Chapter 4: Vol.1 Ch.4: Intersecting Worries

-Chapter 4-

            “So, uh… Did you get, like, any sleep last night?” Chisa asked Yuko, peering into her face from the side.

            It was the morning of Thursday April 27^th, and Yuko had just let out a huge yawn as she and Chisa were in line to grab breakfast.

            “Yeah… I didn’t sleep much, sorry to say.” Yuko replied with a wry grin.

            “C’mon, you really should take better care of yourself, Yuko!” lectured Chisa, patting her friend on the head affectionately. She knew Yuko’s had a rough week, but also figured the most she can do is try to be there for her. As the two made it to the counter, they had to ask the cooking club member behind the desk what breakfast food they’d like.

            “Bread or rice, huh… A single choice and the world changes.” Yuko mumbled to herself.

            “What was that?” Chisa inquired.

            “Oh, no, it’s nothing!” Yuko replied, waving off her friend.

            Yuko remembered the conversation she’d had with Kanna Kawagoe the night before… It was the middle of the night, and the two girls had exited the cramped storage room, getting some fresh air under the starry night sky.

            “I am aware this all may be a lot to take in.” Kanna stated, realizing how she may be coming across to Yuko. “There is simply too much to tell at once, it would likely be overwhelming. Plus it is already this late. We both have duties to attend to tomorrow.”

            “Yeah…” Yuko responded. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just a lot to think about right now.”

            “I understand.” Kanna faced Yuko. “Listen, Yuko. I am sorry you have become involved in this situation. But even I do not understand to what extent your role is. All I ask is that you trust me, and we can determine the truth together.” Kanna reached her hand out toward Yuko.

            “…” Yuko hesitated. “So, you’re saying all this other world stuff really does involve me?”

            “Yes.” Kanna answered flatly. “Once I understand more, I will help uncover the reason behind your loss of memory.”

            Although Yuko was leaning more toward the probability of there being more merits to Kanna’s claims than otherwise, she still held a degree of skepticism about the whole thing, and still didn’t understand how such a situation ended up involving her. Regardless, she could tell Kanna was being genuine, and having an ally in this situation was better than being left alone, lost and confused. And so…

            “Okay.” Yuko said, finally taking Kanna’s hand. “I’ll trust you.”

            As the two shook hands, a small smile formed on Kanna’s face. Looking back, the situation was totally bizarre, but Yuko was glad she made the choice she did.

            “Hey, did you hear me?” Chisa asked from the other side of the table.

            “Oh, sorry. I was spacing out.” Yuko apologized.

            “I was saying I don’t have club today, so we should hang out! You’re off from the café today too, right?”

            “Yeah, sounds fun! Though, I may actually want to take a nap this afternoon if I’m still this tired later.” Yuko said meekly.

            “Well, whatever you think is best.” Chisa said, chowing down on her breakfast.

            The two friends finished eating, and then headed off to school as per usual. At the front gate, members of the student council were once again standing by and welcoming the students. Of course, Kanna was there as well. As Yuko and Chisa passed through the gates, Yuko and Kanna gave each other a nod as they passed by one another. Taking note of this, Chisa couldn’t help by comment.

            “What was that? Not scared of the prez this morning?” she teased.

            “We, uh, worked things out, sort of.” Yuko smiled back, nervously.

            “Ohhh?” Chisa smirked in suspicion, before letting it go. She knew if it was something Yuko wanted to tell her, she would.

            The two entered the school building and another ordinary day of classes began to unfold. In the midst of this common everyday routine, in the back of her mind, Yuko could only worry about her strange circumstances.

---

            The day flew by in a flash. School was over, and crowds of students were all making their way to places like clubs or jobs. In the school entryway, Yuko Maeda was apologizing to her friend Chisa.

            “Sorry, I can’t hang out today after all. I have to go meet with someone.” Yuko apologized.

            “Don’t worry about it. But what, is it the student council again?” Chisa asked.

            “Yeah…”

            “Jeez, they really should just leave you alone. You only broke curfew the one time.” grumbled Chisa.

            “Oh, no, it’s really not a bother at all! They aren’t being overly confrontational or anything!” Yuko waved her hands, before recalling being attacked by Kanna the night prior.

            Okay, maybe there are a few unnecessary confrontations going on, but that’s different!

            Shaking her head, Yuko faced Chisa confidently.

            “Anyway, don’t worry! I’m actually helping them out with a bit of a problem right now. It’s not like I’m in trouble.” Yuko reassured.

