Everyone was present for school the next day. Tatsuya had fully recovered from his illness, Arashi's injury had fully healed, and Aika's relationship with Tatsuya had been successfully salvaged. As for Tatsuya's friends, Sasuke's stomach injury fully healed and Manami recovered from his little knock-out with no after-effects. Tatsuya was happy to see his friends doing well—Manami was quick to engage in his perverted activities again upon returning back to school after the last battle they had.
The school day itself began as any normal school day for Tatsuya and the gang. It wasn't until third period that something new happened. The teacher announced the arrival of two new transfer students. Tatsuya heard those words and grew scared. The last few transfer students really did a number on his normal school life. The teacher opened the door and revealed the two new transfer students. Tatsuya glanced at them and was a little surprised to find out that they were normal human students…at least at first glance. Still, he silently prayed that these new students were normal, regular people.
The first student introduced herself as Toki Nekoyashi. She was a cute girl with bold navy blue hair styled in cat-ears and opulent green eyes. She had long canines that stuck out of her upper lips and seemed to possess a cat-like smile as her default look. Nekoyashi appeared to be a very perky and energetic girl; her introduction was heavily saturated with wild hand gestures and waving. Another notable characteristic of hers was the tendency to end her sentences with the verbal tic "nyan". Tatsuya couldn't help but wonder if she was an anime character or someone who's just really into that type of stuff (like a cosplayer or an otaku).
The second student introduced herself as Natsume Torahime. She was a little taller than her friend and had long raven-black hair with orange streaks that ended in two twin-tails. Her eyes were a bright and intense orange amber and she had a small beauty mark right under her left eye. Hanging from her ears were fang earrings. Torahime presented herself as a serious and aloof person, bordering on unfriendliness and unapproachability. She even made it clear that she is not here to make friends.
Once they were finished with their introductions, the teacher placed them in two empty seats at the back row. The other students were both amazed and intimidated by how Torahime carried herself. She was a true beauty and had already won the hearts of many fans. As she walked to the last row and passed by Tatsuya, she particularly singled him out with a glare. Tatsuya flinched at the sight of her glare and turned his face away. He wasn't sure why she was giving him such intense eyes like he was her prey.
When it was time for the break after the period had ended, Tatsuya stretched out his arms and yawned. Even though it's his first day back, he couldn't help but wish for the school day to end already just like any normal teenager. Suddenly, the sound of two hands slamming on his desk made him jump. Standing in front of him with the same intense, analytical eyes as a tiger stalking its prey was the new student: Natsume Torahime. She eyed him with a scary gaze that made the very hairs on his body stand up.
"What's your name?" she asked him rudely.
Tatsuya was too surprised to answer. She repeated her question with another slam of his desk. "O-Owatatsumi Tatsuya," he answered.
"Hey, Himeko, let's not scare the new students nyan," said Nekoyashi, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Let's try to get along nyan!" she added cheerfully.
"Owatatsumi Tetsuya," announced Torahime, "you are my enemy! I will never be your friend, let that be known. But I will be the one to take you down! This is for the greater good of the world!"
"Um, actually, it's Tatsuya," corrected Tatsuya with a nervous smile.
"Don't try to trick me, Owatatsumi Tetsuya," threatened Torahime. "I'm prepared to take you out right now." She reached into the back of her uniform when Nekoyashi quickly stopped her.
"Oh, Himeko, you prankster," laughed Nekoyashi embarrassingly. "We're sorry for causing you trouble nyan," said the girl, bowing her head. She also forced Torahime to do the same, ignoring the latter's resistance.
"I-It's fine," responded Tatsuya with a nervous chuckle.
"Himeko isn't that familiar with outside life nyan," admitted Nekoyashi. "She's like a sheltered ojou-sama but not really, nyan ha ha." Tatsuya kindly nodded along with a smile even though he wasn't exactly sure what the cat girl was talking about. "Anyway, I'm Toki Nekoyashi nyan."
"Owatatsumi Tatsuya," introduced Tatsuya.
