Chapter 37

“So, what do you think he’s doing?” Tsuki asked, breaking the silence.

Ichiro, Tsuki, and Marie were all sitting on benches in the train station. They had seen several trains come and go as they waited for Ryuki to get back. In that time, Tsuki tried creating small talk, but apart from one long and enthusiastic conversation about music, Marie and Ichiro were both tense and barely responded with more than a word. Marie was tense due to not being able to get the intimate moment with Ryuki off her mind. Every so often her cheeks would blush when she would remember how Ryuki looked down at her before he moved in for the kiss. How she felt in that moment. She shook her head before her thoughts wandered too far. Ichiro, on the other hand, was busy trying to think of ways to decipher the knowledge that he discovered while analyzing Ryuki’s blood. He was correct in assuming he was on the level of an Elder now, through intricate details in blood-mana levels that he discovered during his time at the Secular. There was something else he noticed though, and he wasn’t sure if he was right about his assumption, or if he misremembered due to having fallen asleep at the desk while theorizing and scrutinizing the sample.

“Hello? Tsuki to Ichiro and Marie? Come on, I’m bored. What do you think he’s doing?” Tsuki said, trying to get the two to react. Then her face grew a mischievous grin. “Do you think he’s... defiling her?”

Marie’s head shot over at her and her eyes burned with what can only be described as the unbridled desire to murder. Ichiro just shook his head and let out a simple ‘no.’ Marie, however, said a lot more.

“Defile? What are you insinuating? That he has desires for... that?! That he needs to use that.. That disgusting Yukino? That wretched horrible creature called a Bishop?” Marie fumed.

“Oh, no, nothing like that. Just that maybe... he needed release? That he’s not getting... elsewhere?” She said, eyeing Marie up and down.

Marie’s face was entirely red, but not with embarrassment, with pure rage. If she was any angrier, steam would probably spew from her ears. “Are you implying that I wouldn’t be able to give him the release he needs? I can assure you I would be more than adequate to-”

Marie then stopped abruptly, as if her voice had shut off. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes were wide with swirls within them. Her already red face changed to a darker shade, this time actually of pure embarrassment. Tsuki just burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and kicking her legs as she doubled over. Ichiro was looking into the air, still internally debating with himself over his findings in the blood sample.

“Marie, you are too easy. You are so serious and stoic all the time, but when it comes to Ryuki you become a schoolgirl with a crush!” She said through her laughter. “Aha... not that I blame you. If I were in your shoes I’d be just as head over heels.”

Marie cleared her throat and patted her face several times, calming herself. She soon returned to her expressionless demeanor and fixed her posture. “Tsuki, you are quite the tease. Making me think such improper things about him...” She trailed off before shaking her head. “No time for that. But, please don’t ever bring up, joking or not, Ryu doing... that.”

“Me doing what?”

“UWAAH!” Both Marie and Tsuki shouted out in unison as Ryuki approached them from behind.

“Did I interrupt something? Oh, Tsuki, I don’t know if you wanted to keep it, but I grabbed this.” Ryuki handed her the metal collar, and Tsuki grabbed it, looking back and forth from it to him repeatedly.

***

I stood in front of my companions as Tsuki looked like she was questioning why I had that. I shrugged slightly before speaking again. “I realized you had kept that and put it on Yukino, so I figured you were keeping it for a reason. If you don’t want it, we can just toss it.”

“Oh, I was keeping it in case you wanted to-” Tsuki then turned her head like a rusty robot to look at Marie, who was glaring soul-piercing daggers into her. “Never mind, don’t need it!” She threw it behind her, over her head, and it managed to perfectly land in a garbage bin next to one of the vending machines.

“Okay, really, what did I miss?”

“Just Tsuki being Tsuki.” Marie said, her eyes still torturing Tsuki’s soul.

“Enough said.”

“Oh, Ryuki, Tsuki was wondering what you did with Yukino.” Ichiro said, his focus still elsewhere.

I then gave a knowing nod to Marie along with a bitter smile, having surmised what Tsuki may have said. I let out a quick sigh before explaining to the three of them that I had indeed killed her but didn’t go into the details of what spell I used. But I believe each of them knew which I used as Marie didn’t even ask if we needed a person to go clean the room. I sat down next to Ichiro and pulled out my phone.

“So, what train are we getting on?”

***

After several train rides, we were finally on the bullet train to Tokyo, heading to our new safe house location. I was seated between Tsuki and Marie, Ichiro offering to sit alone in the aisle over in order to focus on whatever he was so distracted by in his head. I took this opportunity to lay out my plan to the two girls as they were the two biggest players in what I had planned.

“So, we need to get a Bishop for the agency. And we currently don’t know where any compounds are, let alone ones that would have Bishops in them. But I have an idea to bring them to us.”

“Time for a rock show!” Tsuki said, thrusting her fist in the air.

“What do you have planned, Ryu?”

“Kind of what Tsuki said, honestly.”

Tsuki’s eyes went wide with glee as she clapped her hands together. “I want lead guitar!”

“You can play guitar? No, not important. What I mean is we make it so the Secular has no choice but to come to us. And with our strength, they’ll eventually need to send more than just Apostles.” I explained further.

“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” Marie said a slight smirk on her lips.

“We put on a magic show.” I said, crossing my arms confidently.

“Lame.” Tsuki said, staring through half-lidded eyes.

“I agree.” Marie said.

“Wh-what? I just mean that we start using magic in the middle of a busy place! To draw attention, you know?” I said, panic setting over me. I was so sure they’d agree with my plan as I saw no faults with it. “It’s good, right? Right?”

“It’s so lame.” Tsuki reiterated.

“Very. I think we should go with Tsuki’s idea.” Marie said, crossing her arms under her chest.

My mouth gaped open as I heard Marie and Tsuki actually agree on something that isn’t manga and anime. I shook my head and blinked several times before speaking again.

“You seriously want to put on a rock concert? How will that get the Secular after us?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“Dude, it’d be perfect. You can literally turn into a dragon and fly. How badass would that be? Oh! You play guitar! I’ll be drums instead, Ichiro will be rhythm and Marie will be vocals.” Tsuki said, as if she had this planned all along.

“Excellent choices, Tsuki.” Marie said, nodding exaggeratedly.

It then clicked. I slammed my head back into my chair and let out a sigh. “You had this conversation already, didn’t you?”

“Briefly.” Marie said while patting my head lightly.

“I suggested playing music with magic, then Marie said to do it as a rock concert. Did you know she likes metal? And she can scream sing?” Tsuki said, joining Marie in patting my head.

“You can?” I said, looking at Marie.

She said nothing, held up devil horns with her hand and nodded once.

“I don’t know how to play guitar, though. And does Ichiro know how to either?” I asked, trying to throw water on the raging fire that was their enthusiasm. It ended up being gasoline I threw on it because before I could even finish, a piece of parchment landed on my lap. I looked it over and my jaw dropped once more. “There’s absolutely no way you made a spell that teaches you how to play guitar. That’s unbelievable.” Then another piece of parchment landed on my lap that just read ‘believe it.’ I looked across the aisle to Ichiro, who was still just staring at the ceiling. I slammed my head back once more and let out a whimpering groan. “I guess we’re forming a rock band.”

Marie and Tsuki let out sounds of excitement, though Marie’s was monotone, and Tsuki sounded like a shriek.