A/N: The last chapter before I take a break with fic, so sad but I am excited to be getting back to my Natsu x Erza fic. The one pairing that outranks Haruto x Saki in my book. Spiderman x X-23 is pretty close though.

Anyways, hopefully others will take up the challenge of writing Haruto x Saki fics.

Honestly when I was writing that little part with Marie encouraging Yusuke last chapter the idea of putting them together popped into my mind. I know probably no one cares either way about those two, but I don't know, the idea just popped in my head. Hate the pairing? Love it? Obviously I don't plan to kill Marie off.

Haruto was pretty sure there was a better way to handle the situation then coming out and calling the spy on his identity. He could've called for back up, acted friendly to get him to let his guard down, or simply attacked without warning.

Yet, he did none of those.

Maybe it was because he really wanted to test his abilities out on an enemy soldier.

Maybe it was because he felt it was his responsibility to capture the spy since, according to Saki, he was their leader.

Maybe it was because straight forward was the only way he had dealt with Dorssia and it was simply a habit.

Maybe it was something else.

But the fact remained that he had come out and called out the spy.

"Heh, what gave me away?" the spy questioned as he slowly walked towards the center of the roof, Haruto following right after.

"Nothing really. Just had a feeling."

"Well that sucks."

They fell into another silence after the brief exchange of words.

Haruto stood between the spy and the door that led into the school with no intention of letting him pass.

Of course his resolve didn't mean he wasn't nervous.

His palms were sweaty, butterflies danced in his stomach, and his heart thumped violently against his chest.

But his resolve didn't falter.

"You know I'm gonna kill you, right?" he could almost laugh at how this boy was choosing to stand against him instead of running.

He was a Dorssian soldier after all, a mere boy, pilot or not, stood no chance against him.

"I doubt that." unfortunately for the spy, Haruto knew something he didn't know.

He knew, from painful experience, that he couldn't die.

The spy didn't need to know that though.

"You think a little JIORian boy like you could stand a chance against a Dorssian soldier?!" just the fact that the boy entertained the thought pissed him off. He would definitely put him in his place soon enough.

Snapping his neck seemed like a good way to do that.

Haruto already stopped paying attention to the soldier after he responded and focused on calming himself.

'You can do this. This is what you've been training for all this time. You're not the same weak boy you were before. You're stronger now. You have a reason to fight. You have to protect everyone.' Saki's smiling face flashed through his mind. 'You have to fight to protect Saki. She's put too much faith in you to let her down.'

He took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

Haruto then got into one of the many fighting stances L-elf taught him.

'That stance, it's Dorssia Military Martial Arts.' anger flooded C-sieben's mind. 'How dare some measly JIORian use our fighting style!'

Losing his composure, C-sieben charged forward.

"Don't attack first, let your opponent attack and react to it."

Sliding back slightly, Haruto quickly stepped to the side, dodging a jab to the face, before stepping back, avoiding a right hook. After dodging the right hook Haruto snapped a kick forwards, nailing the spy right in the stomach, following up with a knee to the face. Seeing an opportunity to possibly end the fight quickly, Haruto moved in to throw a knockout punch, but the Dorssia spy wasn't done yet.

"Be cautious when you see an opening in a fight. If it's false taking the opportunity could end in your own defeat."

"And when it's a real opening?"

Ducking under the haymaker, C-sieben drove a knee into Haruto Tokishima's gut, causing him to hunch over in pain before delivering an elbow to the back of his head. Missing a perfect opportunity to snap Haruto's neck due to his anger, C-sieben gripped Haruto's shirt by the back of his collar and shoulder, then spun and threw him into the roof's door.

Any of the air Haruto managed to keep in his lungs when he slammed into the door left him when what felt like a truck rammed into him. Said "truck" was actually C-sieben who had charged into him with enough strength to actually break the door down and send them tumbling down a large flight of stairs.

'This is good, right?' Haruto thought as his head bounced off the edge of one of the many steps. 'I can heal and he can't, so this is works out for me, right?' he was pretty surprised that he was actually able to think straight while bounced like a ball down the stairs.

At least he had a fair amount of muscles to cushion the blows.

Did muscles even do that?

A second later the two fighters slammed onto the floor, the sound reverberating throughout the hall. The students that were in the nearby classes hanging out and talking (there weren't any teachers to teach anyways) looked out their classes at the sound.

"Haruto, you alright?" Haruto couldn't place a face to the voice but that didn't matter.

"Stay back!" he shouted as he picked himself off the ground as did C-sieben.

Seeing the two glaring at each other and getting into a fighting stance, the students couldn't help but become confused and worried.

"What are you doing? Why are you fighting?"

"He's a Dorssian spy, now stay back!" Haruto didn't have time to be answering the questions and worrying about the spy taking one of them hostage.

Luckily for Haruto, the spy was too focused on him to recognize the opportunities all around him.

An amateur mistake.

"A level head is key in battle. Don't let your emotions control your actions.'

Calming himself down once again, Haruto slowly began removing jacket, rolling up his sleeves, undoing the first few buttons on his shirt, and taking off his tie.

"Even the most commonplace items could be used as a weapon."

"Never discard a weapon in a fight."

Instead of throwing the tie down like his jacket, Haruto tightly wrapped it around his wrist.

C-sieben lost his patience with their brief standoff and charged once again, another amateur mistake.

'Shoulders, midsection, and knees.'

Focusing on those three points, Haruto prepared himself to react.

Two quick jabs met Haruto's palm as he backed up slightly to keep his opponent from getting to close to him; grappling was his main weakness.

'Shoulder, midsection, and knees.'

He then had to duck under a left hook before sliding behind the spy in a counter-clockwise direction. The spy, seeing Haruto slide behind him, swung his right elbow backwards to meet him straight on at his head only for Haruto to block the elbow by bringing up his arm. Haruto then brought the same arm down towards his hip to block a knee to his side.

Deciding to go on the offensive as the spy stepped away from him, Haruto swung his right arm while tucking his fist near his shoulder. C-sieben leaned his head back, avoiding the elbow strike, and planted his left foot back allowing him to push off it. That gave more power to his palm thrust that was aimed at Haruto Tokishima's nose.

Knowing the pain of a palm strike to the nose from personal experience, courtesy of L-elf, Haruto was extra motivated to dodge the attack, which he did so by tilting his head to the side. Missing his strike, the spy quickly changed his palm strike into a chop to the back of Haruto's neck, causing him to stumble forward and passed C-sieben.

Letting out a small yelp, Haruto allowed himself to go with his forward motion and tuck into a roll. As he was halfway through his roll, Haruto caught the upside down image of the spy bringing his leg high up to land an ax kick. Having L-elf done that move against him a number of times, only on a way better level of skill, Haruto was prepared to do more than just avoid the attack.

Finishing his roll, Haruto lifted his arms up together in a parallel fashion and blocked the kick. Ignoring the pain that shot through his forearms, Haruto gripped the spies foot while spinning around to face him. Swiftly standing up, Haruto pushed the foot he was holding up and slid his own behind the spies other foot before pushing forward.

