ACT III – CORE-COLLAPSING INFERNO

 

Part VIII: The Convincing Council is Convened

 

King’s classmates had made fun of him for not being too smart many times since Reimei had joined their class, which was why she was expecting for all of them to dismiss his suggestion at the end of the training session with Zoran and Obur without a second thought. Instead, however, a few showed a keen interest to take the main roles from Hikaru’s play, several others getting convinced by them to join up as well, the mad genius being the most shocked person in the room when he heard this.

The one most shocked by what followed was Reimei herself, though, because before she realized it, she had voiced her wish to join the volunteer group. And when Hikaru had refused to recast the play in such a way out of guilt, his newest classmate had been among the first to agree to help with a plan Obur had thought up to convince the mad genius to change his mind.

That was how she had ended up arriving in front of the Summerbolts’ house along with Hikaru, the other boys from their class, Yuki and Obur himself against the backdrop of the setting sun. And as much as Miss Scarlettail had been expecting that family’s home to look weird, actually seeing it made her realize she hadn’t been nearly prepared enough for the level of weirdness she was about to experience.

While Hikaru and Seiren were arguing behind her with Yuki trying to split them up, Tokura was scolding the unfazed King with annoyance, Vega was trying to cheer up the comically desperate Exo with a smile and Obur was trying to maintain self-control somehow, Reimei was taking in all the details of the house with her eyes.

It actually consisted of five smaller one-floor houses brought together into one. There was the third central floor which was the biggest one, having a rectangular shape when seen from the front, with two smaller square-looking floors above and below it with diagonal positioning. Apart from the five minihouses in the front, which were all painted light blue, there was a middle-sized house attached to them at the back that was painted in a silver color. When looking at the whole house from a distance, it looked like a light blue lightning bolt against a silver background – the Summerbolts’ family crest.

(Seiren) ‘Why are we meeting in here again, Summerbolt? Can this shitty house of yours even fit all of us without breaking apart?’

(Hikaru) ‘It’s had to fit more people at the same time than us, Blackscale, so the house will be just fine. And didn’t we already agree it’s the safest place to have a meeting to decide our next move in? You should focus on convincing me you’ve got anything to contribute to my play whatsoever.’

(Seiren) ‘I don’t give a shit about your play, mad bastard. I’m only doing this because more of us can stick together during the rehearsals and ruin whatever plans Jill Lahala and your granddaddy have that way. And because Yu told me there’s a pretty cool role for a dragon villain in the play.’

(Hikaru) ‘Yu, what’ve you been telling him exactly?! Why did you even recruit a useless pervert like him for the play?!!’

(Yuki) ‘Because we need him. Just like we need everyone else here as well. Now if you’re done with the fighting, let’s go inside to eat and then get some work done.’

(King) ‘Food?! Now that sounds great!! Finally I get to feel alive again!!!’

(Tokura) ‘Is food really all you’re thinking about after what you did, King?! Sure, staying with the Drama Club will keep all of us and the other members safe, but what about my club and your club? And what about everyone else’s clubs?! You think they’ll just go for us ditching our duties to help our opponents for Presentation Day?!!’

(Vega) ‘Hey, now, Tora! Come on! There’s not a lot of time left till Presentation Day, so your club should be more than ready for it by now. If you’re that worried, I’d say it’s cuz you know how much your presentation sucks! Ha-ha! What do you say, Ex?’

(Exo) ‘I’m confident about our club’s performance, but me acting in a play … I still don’t know how you made me agree to this!!’

Having reached the limit of his patience, Obur, who was standing the furthest behind everyone else, roared and unleashed a blast of pink lightning that sent all his students except for Reimei over the fence and crushed them right in front of the house’s door.

(Obur) ‘Just get inside already, you damned brats!!! I’ve had enough of your bullshit for today!!!!’

Comically puzzled by this unusually aggressive reaction for someone as calm as Obur, the scarlet-haired beauty turned to her Literature teacher to become terrified because of the change in his face she wished she hadn’t noticed. His eyes had changed shape, become completely pink, his skin had turned dark blue and two of his lower jaw’s teeth had become longer and sharper to the extent where they were sticking out of his mouth, the scarf he would always wear having changed in texture from wool to pink lightning.

The man’s voice during the letting out of his roar had also sounded quite different from usual, realizing he had startled his student, Obur taking a deep breath to calm down and turn to Reimei with an apologetic smile as all his features returned to normal.

(Obur) ‘Sorry about that, Reimei. My deva goes out of the control like this sometimes.’

