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Home The Author's POV Chapter 69: The massacre of Hollberg [4]
The Author's POV
Chapter 69: The massacre of Hollberg [4]
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Chapter 69: The massacre of Hollberg [4]
"Hey, why did you st--"
Appearing behind Kevin, Emma entered the living room, and just when she was about to speak, she stopped halfway through her sentence and gasped in shock.
Following Emma, Amanda entered the room, and similarly to Emma, she gasped in shock.
Three sets of eyes all focused on one individual.
Standing in the middle of the room, holding Jin by the throat, Ren's figure could be seen.
"Jin!"
Screaming, Emma took out her short swords and circulated her mana, following which a strong yellow hue started emanating from her body.
"Get away from J--"
Just when Emma was about to lunge at Ren, Amanda put her hand on her shoulder and stopped her
"Don't…"
"W-hat!?"
Angrily turning around, pointing towards Ren, Emma glared at Amanda and shouted
"You're just gonna stand here and let him do that to Jin! what is wrong with you!"
Shaking her head, Amanda looked at Ren with a complicated expression.
…Those eyes.
Those were the same eyes that he had when he killed Elijah.
Though she may come across as heartless in Emma's eyes, in reality, this was all for her sake.
She could still vividly remember those eyes…the same eyes that killed Elijah back in the after-party.
…If Emma fought against him, she stood no chance.
Glancing at Kevin from the side, Amanda thought
'Who is stronger…?'
-Thud!
Dropping Jin's body on the ground, Ren raised his hands and said
"…He's still alive"
Looking at Jin's passed out figure on the ground, warily glancing in Ren's direction, Kevin spoke
"What did you do to him?"
Looking back at Kevin, with his hands still in the air, Ren coldly said
"I merely did what needed to be done"
Frowning at Ren's words, Kevin looked at Ren in the eyes and said
"…and by that do you mean almost killing him?"
Shaking his head, Ren looked down at Jin.
"If I really wanted him dead, he'd already be dead"
Following Ren's cold words, the room became quiet. Not even a pin drop could be heard as Kevin and Ren stared at each other.
"Emma…"
Breaking the silence was Kevin's voice as he glanced at Emma who was behind him.
"Okay"
Understanding his motive, Emma put her shortswords back into her dimensional space and quickly moved to where Jin's body was.
Seeing Emma move, Kevin took out his sword and pointed it in Ren's direction. Without taking his eyes off of him, he said
"If you try anything funny…I won't hesitate to kill you"
"…"
Indifferently glancing at Kevin, Ren didn't respond and just looked at Emma who was slowly moving closer.
Arriving before Jin's body, Emma warily glanced in Ren's direction.
Looking back at Kevin, and after making sure Ren wasn't going to make any moves, she placed her finger on Jin's neck and measured his pulse.
After a couple of seconds, turning around, Emma sighed in relief and said
"He's still alive…"
Nodding his head, Kevin asked
"How's his condition?"
Glancing back at Jin, Emma carefully looked at his body before saying
"…Not so good, he's heavily injured and has exhausted all of his mana"
Frowning, Kevin looked at Jin's body before looking back at Ren
"Now, tell us why y-"
Booom—!
Cutting Kevin midsentence, just as the tension in the room was about to reach an all-time high, a loud explosion resounded across the room.
The whole place shook.
"Wh-at?"
Staggering a couple of steps, Kevin, Emma, and Amanda all turned their heads in the direction of where the sound came from.
-Step -Step -Step
Appearing from the other side of the door, holding a huge axe that was about the size of two people, a black-clad individual entered the room.
Behind him, a huge hole appeared on the wall as dust and debris flew everywhere.
"Another one?!"
Staring at the black-clad individual, Kevin, Emma and Amanda immediately got into battle positions as they warily glanced at him.
From his demenour and aura, they instantly knew that he was different from the other people they fought before.
If the others were like soldiers fighting a war, this man felt like a general that stood above his soldiers.
He was definitely on a league of his own…
'…so the boss has finally come'
Looking at the black-clad individual who had entered the room, Ren instantly recognized who he was.
He was the 'boss' that Kevin and his party were supposed to fight to end the Hollber arc.
He was a borderline ranked individual, and only after bitterly fighting with their life on the line did Kevin and the rest defeat him.
"Things couldn't have become more troublesome…"
Staring the black-clad individual before him, Kevin couldn't help but complain.
From the people that attacked him in his room to Jin and now this. Things were starting to becoming more troublesome with each passing moment.
Looking at Emma and Amanda, Kevin nodded
Nodding back, Emma took out her shortswords and Amanda took out her bow.
Suddenly, a red hue shrouded Kevin's sword. Slowly, the more Kevin held onto the sword, the more intense the hue around the sword became.
Sneaking a glance at Kevin's imposing figure, Emma spoke
"Can you tone it down a notch?"
Looking at Emma, Kevin smirked and said
"Not a chance."
Watching Kevin, Emma, and Amanda getting into fighting positions, Ren slowly backed off into the corner of the room and just stared at the black-clad individual that had entered the room.
Fixing his grip on the sword, Kevin spoke.
"Support me."
"Support? Please, that's Amanda's job…"
Rebutting playfully, Emma winked at Amanda and dashed towards the black-clad individual.
"My job is to beat him…"
Vuuaam—!
However, as soon as Emma moved, a strong bloodlust suddenly expanded from the black-clad individual. Following the bloodlust, a humongous pressure came crashing down on everyone. A jet-black hue expanded from the black-clad individual's body and hurled towards them like a tsunami.
