Sensei gave her one last smile before stepping toward the police station's entrance. The automatic doors slid open, and he paused for a moment, glancing back at Lina, who stood with her arms crossed and a slight pout on her face.
"Seriously, thanks again," he said. "I'll figure things out from here."
Lina turned her head slightly, trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. "Just don't go wandering around and getting kidnapped again, got it?!"
Sensei chuckled softly, his expression warm. "I'll try my best."
With that, he walked into the station, the doors closing behind him. Lina stood there for a moment, staring at the entrance. She huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
"Finally, that's over," she muttered. But despite her words, a small part of her felt... lighter.
As she turned to leave, a thought crossed her mind. "Wait… I never asked him where he's actually from. What if he's some weirdo?"
She shook her head vigorously. "Nope, not my problem. I did my part. He's the police's issue now."
Still, as she walked away from the station, she found herself glancing back over her shoulder, wondering if she'd see him again.
"Stupid adult…" she muttered under her breath, her lips curving into the faintest of smiles before she quickened her pace toward the bustling streets.
As Lina turned to leave, a sudden voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Um, Lina," Sensei called out, scratching the back of his head. "They want to meet you too."
Lina spun around, her expression filled with confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Sensei, understanding her unspoken question, clarified, "The police. They want to talk to you."
"Why would they want to talk to me?" Lina scoffed, crossing her arms.
Sensei shrugged nonchalantly and headed back inside the building without another word.
Lina let out an exaggerated sigh. "What a pain," she muttered under her breath before reluctantly following him.
Inside, the atmosphere was unexpectedly lively yet orderly. The officers weren't what Lina had imagined—they weren't adults. Instead, they were students, clad in uniforms bearing the emblem of the Valkyrie Police Academy, a school tasked with maintaining public order and handling various issues across Kivotos.
Lina paused, taking in the strange sight. Ahead of her, Sensei was seated in front of a desk, chatting with someone she couldn't yet see. As Lina approached, her eyes locked onto the person sitting behind the desk—a girl with long blonde hair, dog-like ears resembling a German Shepherd, and sharp teeth that became visible as she spoke. Her light blue eyes exuded an intense focus, though her right eye was partially hidden beneath her bangs.
Lina immediately recognized her. "Oh…" she mumbled, her voice dropping slightly.
It was Kanna, the very same officer who had tracked Lina down when she had gone missing from school two months ago.
Kanna was known for her serious demeanor and ruthless efficiency when solving problems. Her sharp, almost predatory gaze often intimidated those around her, even if she wasn't trying to. Lina vividly remembered her blunt, no-nonsense attitude and how terrifyingly persistent she had been during that time.
Now, standing face-to-face with her again, Lina felt a mix of irritation and unease.
Kanna's piercing eyes shifted to Lina. "Astra," she greeted, her tone sharp but professional. "Long time no see."
Lina sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, I guess…"
Kanna's eye narrowed slightly. "It hasn't been that long. Two months, to be precise. That's how long you've been skipping school, isn't it?"
Lina winced. "I-I mean, life's been busy, you know?" she said, crossing her arms and looking to the side.
Kanna's voice was calm but firm. "Busy dodging responsibilities, I take it."
Sensei, who was sitting nearby, looked back and forth between the two, sensing the tension but deciding to stay quiet. This clearly wasn't his battle.
Lina huffed. "What do you want? I just dropped him off here so you guys could help him out. I'm not here to get lectured about school from other people."
Kanna stepped closer, her imposing figure towering slightly over Lina. "This isn't just about school. We've noticed a rise in incidents involving delinquents and thugs recently. And every time we follow up on reports, guess whose name keeps popping up?"
Lina tensed, her eyes darting away. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
Kanna leaned down slightly, her face now uncomfortably close to Lina's. "Cut the act. I'm not accusing you of anything—yet. But if you've been hanging around the wrong crowd or getting yourself into trouble, now's the time to come clean."
Lina gritted her teeth, her pride not letting her back down. "I don't hang out with anyone! I work, I go home, and that's it!"
Kanna's sharp eye softened for a brief moment, but she quickly hid it. "Fine. But consider this a warning, Lina. If you're not careful, you're going to find yourself in a situation you can't talk your way out of. And trust me, I won't go easy on you just because we've met before."
Lina glared at Kanna, her cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Whatever," she muttered under her breath.
Kanna straightened up, brushing her bangs aside to reveal her other eye briefly. She turned her attention to Sensei. "And you—are you sure this is the person that escorting you around before?"
Sensei gave an awkward laugh. "Uh, well… she did help me a lot. So, yeah, I think she's fine."
Kanna let out a small sigh. "Figures." She turned back to Lina. "You can go for now, but don't think this is the last time we'll talk."
Lina rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. As she turned to leave, she muttered under her breath, "Stupid dog…"
Kanna's ear twitched, and she shot Lina a glare. "I heard that."
Lina froze for a second before quickly darting out the door, pretending she hadn't said anything.
----------------------------
Lina had barely walked a few steps from the police station, stretching her arms with a satisfied grin.
"Hmph, next time I won't come back here. No more annoying adults—or sensei—following me around," she muttered, rubbing her tired eyes as she prepared to head home.
But just as she took another step forward, a deafening explosion shook the ground behind her, making her freeze in place.
"What the—?!" Lina whipped around, her heart skipping a beat.
The sound came from the police station. Smoke was already billowing into the air, and the panicked screams of passersby filled the street. People ran in every direction, some bumping into each other in their desperate attempts to flee.
Lina's ears caught snippets of terrified whispers as students and pedestrians passed her.
