The Carnelian Sparrow

Chapter 7

Minutes had passed since the last bell had rung, yet Hanako was lingering in the hallway just by the school’s entrance. Hanako hadn’t run into either of the two individuals that she was avoiding, but she couldn’t help but feel on edge.

Koharu had already gone home, unable to stay behind as Midori personally went to pick her up from the Newspaper Club room. Shinju had stayed with Hanako as long as she could, but as Hanako had denied the offer for her older sister to take her home, Shinju had no choice but to leave her behind. Closing her eyes, Hanako let out a soft, quiet sigh. She took a cautious step towards the door, only to stop and flinch as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Whoa, hey. Sorry, didn’t mean to startle ya. Just me, kid.” Yui’s voice was calm for once, devoid of her usual sarcastic bite, and she quickly retracted her hand. “Don’t tell me you’re lookin’ over your shoulder too.”

Hanako turned to face Yui, doing her best to calm her breathing. She quickly relaxed, noticing that she seemed oddly at ease with the fact that Yui was the one to find her. “I… It’s nothing. Just… I…”

Yui didn’t seem to need Hanako to finish the sentence. “That Tomatsu chick. Right? Creepy ass third year? Well, you’re worryin’ over nothing. She didn’t come to school today.”

The dullness in Yui’s hollow tone caught Hanako’s attention, and her eyes widened a bit. “D… Don’t tell me, she is… after you, as well?!”

Shaking her head, Yui leaned against the wall beside Hanako. “Ran into her on a hunt, though. You can believe me when I say that I’ll know whether she’s around or not. Creeped me the hell out.” Yui folded her hands behind her head and sighed heavily. “Fine mess I made, huh? Coverin’ for Koharu on the fly, leavin’ that rock in your club room, and now we got one hell of a monster waitin’ to beat our asses.”

“…I… I still cannot blame you for that, Yui. There was… no way of knowing how the school would react. Or… or how their target would react, either…”

“I guess. There really was no way of knowin’ I’d be puttin’ everyone in the sights of one of the most dangerous Magical Girls I’ve ever seen. I’m allowed to feel like crap about it.”

Hanako coughed a bit from the shock. “Rui… Rui Tomatsu is… a Magical Girl?!”

“Jeez, weren’t you listening? I said I ran into her on a hunt. She uh… kinda blew the entire barrier to hell. Was like watchin’ a mirror shatter or something. I was tracking what I thought was a pretty strong Witch, but that feeling stuck around after the barrier was gone. I played dumb to avoid a fight, but I don’t think it really worked. Well, maybe it did, we didn’t fight I guess. Any case, neither of us can run from her forever. Whatever the hell she’s after, anyway.”

Hanako stared down in silence for a long time. The girl that the school was framing for the broken clubroom window was not only a bully, but a Magical Girl as well? It was all too much.

“Hey,” Yui continued, “I heard y'all are trying to clear her name. Y'know how tall an order that is, right? Girl like that’s guilty of a lot of crap. Maybe not what the school’s sayin’, but… well, you get where I’m goin’ with this, right? I picked a fight with her before I made my contract once, and uh… yeah. She’s got a lot goin’ on up there.” Yui emphasized her meaning with a tap to her temple.

Hanako’s eyes flashed a bit with resolve. “…We’re… not going to let the school frame someone for a crime she did not commit. Even… even someone as cruel as Rui Tomatsu. Even if she is… guilty of a myriad other infractions… she is not guilty of this one.”

The reaction from Yui was not what Hanako was expecting. She merely nodded, closing her eyes. “Alright then. That settles it. Y'all are rock solid. Even in the toughest of storms, ya still find your way out, and you do it on your own terms. No shortcuts, and no compromise. You have my respect.”

“…Th-Thank you, I… I suppose?” Hanako didn’t know what to say. She still didn’t necessarily -like- Yui, but she couldn’t deny how reassuring it was to have an ally in the Magical Girl world, especially given the twofold threat of both Rui and Esther. Yui must have sensed this, because she had extended her hand. Hanako awkwardly shook it after a long pause, still averting her gaze and quickly pulling her hand back.

The two were quiet for a long moment, with Hanako breaking the silence. “…Are… are all third years like this? I… I ran into someone else. Someone named… Esther Rinju. …Alice’s older sister, she said.”

Yui immediately pounded the wall behind her, causing Hanako to jump. “…Sorry. Yeah, uh, I know her. She pull some overprotective mama bear bullshit on you too? Arrogant fu—”

“…‘Too’? Did she… did she give you some spiel about… staying away from Alice? You two are… close, are you not?”

