Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”-

Chapter 6.23

In one of the school rooms where the investigation headquarters was located, the people who were in charge of this operation were gathering together and examining the information that had been delivered from various places.

In the center of the room, there was a magic formation several meters in diameter, emitting a faint light and repeatedly blinking in a regular pattern.

In the center of the magic formation was a platform that could hold up to a hundred pounds on which sat a Curbstone. It was where reports from various places were being delivered at any time.

By the side of the Curbstone, Tima held up her hand to release magic power into the surroundings, and Sh?na bound the spirits that had gathered around the magic power released by the girl in front of her.

A magic formation to stabilize the Curbstone was drawn all over the floor of the platform, and Tom and Inda were working hard to maintain the magic formula. Near them were Jihad and Mauzu, who were looking at a map spread out on a desk.

There were various colored pieces placed on the map, and their positions were changing by the minute as reports came in from various places.

"Jihad-dono, about the scout who was with the suspect..."

"We mustn't be careless, that's why we've chosen our own experts. I didn't think there would be any problems...."

The captain of the guard, Mauzu, nodded approvingly at Jihad's explanation.

With Camilla temporarily out of her reconnaissance mission, Jihad had one of the two trackers following her and Ken to guard and monitor Camilla, and the remaining tracker to continue monitoring Ken again.

"Headquarters to Starlight, what's your status?"

Jihad called out to the Curbstone, and a low, muffled voice came back with a faint glow.

"The target has parted ways with the scout and has entered the back alleys of the residential district. There is no sign of anyone around."

Jihad nodded in satisfaction at the confident reply from the tracker.

Jihad looked at the map on his desk and continued to move the pieces on the map based on the information he was receiving from the tracker who was following Ken.

"I see. Is everything fine on Camilla-kun's side?"

"Yes, my partner will be by my side in case I need him."

"Good, keep on the trail."

"Understood."

After a simple reply, there was a sound of a rope snapping, and the glow of the Curbstone subsided slightly. Perhaps they were back in pursuit of Ken.

"Inda-dono, what about the rest of the military police officers?

"They're waiting near the border of the administrative and commercial districts. The A and B teams of the residential district are waiting near the target, while the C and D teams are waiting behind them."

She answered Jihad's question succinctly and clearly, but there was no disturbance on the magical light leaking from her hand or the magic formation on the floor.

On the other hand, Tom, who was also controlling the magic formation, looked serious and his expression was a little stiff. He was probably too busy controlling the magic formation and couldn't afford to worry about anything else.

"That's impressive, Inda-dono."

Not only Tom, but even the guard captain, Mauzu, had been impressed at the sight of this talented woman who was able to support Jihad while assisting Sh?na and the others, the key persons in this operation.

But even as everyone around them was in a state of shock, Jihad and Inda were calmly and accurately watching the changes in the situation.

The distance between the red piece, indicating Ken, and the blue pieces, indicating the military police officers, was gradually narrowing. At the same time, the blue pieces standing by in the back were steadily blocking Ken's way of retreat one by one.

Facing the encircling net that was steadily being built, Jihad listened to the reports coming from the Curbstone without moving an eyebrow.

"Headquarters, we've detected a magic reaction from the target. At the same time, water is beginning to cover the target."

The slightly slurred voice of the tracker who had been watching Ken could be heard from the Curbstone.

At the same time, a sense of tension built up. From the words "magic reaction" and "water", it was almost certain that Ken had started using the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask]. This almost confirmed that he was the holder of this ability.

"Okay, this is where it begins. Each of you, pay close attention to the reaction of the magic stones, keep in close contact, and continue to monitor the target."

"Team A, copy that."

"Team B, copy that."

"Team C and D, copy that."

Response of affirmation came in from various places surrounding Ken.

This is where it began. As long as they couldn't rely on the shape of the target due to the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask], the future depended on the magic stones in their hands and their ability to detect magic power.

They will continue to monitor Ken's movements while blocking his escape route after he activated the [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask], and if he tried to make a move, they will immediately move to secure him.