            “If you say so.” Chisa gave in, wearing a bit of a worried smile. “Just stay safe, and don’t let anyone push you around, got it?”

            “Of course.” Yuko nodded with a smile.

            The two friends said their goodbyes and Yuko turned back into the school, climbing the stairs to head towards the student council office.

After knocking on the door she could hear a brief “come in” from the other side. Obeying the familiar voice, she slowly set foot into the room. Inside, it was the same as it was during her last visit. Once again, Kanna sat alone at the desk on the opposite side of the room.

            “It’s just you again.” Yuko commented. “What about the other council members?” she asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs at the room’s center.

            “They are not involved. They are wonderful companions for matters related to running the school, but for a subject like this, I opt for privacy.” Kanna flatly explains.

            “I see.” Yuko responds. “So, uh… You wanted to see me?”

            “Correct.” nods Kanna.

            It happened earlier during lunch. While Yuko was alone at a table with her food, waiting for Chisa to arrive just behind her, Kanna approached suddenly, asking to meet here after school. Knowing it’d probably be a continuation of their discussion the night before, Yuko obliged.

            Thus, the two girls met alone in the student council room. Kanna soon began the discussion.

            “I shall begin with the core predicament we are trying to deal with.” she began. “You are aware of the new curfew system implemented at the start of the week, correct?”

            “Yeah.” Yuko answered. “It was implemented Monday, which kind of threw my whole routine out of sorts. I ended up missing the curfew and decided to rest at the park before heading back. That’s when…”

            Yuko paused. Kanna picked up on where she left off.

            “That was when the magic beast attacked, correct?”

            “Right.” nodded Yuko. “But until last night, I totally forgot all about it for some reason. Even now, I still don’t remember how the whole thing resolved…”

            “…” Kanna contemplated quietly. Having viewed the security cameras, she knew that it was Yuko herself who had killed the magic beast, thus dealing with the situation on her own. But after her encounter the previous night, she was made intimately aware that the person responsible for that was not in fact ‘this Yuko’, but rather some other personality of sorts that also resides inside Yuko. And for some reason, this ‘other Yuko’ was skilled in magic usage much like that used in Kanna’s home world, Alviquan.

            “Putting that aside for now…” Kanna decided to dodge the subject for the moment. “The reason I implemented the curfew system, despite the inconvenience to the various clubs and workplaces, was due to an increasing number of incidents that had been occurring.”

            “Oh, right…!” Yuko said, realizing. “The wild animals the teachers have mentioned! Were those attacks all magic beasts?”

            “Correct.” answered Kanna. “Three weeks ago, I visited the first victim in the clinic personally. I am still new to this position as student council president, and the safety of the students is a priority of mine. So, needless to say, I was shocked when I detected traces of magic from the wound of the injured student.”

            “What do you mean by detecting magic?” Yuko asked.

            “This, right here.” Kanna pulled a small blue gem from her pocket. “This is a magic crystal. The primary purpose of the stone is to stabilize my magic usage, but it can also be used to detect or track magic power. I tend to carry one with me. When I visited the bedridden student, it reacted. That was when I realized something was amiss.”

            “I see…” Yuko responded, gazing at the shining gem.

            “I came to this school two years ago. I am a member of a special division formed to gather information on this other world. Your world. So, I quietly lived here as a student for two years. Discovering that magic beasts, creatures native to my world, were somehow appearing here and attacking students was a huge shock.”

            “This whole other world stuff is still so unbelievable to me…” Yuko said, dropping her head.

            “I do not blame you for being doubtful.” Kanna lowered her gaze. “Students at this school dream of the world beyond the campus, but even in such a small community, the idea that a parallel world exists is mere fantasy.”

            The two sat in silence for a moment. The orange rays of the slowly setting sun beamed in through the window.

---

            While Yuko and Kanna were engaged in their discussion in the student council office, Chisa Ando had decided to make use of her free afternoon to go visit a certain someone at the clinic. It didn’t take her long to arrive, and after checking in at the clinic’s front desk, Chisa had found herself in front of a room labeled the ‘special patients’ room.

            “Excuse me.” Chisa whispered in a quiet voice while opening the door slowly and peeking in. One student inside who worked as an assistant nurse nodded to Chisa, and after letting out a small breath of relief, she entered the room. She passed by the beds of a few others until she reached the bed in the back by the window.