(Reimei) ‘Y-your deva? But your face just now … it … it was …’

(Obur) ‘I have a transformational deva apart from the lightning one. I try to keep it restrained all the time, but if I’m feeling too much emotion … sometimes it just pops up. I’m really sorry. I’ll make sure to not scare you like that again, OK?’

Miss Scarlettail giving a fake reassuring answer was interrupted by someone opening the door in front of which her classmates had been crushed, turning out it was a member of the family she had already met – the comically unfazed nurse Saya Summerbolt – Hikaru’s mother. Even with an expression like that on her face, though, Reimei couldn’t help but stare at Mrs. Summerbolt for a couple of moments because of how captivating her beauty and the comforting warmth exuded by her fiery-red eyes were.

Saya herself, on the other hand, was looking only at her son and his friends at her feet who were trying to get up without much success except for Yuki.

(Saya) ‘I was just wondering when all of you would get here. It’s been ages since you called me, Hikaru.’ – completely ignoring Hikaru from there, she focused solely on Yuki, who was now back on her feet, though her body was still smoking due to being struck by Obur’s lightning – ‘Yu, you can get the others inside, right? I’ll drag this shit up myself so he can help set the table.’

(Yuki) ‘Got it. I’ll be right up with the rest.’

Having come to a quick understanding, Mrs. Summerbolt grabbed Hikaru by the neck to drag up the stairs, to which his only answer was a series of annoyed grunts, Miss Iceflame throwing King Obur’s way and Exo – Reimei’s. Having barely been able to catch and support the techno-genius without falling herself, the scarlet-haired beauty realized with much surprise her white-haired counterpart had already put Tokura on her back by then and grabbed Seiren and Vega by the necks with each hand. Yuki’s superstrength really was something else.

(Yuki) ‘Alright, then. I’ll be going ahead with these guys. Segune-sensei, Saya’s told me you’ve been to the house before, so you can lead Mei, right?’

Obur himself had put King on his back, giving a confirmatory nod to the ice maiden’s request, all the while Reimei observing the events taking place around her and needing to remind herself that the people she was with found communication of this highly violent and nonsensical type to be quite normal.

(Obur) ‘Sure thing, Yuki.’ – as Yuki went ahead, the transfer student’s Literature teacher turned back to her next – ‘Come on, Reimei. Follow me. The third floor is where we’re going.’

What was on the third floor was a very big room, half of which represented the Summerbolts’ living room and the other – the kitchen and dining room. The former half was in great condition, but the latter was a complete disaster.

The elliptical table had been turned over, the stove having been set ablaze, the sink having been flooded, the chandelier on the ceiling having been shattered in pieces beyond count, but at least none of the dishes and utensils left to the side having suffered any damage as of yet. In the midst of all this a fight was taking place with Hikaru and another male member of the Summerbolt family being in the center of it, having erupted in electricity and a mixture of the scarlet speed-increasing Daroid and the jungle-green strength-increasing Reloid energy compounds, respectively.

That male member was pulled aside from the mad genius by a female member of the family Reimei also didn’t know, both of them looking a bit younger than Saya and having skin and hair the same color as Rose who was desperately trying to pull Hikaru away. The male’s eyes were also the same color as Rose’s while the female had deep blue eyes instead, something that all four Summerbolts caught up in the fight had in common being their equally comical angry expressions.

(Hikaru) ‘I come home after one of the worst days ever and you tell me there’s no vegetarian food around?! What the hell am I supposed to eat, then?!’

(Graid) ‘Just make something for yourself, damn brat! It’s not like we were expecting half your class to drop in on us tonight!! We had to focus on making food for them, so there just wasn’t time for you!! Deal with it!!!’

(Hikaru) ‘I would deal with you instead, uncle, if I wasn’t so beat-up!! I’m too wasted to even be able to cook something right now and you know it!!!’

(Graid) ‘I guess you’re just gonna have to starve then, hm?! Cuz I sure as hell am not cooking anymore!!! I’ve had enough of that for today!!’

(Iziya) ‘I think we can all agree there’ll be no more cooking in the kitchen tonight, cuz it’s late enough as it is! Everyone here’s starving, myself included, so let’s just get to eating already!!! Just eat some of the salads and the potatoes, Hikaru! You can do that, right?!’

(Hikaru) ‘This is not the cozy welcome I was expecting at all, auntie, you know?! You’re all gonna have to make it up to me later!!!’

(Rose) ‘You’ve got it! Now can we please sit down and eat before the food goes completely cold?!’