Yui raised an eyebrow. “The hell d'ya mean 'close’? Alice is my best friend, that’s all. Has been since we were twelve. But uh, yeah.” With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the wall and stared out the front doors. “Not like I’m gonna take that 'advice’ or anything. Esther can kiss my ass.”

“…She wasn’t… hostile or rude. Just… I didn’t like… the feeling I got, while talking to her. That’s all. It was… it was like her words were a… a mask she wore.” After a bit of hesitation, Hanako continued. “…She… offered me assistance, as… as a Magical Girl, however.”

Without much reaction, Yui was quiet for a minute or two. The gears in Yui’s mind appeared to slowly turn, until finally, she spoke again. “So take her up on it.” Before Hanako could interrupt, Yui elaborated. “In fact, don’t even make something up. Tell Esther that you got a bully problem, someone from her class. See how she reacts. It’ll be a thorn in Rui’s side and keep Esther busy. Worst case scenario, nothing really comes of it.”

“I… Yui, I don’t think—” Hanako stopped talking as soon as she caught sight of Alice approaching the duo.

“Hey. What’s with the gathering?” Alice was holding a half-empty bottle of fruit juice loosely in her right hand, glancing between both Yui and Hanako. “Did I miss something?”

Yui reacted as quickly as she always did, with her tone suddenly shifting up into what sounded like her usual, dismissive tone. “Ah, Hanako met your sister yesterday, that’s all. Got spooked by the scaaaary big sister routine.”

Hanako’s face went pale, and she stammered a bit, though Alice rolled her eyes as she spoke before Hanako could get a word in. “Ugh. She’s always like that. Don’t take her too seriously, Hanako, she’s more bark than bite.”

“Well, not -all- bark. I still remember how stiff my shoulder was that time we met after I made my wish.” Yui rolled her shoulder for emphasis. “Still the toughest Magical Girl I’ve ever seen. Y'know, she didn’t even pull out a weapon for that little bout? I -still- don’t know what her powers are.”

Alice once again showed no outward reaction to how casually Yui was talking about this, something that made Hanako visibly uncomfortable. “Sis got more protective after making her wish. Between her and Yui, I don’t think Kyubey can get anywhere near close to me anymore.”

“Is that… is that the goal? You know, Alice… um… y-you don’t -have- to become a, um… a Magical Girl like us. It’s… it’s not compulsory or anything…” Hanako was shuffling nervously in place, the air shifting around her a bit.

Yui, however, merely scoffed. “Yeah. For most girls, maybe. But y'see, the damn cat’s had its eye on Alice for a long time now. It’s nice enough, sure. But Hanako, don’t take everything it says at face value, 'kay? Nothin’ in life comes for free like that. And no, fighting like we do isn’t the price I’m talkin’ about.”

Hanako blinked in confused silence. Kyubey had always been warm and kind to Hanako, listening to her problems without much judgment. But deep down, she had a feeling that the end goal was to make a contract. She couldn’t figure out why, exactly, but she knew that this deal wasn’t everything Kyubey promised on the surface. Still, that feeling wasn’t enough to sway Hanako to refuse. Still, she always had the feeling that she -could- have refused. Something about all this didn’t make sense.

“Don’t think too deeply about it, Hanako.” Alice seemed to read Hanako’s overthinking expression. “Even this is probably just my sister and Yui being overprotective.” Flashing a stern expression to Yui, Alice then turns to give a reassuring one to Hanako as she digs into her bag. “Here, I’ll give you Esther’s number. She really does mean well, and she’s helped girls in your position before.” Alice tore a small corner of notebook paper, writing something down hastily and handed it over to Hanako.

Pocketing the slip, Hanako would give a polite nod, her awkward way of dismissing herself from a conversation, and made her way out of the school building. Once out of sight, Alice would sigh, turning back to face Yui. “So on a scale of one to ten, how complicated did everything just get?”

“Hmm. Six, maybe like a seven?” Yui folded her hands into her pockets and closed her eyes. “If your sister can help the rookie find her way, it’ll be fine. Probably.”

Alice’s face lowered a bit, as did her voice. “You know… you shouldn’t worry about Esther too much either. Her heart really is in the right place.”

“Who said I was worried?” Giving an indifferent shrug, Yui started for the doors, only to be stopped by Alice once again.

“I can tell, you know. I know when something is keeping you up at night. You’re overthinking things. …I know better than to ask, so let’s just save everybody some time.” Alice gave a heavy sigh. “Maybe take tonight off and just… I dunno, chill out?”

Yui was quiet for a moment, then turned to give Alice a reassuring smile. “Hm. Not a bad idea. I think I’ll do just that.”

