The water games with Reimei ended up lasting until the sun came down, the only reason for the suspension of those activities being the fact that all who had participated in them were simply too tired to continue.
This was valid not only for the scarlet calamity’s classmates, but for many other deviants who had joined in the games after seeing how fun they were as well. With the games’ end the overcrowded beach was almost completely emptied by the time the last rays of the sun disappeared from the sky. Things had finally quieted down with only the sound of the waves still being heard, Graid serving cold drinks to all the brats seated around the bar, starting with his nephew who was engrossed in a conversation with the star of the day – Reimei.
(Hikaru) ‘-Did you go beyond a 15% output at any point today, Mei?’
(Reimei) ‘-There are deva sensors on the street that runs parallel with the beach and as far as I know, the more shallow parts of the sea are within those sensors’ range as well, so going beyond 15% would’ve got me in trouble.’
(Hikaru) ‘-So you lasted with only 15% a whole day?’
Miss Scarlettail nodded, being confused by the shock the young Summerbolt was overwhelmed with upon hearing her answer.
(Reimei) ‘-Is that a problem?’
(Hikaru) ‘-Well, didn’t you get tired?’
(Reimei) ‘-We were surrounded by the medium my deva feeds off of, so I didn’t have to waste any energy on creating water. There was nothing so tiring about simply manipulating the water.’
(Hikaru) ‘-No, no, no, Mei. That can’t be all there is to it! Even Zoran-sensei was shocked and I’d wager he’s seen plenty of water devas in his time as those are pretty common!’
Just after being served a non-alcoholic drink by Graid who was still grumpy for the History teacher’s refusal to drink with him earlier, Zoran joined in Hikaru and Reimei’s conversation.
(Zoran) ‘-Indeed, Reimei. Considering the keen intellect you’ve shown in class and the abilities you’ve displayed today, the job opportunities you will have will be many and varied. (the former headmaster looked around at all the other students at the bar, as well as the few who had fallen on the bean bag chairs nearby) That’s something I wanted to talk about with you guys, actually.’
(Yuki) ‘-You want to talk about how strong and smart Mei is, sensei?’
(Zoran) ‘-No. I’d say that part is quite clear already. I wanted to ask you what your plans for the future are. All of you.’
Vega who was not too far from his homeroom teacher gave out a tired sigh when he heard that, Zoran turning to look at him as the Martans, many of which had clearly been intrigued by the phoenixmorph’s question, gathered around him.
(Vega) ‘-What is this, sensei? Career counceling? I thought we were supposed to do that during our second term next year.’
(Zoran) ‘-This is your homeroom teacher being curious about your future, Vega, nothing more. I’m not saying that answering my question is mandatory. I just wanted to know the thoughts on the matter of those among you who want to share.’
Seiren seemed to have embraced the concept the most, jumping on top of the bar with arms spread in opposite directions and talking quite loudly, clearly aiming to draw as much attention to himself as possible.
(Seiren) ‘-I’ll go first, then! I want to create a whole organization of …’
Graid quickly pulled the pervert down from his improvised pedestal, throwing him back on the floor with a furious grimace.
(Graid) ‘-Make your declarations away from the bar, boy! People drink here!!’
The young Blackscale had been so absorbed by the opportunity to share his ambitions that he hardly seemed fazed by what Hikaru’s uncle had said and done, quickly getting back up and continuing with his speech on ground level now.
(Seiren) ‘-So about my dream! As I said, I want to create a whole organization of people who share my appreciation for women’s bodies and lead that organization on a quest to spread our beliefs beyond Saiten!! We won’t stop until we’ve conquered all of the cosmos!!! And when we’re done, we’ll have created a place where everyone will be free to display their lust as much as they want with no repercussions whatsoever!!! It will be a cosmos of lust!!!’
Seiren seemed to have almost visualized the realization of his dream, lost in those visions to such an extent that he didn’t notice at all how disgusted everyone and especially all the girls were by his speech. The only one who seemed supportive of the hydra master’s aspirations was Tokura who pat him on the shoulder with a proud smile.
(Tokura) ‘-That is definitely a dream I can get behind, Seiren. Well done.’
