A Most Unlikely Hero Vol 5 Read online

  Kazekiri ignored Ryoko, whose very presence riled her up, and looked at Alex instead. “I’m waiting for an answer, Alexander.”

  Perhaps it was due to her tone, but Alex seemed to realize that she was angry. He bit his lip and stared at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

  “We made plans to spend some time with everyone today, and I thought it would be nice if you could join us.” He paused. “Do you… not want to spend time with us?”

  Conflicted. That was how Kazekiri felt. She had assumed that she and Alex would be spending time alone together. Meeting up with him only to discover that not only would they not be spending time alone together, but that three people she disliked more than most would also be with them, put a huge damper on her mood.

  However, seeing the pitiful expression on Alex’s face, and the expectant excitement on Gabrielle’s, made Kazekiri cave in.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she mumbled. “But I thought it was going to be just us.”

  “What was that?” Alex asked.

  “I-it was nothing. I didn’t say anything.” Kazekiri coughed into her hand, hoping it would hide the blush on her cheeks. “A-anyway! Since I’m already here, I might as well stick around.”

  The relieved and joyous smile on Alex’s face as he thanked her did not make Kazekiri happy. It didn’t. It wasn’t like… seeing his smile made her happy or anything. Not one bit.

  “Now that we’re all here, we can go and have fun.” Gabrielle cheered as she grabbed Kazekiri by the arm and dragged her over to everyone else.

  “H-hey! What are you—let go of me!”

  “Come on, Kiri-Kiri! Let’s have fun!”

  “I can’t have fun with you dragging me around like this!” Kazekiri shouted. Then she paused, but only to take a deep breath. “And it’s Kazekiri! Get! It! Right!”

  5

  It had taken nearly a week to get there, but Michelle and Ariel had finally arrived at their sister’s home. Stealing a shuttle from the Angelisian army, losing them during hyperspace, and then forging documents and sneaking into Mars without anyone being the wiser, had certainly been tough. Neither of them had Gabrielle’s enviable talent with technology.

  Michelle studied the living space of Gabrielle’s current residence. They stood in the living room, a space several times smaller than her bedroom back home, made of faux wood panels and plasteel walls. A soft rug sat in the center, several chairs and sofas arranged around it, while a holoscreen floated in one corner of the room. There was a coffee table, and a large glassteel panel with a sliding door led to the backyard.

  It didn’t look like much. That said, there was a certain quaintness about the place that made it seem… homey. There was a sort of warmth to it that the palace she and her sisters lived in lacked.

  “This is where Big Sis lives?” Ariel wrinkled her nose. “It’s so tiny.”

  “I’m not sure someone like you should be calling anything tiny,” Michelle taunted.

  Ariel turned and growled at her. “What was that?! You wanna say that again?!”

  “I didn’t say anything.” Michelle offered an insincere smile. “Nothing at all. I certainly didn’t comment on how… tiny… you are…” She allowed her eyes to deliberately stray toward Ariel’s chest.

  Michelle had been taunting Ariel ever since they’d set off for Mars. She’d been wondering when her sister would snap, but the girl had held out admirably. It seemed, however, that Ariel’s patience had finally worn thin. Perhaps arriving at her sister’s residence had caused her to become looser with her anger.

  “Y-you bitch!” Ariel snarled as she finally lost it. “I’ll teach you!!”

  Michelle grinned as she swiped a finger through the air, summoning several of her most durable plants. “Bring it on, sister dear.”

  “Oh, I’ll bring it all right!” Ariel summoned her own creature in response, a massive wolf with bristling silver fur. “Fenrir! Help me teach this bitch a lesson!”

  “Ha! Do you really think Fenrir can deal with my Vitalis Vitae?”

  “Fenrir will bite those plants in half!”

  “We’ll see about that!”

  The battle of sisters began with a loud roar as plant fought against wolf.

  6

  André Killick had spent a lot of money acquiring the location of Alex Ryker’s house, but it would all be worth it in just a few seconds.

