(Tiamat’s POV)

  “Whew, these guys sure are tough to deal with…”

  After Master took [Fire Fist] to [Hyper Realm], my job here is to take care of her henchmen, which is the easiest part. I’m a bit surprised that they had the strength to resist being tied to the corner. They even tried to bite me, which results in them getting sp in the face. They didn’t succeed with it though, but it’s always satisfying to make idiots know their pce. This is like my third time doing this today, and I’m not even getting tired of it at all.

  “Uhm, thanks a lot miss. We’re gd that you’re on our side instead of them…”

  “Don’t sweat it boys, after all those idiots got a lot of nerves coming at me like that.”

  “Yeah…But it’s just that…Who are you anyways?” one of the workers asked.

  “Who am I to you are not important. What’s important however is this.” I said as I was walking to Mr. Miller

  I think I should reveal my identity as little as possible. [Fire Fist] alone has brought more chaos to this pce than anyone could imagine, and me letting people know my identity not helping it at all. I may be seen as cocky and supercilious, but that doesn’t change that fact that I know exactly what to do for the sake of myself and Master.

  “Thank you for your help miss. I thought that this day would turn into my worst nightmare, but thanks to you, we get to live another day. What could I possibly do to repay you?”

  “Oh please, you don’t have to really. We still haven’t finished the business at all. There’s still more to come, starting with those idiots.” I said as I pointed to the henchmen.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, for starters, have you ever heard of [Rising Phoenix]?”

  “…”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. Long story short, they came here for [Chimera], and maybe beyond, that is assuming they let you live long enough.”

  “I see…wait, what about the inside? Is everyone safe?”

  “Don’t worry. They, for some reasons, decided to go with the “non-killing policy”, which is very weird consider their history. We got this covered.”

  “We?”

  “Let’s just say Chiyoe sent us here to do her job. [Fire Fist] are under me and my Master’s control, so for now you’re safe.”

  “Your Master you said?”

  “OK, let’s see what should I say…From what I’ve known, you and Chiyoe are close friends, am I correct?”

  “Well yes, we are…But what does it have to do with my question?”

  “Had she ever mentioned [The Heretic]?”

  “We don’t really meet up much, but I think I’ve heard her mentioning that name several times. The only thing I know is that he’s a special kid under her academy, and that’s about it.”

  “Well, that “special kid” just saved you a few moments ago, and I happen to be his loyal servant.”

  “You’re what?”

  It takes him some times to process all of the information, so I let him stand there for quite a while. After that, I expin to him our intentions, and since I mentioned Chiyoe’s name before, he assumes that this is all part of her master pn.

  “Well, this is Chiyoe we’re talking about, so it makes perfect sense…”

  “I know right? She always seems to be ten steps ahead of everyone. It’s impressive and terrifying at the same time.”

  “Yeah, I owe her big time. I might get her some drinks the next time we meet up…”

  So far, everything is going all according to my calcution. I’ll reunite with Master and his friends soon, but right now, I still have some business here. Let’s just hope that they’re doing well.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “Hah!”

  “Is this your best shot? Let me show you how a real punch looks like!”

  After getting into our serious mode, [Fire Fist] kicked things off with a blow right in my face. I successfully dodge the attack and give her back an uppercut. She got sent away a few meters before quickly recovered and got back up. It’s a good thing I didn’t aim for the fiery parts, I knew [Super Strengthen Magic] also comes with a thin yer of [Mana Protection], but I just has this feeling that it isn’t enough.

  “I see, so you’re not some half-ass amateur at all…You’re all about that actions aren’t you?”

  “Maybe, maybe not, who knows? I’m not just gonna give you the answer to everything, it doesn’t work like that.”

  “It will work like that when I break those damn legs of yours! [Fme Bullets]!”

  She points her fingers at me and shoots out some fireballs. Those fireballs might only have the size of a bullet, but the heat from them aren’t no joke at all. I try my best to dodge every one of them, but my face still ends up getting grazed. It could have burned my face, but thanks to [Mana Protection], it’s just bleeding lightly, so it’s not something too serious, unlike what happens next.

  “Take this! [Gatling Fme Fists]!”

  As the name implies, she sprints at me and throws her punches with the speed of a Gatling gun. It’s way more dangerous than her previous attack due to the direct heat she’s throwing at me, but luckily I manage to evade them all. It may seems like she’s cornering me, but it’s quite the contrary.

  “Grr…WHY CAN’T I HIT YOU?”

  “I don’t know, have you tried putting more effort into your attack?”

  “Smartass…Let’s see if you can keep that loud mouth of yours when I…Argh!”

  As she keeps throwing her fists at me, I sideway kick her, once again send her fly away from me. There isn’t much to impact in this realm yet, so if one of us got knocked down, we would just lie on the ground unconsciously.

  “You son of a…Once I defeat you, I’ll feed you to the sharks…” she whispered.

  Right now I’m having the high round, but I can’t let that get into my head. [Fire Fist] is pissed, not stupid. Both of us know that we still haven’t come at each other with all our strength, so being cautious is the key here. I get into my fighting position, waiting for her to get up.

  “So serious mode isn’t enough huh…All right kiddo, you ask for it…”

  All of a sudden, a red aura starts swirling around [Fire Fist] as she’s charging herself up. Those fiery spots on her body are now becoming her armor, as her face is now also forming a fire mask. She now looks like some kind of knight from hell. Her mana is overflowing with anger and wrath, wanting to swallow me as if I’m its prey. After she’s done with the power up, she looks me straight in my eyes, implying that my hour is arrived.

  “Heh, be grateful Yasutaira Waka. Not anyone can make me use this form just to demolish them into pieces. Now, before you die, got anything to say?”

  “Well if I’m going to die anyway, at least show me something cool with this form, maybe telling its name? I might get a bit entertained from it.” I provoked her.

