Seiren tried to hide his surprise and keep as threatening an expression as possible when he heard the words ‘Class Battle’ come out of Hock’s mouth.
He looked at Hikaru to check his reaction, realizing his rival was making every possible effort to maintain a rigid look after he had heard that as well, the duo’s attention returning to Ulura’s thugs then.
(Yuki) ‘A Class Battle? What is that?’
Hikaru and Seiren were too shocked to explain and Hock and Gorudora – too smug, so Graid stepped in to give an explanation.
(Graid) ‘They’re special events organized around the end of every school year in Sunbird. All the students from two classes fight in an all-out battle where they can use a 100% deva output.
Those battles are always monitored and the information gathered from them is sent to the military and so on. It’s like a demonstration of how ready deviants in training are to fight other deviants.’
(Hock) ‘And no classes have been picked yet for the Battle this year.’
(Hikaru) ‘The headmaster and the teachers pick the classes to participate or approve the challenge one class makes to another.’
(Gorudora) ‘That’s right, but it’s clear they’ll approve of our two classes fighting.
The longer our conflict remains unresolved, the longer the situation within the school will remain unstable. We will fight you anyway, but the students and the Sunbird grounds will be spared if the fight is taken elsewhere and concluded within a day rather than this becoming a prolonged affair.’
(Seiren) ‘Even if everyone from our class is on board, Line-sensei can still reject the challenge.’
(Hock) ‘Sure he could. But do you think that’s the best thing to do?
I thought you wanted to protect Sunbird no matter what. So if you want to stop us from destroying it all over again, this is your best shot. To prove to everyone your class is better than ours.’ – he glanced at Yuki before continuing – ‘That fight between Yuki and Ulura wasn’t enough. It was just the start. Now we gotta end it.
Or maybe you don’t wanna fight us in the field cuz you’re afraid we’ll humiliate you too bad?’
The bullies were provoking Hikaru and Seiren and weren’t even trying to hide it. Just like how Hock and Gorudora were presenting the challenge on behalf of their class, the young Summerbolt and Blackscale could accept as representatives of their own. Their classmates could contest their decision, but knowing those hot heads as well as he did, the golden-haired pervert was sure they would all be in favor of battling Ulura’s class. Except maybe Exo.
And then there was the persistence of Hock and Gorudora to make their opponents accept. As if they had something planned. So agreeing to a Class Battle wasn’t the best way to go about things because Seiren’s class could lose all their advantage if they had any to begin with.
Backing out from a fight wasn’t the young Blackscale’s style either, though, so he didn’t know what to do. His hopes were that after his talk about trying to become a good leader and a pillar of stability at the bar earlier, Hikaru would reject the challenge while his rival could still resist the urge to accept.
(Hikaru) ‘We accept the challenge.’
Hearing that made the golden-haired teenager turn his head to the young Summerbolt with such speed that if he had gone any faster, he would’ve broken his neck. Looking over at Yuki and Graid, they looked just as shocked by the mad genius’s words.
Meanwhile, Hock’s atrocious smile became even wider and more unbearable to look at because of the sense of triumph it exuded.
(Hock) ‘That’s all I needed to hear! Guess we can get outta here now and leave you to it.’ – he waved with his hand as he and Gorudora turned their backs to the quartet – ‘Have a nice night and wait for an update on your class’s execution date!’
Seiren, Yuki and Graid hardly seemed to have noticed the bullies leaving because their eyes remained fixed on the spiky-haired teenager, his rival speaking first out of the three around Hikaru.
(Seiren) ‘Are you out of your fucking mind?! If it were me, I would’ve accepted, but not you!!’
As calm and cool-headed as perhaps the pervert had ever seen him, Hikaru now looked at Seiren.
(Hikaru) ‘I didn’t hear you protesting against my decision, Blackscale.’
(Seiren) ‘I just said I was gonna accept!!! But I’m not the brightest, so I was sure that genius brain of yours would think not giving the bastards what they want was a better option!!’
(Hikaru) ‘Exactly.’
(Seiren) ‘What the hell doest that shit even mean?!?!!’
(Hikaru) ‘Do you want to fight them, Seiren?’
(Seiren) ‘Damn right I do!’