            “Hey Honda, how are you doing?” Chisa said gently to the girl in the bed. The girl’s leg was in a cast, and she had numerous bandages all over her body for various recovering cuts and gashes. The girl, who’d been staring vacantly out the window, slowly turned her head to Chisa.

            “Ah… it’s Ando today.” the girl Honda spoke in a distant voice.

            “Yeah, it’s me.” Chisa spoke, trying to smile as she sat in the seat beside the bed. “Hey, club’s been going really well. Someone else may have told you, but we’ve chosen to work on the play you suggested at the start of the year!”

            “I heard…” Honda furrowed her brow. Honda was a 2^nd-Year student, making her Chisa’s upperclassman. With her bright demeanor and sociable personality, Honda was one of the first members of the theater club to make all of the new 1^st-Years like Chisa feel welcome, on top of already being a familiar face for the 3^rd-Years. She was the perfect mediator, and friends with everyone. Of course now, that bright and cheerful Honda feels like a thing of the past.

            “We’ve all been working really hard!” Chisa continued, trying to convey how the club’s been managing without her. “Next month we’re going to start picking out parts, and begin preparing to perform!”

            “Shut up…” whispered Honda, in an almost inaudible voice.

            “Hm? What was that?” Chisa asked, having not heard her.

            “I don’t want to hear it!” screamed Honda. “I don’t want to hear about you all having fun with that play I love while I’m stuck like… like this!” she lifted the bed sheet, fully exposing her cast-covered leg.

            “I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Chisa bowed, realizing how what she’d been saying could be taken as rather cruel to mention at a time like this.

            “I hate this… I hate this! How am I supposed to be able to act or dance on stage again… With my leg like this?!” Honda teared up.

            “…” Chisa stayed silent. She knew Honda’s worst injury was on her leg. All she’d heard was that some kind of animal attacked Honda when she was alone one night after finishing up club. Was the injury really so severe that her leg couldn’t recover? Chisa could only wonder.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize your injury was that bad…” Chisa tried to apologize. “I didn’t think some wild animal could hurt you so…”

            “That was no animal!!!” Honda interrupted, screaming madly.

            Baffled, Chisa could only stare at her clubmate who began to curl up, placing her hands on her head, her eyes wide and unfocused.

            “Th-that thing… It was no animal… A monster… It was a monster!! Aaaauuugh!!” screamed Honda, recalling the trauma of being attacked by the unknown creature. Chisa was at a loss at how to react in this kind of situation. All she felt was the deep sorrow of seeing someone who was once so bright and cheerful reduced to such a state.

            Suddenly, two of the student nurses rushed to her side. One quietly informed Chisa that it’d be better for her to leave for today.

            “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.” Chisa apologized profusely, both to Honda and the nurses, as she left the room. As she closed the door, Honda’s wails and screams about a monster could be heard from the other side. Soon, Chisa ran from the area, unable to handle it anymore.

            Several minutes having passed, Chisa now found herself standing in a hall on the other side of the clinic, spacing out. She could only think back to the strange reaction from her traumatized clubmate.

            “A monster…” she whispered. “What could possibly have done this to her…?”

---

            “So, uh… What exactly are magic beasts anyway?” Yuko asked, breaking the brief silent tension back in the student council office.

            “To explain that, first I must clarify one thing.” began Kanna. “Here in this world, on planet Earth, magic as I know it does not exist.”

            “Huh? But how? I saw you use it, didn’t I?” Yuko asked, confused.

            “Of course.” Kanna nodded. “That is only natural. I am not of this world. Just because I came to this place does not mean I lose the ability to use magic. When I say that magic does not exist on planet Earth, what I mean is that human beings and other living creatures here, as far as I can tell, have no capacity to utilize it.”

            “So when you said you detected magic on the first victim, that’s how you knew the attack had something to do with things from your world?”

            “Correct.” answered Kanna. “I do not know why, but ages ago in the history of my home world of Alviquan human beings, and even some animals, developed the means to utilize magic power. Whatever caused this appears to have never occurred in the history of your planet Earth.”

            “I see.” Yuko answered, starting to understand.

            “As for magic beasts, while animals in Alviquan that can utilize magic do exist, magic beasts are another thing entirely. They are basically monsters. They do originate from various animals of some kind, but overexposure to magic deforms their body, crystalizes their flesh, and turns them into ravenous, violent creatures like the one you encountered. They are considered high-threat dangers by us Magic Knights.”