C-sieben lost all footing due to Haruto's counter move and found himself falling back towards the floor, Haruto's fist following right after. Luckily for him, the moment his back hit the ground, he was able to avoid the punch by bending his head to the side before grabbing Haruto's head with his hands and pulling it towards him while throwing his forward.

Haruto let out a quick a pair of yelps of pain when his fist hit the ground and the spies head smashed into his. The spy followed up his quick assault by tucking his knees close to his chest before thrusting his feet into Haruto's chest. The next thing Haruto knew he was flying backwards through the air and then hitting the ground hard, again.

"Haruto, are you ok?!"

"Stay back!"

Why was that so hard for them to understand?!

They needed to stay away!

Quickly scampering towards his feet, Haruto once again set himself into a stance, completely oblivious to the thoughts running through his schoolmates minds.

"T-This is insane." one whispered to the others in awe.

"When did Haruto become such a badass?"

Indeed, while they saw the Valvrave battles and what Haruto could do in the mech, that was not the same thing as fighting a Dorssia soldier one on one. And he was doing a good job too, especially if one took into account that just months prior he was a boy that avoided conflict at all costs.

Shock, awe, and a hint of fear were the reasons why none of the students made no move to help, run, or call the other pilots. Some had the idea of recording the fight with their phones but that was about it. Besides that they simply watched as Haruto, a different Haruto, went at it with a Dorssian spy.

Haruto felt like he had lost that quick exchange of blows, and that left an urge to try to take back the edge in the fight.

"A level head is key in battle. Don't let your emotions control your actions."

Haruto calmed himself once again due to L-elf's words ringing in his head and kept himself from attacking rashly.

'Shoulder, midsection, and knees.'

Seeing the spy step forward and fake another jab, Haruto kept his cool and slapped down the snap kick that followed after before retaliating with a right hook. C-sieben also threw his own right hook after his kick was blocked but unlike Haruto's his punch was aimed at his opponent's face. Haruto's on the other hand was directing his attack at the spies right bicep.

"Striking an opponent's bicep not only causes pain but slows movement and reduces power as well."

His punch struck its target causing pain to spike in the spies arm at the same time stopping his punch. Using the momentum of the punch, Haruto spun counter-clockwise and landed an elbow to the side of his opponent's head. Stumbling sideways towards the windows that aligned the hallways, C-sieben hopped backwards just in time to avoid a straight punch to the side of his face.

The sound of glass shattering sounded throughout the hallway as Haruto's fist smashed through the window. Not wanting to give the Dorssia soldier time to recover, Haruto, with his side facing towards the spy, slid his right foot out before moving his left right behind it and slightly further past it, as much as it could go, then brought his right knee to his chest and snapped a kick out to the side.

In short a sidekick.

The sidekick landed on the spies chest, earning cheers from the onlookers, and sent him off his feet, the spy really hadn't anticipated such power in the blow, and landing on the floor. The moment his back hit the floor C-sieben rolled backwards and was quickly on his feet, clutching his chest with his left hand while he flexed his right arm to try to get the feeling back in it. All the while his anger was rising inside of him.

Despite the last "round" going his way, Haruto still couldn't get rid of the butterflies in his stomach. He really felt like he was going to puke any minute. He needed to keep constantly motivating himself to keep his head in the game.

'You can do this, you can do this. Just stick with what L-elf taught you and you can beat this guy. Just kee- Crap.' Haruto felt his chest tightened and had to keep himself from flinching when he saw the spy reach behind his back and pull out a combat knife.

It wasn't exactly the fact that he combat knife that scared him (he would rather fight a guy with a knife then a gun) it was the type of knife he had. The knife was exactly like the one L-elf shoved through his heart and out his back. He could still clearly imagine the feeling of having the knife pierce through his flesh, plunge into his heart, and tear out of his back.

Dying was nothing like it was portrayed in the anime or movies.

It wasn't heroic.

It wasn't epic.

It wasn't something you laughed off.

It hurt.

A lot.

The human body was not meant to have something shoved through its heart.

It was horrible.

It was-

'Get a hold of yourself!.' mentally slapping himself, Haruto quickly drew himself out of his dark thoughts. 'You can be scared after you beat this guy.' despite that internal statement, Haruto wasn't sure if he could win.

Due to wanting the pilots to get to a solid level of hand to hand combat skill, L-elf hadn't gotten to their weapons training yet, which meant Haruto hadn't learned to fight someone who had a knife yet.

'Just don't let him stab me, right? How hard could it be?' his attempt to calm the ever growing butterflies in his stomach really didn't help.

Hopping lightly on the balls of his feet, Haruto prepared himself for the best dodging he had ever done in his life.

The knife flashed forward towards his face forcing Haruto to step to the right before ducking under a swipe at his throat. A growl escaping his throat, C-sieben quickly spun the knife in his hand so he was holding it in a reverse grip, and stabbed down in a diagonal motion instantly after his last attack missed.

But as the spy was attacking, Haruto, who was still in a ducking position, placed both hands on the floor towards his side and kicked out his leg upwards. The kick landed right on C-sieben's midsection, knocking him back and making him too far away to land his diagonal stab.

Haruto quickly jumped to his feet and set his stance again.

'That . . . was close.' Haruto hadn't expected the spies swipe at his neck to be followed so quickly by another attack. He honestly didn't think he would be able to dodge or block from his position, but the next thing he knew instinct was kicking in and then he was kicking the spy.

It was a good thing he managed to keep himself from getting stabbed because not only did that hurt like hell, but with so many students watching his healing ability was in danger of being exposed.

He had to be careful.

While Haruto busy trying to calm not only his insanely rapid heartbeat but also images of himself being stabbed in the heart, C-sieben was fighting his ever-growing rage.

For a third time, but with a roar, C-sieben charged forward, knife poised and ready.

While fighting an opponent who was angry was a whole lot scarier than fighting a calm one, he couldn't help but be glad that his opponent was losing his cool. After all, L-elf said it himself, a level head was key in battle and the spy was anything but levelheaded at the moment.

Haruto could see why.

A Dorssian soldier, who from what L-elf told them were quite arrogant, was being held off, losing if Haruto wanted to pat himself on the back, to a student. Sure he was being trained by L-elf, but the spy didn't know that.

What the spy did know, was that he wanted the boy to fucking die. To make that so, he attacked. Said attack came in quick, precise jabbing stabs that were too close for comfort in Haruto's opinion, a tear in his shirt proved that point. To avoid the quick assault, Haruto quickly back pedaled while turning his body just enough to dodge each strike when they neared his body.

His inability to hit his target, a mere boy, just angered C-sieben even more.

Pushing off his foot, the spy charged forward once again, his arm fully extended in the hope to drive the knife straight through the boy. Seeing the lunge, Haruto's breath caught in his throat as the spy in front of him was replaced by L-elf for a split second.

That image was quickly followed by another.

The image of L-elf stabbing him in the heart.

Fear welled up in him but was quickly and forcefully pushed down in order to focus on his enemy.

He had to win and he couldn't let fear stop him.

The terrifyingly long, sharp knife neared Haruto, prompting him to spin, barely dodging it, and land an elbow to the back of the spies head. He then had to duck under another swipe before stepping closer towards the spy and gripping his shirt at the collar and side. The spy was lurched forwards as Haruto pulled him and then drove a knee into his gut.

