HOTARU SULKED AS SHE watched the other three engage Goldie in idle chatter. Classes didn't start for St. Magnus students for another three days, so Goldie—expressing his desire to see his friends off—had planned to surprise them by showing up on their first day, traveling four and a half hours by horse and carriage to Marlia City. Chiaki and Will recounted their morning, telling him about the Monarchs, meeting Daytona, and the monster of unknown origin that attacked them and fatally wounded Hotaru. Or rather, that should have been the case. She ran her hand over her plexus and found that her skin had been completely restored, leaving only a gaping hole in her uniform blouse and some dried-up blood.

Hotaru thought for sure that she was dead. How that attack didn’t kill her was beyond her understanding. Did she somehow develop a regenerative healing factor before she got impaled? It was hard to say. She couldn't possibly be capable of such a thing. She was warned to be cautious of her powers as they may change somewhat during puberty, but suddenly healing after suffering damage that would’ve killed any other human was…simply put, far beyond what anyone could’ve expected.

And to make matters worse, the troglodyte—her alternate nickname for Goldie—was here. Of all days, he would go and pick the craziest day in recent memory to show up. Now she had to stand here and listen to him feign concern over her well-being.

“My, my. A chaotic morning, indeed.” Goldie put a hand to his chin. His dark brown eyes found Hotaru. “Are you sure you’re alright, Ms. Hotaru?”

And there it is.

Rolling her eyes, Hotaru turned away from him, scanning the battlefield, noting that the ground had reshaped itself back to its original state before they were forced to land here. This entire area had been imbued with manatite, and its magical properties were set to restore the pavement no matter how much damage it had sustained. Modern-day magitek was truly something else.

“Hotaru?”

Chiaki’s voice brought Hotaru’s eyes back over to them. She was met with three other concerned faces. She sighed, knowing that seeing her in that state must’ve been a very traumatic experience for them.

“Look, I know what you saw must’ve freaked you guys out,” she began. “Trust me, I was just as freaked out when I woke up.” She placed her hands over her midsection. “All I remember is the searing hot pain when that thing’s talon entered me and then…darkness.”

No matter how hard she tried, Hotaru couldn’t recall anything beyond that point.

“Hmm. What exactly could this be?” Will placed two fingers on his temple in thought. “Any ideas, Chiaki?”

“I haven’t a clue,” she stated glumly. “This entire situation is just…downright bizarre. We should bring this to Mr. Peterson as soon as possible. He’ll know what to do. But for right now…” She took Hotaru’s hands in hers, causing the latter to blush heavily. “...I’m just glad we didn’t lose you, Hotaru.”

Chiaki…

That warm and fuzzy feeling returned. She never wanted to put her friends through something like that again.

Daytona nodded. “Yeah, same here. I’ve only known youse guys for a little bit, but after what we just went through…Mmm—I dunno —You lot don’t necessarily feel like strangers to me is all.” Looking somewhat embarrassed, she averted her gaze. “As…as corny as that sounds.”

Her words touched Hotaru's heart. Now that she thought about it, she'd also become fast friends with both Will and Chiaki all those years ago. To this day, she still didn't know how, but there was something in their eyes that resonated with her on a personal level and before she knew it, the three of them were inseparable. To her, it almost felt like their meeting was somehow etched in stone. Daytona, oddly enough, was no different.

“Aw.” Hotaru smiled at her. “I don’t think that’s corny at all.”

Will made a dubious face. “Eh, it’s pretty corny.”

Hotaru stifled a laugh. His sudden and direct response caught her off-guard.

“Will, don’t be mean,” Chiaki scolded.

But Daytona simply laughed. “He’s fine,” she assured. “I knew that someone was bound to think so.”

“Ah! I haven’t properly introduced myself! Where are my manners?” Goldie turned to Daytona and cleared his throat. “I am Jonathan Wayland Shepherd, son of Hendrix D. Shepherd, patriarch of the noble House of Shepherd and Lord of Wilmington upon Bight. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

He bowed deeply. During his tired rehearsed introduction, Hotaru matched his every word by using her right hand as a puppet, mocking him. Daytona gave him a friendly smile and introduced herself.

His eyes lit up. “Fields, you say? So, you’re…”

“A bastard,” she said in a surprisingly guarded tone. “I know.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” He waved his hands in protest. “I would never use such a dehumanizing term. I was going to say that you’re a child of the Everwoodian Forest. You see, my older brother and I have a shared fascination for things beyond our realm of understanding. Everwoodian culture being one of them.”

“Oh,” Daytona said, now looking a tad embarrassed. “S-Sorry for jumping the gun like that. It’s sort of a reflex I developed when dealing with nobles.”

“It’s quite alright. I’m well aware of our society’s…uglier side. My own family isn’t completely guilt-free, either.” His expression darkened upon saying this. He then rallied. “That being said, I wish for us to become the best of friends.”

“Likewise,” Daytona nodded. “If you ever want to learn about Everwoodian Culture or the Eternal Fields in general, I’d be happy to share.” She then gave a sheepish grin. “Although…if you wanna learn about elves, I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I’ve never even met one.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they like to keep to themselves. They don’t call it the Hermit Forest for nothin’, I suppose.”

“Oh, I see.” Goldie looked rather disappointed, then rallied once again. “Well, regardless, Ms. Daytona. I’d be more than happy to learn the Everwoodian ways.”

“Cool. And ‘Daytona’ is just fine. ‘Ms.’ sounds a bit weird comin’ from someone my age.”

“Ah. Daytona it is, then.”

Chiaki glanced down at the weapon in Goldie’s sheath. “S-So John,” she began. “I see you’re putting the athame to good use…”

“Hm? Oh, yes!” He drew the athame once more and held it aloft, its steel blade gleaming in the morning sunlight. After stopping to admire the blade some more, he then glanced over at Chiaki, beaming. “As you can see, it works like a charm!”

