Part 1

Their mouths hang wide in utter disbelief from the news that they have heard.

“Y-you want me…” Katsuo attempts to ask but trails off.

“…to move in with you?!” Kanade finishes in confused rage.

Henrietta can’t help but just sigh at the pitiful display of the two as she pushes up the bridge of her glasses in response.

“It was foolish to simply comply with the standard of separate sleeping quarters by gender for your particular case. A rundown cabin isn’t exactly a safe place for you to reside in.” Henrietta states the facts for both of them.

“But that still doesn’t explain why he has to move in with you.” Kanade voices out in protest.

She immediately glared at her so brightly with overflowing disgust that white light reflects from one of her glasses’ lenses.

“Because…it is my duty to protect him from any perverts that might be trying to sneak into the Male’s Dormitory in the middle of the night.” Like a five-foot harpoon, Henrietta stabs Kanade with those words.

Just the word “pervert” being hurled at her general direction was enough to send her staggering back like after being stabbed to the heart.

“Come to think of it, why were you snooping around the Male’s Dormitory that night?” Katsuo asks out of curiosity, but he just ends up skewering Kanade with another five-foot harpoon.

“I…” Kanade tries to grasp the words on the tip of her tongue.

“I want to say I’m sorry. You know…for pushing you down that day. I-it was a misunderstanding.” She musters her strength to tell him those words.

“And yet you were stroking his chest and kneeing his—“

“I said it was a misunderstanding, dammit!” she growls at Henrietta who rudely interrupted. “Besides, I hate being in debt. It feels weird.”

“No, it’s okay. I get it. Don’t worry about yourself. You can always tell me anything that’s bothering you.” Katsuo assures her then places a hand on her shoulder.

That particular shoulder jumps in reflex the second his hands makes contact, however it’s not because he touched a healing wound.

(“…you can always tell me anything that’s bothering you…”)

These words echo in Kanade’s mind…but not in Katsuo’s voice. Someone else has told her those exact words. Someone dear to her. Someone she looks up to. Someone who is gone.

Kanade swats the hand that’s resting on her shoulder away like shooing off an insect. Her eyes were not filled with disgust nor sadness, but with anger.

“I didn’t ask for your help. I thought I made that clear.” Kanade growled at him with piercing eyes.

To avoid any further trouble, she just walks away from the scene that she  has created in the first place.

“I said what I needed. I hope I won’t have to repeat myself again.” Those are her last words to those two as she turns her back on them.

“Well that was close. Thought for sure she’d really do what you said a moment ago.” Henrietta regrettably remarks on the outcome.

“Yeah. Why is it important that I have to do this again?”

“She’s been causing too much trouble for too long because of her supposed task to be stronger. She’s never been truly open about the reason why in the first place. I figured that maybe if we try to understand her, we can convince her to stop this pointless destruction.”

Katsuo can’t help but keep an eye on Kanade who has stormed off all of the sudden after he has tried to lighten her burden. But all of a sudden, a sound of short electronic beeps catches his attention.

Henrietta pulls a cellphone from one of her utility belt’s pockets and places it by her ear.

“It’s me. …yes. …okay. …I understand. …I’m on my way.” She gives short and accurate responses to the message she got over the phone.

“What was that?”

“It’s my other members from the Disciplinary Committee…” she puts the phone back to the pocket it came from without looking.

“…we got a tip on last night’s attacker.”

Part 2

In a club room on another part of the school, an unused classroom which serves as the Disciplinary Committee’s club room is hard at work sorting out cases, requests, and sanctions to be carried out. A handful of members are present and they are either pushing pencils to fill up some paperwork or hammering away on keyboards as they process some requests by other members of the student body. Every person in this room has the same armband and utility belt Henrietta carries.

Henrietta and Katsuo casually enter the room full of busy people.

“Hey, you can’t come in here!” one of the Disciplinary Committee members reprimands Katsuo.

“Relax, he’s with me. What do you got?” Henrietta cuts to the chase as they continue walking.

They approached one of the available computer terminals which have two video clips playing on loop.

“We took some of the surveillance from that night and compared them to the break-in at the evidence room five days ago. We still can’t ID the perp’s face, but the armor is an exact match.”

“That’s all?”