(Hikaru) ‘-Please, Tora. While you are also quite obsessed with girls’ bodies, I’ve always thought you’ve got more brains than Blackscale and would aspire to be something more than simply another pervert. (he looked at the girls around who still appeared to be disgusted, Yuki trying to make Seiren come to his senses now by slapping him on the face repeatedly) As a fellow gentleman, I was also hoping you would reproach the bastard for not letting the girls share their dreams first.’
(Annabel) ‘-Ah, forget about it, Hikaru. Let’s hear you boys first. I think that’ll be the faster option.’
(Aria) ‘-And since you commented on Seiren’s twisted fantasies first, Tora, how about telling us if all you dream of is doing the same vile stuff?’
Tokura looked toward the sea, which immediately made him smile, as if he could see something on the horizon the others couldn’t.
(Tokura) ‘-Adventure. That’s what I want to have more of in my life. I want to travel across all of Saiten and beyond, meet different people, explore different cultures, do different things, get into all sorts of trouble … and see which place I like best. Then I’ll settle down there.’
Vega hugged Tokura over the shoulder by the end of the revelation of his dream, the drunkard surprisingly drinking plain water for a change.
(Vega) ‘-I might just join you on that trip,Tora.’
(Yonira) ‘-You want to explore the cosmos as well, Vega?’
(Vega) ‘-I’ll be looking for a particular thing, though. (his smile suddenly changed to a grin so villainous it made Vega almost unrecognizable) All the right ingredients are out there, simply waiting to be found and mixed to create the most perfect alcohol. And I want to find them and make that alcohol, proceeding to distribute it as far and wide as I can! I’ll offer everyone a whole new experience!!’
(Graid) ‘-Well, kid, if you succeed with that, don’t forget about good ol’ Graid back here on Saiten and send me some of that stuff, huh? I’ll be sure to share the profits from everything I’ve sold here.’
(Hikaru) ‘-Never miss out on a business opportunity, do you, unc?’
(Graid) ‘-I wouldn’be a very good businessman if I did, would I?’
(Yuki) ‘-What about you, King?’
(King) ‘-Mine’s a pretty simple one. And I’d say much more boring than those of the others. I’d like to own a fitness gym one day. You know, help as many people as possible to stay fit and have a community with them. Nothing much.’
(Exo) ‘-There’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple in my opinion, King.’
(King) ‘-Thanks for the support, Ex. And you?’
(Exo) ‘-My dream isn’t all too fancy, either. I’ve already invented a few devices and would like to sell those to get the needed funds to make more and maybe start a company that manucatures such things one day.’
(Reimei) ‘-That just leaves Hikaru out of the boys’ group.’
The focus was finally on the mad genius who had his answer ready from the moment Zoran asked his students about their dreams. The environment he had been raised in had helped him realize what he wanted to achieve a long time ago.
(Hikaru) ‘-I’d like to work in any art medium, but my aspirations are directed mainly toward cinema. Directing, screenwriting and the like. Most of all, though, my dream is to have a big family with which to live a peaceful and happy life.’
A few of the young Summerbolt’s classmates seemed to be in awe of his dream, Vega going as far as bawling his eyes out in a sudden emotional outburst, Zoran and Graid exchanging glances with pleased smiles after the genius’ confession.
(Vega) ‘-That was really awesome, Hikaru! And honestly, the most wholesome dream out of everyone’s!! Much respect, my man!!!’
(Seiren) ‘-It’s also the most boring dream, though. (Seiren had crossed his arms with a rather annoyed expression that served to in turn annoy his rival) Having a family is a given, I’d say, not a goal one should strive to achieve.’
(Hikaru) ‘-I wasn’t expecting a sick pervert like you to understand, Blackscale.’
(Yuki) ‘-I don’t see anything wrong with a dream like that, Seiren. Family should always be one’s top priority.’
Seiren croaked and grabbed his chest as if an invisible arrow had pierced his heart, twisting his head with goggled eyes and a gaping mouth exuding a mixture of deep shock and pain to the baby doll.
(Seiren) ‘-Yu … do you perhaps want to help Summerbolt make that dream come true?’
That question stunned both Hikaru and Yuki, but neither had time to respond as Reimei’s reaction was faster, creating a water wave out of thin air within a second. That wave was crushed in the pervert, sending him all the way to one of the bean bag chairs nearby as the maddened scarlet-haired beauty roared at the target of her attack with veins protruding on the sides of her angry face.
