Chapter Text
The door to the atelier creaked open, and Nooroo squeaked in fear. He quickly ducked behind a potted plant as the young man entered the room, the purple Miraculous resting in the center of his shirt. White butterflies were stirred up from their resting spots all over the studio, and the young man scanned the space with a piercing gaze.
“Nooroo, please don’t hide from me.”
Nooroo swallowed nervously and flew out from behind the plant.
The young man glanced at the untouched plate of fruit and crackers sitting next to a blanket-lined basket in the corner. “You still haven’t eaten.” His deep voice rumbled with disappointment.
“I’m…I’m not hungry,” mumbled Nooroo, glancing away. The young man walked up and held out his hand, but Nooroo didn’t perch on it.
“It’s been two days Nooroo, I wish to try again.
“Why-why did you do that to that poor girl?!” Nooroo asked, shaking with anguish. “My powers…my powers aren’t meant for destruction!”
“I can understand why you might be confused,” the young man said. “But rest assured, I was not reckless.” He walked over to the window and gazed out across Tokyo.
“This world is filled with a dark corruption, Nooroo. Businessmen who treat their workers like disposable slaves. Politicians who steal money from starving children. Men who treat women’s bodies like property.”
He turned to the kwami with a fire in his eyes. “Miss Hoseki was burning with the spirit of justice in her heart, a desire to punish those who wronged her. With your power, I liberated her, gave her the strength to fight against the chains of society.”
He walked over to the plate of food. “Sacrifices must be made in order to cleanse the world of such evils.” Picking up a strawberry, he held it up to Nooroo. “That is why I need your help. Lend me your power again, Nooroo, and we will free the purest of humanity from this darkness we suffer in.”
“I won’t-I won’t do it!” Nooroo cried, shaking his head wildly. “It’s too dangerous, too destructive!”
The young man sighed. “Very well. I am sorry, but you leave me no choice. Nooroo, I command you to eat and regain your strength.”
Nooroo’s eyes widened. “I-“
The man gestured to the brooch on his chest. “As long as I have your Miraculous, you must obey my orders, correct?”
Nooroo stared at him. Then, the kwami flew over to his hand and took the berry, nibbling it with a despondent expression.
The young man nodded. “Good.”
“Settle down please everyone!” Fukumoto-sensei pleaded with the clamoring class as the chime of the morning bell sounded through the school.
“What really happened? Did the East Asian Hero Association send help?”
“Is it safe to be at school? What if that monster comes back?!”
“How did the repairs happen so fast? There was a huge hole in the wall!”
From her seat near the window, Yuzuriha felt her chest start to beat quickly and she hastily zipped the top of her school bag shut, feeling the brief brush of a tiny red paw patting her hand comfortingly as she did.
“Please!” The class finally settled and Fukumoto took a deep breath. “Per the emails that were sent home to your families, the school was closed for the past two days while inspectors verified the safety of the building after the tremors and subsequent…incident. However, despite significant damage to some of the walls, it appears that the school has somehow been restored to perfect condition.”
“It was magic!” A student called out. “I saw it myself - there was a flurry of red things that fixed it up instantly!”
“Yeah! Like a fairy godmother or something!”
“It was no fairy godmother,” Senku frowned, tapping a pencil against his desk. “Didn’t you see the news?”
“It was those two heroes!” Taiju shouted, grinning wide. “They covered it on TV Tokyo News - we finally have actual heroes in Tokyo now!”
“Everyone please quiet for a moment!” Fukumoto sighed, putting a hand to her head. “Yes, if you’ve been keeping up with the news you’ve probably seen that two heroes appeared and defeated the lion villain that caused all this damage. However…” she trailed off, looking a bit lost.
“It was Hoseki-san, right?” a student said. “She went crazy and-“
“KOHAKU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”
Everyone gasped as Osamu Chrome slammed his hands onto his desk, glaring at the student who had spoken.
“I mean, bad stuff did happen,” he admitted, “but Kohaku didn’t do it on purpose!”
“So it was an accident?” Another student frowned. “She already had a reputation for being a delinquent, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that she turned out to be a villain in disguise.”
“Yeah, why are you defending her?” The first student said. “Are you a villain too?”
“No, but Kohaku’s my best friend!” Chrome’s hands balled into fists. “She can be rough around the edges, but she would never have put people in danger if she could help it! Someone must have…I don’t know, hypnotized her or something!”
“I…I agree with Chrome,” his blonde friend said, nervously glancing around the room. “Kohaku can be scary sometimes, but she’s not a villain!”
The class erupted into a frenzied argument, voices overlapping as some people tried to give Kohaku the benefit of the doubt while others stood by their eyewitness accounts of the damage. Yuzuriha shifted nervously in her seat. She desperately wanted to interject, to say Osamu was right - Hoseki had been under a magical possession! But who would believe her?
“Please, calm down-“ Fukumoto said nervously, but the clamor just kept rising, and Yuzuriha’s heart kept beating louder and louder-
“EVERYONE SHUT UP!”
The entire class fell silent and stared at Senku, who was now standing up with an irritated expression on his face.
