Erika

|The next morning|

"Like every year we have a very stressful week ahead of us. Every club is trying to recruit the best new members, which will in turn affect the power balance. Sadly, the recruitment process often leads to brawls and arguments between the clubs. Lucky for us we were able to fill our empty spots in time. Let me introduce them." Mari announces, standing in front of her disciplinary members.

"From class 1a we have Shun Morisaki and from class 1e we have Tatsuya Shiba and Sosuke Sagara. They will be joining us on our routes from this point forward."

"Are those three qualified for that?" An older member of the committee asks.

"They are more than qualified. Morisaki's abilities are high ranked in his class and the abilities of Shiba and Sagara I saw myself. OK then, if there are no more questions head out everybody." Mari replies and all of the committee members start to leave, leaving only Sosuke, Tatsuya, Shun and Mari in the room.

Here, those cads are for each of you. You can use them when you see fit, but if they are misused and we find out you will be kicked out of the disciplinary committee and punished." Mari tells the three, setting down a cad and an arm band for each one.

"I have a question, can I use one of the models I sorted through yesterday?" Tatsuya asks.

"Those are older models, but sure feel free to use them. They're only sitting around, collecting dust anyways." Mari says.

"My thanks. I'll take these two. Here Sosuke." Tatsuya says, taking two wristband cads while throwing two ring cads to his fellow soldier, who catches them and slips them around his index fingers, one on each hand.

The three of them then leave to patrol around the school grounds.

|school courtyard|

"Hey, paws off. Leave me alone." Erika says, getting harassed by multiple students from various clubs.

"Let go of me!" Erika says, struggling against the grip of her fellow student, causing her jacket to slide halfway off her arms before the ground beneath the group shakes, causing everyone to tumble. While they are falling to the floor Sosuke, who caused the mini earthquake jumps over the group, grabbing Erika's arm as he passes and pulls her onto his back the two fly past the falling students and out of the filled courtyard, coming to a halt hidden by some trees.

"Don't worry, you should be safe here."

Sosuke tells her, letting off his back.

"Thanks." Erika thanks him while Sosuke turns to face her, seeing that her shirt became halfway undone same as her jacket.

"Looks like I made it just in time." Sosuke says, taking off his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders.

"Mhh. Don't look." She says with burning red cheeks, turning around to fix her clothes.

"Here, thanks." She says embarrassed, giving him his jacket back.

"No problem. It's kind of my job now. Though I have to admit saving a beauty like you beats helping one of those macho men overestimating themselves." Sosuke tells her with a grin.

"So, you joined the disciplinary committee?" Erika asks, her cheeks matching her vibrant red hair as she leans in to inspect his black armband which identifies him as one of their members.

"Yah. I'm hoping it'll help me bail on some classes." Sosuke explains with a wide sheepish grin.

"Did you see anything?" Erika then asks, correcting her necktie and brushes over the top part of her shirt.

"Just a glimpse." Sosuke replies honestly.

"Well I guess it was inevitable. Just don't tell anyone about this alright?" Erika says.

"Don't worry. I won't." Sosuke assures her.

"How'd you get in that mess in the first place?" He asks.

"I guess I am too beautiful to walk around casually." Erika says dramatically.

"Come on, Mr. big bad protector you're coming with me." Erika says and pulls him with her, lightly pushing her large breasts against his arm as they walk over to the gym, where the kendo club is supposed to have an exhibition.

After watching the match Sosuke asks, "did you get bored to death too?" with a lazy expression on his face.

"Yeah, it was all just show, planned ahead in detail." Erika sighs disappointed.

"Isn't that normal? You can only show performances in kendo. A real fight would be to the death." Tatsuya tells them, having watched the performance as well.

The Kendo and Kenjutsu club then start an argument and Sayaka Mibu, an accomplished Kendo fighter faces off against Takeyaki Kirehara who is captain of the Kenjutsu club.

"Don't worry Mibu, I won't be using any magic in this fight." Kirehara tells her and Tatsuya starts his recording on his cad just in case.

