I truly don't know what else to say besides that this girl is cute.
Seriously, the way she's trying to keep her guard up while also trying to figure out what I'm going on about is just pure perfection.
My bully senses are tingling. Scratch that; they're practically vibrating and ready to explode.
…It's kind of weird, though, the way she's holding her hand above her chest.
It's like she's prepared to draw something from them, like a weapon.
Which is certainly interesting, to say the least. Considering I don't see a weapon there.
Though from that muddled holy feeling I got from her earlier, I can assume she is likely a Sacred Gear wielder of some sort, a holy relic type?
Her aura feels human, ruling out the possibility of her being some sort of supernatural being like an angel, so unless she's a very lucky quarter or less pure angel or something, I can't see where else that feeling could come from.
In any case, this is all just speculation, and for a while at least, I think it'll remain as such.
Why?
"..."
The poor girl isn't saying anything.
She's just staring at me now, confused, wary, lost, embarrassed, and likely more, all wrapped up into a neat anxious package.
I give her a wave. "Hello? Earth to new girl?" I ask, still amused, yet the slightest amount of concern begins to creep in as well.
"..."
Still nothing, huh?
Oh yeah, a lot like me before that day on the mountain, I should add.
To put it simply? This girl can't socialize, like, at all. Literally.
Granted, part of this is probably my fault. I did go a little extra in my introduction, I suppose.
With a sigh, I step forward toward her, "So, what's your name?"
That, at least, seemed to shock her out of whatever funk she was in, as she nearly jumped again as I moved toward her.
She gave a considering look before finally answering, "...Miyamoto, Zekka."
As soon as her surname was uttered, I could almost feel the tension in the air thicken, purely from her alone.
Poor girl looks about ready to fight or flight at a moment's notice, and not because she's twitchy, but because she's stock still with her eyes watching me like a hawk.
And I can't blame her.
"...Miyamoto?" I mutter back to her, with a tilt of my head.
As in Musashi Miyamoto? Thee dual-wielding Sword Saint of Japan?
She tensed even further as I spoke, but I wasn't quite done: "Spirit Inheritor, Descendent, or both?" I asked without further need to elaborate.
Her brow raised in no small amount of confusion, something I get the feeling is going to happen fairly often, then she twitched, her eyes widening slightly.
"I suppose, both…?" She states, not sounding very sure, whilst also not wanting to elaborate.
I hum back in response, refusing to push further on that topic.
Well, either way, her existing without me knowing about her beforehand is a problem. Musashi is kind of a big deal, after all. Uzume should have bare minimum mentioned that the guy had a family still out and about.
So someone's getting spankings later!
As for right now, I eventually shrug.
"In any event, you're gonna be late if you keep standing around here…" My eyes narrow down at her as I trail off, and she shrinks slightly from my gaze, "Also, your ribbon is crooked."
The only reason I noticed is because I sat around as Rose was fixing Schwert's ribbon, but yeah, Zekka's here was pretty obviously off.
The girl flinched as if struck, "Really? I, uh…" she looked down at it, sputtering, clearly not seeing the issue, with quickly growing panic.
I clicked my tongue and walked right up to her.
Her gaze snapped up to look at me, "H-Hey, what are you…!?"
Her back foot slid back, as if she was bracing herself to draw a weapon.
As fun as it would be to see what this girl could do, considering her relations to such a legendary historical figure, she doesn't have the time for that.
"If you come any closer…!"
So I promptly ignored everything she was saying and doing, and grabbed her ribbon for her.
"Eep…!"
Even her squeaks are cute and quiet, jeez.
"Stay still." I order plainly, right before she could do something like jump away, again, "It'll just make it worse if you start trying to pull away now."
"Er…" She looks away, refusing to look at me in general, "Right. Y-Yes, um…K-Kusanagi, senpai?" She complies, to which I merely smirk as I fix up her ribbon.
"Do I look like I go here?" I respond to her askance with a question.
"No." For once, she sounded pretty sure of herself.
I chuckled at that, "Yup, well, I used to, a good few months ago. Left though. Ended up dropping out."
