Kirihara had stomped off, and Mia & Marisa had congratulated her until she got back home. (Admittedly, Marisa had nourished a secret hope Matoi or Mia would win, once she remembered presidency was more than a new mansion.)
"Make sure you like, practice your speech for tomorrow, Miss President." grinned Marisa as they came up to Matoi's mansion, and the three laughed.
"I - I still can't imagine how you dealt with four Revenants." laughed Mia, and Matoi smirked.
"I'll tell you tomorrow." she said, trying to keep her excitement from showing. "I need to rest."
"Byeee." chimed Marisa, and they were gone as Matoi stepped inside, shutting the door quick behind. She waited until their footsteps disappeared before rushing in to her bedroom, hands shivering as she took her phone -
" - I fucking did it - I FUCKING DID IT!" she shouted, no embarrassment for her excitement as she stomped, fists tensing; presidency filled her head, feeling like she was stepping on the world underneath her like a giant on a globe. She'd proven her superiority & her training's efficacy and was young & immortal. Wedding had grown stronger over the years, and she nearly wanted to blast her old house down just to show she could do it in one megamissile.
She called her mother, who took it quick.
"I already checked the rankings." laughed Fuyuko on the other end. "Was that four Revenants in one night?"
"Four - four Revenants in one fight." she grinned, still quivering as she paced. "Four - I - I was forced to lure them together, however - I - I - I can't say how excited I -"
" - I can hear it." laughed Fuyuko, relevantly. "I'll book a flight tomorrow morning, yes?"
"A-Alright." Matoi nodded swiftly.
"Have you already decided on your… oh, what's the word for it. The - your group?"
"Squadron. I - I have."
"Then tell me all about it tomorrow. Were you still planning on the, ah… gifts for staff?"
"I was."
◆◆◆
The next day came, and one matter was left before fanmail. Aimee and her three had returned to campus to pass the presidency off, and a hundred students gathered to watch in the amphitheater indoors.
"I don't have a baton for you or anything, y'know." laughed Aimee, backstage with Matoi. "Dunno if you were expecting, uh, anything special."
"Unfortunate." laughed Matoi, white wedding with veil on. "I have a speech to be made - along with some announcements."
"Gonna miss this place." mumbled Makoto.
"You never -- got a girlfriend."
"Fortunately, we have already secured employment - as tedious as the libertarian is." said Atori. "Your fourth year will be far less busy than our's."
"Uh, she's president, dumbo." said Makoto. "Gonna be busy as shit."
"Yeah." laughed Aimee. "Gonna change up everything. Still, uh - you know you've got a guaranteed job after graduation."
Matoi nodded. "Thank you, Aimee. It's appreciated."
Outside, the crowd drew low.
"Probably our cue." muttered Aimee, and Matoi nodded. "Got some stuff to say - but that'll come after your's. How much I'll miss Urasaria, all that stuff."
"You've left your mark with the ranking system." smirked Matoi. "I intend to do the same. Come."
The five drew out from the curtain, and Matoi took the lead up to the microphone.
"Urasaria Academy East. For decades, this academy has covered our housing - as an excuse for our meager salary."
"Oh boy." mumbled Serena, sat between Mia&Yuruko.
"Gonna bring out the guillotines." whispered Yuruko, relevantly.
"I wouldn't mind it." murmured Mia.
"For decades - this country has benefitted off of this, presuming that - as students - as state employees - we won't demand better. Our lives are risked every day - the bacteria we carry in our bodies, a magnet for every sort of scum - and we'll carry it until the day we die. The average salary for a police officer is $40,000 higher than a three-star student's. And sans the infirmary staff, Urasaria's faculty does little to address our concerns. A student - harassed by her mentor."
Serena gave Yuruko a quick glance, and she shifted in her seat.
"I - didn't." she mumbled.
"A rapist on campus - who I see chose not to attend. The abysmal state of one-star housing - the danger of exposed Revenants - the risk of legal names exposed. I cannot guarantee that I will fix these wrongs - but as your president, I intend to fight for these changes as I would against any Revenant." Matoi's eyes stayed firm. "Urasaria's staff will heel to me - and if any student wishes to file a complaint - against their mentor - their protégé - another student - see me. I'm far less scary than I look."
