The hallway was dark and cold but we walked in silence, not saying a word to each other because I was still sour from the attack and Osana’s scolding.
“Hey, I am sorry for saying that to you,” she said out of the blue.
This made me raise an eyebrow.
“But you are a dummy!”
A vein popped on my forehead. “Really? How I’m I the dummy?”
“You are the dummy for getting lost and for nearly getting yourself killed idiot!” she barked.
“With all due respect Osana, you left me on my own back there.” I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance. “Honestly, this is the reason why I don’t like your type.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“This attitude of yours.” I open my eyes to find her glaring at me. “One second you are apologizing to me for being harsh and the next second you are calling me an idiot!”
With a huff and a flustered look on her face, she pursed her lips, huffed, and looked away. “Well, it's not easy trying to say what you want to say without embarrassing yourself. You of all people should know that since you read manga.”
I groaned. “Just because I read manga that has your kind in it doesn’t mean I am a fan. What's the matter? Are you having a hard time talking to people or are you scared of what people might think of you?”
"What? I...I am not scared! What makes you think I am?" she squealed.
I roll my eyes.
“Besides, would you prefer a yandere over a tsundere?” she asks turning her nose up in the air.
A grim look appeared on my face. “Not in a million years.”
“Well too bad you are stuck with one and that's not my problem now is it?”
“It would be your problem when I die." I note. “I am sorry to say this but you are making me change my mind about helping you.”
Well, this made her freak out and she pointed at me. “Don’t you dare! I didn’t fight my way out of the labyrinth to watch my efforts go in vain! So keep that in mind you otaku!”
I grit my teeth at that. “Your efforts? Yeah right, and I am not an otaku.”
She scoffs and looks away.
The knowledge of her kind makes me shake my head in frustration. They're pride and brash attitude are simply a cover-up for their true character. In most of the high school romance manga I have read, I find this trope annoying. This is because their love interest would either be clueless about their true intentions or fall out of love with them until they confess their feelings.
Yet, for some reason, I feel sorry for them.
“What? What are you so upset about?” she asked in her harsh tone.
I didn't reply and the mean look on her face dissolved into that of concern.
"L...look...listen, I didn't mean to make you upset but...?" then she closes her eyes and screams, "BUT YOU DESERVED IT, YOU IDIOT!"
Now it was my turn to fold my arms and shake my head at the stupidity of her words. “Tell you what, you will stop calling me an otaku for reading manga and I won’t call you out for writing cringe-worthy stuff about your favorite anime boys. Deal?”
Her eyes widen and she blushes madly before turning away. “Tch! Deal!”
‘I should have added the name-calling while I was at it.’ I thought coughing to hide the grin on my face. "Now that we have a mutual understanding, care to tell me who killed you so we can get this over with?"
"No," she said closing her eyes and turning her nose in the air.
I frown. "That was a quick response."
"Yes,"
I face palm. "Seriously?"
"Yeah! What's the big idea telling her off like that?" she barked.
"Well, she didn't tell me about the rumors surrounding your death, lied to me about dropping out of school, and harassed your lover!"
"That's not an excuse and you know it!" she was yelling now.
I groan, "Listen,"
"No, you listen to me. I am not going to sit here and watch you stall this at your own pace. My friend is out there wasting her life just to apologize to me and now that she has found you, are you just planning to leave her alone?"
"Well, what about you? You knew she was trying to communicate with you but instead of making things easier by accepting her apology or telling me who killed you, you are making me do things the difficult way!"
She scoffs. "Well if I told you everything on a silver platter you wouldn't grow, would you?"
"What?"
"Dummy! In every story, the protagonist needs to grow to fulfill their destiny or get to the truth. If they take the easy route, they won't learn anything."
I clenched my teeth at her logic and muttered, "Growth my a$$."
"Hey!"
"Don't hey me! I am running out of patience here! Who killed you Osana?"
She pouted and looked away making my blood boil once more. I sigh, take out my phone and stare at the picture of her and Ms. Fumestsu and huff.
That is until I see someone hiding in the background. Something I should have noticed earlier. My eyes widen and I look back at her in shock.
"Ugh! What now?" she asks.
"It was Ayano wasn't it?"
The fiery temper in her eyes faded away as I show her the picture of someone lurking in the background.
"Ayano Aishi killed you I'm I right?"
She stares at the picture, looks at me again, and huffs. "Why don't you figure it out yourself Ms. Detective?"
I grit my teeth and swear she had a smirk on her face when she looked away, as my right eye twitched and veins rose from my forehead.
"Darling,"
My feet freeze on the spot as a cackle echoed across the room. Not wanting to waste any more time, I grab her hand and start running.
