“Huh…Where am I? Is this hell? Why is it so bright?”

  “One, you’re inside the medical center of Kiriwatari Academy. Two, you’re inside the medical center of Kiriwatari Academy. And three, you’re inside the medical center of Kiriwatari Academy. Any questions left?”

  “Kiriwata…KIRIWATARI ACADEMY? Why am I here? Are you bluffing?”

  “One, yes, this is Kiriwatari Academy. Two, you’re boss, who happens to study here, literally tried to kill you st night. And three, call me “bluffing” again and no amount of meds and surgeries are gonna save you from what I’m bouta done with you. Understood?”

  “Y…Yes ma'am.”

  One of the two kidnappers, more specifically Frank Luv, has finally awake. Right now, he and his company are staying inside Kiriwatari Academy, undergoing medical treatment by the head doctor of the medical center. Had they been brought here a little bit too te, they would have been dead. They’re very lucky to actually survive the brutal beat down they received st night.

  “Um…so doc, how about my friend, is he OK?”

  “Don’t worry, he’ll get up eventually. You have no idea how much he snored st night. He really is a heavy sleeper, isn’t he?”

  “It’s OK doc, I know this guy for quite a while now. You’ll get used to it I promise.”

  “Well you see, I’m not going to. There’s a reason why you two were brought here, and that reason is right outside waiting for all of you to wake up.”

  She then opens the door, revealing a pretty woman wearing a yukata with nice long blonde hair. She slowly gets inside while holding a bunch of files.

  “Good morning gentlemen. Do you mind having a moment with this beautiful dy?”

  And so, the interrogation of Frank Luv and Jay Robinson has officially began.

  It’s been a few days since the incident.

  Not much has changed, except for the fact that Tiamat, one of the most infamous and most powerful mythological creatures, is now currently my servant. There is no joke here. As for my daily life, how do I describe this…

  “Ninety…nine, one hundred!!!”

  “That’s it Master, put on more work Master, I know you can do it.”

  I’m now inside the [Almighty Realm]. This is for my “special training”, at least that’s what she said. According to her, I need to train more than just inside the academy’s facilities, so she decided to modify this pce to fit for my “special training”. And if you’re wondering what she did to this pce…

  “You’re doing good Master. Keep this progress and we'll move on to twenty times gravity in no time.”

  She read my memories, again. She looked through all the anime and manga I enjoyed and thought “Hmm, perfect, this is what I’m looking for!”, and next thing I know, I’m doing the gravity training inside the [Almighty Realm]. Seriously, I couldn’t believe she actually did that. And the worst part of it?

  "Alright Master, let’s see how many times you’ll get killed today.”

  “I’m pretty sure the record st time was seventeen, so I can only promise to do the best.”

  “That’s the spirit Master! I’m going in right now, so prepare yourself.”

  I have to fight a one-on-one fight with her every single night. No mercy, no holding back. Just do everything you can to push your physicality and mentality to the limit. She had killed me way more time than I can imagine, but lucky for me, this isn’t my “body”. This is just a modification of the real body with my soul getting transferred into it. I don’t really understand the mechanics behind all of this, but I guess I’m using a clone of myself. That's the best I can come up with. One good thing about this “clone” is that it connects to my real body in some ways, so if I get stronger inside here, the same can be said for my real body. But to gain more power, there’s something I should do right now…

  "Wind Bdes!”

  Tiamat activates her attack. I was going to block it with my sword, but I quickly realized that’s a bad idea and instead jumped to the side, essentially dodged it.

  “Very good Master, I like that quick thinking. To know oneself is true progress, am I correct?”

  "Are we just gonna stand around here all night or are we gonna fight? Seventeen is the record, isn’t it? I’d love to beat that record and beat you

  “If you say so, then I guess I’m not holding back anymore.” she said as she clenched her fist.

  She’s pissed, but not in a negative way. I have this feeling that tonight is going to be a bloody night for me, but I’m ready. I still have a promise to make, so there’s no way I’m giving up right now. No matter what she’ll throw at me, I’ll take it, I’ll take it all.

  That night, I’ve managed to only die twelve times.

  “Damn, st night was intense. You did not hold back, did you?”

  “Come on Master, it’s your fault for referencing with THAT accent of yours. It excited me you know.”

  “You…have a weird side, you know that right?”

  “Ehehehe…”

  We’re now heading to the academy. She’s inside my sword of course, I can’t just let everyone knows that I’ve unleashed probably one of the most dangerous beasts out. They would go nuts if they ever found out about it so the best I can do is to reveal the truth to someone I can totally trust. But that’s not the only problem.

  “Hey, it’s him…I think we should move fast. His existence makes me wanna throw up.”

  “Hey, keep it down. He might hear us.”

  Everyone still gives me that kind of look whenever I’m going to school. Maybe I should do something about it. Joining a club doesn’t sound bad. But what kind of club fit me the most? I should definitely check through some of them to see which one is the best for me. Student council is an option, but I don’t really think I have what it takes to join it. Putting that to the side, there’s something I have to deal with first.

  “Grr grr, those idiots…they dare mock my Master? Very well, I shall grant them fate worse than death!”

  “Calm down Tiamat. It’s not worth it so just let it go, will you?” I said as I tried to comfort her.

  “Ughh fine Master, if that’s what you want. But you gottta work something out, you know? The look of their eyes just…creeps me out a bit…”

  “I know, I know…”

  We’re on the same boat after all. She must have felt that type of way when she saw those eyes. Well, that’s settle it. I’m checking out some of the clubs after lunch. I feel like some of them aren’t currently looking for new members, but I hope that one, just one club will accept me, that’ll be great.

  With that in mind, we’re going inside the academy, ready for a brand new day.