  For the past several weeks, André had been humiliated by that brat. He was beaten every time they ran into each other. Last week had been the final straw.

  André still remembered what happened last week. He and his boys had found the brat wandering through the lower city, carrying a girl in his arms. The girl had been gorgeous, easily worth several million on the black market, and she was in the arms of his rival. Naturally, André had not been going pass up such a golden opportunity.

  He had picked a fight with the brat—only to have his ass kicked like he was a 50-pound weakling. Not only had he been defeated, but all of his buds had their asses handed to them as well. It had been the single most humiliating moment in his life.

  But all that was about to change. André had thought and plotted and planned, and he had finally come up with a suitable revenge. He might not have been able to fight against the brat head on, but if he wrecked the boy’s house, then surely it would be a sweet tasting revenge.

  He reached the Ryker residence eventually, a two-story house that didn’t look all that different from every other house in the Outer District. He could only tell who lived there by the silver plaque embedded into the gate, which had the name Ryker etched in cursive.

  Opening the gate, André slipped through and wandered up to the front door. He paused. Then he decided to travel around the back and search for a way inside.

  He barely took two steps before the wall in front of him exploded, and then something long and flexible reached out. It was green and thick. Covered in strange lines like veins, undulating with oddly amorphous movements, it coiled around his leg.

  André realized several seconds too late that he was in trouble.

  His screams were overpowered as the tentacle lifted him into the air and used him as a bat to fight against a gigantic wolf.

  7

  Perhaps not so surprisingly, the first thing they decided to do was go shopping. Alex soon discovered what it was like to travel from store to store with a band of fashion conscious females. They would travel to one store, try on clothes, possibly buy some, and then hand the bag off to him and hit the next store. This process repeated itself over and over again. Even Kazekiri got into it.

  Fifteen stores and twenty shopping bags later, Alex was dead on his feet. He would’ve loved to sit down and take a break. Unfortunately, Gabrielle wanted him to go everywhere with her. She said it was important to have his opinion on all of her clothes.

  Gabrielle wasn’t the only one who took advantage of getting a male’s opinion.

  “So, what do you think of this, Hot Stuff?” Ryoko asked as she stepped out of the changing room and unveiled her new outfit.

  Ryoko was the same age as him and attended Atreyu Academy with Selene. Her dark skin contrasted with her bleach blonde hair, and her narrowed eyes stared at people with a look that made him shiver. Those eyes were like a predator’s—except instead of seeking out food, she sought people to fondle and strip.

  She was currently wearing an outfit that had far too little fabric to be called clothing. It was basically just strategically placed strips of leather that covered her breasts and crotch.

  “Lewd,” Nyx murmured beside Alex. Unlike everyone else, who was choosing clothing to try on, she refused to leave his side.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think you should be more covered up.”

  “Ah, come now, Babe.” Ryoko grinned. “There’s no need to be so cold. Come on, tell me I look hot.”

  Alex sighed. “You are a very attractive young woman, which is why I’m telling you to cover up more. If any other guy
saw you, they’d have tried something already.”

  “Oh! That’s a good one. I like it.” Ryoko’s eyes narrowed as she sauntered up to him. “Though that does beg the question of why you’re not trying anything with me. Could it be that your lust is still being carefully locked away behind that heroic facade?”

  Alex wondered what he should tell Ryoko, that seeing Gabrielle’s naked body had desensitized him to most other females? That was only partially true. He was still aroused to the point where his pants felt uncomfortable. He was just a lot better at holding back. He also didn’t think telling Ryoko that he’d seen Gabrielle naked would be good for his health—or his sanity.

  Fortunately, he wouldn’t have to.

  “What kind of shameless outfit are you wearing?” a disgusted Kazekiri asked as she also stepped out of a changing room.

  The part-time police cadet was wearing a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a sleeveless shirt that strained against her prominent bust. The shirt, a light pink, complimented her fair skin and flaxen-colored hair, which framed her lovely face as it descended all the way down to her butt. Alex had never seen her wearing something so girly. He normally only saw her in cadet clothing. Seeing her wear something he’d expect from a normal female was a novel experience.