About a year ago, Goldie’s trusty shortsword broke after he and Chiaki saved a little boy from a pack of dire wolves that wandered out of the forest. Because he used the shortsword to protect her from harm, Chiaki felt responsible and thus, hatched a plan to give him a replacement. Hotaru had watched her spend countless hours gathering all of the necessary materials to craft the weapon. She’d made the blueprints for the athame herself, paying special attention to the intricately designed hilt which bore similarities to his old shortsword. Chiaki then took her plans and materials to a dwarven blacksmith and in only a matter of days, the Wiccastrean athame with a House Shepherd motif was finally complete.

On graduation day, following the ceremony, Chiaki gave Goldie the athame as a parting gift before he left for Bevenhome. Recalling all this now, made the weed in Hotaru’s stomach twist and turn more ferociously than ever before.

“Well, I’m glad to see it’s working well for you,” Chiaki said, her cheeks flushing an impressive shade of red. “Although, it is a Wiccastrean weapon. You don’t think using it goes against mystic knight tradition?”

“Nonsense,” he said, now holding the weapon flat in his hands. “There are numerous historical records of mystic knights in the Middle Age who wielded weapons crafted by their friends or lovers from Wiccastrea.”

That last part made Hotaru grit her teeth.

“L-Lovers?” Chiaki stiffened, covering her mouth with both hands. “I-I had no idea!”

She totally did…

“Aye,” Goldie nodded, running his fingers along the gold and silver hilt. “However, in those times, many others considered this to be sacrilegious and it wasn’t uncommon for those mystic knights to be exiled or even executed.” He paused, glancing back to Chiaki. “And of course, my father, being the purist that he is, voiced his disapproval, as athames have never once been wielded by a Shepherd. Well, until now, that is. Nonetheless, a mystic knight’s weapon of choice is ultimately up to them. And I have chosen.”

“Oh, I-I see…”

“I shall cherish this gift with my life. I cannot thank you enough, Ms. Chiaki.”

“D-Don’t mention it…” The blushing young witch twirled her ash-blonde hair with her right index finger. “We are friends after all.”

Hotaru felt a sharp pang in her chest. It wasn’t like the burning sensation from earlier, no. This…was another type of pain entirely. Seeing them interact. The way she looked at him…

Her hands clenched into fists. Unable to bear it any longer, Hotaru rushed in between Chiaki and Goldie.

“H-Hotaru?”

“Ah, Ms. Hotaru,” Goldie greeted her with a smile, but his charm had zero effect on her. “Was there something you wished to discuss?”

“Yeah. You and me, right now!” she demanded, folding her arms. As soon as those words left her lips, all eyes landed on her.

“Oh?”

“Whoa, hold on, Hotaru. You wanna duel this early in the morning? After what you’ve been through?” Daytona shook her head. “You can’t be serious!”

“Dead serious, I’m afraid,” Will affirmed. “She’s not one to take these things lightly.”

“Hotaru, stop!” chided Chiaki. “Daytona’s right. You just got impaled by that monster not too long ago and you’re already trying to pick a fight?”

“Not to mention the fact that John just saved our lives,” Will added. “But, I mean, sure, what better way to repay the guy, am I right?”

Hotaru said not a word. She didn’t care how this made her look. In all five hundred and fifty of their duels, she hadn’t won a single one. Now that Goldie was here, Hotaru planned on settling the score with the posh shithead once and for all and she wasn’t going to budge until he accepted her challenge.

If I beat him here, then I can start my freshmen year with my head held high! Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest. And then…maybe then…Chiaki will… She silenced the delusional thoughts creeping in from the back of her mind.

As he met her gaze, Goldie's smile faded. They remained like that for a while, as if engaged in some sort of silent deliberation. After a few tense seconds that felt like an eternity, the boy nodded, his smile returning, brighter than ever.

“Does anyone have the time?”

Hullington Public Park was still empty at 7:46 in the morning, so the five friends had the battlefield all to themselves. Hotaru and Goldie were positioned on opposing sides. Will stood in the box reserved for referees. Chiaki and Daytona stood off to the side, the former was still voicing her protestations.

“Ugh! Come on, you two…” Her gaze shifted between the two combatants. “We seriously don’t have time for this!”

Neither of them responded. They continued to lock eyes with one another. Chiaki heaved a long, irritated sigh, realizing there was no getting through to them.

“You guys have five minutes,” Will stated. “The first to break the other’s barrier is declared the winner. Are these conditions satisfactory?”

““Understood!””

“So these two are longtime rivals, eh?” Daytona marveled, amazement in her eyes. “Ooh, this is so exciting!”

Chiaki hung her head. “I’m glad one of us thinks so.”

Will glanced over to Hotaru and then to Goldie before raising his hand. “Alright, combatants, take your stances and cast your barriers!”

““Tutela!””

A cerulean light enveloped their bodies. Seconds passed and it quickly faded. This was to prevent either party from fatally wounding the other. Until around eighty years ago when this spell was first implemented, students fighting to the death was commonplace.

Goldie drew his athame and held it at midheight. His right sword hand and right leg were extended forward. In his slightly lowered left hand was a brown wand, used for casting his spells and enchantments. Hotaru took a deep breath and assumed her typical fighting stance.

“May the best mage win, Ms. Hotaru.”

“Oh, piss off, blueblood!” She hissed, pointing at him with purpose. “I’m gonna send your ass packing right back to Bevenhome where you belong!”

“Heh. I’m glad to see you haven’t lost that competitive fire.”

She blew a raspberry at him, which only served to make him chuckle.

“Ready?” Will exchanged looks with them once more before dropping his hand. “Begin!”

