long dark flowing hair and the other with an athletic figure.
"You look like you've been having fun lately, Shana-chan," Ogata told her companion. "I can see it in your eyes when you were playing with us."
The long-haired girl averted her two orbs slightly. "Not really," she denied, "I was just really focused on the game."
"Riiiight."
For a very brief moment, Shana's mind flashed back to the moment she had been unable to intercept her opponent's counterattack. During that time, her other teammates had hardly moved, and had just been watching helplessly as the Flame Haze was dominating the court so aggressively. As her warrior's mind pondered on that single moment of weakness, her train of thought was interrupted.
"Honestly though, I didn't think we'd finally halt the Meltdown Witch's flawless streak," Ogata said, still giddy.
Shana raised an eyebrow. "Meltdown Witch?"
"Oh!" the talkative tomboy had nearly forgotten present company, although Shana didn't seem mad somehow. "W-well, it's a nickname everyone came up with when they heard about how you've pretty much put whoever you're up against to shame, whether they're teachers or just competitors in Phys. Ed."
That was putting it lightly. In truth, she completely demolished an opposing party's confidence; unlike Hecate who exercised restraint for the sake of her friends, Shana had not held back in the least in regards to her physical ability or the advanced knowledge pounded into her.
"It's a little confusing why it only happened recently, but you're already pretty famous."
"More like infamous," Shana said with a smirk.
"Oh come on, I think that title has a charm on its own. For example, our team hasn't been so spurred to improve as much as they do now, thanks to you. And believe it or not, there actually are some people at school who look up to you as some sort of hero."
"That's... a little embarrassing," Shana told her with a straight face.
"Yeah, I guess," Ogata said with a chuckle. "If it makes you feel any better, they also have a name for Heca-tan too. Everyone pretty much calls her your antithesis, the Snow Princess. It's probably because she's so cool and aloof, and can be just as scary as you are really, although she can be pretty soft if you're close to her, like Sakai-kun. Although, they actually started calling her that before you came along, so when the two of you clashed like that, it only seemed fitting..."
"Meltdown Witch and Snow Princess?" Shana repeated in a low mumble to herself as her classmate chattered. Coincidental or not, the names suited them perfectly.
The Flame Haze's eyes strayed to a grocery store's sign as they walked along the sidewalk. They both lived in the same general direction as Yuji and Hecate did, but Shana decided to part with her travelling companion for now.
"You go ahead," she told Ogata, "I have to buy dinner."
"Alright, just stay away from the half-priced bentos. There are a lot of hungry wolves prowling about now and then, and I don't think it'd be good if you sent them all to the hospital."
As soon as she entered the store, Shana grabbed as many packs of melon bread as her budget allowed, then moved past the instant cup noodles and onto the shelf of meals packed into plastic bento boxes. She picked out two hamburger rice meals as well as a tempura dish.
"This should be enough for the next couple of days too," Shana told herself.
"I must say, I am glad to see you finally eating properly," said Alastor. Aware as he was that Shana had zero chance of further growth, at the very least she would be nourished better than with just her usual intake of melon bread.
"I don't want to be indebted to those two," Shana replied, referring to Hecate and Yuji. "Although, it is nice to have something different for a change too."
"Thanks again for helping me find my cell-phone strap, Tanaka-kun," Kazumi said as she too, walked home together with a friend.
The boy walking next to her had his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry about it," he said, "although I still wonder why we even looked in the least likely places, like by the pool."
Kazumi averted he eyes as she felt a little embarrassed. "Well, they say you'll find what you're looking for in the last place you look."
Eita chuckled. "Seriously?"
Kazumi pouted a little, but couldn't really retort.
"By the way," Eita asked out of curiosity. "That strap seems important to you. Who gave it?"
The girl glanced at the tiny dog figurine dangling on the side of her schoolbag. "Yukari-chan did," she said with a fond smile.
"Oh," was the only sound Eita made. Of course, she had meant the original Yukari Hirai, not the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter currently taking her place in existence.
