《The Impossible Fate That Leads To A God Of A New World》 Chapter 1 - Prologue First day of Spring. January. Current time: 7 a.m. I''m currently sitting at the front door of my house, while struggling my left foot into my jogging shoe. It is a gift from my cute little sister, Restia. Well, it''s not that I felt like wearing new things in a new year. Apparently, my shoes exploded yesterday. As for the details¡ª I had this little curse by The Black Cat of Misfortune, which I stepped on a trap, a landmine that I installed to prevent from those dangerous magical beasts that¡¯s lurking in the forest nearby. After tying my shoelace, I face the corridor. ¡°Done yet¡­?¡± ¡°Restia is coming¡­!¡± A black hair, red eyes, and a 163 cm girl with an energetic look immediately replies, while storming out from the end of the corridor, where the dining room is. That said, while landing with both of her feet, she stops in just a few centimetres apart from me. A distance of 36.7m, if I am not wrong. She ran 36.7m in one second. While yanking my upper body and sticking to the side of the wall, I dodged the shockwave that came from her. ¡°Hmm...? Where`s Ruby?¡± I said. Hearing this, my little sister faces behind and yells. ¡°Ruby, we are leaving¡­!¡± ¡°NYOOOOOO!!!¡± Once again, another girl storms out from halfway of the corridor¡­ where it leads to the stairs to the second floor. As she sprints, she jumps halfway¡ª It''s A little unexpected if you imagine what she is going to do next. With a ¡®pop¡¯ sound, she transforms into a small and cute cat. A pink, fluffy cat. During Ruby''s landing, my little sister caught her in between her arms and her plump ?h?st. Then with a natural turn almost as if she''s dancing, Restia faced me¡ª with a bright sunshine smile on her face as always. As usual, her sunshine smile always heals my soul. Six years ago¡ª ever since our parents'' disappearance¡­ Restia and Ruby are the only ones left. They are my irreplaceable family. My name is Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. If you were wondering why a guy like me, who was supposed to attend high school like any other teens but is going for a jog instead¡­ Unfortunately, I''m currently stuck on this very island. In an uninhabited island inside the Bermuda Triangle region, where no boats nor no planes could bother to travel because it is extremely dangerous. No one knows why they sunk if they were to pass through this region. Well, I know the reason. Because the weather here is always and constantly horrible. Not only the strong hurricanes and lightning storms, even the sea was filled with dangerous sea monsters. Though things such as magic exist¡ª such as teleportation magic, and I`m very knowledgeable in it. Unfortunately, I don''t have mana to cast any magic spells and magic spells are ineffective on me. So, only my sisters go to school¡ª they`d teleport to the nearest country and go for classes, if they were available. Well, it doesn''t matter if it''s available or not. Restia, my little sister, may look cute and beautiful and all, but she''s a genius that scored the top each year. She''s A perfect role model in her school. Not only that, she had lots of admirers and even suitors. The love letters she receives are overflowing her emails. She never told me about those, though. Ruby''s the one who secretly told me about it. Well, speaking of Ruby¡ª she may be like a little sister to me, but she''s my magical pet. She would rather prefer to call me ¡®Master¡¯, over than ¡®big brother¡¯ like Restia. It''s not a fetish or anything. She`d start calling me ¡®master¡¯ like, since the beginning¡­? Though Ruby, as a beast-kin, is not as smart as Restia¡­ but she`s the only one in this household that''s able to speak every type of beast language, and is quite fluent. The Black Cat, The White Snake, The Fortune Rabbit, The Fenrir Wolf, The Snow Leopard, The Rainbow Sheep, and The Cithaeron Lions. My pets. She''s able to communicate to them without a problem. Well, she was born with this ability though. I was surprised when I found out about this. THUNK¡ª CRASH!!! Though about my sisters, there''s still more¡ª but let''s leave that for next time. As the warning alarm sounds, a warning screen pops up in front of me. The multi-layered barrier that was protecting my house is destroyed from the outside. ¡­It seems like a guest has arrived. ¡°Stay here, both of you.¡± I ordered. ¡°Nya.¡± With that said, one of my pets, The Black Cat (also known as The Misfortune Cat), Felix, seems to have stepped into my house from the backyard, and is now standing next to Restia`s feet. ¡°It''s not your doing, is it?¡± I asked her. Then, what sort of bizarre beast would come all the way here¡­? Unless¡­ it isn''t a beast. No, that can''t be. Did he really succeed¡­? ¡°Felix¡ª tell the others to wait, especially Pearl (The White Snake), got it!?¡± ¡°Be careful, big brother¡­¡± I hurriedly extended my hand to reach the door knob, and as I pulled it open¡ª a strong gust of cold, humid wind storms into the house. At the front yard, about 50m¡ª a metallic dark grey coloured helicopter just descended. This is¡­ ¡®I call this Type X, well, I will add a number later depending on which of it could actually get all the way to your horrible island. If it succeeds, brat, you are going to join my academy.¡¯ ¡®Hah. Only if you can.¡¯ While recalling the conversation I had with that bastard, I step out from the front door as it automatically closes. The helicopter had two large propellers on both sides of its body, and a tail. From the number that was written on its body, it seems like this helicopter`s model would be named as Type X-586. God, this is the 586th one? Though it looks slightly worn out, it actually made it. While thinking of that, someone jumped down from the helicopter¡­ ¡­with a crash landing. ¡°BLERGHHHHHHHHHHH¡­¡­!¡± A man in a black suit, is currently kneeling on the ground while vomiting almost as if non-stop. God, a little more and he''s actually going to touch a landmine. To prevent the worst case scenario from happening, I activated my loudspeaker screen. ¡°Hey¡­?! Stay where you are! There are tons of landmines around you!¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡­?¡± Though I don''t hear it quite clearly, that''s probably the thing I''m hearing coming from his mouth. He video-called me afterwards, and I accepted. ¡°I finally found you¡ª Urk, BLERGHHHHHHH¡­¡­!¡± He looks completely worn out. Heavy, dark circles under his eyes alone with a tired, fatigued, sleepless look as if he had been sleepless for several nights. To be honest, I`m not really surprised by how horrible he looks now. I really must give him an applause for making it all the way here. ¡°Do you¡­ know¡­ for how many times I''ve tried to come here¡­?! Do you¡­!?¡± He told me. Well, I will take a rough guess¡­ 586 times? Seems like he was given quite the harsh treatment by that bastard. ¡°Uh, well done¡­?¡± I replied. ¡°So, are you an agent from Central Imperial Island¡­?¡± Though he was facing the sides earlier, but now he faced me¡­ ¡°Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare! PLEASE!!! I BEG OF YOU!!! Join the Imperial Knights Academy as a special student or else¡ª I will be fired!!!¡± ¡­while prostrating on the ground. I find myself to feel a little pity for him. ¡­But there''s no way I''m sitting on that worn-out thing. BAM!!! As the door behind me slams open, Restia, my little sister immediately grabs me on my waist from behind, as Ruby and Felix sit on my head and shoulder respectively. ¡°Big brother, don`t go¡­! You can`t go¡­! You aren''t allowed to go¡­!¡± I shifted my gaze back at the screen. ¡°Well, see¡­? I can`t.¡± I murmured. ¡°What¡­!? You are telling me this after I came here all the way here¡­!?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Restia from behind me, extends her hand to the front while pointing at the agent and his helicopter. Once she did, a white magic circle appeared from below his feet. And¡­¡­ he''s gone. Seems like Restia had teleported him to the nearest country. ¡°Um, Restia¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°Aren''t you being a little rude to him¡­?¡± ¡°You promised me, big brother! You promised you would never leave me alone¡­!!!¡± While spouting those words, Restia inadvertently starts to cry on my back. [Beep Beep] While I''m trying to think of a reason to convince my little sister, an email icon pops up in front of me. I`d normally ignore it since I would usually receive spam¡ª but with the timing so perfect, my finger inadvertently presses it. ¡®From: Anonymous Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, If you read this, you must do what I say. Join the Imperial Knights Academy. No matter how many times those two would try to stop you.¡¯ This message¡­ ¡°Who is this!?¡± Restia yells at me. I quickly minimized it before Restia could take a clear look on the rest of the content. ¡°Nah, just some spam message.¡± I told her. ¡°Alright, I promise I won''t leave you alone. Get the others, alright? Let''s jog later.¡± ¡°¡­¡­N.¡± As the three of them went back into the house, I was left alone, at the front yard. Once again, I open the message. ¡®Your problems will be solved there, including the time you have left.¡¯ As if getting struck by a lightning bolt, I inadvertently found myself to be leaning on the wall. Thus, I gave a call to The Principal of the Imperial Knights Academy. Chapter 2 - 1: The first person, Lucifer Nightwalker Finally, Central Imperial Island-- Imperial Knights Academy. Ever since 3am, it''s been a total of five hours ever since I travel across the ocean, on the X-586 helicopter. I''m quite fed-up. Ignoring the warnings from the pilot while I unbuckled my seat-belt, I jumped off from the helicopter without a parachute, where it''s 8000 feet high in the sky. After diving across the sky to search for an appropriate spot to land, with my sense of equilibrium, I flip my body and land with my feet... ...while creating a hole on the pathway with my shoes half-sunken into the ground. Damn, the tiles are more fragile than I thought. The spot I land is the main path towards the main gates of Imperial Knights Academy, where the back of it is the path to the city. Like a forest, the sides of the path is covered by thick trees. No one would catch me in an act of vandalism on destroying the pathway. .................. "Gargh...!" After a light jog, I stop by the gates and stretch my back and shoulders. Man, my back hurts. Who knew a helicopter is so uncomfortable to sit on? The storm on the Bermuda Triangle sure is terrifying, all those shaking and rolling nearly killed me. It''s a good thing it only lasted for three hour inside that region, and fortunately, I didn''t puke either. Anymore of that 5-hour marathon ride I would''ve died. Since I can''t cast any teleportation magic nor being cast on, the Imperial Knights Academy had to send a helicopter to fetch me all the way there and back to all the way here. Well, b?r?ly. The helicopter''s barrier almost broke down. Then again, I think their funds are more than enough to cover the maintenance and repairing fees. Alright then... I''m not sure in which direction my home is, so I simply faced backwards, and stared at the sky with a sentimental expression on my face. Sorry, Restia, Ruby. It might be selfish of me to be leaving without saying goodbye, but seriously, I think I did the right thing after all. Do you have any idea how long you have forced me to postpone my enrollment? It''s six months, six months...! Today is the very first day of June, Summer. Needless to say, it''s been six months since the enrollment day, so I''m the only one here alone, standing on the main path, staring to the inside like an idiot from the outside of the main school gates. If there''s someone else watching what I am doing, I would''ve died from embarrassment. They would probably think that I''m a weirdo from staring into the air with a sentimental look. On top of that, I stare twice, it would be enough to kill me twice. "Phew..." I deliberately sighed. ...So this is it, Imperial Knights Academy. Compared to the pictures he sent me, this looks way larger than I expected. How long has it been since the last time I went to school...? It''s been ages, is it six years already...? The moment I step in; this will be the very place I will be attending¡ª and it will be my first time living all alone completely, without my family, Restia and Ruby. 6 months. I just need to endure 6 months. To overcome my nervousness, anxiousness and uneasiness, I took a deep breath. Ignoring the salty smell coming from the sea and the nature''s aroma coming from the forest, I breathed out and felt refreshed. If I''m going to wish for one thing, then I''m going to wish for a magnificent school life...! Alright, let''s go! ............ Okay, now. This is pretty sarcastic. Somehow, I''ve been walking for quite a while. Right, I was informed no one will be guiding me, but I was greeted by the sea breeze, hot summer wind, rustling sounds of the trees, chirping birds... aside from the sound of my own footsteps, not a single thing that sounds human. The school gates are so freakishly empty that it feels creepy, like an abandoned school. The main path starting from the school gates leads to the great hall of the academy, where the entrance ceremony is held. I''m six months late, so I''m not going to the main hall. There are several smaller paths on the left and right that lead to different facilities. Let''s open his email again... ''The moment you reach the main gate, take the smallest path on the right. This will lead you to the Student Council President''s Building.'' Okay, this is what the damn old fart principal sent to me, nothing special. Although I''m a special student, no matter how I look at it, I don''t have any special treatments¡ª talk about being fair and square, you damn old fart. As usual, I hate him. But even if I complained, that old fart wouldn''t listen, and it would''ve just wasted my time. ...better continue walking. My path was surrounded by thick trees, it provides shades under the hot summer sun, the chill feeling feels nice. "Time." I murmured. A small screen appeared in front of me, with the current time based on my current location. Huh... 8.03am. It''s still a little early till the appointed time. Judging from my pace, at this rate, I still have more than enough time even if I loitered around. I think a little walk wouldn''t hurt a bit... I tend to explore the forest and dungeons around my home, so out of habit I decided to walk between the trees and bushes. Thus, ignoring the small path that leads to the Student Council President''s Building, I dived in between the thick forest. I soon realized that I''d gotten lost and can no longer find my way. And here I stood, blaming myself for being stupid. "......?" After settling down, I realized something important. Aside from the sound of breath, there''s not a single note of sound. This very spot I''m currently standing, is quiet¡ª so overwhelmingly quiet that it hurts my ears. The sunlight too is completely shielded by the trees. No, not the trees. It is entirely something else, like... a barrier...? I better get out of here. Activating my screen, I search for the school map. "...?" There''s no signal. I can''t use the map, nor I''m able to make a call to the principal for directions. Dang, I should''ve download the offline version. While sighing as I minimize the screen, I look around, searching for the slightest opening for me to jump... But apparently, there are none. Nothing but trees, bushes and grass here... Should I really rely on my instincts...? I already got lost once. Better stop repeating the same old mistake. Just seconds before I decided to walk blindly by following my intuition¡ª a strong wind suddenly blows across my body. Hmm...? There''s wind...? And so, I walk towards the direction where the wind is coming from, and... ...got out of the thick forest in an instant. However... "Eh? Where am I...?" I inadvertently mumbled. ...that doesn''t mean I''ve already found my way to the building, I''m still at loss as to where I am. There''s a building right in front of me, but it''s not the Student Council President''s Building. I know because the principal sent me the picture just in case I got lost. This building is like a mansion, a white mansion five-storey high, but yet extremely large in its base area. The strange thing about this building¡ª it was surrounded by a large force field with transparent-green in colour and hexagonal patterns. What is this mysterious looking mansion? That guy never sends any pictures about this one. Is it a facility? It''s far away from anything¡ª I can''t even see a building here since it''s a downslope, blocked by a hill, so it doesn''t seem like it. Approaching the force field, I give a gentle knock on it with my knuckle. "Ow." It rebounds back to me. Looking closely, I realized it is made with both technology and magic. Unlike my house''s barrier which consists of multiple layers of barriers, this is placed together in one. The outer hexagonal panels were able to absorb quite an amount of physical attack and rebound it back, while the inner layer is a magical barrier blocking magical attacks. If I want to break this barrier... it might take a toll on my arm. But I''d better not, there''s no reason to do so and even if I did, that bastard principal would surely bombard me with tons of questions afterwards. I thought the school map would''ve work if I''m out from the trees, but it remains the same, there''s still no signal. Might be because of this, huh? Is there some sort of jamming device? I don''t want to go back in there, it gives me the chills. I even shout, but there''s no response. "Tch... this is troublesome." As I got myself a headache and rub my temple with my finger, a small, pink, ball of light gliding across the wind, floated all its way across my line of vision, catching my attention. Reflexively, I caught it with my b?r? hand, and looked closely at it, until it disappeared after staying on my palm for three seconds or so. It''s not a petal, but light...? I looked up toward the direction of the pink tree. Compared to the trees I came across just now, it''s size and height is overwhelming. I didn''t notice because it looks normal to me, since the trees back on my island are as large as that. Come to think of it, is this the... ''Pink Drop''? That rare tree that brings luck whenever you are unlucky...? Because of the only pink light that managed to get all the way here, I had a feeling that the tree is actually leading me to something. Maybe it''s possible for me to climb it and search for the Student Council President''s building. With that height, I''m sure it''s high enough to look around the most of the academy. With that in mind, I sprint all the way towards the ''Pink Drop'', running across the hill with a sharp and lively rhythm as each step I strike on the grass. As I run, I''d look around, searching for anyone or any building. But all I saw was the ''Pink Drop'' tree, which completely blocked my view on my front with its large trunk. For the rest, there''s nothing else but lots of smaller trees. The blue sky is nearly getting covered by the flowers, it''s decorated with pink lights. The more I''m closer to the trunk, the more it''s covered. Oh, and there... I reached the base of the ''Pink Drop''. Although I jumped down from a helicopter, walking for a long distance, and even ran around a hundred meters, my breathing''s unperturbed. Thank goodness. Right now, I''m still quite confident in my stamina, but if it''s sooner... things will be different. I looked up. The lights dropping down landed on my hair and blazer, and on my face. That''s not important, I merely find it a little annoying when some falls to my eye. It feels like I''m staring at a tree made by cotton candy, or rather, it looks like I''m starting at a tree that grows cotton candy. Although I''m not the type of elegant, classy sort of person to stop and appreciate the beautiful sight, it was just so beautiful that I couldn''t help myself to be mesmerized. Wait a second... I forgot something I should do. With its height around 13000 feet high, I wondered if I''m able to withstand the altitude sickness and cold...? Oh well, I will know when I''m up there. I went to the shortest and closest branch, which is nearly 5 times my 176cm height. I did a few test jumps, adjusting my power on my legs before actually knowing how high I should jump. Alright then... I contracted my muscles on my legs as I bent on my knees, launching myself like a catapult upwards with my legs acting as a spring. That said, the ground crumbled slightly and absorbed some of the force, but I guess it''s alright. ''Whssh...'' This gentle sound was made when I grazed across the flowers. "Hup." A perfect trajectory, I didn''t miss my shot. The height is just enough for me to land on this large, thick, branch. Actually, the branch is so large and thick, I think it''s able to hold around 50 more men without any problems. Wow, as expected¡ª it''s like diving into a cotton candy fantasy land. There''s pink, pink, pink, and pink all over, but it feels comfortable and relaxing. It''s rather warm too. There''s more than enough space to spare here... I think it will be nice to have lunch here. Time to look around¡ª or not. Aside from the pink flowers, branches and trunk, I can''t see anything else outside nor below, well there is only the area where I just jumped. For the rest, it''s completely covered by the pink flowers. I looked and climbed around, searching for an opening. Searching higher and higher, branch after branch as I leaped. Eventually, I reached the top. Not exactly the top, though, if I climb any higher the new branch might not be able to withstand my weight. Falling from this height... I guess it''s okay. I''m quite surprised about the flawlessness of this tree. I''m sure it was fed with enough water and nutrients. There''s not a single tiny hole to let me look from the inside. Geez, what should I do now...? ''Whssh...'' A familiar sound came across both of my ears. This sound...? Could it be someone dived in just like I did...? Did I mishear it? No, it couldn''t be. I''m quite certain someone''s here and finally, there''s a person. I''ve already walked and searched for quite some time and yet I''m still unable to find a single soul alive. I''m not letting this chance go. Regardless who he is, a student or a teacher, surely he''s more familiar with this academy than me. But where could he be...? I felt like hearing it from both the left and right direction below. I simply picked one, and quickly jumped downwards to the left, where I just climbed from, branch by branch¡ª looking for the source. Because there''s light from the tree, I saw a very transparent shadow just below several branches away. It''s a guy, right? I''m quite certain it is. Stepping across the last branch as I leap to where the shadow is, I landed behind the blurry figure that I managed to catch a glance, with my knees squatting. It is a cool entrance, but my steps were pretty much soundless, so I don''t think he''d notice me at all. Even if he''d notice, I think I would die of embarrassment. Yeah, I''m pretty much so nervous I can''t even raise my head to look at him in the face. What will he even think about a strange guy like me...? My heart is beating really fast. I''m sweating and my body is trembling. Although it''s pretty much a very quiet sound, I heard the sound of shoes clacking two times. He turned back and faced me, how unexpectedly sharp. I better speak by now or else he will think that I''m a weirdo... "Ah, um.... I''m kind of lost so¡ª" As I stood up and asked, my hand unconsciously reached to the back of my head, awkwardly scratching it. And perhaps it''s because of my nervousness, I avoided any sign of eye contact with him at all. ".........Huh?" The voice I heard was so abrupt and unexpectedly, out of shock, no, it was more like getting spell-bounded, my mind froze. It was so beautiful... that it felt like it was spoken from the heavens. What''s more... it''s a girl...!? Actually, I felt much more relieved if it''s a girl. I''m used to talking with girls and only girls, so to some certain guys, they might feel jealous. For example, that damn old fart principal. Come to think of it, her reaction¡ª Did I surprise her...? Putting that aside, I always think it''s not polite to not look at someone when I am talking, especially towards girls. Once again, I should look at her in the eyes and ask for directions. After I talk to her, she will be the fourth girl I have ever come across. If possible, I hope we would become friends... Though Restia and Ruby would probably get mad at me if I do so. I don''t really care about their opinions sometimes, but if her face looks average, they might allow it. Besides, my little sis and magical pet are plenty cute already, the chances for her to be cuter than them is nearly impossible, it''s probably even less than 0.00000001%. Enough worrying, let''s just raise my head and look at her with a smile. "......!" The moment I fixed my eyes at the girl standing in front of me, both my mind and body froze. Even if the world had ended, she would still most certainly be standing there, even if there was no footing to stand on. That was the illusion she gave, so much that it was like a scene from a painting. The presence and beauty of her was just so overwhelming that it suppressed that of any other object. Her long, black, flowing ebony hair, like a plume of smoke, weaved around her shoulder and waist. Her eyes were of a strange, hard to describe bluish colour. Her elegant figure, which would make even a goddess feel envious, was warped by weariness as she stood silently with pursed lips. She''s A gentle-looking girl who had a beautiful face and dignified aura that made her look like she''s finally free from secular affairs. ...I was inadvertently fascinated by it. My vision; My attention; Even my heart; ¡ªat that moment, they were stolen away. That girl was so... Extremely; Abnormally; So intensely; Beautiful. Chapter 3 - 1.2 ¡°¡­¡­Stop standing there and state your business already.¡± The girl, seeming to have patiently waited for some time¡ª with a voice like the murmuring of a clear stream, she spoke to me. Her brows furrowed from displeasure and her eyes glared at me, following with a cold sigh afterwards. ¡°¡­H-Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry.¡± I apologized. It was probably I was staring at her for too long. ¡­I almost lost myself there. What is she?! It''s like I''m getting su?k?d into some sort of abyss. This girl is dangerous, really, really, dangerous. I need to be careful not to get su?k?d in again. ¡°Erm¡­ I just transferred here today and I got lost somehow, can you show me the way to the Student Council President`s building¡­?¡± I asked with a smile. For how eerie and awkward my smile is, I guess anyone would be able to tell just from her reaction. ¡°¡­this¡ª again.¡± She murmured as she hung her head low, seeming to have gotten herself a headache as she placed her hand on her temple. Then she glares at me with an upward gaze, with quite the scornful look on her face, as though she was glaring at a mere bug. Nevertheless, my gaze never shifted away from her one bit. Eventually, our eyes met¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡­and her eyes visibly widened, adjusting her head up back so she could look at me directly. ¡°(¡­that can''t be¡­!)¡± She then whispers very softly, with her voice being as quiet as possible, so quiet that was not meant to be heard, and she even covers her mouth to hide it from me. But my hearing is unexceptionally good, so I''m able to hear it. Then again, she seems overly surprised for some reason, but I can''t tell. Her expression immediately changed afterwards. Looking extremely complex. Her face looks slightly tensed up, as if she was angry, yet at the same time her smile looks somewhat delighted. Her eyes were slightly soaked with tears, as if she were sad; her hands were hidden from my line of sight and I saw her shoulders trembling, as if she`s in fear. I find myself dumbfounded. How should I even react to this? After she clenched her right hand on her skirt, the expression she made earlier had disappeared in an instant, with nothing but a firm expression on her eyes now. From the look of it, it seems like she''s going to ask for something¡­ ¡°¡­duel with me, now.¡± Such a frightening thing to demand! ¡°Wha¡ª no way!¡± And it`d be troublesome to cause a huge ruckus on the first day, on top of that, I`m even duelling against a girl. She doesn''t intend to put her things aside either, is she so confident that she`s able to fight one-handed? Quite the character. Seeming to have already anticipated my answer, the girl then held out her right hand on her ?h?st. ¡°¡­I, Kuroyuki Shiroha hereby challenge you, Lucifer Vermillion, to a forced duel.¡± A duel, by its definition, is a contest with deadly weapons arranged between two people in order to settle a point of honour. But now in the modern era, a duel nowadays is a contest between two parties, and for what the contest is, it`s to fight till either one of the parties are knocked out or surrender. However, a duel must require both of the party¡¯s permission in order to execute it. If you were to force it, the opponent will be forced to participate in the duel, then both parties must fight till either one is knocked out, surrendering is not allowed. To go to such lengths¡­ are you nuts?! Can`t you even see? My blazer is white colour¡ª Huh? ¡ªthe heck? Hers too is¡ª! I wanted to quickly run away from the activation range, but it''s too late. The system already detected her request, with a screen popped up in front of us, making its arrangement. ¡®ERROR. OPPONENT ¡®LUCIFER VERMILLION¡¯ DOES NOT EXIST.¡¯ Lucifer¡ª Vermillion? Although it had the exact same first name as mine, Vermillion is not my family name. ¡°¡­¡­so it''s not you¡­¡± She said with an extremely tired voice as she averted her eyes, looking so fully filled with disappointment and sadness, making a face which seemed like tears might burst out at any moment. Her expression made my heart oddly tense up¡ª as if it''s being squeezed tightly to the verge of getting a cardiac arrest. That girl wiped her eyes with her right hand, for the purpose to calm herself down. She then raised her head and gave me a quick once-over cold look. She then raised her right hand, pointing diagonally downwards to her 10 o''clock direction with an irritated expression. ¡°¡­there.¡± My head turned to where she pointed. I''m surprised she''s able to tell the direction from up here. Is she even pointing in the right direction? ¡°¡­¡­¡± I know she carried a Tupperware on her left hand, wrapped with a pink cloth decorated with cherry blossom petals. Though it looks like I spoiled her mood for breakfast. But if she asks me to leave, I would`ve left. She''s leaving so soon, too soon. Speaking of leave, what time is it? 8.24am. Lucky, I still have time. I should get going. ¡°¡­Stay back...¡± Seconds before I am going to jump down from this height, I heard a familiar icy voice. It''s her. She''s still here? Sounds like she''s in trouble¡­ That''s impossible right? I know she''s strong, not a weak girl that needs to be rescued like a princess. ...But I better check on it just in case. Ignoring my height and landing spot, I jumped. I might crash land on her, but I couldn''t care less about it now, it''s too late to stop. Brushing across the last line of flowers, the view below shocked me through and through. ¡°...Whoa? What''s with this thick fog¡­!?¡± Now I can''t even measure when I should prepare a landing posture. ¡­Hope this works. I immediately swung my fist as hard as I could, aiming at the ground. It¡¯s hard to actually punch on mid-air, so it only thinned a little around my area below, revealing a small green spot. ''Better than nothing.'' I thought. I entered the fog area¡ª Brrr¡­ It''s freakishly cold! It''s not fog, but mist? I thought it''s summer! I landed safely. It didn''t take long for the mist to thicken back again. Damn... I can''t see anything here with this thick mist around. I can''t even see my own five fingers in front of my eyes. The atmosphere is so chillingly cold. Even someone like myself, who''s adapted to extreme temperature change is shivering. Thanks to my clothing`s function, it starts to heat up, warming my body. At the same time, a strong wind suddenly blows. By strong, it''s actually strong enough to make a normal person trip if not careful. First heat, then cold, now wind? What''s wrong with the weather here?! But thanks to it, it scatters the thick mists in an instant¡ª unveiling the view right in front of me. ¡°...Huh?¡± I was dumbfounded. In front of my eyes stood five supposedly cool-looking guys, their blazers are dark brown in colour and their ties are light blue (the very same tie like mine, so they are first years like me). Strangely, their hands wrapped on each other on their waist, and their bodies were sticking together¡ª their blazers are brown, so they look like sticks, a bundle of sticks. Like those classic stories that I heard a lot, ''a stick can break easily, but not a bundle of them'' and the moral of the story is teamwork, to work together. Something like that. As you can see, I live on an island, and for your information of the fairly damaged helicopter and not being able to cast magic nor being casted on, I had my difficulties to travel off the area on the island. Ironically, more or less you can say¡ª I''m stranded. If you compare me to a monk who lives on mountains, isolated from the society, not knowing how the world works, and say that I''m ''same'' as them, then you are completely off the mark¡ª I''m not like them. First off, I''m not bald. I had my hair kept slightly longer than what most guys would do. Second, Restia and Ruby are able to teleport off the island with magic, so they are, in a way, connected to society. With their daily stories they brought back, this somehow becomes the wire for me to stay connected to society. In addition, they are able to teleport the stuff they brought back to the island, I''m able to enjoy the luxury of using wireless connection (it''s shabby though), technologies, especially the one I had in my pocket. My memory is bad, you could even say I had a memory loss¡ª as far as I can remember, I''ve been living on the island for 8 years already. Just as I was wondering, though I''m b?r?ly, but still catchable to society, I was thinking, perhaps¡ª I was wrong. I had my reason to add ''supposedly cool looking''. Well, perhaps their faces were those cool types, but their actions or their expressions aren''t. The colour on their faces had been drained white, they were drowned with fear¡ª they would probably faint if they didn''t see me. Now they are even pleading with me for help. How uncool. The touchy feeling that applies between girls where Restia and Ruby are excellent examples, and sometimes I even worry whether they are lesbians for a few brief moments, have now been completely smashed to pieces. Have gay became an important part of society now instead of lesbian? The era seems to have changed¡ª or should I blame it on culture instead? Yeah, perhaps I should, the culture shock is truly shocking indeed. Well, in the end, society or culture¡ª none of that matter... It''s gross, and I don''t feel like looking at it again for a second time. I sincerely hope I was hallucinating. Actually, I think I am¡ª you know, hallucinating. Around those ''gayish'' dudes, there are traces of ice loitering around them, on those rods¡ª are those spears? Okay... Now that I observe carefully, there are lots of spears made from ice, some stabbed on the ground, some laying on the grass, and icicles are actually sprouting from those spears under the hot weather. This can''t be happening, right? Though anyone is able to create ice with magic, I sense no mana. Anyways, where is she? PAK! Just as I turned my head to the left and saw the girl, with her right hand lifted to her shoulder height pointing at us, she snapped her fingers with a shuddering, cold look. On vague impulse, I took a giant leap backwards. What happened afterwards was so abrupt, my movement was stunned and froze while I was still on flight in my trajectory. The spears that scattered around those dudes¡ª like seeds, spiked ice vines sprouted and grew larger and longer, coiling them in an instant. Ice roses then budded from the vines and blooms afterward, covering over any space that''s left around them, as if they were trapped in a box. Lastly, the roses then transform to a large ice rose instead with a few vines at the base spreading outwards, like a work of art. ...They were frozen. I landed the same time when they were frozen. Speaking of which, her ice nearly nicked my shoe. I immediately understood where her confidence came from. It''s a dream to think she might lose. This girl¡ª this very human girl right in front of me, she''s... ...a frickin ! Should I blame this haphazard situation on luck or bad luck? One of her type can easily crush one hundred powerless humans in an instant. Not to mention those five, though they are armed with guns, but she crushed them easily. Okay, I know many might be curious about what is a , so allow me to take some time to explain. Everything starts from 25 years ago, so I will cut it short. 25 years ago was known as the year of calamity. This was the very year where the worst death had ever occurred, because 20% of the world''s population had died. The cause of death was the mysterious 8 meteors that strike on different places. It went through three stages. The first stage is the impact it creates when it strikes the ground. Though many had already avoided it when the warning signal was on, there are still some who''s unable to escape from it. Though, that''s not the main reason for the mass massacre. It was the second stage, the cause of it was from the enormous amount of energy released by the meteors. Nearly 20%, also almost 32 billion people had died, but that only applies to every race except humans. Death by scorching from fire, death by suffocating from drowning, death by frost from extreme cold, death by malnutrition absorbed by parasite plant, death by electrocution by lightning, death by petrification, death by slaughtered by vicious winds and death by hallucinations. From it, the meteors were likely predicted to contain the elements of fire, water, ice, wood, lightning, earth, wind and light. Lastly, the third stage, the danger zone. Though compared to the first and second stage, the third stage is harmless, but yet¡ª many killed themselves, and humans were mainly involved in it for the sake of research. After the impact from the first stage, craters were created. No matter who, including humans, who steps into the crater or attempts to enter from above¡ª within a certain range of a radius, they will be immediately perished to dust nonetheless, not a single speck of cell remains. After a year, miraculously¡ª someone is able to step inside the radius and take the meteor, one person each. Unexpectedly, they were granted with supernatural powers¡ª based on the meteors` elements, of course. If you were asking why they know they were able to approach the meteor, and why they wouldn''t perish in the dust¡ª that''s because they were guided by the 9th person, he''s also the first one to obtain the supernatural power. He had the darkness element. So in total, nine elements. Except the ninth person, these guys that possess supernatural power are able to ¡®gift¡¯ others. In other words, they were able to transfer some of their energy into others, giving them the supernatural powers. Greediness is not allowed to them, or rather, there are rules set by the meteors. It was said that they had a will of their own, anyways, those who are greedy will perish to dust, one person can only take one element. Sooner or later, with their fame spreading throughout the world¡ª and soon they were given a title, known as the since meteors were commonly seen as stars, so it was named as such, and the revolution was for the name of the new supernatural power. Then those who were then ¡®gifted¡¯ by the are known as the . Then again, later then it was found out that the offspring of the inherited the supernatural power too. If it''s the offspring of with two different elements, only either one element will be inherited¡ª though there are some who took their child to the to attempt for a second element, but in the end, their child was perished to dust, and their parents suffered from eternal remorse and regrets that can never be repaired. Perhaps. Perhaps that''s why¡ª all of the vanished. They disappeared after two years from the year of calamity, not leaving a single trace behind of their whereabouts. Till this very day, no one knows who and where they were. Though, there`s still quite a lot of remains¡ª and they were everywhere. But still, they numbered around 20 thousand at most, and the chance of meeting them is even less than a percentage of 0.000000125. Rumours say that if you ever met one in your life, this means you will be blessed with extreme luck. But rumours are just rumours¡ª who knows? By the way, don`t you find it strange to have nine instead of eight? In the first place, there are only eight meteors¡ª so where did the ninth one come from? That remains a mystery. But there''s one thing for sure. There''s only one person in this world who`s a darkness element . Now then, back to the current situation. ¡°¡­Another one¡­¡± The girl mumbles. As if not a single memory of me remains in her, she made an annoyed look and swayed her right hand upwards with her first three fingers¡ª the thumb, fore, and middle finger as if it was the most natural thing to do. ¡°Whoa!?¡± Just like that¡ª a simple movement. She summons waves of snow, like a tsunami¡ª at least 4 metres high, hurling towards my direction. So¡ª this is a . They played their unique element as they please. I was so shocked that my feet rooted to the ground, refusing to move. But it only lasted for a second. I had to move, I needed to. There''s no need to defend, this height and mass is more than enough to bury me twice, and jumping would''ve given her an opening to freeze me to a popsicle. Then¡­ ¡°Hah¡­!¡± I stomped the ground with my right foot, turning my waist and shoulder with the perfect timing to launch my right arm¡ª punching straight with a power like a catapult. No, compared to such would¡¯ve downgraded my power. Let''s just say¡­ 10 times the power of a catapult. POW! A roaring voice generated from my blow. I made myself a large hole in the centre of her snow-wave, and made my way through it safely, standing on the snow. It may be powerful, but I forgot the cost of punching through her snow b?r?-handed. ¡°Ow¡­!¡± Argh¡­! It''s even colder than zero degree Celsius¡­! My fist stings in pain and trembles from the coldness. It actually shivers so much that I can''t even move my hand properly. There`s ice sticking to it, and it grows and spreads out¡ª slowly covering my hand. Though I`ve never dealt with this before, but on first instinct¡ª the best way to deal with this is to get rid of the ice first. Thus, I quickly slap away the ice on my hand with my left, constantly tighten and relax my hand to warm it up. The girl let out a cold sigh. It sounds like a fed-up sigh. Flinched by it, I immediately raise my head to look at her. ¡°¡­Aren''t you persistent¡­?¡± ¡°Persistent? What do you mean? You are the one attacking me all of the sudden!¡± For some reason, her face twitched a little¡ª she immediately narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­so this is what you wanted¡­¡± She murmured coldly. Then¡ª ¡ªshe extends her right hand forth, pointing her three fingers at me. In that instant¡ª cold air starts to gather around us, swirling, with both of us in between. Our surrounding temperature immediately dropped drastically in less than a second. Looks like this is a special gesture for her to use her powers. I better be on guard whenever she does this. But still¡­ Why is she attacking me all of the sudden? Even if she`s in a bad mood, there''s no way she would attack a bystander that''s just passing through. Let''s calm down and think¡­ She was already attacking even before I jumped down, but even far before that¡ª I don''t think I did anything offensive to her. All I did was spoil her mood, making her jump down, and perhaps that''s when those five dudes arrived and she needed to deal with them. Then I jumped down, those guys looked at me with a pathetic pleading look¡ª oh. So that was the reason?! I raised both of my hands and yelled. ¡°H-Hold it! I''m not one of them!¡± ¡°¡­who cares.¡± She said arbitrarily with a cold look, then snapped her fingers. Spears made from ice suddenly form around her, randomly floating in mid-air. Judging from it, there`s exactly 20 of it. This girl¡ª she intended to take me down since the beginning¡­! She''s still interested in our duel and she''s making this to her own advantage! Among those twenty of it, three random spears slowly move next to her head, about her right shoulder. Its tip is pointing to my direction. ¡°¡­Pierce.¡± She whispers, and sways her hand in her special gesture. ¡°Urk¡­!¡± The moment she swayed¡ª the three spears earlier launched to me with a speed so fast that it''s near to that of the speed of a bullet, as if she`s shooting a target. But if it''s like this then why? Why did those guys earlier gather together? Won`t that will only make them a bigger target? On first instinct, I tried to run to my left¡ª but her first spear suddenly shifted its trajectory to my left, stabbing on the ground, preventing me from running away. As for her second spear, it stabbed onto the ground on my right just as I was about to move. From that, I immediately understood why those guys cuddled together. It''s not that they wanted to, it''s because they had no choice but to do so. They aren''t even allowed to run away. All that''s left, is her third spear that`s aiming straight on me¡ª more specifically, my ?h?st. Then again, the rest of the seventeen spears then followed behind the third spear. Shit¡­! I took a side step and bent my waist, moving my upper body away to the right and flexing my right hand, catching her spear. O¡ª OW¡­! COLD¡­! IT''S FREEZING! JUST HOW COLD ARE THESE THINGS!? Compared to her snow-wave from earlier, her spear is at least several degrees much colder. It''s so cold that my whole arm throbs from the sharp pain, it nearly takes my all just to prevent it from slipping off my hand. Enduring the pain, I overcame the power of her spear that`s like the power of a rocket¡ª and gave it a spin with both my hands, deflecting the rest of her spears. If it''s just such a degree of pain¡­ I can endure it. However, I can''t get used to the coldness. I can''t feel anything from my arms. Fighting a long battle against her is a total disadvantage. I need to be careful. Then, the girl lifted her hand. I know this gesture. She''s going to restrain me with her vines. Fine. Come at me with all you`ve got. I will make sure to break every vine you have. ¡°¡­Burst.¡± She said coldly as she snapped her fingers. ¡°Huh¡ª BUGARGH!!?¡± An explosion. The spear on my hands exploded, along with the others. Forget about destroying it, I couldn''t even defend against it. A moment later, my world turned white. Up and down, left and right, front and back, the world was completely white before I realized the intense cold. This is the mist. This is the mist I came across earlier. It came from the explosions of her spears. I learned what it might feel like for my entire body to freeze. I felt like a tub of water getting frozen to ice in a second. It hurt. My body hurts from head to toe, but my hands most of all¡ª is shaking like it never has shaken before in its life. It''s frozen. I need to get rid of it. I crushed it with a slam on my knee. Her ice crumbles. If I stay here any longer¡ª she would`ve sent me a temporary trip to the north side. There''s no use to hesitate. Thus, I took my hands up and charged out from the pool of white mist. I lost sight of the girl. There`s no sign of any attacks either. ¡°¡­annoying.¡± With those words, I immediately faced the girl`s direction, where she''s suddenly standing way behind me. She must have approached from the left when I charged out from the right. ¡°¡­penetrate.¡± She whispered, with her special gesture pointing down. What is she going to do this time¡­? There`s nothing around her. So I was stunned for a while. My instincts kicked in. Not even looking up, I took a small leap backwards. That''s when a spear drops in front of me with a similar bullet-like speed from earlier, stabbing on the ground. T-THAT WAS CLOSE¡­! Realizing it came from above, I immediately looked up. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± One, two, three¡­ okay, I don''t know how many are there, but a lot of spears rained down. It wouldn''t be exaggerated to say it''s raining hails¡ª but those are spears instead. There`s not even a small opening to let me escape unscathed. Do you really need to go that far? S-Stay calm. I need to stay calm. There''s no time. I pulled out the spear that was stabbed on the ground, enduring the cold and pain as I held onto the spear, as if I''m clinging to it. Though¡­ I hope this spear is able to withstand my strength from breaking. I then grabbed the tail of the spear. ¡°One Handed Spear Arts¡ª Swing!¡± It''s nothing, really. I merely swung the spear from left to right as I pointed it upwards, as hard as I could. As for how strong that one swing is, it generated more than enough force, enough shockwave to scatter most of the spears above me, her spears then fell everywhere. Good. Her spear survived. If she wants it, her spears now could explode anytime under her command, or even grows to a spike vines forest. I don''t know what she still has up in her sleeves, but I bet she still had tons of it. She''s just that dangerous. As I thought that, I moved away from most of her spear`s explosion range, as I kept up my guard. ¡°¡­Burst.¡± She whispers. Though she didn`t snap her fingers this time, I played it safe and threw away the spear on my hand, tossing it aside. Then¡ª this time, every spears exploded, leaving ice roses behind on every spears. It''s like a garden of ice roses. But yet¡ª because I had the chance to throw back her spear back to her, but I didn`t. It stimulated her, causing her to be even more furious than just now. ¡­Crap. I`m already not a match for her. I knew that already. At this rate, I would be late. Chapter 4 - 1.3 Instincts, intuitions, and sixth sense, though similar, but they are three completely different things. When you decide something and act without a need to think, that''s instinct. When you understand something without the need for conscious reasoning, that`s intuition. When you were given awareness that''s not explicable in terms of normal perception, that`s sixth sense. My instinct only kicks in during dangerous situations, especially in a matter of life and death. My intuition acts on solving problems and escapes, especially when dealing with an awkward atmosphere. My sixth sense is active when I`m in combat mode, especially against sneak attacks. I placed all three of them under the same category¡ª gut feeling. There are certain situations where someone would tell you to ¡®trust your gut¡¯ or ¡®listen to what your gut tells you¡¯. But your gut is actually a part of you and it doesn''t even speak, so I find ¡®relying on your gut¡¯ to be eerie¡ª I`d rather trust my calm and collected brain. Though there are times I do rely on my gut, that''s only when I''m unable to come up with a solution in my head, and your gut doesn`t always give you what you want. Here''s an example. My instincts are nearly submissive in fear of the girl who attacked me. If there''s a measurement, she would be a dragon (predator), and I would be her food (prey), who`s struggling pathetically to survive. My intuition has been telling me to run away over and over again, but whenever there`s one, she cuts it off cleanly. Lastly, my sixth sense¡ª Though there''s nothing happening for a second here, but I took a step¡ª ¡ªto the right. ¡°Urgh!?¡± Something came crashing down, next to me on my left, soundlessly¡ª except when it crashed on the ground. It felt like an earthquake had just happened for a moment. Dusts and snow builds up. Now completely engulfed inside a pool of dusts and white mists, my vision is slightly blurred. Whatever it is I just dodged, it''s big, and the power, perhaps is at least five times of the spear`s momentum plus the shockwave of the spear`s explosion. That''s how I felt. The impact is so strong that the ground sunken with a crater of a 6 metres radius. As I look at the object at my left, it`s flat surface reflects my body starting from the ?h?st and below, like a mirror. ¡­and here I was expecting an iceberg. It''s something more dangerous than that. It was a sword¡ª no, an Excalibur, maybe ten metres long, and it`s made with her ice too. What is she? An arsenal? How many weapons had she made? Seriously, if I hadn''t moved from that spot¡­ this thing would`ve completely sliced me in half in the middle! What''s more, it''s a sneak attack! Is this woman seriously trying to kill me for real?! ¡°That''s cheap!¡± I inadvertently shouted. ¡°¡­You''ve sure got guts¡­¡± Ugh. Though she stood far from me, behind the sword, I''m still able to hear her voice clearly. ¡­Better get away from her sword. With that, I ran to my 2 o¡¯clock¡ª that''s when I heard her fingers snapping. Thus, I looked back as I ran. The Excalibur behind me immediately exploded, with its size of explosion three times larger compared to the spear`s. As it explodes, needles pass through the white mist created from the explosion, spreading out and flying everywhere. Then, the girl pointed her special gesture in my direction. This means, the needles that originally aren''t aiming on me¡ª all turn it`s trajectory to my direction. When I came to realize, the speed of her needles was catching up. I can''t shake off her two-inch-long ice needles. ¡°¡­Dammit!¡± Why? Why can''t I shake it off? It was clearly several notches faster than a few minutes before compared to her spears. Why was its speed so out of sight now? Something wasn''t like a few minutes ago¡­ She changed her weapons, from spears to needles. But what of it? I''m sure there''s no relation between her controlling speed and weapon mass. The weight of her weapon wouldn`t have slowed it down. Her powers merely allow her to control ice¡­ And then I realized. I realized my mistake. Not the weapons¡ª it''s me! My body''s movements were dulled by the cold temperature. What''s more, with some of her ice and snow on my clothes, she''s controlling them to slow me down furthermore. At this rate, no matter how fast I run, there''s a limit, and I can''t escape. Her two inch needles will be catching me soon. I need to think of a way to escape unscathed. But how¡­? How can I do that? Is there something I can do? No choice. Let''s make a gamble. I stopped. Then immediately prone on the grass. Unable to make sharp turns, her needles flew past above me. ¡°¡­scatter.¡± The girl commanded. She''s not even giving me a chance to rest! What is she going to do this time...!? The needles popped. So am I going to get myself buried by feathers? But what''s the point in this? I`m quite certain she`s unable to cast magic. And I''m sure feathers are harmless, but if those are coming from her, I wouldn''t be so sure about my analysis. Though feathers are light, they have mass and weight. If not interrupted by external force, they will be pulled down by gravity. It took no time for one to land on me. To be precise, on the back my blazer. As if the feathers were poured with adhesive glue, they stick to my blazer and wouldn''t fall off no matter how hard I tried to shake it off. It then changes to her usual ice roses afterwards, but smaller. For her, I''m sure it wouldn''t have mattered. Her icicles will spread out all over by time. Nevertheless, I can''t just stay here and get stacked by her feathers and ice roses. I need to get out of here. I got up, and got myself a few more ice roses during the process. There`s something else that''s much more terrifying. I lost sight of the girl, as well as her presence. I can''t see well because I need to prevent the feather from entering my eyes. Those things are disturbing. But that doesn''t mean I`m blind¡ª so why is it I''m unable to see her anywhere. Where is she¡ª no, where could she be? ¡°¡­die.¡± Behind!? I immediately faced the chilly voice that came from behind. But I saw nothing but her feathers. Where is she? A second passed, just as I was about to let down my guard¡ª she suddenly appeared among the feathers that were floating around. With a single-edged ice sword on her left hand, she slashed diagonally downwards from her left, showing no signs to stop her blade as if to cut my neck in one strike, with the intent to kill. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± I immediately took a side step to the right and bent my waist in the same direction too, evading her blade just in time. But the wind pressure generated from her swing was so sharp, it gave me a chill as the sound ranged on my left ear. Her first swing missed, so I''m sure she''s going to attempt for a second time. Then I immediately reached out my left hand, grabbing on her left upper arm¡ª ¡ªstopping her to swing back. Whoa. Oh my god. Such a pleasuring feeling¡­ such incredible tenderness and softness¡­! Is this even a normal human girl`s arm? ¡°¡­pervert¡­!¡± The fierce voice struck upon my head, pulling me back to reality. That''s the moment I saw a spear appearing in front of my face, point-blank range. Shit¡­! As for how much I don''t want to let go, but still I quickly retracted my left hand anyways, and did an anti-clockwise centrifugal twist to dodge her dangerous spear. ¡°¡­!¡± That''s when I suddenly saw a chance, and quickly grabbed her spear with my right hand during the first quarter spin. Completing the spin, I made use of the spinning momentum and swung the spear with a back hand strike on the ground as hard as I could. BAM! With the strike completely aiming on the ground, though the spear was sacrificed, I managed to create a smokescreen thick enough to separate both of us. The smokescreen contains dusts, snow, white mists, and her feathers. Finally, I got the chance¡ª I got the chance to escape. With that, I threw away the broken spear and rushed off, blowing past her. Though her spears are shooting from behind, naturally I evaded it. I ran. I just ran. Until I finally saw a building, until I finally reached it, then I stopped. ¡°(Huff)¡­ (Huff)¡­ How scary¡­!¡± I was breathing heavily. It''s not because I was tired. I was scared, terrified. W-What''s with that girl¡­!? She`s FREAKISHLY STRONG¡­! This isn''t what I expected it to be¡­! At first, she summoned a snow-wave to test my ability, as well as to keep some distance. Then, she summoned 20 of her spears, using three of it to prevent me from escaping, and the rest of the seventeen to actually pin me. But I know, she wasn''t serious¡ª she was just testing just to watch my reactions. She then started her actual attack¡ª increasing at least five times the amount of her spears and attacked from my blind spot. She gave me her spear on purpose, delaying the explosion just to give me a chance to fight back. But yet I threw it away, that''s why she got angry. That''s when an Excalibur suddenly cuts down from behind, on my blind spot. She knew I`m trying to escape afterwards. That''s why she made the Excalibur explode, with a large amount of needles chasing me with an incredible speed¡ª forcing me to prone immediately. Why did she know I would be prone? Because it was the best choice to dodge most of the needles upon a scattering attack¡ª and she keeps it up by turning her needles into feathers. The feathers, changing into ice roses are just a camouflage to distract my attention, approaching me with her scary footwork. Strong in close combat is truly the last thing I`d expect from her. I didn''t expect her to be able to unleash such a slash with such precise accuracy, power, and lethality. Perhaps she didn''t expect me to stop her by grabbing her arm. That''s why she had such an irritated reaction and called me a pervert. She even summoned a spear in front of my face. But compared to all of that, the scariest part about her is her perception and reaction speed. She''s constantly observing, predicting my every move as I react, countering and cancelling it with her attacks, as if she''s playing chess. And she''s not even serious either¡­ She fought one-handed! And her ice-made weapons did not break from one simple swing¡­ it`s well made. So¡­ this is the power of another special student. I knew the moment I realized her blazer`s colour. Because she''s wearing a white blazer too, the exact same white as mine. But yet¡ª are those words she whispered at the end¡­ meant for me¡­? ¡®¡­is it really you¡­?¡¯ I heard it after I ran past her. ¡­No. That can''t be. I must be mistaken. I''m sure I''ve never met her. At any rate, I need to clear off the ice roses on me. Those on my hair are unexpectedly sticky¡­ It hurts to pluck it off¡­! ¡®TIME LEFT TILL APPOINTED TIME: 1 MINUTE..¡¯ My device informed me. Chapter 5 - 1.4 Damn, I`m going to be late. But that''s okay, the Student Council President`s building is just right in front of me. It''s the same as the picture. I''m currently at the left side of the building. Then, the main entrance is probably at the other side facing the other buildings. Thus, I walk to the main entrance, clearing the rest of the icicles sticking on me at the same time. ¡°Phew¡­ just in time.¡± I patted my clothes, getting rid of the rest of the snow on me, then walked towards the main entrance as I fixed my collar, tie, and sleeves. As I step by the outside of the blurry glass door, the doors opened sideways, allowing me to enter. ¡°¡­!¡± My foot immediately stopped from the surprise. Isn''t this¡­ just a lobby? Wanting to observe clearly, I walked in. The lobby is designed to act as a waiting place for the students before the appointment with their respective presidents¡­ But¡ª ¡ªfancy chairs and tables are placed across the lobby, the ceiling was made of glass, there are high-class paintings hanging on the walls, ornamental plants for decorations and a beautiful crystal lamp on the centre of the ceiling. HOW LUXURIOUS! HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY SPEND ON THIS!? Though this lobby looks just like my house, I ?ssume it`s large enough to fit in at least 100 students. But why does it need to fit so many people in the first place? It''s not like a whole group of students will be meeting with the presidents, and even if it is, I don`t think it will be packed even if it''s a busy season. Huh. There''s a coffee maker machine over there. There`s all sort of coffee beans bred from different countries. Is that the reason? Speaking of which, a fragrant smell had been bugging my nose for a while now. Because this sweet aroma¡­ is not coffee. It''s the fragrance of a tea¡ª Chamomile tea; it seems someone made some. Where is it coming from? CLACK. This sounds like someone placing a tea kettle. It''s coming from the right side from the main entrance. Thus, my head reacted to the sound and faced it. At the right end corner of the right side; a girl that was sipping a cup of Chamomile tea, caught my eye. To be accurate¡ª I was captivated. From where she sat, her back is facing the window. Plus, the way she sits and drinks her tea is extremely alluring. Are all the girls here extreme beauties? If the girl just now is gorgeous, then she`s pretty. A black colour blazer¡­ Is she S ranked¡­? But, she''s the only person here. So¡­ ¡°Erm¡­¡± As if she already expected my arrival, she placed her teacup naturally on the saucer and faced my direction. Then¡ª she stood up from the chair, walking towards my direction gracefully with a tender smile. Click, clack, clack, click. The click-clacking sounds from the heels of her shoes is at a moderate pace, echoing throughout the lobby. We had been at least thirty steps away from each other, but now we were down to ten. That''s when I''m able to look at her face clearly. Her hair had a short braid, covering from the middle of her head and extending till the left of her chin, tied with a black ribbon. She wore black lace gloves and lace stockings, covering every inch of skin below her neck. Adding the features of the tea, black ribbon, black lace gloves and stockings, this makes her emit an aura of a noble. Still, not a word. Only silence. Can`t you at least say anything or at least something random? It''s really awkward. Now we were down to three steps away. ¡°¡­?¡± Yet¡ª her walking pace does not show any sign to slow down at all. ¡°W-Wait! Stop! Too close!¡± I said to her, placing both of my hands on her shoulders before her ?h?st is going to come in contact with mine. ¡°Ahhn~!¡± A jolt shook her. I`m not the kind of person who normally flings retorts at people I`m meeting for practically the first time, but she managed to draw one out of me. ¡°Oh my¡­ I`m sorry. What an unthinkable thing to do. I was just so surprised¡­ You suddenly grabbed my flesh, after all.¡± ¡°¡¯Flesh?¡¯ Come on.¡± Her shoulder. ¡°Allow me to make up for the faux pas with my body,¡± she said. ¡°I might pretend to resist a little, but it''s all a performance to make the scene more exciting, okay~?¡± ¡­God, she''s quite the character. A bankrupt character like my little sis. Is she even in a normal state of her mind? ¡°Have some shame, woman! Wait, do you even have one?¡± ¡°Obviously I have~ I had so much shame that I''m covering every inch of skin on my body except for my neck and face.¡± ¡°Aren''t you supposed to cover your face when you are shameful?¡± ¡°Are you telling me to take it off? Oh my~ Aren''t you quite bold~?¡± ¡°Take what off!?¡± ¡°Any piece of my clothing to hide my shameful face.¡± In here? At the lobby?! ¡°Don`t do it! Are you trying to shame yourself even further?!¡± ¡°Which piece? My und?r??rm?nts? But there''s two of it. Do you want the upper part or lower part?¡± ¡°I don`t care which part! I already said not to take anything off! Are you even listening to me?!¡± She''s not even looking the least bit bashful! ¡°But I''m wearing a full set of black laces today. Do you want a full set~? It includes my gloves and stockings too~!¡± ¡°I said listen to me!!!¡± ¡°Yes~?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why am I struggling so much just to tell a girl not to take off her und?r??rm?nts...? For now, let''s just put that aside. ¡°Sorry for asking now¡­ but who are you?¡± ¡°Shouldn`t you tell your name first before asking for someone''s name? But anyways, I''m more curious about your time with her~ So how is it~?¡± ¡°¡­Hah¡­?¡± It seems she''s already into something else. I can''t keep up. What on earth is she talking about? Her? Could she mean her? The girl who attacked me? But I''m sure it''s at least a kilometre away from here so how did she know? How was I supposed to respond? What was I supposed to answer at a time like this? ¡°No comment? Hmm¡­ but the principal highly recommended you. He even forced the school to admit your enrolment. Having authority sure is convenient isn`t it~?¡± She''s already into something else¡­ So¡­ the principal. My enrollment. Authority. ¡­She doesn''t look like it. ¡°Umm¡­ are you by any chance the Student Council President who I''m supposed to meet up¡­?¡± ¡°Yes I am~¡± She replied as if it was the most natural thing to do. ¡°By any chance will both of you end up in a romantic relationship~?¡± She continued. Somehow I think she`s using ¡®by any chance¡¯ on purpose. Okay¡­ my reply. ¡°Impossible, I suppose.¡± My answer`s not supposed to matter anything to her, but she seems quite displeased with it. ¡°Fine then. So for how long are you going to ??r?ss my shoulders~? I don''t mind if you want to try somewhere else~ And I suggest you to be gentle while you were at it~¡± Her way of tone is just like bragging. Hold on. How long have I grabbed her shoulders? ¡°Ah, uh, sorry.¡± I quickly retreated both my hands and body backwards. However, she closed our distance again by moving forward, with our distance maintaining within one step. ¡°As a punishment, you are going to carry me to my room. You can grab here and here.¡± Left ?h?st, bu????ks. She''s literally squeezing it with her palms. This girl can really pull off such lines without a shred of embarrassment. Don`t look down on me, woman. I`ve dealt against situations like these for many years! THOK! ¡°Eeek!!?¡± I landed a sharp blow¡ª a karate chop on her head. She was completely caught off guard. She inadvertently lets out a cute shriek and cradles her head at the same time. But it seems to work too well. She''s in so much pain till she was on the verge of kneeling and crying. Ugh. I immediately regretted it. I shouldn''t have hit her, the Student Council President. That''s the same as getting her reputation a good smack too. ¡°Um, sorry. I didn''t mean to hit so hard.¡± I stroke her head as an atonement. ¡°N-Ngh¡­ I`m sorry for the jokes, please come with me.¡± ¡­I`m really sorry. She then guides me to the lift, where it''s at the right side of the lobby. We entered. The system then scans for her badge as she passes through the door, then scans her thumb print when she presses the floor bu??on on the lift. It authenticated her to her own personal floor, that is, the fourth floor. Judging from the bu??ons, there are only ten floors. I was expecting it to be around 30 floors when I looked from the outside. Perhaps the building design on the exterior confused my judgement. And¡­ We were back to square one. Awkward. The same, usual, dreadful silence when I stepped into the lobby, staring at each other without saying a word. So¡ª Should I say something¡­? Should I apologize again¡­? Or should I ask for her name again¡­? Anyways, aren''t we standing a little too close? Our arms are touching each other. It seems she realized I''m staring at her. So in turn she stared back at me with an upward gaze. ¡°Erm¡­ Could you stop ??r?ssing my head?¡± She said, with her cheeks slightly redden. ¡°Eh? Oh, oh, um, sorry. I didn''t realize.¡± Crap. I totally didn''t realize. How long have I stroked? This is embarrassing. Though she`s completely a healthy high school student, a human girl with a 16-year-old body. But I`ve been treating her like a little girl. ¡°Do I still look like a little girl to you¡­?¡± ¡°What?! Do you have telepathy? How on earth do you know what I''m thinking!?¡± That''s impossible¡­! My body is immune to any kind of mind reading magic¡­! ¡°Don''t be silly. Of course I don''t. It''s all over on your face.¡± ¡°My face? Really? Is it that obvious? That can''t be. Then what else am I thinking right now?¡± ¡°My cup size. Aren''t you quite the pervert~?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± She''s slightly off the mark. But she''s good. ¡°Anyways, I will let you know just in case. It`s 70-D. But it''s not like you''d understand the number and letter~¡± ¡°Erm¡­ I do, in fact. Your top bust measurement is 70cm with a D cup. Yeah sure they are pretty big¡­ Are you sure it''s not 75-D?¡± ¡°Huh? Awawawawa¡­! W-Wh-Why do you know how to measure?! You really are a pervert! A beast!¡± ¡°How rude! You are even insulting the beasts! Some of the bras in this world are designed by men! Though I`m not a designer, I still know how to measure a girl''s bust!¡± ¡°No men would design a bra or measure a bust if there aren''t any women around! You just wanted to feel a girl`s body! You are just a horrible, disgusting, filthy pervert!¡± ¡°Be careful with your words, lady! You have no idea how hard it is to keep in check on two girls who`s in their puberty period!¡± ¡°...Eww.¡± Such a despising stare. It''s just a simple ¡®eww¡¯. But why is it I felt so much disgust and loathsome in it? ¡°Ehem.¡± I coughed. Hope this would brush off the conversation earlier. But why would I even talk about bust size and brassiere to a girl in the morning?! It''s her fault, it totally is! She''s been guiding the conversation all along! It''s my turn. ¡°Earlier, what do you mean by ¡®still look like a little girl¡¯ just now?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­It''s nothing. You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I`ve got nothing. It ended. It ended just like that. And then¡ª the lift opens. Revealing a classy looking hallway, with the design similar to the lobby. ¡°We are here~¡± The fourth floor. Though, the ceiling is merely around 9 foot if not mistaken. But it really feels like the elevator went up higher than expected. ¡°Don''t be sad~¡± ¡°Seriously, that was freakishly scary.¡± That actually gave me a fright. ¡°Why are you telling me ¡®don''t be sad¡¯ all of the sudden?¡± ¡°Well¡­ because the conversation you started died off just like that. So¡­¡± Too sharp. This girl is too sharp. Is she a knife or something? ¡°That''s rude. It''s a needle, at most.¡± ¡°I think a needle`s even worse. You can cut, slice and stab with a knife, but now you are down to pierce only, which makes this even sharper¡ª Hey! Now this is really scary! Just how much is it reflecting on my face!?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ it''s all over on your whole body.¡± ¡°What!? I just got a promotion!?¡± Promoted from face to whole body. ¡°Don`t sweat the small stuff~ I`m just a bit better than reading body languages compared to most people~¡± ¡°You are practically seeing through it rather than reading it!¡± ¡°Thanks for the praise~¡± ¡°It''s not praise! I need some privacy here!¡± ¡°But I like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Did she just confess to me? Oh no, my pulse is rising. Is this what Restia had gone through for more than several hundred times? Something''s not right here. I just received a confession from a girl I literally met for the first time out of the blue, outside her personal office. Come to think of it, I don''t even know her name. What happened? Didn`t I ask for her name before? ¡°Oh my¡­ That was rude of me. My name is Persia, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Took you long enough to introduce your name!¡± And stop it! Stop reading my thoughts! Wait. Did she say Persia? No wonder. Her gesture; her grace; her aura; her politeness. ¡°¡­The young mistress of the Silverlight family.¡± I vaguely remembered her name. Persia Silverlight. ¡°¡­¡­...¡± She''s all tensed up. Her family, the Silverlight¡ª are nobles, which means she''s a noble too. Their nobility was acknowledged by most countries worldwide. They are extremely famous¡ª even someone like me who was nearly cut off from society knows their name. ¡°¡­¡­¡­I hate you.¡± And there we have it¡ª an unhappy, sulking look. Once people tend to know she''s a noble, those around her will act differently. You can''t blame her to refrain herself from speaking her name¡ª her family name. Social gap. She doesn''t want the gap. She hates it. What she wants is equality. She wants a person who would view her nobility as something indifferent, that will treat her equally, like a friend would do. Well. Aren''t you in luck? ¡°Make up your mind, woman. Like or hate? Don`t think because I know you are a mistress from the Silverlight family and I will flatter you like those despicable dunces.¡± ¡°I love you~!¡± She''s happy now. What a 180 degrees turn of attitude¡­ I stopped her from giving me a flying hug by grabbing her shoulders and pressing her on the ground. ¡°Just go into your office already!¡± We had been standing outside her office for a while now. ¡°Meanie¡­¡± After making sure she''d give up, I released her. She then faced the white metal door and authenticated herself through a face scan and voice recognition. The door slides up automatically, revealing a vast and spacious room, allowing us to enter. Then¡ª Persia heads directly to her desk, I looked around her office as I walked. A depiction of the Imperial Knights Academy`s school grounds, hung on the wall (as for what the depiction is, I`m not interested). A beech wood conference desk with matching chairs, placed in front of the large window. This feels like a boardroom of a large corporation. Even if she`s a Student Council President, it was still ridiculously huge for one person. As Persia sat down at the head of the table with a practiced ease, the door closed. ¡°Enough sightseeing~? Please be seated~¡± She invited. ¡­She''s not even giving me a chance to say no. I did as she said and sat leisurely on the chair opposite her. At the same time, she opens my personal data through her screen. ¡®First name: Lucifer Last name: Nightwalker von Nightmare. Gender: Male Age: 16 Birth date: July 7¡¯ ¡°Geez, that''s it?¡± She said. She did those on purpose. Perhaps she wanted me to fill in the blanks. Mobile number, country, address, city, etc. What do you want me to fill in? Stranded on an island? There`s nothing else I can fill in, so forget it. ¡°Mn¡­¡± She decided to give up. After minimizing her screen, she placed her hands together and looked into my eyes with a serious expression. Whoa. It totally doesn''t suit her casual and random image. A serious atmosphere is building up. ¡°¡­Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. Do you know why you were chosen to attend this academy?¡± She asked with a questioning gaze. Her eyes narrowed. ¡­If this is what you want, then I will play along with it. ¡°To enjoy a high school life¡­? Haha¡­¡± I f?r??b?? laughed. I gave a bald-faced lie. Obviously I needed to. I had my own reasons to come here. But then again, maybe I needed one after I''ve finished dealing with my problems. Or maybe I should just do both at the same time¡­? ¡°¡­¡­¡± My bald-faced lie received no reply from Persia. She then leaned back on her chair and sat leisurely. From the look of it, it seems she''s going to say something important. ¡°Within the school grounds of the Imperial Knights Academy, there''s a special white mansion located on a specific place¡ª closest building to the pink drop tree, and isolated from any other facilities.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Is this¡­ a story? You are telling me a story all of the sudden?! ¡°This mansion was protected by a force field, as well as security systems and spy cameras to prevent any outsiders from entering within its territory.¡± Okay¡­ now this feels a little familiar. It can''t be that place, right? I even gave the force field a knock. ¡°Within it, lived a goddess¡ª which her beauty was so overwhelming that it attracts tons of bad insects (stalkers and perverts) that`s around her, causing her nothing but head-aching problems. That''s why she spent her daily life inside that mansion, b?r?ly stepping out from it.¡± ¡°A goddess? Is it a celestial god like the legends?¡± ¡°Of course not. It''s just her beauty is comparable to even a goddess.¡± A girl`s image suddenly pops up in my head. ¡­The girl who tried to kill me several moments ago. ¡°So she`s human?¡± ¡°Yes. And that very person was known as the .¡± Winter princess¡­? Is that a codename? But don''t people always name these types as or ? ¡­Right. I forgot. The principal, that bastard is the one who gave them their codenames. So what is she? A girl who takes over winter? ¡°Okay¡­? And why are you telling me all this?¡± ¡°You see¡­ the academy`s rank have been dropping from the tournament since three years ago. The principal¡ª our principal, searched for a solution to prevent it from dropping any further.¡± ¡°Prevent it from dropping? Are you sure? I think he wants us to take the first place rather than prevent it from dropping.¡± Perhaps I should''ve let the ranks drop even further after all. ¡°Well¡­ we had a fellow student with an overwhelming potential this year which had a high chance to take the first place¡­¡± ¡°And the is that student with the overwhelming potential¡­¡± Or else there`s no meaning from mentioning her. ¡°That''s right. We merely needed a compatible partner for the best, the strongest, the model student, the ¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha.¡± Kuroyuki Shiroha. A first year, and a name I`m over familiar with. Perhaps, she was the only student I`d know even before I came here. Don`t be mistaken, I may know a few things about her, it doesn''t mean she knows anything about me. As for how I knew, I was told by the principal¡­ about her achievements as a Student Council President and a special student. It was splendid. Though I`d heard her name, I`ve never seen her in person¡ª nor her face. Nevertheless. The principal mentioned before¡­ the reason for not letting me see her picture. ¡®Someone like you would''ve died from a simple cardiac arrest.¡¯ Okay¡­ perhaps she was hideous? He''d said there''s no need for a match between her and my sisters. ¡°Your Ex-Student Council President.¡± I remarked. Unlike other high schools, the Imperial Knights Academy consists of three Student Council Presidents, one representative from each year. It is a system created mainly to lighten the workload. The third year`s president is Gerald Elbertstein¡ª I knew nothing about him. The second year`s president is Scarlet Night¡ª I knew nothing about her. As for the first year`s president¡ª it was originally led by Kuroyuki Shiroha, but she resigned from her post four months ago. And now the person who took over her place is Persia, who was her vice president during that time. When Kuroyuki Shiroha is in charge, the whole group merely consist of only two people (Kuroyuki Shiroha and Persia Silverlight), which they even managed to do their tasks better than the second years and third years. ¡°You really were informed well by the principal¡­¡± ¡°Not really. If you didn''t tell me I wouldn''t know she''s the .¡± ¡°Is that so? I thought the reason you fought against her was because you knew she''s the strongest and wanted to test your strength¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Say again? Fought? ¡°Oh my¡­ You really do not know¡­ You have my deepest salute~!¡± ¡°W-W-W-What!? T-T-T-That girl I fought is Kuroyuki Shiroha?! The ?! The strongest student!?¡± Such a big mistake¡­! Lucifer Nightwalker¡­! Why didn''t you realize it¡­!? No wait¡­ She did mention her name before¡­! It''s because I got so stressed out because of her request that I''d forgotten about it¡­! ¡­My heart really ached. Damn it, I hate it when he''s right. ¡°Eh~ Now I''m curious. Is she hard to handle~?¡± ¡°Hard? You must be joking, right? She held back on purpose!¡± Persia paused for a moment. ¡°Eh¡­ You noticed right away¡­ So that`s our difference¡­ No wonder you are recommended.¡± ¡°That''s our difference¡­? This means you had a duel with her before¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I fought and lost miserably. Then later I found out she was holding back¡­¡± She deliberately lets out a discouraged sigh. ¡°This seems painful. How long have you managed to hold on?¡± ¡°¡­Exactly one minute.¡± Ouch. ¡°Wait. Aren''t you S ranked!?¡± ¡°No, I`m just a sad and pathetic C ranked student.¡± ¡°Even if you want to lie, shouldn`t you at least change the colour of your blazer?¡± ¡°Oh. So you knew¡­ But even if I''d change my blazer right here, right now and even strip to my nude in front of you¡­ I don''t think I`d feel any different from being a C ranked student¡­¡± Double ouch. Her eyes are getting listless too. She''s so disheartened from that duel she wouldn''t mind stripping herself to nude and brand herself as a C ranked student. ¡­I decided not to comment on the ¡®stripping¡¯ part. ¡°¡­If the gap between C rank and S rank is like crossing a road, then the gap between S rank and Kuroyuki Shiroha is like climbing over a fire mountain and swimming across a sea of ice.¡± She added. Exaggerating. But then again, her exaggeration actually might not be that exaggerating. After all, even against me, she fought with ease. ¡­Scary. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°If you are an S ranked student, then what`s hers? Wait, what`s my rank?¡± ¡°¡­Ah. I almost forgot you just transferred here today.¡± ¡°Hmm. Okay¡­ I know I need to pass the enrolment test or something.¡± ¡°The principal allowed you to skip the paper test.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Now that''s convenient¡ª hold on. Paper test? There`s something else?¡± ¡°Yes. There''s a practical fight test too you need to take.¡± ¡°Practical fight test? Don`t tell me I`m going to fight one hundred opponents at the same time¡­¡± I will definitely fail if it''s like that. Wait a second¡­ if it''s him, he might actually make me fight one hundred of them at the same time. ¡°If it''s like that, then I think anyone would`ve failed¡­ except Kuroyuki Shiroha.¡± Persia is serious about it. It seems she really respects her really much. ¡°So when should I take the test?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ I forgot I was supposed to take you there¡­ let`s go now.¡± She stood up, then made her way to the door. I followed behind. ¡°For a Student Council President, aren''t you quite careless and forgetful?¡± I said. Persia, who was halfway to her door stopped suddenly, then faced me with a genuinely surprised look. ¡°I see¡­ So this is what you want.¡± she said, ¡°If you''d like to criticize me, then go ahead, criticize to your heart`s content.¡± She said with a look acted as if she''s full of shame. ¡°¡­Uh, I wouldn''t over something this minor¡­¡± ¡°I can tell by your face you are itching to complain. If something you want to say, then why not say it like a man? I`ll get n?k?d and get down on all fours to apologize to you in the middle of the city, if that`ll make you happy.¡± ¡°Are you trying to make me out to be the most disgusting man on earth!?¡± As if I''d let her do that in the middle of the residential area. Plus, I am not interested in her grovel in the first place. ¡°Getting down on all fours n?k?d,¡± she said, ¡°is a small price to pay to make Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare known to the world over as the most disgusting man alive.¡± ¡°Your pride is the only thing here that''s cheap.¡± ¡°But I''d be keeping just my stockings on,¡± she added. ¡°You say that like a punchline to wrap this up, but I''m not into weird stuff.¡± ¡°And by stockings, I mean fishnets stockings.¡± ¡°Getting more extreme doesn''t change a thing...¡± Though on second thought. Even if I wasn''t into that, a part of me did want to see Persia, specifically, in fishnet tights¡ª she wouldn''t even have to be n?k?d. I mean, if she wore regular clothing in this fishnet stockings... ¡°¡­That''s the face of someone thinking improper thoughts, Lucifer.¡± ¡°Who, me? Do you really see me in such a vulgar light, a guy whose motto is mostly ''the straight and narrow''? I can''t believe you''d say that about me, Persia.¡± ¡°Oh? I believe I''ve always been saying these things about you. Whether I have proof or not. It''s very suspicious that though you rejected the claim outright, but yet you''re imagining it for the first time.¡± I forgot. She''s able to tell. ¡°Gulp...¡± Because it happened before. No matter what, I will protect Restia`s honour. ¡°So forcing me down on all fours to apologize to you n?k?d isn¡¯t enough, you want to write ?bs??n? things across every inch of my body with a permanent marker?¡± ¡°l wasn''t going that far!¡± ¡°Then how far were you going?¡± ¡°Um, anyway, Persia,¡± I brusquely changed the topic. ¡°So where will we be going?¡± ¡°The basement. The training room.¡± ¡°Let''s go! Let''s go already!¡± I pushed her from behind with both of my hands. Though she refused to move at first, with her shoes sliding on the floor as I pushed, but because of my strength, she eventually gave up and walked. ¡°So Persia, how do I pass the practical fight test?¡± ¡°Mnn¡­ I think I will tell you when we get there. For now, perhaps I will explain about the class division system and ranking system to you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 6 - 1.5 From what Persia explained, Imperial Knights Academy is a school that has implemented unique, first-in-the world educational systems. It is a school that is outfitted with the newest and most exuberant facilities. Of course, it is a very harsh school. If one wants to have a decent learning environment, then one must get good grades. This is the fate of the students who attend the academy. Their fate was decided by two main systems. Firstly, the class division system. Their class division is determined based upon the results of the enrolment test, which we have the paper test and practical fight test. According to their scores, the students are ?ssigned to one of the sixteen classes, from Class S, the best, to Class C-6, the worst. For the paper test, the students with an overall mark between 0 and 39 are ranked C, 40 to 59 are ranked B, 60 to 79 are ranked A, 80 to 100 are ranked S. Though, there`s an interview session included, and most of the marks were given by the principal (which he was the only interviewer, he interviewed more than 4000 students), and he''s the one who decides who leaves and stays. That''s why we had a mark of zero as the lowest, that''s actually the minimum score he gives for passing. By the way, I was told by Persia that my paper test was placed at Rank S by the principal. Though I hate him, he`d at least approve of me that much. As for the practical fight test, I will know later. Now, the ranking system. The ranking system is separated into two subsystems, academic results and duels. The first sub system, academic results. In every semester, every student must attend every test and quiz, those who failed in either one of the quizzes or tests will be expelled from the academy without a doubt. Though, the maximum marks for normal tests are 100 marks, but it seems the final exam on each semester works entirely differently. Within the time limit of one hour, the students are allowed to answer as many questions as they want, and there''s no limit to their maximum marks. In the final results, the total marks in every subject are all added together, obviously, the higher the marks, the higher your rank. The second sub system, duels. In order to encourage students to be physically fit, a duel system is created. No matter how great you are in a fight, you`d get expelled whenever you failed your exam. So the dual system is more like an extra system to let you raise your ranking, and it''s not really necessary to participate in it. You can choose whether you want or not, but surely, there''s a benefit in raising your rankings. The class you were placed in could be changed afterwards, depending on your school ranking in the Imperial Knights Academy. As for how to change, just defeat an opponent who`s in a higher class rank but with a lower or same academic result. The system will record every data during the duel and judge your performance, then the principal will decide whether you were allowed to transfer or not. Normally if you win, he`d approve without hesitation. The opponent`s rank will surely be lowered, but as for how much it drops it all depends on his performance during the duel. If it was a close call for him, then he might''ve been dropped to just one rank below you. If it was an instant win for you, then his rank will be lowered drastically and even get demoted to a lower ranked class. If you lose, then he`d check on your performance through the system`s recorded data. If your performance is better than your latest results, then he might transfer you to the upper class and just a rank below your opponent. If you were defeated instantly, your ranking remains unchanged. Nevertheless, once you lose, there will be a cooling period for 3 months, and you can only challenge again after 3 months. The ranking system is updated each day. ¡°That''s practically the gist of it.¡± Persia concluded. By the way, we are now riding the lift to the lowest floor, the basement. ¡°Such a long way down.¡± We''d been going down for quite some time already. ¡°Because it`s 260 feet below the ground.¡± Persia replied. That''s pretty deep. Is that really necessary? ¡°Come to think of it, you said the fourth floor is your personal floor¡ª then what about the others?¡± ¡°The fifth and sixth floors are the second and third year president`s floor. The seventh are meeting rooms. The eighth, ninth and tenth floors are all the principal''s working place, not everyone is able to access those floors.¡± Well, I can. ¡°What about the second and third floors?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Perhaps I understood why there are so many seats in the lobby. It''s for the club members and the executives of the Imperial Knights Academy. ¡°You don''t seem to be interested in clubs.¡± She said. ¡°I just don''t feel like joining it.¡± ¡°Aren''t you just lazy?¡± ¡°If I had anything shortcoming, then being lazy will be the last thing on that list.¡± ¡°I don''t know if it''s the last one or not, but I''m sure being perverted is the first on your list.¡± ¡°Nonsense! You are the pervert! You even squeezed your body in front of me¡ª who just transferred here today!¡± ¡°But don''t boys like this kind of stuff?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Only idiots say that to themselves. When the time comes, will you actually be able to resist? Don`t look too highly upon yourself.¡± ¡°¡­You are wrong. I don''t think highly of myself¡ª I`m referring to experience.¡± ¡°So this is the reason why you are a v?r??n for the rest of your life¡­¡± She said it on purpose just to tease me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But I did not answer¡ª nor fling any retorts. If there''s an answer, then¡­ Perhaps, maybe, probably, perchance, possibly¡ª I will die as a v?r??n. Because¡ª a few months is all the time I have left¡ª or even less¡­ But I''m quite sure I still have time left till next month. Not even Restia and Ruby, who are the closest to me, knew the fact about this. I don`t look like the type who`s waiting to die, right? Indeed, I`m not. I need to be strong-willed. I had all the more reason to be, though my job to be so had already finished its original objective. Now I`m merely spending the rest of what''s left of the time, risking my chance to come all the way here to find a solution. Oh. We reached the basement. The lift opens, revealing a large and long hallway that seems to have no end to it. But as we exit the lift, the conveyor belt below us activates and brings us forward, that is, towards what Persia said earlier¡ª the training room, where I will be taking one of the enrolment exams, the practical fight test. ¡°The training room is just in front~¡± Persia said. ¡°Hmm¡­ So what will I do there? You told me it`s a practical fight, so what will I be fighting? Robots? Or maybe automata?¡± ¡°To be exact, those things you will be fighting are holograms.¡± Holograms? ¡°It seems a question`s bothering your mind right now. There''s no need to worry, you will know later when you enter the room.¡± She added. Is she trying to be mysterious or just thinking it was a bother to explain? ¡°Who, me? Do you really see me in such a philistine light, a girl whose motto is ''honesty, openness and sincerity?¡¯ I can''t believe you''d think that about me, Lucifer.¡± Her motto is basically the synonym to the straight and narrow. Personally, I think her openness is shooting over the charts. ¡°Stop reading my body language, don`t change my words and don`t talk like me!¡± ¡°Eh¡­ that''s too much to demand. It''s quite the hassle, don`t you think? I think you should just pick one and try again, and I recommend you to pick me~¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I don''t really get it. ¡°And what if I pick you?¡± ¡°Then you''d get a girlfriend.¡± Persia made a show of waiting a measured pause, of getting her timing right before continuing. ¡°I will become yours if you demand. Personally, I think I''m cute. So don''t you think this is quite a cheap deal?¡± ¡®Become yours¡¯ she said. ¡°I will do anything you wanted as your girlfriend. E-Even giving my first time to you¡­¡± She added. She gazed away from me with her face reddens. I guess this is the limit for her to continue on the s?xu?? stuff. ¡°I hate to break it to you, but¡ª seriously, who taught you all this censored stuff!?¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Uwaa¡­.! I meant my first kiss! What were you thinking? Your brain`s the dirty one!¡± ¡°Huh?! You are fine with touching your important parts but not kissing!? What sort of common-sense is that!? You can''t blame me! Your words are extremely confusing from the start!¡± ¡°Touching my ?h?st, bu?? or th??h¡ª never mind. All of this is merely an act of s?xu?? d?s?r?, an act of ?ust¡­! But a kiss¡­ a kiss is a sign of love!¡± She''s serious about it. Did she avoid mentioning th??hs just now? So she''s fine with her ?h?st and bu?? but not her th??h. Quite mixed up. ¡°M-My th??h is s?ns?t?v?.¡± She added¡ª with a bashful look. I decide to ignore that remark by staying silent. ¡­For some reason, she pouted afterwards. ¡°So what you mean is¡­ it`s something like love at first sight?¡± I asked. ¡°It''s not something as cheap as that.¡± ¡­She''s dead serious. ¡°But we literally met for the first time. It''s hard to imagine it''s something other than ¡®love at first sight¡¯.¡± ¡°I told you before, I`m slightly better on reading body languages compared to most people.¡± ¡°No, you are practically seeing through it.¡± ¡°Now you understand, right?¡± That means¡­ She saw through me¡ª she saw through my personality and liked me for who I am. ¡°I appreciate Persia, but¡­¡± But¡ª What she saw was only a ¡®part¡¯ of me. No matter how skillful she''s able to see-through, there''s no way for her to be able to see through the other part of me. ¡°¡­I can''t accept your feelings.¡± ¡°Meh. I knew you would say that.¡± She said with a calm and collected expression. She''s not feeling the least bit sad at all. Why am I not surprised? From the beginning, it seems she already expected the answer¡ªno, it was more like she knew the answer. So why did she do so? Why had she asked? There might be something else. Something hidden within those lines she told me. But by the time I wanted to get more info out from her, we''d already reached the end of the road. There''s A metallic door. A large one, locked. It`s size is more like those meant to let several hundreds of people enter at the same time. ¡°Please wait for a moment.¡± Persia murmured. Persia walks forward to a square target, and authenticates herself afterwards. ¡®WELCOME, PRESIDENT. PLEASE ENTER.¡¯ The system informs. The large door then slides upwards. ¡°That''s the waiting room.¡± Persia told me. Now, there are two glass doors ahead. ¡°Now then, please step inside this room~ I will be watching from up there~¡± She said. ¡°Okay¡­?¡± I replied. I walked to the room on the right as the glass door opened by sliding to the left. The glass door then closes after I went in. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The training room. The ceiling was vaulted, the room itself is as spacious as having two football fields together. The walls and floor are made with innumerable hexagonal patterns placed side-by-side. The door`s opposing ends are made of glass¡ª and it seems behind it, there''s a bunch of workers operating the system. ¡°H-Hello? Lucifer, can you hear me~?¡± From the intercom where Persia is standing, her voice can be heard behind the glass. Yeah, right¡ª from the intercom. ¡­How should I respond? Are you expecting me to react? Should I talk like normal, shout, or wave my hand? Damnit, this feels weird. I refuse to react. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Erm. You can just talk like normal, I can hear you.¡± Good. It seems she realized. ¡°Ah.¡± I then replied. ¡°Now then, I will now explain about the practical fight test.¡± She said. From what she vaguely explained, this exam is just like inside a virtual reality game. Though they say virtual-reality, this is more like reality-virtual. The requirements to pass this exam is simple. It''s just to defeat the incoming hologram opponents projected by the system and get as many kills as you can, and avoid from being hit for more than 10 times. If the hologram`s weapons touches you, the pain stimulus will be triggered¡ª inflicting pain on that very part it touches you. The pain is enough to make you kneel down, if it''s too much, you can surrender as you wish. Though, it seems no one is able to bear the pain for more than 3 times. BEEP. Someone from the behind the glass seems to press a bu??on. A pair of black metallic coloured gloves appeared in the centre of the room, floating around my ?h?st height. What?! Gloves? I took it. There are some silicon wires and circuits attached in the inside and the outside of it, but how the heck do I use these? Whatever, let''s wear it first. It doesn''t fit my size either. ¡°So¡­?¡± I asked as I faced the glass window, pointing at the glove with my right forefinger. ¡°Ah¡­! Erm¡­ these gloves are linked to your nervous system inside your brain. Just imagine a weapon that you wanted, and it will be installed on the glove. It is only limited to 10 weapons at most. But just in case, if the image of your weapon is not clear enough, weird things will come out. So¡­ do your best~!¡± The gloves adjusted to my size afterwards. ¡°Okay then¡­¡± I murmured. Let''s start with something simple¡ª a pistol. Pixels slowly appeared from the gloves, installing the weapon that I imagined in my mind. Wow. It really came out! I grabbed the pistol. That appeared in front of my glove. It has weight, how realistic! To test it out, I pulled the trigger¡ª but it won`t butch at all. I can`t dissemble it either. It seems my image isn''t clear enough. How about this then¡­? A barrel, slide with forward sight, rear sight and ejection port, grip with a magazine well, take down level, magazine release bu??on, trigger guard, tang, magazine with a magazine spring, and bullets¡­ ¡­constructing complete! Once more, I pulled the trigger¡ª BANG! With a slight recoil, a bullet fired from the gun barrel. As it hit the wall, it disappeared. ¡°D-Did you just imagined a pistol¡­?¡± Persia asks from the intercom. ¡°Eh? Aren''t I supposed to fight with guns¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah no. That''s not it. Now are you ready?¡± Persia brushed it off somehow. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± I shouted. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ you know, can you put a specific person''s head on the hologram? I think I''m able to go all out if it''s his face.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ it can only project a rough image of a humanoid.¡± Too bad. If I put the principal`s head on the hologram, then I will be shooting him and laughing at the same time! ¡°It''s fine then¡­ let''s start!¡± Chapter 7 - 1.6 ¡®START!¡¯ There`s not even a countdown. ¡°LEVEL ONE.¡± The system informs. A humanoid figure appeared. Judging it`s distance, it seems to be around 80m away. But his weapon surprised me. Though it''s a rough image, I can tell it is a large sword. Now then. It says level one. Though it says level one, is it weak? Time to test it out. BANG! ¡®HEADSHOT.¡¯ A screen displayed above the hologram that was shot. After the hologram was knocked down, it disappeared with some pixel effect. ¡­Surprisingly weak. It didn''t even react. ¡­let''s just fool around. After a second the first hologram disappeared, the second one appeared¡ª from behind. But nevertheless, the range is still 80m away. It''s weapon changed to a spear. BANG¡ª I shoot a bullet through its head. It disappeared. After a second, a hologram appeared¡ª holding a dagger. ...Damn, this is so freakishly stupid and boring! And this repeated for another 47 times (different weapons as it changes) until it reached level 2. Level 2. The holograms now appeared at five different places at the same time. They might be able to make it if I attack with only one pistol, I quickly imagined for another pistol and shoot their heads with ease with a dual-pistol attack. By the way, there`s no difference in their power compared to level one. But after one died, another one appeared. So I shoot them with an irritated look for another 45 headshot kills. Level 3. This time it went back to one hologram. And now I was surprised¡ª he''s holding a freaking ?ssault rifle! BANG! I reacted before it could shoot. But it did not react against my bullet or anything. So it was a disappointment. And so, I took this slightly seriously for another 49 kills. A group of 5 with guns? One sniper, one pistol, two rifles, and one grenade launcher¡­ Damn, this is tricky. Better run around. I shot two, and ran to dodge the bullets. And shot another two, and ran to dodge some bullets. After I repeated this process for another 3 times, I felt annoyed. Then on a vague impulse, I installed five flying swords and stabbed them with a god-like speed in one go as they appeared. Luckily, the system acknowledges flying weapons. Level 5. One hologram appeared (I`m not interested in any melee weapon now). Though it`s holding a melee weapon, I can tell it''s a veteran from its movements. I pulled the trigger, it''s able to block with his weapon. Then I shot with two bullets at the same time¡ª and it died. What a let-down, how disappointing. Then¡ª a hologram appeared. Hmm¡­? What is he holding¡­? ¡°Not good¡­!¡± I quickly reacted and ran to avoid the bullets just in time. Shit¡­! I don''t want to get shot¡­! Because of the arrangement earlier, I didn''t expect the hologram to be holding a gun. My reaction was immediately dulled due to the unexpected. I quickly controlled 3 swords to block some of the bullets from the rifle, and installed a circular shield large enough to cover my whole body, just in case if the next one was using guns too. I moved the transparent shield in front of the swords, and it works perfectly well enough to shield me from all of the bullets. Since it`s transparent blue, I can hide behind the shield and attack it with my swords. But as for the rest that came afterwards, I killed them with the pistols. Level 6. It''s a group of five again. But they act more like they were in a group now. Now they proceed steadily in a formation, with 2 vanguards and 3 rear guards, with both melee weapons and guns. Though my pistol is able to kill one of them, their intense attacks forced me to hide behind my shield. Level 7. BANG! BANG! As long as they are alone, I won''t have too much problems with it¡ª level 5 was an exception, okay? Level 8. Now this is surprising. They were able to defend against my sword attacks. Let''s just take it down one-by-one¡­ I controlled five of the swords and stabbed it on one hologram, and thus killed it. It takes time a slightly longer time compared to before, but after 50 kills¡ª Level 9. BANG! The heck!? It swiftly avoided my bullet!? I quickly added 4 more shots. It dodged and blocked my bullets with his ?ssault rifle without a sweat. Yeah, right¡ª because it''s a hologram. My pistols won''t work anymore. I quickly uninstalled the pistols and focused on controlling the swords behind my shield. Since there''s only one hologram, it didn''t last long against my sword attacks. Level 10. (MAX LEVEL) Now this is troublesome. I''m currently at a stalemate. Though they were a group of five. Their teamwork is outstanding¡ª completely on sync. Not only were they able to help each other to defend against my flying swords, they were able to shoot me with their guns at the same time. The flying swords aren''t strong enough¡­ Though I already added another two of them. Yeah¡­ like what she did to me. Sacrificing my swords, I installed a flying Excalibur, the size like what the girl¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha tried to kill me with. With a sway of my hand, the Excalibur slashes horizontally, cutting all the holograms to half in one go. The rest of the 45 holograms were staying in the same formation, I killed them using the same tactic over and over again, hiding behind my shield. But after doing the same thing for more than thousands of kills, I felt fed-up. Like the time when it was level one. Dang. This is stupid. ¡°Alright, I give up!¡± I declared. The holograms, no¡ª everything within the area of the hexagonal field came to a halt. My installed weapons too stopped to move, and then disappeared with a pixel effect. ¡°Please leave the gloves back on the magnetic field please before you wait outside.¡± Thus, I removed the gloves and placed it back. Then the glass door slides open. As I exited the waiting room, a tall glass cup placed on a magnetic floating lid was sent in front of me. Since I was feeling thirsty as well, I took it and drank to quench my thirst. I haven''t been drinking a drop of water since 3am. I then simply took a seat on a random bench. What was this test all about? It''s not as difficult as I think it was. Maybe it was supposed to be easy, after all¡ª my enrollment as a special student was already decided a few months back. That guy, the principal, is manipulating my enrollment behind the scenes. But what''s with the make-up reason for me to enrol!? Why pair me up with such a terrifying girl!? ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Someone gently tapped on my shoulder. I quickly raised my head, but I saw no one¡ª and looked to my left and realized it was Persia¡ª who was looking at me with a smile. ¡­I didn''t notice her at all. How is she able to move without making a sound? I placed the cup back on the floating lid, and it made its way back. I`m not sure where, but I guess it might probably get disinfected first. ¡°Hey~ You aren''t tired at all, aren''t you~?¡± Persia said. ¡°Well obviously I am. See? I look completely exhausted.¡± ¡°Mentally exhausted, you mean? Your expressions felt like you`d just been through a lecture.¡± ¡°Worse than it. Actually, Persia¡ª why are we waiting? Aren''t the results supposed to come out the moment it ended?¡± ¡°Well, well. The system is calculating your strength through estimation mode you know~?¡± ¡°Estimation mode? Estimating what?¡± ¡°It''s A system that predicts your result, ?ssuming when you were at your tip top condition. I know you were able to go way higher than just that, so I told the workers to calculate using that mode.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Why not just let it be?¡± ¡°Because you are fooling around, aren`t you~? You aren`t the least bit serious.¡± A displeased smile. It seems she hates that. ¡°Ahaha¡­ You found out.¡± I tried to laugh it off but it doesn''t seem to work. By the time things are getting awkward, Persia`s screen suddenly popped up in front of her¡ª showing a bunch of letters and numbers. ¡°Excuse for a moment.¡± She said. She reads what`s on the screen, and inadvertently murmured¡ª ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°So what''s my result?¡± Since the principal is manipulating behind the scenes, so I guess whatever the result is wouldn''t have mattered. I will be a special student anyways. I`m not really interested, so I skipped the details and asked the person instead. ¡°2721 kills and estimated 13600 kills.¡± She answered as she pouted her cheeks. ¡°Okay¡­ What does this mean? Why are you pouting your cheeks anyways?¡± Perhaps I understood why she did that. She`s sulking. I''m sure that number had a high value. ¡°Pfft¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Persia placed her fingers on her mouth and looked away¡ª it''s as if she''s trying to hold back from the laughter. Okay, so I was wrong. She was trying to hold back from the laugh. ¡°¡­¡­Ehem.¡± I deliberately coughed to make her come back to her senses. And as soon as she realizes that, she quickly looks at me with an evil grin on her face. ¡°I will let you know about the practical battle ranks now~¡± She said. ¡°Huh. You are up to something, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Must be your imagination.¡± I doubt that. ¡°For Rank C, 0-200 kills. Rank B, 201-300 kills. Rank A, 301-400 kills and Rank S, 401-1000 kills.¡± She said. ¡°My estimated results are higher than the S ranks maximum kills for 13 times.¡± I murmured to Persia. ¡­I had a bad feeling of this. ¡°Just out with it, Persia.¡± I uttered. ¡°Since your results are overwhelmingly high compared to Rank S and just 5 kills lower than the highest record, 13605¡­¡± ¡°Hold it. Don`t tell me the 13605 is from Kuroyuki¡­¡± ¡°Correct~ Adding up your results from the paper exam and calculating, then congratulations!¡± Persia said with excitement as she grabs and shakes my hand. No, wait. Does Rank S even have a maximum value? I must be mistaken. Because that was the highest it goes. That means I will be a Rank S special student. ¡°Then I will be in your care.¡± I said. ¡°Sorry, but you are not with me.¡± Persia instantly stopped me from my conclusion. ¡°Eh? I''m not with you?¡± ¡°Since we had a special case this year, the principal did a slight alteration towards the academy`s system this year. He established a special building solely just for that special student.¡± ¡°Don''t tell me...¡± I inadvertently murmured when the conclusion came into my mind, and Persia cleared away my doubts. ¡°Yes, you are right~! Special student number 2! Starting from today, you will be learning and living at the special building. Your classmate will be our legendary , Kuroyuki Shiroha~!¡± Chapter 8 - 1.7 The feared situation. ¡­It came again. There''s definitely no way I''m getting out of this anytime soon. Not mentally for that either. Calm down, me. Calm down. There`s still a long way to go. Though we will eventually reach there sooner or later, there''s still time for me to prepare my heart. By the way, both of us are halfway on our way to the lift, carried by the conveyor belt. Persia and I didn''t talk much after her declaration, so it felt awkward as we stood on the conveyor belt, avoiding eye contact. The main reason for this awkwardness to happen is because of me. I felt extremely troubled. Persia, who was extremely observant, chose to keep her silence because she knew I was distressed. But here''s one thing. Though she knew I was distressed, yet that grin she''s been hanging on her face is excessively annoying. My face twitches out of irritation whenever I catch a glance of her smirk. She`s constantly provoking my mood till I`m on the verge to pull her cheeks (I don''t punch or slap girls, unless I am angry). Putting that aside, I had my own reasons to be distressed. The person who I was paired up with is not some random person. We are talking about Kuroyuki Shiroha here. Though she merely enrolled for six months, she''s a legend in this academy. Top grades, outstanding achievements, excelling in sports, a blessed beauty with talent... These aren''t rumours, but the truth and fact instead. As her partner, this means I`d need to work my arse off to keep up with her reputation, or else I`d just lose my face completely. I`d rather be her shadow rather than nothing. But if I do so, I`d lost my precious time to be who I really am, the time to do what I can to save myself. Given the opportunity, I`m sure anyone in this school would`ve wanted to be her partner even if it cost them their lives. But no one is able to keep up with her. I witnessed that myself, so I could tell how terrifying she is. ¡°Lucifer.¡± Persia, who seems to give in from the awkwardness called out my name. Though I`d like to ignore her, it seems she has something important to discuss with me. Perhaps it''s about Kuroyuki Shiroha. After all, she''s the only one who''s close enough to be with her for two months, I guess? Nevertheless, I`m fine with any gossip or rumours but not her dirty jokes. And so, I faced her. ¡°Tell me, are you afraid of her?¡± She asks politely. As expected, she''s into the main topic already. It couldn`t be anyone else but Kuroyuki Shiroha now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± I nodded my head in response. ¡°You should be.¡± She added, while wearing a smile of indifference on her face, like those who don''t give you an ounce of consideration. Good grace. You are worsening my feelings! We reached the lift, and entered after the door opened. After it closes and goes up, Persia then begins her blabbering. ¡°Studies, sports, cooking, music, arts, dances, management, martial arts, and so on¡ª there''s not a single thing this academy is able to teach her. She was just this perfect. The teachers can''t do anything but to follow the scheduled lessons, it''d be pretty pointless anyways. Adding her appearance, simply put¡ª she`s the most perfect being in this academy.¡± ¡­Most perfect being. Wow. Should I see this as an exaggeration or not? If it`is being closest to perfect, then I''d agree with it¡ª not with the most perfect being. No one in this world is perfect except the God of Creation itself. Not even the angels, not even the celestial gods, not even the twelve apostles. Anyways¡­ I don''t think Persia`s the type to compliment others. So Kuroyuki Shiroha might really be that amazing, for Persia to praise her as such. ¡°If you take it that way,¡± I said, ¡°Wouldn''t that make her better than me several times over? Then why was I chosen?¡± ¡°You weren''t chosen. It was the result of the process of elimination.¡± Process of elimination¡­ Such a simple reason he`d made. But that''s not the reason¡ª I know it right from the start¡ª the reason why I was chosen. Because things were already decided right from the beginning. Even if Kuroyuki does have a partner, her partner will eventually get kicked out by me. ¡°¡­I don''t have a choice to begin with.¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Why do you look so unhappy? Anyone in this academy would willingly die for her merely just to be her partner.¡± ¡­No, not me. ¡°And? When everyone looks at him, he will merely be known as Kuroyuki Shiroha`s partner¡ª or worse, her sidekick, or even worse, an ornament, without ever getting his name known to others. He will be living a pathetic life. That''s not what I wanted.¡± ¡°If you constantly compare yourself to her, of course you wouldn''t be happy.¡± Persia suddenly warned. ¡°After all¡­¡± I know what she will say. The word I have been avoiding is to say it at all costs. The exact same word that the other me carries. The word that I constantly rejected. ¡­Because I understood everything when I saw her expression. That''s why she was perfect. That''s why my heart ached. ¡­Because we shared the same feeling. ¡°She''s not a monster.¡± I uttered. ¡°Only those who have been through overwhelming grief and suffering are able to pull off such a feat. So she`s not.¡± ¡°As expected of you¡­ You passed.¡± She said. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I was dumbfounded. ¡°Even if the principal approves of you, I still have my doubts. If you were able to see that much, then I''m sure Kuroyuki will be fond of you.¡± Persia said. So she was testing me? I was being tested? Wow¡­ ¡°¡­When did you try to figure me out?¡± ¡°Since the beginning.¡± ¡°What!? And I totally did not notice!?¡± ¡°Of course I wouldn`t squeeze my body in front of you. It''s embarrassing¡­ But I need to do so all for Kuroyuki`s sake!¡± I''m not sure if it''s for her sake or not, but oh man. Persia`s mask sure is thick. I couldn''t tell at all¡­ as if the event I had so far with her is nothing but a coincidence that just happens. ¡°Even if a girl was to stimulate your s?xu?? d?s?r?, you aren`t the least bit fazed. You did not hesitate for one bit to place a punishment; even after you knew I was the daughter of one of the highest ranked noblemen. You would try to understand me, and my feelings too. Most importantly, you''d even do your best just to keep up with Kuroyuki. That alone already gives you an outstanding mark, isn''t it~?¡± ¡°W-Wow¡­ No wonder she chose you as her vice¡­¡± Such a terrifying multitasking ability. She''s able to fulfil her job as the Student Council President, for herself, and for Kuroyuki. ¡°Though I`d introduced Kuroyuki to several selected students¡­ Of course, I did not approve of them, but I`d brought them to her anyway. Nevertheless, all of them were still disapproved of by Kuroyuki. Even those of the best of the best would call her a monster sometimes. But not you. At the very least¡­ you are different. Only a little bit lacking confidence.¡± It''s not like I wanted to, most of my confidence was with the other me. ¡°Nevertheless, special students sure are something.¡± Persia murmured. ¡°Huh? Why did you say so?¡± ¡°Why is it there''s still something else in you I''m unable to understand¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Her words shocked me to the core. She realizes. I`m quite certain she will never have the slightest clue about the other part of me, but¡ª she realized it. That something about me is ¡®unusual¡¯ or ¡®abnormal¡¯. And we''d just known each other in less than an hour, too. ¡°You mean, Kuroyuki too?¡± I diverted her attention. ¡°N.¡± She nods her head. ¡°Personally, I think it''s normal if you don''t understand sometimes. After all, there are times where everyone hides a secret or two.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± As Persia murmured, she stared at my face with a vacant look¡ª free from any expression. It seems that the answer is unacceptable for her. Or rather, unbefitting for what she had asked. Then, what did she really mean? ¡°Okay, you don''t seem to be satisfied.¡± I said. ¡°Then why don''t you describe what you were able to see in me right now?¡± ¡°Surprised. She realized. Divert her attention. She seems to be unsatisfied, my answer seems to be unbefitting, what did she mean? Maybe I will understand if I know what she thinks.¡± She blabbered. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I immediately did a perfect 90-degree bow to Persia. Bowing down to others, is an act containing many different meanings. You could say I bowed to her in respect, or maybe to thank her, or to mourn, or to apologize. In this case, though it seems to be meant to apologize, it''s not¡ª and there''s no reason for me to do so. If someone is going to apologize, then it''s her instead. I merely did so just to hide my face from embarrassment, as well as my thoughts afterwards. I now swear I will not lie to the girl known as Persia Silverlight, not even once. ¡°Erm¡­ it''s actually useless¡ª I would know even if I shut my ears tight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± God, I`m dying from embarrassment. Someone just hurry up and kill me already. But nevertheless, I raised my head and stared at her with a slightly grumpy, speechless look. ¡°¡­¡­Pfft¡ª Hahaha¡­!¡± That was the time where the lift reached the ground floor. We`d exit the lift with Persia`s burst of laughter echoing throughout the lobby. A bold laugh that was unbefitting for a noble like her. ¡°Anyways, Lucifer.¡± She suddenly said. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Did you confess to Kuroyuki?¡± ¡°G-Gehem¡­!¡± My saliva suddenly choked my throat, and I was forced to cough as I slammed my ?h?st with my right hand. If there`s something inside my mouth, like food or drink, I would definitely spit it out in that very instant. And on her face, too. It''s abnormal to have to confess to someone you just met, unless it''s a prank or your brains were fried. Though something like ¡®Love at first sight¡¯ does exist, no logical human would`ve confess straight away, even if they do have the guts. Persia said it naturally, as if it was the natural thing to do. As if anyone would`ve seen her for once and immediately say ¡®I love you!¡¯ or ¡®Please go out with me!¡¯ to her¡ª to Kuroyuki Shiroha. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­ What on earth are you talking about?! Of course not! Why the hell would I even do so!?¡± ¡°Why didn''t you? Aren''t you supposed to do so when you look her in the eyes?¡± ¡°What is she? A su??ubus? She had some sort of charming ability or something?¡± I inadvertently blurted. Even if it is a su??ubus, which has a unique charming ability¡ª but that would only stimulate the target`s ¡®sexual d?s?r?¡¯, not their ¡®love meter¡¯. ¡°Perhaps so~ After all, those guys you met earlier¡­ just did so¡ª and was attacked by Kuroyuki.¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on, hold on.¡± I inadvertently blurted. ¡°Are you telling me those guys are confessing to her in one go?¡± ¡°Mmn¡­ you could say that.¡± Persia murmured. ¡°Could say that¡­ What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Or so I read from the newest report coming from the infirmary¡ª written by Kuroyuki. It''s not the first time anyways.¡± Oh¡­ right. It''s A matter of life and death. She wouldn''t have left them there. If she did so, they would`ve end up suffering from hypothermia and die, at worst case. ¡°Then what was the reason for Kuroyuki`s attack?¡± It''s merely a confession, so there was no reason for her to do so. But then again, she probably had a good reason to. So I did not ask why she suddenly attacked. ¡°Since they are quite persistent¡­ Kuroyuki finds it rather bothersome and attacks them to shut them up.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t she get some sort of warning if she''s the one who started it?¡± ¡°Don`t worry~ This is Kuroyuki we are talking about. ¡®Self-protection¡¯ is the perfect excuse~ Hehe¡­¡± ¡°¡­What''s with that sudden evil laugh?¡± This girl is up to something no good again. ¡°There''s A postscript written at the end.¡± She remarked. ¡°One escaped.¡± Though I`d hate to admit it¡ª but undeniably, the one who escaped is clearly me. ¡°She knew where you were headed, and told me in advance~¡± She added. ¡°Aren''t you brave? You''d even decided to test me right from the start. What if I''d actually touch you?¡± Originally I was going to say ¡®assault¡¯ instead of ¡®touch¡¯ just now. I don''t think she''d mind, but considering she''s a young noble lady with class¡­ I`d be careful with my words as I talk. Her family could take down a small town, if I`m not mistaken. ¡°Eh¡­ I don''t mind if it''s you.¡± Sometimes Persia could say some surprising words. ¡°Unless you are a pr?st?tut? or a slave¡ª or else don''t let anyone touch your body other than the person that loves you!¡± ¡°I could even strip and display my body like a model, embrace you as you take off my und?rw??r¡ª¡± I ignored Persia`s excited blabber. As the blood gushes to my brain continuously, the nervous system is stimulated, causing my right hand to raise up from the usual habit when I`m angry. My face twitches out from the irritation, and with a karate chop, I smacked it upon Persia`s head¡ª ¡°Eh¡ª Eep!¡± ¡ªwith a bang. ¡°It seems you didn''t learn well from the last lesson.¡± I murmured. ¡°Mu¡­¡± Persia, who was cradling her head and on the verge of kneeling again stared at me with an upward gaze that was soaked with tears, which her tears are nearly falling. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Then again, I apologized as I pat her head all the way till we reach the South entrance (or backdoor) instead of the main entrance. Oh right, there are four entrances for the Student Council Presidents Building. North, South, East and West. Obviously, they act as emergency exits as well (it''s easier to evacuate). The North entrance is the main entrance, so the South entrance is commonly known as the backdoor. It''s originally installed just for emergency evacuation, it was then remodelled as an entrance¡ªconvenient for that special student to enter, if not, she needs to take a detour till the West entrance, which she will be forced to walk for quite some distance. The reason I took a detour to the main entrance is because, well, you know, manners¡ª I guess. Perhaps this is the reason why Persia`s was sitting with her back facing the window. She was expecting me to be entering from the South entrance, so she could keep in check on my arrival. Or else anyone who normally sits would`ve faced the window instead. Anyways, as I mentioned, the South entrance is a shortcut to the pink drop tree, or rather, to the special building. But even if it`s a shortcut, the distance actually takes 1km¡ª and it''s only till the pink drop tree. The distance towards the special building is at least twice that. Although global warming and green-house effects were temporarily suppressed back 20 years earlier, it''s still a problem that remains unsolved. Though at a slower rate, the world is still facing the same ¡®heating up like an oven¡¯ problem. What I wanted to say is¡­ with this long distance, it takes some time to walk from our current location to the special building. The time now is 9.46 a.m., which is still considered as morning, and two hours away from noon. But yet, at this hour¡ª the blazing summer heat is deadly hot enough to penetrate through my clothes and fry my skin. So I don''t want to walk under this heat for too long. So¡­ ¡°Persia, how fast can you run?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ if I take a hundred-meter dash for example, it''s around 10.7s.¡± So slow. And it doesn''t seem she''s able to run for a long distance either. ¡°I''m not slow! Meanie!¡± She shouted, and hit me repeatedly with her fists like that of a child. I then defended her cute attacks with my right arm as I laughed. ¡°Ehem¡­ I will let you choose. Do you want a ¡®princess¡¯ or ¡®back¡¯ carry?¡± I said. ¡°Eh¡­ So this is your purpose. I was completely fooled by your kindness, well done~¡± Then why do you look so happy and delighted? ¡°Absolutely not! It WAS pure kindness!¡± I uttered. ¡°Tell me, then. Do you want to feel it with your back or with your hands?¡± Geez¡­ here we go again. ¡°Just shut up and let me carry you already¡­!¡± ¡°E-Eek!?¡± With that sudden burst of anger, I charged to Persia and grabbed her on her th??h and shoulders. That''s right, I chose a princess to carry because she worded that way. As a gentleman, I avoided my hand from touching her ?h?st, though it seems she''s making me do so. ¡°Ku¡­ How rough~ Help~ There''s A pervert here~¡± ¡­Though she says that, she looks extremely pleased. Girls really like this sort of stuff, huh? Or is it just her? ¡°You know, your words aren''t matching with your tone and look.¡± And stop flailing. ¡°Let''s go~ Let''s go~!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She can''t hear anything now. ¡°Hold tight and keep your mouth tight. You don''t want to bite your tongue.¡± I said. ¡°Wah~ So manly~¡± She''s ignoring me and rubbing my ?h?st with her face. What are you? A pervert? At any rate, it seems she could need the THIRD PUNISHMENT. Deep breath¡­ Go! ¡°Eh¡ª Wait¡ª¡± I ignored Persia and took the first boost with my left leg. Like attempting a long jump¡ª I leaped 10m. Just as I was about to reach the ground, I extended my right leg to accept the impact and transfer it forward¡ª as the second boost. Tup, tup, tup, tup, tup. As the interval between my legs touching the ground gets lesser, I reach an even faster speed, shooting all the way to the special building. Well, it seems Persia can''t get used to this speed. She''s grabbing tightly with her eyes closed¡ª and she did the right thing. If dust accidentally hits you in the eye with this kind of speed, there''s a chance to blind. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Phew¡­¡± I stopped outside the area of the force field surrounding the special building. It seems I`ve ran for a minute. ¡­Wait. Did I just make a ¡®phew¡¯? Though it may seem normal to anyone else, but not for me. I`d never need to catch a breath in a mere 2km run. This is the first time. Then again, maybe I shouldn''t worry too much. It might be caused by my lack of sleep. At any rate¡­ ¡°What are you doing!? Stop hugging me already!¡± Persia coiled her arms on my waist, and still stuck her face on me. But this time, it''s on my abdomen¡ª or rather, my abs. ¡°It''s¡­ so warm¡­ I feel so sleepy¡­¡± I grabbed Persia on her waist with both of my hands, peeling her off me and hoisting her up easily. ¡°Hnngh¡­! I don`t wanna let go¡­!¡± It feels like I''m carrying a moving doll. Shit, was she this cute? I better keep calm. At this rate, I might lose something important as a man. ¡°Stop acting like a spoiled brat.¡± ¡­Ah. I remembered the exact same words that he spat at me. Damn. ¡°I want you to spoil me! I''m a mistress from a noble family, so you should spoil me~!¡± Can''t equip anything about that. All mistresses mostly behave like that, so I can`t blame her. If that''s the case¡­ It''s time for that. I placed Persia down on the ground. Though she immediately pounces at me the moment her foot touches the ground, I stopped her by pressing her head down with my right hand. Though she immediately grabs my hand and tries to fling it away from her¡­ but no matter how hard she tries¡ª it is deemed useless. My arm strength can pull off up to tonnes. ¡°Stop struggling, it''s useless.¡± I muttered. ¡°Nngh¡­!¡± It seems she''s not going to quit after all. ¡°Just stay put already¡­!¡± BAM! ¡°Owie!¡± After a karate chop, Persia quickly retreated backwards as she kneeled down in pain. What a stubborn girl. Even after hitting her head three times, she wouldn''t listen. Damn, it also makes me feel like I`m training a dog. ¡°¡­I`m sorry¡­¡± Persia stood up and made a light bow as an apology afterwards. She then faced the force field behind her, and activated her screen for authentication. The force field opens a small hole, on where she stood. But from the look of it¡ª it seems to be controlled by a person instead of artificial intelligence, and that person¡­ is the girl that lives within. The instant we pass through the force field; it seals off immediately. And then¡­ we still have quite some distance to walk. Maybe I can get this chance to chat with Persia more about Kuroyuki¡­ Chapter 9 - 1.8 ¡°Isn`t the security here a little too tight? I mean, even if there are lots of bad insects around her¡ª I think this is a little too¡­¡± ¡°If she didn''t put it in, then there will be cameras filming from every window on the mansion.¡± ¡°How extreme!¡± ¡°You''d be fine. I guarantee you~¡± ¡°If you say so¡­ But still, I want to know about her as much as possible. You are probably the only person who`d know about her personality¡­ Is she the strict type?¡± ¡°Only when she''s working. But there are certain things I`m not quite sure of. Anyhow, I guess it''s trivial.¡± ¡°Even as her vice, there are things you do not understand¡­? Trivial or not, let''s hear it.¡± ¡°Okay then, if you say so.¡± She said. ¡°Except for the principal, I`d never see her interact with other guys. In fact, it seems she despises every man.¡± Trivial¡ª over my dead body! I had a feeling this girl is literally messing with me! ¡°Though I`m Kuroyuki`s vice, but the Kuroyuki I know is the Kuroyuki who''s working.¡± ¡°And your point?¡± ¡°You will be living with her under the same roof, and you might be able to witness a side of her which no one else knew. But then again, who knew how will she react?¡± She had a point. But why does the principal design such a system for us to be living under the same roof?! ¡°¡­Okay¡­ what is the worst case possible?¡± ¡°Death, probably.¡± It''s A matter of life and death!? ¡°I DON''T WANT TO HEAR THAT!!!¡± ¡°It''s probably a joke.¡± ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN PROBABLY!? MY LIFE IS AT STAKE ALL OF THE SUDDEN!¡± ¡°You will be fine~¡± She reminded me once again. ¡°Like I said, both you and Kuroyuki are the abnormal ones.¡± Abnormal, huh? She worded this way on purpose. If the words she uses are like special or unique¡­ that`d make us no less sound like a monster. She took our feelings into consideration. ¡­Quite thoughtful of her. ¡°Thank you~ Persia is very happy when you praised her~¡± Why on earth are you talking from the third person perspective all of the sudden like my little sister? ¡°Please talk normally, Persia. You just reminded me of some sort of nightmare¡­¡± ¡°Nightmare? I see¡­ so you were already planning on which coffin you should buy¡­¡± ¡°I`m not a mummy or vampire and I`m not going to die!¡± When she suddenly threw me those words out of the blue, I was stunned for a moment because I need to process her words. As usual, her topic switching skills were too sudden. I had a hard time catching up. Gun and system¡­? And what are we talking about again? Abnormal? ¡°You mean the old model auto pistol?¡± I referred. By the way, the pistols I made were P18C. ¡°That''s right. Because the system''s main function was to allow something simple to be made, and most students use weapons such as knives, swords, spears, bows, daggers, and so on¡­ You realized your first pistol failed to work, is it not?¡± ¡°So that''s why¡­ because the mechanism of a pistol was too complicated. That''s why when I separate the parts and organise them one by one, it works.¡± ¡°Yes. Something like think out of the box, I guess?¡± ¡°Hold on¡ª then doesn''t this turn out to be super hard!? Those holograms had guns!? What is he thinking? Is he expecting us to be good enough to fight with melee weapons!?¡± ¡°It was expected to. But the way you use the swords are quite common among the S Ranks. But as for the shield... no one uses that since it`s not recognised as a weapon. How did you pull that off?¡± My immediate answer leaves Persia to be speechless. Because the answer is overly obvious. ¡°It feels like I''m taking water with my hands instead of using a container¡­ hahaha¡­¡± She murmurs. It seems a little self-decrepitating for her. ¡°It''s fine. You merely sort things out a little extreme. You just have to think simple enough.¡± ¡°Simple enough¡­ Maybe I will. Even if I`m stuck, I''m sure you will help me~¡± ¡°That depends. I had my own problems at hand. So I''m not sure I have the time and power to help you.¡± ¡°Then¡­ if I asked for help, will you come and save me?¡± ¡°No, I can''t save you. I''m not that almighty. But I can help you to find a way to save yourself or lend you a hand, I guess¡­¡± ¡°Hehe~ Then I will find you when the time really comes~¡± These two words are on the verge from escaping out from my tongue. But it did not, as the main entrance in front of us was opened, as if someone is pushing it inwards. ¡°Such a fancy looking door.¡± ¡°I know, right~? This academy sure is rich~¡± We`d step into it. To a lobby, once again. Unlike the Student Council Presidents Building, this lobby is empty. Though there are several expensive decorations hung and placed all over it, there`d be nothing but a lift on the left middle of the hallway, a staircase at the end of the hallway, and a door at the right end of the hallway. ¡°Follow me~¡± Persia told me. We`d enter the lift. It then closes and moves to the 1st floor automatically. I wondered where that door at the lobby leads to¡­? At any rate, I`m getting nervous again. Though my chat with Persia made me calm down for a moment, but now I''m nervous again. The lift opens. There''s A door right in front of us. Of course, yet another fancy looking door made with glass. We stepped out from the lift. If I`m correct, our current position was in the middle of a hallway, similar to the lobby. Though I`d seen a staircase at the left of the hallway, that isn''t the end of it. There''s A turn after a corner, I guess it leads to somewhere else, I guess I will check on it later. Similarly, the right side of the hallway too¡ª except it does not have the staircase. Surprisingly, out of the three possible choices, Persia walked forward and pressed the doorbell screen right next to the door in front of us. The closest one. This was too sudden. My heart was left completely unprepared. ¡°Hehe~ Nervous, aren''t you~?¡± She''s making fun of me. The door slides up afterwards. There''s no chance for me to make a comeback with a retort. I took a peek from the outside, but what I saw was nothing but a vast space within. ¡°Sorry to intrude, but I`m coming in~¡± Persia said, and entered the room. I took a deep breath, and tailed behind. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± The scenery of the room completely left me with nothing but a dropping jaw. WHAT THE HECK!? ISN''T THIS PLACE TOO LARGE TO BE A CLASSROOM!!? With just a glance, I immediately understood the structure and size of this room. Except for the height, it had the exact same area like the training room! I then looked around. If I didn`t check for the air conditioning system, I`d never realize that the ceiling was made of glass. High-class paintings were hung on the walls, and there were ornamental plants around the room. The interior design looked like a six-star hotel. Personal study devices, air conditioning system, fridges, a newest model office chair, a kitchen, a meeting room, and so on. This surely was more than enough space, facilities and equipment¡ª for just two students to use¡­! And all of them seem to be the latest technology of what this island is able to provide. But yet¡­ ¡­apart from all of those, what was most obviously distinct from everything else in the room, was a single girl, reading a book under the light of the sun. An illusion. As if it¡¯s like a painting. The moment I saw it, both my mind and body froze. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Realizing there were visitors, the girl placed a bookmark in her paperback book and looked up. After she gave me a quick once-over with a cold look in her eyes, she muttered in displeasure. ¡°¡­¡­Why is he here?¡± She asks Persia. If I recall back on what I know about Kuroyuki Shiroha, then her question (that looks simple) isn''t something that simple. If it`s about my enrollment, then she''d already know because the principal might`ve already informed her. She''d already known when she saw my white blazer. She''d already known when she fought me. It shouldn''t be related to something from my identity as a special student, as her partner. Then what could she mean by that? My brain immediately traces me back to the source of it. ¡®Postscript, one escaped¡¯ immediately pops up inside my mind. ¡°L-Like I said, I`m not one of them¡­!¡± Crap, I stuttered. ¡°¡­SILENCE.¡± In that moment. As if a gust of wind suddenly hurls to me, smacking on my face¡ª though there are none. As if a scythe was placed on my neck, and moving a single step would`ve sliced off my neck. As if a gun was placed on my forehead, and even a slightest movement would`t trigger it. As if I`m facing a person that''s even more dangerous than a demon. I tried to run. But I can''t move. It''s as if my feet were being nailed to the floor. It''s even worse than getting crushed under several tons of weight. There`s not even a room for my body to tremble. There''s no room for my legs to shake. What is this¡­? Fear? That can''t be. Something like this was supposed to be useless years ago. It''s her killing intent. It''s so strong that one doesn''t even have the strength to react. Absurd; Ridiculous; Disgusting¡­! What on earth had you been through¡­!? Why on earth do you have those eyes like you`ve taken several thousands of lives¡­!? I don''t want that¡­! ¡°¡­You passed.¡± ¡°Gu¡ª hah¡­!¡± As if everything, like a curse, has suddenly been lifted. My foot that refused to move finally stepped forward, and I''d managed to take a breath. ¡°¡­Persia, why is he here?¡± Kuroyuki stared at Persia. ¡°Well¡­ Instead of sending him to the disciplinary committee, I`d suggest him to be placed under your custody~¡± It seems we are back on that topic; about how they should deal with me. So¡­ this means I will be under Kuroyuki`s watch. I seriously thought that was just a joke, but it''s actually something serious. If that''s the case, I need to defend myself. ¡°Custody? I did nothing wrong! It was a coincidence¡­!¡± I said to Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Then blame yourself for matching too well with their timing.¡± It seems no matter the reason, Kuroyuki will definitely give me a punishment. ¡°I apologize, then.¡± ¡°¡­Apology rejected. You don''t even know what you were apologizing for.¡± She''s right. I have no idea what I have done wrong. In fact, I`m completely innocent. ¡°You can''t blame him, it''s not like you don''t know he had a bad sense of direction~¡± Persia interrupted. Bad sense of direction¡­? Me? ¡°¡­Having a bad sense of direction isn''t an excuse.¡± That said, Kuroyuki glared at me. ¡°It''s not an excuse! And I don''t have a bad sense of direction!¡± ¡°¡°You do.¡±¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± They synchronised in that moment. ¡°Okay then~ I will not allow any disagreement, objection, protest, questions or retorts! From today onwards, this guy here will officially become your one and only classmate and partner~!¡± ¡°¡­Rejected.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. Right¡­ That''s not included in Persia`s vocabulary just now. Then allow me to add a punchline. ¡°I''m fine with it.¡± ¡°No it''s not! Why are you agreeing with Kuroyuki?!¡± Persia was genuinely surprised. Wait. Kuroyuki was genuinely surprised too!? ¡°¡­Such humiliation. I take that as an insult, then?¡± She shot me a horrifying glare. ¡­This girl shaved off my pride like it''s something cheap from the supermarket. ¡°What humiliation?! I''m the one being insulted instead!¡± I said, ¡°I don`t care whether you hated me or not, until you find someone who can replace me¡ª I will be staying here!¡± Kuroyuki`s horrifying glare was no longer there. Instead of denying all the way till the end¡­ ¡°...Sure, if you insist.¡± ¡­she agreed to it so easily. With a smirk (not an obvious one). My emotions¡­ Flip-flopped like crazy throughout the conversation with Kuroyuki. It felt like it`s completely being toyed with. ¡°I knew you''d agree~¡± Persia said, with a satisfying look. ¡°Well then, everyone¡­ I will be taking my leave~¡± She looks at me with a smile. You are going to leave me here alone with Kuroyuki!? Just as Persia was going to move¡­ ¡°H-Hey¡­! Wait a minute!¡± Out of confusion, I quickly grabbed Persia`s shoulder with my right hand. ¡°Ahn~!!?¡± She made a shiver. Kuroyuki looks a little darkly when I grab Persia on her shoulder. But I guess she''s merely annoyed by Persia`s m??ning voice. ¡°¡­Stop it, it''s annoying.¡± She said it! ¡°I¡­ I can''t help it! He suddenly grabbed my s?ns?t?v? spot¡­!¡± Persia retorted. ¡°Sensitive spot? Be careful with your words young lady¡­!¡± ¡°W-Why did you tell me to wait¡­?¡± ¡­She ignored my retorts. Like something natural, as if she''s breathing. It''s not like I care, on second thought. ¡°¡­Am I not good enough for you?¡± Kuroyuki interjected, staring at me with her usual cold stare. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Though her expression looks cold, I can tell there`s some discontented tone mixed within. ¡°Kuroyuki`s not good enough for you, huh¡­¡± Persia whispered to me. ¡­With a glare full of despise. I`d say, she really respects Kuroyuki from the bottom of her heart. Her glare and whisper were on purpose. She did it so Kuroyuki`s feelings wouldn''t get hurt. But here''s one thing¡­ ¡°Allow me to deny your conclusion.¡± I immediately replied with a whisper and a deadly serious look. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°It was the other way around.¡± I whispered. ¡°I''m the one not good enough for her.¡± ¡°Kuroyuki, did you hear that~?¡± Hah? My head faced Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Very clearly. Hehe¡­¡± She`d wrap her words with a chuckle. But yet it sounds evil¡­ Wait a second! That''s not the reason why I stopped Persia from leaving! I was being guided along¡­! ¡°You say that on purpose just to make me admit it!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­who knows?¡± Such a sly one she is. ¡°Alright~ Back to where we start¡­¡± Persia said to me. ¡°Why did you grab my shoulder?¡± ¡­Ah. I quickly retreated my hand¡­ ¡­and realized something afterwards. ¡°Hey! That''s not the question you asked earlier¡­!¡± ¡°I messed up~ Teehee~¡± Again, it''s on purpose. She''s making fun of me¡­ That`d leave a bad impression on Kuroyuki¡­ as it already had been. ¡­This is bad. Though I don''t punch girls, she pushed me to the verge to punch her. At any rate¡­ I''m quite certain Persia already understood why I stopped her. Perhaps she did so just to lighten up the mood. ¡°¡­Don`t worry. There`s plenty of awkwardness to spend for the rest of your days here.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. Dang¡­ she`s even sharper than Persia. She`d start reading at her book again, not giving me an ounce of concern. ¡°Well¡­ This is all I can do.¡± Persia said to me. ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± I`d reply. ¡°Well then, I will be leaving now~¡± She told Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Take care.¡± Kuroyuki lifted her head and faced Persia. Persia then turns to the direction of the door. Perhaps I could use this chance to give Persia a farewell as well as to step outside this room to avoid this tension for a while¡­ ¡°¡­On that note. Do you want to face my wrath¡­?¡± ¡­Kuroyuki stared at me. Coldly. With that remark, my escape route has been cut off completely. ¡°Good luck~¡± Persia winked. With haste, Persia calmly exits the class with the door closing automatically. Leaving both of us behind. ¡­Alone. Chapter 10 - 1.9 The development is so entirely in context that I can only apologize, apparently ever since Persia left, I had been standing near the glass door¡ª without moving an inch for more than 30 seconds already. And Kuroyuki ignored my existence completely by reading her book silently, not even bothering to take up her guard towards me. Yet, she does not have any openings. ¡­Scary. Is this the confidence of the strongest student? Unlike Persia Silverlight¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha doesn''t seem to be the interactive type. Awkwardness and tension has no meaning to her, because she''s the one who created them instead. I would be feeling a whole lot less stressed if they had just left me by myself. Being in an isolated environment as I usually am, would make me feel more at ease. ¡­The sound of a page of her book flipping was so dreadfully slow that I could hear it flapping loudly. The blanket of tension in this very classroom is truly and extremely suffocating. Even though I had my complaints about this situation, such was already anticipated right even before from the start, so anything related to my complaints were now all turned to nothingness. ¡­So awkward. Anyways¡­ Kuroyuki Shiroha. The very legendary celebrity of the Imperial Knights Academy is right in front of my eyes. I originally thought I was going to scream excitedly like an extremist fan who saw his favourite idol. But things definitely do not turn out to how I expected to be. I guess any random schoolmate who got the chance to sight her might try to get an autograph, but I guess it will be futile till the very bitter end. The ¡®stay away from me¡¯ aura she`s emitting is too freakishly strong. ¡­That''s why I was forced to stay on edge, near the door. I doubt there`s any student in this school here other than Persia is able to get hers. How could she even manage that? At any rate, I never thought that through this turn of events, I could be acquainted with her. What''s more, it turns out I`m the only one in this school who had such a privilege to be sharing the same classroom with the school`s legend. Ever since I`ve known about the achievements she`d made, which the information was sent to me by ¡®that guy¡¯, also known as the principal of the Imperial Knights Academy (I had some grudge with him, so whenever I mentioned ¡®that guy¡¯ or ¡®that person¡¯ or ¡®that bastard¡¯, all of it meant him)¡ª my interest was piqued. Because she had such amazing talent, I`d never thought she could be this stunningly beautiful. Normally talented people were usually average looking... or worse, perhaps. Though beauty is not something that can be decided about oneself subjectively¡­ But anyways, I judged based on my opinion¡­ If I say my little sis is cute, then you`d have no choice but to think she''s cute. In other words, she''s talented and beautiful¡ª exactly what Persia had told me. And the word ¡®unfair¡¯ had crossed my mind for a moment. The thought of the God of Creation to be ¡®unfair¡¯, crossed my mind¡ª until I saw her expression. A pained expression that I could never forget¡ª that etched deep into my heart. The God of Creation was too fair, in fact. I know she suffered through hell once. Such a thing was not supposed to happen to a young teenage human girl like her. That''s why, as who she is now¡­ I had no complaints. Now then, back to where I started¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± How awkward. Nothing has changed. Should I approach and talk to her? But then again, I think I shouldn''t be hasty. I don''t even know what to talk about. If I approach carelessly, I might end up being dead, at worst case¡ª or so I was told by Persia. Okay¡­ I might be exaggerating about this life and death matter. Let''s just ?ssume this as something like ¡®near death¡¯. At any rate, I had been trying to read her for quite a while, but there''s nothing I could read at all. I sort of understood Persia`s feelings now. You can''t blame me for acting like a chicken. I had never been through such an awkward situation in my life. If I were to explain our current situation, it`d be¡­ One boy and one girl, locked in a room. A d¨¦j¨¤ vu. If there`s the slightest misunderstanding, my reputation will be gone for good. When I was with Persia¡ª I don''t even have the time to think about our situation. Both of us are guiding our conversations and we are having our little chat the whole way. Why does everything turn out to be this different when I was with Kuroyuki Shiroha? I need an SOS¡ª Hmm¡­? An email icon suddenly popped up. Could it be Persia¡­? ¡®From: The Principal of the Imperial Knights Academy¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Speak of the devil. Such perfect timing. Is he stalking me? If there''s a choice, I`d like to delete or ignore his email¡ª and he knew I was going to do so, so he spammed another three times afterwards. Fine then. Let''s see what you wrote¡­ ¡®Dear special student number 2,¡¯ ¡­Now he didn''t even bother to put my name. But come to think of it, at least it''s better than the nickname he gave me. ¡®First and foremost, I`d like to congratulate you for finally enrolling in my academy. It seems you scored second in the entrance exams¡ª second. Haha, I laughed for quite a while. Is the confidence you boasted so proudly about was nothing but a farce? If you''d like, I could send you my laughing recording.¡¯ YOU SHITTY OLD MAN!!! WHAT DID I EVER DID TO YOU!? IT''S NOT EVEN MY FAULT!!! ¡­Curse the other me. He''s the one who simply made a deal to him! The second email expands afterwards. ¡®I`d ?ssume you already deleted my email once at this point. Why such a hurry? Did something good happen? Well¡­ of course you were. After all, you were arranged to the same class with the school''s number one flower. And I''m sure you''d realize by now, but I will remind you just in case. One boy, one girl. Inside a locked room. And will be living under the same roof.¡¯ On another impulse, I deleted the email. Damn. I hate it when he''s right. The third email pops up. ¡®I ?ssumed you deleted my email again. At any rate, I don`t think you`ve the guts nor power to ?ssault her, and thanks to that¡ª I`m now rest ?ssured. I will leave this troublesome student under your care, and it will last till you graduate.¡¯ ¡®Anyways, do you like to know why I have sent you an email? Because you were now standing at the edge of the classroom, with nothing to do but to struggle inside your mind¡ª trying to start a conversation to the girl in front of you. And you were unable to do so because you were such a useless brat. So I sent you an email because you clearly needed help.¡¯ I deleted the email. ...the fourth and last email pops up. ¡®Be careful now. This is the last email. You sure don''t know how to appreciate my help, don`t you? But I''m a nice guy, so I will let this slide through. Remember, I''m a nice guy, so here''s a present for you to kill time as well. If you look at the file below, it contains the plans about the building you currently stand. And I suggest you should check the classroom first.¡¯ I breathed heavily as I tried to forget his sarcasm. ¡­Maybe not. The next time I see him, I''m definitely going to punch him with all I`ve got. Putting that aside, I selected the file below. Another screen appeared and expanded to an A3 size¡ª displaying the whole structure of the special building with a 3D view. Huh¡­ this building has a name, known as ¡®The White Mansion¡¯. Hmm¡­ I guess it`s copying the name like ¡®The White House¡¯. I selected the first floor. The screen then zooms in to the first floor, with the first floor`s structure placed on top view. By the way, the first floor contains three rooms. My classroom, Kuroyuki`s room, and my room. Our bedrooms are one-sixth of the whole first floor each. The path at both sides when you walk outside the lift was actually an entrance towards our room. Kuroyuki`s room was at the right while mine was at the left. I then selected the classroom. It then zooms in again to the classroom, still at top view. It''s like we were inside a box. If you look in from the main entrance, the left side¡ª one third of the area was covered by the kitchen and dining section. In that one third area, the kitchen section is twice the size of the dining section. Since we were allowed to cook, I selected the kitchen`s three dimensional model. Wow. I will skip the details here¡ª this kitchen is something like a dream kitchen for chefs. It contains the most advanced and best kitchenware as well as a 100% guarantee of ingredients with great quality and freshness. This means I can cook anything as long as I know how to. Sweet. Now, the dining section. It consists of two tables for dining¡ª one big and one small. The large table is suitable for around 18 persons while the small one is suitable for 4 persons. There are several other sofas and tea tables. From the look of it, it seems we are allowed to invite some friends to come over¡ª but it''s not like I have a friend or something¡­ Next, the centre. Ignoring the door from the entrance as well as both of the doors connected to our rooms, the centre was limited to a square space. The square space contains our personal chairs, freely movable and some highly advanced function¡ª like some sort of butler serving drinks or massages. Since the teachers aren''t allowed to enter The White Mansion, they will be teaching from their own simulation room. It seems the classroom will be projected by a three dimensional hologram; the teachers can interact with us through the hologram. At the right side of the upper half corner of the classroom¡ª is the arts and crafts section. Starting from traditional arts such as drawing, painting, ceramics, sculptures, etc¡­ And there`s modern arts such as digital drawing, printmaking, and so on. A variety of choices. I`m the art person type, but it seems I won''t ever get bored with this. Lastly, the bottom right corner¡ª the meeting room. It is specifically requested from the principal. Any meeting between us and the principal will be held inside that room, protected by an isolating system to make sure not a single byte of the data we discussed leaked out. Huh¡­ this is quite convenient. But it doesn''t seem to be designed by that bastard. Let''s just finish what he has first. ¡®Yeah, yeah. I know what you are thinking. As if I had time to design this stupid mansion that burned so much of my finance. Obviously, the girl in front of you was the one who designed it¡ª from the structure till the interior systems. If you need the administration system as well as the specific details about this mansion¡ª just ask her. I gave you an opportunity to talk, so cherish it.