Night had long since fallen, and Yui had left her apartment in a quiet hurry. She wasn’t on the hunt tonight, however. Yui was making her way down towards an even shadier neighborhood than the one she lived in. One street into an alleyway, down into another, seldom traveled road, broken and dissheveled by weather and neglect, and finally in front of an unremarkable brick building. An office building, perhaps? It was surrounded by other, equally weathered buildings. Shady offices, legal firms, maybe even fronts for criminal activity. Such things didn’t concern Yui. She knew where she was.

Yui approached a metal door on the side of the building, barely enough room for a person to stand in the alley between it and its neighbor. She knocked twice, then three times, then one solid pound. After a few seconds, the door opened, and Yui entered without incident.

She made sure to never draw attention to herself when approaching the site of her grandfather’s fights, and Garou had made sure to let everyone involved with the operation know who she was, in case she decided to spectate, or even one day compete, if she felt so inclined. Yui had been offered the 'job’ more than once. And while she considered it, she declined. She knew what this life did to her grandfather, after all, and deep down, Garou knew that Yui could do better with her life.

Making her way in, Yui descended further underground. Increasingly dim halls narrowed around her as she descended one staircase, then another. Yui eventually came to another steel door, a single slot visible at Yui’s eye level. As she approached, it slid open, a pare of dull eyes on the other side. “Who is it?”

“Princess Arashi. I’m here to watch the King.” Yui’s reply was as swift as it always was. The person on the other side closed the small window, the sound of multiple locks clicking soon after, and finally, the door swung open.

Inside was a large, round clearing with raised, stadium-like seats surrounding a pit. In the center stood a shoddy looking, yet sturdy enough steel cage. There was a crowd, though not a particularly large crowd. If too many people gathered, it would inevitably draw the kind of attention the operators would like to avoid, especially as people would leave at the end of the event. Despite the small size, there were more than enough people to keep the endeavor funded. Spectating an underground fight club wasn’t cheap, after all.

Most of the spectators were worn out, burned out business types. Bankers, office workers, the type of people who needed to blow off steam (the kind of steam the karaoke bars or cabaret clubs couldn’t quell anymore, anyway) tended to gather in places like this, living a fantasy of violent release that they could never actually have themselves. Yui found the crowd pathetic on most nights. Gym memberships were cheaper, she would say to herself, and then, you at least get to actually hit something.

Sitting on his knees in the middle of the ring, Garou Arashi sat, eyes closed. He was putting on the image of a focused, seasoned fighter, a veteran of the battlefield. The crowd was cheering, mostly in restless anticipation. Yui’s grandfather had made a name for himself over the last year or so, ever since his winning streak began. He didn’t win every night, but he always put on a show good enough that the managers of this place eventually placed him in higher positions within the organization.

Yui took a seat in the back of the arena, staring down and waiting. She knew her grandfather’s act well. The stoic master, expert of any and all things combat with a mysterious, shady past, versus some young buck looking to carve his own name out of Garou Arashi’s hide. He never ended a fight quickly; everyone paid a pretty penny for a show, after all.

A deep, smooth voice would echo from the speakers in the corners of the arena. “Attention, everyone. Tonight’s main event is about to begin. Our reigning champion, King Arashi, is here to once again defend his honor in the ring.” The voice paused, allowing for applause and cheering to take place before resuming the introduction. “His opponent is like none he has ever faced before, however. Tonight, he faces a newcomer to our little circle. Tonight, our King faces the Phantom of Cursed Blood!”

The crowd’s cheering continued as Yui rolled her eyes. “Jeez… these damn stage names are gettin’ more and more stupid by the week. Last time, it was 'Virtuoso’ and 'Chairman’ and god forbid 'Maestro’. Kinda liked that 'Troubadour’ guy, at least. Ah well. This shouldn’t take too long.” Yui watched as the cage door opposite her grandfather opened, and her eyes widened as she saw his opponent.

A girl, older than Yui by about a year, dressed in a simple white outfit stepped foot into the ring. Her pale blonde hair sat neat in a ponytail, and on her face, a pearl-white opera mask, laced silver beads along the edges. She wasted little time upon entry assuming a simple combat stance, both fists balled and held up in front of her.

Yui shook her head in disbelief. “No… what the hell are you doing here, Esther?!”

Garou swiftly rose to his feet, assuming a stance of his own. He was unflinching as he stared at the girl, completely silent. The announcer’s voice picked back up after the cheering subsided. “Fighters, at the ready. And…” The crowed hushed for a long, silent moment that seemed to hang. “…Begin!”