“None of you can really say you know what actually happened, right?” he glared at the class, eyes narrowed. “But Osamu and Hashiguchi have known Hoseki since preschool. Wouldn’t they be the best authority on whether her behavior two days ago was inconsistent with how she normally is?”
The class started murmuring, and Senku continued. “Science has proven that some forms of what we would consider ‘mind control’ do exist. In 2004, a villain in Germany was arrested for possessing a flute that was able to compel people into serving as an army for him, for instance. And transformation powers have been well documented too. So if Osamu is right and Hoseki would never hurt people knowingly, then the best hypothesis is that she was forced.”
Senku crossed his arms. “Plus, it’s totally illogical to make judgment calls if the accused isn’t present to defend themselves. If Hoseki were here right now, would you be nearly as confident in accusing her?”
“Senku’s right!” Taiju exclaimed, standing up with his friend. “I only knew Hoseki for a little bit, but she was really polite to me! It’s not nice to talk about her like that!”
“I trust Osamu and Hachiguchi too,” Yuzuriha said empathically, joining the boys. “We don’t know Hoseki as well as they do, so it’s not fair for us to act as if we know what she was thinking better than her own friends.”
“Even if it wasn’t her fault, do you think the police will understand that?” Asked Takamura Amaryllis, who looked deeply concerned. “She looked really shaken up on the news broadcast, what’s going to happen to her?”
“They-they wouldn’t…would they?” Ginro squeaked.
Everyone turned to stare at Fukumoto. She took a step back, then exhaled.
“Even if I did know, I wouldn’t be allowed to say,” she admitted. “I’m going to have to ask that you all continue as normal per the district instructions.”
Grumbles echoed throughout the room as Fukumoto finally began to take attendance. Yuzuriha resisted glancing down at her bag as she opened her notebook, an unpleasant feeling blooming in her stomach.
We stopped the akuma, but what will happen to Hoseki?
“Man, it’s like nothing ever happened,” Taiju marveled as the trio ate their lunch. “No cracks in the walls or anything!”
“It still made sense to close down for the safety inspection,” Senku mused. “But you’re right, it’s in impeccable condition.”
“That magic spell was really something, huh?” Taiju grinned. “The news said it even fixed an entire skyscraper that had fallen down!”
“Not magic,” Senku said automatically, frowning. “We’ve been over this. Currently scientists have termed the field myst-“
“Mystiokinetics, I know, you’ve mentioned it a lot.” Taiju shrugged. “But everyone still calls it magic, Senku.”
“The word exists for a reason!”
Yuzuriha chewed her rice absentmindedly, barely paying attention to the conversation. She was painfully aware of her school bag brushing against her leg, hoping the tiny kwami inside wasn’t uncomfortable in there.
Since defeating Lioness, Tikki had given Yuzuriha a proper run down of the powers of the Miraculous, as well as why they had even been deployed in the first place.
“So Hoseki…the akuma came from the Butterfly Miraculous?” Yuzuriha had murmured, unconsciously reaching up to rub her earrings as Tikki flitted about her bedroom.
Tikki nodded. “It is intended to create champions by harnessing the power of their emotions,” she explained. “But whoever has it now clearly doesn’t have good intentions. You and Kurodora must recover that Miraculous!”
“But how do we do that? Hoseki-san doesn’t even remember anything that happened while she was under the curse!“
“We’ll just have to wait and see, Yuzuriha. If the current Butterfly holder strikes again, you might get some clues to their identity.”
Fingers snapped in front of her face and she startled. “Oi, ground control to Yuzuriha.”
Yuzuriha swatted away Senku’s hand and exhaled. “Sorry guys, I guess I’m just…distracted.”
“Are you thinking about Hoseki too?” Taiju asked. Yuzuriha blinked.
“Uh, yeah…I really hope she’s doing okay! Everything got fixed by the spell, so maybe she won’t get in too much trouble?”
“Maybe we can find out from the source,” Senku said, suddenly straightening up in his seat. “Look over there.”
Yuzuriha and Taiju gasped. Hoseki Kohaku walked into the cafeteria, flanked by Osamu Chrome and Hashiguchi Ginro. Chrome was shooting nasty looks at the whispering teens that glanced their way, while Ginro kept his head down and glanced this way and that like a skittish horse. Kohaku however held her head high, refusing to meet the eyes of those staring at her.
After a moment of looking around, Chrome led his friends right up to Senku, Taiju, and Yuzuriha’s table. “Hey, can we sit with you guys?”
The trio blinked.
“Yeah that’s fine!” Taiju blurted out. Senku and Yuzuriha nodded, scooting to make room for their classmates. The murmurs rose in volume, but none of them spared a glance to the gossiping crowd.
“Er, so you’re back at school, Hoseki-san?” Yuzuriha ventured, then immediately regretted. Kohaku nodded.
“You can call me Kohaku, I don’t mind. I don’t know exactly what you guys have heard,” she said, fidgeting with the fabric tied around her bento, “and even I don’t know exactly what happened. But I haven’t been arrested, I haven’t been expelled, and I haven’t been disowned.” She paused, putting a finger to her chin. “I have been grounded though, so that sucks.”
“They really let you go after…what happened?” Taiju asked, eyes wide. “I mean, we don’t blame you at all, Hos-uhhh, Kohaku!”
