Meanwhile at the café … 

Hana: "Do you really think those were his friends? They were really … creepy. And how they smiled … ugh."

Toki: "No idea. They really looked suspicious. Especially the guy with only one eye showing. What was even their problem?!"

Hana: "Right?! They called us »elitist« and how dare they call me »Sweety«? Gross!"

Ryota: "We should leave and look after him. I have a bad feeling …" 

Hana: "R-really? Don't scare me!"

Sayuri: "Those guys looked like trouble and Hiroshi didn't seem too happy about them."

Toki: "Well then, let's go!"

A word and a blow. They paid and went the same path as Hiroshi and the others took just a while ago. Sayuri felt pretty uncomfortable. Who were those guys and what did they want from Hiroshi? Wouldn't it be better to just leave them alone? Hana didn't seem to be amused, either. But what should Sayuri do? Go back to the café alone? Trying to find a way back to the campus? Only some hours passed, since she met all those people and already so much was going on. Not a casual day for the introvert girl. But since her world was upside down anyways, she just went with it. What should go wrong …?

As they turned around the corner and passed by an alleyway, Sayuri was shocked. There they were. But Hiroshi was fighting the bald guy. What was his name again? Mitsukuni? Both of them seemed to have taken hits already. Were they using their tangs? What skills did Hiroshi's "friends" even have? But the other two guys just stood there and watched. So at least it was a fair match? Was it even necessary to interfere or stop it? Boys often beat themselves up, even friends … But Ryota already made his decision. 

Ryota: "Hey! What are you doing?" He walked along the alley, ending in a small yard.

Hiroshi recognized his school mate first and stopped for a moment. So did his opponent.

Hiroshi: "Go away, don't interfere!" He swiped away some blood from his lips.

Ryota: "I don't think so. Or do you wanna get beaten the hell out of you before the school year even starts?" He came closer.

Hiroshi: "You don't get it. Just stay out of it."

Mitsukuni: "You heard him, fuck off."

Toki: "You better fuck off and let go of Hiro!" He went after Ryota.

Hana: "Guys, please, can't we just all drink some coffee together?!" She seemed pretty desperate to stop them. As if she already knew her words would be in vain.

Yoshitora: "This is our last warning!" He made a waving move with his arm and a light green light appeared that billowed around his friends and Hiroshi like a shimmering wall.

Hana: "A shield!" She immediately recognized it, since she had the same tang.

Ryota: "You cowards!" He hit the barrier with his hands, trying to smash it.

Toki: "Can't you crash it?"

Ryota: "Doesn't seem like it … seems to be a strong shield. On top, I never tried applying my skills on Shinteki … What about you?"

Both rivals took the opportunity to continue their fight. First they fought with fists, Hiroshi got punched in the stomach, but was able to dodge the next hit aimed for his face. Mitsukuni got hit on his left side and then jumped back. Then Hiroshi clenched his fist again, they started glowing and fire enveloped them without burning them. When he opened them he shot fireballs towards his opponent, who held his hand down with open palms, benting his fingers and breaking up the cobbles. The stones blazingly fast turned into a wall where the fire just recoiled and went out.

Sayuri just stood there and felt like watching a movie, but without the cinema and no popcorn. Her brain tried to handle this. But she just kept staring with a blank expression. How could such things be real? Toki went through an invisible wall, Ryota had very fast reflexes, the blonde guy just conjured a shield and the other guys played with fire and stones like it's nothing. Like they do it every other day. And maybe that was just it. Their normal daily life. And Sayuri …? Was this a world she would want to belong to? And if so, what could she do? Would anyone believe what she just experienced until now? Probably not. How could this not already have been revealed to the world? It's not that they tried to live a secret life and hide their existence?! What the heck was going on here?

Toki thought about what he could do, while watching the equal match. Electricity and illusions wouldn't be of use against a shield. Dream wandering was also out of question, since no one was sleeping. Yes, very mighty dream wanderers could force their targets into a sleeping state, but Toki was far from that point. Maybe they really shouldn't interfere, but Ryota was right with his bad feeling and who could guarantee that these guys wouldn't do a 3 on 1 if they left? They should try to stop it.

Toki: "Ryo … I have a plan, but I'm not sure if it'll work …"

Hana also just stood there not knowing what to do. Her shield did not have reach yet, neither her healing. How was the blond guy able to create such a huge shield? They should have been the same age. How would this end if Ryota and Toki joined the fight? She just wanted to have a nice chitchat … boys. She sighed.

Sayuri still tried to cope with all that. People with such powers had been among her the whole time! And she should be one of them? She knew nothing about her skills except the name. Were they even suited for fighting? Actually Sayuri didn't even want to fight anyone … 

But … what was that? Some shadows right behind her? She saw them in the corner of her eye! Sayuri turned around, but nothing. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Not this again … And just now she noticed Toki was missing.

Sayuri: "Hana, where's Toki?"