“No. We also noticed that just like before, there appears to be no trace of it anywhere. We combed the footage from the tapes. Almost like that hulking suit of metal suddenly disappeared.”

“Would be a lot better if we at least got a name…” Henrietta bites her thumb nail as she tries to think of an angle.

“We do.” The committee member sits down at the terminal and brings up some documents that are already open, but minimized.

“We had a report that one of the student volunteers from the library asked to be excused for that night. They said that it was supposedly an emergency.”

“Who’s the volunteer?”

The committee member hits a few keys on the keyboard to bring up an entry. What appeared looks like a form with a person’s name and a picture on the upper left of a girl with brown hair tied into two tails from the back.

“Toshiko Sakawa, Year 1. Alter Classification: Category 2.”

“She’s in duty now?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Send me all the info you got on her. I’m gonna pay her a visit.” Henrietta walks towards the door, however…

“Wait, Miss Thompson! Let me help.” Katsuo offers his assistance.

He got his response almost immediately.

“No. This is strictly Disciplinary Committee business. Just let me handle this from here on and head to class. You don’t have much time left.” Henrietta gestures towards the clock on the wall which prompts Katsuo to make a break for it.

Part 3

As class continues, Katsuo sits quietly behind his desk but his mind is elsewhere. His first day has been rather extraordinary with a lot of things going on. So much that he can’t wrap his mind around it. One particular phrase has been bothering him since the beginning.

…the Strongest Alter…

(“What does that mean? They can’t possibly mean me. But still…”)

Katsuo turns his head to the empty desk beside him that’s on the back row by the window. The ill-tempered sparky hothead Kanade Ishihara is noticeably absent. He recalls what happened the night before; what that thing put her through. Her body left broken and battered. Her spirit is crushed and morale extinguished. She had nothing and was holding on to the last thing that mattered to her: her life.

(“…if these attacks continue, maybe I can find the people responsible.”)

For years he has managed to keep his emotions from four years ago locked tight. Every violent thought that he had made ever since that incident is starting to spring loose. But that’s when he remembers…

(“No. If you are to become stronger you must forget what hurt you. Drowning in the past will only do more harm than good.”)

It is not his voice that told him this. It is the voice of someone who helped him; the hand that reached to him when he lost everything. They sing of that person’s legend now, but even if they see that person as nothing more than a myth, the actions that person has made still lives on.

The class came to an end with a chime of a bell. Everyone, including Katsuo, grabbed their things and ready to call it a day. However...

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!”

A collection of high-pitched screams alerts Katsuo. He turns his head to the door and sees Alex trying to calm down the ladies that are clamoring around him.

“Take it easy girls…I don’t want to cause a scene.” Alex convinces them all to settle down.

“Oh! My! Gosh! Alex Kenningway from Class 1-A is here!!”

“He looks cuter in person!”

“Blondes are so gorgeous, but he’s like an angel!”

“Mister Alex, please notice me!!”

Amidst all this chaos, Alex scans the area when he finally comes across a familiar face.

“Hey! Katsuo!!” Alex excuses himself through the thick crowd that is pushing against him.

“Well, you’re quite the star around here.” Katsuo acknowledges his popularity.

“It’s nothing, really. By the way, people from the Disciplinary Committee dropped by the dorm this morning; said that you were moving out. Did they tell you where to?” he asks with curiosity.

That was when a chill ran down his spine.

(“…you will be transferred to my dormitory room to be kept under proper protection…”)

Katsuo remembers the particularly bold statement Henrietta made in the middle of the hall. People may have overheard it, but chances are that it still hasn’t reached him yet.

“That’s…classified…” he fibs to hide the embarrassment.

Alex stared at him puzzled, but he shortly nods with a smile.

“I understand. The dorms gonna be a bit lonely without you. Even though I still haven’t gotten to know you that well…”

“It’s alright. You don’t have to be lonely all the time.” And with those words from Katsuo, the classroom roared in screams again.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Alex and Katsuo under one roof?!?!”

“Could it be that AEIGIS’ hottest boys are finally getting it on?”

“They’re also the only boys in this school.”

“THAT MEANS THAT THEY’RE THE HOTTEST BY DEFAULT!!!”

“They are so my One True Pairing now!!”

