The GATE Academy [Please read description]

Chapter 28: Trial By Ice

Tsukara spared no resource in providing us with an extravagant morning. Once out of the cell, we were treated as guests at breakfast and were given access to the luxurious guest bathrooms after, which was more enjoyed by the girls than the guys.

"Iris! Come over here!!" Faith peered out of the girls bathroom and into a small waiting area outside of it where those who were finished getting ready (the guys) waited and where Iris was, who was going to wait for the girls bathroom to clear up, but upon Faith's invite, joined her.

I grumbled as I laid down on a couch and rested my hands under my head. I, as well as everyone else, was adorned in the noble wear of Mizukuya and, even though I had been custom made a red and black one (as opposed to the blue and white standard), the apparel was far too flashy for me. Riku was arguing with Mizu over who would get the first shot on Kaiser while Keita and Satsujin sat silently together on a three person couch. It was odd to think that in an environment so foreign, some things didn't change.

Faith and the rest of the girls filed out of the bathroom sporting very revealing dresses and other... Semi formal wear. Even Falen had decided to wear a revealing outfit, which shocked me, and apparently Mizu, as he stopped arguing with Riku to make his way over to her.

Everybody gathered around me, save for Keita and Satsujin, but they were still close enough to hear us. I sat up on the couch and cracked my back.

"Leave the talking to Keita and me, everyone else doesn't need to talk..." I told my friends, rising to my feet and yawning.

"What if I want to say something?" Riku asked.

"Don't," I replied with a chuckle, "Especially you, Riku."

I started to lead my friends out of the waiting area until Tsukara rushed into it, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a shake. I would have retaliated if it wasn't the look of desperation in his face.

"They're going to kill you, the council has been infiltrated, I need to get you guys out of here NOW!" Tsukara told us in a hurry, scanning the area.

I shrugged Tsukara's hands off of my shoulders and stepped back, taking some time to think about the situation.

"Hurry, Shizuo, you don't have much time!"

"No," I said, "Let us go to trial and I will present our case."

Faith walked up besides me and tugged at my right arm, "Shizuo, you heard him, we have to go!"

"No, if we did, it would ruin the reputation of Tsukara as king and we will lose the only support we have from Mizukuya. Tsukara told me that his council has been infiltrated by the same power that aided Kaiser in his capture of Kazekuya, I won't let what happened to Keita happen to him through our selfishness..."

Tsukara hung his head, "I'm sorry that it had to come down to this, Shizuo..."

"It's not your fault, Tsukara, your government was taken down from inside," I said.

"So what do we do now, then?" Falen asked.

"Easy," Satsujin spoke from the back of the group, "We make a run for it."

"But how can we if the courtroom disables our powers?" Faith asked.

"I can disable the anti-power magic for a brief amount of time, there have been a lot of disruptions in the magical force of Mizukuya ever since the disappearance of the Orb of Tsunami, it wouldn't be that uncommon," Tsukara said.

"But I stole that years ago..." Keita said.

"I know, and it's been like that ever since."

"Wait, so there was a chance our powers still worked in the cell?" Iris asked.