The bell rang, and both fighters launched forward towards one another. Esther’s fist found its mark before Garou’s arm could even fully extend towards her, landing firmly into his stomach. He reeled back a step or two, but hooked his left arm towards her shoulder. Esther would swiftly avoid this by rolling around his side, another swift jab hitting his lower back.

Garou stumbled, yet he didn’t fall. Wheeling around, he tried a few more quick strikes, nothing seeming to even come close to hitting the target. Esther was expertly dodging every single hit Garou aimed at her, and sneaking in quick jabs of her own. She would hit his stomach, his side, his hip, his upper and lower back, and finally, a firm, open palm strike at the center of his chest.

With a groan, Garou reeled backwards, catching himself as he fell to one knee, clutching his chest with labored breathing. He looked up at the girl before him, who showed no expression, and no hint of weakness. He knew he was outclassed and beaten, yet he still had to save face somehow. Shakily, Garou rose to his feet, wiping the sweat from his forehead before beckoning his opponent towards him once more.

Esther lunged forward once more, her hand balled into a tight fist and pulled back. She was aiming for a finishing blow this time. Moving his head at the last possible moment. Esther’s punch sailed right by his cheek as she made contact with the cage. Not wasting the opportunity, Garou brought his knee up towards her ribs.

Esther stumbled from the counterattack, staring at him with the hint of a crazed flash in her eyes. It would fade in an instant as she lunged again. This time, she rolled over Garou’s next attempt at a rising knee, swiftly moving behind him and quickly back to her feet. She brought her own knee right against the small of his back, and this time, Garou fell flat onto the floor below, a defeated groan leaving his lips.

The fight lasted less than two minutes, and the bell would ring once more, once it was apparent that Garou was not going to get up this time. “We… erm, we have a winner, it seems! The Phantom has defeated our King!” The crowd was confused, yet the cheering was deafening once the outcome had set in. They clearly were not used to matches ending so quickly. Yui had seemingly vanished in the chaos.

Esther had made no move to further attack Garou, however, and once the bell had rung, she turned to leave the ring. She made her way backstage, towards the manager’s office to collect her reward. Waiting for her right by the ring was a very irate, upset Yui.

“And you told -me- to stay away from Alice.” Yui’s right hand was balled into a fist at her side, which was trembling from the effort it took her to remain calm.

“I did. It seems that you finally understand the basic concept of simple communication. Now tell me, what are you doing here? Are you stalking me now, to fill the void of losing out on stalking my baby sister?”

Yui’s fist came up against the wall beside her. “Don’t you goddamn start that shit with me, Esther! This is -my- turf! That was my grandfather you just beat the crap out of!”

Esther’s eyes widened in a hint of shock. Pausing for a moment, as if reconsidering her next words, she continued. “I see. Then I was right in going easy on him after that surprise counter attack. I went in thinking he was just some drunkard.”

“You’re a fucking Magical Girl, Esther! D'you have any goddamn idea how dangerous it is for you to fight some normal-ass human?! What the hell are you doing down here in a cage fight, anyway? Got bored bullying your juniors or something? What could someone like you possibly—”

“I need the money, Yui.” Esther’s tone was flat, showing no reaction to Yui’s angered taunting. “Quickly, and all at once. And don’t bother asking what it’s for, because you and I both know that I’m not going to tell you.”

Grabbing Esther by the neck, Yui pinned her against the opposite wall. “You goddamned hypocrite! Fine then, since you’re so keen on -simple communication-, lemme spell it out for you. You stay the fuck away from -my- family. Or do you fancy yourself some kinda goddamn queen, dishing out rules for us peasants to follow?”

Esther sputtered a bit from Yui’s sudden attack, but couldn’t quite break free. “Y-You know… ugh… you can’t beat me. In a straight fight… I… ugh…”

Yui leaned in, inches away from Esther’s face and stared directly into her eyes. “You wanna find out? 'Cause you just made it personal. And trust me, yours isn’t the only family with skeletons in the closet.”

Finally pulling herself free, Esther jumped aside, staggering against the wall and coughing a bit. She spent a moment trying to compose herself, but Yui had seen flashes of rage beneath her facade. Esther took a deep, controlled breath before speaking in a suddenly calmer voice. “…I still trust my odds, should you wish to continue. You and I both know how this goes.” Her eyes opened soon after, and a gentle smile crossed Esther’s face.

“Like I said. Wanna bet? 'Cause your sorry ass might’ve won against a nearly retired cage fighter, but I’m much more fresh, and a lot less green. So c'mon, let’s make this -interesting-.”

