Having returned to the classroom to grab their things, the distraught group now headed for Heiwa's gates to get out of Yura's kingdom and hit the Mahapadma like usual. That was where they'd plan what to do next.

But unlike said usual, no one dared to make a peep. Everyone was still taking in Yura's claims and challenge and processing them.

And in another unprecedented sight, Yukie and Harui weren't side by side.

Harui was walking ahead of the group with her bag over her shoulder, Yukie was off to the side with her eyes glued to the floor, and Satoru and Kikka were taking the full force of the tension in the air.

But then Harui stopped.

She grit her teeth.

She growled.

And she raised her school bag.

But Satoru grabbed her arm before she could throw it at the ground.

"That bastard... What does he know about justice?! Justice would be him never showing his stupid mug in our life again! Who does he think he is to say those ugly things about Yukie?!"

"You wanna beat him up?" Satoru asked, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.

"What do you think, dumbass?!"

"Then keep it bottled and let it blow up on wednesday. He's the one who made the mistake of giving us a way to fight back." The white haired said, letting go of his friend. "Let's raise hell."

"All of this is my fault..." Yukie admitted, finally raising her head, but never deviating her gaze from the ground. She couldn't bring herself to look at Harui. "Y-yura is right... Harui's efforts wouldn't be in danger if I had stayed away..."

"Yukie-san..." Kikka muttered.

"What are you talking about...?!"

Satoru and Kikka looked at Harui as she muttered those words. Her hands were trembling, but her grip on her school bag was strong like a vice.

"Are you really gonna let that guy call the shots on your worth?!"

This time, Harui made herself be heard. She let go of her bag and rushed over to Yukie, placing both hands on her face to force her to look back at her.

Yukie felt a vice tighten around her heart as she saw Harui's eyes. They were red and watery, a sign she was struggling to kept herself intact.

"I don't care about his stupid justice or whatever other crap he spews out! Jues existing is never a crime! Look at me, I'm good again! You already paid for your mistakes! What good is being a big shot if I can't have you by my side like always?! What's the point if I'm not with you, Yukie?!"

Yukie's bottom lip trembled as she sniffed. Tears grew on the corner of her eyes just as fast as they rolled down her face.

"I don't want to be the reason you're unhappy... I just want you to be happy, even if it means not being with you, Harui...!"

"What kinda contradiction is that?! How can I be happy without you?!"

Harui pulled Yukie closer and leaned her forehead against hers.

"We'll beat him and prove you innocent... S-so please... Don't leave me, Yukie!" The white haired cried.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I never wanted any of this to happen..." The dark haired sobbed.

Satoru turned his back to his friends, pushing his sunglasses up with a swift move.

"Hey, Kikka. Do me a solid and make sure those two get to Nozomi's place without anymore crying."

"Satoru...?" Kikka questioned.

"Don't worry about me. I'm gonna go fetch our fifth player in a spiffy. Be back before you can say Granfia got good support this year. That's a promise." He replied, holding out his right pinky. "And close the floodgates, tanuki. You look omega lame right now. You too, Yukie."

Against all odds, the two lovers managed to crack a small chuckle. Harui moved her arms around Yukie's neck and pulled her into her embrace, and she responded by moving her arms around the shorter girl's waist.

"Don't go making yourself look like a bigger loser... You furry." Harui said with a low, almost silent, laugh.

Satoru waved her off, the only sign she needed to feel more confident.

By his lonesome self, Satoru went around Heiwa's school building, only stopping when he was face to face with the doors to the greenhouse. But he wasn't alone.

"You're not great at stealth, Uekoshi."

Kikka joined him in standing in front of the greenhouse.

"I know."

"What set you off?"

"You called me Kikka."

"Uahaha... Something as small as that? And then you try to tell us you're not becoming like Harui."

"Might aswell take what's good while forever fighting what's bad. You remember the day we met Kiru-san?"

"Yeah. You asked if there was any bad blood between Yukie and Jiei. I liked the dessert I had on that cafe we went to."

"Are you finally gonna tell me the truth?"

"Nope. You'll have to hear it from the big man's mouth. Guess you'll tag along even if I ask you not to."

"Don't doubt my ability to be as stubborn as that daikonhead."

"Point taken."

"Are you alright with this, Satoru?"

"Nah. I'm pretty far from alright. In fact, I don't think I've ever been this mad in my life."

