After his little encounter with Power Prince Silver Sword, and dealing with a Tokiko-chan's suspicions about any non-professional interest he might have in Yuri Mikagami, Kashin had been in a surprisingly good mood. True, he'd been beaten. But not by that blowhard himself. Unlike a fencing match, a *real* fight didn't have rules about using wards, so Power Prince Silver Sword had to summon outside assistance to do any significant damage to him. Even more enjoyable had been the sight of the sanctimonious twit then being knocked into a tree by that very same being for not being "just" enough. In fact, when he'd arrived home, Kashin would have been willing to state that it had been a good day. If Power Prince Silver Sword had still been in that tree when he'd gone to finish the idiot off, it would have been a great day. Then, he'd gone to his bedroom. And his good mood vanished quicker than a group of magical girls could clean out an all you can eat buffet. He'd forgotten his monitor seal on his bed, so one of the first sights upon entering his bedroom had been the *crimson* slip of paper, with the mark of the void showing in a dark shade of purple. The fact that it was finished changing colors from black to crimson meant that the seal he'd slipped on Balabalalde could not absorb any more energy from The Unbidden. The fact that the mark of the void, in purple, had appeared on the seal meant that this was because it's companion seal was no more. If there had been a second mark of the void in dark black, that would have meant that the seal on The Unbidden's box was destroyed. Kashin hadn't been foolish enough to think that the absorbing seal that he'd placed on Balabalalde would never reach a point where it could no longer take in any more energy. It could only absorb so much, after all. But it would have lasted for a few more days if it hadn't been destroyed. With the second seal destroyed, The Unbidden would be able to deal with the main seal much sooner than he'd hoped for. He'd prepared for the worst when he'd come up with his plan to get Mikagami back on his fencing team, but that hadn't improved his mood any. Kashin casually adjusted his outfit, and double-checked the wards concealed in various locations, before closing the door to his his bedroom. What way to start a Friday. **************************************************************** Dark Heart High Netherworld Educational Institute for The Universal Propagation of Evil Created by Madsman **************************************************************** Part forty-eight: Reflections! by The Apprentice **************************************************************** **************************************************************** Hamaji Amakusa calmly closed the folder on his desk before voicing his thoughts on the information contained within it. The words he chose were mildly insulting, but the voice was calm and collected. And yet the office seemed to grow colder with each word that rolled off his tongue. "It would appear that Gompachi still hasn't recovered what little common sense he was born with." They were the first words he'd spoken since he'd opened the folder he was still staring down at. "And it would appear that whatever affliction he's currently suffering from is contagious, given Sakura Art's part in this matter." Akurei fought the urge to shiver at that statement. He hated Amakusa, and one of his greatest desires was to kill the man sitting behind that desk and claim his rightful place as Dark Heart High's principal. But he hadn't become it's vice-principal by being a complete and utter idiot. Some people let their anger rule them. Other people tried to control it, or deny it. Amakusa treated it as just another potential resource. He mined it. He purified it. He stored it away. And, when he felt it was appropriate, he shaped it into what the current situation called for. And the latest insult from Knight School and Sakura Art was obviously trying Amakusa's patience. Knight School had already pushed him too far this year. He had been amused when he'd told Akurei about the assassination attempt on the first day of classes. He'd just been annoyed at the use of a purity weapon inside the school. None of that ninja's victims had been permanently damaged, and that individual had been conveniently available for the appropriate punishments for his actions. And Mikagami's actions, and the way their students had reacted to competitors from Knight School during the sports meet, had been enough to blunt Amakusa's outrage over the attempt to blackmail him. This time, Amakusa wouldn't treat his reaction as just another move in a game. Whatever he chose to do, it would be an object lesson. One that would certainly be painful in some way, and might well be quite fatal. Unfortunately, Akurei's job included informing his superior on what he'd discovered about the two would-be heroes who had decided to launched an offensive against the 'Forces of Darkness' on Dark Heart High's own courtyard. Akurei didn't pretend to fully understand Hamaji Amakusa, but he was willing to bet that certain individuals would soon be learning a rather sharp and pointed lesson about what happens if you push someone too far. He only hoped that he wasn't one of those individuals. Akurei wasn't about to allow any of his concern show, of course. "Actually, it