AN: I've got a quick ask of people who have been enjoying my work! If you have the time and think my fiction deserves it, please leave a review. It really helps optics and promotes my work. But no matter what, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy! :)
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"What do you mean you aren't going back to the school?!"
Kiniro stared at Hakari and Kirara as he stood on the Foothills of Mount Mushiro and the long winding staircase that would lead him through the powerful barrier concealing the school.
"There are a few things we gotta take care of," Hakari replied with a small tilt in his head, "Might take us a while too, so this is goodbye for now."
"But not forever," Kirara quickly added, "We'll meet again someday, I'm sure of it!"
Kiniro stared at the couple for a moment before letting out a disappointing sigh, "But I'm gonna be so bored now, and I just got all that money! I was hoping we could go out into the city together."
"What, you don't get along with the other first years?" Hakari asked with a smirk, "Or did they get sick of your bullshit and kick you to the curb?"
"Hakari!" Kirara admonished with a glare, but he didn't seem to care.
Kiniro kicked the ground, "No, they're fine, but One is essentially mute, the other is a panda, and Maki is more interested in training than anything else."
"I'm sure you'll find something to keep you entertained, "Kirara said confidently as she smiled at Kiniro, who scratched the back of his head, "Maybe if headquarters decides to send me on another suicide mission, but I doubt I'll get that lucky."
With a final sigh, Kiniro adjusted the two packages slung over his back, "I guess I'll see you two around then. And for all that it's worth, I had a lot of fun hanging out with you guys."
Kiniro then turned and started jogging up the stairs, quickly disappearing into the dense canopy at the mountain's sharp incline.
"I think I actually might miss that brat," Hakari muttered a few moments later, "He'll definitely be a crowd favorite once we get everything up and running."
"You think he'll actually join?"Kirara asked as Hakari turned around and started to walk away, "I hope so, after all, I still haven't seen his fever in action."
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'Can't believe that I was gone for nearly a whole week,' Kiniro thought to himself as he walked through the school grounds looking to see if he could notice anything different. 'Took longer than I expected for that smith to finish the job, it also cost more, but I really can't complain with the final product.'
Walking on autopilot towards the dormitories, Kiniro passed by the track field, only to hear a string of grunts and heavy exhales. Pausing in his tracks, Kiniro looked over curiously, 'It's the weekend…did Maki somehow convince Toge or Panda to wake up early and spar with her?'
Wandering over, Kiniro stood at the entrance of the track field, only to pause for a moment as his eyes took in the scene in front of him, 'Who the hell is that?'
Maki was training, but it wasn't with Toge or Panda. Instead, it was another boy, wielding a practice sword, desperately trying to fend off Maki's brutal overhand swings. He was plain-looking with a tall, lanky build and a nervous energy about him.
There was nothing special looking about him, but Kiniro couldn't take his eyes away. 'So you were the reason why Sensei had to leave…I can't believe he didn't tell me over the phone.'
Walking forward, Kiniro had to tamp down his excitement. 'Attacking that monster would be the last thing I ever do, and I probably wouldn't even be able to enjoy the fight before it kills me. How he's even walking around free with that thing attached to his soul is beyond me.'
"Yo!"
Maki's sword paused mid-air as she looked over and saw Kiniro waving at her and walking over with two boxes slung over his shoulder, "Great, the idiot is back."
"Is that the other first year, Maki?"
"Yeah, looks like he survived his first mission, how unfortunate," Maki muttered as she rested her sword against her shoulder and stared at Kiniro, "You're back."
"Why, is that a surprise?" Kiniro asked as he stepped onto the grass and grinned.
Maki grunted, "No, I'm just disappointed that I'll have to listen to that mouth of yours again."
"Insulting me already, and to think I got you a souvenir," Kinrio shook his head as he took off one of the packages from his shoulder and tossed it at Maki.