Walking along the verdant plantations of the greenhouse, Satoru and Kikka travelled down the stone path to the meeting point of all the paths under that plastic roof, to where they'd meet the man Satoru seeked.

The last time she was here, Kikka could hear the sound of snipping as she walked.

But this time, the garden was dead silent.

The one who attented to it the most was quietly waiting, sitted on the couch at the center of it all.

"Yo, big oaf." Satoru greeted, both hands stuffed in his trouser's pockets.

"So, you've come..." Jiei muttered.

"This's been a long time coming. Stop wallowing in your self pity and get off your ass."

"Satoru...?" Kikka questioned.

Jiei complied with his friend's order and got up from the couch, but fell back on it a moment later, after Satoru's fist collided with his face in a fierce right hook.

"J-jiei-kun!" The redhead exclaimed, eyes widened as she covered her mouth with both hands.

In the months since she met him, Kikka never saw Satoru be anything other than easygoing and happy.

He always laughed when others didn't, he always had a snarky remark at the tip of his tongue to bounce off Harui's own words, but above that, even after dealing with people like Michinaga, he always had a smile on his face.

And yet, now his smile was gone.

He took off his sunglasses, folded them, and put them away in his shirt's breast pocket.

His eyes were burning with a quiet rage Kikka had never seen before, though truth be told, she could count the times she saw his eyes with the fingers in her right hand.

"Yura stopped by at some point." Satoru affirmed.

"Yeah..." Jiei nodded, lowering his head. "He came here when he was gathering his Royalty to recruit me. At the time it was only him, God Kyora and that guy who came here to dodge juvie..."

"And you couldn't grow the pair to give him an answer, so you settled on the center by throwing Tokiya their way."

"Chiharu offered to go in my place. She has nothing to do with this other than that, so keep her out of this."

"Doesn't change the fact you got someone else to go handle your dirty laundry while you do jack. I'd be surprised if it wasn't what I expected from you, verbatim."

"Hey, wait, Satoru!" Kikka called out. "Backtrack a bit, I'm not getting any of this! You know the new Queen? And what's this about Yura coming here for Jiei-kun?! Why'd he try to get Yukie-san's own brother on his side?!"

"I've seen the new Queen. Tokiya's from class 3, she hangs here sometimes. I also recognized everyone else. Kyora needs no introduction, Shiro's the guy who's earned himself a restriction orde, Yura's Yura and Aoki's a guy who got famous off pummeling the guys who bullied his girl last year. The girl that was with him was Ishiwatari Mitsuru-senpai, a second year and leader of the fighting game club. As for your other question, I'll let you hear it from his own mouth, not that you'll have a hard time guessing. Start singing, birdie."

"Wait... You don't mean...?"

"He's right." Jiei admitted, gaze glued to his feet. "Yura came to me... Because I agree with him."

Kikka grit her teeth with a pained look in her eyes.

"Jiei-kun... You too...? Is that why things were so tense between you and Yukie-san the day we met? Did that accident really drive a wedge between you two to the point you'll side with someone who's out to hurt your friends?! Your family?!"

"Things are not that simple!" The dark haired boy exclaimed.

"You're still holding on to those nuances?" Satoru asked.

"Shut up!" Jiei shouted, finally raising his head to look at Satoru. His dark eyes, radiating both fury and sadness, peeked through his bangs. "You're not me! You didn't have to live through what I lived! It's easy for you two to talk when you don't know anything!"

"I know enough!" The white haired clapped back. "You're the one who can't choose how he feels about Yukie! You're the one who's own lack of courage to make up his mind is putting him further away from his own sister and his own friends!"

Kikka's eyes widened as she saw the two boys fight. Things finally fell in place.

"You never intended to ask Jiei-kun to be on our side, did you... Yohoho, I can't believe me and the daikonhead never noticed it before... You two have been at this for ages, haven't you? This isn't the first time you've fought over this."

"I don't come here often for a reason." Satoru replied.

"Man... How'd I pick up on the tension between Yukie-san and Jiei-kun but not on the one between the two of you..." Kikka asked herself, bringing her hand up to her face. "Jiei-kun... I'm sorry for just making assumptions. If things were simple, you'd have joined Yura's side, wouldn't you? But you didn't."

The redhead took a seat next to Jiei on the couch and looked at him with a small smile.

"I'll hear you out, Jiei-kun. Pour your heart out to me. O-only if you want, of course!"