Hana: "Look at the blonde guy …"

Sayuri followed Hana's instructions and her eyes got big. Toki just appeared behind the boy with the long hair. Was this the dematerialisation Toki was talking about? Like teleporting? Yoshitora didn't seem to notice him either. The Haigo didn't hesitate long and some small blue lightnings flashed around his hand. He grabbed the other guy by his shoulders. Yoshitora only realized too late that he got an electric hit. It wasn't much, but enough to distract him and his barrier got weaker.

Toki: "Now!" he screamed.

You didn't have to tell Ryota twice and he started sprinting. But he wasn't the only one. Sayuri also ran towards the fighting scene.

Yoshitora recovered quickly from the low bit of volt and dealt a blow on Toki's cheek. He couldn't dodge it and fell.

Toki: "HEY, you jerk!" He got up immediately and rubbed his cheek. Then he saw Sayuri. "What … are you doing here? Are you insane? Go back!"

Ryota: "Why? Let the girl have some fun here, too!"

Toki: "No, she's a Momaina!"

Ryota: "Seriously?" He turned to Sayuri. "Well, then scoot!"

Sayuri didn't know why she had run there. The weird shadow was here again, wasn't it? And she just wanted to get away from it … Well, if this was her "skill" then she would get insane some time soon! But the boys were right, she shouldn't be in the middle of a battlefield of pubescent guys. So she ran back to Hana, at least she tried to.

Yoshitora: "No no no." He was back on track and closed his shield before the necromancer girl could leave the scene.

Ryota: "Hey!" He prepared a hit against Yoshitora, but he just made another smaller shield right before him. Ryota's fist clashed against it, sparks flew, but it didn't break. "Holy crap, what is this?" //Well, then how about the honey head*?!// (*editor's note: »Mitsu« 蜜 is japanese for »honey« so Ryota is making fun of Mitsukunis name) Ryota jumped backwards to cling into Hiroshi's and Mitsukuni's still ongoing fight. Both looked already worn out. He hauled off to the bald guy but Yoshitora created a barrier in front of his friend. Now the tinier guy with the colored hair meddled, too.

Kazuo: "We warned you. You should have stayed out. We didn't want you to make trouble, but you douchebags really do not seem to understand … Just beating up each other … and you call yourself elitists!"

Mitsukuni: "Hiro, Hiro, you have just found the perfect new friends, right?" He laughed loudly and gleefully. "Ya know that this is no one on one fight anymore?!" He eluded one of Hiroshi's fireballs and started throwing stones at Ryota, who crushed them with his bare fist.

Yoshitora now saw that his barrier was no longer of use so he just stopped. Sayuri wanted to step out of the line of fire, but Kazuo blocked her path.

Kazuo: "Whither goest thou?"

Sayuri just ignored and wanted to pass him, but she couldn't move. Not just her legs felt frozen to the ground, her whole body wouldn't obey her anymore.

Sayuri: "H-hey! What the– What did you do with me?"

If only they had waited for Hiroshi to come back. He might have a black eye and some scratches, but that wouldn't have been a big deal. However, Ryota wouldn't miss an opportunity to demonstrate his tang and Toki would never let him fight alone. But now Sayuri got unwillingly roped into this, too … 

Hana analyzed Kazuo's skill. He seemed to be a shadow controller. He extended his own shadow until it blended into the target's and the Momaina was an easy victim to be controlled. 

Hana: //I really feel useless right now. My tangs don't add anything … If it were just the boys, but now my Sayurin is in danger …// She sobbed. "Sayuriiii-chaaaan! Stay strong!" Hana wasn't a good fighter at all, her shield and healing skills were only defensive and for a short range.

Toki: //Oh damn, I shouldn't have called it out loud, that she's not aware of her powers yet. I'm such a noob! How can I free her?!// "Sayuri, don't move, I'll get you outta there, okay?!"

Sayuri: "Very funny! As if I could …"

Toki: "I'm sorry …" //Noob, noob, NOOB!//

But Toki had no time for self-pity. He just needed to do something about that. He liked to have a scuffle every now and then, but he couldn't take a joke about dragging others into it. Moreover if it was his fault after all. Should he use his electricity? Would he be able to control it again? He looked down to his palms where small lightings flickered. This would do it. He clenched his fist and aimed for Kazuo. Unfortunately his opponent wasn't dumb. He moved Sayuri's shadow and therefore herself just right before him as a perfect barrier, as they both were about the same height. Everything happened so fast, Sayuri's instincts told her to duck, run, dodge it somehow, but none of her limbs would obey. She was only able to close her eyes. But Toki somehow managed to make an emergency stop. And just to be sure, he beat himself into his own hand. Of course he was immune to his own electricity, but the force of his attack still hurt.

Toki: "You coward! Using a girl as a shield!" He was so angry. How could this guy be so pathetic? But Kazuo just laughed and let Sayuri do some weird moves, making her look like a fool. This was the final straw for Toki. "Just you wait!"