While the four had been arguing, none of them had noticed Saya had moved closer to them, Yuki herself springing toward all the dishes and utensils nearby after leaving the three boys she had been carrying on the sofa in the living room. Obur was just as quick to leave King behind and put his pink lightning deva to use again, but this time to teleport away whatever things Miss Iceflame couldn’t grab hold of, Reimei’s bewilderment at their actions passing soon.

The reason for their panic was a fear of the rampage Mrs. Summerbolt went on as she leapt at her family with fists ignited in bright yellow flames and a face as comically angry as the quartet’s had been moments ago.

(Saya) ‘DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT!!! I’LL WARM UP THE FOOD ALONG WITH ALL OF YOU AND THEN I’M GONNA ADD YOUR BURNED MEAT TO THE DINNER!!!!’

She proceeded to burn the other Summerbolts in a storm of those same bright yellow flames, turning around after putting out the fires on her body to put her hands on her waist with a wide and most welcoming smile.

(Saya) ‘You’ll have to excuse the imbeciles from my family. I’ll deal with them, so the rest of you can come to the table and start eating, OK?’

(Reimei) ‘Mrs. Summerbolt, that threat you made … y-you’re not actually going to serve us the other Summerbolts as food as well, right?’

Hikaru’s mother burst into hysterical laughter when she heard that, going over to her son to throw him next to the refrigerator, absorbing all the flames the stove was engulfed in next and finally shutting off the tap above the sink. This left Miss Scarlettail in a state of unfathomable dread, not knowing what to make of the woman’s actions and behavior.

(Saya) ‘Nah! They wouldn’t taste good anyway!’

Reimei looked over to the comically terrified ice maiden and Literature teacher after that, those two only whispering something to answer the question they could tell was on her mind by the look on her face.

(Yuki) ‘Just go with what she’s saying, no matter how crazy, if you want to live.’

(Obur) ‘Things have gotten even crazier since I last came by here, so I think Yuki’s right. We three are the only ones left able to move and if we want to keep it that way, we should just do what we’re told, OK?’

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Reimei was indeed among the only three people in the Summerbolt Residence to eat dinner unscathed, the scarlet-haired beauty being unable to fully appreciate that fact because she was utterly confounded by another. Namely how viciously everyone was attacking the food despite their condition.

Not having eaten many homemade meals in her life, Miss Scarlettail did find the food blissfully delicious as well – all the fish and meat were just the right amount of crispy and tender and hadn’t lost a bit of their tastiness in spite of being served hot on a summer evening, the potatoes from the garnish were perfectly brown, the different salads – more than fresh, the cake-type dessert – not too sweet, but enough to satisfy anyone. But having taken all that into finger-licking account, Reimei was still able to pace herself while eating, finding it unimaginable to manage to eat as fast as the others if she had wounds like theirs.

The first to notice this was the no longer grumpy Hikaru next to her, having just about finished his vegetarian meal prepared with the help of Yuki who was sitting between him and the centrally positioned Saya.

(Hikaru) ‘What’s the matter, Mei? You don’t like the food? You could’ve told me if you’re vegetarian so Yuki and I could fix you a no-meat meal, too.’

(Reimei) ‘N-no! That’s not it at all! Your family has prepared an amazing meal!! One of the best I’ve ever had!! It’s just that … (realizing other people’s attention had been drawn to her slower eating speed, Reimei continued to look at the remaining guests and hosts on the table before answering)  ... how are all of you eating like this when you’re wounded? How do you still have the appetite?’

King, who was without a doubt the single happiest person on the table in the present, was the first to answer his newest classmate’s question with a physics-defying-wide smile, spitting some of the food stuffed in his mouth on Vega, Exo and Tokura who had been crammed on the sofa he was sitting on in giant form brought next to the table.

(King) ‘Summerbolt food is the best, Mei! Trust me on that!! No one understands food better than me and Hikaru’s mom and the rest … they’re just something else! One can never be too beat-up to eat some of this!!’

(Vega) ‘Their drunks are good, too. Especially the ones Hikaru’s uncle has hidden away. Too bad I can’t enjoy some because of my sober period.’

(Exo) ‘And besides, every time we’ve come there, a fight has broken out between a few people, so it’s not like eating in such a state is a first for us.’

(Tokura) ‘So much so that even King spitting while talking is no longer annoying enough to make me kick his ass.’

(Saya) ‘Everyone here knows they’ve got my deva to count on, Reimei, so eating like this is never a problem. You shouldn’t worry about them either and just eat up yourself.’

(Reimei) ‘You mean your solar flames? I already saw you use them on everyone wounded after the zoo battle yesterday, but they only hurt them more. How can they help everyone here now?’

(Saya) ‘It’d be best to show you. Considering we need an active elemental deva and Obur here has electrocuted you brats enough for today, why don’t you help me instead?’

