Part Two - 02 | Rebellion Of The Unjust

You're being watched.

Linia hums a little tune as she walks ahead of you into and out of the streets of Ranoa. As usual she's got her arms behind her head, chin tilted up, a little smile on her face — but you can't quite see the whole of it.

A month ago, you would not be seeing her in this state: carefree and happy. Instead, she'd likely be threatening you again, holding you by your neck, hissing in your face while you cower there against your will because you're afraid of what might happen to you if you fight back.

It's a breath of fresh air to learn that she wasn't that strong after all. You're still not one to stroke your own ego, but you've got this cat on a leash. You smile to yourself, losing yourself in the thought. Ah, yes, power... prestige... control...

"Oi, you good back there, Boss?" Linia's voice snaps you out of your brief daydream in an instant. Your eyes dart to her and then back down at your feet, watching the brick pathway fade away under your stride. She's easily caught onto your trancelike state.

"Yeah," you manage to say. Linia slows down to match your pace, walking beside you.

"Hmm, you know, Boss... hanging around you is pretty sweet."

You don't expect it but her tone is sincere. Though she's not looking at you as she speaks, you can hear the genuineness of her words. There is a split second where she glances at your reaction but ends up focusing on the road ahead right after anyway.

"Don't give me that look," she groans. "I know we're just taking a walk together. But still — I guess I feel kinda, err, powerful when I'm with you. If only I'd met you sooner, nya-ha."

"Nothing would've changed," you say, deadpan. "You'd still torture me."

Linia pauses, thinking it over in her head. A moment later you hear her chuckling. "Yeah, you're right! My point still stands, though! You're a keeper, Boss."

A... keeper?

Somehow, hearing this girl say something like that doesn't sound right. She must be speaking out the side of her head. A keeper? Wow, she's really warmed up to you. Boss, to her, isn't just a nickname. It's a title that garners undivided respect.

...

Before you can question her choice of words out loud, you focus instead on the sound of footsteps trailing you. They've been there for a while now, breaking off every now and again as your pursuers attempt to fool you.

You're being watched. And followed.

"What's up, Boss?" Linia notices you stop and turn around and doesn't go any further without you. She cocks an eyebrow, her curious eyes fixed on the figure who's been following you all this time — a young man dressed in an academy uniform. He has his head lowered, hands tucked in his pockets, blonde hair shielding his eyes.

When he lifts his chin and you see the dark bags hanging beneath a pair of blue eyes, you get a chill running down your back. One you can't describe. You've never seen this guy before yet there's already something off about him.

Despite your skepticism, you hold your ground. "You've been tailing us for a while," you firmly say, facing the boy. "Can I help you?"

Linia stares from you to the boy and back, then leans into your ear and whispers: "Can I beat his ass?"

"It's rare to see the catgirl without her mutt counterpart around," says the boy, looking directly at Linia now. "They're like white on rice. Can't be apart for five seconds. That's the only reason everyone bows down to them."

You don't even need to look at Linia to feel fury boiling in her throat. She grits her teeth, clenches her fist, starts to step forward before you take her arm and hold her back.

"You wanna repeat that, you little shit?" she snarls at the blonde boy, who simply grins and mocks her with his gaze. Those blue eyes sparkle with both contempt and mischief.

"I think you heard me," he says.

Linia tries to pull free from your grasp but you won't let her off the hook. "Oh... I remember you, blondie. You tried talking back a few months ago and I clocked you in your jaw, nya."

The boy's grin turns into a grimace.

... you understand now. You see what's going on. Victims of the Doldia girls never do fight back, because when Linia and Pursena are paired together, they're an unstoppable force.

This guy is a victim. And now that Linia is without her sister...

"Hey, tell your friends to quit hiding," you say, breaking the tension between the blonde and Linia. The beast-girl responds before the boy does, suddenly aware that there was more to this discreet pursuit.

"You're perceptive, I'll give you that," says the boy. He takes his hands out of his pockets, crosses them, and on cue, out comes four more students from the academy. All of which had ducked into alleys out of sight.

Three close in behind you and Linia, the one other student stands by the blonde boy's side. This one is the only one holding something.

Your eyes widen.

They've got a broken booze bottle. The edges are only remains of splintered glass, sharp enough to slice skin with but a brief touch.

"Well damn," Linia mutters, her tough demeanor falling away before your eyes. You feel she might just make a break for it.

"You see, frankly, we're done getting pushed around by you, Dedoldia," says the blonde. "With you at the academy, stuff's miserable. You and your sister desperately need a wake-up call."

Funny. You were the one who finally gave the girls that much needed wake-up call. But it seems their victims aren't yet satisfied; you are still caught between this crossfire, and Linia and Pursena aren't free from those they've hurt.

"So... we thought of something," the boy goes on, "if we use your empty threats against you, maybe it'll knock some sense into you."

Empty threats...

"Remember when you told April you'd scratch her face off? Remember when you told Agnes you'd make him cry and squeal like a pig? Remember when you told me you'd break both my legs?"

You're standing here listening to this, merely caught in Linia's problems, but even you're becoming afraid. Why? You're not sure. These students should be after her and her sister. How could they possibly justify going after you as well?

"Everything you have yet to do to us, we're gonna do to you," the boy finishes.

Linia suddenly clings to your arm, her nails digging in. She's shivering. It's slight but you can feel just how scared she is. Every bone in her body must be screaming at her to get away.

Get away from this. These people are not playing. You may have made empty threats once, but now your victims wish to fulfill them.

The group of students laugh at the sight of their then-tormentor trembling at your side.

"Look at her face!"

"Fucking pathetic..."

The blonde boy claps his hands together. "What's the matter, kitty? Didn't think it would come back to bite you, huh? D'aww."

"Wait. My—Pursena." Linia's voice croaks. She looks worriedly to you, her tail going limp. "Pursena," she says in that shaky, horrified voice.

That's right. If their victims only needed them to be separated, surely Linia isn't the only one they've gone after. Pursena is still on campus. When you come to this realization, you freeze.

You stare at the blonde boy. "Don't tell me..."

His grin spreads far across his pale features. "That bitch is getting the same treatment, don't you worry."

You feel a burst of energy run through you. Your magic silently sparks from your fingertips and you ready yourself to silence the blonde boy. But oddly enough, the boy doesn't budge at your outburst.

Him and his little gang thought of this already. Right before you can finish casting your spell, one of the three students standing behind you takes you in a chokehold and lowers you violently to the ground. You gag as their arm tightens around your throat. You can barely resist. Whoever this is has muscle.

Through your struggles, you hear Linia gasp. "B-Boss!!"

She is poised to fight. But she is no match for the others who flawlessly sling their arms beneath her armpits and render her unable to move.

Linia hisses and kicks to no avail.

And you can't even reach out to her. Your vision gradually fades out, your consciousness slipping.

The last thing you see before you black out is the blonde boy standing over you, grinning.

"We aren't killing her, guys! Haha! Hand the bottle to me... let's just scare her a little..."

If this truly is the victims of the Doldia sisters finally rebelling...

... it has only just begun.