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Shot of Silence Chapter 42: After The Tests
"YELLOW, MINA-SAN!" The home economics teacher exclaimed, bursting into the classroom with exuberant energy. He was laden with four huge plastic bags, resembling a modern-day Santa Claus delivering treats to eager children. Ignoring the branches stuck in his hair and the scratches on his cheeks, he seemed to be brimming with excitement for some reason. His eyes literally sparkled as he addressed his students."Omg, Heath-sensei? What happened to you???" Nia shrieked, noticing the disheveled state of the brunet, who looked like he had just run a marathon.Heath shrugged off the concern with a casual wave of his hand. "Don't mind me! Just crashed into some trees, no biggie! Anyway, I’m here as your sweet angel. Here! Snacks!" With a flourish, he deposited the plastic bags onto the teacher's table and wiped the dirt off his face, though his troubled expression betrayed his inner turmoil."Wait, what brought this up, sensei?" Saito's curiosity echoed the unspoken question in everyone's mi
Shot of Silence Chapter 43: Dereliction
"Ano, sensei?" Hearing the call, Heath halted and turned his head to the boy with glasses. "Yeah?" For some reason he's rather wary of what this student would say. "Why did you beat yourself up this badly over a mere exam?" Surprisingly, it was Jiro, the boy who interacted the least with others. Honestly, nobody ever expected this coming at first. Jiro was known as the quiet one in class, rarely speaking unless absolutely necessary or when his studies demanded it. His reserved nature often kept him at the periphery of classroom interactions, and his sudden inquiry caught everyone off guard. It was a departure from his usual demeanor. Jiro's typically stoic facade melted ever so slightly, evident in the slight furrow of his brow as he voiced his question. His inquiry hung in the air, prompting a collective pause as the significance of his words sank in. For Heath, it was a moment of revelation. The fact that Jiro, of all people, was speaking up spoke volumes about the gravity of t
Shot of Silence Chapter 44: Drenched
"Here," That agent said, handing Heath a set of gym uniform. "You don't have a change of clothes, right? So wear mine for the time being."As Heath accepted the gym uniform from Lillian, he couldn't help but notice the concern etched on her face. It was a stark contrast to the usual composure she exuded. He wondered what thoughts were running through her mind and why she was staring at him so intently."Right, ahem, thank you, Miller-san," the brunet sheepishly smiled. He realized that with their different body types, the clothes were in a woman’s fitting, which meant they would be both too tight and loose on him. Additionally, Lillian was taller than him. Though, it’s not like he could complain, especially not with that frown still heavily present on the ravenette's face."Now then, won’t you get yourself dry and clean, Heath-nii?" Orion added before shaking his head bemusedly. "I never expected that you'd dash out the moment I mentioned why our target is so depressed.""Ahaha... ye
Shot of Silence Chapter 45: School Trip Announcement
To be frank, out of all the things that have happened in his civilian life, Heath was really not expecting the academy to be generous enough to allow this to happen."School trip, huh?" he mutters as he watches the papers given by the class reps to all the students.“I never thought they’d let us join them on this,” While it is a program held by the academy for every class, Class I-9 is a special case. Through the memories of his parallel self, he remembered how over the passing years, whenever this class was formed, they never really got the chance to have a school trip, so why–“They passed their passing grade,” Orion, who was watching the class from outside, leaned against the window frame next to where Heath was leaning. “Wait, really?” Heath blinked, not expecting that. He had seen the students' scores, and well, they're actually disastrous.“Yeah, well,” Orion shrugged, “Miller says their passing grade is different from the other classes. Though I’m sure she also arranged some
Shot of Silence Chapter 46: Mr. Bortnikov
Despite his promise of joining the students on their study trip, Heath was unsure if he could do that. Of course, it’s something that he wanted to, and in his promise he said that he’d go there once he’s finished with his rendezvous. Still, oh how he’d be overjoyed if things simply go as smoothly as he wished. In fact, He would be content enough if no blood is spilled by the time he finishes this meet-up.Afterall, rather than the meeting point being way too far than where their Class is having their trip, the person he'll be meeting IS the problem.Egon Bortnikov.Though not as popular as his father, Egon Bortnikov was still deeply entrenched in the world of organized crime. Over the last decade, he had carved out quite a reputation for himself, especially after rumors circulated that he had been the last person in contact with Luice del Umbrinox before the mysterious disappearance of the entire Umbrinox guardians.Securing any information from Egon was no easy feat. It was like tryi