doesn't appear as if many of either schools staff are even aware of this, let along actively participating." Part of the job of being vice-principal was to play the part of the Gods' Advocate, even if you agreed with your principal's desire to just gut them all. "As I stated in the report, many of the teachers from both of the schools seemed shocked at the 'initiative' being shown by their fencing teams. And not just because it resulted in the death of the student from Knight School." "But you are certain that there is at least some involvement by staff members from both schools?" "Just what is stated in the report, sir. Our information regarding Sakura Art is somewhat more spotty then I'd like, but we have more information on what Gompachi told the members of Knight School's fencing team. While there are some slight differences between the various sources, they all seem to agree on the important points." Amakusa, head still bowed slightly, tapped a finger idly on the folder. "I'm impressed with young Liza. Not so much in her ability to overhear the conversation between the fencer and one of his classmates from Knight School, but in actually volunteering the information on what she'd heard. Her apparent inability to understand how short-term threats to others could evolve into a long-term threat towards herself was a bit troubling. Have her see me after school, to discuss an appropriate reward for her information." Internally, Akurei sighed with relief. While there was definitely going to be an accounting for all of this, it didn't look like he'd be one of those caught in the storm. "Understood." "So, your opinion is that the adults involved in this little circus are trying to give themselves some degree of deniability - within their own social circles, if not with us - by allowing their hounds to hunt as they choose?" Akurei felt a touch silly nodding when Amakusa wasn't even looking at him, but he did it anyway as he hissed out his reply. "Yes. Everything I've discovered so far states that those two fools who came up with the idea of confronting Yuri Mikagami on the school's property on their own. "However, as the report states, we're only starting to gather information on these incidents, so I can't say for certain that we have all the details. So far, two have been confirmed. But, some comments from Balabalalde's assistant seem to suggest one might have occurred two days ago while Balabalalde and Mikagami were on the way to school. That was why that incident is listed as unconfirmed and was on the last page." Hamaji's Amakusa's face looked like a emotionless, lifeless death-mask when he finally stopped staring at his desk. And his voice was still and even as a flatlined heart monitor. "Are the options we discussed prior to the sport's meet still ready to be used?" Akurei grinned despite how serious the situation was, showing off rows of razor teeth. "If you mean the options regarding how to deal with Knight School, then most are. Options one, three, and five can all be activated within twenty-four hours. Options six and nine in twelve. And option seven in six hours." Spikes rubbed briefly against each other as Akurei shrugged. "If you want to take some action against Sakura Art, that will require more time to prepare." "No. I don't think any punitive actions on our part are necessary against Sakura Art. At least right now." A corner of Amakusa's mouth twitched upwards for a split second. "Mikagami-kun's recent presentation in Shop class is sufficiently public punishment for their part in Gompachi and Tendo's little plot to embarrass our fencing team earlier this year." Akurei cocked his head slightly before finally voicing his thoughts. "We still haven't found any true indications that anyone at Sakura Art was aware that Knight School was going to target those individuals the day before the match." "I'd say the fact that members from both schools' fencing teams, and not just Sakura Art's, suddenly seemed to develop a burning desire to kill Mikagami the day after she's killed Ringoshima's daughter is a rather interesting fact." Amakusa stood up behind his desk before Akurei could say anything else. "Take no action yet. After what happened yesterday, and the loss of another student, those involved might actually reconsider the wisdom of their actions. Continue to observe things, however, and appraise me of anything you discover. And leave everything in place for the options regarding Knight School. Even if they do back down, I'll probably want to use one of the *gentler* options to try to shock poor Gompachi back to reality." Hiding his disappointment, Akurei nodded in acknowledgement. "What about the Tamaida boy? He *did* rescue that magical girl on the school's grounds." "But only after he killed the student from Knight School who also was in the courtyard." Amakusa's voice was now back to normal. "For the moment, no action will be taken against him. Nor will any mention of that incident be made. "We'll give Tamaida-kun some more rope. It will be his decision whether or not he uses it to pull himself back out of the pit he's dug for himself, or hangs himself with it." Taking the folder from Amakusa's outstretched hand. Akurei decided to satisfy his curiosity before leaving the office. "What will you do if Knight School or Sakura Art doesn't pull their students back?" "Why, then