The room laughed, and Mia remembered that drunken Matoi.
"Regardless." laughed Matoi. "I've already chosen my squadron."
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"Isn't it automatic?" mumbled Serena, and Mia gestured vague.
"Er - Aimee chose it that way, but…"
"Marisa Gwynevere! Boudoir!"
The fashionista drew up from the crowd, in the spotlight of their eyes as she walked down, all eyes on her for a different reason than usual.
Mia readied to stand, heart tense, and she smiled as she saw Matoi's eyes on her.
"Mia Schultz! Swarm!"
The scarab princess went down the aisle, and soon joined Marisa at Matoi's back.
Matoi's eyes went to Kirihara, and the sawblade woman stood.
Matoi sneered. "Samuel Poundstone. Boar."
The room's eyes went to the muscled man as he drew down, having already expected it.
"These are your Elite F-"
" - hey!" shouted Kirihara ahead, rushing up from her seat, stomping down the aisle. "What fucking gives?!"
" - as I said." stated Matoi, eyes firm. "Myself - Boudoir - Swarm - Boar. Urasaria Academy's Elite Four -"
"I'm fucking - " shouted Kirihara, stomping up to the stage - " - rank #3! - and you won't accept me in your shitty little fucking -"
- a volley of missiles blast the ground ahead of Kirihara, and Matoi spoke direct.
"Perhaps you did not hear me. I've made my decision. Aimee may have allowed you to run around under threat of expulsion - but I refuse to be as merciful. Question my authority again, and I'll mail your head back to your parents."
The new student body president turned.
"Elite Four. Our office awaits."
"Yes, President Matoi." said Samuel, and the four left.
◆◆◆
"Thank god." murmured Mia, sinking in her new seat in the now Elite Four's office. The Council of Four were still making their own departure speech, though they'd left the fanmail boxes for the four on the table.
"I reaaaaallly wasn't looking forward to fighting with her." winced Marisa, and Matoi nodded.
"Precisely. She achieved rank #3 - but I have no use for someone in my squadron that won't follow orders."
"Let alone how she - acted." murmured Mia, Jeanne&Nuiko in her head.
"And here I thought you'd forgot about me." said Samuel, and Matoi laughed.
"Fortunately, I won't call you pig, now. The time for insults has passed."
Marisa stifled a laugh, remembering her and Mia's joke about Matoi's bitch.
"Still." murmured Matoi. "I intended every word of my speech. I've already read the relevant documents - before the year begins, we'll be meeting with Urasaria's faculty, to discuss the budget for the year - and any additional considerations."
"Like the, er… new tablets were?" said Mia, and Matoi nodded.
"Correct. I spoke with Aimee - as you might know, the faculty are stubborn. Their argument with faculty, to allow students to turn the tracking device on their tablets off - I believe it took two to three hours." Her head shook. "I intend to be finished within ten minutes."
"… oh boy." muttered Marisa, already catching it.
Matoi grinned like a witchdoctor. "Precisely. I can't guarantee I'll fulfill all my promises - but one or two will be a victory."
"What've you got planned now…" murmured Samuel, shaking his head.
"A piss hose?" chimed Mia; Matoi burst in to laughter -
" - you - you told them about that, then?" she cackled, gesturing to Samuel, and the pig-turned-boar-turned-human nodded as the three laughed.
"I'll tell the tale, later." laughed Samuel, gesturing to Marisa.
"It - it was very amusing, but effective." laughed Matoi. "I remember as well, the night I had - I believe it was a week before our duel, on the 31st. Swarm and I had gone to a bar. I had gotten very drunk. The next morning, you -" - she gestured to Mia - " - were so nervous about something - I thought I had accidentally told you about it."
"I - er - yes!" laughed Mia, hoping her cheeks wouldn't fill at the memory. "Er - she had - praised me, very enthusiastically."
"I bet she did." winked Marisa, prodding her confidant. "I gotta see that."
"… ah. Some other time." smirked Matoi. "Still. We'll wait until Aimee and the rest have made their speech, and open our fanmail."
"Wonder how many I got this year." murmured Marisa.
◆◆◆
Speeches finished, the rest had made their way to the new Elite Four's office; Serena, Atori, Dmitri, Makoto, Aimee, and Yuruko.
