Koishi?s arms hung limp at her sides, her legs barely squirming against the vines. Slowly but surely her will to fight had fallen away, and her struggling grew quieter and quieter. Her head was already half-submerged, her nose just barely poking above the surface.
She?d had all she could take.
Hurry up and pull me down already.
The vines obeyed her, tugging her to the bottom of the tank. She made no attempt to resist them, floating lifelessly in the water as her breath slowly trickled from her lips. It would only be a few minutes before she drowned, and the pain would finally stop.
Strangely, she wasn?t afraid. When she?d drowned as a child it had been terrifying, and she?d been desperate to stay alive. Now death seemed more like a relief than rescue would ever be. It would save her from the world, from the Mindcoil - but more than anything, it would save her from herself.
Yes, Koishi thought. Just a few minutes more-
Koishi-san. Can you hear me?
She trembled as a voice echoed through her mind. It pulled her out of the trance she?d fallen into.
M...Mokou-san?
Of course. The other Sirens wanted to help her. They didn?t understand that Koishi didn?t want to come back. She curled up into a ball, putting her hands over her ears to try and silence the sound.
Koishi-san, listen to me. I know it's hard for you in there, but you can't give up.
Mokou?s voice was too loud for Koishi to drown out. She growled, another stream of bubbles slipping out. Wasn?t a girl allowed to die in peace nowadays?
You?re thinking about Shou-san, aren?t you? Mokou managed a chuckle. Don?t ask how I know. Lucky guess, or something like that.
Koishi trembled. She didn?t want Shou to be her last thought before she died. She shook her head, silently begging for Mokou to stop. The voice in her head did not comply.
There was nothing you could have done, Koishi-san. You already went further than anyone else could have. Don't let it destroy you like this.
Shut up. Koishi tugged at her hair, her head shaking violently now. How could Mokou talk like that? She made it sound so simple, but she didn?t understand what Koishi was going through. She didn?t see the hole in Koishi?s chest, the one that had drained away every little ounce of her courage. They hadn?t seen how useless and cowardly she really was-
Koishi-san. Sakuya?s voice this time, cold and ruthlessly blunt. We know that you wished for someone to look after you.
Koishi went tense. How did they find out about that? Even Sango didn?t know what she had wished for.
And...if they know what I wished for, why are they still trying to help? Nothing made any sense. They knew she?d been running on false bravado the whole time, so what made her worth saving?
Koishi-san, you?re stronger than you think you are. The same heartlessness as ever hung in Sakuya?s voice, speaking as if she was reciting a simple fact. It doesn?t matter how you coped with it - you?ve done some amazing things over the last few months. All of us owe you our lives, and a whole lot more on top of that.
Something was seeping back into her, Koishi realised. The strength that had poured out of her was coming back through the hole in her chest. In primal panic, she grabbed at her heart to try and seal the gap. She didn?t want to be strong anymore. She didn?t want to doubt her decision. She just wanted to die.
Kid, we all have times when we wish we could have done more. Komachi now, with that eerie seriousness she rarely showed. But lingering in the past like that is only gonna work you into an early grave. You?ve gotta learn from it and get stronger for the next time.
Koishi wanted to scream. She knew her friends were trying to help her, but everything they had said to her felt so wrong. They didn?t understand. They couldn?t understand what she felt like. She wanted to let out what was left of her air and end it, but now she couldn?t find the nerve.
Koishi-san, death won?t solve anything. Youmu was the last to speak, her voice sombre and full of pity. Think of what will change if you die. The Black Claw will still be here. You?re leaving all of us behind, and Sango-san as well. And what would your sister think if she found out you?d died?
No. No no no no. Why did they have to mention Satori? Koishi had kept her sister out of her head until now. It would have been so much easier that way. Why wouldn?t they just let her die in peace?
You don?t get it! Koishi wanted to yell. I don?t have a choice in this! I had to save Shou-san, didn?t I?! That?s what I do! If I?m not a hero, I?m-
She caught herself mid-thought. I?m...what am I?
