My Vampire Older Sister and Zombie Little Sister

Part 1

It was over.

The following morning arrived.

“Onii-chan. It’s morning.”

“Nn.”

Ayumi obediently came to wake me, so I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed.

I had thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but my nerves must have been worn down despite how worked up my mind had been. I didn’t remember turning it off, but it was a little past the time I had set on the alarm clock. All that noise had apparently failed to rouse me.

I stepped out into the hallway with my little sister and passed by my older sister in her uniform. However, she was not preparing to go to school. As a vampire, she was part of the night group and was actually getting back from school.

“Erika, you need to get in your coffin soon.”

“Mhh. But I’m feeling faint because I’m so worried about you, Satori-kun…”

Erika really was wobbling on her feet on her way to her room which had thick light-blocking curtains on the window. Was she really going to change into her pajamas like that? It looked like she was only going to partially strip off her uniform and then climb into the coffin created in the storage space below the bed.

As I watched her disappear through the door, Ayumi spoke up.

“It might be hard to tell since we’re the undead…”

“Yeah?”

“But you need to remember that your family is worried about you, Onii-chan. Ahh, this is when I hate being too healthy to get bags under my eyes…”

I felt bad.

But I couldn’t back off from this. I couldn’t let Itou Helen or the other Archenemies be tormented to death on camera.

I had to end this before Ayumi or Erika ended up in the middle of it. I couldn’t compromise on this.

We went downstairs where mom and dad were. Everyone but Erika ate breakfast together.

My stepmom lazily spoke up while watching the weather forecast.

“Oh? We’re going to have quite a few sunny days in a row. That’s unusual for this city. Maybe I should hang the laundry up to dry instead of using the dryer.”

It seemed to only be a quick forecast between news segments because the camera moved back to the announcer. A sports commentator was speaking cheerfully on the TV. And along with the scores of baseball and soccer games…

“Man, that Colosseum has finally gotten started. Times really have changed. I never even liked doing the soccer lottery because it felt too much like betting on sports, but it looks like they aren’t running the business on just the owner system and priority broadcast rights anymore. Now, the first match was Itou Helen the Witch vs. Kuroyama Hinoki the Mermaid. And the winner was-…”

My dad spoke with his eyes on his folded-up newspaper and his chopsticks poking at his stir-fried vegetables.

“How unpleasant.”

That was all he said, but it still felt like I had someone supporting me. After being thrown into the malicious and passionate Colosseum, I had been on the verge of losing faith in humankind, but I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. That was all it was.

What about Ayumi?

What did she feel after hearing her family say that?

I stole a glance, but I didn’t notice any change to her expression.

After eating breakfast, I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair. I prepared to go to school like normal.

Ayumi had changed into her sailor-style uniform and she was stuffing a bunch of deodorant spray into her school bag.

“It must be tough being a girl.”

“Tell me about it. Fuguu. Did you think a girls school smells of sweets and tea? It’s mostly chemical smells! And it’s no laughing matter when parents’ day rolls around.”

I had meant it sarcastically, but she took it seriously. Please don’t crush my dreams about private girls schools. And then Ayumi circled around in front of me. In fact, she walked right up in front of me.

“You know how you can’t notice your own smell? And I’m a zombie on top of that. I-I smell all right, don’t I? I don’t smell weird?”

“…Oh, honestly.”

The usual ritual had begun.

It wasn’t every single day, but this always happened when Ayumi started growing uneasy. And she couldn’t relax until the ritual was complete.

I had no choice but to pull Ayumi’s slender body in toward me. I brought my face to her neck like I was our vampire sister.

“Ah…”

Ayumi’s skinny shoulders jumped slightly.

But I wasn’t biting her to suck her blood.

Sniff, sniff.

“Wait. I know I was the one to ask, but don’t make any noise…”

She gave off the nice smell of a girl’s hair.

It was a sweet smell, like the soap, hairspray, and hint of sweat had triggered a chemical reaction.

But as a zombie, Ayumi was hypersensitive to being said she had any kind of smell at all, so I gave my standard response.

“I don’t smell anything.”

“Really? You don’t have a stuffed-up nose or anything?”

“If you can’t believe anything I say, then I won’t even bother checking anymore.”

“Fuguu. Well, as long as you aren’t just being nice…”

?

Ayumi looked kind of uncomfortable. Almost like a child who had gotten separated from her parents in a crowd.

That was when I realized she had never asked anyone else to perform this ritual. Not even Erika.