"Our last -- one." chimed Dmitri, one box.
"How appropriate." muttered Atori, twelve letters.
"Yep." said Makoto, zero.
Matoi frowned at her own six boxes, hoping there wouldn't be a repeat of last year's.
"Seems like men always get the least amount." murmured Samuel, five letters.
"… yeah. That's sometimes a good thing, like." winced Marisa, three boxes.
"Yep." winced Yuruko, one box.
"Guess I'm passing." murmured Serena, one box.
"Let's see what that dude drew this year." murmured Aimee, digging in to her letters to see what that dude drew this year, and as she pulled a photo out - " - oh, man, that's almost offensive -" she laughed - and winced as a tuft of blue flame burnt the drawn pornography out of her hand - " - ow - shit -"
" - you should have known better." winked Mia, ice scarabs chilling her girlfriend's hand.
"Actually hurt through Rider that time, too." laughed Aimee. "Flames are getting pretty hot -"
- the other prodigal couple burst in to laughter, Serena peeking over Yuruko's shoulder as she held a photo.
"Oh man." grinned Serena, far more comfortable with it than Mia. "Jeez."
"That's a doujin artist, too." laughed Yuruko, tracing the black&white panels.
"At least he, um, doesn't know." whispered Serena, and Yuruko grinned laughing.
"Guess he saw us out in public with your tentacle out, though."
"Blackburn only has one, though."
"Unfortunately."
"Huh?" panted Serena, and Yuruko shook her head, setting the hentai in her pocket for later use.
"Nothing."
Mia winced as she opened her box, almost afraid of the dozen letters as she opened them; and sighed relieved.
"Something normal. 'Swarm. Congratulations on achieving blue flames. You'll be the strongest hero in the world some day. - Kagume.'"
"Short and sweet." nodded Samuel.
With a grimace, Matoi pulled one of her letters out, tearing in to the envelope -
" - this one's from an eleven year old. 'Rain-On-A-Wedding - Thank you for saving me from that man on the train. Could you give me your number to - oh my fucking god." She groaned as the men laughed and the women winced.
"Men have odd tastes." said Samuel, relevantly.
"They'll - do anything to get some." murmured Marisa, taking her own out. " - oh! This is the same guy from last year, like. 'Boudoir - I'm working on becoming a fashion designer. Would it be okay if I based a model off of your Revenant?'"
"Aw." chimed Yuruko, relevantly, and Samuel laughed, taking one of his own.
"Lessee. This one's from a - Pat - oh god, I'm not reading this -"
" - what's wrong with it -" said Matoi, peeking over; and cackling - " - no, no - I'm ordering you to read that -"
" - I'm going to have to refuse that order -"
- with the speed of light, Matoi ripped it from his hands, laughing again as she read. "'Dear Boar - Is there a sow in your life? Seven three six -"
- ghastly hands ripped it back to the man as the table laughed -
" - now you know what it's like." chimed Marisa, relevantly -
- Aimee laughed - " - hey, least you didn't get porn of your -"
" - stop it -" laughed Mia, mock shoving her girlfriend away -
" - ah, no, no, there's even more here, isn't there?" grinned Matoi, digging through Samuel's letters -
" - Serena -" - Samuel laughed - " - please, go next and save me from this -"
"- sure." chimed the punk, searching through her own box. "…um, let's see…"
"You'll end up going through all of them, eventually." laughed Mia, and Serena nodded, pulling one out. She tore it open, and started to read silently.
Her eyes filled without fog, and Yuruko's eyes took over her shoulder; she hugged Serena smiling, punk suddenly teary.
"That's how you looked." grinned Marisa, pointing to Mia-Mia.
Mianaisse nodded. "Er - you - don't have to read it out loud, Serena."
"Y-Yeah." She wiped her eyes and smiled. "U-Um. I'll tell you - what it said, after."
"Still." murmured Matoi, unable to catch it. "Before I forget. Marisa - we will begin training and hunting together next week."
"And for myself and Mia?" said Samuel, and Matoi smirked.
"Spend time with your protégés. You'll miss them when they're gone."
[END OF URASARIA ACADEMY: YEAR TWO]