"Nice to meet you, Owatatsumi-san," said Nekoyashi with a friendly wave. "And I'm sure you know my friend, Natsume Torahime nyan. I call her Himeko."
"So, where did you two transfer from?" asked Tatsuya.
"Are you trying to undermine us by learning about our life?" asked Torahime threateningly.
"I don't think that's what he means, nyan," Nekoyashi told her friend. "We've previously came from a private institution," she told Tatsuya.
Torahime quickly pulled Nekoyashi to the side and said in a quiet voice, "Wait a minute, Koneko (Kitten), why are you telling the enemy everything?"
"I'm just being friendly," replied Nekoyashi.
"But he is our enemy," protested Torahime.
"They always say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer," reasoned Nekoyashi.
"Fine," relented Torahime.
Soon, the next period began. All through class time, Tatsuya could feel Torahime staring daggers at him. Her eyes were as intense as smoldering coal and possessed a very powerful presence. He couldn't focus well on class and have more than once found himself taking the wrong notes and making spelling mistakes. It was messing with his head and he prayed for it to stop. What was the reason behind Torahime's antagonistic behavior towards him? Lunch quickly arrived and Tatsuya excused himself to use the restroom. He nonchalantly exited the classroom and headed straight for the boys' bathroom.
Unbeknownst to him, Torahime followed his every movement with her eyes and even went as far as following him out of the classroom. She had her eyes glued to him and followed closely behind with her hands behind her back. Upon seeing Tatsuya enter the bathroom, she stayed close to the walls and waited outside. Torahime didn't care about the weird looks aimed at her from passing students and teachers; they didn't mean anything to her.
Tatsuya exited the bathroom and began to walk back to class when Torahime appeared before him with a very scary scowl. He wanted to desperately run away but somehow found his body unable to move under the intense pressure of her scowling eyes. This type of pressure reminded him a bit of Aika's burning fury whenever she gets jealous or angry, but more intense.
"I have my eye on you," she told him in a dark voice.
"E-Excuse me?" stuttered Tatsuya.
"What did you do in there?" asked Torahime seriously.
"Uh, what?" came Tatsuya in surprise. He couldn't believe that she was really asking him that question, and with no shame at all either! His face suddenly became red and he said, "W-What does that have to do with you?"
"I'll have you know that if I find you doing anything remotely suspicious or that will put the lives of everyone at school in danger, I will take you down," she threatened him with a snarl.
Tatsuya took a step back and asked uneasily, "W-What do you mean by that?"
"I know your secret, Owatatsumi Tetsuya," whispered Torahime with squinted eyes.
Her words made every hair on Tatsuya's body stand on end. He was beyond shocked to hear those words coming out of her mouth. 'What could she be talking about?' he thought worriedly to himself. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead. His body stood still in a quasi-catatonic state. No words could be summoned to respond back to this claim. Torahime turned around and began to walk back but not before flashing him another dangerous glare.
When Tatsuya arrived back to the classroom, he silently walked back to his desk. As he did, he made sure to be wary of Torahime and her dangerous glares, turning his face away from her position and avoiding her eyes as much as he could. Meanwhile, he noticed that Aika was quick to become friends with Nekoyashi—the both of them had clashing bold personalities that somehow worked very well due to their amicable characters. Seeing them together brought back to mind something the cat girl had told him before about Torahime—the latter wasn't used to outside life. Now, what could she had mean by that? Suddenly, a thought came to his mind: 'Could Torahime be a dragon too?' If she was, then the claim she made about knowing Tatsuya's secret would make some sense. 'Maybe she's a member of the United Front,' he justified to himself.
The school day went by in a flash and it soon came time for Tatsuya to go home…at least that's what he would be doing. He was stopped by his three friends outside the classroom and was told by them about the very first meeting of the Cultural Mythologies and Supernatural Research Club, which was happening today. And so, Tatsuya and the three dragon princesses followed his three friends to the clubroom. They went inside and was happily greeted by an excited Mr. Urushihara.
"Now, let's get started!" announced the teacher. "First thing on the agenda, electing the club's president!"