The duel was now underway. Hotaru channeled her mana into her legs and charged. With her immense strength enhancing her speed, she was upon the boy in mere seconds. She threw a punch, aiming for his chest, but he was ready for her. Goldfinch quickly stepped to the side and immediately cast a geo spell, a pillar erupted out of the ground, right under Hotaru’s feet, and launched her into the air.

“Agh!!”

The Goldster then held his athame aloft tapping the blade with his wand. The pillar dispersed and its remains floated in front of him, forming platforms. He quickly ascended the makeshift staircase and swung his athame at the still airborne Hotaru.

“Oh, no you don’t!”

Hotaru raised her leg and the blade clashed with the sole of her foot. Had it not been for the barriers, she probably would’ve just lost a leg. She pushed against the blade, propelling herself backward, and landing on her feet.

Goldie landed across from her. A grin plastered his face.

“My, my. Your reflexes have certainly improved, Ms. Hotaru.” He then brought his blade to the ground. “Let’s see how you handle this!”

Suddenly, the ground under him rose, forming another pillar that rose high into the air. He stood atop the pillar's flat surface and held his wand aloft.

“What the…?”

“I invoke the power of Marina, child of Shamu. O’ Ruler of Oceans, grant me your wondrous waves…” An aqua sprite appeared beside him. It bore the appearance of a merrow, and its skin was as blue as Hotaru’s eyes.

He’s already contracted a new one?

Goldie then waved his wand toward his athame, and aquatic mana swirled around it.. “...Geyser!!”

A blue sphere formed around his blade and unleashed a powerful stream of pure spiraling water down at the ground, creating massive dust clouds. The geyser spell then began to move up towards Hotaru. She maintained her composure, harnessed her mana, spread out her arms…

“Haaaaaah…”

…and quickly brought them back together, her open palms creating a thunderous clap. Shock waves emitted from her hands, sweeping through the dust clouds and dispersing them.

“Oh, not bad at all!” Goldie praised. “You’re enough to create shock waves now. Truly magnificent, Ms. Hotaru!”

Their last bout wasn’t even three months ago and they both were already much stronger than before. They’d spent the entire Summer break working on their craft. And all that time training was beginning to show tremendous results.

“But that’s not all I can do.” Goldie twirled his wand. “Come, Marina!!”

Suddenly, fords of water emerged from within the geyser and quickly morphed into various copies of the aqua sprite she’d seen previously. The Marina copies swooped for Hotaru. The haste at which they moved left her little time to evade.

Damn! There’re too many of them!

She dodged one, then two more, but then the last three surrounded her, their liquid arms turning into scythes in the blink of an eye, and slashed her barrier.

“—Gah!”

The barrier briefly flashed red before returning to its original blue and dimming once more. The troglodyte had landed the first successful hit.

Dammit! I need to get away!

Just as the sprite clones went in for another round of swings, Hotaru ducked and somersaulted through a gap between her assailants.

“Hah…hah…hah…” Panting heavily, she glanced over to see the sprite clones in pursuit. They immediately continued their ambush, swiping and slicing at her with no intention of stopping until their target was defeated. Hotaru did her best to evade their attacks, but there were far too many of them. Three aqua scythes made contact with her barrier, then two more.

“Agh!”

“Hotaru!!”

“Damn, they’re too much for her!”

“......”

Hotaru’s friends watched on as she continued to struggle against Goldie’s brand-new aqua sprite magic. Overwhelmed by this unexpected onslaught, frustration began to fester.

I won’t lose to him! Her conscience screamed at her. I won’t! I won’t! I won’t!

A surge of heat rushed through her. She let her mana flow throughout her entire body, tightening the muscles in her arms and legs. She stretched her arms out once more. If she used a little more force in this next clap, it might be enough to wipe out the aqua sprite clones. But before she could act…

GREEAOOOAH!

…an ear-splitting roar echoed throughout the park and the five friends whirled around to where the chimera’s carcass had been, only to find the pieces of its remains (including its blue blood) levitating and connecting back to its torso.

“Oh, no!”

“You’ve gotta be joking…”

“Aw, dammit!” Hotaru clicked her tongue. “Goldie, I thought you killed this thing! Looks to me like you just unlocked its second health bar!”

“I-I could’ve sworn I did!”

“Gods, this is frustrating…” Will’s purple aura flowed around him. “If John’s Ventus couldn’t finish it off, then what will?”

The five of them took their respective stances. The creature’s restoration was complete. Just as it swooped down toward the group…

BLAM!! BLAM!! BLAM!!

Gunshots rang throughout the park. Three mana-engulfed bullets pierced the chimera’s chest. Blue blood poured from its gaping wounds.

“Whoa!”

“What the…?”

GREE…AOOO…

Letting out a final cry, the creature fell to the ground. Dead. But neither of them was convinced. They stood there in silence, spells at the ready, fearing that it would get back up any second now.

“No worries. It’s dead for good, this time,” said a raspy voice. The kids turned to see a man standing in the nearby shrubbery, holding a firearm with a long Casull barrel. “All artificial creatures have a ‘core’ or something to sustain their life force. You sever that, and it’ll be as dead as a doornail.”

The man was tall and looked to be somewhere around his mid-thirties. He wore a gray suit under a long black trench coat. On his head was a matching fedora with a gray ribbon. Residual blue smoke (mana particles) still billowed from his weapon. He raised the barrel to his mouth and blew it away.

“And I made sure of that.”

“Hmm…” Hotaru narrowed her eyes. Something about this man seemed familiar.

The man stepped out from the bushes and sauntered over to the battlefield, passing by the five teens, and over to the chimera’s body. Putting his gun away, he then dropped to a knee, sticking his index finger into the pool of blue blood, and brought it up to his face, eyeing it for a moment. He pressed his thumb against his blood-covered finger before separating them and the chimera’s blood began to stretch like some kind of slimy substance.