  “Very well, I shall grant you your wish! Prepare to feel the wrath of my [Hellfire] form! [Fme Dimension]!”

  And just like that, she disappears.

  At least, that’s what I thought at first.

  “Tsk! This is very annoying…”

  She’s moving around me with a speed that even though my eyes can keep up with it, it’s still hard to predict her attack pattern. Everywhere she goes, she left behind a fire line that if I’m unlucky enough to touch it, it might burn through my skin. And I soon realize that is exactly her intention with this attack…

  “Hahhh!!!!”

  After flying around for quite a while, she flies straight up to the sky and cps her hands. All of the fire trails she left behind quickly approach me, creating an unescapable trap. Knowing that, I quickly put up my [Mana protection] to its highest capacity, hoping to survive it.

  “Boom!”

  The fire and my protection yer csh, creating an explosion. I managed to make it out alive, but now not only my whole body is severely damaged, but the smoke from the explosion also starts surrounding me, blocking my vision. I immediately get out of there, only to find [Fire Fist] there waiting for me.

  “Ugh!!!”

  She buttheads me, then gives me a hit right in my stomach. Before I could even bounce back, she charges a fireball at me.

  “[Fme Grenade]”

  With a cold-hearted tone, she activates the fireball. It bursts the moment it touches my skin, making me blow away a few miles. Luckily, my [Mana Protection] is still on, so I survive the attack. My body is slowly recovering from all the impacts, but it still very hard to move freely.

  “Damn, she’s pissed off…for real…”

  In just a few moments, the upper hand is now in [Fire Fist]’s hands. Not until now has I realized how tough this fight and how terrifying a member of [Rising Phoenix] can be. Kira is a great example, but she’s on another level compare to him. With a body that still hasn’t fully recovered, I take out my sword, ready to take on everything she throws at me.

  (Kira’s POV)

  “Mmph…mmph…!”

  Inside a secret basement near the Waterloo Bridge in London, a man is being tied up in a chair with his mouth being taped and his eyes being covered as well. He’s hopelessly screeching for help, only to realize that he’s not alone in the room, but not in a good way.

  “Hey boss, should we…you know…let him talk now?”

  “Yeah boss, we got almost everything we need now. I really think we should get the job done, I can’t stand another five minutes of him keeps making all that noise…”

  The “boss” they’re referring to stands in the corner of the room for a few minutes before giving them orders.

  “Frank, unzip his mouth! Jay, bring that table to me!”

  They quickly do as the “boss” said. As for the “boss”, he grabs the nearby chair and sits right in front of the man, ready for the interrogation.

  “You wanna know something funny? You’re the only remaining piece of this bigger picture…or should I say [The Betrayal], Jake Lancaster?”

  The man, or should I say the whole room, are all members of the terrorist organization [Rising Phoenix], and right now, he has been captured by his former boss, Kira Hatake.

  “You son of a…How the hell did you find me?”

  “Do you really think you can just mess with your own boss and think you’re safe? After everything we’ve done for you, that is how you repay?”

  “That still doesn’t answer my question you filthy brat!”

  “Well, you ask for it…Jay, bring it to me!”

  “Yes boss!”

  One of my henchmen goes to another room and comes back with an umbrel on his hand. He puts it on the table and then takes a step back. At first, Jake was confused, but it didn’t take him too much time to realize the answer to his earlier question…

  “No…that’s impossible…”

  “As you can see, this is the infamous Bulgarian Umbrel. This, or should I say a version of it, was used in the assassination of Georgi Markov on September 7th, 1978, which is coincidently 44 years from now, don’t you think?”

  “You shitty brat…Why did you tell me all of this?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? You betrayed us, and now you’re going to pay the price. But before that, you got some information that we need to know so you’d better tell us everything.”

  “Or else?” he asked.

  “Or those ricin inside the bullet will kill you. Choose wisely Jake.”

  After we leave him there for a few hours, he finally spills all the beans we need. Unfortunately for him, those who dare to turn their backs on [Rising Phoenix] shall face their inevitable death. It can’t be undone. It can’t be stopped. It has to happen no matter what.

  But now, after reliving those memories for a bit, I myself get to defy that rule right here at Miller Mega Center. I’m no longer a member of [Rising Phoenix], but just like Jake before, the past has finally come to haunt me.

  “Hey Kira-kun, are you okay?” Takenada-san asked.

  “Uhm yeah…I’m just, you know…thinking to myself…”

  “Then snap out of it. I don’t know much about everything you’d done in the past, but whatever happened, happened. Right now, I need you to bring your A game so we can take down these guys.” Kariuda-san tapped my shoulder.

  Even though Tiamat had defeated all the soldiers in this floor, there’re still plenty of them all around the building, so we still need to find a pce to hide. Yasutaira and she will deal with [Fire Fist], so our job here is to rescue all the hostages, at least on the ground floor.

  “All right, you guys know what to do right? We only have one shot and one opportunity, so no mistake. Got it?”

  Takenada-san and I nod our heads. The upcoming battle won’t be an easy task. The only advantage I can think of is the fact that they can’t go all out on us due to their initial pn. Other than that, this might turn into a one-sided battle anytime soon. As we’re going down to the first floor, Takenada-san splits from us and goes on another way. Kariuda-san and I doesn’t freak out about it at all, as that’s also part of our pn.

  “Well, there she goes…Looks like it’s just you and me now.” Takenada-san said.

  “Yeah, let’s just hope she makes it back in time…”

  As Takenada-san’s presence is getting vaguer and vaguer, we take our weapon out, with the addition of a smoke bomb and two special gsses inside my leg pocket. Funny thing is, I actually brought three pairs with me: one is mine and the other two belong to Jay and Frank, at least they used to. I managed to persuade them to give me back those gsses a few days ago. If they want to catch us by surprise that much, we’ll py their game.

  “Ready?”