"I vote for Darling!" offered Aika excitedly.
"I agree," seconded Kanjomizu with a bashful smile.
"That should be fun to watch," said Arashi with an intrigued smile.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" exclaimed Tatsuya with his hands up in a 'stop' gesture. "I didn't say that I want to be president. Don't I get a say in this?"
"I think that the choice is obvious," said Sasuke. "But it's only fair to do this democratically so that everyone's opinion can be heard," he added with a smile. Tatsuya was very glad to hear his friend say that. "Now," began Sasuke, "all in favor of electing Tatsu as the club's president?" Everyone except Tatsuya held their hand up in favor.
"Wait—huh—uh—what," stuttered Tatsuya as he suffered utter defeat at the hands of everyone else in this room. And so, via a unanimous "democratic" decision, Tatsuya was elected as the President of the Cultural Mythologies and Supernatural Research Club.
After a few arguments here and there regarding the other positions within the club, it was decided that Sasuke will be the club's Vice President, Kanjomizu as the club's Secretary, Daiki as the club's Historian, and Manami as the club's Treasurer. Aika was upset that she had failed to secure a position, and her envy was aimed specifically at Kanjomizu for her success in winning a spot next to Tatsuya as an officer of the club. Arashi couldn't care less about being elected and would rather enjoy the freedom of being a regular member instead; at least this way, she can have more time to indulge in playing with her toys for amusement's sake.
Once everyone got settled, Mr. Urushihara began the club's actual first discussion. "Firstly, I would like to thank you all on behalf of the United Front for helping us capture members of the organization responsible for the extensive damage caused by dragons doped on Dracolax. After questioning the three members you helped apprehend, we can confirm that the organization is directly related to Ouroboros."
"Where are those guys now?" asked Tatsuya.
"They're still being held for further questioning, however despite their claims of being elite members of Ouroboros, we have concluded from the answers they gave us that they are no more than low tier members responsible for carrying out orders from the higher ups," explained Mr. Urushihara.
"I never believed their claims in the first place," offered Manami with a shake of his head.
"The three members, they were a Long, a Bakunawa, and a Druk, correct?" asked Sasuke.
"Yes," answered Mr. Urushihara. "All three of them are also Blessed Children."
"Blessed Children?" asked Tatsuya.
"Among the dragon tribes, their are certain members who are blessed with great power upon birth," explained Mr. Urushihara. "These special members are called Blessed Children. The powers they are blessed with are powers that once belonged to, and are associated with, the original thirteen. Unlike magic potency and ability potential, this trait is not only reserved for royalty or nobility. However, only a person with some type of blood bond to the original thirteen can inherit such traits. All members of a tribe are collectively called the children of their respective founders, but only a portion can claim true descent by blood."
"The first of the three," continued Mr. Urushihara, "Miryu, the leader, is a Long blessed with the power to petrify anyone who gazes at his glowing magical markings. This ability is called 'Hollow Light'. It is a very strong and rare ability. I've only ever witnessed this ability once before with a Long who can petrify others with just a look of his own glowing eyes. The second of the three is Kiryu, a Druk blessed with the ability to emit strong electrical sounds at an intense volume that can shake the Earth and crumble buildings. This ability is called 'Sonic Disruption'. It is a very formidable ability. However, it is only effective over a twenty kilometer range. The last of the three is Iwaryu, a Bakunawa who has the ability to make mental suggestions that immediately forces you to subconsciously obey it. This ability is called 'Inner Voice'. It is a rare psychic ability that not even the most gifted psychic magic users can achieve. At most, psychic magic users can only make suggestions that places you under their control, though this requires intense focus and concentration."
"So what are you going to do about them, the Sanryu?" wondered Tatsuya.
"Ah yes, they call themselves the Sanrio. Weird name choice," said the teacher with an 'eh' expression. "Well, we're planning to get more information out of them if we can. But if we can't, then we will place them in prison."
"Good deal," said Sasuke with a nod.
"Well, that's all I have for today," concluded the teacher.
