The member of the class who was shocked the most by
Line-sensei’s words was without a doubt Yuki, but of course, all her classmates
were stunned as well.
Even Hikaru’s fatigue disappeared when hearing Miss Iceflame
won’t be participating in the Class Battle, Exo’s surprise turning to despair
very fast.
(Exo) ‘-So we’ll be left without Yuki in the field?!
That’s it!! Whatever hope we had, it’s lost!!’
(Seiren) ‘-Hold it, Exo! We may be fighting without
our baby doll, but Nightsong won’t be with her class, either, so I’d say the
odds haven’t changed in either side’s favor yet!’
(Yuki) ‘-But why?! Why are the two of us being excluded from
the Class Battle? Is it a punishment for our previous fight?’
(Tenji) ‘-No. The purpose of a Class Battle is to
demonstrate the participants’ skills and the two of you showed everything you
have during your fight. Hence there’s no need for you to get involved now.’
(Yuki) ‘-But Ulura may have more tricks up her sleeve!
There’s still time until the Class Battle, so I can learn some new stuff, too!!
Please, sensei! It’s my fault this whole thing started! I should fight by my
classmates’ side as they face Nightsong’s class!! It’s the least I can do!!’
Hikaru put his hand on the white-haired beauty’s
shoulder then, revealing his reassuring smile despite his exhausted appearance
when she turned to him.
(Hikaru) ‘-Don’t worry about us, Yu. We’ll be fine.
You already had your fair share of fun with Ulura, so now it’s our turn.’
(Yuki) ‘-But this …’
(Tenji) ‘-I’m sorry, Yuki, but I’m afraid there’s
nothing I can do. (she looked at the Biology teacher again) The other reason
for the exclusion of you and Ulura from the Class Battle is a request from her
parents. Given the condition she was left in after her fight with you, the
Nightsongs don’t want to see their daughter getting hurt again so soon. Leaving
Ulura’s class with one member less while our class is in full strength would
not be fair, so it was decided that due to the display of your abilities, you
will be the one left out. Now the scales are even again.’
Yuki’s homeroom teacher kept talking after that, but
she wasn’t listening anymore. She couldn’t focus on his words with the
overwhelming sense of guilt swelling in her heart.
If she hadn’t stood up to Ulura, her victory wouldn’t
have changed the students’ perception of Martian Class #3 and they wouldn’t
have decided to challenge the baby doll’s classmates to a Class Battle. Some
would say the black-haired tyrant was to blame for overreacting and challenging
Yuki, but it was her choice that led to this turn of events. Hers and nobody
else’s.
Maybe another reason for Hikaru to accept the
challenge given by Hock and Gorudora was him thinking that since Yuki had stood
up to Ulura, he needed to do the same with her classmates. The kindness of all the
people from her class who had brought the ice maiden nothing but joy since
meeting them was repaid by her with dooming them to face Nightsong’s class. And
she herself, the one truly responsible for the Class Battle happening in the
first place, wasn’t even going to be a part of it.
But things couldn’t end like this. Yuki wasn’t going
to let it end like this. If there was anything she had learned since enrolling
in Sunbird, it was that everyone needed to take responsibility for their
actions. And she was going to as well. In order to do that, though, she needed
to change the opinion of quite a few people about letting her join the fight.
After Saya came home from work that day, the baby doll
approached her to discuss both the coming Class Battle and how she could secure
a position in her class’ team for it, this happening while the two were making
dinner.
Hikaru and Graid were out in the yard, the
spiky-haired teenager’s uncle having taken over from his mother to supervise
his training. Meanwhile Iziya and Rose were setting the table in the dining
room next to the kitchen, so the head of the Summerbolt family was able to
focus her full attention on its newest member.
(Saya) ‘-You want me to train you to develop a new
ability in five days? (the fiery mom left aside the knife she had been using up
to that point to cut potatoes in cubes
on a cutting board, looking at Yuki now with a serious and somewhat sad
expression) I understand why you want to do this, Yuki, but it doesn’t work
like that. While being superhuman, your body still has its limits. (she then
pushed the cut potatoes from the board and into a cooking pot with plenty more
potatoes already boiling inside) Pushing yourself far beyond those limits is
more likely to lead to negative side effects than help you discover a new
ability.’
