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[Magic Time]
Nitou K.
Where are we meeting tmr
InaMayu
I can teleport myself, but I haven't figured out how to bring passengers. Is there anywhere isolated we can practice?
Haruto
There's a few abandoned warehouses, one near the pier and one near a forest. Or this stadium that's closed right now since it's the off-season.
InaMayu
Stadium sounds good, we can run a few rounds to warm up.
Kousuke flops onto the grass, wheezing. A shadow falls over him.
"Giving up already, Mayonnaise?" Haruto isn't even breathing that hard, the asshole. The sun haloes his head, fluffy hair glowing where it's backlit against the sky.
"You're an ass."
"I have a nice ass. That's what running gets you."
"Shut up."
"Don't worry, yours is pretty good too." Haruto winks at him.
Kousuke makes a garbled noise, rolls onto his side, and doesn't think about his rival checking out his butt when they're suited up. His face is flushed because they just ran twenty rounds. No other reason. Definitely not because Haruto's wearing football shorts. Lazy wizards who don't want run in tight pants and their unfair Dress Up rings. He's totally not mad he can't waste mana on frivolous spells and has to wash his sweaty biking outfit later.
"You carry that big backpack everywhere, I thought you would've lasted longer than this." Mayu said fake-innocently. Her smile isn't sinister like Medusa's, but you can definitely tell when she's mocking you. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail, swaying as she drops into a sit on the track itself.
"You're both monsters. I was up late reading, cut me some slack, Mr Football Star and Miss Track And Field. I'm better at rock climbing and basketball than both of you."
She looks at Haruto, one eyebrow raised. "Is that true?"
"So he says. We'd have to find a cliff to prove it." Haruto stretches and joins them on the ground. "He's pretty good at biking too."
"This is Tokyo. Rock-climbing gyms are a thing."
"Or we could go to the quarry and not have to spend money."
Mayu squints at them. "How do two men around 20 not have 6000 yen between them?"
"You're freeloading off us in this hypothetical? 6000 yen isn't cheap."
"I'm a high school student!"
Kousuke sits up indignantly. "You'll pay for Koyomi's hat but not for me to show off my sick moves. Blatant favouritism! What kind of rival are you!"
Haruto crosses his arms. "I think you might not know the definition of a rival."
"Of course I do, it's like Naruto and Sasuke!"
"Eh?"
He gestures at Haruto. "See what I have to work with, Mayu? My rival was too much of a jock to watch cartoons."
Mayu tsks, shaking her head. "So uncultured."
"I did watch cartoons! Sailor Moon is better than ninjas," Haruto fake-pouts.
"That must explain why Infinity is so sparkly, all those magical girl shows you saw growing up." Kousuke likes riling Haruto up; sometimes he makes this funny squawking noise and it's endearing as hell. The guy could stand to lighten up more instead of having his coolguy facade on all the time, in Kousuke's opinion. He has a nice smile when he's relaxed like this.
"I think it's just sparkly because it's a diamond, like a wedding ring." Mayu rests her chin on her hand. "Do you ever have to watch out for muggers, or is it too gaudy to not be a fake?"
"I can't believe you're calling my power up ring, which symbolises my Phantom getting back with me, gaudy," Haruto places one hand on his chest and leans back dramatically, before moving it to the ground behind him to lean on. "Nah, Dragon has it when I'm not using it. Can't be stolen."
"Ah, I see." Mayu looks slightly disapponted, for some reason.
"Stop! Don't say it. I know it's really tempting to pawn off your rings for cash and steal them back after with magic, but Rinko would arrest you." Kousuke points a thumb back towards the stadium seating.
"Mayu can teleport out of jail," Rinko pipes up from where she's doing paperwork in the stands behind them. "Not that I'm advocating for crime or anything."
"Yeah, you're the only one of us who hasn't been arrested so far, you should keep it that way. Even if those holding cells are really easy to get out of," says Haruto. He dodges a wadded up paper ball from Rinko.
"I'll have to think of some other way to get rich once I kill Medusa, then." Mayu drops her chin onto her palm, elbow on her knee. "Any tips for that?"
"Oh yeah, doing your research!" Kousuke rubs his hands together. "Did she hit you with the big energy ball? It explodes."
"And it hurts!"
"And it hurts! Gah!" They share a moment of solidarity for getting hit by the big energy ball, which hurts. "Haruto, you've been fighting her longer. What do you know?"
"Mmm... don't get snaked. She can grab you with them and drain your mana."
"What?! How come you never told me! I. Could. Have. Died!" Kousuke shakes him by the football jersey to punctuate it.
He shakes his head contritely. Also dizzily."I... forgot. Sorry. She hasn't done it in ages. Maybe she's scared Chimera might eat her back if she tried it on you?"
"Damn right! Chimera has five mouths, snakes wouldn't stand a chance."