I didn’t really understand, but I knew rubbing her head would cheer her up. She was simple like that.

“Uuh… Wh-why are you doing that all of a sudden?”

“No reason. It just seemed like a good time for it.”

“Well, stop it. I just finished with my hair and now you’re messing it up. Fuguu…”

That was generally how it went.

We left through the front door, but since we attended different schools, we didn’t take the same route.

While I undid the latch on my collapsible bike, Ayumi started to run.

“Bye, Onii-chan. I’ll be going.”

“Bye.”

She didn’t like smelling sweaty, but she did like jogging. Maybe she went right to the shower room after getting to school. As her big brother, I was mostly worried about how short her skirt was.

After she ran off, I dragged my collapsible bike out onto the road. That was when I came across an unexpected face.

“Huh? Class Rep?”

“Good morning, Satori-kun.”

She had long black hair, a prominent forehead, and glasses. She was skinny and slender, but the mounds on her chest were quite noticeable for how small they were. She was a childhood friend who felt like the perfect Japanese Class Rep.

“Well, this is unusual. You usually get to school earlier than this. Did you oversleep?”

Just because she was the childhood friend next door did not mean we walked to school hand-in-hand every day. There was something different about her than Erika or Ayumi. There was some mysterious barrier around her that made my heart pound whenever I got close, so I couldn’t stand to be around her all the time!

But the Class Rep completely ignored the secret pact we had made ever since entering middle school.

“Yes. I was waiting for you today.”

“Ehh!? What do you mean!? …Um, actually I really would like to know why you were waiting outside my house with a wooden sword in hand. Y-you’re a 2nd Dan in kendo aren’t you?”

“Karate 1st Dan, Kendo 2nd Dan, Judo 2nd Dan, and Aikido 1st Dan. Got that!?”

…Why did the Class rep end up being such an active person?

But no matter how I felt, she smiled at me (with wooden sword in hand).

And she said it.

“Hey, Satori-kun. What is the Forehead Glasses Class Rep Swimsuit Dance File Set?”

Ma-…

“Maxwellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!???”

“C’mon, shut off your smartphone and get over here! Let’s take this out back, Satori-kun!!! You wouldn’t be so weak if you could get your fingers off those keys!!”

“A smartphone doesn’t really have keys…”

“Quit staring at me like I’m a legendary Japanese wolf and sit down! What have you been doing inside your disaster environment simulator!? And there’s no one to stop you there since Maxwell can’t say no!!”

As the wooden sword blazer forehead glasses Class Rep (a childhood friend with way too many descriptors at this point) had me sit in front of her, sweat was pouring from my body. Oh, no. I think I’m going to shrivel up at this rate!!

“But how do you even know about that hidden file!? I thought I solved all of that on that vampire and zombie night. Ah!? Is this the Bright Cross’s revenge!?”

“Why would a peace organization that digs wells in Africa want to get back at you, Satori-kun? Honestly.”

I was confident it would take an entire day to explain the details, but getting the Class Rep caught in this city’s secrets was the last thing I wanted to do.

And more importantly…

“I heard some rather exciting voices coming from next door last night. It was those sisters of yours. Were you not with them?”

“?”

“I think they were yelling angrily at the TV, but I definitely heard them saying, ‘I can understand doing it for the Forehead Glasses Class Rep Swimsuit Dance File Set, but you’re willing to risk your life for some random Archenemy you ran across!? Gnhh!!’ ”

Ah…

“Them…!!”

“Stop, stop. You’re not the one who’s angry here. I’m the one that deserves to be angry. …So what is this swimsuit dance file set? Depending on your answer, Satori-kun, you might just learn firsthand that Archenemies aren’t the only ones that can demonstrate surprising strength.”

“Ah, ahhhh!?”

Not good. I’m about to get the cutest beating!

But I couldn’t escape even if I took off running now. Even with my collapsible bike, she would hit me with a men, do, and kote in the time it took me to climb onto the seat and start pedaling. What do I do? What am I supposed to do!? Dammit, am I really this powerless without Maxwell!?

I could only pray at this point.

I’m willing to take a hit or two, so at least give me a gust of wind! Blow the Class Rep’s skirt nice and high!!

A moment later, a nice gust of wind really did blow right between the Class Rep’s legs and the skirt before my eyes floated up to fully reveal everything below.

“…”

“…”

We both fell silent for a while.