(Yuki) ‘-So you’re saying I should just stand by while
Hikaru and the others are giving everything they’ve got to prepare? (the
violent nurse nodded to the bowl with lightly beaten eggs next to her kitchen
assistant who gave them another stir with a whisk before passing on the bowl,
the two exchanging glances again) Saya, that’s something I could never do. Isn’t
there something that can be done about this? How else can I change
Line-sensei’s mind and that of the others?’
(Saya) ‘-Line isn’t the problem, nor anyone else in
Sunbird. (the eggs were poured in the pot, Saya now stirring them in order to
mix with the potatoes with a big wooden mixing spoon) It’s the Nightsongs.
Those two and especially Ukris will not be swayed after she’s made a decision,
no matter what.’
(Yuki) ‘-Do you know them? Ulura’s parents, I mean.’
Even though Saya no longer held Yuki’s gaze, the baby
doll could still see the tensing of the muscles all over the face of Hikaru’s
mother.
(Saya) ‘-Let’s just say I’ve had dealings with them in
the past. I would like that to never happen again. If Ulura won’t be
participating in the Class Battle, it makes me happy that you or Hikaru won’t
have to deal with a Nightsong any longer. And overall you have suffered enough
during your first week in Sunbird, so I think it will actually be better for
you not to be a part of the coming fight.’
(Yuki) ‘-But, Saya …’
Saya cleared her throat to interrupt the amnesiac
before she could finish her sentence, having stopped stirring and looking at
her again.
(Saya) ‘-Seeing how stubborn you are about this,
though, I’ll see what I can do. (Yuki beamed with joy from finally getting a
positive answer, the cook also giving her a small smile before becoming serious
again) Firstly, you’ll have to keep up your physical training with Hikaru.
You’ve only used the full extent of your powers once but you didn’t know nearly
enough about them then, so it will be different now.’ (the cook paused for a
moment in order to pick up a bit of the dish with the spoon and taste it, not
blowing on it at all as people usually did before eating hot food)
(Yuki) ‘-Saya! You’ll burn yourself like that!!’
Saya turned to her assistant with confusion as she
swallowed the food, that confusion being replaced with satisfaction, probably
due to the dish tasting good.
(Saya) ‘-I can use my flames to redistribute any heat
my body comes in contact with, so it’s OK. (she peered into the pot) And this
is just about ready and tasting really delicious. (the spoon was left aside
while the pot was moved away from the stove after its cover was put back on it)
Back to you, though. If we want to develop your deva, we’ll have to start with
the five basic abilities for every deviant. Have they tested how good you are
at each of those?’
(Yuki) ‘-No. I don’t even know what those five
abilities are.’
(Saya) ‘-It’s a set of five distinct abilities that
every deviant, no matter the deva they possess, should be able to use. They
include creating some structure from one’s deva, creating clones, manifesting
one’s totem animal, cladding oneself in one’s deva and running one’s deva
through organic and inorganic materials. Hikaru told me you channeled your ice
through the ground to create a mass of spikes under the feet of the bastard
that attacked you three last week. So you have running your deva through things
checked.’
(Yuki) ‘-I also covered myself in ice armor when I
fought Ulura.’
(Saya) ‘-That covers cladding yourself in your deva.
The spikes, blades and needles you create with your ice count as structures, so
that’s one more ability you have. What about your totem? Have they tested you
to find out what it is?’
(Yuki) ‘-It’s a deer.’
(Saya) ‘-Oh, nice one. An Artiodactyla like mine.’
(Yuki) ‘-I haven’t asked actually, now that I think
about it. What’s your totem?’
(Saya) ‘-A ram.’
(Yuki) ‘-And Hikaru’s?’
(Saya) ‘-A sabertooth, the same animal as the totem of
our family. We can leave the questions about everyone’s totems for later,
though.’
(Yuki) ‘-Sorry, I got off track.’
(Saya) ‘-Have you managed to create a deer out of your
ice yet?’
(Yuki) ‘-I’ve tried, but it hasn’t worked.’
(Saya) ‘-Don’t worry. While being able to use all five
basic abilities, most deviants excel at using one of them over the others. The
only thing we haven’t touched on is creating clones. Have you tried that
before?’
(Yuki) ‘-No, not yet.’
Iziya and Rose came in the kitchen, Saya’s sister
going to wash her hands first while the two’s mom waited.
