Vol 2 Chapter 4 (2/2)

Misaki-kun’s face had become gradually redder and his explanations had quickly risen. He yanked down his hood and hid his red face.

“Well, that’s all. Give your best in high school. Stay well.”

With these words he kicked hard off the ground. With two, three kicks his speed rose and he stepped with both feet onto the skateboard. He skillfully broke his way on his skateboard through the students and guardians that were filling the road narrow from the file of parking cars, while fine raindrops flew off his raincoat’s surface.

When he pa.s.sed by a woman holding a brow umbrella he ran through a puddle of water with his skateboard and accidentally splashed her so that the woman let out a scream.

“Ah, sorry!”

He turned around without stopping and apologized, and his figure quickly became a smudge in the gray and rainy scenery.

“What’s wrong with this child, that’s dangerous in a place like this… Ahh, Aya, there you are. Didn’t you look for me? The car is over there.”

The owner of the brown umbrella came closer while grumbling. It was mama.

“That’s Yata Misaki-chan. You talked to him once on the phone. Mama, that umbrella is plain. Isn’t that papa’s? Aya is embarra.s.sed.”

“Niki-kun died at the end of last year, right. And it seems like grandpa has the rights to that house and now they’re talking about what to do with it. Seems like Kisa-san is okay with selling it. I don’t know what’ll happen to Saruhiko-kun, though…”

Mama only listened to the things she wanted to listen to, and only said the things she wanted to say. That’s why Aya also only said what she wanted to say and didn’t respond.

Saruhiko was Aya’s second cousin and so they had the same great-grandpa. One time when Aya had gone to her great-grandpa’s house with her mother she had carelessly run into that guy, though she didn’t know why he had been there. As soon as she spotted him Aya was on guard and her body stiffened but that guy approached her in an overly familiar voice. She had been about eight, nine years back then so that guy had to be still in his twenties. He was young and handsome and sparkled just like an entertainer and he was the kind of cheerful man who went to such extremes that it seemed like some kind of limiting circuit had blown.

“Hm? Aren’t you the shorty who’s the same age as our little monkey, that f.u.c.king conceited shorty? What’s up, what’re you so scared about? Did I do something?”

“Th- that’s because you’re the one who destroys the things that are important to Saruhiko.”

Aya knew the story of how that guy had destroyed Saruhiko’s independent research project in the summer of his first year, the one he had been so devoted to. After that guy looked at her in puzzlement as if he really wouldn’t understand why she was frightened, he guffawed.

“Why are you scared because of that? Saruhiko thinks nothing of you so there’s no way I’d mind you, right? I’m not interested in you, shorty.”

Shocked at the humiliating words Aya didn’t say anything and only turned red.

Aya and Saruhiko, the two only children of the same age in their family, have been since they were born compared in everything. Aya herself was proud of that. She didn’t follow Saruhiko’s back around like a little sister but was equal to him, is what she thought. Saruhiko saw right through it, although they hadn’t talked much ― regardless of how the other adults saw it, Saruhiko himself never thought of Aya as an equal. The truth was he hadn’t even once a.s.sociated with her.

Not only Saruhiko, even his father made fun of Aya! Annoying! Annoying! Annoying!

Her shoulders trembled. The umbrella clattered.

“Aya? What’s wrong, get into the car quick.”

They were already in front of the car. Mama called out to her in an impatient voice after closing her own umbrella and getting onto the driver’s seat. In the gla.s.s by the pa.s.senger seat was Aya’s own hand grasping the grip of her favorite new umbrella reflected. From within the car stared mama in wonder at her under the umbrella and with a “My, my,” she made a smile looking just like a real big-hearted mother.

“You’re the only one from your middle school who goes to Tsubasagahara, right, Aya? Being separated from one’s friends makes one feel lonely, doesn’t it.”

The umbrella Aya held low was shaking. The image of her own face gritting her teeth and sobbing silently under the umbrella was reflected in the gla.s.s. She took of her gla.s.ses and wiped away the tears with the sleeve of the uniform she’d never wear again.

“Have you ever listened to me with your eyes sparkling and saying 'amazing’?”

“Wouldn’t it be good enough to say things normally, and honestly?”

When did she do what wrong? Should she have been like Misaki-kun from the beginning? Then would he haven’t been taken by Misaki-kun? Even though Aya aaalways, aaalways had so much time…

“Aya. You’ll make new friends in no time. Also, at Tsubasagahara are lots of cool boys. The sport club there is pretty strong, right?”

Mama leaned towards the pa.s.senger seat’s side to open the door, gently tapped Aya’s arm and pulled her close.