"Wait a minute, everyone," said Tatsuya, turning everyone's attention to him. "I have something I need to tell you all."
"What is it?" asked Mr. Urushihara.
"I believe that Natsume Torahime is a dragon," he revealed to the group.
"The new transfer student?" asked Sasuke.
"The new transfer student," repeated Manami with a perverted look on his face, drooling.
"Impossible, it's impossible," said Aika.
"What makes you say that?" Tatsuya asked her.
"Her scent," reasoned the fire dragon princess. "Her scent is that of a human's."
"And what do humans smell like?" Tatsuya asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"Kinda like sweaty socks and rain," answered Aika after giving it some thought. The others around her nodded in agreement.
Tatsuya kind of felt a little offended by that comment. But he still pushed for his theory and said, "She told me that she knows my secret."
"Your secret?" asked Mr. Urushihara. His face darkened and his brows furrowed in a frown. "Tatsuya, I advise you to be wary of her. A human who knows your secret is a very dangerous person to cross."
"What do you mean?" asked Tatsuya.
"Just take my word and stay away from Natsume Torahime," said the teacher strictly. "That goes for all of you too." The others quickly nodded in response to the order.
Tatsuya wasn't sure what was going on, but he for sure have never seen Mr. Urushihara with that kind of look before. He decided to heed his teacher's words and stay away from Natsume Torahime as best as he can. If her presence has caused even Mr. Urushihara to voice this warning, then Tatsuya could only assume that Natsume Torahime is someone he should avoid at all cost for his own wellbeing. But that still didn't stop him from wondering why. Just who is Natsume Torahime?
Tatsuya woke up a little late the next morning and was rushing out of the doors. The girls had already gone on ahead of him, which surprised him a bit at first because he had expected them to wait for him. Once he was out of the doors, he quickly made his way down the streets and stopped at the crosswalk halfway to the school. Next to the crosswalk was a tree. The sound of rustling leaves caught his ear, but he quickly disregarded it as either a squirrel or the wind. As he waited for the signal to change, he glanced over at the tree and was taken aback when he noticed a human eye staring back at him. 'Just what the hell is that?' he asked himself worriedly.
As if in answer to his inquiry, the mysterious figure in the tree jumped down to the ground, which took a passing couple by surprise, and revealed itself to be none other than Natsume Torahime. With the same dangerous intense eyes as yesterday, she glared at Tatsuya threateningly for no obvious reason at all. "Owatatsumi Tetsuya," she began, "I guess you're a worthy opponent after all to notice my hiding spot."
"Uh, actually, I—," stuttered Tatsuya in confusion.
She put her face right up to Tatsuya's and said, "But don't think that you will ever catch me with my guard down."
"Uh, right," replied Tatsuya slowly.
The signal changed and Torahime quickly crossed over. Tatsuya followed far behind at a safe distance. Once he arrived at school, he noticed Torahime sitting at her desk as usual with a nonchalant expression on her face, as if whatever happened a few minutes ago at the crosswalk didn't happen at all. He chose to follow suit and pretended that that entire situation was lost to history. He glanced around and noticed Aika and Nekoyashi chatting it up like very close friends. The cat-girl was very amiable and open to her new friend, something that made Tatsuya wonder how a girl like Nekoyashi could have any relation to a cold and intense person like Torahime.
First period came and went without a hitch. As the first break arrived, Tatsuya got up to talk to his friends. He was greeted warmly by the guys and they proceeded to engage in typical guy talk. "Guess what, guys, I bought the new 'Overlord III: The Messiah Dragon' game!" announced Manami.
"Seriously? I heard that the game is sold out in almost every store in Tokyo," said Sasuke.
"I played the trial game they posted on their website," revealed Daiki. "I have to say, 'Overlord III: The Messiah Dragon' may not be better than 'Overlord II: Darkness Descends' in terms of character development and storyline, but I have high expectations for it."
"Especially since your favorite character is getting a new costume, right?" asked Sasuke with a devious grin.
"Oh, you mean the new maid costume for Albright, the Dragon Whisperer," said Manami.
