Marcus and Moka stood outside the school, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at a massive board displaying everyone's exam scores. Students clustered around it in small groups, voices rising and falling with excitement, disappointment, or disbelief. Marcus scanned the list quietly, noting that he had managed to break into the top fifty, while Moka's name stood proudly within the top twenty.
Moka turned toward him, offering a gentle smile meant to soften the comparison, and said, "Don't feel bad, Marcus. You still did really well."
Marcus shrugged lightly, hands tucked into his pockets, his expression relaxed rather than frustrated. "Eh, I'm not too worried about it. I'll just try a bit harder next time. Still, though… why were exams held now? The semester still has a few weeks left."
Moka frowned slightly, thinking it over. "Now that you mention it, that is strange."
As they talked, Marcus's attention shifted. He overheard raised voices drifting in from a short distance away, sharp and unpleasant. His eyes narrowed as he spotted three guys surrounding a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen. She had neck-length brown hair, striking violet eyes, and wore a witch's outfit, and held a heart-shaped wand.
Before Moka could even react, Marcus was already moving.
He arrived just in time to step directly in front of the three boys as they began to transform and lunge forward. They froze when they saw him. Marcus stared at them coldly, his gaze heavy with warning, and said, "You three got a problem?"
The one who seemed to be their leader stiffened and forced a nervous grin. "No, Marcus, we're good. We were just talking to our classmate here."
Marcus leaned in close, his voice dropping dangerously low. "This kid gets so much as a scratch or cries for any reason, I'll assume it was you three. And no matter where you run or hide, I'll find you. We clear?"
The three nodded rapidly, fear flashing across their faces.
Marcus straightened and said firmly, "Good. Now scram."
They didn't hesitate, running as fast as their legs could carry them.
Marcus turned back to the girl, his expression softening. "You okay, kid?"
She blinked, clearly startled, then nodded after a moment. "Yeah… thank you."
He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "No problem. Name's Marcus. What's yours?"
"Oh, I'm Sendo Yukari."
Marcus glanced briefly in the direction the boys had fled before looking back at her. "Why were those guys out to get you?"
Yukari sighed, adjusting her grip on the wand. "I skipped a few grades, and well… I'm the youngest person at school, so people tend to look down on me for being younger." A smug grin crept onto her face as she added, "So when they say something mean, I hit them with a nasty spell or two."
Moka had just walked up as Yukari said that and frowned slightly. "That's not good."
Marcus nodded, his tone practical rather than scolding. "Yeah. If you're gonna do that, you need to make them afraid of you, or else they're gonna bully you harder. Or worse."
Moka shook her head, clearly uncomfortable with that line of thinking. "That's not what I meant."
Yukari brightened, seemingly unfazed. "Oh. That's good advice anyway thanks for saving me Marcus."
He waved it off casually. "Once again, no problem. See you around."
Marcus and Moka turned and headed toward the dorms. As they walked, a familiar voice called out behind them.
"Hey, wait up, you two!"
Kurumu caught up quickly and fell into step beside them. Moka's expression tightened in brief annoyance, though she smoothed it away almost immediately.
Marcus glanced back toward the school grounds and said, "Those three will probably go after Yukari soon."
Kurumu tilted her head, thinking. "Are you talking about that smart girl that skipped a few grades? I heard nobody likes her because she acts like a know-it-all and lashes out when anyone talks bad about her."
Marcus frowned slightly and replied, "She's just a kid who wants some friends. Lashing out is probably just to get some attention."
Moka looked confused and asked, "But what did you mean about those three from earlier going after her? I thought they were scared of you."
Marcus exhaled slowly, his voice serious. "It's 'cause they're scared of me that they'll go after her. They're the type that need to bully the weak to feel strong."
----
As the trio waited, Marcus let Inner Moka out for a sparring match. The two immediately clashed, their movements blurring together as fists and feet collided in rapid, precise exchanges. Each strike flowed seamlessly into the next, the air snapping with the force of their blows.
Kurumu stood awkwardly off to the side, shifting her weight as she tried to follow their movements with her eyes. Her gaze darted back and forth, but she had little luck keeping up with the speed at which they were moving.
As the sparring reached a sudden peak, both fighters abruptly stopped. In perfect unison, Marcus and Moka turned their heads toward the marsh, their expressions sharpening as their attention locked onto something unseen.
Kurumu followed their gaze, unease creeping into her voice as she asked, "What's wrong, guys?"
Marcus's posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "They're here."
Kurumu stared through the dense thicket, squinting as shapes slowly resolved themselves in the shadows. She made out the figures of four people, three larger ones looming around a much smaller figure in the center. Before she could say anything, Marcus and Moka were already moving, their bodies surging forward without hesitation as they closed the distance.
-----
Yukari backed up against a rough-barked tree, her breath coming fast as the three bullies from earlier revealed their true forms. Their bodies twisted and expanded, scales rippling outward until they stood as three large, vicious-looking lizard men. Their slit eyes gleamed as they crowded closer, all three talking at once about how they were going to eat her.
The leader leaned forward, baring jagged teeth, and growled, "Let's do this quick before Marcus shows up."
Before any of them could move, a calm but deadly voice cut through the air. "Too late."
In a flash, Marcus appeared directly in front of Yukari. His fist rocketed upward, uppercutting the leader with brutal precision. Teeth shattered, spraying blood and fragments as the lizard man was launched backward, crashing into the marsh with a heavy splash.
The remaining two stood frozen in shock, barely registering what had happened. A heartbeat later, Moka appeared beside them in a blur of motion and delivered a crushing kick, sending one of them flying straight into a tree with a sickening thud.
The final lizard man looked down at his fallen companion, panic flooding his face. He slowly lifted his head, only to see Marcus and Moka advancing toward him, both wearing unsettling, predatory smiles. Trembling, he raised a shaky hand and said, "I surrender."
Marcus and Moka answered in perfect unison. "No."
They lunged.
After the beating was over, the two calmly walked back toward Yukari. She stared at them with wide, sparkling eyes and a radiant smile that practically lit up her face. Suddenly, she ran forward and threw her arms around Marcus, hugging him tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Marcus chuckled softly, patting her head reassuringly. "No problem. What are friends for?"
Yukari looked up at him, eyes shining even brighter. "We're friends?"
"Of course we are, pipsqueak. Now stop getting into trouble, will you?"
Yukari hugged him even harder, clearly refusing to let go. Nearby, Moka watched the scene with detached indifference, while Kurumu stood off to the side, arms crossed, pouting in obvious jealousy.