“I know,” Kohaku said, smiling gently at him. “Chrome told me about how you three defended me in front of the class. Thanks for that.”
“That’s why I felt like this would be the safest place for Kohaku to eat right now.” Chrome explained. Kohaku nodded.
“As for your question, well…the police figured out that I really didn’t remember anything, so they let me go. As for the principal…uh, I called my aunt and she convinced him not to expel me.”
“Really?” Senku raised an eyebrow. “How’d she do that?”
“My aunt is…um, pretty persuasive?” Kohaku shrugged. Ginro choked on his milk.
“Wh-?! Your aunt seduced the principal?”
“I didn’t mean that way, you perv!” Kohaku gasped, jabbing Ginro in the shoulder. He squawked in pain.
“Well we’re glad you’re safe and sound,” Yuzuriha said, patting Kohaku’s hand. She smiled softly.
“Thank you.”
“HEY!” A boy with spiky hair not unlike Chrome’s suddenly pointed in their direction and marched over to the group. “YOU!”
Kohaku scowled and Chrome narrowed his eyes. “Can we help you?” he asked.
The boy jabbed a finger at at Kohaku. “You’re the monster who destroyed the school and kidnapped my good buddy Magma! What are you doing back here?!”
“She’s back to get an education,” Senku scoffed. “Isn’t that why we’re all here?“
“You have some nerve showing up after what you did,” growled the boy. “Or did you come back to finish the job and destroy us all?”
“Kohaku’s not going to hurt anyone,” Taiju said firmly. “She wasn’t herself earlier, and the heroes saved her!”
“That’s probably what she wants you to think,” the boy countered. “Just like how she made Magma think she was just an ordinary girl, when really she’s a dangerous beast!”
“Look, if you don’t have anything nice to say, please leave us alone,” Yuzuriha said calmly, folding her hands over her lap. “Otherwise we’ll have to report your harassment to a teacher.”
The boy blinked, then started laughing, to everyone’s confusion and discomfort. “Don’t you know who I am?”
“I know you’re being a real jerk right now,” Chrome frowned. “And apparently a friend of that asshole Magma who got Kohaku in trouble for defending her sister.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “Oh please, that was a total overreaction. That girl should have just accepted Magma’s offer.”
“My sister has standards, thank you very much,” Kohaku said, gritting her teeth together.
The boy scoffed. “Your sister is a real bit-“
“SHUT UP!” Chrome stood up, shoving past Ginro and jutting his chin up at the boy. “Don’t talk about Ruri like that!”
“Oh? And how is a little punk like you gonna stop me?” He sneered. Chrome raised his hand-
“STOP THIS AT ONCE!”
Everyone turned to see a tall boy with dark hair and glasses marching towards them, dark eyes narrowed and lips set in a stern frown. A red band covered his upper arm as it swung to and fro.
“Kinro!” Ginro called, relief evident in every inch of his expression.
“Physical altercations are expressly forbidden in the Student Handbook,” Kinro said severely, glaring between Chrome and the older boy. “You two better calm down before I have to report you.”
“Ugh, shove off Hashiguchi,” the boy grimaced. “Just because you’re student council president doesn’t mean you can just boss people around.”
“The President’s responsibilities are not limited to clerical work,” Kinro said. “Maintaining a functioning school environment is part of the job. And you were being highly disruptive, Inoue-san.”
The boy-Inoue, scowled. “So? What if I wanna be disruptive?”
“Then you must do it at home,” Kinro replied calmly but firmly. “It is against school policy to allow disruptions on this property. Rules are rules, Inoue-san. Unless I should report this?”
Inoue huffed and shot a last glare at Chrome and Kohaku. “Don’t think you’re off the hook. I know what you really are.”
He stalked out of the lunchroom, and the gossiping mutters rose to a light blanket of noise in the cafeteria.
Kinro turned to the group. “Chrome,” he admonished, “That was rash of you.”
Chrome hung his head. “I know but…he was talking shit about Ruri!”
“Wait, you all know each other?” Yuzuriha glanced between them curiously.
“Oh, apologies, where are my manners?” Kinro bowed. “My name is Hashiguchi Kinro. Student Council President, and older brother of Hashiguchi Ginro.”
“Kinro is the coolest guy in school!” Ginro said proudly. “Nobody crosses him!”
“He’s kind of always been a teacher’s pet,” Chrome said, earning a glare from Kinro.
“Thank you for helping us out, Hashiguchi-san,” Taiju said. “That guy was being really mean…”
“Do not think anything of it,” Kinro said. “It is the responsibility of a Student Council President to maintain order and peace in the school. But anyway, I should get back to the council room. Enjoy your lunch.”
Nodding sharply, Kinro turned and took a step forward, then looked back.
“Oh right. Ginro, Mother called and said you forgot your gym shorts at home again. Try not to make a habit of it.”
Ginro flushed ruby red and sunk into his seat as Kinro exited the room amidst a low hum of snickering.
“Thanks so much for looking out for Kohaku and her friends, Kinro,” Ruri said as the student council exited their meeting room amidst the ringing of the bell. “She’s been…a little distant lately and I’m just glad to know she has some support outside of me.”
