So, as the time passed ten o'clock, the three slowly made their way around the back of the school, heading towards the back door.
The cold was nipping at Ariyama each step he took, and his stomach wasn't fairing much better. He wasn't sure if the breeze had made him catch a cold, or if it was nerves because of doing all this without Matsune.
It was probably the latter. Along with the added responsibility of having to take care of Kazura and Genichirou, it just made his job even harder.
Finally, they rounded to the back of the school and climbed over the metal fence, dropping down into the back courtyard and quietly sprinting over to the door. It was a simple fire exit, but Ariyama has to remind himself that he was shown that he wouldn't trip any alarms. Unless someone installed an alarm system between the time Ariyama had left school, and now.
Swallowing thickly, his breath coming out in long, shallow huffs, Ariyama reached out with quaking fingers and slowly pushed the bar handle. With a soft click, the door unlocked, and Ariyama pushed it open with a rush of adrenaline, prepared to hear the blaring alarm, preparing to turn and sprint off as soon as he could.
But no alarm came.
Ariyama breathed a sigh of relief. He really was being unnecessarily anxious. He just needed to not second-guess himself as much.
"Come then, let's head in. You know what to do, right, Ariyama?"
Genichirou slapped him on the back and swaggered inside, quickly followed by Kazura.
Seriously, they needed to get a room.
The halls inside the school were coated in cold mist, illuminated by a bluish-gray moonlight. It looked almost enchanted, like a fairy village in a fantasy story.
Ariyama shivered against the cold pressing against his jacket. He really should've brought more insulated clothing. As he looked around, Genichirou and Kazura came up behind him.
"What, don't tell me you've forgotten where Ijichi's room is, Ariyama."
Ariyama resisted the urge to glare.
"I haven't. I'm just… looking. Eh, whatever, come on."
The three walked through the hallways, their breath misting in the winter night air, their footsteps echoing through the walls. Finally, they reached the door leading into Ijichi Marimoto's classroom.
Genichirou was first to speak again.
"So, you said you wanted to be the one to do it, right?"
He pushed the door open, then signed and put his hand back down by his side. Ariyama noticed this.
"Is your hand OK?"
"Huh? Yeah, it's fine. I just cut it a while back. The thing was sharp so it left a nasty cut on my palm."
Huh.
"I see. Well, actually, I… need the bathroom. You too just day right here and don't wander off, OK?"
Without letting either of them interject, Ariyama sped off.
He didn't stop till he was back on the first floor again. Slightly out of breath, he leaned against a wall to catch his breath, before standing straight and properly having a look around.
He'd wanted to stay close to those two at all times, but because of that lie he'd told, it would be impossible to use mana detection while around them. But it didn't matter, really. As long as it only took him a couple minutes, he could be back in no time.
And so, he did just that. He stood straight, closing his eyes and focusing on accessing his mana detection. He felt the cold pressing against his skin through his clothing, and tried to push the feeling away. He let the heat from his body expand out, as if tearing a hole in a balloon and letting the helium escape. As the heat counteracted the cold, Ariyama focused even more. He imagined the bluish mist around him shifting and transforming into a deep red. Among the sea of red, there were points of flickering blue. Ariyama counted only two of those blue sparks. He wasn't sure how it worked, but he was able to see that those two sparks were located on steps of the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Dammit. So, there was residual mana inside the building. Ariyama doubted Matsune ever used her Enchanted Tool --which he was pretty sure was the only way mana could be released into the atmosphere – indoors. So that meant it had to have been the hooded man. Since his Enchanted Tool seemed to be a knife that could duplicate itself seemingly infinitely, it probably wasn't something too hard to conceal in public.
He let his concentration slip and as his mana detection wore off, Ariyama cursed to himself and raced up the steps.
Kazura and Genichirou better be OK.
Please.
Ariyama hurried towards Ijichi's classroom. If those two did what he had said, they should've been close by.
Ariyama almost cried of relief as he suddenly heard two voices in the distance – it had to be Kazura and Genichirou. Slowly he came to a stop, just about to round the corner when he saw the scene in front of him and quickly edged back behind the corner. Ariyama's heart pounded, his face flush with embarrassment, as he slowly peeked back into the hallway.
On the left wall was the door to Ijichi-sensei's classroom, and on the right wall was a line of lockers. Kazura was pressed back against those lockers, looking really submissive with a huge blush in her face, as she looked up at Genichirou towering over her. The tall blonde was resting an elbow over Kazura's head against the lockers. He was grinning down at her with a bright smile, eyes narrowed with desire. Both of them were red in the face, and breathing heavily.
Ariyama was as dumb as to not realize he had narrowly missed seeing a full on makeout session between those two.
"...how you really feel about me, huh?"
That was Genichirou, chuckling slowly as he caressed Kazura's tan cheek.
Kazura was flustered and couldn't find the words to say. There was a pang of something in Ariyama's chest, something he didn't quite understand. Was it that he was jealous? No, no way. Was he thinking – even wishing – that he could've been the one pressing Kazura against the wall?
"Listen, Kazura-chan–"
"M-Machi. Just call me Machi."
"Really now? Machi, I'll ask you again. So this is how you really feel about me, huh?"
"Y-yeah. I've always thought you were so… so damn hot, and now…"
She trailed off, and then both looked at each other deviously. Before either of them could start ripping the clothes off one another, Ariyama reckoned it was best he invaded this moment before anything crazy happened.
Trying to act natural, he walked back to them, pretending to just catch them in the act. As her eyes met his, Kazura flushed a deeper red and pushed Genichirou off, stepping into the middle of the hallway, peeking at Ariyama guiltily.
"Sorry, Saato-kun, I…"
Genichirou stepped up next to her and gave Ariyama a cocky wink. He had a sudden urge to punch the guy, but withheld it and strode back towards them.
"Look, what you two do is not down to me. Just remember, there are cameras around these parts. Anyways, are you too ready?"
Kazura nodded quickly, then glanced at Genichirou beside her, who looked down at the girl who was only eye-level with his stomach. He smirked.
"I know you wanna rip the clothes off me, don't ya? I'm afraid not."
He chuckled to himself.
"I've got things to do, girl."
Ariyama's heart raced with panic, his limbs suddenly feeling heavy. His stomach churned and he felt like vomiting on the spot. Warmth and ice drenched his insides, twisting and turning his veins to lava and ice water simultaneously.
That voice.
Ariyama moved instantly and pushed Kazura away, ripping off his backpack and pulling his sword out, leaping at Genichirou, who still looked confused.
Ariyama knew he recognised that voice during the one sentence he heard from the hooded man.
And that wound he'd given him on his palm, using his sword…
It was Genichirou.
Genichirou was the culprit, and the unregistered Tribute.