"Well, that may be part of it," said Daiki casually, blushing and pushing his glasses up.
"How about you, Tatsu-chin?" asked Manami.
"I haven't been that much up-to-date about the series, but if the game is as good as you guys say it is, then I'll just have to secure my own copy of 'Overlord III: The Messiah Dragon' as soon as they restock it in stores," agreed Tatsuya with a grin.
The words 'Overlord', 'Messiah', and 'Dragon' had reached the ears of Natsume Torahime, who immediately rose up from her seat and approached the guys. She particularly turned to face Tatsuya and asked threateningly, "What are you planning, Owatatsumi Tetsuya?"
"What do you mean?" asked Tatsuya, confused by her question.
"Judging by your conversation, you plan to secure the position of overlord," began the girl. Her eyes suddenly became even more dangerous and sharper than razor blades.
"E-Excuse me?" stuttered Tatsuya in fear.
"You call yourself the 'Messiah Dragon', but you are nothing more than a conqueror bent on ruling the world," continued Torahime darkly. "I cannot allow that." She reached her hands behind her back and approached Tatsuya slowly, causing him to back away in fear.
"Overlord? Messiah Dragon?" wondered Tatsuya, trying to make sense of what Torahime was going on about. The words suddenly clicked in his mind and he realized that this was all a big misunderstanding. He stopped in his tracks and was about to explain when Torahime tripped upon a table leg and fell forward. She had pushed Tatsuya to the ground and fell on top of him. Tatsuya blinked his eyes and shook off the daze. Suddenly, he found himself eye-to-eye with Torahime, who had also shook off the daze and was now staring deeply into his brilliant and pure azure blue eyes.
Torahime had never seen such pretty eyes before. She felt as if she was staring into a new world of elegant beauty and harmonic clarity. It was both comforting and astonishing, just like looking into a deep abyss filled with graceful waves or a clear sky without a single dark cloud in sight. She could just sit and stare into these eyes all day. Somehow, she felt as if getting lost in these eyes was a reward in itself. So this was the eyes of her enemy. The sudden realization of what she was doing finally hit her. She was about to get up when a new feeling sent a shock throughout her body. The feeling had arose from her chest. She looked at her chest and realized to her horror that they were being defiled by Tatsuya's hands.
By this time, Tatsuya had noticed too that his hands had been manipulated to be caught in this questionable position. Her chest filled his hands like a pair of smooth and firm basketballs. Even though he deeply regrets every second of this compromising situation, the hidden perverseness in the back of his mind that is his natural human carnal instinct took control of his hands and decided to test their density. The amount of embarrassment that ran through his mind and Torahime's exceeded suicidal levels.
Suddenly, a loud scream shook the entire classroom. Aika ran up to the couple on the floor and screamed, "DARLING!"
"T-This isn't what it looks like!" squeaked Tatsuya.
Aika pulled Torahime off of Tatsuya and proceeded to grab him by the collar. With him still on the ground, she began to slap him repeatedly while crying, "Are you cheating on me? What do you think you're doing with another woman? Am I not good enough for you?"
"Please…I'm…sorry," apologized Tatsuya in between slaps. Aika finally stopped and got up. Tatsuya scrambled off of the ground and painfully rubbed his bruised cheeks.
"Owatatsumi Tetsuya!" screamed Torahime with angry tears streaming from her eyes. "How dare you defile me with your dirty hands?! Don't think that you'll escape punishment for forcing yourself onto me!"
"I didn't do anything like that at all!" protested Tatsuya.
"Liar! You groped my chest with those devilish hands of yours!" argued Torahime.
Those words struck a chord in Aika. She slowly turned to Tatsuya with a very scary face. Her eyes were filled with fury and had become as dangerous as a bed of knives. "Grope?" she asked Tatsuya with a dangerously monotone voice. "Heh, you've never done that to me at all," she continued, "but you're wiling to do it to other women who aren't even your betrotheds."