Without thinking, Koishi pulled her hand away from her chest. Something leaped through the hole, so quick that it almost knocked the last of her breath out of her lungs.
The world fell away again.
-----
?It?s a reflex, y?know?? Her own words echoed in her ears. ?I just do it without thinking. When I see someone in trouble, I kind of jump into action and do everything I can. Isn?t that what heroes do??
Her brain was on fire. Her whole adventure played in front of her eyes like a slideshow, locking onto tiny snippets as it went.
?Onee-chan went to a lot of effort to save me. I'm not about to throw that life away trying to be a hero.?
She thought she had hidden away that part of herself, painted over it for good. But as her fingers traced the edges of the hole in her chest, she realised it had always been there. There were stitches, childishly large sutures that had given way under the tiniest pressure. She had never come to terms with herself - she?d only learned how to cover it up.
I?m still broken, aren?t I? She shook her head, agreeing with herself. All this time, I?ve just been running away.
She closed her eyes, and for a moment she heard the current swirling about her. When she opened them again, the room around her had disappeared. Now she was caught in the murky depths of the lake by the school, weeds still tickling at her legs. Everything felt smaller than she remembered it - or rather, she was larger than she had been before.
Floating limply in front of her was a young girl in a school uniform, almost engulfed by the seaweed. She still held a treasure map in one hand, while the other grabbed at her neck. Her eyes had glazed over, and her lips were a lifeless blue.
Koishi felt understanding wash over her as she looked upon herself.
How long have you been down here?
She already knew the answer. This was the part of her that had never come back after the incident in the lake. Cobwebs ran between the girl?s fingers, and dust had shaded her hair an ancient grey. She had needed help for so long, and Koishi hadn?t given it to her. Now was as good a time as any to start.
Leaning forward, Koishi pressed her lips against the girl?s and blew.
?Hnnn...?
Almost immediately the girl murmured, her eyes fluttering open. Koishi wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tight.
It?s okay. I?m here now.
The girl blushed, returning the hug and clinging to Koishi for support. They pulled away from each other, and Koishi felt her need to breathe fade away completely.
?You finally came,? the girl said, looking set to burst into tears at any moment. ?I?ve been waiting for you forever.?
?I know.? Koishi squeezed her harder, slowly kicking to the surface. The weeds pulled away almost by themselves. ?I?m sorry I took so long.?
The schoolgirl shook her head. ?It?s okay. Better late than never, right??
Koishi chuckled. ?I guess.?
The girl rested her head on Koishi?s chest, right above her heart. She began to shine, her whole body immersed in an orange light. Koishi kept hold of her as her body began to dissipate, breaking into a million glittering fragments.
?We?ll be together now, won?t we?? the girl asked, looking up at Koishi. She had the bright smile only a child could possess.
Koishi nodded, hugging closer. ?Yes. I?ll never let go of you again.?
The girl chuckled, her last words fading into the water as she came apart in Koishi?s hands.
?I always knew you would find me again someday.?
The glittering fragments surrounded Koishi, a thousand constellations drifting about the lake. They flew towards her, passing into her skin without resistance. Koishi could feel their warmth seep into her and renew her strength. The fears and doubts that had plagued her vanished into nothingness. The hole in her chest closed over, filled at last.
All this time, I only wanted to help people, Koishi thought. But the girl who needed my help more than anyone was in front of me all along.
-----
The glass shattered.
Koishi dropped to the floor as the tank burst apart. She gasped and panted for air as the water sprayed across the floor, the weeds flapping about for an instant before falling still.
?Haaah, haah, haaah...?
For a moment, she?d been somewhere else, somewhere even deeper in her mind. She felt like a door had been unlocked inside her, and a guest that had been locked away was free at last.
?What the hell was that?!?