The two opponents then rush at each other, clashing against one another with Mibu winning since her hit would be lethal while Kirehara's would be superficial.

"I win, with a real sword my hit would be fatal." Mibu says.

"Hah, with a real sword? If you want to fight with a real sword then let's go." Kirehara says pissed and activates his cad.

Kirehara uses the spell of a high frequency blade and rushes at her, slicing through her chest plate while Mibu jumps backwards.

When Kirehara goes in for another strike Tatsuya jumps in between him and Mibu, cancelling his magic with his cads and disarms Kirehara before pinning him to the floor.

"Ugh, I guess I could help him. See you around beautiful." Sosuke tells Erika, giving the back of her hand a chaste kiss before he appears next to Tatsuya suddenly.

"One person detained in hall 2, bring a stretcher just to be safe." Sosuke says into his radio.

"What do you two weeds think you're doing?" A member of the Kenjustu club asks.

"Kirehara used a dangerous magic technique and endangered a fellow student. I have to bring him in." Tatsuya replies.

"Are you kidding me you lowly weed. And why only Kirehara? Mibu was fighting him as well." The member shouts.

"Kirehara is detained because of the misuse of magic." Sosuke replies.

"Shut up!" The member shouts, rushing at the two and rears back for a punch before he suddenly collapses.

"What did you do?" Another Kenjutsu member shouts and moves in to attack, falling down after two steps as well.

"They tripped." Sosuke says unconvincingly.

"Fuck you!" The other Kenjutsu members shout and attack them, but everyone who takes a step forward collapses. Erika focuses on one guy going to attack her friends and can barely make out Sosuke's silhouette next to the teen before he collapses.

When two other students attempt to use magic Tatsuya breaks the spell before it fully forms.

"I think everyone should calm down. And we should get these floors checked out." Sosuke says, making the students around them sweat drop and shortly after two member of the disciplinary committee join them and load Kirehara onto a stretcher, leaving with Sosuke and Tatsuya following after them.

Two hours later Tatsuya and Sosuke are standing in front of Mari, Mayumi and a bulky teen they haven't met yet.

After explaining what happened and that Kirehara admits to his guilt Mari decides, "The disciplinary committee doesn't intend to put this event on trial, what about you Jumonji?"

"Thank you for your leniency. Kirehara used a magic which could've proven fatal so he could have been facing expulsion. I'll make sure that Kirehara learns from this."

"Will the Kendo club be OK with just that?" Mayumi asks.

"Mibu wasn't entirely innocent in this and accepted the duel." Mari reminds the president.

"I have one question though before you two leave... what am I hearing about the floor in the gym being dangerous?" Mayumi questions.

"When other members of the kenjutsu club tried to attack Tatsuya and me, the weirdest thing happened. They just collapsed." Sosuke report, while giving Mayumi a thumbs up and a smirk.

"I see." Mayumi accepts this, knowing he must've knocked the students out with his speed.

|Later that evening|

Tatsuya, Miyuki, Sosuke, Erika, Leo and Mizuki are sitting in a restaurant, their food just having been brought over to them.

"So this Kirehara used a magic with killing grade d? You're lucky you weren't hurt." Leo asks surprised.

"The magic only had a minor area of effect. The result however was just like a real sword." Tatsuya replies.

"You sound as if you would've been able to handle a real sword as well." Mizuki says.

"Correct, my brother wouldn't have a problem with that either. No one can beat my brother." Miyuki says.

"That's some trust you have in your brother." Erika says.

"Doesn't a high frequency blade cause something akin to sea sickness?" Leo asks.

"My brother is very adapt at interrupting other magic sequences. You used cast jamming, correct?" Miyuki asks.

"What was cast jamming again?" Leo asks.

"I think you need a special stone for that " Erika says.

"Antinite." Sosuke growls, downing his drink and leaves the table.

"What's up with him?" Erika asks surprised at seeing Sosuke in a bitter mood for the first time.

"He has a history with Antinite, but it's not my place to tell." Tatsuya tells them, recalling the mercenary tell him how the militz that found him implanted Antinite in his body.