I give her ribbon a good tug, tightening it into its rightful place, as Zekka looks at me, curiosity obvious.
"Dropped out?"
I nod, "Yup. My life started going crazy around that time, decided I didn't need school, so I left."
Her eyes drifted down to my hands as I pulled them away, before she looked back up at me, "...Would that have something to do with, why you have the hands of a swordsman?"
I blinked at her, more than a little surprised, "...I wasn't aware that something a person could tell just by looking at another's hands."
She shrugged a little weakly, "It's something I can tell, at least."
Ah, probably something she got from her ancestry, then. I suppose that makes sense.
I feel no need to deny her, so I merely nod, "Well then, you're right. Yeah, it was a…whole thing. And more. Before then, like I said," I started musing, "I was a lot like you."
The girl froze up again at that. I could feel the question, unspoken as it was.
How so.
So I continued, "Closed off. Shy. Quiet. Didn't wanna talk, because I didn't exactly how. Afraid of that fact, and so on." She winced at every word, as if each one was a punch straight to her gut. I shook my head, "I got out of that, albeit my method of escape was rather…unconventional."
"H-How so?" She asked, so unusually quickly for her that I nearly flinched.
I don't think she'll like my answer, but I answered truthfully regardless.
"Got drunk with a goddess. Woke up on a mountain without my memories. Nearly got eaten by a snake demon. Discovered I was the son of a certain Shinto goddess. Banged a cat girl." I simplified. I left out the whole self-insert thing for obvious reasons.
Zekka stared at me, face blank.
If she had no idea what to say to anything before, she certainly isn't going to have a single lick of any idea as to how to respond to that.
So I sent her a smile as I pressed on, "Not something you can follow, huh? Like I said, I escaped in one of the most unusual ways possible," I added, "but for you? My one piece of advice is to just…relax."
That caused her to perk up, her eyes widening, "I…" she began, gulping, "I, don't know how to relax, this is…"
I waved her off, "Yeah, yeah, you got so used to it by this point you don't know anything else. I get that, but you can't keep going in circles forever." I shook my head, reached over, and patted her on the head, causing her to freeze up again and stare at my hand. "Change is scary, but nothing good ever comes easy. I'm not saying stop caring all in one day, that's too much to ask, but baby steps. After all…"
I pull my hand back and hold a finger, "You're clearly new here. Come for a fresh start and all that, right? That's a change, the first baby step. All you gotta do is keep climbing those stairs, and you'll make it out of that circle."
"...You think so?" Zekka slowly asked, looking down at the ground.
"I think so, yeah." I give her a thumbs up, "Plus, you know I'm right, after all, I'm just some random god you met in the not-quite-so-abandoned part of the high school division campus."
Zekka looked back up at me, giving me a very dry look.
I send back a knowing look, "What? It is always the random guys to meet in the middle of nowhere that tend to be the most insightful, don't ya know?"
"You, don't strike me as a sage, or guru." Zekka rightfully points out.
Still, ouch, my heart.
"And you don't strike me as one to carry a map, considering where you ended up." I pointed out back.
At that, realization struck across her face.
"The opening…!" Zekka nearly cried out, frantically, "Uh, Kusanagi-san-"
"Please," I interrupted her for something very important, "call me Nori. I did practically give you my life story after all."
Her anxiety was temporarily overtaken by sheer incredulousness, but even that didn't last long.
"Nori-san," she stressed while correcting, "please, point me in the right direction!" She practically begged.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her, "Now now, it's alright," I reassured her, "I'll do you one better. Come on," I waved for her to follow, "I'll show you there myself, personally."
She blinked, "Show me, yourself…? I…" she trailed off, clearly unsure.
Granted, I would be, too, if some strange guy appeared from a pillar of light and told me, a younger girl, he'd walk me to school.
Thankfully, I can skip that pesky earning of trust stage with a fairly simple statement.
I paused and looked up toward the sun, musing aloud, "Hmm, me thinks you've got something like ten minutes before the gates closed."
"T-Ten!?" The poor girl nearly fell over herself, whilst standing still, before abruptly uprighting herself, "...Lead the way then, please."