Esther’s eyes flashed again, but she remained composed. “Are you challenging me to some sort of revenge fuelled grudge fight here in this decrepit, underground ring? I never thought you so masochistic that you would require an audience.”

“Shut up. I’m gonna make this simple, Esther. You an’ me are gonna fight here tomorrow night. If I can stay on my feet for longer than Pops did, then you give up on keepin’ me away from Alice and admit I’m not this shitty influence you’re makin’ me out to be.”

“And if I succeed in beating you before the time runs out?”

Yui’s eyes flashed with a determination that Esther had never seen before. “Then I leave town. None o'ya will ever see or hear from me again. That’s a promise.”

“You and I both know what that’s going to do to Alice, Yui.”

“Not my problem. You said to stay away, right? I bail, then this whole shit’s your problem. Those are my terms. You takin’ the bet? Or are you gonna admit I’m worth somethin’ to your family and back off?”

Esther went quiet once more, seeming to ponder this turn of events. Finally, she gave a slow, single nod. “Fine. It’s a bet. I’ll see you tomorrow night, then. Keep yourself in top condition.” She made her way past Yui, heading into the manager’s office behind her.

Yui didn’t remember much after that, having been nearly blinded by rage. She knew enough that she stormed out of the arena after Esther went to collect her winnings, but everything else was a blur. When she came to her senses, she was back home in her little apartment. Her grandfather was sitting in an armchair, an empty beer can clutched in his right hand, staring at the television’s blank static. “Geez… been a long while since I got my ass kicked like that. And on the one night you come by to watch me fight in like… what, a year?”

Garou coughed a few times, groaning as he rubbed his bandaged waist. Yui took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “Heh. I guess I’m your bad luck charm, or something.”

“Hey, don’t sound so scared, kid. I’m not as young as I used to be, sure. But I’ll be back on my feet in no time. The boss said the crowd reaction to watchin’ me lose for once, especially to some cosplay freak was a big draw. Shame she didn’t stick around.”

“Better that way, Pops. …Let it be some story they all tell, the kind that they wonder if it’s some kinda fever dream months from now. You’re still the King.”

Garou lit a cigarette, taking a drag before flicking the ashes into the empty beer can. “…I better be. You paid one hell of a price to put me on my throne, Yui.” Meeting Yui’s stunned, pale face, he continued. “Don’t play dumb, kid. I’ve known about that world for a long time. You don’t get to run an organization in the shadows here in Mitakihara without crossin’ into that world.”

“I mean, there I am, losin’ fight after fight, wonderin’ if that would be it for me. Saw your face in the crowd that night, and figured that’s it. Some wild punk would go too far, take me out, get the club shut down, and I’d leave some inheritance that’d last long enough for you to finish school. Next thing I know, I get the biggest second wind of my life, and then I just kept on winnin’ after that.”

“Suddenly, my grandkid’s no longer gettin’ into street fights, but disappearin’ at night. And I know for a fact there’s not some second club like mine out there, not in this city. So I get to thinkin’ about your mother, and it added up.”

Yui had sat in stunned silence listening to him talk, only for the last few words to take the wind out of her completely. “…Mom was one too?”

“So tell me, kid,” Garou said, ignoring Yui’s question completely, “I gotta know. What did you wish for. Exact words. What did my baby grandkid sell her goddamn soul for?”

Yui stared down at the floor, quiet for what felt like hours, even if only seconds had passed. Pops would want his answer. He was owed the truth, Yui couldn’t deny it. “…You were dyin’ in there, Pops. In the ring that night. Bloody, bruised, broken… you were halfway to the grave. And I’m a stupid little kid that didn’t wanna watch her Pops die like that. So I wished for you to have the strength to pull yourself back. The strength to win and survive.”

Garou took another long drag from his cigarette, his eyes closed and voice calm. “S'bout what I guessed. You’re a lot stronger now than you were a year ago, that’s for damn sure. But take it from a pro. I’ve been doin’ this shit all my life, Yui. You need a break. If you don’t stop now and let all this go, it’s gonna break you first.”

“…You know I’m gonna want answers of my own, Pops. Besides, kinda hard to let it go when I got myself a match with the chick tomorrow night.”

Garou chuckled rather darkly as he took another drag. “Whatever you say, kid. Just don’t go gettin’ hurt out there, yeah?” He watched Yui stumble her way back to her room. As the door closed, he pulled an envelope out from under the cushion of his chair. “…I got some readin’ to do. I may not run the place anymore, but god damn it, I’ll know what my granddaughter’s up to in this city. Now, what are you hiding… Esther Rinju?”