CHAPTER 16: MEANWHILE

「Damn it. I just wasted even more time.」

Having relocated himself to a secluded alleyway nearby, Saito Junichi mumbled his complaints as he impatiently glanced at the streets.

Yet, while the youth was making sure that his getaway was clean, a voice similar to his own echoed firmly in his mind.

『Heh. You’re pretty good, you know.』

《Cross》 commented, seemingly impressed by the way that Junichi handled the situation with the bouncer.

Now, it wasn’t entirely certain whether this admiration was caused by the boy’s quick thinking, his aloof attitude, or his overall ruthlessness.

Nevertheless, it was clear that the dark-haired student had, for better or worse, gained the approval of the ethereal entity.

『I like you already.』

「……yeah, I don’t know how I should react to that.」

Sighing in the face of the respect that he unintentionally garnered, Junichi rubbed the back of his head whilst taking out his dark-blue flip phone and checking the time.

-14:46-

「Damn. I need to get a move on.」

Realising that he had already spent way too much time on a simple detour, the dark-haired youth slid his phone back into his pocket before returning back to the main street.

And then, with a heavy suitcase in tow, Junichi began to duck in and out of the crowds that gathered along the pavement as he made his way back to the school where a certain girl of hazel was waiting for him.

-Meanwhile: in the coffee-coloured café, 【Wild Orange Diner】-

「Are you okay, Yoshino?」

A voice filled with concern came out of Miki’s mouth, her brow furrowed as she gazed upon her sister with worry.

「I-I’m fine, Nee-chan(1). Um…I’m sorry I caused this mess.」

Tearing her eyes away from the dark-haired student’s after image, Kurosawa Yoshino returned an apologetic stutter, reflecting upon the fact that her recklessness had caused this chaos.

Yet, while it was a good thing that the bespectacled girl of green was able to discern her faults, this ultimately did not change her fate.

*Thud*

「O-Ow!?!」

As a fist mercilessly slammed itself into the top of her head, Yoshino cried out in agony as she cradled her pained cranium between her arms.

And then, as if accompanying the torment which pierced her skull, the harsh voice of her father assailed Yoshino’s ears with its indescribable authority.

「Foolish girl!」

「W-What was that for, Dad!?」

「What you just did was reckless!」

「But that guy-!」

「I don’t care! You could have been killed just now!」

Triggered by her father’s words, the image of a silver piece of metal blurred into Yoshino’s conscious.

And with this ghastly flash, nausea shook the girl to her very core.

--a nausea that was interrupted by an abrupt, cheerful jingle which started playing from Yoshino’s blazer pocket.

「O-oh, that’s my phone.」

Shaking away the ghost that haunted her, Yoshino began to operate her flip-phone, trying her best to suppress the urge to vomit as she brought the receiver to her lips.

「Hello?」

「Y-Yoshino?」

Upon placing her mobile against her ear, a soft voice came from the phone’s transceiver, allowing Yoshino to immediately grasp the caller’s identity.

That said, still somewhat distraught by the events that had just occurred, it took a while for the mangaka to process the situation as she returned a staggered reply.

「R-Rin-chan(2)?」

「I’m sorry, but I’ll make this quick.」

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The moment that Yoshino heard the urgency in Rin’s voice, she immediately snapped back to reality, filtering out the panting on the other side of the line as she began to probe for information.

「What happened?」

「The newbie……Shizuka Mayumi is injured.」

(What?! Mayumi-chan!?)

Taken completely aback by the news, Yoshino covered her mouth, her exclamation almost spilling out of her lips as her pupils contracted in utter bewilderment.

That said, growing both concerned and curious, the bespectacled girl of green reflexively threw out a question in an attempt to learn more about what happened to the girl of scruffy-orange hair.

「H-how?」

「A man dressed in black attacked her.」

The voice of Rin delivered thus bluntly, her disturbed voice infused with slight chagrin. However, neither of the girls lingered on this point for very long as Rin informed Yoshino of her actions.

「I’m taking the newbie to Shizuka-sensei(3). Can you meet me there? We need to plan our next move.」

「What do you mean?」

「The man escaped.」

-in the face of this news, Yoshino’s eyes widened even further, her jaw agape as she was overwhelmed by her friend’s admission.

After all, from what she knew of her friend, she was really capable. So much so that Yoshino felt jealous for her talent.

And the fact that this man in black had escaped her……well-

(If even Rin could not catch this assailant, then he must really be strong.)

Although somewhat in a state of disbelief, such thoughts flashed through Yoshino’s mind as she began to grow wary of the new menace which loomed over her shoulder.

「Got it. I’ll be there right away.」

Sending a quick affirmation towards Rin, the mangaka swiftly disconnected the call, her nausea now replaced by a less crippling, yet equally intense dread towards this unknown enemy.

However, even if she was alarmed, Yoshino didn’t let it show.

「Sorry dad, but I gotta go!」

In an abrupt and impulsive manner, the girl with sprightly green hair shouted towards her father, jumping out of the store through the broken wall before running across the streets.