  “Yeah. Three, two, one. And up it goes.”

  I throw the smoke bomb down to the ground floor. As expected, the whole floor is covered in the smoke, making the soldiers panic for a while. But it isn’t going to st long, so we need to pick up the pace while we can.

  “Paralyze Bullets!”

  I leap from the nearby chair down to the ground floor and shoot out bullets from my fingertips. It’s only stunning them for a bit but that’s more than enough.

  “Arghh! What the…Who did that? Show yourself!”

  Not letting them have the time to recover, I quickly kick away their guns and take them down one by one. The smoke should have also blocked our vision too, but thanks to the special gsses I brought, it’s no longer a problem.

  “Kurgh!”

  One of the soldiers attempts to hit me with the gunstock but I easily evade it and in return, I threw the gun away, kick him right in the left leg and knock him down with my poisoned baton.

  “Damn, I think I used too much force…”

  Since I no longer a ruthless, blood-thirsted person, I try my best to pull my punches. Guess I need more training in order to restraint myself. Maybe I should join Yasutaira and Takenada-san after this.

  “I got you this time now you bastard…Argh!”

  Another one tries to shoot me, but unfortunately for him I already slid right behind and shot him with my [Poison Bullets]. It’s not enough to kill a person, but he won’t recover anytime soon.

  “Hey Kariuda-san, how’s your side?”

  “They went way harder on me, but that’s still nothing to me. Your gadgets really come in handy!”

  “Gd you like it. Let’s finish this business shall we?”

  “That’s the spirit! Let’s go!”

  After a quick exchange while we’re leaning our backs against each other, we continue our battle, buying more time for Takenada-san to seek help from the outsiders.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “[Fallen Star]!”

  Using the same move I used to defeat Kira, I rush right to [Fire Fist] with everything I have. Lucky for me, this time I manage to hit her, knock her back a few meters.

  “Arghh!!”

  That armor really makes her a tough one to beat. I feel like a naked man compare to her, which expins all the wounds on my body. Some had already fully recovered, some still hasn’t. My pants are torn apart, while my white shirt has now become a white tank top with frayed spots here and there. The same can’t really be said about her, but at least she’s somewhat severely injured.

  “You *puff puff*…You’re not bad kid…Not many people can pierce through *puff* my armor…Yet you’ve done it.” she said as she was slowly getting up.

  “As much as I want to take that compliment, why don’t you just save it after I beat you? Ain’t that the easier thing to do?”

  “Getting cocky huh? Let’s see how long you can keep that attitude when I do this!”

  She whips out her chains and ties around my body. Before I even try to escape, she quickly pulls me back to her and gives me a punch right in my face.

  “Kurgh!”

  The way she hits me really shows she’s not holding back at all. My mouth is definitely bleeding a lot, but that’s not the end of the rampage.

  “[Chains of Hellfire]!”

  The chains start firing up. Her pn is quite simply yet effective: ties me up and burns me to death. Her fire magic is no joke at all. Even with my [Magic Protection], I can still feel the direct heat surrounding me. The fire keeps burning for a solid two minutes before she looses the chain, thinking that she has taken home the victory.

  “What? How is that possible? Just how ridiculous are you boy?”

  “Well, you’re about to find out soon. [Dancing Star]!”

  I ssh my sword to turn off the fire. I use just enough force to hit her, making her take a few steps back right to the perfect spot for my next moves.

  “Argh! Kurgh! Hargh!”

  I leap around her, forming the shape of a star. With every step I make, I ssh her with my sword, now enhanced with [Super Strengthen Magic]. It’s not an easy task using it on anything other than my body, so I only activate it right before I attack.

  “And this to finish it up, take this!”

  I return to the original position and pierce through her armor, specifically her chest. I try my best to avoid all of her weak points and only hit hard enough to take her down temporarily.

  “Argh!”

  Taking the st hit, she’s once again on the ground, while I can barely move my body. Due to using [Super Strengthen Magic] for quite a while, it really torments my body a lot. I’m now down on my knees, with my vision getting more blurred time by time. Tiamat once warned me during training about how this can be a double-edged sword that would shred my body into pieces, and now I get to experience just how true her word is.

  “Man, this is tough…I don’t know how long I can keep this…I guess I have to *hah hah* finish it off as fast as possible…” I whispered.

  Using my sword as a cane, I pull myself up. My body is slowly recovering, so at least for now I can move it more easily than before. As for [Fire Fist], even though she eventually gets up, I can clearly see how much of an impact [Dancing Star] has done to her.

  “Kid, you *huff huff*…you still got some gas left huh? Hehehehe…HAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!”

  “Woah, scary…”

  “You know what kid? I got hooked into fighting you so much, I almost forgot to ask you something.”

  “Which is?”

  “What have you done to [Poison Killer]?” she asked as she was getting close to me.

  “Guh!”

  I take a few steps back to keep distance from her. I can sense her approaching me, but she really caught me off-guard there. She looks infuriating when she asked me about Kira. I need to find a way to keep this conversation beneficial for me as much as I can.

  “What have I done to him? How should I know?”

  “Don’t lie to me punk! He was tasked to kill you, yet not only you survived, he no longer showed up to us. Now tell me what happened or I’ll make you!”

  “Well, you can see he’s free from the mind-control your organization put on him. Does that answer your question?”

  “Free from mind-control…FREE FROM MIND-CONTROL? YOU DARE DISRESPECT US LIKE THAT PUNK? [The Lord Above] showed us the path, the only way to become the ultimate being, and you dare called it “mind-control”? Let me tell you something punk, today you die!”

  With a roar than can even be heard from the other side of the earth, she powers up like crazy, to the point of overwhelming the whole pce. Now all I can feel is the heat coming from her, while my body is trembling in fear.

  “Man, I’m not going to make it out alive…”

  I gear up once again, ready for the final showdown with a pissed-off [Fire Fist].