The kids gawked at the man for a while as they were still processing his sudden appearance.

The man heaved a sigh. “Ahh. It’s just as I thought…I need to let Val know about this ASAP.”

“Um…what’s happening?” Daytona was the first to break the silence.

“Th-Thanks for saving us, sir,” Chiaki said, visibly nervous. “M-Might I ask who you are?”

The man arose and turned to face them. “Hm? Oh. You kids are still here?” He reached into his coat. The suddenness of his movements made the teens flinch. The man stopped, noticing their apprehension.

“Relax, relax,” he chuckled, pulling out a star-shaped badge embellished with blue, white, and gold embroidery. Gleaming in its center, was a capitalized G insignia. “The name’s Inspector Rick Gamma. Interdimensional Detective. Leader of the Gamma Squad.”

“Rick…” Chiaki blinked

“...Gamma…” Goldie finished.

They all let that name settle for a spell before realization finally struck them and their jaws collectively dropped.

“““““The Gamma Squad?!”””””

They could hardly believe their ears. The Gamma Squad was a family of voyagers from beyond The Yolk. They claim to have come from an alternate dimension where magic and monsters were nothing more than a fantasy. But that all changed when The Yolk appeared in their world as well.

Around fifteen years ago, they arrived in Terra, warning the Zorro Unit and the Crown of the incoming yōma invasion which ultimately came to pass. Banding together with the world’s strongest, they helped thwart the yōma and have since been revered as heroes. Today, most of them reside in this realm, acting as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the nations of Taqora should something like that ever transpire again.

And of all people, Rick Gamma—the eldest son and current squad leader—was here in Marlia City.

Chiaki was practically hyperventilating. “Oooh, Gods…”

“This day’s just plain unreal…” marveled Daytona, pacing back and forth. “This is real, innit? I’m not dreaming?!”

“Huh. Y’know, now that I get a good look at ‘im…” said Will, examining the man more carefully. “Mm. Yeah, it’s him, alright.”

“I-I-I-Inspector Gamma, sir! I-I-I-It is such an honor to meet you!” A big fan of heroic figures, the Gamma Squad especially, Goldie—always cocksure and poised—was reduced to a stuttering buffoon in mere seconds.

“S-Same here, sir! I have all of your merch!” Hotaru, also a big fan, stiffened and her face turned beet red. How careless of her for not recognizing the man sooner. Granted, most of the images she’d seen of him were when he was no older than sixteen, but still!

The noble boy and common girl bowed deeply before one of their many idols. Rick, however, chuckled nervously and raised a hand to quell them.

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy, you two,” he said. “I’m just a humble voyager and civil servant. Not nearly as big of a deal as, say, Lord Blûd Payne, Dante Leerex, or what have you.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Rick paused. He gave the kids a once over and pursed his lips. “Hmm.” he cupped his chin. “Y’know…there was a bit of a…situation in an alleyway downtown. Some thugs we apprehended mentioned getting into a scrap with a group of kids, and said they were pretty strong.” He then pointed to the dead chimera. “But then I picked up this thing’s mana signature and it brought me here. And it’s here…where I find a dead monster… near a group of kids…who seem to have done quite a number on it.”

“““““......”””””

“Now, you bunch wouldn’t happen to be the kids in question, now…would you?”

This was a bad look. Saving Daytona was considered an act of vigilantism, and they could face serious consequences. It was one thing to fend off a monster in self-defense, but when it came to subduing common thugs, the MPF really didn't like the idea of a bunch of students stealing their thunder. As a result, Rule #3 of the Terra Edict was created. With that in mind, the teenagers did what anyone their age would do in this situation: they lied their asses off.

“N-No, sir!”

“N-Not at all, sir!”

“No, sir.”

“Uh-uh! Haven’t a clue, sir!”

“......”

All eyes shifted to Chiaki. She was the only one who hadn’t responded to the inspector’s question.

“U-uhh…”

Hotaru could see that her best friend was visibly shaking. This isn’t good, she thought. Chiaki struggled immensely in these sorts of situations with her being raised by strict parents. Sure, she could tell small fibs every now and then, but lying to an authority figure this high up the totem pole about their involvement with the Monarchs? Hotaru imagined her nerves were going into overdrive.

“N-N-N-N-N-N-NO…S-S-S-S-Sir…”

“......”

Despite her stammering fit, Chiaki finally managed to get a word out. Rick wordlessly stared at them for what seemed like ages, until finally, he sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Hm. Well, it’s not fair of me to just jump to conclusions without any proper evidence,” he said. “And I didn’t exactly stick around to hear them give any physical descriptions, so there really isn’t much I can do. That said, I guess you kids are free to go.”

The five teens exchanged looks, then gave a slight bow to the detective and turned on their heels.

“Phew! Hot damn, that was close!” Hotaru exclaimed, taking care to lower her voice as she did so.

“You can say that again, luv,” Daytona said, clutching her chest. “Whoo, mah poor heart! I thought we were done for!”

“Aye,” Goldie nodded. “Being apprehended by someone of Inspector Gamma’s caliber wouldn’t reflect well on our school records.”

Will wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead. “Ain’t that the truth? Thank Mother for Chiaki coming in clutch.”

“Yeah, nice goin’, Chi-Chi!” Hotaru smiled at her best friend and clapped her on the back. “I knew you had it in you!”

“Y-You, guys…” Chiaki pulled the brim of her hat in an attempt to cover her blushing face. “It’s not like I’m proud of this or anything…”

“Ah, hold on a sec! One more thing!!”

“““““......”””””

They froze in place upon hearing Gamma’s voice bellowing after them. What else could he possibly want?

