It’s been weeks since Zoey’s crushed the Hanma Clan and surprisingly enough, she’s been living good. While she may or may not have had night terrors of armies of magjistars suddenly teleporting into her room and then going out in a blaze of glory fighting them all to her dying breath, nothing has happened to Zoey at all. Not any interrogations, strangely dressed magjistars watching her from a distance, no strangers coming to the people around her, or anything. It was only when Zoey was debating whether or not to accept a challenge from an overseas fighter that something worth being concerned about happened.

Hayato was questioned by magjistars working under the Council. After Zoey demolished his clan, surprisingly enough, they weren’t that bad a match friendship wise. As long as she was willing to do as she said in helping him get stronger, he was willing to play along in making friends with her. With her Teaching skill at level 18, Hayato showed monstrous progress under her teachings in no time. After seeing the proof with his own eyes, he was tamed like a puppy by her teaching skills. He didn’t even care she crippled his father and most of his clanmates, just like a certain prince, all he cared about was his own strength and progress.

Just like any good dog, Hayato knew not to bite the hand that feeds. Not that Zoey thought that Hayato was a dog or dog-like in any manner. It was just a comparison... He was too beautiful and feminine for Zoey to picture him that way actually.

Anyway! Hayato didn’t give up any information that would point towards Zoey and told her every detail on how the questioning went down in person. Hayato was one of those people that hated texting and loved to talk. Zoey was the opposite if her introvert battery wasn’t overcharged. She loved to text and hated to talk.

It was easier for her to text than it was to talk. The amount of mistakes made during texting isn’t anywhere near the number she makes while talking. Like, with a text, mistakes are very noticeable and fixable. But if you’re talking, you can’t just backspace or auto-correct your mistakes until all the words are done flying out of your mouth!

As thanks for being a good friend, Zoey invited Hayato out with the other magjistars in her Study Group. Alexander, Lindsay, Joseph, and those magjistars she saved at the joint case. He tried to decline multiple times to the point that Zoey was starting to feel self-conscious about it but she buckled down and told him he had to come so that she could repay him.

“You can repay me by continuing to be my training partner...” Hayato wanted nothing to do with socializing with his peers.

“That’s true but you need to live a little.” Zoey was the last person to be telling anyone this but she was no longer the awkward friendless loser she once was. Now she is just awkward with friends. “There is more to life than training and getting strong.” Zoey was also really good at being a hypocrite.

“...” Hayato really wanted to argue what more could there be to life?

As magjistars, they’re only purpose is to kill daemons. That purpose can’t be achieved if they are weak! In his opinion, every magjistar should strive to his level of dedication for strength. Especially since he no longer belongs to a clan that held the sole purpose of assassinating magjistars. His strength can only be used toward daemons now.

“Just give it a chance. If it goes absolutely terribly, I'll never ask you to do it again.” Zoey wasn’t the most social person either but she was definitely willing to give it a chance. She just had to make sure her social battery was fully charged before they went out.

“Fine.” Hayato gave in. It wasn’t like she was asking him to cut off his arm or do something completely humiliating.

“Thank you.” Zoey really wanted to invite Callie and Katlyn too but they weren’t a part of the magji world.

Zoey refused to force them into the magji world as well. If something went wrong and they had to go all magjistar mode, what the hell was she going to say to them? ‘Oh, sorry. I’ve actually been lying to you this entire time about my part-time job. I was really risking my life fighting to the death with supernatural creatures with magic and boxing.’ No! Of course not! She also didn’t want their memories wiped either. Or someone to use them as hostages or something to get something out of her! The more Zoey thought about it, the better she agreed it was to keep the magji world and the normal world separate.

“When you invited us to hang out Zoey, this isn’t really what I was expecting...” Alexander looked up in wonder at the gigantic roller coasters.

“...” Joseph adjusted his sunglasses, as he also looked up with slight hesitation.

“I’m rather excited... I’ve always heard about amusement parks from the kids at school but my parents were never interested in taking me to one!” Lindsay spoke with excitement attached to her words.

“Looks fun, right?” Zoey asked.

“Looks like a park full of death traps.” Hayato did not share Lindsay’s and Zoey’s enthusiasm.

“Trust me, it’s a lot more fun than it’ll be scary. Come on!” Zoey in a rare moment of joy, took the lead in socializing.

To start things off, Zoey chose one of the tame roller coasters to start with. For some reason all three of the boys were terrified to ride the roller coasters. Zoey didn’t understand it. They were willing to fight actual monsters but getting inside a mostly safe ride meant for fun is scary?

“There’s a difference,” Joseph spoke up with Hayato nodding in agreement.

“How do I know I won’t go flying off?! My inner power doesn’t stop me from dying to a fall!” Alexander panicked as they got closer and closer to the front of the line.

Alexander called his magji, inner power because they were in public around normal people. Zoey told them that people wouldn’t believe them even if they started saying they could do magji or use terms from the magji world. People would just think they watch too much anime or read too many comic books. Unless they showed actual magji or something, no one would take them seriously.

“They strap you in and lock you in tightly so that something like that won’t happen. I’ve studied before we came.” Lindsay spoke up. “There’s only a 1 in 15.5 million chance of suffering a severe injury on a roller coaster ride. It’s practically impossible for that to be us.” She adjusted her glasses proudly.

“Great... Now I know if I die, I was just one of the unluckiest people on the planet.” Joseph casually snarked.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” Hayato declared.

“We’re so close to getting on! Hold it!” Zoey held his arm to prevent him from going anywhere.

“You’re crushing my arm! Let go of me! I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Hayato fiercely protested.

“You’re not chickening out, big bad assassin. Something like this shouldn’t even phase you!” Inner Zoey argued.

“I think I have to go pee too...” Alexander’s stomach was curling into itself the closer they got to the front of the line.

“Don’t worry! It’ll be over faster than you think!” Lindsay grabbed Alexander’s arm.

Joseph frantically looked around, noticing the girls had their arms full with the other two. Zoey glared at him, daring him to try and escape. With the imaginary visual of a half-human and half-daemon floating behind Zoey’s shoulders, Joseph could only surrender to his fate. Hayato and Alexander followed soon after and all three boys gave in to their inevitable doom.

Their heads hung down as if they were walking straight to their graves. Until, the workers came over to strap them into the cart. Then their fear revitalized and exploded like a chain explosion. It was only because of Zoey’s brief flare of Fighting Aura that they stopped making a fuss. The workers looked over in confusion at their sudden stop but soon shrugged and went along their way. Soon after, the ride started up and the group of 5 began their slow descent up the tracks.

“So this is how I die...” Joseph lamented.

“I’m too young... I haven’t fulfilled my dreams yet...” Alexander hung his head back as he stared at the flowing clouds.

“You’re crazy, suicidal, and insane. I regret ever getting involved with you in the first place, Zoey Winters...” Hayato said his final words as he tried to make peace with his inevitable end.

Lindsay audible squealed in joy as they neared the top of the tracks toward the huge ramp down. Zoey couldn’t help the nervousness and excitement building inside her guts either, completely ignoring the boys. All three boys were now panicking in complete terror.

There was a difference between facing your death and knowing it was coming. With one, you had time to think you could prepare for it. You could think the ins and outs of how its going to happen, what you’re going to do, and how to handle it. But when you’re staring death in the face and it’s coming without any way of stopping it or slowing it? That’s an entirely different experience.

To the squeals of joy, cheers of excitement, and screams of terror, the roller coaster sped down the ramp.