“It’s really nothing, Ruri,” Kinro said as the two began the trek back to class. “My service as president naturally includes the protection of all students.”
“Though…” he sighed. “It does seem like your sister could use all the help she can get.”
“Hashiguchi.” The two upperclassmen glanced up to see Principal Yamane walking towards them, a cool look on his face.
“Afternoon, Principal Yamane,” Kinro said politely, aware of the way Ruri’s shoulders tensed slightly. “Is there something we can help you with?”
“Actually, I’d like to speak to you for a moment, as the student council president. Hoseki, you can head off to class, this is a private matter.”
Ruri glanced between Kinro and Yamane with widened eyes. Kinro nodded at her. “Let Nakamura-sensei know I might be a few minutes late?”
Ruri nodded hesitantly. “…Okay, see you in class.”
As she disappeared down the hall, Yamane turned to Kinro with an unchanged expression. “My office, if you will.”
A minute later, Kinro sat in front of Yamane’s desk as the principal flipped through a file.
“What was your business with Inoue Carbo earlier this lunch period?” He asked casually.
“He was accosting a group of underclassmen,” Kinro said smoothly. “Harassment is in direct violation of school policy, so I put a stop to it.”
Yamane sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Inoue Carbo is the son of a very important man, Hashiguchi. His father contributes much wealth to this institution, and there are consequences for crossing him.”
Kinro frowned. “I fail to see how this impacts me. Inoue was breaking a school rule, and I stopped him. Is that not part of my responsibility as student council president, to maintain order?”
Yamane put the tips of his fingers together and leaned over his desk. “You’re an excellent student, Hashiguchi, but you’re too ‘by the book,’ as it is. Given your…background, it’s not surprising that you’re unfamiliar with how the professional world works.”
Kinro bristled slightly, nails digging into his pants. “What do you mean, sir?”
“Connections, Hashiguchi. That’s what will matter most as you advance up the social ladder. You simply cannot disrupt the delicate web I have woven for this school, understand? Making enemies with Inoue will reflect poorly on you, so I suggest you apologize to him soon.”
“I…but he broke the rules!” Kinro protested. “Are you telling me to turn a blind eye to harassment just because his father is wealthy?”
“Well, if you’re still reluctant,” Yamane shrugged, “then maybe you can forget about the letter of recommendation you requested for that university of yours.”
Kinro’s eyes widened. “Sir, I-“
“Think about it, Hashiguchi. After all, you don’t want to disappoint your parents, do you? Not after they’ve worked so hard to save the money to send their sons to a good school.”
Kinro swallowed. “I…will consider it, Sir.”
“Good. Head back to class now.”
Kinro did his best to keep his face neutral as he walked back to his classroom, hands opening and closing into fists as his footsteps echoed through the halls.
He couldn’t believe it. The principal, encouraging him to let others break the rules! This was an outrage!
The image of his mother appeared in Kinro’s mind all of a sudden. Kinro, we’re so proud of you for making it to the top of the class! We may not have much money, but we promise you, we’ll do our best to send you to whatever university you want!
He sighed, rubbing his temples with one hand. He had his family to think about, right? Getting into a good university meant he could get a good job, and support both his parents and Ginro. But the rules…
Wait, was that…smoke?
Kinro whipped around and power walked (running in the halls was against the rules) over to the stairwell, where Inoue Carbo and two other boys were talking. He recognized them as two other friends of the bully Magma’s - Argo and Mantle, Kinro thought. The three of them were passing around a lighter-a lighter! And a box of-oh heavens, really?
“Smoking is expressly forbidden in the student handbook!” Kinro declared, crossing his arms as he walked up to the group, who startled at his voice. “Not only is it a fire hazard, but the smoke is a health concern for your fellow students! Hand over those right now!”
The boys blinked at him, then laughed.
“What are you gonna do about it, prez?” Argo sneered. “Yamane already gave you the dressing down, yeah?”
“Yeah yeah!” Mantle chortled, before coughing violently. “We’re Magma’s gang, you can’t touch us!”
“You’re breaking the rules!” Kinro insisted. Carbo walked up to him with a grin.
“And who’s gonna care? You think you can just tell us what to do because of that silly arm band? My dad’s a billionaire, Hashiguchi. The king of an empire of diamonds and emeralds. What’s your dad, a housemaid?”
The three boys threw their heads back, cackling. Kinro’s face turned redder, and redder…
And then a little black butterfly flew through the wall next to him and landed on his armband.
“Sentinel. I am Sphinx Moth. The corruption in this school is evident, with wealth acting as a free pass to bastards like him. What we need is a true enforcer of justice, someone who will not hesitate to punish such impudent rule breakers.”
“Rules. Are. Rules.” Kinro growled. The black energy swirled around him, enveloping him in its power.
Yuzuriha tried her best to focus on the board as Oda-sensei wrote down a list of mathematical concepts, but her mind kept drifting to the confrontation in the cafeteria.
It was good that Kohaku hadn’t gotten in trouble with the law, but maybe she and Kurodora should have explained the whole akuma thing to the police? What an oversight! She sighed. And how would they convince the student body that Kohaku was innocent? Especially with her unfortunate reputation as a delinquent…
“…And then next Monday we’ll have a quick test on real numbers and sets, so be sure to mark that on your calen-“
Suddenly, several overlapping voices screamed out in horror, coming from outside the classroom. Half the class immediately turned to Kohaku.