"T-That was a misunderstanding," pleaded Tatsuya, albeit unsuccessfully. Aika glared at him with scary eyes and an even scarier smile. "It really was!" he insisted with his hands held in prayer. That still didn't do anything to mollify Aika's silent fury. He gulped and attempted to appeal to the only thing he knew that would appease the fire dragon princess. "Remember our promise? I promised to protect you with my life." He could sense Aika's fury slowly disappearing. 'This calls for extreme measures,' he told himself. He gritted his teeth and exhaled. "Aika, I'll make you another promise," he told her.
"Promise?" asked Aika in a low voice.
"I promise to be your Darling first and foremost!" declared Tatsuya with shameless confidence.
Immediately, Aika's character did a complete one-eighty and she now returned back to her usual cheerful and clingy self. "Darling!" cried Aika happily, running up to Tatsuya with her arms wide open. She quickly grabbed onto him and hugged very tightly. "I never thought I would ever hear you say that," she told him happily. "But I guess I should've expected it. You are my Darling, after all."
"Wait a minute!" shouted Torahime. "Owatatsumi Tetsuya! This time, I will bring you down myself!"
"What do you mean?" Tatsuya asked loudly in a confused tone.
"You will never become the overlord of this world!" she declared. She reached behind her back and pulled out three shiny silver-blue shuriken. Without any regard for the other students in the classroom, she threw the shuriken straight at Tatsuya.
Tatsuya dodged the shuriken at the very last possible moment. His heart switched to overdrive and adrenaline surged through his veins. Before he could have a moment to catch his breath, Torahime jumped into the air with a kunai drawn. He didn't know where she pulled out those dangerous weapons from or why she was attacking him with them, but he knows that he doesn't have time thinking about it now and must focus instead on surviving her relentless attacks. She expertly aimed for his vital spots with the kunai, making it all the more dangerous and hard for him to carefully dodge her attacks. However, his quick reflexes and fighter instinct that he had cultivated since a young age helped him to avoid any attempts at a very life-threatening injury. It had gotten to the point where he managed to dodge a succession of powerful attacks and had traversed across the room to the classroom door.
"Owatatsumi Tetsuya!" shouted Torahime with a snarl.
"What the hell is your problem?" whined Tatsuya. "It was all a misunderstanding!"
"I will stop you before you succeed in your goal of becoming overlord!" she announced threateningly.
"Overlord?!" exclaimed Tatsuya in confusion. He suddenly remembered the misunderstanding and attempted to peacefully resolve this as best as he can. "'Overlord III: The Messiah Dragon' is a video game!" he told her.
"Don't try to lie your way out of this," she snarled.
A cat-and-mouse game of chase throughout the school occurred between Torahime and Tatsuya. Everywhere Tatsuya tried to escape to, Torahime effortlessly tracked him down. They dashed through the cafeteria, scrambled up and down the stairs, charged down the hallways and past innocent pedestrians and bystanders; it was hopeless for Tatsuya to try to lose Torahime. He eventually made it outside to the school grounds. Breathless and exhausted from all of the running, he stopped and leaned against the school walls to catch his breath. And just when he thought he had finally caught a break, a kunai zipped past him and struck the wall inches away from his face.
Torahime had caught up to him yet again. "Accept your fate, Owatatsumi Tetsuya!" she told him.
'Seriously, what's the deal with this chick?!' he wondered anxiously. "Listen, I don't want to fight you," he honestly told her.
"Do you think that I would lose to you so easily? Or are you just a fool for chivalry and think that fighting girls is not honorable?" mocked Torahime. "I'll have you know that I can take you on whether you like it or not."
"But I have nothing against you!" argued Tatsuya logically. "I'm not going to fight you," he declared vehemently.
"And that's why you're going to die," she told him darkly. "Although I thought it might be fun to test your strength with my own eyes, I'll just take this victory and do a favor for the world and kill you right here and now. Farewell, Dragonborn!" She dashed forward and quickly grabbed the kunai stuck to the wall and brought it up to Tatsuya's neck, her movements were faster than lightning and impossible to keep track of with untrained eyes. As she began to dig the edge of the blade into Tatsuya's skin, she found herself staring into his azure blue eyes yet again. She became completely mesmerized by their beauty and unconsciously stopped whatever she was doing. 'Such pretty eyes,' she thought to herself.