There we go~!
I nodded and smiled, waving her along as I started heading out.
And by heading out, I mean I took off in a sprint.
I wasn't going full speed, of course not, yet even still…
The girl was quick to follow, albeit a good few feet behind me, and she kept up easily.
How interesting!
~ A New Sun ~
"T-There! Is that the junior high division…!"
I heard Zekka nearly cry out behind me as the building itself came into view.
"Yup~!" I call out back, and unlike the girl, I'm not even a bit winded.
It'll be fine, though, as long as nothing happens on the way, she'll be there with time to spare, even.
I blink as another aura promptly bomb rushes into my sensory range.
It doesn't even take a moment for me to recognize the feel.
Devil.
"I'm going to be laaaaatttteeeeee!"
That was not Zekka.
I come sliding to a halt, my arm snapping out, reaching.
Right in time, as someone burst out from the roadside trees.
She wore a uniform, much like Zekka and Schwerts, but her ribbon was a different color. Additionally, she was small. Like, smaller than Shirone, even. Her hair was short, cut to her shoulders, and was a vibrant pink like that of a sakura tree. Her eyes were much the same way, looking down at me, blinking between my fingers as she looked at me.
"Gha!?" She sputtered as she slammed right into my open palm, and I took no time in grasping her head right then and there, holding her still.
"Oi." I began, Zekka sliding to a halt right beside me, "Watch where you're running, aight?"
"Eheh!" The girl chuckled, warily, "You're right, you're right, my bad…I was just in a hurry, you know?"
She reached up and patted the hand holding her up by her head with a smile, "Still, Mr, thanks for catching me! If you didn't, well, just look at me now! If you can do this, I can't imagine what running into you would have felt like!"
I snorted in amusement, "Not good, I imagine." And promptly let her go.
She landed with an almost superhero-like landing, before quickly standing up straight, "Whew! Alright!" She bowed to me, respectfully, "Once more, sorry Mr! I'll be more careful next time!" She loudly exclaimed, causing Zekka to timidly flinch at just how loud she was.
Unfortunately, that slight movement drew the pink-haired girl's attention almost immediately, causing her to abruptly turn toward her.
"You!" She pointed at Zekka, "You're wearing the uniform, yet I don't recognize you!"
Zekka looked like she wanted to bolt it, but Pinky here held her attention whether she liked it or not.
"I'm Avi!" She continued, introducing herself with a smile, while giving a glance at the ribbon above her chest, "I'll be one of your seniors, looks like! My favorite words are 'liveliness,' 'tenacity,' and 'enthusiasm'! Pleased to meet you!" After a moment, almost like she'd nearly forgotten, she adds, "And you are?"
"M-Miyamoto…Zekka."
I think she almost forgot her given name there for a second. What with the energy Avi here is putting out, I sort of don't blame her.
Huh. Avi.
Now, for some reason, that name does sound familiar.
Unfortunately, I don't get the time to sift through the good old memory banks.
Avi nods a couple of times before going on to ask, "Did you perchance just enroll in the academy recently?"
Zekka nods in turn, albeit only once, and far slower, "...Yes, transferred, today."
The pink-haired girl's mouth promptly hits the pavement, "A transfer student!? Wow! And it's your first day…and you're on the brink of being late!?" Zekka winces, yet Avi isn't done, as she adds with no small amount of awe and a grin from ear to ear, "That's fire!"
Huh.
I think I like this girl already.
"I…Er, Avi-senpa-" Zekka starts to ask, only to be cut off, as she whirls back around, facing me once again.
"So then, who's this! Your older brother, perhaps? Dad?"
"Bruh." I responded, so completely and utterly caught off guard by her assumption that I instinctively resorted to slang from two decades in the future.
Avi though, she didn't know that. She nodded several more times, almost pleased.
"Brother, then, got it!"
I gave the shrimp the most deadpan stare I could muster, taken from all the time I've seen Shirone level similar glares at me in the past.
I know I probably should correct her.
But, at the same time, she also somehow assumed I was Zekka's Dad. Somehow.
So, I'll keep my mouth shut for now.
