Hikaru drank pretty much all the soda left in his glass in one gulp after Yuki went to dance with Graid and the customers of the Octohorn Ring, the spiky-haired teenager looking at the baby doll for a moment before returning his attention to the empty glass.

(Seiren) ‘-It’s a good thing that’s not alcohol, Summerbolt, or you’d be completely sozzled right now.’

(Hikaru) ‘-What’s it matter to you?’

(Seiren) ‘-I just thought you didn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of Yuki.’

(Hikaru) ‘-She’s family now. I can embarrass myself all I want in front of her.’

(Seiren) ‘-She’s my family, too, so I care about her happiness. Don’t forget that.’

(Hikaru) ‘-Go and join her on the dance floor, then. And make her happy. (he paused for a moment before continuing) We both know she’ll see through the mask you’re putting on if you do that, though. Yuki’s already proven she’s especially perceptive when it comes to us.’

Seiren drank what was left of his orange-colored non-alcoholic drink in one gulp then, raising his empty glass with a sad smile.

(Seiren) ‘-Cheers to the baby doll’s perceptiveness.’

(Hikaru) ‘-You’re not responsible for what happened on that day, you know. If anything, you saved your younger brother’s life.’

The pervert looked at his left arm, running a hand over the sleeve he had covered most of it with, screwing his eyes.

(Seiren) ‘-And learned of what happens when I overdo it with my powers. I promised myself that day I would never go beyond the limit of my deva again. Every time I use it too much I make the same promise, deep down knowing it’s a lie. Yet I keep doing it, hoping one day I’ll stop. I did it again when we saved Yuki and realized then that maybe I’ll never stop. Because I don’t actually want to.’

Hikaru was very surprised by his rival’s words.

(Seiren) ‘-If these devas are good for anything, it’s to protect the ones you care about. When their output is limited, you can’t even do that. And if you can’t use your deva for the one thing it’s meant for, why have it at all? It makes it useless. It makes you useless. That’s why I never forget what today’s date means – that I must strive to make the most of my abilities at their current output despite what I want. Despite what I long for. (Blackscale turned his eyes to his rival then) Things are different with you, though. There’s no point in blaming yourself for your father’s death. You were just a baby at the time.’

(Hikaru) ‘-It’s not that I blame myself for it. I just feel this hole left in me because he wasn’t a part of my life. More than that, I feel the other members of my family carry the same hole in spite of their efforts to conceal it as Graid’s doing now. I’m all that’s left of my father, so I feel like it’s my responsibility to fill those holes. To lead and protect our family one day. A family that has one more member now. Having angry fits and jumping in without thinking is easy, but being a pillar of stability like my father was … that’s something I’m not sure I’ll be able to do and it’s why I feel guilty.’

Seiren smiled softly.

(Seiren) ‘-You need to stop wracking your brain so much, genius. If you keep it up, you’ll end up dying before I can finish you off.’

Hikaru gave a slight smile as a response to that while Graid appeared between the duo with his Daroid, looking ever so madly happy.

(Graid) ‘-You two having a good time?’

They nodded while he reached and took his glass from the inside of the main ring, going through all the customers from there and toasting with everyone.  

(Hikaru) ‘-Looks like he’s going to perform his ritual of having a toast with everyone. I thought he’d stopped doing that, but if there’s any night when that’s appropriate, it will be this one.’

(Seiren) ‘-I’d say he’s giving you a good example … (Blackscale noticed someone had just hugged Yuki over the shoulder then) … but maybe we should focus our attention on Yuki right now.’

As Hikaru turned around on his seat, his rival pointed at the baby doll and the young man next to her that seemed only a couple of years older than them, having a confident smile on his face and clearly being drunk.

(Hikaru) ‘-Can you make out what they’re saying? It’s a bit hard for me at this distance.’

(Seiren) ‘-I can hear them fine, yeah.’

(Random guest) ‘-I saw the moves you’ve got, girl. Very nice. Then you suddenly turned all sad and quiet. Maybe I can help you feel better again. And you can show me those moves again. And others, too.’

Yuki narrowed her eyes, looking irritated.

(Yuki) ‘-Were you just waiting for Graid to leave my side to come and pester me?’

(Random guest) ‘-Is it that obvious? Sorry. I didn’t know you like being hit on in more subtle ways.’

(Yuki) ‘-I don’t like being hit on at all.’

He pulled her closer to himself, the white-haired beauty clenching her fists now.

(Random guest) ‘-Come on, baby girl. Why don’t we …’

Before he could finish that sentence he was struck by a bolt. The bolt was a gift sent to him by Hikaru who had teleported next to Yuki with an angered face.

(Hikaru) ‘-Why don’t you back off and die?!’

The bolt threw the drunken man at the white crystal horn, smashing it to bits along with the pedestal it was placed on, the ring around the pedestal also breaking apart, the ones having fun there clearly being aggravated.

The one Summerbolt had attacked got back on his feet soon enough, turning out he had a company of four more boys and three girls with him who up until that point had gathered around the yellow crystal horn but had now joined him.

(Random guest) ‘-You’ll be paying for that! Or did you think I came in this place all alone?!’