"Uekoshi-san... Thank you." Jiei said, lowering his head again. "I'll tell you everything... And I won't resent whatever choice you make afterwards."

Jiei took a deep breath.

"I agree with Yura on one thing. I agree that Yukie got out of the situation involving Harui's accident too easily. I mean-" Jiei felt his words being caught in his throat. "I know that that isn't entirely true. I know Yukie blames herself for every scar on Harui's body, I know she blames herself from every second Harui lost because of her coma, I know when she covers her mouth to stop herself from screaming when she wakes up with nightmares of that day... I know she didn't have it as easily as Yura claims she did. But... After all of the pain she caused to Harui, her family and her friends... She still won, didn't she? Her manipulation might have taken a wrong turn, but Harui still fell on her lap. But I know that's not entirely true! I know that Harui had feelings for her before, feelings that she didn't understand until after the accident, and yet even so..." He brought his hand down to his stomach. "It just doesn't sit right with me... I don't think Yukie was punished enough for what happened... But she's still my sister! We've been together since we were in the womb, for god's sake! I don't want anything bad to happen to her either! Yura came here to ask me what my justice was... But I have no justice to speak off!"

"Jiei-kun... Can I ask you something...?"

The boy nodded.

"If you really have no justice, then why do you think Yukie-san didn't get punished enough for the accident?"

"Because... Because we all bent our own morals for her... We all lied to protect her... When she asked to move to Gunma and never tell Harui about it, our parents just nodded and helped her pack... I did the same..."

"Isn't that what families do, though?"

"It is... Families protect their owm when they do wrong... So why? Why did Ichika have to leave us?! Why did we protect Yukie but not Ichika?! Even if what Ichika did was wrong, she never hurt anyone! She was only looking out for us!"

Kikka recalled what Harui told her the day they met, how Ichika being disowned made Yukie shut her heart from the world. In a way, Jiei was no different.

She pat his back.

"I get it now... You don't want any harm to come to your sister, but you also can't forgive yourself for not being able to help Ichika in the past, right? Why should Yukie-san stay innocent while Ichika didn't?"

Satoru grabbed his sunglasses from his breast pocket and slid them back on. As he walked up to the table in the garden's resting area, he gave Kikka some insight into the matter.

"The Kibas are not a rich a family. Having five kids is no easy task, especially in this economy. Ichika got a gig selling some run of the mill harmless stuff on the side during middle school, but as harmless as it was, it was no easy matter to resolve. In the end, they settled it by just disowning her. Needless to say, this all happened before Emon made it big as a pro. She just wanted to provide her little brothers and sister with the best life they could have."

He grabbed his deck from his blazer's inner pocket and set it on the table.

"Jiei. You know my thoughts. I can sympathize with your inner turmoil, but I've told you enough times the longer it grows, the more you alienate yourself from Yukie and from us. You were once someone I called one of my best friends, but I'm at my wit's end with this. If you want to side with Yura, you side with Yura and that's it. But if you want to see things from the side because you can't take the first step into making a decision, then I'll make the decision for you."

"Satoru, that's going too far!" Kikka exclaimed.

"No... He's right." Jiei said.

He got up from the couch and walked up to the other side of the table, each step feeling heavier than the last. With his eyes focused on his old friend, Jiei placed down his deck.

"I've put you through hell, having to masquerade your true feelings for the sake of keeping Harui out of this. I'm sorry, Satoru."

"Apology heard. I'll think about accepting it after I see some conviction. I've held out this long hoping you'd eventually come around, but things got where they are now. I refuse to keep holding on to false hope."

"Will you look at me while we do this?" Jiei asked.

"I don't want to see you." Satoru answered.

Jiei closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. It hurt.

Satoru pushed his sunglasses further up. No one had any business prying into what emotion his eyes displayed at that moment.

"Satoru... Jiei-kun..." Kikka whispered.

"You'll need the conviction to make a choice if you hope to ever beat me, Gardener. I've already surpassed your claim to fame. I won't let you join our side otherwise."

"That's fine with me."

Satoru and Jiei didn't lock eyes.

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Announcing Wind of Spring, Corphie."

"Kind Lordling, Granfia!"

"I go first. Draw! I ride Budding of Pleasant Sounds, Gracia. Turn end."