All this ruckus makes Alex all the more conscious. So much so that Katsuo has to step in.

“Hey, look—“

“No, it’s fine…” Alex shakes his head with a touch of red on his cheeks.

“…But before I forget…” without warning, Alex grabbed Katsuo by the wrist and drags him through the squealing crowed as they make a mad dash out of the classroom and through the halls.

“Isn’t this attracting even more attention?!” Katsuo exclaims as he struggles to keep up with Alex.

“There’s someone who wants to see you. She told me to make absolutely certain that you’ll be there as soon as possible.” Alex explains as he continues to tow Katsuo through the school hallway.

“‘She’?!” Katsuo tries to grasp what he meant by that, but Alex just smiled back and continues to look forward on where he’s going.

(“I’m sorry Katsuo. I just wish I’d get to know you more. You seem like an interesting person. But…”)

Alex is filled with a bit of a bittersweet feeling which he hides with his smile.

(“…the fact of the matter is that I can’t let you find out about me.”)

Meanwhile, back at the classroom…

“Should we go after them?”

“No, that would go against nature.”

“True love is never chased. It comes and goes whenever the time is right.”

Everyone nods in agreement. And after a short moment of silence…

“AlexSuo will never sink!!!!”

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”

…the classroom is filled with squealing again.

Part 4

“Toshiko Sakawa, Class 1-B, Category 2…”

Henrietta Thompson reads the report that she has received through her phone to herself. This has all of the information on her prime suspect collected in the committee’s files.

“Alter Ability: Material enhancement. She is able to reinforce any material to be harder than titanium. She is however unable to join separate materials like severed cables or torn paper. Volunteers as a bookkeeper in the school library after class. Admitted in to AEGIS last week as a transfer student. No records from her former school. That is indeed odd…”

She reaches the double doors that lead to the school’s library. As she pushes one of the doors open, the wide room filled with bookshelves and tables as far as the eye can see welcomes her . As one would expect from a library, the only sound present is the turning of pages and the occasional murmurs. The girl seated at the far end of the library is the person she is after.

Henrietta slowly closes the door she has pushed open and casually walks towards her intended destination.

“Miss Toshiko Sakawa?” she asks the girl in a calm voice as she pockets her phone back into her belt.

“Yes?” the girl turns away from her book.

“Henrietta Thompson from the Disciplinary Committee.” She stretches her armband inward to clearly show the logo. It’s their equivalent of the police showing their badges.

“So what do I owe to have the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson’s attention?” the girl referred in the files as Toshiko asks.

“Miss Sakawa, I would like to ask regarding your sudden request for an early leave from the dorms last night at 7:15 in the evening.” Henrietta cuts to the chase as she pulls out a notebook from her utility belt.

“Why are you asking?” Toshiko crosses her arms and leans back on her chair.

“We have reason to believe that you are involved in an attack on Miss Kanade Ishihara last night approximately 7:50 PM.” She gives a brief answer.

“An excellent hypothesis…but there’s just one problem.” Toshiko reaches for something on her chair’s left armrest which resembles a videogame’s joystick and moved it around.

The resulting movement moves her chair as well accordingly. She reveals that the chair she’s sitting on has fully motorized wheels that facilitate its movement.

In other words, she’s on an electric wheelchair.

“I may find that Short Fused Shocker to be too much of a pain picking fights left and right, but I wouldn’t go about as to waste energy on her. And as you can plainly see, I am in no condition to do anything to her.” Toshiko continues to deny the charges.

“Miss Sakawa, I would appreciate it if you would just get to answering the question.” Henrietta continues to bring the conversation back on track.

“Alright, alright. I asked to leave early because my condition is acting up. I went to the infirmary and picked up some medication. They also said that I needed some rest, so I went back to the dorms.”

“Has anyone else seen you that night?” She posts another question without taking her eyes off her notebook.

“Just the infirmary nurse. I’m not exactly close with anyone anyway.”

As Henrietta is taking everything down, the sound of soft buzzing comes from Toshiko’s pocket. She takes out what is making that noise, which is a silenced cellphone. Once she presses a button on it, the buzzing stops and she reads what is on its screen.

“Now then, if you excuse me…” Toshiko moves her wheelchair out into the path to make her way out casually to the library door.