Shot of Silence Chapter 47: Wheel and Deal
"Last seen 1 year ago. If you were looking for them to make yourself some sort of grand debut, then I suggest you change targets from now on; I'd say there'll be no merit in stripping off some rotten corpses," the retired doctor replied, as if expecting the question. Many have asked him the same query, after all, though his answers never seemed to be on the same track. This time, however, Heath detects no lies.It seems like his bribing is working brilliantly."Is that so? May I know the reason?" Despite trying not to sounds desperate, the bad feeling he has silently creeping as the man answered."Unfortunately, they seemed to have contracted some sort of incurable disease. Their Natura had it the worst, but as I was informed, the whole desert was flooded. It was devastating, honestly."'Wait… it was not the Natura’s curse but rather, a disease?’ Heath arched a brow, ‘And not only Luice-san, but the whole Umbrinox guardians? Is this a real illness?'Such news sounded like mere gossip
Shot of Silence Chapter 48: Bumbler’s Ambush
Tapping his feet, Heath was impatient and felt rather restless, feeling that this transportation was moving way too slowly for his liking. Normally, he would have praised the speed of this heavy machinery; yet this time, for some reason that he had not yet come to understand, he was cursing his decision to travel to his next destination like any normal person instead of flying away with his magic.It might not make any sense now, and some people might think of him as crazy, but for some reason, as soon as he entered the train, he felt rather anxious... which was not good. He remembered well that he would feel this way whenever one of his guardians was in danger and most likely in need of backup. A throb at the back of his head, with blue hues invading his mind, meant a confirmed disaster afoot.He cursed in silence. 'Something is happening, and it’s wrong.' This churning sensation was normally only aimed towards his dearests…Beep. Beep. Beep—!Eyes opened wide in shock, he rushes. S
Shot of Silence Chapter 49: Scumbags Hunting
Heath's eyes darted around, scanning for any signs of their missing companions. Yet he found nothing. It’s absurd enough that he found his students in this path, away from people’s eyes. Afterall, to his knowledge Perry-sensei, in his guidebook, has warned the students not to get close to this secluded area. Which means, they were either lured or dragged here. The area around them was eerily quiet, the only sound being the distant hum of the city. The sun was setting, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch out like grasping fingers, adding to the tension in the air.“I need to get you guys out of here.” Who knew what danger might come closer if they stayed any longer?However, Kai immediately rejected that idea. “Sensei, there’s something more important right now. You know that, right?” Kai winced as she tried to move, her face contorting in pain for a moment before she hardened her expression once more.“They took our possessions, so I can’t call for help. But if you can just ca
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Chapter 60: Decision makers
“Henhen?”“Hmm?”“What are you doing, man?”“Resting.”Heath sighed as he turned to his right, where the blonde man lay down. “You do realize this bed has no space for two grown-up men, right? Why are you here?”Henko just grinned as he looked to his left. “If we sleep on our sides, it’s possible!”“Haa… geez.” The brunet facepalmed before chuckling. “A sleepover at this age, my dude?”“Sleepovers aren’t limited by age.”Heath sweatdropped at the curt reply. “Can I at least get why you insisted? Aren’t I usually the one being all clingy?”“Yeah, yeah, you are. So it’s my turn now.”“But I’m still sick. Weren’t you the one who told me to sleep early today?” Heath arched a brow, questioning. Yet Henko remained quiet.“?”Not only did the blonde ignore that question, but he was also actively avoiding the topic without avoiding Heath entirely.“Henko?” Heath prompted, concern creeping into his voice.Henko sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers he was searching fo
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 59: Piles of Options
In the end, towards Agent K’s offer, Heath said that this decision was not his alone, since he lived with his cousin who knew nothing of the I-9 class's true nature. Which is why he couldn’t just put his signature on it yet, thankfully, the smiley man agreed to let him go.“You can just send me an email of it when you have the time. Please consider my sincere offer wisely, Sagara-san. After all, you’ve worked hard when it should have been our responsibility.”His words seemed well-intended, and a bright smile was present, but for a moment there, Agent K's smile looked absurdly evil. Heath couldn’t hide his flinch as he tried to mask the blaring alarm in his head at the sight with his own smile. The juxtaposition of the agent's demeanor with the sinister undertones was unsettling.He had wondered why Agent K switched up so fast all of a sudden. But now he realized why the smiley man, who never seemed to actually smile with his eyes, hadn’t been grilling him further despite the chances.