  “Hey Master, can I ask you something?”

  “Hmm? What is it?”

  “Exactly how well you do at school?”

  “You’re talking about my grades? Well let’s see, on the scale of a hundred, I’d say at least seventy, that is according to all of my small tests I took for the past month. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh nothing Master, I’m just…you know…curious.”

  We’re now having a Math css. It’s definitely not something I’m too good at, but at least I’m doing a decent job keeping up with everything. I still have a Physics and Magic css after this, so I’ll have to stay focus all the time. Now that’s something I’m good at.

  “Anyways Master, is Math always this hard? I mean, I have no problem with all of this at all, but back in the days, not many kids could get a hold of this kind of knowledge, let alone learn it.”

  “Well, things changed I suppose. But I’m pretty sure this isn’t the case for other countries as far as I know. We’re Asian after all, so knowing all of these is kinda…mandatory, I guess?”

  “Hmm, interesting…”

  I can’t really say much about other country’s matters, I don’t think my voice is valid enough. But if I’m being honest, it’s not really that hard. Of course there’s still something I don’t fully understand, but for me, the basics are enough. It’s just only the matter of how you can build up from those foundations. It’s the execution, as people always say. Take the [Telepathic Line] as an example. As Tiamat once expined, [Telepathy Magic] actually has different levels of using it. For those who only reach the [Surface Level], they can get sidetracked really quick if they’re using it during conversations. But since Tiamat has reached the [Master Level], she can easily deliver the message without letting herself lose any focus, and the best part is, anyone who shares the [Telepathic Line] with her can achieve the same. That’s why I can easily have a conversation with her in my head while still totally focusing on the lesson. She really thought about this, didn’t she? I should thank her someday…

  “Uhm…Excuse me, do you guys happen to still looking for a new member? I’d like to join your club.”

  “You’re Yasutaira Waka, right? Thanks for your enthusiasm, but unfortunately, we currently do not have a pn to recruit new members. I suggest you check our social media outlets and come back another time.”

  “Oh, then I’ll be leaving right away.”

  “Have a good day, Yasutaira-kun.”

  After gently denied my request, the club’s secretary immediately continues with her paperwork. She’s just a student like me, yet she has that professional demeanor on her. She doesn’t seem to have something against me, so that’s a good sign. Honestly, I feel like I’m in a job interview rather than looking for a club to join. But like she said, the club is no longer looking for another member, so I quickly get out of the clubroom. I’m a little bit disappointed, but that’s something I expected from the beginning, so it’s not really killing my mood in any way. But for someone else, it’s a different story.

  “OK, now even these people rejected Master? Who do they think they are? If it happens again for the next club, there’s no reason for me to stay inside your sword, Master. And that’s a promise!”

  “Oh come on Tiamat, they had reasons, OK? Also, it’s not like they banished me like some kind of wild animals. I asked, and they gently responded. How can you be mad at them?”

  “Clubs that don’t suit you I can take it, but even the [Swordsmanship Club]? Should I just kill off some of its members so that there’ll be some spots left for you?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea or even a good joke, Tiamat. But either way, I think that’s the st one on the list.”

  “Wait, really?”

  “Yeah, as far as I’m concern…I guess I’ll go check the student council. Maybe they’ll need someone for the assistant position.” I said as I’m walking through the hallway.

  I’m now on the first floor. The student council room is on the other side of the third floor. I had lunch beforehand, and since I still have some time before my training session, walking around the academy is a very nice exercise if you ask me. This is also a perfect time to have some talk with Tiamat.

  “Uhm so Tiamat…you’re basically a god, right?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “Oh nothing. It just that…we have different religions, so there has to be more than one god, am I correct?”

  “Master, I’m warning you, just because you’re going on a right direction doesn’t mean you should rush it. There’s still something a mere human can’t just accept or get used to it right away. So let me tell you something my Master, I’ll only reveal it to you when the time comes. But for now, all I can answer is yes, I’m not the only god that exists in this world. That’s the furthest you can go for now Master. You gotta prove to me that you can go even further beyond with more than just your bare hand, Master. Understood?”

  “Umm, yes…? Thanks for the information?”

  “That’s the sound I like to hear Master. Do you have anything else to ask?”

  “Oh yes I have, actually. This one is rather about me, but I’d like a unique perspective from you, Tiamat.”

  “If this is what you want Master, then I shall listen. So tell me about what’s on your mind.”

  “Well you see…I was wondering about what kind of magic I can use besides [Summoning Magic]. I’m still you know…learning. I know that you’ve only been around for a few days, but I do think that you can somewhat have an answer to this. So what do you think?”

  I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. But at the same time, I think I can justify my action. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve finally get to say it, or it just that I decided to flow with the wind unintentionally? Either way, it’s definitely a relief for me. For now, it all depends on her response.

  “Oh, so that’s what bugging Master huh…I do have something to say, I don’t really know if you want to hear it…”

  “It’s OK Tiamat, I don’t mind that much.”

  “If you say so Master. Truth be told, I don’t think there are too many magical abilities that you can use, Master.”

  “I thought so…”

  “But don’t worry, Master. You can’t just force a crow-tit to be as good as a stork, am I right? We can still figure out something, you know. I promise to you that I won’t let you walk alone on this journey.”

  “Thanks Tiamat, that’s…just very sweet of you.”

  “You’re my Master, remember? It’s just my job you know.”

  It’s good to have her on my back. She definitely sounds like she’s genuinely want to help me, which is something I appreciate very much. I can’t let her down by any means, so I’ll have to do better and train harder no matter what. That’s my promise for today.