Crossing her arms, Emma shielded herself from the pressure.
Taking a few steps back, Emma looked back at Kevin and Amanda.
Both their faces became extremely grim.
"This is much more serious than I thought…"
Stepping forward, Kevin fully released his ranked pressure.
"Let me"
Feeling Kevin's pressure, Emma couldn't help but look at Kevin in shock. Amanda too was shocked as her brows couldn't help but jump.
"y-ou broke through?"
"…yes, not so long ago"
-Baaam!
Tensing his calves, the ground below Kevin cracked and his body shot like a cannon towards the black-clad individual.
"Khhh…"
Appearing in front of the black-clad individual, Kevin cut down diagonally with his sword.
-Clank!
But right before his sword could connect with the black-clad individual, as though standing under a cascading waterfall, Kevin felt a tremendous force hitting his sword as his body was swept away.
He didn't even have the chance to scream before finding himself flung in the air.
-Bam!
Flying across the room Kevin struck a wall
"Kuuuaahhh…!"
Spitting saliva, for a split second, Kevin lost consciousness due to the tremendous force of the impact.
"Kevin!"
Looking at Kevin, Emma and Amanda worriedly shouted
Fortunately, after a couple of seconds, Kevin managed to get up…but he didn't seem to be in a good state as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Wiping off the blood in the corner of his mouth, Kevin nodded his head
"I'm fine… Kuhh."
Staring at the black-clad individual before him, Kevin's grip on the sword increased.
"…He's strong"
Solemnly looking at the black-clad individual that did not move an inch from his position since flinging Kevin away, Emma asked
"How strong?"
"At least D+ or C- rank…I'm not sure"
"That strong?"
Nodding his head, Kevin held his sword with one hand as he painfully held the side of his chest.
'I probably fractured a couple of ribs, damn it'
Gritting his teeth, Kevin looked at Amanda.
Nodding her head, Amanda extended the string of her bow.
-Woosh! -Woosh! -Woosh!
Releasing the bow, three arrows shot in the direction of the black-clad individual. As each arrow shot, the air split apart creating a whistling sound.
At the tip of each arrow, mana was carefully concentrated to increase its destructive power.
As the three streaks of light made their way towards the black-clad individual, Kevin looked at Emma who looked back at him.
As if they read each other's minds, they dashed towards the black-clad individual from both the left and right flank.
-Clank!
Raising his axe, the black-clad individual blocked Amanda's arrows and hacked it towards the ground.
Booom—!
As soon as the axe met the ground, the whole place shook. The ground split apart and debris fell everywhere.
Jumping up, Kevin swung his sword towards the black-clad individual's head, whilst Emma went for his feet.
"Block this!"
-Baam!
Stomping his foot on the ground, the ground below the black-clad individual's feet cracked.
"khhaaaa…"
Halting her movements, Emma crossed her arms and blocked the debris that was shooting towards her.
-Clank!
"huaaaaa!"
Blocking Kevin's sword from above, the black-clad individual screamed and flung Kevin away.
-crrrrrr
"Huff…hufff…damn it!"
Sliding across the ground, Kevin heavily panted for air. Due to his previous fights, signs of exhaustion were already starting to show on his face.
Looking beside him, Kevin saw Emma in a similar situation to his.
Despite the fact that the fight had only just started, they were both already too exhausted to continue…
The situation was starting to become dire.
Gritting her teeth and turning her attention towards the corner of the room where Ren's indifferent figure stood, Emma couldn't help but glare at him and shout
"hey you! Why aren't you doing anything!?"
"…"
Ignoring Emma, Ren's eyes remained fixed on the black-clad individual.
Seeing Ren ignore her, just as Emma was about to curse at him, Kevin's voice stopped her
"Leave him be"
"But…"
"There's a much more pressing matter than worrying about him, moreover…"
Looking back at Ren, Kevin said
"…the fact that he's not interfering is much better than him attacking us from behind"
Gritting her teeth, Emma nodded her head.
-Woosh! -Woosh!- Woosh!
Once again, from behind, Amanda shot arrows, signalling for Emma and Kevin to continue
"Let's go"
Dashing once again towards the black-clad individual, Emma and Kevin once again tried to split their attacks.
This time, Kevin aimed for his heart whilst Emma aimed for his sides.
"Huuuuuuuua!"
-Clank! -Clank! -Clank!
Holding onto his giant axe with both hands, the black-clad individual spun around blocking Amanda's arrows.
As if a cyclone had entered the room, the black-clad individual spun madly. As he spun, everything near the black-clad individual, like a magnet, started getting sucked in his direction.
"khhhh…"
"aahhhhhh! he's using a skill!"
Halting their steps, Emma and Kevin tried to stop their attacks, but it was to no avail as they found their body getting sucked towards the black-clad individual.
"Kevin I can't hold on!"
Looking at Emma struggling figure. Kevin turned back and looked back at Amanda who kept shooting arrows like there was no tomorrow.
Both of their faces were incomparably pale.
It was evident that they were too fatigued. Any longer and they would no longer be able to hold one…
"Do I have no other choice?"
Gritting his teeth, Kevin hesitated for a second before activating [Overdrive]
Activating [Overdrive], Kevin felt every fiber of his body exploding with energy. His muscles bulged, and his veins became more apparent.
Power coursed through his body.
"Khhh…"
Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Kevin glared at the black-clad individual and propelled his body forward.
"haaaaa!"
