Volume I. Chapter I. - The Kikuchi Siblings

[March 28th, 1215]

A three-story tall box structure made of stone and supported by wooden pillars as it carries tiles on its roof - our old and crumbling military school. A sudden breeze passes, gently moving my hair tied in a ponytail to the side as I stare down the building. Thoughts of the scene I’ve witnessed earlier still float around within my mind.

Charlotte speaks up from my rear. She’s standing a few meters behind me together with Lena.

“C-c-c-cold! There’s no way it’s spring, we probably got the season wrong. I think we should retreat to the warmth of our home until the school actually opens.”

Is she trying to make excuses? Or is it for comedic purposes? She’s always like this.

“Get a grip, will you! You might as well warm yourself inside the building since we are already here.”

Lena fiercely grabs one of her ears. Her victim starts crying out in pain before suddenly switching to what could be arguably a sexual tone…

“Kyaaa! Save me! I’m being assaulted!”

Right, she has a thing for embarrassing us in public too. Hearing her moans and seeing everyone’s eyes on us, I immediately face-palm myself as I stare at the ground. A few moments later, the wind blows again, this time somewhat colder and more vigorous, strong enough to rob the cherry blossoms of their petals.

One of those petals happens to fall toward me. I extend my palm and let the petal land on it as I gaze upon the bright pink flower. It looks so beautiful yet feels so fragile compared to your everyday leaf.

“No spacing out, Yuuna. We are going to be late.”

Lena warns me just before she suddenly grabs my arm. It startles me, and the pink cherry blossom petal escapes my grasp.

“No! My petal!”

I desperately but quietly yell out whilst extending my hand towards the flower, slowly gliding to the ground. Lena’s grip is strong. I can’t escape even if I want to. I might as well let myself be taken away. So long, you won’t be forgotten.

"Look, look! It's Lena from the S rank!"

"So cool! She's really kind and looks pretty, too. I wish I could be like her!"

"Hey, look, isn't that Charlotte?"

"Smoking hot! I wish I were in the same class as her..."

Ah…I can feel a lot of eyes on my sisters. Our break was so peaceful I nearly forgot how popular those two are. However, they don't pay any attention to it.

"Hey, what about the younger sister? She's pretty hot too."

"No thanks, dude. You know how she is. One wrong move and your dignity is gone.”

H-huh? What was that just now? Surely I’ve just misheard them.

“Forget your dignity, she might just bite off your balls the first chance she gets if you piss her off.”

Huh?! I did hear right! I investigate the direction. There's eye contact between the two horny dogs pretending they are whistling as I give them the stinkiest eye I can make.

———

I walk into the classroom; there’s nobody here yet. I wonder where Charlotte ran off to again... Oh well. I place my bag on the desk, then instantly do a one-eight turn and kick the desk in front of me to the back of the classroom.

“Bitch.”

I let out a light sigh just moments after yelling out at the abused desk that had done nothing wrong to deserve it. Luckily I came early and managed to release my anger before anyone could catch me….or so I thought. A male voice sounds from the entrance direction and pronounces my name as a question. It’s a voice I haven’t heard in quite a while, and so I respond accordingly. With aggression.

"Huh? Ya want sum?”

“N-no… thanks.”

Two people are standing there. Charlotte and the boy in question. I can see the confusion in his expression. On the other hand, my sister seems to be enjoying herself with that grin.

The guy standing next to my sister is Hidiku Kikuchi. Medium-length hair covered in a shade of black that could consume light. In addition to that, his blue eyes are as dark as the deep seas. His height reaches one-hundred and seventy-four despite being the same age as me. He also has a thing for Lena. You could say we are childhood friends, including his other two siblings.

“You should stop growing.”

I say as I have to ascend my gaze; otherwise, looking him in the face is impossible. At this rate, he will become a giant.

“What do you mean? I’m not that tall yet. Just wait a couple more years.”

He then smiles. Is he taunting me? Is he making fun of my height? No, knowing him, he’s just being oblivious as usual. The next thing I know, we are interrupted by the students flooding in. First class is about to start, we should catch our seats. Hidiku proceeds to do just that. He’s followed by Charlotte, holding her pillow with her arms up in the air.

“Yay, nap time!”

I accompany them in silence. Charlotte is in the same class as me despite our age gap because our academy organizes us by rank rather than age. There are seven ranks in total - S, A, B, C, D, E, and F. The three lowest ranks are on the first floor, the next two on the second, where we are located, and the last two on the third.

What’s the difference? Well, apart from combat and study ability, there are different levels of luxury for each rank. Meaning rewards, lunches, and even classroom appearances. The rank of students is decided by exams held on the second day, meaning tomorrow. Last year I managed to get out of the rotten classrooms on the bottom floor to C rank. This year, I aim to skip B rank and go all the way to the top!

Meanwhile, given Charlotte’s ability, she could have easily been enjoying her luxury in the higher ranks together with Lena. But, well…she’s too lazy to study.