As she was leaving, however, Yoshino heard her sister’s cheer trailing behind her, Miki’s light-hearted voice bordering along a hushed giggle.

「Hey, Yoshino! Say thanks to Junichi-kun for me!」

(Junichi-kun?)

Repeating this name to herself, Kurosawa Yoshino began to wonder exactly who her sister was referring to.

That said, it didn’t take long for the image of a certain dark-haired boy to flash through her mind.

『Hey, don’t get sidetracked.』

『R-right. Sorry about that.』

-breaking her out of her daze, a voice similar to her own resounded delicately in Yoshino’s head, prompting her to return a response.

As she did so, however, Yoshino’s feet pivoted, leading her astray from the bustling footpath and into a deserted alleyway, close to the traffic lights.

And, while one could see the huge screen plastered onto the side of the skyscraper from where she was, the figure of one Kurosawa Yoshino was hidden from the public eye.

「Ok. Let’s do this.」

Seemingly speaking to herself, the mangaka’s throat twitching as she allowed her voice to echo profoundly in the deserted alleyway.

And what came from the girl’s parted lips was a single name:

《Shield》

-Meanwhile: near the skies cluttered with Sekai City’s tall buildings-

A girl with lavender hair, bundled into a stylish ponytail, was jumping from rooftop to rooftop at an incredible pace.

『Calm down, Rin.』

『How can I, 《Tear》? She might die.』

At the current time, Rin was hastily flying through the skies, her scarf and ponytail billowing in the wind as she wore a complex expression.

Her petite back, which seemed not much larger than that of a child’s, was thoroughly drenched.

However, it was not sweat, but blood that soiled the girl’s uniform.

Shizuka Mayumi, the unconscious, scruffy-haired girl whom Rin was carrying had blood dripping out of her head.

Large amounts of it, at that.

『Well, panicking isn’t going to help.』

The entity known as 《Tear》 cautioned, her voice also sharing a remarkable resemblance to the girl she was talking to.

Yet, Rin didn’t question the voice in her head.

After all, she was more concerned about getting her unconscious ally some help.

『Focus on getting to Shizuka-sensei.』

『I know that already!』

Lashing back at 《Tear》 with a sharp tongue, the ponytailed girl kicked her legs harder, propelling her petite frame even faster through the grey skies.

-Meanwhile: back at the school’s infirmary-

「Shizuka-sensei, we’re almost out of ointment.」

「Don’t worry, I’ve got loads of them.」

In response to an anxious Mana, Shizuka Manami flourished her orange hair, opening up her desk drawer as she revealed approximately 50 cases of the ointment which was reported to be depleted.

「W-why do you have so many?」

Miyazawa Mana inquired, justifiably astonished by the sheer quantity of the exact same ointment accumulated in the doctor’s drawer.

Yet, in response to this-

「You should know, right? At this school, causalities happen often.」

Shizuka-sensei nonchalantly stated the obvious, tossing a new case of ointment to Mana in a manner which seemed all too natural to her.

And, of course, as the abrupt throw took her by complete surprise, the beauty with jet black hair fumbled in an attempt to catch the case, almost dropping it as she desperately clung to the medicine with her frail fingers.

「So? How’re her wounds?」

「…」

「…I see.」

Upon seeing Mana silently continue to apply the medicine onto Shiori’s body, Shizuka-sensei understood that things weren’t exactly going well as she rested her arm upon her desk.

During her brother’s lengthened absence, the girl of jet black constantly treated her friend’s wounds with the ointment, applying the cream to the skin over and over again with little to no result.

To be clear, the ointment did actually have an effect.

Shiori’s wounds, when smothered with the cream, would close up very quickly.

However, soon thereafter, the wounds would reopen again, nullifying its effects.

And at this reopening, Mana would reapply the ointment.

It needn’t be said that this never-ending cycle would most likely continue until Junichi returned with the supplies.

Which is why Shiori, the one whose body was under dire stress, was currently sleeping due to the witch’s spell (sleeping pills).

Partly so she could save energy to recuperate.

Partly because the pain would be excruciating for her if she were conscious.

(Onii-chan. Please hurry.)

Praying internally for her brother’s return, Mana continued to diligently nurse her bedridden friend, hoping that this cycle would soon be broken.

-Meanwhile: on top of a towering skyscraper with a plasma plastered to the side of the wall-

A tanned, white-haired young man with a grey shirt and faded white jeans overlooked the bustling city.

The youth was like an eagle, perched on the rooftop as he eagerly awaited his prey.

「KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!!!!」

Suddenly, the young man burst into an unprompted, raucous laughter.

And, while he might’ve gotten strange looks were he heard by the populace, it would seem that he did not care as a sinister cackle continued to escape from his twisted lips.

「Finally! After so long, I can have my revenge on you!」

As several emotions mixed in the youth’s chest, a trace of insanity flashed over his face.

And with this insanity came the mention of a certain name.

An utterance that was filled with both absolute excitement and undisguised contempt.

「《Cross》!」