¡¯ Fine, I appreciate it. But no matter how much you helped¡ª I still hate you. ¡®Lastly, here`s a warning. Persia Silverlight was just a first year`s student council president, and I''m sure you already know that your authority is higher than her and even the executives, just below me¡ª any information you have been doing as a special student needs to be kept a secret. DO NOT RUN YOUR MOUTH AND EXPOSE ANY UNNECESSARY CLASSIFIED SECRETS TO ANYONE, GOT IT? But of course, there are two students who are exceptional. Obviously, your partner, Kuroyuki Shiroha. As for the second one¡ª I will tell you some other time. Try to deal with your partner first¡ª although I may have told her about your arrival, but who knows what she will do to you? I can''t wait to see how you were going to surrender. I will definitely record your face when you beg me to expel you.¡¯ After finishing the last sentence, something inside my brain seems to have snapped. GOD, I HATE HIM!!! Just as I was about to delete the email, I noticed there was still something written below. ¡®If by chance you didn''t delete the email and saw this¡ª Though I hate to say this to you, good luck and enjoy your school-life here. We will meet soon, very soon.¡¯ Hmm¡­ Maybe he''s not that bad of a person after all. He just likes to tease me¡­ ¡®P.S. I`m short of funds lately, when will you resupply the funds for the academy?¡¯ ¡­or not. What do you take me for? An Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? Let''s reply to something I''d learnt from social media. ¡®FUCK YOU OLD MAN.¡¯ And send. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Satisfying. ¡°¡­how about you stop standing there, making that disgusting look and sit down already?¡± ¡­A cold muttering. Her chilling voice made my spine shivered. Ugh. She was really displeased. Her eyes are glaring at me as if to say ¡®You are annoying, why are you even alive?¡¯ She''s probably the only person who could glare at me with perfectly unwavering, shudderingly cold eyes. Really. Do you need to go that far? And you`d even told me to sit next to you, too. With that glare, anyone who sat just next to you would`ve felt pressurized. So¡­ Maybe until I could get used to it. ¡°Yeah¡­ no thanks.¡± ¡°¡­do I need to repeat myself¡­?¡± A soulless, cold, and scary glare topped with a chillingly cold voice. I couldn''t help but flinch. A reflex, if you will. It seems I don''t have any other choice. ¡°...Don''t even think about it.¡± ¡°Erk¡­!¡± I intended to move my chair further away from her. She completely saw through it and shut me down before I could do so. With nothing left, I completely obeyed her and sat on my seat. Uncomfortably. Just when I realized it, she''s been messing with her screen while keeping me in check. It seems she was messing with the system even before she told me to sit. ¡°Whoa?!¡± My floating chair suddenly moves¡ª no, our chairs are moving. It seems Kuroyuki is moving us to the window¡­ Huh? From the floor plan earlier, aren''t we like, inside a box? The window is installed right next to the door to Kuroyuki`s room. If there''s a window, aren`t I`m supposed to see Kuroyuki`s room instead of the outside scenery¡­? ¡°¡­this is a monitor connected to all of the views of the windows within this building.¡± Kuroyuki said. ¡°I`m merely connecting it to the window in my room.¡± That said, she activated another screen. Shifting the views from each window that was displayed on the monitor. ¡°¡­I`m giving you the administrative system of this mansion now.¡± She murmured. ¡®Kuroyuki Shiroha is sending multiple files to you. Accept?¡¯ ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± Accept. It completed after a few seconds. ¡­She even gave me the details about the mansion`s control system. ¡®¡­That was sudden.¡¯ I thought. Seeing that I''m being unresponsive due to the sudden change of atmosphere, Kuroyuki took me back to reality by shooting me with her deadly glare. ¡°¡­what is it that you want to ask?¡± An angel-like voice, followed by a cold smile. ¡­the fact that even that kind of combination could look good on Kuroyuki was a mystery. ¡°Erm¡­ I think I will understand how this building works after I play around with the administrative system.¡± I replied as I gave her a sceptical look. Kuroyuki said nothing. Not even demanding any thanks or whatsoever. She tilted her head slightly to her right with her unchanging, cold smile¡ª implying that I should spit out what''s inside of my mind before she got annoyed. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She noticed. This girl¡­ is crazily scary, sharp, and forceful. Before I''m going to say what''s on my mind, I took a deep breath. ¡°Why did you choose me?¡± I said, ¡°Even though you`d agreed I`m not good enough for you¡­¡± Directly, straight to the point. ¡°¡­I didn''t choose. You are the one who chose to stay.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± I was dumbfounded. I`m the one who chose to stay¡­? Kuroyuki then appeared to be slightly miffed. For some reason, her gaze directed away from me, and she had a distant look in her eyes. Thanks to that, I found myself realizing that the gentle curve of the outline of her chin to her neck was beautiful. ¡°¡­You are the only one who stayed from my glare¡­¡± A glare that could kill ten peoples¡ª but that was only the surface of it. It''s as if she killed several thousand before. But despite that, there''s still something deep within¡ª something else¡­ as if she''s the one who''s asking me to stay here instead. ¡°¡­and the second strongest¡­¡± She whispered. It''s extremely quiet. It was so quiet that it wasn''t meant to be heard. But I hear it. A remark that can''t be ignored. ¡°If I`m the second strongest you`ve met so far, why didn''t you choose the strongest?¡± Though she appeared to have flinched for a slight moment¡ª but Kuroyuki did not say anything. She merely responded with a self-deprecating smile as she looked away from the monitor. Afterwards, she took a small breath. A small breath that sounds extremely tired, painful and chillingly cold¡ª as it echoed throughout the silent classroom. ¡­Even an idiot would know how to respond towards that. It''s too late to pretend I did not hear anything. All I can do is to apologize. ¡°¡­¡­sorry¡ª¡± ¡°No, it''s my fault for not being considerate¡­¡± Yet, Kuroyuki apologized to me before I could do so. She looked at me with an unwavering look. ¡°¡­it''s alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is the first time she''d shown me her actual smile. As she smiled, I learned whether or not she had dimples or a double tooth peeking out. In other words, she was really cute. ¡­Such a foul play. ¡°¡­I''m quite astonished.¡± She suddenly murmurs. ¡°Astonished?¡± It''d probably be about me. Well, it was just a guess. I couldn''t tell what she''s thinking at all. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Somehow, she leaned forward and stared at me with a serious gaze¡ª as if she''s trying to take a closer look, as if she''s trying to see through me. Her gaze reminds me of Persia. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Erm¡­?¡± She''d been staring at me for five whole seconds already. It made me all tensed up. There seems to be many things on her mind, but it seems she`s sorting her questions by order. Here comes¡­ ¡°¡­are you a stalker?¡± ¡°What!? That''s what you were thinking!?¡± Her first question totally blew off my mind. I was expecting something way more than that. Is this a joke? ¡°¡­answer honestly. Your life and death depends on it.¡± She uttered. She''s totally serious! So¡­ Persia`s joke can''t even be considered as a joke at all. ¡°I''m not.¡± I protested. ¡°Why would I even stalk you for¡­?¡± ¡°¡­because I''m too beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki said it naturally without being particularly embarrassed nor prideful. Rather, she wore her usual, unchanging cold expression. ¡°¡­you already knew why I set up a force field.¡± She added. Kuroyuki then puffed her cheeks a little and looked away. She looks somewhat irritated as if she recalled some unpleasant memories. ¡°Well yeah¡­ that may be so¡­¡± There''s no room for me to disagree at all. Her beauty is truly something¡­ troubling. ¡°¡­You have no idea how hard it is for me. 96% of the boys and 73% of the girls in this academy confessed to me.¡± ¡°How extreme! That''s nearly three quarters of the academy?!¡± I inadvertently blurted out. I didn''t expect her to record this. ¡­Now I see her reason. With this sort of number, it''s definitely necessary to take her guard up against perverts and stalkers. You could say she''s probably the type to say ¡®being beautiful is a sin¡¯. It is. I can''t even look at her in the eye for more than 10 seconds. Any much more than that my mind would start to turn blank and something within me would start to run wild. ¡°¡­¡­So, you are here to stalk me, aren''t you?¡± Such ear-piercing words. ¡°No way! He! Didn''t we just finish that already!?¡± ¡°¡­Then, the next one. I can tell you are itching to confess, prepare yourself.¡± Kuroyuki leaned back on her chair and glared at me with intent to kill. The classroom`s atmosphere¡ª I mean it, turned cold. My lungs hurt every time I breathe. This is bad. I need to stop her before I`d actually die for real. ¡°Just calm down! Why are you ?ssuming that I`ve got a thing for you!?¡± ¡°¡­You are here to amend what you`ve failed. There''s no better reason for you to make an excuse for getting lost all the way up there.¡± She nonchalantly ???ked her head in puzzlement and made a confused face. ¡­So she would have acted cute whenever she wanted. I`ll admit¡ª you got a ten out of ten there. So all of those she said we''re just to guide our conversation to clear her doubts. Her doubts on my appearance at the ¡®Pink Drop¡¯ tree. She`d guide it so naturally too. This girl is cunning as usual. But there''s no way for me to clear her doubts. I`m sure the answer I said was definitely not the answer she wanted to hear. Guess I will just answer honestly. ¡°Believe me, I don`t know it either.¡± I said with an awkward smile. ¡°¡­Okay. I believe you.¡± ¡°What!? You really do!?¡± I was completely caught off guard. I didn''t expect her to believe me¡­! ¡°¡­But¡­¡± Kuroyuki hesitated for a moment. ¡°...nearly every male organism that approached me confessed¡­ Unless¡ª you are¡­¡± She had a disgusted look on her face. A belittling look, as if she''s staring at a germ. She''d word it as ¡®male organism¡¯ too. If I don`t refute her claim, then there`s no point in living as a man anymore. Accepting myself to be gay is something I`d choose to die instead. ¡°I`m not gay! Why do you even have such a conclusion!?¡± ¡°¡­Even a married scum is willing to throw away his family.¡± Kuroyuki`s eyes flashed as if it`s shooting daggers at me, with a scowl deadly enough to make a sound. Only a girl cursed by beauty was capable of such an expression so alarmingly powerful that it would unwillingly draw you in and completely overwhelm you. ¡­that is to say, it was seriously scary. Though it may sound romantic for a moment¡ª but I couldn''t agree more to her ¡®scum¡¯ remark. Throwing away your family just like that¡­ is nothing but the works of scum. If you don`t love your wife, then don`t marry her right from the start! Such stupidity. She must`ve felt terrified when she heard about this. It''s my fault for reminding her of such a tragedy¡ª I better apologize. ¡°Kuroyuki, I¡ª¡± PAK! She snaps her fingers. ¡°¡ªWHOA HEY!!?¡± In that very instant, an ice spear suddenly came flying to me¡ª aiming my neck. Luckily my reflexes are fast enough to catch it in time¡ª with my right hand, just a few centimetres away from my neck. ¡°(Huff¡­ Huff¡­) WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR!!?¡± I glared at her. Because it was so abruptly sudden, I yelled to her out of a burst of anger¡ª without sparing a single thought on who she was. And before I''d realize it¡ª her spear was snapped into two by my grip. However, our Kuroyuki Shiroha did not feel the least bit afraid, and instead she reacted by returning a dead-serious glare as she voiced out her thoughts. ¡°¡­You are going to CONFESS, aren''t you?¡± Dang. She`s being dead serious on something stupid. ¡­Now I don''t really give a damn. ¡°I was going to apologize for reminding you of something unpleasant! I know you are s?ns?t?v? to things like these, shouldn`t you at least let me finish my sentence before you are going to attack!?¡± When I came to realize it, I was standing. Naturally, I was looking down to her. ¡­And Kuroyuki was completely surprised. Perhaps this is the first time someone at her same age scolded her. Honestly, a part of me was thinking¡ª I''m dead for good. And another part of me was thinking to finish my sentence before I`m going to die. ¡­Both parts are saying that my chance of survival was zero. So I would die either way¡­ ¡°Sigh¡­ I`m your partner. Can`t you give me the slightest bit of trust?¡± I hung my head low and placed my hand on my temple as I sat back on my chair naturally. ¡°¡­I`m sorry...¡± Kuroyuki`s expression became despondent after she reflected on her actions. Thank goodness. I survived. ¡°You really are different...¡± She murmured, with a bitter smile. ¡°Nah¡­ I forgive you. It''s not your fault to begin with.¡± ¡°¡­you have no idea how hard it is for me to deal with them¡­¡± She''s extremely annoyed by it. To mean it, she deliberately huffs out a small sigh to enhance her irritation. I inadvertently remembered her words from earlier. 96% of the boys¡­ And yet¡ª ¡°Not a single one caught your eye¡­? Aren''t there at least someone out there you are interested in?¡± ¡°¡­Ngh¡­¡± Kuroyuki pouted, ¡°I''m giving you a chance¡­¡± then she furrowed her brows and glared at me. Is this a warning¡­? It seems like it. To be honest, her grumble was so cute that I doubted it for a moment. All my attention was focused on the ¡®ngh¡­¡¯ part that hit on me so unexpectedly. ¡°No, no, no. I''m not going to hit on you.¡± I quickly denied. ¡°It was just pure curiosity.¡± ¡°¡­Have you ever heard? Curiosity kills the cat.¡± She`s warning me not to pry any deeper¡­ But if I turned her words on the other way¡­ ¡°You could actually rest ?ssured of that. I`m not a cat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Not good. Her eyes narrowed. She''s thinking I''m taking her as a fool. ¡°Look here, it''s not that I have friends to talk to.¡± Admitting I don''t have any friends doesn''t hurt one bit. But when she''s on the verge of actually laughing, it actually succeeded to do some damage to me. ¡°I-It''s not like you have friends either!¡± I remarked. I`m quite certain she had a situation similar to me. Alone. Lonely. However, as Kuroyuki shifted her gaze back at me and stared at me with a tender gaze yet a sombre smile¡ª I understood something. That person¡ª her friend, saved her. Like how a certain someone saved me. ¡°¡­True. I don''t have friends here.¡± She said. ¡°¡­Even you of all the other people here¡­ could only stare into my eyes for ten seconds at most.¡± Urk. She realized¡­! ¡°May¡­ maybe I will get used to it someday.¡± I laughed awkwardly. ¡°¡­perhaps.¡± She murmured softly¡ª with a smile. A sombre smile that froze on her face. I might''ve said something wrong¡­ it seems she remembered something unpleasant. Though anyone would`ve pretended nothing had happened to her¡­ but I had a feeling inside me¡ª I just can''t leave her alone no matter what. If that''s the case¡­ let''s start with something obvious. She could`ve already known but¡­ I guess I will go with it. ¡°Ah, right. I forgot to introduce myself¡­ my name is¡­¡± ¡°¡­Special Student Number Two?¡± Kuroyuki interrupted. ¡°That''s not a freaking name!¡± I yelled at her. ¡°¡­I know. But the principal told me to call you that¡­¡± ¡°Just ignore him!¡± That stinking bastard¡­ My name isn''t something to mess with! ¡°¡­Fine then, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare.¡± Ugh¡­ She really knows my name. Someone high and almighty like her knew my name. I actually felt a little honoured¡­ or even proud. But that tone¡ª if I`m not mistaken¡­ Persia called me by my full name with such a tone earlier¡ª when she questioned me. ¡°Go on.¡± I told her. ¡°¡­Why did you come all the way here? What is your purpose? Your goal¡­?¡± I wondered why, but there''s a bit of sadness masked behind Kuroyuki`s usual cold expression. Of course, I don''t know the reason why she acted like that. There`s no way I would`ve asked. All I can do¡ª is to answer her question like how I answered Persia. ¡°I came here to enjoy school life.¡± I said. Kuroyuki immediately let out a short scorning sigh. ¡°¡­It''s fine. We had a secret or two.¡± As expected¡­ she could tell it''s a lie right away. ¡°¡­But you need a less obvious lie other than that.¡± She remarked. ¡­Is it really that obvious? ¡°Like what?¡± I said. ¡°¡­I came here for the 100% employment rate.¡± She said flatly. ¡°If someone other than you who takes this as a reason, I might believe it.¡± Kuroyuki rubbed the right side of her forehead with her forefinger, it''s as if she seemed to have a headache. ¡°¡­What makes you think so?¡± She refuted. I think anyone would have answered her easily. She''s an overwhelmingly talented person. She''s already well-suited enough to be the top-tier elite at the society''s market. But obviously, she knew that herself. That''s why her question actually meant ¡®there''s nothing wrong with it, so come and expose me if you can.¡¯ Well¡­ it''s not like I could easily win against you in an argument¡­ I need a piece of solid evidence. I stood up and went to the arts and craft section, taking a finished painting from the wooden rack stand. It''s A painting that caught my eye when I was looking around the classroom. It''s A simple painting of the ¡®Pink Drop¡¯ tree. But yet¡ª the clouds moved; The grass fields swayed by the wind; The leaves of the trees rustles; The pink light sparkles; As if the painting itself was alive. It was truly a masterpiece. I took a quick glance at her, confirming that it was her work¡ª I placed the painting back on the rack, walked back and sat down on my chair. So¡­ here comes. ¡°That painting, is it your work?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You are truly amazing.¡± ¡°¡­N.¡± Kuroyuki doesn''t look the least bit prideful. It''s as if she thinks this is something normal. ¡°How long have you practiced till you achieve this kind of level¡­?¡± ¡°¡­three months.¡± I was shocked when she replied three months so casually. Damn, is this even the work of a genius? She''s even surpassing a genius. ¡°You are scary...¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki`s forehead popped a vein. Her glaring eyes are warning me¡ª ¡®continue to spin around in circles again, and you are dead.¡¯ ¡°Alright, it''s my bad. Not even a genius is able to achieve this level in just three months! What''s driving you so far to this extent?¡± ¡°¡­What makes you say that?¡± She murmured in a monotone voice. It actually means ¡®so what¡¯? ¡°It''s fine if you consider being a painter as your future dream but¡ª obviously you aren''t. This painting may be perfect¡ª but the impression you gave me feels like you are trying to make everyone amazed till they are completely speechless. That itself already proves you aren''t here for something as simple as a 100% employment rate.¡± Hearing my argument¡ª Kuroyuki then heaved a sigh, as if to cover up her irritation. ¡°¡­I underestimated you. You understood so much in just a piece of painting¡­¡± ¡°Just how trashy do you think I am?!¡± I quickly protested against her remark. I can''t let this slide through it all young lady! ¡°¡­dumping you into a fire pit¡­¡± ¡°I don''t even get a chance to stay in a dustbin?!¡± In response to my remark, Kuroyuki gently placed her hand on her temple as though she had a headache, and hung her head low. ¡°¡­you really do consider yourself as trash¡­¡± She muttered. ¡°No, no, no it was just a joke.¡± I quickly replied. ¡°By the way, why did you come here?¡± It was meant to make her forget what I`ve said. I don''t want to leave any bad impressions on her. But then again, her reason to come here might not be as ridiculous as mine. Kuroyuki went silent. It seems she`s deciding whether to tell me. ¡°¡­Fine then.¡± She said, staring at me with a cold look. ¡°I will tell you since you want to know so much.¡± ¡°Then, what was the reason?¡± ¡°¡­I was told to come here.¡± At first, I thought she was telling a lie just like what I did. But if you`d think about it, it actually suits more to be the truth rather than a lie. ¡°Told to come¡­? By who?¡± ¡°¡­My parents. They were the executives of this academy.¡± ¡­I`m not familiar with the executives. Her parents are executives¡­? But for what reason she came here? ¡°¡­I won''t answer your question. Everyone had a secret or two.¡± If it wasn''t for my tolerance that built up when I was with Persia¡ª I would`ve told her to stop reading me. At any rate, she`s clearly telling me to stop prying any further. Then don`t worry, I won`t. I`m not the type to pry into others'' business. It''s not like I had time to pry in someone''s else matter. So¡­ after the talk we had¡ª I guess it''s time for the greeting. I stood up and took a step forward. ¡°Kuroyuki Shiroha. From today onwards, I will be counting on you.¡± I said, and reached out my right hand. It was meant for her to shake it as an agreement. Yet¡ª she`s not buying it at all. Kuroyuki stared at my right hand like it was some sort of deadly disease that`d kill her in one simple touch¡ª till the point that she''d gotten annoyed afterwards. ¡­What happened? Isn''t it just an extremely simple handshake that everyone does it normally? ¡°¡­That''s how it is.¡± She uttered. ¡°Huh?¡± I was stunned by the shock. ¡°¡­You are here to harass me like those scums¡­ you should die after all¡­!¡± The moment her eyes narrowed¡ª the atmosphere immediately turned cold and dense. I had difficulties breathing again. ¡°Hold it! How am I even harassing you!?¡± I quickly retorted. ¡°¡­You are trying to feel p???sur? from my hand¡­!¡± Her remark was so true and ridiculous that my mind went blank for three seconds. Something inside my brain seems to have snapped afterwards. I`d realize that the corner of my mouth is twitching upwards. ¡°Am I THAT untrustworthy!? You told me I was different and you said you''d believe me¡­!¡± Kuroyuki immediately looks away. This implies that she remembers. However¡ª ¡°¡­It''s A precaution.¡± ¡ªshe didn`t admit her faults. It seems she will never admit even if I remind her over and over again. ¡­Not like I had lots of free time to do so. ¡°Just shut up and shake my hand already.¡± I uttered. With such a rude tone¡ª naturally, our high and almighty Kuroyuki Shiroha felt extremely displeased. ¡°¡­My, my¡­ Aren''t you getting ???ky¡­?¡± She stood up and glared at me. But for some reason¡ª she''s grinning. ¡°You can''t blame me for that. You are being too insecure with yourself. I know, it''s normal for you¡ª but you aren''t alone now. Im your partner, so can''t you trust me¡ª even a little?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki hesitated. She looks¡ª puzzled, confused. But eventually¡­ ¡°¡­Fine.¡± She`d reach out her hand¡ª trying to touch me. She`d poke it with her forefinger, and retreats¡ª then tries again. Is it really that hard to do so? It''s as if she had never touched a person before¡­ After she''d try to poke my palm again¡ª I''d grab it from my side¡­ A soft, squishy and smooth hand¡ª as if I''m touching a cat''s paw. Kuroyuki jumped for a moment, and I''d grab her hand tighter for her to get used to it. But¡­ ¡°C-C-C-C-COLD¡ª¡± I was so surprised that even my voice turned strange. But yet¡ª it''s so cold that it pricks¡ª and even froze my right palm. ¡°¡­I-It''s not my fault. You surprised me¡­¡± Her strong character suddenly feels like a princess that was freed from secular affairs. Cute¡­ ¡°Sorry.¡± I apologized. I poured strength into my frozen hand¡ª and crushed her ice to pieces with a grip. ¡°¡­Listen, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. Though I can accept you to be my classmate, but I can`t accept you as my partner.¡± Her character suddenly changed back to her usual cold self. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Hehe.¡± Kuroyuki did not say anything but an evil laugh. From that evil laugh, I immediately understood what she wanted. Something I wanted to avoid, something I wanted to stop it from happening as much as possible. ¡°Look here, Kuroyuki¡ª I don''t want to fight you, I don''t want to fight you, I DON''T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!!!¡± She`d made me shout the same lines three times. I even shouted like a madman at the last part. After she shot me a horrifying glare, she said¡­ ¡°¡­I''m afraid you don''t have a choice.¡± Chapter 11 - 1.10 This is perhaps a prologue about the secret of my partner who has not acknowledged me yet¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha. Also a very slight reveal of my mysterious background. ¡®Once registered, your ID will be set as ¡®Anonymous #2207¡¯. Is that okay?¡¯ Yes. WELCOME TO KUROYUKI SHIROHA`S FANCLUB~!!! Kuroyuki Shiroha (ü\Ñ© °×Óð) Race: Human Age: 16 Birthday: 12th December Class: First Year Special Class Marriage status: Single Hobby: Unknown Favourite things: Unknown Battle history: 103 wins. Remains undefeated. Personal description: The best student of the Imperial Knights Academy. Extremely gifted and beautiful. A perfectionist and a super genius. Limitless talents. Reviews: #1 ¨C Kuroyuki is the best¡­! #2 ¨C I like Kuroyuki so much¡­! ¡­¡­ #651 ¨C Kuroyuki Shiroha will be my future wife! #652 ¨C No! She''s mine! #653 ¨C Shut up! She''s mine! #654 ¨C No! I`m the only one suitable for her! ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ #73284 ¨C It seems the new guy transferred today was arranged to the same class with Kuroyuki¡­ #73285 ¨C What!? Who is he!? We can`t let him steal Kuroyuki! #73286 ¨C I CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!!! LET''S BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!!!!!!! #73287 ¨C AGREE!!! LET''S KICK HIS ASS! ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Phew¡­¡± After reading across the 70000+ comments, I closed my screen¡ª resting my eyes for a moment. Now this is seriously bad. I''m quite certain the guy they are talking about is obviously me. There''s no room to doubt it. After all, I`m the only guy in this room. ¡°¡­What is it¡­?¡± It seems Kuroyuki noticed my fatigued look. I immediately opened my eyes and heaved a sigh, then faced her with my blank-looking eyes. ¡°Tell me¡­ Why did you show me your own fan-club that you created¡­?¡± I asked. Kuroyuki clamps her book shut naturally, and glares at me as she puts on a defensive stance. ¡°¡­In order to protect myself.¡± She said, with a cold look. It seems she still had her doubts on me. I guess I might as well take my time for her to get used to it. Anyways, allow me to clear your doubts. You are right. Your thoughts are not deceiving you at all. Kuroyuki is the person who created her own fan-club page and shared it out using the student''s network. The reason she made this fan-club is for self-protection¡ª just like how she told me. Since she''s the admin, she''s able to check the real identity behind the anonymous ID and know who they are. At any rate¡­ if someone posts a photo of her¡ª she''d be able to check who posted it. Then she hacks into that suspect`s main drive and formats everything. Not leaving a single speck of data behind¡ª or so she told me. Apparently, the pictures that appeared on her fan-club were mostly sneak shots of her face by chance, it''s slightly blurry though. She also designed the system to block any screenshots and camera snapshots on her picture just in case someone wants the picture inside her fan-club. ¡­Scarily smart. ¡­and here''s the most important part. ¡°Are you the person who wrote code #73284¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­who knows?¡± Though she says that, yet she smirked. ¡°It''s obviously you! How could you do this to me!? Now I`m the most wanted person in this academy!!!¡± ¡°¡­Congratulations. I hereby pass the ¡®most wanted¡¯ title to you.¡± She said with a smug. Her eyes are telling me ¡®surely you are able to handle two thousand people¡¯. ¡­She''s using it to sway the crowds! ¡°It had a completely different meaning! Yours are ¡®followers¡¯, and mine are ¡®enemies¡¯! Aren''t you overestimating me a little too much?¡± I protested. ¡°¡­¡­calm down. Your language is turning bad.¡± ¡°And who''s the one responsible for this!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­them.¡± Damn. There''s no room for me to quip her statement. She''s completely right. If those people did not bother her, I wouldn''t have to suffer from this useless crap. ¡°Gargh¡­¡­!¡± Due to overwhelming stress, I scratched my head like a madman. ¡°¡­Hey¡­¡± Kuroyuki suddenly mutters. ¡°¡­aren''t they creepy?¡± When I saw her disgusted expression, I gave a thought from her perspective. ¡°¡­They are.¡± I replied. I calmed down. If some random stranger suddenly grabs your hand and says ¡®where are you going, my sweetheart?¡¯ Obviously you would`ve felt disgusted¡ª or even terrified. Though I had seen some people claiming a fictional character to be their ¡®wife¡¯, Kuroyuki is a real life person. ¡­I involuntarily felt some sympathy towards her just like my sympathy to my little sis. She must`ve had it hard. Perhaps she wanted to go anywhere freely without being bothered instead of trapping here in this room. They aren`t considering her feelings. Not at all. They are just some selfish bunch. ¡°¡­Ever since the first day of January, I wonder how many times have it been?¡± Kuroyuki sighed. Her eyes looked extremely scornful¡ª full of disgust. Exactly the same eyes that Restia made when she told me after she rejected it for 400 times or so. Kuroyuki must have rejected them properly at first, but¡­ ¡°¡­when did you stop to reject properly?¡± ¡°¡­after 2000 times or so.¡± ¡°Urk¡­!? That number is insane¡­!¡± My cute little sis... Someone broke your record by at least five times. ¡°¡­I`ve had enough of rejecting people. Even my heart has its limit. Moreover, they always tell me the same thing, you know?¡± My little sis probably understood her feelings. ¡°They`d told you¡­ ¡®you`re cute¡¯, or ¡®you`re beautiful¡¯¡­ something like that.¡± I murmured. For some reason, Kuroyuki looks surprised. But she looks away afterwards¡ª with her eyes looking distant. ¡°¡­yes. Because I`m cute, they come to like me. And because they like me, they started to think they want to ¡®own me¡¯.¡± She deliberately forces out a scornful laugh. A chilling laugh. ¡°¡­What a joke. So simple-minded¡­ Every single one of them ?usted for my body¡­ for their own reputation to have a cute girlfriend¡­¡± She uttered. Though I don''t really understand society¡­ but I know such words shouldn''t be coming out from the mouth of a high school girl. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± And so, I said nothing. Because I know I`m not supposed to say anything now. But Kuroyuki¡­ I''m sure you know there''s someone out there that appreciates more to your talent rather than your looks¡ª just like I do. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki suddenly widens her eyes and looks towards my direction. The way she looked at me was as if she sensed something. ¡°¡­If you were in their position, what would you say¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hold on. Did she question me based on her sixth sense? Anyways, I was asked with a similar question before¡ª by my little sister. And I''m sure they''d judge my answer with their ¡®girl''s intuition¡¯. This is a situation which if you give an answer¡ª you''d die. If you don''t give an answer¡ª you''d die too. Though, there''s a slight chance to survive. The odds are as so¡­ If I gave them a wrong answer, it would`ve cost my life. If I gave them a fake answer, it would`ve cost my life. If I gave them an insincere answer, it would`ve cost my life. If I gave them an internet-based answer, it would`ve cost my life. ¡­An extremely hard task. Then¡­ there''s only one choice. I need to tell her my true feelings, regardless of what I am going to say¡ª even if my answer might be the same as theirs. She`d even allowed me to. If I were given a perfect chance to confess to a girl like her, who possesses a high and almighty standard till it was extremely terrifying, what would I say to her¡­? I took a deep breath, as I sat properly still on my chair¡ª with her at my opposite. ¡°Kuroyuki, love knows no boundaries¡­¡± ¡°¡­and here I`d expect more from you.¡± She interrupted. And lets out a scornful sigh afterwards. ¡°I''m not done yet! Just let me continue¡­!¡± I refuted. ¡°¡­Go on.¡± I will just say whatever`s on my mind. ¡°A pair of couples are born, as they acknowledge each other as equals¡ª when love is bonded between them. Me now might not be worthy enough for you and your talent, but¡ª please¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don''t waste your time.¡± Kuroyuki interjected uncomfortably. ¡°That''s not it! Stop breaking my sentence¡­! Just let me finish!¡± I instantly retorted. ¡°¡­I will not interrupt this time. J-Just finish it¡­¡± I was surprised. Kuroyuki seems to be embarrassed. It''s such a rare sight¡ª and it''s cute too. Putting those feelings aside first, I continued my final words. ¡°¡­please, give me time to polish myself. I promise¡ª in two years. By that time¡ª I will definitely be a man more than enough for you, so before that time¡ª please¡­ don`t belong to anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki`s face was completely red. She held both of her hands on her ?h?st, gripping on her blazer. So freaking cute! If I were to give some special effects to her right now¡­ probably a ¡®Pssh¡¯ sound and some steam bursting out from her head would be appropriate. ¡°¡­I-It will be hard to reject¡­¡± She murmured softly with her reddened cheeks. She had been avoiding looking at me too. There`s nothing else but to say she`s super cute right now. But¡­ There''s something bothering my mind. I know Kuroyuki favours what I''ve said to her, but yet she''s still rejecting it without a second thought. Could it be¡­? I hope I was wrong. Or else this could lead me to become the one and only person to know Kuroyuki`s biggest reason for her rejection to anyone. ¡°Who on earth is so capable enough to steal your heart¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki immediately stared at me with an unexpected, surprised look. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Though she opens her mouth, yet she paused and not said anything. It would seem she wanted to tell me ¡®it''s none of your business¡¯. But for some reason, she can`t. Then, I might as well go all the way. ¡°¡­You know, it''s easy to tell when a maiden fell in love.¡± I said. ¡°¡­Humph¡­! ¡­It`s a secret.¡± She said with a displeased look as she furrowed her brows, breaking her eye contact. By the way, whenever she made those girl-like sounds, it made my heart thump for a moment. Looks to me she had no intentions to tell me¡ª and I have no idea who this mysterious person is¡­ ¡­Wait. Perhaps I do. With our conversations up until now, Kuroyuki only mentioned three persons in their names. Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare; Persia; And¡ª ¡°Lucifer¡­¡­¡± I paused, as I tried to remember the name. ¡°¡­Vermillion¡­?¡± The moment she hears this, Kuroyuki is stunned for a moment¡ª to be precise, exactly one second. After that second, she instantly closed our distance by pouncing from her chair¡ª with her right hand reaching out to my face. With that speed, anyone would not have the time to react. ¡­Not me. I`d managed to grab her smooth hand reflexively. But even if I caught it, the threat did not lessen. Because when I came to realize it¡ª Kuroyuki welded an ice sword on her left hand, and it was just placed right in front of my neck. Of course, I caught her sword reflexively by pinching between my fingers too. The real threat is her spears that are floating around her¡ª their tips are pointing at me. ¡­I was even more in shock when compared to the last time she shot me with a spear. ¡°¡­How¡­?¡± Kuroyuki uttered. Her cold, glaring eyes chillingly made my spine shivered and paused my breath. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Guh...¡± ¡®Stay calm.¡¯ I told myself. Stay calm and look at her. Look at her in the eye and ask her why. ¡°I¡­ W¡­¡± The shock and fear gave me trouble in sorting out my words. ¡°¡­What are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°¡­WHY DID YOU KNOW THAT NAME?¡± She utters aggressively. Kuroyuki is already enduring herself. From my hands¡ª I can tell that her trembling sword and hand are actually trying to stop herself from harming me. ¡°Y¡ª You said it yourself¡­¡± I struggle to cough out my words. ¡°You said it yourself when you demanded a duel¡­!¡± Kuroyuki`s eyes rolled around afterwards¡ª as if she''s trying to remember the scene. When she stares back at me¡ª her right arm relaxed and her swords and spears disappears. ¡°¡­sorry¡­¡± She apologizes quietly. She`d look extremely apologetic and regretful. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Confirming she`d actually cooled down, I`d slowly let go of her hand. And the moment she sat back on her seat, I deliberately took a deep breath and heaved a huge sigh of relief. ¡­Good grace. Even if it''s me, I already find it extremely difficult to be dealing with her. So¡­ who is he? Who is Lucifer Vermillion? Why did Kuroyuki have such a big reaction till she was on the verge of cutting me with her sword? What is he to her? ¡°¡­He¡ª is my childhood friend.¡± Kuroyuki suddenly mutters. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡± I inadvertently said. I did not expect such an answer. I know we are talking about her crush earlier. But with that reaction, I thought Lucifer Vermillion was her enemy. ¡°¡­I thought you were a high level stalker who even knew about my crush¡­¡± She added. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Her reason made me speechless. Seriously?! You would`have killed me because of that?! ¡°¡­You are too attentive, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare.¡± Judging from her tone, it seems she meant it as a warning. ¡°¡­At this rate, you would''ve meddled in someone else''s business before you knew it.¡± In someone else''s matter¡­ She''s telling me to stay out of it¡ª her own matter, her own business. No¡ª that''s not it. I`ve already stepped on it. It''s already too late to pull back. She''s actually worrying about me. It might be possible because she knew this isn''t something to be made light of. She was afraid that I''d probably get myself involved in something dangerous. That''s why she apologized, that''s why she warned. Heh¡­ ¡°Don`t worry about me.¡± I muttered. That''s all I could say. I know it myself. I couldn`t actually care less about danger because I know I don''t have much time left. ¡°¡­Don''t think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°I`m not. I know how dangerous it is when you involve yourself in something unknown.¡± ¡°¡­You even know nothing good will come out of it. Then why?¡± ¡°¡­Because¡­¡± I paused. ¡°¡­you are my precious classmate?¡± I said unsurely. I was too embarrassed to use the word ¡®friend¡¯¡ª plus, I think it was unnecessary too. ¡°¡­No one would go so far for a classmate.¡± I know. ¡°You are my one and only classmate.¡± I said. ¡°I`d help you rather than relying on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki knew how far and how much my determination was. She`d made a pained and troubled look afterwards as she gazes downwards¡ª placing her hand on her temple. After a moment of struggle within herself¡ª Kuroyuki eventually raises her head and stares at me with a firm expression. She¡­ actually opens up to me. It seems¡­ I can talk freely now. But I need to be considerate of her feelings. I need an approach that`s less severe. What is less severe, then? I had no clue at all. Less severe¡­ Like¡ª ¡°Why did you fall in love with him?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­It was something that happened 8 years ago.¡± ¡°This means¡­ both of you made a promise¡­?¡± With how she reacted ever since the first time I met her, that''s the only thing I could come up with. ¡­A simple promise that happened eight years ago. At eight years old, that is the only thing that could give her a reason to keep moving forward. Just like how Restia and I made our promise to each other six years ago. ¡°¡­Yes. But it was more or less like a one-sided promise.¡± ¡°¡­One sided?¡± ¡°If there is one single thing I`m better than him¡ª One.¡± She enhances the word. ¡°I get to marry him.¡± ¡°So he is the reason you strive yourself to such an extent?¡± ¡°¡­N.¡± She nodded. Such confidence. Her childhood friend had such confidence. A confidence to challenge Kuroyuki¡ª the high and almighty. He might be a character that''s even more extreme than Kuroyuki. And I can tell, Kuroyuki really loves him. To keep her one-sided promise¡ª she improvised herself in nearly every possible way¡­ ¡­or maybe, did he make such a promise on purpose so that he could marry Kuroyuki without losing his pride? Nah¡­ it actually solidifies her childhood friend`s character. If I were to describe him¡­ he might be an even better genius than Kuroyuki. A true genius among genius. Unlike me. Come to think of it¡­ why did she¡­? ¡°Do I look like him?¡± I asked. ¡°It seems you mistook me as him¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She said nothing and averted her eyes, looking annoyed as she pouted her cheeks. Huh. She really hates it when she makes a mistake. ¡°So¡­ is this the reason you came here¡­?¡± ¡°¡­No. I lost contact with him eight years ago¡­¡± Kuroyuki murmured. I realize that her hands are trembling. It''s serious. Shit¡­ I hope it''s not similar to my situation. ¡°¡­I¡­ will wait for him¡­ no matter how long it takes¡­¡± ¡­Her voice is shaking. Tears gathered on the corner of her eyes. Almost as if any more stimulation would`ve made her burst into tears. The exact pained expression¡ª just like the first time we met. My heart¡­ felt like it was being squeezed once again. Ah¡­ I see¡ª So that''s it. Lucifer Vermillion, her childhood friend, was the one who saved her. That''s why she had such desperation, such stubbornness. Just what exactly happened? Did he disappear? Did your parents know about it? What about his parents? Did they disappear? Do you have any neighbours who know about this? Did anyone know of it? These bombarding questions were about to escape from my lips. Shit. I`ve lost my cool. That''s it. This is the limit. I need to stop asking any further¡ª for her sake and for my sake. But I know¡­ there`s one possible conclusion I can think of. ¡­He disappeared. Kuroyuki must`ve searched for him¡ª but, for how long? Did she search all the way till here¡­? Any more of this and I will become unable to hold back. Thus, in the spur of the moment¡­ I made an offer. ¡°I don''t know how I am able to help¡­ but let me know when you need it.¡± I made a vow by placing my fist on my heart. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki stared at me with a dumbfounded look as a tear fell from the corner of her right eye. She made a tender smile afterwards as she took both of my hands. ¡°¡­thank you¡­¡± She said gratefully. Even if it''s the tiniest bit of help¡­ she`d want it wholeheartedly. Just like the time I needed it¡ª that''s why I can''t bear to watch. That''s why I''d wanted to help out, even if I know I can''t do anything. ¡°¡­Ah. That''s the least I can do.¡± With that, I took a handkerchief from my left pocket, and reached out to Kuroyuki. Obviously, Kuroyuki understood. She said nothing and took the handkerchief from my hand to wipe off her tears, then returned back to me. Afterwards, we`d stop talking because of the awkwardness, and we spent the rest of our day on our own matters. I was messing with the administrative system, while Kuroyuki continued to read her book. Just in case you''d forget, let me remind you of something. Despite all of the flip-flop of emotions, I was unable to escape from my fate¡­ ¡­of my first official duel¡ª the duel against the best student, the first place, the strongest student, the ¡­ ¡­Kuroyuki Shiroha. Chapter 12 - 1.11 Before progressing back to the main story, allow me to tell you the origins about the tournament which Persia mentioned, and which I was going to participate in. With that, things will start from the history of ¡®World War 4¡¯ that happened a few hundred years ago. Needless to say, ¡®world war¡¯ is a world-scaled military conflict, and the word ¡®4¡¯ means such a large scale conflict happened for the fourth time. So¡­ World War 4, was the deadliest military conflict that has ever been recorded in history. The participants are as so¡­ Humans, elves, fairies, spirits, vampires, dwarves, beast-mans, giants, angels, demons, dragons, magical beasts, and even the celestial gods. An estimated total of 1.048 billion people perished, which was about 14% of the world population (estimated 7.7 billion). It lasted for 23 years. Or rather, in a mere 23 years¡­ World War 4 pushed the world to the verge of destruction. That''s when on the 23rd year, July 1st. One of the legendary twelve apostles of the God of Creation suddenly appeared, and ¡®it¡¯ decided to put an end to everything. ¡®It¡¯ destroyed several of the strongest and main cause countries of World War 4 in just three days by itself, alone. Even with full preparation to meet against his attacks, not a single one of them is able to take down the apostle¡ª even if it''s the powerful celestial gods who are just one rank below them. After another three days¡ª July 6th, the whole world surrendered to it. Those of the remaining countries which still exist were compromised to sign a peace treaty. The conditions for the peace treaty: 2. No attempts or provocations to start a war for 300 years. 3. Compensations from war will be covered by respective governments. 4. All conflicts will be settled by duels between the strongest teams of each respective country, the duel location will be decided by the apostle once every 50 years. 5. All countries who signed this peace treaty must participate every year. 6. All countries must choose only one representative to be the judge of the duel. 7. A reward will be granted to the winning team by the apostle. 8. Those who signed and do not obey the peace treaty will be erased by the apostle. Such a condition was like the era of the knights. Battle with pride, fame and honour. Thus, this duel created by the apostle was then named as the . No one knew what was the reason that country attacked. Whether it is for fortune, resources, or perhaps they`ve never seen the wrath of the apostle. The consequences were pretty obvious. It''s exactly as what was written in the peace treaty. That very country was wiped out¡ª completely erased from the map. Not a single trace of its existence was left behind. Ever since then, not a single one of the rest dare to make another attempt. And so, peace was able to last for another 285 years, at least. Though military conflicts still occur nowadays, there hasn''t been any world-scaled military conflicts ever since. By the way, the was quite successful during the 300 restricted years. Even after the restricted years, the somehow became a friendly battle entertainment after a few tweaks on the rules and regulations. Even if time passes for several hundred years and eras have changed¡ª the still goes on and now boasts as the world`s largest fan population battle entertainment. Of course, the rules and regulation was reformed over and over throughout the eras. Despite the change in rules and regulations, one tradition from the old rules was passed down. That is, the location is still decided by the apostle once every 50 years. However, there was one exception he made 17 years ago. He changed the location to Central Imperial Island, where it was located at the centre of many nations. Central Imperial Island was founded by a human 22 years ago, and he is now the king of the Central Imperial Island. It was said that this very island is favoured by the apostle, and even received his blessing¡ª this island now rose to become one of the strongest countries nowadays. Anyways, allow me to explain the current rules and regulation of the . The rules and regulation to participate: 1. This tournament is open to every student with their school and nationality acknowledged by the chairman of the . 2. Registration must be submitted to the tournament`s official website. 4. Upon registration, the image of student id must be submitted and confirmed that it is you and does not infringe on any other right of third party. 5. Only students aged 16-18 in terms of human age are allowed to participate, parent`s permission is required except for Imperial Knights Academy. 6. The maximum number of times in which a student can participate in the tournament is 3 times. 7. The maximum number of participants in one school of each country other than Central Imperial Island is 100. 8. The maximum number of participants for Imperial Knights Academy is 300. 9. Each participant is required to battle individually, as pairs, and as a team. 10. The number of participants in each team must range between 2-100. 11. The tournament will accept participants until June 16th XX93, 2.59 pm, time zone (UTC ¨C 4 hours). As for the newest rules of the battle, it will be announced after 3 days. ...As confusing as it may be, perhaps I''m able to understand once I had the actual duel. Because my opponent is Kuroyuki Shiroha. She''s an ; A tactician; A swordswoman with a god-like reaction speed; With superhuman strength. I may have engaged myself in a fight against her because of some circumstances and learnt about her abilities, but I still need to be cautious¡ª I know she still had tons of skills hiding inside her sleeves. I can learn a lot from her since she''s strong. For what hidden skills she has, I have no idea. And it''s not like I`d reveal my cards to her or anybody too. The only thing she knew about my ability¡ª is my superhuman strength. I only showed her that much, that''s why she wants to fight me. If possible, I`d like to win¡ª but I know it`s greedy to even think so. I know I can`t win¡ª not in my current state. That''s why¡ª [Ding dong dang dong] Crap, the digital school bell rang. Our class for today has ended¡ª without a teacher for the whole day. Where the hell are they¡­? ¡°¡­it''s time.¡± Kuroyuki murmurs as she stands up from her chair. It''s as if she''s murmuring to herself, but she''s actually talking to me. Although I`ve already expected this, but dang, this is bad. ¡°Time? For what?¡± ¡°¡­I''M WARNING YOU.¡± Eek! She completely saw through my intentions! Such a cold, terrifying glare! ¡°C-Can we do it tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°¡­NO.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Seeming to have no choice, I stood up from my chair sluggishly and stretched my back. ¡°¡­Follow me.¡± Kuroyuki made a ¡®come¡¯ gesture with her hand without looking at me. Though there was an urge to grab her hand for a moment, I stopped myself and followed behind unwillingly to the lift. I was forced to comply with her. The lift is going down. ¡°Where will you be going?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­You will know soon.¡± Not a single hint. The lift opens. We reached the ground floor. Kuroyuki calmly exits the lift and heads to the right, where the main entrance is. With me still standing inside the lift, I am thinking of using this chance to sneak back. But just right before I was going to press the close bu??on, Kuroyuki realized and quickly took a step backward to the door and jerked my necktie with her right hand¡ª pulling my body forth. I could struggle all I want against her, but the tie is right on where the lift door is going to close. If it closes and moves up, I would get dragged downwards, then the lift will be in great trouble¡ª that guy will definitely tell me to pay for the reparations. He''s even aiming on my funds lately. Thinking that, I immediately gave up and exited the lift. ¡°¡­I''m afraid you can''t avoid it for today.¡± Kuroyuki said with a smirk. She continues to walk without giving me another ounce of concern, and this time¡ª she''s still pulling my tie. It''s as if she knew I would`ve escaped whenever I had the chance to. Click, click, click, clack. Her footsteps proceeded and I was pulled along. Today or tomorrow¡ª I don`t think there will be any difference whenever I think about it. If it''s a fight, that is. Her persistence made me feel it`s entirely something else. But what was that ¡®something else¡¯? I just can''t think of an answer. In that case, based from what I remembered¡­ especially code #73284 from her fan-club, I predict she''s going outside. A place where she could grab the attention which she hates¡­ It''s quite an irony, so I''m quite certain this is more than just a simple duel. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± I asked. Kuroyuki seemed to have paused for a moment when she heard my remark. She took a quick glance on me as she said¡­ ¡°¡­You will know soon.¡± ¡­with a pleased look. From that, this means she knew what I meant and she`s not telling me¡­ no, maybe she''s postponing the answer on purpose. I had no idea what she''s trying to do. She''s full of mystery. My lack of sleep is causing disturbance in my thoughts. I decided to stop thinking for now. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ We passed the main entrance. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Afterwards, the force field. ¡°Erm, Kuroyuki? Can you let go already?¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­You will run away.¡± ¡°I won`t, okay? I merely don''t want you to pull my tie like you are walking a dog. Why did you choose to grab my tie in the first place?¡± ¡°¡­The lift won''t close if I grab your sleeve.¡± Because if she grabs my sleeve, my hand will be in the way for the door to close. ¡°As expected, you are evil!¡± ¡°¡­Evil, huh?¡± For some reason, Kuroyuki grinned. ¡°Grk¡­!¡± She pulled even harder. I don''t want my tie to tear off so I leaned forward and let her drag me like a dog this time. At any rate¡­ Kuroyuki pulled me further away from the force field of the White Mansion. I guess I had been keeping in this ¡®leaning forward¡¯ pose and walked for another several hundred meters. How embarrassing, I hope no one else sees me. On my left, is a forest that I was slightly familiar with, or rather, acquainted with. For some reason, I got lost there this morning, and still can''t figure out the reason. On my right, there`s nothing but grass. But the grass was dyed to gold colour due to the sunset rays, it looks fascinating. If Kuroyuki took my hand instead of pulling my necktie¡ª things would''ve felt completely different. It will be more like a date instead of torture¡­ ¡°¡­I will warn just in case.¡± Kuroyuki suddenly murmurs. ¡°If you surrender, I will just have to force the forced duel system on you to make you submit.¡± Such confidence she possesses. Personally, I think she went a little too far. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± I replied vaguely. ¡°If you are willing to go so far then I will just fight properly.¡± ¡°¡­Good. I''m glad you understand.¡± Saying that, Kuroyuki loosen her fingers from my neck tie and activated her screen. Phew¡­ finally! My lower back feels a little sprained and exhausted. Suddenly, a warning sign window with a radius of 15 cm circulated around my waist. [BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP] A warning alarm rang afterwards. It''s coming from my device¡­! What happened?! ¡®FORCED DUEL ACTIVATED.¡¯ ¡°What¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡± I was stunned for a moment. ¡°Is this really necessary¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± What''s with that smug? ¡°¡­If you don`t mind, please wait for a minute.¡± She added. ¡°I don''t really mind already.¡± I replied vaguely. I don''t think I could actually do anything even if I mind or not. So let''s just go along with the flow. ¡°¡­You look quite disheartened.¡± Kuroyuki suddenly murmured. It seems she merely wants to kill time. I was bored too, so having a little chat with her wouldn''t hurt. ¡°I think anyone except a psychopath and a battle freak would`ve become disheartened if they were forced to fight the strongest student out of the blue. And besides, I haven''t slept since 3am.¡± ¡°¡­I know you can deal with it somehow.¡± The way she says is almost as if she knew me well enough to make such a claim. ¡°Aren''t you trusting me a little too much?¡± ¡°¡­I never said I trusted you.¡± The way her tone gives¡­ it`s as if she trusts and distrust me at the same time. ¡°Then¡­ is it something similar to Persia`s ability to read people?¡± ¡°¡­More advanced. Persia`s understanding about the world is still a little naive.¡± More advanced, she said. How far can it actually go¡­? Like the ability of the all-seeing eye of the fairy race? That can''t be. ¡°¡­You don''t need to know too much yet, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare.¡± She sighed. ¡°Take things at a pace you like, one step at a time.¡± ¡°I would love to, but I can`t.¡± Somehow, hearing that, Kuroyuki stares at me with her eyes widened as if she''s surprised. ¡­Crap. I answered without thinking. ¡°¡­You¡ª¡± ¡°Well¡­ you don''t need to know too much yet, Kuroyuki. It''s just like you told me, take things at a pace you like, one step at a time.¡± I interjected before she could question me. ¡°¡­My words were backfired.¡± She`s sulking. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± On the right of my view, I saw dozens of schoolmates hopped down from the floating buggies. There are three of them. Those buggies are like those meant to fetch and ride for a small, reasonable distance. They stood there and watched us afterwards, keeping their distance. And as every second passes, more and more random bystanders appear in their buggy ride. Come to think of it, why did they know it was here? ¡°¡­Whenever a duel is acknowledged by the system, it will be announced through the duel`s directory board. With our location displayed on the school map.¡± Kuroyuki said. ¡°Huh¡­ Aren''t you quite the sly one¡­¡± I looked around. I was expecting all members of Kuroyuki`s fan-club to come here, but¡­ there''s only a few hundreds of them. It doesn''t seem to be increasing any further. Since a large crowd formed, mutters started to get louder. And curious on what they are talking about, I concentrated my ears to differentiate their conversations. ¡°Shit¡­! The rumours are true!¡± ¡°So this is the new guy¡­ He''s in the same class with our princess¡­!¡± ¡°Look how close they are standing to each other¡­ I''m so jealous!¡± ¡°Is he at the top of the ranking system?¡± ¡°I scanned his face and searched. No, he''s still not registered yet. This is his first duel.¡± ¡°Really, now? Aren`t he courageous to be challenging our on his first try?¡± ¡°How long will he last? Even if our princess is going easy on him and even if he is a special student, I guess he won''t last long.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡­ five minutes?¡± ¡°No, no, no. One minute.¡± ¡°Who cares!? Our princess will never lose!¡± ¡°YEAH!!!!¡± ¡­Gross. I was totally disgusted from their behaviour. So is the young lady next to me, she''s extremely annoyed. Her ears are good enough to hear them clearly. Kuroyuki then faced the crowd with her cold, chilling glare. ¡°¡­all of you done yet?¡± She uttered. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It took less than a second for things to turn completely silent. It was amazing how just the sound of her voice made everyone shut up and pay attention to her. Her transparently cold voice was extremely quiet and subdued. And yet the message got across, loud and clear. It was like listening to the sound of fresh snow piling on the ground. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that ¡ª rather than merely shutting up ¡ª they were in an awe of her. Everyone opened their eyes wide and stood rooted to their spots. As if they were spellbound for a moment by Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Shall we begin, then?¡± Kuroyuki said to me. ¡°Umm¡­ Excuse me!¡± A guy`s voice suddenly struck out from the sea of crowds. Everyone''s attention was caught by it. Of course, including me as well as Kuroyuki. ¡°Sorry, coming through!¡± A human male, with a blue tie and a black uniform make his way out from the crowds. Judging from his clothes, he`s a first year, S ranked class. He had pretty white-silver hair, which the colour at the tail of his hair is transparent, and his eyes are emerald green. He had a cool looking silver sheathed sword carried on his waist. I was surprised. I never imagined someone would still be using swords at this era. Kuroyuki is different. Instead of guns and bullets¡ª her spears are almost as fast as a bullet and powerful like a bazooka, so it''s not a problem. ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± Kuroyuki uttered with a glare. That poor guy flinched for a moment, and stood at his place. ¡°U-Uh, I¡­ Ehem! Mind letting me talk to him for a moment?¡± He shouted. ¡°Huh? Me?¡± I pointed at myself with a confused look. Kuroyuki gave it a thought. ¡°¡­¡­Fine.¡± She said. ¡°Thank you.¡± He ran straight to me and stopped after our distance was close to around seven steps. Since he`s closer, I can get a good look on him. At first glance, he had quite the friendly look and aura. But for some reason, I can''t shake off the weird vibe I got from him. ¡°You are not an , aren''t you? It seems you don''t use magic either, I think you need a weapon.¡± He said. With those words, I just realize I don''t have a weapon with me. If it wasn''t for him, I might have had a hard time enduring the pain on my fist from the coldness of Kuroyuki`s attacks. ¡°¡­You could take mine if you want.¡± Kuroyuki suddenly interrupted. Your weapons? No way. It''s definitely a trap. ¡°Nah, your weapons are too cold for me.¡± I replied. At first I thought Kuroyuki was going to force her weapons on me, but she`d agree to my reason. I guess she''s not as unreasonable as I thought she was. Anyways, did this guy approach me just to remind me I don''t have a weapon? That can''t be, right? ¡°So¡­ Do you mean you are going to lend me your sword?¡± I said to him. ¡°Yup.¡± He nodded. ¡°Just take it.¡± He took the sheathed sword from his waist. Just when he was about to hand his sword over¡ª ¡°Whoa¡ª hey! Calm down, princess!¡± Witnessing his movements made me doubt myself for a moment. Because his skills¡­ seems too good to be true to be a mere S class student. ¡°¡­I never gave you permission, .¡± For some reason, Kuroyuki seems to be pretty aware of him. ¡°Come on, don''t be stingy. He will definitely lose if he doesn''t have a weapon.¡± He said to Kuroyuki. The way he runs his mouth somehow provoked Kuroyuki. I was thinking ¡®Uh-Oh¡¯. ¡°¡­You merely wanted to steal his sword technique.¡± Kuroyuki muttered impatiently. ¡°O-Of course not!¡± He replied as he quickly handed over his sword on my hand. The way he hands me his sword is almost as if he desperately wants me to use his sword. At any rate, I find it hard to keep up with their conversation. From the way they talk, it seems this guy¡ª the is purposely lending me his sword so he could steal my sword techniques. The question is, how is he going to steal it? To begin with, I don''t have a sword technique. Not me. ¡°Is this really okay? Your sword looks expensive. I think I might break it.¡± I said to him. ¡°Nah, this sword is indestructible. Give it a swing if you like.¡± Hearing those confident words, I turned and faced to an empty area as I removed the sword out from its sheath. It''s A single edged sword¡ª a falchion sword, I think. Wait a second. Why does this sword feel so familiar¡­? Where have I seen it before? I can`t remember. Oh well, let''s give it a swing¡ª ¡°Ah, hold on a second. Before you swing, visualize the type of ideal sword you want in your head, and this sword will transform to it.¡± He said. ¡°Oh? Like the practical fight test?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Oh¡­ right, I forgot you just enrolled today. Yeah it''s something like that.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡± When I visualized the ideal sword inside my head, the sword on my hand immediately glowed with a silver colour and changed to a double edged sword. The size of this sword on my hand now is smaller than an Excalibur but larger than a rapier. Total length was about 1.2m. I adjusted my grip on the hilt, and grabbed firmly on my right hand. Then¡­ I simply swing it downwards. WHAM!!! The ground below my feet immediately crumbles in a radius around 10 metres. I was sunk in the middle about half of my body height. Except for Kuroyuki who fought me once and backed off far away, everyone else who was present here was completely stunned in shock, especially the guy who lent me his sword¡ª he was blown off far away back to the crowds and he fainted. ¡°Whoops.¡± I let out an innocent look. I will call the infirmary later. I stepped out from the crater, at least¡ª a few steps away from the cracks nearby. Seeing that I`m ready, Kuroyuki who was now at my opposite¡­ lets out a confident grin and declared: ¡°¡­I, Kuroyuki Shiroha hereby challenge you, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, to a forced duel.¡± A screen suddenly appeared in front of me. Instructing me to declare the following context. Ugh¡­ I guess once the forced duel system activates, there''s no turning back. Here goes¡­ ¡°I, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, accept the duel of Kuroyuki Shiroha.¡± As proof of acceptance (even though it was by force), the sleeves ended and the collar of our blazer shone red. A transparent layer of danger area with a shape of hemispheres had expanded, with both of us at the centre of it. As we move, the hemisphere moves too. This transparent layer was meant to keep off any bystanders to getting dragged into the fight. Huh¡­ Kuroyuki`s danger area is four times larger than mine. Err¡­ if I calculate our distance, we are almost 100m away. I`m at a total disadvantage. A timer then appeared between us in the middle. Counting down from ¡®THREE¡¯. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. ¡°Hold it!¡± I shouted. ¡°If I need to win, this means I would`ve needed to knock you out!?¡± Though I said that, the timer continues to proceed¡ª counting down to ¡®TWO¡¯. ¡°¡­I don''t think you could.¡± ¡°Huh? But isn''t getting knocked out by you hurts even more!?¡± ¡®ONE.¡¯ ¡°¡­I will be gentle.¡± Her grin turns evil. Though it`s cute, it doesn''t look good at all¡­! I don''t think I have what it takes to win. Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, I took a deep breath. Taking both the sword on my right hand and sheath on the left hand in a dual wielding style. Left to defend, right to attack. ¡®START!¡¯ Chapter 13 - 1.12 With an outburst on my right foot¡ª I sprinted forward, closing our distance at least 40m in less than a second. However, I know this speed is still not enough. She`s faster. There`s more than enough time for Kuroyuki to summon her spears and attack¡ª like now. ¡°¡­Pierce.¡± Although she summoned thirty spears, she shot three first. Before the first spear hit, I took a side step to move away from its trajectory. After taking another two steps, I parried the second spear to the left with the sheath on my left and deflected the third spear upwards with the sword. I continued to run forth. Huh, it''s getting easier than I thought. I suppose I`m getting used to this. Now then, perhaps I should prepare to block the rest of her spears¡­ As I was expecting her to shoot her spears, Kuroyuki gently tapped her right foot on the ground. A huge wall of snow suddenly rises up¡ª nearly seven meters tall, hurling forward. What!? This is nearly double the size of the first time¡­! It completely blocked my sight on Kuroyuki, of course¡ª her as well. Damn, I don`t think I could use the same move like the first time. Perhaps she was expecting me to destroy it. If I did, she could just shoot her spear knowing I couldn''t react in time after I swung too hard. Let''s escape from the sides. As I approach to the right side of the incoming snow¡ª ¡°Guh¡­!¡± I quickly kicked myself backwards from the barrages of spears that forced me back to the effective area of her snow tsunami. Shit¡­! How many were there!? A hundred!? How could I even escape!? The left side¡­ is probably the same as well. The centre is a no go and jumping over it would`be given her a good opportunity to freeze me. Curse it, she trapped me just like that¡­! Isn''t this just a mock battle!? She''s taking it so seriously! Shit¡­! I need to stop thinking! I will let my battle instincts guide me¡­! ¡°One Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!¡± Clenching on the sword on my right, I swung it downwards¡ª slicing off the right quarter of the snow, forcing an opening to let me pass through. I leaped through the opening, and as what I predicted¡ª her countless spears are already on their way and it''s about to hit me. Instinctively, I threw the sheath as hard as I could¡ª aiming for Kuroyuki, just as if her spears were aiming me. THUNK! CLANK! THUNK! THUNK!... The shockwave from the sheath knocked off many of her spears from their trajectory, and was more than enough to hit Kuroyuki. It seems she wasn''t expecting this. But she looks calm enough to deal with this. Before the sheath is going to hit¡ª she took one of her floating spears around her and managed to guide the sword`s trajectory upwards. Her body was left unbalanced. I already reached her. ¡°One Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!¡± I swung my sword horizontally. Of course, I held off most of my strength¡ª but yet... She blocked my swing with another spear easily. I then realize her unbalanced posture is just a feint. I was half expecting her to kick my body afterwards so I instinctively contracted my abs. But Kuroyuki did not. ¡°¡­Don''t hold back.¡± She said with a smirk. Am I underestimating her a little too much¡­? She''s giving me a chance on purpose. She leaps backwards, for 10m or so. I caught back the scabbard that she directed upwards too. PAK! ¡°!¡± BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!... All of her spears before exploded¡ª forming a scene akin to a snow storm. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡± I panted from the sudden surprise as I opened my eyes. Some of her ice and snow are on my hair and clothes. As expected, I was surrounded by white mists. It''s blurry, but I can still tell Kuroyuki is still in front of me. I need to get rid of this stupid mist. ¡°One Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!¡± I swung the sheath upwards as hard as I could. The power from it blew off the mists in an instant. As soon as the mists uncloaked, I was stunned by the view in front of me. There''s so much of it that it completely disrupted my field of vision. Shit¡­! How could I even win against her¡­!? I immediately adjusted myself and stood in a defensive posture as I wielded the sword and sheath on my hands, letting my instincts take over as I took a deep breath. For the first four spears, I deflected them aside. For the next seven spears, I guided them away from their trajectory. For the next twelve spears, I parried them away. For the next thirty-two spears, I blocked them. As for the rest¡ª ¡°Dual Wielding Sword Arts¡ª Double Swing!¡± WHAAM!!! I forcefully swung my weapons horizontally. It''s strong enough to create a force to blast away the spears. Her spears scattered and flew everywhere. When I looked around¡ª Kuroyuki was nowhere to be found. Instinctively, I turned backwards as I diagonally swung my scabbard backhandedly around the height of my shoulder¡ª it pinned a spear down stabbing to the ground. Her attack felt extremely light. Kuroyuki, who was holding onto the spear, looked amused. That said, the sword on her left followed and came slicing from my right. CLANG¡ª BAM!!! ¡°G-Gah!!?¡± I was expecting it to be a weightless attack. But it''s not. Even though I blocked her attack with the sword¡ª the impact from her sword transferred from my sword to my arm to my shoulder and to my body, pushing and sending my body flying to the left. Her superhuman strength¡ª it was so powerful. It was so powerful enough to send me flying. I quickly adjusted my mid-air posture and landed with both of my feet sliding on her snow. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± I was totally and completely surprised and freaked out¡ª catching my breath as hard as I could. What''s with this ridiculous strength¡­!? She''s not even using any body strengthening magic nor strengthening devices¡­! Did she go through the same training as I am¡­!? ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I don''t know how she did it, but she closed our distance in an instant. It was close enough for even her blade to reach me. ¡°¡­Like I said, don`t hold back.¡± Kuroyuki recalled once more. With that, she swung her blade downwards. THUNK!!! Although I blocked her blade with my sword, the ground crumbled and sunken downward¡ª creating a crater. But instead of getting myself crushed¡­ ¡°¡­Oh¡­? You look fine now.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. ¡°Sorry. I hesitated a little just now.¡± Her normal swing should be around one tonne. If she''d go all out, it`d be around three tonnes. I adjusted my arm strength to her level now. Kuroyuki, now glares at me as she raises the spear on her right. ¡°¡­Pierce.¡± BAM! I pinned her piercing attack down to the ground with my scabbard¡ª the power of both of our forces are now directed downwards¡ª it sunken the ground even deeper. However, the shockwave blew us away¡ª I was sent flying, now outside the area of the crater. I balanced myself for a landing posture and landed safely. As I looked up, Kuroyuki was in front of me¡ª it seems our landing time is just about the same. I was the first to pick up on my feet first and ran to her. However, judging from her look and posture¡ª she intends to take on my sword attack directly. Is she trying to test my strength!? No, don`t do it¡­! ¡°A-Ah, ah! Be careful¡­!¡± I shouted. It''s too late, I can`t stop my scabbard now. Though Kuroyuki heard my serious warning, she still decided to accept my blow nevertheless with a half-bent knee. Fine then, I will just let you have a taste of my ¡®normal¡¯ swing¡­! ¡°One Handed Sword Arts ¨C Swing!!!¡± WHAM¡ª Kuroyuki blocked my backhanded horizontal upwards swing with her ice sword and spear as she softens the impact by skilfully transferring it to the ground, making another crater below us. However, that''s not the extent of my strength. CRIK¡ª CRAK!!!!! The after impact that came afterwards broke her ice sword and her spear. I landed a hit on her body. It sends her flying and spinning for a few times. However, she managed to adjust herself and land safely on the ground. She looks completely fine, without even a need to catch her breath. ¡°Geez¡­! Don''t just take it head on that recklessly¡­!¡± I yelled to her. A part of me is thinking that her body is insanely tough, though. For some reason, the impact I feel from that hit through my scabbard isn`t that of a body. It''s rather hard. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Kuroyuki made an innocent look as she lowered her head¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡­and looks up with a bloodcurdling gaze. What a gaze¡­ it''s so terrifying. ¡°¡­I will take you on seriously.¡± She uttered. ¡°WHOA!?¡± THUNK!!! She appeared in front of me all of the sudden. I don`t know how she`s able to move that fast, but reluctantly¡ª I managed to parry her spear thrust upwards with my scabbard. She was pushed back unbalanced. It''s my chance...! ¡°One Handed¡ª¡± ¡°¡­pierce.¡± She whispered. Three spears almost grazing the blazer at the sides of her waist, thrusts straight to me. ¡°¡ªthe same thing won''t work twice on me!¡± I was expecting this. I rammed two spears at the left into the ground with the scabbard, and deflected one at the right to the side with the blade. By the time I wanted to press my attacks on her, Kuroyuki already had her sword coming from above, as she swung downwards. At that moment, I was going to block. But¡ª I felt a cold chill on my spine that made me shiver. My instincts are telling me to move¡­! ¡°Tch¡­!¡± I reluctantly stepped aside to avoid her blade. SHING! The edge of Kuroyuki`s sword cuts out cold air in the shape of a crescent moon¡ª it freezes anything along its trajectory, in this case, the grass¡ª and gouges out a block of dirt as it hits the ground. Damn. If this hits me, I would probably be dead¡­! Luckily my instincts kicked in just in time¡­! What is she even trying to do!? To kill me!? Of course, Kuroyuki herself was surprised that I avoided her attack. Her movements are frozen. Using this chance, I immediately countered by ramming a thrust on Kuroyuki`s abdomen with the scabbard. Yet¡ª THUNK! My scabbard stopped when it came in contact with Kuroyuki`s clothes. I could feel the shockwaves from the scabbard being spread to the sides. I know it was just a light thrust, but I was quite certain that it would`ve made her fly backwards. But she did not. And¡­ It''s so hard and heavy¡­! What on earth did I hit!? ¡°Gargh¡­!¡± I poured more strength into it. CRIC¡ªCR¡ªCRACK! ¡­I heard something cracking. ¡°Graph!!!¡± WHAM! I sent Kuroyuki flying backwards. Kuroyuki immediately adjusted herself and landed safely with her feet sliding backwards on the snow. She was about 20m far. But as my eyes blinked¡ª it was a big shock when she`s suddenly in front of me, with her sword swinging down. Not good¡­! My instincts are telling me to defend¡­! How on earth is she moving so fast¡­!? ¡°One Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!¡± CLANG!!! ¡°Kuh¡­!?¡± BAM!!!!!! Her attack this time is so heavy that even a three tonne arm strength is not enough to take it head on. I quickly added my sword on it to prevent her from pressuring me down. The ground sunken even larger and deeper than last time. What on earth happened¡­!? Her attacks are getting faster and stronger¡­! Is she even human¡­!? Large waves of shock spread out, it''s so powerful that it''s even blowing off those bystanders that were watching from the sides. ¡°L-Let`s get out of here¡­! This is not a fight anymore¡­!¡± With that, everyone else except for the who fainted fled from us. Regardless of how, Kuroyuki made no motion that she was bothered by it. She then made a spear on her right hand and thrusts straight at me with full throttle. Instinctively, I drew out another portion of my strength and reluctantly deflected it to the left with my scabbard. A cold air of wind bursts out from her spear¡ª towards the direction I deflected to. It leaves traces of icicles behind as it hurls¡ª hitting a tree on it`s trunk. The tree then froze up like an ice sculpture. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± So scary¡­! ¡°¡­Don''t look away¡­¡± Being too distracted as I am, by the time I look back at her¡ª her sword is nearly cutting my body. At that time¡­ that moment¡­ It''s as if my body was taken over for a moment. ¡°One Handed Sword Arts¡ª Full Swing!¡± WHAM!!!!!!!!! When I realized it, Kuroyuki was sent blasting away like a cannonball. Both of her weapons broke, but her body was hard¡ª like a diamond. I was expecting her to be taking some damage, and I was expecting her to be losing consciousness by now. But the duel did not end. This means¡ª she''s still conscious. Could she land safely¡­!? I quickly ran after her. But then, several large piles of snow suddenly appeared around where she was going to land. Kuroyuki then flew to the centre of one of the piles of snow and blasted a hole on it, spreading the snow all over. She then made the snow disappear, with her standing perfectly without a single scratch on her¡ª not even on her clothes. ¡°¡­You are still holding back.¡± Kuroyuki glared at me again. ¡°Holding back!? You were sent flying and you were still able to tell I''m holding back!? Such nonsense!¡± I protested. Obviously, I was lying. Just how serious do you want me to go!? ¡°¡­Reflexive Nerve Sensitivity.¡± She murmured. Reflexive nerve sensitivity is something very different from the reflex speed of ordinary people. It`s the process of perception to comprehension to response. The total time of this for a human is 0.3 seconds on average. If the human was a top-class sprinter, it''s common sense that crossing the barrier from 0.15 seconds to 0.1 seconds is impossible no matter the training. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I was dumbfounded. I understood what that is, but I have no idea why she said that. Wait¡­ Could it be¡­ she realized¡­? Seeing my expression, Kuroyuki heaved a sigh. ¡°¡­See for yourself.¡± With that, Kuroyuki pointed her forefinger upwards. ¡°?¡± Instinctively, I look up¡­ ¡­and was stunned for a moment because I nearly couldn`t believe what I saw. Countless of her ice spears are raining down on me. More than thousands. It''s amount is probably like the droplets of rain. I didn''t think much at that moment. My body moved on. I only knew how fast the spears were falling, as the weapons on my hands knocked them away with random swings on my weapons. ¡­I don`t know how many of it I had already knocked away. At this rate, the spears that are falling would`ve hit me eventually. I stomped my foot on the ground, transferring the power and force from my leg to my arm and to the scabbard. ¡°One Handed Sword Art¨C Full thrust!¡± Like a rocket launching upwards, the power itself blew a hole¡ª scattering the falling spears all over. ¡°Phew...¡± I finally am able to catch my breath after dealing with her series of attacks. ¡°¡­you defended against my attack, and escaped completely unscathed.¡± Kuroyuki said to me. ¡°I`m merely fighting with my instinct. Reflexive nerve sensitivity or whatever, I don`t have such a thing.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± She murmured with a gaze full of doubt. Sensing something, I quickly raised the scabbard on my left hand above my head while maintaining as much strength in my arm as hard as I could¡­ THUNK!!! ¡­and blocked an ice Excalibur that slashed downwards from behind my blind-spot. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. She seemed convinced. This girl¡­ so she could¡¯ve controlled her ice even without a need to move her hands. PAK! Hearing that snapping sound, I quickly put up on my defences. Up until now, Kuroyuki`s spears have been scattered all over. With so many of them loitering around, this would end up¡­! By the time I open my eyes, the mists are so thick that I couldn''t even see my own five fingers. I can b?r?ly even keep my eyes open because of the cold. My hair, clothes, even the moisture on my skin were ¡®iced¡¯. If it''s not for the clothes` warming function, I would`ve been freezing to death from the cold. ¡°¡­pierce.¡± ¡°!¡± The moment I heard Kuroyuki`s voice, I quickly took up my guard as I endured the cold pain on my body. That said, I instinctively deflected her spear sideways. This attack is different. It''s five times more powerful and faster than her normal spear attack, but there''s only one. The only possibility of this power I could come up with is that she threw it herself. I was nearly unable to deflect it. But how could she even locate me¡­? This stupid mist is so freakishly thick¡­! Could it be, she could tell where am I from her snow¡­? I felt another cold chill. CLANK!!! Shit¡­! Another one¡­! I blocked it. But it isn''t falling down to the ground, and instead¡ª it keeps on pushing me backwards because of the snow. Is she controlling her spear to push me backwards¡­!? Damnit. At this rate, I would definitely lose my footing. ¡°Gargh!!!¡± I mustered my strength and managed to parry her spear upwards. Yet at the same time¡ª I slipped because of her snow. Shit...! THUNK! Without revealing what''s underneath her skirt¡ª Kuroyuki landed a strong right-crossing kick onto my abdomen. Though I blocked it with the scabbard, because I''m slipping, her kick is able to push my body back. ¡°Ow¡­!¡± I flew out from the pool of mists and landed with my bu?? sliding on the snow, eventually crashing on the frozen tree. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I quickly looked up as I reached for my sword nearby. With perfect timing, Kuroyuki caught the dropping spear that I parried upwards and knocked my sword away when I tried to pick it up. ¡°¡­That was fun.¡± She said with a smile. She then placed her spear on my throat. ¡°¡­surrender? I could knock you out painlessly.¡± She asks. Her expression¡­ are those that can only be used when one has confidence in victory. Somehow seeing her expression, I decided to look around. And when I realized, the sun had already set¡ª and after not long, it will be night time, where the sky is completely black. The reason why I''m able to see it''s because of my clothes. They are glowing like a flashlight. Somehow, I remembered that I hated to lose. Perhaps she might already think that the stage is in order¡­ ¡°Hehe¡­ hahaha¡­¡± I inadvertently laughed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­why are you laughing?¡± Seeing my expression, obviously, Kuroyuki was surprised. ¡°¡­round two is about to start.¡± But in life, there is always something unexpected that is bound to happen. And who knows what will happen in the end? Chapter 14 - 2: The second person, Lucifer Nightmare Unexpected events. In a meaning, it could be said as something unforeseen. Like you didn''t expect you would trip all of the sudden, even if you walk normally. It is also an event that takes you by surprise, more like you weren''t prepared for it. If there`s an idiom, then ¡®out of the blue¡¯, ¡®catch someone off guard¡¯, ¡®out of nowhere¡¯, ¡®just like that¡¯ and ¡®all of the sudden¡¯ would be the few suitable meanings to this. Or it is an event that can be expected, but improbable at the time or a fully unprecedented event¡ª it could turn out to be an entirely new situation. I believe unexpected events tend to happen at least once in life. For me, the term ¡®unexpected events¡¯ is something that I had been through countless times, so many times that I lost count of the numbers. No matter how big or small they are, some of them are ironically, actually the turning points of your life¡ª or maybe you could say, it ¡®changed¡¯ your life. But, to where will it change you? Good; Or bad? I believe only the God of Creation knows. There''s no way for us to know how it will turn out. If I were to give you an example¡­ Let''s say, my little sis¡ª Restia, who found out that I escaped from my house, and is going to come here to kill me. I believe it''s already a little unexpected¡ª or maybe you expected that? I doubt anyone would¡¯ve expected my little sis to be that extreme, but unfortunately, that''s the truth. But no matter what, she is my little sis, so I would love her with all my heart (even if I had the chance to get myself killed). Ehem, back to the topic. Explain the reason? Calm her down? Scold her? Apologize? Go back? There are tons of predictions and calculations inside your mind now, but I will tell you this¡ª I have no idea at all. Like I said, they are unexpected¡ª so it''s futile to do so. Though I said it might be futile, who knows when it might be useful in the end? It''s better to make preparations. At any rate, I had a way to deal with it¡ª and the answer is extremely simple. I`m just kidding, I have no idea. Quite unexpected, isn''t it? I have caught you off guard. And if you believe in the last two lines of my words just now, then congratulations again¡ª you were wrong. There is an answer. Accept any possibilities and follow your heart. That''s the only way, or at least don''t let things be mind-blown. That''s the way of life. Not even the high and almighty Kuroyuki Shiroha is able to do so. Like now. She nonchalantly tilted her head slightly to the right with a puzzled look and stared at me. ¡°¡­Round¡­ two¡­?¡± She murmured. ¡°¡­Why did you think you could win? You don''t have any intention to surrender?¡± ¡°No, I would`have surrendered.¡± I replied. ¡°Haven''t I given up since the start?¡± ¡°¡­I don''t know what your goal is, but you have been stalling my time on purpose since the beginning.¡± She said calmly. As expected of her. Even though she realized and knew there might be danger, yet she still followed the flow. Luckily those bystanders were gone. It really is lucky for me. I know it''s impossible to avoid it from revealing¡ª I''m sure everyone would`ve know at some point, but at least she`s now the only one who will know¡ª ¡ªabout my secret, about the other ¡®me¡¯ that I have been saying to myself over and over. ¡°¡­Nnn¡­¡­?¡± She''s looking extremely displeased now. ¡°Whatever happens next, don''t blame me.¡± ¡°¡­looking down on me is your biggest mistake¡­¡± She uttered. She inched her spear closer to my throat¡ª with the tip poking the neck of my skin. I`m not the least bit fazed by her threat at all. I merely stared at the sky that''s about to turn dark. ¡°I won''t. But maybe, ¡®he¡¯ will.¡± I vaguely replied. The moment the sky turns dark, a dense, high and rich concentration of mana engulfed every inch of my body. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki instinctively skipped backwards in a defensive stance with her spear, and her face looked completely caught off guard. Ah¡­ It''s here. The night-time torture¡­ is coming. All of the sudden, black magic circles appeared one-by-one in thin air and surrounded my body. A total of nineteen of them. Then, without any sign of warnings¡ª a dagger flew out from one of the 19 magic circles and stabbed on my right upper arm. It''s as if my right arm is getting electrocuted, burned, ripped off, crushed, sliced, cut, pierced¡ª any kind of pain I could`have imagined, all gathered up as one. ¡°ARGHH¡­!¡± Unable to bear the intense pain, I curled myself and screamed. Then again¡ª without any warnings, another dagger flew out from another magic circle and stabbed my left leg, with the same pain as my right arm was facing. ¡°GRK¡ª GAAHHH¡­!¡± Another dagger stabbed on my abdomen. If I hadn''t been through so many times that I''m b?r?ly able to count, I would`ve puked from the intense pain. ¡°GRRGHH¡­!!!¡± Again. ¡°AHHHHHH¡­!!!¡± Again. ¡°GRRAGHHH!!!!!!¡± Again. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°GYARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!¡± My eyes rolled upwards so much that the nerves connecting to it were nearly snapping. My throat screamed so hard that my oesophagus nearly tears off. My arms stretched so much that the bones within were nearly breaking. My lungs squeezed so much that I couldn''t even breathe. My stomach flexed so much that I`m on the verge of vomiting. My legs are pulling so hard that my tendons are about to snap. ¡­that''s not the end. The moment the nineteen magic circle disappeared, a large one appeared¡ª shooting a large black sword as it stabbed on my ?h?st. It`s power is enough to press my body and make the ground crack. ¡°GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡ª HACK¡­¡­¡­...!¡± Nothing else could be heard but the tearing voice of my wholehearted scream of pain, till I no longer have the air and power to scream anymore. Then, afterwards¡ª Every pain nervous cell inside my body is throbbing. My blood boiled; My heart stopped; My brain ceased its function. A black out. I`m going through a process to ¡®change¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After about ten seconds, all the daggers and swords that stabbed me scattered like ashes then disappeared. I opened my eyes. Since my body is still throbbing in pain, I carefully sat on the cracked ground and looked upwards¡ª searching for the moon. It`s half-moon today. No, the moon isn''t important. I`m merely doing a countdown. When I realized, a gorgeous, beautiful girl with a mysterious aura around her sat lifelessly on the ground and was staring at me with a face¡ª full of shock and surprises. She seems a little puzzled and dumbfounded too. It seems she saw what happened to me. Well¡­ anyone who saw my condition for the first time would''ve made the exact same expression like hers. Right then, why am I outside? Who is she and why is she here? Isn''t it supposed to be summer¡ª it''s cold, and there is tons of snow around. She''s wearing a white blazer¡­ same as mine. Snow and ice¡­ Hmm¡­ could this be? She''s the girl that is good for nothing, the bastard principal mentioned? Her name¡­ Kuroyuki Shiroha. Err¡­ wait a minute. The other useless ¡®me¡¯ got away from my little sis!? How is this even possible!? God, this must be a miracle! Forget it. What on earth did he get himself involved into? There`s an ice spear next to the girl. ¡°¡­Ow¡­!¡± My head hurts! This pain is normal. It''s another pain routine. It is a stress that was built up by the other me. Every time we switch, our memory fragments will flow to each other''s brain after somewhere around ten seconds. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ What¡­!? You serious!? Damn, damn, damn this is retarded. Are you expecting me to fight a monster like her? Nightwalker you must be nuts. A freaking beauty like her should never be interpreted as a monster. She''s A slightly prideful cold beauty with a black, long, straight hair, topped that she''s a genius and an extremely talented honour student with a poison tongue¡ª these traits are completely my type, and yours too! Are you an idiot or something? ¡°¡­You alright?¡± I asked. After I squatted down in front of this beauty, I reached out my hand and touch her forehead¡ª Hmm. How unexpected. It''s so freakishly cold. The dazed beauty seemed to come back to her senses when I touched her. Or rather, she came back to her senses because she was touched. ¡°¡­Don''t touch me¡­!¡± She shouted angrily. Ah. My hand got slapped away. ¡°¡­The ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯, why do you have it on you¡­?¡± The girl glared at me. ¡°Why do I have it on me¡­ Hahaha.¡± I laughed sombrely. ¡°¡­does it really seem like I would want it on me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She retreated backwards, and made an ice spear on her hand. Not a sign of warning, she took the spear and pointed it right on my throat¡ª with exactly seven spears surrounding me. Three on my back, two on my right and two on my left. ¡°Hmm¡­ why the sudden threat? Do I really look that scary?¡± I said. ¡°¡­You aren''t Lucifer¡­ Who are you¡­?¡± Her words surprised me. I`d never expect her to catch on this quickly. ¡°You are half correct.¡± I replied. ¡°Mind allowing me to stand? Squatting is tiring.¡± She pulled back her spears¡ª at least, enough space for me to stand rather than squatting. ¡°¡­then what should I call you?¡± From her tone, she clearly understood I`m the other half. ¡°Well¡­ I am Lucifer Nightmare and the other guy¡ª is Lucifer Nightwalker. But I prefer you to call me Lucifer as well.¡± ¡°¡­Interesting.¡± She smirks. Not good. This expression¡­ I quickly retreated backwards to the tree, slipping past her spears where Kuroyuki was surprised by it. Though she shoots her spears afterwards, I swiftly evaded them without breaking a sweat. Right on time when I got my weapons, Kuroyuki herself¡ª with her spear came thrusting on my front. I bend my waist, avoiding my abdomen from her spear by a hairbreadth, and steps myself next to her. THUNK! ¡°!¡± When I stabbed her on her abdomen with the sword, I hit something hard. I quickly took a look, and realized that my sword isn`t even touching her blazer; it''s close to her blazer, but not touching it. It''s as if she had an armour coated around her body¡­ I quickly kicked myself backwards to dodge Kuroyuki`s sword swing. ¡°Silent Step.¡± Not making the slightest sound, I took a quick, sudden step forward¡ª close enough for my blade to reach, and it surprised Kuroyuki. ¡°Silent Blade.¡± I pointed my sword to her left shoulder, and made a perfect straight thrust¡ª a fast and soundless thrust. As expected, it won''t be that easy. She dodged it perfectly by taking a quarter-clockwise spin with her foot. In that moment, her raised right leg took a step sideways to get further from me and she swung her sword horizontally¡ª all within 0.2 seconds. ¡°Cheh.¡± I inadvertently mumbled. I took a squat just in time to dodge her blade and quickly get myself some distance away from her. ¡°¡­Pierce.¡± Though she shot thirty of her spears, I`m able to evade them swiftly. It''s better than blocking them. This way, there''s no need to worry about the explosions. I quickly closed our distance with my one and only footwork¡ª silent step. ¡°Silent blade.¡± I swung my sword diagonally upwards from the right. Yet Kuroyuki evaded my blade completely by taking one simple hop back, and another hop with a clockwise spin to the right. And around the third quarter of her spin, she swings her spear horizontally, backhanded¡ª aiming to cut my neck. I bent my waist backwards¡ª completely avoided her spear. With her body now facing me as she lands, she took a sudden leap forward with a thrust on her sword. Reluctantly, I deflected her sword with the scabbard that was wielding in a dagger style. What''s with her footwork¡­? It''s like she''s dancing. On top of that, the spin, the hop, and the sudden approach are three completely different styles. Perhaps there''s more. I can`t fight against this. ¡°Lights off.¡± I murmured. The nightlight function on my clothes immediately switches off. The moment Kuroyuki realizes, she quickly turns off her nightlight function too. ¡°¡­lights off.¡± With both of the only light sources cut off, we were enveloped by darkness, pitch black. It takes some time for the eyes to get used to the dark, so this moment of time where we can''t rely on our eyes, is crucial. There`s about 10 minutes of darkness, but I will ?ssume her eyes are just as good as mine. So I will cut this down to 4 minutes. We had to rely on our other senses. Hearing, touch, and smell. Even the slightest breathing noise could give away your position. So, I already held my breath the moment she switched off her light. Now I can''t tell anything from the scent. There`s no sound coming from her side either. It seems she held her breath and did not move as well. From the last time where she is, I dash towards her using my footwork, silent step. It gives no sound, I`m she wouldn`t have heard it. But one thing worries me. The ground is full of her snow, and she''d probably know where I am, as if the snow is her skin¡ª she might know where I was. So¡­ I quickly approached where she is just now and swung the sword diagonally downwards as a quick test. Obviously, it''s a silent movement and attack¡ª so it''s impossible for her to hear it. I hit nothing, so it''s clear. She moved away from her position. I quickly moved to her spot, and squatted down. I squatted because my swing gave away my position¡ª the slightest wind created from my swing that was blowing across her face might expose my position. Let''s make a bet here¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I heard the sound of something flying fast. It''s her spears. My hair moves to the left. It just went past my head. It''s coming from the right¡­? In that instant, I quickly switched my breath through my mouth silently and dash towards that direction¡ª just kidding. My swing earlier was facing the front, how is it possible for her to know when she''s on the right? Such a sly one she is. Silent blade¡­! In my squatting position, I swung my blade diagonally upwards. I was expecting it to hit something hard¡ª maybe her invisible armour. Yet¡ª ¡°!!?¡± ¡ªthere`s nothing. Not even the slightest resistance of cutting through snow or ice. Instantly, I switched my focus on my ears, but I heard nothing. I tried to feel the slightest heat from my hands, but there`s nothing but cold air. This can''t be. My guess was wrong¡­? Could she really be on the right¡­? Or maybe¡­ she just moved¡­? I can''t stay at the same spot for too long. By the time I moved my spot three steps to the left without the slightest noise¡ª several spears rained down from above from the spot I was before. Hearing those sharp sounds¡ª I quickly leaped backwards silently. Then, the sound of several spears landing and the wind pressure from it could be heard clearly coming from the front. The way her spear attacks (drops from above) hides her position completely. She could tell where I am!? Shit, I hate it when I''m right since from the start¡­! I decided to give up on holding my breath and move around without creating too much noise. Switching my moving pattern every time. Front, back, left, right¡ª Zig-zag, like a snake, like a frog¡ª as long as she`s not able to guess what''s coming next. But, every time I move away from my last spot¡ª her spear lands just right on that very last spot right after a second. There''s no time for me to rest. The tension made me inhale. The moment I breathe in, there''s a faint yet sweet, fragrant smell like the smell of shampoo enters into my nose. That''s the exact time a thought came into my mind. ¡®Why did I hold my breath right from the start? I hate myself.¡¯ From that faint smell, I predict she''s around there¡­ I quickly took a dash towards my 3oclock direction, swinging my blade diagonally downwards to the left. Huh¡­? Again, I cut nothing but air. My smell detection had a 93% accuracy of distance judgement, but somehow¡ª I started to doubt the percentage myself. I leaped backwards immediately and moved around again¡ª using the same tactic to avoid her spears. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Her smell is coming from the left now¡­? Wow. I''m sure of it now. She''s moving silently¡ª just as I am. I predicted she might`ve experience in fighting in the dark but¡ª this isn''t experience, she was used to it¡­! It''s about time now¡­ I silently dash to where she is, evading the continuous spears. ¡°Lights on maximum output!¡± The nightlight function on my clothes lights up immediately¡ª with a white light, although the intensity was not strong enough to blind you, but it''s able to blind for maybe a minute when the iris just adjusted itself to the dark. However, both of us thought of the same move¡ª Kuroyuki`s clothes shine with a blinding light. ¡®It''s okay,¡¯ I thought. It''s all within my predictions. All I need to do is to close my eyes and swing my blade. But if I do so, then wouldn''t it be the same to get used to the light once again if I open them? Then, all I need to do is to avoid looking at the light source directly¡ª I just need to look at her feet. And this is where I`m getting the upper hand, Kuroyuki. I`m wearing trousers and you wore a skirt¡ª you had no choice but to close your eyes or look away to the sides¡­! From her footwork, Kuroyuki is about to make a spear thrust. I quickly turned my body to the left and moved myself to the right forehand, then¡ª I saw her spear slipping past my waist. CLANK! If I`m correct, my sword cuts her neck¡ª but I`m not strong enough to break through her ridiculous armour. Hold on¡­! Her footwork is stable¡­ this means, she blocked it¡­!? Ugh. Must be her sword. CRACK!!! If I`m correct, my scabbard landed on the armour around her abdomen. Oh, I can see her skirt now. When I raised my head¡ª I was stunned by the view in front. A screen was placed right in front of Kuroyuki`s face¡ª the screen is slightly dark. From that, I understood what that screen was for. It''s like some portable sunglasses. What''s more, hundreds of her spears floating above are waiting to attack. Dang, I lost to technology. It''s as if Kuroyuki could read my thoughts, she looks at me with a grin. ¡°¡­Pierce.¡± She whispers. Oh dear. Twenty at a time, her spears shoot ruthlessly. ¡­If you are expecting this duel to end by now, then you are wrong. With minimal movement, I evaded Kuroyuki`s spears as if they slipped past me, as I moved myself backwards to keep some distance. Even if it''s a thousand of them, your spears will never hit me. In fact, that`s a wrong move. I took the sword and scabbard on my hand, deflecting the spears to the sides as I dodge. At some certain point¡ª instead of deflecting away, I deflected one of it back to Kuroyuki. Perhaps, the spear with a speed near to a bullet and power near to a bomb was being used back on Kuroyuki surprised her¡ª it grazed her waist, on the armour¡ª where it was cut by the spear. That spear was the last one¡ª the road is clear now. Silent Step Spectre. An upgraded footwork of Silent Step. It''s footwork that erases my sound and presence¡ª but it requires a lot of stamina to move now because of the snow. Since she was stunned, I had to make a bet. The moment I managed to sneak behind Kuroyuki¡ª I swung my blade, aiming to hit her waist, where it was cut. ¡°¡­Nngh!¡± However, Kuroyuki quickly leaps forward before my sword hits and countered by turning her body to face me as she threw her spear. The spear which had the same power to push Nightwalker backwards. THUNK! I managed to parry with the scabbard. Her reaction speed is terrifying. Is she even human¡­? By the time I realized it, Kuroyuki swayed her hand down with her special gesture. I calmly look up. ¡°Ho.¡± I inadvertently grin. The moment I took my right foot away from the original spot, I evaded a spear which just landed. Next, I bent my waist slightly to the right, dodging the second spear which would stab my head. Then I pushed myself by kicking to the ground with my right foot¡ª to the left and evaded the third and fourth spear. I took a step forward as I leaned forward, letting the fifth and sixth spears to land behind me where it was supposed to stab both of my shoulders. ¡°Heh.¡± I looked at Kuroyuki and smirked confidently. This is just to tell her to give up to set off her spear to explode. She knew what my smirk meant. PAK! And¡­ she did it anyways, with a snap on her fingers. Knowing what might possibly happen, I quickly faced backward and broke all the spears behind me in one swing and retreated backwards. Except for the spears above, those that I`ve broken had their explosions divided by half. As it explodes¡ª aside from the ice fragments that create a small hailstorm, the snowflakes it scatters made the scene... ¡­as if it is snowing. ¡°¡­Aren''t you rather calm and composed¡­¡± Kuroyuki murmured. It seems she decided to put things on hold and try to understand me. I don`t mind. It''s good to make things clear enough. ¡°Well¡­ comparing myself to Nightwalker, I think I''m much more of an opponent than he is.¡± Hearing that, Kuroyuki leaked out a displeasing look for a second. ¡°¡­but you viewed him as your equal.¡± Her brows furrowed. Huh. She surprised me once more. Just how far is able to tell¡­? Those words had another meaning. She also meant that ¡®Not only you, but he (Nightwalker) too is looking down on me?¡¯ ¡°No, no, no. That''s not it. It''s quite the opposite.¡± I quickly denied. Kuroyuki raised her left brow with a wary look. ¡°Unlike me, who fights through observing and thinking a strategy¡­ The way Nightwalker fights is opposite to mine¡ª he fights by using his instincts.¡± I said. ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°He knew no matter how hard he tries, he can''t defeat you.¡± I replied. ¡°A 100% defeat no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki stared at me with her impassive eyes. It''s almost as if she were asking ¡®what about you?¡¯. ¡°Hmm. There''s A 97% chance for me to win. You knew it yourself.¡± I said. ¡°¡­What about the 3%?¡± ¡°If you decide to change your mind.¡± ¡°¡­Hehe¡­¡± She snickers. ¡°¡­In that case, I will be serious, then.¡± In less than a second, she disappeared by leaving an afterimage¡ª my eyes captured the blurry images of her and traces of her footsteps were left on the snow. She approached me with herself almost as fast as the speed of the bullet. This is completely another level of speed. By the time I realized, she was already behind me¡ª swinging her sword. I took a quick step forward, evading her sword that nearly cut my blazer. ¡°¡­!¡± Then, her evil grin surprised me. ¡°¡­pierce.¡± ¡°Grk¡­!?¡± She flung her spear, aiming my head. Pairing on it with the exact movement, I diverted her spear to the left with my scabbard and yanked my head to the right¡ª dodging a cold air that blasts out from the impact of her spear. Hahaha¡­ This is bad. I need to keep some distance. With that, I took the sword on my hand and placed it in front of her abdomen. ¡°Silent Blade Spectre!¡± BAM! Huh? At that moment, I expect that she''d be able to dodge it easily. But it hit. No, that''s not it. I was careless. When I came to realize it, my scabbard actually touched her blazer. She removed her armour and took this hit on purpose. Before I knew it, I already threw away my weapons and was holding Kuroyuki`s lifeless body. As the blood she spurts from her mouth dyed the snow below my feet to red, I held her within my arms, trembling in fear. ¡°You fool¡­! Why did you take that hit¡­!?¡± I yelled at her. ¡°¡­Sorry¡­¡± She coughs some blood. ¡°¡­I think I need to pass out for a while¡­¡± Saying that, Kuroyuki fainted with her body leaning on me. Afterwards, the surrounding ice and snow disappeared without a trace, leaving the scene back to a normal destroyed grass field. The collar and the sleeves of my blazer shone green¡ª with a screen appearing in front of me. ¡®WINNER.. LUCIFER NIGHTWALKER VON NIGHTMARE.¡¯ Chapter 15 - 2.2 7.32p.m. I''m starving. My body felt restless and is aching with pain all over. Perhaps this is the result of not having a drop of water nor food since 3a.m., and also the cause of sleep deprivation. Stupid Nightwalker. How could you forget food and water of all things? Current location: The special class, kitchen section. Obviously, I`m cooking. To be precise, I''m currently choosing the utensils I needed from the kitchen section system¡ª and god, as expected from a dream kitchen¡ª there''s so much to choose from the list that my eyes are hurting. Utensils: 16-inch frying pan, silicon spatula, 8-inch chef''s knife, cleaver, fork, red and green cutting board, small and medium sized glass bowl. Once the system confirms my requirements, the respective cupboards and drawers open automatically with a green light. Those I needed were at those respective places. Thus, I walk around¡ª taking those marked utensils one-by-one as I place them on a conveyor belt, which sends them to my work station. Ingredients: Olive oil, smoked, flake, black, pink and kosher salt, black peppercorn powder, freshly steamed pearl rice, (farm-raised) Grade-A chicken eggs, soy sauce, garlic, scallions, (farm-raised) minced pork belly, pork loin and bacon. Once ordered and paid, the ingredients were teleported to the ingredient box and were moved by another conveyor belt to the working station. The ingredients were that of the freshest and best quality from the online supermarket of this island. Of course, compared to buying them directly from their store¡ª ordering and teleporting like this are definitely much more expensive. However, the principal had ties with the founder of the supermarket so the price was lowered till they were the same as buying them directly from their store¡ª plus, the special student`s funds for food and beverage were covered so it is definitely fine. Now then, time to prepare the ingredients. A portion for 2 persons. Take several pieces of garlic. Place them on the green cutting board and crush it with the cleaver¡ª BAM! ¡­Ah. Too much strength. There¡¯s a hole on the board, a dent on the table, and the garlics were splattered to juice instead. Dang. I`ve made a mess. Luckily there`s the cleaning and repair system. Ehem. This is an accident. I`m actually pretty good at cooking. Let''s start over. Crush the garlic with the right amount of power so you can peel off the skin with ease. Then slice it to crumbles. Now take the red chopping board (we shouldn''t use vegetables and meat on one same chopping board, unless the board is 100% clean and free from bacteria, plus you are not a vegan), chop the pork loin and bacon to small crumbles, then mix them thoroughly on the medium glass bowl while adding pinches of soy sauce and black pepper (I was going to pickle them, but it takes at least one day so forget it). Crack the eggs in a small grass bowl. Add some soy sauce and black pepper then mix them on the small glass bowl with a fork. Cut the scallions on the green cutting board with the 8-inch knife. As the pan was heated, pour a dash of olive oil on it. When the oil is heated, add the garlic crumbles and minced pork. When frying the minced pork, make sure the minced pork is separated thoroughly (without mixing) with the spatula, and add a small dash of smoked, flake, black, pink and kosher salt too. After a stimulating aroma of the pork lard rises, add the steamed pearl rice and pour the mixed egg on it. Make sure every inch of the rice was covered by the egg. When the heat has passed, sprinkle some additional soy sauce for heavier taste if you like. The appetising scent of a perfectly cooked fried rice resounded beautifully. And¡­ it''s finished. The ¡°Golden Fried Rice¡¯ for two is done! I set down two servings of the dinner with a clatter on the small dining table. Enjoy this simple eastern recipe I shared. Unlike most western food and bakery, it doesn`t require any precise measurements¡ª just take it as an art. You add those ingredients through your feelings. That''s why there''s a saying of ¡®the best seasoning for any recipe is love¡¯. To be honest, this is bullshit. I`d prefer girls who practice their cooking, and TASTE THE FOOD before serving¡ª I don''t want to travel to either heaven or hell even once. If you ask me why I`m good at cooking¡­ it''s really obvious, isn''t it? I was stranded on an island after all. I honed my cooking skills three times a day (excluding tea time). So this means three times, 365 day times six years equals at least 6570 times of cooking experience. Not to brag, but personally, I think it''s more than enough to be an expert even if I''m a klutz right from the start. Now then¡­ time to wake the sleeping beauty before the food gets cold. By the way, after the duel ended with Kuroyuki suffering an injury, I was going to carry her to the infirmary. And when I carried her, a message she prepared beforehand¡ª which her device detected me and sent it. In that message, Kuroyuki told me not to take her to the infirmary. She doesn''t want to catch any attention. She told me to take her back to the class and heal her with a low-grade pill or potion inside the first-aid kit. Of course, to do so¡ª she included the steps to heal her. As for the , I called for the infirmary to pick him up. I took his sword with me since it might get stolen. Then I carry the defenceless and unconscious Kuroyuki with both of my hands, or ¡®princess carry¡¯ in short, all the way back to our class. First, I placed her on her personal chair and set it to bed mode, then grabbed the first-aid kit. I unbutton her blazer and shirt¡ª revealing her upper-body and her b?r? abdomen, of course, checking her injury as well as the rest of it. By the way, she really does have a killer body. 65D cup and a 57cm waist. Her cold body made my hand numb, so I can''t feel the sensation of her skin. But after checking, she only had an internal bleeding on the right side of her abdomen, which is swollen. In this case, internal bleeding requires a potion to be consumed within. So this means I need to feed her the potion I got from the first-aid-kid. But too bad, my first kiss was still intact, because I fed her with a tiny funnel. From the message, she told me not to do any funny business. She would know everything through the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) that was installed on her clothes as well as the classroom. Cheh. Aren''t you careful? Of course not. I could easily hack the CCTV systems. But there''s no need to do so anyways, do you think I would really care about the trash CCTV? You are extremely lucky that it is me. Be it anybody else, I''m sure you will definitely be r?p?d. Since it takes time for her to recover, I went to cook. And now I`m back. Time to check her condition. ¡­Hmm, her wounds healed completely. Come to think of it, no matter how I look¡ª it doesn''t seem like a well-trained body. Such a beautiful white skin, such a perfect body and waistline, nice legs, just like any other normal girl. Who knew she would be this strong in close combat¡­? Even if she''s sleeping, she still remains so dignified. She maintained well in both beauty and fighting. She presented herself so perfectly well and stood out¡ª making others can''t help but to pay attention to her, but she hates it when she catches the attention. How contradicting. Such a strange girl. But cute is the only reason I need. Heh¡­ Defenceless just like a sleeping cat. ¡°¡­Ngh¡­¡± She m??n?d. ¡­Whoa. What was that? Something inside me almost awakened. This is bad for my heart. Okay little princess, time to wake up! I took Kuroyuki`s right hand and applied some pressure on her radial longitudinal crease with my thumb to stimulate some pain. ¡°¡­Ngh¡­!¡± She m??n?d. CLAP! All of the sudden, her left palm grabbed my face. Though part of my vision was disturbed, I saw Kuroyuki open her eyes¡ª and now she`s glaring at me. ¡°Ah, you woke up.¡± I said. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°¡­it hurts, you dummy!¡± With that said, she gripped my head. CRIK! CRIK! God damn it I could feel my skull cracking¡­! ¡°Ah¡ª ow! Stop squeezing¡­!¡± I quickly slap her hand repeatedly for a time out. She relaxed her grip, but with no intention to pull her hand away from my face at all. Then she seems to be checking her body herself. By the way, her clothes were still unbuttoned. This means, she practically only had her black lace brassiere as the last line of defence on her upper body. If you are a girl, how will you react? Obviously, Kuroyuki quickly hides her body with her clothes as she grips it tightly with her right hand in a defensive posture around her ?h?st, and applies pressure on her left hand, with a shy and humiliated look. CRAK CRAK CRAK! ¡°¡­pervert¡­!¡± ¡°Owwwww¡­¡­.! Stop squeezing! Is it wrong to be checking for other injuries¡­!?¡± I am slapping her hand for a time out again. ¡°¡­you stroke my head¡­!¡± ¡°You knew!? Aren''t you glad that I only stroked your head¡­!? Be it anybody else, you will be eaten¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate it. But this and that are different matters¡­! Ngh¡­¡­!¡± CRACK! ¡°ARGHHHHHHHHH!? STOP! STOP! STOP! I COULD HEAR IT CRACKING!?¡± Hearing my pleas, Kuroyuki released me¡ª where I lifelessly rested myself on my chair. She then turns away, with her back facing me while she bu??ons her shirt. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± She pouted. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Ten out of ten points, Kuroyuki. You sure are a nice girl. ¡°¡­N¡­?¡± She seems to have noticed the fried rice on the dining table. Then I stood up, and gave a gentle slam on her shoulder from behind as I walked past her. ¡°Eat first. Save the talk for later.¡± I said. ¡°¡­How did you¡­?¡± I ignored her murmur, and sat at the table. Though Kuroyuki looked annoyed for a moment because I ignored her, she eventually sat next to me. And for some reason, she''s been staring at the fried rice for quite a while. Her look somewhat seems to be doubting the normal-looking, simple fried rice. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I asked. Then, she stared at me with a serious look. ¡°¡­is it edible?¡± She`d even say it so naturally and casually. Such an insult. It''s as if she''s telling me ¡®it''s okay even if it tastes horrible.¡¯ ¡°Hmph. Then don''t eat.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± Kuroyuki then slowly stood up. Tch. She really had the galls to do so. ¡°Don''t you dare waste food.¡± I uttered. I took some rice with the spoon while I squeezed her jaw open, and shoved the rice into Kuroyuki`s mouth. ¡°¡­Mngh¡­!?¡± She inadvertently sits back from the surprise. ¡°Whoops.¡± Damn. Luckily I evaded just in time. Her powerful-looking hand-chop almost hit me. At first, Kuroyuki hesitantly took a few bites. But she eventually swallowed her rice with a satisfying look. ¡°¡­unexpectedly tasty.¡± Saying that, she licks her lips. It looks¡­ seductive. Gulp. ¡°I had 8 years of cooking experience. Of course it''s tasty.¡± I uttered. I sat back on my seat, acting like the things just now have never happened. ¡°¡­olive oil, garlic, smoked, flake, black, pink and kosher salt, black peppercorn powder, minced pork belly, loin, bacon, normal chicken eggs, soy sauce, garlic, scallions, pearl rice¡­¡± Huh. Not a single one missed. ¡°Wow. Quite the silver tongue.¡± I said. ¡°¡­but why so many types of salts¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it does look sparkly, no?¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡®Good point¡¯, or so her face tells me. Till a point, Kuroyuki starts to eat. I know it''s rude to look at others when they are eating, but her posture and movement are really elegant. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After we finished, Kuroyuki herself volunteered to wash the utensils. Well, I can''t do anything about it since she insists. She tied her hair in a ponytail and wore an apron, and I`d stood next to her, watching her as she took a sponge with some dish-washing liquid on it. ¡°Hmm? Why manually?¡± I inadvertently asked. There''s a dish-washer machine, but she chose to scrub it with a sponge instead. ¡°¡­Sometimes it''s better if we do it with our own hands. Technology might`ve given us a lot of convenience, but we shouldn''t take it for granted. If we don''t expose ourselves to movement and germs, our body might turn out to be more fragile than we thought.¡± ¡°Quite the philosopher, aren''t you?¡± I said. ¡°But that''s not it. Human''s bodies might`ve been deteriorating these days, at least we are still willing to put effort into making things possible.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± She murmured with a sombre smile. Things seem to be getting sour. I wondered what I reminded her of. Oh well. ¡°Speaking of putting effort¡­ since I`ve put my effort into cooking yours, so you should cook once for me as well.¡± She shot me quite a horrifying glare. ¡°¡­I don''t cook for perverts.¡± It won''t work on me. I''m quite shameless at some certain aspects. ¡°Look here, I`m not¡ª¡± CLAP! (The sound of Kuroyuki`s hand smacked on my face) CRIK! (The sound of my skull getting squeezed) CRACK! (The sound of my skull getting cracked) ¡°ARGHHHHHHHH!!?¡± I screamed in pain. From her grip and from the soap bubbles that`s entering my eyes. ¡°¡­careful with your words.¡± She lets go of grip. ¡°It''s you who should be careful of the detergent, idiot! Hurry and help me wash my eyes¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Hehe, sorry.¡± Kuroyuki pulled my head to the basin and splash some water¡ª ¡°Ugh!? So cold¡­! Are you doing this on purpose¡­!?¡± I shouted. ¡°¡­¡­Kukuku¡­¡± From what I hear, Kuroyuki seems to be chuckling. She seems to be enjoying herself. Perhaps the water in my eyes might be disrupting my vision, but¡ª as expected, the smiling Kuroyuki is really the best. ¡°¡­How is it? Can you see now?¡± She splashes some cold water again. ¡°¡­Yup. Pretty clearly¡­¡± I get up and wipe off the water with my sleeve. ¡°¡­N? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I''m fine.¡± I said. ¡°It''s just that I kind of understood why you hate those who ?ust for your looks.¡± ¡°¡­It''s good if you appreciate my charms, but this speech pattern¡­¡± She`s glaring at me. ¡°What? You think I`m going to confess? Haha, in your dreams!¡± ¡°¡­Mmn¡­¡± She`s sulking. ¡°You should`ve the minimal confidence, but not over-confidence!¡± I remarked. Just how much do you want me to confess??? Aren''t you being a little narcissist, don`t you think? Kuroyuki looks away with a sulking look, rinsing the utensils with water. ¡°Anyways, I was waiting for your official declaration.¡± I added. ¡°¡­Fine¡­ You passed.¡± ¡°As your partner, this means we are equals, no?¡± Though Kuroyuki seems to be irritated for some reason, she nodded her head with an unwilling look. ¡°¡­But even if we are equals, you aren''t allowed to stroke my head.¡± She murmured with a shy look. Do you really think I could resist if your face is red like that? ¡°Not to pat a cute girl''s head is going against my will.¡± ¡°¡­don''t ever call me cute again.¡± ¡°Aren''t you troublesome? You need to learn how to tolerate with others.¡± ¡°¡­anyone but you.¡± CLACK. She placed the last plate on the drying rack. ¡°Fine then.¡± I said. ¡°Perhaps you require your partner to be as good as you. So now I don''t need to hold back.¡± ¡°¡­What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Have a seat first.¡± I point my hand at the small dining table. Kuroyuki then dried her hands, and hanged her apron, then she sat at the table as she let down her hair. We sat at each other`s opposite, staring at each other. Perhaps our thoughts and movements synchronised for a moment, but Kuroyuki was trying to grip my head while I was trying to chop hers. I caught her hand and she caught mine as well. But¡ª since my hand is close to her head, I flicked my finger, hitting her forehead. ¡°¡­Mnn¡­!?¡± She glared at me with a displeased look. ¡°Why are you even trying to grab my head in the first place¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­You are getting ???ky.¡± She said. ¡°¡­Then why did you try to chop me?¡± ¡°Release my hand first.¡± When both of us released each other''s hand, we slowly retreated backwards to our seat. I deliberately sighed. ¡°¡­What''s wrong?¡± Kuroyuki asks. ¡°Idiot.¡± I said. ¡°Why the rush? Why go so far?¡± I then paused afterwards. Kuroyuki understood why I pause my words so she gave it a thought. ¡°¡­you realized¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean I realized? It''s very obvious! You purposely took me outside and showed my strength to the others, and even lost the match on purpose so I could benefit from the title as your partner!¡± By the way, I`m now Ranked First, and Kuroyuki is Second. ¡°¡­If I don`t do that, they will never stop criticizing you.¡± She said. Kuroyuki`s expression seems to have relaxed. Don`t be mistaken, I`m not done yet. ¡°You can''t fulfil everyone''s wishes. Why don''t you just let them say what they want?¡± ¡°¡­You really are kind. There''s no scar, so it''s fine.¡± ¡°Don''t ever do that again. I''m not as kind as you¡ª I would even take your kindness for granted.¡± ¡°¡­I''m kind¡­?¡± ¡°I`m quite certain you are testing Nightwalker at first. But you changed your mind afterwards.¡± ¡°¡­So you do realize¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Just because Nightwalker is willing to lend a hand to find your childhood friend doesn''t mean you need to almost risk your life on it.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize for making you worry.¡± ¡°Don`t. I`m not a nice guy like Nightwalker.¡± I uttered. ¡°He''d call me a monster too.¡± ¡°¡­Then, are you?¡± ¡°¡­I will be frank.¡± I murmured. ¡°You are even more of a monster than me.¡± Kuroyuki seems to be stunned for a moment. I can''t really tell whether she is angry or not because her facial expression b?r?ly changed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­You think I would use you as a tool¡­?¡± ¡°I know you`ve been through something that''s even worse than pure madness. But I know you won''t. Because your precious friend saved you.¡± ¡°¡­So you''re telling me¡ª you want me to save you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I don''t know. Maybe I wanted you to. Maybe the ¡®real¡¯ me wants to be saved.¡± ¡°¡­The ¡®real¡¯ you?¡± ¡°Yes. Do remember, I`m only half.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then what was the ¡®real¡¯ you like?¡± ¡°He''s too smart. I was hoping that your brain could match up with his. There''s no other word but ¡®insane¡¯ to describe the ¡®real¡¯ me.¡± ¡°¡­Is that why you were sealed?¡± ¡°No. I was sealed even before that. It was¡­ 8 years ago? I think.¡± ¡°¡­Then why were you sealed?¡± ¡°I don`t know. I have no memories of that. I don''t even know who sealed me and why I got this seal.¡± ¡°¡­You have been staring at my ring for quite a while.¡± Forgot to mention, but Kuroyuki had a silver ring on her left hand, middle finger. ¡°I don''t know why, but that''s the key to unlock my seal. It reacted whenever I touch your ring.¡± When she first grabbed my head with her left hand, the seals within me reacted. I confirmed it when she grabbed me with her left hand. ¡°¡­How is this possible¡­ I got this ring from my parents.¡± ¡°Put that aside first. Do you know how to unseal it?¡± ¡°¡­No. I don''t have mana. I can''t use magic.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ figures¡­¡± I know this wouldn''t be that easy. ¡°¡­I`m sorry.¡± Kuroyuki apologizes. She looks extremely pained but yet¡ª H-Huh¡­? Tears¡­? Why am I crying? I was the one who was crying instead. ¡°D-Don''t make that face.¡± I said. ¡°It''s not your fault. D-Don''t apologize. I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± I wonder why. It''d be fine if it''s anybody. I`d be fine crying in front of anyone¡ª anyone but Kuroyuki. And before I knew it, my body moved on its own. I stormed out from the classroom, from the White Mansion. Perhaps I was feeling restless. I ran. But where could I run to? Back to the only place where I find it comforting. The ¡®Pink Drop¡¯ tree. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 16 - 2.3 By the time I knew it, I was already at the tree, standing¡ª with my mind blank like a white sheet of paper. No matter how beautiful the scene is¡ª I can''t feel a single thing. It seems¡­ I forgot. I forgot what it feels like to be alone. I forgot how scary being alone could be. Though I want Kuroyuki to help me¡ª I know I said that. But now I don''t have anyone to depend on. There''s no one I could rely on. Ha. Haha. Hahahaha¡­ ¡ªbrother. ¡ªmaster. Gasp! Shit. Why did I forget¡­ How could I forget my family¡­? Stupid seal¡­! Stop messing with me!!! You took away my knowledge, my skills, and nearly took away my life! And now you are even taking away my memories about Restia and Ruby!!? Hold it. I need to stay calm. Anger would`ve made the seal to work faster¡ª This sound¡­ It''s coming from my old-model phone¡­! This means¡ª Restia and Ruby¡­! I quickly took the phone from my pocket and accepted the call. ¡°Res¡ª¡± ¡°I''M GOING TO KILL YOU.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­It`s Restia. Shit. I just remembered why I am able to come here. It''s another headache after another. Let''s find a comfortable spot to sit first... ¡°Hurry up and say something! Anything!¡± ¡°You¡­! ¡­you are forgiven.¡± ¡­ I thought she was going to yell at me. ¡°BUT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I CAN`T BELIEVE YOU FORGOT TO CALL ME.¡± ¡­Ah. ¡°N-No! I was just going to call¡ª¡± ¡°DON`T LIE ON ME.¡± ¡°I`m sorry Restia please forgive me once more.¡± There`s no choice but to apologize to her. ¡°¡­under one condition.¡± She said. ¡°You need to make up our lost time together and obey my commands, twice.¡± ¡°Fine. But no bathing together.¡± ¡°I said obey my commands, didn''t I? I will kill you if you don`t.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. But don''t make me touch you in weird places nor you touch me in weird places.¡± ¡°LIKE, I, SAID¡­ OBEY MY COMMANDS, OKAY~?¡± It seems I have no choice. ¡°Alright! Fine! I''ll do it!¡± ¡°¡­That''s my big brother.¡± ¡°Have your anger cooled down now?¡± She''s crying now. ¡°Why did you leave Restia¡­? You promised not to leave Restia alone¡­!!! You promise-breaker! Cheater! Pervert!¡± ¡°You think I want to leave? I had no choice! You have no idea how much I missed you! I`m feeling so uncomfortable without you and Ruby!!!¡± ¡°Restia¡­ Restia will come to big brother now¡­!¡± ¡°Don`t do it¡­! We need to endure this¡­ It''s just like what ¡®I¡¯ said¡­ We need to grow up once in a while¡­!¡± ¡°But¡ª but it''s painful without big brother around¡­¡± ¡°Six months. We need to endure for just six months.¡± ¡°Mnn¡­ Res¡­ Restia will endure¡­¡± ¡°¡­That''s my little sis.¡± ¡°I... I really want to go home¡­¡± ¡°Res¡­ Restia will come to big brother now¡­!¡± ¡°No¡­! Endure it, Restia! We need to endure it! It`s for both of our sakes!¡± ¡°Restia¡­ will try¡­¡± I need to distract her. ¡°¡­Restia. Do you think I should do what ¡®I¡¯ told me¡­?¡± ¡°If it''s ''big brother¡¯ who told you to, then you should. Restia will be here to update your progress¡­¡± ¡°Okay then¡­ This academy is really big. The other me got lost inside a forest.¡± ¡°Eh¡­? How did big brother even find a forest and got lost inside?¡± I can''t really remember well because of the memory fragments. ¡°¡­as expected from big brother.¡± ¡°I don''t really want to say this but¡­ Erm¡­ The Student Council President is really pretty¡ª¡± ¡°I SEE. SO THIS IS WHY MY HEAD IS HURTING TODAY.¡± ¡°HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!! SHE''S JUST AS PERVERTED AND CUNNING LIKE YOU!!!¡± ¡°HOW FAR DID SHE GO?¡± ¡°Well¡­ her oral is the dirty one. But most importantly, she still had her clothes on her.¡± ¡°This means¡­ YOU TOUCHED HER.¡± ¡°It''s the other way around!!!¡± ¡°¡­No love?¡± ¡°Yup. No love¡ª Hey! Why will there even be love happening between us!?¡± ¡°But why does Restia`s head hurt so badly? Restia is quite sure it''s something close to love at first sight¡­ Then, IT MUST BE THE OTHER ONE.¡± Urk¡­! ¡°I¡­ It`s Kuroyuki Shiroha¡­¡± ¡°NOOOOO!!! BIG BROTHER`S HEART HAVE BEEN STOLEN BY ANOTHER GIRL!!! WHAT''S MORE, IT''S HER!!!¡± ¡°D-Don''t worry! She''s far too scary for the other me to approach her¡­!¡± ¡°¡­What about you?¡± Oh no. It''s no use even if I try to lie. ¡°Err¡­¡­ Hahaha?¡± ¡°I''M GOING TO KILL HER.¡± ¡°I don''t know what happened to her, but she had been through an even harsher life than us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­are you sure¡­?¡± ¡°Her eyes and personality told me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­it can''t be helped, then. But still, dating is not allowed! Your only choice is big sis!¡± ¡°Her again? I''m pretty sure that was just your own fictional character.¡± ¡°¡­Don`t make me strip you and devour every inch of your body.¡± ¡°I''m extremely sorry Restia please spare me.¡± ¡°Enough of them! Restia wants something worth listening to!¡± Restia seems to feel much better now. ¡°With my special student ID, I can access almost anywhere in this school.¡± ¡°Then where have you explored?¡± ¡°G-Grk¡­! S-Student Council President`s Building, Underground Training Room, and W-White Mansion¡­¡± ¡°Only three blocks!? Is big brother even exploring properly!?¡± ¡°H-Huh? Why do you seem to know about the White Mansion¡­? Did you hack my student ID¡­!?¡± Let me remind you. My little sis is a genius. ¡°¡¯Big brother¡¯ told Restia to do so. Restia agrees, it''s really way better than normal student ID. There`s more administrative systems in this one.¡± ¡°Don`t mess with the White Mansion`s administrative systems, okay? She might notice.¡± ¡°Okay~ What about the students¡­? Who have you met?¡± ¡°The¡­ The First Year Student Council President, Persia Silverlight and S¡­ Special Student Number One, Kuroyuki Shiroha¡­¡± ¡°Big brother, are you messing with Restia? You only met two students so far and THEY ARE GIRLS?¡± ¡°B-But¡­ The other me is doing it¡­¡± ¡°TELL, ME, WHAT, HE, DID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Please forgive Restia, big brother!¡± ¡°No, wait. Tell me why are you apologizing¡­?¡± ¡°Restia is too careless. Restia didn''t expect those two to be such a big threat to Restia.¡± ¡°¡­Isn''t it more like the other me was being swept up by the flow¡­?¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ if only ¡®big brother¡¯ is here.¡± ¡°Well, you still have 15 days to go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What about your part? What happened to the duel?¡± ¡°Just like what I predicted¡ª she let me win and took her title, regardless of who I am.¡± ¡°She knew about you and accepted it just like that¡­!? How scary¡­¡± ¡°She accepted me as her equal now and¡ª I sort of talk with her and¡­¡± ¡°¡­and?¡± ¡°¡­I told her to save me.¡± Restia seems to have frozen up. But it was only for a while. ¡°I see¡­ so Restia is still not worthy enough to save ¡®big brother¡¯¡­¡± ¡°That''s not it, Restia. You and Ruby have done your part well enough. There''s a limit on how much you can do as family. If it''s her, then she might be able to save ¡®me¡¯ as a friend.¡± ¡°¡­If big brother says so¡­¡± ¡°¡­also, I found the ¡®key¡¯ to my seal. It`s her ring. My seal reacted to it when I touched it.¡± ¡°F-Finally¡­! This way big brother can finally¡ª Why didn''t you unseal it? What is lacking?¡± As expected from my little sis. She''s quick to catch on. ¡°¡­Both of us don''t have mana. We can`t chant magic to activate the key.¡± ¡°Res¡­ Restia will come over right now¡­!¡± ¡°Didn`t I tell you many times already? Your mana won`t work. My seal requires the specific mana with the same wavelength to the magic circle of the seal to unseal it, and I still have no idea who it is.¡± ¡°¡­Then¡­ if the key is Kuroyuki Shiroha`s ring, then the person with the same mana wavelength to the magic circle might be in big brother`s school, too.¡± ¡°Why do you ?ssume that¡­? To begin with, why does she have the key to my seal in the first place? Do I have some sort of connection with her¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Impossible.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You are right. I forgot I didn''t leave the island up until now¡ª Ah¡­ I see why you ?ssumed that.¡± ¡°¡­N. Because big brother doesn`t have a single connection with Kuroyuki Shiroha but yet she has the key. So Restia ?ssumed the possibility of such a case might happen too.¡± ¡°Okay, if that''s the case¡ª I will try searching for the person with the matching mana wavelength.¡± ¡°¡­What if the person does not know how to activate it¡­?¡± ¡°No. That person will surely know. I will teach him how to do it.¡± ¡°But¡­ where will big brother start to look first¡­?¡± ¡°Since I can''t really tell the difference in mana wavelength, I need someone who is good at magic first. That''s why¡­ I will be counting on you, Restia.¡± ¡°¡­are you trying to hide it from Kuroyuki Shiroha¡­?¡± ¡°It''s more like I can''t add another hard task to her. If possible, I will try to open my heart with her¡­ Please don''t be mad.¡± ¡°Restia understands¡­ Big brother is free to do so. Restia will do her best here¡­!¡± Restia would know what to do. She could use my Student ID administration account to look at the student`s profiles. ¡°Thank you¡­ Restia. Anyways, what are you doing now?¡± ¡°N? Talking to big brother n?k?d?¡± Why are you mentioning the ¡®naked¡¯ part? ¡°No, not that. What I mean is¡ª where`s Ruby?¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Restia tied her up n?k?d and sealed her mouth.¡± Why are the both of you n?k?d? ¡°I see¡ª Huh? Hold on. It''s not her mating season nor ¡®that¡¯ day so why did you tie her up for?¡± ¡°Because she wants to talk to big brother.¡± You are tying her up because she wants to talk to me? ¡°RESTIA¡­?¡± I uttered. ¡°Before you get mad, big brother¡ª do you know why Restia and Ruby are n?k?d?¡± ¡°Hmm? Because you just came out from the bath?¡± ¡°Then why are we bathing?¡± ¡°Huh? I see, it''s not time for bed yet. Okay, speak up.¡± There''s a two-hour difference. That means it`s roughly half past six at my home island. The reason why it took me 5 hours to reach here it''s because of the horrible weather at my home island. ¡°Perhaps it would be better for Ruby to explain.¡± From the sound I heard, Resita seems to be removing her magic spell on Ruby. ¡°Mmph¡ª Pwuahh¡­! M-Master¡­! Restia is being a meanie¡­!¡± Ruby`s framing Restia right from the start. ¡°Hahahaha. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF.¡± ¡°N-Nyaa!!? I¡­ I¡­ I`m sorry¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Restia.¡± I said. ¡°Ruby went nuts.¡± Shit. Ruby used the house as a punching bag to relieve stress again. ¡°NYAA¡­!!!? RES-RESTIA¡­!¡± ¡°Status report.¡± ¡°8 cracks on the floor, 3 holes on the walls and six holes on the ceiling from the ground floor to the third floor through the roof. We spent the whole day fixing, cleaning and tidying the house.¡± ¡­Another new record. ¡°Hmph. Since you helped with the cleaning and tidying, I will lessen your punishment.¡± ¡°Ru¡­ Ruby didn`t do it on purrpose¡­! I-It''s just thyat, when Ruby cyan`t find myaster¡­! (Sniff)¡­!¡± ...Ugh. Ruby`s crying. ¡°Ngh¡­ Deduct one week of grooming from me.¡± ¡°Th¡ª Thyank you myaster¡­!¡± ¡°It''s just six months, so be patient, okay?¡± ¡°Nnya¡­ Ruby understands¡­ myaster. Be sure myaster will stroke Ruby in her head, wash, clean, groom, play, bath¡ª¡± ¡°Now this is getting overboard. No bathing.¡± ¡°Don`t worry Ruby, your master will obey my every command.¡± ¡°Why you little¡­¡± ¡°Yay~!¡± Ruby yells excitedly. ¡°Hurry up and wear your clothes already you two perverted freaks!¡± I shouted. ¡°Hehe~¡± ¡°Nya nya~¡± ¡°¡­Geez. Take good care of yourselves, alright? Don''t make me worry.¡± ¡°¡­N.¡± ¡°N.¡± ¡°Goodbye¡­ I love you two.¡± I said. ¡°Bye bye big brother... I love you.¡± ¡°Ruby too.¡± [Beep] Call ended. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I deliberately sighed. [Ding!] A message¡­? How on earth did she type so fast? [Message from: Restia] ¡®Goodnight big brother. Sleep well. Restia will always love you.¡¯ Heh. My little sis really is cute¡ª ¡®P.S. Does big brother want a photo of Ruby n?k?d?¡¯ ¡­or not. Just how much of a pervert you are and you think I am?! [Ding!] Huh? Another message? [Message from: Ruby] ¡®Ruby will take care of Restia. Goodnight and love you, master.¡¯ Isn''t it more like the other way around¡­? ¡®P.S. Does master want a photo of Restia n?k?d?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Geez.¡± I WILL PUNISH BOTH OF THEM SOMEDAY. [Ding!] Again!? [Message from: Restia] Huh? A photo from Restia? Don`t tell me¡­ Oh, their lingerie selfie. Better than having them n?k?d. ¡­Seems like they will be fine. Thank you, Restia, Ruby. It''s because of you two, I was able to live on. ¡°Yaahh¡­¡­!¡± I yawned. All of the sudden, tiredness and fatigue came over me. Seems like I can`t awake any longer. ¡­15 days. I was told just to look around and follow Restia`s instruction by myself¡ª the ¡®real¡¯ me. I have no idea what he did behind my back. Even for myself, I think he''s too mysterious but¡­ as long as he knows what he was doing. I sincerely hope you know what you were doing, me. If I don''t remove the seal by the 3rd week¡ª I might not get the chance to see my family ever again. Chapter 17 - 2.4 2nd June. My 2nd day. And 14 days left. Perhaps, I slept enough. My body seems to be feeling well, as if in my usual condition¡ª I recovered from the fatigue I built up yesterday. Without being particularly aware of it myself, my eyelids open. After a slight moment of blur on my vision, the sight in front of me looks the same just as yesterday night. I`m not sure what the exact time is. Maybe it''s a little bit late from my usual wake-up schedule, or maybe it''s slightly early. Since there isn''t any space for sunlight to shine here, the light intensity here always remains the same. It is impossible to tell whether it is day or night here. I could tell it`s the second day because I know how long I slept, and also because¡ª ¡ªthere`s an extra pair of beautiful, s?xy, b?r?-footed legs next to me. Obviously, when hearing the term ¡®sexy¡¯, those legs are no doubt a girl`s. When I came to realize it, her head was actually leaning on my right shoulder and her fingers were coiled on my right hand (Mine on bottom and hers on top). Plus, with such a romantic atmosphere, it''s almost as if I''m taking an afternoon nap with my girlfriend. Except¡ª I can`t tell who it is from this angle, but there''s a high chance it''s ¡®her¡¯. So I touch her hair; Feel her th??h; And sniffed her. As careful as possible¡ª not to wake her up. ¡­It`s Kuroyuki Shiroha¡ª my partner, classmate, perhaps a friend, a talented beauty, and possibly, she will be the girl to save me. ¡®...Am I dreaming?¡¯ Thinking that¡ª my gaze shifted back to the front. I was staring into space with my thoughts blank as a white sheet. As far as I can remember, there are only two girls in this world who have ever leaned on my shoulder¡ª and surely you know who they are. I was told that my shoulders are even more comfortable than those custom made pillows. Of course, I always doubted their words. But now I`m slightly convinced. Kuroyuki seems to be sleeping comfortably enough for her to make her ¡®purring¡¯ sounds. So cute. Because of her ice elemental power, her body is colder than a normal human being. Since she coiled her left hand on my right hand, my entire right arm feels so terrifyingly numb. Even if the heating function on my sleeve didn''t help much. How long had my right hand been placed in this condition? Better move my hand away first. Though she holds my hand gently, I can''t seem to pull my hand out from it. I then placed both of our hands on my legs, attempting to unlock her hand by pulling her fingers out one-by-one¡ª I ended up kind of hooked up to her fingers. ¡­So soft. And it''s fun to squish. Is this a genuine cat paw? PAK! ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I inadvertently muttered. When I came to my senses, a hand grabbed my face¡ª or rather, I came to my senses because my face was grabbed¡­ ¡­by Kuroyuki`s right hand. ¡°¡­I thought so, you really are a pervert.¡± She uttered coldly. ¡°GAAAAHHHHH¡ª! STOP! STOP!¡± I screamed. I slapped her hand over and over, hoping for a timeout. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki wasn''t bothered by my scream and slap at all. Her cold glare looks so eager to squish my head like a tomato. Her expression frightens me for a moment. It made me desperate to escape from her grip. Since she couldn`t be bothered by my slapping, I quickly switched my escaping tactic by grabbing her thumb, pulling it. The thumb is her key factor to her grip. When Kuroyuki sensed that her grip was slowly loosening from my face, she quickly flicked her hand¡ª pushing my hand away from her thumb. She immediately clenches her right hand into a fist and throws it to my face. Though it''s nothing but a simple, straight punch, yet I know it''s powerful enough to knock me unconscious. God, the air pressure from her punch is so scary. I b?r?ly couldn`t react. Realizing it didn''t hit, Kuroyuki quickly switched her attacking style¡ª from punching to grappling, and she went for my collar before I could react. This is bad. I can''t react in time for twice a row. Though I''m sure Kuroyuki is faster compared to yesterday, but¡­ the fault lies within me as well. After resting well enough, I could tell the difference. My body¡­ can''t keep up with her speed. It''s getting slower again. Twisting my collar, locking her hand on it¡ª Kuroyuki lifts me with her arm strength alone, forcing me to stand on my feet. Then she immediately takes her right arm like a shield, pushing me with the power of her legs. Despite my stable foothold, Kuroyuki`s able to push me back because my shoes are sliding backwards. I tried to break free by jumping backwards for some room and side-stepping to the side, but she pulled me back with our connected hands. Did she do that from her pure instinct¡­? It seems she didn¡¯t realize that she''s still holding my left hand. Is she really thinking I would fall to my death from this height? That can''t be, this is Kuroyuki we are talking about. While I was thinking that, Kuroyuki stopped exerting her strength. ¡°¡­What¡­ did you do to me¡­?¡± Kuroyuki uttered with a cold glare. When she uttered, I thought she''d let her guard down so I pushed back with both of my hands, hoping to get myself some space. But it was futile, she''s not budging an inch. Her cold glare is exactly the same as the look when she attacked Nightwalker yesterday, out from suspicion. ¡­Then I understood resistance is futile. Let''s deal with things nicely. ¡°First things first.¡± I murmured. ¡°Would you mind stopping holding my hands so passionately¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­!¡± She then took a quick glance at both of her hands that were tightly holding mine, then stared back at me. It''s as if with a ¡®pop¡¯ sound, her face immediately turns blushing red like an apple. Then she quickly flicks both of my hands away and takes a few steps backwards, holding her hands on her ?h?st with her head hung low, her face still red¡ª avoiding my eye contact as she makes a shy and humiliated look. ¡­So cute. Her reaction is too terrifyingly cute. I was expecting a slap or a punch afterwards so I clenched my teeth. But¡ª ¡ªit''s as if Kuroyuki realized something, she jumped down. Come to think of it, this situation looks a little d¨¦j¨¤ vu. By the way, Kuroyuki wore a black-laced, sling, sleep dress. She''s not wearing a brassiere and the length of her dress merely covered two inches of her th??h¡ª this means even the slightest breeze could reveal her und?rw??r. Not to mention she jumped from this height too. If there`s someone below here¡­ Huh? Realizing something, I jumped. I suddenly understood, the reason why Kuroyuki is in a hurry¡ª Passing through the last layer of flowers, I saw a whole bunch of students encircling a person that was sticking at the tree trunk. That person sticking at the trunk is most probably Kuroyuki. ¡ªit''s because of her fans. God, what''s with this number? She''s really not joking at all. Luckily there`s still a gap between her and them. ¡°Hup.¡± Timing with time till the impact, I bent on my knees¡ª doing a squat when my foot touches the ground. THWOOM! This is a soft-impact landing, doing such would spread the force to the side instead of the ground instead. This way I wouldn''t have to injure any unnecessary people and might as well give Kuroyuki a chance to escape as well. Wah¡ª Hey¡ª! The people at the front lines were stumbled backwards by the impact, some of them even fell down. Ah. There`s Kuroyuki. She''s leaning at the trunk, with her hands held defensively on her ?h?st. Better grab her and run. ¡°Kuroyuki¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Stay back¡­!¡± Kuroyuki swayed her hand in my direction, as if she was swatting a housefly with her hands. Tons of sharp, ice spikes suddenly grow from the ground, and it is advancing towards my direction. Huh? Why is she attacking me¡­? I quickly leap several steps backwards together with some of those who were pulled in. Since I''m currently at Kuroyuki`s left side, I quickly evade to the right afterwards¡ª dodging the rest of the ice spikes. The others that failed to escape were frozen within the ice spikes. ¡°It''s Kuroyuki`s ice spikes! How cool~!¡± ¡°She''s so awesome!¡± Even if it seems to be preposterous getting attacked, Kuroyuki`s fans still praised her. These guys seem to be a bit of a m?s??h?st. The Kuroyuki I knew would definitely freeze them without hesitation. However, the expression she''s making¡ª looks terrified. This is new to me. I never imagined the headstrong Kuroyuki would`ve had such a weak side. ¡°¡­stop¡­ it¡­¡­¡± As she made a nearly soundless, weak scream¡ª Kuroyuki`s right hand swayed from left to right. The way she swayed her hand somehow, looks like she''s trying to push others away. At the same time, countless ice spikes quickly grow from the ground. It''s almost as if she made a fence to protect herself. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Realizing there''s no time for me to jump back or chances to evade to the sides, I decided to leap and step on the spikes, climbing over it to Kuroyuki. ¡°Hey¡ª! That bastard!¡± ¡°Isn''t he the new guy¡­!?¡± These people¡ª finally noticed me. I`m actually amazed at how focused they are on Kuroyuki. Anyways, I decided to ignore them and continue to move forward by stepping on her spikes. Kuroyuki¡ª my partner, is my priority. ¡°Oi¡­! Kuroyuki¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Don''t¡­ Don''t come near me¡­!¡± Kuroyuki said with a shaky voice. I shouted, but she didn''t realize it''s me¡ª even though she''s looking at my direction with her teary eyes. Her hand then switches to my direction as if it''s pushing a big, heavy object¡ª an extremely large ice boulder suddenly appeared out of thin air, moving towards my direction. ¡­Wow. With this size, it could probably crush me 50 times over. There''s no way for me to dodge it. The ice spikes standing in the way were crushed by this thing. Although those at the back are annoying, they would probably get injured badly if they were crushed by this thing. With a stomp, I crushed the ice spike I''m standing on, getting myself to a lower point of the boulder. Then I reached out my hands, absorbing the impact and directed the boulder`s direction with a light jump higher than the spikes, pushing it upwards. ¡°Hah¡­!¡± Then I added a kick from below, sending the boulder to fly over those guys, landing it at an empty place. It''s quite absurd for a human to send such a huge boulder flying, so obviously everyone was shocked. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Obviously, including Kuroyuki¡ª which she gasped. That expression¡ª good. She finally realized I`m here. I gently landed on the ice spike, then leaped myself to Kuroyuki. This time, she did not attack. ¡°Phew, finally made it.¡± I inadvertently mumbled. ¡°Are you alright¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki did not answer¡ª she ran to me instead. When I looked at her closely, her teary expression surprised me. ¡­then I understood. I reached out my arms, catching the incoming Kuroyuki¡ª where she looked at me with eyes of hope. ¡°¡­thank¡­ you¡­ thank you¡­¡­¡± She said pitifully. Saying none, I let her teary face bury on my right shoulder. Her hands are grabbing my blazer, and they are trembling with fear. She''s like a poor rabbit, trying to hide from its predator¡ª in this case, her fans. To let her feel comfortable, I place one hand behind her head and one hand around her waist, cradling her. Then the crowd starts to roar with anger. ¡°H-Hey¡ª! Get lost! Stay away from our princess¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah! You even stole her rank!¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter! Kuroyuki will always be number one!¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Yeah!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± Geez, they are so annoying. ¡°¡­Hold your skirt, Kuroyuki. We are getting out of here.¡± I whispered to her ear. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She nods silently, with her face still sticking on my shoulder. I placed my hands on her back and below her knees, carrying her like a princess. Kuroyuki quickly fixed her skirt with her hand, covering her p?nt??s from the surrounding people. ¡°O-Oi! Don`t touch Kuroyuki! Put her down!¡± ¡°H-Hey! Don''t take Kuroyuki for yourself!¡± Voices of protest from behind the spikes grow larger. Some of them even pulled out a portable sword¡ª trying to cut through Kuroyuki`s ice spikes. What`s with their problem¡­? Anyways, when I carried Kuroyuki¡ª I was expecting her to be embarrassed. But yet she`s not showing any sign of it nor the slightest excitement because she''s still burying her head on my blazer. Then¡ª PAK! ¡ªKuroyuki snapped her fingers. Hearing this, I quickly lowered my head. Hoping that her snowflakes wouldn''t get into my eyes when it explodes. BOOM! Ah¡ª Wah¡ª Kyaa¡ª! Hah, there`s lots of screams. It took less than a second for the surrounding to turn cold. White mists surrounded the area, but not us. It''s almost like we had an invisible barrier protecting us. Looks like Kuroyuki controlled her snowflakes from engulfing us. Alright, time to escape. ¡°Grab tight.¡± I said. ¡°¡­N.¡± Her fingers clenched tighter on my blazer. Pouring some strength into my legs, I jumped upwards¡ª charging out from the pool of mist. The moment I was high enough, I took a quick glance on my surroundings. It''s safe. None of her fans got out yet. Using the trunk as a platform, I kicked myself out from her mist`s coverage area. ¡°Hup.¡± I continued to run after I landed. ¡°There he is! That bastard`s taking Kuroyuki away! Get him!¡± Hah. Trying to chase me? I may be weaker now, but you can''t outrun me even with magic enhancement. I could easily run a hundred meters in just 3 seconds. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After several minutes¡­ I reached the ¡®White Mansion¡¯, and am now on my way to the lift. Kuroyuki seems fine now. By the way, she is still on my hands. ¡°¡­put me down.¡± She said. ¡­Such cruel words. I saved you, shouldn`t you say ¡®thank you for saving me, please carry me a little longer~¡¯ or even ¡®I will give you a kiss as thanks~¡¯? When making choices like these, I believe my little sis¡ª Restia could do a better job than her. Ugh¡­ it seems she knows what I`m thinking. ¡°Maybe until I reach your room. You are b?r?-footed after all.¡± ¡°¡­I will crack your head.¡± ¡°Yes ma`am.¡± When I slowly moved my hands to place her down, her smooth th??h slipped on my hand¡ª which my hand is slipping towards her plump bu??. Though she managed to move herself away from my hand, my fingers accidentally hooked her skirt for a moment, revealing her p?nt??s. ¡­Oh. Black lace. Obviously, Kuroyuki is aware of it. ¡°¡­N¡­¡­!¡± She groans as she quickly turns to face me, pressing her skirt down with her hands. One at the back and one at the front. She glared at me with an extremely discomfit look. ¡­Wow. This is new to me. I accidentally saw a girl`s p?nt??s and this is the first time the girl`s looking at me with an embarrassed look. Those two at my home would prefer to get themselves n?k?d¡ª if I don''t force them, they won''t wear their clothes and even their und?rw??r, and they will gladly show me their ?ssets. Anyways, I accidentally saw Kuroyuki`s p?nt??s, so what should I say? When I accidentally saw Restia`s p?nt??s and she`s aware of it, she told me to say ¡®show me more¡¯. When I accidentally saw Ruby''s p?nt??s and she''s aware of it, she told me to say ¡®I want to mate with you¡¯. ¡­let''s go for the obvious choice. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± I apologized without being particularly attentive to her skirt. I looked at her eyes to avoid the awareness. But then¡ª ¡°¡­did you see?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡ªKuroyuki`s question stunned me for a moment. What!? Isn''t this supposed to be Step Two? First, I saw her p?nt??s. Second, she`s aware of it and she would ask if I saw it. Third, I answer and either receive a slap or a kiss. The end. Damn, as expected of Kuroyuki¡ª common sense doesn''t apply to her. Now then, what should I answer¡­? To such a question, my only choice is ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯. ¡®No¡¯ is definitely not an answer. She definitely knew I saw it clearly and it`s no use to play dumb. So my only choice is ¡®yes¡¯. But if I say ¡®yes¡¯, she will definitely beat the crap out of me. This means I need to add something else behind the answer but what is it? I apologized, so it''s clear she''s not looking for an apology, or she didn''t intend to accept the apology from the beginning. Or maybe¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± I ?r??n?d. ¡°Fine. Just do it¡­¡± I said unwillingly. SLAP! ¡°Huh¡­? That''s it?¡± Although I expected a slap on my face, she''s not hitting as hard as I expected. It''s A light slap. ¡°¡­I would`ve crushed your head if you answered instead of accepting the punishment.¡± ¡°Crush my head? That`s murder!¡± BAM (The sound of me being tripped) PAK (The sound of Kuroyuki`s hand smacking on my face) CRAKCRAKCRAK (The sound of my skull getting squeezed) ¡°ARGHHHHHHH!!? DO YOU REALLY NEED TO GO TO SUCH AN EXTENT?!!¡± I protested as I struggled myself against her grip. Gah, it`s off...! Kuroyuki is now sitting on my stomach. I`m preventing her from grabbing my face again by stopping her right hand with my left. ¡°¡­You should be grateful even if I killed you. You are the only guy who has ever seen my und?r??rm?nts.