C-sieben gasped in pain as saliva oozed out of his open mouth and down his chin, his knife clattering on the floor.

How?

How could he be losing to a mere boy?

How could he, a Dorssian soldier, be losing to some JIORian kid?

It was a disgrace.

And it added fuel to the fire.

Before Haruto could pull away after his knee strike, the spy retaliated by returning the favor with a knee of his own.

Hunched over and resisting the urge to vomit, Haruto felt a pair of hands grab the side of his head. His eyes widened when realization of what was about to happened came to him. He had no time to block as he seen the spies knee rising towards his face, so the only thing he could do was tilt his head just enough receive the blow to his forehead.

While it was better than taking it on his nose, it still hurt like hell.

Stumbling backwards with a yelp of pain, Haruto received a right punch to the face which was followed by a left hook that landed as well. He just managed to raise his arms to block a roundhouse kick to the face, but was knocked back on his heels from the force of the blow. Running at his unbalanced opponent, C-sieben jumped forward and landed a front kick on Haruto's face.

'This isn't good.' Haruto frantically thought as rolled backwards letting his momentum take control before getting back on his feet. 'I have to break his momentum.' one of the many thing that L-elf had taught them about battles, hand to hand, mechs, or even on a grand scale, was that momentum was very real and very important aspect of victory.

When one had momentum going for them they had the advantage and victory was more within their grasp then the opposition. So, if the enemy had the momentum going their way, they had to break it before things got out of hand, and unfortunately, the more it grew the harder it was to break.

Taking two quick jabs to the face, Haruto manged to knock the third aside and land his own punch. Before Haruto could pull his hand back, the spy grabbed it with one hand before yanking Haruto towards him and planting his elbow in his face. The spy didn't let go of the hand he was holding, instead, he pulled once again, turned his body, leaned forward, and then pulled down on Haruto's arm.

Haruto was thrown over the spies shoulder and then slammed onto the ground. He knew he was in troubled when he felt his feet leave the ground. He wasn't good at grappling and being on the floor tended to lead to such a situation. So the moment he hit the ground Haruto swung his leg and kicked the spy right on the top of his head.

Haruto had to thank his new found flexibility for allowing him to land the kick because there was no way we would've been able to stretch his leg out that close to his head before the training.

Quickly scrambling to his feet, Haruto was just in time to flex his stomach muscles to guard against the uppercut that the spy had planted in his stomach. It hurt, but Haruto was able to keep his composure to an extent thanks to his abs absorbing most of the blow, and counter by swinging his elbow to the side of the spies head.

The two blows that were exchanged were almost a precursor to how the fight would continue.

Hopping away from each other the two combatants had the same idea and were both met with a right punch straight to the face. Stumbling back, Haruto moved his right leg back to catch his balance before pushing off it with all power he could to deliver a swinging roundhouse kick.

It missed.

The spy ducked under the kick and Haruto tried his best to use the momentum of the kick and tiled floor to spin all the way around to face his opponent.

Having your back to the enemy wasn't that smart.

Haruto managed the full spin, only to have C-sieben drive his shoulder into his stomach, tackling him into one of the many windows in the hall. His head snapped back strong enough to crack the window but luckily not enough to break it.

Not wanting to let the spy build momentum once again, Haruto quickly reacted before his opponent could move from the position that had his shoulder pressing into his midsection.

He brought his arm up and elbowed the spy right in the lower back, exactly where his kidney was located. The spy gasped in pain but pushed through it and retaliated by hitting Haruto with a massive uppercut to the chin.

In fact, it was so powerful that it actually lifted Haruto off his feet.

Surprise, and an enormous amount of pain, ran through Haruto as he actually felt his feet leave the ground. Unfortunately for him, the spy wasn't done. Before Haruto could touch the floor once again, the spy wrapped his hands around his neck and began choking the life out if him.

Having your throat being squeezed did not feel good, Haruto observed. It wasn't as bad as being stabbed in the heart but it still bad. That was why Haruto was clawing at the hands of the spy as his legs kicked around desperately.

'Everything's . . . getting . . . . dark.' the lack of oxygen was getting to Haruto and he couldn't help but hope that one of the many students that were still watching, now in horror then the awe that was once on their faces, had the wherewithal to pick up the knife that the spy dropped earlier and attack him from behind.

But that didn't happen.

Fear started to set in.

If he died what would the spy do to the rest of the students?

Would he leave them or alone or not?

What would happen when he revived?

What would the students think of him?

All those questions swirled in Haruto's oxygen deprived mind, but another question held more importance.

Would the spy go after Saki when he was done with him?

The image of the spy choking the life out of Saki flashed in his mind.

In an instant his eyes shot open.

'No! I won't let him! I won't let anyone hurt her!'

He had to protect Saki.

He needed to.

With his resolve renewed, Haruto pulled up his leg and kicked the spy right in the face. While the kick was strong enough to cause the spy to let go of him and stumble back, it didn't have enough strength to allow Haruto time to recover. That was proven when a second later the spy threw a haymaker right at Haruto's face, intent on ending the fight that should've been over a fucking long time ago.

Haruto, who was leaning against the wall to try to catch his breath, barely had enough time to roll to the side. The spies fist slammed through the glass, shattering it, before it was swung in a wide back fist strike. Haruto ducked under the back fist but the spy was able to grab a piece of glass that fell on the windowsill with his other hand and stab forward.

He didn't care about the fact that the piece of glass was cutting into his own hand. His anger at not being able to defeat a mere JIORian student blocked out the pain.

"Ah!" Haruto let out a small yelp due to not being able to completely dodge the stab when he twisted the upper half of his body. The slash went across his chest and while it wasn't extremely deep, it left a mark and allowed enough blood out to begin staining his shirt.

Not satisfied with the attack, C-sieben turned his wrist and tried to drive the piece of glass into Haruto's chest. Fortunately for the young Valvrave pilot, he was able to catch the wrist of his opponent before throwing a punch to the spies face with his other. His punch was caught by the spy but that didn't deter Haruto. He knew he needed to take control of the fight as soon as possible so before the spy could make the next move, Haruto proceeded to headbutt him, right in the nose.

Shoko used to always say he was hardheaded.

Now he used that hard head to his advantage.

The hardheaded headbutt earned a cracking sound that came from the spies nose.

Haruto would've cringed if it wasn't for the fact that the guy was trying to kill him and he himself aimed to break his nose. He knew firsthand how much it hurt after all, and the spy wouldn't be able to heal from it unlike himself.

The pain was enough to make the spy drop the blood stained piece of glass, but not enough to quell his anger. An anger that was unleashed in a series of savage punches.

The first was a swift left hook that Haruto stepped back to dodge, followed by an uppercut that was avoided the same way. Again C-sieben's anger rose and prompted a powerful straight punch. Haruto ducked under the straight punch and the proceeded to throw the spy over his shoulder just like the way he was thrown earlier.

The only difference was Haruto threw the spy further instead of slamming him on the ground.

That pissed the spy off even more.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" he snarled as he jumped to his feet. "And then I'm gonna kill that girlfriend of yours!"