It had happened so suddenly that the Class Rep had not been able to hold down the fluttering cloth. She stood tall with her hands on her hips, so I could not have had a better view. By the way, the holy item was pure white. As a true Japanese Class Rep, she did not unfaithfully go for some cheap stripes. Seeing the small red ribbon decorating the front was as refreshing as seeing the first sunrise of the year from a mountain peak.

Since I was sitting right in front of her, I had seen everything. And from a low angle.

I’ll be honest.

I wanted to thank god.

The Bright Cross, Colosseum, and Archenemy stuff might have been difficult, but I felt reinvigorated enough to keep going for another year.

After a few seconds, the skirt fluttered back down as if gravity had finally kicked back in. Today’s wonderfully cool and exciting event was over.

The Class Rep hung her head and her long black hair seemed to ripple from invisible static electricity.

“…Satori-kun…?”

“No, wait! Wait, Class Rep! It wouldn’t make sense to hit me with a men, do, and kote for this! There’s no scientific evidence to show our prayers can affect the wind!!”

“In other words, you were hoping that would happen? And here I thought we were having a serious discussion.”

K-kyahh!! I shouldn’t have said that! I feel like anything I say is going to lead to major damage now!!

If my life starting flashing before my eyes as I trembled on the ground, I wondered if all I would see was the color white, that ribbon, those bright thighs, and the wrinkles in the cloth. That might be fun and it was the only positive thing my mind could find right now.

And then…

“Ahem!”

I heard someone clearing their throat.

I turned around along with the Class Rep who had threatened me with a wooden sword, dragged me behind the house, and showed me her panties. (It sounds a lot more fun when I put it like that.)

We found…a girl?

She wore a plain varsity jacket and jeans, her long black hair was stuffed inside a hat, and her sex was hard to tell with her face hidden behind sunglasses and a mask. Or it would have been if not for the impressive volume of her chest. …And because a guy would probably get reported to the police if he dressed that suspiciously.

But who was it?

If she was not up to no good, why would she be dressed like that? It reminded me of the clichéd disguise of an entertainer or idol who wanted to keep her identity hidden in a drama.

“Um, uh. As a girl, I really hate to stop this, but since she has a weapon, should I intervene? However it happened, you did save me, so I would like to pay you back.”

“Wait a second… That black hair in the hat…”

It was still hard to tell with her face covered, but now that it occurred to me…

“Yes, I should have introduced myself first.”

Didn’t I know one of the undead who had appeared before the TV cameras with her long, long hair wrapped around her body like a swimsuit and around her legs like a giant tail fin?

“I’m Kuroyama Hinoki. As you know, I am the mermaid Archenemy you defeated and rescued.”

Part 2

An Archenemy.

The term originally referred to Satan in a certain monotheistic religion. From there, it apparently started being used in reference to any “demon lord” in general.

It now referred to someone who had surpassed the concept of a lifespan or could spread that to the people around them. It was the general term for someone who was the source of an undead disease.

For example, my vampire older sister or my zombie younger sister.

“An Archenemy? Satori-kun, are you getting yourself into trouble again?”

The intrusion of this third party had cooled the Class Rep’s head, so she tossed the wooden sword over the hedge…and thus into her own backyard.

Kuroyama Hinoki was surprised by this.

I felt the same way.

Had the Class Rep not watched any TV the day before? Or had she been so focused on the contestants that she hadn’t seen me as the second?

Whatever the case, I was glad. That reduced the risk of her getting involved.

Kuroyama Hinoki the Mermaid gave me a glance through her sunglasses.

…She was asking if we should continue discussing this here.

I shook my head.

No, we should not.

“Oh, honestly…”

The Class Rep puffed out her white cheeks at being left out. She seemed more upset that she did not understand what that eye contact had meant than that we were discussing something in secret.

“Stupid Satori-kun. Oh, just you watch!! I’ll train even harder and learn some secret technique that lets me kick even an Archenemy’s butt!!”

I really didn’t like the sound of that, but she stormed off.

“The scary part is she could probably find a way. What do I do now? If she shaves off one of her eyebrows, puts on a ratty sleeveless dogi, and says she’s going training in the mountains, I don’t think I can stop her.”

I muttered to myself as I watched her leave, but the bipedal mermaid giggled while hiding her identity with the Three Sacred Treasures of the hat, mask, and sunglasses.

“What’s wrong with having such a cute friend?”

“Maybe if it was all wasted effort, but you can’t let your guard down with her because she really will climb the ranks of whatever martial art she works at. She takes everything she does way to seriously.”

