During the night, as the full moon shines in the sky, the air is still. Ashy is sitting in a hot tub and trying to relax. She says to herself:
"We took off, but Arai didn't move. It's understandable, because Marshal isn't doing well, either. Nonetheless, he doesn't know what being tired means, doesn't he?"
On one road, the Varkyns, the second type of Reegers, have entered the city.
Arai is watching over them while munching on Taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake filled with red bean paste, similar to a pancake or waffle. He takes a bite and says:
"What a bunch of fools. They never learn their lessons at all."
He stands up and cracks his knuckles:
"Guess I'll have to get ready again."
One of the Varkyn appears in the air, in front of the building. He jumps and kicks the Varkyn away.
The Varkyn vanishes instantly and Arai says:
"I was about to jump down but you ruined the moment, my guy!"
All others appear in front of him. He runs and in less than a second, he takes down every single one of them and says:
"Hmph? I didn't even need to transform into my alien form. This time they're quite weak."
More Varkyns appear out of nowhere. One of them tries to attack him, but he dodges it. He grabs its hand, throws it far away, and says:
"Bye! Bye!"
He kicks one, dodges the attack of the other, and then punches it. One of them manages to hold his arm and as soon as it was about to attack him a familiar voice says:
"Roll 33, Section 47: Jigen Fuin!"
Varkyns from all around the city are pulled through ropes into eye-shaped portals. Arai looks back, sees Geko floating in the air, and says:
"My, my... Look who's here... The Barrier Weaver!"
Geko lands in front of him and speaks with a warm smile on his face:
"No matter how much you try. They will keep coming until you seal them away."
Arai replies:
"Hmm... But, whenever it came to roll techniques, they said you were its purest form made flesh."
Geko looks at the city and says:
"The work is done."
Arai questions:
"But, what led you here?"
Geko replies:
"The elders of the Skyward Society made me the right hand of Marshal. It's necessary for me and I must stay by his side or I'll have to face severe judgments."
Arai smiles a little while asking:
"Even if you're the one who bound Shi no Karasu with the throne of Ishi?"
Geko questions back:
"Does your body contain the same amount of Empo and Diu as Marshal's body holds?"
Arai doesn't answer.
Geko continues:
"Your teachings and shadow on him are a blessing. But, the way you take things is a little different from mine..."
"... So, rather than focusing on what I've done you should see what I'm trying to do... Instead of running away I'm trying to stay with him."
People are walking on the footpath. Everyone is busy with their own work. Arai sits on the edge of the building, and Geko faces him continuing with his explanation:
"You see, what good would it do if Marshal knows about what I've done through cursed bindings? It will only worsen his condition more and it's something Ishi-san himself rejected."
Arai replies:
"Hmm, now that I look from both sides. I can really see it."
Geko sits beside him:
"I have known you for a long time. Just don't try to be so sadistic in front of me."
Arai lights up and says:
"EXAC-"
Geko cuts him by placing a hand on his face and replies:
"I take my words back. Forget I ever said anything about you being sadistic."
Arai says:
"Alright!"
After some time of silence, Geko asks:
"Is there anything I can do to make things work again between us?"
Arai nods and says:
"First of all, tell me why the order of Skyward Society's elders is so damn confusing... I mean, why is one elder the right hand of another elder?"
Geko falls down on the ground and speaks to himself:
"What? All this time I gathered enough confidence to make things go easy between us and he's questioning such a lowly question?"
Arai continues with his question:
"... And why is that only Nagare Ishi, the old tenth elder, had you as his right hand?"
Geko answers:
"It's as simple as that... Ishi-san was the one who created the Skyward Society in the first place. Miss Shikiya and others stood with him to make his dream come true. The only reason he had me was that I decided it."
Arai replies:
"Hmph! But, what about others?"
Geko answers:
"For the rest of the nine elders... When friendship means more than anything, and there's no such thing as pride or arrogance among friends, there's no need for lieutenants or multiple right hands..."
"... They all are far enough for each other and can handle each other's work without any problems."
Arai replies:
"That's actually really good. You didn't even stutter which shows that you said the truth."
Geko gasps and says:
"What in the world? Why would I tell a lie on such lowly questions?"
After some more silence, Geko asks:
"Now that I've answered your question. Are we even again?"
Arai shakes his head and says:
"Only because you chose the mildest form of cursed binding on Marshal and knowing that the binding isn't eternal at all. I'd forgive you, but you will have to do another thing as I say."
Geko asks:
"What is it?"
Arai says:
"Hmmmm... Hear me out now."
The next morning, at Seiryo High School. Marshal is sitting beside Selina in his classroom and hearing Morinaga teach them.
He takes a deep breath and sees Geko sitting on the branch of a tree. He gasps in shock and mumbles:
"What the... Geko-san?"
Morinaga clears his throat and says:
"Be attentive, Marshal!"
Marshal replies:
"My bad, Sensei!"
After the lecture, Marshal is walking to the bathroom. He can hear the footsteps of Geko behind him. At one point, he loses his calm and says:
"HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW ME?"
Geko stops looking in Marshal's eyes. He narrows his eyes, Marshal gasps. A moment of awkward silence before Geko teleports. Marshal mumbles as he walks away:
"Is he tweaking or something?"
Last night, Arai said to Geko:
"Tomorrow, you will have to keep an eye on Marshal's behavior with Miyu, and see if everything's going right between them."
Geko is stunned as he replies:
"Wh-What? I didn't travel all the way from the timeline Millennia to Aeonic Dusk just to be stuck in his personal romantic life."
Arai mischievously smiles:
"I want them together at all costs."
Geko rolls his eyes and says:
"Great! Now you sound like a grandpa who forces his grandchild into marriage."