But just as Toshiko passes by Henrietta, she sees her take out a plastic container from the same pocket, pops it open, and places one of its contents into her mouth in a motion similar to drinking from a cup. She bites on it once then swallows the rest.

This is enough to raise suspicion from her, and once she exits the doors, Henrietta proceeds to silently tail her.

Part 5

The old building at the corner of the campus is made out of cracked mortar and rusted steel. No one has used the facilities here for years and serves as club rooms for some of the extracurricular clubs. Right now this musty building is completely deserted. Any clubs that have their club rooms here are currently gone and right now, only three people are known to be in it.

“You didn’t have to come here you know.” Kanade glares at Alex with bitter eyes.

Right now, they’re in one of the abandoned classrooms. Old wooden desks stacked on top of another line a wall of the classroom. The windows are boarded shut with only little of the setting sunlight peeking through the cracks. Nothing is on the chalkboard but dust that’s been collected for an untold amount of time.

“What can I say, I like taking it a step further.” Alex tries to laugh it off while scratching the back of his head.

Katsuo just sighs in response.

“Look, about last night—“ he is immediately silenced by Kanade placing her finger by his lips.

“Enough about last night already. That’s not what I told you to come here for. And most certainly NOT what I told you to come eavesdrop on.” She aims the last statement at the supposed unwelcome party.

“Okay, fine. Go on ahead. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Geez, I said I was sorry.” Alex then turns around and walks outside the room with both his hands in his pockets.

Kanade’s face blushed slightly upon hearing “lovebirds”, but almost as quickly shakes it off. Once Alex shuts the door behind him, Kanade resumes to her point.

“Anyway, I’ve been thinking about what you said and…there is a reason why I don’t openly talk about why I fight.” She refers to earlier today when Katsuo tried to lend her a helping hand again.

“Look, I was just trying to—“

“It’s too dangerous to get involved with me!” Kanade immediately warns him.

She takes deep breaths to calm herself down and process what she’s about to say.

“Remember the big guy that attacked me last night? I saw it before. Also not the first time I’ve gone face to face with it.”

“What do you mean?” Katsuo asks with a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice.

“I’m sure you have at least heard of Tsubaki Ishihara.” She says as she crosses her arms and leans on one of the stack of desks lining the wall.

“Well…not exactly.” Katsuo honestly replies, but instead of being disappointed, Kanade just snickered a bit.

“Oh man, where have you been living? Under a rock?” she sarcastically asks.

She clears her throat and continues.

“Anyway, Tsubaki’s my older sister. She was the Academy’s Strongest until she graduated and joined the military. I came home one day to find everything engulfed in flames.” Kanade starts off with a story from her past.

Katsuo can’t help but remember to a similar incident five years ago.

“I tried to see if anyone made it out alive. I did find something: a person wearing a shining silver armor. But it wasn’t a glow of radiant honor, more like a sinister and eerie one. Rescuers respond, and I was forced to get out of the place. Later, they couldn’t find her and was presumed dead. Not a word to the rest of the students…to me; even the headmistress didn’t want to say anything. It’s almost like she really did die that night.” Kanade peers through the gaps between the boards that seal the windows.

“Is that what you meant by trying to catch-up to your sister?”

“Hey, whoever…or whatever that thing is, it knows where she is.”

“Is that why you tried to risk your life taking on whatever that was? You were sure that you can beat what you need out of that thing?”

Katsuo’s words suddenly put Kanade in shock. She clenches her fist to try and control her feelings as drops of tears start to escape from her eyes.

“That’s…”

Kanade is about to retaliate, but something has stopped her. Not her self-control, not Katsuo, but the ground suddenly disappearing under Kanade’s feet and being replaced by a large hole caused by a collapse on the floor below.

“MISS ISHIHARA!!!!” Katsuo shouts as he makes a dive towards her before the floor caves in too far.

Kanade screams in terror, but Katsuo grabs her had before she falls to the pitch black abyss below. Their arms tremble as Kanade’s full weight is exerting on Katsuo despite him grabbing on with his other arm for an added support. He helps her pull her up and back to the remains of the crumbled floor.

The two stagger away from the gaping hole on the floor while catching their breath.