Before things got awkward, Kazumi immediately changed the topic. "So, what were you still doing at school? You don't have cleaning duty today."
"Oh, well, Satou's having Ike tutor him right now..."
"Aaaaarrrrrgh!?"
At that moment, in the local library, Keisaku clutched his own head in frustration with an audible growl before planting his face into the wooden table.
Thud.
Next to him, his calm, bespectacled classmate sighed as he tried to simplify the mathematical equations before them. At the moment, they were not even a tenth of the several months of lessons that Keisaku was attempting to cram into his head.
"So I thought I'd wait around for Oga-chan, but it looks like she was already gone by the time we found your strap," Eita continued.
"Ah, sorry."
Eita shrugged. "No big deal."
"Satou-kun has been a little more proactive lately," Kazumi noted.
"He's pretty close to flunking, but he's been trying his best."
"Does it have anything to do with Margery-san?" Kazumi asked with a smile.
Eita raised an eyebrow. "You too?"
"Ogata told me about what she saw when she brought her to Satou-kun's place." She wanted to tell him that those two were nearly as awkward and dense as him and Ogata, but decided to keep quiet about it for their sake.
"Either way, you guessed right," Eita said. "Remember that time when Sakai had to go save Hecate?"
The Fountain of Existence and the catastrophe that had occurred with it because of her own emotions collapsing, the two of them remembered it well. The girl nodded.
"You were with Sakai at the time, right? So you probably don't know, he told her that his home is also her home, something not many Flame Hazes really have," Eita continued. "Margery-nee-san's been cut off from her financial support-slash-information network, so I think Satou's decided to prepare to take both roles by himself. It's a huge leap from how he used to be."
They continued to walk together until they reached an intersection.
"Ah, Tanaka-kun, do you mind if we part here? I need to buy some dog food for Ekaterina," she said.
"Sure, take care of yourself now," Eita said while waving and went on his way.
"I will," Kazumi said as she took another route towards the nearest grocery store she knew.
Shopping basket in hand, the girl with long, dark, flowing hair stood in line behind a few other people, one of which was a large and pushy middle-aged lady with her cart filled to the brim-much to the girl's annoyance.
As she reviewed her budget in her head, Alastor spoke in a low voice that only she could hear.
"I must admit, I was impressed with that girl's—no, the whole team's performance."
Shana's response was nonchalant. "Yeah, that was the first time a normal person who doesn't even know who I am beat me at something." Besides cooking, she thought the last part to herself.
"Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned there," said Alastor.
"That I have to rely on others when I'm vulnerable?
"Indeed, Flame Hazes may be lone wolves by nature, but it would be unwise to discourage aid when it is available."
"Sure Alastor," Shana acknowledged without really absorbing the wisdom fully, and Alastor knew it. She was a proud and strong Flame Haze, but also a stubborn one, who would only trust a select few who numbered less than a handful.
"Why am I playing volleyball in the first place?" she asked herself out loud. "As much as it keeps me in shape, it still doesn't really serve much purpose."
"I would not say that is untrue," Alastor said. "You may have not noticed it yourself, but you have been releasing your tension during these activities."
"You think I actually enjoy this?"
"To be frank, I do believe so. If people did not pursue activities for enjoyment, then they would be little more than machines."
"You're starting to sound like Yuji."
"W-well, it is an important point either way. Also, have you realized that you have started calling him by his name?"
Shana opened her mouth as she gaped, and realized he was right. Since when had he dug this deep into her in such a short span of time? She had no idea, and it frustrated her.
"Shana-chan?"
Turning around to face the voice that had called out to her, she found Kazumi Yoshida approaching with a small sack of dog food in her basket, along with a few other things.
Ogata continued to walk by herself. Just a few blocks before she would pass by Hecate's manor, she turned a corner towards her own home.
Up to now, she still remembered what Margery had told Ogata when they had first met... while the Chanter of Elegies was still very much hammered.
"Oh, it's Eita's girlfriend."