  “So…this is the student council room…”

  I made it. I’m standing right in front of the room. I haven’t had the chance to go inside, but I can tell it is not a small room at all. I definitely feel nervous, but also very confident at the same time. Maybe it’s because that I have nothing to lose at all, but who knows. Let’s just give it a shot, shall we?

  “Hey Master, are you ready?”

  “Surprisingly yes I must say. I don’t know why, I just feel like it.”

  “Confident is good Master, but don’t get too cocky.”

  “I know, I know…”

  With that in mind, I gently open the door, revealing the interiors: A big space with an office desk right in the center, with bookshelves in all the corners and rather comfortable grey sofa set to the left of me. There’s also a door that connects to another room, which I assume is the storage room. I can even see a very luxurious chandelier when I look up, and when I take a look down, there’s this carpet with rather artistic choice of pattern. I’m not really into art that much, but it’s quite nice I must say. There’s also some paintings on the wall that I find quite…interesting. It must be from the previous years. Other than that, the room is a perfect bance of seriousness and coziness that I really enjoy. While I’m still in awe with how nice the room is, one voice smoothly interrupts.

  “Umm, Yasutaira-kun, what makes you come to our beloved student council?”

  Wait a minute, that voice is oddly…familiar. When I take a look of the sources of the voice, I realize something…

  “Ka…Kariuda-san? You work for the student council?”

  “Well yes, yes I am. Right now, I’m the vice president of the Kiriwatari Academy Student Council, or K.A.S.C if that’s what you prefer to call. So anyways, what wind brought you here?”

  “Oh, about that…well you see, I heard that the student council is still looking for a new assistant and…I would like to apply myself for the position.”

  “Uh huh, so that’s the case…” she said as she’s heading to the desk, taking out some files.

  I don’t really know whether I did a good job or not. All I’ve done so far is ask, and that’s about it. I mean, it’s not easy being a part of the team. I just hope that I can do the best if I somehow manage to join.

  “OK Yasutaira-kun, here’s the application form. Just fill in all of these and let me handle the rest.”

  “Wait, that’s it? It’s that easy? No interviewing, no background checking, no nothing?”

  “Of course not. Usually I’ll run through some tests on the contestants, but since you’ve proven yourself for the past month, I’d say that’s just meaningless.”

  “Wait, so all the paperwork you asked me before, is just for…”

  “Yes Yasutaira-kun. All things led to this moment. From the get go, we’ve decided that you’ll be a perfect fit for the team.”

  “The whole team approved? But where is everybody?”

  “They’re busy handling other matters Yasutaira-kun, but they’ll be here in no time. But until then …”

  She then lowers her skirt while also bowing down to me like some kind of maid.

  “Welcome to Kiriwatari Academy Student Council. I hope we’ll have a great time working together.”

  “Umm, it’s a pleasure for me? I’m looking forward to being a part of the team.” I put my hand in front of my chest, while also bowing down to her.

  I then quickly fill in the application. The sofa really is very nice and comforting, I really just want to sit on it forever. After finishing all the papers, I give them to Kariuda-san, then I’m heading out of the office. She smiles and waves at me as I’m leaving. I must say, it’s a weird feeling. The pce that I thought I won’t be welcomed turns out to be the only pce to accept me. At least for now I have another pce to go in this academy. I think maybe it’s time for me to reschedule my daily pn for all the council works I’ll do in the future…

  “So Master, how it’s going? Did you manage to join the student council?”

  “Yes, somehow. If I’m being honest, it went so smooth to the point of thinking that they’re pnning something, but maybe I’m just being paranoid. But hey wait, why are you asking it? Aren’t you supposed to know it too?”

  “I was zoned out for a bit Master, so I didn’t catch up with the meeting.”

  “Oh, is that so…I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

  “That’s OK Master, people make mistakes, am I right?”

  I didn’t know that it’s possible for her to lose focus. I don’t know what she’s up to, but let just hope that things won’t get out of hand too much…

  “Hargh! Hargh! Hargh!”

  “That’s right Master. Your movement is way better than yesterday now so keep going Master!”

  While waiting for Kariuda-san’s response, I decide to train for the rest of the time. Normally there’s only me, but now that I have Tiamat, she is now some kind of mentor to me. She of course can’t just show up for obvious reasons, but she still manages to find a way to guild me throughout the training, so in the eyes of everyone, I’m still all alone. It’s nice to have someone to help you with the training though, it really reminds me back when I was Sukeno-san’s student. I still have a lot to learn, so there’s no reason for me to stop at all.

  “See Master? What did I tell you about how to flow your body? With this pace, I can teach you magic in no time!”

  “I don’t think we should rush. My body is still getting used to this kind of movement so maybe give it I don’t know a few weeks? Then we can do what you want.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t fall for that Master. Your body and your mind really are getting better day by day.”

  If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s, they said. She may be the one who shows me what I should and shouldn’t do, but all of that is pointless if I’m not the one who walks on it, to decide for myself. The journey may not be easy, but I know that I can make it, and so does she. That’s the reason why I fight, that’s the reason why I live, that’s the reason why I survive: To be better than my past self.

  “To the left, Wasutaira-kun. I need that perfect angle.”

  “Is this necessary Kariuda-san? I mean you can still use my school photo if you want.”

  “This is a special occasion, Yasutaira-kun. I’m not using some half-ass photo-shopped picture for it you know?”

  “I guess you’re right…So how about this, is this good?”

  “Oh yeah, that’s it, that’s the spot…just keep it for a sec and…that’s it, that’s a wrap for today. Thank you for your cooperation Yasutaira-kun.”

  “It’s done? Oh thank god, doing all this this took me quite a while you know.”