“What…was that…” Kanade gasps at the musty and dusty air to get as little breathable oxygen is left in the room.

Dust falls from the ceiling again as more rumbling is heard. Katsuo grabs Kanade by the wrist and makes a dash out of the abandoned classroom.

As the run through corridor after corridor, debris and rubble continue to find their way out. As the progress, the damage gets worse and worse. From measly pebbles, gigantic boulders of concrete, wood, and metal are falling down. The floors suddenly cave way as the go down a flight of stairs and approach the nearest exit door.

They approach it as hard as their trembling legs can, but more debris blocks their way. They make another turn but the path is blocked again by more debris too big to go over in time. One more path remains and they take it, but once they did…

CRASH!!!!!!

Whatever was causing the destruction of the old building finally shows itself bursting through a nearby wall mere inches from their faces: a pitch black body of metal with a gleam of red. Electronic ports and wires riddle its form. On its face is a shining red visor where its eyes are.

The shock caused them to stagger backwards and fall to the ground, but before the suit of armor can attack them…

“Now! Safeguard!!”

A familiar girl rushes through the same hole the armor created. An apparition also in the form of an armor -  but stockier and bulkier, appears in front of her. Immediately, a wall of light forms in front and over her, the apparition, and Katsuo and Kanade.

Surprised, Katsuo looks up on who got them out of the pinch.

“M-Miss Thompson?!”

Katsuo finds the ever vigilant disciplinary chairperson coming in the nick of time.

The armor continues to pound its metal fists over and over again against the wall of light Henrietta created.

“It’s useless. Nothing gets pass my Absolute Territory!” Henrietta exclaims with a spark of confidence.

She drops her Absolute Territory for a brief moment so that her Alter, which she calls Safeguard, can immediately deliver a jab to its left shoulder. The resulting impact surprisingly made it stagger. Sparks fly from the damaged area; however there are no dents on it. The armor is obviously in pain as it clutches its damaged shoulder and gives a bitter gleam at Henrietta.

Knowing that its time is up, the armor uses its right fist to pound the ground to kick off a cloud of dust. Henrietta immediately charges in and has Safeguard clear the dust away with Absolute Territory, but once everything settles, there is no trace left behind.

“Drats…” Henrietta curses with a click of her tongue.

She proceeds to recall her Alter and turn back to quickly tend to Katsuo and Kanade.

“Are any of you hurt?” she helps Katsuo up by reaching for his hand.

“No…no, we’re good.” He assures Henrietta.

“Why are you even helping me? I thought you couldn’t stand me?” Kanade asks with a hint of self-loathing.

“If I wanted you gone, I would have left you to die last night.” Henrietta assures her as she puts one of Kanade’s arms over her shoulder and helps her up.

“There’s another exit through the west side of the building. The building should remain stable for now as long as whatever that thing was doesn’t break anything on its way out. I’ll notify the rest of the committee to form a perimeter and have a medical team on standby.” Henrietta then takes her phone out from her utility belt with one hand and proceeds to make some calls.

Part 6

Katsuo, Kanade, and Henrietta walk carefully through the remains of the old building as they don’t know when another cave in may happen. The sun has already disappeared and Henrietta uses the flashlight at the back of her phone to illuminate the path. As they progress towards the nearest available exit, they hear a voice coming from the distance.

“Help! Somebody help!!”

The three of them quickly turned to the sound of the voice and rush to a girl partially buried in rubble. They remove the boulders one at a time, however…

“Ugggh!! It won’t budge!” Henrietta tries to lift one of the huge chunks of rubble, but even with help from both Kanade and Katsuo, they can’t make it move even by a millimeter.

“Stand back, we got this. Let’s go, Circuitbreak—“ Kanade is about to call on her Alter, however…

“No don’t! You might hurt her with the debris.” Henrietta immediately stops her.

“Then how about…” Katsuo then stands in and assembles a staff using his Alter Ability.

He wedges the staff between the cracks of the boulders and uses the leverage to dislodge the oversized debris. He continues to pry away the huge chunks of concrete until both Kanade and Henrietta are able to get the rocks off the girl. After which, the staff disappears which caught the attention of the girl.

“Ugggh…thanks…” she tells the people that are getting her out of the mess.

