Another Sunday over New Eden. Another “self-defense” lesson, and today’s crowd was a record high: Four girls. The two girls from Biei had returned, of course. Another girl, another acquaintance of Tomomi’s from Hokkaido, watched from the corner of the ring, already transformed. A floral pink attire, matching her pink hair flowing down her back. On her back, a musket-looking rifle. And in the middle of the ring, between the two Biei visitors, one Seia Yamano. From the bottom of the ring, just outside of it, stood their mentor, who gave a slow, approving nod.

Yui: ‘Kay, take five. Both minutes, and rating. Solid improvement across the board. Even you, Tomomi. See what happens when you pull your head out of your ass?

The newcomer sighed, speaking up as she kicked off the corner of the ring.

???: Is this necessary, Arashi-sensei?

Yui: (she didn’t flinch or blink at the callout, hopping up onto the ring’s apron) What, Haruki? 

Haruki: (the girl flipped her pink hair back behind her shoulders, taking a couple steps forward) This whole “hard-ass” routine. The bullying disguised as “tough love” thing. 

Yui: (Again, Yui showed no visible reaction) Yeah. Tomomi put down a 5 on her sheet. She’s a master, right? C’mon, I can’t be the only one who’s heard of Gordon Ramsay, right? Same shit, different practice. You say you’re new, I’ll help you from the beginning. You say you’re the best in the world, I’ll challenge you. Simple as that.

Haruki: So where does that leave me? I put down a 4, sensei.

Yui: You wanna go?

Ayumi: (visibly panting, she steps between the two, quite pointedly as Tomomi instinctively steps back towards the ropes, opposite from Seia) H-Hold on! There’s no need to start a fight over this, you two! Hiiragi-san, you came here because you weren’t one hundred percent confident, right? After your accident—

Tomomi: Hey! No need to air my friend’s dirty laundry, Ayumi! Everyone has a rough day now and then. I know I’m facing my fair share… (she rubs her right shoulder, which just a few days prior, had been broken)

Haruki: No, I don’t have anything to hide. (her eyes never leave Yui’s.) I fought a Witch solo. Hokkaido girls don’t do things that way. I had something to prove. I got knocked down a peg. Ayumi saved my life. I wondered how the hell that little mouse got so strong so fast. Don’t suppose that violates the terms of your contract right, Arashi-san?

Yui: (without missing a beat.) Nope. S’how it’s supposed to go. Kind of a textbook case, yours. S’how I envisioned this whole place. When I said “don’t tell anyone,” you know who I actually mean. Right, Haruki Hiiragi? (her eyes flash violet, almost daring the new girl to challenge her.)

Haruki: (after a tense, solid minute, Haruki sighs, finally breaking eye contact.) …Normal people and Kyubey. 

Yui: Good. You’re a 4, but kind of a fresh 4. Just got knocked down from a 5. So if you were wondering why I’m such a hard-ass, then there you go. You said it yourself, right? You wanted to know how Ayumi went from a 1 to a 3 so fast. You got here, and you see my other star pupil is blind. Now you gotta ask yourself, why are you and Tomomi, the two girls who think they’re the hottest shit the only ones bitching about how I do things? Speaking of. Ayumi, water, now. Aoi’ll have my fuckin’ head if I send you down dehydrated again.

As Ayumi squeaks and rolls out of the ring to get a bottle of water— a bottle whose contents are promptly emptied down the girl’s throat— Tomomi’s eyes flash with fresh anger. Her katana seemingly materializes in her right hand as she steps forward, eyes locked on Yui’s form, casually standing on the outside of the ring.

Tomomi: Okay then. Guess it’s time for round three. I survived this hellscape long enough to know how you roll, Arashi. I won’t lose this time.

Yui: (Yui lazily leans on the rope, as if daring Tomomi and eying her at the same time, finally answering in a soft voice.) …I’unno, man. Kickin’ your ass when you throw a fit’s gettin’ kinda old. Yamano, want a go? You can prob’ly take her by now.

Seia: (She stands off to the side of the ring, transformed into a shimmering bodysuit that seems to slightly warp the light around it, making it hard to focus the eye on. Her grip tightens on her staff) Who, me? Is that what Ramsay-san would do?

