"Get back here!"
"Constant Force Deflection!"
Light shone from Chiba Yeyou's palm as he grabbed at empty air, as though snatching up a little chick.
The figure still fleeing madly suddenly froze, then flew backward even faster.
Watching the figure hurtle back, Chiba Yeyou remained perfectly calm and stepped aside to give the fellow room to land safely.
Bang!
The man tried to struggle to his feet, but he had flown back too fast. Although it had not caused his body any serious damage, that race to see whether his face was tougher than the ground left him unable to stand.
"Hello there."
"Hajime... Tsukasa!"
Chiba Yeyou smiled at the fellow before him, whose trembling body had left him in an odd pose.
"H-how... how is... that possible...? Cough, cough..."
The pain in Hajime Tsukasa's body kept his facial muscles twitching. Even speaking was a struggle, leaving his stumbling words interspersed with coughs.
"What isn't possible?"
"That I'm this strong?"
"Or that I knew who you were just from seeing you lying on the ground?"
Chiba Yeyou wore a smile, but to Hajime Tsukasa, that smile looked rather like a demon's, sending a chill through his entire body.
"Oh, you probably mean both, right?"
Although it was a question, his utterly definite tone told Hajime Tsukasa that the fellow before him certainly knew more than the little he had assumed. At that thought, Hajime Tsukasa quietly swallowed.
"But I really didn't expect you to set your sights on me. That did surprise me a little."
Chiba Yeyou paid no attention to Hajime Tsukasa's incredulous expression and simply continued speaking calmly.
"But was this your idea, or the idea of whoever's behind you?"
"I'm very curious!"
"Care to tell me?"
Chiba Yeyou crouched down, looking positively eager to learn.
"Cough, cough... You actually know that much!"
Hajime Tsukasa stared at Chiba Yeyou in shock. Before this, he had merely thought Chiba Yeyou knew he was leading the Course 2 Student movement on campus. Now it turned out he even knew about the person behind him!
Then Hajime Tsukasa began scheming again. Although this fellow is a Course 1 Student, he's nothing like the others, and he has plenty of Course 2 Student friends. In that case, could I...?
Hajime Tsukasa thought to herself.
"Yes, that's right. I did intend to test you, but I absolutely meant you no harm."
"You have several Course 2 Student friends, don't you?"
"You must know what those arrogant bastards call Course 2 Students!"
"'Weeds'!"
"'Weeds'!"
At this point, Hajime Tsukasa's expression involuntarily grew somewhat agitated.
"That's the greatest insult to all of us Course 2 Students!"
"The school has never done anything about it!"
"They only put on a show of fairness. In reality, their ugly faces favor Course 1 Students."
"Not only are we insulted as people, but the treatment we get is worlds apart. The difference is outrageous!"
"They call us substitutes, but we absolutely refuse to become trash they can throw away whenever they please, just like the name they gave us!"
"'Weeds'!"
"How fitting!"
"They can cut us down whenever they want. No one cares anyway. Cut down one crop, and there's another."
Hajime Tsukasa spoke somewhat manically, with a hint of desolation.
"And your friends are among those 'Weeds'!"
"Don't you want to fight for a fair, just environment for them?"
Hajime Tsukasa sounded somewhat hysterical.
"Join us!"
Hajime Tsukasa extended a hand toward Chiba Yeyou, her expression one of sincere appeal.
Chiba Yeyou looked at Hajime Tsukasa in surprise. Is this fellow serious?
Right, this fellow's memories seem to have been tampered with. That explains it.
"Sorry, I'm not interested."
What a joke. They're just a bunch of ridiculous fools being used as guns.
He couldn't be bothered with this fellow. Killing someone on campus was hardly a good thing, and keeping her around to watch the show wasn't bad either. He, Chiba Yeyou, wasn't a bad person. He would leave her be!
"Why?"
Hajime Tsukasa asked incredulously.
"Not interested!"
Chiba Yeyou simply walked away, waving with his back to Hajime Tsukasa as his figure receded into the distance.
"Even a Course 1 Student like you, who's close to Course 2 Students, won't help us?"
Hajime Tsukasa murmured in some anguish.
"Sigh!"
Chiba Yeyou sighed, beginning to feel a little sorry for this fellow.
Having her memories altered with magic by her own older brother, being misled and steered through all sorts of things-it was tragic.
In a corner of the school, something similar to what had just happened was taking place, except the same person was now dealing with someone else-Hajime Tsukasa and Sayaka Mibu.
"Even if I'm a Course 2 Student, I don't want people dismissing everything about me outside of magic too!"
Her green school uniform, orange-yellow skirt, and translucent gauze were enough to set off her lovely figure, still not fully developed but already showing delicate curves. Her long black hair was tied with a hairband of the same color, forming a long ponytail.
Yet this young girl, who should have been carefree in the flower of her youth, wore a serious, solemn expression as she said she did not want to be dismissed.
"Even I... even my sword, my swordsmanship..."
A trace of trembling and fear suddenly entered the girl's voice, as though she were about to lose something.
To Sayaka Mibu, swordsmanship was her everything, something she protected with all her strength. Having its existence denied now was likewise tantamount to denying her own existence!
This was something she absolutely could not tolerate, just like Mari Watanabe's contempt back then.
Her only choice was to rise up and resist!
"Mibu, all Course 2 Students understand how you feel. His strength is essential to us."
After Chiba Yeyou's rejection, Hajime Tsukasa had sought out Sayaka Mibu again and encouraged him with a hand on his shoulder.
There was nothing Hajime Tsukasa could do about Chiba Yeyou. He could sense that this person was absolutely not someone he could afford to provoke. At the very least, she, Hajime Tsukasa, absolutely could not afford to provoke him.
But he would never give up on their operation!
This was the resistance of every Course 2 Student, himself included!
Since all of you deny me, deny us, we'll prove ourselves to you!
This was also why she had immediately come to find Sayaka Mibu.
Chiba Yeyou, since you can't help us, let your friend Tatsuya Shiba take your place!
I will prove that Course 2 Students are irreplaceable!
I will reclaim a position of respect for Course 2 Students!
I will obtain the treatment Course 2 Students deserve!
Even if that means bringing in outside forces to intervene by force!