  “These guys just don’t know when to stop do they?”

  On the third floor inside the Miller Mega Center, two figures, one boy one girl, are fighting against [Rising Phoenix]’s soldiers. Other customers had been transported down to the ground floor, but these two are the exceptions. They refuse and fight back, and they’re doing a pretty good job, more than the soldiers could ever imagine.

  “[Ice Cage]!”

  The young boy with blue hair forms a cage around the soldiers, trapping them inside. Even though it’s made of ice, none of the soldiers’ attempt are working at all. They can’t escape from it, and that scares them.

  “Your turn Miwako.”

  “You got it Masayuki-kun!”

  The girl with short amber hair liquefies herself to go inside the cage. Once she gets in, the soldiers start shooting her, but to no one surprise, it’s useless. Some of the bullets phase through her, and none of them breaks the ice cage.

  “Nice effort. Too bad you’re all going down. [Waterfall Sp]!”

  Inside the cage, a waterfall starts forming and pours down the soldiers’ head. Its pure pressure and speed are enough to take down all of the poor victims unlucky enough to be in there. They will survive this, but they might have to seek professional mental help after the incident.

  “Whew, I guess that’s the st of them. Are you alright Masayuki-kun? ”

  “Yeah I’m good. I’m surprised that they showed up in the first pce, but well at least we’ve done half the job.”

  After defeated all the soldiers, Miwako gets out of the cage and goes to Masayuki’s pce. Masayuki deforms the castle, leaving the floor wet with the water from the attack. Normal teenagers can’t just defeat a whole army that easy, but they’re not just some ordinary students. They are the president and the vice president of the Kiriwatari Academy Student Council. They, now in their senior year, are among the strongest students in their generation, which was perfectly dispyed by how they effortlessly took down the soldiers like it’s nothing.

  “Grr, these bastards…Why do they have to mess up our date? It was perfect until they showed up and ruined it.” Miwako growling.

  “It’s OK Miwako, as long as we’re together, this for me is just another walk in the park, and I want you to go with me.”

  “Aw, that’s very sweet of you.”

  Surprisingly, Kiriwatari-sensei did not send them here as backups for Yasutaira Waka. They just recently returned from their previous mission so they decided to have a day-off, only to find themselves being involved in another attack. Their retionship is a top-tier secret, no one including Kiriwatari-sensei knows about it, except for the next person to show up on the floor.

  “Garghh! This is for the fallen…”

  “[Fireball]!”

  One of the soldiers managed to escape the cage before it was formed, now ready for a surprise attack. But before he can even do something, a fireball shoots at him, taking him down immediately.

  “Oh my, does every couple have to leave this kind of mess after all the action? Well, better clean it up then.”

  And with a snap, the entire floor becomes normal again. No wet spots, just dry and clean from back to front. The duo immediately gets in fighting position, trying to find who’s behind all of this. When they turn their backs, they’re met with a woman wearing a suit, with a sword right on her hip.

  “Uhm miss, who exactly are you?”

  They’re confused with what’s going on right now. Not only does this woman just casually take down a member of [Rising Phoenix], she’s also able to wipe the entire wet floor clean as new. They don’t know exactly whether she’s their friend or foe, so they still keep their guards up regardless.

  “Now now, no need to be that cautious. I’m not with these guys, in fact I’m here to stop them just like you two.”

  “And you still didn’t answer our question. Besides, you expect us to just believe that?” Miwako raised her voice.

  “Of course you won’t, that’s why I brought this with me.”

  The mysterious woman takes out some documents and gives to the duo. They’re still skeptical about all of this, but once they read what’s inside, they lower their guard, knowing what she said was true and they don’t have to worry about her anymore.

  “I see, so while we’re on missions after missions, this happened…”

  “It’s not fair! Why did Kariuda-chan get to have her own assistant before us? That’s it Masayuki-kun, we need to do something!”

  What she gave them is the profile of Yasutaira Waka, a student from Kiriwatari Academy. In fact, the woman is Tiamat, his loyal servant, mostly known for the myths and stories. She and her Master, just like the student council duo, were unintentionally dragged into the battlefield and now must find a way to survive.

  “Wait, so if Yasutaira-kun is here, why don’t we see him down the ground floor?” Miwako asked.

  “Well, let just say that kid is now battling the mastermind behind this attack, or should I say [Fire Fist].”

  Hearing that name seems to touch their nerves. They quickly take out their weapon and sprint out of the scene, only to be stopped immediately by Tiamat.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Masayuki asked in confusion.

  “Look kiddo, I appreciate you trying to help, but this is his fight, so I need you two to stay out of it.”

  “And let him be killed mercilessly? Look, we might not get to know each other much, but he’s still our junior, and we’re not going to stand here and do nothing!” Masayuki said.

  “Do you realize how contradictive your words are? Or should I shove them up your ass myself?”

  An intensive aura starts effusing from Tiamat, making the duo stand down. They may be very strong in their age, but it’s still nothing compare to the power of a godlike dragon. Once they’re unable to resist, she turns back to her normal state.

  “His business I’ll take care of, no need for your help. Besides, have some faith on your own juniors won’t you?”

  “What? What do you mean by that?” Miwako asked.

  “To put it shortly, your precious junior is strong enough to defeat a retively strong member of [Rising Phoenix] all by his own, and that was st month. Despite his reputation as [The Heretic], he managed to help [Knights of Tomorrow] gathered more information about the terrorist organization more than anyone could ask for. He’s now a squire, working under Kiriwatari’s command. What more do have to recap? Or do I have to shove that file up your ass one more time?”

  “I see…I apologize for my mistake.” Muyasaki said while bowing.

  “Oh no no no, you don’t need to. I understand your frustration, so it’s not your fault at all.”

  “So you said we should let Yasutaira-kun handle [Fire Fist], but tell me: what exactly should we do now? There’s still tons of enemies here, we can’t just let them take control of this pce.”