Aya is not an idiot. Even though mama doesn’t understand anything… Aya is not an idiot. While thinking so, Aya tossed away her umbrella and her gla.s.ses and clung to her mothers neck, crying and wailing loudly.

Intermission______Fire pride

“They meddled in our affairs! Those two brats again!”

“Get them!”

“Im- impossible! They’re fast…!”

Homra’s duo, who’s strong point is speed ― it seemed like this was the kind of reputation Yata and Fus.h.i.+mi had gotten among the hooligans in the neighborhood not longer after they had joined Homra.

“Who’s a braaaaat!”

“What does that make you guys who can’t even get a single hit in against these 'two brats’? Aren’t you just wasting your years, only gaining flab to your stomachs and brains?”

Like a vanguard the two charged at the hooligans who were ready to run away. Their task was to cut a way open for Suoh, and arrive as the first ones in a charge at the place the enemy’s boss has retreated to. If they thought there was no need to cause Suoh trouble the two of them would sometimes destroy everything by themselves. They’d wait calmly while sitting on the back of the enemy’s boss who was covered in bruises and burns and unconscious from the pain, and they’d dumbfound their comrades who arrived late. Kusanagi would recoil, Totsuka would give a wry smile. Then Suoh would arrive as the last one and as soon as he saw the situation, he’d, maybe unintentionally, lower his eyes and let out a breath, and turn his back with a “We’re leaving.”

If Yata was teamed up with Fus.h.i.+mi, then they demonstrated a power that was not only doubled, but multiplied. Their power was even equal to Kusanagi’s who, excluding Suoh, was the powerful man standing out among Homra’s members. Kusanagi, who used a lighter as a weapon and controlled with it a strong flame was so to speak the fire power, but Yata and Fus.h.i.+mi’s special trait was speed above all. They approached you from behind before you noticed, like a flame stirred up by tailwind, mocked you with the flames, cut you in two ― as soon as this combo made you their target you had nothing left but to flee or be terrified.

In this fall Yata Misaki was 17 years and roughly 3 months old.

His partner, Fus.h.i.+mi Saruhiko, was 16 years and roughly 11 months old.

When they had joined Homra in winter the year before last at the age of fifteen they had been the youngest among the members. However age has nothing to do with the merits and demerits of the flame’s power they received from Suoh. When they used their powers experience might be relevant to some extent, but Yata and Fus.h.i.+mi had even without experience stood out right away. Ever since then they bustled around as the vanguard for Suoh.

The position as Homra’s vanguard he held together with Fus.h.i.+mi was Yata’s pride.

“Wait!”

Seven, eight man clad in a uniform that had blue as its basic tone chased after them.

“This is the third squad of the third unit. We’re in the middle of pursuing the fugitives but a group of the red clan «Homra» is interfering. Engaging in battle with them is inevitable. Please give us the permission to draw our swords.”

After the man turned to his headset and gave an honest report he drew the saber from his hip.

Hah, so the Blues can’t fight without a permission or what, sneered Yata and looked back over his shoulder while kicking forward on his skateboard. There’s no way they’d lose in a fight against squeamish domesticated dogs.

When the Blue swung his saber, and cut the empty air in spite of the close combat weapon, several strikes came flying toward Yata. By bending his knees and letting his weight s.h.i.+ft he changed his skateboard’s route. The wheels shot out fire and ran up the wall, dodging the attacks that drew near  from behind. Like that the skateboard ran long the wall while Yata made a half turn and raised the metal bat he carried on his shoulder.

“Uraahhh!”

He jumped of the fast moving skateboard as if tipping up. The bat was wrapped in flames. He smashed his bat against the saber the Blue had positioned above his head and a dull sound burst between them. With their weapons locked at the hilt (well a bat doesn’t have a hilt but still!) another Blue slashed at Yata from beside him but without paying any attention to him Yata only concentrated on the opponent right in front of him and pushed with strength.

In about the same moment the saber flew off the Blue’s hand he heard a sharp noise come from one side. Fus.h.i.+mi who had seemingly slipped in held the knifes in his hands crossed and stopped the saber of the other Blue who had slashed at Yata.

“Saruhiko!”

Yata smiled at him.

This time it was Fus.h.i.+mi who was close to locking weapons with the Blue but right then the left behind skateboard lunged through the air and crashed against the Blue’s back of the head. The Blue sunk to the ground with a groan that made him sound a bit dumb.

Angered, the remaining Blues encircled them. Yata recovered his skateboard and got his bat ready again, Fus.h.i.+mi took a close combat knife in his right hand several throwing knifes in his left. Standing back on back they faced the enemies who outnumbered them.

“The vanguard of the red clan, Fus.h.i.+mi Saruhiko and Yata Misaki,” whispered one of the Blues to the one who seemed to be the leader. The latter cleared his throat turning to the two and raised in a stiff and formal voice.