———

The bell rings, and our fourth class is over. It’s lunch break time! For this break, we put our tables together; our siblings join us for lunch in our classroom; it’s our little everyday tradition. I’d rather have it in Lena’s class, but I’d also prefer not to have a thousand discriminative eyes staring us down. On the other hand, she gets swarmed by fan girls whenever she comes down to the lower classes.

“I see you guys are surviving the first day just fine.”

Oh, she’s here.

“Hello, Lena. Did the rest not come with you?”

Hidiku’s the first to greet her back while searching for his older siblings. Lena sits down next to me.

“Himari is helping out our teacher carry some stuff, and well…you know how Enmei is with crowded places, so I left him behind.”

The boy lets out a mild sigh and moves on to get his older brother. Tracking him down with my gaze, I catch a glimpse of someone peeking through a small opening between the door and its frame. That’s him, alright. And with a pretty intensive stare at that. I can tell how much he wants to join us, almost as if there was a dark aura of desire emitting out of him.

Enmei Kikuchi, Hidiku’s older brothert. Currently, at the age of fifteen. Hair just as dark as his younger brother’s, with a combination of clear green eyes. He’s even taller than Hidiku, no wonder his younger brother has a strong belief in his growth. If I had to guess, I would say it’s one-eighty. Oh, they are about to make contact.

Hidiku slams the door open.

“Brother… just come and eat lunch with us already-”

The younger sibling is suddenly caught off-guard as his older brother swings his arm at him. It’s blocked successfully.

“Oh, you are approaching me? Instead of enjoying your lunch with the others, you are coming to get me?”

“I can’t drag your buttocks to the table without getting closer.”

That’s an exchange of cheesy lines right there. They stare into each other’s eyes with an intense atmosphere surrounding them. I would think they were about to kiss if I didn't know any better. Then, a loud female yell can be heard, coming from the corridor. No…it’s more like a certain someone’s war cry. The guys seemingly investigate the direction of the loud noise, and their faces turn pale shortly after. Oh well, I will miss them.

I get up from my chair just in time to catch a glimpse of the girl student diving one of her knees into Enmei’s face, at what could be described as the speed of an arrow. Hidiku’s older brother is sent flying from the door’s entrance further into the school’s corridor.

I’m left speechless as Charlotte notices me staring down the classroom’s exit.

“Yuuna, you are staring pretty intensively there. Did you see a ghost or something?”

“No, but there might be one haunting this place soon enough.”

My two sisters redirect their focus to the hallway when the girl that just struck Enmei starts yelling again.

“Ah, they are at it again.”

Charlotte isn’t all that surprised. Can’t blame her though.

“Should we go stop them?”

Lena asks despite her tone showing more curiosity than concern, and so we get up from our seats. When we get to the crime scene, Enmei is lying on the floor, and Hidiku is holding the girl back, locking her arms up with his own.

That’s Himari, the guy’s older sister. Sixteen-year-old petite girl, about a hundred and fifty-two centimeters tall. Her hair is engulfed by white that draws out her complexion, making it seem darker than it is - a hint of a tan. She’s kind to the people around her but strict when it comes to family. She can be very short-tempered at times… very.

"HOW DARE YOU LAY YOUR FILTHY HANDS ON MY PRECIOUS LUNCH! I PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING THAT SO THAT I COULD SHOW IT OFF TO EVERYONE! NOT FOR YOU TO HAVE IT FOR BREAKFAST. HOW ABOUT YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN FOOD FOR ONCE!?"

The rage-overflowing girl still manages to stomp Enmei’s testicles. Once… twice… and finished off with a kick. Barely breathing, her victim turns to his side. I can see the pain in his eyes, yet he still manages to pull up a smirk on his face.

“Heh, it is only right for kings to eat meals their subjects make for them. What do you think I pay you for?”

Hidiku looks up at the ceiling as he seems lost in thought just before mumbling to himself.

“So that’s what he meant this morning.”

***
[This morning]

Hidiku descends the stairs from the second floor, still in his sleeping clothes, as he spots Enmei leaving unusually early.

“Where are you going this early? There’s still plenty of time before our classes start.”

He asks with a sleepy tone in his voice while rubbing one of his eyes.

“Hidiku, I’ve just unleashed great evil into this world. That evil will soon awaken, so I must prepare before I face it. It will be a tough and dangerous journey. Hidiku, remember. No matter what happens, I will always be your older brother.”

The boy is left standing on the staircase in confusion.

***
[Back to present]

Hidiku’s gaze is sent back at his older brother; tears start streaming out of his sockets. What the hell is he crying about?

“I will never forget you, big bro!”

He yells out. Enmei smiles confidently before pronouncing his final words.

“So long, little br-”

Too bad he didn’t get to finish. Due to Hidiku’s sudden emotional outburst, his guard was lowered, giving Himari an opening to slip out of his arms. Ultimately dealing the finishing blow to Enmei amid his farewell. She swung her heel and buried it into her victim’s stomach. As a result, Enmei is sent through the ground, straight to the bottom floor.

Hard to tell if he has survived. So much for a peaceful first day of school.