            “I think I get it now…” Yuko says. “But then, how are some of them ending up here?”

            “Right…” Kanna lets out a sigh. “Naturally, that is what I wish to discover as well.”

            “Oh, so you don’t know…”

            “Did you expect me to?” Kanna lightly chuckled. “If I knew the source of the magic beasts, I would have dealt with the problem by now.” Kanna shrugged, shaking her head.

            “So I take it this is what you want my help with…” Yuko said, beginning to understand the big picture. “That’s also why you…”

            “Yes. I did briefly believe you were the culprit.” Kanna admitted.

            “But why though?!” Yuko slammed the table. “That’s what I still don’t get! If I was just another victim, why suspect me?!” Yuko’s frustration from how Kanna had treated her previously came pouring out.

            “…” Kanna faltered in response to this. The topic came back around to the one thing she still held doubts about. Kanna still didn’t have a full grasp on the situation, or what the ‘other Yuko’ even is. But, Kanna also knew Yuko deserved to at least know some of the truth. Choosing to continue hiding the full truth, she responds.

            “Monday night at Rigel Park, I discovered the mutilated body of a magic beast. The next morning, when I heard you were there, I thought I had found my culprit. After all, in Alviquan it is not uncommon for foolish beast tamers to try controlling a magic beast and fail. Such a situation was something I had hoped for, in order to pin point the culprit behind this.” Kanna flatly answered.

            “Wha-?!” this revelation shocked Yuko. “I-I wouldn’t be able to do something like that! Besides, you said humans from Earth can’t even use magic, so why suspect me?”

            “If magic beasts are appearing in this world, would one not consider the possibility that sinister forces from my home are infiltrating this place for their own purposes? I am sorry to say, but my home is not entirely a united place.” explained Kanna. “For all I knew, you could have been a spy from Alviquan much like myself.”

            “I… I guess.” Yuko slumped, still not satisfied. “But you don’t suspect me anymore, right?”

            “Correct.” Kanna nodded. “I find it highly unlikely for you to be involved in this.”

            Just as Yuko was letting out a sigh of relief, Kanna spoke up once more.

            “However…” she began. “What were you doing at the park again last night?”

            “Huh?” Yuko asked, confused. “What do you mean? You’re the one who sent me that letter asking to meet there, right?”

            “What?!” Kanna rose from her seat.

            “Ah! Wh-what is it?” Yuko jerked back, startled from Kanna suddenly standing up.

            “I did not hear anything about this! Where is this letter?!” Kanna walked over to Yuko.

            “Oh, uh, I think I still have it here in my bag. I was actually going to ask you about it too…” Yuko said as she rummaged around in her bag, eventually finding the letter and pulling it out.

            Taking the letter, Kanna opened it up and began reading.

            “This is…” she whispered. “This must be from the true culprit!”

            “Th-the culprit?” Yuko stuttered. “But then, what does that mean…?”

            “It means…” Kanna turned to face Yuko with a grave expression. “It must mean that the culprit is targeting you, Yuko.”

---

            Back at the clinic, Chisa had found herself in the main lobby once more. She’d wandered down several halls in a daze, before one of the other nurses got her attention and had her return to the lobby. Still, Chisa was filled with worry.

            “This school year is off to such a strange start…” Chisa mumbled to herself after sitting down, staring up at the white ceiling.

            It’s not as though Chisa and Honda were particularly close. They’d only known each other a few weeks. But Chisa and all the other 1^st-Years in the theater club looked up to her, and felt comfortable in the club thanks to her efforts. It’d been a bit over a week since Honda’s injury, and the members of the theater club were working extra hard just for her sake. They all expected Honda to eventually return, cheerful as ever, and praise them for everything they’ve done. But after actually seeing her, Chisa realized that such an ideal future may not come.

            “Honda… and Yuko too…” Chisa whispered. Of course, her theater clubmates weren’t the only ones on Chisa’s mind. Her close friend Yuko was dealing with some trouble as well. Bizarrely missing curfew, coming to school in a torn uniform, hostilities with the student council… And yet, Yuko hadn’t opened up about very much to her yet, leaving Chisa a bit in the dark.

            “Just what is going on here…?” Chisa wondered aloud, before noticing someone passing by in the lobby. “Huh?!” she reacted, before standing up.

            “Hey! Mr. Taniguchi!” Chisa called out to the adult male teacher, who stood out like a sore thumb.