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Chapter 58: Recount
By the time the sun rose the next day, the students were called to get ready to go home as their trip duration was over. Heath, despite still not being fully recovered, had no choice but to pack up as well.‘Thankfully, the fever has dropped a lot,’ he thought. While he was still warm, overall he felt fine, and his core was mostly fixed up, enough that he could check the number of people in disguises around their group.‘At least the government seems to have finally pulled themselves together,’ he mused. It was for the best, really, after their major failure last time.That being said, ‘Lil’ bro isn't here?’ He looked around. ‘No, he's not the only one missing,’ his brief search was, however, interrupted by a call.“Looking for someone, Heath-sensei?”The brunet blinked before smiling with his eyes, to show his emotions despite his mask. “Oh, Jitsuo-kun! Glad to see you up and about~”The boy grinned back at him in response. “The medic told me to take it easy for a while and get lots
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Chapter 57: Investigation (pt. 3)
“To be honest, I didn’t think that they were kidnapped,” Heath said, his voice steady despite the strain he felt. When the device was activated, Heath initially didn’t think the situation was that grave. “I thought my students were entangled in a gang fight or something.”“Pardon?” Agent K's eyebrow arched in surprise.Heath scratched his cheek a bit, appearing embarrassed. “My students, they're good kids. But some of them can be… sassy at times. Yeah, let's put it that way. And they're capable of defending themselves. So, um, yeah. I was worried that my students got into trouble, which is why I was rushing. But the scale of trouble they were in was something out of left field. Had I known that they were kidnapped and not just losing a street fight, I would have called Miller-san instead of Perry-sensei.”Heath's voice was calm and measured, every word carefully chosen. Above all, he was not lying. His enhanced Insight had declined the idea of a simple street fight and alarmed him tha
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Chapter 56: investigation (pt. 2)
Asher had been the last to go among his guardians. That aloof guy had been the strongest, the ace of his cards back in the day. He didn't know how the man was killed, but Ernesh had been considerate enough to spare him the brutal details. Back then, Heath didn’t have the mental capacity to take in the entire truth either. Asher's death was odd. Being the strongest among his guardians, it was hard to believe he was killed because of a mole. But at the time, Heath had no reason to doubt his sworn brother. Detecting no lies in the man's words, he could only bitterly accept the fact that all the true Veridiania had been wiped out, leaving only him.Out of all the Quadradirmias, only Heath Veridiania and Ernesh Mazzanti, along with his guardians, were left while Umbranox had fallen and Eventidea couldn’t continue either, being close to ruin. Asher's death made him question whether he could carry on at all. Ernesh was the only reason he could see the end of the coup. That’s why his betraya
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 55: investigation (pt. 1)
Heath sat on the edge of the bed in his dimly lit hotel room, the shadows from the sparse lamps casting an eerie glow on the walls. His feverish state was evident; his face was pale and slick with sweat, a damp cloth draped over his neck in a futile attempt to cool his burning skin. Despite the discomfort, he forced himself to maintain a semblance of composure.Seeing his state, Lillian wanted to push back the questioning session. After all, there’s just no way that the searing heat on his skin is a mere facade. Despite her own suspicions, Heath has been nothing but cooperative. Lillian knows herself well enough to know she doesn’t get emotional easily, yet when it comes to this brunet, she always feels this bubbling anxiety whenever the man is not okay. It’s suspicious.This wasn’t the first or second time she felt this way. This is the third time she has witnessed this civilian being hurt. ‘Is it because I’m getting used to his bubbly self that seeing him like this shakes me so much?
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Chapter 54: Recuperate
‘I'm so beat…’ and that was such an understatement, he knew.Perry had been incredibly helpful in guiding him to his bedroom per his request because, at the moment, even breathing was a chore. Lillian and her buddies, whom he was so sure would have questioned him then and there, were apparently lenient enough to let him go when he was caught dazedly staring at the wall or the ceiling multiple times. Thankfully, no one really quizzed him about his condition since no injuries were found, assuming he was simply exhausted from running miles.“Heh heh…~” His condition was bad, but not as bad as he thought it’d be. It was actually surprising that he wasn’t bleeding out somehow, but perhaps it was because he’d been training on his own time, and even more after the ambush by the Leilian brothers. Regardless, he found his situation to be rather amusing.‘The recoil.’ He could feel his core cracking inside due to the strain. Just because he knew how to use magic didn’t mean he should have pushe
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Chapter 53: Rescued
“Phew, what a troublesome bunch.”After making sure that everyone was unconscious, Heath combed his hair before dusting off his outfit. At first, he thought it would be hard to deal with them, but in fact, he had been overestimating his enemies by a couple of notches. He had expected them to at least tear his outfit, land a strong hit once, or worse, shoot him. But none of that ever happened, and luckily, his clothes weren’t tainted with blood. Feeling a bit proud that he could control his power merely by judging from his appearance, he then counted his victims.‘24 down.’The last three people were not pursuing him.Throb.Scowling as his feet began to move again, it seemed like there was no time for him to rest. His enhanced insight was acting up again, and since he wasn’t in any immediate threat, his second hunch was about his missing students.Throb.‘Don’t just agree with me, gosh,’ he thought, gritting his teeth. He scanned the area once more before mumbling curses under his br
- Shot of Silence
Chapter 52: First contact
"You bastard!!!"No guns yet; it seems like they chose close combat instead. 'Well, lucky me, that would make things easier.'A fist was launched, but Heath easily ducked it and immediately followed with a roundhouse kick. The blow connected, sending the guy sprawling."T-That can't be...!"That last guy had been on the heavier side indeed. He was probably one of their best fighters, which is why this last man standing was left quivering, in disbelief that his comrades were defeated so easily.Well, it turns out, despite his scare, he seems to know how to assess the situation. And now Heath was facing the fearful weapon he had dreaded.The guy aimed and desperately shot in Heath's direction as if it were his lifeline. Which, quite frankly, was not far-fetched.BANG! BANG! BANG!'It has a line projectile, so once he fires, if he misses, he misses.'Unlike some magic that can chase after its target, bullets don't work that way, which is relieving because that means Heath could just move
