Sentinels. Hunters. Guardians.

These are only some of the titles his kind are known for; the living beings who act as ambassadors between the realm of mortals and otherworldly. Long ago when no barrier set the human realm and other world apart, demons of various kinds and Purgatory beings ruled with terror, taking humans as their slaves or food. The King of Light sent his army to put a stop in the madness and in the end, he decided to grant some of the humans a unique ability to fight off the wayward creatures. These first set of humans possessed spiritual energy like no other and had a high-level psychic, and that's how Sentinels came to be.

The first blood Sentinels produced more in order to cater the entire world, they hid in the shadows of normalcy to ensure that mankind would be safe from the creatures who feed flesh and blood.

"So that's what this is all about" Toshiro said, casting his gaze down on the floor. "I am sorry for dragging you in this mess, Megumi"

Megu stared at the boy across her then blinked several times, "All this school stuff, it's just a front then, even Subaru and Kentaro?"

He nodded, "Yes"

Silence encased them after his reply, it was already 6 in the evening and the two of them are still inside the infirmary, sitting on the floor and nursing some of the wounds they got from the fight, luckily it did not turn out to be fatal. Toshiro was successful in killing the nurse-in-disguise, somehow being in that alternate reality space boost his spiritual energy. Afterwards, he found the girl unconscious at the edge of the platformed checkboard.

When Megumi woke up, Toshiro decided to tell her everything since he felt that this would not be the last time she will be involved again.

"Are you mad?" Of course, she'd be mad, Toshiro thought, why wouldn't she, right? "Hey" He reached out hesitantly and touched her fringe before pulling away.

Megumi finally met his hazel brown eyes with her warm ones and instantly felt a strange spark inside her but she brushed it off, "I am not mad but I am shocked that all this time...No wonder you guys act so weird," She wouldn't admit it out but knowing this kind of things happening behind everyone's back, it's exciting.

A smile tugged on Toshiro's lips, "Well, I am glad you are fine" Throwing no caution to the wind, he reached out and pulled her in a hug.

"EH?!" A pink blush made its way on her face, warmth spreading in her chest. "T-Takamiya-san..."

The dark-haired male slowly pulled away and stared at her face as if memorizing all its features, "Please just call me by my first name,"

"Okay then, Toshiro" It sounded foreign in her tongue but not unpleasant.

The sound of the window sliding opened caught their attention and jumping over from the windowsill is Subaru with a teasing grin on.

"How long do you plan in staying here?" The blue-haired Sentinel asked, his indigo eyes reflecting mischief. "Someone might get suspicious since the door is locked"

Megumi stood up in an instant, patting her hair down and smoothening the front of her uniform, "You're right, this is inappropriate" Her cheeks seemed to turn redder for being caught, although they weren't really in any compromising position but Toshiro was leaning too close to her.

Subaru laughed a bit, amused at her reaction. "Do not leave yet Megu-chan~we need to talk to you about some important stuff" Then his face slowly morphed from cheery to serious, "Now that you know about what we do...it's vital that you keep this as a secret and you are already required to provide us assistance starting tomorrow onwards"

"What? I beg your pardon?" She was okay with keeping it as a secret, because no one would believe her in the first place and Toshiro saved her life so she kind of owed it to him not to say a damn thing. But to provide them assistance? Subaru left no room of escape in his statement; it was more of an order.

Toshiro pushed off the floor and dusted his uniform, "It will only be temporary since you have an ability to create a separate reality space, we can use it to our advantage in taking down these hideous creatures" He walked closer and stood beside her, "Kentaro needs some time before he can use his spiritual energy again, so while he's not around, will you take his place, Megumi? Please?"

"But...I am not a Sentinel or whatever..." The brown-haired girl looks down at her hands, "I have no idea how I did those space you're talking about"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly, "Do not worry, I will help you, leave the combat to us and you'll just have to focus in sleeping"

Megumi gave him a confused look, "Sleeping?"

"It seems your spiritual energy is at its peak when you are asleep" Toshiro told her, recalling the first time she got involved in their fight.