  “Oh don’t worry, I, or should I say we, are already working on it. If anything, there’s only one pce left to go.”

  “And that is?” Masayuki asked.

  “The V.I.P room. That’s where you can find Mr. James Miller and all his guests, including your Kiriwatati-sensei.”

  “Sensei is here too?” Miwako asked.

  “Well yeah, [Fire Fist] attacked that room first, but now we have the chance to free them. Are you coming or not?”

  There’s a lot of information dumping going on here. The duo is used to pressure by now, but they certainly still need some time to digest all of it. In the end, they finally come to the final decision and go with Tiamat. She opens the portal for them to go the V.I.P room. And with a surprise face, the duo and Tiamat continues their mission of rescuing the hostages from the hand of [Rising Phoenix].

  (Kira’s POV)

  A second chance.

  That alone is enough to change a person’s whole life.

  And that begs the question: Do they deserve it? Or should they have to earn it themselves?

  As for me, that question, like the “other” me, has been inside my head ever since.

  I’d done some bad things, I won’t deny that. If I were to arrest and prosecute all of my wrongdoings, I might be in jail for life.

  But now, I’m a free man. I have friends who willingly give me the second chance I need. Not only that, I now get to do the right thing once again, not just for the sake of the world, but for myself also.

  Yet, the past still haunts me. I can’t really get away from it without any causes, and these soldiers knew that.

  “Oi oi [Poison Killer], what do you think you’re doing?”

  “Yeah, you’ve been disappearing for weeks, and now you want to fight us? Is this some kind of joke?”

  Once the smoke had cleared, they finally noticed who they’re facing with and started forming a strategy of their own. They knew they can’t win, so they aim for my heart instead.

  “This ain’t no joke. [Rising Phoenix] had caged me for years, and now it’s payback time. [Paralyzed Whipsh]!”

  I create a magical whip and attack them. Bathed in my magic, it stuns them, eventually knocking them down. Others doesn’t seem to be bothered that much even though they just saw their own comrades being defeated. They still aim their guns and shoot at me. Lucky for me, my whip is enough to deflect the magic bullets.

  “Didn’t you guys pay attention to what I said? It’s payback time!”

  I whip the others, this time specifically their guns. With just a few simple moves, I disarm them, before taking back my whip and hitting them with my baton. In just a few minutes, I take down a dozen of their army.

  “Whew, these guys are tough to beat. Let’s see if Kariuda-san is OK…Argh!”

  Before I can catch my breath and regroup with my friend. Something just shoots me in the back. It didn’t hurt much, but it’s enough to make me turn my back to see what’s going on.

  “Gehahahaha! Take that! Soldiers, full throttle!”

  The others aim their weapon and in just a few seconds, dozens of bullets hit me, almost knock me down. I manage to dodge and deflect some of those using my baton, but I got overwhelmed and eventually those bullets knock me back to the nearest sign.

  “Ouch, that’s hurt even more than I thought…”

  I stand up, only to be surrounded by those who shot me earlier. One of the soldiers, which I assume is the captain, starts walking towards me with a smirk on his face.

  “So this is the legendary [Poison Killer]. The one many people regard will have a seat among the [Chaotic Seven] turns out to be just another pathetic wimp. This so-called “ruthless youngster” can’t even take down us, and people think he’s next?”

  He kicks me as he’s delivering that st line. He’s clearly underestimating, if not contemning me. His voice is a mix of agony, hatred and jealousy, it’s like he’s holding that grudge for so long it’s getting in his head with no effort whatsoever.

  “Oi, what’s the matter punk? Say something!”

  “…”

  “Oi oi, cats got your tongue? Speak up boy!”

  I’m still keeping my mouth shut. If I say anything unpleasant to them, they might mercilessly kill me. I need to find the perfect opportunity to bounce back and defeat them all before it’s too te, but it seems like they’re not letting me have a room to breathe at all.

  “Gehahahahaha! Look at him boys! He’s broken!”

  “You dare turning back on us huh? How’s that working out now?”

  “Do you really think you can run from us that easy? Not so fast kiddo!”

  “Captain, let’s kick his ass some more! He can’t fight us back now can he?”

  The soldiers throw their weapons away and start humiliating me. Some mocking me, while others jumping me like a street fight. They knew they can break me, and they’re going all out on it right now.

  “…”

  I can’t do anything but lying on the ground and take all the beating. As I look at the hostages, I see their hopelessness more than ever. They want to do something to free themselves, yet they can’t. They don’t have the power or the courage to do it, just like me right now.

  “I see, so this is what Yasutaira felt back then…” I weakly whispered.

  The memories from that battle are still there in my mind. But now, seeing myself in this situation really makes me look back at it with a whole new perspective. I’m strong enough to be a member of [Rising Phoenix], yet I was saved by him, by Kariuda-san and even sensei as well. I can’t even find the strength to get through this.

  Am I even worth a second chance?

  Should I just die so they don’t have to bother rescuing a deadweight like me?

  Eventually, I give up. I don’t care anymore. I’ve done way too many bad things, and I deserve to have this ending.

  “Gehahaha! Hey, this punk’s partner in crime looks kinda cute. Can’t wait to see that bitch’s face when she saw this!”

  “Saw what?”

  “Huh?”

  Or so I thought.

  When I open my eyes, I see someone standing right in front of me, taking down each and every soldiers. They don’t stand a chance against her, even those who picked up their guns back. She just punches through all of them. Eventually, all of them are defeated. I slowly get up, as my body is now heavily injured due to the beat down.

  “Hey Kira, are you alright?”

  “Well, besides some broken bones and ribs, I’m fine.”

  “Good, now take my hand, we don’t have all day.”

  She raises her arm and helps me get up. She’s really concerned about my current state, even more than the enemies around us. It’s not something I’ve experienced much, but I’m happy with it.