  Kazekiri suddenly covered herself, and Alex realized that he’d been staring.

  “W-what are you looking at?” she asked, her cheeks turning red.

  “Huh? Oh, sorry.” Scratching the back of his head, Alex grinned. “I was just surprised by your outfit. It’s not something I’d normally expect to see you in.”

  “D-does it look bad?” Kazekiri asked, trying pull down her shirt, which exposed her flat stomach and belly button. Alex blinked in shock. Kazekiri had a six-pack. Who knew?

  “Of course not.” Alex gave her a thumbs up. “It looks really good on you.”

  “A-ah… thank you.”

  “Heh? What’s this? Is the infamous disciplinary committee member getting flustered over being complimented by the boy she likes?” Ryoko asked, strolling over to Kazekiri with the look of a predator ready to pounce.

  “Y-you shut up!” Kazekiri blushed. “I’m not getting flustered, and I don’t like Alex!”

  “Say that when your face isn’t red enough to make supernovas look pale.” Ryoko’s lips split into a wide grin. Kazekiri’s scowl was something to behold, but Ryoko ignored it and looked at Alex. “I’m gonna change into something else. I expect to get your opinion, too, Stud Muffin.”

  “Could you please stop coming up with random nicknames for me?” Alex asked with a sigh.

  “Hmm… no.”

  “Thought not.”

  With a grin and a skip in her step, Ryoko went into one of the changing rooms. Alex rubbed his face. He didn’t think he’d mind shopping for clothing if it was just him and Gabrielle, but going with an entire group of girls was way outside of his ability to deal with.

  “Alex!” Gabrielle called out as she threw her changing room curtains wide open. “I was wondering if you could help me choose a shirt to go with these pants?”

  A loud squawk echoed around them. It might have been him. It might have been Kazekiri. However, the reason for the squawk was definitely Gabrielle, who wasn’t wearing a shirt. Her large breasts were not only exposed, beautiful pink nipples visible, but they jiggled enticingly every time she moved. Alex felt his pants become even more uncomfortably tight than before.

  “Dang it, Gabrielle! How many times have I told you not to exit the changing room when you don’t have a shirt on?!”

  “H-how shameless!”

  Alex and Kazekiri spoke at the same time. It might not have been so bad if she’d at least been wearing a bra, but Angelisians apparently did not wear bras. He wondered if that was an alien thing, or an Angelisian thing.

  “That’s why I’m asking you to help me find a shirt to wear,” Gabrielle said, completely ignoring the fact that she was half-naked. The girl didn’t appear the least bit bothered by the way her boobs were bouncing all over the place. “None of the shirts I chose seem to work with this color. That’s what Serah said.”

  “And you listened to her?” Alex slammed a hand into his face, mostly to avoid seeing Gabrielle naked. He so did not need a boner right now. “Anyway, go back into the changing room and close the curtain. I’ll find you a shirt.”

  “Yay! Thank you, Alex!”

  As Gabrielle rushed back into the changing room, Alex tried to find a shirt that would match the skirt Gabrielle was wearing. Nyx followed him like a faithful pet. She wasn’t the only one. Kazekiri also walked alongside him. He didn’t know why she was sticking by his side, but she probably had her reasons. It was best not to dwell on such things for too long.

  “That girl…” Kazekiri muttered. “Does she not know the meaning of the word modesty?”

  Alex smiled as he looked at the clothing selection. These shirts came in a variety of colors and styles. He didn’t know what was good.

  “Don’t be too hard on her, okay? Gabrielle grew up in a completely different environment from normal people. She doesn’t have a clear understanding of concepts like common sense and public decency.”

  “Hmph. I fail to see how someone could grow up and not learn about these things. They’re things that everyone learns as they grow up.”

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Alex mused as he grabbed a pink shirt with purple lining the hem. This might work. “But Gabrielle was very isolated as a child, and no one taught her all of the things she should have been taught. Thanks to that, Gabrielle is very naive.”