Henrietta recognizes the girl with brown hair tied up in two tails from the back that is sitting on the floor. A motorized wheelchair crashed on the ground on its right side is presumably owned by her.

“Miss Sakawa? What are you doing here?” Henrietta asked as she brings her wheelchair up to set her in.

“I was told to get some books from the old building. I was having trouble finding them, but then the place started to come down and I couldn’t get away in time.” Toshiko Sakawa answers as Katsuo places her into the wheelchair.

However, as he places her left arm over his shoulders to help her up…

“…AH!!” Toshiko winces in pain.

“I’m sorry. Does your arm hurt?” inquires Katsuo as he slows down in helping her up.

“No…my left shoulder does. M-must have happened when my wheelchair toppled over during the collapse. I didn’t realize it until I moved it so much after catching the brunt of my fall.”

Katsuo slowly sits her down on the motorized wheelchair and pushes it carefully along the corridor leading to the exit.

As Katsuo and Kanade clear the area, Henrietta notices something out of place among the rubble. She looks both ways and takes out a pair of rubber gloves from her utility belt. After wearing them on both hands, she picks up a translucent cylindrical container with its lid connected to itself with a thin line on plastic. The container itself is small enough to fit comfortably on her hand. Inside it are what appear to be thick disks with a groove across the center of both sides. The diameter of the disk themselves are wide enough to cover the base of the container with little room around the edges.  Henrietta recognizes this particular container. It is the same container Toshiko has taken a pill out of as she leaves the library.

She takes out her phone and takes pictures of the container from every angle as well of the surrounding scene. Next, she takes one of the pills which is now far lesser than when she previously saw it in its owners possession and places it in a zip lock bag and keeps it in one of her utility belt pockets. The pill container, in turn, she places in one of her uniform’s pockets.

"Something about this place...is definitely amiss." Henrietta whispers to herself.

Part 7

The response team Henrietta has asked for is already on standby when they burst through the doors of the old building. Volunteers from the infirmary tend to Toshiko, along with a few members of the military's medical brigade. While they tend to her and rest assess the damage, Henrietta gets a word with her fellow Disciplinary Committee members.

“I want the contents of this pill analyzed. I’ll send you pictures of the container it came with now. As soon as you have any information, notify me with the results. Do we have nothing on Ms. Sakawa’s infirmary records?” she continues to talk with her committee members

“We’re still looking into it. So far, none. Not even a mention of any kind of medicine, or any form of treatment for that matter. Whatever condition Miss Toshiko Sakawa has, either the infirmary has no records of it or she has no condition at all.” Replies one of them.

“Only one way to find out...” Henrietta whips out the pill container she kept in her uniform’s pocket and approached the girl being tended to by the infirmary volunteers.

Student volunteers and staff are wrapping up on the treatment on Toshiko’s injuries from the collapse. Once they have finished packing up their first aid equipment, Henrietta proceeds with her inquiry.

“Happen to misplace something, Miss Sakawa?” she presents Toshiko the pill container she recovered.

Upon sight of the translucent plastic container, she frantically searches her uniform’s pockets to find in gone.

“Hey! Give it back!!” Toshiko demands as she tries to extend her grasp past the mechanical wheelchair rooting her in place.

Henrietta quickly places it against her body to keep it out of Toshiko’s reach.

“First tell me what the contents of this are. Medicine without proper medical prescription is against school regulations and we reserve the right to hold on to it until documentation is presented.” She proceeds to interrogate the girl.

“The doctors say my problem is somewhere in my central nervous system! My brain can’t send anything to my legs which is why I’m confined to the wheelchair. Those were supposed to keep whatever is causing this in check! So please!!” she begs for them to be returned as though it is a matter of life and death.

Henrietta can’t help but sigh and tosses the pill container holding the last of the medicine that Toshiko so desperately needs. Henrietta turns around and pushes up on her glasses reflecting the young moonlight.

“Hope you can get more of the stuff. Looks like you’re already down to your last dose.” She informs her then walks away from it all afterwards.

“Come on, Katsuo. It’s getting late. We’re leaving.” She calls out to him as she leads the way.

“Leaving? Where?! Hey!! I’m asking you, damn it! Geez…” Kanade frantically asks.