When the time came to make a move, two of the four teams stationed in the residential area will be assigned to secure the suspect, while the other two will cut off his path of retreat.

In addition, half of the personnel in the northern and southern sections have been stationed near the border of the residential area. If push comes to shove, they would also work to secure Ken and cut off his escape route.

"In some cases, we will immediately move to secure the target. When that happens, Team A and Team B will make contact with the target first, and Team C and Team D will block his escape route. And once you make contact with the target……"

If Ken acted suspiciously, Jihad intended to tell them to immediately take "appropriate action". Otherwise, they wouldn't have built such a thick siege against a single person.

Just as he was about to convey this order to them through the Curbstone, the light from the curb, which had been shining faintly above the magic formation, suddenly began to blink repeatedly and irregularly.

"What !? This is!"

Subsequently, Tima and the others widened their eyes at the Curbstone, which then began to emit purple light with a buzzing and unpleasant sound.

"Is it get out of control? ... But why !?"

Inda, who was the first to notice the sudden change in the situation, tried to control the magic power somehow, but the momentum of the magic light overflowing from the Curbstone showed no signs of slowing down.

"What's going on?!"

"I don't know! Suddenly the Curbstone is ..."

Jihad raised his voice, but the gushing magic power raged like a flame on a dead leaf.

"This is bad! Everyone, get down!"

At the next moment, a flash of white light filled the room. A roar and a shock wave overtook the headquarters room.

===================================

A corner of the residential area. In a quiet corner of the city, in a part of the shadow of a house lit by the setting sun moved in a creeping motion. There was a plain-clothed citizen speaking while muffled any signs of his presence.

"Headquarters, the suspect has changed into a middle-aged man in his forties and is moving northeast."

One of the trackers who had been following Ken was attempting to communicate with the headquarters with a magic stone in his hand.

He left Camilla, who had been doing internal reconnaissance, to his partner and concentrated on tracking down the suspect.

"Headquarters, what's wrong?"

The tracker had been following Ken, the suspect, informed the headquarters of his situation. But when he realized that there was no response, he tried to communicate with the headquarters again and again, but there was still no response from the headquarters.

The stone glowed red after he applied magic to it, so there was nothing wrong with the stone itself.

(Was there any trouble?)

A question that made him uneasy flashed through his mind. While staring at the magic stone, which was no longer useful for communication, the tracker calmly made his decision.

In front of him, Ken, who had transformed into a middle-aged man, was walking in a hurry. Ken was probably planning to repeat the transformation over and over again as he walked through the city to fool the eyes of the witnesses.

"I'll have to keep an eye on him..."

The tracker couldn't underestimate the ability of the suspect, even though he was a student.

The suspect in front of him was undeniably inexperienced, but his abilities alone were A-rank. He never knew what the suspect might do to find out that he was being pursued. If the suspect were to run away and he lose sight of him, not only would the whole operation be in vain, but it could also cast a shadow on the future security of the city.

"Fortunately, the siege should be almost complete. If push comes to shove, we may use our on-site judgment to secure the target..."

The tracker tried to complete his mission even though he had lost communication with the headquarters. He moved noiselessly out of the shadows of the building into the street and resumed his pursuit, trying not to be noticed as he caught sight of the suspect walking about 20 meters away.

Eventually, Ken turned down the street and disappeared behind a house.

The tracker moved cautiously and quickly, checking for signs of his surroundings, including the suspect.

After confirming that there was no sign of anyone else in the vicinity, he moved to the corner of the house where Ken had just disappeared and peered in to see if he could see the suspect.

However, the next moment, he felt a shock run on his nape.

"W-what the..."

Strength drained from his legs as his vision blurred.

He didn't understand the reason. There was no sign of anyone around him except for the suspect, which was Ken, and he was still far away from him.

His body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with broken strings.

His consciousness grew distant. In the dim sunset, his blurred vision reflected a shadow over him.

The shadow completely covered his entire body with a cloak, making it impossible to distinguish his face or even his physique. The only thing the tracker could tell was that the shadow was in the shape of a person.