A shrill voice cried out from the other side of the pulsing curtain. Koishi was still catching her breath as the wall split apart and her impostor walked in on her.
?You?re-? It jumped at the sight of Koishi, staring with its empty eye-sockets. The walls themselves shook in terror. ?You?re free? How is that even possible?!?
Koishi stared the monster down. She forgot her fatigue as she rose to her feet, raw courage flowing through her veins.
?You stole my body. You hurt my friends. Ever since you came into the world, you?ve done nothing but destroy.?
She raised an arm into the air. An orange gem took form between her fingers, brighter than it had ever been before. She closed her fingers around it, chanting as she was absorbed by its brilliance.
?Forged in light, a candid friend
On whom the people can depend
Answering the Siren?s call
The Ocean Princess fights for all!?
A long white dress formed along her body, with layers of scales building up underneath. Blue waves leaped and crashed along the fabric. Her gloves slipped onto her hands as before, but now instead of a dolphin they had the emblem of an ocean wave. White thighhigh boots clicked onto her feet to complete the getup.
Her trident took form in front of her. She plucked it from the air, pressing a new button on the side of the hilt. The weapon flashed, morphing into an ornate golden sword with a brilliant edge. She pointed it at her other self - no, at the woman claiming to be her.
?Your crimes end here. For the sake of Gensouto, I?ll banish you forever!?
The Mindcoil howled. A violet tentacle leaped from its eye-socket, jumping right for Koishi?s neck. Koishi?s sword cut through it with a golden flash, the tendril falling to the ground and collapsing into dust.
?What ARE you?!? it screamed. ?No-one?s ever - no-one?s ever managed to-?
Koishi didn?t give it the chance to speak. She charged forward, her third eye pulling open for an instant.
?Tides of Doubt!?
The air rippled around her, scattering and pulsing across the length of the room. The coil winced in slow-motion as the wave struck it. It waved one arm in an arc, and the wall split open to devour Koishi. Dozens of tendrils leaped in her direction, but each of them missed her by a comfortable distance.
The mindcoil?s face warped in despair. She leaped backwards as Koishi?s blade lunged at her. The sword dug in a few inches, an oily ooze soaking its tip for a moment before crumbling away. The monster squealed again, the walls themselves trembling at her voice.
?Why won?t you die like the rest of them?!? This time she swung both arms inwards. The walls creaked, snapped, then fell towards Koishi, squirming and pulsing all the while. In one fluid motion Koishi pressed the button on the hilt, reclaiming her trident, then stabbed its prongs into the ground beneath her.
?Cleansing Column!?
The ground flickered white for an instant. Then a brilliant pillar emerged around Koishi, dissolving every inch of Mindcoil that touched it. The walls collapsed, their throbbing slowing down before finally going silent. Koishi?s imposter went deathly white.
?N-No...this isn?t possible...? It fell to its knees, its pride long since discarded. It crawled along the ground, looking up with its empty eyes in desperation. ?Y-You don?t have to do this! W-We can share your body! I can take you to Leviathan, and she?ll make you the strongest Siren there is!?
Koishi didn?t hesitate for an instant. She held out one hand, focusing her energy on the ghostly figure in front of her. A magic circle opened up at the mindcoil?s feet, and with a blue flash a bubble emerged to encase her.
?The sea is the hand that cradles the earth,? Koishi chanted. ?From its darkest depths came the roots of life.? She lifted her hand upwards, the bubble rising along with it. Three circles spun around its axis like satellites.
?Now, rest forever in its frigid embrace!? Koishi closed her fist, and the bubble?s glow grew brighter. More magic circles emerged along its length, spinning faster and faster as the spell reached its climax.
?Marianas Blast!?
The entire structure caved in on itself in an instant, reduced to a single dot in the air. Then it exploded outward, flooding the room with a deafening roar and a blinding light. The Mindcoil?s final cries were barely audible in the spell?s aftermath, but when the flash faded away any trace of the monster had disappeared. A shower of rain fell across the room, a thousand ripples spreading along the soaked floor.
