Chapter 15: Kotone's Strife, Kosuke's Plan

            Kotone stared at her notebook in front of her. The words she wrote were of hate, of loss and of pain. The words came from a dark place, a place we have all been and never wish to return to, still, it hunts and consumes us from time to time, Kotone was currently held prisoner there. Her breaths accelerated, tears fell from her eyes, staining the page below. Kotone grabbed onto the page, her fingers like claws, she threw the book onto the floor as she hunched over, balling. “I need to stop, I’m being a baby! Stop! Stop crying you emotional coward!” She hissed to herself.

Asahi peaked her head over the rail of the top bunk. “Hey Kotone-chan, did you say…” She saw her notebook on the floor. She climbed down and picked it up. “Can I read this?” She asked softly.

“Don’t look at me.” Kotone murmured as she sobbed.

“Did you want me to go get Kosuke-kun or Kanako-chan, kun? What honorific should I use.” She shook her head. “That’s not important right now.”

“No… they can’t see me like this… they already think I’m a big baby.” Kotone whimpered.

Asahi then straightened the page and read it. “W-wow. I know cutest music can have some dark meanings, but this is… Kotone-chan…” She reached out, gently touching her wrist. “It’s normal to feel this way, we all do. You should talk to Kosuke-kun. I’m going to go show this Hisakawa-sensei.” She stated.

“No!” Kotone lurched forward, trying to reach her notebook. Asahi had taken a step back, causing Kotone to fall on the floor. “Don’t tell her about that! No! It’ll only make things worse!”

“I have to. You are a danger to yourself right now, Hisakawa-sensei needs to know. You should tell Kosuke-kun, people who love each other don’t keep secrets like this from each other.” Asahi then headed for the door.

“Asahi-chan! I wasn’t serious!” Kotone called out, struggling to scramble to her feet. Asahi ignored her and left their room.

In the main room, Kosuke, Shingo, Kanako and Yuzuru were playing on a retro gaming console which was connected to an old, big-backed television. Asahi ran up to Hisakawa who was reading a history book on war. “Oh, hey what’s up?” Hisakawa then noticed what Asahi was holding. “Is that Kotone-chan’s notebook? What is going on?” She set down the book as she tensed up.

Asahi leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Hisakawa-sensei, we need to talk in private, it’s serious.” Hisakawa nodded and led Asahi over to the ladies’ washroom.

Kotone creeped down the stairs, she walked up to Kosuke and tapped his shoulder. “Kosuke-kun, can we talk?” She asked in a hushed voice.

Kosuke slightly turned his head. “Yeah, what’s up?” He then took his eyes off the screen, intending it to be only for a brief moment, but when he noticed Kotone’s red eyes and tear-soaked face, he dropped his controller. Yuzuru paused the game while Kosuke stood up to comfort Kotone.

“Kosuke…I…I.” Kotone couldn’t find it in her heart to tell him. She stormed off to the washroom and came back with her notebook. She shoved it into Kosuke’s hands. “Read it!” She commanded.

Kosuke did as he was told, his knees buckled, he fell to the ground with tears flowing freely. “Kotone-sama, why?”

Kotone’s heart shattered hearing her boyfriend’s broken words. “I…I…I’m sorry. This is just… so pointless. We can’t win. Sometimes I wonder if I should just make a deal with a demon. Sure, I probably wouldn’t see the profit I make from my music, but at least I’d be doing what I love.”

Kosuke grasped onto one of Kotone’s hands while still on his knees. “I made you a promise, to make all your dreams come true, and that is just what I am going to do!” He stood up and shouted so everyone could hear him. “I have a plan to defeat Rosivrepus, and make Kotone-chan a famous singer!” He declared. Everyone gathered around a table Kosuke led them to. “Muto-san, map me!” Shingo pulled out a map of the city from his pocket and unfolded it out on the table. “Thanks. Now, here is my plan. Kotone-chan, can you use your elemental powers while singing?”

“Yeah, I do that right after my vocal warmups. Wh-oh!” She realized what his plan was.

“Wait, are you suggesting, a blessed angelic voice, is going to ring out over the city, and defeat the demons like in the movies?!” Kanako asked stunned, tripping over her own words.

“Yep!” Kosuke nodded, then pointed to the map. “We set up speakers all over the city, when Kotone-chan sings, it should make the demons weak, easy pickings for the rest of us. Plus, we would have some really awesome battle music.”