Hotaru was the first to turn back to him. “Y-Yes, sir?” she asked.

“Now, this is really important,” he said, bringing his attention back to the chimera carcass. “This thing didn’t wound any of you by any chance, did it?”

Now it was Hotaru’s turn to be tongue-tied.

“You see, while it's most definitely a creature of artificial origin and not a true yōma, it does, however, possess the yōma gene.” His gaze flicked over to Hotaru and stayed there. “That said, if any of you were wounded by this thing, let me know immediately so it can be dealt with accordingly.”

Hotaru’s eyes widened and the others inhaled sharply at this development, but not nearly loud enough to arouse any suspicion.

The yōma gene? If that’s in my system, then that… That would explain my healing, but…

Dealt with? Accordingly? She didn’t like the sound of that. What exactly did they do to innocent people exposed to the yōma gene? Hotaru wasn’t sure, and she’d be damned if she were to confess and find out.

Despite her admiration for Rick Gamma, she was averse to getting involved with the government in any way shape, or form. And now that she knew for sure what had happened to her, she very much preferred taking this to Mr. Pete instead. She racked her brain for a bit. Chiaki had done an excellent job of fixing everyone up, restoring their wounds and ripped clothing to their original state with her chrono-spell.

With that, they could just lie again and be on their merry way. Just then, from her peripheral vision, she spotted the others glancing back at her from the corners of their eyes, silently deciding that their answer to the detective’s question was entirely up to Hotaru.

It’s my call, eh? She nodded. It only made sense for her to answer, given that she was the only one to be wounded by the creature.

“Er…N-No, sir,” Hotaru finally said. “We had a few scratches when it knocked us down from the sky, but, no, it didn’t touch any of us.”

“Our friend here is quite right about that, sir!” Goldie added.

“Ugh, I’m not your friend…” Hotaru groused to herself.

The other three nodded assuredly at the man, who squinted his eyes, studying them all rather intently.

“......”

“““““......”””””

“Hm. Well, you kids don’t appear to be injured.” He still seemed dubious, but he finally heaved a sigh. “Alright, you all best start heading to school, now. I still have this thing to deal with. Just…don’t tell anyone about this conversation, okay?”

Hotaru and the others nodded. She turned to Chiaki.

“Hey, Chi-Chi, what time is it?”

The young witch checked her watch and her eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets. “Oh, snap, it’s 8:20!” She turned to Daytona. “We need to hurry and drop off Will at PMA if we want to make it to Requiem on time!”

“On it!” Daytona quickly turned around and whistled for Max. In a few short seconds, the sentient cumulus drifted down toward the fivesome.

Preep-prreeeeeep!

“Max! C’mere, luv! You must’ve been terrified.” She reached out and patted the cumulus on what Hotaru could only guess was his head. “So much so that you’d gone and left us for dead, eh?”

Preep-preep-prreep!

“Hey, now. S’okay, I’m only joshin’. There wasn’t much you could do, anyhow. Welp, we’re ready to split when you are.”

Preep-prreeeeeep!

Max expanded his mass and the original four took up their seats. Goldie stared at the cumulus for a moment before shifting his gaze to Daytona who laughed at the boy’s uneasy expression.

“It’s fine, John,” she assured him, “you're not going to slip through. I mean, look, we all made it safely aboard, didn't we?”

With that, the boy nodded and jumped onto the soft surface of the cumulus, bouncing slightly.

Daytona raised a fist into the air. “Alright, Max. Set a course for Phoenix Military Academy! For real this time!”

Preep-preep-preep-prreeeeeep!

With everyone safely aboard, Max ascended, carrying his master and her four new friends into the sky. They turned and waved at Inspector Gamma before the cumulus picked up speed and soared into the distance.

Rick watched as the cloud carrying the five kids drifted away until it was completely out of sight. He then returned his attention to the dead chimera, pulled out his phone, and dialed Sergeant Shepherd.

“......”

After a few seconds, a woman picked up. “Gamma!”

“Hey, Val. You might wanna grab your squad and get over here, pronto. I found something—”

“WHERE ARE YOU? Who in the hell just sods off in the middle of patrol without telling anybody?! I swear, when I find you, I’m gonna take that fancy fedora of yours, roll it up, dust it off, turn it sideways, and stick STRAIGHT UP YOUR—”

Rick held the phone away from his ear as Valeria blew up at him. Despite this, he could still hear her loud and clear. Quoting wrestling promos when she's angry again, he thought, shaking his head. After letting her get it all out of her system, her tirade finally ceased and he brought the phone back to his ear.

“Look, Val,” he said. “I didn’t just wander off for shits and giggles, okay?” His expression darkened. “I sensed a powerful mana signature that led me to Hullington Park. There, I found a few kids and saved them from a chimera.”

“A chimera? And wait, did you say a few kids?! What did they look like?!”

“Huh? What does that matter?” Rick scrunched his face in confusion. “I dunno, there were about five of ‘em. Five more faces than I’m capable of recalling.”

“Five of them? And you let them go without taking their statements?!”

“Hey, hey. While it may not be in my job description—technically speaking—I can assure you I’ve done my due diligence, alright? So relax.” He heaved a sigh. “Before I got there, they’d actually managed to incapacitate the thing. None of ‘em appeared to be hurt, so I sent ‘em on their way. Now, can we get back on topic?”

“That is not how ‘taking a statement’ works!”

“Not. In my. Job description.”

“Ugh! Gods, if you were anything like your—” Valeria stopped herself before she strayed too far. She let out a sigh of her own and cleared her throat before speaking again. “You know what? Don’t even worry about it. I’ll deal with it myself. You were saying, Inspector?”

“Okay, so,” Rick continued, “I examined the chimera’s carcass, and…well…its entire body was made up of the yōma gene.”