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            “Hm? Oh, Ms. Ando from class B…” the teacher responded after turning to see who’d called out to him. Upon seeing him face her, Chisa also realized that he was carrying a relatively large bouquet of flowers.

            “I’m surprised to see you in a place like this, teach.” Chisa said, walking over to his side. “What’re the flowers for?”

            “These? They’re for the injured students in the special patients’ room. Victims of the recent animal attacks.” he answered, looking down at the bouquet he held. Chisa was a bit surprised by his response.

            “Really? Do you know one of the victims or something?” Chisa asked. There were only a few other people in the room besides Honda, but she didn’t recognize any of them as a 1^st-Year. Meaning Taniguchi most likely isn’t the teacher of any of them, at least not at present.

            “I taught some of them last year.” he answered, looking away.

            “I see.” Chisa nodded. “Hey, do you know Honda?”

            “Honda? Why, yes I believe I did teach her last year.” Taniguchi tilted his head, trying to remember.

            “You see, she and I… Um, well, we’re both in the same club. Anyway, she’s really not doing well… It seems the attack really messed her up. She keeps going on about monsters or something, haha.” Chisa laughed nervously. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m talking to you about this.” She began to tear up.

            “It’s no problem.” he answered, patting Chisa on the shoulder.

            “Haha.” Chisa chuckled behinds her tears. “You know, I always thought you were kind of gloomy, but you’re actually pretty nice.”

            “Gloomy?” Taniguchi scratched the back of his head. “Well… the students tend to get frustrated easily in my classes. I think I just tire easily.”

            “Haha, right? I can’t think of a single one who really enjoys math!” Chisa said, finally smiling again.

            “Much to my dismay.” Taniguchi grinned with a wry expression.

            “Anyway, sorry to keep you!” Chisa bowed. “Thanks for stopping to talk, teach!”

            “Of course. Do take care, Ms. Ando.” The teacher bowed in turn, before turning to head toward the special patients’ room.

            Chisa let out a sigh. Mr. Taniguchi is far from her favorite teacher, but seeing a familiar face and getting to open up to him a bit was just what she needed to help clear a bit of the negative fog that’d started to cloud her mind.

            Besides, with so few adults around, Chisa had a strange fascination with the few there were. Of course, she and everyone else in class 1-B loved their homeroom teacher Ms. Yamagata. She was kind and open with everyone, to the point where she didn’t even feel like a teacher at times. But as much as Chisa despised math, seeing a mature, organized adult like Mr. Taniguchi, who didn’t really seem to connect with the younger students around him, had always made Chisa feel a bit curious.

            “I hope I can be a cool adult someday like those two.” Chisa sighed, thinking of her teachers.

            Now in a better mood, Chisa soon left the clinic. Of course, concerns over Honda and Yuko were still in the back of her mind. But Chisa’s number one method for dealing with tough situations like this is to just let them be. Chisa made a point to grab a crepe from the sweets shop before returning back to the dorms.

---

            “Wait, so the letter wasn’t from you?!” Yuko was shocked, as she and Kanna sat face-to-face, the aforementioned letter on the table between them.

            “Correct.” Kanna nodded. “I did intend to make contact with you soon to try and clarify the situation. But when I spotted you on my late-night patrol, and with another magic beast to boot, I believed I had caught my suspect red-handed.”

            Kanna then placed her hand on the letter on the table.

            “But this changes everything.” she continued. “The culprit intentionally drew you out. Meaning that you are someone they are targeting specifically.”

            “Why though?!” Yuko was distraught. The weird circumstances of late were difficult enough, but to know someone was out there trying to hurt her, or worse, made her feel truly scared.

            “I have no idea.” Kanna grimaced. “The other victims had never received anything like this. They were all attacked randomly. Furthermore, I can see no relation between any of them, let alone any connection to you.”

            “Wh-what should I do…? Kanna…” Yuko looked at Kanna in desperation. She was fully aware that Kanna was her only ally at the moment.

            “We must devise a plan.” Kanna crossed her arms in thought. “If the culprit really is targeting you for some reason, then… I hate to suggest it, but we must use you as bait to lure them out.”

            “So you’re willing to put me in danger?!” Yuko was starting to get upset.

            “Of course not!” shouted Kanna, placing her hand to her chest. “I will personally protect you! That, I promise!”