I'll give them a demonstration of the terrible power of telephones, Akurei." Amakusa smiled warmly as he opened the door to his office. "Since the day's first class begins in ten minutes, I won't keep you any longer." * * * * * It was a common scene on a day like today. A pair of girls, obviously friends to even the most casual of observers, sitting in the shade of a tree, eating their lunch and enjoying the fine weather. At closer examination might cause an eyebrow to be raised at the amount of food they were consuming. But perhaps the pair were going through a growth spurt, or had missed breakfast. "Are you sure it's going to be okay with your parents, Yuri-chan?" Despite the fact that she was no longer a student at Sakura Art, Amy Angeleye wasn't quite sure how she should act around Yuri's parents. Particularly her father. "Like I told you last night over the phone, they won't have any problems as long as we at least try to study." Yuri didn't understand why all of her acquaintances seemed so nervous about her parents, and particularly about her father. "History's never been my greatest subject, so they're glad that you're willing to help with it. Having you over for supper won't be a problem with them." "Well, it'll do mom some good to eat out for a change, so it wasn't too hard to convince after the call. Although she said she might just stay at home and invite my aunt to supper." Amy leaned back against the tree and moved Mistypuff's carrying case so it would be easier to reach if she needed it. "And history's not that bad. It's just that Aug-sensei makes it all sound so ... Well, dull." Amy shifted slightly towards Yuri before voicing one of her more frequent complaints about Dark Heart High's teachers. "I don't understand *why* they let him teach it. History's one of my best subjects, and I love it. But I still have to fight the urge to doze off in his class." "I said the same thing after my first week, when my parents asked me about how things were going. Well, the part about having problems staying awake in History, anyway. Dad said that it was way of teaching us how to stay awake and aware in even the most boring of situations." Yuri sighed as she leaned back against the tree herself. "I still can't decide if he was joking or not." "Given how strange this year's been so far, I almost believe it." Chuckling, Yuri unconsciously traced the patterns on the silver bracelet she was wearing today. Normally she didn't wear the Materializer even though it would let her summon her mother's old armor by just shouting a phrase. It wasn't because she thought the phrase sounded silly, or it involved an embarrassing transformation sequence. Even though it *did* sound silly, and she *never* wanted to know what others would see if she actually had to use the thing for real. And it wasn't even because the bracelet didn't look nice. It was flashy, but it wasn't gaudy. It looked like a serpent biting it's own tail, and was exquisitely detailed. Strangely enough, it only had one emerald eye, but that just seemed to make it look unique. No, the reason why she didn't normally wear the bracelet was because of what it meant. It meant that she might be attacked at any time, and not be able to stay alive without the armor it would let her summon. Before this year, she hadn't been in many situations where she knew her life was on the line. Before this year, she hadn't been in a single situation where she couldn't just trust in others to save her if things got ugly. And, before this year, she had never really given any thought to what would happen if her relatives and (now) her friends weren't there to help her out if someone tried to kill her. If this was part of growing up, Yuri would rather stay a kid forever. Even if it meant having to go to bed before nine. "Do you think they'll leave me alone for awhile, Amy? I mean, they didn't manage to kill me yesterday and they didn't try anything on the way to school this morning." Despite her best efforts, Yuri couldn't make it sound like she believed things would just quiet down. Amy just sighed. "It would be nice to think so, but Ringoshima had a reputation for being stubborn, back when I was still going to Sakura Art. I overheard mom talking to a friend from America about her once, and they described her as vindictive and willing to bend the rules if it suited her." "Wonderful." Yuri's voice was flat and anything but cheerful now. "So, what do we do now?" "Relax as much as we can before we have to head back in." Amy closed her eyes, using her Sight to keep watch around her. It might have just been her imagination, or wishful thinking, but it felt stronger than it had just a few months ago. "Aunt Angela once told me that if you you think trouble's going to come looking for you, you should enjoy things as much as you can without letting your guard down. If you don't let them ruin your life, you're ahead in the game. "Of course," Amy added after giggling for a few seconds, "mom then asked her how she'd have any idea about that, given how she teaches at Zeros Academy, and always seems to be looking to *cause* trouble." * * * * * Seichorou the Ninth idly looking over the notes he had compiled so far, regarding Sakazashi the Fifth's death, as he waited for the timer to go off. While he'd never really cared much for Sakazashi, family was still family. And the