She bristled. “What?! That’s not me!”
“Stay in your seats, everyone!” Oda-sensei ordered, hurrying over to the door. As expected of teenagers, absolutely no one heeded their teacher’s request. Students crowded around Oda as he opened the door, shoving past each other to get a better look.
“Holy shit!” someone said. Yuzuriha gasped. Coming down the hall was what looked like an enormous jet black suit of armor, marching at a brisk but even pace as students ran away screaming. A blue tabard hung from its waist, and its pauldrons were a startlingly bright red. The left pauldron had white characters written on it that were hard to make out from that distance.
“RUNNING IN THE HALLS IS AGAINST THE RULES,” a deep, roaring voice echoed. The suit of armor drew a long black and red sword from its waist, slashing forward at a fleeing student. “TO THE DUNGEON WITH YOU!”
The student cried out as the sword passed through her body, and she instantly dissolved into thin air! Yuzuriha’s class gasped in unison.
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
The students streamed out of the doorway, shoving each other to the side and fleeing down the hallway. Oda-sensei waved his arms, trying to calm the situation to no avail.
“Students, please! Fire exit formation!”
Yuzuriha quickly ran back to her desk and grabbed her bag, when suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up to see Taiju’s worried face as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Senku, where are you going?! We should stay together this time!”
Senku halted in his tracks just as he was about to step across the doorway, his schoolbag dangling from his wrist. “Uhhhhh…”
“Come on, let’s try to get outside!” Taiju tugged gently on Yuzuriha’s arm. Oh no! That has to be an akuma, but how do I get away to transform?
“My phone!” Yuzuriha gasped. “I left it in the girls’ locker room during gym!”
Taiju blinked. “You did?”
“I’msorryI’llberightbackbye!”
Yuzuriha pulled away from Taiju and ran out the door, accidentally bumping her bag against Senku as she pushed past him. Ack! Sorry Tikki!
“Yuzuriha!” Taiju started after her, but Senku grabbed his arm.
“Wait you idiot! That thing will totally see both of you and catch you! I’ll go get her, I can sneak past it and make sure we both get out fine!”
“But…But!” Taiju blinked and put his hands on his face. “Augh! You’re right, Senku! I’ll go call the police then!”
“Someone will have already called them,” Senku said, fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. “Just…get outside and wait for us somewhere safe, okay?”
“Okay…” Taiju nodded. “Okay…”
Senku dashed after Yuzuriha, but instead of heading to the locker rooms he turned the other direction, feeling a light tapping from the inside of his bag against his side.
“I know, I know,” he hissed. “I need cover first!”
Yuzuriha threw open the door to the girls’ bathroom, breathing heavily as her back pressed against the wall. “Anyone in here? Hello?”
No answer. “Okay, I think we’re clear!”
Tikki popped out of her bag with a little red sparkle. “We better hurry,” she said. “Senku and Taiju will be worried about you!”
“I know, I hate lying to them!” Yuzuriha sighed. “But I don’t know if I can defeat the akuma without Kurodora! I’m sure someone’s posted about this online by now, but what if he doesn’t see it in time?”
“You can use the yo-yo to call him,” Tikki said. “He’ll get the message on his staff, that’ll be much faster! In the meantime, try to keep the students safe. They need your help!”
Yuzuriha took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay, I’ll try to do that.” She exhaled. “Spots on!”
Sentinel patrolled the halls, his gloved hand resting on the hilt of his blade. Underneath his visor, his eyes narrowed as he scanned for rulebreakers. That pesky Inoue and his lackeys had been dealt with, but there were still many more wrongdoers to bring to justice.
Sentinel, Carmine and Kurodora will be here any minute. It is likely that they will try to free the rulebreakers that you worked so diligently to capture.
“Hmph, so they would defy my justice? Then they shall taste my wrath!” Sentinel declared.
Excellent. In exchange for this power that I have bestowed upon you, I only ask that you bring me the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.
Sentinel saluted the air. “As you wish, Lord Sphinx Moth.”
Suddenly, Sentinel heard a murmuring from somewhere behind him. Drawing his sword, he slashed at a door, and it disappeared in a flurry of sparkles. The group of students behind it screamed as he loomed over them.
“Locking a classroom door is not acceptable unless there is an emergency,” he declared. “To the dungeons for all of you!”
Just as Sentinel raised his sword, something red appeared and wrapped itself around the blade, pulling it back. “What?!”
Sentinel turned. Down the hall, a teenaged girl in a red and black spotted dress was tugging on a string, pulling his arm backwards and away from the students. “Leave them alone!”
“Oh my gosh, it’s her, it’s Carmine!” cried one of the students. Yuzuriha’s eyes widened as she recognized Ginro’s voice. “We’re saved!”
Sentinel stared at the girl. Then at his sword, which had a spotted yo-yo wrapped tight around it. Taking one step back, he gripped his sword tight and dropped into a stance.
The hero’s eyes widened. “Uh oh.”