That was the wrong thing to say to Haruto.

The moment Haruto heard those words two things happened.

The first was the image of Saki appearing in his mind, yet again, at the word "girlfriend".

The second was him getting really angry.

He knew that Saki was also one of the spies target but to actually hear him threaten to kill her just set him off.

So, when the spy launched himself at him, almost like a savage animal, Haruto charged himself, just from a lower stance. That lower stance allowed Haruto to go under the spies lunge and wrap his arms around his midsection before pushing off his foot and directing them towards the stairs. As they flew off the stairs Haruto made sure to really put all his weight into his shoulder that would drive into the spies stomach when they hit the stairs.

Just like when the fight was starting, the pair stumbled down the stairs until they hit the platform that was between staircases. Once they hit that, Haruto who hadn't let go of the spy yet, didn't let the spy time to recover as he picked the spy back up and proceeded to dive down the stairs with the spy just like he did a few seconds ago.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest idea, seeing as he also took damage but Haruto just wanted to hurt the spy. Before, the fight was just about keeping the spy from hurting anyone, but now, he wanted to just hurt the spy himself. The last time he felt so angry was when he thought Shoko was killed, but this time it was about the spy simply threatening Saki.

Immortal or not, no one threatened Saki, especially right to his face.

So there they both stood, both full of anger.

One for not being able to defeat his opponent.

The other for hearing someone so close to his heart threatened.

Anger filled fist flew from there on.

"Ok, maybe fifth times the charm."

Saki was annoyed to be honest.

She had found her way towards the apartment building she believed the spy had been using as his impromptu base of operations, and immediately went to the top floor. There was no point in wasting time by checking all the apartments when the most logical place for the spy to take refuge in would be the top.

It provided the best view of the school after all.

After she had gotten to the top floor she quickly proceeded to pick the lock of the first door she saw before quietly inspecting it.

Fun fact about her no one knew was that she actually carries a lock pick kit with her.

It was small and easily fit in her pocket.

The reason she carried such a thing was due to a past event she rather not think about.

The first four tries were a bust, much to her annoyance, so she moved on to the next room.

Opening the door, Saki found evidence that showed she may have found what she was looking for. Mainly there was significantly less dust lining the hall than the other apartments she checked. Slowly making her way inside the apartments, Saki quickly came upon equipment that would only belong to a Dorssian spy; a pilot suit was laid out on the floor along with a few other supplies.

"Bingo."

Now that she found his hideout they didn't need to search for the spy anymore, instead, they could simply wait for him and trap him.

She had to call that bastard L-elf.

Just as she took her phone from her pocket to call the bastard, it began to ring.

"Hmm?" her eyebrow rose when she read the caller id. "Satomi? Why are you calling me now? Did something happen?" she had nothing against the guy personally so she did her best to keep her tone civil.

" . . . . What?! Where?!" Saki wasted no time in bolting out of the room and towards the stairs. "I know the school you, idiot! I wanna know exactly where!" she didn't waste time running down the steps, instead, she cleared the flight of stairs one at a time with a single jump.

If the situation wasn't so serious, Saki would've delighted in how easily she flew through the air with just a single leap but at the moment she was set in dead seriousness.

"How long has it been since the two started?!" jumping down the last flight of stairs, Saki landed with a roll and sprinted down the street at a far faster pace than any normal person could manage. "That long?! And you're just calling me?! Are you freaking kidding me?! Have you called anyone else?!"

"You haven't?! Damn it, Satomi, use your head!" scratch not having anything against him, the guy was an idiot. "Yes that means I want you to call the others!" she had to actually pull the phone away from her ear and scream right into it to get her point across.

'Idiot!'

What was that saying?

If you want something done right, do it yourself?

How true.

She might have come to understand L-elf's controlling nature a little bit more.

Great she was understanding the bastard.

"No I don't want you to help him! You'll just get the way!" on top of that if anyone that helped Haruto got hurt in the process, it would probably make Haruto feel guilty.

Saki couldn't have that.

Oh, yeah, and someone could be taken hostage.

"Just stay away and call me if things go downhill. How's he doing anyways?" if she wasn't in such a hurry, Saki would've slammed her head against a wall for not asking that right away. " . . Heh, that's my Haruto."

With a hint of pride at Haruto's ability to fight on equal ground against a Dorssian soldier, Saki hung up her phone and continued her sprint towards the school.

Two right hooks met their targets.

Two faces were jolted with pain, but that didn't stop the fighters from retaliating with a punch from their opposite hand. Neither one of them bothered to dodge or block, the fight had become less about winning and more about hurting the other.

And that's exactly what they did.

Receiving a kick to the stomach, Haruto pulled the leg before it could retract and delivered a punch to the spies gut. He was quick to recover and slammed Haruto face first into a window, shattering it. Closing his eyes so no glass got into them, hopefully, Haruto kicked his foot back and struck his opponent right in the knee.

Ignoring the fact that his face was riddled with cuts, Haruto quickly spun around and landed a roundhouse kick to the spies head, causing him to stumble to the side. Haruto moved in to continue his assault but was quickly met with a swinging back fist to his cheek. Stumbling back, Haruto slapped aside a straight punch and countered with one of his own.

It was ducked under, allowing C-sieben to launch into a double leg take down, but Haruto was quick to react. Meaning, when the spy was diving towards the lower part of his body, Haruto quickly leaned forward, over his opponents back, and wrapped his arms around his opponent's midsection and threw him to the side before he could get a hold of his legs.

That allowed for moment of rest that was sorely needed for the two. Despite how physically in shape they both were due to their training, fighting all out was tiring them. They were both forced to cease, temporarily, their assault to catch their breaths.

That allowed the panting Haruto to cool his head enough to notice a few things. Things like the students that were watching the fight had followed them down the stairs and others had come out of the classes when they heard the commotion. All the witness's prompted Haruto to remember something very important.

His face was full of cuts from getting it smashed through the window a few moments ago.

His face was full of cuts that would heal literally in front of everyone's eyes in, well, he wasn't exactly sure when they would heal and that was the problem. They could heal any moment and everyone would see.

His breathing became more labored and it wasn't due to exhaustion.

Everyone would know.

Hell, the whole world might know since a good number of students were recording everything with their phones. All they would have to do was put the video on the internet and that was that.

Social media could be a real pain.

He had to end the fight quickly.

But could he do that?

It wasn't like he hadn't been trying to end it the entire time, he just couldn't.

Could he-

"A level head is key in battle. Don't let your emotions control your actions."

'R-Right, I have to calm down. Clear my head.' taking a deep breath, Haruto slowly calmed his anger and began thinking clearly. That simple act allowed his to realize he had an advantage over the spy.

It was a simple advantage but an advantage nonetheless.

The advantage was simply that while Haruto had calmed his anger the spy hadn't. That was obvious from his red face, clenched jaw, shaking hands, and crazy look in his eyes. Yes, Haruto had the upper hand and he needed to use it before his wounds started healing.

To fully use his advantage Haruto decided to anger the spy even further.

"You know," he began with the best nonchalant tone he could manage, "for a Dorssian soldier I expected more. I mean, you can't even beat me and I'm just a student." his tone coupled with his words had their desired effect.