The shadow took a glance at the immobile tracker, pulled out a shiny bag from its pocket, and scattered its contents in the air.

Inside the bag was a glittering powder. While being blinded by the glittering light in the twilight sky, the tracker's vision, which had been on the verge of disappearing, was enveloped in total darkness.

===================================

The military police officers, who had been stationed in the residential district and had set up a siege network around Ken, were surprised by the sudden cut-off of the communication network, but they managed to keep calm.

Hiding behind a house, the military police officers faced each other. Because of their covert operations, they have dressed in clothes that at first glance made them look like adventurers, and their faces were stained with dirt and dust to some extent.

"Any communication from headquarters?"

"No, there's no response..."

No matter how many times they tried to communicate, no response came back from the glowing red magic stone. After a few moments of silence, the leader of Team A, united the military police officers stationed in the residential area, looked around at everyone with a look of determination on his face.

"...... We have no choice. In the worst-case scenario, we'll secure the suspect on our own."

At the leader's words, the others in that place nodded their heads.

It was impossible for them to organize a large-scale operation, but if it was only the troops who were stationed in the residential area, they might still be able to cooperate with each other.

"Fortunately, we have secured the perimeter around the suspect, so Team C and D will maintain the perimeter. Team A and B will enter the perimeter and made a contact with the target while paying attention to changes in the magic stones. After that, we'll secure the suspect."

"Understood. I'll send out a message to teams B, C and D."

The messenger started moving immediately and ran to the location of the other teams, which was known just before the communication was cut off.

"Let's go."

The leader took out the magic stone while telling his team members so. At that moment, the leader's eyes widened. The stone he took out from his pocket was already glowing a faint red light. It was the same for the rest of them. It indicated that someone who used magic was already nearby.

"Each of you, the target is nearby! Pay attention to the magic stones and search for him!"

At the leader's command, the team members scattered around immediately, searching for Ken with the magic stones in their hands.

Strangely enough, the stone continued to glow red even when the team members were far away.

"W-what does this mean?"

"I'm still getting reactions here too! We couldn't tell where he is!"

The voices of the bewildered officers could be heard around them.

"Calm down! Maybe it's just happening in this area only! Anyway, we're going to the place where the suspect was just before we lost communication. Maybe this anomaly will be back to normal by then."

With the quick decision of the leader, the members of the team, who had been in a state of turmoil, immediately regained their composure and hurried to the place where they thought Ken had been.

However, when they arrived at the place, Ken, the suspect, was not there, and the magic stone was still glowing red.

The phenomenon of the glowing stones was not limited to Team A and B, but somehow spread to Team C and D, who had formed a perimeter around the area, and they completely lost sight of the suspect.

===================================

It was not only the teams in the residential area that were affected by the cut-off of the communication network but also the teams in the administrative and commercial districts that had been assigned to the rear.

One of the teams in the commercial district was Mars and Mimuru, both looking at the magic stone in their hands with a difficult expression on their faces.

"What are we going to do? This magic stone doesn't seem to work anymore, does it?

Mimuru held up the magic stone in her hand and shook it.

"I wonder if I hit it... will that fix it?"

"I'm sure if the magic stone got hit by your stupidity, it would only fatally break it instead of fixing it.

"Well that's true... -eh. Oi, bastard, what do you mean by that"

Mars glared at Mimuru as if to protest what she was saying. But Mimuru, on the other hand, was focused on peering at the stone, flicking it with her fingers, and screamed out, "Ahhhhh!". Mars's protesting gaze was completely ignored.

"Yup, there's still no response. It seems this magic stone only responds to magic power, but ..."

Despite Mars letting out a sigh after being ignored, Mimuru sent magic power into the magic stone, the stone began to glow with a faint red light.

It seemed that there was no problem with the magic stone itself, but the fact that there was no communication had not changed.

Mars and Mimuru, who lacked knowledge of this kind of thing, were feeling helpless and couldn't do anything about it., and the two of them dropped their shoulders in unison.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who can't communicate..."