Mayu nods decisively. "I should use my gun on her hair if it starts moving towards me. She's got the staff for close-range, but seems to prefer mid-range attacks."
"She's no slouch with that staff." Haruto points at her. "You wanted to practice shoulder charges, that could break her guard."
"You've both got these big shoulder things. Pauldrons," Kousuke nods. "Yours are cooler though, with the spikes." Not as cool as his, obviously, but still.
"The spikes are cool."
Mayu ducks her head and grins. "Alright, what else?"
"Medusa's from Greek mythology, right? Can she turn people to stone?" asks Kosuke.
"Not that I've ever seen," says Haruto. "Uh, she likes bowling?"
"Really?"
"During that thing with your grandma when Shunpei got kidnapped, Rinko and I interrupted her during a game and she was very unhappy."
"Wow. Misa hated bowling," says Mayu. Her fringe covers her eyes. "Sports in general, actually, but she'd always come to whatever track meet I was running in. Our parents couldn't always make it. She didn't like all the noise or getting sweaty, but she'd always wait for me at the finish line and wave. My coach used to praise me for my last minute sprints."
They listen to the wind for a bit.
"The police found too much blood. I kept hoping... if someone had gotten away, was in hiding."
Haruto gently puts a hand on her shoulder.
"It's been over a year. I still miss them."
"And you'll keep missing them for the rest of your life." Haruto's eyes look distant. "It's not the same, but if you're lucky, you find new people you care about, who care about you."
Mayu looks up. Her eyes are red-rimmed, but dry. "First, I have to kill that monster who took them from me."
No wonder those two get along. Not to make fun of their downer backstories or anything, but Kosuke figures he brings some much-needed levity to Haruto's life (along with Shunpei). He's happy to do the same for Mayu. Magicians gotta look out for each other, right?
He claps her on the other shoulder. "And we're happy to help. We'll distract Gremlin, Medusa is all yours." He jumps to his feet. "Transform and get practicing on those shoulder charges!"
"Maybe we can finally kill him too," Haruto groans, activating his driver. "I'm pretty sure even Medusa hates him."
Land, Please!
Mayu scuffs her shoes against the track. "You two don't think I should focus on something else besides revenge?"
"Eh?" says Kosuke. "Why would we?"
Haruto tilts his head. "It's what gives you hope, isn't it?"
"It'd be real hypocritical if you did after that whole Phoenix thing. I wanted to eat him and you had to go kick him into the sun."
Haruto rubs the back of his helmet. "I'm... going to go set up dummy walls." Hah, score one for Kosuke!
"Anyway, don't worry about it. We've got your back if you need it." He's not transforming, gotta save mana for actual fights and all. Beast doesn't have the luxury to spar. Even if it sounds really fun. He'd love to borrow Haruto's Earth Dragon ring and see how it fares against her big claw. Speaking of. "We should figure out if your big claw side or no claw side is better for this."
She nods. "Right. Henshin!"
Later, rock dust showered off, they're polishing off the dregs of a post-workout grocery run to make hotpot, Kousuke's treat. He'd claimed Grandma had just sent him some money because she thought he should dress better, but food was more important, which was true. It was also true that Haruto had quietly, reluctantly mentioned to him exactly how far the government stipend for orphans would stretch, a few days ago, and fussed about getting more vegetables and protein into the cart while Rinko distracted Mayu with soup base choices.
Haruto yawns. "I'm beat. Mayu, can you take the leftovers? Our fridge is full. Then I can wash up."
"Oh, uh. Sure. Rinko- oh right, she left early. Nitou, do you want any?"
"Nah, I don't have a fridge."
"Then how do you keep your mayo-"
He loudly slurps down the last of his noodles (you can't have hotpot without noodles at the end) and hands his bowl to Haruto. "Thanks for the meal!"
Koyomi frowns. "You cast Defend fifty times today, and then used Earth Dragon. I'll wash up. You find the tupperware, you're taller."
"As milady wishes." They disappear into the kitchen together.
Kousuke tactfully also doesn't mention that you could, in fact, do a clapping game with Earth Dragon and Mayu's big claw. And then they'd juggled rock chunks inbetween claps. He shoulders his backpack. Rooftop sweet rooftop, here he comes.
A hand reaches through a Connect portal and deposits containers full of cooked meat, vegetables, tofu, and soup on the table, stacked up in a floral print reusable bag. A sticky note on top says "bring these back next time". Footsteps clump up the stairs from further in the shop.
They're both at the door before Mayu does a double take. "I forgot..." she whispers to herself.
"You good?"
"Ah, I forgot... to ask Mr Wajima about rings before he went to bed early. Next time."
"I'll remind you," Koyomi says from behind them. They are both totally not lulled by full bellies and definitely noticed her! "I have to lock up after you leave."
"Thank you, Koyomi." Mayu smiles unsteadily, and receives a small one in return. "Have a good night."
Teleport, Now!
"I'm off, night!" The door jingles shut behind him.