I finally turned my smartphone back on and sighed as I connected to Maxwell.

But Kuroyama Hinoki still acted like she had seen something bright.

“She’s still cute. …Oh, I get it. She’s training her body because she’s afraid of having people like us take you away from her. In that case, maybe I shouldn’t have intruded on your fun.”

“?”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but did Archenemies think being attacked by a wooden sword was “fun”? Their sensibilities were a bit of a mystery.

I pushed my collapsible bike with both hands as I started down the road again.

“What do you need today? You’ve been freed from the Colosseum, haven’t you?”

“Remember what I said? I want to pay you back.”

I forgot to climb onto the bike’s seat.

I fell silent and we stared at each other for a while.

“…Even if that means moving back toward the Bright Cross?”

“…”

“If not, then just leave. If so, then you’re treating this too lightly and it kind of pisses me off. Listen, it wasn’t me that risked my life. It was Itou Helen. She literally bet her life on rescuing a complete stranger, so your debt is to her. So are you really going to waste the life she gave you? Think carefully about this. How would you feel if your situations were reversed? …Did you really get all the way here without realizing you deserve to be punched for this?”

“…That’s exactly why I want to do this.”

Kuroyama Hinoki also placed her hands on the bike’s handlebars.

She seemed to be telling me she would not let me continue on.

“If our situations had been reversed, I have no idea if I would have been able to give so much thought to my opponent. In fact, when I was fighting, I was only focused on surviving. It wasn’t about what I could or couldn’t do. I never even considered anything else. So I think I understand how noble the witch’s…Itou Helen’s answer was. That was a fantasy I never even considered, but she made it a reality.”

“…”

“The witch in the Little Mermaid was cruel, but to the very end, the mermaid must have been thankful of the witch who made her dream come true. I’m the same. And since she made a supposedly impossible dream come true, I can’t just ignore that. I can’t let her die while I live happily ever after up on land.”

Kuroyama Hinoki stared right at me through her sunglasses.

She was not looking away.

“If you want to punch me, then punch away. If that’s the rite of passage needed to save that witch, I’ll go through with it. Now, what do I have to do to be a part of your group?”

“…Fine.”

I mussed up my bangs with a hand and sighed.

“I appreciate your help. But you only get to work in the background. It’s Itou Helen and me that will actually take on the Bright Cross. …You’ve already ‘retired’, so no matter what happens, you can’t return to those death matches. Make sure you understand that.”

“Understood. …You really are a worrier. But that might be what’s drawn so many Archenemies to you. We tend to be tough, so no matter how reckless we get, people rarely worry for us like they do other people.”

We exchanged a handshake.

Her hand was cold, like I was holding a fish caught on a hook.

“This might be sudden, but…since you’re in a school uniform, I take it you’re continuing with the normal cycle of school life?”

“Sorry. I know it really isn’t the time.”

“It’s fine and I understand. If you let unusual circumstances drag you around, you can grow accustomed to them and you let them win. …But you do understand that we don’t know when Itou-san’s next match begins, right?”

Of course I understood that.

We had safely won the 1st match. But no one could guarantee how the next one would go. In fact, it was set up so the danger would increase with each consecutive match. Just like the odds in Russian roulette.

It was just like a prisoner on death row who wasn’t told when his execution was scheduled. Today might have been fine, but what about tomorrow? What about a week from now? When that moment of ruin could be coming at any time, they could never relax.

That was why I…no, we had to stop this.

Even if we opened a hole in the wall and dragged Itou Helen out, they could send out a bunch of hounds and take her back. So we had to stop this on a more fundamental level: the entire execution system.

“Even if we’re fighting the Bright Cross, it’s all for nothing if Itou-san is taken out on the way.”

Kuroyama Hinoki nodded at the determination in my eyes.

“So even if it only extends the time limit for the time being, I think it’s important to gather as much information as we can: who her next opponent is, what kind of Archenemy they are, and what their traits are.”

“Come to think of it, we had a lot of trouble yesterday because we didn’t have a chance to do that.”

Both with the mermaid herself and with Itou Helen’s hidden power and true desire.

If we had known everything from the beginning, things would have gone a lot differently.

“I’d also like to know about the witch’s power. What are its limits and how adaptable is it? Simply put, what can it do and how far can it go?”

We wouldn’t be able to prick the opponent with a venomous needle to fake their death every single time. But if we had a stock of other methods, we would have greater odds of rescuing the other Archenemies.