“Yōma gene?!” Valeria inhaled sharply. “You can’t be serious! No one’s seen one in over a decade. Besides, it couldn’t have come in through The Yolk. Not without the Zorro Unit noticing…” She trailed off. Rick waited while she pieced together what he was saying. Thankfully, it only took a split second for it to sink in. “Unless it was already here on Terra!”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Holy shit! But wait, that can only mean…”

“The Scourge of Thornheart is back,” he stated, a note of bitterness in his voice. “There isn’t a single doubt in my mind.”

He looked up at the red moon-like sphere that was shining through the now cloud-dappled sky.

“Things just got a whole lot busier.”

Up in the air, Daytona sat at Max’s presumed head, while the others sat close behind. Downtown Marlia City reappeared, and the usual bustle was still present with no sign of slowing down. Numerous vehicles still clogged the city streets from below, and many flying mages mounted on brooms, boards, mabeasts, or simply used their own wings as they soared the skies a few altitudes below them in a variety of directions.

Hotaru had suddenly gotten a headache as soon as the cumulus took to the sky and was now lying on her back, head resting in Chiaki’s lap.

“Think it’s a side-effect?” asked Will.

“It has to be,” Hotaru groaned. “I was fine just a minute ago.”

“At any rate, you should take it easy for a bit.” The witch girl reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle with blue liquid. “Here. This should help with your headache, although, it will make you feel a tad drowsy.”

She removed the cork, raised Hotaru’s head slightly, and gently poured the contents into her mouth. Hotaru downed the bottle in seconds before coughing slightly.

“Whoo, that’s bitter!” She grinned. “Thanks, Chi-Chi!”

“No problem!” Chiaki beamed and Hotaru felt her face grow hot. She was just so pretty when she smiled at her like that. Hotaru’s body had long developed an instant response to this phenomenon that now she could hardly do a thing to quell it.

“......”

“Are you well, Ms. Hotaru?” Goldie’s voice reminded Hotaru of his continued presence and immediately brought her mood down. She looked up to see him leaning over her.

“Hey, you’re way too close, buster!” She growled at the troglodyte, but only for a moment, for it was then that something had finally dawned on her. “Dammit, we didn’t even get to finish our duel…”

Goldie sighed. “Yes, I do share in your disappointment. But, alas, it wasn’t in the cards for us to conclude our duel.” He crossed his arms and nodded to himself. “But worry not, there will come opportunities for us to spar again. And while we’re on the subject, I must commend you for your incredible display of power, Ms. Hotaru. You’ve become a lot stronger since our last duel!”

The boy’s words took Hotaru aback. For some reason, they gave her a strange sense of warmth and she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

She scoffed at him. “Tch, please. You’re just tryin’ to butter me up.”

But he shook his head. “No, I am being quite serious when I say these things. You have come a long way and you’re only going to get stronger.” He pounded his chest with his fist. “And I don’t intend on falling behind!”

“Uh...” This gave Hotaru pause. He’d worn a look of conviction when he spoke those words and she didn’t know how to respond. It was always hard to hate him whenever he got like this.

“W-Well…”

She felt a thumb wipe away one of her neon-pink bangs. Hotaru looked up to see Chiaki staring down at her, looking a bit unsettled.

“Are you sure?” her hazel-colored eyes seemed to ask her.

Her silent question was regarding Hotaru’s earlier decision not to tell Inspector Gamma about her infection. After her parents disappeared, she’d been distrustful of government officials and the way they chose to handle the aftermath of the incident. Mr. Pete was a powerful mage and an expert on magical genetics. If anyone could siphon this yōma gene out of her before it festered, it would be him.

Hotaru smiled and nodded. Her eyes stared back at her as if to say, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure.”

Chiaki’s expression brightened and she ran her finger through Hotaru’s bangs, which caused the latter’s heart to thump rapidly in her chest. She rested her hands over her sternum. Her smile grew closer and closer to overtaking her entire face. This right here was the closest she'd ever come to paradise.

“Hey, John! You and I have to spar one of these days, too!” Daytona turned to the blonde boy and grinned. “That geyser spell you cast was hella epic!”

“You flatter me, Daytona,” Goldie chuckled. “T’was not easy to master when I first contracted Marina. I nearly drowned myself more times than I care to remember. Thankfully, after many weeks, I’d finally mastered the incantation. I’m glad it turned out quite well outside of training.”

He brought his attention over to the lanky boy beside him. “And Will! You’ve certainly made strides as well, I see! I could feel the ground shake when your gyro field was unleashed. Simply incredible!”

“You can say that again!” Daytona concurred.

“Yeah, well, most of that stemmed from my anger, so I dunno if that’s worth praise…” Will stopped to look at Hotaru and gave her a slight smile before returning his gaze to the other two. “But…thanks, John, I know what you’re getting at and it’s appreciated.”

His eyes then landed on Daytona. “Speaking of. Can we talk about the pure craziness of your electro-magic?” He raised an eyebrow. “Electromagnetism? And to top it off, you made it look effortless despite the drawback. You, um…you wanna take us through that one?”

“Oh!” Nervous, the blue-haired girl rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. “W-Well, y’see, my dad, he…”

She went on to explain the training regimen she had to undergo in her youth, the details of which just about every mage on the planet could relate. The five of them engaged in more idle chatter and shared a few fond memories until the conversations eventually died down.

They all sat there in silence for a while, taking in their surroundings. Max made his way down Hullington Road and over a neighborhood where rows and rows of two-story abodes came into view. Like most buildings in southern Marlia City, these houses had brownstone exteriors and interlocking black ceramic roof tiling. The breathtaking view then disappeared as quickly as it came once as the sentient cumulus soared back up and through a body of stratus clouds.