honor of the Doombringer clan demanded that the killer of Sakazashi the Fifth pay for that insult with their life. Idly he tapped a clay jar with his pen while reviewing the notes. Trying to find the missing piece of information he just *knew* was hidden somewhere in the rest of the data he'd collected. Or, if not the missing piece itself, at least a clue on the course of action he needed to take in order to find it. On the face of things, it was all quite simple. The little brat underestimated Balabalalde, and had been torn limb from limb in their duel. It wasn't the first time Sakazashi had underestimated someone, but normally he still managed to win. And, when he hadn't won, he had still survived and the family had managed to quietly deal with the problem. Unfortunately, for Seichorou, it wasn't *quite* that easy. His younger brother may have been annoying and little more than a bully, but he wasn't *quite* so stupid to think he could take an all but completely unbound Balabalalde. At least, not without some insurance. So Sakazashi only challenged Balabalalde to that fateful duel after he'd gotten his hands on a very special knife. One capable of slicing off one of Balabalalde's arms with a single swipe. Unfortunately, it had also been capable of breaching Balabalalde's final ward. Which had been quickly been followed by Sakazashi's death. But the important piece of information was that knife, and how it had gotten into his little brother's possession. Sakazashi had been too weak to *take* such a blade from its owner. He never had the wealth, or the unused favors, to get his hands on one. Not even temporarily. And he had been far too much of a fool to have ever seriously thought about stealing one. Which meant that someone had *given* that knife to Sakazashi. And the odds that they did so without knowing - and approving - of how it would be used were only slightly higher than the odds that he'd spend the rest of the day as a cross-dressing male prostitute. Idly moving a few strands of tar-black hair out of his eyes, he addressed the clay jar set directly in front of him on the table. "This would be so much easier if I was willing to just settle for the hand, instead of wanting the puppetmaster. Or if the little twit hadn't gotten himself killed during the school year." Sighing faintly, Seichorou the Ninth picked up the clay jar as continued on. "I'm not about to let my grade point average suffer in order to spend more time on this than I have to. But if I let things stand as they are for too long, the trail will be colder than a nosferatu. "And the thought of letting the figure behind the curtain get away with this is too much for me to stomach. I'm too much of a perfectionist, I suppose. I might still kill Balabalalde for what he did, but not before I kill the person who set my little brother up. "The only reason why Sakazashi felt confident enough to challenge Balabalalde to a duel was that knife. Which meant that someone wanted one of the two of them to die. Annoying as he was, Sakazashi never made himself any enemies that would have been able to acquire such a weapon. Which meant that his mysterious benefactor wanted Balabalalde dead. But either could not, or would not, kill the boy in a more direct fashion. "If Sakazashi killed Balabalalde, they got what they wanted. If Balabalalde killed Sakazashi, then family honor would cause me to kill Balabalalde. And then the puppetmaster still gets what they want." As he wiggled the clay jar, Seichorou couldn't help but smile as he felt his prize shift in the liquid within the jar. "Quite frankly, I find myself impressed with how well they've covered their tracks. I *still* haven't been able to find out when or where Sakazashi got that knife. Never mind the 'from *whom*' part of that particular transaction. "So that leaves me with finding out who would want Balabalalde dead, but fits the criteria for the puppetmaster. It could be someone who has something against the boy himself. Or it could have something to do with the Agherukk or the Wagmere. But the more I find out, the more it looks like it was done because someone wanted to remove one of Yuri Mikagami's allies. And the more it seems like the puppetmaster is one of the staff at Dark Heart High." Suddenly the sound of a popular pop song started to fill the room, originating from the timer's speakers. Calmly, Seichorou placed the clay jar back on the table and, after patting it's top like it was a beloved pet, he moved over the stove on the other side of the room. Even as one hand reached for the safety goggles resting on the countertop, Seichorou's other hand turned the dial for the stove's left front burner to zero. Even as the song went back into it's chorus, Seichorou was checking the gloves he was now wearing, and looking over the metallic pan that was also on the countertop. Careful not to breath in any of the smoke, Seichorou carefully lifted the black kettle of the stove and pored it's contents into the pan. The green fluid turned crystal clear as soon as it touched the liquid that was already in the pan. The fact that logic dictated that the pan's contents would overflow the container with even half the kettle's contents didn't worry Seichorou the Ninth in the least. Finally, Seichorou placed the kettle on the stove's front right burner, before looking at the pan's contents