¡± ¡­She even remembers I`ve seen her in her brassiere. ¡°¡­¡­I wouldn''t want to get myself killed by two piece of cloth.¡± ¡°¡­It''s my und?r??rm?nts.¡± ¡°Okay, I don''t want to get myself killed by your und?r??rm?nts.¡± ¡°¡­You have no idea how many tried to take my up-skirt pic.¡± Actually I do. Those people earlier might have taken a few. ¡°Then wear shorts.¡± I said. ¡°¡­Why should I because of them?¡± ¡°You were scared, aren''t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki`s eyes narrowed. ¡­I was right. Her expression tells me I was spot on. Kuroyuki fears the crowds, she''s fine with a few people but she''s not good with the crowd. Perhaps this is her trauma¡ª possibly, one of the trauma. Her friend may have saved her but he hadn''t fixed her trauma entirely. Kuroyuki then raised her left hand. ¡­It''s not a joke. She''s going to punch me for real. BAM! Bending my neck to the right, I dodged her punch by hairbreadth. Ow, my left ear¡­! Is my eardrum ruptured? Her powerful punch buried her fist into the floor deep enough till her wrist. To pull out such a punch, she needs to use the strength of her back and legs. As such, she needs to lean forward and raise her h?ps¡ª doing such gave me space to escape from her. So I flicked her hand and pushed my body backwards quickly with both of my hands. Just when I got on my feet as quickly as possible, Kuroyuki pulled out her fist. The way she glared at me¡ª was those anger that burns deep from the heart. If you were to interpret in words, then ¡®you are dead¡¯ is a rather suitable one. I know because I saw it once. The only way to calm her anger is to let her hit me. But¡ª ¡ªKuroyuki swayed, or rather, pushed her hand at my direction, summoning thick, large, ice spikes from the floor, from the walls and from the ceiling, inching closer to me every second. Yeah, right. No matter how I look at it¡­ This is impossible. I did not hesitate and quickly sprint across the hallway to the end, entering the emergency stairs. I took a leap, three kicks on the wall, launching myself to the 1st floor. Right when I just exit the emergency door¡­ ¡°¡­You can''t escape.¡± ¡­Ah. She came out from the lift. And now she''s running after me. Luckily, after the door¡ª my room is just on the left hallway. So I quickly sprinted, charged into my room, then closed and locked the door just in time. She could''ve just broken the door, but I know she won`t. Because she didn''t hurt anyone, even if she`s drowned in fear. When I activated my screen and checked the security camera outside my room, Kuroyuki was already gone. ¡°¡­Phew¡­¡± I sighed a heave of enlightenment and minimized the screen. Although the fault is hers, I can''t blame her entirely. Perhaps I should blame myself for not being considerate of her feelings, of her trauma. But, I don`t understand. What causes her trauma to make her fear people so much¡­? ¡­I guess I should not pry into it further. Despite how much I wanted to help her, the way I am right now can''t even wipe my own ?ss. Now then, welcome to my room. The White Mansion`s dormitory room is only exclusive for the special students. It is the best dormitory room that the Imperial Knight`s Academy is able to provide. The sumptuousness status in each room is determined by the student`s ranking, the higher you get, the more luxurious dormitory room you were able to live in. But even so, when comparing the highest ranking S class against the special students, you could say that the special student`s room is more like a presidential suite in a six-star hotel. Huh. There''s even a three-dimensional system¡ª CHAKA. A door opened. Not the entrance door, but the door on the right side¡­ ¡°¡­even if you surrender I won''t forgive you.¡± ¡°H-Hey¡­! Don''t simply barge into my room! Have you ever heard of privacy¡­!?¡± If I was correct, our rooms were connected by that door. Judging from the sound and the way she entered so swiftly, the door used is the old-model type that requires it to be opened manually. I stuck myself onto the wall, sliding my back further away from Kuroyuki as she slowly approached me. ¡°¡­this will be your graveyard.¡± Her tone of declaration does not show any ounce of concern to my life. Looks like words can''t reach her. If that''s the case, I will just have to result in violence! ¡°¡­Foolish.¡± Kuroyuki uttered. Before I knew it, Kuroyuki immediately closed our distance within a time even shorter than the blink of an eye. Her right hand is just right in front of my eyes. Another grip!? No, two of her fingers extended. Crap, it`s eye-poking¡­! I straighten my legs, moving my face upwards to avoid her eye-poke. ¡°Ow¡­!¡± Her fingers poked my face. But¡ª ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!!! MY EYES?!!!¡± I cried. ¡ªshe froze my eyes¡­! I wanted to clear the ice with my hands, but Kuroyuki pinned both of my hands on the wall. With my vision loss, I quickly rely on my other senses. But damn, she''s so fragrant¡­! ¡°¡­freeze.¡± She whispered. Her ice starts to freeze me from her hands. ¡°C-C-Cold, cold, cold¡­!¡± In less than a second, my whole body except my head was locked inside her ice. The coldness made me lose the senses on my skin from feeling anything. I struggled¡ª trying to break free with my strength, but I could feel she kept freezing my body over and over. ¡°Enough with the freezing! Just hit me already!¡± I shouted out from the frustration. ¡°¡­Shhh¡­¡± She shushed me by placing her finger on my lips. What are you even trying to do¡­!? BAM! ¡°Huh?¡± That seems to be the sound of a door slamming shut. What did she do to me¡­? I don''t feel any different. When I realized that her ice isn''t wrapping my body anymore, I hurriedly tear off the ice on my eyes. After a while, I got my vision back and quickly scanned the room. Kuroyuki is gone, and the door to her room is frozen up. ¡­must be her work. I feel fine. There`s no pain or whatsoever. Whatever, I`m going to take a shower. Chapter 18 - 2.5 People ought to carry luggage no matter where they travel, domestic or overseas. The robot luggage that follows behind you back in the years aren''t so convenient anymore ever since the magic storage devices were invented. These days, people carry their luggage through their magic storage devices. To buy one of these devices, you need to register your name and fill in the information required to the company website. Each storage had their own capacity, depending on the capacity you choose. Obviously, the larger you need, the more expensive it will be. After your very own magic storage circle is registered, the device will be teleported to your mailbox several hours later. But of course, it only applies to those who don''t know how to draw a storage magic circle and they possess a small fair amount of mana. Those who knew how to make their own storage magic circle could use their own storage for free. As you know, I don''t have mana¡ª not a single bit. I can use the storage if I had the tiniest fraction of mana but unfortunately, I don`t. So I need to carry actual luggage. If you are wondering whether I am carrying my luggage during my arrival, then no¡ª it''s too heavy for the helicopter. I came here empty handed. I was rather curious on how they were able to carry it from my island till the inside of the closet. For your information, I had a magic bag that could fit in anything I want. The only flaw about this bag is its weight that could not be diminished. I stuffed in so many things that my magic bag weighed approximately one ton. Even strengthening magic would not help out much to carry a weight as such, and you need to cross the sea under that horrible weather. After a 40 Degree Celsius dip in the bathtub¡ª here I was standing, n?k?d, staring at the luggage which was placed at the bottom of the closet, completely untouched. ¡­It could only be that bastard who could bring it all the way here. Yeah, with teleportation magic. Above the magic bag, three sets of clothes were hung. They are the Imperial Knights Academy`s uniform¡ª my uniform. Though looking plain like a normal looking cloth-made uniform, they were actually made with Nano-machines which could withstand extremely powerful cuts and tears. Even if it''s damaged, it could repair itself within a second. It is a special material I requested from the principal, as so I wouldn`t need to worry about having my clothes torn to pieces by my absurd strength. It had other functions too like temperature adjustment and size adjustment. Though the principal suggested it to contain more safety and combat functions, I refused. Because there''s a flaw about this uniform¡ª it is weak to electricity. Once the uniform malfunctions, the functions installed in the uniform could easily go haywire. If I were to give an example, stuff like explosions, perhaps¡ª it would`ve killed me. I wonder if he`s suggesting this on purpose just to pull a prank on me¡­ It must be it. Thus, I wore my uniform and headed to the classroom, which is to the second door at the bottom right corner of my room (viewing the floor plan from the perspective of the lift), the door is connected to the classroom. By the way, the second door had an authorization lock same as the entrance door, unlike the first door. This means I`m the only person who could unlock the door from the classroom and the entrance. For some reason, I can`t activate my screen for quite a while now. So I pressed the manual bu??on. The system scans my thumbprint, then slides upwards afterwards. As usual, she''s sitting on her seat¡ª in her freshly changed uniform. Her hair''s a little wet. Seems like she just came out from the bath not too long ago. I wonder what she is doing. She was sitting there, staring at the screen with an expression like that of a hungry ghost, with her mouth muttering ¡®curse you all¡¯ constantly, over and over. All ten of her fingers are constantly moving at a speed rate on her screen while playing the song, ¡®Flight of the Bumblebee¡¯ written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, couldn''t even hope to keep up to match the speed and nimble movements of her fingers. She seems to be selecting some pictures. I approached behind her silently, and caught a quick glance on the picture where she minimized within a second. Though I saw it in a very slight moment, it was a similar image that etched inside my mind not too long ago. Black lace¡ª in full view. It was taken from below when she was jumping down. It only took a while for Kuroyuki to reach the ground. Did those guys prepare the camera from their device beforehand? It''s almost as if the song is reaching its grand finale, Kuroyuki spreads both of her hands outwards. Several extra screens flew out, with each of her screens stopping next to each one, forming into a shape of a rectangle, twelve in total. ¡®Selected files will be deleted. Confirm?¡¯ Hundreds of pictures were behind the box of those words. Needless to say, Kuroyuki slammed her hand on ¡®Yes¡¯. All the pictures were deleted in one go. The extra screens, which disappear along with the pictures¡ª leaves only Kuroyuki`s original screen. She then switched the whole page to the administrative systems. Looks like it`s the student`s administrative system of the Imperial Knights Academy. ¡®All system permissions granted to other users. Access to the Imperial Knights Academy system is allowed.¡¯ ¡­Wow. No wonder I can`t use my device. She froze the system. She`s got the skills. Well¡­ It''s not like I''m that different from her. ¡°¡­It''s all your fault¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki suddenly mumbled. ¡°Whoa, do you have eyes at the back of your head or something¡­?¡± I was surprised. When did she realize I was here? ¡°¡­I''m not deaf.¡± I moved and sat on my seat, while Kuroyuki minimized her screen and faced me. ¡°The sound from the door? Good judgement.¡± ¡­It sounds pitiful. Plus, she''s giving me a cold stare. But it''s definitely not my fault. I did nothing wrong at all. ¡°¡­Don''t even think you did nothing wrong.¡± She uttered. ¡°¡­You sniffed me like a wolf, and that''s enough to give you a death sentence.¡± ¡°Hold it. I can tolerate the sniffing thing but not the ¡®pervert¡¯ (wolf) label and dead sentence.¡± ¡°¡­Then from now on, you are gay.¡± Hearing that one particular word, the side of my head twitches¡ª or maybe I should say I got a headache. She ?ssumed Nightwalker was gay yesterday and now she`s declaring I`m gay? I completely disagree. Both me and Nightwalker are not gay. ¡°Okay, what makes you say that?¡± ¡°I know I don`t felt particularly embarrassed about your body and that might make you mistook me as a gay. But don''t lump me in with those men you speak of. Those are beasts. Only a beast couldn''t contain their ?ust.¡± I uttered. ¡°¡­Mnn.¡± Kuroyuki seemed to be delighted by my retort. But then she moved her body closer to me, staring into my eyes. The way she looks at me felt extremely¡ª ¡°¡­Answer honestly. Do you ?ust for me?¡± ¡ªseductive. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Gulp. How could I say no? But there''s no way I could have told her that. It might be possible for anyone, but not her. In fact, I need her to be disgusted with me. Hearing that, Kuroyuki froze in place with her eyes widened. ¡°¡­Like what¡­?¡± Judging from her tone and expression, I`m not sure if she asked out of curiosity or disbelief. It seems like both of it to me. ¡°You know what I want.¡± I said. ¡°You know I''m greedy.¡± It''s as if her question¡­ her curiosity was answered. Kuroyuki`s eyes narrowed. Her gaze no longer looks puzzled. It was¡ª infuriated. It''s like, the last bit of her curiosity and disbelief were squeezed out. Then, I''m quite sure. What that was left within her, was anger. ¡°¡­Like what?¡± Kuroyuki`s voice¡ª was extremely quiet and subdued. Yet her message got across to me, loud and clear. I know Kuroyuki will hate me for that¡ª I know. But even so, if she doesn''t hate this part of me¡ª she could never save the ¡®real¡¯ me. So I will tell her. I will tell it straight to her face. ¡°Your p¡ª¡± [Ding Dong Dang Dong] My voice was stopped by the digital class bell. As soon as it rang, a 108-inch large screen slide down from the ceiling, placed just in front of our chairs. ¡°Sorry Kuroyuki~ I`m not feeling well yesterday.¡± Whoa!? I was freaked out. A hologram suddenly appears in front of the large screen. It''s capable of speaking, too. Unlike the holograms I fought at the underground training room, this hologram is definitely HD. It''s like the real person is actually standing in front. By the way, it''s a female teacher. If I were to judge her age, then perhaps she`s around 26 years old. She had long, peach-colored hair with orange eyes. She wore a tight office lady suit with a dark brown pantyhose and black high heels shoes, it emphasizes the curves of her body. The first three bu??ons of her shirt inside her black blazer had been unbuttoned, revealing her D-cup cleavage. The way she stood actually had her upper body leaning forward, which shows even more of her cleavage. I wondered why, but I had a feeling that she''s doing this on purpose. Is she using me as a judge to compete against Kuroyuki or is she doing this to test me? Realizing that I am uninterested, she quickly stood properly and turned on my information. For some reason, she took a quick glance¡ª on me, and asked¡ª ¡°Are you the new special student?¡± ¡­I was stunned for a moment. I was sort of mind blown, to be exact. Is this even necessary? I mean¡ª I''m even wearing a white blazer. No matter from which angle she looks, I`m definitely the one and only new special student. ¡°Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare?¡± Why are you even trying to be a teacher? Go be a swimsuit model or something! It seems she realized I was annoyed by her behaviour. The teacher quickly closes my information with a troubled expression and looks at Kuroyuki. ¡°Well¡­ Kuroyuki`s a bit¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Luna.¡± Hearing Kuroyuki`s quiet and subdued voice plus her terrifying glare, the teacher quickly shifted her gaze away from Kuroyuki, looking terrified. It''s even noticeable to see her legs shaking. Kuroyuki`s in a bad mood, and she stepped on the landmine too. ¡­Fine then, I will save you. ¡°Should I call you Ms. Luna too?¡± I asked. It works. She looks happy like some sort of kid. ¡°My name is Luna Ainsworth; you can just call me Luna.¡± She gave me a wink. For some reason, I can''t really understand what that wink means. Is it a thank you? Why do I have a feeling she''s trying to take my number¡­? Am I dealing with a teacher or a colleague¡­? Anyways, I regret now. I shouldn''t have asked. ¡°I would prefer to keep a line as a student and teacher.¡± I uttered with a displeased look. ¡°It makes me feel old if I call Ms. Luna by your name.¡± ¡°I was only in my twenties you know?¡± She quickly retorted. She hid the last number. Could it be that she''s actually 29? ¡°I`m just sixteen, what do you expect?¡± I said, adding a smirk. ¡°It''s enough to make me feel old already.¡± ¡°How rude¡­! I''m still very young!¡± She was definitely shaken by my remark and almost lost her composure. ¡°¡­Ms. Luna, why are you here?¡± Kuroyuki said to Ms. Luna. Ms. Luna didn''t seem to expect such a fierce tone from Kuroyuki. Her face turned white for a few brief moments. ¡°Ah, right¡­! Today`s morning schedule has been changed to a mock team battle together with the S class students. Please go to the First Year`s Virtual Training room, okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Though both Kuroyuki and me had some sort of arguments going on between us, nevertheless¡ª our thought process was still quite similar in some certain aspects. Hearing our replies, Ms. Luna paused for a moment. ¡°Eh¡­? Why?!¡± ¡°I''m sick.¡± ¡°¡­I don''t feel well.¡± I didn''t expect Kuroyuki to be using sick leave as the reason. I mean, no matter how I look, she''s not the type to get sick. ¡°This is such an obvious lie¡­! You are the model students! You need to cooperate with me¡­!¡± Yes, we are model students alright. But shouldn`t you at least see our difference? Either one of our scores are at least ten times better than the S class students. Is what I want to say¡­ It''s not like I could throw it directly to her face. ¡°¡­Then he will be going. I''m staying here.¡± Kuroyuki said to Ms. Luna. Kuroyuki`s definitely pushing the troublesome work to me. ¡­This is annoying. ¡°You are the strongest here, so you should go.¡± I retorted. ¡°¡­I`m Rank Two.¡± She perfectly stood her ground. Fine then, if this is how you want¡­ ¡°As Rank One, I order you to go--¡± ¡°S-Stop it¡­! If the both of you aren`t going, t-teacher will cry you know¡­!¡± Ms. Luna finally couldn''t hold her frustration had interrupted, using an elementary kid`s reason to make us compromise with her. Well, I was going to, but I won''t be going alone. When I looked at Kuroyuki, she broke her eye contact from Ms. Luna and heaved a sigh, looking reluctant. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± She said unwillingly. ¡­Though the idea is old and elementary, it still works well. It works on both of us. ¡°¡­but you are also coming with me.¡± Kuroyuki added. Her eyes are saying, ¡®You will be dead if you don`t.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I nod silently. ¡­It''s not like I had any other choice. But at least Ms. Luna seems delighted. ¡°Then¡­! I will be waiting at the training room...!¡± Saying those words, Ms. Luna disappears. ¡­I almost forgot she''s just a projection of a hologram. The 108-inch screen then slides upwards, hidden back within the ceiling. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What''s left, was a sheet of complete silence in the classroom. ¡­Ah. I forgot I sort of had an argument with Kuroyuki. I have gone this far. I won''t back away now. Just when I was going to finish what that was left behind earlier, Kuroyuki was the first to break the silence by taking a quick breath. Kuroyuki did so because she knew what I was going to say. It was to refrain me from speaking, as well as to imply that she wants to speak first. So, I stared at Kuroyuki, and she did it in return. We exchanged our gazes. Then, it''s as if Kuroyuki had her answer¡ª she closes her eyes with a pained look as she takes a deep breath. I put my hopes on you, Kuroyuki. What will be your answer¡­? ¡°¡­I know you want me to hate you.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. ¡°But no matter how execrable you say you were; I could never come to hate you.¡± Kuroyuki¡ª looked at me with a sombre smile. ¡­a smile that was frozen in place. Like Restia¡ª Like Ruby¡ª They looked at me with a smile like that several years ago. It''s that exact same smile¡ª on that one time that I had made the biggest mistake I had ever known in my life. So¡ª why... are you looking at me with that expression¡­? ¡­I don`t understand. ¡°¡­You need to hate me.¡± I uttered. ¡°You need to use that anger¡­ to save me.¡± ¡°¡­An anger that comes from hatred would only result in death.¡± Kuroyuki used that same glare earlier at me. She knew I wanted her to use her power to kill me. That''s why she made such a glare. ¡°¡­I know.¡± I replied with a cold smile, breaking my gaze from her eye contact. ¡°¡­You don''t have the right to die.¡± ¡°If I don`t die, could you really stop me?¡± ¡°¡­I can.¡± Hearing Kuroyuki`s reply, I inadvertently raised my head and looked back at her and blinked my eyes a few times. ¡­I was surprised. She answered¡ª without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡­just like that bastard. Why do you think you can¡­? ¡°¡­you don''t know how terrible the consequences will be if you failed.¡± Hearing my remark, Kuroyuki no longer glared at me. Instead, she backs off¡ª wearing a confident expression on her face with a gentle smile, and looks at me in the eye once more. ¡°¡­You looked too highly upon yourself.¡± Kuroyuki said the exact same lines that were thrown to my face years ago, by that bastard¡ª the principal. ¡­Ah. Perhaps¡ª ¡°¡­you win.¡± I murmured. ¡°Congratulations.¡± I looked at Kuroyuki with a vacant smile. It''s as if Kuroyuki saw a very disgusting being in front of her¡ª she immediately stood up, refusing to look at me in the eye. ¡°¡­D-Don''t talk to me anymore.¡± Kuroyuki uttered with a shaky voice. ¡°...You make me sick.¡± I noticed that her fingers are pinching her skirt as hard as she could. To avoid making things even more difficult for Kuroyuki, I didn''t speak another word. I went to my room and took the `s sword. ¡­I thought she would be going ahead to the training room first. But Kuroyuki stood by the second door connected to the classroom¡ª she waited patiently with her arms folded, avoiding eye contact. Though we did not exchange a single word during our trip to the training room, she did not leave me behind either. Chapter 19 - 2.6 The Imperial Knights Academy consists of five main sections. The Central¡ª Cafeteria, gymnasium, library, patio, sports hall, sports field, etc. The East¡ª First Year Faculty, Male and Female Dorm, Student`s Council President Building The North¡ª Second Year Faculty, Male and Female Dorm The West¡ª Third Year Faculty, Male and Female Dorm The South¡ª Great Hall, Principal`s Main Building The First Year`s Faculty is located at the east wing of the Imperial Knights Academy. Only the first years were able to enter the First-Year Faculty. Of course, it applies to the respective second and third-year students as well. Since first-year students aren''t familiar with the overseas life at the Imperial Knights Academy, the Student Council President`s Building was built there in order to watch over the first years. Within each faculty, there''s a central building located at the centre of their faculties. If it`s the east wing, it will be known as the East Central Building or First Year`s Central Building. The cafeteria and gymnasium were located in the Central Building of each faculty, as well as training rooms. ¡­After a long trip, we finally made it. First Year Central Building. I can''t believe it, just how famous is Kuroyuki¡­? Nearly everyone, including the teachers, came out from their classes just to take a look at her. Poor Kuroyuki hid behind my back all the way. I kind of understood why she was waiting for me. She acts as a guide as well as to use me as a shield from her fans. I believe this is what we call mutualism, I suppose. We hurried to the lift, escaping from the sights of the first-year students. First floor. ¡­There`s still no words of exchange between us. We stayed like this for quite some time now. From the class, we rode the buggy to the First Year Faculty, and to shield Kuroyuki from the first year students¡­ ¡­even now as we walk. We had been walking for a while now¡ª Kuroyuki still did not let go. She tailed silently from behind while clinging near to the back of my blazer. There''s no one else but us, so she could''ve stopped. But yet she did not, it''s almost like she didn''t want to. ¡°¡­Th¡ª Thank you¡­¡± All of a sudden, Kuroyuki thanked me. Her words felt hesitant as if she''s been trying to tell me these two words for a long time. I thought she didn''t want to talk to me anymore. Perhaps she couldn''t bear the silence, perhaps she couldn''t withstand the awkwardness, perhaps she merely thanked me because she appreciates my help¡ª ¡ªbut there''s one thing I know for sure¡­ she doesn''t want things to stay that way. Well¡­ ¡­I was the one at fault, to begin with. I know I had no right to apologize, and she had no obligation to forgive me either. But the tightness, the heavy load I`m feeling on my ?h?st¡­ I want to get rid of it. And so¡­ ¡°I''m sorry¡­ Kuroyuki.¡± ¡­I apologized to Kuroyuki, who is still clinging behind me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was hoping for a response, but there''s none at all. Please, say something. Scold me, hit me¡ª anything. By the time I realized, she was no longer clinging to me¡ª she stopped her footsteps quite a while ago. I then immediately stopped and turned to face her. When I looked at her face, I was surprised. She was looking at me with an overwhelmed, confused expression. It was like she couldn''t tell whether my words were the truth, or they were just some superficial lines just to make her feel better. Did I really frighten her that much¡­? To show her my sincerity, I bowed to her with my head lowered. Kuroyuki remained silent. Clack, clack, clack, clack. We were seven steps away at first, then she took five steps closer and stopped. ¡°¡­Idiot.¡± As she mumbled, something soft touched my head. Because I was too overwhelmingly familiar with this feeling, my head inadvertently raised from the surprise. ¡­It was Kuroyuki`s hand. I was half expecting her grip. But her soft fingers¡ª moves back and forth in a smooth rhythm¡­ she`s ??r?ssing my hair. It feels surprisingly comforting, but I don''t really understand why did she do that¡ª SLAP! ¡ªthen, a sudden slap came from the right of my face. ¡­Ouch. Then, with her usual cold expression¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha walks past me, saying nothing¡ª ¡°¡­we are almost there.¡± ¡ªor not. ¡­I think she forgives me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Training Room 1. Around one-third of the section of the hallway, the room on the right¡ª which the door was opened in, is the training room. Compared to the underground training room, training room 1 is much more spacious. If I were to give a rough measurement, then it`s around ten meters tall and spacious enough like having four football fields placed together. At the centre of the room, there are ten students¡ª to be precise, three girls and seven boys, all wearing a black blazer. Without a doubt, all of them are the S class students. For some reason, they were split into two groups. One group consists of four guys, and the rest of them are in the other group. Is this discrimination, I wonder¡­? Anyways, it seems both me and Kuroyuki were the last of the students to reach here. All we need to do is to wait for the teachers to come. As soon as we entered the room, everyone had their gazes on us. What''s with those different gazes¡­? Those at the smaller group looked jealous, and they seemed to have the d?s?r? to kill¡ª while those at the larger group were looking at me with a confused expression. Why are those at the larger group looking at me that way? Including the morning`s incident today, I believe nearly every male in the Imperial Knights Academy hates me to the core. So those guys at the smaller group are giving a reasonable expression. So why are those at the large group looking at me in such a way¡­? ¡°¡­?¡± Right when I was still walking¡ª nearly halfway towards them, a silver hair guy from the large group suddenly started to run towards me. ¡­I don''t understand what is going on. He looks furious till the point that it wouldn''t be exaggerating to say that he even wanted to kill. Is this guy the same as them¡ª he couldn''t contain his jealousy and decided to give me a good beating¡­? I thought those at the larger group would be different at the very least, but one of them proved me wrong. The sounds created by the friction between his shoes and the floor echoed throughout the training room¡ª like those sounds you made from a basketball match. With every step he takes, his speed gradually increases; he was dashing so fast¡ª it''s almost as if he''s the wind itself. Kuroyuki seems to understand what is going on. But instead of helping, she retreated and kept her distance away from me. Okay, fine. Putting her aside, that silver hair guy extended both of his hands. Is he attempting to grab me for a throw or is he aiming for a tackle¡­? If I grab his hand, he could probably push me down with his speed. So¡­ Timing with his speed, I took a quick sidestep to the left¡­ ¡°Ah¡ª whoa!?¡± He inadvertently screamed. ¡­and tripped him with my right leg. He flew forward, then landed on the floor with his stomach, sliding for another few meters forward in a straight line. ¡°G-Guh¡­¡­!¡± Now he`s gurgling in pain. He feels¡­ weak. Are S Ranked students this weak¡­? He then stood up, patted his blazer and trousers to clear the specks of dust. Then he immediately turned and glared at me with a strong intent to kill¡ª it''s as if I murdered his wife or something. ¡°You bastard!!!¡± His roaring voice echoed throughout the entire training room. Is it really necessary to scream so loud¡­? What wrong have I done¡­? ¡°Shut up.¡± A girl suddenly responded to the scream with a monotone voice. This is the first time I couldn''t agree more with the opinion of a random girl. Then six magic circles appeared behind that silver hair guy who yelled at me. From the looks of the magic circle¡­ all six of it are storage magic. Thin threads of white strings came out from the centre of the magic circles, wrapping that guy`s body before he could react. Even if he tried to struggle, it eventually wrapped him tight enough that he couldn''t even move a muscle. He was then hoisted up, hanged in mid-air. When I looked at him, I realized he had pretty white-silver hair, which the colour at the tail of his hair is transparent, and his eyes are emerald green¡ª hold it, why does he look so familiar¡­? ¡°RUMELIA!!! PUT ME DOWN¡ª MPHH!!!?¡± ¡­He yelled again. And I believe she''s yelling at the girl who did this to him. Obviously, any more pathetic struggle would have gained him more strings¡ªa bundle of threads swirls and seals his mouth. ¡°¡­I thought I told you not to do that.¡± Another guy mumbled. His voice seems cool and refreshing. ¡°He''s too loud and annoying.¡± The girl replied in a monotone voice. It''s the same girl responding. Judging from it, I''m sure they sure had a close relationship. I looked towards their direction. I wonder who they are¡­? ¡­Ah. It''s too obvious. Among the large group, there''s a girl who had a look free from any emotions¡ª she was expressionless. She had a doll-like face, purple-coloured hair, purple eyes¡ª and also quite the rack on her ?h?st. I believe she''s the one who tied the guy. Standing next to her is a teenage boy with the newest high-spec glasses, like those typical cool and smart dudes. Since the light is reflecting on his glasses, I can''t see his eye colour at all. He had brown hair¡ª but it`s rich with different types of brown colours, like soil. ¡°Fine¡­ do whatever you like.¡± He looks away, nudging his glasses. It seems he gives up to convince her¡ª ¡°!¡± Huh? My heart jolted all of a sudden. This is¡­ killing intent¡­!? Chapter 20 - 2.7 I sensed a sudden killing intent aside from those five S ranked students. There`s an extra¡ª the sixth one. Damn, these guys are annoying. I quickly looked behind¡ª only realizing that his fist is nearly going to reach my face. He''s too close. I can''t use the sword. Reluctantly, I reacted by bending my head to the left¡ª dodging his straight punch and added a punch on his stomach. I hold back to make sure he wouldn''t be dead in an instant from this punch. BAM! Huh? He''s harder than I expected. I realized my hand isn''t even touching his blazer¡ª he had armour, a magical armour. No wonder he feels tough. It had an opposite attribute compared to Kuroyuki`s armour. Kuroyuki`s armour is cold like ice and this guy''s¡ª it''s burning, and I could actually feel some heat transferring to my fist. Not like it would hurt me. Let''s add a little more strength¡­ WHAM! Putting more strength on my biceps, I sent him flying backwards with a centrifugal spin with my punch. But he quickly adjusted his posture mid-air and landed safely without a sweat. ¡­His flaming armour disappeared. When I took a close look at him, I realized he had really cool-looking hair. It''s burning like fire, like the sun, a mixture of red-orange and yellow colour. He seemed to be slightly taller than me, probably over 180 cm and had a broader body. He''s rather skilful compared to the silver hair guy. The glare he had on me is really cool. Those golden eyes that burn deep within¡­ It seems he''s going for a second turn¡ª An ice spear, suddenly stabbed into the ground in front of that person. Though he was surprised for a moment, it seems he still hasn''t given up on me yet. Kuroyuki then stood next to me. ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± Kuroyuki uttered as she glared at him. ¡°I will not acknowledge him.¡± He said to Kuroyuki as he glared at me with an angry look. What`s with his problem¡­? ¡°I don`t need your acknowledgement. Who do you think you are? You can''t even climb to the top yet you are so full of yourself.¡± ¡°Shut up, human!¡± Only those who aren''t human would¡¯ve shouted that way. ¡°What race is he¡­?¡± I whispered to Kuroyuki. ¡°Don''t talk to her!!! Gragh!!!¡± He shouts and runs straight to me. I understood why he was being so bossy. Despite him being a hybrid, it''s because he was a dragon, a powerful and prideful race. I don''t really like dragons. Though they are smart beings, they are rather stubborn, barbaric, and they only obey someone who proves that they are stronger than them. But this guy¡­ for what reason did he transform himself into a human¡­ and even studying here¡­? I really had no idea at all. For now¡ª let''s just make him shut up. ¡°Time to submit¡­!¡± I shouted. Kuroyuki knew what I was going to do, so she stood at her place and watched. That cool-looking guy (even though he''s not human), flexes his right arm like an electric current and charges to me like a thunderbolt. Pathetic. It''s not even near Kuroyuki`s level. He''s really weak. There`s no power on his fist. I don''t even need to use the power on my waist or my legs. I simply rammed my fist onto his right fist with just the power on my right arm. Without a need to clash our fists¡ª he was easily sent flying backwards, till he hit the wall with his back. By the way, if it wasn''t for his magical armour, the bones on his right arm would¡¯ve broken, and it would¡¯ve torn off from his shoulder. ¡°Satisfied?¡± I asked him. ¡°Grr¡­!¡± Whoa¡­ I can feel the dragon senses from his scowl. ¡°¡­Enough.¡± Kuroyuki scowled at him. Obeying Kuroyuki`s command, he ceased unwillingly. Just as I thought everything was going to end, I heard some sharp, fluttering sounds from behind. The silver hair guy then freed himself from the rest of the strings. ¡­Who did that? ¡°Hello~.¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± I was freaked out by the girl who suddenly pats my shoulder. I then looked behind. It was an elegant looking girl with a white-blonde hair and a bright, mischievous smile¡ª in other words, the first year`s student council president, Persia Silverlight. She''s really close. And I didn''t expect her to be moving this fast without me noticing. ¡°Oh, it''s just you.¡± I murmured. ¡°What do you mean it''s just me?¡± She said. Persia then came closer and tipped her toes to gain some height¡ª so she could extend her left arm to catch the golden card that was just right behind my head, with two of her fingers. How skilful. By the way, her ?h?st touched me when she caught that card. Needless to say that her ?h?st had the necessary weight and softness¡ª but the worst thing is, I don''t feel aroused at all. Perhaps this is the result of getting s?xu??ly-assaulted every day by Restia and Ruby. ¡°That was dangerous. I would''ve died if you failed to catch this thing.¡± When I said that, Persia raised her right brow and stared at me with a confused and quizzical look. ¡°¡­¡­You seemed different today.¡± She said. ¡­So she noticed my difference between Nightwalker. No, actually, it would be weird if she didn''t notice¡ª she''s good at reading people after all. I need to act more like Nightwalker. ¡°You are too close.¡± I said while grabbing her shoulders. ¡°Ahhn~!¡± A jolt shook her. ¡°Why are you m??ning again¡­¡± ¡°D-Don''t grab my flesh all of the sudden¡­!¡± Once again, her shoulders. She''s totally trying to spoil my image here. If that''s how you want¡­! ¡°Hya¡ª Ah¡ª Wha¡ª!!?¡± Persia is struggling for a laugh for the sudden punishment I landed on her. I gave her a tickle on her waist, armpits and neck. It was super effective. Even Kuroyuki is trying to hold back her laughter¡ª ¡°DON''T LOOK AWAY YOU BASTARD¡­!!!¡± Dang, here comes round two. He''s so lively till he was freakishly annoying. My head turns to where he is. The silver hair guy finally freed the last of those strings from his legs. Seems like he''s going to do the same thing again. Better knock him out before he could do so. I pushed Persia aside to Kuroyuki, letting Kuroyuki hold her still. Then I ran to him. That''s when I realized¡ª he was the , the person who lent Nightwalker his sword. Compared to yesterday where he was rather easy-going, he''s rather rash and hot-headed now. It''s like he had two different personas. I`m close enough now. Let''s just knock him out¡ª ¡°GIVE ME BACK MY SWORD YOU SWORD STEALING BASTARD!¡± He suddenly leapt forward with his hands extended. His sword¡­? I know he''s a sword maniac, but to be changing his temper so easily¡ª he''s one hell of a sword maniac. The moment his hands touched the hilt of his sword¡ª with a swift and skilful movement, he pulled his sword out from the sheath. It was so fast that I didn''t react in time to stop him. His sword then glows. He then placed his sword on the centre of his ?h?st, with the blade pointed at me as it changed to a rapier. At that moment¡ª I was able to tell. This guy is extremely strong with a sword. ¡°Star falling arts¡ª Star Spike!¡± His right hand extended¡ª with the tip of the blade aiming my ?h?st. With the speed of his leap and hand, the strike was really fast, swift, and gentle, as if there is no air resistance in his movement. Reluctantly, in contrast to his movement¡ª I knocked his blade away with the scabbard on my left hand, pushing his blade to the left side, and dodged by pulling back my left shoulder to the right. He went past me on my left. Using the momentum from my pullback, I threw his scabbard back at him. I thought it was going to hit his back, but he skilfully did a half spin on mid-air and caught the scabbard by inserting his blade into it. ¡°Urk¡ª!?¡± But it seems he didn''t expect a simple throw from me could still be so powerful. The power from my throw made him fly back as if he was pushed by a mysterious force. He flew past Kuroyuki and Persia who were watching from behind¡ª where the girls dodged him. I thought he was going to hit the wall, but he managed to land with both of his feet sliding across the floor as he stumbled a few times. ¡°¡­?¡± I was slightly confused. Is he heavy or did my arm strength has lowered that much? There`s still a long way before he hits the wall. No¡­ that can''t be. The flame hair guy, Blaze¡ª flew back from my light punch. Then this means he`s heavy. ¡°Not bad~.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­!?¡± I was surprised. Persia tapped my shoulder from my left all of a sudden. She was much further away just a few seconds ago. ¡°Stop scaring me.¡± I murmured. ¡°Say~ You shouldn''t cause such a large commotion you know~?¡± For some reason, Persia skilfully ignored my remark, and she''s jerking my sleeve with her fingers. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said to Persia. ¡°Why don''t you apologize?¡± I yelled to the silver hair guy¡ª the . ¡°Alright it''s my bad it''s my fault~ But if it wasn''t him I would`ve settled things peacefully.¡± He said with a grin. He''s coming to me. Okay, I think he''s back to normal now. ¡°I`m merely taking care of your sword. Why don`t you thank me for that?¡± Hearing my statement, the felt annoyed. ¡°If it wasn''t for that force field I would¡¯ve retrieved it yesterday. It''s your carelessness.¡± He retorted. And he poked me on my blazer, my ?h?st. Although he was annoyed, the way he poked me felt friendly, it''s not like those poking that seems to be picking a fight. And I thought he fainted yesterday. He sure recovers quick enough. ¡°You lend me your sword in the first place. If you don`t, then the tragedy today wouldn`t have happened.¡± ¡°It''s all because of the princess¡ª never mind.¡± Well, isn''t he daring¡ª trying to put the blame to Kuroyuki. Luckily he knows what he should and shouldn''t say and quickly seized his mouth¡­ ¡­aside from the fact that Kuroyuki`s glaring at him. By the way, I don`t know when but Kuroyuki is suddenly at my right side. I wondered what Kuroyuki would do if she was falsely accused¡­? Let''s try it. ¡°You should have stop him¡ª¡± PAK! ¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah. The grip. So she would resort to violence. ¡°¡­¡­Ngh!¡± CRAK! The cracking sound from my head was so loud that it felt like it echoed throughout the room. ¡°AHHHHHH¡­¡­!!?¡± This was the most painful punishment yet. My head''s bleeding too. Obviously, I was struggling in pain on the floor, with my hands on my face and my body curled like a ball. Damn, thank goodness I had a strong body that could heal any injury quickly. In a matter of seconds, my cracked skull would be fixed. This is why I could survive from Kuroyuki`s violent grip. But even though it healed, the pain still remains. ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡± Persia asks. I peeked at Persia through my fingers. She was squatting in front of me. ¡­White. Seems like string p?nt??s. Is she doing this on purpose¡­? There''s no way she wouldn''t realize. Anyways¡ª ¡°Do you really need to ask¡­?¡± I replied with a strained voice. ¡°He''s here¡ª¡± THOK. ¡°I`m right behind you, stupid brat.. Stop being so dramatic.¡± Chapter 21 - 2.8 A man`s voice, like someone in his twenties, came across my ears. Something bumped on my bu??¡ª it felt like a kick. Judging from his voice, plus the timing, there''s only one person in this world who is rude enough to do something like this to me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Blood was gushing to my head. It''s as if something inside my brain snapped. I could feel my vein popped on my head. I stood up, ignoring the pain that`s still lingering on my head. Then I approached behind him and landed a kick on his bu??. It was stronger compared to how he kicked me, so he stumbles forward. Everybody was looking at us silently. Their eyes were as if saying ¡®what is this idiot doing?¡¯ Like I''d care about their opinions. How long has it been since I last saw you in front of me¡­? The first one to act¡ª is the person I kicked. ¡°¡­WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU STUPID BRAT?¡± He intimidated me. ¡°KICKING YOUR ASS. WHO SAID YOU COULD KICK MY BUTT¡­?¡± I immediately retorted with bloodcurdling anger. ¡°I WILL TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU DAMN STUPID BRAT.¡± ¡°TRY IT IF YOU CAN YOU DAMN OLD MAN.¡± In less than a second, a knife-hand chop came from above, cutting vertically downwards. It''s simple yet extremely fast, his target is my head. I evaded his attack by leaning my waist to the left side. I threw my left fist towards his face as hard as I could. BAM! He easily caught my fist with his right hand and transferred the rest of the impact to his shoulder and onto his knees¡ª taking a step backwards to stable his stance. What¡­!? My voice nearly leaks out from the surprise. Even with all this power, he''s still not pushed back from my punch¡­! Knowing that he''s going to throw me on the floor, I quickly retreated my hand before he could do so, and take a few steps backwards¡ª keeping my distance. ¡°Ho¡­ not bad.¡± He muttered. He quickly closed our distance by taking a leap on the ground. He then bent his waist, throwing a sharp right uppercut from below, aiming my chin. He''s still as nasty as ever. Even if I`m sixteen years old now, he still had the power to make me unconscious in this one hit. Reluctantly, I leaned backwards and lifted my chin to evade his punch. At the same time, I slapped his left arm away with a right backhand swing, because he''s going to push me on the floor. ¡°Huh¡­¡± With a confused look, he let out a breath and flexed his right arm forward. Just before I`m going to catch his right arm¡ª he stopped and took a clockwise half spin, using the momentum to land an attack with his left elbow, aiming at my solar plexus. It''s too fast for me to evade, so I lifted my right knee to block his elbow. However, I didn''t expect it to be that powerful. The clash between our powerful attacks gave a shock throughout our whole body¡ª pushing us backwards. The numbness and pain on my knee are even stronger compared to the kick Kuroyuki gave me yesterday. But so does his elbow¡­ He''s rubbing his elbow with a pained look. ¡°Cheh¡­! Just let me hit you already you damn brat!¡± He yelled. ¡°Are you stupid or something!? Who on earth would be dumb enough to stay still!?¡± ¡°Take this¡­!¡± He instantly closed our distance, with his fist swinging forth. In contrast with his movement, I responded with a palm attack towards his face¡ª ¡°¡­Enough!¡± BA-BAM! After I heard Kuroyuki`s shout, I immediately found my face smacked on the floor. The aching feedback that came afterwards was on my head and face that was on the floor. Seems like Kuroyuki smacked me down directly like a hammer using her fist. By the time I get on my feet, that old man is already patting his clothes and rubbing his head. ¡°Ow ow ow¡­ Kuroyuki, please be gentle next time. I still need some dignity here¡­¡± He muttered with an uneasy look. It seems to me that even ¡®he¡¯ was smacked on the floor by Kuroyuki too. ¡­Kuroyuki sure doesn''t show any mercy to anyone. ¡°¡­I will remind you again. You are just a temporary supervisor¡­¡± Kuroyuki smiled, but she''s not looking happy at all. There`s an uneasy vibe coming from her smile. ¡°¡­As for you¡­¡± Kuroyuki then looks in my direction with an outraged look. I probably understood what she''s going to do. ¡°Please be gentle¡­¡± I murmured. CRAK! She mercilessly squeezes my head as hard as she could. Since I knew this would be coming, I endured the pain and held in my scream as much as I could. ¡°Ehem¡­¡± He coughed to brush off the things that happened. Everyone suddenly kept their silence and listened, including Kuroyuki who just smacked him on the head earlier. Allow me to answer your doubt. Why would Kuroyuki, who has authority even higher than the teachers in this academy, be willing to stay quiet and listen to him? It''s time to unveil the mystery of this old man. It''s not that he''s actually an old man¡ª in fact, he looks quite young actually, a man in his twenties. He''s currently 42 years old this year. Because of some personal grudge, his age, and his white hair¡ª it''s more than enough for me to call him an old man. He wore a black suit and a black tie. For someone of his age, he''s still childish enough to act all cool. He''s the bastard that Nightwalker and I always mentioned. ¡®That guy¡¯, ¡®that bastard¡¯¡ª the person who sent me the email yesterday¡ª he''s the principal of the Imperial Knights Academy, the very person standing at the top of the Imperial Knights Academy. If you were thinking what is my relationship with this bastard¡­ I will explain sooner. It''s a little complicated. ¡°Sorry for changing the schedule today so suddenly. This mock battle today is specifically arranged for this newly enrolled brat here. I believe he''s quite hot on the rumours lately. From the blazer, obviously you could tell he`s the 2nd special student.¡± ¡­There`s not even a single clap as a welcome greeting. Well, not like I care. ¡°The mock battle today will be separated into 2 teams. Needless to say, the special students are the leaders. It''s likely that you S ranked brats will be sticking to our here, so I will select you guys randomly.¡± That said, he activated his screen and entered a system. A larger window then pops up in front of us, showing the names of the S ranked students separated to two sides. The team displayed on the left is my team, those at the right are Kuroyuki. Their names are¡ª August Whisperwind, Crimson Veludora Blaze, Kronos Y Chronoclock, Persia Silverlight and Sherry Scarlet Rosenberk. Just before I was going to check the names at Kuroyuki`s group, the principal noticed and quickly minimized the screen. ¡­He did that on purpose. ¡°¡°¡°¡°Hell yeah¡­!!!¡±¡±¡±¡± The 4 guys at the small group earlier are suddenly celebrating with joy and tears. Looks like they were selected as Kuroyuki`s teammates. Obviously, Kuroyuki was totally disgusted and hid behind me. I wondered who my teammates are¡­? The only names I know are Persia. ¡°Yay~ We are in the same team~.¡± Persia looks really delighted. But I''m not. He should''ve given me a handicap. Kuroyuki is so strong she could probably crush all eleven of us several times. ¡°There are ten minutes for both teams to discuss your strategies. And¡­ start.¡± He set the timer. As soon as the students started to move to their respective teams¡­ the emotionless girl went to Kuroyuki`s team. I was left with the , Crimson Veludora Blaze, the brown-haired guy with the specs, Persia, and a blood-red hair girl with bat wings. For some reason, my team felt a little too unique¡­ I scratched my head from the frustration. ¡°Okay¡­ let''s sit first and introduce yourselves.¡± I said to them and sat down. ¡°Okay~.¡± Persia responded cheerfully and sat next to me without a shred of hesitation. After staring at Persia`s reaction to me with an unreserved trust, everyone did so. For some reason, the three guys in my group sat at my opposite while Persia and the red-haired girl with bat wings sat on my left and right respectively. ¡°Ah¡­ Um¡­ My name is Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare.¡± I murmured. I wondered why, as I introduced¡ª those 3 guys widen their eyes for a moment. Seeming things were slightly awkward, Persia decided to guide the team in my stead. ¡°August~¡± She then conducted. As she called, the which was at my right, reacted. ¡°¡­Oh, right. My name`s August Whisperwind, a human. I`m Ranked Fifth among the first years, codename, .¡± A quick and simple introduction. Though he may not look like it, he seems to be quite the smooth talker. I will remember your name, . The person sitting next to him is Crimson Veludora Blaze, a hybrid of a dragon and phoenix in a humanoid form. He''s been glaring at me for an awfully long time already. When he knew it was his turn, he broke his eye contact and looked away with an enraged and grumpy look. ¡­Weirdo. Even for a dragon. ¡°Blaze¡­?¡± Persia called out. ¡°Just skip him. I heard his name from Kuroyuki.¡± I said. The person sitting next to Blaze is the guy with the brown hair and glasses. Every time he nudges his glasses, there''s always a glint. ¡°Name: Kronos Y Chronoclock. Human. Ranked Seven. Codename: .¡± Am I actually imagining symbols from his words¡­? How scary. ¡°Arsenal¡­? This means you had a lot of weapons in your hand¡­?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± Stop talking like that. Were you sick? You were talking normally a few minutes ago. ¡°I need to borrow an ?ssault rifle¡ª¡± ¡°Denied. Only old melee weapons allowed.¡± This means he had high-tech guns and melee weapons. ¡°¡­Fine. I need to borrow two swords¡ª for dual wielding.¡± I said. ¡°Access granted.¡± After he agreed, he activated a magic circle in front of his right hand. ¡°Crap¡­!¡± He nudges his glasses. As he muttered, his magic storage circle grew larger. This looks bad. With my outstanding reflexes, I sprung forth and diverted his right hand to his right, where Blaze is. Blaze reluctantly leaned backwards¡ª a large amount of weapons gushes out from the magic circle, like a large wave of a sea, flooding the area on Kronos`s right side. August¡ª who was next to Blaze was pulled into the flood, buried under the weapons and unable to move. ¡°¡­Forgive me, August.¡± Kronos apologizes as he nudges his glasses, but he''s not looking sorry at all. And don''t word it like he''s dead or something. ¡°Bear with it, August. I just need a little time here¡­¡± Putting him aside¡­ swords, spears, arrows, scythes, staffs, daggers, axes, gauntlets, claws, knives, clubs, javelins, throwing blades, chains, whips, shields, and etc.... ¡­I simply searched and took two best-looking swords among the pile of weapons. After I let Kronos know that everything is done¡ª with a gesture like turning a rusted gear on a clock, he turned his right hand in an anti-clockwise motion on the pile of weapons. Glittering lights start to rise up from the weapons, and after a shine¡ª the weapons vanished, except the two swords I''m holding in my hand. Wow, his magic control is certainly outstanding. August was found crushed flat on the floor, with his soul seeming to be gone. I realized he doesn''t have a single scratch on him¡ª not even his clothes. No one seems to care about him. Oh well. Leaving August aside, I walk and sat back on my place¡ª ¡®Gulp.¡¯ ¡ªRestia!? ¡ªRuby!? No wait I must be mistaken. What was that¡­¡­? Such a ??wd sound that surpasses that of a hundred words¡­ I turn to look at the girl at my left¡ª why are you grinning¡­? She had pale white skin, thick, silky blood-red hair, pointy ears, a pair of sharp-looking red eyes, sharp fangs, and a large pair of black bat-like wings on her back. ¡­She''s a vampire. She''s been staring at me with a grin, a drool on her face. Don`t tell me she`s interested in my blood¡­ Once she sucks my blood, she could charm me just by making me look into her eyes. ¡°Sherry, come back to me¡­!¡± Persia gave her a hug. The moment Persia called her name, she immediately came back to her senses. ¡°Uweh¡­? A-Ah¡­! I`m sorry for staring at you¡­!¡± She apologized with her head lowered. God, she''s cute. ¡°Sherry, your name.¡± Persia whispered. Seems like she`s good friends with Persia. ¡°A-Ah¡­! Nice to meet you¡­! My name is Sherry Scarlet Rosenberk from Class S. I`m not a bat-kin¡ª but a vampire.¡± Hearing her statement, then I`ve confirmed that she`s the new vampire race¡ª a winged vampire. Chapter 22 - 2.9 This might be sudden, but allow me to tell you the origins of vampires and the four oldest vampires that participated in World War 4. Vampires are an immortal race that survives by su?k?n? and drinking blood as their food source. Currently, in the new era, vampires are no longer immortal, and they could no longer turn others into vampires. Only the four oldest vampires could turn normal people into vampires with the virus on their fangs. The first human to become a vampire happened on Year WV35, 2958 years ago¡ª his name is known as Ambrogio. He received both blessings and curses from the celestial gods and became a vampire. It was said that because he fell in love and proposed to a celestial goddess of the moon, Selene¡ª he was cursed to never walk under daylight again by the celestial god of the sun (also known as the celestial god of light, oracles, knowledge, healing, diseases, music, poetry, songs, dance, archery, herds and flocks, and protection of young), Apollo, out from jealousy. Then in order to become immortal to live with Selene, he went to the underworld and made a deal to the celestial god of the underworld, Hades. However, to make that deal¡ª he needs to give Hades the silver bow and arrows of the celestial goddess of the hunt, Artemis. Knowing that Ambrogio tried to steal her silver bow and arrows¡ª Artemis placed a cursed Ambrogio to have a burning-allergic reaction to silver. Ambrogio swore loyalty to Artemis and worked hard afterwards, receiving various blessings from her¡ª turning him into a vampire and the best hunter under Artemis. Artemis even grants Ambrogio some of her silver bow and arrow, which he then gave them to Hades and gained immortality. Just when Ambrogio thought he could be together with Selene forever, he found out that Apollo cursed Selene to become mortal¡ª removing all of her divinity as the celestial goddess of the moon. Ambrogio took her to Artemis, and she was given one choice¡ª to become a vampire just like Ambrogio. Later onwards, Selene was turned into a vampire but later had her divinity restored by Artemis. In the end, they were separated because of Selene`s duty as the celestial goddess of the moon¡ª Ambrogio was left on earth and Selene on the moon. The second person to become a vampire is Gaius Julius Caesar, this happened in Year XA37, 2456 years ago. He was turned into a vampire by a demon. Between his ascent to the throne or either to his supposed death¡ª Gaius summoned a demon from hell realm to make a Faustian blood pact in exchange for power and immortality to succeed his throne. The demon fulfilled its part, but then later betrayed Gaius and cursed him to spend his eternity in the cave of Broken Tooth Mountain (was destroyed during World War 4, but he was freed even before that), during year XA41. The only way for him to break the curse is to find a successor to take his place. After spending a total of 1423 years at the cave, he was freed by Vlad III Dracula at year XN64. Vlad III Dracula, which is also known as Dracula nowadays¡ª he is the third person to become a vampire. On a certain day, Vlad was hunting at Broken Tooth Mountain and discovered a soldier''s helmet from Turks` empire. He fears that the empire is going to invade his country¡ª Vlad and his soldiers travel upwards to a cave on Broken Tooth Mountain, where it might possibly be where the enemies are camping. Inside the cave, his party was attacked and killed by a dark figure¡ª which is Gaius. Vlad survived as Gaius flees from the sunlight. He then soon learned about the truth from a monk about Gaius, where he was a former emperor who sold his soul to a demon and was tricked¡ª he was waiting for someone to take his place. Vlad was then accused by a subject of the Turks` empire for killing his battalion of scouts (which was actually killed by Gaius) and tells Vlad that Sultan Mehmed II wants 1000 boys and his son to join the Janissary Corps as his compensation for the loss of his battalion. Vlad refuses and is forced to kill the subjects to save his son, even though he knew he would need to fight against the army of the Turks. Vlad knows his army is no match for the Turks, against Sultan Mehmed II. He returns to Broken Tooth Mountain and seeks power from Gaius. Though Gaius was reluctant to give him his power to a man who slaughtered thousands (although he was no different from Vlad, maybe he did so to atone his sins), in the end¡ª he told Vlad that there are consequences and offer him his cursed blood, which will temporarily give him the powers of a vampire. If Vlad resists drinking human blood for three days of dawn, then he will turn back to a human¡ª if not, he will remain as a vampire forever, and the curse on Gaius will be set free. Unfortunately, circumstances happened, and Vlad was forced to suck his dying wife`s blood and become a vampire to destroy the empire, saving his son. Which then his son later became the Prince of Wallachia, and Vlad protects him from the darkness. At year XP10 (883 years ago), Countess Elizabeth Bathory de Ecsed summoned a demon from hell realm to make a pact in exchange for eternal youth. The price to pay for eternal youth requires the 666 souls of female v?r??ns. She is the most prolific woman serial killer ever in history. She methodically lured the girls in, promising jobs for the peasant women and lessons in etiquette for those of the lesser gentry. She established an elaborate set of impossible rules for them to follow, and when they (inevitably) failed to follow her code, she used ¡®punishment¡¯ as an excuse to send them to her contracted demon. It was said that 650 girls were offered to the demon. When the empire found out, she was supposed to be executed immediately, but she escaped this fate because of her family name, and she was placed under house arrest instead. It was then announced that she died 4 years later of house arrest. But it''s actually not. Elizabeth¡ª still 16 souls left and unable to fulfil the pact, she was turned into a vampire instead of having her soul taken by the demon. Currently, vampires consist of four types. The first type of vampire is known as the nightwalker vampires. They are the ¡®children¡¯ under Ambrogio, which he¡¯s able to transfer his abilities through his saliva. The saliva injected to the blood, which causes changes to the person affected by it. Though they are not as powerful as Ambrogio, they have super strength, speed, senses, vision, atomize, and they are lesser immortals. Ambrogio`s curses are also passed down upon them, where they would die if they were exposed to sunlight and silver. Ambrogio will not die because of his immortality. His soul was with Hades, so he''s basically an undead immortal as long as his soul is unharmed. He is also the most powerful vampire that could easily destroy a city and change the landscape with just one arrow and could use any ability of the animal he d?s?r?s. After World War 4, his whereabouts are currently unknown. The second vampire types are known as the demon vampires¡ª they are the ¡®children¡¯ under Gaius Julius Caesar and Vlad III Dracula. They had superhuman strength, speed, senses, stamina, accelerated healing factor, metamorphosis, and lesser immortality. Though they were stronger when compared to Ambrogio`s vampires, the demon''s curse was also passed down to them. They will die if their hearts were stabbed by wooden stakes, exposed to sunlight, and near to crucifixes. They also had a strong d?s?r? for bloodlust. Both Gaius and Dracula were not affected by bloodlust and crucifixes. They will not die under sunlight and wooden stakes on their hearts but will weaken almost to a mortal being. They could even control the weather by covering the sky with thick, stormy clouds to shield them from the sunlight. They also possess mesmerism, which is the ability to mentally dominate, coerce, and order people to obey his d?s?r?s upon eye-to-eye contact. Because once a former emperor, Gaius Julius Caesar is extremely intelligent. Among the four oldest vampires, he''s the smartest among the four. He spoke a famous line during World War 4, and that is ¡®Let the Game begins¡¯, as a command of his vampire army. After World War 4, he disappeared. It was said that he''s still searching for the demon that cursed him. Though Dracula was also once a former king of Transylvania, he wasn''t as smart as Gaius. However, he was extremely skilled in swordsmanship. He alone could defeat two thousand well-trained soldiers alone. After World War 4, he went back to Transylvania and created a kingdom for vampires to stay. Because of Dracula''s weather changing powers¡ª Transylvania was hidden by thick, white mists¡ª no one could find a way into it. Only the vampires who lived there knew how to enter. The third vampire types are known as the seductive vampires. Because of remorse and regrets for killing so many innocent girls, Elizabeth atoned, for her sins by only saving girls that she came across in her life. All of her ¡®children¡¯ are beautiful females. They had superhuman strength, speed, senses, stamina, accelerated healing factor, metamorphosis, charm, lesser immortality and they excelled in magic. They only had a weakness, that is to bloodlust. They need to feed themselves daily with blood, so they seduce men and take some of their blood in return. Elizabeth is the only vampire alone who could create a vampire with almost no weakness. She is an extremely beautiful woman. She could charm any men once their blood was su?k?d. She''s also a powerful magician that created her own unique vampire magic. After World War 4, her whereabouts were unknown. But rumours were told that she created a hideout containing a legion of powerful immortals. The fourth vampire types are also known as the winged vampires. They are the offspring of a bat-kin and vampire. With their blood mixed, they had superhuman strength, speed, senses, stamina, accelerated healing factor, metamorphosis or atomize, lesser-immortality and they had wings on their back. They could travel both day and night and didn''t have any weaknesses. Sherry is, no doubt, the fourth type. From what I can tell, her other bloodline might possibly be under Elizabeth''s bloodline¡ª because, for a vampire, she''s beautiful. ¡°A vampire¡­huh. Whose bloodline were you under¡­?¡± I said to Sherry. ¡°I read history, more or less.¡± ¡°My family bloodline is under Lord Ambrogio, Lord Gaius, and Lady Elizabeth.¡± Hearing those unbelievable words, I shook my head for a moment to clear my thoughts. ¡°Say that again?¡± I ask to confirm once more. ¡°Okay¡­ Lord Ambrogio, Lord Gaius and Lady Elizabeth.¡± ¡°All three!?¡± I inadvertently raised my voice out from shock. Blaze and Kronos seem confused. Persia, however, looks at me as if she''s telling me ¡®she''s a gem¡¯. ¡°T-Then, did you learn magic? Could you cast magic¡­?¡± Elizabeth is a powerful magician. I was hoping those under her bloodline could have used her unique vampire magic to lift my seal. ¡°I''m sorry¡­ I can''t¡­¡± Sherry looks away, seeming a little disappointed. ¡°Me too.¡± Persia suddenly interjected with a pouty look. ¡°Such an obvious lie.¡± I retorted. ¡°Meanie.¡± For some reason, I had a feeling she''s been wanting to catch my attention. Anyways, could you stop hugging Sherry? I think she''s going for your neck. Persia then simply activated her magic storage and took a small container with a red metallic straw. ¡°Here~ Blood pack~.¡± ¡°Thank you Persia~.¡± Sherry delightedly sips the blood with the straw. Seems like Sherry is telling the truth. I believe if she went through my training, she could easily master all three-keys of magic. Anyways, I need someone else who has the ability to at least handle three-key magic. This is S class, other than Persia who''s able to do it, I''m sure someone else is capable of doing so¡ª I need to gather as much information as I can. ¡°Kronos, aside from storage magic¡ª could you use any other magic spells?¡± Kronos and Rumelia splendidly perform their two-key magic. They were able to activate their storage magic naturally as if it was any other day. ¡°Nil.¡± He shakes his head with a serious look. ¡­Perhaps I have been putting my expectations a little too high. What about Blaze? Turning himself into a dragon requires two-key magic too. ¡°Blaze¡ª¡± ¡°Tch, don`t talk to me¡­!¡± What`s with his problem? God, I really want to punch him on the face and smash his jaw. ¡°Erm, what about August¡ª¡± ¡°Do I seem like the type to cast magic?¡± ¡°Whoa!? When did you come back¡­!?¡± I was freaked out by August who suddenly talks from behind. Why behind of all places¡­? ¡°The principal healed me with his magic.¡± He muttered. ¡°Anyways, among the S class¡ª only Persia is skilled enough to cast a more complex magic.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°No I don''t.¡± Persia looks at him with a pouty look. ¡°Well, suit yourself.¡± August replied arbitrarily. Hmm. Seems like he''s telling the truth. Fine then. Forget about it. There are seven minutes left. Though it was just a mock battle, I still need to think up a strategy¡­ Firstly¡­ I need to see their compatibility¡­ August sat next to Kronos. ¡°Hey Kronos, you should be careful next time.¡± August said with a smile and slams Kronos back repeatedly. ¡°¡­Whatever. Stop slamming my back.¡± Kronos nudged his glasses and muttered with an irritated look. ¡°Both of you are annoying. Get lost.¡± Blaze is glaring fiercely at them. ¡°Uh¡­ umm¡­¡± Sherry was flustered. ¡°Don''t sweat the small stuff. They are always like this.¡± Persia added. ¡­Aside from Persia and Sherry, those guys had such horrible compatibility. I thought they got along well. Compatibility doesn''t seem to work well. How about their fighting abilities¡­? Each and every person had their own unique way to fight. Perhaps I could go from that. Firstly, their weapons. I don''t have much hope from it either. ¡°Anyways, do you guys have guns as a weapon?¡± ¡°Wow, such bad luck.¡± August replied, almost immediately. ¡°The only four who had guns are at the princess`s team now.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± I let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow. Those eyes are definitely looking down on us. There''s nothing wrong with using weapons other than guns right?¡± August retorted. Other weapons other than guns? What on earth are they even using as a weapon¡­!? ¡°No, wait, hold it.¡± I quickly muttered. ¡°One-by-one please tell me what weapons are you guys even using?¡± ¡°Sword.¡± August said while making a display with his sword. ¡°Cards.¡± Persia said, showing me a deck of spade royal straight flush with the golden cards on her hand. ¡°Those junks earlier.¡± Kronos muttered. Huh? Did you give me junk? ¡°You want me to punch you?¡± Blaze uttered. Why punch me? You could''ve eaten me if you want. ¡°E-Erm¡­ A rapier.¡± Sherry murmured. I took a deep breath¡­ ¡°Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡­¡­¡± ¡­and heaved a long, fed-up sigh. Chapter 23 - 2.10 ¡°For some reason, I really want to cut you down with this sword now.¡± August immediately uttered with an irritated look. He had his sword half-pulled out from the sheath and was trying to approach me. But he was stopped by Kronos`s right hand that was blocking his way. ¡°Same here. I need to teach him a lesson.¡± Blaze said to August. ¡°So do I. But don`t forget that he could easily kick your ?ss.¡± Kronos mutters as he blocks Blaze with his left hand. Their compatibility suddenly got a lot better. ¡°Now, now~.¡± Persia moved and placed his hand in front of me as if she`s shielding me and drawing a line from them. ¡°He may look like this, but he''s even stronger than Kuroyuki¡ª he defeated the unbeatable Kuroyuki Shiroha in a forced duel and was ranked number one since yesterday night.¡± Persia said. ¡°What!?¡± Blaze shouts with a surprised look. Though the truth is not really that case¡ª after looking at Blaze`s surprised reaction, I decided to keep things a secret. ¡°It''s true.¡± Kronos said to Blaze. ¡°It was officially announced at the announcement board yesterday.¡± ¡°Yeah, right¡ª I don`t care.¡± August uttered. ¡°The princess would at least give us a strategy instead of sighing so annoyingly like that.¡± Judging from their words and expression, I could tell that Kuroyuki earned the respect of the S class students. ¡°Okay, fine, I get it.¡± I muttered. ¡°With the strategy she gave you, did any of you or the whole class together managed to land an actual hit on her?¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± None of them uttered a single word. Everyone who''s half-standing slowly sat back at their original place, looking depressed. Wow. Kuroyuki Shiroha is dominating the battlefield. ¡°Why is everyone looking so depressed? Her strategy did not work, so how about mine?¡± I proposed. ¡°Huh? You have a strategy?¡± August inadvertently murmured. ¡°You seem like the type to win with special abilities instead of strategies.¡± He added. ¡°Nope.¡± I denied it. ¡°I don''t have any special abilities other than my superhuman strength and August`s sword yesterday.¡± Also, I didn''t win at all. But nevertheless, everyone was surprised. ¡°¡­You must be joking.¡± Kronos nudged his glasses. ¡°Kuroyuki Shiroha`s ice is even harder than titanium.¡± Why compare to titanium instead of steel¡­? He must have seen how Kuroyuki easily breaks titanium with just one punch or perhaps something else. ¡°Well, I could break titanium so it''s not a joke.¡± I replied. ¡°My strength is even higher than Kuroyuki and I believe you guys already know she could break titanium.¡± ¡°No wonder you survived her slap with a bruise on your face instead.¡± August muttered. ¡°Huh?¡± Stunned for a moment, I quickly activated my screen and selected the mirror mode. I saw the right side of my cheek, with an extremely faint, red mark of a hand. I guess this mark was even redder before. ¡­God, this is embarrassing. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Hearing that sound, I immediately look towards my left. Persia¡ª while hiding behind Sherry, and even though she is hiding her face with her right hand, I could tell that she is on the verge of laughing. ¡°Persia¡­?¡± I inadvertently uttered. ¡°Ehem, excuse me.¡± Damn, she held it in. I then grab her on her shoulders. ¡°A-Ahn¡­! Don`t grab my shoulders all of the sudden¡­!¡± THOK! ¡°N-Ngh¡­¡­¡± Persia lifelessly lays on Sherry`s th??h, struggling in pain with both of her hands ??r?ssing her head, as well as Sherry`s. ¡°W-Why did you do that to Persia¡­!?¡± Sherry immediately protested. ¡°Meanie¡­!¡± Persia added on Sherry`s protest. ¡°¡­Because she laughed.¡± I replied as I pouted like Persia. Even though it''s not her fault, I just want to find a person to vent it out¡ª and Persia is the only one who I`m familiar enough to do so. ¡°Ku¡ª Kukuku¡­¡± Kronos was nudging his glasses as he tried to hold back his laughter. ¡°I can''t believe the prankster Persia would`ve a day like this. Hahahahaha¡­!¡± August laughed. ¡°Sherry¡­! Comfort me¡­!¡± Persia then buries her face on Sherry`s blazer. ¡°Hehe, There, there¡­¡± Sherry replied delightedly and held Persia`s hand. ¡°¡­Mnn. Sorry.¡± I apologized. Seeing Persia`s poor look, I rubbed her head out from the feelings of guilt. ¡°Anyways, what''s your strategy?¡± August pulled us back to the topic. ¡°Ah, before that¡ª what kind of special abilities do you guys have? Perhaps an like Kuroyuki¡­? I don`t think you guys could really make it to the S class with just this kind of weapon.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, if you are talking about elemental users, then I`m a wind user.¡± August replied. ¡°I''m a flame user.¡± Blaze murmured. ¡°Earth here.¡± Kronos raised his hand. ¡°¡­I''m light.¡± Persia muttered from Sherry`s ??ps. ¡°I`m not¡­¡± Sherry murmured disappointedly. Hearing their replies, I had a sudden headache throbbing on the right side of my head. This is outside of my expectations. Four¡ª four of them are ¡­!? I didn''t expect Blaze and Persia were too. With that, I''m quite sure how they were able to reach to the top now. As for Sherry, she''s a vampire¡ª so it was reasonable for her to achieve this. ¡°Tell me¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­how on earth did you guys lose to Kuroyuki so quickly¡­?¡± ¡°The princess froze me.¡± August looked away. ¡°I only remember I was locked inside an ice crystal.¡± Kronos nudges his glasses. ¡°Kuroyuki Shiroha sent me flying out to the sea.¡± Blaze said proudly. ¡°Kuroyuki knocked me out from behind.¡± Persia said with a depressed look. ¡°I was pinned on the ground with five spears stabbed on my body.¡± Sherry uttered emotionlessly. Sherry`s treatment was rather rough... Is it because she''s a vampire¡­? ¡°What about the strategy she gave you?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­That was the fight after she gave the strategy.¡± Persia replied depressingly. ¡°Mgh¡­ so she easily overrides her own strategy.¡± ¡°That''s right. Kuroyuki is too smart and powerful.¡± Persia conceded. ¡°I couldn''t agree more.¡± I said. ¡°One last thing, what about those four weirdos in Kuroyuki`s group?¡± ¡°Oh, those guys. They are Kuroyuki`s hard-core fans¡­¡± Persia said with a sympathizing look. ¡°Hah.¡± I gave a short laugh. Then I clapped my hands to gain their attention. ¡°Alright then, here''s my strategy.¡± ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡± August muttered. ¡°Hold on a minute, you don''t even know how we fight. How could you even device a strategy¡­?¡± ¡°Just hear me out first.¡± I murmured. ¡°Blaze and Sherry, both of you could fly¡ª so I want both of you to be our scouts to scan the map.¡± ¡°How did you know I could fly¡­?¡± Blaze retorted. ¡°Just partially undo your transformation spell and you could get yourself a pair of wings in your human form.¡± I murmured. ¡°I could teach you if you want.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Persia quickly got up from Sherry`s ??p, with her head bumped on Sherry`s D-cup ?h?st during the process. The boys were unfazed by sight. ¡°You are familiar with magic¡­?¡± She said with a surprised look. ¡°Yes. But as you can see¡ª I don''t have a single drop of mana on me.¡± I replied. ¡°Then why¡­?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°I`m doing some research, that''s all.¡± I vaguely answered to avoid the topic. ¡°Any questions about scouting¡­?¡± ¡°What should we do if they see us¡­? Any one of them from Kuroyuki`s group could shoot us down.¡± Sherry proposed. ¡°Oh. You might just need to worry yourself about Kuroyuki and¡­ the purple string girl?¡± ¡°It`s Rumelia Heartlock.¡± Kronos uttered as he nudged his glasses. His annoyed reaction piqued my interest. Though gossip is not my forte, it''s fun to watch his reaction. ¡°Is she your girlfriend¡­? You two seems close.¡± I said to Kronos. ¡°Uh, erm, I¡­¡± He looks nervous. His finger refused to move away from his glasses. Persia saw my intentions. She then cooperated with me and gave it a push. ¡°Seems like it. I remembered Rumelia told me that they were childhood friends.¡± Persia added. ¡°Ooh. She''s A nice girl. Cherish her.¡± I said. ¡°Ah, um, n. I will.¡± Kronos nodded his head. He looks embarrassed. But anyway, it seems a couple will be born soon. ¡°What about the other four with the guns¡­?¡± Sherry asks. ¡°Haha, they sure are unlucky to be arranged to Kuroyuki`s group.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± August interrupted. ¡°Are you saying they aren''t worth a threat?¡± ¡°No? What I meant is, our opponents are actually only two persons¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha and Rumelia Heartlock. They just need to be careful of the spears and strings.¡± August was looking at me, confused. ¡°I don''t understand. Does this mean they aren`t going to participate?¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Persia then cuts in. ¡°So they will be dead right from the start¡­¡± She murmured. ¡°Nice. As expected from Persia. High five~!¡± I raised my palm, and so did Persia. ¡°Yay~.¡± PAK! We did a high five. Huh¡­? Why did I do that¡­? It came to me just so naturally¡­ ¡°Can SOMEONE explain what''s going on!?¡± Blaze shouts frustratingly. ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± August suddenly mumbled. ¡°The princess will take them out for us.¡± August said to Blaze. ¡°Correct.¡± I replied. ¡°Anyways, once you see Kuroyuki, just retreat and group up. You guys can''t handle her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Sherry replied. It seems Blaze still needs some time to digest the contents. ¡°Okay, Kronos and Persia, both of you will be the rear guard.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? You want me to pour junk on you¡­?¡± Kronos inadvertently murmured. ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Persia almost laughed. Not only Persia, August and Sherry too almost laughed. I could only feel my vein popped on my forehead. Is he provoking me on purpose¡­? It definitely worked. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Persia coughed. ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°You are an , are you not?¡± I uttered. ¡°You could just launch your weapons like how Kuroyuki shoots her spears.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Kronos made a short sigh. ¡°Then you should give me a signal. Or else you might be caught in the blast.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡®shoot her¡¯, I guess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How direct.¡± Kronos nudges his glasses with a scornful look. A part of his body language is implying that it`s lame. ¡°You don''t seem to like it.¡± I protested to Kronos. ¡°What do you think I should say? ¡®I summon the stars from the heavens to fall on you¡¯?¡± ¡°Buwahahahahahaha!!!¡± August burst from laughter. ¡°H-How dramatic¡­!!! Hahahahaha¡­!!!¡± ¡°¡­I¡­ I apologize.¡± Kronos looks away. He almost laughed, too. ¡°Your signal`s the same too, Persia.¡± I stared at Persia who''s still trying to hold back her laughter. ¡°Can I choose ¡®I summon the stars from the heavens to fall on you¡¯~?¡± ¡°Gahahahaha¡­¡­!¡± August¡¯s tone went to a higher pitch now. ¡°Ku¡­ kuku¡­¡± Sherry`s almost at her limit. Kronos can''t even remove his hand from his mouth now. Blaze still had no idea what was going on. ¡°¡­You have no choice, my dear Persia.¡± I murmured. ¡°Phew¡­¡± August catches his breath and looks at me. ¡°Ehem, what about my role?¡± This guy¡­ Instead of saying ¡®what about me¡¯, he chooses to say ¡®what about my role¡¯. The words he chooses are trying to continue with the joke. Well, one last push. ¡°You and I¡­¡± I paused. ¡°¡­We are the guardians of the junk.¡± ¡°Buwahahahahahaha¡­!!!!!¡± ¡°Kuhahahahaha¡­!!!¡± ¡°Ahahahaha¡­!!!¡± ¡°Gahahahahahaha¡­!¡± Everyone laughed, except Blaze. We laughed without a care about the world. This is my first experience to be able to laugh with someone of my age. This is stupid, but yet enjoyable. I guess spending my time like this isn`t so bad at all. ¡°Alright, time`s up!¡± The principal shouts and claps his hands, gathering our attention on him. ¡°Both teams have exactly one minute before the battle starts! You S class brats, at least land a hit on the special student, understood? I don''t want to see another serving of utter, complete defeat!¡± By ¡®special student¡¯, he''s referring to Kuroyuki all this time¡ª because he''s pointing at him. Anyways, we will be holding the match inside an artificial dimension created by science and magic. Because even if it were just practice, Kuroyuki would probably destroy this place. The artificial dimension`s time and space are connected to reality, and any people who were detected knocked out or fatally injured will be sent back to reality immediately from the dimension. After pressing ¡®DONE¡¯ on his screen, the scenery of the training room changes¡ª but it''s actually us who are moving to another place. There''s a blue sky with fluffy clouds, a large field of endless-looking grass plains¡ª they were gently blown by the breeze. Just how big is this dimension¡­? I can''t even see where Kuroyuki`steam is. This might really take a lot of time. ¡°Alright.¡± I said. ¡°Put on your earphones.¡± The principal is probably watching from above, so I looked at the sky. I know¡­ this is just a small test to measure my capability as a special student. Just you wait, you bastard. I will definitely make you speechless. Chapter 24 - 2.11 The artificial dimension is a space with a boundary limit existing at a human-made realm, where it was created by science and magic. This space does not interfere with the area in reality, but it''s time connected to it. Initially, this space was created for storage purposes, but then simulations were added to the system¡ª creating any possible scenery, now it sells as one of the best worldwide products as a realistic simulation dimension, which was created by Central Imperial Island. Though it`s a worldwide product, it''s not cheap at all. Even the smallest, most affordable of it costs nearly 10k, and the currency of Central Imperial City is the highest of all times worldwide. Compared to the first runner up, their currency difference had an overwhelming contrast of 1.31. Anyways, the simulation for this dimension is probably ¡®blue sky plains¡¯. An area with nothing but a flat surface with grass and a blue sky; An area where guns had the upper hand; An area where I had the most disadvantage. Because if I were to have a sword to a gunfight¡ª and I was¡ª in this empty area where I have nothing to shield me from the bullets, I would definitely lose. I had no supernatural powers, martial arts, nor magic to back me up, all I have is superhuman strength. With just these two regular looking swords dangling on my hands and nothing else, facing against a bullet requires something more than just a necessary amount of courage. The principal is fully well aware of my weakness. Not only he set up the team, but also the landscape of the artificial dimension as well¡ª all in contrast to my disadvantage. ¡­This is one of the reasons I hate him. After we were transferred to the artificial dimension, I`m not quite sure how much time has passed, but I think it was around thirty seconds or so, though not evident, I could see a thin layer of mist covering the sky, where it was no longer blue. My exposed skin slowly felt the cold sensation. Then as more time passes, the temperature falls drastically enough for my uniform to switch on its keep-warm function. Plus, it''s snowing. It''s just a matter of time before the ground has fully turned white. Now as I recall back Kuroyuki`s codename , I could understand why the principal (that bastard) named it as instead of . It perfectly fits the current scenery I`m witnessing. ¡°A-A-Ac-Achoo¡­!¡± A voice came behind me, to be more accurate¡ª a sneeze. I turned to find August, who was rubbing his reddened nose. ¡°N¡­!¡± Timing with the voice, a soft pair of cushion-like things¡ª like two large marshmallows, cuddled and was squeezing on my left arm. A feeling I`m overfamiliar with¡ª a girl`s ?h?st. If it wasn''t for them, perhaps I would`ve felt troubled from dealing against the only girl in the Imperial Knights Academy who had the tendency to play such a bold act on me. The girl who could be none other than Persia Silverlight. ¡°What are you doing?¡± As I said casually with a familiar tone and looks to my left¡ª ¡°K-Ku¡­ T-This is¡­ I was just¡­¡± Sherry said before falling silent, yet still clinging on my arm. ¡ªI was bombarded from surprise by Sherry Scarlet Rosenberk, the vampire. Vampires are cold-blooded, but because of the current weather and the keep warm system¡ª I couldn''t tell who it is at all just from touch. Her reddened cheeks, troubled expression and her upward gaze dealt quite a blow to me. I was so shocked that I don''t know what sort of reaction I should give in return. As I was mentally preparing for the following conversation¡ª ¡°L-Lucifer¡­!¡± I look at my right arm. It was Persia. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked casually. ¡°Receiving body heat.¡± She replied casually. ¡°You are rather warm~.¡± ¡°I`m warm? Is this a compliment or flattery? Either way, I`m not particularly fond of it. The way your tone gives, made me feel like a radiator.¡± ¡°Of course you are~,¡± Persia chirped and leaned her head on my shoulder. ¡°You are the perfect radiator that melts my heart~.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± I inadvertently opened my jaw wide from the surprise. God, I don''t want to let Restia hear this. She''s the only special one to pull off such a line, right? Kronos is wiping his foggy glasses with his blazer. Blaze is standing at his spot, glaring at me with his teeth gritted for some reason. He doesn''t seem to be affected by the cold at all, maybe it''s because he`s a fire elemental user? August is making some swings to warm up. His swings are too swift¡ª it''s almost like there''s no air resistance at all. Sherry had been avoiding my eye contact with a shy look, and she`s hugging my arm even tighter than Persia. ¡ªhold on, am I the only special one? ¡°Hey~ Stop looking around~ How does it feel~?¡± Persia suddenly whispered. ¡°Fu~.¡± Damn. Why are you blowing my ear? You were just as skilful as my perverted cute little sis! I gave Persia a glare¡ª a fierce one, which she was stunned and surprised for a moment. Then I act as if nothing happened. ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± Unfortunately, I`m immune to s?xu?? harassment. ¡­Thanks to those two. Since I`m not giving any reaction, Persia then rubs her face wildly on my shoulder¡ª again, like my perverted little sister. If there''s a reason for this perverted behaviour, then there are two. The first is to intake my scent, and the second is to mark her smell on my clothes¡ª or so what Ruby told me. Though it''s a bit annoying, nevertheless it''s a reward at any rate. In the end, I decided to let Persia be. ¡°Ehem, I know you had your fun and all, now what?¡± Kronos suddenly muttered through the earphone. ¡°What do you mean I had my fun?¡± I retorted. ¡°You wanna switch?¡± I turn to face him. As I turn, the girls in both left and right¡ª move in sync with my movement, facing him. While hearing the lines I spouted, they hugged tighter on both of my arms. ¡°¡­No thanks.¡± Kronos backed off as he nudges his glasses, avoiding eye contact¡ª this is to imply that he`s refusing. ¡°Of course he won''t~.¡± Through the earphone, Persia said with her voice raised, it''s as if to let Kronos hear her. ¡°Why? Is Rumelia going to hang him to death if he did?¡± I asked as I stared at Persia. ¡°Exactly~!¡± She replied. Whoa, that grin is really evil. ¡°¡­Mrk.¡± Kronos shows signs of panic. ¡°Kronos, do you have any idea how many guys out there still don`t have a girlfriend?¡± August suddenly said. ¡°I''m one of them.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± Kronos muttered. ¡°She''s just a childhood friend.¡± As he said those words, though it''s not quite not evident, Kronos looks a little sad, or remorseful¡­? It''s like he did something wrong¡ª something like a regrettable decision. Nevertheless, I''m quite sure no matter how it goes, I`m sure everything will be fine at the very bitter end. ¡°¡­For now.¡± I then added against Kronos`s remark. ¡°You had no idea how singles felt like.¡± Given my current situation, it seems the last sentence that slipped out from my mouth completely contradicts it. However, I''m single¡ª and that''s a fact. ¡°You know, it''s better if you don''t say anything.¡± Kronos nudged his glasses. ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight? Anyone in the Imperial Knights Academy is allowed to say that except you.¡± August ?r??n?d. ¡°No, hold on. Why can''t I? Kuroyuki, Persia, or Sherry¡ª they are just classmates and acquaintances?¡± Ow. Persia pinched me. ¡°You know what? I don`t care anymore if we lose.¡± He then muttered. WHAM! Without any hesitation¡ª August swiftly swung his sword for my neck and was stopped by Sherry. She pinched her fingers right on the tip of August`s blade, where it almost touched the skin of my neck. ¡°Nrk¡­!?¡± Persia lifelessly rested on my shoulder as the blade just went past over her head. ¡°H-Hey¡­!?¡± I inadvertently yelled. ¡°You serious¡­!?¡± Even though I won''t die in this dimension, the pain will still remain even after I was sent out. There''s always a chance to die from the intense pain, or if not a trauma would remain. If August really did cut off my head at that moment¡ª I might have this weird sensation that my head was removed as I woke up. But that probably would never happen to me. I survived even the worst pain. ¡°Careful with the blade¡­! You are scaring Persia!¡± Sherry scolded. Sherry hurriedly pushes the sword away from Persia`s head and my neck at the same time with her superhuman strength. ¡°You had no idea what it''s like to be rejected¡­!¡± August then shouted, escaping his blade from Sherry`s fingers and pointed at me, with his hand trembling. Plus, his voice looked like he''s in pain. I then look at Persia with a doubting look. My expressions are trying to say ¡®Was he rejected by lots of girls?¡¯ Since this is Persia, I think she could read it. ¡°¡­No?¡± Persia whispered. ¡°He didn''t confess at all?¡± Then why is he getting so agitated? He''s not even trying. ¡°So melodramatic¡­¡± Kronos muttered. ¡°Rejected by your own little sister is normal.¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop saying it!¡± August switched his target to Kronos. ¡°Eh?¡± Persia was visibly surprised. ¡­There are some things that a guy would never tell a girl. It''s normal if Persia doesn''t know everything. ¡°So¡­¡­¡± I interrupted. ¡°You are a sis-con?¡± ¡°No! No I`m not! I just want to be a better big brother!¡± He screamed. ¡°I have had enough of this nonsense.¡± Blaze suddenly uttered. ¡°I''m going.¡± Releasing some of the transformation magic on him, he releases and spreads a large pair of wings from his back. The wingspan¡ª I guess, is about 8m long. Though having dragon-shaped wings, yet his wings were covered by burning-looking feathers instead of scales and skins. It''s¡­ stunningly beautiful. With one gentle flick of his wings, like an explosion¡ª they were covered in hot, orange flames, which the heat evaporated the snow in an instant. However, I''m surprised that his clothes still remain. From the look of it, I think the principal made it to be heat resistant. Then... with a single flap¡ª Blaze shot up to the sky and disappeared above the clouds. I then realize what I should do. ¡°¡­Ehem. Sherry.¡± ¡°Ah, uh¡­¡± As I reminded her, Sherry then realized what she needs to do. She let go of my arm unwillingly, then jumped to the air with her superhuman strength and spread her wings¡ª disappearing above the clouds in another direction. So convenient. Suddenly¡­ I wish I could fly. Putting those feelings aside, I activated my screen for the dimension map. There`s nothing special about it. It''s just a normal map that displays my location as well as my ally`s location. As our team explores the dimension map, the map`s landscape will be updated. I represent the blue arrow. My allies are the green arrow. The enemies will be the red dot. I could see what my allies saw from the screen, and I could put a mark on the map if there is something suspicious. ¡­This is just like Defence of the Ancients. ¡°Okay¡­ let''s go.¡± I said. We are currently located at the bottom left corner on the map. Blaze scans the bottom right part of the map and Sherry`s scans the top left part of the dimension map. As for the middle part, it will be covered by four of us. Currently, there are no issues with it. 37% of the map was covered. However, there still shows no sign of Kuroyuki`s group at all. ¡°There''s A thing I''d like to ask, leader.¡± August suddenly murmured. ¡°Eww, stop. Why are you suddenly calling me leader?¡± I quickly replied. ¡°Just call me Luc if you want.¡± Huh? Why did I suddenly say that¡­? Even August was stunned by my sudden friendliness. ¡°Me too! I want to call you Luc!¡± Persia pouted. ¡°Hmm¡­ ugh, whatever, I guess.¡± ¡°Yeah~!¡± Persia shouts happily. ¡°¡­Okay then, Luc.¡± August murmured. ¡°Blaze`s flames are quite dazzling, don`t you think Kuroyuki`s group could easily find out where he is¡­?¡± August`s question impressed me. I can''t believe he''s actually shaper than I thought. ¡°So¡­ what do you think I''m planning?¡± I asked. ¡°Hmph. So you actually know that his wings would burn bright.¡± Persia muttered. ¡°Even if I don`t know, it won''t be a problem either my dear Persia.¡± ¡°You are using him as bait¡­?¡± Kronos is too shocked that he could b?r?ly even speak afterwards. ¡°I don''t think so, Kronos.¡± August then looks at me. ¡°You are luring them to us, aren''t you?¡± He said calmly. ¡°Correct.¡± I replied. ¡°Yes, that means he`s bait.¡± Kronos remarked. I was nearly speechless for a second. ¡°¡­No, it''s not.¡± I retorted. ¡°What''s the difference? It''s just like fishing.¡± ¡°That''s different. This is like giving candy to a kid.¡± ¡°He''s the candy, then? That''s even worse than bait¡ª¡± ¡°Enough with the talk.¡± Blaze suddenly interrupted from the earphone. ¡°I just saw Kuroyuki Shiroha and Rumelia Heartlock.¡± From the map, two red dots¡ª labelling Kuroyuki and Rumelia, are approaching towards our direction. There`s still around 5km before we meet. ¡°Come back, Blaze. Fly as far as you can before Kuroyuki attacks¡ª¡± ¡°GARGH¡­!¡± Blaze screams. Through the earphone, I heard a massive rustling sound that was created by wind. It seems he just increased his speed for a moment. ¡°Blaze? Were you attacked?!¡± Persia yelled. ¡°Tch¡­! Kuroyuki shot a spear at me¡­!¡± He replied immediately. It seems he just evade an attack. ¡°Hey¡­ Luc, is that¡ª?¡± Persia tapped my shoulders. An ice spear, perhaps at least 20 times the size larger than the normal ones¡ª I could see it clearly flying upwards towards the sky, piercing a hole through the clouds¡ª like a rocket that was shooting to the sky. When it was about to fall, the trajectory of the spear suddenly changed its direction towards us. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!? It''s coming here!?¡± August looks terrified. ¡°Is she trying to kill us!?¡± Witnessing such a scene, it wouldn''t be strange for August to panic. ¡°Relax. It won''t hit us. Her prediction on our distance is a little bit off.¡± I muttered. Our start time to walk was three minutes late. ¡°He''s right. The impact point will be 274 metres in front of us. Impact area predicted¡ª 60m2¡­ or more.¡± Kronos conceded. His high-tech glasses seemed to be good enough to calculate the trajectory. ¡°You are too calm¡ª this is Kuroyuki we are talking about.¡± Persia reminded me. ¡°Do you really think it will be that easy?¡± ¡°And this is me we are talking about.¡± I said. ¡°Do you really think I can`t handle it?¡± THWOOM! As the spear strikes the ground, the massive impact that shook the ground and roaring voice took me aback. Then afterwards, the shockwave between the land and the spear came rampaging to us. Without knowing, I inadvertently stood myself in front of Persia, shielding her from the mighty blow. It''s just like I''ve heard Kuroyuki`s finger-snapping for a moment¡ª the ice spear suddenly cracks and crumbles to snow, flooding towards us like a tsunami. Chapter 25 - 2.12 Ah¡­ damn. This¡­ is really humongous. ¡°EEK¡­!!? IT`S THE SNOW TSUNAMI!!!¡± Persia inadvertently shouts and quickly hides behind my back. ¡°That`s 50 meters high.¡± Kronos muttered. ¡°We are all going to die.¡± Kronos was surprisingly negative. ¡°We aren''t.¡± I quickly retorted. To be honest, this is the first time I`m facing such a thing¡ª and I`m not confident that I`m able to protect them. There''s still some time before it hits us. I hope these swords could handle my power¡­ A 200m distance run would take about seven seconds¡­ I hope the snow doesn''t slow me down. After taking a deep breath, I quickly ran forward to the snow tsunami with the ¡®Silent Step¡¯ footwork. ¡°Eh? Why are you charging straight in?¡± Persia asked hurriedly. ¡°No time to explain¡ª just stay right there and don''t move an inch!¡± I ordered. ¡­With every step I take, the view in front is getting darker. The tsunami that is inching forward to me seals away the light on the front and above. The darkening surrounding gave me tension. Damn¡­ I never knew a tsunami that was this close could be this scary. If I`m not careful¡ª one slightest mistake could get me buried alive. I can''t afford to let this happen. Here it comes...! ¡°Hah¡­!¡± First swing¡ª a diagonal swing downwards to the left with the sword on my right. The resistance of the snow tsunami is more rigid than I thought, but I managed to cut a line out from the snow tsunami. The blade survived without a crack¡­! Unbelievable¡ª this is junk!? I took a quick step back, opening some distance for the second strike. Second swing¡ª a backhanded horizontal swing to the right with the sword on my right hand once again. Good. The sword made it. I took a quick step back once again. This sword survived too. I doubt Kronos is really giving me junk. With the triangle-shaped mark on the tsunami that was disrupted by an external force, that place will be the weak point. ¡®Silent Blade¡¯ would just puncture a small hole through it¡­ It''s not enough, I need a more giant hole. As I took a step back, I threw the sword on my right to the tsunami, stabbing it at the centre of the deformed mark. Then, I take a left stance with my left foot forward¡ª ¡°Silent Punch.¡± BAM!!! ¡ªusing the momentum from the twist of my waist, I land a right straight punch on the hilt of the sword. With the triangle mark as the centre, the snow sunk inwards with two large, visible cracks spreading to both left and right of the tsunami¡ª a hole was then plunged out from the centre, creating a tunnel fit for several people standing to pass through. Of course¡­ the tsunami did not stop or slow down even after I punched a hole on it¡ª and what''s more, the tunnel is starting to collapse. ¡°Lucifer.¡± Kronos suddenly murmured. ¡°Estimated 19 seconds for the tunnel to collapse completely.¡± Crap. I need to be fast. ¡°I`m coming to get you guys, hold on¡­!¡± I said through the earphone. ¡°Get? What do you mean by get!?¡± Persia doubted. ¡°Hey, no, don''t think about it¡­! There''s no way I`m going in through that dangerous looking hole¡­!¡± I saw August turning his back¡ª trying to run away from me. ¡°You are first, August!¡± Sprinting past Kronos and Persia¡ª I caught August on his Blazer with my right hand. ¡°Uh, Eh? No, Luc¡ª please, wait, no¡ª AHHHHHHHHH¡­¡­!!!!!????¡± After witnessing such a scene, Kronos and Persia stood in their place, in a daze. ¡°¡­That was barbaric¡ª GYAAAAAAHHHHHH¡­¡­!!!?¡± Using the same technique, I grabbed Kronos on his blazer and threw him straight through the tunnel. Then I stared at Persia. ¡°Hold my sword.¡± I said. ¡°P-Please be gentle¡­¡± Persia murmured with her face whitened. As I walk close to Persia and handle her my sword, she makes a cute screech, ¡®Eek!?¡¯, or so she shrieks with her eyes closed as she curls herself with her hands. ¡°Relax¡­ there''s no way I would throw you.¡± I told her. I carried her on her legs and back with my arms. Persia, with her cheeks reddens¡ª looks at me with upward gaze and mutters. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She successfully stuns me to silent with a poker face. I wondered why she said that. ¡°¡ªGUH, AH, OW!?¡± From the earphone, it seems like August just made a rough landing. ¡°¡ªGAH, BUH, OOF!?¡± Kronos too made a rough landing. But here''s my answer. ¡°Unfortunately, no.¡± I said with a gentle smile. With Persia on my hands, I carried her and charged towards the tsunami. Crap, the hole was almost sealed. I could only force my way in and out. The closer we got closer to the collapsing tunnel, the more Persia clings to me with fear. ¡°Hang on¡­!¡± I added a boost with my right leg, attempting a long jump all the way to the tunnel. During the flight of trajectory, I quickly turned Persia to face me and pressed her head on my ?h?st as I cradled her with my hands. ¡°EEEEEEKKKKK¡­¡­!!!!?¡± Even with her mouth sticking to my ?h?st, Persia stills trying to scream as hard as she could. I then extended my legs. With my legs acting as a spear, I punctured the hole once again and got inside the tunnel. Then my back acts like a sledge¡ª sliding across the tunnel and finally getting out at the end. ¡°Hup.¡± I landed safely with both of my feet sliding on the snow. ¡°My¡­ my hero~!¡± As if those words were a punchline, Persia hugged me as if it''s the most natural thing to do. ¡°Stop joking. Can`t you at least do me a favour to fight properly?¡± I retorted Persia as I put her down. ¡­And here I was doing all the work. ¡°G-Guys¡­? What just happened¡­?¡± Sherry suddenly interrupted. ¡°There''s a lot of noises¡­?¡± I was surprised that Sherry didn''t hear anything just now. ¡°Nothing much Sherry~ We just encountered a snow tsunami.¡± Persia replied. ¡°Yeah, a big one.¡± I added. I took back the sword from Persia. ¡°Are you guys alright now?¡± She asks worriedly. ¡°¡­Kuh¡ª Ow¡­?! Of course¡­ we aren''t¡­!¡± August struggled to crawl himself up from the snow, as he stabbed his sword on the ground¡ª pushing himself up. ¡°Guh¡­ it was, definitely, bad luck¡­ to be picked to this team.¡± Kronos who was laying on the ground, mumbled as if it was the last of his strength left. ¡°We are fine.¡± I replied and gently kicked Kronos on his leg. ¡°Just continue to fly your way there, Sherry.¡± ¡°¡­N.¡± With that, I opened the map to see where she is. With the pointer moving faster, it''s clear that she¡¯s increasing her speed to the right end corner of the dimension map. Persia who was right next to me, staring at the map¡ª jerked my sleeve with her fingers. ¡°¡­Say, if by chance¡ª Kuroyuki let them live, do you think they will be aiming for a pincer attack?¡± As I was just going to reply to my answer vaguely or just to laugh it off¡ª Persia`s serious expression caught my attention. She''s the type to be serious when she needs to, the type to have fun when she needs to. ¡°Hah. I know what you are worrying about, Persia.¡± I said with a gentle smile. Hearing that, Persia paused for a moment. I was wondering if she was surprised by it. But then she lets out a smirk. ¡°Really now? Then what am I worrying about~?¡± ¡°Hmph. I`m not so weak to be needing your protection, my dear Persia.¡± ¡°Eh~ You rejected the protection from the eldest daughter of the Silverlight family. To any of the worldwide nations, that''s a big loss, you know~?¡± I gently knocked Persia`s head with my knuckle. ¡°Owie~?!¡± As she cradles her head with her hands, Persia stares at me with a pair of poor-looking, teary eyes¡ª like a puppy. ¡­Stop acting pitiful. ¡°Worldwide nation? You are merely just a sixteen-year-old, like me. Now why would you care about that?¡± ¡°Because it''s all for your sake¡­¡± As she murmured, Persia looked away and pouted with a displeased look. I was dumbfounded. ¡­My sake? I don`t understand what she meant by that. The way Persia interprets made me feel like she already knew me for a long time, and she''d been behaving as such ever since we met. Somehow, there''s a feeling deep inside me that somehow agrees with it¡ª yet, I don`t have a single memory about her existence. I reached out my hand and gently moved Persia`s cheek to make her face me. I gave her a solemn look. ¡°¡­You think too highly of yourself, Persia Silverlight.¡± I said her full name on purpose¡ª it was to make clear of our relationship. ¡­It may be harsh, but I''ve already held back my words. If my words were to be a little more excessive or harsher, then I would`ve clicked my tongue and told Persia ¡®Who do you think you are?¡¯. We are familiar with each other, but not so much. There`s still a line¡ª a wall between us that we had yet to shave it off. And¡­ I`m not in any right to accept any kindness. ¡°If you could be a little more selfish and do things for your own sake, I would be happier.¡± I added. I`m sure Persia could understand that. Just when I thought the atmosphere would turn edgy, where she would''ve kept quiet and looked away¡ª but instead of that, Persia made a bitter smile as she stared at me with a vehement look. ¡°¡­I could say the same for you as well.¡± She murmured. Then she hugs my arm as if it was the most natural thing to do. ¡°Hello¡­? G-Guys¡ª I found them¡­! They were frozen¡­!¡± Sherry suddenly informs. I quickly opened the map. With Sherry as the spectator, four red dots appeared. If those dots were still here, this means they were still conscious inside Kuroyuki`s ice block. ¡°I don''t think they can take the cold any much longer. Just leave them be.¡± I replied. ¡°T-Then, I will head back immediately¡­!¡± ¡°¡­By the time you reach us, we would most probably already be engaging in combat against what''s left of Kuroyuki`s team. So I need you to stay on air, do not engage in combat and avoid their sights.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sherry complained. ¡°I want to help!¡± ¡°This guy wants a sneak attack, Sherry.¡± August said. ¡°A dirty battle strategy but extremely reliable at all times.¡± ¡°Indeed. An undeniable fact.¡± Kronos conceded. ¡­They seem to have a grudge on me now. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Sherry replied, her voice seems to be a little despondent. From the map, Sherry`s arrow is facing back to us now, Blaze already flew back to us, and is currently in the sky. As well as¡­ the two new red dots right in front of us. Just when I close the map and raise my head¡ª ¡°O-Oi!!! Look out!!!¡± CLANG CLANG CLANG THUNK! ¡ªI saw Persia standing in front of me, with her skirt flipped up. Though there are quite some other few things that caught my attention, the first thing to capture my attention, was the content underneath Persia`s skirt that was put into plain sight¡ª the kind of elegant und?r??rm?nts that refused to release one`s gaze once a pair of eyes were attracted to them. Aside from the pantyhose, I ?ssumed they were a tidy and pure white, with strings. Those types that my little sis likes to wear. ¡ªgasp. Once remembering Restia, I came back to my senses. Persia`s p?nt??s¡ª no, I saw Persia, which was clinging to my left arm just a second ago, is now in front of me. The golden card, to be precise, the Queen of Golden Hearts which she held on her right hand¡ª she did three instantaneous strikes on the sword that was flying towards me. I could tell that she strikes three times because of the bright golden light that was left behind from each swing. There are three strings of light, three of it intersected at the same point¡ª so I''m sure she cut it three times with that card. Is she trying to stop that sword¡­? When I realized, the sword that Persia is trying to stop¡ª is the sword that Kronos lent me. The sword that I blasted it far away with a punch. Someone threw it back. ¡­Kuroyuki Shiroha. She''s the only one who could pull off such a fantastic feat. She really deserves applause. Her aim was so precise that it would definitely stab me on my ?h?st if I didn''t move at all. How did she pull it off¡ª I see, so there''s the icing on the sword. She coated the sword with her ice and threw it back while controlling its trajectory. This means it''s like a homing missile. Judging from Persia`s mid-air posture, she would definitely move a little more to the right afterwards¡ª with her in the way of the sword`s trajectory, it would definitely pierce her. The Persia Silverlight that both me and Nightwalker have known wouldn''t make such a big mistake. We both know she''s good enough to make such a judgement. This means Persia voluntarily wants to shield me with her body. What about August, who`s right next to the sword¡­? He''s the one who warned me¡ª and a little more, the sword he''s swinging down with both of his hands is going to hit it. His outstanding judgement and quick decision surprised me. But the only thing is¡ª is he trying to protect me, or Persia¡­? Just when I was wondering where Kronos, the corner of my right eye caught a glance at him. He was nudging his glasses with his right hand. He had a frown look. The forefinger of his left hand pointed downwards¡ª with that look and his posture, it seems like he was pointing his finger to the ground by an act of surprise. This means he''s trying to push the sword down with his powers¡­? I wanted to see how things would go, but¡ª I can''t let Persia out of the game just yet. When the sword stabs her, she would be sent out from my team. I can''t let that happen. WHAM!!! In an instant, I step forward to get close to Persia so that I could stop her from moving into the sword''s trajectory with the back of my palm. Then I take the sword backhanded, stabbing it downwards onto the incoming blade¡ª as well as destroying Kuroyuki`s coated ice. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The snow scattered, a hole was formed. When I made sure that the sword wouldn''t move anymore, I quickly raised my head and scanned the area at the front, and noticed Kuroyuki. At the same time, she noticed me, too and gave me a smile. Yup, it''s her. Fortunately, it doesn''t seem like she had any intention to attack for now. Very well. There''s still some time before we''d actually fight. So I turned to face August. He was pushed back by my sword blow. August is looking at me with a shocked expression, it was like he didn''t expect any of that to happen. I thought you tasted this once from Nightwalker? Well, whatever. ¡°You alright?¡± I then asked. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± As he replied, I noticed that the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. It was like, he''s smiling¡­? ¡­It feels a little creepy. ¡°N¡­¡­ My side¡­ hurts.¡± As Persia`s weak voice came from my left, I turned to face her with my brows frowned. When Persia gently placed her hand on the side of her waist¡ª the place where I stopped her, she made a pained look and was breathing heavily. It looks painful, and perhaps it would be my fault, but despite this¡ª I`m not in any mood to feel any sympathy for Persia. ¡°Or do you prefer your sides to be pierced through, hmm?¡± I told her angrily. Persia`s expression turned anxious. She seems to understand what I meant. Her head then hung low with a depressed look, with her hand grabbing my sleeve. ¡°I¡­ just want to protect you¡­¡± She murmured. At that moment, I`m sure Persia could protect me while leaving herself unscathed. This is why her reply did not let me feel persuaded. In fact, I think she''s trying to tell me something that she doesn''t want others to know. She''s hiding something. But even if I ask ¡®Why?¡¯, I don''t think she would let me know the actual answer. Perhaps Persia couldn`t sustain from my silence¡ª she then reached for my hands and grabbed them, then she immediately raised her head and stared at me with an upward gaze. ¡°Lucifer¡­ Please believe me.¡± She said. There''s only one sentence¡ª and nothing else. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Persia had tears on her eyes. It''s like she''s asking for help. ¡°¡­Why me?¡± I lowered my voice. It''s not to let anyone else hear me. ¡°Because¡­ you are the only one I can count on¡­¡± Persia murmured. ¡°Luc.¡± August suddenly called. ¡°The princess is here.¡± Not giving a second thought, I gave Persia a nod as an agreement and faced the front. Persia seemed to have gotten my message¡ª she squeezed my hands with hers for a quick second, then gently released them and retreated back to my rear. I saw Kuroyuki standing afar with purple hair¡ª I mean, Rumelia Heartlock, Kronos`s girlfriend. ¡°Achoo¡­!¡± Kronos suddenly sneezes. There`s an incoming video call¡ª from Kuroyuki. Calling your enemy¡­? Is she crazy or too confident¡­? Kuroyuki made a gesture with her hand, telling me to accept it¡­ or else. I gladly accepted. Chapter 26 - 2.13 ¡°¡­Hello.¡± Kuroyuki said with a cold smile as she waved her right hand. Her gesture seems a bit too¡­ non-threatening. I was expecting a sneak attack. ¡°Kronos, be prepared.¡± Rumelia suddenly pops up from the side of the screen. She waves her hand like Kuroyuki, but expressionless¡ª as usual, like a doll. ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± I saw Kronos flinched for a moment with his hand nudging his glasses. I ?ssume that is a warning to Kronos. He then walks in front of the screen. ¡°Uh¡­ Don`t ask for the impossible, please.¡± He nudges his glasses. Seeming there`s nothing else to say, I pushed Kronos away and stole back the spotlight. ¡°¡­Aren''t we supposed to be enemies¡­? This video call is too inappropriate.¡± I said to Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Not yet.¡± Kuroyuki replied. ¡°¡­Not until you tell me why you lured me here.¡± ¡°Because you aren''t my target.¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­Sherry Scarlet Rosenberk is missing. This means you already knew how they died.¡± Kuroyuki said. ¡°Sigh¡­ Sometimes I really hope you could be a little dumb.¡± ¡°¡­I`m not all that smart, but I can''t afford to be careless against you.¡± Kuroyuki lets out an evil smile. ¡°¡­I''m not even sure why you are helping us.¡± My teammates¡¯ morale was easily swayed from Kuroyuki`s words. ¡°Come on, that''s obviously not it.¡± I told him. ¡°¡­Anyone smarter should have misguided me and lure me into a trap.¡± Kuroyuki added. ¡°Those would only work to dumb peoples.¡± I retorted. ¡°Would you even fall for that kind of simple trick?¡± ¡°¡­You are right.¡± Kuroyuki then placed her finger under her chin, seeming to be in deep thoughts. ¡°¡­I won`t.¡± ¡°I''m sure you already knew what I was going to do. Because you knew, you decided to come instead of splitting teams.¡± ¡°¡­Very well. Try it, then.¡± Kuroyuki boldly declared. ¡°¡­I won''t let you have Rumelia.¡± With that, Kuroyuki ended the video call. ¡°...What did the two of you just talk¡­?¡± Persia asks. ¡°I had no idea what was going on¡­?¡± ¡°What does the princess mean by ¡®I won''t let you have Rumelia¡¯???¡± August added. ¡°Why Rumelia?¡± Kronos glared at me. ¡°¡­Sorry, there are things I haven''t told you yet. Save the talk for later.¡± I told them. ¡°Now shoot her, and don`t stop.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Kronos replied. With his left hand nudging his glasses, Kronos extended his right hand and grabbed on something¡ª like a rusty gear on an old clock, although it''s nothing but thin air. As he rotates his hand in a clockwise direction¡ª ten magic circles appear on thin air spontaneously. The ¡®junk¡¯ weapon that I was familiar with peeks out from the magic circle and stops halfway when his hand stops exactly after a 180 degrees turn. Kronos raises his left hand and points his hand towards Kuroyuki`s direction. The moment he did¡ª the weapons from his magic storage then rampages forward and bombards the area in front. Among the bombarding, Persia took four golden cards on her right hand and stood in a stance where she''s ready to throw it at any moment¡ª but I think she''s trying to find the perfect route for her cards to slip through. Seeming to find the perfect route, Persia threw them. Everything was within my predictions. I bet Kuroyuki can''t hear anything. Very well¡­ if Blaze fails, then he will be the first decoy for my sneak attack. ¡­But I don''t really feel like talking to him. First, cut off everyone`s connection. I don''t want anyone to hear what I`m going to say. ¡°Oi, Crimson Veludora Blaze.¡± ¡°Tch¡­! Don''t call my name!¡± ¡°Cheh. Does that matter? Once I defeat Kuroyuki before you, I will be watching you kneeling down before me.¡± ¡°I WON''T LET YOU!!! GARGHH!!!¡± Although dragons would obey anyone who defeated them, that doesn''t mean they would stop challenging them. They would challenge them once they got stronger. To dragons, defeating those who beat them hurts their pride even more. Blaze`s pride could never allow Kuroyuki to be defeated, he needs to defeat Kuroyuki before I could¡ª before he witnesses such a scene with his own two eyes (even though I know it''s impossible for now). ¡­I think either one of those things could quickly vaporise me for twenty times over. When I managed to catch a glimpse of Kuroyuki from afar through the transparent ice wall, I saw her taking a spear on her hand and spun it to gain more momentum. She''s not even looking the slightest bit afraid, she faced the fireballs with a calm look as if it was breathing air. As she threw her spear, the recoil from her shot scattered the snow below her feet outwards. I could imagine how powerful it is from that throw. Like a needle bursting a balloon, Blaze`s fireball was extinguished in an instant as her spear went through it. For the other two, she did the same as well. When it was Blaze`s turn, Blaze skilfully dodged Kuroyuki`s spear by spiralling downwards around it without making any gurgling sounds nor m??ns. I thought so. Blaze did dodge the large spear with nearly the same speed. So such a small one wouldn''t have mattered. ¡°BURN!¡± Blaze yelled. However, without being particularly surprised or anything, Kuroyuki calmly extended her hand towards Blaze with her special three-finger gesture. ¡°¡­Freeze.¡±, or so I lip-sync from Kuroyuki. Well, that''s probably the only thing she would say. Though not particularly visible, I saw a gust of cold air hurling towards Blaze. ¡°Gargh¡­!¡± Blaze`s scream is well heard from the earphone. His flames were completely extinguished. Before he could escape, Kuroyuki clenched her fist while her hand was still pointing at Blaze. All of a sudden, cold air hurls on Blaze. Taking not more than a second¡ª he was frozen inside an ice block. Blaze failed miserably. Now it''s my turn to shine. Earlier when I gave Persia and Kronos the order, I`ve been hiding my presence and secretly sneaking behind Kuroyuki`s wall from the right side. Kuroyuki or Rumelia, I don''t think either of them knows I''m here. At any rate, Kuroyuki is too much of a monster¡ª she could probably react before I could actually land a hit on her. I`m sorry, Rumelia Heartlock. Die¡ª Before I was going to swing my sword, Rumelia suddenly turned to face me. ¡°Whoa!?¡± I inadvertently scream. Because Rumelia behaves like a doll that was free from any expression¡ª she doesn''t look surprised or terrified, nor does she look confident from catching me. She was just¡ª expressionless. What surprises me the most is that I couldn''t tell what she''s thinking. ¡°Welcome. I''ve been waiting.¡± Rumelia said to me. When I realized, she pointed her right forefinger at me. Then she simply swipes her finger from up to down for two times¡ª it''s as if she''s trying to connect me to something. Something¡­? Crap. ¡°Too late.¡± Rumelia told me. In an instant, a thread of string suddenly zips down from above, typing and wrapping my upper left arm. I tried to cut it with the sword, but it was stopped by more of Rumelia''s strings. Eventually, both of my arms were tied up¡ª the way Rumelia wraps it is like the time I had a bone fracture and needs to be plaster cast. I can''t move my wrist either to cut her strings. Then she hoists me up with her strings pulling on my shoulder. I felt like a puppet. Damn it, I failed. No matter how much I struggled, I can''t seem to break her strings at all. It seems Rumelia reinforced it by coating her mana. ¡°Hey, Rumelia¡ª are these 0.30mm monofilament strings?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Rumelia splendidly ignores me and daring enough to turn to the front. Yeah, right. Of course, she would. I just wanted to reactivate my earphone using my voice recognition, since my hands were tied up. All it needs is just a ¡®Hey¡¯. ¡°Ehem. Persia, some help please?¡± I whispered. ¡°It''s on the way¡­!¡± After she said so, I saw one of Persia`s golden cards fluttering towards me. That was quick. Rumelia and Kuroyuki don''t seem to notice it. Without any resistance or whatsoever, Persia`s golden card easily cuts through Rumelia`s string that was connected to my right shoulder. Once the string on my right shoulder is off, the rest quickly came off once I contracted my biceps muscles. I cut off her strings on my right shoulder with the sword and landed silently on the snow without Rumelia noticing. ¡­Come to think of it, I wonder what Rumelia is doing. Both of her hands were raised with her fists clenched¡­ it''s like she''s pulling something with both of her hands. She was just standing there¡ª full of openings. ¡­That can''t be. No, it doesn''t matter. If that''s all Rumelia''s capable of, then she`s just as good as dead. I approach Rumelia Heartlock without making a sound, swinging the sword backhandedly towards her neck. ¡°¡­Not so fast.¡± CLANK! With a right kick from below using the heel of her foot, Kuroyuki kicks my blade away from Rumelia. She then turns her left foot to face me, slashing her sword down from above. Reluctantly, I take a side step to the left with an anti-clockwise spin, evading her blade. Using the momentum, I quickly extend both of my swords in that spin, aiming Rumelia. CLACK¡ª T-THUNK! Kuroyuki stabs her spear down to the ground as she holds her hand at the tail of her spear, absorbing the impact effortlessly. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± Too well, in fact. ¡­The swords broke to several pieces. It finally reached the limit. ¡°¡­Where are you looking¡­?¡± ¡°W-Whoa!?¡± Kuroyuki thrusts her spear three times aiming at my ?h?st¡ª though the snow is slippery, I managed to avoid it by taking a step backwards and deflecting the other two strikes with the rest of the swords. Why did Kuroyuki stop me¡­? She knew I wouldn''t be careless to look away¡­ this means she''s telling me to ¡®look¡¯ at something, but¡ª where, and what¡­? It will be suspicious if I look around, I need her to tell me. Everything I`ve said would make my teammates suspicious of me, so I need to choose my words carefully. ¡°Your spear is even tougher than last time.¡± I told her. ¡°¡­That''s right.¡± Kuroyuki caught on to my hint. She slams her spear to the snow with the head pointing upwards. Up¡­? The moment I lookup¡ª ¡°Wha¡ª¡± THUD! ¡ªa clump of metal from above smashed down into the snow. A marionette¡­? It fell between Kuroyuki and me. There are thin wires connected to the back of the neck, shoulders, and wrists. With just five strings? Probably not. That thing might be more complicated than I thought. Moving my field of vision away from the metal clumps, I scanned the area above us. At least fifty¡ª no, maybe a hundred magic circles could be seen. Those are¡­ dimensional storage circles. Those aren''t Kronos`s¡­ it`s Rumelia`s¡ª BAM! I managed to block a right-hook punch from that lump of metal with my left elbow, but it''s more or less capable enough to push me backwards because of the slippery snow. Now it stood up, I''m quite surprised that it''s actually twice my size. ¡°Phew¡­ Hmm?¡± The metal marionette in front of me extended his right hand towards it''s right. On its right palm, it seems there''s a thread of wire attached to it, seems like it''s connected to¡­ ¡°I''m sorry¡­ Lucifer.¡± Kronos suddenly apologizes. ¡°It seems I had made a grave mistake.¡± ¡­¡¯Grave¡¯ mistake? The ice wall disappeared. One-by-one, Kronos''s ''junks'' that loiters on the snow are pulled by a mysterious force, as it flies and lands on the hands of the metal marionettes. Why isn''t Kronos putting everything back to his storage¡­? Is this what he meant by ¡®grave¡¯ mistake? ¡°You can''t put it back?¡± I asked. ¡°Rumelia`s mana is interfering with it.¡± If I take her down, then everything will be over. The only obstacle is¡­ ¡°¡­How many marionettes does she have?¡± ¡°¡­96.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± I replied. ¡°I`m asking how many marionettes does she have in her storage.¡± ¡°¡­That''s all she has.¡± After hearing Kronos`s reply, the marionette came swinging with a broad-axe from the right¡ª which I dodged by hairbreadth by bending my waist. Actually, I could tell it isn''t that powerful. Perhaps fighting against Restia, Ruby, Felix, Asha, Forsj¨¢, and Kuroyuki had heightened my level till a certain degree. I reach out for the left wrist of the metal marionette, stopping its movement to swing back. It struggled to swing back. With one hit on the left arm, the marionette`s arm snaps out from the shoulder¡ª and another kick from below on the right arm, it snaps on the elbow. ¡­The limbs came off more straightforward than I thought. Taking the broad-axe from its hand as I plucked off the wire from it¡ª I gave a swing, splitting it to half on the centre. Seeming no sign of movement anymore, I hurriedly ran to Rumelia`s direction while being aware of Kuroyuki`s attack. Rumelia is still standing like a lifeless doll, while Kuroyuki¡ª is exchanging sword blows with August. Rumelia suddenly notices me, six of the 96 marionettes suddenly surround her, forming a defensive metal wall, while another 18 is sent to deal with me. Here it comes. With two marionettes flying from both sides with a longsword on their arms, they made a swing aiming for my neck and legs. The broad-axe is too short of shielding me. If I jump in between, five javelins are waiting for me. I extended my hand with the broad-axe facing upwards. The arm of the marionette that was aiming at my neck pops out from its shoulder. ¡°Break.¡± I murmured. With a low kick¡ª aiming the elbow of the marionette, the arm pops out from the elbow and flies towards the javelin marionettes. Three of them were cracked on the abdomen. Looks like it''s not enough to stop them unless I split them into half. I threw the broad-axe towards the javelin marionettes¡ª it hits two of them, breaking their abdomen to half. Three of them charged forward with a thrust. I dodged by squatting down, then leaping a step to the right as I took the longsword that was lying on my feet. ¡°Hup.¡± With one swing¡ª I split the remaining three javelin marionettes with ease. There`s still eleven of them, which they aren''t moving. Three of the marionettes that I sliced crashed down to the snow. It''s as if I heard some wire snapping sound ¡®zip¡¯ or something, the remaining eleven of the marionettes came to me all of a sudden. Immediately, I took a solid stance as I took the longsword with both of my hands. Phew¡­ ¡°Silent Wind Blade.¡± After the swing, a line flashes forward¡ª splitting the marionettes to half. POW!!! After the sound roars, the marionettes are then blasted backwards. With enough explosive power on the sword, I could cut the air and make a flying edge. However, the range is not that long, and the blade would break in just that one swing¡ª plus, it consumes a lot of my stamina. It''s easy for Nightwalker to pull off this technique, but not me. But for these things¡­ it''s more than enough. Throwing away the broken longsword, I took the other one that was lying nearby. It`s been a while, but it seems like August is still trying her best to fight against Kuroyuki. Chapter 27 - 2.14 CLANK! With one swing on the centre to his right¡ª August knocks back Kuroyuki with a backhanded swing. It can''t be¡ª Kuroyuki was pushed back¡­!? After taking a leap and landing with a fencing stance, Kuroyuki made five sharp thrusts with her sword. August calmly took a step back with his right foot and placed in between Kuroyuki`s thrusts¡ª deflecting all five of them by drawing a circle with his sword. With Kuroyuki`s stance now broken with her right side exposed, August thrusts his sword forward. However¡ª ¡°Guh¡ª!¡± Kuroyuki thrusts her spear with her left hand three times¡ª pushing August back. She then spins her spear for a better grip and throws it towards August with the same power that she dealt to Blaze. BAM!!! Just before seconds of hit¡ª August managed to stabilize himself and stab his sword to the ground. Though most of the impact was absorbed to the ground, he was still sent flying backwards on the air. ¡°H-Hey someone catch him¡ª¡± ¡°Relax.¡± August muttered. ¡°The snow is soft enough¡ª GUH, ARGH, GAHH¡­!¡± Seems like he made a rough landing. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Kuroyuki catches her breath, then glares towards my direction. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± I inadvertently grin. As I approached her with Silent Step, I swung the longsword downwards with just my right arm. The moment Kuroyuki noticed my arrival¡ª she quickly raised her spear to her head position with both of her hands. CRACK! The power broke Kuroyuki`s spear cleanly into 2 parts in the middle. Just before the sword is going to hit her¡ª Kuroyuki quickly leans her body to her left, evading the longsword, and attempts to cut me with her sword. ¡­As usual, a terrifying reaction speed. I immediately restricted her by grabbing her wrist with my left hand. Then I let go of the longsword and did a knife-hand chop towards her abdomen¡ª but she managed to slap it away. ¡°¡­Let go!¡± Kuroyuki uttered to me with a displeased look. If she sees me as an enemy, she wouldn''t say that. ¡°Sorry, just stay with me and watch.¡± Hearing my reply, Kuroyuki quickly flicks away my left hand as she takes a step back. Without a need to take any sword or spear, and without any warnings¡ª she immediately closes our distance, throwing a palm strike towards the left side of my ?h?st. I swiftly evaded by turning my body to the left and returned the same palm strike back. Uhh¡­ her ?h?st¡­? This is bad¡ª I can`t stop. Just a millisecond before my palm strikes her, she managed to stop it by grabbing my wrist. Before I knew it, my left leg was kicked by her¡ª I guess she''s trying to make my trip. Using this opportunity, I pounced forth¡ª ¡°¡­N-Nngh!?¡± ¡ªand hugged her. Anyways, this sensation¡­ ¡­I would totally get addicted to this. Now, back to my job. ¡°Sherry!!!¡± The moment I yelled, the clouds in the sky were immediately punctured by the vampire girl that was diving down. Rumelia was right below her. Though strings are peeking out from the magic circles that were summoned in mid-air, Sherry skilfully dodged them all while maintaining her speed. ¡°Please cover your ears!¡± Sherry ordered. Hearing that, I immediately switch off the earphone, covering Kuroyuki`s ears with my hands and my left ear with my shoulder. Sherry''s supersonic sound waves blast downwards straight to Rumelia. Though Rumelia attempts to block it with her marionettes, however, it''s futile because her power is strong enough to blast right through her marionettes. It even scatters the snow near her. Anyone is supposed to bleed from their ears and even on their eyes and nose. Not Rumelia¡ª she did not. Without showing any sign of pain, Rumelia expressionlessly, quietly, fainted on her spot without making a single excessive sound. As soon as she falls, her marionettes then stop¡ª one-by-one they lifelessly crash down to the snow like a broken doll. ¡°I-I did it¡­!¡± Sherry shouts happily. ¡°Nice job¡ª Eh¡­? Sherry watch out¡­!¡± Before Sherry could hear me¡ª I could clearly hear her scream when three ice spears that came raining from the sky forks her down to the snow. It was Kuroyuki¡ª the girl that I`m still hugging did this to her. And those are¡­ the spears she used to shoot Blaze¡­? Lots of blood is spurting out from Sherry`s wounds. It''s alright, vampires won''t die from something like this. It''s just that something didn''t feel right¡­ ¡°Tch¡­!¡± I immediately backed off¡ª then a spear rained down from above, just in front of Kuroyuki. ¡­The fourth spear. The shot was so precise that a tilting a single centimetre could''ve killed her instead. Even though I was expecting this, this is way too extreme. I''m sure she''s going to be really mad¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± The moment I looked at Kuroyuki`s expression, I was deeply dumbfounded. No, no, no, no, no you are supposed to be angry¡ª why are you making that bashful, embarrassed look¡­?! ¡°¡­p-p-p-pervert¡­¡­!¡± Kuroyuki groans. In contrast to it, her hands inadvertently wiggled up and down along with it. She refused to look me in the eye. This is too cute, too stimulating¡­! ¡°¡­Hmm? Grk!?¡± Saying no more, Kuroyuki made a spear and threw it to me without any hesitation¡ª I can`t block, so I quickly evaded it by leaping to my right. ¡°¡­Don''t dodge¡­! Don''t look at me¡­!¡± Saying that she threw more of them¡ª each and every one of it is lethal if it hits, so I dodged it with all I had. Each and every spear that hits the ground gouged out a large hole. With one leap, I reached out my hands. I quickly grabbed Kuroyuki`s face, squeezing her cheeks. ¡°¡­Mu¡­¡­?¡± She looks at me. I can''t believe I''m able to catch her that easily. ¡°Come on, just stay calm¡­!¡± I told her. PAK! She knocks away my hands from below with her left arm. ¡°¡­¡­I am calm.¡± She replied. Alright, she''s back¡ª ¡°Urk¡ª!!?¡± A moment later, my world began to spin. ¡­Kuroyuki kicked me on my abdomen. Is this revenge for the hug earlier¡­? I quickly adjusted my posture, balancing myself and landed safely with both of my feet sliding on the snow. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± After a second as I stopped, strength left me all of the sudden¡ª my legs trembled and shook so much, all I could do is to kneel on one leg, with the other leg giving all its strength, trying to support my body. Spurt. My mouth was filled with a thick taste of blood. ¡­Seems like some of my organs were crushed from that kick. So this is what will happen when I take a direct hit from Kuroyuki¡­ Given an average human, their body is supposed to tear off from this much power. Fortunately, my body is quite sturdy¡ª but nowhere till Nightwalker`s level. But in return, because I often get injured during the time I had my training, my body developed a portion of regeneration capabilities that''s way past normal humans. Nightwalker doesn''t have such. This is why I could always stand back up even if Kuroyuki cracked my skull. I need some time to recover. When I raised my head and looked from afar, I found Kuroyuki, she`s now fighting against Kronos with a spear on her hand¡ª hmm? Kronos`s sword looks cool¡ª is that an electromagnetic blade¡­!? That''s¡­ a high-tech weapon that¡¯s not available even in the military. When I scanned around, I could see the broken pieces of the marionettes that were cut and melted on the stomach. Must be that sword. With the heat generated at the edge of the sword, Kronos could easily cut through anything¡ª even Kuroyuki`s ice spear. After melting the ice spear before it could touch Kronos, Kronos made a diagonal swing downwards to his left. Facing that cheating weapon, Kuroyuki did not flinch the slightest. She calmly avoids the sword by skipping to her left¡ª and strikes Kronos`s waist with her palm. WHAM!!! An energy buckler shield¡­!? Not even Central Imperial Island could pull out such a technology¡ª where did Kronos get all of that!? ¡­Even Kuroyuki was surprised. Just seconds before it hits, Kronos pulls out a buckler energy shield on her left hand¡ª blocking Kuroyuki`s palm. But nevertheless, her superhuman strength could easily knock back any average person. ¡°¡­¡­I¡­ still¡­ wanna fight¡­!¡± Hearing the familiar voice from behind, I immediately turn to face Sherry. Her body is lying flat on the ground, the blood from her wounds was frozen because of the cold. Kuroyuki`s ice is stopping her injuries from closing. The ice spears pierced through her right ?h?st, abdomen, and left leg, but Sherry still struggled to crawl forward. ¡­I don`t understand. This is just a mock battle, Sherry. ¡°Just rest.¡± I murmured. With a knife-hand strike on Sherry`s Carotid Sinus, she faints¡ª then was delivered out from the artificial dimension. ¡°Thank you, Lucifer.¡± Persia said to me. When I turned back and watched¡ª Persia`s already fighting against Kuroyuki. With a golden card between her fore and middle finger at her right hand¡ª she made five instantaneous cuts in the shape of a star, which Kuroyuki blocks with five of her spears. Persia then threw a card with her left hand, it went through from the middle of the golden star that was left behind after the cut¡ª the star flashed brightly. Surprised by the blinding white light, Kuroyuki quickly closes her eyes¡ª but she manages to deflect the card with her spear by hitting the blunt side. When I realized¡ª August already reached Kuroyuki, with his sword nearing contacting her. It''s as if Kuroyuki could hear him¡ª no, I think she could feel him from her snow on the ground¡ª Kuroyuki swings her spear back, knocking August`s sword aside. Though she stops August from hitting, Kronos had his electromagnetic sword swinging down towards Kuroyuki`s stomach. Once again, with the tail of her spear, Kuroyuki deflected Kronos`s sword to August. ¡°O-Oi¡­!?¡± August inadvertently shouts. I could hear from the earphone. CLANG! August¡ª he swiftly parried Kronos`s sword back with his sword, once again pushing Kronos`s sword back to Kuroyuki as he quickly swung his sword back aiming Kuroyuki`s neck. When I realized¡ª Persia`s card is almost going to stab Kuroyuki on her heart. Even if her situation looks hopeless, I know¡­ Kuroyuki won''t go down that easily. BOOM!!! ¡°Kyaaa!?¡± ¡°Gah!!?¡± ¡°Urk!?¡± I heard their screams. Kuroyuki explodes¡ª no, the explosion came from her. It''s a strong and powerful blast that''s able to destroy a quarter of the training room. That blast bursts out a thick, massive mixture of snow and mists¡ª limiting my vision. It''s as if I''m experiencing a gigantic snowstorm. However, the snowstorm did not last long. After a few seconds¡­ everything died down. Kuroyuki, still standing at the centre of my vision¡ª she''s completely unscathed. Persia, Kronos, and August flew afar, they were half covered by the snow. From the look of it, they survived the blast. ¡°K-Kuh¡­ There''s no way to win¡­!¡± The first person to speak from the earphone is August. ¡°Why do I have to do this¡­?¡± Kronos then added. ¡°I-It''s so cold¡­¡­¡± ¡­Persia`s line felt like a punchline. Phew, looks like I`ve finally recovered. ¡°Don''t worry guys¡­ I have a plan.¡± Chapter 28 - 2.15 2nd June, 9.43 a.m. An email from the principal. ¡®Dear Special Student Number 2, How are you experiencing being on the verge of death so far? I hope it was splendid, because it would be a pain if I couldn''t get the chance to see you kneeling all fours in front of me, begging to quit school. Jokes aside, I hope you take the contents below seriously as this will be your first mission as a special student. It won''t be hard, just take it like a warm up. Your mission is to observe and find out the ¡®traitors¡¯ of the S Class students, and you will be pointing them out after the mock battle. I will be there to witness personally, and to lend you support. Kuroyuki Shiroha did not know and should not have known of this. That is all. P.S. Traitors could mean in both ¡®too suitable¡¯ or ¡®not suitable¡¯¡ª you know what I mean.¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°A¡­ plan?¡± Persia, with a stunned voice as she muttered, turned her head to face me from afar with a surprised look. ¡°That''s right¡­¡± I replied. ¡°A plan¡ª my team surrenders!!!¡± ¡°¡ªEh?¡± ¡°Wha¡ª?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± BEEP!!!!! ¡°MATCH ENDS. TEAM 2 WINS.¡± ¡°H-Hey!? What''s with all this snow¡­!? Kuroyuki Shiroha, clean it up will ya!?¡± It''s the principal. ¡°¡­N.¡± Kuroyuki nods. Taking not more than a second, the snow and ice on the floor disappeared¡ª without leaving a trace behind. Someone tapped my shoulder from behind. I turned to find August. ¡°¡­You owe me an explanation, Luc.¡± He said. ¡®Why surrender of all things?¡¯ or so his eyes tell me. His passionate stare made me take a quick glance around. Crimson Veludora Blaze and Rumelia Heartlock were lying flat on the floor, seeming unconscious, while Sherry and the other four members on Kuroyuki`s team were nowhere to be found, looks like they were taken to the infirmary. ¡°Take them away.¡± The principal ordered the infirmary nurses. This bastard¡­ He wants me to speak now¡­? I tapped August`s shoulder, asking him to stand aside. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It''s as if he knew what I''m going to do, August steps aside. ¡°¡­Is playing dead a prideful thing to do? How dare you call yourself a proud dragon, Crimson Veludora Blaze!!!¡± Before Blaze is going to be placed on the portable floating bed, he immediately opens his eyes and makes a sit-up¡ª glaring at me. ¡°¡­WHAT DID YOU SAY?¡± He uttered. The nurse felt dumbfounded about my behaviour. With that, I borrowed an otoscope from the nurse. With one leg kneeling on the floor, I checked Rumelia`s ears. ¡­There`s no blood, and her eardrum is intact. ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡± When I faced him from below, Kronos was glaring down on me, nudging his glasses. ¡°Tell her to stop faking, will ya?¡± I said. ¡°There''s no point wasting our time here.¡± Kronos visibly flinched. ¡°¡­Rumelia.¡± He called her. With that, Rumelia opened her eyes and stared at me¡ª expressionlessly. ¡°Pervert.¡± ¡­She''s the third one to call me that. When I was just about to yell at her, I caught a glance on my right knee¡ª which is touching her ?h?st. ¡­she¡¯s F cup. I quickly retreated. Rumelia slowly gets up with her left foot on the floor, then she stands up with a doll-like posture and gesture. After confirming that she''s fine, the nurses leave the training room. CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP. Four times. When everyone shifted their attention from me to him, the principal started to talk. ¡°Crimson Veludora Blaze, Rumelia Heartlock, August Whisperwind, Kronos Y Chronoclock and Persia Silverlight¡ª you brats, well done.¡± He said. Although he''s smiling, everyone could tell that his words were sarcastic. Though sarcastic, yet no one retorted. ¡°This is getting on my nerves¡­ how can I expect you idiots to join the ?¡± He added. ¡°But sir, isn''t he the main event?¡± August replied. He was standing at the opposite, five steps away from the principal. With that, the principal made a ¡®come here¡¯ gesture to me. As I walked to him, he kept on his mumble. ¡°Come on.¡± He said, while rubbing his forehead with his thumb, seeming to have a headache. ¡°He''s a special student¡ª is there really a need to train him? He even won against the undefeatable Kuroyuki Shiroha.¡± ¡°¡­Pervert.¡± She whispers to me. God, she heard it. ¡°¡­Stop it, please.¡± I whispered as I made an annoyed look. ¡°Then, what is he here for?¡± August replied. In response to August`s reply, the principal then gave me a quick glance. ¡­I guess it''s my turn. ¡°I''m here to train you guys, actually.¡± I said, as I walked forward and stood next to the principal. ¡°The principal wants to win this year. I`ve looked through the previous records of Imperial Knights Academy and¡­ it''s really horrible.¡± ¡°¡­Tch, you?¡± Blaze retorted. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Of course there''s no need for me to train you. After all, you guys are strong¡ª even stronger than me.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°!?¡±¡±¡±¡± Except for Rumelia, the other four`s expressions turn tense. However, the principal and Kuroyuki weren''t surprised at all, it seemed like they already knew. ¡°¡­W-What makes you say that¡­?¡± Persia murmured. ¡°Do I really need to spell it out for you, Persia Silverlight?¡± When I mentioned ¡®Silverlight¡¯, Persia jolted with fear, which then she kept quiet afterwards. Because she knows her family name has already sold her out. ¡°Okay, aside from Persia and Blaze¡ª what about us? Isn''t that just a false accusation?¡± As usual, August is going straight to point¡ª it''s like he''s inviting me to expose him. He said that because Persia and Blaze are too obvious, they were already exposed. ¡°Come on, don`t be that tense¡ª this ain`t a court.¡± I replied. ¡°August, you could deny anything you want¡ª but not that broken pinkie on your right hand.¡± Hearing my remark, August flinched. At the same time, the corner of his mouth curved upwards yet it isn''t obvious¡ª it''s like he''s trying to hide his grin. ¡­That creepy grin. ¡°¡­W-When did you find out¡­?¡± He asked. ¡°From the start, I guess. That time when you used the ¡®Star Falling Sword Arts¡¯ on me.¡± ¡°Huh, I did?¡± August naturally retorted. And why would he do that? ¡°Come on, stop playing dumb. Obviously everyone here had seen that strike you pulled off¡­¡­¡± As I looked around, my words inadvertently came to a pause. Even Kuroyuki gives me a ¡®no¡¯ sign by shaking her head very slightly. ¡­He pulled off that trick while standing in everyone`s blind spot. This guy¡­ I might`ve underestimated him a little too much¡­ ¡°¡­even if they don`t, they heard it.¡± I conceded. ¡°¡­I heard it.¡± Kuroyuki added. Hearing Kuroyuki`s remark, August inadvertently leaks out a troubled expression. ¡­Of course he would. Star Falling Sword Arts¡ª is a modern swordsmanship from the western region, which uses rapier and longsword. Inspired by the constellations, the founder of the Star Falling Sword Arts conceived a total of 88 constellation styles. Learning either 2 from the 88 is already more than enough to deal against bullets from a rifle, and thus¡ª many well-refined swordsmen from the western region are the disciples of the Star Falling Sword Arts. However, only the Spirit Sword King and the current successor of the Star Falling Arts is able to grasp all 88 styles. Six stars with two swift spin on five points and adding a thrust. If I wasn''t mistaken, what August used on me is ¡®Dorado Star Spike¡¯ instead of ¡®Star Spike¡¯. I was able to tell because I tried to learn it online for once, and failed miserably on all 88 constellations. What''s more, he''s able to pull off that move with a broken finger. ¡°If I wasn''t mistaken¡­ that''s not the only swordsmanship you know. Even though you b?r?ly even tried to attack but¡ª I could see the base of your swordsmanship is not only from one school.¡± Though I don''t exactly know how many more he has on his sleeves, there''s at least three. The first school is the ¡®Star Falling Arts¡¯. The second school he uses is the time he tries to cut my neck with his sword. Unlike ¡®Star Falling Arts¡¯ which uses constellations as a reference¡­ that attack could cleanly cut off my head in just one swing, it was much more brutal. The third school is when he fought against Kuroyuki when both of them were exchanging their sword blows¡ª and obviously, August completely had the upper hand. But the moment Kuroyuki switches her weapon to a spear, August had a hard time dealing with it. ¡°That''s just your ?ssumption.¡± August retorted. ¡°You don''t have any evidence to prove that I`m the real deal.¡± ¡°You don''t have any evidence to prove that you are not the real deal.¡± I immediately replied. ¡°W-What¡­!?¡± ¡°That sword of yours is sticking out like a sore-thumb¡ª do you really think you could hide it?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say¡­?¡± ¡°You are a genius.¡± I told him. ¡°A swordsmanship genius¡ª and that sword is the best proof. It can shapeshift to any kind of sword you like according to the style you play.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense.¡± For some reason, August furrowed his brows when he said that. ¡°I`m not a genius. If you really want to prove it so badly, take it¡ª take this one-edged sword and change it to something else!¡± With that, he extended his hand to the left¡ª where Kronos is. Hearing that, Kronos`s eyes immediately gleamed with excitement. He quickly snatched the sword away from August, pulling the blade out from its sheath as he observed the sword like a kid that had just found a new toy. ¡°Six months¡­¡± Kronos murmured. ¡°Finally, I could touch this masterpiece with my own two hands¡­¡± Sensing something, August made a shiver¡ª trying to snatch back his sword from Kronos. However, Rumelia immediately summons a magic circle, tying August`s hands and pulling him back with her strings. Kronos did not give an ounce of care as he continued to look at the blade with adoring eyes. ¡°As expected from the Crepusculum Ignotum ¡­ The sword forged by the genius engineer, enchanted by the magic king¡­ Such dazzling beauty¡ª Mpph¡­!!?¡± His murmur was then stopped by August, where he cuts off the strings and covers his hand on Kronos`s mouth. ¡­It took me a while to digest his words, then before I knew it¡ª I was stunned. Crepusculum Ignotum (Unknown Twilight)!? That was the Spirit Sword King`s favourite sword! No, wait. I must be mistaken. Such a powerful weapon couldn`t be at the hands of a 16-year-old kid. But yet, August chose to cover Kronos`s mouth instead of denying it¡ª could it be¡­? ¡­August might be the Spirit Sword King`s disciple. If that`s so, then August`s unrivalled swordsmanship could be explained. What about Crepusculum Ignotum? That sword had a will of its own, it would only choose a master it acknowledged. Does this mean I was acknowledged? But¡­ Why is Kronos able to differentiate between the real sword and the fake? Unless, he had seen it before? When I realized, I was standing in front of Kronos. ¡°Tch¡­! Just give me that.¡± I snatched the sword from him. I gently grip my fingers on the hilt of the sword, staring at the clear-rainbow, silver blade. The feeling I had is just the same as the first time¡ª I don''t feel anything. There`s nothing special, nor there`s any voice or sound popping inside my head. Yet the sword changed to a double-edged sword like the first time. And as I imagined for a longsword, it follows my will and shapeshifted to a longsword. ¡°That''s enough!!!¡± August snatched the sword away from me. For some reason, August was breathing heavily with a worn out look. ¡°¡­You win, Lucifer.¡± With that, August sheaths his sword and returns back to where he stood. ¡­His reactions are telling the truth. This means¡­ that sword was indeed the Crepusculum Ignotum. As for his relationship with the Spirit Sword King¡ª I have no interest in it. ¡°So¡­ Kronos. Who exactly are you? Why were you so sure about the Spirit Sword King''s sword?¡± ¡°You don''t need to know.¡± He replied, and nudged his glasses. Right, that doesn''t prove he''s stronger than Kuroyuki Shiroha. ¡°If you had some more advanced, more powerful weapons, why did you give me junk? Are those even junk?¡± ¡°Two double-edged swords, a broad-axe, and two longswords. Right¡­ even though they are junks, the weapons you broke costs you 3.6 million CIC. ¡®Once broken, consider sold¡¯, I believe you need to pay me the money for the compensation.¡± (CIC is the money value for Central Imperial Island, also the most expensive money.) ¡°Eh¡ª!?¡± That''s expensive!!! ¡°H-How would I know if this isn''t a scam¡­?¡± I said. ¡°Don`t worry about it.¡± Kronos murmured. With a flick of his hand, a screen pops up in front of me. ¡°¡­!?¡± The contents within the screen surprised me so much that I rubbed my eyes several times to get a good look. ¡­It''s a firearms manufacturing licence issued by the Central Imperial Island. I quickly turn my head and look at the principal with an inconceivable gaze. Yet¡ª he avoided eye contact. ¡°Such a dangerous thing is at the hands of this guy!?¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Dangerous? I started inventing things when I was 7, and I got my PhD in mechanical, electric, electronic, nanotechnology, manufacturing and civil engineering when I was 14.¡± Seems like he''s bragging. With that, Kronos activated five more screens with his certificates on it. All of it was issued by the University of Central Imperial Island. He then extends his hand and pulls back¡ª as if he''s pulling a rope, the screen immediately minimizes. ¡­This guy is on a whole new level. He''s not just a student, is he? Even Kuroyuki Shiroha finds it to be surprising. ¡°I guess there''s nothing else for me to say¡ª¡± ¡°That only proves I''m just an engineer.¡± Kronos interjected, while nudging his glasses. ¡°Yes, but when it comes to battle¡ª you were meant to work together with Rumelia Heartlock, isn''t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hearing that remark, Kronos did not say anything. ¡°If you could bring out an arsenal, then Rumelia could bring out an army¡ª your weapons were designed for Rumelia`s marionettes¡ª no, it''s for her automata¡­ isn''t it?¡± Kronos shakes his head and lets out a scornful sigh. ¡°¡­so all of it is just air talk.¡± He said scornfully. No, it''s actually not. Except Rumelia, they already were exposed right from the beginning. But if I were to tell them ¡®that¡¯ right from the start, things wouldn''t turn out to be so interesting. I don''t want that. Exposing him now would just mean that I`ve failed to win against his argument. Thinking that, I took out the two broken swords from my pocket. ¡°Remember this?¡± I told him. Watching those two broken swords dangling on my hands, Kronos visibly flinched. ¡°As expected from a genius engineer¡­ even the ¡®junk¡¯ you made could sustain my swings for so many times.¡± I added. ¡°¡­It took me nearly two hours to forge the blade.¡± He said with an exasperated tone. His pride seems to sustain quite an amount of damage. Not like I care about it. ¡°Right, including the repairing fees for these two¡ª how much would it be?¡± ¡°4.6 million in total.¡± So expensive! ¡°I will transfer my money to your account later¡­¡± I told him. ¡°Here.¡± I threw the hilt to him¡ª yet I forgot to adjust my arm strength. The hilt flew to him with a speed nearly as fast as a bullet. ¡°N.¡± BAM! ¡­dark purple. T-That was fast. Just before Kronos could react¡ª Rumelia acted in his stead by stopping the hilt, where she stomps it down with an axe kick. I didn''t expect Rumelia to be that athletic. Except Kronos, it seems everyone is just as surprised as me. Her axe kick crushed the hilt and made a dent on the floor. ¡°S-Sorry, my bad.¡± I said, and gently threw the other broken hilt to Rumelia as she caught it with her hand. ¡°¡­Make that 4.62 million.¡± Kronos added. ¡°Hold it. I''m not the one who crushed the hilt.¡± I told him. ¡°I would only give you exactly 4.6 million.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Saying that, Kronos activated his magic circle and placed the hilt back to his magical storage. After confirming there`s no obstruction on the floor, the built-in repair system of the building then fixes the dent. ¡°¡­That''s it?¡± The principal suddenly asks. ¡°What do you mean ¡®that''s it?¡¯, it`s already obvious that they were faking right from the start.¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Eh? Why is everyone confused? Is it too obvious to realize?¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. ¡°T-There is¡­?¡± Persia murmured. ¡°I was trying so hard to hide it¡­¡± August said. No, wait¡ª you shouldn''t say that out loud. Aren''t you just digging your own grave? ¡°Aren''t you guys¡­ ¡­?¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°!¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Hah. Hahahaha¡­!¡± The principal made a ridiculing laugh. ¡°Hiding too much got you brats exposed instead, huh.¡± With that, the case came to an end. ¡°Alright! The class ends here for today! You guys can take a break for today!¡± ¡°E-Eh?! What about class?¡± From the corner of the room, a familiar voice came across my ears. It''s Miss Luna. ¡°Come on, five of them were hospitalized and you still want to work?