Noticing the change in Kevin, the black-clad individual stopped spinning and confronted Kevin head on
-Clank! -Clank! -Clank!
Sword and axe matched!
As they clashed, after a few seconds, Kevin and the black-clad individual had already exchanged no fewer than three hundred strikes
Kevin's strikes were fluent and fast, whilst the black-clad individuals were slow and heavy.
As they fought, neither budged an inch. They were currently in a complete stalemate.
Cuts and bruises appeared on both bodies as they continued to clash.
Blood spilt everywhere.
Neither had the edge, but it was only a matter of time…
Looking at Kevin, Ren knew that he wouldn't last long.
The more Kevin fought, the more his veins became more prominent. His muscles twitched and spasmed with each passing second that they fought.
It was evident that Kevin was suppressing tremendous pain to retain his current state.
As Ren continued watching the fight like a spectator, his eyes slightly paused on Jin's body.
In the novel, Jin was supposed to be fighting with Kevin, Emma, and Amanda. With his help, they managed to defeat the boss and become heroes of the academy.
…However, Jin was no longer here.
Jin's absence was showing. Kevin, Amanda and Emma weren't enough to fight the black-clad individual.
From the way things were going, Kevin and the rest would soon die.
…Ren knew he had to step in.
However, currently, he needed to look for an opening.
He knew that with his current strength, the only thing he could do was find an opening.
That's why he waited.
Like a predator. Ren was waiting for the right moment to strike…and that moment had finally come.
…
Feeling the effects of [Overdrive] wearing out, Kevin's body suddenly gave out and was helplessly flung all the way towards the other side of the room.
-Baaam!
Crashing against a wall, Kevin fell to the floor.
"Khhh…"
-Step -Step
Laying on the ground, Kevin looked up towards the black-clad individual who was heading in his direction
Arriving before Kevin, the black-clad individual raised his axe casting a large shadow over him.
Staring at the giant axe above him, Kevin couldn't help but think
"Is this how I die?"
-Wooooooosh!
However, just as the black-clad individual's axe was about to hit Kevin, a tremendous whistling sound could be heard from behind him as a silver streak of light quickly headed in his direction.
"Kevin!"
Following Amanda's last-ditch attack, Emma appeared from behind the black-clad individual as both her daggers were dyed in a tremendous yellow hue.
"Die!"
"Huuuuuuu!"
Noticing the tremendous power coming from the arrow and Emma's shortswords, the black-clad individual screamed and a black sphere surrounded his body.
-BOOOM!
An enormous explosion shook the whole room, and debris flew everywhere.
After a couple of seconds, once the debris and dust cleared up, Kevin, Amanda's and Emma's figures could be seen passed out on the ground.
Next to them, the black-clad individual, with the aid of the axe, stood with one knee on the ground.
His clothes were all torn, and his figure was soaked in blood. No longer did he look as imposing as before…
Though he was alive, he sustained heavy injuries.
"Huuuuuaa"
With the aid of his axe, the black-clad individual tried to stand up.
-Click!
The first movement of the [Keiki style] : Quick flash
However, before he could do so, hearing a clicking sound coming from behind him, his vision first became dyed in white before darkness overtook it.
-Thud!
With a large thud, the black-clad individual's figure fell face-first on the ground. Appearing from behind him, holding onto his sword, Ren's indifferent figure appeared.
Turning towards Kevin, Emma and Amanda who were still alive but passed out on the ground, Ren said
"Thanks"
Home The Author's POV Chapter 70: The weak [1]The Author's POVChapter 70: The weak [1]Prev Chapter Next Chapter
Chapter 70: The weak [1]
Hollberg's sky was dyed in an orange hue. The sun was coming up from the horizon, but the scene reflected by the rising sun could only be described as tragic.
Agents surrounded a certain mansion, and desperate cries and echoes resounded across the space.
-Weeeeeooo! -Weeeeeoooo! -Weeeeeoooo!
The sound of ambulances traveling back and forth between the mansion and the hospital continuously resounded throughout the city of Hollberg. Inside of them, either corpses or wounded people were being carried.
Although the situation had been taken care of by the professors who killed all of the black-clad individuals before the agents could arrive, the aftermath of the chaos still remained.
"Students Kevin Voss, Amanda Stern, and Emma Roshfield. We heard the story."
Outside the mansion, a formal agent wearing a black suit scribbled on a piece of paper as he talked to Kevin, Amanda, and Emma.
"We will ask for details later, so go back and rest for now. Our agents will take care of the rest."
After asking Kevin, Emma, and Amanda a couple of questions, the agent dismissed them. It was evident that with everything that was going on, he was very busy.
Agents were different than Heroes. Agents were people specifically selected by the central government to take care of important incidents and assess the situation.
They were compromised of non-combatants. Most of them had professions that were very useful for supporting roles or administrative-type jobs.
Their job was to assess the situation and scene to later communicate it back to the central government who will later dictate under which jurisdiction the incident will be fall under. Either the Union or the central government, with the union being responsible for incidents that involved demons and villains.
"Um, sir. Jin is…"
Hesitating, Emma looked up at the agent and asked, to which the agent replied with a short and curt reply.
"He's fine. Although his injuries aren't light, he should make a full recovery by the end of the week."
"Yes, understood."
Satisfied, Emma didn't ask any more questions.
"Go back. We will shortly escort you to the hospital to get you guys checked"
"Thank you"
Thanking the agent, Kevin and the rest followed another agent.
As they walked, looking around, Kevin glanced at the other students.
