"Yasutaira-kun, over here!”

  Takenada-san waves her hand. She’s now standing with Kiriwatari-sensei and others, including Mr. James Miller.

  After dealing with [Rising Phoenix]’s attack, everyone gathers at the parking lot, more specifically Takenada-san’s car, waiting for me to return. At first I thought that I’ve been gone for way too long, but Tiamat expins that she has modified [The Void] so that time inside the dimension moves differently. In other words, even though two hours had passed since I dragged [Fire Fist] into it, to the outside world, it’s only been thirty minutes.

  The old me would not even believe what she said, but fortunately, that’s no longer the case.

  “Everyone, I’m back!”

  I response to her while heading to her pce with Tiamat right behind me. After a few minutes of walking, I finally get to her. We give each other a hug, with Kira and Kariuda- san also giving me a high-five.

  “Yasutaira, it’s good to see you back!”

  “Yeah, me too Kira. Whoa, you don’t look so good, what happened?

  “Uhm...Let’s just say the old deeds had caught up to me, but I bounced back strong.”

  “No, I bounced back strong. You just lied on the ground reminiscing the “good old days”.” Kariuda-san interrupted.

  “Come on, I’m still working on it. Cut me some sck already.”

  The four of us have managed to survive this unwanted battle while also helped freeing the hostages inside the Miller Mega Center. Now standing outside the building, we find a pce to sit and speak about what happened.

  “Whoa, Kira was right. That [Fire Fist] girl really is something. I wonder how it would be if it was me...” Takenada-san said.

  "Well, as much as I want to see you in action, fight her is not a good idea. There’s a reason why I was the chosen one, right Tiamat?”

  “Well yes Master. I had run through tons of simutions in my head on how the fight would turn out, and Master is the perfect candidate to pull out the best outcome. Besides, home advantage isn’t something to take lightly, is it?” Tiamat expined.

  “I see...”

  As we’re sitting in the nearby chairs, the police and ambunce arrive. From what I'm seeing, they’re here to take care of the customers, as well as asking them some questions.

  "Huh, I wonder who called them...”

  “That would be me Yasutaira-kun.”

  “Sensei, you’re here too?”

  “Yeah. James is my old friend of mine, so it’s no surprise the invitation was sent straight to my desk. The person standing next to me however...”

  A voice interrupted me. I turn around, only to find Kiriwatari-sensei standing right behind us with a small girl right beside her. At first I thought sensei brought a child here, but I immediately get to know her.

  “Pardon me kids, let me introduce myself first: My name is Lucy Hartwell. I go by the name [Divine Doctor]. Just like Ms. Chiyoe here, I’m also a high-ranking knight. It’s a pleasure meeting such young talents here in Japan.”

  “Oh no Ms. Hartwell, it’s our pleasure to meet someone like you. I’ve heard sensei mentioning you before. You’re amazing!” I responsed as I shook her hand.

  “So you did talk nice about me huh Chiyoe? I thought that loud mouth of yours only know how to do the devil works.”

  “Hey, don’t do this in front of the kids!”

  “Yeah yeah, that’s what I said that one time, and did you listen?”

  I think their retionship isn’t in a very good terms.

  They keep bickering for a while about literally everything. It’s like they’re a couple or something, even though I don’t think that’s what they are. I look at Kariuda-san, hoping to find some help, only to see her also look as dejected as I am.

  “Uhm Kariuda-san, do they always...like this?”

  “You don’t want to know Yasutaira-kun. Trust me, once they start the fire, not even the end of the world could stop them.”

  “Well, someone’s gotta try.”

  Ignoring what Kariuda-san said, I think of a way to interrupt them. Surprisingly, Tiamat doesn’t stop me from doing it at all. It seems like she, just like me, can’t stand seeing them fighting any longer.

  There’s no room for errors, one wrong move and I’ll be gone forever.

  Well, here goes nothing.

  “Uhm, excuse me...”

  “What?” Both shouted at me.

  “I don’t want to ruin all the fun...but why exactly are you here?” I asked.

  Both of them silence for a while. It seems like my question somehow snapped them back to reality. Ms. Hartwell closes the umbrel she’s been using from the begining and gives me something.

  “I apologize for my action. I shouldn’t have done it in front of you. As for why I’m here, this is my custom emergency card. You can use it to contact me any time you want.” Ms. Hartwell lowered her head.

  “Uhm, thank you I guess?”

