The pair of dragons had been in the best of spirits since the morning. Today was the long—awaited day of the school festival. After having a simple omelet and fried meat for breakfast, the only food they could cook without burning the ingredients in vain, they went out onto the balcony of their apartment.
The sun had already begun its journey, rising above the roofs of the glass towers. The bustle of the city, which had died down with the onset of darkness, flared up again with renewed vigor. Hundreds of cars and thousands of people began their march along the city streets, but all this noise did not reach the two lovers of silence, who were enveloped in the aura of Silence.
— Finally, I'll be able to see Hitori, — Ophis muttered, snuggling up to the boy's side. — I missed her.
Listening to the complaints of his beloved, Sai glanced mockingly at her. After biting into an apple that he had picked from a small tree that had recently been growing in their house, he gently hugged the girl. Due to the proximity of the festival, the guitarist had very little free time. Preparations for the festival and part-time work took too much of Goto's mental energy to be capable of anything other than sleep.
— Ha-ha! If someone, — the dragon grinned slyly, catching Ophis's gaze, — moderated their endless appetite, they could invite Hitori to spend the night with us. However, you preferred to satisfy your raging lust.
— Hm! If the festival were next week, I would have done so, — in revenge for the unfounded accusations, the girl snatched the bitten dragon apple and ate it herself. — Only a few days have passed, but I already miss this cutie next to me.
— Then it's good that today you can squeeze Hitori as much as you want again.
— Yeah, good.
After finishing their little conversation, they enjoyed the view in silence. Their lair was located in the tallest skyscraper in the area, giving the dragons an excellent view of the rest of the city. All the nearby high-rises were located tens of meters below the level of the couple's balcony. A few hundred meters away, right in the direction of the Ouroboros family's gaze, there was a real green area on the roofs of three neighboring buildings.
The once empty squares had turned into a small lush garden, with many two-meter-tall trees. Each growing apple tree boasted an abundance of fruit. A change brought about by the new residents of this part of Tokyo.
***
A small line had formed near the entrance to the school. People were approaching several tables set up near the gate so that students from the "health protection" group could write down the guests' ID cards. Such a step was taken for security purposes.
— Welcome. Please show me your ID, — the girl asked the next visitor with a smile. — So, Ouroboros Ophis, — but as soon as her gaze dropped to the age column, — Huh?
— Something wrong? — the dragon god asked, hiding her grin.
— No, nothing! — despite the discrepancy between her appearance and the numbers, her fake document was of high quality, not much different from the real thing. — Enjoy our festival!
— Of course. All the best.
— Having fun? — Silence asked, approaching his beloved when their keen hearing caught envious whispers behind them.
— Enjoying the festival, — a smile appeared on her face, just like his. — Look, they're already meeting us.
Among the crowd going deeper into the school, they could spot a familiar face. A teenager in a school uniform and an armband held a camera in his hands, offering visitors to take a picture.
— Onii-chan, here we are! — the voice of their companion was heard from behind the dragons.
— Komachi? — he muttered in surprise, looking at his sister who had approached. — Didn't you want to come with your friends? Why are you with them now?
— Hey! Do you have something against us?
— Don't grumble, Onii-chan, — the girl hugged Hachiman, looking up at him. — My classmates backed out at the last minute, and I didn't want to go alone, so I called Silence and Ophis.
— Okay, — the teenager couldn't resist this cute look. — What are your plans?
— Such a huge festival, — Sai looked around with admiration at the food stalls and the crowd of happy people. — We're going to visit everything we can here.
— You just haven't seen anything else. Compared to the Suimei festival, ours looks pale.
— What Suimei?
— The best art academy in Tokyo, — Komachi answered energetically, instead of her brother. — The school is divided into a general course and an art course. There are geniuses and simply talented people there. They say that this year they enrolled a world-famous artist.
— You know a lot about it, Komachi. Do you really want to go there?
— No, no, what are you saying! — the girl shook her hands sharply, denying Ophis's question. — The requirements for admission are very high, if you haven't been studying at Suimei since middle school. And I don't have any skills for the arts department.
— I see, — the dragon decided to save his accomplice and change the subject. — Hachiman, you mentioned the difference in the scale of the festival. Have you been there?
— Yeah. Last year, during rehabilitation, I managed to drop in for a while, — the topic of injury was not very pleasant for a teenager.
— Go have fun already. Don't bother me with my work.
— Ha-ha! I never thought you would be eager to work. Okay, don't make a face. Better tell me, is your job just to take pictures of people coming here?