Tatsuya noticed that Torahime had stopped and was frozen in place due to some outside stimulus that he wasn't aware of. He immediately seized this opportunity to escape, breaking away from Torahime's trap and running back towards the school building. 'Thank you God for giving me this opportunity,' he silently prayed in thanks.
Tatsuya's escape quickly shook Torahime out of her daze. 'That fiend,' she cursed internally, 'How dare he attempt to catch me off guard with that trick!' She quickly followed after him and caught up. "Owatatsumi Tetsuya!" she yelled in fury.
'Crap!' cursed Tatsuya. He glanced back and noticed that she was only a few feet away. 'So fast!' he exclaimed in surprise. From behind him, Torahime threw the kunai and the weapon zipped past his right ear. 'This girl seriously wants to kill me!' he cried.
And then, as if in answer to his cries, Aika and Kanjomizu jumped in between Tatsuya and his pursuer. Torahime stopped in her tracks before the dragon princesses. "What's the meaning of this?" she asked them harshly.
"That's what I should be asking you," barked back Aika.
"Please stop this, Natsume-san," pleaded Kanjomizu.
"What the hell is your deal anyway?" Aika asked Torahime with a pointed finger.
"I promised myself that I would deal with you girls later. But if it has come to this…," said Torahime, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. She brought out a scroll and opened it. "Hear my prayers, O Great God Susanoo! Give me your blessing so I can vanquish thy foe, mmf-mmf-mmf-mmf…!" Nekoyashi had quickly appeared beside Torahime and grabbed her with one hand while covering her mouth with the other.
"I'm so sorry about this, nyan," apologized Nekoyashi with a bow and an embarrassed smile. "Let's go, Himeko! The next class is starting, nyan!" she said as she happily dragged Torahime away, putting an end to this fiasco once and for all.
Once they were gone, Aika quickly turned to Tatsuya and ran up to him. "Darling!" she cried, grabbing onto him and clinging very tightly. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," he told her. "Please let go, you're squishing me." Aika immediately released him from her monstrous grasp. "I wonder what she has against me," he wondered aloud, referring to Natsume Torahime.
Aika and Kanjomizu exchanged worried expressions. Aika quickly cleared her throat and said in her usual energetic voice, "Geez, what did she mean by dealing with us later anyway? She's a real witch, that one."
"From this day on forward, we will not have anything to do with Natsume Torahime or her associates," Tatsuya told them. "Until this problem is solved and my safety is assured, I suggest we stay far away from her as possible." He looked at Aika and added, "That also means staying away from Toki Nekoyashi too."
"Koneko-chan too?!" exclaimed Aika.
"Yes," said Tatsuya with a strict nod. 'Mr. Urushihara was right. We need to be careful around them and keep our distance.' Tatsuya didn't know the reason why he was being targeted by Natsume Torahime, but this entire incident reinforces Mr. Urushihara's warning about her. Right now, Tatsuya needs to do whatever he can in his power to avoid Natsume Torahime at all cost…especially if he wants to stay alive.
In an apartment somewhere in Tokyo, Natsume Torahime and Toki Nekoyashi were getting ready for dinner after a very exhaustive day at school. Torahime was cooking in the kitchen when Nekoyashi, having stepped out of the shower and wearing only a towel around her body, peeked her head in and took in a whiff of the delicious aroma. "That smells really good, Himeko," praised Nekoyashi.
"We're having fish stew tonight," said Torahime. Her tone towards her friend was lighter and more refined than the aloof character she plays while at school.
"Is it sea-perch tonight, nyan?" asked Nekoyashi with the sparkling eyes of a child.
"Of course," answered Torahime with a smile. "It always has to be sea-perch with you."
"It's my favorite after all, nyan," said Nekoyashi with a laugh. While Torahime was focused on cooking, Nekoyashi thought up of a funny idea. "Say, Himeko, I heard that you got caught in a rather unpleasant position today, nyan," said Nekoyashi casually.