Mimuru glanced sideways. She saw a military police officer desperately trying to communicate with the headquarters.

However, no matter how much magic power he put into it, the magic stone only glowed red and did not return any response.

Eventually, the military police officer gave up as no response came back to him.

"What are we going to do?"

"As long as the communication does not recover, we will have to stay here and wait for the messenger. Fortunately, we knew the suspect was in the residential area until the communication was cut off."

Apparently, the military police officers will maintain the situation for a while, while gathered at the border of the residential and commercial districts.

"What about Irisdina and Feo who are in the administrative district?"

"Who knows. I don't know what's going on anymore. If the communication with the headquarters is still alive, we will probably follow the instructions, and if there are no orders, we will maintain the current situation..."

In fact, the teams in the administrative district, where Irisdina and the others were participating, as well as the craftsmen's district to the east, were maintaining the current situation for the time being while waiting for further instructions from the messenger.

However, since the communication network was cut-off, there was no immediate information coming in. Therefore, Mars and the others stood by and waited for the messenger to arrive.

They leaned their backs against the walls of the surrounding houses and relaxed their bodies. As they looked out into the street, they caught glimpses of passersby on the main street.

The commercial district was changing its atmosphere from daytime to nighttime. The clamor of the crowd reached the ears of Mars and the others, who were far away from the main street.

"Step aside! I'm in a hurry!"

"O~i, what store are we going to today~?"

"On?san. Why don't you have some fun with us tonight?"

Merchants running around the town even when the sun was going down, workers trying to regain their energy for tomorrow after a day's work, and women trying to attract customers as the business season was about to begin.

People can be seen through the gaps between the houses. They were dressed in all kinds of clothes, symbolizing the chaotic commercial area.

"Oya, what are you guys doing in such a place?"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Mars and the others heard a hoarse voice. When they turned their heads to see who it was, they saw an old man in robes standing there. When Mars noticed the old man, Zonne, he frowned, remembering the terrible nature of the old man in front of him.

"What are you doing here, pervy old man? The brothel is that way."

"Well, too bad ...... It's not the time to hang out with Satella today! Wait, that's not what I wanted to say! Such a rude guy, you didn't even greet me..."

Although the old man was angry, he was still joking at Mars' words, and as usual, the old man had an interesting personality.

Mars was a little surprised by the sudden appearance of Zonne, but he was already beginning to feel annoyed in front of such an old man.

"So, what brings you here, Oldman?"

"Hmm? I live around here, you know. More importantly, you're with a very beautiful kitten. Her skin is full of life and radiance. The fur on her tail is just perfect."

Then, as usual, Zonne began to tease Mimuru, the only female in the group. He gave Mimuru's tail and thighs a not-so-pleasant glance and praised her.

The military police officers in plain clothes around her were also taken aback by the words that came out of his mouth as if he was breathing.

Certainly, Mimuru's limbs, which were good at agile movements, had the vitality and supple muscles of a beastmen, but at the same time, they had the softness of a woman.

It was usually hidden behind her energetic ehavior and was not very noticeable, but her facial features were quite beautiful and comparable to Sh?na's.

"Young lady. Will you let me sing my love poem to you under the moon?!"

While putting his hand on his chest, Zonne gave Mimuru a confession of love like an actor in a stage play. However, his gesture was so unnerving that both Mars and the military police officers were taken aback.

"Sorry, it's not my thing."

"Fuo!"

And of course, Mimuru was annoyed by Zonne's confession and rejected him. It was a splendid "refusal" that was just like a slap in the face.

"I already have Tom anyway. Tom is amazing. He's a great student, even though he's the same age as me, he's Torgrain-sensei's assistant..."

Before Zonne can recover from Mimuru's "rejection", Mimuru declares that she is someone else's lover. What happened after that was a torrent of praise for her lover.

"Always care about me, and if I get a little injured during training he will take care of me..."

With a blush on her cheeks, Mimuru continued her speech with a lusty expression.

