"We can talk about this, Cecilia," said Kevin, raising his hands in an attempt to surrender. However, the amusement on his face contradicted his actions, causing Cecilia to grow enraged. Was he playing with her?
With a swift motion, Cecilia's foot approached Kevin's abdomen at terrifying speeds.
"Fuck you, woman," said Kevin, narrowing his eyes. "I was trying to be diplomatic, so that we can solve this issue without risking our factions. It was a rational proposition… but I guess you're too stuck up to accept that."
Kevin extended his arm, directing his palm towards Cecilia's approaching foot. Then, a thin layer of mana surrounded the flat of his palm.
As Cecilia's foot collided with his palm, sparks flew in all directions due to the impact. However, Kevin didn't waste any time. He cupped his fingers, grabbing Cecilia's foot before slamming her body into the ground.
The ground shattered, and debris flew in all directions.
Cecilia didn't accept the disrespect. Kevin lifted her solely using her foot to slam her into the ground again. However, Cecilia used the momentum she received by twisting her body, in turn, twisting Kevin's wrist.
The leader of the Millers loosened his grip, and Cecilia shot out from it. Then, without a single second of delay, the leader of the Jester Organization swung back, landing her fist on Kevin's cheek.
Kevin's face shook due to the impact, and his body flew back several meters.
"Gregorio!" Cecilia called out, continuing to engage in battle. Her strikes were rapid, precise, and destructive.
"What?" Gregorio asked, evading a strike from Athanasia.
"Whenever you meet him, ask the kid how he managed to recruit the Garcias," said Cecilia, smirking as a horrified expression appeared on the faces of both Athanasia and Kevin. Taking advantage of that, Cecilia and Mason got to work.
Gregorio, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "Recruited the Garcias? Did Arthur do that?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier," said Mason, landing a kick on Athanasia's oblique. Then, he paired the blow with a single jab at the throat, which she deflected using the back of her palm.
"They should be here any minute now."
As Cecilia said those words, a crashing noise reverberated across the hall. The hall's entrance shattered, and hundreds of people flooded in. They all had insignias and crests on their chest and symbolized their affiliation to the Garcias.
"That bastard…" Gregorio muttered as a smile bloomed over his face. His eyes were wide, and nothing but surprise and happiness were visible within them.
"Hey, Mr. Ainsworth," the first son of Kyle Garcia greeted, and Mason nodded in acknowledgement. The Garcias quickly rivaled Athanasia and Kevin, forming a line of defense within seconds.
Gregorio remained at the back, looking upwards.
"The sky is truly falling today."
*
"Henry," said Arthur, and Professor Noxickle leapt forward. With a single flick of his wrist, several spikes forged solely out of mana formed before shooting towards Mr. Mason, who simply smiled as he viewed them.
Little did he know, they weren't the only attacks in Henry's arsenal.
"Hold him off, Henry," said Arthur before glancing at Jake, who nodded in response. With a single use of [Mana Step], the crimson-eyed man rushed past Mr. Mason, who was too occupied with Henry's attacks to obstruct Arthur's path.
Jake and Arthur threw a few spells at Mr. Mason's back, but nothing worked. Eventually, they simply escaped the situation.
"Why are we headed to the principal's office?" Jake asked, running up the stairs as they hurriedly navigated across the entire school. The first year classes were usually held on the ground floor, so Jake was unbeknownst to the layout.
However, Arthur was not.
Ever since Gregorio recruited him, the crimson-eyed man had been experimenting by pissing the teachers off. Since they usually sent him to the principal's office, Arthur did his best to remember the layout of the entire school.
He usually roamed around the hallways whenever he was sent to the principal's office, taking in the scenery.
Noticing that Arthur wouldn't respond, Jake changed the topic. "How do you know about the school's layout so well?"
"I've been planning this for the entire year," replied the crimson-eyed man with focused eyes. "Ever since my battle with Alisha in which I twisted her arm, I've been digging up information on everything. All variables are accounted for."
"So… as for the Garcias' help, you befriended me solely for that purpose?" Jake asked, narrowing his eyes at Arthur's words. If that truly was the case, did their friendship mean nothing but extra reinforcements?
"At first…"
Jake remained silent, but through his eyes that stared at the floor, Arthur could sense his thoughts.
"I was thinking of doing that… until the incident at the bakery," explained Arthur, letting out a deep sigh. "Trust me… for the first time, I actually value a relationship… other than my family, of course. You're my first friend."
"Your first?"
"In my entire life… yeah," Arthur replied. Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder, and chills shot down his body. "You don't need to be so… sappy."
"Sorry… Let's go," said Jake, to which Arthur nodded.
Navigating across the dark hallways, they finally arrived in front of a door. The lights behind the door were on, judging by the faint light that peeked through the bottom of the door. Arthur and Jake glanced at each other before nodding resolutely.
Arthur approached the door before gently pushing it, allowing his eyes to be blinded by a flood of yellow light.
Immediately, however, instead of seeing Athanasia's empty desk, Arthur instead saw an approaching weapon. Jake leapt forward, and although his eyes weren't adjusted to the light, he could still predict the weapon's movements.
Arthur, with closed eyes, swung horizontally using his longsword. The sensation of slicing something permeated across his arms, and he finally opened his eyes.
The person who stood in front of him… was someone he expected but hoped it wasn't.
His roommate, and the murderer of Caroline.
Gary Anderson.