Did I do it?
The remnants of the pulsing walls began to melt, the water burning at them like acid. Koishi felt a weight lift from her mind as the last few tendrils crumbled into nothing. With the Mindcoil gone, Koishi saw the inside of her own mind for the first time.
?Oh. It?s...?
The walls were laced with pictures that had never been taken, little moments that Koishi had committed to memory. Her first day of school, where Satori had taught her to tie her laces. Her seventh birthday, when Satori had talked all of their friends into setting up a surprise birthday party. The day Satori brought home a crow and a raven to be their new pets.
The same face showed up over and over in every picture. Satori. Satori. Satori.
Right. I still have a lot of work to do, don?t I?
She nodded to herself, examining her own memories with a soothing nostalgia. She remembered simpler times, before the accident, before the Sirens, before everything. She reached out for one picture, sliding a finger down the golden frame, before turning her back to it.
I?d better wake up now. Everyone must be worried sick.
A familiar fatigue began to wash over Koishi. She let it take her in, falling on her back as her eyes slid shut.
-----
?Nnn??
Koishi?s first sensation was a throbbing at the back of her head. She winced, fidgeting about as she pulled her eyes open. Her field of vision was filled entirely by Mokou?s face.
?Holy-? Mokou leaped backwards, almost tripping up as she pulled away from Koishi. ?Guys, she?s awake!?
Before Koishi could pull herself to her feet, she was surrounded on all sides by her fellow Sirens. Sakuya grabbed her by the hands, while Youmu snatched at her ankles to keep her from standing up.
?H-Hey!? Koishi yelped. ?What are you-?
?Gimme a minute,? Komachi said, bending down to bring her face almost painfully close to Koishi?s. ?Let?s see if we need to knock you out again.?
So that was where the headache had come from, Koishi thought to herself. Youmu looked away, blushing and murmuring.
?Do I at least get a say in-?
?Nope,? Komachi interrupted before Koishi could finish. ?Sorry, but we?ve got a good reason to be cautious here.?
She pulled up one of Koishi?s eyelids, looking straight into her eye. Koishi saw the lawyer?s expression shift from serious to hopeful to relieved in the space of a second.
?I think we did it, girls.? She sounded like she was struggling to believe the words coming out of her own mouth.
?Really?!? As Komachi pulled away, Mokou came right back to take her place. ?Koishi-san, is that you? You?re not gonna break my neck or anything, right? Say something only the real Koishi-san would say!?
This was not what Koishi had been expecting in the first 30 seconds after waking up. She squirmed about, wishing that her lips were more than a few inches away from Mokou?s.
?Uh...you need to invest in breath mints? Because really, your breath is kind of overpowering.?
Mokou?s brow furrowed. ?I already said I was in a rush last night, didn?t I? I didn?t have time to-? She stopped mid-sentence, jaw dropping open. ?Koishi-san...it really is you, isn?t it??
The hands holding her down moved away. Koishi pulled herself up, sitting up and using the fountain behind her for support. Four pairs of eyes were staring at her, jumping between joy and disbelief.
?Of course it is,? she said with a smile. ?Who else would I be??
She was promptly engulfed in one of the largest hugs she?d ever experienced.
?You actually did it...? Mokou buried Koishi?s face in her chest, squeezing her for dear life. ?Koishi-san, don?t even think of scaring us like that again, you got it? I was worried you?d be gone for good, and we?d have to-?
?I hate to interrupt,? Sakuya said, ?but I?m pretty sure Koishi-san still needs to breathe.?
Koishi nodded rapidly in agreement, flapping her arms about at her sides. Mokou?s face went bright red as she pulled away, giving the Siren some breathing space.
?Oh, uh...sorry,? she murmured. ?It?s just that I wasn?t sure if it was gonna work, and I got really really worried for a bit when you didn?t respond right away.?