Catching the cloth-wrapped package, Maki's initial indifference disappeared as she felt the weight and texture of the item. Unable to hide her interest, Maki dropped her practice sword and used her hand to tear at the wrapping.
'This sword,' Maki thought in awe as the last length of cloth fell to the ground, revealing the intricate sword held in her grasp. In an instant, Maki knew she wasn't holding an ordinary weapon. 'The craftsmanship alone is impeccable, but it's not just that.'
Maki looked up from the blade to stare Kiniro in the eyes, "Where the hell did you get something like this?"
"If you don't like it, I can take it back," Kiniro shrugged as he held out his hand, only for Maki to pull the sword away with a possessiveness in her eyes that made the hairs on the back of Kiniro's arm stand up, "That's what I thought, just normally people say thank you when they're given a gift. Especially one that costs a couple of hundred million yen."
"H-hundred million yen?"
Kiniro glanced over and smiled, "Sorry I didn't get you anything, though considering that I didn't know that you existed, I hope you'll forgive me."
"O-oh I-I wasn't-"
"Don't bother apologizing, Yuta, Kiniro is just fucking with you." Maki interrupted while glaring at Kiniro disapprovingly.
"That was clearly sarcasm, but seeing as you're so protective of him, I won't tease…much," Kiniro grinned as he glanced between Maki and Yuta before turning to address the latter, "So Yuta, what's your deal?"
Yuta blinked and instantly averted his gaze, "N-nothing, I-I'm a first-year just like you are."
"No one is like me," Kiniro said with a steely edge in his voice as he continued to stare into Yuta's eyes, "Which is why I can tell that you're not like anyone else either."
"R-really, I'm not anyone special," Yuta insisted with an uneasy look.
Kiniro grinned, "It's funny, I can tell you're not lying when you say that. But do you seriously believe that just anyone can walk around with a curse that strong clinging onto their soul?"
Kiniro's eyes moved to stare above Yuta's head at the seemingly empty space, "I have to admit, though, I didn't know cursed spirits were even capable of being so protective of humans. I mean, it's practically wrapped around your body."
Yuta's eyes widened as he stared at Kiniro, "Y-you can see her?"
"Her?" Kiniro repeated with interest, looking back at Yuta, "It has a gender?"
"Her name is Rika," Yuta corrected with a bit of steel coming out in his voice for the first time.
Kiniro grinned, "So she's the reason my Sensei had to get called out. What, were those guys bullies of yours?"
Yuta flinched as Kiniro suddenly referenced the incident that had sent his life in a direction he could have never predicted, "H-how did you know?"
"Because I'm not like anyone else," Kiniro stated again with a grin, "And once you accept that you aren't as well…come find me, and we'll talk."
Kiniro then glanced over at Maki, "That goes for you as well."
"Go fuck yourself," Maki muttered reflexively before she paused, "But thanks for the sword, I guess."
"No problem, I'm sure you'll put it to good use," Kiniro replied with a grin, before looking back to the space over Yuta's head, "Also, Rika, don't kill Maki, alright. She doesn't even know it yet."
"I don't know what?" Maki asked while glaring at Kiniro, who only grinned, "Eh, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. Isn't that right, Yuta?"
Maki looked back at Yuta, who looked like he wanted to find a rock to crawl underneath and die, "Kiniro, you're a real asshole, you know that."
"Someone's got to keep things interesting around here," Kiniro replied with a shrug as he turned around and waved goodbye. "I'll see you guys later, I'm beat from traveling all day, but I'll hop in for the next training session."
"You're not invited."
"Sorry, I didn't hear that!" Kiniro said, putting his hands over his ears.
Maki let out a groan and fought the urge to test out her new sword, but decided that it wasn't worth the trouble.
"So he's supposed to be a special grade as well?" Yuta asked after a heartbeat.
"Yeah, apparently you guys are a dime a dozen nowadays," Maki grumbled, "Though besides being such a pain in the ass, I don't know what's so special about him."