“——A win for Kira! That match was already decided since the matchups were announced! How I pity that random contestant!”By afternoon, the tournament would proceed as winners accumulate in the mezzanine. Kira would win her match easily with her power that ended the match in just 30 seconds, walking back to the mezzanine where Magi and Cian had waited. “Well, well, well, looks like we have the obvious runner-ups waiting on their lady.”Trying to walk with glamour, Kira arrived in style. She didn't have her usual uniform, instead, she had a red-military outfit lined with golden threads and chains. It was an appearance that screamed the name of the Red Trackers.“——Hmm. What's wrong?”Although, as she arrived, both Magi and Cian had a grim expressions plastered all over their face. In moments, they would take a corner of the mezzanine to keep their conversation more discreet as people began to arrive.“Violet called just now. The headquarters was attacked.”Magi would silently announ
After the siege on the headquarters ended, Vincent, Bahamut, and Saeko were left inside to care for Violet's body had been reconnected to the console. Several stab wounds prevented the synthetic skin from regenerating, and the hull of the exoskeleton torso was exposed.“Your body... is it——?”[It's useless now. All you can use it for is scrap metal. You can throw it away.]“——!?”Bahamut had been worried that her physical, yet artificial body would become unusable anymore, yet it would become a reality when Violet herself had said it. “But——?!”[The gasoline container was stabbed through, the temperature regulator had short-circuited, and the pressure fibers had been cut. I cannot use this body anymore, Bahamut. I have no use for it.]Bahamut somehow stubbornly wanted to keep the body. He had grown attached to it, seeing Violet's face on it as he brought it back.“———”He would make a small gasp, looking at Violet who had decisively spoken through the monitor of the console. Despit
——In a small private room that had been reserved by the daughter of the mayor, Cian was dragged along as he was requested by her.“Tell me, do you have some secret ability?”“Look, I have nothing to tell you. Your dad might be that one big shot, but I'm not obliged to tell you anything.”Cian casually sat on the luxurious sofa as he held that single pebble he had been holding before, avoiding eye contact with the young woman who tried to inquire him of his abilities.He wasn't quite sure of her intentions, but with the others telling him to be wary of even the mayor, she was someone he couldn't just trust as well.“Come on! Tell me already!”“Ngaah! I told you, I won't! Aren't you being stubborn for no reason?! Why are you even asking me that? Like hell, anyone would just reveal their abilities like that. I'll be leaving.”Annoyed by her nagging, Cian exclaimed as he stood, attempting to exit the room.However, the door would be just locked, unhinged even by his greatest attempt to ya
“...”“...”Trapped in a cycle of silence, Mia only stared at Cian who cooped himself up in the corner of the room.He fidgeted with a random marble that he found earlier.Ruriko was also in the room. She entered as soon as she thought it was enough humiliation for Mia to feel.Despite her presence, the awkwardness in the air was too thick to be ignored.“Cian. What are you doing——?”Ruriko would break the ice, referring to his habit.He was flipping the stone back and forth, catching it with the same hand as he faced the wall. “Waiting until you guys let me go——Don't tell me that she's one of the missions.”“No. That's not it.”Shaking her head, Ruriko slightly chuckled as Cian replied to her, who lifted his head only slightly.Mia wasn't anyone remotely important to the mission, for now, however, she was someone that will be a bridge for one.“I made a deal with her, and now I owe her some answers regarding what you can do if you can even truly win the tournament this time.”“——You
——At the next day, Kira, Magi, and Cian were once again called to the tournament for holding.Vincent, Saeko, Sabrine, and Violet were left once more in the headquarters as they anticipated Evan and Kurumi to join them later on. The attack wouldn't possibly happen today as the Sentient Guards were still patrolling the area, however, spies could still lurk everywhere and attack discreetly to weaken their defenses.Reinforcements from Violet Hex were to be expected also soon after the discord with Bahamut. It was an awkward personal problem that Vincent and the others couldn't put their hands on.Even with the said plan in effect, Violet and Sabrine continued to work on the defenses while Vincent was arranging documents regarding the damage report beside them.[Vincent. I'll be having a private conversation with Sabrine.]“——Huh? Oh, alright.”Taking the documents with him, Vincent would leave the room and slowly closes the door, leaving but a tiny crack as he took a peek back inside.
——Under the bright white lights of the closed restaurant, Teresa confronted Mia.“We've long known. We even thought that you were also in it.”“——I was. But that's because I had no choice! He's my father!”Mia would click her tongue, annoyed and disheartened. She was indeed the daughter of her father but she was powerless to do anything about the things he does behind the scenes.Michael has tried to keep his actions under wraps from his daughter but Mia had long known way before since he decided to bring her to watch the tournament. Albeit she was robbed of her childhood by being homeschooled and locked in their house, she found a distraction by inventing.Mia's pride came from the skill she had from being a prodigy at inventing, but it was not enough for her to gather the courage to face her father and go against him.“That's why... if I can't go against him. I'll have someone else do it for me. I know everything about him, but not his connections with the organizations. He takes e
——After that massive incident, the tournament was halted due to technical issues. The barriers were damaged and needed to be repaired for days, and the culprit that had caused such destruction began to be searched high and low as the entirety of Moonblight feared the figure.Cian was investigated and briefed about his encounter with the figure. All the magic that they detected that launched off the charts was found to be from the figure that appeared as Cian's opponent in the Colosseum. After that investigation, Cian was then released as he had nothing that he knew about that figure other than being incapacitated. He couldn't tell anyone about his current state, of how his seals were gone, yet his ability remained composed inside.Walking out of the Colosseum, Magi, and Kira, Teresa had waited outside since morning. People had been urged to go home after the tournament was on hold until the barriers and the Sentient Guards were in top condition. “——What happened in there? We tho
——As Magi and the others carefully tread the way home, they felt a sudden occupancy in the area. It was just a block of an abandoned building, a convenient coincidence if they were to be ambushed here. However, with Cian is given a heads-up by Dokuji, he informed the others of the possible attack.“——Hmph. To think that you got out. The prison wasn't so kind to you, were they?”Walking out of the shade of the hanging roof on the side of the building, the figure who hid underneath it would reveal itself. “...Toru.”Magi was the one who called him out as he detected his presence. They all knew of his ability to conceal his presence, yet he chose to confront them.“I'm no exception to the system of punishment. Even an immortal like me would have a scar.”Across Toru's face, was a thread sewn obliquely. It added a type of aesthetic to his look, yet it looked tight and constantly bled and regenerated. It was a reminder of what prison was like. “Prisoners can become lab rats. I'm sure