No more than a second later he and his friends were blown up in Seiren’s bright red fireworks as he landed next to Yuki and Hikaru.

(Seiren) ‘-These two are not alone either, you bastards!!’

One of the deviants from the offender’s group covered his body with organic needles similar to those of a hedgehog but with electric-green tips, sending hundreds of them towards the trio, Yuki blocking that attack with a quickly propped-up ice wall, having a serious expression on her face.

(Yuki) ‘-I was about to apologize for Hikaru’s overreaction … (now she turned just as mad as her friends) … but I’ve changed my mind!!! I guess we’ll have to force you to leave the premises!!’

The trio and their opponents jumped at each other, the group that had gathered around the now destroyed white crystal horn also joining the fray, Graid, who had just returned to the main ring, noticing the fight that had started.

He jumped over the bar and run with his Daroid towards the focus of attention for all the guests who had now stopped dancing, the ultrauncle using the strength granted by his Reloid to separate all the combatants with an almost desperate expression.

(Graid) ‘-Don’t start beating them up before they’ve paid up, damn it! That’s rule number one around here!! (the customers and the trio quickly got back at each other’s throats while a ball of a gold-like metal, created by one of the deviants who had been caught up in the fight, hit Hikaru’s uncle on the jaw, Octohorn Ring’s bartender exploding in his two energy compounds now, looking even more enraged than his nephew) I take that back!! That’s rule number two!!

RULE NUMBER ONE IS TO NEVER MESS WITH THE BARTENDER!!!!’

Things livened up from there but for the worse because by the time Yuki, Hikaru, Seiren and Graid emerged victorious and all customers who still stood on their feet had given up on challenging them and just decided to leave without paying up, the whole beach bar and the area around it were destroyed.

The brutish uncle walked around the rubble, only now fully grasping what had happened, Yuki going to him first to apologize while Hikaru and Seiren looked at all the destruction they had caused with pride.

(Yuki) ‘-I’m so sorry, Graid!! It’s all my fault! I should’ve stopped this before things got out of hand, but …’

(Hikaru) ‘-It’s that sick freak’s fault for putting his hands on you, Yu! Don’t blame yourself for this for a second!!’

Graid appeared behind the rivals with a burst of scarlet energy, grabbing both by the necks with a lethally condemning expression, wiping the smiles off their faces.

(Graid) ‘-And you two are just as guilty for overreacting! I’m glad you’re feeling better now, but I didn’t want that to happen at the expanse of my bar, damn brats!!’

(Seiren) ‘-Hey, man, you made things worse when you joined the fight, so I think the fault …’

Even more veins protruded on Graid’s face as he focused his deadly gaze filled with madness on the golden-haired teenager.

(Graid) ‘-Saya was right. You are a very irritating one, Blackscale. (Graid’s wrath reached the next level then, roaring as loud as humanly possible at the rivals who were now joined by Yuki) Let’s see if you’ll still talk back after you’re done repairing the damage done to my establishment!!!’

‘-It would be nice if someone were to finally shut him up.’

Two silhouettes were coming down the stairs leading up to the seaside street next to the remains of the beach bar’s main ring, one of them having said those words, by the time they got to the quartet their full appearance being revealed.

They looked around Yuki, Hikaru and Seiren’s age, one being a bit muscular, but mostly skinny, with medium-length hair that mixed a scarlet and electric violet color, most of which was brushed back into place except for a few strands, harlequin-green eyes that were more rounded than normal and pale skin. The other was much more muscular, his skin tone being darker, the hair – a little longer and yellow-ochre in color with some strands sticking out and a combed down fringe, his eyes – savoy blue, having a short horizontal scar on his left cheek and a longer vertical one starting at the left end of his upper lip and reaching his chin. Both were wearing clothes suited for sports – a dark-purple undergarment with a red streak down the middle and harlequin-green sweatpants for the skinnier one and a blue T-shirt and yellow sweatpants that had a carmine waistband and tapered ends for the more muscular one.

The skinnier member of the duo had an irritatingly mocking smile on his face, his companion looking extremely serious. Meanwhile Yuki and Graid were confused, Hikaru and Seiren – angry.

(Graid) ‘-Are you among the customers from tonight? If you would like to be reimbursed …’

(Hikaru) ‘-They’re not customers, uncle. These two are Hock and Gorudora, Sunbird’s biggest bullies alongside Ulura and members of her class.’

(Seiren) ‘-What the hell are you doing here?’

(Gorudora) ‘-We were sent to find you. By Ulura.’

Yuki stepped forward, now standing between the duos Hikaru-Seiren and Hock-Gorudora.

(Yuki) ‘-If she has a problem with anyone, it should be with me alone. Hikaru, Seiren or any of the other members of my class had nothing to do with our fight.’

Hock clicked his tongue.

(Hock) ‘-No, no, baby doll. You don’t get it. People in the school are looking at your class as the new masters of Sunbird after what happened.’

(Hikaru) ‘-We didn’t ask for that.’

(Gorudora) ‘-Irrelevant. The consequences are what’s important. And you will now have to face them. We need to earn our title back from you. With something bigger.’

(Hock) ‘-So as representatives of Martian Class #3 we challenge you to a Class Battle!’