In short, they pissed the spy off.

'Good it worked.' sidestepping to the left to dodge an obvious right punch, Haruto quickly caught the follow-up left hook in his palm before landing a swinging back fist. 'I just gotta keep my cool and wait for an opening.'

The spy stumbled back from the blow to his face before roaring with rage and charging once again. He should've brought his fucking gun with him. The only reason he didn't and just brought his knife was because he was worried that if L-elf had been in his vicinity he might've noticed that he was carrying a firearm on his person.

A gun was harder to conceal then a knife.

He shouldn't have let L-elf's reputation overwhelm him.

If he hadn't he could've filled that damn JIORian boy's face full of bullets.

Now he was getting mocked by the damn boy.

C-sieben didn't get one step in his charge before a fist met his stomach. The spy was actually taken off his feet as his form crumpled around the fist that held him up off the ground by a few inches.

Watching his opponent stumble back, yet again, while clutching his stomach, Haruto could feel the end of the fight coming.

He just needed one more move.

"Maybe Dorssia isn't as great as they say they are."

"Fuck you, you JIORian trash!" sidestepping to the right this time to dodge a sloppy right punch, Haruto laid three quick right jabs to the spies face.

'Come on. Come on.' Haruto knew what was coming next, it was pretty obvious after everything. In preparation for the moment he was waiting for, Haruto readied his stance and tucked his right fist down by his hip.

It came just like expected.

The spy recovered from Haruto's attack and lunged forward like he had done much too many times for a trained Dorssia, enraged, unthinking, predictable.

That's when Haruto saw it.

"When it's a real opening, you strike fast and without mercy."

Haruto's eyes narrowed in a way they have never had before.

The narrowed in a way a predator would when going for the kill.

Haruto Tokishima had grown.

True to L-elf's words, Haruto saw his opening and took it.

Before the lunge Haruto bent his knees and waited for it. As it came, his right fist that was tucked by his hip rocketed from its position and met the spies jaw in a massive uppercut that took the spy off his feet, just like he had done to Haruto.

Haruto heard it crack put paid it no mind.

As the spies wobbly feet touched the ground, the tie that Haruto kept wrapped around his wrist unraveled. In an instant Haruto was behind the dazed spy and was quickly wrapping the tie, twice, around the spies neck before he gripped the ends with both hands and leaned forward, their backs pressed against each other.

As the spies feet left the ground, Haruto knew the fight was his.

He knew he could take the spy to L-elf and leave before everyone saw his wounds heal.

He knew that soon the spy wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to hurt . . .

"And then I'm gonna kill that girlfriend of yours!"

. . . Saki.

In an instant all the rage Haruto felt for the spy threatening Saki, his Saki, came rushing back to the surface. His hands pulled harder on the tie, increasing the pressure around the spies neck.

Haruto didn't care that about the spy was desperately kicking his feet and clawing at the tie around his neck.

He didn't care that he was choking the life out of the spy.

No, none of that mattered to him at the moment.

All he wanted to do was to hurt him.

How dare he threaten Saki, and to his face.

Hell no.

He would make him regret that.

"Haruto!"

And so Haruto pulled and pulled on the tie, his teeth gritted and face red from strain.

He didn't stop when he felt the spies resistance slowly die down.

"Haruto!"

All he could think about was that he threatened to kill Saki.

It didn't matter that Saki was immortal.

He knew what being killed felt like and he would do anything to keep Saki from feeling that pain.

"Haruto, you won, that's enough!"

Huh?

Was someone calling him?

Looking up, Haruto saq that indeed someone was calling him.

It was Shoko.

She looked worried and was yelling at him.

Or maybe it was to him, he wasn't sure.

All he could hear was what sounded like his heart beating right next to his ear.

Slowly, his rage dwindled away and his hearing seemed to return to him.

"Let him down."

Let who down?

Turning his head, Haruto realized who "him" was.

'Oh.' his hands loosened and the spies unconscious, or maybe dead, he wasn't sure, body dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks. He was too busy catching his breath to notice Shoko's sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Shoko. If hadn't stopped me I would've killed the guy." Haruto's words did a good job at relieving Shoko.

She had made it to the scene of the fight a little bit after Haruto and the spy had fallen down the flight of stairs, the second time, and immediately, without much thought, tried to rush to help him. Luckily she, because really what could she have done, was stopped by Marie.

And after her friends blunt logic...

"You'd just get in the way."

...Shoko stopped her attempt to "help" and simply watched the fight play out.

All the while trying not to vomit from anxiety.

Her childhood friend was fighting a, from what the others told her, Dorssian spy, could anyone blame her for worrying?

As she watched the fight her fear and anxiety was eventually joined by amazement as she watched Haruto, sweet, innocent Haruto, actually began to win. She couldn't help but wince when Haruto landed a massive uppercut that actually lifted the spy off the ground.

Seriously, what happened to Haruto?

Had a few months of training really turned him into some kind of karate kid?

She was brought out of her musings when she heard the students around break out in cheers.

She saw why a second later.

Haruto had wrapped his tie around the spies neck and was using it to choke the life out of him. She was honestly conflicted about that. On one hand she was glad that Haruto had seemed to have taken control of the fight and was on the verge of winning, since once the fight was over he wouldn't be in danger anymore. But on the other hand she did not like seeing Haruto choke the life out of someone, even if it was an enemy spy.

Destroying an enemy robot and killing the enemy by result wasn't the same thing as killing one with your bare hands, at least that's what she thought.

So, in short, she didn't like what Haruto was doing but understood.

She'd rather have Haruto alive and the spy dead then the other way around.

But, once she saw that the spy had lost consciousness and Haruto hadn't let him down, she quickly yelled for him to stop.

There was no need to kill someone who wasn't a threat, right?

They could just tie him up.

Haruto didn't stop.

She wondered if he simply couldn't hear her over the cheering of the other students, so she quickly made her way through the crowd and towards Haruto.

When she saw his face, she didn't like what she saw.

He looked so angry.

Shoko had never seen him like that before.

It scared her.

Again, she called him, but it seemed his rage had made him completely oblivious to everything around him. So, she tried again and again and eventually she got through to him.

After that he thanked her and she was relieved that Haruto was back to his old self. Although, she was still surprised to see him so angry. Maybe all the stress placed on his shoulders lately had just piled up and turned into anger. Having to fight a Dorssian spy sure wouldn't help with all the stress she was sure.

But, looking at Haruto's confused face, she was relieved that he was back to his senses.

Back to being Haruto.

"He wouldn't be able to answer any questions if I killed him." those words from Haruto followed right after his thanks towards Shoko.

While Haruto wasn't sure a spy would know he knew L-elf had his own plans in mind.

When didn't he?

So, with that in mind, Haruto removed the tie around the spies neck and quickly used it to tie his hands behind his back. He wasn't really sure how effective that would be seeing as how easy L-elf freed himself from when he was tied up by Saki that one time.

