It was Monday, and lunchtime at school. I decided to approach Mei to have lunch with her. She was sitting next to the window, gazing outside as the breeze gently stirred her hair. The weather was pleasant, with a clear sky and the sound of distant birds chirping. I walked over to her, a bit nervous but determined.
"Hey, Mei," I said as I approached.
She turned to me and smiled. "Hi, Izumi."
I grabbed a chair and placed it in front of her desk, sitting down with my lunch. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," she replied, still smiling.
As we settled into our lunch, she looked at me closely. "Did you sleep well last night? You look a bit tired."
I chuckled, trying to brush it off. "Yeah, I guess I stayed up a bit too late."
Mei frowned slightly. "You should take better care of yourself, Izumi. It's important to get enough rest."
"I know, I know," I said, taking a bite of my sandwich. "I'll try to get to bed earlier tonight."
We continued eating in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Mei spoke again. "By the way, could I borrow your science class notes from Friday?"
"Sure," I replied. "Why do you need them?"
"I think the teacher might give us a test before the weekend," Mei explained. "I want to make sure I'm prepared."
"Unfortunately, I didn't bring the notes today," I said apologetically. "But I'll bring them tomorrow."
"Thanks, Izumi. I appreciate it," Mei said with a nod.
"No problem," I replied. "We'll ace that test together."
As we continued our conversation, I remembered something from the previous night. "Oh, by the way, my little sister Yuki has been asking me to bring you over to our place."
Mei's eyes lit up. "That's so cute! Your sister must be adorable."
"She is cute and adorable," I admitted with a grin. "But she's also stubborn and possessive at times."
Mei laughed. "Sounds like quite the handful."
"She definitely keeps things interesting," I said with a chuckle.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Mei brought up the dolphin show from the day before. "Remember yesterday's show? The dolphin one?"
"Yeah, it was great," I said. "I wish we could go again. It was a lot of fun, especially seeing you get splashed with water."
Mei's eyes narrowed menacingly. "Forget that incident or I'll beat you up until you do."
I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll try. But it's still burned into my mind."
She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "You better."
Just then, Takashi joined us, breaking into our conversation. "Hey, guys," he greeted us.
"Hi, Takashi," Mei and I replied in unison.
Mei gestured to the right side of her desk. "Have a seat, Takashi."
He sat down and smiled. "So, how was the dolphin show yesterday?"
"It was amazing," I said. "The dolphins were incredible."
"Yeah, they were so well-trained," Mei added. "Their tricks were impressive."
"I loved the part where they jumped through the hoops," Takashi said. "And the synchronized swimming was fantastic."
"Definitely," Mei agreed. "They were so in sync."
I couldn't resist. "And of course, the best part was when Mei got splashed with water."
Mei shot me another threatening look, but Takashi didn't notice. "Sounds like you had a great time," he said.
We laughed, and the conversation shifted. "By the way, have you noticed that Kaito isn't here today?" I asked.
"Yeah, I did," Takashi replied. "I wonder what's up."
"I hope he's not sick," Mei said, concern in her voice.
"Maybe he's just taking a day off," I suggested. "Sometimes we all need a break."
"True," Takashi said. "But it's not like Kaito to miss school without a reason."
We chatted about Kaito for a while, speculating on why he might be absent. Then Takashi brought up something surprising. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you guys. Yesterday, my house was robbed."
"Really?" Mei exclaimed. "That's awful! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Takashi reassured her. "The robber was caught before he could get away with anything."
"What did he try to steal?" I asked, curious.
"He was after an antique vase from France," Takashi explained. "It's a family heirloom."
"Wow," Mei said. "That must have been scary."
"It was," Takashi admitted. "But thankfully, the police arrived in time."
We continued talking about the robbery, amazed at how quickly the situation had been resolved. The conversation flowed naturally, and before we knew it, the lunch break was coming to an end.
"We should probably head back to class," Mei said, glancing at the clock.
"Yeah, time flies when you're having fun," Takashi agreed.
We gathered our things and made our way back to the classroom, still chatting and laughing. The lunch break had been a perfect blend of lighthearted moments and meaningful conversation, strengthening the bond between us.