Hisakawa smiled. “This might actually work. Although, we will need all the help we can get if we want to have this all ready in time. I say we recruit Minami-chan.”

Kosuke raised his hand. “All in favor, say aye!”

Everyone else raised their hands. “Aye!” They all called out. Then they went straight to the basement.

Minami looked up from her book to everyone standing before her cell. “Do you want to join us?” Hisakawa offered.

“Join you?” Minami echoed.

“That’s what I asked.” Hisakawa confirmed with a nod.

“Are you serious? Yes!” Minami leapt to her feet in joy. “Honestly, you all have treated me better then my family ever did, so let’s go kick their asses!”

Hisakawa opened the cell and as Minami got within reach, Hisakawa lifted her above her head and yelled. “New roommate!”

Minami was filled in on the plan. Everyone then got to work preparing, they raided a long-abandoned technology store to get speakers and as many extension cords as they could. Hisakawa modified the cords, soon she was flying around the city hooking up wires and speakers all over, she had given Yuzuru, Asahi and Minami a crash course in hooking them up so they could help.

Kosuke, Shingo and Kanako set up a makeshift stage while Kotone practiced the songs she was going to sing. The hours ticked on. Suddenly, a band of demons came to where the stage was being set up. “Hey, saint punks!” A demon called out. “We have no clue what you’re doing, but we are going to stop you!”

“No, you aren’t.” Shingo smiled as he drew is sword. He ran towards them, the demons braced, they all dodged Shingo’s attack. Shingo then created water around his blade, he flipped over midair so he would fall onto his back and released the water, splashing the demons. He hopped back onto his feet, he killed one that was busy screaming from the pain. One the other demons grabbed Shingo by the shirt and began to swing him around in the air.

“Should we help him?” Kotone asked.

“No.” Kotone and Kosuke replied in unison.

Shingo managed to maneuver his blade and cut off the demon’s arm, causing him to fall to the ground. As the enraged demon attempted to kick him, Shingo rolled away, eventually rolling onto his feet. He charged the one-armed demon, who tried to block with his remaining arm, ultimately losing it. The demon dodged a few of Shingo’s attacks, but Shingo managed to take off his head.

Shingo turned to the final demon, who pulled out a pistol. “Let’s see how you defend against this.” The demon snarled.

“Have you seen cowboy movies?” Shingo asked.

“Yeah.” The pistol demon answered.

“Then let’s settle this like gentlemen.” Shingo said as he put his blade away and made a finger gun with a water ‘bullet’ at the end.

“Alright then.” The demon agreed. Shingo and the demon stood back-to-back, then took twenty paces each, turned and fired. Shingo’s water shot straight threw the demon’s skull, killing him instantly.

“Wow!” Kotone exclaimed as her mouth fell open. “Remind me never to tick you off.”

Not much later, Hisakawa, Yuzuru, Asahi and Minami joined the others at the makeshift stage. Hisakawa connected the final wires, turned on the contraption and gave Kotone an earpiece with a microphone attached to it. “Let’s see if this thing works.”

Kotone put on the earpiece. “Uh, testing, testing, one, two, three.” Her voice carried all over the city.

“Nice! Now try using your element, make sure to bless it.” Hisakawa instructed.

Minami braced as Kotone blew into the microphone, nothing happened to her. Kosuke then came forward. “I don’t think using Minami-san as a test subject is a good idea. I have a theory that our blessed elements don’t affect her.” He suggested.

“Because she is a good person!” Hisakawa exclaimed.

“I was more thinking because she has human blood.” Kosuke half laughed.

Minami extended her arm to him. “Let’s test it out, try to burn me.”

Kosuke was hesitant. “Are you sure?”

She gave a nod of approval. “Yes, just try to give me a little burn, it’s okay, I can handle it.” Kosuke then created a blessed flame on his fingertip, he placed his finger on Minami’s arm. “I feel nothing. I must be immune.”

Yuzuru was grim. “Let’s pray this whole scheme works then.”

Hisakawa motioned towards the base with her head. “Let’s go get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow. No more talking for you Kotone-chan, you need to rest your voice.”

As they were heading back, Kotone handed Kosuke a piece of paper. “Burn it.” She whispered. Kosuke lit it blaze a tossed it behind them, it had turned completely to ash before it could touch the ground.