The sounds of battle echoed through the main staircase of the train station. An Onmyou mage had taken Konoka in the middle of the night and fled, with Negi, Setsuna, and Asuna in hot pursuit. They had thus far managed to counter every charm and strike against them, but the situation had taken a turn for the worse. The Onmyou had summoned a large, bear-like creature which was restraining Asuna, a swarm of monkey summons lending aid. Another swordswoman of the Shinmei-ryuu had appeared and engaged Setsuna, forcing her back. Negi had just launched a barrage of magic arrows at the Onmyou, but had been forced to divert them when she’d held up the unconscious Konoka as a shield.
“P-please let go of Konoka-san!” Negi shouted up at her. “This isn’t fair!”
“Ah, I see.” The Onmyou stood at the top of the stairs, grinning down at them as she hoisted Konoka over her shoulder. “I know your type. You’re too weak. You’ll back off as soon as it looks like the target is going to get even slightly injured.” She threw her head back and laughed, loud and haughty. “Ho ho ho! Well this girl certainly came in handy! I think I’ll keep using her like this!”
Asuna struggled, trying to get out of the bear’s grip as it lifted her into the air. “Wh-what are you planning to do with Konoka?!” she demanded.
“Well,” the woman said, placing a hand to her chin in contemplation, “I guess we’ll use drugs and spells to control her. She’ll be nothing more than a puppet who listens to our every word. It’ll be great! Looks like we win this…” She trailed off, feeling something hard pressed against her back. “Ara?”
“Sagita Magica, convergentia ignis.”
A powerful blast of fire struck the Onmyou in the back, sending her flying forward with a scream of pain, her shoulder no longer carrying its burden. Sunset sighed, Konoka held under one arm as she lowered her fist. “You really are helpless, aren’t you Springfield?”
“Nichi-chan!”
“Nichibotsu-san!”
“There I was,” Sunset continued conversationally, gently setting Konoka down. “Asleep in my room. No worries. No concerns. When suddenly, Zazie is shaking me awake and telling me to come help you bozos.” She looked around at their opponents and raised an eyebrow. “Looks like she was right to be concerned. I mean, you’re losing to a low-level summoner and her giant teddy bear. At least Setsuna seems to be fighting someone dangerous.”
“Low-level…” The Onmyou grit her teeth, rising to her feet and pulling out a charm. “I’ll show you low-”
Sunset pointed a single finger. “Series Ignis.” A small arrow of fire shot from her fingertip and engulfed the charm. “Paper magic against a pyromancer? Not the best idea.” She pointed down the staircase behind the woman. “Especially when you have that to deal with.”
The woman turned and froze, her eyes going wide. Asuna had finally managed to land a blow on the bear, banishing it in a puff of smoke. She and Negi stood side-by-side, glaring up at the woman.
The Onmyou swallowed nervously. “It seems we’ll have to try again another day. Tsukuyomi! We’re leaving!”
Sunset grit her teeth and cocked her fist back. “Oh no you-”
A shiver of dread ran down her spine. Sunset turned and brought up her gauntlets, barely managing to deflect the twin blades that had been aimed at her neck. “Aw,” a cute voice complained. “I was just starting to have fun.”
Sunset glared at the girl who stood before her. She wore a simple white dress and a large sun-hat, a pair of glasses framing her face and her long, blond hair falling down her back. Excepting the shortsword and dagger carried in her hands, she was the picture of innocence.
And Sunset had rarely felt more terrified of someone in her life.
“This isn’t about fun!” Sunset leapt to the side, grabbing Konoka as she did so. She barely managed to dodge before the Onmyou landed where she’d been standing, a giant monkey by her side. The monkey scooped the woman and the girl into its arms before fleeing, rushing out the doors and leaping into the sky. “I’ll remember this!”
“Ah! That damn woman!” Asuna made to pursue, but Setsuna placed a hand on her shoulder, restraining her.
“There’s no need to pursue her, Kagurazaka-san. It wouldn’t be a good idea to chase her any further.”
“Not when we’ve got what we came for,” Sunset agreed, setting Konoka down again.
“Speaking of her,” Chamo piped up from atop Negi’s head, “didn’t that woman say she was going to use drugs and spells on her?!”
Setsuna’s eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me that-” She rushed to Konoka’s side, kneeling down and looking her over. “Konoka-ojousama! Please, get ahold of yourself!”
“Ojou-sama?” Sunset questioned, backing up. She turned to Asuna. “What’s that about?”
“Um, I don’t know the whole story,” Asuna admitted, “but it looks like Sakurazaki-san is Konoka’s bodyguard, or something.”
“Bodyguard?” I mean, her grandfather is the head of Mahora, but I don’t think that’d make her too high a priority target. Just what is her family involved in?
“Huh? Secchan?”
Sunset and Asuna looked over, both of them breathing sighs of relief as they saw Konoka awakening, looking up at a similarly relieved Setsuna.
“Ah, Secchan,” Konoka said groggily. “I had a dream I was kidnapped by some strange monkeys. But Secchan and Negi-kun and Asuna came to save me.”
“Thank goodness,” Setsuna whispered, smiling down at Konoka. “It’s all right now, Konoka-ojousama.”
Konoka’s eyes widened in shock before a smile overtook her face, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “Thank goodness. Secchan doesn’t hate me after all.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow and turned to Asuna. “Hate her?” she mouthed. Asuna shrugged waved her off, mouthing back “Later.”
