Daimyon

Finally, we head to lunch before we split up for our affinity classes. The cafeteria is impressive. It has large tables with different cliques sitting and chatting, a view to an outside courtyard, there’s food from every quadrant of Gaia and it’s all made to order. Giant menus sit above the multiple kitchen stations. I feel like I could live in this room. There’s only one problem: my wallet’s in my dorm and all the food costs money. 

“Hey Chase, can I borrow a few SD’s for lunch?”

Chase pulls out his wallet and scans through it pulling out the most valuable piece of currency in the world: a Gold Phoenix coin. 

“Sorry, no silver duckets in my wallet. Don’t worry though I have a Gold Phoenix I need to break so I can pay for all of us.”

Kiyonna gently pushes down Chase’s hand

“Since my sister is a Spiritualist I basically have unlimited money in my account. You don’t have to waste yours.”

We all grabbed a load of food. I feel like this is a good opportunity to learn more about our new friend so we sit down to chat, but for some reason Kiyonna’s attracting an unusual amount of attention and it isn’t because we have a feast at our table. As we walk by, we hear conspicuous whispers. It’s clear that even the older students are gossiping. Daigo appears next to me in his spirit form. He usually does this when he wants my attention for something important. Still only I can hear or see him.

“Your companion appears to be quite an interesting subject amongst your peers.” He says. I can’t really make out what they’re saying. Kiyonna reacts by looking down and nervously stirring her food. Making it clear that she knows what this is about.

“You sure are popular, Kiyonna. What did you do?” Chase asks. Upon hearing his question, she stops.

“There she is!” A voice yells from across the room. Before we know it, she’s surrounded at the table. “So you’re that Sacred Six girl, huh? You don’t look special to me.” The voice identifies himself as a larger, chubbier student that has likely made a career out of bullying younger students. “Well? Aren’t you going to do something? You’re supposed to be so much better than us, aren’t you?” pushing her shoulder and indirectly causing me irritation. I looked over to Chase, who’s more surprised by the news than the bully. It must be a big deal.

Almost whispering, she mutters.“Please...stop…” The bully looks back at his friends, before laughing.

 “What was that? I can’t hear you!” pushing her again. “You’re not going to attack me with your awesome Sacred Six power, are you? ” At this point I’m irritated and agitated. 

“What will you do, Daimyon?” Daigo asks but I’m already out of my seat with no regard to consequences. I put myself in between them with my chest out ready. “She might not, but I certainly will.”

 Everyone looks at me with shock in their eyes, including Kiyonna. 

“Daimyon, wait! You don’t have to do that!” She pleads, but my mind is made up. There’s no way I’m going to watch this any longer. 

“I don’t care who you think she is. Who do you think you are? You can’t just go around picking on people because they’re different from you. It’s not her fault she was born better.” That little statement got a rise out of him.

“What did you say? Nobody talks to Hotman J like that!”

“So now you’re calling me a nobody? You’re on a roll with the bullying today, I see.” His growing aggravation is apparent. His face goes flush “That’s it! Step outside, kid!” I smirked. I don’t know a single technique yet, or even how to properly draw arcana. What I do know, however, is how to fight with my hands and feet. I’ve had people to help in some ways but for the most part I’ve been on my own my entire life.    

“Daimyon, you don’t have to do this.” Kiyonna reiterates as I step off.

Chase chimes in too. “Are you sure about this, Daimyon? You could get in serious trouble for this, even if you win.” I’m sure he’s saying some other stuff but since I’m already at the door to the courtyard, I can’t hear him anymore. Daigo’s my last consultation before the fight begins.

“You may want to be careful, Daimyon. From the looks of this kid, he’s already reached the level of an adept naturalist.”

“You sure he isn’t just fat? I get that he’s big but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s good in a fight. Even if he is, he doesn’t seem very intelligent. He could still be a novice.”

“It’s easy to make a joke now, but I seriously don’t think this fight will go the way you want it to.”

“Don’t worry. I have a plan. I’ll just run circles around him.” Daigo sighs leaving me with

“Fine. It’s your fight,” as he returned to my spirit. We stare each other down. He takes a fighting stance, maybe he’s imitating more powerful naturalists he’s watched. I stand with my hands in my pockets.

“You gotta be kidding me. No stance, no arcana flowing from you. You reek of amateur. ” He yelled, hyping the crowd standing behind the safety of the glass wall in the cafeteria. They feed into it, but I don’t. I don’t move even an inch.

“I’d like to finish my lunch so can we hurry this up?” He laughs, then braces himself.

I’m keeping my cool,  but I know I’m in for a fight.

End ~