(Reimei) ‘-As if that could ever happen, you dumb piece of shit!!!’
Reimei herself was too angry to realize how far she had gone with her reaction, but the people around her weren’t, some clients of the Octohorn Ring moving as far away from the Martian group as they could. By far the one left the most surprised by her actions was Hikaru, who knew she considered him a good friend despite not having spent too much time together, but not that she felt anything more than that.
What other reason could she have to being opposed to Hikaru having a family with Yuki? And then there was the other unanswered question: What did Hikaru and Yuki themselves think about starting a family?
The mad genius wanted to get a chance to peer into the minds of both the white- and scarlet-haired beauties to see what they were actually thinking, at the same time his own mind being plenty conflicted on the matter. Seiren’s participation in the whole debate that had started was not over, however, the young Blackscale having already returned to his classmates.
While being soaked and rubbing the back of his head that he had hit upon being crushed in the chair by the wave, he seemed to have not suffered any serious damage. And yet Reimei looked quite worried about him, her fit of anger having passed to allow her to understand what she had done.
(Reimei) ‘-Seiren, I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me! It was just …’
Seiren waived with his hand in a dismissive manner as he reached Miss Scarlettail, looking over at Yuki and Hikaru then.
(Seiren) ‘-It’s alright, Mei. I know you’re jealous of Yuki, but just hadn’t imagined you’d go that far when you realize someone might steal Hikaru.’
(Yuki, Hikaru, Reimei) ‘-WHAT?!?!!’
The three victims of the pervert’s latest remark not only responded verbally to it at the same time, but took action almost simultaneously, this serving to further prove him right. Perhaps they reacted like that so they could focus on punishing him instead of what his words meant to them.
The ice maiden jumped and hit Seiren in the stomach, the mistress of water smashing another wave in him, the lightning warrior electrocuting him moments after the wave hit him. He instinctively managed to protect himself from those attacks to a certain extent with a barrier of vermilion fireworks, but Yuki continued pummeling him with her bare fists, Hikaru and Reimei following suit.
(Yuki) ‘-What jealousy are you talking about?!’
(Hikaru) ‘-Yuki won’t be stealing me because I don’t belong to Mei, Blackscale!! Who even put that idea in your shitty brain?!!’
(Reimei) ‘-You’re one to talk about jealousy, Seiren, considering how you reacted at the possibility of Yuki being with Hikaru!!!’
Zoran led some of the Martians to go and stop the fight between the members of the most troublesome quartet, more clients of the Octohorn Ring moving away from them, some even asking Graid for the check so they could leave.
The mad genius’ uncle slapped his face with comical despair as the History teacher and Exo managed to separate his nephew from Seiren, King and Annabel pulling Yuki to one side and Vega, Tokura and Yonira pulling Reimei to another.
(Graid) ‘-That’s it. I’m definitely not gonna let any members of this class near my bar again. These bastards have to be the Octohorn Ring’s worst clients for all time!!’
The situation with the hot heads had hardly been diffused when pale green light burst amid the horizon, overtaking everything within sight a moment later and disappearing just as swiftly.
This momentary event drew the attention of everyone in the bar to its point of origin which was very far in the sea, many keeping their eyes on the sky for a while in complete silence. Seeing as how nothing else happened within the next couple of minutes, however, the clients returned to their conversations, only a certain group’s gazes still being fixed on the horizon.
That group included the Martians, all of whom had now gathered around the troublesome quartet, and their homeroom teacher along with the Octohorn Ring’s owner. Each of them had as serious an expression as ever on their face with the exception of Reimei who was looking at the others with confusion.
(Reimei) ‘-Do any of you know what that thing was?’
The first to speak after another minute of silence was Zoran.
(Zoran) ‘-It can’t be …’
(Graid) ‘-If that was a teleportation device they just used … judging by the size of it …’
(Yuki) ‘-What do we do?’
(Hikaru) ‘-We’ve got to get these people out of here.’
But it was already too late for that. Hikaru could hear it now. The sound of helicopter rotors like the ones he had heard on the day he had found Yuki. That sound was drawing closer now and was multiplied a thousandfold.