            “… Thank you.” after hesitating for just a moment, Yuko took a deep breath before thanking Kanna. She realized getting worked up in this situation would only make things more difficult. She didn’t know anything about magic beasts, Kanna’s supposed other world, or this mysterious culprit that may be after her. But right now, she knew she could depend on Kanna.

            “Okay…” after thinking for a few moments, Kanna spoke up once again. “There are several things I want to be certain of, but will require more time. Furthermore, I want you by my side. Could you join me on my patrol tonight?”

            “O-oh, um…” Yuko was briefly taken aback. “Your patrol? What do you normally do?”

            “Last week, after realizing all the magic beast attacks happened late at night, I began to patrol, along with my partner. All we partake in is taking a stroll around the whole district, keeping watch for any magic beasts.”

            “Wait, partner?” Yuko’s curiosity peaked.

            “Ah, right.” Kanna suddenly realized. “I have not yet mentioned my partner to you. You see, I was not sent here alone. There is one more magic knight in this district with me.”

            “Shouldn’t you introduce me to that person, then?” asked Yuko.

            “Sorry.” Kanna shook her head. “My partner knows of you, as well as our present situation, but has chosen to stay hidden. We both have decided I will be the only one to contact you directly, as a special exception. Remember, normally an outsider like you should never know of us.”

            “I suppose that makes sense…” Yuko sighed, giving up. Still, knowing she had at least one other ally hidden is the shadows was somewhat reassuring.

            “Anyway,” continued Kanna. “I will come to your dorm room tonight around 10PM. I would like to check something before we leave to patrol. Would that be okay?”

            “Sure, that’s fine.” replied Yuko, thinking she didn’t really have much of a choice regardless.

            “Excellent.” Kanna smiled, rising from her seat. Turning around, she saw the sun taking a final dip beyond the horizon. “It appears our talk has lasted quite a while. I suppose we shall end things here. I will see you tonight.”

            “Right. And, um… thank you for everything.” Yuko bowed. If the situation really was as dire as they’d deduced, then Kanna’s help was essential. Yuko could only think to express her gratitude.

            As she left the room, Yuko leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh. She lifted the palm of her hand to meet her low gaze.

            “Just what the heck have I gotten myself involved in…?”

            Bizarre magic powers, conflicts and monsters from another world... Yuko couldn’t wrap her mind around any of it at all. And yet, this was the reality she found herself forced to confront.

---

            “Ah…”

            “Oh…”

            In front of the student dorms, about an hour before curfew, Yuko and Chisa happened to run into one another.

            “Wow, the council kept you this late, Yuko?” Chisa broke the silence, trying to smile.

            “It was a bit of a long talk, yeah.” Yuko scratched the back of her head.

            After the brief exchange of words, the two friends entered the dorms together. As they walked toward the elevator, Chisa once more broke the silence.

            “Hey, you’re really doing okay now, right?” she asked.

            “Yeah, of course, why do you ask?” Yuko looked at her friend, realizing she was probably making her worry.

            “Well, you know…” started Chisa. “You used to get sick all the time, even though it looked like you were starting to finally get better in middle school.”

            “Right…” Yuko hung her head, thinking about the old days.

            “But more than anything, this week has just been weird. You blacking out Monday night, the back and forth with the council… I feel like you haven’t really given me the full picture, so I’m worried.”

            “I know… I’m sorry.” Yuko apologized as the two stepped onto an elevator alone.

            “Well, um… And this is just something else I have going on. But remember that nice girl in the theater club I told you about the other week? The one named Honda?”

            “I think so. What about her?” Yuko asked.

            “You see…” Chisa hesitated. “She got really hurt last week. Apparently from one of those animal attacks.”

            Yuko’s eyes went wide, not expecting the subject of the ‘animal attacks’ to come up at a time like this. She’d only just talked about it with Kanna, the truth that these attacks were being done by otherworldly ‘magic beasts’ at the behest of some unknown mastermind. She never dreamed that someone Chisa knew could’ve been one of the victims of those attacks…

            “She was always one of the brightest stars in the club.” Chisa continued. “But when I saw her today, her spirit was totally gone. Apparently, her leg was hurt really badly… I don’t know the details, but it may not fully heal.”

            “Oh no…” Yuko was at a loss for words.

            “She liked acting of course, but she really prided herself in being able to dance on stage as well. It seems there was a big show last year where she performed an amazing dance sequence in a play.”

            The elevator stopped, and opened up to the floor that both girls’ rooms were on. They both stepped into the hallway.