  “Say, what is your ability again? I was unconscious back there so I had pretty much missed all the action.” I asked as I’m being carried by Kariuda-san.

  “Well Kira, it’s a long story. But to sum things up: I’m one of the best [Strengthen Magic] users in this country, and I’m already ridiculously strong, so there’s that. Although now that spot has another contender…”

  “Yeah, guess you can save that story after today. So where are the other soldiers anyways? I thought there’re still like dozens of them here?”

  “You see, before I jumped in and saved you, they were here, but…”

  “But what?”

  She points her finger to the hostages. Unlike before, they’re now free and being escorted out by a team of maids and butlers. Among them is Takenada-san and John, the head butler. As for the enemies, they’re all tied up and gathered in one space.

  “So our pn works?”

  “Yeah. Takenada and her team came here just in time before I got overwhelmed. Without her, I wouldn’t be here to save you, so in a way you owe her.”

  “Yeah, at least she won’t make it hard for me…”

  After a quick greeting with Takenada-san, Kariuda-san and I help her to evacuate the customers. She’s really happy and relief to know that we’re still doing good. Honestly, it’s good to have my friends by my side in times like this. I let the past got the best of me without realizing what’s really important for me. This fight now means a lot more to me than I could ever ask for, and I’m gd it happened.

  “Alright, let’s get you all fixed up Kira. We can leave all of these behind to John and his team, I’m sure they can handle it just fine.” Kariuda-san said with a smile on her face.

  After that, we go to the V.I.P room where sensei currently is to get myself some medical treatment without knowing that, the final battle is about to come to an end in just a few moments.

  (Tiamat’s POV)

  “Hey, you kiddo are forty seconds too te. Get in here already!”

  After teleported Mr. Miller back to the V.I.P room, I sent my clones to deal with the upper floor. Even though I sensed someone capable enough to handle the business, but I need to make sure my pn goes according to my calcution. Any variables will cause the domino effect, and I don’t want it to happen at all.

  “Woah, so it’s true, she did send the clone…”

  “Now now kiddo, we don’t have all day. There’s still a lot to discuss so hurry up!”

  A portal opens right in front of the room. Behind it, there’re three figures coming out: the other “me”, one boy and one girl. The duo is known as the president and vice president of Kiriwatari Academy, Takabeya Mayasuki and Atagi Miwako. As soon as they step out, the other “me” disappears like an illusion, leaving no trace behind. All the guests and the duo, with the exception of Kiriwatari, are all shocked with what they just saw.

  “Sensei, it’s good to see you! It’s been months!”

  “Me too. I’m gd you two are alive and well. Things are getting more interesting out here, so just try your best to not miss all the fun will you?”

  I personally greet and open the door for them. The duo gives Kiriwatari a hug like a good kid return to their parents. People might say Kiriwatari is too mysterious and calcutive, but they really need to see the other side of the story, and that’s coming from a cold-blooded creature like me.

  “Now now, I don’t really want to interrupt this family reunion, but we still have some serious matter right ahead of us.” I split them out, getting them back to the game.

  “All right Tiamat, since we’re here, what exactly is that serious matter?” Kiriwatari asked.

  “Tiamat?” the duo tilted their head in confusion.

  “Your sensei will expin it ter. Now come here.”

  I create a hologram and show it to her and the duo. Mr. Miller also takes a quick look at it, only to be left in shocked and confusion.

  “Wait the minute, isn’t that…”

  “Yes, that is [Fire Fist], now in what she called [Hellfire Mode].”

  What I’m showing them is the footage from her battle with my Master. It was taken right after she showed Master this form. I can’t let them watch the battle live, there’s a big chance they might act like the president duo, and that’s enough chaos for today. I have to make sure they interfere the battle as little as possible.

  “As you can clearly see, the [Hellfire Mode] form is basically [Fire Fist] donning chained armor. It may look simple, but don’t let that fool you. She can give your precious duo a hard time if they even got into a fight, Kiriwatari.”

  “And you’re telling us that we should let him fight that thing all alone when it can take us down?” the duo questioned me.

  “I said “give a hard time”, not “defeat”. Do you really underestimate yourself that much? You two kiddo can totally beat her with just 60% of your power, and I’m being generous.”

  “Wait, really?”

  “Of course you imbeciles. [Fire Fist] might be a tough opponent, but I’m not sending my Master to some kind of suicide mission you know?”

  “Your Master…? Nevermind. Fine, I’ll trust you on this one. So what else should we do now? Aren’t there soldiers here on the ground floor? We have to do something about it!”

  “Don’t worry. Your sensei and I took care of it. You guys don’t really have to do much if I’m being honest?”

  “Sensei?” the duo turns their head to Kiriwatari-sensei.

  “Yes, Yasutaira-kun isn’t alone in this battle. He has backups, or should I say friends, and they’re capable of taking care of the soldiers out there. I know that you two just came back and still wanted to jump in and help, but you two have done enough, and I’m proud of it.”

  She pats their head, trying to comfort them. She understands their frustration of trying to do the right thing, so she willingly acts like a wise mentor for this moment, letting the duo knows that everything will be alright.

  “Yeah sensei, you’re right. I shouldn’t push myself that far for something like this.” Miwako said

  “That’s right, they’re our juniors after all. I’m sure they can pull it off just fine. Right now we need to stick to the pn and do what’s important.”

  Oh and in case you’re wondering, this whole “pnning in advance” shenanigans isn’t exactly her idea. Truth be told, I’m the mastermind behind all of this counter attack pn. Kiriwatari just pys along with it, making sure that nothing bad could happen. Honestly, if I wanted, I could have just found the evil ir and destroy them once and for all, that’d be way more easier than this.

  But that’s the old Tiamat. I’m no longer doing things what way. There’s no need to walk around killing people when you can just stand here and enjoy the thrill of helping those who needed. That’s way more fun than massacre.

