The disturbingly human face of the lion-like manticore contorted as it pounced. Izumo was thankfully able to jump aside, avoiding the demon as it went past her. But it was still close enough to swing its scorpion-like tail her way to try striking her face. Not wanting to even get scratched and risk being poisoned, or gored in the worst-case scenario, the tamer just barely sidestepped the stinger. But whether she stumbled or stepped on something, Izumo wound up losing her balance, and her attempt to stay standing only led to an intense pain blooming in her ankle before she fell over. When the manticore turned to attack the downed exorcist, Uke and Mike finally intervened, their ethereal forms flying around its body as they savagely attacked. While they kept the demon preoccupied, Ryuji bellowed the last line of its fatal verse. The manticore howled as it was exorcised, its host gradually turning back into an ordinary lion.
"Not exactly graceful, were you?" Uke teased as both of the byakko came to rest before their contractor.
"Next time look where you're plodding about," Mike scolded.
Just as she was about to tell her familiars to shut up, the lion stirred, silencing her. When it spotted her, the beast began to growl. It seemed like it was on the verge of attacking when a tranquilizer dart was shot into its rear. The growl died off, and in seconds, the lion collapsed. Behind it, a scuffed-up Ryuji gave what was either a sigh of relief or exasperation as he put the tranquilizer gun he'd been given by the zoo staff onto his back. "That's enough of that," he muttered.
"Cutting it close, weren't you?! Why didn't you use that as soon as it turned back to normal?!" Izumo snapped.
"I didn't think it would recover from the possession so quickly," was the aria's simple response. He almost added the reminder that the zoo staff had said that it was a "sweetheart" and a "pussycat," but if Ryuji couldn't believe that for himself, he highly doubted Izumo would. "Anyway, we've neutralized one target. Let's regroup with the others. We'll contact the zoo staff on the way."
"Yeah…" The purple-haired girl stood, but almost immediately started to hiss in pain and balanced on one foot. "Damn it! My ankle…!"
"Hm? What's the matter?"
"Ugh! I must've sprained my ankle when I fell down." She could feel Mike and Uke's judging looks when she said that, but refused to see for herself. Instead, she focused on her comrade, who approached her.
"Lemme see how bad it is…" When he crouched down in an attempt to look at the severity of the injury himself, she slapped him on top of his head—both because she didn't want him agitating her aching ankle and because she didn't want him that close to her exposed legs.
"I already said I was hurt, didn't I?!" Once her blush died down and she regained her composure, Izumo continued, "Go ahead without me."
Rubbing his head as he stood up, the brunette gave her a hard look. "Not happening. There're still the two females left, and you'd be a sitting duck if one found you in this state."
"Not if I head back to the entrance and get behind the barrier."
"You could still get caught before you get there! And I doubt you could run in that state."
She narrowed her eyes, taking that as a jab at her ability to defend herself. "I don't have to run. I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."
Ryuji's eyebrow twitched and turned his back to the girl, saying, "I'm not starting with you right now! Just get on!"
"Get on what? You? Princesses are supposed to be carried, not carrying." Izumo started limping past the tall boy after he'd flinched from her use of "the P-word." Uke and Mike shook their heads at her childish behavior.
Ryuji narrowed his eyes and snorted. "I tried doing this nicely…" He then grabbed Izumo from the behind, and it took a short moment with little struggling before he was carrying the purple-haired girl in his arms. She still continued to pound one hand against his shoulder while using the other to try pushing him away from her, much to Ryuji's annoyance. "Will you cut that out?!"
"Put me down, you big ape! I don't need your help, so let me go!"
"Not until we get to the entrance! So stop whinin' and squirmin' already!"
Izumo quieted down and proceeded to stew. Being carried in such a manner by this gorilla was embarrassing, but not just because it suggested that she was unable to take care of herself. She'd read her fair share of shojou manga in the past, and many of their girl protagonists would swoon over being carried by their love interests like this. Izumo wasn't sure if the steadily increasing pace of her heartbeat and her reddened cheeks could be considered signs of swooning, but she definitely knew that she didn't want Suguro to notice those traits and jump to conclusions about her feelings for him. She doubted he would try to get all fresh and flirty like his stupid pink-haired friend, but would more likely reject her like his admirers at school. It would be a dissatisfactory result of a misunderstanding, greatly embarrassing Izumo and potentially ruining a friendship—albeit a not-so chummy one—with the aria.
Definitely not because the rejection itself would hurt.
So the purple-haired teen did her best to avoid looking at the one helping her, for fear that he'd see her expression. "Playing hero just to stroke your ego… What a laugh!" She muttered just to show him how much she still disliked what was happening. "I've managed to take care of myself on missions while in worse states, y'know? A sprain isn't exactly a broken bone or a puncture. It's honestly easier to handle. Even if I'm slower, I wouldn't be taken down easily. Don't underestimate me."
"Do you seriously hear yourself?" Ryuji didn't sound upset—just tired of Izumo's arguing. "I don't have to think less of you to wanna help you. Just concerned for your wellbeing."
That had shut the tamer up. Unknown to her ally, the statement had actually caused her to blush, and her silence was an attempt to keep in some embarrassed sputtering. But eventually, the girl calmed down and accepted that she was in the wrong here. She had been willing to allow herself to enjoy being carried in such a manner. And certainly not because of who was doing the carrying.
