Chapter 2.6

Alex Strangelove is a changed man. 

I no longer wake up alone. Instead, being snugly nestled between Miki and Miko who—despite having access to the mid-rank dorms—now choose to sleep and spend most of their free time in the barracks. Just to be with me...

Their new boyfriend.

I've resumed going back to class, with all-new vigor: because even though an outcome is still being decided for the Flarelissa match, days after it had happened, I've decided I won't waste this precious time that could be spent bettering myself.

When I walk through the halls now, it's a totally different kind of feeling.

I don't move with my head low, trying to avoid the attentions of others like a tiny lizard in the grass, trying to avoid being stepped on by giants.

When I walk now, I WANT people to notice. 

Miki and Miko are always meeting me between classes to join me--to join me, standing at my sides as I strut through the halls unafraid to look everyone that I pass in the eye, moving at a brisk pace like I'm a CEO making his way to another big meeting.

I feel...powerful. Like I should cause the ground to tremble with my every footstep.

Even though I'm still F rank…

I'm confident it won't be for much longer.

This unshakeable confidence even extends to when I'm fighting the simulations in Combat Proficiency class, as Alice--with an intensity like my life depends on it, scaring my classmates with my furious growls as I swing my Vorpal Blade cutting down all that stands in my path without mercy, while Ms. Berlin...Ms. Alice, I mean...looks on with a proud look.

Today, I meet with her in the classroom at lunch break, for our usual private lessons.

"So, you're good at dealing with Jabberwocks," she tells me--which only serves to immediately put me on edge, as it's the biggest compliment I've ever recieved from her thus far. And sure enough, my suspicions aren't unfounded when she adds a weighted "however," with a tiny snicker, before continuing: "You're never going to be able to save that girl, if you're not equipped to fight against human foes."

She holds up her right hand, a Vorpal Assault Rifle materializing in it.

"Which means you'll be facing against THESE."

"What?!" My recent burst of confidence isn't so "unshakeable" after all, it seems, as I'm faced with a piece of hardware that can completely tear apart even a superpowered little girl in seconds--

About as easily as it could a normal one!

Needless to say, I'm sweating. I have to assume she's only joking.

"Come on, Ms. Alice. Don't scare me like--"

She fires, and I'm blown to bits--

Chunks of my flesh and blood peeling off, flying in all directions--

When it's all over in seconds, I fall back…

And I feel it. Something I've become all-too familiar with, throughout these hardcore sessions with Alice: where even without guns being involved I'm frequently pushed past my limits…

The icy, slowly creeping grip of imminent death.

As I lay, bleeding, all over the floor--

I struggle for breath, as almost a minute passes while Alice looks on without expression--resting the smoking rifle over her shoulder.

Ah...right...it's due to my...initial shock…

But I can still...survive this...

Miki had given me more of her bands when I asked her, recently, so I quickly discard one of them to activate my System power and REVERSE--by approximately three seconds, my brain tells me--back to a moment when I was only SLIGHTLY less close to dying: with the puddle of my own drained blood, pooled beneath me, likewise shrinking just slightly in accordance.

One...isn't nearly enough...I have to...

Desperate, I throw off all the bands at once, in quick succession:

Three seconds...6...9...12…

There's still...whole chunks of me missing--

But--SHIT! I've run out of bands!

Alice is rolling her eyes, as I quickly tear off one glove--

Followed shortly by the next--

Then, one shoe, followed by the next--

Afterward, my stockings--

Now, having stripped myself of everything save for my signature outfit's 'tiara' hairband, and what's on my body--I've STILL only managed to reverse time to a moment of several seconds after she'd shot me; since, as I've noticed, the wounds and blood loss have been continually re-worsening--in the split seconds it takes for me to undress!

Alice smirks. "Oho! Looks like I'LL be getting a show today."

"Fucking...bitch…" I gasp.

I throw away my tiara, for another three seconds.

When it comes to garments, though…

My blue corset, after I struggle to rip it apart and throw it off me, feeling an extra sting from the bullets that had lodged into my torso in the process--

Instead of only 3…

It gives me a whole 6 seconds, and it's finally enough!

Only now...am I finally safe...

Only now...as I am stripped down to just Alice's frilly pink underwear, buckling my knees and chattering my teeth, shivering in the bitingly cold air-conditioned room--in front of my GIRLFRIEND!

Still, I'm way more pissed off, than I am embarrassed...

"Alice, what the Hell?!"

She laughs, dematerializing the Vorpal Rifle as she goes for her damned E-cigar: no doubt thinking she looks SO damned cool, as she lights it and brings it to her lips with a way about her that's so detached she could probably float off to space at any second.

"That's right~~~" She says in a sarcastic, lilting sort of way. "I forced a striptease out of you, didn't I?"

"Damn it! It isn't funny. I almost could've--"

"Died?" She laughs. "Yep. That's how a gun works."

I'm at a loss for words, as she continues:

"See...what I did just now required NO special training, or a System ability, or anything--"she holds up a pair of fingers, forming a "gun," squinting as she "aims" it at me--"other than picking up a gun, pointing it at you...and pulling the trigger. Something anyone can do."

Straightening.herself, she pauses to take a breath from her cigar, the noticeable lack of a smarmy smile on her face communicating to me, far better than words could, the fact that she's disappointed. "So, today's lesson is: if you allow your fear to take hold, anyone wielding the most common form of weaponry, in our day, can blow you to pieces a million times faster than that power of yours can patch you back up."