  I receive the card from her. It’s a piece of white card with two fingerprint scanners embeded in the surface. Her name is shown on the top left corner, alongside her address and number.

  “The right scanner acts like a protection yer. It’ll scan the user’s fingerprint, gaining personal information from it. Those information will be saved within the card once it’s done scanning. Here, give it a try kid.”

  I put my finger on the card. A green light appears, covering and scanning my finger. After thirty seconds, my name, address and number are now also embed in the card’s surface.

  Everyone besides Kariuda-san is amazed with what they saw just now, as this isn’t something they regurly get to witness.

  “And that’s one step done. In case you want to ask about overdriving, it can only be done with your permission. In other words…”

  “I have to scan it again.” I said.

  “That’s right. As for the left one, once you scan it, there are two options: put you through to me using the custom [Telepathic Line] I casted on the card or teleport you to my office. Don’t worry, I’ll be informed with every calls, every visitors I get, so it’s nowhere near skeptical, unlike your sensei here…”

  “Hey I heard that.”

  The two high-ranking knights are about to go to another war right in front of me, but since I’m here, they set aside all of the differences and focus on what’s important.

  “Uhm so sensei, you said that you’d called the police and the ambunce right? I thought you could have just, you know…” Kira asked.

  “Yes Kira, I could have done it right from the beginning, but unfortunately, [Divine Doctor] here is the only avaible option. A lot of members are still on their own missions, so there isn’t much to work with right from the bat. Lucky for me, I know someone working in the TMPD, so at least that’s a good alternative. Whatever information they gather, they’ll let me know instantly.”

  “I see…”

  As expected from sensei, she has it all in the palm of her hand. Without her pulling the strings from the back, things could go south very quickly. I know Tiamat is here, but I can’t just solely rely on her all the time. I look at her, only to find her staring at Kira for some reason.

  “Kid, the device. You didn’t use it did you?”

  “Oh yeah, it still right here in my pocket. I think I forgot about it…”

  “Device? What device?” Ms. Hartwell asked

  Kira then takes out a small button from his pocket and gives it to her. At first, she was confused on what it supposed to be, but she soon finds out the answer, as Tiamat is here to expin to her everything.

  “That small button is the transportation device I personally took from the [Rising Phoenix]’s soldiers. It’s also the same one [Fire Fist] used to escape [The Void], which is another long story to be told. You seem to know a lot about technology even for a doctor, so I think you’ll find this…interesting.”

  Hearing the expnation, Ms. Hartwell starts investing more on the small device on her hands like a child receiving a brand new toy.

  It’s definitely surprised to see her like that, given she’s a doctor, one of the best in the world to be more precise.

  I only met like two of the high-ranking knights, but that begs the question: Are they all like this? Or I’m just overthinking too much?

  “I know what you’re thinking Master. Truth be told, they used to be way more insane back in the days. This is normal compare to a few hundred years ago, although…” Tiamat said.

  Our minds are connected, so it makes sense she knows exactly what my train of thoughts is. As she’s talking to me, her eyes keep staring at Ms. Hartwell, trying to catch her attention.

  “Huh, what is it?” Ms. Hartwell asked.

  “Ah nothing really. It’s just that…you reminded me of something in the past…”

  Tiamat seems distressed. I know her and [Knights of Tomorrow] didn’t have a great history with each other, but I’d want to know more about that. Maybe a couple more dreams will help crack the code, but for now, it’s best to go with the flow.

  “Well if that’s everything, then I guess my job here is done. The mega center is safe, nobody has to die today and one of the enemy’s trump cards is now under my control. I’d say that’s a massive success, don’t you think so Chiyoe?”

  Sensei nods her head. They might bicker all day about the smallest things possible, but when it comes to their duty, they work together perfectly as a duo. And speaking of duo…

  “Peek a boo!”

  “Eh?”

  From behind, someone covers my eyes with hands soft as silk and a voice sweet as candy. Judging by their reaction, everyone is surprised to see it, except for one person…

  “Oi oi kid, do you want to die?” Tiamat said with an ice-cold tone of voice.

  “Ehehehe, just kidding!” The mysterious figure said as they took their hands of my face.

  I quickly turn around. There’s a girl with short amber hair standing in front of me with a smirk on her face. She looks very familiar, it’s like I’ve seen her somewhere before even though this is the first time we met.

  “Are you perhaps…Atagi-senpai?”