            “Anyway…” Chisa shook her head. “Sorry to unload that on you. But seeing her today just made me feel so small, like nothing I do can change anything, but…”

            Chisa placed her hand on Yuko’s shoulder and smiled.

            “If you ever need me, Yuko, I’m always here.”

            Yuko was moved. It was true that she’d been keeping Chisa in the dark, but everything going on was so fantastical, Yuko wasn’t sure how to even address it. But despite that, her close friend could tell something was wrong, and Yuko had inadvertently just left her be to worry alone.

            “Thank you.” Yuko responded, taking Chisa’s hand. “I know I’ve made you worry, but soon I’ll tell you as much as I can! I promise!”

            “Yeah.” Chisa nodded. “Just be safe, okay?” she gave one more big smile.

            “I will!” Yuko nodded back with her own bright smile.

---

            It was late at night, the clock about to strike 10. After her discussion with Chisa, Yuko had already eaten dinner and bathed. Normally around this time, she would’ve changed into her usual pink rabbit pajamas to relax the rest of the evening away with either TV or the computer. Perhaps study if an important test were around the corner. But alas, said pajamas were still hung up on the wall by her closet. Yuko knew she’d be going out again, so she once more donned her school uniform.

            Just as the program on TV, a series of random comedy skits filmed by old students, was winding down, Yuko heard a quiet knock at her door. She turned off the TV and approached the door, opening it to find Kanna Kawagoe, as expected.

            “Good evening.” the student council president said, as she made her way into Yuko’s room.

            “Sorry it’s a bit messy. I tidied up as much as I could.” conveyed the slightly embarrassed Yuko.

            “It is no problem.” Kanna didn’t seem bothered at all.

            “So, uh…” Yuko began, still feeling a bit strange having someone like Kanna in her own room. “What did you want to do in here before we head out?”

            “I wish to confirm something.” Kanna answered, opening the small pouch she carried. “First, you must strip.”

            “… What?” Yuko froze, narrowing her eyes.

            I’m getting a major sense of déjà vu right about now…

            Yuko suddenly remembered the time she had to change out of her torn uniform in front of Kanna two days earlier.

            “I plan to use this.” Kanna presented a clear, flat, oval-shaped gemstone from her pouch. “This is an elemental crystal. It can be used to measure magic affinity. We are lucky I happened to have this on hand.”

            “Huh? But why? Are we using that on me? But I can’t use magic!” Yuko’s confusion grew.

            “Normally that would be the case, true.” Kanna continued. “But you still cannot remember what happened after the magic beast attacked you, yes? I have a theory that some kind of magic may have awoken within you at that moment.”

            Kanna was feigning a half-truthful explanation to convince Yuko. In truth, Kanna already knew that the ‘other Yuko’ was more than capable of utilizing magic. This was just a test to see how much of that power extended to the ordinary girl in front of her. Considering she was still unsure of the nature of Yuko’s dual-personality, checking something like this to better understand Yuko as a whole was important.

            “Seriously?” Yuko asked, bewildered.

            “I am serious.” Kanna answered. “When I met you Tuesday morning, your body was completely clean, with no sign of any injuries at all, despite being attacked by a magic beast. That could be explained if you had latent magic power, since that power accelerates the healing of wounds.”

            “W-well, I guess you’re right, but…” Yuko narrowed her eyes. “That means you’re going to get another eyeful of my body, huh?”

            “Huh?” Kanna blinked. It was a kind of response she didn’t expect.

            “Why is it that you’re always asking me to take off my clothes anyway?” Yuko pouted, starting to blush in embarrassment.

            “Ah…!” Kanna, who had remained rather oblivious to Yuko’s embarrassment in prior situations, suddenly realized how she may have been coming across. “P-please do not misunderstand, Yuko Maeda! I-I simply require it. Rather, in this case I need to use the elemental crystal in conjunction with other magic crystals, and they all must be touching your skin! That’s just how magic is!”

            Yuko simply gave Kanna a suspicious glare, trying to hide her embarrassment.

            “Listen, we are both women here.” Kanna continued, trying to sound more rational. “It is no big deal. Even when we spoke in the bath before, we were both in the nude! This situation should be no… different…” Kanna slowly realized she wasn’t really helping her case.

            As the memory of that prior confrontation in the bath returned to the forefront of Yuko’s mind, her face suddenly got even redder. She was distraught at the time so it didn’t really register in the moment, but Kanna did pin Yuko to the wall. Their naked bodies were very close, almost pressed together. Upon recalling those details, Yuko’s embarrassment grew to the point where it was easy to imagine a poof of smoke appearing over her head with how much she was blushing.