again. Despite logic's protests, it still only looked half-full. However, Seichorou's smile was solely for what rested at the bottom of pan. A picture of Midori Tamaida. Shaking his head slightly, Seichorou carefully covered the pan before putting it away. He'd have to wait several hours before taking the next step, and the liquid wouldn't be ready to be used few more days. But Seichorou knew how to wait. Removing his protective gear with the speed and precision of long practice, Seichorou turned off the rather annoying music before sitting back down. With a faint shudder, he resumed his one-sided conversation with his prize. "I still don't understand how anyone with any pretentious of good taste can claim that woman has any musical talent. And her songs do nothing for me either. I mean, who would actually *want* to listen to someone sing a song about an accidental serial killer. Let alone one who continually states 'Oops! I killed someone again?'" Seichorou leaned forwards, as if about to relate some great secret. "Still, just between us, I *will* admit that she isn't entirely unattractive." Leaning back, Seichorou idly ran one of his hands through his hair. "But enough about the state of modern music, or the lack thereof. Even if my current hypothesis is correct, and the puppetmaster is among Dark Hear High's staff, how do I find out who it truly is? And, once I've done that, how do I ensure that they pay the price of trying to use the Doombringer clan as a mere cat's paw? "Akurei would be the obvious suspect, particularly after I called in that favor Mordred owed me. If Amakusa is even *thinking* about Mikagami as a possible replacement, at some point in the future, as Dark Heart High's principal then Akurei would hate her guts. Anyone who survives their first year at Dark Heart knows just how badly he wants to sit behind Amakusa's desk, or just how many times a year he tries to arrange Amakusa's death. The idea of one day having to obey a girl who attended Dark Heart High while he was the vice-principal would be too much for him to handle. "In fact, Akurei is far too *obviously* the prime suspect. And something like this is not his style at all. He's far too fond of the idea of cutting the serpent's head off. If he has to deal with the underlings as well, he will, but he'd much rather try to woe them over to his side after he's dealt with their former leader. Or letting the underlings leave in relative peace, as long as don't bother him." Seichorou playfully tapped jar with a finger. "He's a good organizer, after all, and hates needless waste." Seichorou abruptly rose out of his seat and started to pace. While his voice remained bright and airy, his hands were clenched forcefully together behind his back. "You know, I can almost hear the question you'd ask, if the rest of you were here with me. There was a rather good reason for questioning Akurei as I did. First, it let me confirm the information poor Ki gave me after I spiked one of his drinks with a little something I like to carry around. Given how good I am at alchemy, I doubt he left anything out, but it never hurts to check things out. More importantly, it will hopefully cause the puppetmaster to regard me as a rather clumsy buffoon. "None of Dark Heart High's staff are stupid, no matter how they may act. And none of them are what I would call weak, either. If Akurei wasn't still recovering from losing his head, and if I hadn't taken him by surprise, things could have gone differently. As it is, it's quite likely that he'll be upset with me for some time to come. But if my quarry thinks that I'm as arrogant and foolish as Sakazashi, that I actually feel that I could do that to Akurei, they'll underestimate me. Perhaps not enough for me to strike the killing blow myself, but enough for me to call on other members of the clan without any loss of face." Passing by the room's clock once again, Seichorou suddenly stopped in midstep and checked the time again. "Well, Mimi-chan, it looks like I'll have to leave you alone for a while. Thanks for listening to me, I have an oral project I have to present in my first class this afternoon, and you *know* I like to get in a bit of practice before doing something like that." The clay jar, and the heart of one Midori Tamaida that lay within it, didn't say anything as Seichorou closed the kitchen door behind him. * * * * * She had a purpose. To balance the scales. To bring order out of confusion, and law out of chaos. To punish the unjust. Even before her birth, let alone before she could think for herself, she had known this. And it had given her a reason *to* exist. That was why it had not left with The Justicar. There was so much disorder here. So many who needed to be punished for their actions. Someone should be doing something about it. There were many in this city who claimed that they were champions of order. Who stated they were just and lawful. But all they did was ignore the guilty when punishing them was not convenient, or should be numbered among the guilty themselves. Like the boy who had summoned The Justicar. The Justicar knew this as well as she did, but his nature would not allow him to remain here. But he had left her here with his blessing, and a polite request she bring back an extra large tako and fugu okonomiyaki. Her power was such that she had been ignored by the