Of course, getting the spy to L-elf wasn't the main reason he wanted to get out of everyone's sight as quickly as possible. He knew he was pushing his luck with his healing ability. Any moment his cut riddled face could start healing and no one had left after the fight was over. He was too exhausted to notice it but they were all looking at him in awe and astonishment at his victory over an actual Dorssian soldier with his bare hands

"Alright, I should take this guy to L-elf." crouching down, Haruto lifted the spy onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry position before standing straight. Despite how tired he was, he still found carrying an entire person fairly easy. "See you later." with that said, a battered and tired Haruto turned and made his way down the hall and towards the closest elevator.

He never saw the stunned face of Shoko's as she watched him leave.

"What a day." Haruto mumbled as he leaned his back against the elevator wall as the doors closed; the spy was still on his shoulders.

Thinking about all that he went through in the last . . . how long was the fight?

Honestly for him it felt like hours and yet it didn't.

Strange.

Was that even possible?

Replaying the fight in his head, it went by as if a movie was being fast forwarded but it just felt like it had been so long as well.

"Well, it doesn't matter." he was able to stop the spy and keep him from hurting anyone.

More importantly, he kept him from hurting Saki.

He felt a large amount of pride in that fact.

He was able to protect Saki.

He was also able to beat an actual trained Dorssian soldier.

That also made him feel proud of himself.

A one on one fight with no mechs, just their bare hands and he came out on top.

Progress.

"Oh, I should probably call L-elf." using one hand to fish out his phone, Haruto was glad to see that it survived the fight. "Call L-elf." he really should use the voice control system more.

"What is it?"

'Quick and to the point as always.' Haruto rolled his eyes at L-elf's words.

Would it kill him to say hello?

"I caught the spy." might as well do the same.

"You did? By yourself?" Haruto couldn't help but grin at L-elf's surprised tone.

"Yeah." he still sounded winded though. "It was pretty tough. I just barely got out of there before some of my cuts started healing in front of everyone." he could see in the elevator doors reflection that his wounds were indeed healing at the moment.

The cuts at least.

"I'm impressed. Fighting a trained Dorssian soldier and besting him isn't a simple feat."

"You're telling me. I only won because the guy was so mad. Not that I can blame him. He's a trained soldier- Spies are soldiers right?"

"They have a military background yes."

"Right. Like I was saying, he's a trained soldier and he couldn't beat me, a student as far as he knew. I'm sure that's what got him so worked up."

"Dorssian soldiers do have their pride."

"Yeah, well, it worked out great for me. I was even able to use it against him." his voice sounded a little smug, Haruto would admit to himself.

Just a little.

"You manipulated his emotions?" twice now Haruto could say he was treated to a, slightly, surprised L-elf.

That had to be some kind of record or something.

"Kinda." Haruto chuckled. "He said something that got me pretty mad myself but after I calmed down I just kinda made fun of him, you know? Something like 'Maybe Dorssia isn't as great as they say they are', stuff like that."

"Very well done. It seems your training is truly paying off. I assume you're bringing the spy down to the cells?"

"Yeah, figured you have something planned for him." a grunt escaped his lips as he shifted the spy a little.

"I'll call the others and tell them to call off the search." the next thing Haruto was hearing was a dial tone.

"No goodbye, huh?"

"Ugh." Haruto's head turned to the side when he heard a groan escape the spies lips.

He couldn't help but sigh.

Haruto was hoping he would remain unconscious until he got him to the cells.

Oh well.

Bending his knees, Haruto quickly stood up and stepped forward.

The sound of the spy hitting the ground face first resounded throughout the elevator.

He stood up quickly so the momentum took the spies unconscious body upwards before stepping forward, keeping the spy from having anything to catch him. Haruto also made sure to tilt his shoulders so the spies face hit the ground first, knocking him out.

He couldn't find it in himself to feel bad for the guy, there was still lingering anger under the surface for his threat towards Saki.

He never knew he was so protective of her.

Or maybe he did and the situation only allowed him to actually feel the emotions that came with his protectiveness of her.

The elevator opened and he quickly made his way towards the holding cells after he picked up the spy once again. L-elf was there as expected and Haruto quickly dropped the spy onto the table (or maybe it was a bed) that L-elf so easily escaped from when he was being held in one.

My how things change.

"Have fun." Haruto mumbled as he turned around and began walking out of the cell. "I don't even wanna know what you're going to do to him." he just wanted to rest more than anything at the moment.

Ok, maybe he wanted to see Saki then rest.

Haruto just needed to make sure she was safe.

He knew there was no reason for her not to be safe, and even if she was hurt for some reason she was immortal, but he just needed to make sure with his own two eyes.

"I have no idea where's she at though." fishing his phone out again, Haruto began to call Saki until...

"Hold that elevator!" blinking a few times, Haruto stuck his hand between the elevator's closing doors, causing the sensor that kept anything from happening that would remind him of the scene he once saw in one of the Final Destination movies to open the doors.

Cringing from the scene that replayed through his mind, Haruto was unprepared for the body that ran right into him.

"Ah! What the heck?" after his back slammed into the elevator wall, Haruto looked down at the source of the force that slammed into him. He was greeted with the sight of the very girl who he was thinking, worrying, about.

But, that was to be expected really.

Who else would it have been?

Who else would he have wanted it to be?

"Hi to you too." he groaned.

He was still tender from the fight, the cuts on his face were the only ones that healed.

Saki didn't respond to his words, instead, she slipped into her, dubbed by himself, mother hen mode.

"Haruto, are you hurt? Oh, what am I saying of course you're hurt, look at you! You're all bruised and battered! My goodness look at this cut! And your face! It's all beat up! That bastard hurt your beautiful face!" Haruto couldn't help but give the worrying Saki an incredulous look at that one.

Him, beautiful?

Nah.

If he was he would've had a girlfriend at least once in his life.

But then again, could Saki be considered his girlfriend?

They definitely had done things that couples only did.

Or friends with benefits.

But, from what he had heard, because knowing about such subjects really isn't in his character, friends with benefits really didn't connect much emotionally, and they had definitely connected emotionally.

So, what did that make them?

"Haruto? Haruto!"

"Huh?" blinking out of his thoughts, Haruto turned his attention towards the still worrying Saki.

"Is your hearing ok?! You're not deaf are you?!" at that he had to chuckle.

This girl could be such a worrywart.

"Deaf? I held the elevator up for you, didn't I?" hearing his rhetorical question, Saki couldn't help but blush at her dumb question.

Of course he could hear her, if he couldn't he wouldn't have held up the elevator. But she couldn't help it. She was already in her mother hen mode, something Haruto thought up not her, so when he didn't respond to any of her questions she thought the worst.

She went a little overboard, she would admit, but it was Haruto.

She would always worry over him.

He was too precious to her to lose.

" . . Right." she mumbled while averting her eyes to the side, obviously embarrassed for reasons Haruto didn't understand.

Sure she went over the top with her questions but she didn't need to be embarrassed about it. If anything, he was flattered by how worried she was for him. His own worry was only soothed because he was looking at her embarrassed, and damn it she was cute as hell when she was like that, form. The only reason he wasn't going nuts with his own questions was because there was no reason for her being hurt since he was the one that dealt with the spy.

Giving her a reason to worry.

So, while his concern was quelled, Haruto felt like he should do the same with Saki's.

He started that act by patting the girl on the head.