  For some reason, any new member of the student council is required to take a photo of them wearing a special uniform made specifically for the council. I’m just an assistant, so I’m wearing a blue vest with a dark blue trousers and a red tie. There’s also a gilding name tag on my right chest I think. Overall, it’s a simple design yet very professional and stylist. But since I’m already done with all the photoshoot, I’m taking them off to put on my normal uniform. The room we in are right next to the student council room, so it is used for a lot of purposes, including changing clothes out of all things.

  “Umm so Kariuda-san, may I ask you something?”

  “Go ahead Yasutaira-kun.”

  “How many assistants do you guys need exactly?”

  “More than one. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh nothing, it just that…I’m curious about how you guys actually look for a new member. Is there like, I don’t know, any mechanics behind the recruitment?”

  “I’m gd you asked, Yasutaira-kun. Since you’re already a member, it’s only my job to expin something that you don’t fully get it. You see, it’s not really as hard to execute as you imagine.”

  “Is that so?”

  “There are actually only two criteria that we care about: efficiency and dynamism. We need someone who can work and flow like a pro with ease. You Yasutaira-kun fit it quite well just from what I’ve seen. Normally we would have a roundtable meeting to decide who’s gonna join the team, but you’re the exception, as you’re the only one to actually show up before we even make any decision.”

  “Wait, I am? Really?”

  “I was shocked too you know. My initial pn was to nominate you during the meeting, but now that you’re here, I guess that won’t be necessary anymore.” she said as she’s looking far away.

  Her presence right now is far from what I normally see. She’s still very serious, hard-working, but at the same time, so close and gentle. Are you sure you’re the same age as I am?

  “So it’s that all? Do I have to do anything else? It’s kinda rude to say but I still have work to do you know?”

  “Oh no you don’t, that’s all for today. You can go home now, I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “Really? Thanks a lot Kariuda-san!”

  “No need to thank me Yasutaira-kun. It’s my job after all. ”

  After putting on my normal clothes, I thank Kariuda-san and leave the room. She said that all the papers would be done tonight so I can totally go to work tomorrow. I think I’m going to cut off some of my training time for the student council, but that won’t be a problem to me at all.

  “So Master, about the training…”

  “What is it Tiamat?”

  “How is the training gonna be now that you’re part of the council? You have a pn, don’t you?”

  “Well not really. You see, I was thinking about splitting my training schedule. So instead of a mix between physical and combat training, I think we should split them into different days, like for example Monday and Wednesday and is for combat and Tuesday and Thursday is for physical. How do you think?”

  “That’s a great idea Master!”

  “Well, the only problem is that it’s said easier than done. But you’ll help me right?”

  “Of course Master, your wish is my command.”

  I can’t just do things all by myself, so I’m gd that I have her. There are still a lot to discuss, but I feel like that’s the matter for after my shift. With that in mind, I’m heading to the P.E css, before going to the restaurant that I’m working.

  “Hey Master…”

  “What’s wrong Tiamat?”

  “Did you feel that? I can’t be the only one to actually sense it right?”

  “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. In fact, the moment I stepped out of the restaurant, something was already…off.”

  Something’s wrong, and I can feel it. The feeling, the sensation, it’s like a hundred eyeballs are looking at me straight, waiting to chew and spit me like some kind of gum. The only problem is, I can’t really see them. Maybe they’re hiding, or maybe I’m just hallucinating. But since Tiamat can feel it too, the ter seems inaccurate. I’m holding my sword as tight as ever, just in case I get ambushed. Knowing that alone isn’t enough, I ask Tiamat a favor.

  “So Tiamat, what do you think we should do?”

  “You know, going back home right now is not a good idea. How about we just follow their lead and go for a surprise attack?”

  “Sounds good to me. Now we need an alley that has enough pces to escape anytime we want, and I think I know one…”

  Having a pn all mapped out inside my mind, I decide to find an alley that is pretty close to my house. The neighbors all know me, so they don’t mind a little mess though…

  “OK, I’m finally here. Come on, just get out wherever you are…” I whispered as I put my guard up.

  I take a look around to see if there’s any enemy waiting for me. I’ve also asked Tiamat to back me up in case they aim for blind spot. I can’t quite tell how many enemies I’m going to face, so the best I can do is prepare for the worst. And speak of the devil…

  “Swoosh!”

  Two mysterious shadows approach me from behind, so I turn around and slice them. I try not to kill them so I only leave a rather shallow cut on them. Those shadows lean back, getting into fighting position. I’m also getting into the Ko Gatsumi stance, ready to take on them. But before we can even exchange our moves…

  “Very good. *cp cp* As expected from “The Heretic”, you really are special, aren’t you?”

  Out of nowhere, a voice rang out. In addition, even more shadows appear behind him. I can’t really tell, but there’re at least eight or nine of them. They’re all donning an all-bck outfit with a ski mask on them. As for the source of the voice, all I can see is a young man wearing a hooded cloak, he’s around my age judging from the voice, but that’s still up for debate. Either way, it looks like I’m getting cornered by them. The only way to escape this situation is to fly away. Normally that’s insane, but in this case, it’s possible. But there’s something that’s bugging me…

  “That voice, why is it so…familiar?” I whispered.

  I definitely have heard of that voice before, I just couldn’t figure out who was it. But I don’t really have time to think as they’re getting closer to me than ever. They’re all having a weapon on their hands, mainly kunai and shuriken.

  “SQUAD 12! ATTACK!!!”

  All of the shadows, including the ones behind me, start charging at me. The way they do it makes me feel like they’ve been doing this before. The formation, the way they move, it’s like I’m in an action movie where the protagonist is facing a whole squad full of enemies all alone. But the main difference is…

  “Tiamat! I’m taking the two behind me! You take care of the rest for me!”

  “Copy that Master! I’ve been waiting for this day for long enough!”

  She then appears out of thin air and quickly sprints her way to the enemies. Seeing that, I also quickly run toward the two behind me, ready for a rematch.