Torahime twitched at the mention of today's unpleasant situation. "It's-It's nothing to talk about, really," she said in reply.
"Nyan?" asked Nekoyashi with a mischievous grin. "I heard from a classmate that during one of our breaks, you fell on top of Owatatsumi Tatsuya and something had happened, nyan. Sadly, I wasn't there to witness it all for myself since I had to take care of some business, nyan."
"If you don't know anything about it then stop talking about it!" ordered Torahime, raising her voice slightly.
"If I remember correctly," began Nekoyashi mischievously, sneaking up behind Torahime while the latter still had her attention focused on cooking. She brought her hands up and quickly grabbed Torahime from behind with her hands specifically focusing on the latter's chest. "It went something like this, nyan," teased Nekoyashi, groping and caressing Torahime's chest with the hands of a maniac.
Torahime was caught by surprise and the sudden feeling of hands touching her chest sent a shock right through her body. It was initially a shock of pleasure that then quickly transformed into pure fury. She grabbed the nearest pan and quickly smacked Nekoyashi on the head with it, ending this farce before it could go any further. Nekoyashi fell to the ground and rubbed her head with a childish smile. "Sheesh, Koneko, you really are too much to handle," admonished Torahime. "If you do that again, you'll get no dinner tonight!"
"Sorry about that, nyan-hee?" chuckled Nekoyashi.
"Anyway, go get dressed for dinner," ordered Torahime with a huff.
As Nekoyashi was walking out the kitchen, she made a comment that made Torahime blush a deep shade of crimson. "I bet Owatatsumi Tatsuya feel like he could die happy now after getting a handful of those gifts, nyan," said Nekoyashi with an impish smile.
"H-H-He's my enemy!" announced Torahime. "I'll make sure he will die the next time I see him. His beautiful azure blue eyes won't trick me to let down my guard again!"
"Beautiful azure blue eyes?" pressed Nekoyashi, intrigued with what she was hearing.
"I-I-I didn't say beautiful!" protested Torahime with a gulp.
"Could it be that you are infatuated with him, nyan?" suggested Nekoyashi. A giant smile suddenly spread across her face as she announced proudly, "This could be one of those maiden in love stories, nyan! Or perhaps, even a star-crossed-lovers tale worthy of Shakespeare, nyan!"
"What are you going on about now, Koneko?" whined Torahime like a little child.
"Himeko, could you be developing a crush on Owatatsumi Tatsuya after just staring into his eyes, nyan?" wondered Nekoyashi.
"Don't be ridiculous!" shouted Torahime furiously. "He is my enemy! I will take him down one and for all! I will be the one to do it!"
"Does it have to be you?" prodded Nekoyashi.
"Of course!" answered Torahime adamantly.
"Oh ho, I see now, nyan," said Nekoyashi with a nod.
"W-What do you mean?" inquired Torahime, confused by her friend's comment.
"I'm going to go change now," said Nekoyashi, running off to her room. "Be back for dinner, nyan!"
Her sudden departure after deciding not to answer the question scared Torahime greatly. 'What could she be thinking?' wondered Torahime to herself. She continued to feel anxious over what could be running through Nekoyashi's mind right now as she finished cooking and setting up the table for dinner.
The two of them sat at the table and proceeded to have dinner together. They said their prayers and then dug in. Nekoyashi was quick to attack the fish stew. The flavor tickled her tongue and pleased her brain. "This is really good, Himeko," she said with a satisfying sigh.
"Of course," agreed Torahime with a content smile.
"Say, Himeko, have you ever thought that maybe what we've been taught isn't all that correct, nyan?" wondered Nekoyashi.
"What are you talking about, Koneko?" asked Torahime with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't think all dragons are bad, nyan," answered Nekoyashi.
"Of course they are!" protested Torahime vehemently. "That is why I will carry out my orders to kill Owatatsumi Tetsuya. In order to preserve the peace of the world, I must kill the Dragonborn."