Jiei
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

Satoru
Hand: 5
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"My go. Draw! Ride! Future Suzerain, Granfia! Kind Lordling's skill, I draw! Energy charge, then use Sea Rumble's skill! (0>3>0) Draw again. Granfia attacks! (8000)"

"Hit."

"Drive check! (Aspiring Maiden, Alana - Critical) Got a crit, all on Granfia! (8000>>18000/2)"

"Damage check. (Rhythm of Joy, Elentis) (Marche Fleur, Lianorn Vivace)"

"Pass!"

Jiei
Hand: 5
Damage: 2
OXO
OOO

Satoru
Hand: 8
Damage: 0
OXO
OOO

"Draw and energy charge! (0>3) I ride Brilliant Tune, Rektina. Gracia's skill calls her behind my vanguard. I call Ethereal Cadence, Lagrace! His skill reveals the Lianorn in my ride deck first, then I counterblast to check my top seven and add Lianorn Vivace to my hand! Then, I call Elentis behind Lagrace. Lagrace's other skill gives him Boost, 5k power and 5k shield when my backrow has at least two grade 1 of lower units! (10000>>15000) Battle! Boosted by Gracia, Rektina attacks! When Gracia boosts a vanguard, she gets 5k. (10000>>18000>>23000)"

"Hit me."

"(Flowery Tone - Heal) I heal. Power on Lagrace! (15000>>25000)"

"(Lavien Lord, Granfia)"

"Elentis boosts, Lagrace attacks! (25000>>33000)"

"(Rosarium Fairy) Nothing."

"Turn end."

Jiei
Hand: 5
Damage: 1
OXX
OXX

Satoru
Hand: 8
Damage: 2
OXO
OOO

"Stand and draw! Energy charge. (0>3) Ride! Genius Wise Wolf, Granfia! Future Suzerain's skill calls a Plant token behind him! I call Rosarium Fairy and Friendly Broccolly! Rosarium sacks off the token on the field to make two new ones, one behind Granfia and one in front of her. Then, Broccolly's skills! If I have a token, he gets the same buffs as Lagrace minus the Boost, and when he's called when a token's around, I counterblast to draw! (10000>>15000) Then, play!"

Satoru slammed a card into his order zone, startling Kikka.

"Bless the Blossoming Bud! This'll buff my tokens by 10k this turn! (5000>>15000) (5000>>15000) Let's fight! Broccolly attacks! (15000)"

"I've never seen Satoru go on the offensive to this degree before..." Kikka commented.

"Lagrace intercepts. (20000)"

"Boosted by the token, Granfia attacks! (10000>>25000)"

"Hit."

"Drive check! (Sea Rumble Brave Shooter)"

"Damage check. (Luster Impact Dragon)"

"Boosted by Rosarium, the token attacks! (15000>>23000)"

"Flowery Tune. (25000)"

"That'll be it. Pass."

Jiei
Hand: 4
Damage: 2
OXO
OXX

Satoru
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
XXX
XXO

"Stand and draw! Energy charge! (3>6) Beat loudly, resonating hearts that'll sound the blossom of the world anew! Ride! Grand March of Full Blossom, Lianorn!"

"Rektina's skill! Soulblast one to revive the Elentis in my drop zone. Then, Lianorn's skill! Counterblast, draw and call Luster Impact Dragon! I call a second one the normal way. Elentis' skill. Since Lianorn's the vanguard, add 2k. (8000>>10000) (8000>>10000) Luster Impact's skill! Since my backrow has over two low grade units, they get Boost and 5k! (10000>>15000) (10000>>15000) Battle! Lianorn attacks! (13000) Skill activate! Soulblast one, discard one, and boost with Elentis, Grace and Elentis! This activates Gracia's own skill when boosting the vanguard! (13000>>41000>>46000) On top of that, since Lianorn has three rears boosting her, she gets a drive check! Allegro Andante!"

"No guard."

"Triple drive. (Planar Prevent Dragon) (Ethereal Cadence, Lagrace) (Rosarium Fairy)"

"Damage check. (Farmin' Pumpkin)"

"At the end of the battle, Lianorn's skill restands the two Elentis that boosted her. Elentis boosts, Luster Impact attacks! (15000>>25000)"

"Alana, Broccolly intercepts. (35000)"

"The other Luster Impact attacks. (15000>>25000)"

"Frenzied Heiress. (30000)"

"Turn end. Since Lianorn was boosted three times this turn, Elentis' skill activates! I retire her to draw, and since I don't have any face up damage, I countercharge. The other Elentis does the same without the countercharge."