With a sharp movement, Sentinel swung his sword in an arc, yanking the girl forward at an incredible speed. She squealed as she was pulled to him, and he completed the swing as the blade slashed through her, vanishing her in a poof of sparkles.
A burning sensation spread across Yuzuriha’s chest as she opened her eyes into darkness, catapulting forward and crashing into something hard and pointy. “AUGH!”
“Who’s there? Another person got caught?!” Yuzuriha groaned as she tried to push herself up, but her limbs caught on many odd shaped somethings. Suddenly, she heard a soft click, and light flooded her senses.
A crowd of fearful looking students were staring down at her in the small space. Suddenly, five more poofs of red sparkles appeared, and the students that she’d tried to rescue joined the group. It just so happened that these five students were Chrome, Kohaku, Ginro, Amaryllis, and Ruri.
Amaryllis immediately rushed over to Yuzuriha’s side. “Are you okay, Miss?” She extended a hand and helped her up from the pile of chairs she’d been lying in, and Yuzuriha smiled nervously at her.
“I’m uh…I’m fine!” she repressed the urge to shrink back under the piercing gaze of the small crowd before her, their eyes wide in amazement.
“Whoa, it’s her!”
“Carmine, the hero from tv!”
“She’s come to rescue us!”
“Uh, yes! Yes, I am here to rescue you!” Yuzuriha nodded hurriedly, standing up straight. Chrome’s eyes sparkled and he put his hands to his cheeks.
“Whoa! So like, that was your plan! You got caught so you could find out where that armor-guy was sending everyone, that’s so baaaaad!”
Yuzuriha blinked. “Wow, uh, yeah! You…sure are perceptive!” The students clamored excitedly, deeply impressed.
“Hey, it’s her!” The crowd parted slightly as Inoue Carbo stood up in the crowd, pointing an accusatory finger at Kohaku. “You did this, just like you did before! Miss Hero, arrest her!”
“Now hold on just a second!” Yuzuriha said, frowning as the crowd began to yell and pull away from Kohaku and the others. “Ko-Miss Hoseki here is completely innocent!”
The crowd murmured curiously, and Yuzuriha continued. “Two days ago, a cursed butterfly known as an akuma possessed Miss Hoseki, compelling her to become a villain against her will. My partner Kurodora and I exposed the akuma, purifying it and undoing the damage it caused. Whoever sent that akuma is to blame, Miss Hoseki was merely a victim of circumstance.”
The crowd chattered excitedly and Carbo stumbled back, aghast. “Well, she must have done something! Otherwise why would her friend become a monster too?!”
“Friend?” Kohaku glared at Carbo. “What the hell are you on about?”
“It’s the student council president!” The tiny boy standing behind Carbo said. “He’s doing all this!”
“He was…talking with us when it happened,” A dark-haired boy said, appearing on Carbo’s other side. “This weird black mist appeared around him, and then suddenly he turned into a huge suit of armor!”
“Kinro? He’s…that was him?!” Ginro gasped. “No!”
“Well then that’s all the more proof Carmine is telling the truth!” Chrome insisted. “Kohaku might have suspicion on her because of her delinquent record-”
“Hey-”
“-but Kinro’s reputation is flawless! He would never try to do all this, he’s too dedicated to the rules! It must be that akuma-thingy Carmine is talking about!”
The students murmured again, and Ruri piped up. “Maybe we should focus on getting out of here?” She turned to Carmine. “What’s the plan, Miss Hero?”
“Um, it’s Carmine,” Yuzuriha said. “And…uh…” Suddenly, there was a little chime from her waist, and everyone gasped.
“Whoa, what’s that?”
Yuzuriha lifted her yo-yo up. The middle spot had a glowing ring surrounding it, chiming as it appeared and disappeared. She tapped it, and the bottom slid up to reveal a round screen, with Kurodora’s face on it.
“Carmine? Come in, Carmine.”
“Kurodora!” Yuzuriha felt like crying with relief. Ignoring the amazed whispers around her, she brought the yo-yo to her face. “You got my message?”
“Yeah I-” a booming sound echoed from the yo-yo and Kurodora glanced behind him nervously. “I’m in the school, keeping the big guy busy. Where are you?”
“I…went to look for the captured students,” Yuzuriha said quickly. “They’re all safe here in the…basement? Yeah, this looks like the school basement.”
“Huh, guess that’s what he meant by ‘dungeons,’” Kurodora mused. “Can you get out on your own?”
“The door’s locked,” one of the students said. “We’ve tried - we can’t get out without the janitor’s keys.”
A chattering laughter came from the yo-yo. “Keys? Nah, we don’t need to bother with that nonsense. Show ‘em, Red!”
“Oh, right.” Yuzuriha walked over to the door and grabbed the handle. With one fluid movement, she tore it off its hinges and tossed it to the side, to the cheers of the students around her.
“Whoa!”
“So cool!
Superstrength sure is handy, Yuzuriha thought. “Kurodora, I’m going to lead the students out of the school. Can you keep the akuma distracted on your own for a few more minutes?”
“Sure, but hurry it up okay? I’m gonna lead him to the west courtyard to reduce the chance of more property damage,” Kurodora said. “Over and out.”
