Chapter 4: The Empress-UPDATED

The next morning, Minato woke up with an energy he hadn’t felt in a long time. He stretched out, kicked back, washed up and got dressed. Today was going to be a good day.

He was at the Gekkoukan High campus gates so high on life that he barely noticed a presence coming up behind him. The person tapped his shoulder and he didn’t even respond. Irritated, they grabbed him and moved him so they were looking face to face.

It was Mitsuru. He was so distracted by her beauty that he didn’t even notice her glaring at him, arms crossed. Those last three nights had him thinking she was going to take him right there too. After Aigis’ series of epic hummers and then even fucking her robo pussy, he wouldn’t have minded that at all.

“I know what you’ve been up to,” she said.

“What I’ve been up to?” he said.

“Don’t try to play me the fool. I heard Takeba and Yamagishi’s voices. Heard your door opening and closing up. I know what you’ve been doing. I know there’s been no Shadow prowling around the dorms. I know what you’ve been doing since the start. Using and playing everyone. Even Aigis was nothing more than a tool for you to use. But I figured as I let your charade go on, that you would get some integrity and tell the truth. Instead, things have only gotten worse.”

Minato thought to ask how she even knew it was his door. He figured she’d give him lip for even denying it or she’d reveal she had some deduction skills he couldn’t begin to guess. Then again, he remembered all those secret cameras he had found. If he was able to find out, then no doubt she could find out too.

He tried to play it cool. “That’s one accusation.”

“And you’re lying to your senpai too? Now I know I’m making the right decision.”

He wasn’t bothered by that remark. Didn’t even let her say what that right decision was. Instead he smiled and just said, “Jealous?”

Her face colored and her beautiful features twisted with irritation. But he could still see that look in her eyes which reflected the truth of his words. Not helping the seriousness of the situation was him getting an eyeful of Fuuka and Yukari in his peripheral vision, who were looking at him and giggling. His attention was stolen by Mitsuru getting closer and looking him right in the eyes. “If that’s the attitude you want to take with me, then I’ll make sure you live to regret it. I was thinking of letting you off easy. But now? Tonight, I’ll personally bear witness to the sight of you shaking all over. I will deliver unto you an execution legends could only dream of!”

Then she turned around just as fast and was off. Normally Minato would have been distracted by Mitsuru’s fine behind walking in front of him. But now all he could do was worry about what her execution entailed.

As soon as he got to class, he was joined by Akihiko. “I see you’ve been chosen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. I saw the look on Mitsuru’s face. I know she sentenced you to an execution.”

“How did you know?”

“Call it a gut instinct.”

“So uh...” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “What is it exactly?”

“I can’t say for certain.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean? You’ve been through it!”

At that, Mitsuru turned to look back at them. Both guys’ faces went as white as a sheet. Akihiko clapped Minato’s shoulder. “That upcoming test is going to be rough! I wish you the best of luck my friend!” Then Sanada just shuddered and said in a hushed whisper, “And when it is all over, we will be best friends afterwards.”

“How’s that?” Minato whispered back.

“Because up until this point, I am the first and only person she has ever performed an execution on.”

“Wow. That bad, huh?”

“And she made me swear not to tell anything about it, or she’d do it to me again.”

“Oh wow.”

“But that’s the thing,” he said just as quietly. “She said she was just practicing with me. She said the next time she does it, she’ll be doing it differently. I’ll just say this much. Your butt won’t ever be the same again.” He clapped Minato’s shoulder. “I hope you’re able to pass this test with flying colors!” he said loudly.

“That’s right, the test!” Ms. Toriumi announced. “We still have much material to review! Now then, let’s get started!”

As soon as the school day was done, Minato made for the dorms. He hoped that Supervillain Lock he ordered had arrived. It had only been a day since he bought it, but Tanaka’s loot had a habit of arriving sooner than expected. He didn’t know if it would even work, but he was determined on avoiding Mitsuru’s wrath.

It hadn’t. He huffed and immediately left the dorms, fearing that she would be back any second. He went around town and did anything that would keep him away from the rest of SEES. His Arcana grew leaps and bounds that day, he couldn’t believe how much he was getting done. It was almost like he was speedrunning and glitching out in real life. But none of these considerations did anything to keep the inevitable from happening.

He had to find a way out of this one. He went around town, visiting his friends, and even made a few new ones. But as the day grew darker, a sense of impending dread settled upon him. He couldn’t just wait outside, not with all the Shadows around, and not with the possibility of running into Strega. He was thinking of some way out of it.

That night, everyone acted like nothing was wrong. Everyone was sitting around the dorms like nothing was wrong. Fuuka and Yukari were all smiles at him, and even Aigis seemed friendlier than usual. Even Shinjiro’s usual stone cold demeanor didn’t scare him as much anymore.