The way she looked up at the sky with her tail twitching and her eyes looking upward was the very way she thought of her beloved. Seen from the other side... she was also annoying to look at.

"... Somehow, her strange switch was turned on."

Mimuru's unstoppable love for Tom did not cease even after a few minutes, rather, it continued to gain momentum.

Some people tried to stop her by interrupting her, but no matter how much they talked to her, Mimuru's love calls would not stop.

"Shina didn't want to eat my homemade food and threw harsh words at me, but Tom still ate my homemade food with a smile on his face..."

"No, I think it's just that his face was so stiff and he simply couldn't refuse......"

Somehow, disturbing misunderstandings began to mix in the air. No one would want to eat that taste-destroying food that could kill them if they were unlucky. Considering Tom's personality, it was hard to believe that he would be able to push back against Mimuru's strong words.

"Uum, once again my sincere love is ......"

"What part of your earlier confession was sincere?"

While the surrounding military police officers were watching the situation unfold, Zonne, who had once again confessed his love, raised his sorrowful voice.

But, as expected of a "self-proclaimed" poet in love. His heart seemed to be made of steel.

Then, as if a bolt of lightning struck him, he looked up and began to howl into the sky with bloodshot eyes.

"As I thought, there is no one else. I would rather marry that beautiful dark-haired girl! Hey, kid! Where is my black-haired girl?"

The black-haired girl...... Mars guessed that it probably meant Irisdina.

"... Who knows. I mean, there's no way Irisdina would care about a pervy geezer like you. As far as I know, you've always been rejected."

Mars's reply to Zonne who was excitedly asking him was harsh.

The old man's tension had suddenly reached its peak, and the wildcat girl had already begun to run wild. Perhaps fed up with this situation, Mars' reply was rather blunt.

However, it was already a well-known fact that Zonne was not being taken seriously by Irisdina at all. He tried to touch her skin by fortune-telling, and he tried to lay his hands on her precious sister. To be honest, there was nothing that would make women attracted to him.

Perhaps he remembered that he had been treated so badly, Zonne, who was breathing roughly, finally kept his mouth shut.

"…………"

"…………"

Mars and Zonne stare at each other in silence. Their expressions were strangely sour as if they were both biting down on a bitter worm.

A moment of silence passed between them, but in the next moment, Zonne suddenly began to lament while holding his head in a fragile manner.

"... Damn it~! That little boy again!"

"I knew you'd react that way, .......

When Zonne was told that he was not being taken seriously, the first thing that popped into his head was probably the person Irisdina cared about the most.

Mars could also see the face of his best friend smiling at him.

"Uuu, I'm lonely and my heart is full of scars. Is there anyone who can heal my heart?"

Mars couldn't help but smiled when he imagined Nozomu's face with a carefree smile on it. In the meantime, Zonne, who had completely sunk to the bottom disappointment, was gazing into the void with a blank expression on his face.

"Yes, at a time like this, I should go for the dark-haired girl's little sister......."

What Mars heard was something that gave him an unpleasant feeling.

The dark-haired girl's little sister. Mars knew only one person.

"... O~i. I found a suspicious person."

"Wha?"

Mars silently put his hands around Zonne's neck and restrained him. Naturally, Zonne was stunned when he was suddenly restrained.

"W-what are you talking about! Why do you think of me as a suspicious person!"

"What the hell are you going to do to an 11-year-old girl! You walking obscenity!"

Mars shouted so, and the arms on the old man's neck tightened because he strengthened his arms.

While listening to the old man's groaning voice which sounded like a squashed frog, Mars remembered the riot that had occurred at Ushitotei before.

That tragedy was caused by the instigation of the old man in front of him. Certainly, Ushitotei was usually a noisy place, but at that time, it was a riot where the customers turned into complete mobs.

As a result, everyone present was punished by Ema, who had turned into a demon, but Mars was furious at Zonne, who still hadn't learned his lesson.

"What's wrong with you?! That black-haired girl's little sister is still too early to receive my love! I just wanted to be soothed by her cheerful smile!"