  “Ding ding ding, that’s right! I’m the vice president of the Kiriwatari Academy Student Council, the one and only Atagi Miwako! It’s nice to see you Yasutaira-kun!”

  “Uhm yeah, me too…”

  She shakes my hand vigorously while giving me an impressive look. If I have to describe Miwako-senpai, she’s Takenada-san with the level of enthusiasm turning up a notch.

  I have only seen her in pictures, so I never got any clue how she’s like, but now that she’s here, I have to say, she’s quite a character…

  “Oi kid, you done touching my Master?” Tiamat interrupted the conversation.

  “Hey, what’s the matter?” I asked.

  “You don’t get it Master. It’s unacceptable! The only person with the permission to do such things is me and me only!”

  “That’s what you’re mad about? Seriously?”

  “Yes Master, I’m serious!”

  That is unexpected.

  One of the scariest, most powerful mythological creatures is jealous with another girl over a teenager. That may sound ridiculous, but it’s really happening right now. I did not expect things to turn out like this at all.

  “Don’t worry Yasutaira-san. She’s just really interested in you and that’s all. She’s not crossing any line as long as I’m here.”

  “Taka…Takabeya-senpai? You’re here too?”

  A young man with blue hair pads my back, trying to cheer me up. He introduces himself as the president of the Student Council, Takabeya Masayuki. He also tells me about how they got involved in the attack, how Tiamat helped them and even stopped them from trying to help me.

  Unlike Atagi-senpai, Takabeya-senpai seems a bit more…Let’s just say he’s like Kira but older and taller. He might not look that intimidating, but do not let that fool you. He’s exuding an aura of a seasoned veteran despite only being two years older than me. He’s not someone to mess around with easily. Even if I go all out, there’s no chance of me beating him at all.

  “Now now Yasutaira-san, giving that look to your senior is rude.”

  “Oh, uhm…I’m sorry! It’s just my force of habit, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “That’s OK. At least now I know that you’re not a fraud at all. As expected from the person who beat [Fire Fist], you really have potentials Yasutaira-san.”

  “Oh, thanks a lot senpai. I really appreciate that.”

  “Ahem! We got a bigger problem here kid, starting with your precious girlfriend!” Tiamat once again interrupted the conversation.

  “She’s your what now?” I asked.

  “Shh! Keep it down! I don’t want people to know about this. This is between us, got it?”

  Takabeya-senpai drags me to the corner while shutting my mouth down. It seems like I accidentally discover something I shouldn’t know, and senpai is trying his best to cover it up.

  I get what he’s trying to do, so I py along with him, pretending this is just a conversation between boys.

  “Hey Yasutaira-san, you fought [Fire Fist] right? How come you look like you’re not even breaking a sweat at all? I thought she’s giving you one heck of a fight?”

  “Well yeah she did, but Tia…my servant over there healed me afterward, so I’m totally fine.”

  “Woah…”

  Now that’s something I expect to see.

  Once I told Tiamat to heal me, I already knew that whoever ask about it will give me this type of reaction. I’m pnning to tell everyone about this soon, but first…

  “Hey Tiamat, you know what to do right?” I asked Tiamat through [Telepathic Line].

  “You got it Master.” Tiamat responded.

  “Hey senpai, I’d love to talk to you more…but right now I still have some unfinished business, so how’s Monday?”

  “Great! It’s nice to see my juniors doing such remarkable things at this age. I can’t wait to see you more!”

  “Saying goodbye to the duo, Tiamat and I head to Ms. Hartwell, continuing from where we left her behind.

  “I see, interesting…”

  Somewhere in Hokkaido, a man is reading some document files inside a secret ir. He’s the infamous [Mastermind] from [Rising Phoenix], a terrorist organization that has been spreading fear in the dark all across the world. What they’ve done for the past ten years have cause [Knights of Tomorrow] tons of problems, especially when it comes to catching leader.

  But in just the span of a month, their existence are getting closer to being exposed all thanks to one teenager.

  “Yasutaira Waka, you sure are one hell of a trump card…”

  That is the name of the kid that’s causing havoc to the organization. Known as [The Heretic], he’s a rare case of not being able to do magic due to his clean profile.

  Despite all of the reputation, this kid had somehow survived at least three attacks against him, and not only that, he was able to defeat [Fire Fist], [Mastermind]’s right hand. Because of all of these, his pns all went down the rain.

  “Grr…That bastard! Once I’m done healing, I’ll rip you into pieces!”