"You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine. A little bruised and tired but fine."

"But look at this cut." it was more of a gash, the wound across his chest, but Saki didn't want to think of it as such. After all, if it's a gash then that means Haruto went through more pain then he would have if it was a cut.

"Yeah, that did hurt," he had to admit that, "but it should heal soon." as if to emphasize his point, the wound finished its healing process, closing the gash up completely.

"See?" he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" she was still concerned and he doubted she would be over it until they spent some time together.

He didn't hate the idea.

"Yeah, I'm sure. But man, all that running really doesn't compare to an actual fight." Haruto leaned his back against the wall as he said those words. "I just need to relax a little."

"Alright then!" full of spunk, Saki did something that didn't sit too well with Haruto.

It wouldn't have sat well with any guy really.

She picked him up bridal style.

"S-Saki! What are you doing?! Put me down!" it should be the other way if anything.

"What am I doing?" she gave him a fake confused look that made him blush even more than he was at the moment. "I'm carrying you silly."

"W-Why?" damn it, he was getting better at not blushing and stuttering around her, then she steps her game up again and does this.

"You said you were tired, right? So I'm carrying you to a place to rest." thankfully, Haruto hadn't taken the same elevator he used to bring the spy to the cells. That meant everyone in the school wouldn't see him being carried like a princess. He was sure that would be one of the strangest sights they would ever see, especially when it was not even ten minutes after he finished beating a Dorssian spy in a fight.

He blinked, momentarily forgetting his position.

Had it been that little time since the fight had ended?

It didn't feel like it.

It felt like-

"Haruto, are you ok?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, it's just," he hesitated for a moment then realized there was no point in doing so, "when I think back to the fight it feels so long ago but it was just minutes ago. And the fight itself felt like it was forever and yet ended almost instantly. It's just weird."

"That's just the adrenaline." Saki answered. "Give it some time and things will become more clear to you. Patience is a virtue after all."

"Yes, sensei." they both laughed softly at his joke. "So, can you put me down? This is pretty awkward."

"Nope!" popping the "p", Saki held Haruto tighter to her body. Due to the weight training L-elf put them through, carrying Haruto was rather easy. "I have to take my little Haruto to a place where he can rest."

"I can walk." he protested on the behalf of his pride as a man. A pride that had grown in the last few months. Not that he had much to start with but every journey started with a single step.

"No need. I'm more than happy to carry you."

"Saki . . . this is embarrassing." oh she knew and she was relishing his red face.

"Don't worry, no one will see you." the elevator doors opened, revealing a wall a few feet ahead of them. "See?" stepping out of the elevator, Saki and Haruto looked around only to realize they were in an alley.

The elevator doors closed before a wall slid up from the ground and covered the elevator doors and blending in with the rest of the building.

"Whoa. It's like those spy movies." Saki muttered in slight awe. "Pretty cool."

"Yeah, but it really shouldn't be that surprising. I mean, if JIOR can create giant fighting robots that can turn us into a small army and . . . space vampires-"

"We really do need to come up with a better name."

"Yeah, but anyways, if they can do all that then it shouldn't be that big of a deal for them to make secret elevators." Haruto finished explaining his thoughts after Saki interjected in between with her own words.

"I know but still."

"Yeah, it is pretty cool." he couldn't help it. He was a boy, young man really, what boy didn't like something so spy-like. Saki was pretty cool for liking stuff like that too even though she was a girl. In Haruto's experience girls didn't like such things.

He completely forgot he was being carried like a princess.

"Saki, put me down!"

"Never!" with a scream of defiance, Saki took off out of the alley and down the street.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Haruto had given up a while ago on getting Saki to put him down. He tried struggling at one point so she would be forced to let him go but apparently Saki had a counter for that.

A counter that he really hadn't seen coming.

She licked his cheek.

Like she was a dog or something.

It was just one long lick but it completely caught him off guard and earned the reaction one would expect from such an action.

He turned completely red and stuttered like he had a speech impediment.

Could anyone blame him?

Being licked out of nowhere like that was completely out of left field.

It just made no sense in the situation.

Sure if he had food or something on his cheek then he could kind of see where she was coming from, but not for stopping his struggles.

It did its job though.

He was too embarrassed to try again.

So he simply curled up in her arms and looked away.

Haruto would never know how delicious he looked to Saki when he did that. She was half tempted to just eat him up right then and there.

Yes, he was definitely be a treat worth savoring.

"To the shrine, silly." she answered his question with a smile.

"Oh." now that he thought about it, they were taking the route they went along when they run. "Why?"

"You said you were tired, right? So I'm taking you to a place to rest."

"You didn't need to carry me." Haruto grumbled to himself causing Saki to giggle.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who could act childish.

"No, but I wanted to."

"Why?"

A shrug of her shoulders was Saki's response.

"Why am I not surprised?" Haruto rolled his eyes as Saki began making her way up the shrine steps. "Are you sure you can carry me up there?" the flight of stairs was not an easy trip.

"You're just looking for an excuse for me to put you down."

He couldn't deny that.

"Did it work?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Tch."

"I don't think I've heard you make that sound before."

"I've never been carried like a princess before."

"Then once again I find myself being your first." Saki responded with a rather smug tone and look.

"Good for you." she couldn't help but giggle once again at Haruto's brooding tone. "Are you really sure you can carry me all the way up there? You're not straining yourself are you?"

"Don't underestimate an idol's strength, especially an idol that can totally kick ass." Haruto couldn't help but snort before chuckling.

"You don't hear that everyday."

"You don't talk to someone like me everyday."

". . . . Yeah I do."

"Right- I mean- That wasn't what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?" Haruto knew what she meant but figured it was his turn to tease her a little.

"I meant, I'm not normal."

"You're telling me."

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding." Haruto waved his hands in defense. "And I know what you meant, just teasing."

"Teasing's my thing." Saki pursed her lips. "Don't take away my identity."

"I don't think anyone can do that to you."

"Oh? Why's that?" she could feel butterflies in her stomach at her question. While she didn't know his answer she had a feeling it had something to do with how or what he thought of her, and that instantly turned her, a former idol and actress, into nervous school girl.

Oh the affect Haruto had on her.

"It's because Saki's the only Saki in the world." the childish, boyish smile he gave her made Saki's insides melt and face turn red.

"T-Thanks." turning her head to the side, Saki mumbled her thanks, although no words could ever convey how Haruto's words truly made her feel.

They fell into silence for the rest of the trip to the shrine.

Haruto couldn't help but be impressed at Saki's strength. The whole time she was carrying him (something that he hated because of the obvious) she didn't struggle the least bit. Even up the stairs she kept a brisk pace. Yet, despite all of that, her body wasn't all muscular like his was.

It was slim and curvaceous, a fact he was grateful for.

"Ok, we're here." brought out of his musings from Saki's statement, Haruto was allowed the dignity of walking with his own two feet.

"Finally. Why are you pouting?"

"I liked carrying you."

"Well, that makes one of us." Haruto had no plans on being carried like that ever again. "Now what?"

"Now," Saki walked over to the patch of grass they laid on the day they started L-elf's training before sitting down with her legs tucked together to her side, "you come here." to put her point through, Saki patted her thighs.