Miss Scarlettail’s curiosity instantly gave way to her fear upon being asked to use her deva, needing some time and effort to muster an answer to give to the Summerbolt family head.

(Reimei) ‘H-help you … with my deva? How much water do I need to make with it exactly? Because I can’t control it too well if there’s too much …’

(Saya) ‘Don’t worry, Reimei. You won’t be fighting against a monster like you did with Zoran earlier today.’

(Reimei) ‘You know about that?’

(Rose) ‘Hikaru told us earlier.’

(Graid) ‘We’ve known Zoran for quite a while, Mei. And I can’t remember when was the last time a student managed to wound him. I’d say everyone from your classmates’ families knows what happened between the two of you today.’

(Saya) ‘But you won’t need to do anything like that now, so it’s OK.’

(Reimei) ‘What is it I’ll have to do, then, exactly?’

(Saya) ‘Just soak everyone up real good with your water.’

A pause filled with nothing but silence followed after Saya said that, Reimei looking around at everyone else at the table again to discern by their expressions if Hikaru’s mother was joking or not. They all looked quite serious or unfazed, so the scarlet-haired beauty ended up taking her validity inquiry with Mrs. Summerbolt herself.

(Reimei) ‘Um … excuse me? You want me to pour water on everyone here?’

(Saya) ‘That’s right. All those who are wounded should’ve already eaten enough to strengthen up. They can handle being healed now, so go ahead.’

Yuki, Hikaru and everyone else gave encouraging nods to Miss Scarlettail who gulped and after a few more moments made a gesture with her hand to cause the formation of a thick blanket of water above all people at the table with the exception of herself, Saya and Obur. Hikaru’s mother made a similar gesture with her hand right after that blanket was rained down upon the hosts and guests, the result of which was a burst of her solar flames lighting up the room and being instantly channeled through the body of every soaked person, Reimei being left beyond shocked as she observed what happened after.

The wounds all the hot heads had suffered started healing rapidly under the effects of the flames mixing with the water, before long everyone having been completely healed and taking an almost simultaneous sigh of relief.

(Reimei) ‘That … how? You have a healing deva as well that you run through your flames, Mrs. Summerbolt?’

(Saya) ‘I can only use solar flames. But because of their special nature, they can heal me as their host as well. If I want to heal others, some kind of active elemental deva must act as a medium for me to run my flames through. That’s what I used your water for this time, so thanks a bunch. The others will be sure to make it up to you later as well, but now …’ – the nurse’s kind smile disappeared to be replaced by a cold and very serious expression, that alone making Miss Scarlettail feel like the temperature in the room had dropped with at least several degrees – ‘… we need to talk about my son’s play and how we’re going to use it to deal with Jill and co.’

The plan to convince Hikaru had now come into play. Reimei hoped the others remembered the instructions Obur had given them and that they would execute them perfectly to ensure the highest possibility of success possible, Seiren reassuring her of this by starting with the charade first.

(Seiren) ‘So you know about all that as well, Mrs. Summerbolt?’

(Saya) ‘You’ve known me long enough to call me Saya, Seiren, but to answer your question, I know everything Zoran, Obur and Aguaro got out of Jill and Rafael during their questioning. While you lot were on your way here, Zoran called me to give me the heads-up on what the situation is exactly.’

(Obur) ‘I think the Summerbolts will be the first to be targeted along with Earthling Class No. 1 because you’re the strongest, so I insisted that Zoran inform Saya and the rest of the family about all the plot’s details as well.’ – for a moment his attention focused only on Hikaru whom he looked at with an apologetic smile – ‘I hope you’re OK with me not telling you we would do this, Hikaru.’

(Hikaru) ‘I’ve had too much on my mind today to be able to react to this revelation, sensei, so it’s OK. Let’s just focus on this crazy idea King proposed for now and how it seems everyone else is on board with it.’

(Rose) ‘I think that idea’s the best option we’ve got. Until Jill is captured and the information about all her allies is squeezed out of her, it’s safe to assume the attacks to keep spreading mind control particles among the Sunbird students will continue.

Even if your classmates do their best to protect the other students who’re a part of their respective clubs, there are only a couple of Earthlings in each club and that’s not enough. If your class’ main force stayed together within the ranks of the same club, however, you could at least ensure none of you would get infected and that way you could then work on freeing anyone else from the enemy’s control.’

(Hikaru) ‘And somehow you decided that club is going to be my club? Why?’

(Yuki) ‘The two of us are already in that club and we’re both pretty strong, Hikaru. Mei was planning to possibly join us, so that makes three strong members in the same place. It would make more sense to get the others in the Drama Club as well, don’t you think?’