"Mu……"

The words may have been said in anguish, but surprisingly, they resonated easily in Mars' ears.

Well, Mars could understand that Somia's smile could cheer Zonne up. The pure and innocent smile on Somia's face would permeate into his fragile heart.

Maybe it was because he was at the bottom of the hierarchy at home, Mars seemed to understand Zonne's feelings a little better. The arm that had been restraining the old man slightly weakened.

But then, Mars noticed that presences had appeared on both sides of him. He moved his head and looked to his left and right to see military police officers standing there with a frown on their faces.

"... You are under arrest."

With a low voice, the military police officers restrained the old man without question.

"Why would you do this to me? Who are you guys in the first place!"

Currently, the military police officers were in plain clothes, not wearing their usual armor. With their dirty linen clothes and worn-out weapons on their hips, they may look like adventurers at first glance.

But with their straight backs and sharp movements, it would make others think they were really the military police officers who were responsible for the peace of this city. It was impossible for such military police officers to ignore what Zonne had just said.

"We're the military police protecting this city. Sir, we have a suspicious person."

"All right, you two take him to the station but come back as soon as he's in custody. We're in the middle of a very important investigation."

The military police in plainclothes flanked the pervy geezer, and he was about to be taken away. But Zonne was also showing desperate resistance.

"Listen to me! I'm a good citizen!"

"... Mars-kun. You seem to know him. Are you sure this old man is a troublemaker?"

"Umm .... Well..."

The team leader asked Mars, who seemed to know Zonne, about Zonne's personality. However, Mars was clearly glaring at Zonne with his eyes as if looking at a suspicious person.

Mars hesitated as to how to answer. It was true that Zonne was a troublemaker who had too much energy for his age and caused a lot of problems, but Mars understood from their short time together that he was not the kind of person who would try to force his way into a woman's arms. So, as expected, there was a part of him that wondered if it was really alright to restrain him and take him away.

Well, if he were asked if there was no problem at all, he would probably shake his head and answer clearly.

Nevertheless, his hesitation sealed the fate of the old man.

"... Take him."

"……Ah"

Seeing that Mars was hesitating, the team leader decided that there was a problem with the old man and ordered his men to take him away.

Before Mars could stop them, the military police officers, who had a full sense of duty, returned a sharp salute and began to walk toward the police station with Zonne firmly restrained.

"Wait~, let go of me! I didn't do anything~~~!

Zonne's screams echoed in Mars' ears. Mars dropped his shoulders in exhaustion as he listened to the pleading screams.

Later, according to Jihad's orders received from the messenger from the headquarters, Mars and the others will carefully search the area near the border of the residential district.

Jihad's orders were also conveyed to the other districts, each of which focused on monitoring the areas under their jurisdiction.

However, they were unable to find any sign of Ken Notis, and when the residential team lost sight of the suspect, they were forced to widen their search range.

===================================

In the central park, which was sinking into the darkness of the night, Camilla, who had been spying on Ken, was sitting on a bench.

The Curbstone was broken and the communication network was already dead, but Camilla was still oblivious to that fact.

She could not see Ken around her, who had instructed her to wait here.

A feeling of uneasiness crept into Camilla's mind.

Would Ken really come to this place? Could it be that Ken had already found out about her spying on him and that he had already accomplished his goal?

Camilla sat alone on a bench, lost in her own unanswerable thoughts. In order to distract herself from such anxiety, she repeatedly grasped the blue magic stone in her hand.

"Camilla, I made you wait ..."

A voice suddenly could be heard from behind Camilla, who was lost in thought.

Camilla, who had jerked her body due to the sudden voice, stood up and turned around as she bounced.

"... Eh? No-zomu?"

Camilla's expression hardened in surprise. She turned around and her eyes saw the unmistakable figure of Nozomu Bountis.

Camilla's expression froze for a moment, but she immediately felt a sense of discomfort at the sight of Nozomu standing in front of her.