"Hey! Stop that!" she yelled.
'Please, for the love of all things orange shut up!' I beg.
Suddenly, she made me stop in my tracks and proceeded to drag me in the opposite direction.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I ask
"Shut it!" she replied.
"Don't run from me my darling," he said but that only forced us to sprint until we got to a metallic door with an electronic lock on it.
"Stand still, this won't take long," she said preparing to slice the door in half but I stop her.
"Wait,"
"What now? He's coming!"
The cackle echoing through the tunnels was sufficient proof, but I took a bottle of talcum powder and sprinkled it on the buttons of the electronic lock. Seeing that the numbers 1,3,5,7 and 9 weren't coated, I put the bottle back in my bag and start punching the buttons.
"Keep him occupied!" I yell.
"Easier said than done!" she yelled.
'Let's see, 1,3,5,7,9...no access. 3,1,5,7,9...no...'
"Hurry up!" Osana yelled.
'5,1,3,7,9...dang it!'
The cackle was getting closer and my hands grew hot. Pursing my lips as sweat ran down my temple, I punched in another set of numbers.
'7,9,1,3,5...yes!'
The door opened, I drag Osana Najimi into the room and watch it slam shut. My sigh of relief was interrupted by the sound of someone punching the door and a dent appeared.
"That's not going to hold him," Osana pointed out.
Quickly, I close my eyes, do a hand sign, and channel my spirit power whilst chanting a spell. I then opened them to find a huge stone door in its place, and when I pointed at it, a ying and yang token appeared on it.
I look at Osana who had a shocked expression on her face. "What did you..."
"I put a seal on the door. That way he won't get in." I say.
She huffed. "Unless he breaks it."
Her words sent a shudder down my spine. "Y...yeah. Unless he breaks it."
“So…you survive.” a monotone voice echoed through the room. “You…both of you…you ruined everything.”
Then the light came on shining on a woman wearing a white dress and wielding a sword in her hand.
"Tch! It's about time she appeared. I was getting impatient!" Osana said.
"My school, my family, my legacy, it bleeds because of both of you." she opened her eyes. "I never planned your death pawn but you leave me no choice."
I was confused. "What do you mean by pawn?"
She didn't answer.
"Listen Ms. Saikou. I didn't come here to fight you. I came here looking for answers."
"Answers to what?" she looks at me with fire in her eyes, "To my whereabouts?"
"No, but..."
"ENOUGH!" she unsheathed her sword. "YOU WILL SUFFER! BOTH OF YOU WILL SUFFER WHAT YOU DID TO MY FAMILY! YOU WILL PAY!"
Then the rest of the lights came on revealing a huge robot standing behind her that looked like a replica of the spear-wielding robot I was introduced to hours ago.
I groaned. "Not you again,"
"It seems both of you have met before," Osana remarked.
'No one listens to reason these days,' I think while unsheathing my sword. "I'll..."
"No! I'll take the robot. You take Megami understood?"
Before I could utter another word, Osana ran towards the robot which let out a roar before bringing down a spear on her. Tsking, I grab an arrow, aim, and shoot it, causing a small explosion. Then out of the corner of my eye, I see something and move out of the way. Doing a back flip, I take out my katana and use it to stop the downward slash and a series of other slashes.
"Ms. Saikou stop!" I said when we clashed. "I don't want to hurt you!"
"Then what do you want?" she asked, before shoving me away.
"I told you, I only want answers!" I say.
She chuckled and pointed the sword at me. "You will get them when you are dead!"
Afterward, she charged at me again, but this time I countered her attack with an overhead slash to the head. She blocked it. In a quick backflip, I took out my bow and shot blue arrows at her, causing her to move out of the way quickly. I then moved in with my katana to knock her out. She countered my attack and swiped her katana at me missing my face by mere inches. I proceeded to grab another blue arrow from my quill but felt something warm on my temple. The blood stain on her katana and the smirk on her face said it all and I glared at her.
'Alright,' I bring the sword in front of me and turn the blade to her. 'You asked for it.'
This time I attacked and she countered it. Fortunately for me, I had seen that coming and sent a slash to her leg, then quickly turned around and sliced her face. She backed away just in time but the damage was done. There was a scar on her cheek and a rip on her dress but I refuse to smirk for it's disrespectful to do that to someone older than you.
Even in a duel.
Angry at my sudden defiance, she charged at me, but I blocked her again. We continued to fight, giving each other nasty scars to assert our dominance as the better fighter then clashed again.
"Trust Ms. Saikou, you don't want this to get uglier," I say.