Yui: Metaphors slip away from me super easy. But I’m just tryin’ to show Tomomi here that her little tantrums aren’t gonna fly ‘til the day comes she can actually kick my ass. But uh, I got chewed out before, so I’m keepin’ my prints off the evidence, I guess.

Tomomi: Oh, you think you’re so fucking cute, don’t you, Arashi?! Sending the blind girl to fight me just so you can look down on me some more? Fine! I’ll play your little game! (She turns to face Seia, shaking her head as her eyes struggle to focus.) And when I win? You’ll have no choice but to acknowledge me!

Seia: Well, I guess I shouldn’t be exempt from everyone’s sparring forever. (She steps out into a starting position in the ring) Just try to keep it in mind that I am me and not Ramsay-san, okay? 

Tomomi: Tch. Stuck up little— (She holds up her katana with both hands, assuming a stance) I’ll even let you have the first move, Yamano-san.

Seia: Mm… (Seia reaches up, tapping an almond-shaped onyx embedded in her forehead. The entire ring is quickly enveloped in a pall of darkness, blotting out all light for everyone within) 

Two voices call out in confusion, one pair of footsteps stumbles in the far corner, the other source staying where she stood. She didn’t dare make a move, waiting for an attack that never came. Finally, her already thin dam of patience crumbles.

Tomomi: What is this shit?! I can’t see a goddamn thing! Where are you?! Where’s your attack?! Are you mocking me?! 

Seia: (Her voice comes from beside Tomomi’s ear) Right here. (She takes a quick swing with her staff) 

Tomomi: Gotcha! (she takes a wide swing with her katana, but it hits nothing. She wheels around, swinging down, but again finding no purchase.) Ggh! (The staff swing, however, catches her in the ribs, and she immediately drops her katana, falling to one knee as her hand comes to her side) G-God damn it…!

Seia: (She brings her foot down onto the fallen katana, kicking it towards the edge of the arena. It slips under the ropes and clatters to the floor below) 

Tomomi: N-No, wait—

Yui: Ooookay, that’ll do it. Pretty clear who won this one.

Seia: (She speaks from inside the sphere of darkness) Huh? Is it done? 

Yui: Yep! You win, so you can turn off the darkness now.

Seia: Oh, o-okay. (The darkness recedes into the jewel on her forehead, leaving just a few black tendrils feeling around the arena to help Seia keep her bearings) 

Tomomi: (She shakes her head, slowly rising up to her feet, not looking at anyone in particular) …

Seia: (She bows respectfully) Thank you for partnering with me. 

Tomomi: Tch… whatever, man.

She rolls out of the ring, rubbing her sore ribs, not even bothering with the basement healing and starting towards the door. Haruki steps out of the ring as well, only for both girls to find an obstacle in their way. Before said obstacle can say a word, the back of her hand comes across Tomomi’s cheek, the slap echoing throughout the entire gym.

Yui: You don’t fucking get it. I’m not doing this shit to embarrass you or make a joke out of you. If you didn’t get the lesson, then there’s little hope you ever will.

Haruki: (Stepping forward, she raises her voice.) And what, exactly, was the lesson, Arashi-sensei?

Yui: That it doesn’t matter what cards you were dealt. Seia Yamano is blind. Ayumi was scared shitless. My last student had a megaphone of all things for a weapon. Y’know what they have in common? They could fight. They didn’t let it hold them back. So you got a conventional weapon and know how to use it. Big fucking deal. Doesn’t mean shit if you don’t actually use what you got to its full potential. That’s what I wanted to show you. Not that a blind girl could beat you because you’re weak, but because you’re not fucking trying.

Tomomi: Tch… you want effort then, Arashi? I’ll show you some effort—

Before Tomomi could even move, a bright blue hammer came down between her and Yui, its owner leaping over the top rope, over her friend and landing between them.

Ayumi: That’s enough, Tomomi-chan! That’s… that’s enough, okay? Let’s just go downstairs, get healed up, get a cookie, and go home, okay?