Nozomu was accompanied by military police officers who were in charge of monitoring him. However, the military police officers were completely nowhere to be seen.  It was unlikely that Nozom would escape from the military police officers who would prove his alibi. Then the person in front of her right now is .......

"No way ..."

"Well, that's right."

As if reading Camilla's mind, Nozomu in front of her distorted his mouth and nodded his head. The smile on his face was the same as the one that caused this situation.

Without a doubt, the Nozomu Bountis standing in front of her was Ken Notis disguised in [Reflective Water Surface of the Heart Mask].

Camilla's face was frozen in surprise as her gaze traveled back and forth from the tips of the legs to the top of the head of the person in front of her.

Camilla couldn't believe it herself, the figure of Ken standing in front of her looked exactly like Nozomu.

"Camilla, what is that?"

Ken's gaze fell on the stone in Camilla's hand.

Camilla quickly hid the stone in her hand behind her back. A cold sweat trickled down her spine for a moment.

"... It's not a big deal. I just thought I'd give it to Lisa to cheer her up since she's been so down lately."

"... Hmm."

Camilla diverted her gaze and gave off a sullen atmosphere as if she was trying to cover it up somehow.

Certainly, at first glance, the magic stone was shaped like an accessory, but Ken was giving her an expression full of suspicion.

It wouldn't be good if he suspected her any further. An idea crossed her mind, and she looked down with a sad expression on her face.

"It's okay, isn't it? I can't be next to Lisa anymore, but I can at least hope she's getting better..."

Her heart was pounding, and she struggled to contain the tension that threatened to knock her out.

Camilla didn't think she had the ability to act, but the expression on her face as she turned and clenched her teeth didn't look like acting.

That was not unreasonable since she meant what she said.

"I don't think you need to worry about that because once this is over, Lisa's fears will be gone."

Contrary to Camilla's grave expression, Ken had a carefree expression on his face.

Camilla held back her burning anger at Ken, but she remained silent and not speaking to him.

"Well, let's go. We've got a lot of work to do, and I really want Camila to help me ..."

Ken stared at Camilla for a moment, then gave a small shrug and began to walk to encourage her.

"Where are we going ..."

Following Ken, who had started walking without telling her where he was going, Camilla who looked suspiciously asked him about it.

However, Ken didn't even turn around.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Camilla asked Ken once again. Due to the voice that kept calling out to him, it made Ken turn around like it was a waste of time.

Then, with a cold feeling of dread seeping through his whole body, Ken muttered.

"We're going to Ecross ..."

Camilla doubted her ears when he said that.

===============================

A crimson curtain flowed over the darkening city.

In the central park that completely surrounded the perimeter of the Solminati Academy, Lisa felt alone and sad as she sat on a park bench.

"I wonder where Ken and Camilla went..."

Lisa chased after Ken and Camilla after she had seen them after school, but by the time she got outside the school building, they were already gone.

The students were smiling innocently as they walked out of the school, talking about their own stories excitedly.

Their smiles were clear and bright as if they had no worries at all.

As Lisa watched them enjoying themselves, the sense of alienation that had been aching in the inside of her mind grew even larger.

She looked around for a while out of loneliness, but still, there was no sign of Ken and Camilla.

While leaning her back against the bench, Lisa looked up at the sky where the stars were beginning to twinkle. Her face was tinged with melancholy color.

Nozomu, who had been arrested and imprisoned for assault, was released this morning due to a lack of evidence.

Nozomu had once again become the focus of attention after his combat training with Jihad.

After he was released, the series of events that had occurred around him had already spread throughout the school in various forms, with speculation spreading throughout the school.

Those who were negative about Nozomu were determined that he certainly did it, while those on the opposite side claimed that it was a lie.

The truth could not be heard from Nozomu or anyone close to him when he returned to the school, and the rumors ranged from his doppelganger being in the city to ridiculous claims that someone had been transformed by a mischievous fairy.

In the midst of all this, no student came to talk to Lisa. They all just looked at her from a distance, as if they were afraid to touch a tumor.

They stared at her as if she were a freak show, and whispered about her. When she turned her head to look at them, the people who were looking at her would look away awkwardly and go away.