In the present, during lunchtime, Geko is wearing a hair wig and trying to peek at Marshal through the window.
Marshal calmly says to him:
"You're really giving me that pervert neighbour energy."
Geko instantly sits down, in the air, and says to himself:
"I thought the technique Arai told me to perform would make me invisible to Marshal too."
Marshal says:
"Oh, c'mon... If nobody, I can still see you, Geko-san... You're really trying to push my nerves today, aren't you?"
Geko replies:
"Why don't you mind your work?"
Marshal loses his calm:
"HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I BE MINDFUL OF MY WORK WHEN MY RIGHT HAND IS SPYING ON ME? DAMMIT..."
The whole classroom starts to look at him. He gasps in shock and sits back as Selina says to him:
"You're tweaking really hard today."
Geko says to him:
"Oh, my! Look, you messed everything up... Now pray for the miracle to happen."
Marshal sees Yusuke approaching him as he says:
"What is go-"
Marshal cuts him with a punch on his face and says:
"DON'T EVER BOTHER TO ASK ME AGAIN!"
Suddenly, the door of the classroom opens and grabs everyone's attention. Because the ones who enter are Miyu and Suzu. Everyone gasps in shock as they look at them and say:
"Is it... A dream?"
"President and vice president in our classroom?"
"Oh, man... I don't believe it at all."
"What are they doing here?"
She smiles warmly looking at Marshal. He gasps and gulps saying to himself:
"Wh-Wh... WHAT?"
As she stands in front of his table, he looks at her in shock. Yusuke approaches her and says:
"Mi, lady!"
Suzu punches him and Miyu sweetly whispers to Marshal:
"Can I have some of your time, love?"
Marshal gulps mumbling:
"L-L-L-L... Love?"
Miyu says:
"Can I? If you're not free I can maybe catch you... Later!"
Selina rubs her eyes:
"What the heck is going on here? Hehe, but I got you... Miyu Senpai!"
She pushes Marshal and says:
"He is all yours. Please, take him wherever you want to."
Miyu smiles and replies:
"Thank you, Selina!"
Selina says:
"Mention not. Hurry up before he falls unconscious."
Miyu grabs his hand and starts walking:
"Alright, then... We're good to go now."
And the door closes. Everyone is stunned with their eyes wide open, they can't believe what happened. Only voices are:
"She was here for him..."
"Did she... Grabbed Marshal's hand?"
"Where did they go?"
Geko is out there sketching everything on a cardboard and speaking to himself:
"According to my analysis, Marshal gets frustrated over absurd things the most, but he feels shy in front of Miyu. Haha! I can tell he's deeply in love with her but can't say it out loud."
Selina is looking at Geko sketching as she says:
"Just as Arai Sensei told me... Your sketching sucks, Geko-san!"
Geko sighs before yelling:
"DOES THIS INVISIBLE TECHNIQUE OF YOURS WORK OR NOT, ARAI?"
An echo of Arai chuckling is in the air:
"Hehehehe..."
On the other side, in the cozy room of the student council, Miyu softly pushes Marshal on her chair and rests her back on the table.
She tries to take off his tie as he asks:
"What are you trying to do, Senpai?"
She asks:
"Hmm? I wanted to see your wounds."
He mumbles:
"My... Wounds?"
She nods and replies:
"I thought you would take a leave today but you showed up... I was worried about you. So can I check them?"
He says to himself:
"GOSH! Why does she look so... So lovely today? WHAT THE HELL AM I EVEN THINKING?"
She says:
"Marshal?"
He shakes his head and replies:
"Yes, you can take a look at them. They're healed though!"
She blushes as she looks away and says:
"Alright! Then take... Take your shirt off."
He says:
"Oka— Wait, why do I have to take my shirt off?"
Suzu replies:
"If you don't take your shirt off then how will she be able to see your wounds?"
He says:
"Hmm? You're here too, Suzu Senpai?"
Suzu replies:
"GOSH! I swear I am not a pervert, Marshal... But, I can't just stand outside and guard the room while you both get all lovey-dovey in here."
He rolls his eyes and says:
"It does mean you don't have clean intentions either."
Miyu says:
"C'mon hurry up now..."
He replies:
"It's not ethical at all."
She breathes softly and says:
"Oh, my! I was the one who applied bandages to your wounds, so quit being so ethical... I have seen you shirtless before too."
He mumbles:
"Guess, I've got no way out. But, something's really pulling me to do so. A quiet feeling of familiarity I can feel it."
Marshal takes a deep breath to relax and takes his shirt off. He looks away hesitantly and gulps before saying:
"Here... You go!"
Her eyes shine when she sees him and says:
"W-Whoa! They healed really fast, didn't they?"
He nods:
"Y-Yeah, that's why I told you before."
She places her hand on her chin and says:
"How in the world can they heal so fast? They were severe enough that they would have taken months."
He smiles awkwardly and replies:
"Genetic Inheritance, I guess."
Suzu is trying really hard not to look at him but she gives in to temptation anyway. She is stunned when she looks at him and says:
"D-Damn!"
They both look at her. Suzu continues:
"I thought you were lean just like others but..."
She says to herself:
"The structure of his muscles... This striation, it's perfect."
He wears his shirt, Suzu asks:
"Do your muscles always stay so pumped?"
He smiles and says:
"You can say so."
Suzu looks away and asks:
"Do you work out every single day?"
He says:
"You can say I fight my inner demon every day, but I train nonstop for hours, even days."
Miyu says:
"Now I get it, it really is your genetic inheritance. But, it's too damn exceptional."
Geko is sitting outside the room and hearing their conversation. He looks at the sky and says to himself:
"Only if you knew the truth like me, Marshal. You'd look at the sky in the same way I do. You don't know anything about your genetics, especially from your father's side, do you?"
(To Be Continued)