all those who had seen The Justicar, including *that* girl. As had all the others who had passed her by until he had arrived. Someone who would hear her call, and would answer it. A confused young man who she could use to assist her in this quest. With the physical qualities and training that she could put to use in the cause of Justice. He was not himself untainted by his actions, but perhaps that was as it should be. She would do her best to re-educate the boy, but if it was necessary to sacrifice someone for the cause, was it not better that that it be guilty individual sentenced to community service? Ignored by the latest of the individuals who had searched Ki Tamaida's room today, the Hammer of Justice eagerly awaited it's next opportunity to see to it that justice was carried out. * * * * * Some people saw their lives flash before their eyes in those timeless moments just before death reached out and took their hand. Ki, on the other hand, was trying to remember all the strange dreams he'd been having since Maimsworth's party, as he stared at the ceiling. But he knew that he was going to die unless he could deal with this situation. Midori had told him that someone had stolen a pair of hearts, *their* hearts, from the manor's basement, and that the manor's trophy room had been vandalized last night. Not even Midori would dare joke about something like that. Nor would she lie when she'd told him that an emergency meeting of the Steel Thorn Clan would occur in three days due these acts. And now he had a heart, almost certainly *his* heart, beating in his chest. If any of his elders, even his parents, found that out he'd be as good as dead. Not just because he'd be the prime suspect for the crime of stealing Midori's heart and the insult of vandalizing the manor's trophy room. But because no member of the clan would *ever* put his own heart back in his chest. Unfortunately, one of his dreams suggested that was exactly what Ki had done. It had occurred just two or three nights after Maimsworth's party. Back before Midori had told him of the possible side-effects of the cologne he'd been using in an attempt to attract Yuri. He hadn't believed her claim at first, but after what had happened with the Junko girl, he had stopped using it. Apparently, however, the damage had already been done. It was, Ki admitted to himself, his own fault. He should have known better than to willingly buy *anything* from Liza by now. Especially when she had told him when this was a special version of the cologne that wouldn't just cause girls to be inclined to agree with him, but would help him in expressing his emotions, since women always liked that sort of thing. In a way, that dream was only slightly less terrifying than the one he'd had last night. Of him putting on a *cape*, of all things, and fighting for Justice. The fact that he had struck at both those who were good, as well as those who were evil, might have made that 'dream' less dangerous to his health except for what he'd done in it near the beginning. He'd gone to the manor's trophy room and destroyed all the ill-gotten momentos of the unjust victories therein. With a hammer that had whispered her name to him when he had first picked it up in the middle of the street. Ignoring the pounding sound of blood rushing through his veins, Ki used some of the mental techniques that had been taught to him along with things such as art of the blade. One set of techniques to force his body to relax and remain calm. He couldn't let his heart, and the newly regained strength of his emotions, control him. If he did, he might as well fall on his own sword. That done, Ki started to use another set of techniques, to examine his recent memories. He needed to know if anything *else* had gone wrong recently. If he hadn't even noticed that he had a *heartbeat* until someone pointed it out to him, what else had he overlooked and ignored? While he had never needed to use this particularly technique that frequently, it was still easier than the techniques to control his emotions, as the later had been unused since his coming of age ceremony and the removal of his heart. Something seemed wrong about his memories of the time he'd spent drinking his sorrows away with Seichorou the Ninth. Ki closed his eyes to concentrate more on seeing through the haze of the alcohol he'd already had before Sei had joined him. Of the drinks Sei had bought him, and how they had shared stores about their mutual failures at romance; Ki with Yuri and Seichorou with Midori. Of sharing an isolated table so no one could overhear them, and of Sei's willingness to go and get several rounds of the drinks they'd shared. Ki's eyes snapped open and he started to breath more heavily, as he finally remembered how he'd told Seichorou how to get past the manor's defenses. And exactly where in the basement Midori's heart was stored. If the elders found out about the heart in his chest, his 'conversation' with Seichorou the Ninth, and his actions last night, they might be willing to be lenient with him. But Ki doubted they'd be merciful enough just to kill him. Substances might have clouded his mind, and a sentient magical weapon might *still* be influencing him, but that would not change what he'd done. In the Steel Thorn Clan, excuses were not an option. As it was, he'd certainly be envying Sakazashi