Fifth Period.
In a certain first-year high school classroom, a certain girl was sleeping with her face plastered against her desk.
"I don't believe this," complained the phone strap hanging from her waist.
The girl was wearing a belt. Attached to it were several small pouches and a holster with a model gun. For reference, there is only one student (rest is omitted). One person is (rest is omitted).
She had a very satisfied look on her face. The middle-aged teacher at the front ignored her and continued to read off the textbook.
-----
In a certain second-year high school classroom, a certain girl's seat was empty. It was most definitely occupied before lunchtime, and the student wasn't one to skip classes. Her friend was contemplating whether or not to go to the nurse's office to see if she was there.
And the occupant of that seat was--
"I hate them… I hate them all…"
muttering to herself in the deserted semi-basement landing, turning over a small bottle in her right hand. It was filled with an extremely suspicious-looking neon-green liquid.
She downed it all in one go.
The sound of the bottle shattering against the floor echoed through the landing, but no one would ever hear it.
-----
In a certain third-year high school classroom, a student in a white uniform carrying a katana easily answered the teacher's questions while hoarding the class's attention to himself. For reference, (rest omitted). One person (rest omitted).
All of a sudden--
"…!"
he stopped in the middle of his answer, as if something more pressing had caught his attention. He looked up at the ceiling.
Ten seconds of silence. Just as the teacher was about to tell him to sit down if he didn't know the answer--just as the other students were being surprised that Shizu was having trouble with an answer--
The building shook. Everyone thought, 'An earthquake?", but the sounds of explosions followed soon after.
As screams filled the classroom, Shizu muttered,
"It's here."
-----
"Kino! Wake up! Kino!" Hermes shouted. Kino was still sprawled out over her desk.
As a side note, the classroom had been emptied out already. The doors were wide open, the desks were scattered, and textbooks and notebooks were strewn across the floor. Everyone had already evacuated because of the sustained explosions and the shaking of the building. Voices yelling "This way!" and "Hurry!" rang out from the hallways, courtesy of students who were a little late in escaping.
"Wake up! The enemy's finally here! Kino! You have to transform and fight!"
"Ughhh… yeah…" Kino mumbled, her face still against the desk.
"You awake?"
"I said I can keep eating… bring more… I have a separate stomach for them… Pft… meat dumplings…"
She was just talking in her sleep.
"Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!"
As Hermes tried to awaken Kino in vain, a monster rampaged through the school.
It was humanoid in shape, but about 3 meters tall, with rough grey and brown skin. It was most definitely a monster. The monster walked through the halls, shattering windows with its large arms. It was hunching, but the lights and even the ceiling were destroyed as its head passed through. The monster occasionally breathed fire, which caused the explosions that shook the building.
On the first floor lobby, it breathed fire upon a bronze statue of the founder of the school, shattering it. With its claws, the monster ripped apart an oil painting labelled "Prefectural Art Contest Second Place". It growled, and let out a huge roar.
"Eeeek!" Someone screamed softly.
"You idiot! It'll hear you!" Someone scolded, in an even louder voice than the scream. I wonder which one is really the idiot?
The monster turned towards the direction of the voice--the office beside the lobby.
-----
"I don't believe this! What kind of transforming hero sleeps through something like this?!" Hermes complained. Kino, who had finally succumbed to Hermes' efforts (although upon waking, she had shouted at Hermes, "You woke me up from my Imperial Chinese Gourmet Full-Course Meal!"), was running through the halls in search of the monster. Hermes still hung from Kino's belt.
There was a sharp scream from a female student. Hermes pointed Kino in the right direction with a "That way!", but Kino stopped in her tracks.
"Man, do I really have to do this?"
"I'm going to get angry if you don't."
"But, normal high school girls don't fight monsters." Kino whined.
"Normal high school girls don't sleep in class, drooling over an Imperial Chinese Gourmet Full-Course Meal in her dreams."
"Ack."
"Anyway, you have to fight! What would your grandma back home think if you keep hesitating like this?" Hermes scolded Kino. Kino reluctantly headed towards the direction of the scream.
"My hair won't stay down." Kino's bangs were standing up in odd directions because she slept at her desk. "Can I just drop by the washroom for a sec?"
"Never mind that, you have to hurry!"
-----
The scream was very brief, but Kino could easily tell that it came from the first floor lobby. The halls along the way were a complete mess, looking almost like they had been bombed out. Sparks were coming out of broken power lines above her.
When she arrived at the lobby entrance, Kino took cover behind a blackened wall and scouted out the area. A group of students were huddled in front of the monster, shaking in terror. There were four of them.
"Oh."
They were all familiar faces--Kino had been stopped by them at the school gates this morning.
"Kino! You have to fight the monster! Transform!" Hermes instructed, but Kino made a suggestion.
"Can't we wait until the monster beats them halfway to death?"
"That'll set a bad example for the younger readers. Now hurry up and transform. You know how it goes, right?"
"I guess I have no choice… if you insist… do I really have to do this…?" Asked Kino. She looked less than enthusiastic. Hermes quietly replied, "if you become a hero, people might buy you dinner for all your efforts."
"All right then! Let's do this!"
Kino looked straight ahead, eyes filled with determination. They shone like that time she happened upon a sign saying "Extra-large pork cutlet curry! Your meal's free if you finish it within an hour!" at a small restaurant (as a side note, she succeeded).
Kino drew her model gun from the holster on her right. She raised the plastic gun into the air, released the hammer, and fired.
"________!"
(↑ Please make up a transformation catchphrase to insert above.)
The hammer struck the firing pin. The moment the sound of the igniting primer rang out, a bright light enveloped Kino's body. The background changed from a ruined hallway to a suspicious neon space, and upbeat background music began playing. This is, of course, all pre-recorded.
After that, she started spinning around, her nude silhouette tastefully blinked in and out of sight in the lightshow, tendrils of light covered her from her fingertips and turned into clothing, et cetera. I'll leave this to your imagination.
Once the blinding light had faded away--
"Transformation complete! Kino is now "Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!" Hermes shouted. Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino (abbv. Kino) looked down at herself in surprise.
That's right. Kino was--
"What the heck? I don't look any different!"
She was dressed in a sailor uniform. She wore a belt with pouches and a holster, and she was holding a revolver. Her bangs were standing up in odd directions.
"I haven't changed at all! I look exactly the same--the transformation didn't work!" Kino spoke in shock. However, Hermes, still hanging from her belt, explained calmly.