(Iziya) ‘-Table’s all set.’
(Rose) ‘-How’s dinner coming along?’
(Saya) ‘-It’s ready. You can bring in plates, so we
can split it into portions to cool down. (she turned to Yuki) And you can go to the
yard to get those two up here, Yu. Make Hikaru explain the creation of clones
to you when you do that.’
The baby doll replied with a nod and left the kitchen,
going into the dining room and down the stairs from there. She passed through
the second floor where the bath and the toilet were, finally reaching the first
floor where Rose’s room was, going out the door and around the back to the
middle-sized yard of the Summerbolt residence.
Hikaru currently laid on his back with a number of
bruises on him and breathed heavily on the grass between the two apple trees in
the yard. Graid was leaning on one of the trees as he observed his nephew, both
being illuminated by the three large elongated UV lamps attached to a cable
that passed above the trees.
(Graid) ‘-You’re a long way from catching up to my
speed, boy. Hock’s got a Daroid deva as well and judging by what I’ve seen
here, if you go up against him in the Class Battle, he’ll kick your ass in less
than a minute.’
The mad bolt grunted while trying to get back on his
feet.
(Hikaru) ‘-I don’t get it. You’ve got a much bigger
muscle mass than me. How can you move that fast?!’
(Graid) ‘-Using elemental teleportation and the Daroid
for faster movement is not the same thing.’
(Hikaru) ‘-You’re right. My teleportation ought to be
faster because my body doesn’t take any stress and only my deva is used when
teleporting.’
Yuki got to the duo just then, helping Hikaru up as
the trainer grinned at his trainee.
(Graid) ‘-You’re slower because you’re going at only a
15% output.’
The spiky-haired teenager looked at his uncle with
utter shock now.
(Hikaru) ‘-You’re saying you’ve been using more than
15% all this time? Since when?’
(Graid) ‘-Since before you were born, kid.’
(Hikaru) ‘-But I don’t see … doesn’t it affect your
body?’
(Graid) ‘-I’ve trained myself in order to build enough
stamina to withstand a higher output with no drawbacks. Which is the reason for
the training you’re going through right now.’
(Yuki) ‘-Dinner’s ready.’
The moment he heard those words, it seemed like Graid
had entered a new plane of existence that held nothing but happiness.
(Graid) ‘-Let’s get to eating, then! We’ll continue training afterwards.’
He then ran with his scarlet energy compound ahead of
the duo while they followed with a pace that wasn’t too strenuous for Hikaru.
(Yuki) ‘-I’ll be joining you for training later as
well.’
(Hikaru) ‘-Huh? Why train when you won’t be
participating in the Class Battle?’
(Yuki) ‘-I won’t let you guys fight alone. I’ll find a
way to secure my place among you. We’ll take them down together, Hikaru. I
promise.’
(Hikaru) ‘-I
think I’m the one who should be apologizing, actually. To you and to the rest
of the class as well. I accepted Hock and Gorudora’s challenge, after all, so
it’s my fault there’s even going to be a Class Battle.’
(Yuki) ‘-But you did it because you knew a Class
Battle is what everyone wanted, right?’
(Hikaru) ‘-That’s what I thought, but maybe some of our
classmates are of a different opinion and just don’t want to say that to my
face. Except for Exo. (mentioning the techno-genius made the young Summerbolt
chuckle) He’s being painfully honest about his unwillingness to participate.’
(Yuki) ‘-He’ll come around. I’ll help with that
however I can. And you don’t have to feel that kind of guilt. I think … maybe
having a Class Battle became inevitable from the moment I faced Ulura. (Hikaru
was getting ready to respond when Yuki interrupted him) Which is why I’d like
to ask you to explain to me how to create clones.’
(Hikaru) ‘-Clones? Why?’
(Yuki) ‘-I talked with Saya about how my skills can be
improved to convince Line-sensei and the rest to let me join you guys in
the Battle and she suggested mastering clone creation.’
(Hikaru) ‘-Alright, then. (just as he said that, the
two friends reached the long oval table of light brown wood in the dining room where
Saya, Iziya and Rose were serving dinner while Graid was drooling) Eat up well,
Yuki. If you’re serious about this, you’ll have to go through tortures too
great even for a superhuman.’
Points: 31
Reviews: 65
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