Special Alice (Gakuen Alice / Alice Academy FF)

SA 51 - Freak

{Author}

" Sakura-san, these two have been very childish since Hii-sama spoils them. As a result of their wrongdoings, you have the power to do whatever you want with them," Shizune said coldly, her tone brimming with authority. Nadeshiko and Koume, the two wayward Hanahimes, quivered in fear.

Mikan couldn't help but sweatdrop at the situation. " I don't want to hurt them," she replied calmly, her compassion evident. Shizune cast a withering gaze at the misbehaving Hanahimes.

" Allow me to report this to Hii-sama and await her response," she said, her words dripping with threat.

" The worst-case scenario would involve them losing their Hanahime titles and being expelled for acting like uncivilized miscreants. It would tarnish the name of the Hanahime-den," she added.

" I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't kick us out," Nadeshiko pleaded, her head hanging low, a visible display of her regret. Shizune turned her attention to Mikan, waiting for her verdict.Misaki nodded and subtly urged Mikan to say something. Mikan's gaze shifted toward Nadeshiko and Koume.

" It's alright, please stop apologizing," she said kindly. " Shizune-san, please don't expel them either." Her words carried a tone of forgiveness and understanding.

" I'm okay. Besides, they seem to genuinely regret their actions. While it might appear suspicious that I won the selection ball, I didn't resort to any tricks. They just got carried away. We all like the garden," Mikan reassured, and Nadeshiko and Koume's eyes sparkled with happiness.

" I'm sorry, Mikan no kimi!" Koume exclaimed, hugging Mikan in relief. "Thank you, Mikan no kimi. You're too kind," the two Hanahimes beamed with gratitude. Mikan chuckled, relieved that she had mended her relationship with the Hanahimes.

Shizune chimed in, her stern demeanor slightly softened. " If you say so, Mikan no kimi," she agreed, conceding to Mikan's benevolence.

" This year's winner is quite different from previous years. Did Hii-sama make a mistake?" she pondered, her gaze fixed on Mikan. Then she gave Misaki a quick, scrutinizing glance.

" Exactly who are you two? When I first met you during the opening ceremony, Sakurano-kun felt that too. Especially you, Ashikaga-san," she said, her words laced with intrigue, leaving Misaki and Mikan confused.

" I'm sorry if you don't have the answer. Ashikaga-san, you aren't even aware that you're part of the council and the executives," Shizune revealed. Misaki gasped in shock.

" I am?!" she exclaimed, unable to fathom that she held such a role within the academy.

" She is?!" Mikan, Hotaru, and Ruka echoed, surprised to learn of Misaki's official status. It explained her frequent presence at meetings and ceremonies with Natsume, though the academy's hierarchy hadn't been clarified to her.

" You are. They appointed you after discovering your water alice and you started attending Gakuen Alice," Shizune clarified, revealing a long-kept secret to Misaki. Misaki, still in disbelief, sweatdropped at her own lack of awareness.

" Where's nii-chan?" Youichi suddenly inquired, throwing the group into confusion.

" Nii-chan?" Mikan echoed, not understanding who he meant.

" Natsume?" Ruka queried, prompting Youichi to nod in confirmation.

" Guren no Kimi, could he have entered a restricted area?" a concerned Hanahime interjected, sounding both worried and disapproving.

" He might have broken his promise," she added.

Yuri-senpai, deep in thought, tapped her chin. " We haven't seen Natsume either," she noted, raising additional concern.

" What kind of place is this?" another Hanahime asked, unaware of the peculiar nature of the Hanahime-den. Hotaru, her curiosity getting the better of her, blurted out a question.

" It's been bugging me, but is Hii-sama a freak?" she asked bluntly, causing some gasps of shock among the other Hanahimes.

" What are you saying, Wakamurasaki-san? Saying that about Hii-sama..." Nadeshiko protested, aghast and trying to shield her beloved Hii-sama from such criticism. Shizune, however, silenced Nadeshiko with a stern glance.

" Hotaru," Mikan intervened, sweat forming on her forehead as she attempted to diffuse the situation. " But the drooling," Hotaru justified her statement.

" Restrain yourself, Wakamurasaki-san. Hime-sama... is indeed an eccentric," Shizune admitted, her tone surprisingly candid. " However, that doesn't change the fact that she's one of the most revered individuals within the academy."

" Even though she occasionally shows her less refined side out of boredom, she possesses the most powerful barrier alice of this generation. She is the guardian goddess of the academy, having never left this place, and she is the cornerstone of the academy's protection," Shizune explained carefully, looking at Hotaru and the other Hanahimes.

" Collectively, we were unable to breach her barriers," Koume added, offering a testament to the formidable strength of Hii-sama's abilities.

" But regarding this situation, even if it were an accident, Hii-sama invited boys to the banquet," Nadeshiko whispered to Koume, sounding concerned.

" Persona, he—." Koume was about to elaborate when Ruka's sharp ears caught the name Persona.

" Persona? The one with the mask?" Ruka inquired, seeking clarity and showing signs of anxiety. " Persona and Natsume?!" he exclaimed, the thought of their involvement in the matter leaving him deeply unsettled.

Youichi, standing behind Ruka, patted his back in an attempt to calm him down. Shizune interjected, providing a cryptic comment. " The rumors about Hii-sama aren't true, but the Hanahime-den does possess places that are far from ordinary."

" Persona," Misaki whispered, her eyes widening as she began to tremble. " In a protected field, what is he doing?" Her voice cracked, and her fear became evident as the mere mention of Persona brought back haunting memories.

" We don't know the details," Yuri-senpai reassured, her tone somber. " But if Hyuuga-kun indeed entered that area, the events of today may have something to do with Persona's will... Hyuuga-kun might be in danger," she warned.

" If that's the case, w-we'll go," Misaki stuttered, her voice wavering slightly. She quickly cleared her throat, attempting to regain her composure. Hotaru and the others nodded in agreement, displaying their readiness to help.

Meanwhile, somewhere within the Hanahime-den, Nobara and Tsubasa navigated a dark corridor. Nobara held a lamp to illuminate their path as Tsubasa followed, unaware of their location.

" Hey, I had no idea there was a shortcut within the Hanahime-den. What kind of person is the principal? So mysterious," Tsubasa mused, his curiosity piqued by the hidden passage, though he remained unaware of the consequences of his presence in this area.

" Mikan, Misaki, and the others are here. I'm sure of it. They're here!" Nobara exclaimed, her conviction outweighing her unease over potentially getting into trouble for bringing Tsubasa into the Hanahime-den.

" I'm going to check the situation there... Please wait for me here," she told Tsubasa, who appeared bewildered by the unfolding events. Nobara left him behind and ventured further into the unknown.

As she distanced herself from Tsubasa, she couldn't shake an eerie feeling.

" Nobara-chan~," a voice called out from the darkness, sending a shiver down her spine. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, discovering someone behind her. However, before she could react, her vision dimmed, and she fell into unconsciousness.