"No, you have transformed. First, your model gun's turned into a real gun--Big Cannon~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer. It can fire bullets that exorcise monsters. Not only that, your physical strength and athletic capabilities have been enhanced to superhuman levels. Your sailor uniform's sleeves have gotten 1 mm thicker, your skirt's gotten 3 mm shorter for fanservice, and the buckles on your pouches went from bear-shaped to wolf-shaped. And--"
"Never mind that! Everyone's going to know who I am if I go out like this!"
"Don't worry about that."
"Why not?"
"You're transformed! No one will ever know you're Kino."
Before Kino could reply that Hermes must be out of his mind, the four Student Council members surrounded Kino. Strangely enough, they seemed to have regained some level of calm.
"Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! You've come to rescue us!"
"Please, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! Destroy the monster that's rampaging through our school!"
"Mysterious Gun Fighter Kino is here! We're saved!"
"Destroy it, Mysterious Kino!"
The four said their pieces and disappeared. The only ones left were the monster and the complaining Mysterious Kino.
"Why the heck did he call me 'Mysterious Kino'?"
Hermes replied, "See? Transformations always work like this. It's an unspoken rule."
"…Can I leave now?"
"No. The monster's waiting."
The monster growled menacingly and set its sights on Kino. This was obviously because Kino was the only one around. Its swollen eyes were the size of mandarin oranges. The saliva dripping from the monster's maws congealed into a puddle. It stepped into the puddle with its right foot.
"Oh…"
At the very end of one of its toes was a green indoor shoe. Perhaps as an accessory for the season, there was a small sticker of a bamboo tree and a wish tag attached to the side.
"It can't be…"
"It is. This must be that girl who was rejected earlier. She's been tempted by evil and transformed into a monster."
"No way! That's terrible! Arghh, what am I supposed to do?"
"Shoot her with the Big Cannon ~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer. It'll bring her back to normal."
"With this thing?" Kino looked at the revolver in her right hand.
"But remember, you can only fire one shot each time you transform. That's why you have to weaken it to make sure you can make the shot accurately."
"Then how am I supposed to--ackk!"
Kino just barely managed to dodge the monster's arm and claws. She fumbled and took aim at the monster, but was hit by its left fist before she could pull the trigger.
"Kyaaa!"
Kino was sent flying into a wall at the end of the hallway. She fell to the ground and landed on her rear. A large crack appeared on the wall she hit.
"That hurt! And my hair's a mess!"
"Normally you'd have died, huh? Get up, Kino. You have to fight."
Kino stood and raised her right arm, aiming at the monster running down the hall in all fours. However, it was difficult to properly aim at a moving target.
"If you miss, it's all over." Hermes reminded her. Kino lowered Big Cannon and asked, "Aren't there any other weapons I can use?!"
"Nope, sorry."
Hearing Hermes' words, Kino bowed her head as if she remembered something--the pouches her grandmother gave her.
"This is it!"
Kino holstered Big Cannon and removed one of the pouches.
"I'll use them well, Grandma."
She turned the pouch upside-down and opened the cover.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the hallway. Out of the pouch barely big enough to fit in two packs of cigarettes came firearms. Handguns, rifles, machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and others. Guns piled onto the floor in front of Kino.
"Wouldn't have expected any less from grandma!"
Kino's eyes shone brightly. She remembered that at grandma's house back in the countryside, there were all kinds of firearms from all over the world stashed away in storage. She also recalled sunset country roads, when she was often carried on her grandmother's back as a child.
Her grandmother had always told her, "Remember, Kino. Violence and justice are not the same thing. But you also have to remember that you can't save anyone by preaching justice without any strength to take action."
"Kino!"
The monster was mere meters in from of Kino. It was taking a breath, preparing to breathe fire.
"!"
From the mountain of guns Kino pulled out the police-use New Nambu 38-caliber revolver with her left hand and pulled the trigger multiple times at the monster.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The clear sounds of gunshots accompanied the bullets. The monster jumped up as if it had been struck by a whip, and shattered a window as it fled into a classroom. Kino dropped the emptied revolver and picked out another handgun--a Chinese Tokarev semiautomatic. For some reason, it was painted red and white.
Kino put the rest of the guns back in her pouch. They kept sticking out of the top, so she organized them very carefully, closed the cover, and put it back on her belt.
"Chase after it, Kino!"
"Right!"
Kino pulled back and released the slide, loading the chamber ("loading" would be an incorrect term to use in the case of automatic weapons, but it just means that it's ready to fire the first shot) and ran after the monster, into the second-year junior high classroom.
At that exact moment, the monster tossed a desk at her. Kino barely managed to avoid it by rolling on the floor. The desk broke through the door and fell into the hallway with a crash. Gunshots rang out immediately.
Kino, half-standing, aimed the Tokarev with both hands and shot at the monster, which was escaping outside. Every shot found its mark. The monster escaped through the windows and jumped onto the central gardens. It tried to escape, trampling the morning glories along with their flowerpots.
Bang.
One shot hit its hind leg. The monster lost its balance and fell to the ground, leaning against the elm tree in the gardens. It seemed to have been greatly weakened.
"Good job, Kino! Now all you have to do is shoot Big Cannon ~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer, and it'll return to normal!"
"Got it!"
Kino put the Tokarev back in the pouch and drew Big Cannon from the holster. She made her way out to the gardens through the hole made by the monster, set the flowerpots upright, and stood in front of the helpless monster.
"Grrrrrwwoorrrr…"
The green indoor shoe was hanging from its toe.
"It'll be all right now. I'll bring you back to normal." Kino assured the monster, and aimed her large-caliber revolver. Her actions looked pretty hypocritical in comparison to what she just said, but that's only if you judge by appearance. I assure you that she's not being a hypocrite.
"Now or never, Kino."
"Yeah."
Just as Kino took aim, however--
"I see you may need my help."
A clear voice echoed. A confused expression appeared on Kino's face.
"When the maiden of justice finds herself in danger--" the clear voice rang out again.
"a lone knight descends from the distant skies!"
Kino looked towards the direction of the voice. A man stood on the rooftop of the shorter wing of the school building.
A breeze.
The man stood elegantly amidst the sound of the wind through the trees.
He wore a white school uniform. A pocket watch hung out from his pocket, and a katana with a black scabbard was secured to his side. A silken white cape fluttered from his shoulders.
"…!"
Kino was shocked at the sight of his face.
He was probably a tidy-looking young man, but his eyes were covered by a white mask. It was pristine white, covering his nose to his forehead. He wore sunglasses over his eyes. Atop his slightly long black hair were a pair of fluffy dog ears, and a bright red apple sat on the top of his head. A dove flew past him. In slow motion, at that.
"Huh?"