¡± The principal scorned. With those scornful words ending as a punchline, the class schedule was cancelled afterwards with everyone returning to their rooms. ¡­Except for me and the principal. Chapter 29 - 3.0 - The Forest of The Black & White, Prologue I suppose I need to get around talking about the principal of the Imperial Knights Academy. I probably had a duty to do so. During my tenth birthday on Year XX87, six years ago, where I lost my parents¡ª I met him. It was a shocking meeting, and it was a catastrophic one. In any case, I must have had bad luck. Even if I somehow had, I doubt someone else would have met that fate. It actually seems extremely irresponsible to talk about my bad luck here. Maybe I should just be upfront and say that it was my fault. In the end, I think it was a chain of events only made possible because it was me. A chain of events. Actually, while I used those words just now without giving them any particular thoughts, I wouldn''t be able to tell you what events bookend this chain. Where the incident began, what path it took, or how it ended¡ª I can''t declare the precise truth of the matter. It could be that it has yet to end, even now, or perhaps it hasn''t even started. And I say that not as a form of pretension or wordplay¡¯ that is what I honestly believe. Ultimately, I can only observe the incident from my own perspective, and also from what they told me, so I will never be able to know what the chain of events truly meant to anyone else¡ª or what it didn`t mean. Asking them may allow me to come to some degree of understanding of the circumstances, but even then, there''s no way for me to know if their words are true. What I have is not the truth, but an understanding. And perhaps that''s enough. Still, three days before my tenth birthday. My parents left. And it was due to the stupidity of none but yours truly that I ended up experiencing one week of hell. If it was one big joke, it sure felt like hell; if it was hell, it sure felt like one big joke. Like I said earlier, it will forever be a mystery to me when this chain of events began, where and how it transpired, and in what manner it ended. But while that may be an unsolvable dilemma, I am absolutely certain when my own personal hell began and then it ended. July 15th to August 15th. Exactly one month. I would come to experience hell for one week, and I would come to learn that person. While telling you about him would, by necessity, entail fully exposing my own stupidity¡ª an act you may see as m?s??h?stic¡ª I do think I have to talk about that man. About the story of how he saved me. I have to talk about it. I have a duty to speak. That is my responsibility. This preamble has gotten quite long, but I¡¯d like to ask for your understanding here¡ªthough I¡¯ve pompously gone on about responsibility and whatnot, it¡¯s merely the responsibility of a stupid jester. There¡¯s no telling when I¡¯ll founder¡ªwhile it¡¯s a timid thing to say, I honestly do not have the confidence to finish telling this story. That is why I¡¯ve been dragging out these proper-like preliminary remarks. Even so, I couldn¡¯t possibly go any longer. And after I finally begin the story, it could become like a rock rolling down a hill so that it¡¯ll be harder to stop. But to be sure, just in case it turns out that I lack the resolve, allow me to divulge how it ends here in advance. This story is about a boy who ended up in the Imperial Knights Academy. And that''s just the hell`s ending. The chain of events may not be over, and in any case, my responsibility to him will still continue to be a three years long affair. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 30 - 3.1 - The Forest of The Black & White, Friday, July 15th, 8.07am ¡°Ah¡­ Morning, myaster.¡± ¡°Morning, Ruby.¡± Friday, July 15th. As I run down the stairs from the second floor, ready for an outdoor jogging¡ª ahead of me I saw a little girl with pink messy hair and tail in her pyjama, namely Ruby, so I hit my brakes, came to a stop to her left, and called out to her, at which she blinked and yawned and mispronounced her words with a cat voice like always. ¡°Wanna join me and dad for a jog?¡± ¡°Nyaa¡­¡± With her hands and feet on the ground, she stretches her back like a cat. ¡°Nyo.¡± ¡°Hmph, so lazy.¡± I stroke her head. In response, Ruby rubs her head back on my palm. During that time, Ruby is only four years old, and even though she`s four, she could match my jogging speed¡ª if not, outrun me. ¡°Myaster, is Restia awake nyet¡­?¡± ¡°Restia? I think she''s still asleep.¡± Restia`s restroom is at the opposite of my room. Though there''s a door with a lock but she never uses it, it''s always open. Every time I woke up earlier than her, I would take a peek from the corridor to check on her. ¡°Mmn¡­¡± Ruby slowly closes her eyes and drifts into a light doze. ¡°Still tired? Do you still wanna sleep?¡± ¡°I''m fine¡­ Ruby will go to shower now¡­¡± Saying that, Ruby makes her way to the bathroom with her staggering footsteps. ¡°¡­?¡± When I entered the living room, I saw no one. Weird. Dad`s not here? Come to think of it, where`s mom? She''s usually at the kitchen by this hour. Were they at the front yard by chance¡­? If not, the backyard. Thinking that, I head towards the front door. The doors are not locked. Phew. Don''t scare yourself. ¡°Dad¡ª?¡± When I looked from the door, there''s no one in the front yard. At that moment, I doubted myself so much that I blinked my eyes a few times, so I hurriedly put on my shoes and walked to the front yard, looking around. ¡­They really aren''t here. The backyard. They must be in the backyard. I quickly took a detour around the house from the front yard and headed to the back yard. ¡°Mom¡ª Dad¡ª?¡± Dad''s favourite willow tree. Mom`s favourite bamboo grove. My favourite cherry blossom. Restia`s favourite wisteria. But my parents were nowhere to be found. Perhaps one of them is sick¡­? My dad or my mom never gets sick. Maybe it''s a rare occasion that''s why they aren''t here? Their bedroom¡ª I need to check their bedroom. Removing my shoes, I entered the house from the back yard. Feeling worried, I started to run at some certain point as I walked across the corridor. I headed to the stairs, up to the second floor, opened the door to their bedroom and peeked. No one. Where could they be¡­? Ruby is still bathing and Restia is still asleep. I shouldn''t worry about them. Dad`s study room; Mom`s study room; Ruby`s room; First Floor. Music room; Video game room; Arts room; Study room; Ground floor. Kitchen; Living room; Sports room; Interior Swimming Pool; Bathroom; Basement. Training Chamber; Wine cellar; Weapon`s garage; Storage room; None. I looked everywhere, and they couldn''t be found. Where could they possibly be¡­? Growl. I forgot breakfast. Stay calm¡­ perhaps I should eat first. Food`s supposed to be ready by now. However, mom`s nowhere to be found. Looks like there''s no choice but to cook myself. I open the fridge. ¡°!¡± There''s not much ingredients left. I check the cupboard and cabinets too. There''s also nothing much left. With this amount, the food left is probably enough to last only for three days. So¡­ were they out hunting in the forest? Or did dad go fishing¡­? Or maybe they teleported out to the supermarkets in nearby countries? Maybe I don''t need to worry so much. I''m sure they will be back soon. With the ingredients I had, I prepared some sandwich for everyone¡ª and as soon as I`m done, I turned my head to find Ruby, where she got herself a set of clothes and was peeking from the door. ¡°Where is papa and mama¡­?¡± When she asks, Ruby looks around, and seems to be curious that they weren''t around. ¡°Maybe they were out to hunt? I don''t know.¡± ¡°Ruby is hungry.¡± Ruby makes a hungry face and rubs her empty stomach with both of her hands to emphasize more on her hunger. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡ªmgh.¡± As I went past Ruby on her right, I took one of the sandwiches from the plate and shoved it to her mouth, and headed to the dining room. After I placed the plate on the dining table, the built-in system of the table covers the plate with an anti-pest barrier. ¡°It''s almost ten. Is Restia still sleeping?¡± ¡°Mmguh.¡± (Maybe.) ¡°I know what you are saying. But still, don`t talk with your mouth full.¡± Ruby gives a nod, then continues to nibble on her sandwich. Leaving Ruby behind, I went upstairs to the second floor, to Restia`s room. KNOCK KNOCK. I stood by the door to Restia`s room and knocked. ¡°Nngh¡­ Big brother¡­ Five more minutes¡­¡± Restia mumbled. I stepped into her room, and squatted down so I could look at her face. ¡°How could you tell it''s me?¡± Restia then rolls from the left to right so she could face me with her half-awake look, then she peeked at me with her left eye. ¡°¡­Because it''s the smell of big brother¡­?¡± Restia slowly closes her eyes and drifts into a light doze afterwards. ¡°Wake up, sleepyhead.¡± Saying that, I rub her head. ¡°Mmgh¡­¡­¡± She''s extremely unwilling to wake up. ¡°¡­good morning kiss¡­¡± With one hand preventing her bangs from falling down, I kissed Restia on her forehead. ¡°Satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­N.¡± After a simple reply, Restia wiggled her right leg out from her blanket, then after she wiggles more¡ª it dangles on the side of her bed. She then pushes her blanket aside and gets up sluggishly using the weight of her legs, her upper body is b?r?ly able to hold upwards. It''s as if a little push could make her fall back to her pillow and fall asleep at any moment. Restia then rubs her eyes. ¡°Hmph.¡± I gave a short sigh as I smiled. ¡°Ah. Mom and dad might be out for hunting. I''m not sure when they will be back.¡± Before I left her room, I stood by the door and told her. ¡°¡­Hunting¡­?¡± Restia mumbled. ¡°Why didn''t they bring you along¡­?¡± ¡°I don''t know¡­? Maybe they went out shopping?¡± ¡°They didn''t leave a note¡­?¡± ¡°No, they didn`t.¡± ¡°That''s weird¡­ Papa has never been that careless.¡± ¡°It''s the first time, actually. But¡­ the front door is unlocked though, and their shoes are gone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°After you are done, come down and eat the sandwich I''ve made.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Leaving Restia`s room, I head down the stairs, to the dining room. Ruby is still seating on the chair, eating her sandwich¡ª ¡°H-Hey!? There`s only two left!?¡± I inadvertently yelled at Ruby. ¡°But Ruby is hungry.¡± She told me, still nibbling on the sandwich she''s eating. I made ten. Two sandwiches per person. She ate eight of them. ¡°That''s more than just hungry, Ruby. You are a glutton.¡± ¡°Mgh¡ª!?¡± I got close to her and light-chopped her head as a punishment. ¡°Stop eating.¡± I told her. ¡°We don''t have enough ingredients to make any more sandwiches.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Ruby''s ear drooped. Since whenever her ears drooped it means she really felt apologetic¡ª I forgiven her. ¡°It''s okay.¡± I took one sandwich and ate it afterwards, leaving only one behind. There`s no choice but to starve for a while¡ª mom and dad might be late than I thought, I might as well be prepared to cook lunch. ¡°Myaster.¡± After finishing the last of her sandwich, Ruby calls out to me. Hearing that, I quickly swallowed the piece that was on my mouth. ¡°Hmm? What is it, Ruby?¡± ¡°Aside from papa and mama, Ruby smells something else at the front door.¡± When Ruby told me so, I immediately pounced to her from my seat that was next to her¡ª grabbing her shoulders. It can`t be, could mom and dad be kidnapped!? That''s impossible¡­! ¡°What¡­!? What did you smell!?¡± Ruby obviously was surprised when I pounced and grabbed her shoulders, but then she realized this is a serious matter¡ª she then looked me in the eye, and said¡­ ¡°Smelly shoes.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Smelly shoes? Whose?¡± ¡°Ruby doesn''t know. It''s so smelly that my nose itches.¡± She said, rubbing her nose with her fingers. ¡°¡­Guess I will check on it.¡± I told her. ¡°Restia while coming down soon, don`t you dare eat the last sandwich.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ruby replies unwillingly. Once again, I head to the front door¡ª where the shoe rack is placed. I gave a good look¡ª searching for the smelly shoes. Ruby''s nose isn''t good with smelly stuff so I tend to clean them. Smelly¡­? I don''t smell anything. It''s not my shoes; Not Restia`s; Not Ruby`s¡ª ¡°Eh¡ª?¡± Surprised, my voice inadvertently leaks out. My parents'' shoes were gone¡ª all of it. They have a total of six pairs, yet all six of them were gone. ¡­I don`t understand. Why were their shoes gone? Could it be that they abandoned¡ª no, mom and dad would never do so. I don''t want to jump into conclusions yet. Stay calm. I need to think. Dad told me how to use my head and think. I need to stay calm. If they¡­ abandoned us¡ª what will they take with them? Their belongings¡­¡­! I hurriedly ran upstairs to their bedroom, searching anything that was within that room. When I opened the closet¡ª it''s empty. The cabinet¡ª it''s empty. Their important belongings¡ª and even not a single piece of clothing has been left behind. No, no, no, no¡ª this can''t be¡ª this can''t be¡ª! ¡°Myaster?¡± When my confused thoughts were submerged deep inside¡ª Ruby`s voice pulled me back. ¡°Y-Yes, Ruby?¡± I acted calm and faced her, where she was peeking at me by the door. ¡°Myaster, is something wrong¡­?¡± Is something wrong¡ª things were too wrong, in fact. Should I tell Ruby¡­? But¡­ how should I tell her¡­? I don''t even know if my ?ssumption is correct. ¡­I shouldn''t make her worry. Until I get more clues¡ª I shouldn''t tell her anything yet. ¡°¡­It''s nothing, Ruby.¡± I told her. ¡°You could wait for Restia at the dining room.¡± Though Ruby was worried because of my behaviour, she eventually nodded her head and went back downstairs, waiting for Restia at the dining room. After confirming that Ruby is gone, I kept my head cool, continued and calmly searched for my parents'' stuff. None. Nothing. My parent''s room is too oddly clean. Even their bed was nicely tidied¡ª which is impossible because mom and dad would never tidy their bed. They would always tell me that it would be the same after sleep. There`s not even a single strand of hair or dead skin on the pillow nor the floor. How is this possible? Pushing my thoughts further, I took my phone and activated the fingerprint scanner, scanning across the room. Since my fingerprints was recognised by the phone, it was able to detect my fingerprints. ¡­Yet, only my fingerprints that were freshly left behind just now. Hold it. Why didn`t I call them right from the start¡ª ¡®THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH, HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.¡¯ After trying for another three times, I gave up. ¡­Wouldn''t hurt to try. ¡°Big brother¡­?¡± As Restia`s shaky voice came from behind me, I turned to face her calmly¡ª where she was standing by the door, freshly out from the bathroom with her hair wet. She made a terrified, worn out look. Just as I was about to cough out my words to calm her, Restia interjected before I could do so. ¡°What happened to papa and mama?¡± She asked. The tears on her eyes are about to fall off anytime, yet she bit her lips¡ª trying to hold them in. This is Restia, my little sister. Though she would normally behave childishly and act like a brat, at crucial moments¡ª she''s quick to pick up the situation. ¡°Say something¡­!¡± She yelled. ¡­Too quick, in fact. Judging from the amount of water droplets around her, it seems that she had been standing there and peeked for quite a while, now. ¡­It''s no use trying to deceive her. As I look at Restia`s expression¡ª The load on my ?h?st felt heavier all of the sudden. It weighed so heavy on me that I needed to lift my chin to look up, trying to breathe properly. I clenched my fist, and with bravery I looked at my little sister. Now then, how should I answer her¡­? I don''t have an answer. The disappearance of mom and dad is just so sudden¡ª way too sudden for even me to digest the situation. ¡°Restia¡ª¡± The moment I called her name¡ª no, before I even called my little sister`s name, she already came pouncing to me with a tight hug. A hug so tight¡ª it''s as if I would disappear if she lets go. ¡°Did¡­ papa and mama¡­¡­¡± Her voice eventually went silent. But, after a deep breath¡ª ¡°¡­abandoned us¡­?¡± With that, her tears start to flow. Abandon¡­¡­¡­ us¡­? No, I refuse to believe it. I gently pat my little sister`s head, calming her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Though I opened my mouth, no words came out. What should I say¡­? I can`t give Restia false hope. Judging this situation, my parents really might not return¡ª but, mom and dad would never abandon us. I will never believe it. ¡°M¡­ Myaster? Restia¡­?¡± Hearing Ruby`s voice, Restia jolted in surprise and quickly let go of me, facing Ruby as she tried to hide her tear by wiping it with the towel on her neck. Looks like Restia is trying to hide the truth from Ruby. ¡°What''s wrong, Ruby?¡± Restia asked nicely. She then approaches Ruby and leans her waist forward, stroking Ruby on her head. ¡°Why are you crying¡­?¡± It seems Ruby heard Restia`s cry, that''s why she came here. Facing Ruby`s innocent look, Restia could only look at Ruby with a sombre smile. ¡°It''s nothing. I accidentally kicked my little toe.¡± She then told her. ¡°¡­Ngh. Ruby is here.¡± Though Ruby did not know that Restia`s pain is actually on the interior, not the exterior¡ª but she still tries her best to comfort Restia, which she gently hugs her. In return, Restia hugs her back. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Restia`s body is trembling. I better distract her. ¡°Ah, right. Restia, your sandwich is in the dining room.¡± Hearing that, Restia faced me with a surprised look. ¡°Big brother`s cooking¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What, you got a problem?¡± ¡°¡­I remember diarrhoea and heaven.¡± With that, she hurriedly ran downstairs together with Ruby before I could react. ¡°Why, you little¡­¡­!¡± I yelled at her from the 2nd floor. Chapter 31 - 3.2 - Friday, July 15th, 11.07am ¡­It''s been the third time I have searched around the house. By the time I took out my phone and checked, three hours had passed¡ª no¡­ it''s only been three hours!? It¡­¡­ felt so long. I never knew, time could move this slow. I tried my best to look for the slightest clue, but yet there''s not a single trace of them or their whereabouts that was left behind. It was so clean that I doubted myself. How is that even possible¡­? I don`t understand. My brain keeps telling me there''s surely a clue or something, yet reality is telling me there aren''t. Not a single clue. I can''t file a report to the police because we don''t belong to any government or country. Even if I placed their picture on the net to search for lost people, no one knows who they are. It''s like they were never here. What else can I do¡­¡­? Frustration and exasperation is stopping me to think further. I`m tired. My head feels cloudy and heavy. I want to give up. But those are my parents¡ª I can''t give up. Mom and dad¡­. Where are you¡­¡­? BOOM¡ª!!! ¡°¡­¡­¡­!¡± When the floor shook like an earthquake with a terrible sound¡ª like an explosion, I immediately came back to reality and headed out from my parent''s room. What happened¡­!? Did an unexpected guest arrive¡­!? Did the protective barrier wear off¡­!? Not giving another thought, I hurriedly sprint downstairs, shouting as loud as I could. ¡°RESTIA!!! RUBY!!!¡± Please, be safe¡­! C-C-C-C-CR-CRAK! ¡°!¡± It''s as if the sound of something was being torn off, I carefully slowed down my pace and stopped by the stairs, taking a quick glance. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± Shit! It''s huge¡­! It stepped and crushed into the kitchen, which then tore off the wall. ¡°BIG BROTHER!!!!!!¡± Gasp! It`s Restia. Her voice came from the basement. Leaving that thing aside, I hurried down to the basement. But seeing no one, I call out to Restia. ¡°Restia¡­!¡± ¡°Big brother¡ª the garage!¡± Following Restia`s voice, I quickly ran to the weapon garage, like a baseball player aiming for the base. The moment I opened the door to it, Restia and Ruby quickly came to me¡ª hugging as hard as they could. ¡°Big brother¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Master¡­!¡± ¡°When the barrier was breached, I immediately took Ruby here¡­!¡± Restia said to me. ¡°You did well, Restia! You did well bringing Ruby here¡­!¡± I`m proud of my little sister. She made the right choice hiding in this armoury-like garage. ¡°Big brother, is that beast a lion¡­?¡± Restia said to me with a terrified look. ¡°A lion¡­?¡± I inadvertently murmured. Judging from the size of its paw, it''s around 1.5 meters wide¡ª it''s too big to be a normal lion. From the look of it, it crushed the barrier with ease. Then it is obvious that we aren''t safe here. But¡­ escaping from here isn''t an option either. I need to take down that thing, despite what it is. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I took a deep breath. Remember dad`s training. Wearing the hunting suit, gloves and boots, which has high tear resistance¡ª I took a katana, a hunting rifle, two grenades, a M7290 flash bang grenade, a dagger, and two magazines with a total of 135 rounds with me. ¡°Big brother¡­ Please return safely¡­¡± Restia murmured. Hearing that, I inadvertently bit my lips. Deep down, I know Restia wants to go with me. But she knows she can`t because she would only be a deadweight to me, and she needs to protect Ruby. All she could do is to pray for my safety, and all she could do is just to wait here. But¡­ ¡°Restia¡­ I can''t promise you that.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± ¡°Promise me you will come back¡­!!!¡± She yelled, hitting my ?h?st over and over with her harmless fists. Then, she hugs me like it was the last time. ¡°If¡­ you won`t come back¡­ Who will look after us¡­¡­¡± ¡°Where is papa and mama?¡± Gasp! When we hear Ruby`s voice, we inadvertently turn our head to face her. ¡°Ruby¡­¡± Restia said to her. ¡°Papa and mama¡­¡± When Restia`s wants to take Ruby''s hand, Ruby angrily refuses and slaps away Restia`s hand, and looks at me with teary eyes. ¡°MYASTER...! WHERE IS PAPA AND MAMA¡­¡­?¡± Ruby asks again. ¡°Ruby!!!¡± I immediately yelled to catch her attention. ¡°Listen to Restia.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± Ruby refuses to listen, then she runs to me and hugs me on my waist, closing her eyes tight. It''s like she doesn''t want to accept the truth. ¡°Ruby, let go.¡± The moment I told her, she raised her head and looked at me with her teary eyes. ¡°ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE RUBY TOO¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I stroke Ruby`s head, yet I didn''t say a word to her. ¡°Hold her!¡± I ordered Restia. My little sister, Restia then slips her hands in between me and Ruby, hugging Ruby from behind as I peel her off from my waist. ¡°N-NYA¡ª!!! M¡ª MYASTER¡­¡­!!!!!!¡± Eventually losing strength in her fingers, Ruby`s finger slips off from my clothes. But even so, Ruby struggled as hard as she could, trying to break free from Restia. And in return, Restia holds her as hard as she could so she could stay here. ¡­I might not be coming back. Clenching my fist and enduring the pain, I headed out. The moment I close the door¡ª BAM! A large block of concrete is gouged out from the ceiling of the basement, which I saw the claw of the lion. That thing is attracted by Ruby`s voice¡­! BANG! Distracting it, I shot a bullet on its second claw. The bullet pierced deep into its muscles, oozing blood. Like stepping on a nail, the lion quickly retreated it`s paw in pain. Aware of what will happen later, I quickly cover my ears. ¡°GROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Tsk¡­! So loud¡­!¡± It''s roar was so powerful that it shook the entire basement, cracking the hole further. ¡­That lion is aware of me now. I need to be careful. I cautiously head up the stairs with my rifle, hiding behind the walls as I peek. The lion is retreating its paw out from my house. Damn it¡­! The kitchen is completely destroyed. This is bad¡­ the food supply¡­! Why is that thing aiming for food¡­? Why is it not hunting in the mountains¡­!? It''s not putting its paw down¡­? Before the lion''s paw is going to slam down¡ª I fire two shots to stop it from attacking the house. BANG! BANG! ¡°!¡± Though the bullet is able to knock back the lion''s paw, it was deflected when it touched its fur. That¡¯s indeed not a normal lion¡ª it casted a strengthening magic on itself¡­! It''s A magical beast. With its size¡­ it''s probably a Cithaeron lion. Nemean lion is a giant lion that could kill giants. If only dad was here¡­ he could easily kill that thing with his magic. But dad`s not here. Mom could easily split that thing into half with her scythe. But mom''s not here. I`m the only one left to fight alone. But¡­ how is it possible for me to defeat that thing¡­? I`m sorry, Restia. Ruby. There''s no way for me to defeat that thing. But even if I can''t kill that thing, I can still act as bait and lure it away from our house, into the forest. ¡­The forest. Filled with dangerous, magical beasts¡ª and it could only get worse at night. Can I make it back¡­? No. I need to. They are waiting for me. ¡°GROAR!!!¡± Again¡­!? The lion is going to attack with its paw again. Setting the rifle to burst mode, I fired six shots. BL-BLAM! BL-BLAM! ¡°GROARRRRR!!!!?¡± Once again, its claw was knocked back by the bullets. I exit the house from the front door, intending to circulate that lion from behind¡ª ¡°Guh¡ª!¡± ¡ªor not. My voice¡ª inadvertently leaks out with fear. I was so surprised to be greeted with a pair of giant lion''s hind legs¡ª the shock was so much that I gurgled my breath and swallowed my saliva. The lion stood around 50m tall, around 75m long¡ª where it''s even larger than my house. And when I realized, I was hiding behind the wall with my back leaning on it, cowering in fear. Even though this is not the first time I had encountered magical beasts as large as this¡ª I had seen these giant things when I was hunting before. ¡­But now mom and dad aren''t with me. I`m all alone in this battlefield. I`m scared¡­! ¡°GROAR!!!!¡± WHAM!!! A moment of hesitation, and the lion slams its paw to the floor at the kitchen, opening a large hole. ¡°Shit¡ª shit¡­!!!¡± I inadvertently yelled to myself when I saw what it did. This is not the time to be shaking! A little more to the left, it would hit Restia and Ruby¡­! There''s no time¡ª the lion would never wait for me. I immediately took one deep breath to calm myself. Though the bullets were deflected, I''m sure the lion would feel pain. The magic it casted on itself is just like wearing a bulletproof vest. It won''t kill, but it would hurt as hell. BL-BLAM! BL-BLAM! From the door, I shot two bursts with a total of six bullets to the ankle of its right hind leg, intending to topple it over to the right. ¡°GROARRR!!!!?¡± Even if all the shots aren''t accurate, that thing is just so massive that all six bullets hit. Yet it didn`t topple over. I didn`t inflict enough pain to it. Angered, the lion swayed its tail to where I am. How did it even know where I am¡­!? BL-BLAM! WHAM!!! Just moments before it hit me, I deflected its tail upwards with three shots. It crashed into the first floor instead of me¡ª where the game room is. ¡°Hah¡­! Hah¡­!¡± That was¡ª terrifying. A little more¡­ and I would be squashed like a watermelon. I`ve made the right decision. If I were to hide behind the wall in that moment¡ª its tail will crush me along with the wall. I need to get him out of here. BL-BLAM! BL-BLAM! BL-BLAM! I shot nine bullets, aiming for both of its hind legs¡ª six on the right to make it painful enough, and three to the left to give it a fright. ¡°GROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!?¡± Losing strength in its right leg because of the pain and surprised by the bullet on its left leg, that giant thing toppled to its right and crashed on the ground. The ground shook¡ª dusts and sand builds up as the lion falls. It''s like a sandstorm. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Not giving a damn to that thing, I quickly ran to it with the katana. The katana was specially made¡ª it`s sharpness exceeds the power of the piercing bullet I''m using in my hunting rifle. As I get closer to that ridiculous giant beast, I can''t help but to have a jolt in my heart in every step I take¡ª it was like leaping into the jaws of death. Because even the slightest movement from that giant thing could produce a wind powerful enough to blow me away, and if I get hit, a heavy injury is already an incredible amount of luck. All of the sudden, the sunlight above me was suddenly concealed. Looking up¡ª I saw a giant leg coming down with an incredible speed. It`s the lion`s left hind leg. It''s trying to stand up! Reluctantly, I take a giant leap before it steps on me¡ª aiming its right ankle. And as I leap, I wield the katana with both of my hands. ¡°Eat this¡­!¡± CLANG! Just a few millimetres before the katana stabs its fur, a mysterious force of wall stopped my katana from advancing further into its skin. Even the katana is not enough to stab it¡­! Given no choice, I had to leap down from its ankle¡ª avoiding its tail from hitting me. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± The moment I safely landed on the ground¡ª a strong wind from behind blows. ¡­The lion stood back up. I`ve provoked the lion more than enough. It''s about time I need to run. Putting the katana back to its sheath, I quickly ran towards the forest, which is several hundred meters away. It would take about half a minute for me to reach at this speed. With a gentle leap, the lion turns its direction to me. And as its paw slams the ground¡ª it shook the ground below my feet with a crater forming below its feet. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­!¡± Witnessing that, I could only run with all I could. Because I know it''s impossible to outrun that colossal lion. A male lion. BL-BLAM! With a burst shot as I ran, I hit the lion on its forehead¡ª though the bullets bounced off, at least it''s enough to catch its attention. ¡°GROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Great¡­! It noticed me¡­! At least Restia and Ruby will be safe for now¡­! ¡°GROAR!!!¡± Like hunting a prey, the lion pounces with its claw extended. ¡°Tsk¡­!¡± I immediately took a stop, pointing my hunting rifle at the lion''s claw. BL-BLAM! BL-BLAM! ¡°GROARRRR!!!?¡± My shots made its front paws lose its balance. At this rate, the lion would do a crash landing instead. Then, in sync with its time of impact¡ª I jumped upwards, grabbing on the lion''s mane as its stomach slides across the ground. Its sliding speed was just so fast that if I let go¡ª I would lose my balance and crash on the ground. So I held on to its mane as tightly as I could, hoping that his fur wouldn''t get plucked off. When it eventually came to stop, I quickly unsheathed the katana, stabbing down to its head as hard as I could¡ª CLANG¡ª!!! So damn hard¡­¡­! ¡°GROARRRRRRRR!!!!!!???¡± ¡°Whoa¡ª!?¡± A moment later, my world began to spin. By the time I realized, I was being flung away by the lion at an incredible speed. The lion shook its head to get rid of me. My body was flung in such a bad posture that I couldn`t adjust and balance my body. I feel so dizzy. BAM!!! ¡°GAH¡ª!!!?¡± My back slammed onto something¡ª with my world upside down. The pain gave me a concussion for a brief moment. After the impact, I''m starting to fall with my head facing down. This¡­ is bad. I took so much damage that my body felt numb and weak¡ª I don''t have strength left in me to balance myself. Somehow I could feel my right hand was still gripping the katana. Without a care, I stab on whatever is behind me¡ª and somewhat I could hear the sound of a tree snapping as I fall. As my falling speed gradually got slower, my right arm was then pulled facing upwards along with my body. Just by the time I was going to reach the ground, the katana finally made a stop. I was hung there with my right hand still grabbing on the katana. Spurt. I coughed blood. Lots of it. However, I know it won''t be able to kill me. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Looks like that crazy spin gave me a good one, my head still feels a little dizzy. Adding this and the concussion, it completely distorted my vision. Balance won''t be coming back to me for a moment. ¡°GROAR!¡± WHAMMMM!!!! The lion''s paw swipes from its left to right¡ª crushing the trees that were in the way of its paw, in just one swing. I completely dodged that exact moment. The moment I heard the lion''s roar, I reflexively fling myself upwards with my right arm acting like a slingshot, while pulling out the katana from the split tree. On instinct, perhaps. However, the lion did not let me be. It immediately faces up and opens its mouth, waiting for me to fall in. Ah¡­ damn. He sure had one big mouth¡ª that`is ten meters wide. It stinks, too. My katana`is not long enough to reach for the side of its mouth¡ª this means I can`t stop myself from falling in. Well¡­ Eat some bullets instead. BL-BLAM! I shot a burst shot into its mouth¡ª where the lion reflexively tried to dodge instinctively by leaping backwards. Thanks to that leap, it created enough wind for me to slow down before landing on the cracked ground. ¡°G-Grk¡­!¡± After struggling to stand properly with the katana acting as a cane, I look up, and naturally, the lion is glaring down on me. ¡°¡­!¡± Looks like my bullets manage to hit the alveolar ridge under its lower right canines. It''s bleeding. ¡°GROARRRRRR!!!!!!¡± Urgh¡­ so loud and smelly. A heavy smell of rotten meat. Damn, he looks really pissed off right now. ¡­It really does have intelligence to express emotions. Nevertheless, despite having intelligence, I don''t think I can communicate to this big guy. It''s like a stubborn old fool that wouldn''t listen to any sincere advice of the young. But at least, I could tell that it''s itching to eat me so it could quench his anger. Such an incredibly dangerous being. Well¡­ goodbye. I hurriedly turned and ran into the forest before it acted first. ¡°GROARRR!!!¡± As if being humiliated when the lion saw how I was trying to escape into the forest¡ª thus, it chased me till I reached deep into the woods. Chapter 32 - 3.3 - Friday, July 15th, 6.49pm The Cithaeron lion, or also called as the Thespian or Ravine lion¡ª is a magical beast where its origin is from ancient Greek. It is a lion constantly harassing the lands of king Amphitryon and king Thespius during that time. Heracles killed this lion before. I can''t really imagine how he did it. As for how the offspring of the Cithaeron lion ended up migrating to here, this is because the rest of the pack were afraid of Heracles, that''s why they migrated throughout the world for thousands of years. The Cithaeron lion is not that uncommon. It usually could be found in the mountains around the middle east regions. Many worldwide adventurers would still encounter this species. However, there''s one thing I would like to clarify. Though the Cithaeron lion is considered the weaker one among the magical beast species, it''s still extremely powerful. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Current location: The forest. Just b?r?ly escaping from death just now, I`m now standing on a branch of a giant scots pine tree, recovering my breath with some quick and shallow breathing as I hide from the Cithaeron lion`s sight behind the trunk. This tree is nearly 150 meters tall. I`m standing around 60m away from the ground. A misstep could have resulted in falling to death. More than thirty times now, I believe. ¡°GROARRR!!!¡± Shit! It found me again¡­! BAM! Pouncing from the ground, the lion slams its claw to where I am¡ª which I evaded by jumping to another tree. Yet, another narrow escape. The branches snapped from its power and the trunk was left with a deep, claw mark. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± Stabbing the katana onto the tree''s trunk, I slide down carefully using my weight as the katana cuts the tree down with a straight line. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± How long have I been running¡­? It was already dusk; the sun was about to set. I have yet to get out from this forest because this lion is extremely persistent¡­ and I don''t want to admit I got lost in this forest. This island is around 1082km2 large¡­ Although I''m not sure where I am right now, I believe I have been running in a straight line for quite a while now. No, it''s not a while. It''s almost been eight hours since I started to deal with that lion. Not resting, not having food, not having a drop of water¡ª it applies to both of us. That''s why I''ve said¡ª this lion is extremely persistent. BANG! With one shot to the ?h?st of the incoming female Cithaeron lion that was pouncing towards me, it lost its balance and crash landed in front of me. My current weapons couldn`t deal any damage to them because of their strengthening magic, so my only choice is to inflict pain as I get out from them safely. And that thing is not the only one I need to deal with. As I mentioned, lions live in a pack¡ª there still are eight females, and three cubs. They gathered because of the male lion`s, the alpha`s roar. All twelve of them gathered together just to hunt me. The reason I could survive till now is because of this forest terrain. It allows me to jump from tree to tree, with a height advantageous enough to keep them in track as well as limiting their ways to attack because of their size. It''s getting darker. A little more, the other guy is going to replace me... It would take roughly a minute for the replacement¡ª in that time, I will be completely vulnerable. With that, I took a grenade, pulling out its safety pin and placed it on the female lion`s body. In my current overwhelmingly exhausted state, I can''t throw it into its mouth because It''s jaw is too heavy for me to open. The reason I placed it on its body is because I plan to hide my smell with the explosion, gathering the attention of this female lion. BOOM!!! As the grenade explodes, the lion roars with pain. I hope it did not kill that lion. If it does, then the others will come for revenge. I can''t afford to let that happen. Now then, this should buy me at least a minute. The smoke from the explosion should be able to hide my smell. I hid myself within the bushes as I prepared a large stick, wrapped with my hunting gloves as I placed it on my mouth, sitting with my legs crossed. I don''t usually do that. But because of the fatigue and exhaustion that builds up¡ª I can''t afford to let myself scream without a care. ¡­Here it comes. First blade. ¡°G-Grk¡­¡­¡­!¡± Second blade. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Phew, finally¡ª the transformation is done¡ª ¡°Ow¡­¡­¡­...!?¡± What happened¡ª!?Why am I hurting all over my body¡­!? Why is my body shaking¡­!? What is this in my mouth¡­!? Is this taste¡ª blood¡­!? It''s so dark, I can''t see anything¡­! ¡°GROARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡ªthere''s a lion nearby!? ¡°Urk¡­!¡± My head¡­! Here it comes¡ª Nightwalker`s memory¡­! ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Huh¡­? After Nightwalker`s memory came to me¡ª my mind went blank. As empty as a white sheet. Then¡­ no matter how hard I tried to hold in¡ª tears fell from my eyes. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± There''s no use crying. The only thing crying could do is to make you feel better for a while, and nothing else. In the end, I still need to deal with the things that have yet to come. ¡­I will get out of here. I will get out of here and go back. Restia and Ruby¡ª are waiting for me. Mustering the remaining strength that was left on this body, I took the weapons that were left around the bushes, then peeked from the bushes. Curses¡­ Can''t see anything¡­ ¡­Though this would give away my position, there''s no choice but to rely on my torchlight. When I switched on the torchlight on my hunting suit and the hunting rifle¡ª I was stunned by the pair of eyes of a predator that was reflected back to me. At least twenty¡ª no, it''s thirty¡ª no, it''s fifty...! Only 3 bullets remain¡­ However, I could vaguely tell my direction. I`m sure a little more, I may find a dangerous exit. Firstly¡­ I need to deal with the lions¡­ When I noticed¡ª the Cithaeron lion isn''t looking at me at all. It completely ignored me. They ignored me because I`m not a threat, because not even the explosion of the grenade could do any harm to them. When I gave a good look to where it was staring, I saw a pack of wolves standing not too far away, with one of the wolves¡ª the alpha Fenrir wolf, I believe, standing on a large rock. The Fenrir wolves. There are eight of them. This is their territory. The lions entered their territory because of me. The Cithaeron lion looks terrified. Under the presence of the alpha Fenrir wolf¡ª which is even larger, smarter, more powerful, stronger and fiercer compared to the alpha lion. However, that''s not the Cithaeron lion`s only enemy¡ª at night, there`s still the misfortune cat, white snake and the rare snow leopards. These lions aren''t a match to them when it comes to the night. They knew this, that''s why¡ª the female lions gathered around their cubs, trying to protect them. The alpha Fenrir knew. It''s giving the lions a chance to get out from their territory. However, Fenrir seems to notice me from afar¡ª it stares towards my direction. As if the lions weren''t important anymore, the alpha Fenrir jumped down from the rock. Without any fear; Without any pride; As calm as the wind. The alpha Fenrir slowly approaches me. The Cithaeron lions could only tremble in fear and hurdled closer to each other. Under the moonlight¡ª it''s silver fur and its yellow eyes emits a faint glow, a faint sparkle in the dark. It was so beautiful. Especially its tail¡ª it was so fluffy. There''s no room to feel any fear nor exhaustion¡ª I can''t help but to be mesmerized by the beauty of it. The alpha Fenrir then stops, tilting its head to the left¡ª seeming to be confused. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I inadvertently murmured. After seeing its behaviour, it made me confused. ¡°Can you not hear me, human child?¡± The alpha Fenrir spoke, and with a manly voice. It spoke to me. It`s intelligent enough to communicate. Then I know why it told me that. Dad told me before¡ª magical beast communicates to others through telepathy. But it only works if I had mana to spare. Since I don`t, so it cannot communicate to me through telepathy. Yet, the alpha Fenrir is intelligent enough and capable of vocal speech, and it''s language is international human language. ¡°I don''t have mana on me.¡± I replied to Alpha Fenrir. ¡°And I`m sorry for barging into your territory and not being able to speak in your language.¡± The Fenrir looks surprised. But after taking a glance at the lions, the Fenrir glared at me and lowered its head till its nose was in front of me. ¡°Why have you come here, child?¡± He made a puff, blowing air on me with its nose. ¡°Were you not afraid of death?¡± It added. Though faced with such a threat, I calmly look back at Fenrir. ¡°I am.¡± I replied. ¡°Had you wished to kill me, I wouldn''t be still standing here.¡± ¡°Kuhahahaha¡­¡­!¡± The alpha Fenrir laughed boldly. ¡°Amusing, child. You know your place. You were raised well.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. My parents deserve the praise.¡± ¡°Very well. Now answer me, why were you here¡­?¡± ¡°The alpha Cithaeron lion barged into my place and destroyed my shelter. I`m not strong enough to beat it, so I lure it to this forest and accidentally invade your territory.¡± Hearing this, the alpha Fenrir immediately turns its head to face the alpha Cithaeron lion. Seems like they were communicating through telepathy. Then afterwards, I could see Fenrir`s expression twitched with anger. ¡°Owoooooooooo¡­.!!!¡± The alpha Fenrir howled. Grk¡­! The howl blows off the dead leaves on the ground, shaking the ground and the trees. With that howl, the Cithaeron lions immediately trembled with fear and sat down with all four of their legs and their heads lowered. It seems like the alpha Fenrir was angry. ¡°What happened¡­?¡± I asked Alpha Fenrir. ¡°The lions broke the pact we magical beasts have made with your father.¡± ¡°My father¡­!? You knew my father!? Where is my father!?¡± ¡°That was a decade ago, child.¡± Fenrir replied. ¡°Your shelter was never invaded because of your father`s pact. The moment he''s gone and these lions dare to break the pact.¡± Though the alpha Fenrir did not seem to mind, I don''t think the other wolves liked my attitude. ¡°I''m sorry for my behaviour.¡± I apologized with a bow. ¡°When did you know my father is gone?¡± ¡°His mana presence disappeared this morning.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for telling me.¡± ¡°It was necessary.¡± Fenrir told me. ¡°Now that the lions broke the pact¡ª how do you want them to be judged?¡± ¡°M-Me¡­?¡± I pointed at myself. ¡°You were your father`s child, are you not?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Yes.¡± I then look at the Cithaeron lions. ¡°What would happen to their territory if they were dead?¡± Somehow, the alpha Fenrir was visibly surprised. Perhaps it was because I gave hints to it to take the lion''s life. ¡°¡­¡­They are not the only lions here. Their territory¡ª without a doubt will be taken over by the others.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Nya, nya.¡± Suddenly, a cat''s voice came from behind. A cat with a girl`s voice. The way it meows seems to be saying ¡®My, my¡¯. I looked behind. A pair of orange coloured cat eyes reflected the moonlight¡ª which it surprised me. What surprised me is¡ª the cat is normal sized, and it is alone. Compared to the big Cithaeron lions and the enormous Fenrir wolves, this cat`s size is normal to any household pet. It is a black cat. It speaks. Then, this must be the misfortune cat. Dad once told me that the misfortune cat was also known as the unlucky cat. They were born with a strong power that comes with a strong curse. At some certain fixed point of their age, the misfortune cat would witness the death of their parents. The darker their fur colour, the stronger they are as well as their ¡®curse¡¯. And the deadliest one dad said that he had ever seen was coloured obsidian black and yet this one¡ª ¡ªis perfect black. Even darker compared to Vanta-black. It`s colour was so dark that the light from my hunting rifle is not reflecting from its fur. ¡°You aren''t allowed to spare their lives, human child.¡± The misfortune cat told me. ¡°You must take at least one of their life.¡± Then, it sits on the ground, staring at the Cithaeron lions. ¡°Spare? This child intends to spare their lives?¡± The Fenrir wolf asks the misfortune cat. ¡°Watch your attitude, nya.¡± The misfortune cat told Fenrir. ¡°Is this how you were supposed to talk to me, nya?¡± ¡°Forgive my behaviour.¡± The Fenrir willingly lowered its head. This misfortune cat¡­ is on a higher level. But¡­ ¡­it''s so cute. Realizing that I''m staring at it, the misfortune cat then stared at me. ¡°Nya¡­? You seemed eager to touch me, human.¡± It murmured. ¡°Very well, I will let you touch me if you aren''t afraid of death¡ª¡± ¡°Gladly¡­!¡± ¡°¡ªNYAA¡­!!?¡± I immediately lock the rifle with the safety lock and let it hang on my back¡ª hugging the misfortune cat as I place it on my arms. Its fur is so soft and smooth¡ª and it isn`t smelly even though it''s living in the forest. ¡°Nya, you have skills, human.¡± The cat told me. ¡°If it were a little bit uncomfortable, I would''ve killed you, nya.¡± ¡°I can''t die yet.¡± I told the cat. ¡°I need to go back to my family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The misfortune cat kept its silence. After the misfortune cat licks its paw and puts it back into my arms¡ª it glared at the lions. The lions shook even more when it was under the presence of the alpha Fenrir wolf. ¡°The reason the lion barged into your territory because it was lazy to hunt, nya.¡± The cat told me. ¡°It''s aiming for the food you have, nya.¡± I thought that my blood would¡¯ve boiled. I thought it would. But, I`m too tired and exhausted to be angry. ¡°So¡­ what are you going to do, nya?¡± The cat asks me. I would want them to be dead, of course. But if their territory will be replaced instead of them, I doubt that the same mistake would happen again. If the minimum punishment is to take one of their lives, then I will make sure this lesson will be etched deeply into their minds¡­ ¡°Offer one of your children to be the sacrifice, and I will spare the rest of you.¡± I uttered. After hearing my words, the misfortune cat closes its eyes for a moment. The Cithaeron lions immediately raise their heads. Then the alpha Cithaeron lion looked at its cubs, seeming to have already found one¡ª then one female lion immediately stood in front of its cub, as if trying to protect it. While the rest of the lions backed off away from them. The alpha lion did not care. With a smack with his claw on the face of the female lion¡ª the female lion then toppled and fell on the ground with a painful growl. The weakest looking cub hurriedly ran out to its mother''s side, ???k?n? its wounded face. However, the mother continued to stand up and defend her child¡ª thus, repeating the same situation once again, until it could b?r?ly move. It`s face is all bloody and mangled. With its mouth, the alpha then carries the weakest cub on its scruff. Though the little cub struggled as hard as it could¡ª it isn`t able to get off from its mouth. ¡°GROWLLL!!!?¡± Just before the alpha lion could walk towards Alpha Fenrir¡ª the mother of the cub struggled and bit the alpha lion on its right hind ankle, till the alpha was bleeding. However, with a fling of its hind leg¡ª the mother lion was kicked once again and fell to the ground, struggling to move. The alpha lion, then placed its cub in front of me, the misfortune cat and the alpha Fenrir. Though the cub tries to run back to its mother¡ª the alpha smacks it back into place, until the little cub could not move anymore. ¡°Growl¡­¡­¡± When I knew it, the cub`s mother already moved near to her child, cradling it with its paw. It''s as if it''s telling me that ¡®if my son must die, then please take me along with it¡¯. The alpha Fenrir wolf did not look happy at all. ¡°Hey, cat.¡± ¡°What is it, human?¡± The misfortune cat looks up. ¡°Can I take these two¡­?¡± ¡°These two, nya?¡± The cat made a short huff. ¡°It would be better if the rest of them died instead.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I told the cat. ¡°I want them dead except these two.¡± The misfortune cat paused for a moment, then it stared at the lions. ¡°Gladly, nya.¡± The misfortune cat told me. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± The alpha Fenrir talks to the cat. ¡°Can I kill them instead¡­!?¡± ¡°Nya!¡± SNAP! Suddenly, the sound of a tree breaking and collapsing could be heard. It was the tree nearby the alpha Fenrir¡ª it collapsed and fell to its direction. ¡°OWOOOOOOOO!!!!¡± With one howl from its mouth, the large, tall tree snaps cleanly into two and avoids the alpha Fenrir. When I realized, this tree was the tree that the alpha lion left its scratch mark on. ¡°This is a warning, nya!¡± The misfortune cat told Alpha Fenrir. ¡°My apologies.¡± The alpha Fenrir lowered its head. Then it looks at the misfortune cat with a serious look. ¡°As the leader of my pack, I can''t tolerate such a cowardly act¡ª please let me kill them in your stead.¡± ¡°Gladly, nya.¡± ¡°OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!¡± With a powerful howl, the Fenrir wolves entered into a battle state, where the lions were surprised by it. Under the command of the alpha Fenrir, the rest of the Fenrir wolves pounce towards the lions. Thus, the mass slaughter of the Cithaeron lions begins. ¡°That idiot, nya.¡± The misfortune cat groans. I agree with the misfortune cat. Howling would¡¯ve made them put on their guard¡ª or worst case, escape. Somehow, the misfortune cat didn''t seem to worry about that, and decided to look at me from my arms. ¡°What makes you change your mind, human?¡± The cat asks. ¡°I didn''t change my mind.¡± I said. ¡°¡­If that lion decided to offer itself or protect its child right from the start¡ª I would`ve spared them instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Once again, the misfortune cat remains silent. ¡°I`ve decided, nya.¡± The cat murmured. ¡°Put me down.¡± Following what it says, I carefully take the misfortune cat on its armpits and place it on the ground. Then the cat turned and sat in front of me, staring at me. ¡°Do you want to give me a name, human?¡± Hearing those words, I inadvertently widen my eyes from surprise. Naming a magical beast, is the same as them officially and willingly to serve under you as their contracted beast. ¡°Y-You want me to name you¡­?¡± I inadvertently uttered. ¡°B-But, what capabilities do I have to name a magical beast as powerful as you?¡± ¡°You don`t, nya. You are weak.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± ¡°That''s why, nya, I will protect you.¡± The misfortune cat¡ª willingly to be a contracted beast? This is unheard of. No one would ever want to have anything to do with the misfortune cats as they are a cursed being. I can''t bring harm to Restia and Ruby¡­! Somehow, it''s as if the misfortune cat noticed my hesitation¡ª ¡°¡­I understand, nya.¡± After saying that, the misfortune then turned its direction back to where it came from, walking away without saying another word. ¡°W-Wait¡­!¡± ¡®Come with me¡¯ or so I was going to say. But the words didn`t come out. Perhaps, the misfortune cat knew it too well. That''s why it stops without turning its head¡ª and instead, it looks up to the sky. ¡°My family, my friends¡­¡­ were dead because of my ¡®curse¡¯.¡± It murmured. ¡°Even the magical beasts wouldn''t want to have anything to do with me, nya.¡± Even if my parents weren''t here, I still have Restia and Ruby but yet, the misfortune cat¡ª is completely alone. ¡°T-Then¡ª you can come with me¡­!¡± I finally got the words out. ¡°If you sincerely want me to come with you¡­ you wouldn''t hesitate, nya.¡± The cat replied. ¡°I don''t need sympathy, nya.¡± It said angrily. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± The cat was right¡ª I did it out of sympathy. The reason the misfortune cat wants to come with me¡ª I know it all too well. Because when I carried her on my arms¡ª it was an act without any reserve, it was out of my free will pure-heartedly without any consideration made. I could tell it felt happy for once in a long time. That''s why, it wants to go with me¡ª yet I shunned it and broke her heart. I could only stand at my place, watching as it goes¡ª slowly blending into the darkness. Doing nothing¡ª is that really the right thing to do¡­? It''s like the misfortune cat knows what I''m thinking¡­ ¡°¡­Nya.¡± After it meows¡ª the sound of a tree breaking and collapsing could be heard. The tree is aiming for me. BAM! I b?r?ly dodged it with a few steps back, cutting the thick branches with the katana on my hand. It`s showing me its determination. ¡­Then, I will show you mine. ¡°Cat!¡± I yelled. ¡°One day¡ª I will come and get you!! Don''t refuse me by then¡ª¡± ¡°GROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!¡± ¡°Look out, human!!!!!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ A moment later, when I came to¡ª my world was spinning. I was head-butted by the alpha Cithaeron lion, which it used the last of its breath to escape from the alpha Fenrir`s fang, and knocked me flying¡ª higher than the trees that''re around 150m tall. Using the last of my strength, I adjusted my posture¡ª trying to balance my body for landing. When I realized, the trees were suddenly no more¡ª and I flew past a cliff. ¡­My katana could not reach it. ¡°Ah¡­ shit.¡± Perhaps, the misfortune cat was right. ¡­I was cursed. After muttering those words before I lost consciousness, the last thing I saw¡­ ¡­was a sea with horrible waves. Chapter 33 - 3.4 - Saturday, July 16th, 9.27am Cough. ¡°B-Bwuaahhhhh¡ª Ack¡ª ack¡ª Hah¡­ hah¡­!¡± The moment I came to¡ª the sea water that was stuck in my lungs was f?r??b?? coughed out. The pain from the cough which shook my entire body, heightened the pain even further¡ª which made my eyes open unconsciously. Sand¡­¡­? Where¡­¡­ am I¡­? My body was lying flat. Though my body was consumed by hunger, thirst, pain and fatigue¡ª but I could still muster some strength to turn myself face upwards. ¡°G-Gahhhh¡ª Ugh¡­! Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡­¡± My throat feels so dry. My body feels so painful. It feels like every bone on my body is cracked. Water is splashing my legs; I could see a clear blue sky; And hear the sound of waves. ¡­¡­The beach? ¡°The beach¡ª Gack¡ª Ack¡ª!¡± Getting too excited because this is a place that I was familiar with, I inadvertently did a sit-up¡ª and during the progress, the movement rattled my bones, which then I was forced to cough out solidified blood from my lungs, or stomach¡­ I can''t really tell from where it came from. ¡­My breathing seems to be fine. I guess it''s no big deal. The waves washed me here. I can finally go home¡ª Restia and Ruby must be worried sick. But¡ª what then¡­? Our food resources are gone thanks to that damned Cithaeron lion. They attacked because dad is gone¡­ ¡­because dad is gone. The alpha Fenrir wolf clearly knows my dad''s gone. ¡°DADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD¡ª ACK!?¡± I don''t know why I shout. Perhaps it was to express my sadness, my anger, my pain¡ª which then the blood clotting my lungs were then coughed out. I`m not sure how much blood I still have in my lungs. My throat is so dry that I don''t have the strength to scream anymore. I could only look at the waves and slam my fist on the sand. Though I''m close to home, I should be careful¡ª at the very least, I should keep a weapon with me. The three remaining bullets left in the hunting rifle won''t be enough. After digging further with the scabbard that was hung on my waist, I find the blade of my katana stabbing a fish. A large one¡ª and it''s still alive. Well, b?r?ly. It`s food. I need to bring this back¡­! ¡°Grk¡­!¡± With my remaining strength, I lifted the blade along with the fish as I rested on my shoulder. Though it''s heavy, I could somehow manage to carry it. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± It''s already been more than a day since I''ve consumed water¡ª and the salt water dehydrated me even further. Thankfully the weather`s today is cloudy. If I were to walk under the hot sun instead, I don''t think I could make it back. ¡°¡­!¡± As I`m looking for my home from afar, something caught my eye. The barrier surrounding the house was restored. That can''t be¡ª Could it be¡­ Have¡­ mom and dad returned¡­? Thinking that, I started to run. It hurts. But I couldn''t care less about it. I only ran. ¡®Welcome back¡­!¡¯ I only wanted to tell them that. ¡°MYASTERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Hearing that voice from afar, I increased my speed. ¡ªsomeone from the house noticed me, and came running as fast as she could. The four-year-old little girl, yet her senses are sharper than anyone else in the house. ¡°Ruby¡­!¡± When I knew it, I had thrown the fish aside with my arms opening wide. I thought Ruby was going to stop. ¡°GACK¡ª!? GYAA¡ª ARGH¡ª OW¡ª!!!?¡± It was so powerful that my body slid and bounced on the ground two times. ¡°MASTER! MASTER!! MASTER!!!!!!!!¡± Knowing that I had returned, Ruby could only hug me as tight as she could, and cry with all she had on her. I know that. However¡ª ¡°Gyaa!!!?¡± I inadvertently screamed. ¡°Your snot is all over me!!!¡± Though a dramatic reunion, but the snot is just so gross that I need to peel her off from my ?h?st. ¡°Ruby¡ª did mom and dad come back¡­!?¡± ¡°Yesh¡­¡­ (Sniff)¡± Hearing Ruby`s reply, a shock went through my body¡ª it''s like it had recuperated. The strength that I thought I don`t have in me anymore came back to me so suddenly. ¡°Let''s go¡ª let''s go¡­!¡± While pushing Ruby to stand up, I grabbed my katana with the fish and walked, together with Ruby. Perhaps, I was too excited. I was too excited¡ª that`s why my judgement was clouded. At that moment, if I were to notice a little earlier¡­ Perhaps, I wouldn''t need to go through the tragedy that came afterwards. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The house was still in tattered condition. The destroyed places¡ª still remains, only the barrier was restored. Ruby, which was by my side¡ª although we`ve already reached the front door, and supposedly she should be reporting about my return excitedly¡­ Yet¡­ she looks¡­ unhappy. And she was awfully quiet as we walked. The silence could only make my heart jolt. Why did Ruby behave this way¡­? There''s something wrong for sure, but I couldn''t tell what it is. Putting the fish aside, I open the front door with an uneasy feeling. ¡°Mom¡ª dad!!?¡± No response. I saw no one. Though the lights were on, it doesn''t seem like there''s anybody in there. ¡°Ruby¡ª didn''t you say mom and dad are back¡­?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ruby replied. ¡°Papa and mama will be back soon¡­¡­¡± Ruby`s eerie reply completely surprised me. My head involuntarily turns to face her¡­ ¡°!¡± ¡­which then I immediately retreated and stumbled at the corridor when I saw her expression. This expression¡­ what is it called¡­? ¡ªbroken. ¡°Myaster¡­?¡± After watching my reaction, naturally, Ruby immediately approached closer to me with a worried look. She looks normal now. ¡®¡­Calm down, just calm down.¡¯ I told myself. ¡°¡­big¡­¡­ brother¡­¡­?¡± When that familiar voice came across my ears from behind¡ª I quickly looked back to find Restia, which she just came out from the kitchen. Restia did not run to me like what I expected. She was just so surprised and confused that her legs gave out its strength, which she kneels afterwards. ¡°Wel¡­ Welcome home¡­¡­!¡± After Restia manages to get her words out, she bursts to tears. ¡°Yeah¡­! I''m home¡ª Eh?¡± It''s as if Ruby knows I''m going to hug Restia. She stopped me by grabbing my hand. ¡°You can`t, myaster.¡± Ruby told me. ¡°Restia is a really bad, bad, girl.¡± Ruby`s statement stunned me for a moment. I thought I`d misheard Ruby. But after I saw Restia`s terrified expression, I realized everything that she said was real. With a closer look, I noticed Restia`s arms and her legs were wrapped with bandages¡ª lots of it. It was unusual. But before I could put my attention on Restia, a thought came to me¡ª I was reminded of Ruby`s eerie reply. I involuntarily turn back to look at Ruby, at which she is staring down on me with a completely innocent expression. It was so overwhelmingly innocent till the point that it was nauseating me. ¡ªlike a serial killer that kills as if it was the natural thing to do. Trying to calm myself, I pinched my left hand¡ª inflicting pain so I could keep myself clear headed. However, there''s no feeling of pain because my body is already covered with heavy injuries. So I gritted my teeth, which my gum was slightly swollen because Nightwalker bit too hard on the stick¡ª I managed to get my composure back. ¡°¡­W- Why¡­ did you say that¡­?¡± ¡°Restia lied.¡± Ruby told me. ¡°She said papa and mama isn''t coming back.¡± ¡°How many times do you want me to tell you¡­!?¡± Restia yelled. ¡°Papa and mama is never coming back¡­!¡± ¡°NO!!!¡± Ruby reacted, almost instantly. ¡°PAPA AND MAMA WILL BE HERE SOON!!!¡± Ruby took only a second to reach Restia¡ª which then she extended her fingernails on her right hand, and clawed on Restia, where Restia blocks it with her right arm. ¡°¡­¡­Ngh¡­!¡± Ruby`s eyes changed¡ª like that of a cat hunting its prey. With her sharp fingernails cutting across Restia`s skin and her bandages¡ª which some part of the bandages sliced and fell off, revealing her arm that was filled with clawed wounds. There''s a total of twenty lines, four claw marks in just on Restia`s lower right arm. Adding the one Ruby just did, there''s a total of twenty-five lines¡ª a total of five claw marks. The old wounds were reopened from that scratch¡ª causing Restia`s arm to be bleeding intensively. However, Ruby did not stop. Claw after claw Ruby continued to scratch on Restia, which she blocks with both of her arms¡ª Restia endured without fighting back, until she curled herself in pain. Until Restia doesn''t have the strength to talk¡ª but still, Ruby did not stop. When I realized I was just sitting and watching without doing a single thing¡ª something in my brain seems to have snapped. BANG!!! The hunting rifle that was still on my back¡ª I took it and fired a shot. The bullet grazed on Ruby`s upper right arm, which then it pierced through the walls afterwards. Though there`s blood oozing out from her wound, Ruby did not react to it¡ª instead, she''s looking at me with a shocked, confused and terrified look. ¡°M¡­ Myaster¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Scram.¡± I uttered. ¡°Get out of here.¡± Ruby`s expression was as if it couldn''t believe what she just heard and saw. ¡°¡­I''m telling you to get out of here.¡± I uttered once more. ¡°I don''t need you anymore.¡± Though Ruby feared me. She was completely in fear. Yet she still approaches me, even though I was still aiming the rifle at her. ¡°R¡­ Ruby¡­ Ruby will behave¡­¡± She said, with a weak voice. ¡°Please don''t cast Ruby out¡­¡± ¡°I don`t need a stubborn pet that harms her family and one and only friend.¡± I uttered. ¡°Please don''t cast Ruby out¡­!¡± Ruby pleaded. ¡°Papa and mama¡ª¡± ¡°MOM AND DAD IS NEVER GOING TO COME BACK!!! THEY TOOK EVERY SINGLE THING AND LEFT US BEHIND!!!¡± Hearing that, Ruby could only stand still with her tears falling one-by-one. However, she shook her head afterwards. ¡°Myaster¡­ Why are you lying to Ruby too¡­? Lying is bad¡­¡± It''s as if she''s convincing herself that everything is a dream. ¡°¡­Who`s the one lying here¡­?¡± I uttered. ¡°You are the one lying to yourself¡­!¡± ¡°N-No¡­!¡± Ruby shakes her head. ¡°Why¡­? Even myaster¡ª Why is everyone lying to Ruby¡­? Papa and mama¡ª Papa and mama will come back¡­!¡± When I knew it, Ruby already had her claws scratching on my ?h?st. Left, right, left, right, left, right¡­ She continued to do so, with tears in her eyes¡ª because Ruby had never faced something as shocking as this. She refuses to believe. She refuses to listen¡ª even if I was the one who told her. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± It hurts. The hunting suit couldn''t handle the scratch anymore¡ª it eventually succumbs to Ruby`s claw swiping. ¡°That''s enough¡­! Get out!!!¡± I caught Ruby on the right hand of her wrist, with a twist and swing¡ª I threw her out from the house to the front-yard. ¡°N¡ª Nya¡­!!¡± Ruby crashed on the ground and took a few rolls before it stopped. ¡°¡­R¡­ Ruby is staying here¡­¡­!¡± While uttering those words like a spoiled kid, Ruby struggled to stand up. ¡°Leave!¡± ¡°No! Ruby will wait here for papa and mama¡ª¡± BANG! When I knew it, I had already fired a shot, which the bullet grazed her lower right leg. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± Ruby stumbled on her bu?? because of that shot. After taking a glance on her injuries, Ruby involuntarily raises her head out of shock, and looks at me with fear. ¡°Take another step closer, and I will shoot you.¡± I told her. Ruby hears me, but she refuses to believe. Because I`m the one she trusts the most¡ª the one she loves the most. She wants to believe that I would never shoot her directly. That''s why, she didn''t hesitate to take a step¡ª BANG! ¡°NYA¡­!!!!!!!!?¡± ¡ªand the bullet pierce through her right shoulder. That shot toppled Ruby once again, she landed on her bu?? slamming on the ground. Then after she took a glance on her shoulder, where the blood is oozing nonstop¡ª Ruby screams and cries as hard as she could. ¡°NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!?¡± ¡°Stop screaming.¡± I said to Ruby. ¡°Restia had the exact same pain.¡± ...Hearing my remark, Ruby`s eyes widen. ¡°R-Ruby¡­!¡± Perhaps, Ruby can''t seem to get her words out because she realized now and because of the pain that I inflicted on her. She realized the harm and pain she did to Restia. ¡°I will give you three seconds to get out of my sight.¡± After tasting the bullet once, Ruby clearly knows I would definitely mark my words and pull the trigger. So she made a run. With injuries on her, she could only make a weak run. And as she runs, she cries. An extremely sad cry. But then¡ª she stopped. I can''t afford to let that happen. So I pulled the trigger. CLICK¡ª ¡°!¡± Which Ruby reflexively reacted, and continued to run. I watched until she disappeared into the forest. And the moment she disappears¡ª it''s as if strength has left me. The rifle on my hands falls to the floor with a crashing sound. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ WHAT HAVE I DONE¡­!? ¡°Guh¡­¡­!¡± Disgusted by my own behaviour, my stomach contracted so much that I was on the verge to vomit¡ª but I couldn''t do so because my stomach is completely empty. I could only stomp the hunting rifle that was on the floor. Again and again. Till the rifle was completely broken¡ª till it wasn''t a rifle anymore. With a kick, I sent it flying away¡ª out from my sight, then only then¡­ my stomach has calmed down. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡± As I sat on the floor, trying to catch my breath as I placed my hands on the floor¡ª the blood which stains my palm catches my attention. ¡°¡­Restia!¡± I hurriedly ran to where Restia is. Restia was out cold, and the bleeding on her wounds weren''t stopping. I hurriedly ran to the kitchen, searching for the first-aid kit¡ª where it was placed on the table. Near the first-aid kit, there are five empty bottles. ¡°¡­!¡± Five¡­ potions¡­!? Were her wounds this bad¡­!? She drank five potions¡­ and her old wounds still aren''t healing¡­? Fortunately, there''s still one potion left inside the kit, some unused bandages and disinfectant. Taking the first-aid kit, I hurriedly let Restia to lay down, applying some of the healing potion on her wounds and let her drink some. The wounds only close a little, and she''s still bleeding. This is bad¡­ Something is interfering with her wounds. I pressed Restia on her maxilla under her nose, stimulating pain for her to wake up. ¡°¡­Big¡­¡­ brother¡­¡­¡­?¡± Restia murmured. ¡°Where is¡­ Ruby¡­?¡± ¡°Don`t talk and listen to me!¡± I told her, which then she was freaked out. ¡°Gather your mana, and repeat after me¡ª Discuteret mana¡­!¡± ¡°Discu¡­ teret mana¡­¡± (Dispel mana) ¡°Did you feel any mana residue that isn''t yours¡­!?¡± I asked. ¡°If you still feel them, cast ¡®discuteret mana¡¯ again until you can''t feel them anymore¡­!¡± ¡°Discu¡­ teret mana¡­¡± (Dispel mana) ¡°Discu¡­ teret¡­ mana¡­¡± (Dispel mana) ¡°Discuteret mana¡­¡± (Dispel mana) ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After about another six times, Restia finally nods her head. I hurriedly poured the remaining potion into her mouth. Please¡­ please work¡­! After the wounds closed about 40% of it, it stopped closing¡ª then after a while, it reopens once more. There''s not a single drop of healing potion left. ¡°Restia¡­ do you still have mana in you¡­!?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Restia replied with a nod. ¡°U¡ª Uhh¡­¡­!¡± I`m trying to get the words right. ¡°L-Let your mana flow on your body, and concentrate it on your wounds!¡± Judging from it, Restia seems to be doing her best. ¡°Repeat after me¡­ remedium!¡± ¡°Remedium¡­!¡± (Cure¡­!) Once she casted, her wounds visibly closed a little, but it stopped afterwards. ¡°Again, Restia¡­! It''s not enough!¡± ¡°Remedium¡ª¡± It''s as if I heard a sound of an explosion happening in an empty bottle. ¡°Ngh¡­¡­!!!!¡± As if Restia`s right arm is tearing up from the inside¡ª her right arm is now mangled. ¡°You idiot¡­! You concentrated too much mana on your right arm!¡± I told Restia. ¡°Can you manage somehow¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­I thought¡­ it would work¡­¡± Restia replied. ¡°¡­I`m sorry¡­ I don`t have anymore¡­ mana¡ª (Cough)!¡± Blood¡­¡­? With that mana explosion occurring in her body, she might be in an even worse condition. ¡°Restia¡ª no¡­! Damn it¡­!¡± She passed out. No matter how hard I pressed on her maxilla, Restia didn''t wake up. With the remaining bandages, I could only apply some simple first aid and keep the rate of blood loss to the minimum by wrapping it tightly on her upper arm. But other than that¡ª there`s nothing else I could do. I could only hold her hand¡ª which made her body feel colder as every minute passed. Am I really going to watch my precious little sister... die right in front of my own two eyes¡­? ¡°¡­Please, Restia. Don`t leave me alone.¡± While holding her hand as I prayed, I couldn''t bear the pain anymore and drank some water from the kitchen from the broken pipe. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Is that¡ª Fenrir¡­!? As I looked from the kitchen, I saw a pack of wolves. A pack of Fenrir wolves¡ª the exact same pack that I met last night, suddenly appeared at the border of the forest, where they were approaching my house. Without a second thought, I did not even wear my shoes¡ª I hurriedly sprint to where Fenrir is. ¡°P-Please¡­ Please help me¡­¡­!!!¡± The Fenrir wolves seem to have recognised me¡ª they stopped, with the alpha standing at the front of the pack. ¡°Child¡ª you are alive¡­!¡± The alpha Fenrir seems to be impressed. ¡­and also relieved. I couldn''t care less about that. I stopped in front of the alpha Fenrir and kneeled down with all fours. ¡°What is the meaning of this, child?¡± Since I was kneeling, I can''t see Fenrir`s expression. But¡ª I could tell he was angry by judging from his tone. ¡­I don`t understand. Why is he angry¡­? ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ Please help me.¡± ¡°What do you take me for, child!!?¡± Fenrir growled. ¡°If it''s isn''t for your father`s kindness to let us live peacefully¡ª kneeling in front of me is an insult to both me and your father!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with me.¡± I replied. ¡°That pact was with my father, not me. I can''t afford to take that pact for granted.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± Fenrir can''t seem to object my statement. ¡°Are you so foolish enough to expect me to give alms, child?!¡± In response, I raised my head. ¡°¡¯Behaviour begins with thoughts, thoughts lead to words, words to actions, actions to habits, and habits to nature¡ª and ultimately, nature forms our fate.¡¯ This is what I was taught by my father.¡± I said. ¡°If I bow my head and extend my hands in humble receipt each time, one day, my posture would become that of a beggar¡ª and I`m not foolish enough to do that.¡± Fenrir made a grin. ¡°Very well. I take this as a humble trade, then? Speak.¡± ¡°¡­I have three request.¡± ¡°I accept.¡± Fenrir replied instantly. ¡°Name them.¡± ¡°Please save my little sister first. She''s currently in a grave condition.¡± ¡°I could not save her if it were a disease.¡± ¡°It was a flesh wound¡ª but she had horrible blood loss and her wounds aren''t closing.¡± ¡°Take me there, child.¡± Chapter 34 - 3.5 - Saturday, July 16th, 10.08am ¡°Hreinsaeu l¨ªkamann, l?kna s¨¢rin.¡± (Cleanse the body, heal the wounds.) After leading the Fenrir wolves to the front yard, I carefully carried Restia and placed her in front of the alpha Fenrir wolf, which he was extremely surprised after seeing such an injury. Then it seems to cast a purifying spell and healing spell on Restia. I felt tense when I saw Alpha Fenrir casting the same spell several times. Those moments were tough¡ª as if an hour had passed, even though it was only a minute. ¡°L?kna s¨¢rin.¡± (Heal the wounds.) After the thirteenth time¡­ Restia`s wounds finally close completely. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± Alpha Fenrir lets out a short sigh. Which then afterwards, he looks at me. ¡°This little child¡­ despite suffering from heavy blood loss and mana poisoning¡ª her will to live is extremely strong.¡± ¡°Did you say¡ª mana poisoning¡­?¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Wasn`t the mana residue within her cleared¡­?¡± ¡°Don`t be mistaken, child.¡± Fenrir halted me. ¡°This little child here was injected with mana several times more than she could take.¡± ¡°You made a mistake¡­ That`s mana overdose.¡± I corrected him. ¡°¡­I see. It seems I''m still not quite fluent in your language.¡± Fenrir then sat in a serious posture, with him naturally looking down on me. ¡°Child¡­ what creature causes such harm?¡± He asks. ¡°It''s not just any creature.¡± I said, while shifting my gaze at Restia. ¡°It''s my magical pet¡ª she''s my family, the youngest sister to me.¡± ¡°Creature¡­? I gave her a name¡ª she`s called Ruby.¡± My tone isn''t exactly angry or anything. But calling Ruby ¡®creature¡¯ sort of made me annoyed. ¡°You even named it¡­?¡± Fenrir was in even more of a shock. ¡°Child¡ª do you know what on earth you have gotten your hands into!?¡± Alpha Fenrir doesn''t look happy at all, or rather, he''s on the verge to slam his paw on me to relieve his anger. I calmly look at Fenrir. ¡°A precious family.¡± I told him. ¡°No family would harm their own brethren¡ª if I were a little late, this child here will die.¡± ¡°Ruby¡ª is just confused, that''s all¡­ She just needs time to accept that our parents are gone¡­¡± I said. ¡°And I am really grateful that you cured Restia¡­!¡± ¡°Do you know how powerful that creature''s mana?¡± ¡°One drop of her condensed mana could completely refill mine¡ª her mana is just that powerful.¡± ¡°Completely refill yours¡­!?¡± I inadvertently murmured. The Fenrir wolves¡¯ mana were much more refined, even as a magical beast race. But one drop of Ruby`s mana could refill theirs completely¡­? ¡°I now understand why your father made the pact with us.¡± Fenrir told me. ¡°Perhaps it was to protect this creature.¡± To protect¡ª Ruby¡­? ¡°A-Ah¡­!¡± Thinking Fenrir`s words made me inadvertently remember. ¡°Here''s my second request¡ª please help me get her back¡­!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Fenrir flinched. ¡°She entered the forest¡­!?¡± I was surprised that Alpha Fenrir could reply to the answer almost immediately. ¡°H-How did you know¡­? You could tell from her mana¡­?¡± ¡°I can''t feel her mana anymore.¡± Fenrir raises his head, and looks towards the forest. ¡°¡­That child completely hid her presence.¡± ¡°It isn''t hard to find Ruby¡ª she`s pink¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Seeming I wasn''t giving any details further, alpha Fenrir immediately looks at me, seeming dumbfounded. ¡°Child¡ª what do you mean, she`s ¡®pink¡¯?¡± ¡°Ruby`s hair¡ª or fur¡­ well¡­ is pink.¡± ¡°Are you mocking me, child!?¡± The Fenrir made a growl and lowered his head, glaring at me. Though I was quite stunned on the interior, but on the exterior, I could only look at him while acting calm. ¡°¡­Do I seem to be that foolish?¡± I then sat next to Restia. ¡°Ruby¡­ is not a magical beast nor a beast-man¡ª I don''t know what she is, or even my father.¡± I paused for a moment, trying to find the appropriate words to describe Ruby. ¡°She¡­ could transform into any type of mammal beast whenever she wants, but she will always remain pink.¡± ¡°¡­I don`t understand.¡± Fenrir made a confused look. ¡°I need to find a pink coloured mammal?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ a cat, a dog, a cow, a lion, a tiger, a pig, a rabbit¡ª she would always be pink. Does this help¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe not.¡± Fenrir paused afterwards. ¡°Inside this forest¡­ the Rabbits of Fortune are pink¡ª maybe she would hide among them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Even if she`s among them¡­ it`s not hard to find her. She had a wound on her right shoulder¡ª and I was the one who shot her¡­¡± I find my hand to be grabbing on Restia`s hand. But as Fenrir stands up and I know what he might possibly do¡ª I immediately let go. BAM! ¡°Guh¡­¡­!¡± ¡°WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS¡­?¡± Fenrir ?r??n?d. ¡°YOU WANT ME TO CLEAN THE MESS YOU''VE MADE¡­?¡± I wiggled my hands out for some space for my lungs, trying to breath properly. ¡°¡­Yes. I`m too weak on my own¡ª I`m the weakest in my family. I don`t have extraordinary talents nor power to protect even a single one of them¡ª and instead, I''ve hurt them. This is my only way to make a compensation¡­¡± ¡°WEAK¡­? Kuhahahahahaha¡­¡­!!!¡± Fenrir raised his head made a sneering laugh, then looks at me again. ¡°Those may be true, but were just mere excuses. You knew it, don`t you? You knew that the cat sent me here¡ª and you knew I don`t have a choice but to follow your orders!¡± Though I somehow disagreed with Fenrir`s remark, I decided to put my act to rest and lay down without struggling anymore. I could only reply honestly¡ª because if I don`t, Fenrir would not help me to search for Ruby. ¡°Yes¡­ Because of your carelessness that the lion slammed on me, causing me to fall into the sea. The cat and your pride would not allow that, just like how my pride would not allow me to give up on Ruby¡­ this is why I would go so far to kneel and plead to ask you for help. With this, I had given you face and the chance to atone for your mistakes.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Fenrir retreated his paw as he ?r??n?d, sitting back on his original posture. ¡°True¡­ it was because of my carelessness that you were harmed¡ª however, child, I`m not helping you because of the cat.¡± I sat properly, trying to lessen the pain on my whole body by adjusting my sitting posture. ¡°Foolish child, you don''t need to know.¡± ¡°¡­I won''t ask if you do not wish to speak¡ª but I wish you could help me find Ruby as soon as possible¡­¡± Hearing my remark, alpha Fenrir seems to remember something. ¡°¡­¡­How old are you, child?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± Fenrir inadvertently widens his eyes. ¡°What about that ¡®creature¡¯¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­Four.¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± Alpha Fenrir immediately made a scowl on me, then turned his head and looked at the others, which they were waiting behind. It seems he`s communicating to them through telepathy. Six of the eight Fenrir wolves immediately went into the forest afterwards, in a pair of three teams. ¡°¡­Child, do you know what you have done!?¡± I could only look away. ¡°You don''t need to tell me¡­¡± ¡°You don''t get it. This is a race against time.¡± I quickly pull my gaze back to Fenrir. ¡°What do you mean, a matter of time¡­?¡± ¡°¡­If she gets into the White Snake`s territory, she''s done for¡ª and the smell of her blood and her mana is making the situation even worse.¡± A jolt immediately went through my whole body. ¡°What¡­ what can I do¡­?¡± ¡°What can you do¡­? Not only you are covered with wounds all over¡ª what''s more, I can''t heal you with my magic. Your only choice, child¡ª is to pray to the celestial gods.¡± ¡°Celestial gods¡­?¡± I find myself to be sneering¡ª I wondered why. ¡°To whom? Your ancestor Loki? Or his parents¡ª F¨¢rbauti? Or Laufey? Or should I pray to you since you are the descendant of a celestial god?¡± ¡°Growl!¡± The only Fenrir wolf that stayed behind growled at me after it heard what I`ve said¡ª it gave me a fright, or rather, I was surprised that it could understand what I`ve said. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But afterwards, it stands down and lowers its head with a whimper to the alpha Fenrir. ¡°Kuhahaha. It seems I''m not the only one who hates my ancestors.¡± Alpha Fenrir laughed. ¡°Don`t worry, child. That little creature will be fine if we could find the cat for help¡ª she''s the only one who could stand a chance against the White Snake.¡± ¡°But¡­ isn''t finding Ruby the most important thing to do first¡­?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Fenrir said with a worried look. ¡°If my kin were to engage in a fight against the snow leopards¡ª there''s no telling who would win. That''s why we need the cat''s help.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ the snow leopards are working for the White Snake, just like how you work for the misfortune cat¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Sort of. Though they were much more active during the winter, that''s why you may find them rare¡ª but if the White Snake orders them to, they will follow her orders.¡± If Alpha Fenrir didn''t mention it, I wouldn`t realize the trouble I`ve gotten myself and them into. ¡°Have I¡­ dragged you and your kin into a terrible fight¡­?¡± ¡°Say no more, child. This is a matter between magical beasts, a human like you should stay out of it.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Now, your third request, child. You don''t want to waste time, do you?¡± I could only listen to the alpha Fenrir, and shamelessly make this third request. ¡°Please help me find any medicinal herbs you could find in the forest¡ª I will make some extra for everyone so you could use it well after the battle.¡± ¡°We Fenrir wolves sometimes would consume some. I know where to find some.¡± Fenrir replied. ¡°Now then, what will be your repayment¡­?¡± ¡°Repayment?¡± ¡°Our only job is to guard your safety¡ª but this is a request, it''s obvious that me and my pack would receive some reward, is it not?¡± So the black cat told the Fenrir wolves to guard my safety. This explains why there aren''t any beasts lurking around the house. ¡°Yes. The reward¡ª is that fish.¡± The fish is actually large enough to fit as a snack for all eight wolves. ¡°Though I love the taste of fish, if you offer it to me¡ª what will you and your family eat, child?¡± ¡°In that case¡­ I would take a portion enough for us.¡± I said. ¡°Including Ruby.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The alpha Fenrir wolf stood up. ¡°Then I will take my leave¡ª¡± ¡°Hold it.¡± I said. ¡°There''s also bathing and grooming.¡± ¡°Hehehehehe.¡± The alpha Fenrir wolf grins. ¡°It`s been a while since me and my pack had a nice bath¡ª be prepared, child.¡± ¡°I will do my best.¡± With that, the Fenrir wolf turns and walks away. Eh¡­? ¡°Wait, you aren''t bringing¡­?¡± The alpha Fenrir went alone; and it seems it doesn''t intend to bring the weakest looking Fenrir wolf with it. ¡°That''s my daughter, child. She might be the smallest compared to the rest, but her power comes in second after me¡ª I believe her alone is more than sufficient to protect you.¡± Alpha Fenrir dash''s his way into the forest afterwards. I wonder why he seems to be in a hurry, and the way he runs felt like he was freed after being restricted for so long. While thinking of that, my gaze inadvertently shifts to the daughter of the alpha Fenrir wolf. ¡°¡­Should I start with you, then?¡± I said. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She made a small huff and turned her head to the right, ignoring me. Seems like she really understands my language. Unlike her father¡­ she`s not really that interactive with a human like me, huh. Or is her father just a special case¡­? Maybe I would know sooner or later. At any rate¡­ Restia hasn''t shown any sign to wake up yet, perhaps the blood loss gave too much of a burden to her body. Perhaps, after some time, she should wake up. Once she wakes up, I would need to tell her everything, and after that, she would definitely scold me. I still can''t believe Ruby did that to Restia, and I did that to Ruby. I even got Ruby into a crisis now¡­ The moment mom and dad weren''t around¡ª the family is breaking down, and Restia is the only one holding her sanity. ¡­I`m a failure as a big brother, and also a failure as a master. ¡°Ow.¡± Suddenly, alpha Fenrir`s daughter poked me with her nose¡ª actually, it was more like pushing since she`s so big. ¡°¡­Are you worried about me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She turns her head away to the sides again and closes her eyes. What are you, a ¡®tsundere¡¯? I reach out my hand trying to pat her nose, which she then dodges afterwards. ¡­you really are a tsundere. At least, she''s not as bad as I thought. ¡°¡­Help me look after her.¡± I said to Fenrir''s daughter. ¡°If anything happens to her, please let me know.¡± Fenrir`s daughter gave a nod, then rested her body on the ground with her head lying next to Restia. With that, I entered the house and went to the kitchen. It''s not like I was hungry, or rather, I completely lost my appetite because of what I did to Ruby¡ª because as I went into the kitchen for the first-aid kit, I saw signs of the kitchen''s floor repaired. ...and the barrier surrounding the house, too. Who fixed all of it¡­? If it''s isn''t dad or me¡­ then the only person left now could only be Restia. Incredible¡­ that lazy Restia did all of this¡­? I thought she would only laze around instead¡­ It seems she''s really learning those repairing techniques from her father when he teaches us. ¡­I really am grateful to have Restia as my little sister. Rest well, Restia.. I will finish everything in your stead. Chapter 35 - 3.6 - Saturday, July 16th, 1.24pm The forest. In an unfamiliar terrain. "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" I¡¯m running. I don''t know why, but I''m running instinctively forward. I went past a tree, and there I saw a little girl with pink hair and cat ears and tail, and¡ª "HISS!!!" ¡°K-KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡­¡­!!!?¡± ¡ªa gigantic white snake. ¡°RUBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± BAM! When I came to, my body reflexively sat upright¡ª where my forehead rams straight onto a steel pipe that was sticking out from the wall. "Owww¡­¡­.!" Right¡­ I dozed off when I was fixing the broken pipe. My head was fine, but that head-butt crushed the pipe. "Haa¡ª Haa¡ª" That dream¡­ felt so surreal¡ª too surreal. I was there, but I couldn''t stop it¡­ No, I don''t want that to happen¡­! "E-EEEEEEK¡­!!? N-NO¡ª STAY AWAY¡­!!!" The scream that came from outside the house, the front yard¡ª pulled me back to reality. ¡­¡­Restia¡­? ¡°GRRRRRRROOOOOWWWWLLLLL¡­!!!¡± ¡°BIG¡ª BIG BROTHERRRRRRRRRRR¡­!!!!!!!!!! SAVE ME¡­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± I quickly got on my feet, and rushed straight out to the front yard, without even bothering to wear my shoes. When I saw Restia, she was sitting on the ground with her shoulders shrugged lifelessly, while looking at the silver Fenrir wolf that was glaring down at her. "Restia¡­¡­!" Without another excessive word, I hurriedly ran to Restia and hugged her like it was the last, where she was surprised by it. "Big brother¡ª" She managed to get her composure back. "R-Run¡ª RUN¡­!!!" Though I couldn''t tell Restia''s expression, from her breathing and shivering body¡­ I could tell she was extremely terrified. "It''s alright Restia¡­ She''s here to protect us." "Huff¡­Huff¡­" After catching her breath and swallowing her saliva, Restia made a pause, as if she''s trying to access the situation. Then it''s as if she got the answer, she then carefully lifts her shivering hands in return, hugging me back. "Big¡­ Big brother¡­ I thought¡ª" She then cries out. "I thought I would never see you again¡­¡­!" Restia buries her head onto my shoulder and bursts to tears while trembling. "¡­ I''m here, Restia. I''m here." I quietly replied. It took a while for Restia to calm down completely. But I''m glad she''s able to. We settled down and sat on the grass, face-to-face, while Fenrir''s daughter decided to lay down near us. Restia, which sat at my opposite¡ª immediately made a serious look while looking straight at me. "¡­ Where''s Ruby¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Watching as I went silent, Restia frowned at her brows. "Big brother¡­?" Her tone isn''t exactly angry or anything. She''s just a bit annoyed that I was keeping quiet. ¡­I knew this was coming. "Before that¡­ tell me what happened after I left," I said. "Ru¡­ Ruby struggled as hard as she could¡­ I don''t have any strength to keep her in bay¡­ I¡­ I don''t have a choice¡ª I have to knock her out¡­!" Restia''s expression tensed-up, clearly tells me that she felt guilty about it. "You did the right thing, Restia," I told her. "That beast wasn''t just an ordinary beast¡ª it was a Cithaeron lion." "A¡­ magical beast¡­?" "If Ruby came out¡­ I definitely can''t protect her." "After¡­ after everything seems to calm down¡­ I left Ruby inside the garage and headed to the power station¡­ B-But¡­! I brought mama''s scythe with me¡­!" Restia knew I would be angry if she just ran alone without anything on her. That''s why she told me she brought a weapon with her. No one knows what kind of beast is still lurking out there in the forest. But¡­ I was kind of surprised. "Did you¡­ head to the power station to fix the barrier¡­?" "Even though I was like that¡­ but I¡­ I remember the lessons papa taught us¡­!" "I knew I could rely on you." I gave my reliable little sister a hug. "Then¡­? When did you tell Ruby the truth¡­?" "I¡­" Restia''s voice eventually became quieter. "I was scared¡­ I was scared that big brother would never return like papa and mama¡ª I was so scared that I don''t want Ruby to leave so I told her¡­!" "It''s not wrong!" I immediately yelled to calm Restia. "Papa said it''s natural to pull others down when you are drowning¡ª you did nothing wrong¡­!" Those words aren''t meant for Restia¡­ it was meant for me instead. "I¡­ I''m the horrible one." I uttered. "I¡­ shot her with the rifle and told her to leave this house." PAK! "H-How¡­ HOW COULD YOU DO THAT!!?" "RUBY IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD¡­!!! NO MATTER HOW WRONG SHE IS¡ª YOU COULD SCOLD HER ALL YOU WANT, YOU COULD PUNISH HER¡ª NEVER SHOOT HER WITH A GUN AND TELL HER TO LEAVE¡­!!!!!!" "I KNOW¡­!" I uttered to Restia. "I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW¡ª AND I REGRET IT¡­!" I buried my head into my knees while refusing to raise my head. "¡­Big brother¡­¡­¡­!" Restia knows that I clearly regret it. She gently pats me on my back while taking my hand with hers. "Those things I did to Ruby¡­ I know I could never fix it with an apology¡­" I muttered. I find myself grabbing Restia''s hand while biting my lips. I had no idea why I did that, but at the very least¡­ It feels like an atonement to forgive myself. Then I raise my head and look at Restia in the eye. "I even got Ruby into great danger¡­" I told her. Hearing this, Restia visibly widens her eyes out of shock. "Big brother¡­ what did you just say¡­¡­?" "Listen carefully to what I''m going to tell you now, Restia," I murmured. "Promise me you will stay calm and listen till the end." Restia immediately nods her head. "After I¡­¡­¡­ Urk¡­!" Words can''t come out. My voice eventually went quiet as my stomach rumbled. Because remembering that moment made me feel extremely nauseous. Seeing my reaction, Restia gently stroked my back, trying to make me relax. "¡­ I''m fine." I raise my hand, telling her it''s okay as I swallow the stomach acid that was on my throat. "¡­After I¡­ shot Ruby¡­ she ran into the forest." While pressing my hand on my ?h?st, I carefully speak while trying to prevent myself from vomiting. "¡­Where did the bullet pierce through¡­? Her stomach or her shoulders¡­?" Restia was able to tell because of the hole and blood that was on the ground, and the injuries that weren''t on her legs because Ruby could still run. "¡­Her right shoulder," I replied. "Are you scared that her blood would attract wild beasts to attack Ruby¡­?" Good¡­ the conversation made me relaxed a little. "If they are just some normal wild animal then I''m not scared at all¡­ but know this, Restia. There are many different kinds of magical beasts inside this forest¡­" "Like¡­ the Cithaeron lion, and her¡­ the Fenrir wolf¡­?" "Way more than that, Restia," I told her, which she immediately looked shocked. "The Cithaeron lion is just a weakling among the magical beasts¡­ look what it did to me." Restia then points at alpha Fenrir''s daughter. "Then¡­ her¡­?" Restia is asking why there is a Fenrir wolf here protecting us. "They saved me when I went into their territory by accident." I decided not to tell Restia that I fell into the sea, not to make her worry. "Eight of them easily slaughtered eight grown Cithaeron lions, plus two cubs." "You mean¡ª what Ruby is about to face is a magical beast even more powerful than a pack of Fenrir wolves¡­?" "Much, much, more powerful than the Fenrir wolves," I warned Restia. "¡­I know I can''t leave you here alone and you definitely won''t stay even if I told you to¡­ But I will ask you just in case¡­ Do you¡ª" "Of course I want to go with you¡­!!!" Restia responded without the slightest hesitation. I''ve long expected this answer. "¡­Even if you die¡­?" "Yes." "¡­Even if I die¡­?" "Yes." "¡­Even if we would probably fail¡­ or in the worst case¡­ watching Ruby die in front of us¡­?" "It was better than doing nothing¡­ At least I got to see how Ruby died¡­ Do you have any idea how it feels when you weren''t here with me, big brother¡­? I don''t even know if you could make it back¡­! I don''t know if you were eaten alive by the Cithaeron lion¡ª or you were killed and left rotting in the forest¡­! Do you know my frustration in not being able to do anything¡­¡­!?" Restia pounces with tears on her and hugs me, resting her head on my ?h?st. She''s scared¡­ however still determined to go together with me. "I''m sorry for returning so late¡­" I murmured. "I promise I won''t leave you alone ever again, Restia." "¡­¡­N." Looks like I really had no choice but to bring along Restia with me if I really were to save Ruby. There''s no way we should charge into the forest without any preparations. "Restia¡­ I will tell you what I currently know." "N." She nods her head. "This forest¡­ had a name¡ª called ''Black and White''. It is a forest with two powerful magical beasts continually going against each other long ago¡­ one is black, and one is white." "Eh¡­? Papa told us this story before¡­ The Black Cat and The White Snake." "That''s right¡­ Before we lived here¡­ The Black Cat and The White Snake had already fought against each other for several years, and one day¡­ a certain someone shipwrecked and drifted on this island by mistake." "Hehe¡­ It was papa." "Because this forest was filled with many extraordinary resources and was well hidden from the world¡­ He decided to live here and make it a home. Of course, living here would certainly invite different kinds of magical beasts for a visit." "However, papa is a beast tamer." "Yup. Dad understands magical beast language. That''s why he could listen to their troubles. After knowing those two have been going against each other and caused so many problems around, thus he solved the conflict between those two powerful beasts. He then signed a pact between these two magical beasts, living here while agreeing not to interfere with each other''s life." "Why are you reminding me of this story¡­? Do you mean¡­ we will be going against them¡­?" "To be honest, I hope not. But¡­ from what the alpha Fenrir wolf told me¡­ if Ruby went into the White Snake''s territory¡­ her rich mana makes her become a favourite food for The White Snake¡­ and the smell of her blood could easily let The White Snake find her." Restia immediately looks worried. "You are telling me this now¡­!? How long has it been¡­!!? What about The Black Cat¡­!?" "Yesterday by chance I was saved by the Fenrir wolves and The Black Cat. For some reason, The Black Cat seems to favour me¡­ She ordered the wolves to protect us, but after I requested, they were sent out to search for Ruby." "Search¡­? Ruby could change into any mammal she wants¡ª" "But she''s pink, isn''t it¡­? Do you still remember the Fortune Rabbits¡­?" "You mean¡ª Ruby is probably hiding among them¡­?" "¡­That is just a prediction. So that''s why the search team is separated into 3 pairs¡ª one to look at the Fortune Rabbit''s territory, one at the White Snake''s territory, and one to search for the Black Cat." "Why do we need to look for The Black Cat¡­?" "Because she''s the only one capable enough to fight on par against The White Snake, at worst case. Remember¡ª our only goal is to rescue Ruby out from that forest." Restia then looks around, then seems to be calculating with her fingers. "One¡­ two¡­ three pairs¡­? You said there are eight Fenrir wolves¡­ where is the last one¡­?" "He''s currently searching and collecting magical herbs nearby this forest¡­ The alpha of the Fenrir wolves, Restia. You need to treat him with respect." "¡­I will." "After he returns, I will try to make whatever I can with the herbs¡­ Later we will go and look for Ruby, you need to be patient until then¡­ okay¡­?" "¡­N." Though Restia nods her head, she seems a little despondent. I reached my hand out to the back of her head, placing her head to stick on my ?h?st as I cradled her with both of my arms. "I know you are worried about Ruby," I told her. "But going in there just like that is just the same as wishing for death¡ª Ruby is way tougher than us, I know she could handle it somehow." "But¡­ what can I do, big brother¡­?" "Lots," I replied while looking at her. "I''m not talented like you, Restia, nor I could cast any magic spells¡­ I really need to rely on your magic¡­ would you learn it for my sake and for Ruby''s sake¡­?" I find Restia''s fingers to be gripping on my hunting suit. "I will¡­ I will do anything to bring Ruby back¡­ even if it''s my life¡ª" Before my little sister could finish her sentence, my hands reflexively grabbed her cheeks. "No!!!" I immediately interjected. "Don''t even think about it¡ª we are all going to return alive, you hear me¡­!? Not a single one of us is allowed to die!!!" Obviously, Restia was surprised. She''s merely nine years old yet that determination of an ?du?t¡­ It''s as if those possibilities of everyone returning alive had never ever entered her mind. Her determination has already prepared her for the worst¡ª but it was because of this determination¡­ I know that she won''t hesitate and die for either Ruby or me¡­ That''s why¡­ I will cut that line of thought off from her. "¡­N. Big brother¡­ I promise." "That''s my little sister¡­" After we went silent, we hugged each other for a long, long, time. Around a minute or so, the silence was broken with my rumbling stomach. "Hehehe¡­" Ever since she knows her parents left¡­ Restia finally laughed for once. "I will cook for now, Restia. If you are feeling okay¡­ try to train your mana control first. I will teach you the magic spells which are extremely crucial for the search later." "¡­N." With that, I stood up, heading towards the fish that was left on the front door. ¡­ It''s still alive. I was going to pull out the katana that was stabbed on its body, however¡­ I don''t have the strength to do so after I tried. My hands¡ª no, my body¡ª is shaking like crazy. Seems like it''s almost hitting its limit. Thankfully I still have the dagger which is even sharper than the katana¡­ Eh¡­? It''s gone¡­? The dagger pocket that was hanging on my waist was left open with lots of sand filled inside. And I didn''t realize it. Crap. When is it gone¡­? Did I drop it in the forest, the sea or the beach¡­? I need to get it back. That was dad''s favourite one and only dismantling tool that he spent all night forging himself¡ª I can''t afford to lose it. I should start looking at the beach¡­ But, if that''s the case¡­ should I take Restia with me? Even if the Fenrir wolf is here¡­ I can''t afford to let her expose herself to more danger¡­ ¡­but I promised to never leave her alone, ever. "Restia." Without bothering to hesitate anymore, I called out to my little sis. She was closing her eyes, but then she opened them after a second or so. "Big brother¡­¡­?" In response, Restia tilted her head slightly to the right. Fenrir''s daughter didn''t react to Restia¡­ I guess this means she did well in her mana control. "I think I might''ve lost dad''s dagger at the beach¡­ do you want to come with me¡­?" "¡­N!" Chapter 36 - 3.7 - Saturday, July 16th, 1.52pm The beach near my house is around thirty minutes away, or approximately 3km. We need to walk in between on a path near the border of the forest. Any wild beasts could probably show up at any time, that''s why¡ª Fenrir''s daughter is here to safeguard us. Currently¡ª me, Restia, and Fenrir''s daughter are on our way to the beach. I am walking on foot while Restia¡­ "Big brother¡­! I could see the beach from up here¡­¡­!" "Well, not for me down here¡­!" ¡­is riding on Fenrir''s daughter''s back. It''s not like it felt unfair or anything¡­ Fenrir''s daughter had a solid reason for not letting me sit on her because I''m smelly. She could bear with Restia''s smell of blood but not my horrible odour. Well, her nose is s?ns?t?v?, after all. As for how we were able to communicate to her is because of Restia''s telepathy. Fenrir''s daughter understands our language, but she didn''t learn how to speak. She could only talk to Restia for now, and for some reason, they became fast friends. Through their communication, I also found the reason why she''s always turning her head away from me. ¡­Because I stink. "Eh¡­?" I suddenly heard a faint voice coming from Fenrir''s daughter. "Erm, Restia? Did you say something¡­!?" I yelled. "¡­Big brother¡ª a person is lying on the beach¡­!" "What¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "A¡­ person¡­? Is¡­ Is it mom¡ª or dad¡­!?" "I¡­ I don''t know¡ª We need to hurry, please¡­!" Please¡­? Who is she talking to¡ª "Eh¡ª" Suddenly, my world turned vertical. The horizon became straight where the sky and ground are on the left and right. The moment I came to, I realized Fenrir''s daughter was holding me with her mouth, where my arms and legs were inside her mouth with only my head out. Then as she runs¡ª her head sways, which means that her mouth is swaying too. Every time she flings her head, my vision would be utterly disturbed that I had to close my eyes shut. And once I close my eyes, my sense of balance is completely destroyed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Guh----------" ¡­I would never want a second ride. Luckily the dizziness only lasted for around ten seconds. "Big brother¡­ is he¡ª Eh¡­?" THUD! "Restia¡­!?" For some reason, as I raised my head and looked in Restia''s direction¡ª I saw her collapsing on that person''s body. Fenrir''s daughter quickly went to help. But as she touches Restia¡­ "Arf...!?" BAM! What¡ª What is happening¡­!? Why isn''t she moving¡­!? "Restia¡­!" Though I shout, Restia''s not replying. But I could tell she''s still breathing, and so is Fenrir''s daughter. Fenrir''s daughter collapsed by touching Restia, and Restia collapsed after touching that person¡­ I better be careful not to touch either of them¡­ Taking the scabbard of the katana from my waist, I gently poke Restia on her back. ¡­nothing happened. Then again, I touch her with the scabbard while making sure I wouldn''t collapse to her direction even if I fall. ¡­Seems fine to me. Carefully, I place my arms on Restia''s waist and lift her away from that person¡ª and as soon as she''s away from him, Restia immediately makes a gasp. To be sure, I drag Restia far away from him by pulling her hands with her bu?? sliding on the sand. "Big brother¡­ My body feels¡­ heavy¡­" She told me. "Heavy¡­?" I don''t think she''s heavy at all. And it seems she looks fine. As for Fenrir''s daughter, she could move immediately once she stopped touching Restia with her paw. She turns her body to the other side away from that person, then hurriedly gets back to us. My gaze inadvertently shifts back to that person, where he''s lying flat on the sand with his feet washed by seawater. ¡­I could tell that he''s still breathing. He''s unconscious, for sure. Because if anybody realized that a Fenrir wolf is in front of them¡ª they would have freaked out. While thinking of that, I told Restia to stay away from him while I approached him carefully. Great, seems like touching him with an object wouldn''t make me collapse. However, I can''t rotate his body to face upwards with just the scabbard. If I want to, it needs to be both of my hands to do it. "¡­!" I thought I could just leave him be if he''s just unconscious. But then his dark red blood that''s slowly seeping out from the sand surprised me. Kneeling near to him while making sure I would fall back if I touch him, I place my hands under his ?h?st and legs. "¡­¡­?" I expected myself to collapse like Restia. But nothing happened to me. "Hmph¡­!" "Eek¡­!" Surprised at the sight of it, Restia inadvertently shrieks. Because this man¡­ had a knife stabbed on him at the abdomen. I quickly did a check-up on him. His breathing, pulse, and heartbeat are alright, and his red pupil is reacting to light¡­ I won''t need to worry about his blood loss for now if the knife is still on him. But¡­ What is the cause for Restia and Fenrir''s daughter to collapse¡­? Before I could make sure of this¡­ I must not let them perform healing magic on him. So¡­ The only thing I could do is to experiment on him once again. "Restia¡­ a help please¡­" I gave a gesture to Restia, telling her to come here. With a worried look, Restia kneels near to him, right next to me. Then she pokes him with her finger¡ª collapsing forward. "Guh¡­¡­!" "Careful!" Extending my arm, I stop her from leaning forward. Then I grab her on her hands and drag her away from him. "What happened¡­?" I asked Restia. "When I touch him¡ª I lose all sense of my balance¡­ my body felt heavy and I couldn''t move¡­" Restia feels sluggish, and she''s struggling to get up. These symptoms¡­ There are lots of possibilities if I think about it, but when considering the only difference between all four of us¡­ "¡­I got it. It''s mana deficiency." I said. "¡­Seems like it." "What about her? Any ideas?" I''m referring to Fenrir''s daughter. "She says the knife is emitting a dangerous aura." "¡­Huh." Hearing that, I inadvertently stare at the knife that was on that man''s body. "He''s¡­ He''s holding papa''s dagger¡­!" Restia suddenly shakes me with her hand. If Restia didn''t tell me, I wouldn''t realize that he''s holding onto dad''s dagger¡ª the dagger that I lost. When I took a closer look on his wrist, I found bruises, and it showed signs of struggles. Looks like he was tied up and tried to escape before. Bruise on the wrists¡­ knife¡­ wet¡­ washed up here¡­? It can''t be¡ª is he tied up, stabbed, thrown to the sea, then found dad''s dagger at the bottom of the ocean to escape and washed up to here¡­!? What kind of person is he to get a rough treatment like this¡­? He wore a suit with a white top, black bottom¡­ a handsome-looking man in his twenties or thirties¡ª except for his white hair and red eyes, which reminds me of a white rabbit, everything about him looks normal. At any rate, it''s about time you return this back to me. I took the dagger from his hand and shoved it into the dagger pocket. Now then, what am I going to do with this knife¡­? Fenrir''s daughter said it''s emitting a dangerous aura¡­ if she could see an aura, this means this knife is emitting disturbing waves to interrupt with her mana. Could it be¡ª there''s an anti-magic crystal imbued on this knife¡­? Perhaps this is why I''m the only one who''s not affected because I don''t have mana to begin with¡ª "Cough¡ª Guha, ack, hah, hah¡­!" While thinking of that, the man suddenly woke up¡ª coughing lots of seawater from his mouth, or rather, his stomach. He then sits while placing his hand on his forehead, with the colour of his face completely drained, as white as an empty sheet. He looks entirely in a state of confusion. "Are you okay¡ª" When I realized, Restia had already approached him once again while kneeling next to me. And the moment she speaks¡ª without any warnings, he swings his elbow towards Restia. A silent swing. The situation was too sudden for Restia to react. "LOOK OUT!" WHAM! "¡­¡­!" When I knew it, I crash-landed on the sand after blocking his elbow strike with my palm. What''s with this ridiculous strength¡ª even with his mana sealed, he''s still stronger than me¡­!? Realizing that his elbow fails to hit, he immediately attempts a punch with his left fist while twisting his upper body. It was still too difficult for Restia to react. "STOP IT¡­!!!" "GROWL¡­!!!" WHAM! Fenrir''s daughter immediately heads to her rescue with her paw clawing from right to left. Yet, as he quickly shifted his left arm to redirect the direction of her paw downwards, Fenrir''s daughter immediately collapsed to her right. I forgot¡­ the anti-magic crystal on him¡­! With Fenrir''s daughter splashing the sand¡ª it blindfolded him, allowing me a chance to pull Restia away by grabbing her clothes, throwing her to behind, as far as possible. Seconds just after I threw Restia, he throws a kick coming from my right¡ª "Guh¡­!" ¡ªI could tell it was a powerful kick. Reluctantly, I dodge it by squatting on my knees. His right leg is open¡­! Pulling the scabbard that was hanging on my waist, I swing it towards his right shin. WHAP! While half-bending his right leg, he caught my scabbard with his right palm. "!" And as I look up, an elbow is raining down. It is an elbow strike using the weight of his body. If this hits me, I will be knocked out for good. If I was knocked out, Restia¡ª At that moment, time seems to have slowed down for me. I shift my body''s axis to face the left while retreating the scabbard from his palm. And as I kick the sand to push my body backwards to escape his elbow¡ª I grab the knife that was stabbed on him, with my right hand. "Gyah¡­!!?" By doing so, I crash on the sand on my back with a splash. "Guh¡ª" As for him¡ª blood vigorously spurts out from his wound. Realizing it, he quickly covers his wound with his hand. While catching my breath, the knife which is on my hand entered my line of vision¡ª His blood¡­ is dark red¡­? It''s not because his blood had dried off, but it''s because he''s poisoned¡­!? "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" Eventually losing strength, that man¡ª as if giving up on everything, he kneels on the sand. Because it was so hard to breathe, he had to raise his head and open his mouth to breath. "Please¡ª let me help you¡­!" I told him. But my words don''t seem to reach him. I then raise both of my hands, telling him I''m surrendering. That man, once looking at my gesture¡ª he lets out a surprised look. "¤Ï©` ¤ªÇ°¤À¡­ ¤Ï¨D ¤¤¤¤ÄФΤ褦¤ËÒŠ¤¨¤ë¡­" (Ha¡ª Omai da¡­ Ha¡ª ii otoko no younimieru¡­) (Hah¡ª You¡­ Hah¡ª look like a good guy¡­) "¡­!" This language¡­ it''s from the eastern region¡­! "‚û¿Ú¤Ï¡­ ˽¤ËÈΤ»¤Æ¡­!" (Kizuguchi wa¡­ watashi ni makasete¡­!) (Your wounds¡­ leave it to me¡­!) ¡°¤Ç¤ï¡ª ¤ªîŠ¤¤¤·¤Þ¤¹¡ª ¤³¤³¤Ç¤ÏËÀ¤Í¤Ê¤¤¡ª ½ñÈդϡª ¥À¥á¤À¡­!¡± (De wa¡ª Onegaishimasu¡ª koko de wa shi ne nai¡ª kyou wa¡ª dameda¡­!) (Then¡ª Please¡ª I can''t die here¡ª Not¡ª Today¡­!) After muttering those words as if he''s using the last of his strength, he then crashes on the sand without moving anymore. Without wasting another second, I immediately rush to him, flipping his body to face up. I tear off his cloth with my hands, applying pressure on his wound to prevent excessive blood loss. However, I can''t stop the poison. Only Restia could do it. "Restia¡ª we had to save him¡­!" Hearing that, Restia stares at me with a blank look, as if she''s asking me why. I know why she is worried. Not being able to tell the origins of a person is dangerous. Because we don''t know who he is and where he''s from. If he''s a thug... there''s a chance he might kill me and raise his evil hands on Restia. But... it doesn''t matter if he''s a miscreant or not¡ª "If you want an answer, I can give you one¡­!" I told Restia. "This guy¡ª he might be our only hope to save Ruby¡­!!!" ¡ªbecause he''s not just intelligent, but also extremely cautious. Chapter 37 - 3.8 - Saturday, July 16th, 2.09pm "Hreinsaeu l¨ªkamann, l?kna s¨¢rin." (Cleanse the body, heal the wounds.) Fenrir''s daughter, under my guidance, casts a purifying spell and healing spell that is similar to her father''s on this man. His wounds closed after the spell was cast twice. There isn''t any excessive blood loss for now. However, the poison is still in him¡ª and unless we know what type of poison is inside his body, or else merely casting purifying magic on him would''ve purged something unnecessary instead and killed him. But there''s no way I could just leave it like that. Once the poison reaches his heart, he''s as good as dead. "Good. Now freeze his body with your ice magic." I told Fenrir''s daughter. Lowering his body temperature should help to slow down his blood flow¡­ this way, I had more time to process and analyse his poison. All I need to do is to apply the necessary antidote for him¡­ I hope alpha Fenrir can bring me the right magical herbs. ¡°Kaldur, frostaeur ¨ªs, frysta l¨ªkamann.¡± (Cold, frozen Ice, freeze the body.) "Hey¡ª not the head! Are you trying to suffocate him¡­!?" Fenrir''s daughter accidentally froze his whole body, including the head. "Growl¡­!" Fenrir''s daughter glared at me. "Huh? What is she trying to say?" I asked Restia. "She says it''s too difficult to suppress her magic on such a tiny thing." Tiny¡­? I can''t blame her since she''s so gigantic. "Restia, take her place and dispel the magic ice from his head." I might as well take this chance to teach Restia magic. "Eh¡­? Big brother, I¡­" Restia is worried. She''s worried that she might kill him. "Would you hesitate if he''s Ruby instead?" I told her. "¡­Big brother, what do I need to do¡­?" Good, she''s willing to try. "¡­Carefully control your mana on your hands and wrap it around the ice on his head. You need to make sure to overwrite Fenrir''s daughter''s mana on her ice magic with yours." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Restia closes her eyes, extending her hands carefully as if she''s holding a ball. Then she slowly approaches that man, kneels down and places her hands on both sides of his head. Because I can''t see or feel mana, I can''t tell how well Restia is doing. So I look at Fenrir''s daughter instead. "How is it¡­?" I ask her. Fenrir''s daughter nods her head. I guess that means an okay. "Now, you need to be careful, Restia." I remind her. "You need the ''First key'' and ''Third key'' for this, if you failed¡ª his head would explode." "Eek¡­!?" "Growl¡­!?" Why is Fenrir''s daughter reacting to it¡­? "Why not only the ''First key''¡­?" Restia nervously replies. "Yes, if you do just that, his head would explode." "T-Then, why are you telling me to cast only the ''First key'' when I was injured¡­?" "Because that''s your own body, Restia. You can feel your mana flow in your body but not on him. That''s why you need the ''third key'' for better control." "¡­What about the ''Second key''?" "Magic circles can''t be used for precise control. If you use that his head would explode." "¡­Ngh¡­" Not only Restia looks nervous, but she also seems depressed. I guess I should give her a push. "Don''t worry, I believe in you¡ª and you need to hurry, I think it''s about a minute already since his air supply was cut off." "¡­I¡ª I can''t¡­!" She shakes her head. "If it''s Ruby instead, would you really hesitate and say that¡­!? Do it¡­!!!" ¡°Glacies, expurget!¡± (Ice, purge!) CRAK! Once she casts, the ice on that man''s head explodes. Thankfully his head still remains. "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" "Well done little sis¡­!" I cradled Restia on her head. "¡­N, I can''t do it without big brother¡­" OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­! This¡ª is that Alpha Fenrir''s howl¡­? Seems like it''s coming from my house¡ª "OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­!" Gyaa¡ª my ears¡­!!! Fenrir''s daughter immediately made a reply with a howl¡ª it was so loud that I needed to cover my ears. "¡­She says her father is back," Restia told me. "Let''s hurry, then. Now, cast a levitation spell on him with the ''second key'' and ''third key''." While controlling her mana on her fingertip¡ª Restia extends her forefinger, drawing a circle on thin air. This circle is drawn with her mana and is golden in colour. At the centre of the circle, she adds the necessary symbols for levitation magic. She moves the magic circle with her mana control, placing it below the man. Then expands the circle with her mana till it''s large enough to cover his whole body. As Restia lifts her forefinger upwards, the magic circle below the man floats up, along with the man. "I¡­ I did it¡ª E-Eh¡­!?" Though the magic circle stops moving once her finger stops¡­ but that man on it continues to float upwards without stopping. And there are two reasons why it happened. The first reason is mana absorption¡ª because there are no restrictions added on the magic circle, the magic circle will continue to absorb mana from the surroundings and activate unless Restia doesn''t have the necessary mana to maintain the circle anymore. What Restia needs to do is to add restrictions symbols on the magic circle to prevent it from absorbing mana other than hers. The second reason is the circuit of the magic circle¡ª it only contains power. Without range, that man, for now, would only go up to who knows where like an elevator. For that, she needs to add range inside the magic circle for now. "You forgot to add range and restrictions," I told Restia. After reminding her, Restia carefully and accurately adds in the symbols for the levitation''s range and mana absorbing restrictions. After adding those, the man falls and stops just right above the magic circle. "Phew¡­¡­" Restia heaves a sigh. "How did I do¡­?" I didn''t do much. All I did is just remind her what she lacks, and Restia solves it in an instant. "Genius¡­!" I inadvertently murmured. "I''m so proud of you¡­!" I am so happy that I squeeze Restia on her cheeks. "Arf!" "Ow." Fenrir''s daughter suddenly pushes Restia from behind with her nose. "Big brother, she says ''hop on''." Fenrir''s daughter knows this is an emergency, huh. I will gladly take her offer. "Let''s go!" Handling the man with care, we leap and ride on Fenrir''s daughter back, hurrying back to home. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After passing through the barrier, we saw Alpha Fenrir¡ª which he is sitting and waiting by the front yard. He greets us with an intense glare. After letting us jump off from her back, Fenrir''s daughter immediately laid down with all fours. She trembles and whimpers with a terrified look. Though I don''t really know the reason why Alpha Fenrir is so angry, perhaps it''s because we went out without his permission, or maybe he''s worried about our safety¡ª either way, I could only apologise first. "Don''t blame her." Saying that to Alpha Fenrir, I stood in front of his daughter. "I''m the one who wanted to go." "What if the snow leopards were there, child!?" He yelled. "I cast detection magic before going there." Restia suddenly interjected. "So I''m sure there aren''t any nearby." Such boldness. I can''t believe Restia lied to him. Do you have any idea how a magical beast hunts? They are experts in detection magic! There''s no way he wouldn''t know if you cast one. "Utter foolishness." Alpha Fenrir steps closer to Restia. "If you are going to lie, you better pick a better one, foolish little child." "E-Eek¡­!?" Facing such a scary presence, Restia quickly hid behind my back while trembling. "¡­Sorry. That''s a bad habit of hers¡­" I replied to Alpha Fenrir. "Hmph. At least that was out from goodwill." He uttered. "And¡­? What''s with that human over there?" For some reason, Alpha Fenrir is glaring at me now. "I want to save him. I''m sure he would be a great help for us to find Ruby." "Kuhahahahahahaha¡­!!!" Hearing my reply, Alpha Fenrir raises his head and laughs as if he is ridiculing me. "W-What''s wrong¡­?" "FOOL¡­!!!" Alpha Fenrir howls at me. My hand reflexively moves in front of my head to shield me from the pressure of his howl. "GREAT HELP¡­? HE''S DANGEROUS¡ª HE NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED OR ELSE¡­!" "Wait¡ª why!?" I immediately step in front of that man, stopping Alpha Fenrir. "He could kill us all if he wants. Give me a good reason why I should not kill him¡­?" I know very well. Even in that state, I know how well this man I''m currently protecting has the power to kill us all if he wants. After all, he seems more than confident enough to defeat a Fenrir wolf with just his martial arts. The moment he wakes up¡ª he couldn''t tell which of us is friend or foe. That''s why he chose to pull out a non-lethal attack first to the weakest one. Because if it''s a foe that''s going to kill him, surely the other accomplices would come for the kill. But if it''s a friend instead, they would surely tell him to calm down. ¡­He made the right choice. "Because he did not kill us and decided to put his life on my hands. Is that good enough¡­!?" I refused to move an inch. Alpha Fenrir knows my stubbornness too. "Kuh¡­¡­ Very well, I will allow it just this once¡­!" "Guh¡ª spurt¡­!" Crap, that man is starting to cough black blood. "He''s¡ª poisoned¡­?" Alpha Fenrir looks surprised. "Restia¡ª go and take my phone, three cups of water and a tiny funnel¡ª you can find it in the kitchen¡­!" I told her. She immediately rushes into the house. Then I look at Alpha Fenrir. "W-Where are your magic herbs!? There''s not much time for him¡­!" "Barf¡ª" Alpha Fenrir spits out a ball of herbs out from his mouth¡ª filled with lots of salivae. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eww." I inadvertently reacted to it. "My saliva is infused with my mana, that should help with the quality." I see... it could even disinfect. "¡­Thanks. This should help¡­" Wasting no time, I searched for the necessary herbs that person needed from that disgusting, enormous ball of herbs. Crushing and compressing them with my palms, I roll the mixture into a small pill. "Big brother¡ª water, phone¡­!" Restia came just in time. As I take my phone, I give her the pill I just made. "Throw this pill into a cup, after it dissolves, feed it to him," I said. That pill contains anaesthetics, recuperation effect and also blood circulation lowering effect. I have yet to figure the poison that was inside him. If I simply gave him a dose of antidote herbs, it could probably have a terrible chemical reaction that could kill him instead. Taking my phone as I activate the blood testing app, I take a small amount of his black blood on his mouth with a piece of grass and place it at the centre of my phone. "Scan for overdosed poisons and toxins for humans." ''SEVEN FOUND: ATROPINE. SCOPOLAMINE. HYOSCYAMINE. CYTOTOXINS. NEUROTOXINS. HEMOTOXINS. RICIN. SOURCE IDENTIFICATION: ATROPA BELLADONNA, SNAKE VENOM, RICINUS COMMUNIS. NO CURE COULD BE FOUND.'' Atropa Belladonna, Venom, and Ricinus Communis¡­!? "What!? How is he still alive!?" The poison in him made me inadvertently yell. He''s still alive even if there are seven types of poison in him. He really has one hell of a body. If there''s no cure, then I need to stimulate his body''s protective systems and destroy the poison one-by-one. First, I need to stimulate and strengthen his organs¡ª mainly kidneys and liver. God, I need to put my hands into that disgusting ball. How many herbs did you find anyways¡ª there are a lot and many different kinds...! Milk Thistle, Marshmallow Root, Parsley, Gynostemma, Beetroot, Ginger¡ª adding Alpha Fenrir''s condensed mana, I think he would be able to withstand the atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine. Cutting off the necessary parts from their stem, roots etc. with dad''s dagger, I crush and compress them to a small pill with my palms, throwing them into a cup to dissolve. Second, I need to extract the ricin from his blood. This delicate work could only be pulled off by a skilled doctor¡­ "Restia! I need your help!" I yelled. ¡­or a genius. While disinfecting dad''s dagger with Alpha Fenrir''s saliva, I give my phone to Restia. "Wash and wipe off the blood from the screen with your cloth. Don''t touch the blood, okay?" "What do you want to do¡­?" While wiping off the blood with her shirt, Restia looks at me with a dazed look. "Expand the picture of ricin scanned from his blood," I told her. "Okay?" "Eh¡­? This is¡ª ricin pollen¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. Great, this ball-like structure would make things easier. "Ricin pollen¡­?" Restia tilted her head to the side, looking confused. "What is that?" "A pollen from nature''s most poisonous plant in the world. If left alone, you will die of high fever within one to three days if consumed." "Eek¡­!?" "Growl¡­!?" Why is Fenrir''s daughter listening to our conversation¡­? "Anyways, remember its structure, you are going to extract it from his blood." "W-Why me¡­!? Big brother¡ª even if it''s Ruby, it''s impossible¡­!" "But I''m sure you would try at least once, no?" "¡­¡­N." She nods. I grab Restia on her hand. "Now give me your finger." "My finger¡­?" Restia murmured. "Are you going to cut my finger with that dagger¡­?" "Yes." "Ow¡ª!" Before Restia could retreat her hand, I made a small cut on her forefinger. "W-What are you going to do with my blood¡­?" "''Third key'', Restia," I told her. "Pour and concentrate your mana on this one drop of blood, then cast the ''Third key''." "Imagination¡­?" She murmured. "No chant, no magic circles¡­?" "Yes, for most people, this will be the toughest key to cast. But you are talented, so I''m sure it would be easier than the ''First key'' and ''Second Key''¡ª" "¡­ I''m done." "¡ªWow, that was fast." I inadvertently murmured. "Now, control it with your mana and imagine it to float and swirl around." "Like this¡­?" With precise control, Restia''s blood flew off from her forefinger and swirled around me at a breakneck speed. "Good. Now dispel the ice on his wound like just how you did earlier." ¡°Glacies, expurget!¡± (Ice, purge!) CRAK! God, she dispels it so easily. And she was struggling earlier¡­ Is she a monster or something? "I''m going to stop his mana from flowing in his body with acupuncture. It should last about ten minutes. This means you have ten minutes." "Why?" Restia asked. "Is it essential to stop his mana¡­?" "If his mana interferes with yours, you will have a hard time controlling your blood." I will start with the front first. Lung Meridian 1 and 2, left and right. Kidney Meridian 27 (Left), Ren Meridian 22, Kidney Meridian 27 (Right). Kidney Meridian 21 (Left), Ren Meridian 14, Kidney Meridian 21 (Right). After striking the acupuncture points with my finger, his body shook a little. Judging from it, it seems to work. "Help me flip him to the side." The back. Small Intestine Meridian 11 and 12, left and right. Bladder Meridian 41 (Left), Bladder Meridian 11 (Left), Du Meridian 14, Bladder Meridian 11 (Right), Bladder Meridian 41 (Right). Bladder Meridian 46 (Left), Bladder Meridian 17 (Left), Du Meridian 9, Bladder Meridian 17 (Right), Bladder Meridian 46 (Right). Flipping him on the front again, I slam my palm on the centre of his ?h?st where the core of a human''s mana is located¡ª as the final point to lock his mana. "Ack-------------" He leaks out a painful voice and twitches for a moment. "How is it, Restia? Can you feel any mana flowing in his body¡­?" "¡­Only the centre of his ?h?st," Restia replied. "Did you stop his mana from flowing from his mana core¡­?" "Yeah. Now I''m going to cut a small hole on his wound, Restia. I want you to drop that blood into his body and extract the ricin from his bloodstream, okay?" "¡­N." As I gently cut open his wound with dad''s dagger, I reopen his wound, letting Restia''s blood enter into his bloodstream. "Close your eyes, Restia. Concentrate and feel the position of your blood inside his veins. You just need to remember what you need to extract with your blood¡­ the ricin pollen." After Restia closes her eyes, I seal the wound with the Cinnamon herb and Aloe Vera that I mixed with my hands. Placing his head on my ??p, I insert a tiny funnel in his mouth, gently pouring the liquid with the dissolved herbs. Good, he could swallow. After ten minutes, his mana will flow again, and Restia should be done by then. The medicinal herbs inside his stomach would react with his mana. Then¡­ all that''s left are the venoms¡­ With that in mind, I look at Alpha Fenrir in the eye. "Say¡­ If all three types of venom are inside his body¡ª do you think The White Snake would have all three of the anti-venom¡­?" Chapter 38 - 3.9 - Saturday, July 16th, 2.53pm "Big brother, why would snakes have anti-venom¡­? Aren''t they only capable of producing venom? Like, if they bite their tongue by mistake with their venomous fangs, they die." My little sister, Restia, who successfully extracts the Ricinus Communist pollen from that man in just seven minutes, overheard my conversation between Alpha Fenrir. Perhaps curiosity dwells within her. While approaching me, she throws such a line to me. "Yes, that''s only for normal venomous snakes," I replied. "The White Snake is a magical beast¡ª its body is built differently compared to normal snakes, so I''m pretty sure there must be anti-venoms within him." "It''s a ''her''." Alpha Fenrir told me. I see¡­ so she''s a female. "What are you trying to do, child¡­?" Alpha Fenrir furrowed his brows. "Her scales are hard¡ª no guns and bullets, or even flames from the grenade could bring harm to her." "Violence isn''t my speciality nor my cup of tea." I retorted. "Big brother¡­ does this mean you are going to talk to The White Snake?" BAM! Hearing this, Alpha Fenrir stomps his paw on the ground, as if to unleash his anger. "Such insanity!" With the intense wind pressure coming out from his paw, I had to shield Restia with my body, till the dust settled down. "Insanity¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "I''m actually rather surprised that I was brainwashed by you." "Brainwashed¡­?" Fenrir immediately scowled. "What is the meaning of this¡­?" While desperately trying to save that man, my brain is overwhelmed by the sudden workload that I don''t have time to think about the others but to focus on him. Thanks to that, I am able to process everything in my brain after calming down. "Look here, you once said my father had made the pact with all magical beasts within this forest¡ª this means the White Snake is included within that pact." "Indeed." "This also means she''s capable of rational conversation." I conceded. "If she''s capable of that¡­ I think there''s a chance for me to converse with her." "Such a fool¡­!" Alpha Fenrir ?r??n?d. "Conversing with the White Snake¡­? She would''ve eaten you alive before you could!" "Why are you spouting such a forced reason¡­!?" I inadvertently stood up while yelling that at him. "There''s no way she would eat me! My dad may be gone by now¡ª but what if he comes back¡­!? I know a magical beast like her is not so dumb to make such a stupid mistake!" "Why do you think she won''t!? Your father might never come back¡­!" "How would she even know!? Even you don''t know!!! Not even I know¡­!!!!!" "GRRRROWL¡­¡­!" Alpha Fenrir raises his paw. "Foolish child¡­!!!" "DON''T YOU DARE STOP ME¡ª DON''T YOU DARE TRY AND USE RUBY TO WAGE A WAR!!!" "¡­¡­!" Alpha Fenrir was surprised. His paw flinches when he hears what I''ve said to him. "How did you¡­?!" "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" I gasped. "Hah¡ª If you want to know¡ª I will tell you." Hearing that, Alpha Fenrir retreats his paw. While catching my breath, I sat down, where Restia¡ª who just knew of this, could only cling onto me with her trembling hands. While looking at Restia, I hold onto her hand with mine. "Things¡­ would start yesterday at the place where I met you and The Black Cat¡­" I answered Alpha Fenrir. "That night¡ª when you guys came to me in a pack, I already thought things were suspicious. Because I''m quite certain that wolves don''t form in a pack unless they are on a hunt or in a meeting¡­" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" I notice Alpha Fenrir''s paw twitches for a moment. It seems he understood what I actually meant. "That''s your territory¡­ and I''m sure I had already entered your territory even longer than that¡­ perhaps I had been inside your territory for around three hours until you and your pack finally showed up. With you and your whole pack appearing at the same time¡­ That would mean¡ª you guys just had a meeting nearby with The Black Cat¡­ And the reason you came separately is simple. It''s just that your pack moves faster than her¡­" When I recall there are more than fifty pairs of eyes watching us¡­ I realized that all of their eyes were actually wolf eyes. That''s why the Cithaeron lions would look at Alpha Fenrir and tremble in fear¡­ "¡­Indeed. We had to halt because of you." "Though I wasn''t so sure about the war at first¡­ but after I recall back what you said to me when I ask ''When did you know my father is gone?''¡­" "¡­¡­!" Alpha Fenrir seems to have realized. "You gave me an answer¡ª and quite the accurate one¡­ This would mean you already knew my parents were long gone since yesterday, and they will never be back. You knew this with a good solid reason." "H-How¡­!? Why did they know instead of us¡­!?" Restia said with a shaky voice. In response to Restia''s tighter grip, I face her with a sombre look. "When either mom or dad is out for shopping or hunting¡­¡­" My voice eventually came to a pause, because I want Restia to figure the answer herself. Realizing the answer, Restia inadvertently widens her eyes. "¡­¡­one of them would stay behind¡­ to look after us¡­" She inadvertently murmurs. With that, Restia starts to cry. I quickly reach my hand to the back of her head, cradling her on my ?h?st. After a while, she eventually fell silent and clings onto my shoulder with a tired look. "¡­Thanks for the wait," I said to Alpha Fenrir. "I need to let her calm down." "I would do the same for my daughter." Alpha Fenrir told me. "However, I''m sure that isn''t enough to conclude your theory¡­" "Indeed¡­ those aren''t enough for me to come into that conclusion," I told Fenrir. "It was when you came to my house¡ª I really thought you wanted to look after me because of your pride and the cat''s order¡­ But after taking the time for you to get here into consideration, I realize there''s something else instead." "My time to get here¡­!?" "This island is not that big¡ª you could easily reach here within an hour if you want, but yet it took you more than half a day¡­ I was then convinced that you came here after having another meeting with The Black Cat." "¡­Why are you so sure that I would know where your territory is?" "Because my family are the only humans on this island. My parents are so powerful that they could destroy this island if they want¡ª there''s no way you wouldn''t be aware of the only single threat here." Feeling like there''s no point in hiding it anymore, Alpha Fenrir immediately heaves a sigh. "¡­¡­Indeed. I came here after discussing matters with that cat." "Finally¡­ my theory came to a conclusion when you told me Ruby will be endangered if she gets into the White Snake''s territory, and decided to search for her afterwards¡­" "...What did I say to make you come into that¡­!?" "There''s no way The White Snake would be unable to tell the human scent that was lingering on Ruby¡­" "¡­!" Alpha Fenrir realizes. However, it''s not over. "¡ªwhy Ruby?" Hearing my words, Alpha Fenrir visibly flinches. "Answer me!!! Why did you decide to put Ruby into this!? At first, you decided not to look for her¡ª that''s why you stepped on me with your paw, isn''t it!? Why did you change your mind afterwards!?" "Because the cat needs a good excuse! Putting the White Snake into blame for killing that creature and interfering with the pact, it''s the best excuse to initiate war!" "Why Ruby¡ª not me!? I know you guys originally wanted to see how I die under the hands of the lions!!!" "It was you at first, child¡­!!! We decided to let the lions do what they want. But after we waited, you did not die¡­! We are going to finish you off at first¡ª but after meeting you, the cat decided to change her mind with a different excuse!!!" "What''s wrong with her!? Why won''t she give up!? Why is she so desperate to wage war against The White Snake!?" "Because the snake''s father killed her parents several years ago!!!" For the first time, Alpha Fenrir talks with a coarse tone. "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" At that moment, the answers came clear to me. The Black Cat¡­ wanted revenge. She wanted revenge on the snake that killed her parents¡­ but why¡­? If my dad was involved in this years ago¡­ there''s no way, he wouldn''t be able to solve this conflict correctly¡­! "What did my father do¡ª there''s no way my father couldn''t solve a conflict like this!!! Knowing my father¡ª The White Snake is supposed to be sentenced to death!!!" "A conflict could never be solved as long as there is still ''hatred and sadness'' in the heart!!!" Alpha Fenrir retorted. "Even if your father sentences The Old White Snake to death¡ª The Black Cat would never get satisfied with just that until the last White Snake perishes!!!" "Revenge¡ª there''s no meaning to it!!! What will she do if the White Snake dies¡ª suicide!? Why must you join her in this foolish act¡­!?" "I can''t allow the Black Cat to kill my kin¡ª especially my daughter!!!" Fenrir howled. "STAY OUT OF THIS, CHILD!!! THERE''S NOTHING YOU COULD DO!!!" Alpha Fenrir stands, lifting his right paw¡ª intending to slam it on us. "NOTHING¡­?" I inadvertently uttered. "RESTIA!!!" "Restringunt!" (Paralyze!) "GROWLLLL¡­!!!?" "Arf¡­!!?" Placing a magic circle under their feet¡ª Restia casts paralyzing magic on Alpha Fenrir and Fenrir''s daughter, immobilizing them. With that so sudden, Alpha Fenrir tumbles and falls to the ground. A magic circle without restrictions¡­ it could absorb mana from the surroundings and activate endlessly, all Restia needs to do is to maintain the magic circle with her mana. "When did you¡­!?" "There''s no such thing as nothing to me¡ª I will definitely find a way¡­ no matter what¡­!!!" "FOOL¡­!" He''s trying to overwrite the paralysis magic with his mana¡­! "YOU ARE THE FOOL!!!" I yelled. "WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME¡ª EVEN THOUGH YOU ALREADY UNDERSTOOD THAT I''M THE ONLY HOPE TO STOP THIS POINTLESS WAR¡­!!!" "Huff¡ª Huff¡ª" Alpha Fenrir¡­ stops resisting. It was that moment I told Restia to stop her magic. "¡­You know that the cat likes me¡­" I murmured. "So why¡­?" "The moment you broke her heart¡ª it''s already too late¡­" Alpha Fenrir uttered. "Nothing could stop the cat now." "No¡ª not yet¡­ There''s one¡­!" I retorted Alpha Fenrir while pointing at that man. "Just let me save him¡­! He will be the last hope to stop this war¡­!" Hearing that, Alpha Fenrir rolls his body and sits, while staring at that man. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" What will your decision be, Alpha Fenrir¡­? "¡­Alright. I will help you¡ª but¡­" "But¡­?" My tone is telling him to say his conditions. "¡­no one from my pack is allowed to die¡ª especially my daughter. Can you do that, child¡­?" From Alpha Fenrir''s tone¡­ looks like he won''t be going with us. He sends his daughter instead¡­ It seems if I gave him the wrong answer¡­ Alpha Fenrir would reconsider everything. "All your daughter needs to do is to send us near the borders of the White Snake''s territory. If there are any Snow Leopards near her¡ª she needs to escape instead of engaging combat." "Very well¡­ a wise decision." With that, Alpha Fenrir looks at his daughter. Seems like he''s talking to her through telepathy. Fenrir''s daughter stood up afterwards, looking at us while wagging her tail. "¡­Thank you." Chapter 39 - 3.10 - Saturday, July 16th, 4.06pm The forest. In an unfamiliar terrain. "Growl¡­!" "Don''t think! Just run forward¡ª Restia, incoming icicles¡­!" "Obice!" (Barrier!) Extending her hand towards the incoming icicles, Restia summons a giant magic circle to block them from us. "Big brother¡ª two leopards are coming from the right!" "Grawr¡­!" "Don''t worry, leave it to me¡­!" In response towards the pouncing snow leopard, with precise timing, I shift his trajectory with my scabbard with the least effort, directing it away from grabbing onto Fenrir''s daughter. "Grawr¡­!?" It slams on the bushes nearby. "Growl¡­!!!" BAM! With her still running forward while following the smell, Fenrir''s daughter slams the other one back to the right with her head. "Well done¡­! How much longer¡­!?" I asked Fenrir''s daughter. "Growl¡­!" "She says we are almost there!" Restia replied. "Restia, incoming ice floor magic again¡­!" "Expurget!" (Dispel!) CRAK! "Counter it with lightning on the remaining ice¡­!" "O, Fulgur, percusserit quasi malleus!" (Oh, lightning, strike like a hammer!) ROAR¡ª BOOM¡­! """""GRAWR!!?""""" With Restia''s lightning hammer smashing on the ice, the snow leopards quickly leap away from it. It was too sudden for them¡ª they crash land on the nearby bushes. When I thought things are going well¡­ Fenrir''s daughter gradually slows down her running speed. "What''s wrong¡­?" I inadvertently ask. When I face forward¡ª there''s a snow leopard, with grey eyes, white fur and dark blue spots¡­ standing in front of our way. Her size is larger than the rest of her own kind and with a thicker coat on her ?h?st¡­ she stands in our way¡ª alone, all by herself. Though she is more massive than her kind, yet she is still smaller than Fenrir''s daughter¡ª at least five times smaller. "Arf¡­!" Facing that, Fenrir''s daughter whimpers and stops, then eventually get down on all four of her feet. Even if Fenrir''s daughter were to choose another route and bypass her¡­ I doubt that the Snow Leopard that''s standing in front of us would let us pass. "B-Big brother¡­¡­!" With a shaky voice, Restia suddenly hides on my back. I hold her hand that''s on my waist, trying to give her comfort. "Restia¡­? Why are you so scared¡­?" "S-she says that''s the snow leopard queen¡­!" "Snow leopard queen¡­" ¡­Crap. It''s the leader of the Snow Leopards. "GRAWR¡­!" Under her commanding roar, the Snow Leopards that are pursuing us from behind stop their attacks. However, they encircle us with their numbers¡­ with twelve in total. The others must be the elite guards¡­ I''m sorry, Alpha Fenrir¡­ I might not be able to keep your promise¡­ How did this happen¡­? After we got Alpha Fenrir''s approval¡­ we take a quick meal while waiting for the medicine inside that man''s body to work. Which then after confirming four of the seven poisons were detoxified, we immediately equip ourselves with weapons and hunting suits, heading towards The White Snake''s territory on Fenrir''s daughter back while bringing that man. Because of Ruby''s incident¡­ I can''t hold guns or grenades anymore¡ª whenever I tried to, my hands would shake like mad itself. All I have is the katana and dad''s dagger, while Restia has mom''s scythe with her. Initially, we are going in by ourselves¡­ but Fenrir''s daughter didn''t listen to my suggestion. She insists on bringing us to The White Snake territory herself¡­ and now this happens. The snow leopards may be smaller in size comparing to the Fenrir wolves¡­ but their ice magic is absurdly superb enough to have power on par with the Fenrir wolves. As for their temper¡­ I hope the snow leopard queen''s character would be better than Alpha Fenrir¡­ Is there anything I can do¡­? "What business do you have with us, humans¡­?" She asks, with a voice like a noble queen in her twenties. "Or maybe you have a business with our lady White Snake¡­?" Her international human language is fluent¡­! She''s definitely capable of having a rational conversation¡­ I pat Restia on her hand, telling her it''s okay. Then I jump down from Fenrir''s daughter back, standing in front of her¡ª acting as a representative. "I''m sorry to bother you¡­" I said that because we were the ones at fault. "But can you take us to your lady¡­?" "It''s fall." Snow leopard queen replied. "It''s ''brumation'' period for my lady¡ª you should see her after winter." Brumation¡­? I see¡­ The White Snake isn''t at its active period¡­ No wonder The Black Cat is in such a hurry to initiate war. Looks like there won''t be any room for negotiations if it''s like that. I need to convince her. "I have important news, and it''s an emergency for your lady, it''s for you and your leap as well¡­!" I said. "Emergency¡­?" Snow Leopard Queen tilts her head to the right. "I would only take it as an emergency if it''s concerning my lady''s life." "It is! Take me to her¡ª Guh¡­!?" She blows her cold, icy breath on me all of a sudden. "Think before you speak, human. Do you really think that little puppy could pose a threat to my lady? The only threat to our lady is your parents or that cat." Her stubbornness is refusing to listen. "Do I look like the ''not to think'' type?" I immediately retorted. "If I don''t think¡ª why would I come all the way here just to see your lady¡­!?" Snow Leopard Queen suddenly approach closer with an irritated look. "A weak, tiny human like you dares to talk back¡­" She reaches her left paw near to my face¡ª with her claws extended. "¡­do you not fear death, little boy¡­?" This question¡­ it''s the same one just like Alpha Fenrir''s. At first, I thought he''s trying to scare me away¡­ But now I get it. I get why did he ask that. Because he knows that my parents are gone¡­ this means¡ª Snow Leopard queen knows too. However, I don''t have any room to be scared. ¡­ I''m carrying four lives on my back¡ª I can''t afford to be scared. Restia, Ruby, Fenrir''s daughter, and that man¡­ I will protect them all. "B-Big brother¡ª" "Stay back, Restia!" I told her. "She won''t harm me¡­!" Hearing that, Snow Leopard Queen''s ears seem to have twitched for a moment. "Why are you so certain, little boy¡­?" As she asks, she tilts her head¡ª seeming dumbfounded. "Because I have important news that''s life-threatening to your lady. Without it¡­ you and your lady will perish from this forest, forever." I made it straightforward so that she won''t go so far to injure me. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Hearing this, Snow Leopard Queen puts down her paw and lowers her head¡ª seems like she''s finally considering my words for once. "¡­You are coming with me, alone." She uttered. "No¡ª they are coming with me." I retorted. Feeling irritated, she growls at me. "And why do you think I should listen to you¡­?" "I promised to never leave my little sister behind, to protect that wolf and to save that person that''s on her back," I told her. "Promise¡­?" Snow Leopard Queen remarked. Somehow, her tone¡ª it feels sarcastic. "¡­very well." She said while facing behind. "If they could put their trust on you¡­ I might as well¡ª Grawr¡­!!!" With that growl, her snow leopard companions immediately back off and disappear into the woods. "¡­Thank you¡­!" "Follow me, little boy. My speed is the fastest among my leap¡­ you better catch up." Thanking her, I quickly head back to Restia and jumps on Fenrir''s daughter''s back. "Big brother¡­!" "Restia¡­!" Feeling relieved, Restia gave me a quick hug. "Grawr!" With that, Snow Leopard Queen takes a giant leap forward and runs¡ªleaving trails of icicles behind. I pat Fenrir''s daughter on her back to calm her down, telling her everything is okay. "Follow her," I said. "Growl!" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Huff¡ª Huff¡ª" After running for about six minutes while following the ice tracks, we finally meet snow leopard queen at the end of the trail¡ª who''s waiting for us while ???k?n? her paw. "I''ve waited for around four minutes." Snow leopard queen murmured. "What took you so long, little puppy?" "Growl¡­?" In response to her sarcastic remark, Fenrir''s daughter tilts her head in confusion. "¡­ It''s nothing. She merely means you are very slow." Restia said to her. "Arf¡­" Restia''s reply made Fenrir''s daughter lower her head in depression. "What did she say?" I asked Restia. "She says she doesn''t understand what minutes is." "Ah¡­ I see." Restia thinks it is a bother to explain what is minute, so she decided to cut it short. But I''m somewhat surprised that snow leopard queen knew the concept of time instead. "Why are you stopping here¡­?" I asked. "Stand next to me, little boy." Snow Leopard Queen told me. Following her orders, I jump down from Fenrir''s daughter''s back and stand next to Snow Leopard Queen. "Lady White Snake hates to be interrupted from her afternoon nap¡­ I can''t guarantee you what will happen next." "¡­?" Why is she telling me that all of a sudden¡­? Could it be¡­ the White Snake is just nearby¡­? "Cover your ears, little boy." Once I did, snow leopard queen faces forward and roars as hard as she could. "GRAWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...!!!!!!!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Nothing seems to happen. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS¡­!!!¡± "Kuh.........!" That hissing sound made me cover my ears even tighter. It''s so high-pitched¡­! ¡°HVAD ER MERKING TESSSSSSSSSSA¡­¡­¡­!?????????¡± (WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THISSSSSS¡­¡­¡­!?????????) I don''t know what she''s saying¡­ but I know she''s very pissed. Like the voice of a su??ubus demon¡­ the voice of a bewitching witch¡­ I could hear her voice echoing from everywhere around us, yet I see no signs of her. Suddenly, our surroundings changes¡ª the tree trunks, bushes, turns into a large mass of white scales, and they are¡ª moving. She is just so gigantic that her body had to coil on every tree trunk she could find. I see no limit to her body length. Where is her head¡­? "D¨¢mur¡ª" (Lady¡ª) ¡°T?GN¡­¡­!!! HVERSU M?RG SKIPTI HEF ¨¦G SAGT T¨¦R AD TRUFLA EKKI S¨ªDDEGISBLUNDINN MINN¡­¡­!!!¡± (SILENCE¡­.!!! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DISTURB MY AFTERNOON NAP¡­¡­!!!) "Tat''s brynt, minn d¨¢mur." (It''s urgent, my lady.) ¡°HVAD G?TI VERID MEIRA ¨¢R¨ªDANDI EN MITT S¨ªDDEGIS BLUND¡ª HISS¡ª TETTA ER¡­ LYKT AF M?NNUM¡­?¡± (WHAT COULD BE MORE CRUCIAL THAN MY AFTERNOON NAP¡ª HISS¡ª THIS IS¡­ THE SMELL OF HUMANS¡­?) ¡°J¨¢, minn d¨¢mur.