Someone was there. Someone trying to escape. And…
When the figure dashed out and immediately hid behind the school building, Ren saw fluttering hair that was clearly red even in the light of the setting sun. She
forced herself back onto her feet.
“It can’t be… Miss E! Take care of these two!”
She dragged her weak-hipped body along to follow after Subaru.
Mutsuki and Machina were left behind. And Ange simply stared blankly up from the ground.
“Jiyuuni Ange.”
After signing the name of the resting student, they were let into the infirmary.
There was no teacher there today either, but President Ren would probably handle all the formalities later.
“I will fix the school building. You two wait here.”
“Right.”
“Call for me if something happens.”
Machina awkwardly glanced over at the sink before quickly leaving. Mutsuki laid
Ange down in the bed.
She had fought an intense battle and then received the effects of the Serpent’s
Eye, so she had to be worn out. He did not know what Subaru and Ren had seen or who they were pursuing, but the duel had been called off. That was definitely a good thing, but the suddenness of it confused him.
He decided to rest until someone from FeTUS contacted him.
“…Ange.”
He wrinkled his brow and approached the dazed-looking girl.
He did not want to be too harsh with her when she was so exhausted, but…
“What was that just now?”
“What was what?”
When the boy pressed her for an answer, the strong-willed girl reflexively pouted her lips. She turned away like a sulking child.
“She’s the one that started it.”
“And she was wrong to do so. She seemed to have some kind of reason and we can ask her about it later. But I’m talking about what happened after that. I can’t just let that slide.”
Mutsuki usually backed off when she sulked, but today was different. He looked her right in the eyes that had turned gold, the color of Metatron, earlier.
She had tried to use Metatron. That meant she had tried to self-destruct and commit suicide.
“You said you would never do that again.”
“…”
“You promised.”
His nature kept him from speaking too harshly, but Mutsuki was angry. That got through to Ange and that was why the strong-willed angel pouted her lips.
The girl remained silent and the conversation trailed off, so an awkward silence filled the room.
His recent frustrations concerning Ange were all rising to the surface. Even if they were in opposing organizations, she treated Ren so sharply, as if trying to make more enemies. She was always gone at night and she would not tell him where she was going.
He was also curious about what had happened just before the duel began. She had been carrying a large paper bag. What had that been?
And just as he wondered that…
“I brought your things.”
Machina returned.
She had apparently brought the school bag and other things they had left by the stairs. She had both Mutsuki’s and Ange’s and she placed them on the teacher’s desk.
“Jiyuuni-san.”
…And that included the large paper bag.
“Here. It got a bit dirty in the wreckage, so I’ll wash it for you.”
Machina pulled out the contents. Ange’s eyes widened in shock and Mutsuki’s did too once he realized what Machina had pulled out…and what Ange had been trying to hide.
A red backpack. And two sets of clothing: the dress Lucia had worn a few days before and a yellow kindergartner’s smock.
Those were the costumes for the play’s lead.
“Y-you idiot! You don’t have to show me!”
“But aren’t going to wear them?”
“Just put them away! Um, I’ll wash them myself.”
“Hm? Understood.”
Machina looked confused, but she did as she was told.
She then started to leave the room.
“Also, about tonight.” She turned back around. “The repairs to the school building are going to take a while, so I doubt I will be able to help with your Metatron control training.”
“Huh?”
“Why did you have to say that part out loud!? Just go!”
Machina looked confused when she was yelled at again.
Mutsuki blinked his eyes as he watched her leave.
That conversation left him with two questions. He could guess the answer to them both, but he could not ask Machina now.
That meant he had to ask the other girl. He turned toward Ange and found her face bright red.
His only choice was to ask the embarrassed girl.
“She said you would be wearing those clothes…”
“…What?”
“Are you playing the lead?”
“…I-I had no choice. Everyone kept looking my way during homeroom and
Tomono and Saya kept asking me over and over. It was, um, hard to say no.”
“…”
Mutsuki was speechless.
That prideful girl would be wearing those clothes? But more than that…
She hated humans and refused to open up to anyone, but she was doing this for the class?
“And, um, what was that about control training?”
“…”
“Have you been doing something with Ibekusa-san?”
“~~ I’ve been getting her help at night.”
This one likely hurt her pride as a warrior. She confessed with a sullen look on her face.
“I thought I could bring out a small portion of Metatron and use whatever amount
I could control. And it looks like I can use 20-30% of its power.”
“Is that why you’ve been gone every night?”
“For practice, yes. It causes a ton of heat, so I can’t do it at the apartment.
Ibekusa created a dedicated location for it outside of town. She says it’s win-win since I can practice controlling it and she can measure Metatron’s heat-increase variable.”
Mutsuki was dumbfounded.
Even if it was completely give and take, they were working together. At the very least, that was only possible if they were certain of each other’s intent to maintain a truce.
It was not just her classmates; Ange was getting along with an enemy like
Machina as well.
“…Ange.”
“What? …Wah.”
The blushing girl looked away, so she could not dodge when the boy suddenly hugged her. Her small body fit perfectly between his arms and he pushed her back onto the bed.
“S-stupid Mutsuki, what are you-… Let go.”
She tried to complain, but she got tongue-tied.
“Ahm…”
And her lips were sealed by his.
Ange was shocked by the forceful kiss. Her shoulders and back tensed and she gave him a sharp look of protest.
But that was all. Only her eyes protested; she did not actually resist. Mutsuki had known she would not resist, so he had not restrained her and his embrace was entirely gentle.
“So you weren’t going to blow up back there.”
“Of course not. I am technically your bodyguard, so I wouldn’t use something that would harm you. And why would I throw my life away from something like that?
That’s ridiculous.”
“I guess you have a point.”
“I need a new power if I’m going to keep protecting you from now on.”
“…Right.”
From now on.
Those words deepened the boy’s kiss.
“Wait, we’re going to do it h-here?”
“You’re having a hard time after being exposed to the Serpent’s Eye, aren’t you?
You’ve been sweating a lot.”
“Uuh… That is true, but…”
He kissed her again and finally began an adult kiss that stickily intertwined within her mouth.
As he had said, the Serpent’s Eye’s power was overwhelming. A fire had been ignited in Ange’s body whether she liked it or not and her hips had to be itching for stimulation. Her restless legs were turned a bit inward.
And the worst part was that Mutsuki could help her extinguish that fire.
He pressed his lips against hers with the intensity of a martial arts pinning technique.
“But we can’t do it here. Um, someone might see us.”
“Senpai apparently sent everyone away before the battle, so there’s no one here.”