“Hehehe…”

Hotaru’s eyes shot back up to see her best friend giggling to herself.

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Oh, well, it’s nothing serious, It’s just…Ah, how can I explain it?” She put a hand to her chin, mulling it over for a bit. Finally, she rallied and said, “Hm. Well…It seems as though whenever you’re around...something interesting is always bound to happen.”

“Oh…” Hotaru blushed. “I-Is that…a good thing?”

“Mmm…More or less.”

“M-More or less?!”

Chiaki giggled again, sending Hotaru’s temperature to a boiling point.

She’s so cute…

Noticing this exchange, Daytona, with her legs still crossed, bounced in between the boys and over to Hotaru where she stopped and leaned in close to her face.

“Oh, I see,” she whispered. “So she’s the one you—”

Hotaru turned away from her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Whoa, what’s that reaction? And why are your cheeks so red?” She stuck out her index finger and poked her left cheek. This only made Hotaru’s face redden even further.

“Daytona, shhh!!! She’ll hear you!”

“Aw, that’s so cute,” Daytona gushed quietly, nudging her.

“C-C-C-Cut it out!” Hotaru nudged her back, now reduced to a stammering fit. She then looked up at Chiaki, fearing that she may have heard them.

“......”

“......”

But Chiaki paid them no mind. She was looking up into the big blue sky that came into view once Max had flown through the massive sea of clouds. The breeze danced through her frilly ash-blonde hair.

“What a beautiful sight this is,” she said.

“Yeah, it is,” Will agreed. “It’s things like this that make you forget all the craziness for a while.”

Goldfinch nodded. “Aye.”

“Skies are pretty nice in Lotan,” Daytona stated, “but this is somethin’ else. A girl could get used to this!”

“......”

While the others took in the scenery, Hotaru didn’t join them, as she couldn’t take her eyes off Chiaki. Her heart felt as if it were beating ten times its regular speed.

Chiaki removed her hat and let the wind dance through her long hair. Her eyes lit up when they caught sight of something above them.

“Wow…look at those birds!” Chiaki pointed to a couple of birds flying a few altitudes higher. Hotaru, Daytona, and the boys looked up at them as well.

“Whoa, check those out,” Will said.

“Oh, I’ve seen these creatures somewhere in a book before! They are called…Uhhh...” The Goldster paused and mulled it over, but he drew a blank. “Ah, the name escapes me. What were they called?”

“Those are spear-beaked herons,” Daytona pointed out. “They must’ve flown over from the east. We have lots of creeks and rivers in New Dragonia, so we see ‘em a lot!”

“Haha! That’s so cool!” Chiaki looked at the herons with childlike glee. “I’ve never seen them in person!”

“......”

Seeing Chiaki smile so brightly made Hotaru’s heartbeat increase even more. Just then, a memory from eight years ago resurfaced in her mind’s eye.

“Ugh! Ow!!”

“Ha! That’s what you get!”

It was a bright and sunny day, with only about five days until the end of Summer vacation. Hotaru had arrived at a nearby children's playground when she noticed three kids standing over a girl.

“Careful!” pleaded the only girl in the group. “I heard witches curse people! She might curse you!”

“Ah, shove it!” the boy in the middle responded. “If she could curse people, she would’ve done it already!”

“P-Please…my hat...give it back!”

The leading bully held aloft a wide-brimmed steeple hat. He spat at the weeping witch girl and glared down at her.

“You freaks got some nerve showing up here! My dad’s dead cuz ‘o you!” He held his index finger to the girl’s hat and the tip produced a small ember, similar to how one would light a candle. He brought it closer and closer to the hat.

“N-No…”

Suddenly, a tiny hand grabbed his arm. “That’s enough!”

“What the…?” The boy turned to see a pair of blue eyes boring into him. “What the heck do you want? Mind yours, pipsqueak!”

He tried to push her off, but the little girl didn’t budge an inch.

“Huh?! W-Why can’t I…?”

“Give back her hat,” Hotaru demanded coldly, “or else!”

“You cocky little…” The bully’s hand became a fist and in seconds, it was completely engulfed in flames. “I’ll show you!!”

Conveniently for Hotaru, they were standing over a sandbox. She took his arm and rammed it deep into the sand beneath their feet, quickly extinguishing the flames.

“Agh!”

The boy next to him approached Hotaru. He extended his arm and cast an aqua spell, sending a stream of water in her direction. Hotaru, however, was faster than the average human even at the age of seven. She easily avoided the spell and thrust her palm forward, slamming it into the boy's plexus and sending him flying into the tall shrubbery surrounding the playground.

“Ah!”

Hotaru turned to face the third bully who stood beside them. She appeared terrified at the sight of a little girl making such quick work of her friends.

“......”

“......”

Knowing she didn't stand a chance against Hotaru, the girl made the executive decision to retreat. She dashed over to her disoriented friends, helped them back to their feet, and hurriedly left the premises, leaving the witch girl’s hat behind.

“You okay?” asked Hotaru, picking up the witch’s hat and dusting it off. She approached the young witch, who stood up and wiped away her tears, revealing herself to be much taller than Hotaru. This was something Hotaru had become accustomed to. At age seven she stood at around three feet seven inches so other kids were bound to tower over her. That much was guaranteed thanks to her mother's genes.

“I-I’m fine…”

Hotaru was nearly about to hand over the hat when she caught sight of something that made her freeze in place.

“—!”

She found herself taken aback by the girl’s features. Just like her, the witch girl was of Ajian descent, possibly Hōjinese. The young witch’s skin was as bright as a peach, her ashen hair was long and flowed down her to shoulders, and her eyes were a bright hazel color. The girl’s visage caused Hotaru’s mind to go blank. After much mental struggle, she’d finally managed to recover her thoughts.