Subaru clasped both of his hands, "It's settled then! Megu-chan will be replacing Kentaro in the mean time and speaking of which, I am going to let him know when we get home"

~XXX~

Ai woke up to the ringing of her phone, lifting herself up from the bundle of pillows and thick blanket covering her she grabbed the glowing device on top of the bedside drawer.

She pressed the virtual green button, "What the hell is wrong with you, John?! Don't you know it's goddamn 3:30 in the freaking Saturday morning?!" Her hands shook in irritation, she was tempted to put someone's house on fire.

There was a nanosecond of silence from the other line after her outburst, "Because you aren't answering my calls,"

"You've been trying to call me in the middle of the damn night!" The golden eyed girl threw her hand in the air in frustration and a couple of pillows fell on the floor, "You are disturbing my sleep, you bastard! Call me again or I will castrate you!" Then she cut it off before he could say anything more.

The waterworks came—tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably because of the wound in her heart brought by John. Ai was trying so badly to move on already and just focus in her crush—which happened to be their strict adviser—but after many weeks of knowing about John's betrayal, the latter tried going back to her good side again.

She went to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror—black hair was disheveled; her eyes were puffy and her face...was hell.

"Damn you, John" Ai murmured to herself, opening the faucet and splashed some water in her face.

In the morning since it was a weekend, she put on a casual white band shirt, denim shorts and her favorite pair of black Vans; she decided to take a stroll in the park and go to the mall for some quality Me time.

As Coheed and Cambria began playing in her music player, Ai recalled how strange some of her peers acted the past week. Not that she has many to begin with but particularly Riki and Megumi. After his walkout on them, Riki became more silent and distant, he was zoning out which was not like him at all, his face would either be annoyed or troubled and he just stopped being fun. He even didn't attend the volley ball matches and swimming Paul invited him for wherein normally, Riki would be elated to participate.

While Megumi began interacting and even hanging out with the weirdest guy in their classroom! Not that Toshiro was an ugly nerd or anything bad but this was the first time they saw him talk to someone not related to assignment although it was subtle but Ai being observant enough, the glances the guy threw at her friend never escaped her notice.

"A jewel for your thoughts?"

Ai jumped in surprise, she was standing in front of an apricot blossom tree, observing it while thinking about her friends.

"I-Igaya-sensei!" Of all the people, she just had to cross path with their teacher in a fine Saturday morning. "Do you always sneak up on your students like that?!" She placed a hand on her chest, feeling its drum-like beat.

The aloof teacher merely raised a brow, "You're just not being mindful of your surroundings, Daisuke" A twinkle of amusement in his eyes, contrasting his default scowling expression. "Are you going anywhere important right now?"

~XXX~

"Where are you going, Toshiro?"

It was past 10 in the morning when Kentaro found one of his two best friends fixing himself in front of the large wall mirror in the shared living room of their home; the brunette was wearing a plaid checkered dark blue and silver long sleeves, black jeans and shoes.

The blonde stifled a yawn and scratched the back of his blonde locks, while still clad in nothing but black cotton pants and white sando.

"I am going to meet Megumi today, we're going to watch a movie" The guy in front of the mirror replied nonchalantly, after combing his hair for the fifth time he sprayed some perfume on himself.

His answer took all the sleepiness from Kentaro's body, "So you two are officially going out now?

"I hope so Kentaro but we haven't reached that level yet and besides, I do not want to rush her. I just want to get to know her more outside our duty, there's nothing wrong with that, right?"

The blonde sentinel stared at his friend for a minute, it had been a while since Toshiro looked eager like this; ever since the death of that person, he became a sculpture of ice and spontaneity. His eyes were always bland. But now...

"Go ahead, man" He cracked a wide smile, without a hint of mockery. "Enjoy yourselves"

Toshiro almost jerked his head backwards, not expecting that response from Kentaro since he was the one uneased with Megumi and initially preferred that they gave her a cold shoulder.

Kentaro noticed this, "Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't grow two heads, did I?"

Shaking his head, Toshiro chuckled, "You might as well have, I'll be going then"

~XXX~