  “Round 2! This time it ain’t just gonna be a slice, ya hear that?”

  I don’t know what’s with them, but they don’t seem to response at all. It’s like I’m fighting some kind of puppets, and it just doesn’t sit right with me at all. But regardless, they start throwing their kunai, trying to block my vision. I manage to deflect it with ease, while seemingly take a step back to not falling for their trick. Seeing that, they decide to split up, each one running on each floor, trying to get momentum to charge at me with a karambit on their hands. I just stand there, patiently waiting for the right moment and then…

  “Schwing!”

  They manage to get to where I’m standing and slice me. The only thing is, I’m not standing there. Right before they get the chance to hit me, I jumped to midair.

  “Hahh! Take this!”

  I spin kick one of them to the wall, almost knock him out. I must have kicked him really hard consider there’s a crack on the wall. As for the other guy, before I nd, I held him down to the ground and took away his weapon. He tries to resist but I punch him to the face a couple times before he passes out. After that, I approach the first guy, nd a hard hit to his guts and an uppercut to his face, seemingly defeat him.

  “Wow, this is…easier than I thought. But I’d better check to see if she’s doing fine…”

  “Grr. It’s impossible, there’s no way this is happening…”

  “Too bad kiddo, this is the real life, ain’t no fantasy to py around. And right now, you ain’t gonna escape from reality kiddo.” She said as she clenched her fist.

  In mere moment, all ten of the shadow behind the mysterious young man had already been defeated. The worst part is, they didn’t even have a chance to nd an attack on the woman they were fighting. She was too fast for them. The leader is as pissed as ever seeing all of this happened right in front of his eyes. And to make matter worse…

  “Great job! I knew I could count on you for these types of situations.”

  “Aw no need to thank me Master, I’m just doing my job.”

  Yasutaira Waka has shown up, meaning that they have all beaten this young man’s squad. Right now, it’s just him left. A one-versus-two battle is inevitable. But Yasutaira and Tiamat do not let their guard down at all. They’re still in fighting position, ready to take on the mysterious young man any time. But there’s something they are not ready for…

  “Good good, just as I pnned…”

  The young man suddenly changes his tone. It’s like he pretended to get mad to lure the opponents into his trap. Right now, his voice is as calm as ever, with a little sprinkle of mischievous on top. He then flicks his finger. All of the shadows lying on the ground start rising. Not only that, more shadows appear out of nowhere, surrounding the while alley. In this moment, the table has turned, and now Yasutaira and Tiamat are facing a whole army of deadly shadows.

  “This is bad…”

  “I know right Master. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this, and yet here we are…”

  We went from only fought around twelves to at least a few hundred at a time. I’m sure Tiamat can handle them easily, assuming she has infinite stamina. But as for me, there’s a point where I get overwhelmed and can’t no longer keep up. And have I even mentioned about their leader? We still have yet to know what he can do, so there’s no reason for us to be cocky. Through [Telepathic Line], we’re coming up with a pn to end this once and for all.

  “Got any ideas to share, Tiamat?”

  “Frankly, I don’t Master. How about I take a few hundred on the back while you take a few hundred up front?”

  “Screw you, I’m taking a few hundred and one!”

  “That’s the spirit Master. Let’s go with that shall we?”

  “I guess so, we don’t really have much of a choice, do we?”

  Just like before, we once again split up, dealing with all the enemies in our own way. I’ve also asked her to assist me any time I need, just in case I can’t handle them all. But that’s just a st resort, because there’s something I’d like to try first…

  “So you’ve decided to fight us all alone huh? I don’t know whether I should bel that as brave or stupid.”

  “Call me what you want, but let me warn ya something, I ain’t that easy to beat.”

  “Well let’s see about that shall we?” he said as he took out his knife.

  We are now all holding our weapons in our hands. I’m having a range advantage, but that doesn’t mean he can’t beat me. No one should underestimate a knife user, especially when they’re in their elements. I take a quick look at him one more time before saying the following.

  “What’s wrong? Why don’t you just let the shadows do the job? Or is there a reason behind it?”

  “You really are smarter than you look, Yasutaira. You see, these shadows? They’re just here to strike fear to you. It’s just an excuse for me to get to personally humiliate you. I never thought that you would actually invite us to do such things.”

  “Well you said it, I’m smarter than I look. But here’s the thing: I’m not here to get disrespected by you. You pick the wrong person to mess up with.”

  “Gahahaha!!! You just made my day. Now I can enjoy beating the hell out of ya.”

  After a little back and forth, we head off to each other. I may have not known it yet, but this will be the first time I encounter one of my own cssmates…

  (Tiamat’s POV)

  “Jeez, does it have to be this much?”

  While Master is taking care of the leader, I’ll have to deal with the shadows that are blocking our way out. Counter this type of enemy is not that hard if I’m being honest. They may outnumbered me, but that doesn’t change the fact that [Light Element] magic can kill them. Not anyone can pull that, but lucky for me, I can. After a couple minutes, I’m pretty sure the number of enemies have reduced drastically. If I remember correctly, right now, they only have around one hundred shadows left compare to two hundred and twenty five in the beginning. I should pick up the pace fast so that I can help Master.

  “Take this! [Light Grenade]!”

  I shape [Light Element] magic like a ball, then throw some of them at the shadows. As soon as they hit them, all of the balls explode, killing a rge portion of shadows. Of course I have modified the grenades to just enough to take down half the shadows, and it worked fwlessly. As for the rest, there’s something I want to try…

  “Still hanging around huh? How about y’all get a taste of this?”

  Out of thin air, I create two [Light Bde]. As I’m approaching the shadows, I start spinning around, eventually turn myself into a tornado.