— ... No, — the young man sensed impending trouble, but still answered. — A little later I will need to visit and check the work in the classrooms.
— Then we will privatize you! You will be our private photographer. Let's combine business with pleasure, — seeing his friend's grimacing face, Sai decided to use his trump card. — What do you think, Komachi?
— As long as her brother is around, Komachi is ready to go to the ends of the earth!
— Eh-h-h!.. Good. You win, — he ignored the fact that these manipulators gave each other a "five". — Where first?
— Don't ask stupid questions, Hachiman. The answer is obvious.
***
The meeting with the unusual couple changed not only Hikigaya Hachiman, but also Hitori Goto. If the young man was a good friend, then the clumsy guitarist was the favorite of the dragons. They literally spent most of their free time in the company of the girl, which could not but affect her. An additional incentive was also her entry into the supernatural world, after a clash with a renegade demon. Thus, after the summer holidays, a completely new Hitori Goto appeared before the class.
The change in the girl was visible not only to her happy loved ones, even classmates who did not pay attention to her could understand it at a glance.
The first thing that immediately caught the eye was the absence of the usual sports jacket, hiding her previously huge, even by adult standards, breasts. Thanks to Ophis's love for shopping, the girl completely changed her wardrobe and got used to the reaction of others to her appearance.
The Society of Two Dragons was able to rid Hitori of her main problem — self-doubt. She was no longer afraid to communicate with other people. All the awkwardness and stuttering disappeared, but the teenager remained an inveterate introvert. Her quiet, unsociable behavior did not change at all. All attempts by classmates to get closer were politely but firmly rejected. Goto no longer craved the attention of others. She enjoyed the company of her close friends, and that was enough for her.
Now the girl was sitting at the table in front of the door of her classroom, registering viewers for the next session of the play. Since she was participating in the performance, she was wearing her outfit as an additional advertisement and to attract attention.
Unfortunately, people's attention was drawn to the wrong place. Although the maid outfit she was wearing was very closed and old—fashioned, it perfectly demonstrated the guitarist's enormous advantages. The girls were envious and jealous, while the guys were drooling and wanted to get to know her. Another one of them had been trying to impress for a minute now, despite her direct refusal and ignoring him.
"They're here, partner". — A deep voice sounded in Hitori's head.
Seven days have passed since Vritra's consciousness awakened and she mastered the balance breaker. During this week, she was able to get used to mental communication and not flinch every time the dragon spoke. During the communication, the girl was able to learn a lot about the dragons themselves, as well as about the mystical side of the world and its inhabitants. For all this, she should thank Ophis and Sai, who helped her. Only thanks to the two of them, a pathetic piece of the dragon-jailer's soul was able to awaken a full-fledged consciousness.
— So how about exchanging numbers? — the guy who had been talking all this time misinterpreted the excitement that appeared on Goto's face, taking it personally. The guitarist stood up, deciding to independently find her friends, whom she had not seen for four days, completely ignoring the external irritant. — Where are you going?
— Don't touch me! — Hitori sharply slapped away the outstretched hand. With uncharacteristic fury, she glared at the lecherous idiot. — What part of 'I'm not going to get to know you' don't you understand? — Her hand clenched into a fist in anger. — Do I really need to explain that I don't like you?
— Hey, cutie, calm down! I just...
— Hitori! — The teenager was interrupted by the cry of a girl running past him. Having found her target, Ophis hugged her. — You have no idea how much I've missed you.
— I...
— The one who's going to leave now, — Sai put his arm around the stranger's shoulders, showing a bit of his strength. The murderous intent and Ouroboros's evil gaze made the boy shake in a cold sweat. — Get lost!
Adding a weak curse of impotence to him, the young man threw the existence of this loser pick-up artist out of his head.
— How about greeting me too? — He spread his arms out to the sides. — Is Ophis the only one worthy of hugs?
In response, the girl moved away from her friend to hug someone herself.
— Long time no see, Silence, — she felt strong hands begin to stroke her hair.
— It's nice to see you too, Hitori, — Ophis soon joined the two of them, not wanting to be left out.
Vritra silently watched the still unfamiliar scene. When he first woke up after what seemed like an eternal sleep, he couldn't immediately comprehend the situation around him. Everything was unfamiliar to him, especially the dragon god of infinity conversing sweetly. Even now, the dragon had a hard time accepting the absurdity of the situation. Its host was between Ouroboros and her mate, who continued to show sympathy towards the girl.