the Fifth's fate unless he either managed to hide all of this from the elders, or managed to deal with the problems himself. The odds of him successfully hiding *all* of this from the clan's elders were so low that Ki had to bite his lower lip to keep from bursting out in hysterical laughter. But the second possible solution was just about as unworkable. Confronting Seichorou the Ninth himself would be suicide, given how poorly he'd done when facing Mordred Maimsworth. Then there were the questions of how he'd remove a heart from his chest without killing himself, and how he'd get rid of that hammer without giving into it again when he touched it. No, the second option also was ludicrous. There was too much to do, and far too little time for him to do it. Not to mention the fact that he didn't possess all of the skills and abilities that would be needed. Unless, of course, he was willing to take a risk. He knew someone who's abilities could be quite useful, and might even be able to even dispose of that hammer. Someone who had close aquaintances that had other skills and talents that would be *quite* helpful in resolving his problems. Unfortunately, this would require him to ask her for help. And hope that how he'd helped her in the past would sway her towards helping him instead of turning him away. Or turning him in. The odds, Ki calmly admitted to himself as he finally stood up, were extremely poor. But it was still his best chance. But that would be for later. He couldn't afford to appear even slightly suspicious right now. * * * * * It couldn't really be called an emergency meeting of the Future Accountants Club. Mainly due the fact that presently the club's membership roll showed two active members, and one member 'seconded' to Dark Heart High's fencing team. Which was the reason why it *was* an emergency. Neither of the two active members looked that great either. The current corpse that Ryuji was using to interact with those existing (naturally or not) in this dimension was about ready to be retired. He could still walk and talk, but the missing right hand and the left eye that was hanging out of it's socket pretty much meant that it was time to take another shopping trip through the local morgues. Still, while annoying, he was used to this sort of thing. The Unbidden, on the other hand, had to deal with the fact that his box was still missing it's top four corners and the Dark Seal Siphon prevented all but the most basic of interactions on this particular plane of existence. More than a few students had commented in the changes in his 'appearance', although only a few seemed to have any idea of what they implied. Which was part of the reason why neither of them had said anything since the meeting had been called to order. Ryuji didn't want to attract any of the rage he could feel from the Unbidden. And the Unbidden was busy brooding and checking his plan one last time for possible problems. Adding insult to the Unbidden's injuries was the fact that he'd suffered this humiliating defeat at the hands of a mortal. An upperclassman, yes. Considered one of the leaders, if not the leader, of this years senior class, yes. But still a mortal. And, most humiliating of all, he hadn't required Kashin to specifically state *when* the mortal would remove that thrice-blessed seal from his box when if he agreed to let Kashin 'borrow' Hellstorm's spawn for his precious fencing club. Thus robbing the Unbidden of even the empty pleasure of being able to call Kashin an oathbreaker. He'd been overjoyed when he felt the companion to the seal he had explode and release all that energy he'd slowly, but constantly, fed into it. With the destruction of that Seal of Absorption he could now start to work on destroying the Dark Seal Siphon, using the power that would have otherwise been sent to its companion seal. It would take days before he was free, but already Ryuji had commented on how a small part of the seal had changed from red to black. ".merklA" His good mood had vanished when he'd learnt that Kashin was still alive, and apparently unharmed. Much as it disgusted him, he had to admit that the mortal had once again surprised him. Kashin had either been wise enough not to carry the Seal of Absorption on his own person, or he'd been lucky enough to notice what was going on before it was too late. ".merklA" But, even once he dealt with the seal, gaining his unholy vengeance would be a secondary concern at best. Ever since they'd had the guest speaker in, he'd been pondering how to draw others into joining the Future Accountants Club. He'd already tried a few ideas, with absolutely no worthwhile successes. Kashin's actions had made it clear just how little others thought of the club, and of *him.* Obviously, it was time to try something more *ambitious.* "!merklA" But only after the appropriate preparations. The envy of his rivals, and the worship of his inferiors, wouldn't do him much good if he wasn't able to *enjoy* his success. "!!!MERKLA" Ryuji jerked his present body upright, causing his left eyeball to swing wildly on the cord that kept it attached to the rest of the body. "The answer's forty two, Daisho-sensei!" "..." "Oh, sorry sempai, I guess I let my mind wander." ".pay attention, merkla, as I have an important task for yoU .it is time that we take some action to reverse the fortunes of this cluB .the school must come to understand that accounting is worthy of respecT" "How will we do that, sempai? We haven't been able to attract anyone to the club but Yuri since the problems with those cultist earlier this year." ".it should be obvious, even to *you*, merklA .we will take the advice of the mortal, and demonstrate the power of accountinG !