With this, she gives a small salute, turning her back to me--a gesture I've come to recognize as a surefire sign we won't be "unwinding" after class today; because I swear she's only using sex as a reward for when I do well in class! Like I'm some dog she's teaching to roll over for treats...

"Class dismissed!"

…

...

Since Ms. Alice saw fit to end class early, I hurry to the simulation room hoping I won't be too late and, to my relief, I do find Blitz: lying on her back across the floor, in the observation deck. 

She sits up as I approach, squinting from having just been woken from a nap.

"Where are those dumb girls?" She asks.

"Hah. No clue. I guess they had something come up."

She huffs. "Good. They're annoying."

Of course, she's referring to Miki and Miko, who normally would've been waiting out in the hall for my training with Ms. Alice to end, so that they could join me and Blitz, in the simulation room, for the remaining 20 minutes or so of lunch break.

I don't blame Blitz for being bitter, though, as lately I've been an awful big brother...

I'm cognizant of the fact that she's the one ultimately receiving the short end of the stick, with all that's changed in my life: being denied the precious time we used to have, just to ourselves, that I know is as important to her as it is to me, as she's usually too busy with missions for us to hang out afterschool for us to meet then...

"I'll have a talk with those two." I promise her, smiling and taking her hand to walk us to the terminal.

I notice she's tiredly yawning, and rubbing her eyes--looking like a rabbit that's cutely cleaning itself with the way her hair bow, that's the same pure white as her hair, stands upright in a pair of tall "ears."

Just looking at her...I want to tell her how special she is to me. 

To let her know that I'm trying as hard as I am, even if it means missing our lunches together, to become a brother she can look up to rather than always feel the need to stick up for.

I squeeze her hand in mine, causing her to look up at me in surprise.

"What's wrong?" She asks, concerned.

"Nothing." I lie, as I'm biting back stupid tears. "How about we build snowmen today, hm?"

She groans, saying she's "not eight anymore."

And I laugh...because she's right.

...

After my classes finish for the day, I decide to pay the Cultivators a visit, with some questions regarding my System powers, as well as a few questions about Charming Forms in general.

Miko and Miki are joined with me, and as we're taking the long elevator ride up we start sharing stories.

"They're a bunch of creepy otaku, so of course I was scared!" Miki said, hiding behind Miko: who merely shrugged, saying, "we went together, and it was...weird. The elders seemed really interested in the fact we're gyarus, and kept trying to get us to show them our charming forms."

Miki pokes her head out from behind Miko, suddenly exclaiming, "it was SO super, super weird! It's a good thing Miko was there with me."

Seeing these two in their antics, I can't help but smile.

"Aren't you girls always together?"

"We met at a girls' home." Miko explains, as she's patting Miki on the head to console her. "We've both been through some tough shit. Tea Time was just the icing on the cake."

Miki sniffed. "I didn't have any parties to go to...for months!"

"There, there... it's over now."

"Oh, that's right!" Miki, who was just now in tears, suddenly exclaimed as she lifted up her head with a bright smile. "We should all have a shower together when we get back, shouldn't we babe?"

I let out a sigh, as she's playing with my hair. "Fun as that sounds...maybe tomorrow. I'm tired."

"Aww…Miko will massage you, then."

"Eh?!" Miko bristled. "Why not do something for Alex yourself,for once!"

"B-b-but Miko-chan, you're the best at it!"

"Oh? Just like how I'm the better cook, the better bedmaker, and I'm up making sure he's ready and looking nice in the morning while you're still snoozing; not to mention, I can actually listen to people, instead of always trying to make the conversation about me!"

"Isn't that what you're doing right now, though?"

"NO--this is about Alex-kun!"

"Whatever!" Miki snaps, turning away with her arms crossed--then peering back at Miko again, seconds later, with her eyelid pulled and tongue hanging out, before adding, "either way, I'm still better at kissing, and all the fun stuff!"

While they're still going at each other's throats, I retreat into my thoughts.

It feels weird, being fought over by girls. I'm really not sure if a plain guy like me should warrant such affection, if not for the reason I'm the only one left in school.

How would they react if they learned about my relationship with Ms. Alice?

Once the elevator reaches the top, we go to the Cultivation Hall where the same little girl with bushy blonde hair, from my previous visit, greets us at the sliding shoji screen door. She shows us inside, past the meditating acolytes, to the circle of elders upstairs.

And today, it would seem, we've walked in on their arts and crafts day…

And immediately, I want to barf.

They're all gathered, as before, though not in a seated circle but rather a circle of easels directed at a subject standing at the center: a "little girl" in a super-tight white leotard with long, flowing curls of orange hair, statuesquely posing atop a marble pedestal.

In the prevailing dead silence, I exchange glances with Miki and Miko, who both seem to be sharing in my feelings of awkwardness.

What...the...fuck? Miko mouths to me.

Meanwhile Miki is creeping, ever-closer, back towards the stairs.

This is awkward, and weird as hell.

So, so awkward and weird!

I am about to follow Miki's lead and evacuate, until I recognize Jessa waving at me from one of the easels, her vibrant pastel pink hair tied up in a bushy ponytail, dressed in an orange flower-patterned shirt and purple paint-smeared overalls.

Aw...crap.

I've been spotted.