The young Summerbolt then turned to the white-haired beauty standing on his other side.
(Hikaru) ‘And you, Yuki?’
Yuki’s resolve wavered when asked that question, but only for a second.
(Yuki) ‘I … I do.’
Now Seiren’s rival looked at him again.
(Hikaru) ‘And what do you think the rest of the class will say?’
(Seiren) ‘Probably the same.’
After the young Blackscale’s response, Hikaru’s expression finally changed – he had now smiled with a lot of confidence.
(Hikaru) ‘Then there’s your answer. This is not the best thing to do according to me, but according to the class.
I’m not giving Ulura’s bullies what they want. I don’t care about them. I’m giving our class what they want, which is going to lead to either us going down or winning together. If we lose, maybe we’ll finally learn our lesson about not picking fights with the wrong people and settle down.’ – he put his hand on Yuki’s shoulder before continuing – ‘But I’d really love it for us to beat those suckers and will give it my all to achieve that. If all of us work real hard, I’m sure we can take them down.’
Seiren honestly didn’t know in that moment if his rival was the greatest or the dumbest piece of garbage ever to walk Saiten.
He was definitely the most annoying piece of garbage, though.
Graid, who had remained quiet during the trio’s discussion, crossed his arms now, looking satisfied while his gaze was focused on his nephew.
(Graid) ‘You know your mom’s gonna chew you up for this, right?’
Hikaru smiled and sighed while also turning to his uncle.
(Hikaru) ‘Definitely.’
(Graid) ‘Alright, then. If you still wanna do this while knowing that, I guess you’re serious, kiddo, so I’ll back you up in front of Saya. You need to live until you beat up those dumbassees, right?’ – Hikaru nodded with eyes shining with excitement, right after which Graid became annoyed again and pushed him, Yuki and Seiren toward the remains of the Octohorn Ring – ‘Since we cleared that up, it’s time for you to get to work!! My bar won’t fix itself!!’
*
When Seiren saw Yuki and Hikaru again on Monday, the mad genius looked more exhausted than ever and the amnesiac – livelier than ever.
It just so happened that all the boys from the class had gathered around them at that time, which was just before the start of their Biology period with Tenji Line. Seiren was talking with the duo, Vega and King offering them booze and food. Exo was examining Hikaru’s breathing with a stethoscope and Tokura was courting Yuki in an attempt to liven her up even more.
(Seiren) ‘You two acting so different is too weird. Is Summerbolt like this because of the anniversay?’
Waiting for a few moments to see if her friend would be able to muster an answer, Yuki then went on to give it for him.
(Yuki) ‘No. We did mourn all day long on Saturday, but on Sunday Saya put me and Hikaru on a monster training regime to prep us for the Class Battle.
We worked out a lot this morning, too, so that’s why Hikaru looks like this.’
After getting confirmation his rival’s condition had nothing to do with the pain of his past, Seiren thought it apt to use the opportunity to make fun of Hikaru. Though he already knew it wasn’t going to feel as good as usual, because this time there would be no counter to his mockery.
(Seiren) ‘What’s the matter, Summerbolt? All that inspirational talk about giving it your all looks like it was a total lie right now.’
The mad genius, who could barely keep his eyes open from exhaustion, didn’t answer, but looked around the classroom instead. And the look on his face was as if he could see something none of his classmates could. Something that terrified him.
(Hikaru) ‘I see … I see only death. Spare me from the pain.’
(Seiren) ‘Exo, time of death? I just wanna know for my personal reference before I go get a shovel to bury this piece of shit in the yard.’
(Vega) ‘Nah, Seiren! He won’t die today! I’ll bring him back with a magic drink!!’
(King) ‘You look better than ever, Yu! Feeling good because of the great workout, am I right?’
(Yuki) ‘It was really great, King! I’m so pumped-up and ready to go at it again!!’
After hearing that, the muscle-bound glutton sneered at Exo’s comatose patient.
(King) ‘It’s good at least someone in your house’s got good stamina even if it ain’t you, right, Hikaru?’
The spiky-haired teenager managed to turn to King with great effort, some annoyance being added to the other negative emotions his face emanated.