Many of them were crying and grieving. The people with whom they were happily chatting and joking the night prior had either died or were on the verge of dying.
It was a truly saddening and horrific night…
As he looked around, Kevin also found certain students helping out with the unexpected emergency. They were helping the agents and professors carry the corpses of their fellow classmates towards the ambulances.
As they carried the corpses of their fellow classmates, the faces of the students could tell it all…
Closing his eyes and turning his head away from the students, Kevin knew that this incident will forever be marked in the hearts of everyone present.
No one will forget this day…
"Here"
Arriving in front of a large tent where many students and professors were residing, Kevin couldn't help but notice how everyone looked exhausted.
This was especially so for Donna who had dark circles underneath her beautiful eyes.
'She must've overworked herself…'
Kevin thought as he along with Emma and Amanda found a place to sit.
Despite having fought for the whole night, Donna along with professor Novak were still trying their best to help the students. They cooperated with agents and students to try to get as many people safely out of the mansion.
…not once, since the incident started, did Donna rest. This just went to show how much she cared about the students.
"…hm?"
Turning his attention away from Donna, Kevin's eyes couldn't help but drift towards a certain individual who was talking to an agent like many other students.
He had jet-black hair and deep blue eyes, and despite having been through the same situation as the others, differently from the others, he was in a better state than most people.
Although his clothes were in a bit of a mess, he looked to be relatively unharmed. He didn't look like someone who had been through the same incident as the others.
'It's him…'
Glancing beside him, Kevin noticed that he wasn't the only one that was looking at him, as he noticed both Emma and Amanda looking at him from afar.
Though their expressions were different, Kevin could tell that both of them knew that they weren't the ones that killed the black-clad individuals at the end.
Although to the agents, evidence showed that he, Amanda, and Emma, were responsible for killing the last black-clad guy…The three of them knew it wasn't actually them who killed him.
This was especially so for Amanda and Emma who attacked last…
They were definitely supposed to die.
They all knew that.
Yet, when they woke up, they found themselves alive…and next to them was the corpse of the black-clad individual laying face flat on the floor without any signs of life.
At first, they were confused.
Did they kill him?
Did that last-ditch attack manage to kill the black-clad individual?
But they soon dismissed the idea.
It was impossible.
In spite of the fact that by the time they attacked he was already quite injured due to his fight with Kevin, Emma and Amanda knew their limits.
Unless they were extremely lucky, there was no chance they could kill him.
…their assumptions were later proven correct when they received the autopsy report regarding the black-clad individual from the agents.
Though he was heavily injured, what killed him wasn't their last-ditch attack, but a clean sword cut straight into the heart.
As soon as they found out this piece of news, they instantly realized that something didn't add up.
The agents assumed that Kevin was the person responsible for killing the black-clad individual, but Kevin knew…he knew it wasn't him.
Looking at Ren talking to the agent in the distance, two questions emerged in Kevin's mind.
Who was he, and why was he hiding his strength?
…
"…Hmmm"
Waking up to the pungent smell of alcohol, covered in bandages, Jin's eyelids slowly opened.
"Khh…"
Looking up at the white ceiling illuminated by a white fluorescent light, Jin felt a throbbing sensation on his right temple causing his face to crump up.
After a couple of seconds, and after the pain passed away, trying to sit up straight, Jin suddenly felt a sharp pain coursing through his body almost resulting in him screaming.
-Pomf!
In the end, he could only helplessly lay down on the white hospital mattress. Once again staring at the white ceiling above him, Jin truly felt helpless.
Everything felt like a blur to him. Fragmented memories of what had happened prior to waking up here appeared in his mind.
The images of him almost dying and being held by the throat constantly replayed in his mind.
…it was only after a couple of seconds that Jin fully understood what had happened.
At firsts, he couldn't quite place his finger onto the emotion he was feeling, but as time passed in the white hospital room, he finally could taste it.
The bitter taste of defeat…
'Ah…'
-Pita -Pita
"huh, what's this?"
Touching his cheeks, Jin noticed a few droplets of water falling down from his eyes.
"…ahh, sh*t"
Covering his eyes with his arm, Jin clenched his teeth.
'How pathetic'
Pride
It first started when he defeated a ranked warrior when he was eight years old.
The looks on every adult's face in the room at that time were something that he still remembered to this day.
Fear, pride, awe, shock…all types of emotions were displayed on the adult's faces as he brutally beat down an up and coming ranked Hero raised by their guild.
He didn't know what was going on back then, but that day something within him changed.
The looks on the adult's faces. He couldn't get enough of it.
Therefore, from that day, Jin trained and trained and trained like there was no tomorrow.
He was strong.
He wanted people to idolize him more. He wanted them to know just how strong he was.
As the days passed and he grew older, the looks on the adult's faces changed. If before they had any slight contempt, it soon disappeared. What replaced it was either fear or worship. There was no other emotion.
He was getting stronger at speeds that were thought to be impossible for someone his age.
Soon, he started beating ranked heroes that had been training for years without much effort.
'Ahh, this feels good'
Every time he beat someone, his heart would flutter.
'Worship me more!'
'Fear me more!'
'Revere me more!'
And along with the pleasure Jin felt whenever he would beat a strong opponent came a powerful realization
How strong he was and how weak they were.
From that point on, everything suddenly started to click for him.
That's right.
He was special.
He was the chosen one. He had something that others didn't.
Talent and a good background.
It was from that point on that he developed a pride that no one else had. The pride of being the best…
…At least that's what he thought.