  “[Spinning Light Bde]!”

  In just a few minutes, almost the rest of the shadows got destroyed, leaving a few remain. And before they can do anything, I cut them in half, essentially killing them all. It’s a good thing it didn’t leave any mess to the alley, so I can finally considered this job done. But before I can leave behind my small battlefield, there’s still some questions that are left unknown.

  “Strange. Usually a shadow user can just summon back the shadow anytime they want. But somehow…it did not happen at all. He must have seen the battle giving we’re not that far behind, so logically, it must be that he…”

  Finally realizing what’s really happening, I quickly return to Master to help him as fast as possible.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “This guy is no joke at all.” I whispered.

  We’ve exchanged moves for the st couple minutes. So far, no one has been able to nd a hit. Either we dodged all the attacks or we just hit our weapons to each other. This guy got some skills let me tell you. Despite the range, he somehow can still stand on his ground, even almost nded a couple stabs on me. I managed to avoid them all, but from the looks of him, I might get hurt soon. I don’t know how long I can held on my own, but I definitely need to act like he’s not going win.

  “What’s the matter? Feeling the heat already?”

  “Heh, you’re the one to talk. Take a good look at yourself will ya?”

  He’s not pying anymore, I can feel that. In this case, I guess I’ll have to go all out if I want to win this battle.

  “Oh yeah? How about you take a look at this!”

  I close the gap to him, then I use my sword to downward slice him. He takes a step back, then quickly uses his knife to ssh forward me. I bow down to avoid his attack. Right after that, I put my sword back to the scabbard and quickly approach him. I hit him with an uppercut using my left arm, then punch him in the guts using the other one. The moment he gets back up, I once again take out my sword, aim for his neck. But then, all of sudden…

  “Fwoosh!”

  Something just cut through my right cheek. I reflexively step back while holding my sword tight to defend. Right now it’s bleeding out, but is not a deep cut so I don’t worry that much. What really bothers me is that speed and the fact that I almost couldn’t react to it. There’s definitely more to come, so I must keep my guard u…

  “Huh? My eyes…Why is it blurring right now?”

  Somehow, I’m having trouble regaining my vision. Everything feels like a roller-coaster, it’s all fuzzy and…confusing. I can’t even see straight, and my legs… My legs feel very heavy. How is this possible? Don’t tell me…

  “So it’s finally working huh? Honestly, I thought I would take longer, but I guess I was wrong.”

  “What…What did you do to me?”

  “Oh nothing, just a bit of my paralysis poison I made using my ability in advance. They don’t call me [Poison Killer] for nothing you know. Don’t worry, it won’t kill you, but this will!”

  With the knife on his hand, he aims for my throat. I manage to avoid it in mere second, but right after that, he punch me in the face, before nd an uppercut on me. Finally, he makes a jump then kicks me to the side, eventually corners me to the wall. The poison hasn’t seeped through my body yet so for now, I can still barely move, but that alone isn’t enough. Before I can even react, he lifts me up then throws me down the street. I try to get up but he gets the upper hand and stomps me down.

  “What’s the matter? Cats got your tongue? Come on, bark for me you filthy slime!!!”

  “…”

  “That’s the sound I wanna hear. Now rot you dirt!”

  He then keeps on kicking me, with a few punches here and there. I can’t really do anything except taking the beating as I can’t even move a single finger. He knows that, and he’s abusing it as much as possible.

  “Gehahaha! I should have done this from the beginning. Letting those idiots did the job is a mistake after all. But no more! I’ll make sure that you’ll have a nice cozy pce in hell!”

  He’s getting out of control now. The way he’s beating me, the face of his. Those are the signs of a sadistic, no one can deny it. He’s enjoying it, and there’s nothing I can do. If only I was stronger…

  “Oh I know, how about I spice things up a bit!”

  He then takes off the hoodie, revealing his true identity. At first I was confused, but then I slowly realized what’s going on in front of my eyes.

  “No way…You…You’re…” I whispered weakly.

  “That’s right scum. I’m Kira, your cssmate. Shocking isn’t it? Too bad you won’t make it to proceed all of this!”

  “Hurgh…”

  He uses his knife to stab my leg. A very deep cut I must say, consider how much blood is bleeding. In addition, he once again throws me to the wall. The fight has now turned into a one-sided onsught. Again.

  “You know, you definitely have earned a special pce in my heart. Honestly, beating you is the most satisfied thing I’ve done in years, and killing you will be the cheery on top of this perfect cake. So just follow my lead and die will ya?”

  What on earth are you saying? I’m still here, how can you even talk about something that has not happened like it’s nothing, especially when it’s your cssmate you’re talking to? Do you have any clue how obnoxious and ignorant that is? I’m not your toy you know?

  “…”

  Of course I’d love to say that to his face, but I just can’t. All I can do is just lie down there hopelessly, again. I really hate that feeling. I’ve fought a one-sided battle my whole life, and now I’m just going to let him do whatever he wants without fighting back? There’s no way I’m letting that happen. Like hell I’m giving up right now. I can’t die, at least until I can make that promise with her. I’M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!

  “GARGGGHHHH!!!!!”

  All of the sudden, I scream my lung out. Of course, it’s not making the ground shakes, but enough to make Kira hold his punch and stand back. A blue aura start swirling around me, eventually I’m getting covered in that aura.

  “What is this? Why do I feel so…alive?”

  Just a moment ago, I was getting beat into a bloody paste to the point of not even able to move a single muscle, and now…it’s like a fresh breath of air that I never know I need until I receive it. All of the fatigue, all of the wounds, they’re eventually gone. As I stand up, I feel…light. It’s like all the weight that’s been holding me back is no longer here. I take a look of my body.