            “No different... from a situation like that? Where we’re both naked, right up against each other?” Yuko’s accusatory glare pierced Kanna.

            “Do not misunderstand me!!” Kanna frantically tried to explain.

As she did, Yuko continued to flail around in embarrassment for just a bit longer, her imagination spiraling out of control.

---

            A little while later, despite her protests, Yuko had found herself lying down on her own bed, totally naked aside from her underwear. The clear elemental crystal was placed on her chest, while she held a standard magic crystal in each hand, with another two on each of her thighs, one on her abdomen, and another on her forehead.

            “Okay…” Kanna started speaking. “I showed you these magic crystals before. They are used for both stabilizing and tracking magic. From here, I will use my own magic to channel their ability to detect magic energy within you, and guide that energy to the elemental stone at your core.”

            “Sure, okay…” replied Yuko, feeling embarrassed to be exposed in front of Kanna in this manner once again. Noticing Yuko’s embarrassment, Kanna could only glance to the side to hide her own.

            “Right.” Kanna held her hand out before her, conjuring up her magic staff from before and taking it in hand. “I shall be quick.”

The staff began to glow with energy as she pointed it at Yuko. Just a moment later, all of the magic crystals on Yuko’s body began to glow.

“Ahn…!” a small sound briefly escaped Yuko’s lips as she felt a tingling on her skin from the magic power. Soon, her whole body began to feel as though it was heating up. It was as though a vague force was starting to swirl inside of her.

            “I-is this… magic? But… how?” Yuko whispered between her increasingly heavy breathing. She resisted the urge to move her body around so that the crystals don’t fall. Regardless, she couldn’t help but tremble just a bit.

            “It is my magic. It has entered the crystals, which are now scanning your body.” explained Kanna. “Please just bear with it. I’m directing the flow now. If there is indeed native magic within you, it shall become clear in a moment.”

            A faint light enveloped Yuko’s body, before shrinking down and circling into the gem on her chest. Soon, the magic crystals no longer glowed, and the light now only came from the lone elemental crystal.

            “Completed.” Kanna let out an exhausted sigh as she dematerialized her staff, putting it away. “Now, let’s see.”

            Kanna approached Yuko, leaned down on the bed to get a close look at the state of the gem on her chest. Yuko, who was still breathing heavily from the prior sensation, began to blush with Kanna so close to her again. The clear, glowing crystal on her heaving chest slowly changed color, until…

            “Your affinity… is fire.” Kanna declared, looking at the orangeish-red glow from the gem. She was a bit surprised. She did know that when fighting the ‘other Yuko’ before, that fire magic was suddenly used towards the end, but it had seemed like dark magic was more her specialty. Of course, utilizing both shouldn’t have been possible to begin with, but still… While Kanna pondered what this could mean, she heard a quiet voice beneath her.

            “O-okay, but Kanna…” squeaked Yuko in a small voice.

            “Ah…” Kanna was so focused on the crystal and its implications that she didn’t realize the way in which she was leaning over Yuko, whose large chest was directly in front of her face.

            “M-my apologies! I, I did not intend to…!” panicking, Kanna desperately tried to lift herself up, but…

            “Ah!” slipping on a corner of the bedsheet that laid on the floor, Kanna tripped and fell forward instead. Her fall was cushioned by Yuko’s sizeable bosom, wherein she landed… face first. Despite the soft sensation pressing against her face, Kanna couldn’t process the turn of events at all, and was frozen solid.

            “Eek! KANNA!” embarrassed, Yuko shoved the frozen ice knight off of her and covered her chest. “D-don’t be such a weirdo!”

            “… My apologies.” the ashamed Kanna muttered, now face-down on the floor.

            The awkward events that had just unfolded in Yuko’s dorm room were probably unimaginable to the many other students in the district… for a variety of reasons. Kanna had always tried to maintain a commendable upright image of herself among her schoolmates. The idea that this curious series of events probably made her come across to Yuko as rather perverse was something she couldn’t bear to let happen.

            Thus, after a few minutes the two quickly reconciled, deciding to forget the whole thing ever happened, and returned to their original plan: going out on patrol. Yuko finally got dressed again and they both headed outside. Though, it took a little while for the two to be able to look one another in the face again without blushing.

[Chapter 4 END]

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