  “Well, I won’t deny that she is a naive person,” Kazekiri mumbled. “But still, you shouldn’t baby her like that.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Alex agreed. “But I think Gabrielle’s innocent nature is something to cherish—even if it means she won’t understand concepts that everyone should know.”

  Kazekiri was silent for a moment. “You… really like Gabrielle, don’t you?”

  “Yeah…” Alex admitted, “I like Gabrielle a lot.”

  Were the situation different, he would have already asked Gabrielle out, but he couldn’t do that right now. Gabrielle was the princess to King Lucifer, Emperor of the Galaxy. Her father was trying to marry her off.

  Three months ago, Gabrielle had lied to Azazel about being in love and wanting to marry him. Azazel had believed her. Now Alex was pretending to be Gabrielle’s fiancé to keep her from being married to people who just wanted to marry her for the throne. With something like a fake marriage hanging over his head, there was no way he could ask her to be his girlfriend.

  Someone as disgusting as me doesn’t deserve someone as amazing as Gabrielle.

  “Oh, boy. Here we go again.”

  “Alexander, what happened with Nyx wasn’t your fault. As much as I do not wish to agree with this daemon, what you felt was a natural response.”

  Alex hid his scowl. There was nothing natural about what he’d felt when trying to help Nyx. Normal people didn’t get so aroused, especially not when they were trying to save the life of someone else.

  “I see…”

  The expression on Kazekiri’s face changed. It reminded Alex of a person whose favorite pet had just died. It didn’t really suit her. He preferred her smile. Unfortunately, before he could ask her what was wrong, Ryoko walked out of the changing room again.

  She was wearing more normal clothing than last time, meaning she didn’t look like one of those females in lower city dives that danced on poles. That said, her black shorts were still on the skimpy side, and the red sleeveless shirt possessed a notorious gap that revealed a lot of cleavage.

  “So, what do you think?” Ryoko asked, winking at Alex.

  “I think it looks fine,” Alex said.

  Ryoko placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Can’t you be a little more enthusiastic about it? You’ve got a hot girl asking you for your opinion. You should be ecstatic.”

  “I’ll be ecstatic when
this shopping trip is over,” Alex mumbled.

  “Alex!” Gabrielle called. “Do you have a shirt yet?”

  “I’ve got one!” Alex called back. Sighing, he went over to the changing room.

  He really hoped this shopping trip would end soon.

  8

  While Alex tried to deal with Gabrielle, Ryoko, and Kazekiri, Selene and Serah shopped in another section of the store—the underwear section. It was the one place Alex refused to go. Selene needed to buy some new bras. Her old ones were getting too tight.

  “Is there a reason you’re letting Gabrielle get close to Alex?” Serah asked as she held up a brassiere that was way too risqué for Selene to even think of wearing.

  “What do you mean?” Selene asked.

  “Don’t try to hide it,” Serah said. “Ever since he graduated from primary, you haven’t been as happy. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you like him.”

  Selene wondered how it was that she’d become so transparent. It was true that she’d been less happy after Alex’s departure from school. Not that it mattered anyway. She didn’t have any intention of interfering in Gabrielle’s and Alex’s relationship.

  “Gabrielle is good for Alex,” Selene said at last. “She can make him happier than I can.”

  “If you say so.” From her tone, Serah didn’t agree, but she also wasn’t willing to interfere. She didn’t like men, so it probably didn’t matter to her. “Anyway, why don’t you try this on? I think it’s in your size.”

  Serah was holding a bra in her hands. It was very basic, just a plain white bra with no additional features. That was the kind Selene liked.

  She grabbed the bra from her friend and went over to the changing rooms. Alex was there, along with Gabrielle, Kazekiri, Nyx, and Ryoko. It looked like Ryoko and Gabrielle were having fun dressing Nyx in a variety of different clothes.

  Ignoring the group, she slipped into one of the changing stalls. As she did, a sharp pain in the back of her neck made her nearly yelp. It felt like something was pinching her nerves. She reached up to see what had caused such pain, but there didn’t appear to be anything there.