"He's a real pussy, so you better make it obvious to him."
"Yeah, he is a big bonehead isn't he?" she said to herself. "But that's Tanaka for you."
She inhaled deeply and let out a breath. "Make it obvious, huh?" she said. "Easy for you to say Miss Europe! I bet men throw themselves at your feet without you having to lift a finger."
She shook her head. That was a stupid thought; as sexy and attractive as she was, men would be put off by her wolf-like attitude.
"But she's a nice person, that Margery-san, from what Tanaka's told me about her. And..."
She thought of her other childhood friend, Satou, who took care of her. Her girlish instincts told her exactly what his gentle touch on the foreigner meant.
"He offered her a home for just that reason. But does he really have feelings for her? It would be nice if all three... no, if all four of us..."
'Four'... that was it! For a long time, she had wanted to ask Eita out, so that she could gradually make her feelings for him clear, but she didn't have the courage yet. But if she had some moral support, it would ease the burden on her heart. While it would be unfair if only a third member would come, only to be a third wheel, there was no problem if it was another couple. On top of that, the circumstances could help things along for Keisaku too.
She took out her cellphone and dialled a number.
"Keisakuuuuu~ The phone's getting annoying~"
Margery rolled over as the device continued to ring, with no one answering it.
"The kid's still out, my Flayed Flower, probably trying to keep his head from exploding," Marchosias told his contractor.
And indeed, at that moment, Keisaku was drilling both of his fists into his temples as he glared at his textbook so intensely it would almost ignite.
"Nnnnngggg!?"
While he also ground his teeth together in frustration, his exhausted tutor watched him silently for a while before closing his notebook, deciding to call it a day for the both of them.
Margery just groaned as the noise kept going a little longer before abruptly stopping with a beep. As the answering machine began to record, it also switched to loudspeaker.
"Hello? Satou? Are you free this Saturday? I was just hoping that maybe you and Margery-san could come along with me and Tanaka. I-It's nothing really serious, but... well, you know, it'd be fun, and it'll be a good chance for me to get to know Margery-san better."
Margery sat up and blinked as she listened to the rest of the message. She smiled lightly. "She's not being honest," she said aloud. "But it'll be really interesting."
"Hahahaha! Looks like you are still a girl at heart, huh, my Blossoming Maiden, Margery Daw? BwaaaahahahahaGHAhaaaaaa!"
Her face flushed lightly, the Chanter of Elegies brought her leg down on the Grimoire resting on the coffee table.
Yuji Sakai stared at the meal in front of him.
A single bowl of rice.
No, rather than just a bowlful, it was a heap of white rice that rose up to his eye level. Nothing else was there; no meat, vegetables, or egg—just rice.
And he had to finish all of it. It was his obligation.
"Uhh... Hecate? You aren't still mad about earlier, are you?"
Across him, with a delicious meal made by herself, for herself, in her own home, the Supreme Throne expressionlessly lifted up a notepad she had just written on.
No, not at all.
"Yes you are. You still don't want to talk to me either," Yuji said a little sulkily.
Hecate wrote another response on her notepad. I have no idea what you are talking about.
To Hecate's left, Bel Peol had the same indulgent meal as she did.
"I take it the swimming lessons didn't go well?" the Judge of Paradoxes teased.
Yuji turned his eyes away in embarassment. "Y-Yeah... I'll make it up to her somehow.
"I suggest taking her somewhere fun," Bel Peol said.
In the middle of their dialogue, Hecate leaned forward and added another clump of rice to his mountain.
"Hecateeeee~" he whined.
Bel Peol couldn't help but chuckle a bit, and even Hecate allowed herself a small giggle in amusement.
A massive, hulking green man picked up a normal-sized person and began smashing him into the floor repeatedly like a metronome. When the pummelling had finished, it uttered the words "puny god" to emphasize how the entire duel was barely even a challenge.
As she watched the scene on her television screen, sitting up straight on her couch, the Supreme Throne tilted her head.