  “It’s true. All of the wounds…It’s all gone…”

  “Grr…Impossible. There’s no way…YOU! EXPLAIN TO ME!”

  He’s mad. I can even see his veins exploding on his face any time. He’s holding his knife like he just want to cut me into pieces. But like hell I’m letting that happen.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Karma I guess?”

  “You…You dare mock me? Very well, let’s see how you feel when I SLIT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!!”

  He then approaches me, aiming for my face. But before he can even do that…

  “Not so fast.”

  I took his knife, then with my right arm I punch him in the stomach. I hit him so hard it makes him not only bleed out but also makes him colpse. I throw his knife away then take a step back.

  “Impossible…*brgh*”

  “What’s the matter? Can’t stand the heat? Because there’s more to come, whether you like it or not.”

  With that, I begin the rematch against Kira.

  (Tiamat’s POV)

  “Oh my Master, so you’ve finally done it…”

  I was thinking about helping Master when I saw him getting beaten up, but now, the table has turned dramatically. I knew that he can do more than just [Summoning Magic], but this frankly is beyond my expectation.

  “To think that [Super Strengthen Magic] has chosen you…You really are something Master.”

  [Strengthen Magic], even though is a simple ability, is not an easy thing to master properly. But [Super Strengthen Magic]? That’s like a whole new level that not anyone can reach easily. His movement, his breathing, they are now beyond his usual. Not even the enemy’s poison can’t even hurt him anymore. But of course there are drawbacks to this. Master is acting way more aggressive and more importantly, his magic flow is all messed up. I think the best option for now is to stand back and only jump in when thing goes south.

  “But honestly Master, you keep bringing me surprises like this and I might have a heart attack. Well, you are Master after all…”

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “Why…WHY CAN’T I HIT YOU!!!???”

  “I dunno, have you tried giving up?”

  “SHUT UP! SHUT UP WILL YA? DON’T MAKE ME COME THERE AND KICK YA ASS!!”

  “Like I’ve done to you? Oh please. You now can't even hurt a fly, so how exactly are you pnning to kick my ass?”

  “Why you…”

  Kira can’t beat me, that’s undeniable. He’s now too weak compare to me. Don’t trust me? Just take a look at him right now. His left arm has broken, there are wounds everywhere on his body, don’t let me get started with his face. Honestly, it’s really pathetic. Keep acting like you’re the superior for what when you can’t even y a finger on your opponent. [Poison Killer]? Your [Anesthetic Smoke Bomb] didn’t even manage to knock me down at all.

  “Gurgh…”

  He tries to stab me again, so I punch him in the guts, and before he can even react, I elbow drop him to the ground. When he finally gets up, he once again aims for my face with his poisonous knife, but none of his attempts is working at all. Seeing him with a broken arm keep swinging that knife hopelessly at me is hirious. I can’t believe I let this guy got the upper hand. I’m not making the same mistake no more. This time, I’ll make sure to end this once and for all.

  “I’m bored.”

  “Huh? What did you say?”

  “I said I’m bored. You’re boring me.”

  “Why you…I’ll kill you! I’LL DEFINITELY KILL YOU!”

  “I’d like to see you try. But first, let me entertain myself a lil bit.”

  He’s pissed. Kira sprints right to me with everything he has. His dark purple aura is flowing around him as clear as ever. Right now, it’s do or die for both of us. I take a deep breath while holding my sword tightly. I close my eyes, seemingly not letting anything distract me at all. I’m waiting for the right moment. And when the hour is finally arrived…

  “GARGHH! [POISON EXPLOSION]!”

  Kira with his purple aura crashes into me. That aura I feel like is definitely full of poison and literally anything else created to kill me. But before he can even reach me…

  “[Fallen Star].”

  I leap my way to Kira. I swing my sword with such speed that he can’t even react and slice him in his chest. After that, I nd on the ground. The moment I put away my sword, blood starts gushing out of Kira’s chest. He loses his conscious, eventually falls down on the ground.

  “What an explosive ending, am I right? Oh wait, you can’t hear me.”

  I turn around. I slowly walk to him, aiming to end him right there, but before I can even reach him…

  “Well, time to finish my jo…”

  I somehow also fall down. My body colpses, my eyes are all fuzzy and blurred. I can’t even feel my legs. I even drop my own sword to the ground. “Huh? What is going on…” is all I can say as I’m falling down.

  And so, the battle between Kira and Yasutaira Waka has come to an end.

  (Kariuda’s POV)

  “This is Kariuda speaking. Can you hear me sensei?”

  “Loud and clear. What is it Kariuda-chan?”

  “Right now, I’m outside an alley. Nothing really special about this pce, except…”

  “Except what?” she asked as she was till smoking.

  “Except for some reason, Yasutaira-kun decided to go into the alley and the next I know, he’s surrounded by a few hundred shadows.”

  “A [Shadow Element] user huh…Do you have any clue who’s after him?”

  “Frankly not sensei. I can even see a thing in there without getting caught, so for now I can only hide…”

  “What’s the matter? Why stop?”

  “No way, there’s no way…”

  “What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

  “There’s a purple aura inside the alley. Something must have happened in there. The shadows, they’ve all gone. The road is clear. I’ll go check right now. I’ll call you ter.”

  I quickly hang up. I accidently walk past him on my way home and in that moment, I felt something wasn’t right about him, so I followed him to this alley. I can’t see what’s happening in there so the best I can do is to hide somewhere waiting for the right moment. Somehow, despite all the noises, no one seems to bother checking out. Well, it’s a good thing after all, since they don’t have to be involved in this madness, especially that purple aura. There aren’t any shadows left in the alley, so I quickly run inside it. And when I finally make it…

  “What the…What the hell happened?”