Vritra felt like they didn't even realize that they were continuing to exude their aura, completely enveloping Hitori. The scent of the couple permeated the guitarist's body, suppressing even the grains emitted by the sacred mechanism. These two practically directly declared the girl's belonging to them. Detailed affection is extremely rare even among the numerous flocks of dragons. Not every one of their kind can so easily accept someone into their family.
— And Nobu is not with you? — Goto asked, carefully examining her surroundings. Nodding to Hachiman, who she had already met today, she greeted another of her friends. — Hello, Komachi!
— No. This freeloader was going to ride bikes with her new friend today.
— So it really is her... — the surprised muttering did not escape the dragons.
— Hmm-h? What do you mean, Hachiman?
— Um, you see... — the guy scratched his head in confusion as everyone looked at him attentively. — Recently, in the messenger chat I'm registered in, a rumor appeared about a new strange character who showed up in Ikibukuro. A young girl in an old Japanese military uniform and a sword on her belt.
— Judging by your appearance, that's not all. Go ahead and tell me.
— They say that she also began to appear regularly in the company of the Headless Horseman, racing with her on motorcycles through the city streets.
— Brother, are you serious? — the younger sister looked at her relative skeptically. — As if people still believe in mysticism.
— By the Headless Horseman, you mean the Dullahan? — Sai looked at Ophis in shock. — There is a real Dullahan in Tokyo?
— You don't know?
— Hachiman, I don't follow all sorts of gossip and tales. As long as no one crosses the borders of my lair, I won't care about them. It's strange that the five clans haven't done anything against her yet or no one has recruited her into their faction, — the young man reasoned out loud. — Maybe she's new to Tokyo?
— What are you two chatting about? — the younger Hikigaya asked suspiciously. — Is this some kind of role—playing game? You play cool games with everyone and you haven't told your beloved little sister!?
— Don't torment him, Komachi, — seeing his friend's pitiful look, Sai decided to take pity on him. — It's just that your brother is so lonely that he developed chuunibyou, and I play along with his illusions.
— And I'm not lonely at all! — the teenager demonstrated his "gratitude" to the dragon with his whole appearance. — We'd better go already. Goto-san, are you coming with us?
— Yes! I'll just warn Ebina and change.
— There's no point in wasting time changing, Hitori, — Ophis immediately sensed possible amusement. — It's better to stay in this outfit.
— But...
— You said yourself that you are in my debt and will do everything possible to repay, — Ouroboros smiled slyly. — That is why wearing a maid outfit is my wish.
— You can't argue with her, — Sai shared his own experience. — Better tell me: can you leave with us so calmly?
— Yes, my role is not that significant. We have already agreed with Yuigahama-san that I will perform the entire first day, and on the second she will replace me. It is much better than alternating places every day.
— Excellent! Then talk about your departure and let's begin our journey through all the attractions of this school!
— YES! — everyone except Hachiman supported the dragon's words.
They managed to visit only half of the provided entertainment, as the squad suffered losses. Before them appeared the local boss, a tyrant, a demon and just a cutie, in Hachiman's opinion.
— Okay, I'm taking him with me, — Hiratsuka's strong grip closed on the guy's collar, not giving him even a ghost of a chance to escape. — Have fun and don't be late for the start of the performance!
— Yeah!
— Okay!
— Good!
— Please take care of my little brother, Shizuka-onesan.
— Traitors, — Hachiman muttered quietly to his friends' quick answer, especially to Komachi's hints.
— Ahem, — suppressing her embarrassment, the teacher waved them goodbye, — well, here we go.
— Well, let's leave Hachiman under the oppression of his future wife, and we ourselves will continue our journey.
***
— A-a-a-a!!! Monster! Save me!
No one was alarmed by the screams full of fear, because this class decided to make a haunted house. By enclosing the room with panels, the students created a kind of labyrinth, where visitors must go through a long path full of horror to reach the exit. However, this time it was not a visitor who ran out of the classroom, but a girl in makeup.
— A-a-a! Save me! — the panicking girl rushed wherever her eyes looked, not paying attention to those around her.
— Ha-ha-ha! How timid ghosts are these days, — Silence came out of the classroom, laughing, accompanied by two girls. Komachi had left them a little earlier to take the best seats during the musical performance.
— You overdid it, Sai, — Hitori complained about him. When the actress ran out to scare them, she was met by the creepy grin of the young man's hybrid form. — What if something happens to her now?
— Nothing will happen to her, — he waved it off, continuing to walk towards the next floor. — At most, she'll cry for a day or two and suffer from nightmares, and then she'll calm down. I didn't do anything to her.