Laying down pathetically in the hospital bed with his body covered in bandages, Jin realized that his pride had turned into conceit.
…He had been deluding himself for a long time.
First, it was Kevin, then it was Amanda, and just a night ago he almost died from a bunch of nobodies that were doing someone else's dirty work.
His body was battered beyond belief and he couldn't even lift a finger.
'How pathetic…'
'…this humiliation…remember the moment where your pathetic self almost lost to a bunch of henchmen…remember me, Ren Dover beating you!'
Recalling those words Jin's jaw clenched.
However, it soon relaxed. As he recalled those emotionless eyes staring at him as if he was nothing, Jin felt an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time well from deep within him.
"I see…this sense of loneliness, fear, and helplessness is a first for me"
They say men don't shed tears.
…yet at the age of 16, Jin for the first time in a long time, cried like there was no tomorrow.
He was strong yet so weak.
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Home The Author's POV Chapter 71: The weak [2]
The Author's POV
Chapter 71: The weak [2]
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Chapter 71: The weak [2]
[Yesterday, at around 9:45 P.M. Hollberg, a group of unidentified individuals attacked multiple students from the lock killing 389 and crippling 107…]
Sitting on a comfy chair inside of a private hospital, I looked at the large TV screen on the wall.
Currently, a male news anchor was reporting the happenings of the Hollber accident. Next to him, a pretty female anchor added a few comments here and there.
[…According to the investigation, no valuable information was gathered regarding the aggressors as they all killed themselves or died from unknown causes. According to reports, thanks to the support of Hero rank 156 Donna Longbern and S ranked hero Connor Novak the number of casualties didn't reach the four-digit figures…]
[This type of massacre on students had never happened before in the history of the lock nor humanity. What happened yesterday will forever be remembered as 'The massacre of Hollberg' and we can only extend our support and prayers towards the victims of this accident]
Stacking the papers on the table, looking towards the camera, the news anchor's voice deepened
[Now this gives rise to a new question. Is the lock really that safe of a place? Is the lock really the safe haven advertised by the central government and the union? Who should be held accountable for the death of those 389 people? I'm not sure about you, but…]
-Clack!
-Bam!
As I was listening, suddenly the TV shut off. Following which the sound of something hard smashing against the cold hard floor echoed across the hospital.
Turning my line of sight towards where the sound came from, angrily standing up, a professor glared at what remained of the controller.
Looking back at the TV, he shouted
"What sort of nonsense are you talking about!? Do they expect us to protect all of the students when we too were fighting for our lives? Do they not understand what we went through that night!! Haa? Tell me!"
"Professor Rim please calm down."
"Professor Rim!"
Noticing the outburst, a couple of students and professors immediately headed towards the professor trying their best to calm him down.
Despite their struggle, the professor didn't calm down. It was only after more professors and students came that he finally stopped going on a rampage and calmed down.
Tensions were at an all-time high.
Not just the students, but the professors were heavily affected by the incident. Despite the fact that the professors had gone through a lot of similar situations, that didn't mean they too didn't feel terrible for what had happened.
Be it, students or professors.
They all thought one thing.
…What if I was stronger?
Could an extra life had been saved?
Looking at the commotion, I shook my head.
There were no what-ifs in the world. What had happened had already happened. You either looked ahead or remained stuck in the past.
Glancing at the students that sat next to me, their eyes were hollow. It was evident that they were traumatized by the incident.
I sort of understood what they were going through.
Having lost my parents at the peak of my dependence, I knew the feeling of losing loved ones.
Some lost their best friends, some lost their romantic partners, or some even lost their siblings.
Almost everyone lost something yesterday.
As I stared at the students next to me, an indescribable sense of guilt welled up from within me.
…I had already mentally prepared myself for this outcome, but every moment I stayed in the hospital felt agonizing.
The desperate cries of the parents of the deceased students rang throughout the whole hospital tearing a piece of my heart along with it.
It felt suffocating. Almost as if I was crammed inside of a small room with barely any oxygen to breathe.
Only after turning the volume of my mp3 to the max did I manage to calm myself down.
"Fuuuu…"
Taking a long breath, I stood up and decided to head out to get some fresh air.
The longer I stayed in this place, the worse I felt.
I needed to get my mind off of things.
'Perhaps the best place is the rooftop'
A quiet place with no one to disturb me. The rooftop was the perfect place to clear my mind…
…
In a secluded space inside of the hospital, Donna was going through the records of the recent incident.
Because of her reputation as a ranked hero, she managed to gain access to all of the footage of the cameras installed on the first floor.
The video she was currently watching was filmed by a camera that recorded the hall for rooms 500-599. Naturally, it contained the battle between the students and the black-clad individuals.
Though she was a bit hesitant, knowing she could get in trouble if found out, having gone through most of the reports handed in by the students a certain report peeked at her curiosity.
—The last hit wasn't mine
That's what Kevin wrote on his report…
The autopsy report from the agents on the ranked black-clad whom was found next to Kevin and the rest showed that the individual was killed by a sword strike straight to the heart. Donna knew that apart from Kevin, there was no one else in that room that could use a sword.
Emma used shortswords. Amanda used a bow, and Jin used daggers.
If the last hit wasn't his, then whose was it?
After doing a bit more digging, Donna managed to get a hold of the autopsy report of the other black-clad individuals found inside of the room where Kevin and the rest were found.
In total there were six black-clad individuals found in that room. Apart from the ranked one, the remaining five were all ranked. A stark contrast to the other one.