*then* they will show my club the respect it deserves, and I will gain more minionS" "You mean more students will join the club?" "... ?that is what I just said, isn't iT ?that isn't a priest's corpse you're using, is iT .you *know* how you always get when you wear one of theM" "Of course not, sempai! So, what do you want me to do?" ".I have a list of business that I want you to get information oN .especially copies of their tax returnS .while I want all the information you can find, I don't want them to be aware of your researcH .we will wait until we are back at our full strength before acting on your information, so stealth is more important than speeD" **************************************************************** Author's Notes: It's times like these that I really and truly wish I was better at time management. When you can't get your part pre-read because you're pushing the deadline *after* an extension, it's a touch embarrassing. Hopefully this won't be habit forming for me. And I do hope that I haven't made *too* many mistakes that would have been easily noticed by those who were going to be my pre-readers. But enough about that. In a general sort of way, this is what I wanted to do with this episode of Dark Heart High. But not quite in the *fashion* I wanted. Among other things, I really wanted to make this episode a bit less grim than it's turned out to be, but my funny bone couldn't quite do it. First off, This episode is pretty much action free due to the fact that it's occurring on the same day as Doublemint's part (Episode 47). Given the abject failures of the attempts to kill Yuri the day before, and the fact that one Knight School student was slain by Ki in Dark Heart High's courtyard, a bit of a pause isn't entirely out of order. Liza's information comes from an off-camera conversation between Hikaru Hikari and Marcus (first seen in Episode 44). It's so much easier to spy on someone who invites you to sit at the same table, wouldn't you say? Is Seichorou the Ninth a few fries short of a Happy Meal, or was he just practicing for his oral presentation later today? What is he planning to do with Midori's heart and whatever it is that he's brewing? And is his primary focus on Midori, or is he just using that as another blind while stalking the mysterious puppetmaster who set his little brother up to fight Balabalalde? I guess you'll just have to keep reading Dark Heart High if you hope to find this things out. Ki's recent problems are bit clearer now. Using anything meant to help you show your emotions from *Liza* is not a smart move. Mix the results of that with alcohol spiked with alchemical substances provided by Seichorou and you have problems. Add a sentient weapon to the mix and you've got a rather deep hole. Question now is, will Ki manage to get out of it before the clan meets on Monday? The Unbidden's little scheme won't be passing the planning stage for a while yet, so future contributors to DHH won't have to worry about it for a few episodes at least. He needs to burn out Kashin's ward, and wants to get Yuri back in the FAC's active membership, before going beyond the planning and intelligence gathering stages. I'm really looking forwards to reading the next few parts of Dark Heart High. It's friday afternoon after all, and Ki only has three days before the Steel Thorn Clan holds it's meeting. Will Ki manage to pull himself - or get others to *help* pull him - out of the quicksand before the meeting on Monday? I guess I'll just have to read and find out. In any event, I'd like to thank Smlee, Madsman, and Lawrence Chu. Smlee and Madsman for being willing to listen to my general plot overview and for giving me some advice when I started to go out on a limb with some of my ideas. My thanks to Lawrence Chu, the DHH admin, for being willing to give me an extension. My thanks to Madsman for being willing to pre-read at the very last moment due to the whole 'getting it done *just* before the deadline' thing. Ah well, hopefully you've enjoyed this. Because, despite my time management problems, I certainly enjoyed writing it! **************************************************************** Ki took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The next few minutes would be critical. As he'd hoped, it was Yuri that answered the door. Unfortunately, as he'd feared, she wasn't happy to see him. "Ki, what are you doing here?" Taking a deep breath, and reminding himself that that painfully neutral tone of voice wasn't that unexpected. Or, he reluctantly admited, what he'd feared. That, however, didn't mean it was what he was *hoping* for either. Ki Tamaida forced himself to swallow his pride. As strange as it felt, he had to tell Yuri the truth. No shading things. No vague statements that could be interpreted in several different ways. If he was going to get the help he needed, in time for it to do any good, he had to lay all his cards on the table and risk it all. "I'm here to ask you to help me save my life, Yuri."