The little screen on the yo-yo went black, and Yuzuriha replaced the yo-yo at her waist. “Okay everyone, let’s exit in an orderly fashion,” she said, doing her best to keep the nervous quaver out of her voice. “And, um, try to be quiet? We don’t want to attract the akuma’s attention.”
The students hushed as Yuzuriha led them out of the basement and towards an emergency exit, though Yuzuriha did notice some kids taking pictures of her with their phones. She desperately hoped no one had snapped one of her tumble into the pile of chairs earlier.
As soon as everyone was outside, Yuzuriha made the executive decision to skip taking the halls to the west courtyard and instead threw her yo-yo to the rooftop, causing shouts of shock and awe as she zipped through the air.
“Call your families, stay safe!” she called behind her, and the crowd burst into cheers.
“Chrome, are you okay?” Ruri asked, gently shaking her friend’s shoulder. He was staring through his phone camera blankly as it continued to record.
“I…I was saved by a real hero! THAT’S SO BAAAAAD!!!”
Yuzuriha caught up to Kurodora and the akuma in the halls, the knight exchanging blows from his sword with the black-clad boy’s staff.
“About time you got here, Red!” Kurodora gasped, backflipping out of range of the blade and falling onto his back with an OOF! Yuzuriha leapt over to him and helped him up.
“So you called in your criminal partner!” Boomed the suit of armor. “By my honor as Sentinel, guardian of this school, you shall not win!”
He swung his sword, but Yuzuriha was ready this time. She spun her yo-yo in a circle in front of her and Kurodora, and the blade glanced off with a loud CLANG! as Kurodora grabbed her arm and leapt backwards onto the railing of a staircase, while Sentinel yelled out in frustration.
“Do you know what the possessed object is?” Yuzuriha asked breathlessly.
“His sword, maybe? I’ve been trying to break it with my staff, but no luck so far.”
Yuzuriha wound up her yo-yo. “Two on one then?”
Kurodora smirked. “Let’s do this.”
He leapt over Sentinel’s head, drawing the akuma’s ire.
“Climbing on school property is against the rules!”
With Sentinel’s attention drawn, Yuzuriha threw her yo-yo, tangling it around the suit of armor’s legs. He glanced down, confused.
“What-”
Yuzuriha yanked hard, and Sentinel’s feet were pulled out from underneath him, causing his sword to fly out of his hands.
“Hey!”
Kurodora grabbed the sword as it fell through the air, slamming it on the concrete with a thunderous CRACK. The sword fell apart in two pieces that clattered to the ground…but no butterfly flew out. Yuzuriha gasped.
“What?! No!”
Sentinel glanced back and grabbed the string spooling off his legs. With a mighty tug, he pulled Yuzuriha forward, slamming her into Kurodora. The two heroes let out twin screams as they smashed through what felt like several tons of plaster and concrete, landing in a heap somewhere on the floor above.
Sentinel stood up and pulled a new sword out of his left pauldron before marching forward. It would be no good for him to jump up there like criminal scum, so he’d have to take the long way around.
Yuzuriha groaned as she pushed herself up from a pile of rubble. It looked like she’d been cushioned by a roll of canvas…was she in an art classroom? Coming to her senses, she glanced around frantically before her eyes fell on a heap of black fabric nearby.
“Kurodora!” she gasped and rushed to his side, shaking him urgently. No response.
“Oh no, no no no no no! Wake up, wake up!” Yuzuriha slapped the boy’s face as gently as she could, but he didn’t move.
“COME OUT AND FACE YOUR CRIMES, SCUM!” Yuzuriha felt the floor rumble as Sentinel’s steady march advanced towards them from somewhere outside the half-destroyed classroom. Shrieking, she slapped Kurodora harder.
“Ow! Wha-Red?” Kurodora gasped as he tried to sit up, clutching his side. “Okay, that’s not good.”
“Oh no, oh no you’re hurt! What do we do?! I can’t-I can’t-” Yuzuriha’s breath came in short bursts, and she fisted her hands in her hair.
Kurodora grabbed her wrist, preventing her from tearing out her scalp. “Red, look at me. Look at me.”
Yuzuriha raised her head and her eyes met Kurodora’s. They were a startling green, with dark pupils ringed in a sort of deep scarlet that felt oddly familiar in a comforting sense. Her breathing immediately calmed, though she felt distinctly embarrassed at having freaked out in front of a still-sort-of-stranger.
“We have to try something else. Your ultimate?”
“Oh! Right!” Yuzuriha tossed her yo-yo into the air. “Lucky Charm!”
A skinny red and black rod fell into Yuzuriha’s hand. She uncapped the top. “A…a paint marker? What do we do with this?”
Kurodora tilted his head thoughtfully. “Some paints are pretty flammable.”
Yuzuriha spared him an incredulous glance before glancing around the classroom. It was definitely an art studio - there were easels, cardboard, sheets of colored paper…
“TURN YOURSELVES IN, RULEBREAKERS!”
“I have an idea.”
Sentinel had had enough. “Alright then, it seems like you’ve made your decision!” He raised his sword and sliced the door into nothingness.
Out shot a blur of red, running down the hall at a breakneck pace.