Soon school ended, and we went to our homes. Mei had told me to come to the park around 6 o'clock when the sun sets. I went home, refreshed myself, and instead of passing the time away, I decided to do some exercises. When it was 6 pm, I headed towards the park and saw Mei sitting on a bench. I approached her and said, "Oh, you're pretty early."
"Yeah, I know," she said. "So, are you ready for our hunt?"
"Yes," I said.
"Well, let's begin," she said with a smile, waving her hands towards the sky. "Spirit Arts: Time Pause." A red time barrier surrounded the entire area. "Let's go, shall we?" she said, and I responded with a nod.
She chanted, "Null Arts: Wide Search," and immediately she got the location of the Kaiju. Suddenly, her expression changed, and she seemed worried.
"Mm... Izumi, listen, this fight is going to be the hardest one you have faced so far," she continued. "It's a higher-low, so I think it's not a proper match for you."
"Don't worry, I will beat it!" I said confidently.
She nodded. "Alright."
Then I asked, "Don't the Kaiju's tiers have a more formal ranking?"
"Yes, they do," she replied. "I use this ranking to explain it easier."
"Oh, I see. Can you tell me the formal ranking format?"
"Alright," she said. "Minor, Mild, Moderate, Significant, Considerable, Formidable, Severe, Intense, Grave, Extreme, Devastating, Catastrophic, Ultimate, Cataclysmic, and lastly Apocalyptic. For comparison, higher-low is a moderate tier Kaiju."
"Oh, that's so cool," I said.
"I know, but also very hard to remember," Mei said.
"Well, that's true," I admitted. "So, have you fought each and every tier yet?"
"Not every one. I haven't fought an Apocalyptic, but I did once fight a Cataclysmic one back on my planet," she replied.
"Must have been tough," I said.
"Not all that much, but yes, it was quite a challenge. Anyways, let's continue our hunt," she said.
"Alright, let's go," I said, feeling a mix of excitement and determination.
Then we went in for the fight. We went to the location where Mei had located the Kaiju, and this time there weren't many people around. The Kaiju didn't seem to have moved yet, making it hard to guess who the Kaiju was. Even after a lot of searching, there was no sign of the Kaiju.
Suddenly, there was a movement in a bush nearby. A Kaiju made a sneak attack on me, but Mei noticed it immediately and a blue ray shot out of her fingers as she pointed at the Kaiju. I soon noticed the Kaiju and got ready to release my mist energy. The Kaiju recovered quickly from Mei's attack, and as he stood up, I charged in front, my fist enveloped in mist. "Demonic Arts: Mist," I shouted, punching straight at its head. It was knocked away.
"Well, that's not that hard," I said. Then I noticed, "Wait, there's no way the Kaiju would be knocked away so quickly." As soon as I blinked and tried to focus on the knocked Kaiju's body, I realized it was no longer there. It was behind me, with a blade formed in its arm. If it hit me, I would be done for.
I tried everything I could to dodge it and managed to duck backward just in time, but it still ended up cutting a little of my hair. The backward ducking caused me to fall to the ground, and the Kaiju swung its blade arms at me again. Laying on the ground, I dodged to the right, rolling just in time as its blade buried into the ground where I had been. If it had hit me, I would have been cut in two.
The Kaiju pulled its arm out of the ground and charged at me again, its blade pointing straight at me. In a panic, I tried to punch it, knowing a normal hit would do nothing. I gave it all my body weight and... Suddenly! My arm, enveloped in mist, turned into something blue, liquidy, and cold. It was water! Water gushed out of my hand, flowing through my arms and gushing backward as I punched the Kaiju. The impact was so strong that the punch even made the air move under me, and the Kaiju was knocked backward, though it maintained its balance. I, too, was knocked back and crashed into the sandy ground. My knees were bruised and wounded, and I felt exhausted from using so much energy in the punch.
Mei stared at me and then complimented me. "You've unlocked 'Demonic Art Level 2: Water.'"
"Water, Level 2. That's water, yes," I said with a tone of accomplishment.