(Hikaru) ‘N-not all of us can be a superhuman like Yuki, King …’
(King) ‘Try some of the stuff I’ve got here. It may bring you back you to life.’ – his attention quickly returned to the ice maiden as he lost interest in the beat-up and unresponsive young Summerbolt – ‘You’re welcome to eat, too, Yu! You may feel real energetic now, but you’ll need to fill up your tank for the next workout.
Putting the body through a lot of stress is useless without giving it enough fuel to take the strain.’
(Tokura) ‘And if you are ever in need of a massage to relax those tense muscles, my sweet princess of pure snow, you can always turn to me.’
Annabel passed by Tokura then, slapping him on the back of the neck with disgust.
(Annabel) ‘You must be dreaming if you think any of the girls would let you massage Yuki, Tora. She can count on us for things like that!’
In response to that, Tokura’s beaming grin was quickly replaced by a dead stare directed at the healing beauty who had slapped him.
(Tokura) ‘Standing between me and Yuki’s body is a death sentence, Bel. Keep at it and you’ll end up just like Hikaru.’
(Exo) ‘I think we’re all going to end up like him very soon!’
The techno-genius’s panicked scream alerted his classmates to the appearance of Tenji Line in the classroom, holding a piece of paper in his hand with a troubled look on his face.
(Tenji) ‘So … there was an early meeting of the teachers and the headmaster this morning.’ – he waved the paper in his hand above his head as he stood next to the teacher’s desk – ‘I was given this at the end of the meeting.
It reads: ‘In accordance with Article 7 of Regulation No. 622/45 of Barilia’s Department of Education, Sunbird High School announces that this year …’
(One of Seiren’s classmates) ‘So are we fighting Ulura’s class or what?’
Tenji lifted his eyes from the paper to spread the shroud of his punitive glare over the whole room, Seiren remembering the sting of his elastic whip deva’s last attack when that glare reached him.
(Tenji) ‘If you interrupt me again while reading the order, I’ll make sure none of you are even fit to face Martian Class No. 3 when …’
(Another one of Seiren’s classmates) ‘We’ll be fighting them, then?’
Mr. Line let out a sigh of annoyance, throwing the paper aside.
(Tenji) ‘The hell with it. Yes, you will fight Ulura’s class in a Class Battle.’
In that moment most members of the class stood or jumped up and let out mighty battle cries, King changing into his giant form immediately and throwing his desk aside as he went and hugged Hikaru from one side and Exo – from the other, those two being among the few who weren’t shouting.
The main reason for that was that one genius was talking to himself in quiet despair and guilt while the other simultaneously tried to choke him with the stethoscope and screamed his lungs out in open panic.
Seiren was among those who shouted the loudest, hugging Yuki over the shoulder next as he saw she looked quite excited as well.
(Seiren) ‘This is it, guys!! Our first Class Battle!!!’
(King) ‘HELL YEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!’
(Vega) ‘Cheers, boys and girls!!’
(Tokura) ‘And we’ll be taking out Ulura’s scum of all people, so we can all count ourselves as the official knights of Sunbird now!!’
(Yuki) ‘When will the Battle take place, sensei?’
(Tenji) ‘On the 28th, this Saturday.’
Hikaru had reached a level of insanity where his imagined doom actually entertained him, ignoring King choking him with his hug and Exo – with the stethoscope – to start laughing weakly, but with a distinctive manic undertone.
(Hikaru) ‘He-he-he. Yeah. We’re all gonna die. For real, guys. But I won’t even be alive by then, so it’s cool. Tell Blackscale I’m really dead so he can bury me, Ex.’
(Exo) ‘It’s all your fault, Hikaru!! I might as well get buried next to you!!
That way at least I won’t have to feel the pain of dying on Saturday!! And after I’m dead, I’ll find you in the afterlife and take revenge on you for doing this to me!!!’
(Tenji) ‘Hold your horses, everyone!! There’s more about the Class Battle you need to hear.’ – after seeing how serious their homeroom teacher looked, Seiren and his classmates calmed down a bit, but didn’t fall completely silent until after his announcement – ‘Given recent events, the rules for this Battle have been changed a little. Yuki and Ulura won’t be participating in it.’