About this, and the fact that there's another group of people, humans, approaching…
"U-Uh!? Avi-senpai, t-that's not-" Zekka tried to speak up once again, only for Avi to whirl back toward her.
She didn't even say anything, she just moved, and the poor girl got scared silent.
"You know, Zekka-chan! I also have an older brother! Well, two, actua- wait." She paused, stopping herself, as if she suddenly remembered something.
It took her a second.
"...Ahhhhhhh!" Then she screamed, "This isn't the time for chit chat! We can talk later, right now, we must hurry!"
"Cuz you'll be late as hell?" I point out.
"That!" She pointed at me, "But also they'll show up any second now!"
"T-They…?" Zekka muttered slowly.
Fortunately, her question was answered fairly quickly.
"There you are! Problem child!"
Another girl flies out from the trees.
But unlike Avi before her, at least she wasn't in danger of ramming into a god and getting a mild concussion. Instead, she jumped from the treeline and landed right behind us.
The girl was short, a lot like Avi, actually. Her black hair was done up in a messy ponytail, she was carrying a sword whose sheath was marked by a clan emblem, and her school uniform also possessed an armband.
Like all the kids I saw at the school gates earlier. Student Council, then.
"Ack!" Avi grunted in alarm, and then, almost instinctively it felt like, she moved behind me, using me like a shield, "Already caught up, huh, Mina-chan!? You're fast!"
The new girl sputtered, damn near looking offended, "Don't call me that! My name is Minamoto! Mi-na-mo-to!" She ground out the sound of her name through gritted teeth.
As if on cue, other students, all with a similar armband, came walking out of the trees. They assembled behind Minamoto like some sort of military squad.
"Today, I'll throw you in a guidance room for sure!" Mina glared, her eyes practically blazing.
Slowly, Zekka backed up, getting closer to me and Avi. "Um, I don't…Avi-senpai? Nori-san? What should we…?"
I stared at the new girl, my eyes narrow.
Her name also felt familiar, but more important. Where did I hear it before?
Ah, well, I'll think over that bit later. What I'm more interested in right now is…
"Oi." I speak up, address the council squad, "What are you lot doing chasing a kid around outside school?"
And with those words alone, I could see Mina's entire train of thought derail for a second.
"Ah, w-well, sir, that…" It takes a moment, but her professional demeanor returns, "That is none of your concern! Unless, of course, you're the problem child's guardian?"
Huh. You know what?
"That's fair." I nod, in agreement. "Alright, have at her."
"Beh!?" Avi sputtered behind me, with Zekka turning toward her, looking concerned.
For a second, Mina almost looked as though she couldn't believe what she just heard.
"...Right. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, sir." She turned her head toward the others and nodded once.
"Catch her with all you have."
"UOOOOOOOOH!" As one, the kids assembled behind her roared as though charging into a warzone.
"Ehhhh!" Avi jumped out from behind me and grabbed Zekka's wrist.
"...Eh?" The girl made a shocked sound.
Then she was pulled away. "Ehh!?"
Avi had immediately made a break for it, crying out, "Run with all you haaavvvee!"
"W-Wait…why am I-"
"Zekka-chan! You're older brother is so cold!" Avi whined as she ran off with her.
"H-He isn't my-"
Their voices were drowned out by the stomping of several pairs of feet as they chased after them.
The student council grunts made sure not to even ruffle my robe as they ran past, parting around me as they started chasing the girls down.
With a chuckle, I turned and watched the action from afar.
Man, what a crazy part of the school. Not even the high school division had this much action happening so blatantly outside it.
Crazy and interesting, all at the same time. I wonder if Schwert's will pick up any of this during school?
Hmm, well, even if she doesn't, maybe I'll point her Zekka's way regardless. Schwert is far less energetic than Avi and far stable. Maybe they'll hit it off as friends? Both girls could use it, I think.
As for me? I need to head back, find Uzume, and ask her some very pointed questions.
I also need to forge a paddle beforehand, just in case.
I walk away from the school building, thoughts of spanking the hell out of a goddess as children shout and throw weapons in the background.
Just another day in this world.