  “And that’s what Master wanted, don’t you…” I whispered.

  It’s only been a month, but Master has shown me way more than those people from a hundred years back could. Back in the days, they kept yapping about glory, sacrifice, epic conquests and even bloodbath. It’s good and all, but life isn’t about climbing the highest mountains, conquering the most challenging obstacle or even defeating the toughest enemies. There’s has to be something more than just…that?

  And that’s when Master showed up.

  Living with him, fighting with him, ughing with him, I realized that maybe life is simpler than that.

  Maybe, by following your heart and do what you feel is the right thing to do, you get more than you could ever imagine. That may not sound very grand and thrilling at all, but for me and for Master, that’s all we need.

  “All right Tiamat, I think it’s about time to do “that”.”

  Kiriwatari signals me, reminding me of the pn. I quickly snap back to reality and tell Mr. Miller everything he and the guests should know. They can’t completely comprehend what’s going on, so I need to filter out as much useful information as possible.

  “All right dies and gentlemen, this way.”

  I open a portal leading to the parking lot. That pce right now is safely guard by John’s remaining member of his team, so the guests won’t face any danger from now on. As they’re leaving the room. Master’s friends regroup, with Kira being the only one who got heavily injured. Lucky for him, [Divine Doctor], another high-ranking member of [Knights of Tomorrow] is here to take care of all the wounds. As the st one walks through the portal, I close it, leaving Master to deliver the final curtain of the day.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  “Hah!”

  “Nice try kiddo, take this!”

  I swing my sword aggressively.

  I desperately try to finish the battle as fast as I could, and [Fire Fist] is not helping me at all. She deflects my attack and whips me back. I immediately dodge her chain and stand back, keeping distance from her. We both have not so much left, so just a single hit is enough to end this fight.

  “Come on body, move… I need you to listen to me, just this time…”

  The side effect of [Super Strengthen Magic] really takes a toll on its user, in this case is me. I can’t move as freely as I wanted, and with every seconds went by, my vision starts giving up on me more. The same can be said for her, as her entire armor is now destroyed, leaving her with just her normal clothes, now is also being torn apart as well.

  “Kiddo, I gotta say…you *puff puff* really are something…Killing you *puff puff* will be the most satisfying thing I do in years…You should be proud of yourself.”

  “Do you really think you can do it with your current state? I’d like to see you try.”

  “Heh, I’m gonna savor this moment for the rest of my life…”

  We get into fighting position, ready for one st hit. It’s all or nothing. Only one of us is taking home to win, so this final hit will determine it all. There’s no room for error. We’re going all out with this st blow, so just one mistake will change the fate of everything.

  I close my eyes and grab my sword tightly. She’s coming straight at me regardless, and I have the perfect move for that. Right now, I need to focus and channel every ounce of energy I have in my body now to deliver it.

  “[Hellfire Meteor]!”

  [Fire Fist] covers herself in fire charges at me with lightning speed. The heat from her isn’t as strong as it was earlier, but it was enough to burn down an entire iceberg in just a matter of seconds. If a normal person comes into contact with her, they’ll die instantly.

  “[Judgement Strike].”

  I cover my sword with my mana, now oozed in [Super Strengthen Magic], and swing it with everything I have. I’ve been practicing this move for the past few weeks. It hasn’t been perfected yet, but if it can cut through Tiamat’s tough skin, that might be just enough to take [Fire Fist] down.

  “Boom!”

  The blueish sword makes contact with the fiery figure, creating an explosion and knocks us all away. I wasn’t in the center of the explosion so I’m able to be back on my feet. As for [Fire Fist], I have to wait for the smoke to be cleared and see if she could make it or not.

  “Well, this is probably the dumbest idea I ever have, but who cares anymore…”

  I slowly walk towards to [Fire Fist]. This is a risky move, consider there’re endless possibilities on what could happen next. Who knows whether she survives the attack or not, and what I could possibly do in this current state of mine.

  “…”

  Once the smoke is gone, her figure starts showing up right in front of me. The best outcome possible has happened: she’s lying there on the ground unconsciously. The impact from the attack was too much for her to handle, eventually knocked her down. In other words…

  “I defeated her…”

  I wasn’t too confident when I first encountered her, and I still can’t fathom the fact that I’m strong enough to take down an opponent that tough, yet now I’m standing here holding my bde, ciming my victory. It’s only been a month, yet I’ve come such a long way. Honestly, I don’t know how should I react to this anymore.

  “Guh…!”

  Before I could even say anything, I’m slowly fainting away. My body has taken too much damage, both from the fight and from using [Super Strengthen Magic]. I can feel my mind giving up on me as well as my legs. It’s a pretty bad time for it to happen, but what can I possibly do when my body won’t listen to me anymore?

  “Are you happy now Tiamat? I’ve finally done it. Now you can go die for all I care…”

  Using what’s left in me, I utter those st words, before colpsing on the floor, ending the brutal battle between me and [Fire Fist].

  “Ow my head…Huh?”

  After for god knows how long, my eyes open. My body still hasn’t fully recovered, but at least I can move my body and my vision is slowly coming back to me. As far as I can tell, I’m still inside [The Void], so that’s a relief for me.

  “Master, you’ve finally waken up!”

  “Uhm…Huh Tiamat? How long has it been? What are you doing here? I thought you said you took care of the mega center…”

  “I’ve done my job Master, so now I’m here to check on you. You’ve been sleeping for an hour Master. Is making a woman wait something you enjoy that much Master?”

  A redhead woman wearing suit is sitting right next to me, using her thighs as a p pillow for me to lie smoothly on the ground. She’s Tiamat, the legendary [Chromatic Dragon], one of the most powerful mythological creatures even known to mankind. After a lot of things happened, she’s now my loyal servant, helping me a lot with my training and improvement. After dealing with all the problems inside the Miller Mega Center, she’s now here at [The Void], a white void dimension created specifically by her. This dimension is what we decided as the perfect pce to fight [Fire Fist], and it paid off huge.