?I?ll be honest,? Youmu said with a sigh. ?I wasn?t expecting you to come back to us either. The Mindcoil seemed confident that it had broken you.?
Koishi nodded. She remembered the sorry state she?d been in before the Sirens spoke with her. No wonder the Mindcoil had been eager to boast.
?It came close,? she said. ?It was horrible in there. I was scared, and cold, and...I almost gave up.? She looked upwards, smiling again. ?But then I heard all of you cheering me on, and you made me realise something about myself.?
She dropped to her knees and bowed forward. ?Everyone, I can?t thank you enough. If you hadn?t been there to help me, I don?t think I?d be alive right now.?
The Sirens shared a chuckle at Koishi?s expense, the tension fading away in seconds. Komachi stepped forward, ruffling at Koishi?s hair.
?S?okay, kid. Just payin? back what we owe you.? She smirked. ?Though if you try to kill us again, I can?t make any promises.?
?Understood.? Koishi brought herself to her feet, a familiar throbbing in the base of her knee. If anything it was more painful than before. ?I didn?t do too much damage, did I??
That was apparently the wrong question. The Sirens bit their collective lips, taking a few cautious steps backwards. With some distance Koishi could notice the scrapes and injuries they?d each picked up.
?Koishi-san, a word of advice,? Sakuya said. ?We may not want to hang around for very long.?
Koishi tilted her head. She looked around for the first time since waking up, her attention finally pulling away from the Sirens. She found herself looking at a half-devastated fountain, spraying puddles all across the floor. More pressing were the three bodies lying unconscious around the room - Sango had smacked her head against the fountain, Rin was lying on her stomach with a bump on the head, and Utsuho was drooling as she slumped onto her side.
?Oh.? There was no word Koishi could find that adequately explained how she felt at that moment. It was a potent mixture of embarrassment and astonishment at how much damage she had managed to do.
?How are we getting them out of here?? she asked. She pointed at the blatantly obvious wings on Utsuho?s back. ?That would probably attract a lot of attention.?
?Would you believe I have a plan for that??
Nitori leaped out of the corridor, grabbing everyone?s attention at once. She?d changed into a nurse?s outfit, and she was carrying along a stretcher with another youkai carrying the rear end.
?Morning, Koishi-san. Good to see you back.? She winked. ?Now, could you girls help me out? We?ve got a van to get you out of here, but I?m gonna need some help with these bodies...?
-----
Koishi had seen plenty of hospital rooms in her time, but none of them had been quite so unwelcoming.
The walls were made of solid concrete, and there wasn?t a window in sight. A pillar lodged in the centre of the room had forced Koishi?s bed into the far corner. If it wasn?t for the patient?s gown she was wearing and the words GET WELL SOON drawn on the opposite wall, she?d have struggled to think it was any sort of medical facility.
Nitori had been quick to explain that making the ?hospital? anything more lavish would attract undue attention. It was only for use when members of the White Pearl needed medical attention without pesky officials pushing to find out how they got hurt in the first place. No-one was meant to be admitted for more than a few days, so aesthetics were something Nitori had never given much attention to.
It would have been alright if she had someone to talk to, but she?d been put into her own room until Nitori had given her the all-clear. She couldn?t even walk around the corridors - her knee was still in a sorry state, and walking more than a dozen steps was too painful for her. With nothing else to do, she spent her time thinking over the events of the last twenty-four hours.
She thought of Shou, of Keine, of Satori. The whole experience had bombarded her faster than she could take. Now that the danger had passed, her brain had the chance to recover and process the events one at a time. There was little else for her to do in a room that offered no distractions.
She could still picture the fluttering flames that had ravaged the Institute, the blood oozing onto the floor as Shou?s life leaked out of her body. She remembered Satori?s eyes, filled with cold conviction as she promised to fight her own sister to the death. And as she looked down the corridor, hearing the murmured banter of the other Sirens, she recalled just how close she had come to murdering her own friends.