The man addressed the surprised Kino with a clear, powerful voice.
"Are you all right, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino?"
"Um… well…"
"I have come to rescue you from peril!"
"Um… I'm not in any peril, thanks."
"It is the duty of a knight to extend a hand of salvation to maidens in distress! My apologies for keeping you waiting, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
"Listen to people when they're talking. I wasn't waiting for you."
"I shall rescue you now!"
"Never mind. You're getting in my way. And why are you talking like you came from the 10th century?"
"That is indeed a good question! Yes, my name is--though I cannot reveal my true name--my post-transformation name is--!"
"I never asked you. To be honest, I don't even wanna get near you."
Hermes, who had been keeping quiet all this time, muttered, "his name should be 'Pervert'."
Kino nodded vigorously in agreement.
The man swished his cape and called out in a clear voice.
"My name is--'Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice'!"
Tada! Ta-tatata! The sixth track from the OST, the theme song 'Oh, Our Beloved Samoyed Mask!' echoed throughout the school grounds. It was an upbeat piece with an elegant violin-centered melody. Occasional canine sounds like 'woof!' and 'bow-wow!' accented the piece.
As a side note, Samoyeds are a breed of dogs originating from Russia. They have thick white fur and appear as though they're always smiling. Riku is one.
"My other name is--'The Only One Samoyed Knight'!"
"Which one is it supposed to be?"
"Which one's your name?"
Kino and Hermes complained in unison.
"They're both too long."
"Let's just call him 'Pervert'."
Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice, or the Only One Samoyed Knight smiled refreshingly. HIs pearly white teeth sparkled.
"Ha-hahahahaha! Here I come! Hah!"
Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice, or the Only One Samoyed Knight (I'd like to refer to him as 'Pervert' from this point on, but I'll refrain and call him 'Samoyed Mask') leapt from the rooftop with a sincerely happy laugh.
The story might have moved on faster if he had died in the fall, but Samoyed Mask ignored Kino and Hermes' hopes and landed softly on a patch of grass in the gardens.
"…I'll just ignore him and finish things."
Kino ignored the smiling Pervert--nay, Samoyed Mask, who was walking in her direction, and took aim at the monster with her Big Cannon.
"It's gone…"
There was nothing but an elm tree and a bent signboard detailing the history of the tree that was planted here ten years ago.
The monster had already fled. Kino's shoulders dropped.
"Now, land the killing blow! What seems to be the matter, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino?" Asked Samoyed Mask, as he walked up to Kino. Kino got angry.
"It got away because you decided to butt in!"
"Be careful… it's still on the school grounds."
"Listen to people when they're talking! This is all your fault!"
"Calm yourself, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino. It seems you may be lacking in calcium--make sure to eat lots of anchovies. Osteoporosis is a painful condition that should never be underestimated."
Kino decided that it would be best to ignore this man semipermanently.
Once she had collected herself, Kino began to follow the footprints left at the elm tree, towards the gymnasium.
"Be careful, Kino."
The monster could come out of anywhere. Kino grasped Big Cannon tightly with her right hand and took out a Wz63 submachine gun from her pouch with her left hand.
The Wz63 is a gun approximately 40 centimetres in length. The long magazine in the grip allows for 40 shots to be fired continuously. Kino prepared to shoot by pressing down on a rock with the end of the gun to push back the slide.
"Where could it be…?"
"It must be close. Don't let your guard down, Kino."
Kino slowly approached the gymnasium, sweat on her brow. She stopped beside the gymnasium entrance.
She could hear something moving inside the building. Kino put her back to the entrance and prepared to charge in, but--
Crash!
The monster's hand broke through the gymnasium wall and made a grab at Kino. Kino, dodging with a dancelike spin, made a safe landing underneath a walkway within three rotations. The Wz63 in her left hand was already aimed squarely at the monster, which had burst out of the walls. It was impossible for Kino to miss. For a single moment, a cruel smile graced her lips .
"This might hurt, but it's for your own good."
Just as Kino put pressure on her left index finger--
"Watch out, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
The man who didn't care about being ignored drew his katana. And swung it around. The blade glimmered silver, in a completely different direction from the monster. He had sliced apart the base of the walkway.
"Huh?"
It's common sense that cutting down the pillars will bring down the roof. Towards Kino.
"Ackkk!"
Over 80% of the walkway collapsed on top of Kino with a loud crash. From amidst the dust, Kino's eyes widened. She would have been crushed flat if she were even a moment late to dodge.
When the dust cleared--
"Haah! Hiyaaaa! Die! Stop running away!"
The idiotic samurai chased the fleeing monster into the gymnasium and was madly swinging around his katana. Walls were sliced open and podiums were destroyed. The flagpole was in pieces and the basketball net had fallen apart.
The man did not stop, even after the monster had escaped through a window.
"Hmph! So there you are! Haaaaah! Six more! Die! Destroy! Slash! KILL!"
The crumpled silken cape, the mask over his face, the apple and puppy ears on his head, and his clear voice as he rampaged through the gymnasium would make anyone think, 'It must be hard, taking life so seriously…"
Swish-swish-swish-swish… Boomboomboom! Crackcrack…
"…"
"…"
Kino and Hermes could do little more than watch, unable to even open their mouths, as the gymnasium fell to pieces. But Kino asked anyway, "You think there's anything I can do over there?"
"No." Hermes answered promptly.
The gymnasium, filled with the memories of countless students, collapsed in an instant. The man who was swinging his katana in the midst of the destruction spoke with his dust-covered face.
"Tch. It got away. Perhaps I was being too lax…"
And he smiled and waved at Kino, who was coming in his direction.
"Ahoy there, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! Are you well?"
Kino silently took aim with the Wz63 in her left hand and pulled the trigger. On automatic.
Bang! The 9mm rounds fired continuously. The slide pumped rapidly, and the shell casings flew into the air and fell to the ground like rain.
"WaitasecondwhatisthemeaningofthisMysteriousBishoujoGunFighterRiderKinoIamnotyourenemy." Said the Samoyed Mask, as he deflected the bullets with his sword.
"ThisismostperplexingMysteriousBishoujoGunFighterRiderKinobutdeflectingbulletslikethisisnothingformeasIcanreadyouraimandthemomvementofyourfingers." The Samoyed Mask swung his arm and the sword at inhuman speeds and deflected the bullets.
Kino was out of ammo. She lowered the smoking Wz63. As she put it back into the pouch, annoyed--
"Have you calmed yourself, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino? Now, let us work together to defeat the true enemy!" Said the Samoyed Mask, with a straight face. There was blood flowing from under his mask from the three or so shots he could not deflect, but he himself didn't seem too bothered by this.