We were fighting on the stage set by the Bright Cross, so we were at an overwhelming disadvantage and trying to plot against them was truly foolish. But having some rescue methods stored up would still influence how confident we felt.

“Understood. So will your job primarily be investigating things?”

“I’ll give you a throwaway address. You can use it as casually as a search engine. Send a request and I’ll get to gathering info.”

I also had to investigate the Bright Cross’s system and search out its weaknesses, but it would be best not to tell her that. I didn’t want to lose the life we had worked so hard to save.

Then I received a message from the smartphone stuck into the GPS navigation slot on the bike’s handlebars.

“No. I, Maxwell, am the user’s information gathering agent, so that will not be necessary.”

“Hey, what is this? Is someone watching us from somewhere?”

The disguised mermaid looked around nervously.

“No, just think of it like an AI on the phone.”

“Hm? An electric Archenemy? Is it like a gremlin?”

Kuroyama Hinoki did not quite seem to get it.

“But old books are much more useful than the internet when it comes to finding information on Archenemies. That’s better than putting your life in the hands of some random online encyclopedia, right? I know a lot about the libraries and used bookstores around here, so I’m perfect for the job.”

“…”

“Maxwell, don’t send back an ellipsis as a message. If you have something to say, just come out and say it.”

“Sure. Since I have your approval, I will follow the policy given to me. Boo 凸(´Д｀) ”

“Maxwell, I don’t know what happened, but don’t flip off a girl.”

“It’s fine. Oh, I know. I can show you around to the best library and used bookstore. There’s no point in hiding my sources. Are you free afterschool?”

“I am. Let’s meet up after my classes let out.”

With that, we parted ways.

Every little bit helped.

I was glad to know there were others who wanted to help Itou Helen.

Part 3

I pedaled my collapsible bike to school and found most everyone discussing yesterday’s incident.

Namely, the live broadcast of the Level 4 Archenemy disposal system.

The Colosseum reborn as glamorous show business.

“That was so cool. Itou’s that girl in the 1st year, right? That was her national debut. If I got a photo with her, I could get so many likes on Counstagram!”

“As her teacher, I’d noticed a while back that she had the aura of someone special. And that she’s an Archenemy. Of course I’d noticed.”

It was all like this.

From the underclassmen to the upperclassmen, everyone who loved gossip was discussing it like it was no more than the latest fad. Even the adult teachers were in on it.

This was what happened once she appeared on TV? It was like a clear line between those filled with anger and the targets of that anger. Couldn’t they tell they were talking about a normal girl who had studied at the same school as them until yesterday and who could smile or feel heartbroken from even the slightest comment!?

I couldn’t hide my anger, but I had something to take care of. I walked to Itou Helen’s underclassmen classroom.

I couldn’t actually meet with her.

I didn’t even know where she was.

But I was allowed to hold a video chat with her over my smartphone for a short predetermined amount of time every day.

“Um, I want you to make sure Pi-chan the parrot is okay.”

The witch on the screen really had been worried about that. Even more than herself despite being stuffed inside a birdcage. That reminded me she was the one that looked after the animals.

“Pi-chan is surprisingly sensitive and, um, he sometimes learns weird words when I’m not looking…”

I didn’t intend to stay in the underclassmen area for long.

I only had to check to see who would give the parrot food and water while Itou Helen was gone. That was all.

But that casual feeling was blown to pieces the instant I peeked through the classroom door.

“Hah hah! This is the zombie parrot from that video, right!? Wow, it’s so creepy. Its wounds really do heal. That’s creepy as hell!!”

Something was there.

It was a large boy. His cellphone’s flash was going off as he aimed it toward the birdcage by the window as he got worked up all on his own.

“Wow. Why isn’t this thing dead? Is it one of those birds that can come back from the dead? I bet this’ll make me famous. Talk about a scoop!! I’ve gotta get a close up! A real close up!! Ah hah hah!”

An odd smell came from the classroom.

The bird’s food was splattered around the area and it gave off an unpleasant smell when mixed with the water.

An unrestrained male voice, bright flashes of light, and an awful mix of bird food and water.

This wasn’t someone to worry about too much.

And so I didn’t worry at all about the idiot’s human rights.

“Maxwell.”

“No. This will accomplish nothing. Saving the parrot will not change Itou Helen’s situation. And the opponent has a larger build than you. Age-wise, he is probably your upperclassman. Do you want conflict?”