It?s okay. It wasn?t your fault.
A young girl?s voice whispered into Koishi?s ear. The dim, ghost-like figure of her younger self stood at the side of the bed. She was soaked through, her uniform ruined and her hair hanging in messy coils around her face.
Yet Koishi had never seen a girl with such a radiant smile before.
We?re together now, remember? Koishi heard the girl speak, but her lips were motionless. We can make it through this as a team.
The girl spoke with a childish confidence that Koishi had forgotten. There was so much power in her words that Koishi couldn?t help but nod along with her.
?I understand,? she said. ?Thank you.?
The girl nodded back, her smile still as brilliant as before. Then, in the time it took Koishi to blink, she had disappeared.
?Are you talking to yourself??
Nitori?s voice called out to Koishi from the corridor. The Siren sat up, jerking back into reality.
?It?s not like I have anyone else to talk to.?
?Sorry about that.? Nitori slid through the open door, carrying a tray of curry rice and milk. ?Precautions and all. You don?t get anywhere in this line of work without being paranoid.?
Koishi?s stomach growled in thanks as Nitori laid the meal beside her bed. She opened her mouth to speak, but a dozen different questions mixed together and canceled each other out. She swallowed, shaking her head before starting again.
?How is everyone??
?Stable, as the experts would put it,? Nitori answered. ?The girls are getting along fine, and your pets will be alright, too. That said, you?ve all been roughed-up a bit, so I?m keeping you in for a couple of days. That?s an order, before you ask - I?ve already had to tell Youmu-san that she can?t leave early for good behaviour.?
Koishi chuckled. She appreciated the joke - now, more than usual.
?Was there any luck finding Nagae-san??
Nitori shrugged. ?There?s no sign of her in her apartment. I?m not sure if she ever lived there to begin with. We?ve got Keine under house arrest for now, but it doesn?t look like she has any useful information for us.?
?What about the aquarium? I didn?t really leave it in the best state.?
?I?m working on that. The cops are suspicious, obviously, but I gave the security cameras a quick wipe. And there should be an ?anonymous? donation to pay off the damages in the next few days.? Nitori made inverted commas with her fingers along with the word ?anonymous?. She smiled, patting Koishi on the shoulder. ?Don?t worry about it. Things?ll be fine.?
It was strange hearing Nitori say that, Koishi thought. That morning, Rin had said something similar to her, and she?d been unable to believe it. This time, though, she could make out the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe things could work out after all.
?Anyway, right now what I?m most worried about is how you?re feeling.? Nitori leaned over, bringing out what looked like a penlight. ?Open your left eye for me, please.?
Koishi sighed, falling back into her bed and holding one eye open. She felt it begin to water as Nitori?s light pointed right into it. The kappa examined her for what felt like forever before finally pulling away. She nodded to herself, scribbling a few lines of text onto the chart at the foot of Koishi?s bed.
?Mokou-san told me you pulled out some new tricks in that fight.? Nitori raised an eyebrow as she wrote. ?Could you explain them to me??
Koishi nodded. Even though she had tapped into this power only a few hours ago, it felt as if she had known it all of her life.
?My third eye...it can do more than send me into someone?s mind. Now I can plant ideas into people?s heads. Sometimes it?s just white noise to make them hesitate in fights, but the Mindcoil used that power to take control of Sango-san and the others.?
Nitori flinched. ?You?re not going to-?
?Of course not,? Koishi answered before Nitori could finish. ?I can?t bend someone to my desires like the coil did. It was the Black Key that gave it that power. All I can do is distract people and make suggestions.?
Even after Koishi?s promise, the kappa seemed perturbed by the claim. She scribbled onto the chart a little faster, biting her lip.
?How did this power manifest, exactly? What happened to you in there??
Koishi opened her mouth to respond, then hesitated. It was difficult to find words for what she had found inside herself. The answer was slow and meticulous.