"Can I use the Big Cannon? I want to shoot that pervert."
"Control yourself."
As Kino and Hermes spoke among themselves…
"Awwwooooooo!"
They heard a wolf-like howl--the monster was badly wounded. Kino looked skyward and saw the monster on the rooftop, beside the railings. That place was--
"Look out, Kino! That's where the girl was rejected. If she's still got some memories of herself, she might end up doing something rash!"
"No! I have to save her!"
As Kino made a run for the building, Hermes interrupted.
"Wait, Kino! There's a faster way up there."
Suddenly, Hermes--the green leather cell phone strap with yellow metallic decorations--floated up into the air and was enveloped by a bright light. The leather parts turned into round black tires, and the metal parts turned into the handle, the gas tank, the frame, and the engine.
"What's this…?"
Kino, who had shut her eyes in response to the bright light, opened them and saw--
"Get on! You can ride up to the rooftop!"
a talking motorcycle. It was an offroad motorcycle, with a red chassis and purple gas tank. Hermes had returned to his true form.
"I wouldn't have been late for school if you'd transformed this morning…"
"Never mind, hurry!"
Kino took a seat and slammed the kickstart pedal. Vrrrrmm! The bike started with the sound unique to a two-stroke engine. I would like to advise you that when riding on public roads, you should always wear your helmet. And in the rare case that you ride your motorcycle through the school grounds, always make sure to get permission from the principal first.
Kino revved the engine.
"Let's go, Hermes!"
"Blast-off! Our ride of love begins now!" Declared Samoyed Mask, as he suddenly took the back seat and embraced Kino from behind. Kino smacked him in the face with her left hand and knocked him off the motorcycle as she drove off.
"Ugh!"
Kino and Hermes charged towards the school building, showering the fallen Samoyed Mask with dust. The hallways were filled with debris from the collapsing walls.
"Haah!"
When she arrived at the stairs, Kino immediately pulled the throttle and leaned back, climbing the stairs on bike. At landings, she made tuns by skidding and spinning the rear wheel--past the second, third, and fourth floors, ducking at the last landing and going through the metal doors, out onto the rooftop.
The monster was still standing on the other side of the railings.
"Don't do anything rash!" Kino yelled, as she stopped Hermes and disembarked.
"Ack!" Hermes yelled, as he fell to the side with a loud crash.
"That was cruel."
Kino took a step towards the monster, but stopped, noticing that the monster was prepared to jump at any second.
"Doesn't… matter…" The monster spoke. It was the frail voice of the girl who was crying in the semibasement landing.
"Shizu-senpai… says… I'm… a waste of time…" The 3-meter tall monster hesitated as it hung from the railings, tears falling from its huge eyes.
"That's not true!" Kino shouted, "Shizu-senpai doesn't think you're a waste of time!"
"Rea…lly…?"
Kino spread her arms wide and put her heart into her words.
"That's right! He's just not too great at refusing people… I think. I swear I wasn't secretly watching, okay? Anyway, there's no need for you to go on a rampage!"
"But… he kissed… that short-haired girl… right after…"
Kino's jaw dropped. She turned back to Hermes and asked, "I kissed him?"
"She was probably shown an illusion. Anyway, set me back upright!"
Kino ignored Hermes and turned back to the monster.
"That's a misunderstanding! He said that he didn't want to go out with anyone! He told me himself--uh, that's what everyone says!"
"Then… why was I destroying everything?" Asked the monster.
"It's pretty normal to get upset if you've been turned down, right? Sometimes you beat up a pillow, and sometime you end up destroying half the school! It's no big deal." Kino replied, looking straight into the monster's eyes. For reference, the collateral damage to the school building was in the six-digit range, not counting the idiotically demolished gymnasium.
"You're right… I want to go back to being me… I don't want to hate… anyone… not even myself… I don't want to destroy anything anymore…"
The monster slowly climbed back over the railing and landed on the rooftop's concrete floor. The railing scrunched under the weight. Another $1000 worth of damage.
"Then come back to normal!"
"How… do I… do that?" The monster asked, as it slowly approached Kino. Kino drew Big Cannon with her right hand and took aim at the monster.
"Just stay still. I'll bring you back to normal, so close your eyes and think of what you want to be--and wish from the bottom of your heart."
"I… want to go back… to the old me, still in love with senpai… someone capable of love… to my wonderful life…"
The monster came to a stop and looked up into the skies, and closed its eyes. Its tears fell to the ground.
"I want to go back…"
Hermes gave Kino the signal. "Now, Kino."
"Yeah."
Kino cocked the gun in her right hand. With the click, she aimed squarely at the monster's chest--
"Look out, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
Samoyed Mask ruined everything by bursting through the metal doors, covered in sweat.
The monster was quick to react to the foe it was battling earlier. It lunged towards him without hesitation.
"Come, I shall strike you down with this sword!"
The monster charged at Samoyed Mask, who had drawn his katana. Kino followed the monster with Big Cannon.
"I can't miss… just one shot…"
Very soon, the monster and Samoyed Mask were perfectly aligned. Kino braced herself.
"Now! I hope I get them both!"
Baaaaang!
A long, heavy gunshot rang out from the rooftop.
And silence came over the school.
-----
The girl who was being carried out on a stretcher mumbled to herself, crying. The paramedics would never realize the meaning behind her tears.
-----
When the students returned to their classrooms after receiving the all-clear, they found their classmate sprawled out with her arms over her desk. She was a girl with short hair, who was also completely uninjured.
"Dammit! Too bad I couldn't get him at the same time… who the hell was that pervert?"
The girl mumbled and sighed, chin sitting on her desk. Her classmates would never realize the meaning behind her sigh.
-----
When the third-year teacher returned to his classroom, he was met by a student with a katana at his side. The young man was standing calmly, bleeding profusely from his head.
"I'm glad you're all right, sensei." He greeted in his trademark clear voice. The teacher didn't care for the true meaning behind those words--he just wanted to know why this student was balancing an apple on his head. However, he managed to hold back from asking.
"I suppose even the most brilliant students can be prone to hysteric episodes…"
-----
The wind swept through the school grounds. The little sticker with the bamboo tree and the wish tag was blown away from the rooftop and disappeared into the wind.
This was the beginning of Kino, Hermes, and Shizu's new adventures.
What lies ahead of them? What will they see? What will they find, eat, and lose?
Their school days had only just begun.
Hey Shizu, shouldn't you get yourself to the nurse's office?
Fifth Period.
In a certain first-year high school classroom, a certain girl was sleeping with her face plastered against her desk.