"Run! It's the Fox of Calamity!"
"She's here again!"
"Get out of here before you get caught in it!"
Lina's body tensed. The Fox of Calamity… She'd heard the name before. A notorious figure, shrouded in mystery, who left destruction in her wake. People whispered about her power and her chaos-inducing presence, but no one seemed to know who—or what—she really was.
Biting her lip, Lina hesitated for a moment, watching the chaos unfold. A sensible part of her screamed to run away like everyone else, but she couldn't ignore the knot of worry forming in her chest.
"Ugh, why do I have to get involved in this?!" she grumbled, clenching her fists before breaking into a run toward the station.
As she neared the site, the thick smoke stung her eyes, and the acrid smell of burnt materials filled her nose. She weaved through the crowd of fleeing students, her baseball bat appearing in her hand out of nowhere.
"Stupid power…" she muttered, glancing at the bat before gripping it tightly.
When she reached the station, the sight that greeted her was pure chaos. The front of the building was partially blown apart, with debris scattered across the street. The once-pristine entrance was now a smoldering wreck, and faint groans could be heard from injured officers and students who hadn't escaped in time.
Lina's sharp eyes darted around, searching for any sign of sensei.
"Where is he…?" she muttered under her breath, scanning the area.
Suddenly, her eyes locked onto a figure amidst the smoke. A girl stood there, her presence unmistakable. She wore a short black kimono adorned with golden and white cherry blossoms, her fox mask gleaming ominously through the haze. Her yellow eyes glowed faintly beneath the mask, and her stance was calm, almost as if she were untouchable.
Lina's grip on her bat tightened as she instinctively crouched low, watching the woman.
"That's her… The Fox of Calamity," Lina muttered, her heart pounding.
Before she could decide whether to confront or observe, she spotted another figure—a familiar one—just behind the Fox.
Sensei.
He was standing there, unharmed but looking dazed, as if caught between confusion and fear.
"What is he doing there?!" Lina hissed under her breath. She shifted her position, trying to get a better view.
The Fox of Calamity turned her head slightly, as if sensing Lina's presence. For a moment, their eyes locked, and Lina felt a chill run down her spine.
The woman tilted her head, her mask tilting with her, and a small, almost playful chuckle escaped her lips.
"Well, well," the Fox said softly, her voice smooth and haunting. "It seems we have another spectator."
Lina froze, realizing she'd been noticed.
"Crap," she muttered, gripping her bat tighter.
Wakamo, the Fox of Calamity, narrowed her glowing yellow eyes beneath the fox mask, her voice laced with venom as she pointed toward Lina.
"I've been following you and sensei around since the alley, and you dare act all lovely with him?!"
Lina's brow twitched in irritation. "Lovely?! Who said I was acting lovely with him?! Your whole family is probably lovely with him!"
Wakamo scoffed, stepping closer with her rifle slung over her shoulder. "It's obvious, isn't it? I was the one who met him first!"
"Who cares about who met him first?!" Lina shot back. She folded her arms, leaning forward aggressively. "And since when did I act lovely with him, huh? I'm just trying to help, unlike you lurking around like some weird stalker fox!"
Wakamo's eyes flared with annoyance. "Stalker fox? I was the one who met sensei first and saved him—so I have the right to be at his side! You're just a noisy brat who tagged along afterward!"
Lina suddenly froze for a second, her fists trembling, before muttering under her breath, her voice lowering to a whisper.
"If anyone met sensei first… it was me."
Wakamo's ears perked up, and her sharp gaze focused on Lina. "What was that?"
Sensei blinked, tilting his head as if unsure he heard her correctly.
Lina clenched her fists tighter, her face turning red, and then burst out, "I was the one who followed him first! Before he even got into trouble at the alley—I already knew something weird was going to happen, so I was watching over him! I met him first!"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Wakamo's face twisted in a cold smile beneath her mask. Her hands slowly moved to raise her rifle. "So, you're saying it's a competition, huh?"
Before Lina could respond, flames burst from Wakamo's muzzle.
Bang!
Screams ripped through the streets as pedestrians ducked and ran for cover. The air cracked with gunfire.
But Lina was ready. In one smooth motion, she swung her bat, deflecting the bullet with a loud metallic clang.
"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?!" Lina growled, her eyes narrowing.
With a sharp movement, she hurled her bat toward Wakamo like a missile, forcing the Fox of Calamity to sidestep. In the same instant, a handgun materialized in Lina's hand, its sleek form glowing faintly.
Wakamo gripping her rifle tightly. "Come then. Show me what you've got."
Lina didn't hesitate. She rushed forward, firing rapid shots as Wakamo returned fire with her rifle, the two exchanging bullets in a chaotic storm of sparks and sound.
Sensei, standing to the side, could only watch in stunned disbelief.
These two girls—who had both saved him in their own way—were now locked in an all-out battle over who met him first. He wanted to step in and stop them, but the bullets flying through the air told him that getting involved would be an instant death sentence.
His mind raced, searching for a way to diffuse the situation without getting caught in the crossfire.
As the fight raged on, Lina's voice cut through the chaos. "You really think you're better than me just because you have a fancy mask and an oversized gun?!"
Wakamo chuckled darkly, dodging a bullet by mere inches. "Better? Oh, I know I'm better. You're just a loud-mouthed wannabe swinging a bat!"
Lina gritted her teeth, her face red with frustration. "Oh, I'll show you a wannabe!"
Meanwhile, Sensei muttered under his breath, "This can't be real... How did it come to this?"
(A/n: well well)