  The alley has now turned into a bloody battlefield. There’re cracks on the walls and on the road. There’s blood dripping everywhere and…a body lying on the ground! Seeing that, I quickly approach it just to realize something.

  “Wait, this is…Kira…”

  It’s Kira! Did he just have a fight with Yasutaira? Wait a minute, where is Yasutaira? Did he do this to Kira? I have so many questions right now, but putting that aside, I immediately check on Kira, then I quickly call Kiriwatari-sensei.

  “This is Kiriwatari-sensei. What’s going on back there?”

  “Sensei, Kira and Yasutaira-kun just fought each other a few minutes ago. Yasutaira is nowhere to be seen, and Kira is now on the verge of death. I need medics immediately!”

  “I’m on my way right now. Hang on a minute.”

  “Thank you sensei.”

  While waiting for help, I give him first aid, specifically his chest wound.

  “Come on, don’t you dare die here…”

  When I’ve finished my job, Kiriwatari-sensei arrives. We then go back to the academy to heal him as fast as possible. That night, had we been te for just a minute, Kira could have died from bleeding too much.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “Ow my head…Where am I…”

  I think I’ve got a splitting headache. My memory feels like it’s stretching and breaking into pieces at the same time. As for my body…

  “Hah! Hah!”

  I can still move my body, which already is a good sign. But now my next concern is why is this pce so…white and empty? But it didn’t took me long to realize what’s going on.

  “Wait, this is…”

  “Yes Master, this is [Almighty Realm]. Thank God you’re not going insane here.”

  “Tiamat? What do you mean by “going insane”?”

  I turn around, only to see Tiamat, my one and only servant, standing there waving at me. Well, at least I’m familiar with this pce, but that brings me to the next problem…

  “Wait, you seriously don’t remember anything?”

  “Should I?”

  “Of course Master. This is very important you know?”

  “Honestly, the st thing I remembered is Kira trying to torture me and then…I have no clue at all. All I can think of is this blue aura and that’s it.”

  “It’s OK Master, that alone is enough, because I’m about to expin a lot of things to you, so just try to not lose track, understand Master?”

  “Yea…Yeah, I guess so?”

  “Good. About that blue aura, I believe it means that you now have [Super Strengthen Magic] Master.”

  “Super Stren…what? You’re joking right?”

  “I wish that was the case Master.”

  “I can’t believe it…”

  “Me too Master. But anyways, now that we’re here, let’s go through something shall we?”

  “OK? Go ahead…”

  “Right. So first off, [Super Strengthen Magic], as the name implies, is an upgrade version of [Strengthen Magic]. You’ll become stronger, faster and be more durable than using [Strengthen Magic].”

  “I see…”

  “But of course, just like the normal one, the drawbacks are pretty much the same, except this time, it’s at least ten times more. If it isn’t mastered properly, it can screw your body and your mind up real bad. I’m talking paralyzing, giving you a stroke or even worse, making your body explode.”

  “Woah…”

  “Even if you put all of that aside, it can even mess up your mental. To put it simply, you can become a somewhat evil version of yourself, which is exactly what happened back there.”

  “What happened back there?”

  “Yes Master, have you regained your memory?”

  Hearing that, something just snapped inside my brain. An image, a piece of footage unfold inside me…

  “GARGHH! [POISON EXPLOSION]!”

  “[Fallen Star].”

  I remember it. I finally remember it all. After obtaining [Super Strengthen Magic], I went on to destroy Kira, not even letting him have a chance to hurt me back. I almost demolished him if my body hadn’t given up. Knowing that, my body is shaking non-stop. Did I almost become the one thing I hate the most?

  “It’s alright Master. You’re not an evil person, even if the magic gets the best of you. From what I’ve seen, all you did was self-defense, so don’t be so harsh to yourself like that.”

  Without any warning, she gives me a warm hug. I was surprised, but I can’t really resist it. Her body is so soft, so comfort, she even smells really good. Maybe she’s right. I was on the edge of killing Kira, I was that close. Despite that, my body, my soul, they all refused to let me do it. The idea of taking someone’s life is horrifying, and the past event will definitely haunt me in the future. That was a warning to me and to the path that I’m taking. I can’t, and I will not just let something like this make me hit the rock bottom. It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward they said.

  “Thank you Tiamat, thank you for being by my side. I’m gd to have you.”

  “It’s my job Master. Like hell I’m letting you go that easy.”

  After a while, she further expins to me the rest of the situation, about the shadow army, how she’d had to carry me on her back to my house after I colpsed. For now, I need some time to rest on my bed. Luckily, today is Friday so I can take my time, or so I thought…

  “Hey Master, riddle me this: You’re now part of the student council, aren’t you?”

  “Yes? What exactly are you trying to imply?”

  “I may have zoned out during the recruitment, but I do know for a fact that the council also works on Saturday. Now the question is, how exactly are you going to work for Kariuda right away if your body doesn’t allow you to?”

  “I…This is…How do I…”

  I totally forgot about the student council! The fight with Kira has drawn all of my attention, to the point of not thinking about the council at all! OK, this is bad, really bad. How am I going to deal with this when my body can’t even function? I should definitely apologize to Kariuda-san as soon as possible. For now, there’s nothing I can really do except wait.

  “Don’t worry Master, I think she won’t mind this at all. I mean, technically the team is still looking for new members, am I right? I don’t think she’ll immediately make you work that early.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right…”

  “Well then, since you’re already here, you don’t mind training until you can move your body?”

  “Honestly, that’s probably the best thing I can do in the meantime, so why not?”

  “Well Master, what are you waiting for? Let’s fight each other until we can’t no more!”

  And so, for the rest of the week, Tiamat and I train like crazy, waiting until my body is fully recovered.