Jiei
Hand: 7
Damage: 2
XXX
OXO

Satoru
Hand: 5
Damage: 3
XXO
XXO

"Jiei. Be honest with me."

"What is it, Satoru?"

"Is this doing anything? Are you any closer to making a decision than you were five minutes ago?"

Jiei looked down at the field with a pained expression. It was everything Satoru needed to know.

"Yeah, thought so. I'll make this quick so that we can stop wasting time. Figured I owe you that much, you oaf."

Satoru flicked up sunglasses up.

"Stand and draw! Energy charge! (3>6) Granfia's skill lets me ride up for free since I have a token around!"

He snatched the last card in his ride deck.

"Under the luminescent moon, along the chords of the ranunculous and the drums of the peonies, the lord of phantasmic blue sees all! Ride! Lavien Lord, Granfia!"

"Granfia's skill! Awaken to the breath of the planet, my vibrant rose! Body and soul as one, let us waltz to the melody of the earth! Call, Noblesserose! (5000>>15000)"

"I call Broccolly and Darian! (10000>>15000) Broccolly's skill, draw! I move Rosarium up and call Farmin' Pumpkin next! Pumpkin's skill! Soulblast to give Noblesserose two gauges! (15000>>25000) Battle! Darian's skill gives Noblesserose another gauge and draws me one! (25000>>30000) Rosarium attacks! Her skill gives her Noblesserose's power! (8000>>38000)"

"(Friendly Maiden, Alvina) No trigger."

"Give me a boost, Noblesserose! Granfia attacks! (13000>>43000) Roseburst in Phantasmic Blue!"

"Planar Prevent Dragon. Perfect guard!"

"Twin drive! (Fairy of Candor, Darian) (Frenzied Heiress - Front) Front! (8000>>18000) (43000>>53000) (15000>>25000) Granfia's skill! Gauge blast three! Rosarium stands with 15k! (30000>>15000) (18000>>33000) Boosted by Darian, Broccolly attacks! (25000>>33000)"

"Alana and Flowery Tune guard. (43000)"

"Boosted by Pumpkim, Rosarium attacks! Skill! (33000>>41000>>56000)"

"(Planar Prevent Dragon) No trigger."

"Pass!"

Jiei
Hand: 3
Damage: 4
XXX
OXO

Satoru
Hand: 7
Damage: 3
XXX
XXX

"Stand and draw. Energy charge. (6>9) In the end..."

Jiei took a deep breath as he raised his head.

"I haven't changed. It's almost been a year but I haven't moved on at all...! I'm sorry for making you waste time with me, Satoru... I genuinely thought that... That by doing this, I'd finally arrive at a decision... But I haven't. I'm still the same pathetic man that can't make a choice, no matter how obvious the good choice is...! I'm still the guy stabbing Yukie on the back because of what happened to Ichika!" He cried out.

"Then you can drown on your sorrow on your own. I can't help you if you don't let me help you. And if this won't pull you out of the gutter... Then I don't know what will." Satoru sighed. "Show me your stuff, Gardener. Your last whimper before I put your out of your misery."

"Thank you... Old friend."

(Media - BEASTARS -pf solo-)

"The sounds of countless voices overlay together, singing the tune of a world that will never blossom. UnisonDress. Marche Fleur, Lianorn Vivace."

"Having been ridden over a different Lianorn, I draw one card and Lianorn enters the UnisonDress state. I call Alvina. Skill. Energy blast three to revive Elentis. (9>6) Luster Impact's skill. (10000>>15000) (10000>>15000) Elentis' skill, now 5k because Lianorn is in the UnisonDress state. (8000>>13000) Alvina's skill, she gets 2k. (8000>>10000) Battle. Boosted by Alvina, Luster Impact attacks. (15000>>25000)"

"Peppery Pepper. (28000)"

"The other Luster Impact, boosted by Elentis. (15000>>28000)"

"Frenzied Heiress. (33000)"

"Lianorn attacks. (13000) Her skill activates. All my rear-guards restand, and all of them boost Lianorn. Gracia's skill. (13000>>79000) Luster Impact's skill. Since were stood by my vanguard, and her power surpasses 36k, I soulblast to draw and give them 5k each, which in turn means Lianorn gets another 10k. (15000>>20000) (15000>>20000) (79000>>89000) Diminuendo Elegy."