However, what caught her attention wasn't their ranks. No. It was the conditions of the bodies.
Two of the three black-clad individuals were found without their heads. Moreover, once again, they died due to a clean sword cut. This was a drastic difference compared to the other three which were without a doubt killed by a dagger due to the depth of the cut as well as the size of each stab.
Matching the timing with the footage, Donna knew that inside of the room at that time Kevin and the rest had still not gone to aid Jin. Meaning that there was an external factor in play…
"This student…"
Indeed, after looking at more footage, there was a student who caught her attention. From head to toe, he was ordinary in every way. Inside the video, the man in question was not doing anything out of the ordinary. When the black-clad individuals appeared, he was nowhere to be seen. It was as though he had disappeared.
If not for the fact that she had been actively looking for him, she would've assumed he had died along with the many other students that night.
What happened next was even more mysterious.
Suddenly at 9:58 P.M., turning around the corner to the 500-599 corridor, he appeared.
Whenever he walked, black-clad individuals would mysteriously fall. Because of the chaos, if someone didn't look carefully, they wouldn't have noticed this small detail. It was so subtle that no one around him realized what had happened.
Even after zooming the camera and slowing the video down, Donna couldn't find out what was happening.
The more Donna looked, the more she was confused.
Something didn't add up…
As she zoomed the camera towards his face, his demenour in general didn't add up. It wasn't something a student should have. That emotionless and indifferent attitude was only something top heroes that had gone through many similar ordeals had…
What happened next was even more confusing.
He entered room 575. The exact room where Jin was staying as well as where Kevin and the rest entered afterward.
Fast forwarding the clip, Donna saw Kevin, Emma, and Amanda sweeping through the rest of the black-clad individuals in the hall. Following which they soon too entered room 575.
The same room the man in question had entered…
A couple of minutes after they entered, Donna saw the last black-clad individual making his way towards the same room they entered.
Using his power, he broke through room 575 creating a massive hole in the wall.
After that, though she couldn't see what was going on, she could hear the sound of metal clashing against each other followed by loud screams.
Ten minutes after the black-clad individual entered the room, a large explosion shook the room where subsequently, a minute after the explosion, a brilliant white light dyed the surroundings. Because of the light, the camera froze up for a solid minute. By the time the screen came back to normal, everything was quiet and no one came out from that room.
"…Hmm."
After thinking for a bit. Donna figured that during that minute where the camera froze, the student in question left the scene.
Taking out her tablet and after matching his face with her database, she immediately found the identity of the student in question.
Ren Dover.
She did have a small recollection of him.
It was during the first day of training.
He had left an impression on her that day. Not a good one.
She had placed him on her blacklist that day thinking that he wasn't worth having expectations for.
Of course, although she placed him on her blacklist that didn't mean she gave up on teaching him. She only gave up on having expectations of him.
…but after watching the footage, maybe she needed to reevaluate her previous opinion of him.
-Ring! -Ring! -Ring!
Just as Donna's curiosity was increasing, her phone suddenly rang.
Frowning she took it out and answered the call.
Listening to the call, her posture instantly straightened. Nodding her head multiple times she politely said
"Yes, yes, yes…I will be there immediately"
-Tak!
Hanging up the phone, Donna quickly got her stuff and rushed towards the entrance of the hospital.
"Why out of all times did they have to come now…"
Officials from the union had arrived…
-Clank
Closing the door behind her, only the video Donna was watching was left to play in the emptied room.
…
Standing on the rooftop of the hospital I took a long breath and looked at Hollberg.
The sky was blue and the sun brightly lit the city. No signs of what had happened the night prior were evident, and part from the occasional ambulances moving to and fro in the city, it seems like the chaos had died down.
Everyone was just going about their day almost as if nothing had happened yesterday.
Maybe it was better this way…
As I was looking at Hollberg from the rooftop, I couldn't help but look back at the incident. Especially what had happened while I was under the effects of [Monarch's indifference]
I thought about this before, but…
[Monarch's indifference] was an extremely scary skill.
I didn't think too much about it before, but, under the influence of [Monarch's indifference], it felt as if my body was being controlled by someone other than me…It felt as if I was under the depths of the sea and my body was moving on its own.
Despite the fact that I knew what I was doing, the process and how I was doing things was beyond my control.
It was like anything aside from my goal didn't matter. Regardless of what I did to achieve the goal, it didn't matter. Be it sacrificing lives or killing. As long as it helped me achieve the goal, it was enough.
…That's how it felt.
Scary.
Very scary.
Especially since my actions may have resulted in Jin and the others forming a negative opinion of me.
Either way, regardless of how I wanted things to have played out, it was too late for me to regret it.
'You can't change the choice you made, all you can do is not let it ruin you'
This quote perfectly described how I felt at the moment.
I could only move forward and go along with the changes around me.
-Clank!
Suddenly, as I was in deep thought, the sound of the rooftop door opening echoed across the rooftop.
Turning around, my eyes soon paused on a black-hair red-eyed youth.
'ah…seriously?'
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Chapter 72: The weak [3]
An awkward silence enveloped the rooftop. Apart from the occasional chirps from the birds flying in the sky, no other sound resounded across the space.
-Step -Step -Step
Arriving on the edge of the rooftop, standing next to me, Kevin placed his hands on the handrails and looked at Hollberg in the distance.
Aside from the occasional ambulance squeals coming from below, the city of Hollberg looked calm and peaceful.