  “Come on, you know that isn’t the case. But anyways, good job Tiamat, you’ve done well. Now if you excuse me, I need to get up…Agh!”

  “Don’t push yourself Master! You just went through a fierce battle, don’t force your body like that. Here, let me help you.”

  Tiamat shoulders me, helping me get up on my feet. My right arm is broken, there’s burn marks everywhere on my body while my legs feel as heavy as lead due to the battle. I could have asked her to heal me right away, but we still have something, more specifically someone, important to deal with.

  “Oi kiddo, how long are you gonna keep lying there huh? You ain’t fooling anyone with that fake act of yours, you know that right?” Tiamat angrily yelled.

  “Tch…You and your people…”

  “What is that kiddo? I can’t hear you!”

  To my very own surprise, [Fire Fist] had already waken up as well. I knew my [Judgement Strike] is currently my most powerful move, and even though it still wasn’t enough to kill her, I didn’t expect it to be this early. Well, she’s a member of [Rising Phoenix] after all, they’re a whole different breed compare to a normal person.

  “Grr…So you knew it right all from the beginning…yet you still let me lie here. Are you mocking me? Is this a joke to all of you? What the hell do you want from me?” [Fire Fist] angrily asked.

  “Nothing really. What can I possibly gain from you anyways? I already got what I need, so asking you is just a waste of time.”

  “You dare say that to me!? I’ll break you in pieces! I’ll bath in your blood while I hang that snotty little brat’s head on the wall…Argh!” [Fire Fist] roared.

  “Now now kiddo, careful with your arm, especially if you want to escape this pce.”

  “Huh? What do you mean by that?” I asked.

  Tiamat points at [Fire Fist]’s bulging left pocket. She expins that what inside is in fact a transportation device, the same kind those soldiers used earlier in the building. She’s trying to escape, but her left arm won’t allow her to. Theoretically, the device can’t be used in [The Void] due to multiple magic barriers she’s casting for this dimension, but for the sake of it, she lets [Fire Fist] be the only exception. Hearing all that through [Telepathic Line], I’m really amazed by how many things Tiamat can casually pull. I’m gd that she’s on my side, because I can’t even begin to imagine how everything might turn out if she isn’t.

  “Well, I guess I should let her go. Keeping her here isn’t going to help me much if I’m being real to you.”

  “Are you sure about this Master? She might report all of this to her boss or something like that. They might come up with another pn to attack.”

  “Then let them come, whoever they are. What can they possibly do anyway? It’s going to take them centuries to even reach a fraction of your true power, and even then it’s still not enough. You don’t really have to worry much Tiamat.”

  “Uhm Master, when you put it like that…”

  “Besides, killing isn’t good for my health. Taking somebody’s life isn’t a fun thing to do. I don’t enjoy any of its thrill at all, and so does my moral code. I know there’s gonna be consequences for my actions, but that’s something I willingly accept.”

  “Well then, if you said so…Oi kiddo, you heard my Master said! Get out of my territory fast, don’t make me come there and do it myself!”

  With that final words, [Fire Fist] angrily opens her portal and crawls out of [The Void]. As she’s leaving, we can clearly hear her grumbling and cursing, implying that we’re now her number one enemy and she wants nothing but revenge. It’s a scary thing to think about every now and then, but it’s not really bothering me much. I still have a long way to go, but with Tiamat and my friends by my side, I’m going to be just fine.

  “And there goes my opponent…”

  “She really gave you one heck of a fight didn’t she?’

  “Yeah, but honestly, for someone who called herself [Fire Fist], she didn’t really live up to the hype. But anyways, I’ll leave the whole healing thing to you Tiamat. Man I’m fried…”

  Tiamat creates a sofa for both of us to sit down in the meantime. It’s the exact copy of the one in my living room, hence the familiar feel I get the moment I sit on it. The whole healing process took us quite a while, and eventually I’m back in my full strength.

  “All right Master, how do you feel? Is there anything wrong with your body?”

  “No, nothing weird at all. In fact, I feel stronger than ever! I don’t know what kind of healing magic you used, but it seems to work really well!”

  I feel like I’m cheating the system with Tiamat, but then again, she’s more than just my servant: she’s my partner in crime, the one I can trust with my life, and more importantly, she’s my friend. We accept each other for what we are, what we used to, and we’ve been working non-stop to better ourselves day by day. She, undoubtedly, has become an important part of my life, and I’m happy with it.

  “So Tiamat, you said that everyone is fine right?”

  “Save and sound Master, and I’m not even breaking a sweat! They might look intimidating, but they’re better at barking than biting. Seeing them freaked out and screamed hopelessly was definitely a treat!”

  “Good to hear you’re having fun out there, even though it sounds…kinda awful…”

  “Hehehe…”

  We sit here and talk for a while, mainly about how the battle went out. I figure that she already knew about everything, but I still decide to spill it all out. It’s just a way for us to kill some time, as Tiamat expined that her healing spell is rather an ancient one, so it can only recover the physical state of something. My head is still cloudy, so everything seems to be true. At first I was a bit confused, but at the end of the day, it didn’t matter much to me. Maybe next time I should tell her specifically what kind of healing I want, that’ll be better.

  “Alright, I guess we should get out of here soon. You don’t wanna make your friends worry, right Master?”

  “Yeah Tiamat, let’s go. They’ll panic if we don’t come back, although now I’ll also have to expin to them about everything reted to the fight, that would surprise them…”

  “Nah it’s fine Master, I’m sure you can handle it.”

  We get up from the sofa. Tiamat then opens the portal back to the Miller Mega Center’s parking lot. We both step right into it, ending a long day full of brutal battles and tiresome situations.