“I don’t care about that. …Help me here. That’s an order.”

“Sure.”

The members of this class were not particularly protecting Itou Helen. They simply looked unsure how to deal with the sudden intrusion from an upperclassman.

So I would show them how to deal with idiots like this.

“Wow, I didn’t know it was possible to be that ugly. If you actually understand human language, then turn this way.”

“Ah?”

From the sound of it, the idiot couldn’t speak human language after all. The instant he turned around, I set off my smartphone’s flash right in front of his face.

After blinding him, I bent back and slammed a full-power headbutt right into the forehead of that ape who hadn’t quite reached the level of humanity.

I was impressed by the nice crack of the impact.

With our foreheads pressed together, I made a superb suggestion.

“Let’s take this outside, scum. I’ll make sure you can never walk down the hallway with your head up again.”

I didn’t wait for him to answer.

I used both hands to shove him right out the 2nd story window.

Part 4

I was sure I would be suspended and had even planned to use the extra free time to focus on our research, but I got off surprisingly lightly. The school’s teachers may not have wanted to hurt the school’s brand by leaving any paper records of the incident.

After a lecture that amounted to a slap on the wrist, I left the guidance room and found the forehead glasses Class Rep waiting for me in the hallway. She had her hands on her hips and held the parrot’s birdcage.

“Honestly, just because you can’t win in a straight fight is no reason to shove them out a window the second you meet them.”

“He would’ve beaten me to a pulp if I hadn’t.”

“Meaning?”

I silently held out my smartphone’s screen.

It showed a close up of someone’s ugly and swollen face.

“Sigh…”

Despite her exasperated sigh, the Class Rep smiled.

I was hardly an expert at getting into fights.

Turning things around against someone bigger than you only happened in manga. Size was absolute, which was why most martial arts were divided out into weight classes. But if your opponent’s mind had gone blank from fear and confusion, you could almost unilaterally kick them around. That was all this was.

Maxwell gave some additional information.

“Sure. He was apparently Okada Mitsuru of General Division Year 3 Class 2. His user name on the school’s unofficial site seems to be trying to recruit people to help him gang up on the underclassman that pissed him off, but it has worked against him. He is being flamed most severely. Of course, announcing a cowardly attempt at revenge after getting called out on tormenting a small animal and then getting beaten up by an underclassman was bound to make him a laughing stock. …Incidentally, his posts on the unofficial site were anonymously reported to every university in the country, so this will negatively affect his attempts at furthering his education. Take that 凸(｀^´) ”

“What you two are doing is honestly pretty terrible, but you always take the shortest and optimal course, so it’s impossible to keep up.” The Class Rep sighed again. “I should really be scolding you here, but I can’t bring myself to do it when I see this.”

The two of us walked through the school that was quiet now that classes had begun.

“What do we do about the parrot?”

“I’ll take care of it,” said the Class Rep. “They didn’t seem to know what to do with it in the 1st year classroom and they seemed afraid of having to deal with something like this morning, so I’ll look after it at my house.”

“You don’t have to go that far. I can raise a small bird at my house.”

“I’m afraid it would learn some unfortunate words if you took care of it.”

…Is she still holding a grudge over that swimsuit dance file set? Stop giving me that look, Class Rep!!

“Hey, Satori-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“…Are you okay?”

The Class Rep asked me that.

She had arrived at school before me, so she had to have heard everyone talking about the Colosseum. Even if she didn’t know how much I was involved, it had to be hurting her heart to know that Archenemies were being made to fight for some ugly show business.

And since I had a vampire older sister and a zombie little sister, she may have thought I had picked a fight with that upperclassman because I was so furious about it all.

And that may not have been entirely wrong.

Even if I was saving the parrot, had shoving him out the window and jumping down after him been the only way? Really?

She may have had a clearer picture of me than I did.

I smiled a little and answered.

“I’m fine. If things get really bad, I’ll discuss it with you.”

“I see.”

She did not ask anything more.

The way she moved in and pulled back to maintain the perfect distance may have been something only a childhood friend could pull off.

It may have been interrupted by some recreation, but the classes themselves were running like normal. There had not actually been an announcement about the fight, so those who didn’t know about it seemed to just think I was late.

In other words, the teachers wanted to avoid any trouble.

Good or evil. They were not going to judge my actions either way. Turning me into a hero or a target of bullying were both negative outcomes in their minds.

It was a lot like how the classes were running like normal even though one of their students had been abducted.

It was said you could see a