“Minato Hayato and Minato Akito, clansmen of the former Blue King Habari Jin, have disobeyed the obligation of the limit to supernatural powers which is grounded on the peculiar development control law and caused injuries for the personnel in the «Scepter 4» government office building. We deem them as dangerous superpowered individuals and we have been entrusted with the task to swiftly capture them. With your interference, red clansmen, you are, as well as your king who also agreed to protocol 120, committing a grave infringement to this law.”

“Your preface is waaay to long. And it was kinda difficult so I didn’t really get it.”

“So does this mean the Red King has such a low-level education he can’t even read a law text?”

“Hah? Did you just make fun of Mikoto-san, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!? Also, Kusanagi-san did go to college, got it!?”

Fus.h.i.+mi held Yata, who had suddenly become angry back with a “You shut up for a second,” as if Yata’s behavior was kind of troublesome. He took over for him and answered the leader with a cool voice.

“We got an instruction to go pick up some acquaintances, that’s all. You’re the ones who’re hindering us. We haven’t affirmed the information that the acquaintances are dangerous superpowered individuals so we didn’t know about that. Because you keep your information to yourselves and don’t distribute them.”

“Th- this kind of far-fetched argument from a bratty clansman….”

“You aren’t losing in an argument to a brat because of a far-fetched argument.”

Losing even his pride to Fus.h.i.+mi’s sneer, a vein popped out on the leader’s forehead. Yata saw it and felt a thrilling satisfaction. When it came to mocking adults Yata knew n.o.body who was as skilled at it as Fus.h.i.+mi.

The PDA in form of watch on his wrist let him know a call was coming in. The moment Yata brought the PDA close to his mouth there were a few Blues who tried to approach, but the knifes Fus.h.i.+mi threw without even looking pierced into the ground right in front of their feet.

“Yata-san!”

He could hear a deep voice mixed with static come from the PDA.

“Kamamoto. How’d it go?”

“We took in the twins. Kusanagi-san said you and Fus.h.i.+mi can also come back.”

The Blues could also hear the voice from the PDA and their leader turned pale.

“s.h.i.+t, so this was a decoy…! They’re probably at bar HOMRA! Hurry!”

Yata and Fus.h.i.+mi exchanged glances over their shoulders and nodded at each other.

“They said we should come back, Saruhiko. Hey Blues, it’s exactly how you heard. The twins you’ve been going after are sheltered in the Red King’s HQ.”

“A kingly domain,” corrected Fus.h.i.+mi and took over the talking. “Intruding another king’s domain, isn’t that also a grave infringement of protocol 120?”

The Blues who were about to turn around at their leader’s orders were bewildered at that and stopped moving. The leader ground his teeth and grasped the saber’s hilt. Hostile, Yata readied his bat too.

“If the blue clansmen are no cowards then it’s okay to fight them, right?” Responding to Yata’s vigor flames entwined his bat. “It’s okay, right, Saruhiko?”

Fus.h.i.+mi who usually stopped Yata’s reckless actions fixated the Blues with a brazen gaze and let the flame power dwell in the knifes he held.

“Sure. I didn’t agree on today’s task so I’m p.i.s.sed off.”

Even though they were surrounded by trained, st.u.r.dy men the two weren’t nervous at all. Ordinary soldier cla.s.s clansmen of another king were no match to them.

This was different than from that one time in their first year in middle school when they had been beaten up by only three seniors. They had special powers now. On top of that had their powers manifested as strong, even among the ones who had received powers from the same king.

They constantly had disputes with other groups and had a brush with death on countless occasions. In this one and a half year ― as long as Fus.h.i.+mi was at his back, Yata was never afraid. He had not even once regretted that they had thrown themselves into this world. He didn’t think that these satisfying days were lacking anything.

He could feel the heat beneath his left collarbone. As if there was a second heart, throb, power was carried through his whole body with one big beat. If Fus.h.i.+mi was close he could even feel the power of the mark he had in the same spot.

Squeezing that part once from over his clothes a confident smile appeared on Yata’s face.

“Let’s go, Saruhiko. I won’t let this end with the blue dogs having made fun of Mikoto-san,” he called out, putting one foot on his skateboard.

Fus.h.i.+mi glanced at him over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

“A dog, huh… Isn’t that what you are?”

Disregarding the puzzled expression that formed on Yata’s still smiling face, Fus.h.i.+mi kicked the ground and dashed forward. Become just like a thin, sharp knife himself he slashed into the st.u.r.dy Blues.

——-

1. Aya uses -sama here to address the King (王様 (ô-sama))

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