  [Fire Fist] angrily shouts. After the battle, she was heavily injured, but she still made it back alive. Right now, she’s staying inside the healing tank. It’ll take her around two weeks to be fully recovered, but judging by the way she’s been acting for the st few hours, she has developed some kind of hatred towards Waka Yasutaira, which only fuels her to be more ready than ever.

  “Now now, take it easy [Fire Fist]. I know you’re mad, but at least save it until you smack that kid in his face. How’s that sound?”

  “You’re right boss…I guess I could wait. But tell everyone, that kid is mine to kill!”

  Nodding her, [Mastermind] continues on pnning what to do from now.

  His pns have been busted three times now, so he needs to be careful with every step he’s taking, as on the other side, there’s someone also doing the exact thing as he’s doing currently.

  “Aw, look at her. I wonder who did this to her…”

  “Just…don’t [Apocalypse Warlord]. Also can’t you knock? I thought we talked about this before.”

  “Hey don’t bme me. I was about to knock but you left the door open. Besides, one of our members got injured. The least I can do is to check on her.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “You look me straight in the eyes. You only do that whenever you want something from me. Hurry up, I still have a lot of unfinished business.”

  “This Waka kid, let me handle him.”

  “Huh?”

  “Like I said, I’ll take care of this kid. Look, I know I shouldn’t poke my nose into your mission, but [Fire Fist] won’t be avaible for the next two weeks, and two of her henchmen have gone missing. The damage has already done. This kid needs to be taken down instantly.”

  “And how exactly are you going to do that?”

  “Well, take a look at this.”

  The tanned girl in golden armor shows him a document. He looks through it and muses for a while. It seems like whatever inside that document has caught his attention. He takes out his phone to check something before finally comes to the conclusion.

  “Fine, I’ll leave him to you. But be careful, you shouldn’t take that kid for granted. He’s the kind of trump card that could literally flip the table anytime he wants.”

  “Noted. Now if you excuse me, I’ll go and work on it right away. You can stay here and do whatever you want. I’ll let you know once I’m done.”

  “Thanks. I’ll tell Master about all of this after I finish this report. Good luck.”

  [Apocalyspe Warlord] leaves the room. For someone who lives and breathes in battlefield, this is just another Tuesday for her. From what she read in the files, this Waka Yasutaira kid is now a member of [Knights of Tomorrow], which makes him a force to be wrecken with.

  “This kid…I like him! Too bad I’ll have to kill him…”

  After standing outside forming an initial pn for around half an hour, a white aircraft flies to the hideout. She hops on it and leaves the hideout, returning to her own pce.

  “Amazing…All the wounds…they’re all healed…”

  After metting with Takabeya-senpai and Atagi-senpai, I went back to Ms. Hartwell and let her check on me thoroughly.

  Tiamat already told her about the healing spell she did on me back in [The Void], and that piques her interest instantly.

  “See, what did I tell you? My spell is the bomb!” Tiamat said as she patted Ms. Hartwell’s head.

  "When you told me you’re a mythological creature, I thought this is all a joke. But now seeing how everyone reacted, and this…”

  As a doctor, it’s her job to take care of the patients regardless of who they are and how bad their wounds are. So to see me being completely fine after going through a live or die situation, she can’t help but wonder who I’ve done.

  "Don’t worry doc, I was just like you when she did it to me even though I was the one who asked. Had I known you’re here, I would have just come to you and let you do the healing.”

  “Oh no no, it’s OK. I don’t mind it. As long as you’re safe, that's all I care about. That and the device you gave me earlier.”

  After a few minutes of checking, she puts the medical instruments back in her bags. She tells me to come and visit her office tomorrow to do more medical examinations there. I agree to meet her under one condition: I’ll take Tiamat with me and no one shall know about her existence while I’m at her office.

  “Well kid, if that’s what you want…I’ll go tell my assistant to clear the schedule for tomorrow, maybe he’ll get a day off too…”

  Ms. Hartwell takes out her phone and makes some calls. I don’t want to interrupt her so Tiamat and I are heading to sensei’s pce to ask her a few things also.

  Tiamat already told me everything I need to know, but I want to crify those things myself, just in case I missed anything.

  “I see…So you want to know where all the soldiers gone right?”

  “Yeah sensei, when Tiamat told me they had disappeared, I thought she was joking, but when I got back outside…none of them are here. I figure, maybe you know one or two about this.”