"No guard."

"(Luster Impact Dragon) (Peppery Pepper - Critical) Everything to Lianorn. (89000>>99000/2)"

"(Fairy of Candor, Darian) (Bless of Blossoming Bud)"

"At the end of her battle, because Lianorn was boosted by over three units, the rest of her skill activates. Counterblast to stand three of my units and give them 5k and minus one drive. I choose my front row. (20000>>25000) (23000>>28000) (20000>>25000) Lianorn attacks again. (28000/2) Atonal Fugue."

"Regelhimel. (63000)"

"(Frenzied Heiress - Front) (25000>>35000) (28000>>38000) (25000>>35000) Luster Impact. (35000)"

"Broccolly, Pepper. (38000)"

"The other. (35000)"

"Perfect guard."

"Turn end. Elentis' skill, draw."

Jiei
Hand: 9
Damage: 4
XXX
XXO

Satoru
Hand: 1
Damage: 5
XXO
XXX

"Stand and draw. Energy charge. (6>9) Persona Ride. Lavien Lord, Granfia."

"Draw. (8000>>18000) (13000>>23000) Generator's skill. (9>2) Draw. Pumpkin's skill, two gauges. (15000>>25000) I call Rosarium. (8000>>18000) Skill, sack Pumpking for another two gauges. (25000>>35000) Darian to the back. Then-"

Satoru let a card fall onto his order zone.

"In The Forest Piled with Snow. Noblesserose gets 5k for every grade 1 or lower rear on my board. (35000>>60000) Battle. Darian's skill times two. (60000>>70000) Rosarium attacks. Skill. (18000>>88000)"

"No guard. (March Fleur, Lianorn Vivace)"

"Boosted by Darian, Rosarium attacks. Skill. (18000>>26000>>96000)"

"Pefect guard."

"Noblesserose..."

Satoru grit his teeth.

"Please give me strength...! Granfia... Attacks! (23000>>93000)"

Jiei closed his eyes.

Countless vines and roots intertwined together to create a colossal green-coloured fist.

A silent wolf shed a tear.

A quiet bandmaster remained voiceless.

Jiei sat on the couch once again, taking in the lonesome silence of his garden.

"In the end, in not being able to move on from what happened to Ichika... I failed her aswell."

He thought about his older brothers.

He thought about his older sister.

He thought about his friends.

He thought about the friend he lost today.

He thought about his twin sister.

Jiei lowered his head, hands clenching to his hair, and let the tears stream down.

"It would have been easier... If you were the only one who was born, Yukie..."

In contrast, Satoru and Kikka walked in silence as they made their way out of Heiwa and towards the nearest train station, one looking aimlessly ahead, the other holding her head low.

"Do you... Do you remember the weekend of the fweek we met?" Kikka asked.

"Yeah. Hell of a show you put on that shop tournament when you remember Bifrons wasn't out yet."

"You went to a Vanguard bar Jiei-kun had access to via Emon-san, didn't you?"

"Heh... Sheesh, coming for all the sore spots today." Satoru cackled, pushing his sunglasses up. "You know how I got to ten million that day? I spent my entire time there fighting. Me and Jiei tried to talk but it didn't last long."

"To think you two have been faking it all this time... One hell of a performance... A cruel one too."

"In the end, Harui and Jiei continued being friends, same for me and her and me and Yukie, Yukie and Jiei became estranged, and me and Jiei... I don't think we were still friends by the time you got to the good old land of the rising sun."

Satoru stopped and looked back at his friends, smiling like always.

"Do me a solid, to pay for failing the first one I asked you. No snitching on my crappily sorrowful second life, yeah? The tanuki's enough to handle as is, I don't want her and Yukie to fell bad about this."

Kikka put on a weak smile and nodded.

"You got it."

She quickened her pace to join him at his side as he flicked his sunglasses up again.

"Did you wear sunglasses all the time back then?"

"You even saw through that? Scary."

Satoru cackled.

"Kikka... I hate wearing these stupid things."

But on to the Mahapadma they went.

They arrived to the usual sight of Midorin behind the counter and Harui and Yukie at the usual table, though neither was in the mood to eat.

Who was eating, however, was Naomitsu, who was sitting on the counter. He was put up to speed on the entire Yura situation by Harui already.