Mei continued, "I never knew this level could make such an impact. You're awesome. Now keep going. You can do it. Now defeat it."
With renewed encouragement and newfound power, I charged at the Kaiju. As I ran, my fist started engulfing more and more with water, becoming denser and more forceful. Just as I was about to hit the Kaiju, it turned its sharp arm towards me and sliced it off. My eyes widened in shock, and so did Mei's.
"Izumi!" Mei shouted.
My fist fell fell off …..
As my hand fell off, I was confused, my mind racing. My hands... my hands are... The hand fell as I soaked in disbelief. Mei shouted, "Izumi!,look out"
The Kaiju went for another slice, swinging his razor arm at me at full force. Suddenly, I snapped back to reality and, as a quick response, threw everything into my left hand that was still intact. My arm quickly got covered in water, and mist began to emerge alongside the water.
"Demonic Arts Level 2: Water!" I shouted, trying to parry the Kaiju. The water enveloping my arm prevented it from getting directly slashed. I tried harder and harder, giving it everything I had.
Soon, the water gushing out from my fist started turning red, from light red to crimson. I knew my left hand was also about to be cut off, but I couldn't back out now.
As a quick course of action, Mei shouted, "I'll help you!"
She chanted, "Demonic Arts Level 76: Red Aistia!" As she shouted, her transformation was completed. I wasn't able to fully comprehend what was happening, but Mei told me afterward about everything she saw before I fainted.
Mei quickly zipped toward the Kaiju, but it evaded her attack. Her eyes were vibrant red as she looked at the Kaiju. She charged at the Kaiju again, and this time the Kaiju pointed its razor arm at Mei as she charged. It thought the arm would pierce through Mei, but instead, the red aura that covered Mei's arm melted through the Kaiju's razor arm and face.
The energy concentration of Mei's fist must have been incredibly strong. As the Kaiju melted into nothingness, she quickly approached me.
My body was lying in the blood that gushed out of my fallen hand. The blood was in such a quantity that it seemed as if I was in a puddle of blood. Mei sat beside me, ignoring all the blood that now stained her clothes.
She said, "It's going to be okay," with a smile and chanted, "Demonic Arts Level 51: Light Novice."
Suddenly, a large amount of light emerged from Mei's hands as it started to tenderly heal my wounds.
Mei took me home while I was still unconscious.
The next day at school, I reached class late and couldn't talk to Mei. After the first class was over during the interval, I turned to my left, as her seat was right next to mine.
"Hello, Mei," I greeted her with a warm smile.
"Hi, Izumi," she replied, her eyes lighting up as she smiled back.
I handed Mei the notes she had requested the other day. "Here are the notes you needed."
"Thanks, Izumi," she said, looking genuinely grateful. "I really appreciate it."
"No problem at all," I said, feeling a sense of satisfaction from helping her.
Just then, Kaito walked up to us. "What's up?" he greeted, flashing a grin.
"Hey, Kaito," I said, glancing at him.
"Hi, Kaito," Mei added with a polite nod.
"Izumi was just giving me some notes," Mei explained."Gotcha," Kaito said, then his eyes lit up with excitement. "Guys, did you see the new Super Sentai anime? It's pretty great."
"Yes," Mei replied enthusiastically. "We were just talking about it. It's a great show; I love it."
"Yeah," I chimed in, my excitement matching theirs. "It even became my favorite anime with just one episode."
"Exactly!" Kaito said, his enthusiasm bubbling over. "With just one episode, it became really popular."
Mei then turned to Kaito, a curious look in her eyes. "Ne ne, Kaito-san, do you know the girl who Takashi has a crush on?"
Kaito's expression shifted to one of understanding. "Yes," he said, pointing lightly towards a girl sitting in the first row of the classroom. "That's Yumi," he added, lowering his voice slightly. "See that girl with black hair and a petite body?"
Mei and I followed his gaze. "Oh, I see," Mei said, nodding thoughtfully. "She seems nice."
"Yeah," Kaito agreed. "Takashi's been crushing on her for a while now."
Kaito said, "That's Yumi. I've never approached her, but from what I've heard, she's a really good person."