The atmosphere of the school was making Lisa even more unstable recently.

Remembering what happened in the classroom, Lisa sat down on a bench alone with a gloomy expression on her face.

At that time, she saw a group of girls wearing the same uniform of Solminati Academy in front of her. From the looks of it, they seemed to be from the same third year as her.

"Hey, what do you think about the incident that happened in the commercial district the other day?"

"Somehow, there's been a lot of rumors about it in the school. Some say it was Nozomu, some say it was an impostor. Some say it was a doppelganger..."

Two girls were about to leave the school. They were talking about the rumor of Nozomu Bountis, who has been dominating the conversation in the school recently.

"Well, I don't know, but it seems suspicious that the timing of this chaos arose right after Nozomu Bountis and Jihad-sensei played a combat training..."

Moreover, from the content of their conversation, it can be seen that they were skeptical about what happened two years ago and the incident that Nozomu allegedly caused this time.

"Then, the rumors about him having an affair that circulated two years ago, is it really true?"

"Who knows? But it's natural to say that the red-haired princess may be the one who abandoned Nozomu."

Of course, Lisa also appeared in their conversation.

A woman who had abandoned her childhood friend, who had been branded useless due to Ability Suppression. Such ugly news she heard pierced Lisa's heart.

Her head was burning, and the rage rising from the pit of her stomach was like magma, rushing to her throat.

"...~!"

She felt a surge of emotion and stabbing pain in her chest.

She jumped up from the bench and glared at her classmates in front of her.

However, the angry voice that was about to erupt somehow got caught in the back of her throat and did not come out of her mouth.

The figure of Nozomu reappeared in her mind, not two years ago, but his apologetic expression she just saw the other day.

(It was stupid, wasn't it? I want you to see me even though I ran away and wouldn't face you...)

Then, Nozomu's voice echoed in her mind.

The words of the person who had betrayed her feelings and whom she had come to hate so much that she didn't even want to see his face, caused Lisa's rage to subside like a receding tide.

"A……"

The rage that had suddenly subsided and something that had stuck in her mind. Unable to understand it herself, Lisa could only stand there as if she were dumbfounded.

Perhaps noticed that Lisa had suddenly stood up, the eyes of her classmates caught sight of her.

"Ue……!"

"What's wrong ... eh?"

When the students noticed Lisa's presence, they gave her an unhappy expression, followed by a dry laugh as they left.

However, Lisa was completely unaware of it. She was looking down and asking herself the same question over and over again.

(Nozomu betrayed me. He threw away all my feelings.)

That was the way it had been for Lisa Hounds for the past two years.

However, the more she tried to believe so, the more she saw the same Nozomu in her mind as two years ago, the one who cared for her.

Two scenes, the betrayal that she saw two years ago, and Nozomu's smile had not changed at all.

The two contradictory figures of Nozomu clashed with each other, and while trembling with anger at being betrayed, Lisa couldn't deny Nozomu's words.

She was tormented by an urge to scratch her chest due to a tightening pain.

Lisa didn't know what to believe anymore.

The park had become deserted. The sun was setting and darkness was slowly covering Arcazam, and Lisa just shrunk back like a child frightened by the darkness of the night. But the pain in her chest would not go away.

After a few moments of sitting on the grass with her face buried in her knees, she slowly looked up.

At that moment, she saw two figures, a man and a woman, walking side by side across the darkness.

"……That is."

One of them was the best friend she had since coming to this city. The other was a childhood friend who still bothered Lisa's mind to this day.

"... Camilla and Nozomu?"

The sight of Nozomu and Camilla walking side by side made the pain in her chest grow even worse.

The throbbing stabbing sensation in her chest had already turned into a gut-wrenching pain.

"Why did the two of them... together...?

Lisa could only watch as the two disappeared into the city in a situation that she could not understand.

Before she knew it, she was running after them again.

She wondered why does her heart ache so much? She still couldn't figure out why, but she just wanted to escape the pain that was tormenting her.