"Oh, Naoffy, you're here!" Satoru laughed.

"Don't cal me that..." Naomitsu deadpanned. "This udon sucks! Where's the geezer, Thegecoper?!"

"Sabatical. That new dinosaur being a Triumph card reeeeeeeeeeally wrecked Nozomi." Midorin replied. "And watch ya tongue, Thegrea's not cope! We're one good card of the day away from tier 3!"

Nozomi was laying on the beach at the moment, shades on as he felt the nice afternoon breeze and sun, headphones  playing his favourite dinosaur sounds ASMR playlist.

That's one way of being left out of the arc I guess.

"So? Where's Jiei?!" Harui asked.

Kikka looked at Satoru, who was looking as carefree as always.

"He's a no go. Dentist's appointment. Got a sneaky suspicion Yura specifically asked for five Heiwa students because he somehow knew that." Satoru explained as he took his seat. "Midorin, I take it you can cook?"

"Hell yeah."

"Dapper. Send some fried noodles with beef my way then."

"You got it!"

"Instant rice will feed you better than her crappy cooking." Naomitsu scowled.

"You damn child! Nobody cooks like me!"

"That's because most people know how to in the first place!"

"Ah?! Dentist's appointment?! Screw that, this is more important than some lousy tooth!" Harui exclaimed.

"Teeth, plural. Maybe he ate dirt or something." The white haired boy shrugged

But Yukie didn't want to hear more of Satoru's lies and Harui's protests, so she just placed her hand on her girlfriend's arm.

"It's alright, Harui... If Jiei can't make it, we'll find someone else."

"But-!"

"Harui... Let it go." Yukie requested with a pained expression.

"Hm... Fine..." Harui sighed. "So we need someone else... Think Tonitrus is up for it?"

"Didn't he lose to Yura's Royalty before? And don't they have something on him to make him act the way he today?" Kikka asked.

"It sounds to me like this Yura guy gave you an impossible request from the start." Naomitsu cut in. "Five people, but you're a four people group. Your close friends include a guy they tossed out to get where they are and a guy he knew wouldn't join you."

"That son of a-!"

"Harui, please calm down." Yukia requested, tugging on her sleeve.

"I'd join you if I could, but I'm not a Heiwa student. Your image getting destroyed would damage Izanagi and I can't have that happen if I wanna go toss Mikado to the curb. Besides... This is the type of stuff friends would do or whatever." Namitsu mumbled that last part, not that that did anything to stop the others from hearing it.

"It's fine, Naomitsu. Yura's stupied rules stop you from helping us. I appreciate the sentiment though, bestie." Harui winked.

"Don't push it."

"If only you could transfer to Heiwa..." Kikka sighed in defeat. "We're cooked..."

"Transfer? At this point in the school year? After midterms and before finals? On a random monday? You'd need Heiwa to have a severely open policy regarding student transfers born from countless out of nowhere transfers in and out of the school in recent years."

A deafening silence fell on the diner.

Naomitsu felt it the most, no thanks to Harui and Satoru having their eyes glued to him.

"That Yura... He said he transfered in last week, didn't he..."

Satoru nodded.

"And Heiwa... Has a severely open policy regarding student transfers born from countless out of nowhere transfers in and out of the school in recent years, doesn't it..."

Harui nodded.

Naomitsu speedrunned the rest of his crappy udon, slamming the empty down on the table when done.

"Let's rock."

On the wednesday of the trial, decked out in his brand spanking new school uniform, Naomitsu looked out at his school for the next three years alongside his friends.

"The devil works fast but whoever handles transfers in here works faster." Naomitsu said as he fixed his blazer.

"Lookin' good, Naoffy!" Satoru laughed, slapping his friend's back.

"I can't believe I have to stare at your stupid face all the damn time now..." Kikka cringed.

"Beat it, Juggernaunt Liebe."

"Oi! Halt die klappe, du blöde blondine!!"

"Harui..." Yukie muttered, glancing at her partner.

"Don't worry, Yukie." Harui replied with a warm smile. She grabbed Yukie's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "I promise nothing will separate us again no matter what."

Albeit weakly, Yukie managed to smile for a brief moment.

Harui set her gaze on the school, and on the looming threat that clouded it.

"Alright, you lugs!"

Walking in front of her friends, Harui stepped foot into Yura's domain.

"Let's go take down some phony justice!"