Mei looked over and smiled. "She looks really pretty. I wonder if Takashi-san will get her."
I laughed, trying to be encouraging. "I think he has a 101% chance of getting her."
Mei's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Why do you think that?"
"There's no way any girl would reject a guy like him," I explained. "Look, he has good grades, top-notch looks, blonde hair, and he's single."
Kaito sighed deeply, feeling a mix of hopelessness and jealousy. "Well, that hurts, but it's the reality."
Trying to lift his spirits, Mei said with a warm smile, "Anyways, let's hope he gets her approval."
I nodded, "Hmm."
Kaito agreed, "Yeah. By the way, guys, are you in any clubs yet?"
"I used to be in the literature club last year, but I got bored, so I left," I said.
Kaito's eyes widened in shock, and his voice rose a few octaves. "Whatttt!!! How could you...?" He looked genuinely hurt by the idea.
"Why do you ask?" I asked Kaito, curious about his reaction.
"Why?" Kaito said, almost exasperated. "Literature clubs always have so many beautiful and cute girls. How could you leave? I've seen it in anime as well."
I chuckled, "Wake up to reality, Kaito. The club I knew only had two girls, and they were both taken."
Kaito's face fell, his hope crumbling. "What? You mean the girl with green hair as well?"
Mei chimed in, "Oh, is that Kiyoko-san?"
Kaito nodded, "Yes, Kiyoko-san." He turned to me, his eyes wide with a mix of hope and desperation. "Is Kiyoko-san taken as well?"
"Yes," I replied with a silly tone. "Last year, Tanaka-senpai from the third year took her heart."
Kaito fell into mock grief, making silly, almost crying faces. "No..." His voice trailed off dramatically, making Mei and me laugh.
Mei, trying to console him, said with a soft, reassuring smile, "It's fine. You'll find a good match soon."
Kaito looked at her with a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. "Thank you, Misaki-oneesan."
Mei gave a silly smile and giggled, "Hehe."
She then said, "Guys, what about making a club ourselves? I've always wanted a Natural Phenomenon Reporting Club."
I replied, "Well..."
Kai interrupted, saying what I was about to, "I don't think we have what it takes to create one."
Mei's face fell with disappointment. "Right, we need at least five members as well."
"Well, that will just be a dream then, I guess," I said with a sigh.
Just then, the teacher entered the class, so we sat in our respective seats, ending the conversation for now.
The next interval began, and Kaito and Takashi joined Mei and me for a conversation. Takashi approached us first, asking, "What are you guys up to?"
"Oh, nothing much," I replied, glancing at Mei. "Just asking Mei some questions about the last class. What about you guys?"
Kaito grinned. "Well, we thought we'd give both of you a visit."
Mei smiled warmly. "Yeah, I wish you two had your seats next to us. It would be fun to chat more."
Kaito nodded in agreement. "It would be great. We could help each other out more easily."
Takashi then asked, "Have you guys prepared for the test tomorrow?"
"Kind of," I admitted with a shrug. "I'm just going to depend on Mei for some answers."
Kaito's face filled with concern. "Look, Izumi, that is a really unreliable strategy, trust me."
Takashi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you really shouldn't depend on others like that."
Kaito continued, "Last test, I thought I would see the answers on Takashi's paper." He paused, looking pained as he remembered. "But the teacher was standing right next to me the whole time."
Mei chuckled sympathetically. "Must have been rough, Kaito."
Kaito sighed deeply. "I tried so hard to find an opening, but there was none," he said, his face filled with disappointment.
Takashi shook his head, lightly mocking Kaito. "That's why I told you to study properly."
"I know, but..." Kaito trailed off, looking more defeated.
Mei turned to me, her eyes full of concern and sincerity. "Izumi, you should also try to write all the answers yourself. You never know what might happen."
I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Hehe, yeah, I guess you're right."
The conversation continued for a few more minutes, with the four of us exchanging stories a
nd laughing. The atmosphere was light and filled with camaraderie.
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom, and the lively chatter came to an abrupt halt. We all quickly returned to our seats, ready to dive back into the lesson. The momentary break had been refreshing, but now it was time to focus once again.
To be continued...