?I found...me, if that makes any sense.? Nitori tilted her head in confusion. Koishi stuttered as she began to clarify. ?What I mean is that being a Siren was my reason to live. I had to help people, or I was worthless. When Shou-san died, I couldn?t handle it. I came apart.?
She felt a young girl?s hand squeezing at her own. Strength trickled down her fingers, pouring into her heart as she found the will to continue.
?I was neglecting myself from the beginning. I spent so long helping other people that I never stopped to think about how much I needed help.?
Nitori?s eyes wavered with a glint of understanding. She nodded, her writing slowing down to a crawl.
?Do you think you?ll want some more time off?? she asked. ?When you?re walking again, I mean. It sounds like you have a lot to think about.?
This was the question Koishi had been trying to answer by herself while she was alone. She?d been thinking everything over just to prepare herself for this moment.
She clenched her hand into a fist as she shook her head. ?No. I can still fight.? She spoke with such force that Nitori almost stepped away from her. ?Satori was right. I was weak last night, and she proved it. But I can - no, I will get stronger. I made it this far because everyone had faith in me. I?m not going to let them down now.?
?And your sister?? Nitori said. ?What are you going to do about her? Sooner or later, you two will have to fight.?
Koishi clenched her teeth. ?I know. And that?s why I have to come back, Kawashiro-sensei. I think I?m the only one who can get through to her.?
She couldn?t believe Satori was going along with the Claw. Maybe they had lied to her, or maybe she was being blackmailed. Whatever it was, if anyone had the power to make her see sense and switch sides, it was going to be her sister.
?She?s not a bad person, Kawashiro-sensei. I have to talk to her, to try and understand what?s going on.? She bowed forward as far as she could in the hospital bed, pressing her face against the blanket. ?I promise I won?t let you down again. Just give me another chance.?
Nitori was silent for a few seconds. Koishi was afraid she?d be turned down until the professor gave her a pat on the head.
?You really have grown up, haven?t you??
Koishi sat up, eyes widening. Nitori smirked, giving the Siren an emphatic thumbs-up.
?I?m fine with it. I?m sure the rest of the girls will be glad to see you back on the team, too.?
Koishi almost wanted to cry. She nodded, wiping at her face as a precaution. ?Thank you, Kawashiro-sensei. I?ll be up and ready in no ti-aah!?
She made to stand up, taken in by her own speech, until a familiar jolt of pain sprung through her leg. She fell backwards onto the bed, wincing slightly. ?...Actually, I think I might need a couple of days.?
Nitori barely held back a laugh at Koishi?s expense. She batted the chart about, one hand over her mouth as she rose to her feet. She took a deep breath before bringing her hands back down to her sides again.
?Don?t push yourself too hard, alright? After all you?ve been through, you deserve a few days of R&R.? As she turned for the exit, she stopped again. ?And I?ll see about getting you moved into the main ward with the rest of the girls this evening. Sound good??
?Sure.? Koishi waved Nitori off, watching her wander down the corridor towards the other Sirens.
It was only when Nitori was halfway down the corridor that Koishi realised she had forgotten something.
?Ah, Kawashiro-sensei, there was something else.?
Nitori poked her head through the doorway. ?What?s up??
?The Mindcoil...? Koishi closed her eyes, trying to summon up the memory. ?It told me something about Nagae-san, another name she called herself. It was...Leviathan, I think.?
As Koishi opened her eyes again, she saw pain riddle Nitori?s face for an instant. The kappa grit her teeth, the chart almost splintering in her hands.
?Eh? Kawashiro-sensei, what?s wrong??
The professor didn?t answer. Koishi watched her swallow the bile rising in her throat, a line of sweat running across her brow.
?It?s nothing. I?ll explain later.? She looked to the tray. ?Shouldn?t you start on that? Your dinner?s getting cold.?
That was the end of the discussion, as Nitori bolted into the corridor before Koishi could find out what the name Leviathan meant.
She already knew that it was nothing good.