“I-I wanted to talk to Kono-chan as well,” Setsuna muttered, blushing. “And-” Her eyes went wide. She leapt away from Konoka, dropping into a low bow. “I-I apologize!”
“Eh? Secchan?”
“I-I am merely thankful that I was able to protect Kono-cha- Ojou-sama,” Setsuna stammered, her eyes lowered to the ground. “I wish I had been able to do so quietly from the shadows, but, um…” She turned, fleeing down the stairs. “I’m sorry!”
“Ah! Secchan!” Konoka shouted.
Sunset sighed and began running after her. “You two get Konoka back safely. I’ll handle our wayward swordswoman!” She rushed after Setsuna, catching up to her just as she was about to hop on a train. “Oy! Setsuna! Wait up!”
Setsuna glanced over her shoulder and, begrudgingly, held the door open for Sunset. She sighed as she made her way to the front of the train. “Th-thank you for lending your aid, Nichibotsu-san,” she said, speaking as stiffly as she walked. “I apologize for the inconvenience. You have my word that we will no longer involve you in-”
“Oh, shut up already,” Sunset said, following her. “You really think I’m going to just sit back and do nothing when it’s my friend being targeted?” She raised an eyebrow. “But you do have me curious. What exactly is your relationship with her?”
Setsuna nearly fell on her face at the word “relationship.” She quickly found her footing again and increased her speed to the front of the train. “N-n-n-n-nothing!” she insisted, refusing to look back at Sunset. “I-I-I am simply her guardian from the shadows. N-n-nothing more!”
Sunset groaned and rolled her eyes. Great. The old “bodyguard falls in love with their employer” cliche. I’ll let the rest of the class handle that one. “Guardian, huh? Guess Konoka must be pretty important to warrant a personal protector like you.”
Setsuna nodded, relaxing slightly as they moved the subject away from her poorly concealed crush. “Her family is important,” she explained. “Her father is actually the head of the Kansai Magic Association. In addition, her family is powerfully magical on both sides. Her father even served side-by-side with the Thousand Master years ago.”
Sunset frowned. “So by taking Konoka hostage, they think they can control the Kansai Magic Association. And where do you come in?”
“As a member of the Shinmei-ryuu.” They reached the front of the train and Setsuna went about setting their course for the station nearest to their hotel. “We’re more than just demon-hunters. We also act as bodyguards, mercenaries, and protectors. I have been training to protect Konoka-ojousama since we were children.” A frown crossed her face as the train lurched into motion. “I haven’t been able to protect her, though. When we were young, she almost drowned because I wasn’t strong enough to save her. And even now, after years of dedicating myself to study and practice, I still failed to protect her.” She clenched her fists, shaking in self-loathing. “I couldn’t do a thing. She was kidnapped right out from under my gaze, and I almost allowed her captor to get away with her. I allowed myself to be matched so easily by that other girl and had to rely on you and Negi-sensei and Kagurazaki-san. If you hadn’t come when you did-”
“Yeah, I’m going to ask you to shut up now.”
Setsuna’s jaw dropped. She turned around, staring wide-eyed at Sunset. “Wh-what?”
“You’re a kid,” Sunset continued, taking a seat and leaning back to enjoy the ride back. “Doesn’t matter that you’re a Shinmei-whatsit, you’re still a middle-school kid. I’m sure there are plenty of adults around who can deal with this better than you.”
“Th-that’s not the point!” Setsuna shouted, glaring at Sunset. “It isn’t a matter of ability, it’s a matter of duty! I am sworn to protect Ojou-sama, no matter what! I have to become stronger, or-”
“Let me reiterate,” Sunset interrupted. “You. Are. A. Kid. A pre-teen. A child who has no business thinking about life-and-death struggles. If you think Konoka needs protecting, hire more security. I’m sure that whatever god keeps track of various peoples’ duties won’t mind if you take it easy until you come of age. Besides, it looks like Konoka would rather have you as a friend than a ‘protector.’”
“That-” Setsuna blushed and looked down. “Th-that wouldn’t be appropriate. As her guardian, I cannot allow myself to-”
“Oh for Tenko’s sake!” Sunset groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Is that your hold-up? Stupid humans and their stupid hierarchies.” She looked up and glared at Setsuna. “Let me be frank. The idea that someone can’t be friends with someone else just because they’re of a higher position is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard of. My old mentor was practically a goddess, but she still made friends with her guards, the aristocracy, and even the commoners.” No matter how useless those friendships were or how little she benefited from them. “The notion that status determines relationship is archaic in the extreme.”
“B-b-but, Ojou-sama-”
“Is just a person!” Sunset snapped. “Just an ordinary middle school girl who I’ve never seen treat anyone else with anything but kindness. Even if there is some archaic reason that you can’t be more than just her meat-shield, do you really think that she cares one bit about it?”
Setsuna remained silent, shuffling her feet nervously. The train soon reached their station and they left, taking down a couple of charms that Setsuna identified as “Charms of Warding” along the way. They soon reached their hotel, sneaking in with ease and making their way back to their room.
“You… make some good points,” Setsuna admitted as she got ready for bed. “I… will consider what you’ve said.”
Sunset smirked to herself, tucking herself into her sleeping bag. “Good for yo-”
“After Ojou-sama is safely back at Mahora.”
Damn it. Sorry, Konoka, I tried.