"I don't believe this," complained the phone strap hanging from her waist.
The girl was wearing a belt. Attached to it were several small pouches and a holster with a model gun. For reference, there is only one student (rest is omitted). One person is (rest is omitted).
She had a very satisfied look on her face. The middle-aged teacher at the front ignored her and continued to read off the textbook.
-----
In a certain second-year high school classroom, a certain girl's seat was empty. It was most definitely occupied before lunchtime, and the student wasn't one to skip classes. Her friend was contemplating whether or not to go to the nurse's office to see if she was there.
And the occupant of that seat was--
"I hate them… I hate them all…"
muttering to herself in the deserted semi-basement landing, turning over a small bottle in her right hand. It was filled with an extremely suspicious-looking neon-green liquid.
She downed it all in one go.
The sound of the bottle shattering against the floor echoed through the landing, but no one would ever hear it.
-----
In a certain third-year high school classroom, a student in a white uniform carrying a katana easily answered the teacher's questions while hoarding the class's attention to himself. For reference, (rest omitted). One person (rest omitted).
All of a sudden--
"…!"
he stopped in the middle of his answer, as if something more pressing had caught his attention. He looked up at the ceiling.
Ten seconds of silence. Just as the teacher was about to tell him to sit down if he didn't know the answer--just as the other students were being surprised that Shizu was having trouble with an answer--
The building shook. Everyone thought, 'An earthquake?", but the sounds of explosions followed soon after.
As screams filled the classroom, Shizu muttered,
"It's here."
-----
"Kino! Wake up! Kino!" Hermes shouted. Kino was still sprawled out over her desk.
As a side note, the classroom had been emptied out already. The doors were wide open, the desks were scattered, and textbooks and notebooks were strewn across the floor. Everyone had already evacuated because of the sustained explosions and the shaking of the building. Voices yelling "This way!" and "Hurry!" rang out from the hallways, courtesy of students who were a little late in escaping.
"Wake up! The enemy's finally here! Kino! You have to transform and fight!"
"Ughhh… yeah…" Kino mumbled, her face still against the desk.
"You awake?"
"I said I can keep eating… bring more… I have a separate stomach for them… Pft… meat dumplings…"
She was just talking in her sleep.
"Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!"
As Hermes tried to awaken Kino in vain, a monster rampaged through the school.
It was humanoid in shape, but about 3 meters tall, with rough grey and brown skin. It was most definitely a monster. The monster walked through the halls, shattering windows with its large arms. It was hunching, but the lights and even the ceiling were destroyed as its head passed through. The monster occasionally breathed fire, which caused the explosions that shook the building.
On the first floor lobby, it breathed fire upon a bronze statue of the founder of the school, shattering it. With its claws, the monster ripped apart an oil painting labelled "Prefectural Art Contest Second Place". It growled, and let out a huge roar.
"Eeeek!" Someone screamed softly.
"You idiot! It'll hear you!" Someone scolded, in an even louder voice than the scream. I wonder which one is really the idiot?
The monster turned towards the direction of the voice--the office beside the lobby.
-----
"I don't believe this! What kind of transforming hero sleeps through something like this?!" Hermes complained. Kino, who had finally succumbed to Hermes' efforts (although upon waking, she had shouted at Hermes, "You woke me up from my Imperial Chinese Gourmet Full-Course Meal!"), was running through the halls in search of the monster. Hermes still hung from Kino's belt.
There was a sharp scream from a female student. Hermes pointed Kino in the right direction with a "That way!", but Kino stopped in her tracks.
"Man, do I really have to do this?"
"I'm going to get angry if you don't."
"But, normal high school girls don't fight monsters." Kino whined.
"Normal high school girls don't sleep in class, drooling over an Imperial Chinese Gourmet Full-Course Meal in her dreams."
"Ack."
"Anyway, you have to fight! What would your grandma back home think if you keep hesitating like this?" Hermes scolded Kino. Kino reluctantly headed towards the direction of the scream.
"My hair won't stay down." Kino's bangs were standing up in odd directions because she slept at her desk. "Can I just drop by the washroom for a sec?"
"Never mind that, you have to hurry!"
-----
The scream was very brief, but Kino could easily tell that it came from the first floor lobby. The halls along the way were a complete mess, looking almost like they had been bombed out. Sparks were coming out of broken power lines above her.
When she arrived at the lobby entrance, Kino took cover behind a blackened wall and scouted out the area. A group of students were huddled in front of the monster, shaking in terror. There were four of them.
"Oh."
They were all familiar faces--Kino had been stopped by them at the school gates this morning.
"Kino! You have to fight the monster! Transform!" Hermes instructed, but Kino made a suggestion.
"Can't we wait until the monster beats them halfway to death?"
"That'll set a bad example for the younger readers. Now hurry up and transform. You know how it goes, right?"
"I guess I have no choice… if you insist… do I really have to do this…?" Asked Kino. She looked less than enthusiastic. Hermes quietly replied, "if you become a hero, people might buy you dinner for all your efforts."
"All right then! Let's do this!"
Kino looked straight ahead, eyes filled with determination. They shone like that time she happened upon a sign saying "Extra-large pork cutlet curry! Your meal's free if you finish it within an hour!" at a small restaurant (as a side note, she succeeded).
Kino drew her model gun from the holster on her right. She raised the plastic gun into the air, released the hammer, and fired.
"________!"
(↑ Please make up a transformation catchphrase to insert above.)
The hammer struck the firing pin. The moment the sound of the igniting primer rang out, a bright light enveloped Kino's body. The background changed from a ruined hallway to a suspicious neon space, and upbeat background music began playing. This is, of course, all pre-recorded.
After that, she started spinning around, her nude silhouette tastefully blinked in and out of sight in the lightshow, tendrils of light covered her from her fingertips and turned into clothing, et cetera. I'll leave this to your imagination.
Once the blinding light had faded away--
"Transformation complete! Kino is now "Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!" Hermes shouted. Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino (abbv. Kino) looked down at herself in surprise.
That's right. Kino was--
"What the heck? I don't look any different!"
She was dressed in a sailor uniform. She wore a belt with pouches and a holster, and she was holding a revolver. Her bangs were standing up in odd directions.
"I haven't changed at all! I look exactly the same--the transformation didn't work!" Kino spoke in shock. However, Hermes, still hanging from her belt, explained calmly.
