Jau and Ellie kept staring at Mizuki while Clayton laid on a seat. Ryuga had gone out on a stroll from their locker room.

“What’s with you guys?!”

Mizuki flustered as she asked the question to Jau and Ellie.

“The way Ryuga held you, suspicious.”

Ellie says.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. After all, he did head pat me once.”

Jau says with a smile.

“He did?”

Both Mizuki and Ellie suspiciously at Jau.

“Well, it’s not like it matters to me either, we held hands when we kid.”

Ellie brags.

“You did?”

Both Mizuki and Jau look suspiciously at Ellie.

“You know, it could be a possibility that he is just insensitive and doesn’t understand that you ladies have feelings for him.”

Those were the last words before the stoic face Clayton was kicked out of the locker room.

“Jeez, I was just stating facts you know.”

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

Ryuga gets a drink from a vending machine in the hallway.

“Ryuga?! There you are Ryuga?!”

A familiar voice gets closer to Ryuga.

Ryuga turns around and finds a familiar figure in Alicia.

“Oh hey, it’s you, Alicia.”

Ryuga says to Alicia.

“Who is that woman?!”

Both Alicia and Kil say at the same time.

“Oh…I guess that since Kil and I made a contract, Kil can also see spirits.”

Ryuga says.

“Indeed, I can see what you see, Master.”

Kil says to Ryuga.

“Master?”

Alicia looks all confused.

“Well, I guess I should introduce you guys to each other.”

Ryuga says.

“Alicia, this person who resides within my soul is Kil, my second Key.”

Ryuga says to Alicia.

“Kil? Wait, by Kil you mean the leader of Tiger Clan, Kil?!”

Alicia asks Ryuga.

“Umm…I don’t know who spread the rumors that I am the leader of my Clan but…I am the last surviving member of the Tiger Clan. Not a leader.”

Kil clarifies.

“Oh?”

Ryuga and Alicia both seem surprised.

“And Kil, this is Alicia, this is the Ogre who was killed by the hands of Ryan Arkwet.”

Ryuga says.

“Ryan Arkwet…That name does sound familiar…”

Kil seems to be in deep thought.

“Explain!”

Both Kil and Alicia say at the same time.

“What?! What am I supposed to explain?!”

Ryuga asks both of them.

(And wasn’t Kil just in deep thought?)

“You are supposed to be super strong, so why the contract?!”

Alicia asks Ryuga.

“Oh right, you didn’t know what happened when you went out.”

Ryuga sighs.

“What about you Kil?”

Ryuga asks Kil.

“Explain to me, why this dead spirit follows you, Master!”

Kil says to Ryuga.

Ryuga sighs again.

“Fine, so…Let’s begin from the beginning.”

Ryuga starts explaining everything about what happened to Alicia and also how Ryuga lost all his powers.

“So, that’s the gist of it.”

Ryuga says.

“I understand…I will also help Alicia with her revenge.”

Kil says.

“I wish you didn’t.”

Alicia whispers with a crooked smile.

“Anyways-“

Ryuga looks at Clayton who is thrown out of the locker room by the girls.

“What the-“

(What happened when I was away?!)

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

In some other locker room,

“Aragi…Aragi…Aragi…Aragi…”

It seems like Kira is smiling frantically.

“What’s with our leader, OST?”

One of the team members asks a girl with glasses and long braided hair. She also seems to be carrying a staff with her and wears a long dress with an overcoat.

“It seems that, since the moment, Aragi Ryuga used that crazy move to stop Sir Suzuki’s attack he has been like that.”

The girl with glasses says.

“One would say, he is very much excited.”

The girl says as she calmly sits.

“Aragi Ryuga, he is supposed to be the son of madman. It’s obvious that he would be strong but to stop our B-rank Suzuki Kira’s attack. He has grown.”

The glasses girl smiles as she thinks.

“I wonder if he still remembers me…”

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

“Here, orange juice or apple?”