— I hope so, — the guitarist said with a little pity, but she didn't have to worry for long. A familiar figure appeared in front of her. — Sagami-san...
— Your friend? — Ophis asked, looking at the girl walking in the distance.
— A classmate, — Hitori watched the girl moving in a kind of prostration. — It's strange that she walks around here so easily. Hiratsuka-sensei said that they lack manpower, and Sagami is the chairman of the committee.
— Oh! So she's the fool Hachiman was always complaining about, — Silence had to use his gaze to see the schoolgirl who disappeared around the corner. — I think Hachiman exaggerated. It's not like she has an IQ lower than a loaf of bread.
— Forget about her, — Ophis didn't care about the identity of an insignificant person. — The volunteer orchestra concert will start soon, and we haven't visited the animal cafe yet.
***
The musical closing of the cultural festival was coming to an end, but the atmosphere behind the stage was very tense. The heads of the organizing committee and the free workers gathered together.
— You still haven't been able to find Sagami? — the teacher asked Yukinoshita and the student council president sullenly.
— Minami's phone is turned off, and she didn't react to the announcement on the radio.
— This is bad. What about those who went looking for her? Did they find anything?
— No. No one has seen her since this morning. No one knows where she went, — her deputy squeezed out, biting her lip in excitement. Yukino blamed herself for what happened. — She has the results of the guest votes, and the show will be over soon.
— Any ideas? — Hiratsuka looked around at the people present. She had already gotten an extra ten minutes by asking Hayama and his band to play another song, but time was still running out. — Otherwise, we'll have to postpone the announcement of the results until tomorrow.
— No one knows the final results anyway, so we can choose the winners ourselves, — Hikigaya suggested his option, but the people around him did not take such a step well.
— I'll go look for her too, — Yukino was ready to start with a grim determination.
— You won't find her if you run aimlessly around the school, — Hachiman's words, who was thinking, shook the ice queen.
— Hikigaya... — the teacher called out with a gleam in her eyes.
— What?
— If you have another ten minutes to spare, will you be able to find her?
— There's a chance.
— Then, — Hiratsuka took out her cell phone and called someone. — Hello again. Is Goto with you? Great, can you come to the stage, I have a small favor to ask.
— Is something the matter, Shizuka? — an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from the darkness, frightening some of the teenagers. They didn't think that the guests would come ten seconds after the call. — You don't often ask me for something.
Stepping into the light, a duet of girls appeared before everyone. One of them was a student of this school, for some reason dressed in a maid uniform, while the other looked like an ordinary young girl, but everyone felt a certain trepidation when looking at her.
— You're quick, — not paying attention to the reactions of the others, the teacher briefly reported the current situation. — I know that you've performed together before, — with a wry smile, Hiratsuka remembered the video of the performance from the night club, where they disrupted the guest artist's game and took his place. — so I ask you to perform now. I'll help as much as I can.
— You can play, right? — Ophis asked her and received a nod. — Then can you replace Sai and play that melody from the video?
— Yes, I know that song.
— Great, — Ouroboros looked at the main star of the show, — What do you say, Hitori? Do you agree?
— Uh-huh.
— Okay, — Shizuka sighed in relief. — Now everything is in your hands, Hachiman.
— Okay, — the teenager ignored the surprised looks of those around him from the familiar address of their teacher.
After leaving the noisy gym, the boy enjoyed the deserted atmosphere for a second. He already had an idea about the current situation, but Hachiman was not going to waste time, having the opportunity to let the woman he was interested in down.
— Hello, — after the first beep, the dragon accepted the call. With some irony, he repeated Hiratsuka's words: — I have a small request. You told me about your magical vision. Can you look around the school now and tell me where the lonely figure is? I need to find the escaped chairman.
— You have a lucky day today, Hachiman, — the voice of the teleported youth was heard next to him. The dragon was holding a bag of popcorn in his hands. — I have already seen the girl you need today and I can accurately determine her aura, — a blue magic circle appeared in his eyes. — She is on the roof of the far building.
— Thank you, I will owe you.
— You won't, — Silence saw off the figure of his running friend with a smile. — My payment will be the upcoming show with your participation.
***
Hachiman entered the roof with the creaking of the door. A weak gust of wind swayed the hair of the lonely girl who turned around at the sound. Sagami's face changed from joyful to disappointed when she realized who was in front of her.
— The closing ceremony is about to begin, it's time for you to go back. — The guy immediately laid out his business and Minami grimaced.