'L-Lap pillow?!' Haruto's eyes were instantly drawn towards Saki's snow-white, smooth, full thighs.

His secret, acquired not too long ago, fetish.

Due to the school uniform's skirt not being very long, Haruto could see a good amount of her thighs between said skirt and long socks.

"No need to be shy, tiger. You know you want to." he did want to, but he didn't want to seem desperate like some guy who hadn't had any female interaction and was given an opportunity causing him to react like a dog that was given a slab of meat after days without food. Sure, a few months ago he did have no interaction, in that manner, with the opposite sex, but that was in the past! He had come along way and probably done more than most of his friends, and with a former idol and actress, a celebrity. He should be proud of himself and act accordingly.

In short, he needed to play it cool.

"S-Sure," damn it, "if you say so." the smirk on Saki's face showed that she knew what he was trying to do but she didn't call him on it. She just simply watched as Haruto sat down beside her before lowering his head onto her thighs.

"Soft." Haruto absentmindedly mumbled.

"You think so?" Saki giggled at the sight of Haruto's eyes widening. He obviously didn't intend to saw that out loud but let it slip out nonetheless.

"Uh, yeah." Saki smiled softly at him as Haruto averted his eyes to the side.

"So," she began as she ran her fingers through Haruto's soft hair, "rumor has it that you my, little Haruto, beat a Dorssian spy all by your lonesome." Haruto was unaware of the edge in Saki's tone, causing him to reply normally.

"Yeah, it was pretty tough but I was able to pull through."

"Oh? You seem rather proud of yourself." her eyes were half lidded by that point and it wasn't in the sexual nature. "But, I guess doing something as stupid and dangerous as fighting a trained Dorssian spy all by yourself would be something to be proud of, wouldn't it?" halfway through her sentence Saki was pulling on Haruto's ear.

"Owww! Let go! Let go!"

"Why didn't call us for backup?!" Saki questioned sounding like a mother scolding their child. "Why didn't you call me?! I could've helped!"

"Owwww! I- Ow! Didn't- Ow! Want you- Ow! To get hurt!" immediately Saki's fingers released Haruto poor, throbbing ear.

" . . Y-You didn't want me to get hurt?"

"Yeah, jeez." rubbing his ear, Haruto shot a pout at Saki. "Look, I know you're not weak, heck you're probably stronger than me still, even with all my personal training with L-elf. But, I still didn't want to take the chance of you getting hurt, even if it was just a little."

'Damn it.' there was no way she could stay angry at Haruto after hearing that. She felt the exact same way about him. "That's not fair. I can't stay mad at you if you say that."

'That was a close one.' Haruto sighed in relief.

"But still, that was pretty impressive, beating a Dorssian spy all by yourself."

"Wasn't easy though." Haruto groaned as he twisted his back. "That guy tackled me through the roof's door and then we fell down the stairs. Then all the students came crowding around like it was freaking school fight."

"Did they know you were fighting a spy?"

"Yeah, I told them so they wouldn't get in the way."

"They must've been confused out of their minds." Saki chuckled imagining the faces of students.

"Probably not as surprised as they were when they saw you fight and beat him."

"That's true." Haruto admitted. "I'm surprised I was able to do that."

"I'm not." Saki stated slightly catching Haruto by surprise; in hindsight he shouldn't have been. She always believed in him even when he didn't believe in himself. "I told you before Haruto you're strong. You really are."

"Yeah, I know, but that was resolve strong, not strong, strong, you know?"

"Yes," Saki giggled, "I know what you're saying. But the fact remains you're also 'strong, strong'."

"I got kind lucky though."

"How so?"

"Well, you know how L-elf said to not let our emotions take control of our actions?"

"Because they lead to mistakes, actions not thought through logically." Saki nodded her head remembering the bastard's words.

"Yeah, well, the spy got pretty angry as the fight went on."

"Of course, Dorssians and their petty pride." Saki scoffed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "The very idea of him losing to a JIORian student must've sent him over the deep end."

"Basically." Haruto replied before a thoughtful expression made its way on his face. "He called me that too actually."

"JIORian?"

"Yeah. Why is that? We're New JIORian now, right?"

"I seriously doubt Dorssia along with ARUS and JIOR see us as anything more than children messing around."

"How's that possible?!" Haruto questioned as he sat up. "I mean, we've fought against Dorssia a bunch of times and came out on top. How could think we're just messing around?"

"There's more to running a nation then just military power, Haruto. Much much more. And don't forget adults are conceded, they think their superior to us just because we're younger. I wouldn't be surprised if JIOR tries to get their hands on the Valvraves when we get to the moon."

"That's not good." for so many reasons that wasn't good.

"Don't worry my, little Haruto." Saki reassured with a few pats on the head. "If I thought of that then you know that bastard already had a long time ago."

"I guess you're right." Haruto relaxed at Saki's words, allowing him to lay back down on Saki's thighs. "We can trust him."

"You can trust him, I'll trust you."

"Don't be like that, Saki."

"Nope." she shook her head defiantly. "It's my job to long down the road and him betraying us is a possibility."

"He's not going to betray us, Saki. He needs us just as much as we need him." the picture of the pink haired girl L-elf kept with him flashed through his mind, along with the emotions that ran through the former Dorssia soldier's body. "Besides, he's not as bad as he tries to come off as."

"Sure he's not." Saki replied with a roll of her eyes.

"You're hopeless." Haruto sighed earning a giggle from Saki.

"Even if that's so you won't leave me." her voice was cheerful as was her smile.

"Yeah." Haruto smiled up at her. "Not like I could even if I wanted to."

"Got that right. I'd follow to the ends of the Earth. No! Space! The ends of space!" Haruto couldn't help but chuckle at her statement.

It was a wonderful feeling, Haruto realized, having someone so dedicated to you and willing to stand beside you. Something Saki's been doing for him since that time he attacked her.

What a strong, reliable person she was.

He was lucky to have her.

A yawn escaped his lips.

The fatigue from the earlier fight was taking its toll.

"Rest, Haruto," Saki began as she caressed his hair, "you earned it."

"Right." another yawn. "Thanks, Saki."

"Anything for my, little Haruto."

The last sight Haruto saw as his eyes slowly closed was that of Saki smiling down on him with that same look that he's seen from her but still couldn't place.

What was that look?

A/N: I'm not really going to say much this author's note because it's freaking hot where I live. So I'll keep it short.

The Black Bullet anime is disappointing. The manga's way better, better dark expressions and less rushed, but not as far advanced then the anime. In short, read the manga.

It's practically impossible to find a good Itachi fic that isn't incest, yaoi, or him being paired with Sakura, Ino or any other little kids because Itachi's a grown man. Stop making him a pedophile people! If anyone knows a good Itachi fic that isn't like those please tell me.

And lastly . . . . . they need to put more red ones in the Skittle packages. I'm sick of the yellow ones.

Oh yeah, I hope you all enjoyed the fight, and I hope it was written so all of you could imagine it in your heads.

Oh yeah again, I totally ship Shintaro x Ene from Kagerou Days or Project. I find their interaction better than Haruka and Konoha.