Meanwhile, in Bel Peol's study, the Judge of Paradoxes accepted a hardbound book from the Mystes of the Reiji Maigo. The text on its cover was in Greek.
"Thanks for lending me this Bel Peol," said Yuji. "I think I've finally gotten the hang of using Tatsui no Gen."
"You learn fast," Bel Peol acknowledged as she returned to book to her shelf and took out a portfolio that had been placed deliberately. "That one was just ordinary literature though, but I think this will interest you more."
She presented the portfolio to the Mystes. Opening it, he discovered that it contained various newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and personal logs all dating back from the 1850s to the early 1900s. To any average Japanese person who wasn't a polyglot, the various languages—with French as the majority-was completely unreadable, but to Yuji, they were all as clear as the language he had studied from childhood.
"Revolution?" he said as he skimmed a few pieces. It was not a mere word, but a name, the title of the group that had published the works.
"It's good to have direction if you already have some kind of goal," Bel Peol said with an uncharacteristically tender smile. "Since you're still training, it might be a good idea to learn from those who came before you at the same time."
"Thanks," Yuji nodded and set the portfolio aside. "So, which game tonight?"
The Judge of Paradoxes grinned slyly. "How about something with much more psychological manipulation involved... like Monopoly?"
The little brown dog Ekaterina wagged its tail happily as it waited for Kazumi to finish filling her food bowl. When the girl had finished, she got up from her knees. Her thoughts returned to that afternoon, as she and Shana had exited the grocery.
"Shana-chan, I heard from Sakai-kun that you were raised to become a Flame Haze..."
The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter was already munching on a piece of melon bread with her other arm carrying the rest of her purchases. "You too? Is everyone in this city this nosy?"
"Ah, n-no, I just wanted to know..."
"Look, just because I didn't have a regular childhood like you did doesn't mean there's anything to pity," Shana told her, frowning. "I still had a few people to raise me."
"Myself included," Alastor spoke in addendum. "We are not a family in the formal sense of the word, but she does have one."
"I don't pity you," Kazumi told her straight. "Even though you can be a little frightening sometimes, you do have a look of contentment. So, I'm sure that even then, there was something nice about the way you were raised."
"Your sense of empathy is not wrong," Alastor said. "While it is true that we trained her from childhood to become one of the strongest Flame Hazes in the world, we were also sensitive to her own special needs."
Shana nodded. "But more than anything, I really did want to become the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter," she said as she eyed the other girl. Even she was so interested in her; everyone who hung around that Mystes boy was so strange. "Why do you want to know anyway?"
"Because... I want to get to know you."
Shana's eyes widened slightly. "Why? I'm the person who's wearing what's left of your friend's existence, not her replacement."
Kazumi smiled cheerfully. "Is there anything wrong with being friends with another girl?" she said. "You're right, you can't replace Yukari-chan, but I never intended that. But... I feel that the two of us should get along while you're here."
"Yuji and of his friends are all weird," Shana said bluntly, but Kazumi was not offended in the least and kept smiling.
"Perhaps, but we do have fun," she said.
Shana raised an eyebrow. "You people are impossible," she said before turning to leave.
"Ah, wait, Shana-chan?" Kazumi called out to her. "If you're not doing anything this Saturday, maybe the two of us can hang out? I'd love to hear about your travels around the world as a the Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter, and I can show you one of my favourite places in this city."
The Flame Haze paused and turned around. "Maybe," she replied in non-commitment.
Kazumi Yoshida smiled to herself and looked up at the twinkling stars swimming in the deep abyss above.
Shana looked up at the same stars as she sat on her windowsill. In her hands was an empty plastic bento box with a pair of plastic chopsticks resting on top of it.
"Maybe I shouldn't go?" she said to herself. "This is starting to feel more like a vacation than an actual mission."
"Perhaps," said Alastor. "But it may very well be the calm before a storm as well. We still do not know Bal Masque's plans; but either way, as I have said before, spending time on recreation alongside training will help you mentally."
"I guess so."