However, as much as she demands for an answer, she’s not getting any. Eventually she just gave up and crossed her arms with a pout.

Meanwhile, Toshiko is left to examine the pill container on her hand. She gives it a shake and finds nothing out of place other than there having been less of the number of pills. After doing so, she gives a smile that no one saw.

“Looks like things are going to get a lot more interesting…” she says under her breath.

As she does so, the medical volunteers wheel her off to the infirmary to get some rest.

Part 8

Later that evening...

“Hey…don’t you think this is a bit…you know…” Katsuo tries to hide his embarrassment as he traverses a particular corridor.

“What? What do you mean, Mister Kiyabu?” Henrietta responds with a sideward glare.

Numerous eyes are locked on them, well to be more accurate, towards Katsuo as it is normal for someone like Henrietta to roam around in this area. The corridor itself resemble something from a high class hotel complete with a green carpeted floor, wallpaper with subtle patterns, and a door in even intervals that lead to rooms where the students are in. Some of the doors are open where the prying eyes are poking their heads through while those that are not are simply stepping outside.

“Come on, Miss Thompson. You know I shouldn’t even be here. This is the Girls Dormitory, after all.” Katsuo points out the mortifying detail.

“Nonsense. You are here because of security risks that could prove to cause even more harm than last night’s attack. If that perpetrator is still on the loose, we need to take as much precautions as possible.” Henrietta goes into detail about the reason for him living in the Girls Dormitory from now on.

“On that note, isn’t it kinda weird if your roommate sees me?”

“Relax…” Henrietta stops in front of one of the doors at the end of the hall and places a key into the lock which she kept in her utility belt.

“…I don’t have a roommate…yet.” She says with a swing of the door open to reveal a dim room.

Once Henrietta enters, she turns on the lights to reveal a spacious living space. The dorm room itself is complete with a living area composed of a circle of comfortable-looking couches, a desk with bookcase, and a kitchen with a dining area. It’s less of a student dorm and more of a hotel room from the design and contents of the room. Everything is well organized as expected from the Disciplinary Committee chairperson. A single box that contained all of Katsuo’s belongings which is primarily spare uniforms is on a corner of the room.

All is well and good, but Katsuo notices one problem…

“Huh? There’s only one bed. Where do I sleep?” Katsuo asks puzzled.

“You’ll sleep in with me.” Henrietta nonchalantly answers, almost like nobody would find any problems with that statement.

“WHAT?!?!?!?! There is no way I am sleeping in the same bed with you!!” he protests the very idea as he scurries from the oblivious Henrietta while shakily pointing at her.

“I suppose you have a better idea then?” she glares at him causing one of the lenses on her glasses to reflect a pure white.

“W-well…why don’t I just sleep on the floo—“

“No good. I won’t be able to keep a proper guard on you. There’s no telling if the perpetrator might attack in our sleep. A close proximity as much as possible is most advisable.” She blocks the idea of him sleeping anywhere else.

“Wha--! Who came up with THAT idea?!”

“The headmistress proposed it.” Henrietta replies with her usual sharp glare.

A dull ring of a bell echoes in Katsuo’s head as he knows the one responsible for his fate.

(“That conniving fox had me again!”) he imagines Miss Violet’s maniacal laughter echoing someplace else.

Realizing defeat, Katsuo’s eyes go dim as he drops to his knees and then on all fours.

“Fine…do what you want. Just...go easy on me. It’s my first time. Living with a girl, I mean.”

And so today ends with Katsuo in cold sweat sharing a cramp bed with Henrietta as she uses him like a body pillow.

“…what did I do to deserve this…” He says under his breath to not wake the sleeping Henrietta.

Part 9

In the depths of the night, a call from a phone rings out. A shadow answers it with a whisper.

“You said she’ll be alone.”

…

“No. The thing you gave me wore off before I could properly deal with all of them.”

…

“I’m down to my last one. Are you sure this is enough?”

…

“They can’t connect me to the attacks yet, but one of them is getting too close.”

…

“Understood. And about the boy; he’s definitely the one you were looking for.”

…

“I’m positive.”

…

“Affirmative. Mission objective updated…”

And with those words, a piercing gaze stabs the darkness.

“…Terminate Katsuo Kiyabu.”