"No, you have transformed. First, your model gun's turned into a real gun--Big Cannon~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer. It can fire bullets that exorcise monsters. Not only that, your physical strength and athletic capabilities have been enhanced to superhuman levels. Your sailor uniform's sleeves have gotten 1 mm thicker, your skirt's gotten 3 mm shorter for fanservice, and the buckles on your pouches went from bear-shaped to wolf-shaped. And--"
"Never mind that! Everyone's going to know who I am if I go out like this!"
"Don't worry about that."
"Why not?"
"You're transformed! No one will ever know you're Kino."
Before Kino could reply that Hermes must be out of his mind, the four Student Council members surrounded Kino. Strangely enough, they seemed to have regained some level of calm.
"Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! You've come to rescue us!"
"Please, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! Destroy the monster that's rampaging through our school!"
"Mysterious Gun Fighter Kino is here! We're saved!"
"Destroy it, Mysterious Kino!"
The four said their pieces and disappeared. The only ones left were the monster and the complaining Mysterious Kino.
"Why the heck did he call me 'Mysterious Kino'?"
Hermes replied, "See? Transformations always work like this. It's an unspoken rule."
"…Can I leave now?"
"No. The monster's waiting."
The monster growled menacingly and set its sights on Kino. This was obviously because Kino was the only one around. Its swollen eyes were the size of mandarin oranges. The saliva dripping from the monster's maws congealed into a puddle. It stepped into the puddle with its right foot.
"Oh…"
At the very end of one of its toes was a green indoor shoe. Perhaps as an accessory for the season, there was a small sticker of a bamboo tree and a wish tag attached to the side.
"It can't be…"
"It is. This must be that girl who was rejected earlier. She's been tempted by evil and transformed into a monster."
"No way! That's terrible! Arghh, what am I supposed to do?"
"Shoot her with the Big Cannon ~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer. It'll bring her back to normal."
"With this thing?" Kino looked at the revolver in her right hand.
"But remember, you can only fire one shot each time you transform. That's why you have to weaken it to make sure you can make the shot accurately."
"Then how am I supposed to--ackk!"
Kino just barely managed to dodge the monster's arm and claws. She fumbled and took aim at the monster, but was hit by its left fist before she could pull the trigger.
"Kyaaa!"
Kino was sent flying into a wall at the end of the hallway. She fell to the ground and landed on her rear. A large crack appeared on the wall she hit.
"That hurt! And my hair's a mess!"
"Normally you'd have died, huh? Get up, Kino. You have to fight."
Kino stood and raised her right arm, aiming at the monster running down the hall in all fours. However, it was difficult to properly aim at a moving target.
"If you miss, it's all over." Hermes reminded her. Kino lowered Big Cannon and asked, "Aren't there any other weapons I can use?!"
"Nope, sorry."
Hearing Hermes' words, Kino bowed her head as if she remembered something--the pouches her grandmother gave her.
"This is it!"
Kino holstered Big Cannon and removed one of the pouches.
"I'll use them well, Grandma."
She turned the pouch upside-down and opened the cover.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the hallway. Out of the pouch barely big enough to fit in two packs of cigarettes came firearms. Handguns, rifles, machine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and others. Guns piled onto the floor in front of Kino.
"Wouldn't have expected any less from grandma!"
Kino's eyes shone brightly. She remembered that at grandma's house back in the countryside, there were all kinds of firearms from all over the world stashed away in storage. She also recalled sunset country roads, when she was often carried on her grandmother's back as a child.
Her grandmother had always told her, "Remember, Kino. Violence and justice are not the same thing. But you also have to remember that you can't save anyone by preaching justice without any strength to take action."
"Kino!"
The monster was mere meters in from of Kino. It was taking a breath, preparing to breathe fire.
"!"
From the mountain of guns Kino pulled out the police-use New Nambu 38-caliber revolver with her left hand and pulled the trigger multiple times at the monster.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The clear sounds of gunshots accompanied the bullets. The monster jumped up as if it had been struck by a whip, and shattered a window as it fled into a classroom. Kino dropped the emptied revolver and picked out another handgun--a Chinese Tokarev semiautomatic. For some reason, it was painted red and white.
Kino put the rest of the guns back in her pouch. They kept sticking out of the top, so she organized them very carefully, closed the cover, and put it back on her belt.
"Chase after it, Kino!"
"Right!"
Kino pulled back and released the slide, loading the chamber ("loading" would be an incorrect term to use in the case of automatic weapons, but it just means that it's ready to fire the first shot) and ran after the monster, into the second-year junior high classroom.
At that exact moment, the monster tossed a desk at her. Kino barely managed to avoid it by rolling on the floor. The desk broke through the door and fell into the hallway with a crash. Gunshots rang out immediately.
Kino, half-standing, aimed the Tokarev with both hands and shot at the monster, which was escaping outside. Every shot found its mark. The monster escaped through the windows and jumped onto the central gardens. It tried to escape, trampling the morning glories along with their flowerpots.
Bang.
One shot hit its hind leg. The monster lost its balance and fell to the ground, leaning against the elm tree in the gardens. It seemed to have been greatly weakened.
"Good job, Kino! Now all you have to do is shoot Big Cannon ~ Shining Iron Demon Destroyer, and it'll return to normal!"
"Got it!"
Kino put the Tokarev back in the pouch and drew Big Cannon from the holster. She made her way out to the gardens through the hole made by the monster, set the flowerpots upright, and stood in front of the helpless monster.
"Grrrrrwwoorrrr…"
The green indoor shoe was hanging from its toe.
"It'll be all right now. I'll bring you back to normal." Kino assured the monster, and aimed her large-caliber revolver. Her actions looked pretty hypocritical in comparison to what she just said, but that's only if you judge by appearance. I assure you that she's not being a hypocrite.
"Now or never, Kino."
"Yeah."
Just as Kino took aim, however--
"I see you may need my help."
A clear voice echoed. A confused expression appeared on Kino's face.
"When the maiden of justice finds herself in danger--" the clear voice rang out again.
"a lone knight descends from the distant skies!"
Kino looked towards the direction of the voice. A man stood on the rooftop of the shorter wing of the school building.
A breeze.
The man stood elegantly amidst the sound of the wind through the trees.
He wore a white school uniform. A pocket watch hung out from his pocket, and a katana with a black scabbard was secured to his side. A silken white cape fluttered from his shoulders.
"…!"
Kino was shocked at the sight of his face.
He was probably a tidy-looking young man, but his eyes were covered by a white mask. It was pristine white, covering his nose to his forehead. He wore sunglasses over his eyes. Atop his slightly long black hair were a pair of fluffy dog ears, and a bright red apple sat on the top of his head. A dove flew past him. In slow motion, at that.
"Huh?"
The man addressed the surprised Kino with a clear, powerful voice.
