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"What do you mean what did we do? Are you okay? Did something hit you?"
"...wasn't us. Been standing in front of you this whole time."

A loud horn blows through the skies. Professor Estelle looks at the sky, back at the stadium, then back to the group.
"Do your best, Class 3-F. I'll be rooting for you from the stands. Now come, go."

"You can count on me, new boss. Madoka and I, we eat Shiryo for breakfast. Not even a challenge."
Todoroki, of course, neglects to mention that his rather prominent lost eye was lost to a Shiryo.

Of course, in his defense, he also didn't have a Gnosis the first time he fought one, and that one was almost twice his size. The fact he got out of it with only a missing eye was, in his estimation, impressive. Not as impressive as his Sensei, of course, casually taking multiple Shiryo down without a Gnosis or a scratch, but then again, most people were not Hitoshi Tokiwa.
Rin simply shifts awkwardly.
"I've only ever read about Shiryo. A-are....are you sure we'll be fine?"
"Hmph. We got this."

Suddenly, a Kamisato soldier approaches, looking hurried and red in the face.
"My lord! Something's come up! We've spotted Imperial forces in the area! They're not close enough to head into Sangonomiya yet, but...."
"Yes?"
"Momo. She stayed back to distract the Imperial army. We came back to get reinforcements, but..."
"Who's with them?"
"General Todayama and....the Hosokawa heir, sir."
"Damn."

Kensuke looked to the group.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, but....if you could, please retrieve Momo from the Imperials on your way out. We'd rather nobody goes back. We'll send for Uncle Hiro to come with some reinforcements with you. I'm sorry to ask this, much, but we can't have Imperials this close to Sangonomiya."

"You know this isn't the first time we've seen people run away from you, right?"
A voice sounds behind Shiro.

Behind her is Rise Koga, student council president, arms folded and a disapproving, but not surprised, look. Following not far behind is Touma Nanjo, student council vice president.
"Something wrong, Akari?"
"..."

---

As Shizuko sprints down the hall, she collides, very suddenly, into the back of someone, knocking them over with a loud yelp.
"Ah!"

As the distinctly boyish yelp sounds, Shizuko, who manages to remain on her feet, sees who she's knocked over. It's Riku Tadano, student council secretary, and he seems to have been carrying a bundle of papers that are now currently scattered on the floor.
"Aw man....I need to get these to the classroom quick....Rise's gonna kill me if I don't..."

---

"I'll follow you."
"I'm coming too!"

As Mildred, Akihiko and Saya run through the corridors to follow, the blur has....disappeared. The crowd of students doesn't seem to be have parted recently, either.

"We don't anticipate you'll have much trouble, but the communications are sensitive, the Empress has her eyes on Kaedehara and the other problem are Shiryo attacks. They've been intensifying recently, so much so we can't risk only sending a single courier, let alone one without a Gnosis."

Kensuke nods, and leads the party away up the road, to somewhere farther away from the main square of Sangonomiya. When they get far enough, he pauses, before producing a few sacks.
"Lord Kiritani anticipated you might need to keep moving. He has a mission for you. If....you should want it."
He opens one sack, producing a map and a scroll.
"Your first mission is to take a letter to Kaedehara to Lord Tokiwa. Yusuke, I understand you wanted to see him again. This is your opportunity."
"Wait. We're going to Kaedehara? What's the letter? Show me!"
"Private communications. Don't worry about it. Kaedehara is a few days ride away from here, so we have some food and pack horses if you need them. Should be a few villages to stop in between here and there, but travel lightly; the Empress will be looking for her Cursed, and we can't risk her finding Sangonomiya."

"....who the hell is Demogorgia? Are you smoking something? And that curse thing again? Ugh, more goddess conspiracy bullshit. I can tell you now that they didn't waste their time on us small fry; I had a chat with Lucifer and his boyfriend and girlfriend and they had about as much idea about it as I did, which is to say, zilch. Well, thanks for calling anyway. I'll keep that in mind but I really don't know what you're talking about.

Just punch Freya in the gut for me next time you see her."
Click. The line goes dead.

"no blood, yis. taste like metal. beelzebub has much irons in diet already. am eat much of milly's junk as smol blobbington. no need for extra, yis"

Mammon considers her words.
"I am...not sure how much time the barrier will buy you. Word will surely get out of what I've done here today."

Then Yliss calls Belphegor. After the tablet rings a few times, an irritated groan sounds over the tablet, followed by a bleary sounding Belphegor.
"....this better be good, Wander. I was napping before my afternoon manga binge. Hermelin Ajin no Densetsu just dropped its latest issue and I've been waiting for a good time to read all of the ones I've missed."