— I don't think I'm that needed there. — She said, turning away, making it clear that she didn't want to hear anything more from me.
— I don't make the rules. There's very little time left, and you'll save us a lot of trouble if you hurry up and come back.
— Time? Hasn't the ceremony already started?
— No, the others are stalling for time as best they can, but there's very little time left.
— Then why not let Yukinoshita do everything that needs to be done? She can handle everything.
— Huh? That's not the point, only you know the results of the voting.
— Then they would have recounted. If we organized everyone, we would have done it in a jiffy...
— We don't have the time or the people for that!
— Then take the results and take them! — Sagami hit the railing, causing it to shake.
Hachiman wondered whether to take the results from her and go back or help the girl overcome her problems. His thoughts were interrupted by the door creaking again.
— There you are... I've already looked everywhere. — Hayama appeared in the doorway, followed by two of Sagami's friends, whom he had apparently taken with him.
— Hayama... Girls... — Sagami turned away again. This was the moment she had arranged everything for.
— No one could find you, everyone was worried, — Hayama said, fully justifying her expectations. — It's good that one of the tenth graders saw you coming up here.
— Sorry, but... — Sagami, however, continued to be stubborn.
— Let's go back quickly, everyone is waiting. Okay?
— Okay!
— We were so worried!
Hayama understood perfectly well that there was no time for long conversations and immediately told Sagami what she had been waiting for. Giving in to her friends, she extended her hands to them.
— But, even if I come back now…
— It's okay, everyone's just waiting for you.
— Let's go together.
All this melodrama in front of him completely deprived the teenager of the desire to help Sagami. The stupid girl staged this pity show so that the people around her would amuse her bruised ego. However, she didn't take into account that such a prank could backfire in many ways, especially on the teacher responsible for the organizing committee, so Hachiman wasn't going to be polite.
— Maybe you could stop this fucking suffering already? — Hikigaya's cold voice made the four of them fall silent. They turned their shocked eyes to him. — Time is running out as it is, and you still continue to act up here. Sagami, all you want is to be pitied, for the people around you to flutter around you. You say that you're just a loser, and you expect them to answer that this is not so. But you're right, that's how it is and you shouldn't have been the head of the organizing committee. So just give the results, it's really better to give them to Yukinoshita. After all, she was the one responsible for organizing this festival, — seeing the girl's hopeful look directed at Hayama, Hachiman decided to hammer the last nail into the coffin of her confidence. — You should understand that since I was the one who found you first, who only needed the voting results, then the rest don't care about you at all.
Sagami immediately turned pale, and the accumulated anger was replaced by shock and despair. The restrained emotions burst out, and she tried to stop them, biting her lips.
— Do you understand now? Everything you...
— Hikigaya, shut up. — Hayama rushed forward to grab the teenager by the collar, but, with a sincere laugh, a familiar figure landed in front of him.
Before that, Silence, under the illusion, sat on the roof above the front door, watching what was happening with interest, chewing popcorn. Hachiman's last remark made him applaud without any irony. The teenager said everything that the dragon felt. The blonde's angry outburst forced the dragon to act. Hachiman would definitely respond to aggression, and thanks to his lessons, Sai was sure of an interesting duel, but now was not the time for fights.
— Break, hothead, — the dragon raised his hands up stopping Hayato, but during the jump his hands were not empty. — Oops... Sorry, sorry, — Sai brushed the popcorn spilled from the blonde's head with undisguised mockery. — I was so worried that I jumped without thinking. However, I managed to accidentally witness what was happening, and I realized one thing — do you have time for showdowns? Better give the necessary papers back. With this girl or not, decide for yourself. Ha-ha-ha!
After the intervention of the dragons, the school festival was able to end without any problems. Many will remember and discuss the fiery performance of the rocker maid for a long time.
***
Inside the castle, located in an isolated dimension, in the office of the leader of the faction, Tepes listened to the report of the head of intelligence.
— Have you managed to find the killer of our brothers?
— Yes, sir, — the vampire put down several sheets of data. — Now she is in the capital of Japan. The girl does not even think about hiding, calmly walking along the streets of the city.
— Unforgivable! — the table could not withstand the man's anger, cracking in the middle. — This bitch is not afraid of us at all. Send out a cleanup squad. Let them bring her here. It does not matter in what condition she will be, the main thing is that she is alive.
— Good. Tokyo is the territory of Japanese magicians, how should we act?
— Screw these clowns. Use whatever you need. You can even kill all the people there. The result is important to me!
— It will be done!