¡± (Yes, my lady.) "HISS¡ª" BAM!!! All of a sudden, White Snake''s head suddenly drops from above, slamming on the ground. While the wind pressure from her body slam blasts forth, snow leopard queen guards us against the powerful blow with her magic barrier. "Welcome, humans¡ª Hiss¡­? And also, the young mistress of the wolves¡­?" With her head lifting up like a King Cobra¡­ she naturally glares down on us. "¡­What brings you here¡­¡­? Is there something so urgent that YOU NEED TO WAKE ME FROM MY NAP¡­¡­!!?" "Lady, this little boy said he had life-threatening news for you." Snow leopard queen interjected. "Life-threatening newssss¡­¡­?" White Snake murmured. "Let me guess¡­ it could only be that cat¡­ isn''t it, boy¡­?" "Yes, it is." It couldn''t be more obvious. "Hiss¡­¡­? And what about it¡­? What does she want, hiss¡ª let me guess¡­ my death¡­?" "¡­¡­Yes." Didn''t snow leopard queen said it was life-threatening news¡­? "THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE FOR¡­!!?" She suddenly got angry. "???" With those words thrown at me, I find myself dumbfounded for a moment. "Is there even a need to guess!? The cat''s target is always you, isn''t it!?" I retorted. "I even said it was life-threatening news, so why is there even a need to guess!?" Crap, my bad habit. "My lady always behaves like that when she f?r??b?? wakes up. It''s something like sleep deprivation." Snow Leopard Queen said calmly. "Hiss¡ª No, it''s not." Surprisingly, White Snake minds Snow Leopard Queen''s remark. "It is." "It''s not." "It is." "¡­JUST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY BOY!!!" ¡ªshe got angry! But¡­ unlike the cat¡ª from the way she speaks to Snow Leopard Queen¡­ I can tell she''s much friendlier than I thought¡­ Could it be¡­? Can I put my hopes on her and Snow Leopard Queen¡­? "Lady White Snake¡­ I have a proposal¡ª I want you to stop this pointless war." I said to her. "¡­¡­war¡­?" White Snake murmured. "That cat¡ª wants a war¡­? IF THAT''S WHAT SHE WANTS¡ª THEN SO BE IT¡­!!!" ¡­I take that back. "Lady, don''t be reckless." Snow Leopard Queen warns her. "You say you want her to stop this war¡ª by that, are you referring to us, little boy¡­?" "¡­Yes." "Given the current state of my lady¡­ we won''t be helping you¡ª" "No¡ª let me hear it." White Snake interjected. "¡­I want to see what do you have to stop that cat that not even your father could." Why did she mention my father¡­? "¡­you knew¡­? My parents are gone¡­?" "¡­Yesterday morning." Snow Leopard Queen answered. "Your parents'' mana was no more since yesterday morning." "That reason itself isn''t enough for that cat to act recklessly." White Snake suddenly muttered. "If she breaks the pact, your father, Lucione, will destroy her. The cat I know¡­ would definitely find a good excuse that isn''t violating the pact¡­" "The cat you know¡­?" I remarked. "What do you mean¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" For some reason, the white Snake looks away. White Snake¡ª seems to know Black Cat inside out well enough for her to say that. "Lady, me, and that ungrateful cat are good friends when we were little." Snow Leopard Queen replies. "HISS¡­!!!" With that hiss¡ª Icicles suddenly rains down from above of Snow Leopard Queen, which she makes a quick dodge by leaping to the side. "Lady¡­!" That attack made Snow Leopard Queen looks at White Snake with an inconceivable look. "ENOUGH¡­! WHAT DO YOU KNOW¡ª TAKE YOUR WORD BACK¡­!" White Snake groans. "¡­I apologize, my lady." With that as an apology, Snow Leopard Queen then lowers her head, setting aside. Hold on¡­ what did I just hear¡­!? "THE THREE OF YOU WERE GOOD FRIENDS¡­!?" "Not anymore¡ª" "SILENCE!!!" White Snake, with her anger, shuts down Snow Leopard Queen''s reply. They were friends¡ª yet something big happened¡­ breaking their relationship. I inadvertently recall Alpha Fenrir''s words. "I heard from the leader of the Fenrir wolves¡ª that The Black Cat''s parents¡­ were killed by your father." "¡­Indeed." With a short sigh, White Snake lowers her head closer to me, and said¡ª "My father ate her parents right in front of her, alive." Chapter 40 - 3.11 - Saturday, July 16th, 4.18pm Once upon a time, on this island. There lived two supreme magical beasts¡ª The Black Cats of Misfortune and The White Snakes of Serenity. During that time, every magical beast within this forest lives in harmony because of the well-management from The Black Cats and The White Snakes. However, things start to change ever since the birth of a perfect-black cat. Ever since that perfect-black cat was born, both The White Snake and Black Cat tribe''s population gradually becomes smaller because they died from an unknown reason. Everyone believed it was because of the perfect-black cat. Ever since she was born, this forest is haunted by death itself. That''s why both The Black Cats and The White Snakes decided to kill this accursed child. Day and night¡ª they searched for this Black Cat. The perfect-black cat, ever since she was born¡ª is protected by her parents from both of the tribes. Until one day¡ª the so-called ''curse'', haunted the wife of the White Snake Chief. Ever since that day, the chief threatens The Black Cats to hand over the cursed cat. If not, he will slaughter every remaining Black Cat that is left within. However, not a single Black Cat knows where they are. Refusing to succumb their family to The White Snake, The Black Cats decided to go against The White Snakes ever since. With all that war going¡ª both sides had suffered heavy losses. Adding the so-called curse, eventually¡­ The Black Cats were wiped out completely¡ª but there are still no signs of the cursed cat. The White Snakes are left with only two remaining¡ª The White Snake chief and his daughter. One day, the daughter White Snake¡ª went out for a hunt. Because resources are getting thinner nearby their territory¡­ she went outside of her territory''s border to search for food. That day, while spying on a certain prey¡ª a big, juicy, rat¡­ The Black Cat, The White Snake, The Snow Leopard. They were children back then. In need of that juicy-looking prey, they fought for it¡ª for a whole day. The reason they stopped, is because of the prey is already long gone until they realized with their rumbling tummy. And so, the three of them, together¡ª hunts that rat while working with each other. Once they did, they divided the meat into three pieces as compensation of their effort¡­ It was because of that, they became friends. They promise that once in a while, they would gather at that spot and hunt together. Because of their activity, it piqued their parent''s interest¡ª which they followed them. ¡ªthe remaining Black Cats and chief of The White Snake, met. With the Chief White Snake attacking their one and only child, The Black Cats risks their lives trying to protect her. However, no one can stop a raging snake that is drowned in madness. He will kill everyone¡ª even if it''s her daughter standing in her way. The Snow leopard''s parents, the daughter White Snake, the Black Cat''s parents¡ª none of them could stop him even if they tried. The Black Cat¡ª witnessing the cruelty that was faced by her parents and friends¡­ wished for death by offering herself to The White Snake at that moment. The White Snake, with his fangs aiming at her¡ª her parents pushed her away in that spur of the moment and got themselves eaten. "I still remembered that day where my father crushed her parents with his jaws¡ª till blood is spilling out on his mouth." White Snake said, with a sad look. "At that moment¡­ he was no longer my father." "(S-Sniff) ¡­! This is so cruel¡­!" Restia murmured. White Snake then looks at Snow Leopard Queen. "¡­My parents offered themselves to save The Black Cat. My father died from his poison when standing against him¡­ and my mother never returned after she took that cat and ran away ¡­" Snow Leopard Queen added. "I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­!" "You don''t need to feel sorry." White Snake told me. "Your father did everything he could." "That''s right¡­" Snow Leopard added. "If it''s not for your father who stops him¡­ my tribe could be in danger next." "(Sniff)¡­ Why did the Black Cat behave like this¡­!" Restia said while wiping her tears. "¡­I don''t know." White Snake murmured. "The last time I saw her¡ª she changed completely." "Your father doesn''t want her to become the next White Snake." Snow Leopard Queen said. "That''s why he made that pact¡ª it was to stop her." "Stop her¡­? With what¡­?" I said. "Time." White Snake told me. "But it seems like she still hadn''t learnt her lesson¡­ My lady''s suffering is just as worse as hers." "¡­Lady White Snake," I said to her. "What did you felt when you see your father turn mad¡­?" "Utterly¡ª painful." She replied with a sad look. "You tried to reach them¡ª but then you realize you can''t do anything¡­ Doesn''t that apply on all three of you¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "I may still have my little sister¡­ Both of you still had each other¡­ But Black Cat throws away everything without a single one left¡ª" "What are you trying to say¡­!?" Snow Leopard Queen scowled at me. "It''s extremely painful for Black Cat to choose¡­ because the ones that killed her parents is White Snake''s father," I remarked. "To her, should she choose¡ª friend, or revenge?" "But¡­ why hadn''t I choose to think of revenge!?" "¡­Because you still have your tribe," I remarked. "You have something to move on while The Black Cat has nothing." "That doesn''t mean she could just aim for my lady''s life just like that¡­!" "She didn''t," I uttered. ""What¡­!?"" They look at me with a surprised look. "To the cat¡ª her friends died," I said. "She chooses to ''blame'' everything to her curse¡ª convincing herself that her friends are dead." Just like how Adam and Eve broke the rule by eating the forbidden fruit¡ª Adam puts his blame to Eve¡­ and how Eve puts the blame to the ''snake''¡­ Because of that, men are punished to work in order to eat; Women would have to suffer pain from giving birth; And originally the most beautiful animal in this world¡ª is cursed by the God of Creation and became a ''snake'' like this. All because humans wouldn''t admit their fault. Blaming¡ª could be the core of a series of disaster. It''s also a curse to make things worse. ¡­Or so my dad taught me. "You mean¡­ that cat already became my father¡­?" White Snake asks. "No¡­ not completely¡ª she once asks me to give her a name¡­" "WHY HAD YOU NOT DONE IT!!?" White Snake suddenly yells at me. "Because I thought¡­ that the curse would bring harm to Restia¡ª but now I know it''s not true¡­!" "No¡ª the curse is real." Snow Leopard Queen told me. "But it''s merely bad luck¡ª it''s not something as absurd as the ''so-called curse''." "Then what was the reason for yours and the cat''s tribe death¡­?" I asked White Snake. "...Plague." White Snake murmured coldly. "My father and I were the only ones with the antibody among my tribe because our favourite food is rats." "Your tribe is fine because you have antibodies?" "¡­ That''s right." Snow Leopard Queen replied. "If it were the cat''s curse, the first to die would be her parents." "But even so, her curse¡ª bad luck could be sometimes fatal once she turns it to misfortune with her power." White Snake added. "That''s why we have The Fortune Rabbits to balance things out." Fortune Rabbits¡­! "A-Ah¡ª have you seen a pink rabbit that''s not from The Fortune Rabbits¡­!?" Restia asked. "No, I didn''t see it." "A-Are you sure¡­?" "There''s only one Fortune Rabbit left, and she''s currently living with me¡ª none from her tribe survived from the plague." White Snake replied. "Are you really sure there''s no other pink rabbit¡­?" Restia didn''t give up. "My lady already answered your question¡ª what''s with your persistence, little girl¡­?" "The Black Cat¡ª along with the Fenrir wolves, are now trying to hunt this little pink girl called Ruby," I told them. "¡­The wolves¡­!?" Snow Leopard Queen inadvertently muttered, while glaring at Fenrir''s daughter. "Why is the young mistress of the wolves here with you!? What is he planning!?" "He says the Black Cat is threatening his pack¡ª he says he needs my help to save his pack." "Him¡­!?" White Snake uttered. "IMPOSSIBLE!!!" "W-What do you mean impossible?!" "¡­You did not hear of it¡­!?" White Snake looks completely in shock. "No¡­ that can''t be¡ª is this¡­? To his own child¡­?" White Snake''s mumbles frighten me. "That wolf¡ª he''s once your father''s ''contracted beast''!" Snow Leopard Queen told me. "He even had a name¡ª he''s called D¨®mr¡­!" Alpha Fenrir¡ª is my dad''s contracted beast!!? Is this why his respect towards my father¡ª is much stronger than the other magical beast!? "That can''t be¡ª why did he and dad never told me!?" I uttered. "How could you not know!? He once fought against my lady''s father¡ª ever since then he''s been the one guarding this forest¡­ he''s even stronger than my lady and that cat¡­!" "Then why is he listening to the cat!?" "The cat didn''t know of this¡ª she doesn''t know how my lady''s father died! Is it because of him she''s taking revenge of my lady¡­!?" "The only explanation I could think of¡ª is that your father planned all of this." White Snake murmured. "He knew this would happen¡ª and he wants you to solve it." "N-No! It''s impossible¡­! W-Why would my dad do something like this!? Why would he leave me with such a problem!?" "Unless¡ª your father didn''t leave on his own will¡­ He needs to leave because he knows he doesn''t have much time¡­" "WHAT¡­?" Surprised by it, I inadvertently murmured with a shocked look. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN¡ª MY DAD DON''T HAVE MUCH TIME¡­?" "When he came here and settled everything¡ª he once told us he won''t be living here for too long." White Snake replied. No, that can''t be¡­ Why did my dad never tell me about this¡­!? But¡ª there''s no reason for White Snake to tell a lie¡ª "Guh------ Spurt!" "That human¡ª WHO IS HE¡­!!?" HUH¡ª? Hearing that voice¡ª I look back. I see that man with his neck and below placed inside an ice coffin¡ª I realized I completely forgot about him. "WHO IS HE¡­!? SHOULD I KILL HIM RIGHT NOW¡­?" "No¡ª wait, stop¡­!" My father left me because he doesn''t have much time. I shot Ruby, and she left¡ª but she''s nowhere found even in The Fortune Rabbit''s territory. Alpha Fenrir, D¨®mr¡ª my father''s contracted beast, with unknown motives, is working with The Black Cat to wage war against The White Snake by using Ruby. That mysterious man stabbed by a knife. ¡ªoverwhelming information. I''m confused; I''m at loss; "HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª" ¡ªI can''t breathe. THUD! "Brother¡ª Big brother¡­!" The last thing I heard before I lost conscious¡ª is the voice of my little sister. Chapter 41 - 3.12 - Monday, July 18th, 7.30pm ¡°Restia¡ª WHAM! ¡°¡ªGAH!!?¡± ¡°GAH!?¡± Argh¡­!!! What did my head hit this time¡­!!? Hmm¡­? Did I just hear a ¡®GAH¡¯ just now? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you¡ª you stupid brat¡­!? What sort of idiot wakes with a sit-up before opening their eyes!?¡± Hearing that voice, I inadvertently raise my head on reflex. ¡°Huh¡ª¡± That man¡ª whom I promise to save, is now kneeling on the ground while struggling in pain from my headbutt. Isn¡¯t this the living room¡­? ¡°I¡¯m not broken!!!¡± I retorted. ¡°Is this the way to treat your saviour!?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, thanks for saving me.¡± He perfunctory said. That man, when I realize he picks up a bowl of porridge from the floor and starts shoving into my mouth¡ª ¡°GYAH¡ª PFOOOOOO¡­!!!¡± ¡ªI inadvertently spit out the porridge that he shoves, out from my mouth. ¡°GYAHHH¡ª IT¡¯S HOT!!!¡± With his hands, he starts rubbing the porridge off from his face. ¡°WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR, SAVIOUR!!?¡± ¡°THE PORRIDGE IS SO DAMN HOT!!! ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR SOMETHING!!?¡± ¡°BIG BROTHER¡­!!!¡± Restia barges into the living room. ¡°RESTIA¡ª Hmm?" When I thought she¡¯s going to give me a hug¡ª she takes out my phone from my pocket, opening an email and shows it to me. ¡®From: THE ORIGINAL LUCIFER.¡¯ As my eyes inadvertently notice the sender¡ª I quicky snatch my phone from my little sis. What is the meaning of this¡­!? My gaze shifts to the upper right corner of my phone to check the time and date. ¡®18 July, 7.32 pm.¡¯ ¡ªit¡¯s been two days since I fainted¡­!? Fearing on what he would say on the message, I inadvertently swallow my saliva¡ª reading his message. ¡®DEAR LUCIFER NIGHTMARE, I''M ABSOLUTELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. EVEN IF MY PARENTS ARE GONE¡ª I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE YOU SHOT MY PRECIOUS RUBY WITH A BULLET¡ª WHAT¡¯S MORE, A PIERCING BULLET. NOT ONLY YOU SHOT HER, YOU EVEN TOLD HER TO LEAVE. AND I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE YOU DIDN¡¯T LOOK FOR HER IMMEDIATELY AFTER RESTIA WOKE UP. YOU ARE WORSE THAN SCUM¡ª SCUMBAG. GOD, SCOLDING HALF OF MYSELF SUCKS.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Reading across that message makes me bit my lips in silence and frustration. This is the first time I scold myself¡ª and it felt extremely awful. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, scumbag? Why the long face?¡± When those ear-piercing words came across my ears, I lift my head from the phone and glares at him. ¡°Scum!¡± ¡°Even you, Restia!?¡± ¡°Big brother told me to do so¡­¡± Restia replies with a despondent look. ¡°Yeah, right¡ª he even told me to call you scum too, scum.¡± That man suddenly interrupts. ¡°H-Hey¡­!¡± I inadvertently yelled. ¡°W-Wha¡ª you are speaking my tongue¡­!?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± He murmured, almost like he¡¯s genuinely surprised. ¡°It took you a minute to realize?¡± For some reason, he pisses me off. Restia immediately shakes me to pull my attention away from him. ¡°Big brother¡ª just read the message¡­!¡± YOU FAINTED FOR ONE DAY, AND I TOOK OVER YESTERDAY NIGHT. RUBY HAS NOT BEEN FOUND BY EITHER THE CAT OR THE SNAKE. HOWEVER, SO DO I. EVEN IF I¡¯M ABLE TO FIND HER, THE WAR CANNOT BE STOPPED. IF THE CAT FINDS RUBY, SHE MIGHT GET KILLED¡ª SO THAT SHE COULD ATTACK THE SNAKE WITH A SOLID REASON. IF THE SNAKE FINDS RUBY, THE CAT WOULD DISREGARD EVERYTHING AND FIGHT THE SNAKE TILL DEATH. IF BOTH OF THEM COULD NOT FIND RUBY, I SUSPECT THE CAT WOULD LOSE HER PATIENCE. THUS, I PREDICT THAT THE WAR WILL START IN ABOUT ONE OR TWO DAYS. AS FOR D¨®MR, I DECIDED TO TRUST HIM¡ª NO MATTER IF IT¡¯S ON HIS OWN WILL OR FROM DAD¡¯S ORDER. I PERSUADED HIS DAUGHTER TO STAY HERE WITH US, AS AN INSURANCE. AS FOR THAT WHITE RABBIT MAN, HE¡¯S SAVED BY THE SNAKE¡¯S ANTIVENOM, THANKS TO RESTIA. HE JUST WOKE UP THIS MORNING. I DIAGNOSED HIM TO HAVE AMNESIA, AND THE REASON MIGHT BECAUSE OF THE NEUROTOXINS. THOUGH HE HAD AMNESIA, HE RECOVERED HIMSELF HIS INTERNAL DAMAGE WITH HIS MAGIC SPELLS. IF BY CHANCE, WHERE I THINK IT¡¯S IMPOSSIBLE¡ª IF THERE ARE SOLDIERS FROM THE REGALIA EMPIRE CAME HERE TO KILL THIS MAN, DON¡¯T SELL HIM OUT¡ª BECAUSE I¡¯M CERTAIN THEY ARE TRAINED TO KILL EVERYONE IN SIGHT. YOU NEED WORK WITH HIM INSTEAD TO PROTECT EVERYONE ELSE. HE MAY HAVE AMNESIA, BUT HE STILL HAS HIS MARTIAL ARTS AND MAGIC. FOR NOW¡ª YOU COULD PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM. FINALLY, THERE ARE ALSO A FEW THINGS I¡¯D LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO YOU. NO MATTER WHAT RUBY HAS DONE WRONG, SCOLD HER OR EVEN PUNISH HER. DON¡¯T YOU EVER, SHOOT HER WITH A GUN. MOM AND DAD WOULD NEVER ABANDON US, EVER. EVEN IF THEY ARE GONE FOR GOOD, THEY ARE DEFINITELY GONE WITH A GOOD, SOLID REASON. DON¡¯T EVER FORGET THAT. DON¡¯T EVER LET RESTIA OR RUBY OR EVEN YOU TO PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE. THINK, CALCULATE, PREDICT EVERYTHING¡ª SO THAT YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TO DO SO. UNTIL I TAKE OVER AGAIN, I WILL LEAVE THE REST IN YOU AND NIGHTWALKER¡¯S HANDS. P.S. FROM THAT MAN¡¯S MAGIC SPELLS, I SUSPECT HE SHOULD RECOVER FROM AMNESIA IN ABOUT THREE DAYS. ALSO, THE ONE AND ONLY FORTUNE RABBIT IS NOW WITH US. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. ALSO, I TOLD THEM TO CALL YOU SCUM.¡¯ While sliding the message with my finger, the contents ¡®I¡¯ wrote surprised me through and through. ¡°You¡­¡± I inadvertently murmured, while looking at that man. ¡°¡­have amnesia¡­?¡± ¡°Wow, so what you¡ª I mean he says is true.¡± He inadvertently murmured. This is my second time seeing someone¡¯s else reaction on my condition. It¡¯s been a while since then. I wonder how are Mattanarafa and her parents doing¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t even remember I was stabbed by someone else. I thought you kids are the one who stabbed me with a knife.¡± He added. ¡°That¡¯s why you attacked¡­?¡± ¡°When you wake up seeing a knife stabbed on your body with two suspicious people and a hungry-looking Fenrir wolf next to you, of course, you would attack.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°Now I have one serious question.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Where did you get this porridge?¡± I thought every food supply in the kitchen has been completely destroyed by that lion. ¡°Well, taking from the neighbouring country, of course.¡± He said with a bragging tone. ¡°What!?¡± In response to his remark, I get up and grab him on his collar, shaking him twice to emphasize my surprise. ¡°You got out of here!? How!? Teleportation magic!?¡± ¡°Are you alright? You asked me a question and answered it yourself?¡± To catch my attention, Restia grabs my sleeve, jerking it. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing he took,¡± Restia said. ¡°He brought us food supply enough for months, and he also fixes the house.¡± Shifting my gaze back to that man, I release my hands. ¡°¡­Who on earth are you¡­?¡± ¡°How would I know? I lost my memories.¡± He replied. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m rather surprised you weren¡¯t feeling guilty at all with the food I stole.¡± ¡°I think I deserve it as a charity. Besides, that country produces the most food each year. A little wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Why, really?¡± He murmured, then he takes a card from his ?h?st pocket. ¡°Damn¡­ I should have stolen them instead of buying them with this black card.¡± ¡°Hey¡ª that¡¯s my debit card¡­! Give it back!¡± With a slight movement, he flicks my card upwards¡ª where I fail to snatch it from his fingers. As I try to jump, he places his right hand on my head, pressing me down to the floor while catching my card with his fingers again. With a tender-looking smile, he looks at me. ¡°What do you want from me¡­!?¡± I angrily scowled at him. ¡°Let me stay here for a while, brat. Until my memories return.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether what the other you said to me is true, well¡ª I need to be safe just in case.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not so cruel enough to abandon a person with lost memories,¡± I replied. ¡°Why are you even seeking for my agreement anyway? Didn¡¯t ¡®I¡¯ already agreed to let you stay?¡± ¡°Haha, who knows whether he would be using you to get rid of me? I¡¯m extremely cautious.¡± With that, he returns my card back on my hand. As I shove my card into one of the drawers in the living room, Restia¡ª who seems to be at lost, stares at me. ¡°Big brother¡­ so what are we going to do¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I inadvertently murmured, while recalling what ¡®I¡¯ told me. ¡°Ruby¡­ we need to find Ruby¡­!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, hold it.¡± Just when I head to the exit, that man grabs both Restia and my hand, pulling us back to the sofa. ¡°What!?¡± I yelled at him. ¡°It¡¯s dark out there.¡± He said. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Black thing and White thing with a bunch of beasts roaming around in that forest?¡± ¡°Ruby¡¯s in there for three days!¡± ¡°And? A beast-kin and a human¡ª which of it survives better in a forest nowadays?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just four-year-old!¡± ¡°And? Are you she would be willing to go home with a ten-year-old kid who shot her with a gun for three times?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± My voice inadvertently went silent. He¡¯s right. Though the first two bullets are meant to frighten her¡­ yet I still aimed at her instead of the ceiling¡­ ¡°But¡­ at least I want to know where she is¡­!¡± Restia said. ¡°She could detect your scent before you even see her.¡± He said. ¡°Give up and rest well. We will look for her tomorrow.¡± Restia seems convinced, but I could tell there¡¯s a part of her is still worried about Ruby. ¡°B-But¡­!¡± ¡°Give up.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°Shut it, brat. Either you die out there or I will knock you out this instant.¡± ¡°WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE¡ª¡± THOK! Without another word, he lands a knife-hand chop on Restia on her carotid pulse. ¡°¡ªUGH¡­!? IT HURTS¡­! N-NGHHHHHHH¡­.!¡± ¡°H-Huh¡­!? Why you are still conscious¡ª h-hey¡­! No, stop¡ª I hate crying kids!!! H-Hey brat¡­! Take my place¡­!¡± Restia, while trying to hold her tears in place¡ª that man panics and toss me next to her like a basketball. ¡°U-Uwaaaaahhhh¡­¡­¡± Feeling Restia¡¯s tears dripping on my hand as I hug her, I find something from my ?h?st seems to be swelling up to my head. ¡°Uuuh¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, stop¡­! Don¡¯t cry you cry-babies¡­!!!¡± Chapter 42 - 3.13 - Tuesday, July 19th, 8.49am 19th July, 8.49 a.m. After waking up as I sit on the front yard before breakfast, a new friend which came out from a rabbit hole, comes close to me and jumps on my ??p, enjoying my stroke on her body with her purring. Until one of its kind showed up. BOP. BOP. BOP. With the back of her feet stomping my ??p, it means she¡¯s afraid of him. ¡°Why is this pink-coloured thing afraid of me¡­!?¡± A man with white hair, red eyes, like an appearance of a white rabbit, stands next to me. ¡°Thing¡­? It¡¯s a Fortune Rabbit.¡± Saying that, I stroke the pink rabbit on her back, where she calms down and rests on my ??p once again. ¡°What is that? A rabbit that brings good luck?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± BOP BOP BOP. Hearing that, the rabbit stomps her foot on my feet again¡ª and with a quick pace. ¡°No gambling.¡± I uttered. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be rich?¡± ¡°Money doesn¡¯t matter here on this island.¡± ¡°Cheh, stingy.¡± He muttered. ¡°Here, stupid rabbit. A carrot.¡± CHOMP. The pink rabbit then takes a bite¡ª on his finger instead of the carrot. ¡°GYAHH¡­!!? SHE BIT ME¡­!!!¡± ¡°She understands what you are saying, you know.¡± I said to him. ¡°YOU SHOULD¡¯VE SAID EARLIER¡­! SHE ALSO BIT ME YESTERDAY¡­!!!¡± Does this mean you insulted her twice? I decided to ignore his remark and cuddle this little ball of fur. ¡°Hehehe¡­ that thick, white fur on your ?h?st is so beautiful. You are so soft and cute and cuddly¡­! I¡¯m going to die from fluffiness¡ª Uuuuh¡­!¡± ¡°Why are you on the verge to cry all of the sudden!? Enough of that already!¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m really worried of Ruby¡­¡± ¡°Oh, come on. I thought we are going to search for her later.¡± ¡°I know¡­ Hey, hold it.¡± I inadvertently stop him after realizing he had an apron on him. ¡°Why are you wearing an apron? Don¡¯t cook! Your cooking is terrible¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tasted the worst porridge I ever had in my whole life.¡± ¡°OI, YOU STUPID BRAT.¡± ¡°Why are you getting angry all of the sudden!? There¡¯s no point in asking if you don¡¯t want to hear the truth!¡± I retorted. ¡°At least make it sound better!¡± He complained. ¡°Give me some face here!¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± I clear my throat. ¡°Even plain water is better than the taste of your porridge.¡± ¡°YOU JUST GAVE AN DAMN EXPLANATION TO YOUR DAMNED REASON! IT¡¯S NOT GIVING FACE AT ALL!¡± ¡°You must be mistaken.¡± I even gave him a ¡®Hold it¡¯ gesture. ¡°When did I said I will give you face¡­?¡± ¡°Meanie¡­! Buwehh¡­!!!¡± With a dramatic turn, he runs back into the house¡ª while crying. Dad cries whenever he watches a sad movie¡­ ¡­I miss my parents. I wonder why are they¡­? As if she knows I¡¯m sad, the rabbit on my ??p rubs my hand with her head. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± I said to her. ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t speak my tongue. It would be great if you could.¡± Guess I should cook now¡­ Restia¡¯s about to wake up by now¡­ I then put her on the ground, letting her to return back to her hole, while I stand up and enter the house. ¡°Whoa!?¡± The moment I close the front door, I find that man standing behind the door¡ª which freaks me out. ¡°No, of course not.¡± He told me along with a hand gesture saying ¡®no¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if you are really half of the real you or something. Because the real you don¡¯t really look like a ten-year-old kid to me.¡± ¡­It¡¯s only me and him alone now. It seems he has something to tell me without letting anyone else to know. Not Restia, not Fenrir¡¯s daughter, not the rabbit. ¡°¡­What are you trying to say¡­?¡± I uttered. ¡°You know¡­ that gigantic wolf and the pink rabbit.¡± He said. ¡°Are you really just looking after their safety¡­?¡± ¡°¡­What about it?¡± ¡°Especially the little wolf.¡± He murmured. ¡°If either the snake or the cat or that wolf brings any harm to your precious little Ruby¡­¡± ¡°Stop spinning around in circles. I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ what is the correct term for that¡­?¡± He murmurs, then snaps his fingers, as if he got the answer. ¡­I see. He¡¯s trying to get ¡®my¡¯ answer from me. Telling him wouldn¡¯t affect ¡®my¡¯ plan¡­ might as well let him know. ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not quite right.¡± ¡°Whoops, maybe I was wrong.¡± He said. ¡°It should be¡­ ¡®chess piece¡¯.¡± ¡°Still a wrong answer.¡± I replied. ¡°¡­?¡± He looks confused. ¡°It¡¯s not even a chess piece¡­?¡± ¡°Beyond than that.¡± ¡°Are you actually a good kid?¡± He asks. ¡°What makes you think that¡­?¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m merely choosing the right way¡­¡± ¡°You even choose to say ¡®right¡¯ instead of ¡®best¡¯ huh¡­¡± That man, with his fingers placed under his chin, looks at me with curiosity. ¡°Hmm¡­ Because you know them well enough¡­ that¡¯s why you know how would things go just like how ¡®you¡¯ predicted it¡­? ¡°Who knows¡­?¡± I gave an arbitrary look. ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡®I¡¯ am thinking.¡± It¡¯s true. I really don¡¯t know what the real me thinks. He always told me a lot of things, but at the same time, he always leaves a lot of holes for me to fill in. I¡¯m not sure about ¡®his¡¯ plan exactly¡­ All I know, is the cat, the snake, the snow leopards, even the wolves¡ª their life and death, lies on ¡®my¡¯ hands, depending on how they are going to make their next move. ¡°So disgusting¡ª ow.¡± That man murmured, while patting my head¡ª which I swatted it away. ¡°Playing both the fool and the mastermind¡­ is something beyond madness. Don¡¯t dive in too deep.¡± He said the same thing just like my father. ¡°You tell that to ¡®me¡¯.¡± I told him, while rubbing my chin with a confused look. ¡°¡­Are you really sure you are suffering from Amnesia?¡± ¡°Haha, maybe I¡¯m beyond ¡®your¡¯ level if I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Yes, perhaps¡ª except your cooking.¡± ¡°Oi.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Big brother¡­!!! I¡¯m sorry I overslept¡­!¡± Restia, while running down from the stairs and to the dining room with a rumbling sound, she immediately apologizes to me with a bow while stuffing the bread into her mouth. ¡°You know, who would apologize with a bread stuffed into their mouth?¡± The man next to me interjected. ¡°I can¡¯t see your sincerity.¡± Hearing that, Restia runs and hides behind me. ¡°Big brother¡ª he¡¯s bullying me¡­!¡± ¡°Oi.¡± He glared at Restia. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± I said. My cold reaction surprised Restia. ¡°¡­Big brother¡­? Are you really angry¡­?¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t have mood for that.¡± I said to her. ¡°I only hope we could find Ruby as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°N¡­¡± Hearing that, Restia silently nods her head. After gearing up, we ride on Fenrir¡¯s daughter¡¯s back, while bringing the Fortune Rabbit with us to boost our luck. We made a mark to each route we searched, returning before lunch time. Then after lunch, we head out once more. The strange thing it, no matter how many times we cast detection magic¡ª Fenrir¡¯s daughter, Restia, or even that man is not able to sense Ruby¡¯s mana at all. Even with the Fortune Rabbit¡¯s luck, we weren¡¯t able to pick up any clues about Ruby. Not even the cat and the snake are able to find her. Where could she be¡­? The more I think, the more my head gets messed up. I don¡¯t even know if Ruby could survive on her own¡­ a week is probably the maximum time she could endure without food. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ During dusk, we return before it reaches night time. Our search bears no fruit. There¡¯s not a single hint of Ruby at all, despite we followed every possible animal track we could find. ¡°Little boy¡­!¡± By the time we pass through the barrier on my house, the Snow Leopard Queen, with her leap, came running towards us, as if in a hurry. ¡°This is bad¡ª it¡¯s just like what you said, the cat really declares war against my lady!¡± She said. It¡¯s just like what I said¡­? Could she mean¡­ ¡®me¡¯¡­? One or two days¡­ Crap. The worst thing had happened. Suddenly, a flash, which catches my attention¡ª where I find a huge lightning bolt striking at the centre of the forest¡ª ¡°Eek¡­!¡± Restia, seeing that huge lightning bolt¡ª suddenly shrieks while covering her ears. BROOOOM!!!!!!!!!! ¡ªa huge thunderous sound roars. ¡°Ooo.¡± That man murmured. ¡°Seems like the cat had the upper-hand.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ I hate it when ¡®I¡¯ was right.¡± I inadvertently uttered, while jumping down from Fenrir¡¯s daughter¡¯s back with Restia and that man, leaving the rabbit behind. ¡°Alright then¡­ time to do what I was meant to do.¡± That man murmured, while looking at the Snow Leopard Queen with his hand extended at them. ¡°Huh¡­? What are you¡ª¡± ¡°Forgive me¡ª Cadere in altum somnum.¡± (Fall into deep sleep.) He chants a sleeping spell on them. ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡ªgrawr¡­?¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± T-THUD! With that, all thirteen of the Snow Leopards collapsed into sleep. Did he overwrite thirteen of their mana in an instant¡­? ¡°W-W-What¡ª What are you doing!?¡± I yelled at him. ¡°Sorry kid. The Snow Leopard Queen must stay out from this¡ª her attitude towards the cat would cause a problem in their fight.¡± ¡°Am ¡®I¡¯ the one who told you that¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°How long does it take for them to wake up¡­?¡± ¡°About two days.¡± He answered. ¡°I guess I should bind them on their feet just like how you did to me¡­¡± A magic circle then appears next to him, which then a large, thick metal chain peeking out from it. Magic storage!? With his magic, he controls the chain and tie them on their feet¡ª a total of twenty-eight chains. The Snow Leopard Queen had extra chains on her. ¡°Are you really, really, sure you had amnesia¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it just naturally came to me.¡± He told me, then, he points at Restia and Fenrir¡¯s daughter. ¡°Anyways, little girl and the wolf¡ª stay here.¡± ¡°HUH¡­?¡± ¡°E-Eek¡­!?¡± ¡­and is returned with a horrifying glare from Restia, where he shrieks while looking at me. ¡°What can I do if my cute little sis doesn¡¯t want to listen¡­?¡± ¡°Come on¡ª ¡®you¡¯ are the one who told me that¡­!¡± He complained. ¡°Ngh¡­! I¡¯m going!¡± With that, Restia bear-hugs me¡ª till the point I can¡¯t even peel her off from my body. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of death?! We are going to where those two are!¡± He said to Restia. Restia, while ignoring him¡ª bury her face on my ?h?st, while trembling. ¡­She¡¯s crying. ¡°¡­I promised not to leave you behind.¡± With my hand brushing over her head repeatingly, I stroke her gently while cradling her. ¡°¡­N.¡± ¡°¡­Just do whatever you want.¡± He said angrily. ¡°Be careful, brat. I¡¯m not obliged to watch over her¡ª Cadere¡ª¡± (Fall¡ª) ¡°Silentium!¡± (Silence!) ¡°¡ªin altum somnum.¡± (¡ªinto deep sleep.) He tries to sneak-cast a sleeping spell on Restia and the wolf¡ª but is countered by Restia¡¯s silence instead to stop him from chanting. ¡° " From lip-sync, it seems he¡¯s trying to say ¡®I was wrong please give me back my voice¡¯. But looks like Restia decided to ignore him. PAK! He then snaps his finger¡ª where a magic circle appeared beneath his feet. It¡¯s a magic-spell dispelling magic circle. ¡°Gah¡ª damn it. Fine, you win.¡± He muttered. ¡°However, you need to keep your mouth shut at all times, okay?¡± ¡°Humph¡­!¡± Hearing that, Restia looks away with her arms folded. ¡°You need to promise me that, Restia.¡± I warned her. ¡°If you can¡¯t¡ª I will leave you here.¡± ¡°I promise¡ª Restia promise¡­!¡± My warning frightens her so much that she had to act immediately. After my seal activates¡ª we hop on to Fenrir¡¯s daughter¡¯s back, while rushing towards the battle scene. Chapter 43 - 3.14 - Tuesday, July 19th, 8.14pm Current time: 8.14 p.m. ¡°NYA!!!¡± BROOOOM!!!!!!!!!! By the time we arrive at the battle scene¡ª the cat, summons a lightning strike from above at the snake. Actually, by summoning lightning¡­ it¡¯s more like turning bad-luck into misfortune¡ª adding this horrible weather, she turns the snake¡¯s bad luck into misfortune, thus, as lightning strikes, it would strike her. ¡°E-Eek¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...!¡± Restia inadvertently shrieks from the lightning. Currently, we are hiding behind the bushes and trees near them, while under the protection of an invisible barrier that¡¯s able to fabricate their view on us as invisible and blocks out sound from reaching them. That man is the one maintaining the barrier. The trees nearby the cat and the snake breakdown on the centre of their trunks while burning in flames, it might be because of the lightning strike. Some of the other trees are blackened, crumbling, withering and rotting. It might be because of the poison and acid from the snake. Though the man next to me prepared a night-vision goggle for me, for now, the fire is so bright that there¡¯s no need to wear it. By the way, the snake manages to evade that lightning strike, despite having a big and long body. However, it seems to be useless because the cat can tell where she is¡­ ¡°HISS¡ª¡± ¡°Nya!¡± As the snake tries to attack from behind¡ª the cat made a mighty jump, while stepping her tiny paw on the giant snake as she lands. BAM!!! ¡°¡ªSHAA!!?¡± Damn¡­! The wind pressure from that powerful blow brought down several trees¡­! Such ridiculous strength¡­! The snake writhes in pain¡ª her body and tail are slamming and crushing the trees nearby. Why is this fight so one-sided¡­? I thought there would have been an exchange of blows between each other. ¡°Gefeu tae upp, sn¨¢kur.¡± (Give it up, snake.) ¡°Give it up, snake.¡± Just when I am wondering what is the cat saying¡­ the man next to me suddenly translates their language to us. Though I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s accurate or not, judging from their situation¡ª I could only believe it as such. ¡°¡­You knew their language¡­!?¡± I inadvertently said. Restia seems to be just as surprised as I was. ¡°Well, yeah¡ª I just sort of know. I wondered why.¡± He said with a low voice while scratching his head with a confused look. Just how many times are you going to surprise me¡­? ¡°Af hverju¡ª af hverju ertu ae gera tetta¡­!?¡± (Why¡ª why are you doing this¡­!?) (I have been waiting for many years just for today! I will kill you no matter what!) After he translates their conversation, it is that moment I saw the cat raising her paw while standing on the snake¡¯s head. ¡°H-Hey! Do something!¡± I said to that man. ¡°Deyja.¡± (Die.) WHAM!!! ¡°HISSHAAA¡­!!?¡± With just that one stomp with her paw on the snake, the mighty blow cracks the ground till it crumbles, forming a hole just below the place she stomps. ¡­The snake definitely suffered a certain amount of damage. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything¡­!?¡± While telling him that, that man did not reply. Instead, he turns his head away from me just to look behind. ¡°A-Arf¡­¡± After a short while, Fenrir¡¯s daughter¡ª no, D¨®mr¡¯s daughter kneel with all fours, while whimpering with fear. The moment I realize, the Alpha Fenrir wolf, D¨®mr, is watching us from behind. How did he get in the barrier¡­!? ¡°¡­Run, brat.¡± That man told me. ¡°He¡¯s not here to greet us.¡± ¡°How could I probably run in such a situation¡­!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If you want to save those two¡ª I suggest you make it quick before me and this thing fights for real.¡± That man, while blocking me from moving forward with his left hand¡ª he stands up in front of us, facing D¨®mr. I find myself saying his name without knowing. D¨®mr visibly flinches and stops approaching us. ¡°¡­So, you finally know my given name.¡± He murmured. ¡°This also means you knew I¡¯m your father¡¯s contracted beast.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth, D¨®mr.¡± I took a deep breath and uttered. ¡°What exactly happened to my parents¡­?¡± ¡°My memories were erased¡ª and now I¡¯m merely following his final commands,¡± D¨®mr replied with a depressed look. ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer, child.¡± There¡¯s no reason for him to lie. If his memories are erased¡­ then I¡¯m sure, dad is the only one who could do it so thoroughly and cleanly. ¡°What did my father ordered you to do¡­!?¡± ¡°Either the snake or the cat¡ª you are allowed to choose which one I would spare.¡± He told me with a fierce gaze. ¡ªthis is absurd. ¡°Choose one, child. No one is allowed to interfere with me.¡± He¡¯s¡ª he¡¯s serious¡­¡­! ¡°NYA!!?¡± When I immediately turn to face the cat and the snake¡ª I find the cat slammed on a tree, by the snake¡¯s tail. Both the snake and cat are suffering from massive injuries, and struggling to get up. And because of the fire¡ª it¡¯s getting harder for them to breathe with such a grave injury. They could b?r?ly move. Yet¡ª they still move. Because both of them could heal their injuries with their magic. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d still keep on fighting, till they exhaust their mana down to the last drop. ¡°The snake, or, the cat?¡± D¨®mr asks. ¡°Make your choice.¡± ¡°Come on, brat¡­ Choose one and get over with it¡­! I don¡¯t want to fight that thing¡­!¡± That man said. Why!? Why does it need to be the snake or the cat¡­!? ¡°Big¡­ Big brother¡ª I¡¯m scared¡­¡­¡± Restia, who is next to me all along, clings exceptionally tight on my clothes as she already were, while the rabbit on my hands shivers as if it were the last of her strength. ¡°I¡ª I¡­!¡± My voice stutters from the pressure. To kill either the snake or the cat¡­? Why!? Both of them did nothing wrong¡­! I can¡¯t make a decision that¡¯s concerning to one¡¯s life¡ª I know ¡®I¡¯ told me to trust D¨®mr¡ª but it¡¯s regarding someone¡¯s life¡­! ¡°Gargh¡­¡­¡­!¡± I ?r??n?d. Pulling the sword out from my waist¡ª I place it below D¨®mr¡¯s daughter¡¯s neck. ¡°Touch them¡ª and I will take away your precious daughter¡¯s life¡­!!!¡± D¨®mr¡¯s daughter, with full of shock, looks at me. ¡°Utterly foolish. That mere blade could never scratch my daughter¡­¡± ¡°Yes, of course. But with Restia¡¯s magic enhancement¡­¡± ¡°You dare!!?¡± D¨®mr immediately pounces¡ª with his right paw aiming at me. ¡°E-Eek¡­!?¡± Unable to do react, all I could is to hug Restia as tight as I possible could. ¡°Secundus ad s?xtum obice, explicandam!¡± (Second to sixth barrier, deploy!) That man who stood in front of me, immediately summons four layers of magic barrier¡ª like a shield, protecting both me and Restia. THUNK¡ª THUNK¡ªTHUNK¡ª BAM!!!!! Right at the last defensive magic barrier, D¨®mr¡¯s claw comes to a halt. ¡°Darn it, brat! You had to choose the worst possible choice!!!¡± That man yelled at me while facing D¨®mr. ¡°Grr¡­¡± Taking a step back, D¨®mr pounces forward again with a headbutt. WHAM! C-CRIK¡ª Not good, the last barrier shows signs of cracking¡ª it can¡¯t hold any longer. ¡°Guh¡­! Damn it¡ª gigas ??pis murum!¡± (Giant stone wall!) Stomping his foot on the ground, he summons a giant wall made out of stone, below D¨®mr¡ª with its size large enough to launch D¨®mr to the sky above the trees. ¡°Tch¡­!¡± That man then takes a right forward stance¡ª with his right hand, he lands an uppercut towards the stone wall. BOOM!!! The stone wall breaks and scatters to large chunks, flying towards D¨®mr like a catapult. Yet¡ª it bounces off from his fur, leaving not a single scratch behind. ¡°Growl¡­!¡± ¡°Crap¡ª I¡¯m borrowing your katana¡­!¡± D¨®mr did a powerful slash with his claws with the momentum from his landing. CLANG!!! Just in time, that man blocks his powerful claw with my katana, while diverting the rest of the impact to the sides except for us. Incredible. How is he holding on against D¨®mr¡¯s strength? However, D¨®mr¡¯s still not finished¡ª he follows up with a paw from his left. ¡°Guard.¡± He murmured. WHAM! While guarding his body with the scabbard wielding backhanded, he accepts D¨®mr¡¯s full blow on his right, and with a quick movement by moving his body-axis¡ª he returns the impact to D¨®mr¡¯s paw, in full power, bouncing it back. ¡°Growl¡­!¡± Obviously, D¨®mr is unscathed. However, he is left unbalanced. ¡°!¡± When I realize, there¡¯s a teleportation magic circle beneath that man¡¯s and D¨®mr¡¯s feet. ¡°H-Hold it¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brat. I will be fine.¡± He said with a grin. With that, the magic circle lets out a blinding flash. ¡°Guh¡­!¡± As soon as I open my eyes, I no longer find that man or D¨®mr here. They were transported¡ª but where to¡­? ¡°Why¡­ are you here¡­ human¡­?¡± When the cat¡¯s voice came across my ears, I turn to find the cat, where she¡¯s looking at me with a surprised look. Crap, I forgot. The moment that man leaves¡ª no one is able to maintain the barrier. Facing the black cat, who just recovered from their injury with healing magic¡­ ¡°Nya!¡± ¡­I find my body to be cut diagonally down across my ?h?st by the claws of the Misfortune Cat. The surprise made me fell down on my bu?? to the ground. ¡°Big brother¡­!!!¡± Restia came to my aide, casting a protective barrier around us. Magic won¡¯t work on me, that¡¯s why she was terrified. ¡°Guh¡­! It¡¯s alright, Restia¡ª it¡¯s not that deep.¡± But it still hurts. The cat did not pursue her attacks further¡ª and instead, she¡¯s trembling on her spot with a pained look. ¡°N-Nya¡­! Nya¡­!!!¡± She¡­ looks like she¡¯s suffering terribly. Originally the plan is for both of them to fight till they collapsed, while I would take care of them afterwards¡­ However, if I¡¯m not wrong¡­ the black cat evolved during these years. During those years¡­ the grief and hatred that consumes her made her to be stronger than she already is several years ago. That¡¯s why¡­ the snake can¡¯t possibly win in terms of direct approach. ¡­Restia is still a beginner in magic. D¨®mr¡¯s daughter is still at loss about her father¡¯s behaviour¡­ Fortune rabbit doesn¡¯t have any combat ability, and the only thing she could counter is against the cat¡¯s misfortune. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing she could do. Even if all of us here adds up, I¡¯m sure we couldn¡¯t defeat her. I¡¯m quite certain the only ones capable to defeat her is D¨®mr or that man. If they are transported, I¡¯m sure they are still on this island. They probably weren¡¯t too far away, but they won¡¯t be coming. The only way for us to win¡­ ¡­is probably underhanded techniques. That attack she did on me¡­ I know she didn¡¯t want to. Because of this, she¡¯s in pain from hurting me and was at loss on what to do. However, that¡¯s not enough to win. The only thing we could do¡­ is to simulate the event on the past back on her to make her remember. ¡°¡­Restia, is she here¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°She¡¯s almost here¡­¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s time to tell the snake to wake up.¡± After a few seconds, the snake gets up while raising her head like a king cobra, staring down on the cat. ¡°HISSSSSSS¡ª¡± The fire¡¯s smoke is just enough to fabricate the cat¡¯s vision akin to the scene she saw back then. The horror that she saw during that time. Under Restia¡¯s signal, the snake cooperates with my timing. The snake lunges her jaws towards the cat, where I push her away¡ª letting the snake to hold me in my mouth. Since I¡¯m small enough, I hold my breath as the snake closes her mouth¡ª timing with Restia¡¯s illusion magic, fake-blood spills out from the snake¡¯s mouth. ¡°G-Gyaahhhh¡­!!!!!!!!!¡± I did a fake out scream. What will your reaction be¡­ cat? What will you do when the person you like once again dies in front of you¡­? ¡°Nya¡­ N-NYAAAA¡­!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡­An old wound reopens. If a trauma could be healed easily, it wouldn¡¯t be a trauma. If I¡¯m correct¡­ the Snow Leopard Queen is going to reach in about¡ª now. ¡°Grawr¡­!¡± If I¡¯m correct¡­ Snow Leopard Queen must have got her by the nape, and escaped like the time her mother did to the cat. As for the rest, cat¡ª it¡¯s all up to you to save yourself. Chapter 44 - 3.15 - Black Cat POV That human¡ª that human died. Once again, in front of my eyes¡ª eaten alive by the snake. And here I was again¡ª being carried away without being able to do anything. "Grawr¡­!" THUD! Even if I fell to the ground, I felt nothing. There''s no pain. As I look, I find the leopard collapsing on the ground, not moving anymore. Just like that time. It''s my fault. If I hadn''t attacked the human or offer myself to the snake that time¡ª they probably would''ve survived. Ever since I was born, I''ve spent years running away from both my own kin and the white snakes. What was the meaning for me to be born? The moment the old white snake dies, my heart died along with it. Those years while living like a stray cat, living on without a purpose. But I was wrong. I was just afraid of death. That''s why I blinded myself and give myself a reason to live on. By getting revenge against my best friend. I need to grow stronger. Even if those humans were there to stop me, I still need to grow stronger. If I don''t, I will rot away. While meeting the alpha of the wolves for the first time, I threaten the lives of his pack just so he could work for me. I interrupted their peaceful life. Just like how the snake interrupted mine. I felt disgusted by my own behavior. However, I don''t remember there''s such a strong-looking wolf living in this forest before. He could probably kill me just like that, just like I hope for. However, even though he''s stronger than me, he''s still willing to follow my orders. I wondered why. While discussing to the wolves on my revenge on the snake, it''s been a while I have been talking. Is my language fluent¡­? I felt nervous. Yet, I felt alive. Though they are not my family, but while discussing the plan with them made me felt alive. Unlike the other wolves, their alpha is entirely different. Smarter, stronger. Not only that, he even taught me the language that humans use so that one day I could come to understand them. Every time he talks, I could always recognize the faint smell of humans from him. He told me not all humans are good, but at the same time, not all humans are bad. And the one living on this island are all good humans. If there''s a chance, I should talk with either one of the humans. But my language is not fluent yet, so I tend to practice with the wolf. One day, he told me that he''s a contracted beast, and what is a contracted beast. A wolf as gigantic and powerful as he is, is willing to serve under a human. To become a contracted beast, all the human needs is to give me a name. A name is something to represent ''me.'' It''s also proof that the human loves me enough to give me a name. I wondered why, I started to grow interested in humans. On a certain day, I even went to the human''s territory for the first time. However, I''m watching them from afar with my magic. Four humans¡­ and a¡ª pink creature¡­? I wondered what she is¡­? Sometimes a cat, sometimes a fox, and sometimes a wolf¡­? No matter what she is¡­ the humans love her for whatever she is, just like a family. Especially the human boy. Though except the boy, the others had such terrifying rich mana¡­ I wondered whether I could join and live together with them? Did the alpha of the wolves tell me about humans, just so he could remind me about the warmth of a family? Such a busybody he is. Ever since then, I have never returned back to that place. Five days ago, I no longer sensed the mana of the two strongest humans. Though there is one time they were gone for a whole year, yet it''s the first time they left their children behind. Maybe, something happened to them. It doesn''t matter. I will take this chance to gather the wolves and destroy the snake once and for all. She doesn''t move and think well during cold weather. However, the leopards are with her. It won''t be easy. Because I know, when the time comes, the alpha of the wolves will never help me kill the snake. He wants me to kill the snake myself. Not a problem. After all these years, I have grown stronger. However, the alpha of the wolves didn''t look like he''s in condition today. The human scent he had on him is strong today. He seems¡­ sad. I wondered what happened to him. While we were halfway discussing our strategy, something disturbed our meeting. This mana¡­ the lions? Did they not realize? What were they doing here in the wolf''s territory? When one of the wolves went to scout and reported back¡ª I then found out that the lions are hunting a human. A human is here? Why is it that I did not feel his mana presence¡­? Could it be that human boy¡­? No matter. He couldn''t possibly survive against the lions, and I''m sure the alpha of the wolves would go to his rescue. That''s why, I patiently waited. But the strange thing is, the alpha of the wolves did not act. Why? Don''t you like humans¡­? Why are you sitting here, ignoring him¡­? ¡­ That''s not like you. Is this¡­ what she feels¡­? Is that¡­ how my best friend feels¡­? Watching as one changes¡­ being unable to do anything for them. I¡­ want to do something for that human. At least, let me see the human one last time before I decide to take my revenge against the snake. By saying they are disrupting our meeting as an excuse, I ordered the wolves to get rid of the lions. The wolves head out first, while then I followed behind, while watching at that human from afar as he talks to the alpha of the wolves. I''m able to understand them clearly, thanks to my daily talk with the wolf. It''s that human boy. That pink creature''s master. However, even facing the alpha of the wolves, that human boy did not show any hints of fear, even if he threatens him. In fact, he seems delighted. Such a weird human. Watching the alpha of the wolves talking to him reignited my curiosity about him. Why not, I try to converse with him¡­? Why not I try to call him¡­? "Nya, nya." He looks at me and flashes at me with a light. Ah¡­ I''m scared. What will be his opinion on me¡­? Maybe I should help him¡ª I will help you get rid of the lions. "You aren''t allowed to spare their lives, human child. You must take at least one of their life." Somehow, as I said that¡ª the alpha of the wolves stares at me. I know, I know. I know I''m helping him¡ª so stop staring at me with that surprised look. "Watch your attitude, nya." I told the wolf. "Is this how you were supposed to talk to me, nya?" "Forgive my behaviour." He replied. When I realized, the human is staring at me. Our eyes met. "Nya¡­?" I find myself inadvertently leaking my voice. I might as well converse with him. "You seemed eager to touch me, human. Very well, I will let you touch me if you aren''t afraid of death¡ª" "Gladly¡­!" "¡ªNYAA¡­!!?" He didn''t hesitate to touch me nor hesitate to put me on his arms. He puts just enough space for me to put my legs on his arms. He didn''t hesitate to stroke me on my head. This is¡ª too comforting. "Nya, you have skills, human. If it were a little bit uncomfortable, I would''ve killed you, nya." "I can''t die yet. I need to go back to my family." Hearing his reply made me terrified. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Aren''t you scared of me? Aren''t I ugly? I''m just an ugly cat with a dangerous curse. Yet¡ª I want to be a part of your family. With my telepathy, I ask the lions. I can''t believe they went into his territory just to aim for food. I was angry. I want to destroy them entirely. However, I don''t have a reason to do so. That''s why, I will let him decide. "The reason the lion barged into your territory because it was lazy to hunt, nya. It''s aiming for the food you have, nya." ¡­Telling him this didn''t make him angry. I wondered why. Your parents are gone, and your life is threatened, why won''t you get angry¡­? "So¡­ what are you going to do, nya?" What are you thinking¡­? "Offer one of your child to be the sacrifice, and I will spare the rest of you." Why¡­? I don''t understand the purpose of this. Isn''t killing all of them is the best way to do so¡­? However, I still tell the lions his message. The alpha of the lions heard my message and selected the weakest-looking cub he has. Yet¡ª his mother protects him, even if her face is mangled, and the cub chose to fight until he could no longer fight. And here my parents died protecting me¡­ while these lions are letting one of their family dying in front of their eyes¡­ "Hey, cat." The human suddenly calls me. "What is it, human?" "Can I take these two¡­?" Is this your decision, human? "These two, nya? It would be better if the rest of them dies instead." I''m disappointed in you. "Yes. I want them dead except these two." His answer stuns me with a surprise. Except these two, the other lions¡­ dead? "Gladly, nya." "Wait¡­!" The alpha of the wolves suddenly interrupts me. "Can I kill them instead¡­!?" "Nya!" Angered by him, I turn his bad luck into misfortune. It was then a tree collapses, falling in his direction. "OWOOOOOOOO!!!!" Yet by merely howling, he cleanly snaps the tree into two. Why are you stopping me from killing them?! Don''t you dare stop me! "This is a warning, nya!" "My apologies." He then looks at me with a serious look. "As the leader of my pack, I can''t tolerate such a cowardly act¡ª please let me kill them in your stead." He said to me. He¡­ wants to kill the lions in my stead¡­? Just so¡­ I could talk with this human¡­? "Gladly, nya." "OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" For some reason, the alpha of the wolves looks happy when he heard my reply. So happy that he howls. But that also makes the lions put on their guards. "That idiot, nya." Watching the wolves as they slaughter the lions, I find my gaze slowly shifting to the human. "What makes you change your mind, human?" "I didn''t change my mind." I''m curious about what he is thinking. "¡­If that lion decided to offer itself or protect its child right from the start¡ª I would''ve spared them instead." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Ah¡­ Maybe¡­ If it''s him¡­ Maybe I could¡­ "I''ve decided, nya. Put me down." Staring at him for one last time¡­ I decided to give it a go. "Do you want to give me a name, human?" Hearing this, he looks surprised. "Y-You want me to name you¡­? B-But, what capabilities do I have to name a magical beast as powerful as you?" "You don''t, nya. You are weak." "Ugh¡­¡­" "That''s why, nya, I will protect you." If I have him as my master¡­ I think I would die from happiness. However, he hesitates to give me a reply. ¡­I know. I know it''s just my selfish d?s?r?. No one would want an ugly, stray cat with a dangerous curse like me. "¡­I understand, nya." I told him. With that, I turn away from him. "W-Wait¡­!" Why¡­? Why did you call for me¡­? Please¡­ don''t say ''come with me.'' I will hesitate. I need to stand strong on my ground. "My family, my friends¡­¡­ were dead because of my ''curse''. Even the magical beasts wouldn''t want to have anything to do with me, nya." "T-Then¡ª you can come with me¡­!" Why¡ª Why would you say that to me¡­? I don''t want sympathy¡­ I don''t deserve your sympathy. "If you sincerely want me to come with you¡­ you wouldn''t hesitate, nya. I don''t need sympathy, nya." "I¡­¡­" Don''t. Please don''t say anything anymore. Please go away. But for some reason, he''s unaffected by my bad luck. "¡­Nya." That''s why I turn the bad luck on his surrounding into misfortune, where a tree collapsed and fell in front of him. ¡­Goodbye. "One day¡ª I will come and get you!!" No¡­! "Don''t refuse me by then¡ª" "GROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!" "Look out, human!!!!!" WHAM!!!!!! "¡­¡­¡­!" What happened¡­!? "W-Where is the human¡­!?" I asked the wolf. SNAP! As the alpha of the wolves breaks the lion''s neck with his jaw, he lowers his head. Then I could hear the sound of water splashing from afar. No¡­! He''s already full of injuries¡­ there''s no way he could possibly survive¡­! "¡­What will you do¡­?" He asks me. ¡­ It''s fine. It''s fine, then. I can finally close my heart after all these years. "Have some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we will destroy the rest of the humans." I then replied. "¡­Understood." When I return back to my territory while lying on the ground¡­ that human''s scent on me¡­ ¡­breaks me down once again in my sleep. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I find myself waking up late than usual the next day. My body feels so tired. But other than that¡ª I feel empty. I called the wolves later on, commanding them to invade the human''s territory. While waiting for their return, I take a nap once again. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ When I thought I had gone into sleep, but then a sudden strong mana presence gave me a fright, waking me up. What is with this ridiculous mana pressure I''m feeling¡­? It came from the beach. Which then afterward, it moves and stops. I believe it''s stopping at the human''s territory. It can''t be¡ª did the human''s parents returned¡­? If they ask about the death of the human boy¡­ what should I tell them¡­!? There''s no time. I need to speed up the process. Before the human finds out, I must destroy the snake as soon as possible. After a while, the alpha of the wolves brought me news regarding the mana I''m feeling. "An injured human is washed to the beach? Why would they help a stranger¡­?" "Because they are humans." He replied. I don''t understand what he meant by that. "The only human left requested me to find some herbs to heal him." It is probably the human girl. "Don''t help." "I already did." "Why?" "Because my daughter is in her hands." "You¡­ left your daughter to them on purpose." I had no idea what is he thinking. However, there''s a faint smell of the humans coming from him. Including the human boy. ¡­Perhaps the smell from yesterday is still lingering on him. "Because I''m looking for the pink creature." Pink creature¡­? Sometimes a cat, sometimes a fox, sometimes a wolf¡­? "For what reason?" "For you to start the war with a good reason." "How?" "By blaming her death to the snake." "Very well." I said. I kind of regretted after agreeing with him. The pink creature is harder to find than I thought. Not being able to sense the strongest mana on this island is truly terrifying. How could that creature hide her mana so well¡­? After days of search, there''s still no sign of that pink creature. How is this possible¡­? The wolf didn''t show up either. I know he''s nearby, yet he didn''t come to visit me as he usually did. The rest of his kin, too. They aren''t with me. Why¡­? Are they planning something else¡­? I''m losing my patience. There''s no reason for me to wait. Today''s a good day for me to attack. I will head out at dusk. Yet there is no one here to stop me. Very well. Once I step in¡­ there''s no turning back. I daringly step into the leopard''s territory, where I was greeted by my old friend. The Queen of the Snow Leopards. I don''t have a grudge against her, but she seems to hate me. "¡­K?ttur." (¡­Cat.) "¨¦g vil sj¨¢ kvikindie." (I want to see the snake.) "Aldrei." (Never.) "Vertu gestur minn." (Be my guest.) With my ability, her elite guards had a hard time aiming their attacks on me, even if they work together. The more they rely on their ice projectiles, the more they easily friendly fire. Even if they result in close combat, my small build could easily slip through their fangs and claws. I could easily counter them with my claws. For some reason, the Queen of the Snow Leopards did not attack at all. She''s watching from behind her leap. She looks sad. "Nya!" S-SNAP!!! With my ability, the trees around them break down and fall, scattering their position and clearing a way for me. "H?rfa!!!" She ordered her guards. Very well, leave. I don''t want you to get involved. As I proceed deeper into the snake''s territory, the leopards nearby did not attack. They knew they aren''t a match for me, even if I''m small. Far away, I saw the snake''s body. The snake grew bigger. She wasn''t this big years ago when we were little. She looks¡ª JUST AS BIG AS HIM! A-AHHHH¡ª Every time I was reminded of him¡ª my head hurts. It felt like getting cracked open. I WILL KILL YOU¡ª I WILL KILL YOU¡­!!! Yet¡ª just before my sneak attack, I heard a familiar voice. "¡­¡­!" WHY IS HE HERE!? WHY IS HE HERE TALKING TO THE SNAKE!? W-WHY!? DID YOU BETRAYED ME, WOLF!? "NYA!!!" BROOOOM!!!!!!!!!! The lightning had missed. The trees stole away its aim. It breaks down and burns with flames. The hotter her surrounding is, the stronger she is. But no matter. If one is not enough, I will summon a few more lightning. "K?ttur!" (Cat!) Ah¡­ The snake noticed me. However, that''s weird. I did not see the wolf around after the lightning. Did my desperation for revenge gave me hallucination¡­? It seems I have finally reached my limit. Looks like today will be a good day to die. "¨ª DAG ER DAGURINN SEM t¨² DEYRD, SN¨¢KUR!" (TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DIE, SNAKE!) Z¡ª Z¡ª Z¡ª Z¡ª ZZT¡ª BOOM!!!!!!! Five lightning rains down; however, each of them missed by hitting the nearby trees, causing them to burn. The smoke is suffocating. I got a little numb from getting contacted a little with the lightning. I feel like getting closer to death. Just like that time. I''m happy. However, the snake did not attack. She looks terrified. I''m so happy. Yes¡­ Just stay, don''t move. I will make sure to give you a proper death. "HISS¡ª" WHAM!!! "N-Nya¡­!?" She slams me with her tail to the ground. It hurts. Her tail¡­ is so fast and powerful. A couple of bones seems to be broken. This is nothing. I learned healing magic from that wolf. There''s no way you could take me down that easily. "ER tAD EINA SEM t¨² HEFUR FENGID!?" (IS THAT ALL YOU''VE GOT!?) WHAM!!! I slammed my paw on her body. "N¡­¡­!" Her scales are still as hard as ever. I can overcome this with my strengthening magic. "HISS¡­!!!" She''s spitting poison from her fangs¡­? As it touches the tree, it rots and withers in a matter of seconds. Her poison¡­ is even deadlier than her father''s¡­! "SHAA¡­!!!" Acid from her mouth¡­? The trees are melting. All of them are just normal attacks. She''s not using her magic either. Don''t mind if I do¡­! "Nya¡­!" BAM! "SHAA¡­!?" I leap and slam my claws onto her body. My claws dug into her skin and peeled off her scales. She''s bleeding. However, her wounds closed off in just a few seconds. ¡­Then, I wasn''t mistaken. The wolf taught her that, didn''t he? THE WOLF TAUGHT HER THAT!!! BAM!!! "¡­¡­!" Once again, I was slammed to the ground by her tail. It''s such a nuisance¡ª BAM!!! She slams me again. BAM!!! Again. WHAM!!! Again. But she didn''t show any signs to kill. Until you decide to kill me for real¡­ let''s exhaust ourselves till death, shall we¡­? WHAP!!! I smack her tail away with my paw, leaping away from the hole. "NYA!!!" BOOOOM!!!!!!!!!! I couldn''t see her all of a sudden. It seems that she dodged the lightning. Doesn''t matter. I could hear you just fine. "HISS¡ª" "Nya!" As she tries to attack me from behind, I jump and stepped on her body with my paw while adding strengthening magic to boost my power. WHAM!!! "¡ªSHAA!!?" The power surprised me. It''s powerful enough to even crack the ground¡ª even the trees collapsed from the strong wind pressure. Even if the snake could heal¡­ I''m sure the pain is unbearable. ¡°Gefeu tae upp, sn¨¢kur.¡± (Give it up, snake.) "Af hverju¡ª af hverju ertu ae gera tetta¡­!?" (Why¡ª why are you doing this¡­!?) ¡­You know what I want, snake. ¡°¨¦g hef beeie ¨ª m?rg ¨¢r bara eftir deginum ¨ª dag! ¨¦g drep tig sama hvae tae tarf!¡± (I have been waiting for many years just for today! I will kill you no matter what!) "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Not replying¡­? Fine. "Deyja." (Die.) WHAM!!! ¡°HISSHAAA¡­!!?¡± At the exact same spot, I stomped her with the exact power. The ground below her body is crushed. But yet¡ª the snake closes her eyes. Why¡­? Why aren''t you fighting back¡­? Why do you look like you are ready to die¡­? Struggle¡­! Fight back¡­! BAM!!! "NYA!!?" I suddenly find myself to be slammed on a tree, with my body lifelessly falling to the ground. It hurts. ¡­I hesitated to kill her, even if I had my chance. "SHAA¡ª" The snake is just like me¡­ we are hesitant to kill each other, aren''t we¡­? No, there''s no reason for her to kill me. She still sees me as a friend, not an enemy. That''s not good. I need to kill my heart. If I don''t, I can''t move on. But to where could I move on? I don''t have an answer. ¡­My wounds are almost closing, and so is the snake. Fighting each other¡­ collapsing, and healing. Over and over. This¡­ feels so pointless. How long should I go on with this¡­? If¡­ I approach them during that time¡­ would they accept a good for nothing Cat like me¡­? Will I live as happily just as they are¡­? However, it''s too late. That human boy is dead¡ª NYA¡­!? What''s with that blinding light coming from that spot¡­!!? "¡­¡­!" I couldn''t believe my eyes. A wolf¡­ a rabbit¡­ a human girl and¡ª that human. "Why¡­ are you here¡­ human¡­?" N-No¡­! That can''t be¡ª impossible. He''s¡ª he''s dead!!! I must be seeing things. I must be. I will get rid of this cursed hallucination¡­! "Nya!" My claw dug into his skin. The resistance I felt feel so surreal. As I tried to pull my paw out from his body¡ª it made it even worse; his flesh and blood were torn out by my claw. When I look at my paw¡­ I find my body to be struggling within. "N-Nya¡­! Nya¡­!!!" I¡ª hurt him. With this claw of mine. The human¡­ that I once wish to be. He would never want me anymore. Never. "HISSSSSSS¡ª" The snake suddenly wakes up, raising her body high up so she could look at me. Just like that day¡ª the way she looks at me is just like her father. Are you going to kill me now¡­? That''s right¡ª kill me. Kill me and end everything once and for all. "HISS¡ª" THUD! "Nya¡­?" That human¡ª pushed me away¡­? The snake then takes him whole in my place, in front of my eyes. As she closes her mouth¡ª "G-Gyaahhhh¡­!!!!!!!!!" I heard a horrible scream. As blood spills out from the snake''s mouth. ¡°Nya¡­ N-NYAAAA¡­!!!!!!!!!!¡± I find myself to be screaming. I''m trying to scream stop, but I didn''t get it right. This time¡ª he''s dead for real. The same way, just like how my parents died. "Grawr¡­!" That human¡ª that human died. Once again, in front of my eyes¡ª eaten alive by the snake. And here I was again¡ª being carried away without being able to do anything. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "K?ttur¡­" (Cat¡­) This voice¡ª the Queen of Snow Leopard¡­? She''s the one who carried me¡­? Why did she save me¡­? Isn''t she with the snake¡­? ¡­No. Maybe I was wrong. Among the three of us, I always knew she''s the smartest one. That''s why she''s leading the leopards now. She saved me with a reason. But¡­ ¡°¨¦g¡­ h¨¦lt ae t¨² hataeir mig.¡± (I¡­ thought you hated me.) I didn''t face her. All I did is to continue to lie on the ground, while replying to her voice. ¡°J¨¢, ¨¦g hata tig. Vegna¡­ tess ae t¨² sageir m¨¦r aldrei hvar t¨² jareaeir m¨®eur mina.¡± (Yes, I hate you. Because¡­ you never told me where you buried my mother.) "¡­¡­?" I was dumbfounded for a moment. "Hvar jareaeir t¨² m¨®eur mina!?" (Where did you bury my mother!?) Her tone turns heavy. She''s serious. "Tala¡­!" (Speak¡­!) Why is she asking me¡­? ¡°Hvae hefur tetta ae gera mee mig? Var h¨²n ekki d¨¢ie ¨ª bar¨¢ttunni gegn kvikindie?¡± (What does this have to do with me? Was she not killed in the battle against the snake¡­?) ¡°Manstu ekki? H¨²n bar tig bara eins og hvernig ¨¦g gerei, K?ttur.¡± (Don''t you remember? She carried you just like I did, cat.) ¡­I can tell that she''s trying her best to stay calm. After all, her parents loved her just as how my parents loved me. The loss of her parents¡­ to help a good for nothing like me¡ª "Tae er ekki h¨²n sem bar mig." (She''s not the one who carried me.) "Tae g?ti aeeins verie h¨²n." (It could only be her.) No¡ª it''s not her¡­! ¡°T¨² ert eigingirni eins og alltaf, k?ttur.¡± (You are as selfish as ever, cat.) "¡­¡­!" Hearing this, I mustered my strength and got up. I find her standing in front, looking down at me. ¡°Foreldrar okkar d¨®u tennan dag. T¨² ert ekki s¨² eina sem breyst munaearlaus, k?ttur.¡± (Our parents died that day. You are not the only one who has become an orphan, cat.) "I KNOW¡­!" I find myself speaking the human''s language all of a sudden. While hearing that, her eyes widen with surprise. Perhaps she finds it surprising to hear me speaking in human''s language. "You¡ª are sane¡­!?" "!?" Hearing her reply with the human''s language made me surprised. What she said to me made me even surprised. "What do you mean I''m sane, leopard! I''m always sane!" "Then why are you always trying to kill my lady¡­!?" "If I don''t¡ª I can never move forward nya¡­!" At that moment, I saw the leopard''s claws peeking out from her paws. "You still have us¡­!" WHAP! The leopard smacks her paw on top of me. However, I''m completely unfazed. ¡­Because she''s the weakest of us all. "¡­Do you know¡­¡­ for how long the snake and I have waited for you to return¡­?" She said to me with a sad look. "¡­I know." "Then, why¡­?" "¡­The snake ate the human I loved." "You¡ª want to be together with that human¡­?" "If I''m with him¡­ I know I can definitely forget about the pain. But it''s already too late¡ª IT''S TOO LATE." "No, it''s not, cat.. I¡¯m still alive." Chapter 45 - 3.16 - Tuesday, July 19th, 8.27pm After the Snake spits me out from her mouth, we quickly head to where the cat and the snow leopard are, hiding behind the bushes with the same barrier casting around us earlier. The reason the Snow Leopard Queen is able to escape from the thick chains and arrive here is because of Restia. She¡­ made a change of plans behind everyone. She believes in Snow Leopard Queen''s ability to persuade the cat. All she needs to do is to recall the cat''s trauma as a stimulant. Through the wolf, she translates their language to Restia, then to me. However, things aren''t going as well as she planned¡ª because the cat is still not completely gone insane. "If I''m with him¡­ I know I can definitely forget about the pain. But it''s already too late¡ª IT''S TOO LATE." The cat said while groaning. The cat''s love for me is insane¡ª even though we only met once. ¡­I don''t hate it. If I don''t stop her now, there''s no turning back for her this time. It''s alright, I just need to step out from the barrier. "No, it''s not, cat. I''m still alive." "N-NYAA¡­!!?" The cat quickly gets down on all four of her feet while trembling in fear. "P-Please¡­ go away¡­!" She told me. She didn''t even dare to look at me. It seems, she still thinks of me as her own hallucination. As I look at her small body from behind, I bend on my knees, picking her up from behind as I place her on my arms. Even so, she refuses to look at me in the eye. "Now, look here, cat¡ª if you keep running away from your problems, you will never be happy." "B-But¡­ I hurt you¡ª with these claws of mine¡­" "What should you say to me, then¡­?" I asked her. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" The cat seems confused. "Apologize, cat." Snow Leopard Queen told her. The cat finally looks at me for the first time. "I¡ª I''m sorry¡­! I''m sorry for hurting you¡­! You could feed me to the fishes¡­!" "H-Hey! No! Don''t ever say that again!" I retorted. Geez, it seems like there''s still a lot to teach her. "Not only your claws, cat. From now on, would you protect me¡­?" I asked. "I want to¡­ but¡­ what about my curse¡­? Weren''t you afraid of my curse¡­?" "Ah¡­ for that¡ª Restia!" Receiving my approval, Restia cancels her barrier while holding the Fortune Rabbit on her arms, approaching closer to us along with D¨®mr''s daughter. "Is she¡­ the Rabbit of Fortune¡­?" "She''s here to balance your curse, cat," I told her. Putting her down on the floor, I squat down and look at her¡ª reaching my hand towards her. "Then¡ª I will ask you once again. Do you want to live with me from now on, and protect me as my contracted beast?" Though to become a contracted beast, a blood pact must be formed between us¡ª however, I don''t have magic on me¡­ so all I could do is to give her name. The cat, then snugs her head on my hand for a while, as if she''s putting her scent on me. "¡­Yes. Please give me a name, master¡­!" Fortunately, I have been preparing this for quite a while ever since she asked. "Alright then¡­ your name from now on¡ª will be known as ''Felix''." "Does my name have a meaning¡­?" "Of course. In rune language, it means ''happy and lucky''." "Happy and lucky¡­" "Although you had lost your parents¡­ at least you still have your friends that still believe in you, and me, right?" "Nya¡­" She looks happy. "Master, please let me kill the snake." ""NO!"" Me and Snow Leopard Queen halted. "Yes, myaster~!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" She looks too happy. Seems like she''s still a little broken in the inside, right¡­? "My lady, you can come out now." Snow Leopard Queen said. The White Snake appeared out from thin air. She could blend into her surroundings because of her scales. "N-Nya¡­!" "Calm down." I might as well hold her in my arms. "It''s been a while, cat." The Snake told her. "!?" Felix is visibly surprised. "Why do you know how to speak in human''s language¡­!?" "¡­D¨®mr taught us." "D¨®mr¡­?" Felix looks confused. Looks like she really didn''t know that the alpha of the Fenrir wolf she''s holding hostage is the guardian of the forest, as well as my father''s contracted beast. "D¨®mr is the alpha of the wolves¡ª also, this boy''s father''s contracted beast." "!" "He''s¡­ the one who carried me¡­! He''s the one who carried me with a human!" She said. "¡­¡­.!?" Snow Leopard Queen is confused. "My mother¡ª this means he''s the one who buried my mother¡­!?" "¡­I''m not sure¡ª but most likely." Felix replied. If the cat didn''t bury her mother¡­ then it''s most probably dad and D¨®mr who did that. Come to think of it¡­ The cat, the leopard, the Snake. D¨®mr seems to have a relatively close relationship with them. "Hold it. Is D¨®mr the one who taught you three magic and human language¡­?" """Yes.""" ¡­ I''m getting even more confused. D¨®mr taught them everything and yet he was ordered to kill them¡­!? What on earth is dad planning¡­!? Looks like there won''t be an answer even if I were to think. His daughter doesn''t seem to know what is going on. If I want to see the answer¡­ ¡­the only choice I have, is to knock one out from him. If I''m not wrong¡­ that man will probably lose to D¨®mr, even though he said he will be fine. We need more power. ¡­More. "Leopard, snake, wolf, rabbit¡ª will you become my contracted beast¡­?" """"""¡­!"""""" Restia, Felix, Snow Queen Leopard, White Snake, D¨®mr''s daughter, and the Fortune Rabbit all look at me with a surprised look. "For what reason, little boy¡­?" Snow Leopard Queen asks. "My father¡ª he ordered D¨®mr to kill Felix or Lady White Snake." """!""" The cat, leopard, and Snake reacted with fear. "¡­I know this is a foolish request, but I need all five of you to defeat D¨®mr." "I accept." Snow Leopard Queen replied. "I can''t put my lady or Felix into harm." "¡­Leopard¡­!" Felix seems to be touched by Snow Leopard Queen''s words. "That''s not all, isn''t it¡­? And your mother''s whereabout¡­" I said. "That''s right¡ª please give me a name, master." "Hmm¡­ how about Asha? It means ''life and hope'', after all, you are the one leading your leap." Snow Leopard Queen then lowers her head. "The Queen of Snow Leopard, Asha, hereby pledge her life and soul to¡ª come to think of it, what''s your name, master?" She said while lifting her head. """¡­¡­!""" They seemed surprised to not know my name. "My name is Lucifer¡ª Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. And she is my little sister, Restia Nightwalker von Nightmare." "The Queen of Snow Leopard, Asha, herby pledge her life and soul to Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare and Restia Nightwalker von Nightmare. I will protect my masters, even at the cost of this life¡ª" "Hold it. I will never accept such a pledge, Asha. I don''t want you to die." "¡­!" Asha raised her head, looking bewildered. It seems I have to do this myself. "I, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, hereby accept Felix, Asha, Pearl, Forsj¨¢ and Fortuna to be my contracted beast¡ª though we are master and servant, but forever we shall live together as a family. Helping each other out in their needs." I then reach out my hand, where Restia places her hand on top of mine. """""!""""" The others immediately understand and touch my hand with their paws, tail, respectively. "So¡­ master, my name is Pearl¡­?" White Snake asks. "That''s right. White and beautiful¡ª doesn''t it suits you?" "HISS¡­!" I had no idea what that sound means, but I guess she''s happy. "Big brother¡­ so her name is Forsj¨¢ now?" Restia pats D¨®mr''s daughter on her front paw. "Yes¡­ because instead of her ancestors'' One who hates'', she cares for us. That''s why I gave her that name." "But¡­ why did you know their language¡­? Forsj¨¢ is asking why." "¡­¡­!" I didn''t realize the weirdness in Forsj¨¢''s name until Restia told me. In their language, Forsj¨¢ means ''care, aid''. ¡­I don''t know. I really don''t know why I knew what this word means. BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! """""""!?""""""" We heard the sound of a horrible explosion¡ª not only that, seems like it''s coming from the direction of my house. ¡­Their battle is getting more intense. "¡­We should go, master," Asha said to me. The whereabouts of her mother''s body are making her restless. ¡­However, that''s not our priority first. As their master, I need to guide them on their behaviours on what is meant by ''family''. "Since you guys were unfamiliar with each other¡­ I will forgive you this once." I uttered while looking at Forsj¨¢. "It''s okay if you don''t want to fight your father, Forsj¨¢. I won''t force you." "¡­¡­!" My action reminded them that Forsj¨¢ is D¨®mr''s daughter¡ª who''s currently suffering a crisis. "¡­¡­A-Au¡­!" Forsj¨¢ lowers her head in shame. "She said she will do it," Restia told me. "She said she will follow your orders." It''s apparent that she doesn''t want to fight her own father. Hearing Forsj¨¢''s answer made me angry. I thought I''ve made everything clear earlier. "That''s your father, Forsj¨¢!" I reminded her. "If you don''t want to fight him¡ª just say no! I''M YOUR MASTER NOT A DEMON!!!" "...A-Au¡­" Forsj¨¢ finally shakes her head. Even an idiot would know what that means. Nevertheless, she still looks depressed. "Don''t worry, Forsj¨¢. If you want to help, you can protect me¡ª protect us." I said to her. She then lowers her nose till its reachable for me¡ª seems like she wants me to pat it. But instead of me, Felix reaches her paw and pat her nose instead. "Nya." Seeming touched by it, Forsj¨¢ licks her paw in return. "N-Nyaa¡­!? Her saliva is disgusting¡­!" She flicks her paw so she could get rid of the saliva. ¡­So cute. "Hehe, seems like you finally get it, Felix," I said. Felix then snugs her head on my arm. "Growl¡­ so jealous." Asha groans. "¡­!" She then quickly turns away from the embarrassment from us to avoid eye contact. These guys are cute in their own way. Perhaps I should teach them size-shrinking magic sooner or later. "Big brother¡­ is D¨®mr really following papa''s orders¡­?" "¡­ I''m afraid so." I know why Restia is worried. Contracted beast will follow their master''s order till they died¡ª I know dad doesn''t like things like order or commands, but¡­ if he really did this, then D¨®mr really needs to kill Felix or Pearl. ¡­I can''t let that happen, no matter what. Not when most of the things managed to settle down peacefully. Though I don''t know the answer yet¡ª but I''m sure there''s a way to cancel dad''s order from D¨®mr. Right now, the biggest problem is¡­ "Can we¡­ really defeat D¨®mr¡­?" Restia asks. ¡­we don''t know how powerful is D¨®mr, the Fenrir wolf¡ª my dad''s contracted magical beast. Chapter 46 - 3.17 - Tuesday, July 19th, 9.06pm If you are wondering what kind of person my dad is, then the appropriate term to describe him would be a ''researcher''. My dad is a person that''s continuously brimming with curiosity. As long as there is anything in this world that could pique his interest, he would dive into study and research, regardless of what is it. For example, history, engineering, magic, arts, music, martial arts, humans, animals, plants, language, psychology, culture, society, religion, sports, et cetera. He had no specific interest. Of course, my dad would get bored at some particular point¡ª and that is the point where he completed his ''research''. Though he may seem to be busy at all times¡ª there are certain things he never neglects¡ª his family and his faith towards the ''God of Creation''. I''ve spent time watching my father from behind, and I always believed that my father is a person who does not believe in such thing as the existence of ''celestial gods''. However, he does. Because it was an answer through ''research''. I don''t understand. He told me that I don''t need to. Because the more he knows, the more he understands which would return with more questions, the more the answer for the problems leads to the existence of the ''God of Creation''. He asked me before¡ª something like ''how the world begins''? How would I know? ''Big bang?'' I answered. ¡ªsomething like ''why do humans and different races all over the world exist''? ''Theory of evolution''? ¡ªsomething like ''where did you go after you died''? ¡­'' Heaven or Hell''? ¡ªsomething like ''why is sheep called a sheep''? ¡­¡­¡­'' Someone named them''? ¡ªsomething like ''is money good or bad''? ''Depends on whether you control the money or letting money to control you.'' I only got one and a half question correct among five, he told me. I was 9-year-old at that time if I remember correctly. ¡­These questions are hard. Why would he throw such questions to a 9-year-old kid anyways? Well, it''s not like anyone could answer it easily. If anything, I would stick to mom''s side a little bit more. Yes, I proudly say that I''m a ''mama''s boy''. That''s nothing wrong when there are times you want to be pampered like a kid¡ª and I''m a kid. Compared to dad, my mom is a person that would rather live by the day. Unlike dad, who''s constantly researching about the past and thinks for the future, my mom would choose to live today. She''s rather more¡ª simplified. However, it was because of her simplistic nature that makes our family filled with energy. When she''s happy, we are happy. When she''s sad, we are sad. To dad and me, they are the ones who could keep us going on. Right, although I say my mom is simplistic¡ª but it doesn''t mean she''s dumb. If my dad is the one to create a Wikipedia, then my mom would be the first to finish the Wikipedia. In other words, my mom had the ability to learn anything swiftly. What''s more, my dad is the one teaching her. She would definitely do her best to impress dad¡ª like a teenage girl in love, even though they are already married for more than 10 years. Hmm¡­ seems like I''m the only son who would speak that way about his parents. Sometimes I would wonder why my dad is so knowledgeable¡ª and the answer is always the same. He always told me that he went out on a journey across the world when he was in his teens. Every time he talks about this, it would always end up to how she met mom. It''s the world he''s talking about. This means, it certainly isn''t just a few magical beasts. I don''t know the exact number, but it seems there are more than twenty magical beasts he had with him. And among those, he left D¨®mr here, with us. Surely, he had been on an adventure with my dad once¡ª but even if it''s the youngest member of dad''s contracted beast, I''m sure it understands my dad better than me. That''s why, unlike Nightmare, I would always believe. My dad isn''t a person who would do this for no reason. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The Mistress of the Fenrir wolves, Forsj¨¢. The Black Cat of Misfortune, Felix. The White Snake of Serenity, Pearl. The Pink Rabbit of Fortune, Fortuna. Not long ago, they became my contracted beast (though there aren''t any contract between us). The Alpha of the Fenrir wolves, D¨®mr. My dad''s contracted beast. Is there really a chance for us to win¡­? Me, Restia, Felix and Fortuna are riding on Forsj¨¢''s back¡ª while running across the forest with Asha and Pearl. Since there''s no light anymore, I could only wear my night-vision goggles. Though Asha could speed up if she wants, I could tell that she''s keeping her pace so that she could look after us. "¡­¡­!" The wind¡ª it got colder. The surrounding had traces of ice on it. What''s more¡ª "OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­!!!" ¡ªthe howl of a wolf. The moment we pass the border¡­ BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!! ¡­the shockwave of a powerful explosion blows on us. "G-Guh¡­!" Felix, Asha and Pearl, with synchronization¡ª summoned an ice wall with their magic to shield us from the impact of the explosion. At the centre of the explosion¡­ a huge crater was left with a burnt ground, stands a man and a giant wolf who are completely unscathed. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.." No, that man is not entirely unscathed. There are several burns on him by the heat of the explosion¡ª which then it heals afterwards. "Nya¡­!" Without any preparations, Felix quickly leaps into the air while using the power of her wind magic¡­ climbing over the ice wall. "Cat¡ª that idiot¡­!" Asha follows behind shortly. ¡­D¨®mr knows. He¡­ took a quick glance here. However, it was that exact moment¡ª that man landed an uppercut onto D¨®mr''s lower jaw. BAM!!! D¨®mr took that hit¡ª that powerful hit that smashed the giant stone wall. However, he''s unfazed. "Growl¡­!" D¨®mr swings down his claw¡ª that man blocks with the katana. "GROWL¡­!" D¨®mr retreats his paw, countering it with a tackle. "!" B-WHAM! "Gah¡­!" The man flew here with a powerful impact, blasting off the top of the ice wall. I immediately jump from Forsj¨¢''s back, catching him as I land on the snow. "Kuh¡­!" There''s¡­ blood!? His ?h?st, arms and legs had a lot of physical wounds from D¨®mr''s claw. The healing magic spell he placed on himself isn''t keeping up. "Huff¡ª Huff¡ª Finally¡­ what took you so long¡­?" He''s completely in pain. "I thought you said you will be fine¡­!" I uttered. "I had to¡ª if not¡ª you won''t be able to help them¡ª" He''s saying this to me just so I could stop them without worries¡­!? "¡­Take a rest¡ª they will handle it." With that said, Felix¡ª slipping past D¨®mr''s front right paw swing, lands the first strike. A right paw slams on the front left leg, on D¨®mr''s knee. A powerful slam topped with strengthening magic and wind magic. However, D¨®mr takes the full blow¡ª baring his fangs on Felix. "Grawr¡­!" Which then, with a pounce, Asha strikes both of her paws on D¨®mr''s left jaw¡ª pushing his fangs away from Felix. Pearl, which suddenly appeared out of thin-air¡ª constricts D¨®mr with her body on his underbelly. Though Pearl is almost as big as D¨®mr, but her body length could make up for that. D¨®mr struggles to get free with his claws but is froze by Felix''s ice magic to the ground. Yet¡ª W-WHAM!!! His tail, like a heavy whip, slams Asha flying away and crushes Felix to the ground. Before D¨®mr could follow up with more tail slams, Pearl constricts harder on him¡ª "GRRRROWLLLL¡­!" ¡ªwith him returning a favour by digging his fangs into Pearl''s body, piercing through her scales. ¡°HISSSSSHAAA!!!!?¡± The pain from his bite forces Pearl to let go. With his hind legs, D¨®mr escapes from Pearl''s constriction by leaping into the air. He''s¡­ aiming Felix¡­! "RESTIA!" Using the ''third key'' magic, Restia moves Felix''s body out from the crater just before D¨®mr lands. But the moment D¨®mr''s front paw touches the ground¡ª KA-CHING! "¡­¡­!?" ¡ªthe surroundings are frozen into ice. If we weren''t hiding behind the broken ice shield¡ª we would have dragged along within. Felix, Asha and Pearl¡ª were frozen. "¡­Is this what you''ve learnt after all these years?" "!" D¨®mr suddenly spoke. And it seems, he''s talking to them. "How do you expect weaklings like you protect your master¡­?" He uttered. Hearing these words, I was fully convinced that Felix, Asha and Pearl was trained under D¨®mr, for several years. He did so because he knew these three would come to me one day. If everything up until now came to this point, this means that what Pearl said to me regarding my dad, is true. ¡­Dad planned this. D¨®mr¡­ you are actually helping us while under dad''s orders to kill them, weren''t you¡­? This fight will bring them to went past their limits to stop you. But¡ª what if they can''t stop you, D¨®mr¡­? Have you ever thought of that? ¡­Not good. They aren''t showing any signs from breaking free from the ice. "¡­Restia." "Expurget!" (Dispel!) With Restia dispelling D¨®mr''s ice on Felix, Asha and Pearl, the ice around them immediately crumbles, where they quickly escape. "Felix, Asha, Pearl¡ª remember that time¡­ the rat!" I yelled. Though D¨®mr is not exactly a rat. All I want is for three of them to work together. ¡­I could only do that much. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" D¨®mr looked this way. It doesn''t seem like he''s showing hostility on me¡­ in fact, it seemed more like gratitude. ¡­Forsj¨¢ is terrified. I calm her down by patting her paw. With Restia and Fortuna sitting on her back, she could only sit and watch behind. As for that man, he''s still healing from his injuries. Looking away on a battlefield is not a wise thing to do. WHAP! Pearl leashes a powerful whip with her tail on D¨®mr''s left shoulder. It''s powerful to break the ground beneath them. "¡­¡­!" But it doesn''t seem to do any damage to D¨®mr, while Pearl suffered a negative recoil from that whip. Before D¨®mr could do anything, Felix made a tackle on the right side of his belly. "Nya¡­!" BAM!!! It works. Though only for a moment, D¨®mr visibly made a pained look. Finally, from below his chin, Asha makes the final strike with her right paw¡ª an uppercut. WHAM!!! That uppercut sent D¨®mr''s body to fly upwards and fall backwards. Please¡­ D¨®mr¡­! just stay down already¡­! "Growl¡­!" He quickly got back on his feet and started to run. "¡­¡­!" Noticing something, I remove my goggles. Hold on¡­ why is there a clear-rainbow, transparent borderline¡­ like a hemisphere¡­? Taking a piece of ice from the ground, I throw it towards the hemisphere¡ª yet it bounced off from it. "Restia¡ª is that¡ª!?" I was going to ask whether is that a barrier or something. Even though Restia casts a dispelling spell on it, however, it did not work. This means it''s not a barrier, but something that could not be created by magic. "No, brat. That''s not magic¡­" That man suddenly told me. "¡­it''s a special trait that only powerful magical beasts have¡ª their ''hunting ground''." "This means¡­ D¨®mr is on a hunt¡­!?" I replied. "¡­Yes. We could not get in, nor they could get out¡­ he isolated that space away from us. They can''t hear us, nor we can hear them¡ª" THOK! "E-Eh¡­!?" A block of ice suddenly lands on top of his head, where he fainted. Crap. Felix, Asha, Pearl¡ª please, don''t die¡­! Chapter 47 - 3.18 - Wednesday, July 20th, 7.32am Current time: 7.32 am. It''s been ten hours since the ''hunting ground'' started. After I take in place of Nightwalker, I have been watching while standing just right outside the borderline of the hemisphere. I thought I could find ways to help them escape, but I gave up that thought afterwards. Even if they escaped from the ''hunting ground''¡­ what then? I soon learnt from Forsj¨¢ that there''s no way to destroy nor get into the ''hunting ground''. Because the ''hunting ground'' is meant initially to trap their preys without allowing them to escape. In these ten hours, the three of them never got the chance to rest at all¡ª the moment they try to take a break, D¨®mr would make a surprise attack, exhausting them even further. Stamina and mana¡­ they are almost at their limits. "¡­!" ¡­ Pearl''s and Asha''s wounds aren''t healing anymore. They had to take on D¨®mr''s full blows because their body size is limiting their options to dodge. Only Felix, the smallest of them all is able to evade most of D¨®mr''s intense attacks. However, I don''t think her spirit to dodge could last any longer. Once again, D¨®mr retreats to the edge of his ''hunting ground'', increasing his speed as he runs on the border, encircling them. Confirming his target, he rams on them with full speed¡ª even with Pearl''s size and weight, she was knocked over, hitting the invisible wall of the ''hunting ground''. "Damn it¡ª D¨®mr¡­!!!" Once again, I throw a punch on the wall of the ''hunting ground'' with my fist. ¡­I could no longer feel my hands in those punches earlier. How many times has it been¡­? A hundred¡­? I have been throwing punches on that exact same spot. And for the first time, there''s a tiny visible crack on it. Seeing that crack made me throw more punches on the same spot. BAM¡ª BAM¡ª WHAM!!!!!!!! "Enough already¡ª Big brother¡­!!!" Just before the fourth punch could reach, Restia stops me by grabbing my arm. This is the third time Restia stops me by grabbing my arm. "Don''t bother, Restia. I won''t stop." "Ngh¡­!" BAM! "Ugh¡ª Restia, you¡­!?" What''s with this ridiculous power¡­!? Getting back up from the ground, Restia, with tears, delivers a low kick on my right leg. I immediately kneel down from the power of her kick. Even if she casts strengthening magic on her body¡ª it will be cancelled once she touches me. This means¡ª this is her original power. "Forsj¨¢¡­!" "Urk¡­!? Get off¡­!!!" Even if I order Forsj¨¢ to get off, she didn''t listen to me. But¡ª why now¡­!? She could''ve stopped me long ago with this method. Then, I find Restia looking at the fainted man, who''s been knocked out for almost twelve hours. "Wake up¡­!!! How long are you going to sleep¡­!?" She said to him, where she''s going to step on him with her foot. WHAP! Before Restia''s leg could land on him¡ª he stops her foot by grabbing it with his hand. "¡­Sheesh. Such a rude little girl." He muttered. "¡­¡­!" This piercing feeling¡ª "A-Arf¡­!" Forsj¨¢ suddenly retreats and kneel down in all fours, trembling in fear. "What''s wrong, Forsj¨¢¡­!?" I said as I got up. "Oh¡­ right. I forgot you can''t feel any mana." That man murmured to me, as he stands and pats off the ice and grass on him. He¡­ feels entirely different. "To face me the way I am now without any hesitation¡­ I commend your bravado, little girl." Restia''s expression leaks out hints of fear. Even though she fears, but she''s fighting against it¡ª for my sake, for their sake. A big brother like me would never back off. The thought of backing off when my little sister is afraid does not exist. Thus, I immediately went to her, standing in front of that man in her stead. "Don''t bully my little sister," I said to him, glaring at him in the eye. Though he feels entirely different now, but¡ª I could see hints of cold sweat on his forehead. Restia then grabs on my clothes, shivering. "¡­His mana¡ª is terrifying." Those are the words I hear from Restia. ¡­I get it now. He''s¡­ finally in top condition. Because he needs to heal his internal injuries with his mana, he''s not able to fight D¨®mr with all he has. The mana he''s been using to heal his injuries has been completed. "Have you¡­ gotten back your memories¡­?" I said to him. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Somehow, with a smirk, he then shifts his gaze at the ''hunting ground''¡ª with a sentimental look. Then, extending his hand as if he''s asking for something¡ª "¡­Permutatio." (¡­Exchange.) ¡ªthree magic circles appear under Felix, Asha, and Pearl. With a bright flash¡ª their positions were swapped. Felix, Asha, Pearl, without any energy to spare¡ª they could only lie on the ground without moving an inch. "Restia, Forsj¨¢¡ª heal them¡­!" Hearing my words, Restia and Forsj¨¢ immediately ran to them, applying healing magic on their injuries. However, this is just an emergency first-aid. I could only check on their injuries later. For now, this is the fight between D¨®mr and that man. "¡­¡­!" D¨®mr¡ª is afraid!? Seems like they are talking, but I can''t hear them because of the ''hunting ground''. As he steps closer to D¨®mr, D¨®mr would back away while trembling in fear. Eventually, D¨®mr''s tail finally touched the edge of his ''hunting ground''. Then¡ª KACHING¡ª BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! ¡ªa large beam. "Ngh¡­!" A powerful blast like a railgun, light blue in colour¡ª shots at that man from D¨®mr''s mouth. ¡­a beam made by compressing cold wind. It was so powerful that the ''hunting ground'' was destroyed by his own blast. ¡­and that man takes it head-on¡ª he was blasted along with it till it reaches the beach. With that one powerful attack, anything that is blocking its way is wholly destroyed. The landscape changes entirely. I wouldn''t be surprised if the blast would vaporize him instantly. "Growl¡­!" However, D¨®mr did not look happy at all. ¡­It''s as if he knew that attack did not work. He stood there without moving an inch, still putting on his guard. I immediately run to Restia and cradle her on my ?h?st. "Restia¡ª just how dense is his mana right now¡­!?" The piercing feeling that I felt from him is the result of his dense mana. "¡­His mana is so strong¡ª even if papa and mama add up together¡­ it''s not even able to reach half of his." His mana was that powerful!? "Oh¡­? Thanks for the compliment, little girl." ""!?"" He''s behind us¡­!? I did not sense his presence at all¡­!? "Grr¡­!" D¨®mr charges towards us with a powerful tackle¡ª "¡­SIT." "¡­A-Arf¡­!" THUD. ¡ªA POSE OF SUBMISSION!!!!!!? "Hmph." Five golden magic circles suddenly appear around D¨®mr, surrounding his body. ¡°Delere jubente.¡± (Delete command.) T-T-T-T-T-TICK¡ª TOCK¡ª CLACK¡ª The magic circles rotate, like unlocking a safe with clicking sounds, the magic circles then disappear. "How is it? Do you still want to kill them¡­?" He asks. "¡­Not anymore," D¨®mr replied. "A-Aaauu¡­!" Forsj¨¢ immediately rushes to D¨®mr, snuggling him on his body, while sometimes ???k?n? him on his head. "Phew¡­" That man heaves a sigh of relieve. However, instead of sitting down¡ª he walks to Felix, touching her body, starting from her front paws. "N-Nya¡­!?" Felix''s resistance earns her a paralyzing spell. "Hey¡ª" "¡­Hmm, as I expected¡ª you are the one with the lightest injury." He said. He''s ignoring me again. "A few cracked ribs will be healed in a couple of days." He added. "!" Hearing his remark, I quickly run to them. But when I reach Felix, he quickly walks away and switches his target to Asha¡ª pulling a sword out from his magical storage the moment he touches her left hind leg. "G-Grawr¡­!?" Asha is completely freaked out when he pulls out a transparent-blue sword. "Munda, caecus." (Cleanse, blind.) Casting a purifying spell on his sword and Asha''s body¡ª he stabs his sword onto Asha''s left hind leg. "Grawr¡­¡­?" Though he cuts her flesh open, it doesn''t seem like Asha is in pain, but it seems she could feel that her flesh is being cut open. Asha didn''t struggle because she can''t see. "Crap. So many pieces¡­" Asha''s tibia and fibula are broken into many pieces¡ª seven pieces¡­? Shoving his sword back into his magical storage, he reaches his hands for her broken bones¡ª placing them correctly back to its original places. "Restituere." (Restore.) "Grawr¡­¡­!?" Seeming to feel the pain coming from that spot, Asha struggles¡ª earning herself a paralyzing spell. The bones were left till a state where it''s not entirely restored. It was a wise move because if it''s completely restored, the body''s healing mechanism will grow weaker. Then he gently pinches his purified fingers between Asha''s flesh and tissue, casting a healing spell, closing her flesh. He then feels his hands at Asha''s ?h?st afterwards. "Grawr¡­!!?" "Hmm¡­ broken ribs¡­? Well¡­ it doesn''t seem to puncture your lungs¡ª I will leave it like that." Finally, casting a paralyzing spell on Pearl¡ª he leaps onto her head, then walks on her body. TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP.¡­ "One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ When he finally reaches her tail, he jumps down. "214 cracked and 153 broken ribs. Your organs are fine, and your scales will be replaced in your next skin-shedding season." His diagnosing skills¡ª it''s incredible. Since I''ve learnt some medical skills from two amazing doctors before, I could tell that his diagnosing skills are undoubtedly accurate, and well-surpassing mine. Though when comparing him to Mattanarafa''s parents¡ª he still has a long way to go. That man, stood still and stared for about a few seconds, he nods, then walks and sit next to me. "And you, brat¡ª whatever you want to ask¡ª do it after I wake up¡ª" THUD. With that, he falls on his back on the ground. Chapter 48 - 3.19 - Wednesday, July 20th, 11.03am After a long-lasting night¡ª Felix, Asha, Pearl, Forsj¨¢, Restia and that man is finally able to earn a good sleep. Especially those three, they were pretty exhausted from their fight against D¨®mr. Since everyone was up all night¡ª I put all of them to sleep. Restia is sleeping in her room, that man is in the living room, while the others were at the backyard sleeping together. Even though I''m entirely exhausted myself, but I couldn''t get a single wink of sleep¡ª because I know I''m not able to until I''m able to find Ruby. It''s been six days since she''s gone. While marking the places I have been on my map with a pen while lying on the grass, I realized only one-third of the island were searched. ¡­It''s around 11am now. The only ones who are wide awake, are me and D¨®mr¡ª which D¨®mr is resting next to me. After folding the map neatly and put it aside on my left, I turn my head to face D¨®mr¡ª the Alpha of the Fenrir wolf, the guardian of the forest, my father''s contracted beast. "¡­D¨®mr," I murmured. "Don''t you have something to say to me¡­?" "¡­Young master." It''s the first time D¨®mr called me young master. However, it doesn''t feel unfamiliar to me at all. "¡­I''m sorry." With his ears drooping down, he apologizes with a sad voice. "Is that apology for me, my father, or yourself¡­?" I muttered. "Young master¡ª your parents won''t be coming back¡­" "¡­I know." "Is there any way to restore your memories¡­?" I asked. "Unfortunately, no¡­" "¡­I see." Hearing his reply, I could only heave a sigh. My father really didn''t leave a single hint behind about their whereabouts. He doesn''t want us to find them¡­? Where would he go¡­? Well, it''s not like I could step out from this island either. Come to think of it¡­ it seems my knowledge about my father isn''t as straightforward as I thought. Since D¨®mr is his contracted beast, I''m sure he knew my father longer than me. "D¨®mr, how long have you been here for¡­?" "¡­Hmm¡­ Now that you ask¡­ it seems it''s been eleven years since I came here." "With my father?" "Yes." Eleven years¡­ I couldn''t think up of a good reason aside from me. "Is it because of me he came here to this island?" I asked. Ten years, adding the time my mom is pregnant with me, then eleven years could only mean they came here because mom is pregnant. "Young master¡­ believe in your father¡ª whatever reason he did so¡­ I know he loves you very much." "¡­You don''t need to tell me that, D¨®mr. I know, and I will always believe in him." "Young master¡­ you don''t understand¡ª it''s hard to continue on believing in someone." "Are you saying you are doubting my father, D¨®mr?" "Of course not!" "¡­With you staying here with me, I know dad must be trying to protect us even if he''s gone." "Young master¡­" "By the way, D¨®mr¡ª what exactly happened on this island when you came here with my father?" "If there''s an appropriate word¡­ then ''chaos'' would fit in perfectly." "How exactly¡­?" "The beach that you occasionally went¡ª is the place where we shipwrecked on. The first impression I had on this island¡­ is its reek of smell." The incident about that shipwreck is real? I thought it really is a story meant to entertain us. "Reek of smell¡­ you mean¡ª there are corpses everywhere?" "Not only corpses... half of the forest was also destroyed because of the war of the Black Cats and White Snakes." "Then¡­ who are the ones asking for helping during that time? Is it the Fenrir wolves you are leading now?" "Yes. However, your father''s priority is the plague." "Ah, I heard this from Pearl and Asha. How did my dad solve the plague¡­?" "Your father created a vaccine from the old White Snake''s corpse¡ª his body is immune to the plague¡­ we used those vaccines to save everyone in this forest." "I see." "Did you¡­ named them? The cat, leopard and the snake." "Ah¡­ I sort of named them by chance. But they are not my contracted beast, though." "Kukuku¡­ I''m glad. I''m glad they could finally become yours." "You really are the one who taught them everything," I said. "No wonder Felix is so obsessed with me." "The cat, is it? When I found her lying in the forest¡­ your father and I decided to pick her up." "Why didn''t dad take her with him¡­?" "Her curse is real, young master. Your mother is pregnant¡ª your father can''t allow the slightest mistake to happen to you and your mother." D¨®mr said. "Besides¡­ her hatred that she b?r?d towards the snake is so powerful that she went into a breakdown. It took me so many years just to wash away the pain inside her heart." "Is this why you take in Pearl and Asha as well? Were you expecting them to reunite with Felix?" "...No. It''s just that I know how does it feel to be an orphan¡ª to live alone. I merely don''t want the same tragedy to happen to three of them." He muttered. "I''m sure¡­ with them meeting you, they will gladly follow you just like how I followed your father decades ago." "D¨®mr, I thought your memories were erased¡­? Why were you able to recall the past¡­?" "Only my recent memories were erased." "How recent?" "¡­¡­¡­about a month, I think." Hearing D¨®mr''s reply, my body feels like swelling up from the inside. "¡­A-Ah¡­ AHHHH¡­!!!" BAM!!! The frustration that builds up in me made me throw a punch on the ground, which my fist buries in it. I thought I heard it wrong¡ª no, it would be accurate to say that I want it to be wrong. Unfortunately, it''s not. If dad erased D¨®mr''s memories up to one month ago, this would mean he''s already planning to leave in one month ago¡ª I can''t believe Nightmare and I completely didn''t notice it at all. We are a failure of a son. "Young master." D¨®mr suddenly murmured, it''s as if he wants to cheer me up. "It''s normal. Not even my daughter knew of that I''m your father''s contracted beast." "You mean¡­ just like dad¡ª you mean to hide it from us¡­?" "¡­Yes." He replied embarrassedly. "I always thought he was a fool¡ª until I became a father myself." "Hmph¡­ this is what happens when you don''t listen to my dad." "Hmph¡­ says the one who always doubts the words of his father all the time." Hearing that, I was dumbfounded. "¡­I did?" I inadvertently murmured. "That was before when you lost your memories¡ª but I don''t think you would remember at all." "Because¡­ of this seal I have¡­?" "¡­I don''t know, young master. Three years ago, you and your family went on a trip across the world¡ª but then returned after a year later with that creature¡ª and your loss of memory." "Father never told you the reason?" "He did not." D¨®mr shakes his head as he replied. ¡­My loss of memories. Two years ago, when I wake up at Mattanarafa''s house after a surgery¡ª ¡ªdeep within my body¡­ lies a disease that would make the power within me to go berserk. Because there was no way to erase this power, this power is temporarily suppressed by an incomplete seal. The so-called ''Twenty Seals''. A seal that stabs nineteen magic daggers over my body and a large magic great-sword through my ?h?st. Because it''s an incomplete seal, it has a massive side effect. I had memory loss, up until the point to eight years old. My mana was sealed completely. I don''t have the ability to learn, nor I have the ability to invoke what I learnt in the past. I don''t have muscle memory. Every time the seal activates, the backlash would give me intense pain. My original personality is split into two. Plus, a deteriorating body which would make me grow weaker as each day passes¡ª and this is the life-threatening one. If I don''t train my body, I will one day deteriorate till the point where I wouldn''t have the strength to walk and might die from asphyxia. If that seal was f?r??b?? removed, I would explode from the inside of my body and die¡ª or so the great doctor, uncle Raphael told me. However, it wasn''t dad nor Mattanarafa''s parents¡ª uncle Raphael or aunty Lilith who placed that seal on me. Dad knows who did it, but he never told me. Even till now, I still don''t know the exact reason behind my seals. But that doesn''t matter now. No matter what has become of me¡­ my family still loves me the way I am. "¡­D¨®mr." While taking the map from the ground, I take a leap to D¨®mr''s back. "What is it¡­? Aren''t my kin and the leopard''s enough for your search?" D¨®mr uttered. D¨®mr''s Fenrir wolves have been searching in the forest since yesterday. As for Asha''s snow leopards, they head out this morning as soon as they woke up after the battle. "No, that''s not it. Take me to the place where you bury Asha''s mother." "¡­I see," D¨®mr murmured. "That could wait." His words inadvertently came to a pause. "What''s wrong, D¨®mr?" He looks¡­ hesitant. "Young master¡­ I¡­" While standing up, he hesitated for a moment. "I¡­ want to take you to a place." "Okay¡­?" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ During our journey, D¨®mr would occasionally stop once he hears a howl, letting me mark the map on the locations they''ve already searched for. As for the snow leopards, they will report to D¨®mr about their search through their telepathy. Finally, at the wolf''s territory. D¨®mr stops at a very¡­ dark and clean place. It''s surprisingly clean¡ª I mean, there''s not even a single piece of leaf on the grass below his feet, although we are in a forest. The taller trees nearby, in the shape of an ellipse surrounds a smaller tree, which is about 50m in height. Under the dim surrounding, this small tree had leaves glowing with a Celeste-blue light. And D¨®mr is staring at it. If I remember correctly¡­ this tree¡ª Celestial Luminous represents¡­ "D¨®mr¡ª this is?" I asked. D¨®mr did not respond. "¡­I see," I murmured. Judging from his silence, I immediately understood. This is a graveyard¡­ of his beloved wife. Adding the situation now and recalling our conversations, the reason he brought me here¡ª the only conclusion I can come up with is¡­ "Is it about your daughter¡­?" I asked. "Young master¡­ I want you to take my daughter to see the world." D¨®mr murmured. ¡­I knew it. "¡­Why?" I asked. "I have seen the world before¡ª I knew it''s beauty. That''s why¡­ I want my daughter to see it." "Why are you asking now¡­? Is it because of that man?" "¡­You don''t understand. He''s not an ordinary person." "Well, yeah, I could see that." Just from their fight and his knowledge alone, I could tell he''s an extraordinary person. "Young master¡­ Have you¡­ ever heard of Central Imperial Island¡­?" Central Imperial Island. Dad always told us that Central Imperial Island is the best ever country that he had ever come across during his journey. The youngest founding nation; The most peaceful nation; A wonderful country. However, this island was isolated from the outside world. No one could enter unless they have permission from the king itself. "Central Imperial¡­¡­ That''s the place dad said he would take me to, over and over." "Yes¡­ I''m sure your father would''ve told you about that place." "¡­You mean, that guy is from that island? How did you know?" "Young master¡­ I don''t think his arrival is all that accidental." "Are you telling me he came here because he had a connection with my dad¡­?" "¡­Yes. Somehow, I think he''s even one of you father''s closest friend." "¡­¡­What do you mean, you ''think''?" "¡­Although I had never met him before, your father told me about such a person whom he could depend his life on¡ª a human with white hair, red eyes¡­ I''m sure there are only a few humans who had such a combination." "Then¡­ what made you believe that he''s the one my father talk about?" "I recognize his scent." "¡­Your nose sure is convenient." "Young master, as you leave this island¡ª I want you to take them with you." He reminds me once again. Including Felix, Asha, Pearl, and Fortuna. "What about you, D¨®mr¡­?" "Someone has to stay." If dad somehow returns, D¨®mr will be the one waiting for him. I''m sure that man would not stay for long. I know he will leave very soon. Not only food and water but also living independently without our parents¡­ D¨®mr''s concern towards us isn''t light-handed¡ª he considered our problems, that''s why he would tell us to leave. "I''m not planning to leave until we find Ruby," I said. "¡­I understand." Chapter 49 - 3.20 - Wednesday, July 20th, 1.58pm By the time we returned before 2pm, I find that man from afar. He''s on the front yard, lying on his back as he gazes on the cloudy sky. He looks so relaxed. ¡­Just like dad. "Oh¡­ you''ve returned." He murmured. He notices us as soon as D¨®mr went near to him. I wondered why he had a shadow figure of dad¡­ "I''m hungry. Go cook for me." He demanded. Jumping down from D¨®mr''s back, I glared at him with an annoyed look. "¡­Go cook it yourself." I retorted. "Fine then, if you will excuse me¡­ it''s time for charcoal lunch then." I wondered why he pisses me off so much. "Fine, fine! You win!" I uttered. Geez, I had a headache. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Dining room. "Here." CLACK. "You gotta be kidding me." He murmured while looking away with a pouted look. "I don''t want cup noodles!" For some reason, he acts like a spoiled child. "Can''t help it, that was the fastest meal I could prepare." I retorted. "Gragh¡­ fine! S¡ª S¡ª S¡ª SLURPPPPP¡­" Sitting on the chair opposite of him as I watch, with the chopsticks, he''s shoving the noodles into his mouth while sipping the soup at the same time. "Phuwah¡­!" CLACK. Finishing the cup noodles, he places the bowl on the table, with his mouth covered with soup and a small piece of spring onion, dirty like a kid. "Here." With the handkerchief I got from the cabinet, I throw it to his face. "Thanks, kid." Wiping off the stain on his face, he folds it neatly and places it on the table. ¡­That habit feels just like dad. "Phew, as expected from Lucione''s son. You really know what to add to make it delicious." "¡­¡­!" ¡­He said my dad''s name. It''s as if he noticed the twitch on my cheek, he sits back and folds his arms. ¡­Those eyes. He''s carefully accessing the situation. "Alright then¡­ I said it didn''t I?" He murmured. "Since I know you had tons of questions in mind, so let''s take it easy with each other, okay?" He then gives a gesture, saying ''You first''. What should I ask¡­? There''s no point asking him where my parents are. If he knows, he would''ve already looked for them himself. Alright then¡­ here goes. "¡­I want a detailed introduction about yourself." Somehow, he made a grin. "¡­How troublesome." He said. "Because of various reasons, I can''t tell you my name¡ª you could call me ''principal''. I''m 37, but I think I look younger than that. As you can see, I had Amnesia a few days back and had just completely recovered this morning. I''m a human, and my blood type is ''N+''. I was born with a genetic disorder known as ''Albinism'', that''s why I had white hair in this age. If you dare call me a ''White Rabbit'', I will seriously strangle you right on this very spot." ¡­this explains his white hair. From his swift introduction, it seems like there''s no problem with his memory. "My turn, then." He murmured. "¡­What is your dad''s full name?" "¡­¡­?" I was surprised by his question. Didn''t he know my dad¡­? Why is he asking this for¡­? "Listen here, brat. You just need to answer, okay?" He muttered. "I just recovered from Amnesia, and I need time to rearrange my memories. Now speak." "Lucione Nightwalker von Nightmare," I answered. "Hmm¡­ I see." With that, he places his fingers below his chin, as if he''s thinking. Feeling curious, I then place my hands on the table. "What is my father to you?" "He''s¡­ an important friend, a comrade, and a rival. What is your mother''s full maiden name?" He''s asking for my mother''s full maiden name instead. Seems like he even knew my mother, too. "EveTwo P. N. Transcend." "¡­I see." He''s not surprised by my mother''s name. Then this could only mean he knew both of my parents. "Did you come here by accident, or because of my father?" "¡­Both." "¡­¡­What exactly happened?" I inadvertently murmured. "Hmm¡­ where should I start¡­¡­ Sigh, you might as well listen closely." Saying that, he scratches his head. "Okay¡­?" "Six days ago¡ª I received a message from your father." He said. "I forgot what he wrote, but that message had a time limit, so it was deleted shortly afterwards." It''s evident that he remembers what was written. He''s just hiding it for my sake because I''m just a kid. "Since it felt like an emergency, I immediately rode my private jet to the country nearest from this island." "You were going to teleport from there¡­?" "Originally, yes. However, I was ambushed by six elite spies from an enemy''s country, disguised as my close aides. I wasn''t aware of it because of your father''s message. Thus, I let down my guard and was drugged by poison, tied up and stabbed on the abdomen." "You don''t need to hide it. I already knew the enemies you said of¡ª they are from the Regalia Empire." "Ah¡­ because of the knife, huh." He muttered. "It''s because of that disgusting knife, my magic was sealed¡­" BAM! All of a sudden, he smashed his fist on the table with a pained look. "Those bastards killed my pilot right in front of my eyes¡­ I will never forgive them¡­!!!" "¡­Calm down", I said. Hearing that, he slowly retreats his fist and backs away. "¡­Before they escaped, they set my jet into auto-pilot mode, allowing it to steer directly into the ''Bermuda Triangle'' region." "How did you escape¡­?" "They left the door open. I could only crawl my way out towards the exit before the jet crashes." "How did you survive from drowning?" "I just happen to find a dagger right at the bottom of the ocean." "¡­You gotta be kidding me. How long have you sunk!?" "Not sure. Maybe around half an hour but I''m sure it''s not that deep." He''s definitely not normal at all. "By the time I cut off the retrains on my hands, a sea monster just happened to bump me by accident, that''s why I was unconscious." He said. "As I woke up, I just happen to find you, your little sister and that hungry-looking wolf." "This means¡­ you had Amnesia after that sea monster bumped you¡­?" "Hitting the right spot on the head could be lethal, brat. Not to mention Amnesia." "You are just unlucky enough to have Amnesia right at that moment¡­?" I said. "¡­seems like it." He then folded his arms, shifting his gaze onto the bowl, looking annoyed and disappointed. He''s annoyed and disappointed because he''s testing me, and I know that. But I couldn''t figure out the purpose and reason for his test. So, first things first. "Erm¡­ I know it might be late asking this¡­ but from where did you came from¡­?" "Hmm?" It''s as if I managed to pique his interest, he immediately lifts his head to look at me. "Where, you say? From the place your father likes the most." He added. "You mean, you are from Central Imperial Island¡­?" "That''s right." It''s just as what D¨®mr ?ssumed. But come to think of it, I don''t know any of dad''s friends except Mattanarafa''s parents. "Why are you testing me¡­? Could it be you actually had a status high enough to persuade the king of Central Imperial Island¡­?" "Oh¡­ well done noticing it." He said. "I know what your concern is¡ª and yes, indeed. To enter Central Imperial Island, you need permission from the king. As for my status, I will only tell you after the test." He then places his hands on the table, staring at me with a serious look. "Tell me, how did you know I was testing you? Is there something wrong with my statement? I think I said it perfectly." "There''s nothing wrong with your statement," I replied. "I can understand drugging and tying you since you are so powerful¡­ However, why is there a need to stab you on the abdomen while not killing you straight off the bat¡­?" "Good point. Then, what do you think about that?" "Erm¡­ You claimed that they were ''elite'' spies, not normal spies." "Okay¡­?" "Since you claimed it as such, this means there really are six spies from the Regalia Empire¡ª unknown people, successfully infiltrating into Central Imperial Island. They are spies, their jobs are mainly classified into two¡ª information gathering or ?ssassination." "¡­ That''s right. The reason why they could infiltrate is because of the event we have every year¡ª and that is known as the , which opens to the selected schools outside from Central Imperial Island to enter. Some of them might be mixed within, and I believe there''s more than just six of them who infiltrated into Central Imperial Island." It seems if I''m correct, he will tell me the answer. "I see," I murmured. "The reason why six of them could infiltrate into your personal jet at the same time is that because they are using your close aides'' appearance and their numbers as a blind spot." "Hmm¡­ what do you mean?" "They are your close aides¡ª this also means you knew them well enough inside out. If there''s only one spy hiding among them, I think either of you could easily find out. But if it''s six of them at the same time, you might be thinking you are not feeling well today." "Haha, if it''s isn''t for that one sip of drugged coffee that paralysed me, I wouldn''t realise that all six of them are spies. This is really a bold and nasty move." I''m surprised. How could he laugh at a time like this when Central Imperial Island is at a crisis¡­? "What''s wrong? Go on." He said. "¡­If it''s ?ssassination, there''s no point to infiltrate your private jet. They could''ve just blown up your jet at the centre of the ocean. This means what they want is gathering information by interrogation. And that person is none other than you, who owns a high status in Central Imperial Island." "Unfortunately, my mouth is so tight-lipped that they did not get anything¡ª so they killed my pilot in front of me since he doesn''t have any useful information. I had no choice, so I need to stall them for about twenty minutes or so." "Because the flight course is heading towards ''Bermuda Triangle''¡­?" "At a time like that, that''s the only choice I could come up with." He murmured. "They forgot to kill me because they are leaving in a hurry¡ª and since my arms and legs are restrained behind me, I had no choice but to crawl my way out to the emergency door in that shaking jet. That fall is really scary¡­" ¡­I could only feel pity for him, and nothing else. "Then¡­? You fell into the sea and sunk to the bottom of the ocean?" I said. "Yup. I thought I was going to die¡ª until I managed to find a really sharp dagger just right under my hand at the last minute." "Ah¡­ I guess you were lucky, then. That dagger was mine." "Yours¡­? You are the one who dropped that dagger? Man, you are a lifesaver¡ª this must be fate, huh." "But¡­ I don''t understand." "About what?" "Your body is injected with seven types of poison¡ª and they are deadly. How is it possible for a human to survive that long¡­?" "You know, my body is born special. As long as the poison that doesn''t kill me within less than an hour, my body would gradually become immune to it. If you didn''t remove the excess poison, I would''ve died sooner or later." "¡­Who exactly are you¡­? Not only magic¡­ even martial arts, swordsmanship and even your strength¡­ you are probably even stronger than my dad¡­!" "HUH?" Perhaps I said something wrong¡ª for some reason, he glares at me. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" I couldn''t help but flinch. "¡­I thought I mentioned before. He''s a rival to me." "But¡­ even if mom and dad''s mana were to add up¡­ it''s not even half of yours¡­" "Data are just data, brat. Your dad is a rival whom I could never beat no matter how hard I try. Understood?" Yeah, I understood now. "This means all that mana you have is just for show¡­" His forehead popped a vein. "¡­OI. YOU WANT ME TO STRANGLE YOU TO DEATH RIGHT NOW?" "Ugh, did I say something wrong¡­!?" "YOU AIN''T WORTH A THING WHEN YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME, YOU STUPID BRAT¡­!" "Eh¡­ Then I''m glad I''m not you instead." I retorted. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" He seems to be surprised by my remark. "After all, I don''t want to have an old man''s white hair like yours," I added. "¡­¡­YOU ARE PISSING ME OFF." He uttered. "Urk, but I''m just telling the truth¡­" Seeming to have gotten a headache, he places his hand on his temple as he furrows his brow and grits his teeth in anger. "Endure me, endure¡­ he''s just a stupid kid¡­ he''s just a stupid kid¡­!" You don''t have to say it twice. "¡­I can hear you loud and clear, you know. And if I really am stupid, you would''ve died on that beach long ago." Somehow, he heaved a sigh with an exhausted look. "¡­you really are Lucione''s son." He muttered. "Though I really hate to admit it, you passed with flying colours." "You mean¡ª" "A-Ah." He extended his hand, stopping me from making my ?ssumptions. "Only you." "W-Why¡­!? What about my little sister¡ª what about Ruby and the others!?" "Central Imperial Island doesn''t need mediocre peoples. However, I will make an exception if you make a deal with me, brat." "If it means to help them, I will do it!" "Oh¡­? I will take it as a deal, then." At that time, I deeply regretted my rash decision to accept his deal. After staring at his evil-looking grin, then and only then, I realised. "¡­Hold it. ''I'' will make an exception¡­?" I inadvertently muttered. "Wait¡ª don''t tell me¡ª you are¡ª" When I realised, I had already backed away with the chair I''m sitting on, sticking at the wall. "¡­ That''s right, brat." It''s as if the song of an orchestra is reaching its end, the man, who claimed himself as ''principal'' gracefully stood up at some point. I will never forget the words he said afterwards... "As the King of Central Imperial Island, I hereby congratulate the birth of the future king candidate¡ª Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare." ....with a graceful bow. Chapter 50 - 3.21 - Wednesday, July 20th, 2.11pm My ears¡ª must be playing tricks on me. No, not only my ears¡ª perhaps I was being tricked right from the start, or maybe this man is just nuts. This man right in front of me¡­ doesn''t look like a king at all. But, there''s no reason for him to make such a lie. Even if he''s lying just to get a better hospitality, I''m sure he already knows I wouldn''t give a damn about his status at all. "What''s wrong, future king candidate? Cat caught your tongue?" He muttered. "Or is it perhaps¡­ you did not expect that the king of the Central Imperial Island is in such a pinch right now?" Just as he says that with an evil grin, he gave me a wall slam. Such a pinch, he said. It doesn''t match that evil grin he had on him now. "So¡­ what you promised me earlier is just nothing but an empty shell?" I replied. "Empty shell? Nonsense." He then slowly retreated. "I mark my words, brat." "¡­What do you mean you are in a pinch right now¡­?" "To be exact, I, as the king, has been gone for six days." He remarked. "What do you think the spies inside my island would do?" "Take over your island¡­?" "Correct." He said while pointing his finger at me. "You see, I told you about that event we have once in a year, right?" "< Knight''s Tournament>¡­?" "Correct. Do you know who''s the one who started all this?" "I think I heard it before¡­ But¡­ isn''t one of the twelve apostles just a legend¡­?" "He''s real¡ª and I received his blessings." "¡­¡­¡­¡­!" I don''t know whether he is telling the truth or not¡ª if this is a lie, this is way too overboard. However, if this is the truth¡­ "I''m sure you would hear about ''World War 4'', don''t you?" He said while sitting back on the chair. "From your father." "That history is real¡­?" "Yes, the apostle''s the one who stopped the war. He''s the origins of the < Knight''s Tournament>." I drag my chair back to the dining table, placing my hands on it. "You mean, the Regalia Empire wouldn''t dare to invade your island?" "Don''t be naive, brat. My opponent isn''t just anyone¡ª he''s the one ruling the Regalia Empire, the infamous ''Tyrant King.'' There is nothing in this world that could stop him." "Then, you mean the apostle would destroy him?" "Him? Hah!" He made a sneering laugh. "He won''t do anything¡ª probably just sit back and watch." "¡­then what are you going to do?" Taking a deep breath, he looks at me with a serious gaze. "I''m going to stay here and relax for another three weeks." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" My ears must be playing tricks on me. "GO BACK TO YOUR DAMN ISLAND YOU IRRESPONSIBLE GARBAGE¡­!" I yelled with bloodcurdling anger. "B-But it''s been a while since I could relax like this¡­ I beg of you, please let me stay¡­!" The king of Central Imperial Island¡ª is now prostrating on the floor while grabbing my foot with his hands. "What about your wife¡­?" His finger had a tan line of a ring, so I know he''s married. "¡­She already had her resolve when she married to me as the Queen." He said. "Please, just let me stay here just for three weeks." Again, he mentions three weeks. "Why three weeks¡­?" I asked. "Because by then¡­ I''m sure the spies from the Regalia Empire would''ve successfully infiltrate and controlled the country by then." "¡­You disgusting filth." I inadvertently uttered. "Do whatever you want." I find my other foot raised¡ª where he dodges before I could stomp his hand. "Yes¡­!" He said excitedly. He sits back on his chair with a smirk on his face. "You see, it''d be hard to wipe them out completely in one go if I go back now." He added. "I can''t catch them alone." "How many allies do you exactly have all across the world¡­?" "¡­Six." He replied. "No matter, it will be an easy victory if it''s just that." I could tell it wasn''t just a random spouting. He''s confident and determined enough to say that¡ª such a dangerous guy. "What about your country''s secret, technologies, or¡ª" "Oh, those? Everything is with me¡ª I don''t think they were able to crack or bypass the passcode from the computer storage. Even if they crack it, it would be automatically deleted if it doesn''t detect my mana, DNA, and handprint throughout the use." "You recorded everything as in, data?" "There''s always a hardcopy backup¡ª and it''s inside my magic storage." "What about your citizens¡­?" "Central Imperial Island doesn''t have a single, mediocre people. If they can''t handle it, there''s no point for me to rule that country. And besides, those from the Regalia Empire can''t do much in just one month." ¡­He had everything figured out even more clearly than I thought. Looks like he''s staying here for good. "¡­What do you mean, the birth of the future king candidate¡­?" "This is a special tradition only Central Imperial Island has." He told me. "You see, normally if we follow the monarchy system by normal tradition, this means that my children will be the next successor of my throne. However, in Central Imperial Island, I have the right to choose anyone in Central Imperial Island as my successor." "Nooooo¡ª I''m your successor¡­!?" "YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?" Eek¡­!? He''s glaring at me¡­! "Why are you forcing a nobody like me to become king!?" "Duh." He made a speechless look. "Because you are the right person for the right job, brat." "You better give up and find someone else. I''m not cut for it." "WHY?" When I knew it, he had already grabbed me on my collar, pulling me up with just one hand as he glares at me with bloodcurdling anger. "I¡ª" B-BAM!!! "GEH¡ª!?" "EH¡ª" Restia suddenly lands a punch on Principal''s stomach while Felix lands a slap on his face. It made him flew through the large sliding window at the dining room, falling at the backyard as I skilfully land on the floor. "Don''t bully my master¡­!" "Don''t bully my big brother¡­!" "¡ªsee that?! This is the reason I choose you¡­!" He shouts from the yard. "You had the power to connect people¡­!" I stood by the window as I look at him with a depressed look as I clench my fist. "If I can''t even protect one person¡­ what does it have for me to become king¡­?" He stands, patting off the grass on him. "¡­Everyone makes mistakes, brat¡ª even if it''s the God of Creation." He said. "God does not make mistakes¡­! You are lying¡­!" Restia murmured. This story¡ª no, this is history. "He does." He said to Restia. "He once regretted creating humans." "Is it the flash flood that once killed the whole world but eight¡­?" I asked. "That''s right." "But¡­ why? What did we do to deserve this¡­?" Restia asks. "¡­Huh. You have no idea how rotten can humans become, don''t you? At the 7th generation of humans¡­ women at that era, are the most beautiful women that have ever born. They were just so beautiful that some of the original angels under God of Creation had to curse themselves to become fallen angels just to mate with them." Saying that, he sits on the chair, looking at us. "N¡­" "Nya¡­?" Restia and Felix inadvertently leak out a surprised look. After he took a glance at them, he then looks at me with his brows furrowed. "Hmm¡­?" My¡­ seems like you know that there''s not only one fallen angel." "¡­Yes," I replied. "Dad also taught me the meaning of my name." "Well, then." He looks at Restia. "Do you know what was born from that mixture?" "Giants¡­?" She answered. "You are comparing that with giants? Don''t make me laugh. They are beings surpassing titans¡ª their height is 4500 feet tall." "Even larger than D¨®mr¡­?" Felix asks me. "Just imagine thirty of him stacking one another," I replied. Felix could only make a stunning look after hearing that. "Those beings were such big eaters that they devoured every resource they could find¡ª and you know what? They were just so hungry and thirsty that they start to devour humans." "Then isn''t everything their fault¡­?" Restia said. "The fallen angels taught to their woman about the secrets from heaven¡ª which the angels themselves are not familiar with. They taught them how to make weapons, jewellery, cosmetics, antimony, ores, enchantments, plantations, astrology, constellations, knowledge of the clouds, signs of the earth, signs of the sun, and course of the moon. Humans have led astray and became corrupt in all ways." "Then¡­ humans were the victims, aren''t they¡­?" Restia murmured. "Careful with your words, Restia," I told her. "There''s nothing wrong in learning all of those¡ª it''s just like money. It''s either you use it, or you were being used by it¡­" "That''s right." He murmured. "This is why the God of Creation regretted creating humans¡ª and that''s the reason for the great flood. However, our God of Creation is very patient¡­ he waited for 1037 years for the humans to behave. Unfortunately, in the end, they disappointed the God of Creation. That era was known as the worst era¡ª all they think all day, is nothing but pure evil." "¡­¡­Ngh." Restia was disgusted by the phrase ''all they think all day, is nothing but pure evil''. "Will the flood happen again¡­?" She asks. "Hmm, though sea-level may be rising each year, but the God of Creation promised to never do that¡ª that''s why we have the rainbow. It''s not just refraction and dispersion of the sun''s light by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere¡ª this is a promise that God of Creation made to us, that''s why the rainbow is a ring." I find Restia gripping my hand. "¡­can the God of Creation bring back papa, mama, and Ruby¡­?" "Why are you asking me?" He uttered mercilessly. "You are Lucione''s daughter, and I was expecting a lot from you¡ª yet you disappointed me by your na?ve, selfish behaviour¡ª" "PRINCIPAL¡­!" I yelled with a pleading voice. "Don''t talk anymore." Restia weeps on my ?h?st as I cradled her. "If I stop talking, what will you do? Protect her for the rest of your life with that cat, leopard, wolf, snake and rabbit?" He uttered. "DON''T BE NA?VE!!!" "¡­ I''m only ten, and she''s only nine." I murmured. "Aren''t you expecting too much from just two kids¡­?" "If I''m not here, would you still think of that?" "¡­!" ¡­He''s right. I won''t. "Listen, Restia Nightwalker von Nightmare." "¡­¡­¡­.." As he uttered, Restia peeked at him. "Instead of thinking about the ones you''ve lost¡ª think about what you still have. The cat, leopard, snake, wolf, rabbit and your brother." He murmured. "They are still alive, aren''t they¡­?" Restia looks at me with tears. "Big brother¡­ I''m sorry¡­!" "Ruby''s still alive." I glared at him as I uttered. "Hmm¡­ how were you so sure¡­?" "¡­I don''t know. Intuition, perhaps." "Okay¡­ since you believe in yours, then, I will believe in mine¡ª you will definitely become the next king of Central Imperial Island no matter what." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Because Restia is here, I can''t tell him why I can''t. "Brat¡ª I know the responsibility as a king is heavy. But¡­ you are born to become a king¡ª there''s no way I would let this chance to slip away from my fingertips." He''s trying to convince me. Get a hint already. "Just because I could connect people¡­?" I said. "That''s not all." He replied. "Your personality itself is already suitable for it¡ª and don''t be mistaken¡­ it''s not you who I want." "¡­You mean, ''me''¡­?" "Yes. ''You''." My original personality, he meant. "¡­Why?" "You know the meaning of your name, don''t you?" ¡­The meaning of my name. "Doesn''t my name mean¡­ Light-Bringer¡­?" "Yes, it has the same meaning just like your father¡ª however, yours weighted more than his because you carried another meaning of its own." The¡­ other meaning of my name? "¡­Are you saying, I''m the ultimate demon?" "Wrong. Many would misinterpret your name as such¡ª the ultimate fallen angel, the ultimate demon, the serpent¡ª but, to the God of Creation, his Light-Bringer angel, Lucifer, is already long gone. He abandoned his given name and goes by the name ''Satan'' now." "I don''t remember dad telling me that my name had another meaning." "Lucione never told you? Hmm¡­ fine then, I will tell you¡ª after all, half of your name is decided from me." If he''s the one naming me, I don''t think it''s something good. "¡­Then what was the other meaning?" "The opposite of ''Satan''¡ª instead of opposing the God of Creation¡­ You¡ª will become the guiding light under the God of Creation''s fate. If it''s you, brat¡ª I''m sure there''s one day you would unite the world under his guidance.. Not even something like the Celestial gods and apostles could stop you from doing so." Chapter 51 - 3.22 - Wednesday, July 20th, 2.22pm "A kid like me, unite the world¡­?" I muttered. "You must be crazy." "Tch. You are so stubborn." He uttered. "The same goes for you." I retorted. He''s so stubborn to make me king. "I will cook yours now, Restia¡ª you must be hungry." The conversation we had made me fed-up, that''s why I find this chance to leave. Leaving him alone, Restia and Felix followed behind. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ As I''m cooking some fried rice, Restia, who has been staring at me from behind, finally speaks. "¡­¡­Big brother, are we really going to leave¡­?" Restia asks. "¡­this island." "¡­You know we can''t stay here. Our supplies won''t last long." "¡­what if papa really came back?" "We could leave a message behind. You are my precious little sister, Restia¡ª I can''t let anything happen to you." "¡­did you forget about Ruby¡­?" "I would never. I will definitely find her, no matter what." "Big brother¡­" Restia suddenly murmured with a pained look. "Restia¡­?" Because of her voice, I quickly turn my head to look at her. She''s holding Felix in her arms, looking hesitant. "¡­ What''s wrong¡­?" I asked. "¡­Nothing. Never mind¡­" It''s Restia''s turn now. I will never repeat Nightmare''s mistake. "¡­Is it about Ruby?" I asked. "Big brother¡­ I¡­" With her words eventually coming to a pause afterwards, she took a deep breath. "If¡­ you could not find Ruby by the next time ''you'' are awake¡ª there will be a severe punishment¡­!" She added. "¡­¡­!" Hearing Restia''s warning, my back reflexively made a shiver. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner¡­!?" "¡­I was told not to tell you." C-CLANK! Restia''s reply stunned me so much that the frying pan and spatula on my hands crash on the floor. "Restia¡­! You should''ve said that before you tell me about the punishment¡­!" I find myself grabbing her shoulders. "¡­ It''s fine, big brother. I''m sure you will forgive me." ¡­Though she''s smiling, but I could tell that she''s quite worried herself. The only way for ''me'' to forgive us is to find Ruby before the time limit. But, ever since 17th of July¡­ I wonder how much time do I have left¡ª "¡ªIS IT A FULL MOON TODAY?!" ¡­Crap. Only 5 hours left before ''I'' will take over. "Eat, Restia. Once you are done, we will head out immediately." "¡­N." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After cleaning up the mess at the kitchen, I immediately head out to the backyard to check on Forsj¨¢, Asha and Pearl. "¡­?" The moment I step into the backyard, I find Forsj¨¢ raising her head to look at me. It seems she noticed me from my scent. Asha and Pearl are still asleep. "¡­Forsj¨¢, you want to come with me?" I whispered. "¡­Be quiet if you want." She carefully stands, then walks to me with her tail wagging. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ As soon as Restia is done with her lunch, she meets up with me, D¨®mr, Forsj¨¢, and that man, Principal. "Eh¡­ hold it," I murmured. When I saw Felix following right next to Restia as if it is natural to do so, I stopped her. "Master¡­?" Felix murmured while tilting her head. "I wish to follow you, nya." "No, Felix, you are staying here." "Why¡­? Even Fortuna is going¡­!" The Fortune Rabbit, Fortuna is also joining with us on our search. I''m somewhat surprised that she remembers her name instead. "Cease with the foolishness, Felix," D¨®mr said to her. "Your master''s orders are absolute." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Felix looks unhappy. "Why isn''t Felix allowed to go, big brother¡­?" Restia seems to disagree with me. "Felix, you aren''t completely healed yet," I said to her. "I-I already heal my wounds with my magic¡­!" "He''s referring to your heart, you dumb cat." Principal uttered impatiently. "Aren''t you in a hurry, brat?" "My¡­ heart¡­?" Felix murmured softly. "¡­I see," D¨®mr murmured. "Felix, you should spend your time with them." "¡­¡­!" Looks like Felix got the answer. "Alright then, Felix¡ª I will be back by dusk." With that, I leap on Forsj¨¢''s back, sitting in front of Restia as she hugs Fortuna on her arms. "Go, wolf, go!" Principal commanded on D¨®mr''s back, while lightly kicking D¨®mr with his leg. "Grr¡­!" With a ''whoosh'' sound, D¨®mr disappears into the forest. "Be¡­ be back soon nya, master¡­" Felix murmured. "I will." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Let''s see here¡­" I spread the map of the island and place it on Forsj¨¢''s back. Currently, the search at the left half of the forest is completed. However, there''s still another half of the forest that has yet to be searched¡ª especially the mountain. ¡­A considerable amount of time would be wasted there. "Big brother¡­ do you really think Ruby will be hiding at the mountain¡­?" "¡­I don''t think she will, but..." The Ruby I know would never go there. But now the leopards and wolves are searching around the base of the mountain. ¡°OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡­¡­!¡± Another Fenrir wolf howled again. "So¡­? Where is it this time¡­?" "Eh¡­? Okay¡­" Restia murmured to Forsj¨¢. "Big brother, Forsj¨¢ wants to take us there." If the news is about Ruby instead, Restia''s reaction would''ve been a whole lot different. "Well¡­ I guess we could go for now. Let''s go, Forsj¨¢." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "¡­¡­!" When we arrived, one of D¨®mr''s underling, a Fenrir wolf slightly larger than Forsj¨¢ is waiting for us. I was shocked when I saw a familiar corpse that is lying behind the wolf. The corpse of a cub of the Cithaeron lion¡ª one of the two lions which I spared. ¡­I see. He failed to make past the injuries. Next to the cub''s body, lies his mother. "Growl¡­!" She notices me and immediately stands up, charging straight at us. WHAM! But she was pinned down by the wolf. She¡­ had nothing left. Her husband, her child and everyone she knew are all dead. ¡­Nightmare, you made a terrible mistake. "Forsj¨¢¡­ help me convey what I''m going to say later to her," I said. "Don''t add anything unnecessary on your own." With that, I jump down from Forsj¨¢''s back. "Big brother¡­?" With the wolf pinning her down with his paw, I approach the lion with care. "Groar¡­!" "You hate me, don''t you?" I said to her. "¡­¡­!" Watching her reaction, I guess Forsj¨¢ already talk to her through telepathy. "¡­I do. Because you killed my father and my brother." Restia said to me after Forsj¨¢ translated to her through telepathy. I see¡­ she''s not a wife but a daughter instead. "I''m sorry," I murmured. "Because of my mistake¡­ that your brother had to die." "¡­Why are you saying that my father''s life isn''t worth mentioning." Compared to this lion''s sorrowful expression, Restia''s voice isn''t showing any emotions at all. "Your father did not hesitate to throw his own son¡ª your brother as a sacrifice. If he offered himself instead¡­ I would''ve let every one of you to live." "¡­¡­!" It seems that she recalled the situation. "What about my brother," Restia said. "¡­ I''m sorry. There''s nothing we could do." "Give me back my brother." She''s struggling to get up, but it''s futile because the wolf is pressing her down with his strengthening magic. Carefully, I touch her forehead. "Don''t touch me, human." "Even if I don''t, it doesn''t change the fact that I''ve already touched you," I said. "Nothing can be changed." "GROWLLLLL!!!" Hatred. Revenge. Pearl''s father, the old White Snake. Felix. And now, this lion. History¡­ is it going to repeat itself¡­? I won''t let that happen. "You want to kill me, don''t you? But what will you do after doing so¡­? Kill yourself?" "Grr¡­!" She''s shaken. "Why do you think your brother would die? The fault does not lie with just me¡ª it''s because you are weak, that''s why you failed to protect him!" "¡­¡­!" Finally, she stops struggling and close her eyes for the first time. "Hey, do you want to live with me¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­!" She immediately opens her eyes from shock. "Big brother¡­!?" "Growl¡­!?" Restia and Forsj¨¢ disagreed with me¡ª hmm? Fortuna too. Well, not like I care. All I do is lending a hand¡ª and it''s up to this lion to choose whether she''s going to hold my hand or not. "I''m sure you could tell from the smell¡­ The Alpha Fenrir wolf, The Black Cat, The White Snake, The Snow Leopard Queen, The Fortune Rabbit and The Fenrir Wolf''s Young Mistress are all with me¡ª revenge is entirely impossible now, even if you tried for your whole life. Why don''t you live a happy life with me¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" After hesitating for a while, that lion soon closes her eyes and leans her head forward. "Big brother¡ª It''s a yes¡­!" "Your paw, let go," I said to the wolf. As soon as that wolf retreats his paw, the lion sits properly with her head lowered. I could tell she doesn''t intend to resist anymore. "I will give you a name. Do you know what that means¡­?" "No, I don''t." Restia translated. "This means you will become a part of my family." "But I''m the weakest among them, do you sure you want me?" I inadvertently turn my head to look at Fortuna. "Huh? You mean, even the rabbit is stronger than you?" "Yes." Just how much of a small fry are you¡­!? Somehow, she looks depressed from my reaction. Come to think of it¡­ not only she''s the one I spared, but also the one that I place the grenade on. "That''s okay. I''m human¡ª not a lion." I told her. "From now on, your name will be known as ''Fylgja''¡ª you will follow and serve me as a contracted beast. Okay¡­?" "Growl¡­" It seems that she agrees. After taking a glance at that lifeless corpse, I look at Fylgja. "Fylgja¡­ this is your last chance to say goodbye to your brother. I''m going to bury him afterwards." The moment she hears this, she walks to the cub''s corpse, snugging her head onto the body. It''s as if she''s saying ''Farewell.'' ¡­That silence lasted for a few minutes, until Fylgja finally stands up, and walks to us. "¡­Restia." Restia extends her right hand when I say so¡ª where the humongous body sinks deep into the ground and is buried afterwards. ¡­Scary. She''s casting her magic purely by imagination¡­ there''s no chants or magic circles. Her magic is improving at such a terrifying speed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Under the translation from Forsj¨¢, it took me half an hour to educate Fylgja with our family strict rules. I could only say that the education of Cithaeron lions and my family is entirely different in a whole lot of matters. As you can see, Fylgja is a Cithaeron lion. Cithaeron is a mountain that''s 1409m high. They were given the name as Cithaeron lions because these large lions live in the mountains. That''s why I sent her to search at the mountain to search for Ruby first while reporting to Forsj¨¢. After another three hours, the wolves and leopards finally completed their search around the base of the mountain. All that''s left is the mountain itself. However¡ª "A dungeon¡­?!" The wolves found a cave at the west side, the base of the mountain. At the end of the cave, there''s a passageway leading to the underground. We are currently at the cave entrance, with fourteen wolves and eight snow leopards with us. They are currently waiting for my decision¡ª to explore the dungeon or not. To be honest, the wolves and snow leopards have been using search magic along the way as they explore the forest. It''s a magic that emits a small wave of mana, like a mini radar. If there''s a mana source interfering with the mana wave, it resonates another wave and bounces back to the caster. If almost a hundred magical beast could not find Ruby even with search magic, then the chances of her hiding inside the dungeon could be likely. The problem is, this is an unexplored dungeon¡ª I don''t know how deep and significant it could go. And there''s only one and a half-hour left before ''I'' am going to take over. "Forsj¨¢, where is your father¡­!?" As soon as I said that, a large teleportation magic circle appeared right next to us. Principal and D¨®mr appear afterwards. "¡­Oh? It''s you, brat." Principal said to me. "What are you doing here?" "And what are you doing here¡­?" I retorted. "Me¡­? Well. D¨®mr and I just went into that thing¡ª and phew, we almost died." He said with an exhausted look. BAM! D¨®mr lies down afterwards. "¡­Yes, like what he said," D¨®mr added. These two are the strongest, and they almost died¡­? If it''s really that dangerous, then I''m confident that Ruby did not go into this dungeon. "Okay, guys. There''s no need to search the dungeon¡ª all that''s left is the mountain." I said. With that, the wolves and snow leopards scatter to search the mountain. "What on earth are you doing in there¡­!?" I yelled at them. "Exploring the dungeon." Principal replied. "¡­I was dragged in," D¨®mr answered. "Big brother¡­!!!" Restia suddenly yelled. "Look¡­!" "Huh¡­!?" Looking inside, I saw a large goop of fire crawling out from the entrance of the dungeon. Its bright fire lit up the cave. "What is that thing¡­!?" "Oh¡­ that, if I remember correctly¡ª that thing is called a Flare-Eater. Anyways, help me kill that thing." Principal said leisurely. Flare-Eater¡­? It''s like a group of burning molten liquid that''s moving. Judging from its name, it could be a type of creature that consumes fire. "Forsj¨¢, your ice magic¡­!" "Komdu skj¨®tt, land eil¨ªfs ¨ªss!" (Come quickly, land of eternal ice!) PSSH¡­! S-She extinguished the fire and froze the entire giant cave¡­!? With the flames extinguished, the Flare-Eater now looks like a purple-like substance¡ª like a purple slime. "Don''t just stand there! Hurry up and destroy its core¡­!" Principal shouted. "Exultant lusibus, machaeram glacies¡­!" (Dance, ice saber¡­!) CLACK! CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK¡ª! Nine ice blades pierced through the ice that was coating the Flare-Eater, destroying its core. BOOM!!! A vast explosion suddenly occurs at the end of the cave. We are too far away for the ice fragments to hit us. "It explodes¡­!?" I inadvertently murmured. "No, that''s not it." Principal murmured. "You see, Flare-Eater could control how much they could burn. If it''s dead, the liquid that is left behind is extremely flammable." "You mean, something is igniting it to explode¡­!?" "Yeah, and that thing is a type of ''Hellhound'', and it''s called the ''Bearer of Death''." After the clouds of dust settle down, a ferocious-looking dog cloaked in flames, lit up the cave. Glowing red eyes. Black fur. Razor-sharp teeth. It''s almost as large as Asha¡ª 9m in length. "Growl¡­¡­!" Just by standing there, his flames melt the ice quickly. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! A powerful blast like a railgun, light blue in colour¡ª shots at that Hellhound from D¨®mr''s mouth. Ugh¡­ the Hellhound was blown to pieces. "Phew, finally." Principal murmured as he lay on D¨®mr''s back. "I don''t want to go in there again." "¡­ It''s all because of you." D¨®mr uttered as he pops a vein on his forehead. A Flare-Eater and a Hellhound¡­ this combination burns up a lot of oxygen. "You almost died because of the lack of oxygen¡­?" I asked. "Not only that, this dungeon is dark and filled with lots of those things. D¨®mr and I had to bombard our way in with our ice magic." "Seems like you had a hard time¡­" "Obviously. We have been killing thousands of those things non-stop for three hours." And it doesn''t seem like he expended his mana¡­ "Why would you go in there anyway¡­!?" I asked. Hearing that, he gets up, staring at me with a surprised look as he points at the cave. "That¡ª is a dungeon. Can you imagine the resources we could find inside that thing¡­!?" "Not worth risking my life for." "I wouldn''t do that if its life-risking." Principal uttered. "However, I wouldn''t do yours either, brat. Yours were too safe. It won''t get you anywhere." "It''s not convincing when it''s coming from you." "Haha, I guess so. After all, I almost died." He said leisurely. "Oh, and by the way, I believe you are in a hurry. So get going, brat¡ª I will resting here for a while." "¡­Same here. I don''t have any strength to move for a while." D¨®mr added. "If that''s the case¡­ gather at my house after an hour later. Let''s go, Forsj¨¢." Before we leave, Forsj¨¢ licks her father, D¨®mr on his face, saying farewell. Chapter 52 - 3.23 - Wednesday, July 20th, 6.54pm Saturday, 20th July. 6.54 pm. Current location: Home, backyard. Before night descends, or rather, before 7pm¡­ I return home together with Restia and the others, while bringing a new friend¡ª the Cithaeron lion, Fylgja. Maybe it¡¯s because of the odour on Fylgia¡­ Felix, Asha, and Pearl came to greet us as they stare at her. "Myaster, why is there a lion here¡­?!" Felix seems somewhat surprised and confused. ¡°Lion¡­? You don¡¯t remember who is she¡­?¡± I murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before,¡± Felix replied. "Arf¡­!" "What you mean I''ve met her before¡­?" Even with Forsj¨¢ reminding her, she still does not remember. "How could you not remember? She''s one of the lions who almost killed me¡­!" I murmured. Hearing my remark, Fylgia lowers her head with her ears drooped, seeming to feel a little guilty. At the same time¡­ "DIE¡­!" "Grawr¡­!?" "H-Hey¡ª Hup¡ª!" "¡ªNYA¡­!?" I know Felix would pounce at her. That''s why I quickly catch her on her underbelly, hugging her as tight as I could to prevent her from escaping. "N-Nya~ " "Excellent job in stopping that stupid cat, master," Asha uttered. "However, I would suggest you not to grab her with full force." "But I can''t stop her if I don''t grab her with all my strength," I retorted. "¡­ She''s just jealous." Pearl added. "N-No¡­! It''s not that, master¡ª I''m not jealous¡­! I''m not the least bit jealous at all¡­!" ¡­You are. "¡­Lie on the ground, Asha." "¡­¡­?" Asha did what as I said, she lay prone on the grass. While placing Felix on her back, I stroke her head with my hand. ¡­Her head is so soft and smooth. "G-Grawr¡­? What are you doing, master¡­?" "Sorry, Asha. You are too big for me to hug¡ª so I could only do this¡­" "¡­Longer, master." "Hehe, as you wish." Seems like she could be honest with herself sometimes. "¡­Why did she choose to follow you, master?" Having to stare at Fylgja for quite some time, Felix finally asks the right question. "She''s all alone now¡ª I don''t want her to become the 3rd White Snake," I murmured as I heaved a sigh. ¡°You sure are considerate¡­¡± Pearl said to me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to accept an enemy¡­¡± Pearl¡¯s words seem to have made Asha realize something¡ª she immediately raises her head and glare at Fylgja. ¡°¡­T¨² ert ein af okkur n¨²na. Sv¨ªkja meistara okkar, og ¨¦g mun l¨¢ta tig borga, skilie?¡± She uttered. Though I don''t understand, but I could tell that her tone isn''t exactly friendly. "¡­G-Grawr." It made Fylgja cower with fear. "What did you say to her, Asha?" I said. "Did¡­ Did I say something wrong, master?" Though my tone isn''t precisely forceful, or rather, I think it was calm¡ª yet Asha and Felix are surprised by it. Do I really look that scary¡­? "It''s alright, big brother. It''s not something bad." Restia told me. "¡­Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Felix, Asha, Pearl¡ª take your time to get familiar with each other. I will be resting for a while." "What''s wrong master¡­? You don''t look too well¡­" Pearl said to me. "It''s alright, Pearl," Restia warned her not to ask further. "My big brother¡­ just need some rest." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Living room. With the remaining time, as expected¡ª everyone failed to find Ruby. ¡­I don''t understand. Even after searching the whole island, Ruby''s nowhere to be found. How is this even possible¡­? ¡­Forget it. It¡¯s too late for me. I will just quietly accept the punishment from ''me''. But before that, I want Restia to be spared. "¡­Restia, what are you doing¡­?" With that said, my little sister is hiding behind the wall at the corridor. "I''m¡­ scared." She replied. She''s scared because she told me about the existence of ''my'' punishment. ¡­I wonder what could make Restia terrified. Because I don¡¯t have a single memory about him, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t know what he will do. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. No matter what, I¡¯m still your big brother after all.¡± Saying that, the Twenty Seals on my body appeared. Ah, crap¡­ it''s time. ¡°GUH¡ª GYARGHHHHHHHH¡­!!!!!!!!¡± Starting from the large sword on my ?h?st¡ª it was being pulled out from my body. "GA¡ª HACK¡­!!!" Finally, it''s off¡ª "GAHHHHHH¡­¡­!!!" ¡­Next, the daggers. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª¡± ¡­about ten minutes have passed. Every time my two personalities combines as one, I would always wake up in an exhausted state. The longer my interval to return to my original self, the more exhausted I would be. Luckily¡­ it¡¯s only four days since the last return. "Heh¡­ Heheh¡­" I find myself laughing wryly. It really is the same as what I expected¡ª both of my personalities failed. ¡­Looks like that my memory loss is getting worse. No matter. It¡¯s been four days¡ª I need to get Ruby¡­¡­!!! "Grk¡­!?" BAM! The moment I stand up, I found myself falling on my knees again. "Oi¡ª brat¡­!!! What''s wrong¡­!? Why the rush¡­!?" "Guh¡­ Ngh¡­!!!" Principal, who entered the house right on time, helps me to stand as I muster strength on my legs. Though there are still at least 15 minutes until my body could adjust¡ª but I could tell. ¡­My body is getting weaker. "Principal¡­ I want you to carry me to a place." I said to him. ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore¡­ so please.¡± "¡­Fine. Even if I tell you, you won''t stop." He agreed with a short sigh. With that, he carefully holds me on my right as we walk. "¡­Thank you." At the corridor, I find Restia sitting with her back at the wall with her body curling on her legs, looking terrified. "¡­Restia." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" No response. "¡­Little sis." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡­No response. "¡­My cute little sis." "¡­I''m sorry¡­ big brother¡­" She murmured. She told Nightwalker about the time limit, which I never intended to let both of me know. "I will forgive you, Restia¡ª but you still need to take your punishment." "¡­Will you let me go, just this once¡­?" "NO." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Hic." It seems that I terrified her too much that she cried and buried her head into her knees. "Sheesh, you are so harsh." Principal whispered to me. "That''s your family." "Now that my parents are gone¡­ I can''t spoil her forever." I uttered. "I need her to be more independent¡ª I can''t be here to help her forever." "¡­¡­Brat, do you perhaps¡ª" "Shush." Since I know that his ?ssumption is correct, I silenced him before Restia could hear it. Then I got closer to Restia. "I will ask you only once, little sis¡­ Do you want to see Ruby¡­?" Hearing that, Restia lifts her head, staring at me with a shocked look. "¡­¡­You¡ª You knew where is Ruby all along¡­!? Why didn''t you tell me¡­!!?" "This is a punishment to Ruby and the other two of me. I''m sorry for not telling you, little sis." "T-Then, where is she¡­!!? Where is Ruby¡­!?" "I can''t believe it¡­ You really don''t know¡­?" I uttered. I really can''t believe it¡­ my ?ssumptions were right. Restia¡­ loss her memories as well. "¡­Help me, Restia," I said. "¡­¡­N." With them helping me to walk to the front yard, Principal then carried me on his arms and leapt onto D¨®mr''s back¡ª while Restia, she hopped onto Forsj¨¢''s back." "Hmm¡­?" I inadvertently remembered something. "Get the others, you two." Saying that, Forsj¨¢ went to the backyard. "Brat¡ª" "Don''t ask another word, Principal. I will tell you what I know in private after I get Ruby¡­" I murmured. "¡­If you say so." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Under my guide, I lead Asha, Pearl, Fylgja, Forsj¨¢, and D¨®mr towards the place I told them. I''m carrying Felix on my hands while Fortuna, is on Restia''s. ¡­The reason why everyone is unable to find Ruby, is very straightforward. It''s merely because she''s not inside the large part of the forest. The forest of the Black and White¡­ has two sides. The side that we searched covers 95% of the island, while the other side covers¡­ ¡­not even 2% of the island. It''s not weird for them to not consider that. "¡­Ah, we are here," I told D¨®mr. "Young master¡­ this is¡­" "That''s right, D¨®mr," I said. "Asha¡ª this is where your mother is buried." "What¡­¡­?" Asha was dumbfounded. I told everyone to wait outside the forest''s borderline as I bring Restia, Asha, and Felix with me. This place isn''t dark¡ª because this area is lit up by the leaves of a tree that glows with a dim, Celeste-blue light. As we walk, a clear and beautiful lake could be seen further ahead, where it reflects the light of the tree. "Big brother¡­ is that¡ª?" When Restia saw the pink hair little girl who''s sleeping under the tree, she inadvertently grabs my hand and starts to run. "Master¡­?" "Myaster¡­?" Asha and Felix start to run as well. "R¡ªRuby¡­!" Restia yelled stridently. "RUBY¡­!!!!!" Seeming to hear it loud and clear, the girl under the tree wakes up¡ª while looking at us with full of shock. "R¡ªRestia¡­¡­?" Ruby inadvertently murmured. However, she slowly backs off. "Ngh¡­!!!" Noticing that, Restia groans angrily. She didn''t even bother to change her running course. Releasing my hand, she casts body-strengthening magic on herself while freezing the surface of the lake with her ice magic. ¡­She easily did so as if it is just as natural as breathing. "DON''T YOU DARE RUN AWAY EVER AGAIN¡­!!!" Restia shouted stridently. ¡ªshe halted Ruby before she could run away while running on top of the ice. I followed behind as I rode on Asha''s back. "Ruby¡­!" With a final shout, Restia pounces from halfway of the lake, landing in front of Ruby. Ruby is speechless¡ª as if she''s not looking at the same person anymore. No, to be accurate¡ª it''s like Restia had wholly changed from just being the weak, spoiled girl in only six days¡­ "¡­I missed you, Ruby." Without hesitating, Restia kneels and hugs Ruby. "Restia¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry for hurting you¡­!" "N." "I''m sorry¡­!!!" "N." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "¡­Nghhhh¡­¡­!" "Well done enduring for three days, Ruby." With Ruby hugging and sticking to me like glue, I could only pat her on the head to comfort her for the time being. "Master¡­ is she the creature that D¨®mr always talk about¡­?" "Asha, she''s not a ''creature''¡ª I will get mad if you say that again, okay~?" I said with a smile. "¡­Yes, master," Asha said with a despondent look with her ears drooping down. I know I''m scary when I''m angry¡­ but with that look on her face¡ª it makes me seem that I''m the bad guy here. "Myaster¡­ this tree¡ª is it a Celestial Luminous¡­?" Felix suddenly murmured. "Oh¡­? You have seen it before¡­ at D¨®mr''s place?" "But this one is larger, nya." "This tree¡­ was meant to mourn for the dead. Is my mother¡­ buried here¡­?" Asha asks me. It seems D¨®mr taught Felix, Asha, and Pearl equally. "If you have something to say¡­ you could do it now," I told her. Asha then sits down next to me with her legs curled while lowering her head, closing her eyes. "¡­Tae hefur verie ellefu ¨¢r, m¨®eir." (¡­ It''s been eleven years, mother.) With that, I reach out my hand, and stroke Asha on her head. ¡°¨¦g mun hugsa vel um d¨®ttur t¨ªna.¡± I said. (I will take good care of your daughter.) "¡­Nya¡­?! Why do you know our language¡­?" Felix suddenly murmured. "Big brother¡­ Did you learn it just by listening to their conversation¡­?" Restia asks. "That only helps with my fluency. I just happen to find dad''s magical beast language dictionary in his room." Yes, though dad''s belongings were gone¡ª but he left tons of books behind at his room. Thanks to this dictionary, I''m able to learn their language in just a few hours. "¡­I guess I should start learning," Restia murmured. "(Sobs)¡­" I suddenly find myself to shed some tears. ¡°M-Myaster¡­?¡± ¡°Big brother¡­?¡± Everyone was worried. "Ngh¡­?" Ruby suddenly lifts her head and look at me. "Master¡­?" "¡­ It''s nothing, don''t mind me.. I''m just glad¡­ that''s all. I''m just glad everyone is alive¡­!" Chapter 53 - 3.24 - Sunday, July 17th, 7.23pm "Restia¡­!!!" While desperately calling my little sister''s name as I woke up, I find myself lying on the sofa in the living room. "HAH¡ª I can''t breathe¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª Phew¡ª HUFF¡­ HUFF¡­" What''s wrong with me¡­? Why am I this exhausted¡­? While looking around on the sofa, I repeatedly did some quick and shallow breathing to recover from the fatigue that occurred on my body. "Huff¡­ R¡­ Restia¡­" ¡­My throat is so dry that I couldn''t shout. Where is my little sis¡­? Restia, where are you¡­? "Guh¡­!" THUD! Mustering strength on my body, I did a flip to turn myself over¡ª falling on the floor. "B¡ª BIG BROTHER¡­!" It seems Restia heard the banging noise, and came rushing in. "N¡­!" While exerting her strength with those thin arms of hers¡ª she carefully places me in a sitting posture with my back at the sofa. "Big brother¡ª here¡­!" With a spoon, she feeds me water. Blegh¡ª she mixed some of those pills that Nightmare made. It has D¨®mr''s smell in it¡ª but I b?r?ly have the strength to speak, so I decided to look around again with this better position. Hmm¡­¡­? On my right, I saw that man lying on the other sofa. ¡°¡­Restia¡­ anti¡­ venoms¡­?¡± I murmured. "I got them. I injected into his body." I wondered why, but she seems to be more worried than usual. "¡­ What''s¡­ wrong¡­?" "N¡­¡­!" Restia suddenly hugs me. A very, very, tight hug. You idiot¡ª you are suffocating me¡­! "(Wheeze)¡­ (Wheeze)¡ª (Wheeze)¡­¡­.!" "Eek!? I''m sorry¡­!" She quickly retreats when she hears the difficulty of my breathing. "He¡­ okay¡­?" I asked. "I don''t know¡­ He hasn''t wake up since then¡­" "If it''s him¡­ It takes at least one day¡­ for antivenom¡­ to work¡­" "It''s already been more than 24 hours¡ª you had already slept for a whole day¡ª I was so worried¡­!!!" "W-What¡­!?" I inadvertently raised my voice. "Who¡ª Who am I¡ª what day¡ª is today¡­!?" "Erm¡­¡­" Restia sits and thinks for a moment. "You are a stupid, idiot, and a fool." "Urk¡­" I certainly took some damage here. "But I will always love you no matter what¡­ my dumb and cute darling little sis." "E-Eh¡­!? I¡­ I will get your phone¡­!" Seeming confused for a moment, Restia then hurriedly rush out from the living room to get my phone. It seems like even as my little sister, she''s still unable to differentiate who I am¡ª no, wait. If I''m right¡­ she already knew who I am¡ª my phone is merely but a mere tool to let her convince on who am I. Unlike regular Dissociative Identity Disorder patients who doesn¡¯t had a constant change of identities, my identities¡¯ must switch whenever the seal activates. Our memories are fused to each other¡¯s whenever the change. Because of the memory fusion, we can¡¯t tell who is using this body. That''s why, what Restia spouted isn''t something random that she came out with, but it''s to test who I am. If I''m Nightwalker¡ª I would probably get depressed for a moment but will still love her with all I had. If I''m Nightmare¡ª I would probably retort her immediately but still love her with all I had. Ah, it seems that I''ve got my answer. But I still need substantial evidence to prove that I''m not an entirely new existence of another personality¡­ even though it''s nearly impossible, but there''s still a chance for my personality to split furthermore¡ª according to Dr Raphael. "Big brother¡ª phone¡­!" Restia came storming into the living room with my phone on her hand. "I''m¡­ me¡­" I murmured. "Come here, sis¡­" When I open my arms, Restia immediately knows what I am going to do. "Yes¡­ Big brother¡­" Placing my phone on the table, she obediently listens to me and sits on my ??p, letting me hug her from behind. Because she knows this is a weird habit of mine when I need to think¡ª I need to hug something so that I could think clearly. Dad had this habit as well. He would hug mom occasionally like this whenever he''s stuck on something. As for me¡­ Restia or Ruby clears my mind the most. ¡­Where should I start? Thinking that, I heaved a sigh. "Hya¡­!? It tickles¡­" The air from my mouth accidentally grazes her ear. "Sorry¡­ my bad." Saying that, I hold her tighter. First things first¡­ Ruby''s danger and the incoming war. Right now, The Black Cat and the Fenrir wolves are searching for Ruby. If I imagine the worst¡ª they would probably kill Ruby and use this as an excuse to start a war. The reason The Black Cat wants to start a war¡­ is because she wants revenge on The White Snake. This is because the White Snake''s father, the old White Snake¡ª killed her parents in front of her. However, The White Snake and The Black Cat are friends at the old days¡ª and it seems both The Snow Leopard and The White Snake does not want to engage in this, at the very least¡­ they still thought of her as their friend. Yet why would The Black Cat want to go with all the troubles just to start a war instead of killing her¡­? By doing so, there are only two reasons I could think up of¡ª ¡ªdeep down, The Black Cat stills think of them as friends, she''s not completely broken. The war is just an excuse for her to take her time to hesitate. ¡ªbecause she wants to live on after taking her revenge. She somehow thought that she could avoid from getting executed by my father. This war would''ve ended initially long ago if Nightmare accepted her request during that night. However, this would only stop the war, not The Black Cat''s d?s?r? for revenge. If I genuinely want to cease this farce once and for all¡­ the only way to do so¡ª is to let war proceed without involving Ruby in it. ¡­Ruby''s safety matters to me the most. That''s why, I need to find her before they could. Yet, where could she be¡­? The first place I could think of is the lake. After all, when I requested D¨®mr to look for her¡ª he''s looking at the direction of the sea. If I follow D¨®mr''s description: "I can''t feel her mana anymore. ¡­That child completely hid her presence." Then the lake is the only place that she could hide. But for some reason, Restia doesn''t seem to remember about that place. That''s odd. Did she forget¡­? ¡­Maybe I should check on that later. Second, The Alpha of The Fenrir Wolves¡ª D¨®mr, my dad''s magical beast. Throughout our conversation¡­ I could tell that his respect towards my father is entirely on a whole new level compared to the other magical beasts¡ª because he is dad''s contracted beast. This is why he could speak our language¡ª this is why he came to help. But then, why is he working for The Black Cat¡­? He''s even telling me false statements just to make it as if he''s the victim. Unless, it''s just as what The White Snake said¡ª my dad''s the one who planned all of this¡­ ¡­and D¨®mr is the one executing his plans. I''m sure he''s still hiding a lot from me. ¡­No matter. I will confirm this personally with him myself. Lastly, that man sleeping on the sofa. ¡­ He''s the most unexpected among all things. Not only strong and powerful¡­ but he''s also terrifyingly smart¡­ well, maybe not on dad''s level. ¡­I don''t know who he is or where is he from. But for now¡­ "Restia¡­ I want you to get me some thick chains and some strong locks at the garage." I said. Ah, my speech recovered. I release Restia from my hug. "You want to tie me up¡­?" "Eh¡­?" I was genuinely stunned for a moment. "Not you, dumb dumb¡­! Him¡­!" I retorted while pointing at that man. "N¡­" As Restia exits the living room, I struggle to walk to the table right in front of me. ¡­Crap, I feel like an old man. Surprisingly, my phone, dad''s dagger and this unknown knife are neatly placed on the table. It''s warm. Restia has been charging my smartphone¡­ seems like she''s been using it. When I switch on the screen, it shows info regarding an unknown logo. "This is¡­" I inadvertently murmured. ''Scientia Military Professional Resources Inc. Main manufacturing plant is located at Insignia, Regalia Empire.'' Regalia Empire¡­!? When I look closely, it''s the logo on the unknown knife¡ª that was stabbed on that man. I see¡­ so this man is an enemy to the Regalia Empire posing enough of a threat. Who on earth is he¡ª hmm? While thinking of that, I switch the webpage to another active tab. That active tab is a World-finder website, where that man''s face is uploaded to it. World-finder is a people searching site. There are choices to be made, such as name, address, phone number or a clear picture. Almost anyone around the world could be found on this website, and the more you upload your photo and details to the internet, the easier its able to find your information. It''s quite scary on how there''s no privacy on the internet. However, there''s nothing regarding him. Seems like he''s same like us¡­ not the type to upload kinds of stuff on the net. "Big brother¡­ I got the chains¡­" CLINK¡ª CLINK¡ª C-CLANG! Perhaps I was too focused on the information¡­ I did not hear the clinking of the chains that Restia is carrying up until now. "Good, restrict him with your magic first before you tie him up," I said. "Why¡­? You say he''s a good guy, isn''t he¡­?" "I don''t want the same thing to happen twice, sis¡ª I can''t protect you the way I am now." It''s as if Restia recalls the incident¡­ "Restringunt!" (Paralyze!) ¡­after casting her magic, she hurriedly tied him up with lots of chains afterwards. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ GROWL¡­¡­ My stomach''s rumbling. "Big brother¡­ Do you want dinner¡­?" "Eh¡ª You''ve learnt how to cook!?" "Uuuh¡­ But it tastes horrible¡­" Though I was quite afraid as first, yet after noticing she''s been using my phone to learn how to cook from different websites, I decided to give it a try. "It''s alright, Restia. I won''t mind." ¡­and I regret it afterwards. Our dinner is the fish that I caught. The skin is burnt, and the meat inside is raw. "¡­Sis," I uttered. "Can you tell me why half of it is burnt, and half of it is raw¡­?" What''s more, she''s grilling it with firewood. "Uuh¡­ I''m sorry big brother¡­" "I''m not angry. You see, because its firewood¡­ you can''t control the fire. Just cut off this part, turn it, then grill the raw part." "N¡­" "By the way, Restia¡ª this fish is called a spotted trunkfish, but ten times larger than the normal ones." "Hmm¡­? Why are you telling me this¡­?" "Sis, its skin is poisonous¡ª and you didn''t peel off the skin." "Eek¡­!? I¡­ I ate it¡­!" "Hehehe, I''m just messing with you¡ª the larger it is, the less toxic it is. But tell me if you have muscle pain or black urine, okay¡­?" "Hmph¡­! Stupid big brother¡­!" She hits me on my ?h?st with those harmless fists of hers. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After dinner, Restia and I lie on the grass together, gazing upon the cloudy sky. Just like the clouds obstructing the stars from us, our regular, simple, daily lives, turns out so suddenly and unexpectedly perplexed. Since there''s nothing but clouds to stare at, my gaze slowly shifts to Restia. "Hey, sis¡­" I murmured. "What are you going to do after we get Ruby back¡­?" "¡­I want to stay here¡ª I want to wait." Restia replied without looking at me. "Even if you already know mom and dad won''t be coming back¡­?" It¡¯s as if she immediately understood what I was thinking, she immediately looks at me with shock. "Are you telling me to leave you here alone¡­?" "You should." "Never!" "Why?" "Because you are my big brother¡­!" "Then I''m not your big brother anymore¡ª" BAM! "¡ªGYAHH¡­!? OW¡ª WHY DID YOU HIT ME¡­!?" And on the stomach, too. "NGH¡­! DON''T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" Saying that, Restia grabs me on my waist and hug as tight as she could. "You can''t forever stay here with me. Go out there and see this world, sis." "NO! NO! NO¡­!!!" "No matter how tight you hug on me now, sis¡ª there will be one day you need to let go." "STOP!!! PLEASE STOP¡­ I DON''T WANT TO LISTEN ANYMORE¡­!!!" She buried her head onto my ?h?st, hoping so that it could close her ears. "Please understand, Restia¡­ Please¡­ don''t bound yourself to me¡­" "I''M FREE TO DO WHATEVER I WANT¡­!" "¡­and I''m free to say whatever I want." "NGHH¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!!!" As if she doesn¡¯t have anything to retort anymore, Restia clasps as hard as she could. I didn''t say anything afterwards. Because if I continued, Restia''s spirit would probably break down just like that. Shortly, while still hugging on me¡­ she fell asleep with a tear-soaked face. Chapter 54 - 3.25 - Sunday, July 17th, 11.49pm It''s almost midnight. With a High-Power LED torchlight that I got from the garage; I head out in the dark with a katana and a dictionary with me on my backpack. After leaving my little sister at her room¡­ I left a note behind in her room and that man''s room¡ª a note saying that I''m going out for a while. I''m doing so because I don''t want her to worry, as well as to let that man take care of her if anything is happening to me. Speaking of him, since that man is all tied up, I''m sure it''d be okay if I leave him and Restia alone in that house. I also sealed his magic by tying the knife on him along with the chains. When I close the front door silently, Alpha Fenrir''s daughter approaches me. "W¡­Where¡­¡­ go¡­¡­?" She seems energetic at this hour. As expected, she''s not fluent in my language. I think she''s asking me where am I going at such a time. ''What do you think? Robbing?'' or so I was going to say to her. Let''s see¡­ this, this, and this¡­ But with the new set of language that I''ve learnt after a few hours¡­ I decided to put it to fair use. "¡­Fareu¡­ mee mig til f?eur t¨ªns." (¡­Take¡­ me to your father.) "¡­¡­!" That''s right. Magical beast language. After I understood its structure, all I need to do is search for the correct words through the dictionary. "¡­ Don''t be surprised. I''m now learning your language." I said to her. "Hvers vegan¡­ viltu sj¨¢ f?eur minn?" (Why¡­ do you want to see my father?) Though Alpha Fenrir''s daughter did felt surprised for a moment¡­ but¡ª with her now standing in front of my way¡­ the surprise she had earlier had become nothing but ashes, blown away by the wind. What does she want¡­? Anyhow, I will give her my reply first. "To talk," I said. ¡°Tae hl¨¦barei er lygari...!¡± (That leopard is a liar!) I wondered why¡­ she seems shaken for some reason¡ª and to call that snow leopard a liar¡­ "What''s wrong¡­? Are you disappointed that the fact your father is a contracted beast?" "Faeir minn ... myndi aldrei hlie vie mannvera...!" (My father¡­ would never side with human beings¡­!) His father¡ª the Alpha Fenrir wolf¡ª never side with humans¡­? "If you hate us so much¡­ Why are you here, then¡­?" ¡°Vegna tess ae ¨¦g vildi hefna s¨ªn ¨¢ f?eur t¨ªnum.¡± (Because I wanted revenge on your father.) ¡­I could only heave a sigh. Ah, shit. Here we go again. "You came close to me¡­ just because you want to kill my dad, huh¡­" I muttered. "And¡­? For what reason?" "Hann drap m¨®eur m¨ªna." (He killed my mother.) Whatever my dad did¡­ I''m sure there''s a good reason behind all of it. "How? You saw it with your own eyes?" ¡°¨¦g¡­ s¨¢ hann stinga m¨®eur m¨ªna nieur mee sverei sem t¨² hefur n¨²na.¡± (I¡­ saw him stab my mother down with the sword you have now.) "What about your father? He''s there with you, isn''t it?" "¡­J¨¢. Hann er r¨¦tt hj¨¢ m¨®eur minni tegar h¨²n d¨®." (¡­Yes. He''s right next to my mother when she died.) With this¡­ I concede that the snow leopard is telling the truth. "Was your dad injured?" "¡­J¨¢." (¡­Yes.) "Was your mother killed in one strike?" "¡­J¨¢." (¡­Yes.) "My¡­ you are dumb." I inadvertently murmured. "Growl¡­¡­!" With her angrily glaring at me with her fangs peeked out¡­ I fearlessly reach out my hand and touch her nose instead. "Why wasn''t your father killed, but injured instead?" "¡­¡­¡­!" "I''m sure you know¡­ dealing with every single one of you is easy for my dad. Yet he chose to kill only your mother¡ª why¡­? Try to think about it." ¡°¨¦g ... ¨¦g mun ekki tr¨²a tv¨ª¡­!¡± (I¡­ I will not believe it¡­!) "Then why do you think I should believe in your words, then?" "¨¦g¡­¡­¡­!" (I¡­¡­¡­!) "Get it¡­? Now, I don''t know what''s the reason behind everything¡ª that''s why I need to talk to your father. If your father really despises humans¡ª he would''ve killed me two days ago right in that forest." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" She looks depressed after hearing what I''ve said. "¡­and here I thought you were friends with Restia." "Vie erum¡­!" (We are¡­!) "I see¡­ so you don''t hate humans as much as I thought, aren''t you? Or else, you wouldn''t help that man or me either." "T¨²¡­ T¨² g?tir sagt tae¡­" (You¡­ You could say that¡­) "Oh well¡­ If I don''t come back by morning¡ª take Restia and find me in the forest." "B¨ªddu¡­! T¨² ert ae fara hana ¨ª friei?" (Wait¡­! Are you leaving her alone?) "Restia is sleeping," I replied. "If you are worried about her¡­ I suggest you could help me to make it quick." "¡­F¨¢ ¨¢." (¡­Get on.) Alpha Fenrir''s daughter didn''t even hesitate to make a consideration. While sitting on the grass, she lets me hop on to her. ¡°Takka t¨¦r fyrir.¡± (Thank you.) ¡­I could only give my thanks to her. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ As Alpha Fenrir''s daughter enters the wolf''s territory to meet her father, she was told to meet him at her mother''s grave. "¡­I knew you would come, child." Alpha Fenrir wolf said. It''s as if he''s telling me ''As expected''. It seems my personalities played right into his fangs. What is his game¡­? Is my father the one planning everything behind my back¡­? "I''ve come to talk, D¨®mr." His ears inadvertently twitch when he hears his name. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Which then, Alpha Fenrir Wolf¡ª no¡­ I should change¡ª his name is D¨®mr now¡­ he glares at her daughter. For some reason, I could tell that his daughter had a change in her look¡ª looking depressed. "Hold it¡ª if you are telling her to leave¡­ I suggest you should tell her the truth." I interrupted. But before I want to have a serious talk with him, I want to at least let her daughter hear the story of him and her mother. "Truth¡­?" He uttered. "What truth¡­?" "The truth about your identity¡­ her mother''s death¡­ and also my father''s innocence." Following the flow, his daughter lowers her head with sincerity. Though seeming to disagree at first, D¨®mr eventually agrees. "¡­I will only tell her what she needs to know for now. As for the rest¡ª she''s not needed to be here to listen." "¡­Do you agree with this?" I asked her. "Arf¡­!" That''s a yes, I guess. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ 11 years ago, a shipwreck happened on this island. That ship only had a human and a wolf, which they survived from the shipwreck. The first thing they realize¡­ is the smell of death¡ª the smell of rotten corpses on this island. Witnessing such a scene, the kind-hearted human decides to stay and help every magical beast he could find on this island before he leaves. The wolf, or rather, The Silver Fenrir Wolf¡ª a loyal friend to the human as well as his contracted beast¡­ though disapproves at first, he eventually agrees and helps together with the human. The human soon researched and found out why the corpses all over the island. It was because of a deadly plague. However, the human found out that''s not the only reason. There are signs of scratches on the dead bodies. One day, they found a few local Fenrir wolves, looking ill and weak. The human gave them some medicine to soothe the pain while conversing with them. Because of that, they soon know what is going on with this island. Not only deadly plagues¡­ there''s even been a war going on between the White Snake tribe and the Black Cat tribe not too long ago. Their war ended a few weeks back¡ª where it was said that only a few remaining Black Cat and White Snake remain behind. Thanks to that, the human immediately understood that the survivors are immune to the plague, he decided to look for them to create a cure. However, after searching for days¡ª there''s no luck¡ª the local Fenrir wolves'' condition is getting worse each day. Until the day¡ª the clash between the remaining White Snakes, Black Cats, and Snow Leopards. Because of the causalities, the human and the wolf had to save those in need first as they slowly inch their way towards the incident location. But as they reach, it was already too late. The human saw the two Black Cats crushed and swallowed by the White Snake. The human understood that there''s no room to talk¡ª the White Snake has already lost its mind. The only choice is to end the cause once and for all. The Silver Fenrir Wolf kills the White Snake instantly with his fangs. The human reached out to help those in need¡ª the Snow Leopard King, Snow Leopard Princess, and the White Snake''s daughter, while the Silver Fenrir Wolf head to search for The Black Cat. The wolf found the Black Cat not too far away. The Black Cat is alive but unconscious and heavily injured. But next to her, he saw the corpses of the Snow Leopard Queen, mangled from head to toe. The wolf then carried the Snow Leopard Queen''s corpse and the Black Cat to the human on its back. He returns, realizing that the Snow Leopard Princess and White Snake''s daughter fainted and the Snow Leopard King''s lifeless body. As for the kind-hearted human, he cries and mourns for the death of the Snow Leopard King, who did not survive from the White Snake''s poison and grave injury, even if he tried everything. Later, the human told the wolf that the Snow Leopard King has gave its final words to his daughter¡ª the Snow Leopard Princess, to take their place as the Snow Leopard Queen before he passed away. The Silver Fenrir Wolf could not bear to witness the tragedy happening to the cat, snake, and leopard¡ª who were orphans now. He wants to take the responsibility to raise them as if they are his own. The human disagreed at first¡ª but with the wolf pleading again and again for several days¡­ one day, the human finally accepted it just like that. However, the wolf knows that it was not his pleading that made him agree, but it was something entirely else¡ª the wolf never asks why. Eventually, after rescuing the magical beasts on the entire island with the vaccine¡­ the human decided to build a house on this island. Which then afterwards, he brought his wife and lived together. The wolf soon took place as the local Fenrir wolves Alpha, as their leader. From time to time, the wolf would nurture the cat, the leopard, and the snake as if they were his own children. The Black Cat¡ª her condition has never gone stable ever since her parents'' loss, but she accepted the wolf somewhat as her foster father. The Snow Leopard Princess¡ª takes on the Queen''s role, while learning from the wolf to become a great leader. The White Snake''s daughter¡ª now living with the Snow Leopard, offers help to protect the Snow Leopard''s territory. After a year, the wolf falls in love with a local Fenrir Wolf during mating season. However, in the following year¡ª a tragedy occurred to the wolf''s family. His wife had dystocia. If it''s not for the human''s help, both the pups and his wife would''ve died that day¡ª but because of that, the wife is unable to have children anymore. Shortly, only one of the four pups remains afterwards¡ª the rest died. Unable to bear the death of its children, the Silver Fenrir Wolf''s wife''s mental''s condition got worse and worse. She blames the fault of her child''s death to the human. The wolf could never agree to that. Never. ¡­Not to his saviour and friend. After two years, the human diagnosed that she had emotional and behavioural disorders, also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). There''s no cure. All the human could do is offer his consolation to his friend, The Silver Fenrir Wolf. Finally, after another two years¡ª the wolf''s wife went mad, even attempting to kill her own husband from time to time. The human then diagnosed that her mental disorder had ascended to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Finally, after three months¡ª the human, unable to stand the pain of his friend, the wolf¡ª he offered him a choice. ¡­His decision to put his own wife to rest. Though the Silver Fenrir Wolf was angry at the human at first... yet after two months, he finally yielded. The Silver Fenrir Wolf wants to end things himself, yet¡ª how could he do so¡­? Finally, offering his final prayers¡ª the human ends the life of The Silver Fenrir Wolf''s wife, with one blade straight to the heart. Chapter 55 - 3.26 - Monday, July 18th, 12.54am "I''m sorry for not telling you about this, my daughter¡ª your mother''s death¡­ is because she couldn''t accept the death of your brothers and sisters." After hearing the story¡­ D¨®mr''s daughter¡ª didn''t feel as sad as I expected. Her expression feels more like something has finally been lifted from her. "¡­¨¦g skil ... faeir. Takka t¨¦r fyrir." (¡­I understand, father. Thank you.) With that, she leaves the graveyard. "¡­Sigh. My daughter grew up so fast¡­" D¨®mr murmured after she left. "Thanks for letting me hear this story as well, D¨®mr," I said. "It''s really important¡­" He then looks at me with a puzzled expression. "Why¡­ is it that you think everything I''ve said is the truth¡­?" "Because in front of your daughter, you had no choice but to tell her the truth. I''m sure you don''t wish her to become like her mother." "¡­Hmph. You really are like your father." "Hehe. Thanks." I replied while scratching my head embarrassedly. "Now then¡­ let''s get into the main point, shall we¡­?" Somehow, I find myself staring at D¨®mr with a solemn and tensed look. "¡­Name it." He murmured. "Is my dad the one who planned this?" "¡­Yes." "Why?" "¡­Maybe he did this to test you." "Is this test¡­ the reason why he left¡­?" "I don''t know. I really don''t know." D¨®mr murmured. "I wish to know the answer too." It seems D¨®mr really didn''t know. Even if he knows¡­ I don''t think he would tell me. "Then¡ª tell me¡ª is that Cithaeron lion¡ª really a coincidence¡­?" Seeming to know the answer, D¨®mr could only furrow his brows with a vexed look. "¡­No, it''s not." "¡­I knew it. What did my dad do to him¡­?" "Your father placed a mind-controlling spell on him to attack your house." "This means¡­ he''s not some innocent bystander, is he?" "Eleven years ago¡­ he did a terrible crime¡ª he mass-slaughtered the Rainbow Sheep herds. Your father is merely putting him to good use before his execution." The term ''Eleven years ago'' made me puzzled. Because I didn''t think that things would go all the way back then. "Why did dad choose to execute him up until now¡­!?" I uttered. "He told us that he wanted to raise his children before getting his execution¡ª and apparently, it seems he did not change the slightest bit even after all these years." "Even if he is guilty¡ª his family is innocent¡­!" His ears twitched. D¨®mr doesn''t look happy at all. "How could you be so sure about that¡­? Besides, it doesn''t matter if he is guilty or not." He said with a glare. "¡­What do you mean?" "Õ¶²Ý³ý¸ù." (Zh¨£n c¨£o ch¨² g¨¥n) (Cut the weeds, eliminate the roots.) "¡­¡­!" This is¡­ Eastern language¡ª Mandarin¡­!? D¨®mr understands Mandarin too¡­!? "To completely remove the weeds, you must eliminate them by the roots¡ª didn''t your father dad teach you that¡­?" He muttered. "¡­Yes." I could only heave a short sigh to cover up my irritation. "A fair ruler shouldn''t be too kind-hearted." He uttered. "If I only execute his father¡­ his children would definitely come back for revenge. It would be troublesome for me to kill them once again." ¡­ He''s right. I had nothing to refute against that. However, I don''t understand¡­ "Can I ask why did you spare the remaining two lions¡­?" "Don''t be mistaken¡ª I only spared one. That little cub is merely afraid of death, that''s why he resisted his father. I spared his sister because she''s the only one who came to help. And besides, you already know, don''t you? The cub couldn''t possibly survive from those injuries." D¨®mr definitely wouldn''t let me save him because he needs to be fair. "¡­Tch." Once again, feeling annoyed¡ª I could only click my tongue. ¡­and I could only feel sad for the life that was lost. "¡­Is it also because of my dad''s mind-controlling spell, that I ended up to your territory as well¡­?" "¡­Indeed. If he did that, everything would seem natural." The lions are the one guiding me to the wolves'' territory, blocking my escape routes. Everything up until now seemed so natural that both halves of my personalities failed to realize, and one of them even fainted from shock. "Then, what about the cat¡­? Aren''t you the one pushing her to war against the White Snake¡­?" "It''s necessary. I fear that she might end up like my wife or The Old White Snake. It''s just a matter of time before her condition worsens. Ever since the death of her parents¡­ there''s not a day she slept without a nightmare." I don''t know why she could hold a grudge for so many years. In fact, maybe it''s because of her grudge that she became like this. Maybe it''s because I don''t know how it feels to watch both of my parents die in front of my eyes. Ever since the day I lost Ruby and my parents'' absence, all I had was this one nightmare of Ruby getting eaten by the White Snake. I couldn''t even sleep. I''m able to rest because they (Nightwalker and Nightmare) were either knocked out or fainted from shock. However, what''s the point in starting the war? "¡­ That''s what I don''t get it." I uttered. "You knew the outcome of the war¡ª it would''ve ended up a draw¡­!" "¡­Yes. It is exactly what your father and I wanted." ¡­He''s even saying this with such a calm look. "I don''t care¡­! That''s their business¡ª why did you drag Ruby into this¡ª" "I don''t know where is she, but I can ?ssure you that she''s safe." He interrupted. "W-What¡­?" I inadvertently murmured with a confused look. D¨®mr¡ª he¡ª he didn''t intend to involve Ruby right from the start¡­? Then¡ª this means¡­ Ruby is just really an excuse to start a war¡­!? "Then¡ª what''s is your aim¡ª your purpose¡­!?" I muttered to him with my words stuttered. "¡­You won''t like it." He said while heaving a sigh with a vexed look. "You got me involved in this so-called test. I already don''t have a choice." I told him. "Your father¡­ placed a mind-controlling spell on me and ordered me to kill either the cat or the snake." It doesn''t seem like it''s a lie. "What¡ª Why¡­!? There''s no way my dad would do this¡­!" My dad would never, ever, do such a bizarre thing. "¡­Indeed, child¡ª your father would never. We reached an agreement before he places that spell on me." "Why would you even agree to this!? Didn''t you raise them as if they were your own child¡­!?" "Don''t underestimate me, child. Although I don''t understand your father sometimes, but I know he isn''t the type to toy with life. That''s just how much I trusted him." "Garghhhhh¡­!" BAM! I rammed my fist on the ground. "Why are you telling me all of these¡­?!" "I was told to answer any question you seek." "Then what was this test all about¡­!?" I uttered. "Like I told you¡ª I don''t know. All your father told me is that your performance in this test decides your future." "GARGHHHHHH¡ª DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT¡­!!!" The frustration could only make me scratch my head like a madman. Come on¡­ think¡ª THINK¡­!!! What did I miss¡­?! If everything starts right from 15th July¡ª starting from the Cithaeron lions¡­ Then to D¨®mr''s territory¡­ "!" Realizing something, I raised my head. "You¡ª You let the lion hit me on purpose so that I could fall into the sea¡­!?" When I recalled, I noticed that D¨®mr freed the lion from his jaw from Nightmare''s memory. He just didn''t realize because he''s already in such a weak state. "¡­I knew you would survive." He calmly replied. "The cat thought you died¡ª I''m sure she would go to the snake''s territory within a few days." ¡­He didn''t even apologize for throwing me into the sea. Which then, I recall what he told Nightmare during the second time. "Hold on a second¡­ the snake too! You intentionally said Ruby might end up there so that I would go and check that place myself¡­!" "Among the three of them, the leopard is the smartest of them all. I let my daughter give you a ride so that the leopards would not harm you." D¨®mr is sneering. It somehow feels like he''s saying ''Gotcha''. "That''s why the Snow Leopards didn''t attack as fierce as I thought¡ª because you aren''t enemies." "Attack¡­? You mean, they are playing¡­?" "What!? Those huge icicles are just playing¡­!?" "Didn''t you notice¡­? The cat, leopard and snake know how to speak your language. If it''s not for me, where could they learn your language from¡­?" "¡­Makes sense. Then¡­ didn''t you taught them ice magic as well¡­? I was quite surprised when I saw them casting similar ice magic." "Indeed. The cat knows too¡ª after all, my only speciality is ice magic." I could tell that he really cares for them. But then, why? Why would he agree with dad''s order¡­? D¨®mr says my performance in this ''test'' decides my future¡­ ¡ªhold on. He never said anything about my performance in this ''war'' to begin with¡­ ¡­Test, he said. This means¡ª this is something that could be solved peacefully. It doesn''t seem like D¨®mr is capable of recovering from the mind-controlling spell and evaluating my performance. Then¡­ the only conclusion I could come up with is¡ª "It can''t be¡ª that white hair guy I picked up from the beach meant to help us¡­?" ¡ªdad sent a person to evaluate my performance, as well as to stop D¨®mr''s mind-controlling spell. I thought he''s just a human with outstanding capabilities. "This is where the bad news is, child." His remark immediately made me understood. "¡­He really had an accident, didn''t he¡­?" I murmured. "¡­I''m afraid so. When you saved him from that beach, I really thought he''s playing dead somehow¡ª I tried to frighten him. But as you can see, it seems something extremely terrible has happened to him when he''s on the way¡­" Come to think of it, he is extremely lucky. Regardless of what kind of accident he has¡ª it''s surprising that he didn''t get swallowed by the sea creatures. "Do you know who is he¡­?" "¡­I don''t know." "Huh?" I inadvertently uttered. "What do you mean you ''don''t know''¡­?" "Your father had so many friends! How is it possible for me to remember all of them¡­!?" "He had white hair and red eyes¡ª just like a white rabbit! How could you not remember someone with such a distinctive feature¡­!?" "¡­All I know is that your father once talks about him." "You should''ve said earlier¡­! What did my dad say about him!?" "I''m not sure. Maybe he''s from Central Imperial Island." "''Maybe'' from Central Imperial Island¡­? Does this mean you somehow recognize him¡­?" "¡­From his smell." "¡ªhuh." That''s quite the convenient nose. After a moment of silence, D¨®mr then looks at me with a tender expression¡ª as if he''s trying to make a confirmation. "¡­What are you going to do, child?" "¡­casualties." "Hmm¡­?" "How are you going to deal with the casualties?" I asked. "My pack will scatter everyone near their area at that time." "Not only them, D¨®mr¡ª you need to scatter them from your battle too." "¡­What do you mean¡­?" "Your daughter, the cat, the leopard, the snake¡ª I''m going to make them mine, D¨®mr." "¡­Are you going to make them your contracted beast and use it on me instead?" "I don''t have any other choices." "¡­Very well, child. I will give you my daughters if they choose to follow you¡ª and here''s a warning¡­ they are several times stronger than their parents as they were now. Especially the cat¡ª even if the snake and leopard add up it wouldn''t be enough to stop her if she''s serious." "If that''s the case, don''t talk to her or even meet her these days." "Why¡­?" "I don''t think the cat is stupid¡ª she would dare to start a war because you are the one supporting her." "You mean, without me¡­ she would hesitate to attack herself¡­?" "Yes. At least, she won''t go so far to kill right from the start. The cat somehow, I could tell that her condition is still fine for now." "¡­I see," D¨®mr murmured. He''s grinning for some reason. It''s as if he wants them to become my contracted beast right from the start¡­ "What about him¡­?" He then said. "¡­I hope he wakes up as soon as possible. Without him¡ª you might really have to kill one of your daughters, D¨®mr. I''m telling you this because I want you to be prepared for the worst." "Is that so¡­ I will try to restrain myself by that time." "¡­I hope so." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡­This silence is awkward. When I realized, this is the first time we had this awkwardness between us. ¡­Oh well, this just means it''s time for me to leave. When I stood up, I realized the most important thing that I''ve yet to ask¡ª even though I already knew my answer. "D¨®mr, one last question," I said. "What is it¡­?" "When did my dad started to plan for this?" "¡­One month ago." "Is that so¡­?" Though he''s not quite sure with his answer, yet I could tell that he''s not lying. In fact, I was extremely disappointed that he''s telling me the truth. Dad is really unfair. My dad would never spare that Cithaeron lion¡ª unless for another reason. He¡­ already decided to do this even before I was born. Are those ten years¡ª no, two years we once had is nothing but an empty farce¡­? ¡­No. ¡­I don''t want to believe this. "What''s wrong, child?" "¡­I was just thinking," I murmured. "If things go well, I want you to call me'' young master''." With a look of surprise at first, D¨®mr then looks at me with a grin. "As you wish, young master." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Why did D¨®mr have so much faith in me? ¡­That question kept rolling in my head. When I exit the graveyard, I saw D¨®mr¡¯s daughter patiently waiting for me at the entrance. ¡°¡­Takka t¨¦r fyrir.¡± (¡­Thank you.) She murmured to me with a sentimental expression. ¡°Ef t¨² vilt ae skila m¨¦r greiea, become my contracted beast.¡± (If you want to return me a favour,) ¡°¨¦-¨¦g¡­?¡± (M-Me¡­?) ¡°Though I can¡¯t exactly give you a contract now¡­ but if you want your name¡ª you need to have to wait until I get your ¡®sisters¡¯.¡± I didn¡¯t give her a chance to refuse. ¡°Growl¡­?¡± ¡°Stop playing dumb,¡± I said. ¡°You knew your father is like a foster father to them.. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely save them all when the time comes. You should come and live with me by then, okay?¡± Chapter 56 - 3.27 - Monday, July 18th, 1.51am After returning home with D¨®mr''s daughter, I entered the house, while patiently waiting for her to sleep as I check on Restia and that man. The moment she did, I head out once again in the dark with what''s left of the first-aid kit. ¡­Seems like she''s going to have a good dream today. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It''s roughly 2 am by now. However, I don''t feel the least bit sleepy. There''s no way I could after I''ve slept for a whole day. While walking under the darkness, there''s only a High-Power LED torchlight to light my path. ¡­I hope I won''t lose my direction. But the most important thing is¡­ Ruby needs to be there. If she isn''t, I need to reconsider my role as her master and the person she loves the most. Come to think of it¡­ looks like this is the first time we were separated for so long. It''s all Nightmare''s fault¡ª even if its half of me, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM. To me, Ruby is a precious existence. Two years ago, when I first woke up at Mattanarafa''s house¡ª Ruby at that time, was still an egg. ¡­A pink ruby egg which had self-awareness and moves by itself. Mattanarafa''s parents are the best doctor I''d ever known. From humans to magical beasts, it could be said that there''s no such thing in this world that they could not perform a surgery on. However, even they couldn''t understand Ruby''s existence. If I weren''t there for her, she would''ve been dissected by them years ago. When Ruby hatched, she was at the size of a 1-year-old child with cat ears and a pink tail¡ª and she was extremely attached to me ever since her birth. To Ruby, I may be like her father, even though I''m just a kid. However, she sees Restia more towards a sister, if not, a friend. She calls me ''papa'' at first, but it''s weird since I''m just a kid, so I decided to let her call me ''master'' afterwards¡ª and she prefers this too. We left Mattanarafa''s place after two months and returned on this island, Ruby showed me her ability after a few months later. Her ability to transform herself into her beast form¡ª a pink cat, or either in her beast-kin form¡ª a pink cat girl. Dad told me that every magical beast could shapeshift themselves if they learnt how to transform with human-transformation magic. However, in Ruby''s case¡ª her transformation does not require magic or even mana, but stamina instead. You could say she was born with this special ability, and instead of slowing watching her shift her form between beast form or beast-kin form, she goes with a ''pop'' sound with pink-coloured mist engulfing her. After a year, Ruby once again showed me another ability that shocked even dad to the core. Her ability to transform into any kind of mammal she wants¡ª in both forms. She could easily transform into another type of beast, or transform from beast to her beast-kin form, vice versa, within 5 seconds. However, there are several restrictions to her transformation. She''s only limited to mammal-type magical beast or beast. Hybrid magical beast such as gryphon, manticore, et cetera, which contains fusions of different types, is impossible. She cannot transform into mammal-type monsters such as goblin, ogre, orcs, cyclops, minotaur, et cetera. She cannot transform into mammal-type dungeon monsters such as hellhound (bearer of death), lesser behemoth, et cetera. She cannot transform into a mammal-type magical beast from hell''s realm (Cerberus) and heaven''s realm (Pegasus). She could not transform into mammal-spirit type magical beast such as Kitsune, Nekomata, Kelpie, et cetera. She could not transform into cursed mammal beings such as satyr, centaur, et cetera. She could not change her colour¡ª it will be pink no matter what she changed into. In her beast-kin form, she would always remain the same size in her 4-year-old form¡ª as for her beast form, it would appear as a 4-year-old beast depending on the size of that magical beast at that age. It takes five-second for her to transform. It must not be interrupted during those five seconds or else she would revert back to her original cat form or cat beast-kin form. Frequently changing would make her exhaust her stamina, but she could manage up to 237 changes per day (currently the latest), and it''s increasing¡ª without magic to replenish her mana. When she''s in her beast-kin form, she could transform part of her limbs into beast form. For example, instead of human hands, it could be tiger claws or cat claws instead, instead of human legs it could be horse hoofs. By the way, when Ruby is in her beast-kin form¡ª she had four ears, just like any other beast-kin. She had two ears on top of her head, and two ears like humans do. But when she transforms into mammals with horns such as cow, goat, or antelope¡ª she would''ve had horns on her head. Obviously, her human ears had the same function as humans, while her beast-kin ears receive higher sound frequencies which humans'' ears couldn''t. Magical beasts had their unique vocal, howling, roaring, chirping, singing, et cetera. However, this is only limited to the same species¡ª but for Ruby, she could receive and speak at almost any frequencies she wants, but only limited to mammal type magical beast. But here''s a problem. Mammal type magical beasts reproduce by giving birth. In Ruby''s case, she''s hatched from an egg¡ª yet Mattanarafa''s parents confirmed that she''s a mammal-type magical beast. To them, Ruby''s case is unprecedented. Her origins are indeed, a mystery. Nevertheless, to me¡ª all of that could go down to the drain. Because¡­ Ruby is just a kind innocent little girl who''s a family to me, that''s all. "Hah¡­ Hah¡­" ¡­Finally, I reached the border of the forest. The lake is just inside. The last time I came here together with Ruby was a year ago¡ª it''s not that long. At least, not long enough for Restia to forget about this place. ¡­Guess I will sort that out myself later. Wait for me, Ruby. I''m coming for you. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Myaster¡­¡­?" As I walk in between the trees, I heard Ruby''s voice from afar. It''s not exactly loud. And instead, just a murmur. Yet, I heard it loud and clear. A voice that was filled with utter surprise and hints of fear. However, it doesn''t seem like she will be running straight to me just like two days ago. In fact, there''s a chance she might run away. ¡­I better stay quiet and continue to move. This way, she won''t understand my motive¡ª and she would take time to think and react. Because I knew once I give a reply, she would run away without a second thought. Where is she¡­? "¡­!" Found you¡ª under the Celestial Luminous. Go! BAM! With an outburst of my right foot, I¡ª "Guh!?" THUD. ¡ªtripped. ¡­It hurts. "M¡­ Myaster¡­!!!" When I realize, I tripped just right within Ruby''s line of sight. Thankfully she didn''t run away and instead, she''s running to me. She could see where I am because she had night vision. ¡°Myaster¡­ are you okay¡ª H-Hyaah!?¡± With Ruby just right in front of me, I grab onto her as hard as I could. "¡­ I''m sorry, Ruby." I murmured. "N¡­ N-No¡­! Let¡­ Let Ruby go¡­!" It''s as if she realized, Ruby struggled to escape from my hug. "Never¡­!" I uttered. "Ruby is a bad cat¡­ R-Ruby¡­ Ruby hurt Restia and master with these claws¡­!" "I POINT A GUN AND EVEN SHOT YOU WITH A PIERCING BULLET¡­!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­!" She was reminded of that. How Nightmare shot her with a piercing bullet. "Myaster¡­¡­" After Ruby murmured for me with a weak voice, she stops struggling, returning a hug with her body trembling. It doesn''t seem like she would run away anymore. After our hug, I then push her back a little. "L-Let me take a look at your wound¡­!" I pull her bloody shirt down on her right without letting her resist, revealing her right shoulder. FWIP! "¡­¡­!" It''s¡­ all healed. There''s nothing left but a scar¡ª of a bullet hole. She got¡­ thinner. I gently place my finger near her scar and touch it gently. Pulling her in, I hug her tightly once again as I bit my lips from the frustration. "¡­ I''m sorry, Ruby¡ª I''m really sorry¡­" I murmured. This scar¡ª will forever become a reminder to me. I will NEVER, EVER, forget that Nightmare is the cause of this scar. "Myaster¡­?" Ruby suddenly calls me. "What is it¡­?" Letting some distance, I notice that her ears twitched for a brief second. "Are you¡­ my real myaster¡­?" She asked. ¡­She could always tell who am I. "Ruby¡­ I''m not worthy of being your master any more." "No¡­!" Ruby refused by shaking her head. "Myaster will always be Ruby''s myaster¡­!" Ruby pounces onto me. The snuggles from her head on my ?h?st¡­ is still a proof that she loves me for who I am. "¡­But I¡ª" "It''s not myaster''s fault!" "Stop it!" I yelled at her, which she immediately flinched. "If¡­ If my aim''s not accurate during that moment¡ª that bullet might hit your head¡­!" "But myaster didn''t¡­! Ruby know myaster would never miss that shot¡­!" "How¡­ could you have so much faith in me¡­?" I inadvertently muttered. "¡­Even if I shot you with a gun¡­?" "Because myaster is Ruby''s myaster. Myaster is a warm person¡­ Ruby wants to have delicious meals and snacks with myaster!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ruby." ¡­The thought of her forgiving me never crossed my mind even once. The guilt that was kept in me for two days¡ª was saved by her words. I embrace her, crying with everything I have. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "¡­(Sniff)." "There, there¡­ Ruby is here¡­" After about a minute I cried, Ruby is now giving me a head pat to calm me down. "Myaster¡­" Suddenly, Ruby grabs my cheeks with her hands to face her. "Is papa and mama¡­ really gone¡­?" She asked, with a sad gaze. It seems like she made a reflection on herself over these two days. Looks like she''s ready to hear the answer now. "¡­Yes," I answered with a tender smile while patting her head. "Does papa and mama¡­ hate us¡­?" "Then, do you think so?" "¡­Ruby wants to believe in papa and mama." "N." I murmured. "Please continue to believe in them, Ruby." "T-Then¡­ why did papa and mama leave us¡­?" "Your papa and mama¡­ already planned to leave us even before I was born," I said. "¡­Eh?" Ruby muttered with a stunning look. "Why?!" "I don''t know," I replied. "But your papa left a test behind for me." "Another papa''s test?" "N. This test is meant only for me, Ruby¡ª not even you are Restia is allowed to interfere." "R¡­ Restia¡­" She murmured. "H-How is Restia¡­?!" "You''ve made a really big mistake. You almost killed Restia." "U-Uuuhhh¡­ Nya¡­! I¡­ I''m sorry¡­¡­ I''m sorry¡­!!!" Ruby bursts into tears while burying her head onto my ?h?st. "Restia is fine," I said. "However, I''m sure she needs this apology more than me." "¡­N-Nya¡­ Ruby will apologize as many times as she wants¡­" "That''s not enough." I reminded her. "You are going to accept your punishment." "Please¡­ Please don''t cast Ruby out¡­!" "¡­Three days, Ruby," I uttered. "You aren''t allowed to leave this place for three days." "N¡­ Nya¡­?" She would be safe here. I realized she''s been living here for two days¡ª with enough food and water. After all, she''s more or less a magical beast. I''m sure she could survive for another few days. I also did this to ensure my personalities'' and Restia''s memory loss. "However, if either I or someone else came here during these three days, you are allowed to go home." "¡­Nya." She obediently accepted. "I''m going to leave now, Ruby." "N-Ngh¡­¡­!" She''s going to cry. Pulling her closer to me, I stroke her head. "Nya¡­" Her tummy. "N-Nyaa¡­!? It tickles¡­! Nyaa¡­!" Her tail. "N-Nyaa¡­ Nyaa¡­!" She licks and gently bites me on my finger. "¡­Phew. Ruby meter fully charged¡­!" I said. "N-Ngh¡­¡­" She seems exhausted, as well. "¡­three days." I reminded her. "Nya¡­ Myaster¡­!" Unwilling to leave me once again, she gave me a tight hug for one last time. "Myaster meter charged¡­!" ¡­I really don''t want to leave her alone¡ª but I don''t have a choice. Picking up my stuff, I look at Ruby with a sad expression. "¡­Goodbye, Ruby." With an unwilling weak-looking wave of goodbye, Ruby watched as I disappeared into the dark. "Please come back soon¡­ myaster. Ruby will wait here¡­" Chapter 57 - 3.28 - Monday, July 18th, 3.49am When I returned home at 3.49 am, I went to check on that man¡¯s condition before going to bath. His breathing, pulse, heart-beat, and temperature does not feel unusual. However, he had cold sweat all over his body that night. A nightmare¡­? That¡¯s good. His liveliness means he should be able to wake up by morning. With that, I took away the magic sealing knife that I placed on him. He feels better afterwards; I wondered why. I went to bath afterwards, washing off Ruby¡¯s and D¨®mr¡¯s scent on my body. I don¡¯t want Restia to know that I went to meet them. Well, I don¡¯t think I could hide it from her, though¡­ At 4.08 am, I crawled into Restia¡¯s bed and slept next to her. This way, she should be able to sleep better with me, giving her a sense of security. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­brother¡­!¡± ¡­Hmm¡­? ¡°Big brother¡­! Wake up¡­!¡± ¡°Wha¡ª it¡¯s morning¡­?¡± ¡°Morning, big brother¡­¡± With Restia next to me, she gives me a kiss on my cheek as if it was the most natural thing to do. ¡°Oof!?¡± Restia suddenly sits on top of me, on my abdomen. Though she¡¯s staring at me, but she didn¡¯t utter a single word. ¡°Erm, Restia? What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± I asked. With her hands pressing my ?h?st, my little sister then looks at me with a tender smile. ¡­Gulp. I had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Where did you went last night?¡± As expected, she knew. ¡°How did you know¡­?¡± ¡°Because you hugged me last night.¡± ¡°Eek¡­!?¡± I grabbed Restia¡¯s hand and pulled her down, wrapping my hands over her waist. I did this just to make sure she wouldn¡¯t hit me with her fist. ¡°My cute little sis, I¡­ went to meet D¨®mr.¡± ¡°You said not to leave me alone!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I told her. ¡°That man downstairs is still here with you, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± ¡°Nghhhh¡­¡­¡­!¡± ¡­ It seems like she won¡¯t be releasing me for the time being. ¡°¡­Is it true?¡± Restia suddenly muttered. ¡°Is it true that the Alpha Fenrir Wolf is daddy¡¯s magical beast¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I will also tell you everything I know for the time being.¡± I told Restia everything about D¨®mr and his relationship between his own daughter, the Black Cat, the Snow Leopard Queen, and the White Snake. I also told her about dad¡¯s test and the appearance of that man. As for Ruby and her whereabouts, I decided not to told her. ¡°¡­You can do it, big brother,¡± Restia said calmly. Again, another one who solely believes in me. What¡¯s wrong with them? How could they have so much faith in me¡­? ¡°Papa would never let you do things that you can¡¯t do¡ª that¡¯s all there is to it,¡± Restia added. It¡¯s not only me who they believed¡­ but also dad. ¡°By the way, big brother¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I heard screams coming from downstairs¡­?¡± Screams? ¡°That man¡ª he¡¯s awake¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaa¡­?!¡± Pushing Restia aside, I jumped off her bed and ran straight downstairs in my pajamas. That man¡­ he¡¯s the key factor to everything¡­! Opening the door with a slam, I stood by the door, staring at him as I catch my breath. ¡°Finally¡­! Someone came¡­!¡± That man happily yelled. ¡°It¡¯s about time you untie me from this blasted chain!¡± Without another word, I approach him and grab his face with my hands, glaring at him. ¡°WHO ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOU ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH MY DAD AND WEREN¡¯T YOU SUPPOSED TO SPEAK EASTERN LANGUAGE!!?¡± ¡°W-Wha¡­?¡± He inadvertently murmured with a confused look. ¡°A brat¡­? O-Oh it¡¯s you¡­? Well, erm, uh¡­ sorry for attacking you at the beach by the way.¡± ¡°ANSWER ME!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask, you know?¡± He replied with a chilled look. ¡°Who the hell are you and who the hell am I?¡± This guy¡­ is he serious or playing dumb¡­!? ¡°What¡¯s your name your age where do you live what happened to you?¡± I took a mirror from a shelf and showed it to him. ¡°GYAHH!!?¡± ¡°WAH!!?¡± His sudden scream made me surprised and scream along with him. ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± I yelled at him. ¡°T-T-T-This, this¡­ is me¡­?¡± He asked while stuttering, with the colour on his face drained white. ¡°For God¡¯s sake why do I look like a white rabbit¡­!? H-How old am I¡­?¡± Huh. He¡¯s surprised by his own white hair¡­? Plus, that scream is so surreal. ¡°How would I know?¡± I replied. ¡°I thought you might be an immortal, but you are a human without a doubt.¡± ¡°I can feel that (the pain).¡± He murmured. ¡°Ugh, what happened to me¡­?¡± ¡°How would I know? You were nearly dead when I found you.¡± ¡°I mean before than that.¡± He said. ¡°When I woke up at that beach, I thought maybe it was you who stabbed me with a knife.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why did you aim at the girl right from the start!?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s the weakest among you three. Maybe she had that powerful mana on her, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s capable to defend herself. As for the rest, well, you blocked my attack.¡± ¡°Do you know why you are tied up now?¡± ¡°Because I almost killed you guys?¡± ¡°Are you really sure you had memory loss¡­? You seemed too calm for this.¡± ¡°Because I spent nearly one hour just to remember and figure out who am I. The back of my head hurt a lot when I tried to think.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± With that, I lift his head with my hands and check for any injuries. ¡°Ugh, yup. Your head is swollen on the back.¡± I said to him. I suspect that he had Post-traumatic Amnesia (PTA). On top of that, it¡¯s a severe one. However, I can¡¯t really make myself to believe him. He doesn¡¯t show any signs of agitation, confusion, disorientation, or restlessness. He¡¯s just so chill¡ª like a cucumber. ¡°I knew it.¡± He uttered while staring passionately at me. ¡°You are the one who saved me from the poisons.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not one but many¡­?¡± ¡°I just happen to be half-awake most of the time.¡± This means he¡¯s been awake and knew how I carry out the procedure on him. ¡°Then those coughs and blood spurting that always happened right on time¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± He replied flatly. ¡°Really?¡± It makes me doubt him. ¡°I will tell you if you untie me.¡± He said. He¡¯s quick-witted. ¡°Oh, uh, the keys¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°Where did I put¡­?¡± I purposely looked around. I knew the keys are with Restia. I said this on purpose just to test him. ¡°Oh, come on. It¡¯s hot and stuffy here¡­! Let me out already!¡± He¡¯s trying to wiggle his way out from the chains. What is he, a kid like me? ¡­PTA patients had behavioural disturbances. There are occasions where they might have a child-like behaviour. ¡°H-Hey, look out¡­!¡± C-CLANG¡ª BAM! He fell from the sofa with his face smacking to the floor. ¡°O-Ow¡­! God damn it¡ª IT FREAKING HURTS¡­!!! MY FACE IS RUINED¡­!!!¡± He yelled while rolling around the living room. ¡­PTA patients also may shout, swear, or behave in a disinhibited fashion. ¡°Big brother¡­! K-Keys¡­¡± Restia said to me as she enters the living room and places the keys in my hand. I know she had been peeking on us. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. After removing one chain on him, I stared at him with a doubtful look. ¡°So, is it really a coincidence?¡± I asked. I was hoping he would reply. ¡°Uh, huh.¡± He looks at me with a confused look. ¡°What are we talking about again¡­?¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s faking it. ¡°¡­Your coughs and blood spurting.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± He murmured. ¡°I will tell you if you untie all these chains. Like I said, it¡¯s hot and stuffy here.¡± ¡­He doesn¡¯t seem to have any problems to recall the recent events. After setting him free, he carefully stood up with his wobbly legs. ¡°Ugh, I feel awful.¡± He inadvertently murmured. ¡°Also, tell me where¡¯s the toilet, kid! FAST!!!¡± ¡°Go out, make a U-turn to the right.¡± With that, he rushes straight to the toilet while slamming the door. ¡°¡­He seemed like a good person,¡± Restia said to me. ¡°Any PTA patients normally would become a good person unless he is born a devil,¡± I replied. I was wholly convinced that he¡¯s a PTA patient now. ¡­This is bad. This is really bad¡­!!! Now who will be stopping D¨®mr!? ¡°Big brother¡­!¡± With Restia shaking me, it pulls me back to reality. ¡°We still have time before D¨®mr goes on a rampage, isn¡¯t it¡­!?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. As soon as we are done with breakfast, we need to head out immediately to the White Snake¡­!¡± ¡°White Snake¡­?¡± That man suddenly murmured at the door. ¡°What snake¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Where should I even start¡­?¡± I murmured. ¡­Seems like I had a lot of explanation I need to do. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I told and explain everything to him exactly like what I did to Restia. ¡°¡­In other words, I might be your dad¡¯s friend that came here to evaluate your given test arranged by your dad and to cure his contracted Fenrir Wolf named D¨®mr, from brainwashing¡ª but I had an accident, so there¡¯s no one to free him from the brainwashing, and he might go on a rampage.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± I unsurely replied. ¡°You can choose not to believe me¡ª after all, this is just a theory¡­ You might be just a random bystander. I know its hard for you to digest all of this information given your current condition¡­¡± ¡°Nah, I accept your theory.¡± He said while scratching his head as if he has gotten a headache. ¡°W-WHAT!?¡± I inadvertently blurted. ¡­It really surprised me. ¡°Ehem.¡± I coughed to brush off what I did just now. ¡°May I know why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. I just can¡¯t think of a reason why would I even come to this island in the first place.¡± ¡­That¡¯s true. ¡°Also, don¡¯t expect my help. I¡¯m just an outsider.¡± He told me. ¡°If it¡¯s a test like what you told me, I think your father would be expecting you to finish it alone.¡± ¡­That¡¯s also true. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± He added. ¡°Just do anything you can before the time limit. Until my memory returns, I¡¯m sure I will be staying with you two little brats. If anything happens, you still can count on an ?du?t like me.¡± Saying that, he reached out his hand to seek an agreement with a childish grin. ¡°¡­Then, I will be counting on you for the time being¡­¡± I said as I reach to shake his hand. ¡°Err¡­ Erm¡­ Mr White Rabbit¡ª GYEHH!!?¡± Without another word, he flicked off my hand and grabbed my neck with both of his hands. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU FREAKING CALL ME A WHITE RABBIT YOU STUPID BRAT!!!¡± ¡°G-Gah¡­!¡± I tried to break free by grabbing his thumb and slap his arm. But he had such a tight grip¡­! ¡°Let go of big brother¡­!¡± BAM! ¡°OWWWWWW¡­!?¡± With Restia landing a sharp kick on his shin, he crumpled into a ball on the spot, cradling his shin. ¡°Big brother, are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks, Restia.¡± Ugh, his PTA syndrome. Chapter 58 - 3.29 - Monday, July 18th, 9.26am "This nearly rotten spoiled trunkfish, or this nearly rotten Cithaeron lion meat, your choice." "Never!" That man uttered. Just when we are about to have our breakfast, I realised that we are out of food supplies. D¨®mr''s daughter knew that; that''s why she went all the way to take a portion of the Cithaeron lion''s meat for us. Thanks to the Cithaeron lion two days ago, the fridge is busted, and there''s no salt to preserve the meat. There is a bloody and foul smell and even maggots on both portions of meat. Rather than starving, we had no choice but to eat anything that is still edible. To be honest, the crawling maggots aren''t really stimulating my appetite. I would rather have a coconut, but there aren''t any here. "Give me money, brat." That man said to me, after refusing over and over. "I will teleport to the nearest place and buy food and also our daily necessities." "Huh?" I was stunned. "Hmm? Hold on a second, did I just say I can teleport?" He added. "¡­N. You did." Restia replied. An idea suddenly sparked in my head. "Give me a minute." I rush to dad''s room to get a grimoire for him. I also took a scroll and placed it on the living room table. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Huff¡ª So¡ª Can you read this¡­?" I asked. "Let''s see¡­" ''Nam teleportation exponentia, autem mittator magicae circulus et autem accipientem magicae circulus est requiritur.'' And it roughly translates to¡­ "For teleportation spell, a sender magic circle and receiver magic circle is required." He said. "Hmm, oh? Hey, I think I can read this gibberish looking-thing, but I can''t understand it. What is this anyway?" He¡ª he understands old rune language!? Dad told me that even among elves¡ª who are experts in magic, only a few of them knows how to read this language. "¡­ I''m getting more and more curious about you." I inadvertently murmured. "Urk, wait." That man uttered. "Why are you looking at me with such a warped-looking gaze¡­?" Crap, my habit. "Ugh¡­!" He suddenly placed his hand on his forehead with a pained look. "What''s wrong!?" "N-No¡­ It''s just that¡­¡­" He murmured softly. "It feels like I have seen those eyes somewhere¡­" "¡­Must be my dad''s," I replied. "¡­Your dad''s? But I was certain that a baby just flashed by inside my head." "A baby? That can''t be me, right?" "Don''t ask me. How would I know?" ¡­This guy is full of mystery. Forget it. Once his memory returns, I''m quite sure that he would tell me everything. "Ehem, back to our topic," I said. "What you read just now is a magic spell." "Magic spell? What is that?" "Magic spell is an incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, it is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects by consuming mana¡ª Restia." Seeming to know that I needed demonstration, Restia then reaches out her right hand, concentrating a ball of glowing, white-coloured mana on her palm. "Whoa, so that ball on her hand is mana¡­? It''s pretty¡­" When I realised, his finger is already near that ball. "H-Hey, don''t touch it¡­!" BOOM! "Kyaa¡­!?" Restia''s mana ball exploded. That impact from her palm sends her flying backwards. Thankfully, D¨®mr''s daughter caught Restia with her body. "Restia¡­! You okay¡­!?" I yelled. The explosion''s impact depends on the concentration of mana, whereas Restia''s mana ball is very refined. It''s fortunate that mana explosion only contains impact, not heat; however, it''s still possible to die from it. "I¡­ I''m fine¡­" Restia replied with her eyes rolling. Thank goodness she cast a magic barrier on herself beforehand, just like how dad taught us. The surprising thing is, that man, without signs of casting any magic spells, just stands in front of me perfectly while shielding me from the explosion. "Ahahaha, my bad. Didn''t expect it would explode all of a sudden." He muttered while scratching the back of his head. Since Restia is fine, I decided not to vent my anger at him. "The reason it explodes, because your mana interfered with Restia''s mana ball," I said. "¡­Oh? Hold on, brat¡ª I think I could do it." After heaving a sigh, he extends his hand and concentrates¡­ hold on, what is this? This is¡­ a nearly transparent ball¡­? On top of that, I felt an overwhelming pressure from that ball on his palm¡ª as if it''s pulling and pushing me at the time. "Hey, is this normal?" He asked. "That''s¡­ not mana," I murmured while placing my fingers under my chin. This looks familiar. Where have I seen it before¡­ "Ah, that''s Æø (Q¨¬)¡­!" I said. "Æø¡­? As in, vitality energy?" It seems he could recall some of his memories unconsciously. "Yeah¡­ dad told me that vitality energy is something rare. They are only mastered by some humans and beast-kin in the eastern region." Unlike mana, there''s no way to tell or sense the amount of vitality energy that a person has within his body. The only way to do that, is¡­ "Hey, don''t touch it." SLAP! "Ow." He slapped my hand before I could touch it. "¡­I had a feeling this ball is much dangerous then what your sister had just now." He told me. "Hmm¡­ let''s see¡­" With an uncertain look, he crushes the ball with his hand. CRACK! "Hmm!?" The ground under his feet suddenly breaks, as if it was getting crushed by a giant hammer. I stumbled backwards from the force emitted from his body. "¡­Whoa, what was that?" He inadvertently muttered. "Looks like you absorbed your energy back to your body, and that absorption energy gave you a temporary barrier to repel anything near you¡­" "Wait, wait, this is too much for me." He muttered while ignoring the things I''ve just said. "You see, I just want a decent meal." Saying that, he snatches the grimoire from my hands while walking past me. "You say this is a teleportation spell, right?" He blabbered while flipping across the pages quickly. "I don''t really care about the explanations. I will just do this, and this." With his hand as if trying to press down something, a golden-coloured magic circle appeared on the ground, five steps away from him. I was surprised by the contents of the magic formula on it. "This is a teleportation spell¡­!?" I inadvertently muttered. ¡­It appeared that easily. On top of that, it''s a teleportation spell that acts as both sender and receiver. The magic formula doesn''t clash with each other, and there''s not even the slightest mistake. This means it could be used in both ways, in and out. I''m familiar with this spell because dad always used a similar magic circle to teleport out from this island. However, to complete this spell, two gates are required. "¡­?" When I was analysing, a white-coloured magic circle with the same symbols appeared right next to it. "Erm¡­¡­ Did I do it right¡­?" Restia suddenly asked me. She copied the exact same one in just a few seconds¡­? "Restia¡­ You are so smart¡­!" I said happily while stroking her head. "Alright, time to test it out." That man suddenly muttered. "O-Oi! Safety¡ª" Before I could stop him, he stepped into his own magic circle and disappeared after a flash. "¡ªprecautions¡­" ¡­then he appeared at Restia''s magic circle. "Eek!?" "Look out, Restia!" Maybe it''s because he wasn''t familiar with teleportation magic. That man lost his balance with his body falling towards us. "Gyah!?" While shielding Restia with my body, I push that man away with a front kick on his abdomen. "Ow ow ow ow ow¡­!" He screamed while rolling on the ground back and forth with a pained look. "G-Guh¡ª (spurts)¡­!" Which then, he spits out a mouthful of dark-coloured blood. "Oh¡­? Looks like you finally rejected the last of the bad blood in your body¡­" I told him. "Guh¡­ Huff¡­ Damn, I finally feel a little better¡­" He said while placing himself in a sitting posture. "Huff¡­ anyways¡­ I think I got the gist of this¡­ err, magic." Despite losing his memories¡­ he succeeded in that magic spell with lots of mana to spare, it seems. "In that case, follow me," I said to him. "Restia, you could stay here if you want." "¡­N. I''m staying here." She told me. I know Restia is doubting me; that''s why she would be staying to ask D¨®mr''s daughter about my whereabouts at midnight. Thankfully D¨®mr''s daughter is acting as a perfect witness to prove what I''ve said is the truth. That way, not a single soul would know that I''ve already found Ruby. "Hey, brat¡ª where are we going?" That man asks. When I noticed, he''s been using some strange breathing techniques. It might be one of the essences regarding to Æø (Q¨¬), but I don''t think he realises that he''s using it for the way he is now. "Living room," I replied. "There''s something I want to show you." The moment we enter the living room, I unrolled the scroll at the floor that I left on the table. A magic circle is drawn on this scroll. "Hey, isn''t this similar to the one that I simply cast earlier¡­?" "¡­Yes. This teleportation magic circle is created by my dad. It combines both the receiver and sender magic formula just like what you did." I murmured. "Ever since he memorised it, he''s not using this anymore." "Hmm. Looks like it''s just as what you said¡ª we are friends." He said. "Hold it, if you have this¡ª why aren''t you using it to buy your supplies¡­?" "¡­Depending on the distance, teleportation magic consumes a lot of mana. This teleportation magic consumes twice as much for it because it needs to activate both gates at the same time, and Restia''s mana is not enough for it." "Then why do you think I can?" He uttered. "It''s just a hunch," I told him. "You are my dad''s friend, are you not?" "¡­I see." He murmured, as if recalling the teleportation spell he cast earlier. "Well, it seems I don''t have a choice, too. The only way for me to get out from this island is to use this magic circle, huh." "That''s right." It seems he understands that the other gate needs to be created at the destination first. "So, shall I start, then?" "Err, hold it," I murmured. "It''s dad''s habit to place restrictions on his magic circle so that no one could hijack it. Give me a minute and let me overwrite this¡­" Saying that, I took a white magic ink that could erase the black magic ink on the magic circle and a correction pen from the table. I need to make sure it accepts his mana, so I should erase this part with the white ink¡­ and correct this with the correction pen¡­ "Are you really sure it takes a minute? This formula looks so difficult to understand¡ª" "Ah-ha! Overwrite complete!" I said. "¡ªthat was fast!" "Okay¡­" While stepping back, I took a photo of the new magic circle with my phone and tossed it to that man. "Huh?" He murmured. "Why are you giving me your phone?" "Remember to overwrite the magic circle on the other side before you come back; I took a picture just in case you forget," I said. "I somehow corrected it to bypass the restriction on the other gate. But if you want to travel from there to here with lesser mana consumption, I think you should use that gate on the other side." "Okay, so where would it send me to?" "Probably a house in the nearest country to here." "Hmm¡­ a house." He said while stepping on the magic circle. "I will help you see if there''s anything regarding your parents. But first, give me money." "Ah, right." I took my black card from the drawer and handed it over to him. "The PIN number is 770717. I don''t know how much money I had, but it''s definitely enough." I said to him. "If you don''t or forget to return back here, I will hunt you till the ends of hell." "Wow, that''s scary. I''m really terrified." He replied while acting terrified. "Anyways, I will be taking some time, but I will definitely return, my saviour brat." With those words, he disappears in thin air after a flash. Seems like the teleportation spell was a success once again. I inadvertently recall the words he said. ''I will be taking some time.'' Is he telling me to do what I should do¡­? "Big brother¡­?" Restia suddenly peeks from the living room. "This¡ª this is¡­!" "Don''t do it, Restia," I said. "You know full well that your mana is not enough to complete the send you to the other gate." "I want to know if daddy is on the other side¡­!" "Please! Listen to me!" Calming her down, I hug Restia with all my might while telling her the most dangerous thing that could happen to teleportation magic if there''s insufficient mana. "I don''t want you to get trapped between space¡­! What if I lose you too¡­!?" "¡­!" Restia realised. "I''m sorry for being selfish¡­" "Dad said it''s okay to be a little selfish sometimes." I reminded her. "Then¡­ to compensate my sadness at that spur of the moment, I need your help, Restia." "¡­?" Restia looks at me. "My help¡­?" ¡­I don''t have much time left before the change. Before the war starts, I need to make sure everything is in place. I won''t let any of D¨®mr''s foster daughters to die. "We are going to meet the White Snake and the Snow Leopard Queen, my dear little sis." Chapter 59 - 3.30 - Monday, July 18th, 11.19am "My, if it''s isn''t the weak little boy who fainted two days ago." The Snow Leopard Queen said to me. "Did you come here to bother my lady again?" Getting into the White Snake''s territory is easier now ever since the last time. At least, we let the Snow Leopards know that D¨®mr''s daughter is not here to play this time. Under their custody, they bring us directly to their queen. "Well, it''s just as what you guess, haha," I replied. "¡­?" Seeming confused, the Snow Leopard Queen tilted her head and stared at me. "¡­Your face is the same, but your tone and speech¡­ who on earth are you?" "Erm¡­ what are you talking about?" I replied with an innocent look. "Don''t try to play dumb." She uttered. "You are not the little boy I talked to two days ago." She''s not buying it. "Ah, fine." I heaved a sigh. "The person that you see and talk to that day is merely my second half. Does this make it easy for you to understand?" ¡°Hann er imposter¡ª dreptu hann!¡± (He''s an imposter¡ª kill him!) "Growl¡­!" Under the Snow Leopard Queen''s order, her bodyguards immediately switch to battle mode. Even if D¨®mr''s daughter and the snow leopards were playmates, the Queen''s order is absolute? "Big brother¡­!" Restia was surprised by the sudden turn of the situation. She clings onto me as hard as she could. "A-Arf¡­!" (Silence, little puppy. I do not care whether you are my teacher''s daughter or not.) Looks like D¨®mr''s daughter tried to persuade her, but it failed. I don''t understand. Why are they making such a big fuss about this? "R¨®aeu tig." (Calm down.) I said to D¨®mr''s daughter while patting Restia''s head. D¨®mr''s daughter immediately realizes her rudeness and sat down on all fours. "¡­!" Snow Leopard Queen inadvertently stands up with a surprised look. "You are¡­ speaking our language¡­!?" "Hissa? ¨¦g l?ri tetta bara ¨ª g?r.¡± (Surprised? I just learned this yesterday.) "Really now¡­ This all the more proves that you are just an imposter, little boy." She''s quite obsessed with the term ''imposter''; I wondered why. "Even if I really am an imposter, I don''t think I could pose a threat to your lady." I leapt down from D¨®mr''s daughter back while approaching the Snow Leopard Queen. "Aren''t you being a little too tensed up?" "Tensed up?" She uttered. "You don''t understand the harm that you had brought to my lady, don''t you?" Harm? The only harm I could think of¡ª is my persuasive tongue. "Don''t tell me she had insomnia¡­" I said. "Be prepared if you want to meet my lady." Snow Leopard Queen uttered. "She''s been¡­ in a rather bad mood ever since you told her about the cat. Not even I could calm her now." "Oh, don''t worry. A certain someone is on his way just as we speak. He would definitely be a great help." "Stop trying to act mysterious. It''s my teacher¡ª that little puppy''s father, isn''t it? I believe he told you everything about us." "Eh¡­ you are no fun. At least try to act dumb." "¡­Tsk." ¡­ It''s probably about the cat. "If you continue to act this way, you and your lady''s situation will worsen," I warned her. "Worsen? It''s impossible as long as I am here." Looks like I won''t be getting through her stubbornness. The ones who could persuade her is probably the White Snake or D¨®mr. ¡­I should perhaps, observe for a little bit more. "Anyways, take me to your lady. If there''s anything dangerous, I will leave it to you." "Very well¡ª what did you just say!?" She immediately looks at me with an unbelievable look. "Weren''t you supposed to say ''Please leave it to me if there is anything dangerous''?" "Erm, well, I mean, if she slams either any of her body on me¡ª I''d probably die, you know? I''m really just as weak as what you said." CLINK. "ARE YOU SAYING THAT MY LADY IS FAT?" Snow Leopard Queen uttered with bloodcurdling anger. Ah, I forgot. Even if they are magical beast, they are still girls at heart. This is just like when I inadvertently say that my mom had a little¡ª extra fat on her tummy. If it''s not for dad, the diet with nothing but fruits and vegetables plus intensive training, which lasted for a week, would''ve been a month instead. "Big¡ª doesn''t mean fat," I said while grabbing onto her big paw, pressing it down. "Your lady looks pretty to me¡ª just like a pearl." "Do you really think I would pardon this lie?" "Have I ever told a lie to you?" Well, her doubtful expression is as expected¡ª but I had never told her a single lie. "Well, personally, I think you are spoiling your lady a little too much," I added. "Nonsense." "What will your lady do all day other than eating and sleeping?" I said. "It doesn''t seem like she would even go for the hunting herself." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" She''s panicking to find an answer. "¡­No wonder she would get fat," I added. Ah, crap. CLINK. "MY LADY IS NOT FAT." "C-Careful with the claws¡ª Hmm?" "I was here because of my daughter. What is this utter nonsense am I looking at?" Reacting towards the voice coming from behind Restia, the Snow Leopard Queen immediately retreated her claw and sat down on all fours, lowering her head with fear and respect. D¨®mr came just right on time. "T¡­ Teacher¡­" "It''s been a while." He said to the Snow Leopard Queen. "Now lead us to her." "B-But my lady¡­" "She had sleep deprivation again? It''s alright; she won''t dare to hurt me." D¨®mr murmured with a grin. Then, D¨®mr''s gaze turns to me afterwards. "Get on, young master." He said while reaching his paw to me. What on earth are you thinking, D¨®mr!? """"!?"""" "Teacher¡ª why are you¡ª" "Pay respect. He will be the master you will serve later¡ª just like how I served his father." "Hold it, D¨®mr. I want them to serve me with their free will¡ª not under your orders. I never asked for your help either." "How dare you¡ª" "Stop it." Seconds before the Snow Leopard Queen lands her paw on my face¡ª on second thought, maybe my upper body¡ª she stopped. I''d better stay on his paw first before she hits me for real. "Cease your rudeness," D¨®mr said to Snow Leopard Queen while letting me hop to his back from his paw. "He''s an important guest to us." "Us?" Snow Leopard Queen tilts her head as she asks. "That''s right. I want you girls to listen to every word he''s going to say later. Let''s go." With that, Snow Leopard Queen takes the lead with full speed forward. "Eh, hold it¡ª WAHHHHHH!!?" Without any warnings, D¨®mr easily followed her behind, leaving his own daughter way behind us. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "¡­ What''s taking your daughter so long?" As soon as we reached the destination, Snow Leopard Queen muttered those pricking words while ???k?n? her paws. "No one ever won against you in speed," D¨®mr replied. Hearing that, Snow Leopard Queen then returns a glare. "¡­Very well, except me," D¨®mr added. "You had never let me win even once, teacher." "¡­You do not like it anyways if I lose on purpose." "That''s because you never let me win." "Ehem, I hate to break it to you two, but would you mind waking your lady while you were waiting?" I interjected. "GRAW¡ª" Just when Snow Leopard Queen is about to roar, D¨®mr reached out his paw in front of her mouth. "I want to give her a surprise," D¨®mr murmured, then he took a deep breath. "OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" I closed my ears just in time. D¨®mr''s deafening howl swayed the trees and the grass under his feet. ¡°HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS¡­!!!¡± A d¨¦j¨¤ vu. BAM! ¡°HVERSU M?RG SKIPTI HEF ¨¦G SAGT T¨¦R AD TRUFLA EKKI BLUNDINN MINN¡­!!?¡± (HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DISTURB MY NAP¡­¡­!!?) After the White Snake grumbles with an unenergetic look, her white scale became visible. Her head came slamming down from above and landed just right in front of D¨®mr. "Jafnvel ¨¦g?" (Even me?) "T¡­" Without finishing her word, she approaches closer to D¨®mr, as if to get a look at him clearly. "Dearest teacher~! It''s been a while! I missed you so much¡­!" Her body curls onto D¨®mr with her head snuggling to him, looking happy. I notice that Snow Leopard Queen is heaving a relieved sigh. "Hmm¡­" D¨®mr is making a somewhat unwilling look. "Your scales are rough, as usual¡­" Hearing D¨®mr''s remark, White Snake quickly retreated. It was then she noticed that I''m sitting on top of D¨®mr''s head. "¡­Dearest teacher?" She''s obviously asking why am I here, just like what Snow Leopard Queen wanted to know. "HUFF¡ª HUFF¡ª" D¨®mr''s daughter made it just in time. ¡°Sitja, elskurnar m¨ªnar.¡± (Sit, my dears.) """¡­¡­¡­¡­""" Realizing that D¨®mr had something important to announce, his daughter and foster daughters sat where his blood-related daughter is on his left, Snow Leopard Queen on the middle, and White Snake on the right, facing him. When D¨®mr sat down, all three of them are staring at me. Seems like he''s going to leave everything to me. But before that¡­ "Do you know who am I?" "¡­You are not the boy that I met two days ago. Who are you?" Actually, I was talking to D¨®mr. But since she answered¡­ "Well, I will remind you once again¡ª I''m not an imposter." "I know everything about you¡ª you are your father''s actual son, and you don''t have much time left." D¨®mr interrupted. Somehow, I had a feeling that ''you don''t have much time left that D¨®mr said is referring to my lifespan. "¡­Yes, I had only about a few hours left before I''m going to split again." "¡­Is that so," D¨®mr murmured while staring at Snow Leopard Queen. "I know the three of you might not like it, but I need everyone to listen to what he''s about to say, and every of it that he said is nothing but the truth. You may not like it, but I hope you will remain patient till the bitter end." "¡­I had Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)," I said. "In simpler terms, I had two persons sharing my body¡ª and they are all me." "Two persons¡­?" Snow Leopard Queen murmured. "Then does this means you are the unification of those two persons?" "Exactly!" "When he''s in such a state, you could definitely put your hopes on him," D¨®mr said to them. Then, he stares at Restia. "I believe no one other than the young mistress knows that clearly enough." With D¨®mr''s remark, everyone turns their gazes on Restia¡ª even me included, where she was surprised for a moment when everyone stared at her. As her dear brother, I''m curious what she would say. "Please¡­ believe in my dear big brother¡­!" Her answer is well within my predictions. But for some reason, Restia''s words alone is enough to convince them. I guess it''s my turn to speak now. "I''m sure everyone knew about the test given to me by my father, without the details yet," I said. "To be honest, I really wished this test never existed¡ª but what''s done been done, the only choice I had is to make through this with everything I could." "¡­ It''s just a test. How bad could it possibly be?" "I thought I told you, leopard." I reminded her. "If you continued to act this way, you and your lady''s situation will worsen." "¡­In what way?" She said, as if it''s to provoke me. "Your arrogance," I remarked. Doesn''t look like she''s buying any of it. If it isn''t D¨®mr below me pressuring her with his glare, my upper half would have gotten crushed by her paw. "My dad placed a spell on D¨®mr. In a day or two, I need to make a choice to D¨®mr to kill either the cat, or lady White Snake." I added. "Such a foolish joke¡­!" Surprisingly, the first one to act is the White Snake¡ª where she was stopped by a powerful ice magic spell wrapping most of her body except her head. "WHY DID YOU STOP ME¡ª LEOPARD¡­!!?" "Calm down, my lady. That weak little boy is not dumb enough to spout such a lie." Good. Snow Leopard Queen is on my side now. However, her arrogance is still there. "What he''s saying is nonsense!" "I too want it to be a nonsense¡ª but¡ª but¡ª teacher has not uttered a single word¡­!" White Snake may be superior compared to her, but she''s smart enough to convince White Snake. "¡­¡­!" After looking at Snow Leopard Queen in the eye, White Snake shifted her gaze to D¨®mr. "F-Faeir¡­!" (F-Father¡­!) It seems his daughter refuses to believe it as well. "¡­ It''s true." D¨®mr added. "HISSSSS--- WHYYYYY¡­!!? Why would you agree to do this with that boy''s father!?" White Snake uttered desperately. "Each and every time my spouse went on a rampage¡ª none of you showed up to stop her, not even once," D¨®mr uttered. "¡­Including her very own daughter." Though D¨®mr never mentions this to me, but I already knew it right from the beginning. """""!""""" Everyone was shocked. "D¨®mr, you¡­!" I inadvertently uttered. I went silent afterwards because I don''t know what should I say. Because I know D¨®mr is going to crush Snow Leopard Queen''s confidence to pieces so that she would listen. However, I don''t like this. Those harsh words are too unbearable even for an outsider like me. "Teacher, I¡­!" White Snake went silent afterwards with a remorseful look. "Every time my life drops to the bottom of the valley¡­ the person who always came for me is none other than this child''s father. He took me in as a contracted beast when I became an orphan and took me to see the world. We had been through on the verge of life and death so many times¡­ tell me¡ª" D¨®mr heaved a sigh afterwards. "¡ªis there a reason for me NOT to agree?" ¡­He overdid it. "¡­There aren''t," I answered to break the ice. "D¨®mr, I understand you are something like an examiner, but they don''t have a reason to agree with me." "Indeed, we don''t." Snow Leopard Queen added. "But, please, teacher¡ª allow us to repay our debt." "Debt?" D¨®mr uttered to her. "It seems like you had no idea how serious your situation is. Among the three of you whom I raised like my own daughters¡ª Black Cat is the strongest. Not only you need to defend your lady snake from her, you even need to make sure that they would survive from an all-out attack by me." "Growl¡­!" Snow Leopard Queen could only leak out a terrified and frustrated look. Because she understands that she will be facing extreme choices that could decide their life and death. Well, apparently, I had a gist of what she''s thinking, though. She wants them to fight till they''d get exhausted and have me choose the Black Cat, but¡ª "I know what you are thinking, leopard¡ª DON''T YOU DARE MAKE THAT DECISION¡­!!!" White Snake uttered. ¡ªI know White Snake would never agree with it. "But lady, that''s our only choice¡ª" "I agree with Lady White Snake." I interrupted Snow Leopard Queen before she could finish. "¡­There always ought to be a better choice." Snow Leopard Queen immediately looks at me with an intense glare. "¡­ANYTHING REGARDING MY TEACHER, DON''T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." No wonder D¨®mr told me that she''s the smartest. She''d even considered the possibility to eliminate D¨®mr¡ª however, between her benefactor, childhood friend and her ''not-so-friendly'' childhood friend¡­ the choice is obvious. That''s why she would stop me from picking the safest choice where all three of them would survive. She thought I would choose to eliminate D¨®mr. However, right from the beginning¡­ "You must be mistaken¡ª I never planned for anyone to die." "How¡­!? Is it even possible not to make a sacrifice!?" Good, she caught the bait. Chapter 60 - 3.31 - Monday, July 18th, 2.22pm It took me a moment to discuss my suggestion with them. After some changes, we finally came out with a solution. Firstly, it''s unavoidable for the Black Cat and the White Snake''s war. From what we heard from D¨®mr, the Black Cat is getting restless these days. Everyone knew that the Black Cat had planned this for years; this war is unavoidable. That''s why I suggested making them engage in their battle as early as possible before D¨®mr''s mind-controlling spell overtakes his body. D¨®mr told me the earlier he activated this spell in him, the more he could suppress its mind-controlling effect on his body to keep the damage to a minimal degree. I sincerely hope they would end up with a happy reunion¡ª The Black Cat, The White Snake, and The Snow Leopard. If possible, I desperately want them to become Restia''s contracted beast¡ª however, they still need to make a consideration. D¨®mr, Restia, and I respect their free will. In the end, regardless they would become Restia''s contracted beast or not, White Snake and Snow Leopard Queen agreed that they would work together to defeat D¨®mr. Well, I doubt they could, but for some reason, they think they could. At any rate, I need to make that guy recover from his Amnesia and do a thing or two as a backup. I remember there are a few helpful recovery magic spells in dad''s grimoire. "Once again, leopard," I said. "H-Hello, cat¡ª n-nice weather t-today¡­!" "No! You don''t talk about the weather in a reunion¡­! Arghh¡­!!!" Reality is always disappointing. With Snow Leopard Queen''s bad acting, we are stuck dead on the happy reunion part. Feeling frustrated as I scratch my head, I lay down exhaustedly on my back on D¨®mr''s head. "Hahaha, you are just like your father," D¨®mr said to me with a peal of easy-going laughter. "¡­ I''m sorry for being so useless." Snow Leopard Queen murmured with a depressed look. "Hiss, you are, sometimes." White Snake said to her. "Says the one who does nothing but sleep and eat¡ª perhaps I should let you take on a diet." "Hisssssss¡­! Anything but grass or fruits!" """"¡­!"""" Their conversation broke as everyone except for me and Restia suddenly raised their head, looking in the same direction. "He''s back¡­!" D¨®mr said to me. It''s that guy, huh. ¡­If it''s my parents instead, D¨®mr would''ve stormed to my house without uttering a single word. "Well, it seems our discussion took a bit longer than I expected," I murmured. I''m getting hungry, too. I wondered how Ruby''s doing now¡­? "¡­Ah." I inadvertently uttered. "Can you guys do me a favor¡ª I need to find a pink little girl or animal." "We are searching." Snow Leopard Queen told me. "Your sister requested help from us two days ago." I was so delighted that I leaped from D¨®mr''s head, landing on his daughter''s, where Restia is. "You did well, Restia¡­!" I gave Restia a stroke on her head. "N-n¡­!" Then I hugged her from behind and sat on D¨®mr''s daughter''s head, giving Restia a head pat. "Ah, that''s right. When I''m gone¡ª Restia will be in charge. Any changes will be entirely up to her." D¨®mr visibly widens her eyes when he heard my remark. "¡­May I ask why, young master?" He doesn''t look happy at all. ¡­It seems he does not trust Restia as much as I. I will have to correct him. "Because Restia is a genius. She''s the only one capable of handling things after me¡ª I trust her because she''s my little sister, my dad''s daughter." "¡­I see." While muttering those words, D¨®mr made a tender-looking expression as if he recalled some precious memories that my dad once said in the past. I wondered what it is. Nevertheless, with my hands on Restia, it made me inadvertently remembered something¡ª an excuse to prove that I do not know about Ruby''s whereabouts. "Oh, that''s right," I said. "Lady White Snake, I need to borrow your Fortune Rabbit." "Fortune Rabbit? What do you need her for?" I felt a strong sense of hostility coming from White Snake. It made me tensed for a moment. "Well, I was hoping to rely on some luck to find Ruby." "Luck¡­ is it?" She murmured, seeming sentimental. "She''s just living under my protection¡­ If you want to take her with you, it will be entirely up to her." "Is that so? In that case, can you take me to her?" "Then, our meeting will end here." D¨®mr declared. "You go ahead. I have a little reunion to make here." Seems like D¨®mr had lots to talk with Snow Leopard Queen. "¡­I will excuse myself for a moment, teacher." Saying that White Snake then slithered away from her territory. "¡­We will take our leave, then." "E-Erm¡­ bye-bye." ""¡­¡­¡­¡­"" With that, D¨®mr and Snow Leopard Queen gave us a nod as a farewell. After guiding us a while, White Snake stops. "She''s living in that hole over there." She told me. A normal-sized rabbit hole, to be exact. I thought she would be larger than the Black Cat. "Thank you, lady¡ª" "Don''t call me ''lady''." White Snake retorted. "Only under that leopard''s presence, you call me that. It''s really embarrassing if you keep calling me lady." I could probably understand why she would tell me to do so. If I don''t call her lady in front of that leopard, she would''ve smacked her paw on me. "In that case¡­ I will call you ''sleepyhead''." "Big brother¡­!" Restia slaps my hand because she can''t knock my head. She thinks it''s a bad suggestion. "Hiss¡ª a nickname? I don''t really mind as long as you don''t call me lady, and I do admit¡ª it''s tough for me to stay awake at Autumn and Winter¡­" "Try to stay awake as long as you can. After all, I don''t want anything bad to happen to any of you¡­" "¡­I hope you will keep your words till the end, boy." I could tell she still had her doubt on me. As soon as things start to get awkward, I leaped to the ground from D¨®mr''s daughter''s head. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" I don''t see the rabbit nearby. Looks like she''s inside that hole. "I wondered if she would be willing to live with me¡­" I inadvertently murmured. "¡­It could be nearly impossible. She doesn''t really interact much with me, and it would be difficult to talk to her either." White Snake heard my murmuring. "Difficult to talk¡­? Why¡­?" "She''s the remaining Fortune Rabbit." White Snake uttered. "The pain and regrets she had to face from witnessing too many deaths of her own kind frightened her till the point that she lost her ability to speak as we do." White Snake could understand her feelings. No wonder she''s protecting her. "She became mute, huh¡­" I inadvertently murmured. That Fortune Rabbit made a choice herself. To live alone¡ª isolated in this place forever without any destination to go. ¡­ It''s like a body without a soul. "Big brother¡­?" Slowly and carefully, I walk towards the rabbit hole with every step as quietly as possible. Ah, her ears peeked out from the hole¡­ ¡­She heard my footsteps. Time to make this quick. "Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh¡­!" With a burst of my right foot, I took a huge leaped forward and landed with my body sliding across the ground. Then, I shove my entire arm into the rabbit hole. ¡°E-Ehhhhhhhhh!!?¡± ¡°Hisssssssssssssss!!?¡± "Ah-ha!" I caught her. I could feel a wealthy sensation of fluffiness from my palm. Even though she heard me, she didn''t intend to escape¡ª maybe it''s because of my surprise attack that it frightened her to struggle crazily right now. I made sure I''d grab on her nape before pulling her out from the hole. Pulling her out from that hole made me excited¡ª on the other hand, I think she''s excited in a different way. "Hup¡­!" After grabbing on her nape and pulled her out, I get a good look at her. I had a hand on the bottom, lifting her body so that I wouldn''t hurt her on her nape too much. In return, she''s looking at me with a shocked and terrified look. "My, aren''t you a cute one~" She''s not entirely hot pink in colour. Part of her is white coloured. That thick coat of fur on her ?h?st, her underbelly, and her feet that feel like she wore socks. The only flaw about her is her dead-looking state and her skinny body. "Restia¡ª we are going to have a rabbit stew today!" """!!?""" That rabbit on my hand starts to struggle again from my grasp. "Boy¡ª you¡ª" Before White Snake could speak any further, Restia stops her from talking or moving from her spot. Looks like she gets my message. "Yay¡­!" Restia replied with an excited look. Nice one, Restia. Without further ado, I carried her with my arms on my body, back to White Snake. The Fortune Rabbit on my hand struggles fiercely to break free, but it was futile. "Ow." She bites my arm with her eyes closed as if she''s biting as hard as she could. However, though her teeth dug into my skin, they can''t penetrate my muscles. The pain is nothing compared to my seal¡ª but I felt her struggles to live on. ¡­ That''s the only reason I need. "Hey, I know you understand me¡ª let go." I calmly told her. "¡­!" After staring at me for a while, she stops struggling and inadvertently releases her teeth from my arm. "Sorry for testing you. I was just wondering if you are just a rabbit with a mindless body." I said to her. "You see¡­ rabbits die easily. They are fragile, they get sick easily, they need a lot of attention¡ª but you are different, aren''t you?" For some reason, she looks away¡ª to be precise, the hole she dug. "I don''t know if it''s cowardice or bravery that you are still alive. At least you are still alive. If you don''t have a reason to live on, then I will give you one." "¡­!" I felt a slight twitch coming from her. She wouldn''t run away now. I''m sure of that. Placing her down with my legs squatted, she turns around and looks at me. "Do you want to be my contracted beast? It''s something like a pet¡ª this means, I can give you a much livelier place. You could refuse if you want." Telling what I want to her, I extended my hand to her, seeking an agreement. And surprisingly, she licks my forefinger. "Then, from now on¡ª I''m your master. Please take care of me, and I will take care of you as well." I carefully grabbed and lifted her up with my hands, showing it to Restia with a grin on my face. "Restia, I did it¡­!" "Be careful, big brother¡­! Rabbits are fragile¡­!" She reminded me. "Oh, right." I quickly carried her with my arm and approach Restia, leaping onto D¨®mr''s daughter''s head. "Wah¡­! She''s so cute¡ª so pretty¡­!" Saying that, Restia gently took her from my hands and stroke her. D¨®mr''s daughter suddenly looks depressed. Looks like she thinks she''s not as cute as the Fortune Rabbit. ¡°Ekki hafa ¨¢hyggjur, t¨² ert s?tur ¨¢ tinn h¨¢tt.¡± I told her as I stroke her fur. (Do not worry, you are cute in your own way.) Well, she seems to cheer up. For some reason, I noticed Fortune Rabbit have been staring at White Snake for a while. "¡­After all these years¡­ I''m glad to finally see that you are getting livelier." White Snake said to her while lowering her head close to her. Which then, Fortune Rabbit licks White Snake on her mouth. "¡­!" It''s as if White Snake realizes or understood something¡­ she immediately reveals a tender look while staring at Fortune Rabbit. "¡­I will be going back." She said to us while turning around, slithering away. "I won''t be seeing you so soon," I replied. "If you have something to tell me, you should speak now." She stopped. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" After hesitating for a moment, she turns to me and says¡­ "I¡­ hope to see that everyone will be alive, master." "We¡ª we definitely will¡­!" Restia replied. "¡­Yeah. Your master promises you." With that, we parted ways¡ª with D¨®mr''s daughter riding us home. Chapter 61 - 3.32 - Monday, July 18th, 5.03pm By the time we reached home¡ª it''s already evening and way over lunch time. Stay strong, my rumbling stomach. "¡­ I''m back," I murmured as I entered my house. We left D¨®mr''s daughter outside at the front yard to let her munch on that disgusting Cithaeron lion''s meat. "Oh, welcome back." That man came to us from the kitchen. "Here." He tossed two large-sized hamburgers to us, where I caught it. "From Burger Centuries?" I murmured when I look at the logo on the wrapped paper. "Despite memory loss, you sure know how to pick an expensive meal. Here, Restia." I tossed one of it to Restia. "Not me. That''s the closest restaurant to your villa." He retorted. "It''s fast food." "Villa?" "Yeah, villa." He repeated. "V, I, L, L, A." I thought what dad brought is a regular house. It''s surprising that he brought a villa. "¡­Did my dad leave anything there?" I asked. "None." That guy shakes his head with disappointment. "Seems like it''s empty for weeks¡ª dust has been piling up." ¡­The last time dad teleported is at the end of last month. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" Knowing the answer, Restia looks depressed. Trying to cheer her up, I gave her a head pat as we walked towards the dining room. "What about those clothes of yours?" I asked him. He brought a set of new clothes¡ª not just any clothes, he got a suit, and it looks freakishly expensive. When I thought that, he then walks next to me, seeming to have a lot to talk about. "This suit is from Rozen & Alice Tailor¡ª come to think of it, I wondered why but they gave me a discount for this suit. The shopkeeper''s not even a living being¡­ something like a moving human-sized doll." "Something like a doll¡­? Are you talking about automaton dolls?" I replied. Or automata, in short. "I don''t care." He said, looking disgusted for some reason. "The only scary thing is that moving human-sized doll looks just like a human¡ª none of her looks like a doll." "Then how do you know she''s not human?" "Her voice suddenly stuttered and came to an infinite loop when she''s measuring my size. Another doll then came in her place and fixed her. It even stripped her n?k?d and open the artificial skin on her back¡ª blergh¡­!" He looks like he''s on the verge to puke. "Seems like you had a hard time," I said. "Ehem, I was so shocked that I watched her fixing her body for nearly ten minutes before I left." He added. "I take that back." I immediately uttered while glaring at him. "Wow, you look like you are having fun staring at her artificial ?h?st, isn''t it?" "Whoa, hold it. I need to reject that statement." He retorted. "I''m just curious that she looks completely like a human on the outside¡ª well, the insides are unexpected." I wondered what sort of ''insides'' did he saw. Perhaps he saw artificial organs or mechanical parts¡ª but I''m not going to ask further since I''m currently eating a burger. "Just admit it," I told him. "It''s normal for a man to follow their instincts." CREAK. Restia instinctively got further away from him. Yes, just stay away from him, Restia. "Yeah, well, I think I''m married." ¡­There''s a tan line indeed. "Okay, I will correct myself," I murmured. "Just admit it. It''s normal for a man to follow their instincts even if they are married." "I should''ve just starved you to death." He immediately retorted. I sway around my burger in front of his eyes, then I took a big bite. "Too bad you didn''t," I remarked while chewing on the burger. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue, breaking eye contact. Somehow, his eyes later then peeked at me for a while, then he decided to talk again as if that annoyance he felt just now have vanished in thin air. "To be honest, I really didn''t feel anything when I look at that doll¡ª despite it had an ideal body, but a doll is still a doll. Nothing changes." "Honestly speaking, you are the type to be submissive to your wife." I corrected him. "Stop retorting every word I say¡­!" He yelled, looking annoyed. "Hahaha." "¡­Sigh." Heaving a tired sigh, he stared at the window, where the yard is, and placed his left hand on his forehead, seemingly getting a headache. It lasts about three seconds or so until he looks at me again. "What about you?" He asks. Swallowing the food in my mouth, I lick my lips to wipe the sauce on my mouth. "Erm, this is what I''ve got for now¡­" I told him about my discussion with the magical beasts, not skipping a single detail. Because even if he had lost his memories, I hoped that he could give me some handy suggestions. "Hold it¡ª you are leaving the leopard just like that?" He asked. "¡­Yeah. If that leopard can''t put on that act, she would definitely come looking for me without a doubt." "Why would she?" "Because if she fails to make up with the Black Cat, White Snake will be in danger. She couldn''t possibly put any harm to D¨®mr either¡ª that''s why she needs to find me, that''s why I need your help." "No way." He rejected flatly. The way he raises his hands looks like he''s telling me not to drag him into this. "I''m not supposed to put a leg into your test." "You aren''t. Stopping D¨®mr is your job." I reminded him. "Over my dead body!" He uttered. "My job is to free him from the brainwashing, not stopping him!" "But the problem is, you can''t. He''s strong¡ª he''s too strong. Even if the cat, snake, leopard, rabbit, and even his own daughter add up, it''s nowhere enough¡­" "E, Eh?" He seemed dumbfounded for a moment¡ª only for a moment. "No way! That''s ridiculous! I''m not going to fight that monstrous thing!" He''s terrified¡ª he''s really terrified of it. "It''s not, it''s not¡ª I just need you to stall him with your martial arts." "You telling this to a person with Amnesia?!" ''That''s me'', or so his gestures tell me. "You fought off his daughter, who is almost 25 times your size, even if injured. I think your body still remembers how to repel an enemy to some extent. And besides, it''s your job to stop him." I reminded him once again. "Ehh¡­" His facial expression looks like it''s telling me ''it''s such a bother''. I need to convince him. "If you don''t, someone would die out there!" "Death is just a matter of time. There''s no point for me risking my life to do something as absurd as this¡ª ARGHHHH¡­!?" Before he could finish, he suddenly had a severe headache. "GUH¡­¡­¡­!" It was so painful that he fell from his chair and crumpled into a ball on that spot. Instant karma helped me. "HUFF¡ª HUFF¡ª ARGHHHH¡ª GUH¡­¡­¡­¡­!!!" He''s rolling back and forth on the floor because of the pain. It might be heartless of Restia and me not to lend a hand, but to us, this is a normal reaction that we''d see every day. This pain is stress occurring in the brain when memories return. It happens to me every day. "HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª" When his pain subsided, that man musters his strength to climb up to his chair. I finished the last piece of my burger without even bothering to bat an eye on him. "You idiotic brat¡­" He uttered. "¡­ aren''t you heartless to leave a person in pain alone¡­?" "Hahaha, this means you are just as heartless as me," I replied. With an exhausted expression, he stared at me and gave a thought for a moment. "Yeah, yeah¡­ instant karma, huh. I understand." He murmured while folding his arms, leaning onto his chair. "¡­I can help you¡ª however, I have conditions." "Yeah, yeah¡­ You could stay here until your memories recover¡ª hold on¡ª ''conditions''? Aren''t you greedy?" ¡­Next time, I should be careful before accepting it. Even if he had amnesia, I can''t let down my guard at all. "I want to feed that pink rabbit." "¡­!?" Obviously, I was dumbfounded. BOP BOP BOP. I came back to my senses when the Fortune Rabbit on my ??p is stomping her feet on my ??p. When a rabbit''s feet are stomping, this means she''s scared. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" However, I still remained speechless for a moment. "¡­Seriously?" It took me a while to utter that word. His demands hit me hard for good. "There''s nothing wrong to feed a rabbit. Just take is as a sudden urge of mine." He said. ¡­He looks deadly serious. Alright, I will keep my mouth shut before he demands anything else. "In that case, please bear with it," I said to the Fortune Rabbit on my ??p. "He''s not a bad person." Just seconds before she could hop off, I lifted her. "¡­?" However, another unexpected situation occurred. Instead of receiving the Fortune Rabbit from my hands, he stretched his right hand to his right. "Just a second." Hearing that, I placed the rabbit on my ??p once again, holding her carefully to prevent her from escaping. "?" When I turn to where he''s looking, a carrot came flying from the kitchen. WHAP. He caught the carrot just like the way Thor caught his hammer. "When feeding a rabbit, a carrot is a must." He told me. ¡­And here I thought rabbit feeds on grass. That said, he approached the rabbit and squatted down. "Come on, open your mouth¡ª it''s a carrot." He poked the carrot to her mouth, and as expected¡ª she refuses to accept the carrot from a stranger. "It''s a carrot, don''t you know what''s a carrot?" He muttered. "Argh¡­! Just eat it already you stupid rabbit!" CHOMP. Annoyed by his constant poking, Fortune Rabbit takes a bite¡ª on his finger instead of the carrot. "OWW¡­!" He flung his hand from the pain. I caught the carrot he threw and fed it to my rabbit. "Hah." I deliberately laughed. "That''s what you get for being rude to my rabbit." That said, Fortune Rabbit turns her body to the other side with her bu?? facing him, enjoying the carrot I gave her. Hey, they are being rude to each other. This is quite fun to watch. "Cheh." Failing miserably, he then returns to his chair with an annoyed look. "¡­Back to our topic," I said to him. "When the Snow Leopard Queen comes, I need you to restrain her." "Eh¡­?" I suddenly hear a voice coming next to me. "What''s wrong, Restia?" I turn to face her. "Why are you doing this to her, big brother?" Right, I''d say I''d leave everything to Restia earlier on. Let''s hear what she has to say. "I know she did nothing wrong. But she''s overprotective of the White Snake and D¨®mr. She might kill the Black Cat when things got tensed." "She won''t." Restia looks very certain. However, I could feel some hint of unsureness. If I want to leave everything to Restia for good, I need to shred off every last bit of that hesitation. "Understand the consequences, my cute little sis¡ª you can''t afford to make the even tiniest mistake. There''s no room for excuses for this as one small mistake would''ve ended their lives." "Big brother¡­ I¡­" Her voice eventually went silent. ¡­Not good. It''s pushing her backwards. "What''s wrong? Aren''t you very confident a second ago? Where did all that go? If you can''t do it, then don''t interrupt me¡ª" "Trust me! You said you''d leave things to me, didn''t you!?" She then yelled at me. I know it wasn''t intentional, but still, it succeeded to did some damage to my heart. Thankfully, I''m not Nightwalker. "¡­Hehe, if you say so," I murmured, patting her head. "¡­Mn. Thank you, big brother." Without saying anything excessive, she rests her head on my shoulder. As I thought, she knows I''m helping her. "Blegh. Disgusting." That guy on my opposite muttered while making a disgusted look. "Mind your own business. This is family love." I retorted while stroking Restia''s head. "Whatever. Just as you were saying, why do you want me to restrain her?" "Whoops. My cute little sister is in charge now¡ª if you want to discuss, you discuss with her." I replied. "On the other hand, it''s time for your therapy, so would you come with me?" "Therapy? If you say so¡­" After placing the rabbit on Restia''s ??p, I took that guy to the living room. "And here I was wondering what kind of therapy you are going to do to me. As expected, we''d go back to magic spells again." He uttered. It''s like he''s saying, ''Ah, shit. Here we go again.'' ¡­ I''m not really bothered by it. "Give me a second¡­" I said, flipping across the pages on the grimoire. "Yup, right. What you are going to do, is¡­" While facing him, I pointed at the title of that spell. ¡®Auto convaluisset magicae¡¯ "Self-recovery magic?" He murmured. "That''s right. Your body is heavily injured and poisoned, so in this spell, you are going to consume around ninety percent of your mana for self-recovery until you recovered." "ºÎ!?" (Nani!?) (What!?) ¡­Why is he speaking that language all of a sudden? Nevertheless, I could tell that he''s astonished. "Why are you getting so worked up for? You still have ten percent of your mana left as spare." I answered. "Why ninety percent?" He asked. "Can''t I just consume all of my mana? That would''ve made it faster." "Because if you used up all your mana, you are going to get symptoms like extreme headache, dizziness and mental depression due to mana deficiency. Either one of those could break your concentration on your self-recovery magic." "Very well. What should I do?" ¡­He looks like he''s in pain. "¡­Gather and compress forty-five percent of your mana on palm, like how Restia did in the morning." "Are you kidding me? How the hell do I know how much is forty-five percent?!" "How would I know?! I''m mana-less. You are asking the wrong person¡­!" "Cheh, whatever. That ball of mana? Here goes¡­" Once he breathes in, he closes his eyes, extending his right hand with his palm facing up. I gradually saw a ball of golden mana gathering on his right palm. ¡­Looks legit this time. "Now, crush the ball with your hand¡ª" "Hey, this isn''t vitality energy." He interrupted. "Obviously, I know it isn''t!" I retorted. "It says here to crush that ball and inhale the concentrated mana essence into your lungs and your stomach." I showed him the contents. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" After staring for about three seconds, he made a face that looks like it''s saying ''what a pain''. Nevertheless, he crushed the mana ball afterwards and inhaled deeply. "Oh, wow. It feels warm¡ª" BAM! I landed a palm strike on the centre of his ?h?st, where the core of his mana is located. "¡ªArghh!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING¡ª HOT HOT HOT!!! IT''S FREAKING HOT!!? IT FEELS LIKE I''M BURNING FROM THE INSIDE!!?" This is to forcefully scatter the mana from the outside to react with the mana on the inside. "Repeat after me¡ª" "Convaluisset¡­!" (Recovery¡­!) Before I could tell him the incantations, he was one step ahead of me and chanted the self-recovery spell. He only stared at the contents for about three seconds. Does he have a photographic memory¡­? That guy soon sat on the ground lifelessly with his shoulders shrugged, looking half-dead. "It''s normal that you''d feel tired for now. You will be in this state now until your body has fully recovered." I told him. "¡­Get me water." He murmured, while dragging his body to the sofa. "Alright." I peeked on Restia and the Fortune Rabbit before I went to the kitchen. Looks like they are getting along. "¡­!" The ripped walls, the punctured floor¡ª the kitchen is restored¡­!? Not only that, the food supplies are restocked. ¡­ It''s apparent that he''s the one who did it, and he didn''t say anything about it. When I sat beside him and handed over the cup to him, I offered my gratitude. "¡­Thanks," I said. "Well, well. And here I thought you are going to prostrate in front of me¡­" He muttered with a smirk. "If I didn''t consider the fact that I saved you, I would''ve done so." "Heh. Hehehe." He deliberately lets out a creepy laugh. "¡­Something wrong with your head?" "Hmm? Not me. You are the one who''s sick in the head." He said. "Hmm?" I was a little surprised by his statement. "You don''t behave like a kid. Not even a prodigy had a head like yours." "¡­If there''s a prodigy, then Restia is probably one. I was merely taught well by my dad. He might be your best friend, too." "Well, ain''t I lucky if I have a friend like that." He murmured, looking sarcastic. "What on earth did your father even teach you?" Dad taught me a lot. But if it were in a simpler term, then it''s probably¡­ "Both sides of the world, and also the truth of it," I answered. "Both sides¡­ as in? The bright and dark side?" "¡­Yeah." "What about your little sister¡­?" "She didn''t want to learn about the dark side too much. There are too many unbearable contents. Compared to me, her life is much more blessed." "¡­No wonder." He murmured. "You aren''t that much different from my dad either," I said. "Out of all of dad''s friends, you are the only one who chose to become my examiner." "I might''ve regretted it now. Only a madman would''ve accepted a request like this." He looks disconcerted. "I wonder what kind of person am I before I lost my memories." "Pfft¡ª a madman." "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." He made a speechless look with hints of annoyance. "Hmm¡­? Your little sister''s here." "¡­ It''s almost dusk, big brother¡­" Restia told me. I overlooked the time. "¡­Such a pain." I deliberately heaved a heavy sigh. "Anyways, give me my phone." "¡­ What''s wrong with dusk?" He asked, looking bewildered while tossing my phone to me. "There''s nothing wrong with dusk," I replied. "The only thing wrong here is me. Just as you said¡ª I''m sick in the head." As expected of his reaction. "¡­What a surprise." He murmured with his eyes widened. "What''s wrong with your brain?" "Due to some circumstances which I was not even sure of, I had this seal on me that gave me the DID, also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder." "Dissociative Identity Disorder¡­? Hmm, I don''t think that''s it. The DIDs are ?ssociated with overwhelming trauma such as abuse, medical procedures, or experiences of war. You are a kid, and I believe you had a blessed family." He knows what the DID is? What on earth is his profession¡­? Never mind, this helps a lot. "Indeed. My case is completely different after all." "Right. First of all, who are you? How old are you?" "I''m the whole, original personality. My name is Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, and I''m ten." "Urk, what¡­? Your dad must be playing a trick on you. Who in the world would put their own child''s name as the fallen angel who abandoned his name¡­?" "Shut up. My dad''s name ''Lucione'' had the same meaning as mine." I wonder why, but I could tell he''s trying to hold back his laughter. ¡­I guess he''s laughing at both of our names. "¡­Very well. How many so-called ''identities'' do you have?" "Instead of identities¡­ they are more like my halves." "Halves? Of you? This means... a total of three identities?" "If you put it that way. Also, I share their memories." "Tell me about them." "My first half, you could call him Lucifer Nightwalker and obviously, he''s ten. He''s a coward without a sense of pride nor ego. He gets depressed easily whenever he was getting yelled at, and he would always be ordered around like a slave, even if it''s an unfair arrangement." "¡­Are you sure he''s not a m?s??h?st?" "¡­But it''s exactly because he''s a coward; he would always avoid standing out or getting himself into trouble. Even if he gets into one, he would always decide the safest plan that could get him out of trouble¡ª and when it comes to family and friends, he would never abandon them. He''s a damn good person." "I see. What about the other one¡­?" "My second half, huh. You could call him Lucifer Nightmare¡­ on second thought, call him ''scum'' from now on." "Wow. You are indeed a m?s??h?st." "Shut up," I uttered with a speechless look. "Whenever I think of him, my blood boils¡ª I want to skin him alive¡­!!!" "Pfft¡ª it means you want to skin yourself alive¡­" He''s on the verge to laugh. ¡­I don''t have the mood to get angry anymore. "¡­He''s usually a calm and collected individual with a bottomless amount of confidence and knowledge that shows an unrivalled prowess¡ª but whenever he gets emotional, he would become completely hot-headed and cloud his judgement." "Looks like his cloudiness got him into trouble, isn''t it?" "¡­Tsk." Though a part of me doesn''t want to tell him because of his annoying behaviour, but since he''s dad''s friend, I told him what happened during the past three days, starting from 15th July. That guy silently listened to every word I said down to every single detail. He didn''t interrupt me either. "¡­Three times, huh." He murmured. "And the last bullet even pierced through on her shoulder." "He''s unforgivable!" I uttered. "Well, if that last shot hit her somewhere lethal instead of her shoulder¡ª I wonder what will you do by then?" "¡­Thankfully, it didn''t." "Because you are the one who shot her, is it not?" "¡­What do you mean¡­?" "If your memories are connected to them¡­ then you could probably tell. He fought for so long¡ª without eating or drinking, and he even suffered a terrible injury. I believe even an ?du?t would''ve had their hands trembling by then. Adding the sudden development of your little sister''s situation, I''m rather surprised how he could even aim with such a heavy hunting rifle. It''s a miracle that he was able to make an accurate shot at that point, given his hazy mind." "There ought to be a better way other than shooting her¡­!" "Of course, there are. There are tons of ways. But what''s done already done. You can''t start over, and there are no ''if''. That''s exactly why this world had such a thing known as ''regret'' and ''remorse''. And in your case¡­ your regret is that you''ve hurt her. And what you should seek right now is supposed to be ''forgiveness'' instead of ''blaming''." "¡­ That''s the reason why history has been repeating itself, again and again." "Pardon¡­?" "¡­We ask for ''forgiveness'' too easily, like a beggar bowing their heads and extending their hands in humble receipt. If I made the same mistake over and over¡­ will you forgive me again and again? Even if you could, I''m sure there''s one day you will be tired." "¡­¡­¡­¡­" "We are fools. If we ask for ''forgiveness'' just like that without truly repenting and reflecting on ourselves, we would surely commit the same mistake twice. That''s exactly why a necessary ''punishment'' is needed. Nightmare will, and must shoulder the punishment of his consequences as a reminder so that the same thing would never happen again!" "¡­too harsh." "Eh¡­?" "You are being too harsh on yourself." "If I can''t even take care of myself, how could I even look after of my family¡­?!" "By then, your mind would come to a breakdown before you even knew it. When that time comes, how can you even take care of them?" "¡­Are you telling me to give him a chance?" "Well, since ''Ruby'' is the cause of this, why not give him a period to look for her¡­? If they could find her within a limited time, forgive them by then. If not, then it''s your choice¡ª how about it?" "Hmm¡­ it sounds like a good idea. But I won''t allow anyone to tell him about this¡ª Nightwalker included. If they really do repent, I''m sure they could find Ruby in no time." "No objections." "I repeat, don''t intend to tell them about this, especially YOU, my cute little sis," I uttered. "Even if we are siblings, I will punish you nevertheless." "¡­Uuh¡­!" Restia silently nods her head with pity. "I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t mean to scare you." I hurriedly hugged Restia and gave her more head pats. "Actually, what are you doing fiddling with your phone all this time?" "Duh, it''s a warning to that blasted Nightmare." Chapter 62 - 3.33 - Wednesday, July 20th, 9.01pm "Erm¡­ can you forgive me already my cute little sis¡­?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­" After I''d finally confessed my incident back at my active time from 17th July to 18th July, my cute little sister, Restia¡ª got angry with me. She locked herself in her room, which Ruby and Fortuna are accompanying her. "Cheer up, myaster." Felix came to cheer me by snuggling her head on my hand. I probably am making a terribly pitiful look right now. Though it''s not Felix that I need now, but it still soothes my heart a little. "Oh, thank you, Felix¡ª" "¡ªNYAA!!?" BAM! Just as I was about to hug Felix in my arms, Restia snatched her away into her room. "¡ª¡­¡­Eh?" ¡­It took me a while to react¡ª maybe it was because it happened too fast and abruptly; I knew it was already too late for me to get Felix back. Thus, all I could do is head downstairs depressingly with a pitiful look and a half-dead body as the side-effects of it. "Well, well. Didn''t your dad taught you not to hide secrets from your family?" It took me a slight moment to react to Principal''s murmurs as I went past the dining room depressingly. "............" ¡­Such a busybody he is to step a foot into someone''s family business. However, what he said is, in fact, the truth. I then retreated my heavy footsteps, peeking at him from the door. "My dad also taught me to say the right thing at the right moment," I then replied. "Really? It looks like you didn''t learn it, though." He said sarcastically. Here he is again, starting some pointless conversation to attract my attention. "This is all because you are setting a bad example. If there''s something you want to tell me, just say it already." I probably knew what he''s going to talk about; that''s why I stepped into the dining room and locked the door. "Hold it." He told me. CLAP. Principal suddenly raised his hands and clapped once. "!" Which then, our surrounding noise died down immediately. For a moment there, I thought he was slapping a mosquito. "Did you cancel out our noise¡­?" I asked. "To be correct, this is an isolation barrier." He explained. "The space within the barrier is separated from the outside¡ª air can pass through, though. Even if you aren''t affected by magic spells, but your surroundings could. You have something that you don''t want any of them to know in our conversation, isn''t it?" My prediction is spot on. Wasting no time, I took the seat opposite him. "¡­ It''s for their sake." I replied. "Did dad tell you everything about my condition¡­?" "Take it easy." He told me while leaning on his chair with a relaxed look, building a relaxing atmosphere. ¡­It''s apparent that he knew. "As promised, I will now tell you the results of your test." He said. "Hold on." I stopped him before he could continue. "Before that, what is this test all about?" Though I received some sort of explicit instruction, I never knew the purpose of this test. "I can''t tell you yet." He heaved a sigh. "The most I can tell you is¡ª you will be facing something similar to this in the future." "What¡­?" I was dumbfounded. He said the same thing as D¨®mr did. ¡­The future? He didn''t even tell me a specific time. "And now, your result." He continued while ignoring me. "Congratulations. You passed with full marks. You did a splendid job in saving them all." There''s not even a cheer, celebration, or whatsoever. "W-Wait¡ª" Those words came out of his mouth without a single shred of excitement in it. "Though I expected you to save them all, I didn''t expect that you''d be taking them under your wing as well¡ª" "HOLD IT...!" BAM! I slammed my fist on the table to break the flow he brought me into. "¡­How rude. What is it?" "YOU ALREADY KNEW I DON''T HAVE MUCH TIME!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I WILL BE FACING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS AT THE FUTURE!!?" "Ah¡­ right." He murmured nonchalantly. "I forgot to ask about your remaining time¡­ then tell me, how much time do you have¡­?" It caught his attention, albeit he''s not the least bit affected by it. I thought so. Principal''s not just a random person that would easily let me control the conversation. ¡­He''s a king. "¡­Around 2400 days or lesser," I replied. "Two thousand and a four¡­ this means you will be dead when you were just about to turn seventeen¡­ or lesser¡­" He then seems to have figured out something. "Ah, I see now. No wonder you took those magical beasts under your wing and say something like ''independent'' to your little sister¡­ It''s because you don''t want her to feel lonely when you are gone, isn''t that right?" Just like that, he speaks out my thoughts that easily. "¡­Don''t ever let any of them know about this." The only thing I could do is just to give him a warning. "Sigh¡­ like father, like son. Always bearing all the responsibilities on your shoulders." He shakes his head resignedly. It may not seem convincing from a ten-year-old kid, but he accepted wholeheartedly, just like buying a piece of advice from an old friend. "Where are my parents...?" Because of that, I was hoping that he could tell me where my parents are. "As I said, I''m trying to find the answer as well. All your father wrote to me is ''Remember our promise? I will be leaving my children in your care.''" It''s the content from the emergency letter he once spoke of. When Nightwalker asked, he didn''t tell him. Did he know my memories would remain with me and I wouldn''t tell my other personalities? That''s not enough. I need to fork out more information¡­! "How could he just leave us like that¡­!?" I uttered. "It''s pointless to put up that act, brat. I''m indeed completely clueless." I wondered if I''m a bad actor. He broke my facade that easily, as if he was breathing. "¡­Tch." I could only click my tongue from the frustration. "A person who says that obviously knows where they are¡­!" I protested. "Whatever, say what you want. I''m not the least bit concerned by it." In our exchange, there isn''t any room for me to prevail over him. ...He''s the second person to do so after my dad. "Since this is a request from your father, then I will fulfil that request with my dignity as the King of Central Imperial Island on the bet." His dignity doesn''t matter to me anyway. "¡­Very well. Please leave me and take Restia and the others away from this island." He looks vexed when I said that. "When you get emotional, your judgment gets clouded¡­" He seems to be reminding himself. "¡­!" I was surprised that he remembered that. He''s been listening carefully to my every word. "Such an irresponsible thing to say, brat. If I leave you, who on earth is going to be my successor¡­?" He added, still looking vexed. He looks like he''s in pain. ...Is it really that difficult to find another successor for your throne? "I thought Nightwalker already told you this morning¡ª just give up on me already!" "How could I do so after watching your splendid performance¡­!? I will never let this precious chance slip off from my fingertips¡­!" He protested. "What''s the point of it!? I was only alive because the best doctor in the world found a way to prolong my life¡ª I''m not even supposed to be ALIVE¡­!!!" "But you are still alive, aren''t you...?" "ARGHHHHHHH¡­!!!" That frustration made me yell and scratch my head. This guy is not budging the slightest bit at all...! "What should I say to make you give up!?" I grumbled. "Why, because I don''t want you to give up." I was stunned when he told me such so naturally. Then I sat adequately and glared at him. "¡­Not even the best doctor in the world could cure me. Rather than giving up¡­ I was more prepared to die at any moment." I told him. "Even if Raph doesn''t have a method to cure you now, but that doesn''t mean he can''t cure you in the future." I''m surprised that he knew Uncle Raphael as well. It''s weird to hear him calling Uncle Raphael by his nickname just like dad does. "Even if he has the cure, there''s no way you could find him. I''m sure you know that he and his family are always on the run from the pursuit of both angels and demons." The best doctor in the world who once saved me from the brink of death is, without a doubt¡ª doctor Raphael. Doctor Raphael was once an angel with a high executive position in the heaven''s realm. As a doctor, he always stayed behind at the heaven''s realm¡ª aiding and curing his fellow angel comrades as they returned from the war against the demons. One day, an emergency was needed as one of the battalion angels sent to confront the demons suffered a heavy loss. As the best doctor in the heaven''s realm, Raphael immediately set off to the world''s realm. However, it was too late. Both sides suffered a complete annihilation¡ª but one. A demon¡ª an enemy of their own kind. The demon was on the brink of death¡ª she desperately pleaded with the angels under Raphael, who are going to kill her, to spare her life. The kind-hearted angel, Raphael¡ª knew she wouldn''t last any longer even if his comrades spared her. He did not hesitate to heal her terrible injury, deeming that every life born is fair and equal, and decided to give the demon a second chance. His comrades could only report to the higher-up, and thus, Raphael was banished from entering the heaven''s realm. Even if banished, he never had any regrets about saving that demon. In fact, he was glad that he was banished¡ª because he could finally explore the world''s realm for once. He wandered across the world as a doctor, lending a hand to those in need for many years. He learnt and exchanged his knowledge with doctors from different races. One day, by chance, he reunites with the demon whom he once saved after many years. They had a long talk about their personal lives and problems. It was found out that the demon''s name is Lilith¡ª and she''s the princess of all su??ubus. Lilith was also banished from hell''s realm. She was banished because she dishonoured her dignity as a demon. As the leader of the su??ubus demons, she pleaded with the angels to spare her life and was even healed by an angel in return¡ª which was an extreme disgrace to demons. Somehow, Lilith knew of the news that Raphael is banished from the heaven''s realm. She set foot in the World''s realm, searching for Raphael to repay his kindness by saving her. Raphael gratefully accepted Lilith as his ?ssistant. Together they travelled across the world as famous doctors. Somehow, even though they loved each other, they''ve never conveyed their feelings. Because they knew once they did, they would meet an endless pursuit of death by both angels and demons. This lasted until they meet a human who boldly supported their love. And that human¡ª is my dad. Not long after Raphael and Lilith married, as expected¡ª the angels and demons, which came from heaven and hell''s realm respectively, forbade their marriage and denied their love. Dad easily solved this conflict. He let the angels and demons choose to let Lilith become an angel; if not, let Raphael become a demon. Lilith and Raphael both once held a high position in their respective realms, so they are significant ?ssets that could benefit if they join either side. However, their choice soon escalated to a conflict between the angels and demons. After both suffered heavy losses, Raphael cured the demons while Lilith cured the angels. In the end, Raphael and Lilith chose to stay in World''s realm, and so, the angels and demons decided not to interfere with their newly wedding life. But then, another problem arises. Raphael and Lilith did not bear any children, even after a few years passes. There''s never been a case of a child born from an angel and demon. Through research, Raphael found out that his sp?rm does not even attach to Lilith''s ovum. Their genes were entirely different. He deduced that they can''t have their own child, where they d?s?r?d greatly. My dad suggested Raphael to modify their genes of their productive cells. If it was through science alone, it was impossible¡ª but dad deduced it is possible through magic. Raphael and Lilith tried thousands of times. Eventually, their hard work paid off. Their sp?rm and ovum finally united with each other. Yet, even if their genes were modified to accept each other, it dies after a few days as soon as it becomes a zygote. They tried and modified it several times, but it was futile. It leads Raphael to suffer from depression. Thanks to Lilith, dad and his friends supporting him¡ª Raphael finally regained his will. Until nine years ago, a miracle happened. Lilith was pregnant. Because Lilith is a su??ubus, some of their friends doubted her. However, dad and Raphael believed in her. Even though Lilith was a su??ubus, she never stayed together with any man aside from Raphael. And thus, the result was clear. A hybrid baby of an angel and demon was born. Because Raphael was too excited to receive his own baby''s birth, he fainted, and my dad took over instead. Dad then named that baby ''Mattanarafa''. It means ''a gift from God that heals'' because she is a miracle child, a gift of the impossible¡ª a gift from God of Fate. For some reason, the angels and demons knew about this¡ª no one knew why. To either angels or demons¡ª that baby represents the signature of peace, and it must not live. ¡­Because both sides do not want the war to end. They hunt the baby, aiming for the kill. Even if they couldn''t kill her, they cursed her with their words. ''Cursed child''. ''You must not live''. ''Die for the sake of the world''. Or so Mattanarafa told me. Mattanarafa had terribly low self-esteem because of that. Two years ago, I became her friend. Nevertheless, Mattanarafa is kind-hearted¡ª just like her father, Raphael. She had the playful side of her mother, Lilith, as well. That side of her improved ever since we became friends. They are probably hiding somewhere in this world, avoiding the sights of the angels and demons. ¡­Just like how we left that place in a hurry two years ago. I wonder if we would ever meet again¡­ "Six years, brat." He uttered. "You still have six years. You and I had plenty of time to find him. Even if you don''t believe me, can''t you just give yourself a chance to live on?" "I''m giving myself one right now. I will just live a fulfilling, satisfying six years for them." "Tsk¡­!" BAM! After clicking his tongue, Principal slammed his fist on the table with an extremely irritated look. For the first time, our conversation came to an equal footing. "Can''t you just live a little more selfish!?" He complained. "I just lived the way I wanted to. There''s nothing wrong with that." "ARGHHHH¡­!!!" With that horrible scream as he scratched his head, he suddenly stood up, grabbing me on my shirt before I knew it. "Don''t make me tell your sister everything¡­!" "Don''t you dare!" It''s never a wise thing to result in violence. But I did it anyway. By the time I regretted it, Principal''s fist is already on my cheek. WHACK! "¡­Eh?" When I knew it, I was already lying on the floor. The right side of my cheek stings. ¡­He lightly punched me in the face. "¡­You calm down yet?" "¡­And you?" "Hahaha, it seems we were alike." My face has swollen quite a bit. "¡­It was¡ª until you threw that punch," I told him as I sat back on my seat. "It doesn''t matter. You are already a dead man. If you don''t cherish your life, fine¡ª then give it to me. I will continue to polish you in your father''s stead." He said confidently. "¡­You must be mistaken. I told you I will live a fulfilling, satisfying six years for them." "No, no, I''m not the least bit mistaken. I''m talking about your life after six years. That life where you had already abandoned." "Haha, after six years?" I ridiculed. "I don''t even know how I am going to live for the current six years." "It''s a small matter to me." He told me. "If that''s the case, I will help with that." CLAP. After he clapped, I could hear my surroundings again. He dispelled the barrier. "It''s late, have a good sleep for now. Not only you, everyone will be waking up early on six tomorrow." "¡­And I need you to do me a favour too." Chapter 63 - 3.34 - Thursday, July 21th, 6,00am ¡°RISE AND SHINE YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING BRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± A terrible, annoying shout shook the entire house with its might. ¡­It can''t be, that guy¡ª he''s actually serious¡­?! BAM!!! He barged into my room¡ª "¡ªRISE AND SHINE!!!" BAM!!! ¡ªand Restia''s room. "¡ªIT''S MORNING ALREADY YOU IDIOTIC BRATS!!!" "¡­WILL, YOU, SHUT, UP!!?" Restia complained. "I DON''T CARE IF YOU ARE FEELING DOWN OR WHAT, JUST MAKE UP WITH YOUR BROTHER ALREADY!!! TIME~! TO~! WAKE~! UP~!!!" So annoying¡­!!! "STOP BOTHERING MY LITTLE SISTER ALREADY!!!" I swiftly stepped into Restia''s room and yelled at him. He doesn''t seem to be bothered by it at all. "¡­Ngh." When I look at Restia, she avoided my eye contact with a displeased look. ¡­I don''t want that. ¡­I don''t want Restia to hate me. "I''m extremely sorry Restia please forgive this stupid big brother of yours¡­!" I said to her while making a perfect 90-degree bow. Towards my little sister, I could only ask for forgiveness. However, Restia didn''t reply. She didn''t forgive me. "Restia..." I inadvertently murmured. Restia had tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, but it didn''t fall off. "Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, IDIOT!!!" She suddenly screamed. As she scolded me, she throws punches at my body. One time each¡ª a total of six. ¡­The last one hurt a little. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I''M ANGRY FOR!!?" WHAP! I grabbed onto Restia''s hand before it could slap me on my face. "I know it all too well, Restia." I told her. "Ngh¡­!" Restia tried to pull her hand away, but she can''t. "I know you think you are useless; I know that you think you didn''t help out much but that''s not the truth. If it''s isn''t for your magic, he would''ve died¡ª and we wouldn''t be standing here. You even developed a better plan to save them, and you did it perfectly¡­!" "¡­Big brother¡­!" "Restia¡­!" "Myaster¡­!" I huddled Restia and Ruby, and they did the same as well. "Sheesh, this is so disgusting. Why am I even watching such a thing again in the early morning¡­!?" """¡­¡­¡­¡­""" "Anyways, take a bath, brush your teeth." He then murmured. "Meet me at the training chamber later." "T¡­ Training?!" I muttered. "W-Why!? I haven''t even recovered from my injuries yet¡ª" "Three weeks." He reminded me, and nothing else. I inadvertently recalled the favour I asked of him yesterday. "¡­Okay." I replied. "What¡­ about me¡­?" Felix asked. Felix, the Black Cat¡ª isn''t the type that wants to be left out. "D¨®mr prepared a special course for you, and of course, that wolf, snake, leopard, lion and this rabbit as well. Now get along, scram. Don''t bother your master." Maybe it''s because his attitude sucks. Felix looks like she''s on the verge to explode with anger. "NYAA¡­!" She did¡­!? It''s already too late for me to stop her from pouncing towards Principal. She did it as a warning attack to Principal, perhaps. "Hmm? Get lost." WHAP! "NYA!?" ¡ªand was swatted away like a fly. "Felix¡­!" Seconds before she crashes the floor, I immediately rush to her rescue¡ª catching her in my arms. "Felix, are you okay?" "Y-Yesh¡­" That swat completely caught her off guard. Her eyes are spinning. "N¡­ Nya¡­? Nya¡­!?" "¡­Eh?" I was dumbfounded that she suddenly floats up till she''s higher than me. Fortuna soon joins her. They panicked and tried to run and sorts, but unfortunately, they didn''t get to move from their spot. "Know your place, will ya¡­?" Principal then said to Felix while moving her closer to him. "Even D¨®mr, who you deemed strong and powerful is afraid of me." "N-Nya!!?" Unfortunately, Felix is too confused to listen to him. "Geez¡­ these guys are such a handful." After deliberately sighing, he went downstairs with Felix and Fortuna following behind as they float. "Ruby wants a bath with myaster." Ruby suddenly told me. "I want big brother to scrub my back." I knew it. Restia would come along as well. "Erm, yeah¡­ why so suddenly¡­?" I asked them. "Hmph¡­! It''s my apology." Restia said to me while pouting. ¡­I can''t argue against that. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After half an hour, we gathered at the training chamber, where Principal have been watching. "You, are, late." Principal uttered. "Sorry, it took me a while to comb their tangled hair¡­ Look at how pretty they are¡­!" I said. "Good." He murmured. PAK. ""!?"" With him snapping his fingers, a teleportation magic circle appeared below our feet. After a bright flash, Restia, Ruby and Principal disappeared. He probably teleported to dad''s villa, as what I asked of him last night. It''s about Restia''s punishment for telling Nightmare about the time limit and Ruby''s punishment for almost killing Restia. To them, being separated from me without our parents now feels like hell for them. I also want her to master teleportation magic from a far distance. If she could master that spell¡ª this means she would be willing to go to school like a normal girl because she could always come back home with that spell. I also want to stay with her for another six years. Restia''s mana alone probably couldn''t teleport back to this island, but with Ruby''s ridiculous amount of mana¡ª it''s possible if she borrowed Ruby''s mana. Nevertheless, from the note I found sticking on the door to the training chamber, I didn''t expect that he would provide this hopeless me a training course as well. ''I did as what you requested. Now get inside that chamber and do 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Thank you. Finish it before I return, or else you get another set." Will I get bald after this? I could only deliberately heave a sigh and step into the training chamber. "Hmm¡­?" It''s been a while since I came here¡ª almost a week. Inside this chamber, the gravity was tweaked up to 150G, in other words, 15 times stronger than our normal gravity. I need to do all those sets under 150G of gravity? "That bastard, he''s looking down on me¡­" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª" What''s wrong with me¡­!? Why am I this exhausted in just six days¡­!? "¡­ What''s wrong? Running out of breath so soon?" It''s Principal. His voice came from the door. "¡­And what''s wrong with you?" I asked. I was shocked when I turn to face him. His right eye and left cheek are smashed and swollen with bruises, and his clothes were torn with some scratch marks. He purposely let me see the injury on him. ¡­I can''t believe it. They landed several hits on him!? "¡­You understand how hard is it for me, right?" He said. Even though he had a smile on his face, but I could tell he''s angry. "¡­Sorry about that. You can heal yourself now." "Do you understand the reason for those sets now?" He asked while casting a healing spell on himself. His multitasking ability is scary. Not even Restia could cast while talking at the same time. "¡­It accelerated." I murmured. "The body deterioration¡­" Even though I''m injured, but I knew well that it''s not enough to make me exhausted even if I''m under such a strong gravity. "Exactly." He told me. "Make sure to keep in mind of your daily training to slow down the deterioration or else you end up paralyzed before you even reach sixteen years old." That said, he stepped into the training chamber casually, as if taking a walk at the park. ¡­That explains the power of his punches. "Heh¡­ you monster." I murmured. "Why, only a monster would have another monster as a friend, don''t you agree?" I could only laugh after hearing that. I do admit¡ª my parents are indeed monsters just like him. "First of all, I''d like to hear what sort of training did you learnt from your father." He asked, brimming with curiosity. "Sorry to disappoint you, I only knew the basic way to fight." I felt a little guilty to tell him that I didn''t receive any flashy training at all. "¡­I see." However, instead of looking disappointed, Principal stared at me with a grin. "Then, what will you do when you faced an opponent like me?" He said proudly. "Run away." I instantly replied. Do you really need to ask? "Hahaha, that definitely sounds like your father''s teaching." He laughed boldly. "Then, what if you have something you need to protect?" "Stalling and find a way to escape with them." "Well, well. You are indeed your father''s son." He praised. "What else is there?" "Never to use or reveal my trump card unless it could kill my opponent." "¡­Huh." He looks stunned for a moment, then he shakes his head, seeming to disagree. "He even taught you that¡­?" "I''m the one who asked for it." "Is that so? This means¡­ you already have the resolve to killed or be killed, huh¡­" Saying that, he gets closer to me¡ª at most, three steps away; and stopped. "Alright, brat. Try to land a hit on me¡ª I won''t take even a step away from this spot." As soon as he sets the gravity back to normal, I took a leap¡ª closing our distance. WHAP. ¡­He stopped my uppercut with his hand. Well, he had to. "Oh my god¡­! You are aiming my balls right from the start!?" He ?r??n?d with cold sweat. "Guh¡­!" Although his grip isn''t tight, or rather, gentle. But for some reason, I can''t break free from it. "That''s not how you do it. Instead of pulling my wrist, you should grab it on my finger like this¡ª" CRACK! As soon as he said that, I broke his pinkie and escaped, taking some distance. "¡ªARGHHH!?" Then I follow up with a right hook aiming at his solar plexus. "¡­guard." BAM! "Oww¡­!" W-What on earth did I hit on his stomach¡­!? It felt like a diamond¡­! "That''s¡ª that''s the same technique you used to block D¨®mr''s paw!" "Hmm? That was quicker than I expected. Alright, you could stop now." He said calmly while healing his broken finger. "You¡­ aren''t angry that I broke your finger¡­?" "Why should I? It''s normal for the weaker side to go all out and use cheap tricks. Besides, that''s just how your father and I exchanged our training." Cheap tricks, huh. It felt like an insult for some reason. "You have been friends with dad that long¡­?" "Hmm¡­ not really." He unmindfully avoided this topic. "But a friend''s trust isn''t decided by the amount of time they knew each other, isn''t it?" "Just like how Felix, Asha, and Pearl trusted me¡­?" "That''s not for me to answer." He replied. "Because they are the ones who believes in you." "¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡­It doesn''t matter anymore. As long as they would be friends with Restia and Ruby¡­ "Anyways, maybe you heard it from Raphael many times but I''m still going to say it¡ª your body is in a terrible mess, brat." He muttered. "I know." "There are lots of different energy swirling inside you, almost indistinguishable from each other. That mass of energies is constantly clashing against each other. That energy is so enormous that it''s impossible for your body to contain it." "I know." "That''s why that incomplete seal that was placed on you. It supresses your clashing energy, delaying the breakdown on your body. But because of that, your mana was sealed and you can''t grasp vitality energy." "I know." "There''s a limit on how much you could improve on physical strength through gravity training with that body of yours. It means you are completely and utterly hopeless." "Can you tell me something that I do not know?" "That''s a lie, actually." "What¡­!?" I was stunned. That expression on his face was like, ''gotcha!'' "There''s still hope in me¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "That''s right, brat. Hope, is the right word." He told me with a grin. "You see, there''s such a power called the ''Force of Will''." I was surprised once more. It was that!? "Then didn''t I already learn it¡­?" "Nonsense. You only learn basics of it¡ª that''s what the ''Basic of Fighting'' is for. It is to help you develop your ''Force of Will''." "Then how exactly does this ''Force of Will'' works¡­? Dad only demonstrated once." "''Force of Will'', as the name goes¡ª it is a power that acts depending on your resolve and determination. It could be split into three categories¡ª Will of ''Presence'', ''Cladding'' and ''Essence''. Though, I know you''ve seen it before, but nevertheless¡ª it''s better for me to explain with my own demonstration." After I saw Principal raised his hands and clapped... CLAP. ¡­my world immediately envelopes into darkness. This is magic¡­? Eh¡­? Eh!? I speak, but there''s no voice¡ª or rather, there''s no sound. I can''t even hear my breathing and my heartbeat. Earlier, I could smell the shampoo''s fragrance that I had on my body¡ª but now I couldn''t. ¡­All four of my senses are completely stripped away. All that''s left was my sense of touch; at least, I could still tell that I''m standing on the floor. Ow¡­!? Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain coming from the back of my head. He hit me on the head!? Then this means he''s already into training for ''Presence''. I need to find him in this complete darkness. Reacting to it, I swayed my hand¡ª but I hit nothing. ¡­ It''s difficult when I can''t rely on my eyes and ears. Here¡­! Turning to who knows where, I threw a straight punch. "!" I felt an impact. Seconds after that impact, that darkness surrounding me vanished in an instant. My senses returned to me. God, the light is intense¡­ As soon as my iris adjusted to the light¡ª about a few meters away, I saw Principal lying on the ground with a painful look. "G-G-G¡­ Gahack¡­!" It''s not exaggerating to say that he''s almost on the verge of dying. "What''s wrong!? Did I hit your balls for real!?" I asked. "H-How could you¡­ find me so quickly!?" "I don''t know." I replied. "For a moment there I felt something." "Y-Y-You bastard¡­!" "Why are you angry all of the sudden!?" I protested. "G-Guh¡ª Remedium¡­!" (Cure¡­!) It took him a few moments to recover until he could sit properly. "Damn it¡ª your punch completely ignored my multi-layered defensive magic barrier and landed on my solar plexus!" "Well, yeah, sorry." I apologized. But he doesn''t seem satisfied with it¡ª as soon as he recovered, he grabbed me on my shirt and glared at me. "You stupid brat! Did you learn it from your dad before!?" He yelled while shaking me violently. "What¡ª it''s obvious that I didn''t. What''s more, my dad only demonstrated it once." I replied. It''s surprising that he suddenly squatted down and placed his hands on his head, looking vexed. "That can''t be¡ª that can''t be that can''t be that can''t be¡­!" Those murmurs felt like he''s cursing me. "Erm¡­" "YOU FREAKING GENIUS!!!" He suddenly screamed. "DAMN IT ALL I HATED PRODIGIES!!!" "What''s wrong with you!? Get a hold of yourself¡­!" Following the flow, I continuously slapped him on the face, just like my mom always did when dad''s thoughts drifted to another dimension. "Hmm¡­? Ow¡ª hey¡ª stop it already¡­!" "What''s wrong with you!? I thought you are cursing me for a moment there¡­!" "Sigh¡­ my bad." He muttered, while casting a healing spell on his cheeks. "It''s just that, my bad habit from the old days returned for a moment." "You mean that cursing¡­?" "No! It''s just¡ª it took me three days to truly grasp the ''Presence Sensing''¡­! Your dad learnt it within a day, and you just learnt it within minutes!" "I did¡­? Whoa¡ª hey!?" I suddenly saw an image of my face punched by the Principal, which I immediately took a step back¡ª which I saw his fist just right in front of me. "W-What''s with the sudden punch¡­!?" My guard is still up, just in case he''s going to kick. "Crap¡ª you even learn ''Foresight'' and ''Anticipation''." He muttered. "No, wait¡ª what was that punch just now!? I didn''t feel the presence of your punch at all¡­!" "That, brat¡ª is called a silent fist. If you could sense a presence, then of course, it is possible to erase your own presence to remain undetected. When I throw a punch, I erased the presence of my arm¡ª this is called ''Presence Erase''." "What about ''Foresight'' and ''Anticipation''?" "Before I throw my silent fist¡ª you saw an image of my fist smashing your face, right?" I nodded. "And after you dodged it, you took a guard against a kick instead of another silent fist. Why is that?" He added. I''m not too sure of my answer. "¡­ it''s because your leg had a presence to attack?" "Bingo." He grinned. "'' Anticipation'' is meant to deal against normal attacks while ''Foresight'' is meant to deal against presence erasing attacks. Of course, if there''s a way to erase your presence, then there''s a way to amplify it as well. As such¡­" "¡­!" Like waves of a tsunami, fear gushed all over my body¡ª sending terrifying chills on my spine. After a moment later, he waved his hand to check on me. "Hmm¡­? You are still standing¡­?" "Yeah¡­ it surprised me." It totally did. "Surprised you?" He raised his right brow, as if he''s saying, ''That''s it?'' "Geez¡­ your willpower sure is terrifying tough." "What was that¡­?" "''Intimidation''. You amplify your presence in order to prevail over opponents. Any weak-willed person would''ve fainted over this technique easily." "Even if I could withstand it, but my body couldn''t move." "Indeed, not only knock out, but it also provides the ability to stun others for seconds as well. To break free from that, you need to win over that ''Intimidation'' with your ''Fighting Spirit''." "¡­!" Once again, I felt a cold chill running my spine. That bastard¡ª he''s doing it again¡­! "Grk¡­!" TAP. When I knew it, I already took a step forward. "My¡­ Well done." He said to me. "Now, on to the next one¡­" "''Will of Presence'' may be convenient, but is it possible for me to dodge bullets as well¡­?" I interrupted. "It''s possible, only if your reaction speed is fast enough to keep up with a bullet." "Ow¡­!" He flicked my head with his middle finger. "See? If you can''t even react to a simple finger flick¡ª then there''s no way you could dodge a bullet." "If I can''t dodge, then can''t I guard it just like how you guard against my fist earlier? You even used the same method to guard for several times. It''s like you are wearing an invisible suit of armour." "That''s the ''Will of Cladding''. In my case, you could call it ''Will of Defensive Cladding'', or ''Defensive Cladding'' in short. Now then, try punching me again¡ª" BAM! "¡ªwithout hesitation¡­!?" He uttered while receiving my punch. "¡­!?" When my punch landed on his abdomen, the impact felt entirely different compared to the last time. If the last time felt like a hard diamond, then, this time, it felt elastic, like a jelly. "Grk¡­!?" Which then, the power I sent was rebounded back to me, twofold of it. My arm may be numb, but that power is not even enough to even strain it. "What you felt from the first time is ''Hard Defensive Cladding'', while this is ''Soft Defensive Cladding''." "¡­No wonder, so that''s how you repelled D¨®mr''s paw. But why do you require my katana¡ª is that for ''Offensive Cladding''¡­?" "Man, aren''t you quick to pick up the pace¡­ There''s indeed ''Offensive Cladding'', but you are wrong¡ª ''Defensive Cladding'' can be cladded on weapons to make it tougher. When comparing to your body, wouldn''t you prefer something that could guard without inflicted with pain?" "¡­Makes sense." "As for ''Offensive Cladding''¡ª while it may be helpful to sharpen your attacks and sort, it doesn''t help to toughen up the durability of your weapon. For example¡­" Principal then cast his magic storage and pulled out a katana from it. ¡°Lapis murum.¡± (Stone wall.) As soon as he summoned a stone wall¡ª he sliced off the upper part of the stone wall from a distance. "Once cladded with ''Offensive Cladding'', it''s possible for your sword to cut from a distance¡ª like a flying slash that some skilled modern swordsman could do. However, that''s not the only use of it." He summoned two exact same-looking stone walls in front of him. BAM! He throws a straight punch on the first one. BAM! Then, the second one¡ª with the exact same punch as the first one. It seems like a regular punch without any boost or techniques, yet the difference is obvious. The first stone wall had a hole punctured cleanly on the centre, while the second stone wall crumbled. "Depending on how you cladded it, your attack may have a different effect." That''s all he demonstrated. "¡­That''s it?" I asked. "What do you mean that''s it?" "I mean¡ª if you could defend or attack, isn''t it possible to self-recover or counter as well¡­?" "¡­¡­!?" He was entirely surprised. "¡­Well, well. I never thought of that before." He murmured. "Looks like my trip here isn''t all that boring after all¡­!" "And didn''t you say there are three categories? What happened to ''Essence''?" "Meh, don''t bother about that. It can''t be trained or strengthened." "¡­I don''t get it. What exactly is ''Essence''?" "''Essence'' is something like the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something that determines its character¡ª to simplify it, it means ''Who you really are''. In your case, because of ''Who you really are'', those magical beasts are attracted to you and willingly to serve under you." "Then if it''s just something as simple as that, why is it a power?" "Because this is a power to let others trust you. When you are at a loss, this will be the power that allows those who trusts you to lend you a hand." "In other word¡­ friends¡ª ow!?" He knocked me on the head with the sheathed katana. "Don''t be a smartass, brat. Family and friends are not the only thing you could trust." Saying that, he intended to stroke my head¡ª but I slapped it away. "¡­Only my family are allowed to do that." I told him. Hearing that, he retreated his hand, seeming sentimental for some reason. Looks like he misses his family. "So¡­ do you want to learn it? The ''Force of Will''." "Nope. Why would I even need to learn it anyway? There''s no point to do so since I''m stuck on this island anyway." I would probably die here. "Huh¡­? Who says you would be stuck here forever?" "¡ªeh." I was dumbfounded. "B-But doesn''t magic work on me¡­?" "I didn''t say anything about magic either. All you need is a plane; don''t you think so?" "Are you nuts? Are you telling me you intend to storm into this island with a plane?! How could it possibly survive!?" "That is, for the current technologies we have on Central Imperial Island. I''m sure it would only take less than six years for an aircraft with that specs to complete. By then, you are going to join the academy that me, your father and some of our friends founded¡ª Imperial Knights Academy." He declared. "HUFF¡ª HUFF¡ª" When I heard that over-familiar panting sound, I immediately look at the door. "R¡­ Restia¡­!?" S-She made it back¡ª in just that short time¡­!? Not good. She looks dizzy¡ª is it mana deficiency¡­? "Wow¡­ that was quick. You really learn fast like your mother¡ª GEH!?" Before Principal could finish, Restia suddenly appeared in front of him¡ª with a kick landed on his face. I couldn''t believe my eyes. "Warp magic!?" I inadvertently uttered. As soon as I said that, Principal was sent flying to the wall with that kick. He accepted that blow just like that¡­!? Why didn''t he guard it with his ''Will of Cladding''¡­? "¡­!" Restia then switched her target¡ª me. I knew she would be angry, but I didn''t imagine her developing her nature just like mom¡ª after all, this is the first time she was this furious. At this point, she wouldn''t listen to anything until I''m able to stop her, just like dad. Restia is forcefully using her depleted mana¡­ I need to stop her before she''s in danger. Just when I reached out my hand, trying to press Restia down¡ª she warped behind me, performing a low sweep. As soon as I dodged by taking a leap, I felt a presence approaching from behind with a terrifying speed. I immediately retreated by skipping to the right. "NYAA¡­!" It perfectly dodges Ruby''s claw, which sliced down on my left. I betrayed Ruby''s trust in me twice in a row now. When I thought it will be over, Restia then follows up with a straight punch¡ª however, as I intend to dodge, I realize that punch was a feint. "¡­Guard." Which then, I raised my arms to cross-guard against her kick. BAM! "K¡­ Guh¡­!" When I knew it, Restia flew back from the recoil and crashed on the floor. ¡­That should do it. "Guh¡­¡­!" She''s on the verge to vomit, but she can''t¡ª because her stomach is empty. "Calm down, Restia¡­!" "YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME!!! YOU LIAR¡ª GUH¡ª" "¡­!" It''s ''Foresight''¡ª Ruby from behind. "NYAA¡­!?" Before her claw could cut me, I avoided by squatting down¡ª by the time she''s above me, I grab her arm and swing her down gently. "W¡­ Why¡­? Why did master do such a cruel thing¡­? Hic¡ª!" Ruby has been crying. I don''t know how long she had been doing so. The way Ruby looks at me felt like that she''d lose all hope in the world. She wants to resist, but I stopped her from doing so. My ?h?st felt so tight, so painful. But even so, I steeled my heart, raising my left arm. "Sorry, Ruby." W-WHACK!!! Just before Restia could crawl back up again¡ª Principal knocks her out on her carotid pulse while I knock out on Ruby''s. "Hah¡­" I heaved a sigh. It would take a whole lot more time for them to calm down. The emotion I''m feeling now is way worse than I thought. ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t feel sad. What¡¯s done already done.¡± He said, while carrying Restia on his arms. ¡°For now, let¡¯s take them upstairs and let them rest.. They did an amazing feat just to teleport all the way back here from a faraway country.¡± Chapter 64 - 3.35 – Thursday, July 21th, 11.10am Living room. As soon as we carried Restia and Ruby to the sofa, I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast while Principal is recovering Restia''s mana deficiency with his own mana. As for D¨®mr and the other magical beasts, they were out hunting as training. "¡­Here." Placing the bowl on the table with a resounding clatter, I patted Principal''s shoulder, which he turned, glancing at the bowl. "Meatball soup noodles?" He muttered, looking dissatisfied. "¡­Yeah. I didn''t have a proper meal for the past few days¡ª I can''t eat fried or spicy food for these few days." Even if I had a deteriorating body, I still need to stay healthy to live for another six years. "And what does this have to do with me?" He uttered. Did he dislike noodles? I recall the cup noodles that Nightwalker prepared for him yesterday; he opposed it as well. Anyways, he had his sounding point. After all, Principal made a complete recovery from the toxins and injuries¡ª he''s okay to eat anything, and he knew it himself, but¡­ "It''s troublesome to prepare another dish for you, so just eat up." I retorted. Starting from today, I need to prepare three meals a day for four people. It''s a headache just to decide what I should prepare. I come to understand why mom wouldn''t bother to change the menu whenever we feel like it. "Urk¡­" Like a kid forced to do housework, Principal unwillingly sat in front of the table, taking the chopsticks and chugging the noodles in. I took his place and sat next to Restia, holding her hand. All I could do is to hold her hand, actually¡­ "¡­Are you regretting what you''ve done?" He suddenly asked. Regret¡­? Even if I have, it''s too late to start all over. "I don''t. This needs to be done." I replied. "That''s what I don''t get it. You want me to take them away and leave you behind, yet you are forcing them to learn that teleportation spell." ¡­It was that obvious, huh. "Now that my parents were gone, they can''t live on if I''m gone as well." "Nonsense. Their wills are stronger than you think¡ª and you know that. You are giving an excuse to yourself because you are the one who can''t live without them instead." His piercing words made me squeezed onto Restia''s hand. "¡­Perhaps it is. However, I can''t be selfish. You will be returning¡ª there''s no way I would want them to be trapped on this island forever." "You know, I could always come back." He said blandly. To be honest, after living together for four days¡ª I''m confident that he could keep his words. "Even so¡­ those are our responsibilities. There''s always a limit that you could help as dad''s friend." "Or¡­ you could think of it as an investment, brat." "Huh¡­?" I inadvertently uttered. "Investment¡­? Them?" He clicked his tongue. "You! You¡ª you¡ª you¡ª you¡ª you¡­!" He repeated six times. "Once you reach sixteen, you are going to enrol into my Imperial Knights Academy." He uttered. "And before you enrol, I want you to build up your physical strength to at least 200 times of an average human." Two hundred!? "That''s about 2000G! What sort of investment is that!? Are you trying to kill me!?" I could only imagine myself becoming a macho man in the future. "You are still growing. There''s plenty of time for your body to train and adapt." "Why do I even need to do that in the first place!?" "I have a gift for you during your enrolment." "Wow. Now that really is a HEAVY gift." I replied sarcastically. "And what gift is that?!" "It won''t be fun if I tell you now." "¡­I can''t believe my dad''s favourite place¡ª Central Imperial Island is ruled by a guy like you." I murmured while heaving a sigh. "And it will be you soon, haha." He replied confidently. ¡­I can''t believe it. Even if Principal doesn''t look like it, he really shows no sign of hesitation to give away his throne. "¡­Mnn." Restia woke up. "Restia¡­!" While calling my sister''s name, I faced her as I hold on to her hand. "¡­¡­Apologize." She pouted. "Eh¡­?" When I came to, Restia throws a slap on the left of my face. "DON''T YOU EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!" She then hugs me, crying. "N¡­" I returned a hug. I didn''t apologize¡ª even though Restia told me to. Because I knew I won''t be able to keep this promise till the very end. "You choose to forgive your brother after eavesdropping? Wise decision." Principal muttered. "¡­Eavesdropping?" I inadvertently murmured. "Huh? Did I say that out loud?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Restia is glaring at him with anger. "Eek!?" Principal was terrified. Restia is angry because he exposed that she was eavesdropping, which she was trying to hide from us; plus, Restia doesn''t want to vent out her anger on me; that''s why she releases it to Principal instead. Actually, I also knew Restia was eavesdropping when I took her hand. Her pulse is excited instead of pulsating calmly, so I knew she''s pretending to be asleep to eavesdrop on us. Her reason? Girls are unreasonable on certain occasions, and it''s pointless to argue with them, so I tend to play the fool. "Don''t be angry." Saying that, I kissed Restia on her forehead and patted her head to calm her down. "Mnn¡­" Ruby, on the other sofa¡ª woke up. "Ruby¡­!" "Ruby!" "M¡­ Myaster¡­!" She''s scared of me. It''s okay, I''ve got the plan to cheer her. "Squid for dinner today." "S-SQUID¡­! R-Really¡­!?" Her eyes are sparkling. Ruby loved seafood. Anything edible that you could find in the sea is her favourite, except trash. Seaweed and sea-urchins aren''t an exception either. "It''s a compensation for what I did today." I told Ruby. "It''s not enough! Ruby wants more¡­!" "Okay¡­ how about adding a cuttlefish¡­?" "Nnn¡­!" She nods her head crazily while trying to hide her drool. "Thank you myaster¡­!" Then, she swiftly flies into my arms and hugs me. "Is this a miracle¡­!?" Principal suddenly muttered with an unbelievable look. "Why are you forgiving him already!?" "Because he''s my big brother." "Because myaster is Ruby''s myaster." Their replies are much simpler than what Principal thought it would be. "Hahaha¡­" He deliberately let out a laugh with an astonished look. "Is that so¡­?" Principal then lifelessly sat on the floor, looking at a loss. It felt like he was reminiscing about the past. Like I''d care about his past¡ª it''s none of my business. For some reason, Ruby had some weird odour coming from her. It might be because I left her outside for four days¡ª she could really get another shower. "Ah, that''s right¡­ Can you get me some giant brushes and like, lots and lots of shampoos for the magical beasts out there?" Telling him that, I went to search for my Black Card. "Huh¡­? What''s with the sudden urge?" He raised his head and asked. "Even if D¨®mr forgotten about it, I promised him." I flicked my Black Card, where he caught it with his fingers. "To be honest, their foul breath and smelly fur are killing me¡ª Ow." Restia smacked me on the back of my head. "Big brother, you are being rude to them." She scolded me. "That''s right that''s right! Myaster is very rude!" Ruby also scolded me. "¡­But they are¡ª Ah, toothpaste too." "Big brother!" "Myaster!" "Yeah, yeah¡ª sorry, haha." "¡­Meh." He heaved a sigh. "I will be back soon." Which then, he snapped his fingers and disappeared after a flash. Come to think of it, this is the 3rd time he''s casting long-distance teleportation magic today. For an average person, a distance like that is already exhausting in just a one-way trip. Just how limitless is his mana pool? Nah, it''s none of my business. I might as well head out and get them. "Restia, Ruby¡ª I''m heading out now. Your breakfasts are at the dining room." I muttered. "Food¡­!" After shouting happily, Ruby rushes straight towards the dining room. Just before I could take another step, Restia pinched her fingers on my shirt from behind, stopping me from walking away. "What''s wrong¡­?" I asked. "¡­ Don''t leave me alone." She murmured. A droplet of tear from her right eye drizzled across her cheek. ¡­Her gaze looks so pitiful. Unlike Ruby, Restia was terrifyingly scared that she would be left alone once again. Facing that, I let out a tender smile. "Don''t worry. Unlike you, I can''t go anywhere." "¡­!" Restia''s expression was stunned surprised by my remark. "I''m sorry¡­ big brother¡­." I made her realized that she had the freedom to go anywhere she could, unlike me. She understands; that''s why she apologizes. "¡­No, it''s my fault for not telling you clearly." I replied. "Mnn¡­" Restia shakes her head to disagree with me. "You know I definitely wouldn''t listen." "It''s okay. I already have my apology." I rubbed Restia''s head. "Come find me with Ruby after you are done, okay?" "N¡­" After Restia seems to have cheered up, I head towards the front yard, looking for D¨®mr and the others. "Whoa." Suddenly, a gust of wind hurls towards me. It''s created by the swing of D¨®mr''s claw. I knew they are training, but I didn''t imagine it''d be a direct 1 vs 6 brawl. It''s D¨®mr against Forsj¨¢, Felix, Pearl, Asha, Fortuna, and Fylgja. ¡°Fallie aftur, lj¨®n!¡± (Fall back, lion!) Asha is guiding the flow of the battle by giving commands. Fylgja, the weakest of them, was injured by one of D¨®mr''s ice crystal magic. Forsj¨¢ immediately pulled her back to take cover at their battle formation, healing Fylgja''s wounds with her magic. As D¨®mr shoots more ice crystals, strangely, some ice crystals missed their targets and some breaks to pieces before they could reach them. It seems Felix and Fortuna defended them with their good and bad luck manipulation ability. Since his magic failed to land his target, D¨®mr shifted to close combat by lunging towards their formation¡ª and was blocked by Pearl''s invisible body. "Hmm¡­?" My voice inadvertently escaped from my lips. I was surprised by myself. Because even if Pearl is invisible, I could roughly tell where she is. ¡­I could tell where she is through her presence. This is such a terrifying ability¡ª I never knew all it takes was for one morning for me to awaken this power. Let''s test it out further¡­ If I''m correct, D¨®mr would then step back and fires his powerful beam just like how he smashed the ''Hellhound'' to pieces. Eh¡­!? "Stop it, D¨®mr!" I yelled. "GROWL¡­!" BOOM! It''s a warning shot, missing them on purpose. Though I could tell his next attack through his presence, yet I''m still unsure about his attack''s precision. Looks like I could still improve this. Because of my shout, their training came to a halt. I took my time walking to them while listening to their complaints regarding their battle just now. "That''s not fair, teacher!" Asha complained about D¨®mr''s attack. "A little more to the right you would''ve grazed my lady!" She''s still calling Pearl ''Lady''¡­? "Nya! Can''t you see Pearl is terrified!?" Felix added. ¡­It brings me to tears to see them getting along. "Nonsense." D¨®mr retorted. "If I don''t, she would''ve slammed my face with her tail." "But still, you shouldn''t use that dangerous shot, D¨®mr." I said to him while placing my hand on his paw. """"Master¡­!"""" Hmm¡­? Did I just hear Forsj¨¢''s voice during their greeting¡­? It seems she learnt how to pronounce ''master'' correctly. "¡­Young master." D¨®mr greeted me. "It''s alright. Unlike the hellhound, they could survive this blow." """¡­Not!""" They completely disagree. Well, after taking a quick glance at Fylgja''s wound on her left hind ankle, my eyes inadvertently set at D¨®mr. "Are you always that dense?" I asked. "What are you talking about? Of course not¡ª" """He is, sometimes.""" "Growl¡­?!" Felix, Asha, and Pearl¡ª three of the four that were the closest to him, synchronously agreed before D¨®mr could deny. Well, D¨®mr is surprised as well, haha. I then walk past the paws of these giant magical beasts, checking on Fylgja¡ª which was resting while letting Forsj¨¢ healing her injuries. Though it may seem small to them, that ice crystal is still big enough to crush me completely. ¡°Er ¨ª lagi mee tig, Fylgja?¡± (Are you okay, Fylgja?) "¡­!?" Fylgja was utterly surprised and confused that I could speak her language. Ah, I guess that reaction was as expected since she hadn''t met me¡ª her real master, yet. "M... Meistari¡­" (M¡­ Master¡­) ¡°Ekki hafa ¨¢hyggjur. T¨² getur treyst f?rni Forsj¨¢. (Do not worry. You can trust Forsj¨¢¡¯s skills.) Telling her that, I gently touched Fylgja on her front paw. She''s surprised that I would touch her¡ª or rather, she didn''t expect that I would care for her. Nevertheless, I''m sure she would change her impression of me after this, my role as her master. However, as their master, I should also give my ''intimidation'' to a test. "And you, Asha." I intimidated. My intimidation frightens them that they instinctively retreated a step backwards. It works way better than I thought. "W-What''s wrong, master¡­?" Asha asked me with a shaky voice. "Why aren''t you calling Fylgja by her given name?" "Not only her." Asha then calmly replied. "That little puppy, too." Forsj¨¢ too¡­? "May I know the reason?" "They are being disrespectful to master. You could speak our language¡ª why shouldn''t they learn how to speak your language? I would only call them by their name once they are able to speak master''s language." Hearing that, Forsj¨¢ and Fylgja immediately went depressed. Fortuna is an exception because she couldn''t speak from the beginning. "Hehe, is that so?" I''m honestly happy by her remark. It made me ??r?ss her paw, which she enjoyed it. "If that''s the case, I''m fine with your reason. As for you two, might as well work hard on my language, okay?" ¡°Yes¡­ master.¡± ¡°J¨¢, meistari.¡± "Strict leopard. This is why you don''t have many friends." Felix retorted. "Says the one who has lesser friends than me." "N-Nya¡­!?" Felix panics for a moment. "I have Pearl, Forsj¨¢, Fortuna and R-Ruby! What about you¡­!?" Felix seems hesitant to speak Ruby''s name. Because Ruby''s position is, well¡ª special, to me. "I have my lady¡­." Asha then immediately came to a pause. "G¡­ Grawl¡­!?" She''s panicking. "Hiss¡ª You should learn how to get along with others, Asha." Pearl said to her. "B-But my lady¡­ you aren''t even as better than me¡­!" "Aside from dearest master and dearest teacher¡­ Everyone here is my friend¡ª Hiss." Pearl replied blandly. "G-Grawl¡­¡­!?" Everyone who heard Pearl''s statement immediately stared at her with shock and embarrassment, aside from Asha. She was so stunned to the core that her colour was drained even whiter than she already is. "I think she''s fine the way she is." I remarked. "She''s doing this for my sake so I don''t mind at all." "M¡­ Master¡­!" She snuggles her head on me. So cute. But god, her fur is so rough and smelly. "Ah, listen¡ª everyone is going to have a bath later." "Nya!?" "Grawl¡­!?" "Hiss¡ª!?" "Growl!?" "Growl¡­!?" I''d heard that animals hated water baths¡ª it seems like I''m finally witnessing this for the first time. D¨®mr''s the only one who looks happy about this. "¡­So you do remember." He murmured with a grin. "This is what I promised to you, didn''t I? But I can''t literally wash every of your pack¡ª it''s only for those who are currently here." His tail is wagging. "It''s fine. After all, I''m the only one who likes it." Hearing his statement, I turn to face the six of them, where they retreated. "I-I don''t nyeed a bath, myaster¡­!" Among them, the first one who attempted to run away is Felix. "Oh, no, I insist, Felix." I caught her on her nape before she could run. "I will be washing you with lukewarm water, massaging with my acupunctures techniques, and finally, a fine grooming¡ª it will be so relaxing that you would hope this to last all day¡ª" PAK! Felix throws a cat slap on my face. When I came to, she''s already halfway to the house, which is about twenty steps away. Why is she running there for¡­? "Anyone want to catch her?" I asked. They refused by shaking their head. Ah, right¡­ Felix is the second strongest after D¨®mr. "Not a single one of you is allowed to run away." I warned them. "COME BACK!!!" Then I immediately chased Felix. "N-Nya¡­!?" Felix increased her speed. "Restringunt!" (Paralyze!) "NYA!!?" Just moments before Felix could jump to the roof, she was stopped mid-air by Restia with her magic. "Big brother¡­! Are you playing chase¡­?" Restia shouts to me. She had to because we were pretty far away. "No! She''s trying to escape from taking a bath!" I replied. "Noooo! It''s not nice to reject myaster''s kindness¡ª especially bathing¡­!!!" Ruby complained to Felix. She must''ve heard the commotion and came rushing out from the door. "B-But¡­! Baths are scary nya¡­!" "Don''t worry! Fortuna will be joining you¡­!" I shouted. SHAA¡­ What is that sound¡­? "N-Nya¡­!? Meow¡­!!!" "Kyaa¡­!?" Felix suddenly broke free from Restia''s magic restraints, falling to the ground. ¡­ She''s going to jump again. "Stop her for a moment, Ruby!" I yelled. While telling Ruby that, she immediately reacted by pouncing towards Felix. "N¡­!" "Nya¡­!? L-Let go¡­!" Ruby caught Felix for a few seconds until Felix escapes with her flexibility to slip through any possible gaps on Ruby''s arms. "Hup¡­!" Fortunately, I predicted that. "NYA¡­!?" Moments before she jumps to the roof, I stopped Felix by catching her like a Rugby, rolling on the ground a few times. "Why are you running away¡­?" She''s trembling¡­? "N-Nya¡­!!!" Ignoring me, she slips through between the gap of my arms. "You are choosing this the hard way, Felix." TAK. "N-Nya!?" I temporary immobilized her by striking the acupuncture point on her back. "When facing something you are afraid of, running away isn''t the best way to deal with it." I said to Felix. "I¡­ I can''t do this alone¡­!" "Don''t worry, Fortuna will be joining you." "R-Really¡­?" "Yeah." SHAA¡­! "WHAT''S WITH THAT ANNOYING SOUND!!?" I immediately turn and yelled. "Big brother, Fortuna is trying to hide by digging a hole." Restia said to me. When I look to where Restia pointed, I saw dirt sprayed into the sky¡ª akin to a sandstorm. Then, I felt something inside my head snapped¡ª which then, I tossed Felix to Restia and immediately ran to Fortuna while yelling like a madman. "DON''T YOU DARE TRY TO HIDE¡­!!!" ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ "Look here, brat¡ª I know you are eager to give them a wash¡­ but what''s with all the dirt on you and that rabbit? Are you really THAT eager to do so¡­!?" By the time I pulled Fortuna out from her rabbit hole with dirt on me, Principal had returned. "Hurry up and take out the stuffs already!" I said, while making an annoyed look. I''m not bothering to explain after the mess Fortuna made. "Sheesh. So impatient." Saying that, Principal summoned a storage magic circle on the ground, about 2m in radius, with hundred stacks of metal boxes floating up from within the magic circle. ¡­That would definitely bury us alive if it collapses. "Okay, these are the shampoos." "Eh?" After the first pile, he moves the magic circle to its left, summoning more stacks of metal boxes¡ª ¡°STOPPPPPPPP!!!!!!¡± "What!? Aren''t you the one who told me to take it out?" "Are you a retard!? We don''t need that much now!!! Just put those remaining ones at the basement storage!!!" I scolded. "Screw you! I''m not your slave!" He refuted. "Stop whining like a kid! You are the only human ?du?t here¡­! Now go¡­!" "Ughhhhhhh¡­" With his head lowered shamefully and depressingly, he then walks in the direction of the house. I then turn to the magical beasts behind me that are lowering their head. "I WILL BE WASHING THE SMALLEST ONES FIRST¡ª FELIX AND FORTUNA, THEN ASHA, THEN FYLGJA, THEN FORSJ¨¢, THEN PEARL, LASTLY, D¨®MR! UNDERSTOOD!?" """"Y-Yes¡­"""" Since Felix and Fortuna are small-in-size, it''s easier for me to scrub them¡ª as well as removing the fleas lingering on their skin. I plucked about fifty-six on Fortuna and six on Felix. They have been trembling all the way I wash and applied shampoo on them, but they enjoyed the grooming. As for the large-sized Asha, Fylgja, Forsj¨¢, Pearl and D¨®mr¡ª they were cleaned by spraying water on them with Principal''s, Restia''s, and Ruby''s water magic; scrubbed by a giant brush, and finally, eliminating the fleas by cutting off their heads and plucking them. Among them, Fylgja had the most fleas on her body. She had about twenty-eight giant fleas and about five hundred tiny, normal-sized fleas. As for Pearl, she had mites instead¡ª but not that much. Felix, Asha, Pearl, Forsj¨¢, and D¨®mr are almost immaculate¡ª especially D¨®mr, he had no fleas at all. For their teeth, Fylgja had the worst ones. There was even some broken tooth¡ª Principal had to perform an operation to clean and restore her giant teeth. Once again, D¨®mr had the healthiest teeth among them. He b?r?ly had any foul breath at all¡ª unlike Fylgja''s deceased father. Finally, grooming. Everyone likes their grooming, where D¨®mr seems to relax the most. By the time we finished, it''s dusk, and the sun is almost setting. D¨®mr and the others were out hunting. While Restia and Ruby were having their time in the bathtub, I was preparing dinner at the kitchen¡ª with Principal watching from behind. "Are you really fine with it?" Principal asked. "Spending your time like this." "You know, you had that really tensed look ever since your memories returned¡ª I guess you were worried. I don''t know how I can cheer you up, so the only thing I could do is to let you relax like this." "¡­I felt like a zookeeper." "Really? You are grinning all along. Even now." "Is that so¡­?" He vaguely replied, as if he''s trying to hide it. "Hey¡­ when will you appear again¡­?" "If you check the lunar calendar¡­ the next time I reappear will be 19th August¡ª I believe we won''t be meeting again by that time." "¡­I see. The next time we meet¡­ will be six years later." "Ah, that''s right¡ª my memories will be sealed away with me¡­ you need to teach both of my personalities the ''Force of Will'' once again." "Don''t worry, I will be teaching you more than that. The only problem is¡­ are they ready to leave you behind?" He''s talking about Restia and Ruby. "¡­ I''m not supposed to decide for them. But¡­ yeah, they are ready." "Then, Restia Nightwalker von Nightmare!" He purposely raised his voice. "You will be enrolling middle school at the capital city, Leiden, of Silesia Republic¡ª Leiden Junior High School when you reach 13!" Restia, who is eavesdropping at the corridor, steps into the kitchen. "¡­Why there? Is it because papa''s villa is near there?" She asked. "Dad''s villa is near that school?" "¡­N." Restia nodded. "That''s not the main reason." Principal interrupted. "You ought to know how society works¡ª since it''s currently impossible for your brother, that''s why you need to take his place. Of course, first, you need to learn Silesia''s language before enrolling¡ª" ¡°¡­Nen¨ª pot?eba.¡± Restia murmured. (¡­Not necessary.) "Hmm¡­ well, that makes things easier." Principal murmured, as if he realized something. "As for the second reason, it''s because it''s close to this island¡ª if you are capable to teleport twice per day, I don''t mind if you travel back and forth each day. It might as well increase your mana capacity." "¡­!" Restia looks more eager to enrol on school. "The third reason¡ª I don''t want you to be sticking on your doting brother and rely on him too much. Think wisely, how many times had he stood in front of others just to protect you? You can''t always hide behind him. There are times where you should handle things on your own, independently." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡­He''s right, and Restia agrees too. "By the way, it''s not just you. Ruby will be joining you when she turned 14, which is¡­ about five years later." "Ruby don''t want to¡­!" Ruby suddenly shouted from the stairs as she came running down. Seems like she''s been listening to our conversation as well. I carefully placed the remaining fried squid on the colander, allowing the excess oil to drip off. Then I walk to Ruby¡ª where she suddenly pounced on me. "Are you scared that I''m alone¡­?" I asked Ruby. While biting her lips, she nodded her head several times. "What about D¨®mr and the others¡­?" I remarked. "¡­¡­!" She realized. "B-But¡­ Ruby doesn''t want to leave myaster¡­!" However, she''s not biting. "Then¡­ can you please stay with Restia for my sake? Besides, Selisia is famous for their fresh seafood products. If you wish to, you could buy what you like back home." "R-Really¡­!?" It works¡ª it works too well. Her eyes are sparkling with glitters. "Yup." I smiled. "Yay¡­!" ¡­I''m glad things go well. "¡­Myaster¡­?" While thinking of that, I gave Ruby a hug. "It''s time, Ruby." Restia said to her while embracing me from behind. "¡­N." I then stood up, approaching to Principal. "Well¡­ this is a goodbye, Principal." I said while gently bumping my fist on his ?h?st. "Please take care both of me from now on." "¡­Sure.." He replied, with a sentimental look. Chapter 65 - 3.36 – Wednesday, 10th August, 9.24 a.m. Today''s the last day Principal will be staying here. Ever since my true personality takes place that day¡ª there are some visible changes. First, D¨®mr and the others are sparkling clean, and it seems they have been properly cleaning themselves ever since. Second, Restia and Ruby had been even clingier than they already are, yet for some reason, they also grew more independent at the same time. It''s like they had some sort of resolve and determination. Restia had fully mastered teleportation magic in both long and short distance, and she could teleport several times a day in long distance. In addition, she also learnt how to grasp the ''Force of Will'' as well. Third, Principal made me go through a hellish training. For the first two days, Nightwalker and I were taught of the ''Force of Will''. Apparently, the techniques we could pull off are in 50-50 fragments of our own. On the 4th day, Principal and Nightwalker climbed to the top of the mountain together without taking any breaks, which then¡ª Principal pushed Nightwalker over a bottomless cliff. Since we shared the same memories, it scared the hell of us. It''s thanks to Nightwalker''s ''Defensive Cladding'' and sturdy body that this body managed to survive with minor injuries. The scary thing is, Principal followed Nightwalker by leaping down the cliff as well. Even if Nightwalker wants to refute, he can''t. I mean, he¡¯s doing the same thing. Then he''d carry Nightwalker''s lifeless body back home. In the following days, he continued to train us with gravity training and the training of Force of Will. On the 11th day, at night, he blindfolded and tied me when I was in bed, then he threw me into the forest at the Cithaeron Lion''s territory. Thanks to Anticipation and Foresight, I managed to survive and made it out of the forest with minor scratches before dawn comes. He''d greet me by the border of the forest and carried me back home. Then he trains us with more gravity training and the training of Force of Will. On the 17th day, he sunk me into the sea with a giant boulder tied to my waist with massive chains. I b?r?ly survived by biting a part of my skin to let out some blood to attract the sea monsters to attack me, which they''d break the chains, allowing me to escape to shore. He''d greet me at the beach of the sea and carried me back home. Then he trains us with intense gravity training and exchanging one-sided blows with our Force of Will. As for Restia and Ruby, they have been training to teleport once a day, which then, he would bring them back and made them go through the training of Force of Will and martial arts. It was heart-aching to watch how they go through all of that. But compared to me, their training is much friendlier. By the way, every time that guy carries me back like a piece of luggage, he''d throw me to rest on the sofa while discussing his strategies with Nightwalker and me regarding Central imperial Island. Nightwalker and I were to give out suitable suggestions while he would point out the mistakes and errors of our strategies. His training is torturing us both physically and mentally. On the 19th day, our training finally came to a halt. We''d thoroughly went into discussing strategies alone with the intel he''s been gathering at Silesia Republic since his memories recovered. Firstly, the news of the missing King of Central Imperial Island¡ª that''s him, has spread throughout the world. Rumours said that the King was ?ssassinated by Regalia Empire''s spies. The royal family of the King did not make any response regarding this incident. Secondly, it was confirmed that the Regalia Empire is preparing an army of an estimated 6 million strong to launch an invasion. Though there are no more specific details, but from the looks of it, obviously, it''s towards Central Imperial Island. The problem is a part of units they are sending out¡ª they are the Insignia Troopers. Insignia Troopers are one of the core units of the Regalia Empire. They are cold, heartless killing machines that kill regardless of age and gender. Since they were made with the alloying of adamantine and mithril, they are nearly impregnatable through physical attacks¡ª bullets are basically useless. The only way to damage them is through specially enchanted weapons or powerful explosions. Thirdly, nations nearby Central Imperial Island had signs of preparations due to the missing King of Central Imperial Island. As for what they are preparing, we believed they were ready to launch an attack if the Regalia Empire failed. Since Central Imperial Island is a closed border country, there are no other information leaks aside from the news of the missing King. I believe such terrifying news was spread by the Regalia spies, who knew about the King''s death (even though he''s not). To be honest, I can''t blame them for giving incorrect information. Because there''s not a single soul who entered Bermuda Triangle could get out, dead or alive. Thanks to that news, I''m confident that they are still residing within Central Imperial Island to support the incoming Regalia Army. This means they won''t be leaving for now. Principal told me no matter how it goes¡ª Central Imperial Island would definitely win this war; it''s just that he needs to reduce the casualties as much as possible. With those limited intel and theories, we discussed for weeks and finally devised two solid strategies. The first strategy was devised by Nightwalker. Only a few in this world are capable of such large-scale magic, and Regalia Empire isn''t one of them¡ª or so Principal told me. As for the sea invasion, there''s a high chance that their boat will be sunk by the sea dwellers or sea monsters. This means the only choice for them to invade safely and quickly¡ª air. When selecting the fastest route, they will be flying across three countries in total. Their names are Garleia Republic, Grand Kryptos and Altissa Kingdom. Garleia Republic and Grand Kryptos are on good terms with Regalia Empire, while Altissa Kingdom remains neutral. And among them, Altissa Kingdom is the closest country to Central Imperial Island and furthest from Regalia Empire. Their place is also geographically decent to commence a pincer attack with Central Imperial Island to strike down the Regalia Army once they entered the ocean region. The problem is, we weren''t sure about the reason for Altissa Kingdom''s high alert. The Altissa Kingdom might just be preparing their defences just in case if Regalia Empire would change course to their country instead. Nevertheless, both Principal, Nightwalker and I knew that we can''t just watch and guess their motives¡ªthus, the best choice we had is for the King of Central Imperial Island to meet the Queen of Altissa Kingdom in secret, if possible, declare an alliance. We ?ssumed that it is highly likely for the Queen of Altissa Kingdom to refuse the alliance since there''s no merit for them to gain. And so, Principal will be handling the negotiations against the Queen of Altissa Kingdom. For example, there''s a chance that the Regalia Army would expand their course after they invaded Central Imperial Island, or the Regalia Army would take over Altissa Kingdom first, then continue to advance on Central Imperial Island, et cetera. Even if the Queen of Altissa Kingdom refuses in the end, Central Imperial Island still had its own allies of six¡ª Central Imperial Island will still win. But it''s still better to have another ally instead of an enemy. And as for the enemy, Central Imperial Island''s only sole enemy is the Regalia Empire. To be honest, I had no idea about the Regalia Empire''s goal. If there is a need to expand their territory, weren''t they supposed to take over the countries nearby their region? I don''t understand why would they went through all the trouble to fly over three countries just to invade it¡ª there''s a risk of getting interrupted by other countries. Well, then again¡­ only idiots or fools would dare to challenge the Regalia Empire. But even so, is there really a need to capture and interrogate the King of Central Imperial Island? It''s as if the King (Principal) had some sort of secret weapon that the Regalia Empire wants that they''d even prepare an army of 6 million strong. I asked Principal, but was returned with vague replies and answers instead. Nevertheless, no matter their goals, we still need to get rid of or capture the remaining spies that remain within the island, which will be my strategy. Yet, that would depend on this intel we are going to get now. [Doo Doo] Principal and I are currently waiting in my room with the door locked, while Restia and the others are, as usual, training. Principal brought himself a smartphone from Silesia Republic, using my Black Card. He tempered the phone with his magic so that it wouldn''t be traced by anyone during the call. To make it easier for me to listen, Principal set it to loudspeaker mode. CLACK. It finally connected after six attempts. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" The person on the phone isn''t talking, but I could hear heavy breathing that sounds rather anxious. "¡­Who are you¡­?" I was surprised when the person who responded is a m?tur? young lady. "A dead man." "¡­¡­¡­¡­!" The moment that lady heard Principal''s reply, she immediately gasps from agitation. BAM¡ª KACHAK. Suddenly, the phone had the sound of a door slamming shut and locked. CHAA¡­ The sound of curtains moving. CLAP. ¡­Clapping her hands? Is she casting an isolation barrier¡­? "¡­¡­H-Huff¡­" It seems she''s taking a breather to calm herself. "Who is the only person that could call you ''White Rabbit''¡­?" She suddenly asked. "!?" I was surprised. She''s the Queen¡­!? I didn''t expect Principal to call his spouse right from the start. And this question¡ª are they going through security questions to confirm the person on the phone is Principal¡­? She''s very cautious. But, isn''t this answer a little too simple¡­? It''s evident that the answer was her¡ª "None." Principal answered. ¡ªis that so!? "If there''s an argument between you and me, who will always be the winner?" There''s still more¡­? Well, I can''t underestimate this for a second time. The answer must be her, I''m sure of it. "I don''t argue with you." ¡­The answer was so obvious that it slipped past my mind. "What are the three words that I would love to hear from you¡­?" The third one¡­? This must be the last one. ¡­ It''s simpler than I thought. This must be ''I love you''. "Drop dead, bitch." ¡­Never mind. "D¡­ Darling¡­!" The lady from the phone said with a shaky voice. "I''m glad¡­ I knew you are alive¡­!" "Honey, I''m sorry for not giving you a call up until now." Principal replied sadly. "(Sniff¡­) W-Where¡ª Where are you now¡­!? What happened to you¡­!?" "Not now, honey." He stopped her from asking. "I''m not confident that this line is not wiretapped." "¡­ I''m making sure it doesn''t." She uttered in a serious tone. "You are free to say anything, darling." As expected from Principal''s wife¡­ From her calm and intellect response, it looks like she''s indeed the only person who could give us what we need. "Where are the kids¡­?" Principal asked. "¡­They are safe with me." "Thank goodness¡­" Saying that, he heaved a sigh. Then, he breathes in deeply. "¡­Please don''t tell me my SHIELD members are dead." Principal said with such an anxious look. It looks like he''s been worrying about them for quite some time now. Is he talking about the six close aides that were supposed to be with him on his private jet¡­? Indeed¡­ if those are the imposters, then something must¡¯ve happened to the originals. "They aren''t¡ª but they aren''t alive either." She replied. "What happened¡­?" "All six members were found terribly injured at their home¡ª they were stabbed with a magic sealing knife with an extremely lethal poison. Though the doctors cleared the poison, but because we found them after their grace period¡­ they were now in a coma state." Principal somehow looks relieved when he hears that. Perhaps, he expected them to be dead. "¡­Any signs of torture?" Principal then asked. "¡­¡­Brutally." She replied, with a heavy tone. "Excluding the uses of drugs to stimulate the pain nervous system¡­ especially Sheryl and Irene¡ª they had part of their skin ripped, and the doctors believe¡­ their nervous system was exposed to saltwater." ¡­How brutal. And it seems the SHIELD members are created with the first initial of their names. "¡­Damn it all!" BAM!!! While uttering those words, Principal slammed his fist on the floor with anger. He''s hitting even harder than the last time that his hand is bleeding. "Darling¡­" Principal''s wife murmured. "¡­You know we can''t afford to lose you too." "Erm¡­ ah¡­ I''m sorry¡ª it''s just that¡ª never mind." Perhaps blood is rushing to his head now; Principal''s words are just as scrambled as his face right now. "¡­What else do you have, honey?" He asked. "We were able to trace their location with the phone calls you baited them with, but¡­" As soon as she paused, Principal immediately heaved a sigh. "¡­A decisive suicide, huh." He muttered. "¡­Poison suicide, to be precise¡ª they committed suicide before we could catch them." Principal, he¡ª he baited them when he was interrogated¡­!? "And¡­? Where were they found? Hotels?" He asked. "¡­Yes. We found a few at different places, but¡ª their numbers are larger than we thought." "¡­I knew it. There was more blending within the palace. I should''ve expected that when they already disguise themselves as my SHIELD members¡­ Tell me¡ª who else was disguised¡­?" "Courtiers, knights, maids, butlers, chefs, and even some citizens¡­ a total of 24 spies were found for now¡­" ¡­That''s a large number. I can''t believe the Regalia Empire sent that many of them to infiltrate Central Imperial Island. What¡¯s more, if they could take out the SHIELD members¡­ they must be strong. "WHAT!!? WHERE ARE THEY AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM¡­!!?" "¡­I''m sorry." She replied, with a shaky voice. "¡­They were found that their home¡ª including their family members¡­" After hearing that, Principal falls into deep silence. "¡­¡­¡­!" Which then, my heart trembled from the heavy atmosphere, or rather, the rage and bloodlust I felt from Principal. Perhaps, this is his ''intimidation''. Sorrow and anger¡ª that''s what reflecting on Principal''s face right now. ¡­Not even standing at the gravity field had this kind of weight. "¡­Why¡­¡­?" Principal suddenly murmured. "¡­What did they do¡­¡­? Why¡­!" "Darling¡­?" The lady on the phone seems to be at a loss. "Please¡ª calm down¡­!" "¡­They should be destroyed¡­ Yes¡ª I should destroy THEM¡­!" Though I hate to admit it¡ª he''s just like me. When our emotions took over us¡ª our rationality was robbed away. Acting based on emotions is not a quality that a king should have. BAM!!! Before he could do anything stupid, I punched Principal in the face, which he crashed backwards. "Have you cool down yet¡­?" I asked. "¡­¡­¡­¡­Yeah." He replied, staring at the ceiling with a blank look. "A¡­¡­ kid?" The lady from the phone suddenly murmured. I wondered why Principal didn''t reply immediately, but his spouse¡ª is patiently waiting for one. It took Principal a moment to respond. He got up, and stared at the phone for a few seconds. "¡­Honey." Principal said to her. "This brat here¡­ is ''his'' son." "¡­!" I wondered why, but she seems surprised for a moment. And is it my problem that I hear another voice aside from her¡­? "¡­No wonder you were leaving in such a hurry." She suddenly muttered. "This means¡­" "No, honey." Principal stopped her without saying anything extra. Because he knew the more he talks, the more information I had. "¡­Does this have something to do with my parents?" I asked. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Principal knew I don''t want to hear his answer; that''s why he didn''t answer. That''s right. I want to hear it from someone else. I want a genuine answer. "¡­Deary." She said to me. "¡­It''s best for you not to know the answer." "I could decide what''s best for me." "That stubbornness¡ª you are indeed, ''his'' son." She told me. "Unfortunately¡­ aside from your parents, not even we knew the answer." "What nonsense are you talking about¡­!?" I uttered. "Are you telling me¡ª I should find them myself!?" "¡­If that''s what you want, so be it." She replied coldly. "That''s enough for now." Principal suddenly cuts in. He then stared at me with a sentimental expression. "Time, will tell you the answer, brat." He concluded. "It will be futile even if you force us, because we don''t have the answer." Hearing that, I could only close my eyes in pain and heave a sigh. "¡­Fine then," I replied to them. "Back to the topic¡ª honey, did you hear about the rumours about Regalia Empire¡­?" "It''s true. However, it''s not an army of 6 million, but 16 million." She said. Principal and I were stunned frozen when she told us with such certainty. "Really¡­ now." Principal then murmured from the tense atmosphere. "Is it from Vann¡­?" "It is." She replied confidently. "He infiltrated into the capital city the moment he heard your news." It seems Vann is a spy working for them. "No wondered. What else does he have¡­?" Principal asked. "We aren''t just dealing with the Insignia Troops¡ª there''s even the Insignia Special Forces. They were leaded by Richthoven LeVier and Reitsch Litvyak.¡± Principal''s eyes narrowed from the intel she had. "¡­That famous duo." He then uttered in a serious tone. "An Army General (AG) and Air Chief Marshal (ACM)¡­ I could perhaps hold off those two all by myself, but as for the rest of the troops¡­" For some reason, Principal seems to be in frustration. "It seems¡­ we don''t have a choice but to tell ''her''¡­" He murmured with a shaky voice. "Lucillea¡­? I''ve already told her the moment you went missing." ¡°Shittttttttttttttttttttttt¡­¡± While uttering that, he scratched his head like a madman. The anger he had just now have completely vanished into thin air. "Who is she¡­? One of the SHIELD members¡­?" I asked him. "Can we not talk about her¡­? I''m scared." He said to me while making a terrified look. For some reason, it''s fun to see him making a face like that. "¡­If she''s joining in, then there should be no problem with the 16 million armies, at worst case." He said. "Then all that''s left is the alliance with the Queen of Altissa Kingdom and the remaining spies¡­" "Altissa Kingdom¡­?" Vice suddenly interrupted. "Darling¡­ they agreed to form an alliance two days ago." "W-What¡­!? Don''t tell me¡­¡­" "Lucillea¡ª she successfully persuaded the Queen two days ago." "Noooooooooooooooo¡­!" Though I had no idea who she is, but if she could represent Central Imperial Island to form an alliance with Altissa Kingdom¡ª she''s definitely a big shot. "What''s wrong? This is good news, isn''t it?" I told him. "Now, all that''s left is the remaining Regalia spies at Central Imperial Island." "Y-Yeah¡­ Somehow¡­" He silently murmured. "I beg your pardon, deary¡ª may I ask why are you participating in our country''s affair?" She suddenly asks me in a lecturing tone. "Honey¡­ this brat is my successor." Principal said to her. "That''s not what I''m asking, darling." She doesn''t seem to be bothered that I''m his successor¡ª it''s as if she knew from the beginning. "I''m asking why you are involving a CHILD in a country''s affair¡­? That''s not what a ten-year-old child SHOULD BE DOING!" She uttered. "If it''s the old me¡ª I would definitely not do that, honey." He told her. "¡­What do you mean?" "I almost died from a plane crash and seven stacks of poison inside my body. I don''t know how long have I wandered on the verge of death¡ª and I even lost my memories when I woke up. Somehow it got my head cleared up." "¡­!" She gasped. "I''m sorry, darling¡­ I didn''t know that so much had happened¡­ B-But, who saved you¡­?" "Tell her, brat." He bumped me with his elbow. "Tell her clearly that you are the one who saved me." "It''s not just me, ma''am," I said. "It''s thanks to everyone listening to my request that I was able to save him." "¡­Thank you." Somehow, Principal''s spouse didn''t ask any further. She just offered sincere gratitude. To begin with, I didn''t think she would believe me. "By the way, please call her ''Vice'', brat." Principal told me. "V-Vice¡­?" She was surprised for a moment. "Darling, what are you¡ª ah¡­ Deary, call me ''Vice'', then." "Erm¡­ okay¡­?" I wasn''t sure what I was supposed to reply. "By the way, deary, I suppose you already figure what Vann''s job is¡ª but I will still let you know. He''s a spy working for us." She said. "And as for Lucillea¡ª" ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PLEASE DON¡¯T SAY HER NAME¡­!!!¡± "Shut up, honey¡ª pardon my husband''s tantrum." She said to me. "Lucillea is our country''s Prime Minister. Normally she will be absent, so she would let me and my husband handle most of the work¡ª but since it''s the first time our country met a situation like this¡­ she came back to help." ¡­I wish I had a job like that. And did she mention ¡®first time¡¯? I can¡¯t believe they are dealing this with such ease. "Okay¡­ Then why is he acting like that¡­?" I asked. "Because she is also the King''s older sister and my sister-in-law," Vice replied. "E-EH¡­!?" I was utterly surprised that the Prime Minister is the King''s older sister. "She also had an authority as powerful as the King," Vice added. "¡­Does this mean¡­ there''s a chance that she would overthrow Central Imperial Island by borrowing outside force¡­?" "¡­HUH." Maybe I said something wrong¡ª Principal''s gaze had changed entirely. It''s nothing comparable to his stupid-looking expression just now. It was pure rage that was born from respect. "¡­Darling." It''s as if Vice knew what Principal would do next¡ª she stopped Principal by calling him. "No, honey¡ª I need to completely erase that line of thought from him." He retorted. However, it doesn''t seem like Principal is going to. He showed me his determination by grabbing my shirt with his left hand, and his right hand making a fist. ¡­I doubt I could dodge this. Then again, I didn''t expect this¡ª I didn''t expect that he trusts and believes in his older sister that much. Throughout history, there''s never been a kingdom that could be built from trust and faith. A rebellion started by siblings had happened so many times if you''d just ever read history. No wondered. No wondered my dad likes that place. "¡­Sorry." I immediately apologized to them. "It''s just that¡­ I didn''t expect that royal families would get along in harmony." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­True. It''s rare out there." Principal released his hand, accepting my apology and reason. "That annoying woman may be unreasonable, selfish and often loves to tease me sometimes¡ª but there are times where you could put your trust on her." He added. "My, it''s really refreshing to hear that from you, my cute little brother~" ¡­It''s not Vice, but rather, the voice that I heard from the phone earlier. Just when I was wondering who is she¡ª Principal''s face had its colour drained utterly white. "E-EEK¡­!!? B-B-B-B-B-B-BIG SIS¡­!!?" He immediately shouts and backed to the corner of the room. "W-W-W-W-W-WHEN DID YOU RETURNED!!?" It''s the Prime Minister¡ª the King''s older sister, Lucillea¡­? Just by hearing her voice is enough to frighten him that much. "She''s always here, darling. It''s just that¡ª she told me not to say anything¡­" Vice said to Principal. "MY DEAR LITTLE BROTHER¡­ YOU WILL TELL ME EVERYTHING WHEN YOU RETURN, OKAY~?" Lucillea warned. "Y¡­ Yes¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" This is my chance to ask about my parents¡­! "M¡­ Madam Lucillea¡ª" "Luc boy." Before I could continue, she stopped me. "DON''T, ASK." For some reason, I can''t let out my voice like I usually do. It felt like I can''t go against her. "I have been friends with your father for so long¡ª I wanted to see him more than you do." She told me. "Anyways, I have been listening to your conversation, and I know that idiot brother of mine has put you into our affair. Now tell me, dear Luc boy¡ª you, as the future King candidate¡­ What sort of plan do you have in mind to clear away the excess in our country? Hmm?" Unlike Principal, every word that came from her mouth feels immensely impacted to me. It''s not forceful but rather¡ª majestic. "¡­Not until I know what are they after," I replied. "I can''t if I don''t know what they were after." "They have two separate goals." She said. "O-Oi¡­!" Principal grabbed the phone and yelled at Lucillea. "Sis¡ª why do you¡­!?" "It''s fine, my cute little brother." She said to him. "As long as we don''t tell him the reason, he would never know." Indeed, if they do not tell me¡ª I would never know. "It''s pretty simple." She said. "Their first goal¡ª is me." "¡­¡­Eh." Really? I was genuinely surprised. "Erm¡­¡­" I gave it a thought for a moment. "Sex slave¡­?" "¡­Luc boy." Whoa. Such a scary tone. "I mean, do they need you alive, or dead¡­?" "Alive." She replied. "I''m strong, you know? Stronger than that idiot next to you." ¡­What!? I inadvertently glanced at Principal. "It''s true, brat. Stop making that face." Principal said to me. "As for the second and most important, they need the ancient scriptures that were written on a giant stone tablet." She added. Ancient scriptures¡­? My dad would be thrilled when he hears this. "¡­Reasons aside, which of their success rate is higher? Capturing you, or, getting the ancient scriptures¡­?" I asked. "Chances are low, but it''s probably the ancient scriptures." She replied. "If you are just as strong as you said¡ª I personally think it''s probably impossible to take you away, even by force. As for the ancient scriptures¡­ why don''t we just give them what they want¡­? I''m sure they would leave once they have the scriptures. It''s probably hard for us to identify the spies anyway." "You mean¡­ a fake scripture¡­?" Principal asked. "True, they weren''t able to identify and understand the contents of the scripture. If we just scramble the scriptures with a fake one, increase the security level around the stone tablets and cut off their communications with a signal jammer and magic sealing stone¡­" "With their communications cut off, they had no choice but to break in through brute force, and it would be impossible for them to decode¡­ at worst, they would just copy the scriptures and leave¡­!" Vice added. "We could re-register our citizen''s list to confirm those that were replaced by those spies!" "But¡­ that Tyrant King is not as foolish as the rumours said." Principal remarked. "If they got the fake scriptures¡­ their army will surely retreat." "Then all we need to do is to wait for their army to reach the Regal Horizon Ocean¡ª by then, we will swoop them all up in one go," Lucillea added. "Sis¡ª swoop them all out in one go?!" He uttered. "Are you intending to take them all by yourself!?" "My husband will be joining." She remarked. "What about your daughter!?" He asked. "Didn''t she just started to open up with you¡­?" "Oh, I left her with your kids and got her permission to come here in the first place. I was delighted when she told me to come back soon~" "Then¡­ Where is brother-in-law¡­?" KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. I heard someone knocking on the door from the phone. "Ah, darling~" Lucillea said to the person knocking on the door. It must be her husband. "What''s wrong¡­?" "¡­Vann brought news. The Regalia Army just headed out, roughly five hours before departure on Regal Horizon Ocean." He said. ¡­They are already on the move. "Hey¡ª who''s that on the phone¡­!? Is that¡ª MPPH¡­!!?" Before Lucillea''s husband could finish, Lucillea covers his mouth. "You hear the news, little brother," Lucillea uttered. "If you want to say goodbye to those kids¡ª it''s best to do it now." CLACK. ¡­The call ended so suddenly. "¡­You heard her. Looks like I don''t have a choice but to leave now." Saying that, Principal clapped his hands to cancel the isolation barrier. Which then, a teleportation magic circle appeared beneath his feet. This guy¡ª so he could always go back whenever he wants¡­! HELL YEAH!!! HE''S LEAVING!!! Crap, I need to contain my excitement, me. Don''t smile, don''t grin. Hide your expression with a poker face. "You aren''t going to say goodbye to them¡­?" I asked. "Nor you, either. I hated saying goodbyes." He seemed sentimental while uttering those words. Principal then looks around my room one more time, which his eyes were set still at the window, where he could see Restia and Ruby playing with D¨®mr and the others. "¡­Sigh, parting is difficult." He heaved a sigh. Can''t you just leave already? "Yeah, yeah. I know what you are thinking." He told me. "I will leave." Even though he told me that, yet he''s still not leaving. What''s with the holdup!? "Ah, I just remembered." He suddenly murmured. "Never to go into that dungeon, and never to neglect your training." With those words as a warning, Principal snapped his fingers and disappeared with a flash. Chapter 66 - 3.37 – The Forest of The Black & White, Epilogue The epilogue, or maybe, the punch line of this story. The next day after Principal left, or rather, returned to where he came from¡ª I received an unknown call from Principal¡¯s phone. If it isn¡¯t for this call, I would never realize that he purposely left his phone here just so he could contact me. Anyways, I regretted accepting his call. He gave me a task to deal with the aftermath of the war against the Regalia Empire. The war? An overwhelming victory with all 16 million Regalia armies completely annulated, plus, all Regalia spies was dead¡ª or so he told me. Lucillea, the Prime Minister of Central Imperial Island, went on a vacation with her husband and daughter after the war, leaving her work behind. Since there¡¯s too much work for him and Vice, he had some fair share for me as well. Throwing the country¡¯s affair to a ten-year-kid? Have some shame, man. Nevertheless, I had my pay with the Central Imperial Island¡¯s tax of 0.01%. I don¡¯t how much money that is, but there are so many zeros deposited into my bank account. What¡¯s more, Central Imperial Island had the most expensive currency. When comparing to Silesia Republic, I had a conversion rate of 3.02¡­ well; in simple words, that¡¯s three times the amount. By the way, as for D¨®mr and the others, they were living with me from now on. From time to time, D¨®mr would bring everyone to the forest and wait at the entrance of the dungeon. Since dungeons would never stop producing monsters, if they weren¡¯t eliminated from time to time¡ª they would leave the dungeon, and in worst case, a stampede would occur. The SHIELD members recovered from their injury. They were back into their usual routine, protecting and ?ssisting the King. The citizens that were ?ssassinated by the Regalia spies were mourned. However, things did not end here. Ever since that incident, I¡¯m like a supervisor for the King now. Whenever there¡¯s a problem, he would never waste his chance to come and bother me, and it continued for years. Till Restia¡¯s enrolment at Leiden Junior High School. Till Ruby¡¯s enrolment at Leiden Junior High School. Till my enrolment at Imperial Knights Academy. Chapter 67 - 4 - The Black Sword, Prologue 2nd June, Year XX93. ¡°OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°WHOA¡ª WHAT THE HECK!!?¡± As soon as the door at Training Room 1 closed and locked¡ª I mustered strength on my legs and run towards Principal at full speed. ¡°EAT THIS!!!¡± While yelling that, I throw a punch. BAM!!! ¡°GEH¡ª ARGH!!?¡± My fist caved into his face, sending him flying to the wall. ¡°Guh¡ª you stupid brat¡­!¡± He stood up while healing the bruise on his face. ¡°I forgot my multi-layered magic barrier doesn¡¯t work on you¡­!¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is what you get you damn old fart!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a touching reunion after six years!?¡± He asked. ¡°What is wrong with you!?¡± ¡°Who cares about that?! I don¡¯t have much time left anyway, haha¡­!!!¡± I spouted those words like a kid throwing a tantrum. Erasing my presence, I stepped and appeared behind him¡ª throwing a silent left hook. ¡°GYAHH¡­!?¡± He immediately ducked and countered with a low sweep, breaking my balance. Before I fell on the floor, I auto-countered with a right kick on his ?h?st. Together with our balance broken¡ª we slammed on the floor. ¡°You idiot¡­!¡± He uttered while standing up. ¡°Had dying made your ¡®Will¡¯ to become this weak¡­!? You can¡¯t even dodge my low kick¡­!¡± ¡°Nonsense¡­! Had you become so rusty that you can¡¯t even tell I¡¯m exchanging blows!?¡± ¡°Oh yeah!? I will only believe you if you could dodge these¡­!¡± Principal suddenly closed our distance with his footwork. I¡¯m not sure what style it is, but he¡¯s using martial arts to deal with me now. Taking a step back, I dodged his left hook. I lifted my chin, evading his right uppercut. And finally, I stepped to my right¡ª avoiding his right front kick. BAM!!! In return, I throw a right turning kick on his waist¡ª which he guarded with his left arm. ¡°¡­I see.¡± He then murmured. ¡°Not bad, not bad. Should we get into details¡ª GEHHH!!?¡± My left punch drilled into his abdomen. ¡°WHAT¡­ ARE YOU¡ª GYAHH!!?¡± Right elbow to the jaw. ¡°¡ªGARGHH!!?¡± And finally, a crossing right-side kick on the ?h?st¡ª which I sent Principal flying to the wall again. WHAM! ¡°Phew, I¡¯m satisfied,¡± I murmured. ¡°What do you mean SATISFIED!!?¡± He yelled while patting his clothes. ¡°You aren¡¯t even going all out when you fought Kuroyuki Shiroha!¡± ¡°¡­You are watching? Gross.¡± I inadvertently uttered with despise. ¡°I had to.¡± He said. ¡°After all, you are now a brat in puberty.¡± ¡°Puberty? I have been watching over two girls who are in their puberty.¡± I retorted. ¡°If it¡¯s isn¡¯t for D¨®mr, I thought I¡¯ve already become a girl.¡± ¡°Then she¡¯s the perfect cure for you. I¡¯m pretty sure your male hormones are surging out.¡± ¡°I am a male. Having male hormones is normal.¡± I refuted. ¡°Dang. And here I thought you would deny.¡± ¡°Alright, enough with the chit-chat,¡± I uttered. ¡°What is your purpose for putting me with her?¡± He¡¯s asking what have I been through. ¡°¡­Putting her violent nature aside, I¡¯d like to know about her past,¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know. What on earth happened to her¡­?¡± ¡°Really, now¡­?¡± He played dumb. ¡°Why would you want to learn someone¡¯s secret from me? You need to consider her privacy.¡± ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t seem that she would speak about it,¡± I said. ¡°I know you are impatient because you are on the verge of death now¡ª but still, she needs time to open up herself.¡± He murmured. ¡°Kuroyuki Shiroha had suffered a terrible past that left a deep scar in her heart. It¡¯s a miracle for her to recover.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing that, I inadvertently swallowed my saliva and recalled his words once more. ¡­It¡¯s a miracle for her to recover, huh. Because of her childhood friend, Lucifer Vermillion. ¡°Oh, that brat with the same first name as you¡­?¡± He murmured. ¡°¡­He¡¯s dead.¡± Something¡¯s not right here. If what he said is true, why didn¡¯t Kuroyuki knew about it¡­? ¡°I know what you are thinking.¡± He told me. ¡°I will remind you again¡ª I learnt this truth from her parents.¡± Her parents are the executives of Imperial Knights Academy; most of them are Principal¡¯s friend. There are times where he would talk about their personal life with the executives. I know that because I am the highest executive of Imperial Knights Academy. ¡°Think clearly, brat. If her parents told her the truth¡ª do you really think she could possibly bear it? She can¡¯t have any more stimulations that could break her mind.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not right to let her continue to suffer either,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s why her parents sent her here. She had to make a friend or two to fill that hole in her heart.¡± ¡°Are you saying, I¡¯m here to become friends with her? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?¡± ¡°Like I said, your life is mine.¡± He reminded me. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much time you have left.¡± Hearing his remark, I gave it a thought for a moment. ¡°¡­I see. Any news about Uncle Raphael¡­?¡± ¡°Man¡­ You are no fun.¡± He made a bored look. ¡°¡­No, for now. My dear honey is still searching for them.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± I was stunned with my jaw dropped. ¡°Oooh¡­! That¡¯s a fun reaction to watch¡­!¡± Stay calm, me. Stay calm. He must be toying with me¡ª HE MUST BE. ¡°If you need a psychologist, I¡¯m one¡ª with a genuine license.¡± He even showed me his license approved by him. Not that I care. ¡­He completely knew what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°¡­No, thank you,¡± I answered. ¡°Anyone but you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I personally think that I¡¯m a good mentor.¡± ¡­I wondered where did he get his confidence. ¡°Hey¡ª hold on¡­! If a King like you is the Principal of this academy¡­ then don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, a correct guess.¡± He answered. ¡°Vice is the Vice Principal, also Kuroyuki¡¯s supervisor.¡± ¡°No wonder she mentioned that you are just a temporary supervisor¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°Speaking of that¡ª as your supervisor, I¡¯d like to ask what method had you used on her to let you win on purpose.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe it¡¯s because I looked like her childhood friend¡­?¡± I said. ¡°No.¡± He rejected my idea. ¡°It¡¯s because that¡¯s the fastest way for everyone to acknowledge you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are the one planning all of this¡­¡± ¡°Of course not. She had her own free will to choose her partner¡ª it¡¯s just that she acknowledges you that much that she had to plan that far.¡± ¡°What does she acknowledge on me anyways?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Among all the partner selected for her, you are the only one who could withstand her ¡®Intimidation¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­So it¡¯s really not my imagination¡ª she really knows the ¡®Force of Will¡¯.¡± ¡°Haha, isn¡¯t it surprising that the other you didn¡¯t run away?¡± ¡°¡­Really, I never imagined that coward would stay after facing such a deadly ¡®Intimidation¡¯.¡± Because we are separated¡ª our Force of Will were split into half of our own. I had ¡®Anticipation¡¯, ¡®Foresight¡¯, ¡®Presence Erasing¡¯, ¡®Intimidation¡¯, and ¡®Rejuvenation Cladding¡¯. As for Nightwalker, he had ¡®Presence Sensing¡¯, ¡®Fighting Spirit¡¯, ¡®Defensive Cladding¡¯, ¡®Offensive Cladding¡¯, and ¡®Countering Cladding¡¯. Even if Nightwalker had his ¡®Fighting Spirit¡¯, it¡¯s still surprising that he didn¡¯t run away after facing Kuroyuki¡¯s ¡®Intimidation¡¯. If it¡¯s me, ¡®Intimidation¡¯ wouldn¡¯t work on me for some reason¡ª maybe it couldn¡¯t be directed on me. ¡°Maybe this is what fate is.¡± He said. ¡°Just like how you and I met six years ago¡­¡± ¡°¡­No sign of my parents?¡± ¡°Like I told you, you are the FIRST that deserves to know their whereabouts.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± No luck, then. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put that sad stuff aside, okay?¡± He clapped his hands to catch my attention. ¡°I¡¯d like to receive your report about the mock battle by 5pm today.¡± August Whisperwind, Persia Silverlight, Crimson Veludora Blaze, Kronos Y Chronoclock, and Rumelia Heartlock. ¡°Okay, what should I write? Half of the S Class students are human-skinned monsters like Kuroyuki? I demand an explanation!¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s exactly ¡®half¡¯¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Oh. On second thought, Kronos is probably just slightly above average. In terms of physically and magically¡­ The reason Kronos¡¯s strong is because of his ¡®Elemental¡¯ power and his brain.¡± ¡°Yes, you could say he¡¯s an engineering genius with high compatibility with his element.¡± ¡°But still, how is he able to verify that August is holding the legit Crepusculum Ignotum?¡± Crepusculum Ignotum is a Spirit Sword wielded by the ¡®Spirit Sword King¡¯¡ª the strongest modern swordsman who mastered every possible swordsmanship worldwide, and they are abnormally complete, including swordsmanship that was lost at ancient times. Depending on the style he plays, Crepusculum Ignotum shapeshifts to the sword that he sees fit. It was said that the person who crafted Crepusculum Ignotum is a human known as Y¡ª a genius engineer who vanished 20 years ago. It mainly consists of nanomachines, which allows it to shapeshift. Then, it was enchanted by the current Magic King to achieve indestructibility. And finally, the sword was imbued with an artificial spirit that chooses its master. ¡°Well, he¡¯d finally managed to hold that sword for the first time in six months¡­ I¡¯m sure he took his time to research about it.¡± He told me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask yourself? That sword acknowledges you as well.¡± ¡°Okay, then tell me¡ª is August Whisperwind a disciple under the Spirit Sword King?¡± ¡°He even had his Crepusculum Ignotum. What do you think?¡± Actually¡­ I¡¯m asking whether he knew the Spirit Sword King. He¡¯s not answering my question, but I ?ssumed that he had already responded indirectly. ¡°What about the Silverlight family? Why is the young mistress of the Silverlight family enrolling Imperial Knights Academy?¡± The Silverlight family is regarded as World Nobles¡ª or known as Nobles of the World. Because of their achievement in exorcising against demons, ghosts, undead, and so on, many countries worldwide acknowledged their achievements. Officially declaring them as the family who protected humanity. That¡¯s how they got their title as a noble. On top of that, it¡¯s the highest rank of all. However, some countries do not acknowledge their feat, and Central Imperial Island is one of them. ¡°Who knows what were they thinking?¡± He replied. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the young mistress is sick of her noble life? Most of the nobles like her acted high and almighty. Does she seem to be like them to you?¡± ¡°¡­No. Not at all. That sunshine character of hers is the attractive part.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Principal replied. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already accepted her as a student of Imperial Knights Academy, the only thing you should do is to treat her fairly just like how you did to everyone else.¡± ¡°What about Crimson Veludora Blaze, then?¡± I asked. ¡°Putting his race aside, not only he is stubborn, but he also had an irritable attitude and violent nature as good as Kuroyuki.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you asked yourself about Blaze, despite being a half magical beast and dragon, but he¡¯s in human form.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he liked humans.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I wondered about that. Blaze might not look like it¡ª but he got himself in 3rd place, oh wait, it¡¯s 4th now, with just his fists alone.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± I was surprised. ¡°His rank is just under Persia¡­!?¡± I immediately activated my screen and checked the rankings. It made me jaw-dropped. The latest top eight was as so: 1. Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare 2. Kuroyuki Shiroha 3. Persia Silverlight 4. Crimson Veludora Blaze 5. August Whisperwind 6. Rumelia Heartlock 7. Kronos Y Chronoclock 8. Sherry Scarlet Rosenberk ¡°Surprised?¡± Principal laughed, as if he expected my reaction. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, even though he¡¯s throwing amateurish punches¡­ but he seems skilful enough to cushion his fall¡ª is he perhaps, trying to hide that he¡¯s trained in martial arts¡­?¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± He replied while throwing a disgusting wink. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy feat to completely master a martial art. On top of that, he¡¯s not originally human.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡­ It seems like I should take my time to understand people. ¡°By the way, brat¡ª do you remember Rozen & Alice Tailor?¡± He suddenly asks me. ¡°Oh, that branch shop at Silesia Republic¡­? Restia and Ruby bought their custom-made school uniforms there.¡± ¡°Rumelia Heartlock is that shop owner¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? And your point¡­?¡± ¡°Come on!¡± He raised his voice. ¡°The automata workers at their store! Do you really need me to tell you everything?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been there. How would I know?¡± I replied. ¡°All I know is that those automata were made to look exactly like human¡­ Hold on, you mean¡ª Rumelia Heartlock isn¡¯t completely human¡­!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a cyborg, to be exact.¡± ¡°¡­That explains her kick and why she¡¯s able to control 96 marionettes at the same time.¡± ¡°Her biological body is working with the nanomachines inside her to increase the output of her brain. That¡¯s why she could control so many of them.¡± ¡°You know, if you aren¡¯t a practitioner of medicine¡­ I almost would¡¯ve thought you are a stalker.¡± I murmured. ¡°You actually knew all of their backgrounds, didn¡¯t you?¡± Or else I can¡¯t explain why he¡¯s able to tell me about those details. ¡°Was I found out¡­?¡± He played dumb. ¡°That reminds me¡­ how¡¯s your body now?¡± ¡°¡­Not good. About two weeks left.¡± I replied. ¡°Even Nightwalker needs to catch his breath in just a mere 2km run now.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s earlier than expected¡­?¡± He seems really surprised. ¡°Looks like you need to put your hopes on Vice to get Raph before the deadline¡­¡± ¡°Maybe... I will get better if I unseal myself¡­?¡± Principal immediately glared at me upon hearing my words. ¡°¡­You would die.¡± He uttered. ¡°Even if you knew Kuroyuki had the key to unlock your seal¡ª your body would explode from the insides.¡± ¡°Maybe my body is strong enough now.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you put your faith in me, brat?¡± He told me. ¡°Just like how you believed I would return to get you out from that island.¡± ¡°I believe you, but¡ª I don¡¯t believe you could make it in time,¡± I told him harshly. ¡°I can.¡± ¡­He didn¡¯t throw any explanation because he knew I wouldn¡¯t listen. He understands me well. I could only heave a sigh in return. ¡°¡­Fine,¡± I told him. ¡°If I die¡­ please help me look after them.¡± ¡°Such depreciating words.¡± Principal said to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a present to cheer you up?¡± ¡°Right¡­ my enrolment gift. Where is it!?¡± I reached out my hand, demanding him to hand it over. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you excited all of a sudden!?¡± He looked speechless for a moment there. ¡°Ehem, for that gift¡ª you need to get it yourself.¡± ¡°So troublesome¡­¡± I stared at him with a tired look. ¡°It¡¯s definitely nothing good.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely good.¡± He grinned. ¡°You broke your katana a year ago, right?¡± ¡°That gift¡¯s a sword?¡± ¡°Not just any sword. It¡¯s a legendary black sword¡ª and you are probably the only person who could retrieve it.¡± ¡°Me¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ what was it again¡­? Oh! It was said that the wielder of the black sword is stupid, foolish, hot-headed, short-tempered and retarded. It suits you perfectly, so go ahead and take it, brat.¡± His eyes are laughing. ¡­And I was pissed. ¡°Over my dead body! You made that all up¡­!¡± I yelled. ¡°Sorry¡­ I just can¡¯t help but mess with you, hahaha.¡± He deliberately lets out a bold laugh. ¡°Ah, right. For the rest of the details, please go to the White Mansion and find Special Student Number 1. She will explain everything.¡± Kuroyuki Shiroha, in short. ¡°Okay¡­? Why are you telling me in such a roundabout way¡­?¡± ¡°For fun.¡± He replied. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± My forehead seems to have popped a vein. ¡°Oh, before I forget¡ª Special Student Number 2¡­ Here¡¯s your new ?ssignment.¡± ¡°¡­That was quick.¡± ¡°Retrieve the black sword and hand it over to me.¡± ¡°THEN WHAT¡¯S THE POINT TO GIVE ME A GIFT SO YOU COULD RETRIEVE IT?!¡± WHACK. ¡­He smacked my head. ¡°Calm down, will ya? I just need to analyse the quality of that sword.¡± He told me. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, then.¡± ¡°By the way, the rest of the S Class students will be joining you tomorrow in this ?ssignment¡ª well, the others were out cold, so¡­ I had to give the rest something to do.¡± ¡°¡­Whatever.¡± ¡°You need to bring them to the location of the Black Sword.¡± ¡°WHAT ARE THEY¡ª 6 YEARS OLD?! DO I LOOK LIKE A BABYSITTER TO YOU!?¡± WHACK. ¡°It¡¯s inside the White Mansion, you fool.¡± He told me while smacking my head again. ¡°They aren¡¯t allowed to enter without their passes from either of you.¡± ¡°¡­Do this again, and I will punch you in the face,¡± I warned him. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± He replied, raising his hands and retreated. ¡°That First Year Student Council President (Persia) had hers from Kuroyuki, but as for the others¡ª their pass is restricted to sixty seconds and requires close contact, so you had to bring them there.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t she cautious.¡± ¡°¡­She is.¡± ¡°Hey¡ª hold on, did you say ¡®tomorrow¡¯¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. Let me ask, how many G can you take?¡± ¡°About 1200G¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He means, only Nightwalker is strong enough could pull out that sword. ¡°What do you mean exactly!? Is that sword really that heavy!?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­That really is such a HEAVY gift.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you spend the rest of your day relaxing and have a little chat with your partner?¡± Chapter 68 - 4.1 - The Black Sword The White Mansion, 1st floor, Classroom. After our lengthy discussion about putting my duties as the King candidate and Highest Executive of Imperial Knights Academy to a holdoff and focus on my role as a Special Student¡ª there''s still some time till lunch break. Unfortunately, the Cafeteria at the Central Section is still closed, so I had to return to the White Mansion on the buggy. I took a nice shower in my room. And I was surprised to see Kuroyuki reading a book at her usual spot when I entered the classroom afterwards. I didn''t want to interrupt her, so I sat next to her and read a book too. Compared to Kuroyuki, who''s literally holding one, I read e-books (electronic books) instead. It''s a research journal written by my father¡ª a history about the of Darkness Element, also the founder of the . To be honest, this is the 14th time I''ve read this book. But still¡ª the contents never ceased to amaze me. The founder of the is the only person that could use the Darkness Element. But before he became the founder of this newfound power, he was just an outstanding human. He was born a prince from a country. During his teens, he left everything behind for some reason and wandered throughout the world as an adventurer. However, his achievements are not what that was supposed to call the work of a genius¡­ Destroying corrupted countries. Brings fortune to those in need. Saving countless lives from disaster. Even facing overwhelming odds both in political and military matters, he remains indestructible. It wasn''t exaggerating to say that his achievements were more than enough to make him rise to create the strongest empire ever in history. But¡ª the surprising thing is, he disappeared 23 years ago without a trace along with the other eight . His name and feats were all wholly erased. Even his ex-comrades and those who were indebted to him could not find his whereabouts. ¡­I wondered why did dad research about him and how did he find this erased history? Even my dad was gone too¡­ with mom. "¡­Lucifer." Just when I was getting sentimental as I recalled the disappearance of my parents¡­ Kuroyuki, who was sitting next to me reading her book¡­ called my name as she clamps her book shut. Raising my head, I faced her. "What is it¡­?" I asked. This is surprising. I never thought she''s the type to strike a conversation first. Without any signs or warnings, she gently placed her right hand on my cheek¡ª ow, ow cold¡­! "¡­Close your eyes." ...She told me, with her whisper. "¡­I know your voice is seductive and all¡ª can you please put down your fist first?" She hid the presence of her fist so perfectly well that I didn''t sense it. I would''ve fallen for her trick if it''s isn''t for my ''Foresight''. "...You do know the ''Force of Will''." She murmured with her eyes sparkling. This is scary. Is she a battle junkie...? "I won''t be accepting another match," I told her. "And please don''t force me to accept with the ''Forced Duel'' please...?" "...Ngh." She pouted. ...That was cute and effective. But I ain''t biting it. "Say, how did you know...? About my secret ?ssignment." I was referring to the first ?ssignment I had as a Special Student. It is to expose those who were not fit in S Class. I listed the four idiots at Kuroyuki''s team to be removed, while listed Sherry as ''potential to grow''. "...?" For some reason, Kuroyuki tilted her head and blinked twice, looking dumbfounded. Is it me, or she''s really... cute today...? "... It''s a secret...? You have been reading it on the buggy..." I thought Kuroyuki is avoiding me¡ª but she''s still observing at the front...? "You know, you do know that ?ssignment was only for me, right? Why are you peeking at it?" "...You don''t like it...?" Again, she blinked. "No... it''s just that¡ª you are just too observant. It''s not a bad thing, though..." "...N." She nodded. ...What is she nodding for? Kuroyuki then stood up, tied her hair in a ponytail, and went to the kitchen section, wearing her apron. ...It''s almost time for lunch, huh. Her movements were so swift and with ease that I''d start to worry about her, even though I swear not to. "Have you always prepared your meals alone like this for six months...?" I inadvertently asked. "...N. I catch too much attention." Telling me that, Kuroyuki then clapped once. She gave a serious thought to choose her utensils. Then, she took a size-adjustable spatula from the drawer, a clay pot with a lid, a pot, a frying pan, and a saucepan from the cupboard. After clapping twice to close the cupboards and drawers, she places the clay pot and pot on the stove. The clay pot is preheated with the charcoal fire function, while the pot is filled with water and heated. She shoved her hand into the ingredient box and pulled out her ingredients. Plucking off several pieces of garlic, she took the cleaver from the knife holder. Then¡ª splat. She removes the skin and chops it to crumbles¡ª there are some skinned ones she left aside. As for ginger, it goes with slices after washed. ".................." For some reason, as soon as she finishes this step, she raised her head and stared at me. By the way, I''ve been sitting on the dining chair in front of her, watching her¡ª FWIP. ¡ªand managed to dodge a kitchen knife that nearly grazed my cheek. "THAT WAS DANGEROUS!!! HOW CAN YOU THROW IT DIRECTLY TO ME WITHOUT ANY HESITATION!?" I ?r??n?d. "...How long are you going to stare...?" She glared at me with her cold eyes. "If you need my help, just ask nicely!" I told her, while pulling the kitchen knife off from the wall. By the way, this is an excellent product. The handle is good, and its sharpness... amazing. When I check the brand¡ª it''s the same as Kronos''s logo. He even makes kitchen knife...? "What''s your dish?" I asked her, while getting my own apron. "Soy sauce chicken and minced pork long bean...?" Why is this a question? It seems she''s worried about my choice of food. Well... practically, I eat anything because I had starved before. "Okay, let''s go with that then," I replied. Chapter 69 - 4.2 Once I agreed, she took half of the chicken and chopped it into smaller pieces. I took the chicken pieces for a wash and threw them into the boiling water to skim off the scum on the chicken. Then I poured some oil on the frying pan and preheat it, adding some garlic crumbles. Then, Kuroyuki took a bag of marinated minced pork belly meat and poured all of it into the frying pan. However, the amount she prepared beforehand... It''s as if she expected my arrival. "When did you prepared that much...?" I asked her, while pan-frying the minced meat. "...I wasn''t expecting you to be late for six months." She told me. "I wasn''t expecting myself to be late for six months either." While telling her that, Kuroyuki took away the pot with the chicken and poured it into the sink. She cools the chicken with water and plucks off the blood clot, tendons, and scums on it. When my minced meat is half ready, Kuroyuki tossed the washed long beans into my frying pan. And for the saucepan¡ª she threw the remaining garlic and ginger slices in it. Somehow, my frying pan is a bit small¡ª so I had to show off some of my frying skills in front of her by tossing the entire mixture. ".................." Seeming satisfied at my performance, she nods her head. Then she adds the chicken pieces into her saucepan, frying them while adding some soy sauce to increase the flavour, and some black soy sauce to fabricated the dish. Finally, she took the Flower Carving Wine (»¨µñ¾Æ) and pours it from high above¡ª where flames from the bottom of the saucepan rise. A fascinating scene that any good eastern chef could pull off. She looks ???ky for a moment, but it was fun watching her expression. It was then my long beans were well done¡ª I pour it on a plate. Now, all we need to do is wait for the chicken to be done. "...Who taught you how to cook...?" As I was thinking to strike up a conversation first¡ª Kuroyuki was already in it. "What''s this...? Are you trying to stalk me¡ª" CRACK! "¡ªOWWWWWW!!?" "...Don''t misunderstand." I got ???ky. She completely knew what I was thinking, and thus, she shuts me up with her demon''s grip on the face. "ALRIGHT I''M SORRY¡ª I WILL TALK!!!" If I didn''t apologize, I wondered when she will release my face... If it''s isn''t for that violent side of her, she''d been a lot more perfect¡ª but then again... I find this violent side of her to be rather cute. "Ehem, dad taught me most of the basics. As for the taste, mom is the expert, haha." Suddenly, I felt something stirring in my ?h?st. It weighed heavier in every word I speak. "...Lu......?!" If Kuroyuki hadn''t held me with her arms, I wouldn''t have realized that my legs lose their strength to stand. Tears flowed from the corner of my right eye. "...... What''s wrong......!?" Gently and carefully, she places me on the floor, embracing me in her arms. ...It feels nice... and warm. "...Sorry...... can you... let me stay like this...... for a little longer......?" "...N." Did I just... went to a mental breakdown...? Not even the day my parents vanished... I had come to a breakdown. Is it because I have been suppressing it for so long...? Not good... I need to stay calm to suppress the seal''s effect... ......................... After I managed to calm down and suppress my unstable emotions... Kuroyuki raised my head so I could look at her. "... What''s wrong." She looks at me with a worried look. It''s not a question. She''s telling me to answer her. I was nearly on the verge of a breakdown when I knew about her ring... and now, I broke down entirely when I was reminded about my parents... ...I don''t know what came over me¡ª I just can''t go against this girl. "...chicken..." I told her. She switches off the stove afterwards. Once again, with both of her hands placed on my cheeks, she adjusts my head to make sure that I''m facing her. ...But I can''t. I can''t look at her straight now. Because behind those bluish eyes of hers¡ª I could tell... she had been through many sufferings... and they are worse than mine. ...I felt like a jester in front of her. "...Lu." She called me. "...Look at me." "...I can''t," I replied with a weak voice. "...I know what you are worried about." She said. "...You aren''t a fool. I won''t laugh." "...I know you won''t. I just can''t get over with it myself..." "...As I thought... even though you are like that... you are the personality that holds most of the negative emotions..." "Is that so...?" I asked. ...I didn''t realize that myself. "I''m sure am pathetic..." I inadvertently murmured. "...Not at all." She said to me. "...You did well to hold in your negative emotions up until now." "... That''s not it. I devoted six years of my time entirely to my family... It''s my first time facing this emotion myself..." "...Then don''t let your emotions control you. Despair, sadness, and even losing your sanity would never solve your problems." "...Kuroyuki... Can I... ask for your shoulder once more...?" "...N." Without another word, Kuroyuki moves her hands to the back of my head, gently pressing it to let me rest on her shoulder. "...A-Ah......" With the rhythm of my breathing suddenly broken, my tears surged suddenly. I thought I had my emotions controlled¡ª but the tears won''t stop. But even so, Kuroyuki calmly held me in her arms, stroking my head. ......................... It took me a moment for my emotions to finally come to a rest. After calming down, I find this situation to be rather embarrassing. But man... I wouldn''t mind if she embraced me for the rest of my life. "...You returned to normal, haven''t you...?" ...She noticed. "...Hahaha. Pardon me." Facing that, I could only force out a laugh and stand up. "...Thanks, Kuroyuki," I said. Which then, I patted her on the head. SLAP. "... Don''t touch my head." She told me while slapping my hand away. "My bad. Let''s have lunch, then...?" "....N." Chapter 70 - 4.3 It¡¯s been six years since my parents were gone¡ª no matter how much I wished, they never returned. It¡¯s really depressing when I can¡¯t even recall their faces. After all, my parents didn¡¯t even leave their pictures behind¡­ What remains with me are my hazy memories. While Kuroyuki and I finally sat down for our lunch, I told her about my parents¡¯ disappearance that happened six years ago, at the Forest of the Black & White. ¡­It was painful to recall those memories, but at the same time, I also felt relieved that Restia and the others were doing well. The effort that I devoted to them for six years has finally borne fruit¡ª but¡­ it¡¯s coming to an end soon. ¡®I¡¯m going to die soon.¡¯ As if I could easily say such words to the girl¡ª Kuroyuki Shiroha that was just in front of me. If I did, who knows how would she stop me¡­? I will take them down to my grave. Eventually, my story came to an end. However, there are some things I didn¡¯t tell her, such as Principal¡¯s actual identity as the King, my identity as the King Candidate and also the Highest Executive of Imperial Knights Academy, and my body deterioration side-effects caused by the ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯. ¡°...That person, it was the principal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kuroyuki said to me with a tender smile. ¡°What?! Of course not¡­!¡± I tried my best to act as if I do not know him, but it seems nothing escapes from Kuroyuki¡¯s eyes. ¡°...You know¡­ after hearing your story¡­ I¡¯m really glad that I did not choose the others.¡± She said, with a smile. ¡°Hmm...?¡± I then replied. ¡°Say that again~?¡± ¡°...Except for this personality.¡± She added, looking irritated. ¡°Ouch, it hurts,¡± I replied. ¡°If Nightwalker hears this, he¡¯d dug a hole and buried himself.¡± ¡°...He¡¯s not as annoying as you to make me utter such words.¡± In a sense, that was so right in the spot that I couldn¡¯t find anything to refute¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Ouch.¡± I muttered. ¡­and that was the only word I could find in my brain. ¡°...Perhaps, maybe this makes you who you are,¡± Kuroyuki said to me with a smile. ¡°¡­Right.¡± My empty brain eventually leads to our conversation coming to an end with a heavy atmosphere of silence and awkwardness. ¡°...That reminds me...¡± However, Kuroyuki chooses to break the silence. ¡°...Why is it tomorrow instead of today¡­?¡± She asked. What was it again¡­? Right, she¡¯s talking about my next ?ssignment¡ª retrieving the Black Sword. ¡°Well¡­ my supervisor (Principal) said I¡¯m not strong enough to lift the sword,¡± I told her. ¡°...I see,¡± Kuroyuki murmured, while placing her fingers below her chin. ¡°...What do you want to know?¡± The Black Sword is the only mission that Kuroyuki had returned with a failure. Thus, her report on that ?ssignment was utterly blank. ¡°Is it because of the weight of it that you failed...?¡± I asked. ¡°...Indeed.¡± She replied. ¡°...My own weight, that is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh.¡± I was stunned for a moment. ¡°...It¡¯s a powerful gravity magic,¡± Kuroyuki told me. ¡°...Perhaps only a magic expert could dispel this magic spell.¡± If it¡¯s a magic expert¡­ then Persia is probably the only person in S Class skilled enough to cast such magic. ¡°...No wonder Principal wants the S Class students to join us for tomorrow.¡± BAM! ¡°...W-Why...!?¡± Kuroyuki stood up from her chair and asked, looking afraid. ¡°Relax.¡± I calmed her while giving a gesture with my hands. ¡°Only Persia, August, Kronos, Rumelia and Blaze will be joining us.¡± ¡°...Thank goodness.¡± Looking relieved, Kuroyuki sat down. But still¡­ ¡°That was a little unexpected. I thought you won¡¯t be fine with Blaze coming along.¡± I muttered. ¡°...If there¡¯s a choice, I would rather prefer Persia not to come along instead of him.¡± That was completely unexpected! ¡­I almost say that out loud. ¡°Ehem, may I know why...?¡± I asked. When Kuroyuki switches to Persia, her eyes are drifting away. How scary. Really scary. What sort of trick did Persia have to make even Kuroyuki submit...? Which then, Kuroyuki sets her sight on me. ¡°...Somehow, you and Persia sometimes were quite alike,¡± Kuroyuki told me. ¡°Alike¡­? Which part of us?¡± ¡°...Both of you are annoying.¡± She said blandly. I shouldn¡¯t have asked. ¡°Eh?¡± I inadvertently murmured. It was surprising, indeed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she... always like this?¡± I said. ¡°...It only applies to those that she is familiar with. I was surprised to see that she acted that way towards you, even though it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How curious.¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­There¡¯s even rumours talking about Persia as a lesbian,¡± Kuroyuki muttered. ¡°¡­Curious, indeed.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Kuroyuki¡¯s remark made me stunned, with my eyes widened. Come to think of it, Persia had this exceptional care for Kuroyuki and her touchy-feeling with Sherry¡­ ¡®Lucifer... Please believe me.¡¯ While recalling the past events that Persia did, I can¡¯t seem to shake this sentence off from my head. ¡­I don¡¯t know what those words meant for now, but I¡¯m sure the answer will be revealed if I gave her some time. As if, I have time. But¡ª I should have an open mind before I make my own conclusions. ¡°Kuroyuki... is that why you......?¡± For some reason, my voice gradually became smaller and came to a pause. Maybe it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t expect Kuroyuki to be the type to listen to rumours¡ª ¡°...I don¡¯t believe in rumours¡ª but she¡¯s too clingy that it annoys me.¡± While muttering that, Kuroyuki heaved an annoyed sigh. ¡ªthank goodness, I wasn¡¯t wrong about her. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said. Somehow, Kuroyuki glared at me afterwards. ¡°...Are you worried about her...?¡± She asked me, with her cold gaze. ¡°Yeah... somehow.¡± At first, I thought that she acted out of jealousy. But after noticing Kuroyuki¡¯s right cheek twitched for a split second, I knew it was entirely something else that she¡¯s angry about. ¡°Erm, Kuroyuki...? Are you perhaps... angry?¡± So, I asked. I was hoping to see that her expression would soften a little¡ª but, her glare remains. ¡°¡­You should worry more about yourself instead of others.¡± She uttered to me. Just like how I was angry at Persia for being too selfless, now it happens to me. ¡°I get that a lot, haha.¡± I deliberately laughed to try to lighten the mood... ¡°...I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡­but Kuroyuki¡¯s voice¡ª like a pile of fresh snow dropping on the ground, felt so crystal clear. ¡­She¡¯s angry for my sake. ¡°...Sorry.¡± ¡°...What I want isn¡¯t an apology.¡± She wants me to be a little more selfish to care about myself instead of others¡ª just like how I told Persia. I could, but it isn¡¯t my job to do so. That¡¯s Nightwalker¡¯s job to worry about himself and others. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯d throw that to her face. Because¡­ ¡°That¡¯s just who I am, Kuroyuki. It¡¯s too late to change what I¡¯ve already decided.¡± I replied. ¡°So why don¡¯t you look after me in my stead? After all, I somehow knew I could completely trust you.¡± ¡°......W... What are you talking about...¡± While murmuring that, Kuroyuki looks away with an embarrassed look. ¡­What am I doing¡­? I¡¯m supposed to let our distance grow. And yet, I¡­ ¡°Back to the topic, Kuroyuki.¡± I shook my head to clear my mind. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a discussion about the basement before getting the Black Sword,¡± I said. ¡°¡­Here are the details.¡± She told me. ¡°Thanks.¡± After receiving those details from Kuroyuki, I leave the plates to Kuroyuki while I sat down on my personal chair to read the contents. It was supposed to be in her report, but she failed¡ª there¡¯s no need for submission. Let¡¯s see what do we have here. 1. The floor map of the Black Sword¡¯s whereabouts, basement. Located in the basement of the White Mansion, the only entrance to it is the stairway. For some reason, there are no pictures taken. Instead, the floor map is illustrated by Kuroyuki herself. It looks like an underground temple with eight circular stone pillars supporting the ceiling. The Black Sword was located at the opposite end of the entrance, stabbed on a platform. 2. Traps. Heavy swinging axes, pitfalls and poison arrows. Most of them were destroyed. 3. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). All electronic devices were disabled due to frequent discharge of EMP at 2 seconds intervals throughout the basement. 4. Mana consumption and interference. Mana consumption is ten times higher in terms of the original spells. The spell will be cancelled immediately after a two-second cast. 5. The gravity magic is cast on the platform with the Black Sword. It was ?ssumed to be 200 times heavier compared to normal gravity. ¡­That¡¯s all. Chapter 71 - 4.4 While taking her seat next to me, Kuroyuki turns our chairs so that we could face each other. ¡°¡­How are you going to retrieve that sword¡­?¡± She asked. ¡°Well, with Nightwalker¡¯s strength, of course.¡± My reply made Kuroyuki tilt her head, where she seems to be dumbfounded. ¡°¡­What about the gravity magic¡­?¡± ¡°Magic won¡¯t work on me,¡± I replied. ¡°¡­How is this possible¡­?!¡± Kuroyuki was completely surprised to hear that. After all, a person with no mana like Kuroyuki could still be affected by magic spells¡ª in fact, they practically had zero resistance against magic. Unlike me¡­ which I¡¯m entirely unaffected by it. For example, if someone cast explosion magic on any part of my body, nothing would happen. If it¡¯s cast near my body instead, it will work. ¡°You will know tomorrow,¡± I told her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It seems Kuroyuki¡¯s attention is focused on somewhere else¡­ she dived into deep thoughts afterwards. ¡°Also, I have some questions,¡± I asked. Though I break her concentration, but Kuroyuki doesn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it. She then raised her brow, shifting her gaze to me. ¡°¡­What is it¡­?¡± ¡°¡­About four times larger and twice as higher than Training Room 1.¡± ¡­Two storeys of 16 football fields. ¡°The size of the only entrance? It looks small on your map.¡± ¡°¡­At most, two average people side-by-side could manage to fit through the passage.¡± If it¡¯s a narrow path that¡¯s just enough for one person, and someone fainted at it, the exit might be blocked just like that. ¡°Next¡ª you wrote ¡®eight stone pillars¡¯ here.¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Kuroyuki replied. ¡°¡­Stone.¡± ¡­So it¡¯s a trap that could not be destroyed. ¡°¡­If one of those eight pillars takes a powerful hit from us¡ª do you think it could still sustain the basement?¡± Collapse¡­? Wonderful. ¡­It seems like a good place for me. ¡°Then what are the chances for new traps to appear after I pulled the Black Sword?¡± I asked. ¡°¡­100 percent.¡± ¡°Just as what I thought as well,¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­And your reason?¡± ¡°Because this basement was designed carefully to ensure that no one could obtain the Black Sword through technology, magic spells or vitality energy. Almost any methods to obtain that Black Sword was sealed off.¡± I replied. ¡°¡­Almost,¡± Kuroyuki remarked. ¡°Yes, almost,¡± I repeated. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t predict that a person unaffected by magic with high physical strength exists.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not my problem by then.¡± ¡°¡­Irresponsible,¡± Kuroyuki uttered. Such insult. ¡°I would need to correct you¡ª it¡¯s ¡®complete trust¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°¡­And who is that are you referring to?¡± ¡°That will be Nightwalker¡­ and you¡ª¡± WHAP! ¡°¡ªWHY!!?¡± I yelled. And so, Kuroyuki¡¯s grip landed on my face before I could react. Because she¡¯s not erasing her presence, I can¡¯t use ¡®Foresight¡¯. I know she¡¯s ready to place her grip on me with ¡®Anticipation¡¯, but I just don¡¯t know when she would. ¡°¡­If you want to gain my trust, then you should stop wishing for death.¡± She reminded me with her threatening cold voice. ¡°¡­Or if you want, I could grant you death right here, right now.¡± ¡°!¡± If she hadn¡¯t reminded me of it, I didn¡¯t even realize this myself. I was happy when I knew the dungeon would collapse. ¡°I WON¡¯T¡ª I WON¡¯T!!!¡± I yelled twice to make sure she¡¯d stop squeezing my face. ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing that, Kuroyuki released her grip afterwards. Just like Persia, she could tell whenever my intentions mean it. ¡°¡­You gave up, just like that¡­?¡± ¡°¡­How could I not¡­!?¡± I uttered, while trying to endure the pain from her fingers that¡¯s still lingering on my face. ¡°¡­Are you really telling the truth¡­?¡± She asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need for explanations if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± I retorted. ¡°¡­You know I could tell.¡± She said, with a glare. ¡°¡­You want me to save you. But¡­ what are you plotting¡­?¡± ¡­I underestimated Kuroyuki Shiroha. I thought all she knew was that I was telling the truth¡ª but I didn¡¯t expect her to see through something beyond that. ¡­Heh. ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, Kuroyuki retreats backwards to her chair¡ª looking terrified. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Why¡­ Why are you making such an eerie grin¡­?¡± She asked, with a weak voice. ¡°¡­Sorry for scaring you. Some part of me is broken on the inside because of the side-effects of the ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯.¡± A part of it is a lie. I did say ¡®inside¡¯, but it¡¯s not a problem of my neurons nor a side-effect caused by the ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯. Because somewhere inside Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare¡¯s brain¡ª a part of it is indeed, broken. Literally¡ª broken. Shooting Ruby with a gun six years ago made me realized that. I was the one who inherited that broken part of him. Fortunately, Nightwalker didn¡¯t inherit that¡ª because we don¡¯t need another ¡®me¡¯ to carry this part. ¡­It¡¯s all thanks to Nightwalker¡¯s personality that Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare¡¯s breakdown was postponed. Until last year. Restia and the others did their best for me. But there¡¯s always a limit on how they could do it because they are my family. It¡¯s because we are family¡­ there are lots of things that I couldn¡¯t tell them. Perhaps¡­ Principal noticed that I¡¯m going to do something stupid. Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s telling me to let Nightwalker go¡ª if not, I don¡¯t know what I would do. However, even if I were to go now¡­ I¡¯ve already changed my mind. I wonder why, but I just can¡¯t go against Kuroyuki Shiroha. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the only person who could stop ¡®me¡¯ from pursuing death. If she gives up on me, it¡¯d be all over for me. ¡°Kuroyuki¡­?¡± I waved my hand, trying to catch Kuroyuki¡¯s attention. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± She was terrified, and a little more¡ª those tears on her eyes would¡¯ve fallen. What did I do to make her so terrified¡­? Or maybe¡­ it¡¯s not me. The cause is most likely her trauma. But then again¡­ if it¡¯s her trauma, she would¡¯ve attacked me relentlessly like how she did in the morning. Either way¡­ she deserves better. Since approaching Kuroyuki as the way she is now is most likely, impossible¡­ So I went to the sofa and took a cushion. POOF. I then throw the cushion onto her face, gently. ¡°¡­N¡­!?¡± It surprised Kuroyuki, but she regained her senses. Naturally, I placed my head on top of her head, stroking it. ¡°¡­Sorry for scaring you,¡± I said to her once more. ¡°Feeling better now¡­¡­?¡± SLAP. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t touch my head.¡± She slaps my hand away and looks away¡ª hugging on her cushion while hiding her embarrassed face. Even if she¡¯s like this¡­ I could never come to hate her. ¡­She said the same thing to me as well, huh. After I retreated my hand and went to the exit, I turn back to face Kuroyuki. ¡­I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m going to say this. ¡°Kuroyuki¡­ Please don¡¯t give up on me¡­¡± I pleaded. Obviously, Kuroyuki was surprised with her eyes widened. With a sombre smile, I exit the classroom. Chapter 72 - 4.5 Maybe it''s because I''m the second half personality of Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. Unlike Nightwalker, there are times I''d like to be alone. When I''m alone, I tend to have some meaningless thoughts flowing inside my head. Like, ''who am I?'' Lucifer Nightmare, the second half personality of Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare, the son of Lucione Nightwalker von Nightmare and EveTwo P. N. Transcend, the brother of Restia Nightwalker von Nightmare, the master of Ruby, et cetera. Even if I had my answers, more keeps on popping up. ''Why am I Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare''s second personality?'' Because I''m the second half of him. ''Why am I Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare? Why wasn''t I born from another family?'' Because if it weren''t for my family, Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare would never exist. ''What is my purpose to live?'' For my family. ''Was I born just because I could die?'' I can''t help but smirk when that line of thought came up. ¡­How ridiculous. If dad was still with me¡­ he would''ve slapped me on the face, telling me to kneel and give me a lecture for more than one hour. Come to think of it¡­ it did happen before. ''That was the most foolish thing that I''ve ever heard. Asking ''why'' would lead to another slap on the face and another hour of lecture. Why do I know? Because I asked anyway¡ª because that''s who I am. After dad threw another slap which I would endure while gritting my teeth, he would say¡ª ''To begin with, it was foolish for scientists to think that this world was created by Big Bang. Just having ''magic'', ''vitality energy'', and ''supernatural powers'' itself is enough to deny that factor. Even if it''s a world without those things, it''s easy to prove the fault in the theory of ''Big Bang''. Because to begin with, this world is nothing itself. To create an explosion, you need a dense mass of energy compressed to a single point. A world with nothingness does not have its energy, and if it''s compressed, a black hole will form instead¡ª it''s just as simple as that. The same goes for ''Theory of Evolution as well. People aren''t evolved from monkeys. If we were, all monkeys should''ve already evolved¡ª there won''t be such a thing called monkeys. It''s not like that I deny the fact that people evolve. In fact, we evolve... but still remaining as who we are¡ª that would never change. The world could only be made by God. We knew that because that is in our roots. We knew the existence of God, but we could never find it. People needed a god to devote to. That''s why they carved their statues; they kneel and submit themselves to it, just because they think they have supernatural powers. They need to think and make ''god'' a scary thing while believing that it had powers¡ª on one side, they believed ''god'' to be almighty. Ironically, on the other hand, they tend to use ''god''s'' almighty power just to become his master to bring joy to themselves. It is to be fulfilled by them, it to be utilized by them. They are a subject of it and let it be used by them. As long as ''god'' serves them, they offer money to create more temples; if not, they smashed it to pieces and blamed it. Such has never changed, even to this day. All they beg and pray was just for something they needed in reality, nature, substances, and for oneself¡ª all for peace, prosperity, health, wealth, longevity, and so on. What''s the point to earn the world just so you lost your life afterwards? But thankfully, our kind, loving God¡ª the God of Creation, also the God of Fate¡­ already gave each and every one of us a rightful role and job here in this world¡­ even before we are born. And we will fulfil what he gave to us.'' Afterwards, I remember asking about what dad''s job is. ''To nurture you and your little sister,'' he said. Somehow, I could never forget that sentimental smile he made that time. I wonder if dad already knew that would happen on that day. If I had a job given by the God of Fate¡­ I guess I''ve already fulfilled its role. For now, all I had is to look for a place to die. However, the thought of suicide had never crossed my mind even once. Because if I were to die, I''d like to die with glory. There''s no way I would take my life just like that¡ª my life is not cheap at all. While clearly sorting out the thoughts in my mind, I find myself arriving on the 3rd floor. I was surprised when this floor in front of my eyes felt a little d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It looks just like my house''s training chamber¡ª only larger. What was the third floor again? While thinking of that, I activated my screen and checked the details. ''Training floor.'' Just as its name written here, it was an entire floor meant for training, for the , I believe. Not only with Augmented Reality holograms function like the basement I took my practical flight test, but there''s also the Artificial Dimension with different models to choose from. The best part is¡ª a combination of them is possible. This means you could train at different Artificial Dimensions while fighting AI holograms. That''s quite convenient. But I''m afraid I won''t be using it. Because I won''t be able to make it until the < Knight''s Tournament> next month. Even so¡­ While throwing away those unnecessary thoughts, I did my usual sets of training. Considering Nightwalker''s ?ssignment tomorrow, I decided not to add anything extra to my training. Because if my prediction is correct, the Black Sword ?ssignment tomorrow would be pretty dangerous. After all, the person who prepared that Black Sword was too careful. It would be fine if I was the one who would die instead, but I can''t drag down any of the others. As soon as I''m done with the training, I lazily lie on the floor. "¡­Is this warmup?" "WHOA¡­!?" Surprised by the voice next to me, I immediately flipped myself to my left and stood up. I know it couldn''t be anyone but Kuroyuki¡ª it''s just that¡­ when was she here¡­!? "¡­I was here all the time, you know?" She told me. Chapter 73 - 4.6 "Is that so¡­?" I couldn''t tell that she was here because I don''t have Presence Sensing. Even if I had, as long as she erases her presence without attacking, I won''t be able to tell that she''s here. That said, Kuroyuki tied her hair in a ponytail. She changed her clothes to grey long-sleeved sportswear and her upper bodyline well hidden by a black sportswear jacket. "¡­As I thought, you couldn''t tell my presence¡ª even if you could see my attacks coming," Kuroyuki said to me. "Because Nightwalker had ''Presence Sensing'' instead of me." I replied. "¡­No wonder both of you could sense my attacks." I can''t seem to continue this conversation. It''s going nowhere. "So? What brings you here?" I asked. "Are you perhaps worried of me~?" "¡­ It''s hard not to." She heaved a cold sigh. I thought Kuroyuki was going to unleash her devil''s grip. I don''t know why, but she looks like a parent watching a kid throwing a tantrum. "Thanks, Kuroyuki." Nevertheless, I was really thankful for her kindness. "...Enough of that." She uttered while flicking her hair as if it was the most natural thing to do. She then took a quick glance at my sweaty body. "¡­Now show me what you could do." She excitedly taunted me with her finger. "¡­Huh?" Facing that, I could only look at her with a dumbfounded look¡ª which Kuroyuki tilts her head in return. "¡­That was just a warmup, isn''t it?" Kuroyuki asked. "No? That was training?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Her head seems to have popped a vein. "H-Hey¡­!?" With her ice spear suddenly appearing on her right hand, she threw it while aiming at my head. It was so fast that I could b?r?ly evade it. Whenever Kuroyuki throws her spear with her arm instead, the power is at least five times more potent than those she controls with her power. "¡­!" That spear was just a distraction¡­! She''s close! That was the footwork she used on Nightwalker''s duel¡ª it''s either that she''s really that fast, or she delayed her presence to confuse me. She''s aiming for a grapple¡­? It''s probably impossible to escape from the sides either because of her footwork, allowing her to change direction without losing its speed. If I grab her hand or knock it away, she''s able to follow up with her left hand. Worst case, succeed in a takedown if I back off or move forward. There are no openings¡­!? In that case¡­! "Hah!" I charged forward while lowering my head, attempting a takedown by grabbing her slender waist. But Kuroyuki did not budge at all, despite the fact that I''m pushing her with my all. She''s tough¡­! This is¡ª Hard Defensive Cladding¡­!? She wore her armour of hard ice while stacked with the ''Defensive Cladding''. No wonder even Nightwalker would take a hard time to break her ice. Which then, she grabs my belt with both of her hands and lifted me with my head facing down¡ª A piledriver!? BAM!!! Before the slam, I absorbed most of the impact with my arms. Even if I sustained some damage on the back of my neck¡ª it would heal in just a few seconds because of my ''Rejuvenation Cladding''. "!" BAM!!! By the moment I stood up¡ª Kuroyuki succeeded in a takedown, mounting on top of me. However, she didn''t follow up with any strikes. Maybe it''s because she knew once she did¡ª I could slip out at any moment. The moment I tried to push her away, she grabs both of my wrists, bending them inwards with her grip strength. "Arghh¡­!?" It''s just a matter of time before she breaks them¡ª it was then, Kuroyuki releases her hands from me. "¡­Piercing, striking and even shooting almost couldn''t work on you¡ª as expected, you are completely hopeless in holds and throws." She said to me. This girl¡­ she knew my weakness, just like that¡ª with just our exchange on last night and this morning. "¡­And your point?" I asked. Seeming how calm I was regarding that, Kuroyuki raised her left brow, seeming doubtful. "¡­I don''t recommend doing so, even if your other half could counter against this." Kuroyuki''s not the type to bring up pointless topics. ¡­I see now. She wants me to prepare myself for the . "¡­I thought you aren''t the type to aim for first place," I told her. "Unless there''s something you want at first place¡ª something that you can''t obtain." "¡­I need your help, Lucifer," Kuroyuki told me while taking my hands. "¡­I can''t do this alone." Even though she b?r?ly had an expression, but I could tell that she was feeling sentimental. Because her hands are trembling. What on earth is the prize for first place that she wants that much¡­? I want to help her to achieve that, but I can''t. I don''t make promises that I couldn''t achieve. "I''m sorry, Kuroyuki," I told her, while flicking my hands away from hers. "¡­!" Kuroyuki was visibly surprised, yet¡ª it felt like she''s surprised by something else instead. "I''m sure you already knew¡ª my punches, kicks, and swings are all amateurish." Nevertheless, I continued. While listening to my remark, Kuroyuki nods her head. "¡­Just like any beginner." She said. "Indeed. Can you imagine that I tried to learn just a simple veteran slash for eight years?" "¡­Even talentless people would''ve¡ª are you implying that you were unable to learn it¡­?" "As long as the ''Twenty Seal'' is on me." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" With her brows slightly furrowed, Kuroyuki raised her arm. A punch¡­!? Is she going to test me again¡­!? With her h?ps lifted from my abdomen, I slipped out from her mounting by pushing my body with my hands. BAM!!! Her punch dented a hole on the floor. As soon as I got back on my feet, I dodged Kuroyuki''s spear thrust by stepping to my right. "!" Then, an image of her spear cutting across my neck from the right pops in my head. I immediately reacted by leaning my body backwards¡ª avoiding the presence-erased ice spear that she threw earlier. Kuroyuki then threw away the spear in her hand, aiming for a takedown. "I thought I told you¡ª I''M NOT FALLING FOR THE SAME TRICK TWICE." I tried to change her trajectory by pushing her away with my right hand. But, she caught my hand with her left hand instead. "¡­So do I." Telling me that, she throws a sharp low kick. CLANK! Erasing my presence, I jumped upwards¡ª dodging her kick that sliced the floor. Kuroyuki immediately leaned her body backwards while pulling my arm. Just like what I wanted. "Silent kick." I thought that my flying kick would land on her. But she immediately used the centrifugal force to spin herself and dodged my kick while releasing my hand¡ª extending her right palm. PAK! It caught my face. "¡­I give up," I told her¡ª with my body dangling on mid-air. "Please don''t squeeze my face¡­" THUD. Which then, Kuroyuki released me while I fell to the floor. "¡­Even if you are amateurish, you could adapt to others techniques, just like me," Kuroyuki told me as she sat on my opposite.. "¡­But¡­ we need more than that to win." Chapter 74 - 4.7 "More¡­ than that¡­?" I inadvertantly murmured. "Kuroyuki¡­ are you expecting me to reach your level¡­?" "¡­I won''t ask for the impossible." Kuroyuki said to me with a stern look. And some hints of pity in her eyes. "That said¡­ you seemed to know that those guys aren''t your ordinary people." "¡­It was frustrating," Kuroyuki murmured with her brows slightly furrowed. "¡­It only took me one exchange to understand that I could never surpass their talents no matter how hard I try." This means August Whisperwind, Persia Silverlight, Crimson Veludora Blaze, Kronos Y Chronoclock and Rumelia Heartlock is strong enough to make even Kuroyuki Shiroha acknowledge them. "Let''s start with August Whisperwind, then," I murmured. "I know you were going all out against August when you are exchanging blows with your swords." "¡­That was the 57th time I''ve challenged him with my swordsmanship." When hearing that, I inadvertently took a deep breath. 57th time¡­? Poor August. "¡­You were thinking of something rude, weren''t you¡­?" Kuroyuki glared at me. "Ehem, may I ask why?" I avoided the topic. "¡­Because I want to defeat him in terms of swordsmanship." "I don''t think you understand anything at all." I inadvertently retorted. "¡­If only my swordsmanship is as powerful as his¡­" She''s not listening at all. "¡­those exchanges made me stronger¡­ but the same goes for him as well." She continued. "¡­If my swordsmanship grew by one level, then he''d be a five." "¡­This explains why he could break your swordsmanship that easily." "¡­No," Kuroyuki uttered with frustration. "¡­You don''t understand at all¡­!" I was sincerely surprised. "Wait¡­ Really¡­?" I inadvertently uttered. "¡­He defeated you in your OWN swordsmanship¡­!?" "¡­The Fubuki Sakura (Ó£´µÑ©), also known as the Blowing Cherry Blossom Snow¡­ is my father''s own created mixture of spear and sword arts¡­ August learnt it during our first duel, and he modified it to his own swordsmanship and crushed me in my swordsmanship." "Eh¡­ In just one exchange¡­? He really is a genius." I murmured. "But still, Kuroyuki¡­ your spear arts are just as good as his swordsmanship, no? You easily repelled him whenever you are holding your spear." "¡­Think, before you answer," Kuroyuki uttered coldly. There''s more¡­? Did I miss something¡­? "Oh¡­ right." I inadvertently murmured. "His pinkie is broken." "¡­Correct. With his pinkie broken, about half of his grip strength is gone, his precision and control won''t be as accurate as before¡ª and yet, he could even give me a hard time." "No wonder you were that worried. If it''s just as what you say¡­ he could become a tough opponent in the ." "¡­Have you ever seen anyone using a sword as their primary weapon nowadays?" Kuroyuki asked me. "Well, it''s not like I have seen anyone using spear, cards, fists, strings, rapier and a bunch of junk as their primary weapons either," I replied. "It''s surprising that only four out of ten students in S Class had guns as their main weapon." "¡­True." Kuroyuki somehow giggled, seeming to agree with my point. "¡­Why do you think I would mention that he''s a swordsman? He had something that we have in common." I immediately understood what she meant. "No way¡­! August¡ª he¡ª he had the ''Force of Will''¡­!?" "¡­Remember my freezing slash that gouged out a piece of the ground¡­ and the spear thrust that froze the tree?" "Err, I think I remember¡­? Did you clad your weapon with ''Offensive Cladding'' to make such attacks?" "¡­Or with enough explosive power on your arm, you could do it," Kuroyuki added. "¡­August could deflect that slash back to me with ease." "I know. I have seen how he deflected Kronos''s sword back to you just like that." "¡­Speaking about Kronos¡­ what do you think about him¡­?" "Among them¡­ I think he was the weakest of them all. And of course¡­ what I mean is in terms of fighting prowess." "¡­Just as what I thought, as well¡ª but¡­" "You were wondering just how many arsenals he could pull out from his dimensional storage." "¡­His technology alone could cover the loss for his talent in martial arts." "He would definitely pair up with Rumelia, without a doubt," I said. "¡­You seemed to learn about their relationship as well." "Oh, they are childhood friends." "¡­I envy them," Kuroyuki said blandly. With the topic steering towards the danger zone, I immediately pulled it back. "If Rumelia were to take out the latest model of her combat automata paired up with Kronos''s arsenal¡­ What do you think our chances of winning¡­?" I think we will be fighting an army instead of two people. What''s more, automata are considered legal weapons¡­ depending on the amount you could control. "¡­I could probably hold off on my own, but you¡­ You would die without a doubt." "Haha, I hope not," I said. "But then, if that''s how she fights¡­ she won''t be needing her strings and martial arts, isn''t it¡­? I don''t think that''s her way of combat." "¡­Don''t forget we still have singles match." "Oh, that explains now. So it depends on the matches." Somehow, Kuroyuki broke eye contact while seeming to be in deep thoughts. "¡­I wondered who will Blaze pair up with¡­?" She murmured. "You seem to care much about him," I said. "Maybe it''s because both of you had a trait in common? Haha." "¡­ I-I''m not feeling lonely at all¡­! Not at all¡­!" Kuroyuki screamed at me with her face redden. She usually had this cold, stern look. "Come to think of it¡­ Principal told me that Blaze got all the way to the 4th place with just his fist alone. So just how skilled are Blaze''s martial arts¡­?" "¡­To be specific, it was hand-to-hand combat," Kuroyuki remarked. "I probably won''t be able to find another martial artist of my age as skilled as him." "Did he went all out against you¡­?" "¡­Unfortunately, no," Kuroyuki replied. "¡­Even after for 27 official matches and 54 unofficial matches." "Kuroyuki¡­ I know you are somewhat a battle junkie¡ª but can''t you show some restraints¡­?" "¡­Is there a problem?" Kuroyuki''s tone is as if she thinks it''s not a problem at all. Which then, she stood up, patting her pants. "¡­It''s boring with us sitting here. Why don''t you play a game with me¡­?" She asked. "¡­I will perform different stances, and you need to guess what type of martial arts it is." "Hmm¡­ sure," I replied without a second thought. Chapter 75 - 4.8 Which then, Kuroyuki took a cat-foot stance. ¡­I''m surprised. Her form is excellent. ¡°A Nekoashi-Dachi (è×ãÁ¢¤Á). This is a Karate-Do (¿ÕÊÖµÀ)." I answered. "¡­In just one glance¡­?" Kuroyuki inadvertently murmured. Oh, I was correct. "That''s because you had a solid form. Are you perhaps, skilled in karate¡­?" Somehow, Kuroyuki''s eyes looked up for a split second. "¡­A little." She answered after blinking twice. She''s humble than I thought. "A Kumi Kata (½M¤ß·½)¡­? It''s Judo (ÈáµÀ)?" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Kuroyuki then switched her stance without replying. A standing technique¡ª tachi waza (Á¢¼¼). Back stance¡ª dwi-kubi (???). Horse stance (Âí²½) with her fists on the side of her ?h?st, pigeon-toed. Left horse stance (×óÂí²½) with her fists lowered to her waist. Dragon stance (Áú²½). Figure of the three parts (ÈýÌåʽ). The flicker. Rocking back and forth¡ª the ginga (jeen-gah). Knees bent and waist hinged. A fighting right grip stance¡­? ¡­A natural-looking spin¡­? "¡­Now, what are those twelve stances¡­?" Kuroyuki asked after she finishes her demonstration. ¡­So, my tip is a total of twelve stances. ¡°Starting from the tachi waza (Á¢¼¼)¡­ that¡¯d be Aikido (ºÏšÝµÀ), then Taekwondo (õÌÈ­µÀ), Wing Chun (Ó½´º), Tai Chi (Ì«¼«), B¨¡ Gu¨¤ Zh¨£ng (°ËØÔÕÆ), X¨¬ng Y¨¬ Qu¨¢n (ÐÎÒâÈ­), Muay, Boxing, Capoeira, Wrestling¡­¡± "¡­And the last two?" "Your right grip is more solid compared to your left grip Judo¡­ if there''s another martial art similar to that, then it''d be Sambo." I said. "As for the spin¡­ I really had no idea." "¡­A pity," Kuroyuki replied. "¡­You would''ve gotten a perfect score." To be honest, I don''t really care about that. I know I''ve seen that spin somewhere¡­ it wasn''t just a simple spin¡ª it was meant to dodge your opponent''s strike while countering it by twisting their limbs to lock them¡­ "Systema?" I inadvertently answered. Kuroyuki then stares at me with her eyes widen. "¡­And¡­ you got a perfect score." She said. "¡­And with just one glance in each form." Is she pouting? She is, is she? It''s all thanks to my dad''s research journal that I''m able to tell in just one glance. "Did Blaze knew all of those martial arts¡­?" "¡­Perhaps there''s more," Kuroyuki added, with an unsure look. "These third-rate martial arts had their own weakness¡­ but if he mastered them, then he could compensate the weakness by switching to different styles¡­!" "¡­Indeed. He''s nearly impregnable if you rely on martial arts alone." Kuroyuki told me. "¡­He could be your worst match." "Then¡­ what about Persia, whose 3rd in place?" "¡­I could only say that she''s indeed the young mistress from the Silverlight family¡ª and probably, my worst match." "Right¡­ you had zero resistance against magic." "¡­Do you think she''s only good in magic?" Kuroyuki asked me. "Even if magic can''t work on me, but¡ª nope, not at all," I replied. "¡­I saw you pushing her away from the sword I threw." "She''s trying to shield me from it." "¡­Shield you¡­?" Kuroyuki inadvertently murmured. "¡­She could easily block an attack like that with just one of her cards¡ª like a barrier." Kuroyuki formed an ice card and ice sword, demonstrating it to me. The card was solid, as if it was stuck to a wall, with the sword falling to the ground after it hits the card. "That easily?" I inadvertently murmured with surprise. Kuroyuki then gives a thought with her fingers placed below her chin. "¡­Did Persia say or do anything strange to you?" "Yeah, tons." "¡­?" Kuroyuki was dumbfounded. "¡­Like what¡­?" "Like how she m??n?d like an animal in heat when I touched her, like how she wants to take off her clothes even if she''s embarrassed, like how she squeezed herself and wants to spoiled like a princess¡ª" "¡­Stop!" Kuroyuki raised her voice. "¡­Mnn, I suppose those are strange indeed¡­" She had such a bitter and pained look. "¡­Seems like you weren''t able to escape from her clutches either," I said. "¡­Ngh¡­¡­" Kuroyuki nods. As expected from Persia. "¡­I still don''t understand why she is opening up to you," Kuroyuki told me. "While we were working together as First-Year Student Council Members, she was much more straight and serious, like a noble lady¡ª it took her two and a half months to behave as such monstrosity." "Monstrosity¡­?" I muttered. "¡­Your vocabulary, Kuroyuki." It felt like Kuroyuki is trying to stop me from getting close to Persia, not because she''s perverted¡ª but it''s because of another reason entirely. "¡­I was just stating the facts." Kuroyuki retorted. "¡­To be honest, I don''t want you to stick close to her. She''s planning something." ¡­She literally said it. "Don''t worry, Kuroyuki," I told her. "No matter what Persia is planning, I''m sure she''s is not a bad person." "¡­Why do you sound as if you knew her for ages¡­?" Kuroyuki asked. "Friendship isn''t about logic." "¡­You only met her for about a day." I could only deliberately heave a sigh. "I don''t know¡ª I just somehow knew." "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Somehow, I could tell that Kuroyuki had hints of sadness in her eyes. Maybe she was reminded of ''him''. Anyways, I thought Persia told Nightwalker that they are merely colleagues. ¡­In other words, she lied to Nightwalker. But, for what reason she had to lie? What''s more, it''s on such a trivial matter. It''s like she''s trying to make me doubt her over and over... "Wait, isn''t Persia your friend?" I asked. "¡­F¡­ Friend¡­?" Kuroyuki seemed reluctant to say those words. "¡­We are friends¡­?" She looks even more surprised than me. Why wasn''t I surprised? "Then¡­ am I your friend?" I asked. "¡­I¡­ I don''t know." "Hah¡­?" I was expecting Kuroyuki to deny our friendship. But instead, her hesitant, innocent reply completely blew off my mind. "Ha¡­ hahahaha¡­!" I couldn''t help but make some laugh coming from the bottom of my heart while trying to hide it with my hand. "W-What''s with that? Hahahaha¡ª Ow¡­!?" When I knew it, Kuroyuki threw a light low kick on my left shin to hide her embarrassment. "¡­ It''s¡­ It''s not like you were that much different from me¡­!" Kuroyuki retorted, with her face redden. "Then¡­ how do you become friends with ''him''?" I asked. "Maybe you could give it a try between us?" "¡­Maybe not," Kuroyuki replied. "¡­You will definitely regret it." "Try me." I boasted. "¡­Then, are you ready to throw away your life?" She asked. "¡­Eh¡­?" I was completely surprised by her sudden statement. "¡­Before Lu and I became friends... I¡ª" I have deeply regretted my boast ever since then. Because of this, I would always remind myself to take Kuroyuki''s words carefully. "¡ªalmost killed him for three times.¡± Chapter 76 - 4.9 ¡°Three¡­ times?¡± I inadvertently murmured. Just by hearing those words alone is already enough to understand that Kuroyuki Shiroha¡¯s childhood friend¡ª Lucifer Vermillion, is a madman. ¡°Like¡­ how¡­?¡± I added. ¡°¡­I bit off the artery on his neck when we met for the first time,¡± Kuroyuki told me. ¡°¡­!?¡± It felt so unbelievable that I thought she was joking with me. I only know it was real because of the sombre smile on her face. What had she been through that she needs to kill by biting off the artery of someone on their neck¡­? ¡°¡­Do you, perhaps, want me to bite off your neck?¡± Kuroyuki¡¯s voice is somehow, seductive. Did she do so on purpose just so she could make me feel more secure¡­? ¡°¡­Thanks, Kuroyuki¡­ and sorry,¡± I said to her. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Phew¡­ felt too much to digest all of a sudden.¡± ¡°¡­Not quite. I¡¯m actually thankful that you told me instead.¡± I told her. ¡°I now know that being friends with you will be harder than I thought, hahaha.¡± I deliberately forced out a laugh to hide my uneasiness. ¡°¡­You¡­ still want to be friends with me¡­?¡± Kuroyuki asked. ¡°¡­Even after knowing the things I¡¯ve done¡­?¡± ¡°I was surprised, alright. But it¡¯s not like you would bite my neck now and kill me, no?¡± ¡°¡­Who knows?¡± With that reply, Kuroyuki smiled. It really is a miracle for her to recover. But still¡­ for Lucifer Vermillion to reach out to her for three times just to save her sanity¡­ Just how much of a madman he is¡­? ¡°No wonder you like him so much,¡± I replied. ¡°If a person is willing to go that far just to save me¡­ I would¡¯ve fallen in love as well.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± I was dumbfounded. ¡°Who¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Principal,¡± Kuroyuki replied while making an innocent look. ¡°¡­It¡¯s obvious that your relationship isn¡¯t just ¡®Teacher¡¯ and ¡®Student¡¯.¡± Something within my head snapped. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T WANT ME TO GRIND YOUR HEAD, DO YOU?¡± I protested while smacking my hands onto Kuroyuki¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯M NOT GAY.¡± Kuroyuki then chuckled. ¡°¡­After all, you kicked each other at your bu????ks.¡± ¡°Why you little¡­!¡± I squeezed and rubbed her cheeks with my palms. After finally venting out my anger, Kuroyuki then rubs her seeming swollen cheeks. She¡¯s making such an evil look. I wondered why, but it seems that their relationship isn¡¯t just ¡®Teacher¡¯ and ¡®Student¡¯ as well. ¡°Do you perhaps, knew that guy as well¡­?¡± ¡°¡­We are close,¡± Kuroyuki murmured. ¡°¡­Very close.¡± Her eyes are dying. ¡°¡­Right. Your parents are friends with him.¡± ¡°¡­So he told you. I never mentioned they were friends¡­¡± Kuroyuki uttered. ¡°¡­You really aren¡¯t just a simple special student, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°In my opinion, both of us aren¡¯t just special students. After all, with you attending this academy itself is already superfluous. I¡¯m sure you had another complex identity here on Central Imperial Island.¡± ¡°¡­I would rather keep that a secret,¡± Kuroyuki told me. ¡°¡­It catches too much unnecessary attention and might affect our status quo.¡± Looks like Kuroyuki Shiroha had a relatively high social standing on Central Imperial Island. ¡°¡­Unless, Principal himself decides to let you know,¡± Kuroyuki told me. ¡°¡­You would definitely be shocked, hehe.¡± I wondered why, our seeming pointless topic feels like two politicians facing off against each other. ¡°If that day comes¡ª we will see about that, hehehe.¡± However, no matter how high her status quo is, I don¡¯t think she would know that the person standing in front of her is the King Candidate of Central Imperial Island. Because my authority on Central Imperial Island is just below Principal¡ª the King, Vice¡ª the Queen, and Lucillea¡ª the Prime Minister, also the King¡¯s older sister. I mean, even I couldn¡¯t believe this myself. THUMP. ¡°Guh¡­!?¡± Crap¡­ my breathing¡­! Kuroyuki caught me by lifting my arm with her shoulder. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong¡­?!¡± The strain caused by the ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯¡­ it¡¯s getting stronger all of a sudden. Have I overexerted my quota limit for today¡­? ¡°Oh¡­ don¡¯t worry¡­ this is normal. I will be better after I get some rest.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t push your luck,¡± Kuroyuki uttered. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t look good at all.¡± ¡°Then¡­ please carry me to my room.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph¡­!¡± ¡°Wah¡­!?¡± I inadvertently screamed by her sudden approach. It¡¯s so embarrassing that I thought I would die. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry... Kuroyuki, but could you please put me down¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly lift me¡­ I¡¯m really heavy.¡± ¡°¡­No can do.¡± She really doesn¡¯t have any intention to put me down. ¡°Kuroyuki¡­ I may not look like it¡­ but I weighed about 681 kg.¡± I told her. ¡°¡­E-Eh¡­?¡± She was totally surprised by my remark. ¡°¡­Now this makes sense¡­¡± She then murmured. Nevertheless, she continued on. Taking me towards the lift. ¡°Erm, Kuroyuki? Are you listening? Put me down¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I never said you are heavy,¡± Kuroyuki replied. ¡°¡­You should know that my grip strength alone is enough to lift you.¡± On second thought, she¡¯s right. ¡°Ahaha¡­ I will leave it to you, then¡­¡± I replied. Which then, Kuroyuki took me to the lift. ¡°¡­Would this happen to the other you¡­?¡± She asked. ¡°¡­If this would, I¡¯m cancelling the ?ssignment.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Nightwalker doesn¡¯t have this kind of strain, for now.¡± ¡°¡­For now?¡± Kuroyuki turns her head a little from reflex. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem. I think it¡¯s alright to continue. If anything bad happens to Nightwalker¡­ I will be counting on you, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Even if it might be dangerous¡­?¡± Kuroyuki muttered. ¡°¡­Is it really indispensable¡­?¡± ¡°Then let me ask you¡­ would you rather go out on a war to leave a mark on history or just to live quietly and peacefully for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki somehow hesitated to answer. ¡°For me¡­ living quietly and peacefully is already enough,¡± I told her. ¡°For the first time in 8 years that I¡¯d finally step out from that island. I want to try out various things starting now.¡± Somehow, Kuroyuki made an exasperated sigh, seeming to give up from convincing me. ¡°¡­If that is your wish¡­¡± She murmured softly, seeming to agree. ¡°Thank you very much, then¡­¡± I replied, with b?r?ly any strength to speak. I could b?r?ly keep my eyes open. ¡­so tired. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯m going to pass out¡­ for a while¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­E-Eh¡ª!?¡± Chapter 77 - 4.10 ¡°GYARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!?¡± The pain from the ¡®Twenty Seals¡¯ woke me up. ¡°Huff¡ª Huff¡ª Huff¡ª¡± Nightmare he¡­ fainted¡­!? ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong¡­?!¡± Not long after I screamed, Kuroyuki came in from the door to the classroom. ¡°¡­Are you okay¡­?¡± She said to me with a worried look. Which then, she placed her forefinger on my forehead, seeming to check my temperature. ¡°Ugh¡­ y-yeah¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± I replied to her while getting up from my bed. But it seems she¡¯s ignoring me. ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed Kuroyuki¡¯s hand before she could leave. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± ¡°Are you the one who changed my clothes¡­?¡± My T-shirt, to be exact. ¡°¡­I had to. You are sweating heavily.¡± No¡­! ¡°Kuroyuki¡­¡± I warned. ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t ever let Restia and Ruby know about this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What does this mean¡­??? Whatever, if Restia asks¡­ I will just have to feign ignorance¡­! With that determination, I went for a shower. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After a refreshing shower, I realized I forgot to bring my clothes. With only a towel wrapped around my lower body, I head to the wardrobe. ¡°¡­Dinner¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was then, Kuroyuki entered my room when I was just about to wear my boxers. ¡­My lower half is entirely in full display. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, Kuroyuki¡¯s face immediately blushed in deep red¡ª but her body is refusing to move an inch. ¡°Stop staring already¡­!¡± I screamed while throwing the towel on the floor at her. ¡°Get out¡­!¡± Seeming to realize her rudeness, Kuroyuki turned away and left my room in a hurry without uttering a single word. Getting stared at is a small matter, but if Restia knows this, I¡¯m dead meat. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°So¡­? What do you have to say for yourself?¡± I uttered. ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­¡­¡± She murmured, with her voice gradually becoming smaller. ¡°It¡¯s¡­?¡± I repeated. ¡°¡­Ngh¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki then took the spoon and shoved it into her mouth with her face redden. Her eyes, back and forth from time to time, peeks at my pissed off face. ¡°WELL¡­?¡± I raised my voice. ¡°¡­It was amazing¡­¡­¡­ okay¡­¡­?¡± With her brows furrowed, Kuroyuki replied with a weak voice. ¡°W-Wha¡­?¡± ¡°N-No¡­! Not that! What I¡¯m saying is you should apologize for barging into my room¡­!!! Not talking about the size of my¡­¡± ¡°¡­E-Eh¡­?¡± Kuroyuki¡¯s face immediately flushed in deep red. ¡­Crap, now I¡¯m getting embarrassed as well. ¡°¡­I-I-I-I-I am terribly sorry¡­¡­.¡± While apologizing, Kuroyuki made some small nods with her eyes closed, looking very apologetic. ¡°Sheesh¡­¡­¡± With my hand placed on the table, I had to cover my face from the embarrassment. ¡­I can¡¯t even look straight at her now. How could I possibly survive for another two weeks¡­? But still¡­ given Kuroyuki¡¯s usual cold atmosphere that she always had on her¡­ she¡¯s surprisingly innocent. To begin with, I wasn¡¯t expecting her to be embarrassed to such a degree. ¡°Please knock next time, okay¡­?¡± I told her. ¡°¡­N¡­ N¡­¡± In response, she nodded twice. So cute¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ As soon as we had our dinner, Kuroyuki and I quickly part our ways into our rooms. Because both of us knew that the embarrassment and awkwardness are suffocating. After taking my phone from the mini cabinet next to my bed, I lay on my bed. ¡­It¡¯s about time I should call Restia. Come to think of it¡­ this is illegal in Central Imperial Island, isn¡¯t it? There are special rules within the Imperial Knights Academy that makes it different from other schools. All students are required to live on campus and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the island. Even contacting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school. Leaving the island is also forbidden. These are the reasons that my little sis, Restia, prevents me from coming here. However, you are free to go anywhere on this island as long as you could return to the school grounds within the restricted time. Yeah, right. That doesn¡¯t apply to me. Somehow, when I realized, I had the phone in my hand dangling just above my head, and I¡¯m staring at it. No¡­! I really don¡¯t want to make this call¡­! But if I don¡¯t, Restia would come here for real...!!! [Do Do] ¡°BIG BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!¡± With the loudspeaker switched on and the phone placed just right next to my head¡ª I thought I was going deaf. ¡°Restia, a pitch higher... and I would¡¯ve gone deaf.¡± I retorted. ¡°Myaster¡­ When are you coming home¡­!!!¡± ¡°¡­Ruby, it¡¯s only the second day.¡± ¡°Ruby¡¯s¡­ ¡®Myaster Energy¡¯¡­ is almost depleted¡­¡­. Myaster¡­¡­.!¡± Her desperate cries through the phone are melting my heart. ¡°Oh, Ruby¡­!¡± It made me respond back with my cry as well. ¡°¡­Put those aside first, Ruby.¡± Restia murmured. ¡°Your master had some serious EXPLANATIONS to do.¡± Restia¡¯s into it already!? ¡°W-W-What are you talking about, my cute little sister¡­?¡± ¡°Stop trying to play dumb in front of me¡ª especially when I¡¯m ANGRY,¡± Restia uttered. ¡°In just a mere five hours since my last call, I had a terrible headache!¡± ¡°H-Huh¡­?¡± I inadvertently murmured with a dumbfounded look. ¡°¡­Five hours? You called five hours ago¡­?¡± ¡°¡­That snow woman didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°Snow woman¡­¡­ Kuroyuki Shiroha? About what?¡± I inadvertently murmured. What was I doing five hours ago¡­? ¡­Crap, she knew Nightmare lost consciousness. How am I going to speak my way out of this¡­? ¡°¡­Just to remind you, your little sister called after I placed you on the bed.¡± Suddenly, Kuroyuki approaches me from the right side of my bed. ¡°WAH!!?¡± I immediately rolled myself away to the left side of my bed, keeping some distance from Kuroyuki with my phone on hand. ¡°I-I-I thought I told you to knock before you entered my room¡­!¡± I said to Kuroyuki. Ah. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I could feel an ominous aura flowing out from my phone. ¡°R¡­ Restia, I could explain.¡± I murmured. ¡°She already did,¡± Restia told me. ¡°No, wait¡ª why would you suddenly call me¡­?¡± I asked Restia. ¡°I¡­ had a bad feeling,¡± Restia replied with a shaky voice. ¡°That¡¯s why I called¡­! Do you know how worried I was when I heard you were unconscious¡­!?¡± When I became unconscious¡ª Restia had a bad feeling, that¡¯s why she called. Then Kuroyuki Shiroha just happens to pick up the phone when she placed me on the bed. ¡°Even though it¡¯s not my fault, I apologize to you in Nightmare¡¯s stead,¡± I said. ¡°It seems he overexerted himself for today.¡± ¡°¡­Idiot! Don¡¯t you dare make me worried¡­!¡± Restia yelled at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go through that feeling once again¡­!¡± Six years ago, a Cithaeron Lion invaded my house. To protect Restia and Ruby, I had to lure the Cithaeron Lion away, alone. With only Restia and Ruby at home, I can¡¯t imagine how terrified they were when I hadn¡¯t returned home until the following day. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not Nightmare,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t worry.¡± Restia retorted. ¡°Because now I have my eyes on you for 24 hours.¡± Hearing that, I inadvertently set my eyes on Kuroyuki Shiroha, who is sitting naturally on my bed in her black lace nightgown. Which, she winks at me. Chapter 78 - 4.11 "Y-Y-You are telling her to look after me¡­?!" I retorted. "What were you thinking, Restia¡­!?" "Then, your second choice is me," Restia told me. "¡­Restia, you should know what happens if you don''t listen to ''me,''" I warned. "That''s why I had her to do my job." "Please, just charge me a fee or something," I said to Kuroyuki. "¡­I can''t just have you listen to my little sister''s selfish request." "¡­I already did." She replied. As expected from her. That was quick. "¡­Is it about your childhood friend¡­?" I asked. "¡­N." Kuroyuki nodded. "I''ve spread the news on social media and some websites," Restia murmured. "Unfortunately¡­ the chances of it is just as good as zero." "¡­I understand," Kuroyuki said to Restia. "¡­I wasn''t expecting anything from just a name, to begin with." "Same here as well. I wasn''t expecting to get a headache so soon either¡­" Restia suddenly uttered. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BIG BROTHER¡­!!?" "Are you okay, Restia¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "You are getting headaches quite often for these two days." "That''s not all! E-Ever since last night, Restia had five migraine headaches and one at the centre¡­! T-This means, big brother had encountered five perverted events and one heart-throbbing event¡­!" "¡­Ah." "Ah." Kuroyuki and I inadvertently recalled the same thing. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" ¡­ There''s an ominous aura flowing out from my phone. "¡­BIG BROTHER?" With Restia''s terrifying tone echoing throughout the room, I immediately made a gesture to Kuroyuki with my hands and face. ''Save¡­ me!'' Is what I told her. "¡­I¡­ saw his genitals," Kuroyuki murmured honestly. "¡­ I''m terribly sorry for damaging your brother''s pride." "R-Restia¡­!?" THUD. As soon as Ruby screamed, a crashing sound soon followed afterwards. It seems Restia''s phone fell to the floor. "O-Oi¡­! What''s wrong? Restia? Ruby?" "N-No¡­¡­" I could b?r?ly hear Restia''s voice coming from the phone. "S-Someone aside from me and Ruby saw it¡­¡­" "R¡­ Restia is broken nya¡­!" Ruby suddenly screamed. "Stop standing there, idiot!" I yelled. "Get D¨®mr to stop her¡­!" "Big brother¡­! RESTIA IS COMING NOW¡­!!!" Restia screamed. "RESTIA WILL GOUGE OUT HER EYES¡­!" "¡­If you want, then so be it," Kuroyuki murmured. "Don''t just add oil to fire¡­! Ruby¡ª I give you full permission! Stop Restia¡­!" "NYAA¡­!" WHAM!!! Ruby probably sent Restia flying out of the house now. "Stop Restia nyaa¡­!" She screamed. BOOM. Sounds like D¨®mr''s beam. Seems like he just joined the fight as soon as Ruby called. ¡­This might take a while. "¡­No wonder you were six months late." Kuroyuki suddenly said to me. She understands now. "Sigh¡­ if only she''s not that overprotective." I replied, while sitting on the left side of my bed. "¡­Part of this just happens to be my fault." "¡­ It''s not a bad thing, isn''t it? At least, she truly cares about you." "Yeah." "¡­But to be honest, I don''t think your little sister could win¡ª even if she tried." "Kuroyuki, stop trying to use every chance you could get to fight." I retorted. "¡­Is she strong¡­?" She''s ignoring me again, isn''t she? "Hmm¡­ Then¡­ do you have a gist on how strong is Principal?" I asked. "¡­I once saw him eradicating a well-equipped army of four million with just his magic," Kuroyuki replied. "¡­ He''s a genuine monster." "Oh, are you talking about that war with the Regalia Empire six years ago¡­?" "¡­N." Kuroyuki nodded. To be honest, I don''t really know the details regarding that war. All I know is that they won. "Well¡­ Restia never went all out against me, so I''m not sure." I told her. "¡­But, if I really were to compare her to Principal¡­ then Restia is at least a quarter of it." Kuroyuki''s eyes widen with surprise. "¡­Her power is equivalent to a well-equipped army of one million¡­!?" She uttered. "Yes. I''m not being exaggerating at all." I replied. "¡­And Ruby, my magical pet¡ª is just as good as her." "¡­Did they¡­ became strong just so they could protect you¡­?" "Haha, it''s just as what you said," I told her. "But still¡­ I don''t think you were surprised because you think you would lose¡ª you were surprised because Restia was stronger than you expected." "¡­ I''m very excited for that day to come." "No, no, no¡ª please don''t touch my little sister¡­" "¡­Then again, I think I could get along with her," Kuroyuki added. "Oh? On what basis?" I asked. "As you can see, my little sister hates you to the core." "¡­Because I like her." Kuroyuki replied with a smile. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" I could only stare at Kuroyuki blankly in response. Hmm¡­ It''s just as Nightmare said¡ª friendship is not about logic, huh. "Come to think of it, is this why Restia agrees to let you watch over me¡­?" I asked. I wondered what did they talk when Nightmare was out cold. "¡­ That''s not it. Even if your little sister hates me¡­ she had to agree because I''m the only person that could look after you¡ª she had no choice but to place her trust in me." "For a fair trade... in return, huh." "¡­Not really. She had the upper hand." Kuroyuki remarked. She looks a little depressed. Anyways, as expected of my cute little sister''s negotiation skills. "By the way, you weren''t serious about Restia''s request, right? Even though my little sister is being serious about it, don''t literally watch over me for 24 hours." "¡­Only if you are a kid." Kuroyuki retorted with a chuckle. "¡­Are you perhaps, one?" Which, she naturally pats my head as if I''m just a little kid. SLAP. "Don''t touch my head," I uttered. Kuroyuki was surprised when I slapped her hand away. "¡­¡­ That''s too bad." She said. "¡­Nightmare is the first lucky person to receive my head pat. I thought I should give my fair share to you as well." I deliberately heaved a sigh. "¡­Sorry," I told her. "Although Nightmare allowed you to touch his head, but not me¡ª only my family is allowed to touch my head." "¡­I see." Somehow, Kuroyuki smiled instead of getting annoyed like I thought she would. "Master." Just when things started to get awkward, a familiar voice came from my phone. "How is it, Asha?" I asked. "Has Restia calm down yet?" It seems she''s here to deliver Restia''s phone. Ever since she learnt size-shrinking magic, she could shrink to almost as small as Felix. Of course, there are times where I would only allow her to enter my house when she''s clean. "¡­Is she the Snow Leopard Queen¡ª Asha, that you talk about?" Kuroyuki asked me. I''m surprised that she remembered their names correctly. "That''s right. Asha''s my cute and serious Snow Leopard." ¡°Meistari... Tae er vandr?ealegt ae vera hr¨®sae fyrir framan aera...!¡± (M-Master¡­ It''s embarrassing to be praised in front of others¡­!) "Hehe¡­ T¨² munt venjast tv¨ª." (Hehe¡­ You will get used to it.) "M-Meistari¡­!" (M-Master¡­!) "¡­Eh¡­ She''s cute indeed." Kuroyuki replied. "Hmm¡­? You understand our language¡­?" I asked. "¡­This is magical beast language, isn''t it¡­? I could speak¡­ but I''m not as fluent as you." "¡­Now I''m even more embarrassed." Asha added. It seems with Asha''s fluent speech, Kuroyuki then placed her fingers below her chin¡ª seeming interested. "¡­How interesting. A magical beast is speaking our language." "So you are the woman who turns Restia like this," Asha said to her. "I don''t like you." I didn''t expect Asha to say such words right from the start. But it seems Kuroyuki did not mind at all. "¡­Eh¡­" Kuroyuki made an evil grin. "¡­I could even turn your master like her if you want to." "DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH MY MASTER." "Ow." As soon as Asha warned, Kuroyuki pinched me on my arm. "MASTER¡­!?" "¡­What are you going to do, hmm¡­?" Kuroyuki said to Asha. "(Growl)¡­¡­!" Eh¡­ Asha is getting mad for real. Chapter 79 - 4.12 "Oi, stop teasing her." WHAP. Saying that, I smacked Kuroyuki''s head with a light chop. "¡­Ngh¡­¡­" Which, she pouted¡ª sulking. ¡­I wonder who''s the kid here. Perhaps she''s the one who needs me to look after her for 24 hours. "Splendid job for dealing with that woman, master." Asha praised me. For some reason, it made me a little annoyed when I heard Asha calling Kuroyuki ''that woman'' instead of her name. "Asha, you knew her name¡­ don''t you? I will get mad if you call her ''woman'' again, am I clear~?" "¡­Y-Yes¡­" Asha replied to me with a weak voice, seeming apologetic. "¡­ Don''t you think you should give her a punishment¡­?" Kuroyuki teased. "¡­M-Master¡­!? Please don''t¡­!" WHAP. "¡­Ngh¡­!?" "Like I said, stop teasing my cute Snow Leopard," I told Kuroyuki, after hitting her head once again with a chop. "¡­Stop hitting me." Kuroyuki retorted while pouting. "Only if you behave." It''s Restia. She''s been listening¡­? When did Asha deliver the phone to her¡­? She''s been talking to us all this time. ...Nevermind. I need to cheer up my jealousy-filled cute little sister. "N-No, my cute little sis¡­ I''m just lightening up the mood between them." "Lighten?" Asha murmured. "¡­Kuroyuki Shiroha is bullying me all the time." "I know. I heard everything clearly." Restia replied. "¡­Hehe, it was fun," Kuroyuki replied. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" "Restia¡­ is something wrong¡­?" I asked. "You seemed¡­ anxious." "N-No, it''s just¡­ Ruby''s cat punch cracked my jaw a little." She said. "R-Ruby didn''t mean to¡­!" Ruby quickly replied. "Eh¡­ Ruby you broke through her multi-layered defensive magic barrier¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "Restia, I thought your magic barrier was stronger than last time." "... It''s a new record," Restia replied. "¡­You are getting strong at an alarming rate, Ruby." "Ruby¡­ also don''t understand why," Ruby replied. "¡­How truly exciting." Kuroyuki interrupted. "¡­I can''t wait for that day to fight both of you." "I thought we made a deal, Kuroyuki Shiroha," Restia said to her. "¡­I had no choice," Restia told me. "Hold it, Kuroyuki¡ª didn''t you got what you wanted!? Why are you telling me that Restia got the upper hand instead¡­!?" "¡­Because she''s the only one I get to fight¡­" Kuroyuki pouted. "Y-Y-You¡ª" I stuttered while trying to get my words out. "Restia alone is not enough!? Just how greedy are you¡­!?" "¡­Your magical beasts¡ª Ruby, D¨®mr. Forsj¨¢, Fortuna, Felix, Asha, Pearl, Fylgja, S?llifer¡­ I want them all¡­!" While calling out their names one by one, Kuroyuki grins. It''s a grin that sincerely came from one''s heart. "She''s crazy, big brother! She''s definitely crazy¡­!" Restia said to me. Even though¡­ Even though I knew Kuroyuki had this twisted side of hers aside from her ice-cold beauty¡­ Give me back my black hair, ice-cold beauty goddess¡­! "¡­What are you doing¡­?" Kuroyuki murmured. When I realized, my palms were sticking onto Kuroyuki''s cheeks. "Just trying to figure out where is the ice-cold Kuroyuki Shiroha that I once knew¡­" I replied, while gently rubbing her face in circles, over and over. "¡­Mmgh¡­ I was¡­ Nngh¡­ always like this." Somehow, Kuroyuki Shiroha doesn''t seem to hate it. "You know¡­ you might win if it''s just either Restia, Ruby, D¨®mr. Forsj¨¢, Fortuna, Felix, Asha, Pearl, Fylgja or S?llifer alone... but all of them at the same time¡­? Impossible for you to win." I told her. "¡­Mngh¡­ So¡­ I ?ssumed¡­ Mnn¡­ you agreed to let me¡­ Mmgh¡­ have a spar with them." "No one agreed," Restia replied. "¡­And big brother, stop rubbing her face. If you want to rub, my ?h?st and bu?? are always free for you." "Ruby''s too¡­!" "¡­Mmn¡­ Nngh¡­ Mngh¡­" However, Kuroyuki did not show a single ounce of concern. Seeming to enjoy the sensation on her cheeks, Kuroyuki leans her body forward for more with her hands supporting herself¡ª just like a cat that likes to be rubbed on the chin. ¡­How could I resist? "You know I would never do that out of my own free will, right¡­?" I replied, while still massaging her cheeks. Come to think of it¡­ there''s no reason for Kuroyuki to be aware of me like yesterday. After all, she knew I couldn''t beat her. Plus, Nightmare proved himself to be worthy enough for Kuroyuki to trust him. Because when Nightmare took off her shirt to check for her injuries yesterday, revealing her brassiere¡ª yet he was unfazed by the sight of Kuroyuki''s b?r? skin and beauty. Even if Kuroyuki is now wearing a slightly see-through black lace nightgown, with the upper half of her D-cup ?h?st exposed¡­ I¡ª Gulp. ¡ªhad this irresistible urge of wanting to grope her. "¡­Oww¡­!" "¡­Mnn¡­¡­?" With Restia''s sudden scream, I quickly retreated my hands from Kuroyuki''s cheeks and took my phone. "What''s wrong, Restia¡­? Did your jaw hurt¡­?" I asked. "No¡­ that''s not it¡ª it''s just that, I had a headache¡­¡­ BIG BROTHER¡­?" ¡­ Restia''s intuition is scary. POOF. While thinking of that, Kuroyuki suddenly leans forward with her head bumped to my right ?h?st. "Kuroyuki¡­?" I called her, but she did not respond. "What''s wrong¡­?" Restia asked. "Something happened to Kuroyuki¡ª Eh?" Then, Kuroyuki''s hands no longer supported her¡ª thus, her entire upper body fell downward. Because it was so sudden and I had a phone in my right hand, I had to grab Kuroyuki on the back of her nightgown with my left hand to stop her head from slamming onto my knee. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" What''s going on with Kuroyuki¡­? After switching off the loudspeaker, I hold my phone by sandwiching it between my head and shoulder, lifting Kuroyuki''s head. So cute¡­ eh, she fell asleep!? "Kuroyuki fell asleep," I whispered to Restia. "¡­So suddenly¡­?" Restia inadvertently replied. "... Don''t you dare do anything funny." As soon as Restia warned me, something unexpected happened. ZIPPPPP¡­ Kuroyuki''s nightgown¡­ is ripping on her left side. Before the tear got even worse, I quickly retreated my knee, and thus¡ª "(Crap)¡­!" ¡ªher nightgown tore off on the right, and she smacked onto my bed. Even though I immediately prepared myself for any signs of attacks¡­ yet, Kuroyuki showed no sign of waking up at all. Just how much of a sleepy head is she¡­? It''s probably going to take a bomb to wake her up. "¡­Mnn¡­¡­" Surprisingly, Kuroyuki turns to face up afterwards, still in her sleep. However, because her nightgown is ripped on its upper half, so during that turn¡­ "¡­¡­!!!" ¡­her D-cup ?h?st is completely exposed. Chapter 80 - 4.13 I know girls don''t wear brassiere during their sleep, but that''s not important. I''ve seen Restia and Ruby n?k?d so many times that I developed a tendency to take their n?k?d body the same as common background. Yet¡ª I''m getting nosebleed. Words could not describe the intensity of my current feeling. ¡­Truly beautiful. Is probably the only two words that are in my mind now. "NGAHH¡ª MY HEAD!? IT HURTS!!!" With Restia''s sudden scream, I was pulled back to reality. Which then, I quickly cover Kuroyuki''s ?h?st with her ripped nightgown. While telling Restia that, I raised my head and pinched my nose to stop the nosebleed, with the phone still sandwiched between my head and shoulder. "Big brother¡­ it''s definitely you," Restia uttered. "And what happened to your nose¡­? Your voice seems clogged." "¡­I had nosebleed," I replied. "You are the one who needs a doctor." Restia retorted. "No, Restia¡­ this is perfectly normal." "Nosebleed does not have anything to do with s?xu?? arousal." As soon as Restia made that remark, my nosebleed stopped. "Give me a sec, Restia¡­ let me carry Kuroyuki back to her room." Placing the phone on my bed, I carried Kuroyuki in my arms, taking her to her room. Aside from the smell of my own blood, then it''s Kuroyuki''s scent, perhaps. I looked around. Her room''s design looks exactly the same as my room, only with the furniture at the other way around¡ª like a mirror. Aside from that, there''s nothing special. With every movement as quiet as possible, I carefully placed Kuroyuki on her bed. It was then, she made a roll¡ª revealing her ?h?st once again. SPURT. ¡­ I''m getting nosebleed again. Luckily I managed to prevent it from dirtying Kuroyuki''s bed by blocking it with my clothes. Once again, I covered Kuroyuki''s ?h?st with her nightgown. I figured it''s possible to catch a cold with that exposed ?h?st sooner or later; I added another layer¡­ which is¡ª her blanket. Then, I took a video as proof that I returned her to bed. Thus, I returned to my room while closing the door¡ª activating the soundproofing mode in my room. "A minute, Restia," I yelled. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After washing my nose and changing my clothes, I switched my call to loudspeaker mode, again lying on my bed. "What took you so long?" Restia complained. "Shouldn''t you just throw her to bed and leave immediately?" "Eh¡­ but I was always gentle with you and Ruby." A third-person perspective speech¡ª Restia had forgiven me. "Jealous?" I asked. "¡­Yes." "How honest. But that''s what I like about you, my cute little sis." "Oh, big brother¡­!" "Speaking of which, what do you think of Kuroyuki?" "Restia really hates to admit it¡­¡­ but that snow woman is the type of person that anyone could fully rely on¡ª she''s flawless." "My cute little sis is acknowledging another girl¡­? Now that''s rare." I said. "...I don''t want to talk about her," Restia uttered. "¡­Now tell me what happened during our call." "Is it see-through?" "Aren''t you supposed to ask what happened, Restia?" "She''s seducing you, is she? Why is she wearing a see-through nightgown!?" "It''s not really see-through-able." "The next time I''m sleeping with you¡ª I will be n?k?d." "Geez, it''s not like you''ve never done this with Ruby before¡­ I even lectured you for hours. Plus, you will catch a cold." "Big brother is only allowed to ogle at my body¡­! Oh, and Ruby''s." "Don''t bother. I already can''t feel anything down there for years, Restia." Speaking of which¡­ I did feel something down there when it''s Kuroyuki¡­ "RESTIA." "¡ªehem, so what happened? Her nightgown." "Accidents, Restia," I murmured. "It''s just that Kuroyuki''s nightgown could not withstand her weight." "This means she fell asleep when you are rubbing her cheeks, so you need to grab her on her nightgown to stop her head from bumping your knee¡­ but she''s too heavy, that''s why her nightgown ripped?" Restia murmured. Feeling surprised by Restia''s guess, I inadvertently look around my room. "¡­Restia, did you perhaps¡ª placed a camera at my room?" I murmured. "How come your guess is completely right on the spot?" "Because Restia loves big brother?" "It doesn''t sound convincing at all, Restia. I love you just as much you love me, so why can''t I make an accurate guess?" "No no that''s not it¡ª big brother could do the same as well," Restia told me. "Take a guess; why is it that Ruby and the others aren''t talking to big brother right now?" Come to think of it, I really can''t hear their voices for a while now. Aside from Restia''s voice, I faintly heard the sound of the wind blowing. Knowing Restia and Ruby, it''s probably¡­ "Hmm¡­ Because they were too noisy and always interrupting our conversation, that''s why you flew to the sky with your magic spells?" "See¡­?" Restia murmured. "Right on the spot." "As I thought, it doesn''t seem convincing at all¡­" With that, I heaved a sigh. "Save the small talk for later, Restia. Let''s get to the details today." I murmured. "¡­SO? HOW MANY NEW GIRLS YOU MET TODAY?" "¡­My cute little sis, weren''t you being concerned on the wrong subject?" "You met two new girls today, don''t you?" "Hey¡ª stop looking at the profiles of the S Ranked students. Besides, nothing happened¡ª okay?" "But my five migraine headaches¡­ and adding those three centre headaches¡­" "I have been to the entire First Year Faculty and East Cafeteria today." I continued, while deciding to ignore Restia''s remark. "That''s one block less than yesterday¡­!" She uttered. "Are you even doing your job given by ''you'' properly?!" "I am! I have been looking around just like what ''I'' told me¡­!" I said. "Oh, come to think of it¡­ I''m going to the basement at the White Mansion tomorrow to take my gift." "Gift¡­?" Restia murmured. "Ah! That enrolment gift that guy owed big brother! What is it anyways¡­?" "He says it''s a legendary black sword." "Eh¡ª is big brother sure that guy isn''t messing with big brother?" "He already messed with me, Restia¡­ It was just this morning¡­" I sadly replied. "But Fortunately, Nightmare got to land some satisfying punches on him." "Big brother¡­ you do know you are punching the person with the highest authority on the entire Central Imperial Island, right¡­?" "Yup," I replied. "That''s what Nightmare and I agreed on." "¡­Nevermind," Restia replied. "So¡­ about the so-called legendary black sword¡­ is it real¡­?" "Well¡­ putting the legendary stuff aside¡­ that sword is real, Restia. Kuroyuki Shiroha tried to take that sword before, but she failed." "So this is the only mission she failed¡­" Restia murmured. "There are so many restrictions¡­ I would definitely refuse this." "Oh, you already read the files Kuroyuki gave me?" "¡­N." "I will text you when I''m going to enter the basement tomorrow. If I didn''t text you again after two hours, make sure you call that bastard to get me no matter what, Restia." "¡­Understood," Restia replied softly, seeming unwilling to let me go. However, she didn''t stop me because she knew it would be pointless to do so. "Don''t worry, Restia," I told her. "I''m terrified of dying¡­ so regardless of the danger of it¡ª I will definitely make it out alive." "Not just alive¡ª you need to make it out in one piece." Restia reminded me. ?"Understood, my cute little sis," I replied. "By the way¡ª how are you and Ruby doing?" "Ever since big brother isn''t around¡­ everyone looks gloomy and depressed." "¡­Are you sure it is ''gloomy and depressed'' for Ruby?" "Well¡­ Restia gave Ruby big brother''s boxers, so Ruby was satisfied with it for now." Restia replied. "Ruby''s been sniffing it in every five minutes." "What!? How did you get my boxers!? I thought I stuffed everything in my bag!" "Hmph. This is what you get for underestimating me." "Indeed, I underestimated your shamelessness. Now that you told me¡­ I believe, that''s not the ONLY thing you took." "N-Ngh¡­!?" Restia panicked. "Spit it out, Restia¡ª WHAT ELSE YOU TOOK?" "Big brother''s T-shirt and pants¡­" Restia murmured. "B-But, Restia only wear them after Restia got out from the bath¡­!" "That''s not the problem." I retorted. "Just wearing it is already wrong." "It feels like big brother is always hugging Restia." "There''s no way I could hug you for 24 hours, you pervert." "Restia doesn''t mind being a pervert if Restia could stay with big brother." I deliberately heaved a sigh afterwards. ¡­ There''s no way for me to stop this perverted little sister, huh. "Alright, Restia," I murmured. "It''s about time you let me talk to them as well." "¡­N." As soon as Restia responded, I could gradually hear Ruby and the others¡ª it seems she''s descending to the ground. "NYAA¡­!" "KYAA!?" "Ruby got the phone¡­!" "Nice one, nya¡­!" Seems like Ruby and Felix have been ambushing Restia on the ground to get her phone. "Myaster¡­! Restia is very selfish nya¡­!" "M-MEOW¡­!?" As soon as Ruby talked to me, I heard Felix''s scream. It seems Restia caught her. "What do you idiots know about my painstaking for my big brother¡­!? Coarctant, serpentes terrae!¡± (Constrict, Serpents of The Earth!) As soon as Restia chanted, I could hear the hissing of a thousand snakes¡­ "NYAAA!!?" ¡­plus Ruby''s scream. ¡°MYASTER¡­! HELP RUBY NYAA¡­!!!¡± "I know you could handle it¡ª good luck." "Myaster, you meanie¡­!" Ruby protested. POP. "OWOOOOOOO¡­!" BOOM. Seems like Ruby transformed into a Fenrir Wolf and used the glacial beam to blast Restia''s Binding Earth Snakes. "Not bad, Ruby," I told her. "And Restia¡ª calm down, will ya?" "¡­¡­If you say so." ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 81 - 4.14 After having my time chatting with Restia and the others, I ended the call after an unwilling parting with them. When I realized it, it was already 10.17 pm. Man, I was on the phone for more than two hours¡­?! Before going to sleep, there''s one thing I should do¡­ "Let''s see¡­" While getting myself in a sitting position, I activated my screen to search for Persia''s contact through the administrative files. Come to think of it, she doesn''t have my contact¡­ Better find her through the IKAssembly (Imperial Knights Assembly) app instead of email. ''Dear Persia Silverlight, this is Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare here. Please bring what''s left of your fellow classmates to the White Mansion tomorrow by 10am.'' Oh, my chat box turned from blue to green. She saw my message. ''How''d u get my phone no.?'' ''It''s a stalker, pervert!'' ''I''m scared!'' ''Terrified!'' ''A sticker of a perverted-looking wolf tearing the clothes of red riding hood.'' ...I wondered where did she found this kind of sticker. ''Who would ever want to stalk you?!'' I typed. ''There''s nothing attractive on you!'' ''Oh. Is that so.'' She replied. ''A sticker of a sad carrot.'' ''A sticker of a depressed rabbit facing the corner of the wall.'' ''Don''t be sad, Persia'' I typed. ''I''m sure there''s someone out there willing to stalk you.'' ''A sticker of a shocked rabbit.'' She immediately replied. ''Stop saying that!'' ''It''s scary!'' ''U even added a full stop punctuation'' ''And besides'' ''You WERE depressed?'' I typed. ''Hmm'' ''I never knew you were the type to get depressed easily'' ''Maybe you could consider some plastic surgery'' ''A sticker of a blonde hair girl pouting with a Hmph.'' She replied. ''Meanie!'' ''Btw'' ''Did u perhaps come to find me because u missed me?'' ''Of course not'' I typed. ''Because you are the only one in S Class I''m more familiar with'' I texted. ''I¡­'' She replied. ''I''m not particularly happy with this, u know?'' ''A sticker of a girl blushing with her eyes closed, seeming shy.'' ''Are u perhaps trying to make me happy so u could hope to have the chance to see a photo of me wearing a red lace see-through nightgown?'' She''s also wearing a nightgown in her sleep¡­? ''U are imagining it, right~'' ''Nope'' I quickly texted. ''Not at all'' ''What do u mean ''modest''!?'' She texted. ''I, have at least a D!'' ''My dear Persia'' I replied. ''I was talking about your height'' ''Your 166cm height'' ''Not your bust size'' ''I''m not short!'' She replied. ''Eh?'' ''How did u know my height?'' ''Are you perhaps'' Persia quickly typed. ''¡­A siscon?'' ''Because'' ''My little brother is a siscon'' ''A sticker of a rabbit looking half dead.'' I was utterly surprised. ''That''s news to me'' I replied. ''Did your little brother say anything about'' ''Don''t go near to any guy'' ''Or wanting to take a bath with you whenever he had the chance to'' ''A surprised emoji.'' Persia replied almost instantly. ''Are u perhaps, a psychic?'' ''Or is it'' ''That your little sister is a brocon'' ''Persia, there''s only one thing I could say to you'' I typed. ''I understand your pain.'' ''Again'' Persia quickly replied. ''U used a full stop again'' ''Then again'' ''I understand your pain as well.'' ''Then?'' I typed. ''Did your little brother stop you from coming here alone?'' ''Eh'' Persia replied. ''It''s the same for u as well?'' ''It was hard for me'' ''I had to beat him up myself in order to come here'' ''A sticker of a rabbit sighing, seeming bewildered.'' ''Hmm'' I replied. ''Perhaps this is the good point of being a big sister'' ''What do u mean?'' Persia replied. ''You could beat him up'' I texted. ''I can''t possibly beat up my cute little sister'' ''It''s just'' ''Impossible for me'' ''Maybe this is the privilege of being a girl'' Persia replied. ''My little brother wouldn''t dare to lay a hand on me either'' ''Come to think of it'' ''U are the first guy I had ever talked to'' ''I wonder what would my little brother do when he sees u'' ''Kill me, perhaps?'' I texted. ''My little sis has been urging to kill you too'' ''?'' Persia replied. ''How do u know?'' ''I thought we weren''t allowed to make any contacts outside this island'' Ah, crap. I messed up. ''Through my intuition, of course'' I replied. ''If your little brother knows about my existence'' ''He would be urging to kill me as well'' ''Without a doubt'' Persia replied. ''A sticker of a poker face stickman stabbing a smaller stickman with a knife.'' ''Also'' I replied. ''What do you mean I''m the first guy you talked to'' ''Are your male classmates dead?'' ''Erm'' Persia texted. ''A sticker of a girl fidgeting her fingers.'' ''Because u are the only person who came to me without having an ill purpose?'' ''It makes me feel'' ''At peace, for once'' ''I have been greeted by noble families that came to me with a purpose'' ''Wealth & status'' ''These are two things etched deeply into the name of Silverlight'' ''That everyone wants to get their hands on'' ''After u met with so many types of these people'' ''U could tell immediately'' ''This person is here plotting something'' ''Even if they aren''t at first'' ''They would eventually succumb to that name'' ''But u are different'' ''U don''t care about such trivial matters'' ''U would look at Persia'' ''Not Persia Silverlight'' ''Hehe'' I replied. ''Now I''m getting embarrassed, Persia" ''I didn''t know you think so highly of me'' ''Kuroyuki even told me you used to be straight and serious'' ''When you are working with her at the Student Council'' ''I used to be?'' Persia replied. ''How rude'' ''A sticker of a blonde girl pouting.'' ''It''s just that'' ''It feels better to take off that mask'' ''It''s because of Kuroyuki that I start to believe that I could make friends here'' ''I''m really grateful for that'' ''So that''s how you became friends with Sherry?'' I texted. ''What about August, Blaze, Kronos & Rumelia?'' ''They don''t seem to care about wealth and status'' ''I know u would talk to them'' ''Just that'' ''Not as close as Sherry or Kuroyuki'' ''A sticker of a rabbit in shock.'' Persia quickly replied. ''I see'' ''No wonder my charm didn''t work on u'' ''I''M NOT GAY'' I texted before she could continue. ''I 100% HAVE A NORMAL SEX PREFERENCE'' ''But'' Persia replied. "But but'' ''But but but'' ''ENOUGH WITH THE BUTS ALREADY'' I texted. ''But u seem interested in those guys instead of me or Sherry'' Persia finally typed. ''It''s okay'' ''Maybe u are interested in Rumelia?'' ''I mean'' ''She had the largest bust'' ''It''s no wonder that u were interested in her'' ''Ah'' ''U might''ve a chance to steal her heart before Kronos, no?'' ''A sticker of a girl giving thumbs up.'' ''Persia'' I typed. ''You do know it only takes less than 1 second for my hand to slap your face, right?'' ''Yes'' Persia replied. ''Persia knew very clearly'' ''It''s not like'' ''U could slap me now~'' ''You do know I could always do it tomorrow, right?'' I typed. ''......'' Persia replied. ''Erm'' ''Please forgive me?'' ''Can I say no?'' I replied. ''¡­I understand'' Persia typed. ''I will bring a marker tomorrow'' ''My body is all yours'' ''U could write any ?bs??n? things u want on my body'' ''Congratulations, Persia'' I replied. ''You just earned yourself another slap'' ''Be prepared tomorrow'' ''Nooooooooooooooo'' Persia texted. ¡®I¡¯m sorryyyyyyyyyyyy¡¯ ¡®Please forgive Persiaaaaaaaaaaaa¡¯ ''A sticker of a cute bear in tears pleading for forgiveness.'' ''Sure'' I texted. ''After the two slaps'' ''Then you are free to go'' ''Meanie!'' Persia replied. ''A sticker of a blonde girl pouting with a Hmph!'' ''Anyways, Persia'' I texted. ''The small talk aside'' ''You have something you want to tell me, no?'' ''¡­¡­¡­¡­'' Persia replied. ''Did I?'' "I forgot.'' ''Is that so?'' I replied. ''Then'' ''See you tomorrow'' ''Goodnight, Persia'' ''Goodnight~'' Persia texted. ''Ah'' ''Before u sleep'' ''Do u perhaps'' ''Want to see me in my nightgown~?'' ''Sure'' I replied. ''I will be sure'' ''To keep it safe and sound with me'' ''Bleh~'' Persia replied. ''In your dreams~'' ''Then'' ''See you tomorrow.'' With that, our conversation finally ended. Man¡­ really? ¡­Persia''s in trouble. I hope it was just my guess, but it doesn''t seem like it. It seems she knew that her device was hacked, but she had no way to deal with it. So she had to tell me in such a roundabout way. Even if I told her I would see her tomorrow, she needed to make another confirmation by asking me again. Indeed, the basement is the best place for it. Even if her device is hacked¡ª nothing would reach that basement.. Not even magic. Chapter 82 - 4.15 Waking up is something that we do daily, and it¡¯s an effortless action to do. All you need to do is just open your eyes. Yes, it¡¯s simple¡ª but there are times I find it to be rather tricky, especially after swallowing a ton of video games by staying up late for several hours. It¡¯s like getting cast by gravity magic on your body, especially the eyelids¡ª it weighed like tons. I had to squirm on my bed for hours just to get them open. By the time I could actually wake up and look at the time¡­ about half a day would¡¯ve passed by then. It was truly a trauma when I saw my time getting wasted off like that. However, that¡¯s not the only problem. With my blurry eyesight as I stared at the mirror¡ª I was greeted with a set of blood-shot eyes and a thick bag of dark circles under them. Even if I¡¯m not really the type to care about my appearance¡­ that was a really horrible looking face. Even with the help of expensive moisturizing cream and eye-drop¡­ it took me precisely three whole days for my disfigured face to recover to its original, fresh-looking state. Ever since then, I have tended to avoid staying up late and slept early. Back home, I would sleep with Restia and Ruby on my bed. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m still standing tall as a v?r??n. I was just being used as a hug pillow (Restia, which usually sleeps on the right) and a mattress (Ruby, which usually sleeps on my abdomen in her cat form mode). Needless to say, as a doting brother¡ª I always got up first. Because I need to prepare breakfast and lunch for them. But since Restia would always cling onto my right arm and Ruby on my abdomen, I had to push them off the bed every single time. Now that they weren¡¯t here with me, I still had this habit of waking up early. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s morning. It¡¯s my third day at Imperial Knights Academy. While blankly setting my eyes on the glass ceiling, I sluggishly turn my body to my right¡ª ¡°¡­¡­?!¡± With something stopping me from turning to the right, I immediately froze up. This is¡ª the feeling of someone grabbing my arm¡­!? Is Restia here!? ¡­Calm down, Lucifer Nightwalker. This can¡¯t be Restia. Restia wouldn¡¯t dare to teleport here without ¡®my¡¯ permission. Now that I think of it, my left arm feels relatively colder than my right arm. At my hand, I could grab something squishy. Eh, this can¡¯t be¡­!? While imagining the worst possible answer as I grit my teeth and close my eyes¡ª I flipped my blanket. As I look, a half-naked Kuroyuki Shiroha is right in front of my eyes, just next to me. By half n?k?d¡ª her upper body is n?k?d. The upper half of her nightgown had been curled down to her abdomen. Maybe it¡¯s due to her rolling around. Thankfully, her hair covered her ?h?st. Or else, I would¡¯ve gotten a nosebleed right at that instant. Anyways, maybe I flipped the blanket a little too hard¡­ ¡°¡­Mmn¡­¡± Kuroyuki Shiroha woke up. After rubbing her eyes with her left hand, she was surprised to find me just right in front of her that she had to blink twice to confirm it once more. ¡­This is bad. What should I say in a situation like this? ¡°Erm, morning¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Nooooooooooo!!!¡± BAM! ¡°¡ªGEH!?¡± THUD. With a swift kick from Kuroyuki¡ª I was pushed off from my bed. ¡°¡­Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What did you do to m-me¡­!? What did you do?!¡± While sitting on my bed and panicking, Kuroyuki screamed in confusion. Because she¡¯s panicking plus her n?k?d body¡ª it made me panicked as well. ¡°I-I-I didn¡¯t do anything to you!!!¡± I screamed with all my might. ¡°¡­You are lying!!!¡± With her face blushing in red, she glared at me with anger as she extended her hand. ¡°Guh¡­!?¡± With that, Kuroyuki forged a spear with her ice and pointed it just right under my throat. Although I already expected this outcome, but there¡¯s one thing I need to tell her no matter what. ¡°¡­Eh¡­?¡± As soon as she shifted her gaze at her n?k?d upper half, her eyes began to spin. ¡°(A HIGH PITCH SCREAMING THAT COULD NOT BE COMPREHENDED BY WORDS)¡± Kuroyuki hides her n?k?d body with the blanket, wrapping it around her body. As she screamed, her ice element went amok. Everything at a two-meter radius around her immediately turned cold. ¡°C-C-Calm down¡­!¡± I told her. ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything to you¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Th-Then what is that?!¡± When I looked to where Kuroyuki was pointing, I froze up for a few seconds. Which then, I quickly shoved both of my hands in front of my crotch, blocking her view. ¡°I-I-It¡¯s just a normal m-m-morning erection!!!¡± I screamed. Nevertheless, nothing could reach her ears now. ¡°¡­Say your prayers¡­!¡± ¡°Whoa¡ª hey¡­!?¡± When I realized, a thick ice chain binds my body, coiling layer after layer. This girl¡ª it¡¯s clearly her fault¡­! ¡°GAH¡­!?¡± Kuroyuki then forged two spears, pinning both of the ends of the ice chains to the wall along with me. Then, Kuroyuki threw her ice sword towards me. ¡°I have proof!!!¡± I screamed. ¡°¡­!¡± Perhaps just a few millimetres before it could reach my face¡ª Kuroyuki¡¯s sword stops right after my desperate scream. ¡°HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª¡± ¡­That¡ª was scary. ¡°¡­Fine. I will see what do you have to say about this.¡± Kuroyuki told me, with her face still reddened. ¡°¡­My device. On top of that cabinet next to you.¡± ¡°...770717.¡± She murmured softly. ¡°Hey¡­!?¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Why did you know my PIN number¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kuroyuki completely ignored me. When I knew it, a screen suddenly appeared in front of me. ¡®CONNECTING DEVICE TO 3D SYSTEM OF SPECIAL STUDENT NUMBER 2.¡¯ Kuroyuki then freed my right hand, allowing me to control the 3D system with my finger. ¡°Here,¡± I said to her. I open my gallery, and there¡¯s only one video in it. ¡®VIDEO_XX930602_211221.mp4¡¯ ¡°Look, Kuroyuki. This is your room.¡± Oh, it¡¯s my voice in the video. ¡°You, are, here¡ª okay?¡± While saying that, the camera moves closer to Kuroyuki¡¯s face. ¡°This is you,¡± I said in the video. ¡°Mnn¡­¡­¡± Which then, Kuroyuki, in the video, turned to the right. The camera followed. ¡°Mngh¡­¡± Then, Kuroyuki turned to the left. The camera followed. Oh¡­ this is cute. I didn¡¯t really see it clearly because Restia was waiting¡­ ¡®VIDEO DELETED.¡¯ ¡°HEYYYYYYYYYYY¡­!?¡± I screamed. ¡°Why did you delete it¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­What does this prove¡­?¡± Kuroyuki ignored me and asked. ¡°¡­You could¡¯ve laid your evil hands on me right after you took the video.¡± ¡°Firstly, this proves that I DID go through all the trouble to carry you back to your room,¡± I said. ¡°And secondly, you are still a v?r??n.¡± ¡°¡­My clothes.¡± Kuroyuki then murmured. ¡°...And this doesn¡¯t prove you didn¡¯t molest me.¡± ¡°If I did, I believe my fingerprints would be on your body.¡± ¡°¡­You could wipe it off after you touch it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s troublesome. I would rather go all the way instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡± Hearing my remark, Kuroyuki wrapped herself tighter with my blanket. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t, there¡¯s no way I would bring you back to my room. That way, you wouldn¡¯t even notice that I touched you¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Alright¡­ I get it¡­!¡± Kuroyuki then murmured while avoiding my gaze, seeming embarrassed. ¡°¡­I believe your innocence.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m innocent¡­!¡± I retorted. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to prove your innocence!¡± Kuroyuki was dumbfounded when she heard my remark. ¡°¡­You are¡­ questioning me¡­?¡± She asked. ¡°This isn¡¯t your first time, Kuroyuki¡­! Do you still remember that you slept with Nightmare at the Pink Drop!?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Kuroyuki Shiroha was surprised when she heard that. ¡°What¡¯s with that look¡­!? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know anything¡­!¡± I uttered. ¡°¡­I only know I want to wear my clothes.¡± She told me, with her face blushing and avoiding her gaze. After hearing that, no matter how angry I am now¡ª it all immediately vaporized to thin air. ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± I murmured. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look¡ª or else.¡± She glared at me. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I replied while closing my eyes. BAM. With that, the door to Kuroyuki¡¯s room slammed shut and was frozen by her ice. My blanket was taken, and I was still chained at the wall. ¡­I can¡¯t believe she left me in such a state. Did she know I could break off her chains anytime I wanted? I cladded my right hand with ¡®Offensive Cladding¡¯ and tear off Kuroyuki¡¯s ice chains easily. Well, time for a shower. I should get ready for today¡¯s ?ssignment. Chapter 83 - 4.16 The First Year¡¯s S Class is located at the east wing of Imperial Knights Academy, on the 7th floor of First-Year Faculty. The First Year Teaching Faculty is seven-storeys high, and the classroom was placed from the first to the seventh floor, except the ground floor. The number of students in each ascending class decreases by five, and the classroom¡¯s size increases with each ascending rank. Starting from the first floor, is Class C-6, C-5 and C-1. Second floor, Class C-4, C-3 and C-2. Third floor, Class B-5, B-4 and B-3. Fourth floor, Class B-2 and B-1. Fifth floor, Class A-4 and A-1. Sixth floor, Class A-3 and A-2. Seventh floor, Class S. Class C-6 had one hundred students, while Class A-1 had thirty students. Excluding those who were already expelled, then there are a total of 987 first-year students. If I am a typical first-year student, the only accessible places for me are the First Year Faculty, Male Dorm, Cafeteria, and the entire Central section. Some areas like gymnasium, club room, swimming pool, et cetera require the supervising teacher¡¯s permit. As for the teacher¡¯s office, it requires approval from the respective teacher that allowed you to access their office, on their specific floor, specific room. However, those rules do not apply to a special student like me. I could access almost anywhere except the female dorm¡ª vice versa, the male dorm for Kuroyuki. ¡­Or so I thought. It¡¯s already 10.23am. Still no sign of Persia and the gang. With the buggy, it only takes 10 minutes for it to reach here. Guess I don¡¯t have authority over others and their punctuality. I have been waiting for about 28 minutes now, under this ridiculous hot sun. Even with the cooler function installed on my uniform, I can still feel the heat. Man, how I wish Kuroyuki would cool me down with her ice. ¡­Such a waste of time. Just when I was about to make a call to Persia, I finally saw them from afar. The moment the buggy stops right in front of me, Persia and the others gets off on it. ¡°What took you so long?¡± I uttered with my hands folded and my right foot tapping the ground to show my fatigue and irritation. ¡°Ask her,¡± August told me, while pointing at Persia. ¡°I-I-I-I¡­ got caught up in some work¡­¡± Persia told me while fidgeting my fingers. ¡°Looks like I relied on the wrong person¡­ Who¡¯s the class president?¡± I asked. ¡­Everybody pointed their finger at Persia. ¡°Ehehe~¡± Seeming embarrassed, Persia scratched her head while sticking out her tongue. Without a single word, I approached Persia. ¡°Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!?¡± I ground her head with my knuckles. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m terribly sorry¡­¡­¡± Persia apologized after the punishment. ¡°So, who¡¯s the vice class president?¡± I asked while facing them. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s me,¡± August replied. ¡°If there¡¯s anything like this next time, I will contact you instead of her,¡± I said. ¡°Okay¡­? How?¡± August asked me. ¡°I believe you don¡¯t have my contact.¡± ¡°He had the authority to access the entire Imperial Knights Academy¡¯s administrative system,¡± Kronos told August. ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s why.¡± August murmured. ¡°What about upgrades?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s also me, as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we enter already? It¡¯s hot.¡± Rumelia complained. Despite complaining, Rumelia is still as emotionless as ever. ¡°Alright, I just sent you the temporary pass¡ª eh? Where¡¯s Persia?¡± When I realized, Persia was nowhere to be found. ¡°She went in about ten seconds ago,¡± August replied. ¡°Oh, right¡ª she had that permanent pass.¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°Anyways, I gave you guys a temporary pass. Please enter.¡± ¡°Wow, talk about hospitality.¡± August patted my shoulder with a laugh as he went past me. ¡°I wonder if you would return the same hospitality to me as well next time?¡± I jokingly asked. ¡°Sure, sure,¡± August said to me while waving his left hand as he continued to walk. ¡°Sorry about yesterday, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to hold a grudge,¡± I told August as I turned and walked next to him. Realizing that I¡¯m next to him, August turns his head to face me. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± He nodded, seeming to approve of what I said. ¡°You are the exact opposite of that princess.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I know she¡¯s been dying to go for another round.¡± I told him. ¡°Ah no no no no no, please¡ª I insist. Please stop her,¡± August told me with a freaked out look as cold sweat drizzled across his cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, August¡ª she can¡¯t be stopped.¡± I placed my hand on his shoulder while shaking my head. ¡°No no please, Luc¡­! Save me¡ª I beg of you¡­! Save my arse¡­¡­! Can you imagine how it feels like to have a girl constantly running to you with a sword in her hand?! It¡¯s like a scene from a horror movie!¡± ¡°Eh¡­ No wonder you seemed so happy when she took interest in me¡­¡± I murmured. ¡°Wh-What are you talking about? I-I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± He avoided my gaze while making a suspicious look. ¡°Nevermind. Why not you lose on purpose?¡± I murmured, while continuing to walk. ¡°That way, I¡¯m sure she would lose interest.¡± ¡°First, she could tell. And second, I don¡¯t ever want to lose in a swordsmanship duel against anyone my age or younger than me.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± I muttered. ¡°What drives you? You want to become the strongest swordsman?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the pride of wielding this sword on my waist.¡± He told me, while tapping his palm twice on the hilt of his sword¡ª Crepusculum Ignotum. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a legend¡­ You do know that the strongest swordsman is one of the legendary twelve apostles, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know about that.¡± He murmured. ¡°But I swear not to lose to anyone my age or younger than me ever since that one defeat I had with a friend of mine.¡± While seeming to reminisce of that moment, his forehead popped a vein. He seems really pissed. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to fight him for a second time?¡± I asked. ¡°He came to my house for a vacation that time,¡± August told me. ¡°And because of some circumstances after that fight, my dominant arm just happened to be injured. That¡¯s why I never get the second chance.¡± ¡°So that broken pinkie¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it was that incident.¡± He then raised his right hand, moving his fingers and a not-so-movable right pinkie. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you feel it to be a pity? Your grip won¡¯t be as good as before¡­¡± ¡°¡­The only pity¡­ is I will never get that second chance.¡± While muttering those words, August made a sentimental look. ¡°Is he¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s dead.¡± August told me.. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it, okay? It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± Chapter 84 - 4.17 ¡°Then¡­ why did you come here? To Imperial Knights Academy.¡± I switched the topic. ¡°Well¡­ I want to become a music composer.¡± ¡°You are into music?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t look like it, do I? Haha.¡± August laughed. ¡°I may look like this, but I¡¯m proficient in every musical instrument you could name of, and I¡¯m fine with any music except heavy metal, sometimes rap or dudes who sing like flowers. Felt like they were singing to the demons¡ªblerghhh. What an insult to music.¡± ¡°Ohhhh.¡± I was amazed. ¡°If it¡¯s me, I¡¯m more into Romantic and Classical pieces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough, Luc.¡± August flicked his finger, saying ¡®no¡¯. ¡°Choirs¡ª is the only music that¡¯s good enough to heal your soul.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I inadvertently placed my fingers below my chin, doubting his words. August then placed his arm over my shoulder so he could lower my head and whisper to me. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± He whispered. ¡°Just imagine the princess singing.¡± Kuroyuki¡¯s angelic voice¡­? ¡°Okay. I one-hundred percent agree with your words now.¡± I immediately come into an agreement. He pointed¡­ at Blaze. ¡°Even though Blaze may not look like it, he¡¯s actually really skilled at cooking.¡± I was in full of shock. ¡°Hahahaha what¡¯s with that face!?¡± August laughed at me. ¡°No way¡ª no, way!¡± I repeated. ¡°That guy!?¡± ¡°Mind blown, isn¡¯t it~?¡± He smacked my back. ¡°I was just as surprised as you when I saw him using our kitchen to make his own lunch! And it¡¯s damn delicious!¡± ¡°This is so confusing. A hybrid of a dragon and phoenix is an expert in cooking?¡± I murmured. ¡°In another way, he seems more ¡®human¡¯ than most people¡­¡± ¡°Haha, my long-deceased friend told me that this vast world is interesting.¡± He said as he swayed his hand from left to right as shifted his gaze to the sky. ¡°I don¡¯t understand at first until I finally get to meet these guys.¡± ¡°Any other interesting things?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s news to me¡­!¡± ¡°Now, set your eyes on Rumelia.¡± August then turns my head with his grip on top of my head to look at Rumelia. ¡°Even though she looks like a doll, she¡¯s extremely good at sewing. If you want battle suits and sorts¡ª she could make one for you. If you don¡¯t have a design, she could literally make one for you.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one who made my custom-made battle suit when I ordered one from Rozen & Alice Tailor. She told me she was the daughter of the founder.¡± ¡°What¡ª Rozen & Alice Tailor even make battle suits!?¡± ¡°And lastly...¡± August looked around carefully. ¡°Good, she¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with Persia?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ How should I say¡­ I really hated the fact that she could literally read me like a book¡ª it¡¯s like her eyes are seeing through my entire body.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I understand how you feel¡­ I was literally being read like an open book during my first day¡­¡­¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°Oh, Kronos, Rumelia and Blaze¡ª you know?¡± August murmured. ¡°Anyone would be freaked out all of the sudden when she turns from that ice-cold lady to a sunshine lady.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ What you mean is¡­ in just one day she changed from cold ice to a hot warming sun?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± August told me. ¡°How could someone of that character change so much!? She even likes to tease and prank us now.¡± ¡°¡­No wonder you say she¡¯s a ¡®prankster¡¯.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡ª that.¡± August inadvertently murmured, seeming somehow confused. ¡°Are you two perhaps, close friends? But¡­ even though you were close, but not really¡­ Or maybe I should say... she¡¯s the one who prefers to be close to you?¡± ¡°You are really observant, aren¡¯t you?¡± I murmured. ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry. It¡¯s a habit I developed from observing a certain someone swinging his blade for years.¡± ¡°You heard about the Silverlight name, right?¡± ¡°Persia doesn¡¯t like the difference in status quo, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied. ¡°But it seems you weren¡¯t interested in her family name at all, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If I told you I¡¯m a prince of a random country, would you believe me?¡± ¡°Ehh¡­ no wondered you weren¡¯t interested in it.¡± ¡°Oi,¡± August uttered while slapping my shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t I said ¡®if¡¯? Why do you believe me straight away?¡± ¡°Because you had to choose ¡®prince¡¯ and ¡®random country¡¯ out of all other possible things. So¡­...¡± ¡°Look here, Luc¡ª forget what you heard.¡± He grabs my shirt and shakes me. ¡°Sure, your highness?¡± ¡°Oi¡­! You totally remember that!¡± August uttered. ¡°I said ¡®if¡¯! That was just an ?ssumption!¡± ¡°Haha, prince or not, I don¡¯t care about your status.¡± ¡°¡­Your ?ssumption is running wild, August.¡± I inadvertently murmured. ¡°The only two types of people who don¡¯t care about status are either ignorant fools or a person standing at the top,¡± August told me. ¡°Heh, I¡¯m probably that ignorant fool.¡± ¡°So we are both ignorant fools then, hahaha. No wonder we get along.¡± August laughed. Oh, it seems everyone entered. Just by the time August and I entered together, we were greeted by a cold gaze from afar that chilled our hearts. By afar, it was at the end of the corridor. ¡®You totally feel it, right?¡¯ I signalled August with a quick stare. ¡®Yes. It stings.¡¯ He replied, tapping his ?h?st once with his finger. ¡°¡­What took you so long?¡± She uttered, with her arms folded. ¡°Just a small talk,¡± I replied to her. ¡°¡­Understood.¡± CLANG! ¡°¡ªWHOA!!?¡± When I knew it, Kuroyuki had her sword swung at August¡ª which he blocks with the sheath of his sword at the left. ¡­That was weird. Kuroyuki¡¯s attacks are strong enough to destroy the ground despite blocking it. Although I felt immense air pressure from that hit, yet August did not budge from his spot at all. ¡°Wh¡ªWhat¡¯s wrong¡­!? Why are you attacking me again!?¡± August muttered. ¡°¡­As punishment, you were to accept my blade.¡± She told August. Just when Kuroyuki retreats her blade and swung for his abdomen¡ª ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, Kuroyuki.¡± ¡ªI stop her by grabbing her arm. When I realized, August¡¯s sheathed sword was placed precisely where Kuroyuki was going to strike. ¡°¡­Why should I listen to you?¡± Kuroyuki retorted with a glare. ¡°We need to preserve stamina.¡± ¡°¡­True.¡± She murmured. ¡°¡­However, this wouldn¡¯t even count as much as a warmup for him.¡± ¡®Save me!¡¯ August signalled me with a quick glance. ¡°You could always do that after we retrieve that sword,¡± I told her. ¡°Excuse me, are you talking about that black sword down there?¡± Kronos suddenly murmured as he raised his hand while nudging his glasses. ¡°Sword?¡± August inadvertently murmured. ¡°Kronos¡ª are you saying there¡¯s a sword down there?¡± ¡°He did,¡± Rumelia replied emotionlessly. ¡°Yes, what we are going to do today is to retrieve that sword,¡± I told them. ¡°Now ain¡¯t that nice¡­¡± August inadvertently came to a grin. ¡°Stop getting worked up over every sword you could get.¡± Kronos sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not something that you could attempt to retrieve.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know until I try,¡± August said to Kronos, seeming confident. ¡°Care to explain¡­?¡± Kronos murmured, while looking at Kuroyuki and me. While activating my screen, I searched for the floor map that Kuroyuki illustrated while explaining the characteristics of the basement to them. ¡°Electromagnetic Pulse and mana interference¡­?¡± Kronos murmured. ¡°This means I can¡¯t pull out my weapons from my storage nor create any weapons that require electric.¡± ¡°My dolls,¡± Rumelia added. ¡°Meh, fine by me. I don¡¯t use magic or any electronic devices anyways.¡± August said. ¡°This sword is all I have.¡± ¡°¡­My magic armour would be useless.¡± Blaze remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use magic anyways~¡± Persia muttered. Looks like Persia would be alright even without magic. ¡°¡­I will guide you,¡± Kuroyuki murmured. While everyone headed to the emergency staircase, I walked behind while activating my screen and typing my message. ¡®I¡¯m entering now. If there¡¯s no message after two hours, immediate HELP is required.¡¯ Sent to Restia and that bastard. Chapter 85 - 4.18 It''s been quite some time ever since our group have been walking down the stairs, with Kuroyuki leading us at the front of the group. I can''t really see the end of the stairway aside from the darkness that lies beneath. As the last person behind the group, I inadvertently look behind¡ª and was surprised to find that the staircase''s emergency door is nowhere to be seen aside from the light. "Kuroyuki¡ª how exactly far down is it¡­?" I yelled. "¡­Probably a few more hundred steps." She replied calmly. "Eh¡­ we still have to walk another few more hundred¡­?" Persia heaved a sigh of exasperation. It''s just as Kuroyuki described¡ª there''s only one narrow staircase that could b?r?ly fit two people side by side. "By the way¡­ is it my problem or is this place getting darker¡­?" Persia asked. "Now that you mention it¡­ It really is getting darker." August murmured. "There''s electromagnetic pulse down there." Kronos retorted. "What do you expect? A backup light?" "The air also feels a little thin and stuffy here¡­" Persia added. "We are going straight down to a basement several hundred feet below ground." Kronos retorted. "What do you expect? A tank of free oxygen?" "Oh, I know." August then seems to come up with an idea. "I''m not really good at this¡­ But at least it could exchange the air." August said to me. "Phew¡­ thank goodness¡­ I''m sweating all over." Persia murmured while flapping her blazer. Her shirt became slightly transparent that her light blue lingerie was showing, and she didn''t seem to notice. "Hey, Kuroyuki. Why don''t you make some cold air?" I asked. "Fu¡­" Kuroyuki then gathers a palm of cold air, then she blows¡ª scattering it. "E-Eek!? It''s cold¡­!" Persia murmured. "Eek¡­! My clothes are freezing¡ª they are getting hard for me to move¡­!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Hearing Persia''s remark, Kuroyuki then removes the frostings lingering on Persia''s clothes with her power. She then compresses them to an ice ball floating just right above her palm. "¡­Yes." """""Ewwww¡­¡­" ¡±¡±¡±¡± Everyone immediately felt disgusted, including Persia herself. "Just throw that aside, Kuroyuki," I told her. Which, Kuroyuki tossed the ice ball downwards, where it continued to roll down to the darkness. "Kyaa¡­!?" Maybe it''s because the light intensity is getting lower¡ª Persia suddenly tripped. "Gotcha," I said to her while grabbing her arm. "Ah, uh¡ª thank you," Persia said to me. "My¡­ My hero~!" "Erm, Persia¡ª you do know this staircase is quite narrow, right?" I told her. "Could you stop trying to walk at my side?" "Eh¡­ But it''s dark¡­ I''m scared that I would trip by accident¡ª KYAA!?" Once again, Persia tripped, which I stopped her from falling by pulling her. "¡­Th¡ª Thank you¡­" "Be careful," I murmured. "Why don''t you just generate light with your power?" "Oh. I forgot I could do that." Which, Persia created a ball of white light on her palm, lighting up our passage¡ª then it slowly floats in front of Kuroyuki, shining our way. "Man, you really should''ve done that from the beginning," August said to her. "It''s not like I don''t want to. It was too hot, stuffy and dark for me to concentrate, you know?" "Yup, she definitely is," I added. "That''s right! So you should escort me properly like a lady~!" Persia added. "Hey, August¡ª I will take her right, and you take her left." "Ohhhhh." August seems excited. "I get what you mean." Realising what I was going to do, August took Persia''s left hand while I took her right hand. "W-Wait¡­!" Persia murmured. "I-It''s hard to walk like this¡­!" ¡°No no not at all Persia.¡± I said to her while enduring my laughter. "Not at all," August added. "You look just like a crab princess¡ª pfft hahahahahaha¡­!" While stating that remark, everyone laughed but Rumelia. She then storms her way to the front, where Kuroyuki is. "Comfort me, Kuroyuki¡ª OW OW OW OW OW¡­!?" "¡­I could comfort you, but I''ve said not to come near me," Kuroyuki told her, with her demon''s grip clamping on her head. "H¡ª HAND¡­! I''M TERRIBLY SORRY YOU ARE CRUSHING MY HEAD!!!" While struggling against Kuroyuki''s grip¡ª Persia''s light ball flings around like candlelight getting blown by the wind. "My eyes¡­!" I screamed. The way the light flings around is making my eyes spin. I''m not the only one that was affected by the only light source that was flying around. Kronos, Blaze, and August had to cover their eyes from the light. "Kuroyuki!" I screamed. "Save the grip for later! The light¡­!" As soon as Kuroyuki released her, the light source became stable. "S-Soigner¡­!" (H-Heal¡­!) After Persia casts her healing magic for about two seconds¡ª it was immediately dispelled. "¡­!?" "¡­I thought I told you," Kuroyuki said to Persia. "¡­I know," Persia murmured. "I just didn''t expect the interference to reach all the way up here." "¡­Did you see the mark over there?" Kuroyuki pointed at the wall, which was ten of several steps away. It''s an ''X'' mark. "¡­From that point onwards, you can''t rely on your magic, and any electronic device stops functioning." She told us. "¡­Wait a minute." Persia suddenly murmured. Then, she disperses our only light source now. Even with the light source coming from above the stairway, it''s near to complete darkness now. "It''s dark! And scary!" Persia complained. "How could you even see where you are going¡­!?" "¡­ It''s fine for me¡­?" Kuroyuki murmured. "I had to agree with Persia," Kronos murmured. "I can''t even switch on my night vision goggles here." "Hmph. You humans are weak." Blaze retorted. "I could see just fine." "Dragons and phoenix had better eyesight compared to us humans," I said to Blaze. "Of course you could see perfectly well." "That''s right, that''s right!" Persia added. "It''s just unfair to compare your eyesight to us!" "Err¡­ actually, I could see perfectly fine too," I murmured to Persia. "It''s just unfair to compare us to you special students¡­!" Persia refuted. "Whoops, leave me out of this, haha," August murmured. "Could you see because of your ''Presence Sensing''¡­?" I asked August. "Eh?" August inadvertently murmured as he faced me. "Luc¡ª by chance, you knew the ''Force of Will'' as well¡­?" "Yeah, but I''m not really good at it, though," I replied. "Then you are just like me." August laughed. "I''m only an expert in ''Offensive Cladding''¡ª ah." Behind August, Kuroyuki is making a sinister-looking smile. It seems she became like that when she knew August isn''t exactly an expert in ''Force of Will''. Because of the darkness, it seems no one realised Kuroyuki''s expression but for me, August and Blaze. Blaze inadvertently swallowed his saliva as soon as she witnessed that horrifying looking face. "Ehem, Persia¡ª let''s just restore your light and keep moving, shall we?" I said. "Ah, sorry." She replied. We continued our journey down the stairways with Persia''s light guiding us. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chapter 86 - 4.19 "We¡­ we finally reached¡­!" Finally reaching the end of the stairway, Persia gave a happy shout. I don''t really feel touched or anything of any sort. After all, this is only the beginning. Persia then controlled her ball of light into the basement, where it lit up the entire basement. Naturally, she wants to enter the basement¡­ "¡­ Don''t go any further, Persia." ¡­and was stopped by Kuroyuki, where Kuroyuki grabbed the back of her collar. "Eh¡ª what''s wrong¡­?" Persia murmured. "Didn''t you destroy most of the traps¡­?" "It''s better to be safer," Kronos said. "We never know when would those traps kill you before you knew it¡ª now step aside, please." "Kronos?" I asked. "What are you doing¡ª" "Hmm¡­" Kronos murmured. "Hmmmmmm¡­¡­." Kronos then squats down and places his right hand on the floor, seeming to have a feel on it. ¡­He didn''t bother to answer. So what on earth is he doing¡­? "Kronos¡ª" "Don''t bother Kronos." Rumelia stopped me before I could stop him. "He''s concentrating." "Concentrating? Is he trying to alter the landscape of the basement?" I asked Rumelia, since she''s the closest to Kronos. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" However, she didn''t bother to respond. She wasn''t even looking at me. What''s with them¡­!? "Altering the landscape would make this almost unrecognisable to Kuroyuki." I raised my voice on Rumelia. "And if there''s a mistake with Kronos''s alteration¡ª the traps might activate, and someone would suffer!" """""¡­!" ¡±¡±¡±¡± Hearing my remark, everyone but Rumelia and Kronos was worried. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" But Rumelia had her eyes on me now, despite the fact that she was still expressionless. "Please don''t be harsh on her, Luc," Kronos told me as he stood up, facing me as he nudged his glasses. "¡­So you were thinking that much for us. I''m terribly sorry for doing this on my own without letting everyone know forehand." "¡­What did you do to the basement?" I uttered. "I altered the floor and wall, disabled the traps and pitfalls and reinforced the pillars," Kronos replied. "As for the black sword that was stabbing on that platform¡ª unfortunately, I can''t alter that part because something is stopping me from changing its properties." I make my way past Rumelia, Kuroyuki, and Persia to reach Kronos so I can grab his collar with my hands. "How sure are you?" I asked him with a glare. "Could you one-hundred percent guarantee that it''s absolutely safe for everyone?" "Yes." Kronos calmly replied. "With my life ?ssured." "¡­!" He did not show any sign of hesitation nor he was brimming with confidence. It''s as if he fully understood that a single mistake would leave terrible consequences. "Calm down, Luc. Come on, let go of him." When I realised, August was just right behind me, tapping my right shoulder. Accepting August''s conciliation, I threw Kronos to him. "Kuh¡­! What are you doing¡­!?" Kronos had to nudge his glasses so that he could look at me. "¡­None of you enter the basement until I say so," I uttered. It would be fine if I were the only one taking the risk. But¡­ if anything happened to them, that would be my fault. Even if it''s not my fault, I would definitely suffer from guilt. That''s why, the best option¡ª is to take this risk myself. "Try me, Luc. You won''t get even a single scratch." As if Kronos knew what I was going to do, he looked at me with a grin. ¡­The floors were altered with stone marble, the pillars were reinforced with heavy metal, with extra supports for the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with steel bars. Facing the fully refined basement with a heavy feeling, I took a deep breath. Then, I took a step into the basement. Then, I walked around and even ran around the entire basement. Seeming everything is okay, I sprint all the way back to the entrance. "It''s safe to enter now!" I yelled. SLAP! As soon as I yelled, Kuroyuki threw a slap on my face. It''s a harmless light slap. "¡­ Don''t ever do this again. It''s foolish and dangerous." She told me coldly. Even though Nightmare is the cause of her uneasiness, it would be better if she said she''s worried about me. "¡­Sorry," I replied. With that, Kuroyuki walks past me. "You dummy¡­! Do you know how worried I was¡­!?" Persia, who was behind Kuroyuki, immediately yelled at me while hitting my ?h?st repeatedly with her fists¡ª with tears seeming to fall at any moment. She really¡­ was that worried about me¡­? "¡­Sorry," I replied, once more. With that, Persia pouted and walked past me, catching up to Kuroyuki. "It''s okay to be a hero, Luc." When I knew it, August pats my shoulder with a sombre smile. "Just¡­ try not to die like my friend, okay¡­?" Leaving those words behind, he walks past me. "¡­Hmph. For a human¡­ you had guts." Blaze muttered as he walked past me. Which, I found Rumelia standing in front of me when I came to. "You should trust Kronos." She spouts those words to me without any expression or sort, then walks past me. "I didn''t get those six doctorate certs for nothing," Kronos told me with a smug. "Indeed, you definitely deserve it," I said to him. "It''s just that¡­ why are you even here?" "I was fired from my job." So he told me as he nudged his glasses, seeming to have a vein popped on his forehead as he walked. "Hah¡­?" I was dumbfounded. "What sort of boss would be that dumb to fire you?" "My dad." "¡­I take that back." I instantly replied. "So why did he fire you?" "For not having a high school graduation cert." "Haha, now this is truly the most ridiculous reason I''ve ever heard," I replied. "That old man is interested in machines more than his own son anyways. He even prepared everything so that he could send me here." Kronos heaved a short sigh. "Do you seriously have that kind of idiotic mindset, Kronos?" "What did you just say¡­!?" Kronos agitatedly turn his head to face me. "He may have put his machines in the first place¡ª but who knows? This doesn''t mean you wouldn''t come in second place." "That''s not your dad. What do you know about it?!" He uttered. "I don''t have parents anymore ever since I was ten," I murmured. "You don''t want me the say the rest, do you?" "¡­I apologise." Kronos then looks away, seeming despondent of his childish actions. "But hey, even if you don''t have your dad¡­ don''t you still have her?" I pointed at Rumelia. "Rumelia¡­?" Kronos became even more depressed as soon as he muttered her name. "¡­ It''s my fault that she becomes like this." I inadvertently recalled my conversation with that bastard. "You mean¡­ her inscrutable face?" "No¡­" Kronos murmured. "What I robbed from Rumelia is her emotions¡­" "Huh¡­? But wasn''t she''s still able to feel some irritation, uneasiness and restlessness?" I replied. Kronos was stunned the moment he heard my remark. "How is this possible¡­?!" He murmured. "Her brain had suffered damage that was beyond repair¡ª" "Don''t give up, Kronos," I replied. "Miracle would happen on her." That''s what uncle Raphael¡ª the best doctor I''ve known told me such words. "¡­I don''t believe in such a thing that could not be explicable by natural, scientific, or magical laws," Kronos said to me. "Then why not you make a bet with me?" I suggested. "A bet? That would depend on the probability." "It''s simple. You and I, one turn each, will touch Rumelia''s ?h?st for five seconds. If she gives the slightest reaction, then it''s my win." "¡­!?" Kronos was dumbfounded. "H-Her b??bs¡­!?" "A girl during her adolescence had a very susceptible body. They would find men touching their body to be disgusting." I told Kronos. "Of course, I would get her permission first." "You are even asking for her permission¡­!?" Kronos was utterly in shock. "What''s wrong?" I asked. "Are you perhaps, doubting on your probability¡­?" "¡­No. It''s a probability of 100% my win." Kronos murmured. "Very well." With that, I caught up to Rumelia¡ª who was walking in front of us. "Rumelia¡ª sorry to bother you, but I need a slight bit of your time and permission," I said to her. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" After two steps, Rumelia stops and stares at me with her usual emotionless look. "¡­What do you need?" She asks me. "I need your permission to touch your br??st with my right hand for five seconds." The moment I spouted those words, everyone at the front immediately turned to look at me. Especially Persia and Kuroyuki. They were staring daggers at me with their bloodshot eyes. And I was expecting a slap to come to my face at any moment now. But it didn''t happen. If it did, it was my win. "¡­This is s?xu?? harassment," Rumelia told me emotionlessly, without attempting to put herself in a defensive posture like Kuroyuki. "Not unless I got your permission," I replied. "Why do you want to touch my br??sts¡­?" "¡­ I''m sorry," I told her. "But if I tell you now¡­ then there''s no point in it anymore." "...Very well," Rumelia told me, while grabbing my hand. When I came to, Rumelia had already placed my hand on her ?h?st. It''s bigger than Restia''s and Ruby''s... and softer... oh, my fingers are sinking in. BAM. After about a second, I was pushed away by someone from Rumelia, which then I tripped on my own foot and fell to the floor. It was Persia. She took advantage of that moment and sat on top of me at my abdomen. "I knew it¡­!" Persia told me with her face redden. "You really are interested in Rumelia instead of me! It''s because of her b??bs, right? Right?!" While spouting those words, Persia shook me back and forth with her hands on my clothes. However, I ignored Persia and set my sights on Rumelia. "It''s¡ª my¡ª win, Kronos," I muttered. """"¡­Eh?" ¡±¡±¡± Kuroyuki, Persia, August and Blaze set their eyes on Kronos the moment they heard me. "¡­This¡­ can''t¡­ be¡­" ¡­Kronos was awestruck. A girl, who was said to have lost her emotions¡­ was now blushing red like an apple, despite having a poker face. Chapter 87 - 4.20 "Warning. Body Temperature: 37.8¡ãC. BP: 160/100. Heart rate: 120bpm. Activating cool down system¡­" After Persia pushed me down for about five seconds¡ª not knowing what was happening, Rumelia started muttering words with her robot-like tone. "¡­unable to activate cool down system. Activation failure¡­" Rumelia muttered. "W-What''s wrong with Rumelia¡­?" Persia, who was on top of me¡ª couldn''t seem to believe her eyes. I was told that Rumelia is a cyborg, so I don''t find this to be creepy. "Warning. Body Temperature: 38.1¡ãC. BP: 165/105. Heart rate: 128bpm." Rumelia muttered. "Crap, did I bust her¡­?" I murmured. "Eh¡­?" Which, I grabbed Persia on her armpits and lifted her aside so I could get up to approach Rumelia. "Oi¡­! Rumelia¡­?" I muttered, while waving my hand in front of Rumelia. Crap, the red colour on her face is back. "Warning. Body Temperature: 39.3¡ãC. BP: 178/118. Heart rate: 138bpm." Her forehead is really hot¡­! However, is this a malfunction or a sickness¡­? Unfortunately, Uncle Raphael did not teach me how to diagnose a cyborg. Kronos is probably the only person who could figure out the problem, but he was so awestruck that he ceased to move an inch. Putting him aside, it seems the electromagnetic pulse is stopping her cool down system from activating. Then the only other way¡­ "Kuroyuki¡­!" I yelled. "Can''t you cool her down with your ice¡­?" "¡­Please stay away from me," Kuroyuki told me as she held her hands in a defensive posture on her ?h?st. "I won''t, okay?!" I uttered. "Now hurry up¡­! It''s an emergency!" "Warning. Body Temperature: 39.9¡ãC. BP: 181/120. Heart rate: 143bpm." Hearing that value, Kuroyuki realized that Rumelia''s situation is in dire. She took a quick step to close her distance and stopped just right in front of Rumelia, placing her palm on her forehead. "Warning. Body Temperature: 37.9¡ãC. BP: 183/123. Heart rate: 148bpm." Although the temperature is dropping, but her blood pulse and heart rate aren''t. Come to think of it, is it even accurate¡­? While thinking of that, I took Rumelia''s hand to measure her pulse. One two three¡­ ¡­ there''s about two and a half heartbeats in one second. So her diagnosis of herself is accurate. And I can''t feel any irregular pulsating on her pulse either. "¡­I do not comprehend. What is this feeling¡­?" Rumelia suddenly murmured. "Hey¡­!?" Rumelia forcefully took my hand, placing it on her cheeks. "Warning. Body Temperature: 38.1¡ãC. BP: 185/125. Heart rate: 150bpm." Somehow, Kuroyuki then looks at me with a surprised look. "I''m the cause¡­?" I inadvertently murmured. "Don''t touch her¡ª" When I knew it, Kronos slips his hand right between Kuroyuki and me¡ª so he could pull my hand away from Rumelia. However, he''s nowhere strong enough to make my hand budge the slightest bit from Rumelia''s cheek. "Guh¡­! What''s with this¡­ heaviness¡­!? Why is your arm so heavy¡ª" "¡ªGUEH!?" And he was sent flying away with Kuroyuki''s slap on his face. "Kronos." Seeing that, Rumelia quickly tossed my hand away and ran to Kronos, helping him to stand. "¡­Kuroyuki, can''t you be a little gentler with that slap¡­?" I murmured. "He would''ve sprained his neck if it''s a little harder." "¡­It''s not my fault. He surprised me¡­" Kuroyuki said to me. "I-It''s okay¡­ I''m alright¡­" Kronos said to us as he rubbed his cheeks. After I took a glance at Rumelia which she seems fine now, I shifted my gaze back to Kronos. "Do you know what''s going on with her, Kronos¡­?" I asked. "System malfunction, probably..." Kronos is avoiding my gaze. "¡­Is Rumelia a cyborg?" Kuroyuki asked. That was surprising. Kuroyuki didn¡¯t know about this? "Yes¡­" Kronos said with a nod. "Ehhh¡­!??" Persia was surprised. "I always knew Rumelia was weird¡­ but she''s a cyborg¡­?!" "Persia, you know you are being rude, right?" I told her. "What Persia said was the truth," Rumelia murmured. "I was weird to her because I am just a human doll without emotions." "¡­A human doll without emotions?" Kuroyuki repeated, seeming to be curious about that. "She¡­" Kronos seems hesitant to say what happened to Rumelia. "I had a terrible accident which gives me this body right now. This body and mind of a doll." Rumelia said to us in his stead, emotionlessly. "Nonsense. The reason you are it''s weird because you act like a doll." Persia retorted. "This is who I am." For some reason, Rumelia placed her hand on her ?h?st as she said those words. Which, my gaze inadvertently shifted to her hand. ¡­That feeling, huh. "Special Student Number two Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare. You peeked at my ?h?st." Rumelia murmured. Persia, Kuroyuki and even Kronos immediately glared at me with their bloodcurdling gazes. "Sorry, it''s just¡ª I just can''t shake off that feeling." While saying that, I inadvertently raised my hand. I think I was trying to take a hold of that feeling at my right hand. Witnessing that, Kuroyuki immediately retreats herself in a defensive posture. While Persia¡­ "If you want to touch¡ª touch mine¡­!" ¡­is trying to pull my hand to her ?h?st. THOK. To calm her down, I landed a chop on her head with my left hand. "Nngh¡­!" Persia pouted. "Ehem, what I mean was¡­" I murmured. "¡­the reason you had a rise in your body temperature, pulse and heartbeat..." "It''s a system malfunction¡­" Kronos muttered once again. "I don''t want to hear that from you, Kronos," I told him. "I want to hear it from Rumelia herself." "I have nothing to say." She replied. "I just have to make you remember that feeling¡­" I immediately reach out my hand towards Rumelia and placed my hand on her¡­ "¡­¡­!" ¡­cheek. Kuroyuki''s and Persia''s piercing gaze are pressuring me. "¡­What¡­ is this¡­" Rumelia murmured. Then, her hands slowly reach for my hand. For some reason, she seems to enjoy the sensation of it. Kronos was getting uneasy. He was gritting his teeth with an anguish look. Ignoring him afterwards, I shifted my gaze back at Rumelia. "This¡­ is what I¡¯m talking about. Remember this feeling, Rumelia. This is proof that you are not a human doll.¡± Telling her that¡ª I removed my hand from her cheek. Yet¡­ "¡­I want to hold your hand a little longer," Rumelia said to me. "Kronos would''ve hit me on the face if I continued," I told her. "¡­!" Hearing my remark, Kronos freaks out as he nudges his glasses. Which, Rumelia snatches his hand and placed it on her cheek. Yet, she immediately loses interest. "¡­I do not comprehend." She told me. "Why do I have this feeling when it''s yours¡­?" CR¡ªCRACK!!! Suddenly, the sound of bones snapped cleanly into two echoed the entire basement. What was that¡­!? ¡°ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!?¡± Blaze''s scream followed afterwards. He seems like he''s in a lot of pain. I immediately turned behind to find August and Blaze. The black platform, where the Black Sword is stabbed into¡ª it was right behind them. "H-Hey¡­!? Someone get the infirmary¡­!!!" AUTHOR''S NOTE: Dear readers, thanks to author ChubbyLiv (who was kind enough to create a Discord channel for me), you can join Discord to come and have a chat or discussion about my work at my channel! I might be kind enough to give a spoiler or two, or you could encourage me to release more chapters. Link: discord.gg/nVanByme I''m not really good with Discord, but if you have any suggestions to make that Discord server a better place, feel free to write them out at the chat. Oh, and by the way... you may find me online at most of the time, but I won''t be replying to your messages until I''m done with work and stuffs (it would probably be night time by then, my time zone, very obviously). You could find my artworks inside Discord. Including the old drafts of my character designs. You could also ask about the parts where you don''t understand or particularly sure about. I might spoil you by accident-- so I will be very careful with every word I type. Also, maybe you could give me some tasty inspirations. But... I already have the image of the ending scene of the story... but anyways, if you have some good characters design and sort, feel free to say out your thoughts-- maybe it will be enough to spark up the light for the fight scene at , for now? Lastly, discussions and theories running in your heads. Maybe you have some ridiculous theory in your mind and you thought ''Ooh, this might probably be it.'' I welcome you to say your thoughts out (your theories probably will be crushed in the end by me). But it''s fun, no? Come to think of it, I have a favour to ask (regardless of those who joined Discord). Please point out my grammar mistakes (if you find any). I myself prefer a smooth reading, so I really hate grammar errors. It would be a great help. P.S. Do you think I should be needing an editor? If yes, I can''t really give a pay right now so its volunteer work, but in return-- you would receive the latest drafting works. I would be discussing about the storyline, characters, character relationships, and your thoughts about it (there will be lot of spoilers, so I need someone who wouldn''t leak them as well as not getting revenge of me if we ended up in an arguement).. Private message me on Discord if you''d like to try. Chapter 88 - 4.21 The moment I saw what happened to Blaze, I immediately ran to him. Blaze was kneeling on the ground with an immense pain. It could be clearly seen that both of his left and right hands had fractures on the radius and ulna. Blood was spilling from his skin. It was completely mangled. This idiot¡­! He attempted to pull that sword¡­! His bones weren¡¯t strong enough to sustain the sudden weight by the gravity magic¡ª that''s why it snaps. I was worried. Incredibly worried. But at least¡­ unlike six years ago, there¡¯s help¡ª "Man¡­ Didn''t I tell you not to touch that sword¡­?" August murmured coldly to Blaze. And instead of approaching Blaze¡ª August takes his distance, seeming to avoid him. Actually, not only August¡ª none of them attempted to help Blaze, including Kuroyuki. What''s going on¡­!? "A-Arghhhhh¡­!!!" "Don''t move! Take a deep breath, Blaze!" I squatted down when I reached him. "Don''t be in such a panic, Luc," August said to me as he patted my shoulder. "How could I not be in a panic!!? His bones are crushed and he''s bleeding intensely¡­!!!" "It''s your first time watching this, don''t you?" He told me. "Stay back and look closely." When I came to¡ª flames suddenly gushes out from Blaze¡¯s broken arms. "Whoa!?" I inadvertently murmured as I retreated backwards. The heat was immense¡­! "Huff¡ª Huff¡ª!" Then, after a moment¡ª the flames on his hands died off, revealing a wholly restored hand just like its initial state. ¡­And all it takes is just about ten seconds. "This is¡ª the phoenix''s healing properties¡­!?" I murmured. "¡­Don''t ask me," August told me. "It''s not like I''m familiar with this sort of thing." "You had a point," I replied. ¡°My¡­ this is¡­ incredible.¡± I stepped forward to Blaze and took his hands¡ª checking for any injuries. "W-What are you doing, human!?" Seeming to be surprised by my action, Blaze quickly flicks off my hand and retreated himself. "I''m checking whether your hands are completely healed," I told him. "¡­Huh," I murmured. "Do I need a reason?" "What¡­?" He was dumbfounded. "Nevermind, just give me your hand. I know what I''m doing since I''m a practitioner of medicine, hehehe¡­" Telling Blaze that, I took his hands once again and massaged them¡ª checking for internal injuries. "W-Wait, why are you calling yourself a practitioner of medicine¡­" August suddenly interrupted. "You aren''t a doctor, right?" "Yup, I''m not a doctor¡ª but I''m somewhat skilled to a certain degree, especially bone injuries." My intense gravity training would sometimes crush my bones, rupture my organs, slow down my blood flow and even poison me. But most of the injuries I get are broken bones. "S-Stop touching my hands already¡­!" Blaze flicks off my hands once more. What''s this¡­? He seems embarrassed. "It''s none of your business." He uttered. ...Suit yourself, then. I had my fill of curiosity. When I turn to the Black Sword, I saw August attempting to take it. "Cut it out!" I told August. I slapped his hands away before they entered the gravity field. "B-But, this sword¡­ It''s too alluring¡­!" August mumbled. "It''s mine," I told August. "Where? I can''t see your name." "Fine, go on.¡± I said to him. ¡°Go take it then. I wish your hands would still be usable just like Blaze." He''s begging me with puppy eyes¡ª ugh, I could tell that he really wanted it. "Okay, okay¡­! Just don''t look at me with those puppy eyes¡­!" I murmured as I retreated. "O-Oi¡­!" August suddenly murmured. "Wait Luc¡ª stop moving!" When I knew it, I found myself stepping onto the Black Sword''s platform. "¡­¡­Huh?" August was visibly surprised. "Wait, what!?" He yelled. "Y-Y-You entered just like that¡­!? Why weren''t you crushed to a pancake¡­!?" "Because magic couldn''t work on me." I leisurely replied. "¡­I had never heard any existing being that was immune to magic," August told me. "Anyhow, can you hurry up? I want to get back early and prepare lunch." Blaze told me. His attitude seems to have changed a little polite. "Just¡­ give me a moment," I told him. "I need time for my body to adapt to this pressure¡­" When gravity is 200 times the normal gravity, there are several things that you need to be aware of. Pressure, skeleton, muscles, and blood flow. When gravity increases, pressure increases. The usual air that you breathe would be mostly compressed to liquid due to the high pressure, leaving only oxygen and nitrogen as gas behind. In other words, the air would become toxic due to the high concentration of oxygen and nitrogen¡ª but since I have been breathing this for quite a few years¡­ my lungs had some tolerance against it, as well as the air density. As for the skeleton, they would snap on your tibia and fibula first if they do not have enough strength to withstand your body weight. Ever since the gravity training went past nine times the weight, I remember I started this training by lying down on the floor. Since I did my training since I was nine years old, my bone density is several folds more substantial than an average human. But even if you had robust skeletons to withstand the weight, it''d be useless if the muscles could not move them. That¡¯s why those sets of push up and sort are meant for muscle training. Now my muscles were several times denser and stronger so that I could walk and normally run under this absurd gravity. But even so, I had to practice adjusting my strength at normal gravity so that I would not crush things by accident. And finally, the most challenging thing of all is to keep myself conscious. My blood flow channelling to my brain is slowed down due to gravity. So the only thing that could make me push myself to finish those training is none other than my willpower. However, since this is a gravity field cast by magic¡ª it''s ineffective against me, but not for the surrounding air and the Black Sword. The difference in atmospheric pressure and my body is giving me a hard time. I had to breathe in normal air by sticking my head out from the gravity field and holding my breath. Preparing myself in a good posture, I placed my hands onto the hilt of the Black Sword. Nothing happened so far. "(Mpmh¡­!)" What the¡­ this is really heavy. Chapter 89 - 4.22 ¡­It ain''t budging the slightest. By the way, for some reason¡ª this sheathed Black Sword was half stabbed into the platform. I thought I could take remove the sword alone without its sheath, yet it was utterly stuck along with the scabbard. I then realized that the sheath was designed to be taken just like a one-handed sword¡ª which, I placed my left hand on the sheath, and my right hand remained on the hilt. ¡­Looks like I really need to muster the necessary strength to overcome 200 times the gravity. Let''s just hope this doesn''t put a cramp on my muscles¡­ "(Mmmmph¡­!)" C-CRIK¡­ "It''s moving, Luc¡ª come on, you can do it!" I heard August''s cheering. But¡ª I can''t go anymore further than this¡­! What the heck is it made off¡­!? It''s so heavy¡­! "¡­Keep going." As Kuroyuki told me to continue¡ª her ice chains were tied tightly to my waist. What are you doing!? Your chains are weighing on me¡­! I don''t know what''s happening behind me, but it''s as if a miracle occurred¡ª her ice chains suddenly became lighter. "¡­Pull." "WAAHHHH!!?" After hearing Kuroyuki''s command, I was pulled along with the Black Sword with me. CLANG! CLANG! "Ow...!?" "We did it¡­!" Persia shouted. Curious about the mysterious force pulling me, I look behind to find everyone with their hands on Kuroyuki''s ice chain. Were they¡­ pulling me? "No! The sword¡­!" As soon as August saw where the Black Sword was¡ª he immediately ran to it. "W-Wait¡­!" I shouted as I stood up. "Aug¡ª that might be a cursed sword¡­!" Just a moment before he picked up the Black Sword, he froze up and looked at me. I quickly ran to him. "Did you just call me¡­ Aug¡­?" August murmured. "H-Huh¡­?" I was dumbfounded. "Well, it''s just¡­ easier for me to call your name." "¡­I see," August replied. Then, he picks up the Black Sword. "I thought I told you that sword might be cursed¡­!?" I reminded him once more. "Nah, it''s definitely not cursed," August told me. "Even if it''s cursed, I could definitely handle it without any problems." Which then, he pushes the Black Sword back to me. "FOR WHATEVER REASON, DON''T YOU EVER THROW YOUR SWORD LIKE THAT, UNDERSTOOD!!?" He lectured me with a glare. "TREAT IT WITH CARE!!!" "Okay, okay¡­!" I replied. GLOB. "Hmm¡­? What''s that sound¡­?" Kronos suddenly murmured. "W-W-What is that¡­?" Persia pointed her finger towards the Black Sword''s platform. Black liquid was flowing out from the hole¡ª it looks like tar, but it¡¯s not. I didn''t see any visible coloured gas leaking out from it, but it''s better to be safe. "Everyone! Hold your breath immediately¡ª it could be poison!" I yelled. I held my breath and ran to the platform with the Black Sword on my head. "¡­?" My clothes and the sword did not become heavy anymore. "¡­The gravity magic disappeared," I murmured. "¡­That''s a bad sign.¡± Kuroyuki said with her eyes narrowed, seeming uneasy. ¡°¡­Try sealing that hole once more." I inserted the sheathed Black Sword back to its place¡ª yet, the black liquid shows no sign of stopping at all. "¡­It¡¯s not working," I murmured. Deeming it to be useless, I pull out the sheathed Black Sword. And surprisingly¡­ "¡­Did you guys see this?" I asked them. ¡­not a single drop of black liquid is touching the Black Sword. In fact, it¡¯s not even touching my shoes. ¡°¡­How fascinating.¡± Kronos murmured. When I raised my head, everyone had gas masks on them. It seems Kronos made it with his earth element. "There''s no poison, but wear this just in case.¡± Telling me that, he gave me one. Then, he made a glass test tube on his hand and squatted down. ¡°Is this¡­ a water made from spirit particles...? M-MRK!!?" Suddenly, a black hand emerges from the hole like a zombie. Kronos was so surprised that he fell on his bu?? when he backed off. On reflex, I swung my sword towards the black hand. BAM! It phases through it without damaging the hand. Then, the hand press its palm on the ground, as if it''s trying to climb out from the hole. Not good. Just like what Kuroyuki and Nightmare agreed on¡­ this is a trap¡­! "Okay¡ª that''s enough!" I yelled. "EVERYONE GET OUT FROM HERE¡ª RUN!!!" Agreeing with me, everyone immediately turn and head towards the entrance. Except, Persia Silverlight. "Persia¡ª what are you doing¡­!!?" "Noble''s code section number one¡ª protect humanity from all evil¡­!" She declared. Which, she took a card from her ?h?st pocket. "Don''t give me that now¡­!" I quickly ran to Persia. "Once you are dead¡ª humanity ain''t worth a shit to you anymore¡­!" "Kyaa¡­!?" I carried Persia on my shoulder as I turned and ran. "W-What are you doing¡­!? Put me down¡­!" Persia complained. "You idiot¡­! I was planning to destroy this place once everybody got out!" I told Persia. "There''s more than one way you could do to protect humanity¡­!" With the unsheathed Black Sword on my left hand, I head towards the third pillar on my left, intending to break it with the unsheathed sword. "¡­Don''t do it¡­!" CLANG! Just seconds before it hits, my swing was stopped by Kuroyuki¡¯s ice spear that was stabbed on the ground. Which, Kuroyuki¡ª who was supposed to be at the stairway by now, appears in front of me. "Kuroyuki¡­? What''s wrong¡­!?" "¡­This situation is even worse than we expected to be." She told me. I immediately shifted my gaze towards the entrance¡ª where I find a black wall sealing our only exit. "This is bad indeed. Look after Persia," I said to Kuroyuki as I placed Persia down. Then, I immediately ran to Kronos and the others, where they were trying to break the black wall. "Ò»ÎÄ×Ö!" (Ichimonji!) (Straight line!) WHAM!!! Following August''s shout¡ª was a powerful beeline katana slash hitting right at the centre of the black wall. "W-Wah¡­!!?" That slash was so powerful that the entire basement shook from the impact. However, there''s not a single dent on the black wall. "Damnit¡­!" August¡¯s hands trembled from the recoil. Seems like that black wall was so solid that it completely sends back August''s powerful slash to him. BAM! Suddenly, another weaker impact shook the basement once again. It was Blaze. He stomped his left foot forward in a house stance¡ª exactly three steps away from the black wall. "August! Stay out of line¡­!!!" As he ordered August to get out from his way, he raised his right foot forward. BAM!! As he stomps, it shakes the basement even fiercer than his first. Then, he raised his left foot forward. BAM!!! "W-Whoa!?" It was just as powerful as August''s beeline slash¡­! What''s with that footwork¡­!? He''s gaining more power in each advancing step¡­! The moment he reaches the wall with both of his fist at the right side of his waist¡­ "±Àɽȭ!!!" ("B¨¥ngsh¨¡n qu¨¢n!!!") (Mountain Crushing Fist!!!) ¡­he lunges his fists right at the centre of the black wall. BOOM!!! It was more powerful than August¡¯s slash. I bet it¡¯s even powerful enough to take down an entire two-storey house if it hits right. As the dusts settled, I find Blaze pushed away from the wall by his own recoil. C-CRACK! ¡°¡­!¡± The pillars¡­ cracked¡­!? Chapter 90 - 4.23 The first two pillars nearest to the entrance visibly cracked right in front of my eyes. "That''s enough!" Kronos yelled to August. "The basement will collapse if this goes on!" I immediately ran to Kronos, who was repairing the stone pillar. "Kronos! Can''t you open up a hole out of this¡­!?" I asked. "I already did." He told me while nudging his glasses. "The ground, the ceiling, the walls¡ª they were all blocked by that black wall. I can''t alter any earth materials that I''ve never seen or studied before, and I still can''t activate my magic." "¡­So we were trapped?" Like a box. ¡°¡­What¡­ is that¡­?¡± Kuroyuki murmured. Tracing her voice¡ª I find a silhouette of a person climbing out from the hole. What on earth is that¡­ Even dad¡¯s encyclopaedias had no records of such an eerie thing. "Are we¡­ going to die here?" Kronos replied, as if he had given all hope. "Worry not." I patted him on the shoulder. "Help will arrive¡ª but let''s just hold on for as long as possible¡­" "Help¡­? Who?" "That bast¡ª I mean, the Principal," I told him. "I told him to come here as soon as possible." ¡°¡­I see. You really are¡­¡± It seems he knew the Principal and my other identity. ¡°...Indeed. I do not know anything.¡± Telling me that, Kronos continued his reparation on the stone pillar. "By the way¡ª didn''t you the ceiling were blocked by that wall? Why would the basement will collapse?" "Above the ceiling, there¡¯s still a long way to go before it hits the black wall. Once it collapses, the debris alone is enough to bury us completely. It would be hard for them to find even our bodies." "So if the pillars are destroyed by accident¡­ then it would all over, huh¡­" ¡°I¡¯m now reconstructing this pillar to a much sturdier one. Not even you could break it. But it takes time though.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just do all of them in one go like how you did earlier?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m converting the earth elements this time instead of adding them.¡± ¡°I see. Anyhow, I hope those things aren¡¯t a hostile one.¡± I murmured to Kronos. ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, I felt a presence closing in. "Careful¡ª Luc!" As soon as August yelled, a silhouette suddenly appeared right in front of me. ¡­I¡¯m not mistaken. This is another silhouette¡­! That posture¡ª is it a sword-drawing technique¡­!? Not good¡­! I can''t dodge it¡­! CLANG! "What¡­!?" I inadvertently murmured. Surprisingly, I blocked his blade with my sheathed black sword. I wasn''t expecting that I could because my attack was phasing through it earlier. I thought his blade would slice through my spirit instead. Never mind that¡ª he''s staggering now. Taking this moment, I did a right knee kick. THOOM. "!?" It felt like air¡ª no, it is air. My knee went through his abdomen. But I could still feel that he was pressuring his sword at me. But it couldn¡¯t even advance even a millimetre. What about this¡­? Cladding my right foot with ''Offensive Cladding''¡ª I jumped back slightly and did a front kick. WHAM! The silhouette was sent flying backwards with several spins. "It works!?" I inadvertently murmured. "Luc¡ª don''t stand there¡ª MOVE!" Following August''s shout, a black translucent crescent moon-shaped slash nearly two meters high came towards me. Crap¡ª I can''t dodge this¡­! Kronos is just behind me¡­! "One-Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!" Even though I deflected the slash¡ª but it''s heading towards the stone pillar! BAM! ¡°¡­Just in time.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. Kuroyuki stopped the slash just in time with her ice wall. "Nice one!" I yelled. That said¡ª the silhouette landed safely. "Rapier." August suddenly appeared behind him with a rapier on his hand, pointing upwards. "Star Falling Arts¡ª Shooting Sagitta!" Just before August''s blade could hit the silhouette in front of him¡ª another silhouette deflected his blade with its spear. BAM! To the direction where August''s thrust was directed, a hole was cleanly punctured through the metal wall. Hold on¡­ that silhouette¡­ "Grk¡­!?" Suddenly, black strings tangled on August''s right arm, binding his movements. "Argh¡­!?" His left arm was then taken by another silhouette in an armbar position. Because of the weight and pain¡ª he had to kneel down to lessen the pain. Then the silhouette with the spear immediately created another black spear on mid-air and took it with its left hand. "¡­!" At that moment, August''s eyes widen with a terrified look. "No¡ª August!!!" I shouted. "¡­Pierce." Just in time¡ª Kuroyuki threw her spear towards the silhouette with the spear. THUNK!!! The silhouette with the spear immediately turns to block it¡ª and was pushed away by the power of it. August avoided a fatal blow. Which, Persia''s card cuts off the black strings¡ª freeing August''s right arm. August immediately swung his blade towards the armbar silhouette. It immediately freed him so he could dodge that slash. It was then¡ª the sword silhouette turns to August with his blade aimed at his ?h?st. "¿¿É½±³!" (K¨¤osh¨¡n b¨¨i!) (Mountain slamming back!) WHAM! Blaze then charge and slams onto the sword silhouette with his back, pushing it away from August. "Both of you¡ª retreat now!" I told him. "Stop engaging battle!" "¡­!" Kuroyuki suddenly extends her hand in her unique gesture¡ª summoning a giant wall of ice just right behind them, sealing the silhouettes behind that wall. Which the black spears, black cards and black bullets bounces off when it hits Kuroyuki¡¯s ice wall. ¡°Persia, Rumelia¡ª take my place!¡± I said to them. I told them to protect Kronos in my place so that he could focus on reinforcing the pillars. Then I hurried to Kuroyuki, who was maintain the wall from the silhouettes. "Kuroyuki¡ª is that what I think it is¡­?" I asked. "¡­They¡ª are us," Kuroyuki answered. The silhouettes are August (sword silhouette), Blaze (armbar silhouette), Kuroyuki (spear silhouette), Persia (black card silhouette), Rumelia (black string silhouette) and Kronos (black bullets silhouette). "They are one person short¡ª so it''s me who''s not in there, huh. What is the meaning of this¡­?" "¡­Perhaps it¡¯s a trial, no? This is a ¡®legendary¡¯ sword, after all." ¡°This guy?¡± The Black Sword, I meant. "¡­You seem to have problems with it." "Yeah, I can''t draw it no matter how hard I try," I murmured. "But still, this wouldn''t be a problem." "¡­Are we in any condition to fight now¡­?" Kuroyuki reminded me. "Well¡­ Kronos is busy reinforcing the second stone pillar while Rumelia and Persia are protecting him," I murmured. "This will be a defensive battle." "¡­A defensive battle? Those things had the same ability as the original." "It''s fighting ability." I corrected Kuroyuki. "They don''t seem to have the capabilities to think." ¡°¡­True.¡± Kuroyuki murmured. ¡°Mngh¡­!¡± When Kuroyuki''s ice wall is broken by Blaze''s silhouette''s punches¡ª she immediately fills the hole with her ice, sealing them once again. "But still, we had the disadvantage," I added. "Though I''m sure they weren''t using magic¡­ but they had the similarities to it as if they were using it¡ª like those black strings and bullets." ¡°¡­And also our abilities.¡± Kuroyuki warned me. "Though it''s black and does not have a cold temperature¡­ but I''m certain that it''s similar to my ice." ¡­Then that black transparent slash earlier is similar to August''s wind. "Nevertheless, unlike their bodies¡­ it seems we could defend against their attacks¡ª even without the ''Force of Will''." "¡­A defensive battle it is, then," Kuroyuki murmured. "Just to let you know¡ª this is a matter of life and death. So you won''t be getting into a fight for now." "¡­I know," Kuroyuki told me. "¡­But then again, I think this is a chance for teamwork in the ." "My, an opportunist, are you? Even in a situation like this, you sure are terrifyingly calm." "¡­I could say the same to you as well." She told me. "¡­Now go. I know what you''ve already done and what you want to do." "Heh, glad to hear that." Telling her that, I left Kuroyuki to maintain her wall against the silhouettes. Chapter 91 - 4.24 I told Blaze and August to gather at Kronos''s group¡ª where he''s repairing the second stone pillar (from the entrance) at our left. "You alright¡ª August?" I asked. "Are you in any condition to fight¡­?" "Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Uh¡­ Yeah¡­ I''m okay¡­" August''s face was drained white, and he looks exhausted. Looks like that moment of fear dried out his will completely. "Kronos, just concentrate on your stuff," I said to Kronos. "Kuroyuki is holding them back, so this will be a quick strategic meeting." "You seemed like you had some sort of idea in your mind," Persia said to me with a serious look. "Indeed. In a group of three¡­ I want you guys to take turns supporting me to destroy those things." "¡­Our copies, you meant¡­?" August murmured. "Kuroyuki is maintaining the wall right now. One at a time... we let one of those things enter our territory¡­ that way, we could gang up on it." "But how are you going to defeat those things?" Persia asked. "Aside from their weapons¡­ our attacks would go through them." "I could destroy them with my ''Offensive Cladding''," I murmured. "I only need help to stop their movements." "Luc¡ª pick my doppelganger first." He said to me. "I¡¯m letting my guard down now¡­ you might as well take the chance to kill him first." "Then, I volunteer." Blaze raised his hand. "Me too," Persia told me. "Then come with me," I told them. Saying that, I ran to Kuroyuki. "August comes first," I said to her. "¡­I want to fight him, if possible¡­" "Please don''t." I reminded her. "¡­Are you ready?" "Yeah, let''s do this¡­!" Kuroyuki made a hole on her wall right in front of August¡¯s silhouette¡ª just exactly as planned, August''s silhouette came in first. Then the second thing to do¡ª is to push the other silhouettes back to their place¡­! "Eat this!" BAM!!! With my Black Sword acting like a baseball bat, I cladded it with ''Offensive Cladding'' and made a swing¡ª sending Blaze silhouette''s back to the ice wall as he blocks. August''s silhouette did not miss this moment. It immediately swung his blade at me¡ª CLANG!!! ¡ªand was deflected by Persia with a card in her hand. I thought I could follow up with a finishing blow¡ª but something unexpected happened afterwards. THUNK¡ª THUNK¡ª THUNK! THUNK!!! Persia launched a four hit combo with her card¡ª which August''s silhouette blocks them all. Then¡­ Persia found a gap in his defence and took its right arm with her right hand. "Humph¡­!" She then tossed away the right arm and took a card at her right hand¡ª slicing across the silhouette¡¯s neck while leaving traces of a glowing golden line. I was expecting the neck to be cut, yet¡ª the silhouette¡¯s head was severed entirely. Then the body kneels down lifelessly and collapses, breaking down to black ashes. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" Such a scene made everyone stunned in silence. "Well done, Persia¡­! That''s one down!" I shouted. "Have you finally decided to show your true strength?" Except me. I don''t understand why they were tense about it. "No¡ª w-wait¡ª why did Persia have this sort of strength¡­!?" August yelled. ¡°Even if I let down my guard¡­ she insta-killed my doppelganger¡­!!?¡± "If she can''t¡ª how could she protect humanity from all evil¡­?" I replied. "Lucifer¡­!" Persia seems happy for some reason. BAM!!! Once again, Blaze¡¯s silhouette destroyed Kuroyuki¡¯s ice wall. It was just behind us. I immediately cladded my entire body with ''Hard Defensive Cladding'' to shield Persia from the ice boulders. Persia was worried of me, but I¡¯m genuinely okay. "Well then, I will leave it to you for a moment¡­!" I told her. Which, I took the largest ice boulder and push the rest of the silhouettes back to their wall, sealing them behind it. Kuroyuki seals the hole afterwards. "H-Help! I can''t win this¡­!" Persia yelled. TH¡ª THUNK! THUNK!!! She was slicing Blaze¡¯s silhouette with her cards, yet it bounces away from his body. I remember Blaze had a magical armour on him. This means¡ª it even copied that¡­!? "Kyaa!?" Blaze''s silhouette succeeded in a takedown, mounting on top of Persia. "Grargh¡­!" Blaze then grabs onto his silhouette''s right fist, twisting and locking it behind with an armhold lock. He then carefully pulls it away from Persia. BAM!!! "Argh!?" The pain was so unbearable for him that he had to release his silhouette¡¯s arm. Thankfully, Blaze moved away from it. That way, I can aim for its head without worries. ¡°One-Handed Sword Arts¡ª Swing!¡± I swing my sheathed sword for its head. ¡°!¡± It dodged!? This is¡ª the negativa stance used in capoeira¡­! "Ow!?" Then, a low heel kick to my shin. Because I haven¡¯t cancel my ¡®Offensive Cladding¡¯, I can¡¯t use ¡®Hard Defensive Cladding¡¯ to withstand the impact of his kick. I inadvertently took a step back to balance myself. Then, it rolled forward and got himself into a handstand, throwing a kick to my left shoulder. I guarded it with the Black Sword while throwing a left calf kick¡ª intending to kick his hands to knock him over. "Argh¡­!?" It immediately takes a half spin and landed a right hook punch to my right medial malleolus. I tripped to the floor on my bu??. It grabs onto my right foot and executed a jiu-jitsu leg lock. Blaze¡¯s silhouette had a bit more power in him than I thought. Thankfully, it isn¡¯t Nightmare who¡¯s in charge now. If not, my leg would be broken by now. In a contest of strength¡­ you are nowhere near my level. There¡¯s no way you could break my leg like that! Grabbing this chance, I hold onto its feet with my grip. "Blaze¡ª NOW!!!" I yelled. "Helm splitter¡­!" WHAM! Blaze stomped his foot straight down to its face (probably, because its black). ¡°Arghh¡­!?¡± Maybe it¡¯s because the silhouette had its helmet on¡ª Blaze¡¯s heel bounces off from it. The silhouette quickly struggles to break free, but it¡¯s not possible because of my hold. ¡°Turn him over!¡± Blaze told me. ¡°You split his head!¡± Following his order, I turned so that the silhouette had its back facing upwards. Blaze then sat on its back in a position where he is facing its legs. He locks both of the silhouette¡¯s arms on his th??h and took over in my stead to lock its leg with his hands. I hurriedly took the sheathed black sword that was on the ground. The silhouette struggles as much as it could, but it can¡¯t seem to get out. ¡°Hah!¡± I cladded my sheathed sword with ¡®Offensive Cladding¡¯¡ª hammering it downwards to its head. BAM!!! Blaze¡¯s silhouette immediately breaks down to black ashes. C-CRIK! This sound¡­ Kuroyuki¡¯s ice is breaking¡­!? Chapter 92 - 4.25 This sound¡­ Kuroyuki¡¯s ice is breaking¡­!? When I turn behind and look¡ª I was genuinely surprised by the sight of it. A visible crack, spreading left and right across Kuroyuki¡¯s ice wall could be seen. Behind it, was flooded with countless of silhouettes. It seems they were pushing the wall with their mass instead of breaking it. Kuroyuki seems to be in pain. It seems she¡¯s almost at her limit to maintain that wall. If she opens up a small hole now, that will be the breaking point of the entire wall and it would still collapse. Kronos is at the 4th pillar at the left now, which was right next to us. ¡°I got this.¡± Rumelia said to us. Which, thin threads of silver strings sprout up from the floor¡ª sticking to the edges of the wall and ceiling like a spider web with a random pattern. Come to think of it¡­ Rumelia had element too¡­? C-CRACK¡ª ¡°¡­I can¡¯t¡ª Mmngh¡­!?¡± Kuroyuki¡¯s ice wall broke down. Like hungry demons, the silhouettes desperately charge at us without being aware of the silver strings. Thus, all of them were disassembled to pieces by the silver strings. ¡­I can¡¯t believe they were really brainless. But anyways, just how sharp are her strings¡­? It cut them just like bu??er. I¡¯m glad Rumelia didn¡¯t use that on the mock battle yesterday. But even so, the silhouettes that have fallen were immediately replaced. Once they were replaced, they repeat the same thing by charging straight to us without being aware of the silver threads¡ª again and again. ¡°¡­Agreed.¡± August replied. ¡°Kuroyuki!?¡± Persia shouted. Hearing Persia¡¯s shout, I immediately switch my attention to Kuroyuki. ¡°¡­Ss-sshfft¡­ h-h-h-h-haaah¡­¡­¡± She was sitting on the ground, shivering in cold. I immediately turn to Blaze and tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Blaze! I need your help¡­!¡± Together with Persia and Blaze, we immediately rush to her. ¡°¡­D-D-Don¡¯t u-use your f-flames¡­!¡± Kuroyuki hastily stopped Blaze with her shivering voice before he could generate some heat. As I asked her with a worried look, I touched her forehead. It was so cold that it stings my hand like dry ice. ¡°Y-Your body is so cold¡­!¡± I inadvertently muttered. It¡¯s mild hypothermia¡­!? ¡°¡­I-I-It¡¯s the¡­ r-r-recoil¡­¡­¡± She told me, with her voice shivering. ¡°Recoil¡­? Of your ice element?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me¡­!?¡± ¡°¡­Our recoil comes at random. Sometimes we would be fine and sometimes we won¡¯t. But¡­ the more we use it, the more likely it occurs.¡± Persia said to me. ¡°There¡¯s a price for such a power.¡± ¡°No wonder you guys weren¡¯t really using that power¡­¡± I murmured. ¡­Nevermind that for now. The condition on her hands are even worse than her body. They were frozen solid, and the skin on her hands turned blue. It was correct not to warm it with Blaze¡¯s fire first, or else it would cause more damage to her body tissue, where more blisters would occur. But¡ª I don¡¯t even have room-temperature water to warm her up, not to mention warm water. If only Mattanarafa and her parents are here¡­ Then the only choice is to use my body heat. Her clothes aren¡¯t wet, that¡¯s good. I immediately took off my blazer, wrapping it around her body. Then, I carefully cradled her body from behind, hoping to warm her up. ¡°¡­W-What are you¡­ d-d-doing¡­? Y-You¡­ will get hurt¡­¡­!¡± As soon as Kuroyuki warned me as if using the last of her strength to speak¡ª cold air suddenly bursts out from her body. ¡°Shut up¡­¡± I said to Kuroyuki. ¡°As if I could just stay still and watch you suffering¡­!¡± When I coil my fingers around her hands, the coldness stings my hands as if they were penetrated by countless of needles. Even though it hurts, I refuse to let out a single sound. ¡°Huff¡ª Huff¡ª¡± I adjusted my breathing to become quick paced to regulate my blood pressure, so that my body would become warmer. I could control my body temperature with my breathing to about 40 degrees Celsius. ¡°Look out!¡± CL-CLANK¡ª CLANK¡ª CLANK!!! Suddenly, a wave of black spears came bombarding from the other side of the strings. Persia pulled out her cards and placed them on mid-air. Once the black spears came into contact with her card, it bounces off¡ª as if hitting a solid wall. ¡°Is everyone alright¡­!?¡± Persia shouted. When I raised my head and looked, Kronos¡¯s group was protected by a metal wall. It survived the black spear barrage with lots of dent left behind. Yet¡­ where¡¯s Blaze¡ª ¡°G¡­ Ga¡­ hack¡­!?¡± ¡ªjust when I was wondering where he is¡­ Blaze made a painful sounding cough. When I looked¡ª two black spears were stabbed on him. One pierced through on his right arm, and one went through his abdomen¡ª impaling him to the ground. There¡¯s heavy bleeding, but he was still alive. ¡°B-Blaze¡­!¡± August yelled at him. ¡°DON¡¯T¡­ MOVE¡­!¡± He howled. Then, he mustered his strength to grab Kuroyuki¡¯s spear that was on his right arm. ¡°GRAAAAAAAGH¡ª!!!¡± With a boast, he pulled the black spear in one go¡ª with his blood oozing everywhere during the process. ¡°Huff¡ª Huff¡ª¡± Then, he mustered his strength one more time to grab onto the spear that was on his abdomen. ¡°GRAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH¡ª!!!¡± THUNK! He pulled the second spear out from the ground, allowing himself to stand. It was painful, but he endured it and stood on his spot. He raised his head to take more air for the third attempt. ¡°GRAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH¡ª!!!¡± In one go, he pulls the spear, where his intestines were dragged along with it as blood continues to ooze from his wounds. It was a bloody mess. ¡­Maybe it was too late for me to think of this now, but I can¡¯t believe he survived. Following that, blue flames gushes out from his wounds¡ª even his intestines are burning under that blue flame. BANG! A gunshot¡­!? ¡°Urk¡­!?¡± The moment I hear a gunshot, Blaze immediately reacted by receiving the bullet with his left arm. He then quickly did a side roll to Kronos¡¯s group¡ª shielding himself. And as I look to where the gunshot came from¡ª Kronos¡¯s silhouette was loaded with lots of gun behind it¡¯s back. Chapter 93 - 4.26 "This is¡ª Nngh¡­!" It seems Kronos realized what those are. He immediately summons another wall at my side, protecting us from the incoming bullets barrage. The silver threads protecting us from the puppet silhouettes are no more because of the black spears and bullets. The fortunate thing is, the puppet silhouettes are gone for good as well. "Kuroyuki¡­!" After confirming that Krono''s thick wall is enough to shield us, Persia quickly turned, squatted down while looking at Kuroyuki with a worried expression. "¡­I¡­ I''m okay now¡­" Kuroyuki told me, with her face looking pale. "¡­Go help them." "Don''t talk nonsense!" Persia scolded Kuroyuki. "The worst two elemental recoils are ice and fire! There''s no way you are okay¡­!" "H-Huff¡­" Hearing that, my body inadvertently reacted to the cold. Looks like the recoil is affecting my body as well... my body temperature could no longer keep up with the cold. "K-K-Kronos!" I immediately yelled. "E-E-Extend your wall and gather here¡­!" Hearing my shout, Kronos immediately summoned a more enormous wall¡ª connecting it to ours. Everyone on their side quickly gathered. "...!" I realize Blaze is trying to get the bullet with his fingers, but he can''t because it''s digging deep. "S-S-Someone give Blaze a h-hand¡­! He can''t g-g-get the bullet¡­!" I shivered. "¡­Are you okay¡­?" August asked me as he unsheathed his single-edged sword, transforming it into a rapier. "You are shivering too¡ª stick out your arm, Blaze." "Grk¡­¡­!" August then stuck his sword into Blaze''s skin, shovelling out the black bullet from his arm. Blue flames then gush out from his bullet wound, with the mild heat just enough to warm Kuroyuki and me from the cold. ¡­Is it me or his blue flames is healing Kuroyuki''s coldness¡­? "Guys¡ª look," Kronos said to us after he picked up the black bullet. Blaze''s blood¡­ is sticking on it¡­? It''s not disappearing either. Not only that, the black spears and bullets the silhouettes fired so far aren''t disappearing as well. What on earth is it made of¡­? It was liquid earlier, but then it takes the shape of a human¡ª and it could choose to phase through physical object or either materialize to deal physical attacks. The worst part is¡­ the only way for us to deal damage to them is through the ''Offensive Cladding'' of the ''Force of Will''. Even though Blaze''s fire helped, but with Kuroyuki in such a state¡­ it''s impossible for her to continue. Then, the only ones left who could use the ''Force of Will'', are¡­ "!" I suddenly felt something irregular with my'' Presence Sensing". The silhouettes are split into a team of two, where they are heading towards the remaining two pillars that weren''t reinforced by Kronos. "THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO BREAK THE REMAINING TWO PILLARS¡ª STOP THEM!!!" I shouted. "¡­!" Hearing that, everyone instinctively split teams to deal with the remaining silhouettes. Rumelia, Kronos, Blaze are in one team against Rumelia and Kronos''s silhouette, while August and Persia are towards Kuroyuki and Persia''s silhouette. ¡­I wasn''t expecting the silhouettes to break the pillars so soon. "¡­D-Don''t stay here¡­!" Kuroyuki told me. "¡­Go¡­!" She''s so vulnerable right now¡­ yet¡­ Steeling my heart, I quickly stood up and headed towards Blaze''s group. I chose them first because none of them had the ''Force of Will'' to destroy them. And by prioritizing their group, I could buy more time to let Kronos focus on reinforcing the pillars as early as possible, just in case of situations like these once again. As I leapt myself on top of the wall that Kronos made, I saw Blaze''s group shielding themselves behind another wall, blocking from Kronos''s silhouette''s bullets bombardment. Looks like they knew they couldn''t beat them; that''s why he''s focusing on reinforcing the pillar first. ¡­the silhouettes didn''t notice me. I immediately kicked myself off the wall, aiming for Kronos''s silhouette. Yet¡ª Rumelia''s silhouette suddenly stood in front of him, blocking my perfect trajectory. I immediately pointed my sheathed Black Sword at her, aiming for a thrust¡ª yet, she stepped on my thrust and counter by landing a sharp thrust on my left shoulder with her fingers. THOK. "Ow¡­!" Just as I expected, even though it hurts¡ª it didn''t penetrate through even my skin. With my ''Offensive Cladding'' still active, I quickly grab onto its face¡ª crushing it with my fingers as it struggles. Which, Kronos''s silhouette, which was just behind her¡ª pointed its gun at me. BANG! The bullet went through Rumelia''s head. ¡­That was scary. I would''ve died if I hadn''t bent my neck on reflex. I then clad my left arm in ''Offensive Cladding'', and rammed through Rumelia''s silhouette''s stomach. WHAM! It turns to black ashes afterwards¡ª revealing Kronos''s silhouette with his arsenals aimed at me. "Shit¡­!" THUNK! At that moment, an ice spear went through its head. Kronos''s silhouette crumbles and turns to ashes. I immediately turn to find Kuroyuki, who was standing on top of the wall, looking exhausted. "Kuroyuki¡­!" When I called her, she responded with a nod. I had to be careful with August''s group. C-CLANK¡ª CLANK¡ª THUNK! Persia was dealing against Kuroyuki''s silhouette, while August was against Persia''s silhouette. Surprisingly, August is fending well again Persia''s silhouette''s card slashing. I just hope his arm wouldn''t get sliced off just like how Persia did to his silhouette¡­ When Persia''s silhouette attacks, August deflects her attacks¡ª and when August attacks, Persia''s silhouette deflects his sword attacks. "Hup." Suddenly, a quick movement as August got behind Persia''s silhouette¡ª her head was cut off. Then, it crumbles to black ashes. ¡­His movements are much quicker and swifter at that moment. I noticed that he held his sword with his left hand when he dealt that finishing blow. No wonder he didn''t feel particularly sad about his broken pinkie. He compensated that with his left hand. August then immediately heads to Kuroyuki''s silhouette, helping Persia. Persia is holding well against Kuroyuki''s silhouette for now. But even with August''s help, Kuroyuki''s silhouette still manages to fend them off. Unlike them, they were skilled enough to deflect and parry Kuroyuki''s attack while moving in sync with each other. If I simply head in now, their rhythm would break¡ª I need to find the perfect moment to deal a death blow at Kuroyuki''s silhouette. That spear and sword combination is really a pain¡­ C-CLANK! Kuroyuki''s silhouette parried their attacks back at them¡ª with their weapons flying away. "Hold her off¡­!" I shouted. Which, in sync, August and Persia immediately charged and grabbed onto Kuroyuki''s silhouette''s arm from back and front, respectively. I immediately charged at her. However, in sync with their directions as Kuroyuki''s silhouette did a natural spin¡ª she escaped from their grab and threw them on the ground simultaneously. And with that spinning momentum, she throws a sharp kick to my ?h?st. Chapter 94 - 4.27 ''Counter cladding''! BAM¡ª THUNK! "Gahack¡­!?" ''Counter Cladding'' is the moment of attack in response to the opponent''s attack by receiving a blow. This is just a purely physical attack, unlike ''Offensive Cladding'', which could affect even their phasing body. Receiving the blow, I thrust her head simultaneously with the sheathed Black Sword. It broke the black ice helm on her, causing her to stagger from the surprise attack. ¡­It''s not enough. But that''s okay¡ª I''ve reached my goal. THUNK! At that moment, an ice spear went through her head. I immediately relaxed as soon as I witnessed how she crumbled and turned to ashes. The pain and damage she caused to me made me kneel. ¡­ It''s the first time I''d accept Kuroyuki''s attack so directly. Not even Nightmare received such an amount of damage during the mock battle. Spurt. My mouth was filled with a thick taste of blood. What''s with that kick¡­? My body is much studier than Nightmare, yet I''m taking the same amount of damage. It''s as if I was getting run through by a spear. But still, I don''t have breathing problem. "Luc¡­! Are you okay¡­!?" August said to me as he lifted me with his shoulder. "Y-Yeah¡­ (Coughs)¡ª I''m fine¡­" CLAP. CLAP. "!?" Suddenly, I heard the sound of a person clapping as it echoed throughout the entire basement. I thought I was having delusions, but then I realized it wasn''t my problem when I saw August''s worried expression as he told me to look. It was a silhouette of a woman. A woman with her long hair down to her waist, wearing a summer dress¡ª is clapping her hands. BAM¡ª! That was¡­ a terrifying reaction speed, just about as good as Kuroyuki. I know Kronos and his group¡ª which just finished reinforcing the pillar at his side, is ready to restrict her movements at any time¡­ ¡­I hurriedly shook my head when Kronos asked me whether he was good to go with his finger gesture. However, the woman silhouette paid no attention to us. It looks like she had her eyes completely set on Kuroyuki, who was standing on top of Kronos''s wall. "¡­How heartless of you." "¡­!?" The woman¡­ she can speak¡­!? It sounded like a m?tur? woman in her thirties. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­" But that doesn''t matter, I could immediately tell¡ª this woman is extremely dangerous. But¡­ unlike their copies silhouettes¡­ she does not have a weapon with her. ¡­Or so I thought. "What the¡­!?" The woman suddenly extended her hand towards my direction, as if she was trying to pull something. It was my sheathed black sword. As if I would let you¡­! SHING! The black blade itself. It unsheathed from my scabbard, landing on her extended hand. "Kuh¡­!" Witnessing that moment, the uneasy feeling that I had inside me felt even worse than it already was. ¡­It''s as if¡ª she could kill all of us easily¡­ if she wants. "W-WAIT!!! S-STOP¡ª PLEASE¡­!!!" I screamed. It was a desperate scream¡ª the sound of a coward, the cries of a prey, crying out to its predator. I know it was foolish of me to wish for that, but it was to hope that she wouldn''t attack any of us. Suddenly, the silhouette woman disappeared like haze, with the black sword in her hand. "¡­!?" And when the woman reappeared before I could react¡ª she was already behind Kuroyuki, with her hand grabbing her waist as she placed the blade on her neck. "KUROYUKI¡­!!!" Persia screamed. She was distraught, terrified. ...Because Kuroyuki Shiroha was held hostage. If Kuroyuki wasn''t exhausted from the recoil, she could''ve reacted and even countered her. "¡­ Don''t try to move." The woman warned us when we tried to rush to her. "My blade¡­ is very sharp." "¡­!" Kuroyuki frowned her brows and shook her head¡ª telling us not to move. She obediently let herself be held hostage without resisting. Even at a time like this, Kuroyuki is still able to keep her calm. That woman doesn''t have any intent to kill Kuroyuki for now... we shouldn''t stimulate her any further. "My name is Lucifer Nightwalker von Nightmare¡­!" I shout to her. "Who are you¡­!?" But first things first¡­ who on earth is she¡­? "Hehehe~ I will let you guess~" She said to me in a playful tone. "One wrong answer¡­ her head would fall off." "¡­Her posture really means it, Luc," August told me. "Think wisely before you answer." It''s just as August said¡ª she really means it. If I don''t want anything to happen to Kuroyuki¡­ I should really give a hard thought about it. However, there are only two answers I could get so far. She told us, ''my blade is very sharp. So it''s either she''s the last owner of the Black Sword, or¡­ she''s the Black Sword itself. If either one of them is wrong¡­ Kuroyuki''s done for. "L-Let her go¡­! I could be the hostage instead¡­! So¡ª please¡­!" Persia said to her. "I''m from the Silverlight family¡­!" Usually, it would be wise not to say unnecessary words to stimulate the abductor, but¡­ what Persia did wasn''t an act of outburst. Instead, she carefully observed her body language and decided to offer herself¡ª her value as a world noble. "If you are willing to risk your life for her¡­ then all the more reason I should keep her with me~" She replied. I''m not sure whether Persia intentionally did it to find the answer, but thanks to that¡ª I got my answer. "You are the Black Sword, aren''t you!?" I shout to her. "You are the Black Sword''s spirit¡­!" "L-Luc¡­!?" August was surprised by my answer. "No, she''s¡ª" "Correct~ As expected of my new master~" She chuckled. "How did you know I''m not the owner of the sword instead~?" "¡­!?" August stared at her with a dumbfounded look after he heard her reply. It seems August knew the answer earlier, but¡­ he''s doubting himself now. Perhaps, he made a mistake¡­? But it didn''t seem like it. No matter¡­ I better give her an answer first. "Two reasons," I said. "The first is¡­ this girl next to me had a much higher value to the world in reality¡­ And second, you did not have any particular reaction towards my name." Although I don''t know how old this black sword is¡­ but the World Noble existed for more than a millennium¡ª unless it is older than that, I doubt it because of the temple''s structure design and construction method used. While the term ''Lucifer'' is well-known¡ª even if it was several thousand years ago. I believe if it''s someone from a thousand years ago¡­ they would rather not say or hear this name. "My~ How clever of you~" She replied. "Now let her go¡­!" Persia demanded. "I know you were worried, Persia. But she didn''t say anything about releasing her." I said to Persia. "Fufu~ Correct~" The woman chuckled. "But still¡­ can you release her, please¡­?" I asked nicely. "¡­She could b?r?ly even stand now." Please¡ª spare Kuroyuki. "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.." I could feel her penetrating gaze for some reason¡ª even if she doesn''t have eyes. However, I could tell that she''s not hostile for now. "Since you asked kindly¡­ then I will respond to your wish..." PAK! "¡­!" White-coloured magic circles appeared above everyone''s head when she snapped her fingers. Everyone except Kuroyuki and me. Those are¡­ a one-way teleportation magic circle¡­! The moment I wanted to stop August''s magic circle from sending him away¡ª it was already too late. A brilliant white flash made me unable to open my eyes. And when I opened them after the flash¡ª everyone had already disappeared, including August next to me. ¡­I bet the receiver magic circle for this teleportation magic isn''t too far away. But, even if it is, there''s no way she had enough mana to send that many people that far away in one go. If she''s sending them to a dangerous place, I''m sure they could handle it if there are no magic restrictions and electromagnetic pulses. "¡­You aren''t going to ask where I''ve sent them?" The woman asked. It seems she''s curious that I didn''t particularly react much towards her sudden actions. "I''m sure they could deal with it on their own," I replied. "Eh¡­¡­" I couldn''t tell her intentions by that murmur¡­ It felt like she was testing me, or annoyed¡­? "¡­Huff¡ª" Suddenly, Kuroyuki lost the strength to stand. She slipped from the woman''s guard and fell from the wall with her head facing down. "Kuroyuki¡­!" I immediately ran and cladded myself in ''Soft-Defensive Cladding''. "N? Ah¡ª!" The woman tried to catch her, but she didn''t make it. It''s dangerous when she''s falling with her head down¡­ I must make it¡­! Without putting an ounce of concern towards my speed, I caught Kuroyuki while ramming my body on the metal wall. "Gah¡ª!?" Even though most of the damage was dispersed by the ''Soft-Defensive Cladding'' during the heavy slam¡ª but I didn''t end up unscathed. I felt like I was going to puke, but I endured it. Kuroyuki was in my hands. Thank goodness¡­! Suddenly, I completely lost my vision. No, it''s not my vision¡ª the entire basement became pitch black. "W-Wha¡ª!?" I was completely surprised by it. ¡­Crap. Persia''s light is completely gone now. That woman jumped down from the wall, circling us. ¡­Not good. It seems she could see where we are. I carefully placed Kuroyuki near the wall so she could lean on it. "¡­Lu¡­¡­" I wondered why, Kuroyuki tried to reach out her weak hand to search for me. It seems she couldn''t use ''Presence Sensing'' anymore. "¡­I''m here." I took her hand while grabbing it firmly to tell her that I was here. "¡­ I''m¡­ sorry." She told me with her seeming weak voice. ¡­She''s no longer in any condition to fight anymore. "¡­Don''t say that," I replied while squeezing her hand for one last time. "Please, just take your rest." To be honest, I have been ignoring that woman for quite a while now. She''s checking on us carefully, but she''s still not attacking. It was true that I couldn''t see where she was, but I could sense her thanks to ''Presence Sensing''. I also sensed where the scabbard is. I just need to continue acting blind while getting the scabbard. "Fufufufu~" The woman chuckled. "Hmm¡­ what should I do with you, then~? You can''t see me now~" Chapter 95 - 4.28 "What do you want, Black Sword¡­!?" I yelled. "My name is Night Fury." When she replied, her tone became serious. Did she really care about her name this much¡­? "Then what do you want, Night Fury¡­?" When I asked again¡ª Night Fury came closer to me. She was so close enough that her mouth was just right next to my left ear¡ª but I had to pretend that I couldn''t see her. "That should be my question, my dear master~ Had thou not come here in seek for power?" "Mrk¡­!?" As she whispered to my ear, I immediately backed away while swinging my scabbard at her¡ª which she dodged by backing away. "Yet¡­ you don''t seem like you want power." She said to me. "What if I am¡­ and what if I''m not¡­?!" I said. Hearing that, Night Fury lifted her blade to point at my face, right in front of my eyes. But, because her blade is longer than the scabbard in my hand¡ª I can''t reach her with this distance, while she could reach me in only a step. "If you''re not, then I will kill both of you¡ª right here, right now." She murmured. Even if I knew that sword was so close¡ª I gave no response to it. It seems she was convinced that I couldn''t see, and lowered her sword. "And if you are¡­" She continued as she walked closer to me once again. "¡­Then take my blade and kill her." I really wanted to stab her with the scabbard and end this farce, but there''s no guarantee that we would be able to make it out from this basement. What''s more, I had this unease that she''s not just good with a sword. Even if I did react to stab her with the scabbard, she could probably defend herself and kill us b?r?handed. If she is really a sword spirit of the Black Sword¡­ then her real body must be the Black Sword itself¡ª so even if I stab her current silhouette body, it will be futile. While I thought of the possibility to destroy her real body, the Black Sword¡ª I found it to be impossible. The Black Sword withstood who knows how many years of weight and pressure that are 200 times the normal gravity¡­ And in worst case, this spirit is ingenious, too. Out of seven of us, she noticed that Kuroyuki was the easiest to deal with due to her bad condition. That''s why she held her hostage to stop the rest of us. ¡­This is unlike anything I''ve faced before. So I need to be careful. My main priority¡­ is to ensure Kuroyuki''s safety. "¡­After killing her and obtaining power¡­¡­" I murmured. "M¡­?" She seems to be dumbfounded. "I beg your pardon¡­?" "I said¡ª what if I killed her and obtained power?" "Y-You could become strong¡­!" She said to me, with her hand placed at her ?h?st. "Look, I''m a really powerful sword¡­!" ¡­Why is she pointing at her silhouette body and not the blade¡­¡­? "What are you expecting me to reply¡­!? I can see you!? It''s pitch-black here¡­! And there''s no guarantee that I would be able to escape from here!" "Please rest ?ssured, my dear master. I could remove this barrier whenever I want." "Do you really think I would trust a person like you¡ª who told me to kill so easily¡­!?" "Ufufu~" She chuckled. "My dear master¡­ can you really do so¡­?" "¡­!" Just the moment I got the upper hand¡ª she took control of the flow of conversation again...! If she had eyes¡­ then it''s probably malicious. If she had a smile¡­ then it''s probably evil. "Stop calling me master," I uttered. "It''s not like you would listen to me." For some reason, she circled behind me, and seemed to be taking some quick glances at Kuroyuki. "I would¡­ if you asked kindly." She whispered. I can''t help but admit¡ª she''s right. She really released Kuroyuki when I asked her to. But¡­ this is a bait too¡ª to test whether I''m reluctant to her words. Suddenly, Night Fury hugs me from behind. "Even this body¡­ could be yours." She said to me. "Ungh¡­!?" But suddenly, my heart felt a terrible sting that''s enough to make me feel numb. I quickly escaped from her embrace and kept a distance¡ª pointing my blade at her. ¡°Hah¡ª hah¡ª hah¡ª hah¡ª¡± I was gasping. What''s was that¡­!? Why did my heart¡ª feel so painful¡­!? "My~ You could see really well in this darkness~ How heartless of you to lie to me¡­ my dear master~" ¡­It was another bait¡­!? "Hahaha¡­ You got me¡­" ¡­Crap. I had no choice but to admit it for now. "Don''t you think it''s time to be honest with me~?" "¡­!" She knew all along¡­!? I''ve lost in this conversation for good. Time to get real. "I will ask you again¡ª what on earth do you want, Night Fury!?" I said. "I want you to be my master~ That''s all~" "¡­and the killing!?" "Because the price to obtain me¡­ is to take one''s life with my blade." "¡­Why must you choose her?" "She''s dying, isn''t she? I will make full use of her life by not letting it go to waste." "What nonsense are you talking about¡­" "Didn''t you realize? She''s unconscious now." "KUROYUKI¡­!" I screamed. But there''s not the slightest response. "N-No¡­!" I quickly ran past Night Fury and reached Kuroyuki, checking on her. "ARGHH¡­!?" Her skin¡ª it''s cold-burning my fingers¡­! Her hypothermia is getting worse. No, this isn''t even hypothermia anymore¡­! My fingers are numb. It''s impossible to check for her pulse at this rate¡­! I quickly placed my left fingers over her sleeve to check her pulse. ¡­It was¡ª weak. "My¡­ my¡­ Don''t be sad¡­ my dear master¡­" When I noticed, Night Fury had already picked up her blade. "¡­I''ll end her life swiftly." She uttered. THUNK! Before her sword reached Kuroyuki¡ª I managed to stop it by blocking with my scabbard. But what''s with this strength¡­!? She''s just as strong as that bastard¡­! "YAHH¡­!" I mustered my strength and pushed Night Fury away. CLANK¡­! Before Night Fury could recover her posture and attack again¡ª I carried Kuroyuki and head towards the last unattended stone pillar. "Ah¡­ Even at a time like this¡­ You are still protecting her¡­?" Night Fury sounds disappointed when she says that. And somehow, she looked at her blade for some reason. "Because I''m sure if this happens to me¡­ she would do the same for me as well," I replied. I carefully let Kuroyuki''s lifeless body lean on the stone pillar. "Even¡­ if you die¡­?" "Nonsense." I retorted. "We aren''t going to die today¡­!" "Then¡­ I will be the one to destroy your hopes." While spouting those words, Night Fury immediately closed our distance with a quick step. She then did a backhanded swing with her blade. I quickly cladded the scabbard with ''Hard-Defensive Cladding'' to stop her blade. THUNK! Even though her blade bounced off, yet I could feel some feedback from that powerful slash. It seems she intended to push me away from Kuroyuki. WHACK! "Ow¡­!?" I ?r??n?d. She immediately followed up with a left elbow to the jaw. Luckily it only grazed my chin¡­! I wasn''t told that sword spirits knew how to do martial arts¡­! Taste this front kick! "Ufufu~" She read ahead of me and did a sidestep to the right to dodge it when I threw a front kick. WHACK! Her left elbow continued to a backhanded punch¡­!? She let go of her sword¡­ BAM! "Geh!?" ¡­and threw a powerful right-hook on my face. It was enough to make me unconscious in one hit¡ª if I wasn''t cladded with ''Hard-Defensive Cladding''. The surprising thing is¡ª Night Fury noticed. "Mrk¡­!?" She then pushed my front leg by extending her right foot to break my posture. And when I was falling on my back¡ª BAM! "ARGHHHHHHH!!?" ¡ªshe slammed her knee directly to my spine. It was painful, but I endured and turned to grab her waist¡ª trying to push her down. "Not a chance~" "Wah!?" Crap¡ª she saw through my intentions¡­! She then grabs onto my belt and spins my body so that my head is facing downwards. "There~" WHAM! "Gaah¡ª!?" Which, she slammed my back to the ground. I''m near to seven-hundred kilograms, yet she threw me so quickly like this¡­!? Chapter 96 - 4.29 It''s your turn! While lying on the ground, I quickly reach my hands for her ankles, grabbing them. "Mmph¡­!" "Wah~" I knew it wouldn''t do any damage to her¡ª so I threw her for as far as I could from Kuroyuki. "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" ¡­I''m panting. It was tiring to deal with her. Thankfully I managed to guard it by switching from ''Presence Sensing'' to ''Hard-Defensive Cladding''. Or else I would''ve been finished by those seeming-to-never-end combos¡­ But thanks to those combos, Night Fury dropped her blade. I hurriedly took it and gripped it firmly so that she wouldn''t have the chance to get her sword anymore. "My master sure is a stubborn person~" She told me. "Aren''t you the same¡­" "Because I am your servant~" She told me as if it was the most natural thing to do. Yes¡­ keep talking. Be chatty. I just need to stall you for as long as possible. If Persia and the others were teleported¡­ I believe they should be asking for help by now¡ª as long as there aren''t any more magic interference and electromagnetic pulse. But¡­ how do they get in¡­? This crazy sword spirit had her indestructible barrier in their way. ¡­Hold on. Didn''t she cast teleportation magic out of the two-second range¡­? This means¡­ the magic interference was lifted when she appeared. So if I draw a teleportation magic circle now¡­ there''s still a chance to send Kuroyuki to safety first. "You aren''t listening to me at all, aren''t you~?" "W-Wah!?" So close! "S-Stay away¡­!" I yelled while swinging my black sword. CLANG! When she dodged, my blade hits the ground. She won''t notice if I stand on that spot and throw seemingly random swings at her. "You could never hit me with those amateurish swings~ She laughed at me. CLANG! ¡­Good, it''s hitting just the spot I wanted. "I know, but I''ve got to try¡­!" I said. THUNK! "You missed me~" She teased. "Shut up¡­!" CLANK¡ª CLANK¡ª THUNK¡ª THUNK¡ª THUNK¡ª¡­ "Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª Hah¡ª" It''s getting harder to breathe. The damage on the lungs is spreading¡­ "Nice try~" Suddenly, Night Fury tapped my shoulder from behind. "Kuh¡­!" I immediately swing my blade at her. CLANK! Nice¡ª that was the last outer symbol¡­! Now¡­ the circles¡­! "Yah¡­!" "¡­What are you doing¡ª spinning around in circles like that¡­ You will get dizzy." I know¡­! That''s the only way to keep you busy and go unnoticed¡­! Ugh¡­ my head is spinning. How many spins was that¡ª ten¡­? No matter¡­ I manage to get the circles in their place¡­ and now the last spot under my feet¡­! CRACK! I stabbed my blade to carve the last symbol at the centre, completing the teleportation magic circle. Then I immediately charged at her just so I could distract her attention. That¡­ was the ugliest and simplest teleportation magic circle that I had ever constructed in my entire life. But no matter how ugly it is, I believe it will work. "My~ A frontal ?ssault~" She murmured. "Tch¡­!" I made a swing, trying to force her to retreat, yet¡ª "Playtime''s over~" ¡ªshe dodged by jumping over my slash and went past me. She''s aiming for Kuroyuki now¡­!? Suddenly, a golden light glowed from the magic circle that I carved¡ª lighting up the entire basement. "Mnn¡­!?" Seeing that, Night Fury instantly retreated away from it while keeping herself in a defensive posture. I can''t believe it¡­! That bastard¡ª he came here faster than I expected¡­! Eventually, a blinding golden light flashes up the entire basement. And just before the light faded away¡ª I saw that person, standing on that magic circle. "W-What happened!?" He murmured. "How come retrieving a sword would become such a big mess like this, brat!?" "WHO ARE YOU!?" Before Principal knew what was going on¡ª Night Fury charged straight at him with her hands reaching out. "Look out¡­!" I warned him. "Eek¡­!?" BAM! After Principal lets out a shriek¡ª Night Fury lands a punch on his face, sending him flying to the wall. I don''t understand¡­ why is it that he always takes the first hit¡­!? "¡­!" I suddenly could not feel Principal''s presence... he''s using ''Presence Erasing'' now. "A punch in the face!? What the heck is wrong with you, woman!?" Principal complained. "I''m already married, so stop being so passionate with me¡­!" "Who''s talking¡­!?" Night Fury uttered as she looked around, trying to find him. "¡­Behind you." Principal murmured. Just when Principal is going to grab Night Fury on her neck¡ª "I know~ How''s my acting~?" BAM! ¡ªNight Fury slammed her elbow on his rib cage. "Arghh¡­!?" With a face full of shock, Principal quickly retreated from her. Although part of this is his fault by exposing his position to her¡­ but it doesn''t seem that Night Fury couldn''t see where he is. "Oi¡ª are you alright!? Don''t just go and die on me when I was expecting you to save us¡­!" I said. "What''s with this woman¡ª that elbow almost destroyed my last defensive magic barrier layer¡­!" "That''s not important!" I uttered to him. "Kuroyuki had trouble with her recoil¡ª get her to safety first¡­!" I know I can''t do anything now, so I will leave it to him. Hearing that, Principal immediately shifted his gaze at Kuroyuki¡ª who was leaning at the unattended stone pillar. "WHAT!!? WHY DIDN''T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER¡­!?" Leaving those words behind¡ª Principal springs forward, straight to Kuroyuki in full throttle. "Do you really think I would let you~?" I wondered why, but Night Fury immediately stood in his way instead of aiming to kill Kuroyuki first. "STAY OUT OF MY WAY, WOMAN." "¡­!" Even though I immediately equipped myself with ''Fighting Spirit''¡­ his ''Intimidation'' is just so powerful that it''s suffocating me. "Oh my¡­ That was scary¡­" Yet Night Fury was unfazed by it at all¡ª or rather, she withstood it easily. Principal immediately cast a magic circle on his hand, pointing it at her. ¡°Compressum aerem pila!¡± He chanted. (Compressed air ball!) Several small air balls shoot out from his magic circle and stop right in front of Night Fury. "Nngh¡­!?" Then, it exploded together¡ª blasting her away. Principal carefully carried Kuroyuki in his hands and cast a teleportation magic circle beneath his feet. "Brat¡ª hold on for as long as possible!" With those words, he disappeared together with Kuroyuki after a golden flash. CRACK. Night Fury destroyed the teleportation magic circle that I drew when I came to. Crap¡­ that bastard can''t use that magic circle anymore¡­! Magic circles are very easy to be destroyed when drawn on physical objects. For example, by erasing one of the important symbols on it, the entire magic circle would become unusable. "Ah¡­ my master¡­ my dear master¡­¡­" Night Fury murmured to me. "¡­ What''s wrong¡­ Night Fury¡­?" I thought I could attempt to talk to her now since there''s no distraction or what-so-ever¡­ but¡­ ¡­Is Night Fury¡ª crying¡­? "Why¡­ Why have you¡­ forsaken me¡­?" "¡­!" Suddenly, I lost sensation of the black blade that I held in my right hand. The black blade on my hand¡ª disappeared¡­!? "You aren''t my master anymore¡­¡­" She told me. When I noticed, the blade was on Night Fury''s hand. "Calm down¡­ Night Fury¡­!" "I just wanted to be free¡­ why can''t you grant my wish¡­!?" With an irregular movement like a madwoman running towards me¡ª Night Fury swings her blade down. THUNK!!! I raised my hands and blocked it with my scabbard. "I have not forsaken you!" I yelled at her. "LIAR!!!" BAM!!! Night Fury followed with a left hook punch¡ª straight to the solar plexus. "Grk¡­!?" The damage is immense! I didn''t switch to ''Hard-Defensive Cladding'' fast enough¡­! I need to switch it back to ''Presence Sensing'' or else I can''t see the following attacks¡­! If only I had Nightmare''s ''Anticipation''¡­! "AHHH!!!" Night Fury screamed in agony. Another slash is coming from the left¡­!? THUNK!!! When I blocked it with my scabbard¡ª she threw a left hook punch, This pattern again!? ''Counter Cladding''! B¡ª BAM!!! While receiving Night Fury''s attack, I launched a front kick back to her with full force. "Mnngh¡­!?" Even though I was well aware that her punch was powerful... but I wasn''t expecting myself to kneel down from it afterwards. ¡­I have a concussion. My sense of balance was robbed entirely away from me. I was careless¡­! That left hook was a feint¡ª she switched it to an uppercut and smashed my chin¡­! "Why¡­ Why¡­¡­!?" Night Fury stood up while murmuring to herself. Then it''s as if¡­ she glared at me from a distance. It''s like she''s staring deep into my soul, like the gaze of death. Even though I''m suffering from concussion and not using the ''Presence Sensing''¡­ ¡­I shivered in fear. She''s the one who made me shiver in fear. ¡­The sound of her feet walking at the ground echoed in this pitch-black darkness. I want to move, yet¡ª I can''t. In my current state¡­ I''m utterly defenceless. I can''t believe I had the thought of beating some senses back into Night Fury. It was genuinely na?ve of me for that line of thinking to cross my mind. Of course, I''ve sent her flying and slamming to the wall, but at what cost!? ¡­Look at me. The damage I had accumulated from those attacks were catching on. That''s it. It''s impossible for me to overcome this situation¡­ Chapter 97 - 4.30 AND WHY SHOULD I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT!!? I AIN''T DYING HERE TODAY!!! I firmly gripped on the scabbard in my hand¡ª CLANG¡ª! ¡ªand stabbed it to the ground, letting it act as a support while I mustered my final ounce of strength to lift my exhausted body. "HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª HAH¡ª" It became even harder to breathe than it already was by standing. "Those who had forsaken me from my freedom¡­¡­ must pay with their lives¡­¡­." ¡­Night Fury''s murmuring is scary. In this darkness, where I can''t even see my own five fingers¡­ CLANK¡ª!!! What¡ª!? As if a metal rod hitting a bell, the sound echoed throughout the entire room as the ground shook. That was¡ª the pillar¡­!? She''s trying to smash the pillar open!? CLANK¡ª!!! She''s doing it again¡­! Even though the whole basement is shaking, yet it shows no sign of collapsing. So it seems she wasn''t able to smash it open. Crap¡­ I''m starting to lose consciousness¡­ Before she gets the last unattended pillar¡ª I need to hurry. CLANK¡ª!!! "Mrk¡­¡­!" Enduring the tremors, I continued onwards¡ª reaching the unattended stone pillar. "W¡­ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE¡­!!?" Night Fury yelled to me. "Hehehe¡­" Despite I was tired and exhausted¡­ I couldn''t help but to sneer at her question. "¡­ I''m just one step ahead of you¡­ that''s all." "I WILL JUST HAVE TO DO THIS MYSELF!!!" With an enraged outburst, Night Fury charged towards me. Somehow, she seems to regain her sanity as herself¡ª she''s not running like a madwoman anymore. Her sword is coming low from my left¡­ I need to be careful with the timing¡­! "DIE¡­!!!" She yelled. THUNK! Night Fury''s blade bounced off diagonally to the top right of my view when I blocked it with the scabbard. She then forcefully changed the trajectory of her sword by gripping it two-handed¡ª swinging it horizontally to her right. CLANK! It''s heavy¡­!? Why is there such a big difference between one-handed and two-handed!? "Guh¡­¡­!" I still forcefully pushed her sword''s trajectory upwards. BAM!!! ¡­and sends back twice the power with a downward vertical slash. The slash extends all the way that it slices the wall open. "Huff¡ª Huff¡ª!" Thankfully, I dodged with a sidestep to the right. If I had tried to block that¡ª I would definitely get cut¡­! Before she could raise her sword, I quickly reached out my left hand, pressing her right arm to stop her. Then I swing my scabbard for her head. WHACK! "¡­!?" Just moments before my scabbard could smash her head¡ª Night Fury lands a punch on my face with her left arm, causing me to slant over to the left. When I was aware of it, my scabbard had already missed my target. Both of us are now stuck in a stalemate¡ª a double lock. Even though I had the upper hand in terms of strength, but I''m not confident of beating her in terms of skills. "LET GO." Night Fury then uttered to me. "Do you really¡ª HUFF¡ª want me¡ª HUFF¡ª to die that badly¡­?" I asked as I panted. "YOU REJECTED ME BY LETTING THE GIRL GO. YOU''VE ROBBED ME OF MY FREEDOM. ONLY YOUR DEATH COULD PAY THE PRICE NOW." "If I died¡ª who will be your master!?" I yelled. "I would continue to wait." Night Fury told me. "Until my next master was born." "There''s more than one way¡ª HUFF¡ª than just to pay the price¡ª HUFF¡ª with one''s life, isn''t it!?" "NO ONE WOULD EVER CHOOSE THE SECOND OPTION!!!" Night Fury screamed at me. ¡­I knew it. There''s really a second option. "Tell me¡ª HUFF¡ª the second option¡­" "It''s impossible¡­ Your will to live is too strong." "Just say it¡­!" "Unlike the first option¡­ which is to take one''s life to obtain my power¡­ The second option is to accept my blade and take your own life¡­ to set me free." She murmured coldly. "¡­What will you do¡­ HUFF¡­ once you are free¡­?" I didn''t hesitate to ask. "I want to get out from this place. I don''t want to stay here anymore. I want to live¡­ a free life." It''s as if Night Fury was crying to me when she muttered those words. "¡­I can''t¡­ HUFF¡­ accept those terms¡­" "I knew you would say that¡ª I knew you would." "¡­Instead¡­ HUFF¡­ I will offer you a third option." I murmured to Night Fury. "Third option¡­?" "I will accept your blade¡­ HUFF¡­ and take my own life¡­" I said to her. "And I want you¡­ HUFF¡­ to use your power to those who needed it¡­ HUFF¡­ for the greater good¡­ After all¡­ HUFF¡­ I can''t let you go on killing whenever you feel like it¡­" "Why would you do this¡­?" Night Fury asked. "There''s nothing for you to gain¡­!" "¡­ I''m actually¡­ am at the brink of death¡­" I told Night Fury. "And the chances for me to live on¡­ is so low that I can''t even see it¡­" "Liar¡­! How could someone at the brink of death still fought so earnestly just to live¡­!?" "¡­I don''t want to die¡­ a pointless death¡­.! My life isn''t so cheap¡­!" I uttered. "If taking my life could let someone¡­ as powerful as you to help the world¡­ then it''s all worth it¡­!" I immediately released Night Fury while letting go of my scabbard. "¡­Do it," I told Night Fury. I welcomed her with open arms. Yet, Night Fury immediately took a step back¡ª seeming bewildered by my actions. "Are you a fool¡­!? Why¡­ for someone like me¡­" She muttered to herself. "DO IT," I uttered once more. "How would you be sure that I would listen to what you say¡­!?" Night Fury screamed at me. "How would you know I wouldn''t misuse my powers¡­!?" "JUST KILL ME ALREADY, WOMAN!!!" I mustered my strength yelled. "I¡­" Night Fury, with her blade pointing at me, ran forward. "I thank you for your kindness¡ª master¡­!" "¡­Kuh¡­¡­!" The tip of her cold blade tore through my abdomen''s skin and pierced my insides¡­ where a sharp pain followed afterwards. However, it''s not as painful as I thought it was. No pain surpasses the effect of the Twenty Seals. Night Fury then gently hugs onto my body¡­ "¡­I promise you¡­ master¡­" She said to me. "¡­For this freedom that you''ve granted me¡­!" ¡­then pushes her blade further in. Chapter 98 - 4.31 ¡°H-Hey¡­! Respond if you can hear me¡­!¡± I hear a voice¡ª the voice of a young man. The numbing pain right under my nose made me open my eyes from the discomfort. It seems he applied pressure on my radical longitudinal crease with his thumb to wake me up. ¡°W-Wha¡­?¡± I murmured in confusion. This voice¡­ I turn back to a boy¡­? What happened¡­? Where am I? Is this a forest? Who is this person? ¡­and, is that a baby golden nine-tailed fox on my ??p¡­? When I knew it, I¡¯ve already let myself to a sitting position. The person that talked to me had black hair; he wore an all-black hiking outfit. But for some reason¡ª I can¡¯t seem to see his face. ¡°Geez, you make me worry so much, blockhead.¡± He naturally lands a chop on my head by saying those words to me. ¡°Owie!? It hurts!¡± I complained to him. ¡°Are you seriously comparing my chop and that forest wyvern¡¯s bite?¡± He said to me while tilting his head, seeming annoyed. Feeling dumbfounded at his statement, I then looked around. A forest wyvern that is at least three times larger than him was right in front of my eyes, but it was already dead and beheaded. Then, I shifted my gaze at my body. It was an unfamiliar black T-shirt and long jean pants, where my shirt was tainted in dried blood, with holes going perfectly diagonal from my right shoulder to my left waist. Clearly, it was a bite mark. Yet, I don¡¯t have any visible injuries. So, did he patch me up with his healing magic? ¡°Uuuuu¡­¡­!¡± When I felt relieved, tears gradually built up. That person then grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me closer, letting me lean on his ?h?st. ¡­It¡¯s dad¡ª this person is my father¡­! ¡°B-But¡ª I was just trying to save this guy¡­!¡± I said to him. The baby golden nine-tailed fox. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certainly great that you were trying to save him¡­ And if I was a little late, you would¡¯ve died¡ª what you did was just reckless and irresponsible.¡± He scolded. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Can you really afford to apologize to me when you are dead?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I remained silent and despondent because I didn¡¯t know what should I tell him. He then heaved a sigh and patted my head. ¡°¡­and what if I¡¯m not stronger and smarter enough¡­?¡± ¡°You give up!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna¡­!¡± ¡°Sheesh, how troublesome.¡± He seemed vexed when he uttered those words. ¡°But¡­ if you really don¡¯t want to give up¡­ then don¡¯t hesitate to ask for help. Ask those around you with sincerity.¡± ¡°¡­Like dad?¡± ¡°¡­What if I¡¯m not around?¡± He told me. ¡°It could be anybody.¡± ¡°¡­Mom?¡± ¡°Then, what if there¡¯s no one for you to rely on¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Son¡­!¡± Suddenly, a woman with a navy blue long sleeve hiking shirt and black hiking trousers ran to us. A golden nine-tailed fox four times her size and a black-haired little girl followed behind. Then again, I can¡¯t see their faces. Not even the little girl following behind her. ¡°¡­?¡± I was confused when that woman suddenly hugged me with all her might. ¡­Mom¡­¡­? ¡°Thank goodness you are alright¡­¡­¡± She said to me. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wander off on your own, okay!?¡± ¡°Mnn¡­ I¡¯m very sorry¡­¡± ¡°Do you still feel uncomfortable? Do you need mama to heal you?¡± She panicked as she bombarded me with questions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey,¡± Dad said to mom. ¡°I¡¯ve healed every crook and nanny. Our son won¡¯t die that easily.¡± ¡°Urk¡ª!?¡± When I came to, someone stabbed a black greatsword through my ?h?st¡­ ¡­and that person¡­ was dad. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± I opened my eyes from the pain and shock. I touched my ?h?st to feel that weird sensation that was lingering on me¡­ but something else was stinging in pain. It was the broken ribs at my ?h?st. ¡­it was a dream? When I looked around¡­ I realized I was at the infirmary of Imperial Knights Academy, even though it looked like a hospital room. I was even wearing a patient gown, too. When I saw Kuroyuki sleeping right next to me on the chair, I was shocked. Why am I wounded?! What happened to the black sword¡­!? Why am I here at the infirmary¡­!? I also can¡¯t find my device anywhere¡­ ¡°Grk¡­!?¡± My head throbbed with pain. Nightwalker¡¯s memories are flowing into my head. ¡­I came to understand the entire situation on how I ended up here. Nightwalker gave up his life for the Black Sword¡¯s spirit, Night Fury. Yet, why am I still alive¡­? Didn¡¯t I die when Night Fury stabbed me¡­? Thank goodness Kuroyuki is okay¡­ Is she here because she¡¯s worried about me¡­? What about the others¡­!? ¡°Ow¡ª!?¡± When I tried to get up from my bed¡ª my body was aching all over, especially my abdomen. I immediately pulled up my patient gown, checking for the wound in my abdomen. The wound was stitched, but blood is still oozing out from it. My bandage was dyed entirely in red. ¡­¡¯Rejuvenation Cladding¡¯. ¡°Hmph, you finally woke up.¡± Hearing that familiar voice, I quickly raised my head and covered my body with the patient gown. ...It was Principal. He looks irritated; it might be because of what happened. ¡°¡­I have nothing to explain,¡± I told him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡± Principal uttered to me. He then pulled out the Black Sword from his magical storage and placed it on the table in front of me. Looks like Night Fury explained everything to him. ¡°¡­then why is Night Fury still here?¡± I asked. ¡°Before that, aren¡¯t you curious why are you still alive?¡± He glared at me with cold eyes. ¡°¡­Okay¡­ why, then?¡± I asked.. ¡°I thought Nightwalker¡¯s heart immediately stopped when that sword went through me.¡±