She grunted. "It's already as ugly as can be you pawn"
We broke it off whilst breathing heavily.
"You are a skilled pawn," she said.
"And you are an intelligent woman," I reply.
She tsked. "Flattering your way out of this?"
I shake my head. "Why are you calling me a pawn?"
"Aren't you one?" she pointed the sword at me again, "She sent you to kill me didn't she?"
I cocked an eyebrow, "Who?"
"Don't play dumb with me! Ayano sent you to find my location and kill me right?"
I heard Osana grunt followed by the loud sound of the machine and sighed, "No. Mrs. Yamada didn't send me."
Her eyes widened. "She didn't?"
I shake my head. "As I said, I came here for answers but it looks like I won't be able to get any from you." there was a pause, "What did Mrs. Yamada do to you?"
She glared at me. "What did she do? What did she do?"
Without warning she attacked and we clashed again.
In her constant attacks at me, she pushed me to break it up first and would ask, "What didn't she do? She blackmailed my father for many years, humiliated my mother, ruined the reputation of the school my grandfather built, and dragged my family's name into the mud!"
Her attacks became stronger with each word she uttered but I hold my ground.
"She did all that and for what?" she slashed again at me. "Tell me, what was it all for?"
I had enough. All this was bullsh!t and I was angry because of it. Staggering back from her previous attack, I do a backflip and send an arrow sticking the gap between her chest and her arm.
"Ms. Saikou you are insane!" I yell.
She took out the arrow from the injury I made and attacked me but I blocked it.
"How could a young, talented, and intelligent woman like you waste her time and her youth on someone who exposed your father's sins to the world? How?" I ask.
She grunted and blood started seeping from the injury caused by the arrow. "Because it's my family's legacy! My grandfather worked hard to build that legacy after the second world war!"
"Then he is the one who ruined it not her!"
"YOU LIAR!" She pushed me off and sent a kick to my face sending me a few meters further from her. I look up to see my katana was just a hand's reach away from me. However, as I reached out to grab it, something whizzed by and moved it a few meters away from me. When I looked back at her, I was shot in the arm.
"You shot me in the arm first. Consider this even," she said pointing the gun at me.
Hearing a grunt, I look beside me to see Osana lying on the floor trying her best to stop the robot from driving a spear into her chest.
"She sent you didn't she?" she asked getting my attention.
"You tell me, you are the one skilled at foul play," I reply. "If you want to end my life, why don't you do it already?"
She smirked. "Really?"
"Just admit it Ms. Saikou. He's the one who destroyed your family's legacy and you are the one destroying your life because of it!"
"LAIR! SHE HAD HER AGENDA WHEN SHE DECIDED TO EXPOSE MY FATHER!" she screamed.
"AND WHAT WAS THAT AGENDA? WHAT WAS IT?" I yell.
"IT WAS..." then her eyes widened in shock. "It...it...it...was..."
"Your father dug his grave while the police were preparing his coffin from the start." I say, "From what I learned, the police had been investigating your father's embezzlement scheme for a long time so the proof she found the school's laptop was just the final nail to his coffin."
"Bu...bu...but she..."
"You claimed Mrs. Yamada had her agenda when she decided to expose your family yet you didn't know what it was, to begin with!"
"I DID KNOW!" she yells.
"Then why didn't you do anything? Why didn't you say anything?" I ask.
She blinks at me and lowers the gun. "I...I didn't have enough proof yet!"
What followed was a pause that lasted for what seemed like a long time, and I sighed.
"I understand?"
"Hmm?"
"The anger, the hatred, the thirst for vengeance...I understand it all,"
At this, she blinked again and shook her head furiously, "No! No, you don't! You know nothing!"
"I know that." then I dared myself to give her a warm smile. "I know the situation is different but the feeling is the same. I too was trapped in that same web of hatred and anger but when I got caught..."
"Caught doing what?" she asked.
"Caught trying to blow up half of the school but that's a story for another day." I chuckle, "Anyway, the person who caught me asked a question, 'What are you going to do after that? Will you get peace?'"
She looked down again and pointed the gun at me. "At least I will have my revenge and..."
"But it won't bring back the legacy your father ruined will it? It won't rectify the damage he had caused over the years nor will it make you happy." With that, I stood up and she quickly pointed the gun at me, "Ms. Saikou, you are a young, talented, and intelligent woman." Don't throw that away for the sins of your father."
There was another long pause as she looked at me with tears in her eyes. I was about to stand up when an explosion was heard making me collapse back to the floor. A loud sound echoed across the room as the lights flickered and turned red. Following Megami Saikou's gaze, I could see a figure emerging from the smoke.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