"Are you all right, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino?"
"Um… well…"
"I have come to rescue you from peril!"
"Um… I'm not in any peril, thanks."
"It is the duty of a knight to extend a hand of salvation to maidens in distress! My apologies for keeping you waiting, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
"Listen to people when they're talking. I wasn't waiting for you."
"I shall rescue you now!"
"Never mind. You're getting in my way. And why are you talking like you came from the 10th century?"
"That is indeed a good question! Yes, my name is--though I cannot reveal my true name--my post-transformation name is--!"
"I never asked you. To be honest, I don't even wanna get near you."
Hermes, who had been keeping quiet all this time, muttered, "his name should be 'Pervert'."
Kino nodded vigorously in agreement.
The man swished his cape and called out in a clear voice.
"My name is--'Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice'!"
Tada! Ta-tatata! The sixth track from the OST, the theme song 'Oh, Our Beloved Samoyed Mask!' echoed throughout the school grounds. It was an upbeat piece with an elegant violin-centered melody. Occasional canine sounds like 'woof!' and 'bow-wow!' accented the piece.
As a side note, Samoyeds are a breed of dogs originating from Russia. They have thick white fur and appear as though they're always smiling. Riku is one.
"My other name is--'The Only One Samoyed Knight'!"
"Which one is it supposed to be?"
"Which one's your name?"
Kino and Hermes complained in unison.
"They're both too long."
"Let's just call him 'Pervert'."
Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice, or the Only One Samoyed Knight smiled refreshingly. HIs pearly white teeth sparkled.
"Ha-hahahahaha! Here I come! Hah!"
Samoyed Mask, the Pure-White Knight of Justice, or the Only One Samoyed Knight (I'd like to refer to him as 'Pervert' from this point on, but I'll refrain and call him 'Samoyed Mask') leapt from the rooftop with a sincerely happy laugh.
The story might have moved on faster if he had died in the fall, but Samoyed Mask ignored Kino and Hermes' hopes and landed softly on a patch of grass in the gardens.
"…I'll just ignore him and finish things."
Kino ignored the smiling Pervert--nay, Samoyed Mask, who was walking in her direction, and took aim at the monster with her Big Cannon.
"It's gone…"
There was nothing but an elm tree and a bent signboard detailing the history of the tree that was planted here ten years ago.
The monster had already fled. Kino's shoulders dropped.
"Now, land the killing blow! What seems to be the matter, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino?" Asked Samoyed Mask, as he walked up to Kino. Kino got angry.
"It got away because you decided to butt in!"
"Be careful… it's still on the school grounds."
"Listen to people when they're talking! This is all your fault!"
"Calm yourself, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino. It seems you may be lacking in calcium--make sure to eat lots of anchovies. Osteoporosis is a painful condition that should never be underestimated."
Kino decided that it would be best to ignore this man semipermanently.
Once she had collected herself, Kino began to follow the footprints left at the elm tree, towards the gymnasium.
"Be careful, Kino."
The monster could come out of anywhere. Kino grasped Big Cannon tightly with her right hand and took out a Wz63 submachine gun from her pouch with her left hand.
The Wz63 is a gun approximately 40 centimetres in length. The long magazine in the grip allows for 40 shots to be fired continuously. Kino prepared to shoot by pressing down on a rock with the end of the gun to push back the slide.
"Where could it be…?"
"It must be close. Don't let your guard down, Kino."
Kino slowly approached the gymnasium, sweat on her brow. She stopped beside the gymnasium entrance.
She could hear something moving inside the building. Kino put her back to the entrance and prepared to charge in, but--
Crash!
The monster's hand broke through the gymnasium wall and made a grab at Kino. Kino, dodging with a dancelike spin, made a safe landing underneath a walkway within three rotations. The Wz63 in her left hand was already aimed squarely at the monster, which had burst out of the walls. It was impossible for Kino to miss. For a single moment, a cruel smile graced her lips .
"This might hurt, but it's for your own good."
Just as Kino put pressure on her left index finger--
"Watch out, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
The man who didn't care about being ignored drew his katana. And swung it around. The blade glimmered silver, in a completely different direction from the monster. He had sliced apart the base of the walkway.
"Huh?"
It's common sense that cutting down the pillars will bring down the roof. Towards Kino.
"Ackkk!"
Over 80% of the walkway collapsed on top of Kino with a loud crash. From amidst the dust, Kino's eyes widened. She would have been crushed flat if she were even a moment late to dodge.
When the dust cleared--
"Haah! Hiyaaaa! Die! Stop running away!"
The idiotic samurai chased the fleeing monster into the gymnasium and was madly swinging around his katana. Walls were sliced open and podiums were destroyed. The flagpole was in pieces and the basketball net had fallen apart.
The man did not stop, even after the monster had escaped through a window.
"Hmph! So there you are! Haaaaah! Six more! Die! Destroy! Slash! KILL!"
The crumpled silken cape, the mask over his face, the apple and puppy ears on his head, and his clear voice as he rampaged through the gymnasium would make anyone think, 'It must be hard, taking life so seriously…"
Swish-swish-swish-swish… Boomboomboom! Crackcrack…
"…"
"…"
Kino and Hermes could do little more than watch, unable to even open their mouths, as the gymnasium fell to pieces. But Kino asked anyway, "You think there's anything I can do over there?"
"No." Hermes answered promptly.
The gymnasium, filled with the memories of countless students, collapsed in an instant. The man who was swinging his katana in the midst of the destruction spoke with his dust-covered face.
"Tch. It got away. Perhaps I was being too lax…"
And he smiled and waved at Kino, who was coming in his direction.
"Ahoy there, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino! Are you well?"
Kino silently took aim with the Wz63 in her left hand and pulled the trigger. On automatic.
Bang! The 9mm rounds fired continuously. The slide pumped rapidly, and the shell casings flew into the air and fell to the ground like rain.
"WaitasecondwhatisthemeaningofthisMysteriousBishoujoGunFighterRiderKinoIamnotyourenemy." Said the Samoyed Mask, as he deflected the bullets with his sword.
"ThisismostperplexingMysteriousBishoujoGunFighterRiderKinobutdeflectingbulletslikethisisnothingformeasIcanreadyouraimandthemomvementofyourfingers." The Samoyed Mask swung his arm and the sword at inhuman speeds and deflected the bullets.
Kino was out of ammo. She lowered the smoking Wz63. As she put it back into the pouch, annoyed--
"Have you calmed yourself, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino? Now, let us work together to defeat the true enemy!" Said the Samoyed Mask, with a straight face. There was blood flowing from under his mask from the three or so shots he could not deflect, but he himself didn't seem too bothered by this.
