Episode 2

Mikako soon exits the building and, alongside her driver, reenters her car and speed off.

I Hastily make my way back to the outside of the outer wall. In all of the excitement I had forgotten all about class. I was here in Japan on a scholarship and attendance was strict.

"Is it over here?"

Before I could hop on my stolen bike. She came around the corner. Emiru. Our eyes locked.

"Oh...crap."

"Who the heck are you?"

I needed to think of something fast. "Um...I'm Mikako's husband. She told me about this place and told me to check it out. My school is close by so I decided to stop by on the way here." That's the way to do it mix a little of the truth. I just hope she doesn't ask which school."

She step up closer to me and peers deeper into me. Even though I was six foot one and she was five foot two...maybe three, she felt like she eclipsed me.

"Mikako's? Damn her. Does she know what she has here or is it a coincident?"

I start to put some distance between us. "Well I really should get going, don't wanna be late."

She grabs my sleeve. "Wait. What's your name?"

"Baxter...Aries." I respond wearily.

"Alright Aries-kun it is. I'm Emiru. Mikuni Emiru. Guess that makes us cousins."

"Yeah it does." I laugh rubbing my head.

"Well I'm sure we will see a lot of each other in the future Aries-san. You be safe on your way to school."

"Thanks Emiru-san..."

"Just Emiru." She smiles devilish at my pause. "We are family now."

"Uhh...Emiru. I'll be going now."

"You have something interesting, I think I'll take it." I vaguely make out her words as I make a hasty get away.

I make it to school with no time to spare. I had pushed to pedal harder than I had done trailing Mikako and yet even then I felt no fatigue. I was never considered an elite athlete and would get winded back in America after a full game of 21. That body strengthening hack really was working.

I take my usually seat in the middle isle between my best friends Sotashi Yuto and Mamoto Keita.

"Aries-sama!" Keita came rushing to me dropping down into a dogeza at my feet. "Brother..."

"Even if you beg I'm not letting you copy the assignment." I pull out my material.

He slams his forehead deeper into the ground. "MASTER I NEED YOU!"

The class turned due to poor choice of words. I turn to Yuto. "Yuto-san, he must be stopped."

Yuto was a bit soft spoken due to having very feminine qualities from his slender body to his face to his admittedly sweet voice. So much so, that if you were new you would be hard pressed to believe he was, in fact, a HE.

"Keita-san. That is too much." Yuto stepped to me locking gazes before speaking bashfully. "M-master...I need you."

Even though Yuto was just as eccentric as Keita.

"You both are killing me."

"You guys seem to be getting along fine again."

That was the class president Satsune Risa. Not only was she popular she was also a beauty. But her biggest asset was her big chest.

Keita and his partner and crime both shifted gears and started to act luck star struck teens. They were too out of touch to realize Risa was mostly striking a conversation with me as she smiled.

"Just ignore them Satsune-chan, they are idiots."

She laughed. "I think they just like to live life to the fullest."

The door to the class opens and shuts. My mouth nearly dropped to the floor when she walked up to the desk at the head of the room. Sarada Mikako. Did my life become some sort of manga? Coincidences like this don't happen in real life.

She looked over the class. Her eyes held on Risa then they found me. She smiled. It was as sweet of honey holding none of the malice it held at the Sarada estate. She was quite the actress.

Today's class was admittedly light. At least I think it was. I was too distracted by the fact my murderer and wife was somehow my teacher. Up until last night that was the case, from my memory's prospective. But after questioning Keita and Yuto, It was clear that they had a different set of memories where she had always been.

Somehow this new development was the norm of reality. Speaking of norms I decided to play around with the hack menu and found it almost second nature to bring it up. I was able to confirm I was the only one who could see it which made figure out how it works easier.

I also saw I had unlocked a couple more hacks. Stealth Lv. 1 and Sense Lv. 1. Both seemed to be good hacks. Stealth made it easier for me to move while hidden while make it harder to be spotted. And sense allowed me to perceive the presence of others in a certain proximity.

I had 10 hack points and only had enough to acquire one of the five that were currently unlocked. But which one? All of them are quite useful in honesty. But which is more practical to have now? I sigh in frustration. I'll save that task for later.

The bell rung and everyone began to gather their belongings. Risa came up to me and handed me a bento.

"I made extra so I was hoping you would like some."

"Thanks Satsune-chan. I'd definitely starve it not for you."

"Must be heaven being able Satsune-san cooking everyday." Yuto finally spoke.

"Not to mention being neighbors. No wonder all the guys hate you. You are in an envious position." Keita added.

"Don't confuse Risa-chan's charity for more than what it is." Hiroshi Shinta shot a glance my way with his snide remark.

If Satsune was princess then Shinta was prince. The both came from old money but Shinta's family's fortune was longer.

"That's not nice Hiroshi-san. It's not charity, Aries-kun and I are friends. And please don't use my first name." Risa stood up to defend me.

I smirk and open the bento inhaling deeply. "Yeah Prince. Friends."

He bites his lip in frustration at my taunt before turning away with a smile. "You have a lot turn learn American. Your ways will only bring you suffering. Soon."

And soon was sooner than I thought. I was ambushed just as I left campus. I was surrounded by several unsavory characters equipped with bats, crowbars, and whatever other makeshift weapon they could find. I was getting unpleasant flashbacks.

"Don't look so confused kid. Hiroshi-sama sent us. I'm sure you know what this about."

"Is it that your 'boss' came on his period?"

He laughs. "You sure never learn do ya. Aren't you tired of getting your *** kicked. That bravado may work in the west but here we won't take it. Eventually its gonna get you dead."

I swallow hard as he pulls out a huge knife that was closer to a machete.

"I don't suppose an apology would suffice at this point would it?"

"Not gonna happen. Break his legs boys."

In seconds they pounced on me. Putting their full weight into each swing as I ball up and start to scream out. After a while It dawned on me I wasn't in any pain. I open my eyes to see that my attackers where starting to get winded.

Eventually they rested and allowed me to get up. Aside from my now dirty clothes I looked complete untouched.

"Wow! Were you guys even trying?" I was so surprised I just blurted it out.

Usually I'd have to limp home and ice everything and tend to several wounds. Yet this time I didn't feel so much as a headache. Was this all because of that hack?

The leader of the gang gritted his teeth and swung his knife catching me unaware as I marveled at myself. It hit me across the left side of my torso.

"You're done for bastard don't ever look down on the Ravens!"

It broke skin. Only not much. All he got was a small trickle of blood. I could barely contain myself. When he noticed he broke into a cold sweat and suddenly looked nervous.

I look down at him with the presence of a devil. "My turn."

I drew back and punched him right in the center of his face. The blow sent him flying in to the dumpster near the building and left a body sized dent in it. I had to have been ten yards away.

The rest of his gang froze and realized this was not a battle to be fought here and now and grab their bloody leader and retreated.

That was amazing. Body strengthening not only improved my stamina but it hardened my muscle and increased my physical strength. And I hadn't need to work out not once to achieve it thank God for this hack menu.

I finished my walk home and as I'm crossing the street I am nearly mowed down by a car going way to fast around the corner. I managed to narrowly avoid death. But something caught my eye as the car sped by. In the backseat, Risa was slumped over eyes closed. Beside her was Mikako who was looking off through the opposite window bored.

A notification chimed.

[New quest]

{Rescue Satsune Risa}

{Time limit: 6 hours}

{Reward: 20 hack points}

{BOUNUS: Do not be exposed. +10 hack points}

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