(Vega) ‘Plus your club’s the one that just lost any possible chance to win the Club Cup, Hikaru, so I think you should just thank us for the help and get on with it.’

Hikaru was suddenly overcome by doubt after Vega’s comment, Reimei still finding it disturbing to watch the mad genius go through that, because it was so unnatural for him and yet he had suffered from that particular feeling several times already in one day.

(Hikaru) ‘But so late … is it even possible to get my club back in the race? Is it even worth trying? I mean … I’m really grateful to everyone for doing this …’ – he paused for a moment to look at Seiren as he narrowed his eyes with annoyance before continuing to look at everyone else again – ‘ … but I want to be sure you’re not going this far just to make me feel better. None of you owe me anything like that. Or anything at all for that matter.’

Tokura and King looked at each other and then at Graid, Reimei closely following the behavior of everyone on the table and guessing by the exchange of glances between those three they were planning to hit the spiky-haired boy next to her with more opinion-changing talk.

(Tokura) ‘That’s a good speech, Hikaru. Maybe you should say it in front of the members of all our clubs when they hear we’re switching teams.’

(King) ‘Tora, how much longer are you gonna keep going on about that, huh?’

(Tokura) ‘I’m just stating facts, King, and even your dumb ass knows I’m right!! We can’t tell the other students about Jill’s plot, right? How do you think they’ll react when they hear we’ll be joining the Drama Club during the last stretch before Presentation Day?’

(Graid) ‘No offense, Tora, but I think both you and Hikaru are missing the point here. The last thing you should worry about now is what the students will think and how your clubs will do.’ – with that sentence alone Hikaru’s uncle redirected the attention of everyone on the table to himself – ‘You should worry about what will happen to the students and the clubs if they fall under Jill’s control and what it’ll mean for Deckstoru if we can’t stop her fast enough.’

Tokura pretended to fall into deep thought after hearing that, the other youngsters looking at each other with fake concern as well while Hikaru’s aunt continued with the convincing of her nephew from there.

(Iziya) ‘We Summerbolts can’t do anything directly on Sunbird grounds because that’ll be too suspicious, but when it comes to finding Jill and investigating the Devibolts, we can help with that. If we’re able to catch the masterminds behind the whole thing fast enough, this Drama Club business won’t have to go on for too long, but in case things get too complicated on our end, you brats will be our back-up plan.

You’ll keep the Sunbird students safe while we’ll do the same for everyone else in Deckstoru. How about that, Hikaru? Think you can agree with the plan now?’

The mad genius sighed at first after his aunt’s question, just by looking at his eyes Reimei being able to tell he was going through multiple scenarios in his mind, eventually giving his answer while going through everyone’s faces with his gaze.

(Hikaru) ‘If all you guys are really alright with this … if I know it won’t be a problem … I’ll do all I can to make this plan work with you.’

(Seiren) ‘What the hell are you talking about, Summerbolt?!’ – it only took a second for a death staring contest to begin between the rivals, each one growing increasingly angrier as it went on – ‘Sure it’s gonna be a problem!!! The Presentation Day race was enough of a problem!! Ordinari bastards hating on us even more after the Nebula Battle was an even bigger problem!!! And now we’ve got Jill Lahala and her mad shit to worry about, too!!!

There’s nothing but problems for us, but since when is that something new?! We’ll just push through the only way we know – by staying together!!! If this time around we’ll have to act in your stupid play to do it, I’m fine with that!! So could you just get your shit together and start telling us what the play’s about, or do ya need more convincing?! Cuz I can beat you enough to convince you all alone and there are a lot of other people here who’re on my side!!!’

The finishing move in the ‘Convince Hikaru’ plan was left to Yuki and as Reimei expected, the ice maiden delivered it perfectly.

(Yuki) ‘Seiren just said what we’re all thinking, Hikaru. Think about it. If we pull this off, we might be able to not only save Sunbird and Deckstoru, but ensure the Drama Club will win the Cup this year. Isn’t that worth a shot? You’ve got the best team ever with all of us, you know. Put us to use. I promise we won’t let you down.’

Hikaru took Yuki’s hand then with a small smile throwing a glance at Seiren for only a moment before looking back at the white-haired beauty.

(Hikaru) ‘Thanks, Yu. And seeing as how you guys have wasted enough time to convince me already, I think we should get to work now.’ – now, he raised his voice a little to make sure everyone heard him, looking at all his classmates – ‘First, I need you to hear what the main story of the play is about and then we’ll decide who’s going to be playing who …’