"Can I use the Big Cannon? I want to shoot that pervert."
"Control yourself."
As Kino and Hermes spoke among themselves…
"Awwwooooooo!"
They heard a wolf-like howl--the monster was badly wounded. Kino looked skyward and saw the monster on the rooftop, beside the railings. That place was--
"Look out, Kino! That's where the girl was rejected. If she's still got some memories of herself, she might end up doing something rash!"
"No! I have to save her!"
As Kino made a run for the building, Hermes interrupted.
"Wait, Kino! There's a faster way up there."
Suddenly, Hermes--the green leather cell phone strap with yellow metallic decorations--floated up into the air and was enveloped by a bright light. The leather parts turned into round black tires, and the metal parts turned into the handle, the gas tank, the frame, and the engine.
"What's this…?"
Kino, who had shut her eyes in response to the bright light, opened them and saw--
"Get on! You can ride up to the rooftop!"
a talking motorcycle. It was an offroad motorcycle, with a red chassis and purple gas tank. Hermes had returned to his true form.
"I wouldn't have been late for school if you'd transformed this morning…"
"Never mind, hurry!"
Kino took a seat and slammed the kickstart pedal. Vrrrrmm! The bike started with the sound unique to a two-stroke engine. I would like to advise you that when riding on public roads, you should always wear your helmet. And in the rare case that you ride your motorcycle through the school grounds, always make sure to get permission from the principal first.
Kino revved the engine.
"Let's go, Hermes!"
"Blast-off! Our ride of love begins now!" Declared Samoyed Mask, as he suddenly took the back seat and embraced Kino from behind. Kino smacked him in the face with her left hand and knocked him off the motorcycle as she drove off.
"Ugh!"
Kino and Hermes charged towards the school building, showering the fallen Samoyed Mask with dust. The hallways were filled with debris from the collapsing walls.
"Haah!"
When she arrived at the stairs, Kino immediately pulled the throttle and leaned back, climbing the stairs on bike. At landings, she made tuns by skidding and spinning the rear wheel--past the second, third, and fourth floors, ducking at the last landing and going through the metal doors, out onto the rooftop.
The monster was still standing on the other side of the railings.
"Don't do anything rash!" Kino yelled, as she stopped Hermes and disembarked.
"Ack!" Hermes yelled, as he fell to the side with a loud crash.
"That was cruel."
Kino took a step towards the monster, but stopped, noticing that the monster was prepared to jump at any second.
"Doesn't… matter…" The monster spoke. It was the frail voice of the girl who was crying in the semibasement landing.
"Shizu-senpai… says… I'm… a waste of time…" The 3-meter tall monster hesitated as it hung from the railings, tears falling from its huge eyes.
"That's not true!" Kino shouted, "Shizu-senpai doesn't think you're a waste of time!"
"Rea…lly…?"
Kino spread her arms wide and put her heart into her words.
"That's right! He's just not too great at refusing people… I think. I swear I wasn't secretly watching, okay? Anyway, there's no need for you to go on a rampage!"
"But… he kissed… that short-haired girl… right after…"
Kino's jaw dropped. She turned back to Hermes and asked, "I kissed him?"
"She was probably shown an illusion. Anyway, set me back upright!"
Kino ignored Hermes and turned back to the monster.
"That's a misunderstanding! He said that he didn't want to go out with anyone! He told me himself--uh, that's what everyone says!"
"Then… why was I destroying everything?" Asked the monster.
"It's pretty normal to get upset if you've been turned down, right? Sometimes you beat up a pillow, and sometime you end up destroying half the school! It's no big deal." Kino replied, looking straight into the monster's eyes. For reference, the collateral damage to the school building was in the six-digit range, not counting the idiotically demolished gymnasium.
"You're right… I want to go back to being me… I don't want to hate… anyone… not even myself… I don't want to destroy anything anymore…"
The monster slowly climbed back over the railing and landed on the rooftop's concrete floor. The railing scrunched under the weight. Another $1000 worth of damage.
"Then come back to normal!"
"How… do I… do that?" The monster asked, as it slowly approached Kino. Kino drew Big Cannon with her right hand and took aim at the monster.
"Just stay still. I'll bring you back to normal, so close your eyes and think of what you want to be--and wish from the bottom of your heart."
"I… want to go back… to the old me, still in love with senpai… someone capable of love… to my wonderful life…"
The monster came to a stop and looked up into the skies, and closed its eyes. Its tears fell to the ground.
"I want to go back…"
Hermes gave Kino the signal. "Now, Kino."
"Yeah."
Kino cocked the gun in her right hand. With the click, she aimed squarely at the monster's chest--
"Look out, Mysterious Bishoujo Gun Fighter Rider Kino!"
Samoyed Mask ruined everything by bursting through the metal doors, covered in sweat.
The monster was quick to react to the foe it was battling earlier. It lunged towards him without hesitation.
"Come, I shall strike you down with this sword!"
The monster charged at Samoyed Mask, who had drawn his katana. Kino followed the monster with Big Cannon.
"I can't miss… just one shot…"
Very soon, the monster and Samoyed Mask were perfectly aligned. Kino braced herself.
"Now! I hope I get them both!"
Baaaaang!
A long, heavy gunshot rang out from the rooftop.
And silence came over the school.
-----
The girl who was being carried out on a stretcher mumbled to herself, crying. The paramedics would never realize the meaning behind her tears.
-----
When the students returned to their classrooms after receiving the all-clear, they found their classmate sprawled out with her arms over her desk. She was a girl with short hair, who was also completely uninjured.
"Dammit! Too bad I couldn't get him at the same time… who the hell was that pervert?"
The girl mumbled and sighed, chin sitting on her desk. Her classmates would never realize the meaning behind her sigh.
-----
When the third-year teacher returned to his classroom, he was met by a student with a katana at his side. The young man was standing calmly, bleeding profusely from his head.
"I'm glad you're all right, sensei." He greeted in his trademark clear voice. The teacher didn't care for the true meaning behind those words--he just wanted to know why this student was balancing an apple on his head. However, he managed to hold back from asking.
"I suppose even the most brilliant students can be prone to hysteric episodes…"
-----
The wind swept through the school grounds. The little sticker with the bamboo tree and the wish tag was blown away from the rooftop and disappeared into the wind.
This was the beginning of Kino, Hermes, and Shizu's new adventures.
What lies ahead of them? What will they see? What will they find, eat, and lose?
Their school days had only just begun.
Hey Shizu, shouldn't you get yourself to the nurse's office?