"Anyways, Antinite is something from the military, I didn't use it. I only applied its method. Long story short, I send unclassified psionic waves out which disrupt the flow of other magic. This technique has to stay between us however." Tatsuya explains.

"Why's that?" Leo asks.

"In the wrong hands it could be dangerous, especially since you remove the need for antinite this way." Tatsuya explains.

"The matter of fact is my brother is the only one able to use it anyways, since no one else can read magic while it's being cast." Miyuki praises her brother.

"Well it's getting late. I'm going to head out." Erika tells them, heading out the restaurant after paying her share.

When she gets outside she sees Sosuke leaning against his bike.

"Hey, is everything OK?" She asks, tapping his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance, while he was thinking about his past.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, just had something on my mind." Sosuke tells her with a forced smile.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Nothing. It's in the past." He tells her.

"Fine, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She says.

"Yeah... Or do you want a lift?" He suggests, offering the spare motorbike helmet.

"Sure, why not." She agrees, putting on the helmet with its visor open.

"Do you know where I live?" She asks while he's getting on the bike.

"Now I do." He says after pressing a few buttons on the bike with a holographic map showing in the lower left corner of his helmet, while he's putting it on.

"K." She says, getting on behind him, closing the visor and grabbing onto him.

The ride to the Chiba is a quiet one and after 20 minutes Sosuke pulls up in front of the relatively small traditional compound.

"Do you want to come in?" She offers, opening the door to the compound.

"Sure." He agrees with a shrug, putting the helmets on his bike before following Erika in.

"So, who else lives here?" Sosuke asks, hearing no other noise besides their footsteps in the house.

"In this building, no one. That over there is the main compound." Erika says, pointing to the neighboring compound at least 8 times the size.

"Any reason for that?" He asks.

"If you really want to know, my mother was only a concubine while my father's wife was ill." Erika explains with disdain.

"Your father isn't your favorite person I'm guessing?" Sosuke asks.

"You could say that." She replies.

"What about you? Where are your parents?" She asks him.

"Dead probably. But who knows? I was brought up by a militia in Afghan." Sosuke says.

"Are those the bad memories?" She asks, thinking back to when he left the restaurant abruptly while leading him to her living room, offering him a seat.

"Yeah. Somewhat, look if you really are interested, I'll tell you but you have to swear to never tell anyone and I mean anyone." Sosuke offers.

"Alright, lay it on me." She says intrigued and prepares some tea for them.

Sosuke then explains his childhood to her, how he was raised as an assassin by the militia and how they experimented on him, making him a walking piece of antinite, next to him having strong magical powers.

"Whoa. That's a lot to take in. And here I felt sorry for myself for my ass of an father..." she says stunned.

"Well anyways, now you know. You're the 6th person to know this. At least the 6th who's still alive." Sosuke says.

"Can... can I see?" She asks nervously.

"OK." He says, taking off his shirt and sliding down his pants, revealing his battle tested body to her.

"I take it these are from the tests?" She asks gingerly running her fingertips over some larger scars 4 located on his chest and one on each arm and shin.

"Yes. The others are mostly bullet or knife wounds from before." Sosuke answers the unasked question when Erika looks at a scar in the middle of his stomach.

"Does it hurt?" She asks, handing him back his clothes.

"Not really. Like I said it's been over 10 years." Sosuke answers, putting on his pants.

"So, why'd you trust me enough to tell me?" She asks.

"I don't know. I just went with what my gut is telling me." Sosuke answers.

"And what is it telling you?" She asks chuckling.

"That I won't find someone more trustworthy or more understanding than you." Sosuke says honestly, putting on his shirt.

"Gee, your gut's going to make me blush." Erika says embarrassed, making him chuckle.

"Well, it's late. I should probably get out of your hair." Sosuke says after a moment of silence.

"Sure. And thank you for telling me. It means a lot that you trust me with such a secret." Erika thanks him, leading him back to the compounds door and gives him a big hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She says, waving him goodbye, while Sosuke gets on his bike.

"Well, looks like today wasn't that bad afterall." Sosuke says to himself while he's driving home.