Tomomi paused, completely bewildered by what just happened, but without a word, she simply hung her head, going a little limp. Haruki was first to throw the girl’s arm over her shoulder, with Ayumi following suit. The trio then went downstairs, and Yui returned to the ring, closing her eyes with a sigh.

Yui: Sorry, Seia. I don’t mean to throw around your condition like that as a weapon. I wasn’t lying when I said that I wasn’t trying to make a fool outta the kid. But you did good all the same. …I still can’t really sense anything in that orb, no matter how many times I’m in it.

Seia: I’m used to having it brought up on all my achievements, don’t worry. Not that a fight like that is much of an accomplishment.

Yui: How’s it feel, though? It was a spar against someone who didn’t take you seriously at all, but you handled that perfectly.

Seia: It was fine, though I don’t think she would’ve cared if she took my head off with that sword. I thought this was supposed to be a spar. 

Yui: I wouldn’t put you in that position if I thought she could actually do it. If she actually hurt you, I would’ve shut her down without a second thought. Not that I’m chomping at the bit to use that power again any time soon, but I would’ve done it.

Seia: Ooh, the mysterious power comes out. Is there anyone who knows every mystery behind you, Arashi-san? 

Yui: Nope. Not even me. Y’know, when I did that to Chiemi the first time? Undid her transformation? I had no goddamned idea that it’d work. I still don’t fully get how that Magia thing worked, either. But somewhere out there, there’s bits of that puzzle all over Mitakihara. I’m sure if you ever care enough to dig that deep, you’d find me. I don’t care enough to look, though. Not anymore.

Aoi: (She comes up the stairs, quiet as a mouse) Can I have a word for a second? 

Yui: Sure. Here, Seia. Take five. …Again. (She rolls out of the ring under the bottom rope, handing Seia a water bottle before following Aoi into the corner.) ‘Sup?

Aoi: (She looks off into the corner for a second, one eyebrow raised, as if deciding whether or not to proceed) About this new training menu for the fours and fives… are you sure this is gonna work?

Yui: Probably. Gettin’ a lot of pushback, but y’know… honey might catch more flies, but it won’t stop another Tomatsu. Ayumi and Seia wanna learn. But that Tomomi… she’s just here to knock off someone high on the totem pole.

Aoi: I think if you push her too much harder, she’s gonna stop coming. I think pretty soon she’s gonna think I’m with you on this and stop accepting healing. 

Yui: (she hesitates, not showing any outward reaction) …This is kinda the opposite of “easing up” I guess, huh. My bad, Aoi. Just… y’know, I can feel it in her. Those embers of ambition. An’ her an’ Haruki? They definitely didn’t meet last week, like they claim.  

Seia: Yeah, she does seem like the “backup.” I wonder how they act when they’re back at Biei. 

Yui: Whoa, damn, you maxed out on Stealth, didn’cha? Ah well. (She keeps her voice low enough to not arouse suspicion from the patients downstairs, but audible enough so that Seia could hear.) If I had to guess, Tomomi’s a “ringleader” type, and since she can’t beat me, she’s hoping to get a numbers game. Ten-to-one odds that she gets in an “argument” with Ayumi in the next couple weeks to try an’ win her over. She’d resemble a lot of your girls in those early days, Aoi. You’d know it ‘fore I would, I’d bet.

Aoi: (She flinches) Um… what do you mean by that? Don’t say things like that about my friends, please. 

Yui: (Yui once again hesitates before speaking again) …Sorry, Aoi. Didn’t mean anything bad by that. But like… you know what Tomatsu did to your friends. My goal is to make sure no one else gets that in their head again, that’s all.

Aoi: I don’t… (She drops her voice just in case someone might hear from the basement) I don’t think she has the strength you’d need to pull what Tomatsu did. 

Yui: …Then, until I have more than just a hunch, I’ll listen to you. …Hopefully for real this time. But Aoi, don’t be afraid to call me out like this. Y’know how I get… one track mind an’ all that. Guess my head’s pretty high in the clouds too.

Aoi: (She sighs) I’m not calling you out. I’m just letting you know what’s happening. 

Yui: Well, whatever it is, I appreciate it. Like, really.