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Shot of Silence Chapter 0: Prologue
"It's the end..." At last, he had managed to avenge his fallen comrades and bring an end to Nyxen's tyranny over this once lush land. Glancing over the bloodied room, the swordsman had always been terrified of the moment he would become the king. It had been a fate he had avoided, being the only prince of this cursed kingdom. Yet, had he known that relinquishing his rights would result in this ring of fire, he would never have run away. If only he had known the number of souls sacrificed and the losses he would endure. 'If only I could turn back time and stop being a coward...' However, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. After all, he couldn't possibly turn back time. Even with all the existing magic, including vile elements itself and the Quadradirmia, there had never been a way to alter the flow of time. It was something beyond human jurisdiction. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. You finally did it," that short comment was uttered by none other than his sworn brother, Er
Shot of Silence Chapter 1: Do-Over
"Ah... so this is it?" He had always pondered the fate of people after death, offering prayers each night as he relentlessly fought for the war to come to an end. His fervent wishes were for his cherished loved ones to be relieved of their suffering. ‘I suppose... At least death brings tranquility.’ Setting aside the anguish of betrayal he had endured, there was a peculiar sense of solace in being slain by Ernesh. After all, there was no one left to hold on to, and living with the burden of guilt weighing on his soul... perhaps departing from that world now that he had reclaimed the throne wasn't such a terrible outcome. ‘I mean, at least I didn’t leave my role behind on purpose this time?’ As he drifted into what appeared to be an unending abyss, a bitter smile graced his lips… … Or that was until— . . . . . "WAKE UP, MADAFAKA!!!" WHACK! "Ack!" That brunet exclaimed as he clutched his throbbing head. "The fuck!? Who–!?" Blinking excessively, those brown eyes widened i
Shot of Silence Chapter 2: Stranded
"Oh, you're actually cleaning the room?" The surprised voice of the still unnamed man caught Heath's attention. He responded with a quiet hum and a quick nod, continuing his task of collecting the empty bottles. "um, do you need help?" the man offered. After thinking it over for a bit, Heath agreed, "I'm going for a deep clean," which meant he would be throwing away a lot of garbage. Although he inherited the memories stored in this body, it would still take some time to recall all of them one by one. ‘Besides, he offered first.’ The quicker they finished the task, the sooner they could have a meal. However, Heath was not expecting the surprised look on the blond man's face. "What?" "Uh, oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting that answer," he answered sheepishly before entering the room properly. Raising a brow, Heath finally took a proper look at the man. "He looked somewhat familiar." In his previous life, he did not have any blood relatives, at least none that he knew of after
Shot of Silence Chapter 3: Skill Test
"Right. So, before we eat, here," Heath said, handing the blond man a piece of paper and a pen. "What's this?" Confusion was crystal clear on his face, but Heath only sat there, smiling innocently, without saying much. The blond man couldn't help but feel slightly alarmed as he witnessed the pure smile on the brunet's face, considering the recent downfall the younger had experienced. A tingling sensation in his head urged him to run. However, despite the warning signals from his fight-or-flight instincts, curiosity grew even stronger, ultimately winning over. He finally made up his mind and took the paper and pen offered to him. "Write your full name there," Heath instructed curtly. Still suspicious, the blond man gazed at Heath and asked discreetly, "My name? What's this for?" However, the brunet didn't give him a moment to ponder further and pressed a bit, saying, "I'll tell you once you write it, so just do it." "Tch. I swear, if this is some kind of prank," the jade-eyed ind
Shot of Silence Chapter 4: New Reality
"Right, so I can't seem to remember what's so important this time around that you hit me on the head with a dictionary. What's today's occasion, Hen-hen?" Musashi Henko, as indicated by the name he had written on the paper earlier, was now affectionately referred to as Hen-hen by Heath. This nickname perfectly captured his caring and nurturing nature, akin to that of a mother hen, always attentive and protective of those around him. It was a fitting moniker for someone who had been a constant presence in his counterpart's life, looking out for him like family. In a way, Henko was more than just a friend or cousin. Through the maternal line, he had a distant familial connection with Heath, making their bond even stronger. They had shared countless memories and experiences, growing up together from a very young age. This long history of companionship had forged a deep understanding and closeness between them. Hearing this, Heath wasn't surprised anymore that he and his parallel self w
Shot of Silence Chapter 5: Change of Theme
"H-How...?" His jaw dropped. Henko did not expect such a drastic change simply from a change of clothes. "Hmm?" "How the fuck did you just transform from a nerdy dork to this?" In his stunning transformation, Heath emerged in a crisp, tailored suit that effortlessly enhanced his once nerdy figure into a captivating and sharp look. The suit, expertly crafted from a luxurious fabric, draped his frame with precision and elegance. Its deep navy hue conveyed a sense of authority and sophistication, perfectly complementing his newfound confidence. The jacket, meticulously tailored to fit his form, featured a slim cut and structured shoulders that accentuated his broadened physique. The lapels, sleek and refined, gracefully framed his face, drawing attention to his strong jawline. The crisp white dress shirt, flawlessly pressed, added a touch of refinement and contrasted beautifully against the rich, dark shade of the suit. Completing the ensemble, a slim, silk tie in a complementary sha
Shot of Silence Chapter 6: Fresh Lane
'I can't believe this shit...' That brunet is actually starting to grow weary with all of the surprises today He had seen his family's corpses for the last time before he himself died, he found himself transported into a parallel universe, where he was nothing more than a civilian—a teacher, to be precise, suddenly, he was transferred to another class situated in a secluded island in the middle of a man-made lake. And now, this... Heath inwardly sighed, realizing that with his luck, these kinds of things would always happen no matter where he ended up. Shaking his head, he chuckled and said, "Right, where are my manners?" Disregarding the fact that he had just witnessed a "man" stretching from one corner of the room to stand in front of him, seemingly responsible for the sudden space explosion in the past month. He couldn't help but feel a mix of bewilderment and amusement. The bizarre occurrences continued to unfold before his eyes, defying all logical explanations. Yet, amidst
Shot of Silence Chapter 7: Meeting class I-9
Instead of trembling at the sight of these bright neon airgun pellets rolling out of the classroom's door, the brunet felt rather comical when he heard the way the attendance goes. 'Man, it seems like even in this second chance at life, my days won't ever be so dull.' Feeling amused, Heath was half wondering if weapons such as guns were as common as hunter knives over here. After all, in his past life, weapons weren’t distributed as casually, even when war broke out, so the fact that these adults let kids carry and use guns caught him off guard. ‘Then again, the children at the other school building, they don’t bring anything with them.’ So, perhaps, this place is the odd one out? ‘Well, either way,’ Heath chuckled to himself, wondering what's in store in the future as he watched the door finally open for him as the cue for him to come in. "I must say, sensei, that was an interesting way to start the day. So thrilling~" The former prince couldn't help but comment as a sense o
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- Shot of Silence
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.
- Shot of Silence
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
- Shot of Silence
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
- Shot of Silence
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?
- Shot of Silence
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
- Shot of Silence
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
