Razor's Edge

"I trust you know why you're in my office, Ms. Amahagane?"

Shiketsu's principal, Karaburan, sits at her desk with a grimace. Her eyes dutifully pour over various documents, only making the occasional glance up. All of them were records related to the student sitting across from her, the usual fair tracking of Takako's performance through the years, but also notes on her behavior and a few incidents that had occurred within the last few. They had thus far been swept under the rug due to her otherwise being an exemplary student, but her behavior had only continued to grow more concerning, and with everything else the school was experiencing, it was becoming intolerable.

"My sparring partner was too weak — nothing more, nothing less."

"That may be how you feel, but your judgment of a fellow student's capabilities does not excuse excessive use of force. If you understand that Mr. Uranus was a poor match, why not practice more restraint?"

Anzu pulls herself from the documents and looks at Takako properly. Her expression is tired, and she rubs her temple. She couldn't fathom why the two had been paired for any physical exercise, but a senior savagely beating a disabled peer sent the wrong kind of message to new students. Takako couldn't care less about what her juniors might think of her, however. She was more annoyed that she'd had to waste time with someone she believed would be better off dropping out of the hero course.

"He insisted on fighting me, so I fought. An enemy will never show restraint. You, of all people, should know this."

"It was a spar, Ms. Amahagane."

"Tch. What use is sparring when a villain won't abide by the rules of fair play? If students were shown what they should expect, then maybe this school wouldn't be in such a sorry state."

The principal winces and raises her hand to signal Takako to stop. It was clear she couldn't let her go with a slap on the wrist this time unless she wanted more complaints about student safety, and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"I've heard enough. I'm assigning you additional coursework because you apparently haven't been paying attention to Ethics."

"I don't have time for games—"

"Then make time, or your license will be revoked. I can assure you that this isn't a game and that if this behavior continues, I won't hesitate to have you suspended."

Takako stares daggers at Anzu. She had half a mind to take the woman's other arm for daring to threaten her. This was all utter nonsense — no amount of ethics and restraint would make that vermin pay for humiliating her, and she fully intended to do far worse to him than what had transpired today. The idea that she would have to waste time being lectured while his thugs did as they pleased had her enraged. And for what? Giving her peer the respect of a real fight?

"If that's all you had to say, then I'm going back to class."

"That's all, Ms. Amahagane. Your grandmother has high expectations of you; let's both do our best not to disappoint her."

She was already up, with her back to the principal, as her hand rested on the office's door. For a single excruciating moment that seemed to stretch on endlessly, she simply stood there silently. The only sign that she hasn't somehow been frozen in place is a subtle hum as a single blade grows from her skull like a horn.

"You know nothing of me or my grandmother."

With that, the door is opened and subsequently slammed shut as Takako makes good on her promise to return to class.