As Kevin and I watched the city in silence, a strange yet relaxing atmosphere enveloped us. It was as if all of our worries were gone for a split second.
For a short period of time, neither of us spoke. We just calmly watched the city below us.
"It's peaceful isn't it?"
After a short pause, breaking the silence, whilst looking at the city below him, Kevin opened his mouth.
"It sure is…"
Nodding my head whilst keeping my eyes on the city below, I responded.
From where I stood I could see children and adults playing in the park across the hospital. People walking along the roads to get to work, and cars honking at each other.
It really was peaceful…
"Thanks"
Once again breaking the silence, Kevin thanked me.
"…"
Closing my eyes, I didn't respond immediately.
…I didn't know how to respond.
If I answered wasn't I just basically confirming to Kevin that I was indeed the one that had killed the black-clad individual?
but…
"…Sure"
In the end, those were the words that came out of my mouth.
Glancing at Kevin from the side, I had come to the realization that denying was pointless.
Having created Kevin myself, I knew that he wasn't a brain-dead protagonist. No matter how much I tried to deny it, he had already figured out what had happened.
What was the point of denying something that was already obvious…?
Hearing my reply, whilst still looking at the city in the distance, Kevin smiled.
"You know, you seem like a completely different person compared to yesterday…"
Pausing, Kevin briefly glanced at me before leaning back on the handrail and once again looking back at the city.
"…you look more human"
"…"
Taken aback for a second, recalling what had happened the night prior, bitterly smiling, I responded
"Well, the circumstances forced me to be that way…"
"Circumstances, huh…"
Repeating the word a few times, Kevin's brows knit for a few seconds before relaxing.
Glancing at me from the side he said
"…were they the same circumstances that caused you to attack Jin?"
Bitterly shaking my head whilst gazing at the clouds in the sky, I smiled
"Would you believe me if I told you it was for his own benefit?"
Tilting his head, Kevin thought for a moment before nodding.
"More or less"
Surprised, I turned my head in Kevin's direction
"What made you agree with what I said?"
"I wouldn't have believed you if it was before, but having just come back from visiting Jin, I along with the others managed to notice a change in him…"
"I don't know what you did, but Jin has become a lot easier to talk to. Though he still is somewhat arrogant, it isn't as bad as it was before. Moreover, the way he looked at me was different…"
Placing his finger on his chin, Kevin thought for a bit before saying
"…hmm, if before there was a hint of hostility, right now it's completely gone. It's as if he is a new person."
"At least that's how I feel when I look at him now."
Listening to Kevin speak I was honestly quite surprised.
It seems like what I did under the effects of [Monarch indifference] paid off. It was a gamble. A risky one at that, but I'm glad Jin managed to somewhat pick himself back up.
Though I don't know whether he still hated me for what I did, as long as he was back to normal, that was all that mattered to me.
Similar to Kevin, with me being the author, I knew Jin's personality the best.
I knew that even after what I had done to him, he wouldn't target my family.
With the pride he had, he would never attack someone else's family. For someone like him, if he resorted to such a method, he had already lost.
Perhaps, this was why I went extra harsh on him once I was under the effects of [Monarch indifference]
…but I wasn't sure.
If I repeated what I did to someone else that wasn't Jin, I could only imagine the consequences of my action.
Just imaging it sent shivers down my spine.
Once again, my apprehension towards [Monarch indifference] grew.
…I quickly needed to adjust my mentality.
Seeing me fall into deep thought, Kevin hesitated for a bit before saying something that had been bugging his mind since yesterday.
"…Why are you hiding your skills?"
Hearing Kevin's voice, I snapped out of my thoughts. Processing his question for a couple of seconds, I shook my head and looked at him with a trace of pity in my eyes.
"…you should know the answer better than anyone else"
Leaning backward on the handrail, Kevin thought for a moment before breaking into a light chuckle
"I guess you're right, it was stupid of me to ask"
Smiling, I took a better look at Kevin. One thing I noticed as I looked at Kevin was that under his eyes were thick dark circles. Thinking for a bit, since he used [Overdrive], I figured he was probably exhausted.
Though the skill was very strong, its side-effects were just as strong as the skill was. From the way Kevin looked, it seems like he still needed a couple of days of rest before being able to recover fully…
"Well that's my cue"
After looking at the city below for a couple of more minutes, I closed my eyes and decided to leave. Although it wasn't long, my talk with Kevin managed to somehow calm me down.
"hmm"
Without saying anything, Kevin nodded. Basking under the sunlight, he was already lost in his own world.
I couldn't blame him though. With what had happened, I'm sure he was blaming himself a lot.
…that's just who he was
Letting out a long sigh, just as I was about to leave, thinking for a bit, I looked at Kevin and solemnly said
"Before I leave let me tell you something important"
"What"
Seeing how solemn my voice was, Kevin snapped out of his thoughts and his ears perked up
Glancing left and right to make sure no one was looking, I looked at Kevin straight in the eye and said
"Makeup remover serves as a great women repeller"
"…"
"Bye"
-Clank!
Closing the door behind me, I leisurely walked down the stairs. After a short pause, Kevin's laughter echoed throughout the rooftop. It was so loud that I could even hear it all the way down to where I was.
Shaking my head I too smiled.
Although he was trying his best not to show it, I knew that he was currently under immense pressure.
Differently from me, however, his guilt stemmed from the fact of how weak and helpless he felt as he watching his fellow classmates die before his eyes.
In spite of him feeling a different kind of guilt compared to me, I sort of sympathized with how he was feeling.