“RUNNING IN THE HALLS IS AGAINST THE RULES!” He took after the girl, who was much quicker and lighter on her feet than a normal teenager.
The girl dashed through a pair of double doors, and Sentinel vanished it instantly. Stepping outside, he saw her pressed up against one of the walls, breathing heavily.
“Nowhere to run now, little bug,” he declared. “My Lord will be pleased to have your Miraculous, and I shall finally cleanse this school of all rulebreakers.”
“What about yourself?” The girl asked. Sentinel frowned.
“What?” The girl pointed to the side. Sentinel looked to see a piece of poster board stuck into the ground, with bright red characters that clearly read KEEP OFF THE GRASS.
“What?! I-I…” Sentinel looked down. Indeed, he was standing on a patch of unmistakable fresh greenery. “No…how is this possible? I have broken a rule?!”
“KURODORA, NOW!”
A black blur appeared over Sentinel’s left shoulder, but he was too stunned to react. A hand came down on his left pauldron, the one with the white characters reading STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
“CATACLYSM!”
The pauldron crumbled under Kurodora’s glove, and a tiny black butterfly fluttered up to the sky. Sentinel turned back into Kinro, who stared blankly down at the ground.
Yuzuriha wound up her yo-yo and tossed it. The toy snapped around the akuma and she caught it with a little sigh of relief. Opening the yo-yo, she waved at the now snow white butterfly cheerfully as it flew away.
“Farewell little one…”
Kurodora tossed Yuzuriha the paint marker, which she threw into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”
Just like before, the Lucky Charm burst into a swarm of ladybugs that began repairing the school before their very eyes. Kinro raised his head and his mouth fell open at the dazzling sight, while Kurodora’s eyes widened and his hand flew to his side.
Yuzuriha jumped over to Kurodora. “How are your ribs?”
“…Fine,” he said, sounding fascinated. “I guess the spell works for injuries too.”
Yuzuriha let out a long exhale. “Oh thank goodness, I was so worried. Good job with the sign though, I know it must have hurt to jump down to the courtyard from there.”
“Not as much as it would have if I’d been running as the distraction.” He put a hand on his hip. “That was a weird plan, but it all worked out, so nice job.”
Yuzuriha smiled. “Thanks!” She held up a hand, and Kurodora grinned.
“Up top!” They said as their palms smacked together.
“Um, excuse me?”
They turned to Kinro, who was staring at them in bewilderment.
“What…just happened?”
Yuzuriha walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. “You were possessed by a cursed butterfly called an akuma,” she said. “While under its influence, you…may have gone on a rampage.”
“It’s okay though!” She put up her hands placatingly when a horrified expression graced Kinro’s features. “My partner and I fixed it, everything’s fine now!”
Kinro’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “I…did I hurt anyone?”
“Just me,” Kurodora said, shrugging. “I kicked you in the chin earlier though, so we’ll call it even.”
“All the students are safe and sound,” Yuzuriha assured him. Kurodora blinked at that, as if remembering something.
“Shit. Uh, hey Red? Did you happen to see a girl with long brown hair and a white headband in the group of kids you rescued?“
“Huh?” Yuzuriha stared at him. “Uh…there were lots of girls with brown hair…”
Suddenly, Kurodora’s Miraculous beeped. He cursed. “I gotta go. Call me on the yo-yo later, okay? We need to talk more about this whole Miraculous business.”
Yuzuriha nodded, still confused. “Talk later then.” Kurodora disappeared into the school, and she turned back to Kinro.
“You’ve got a good heart and a strong sense of justice,” she said. “The world needs more people like that.”
She took off in the opposite direction Kurodora had, leaving Kinro to stare after her.
“Yuzuriha!”
The bathroom door swung shut behind her as Yuzuriha turned to see Senku running up from down the hall, forehead beaded with sweat from the exertion.
“Senku-kun!” She hastily tucked her schoolbag behind her back. “What are you doing here?!”
He came to a stop, panting hard as he leaned on his knees. “Looking for you! Why’d you run off like that, idiot?! You could have been hurt!”
Yuzuriha blinked. “I…I don’t know, I guess I just panicked when I realized I forgot my phone and…wasn’t thinking.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I immediately regretted it, but then I heard that ak-um, that knight thing coming, so I ran to hide in the bathroom.”
“Well at least you still have some self-preservation instincts,” Senku sighed. “It’s safe now though, I heard the two heroes from before cleaned everything up.”
“Wooow, really?!” Yuzuriha gasped. “I’m kind of sorry I missed that!”
“NO!” Senku blurted out, and Yuzuriha’s eyes widened.
“Senku-kun?”
He blinked quickly, then turned away. “I mean…just don’t run headfirst into trouble again, okay? I…Taiju would be devastated.”
Yuzuriha stared at him. Senku jerked his arm, beckoning her forward as he started walking away.
“Come on,” he grunted. “The big oaf is worrying himself sick waiting for us.”
She fell in step beside him, feeling mollified.
As police sirens sounded outside, Yuzuriha poked Senku’s arm gently.
“…Want to play Minecraft at my place after the police questioning?” I’m sorry for worrying you.
“…Sure, whatever.” I forgive you.