Wow… She’s…

Hotaru’s vocabulary in the Common Tongue wasn’t as vast back then, but one word immediately came to mind.

…beautiful.

It was her mother’s favorite word. She’d always used it to describe Hotaru. However, she believed that word was much more fitting for the young girl who stood before her.

“Um…Excuse me. Are you okay?”

“Gah! Er, yeah!” The girl’s concerned gaze brought a red blush to Hotaru’s cheeks. She snapped out of her stupor and handed the witch girl her hat.

“Thanks.” The young witch looked down and gasped. “Oh, no! Your knee, it’s bleeding!”

“Hm?” Hotaru peered down at her legs and noticed a large piece of glass sticking out of her right knee. Her adrenaline had kicked in when she fought off those bullies, so she hadn’t felt anything.

The witch girl took a knee, her palms facing Hotaru. “Hold still. This will only be a moment.”

In mere seconds, they were illuminated by a golden light. Hotaru gasped at the sight of miniature clocks materializing around her leg, completely awe-struck as they began to rapidly dial their hands backward.

Wow, she remembered thinking at that moment.

With her knee healed, Hotaru and the witch girl were sitting at a swinging set and gave their introductions.

“I'm Hotaru. Hotaru Hyakuya!” the smaller girl said. ”What's your name?”

The taller girl smiled brightly and said, “I'm Chiaki Sakaki. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hotaru.”

The girls talked for a while. Chiaki explained that her school—Green Man’s Academy of Witchcraft—often sent their primary branch on two-month excursions to acquaint themselves with life outside of the Witch Isles of Wiccastrea and she would be attending Hullington Primary Academy the following week. Excited, Hotaru pointed out that they would most likely be classmates, much to Chiaki’s surprise, who believed the smaller girl to be much younger.

They shared details about their pasts, their families, and what they aspired to be in the future. In a very short amount of time, the girls learned that despite their different walks of life, they shared a lot in common.

“Thank you, so much for helping me out,” Chiaki smiled warmly. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without my hat.”

Hotaru felt her face grow hot once again. Was she coming down with something? “N-No problem. What those jerks did was uncalled for! I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Mm-mm.” The witch girl shook her head. “I’m from the Flaystein Coven and there were people from that coven who’ve done…horrible things in the past.” She squeezed her wrist. “That boy… He said his father was harmed by a witch. My presence frightened his friends and triggered an unpleasant memory. They were just scared. I can hardly blame them.”

“But that’s not fair! They don’t even know you…”

“If you saw a spider on your wall, one that you knew to be poisonous…” Chiaki glanced over at her. “...wouldn’t you be afraid, too?”

“I…” The weight of the young witch’s words made Hotaru’s heart sink.

“I appreciate your help, Hotaru and I’ll never forget it,” she said glumly. “But it’d be best if you kept your distance from me. Otherwise…they’ll target you next.”

“Forget that!” Hotaru stood from her swing and faced Chiaki. She knew what it was like to be feared and she wasn’t about to let this girl accept this abuse so readily.

“Huh…?”

“Fear doesn’t make it okay to treat others like garbage!” yelled Hotaru, crossing her arms. “Anyone who hurts others for petty reasons is worse than garbage if you ask me!” She grabbed her by the shoulders.“Chiaki. If those dipwads ever come near you again…I swear I’ll kick all of their asses! Again!”

“H-Hotaru…”

Chiaki looked at her for a while. Hotaru had meant every word she said. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to protect this girl. She wanted to know more about her and see more of her.

“From now on, you and I are friends, okay?! Ah!” Realizing her hands were still on the other girl’s shoulders, she backed away, her confidence wavering slightly. “U-Unless you don’t want me as one…”

Chiaki blinked a few times before breaking into a giggling fit. And it was the cutest thing Hotaru had ever heard.

“Alright, then.” The witch girl stood up and reached out her hand. “Friends?”

Hotaru smiled back as she took her hand.

“Friends!”

“Oh, look! That one looks like a dragon.”

“Really? Where?”

“Next to the one that looks like a dog.”

“Ah-ha! Why, yes, it does! Nice eye, Ms. Chiaki!”

Through tired eyes, Hotaru watched Chiaki as she pointed out a few clouds while conversing with the others. Her left hand was still gently stroking Hotaru’s hair and an overwhelming warmth coursed throughout her tiny body.

That day was the first time she had ever felt such intense feelings for another person. From the witch girl's beauty to her sweet and caring nature, there was seldom doubt as to how this affection arose. Hotaru knew these feelings were hopeless, but they were hers and hers alone. The one she adored clearly had eyes for another and there was absolutely nothing she could do to sway them. So thus, she dreamed. There was no harm in dreaming and no one could take that away from her…her dream of love.

“Say, you’re quite good at spottin’, Chiaki,” Daytona said, using her right hand to block the sun. “Wait, where’s the doggie?”

“Merged with the dragon,” Will stated dryly.

“Wait, what?!” Goldie frantically looked over to where the dog-shaped cloud once was and clutched his chest. “No! I never even got the chance to name him…”

Petty though it was, Hotaru considered this a small victory. Though she did feel a tinge of jealousy that a mere cloud formation had brought her greatest rival to its mercy before she did.

“Heh, more like it was eaten by the dragon!”

“Urk!” Goldfinch jolted as if he’d been struck by an arrow.

“Look what you did, Daytona. Now you’ve upset John…”

“Whoops!”

Chiaki laughed. Even on Hotaru’s worst days, the sight of her experiencing such joy always served to fill her with rapture.

Her smile…

Still nestled in Chiaki’s lap, she turned her head and joined her friends in cloud-watching. Their new adventure had just begun, but she was already wishing that it would never end.

It's still as bright as the day we met.