Ryuga asks Clayton who was sitting on the chair outside the locker room.

It looked like Kil and Alicia were bickering constantly.

“Orange.”

Clayton takes the orange juice as he says.

“Why were you kicked out?”

Ryuga asks Clayton.

“They are having a ladies talk, that’s why.”

Clayton says.

Ryuga chuckles.

“Back then too, you were there, you asked me the same question, orange or apple juice.”

Clayton says to Ryuga as he drinks.

“That time too, you took that orange juice. You like it.”

Clayton nods as he drinks.

“It’s almost been a month since the field trip, hasn’t it?”

Ryuga asks Clayton.

Clayton nods as he drinks.

“You were weak back then and yet…You fought so bravely. You almost died but you didn’t give up. I never felt so helpless…I felt as if I was going to lose a friend I just made.”

Clayton says.

“True…I was pretty weak back then, maybe reckless too.”

Ryuga says as he leans behind and drinks his soft drink.

“You have been nothing but reckless since the moment they met you. Even when trying to rescue Princess Ellie, you did something so idiotic like going all alone, without informing any of us.”

Clayton said in a sad tone.

Ryuga looked at Clayton with a nervous smile.

“Ryuga…Can I ask you something?”

Clayton asks Ryuga.

“Sure go ahead.”

Ryuga says.

“Am I…Not reliable to you?”

Clayton asks Ryuga.

That question even draws Alicia and Kil’s attention. Ryuga’s face darkens.

“When I felt the presence of a second key…A contract within you made me feel like I wasn’t reliable enough to be beside you. I thought that if ever…You would enter a contract with someone that would be me but instead…Looking you enter a contract with someone else just…Made me feel like I was not good enough for you.”

Clayton looked sad.

“Why didn’t you enter a contract with him, Master? He genuinely cares about you.”

Kil asks Ryuga.

“Yeah, even though I don’t trust demons…He seems to be quite a trustworthy person.”

Alicia says to Ryuga.

“Are you trying to say I am not trustworthy of my Master?!”

Kil questions Alicia’s comment.

“Maybe.”

Alicia smirks.

“You bitch…”

“Look who’s talking.”

The bickering continued.

Ryuga gently fist bumps Clayton’s left shoulder,

“Ryuga?”

Clayton looked surprised.

“You are more than reliable Clayton. In fact, you would have been my first choice partner.”

Ryuga says with a smile.

“So why-“

“Listen Clayton, the one who is not worthy of having you as a partner is me. I am not strong enough yet to protect my partners. As of right now, if I throw away Kil, I can’t even stand a chance against you. I want you to see me grow first, not as a partner but as a friend. Moreover, when the time comes, I want you to be my second key. Clayton, I want you to be my Third Second Key.”

Ryuga says with a smile.

“Third?!”

Clayton, Alicia, and even Kil looked confused.

“Did you forget, I also have a contract with a cat god? Be that, it is just a half contract but a contract is a contract.”

Ryuga says with a smile.

“How can I forget this idiot is also, my majesty’s belt holder too?”

Kil looked disappointed.

“Belt holder?! He doesn’t keep your cat god as a slave!”

Alicia and Kil start bickering again.

“So, Demon Clayton, do accept my proposal to be my future Second Key?”

Ryuga asks Clayton.

“You do realize that I am a demon, right??”

Clayton asks Ryuga.

Ryuga moves his hand to shake Clayton’s hand.

“Yes, but I am nothing less than a demon either.”

Ryuga says with a smile.

Clayton smiles as he shakes his hand with Ryuga’s.

~A PROMISE MADE BY A DEMON TO A METAPHORICAL DEMON~

“The flight is at 5 pm, I hope that you won’t be late Mizuki.”

Mizuki seems to be on the phone in the locker room along with Jau and Ellie.

“I…Mother…I am not coming, I will see this tournament through.”

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

Mizuki Hangs Up The Phone