…Hopefully, my little joke helped him take his mind off of things for a bit.
Shaking my head one more time, I headed downstairs back to the hospital lobby.
'It's tough being the main protagonist'
…
"Welcome"
Arriving at the entrance of the hospital, Donna brightly smiled.
Standing in front of the hospital entrance a muscular male with a clean-shaven head and sunglasses indifferently glanced at his surroundings. His demenour was cold and his expression didn't change even after Donna came.
"Hmm"
Slightly nodding his head towards Donna, the muscular man's face remained aloof.
Smiling slightly in response, Donna looked around to see if there was someone else. According to the call she received, there were two important figures coming today
"Eyoo Donna!"
…and just when she was about to look for the other person, it was at that moment that a charming voice and scent flowed towards Donna. Just by hearing the voice, Donna could instantly tell who it was.
"It's good to see you again Monica"
Peeking from behind the muscular man, a young girl with dark orange hair came out.
Surrounded by a bright aura, Monica happily smiled in Donna's direction. She had crystal clear blue eyes and measured up to 160 cm in height.
Contrary to Donna's seductive beauty, her beauty leaned more towards the innocent side.
"haha, how long has it been since we've seen each other?"
"I'd say half a year"
"Hmm, that's actually shorter than I thought"
"Well, with how busy you usually are, it'd be a surprise if half a year felt short."
Exagerately sighing, Monica looked at Donna with envy
"Ahhh, maybe I should've gone to teach at the lock with you"
Smiling, Donna shook her head
"Your fault for choosing money over happiness"
"I'm starting to really regret my decision now…"
Looking at the girl before her, Donna couldn't help but think back at her past.
She along with Monica graduated from the lock. However, differently from her, Monica chose to join the union instead of teaching at the lock.
At that time their powers were about the same, but five years later, thanks to all of the support she got from the union, she was now Ranked 27 in the Hero ranking.
She was nicknamed 'The Sunset Witch'
Her powers were so devastating that the union had placed heavy emphasis on her.
They had high hopes for her. Due to how outstanding she had been in recent years, they all thought that she was going to be the next SS ranked Hero.
That's how outstanding she was…
"Monica, stop chatting, and let's get our jobs over with"
Disrupting their conversation, the tall muscular man spoke
"Jeez, why are you always so uptight with everything, George?"
"…"
Ignoring Monica, the tall muscular man named George glanced at Donna. He was hinting at her to hurry up.
"How about you first come into the hospital instead of waiting at the entrance?"
Taking the hint, looking around her, Donna noticed that the atmosphere around them was tense.
Almost suffocating.
This was partly due to how enormous their presences were. Although they weren't consciously releasing it, it was still felt by everyone around them.
"This way"
Without skipping a beat, gesturing for them to follow her, Donna walked towards a more secluded space in the hospital.
"Alrighty"
Happily smiling, Monica and George followed Donna.
Only after they left that everything returned to its usual calm.
…
Arriving at a more luxurious space inside of the hospital, Donna brought them into a private room.
Gesturing for them to sit down anywhere, Donna took off her coat and sat on a sofa.
"So what do I owe you the pleasure of coming here for?"
Glancing at George for a second, Monica raised two fingers
"We have two objectives to achieve"
"One is to deliver a certain equipment to the agents, two, see a certain student…"
Hearing the first part of her sentence, Donna nodded. Naturally, in order to accurately measure if demons and villains were involved in the incident, special equipment was required. If not, it would be much harder to determine whether this was done by a villain or someone else.
However, after hearing the second half of Monica's sentence Donna frowned.
"Who is the student you got your interest in?"
"Kevin Voss"
"Kevin?"
"Yes"
Hearing Kevin's name being mentioned, Donna's frown deepened
"What do you need to see him for?"
Cutting Monica before she could answer, George spoke
"It's none of your business"
"Oh? I would like to disagree since he is my student"
Raising her brow, Donna looked at George and released her S ranked pressure.
"Hmph!"
Not wanting to be outdone, George too released his pressure.
Instantly the room shook.
"Hey, both of you calm down."
Noticing that the situation was quickly getting out of control, Monica stepped in.
-Wooosh!
Instantly both of their pressure disappeared as a more monstrous one enveloped the both of them.
"khh…"
"Khhh…Monica stop I get it"
Enveloped by such monstrous pressure, both Goerge and Donna felt as if a truck had rammed into them.
They could barely move their bodies.
Seeing that they had both calmed down, Monica's pressure disappeared.
"Pheewww, you know I don't like doing this sort of stuff"
Flicking her hair to the side, Monica leaned back on her chair. Looking back at Donna she said
"It's nothing worrisome, we just wanted to have a nice chat with him"
Helplessly sighing, Donna looked at Monica with a complicated expression before saying
"…you aren't thinking of recruiting him right? If so, discard that thought immediately. He still needs to graduate from the lock before he is allowed to step foot into the union"
"We know, we know, we aren't here to recruit him, but more like observe him"
Seeing the slight hostility in Donna's eyes, Monica reassured her. Lightly tapping on the armrest of the chair, Monica looked at the ceiling of the room before softly mumbling
"We also have a couple of other people in mind…but they might be harder to recruit since their parents might want them in their guild…"
Pretending to not have heard the latter half of her sentence, Donna nodded.
"hmm, if you promise me you won't be doing anything out of order I can allow you to meet him"
"Thank you, Donna, you're the best!"
Happily standing up, Monica jumped in Donna's direction
"Stooop, don't come near me—"