  “Well Yasutaira-kun, you’re right. The soldiers were all gone when we got to the parking lot, according to John. But not all of them had that luxury…”

  “Huh?”

  “You see, when you pulled [Fire Fist] away from the generator room… the two henchmen were left behind. Unlike the others, their transportation devices were destroyed. Now the unlucky duo is being interrogated by the police. Soon we’ll be one step closer to unravel the truth, all thanks to you Yasutaira-kun.”

  “Th..Thanks sensei…Honestly, I wouldn’t have done it without the help of everyone.”

  “Now now, don’t humble yourself like that. You’ve worked hard to be here, so keep your head high will ya?”

  Kiriwatari-sensei pads my head, like a mom being proud of her son. This feeling…I haven’t felt it in quite a while…

  My parents had died mysteriously ten years ago and since then, Sukeno-san adopted me, giving me all the love I missed even if he’s not there with me regurly. I really wanted to know what happened to mom and dad, but I never knew where to start or who to ask.

  I don’t want to seek revenge or anything…I just want the truth…Even if it’ll break my heart into pieces…

  “Hmm? Is there any problems Yasutaira-kun?”

  “Oh, ah nothing…I’m just…you know…thinking to myself…”

  “Well, whatever that is, don’t let it stop you from achieving what you want. Remember, you are not alone. Even in the darkest times, I want you to know that out there, there’s still someone waiting for you to return. Don’t disappoint them, and more importantly, don’t disappoint yourself. Got it?”

  “Yeah, thanks sensei. You’re one hell of a mentor…”

  “Save those tears for ter, is there anything else you want to ask me?”

  “Oh yeah, about that…why exactly is sensei here in the first pce?”

  “Honestly Yas-kun, that’s a whole different story. In shorts…”

  “Chiyoe and I were friends back in the day, so I invited her.”

  A mysterious voice interrupts our conversation. I quickly turn back to see who did it. A middle-age man in white suits walks towards me. I can see a few injured spots on his body, so I assume that he was attacked. Walking alongside him is a woman wearing quite a fancy red dress. They seem to be husband and wife, as their wedding rings look identical to each other.

  The wife walks to sensei and gives her a hug, as the husband walks straight to me with a smile on his face.

  “Greetings young man. My name is James Miller, but you can call me Mr. Miller. I’m the owner of this building.”

  “It’s…It’s a pleasure meeting you sir!” I responded hastily.

  “Oh please, no need to be ceremoniously. The pleasure should be mine.”

  Mr. Miller gives me a very firm handshake. From what I can tell, he’s from the upper css. The way he talks, behaves, everything screams majestic and royal.

  I’m not used to being with someone like him before. Kairuda-san and even some of my dreams are the closest thing to it. All I could possibly do is act as formal as possible, hoping I’m not upsetting him.

  “So you must be that Yasutaira kid right? Chiyoe spoke very highly about you, and from what I’ve seen, she’s really on the money.”

  “You and sensei know each other? That’s amazing!”

  “Yeah, Chiyoe and I go way back. If I want to tell you everything, I might have to write another autobiography. That’ll be way too much work, even for me!” Mr. Miller ughed hysterically.

  I don’t know much about sensei, but it’s clearly that she used to live a vish lifestyle. Mr. Miller makes a brief summary about his retionship with sensei, about how they met and became best friend. Hearing the story, I wonder what makes sensei so different from him. Things really change fast after more than 20 years eh?

  “Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank you. Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to survive the wrath of the enemy. I really appreciate it.” He said as he’s bowing.

  I quickly bow back in response. I didn’t expect him to do that given our positions in society. But then again, he has every reason to do so.

  Within the situation, this is just him paying respect and admiration to his benefactor. It makes sense why he did it in the first pce. But honestly, I don’t deserve all the credit. My friends, Tiamat, even sensei is here too. They deserve their flowers too.

  “Thanks Mr. Miller but like sensei once told me, I am not alone. I couldn’t do it without the help of my friends and sensei. I think you should also give them some praise for what they’ve done, not just me.”

  “I see…Don’t worry, they’ll get what they deserve. As for you Yasutaira…”

  “Huh?”

  He takes his wallet out and gives me something. It’s a small card with his name and some basic information about him and his company on it.

  “This is my business card. Normally I only give it to my partners, but you Yasutaira…you’re the exception. You can use this to contact me anytime you want, I’ll make sure to clear my schedule.”

  “Uhm, isn’t this…you know, too much?”

  “Come on kid, you just save humanity’s future. This is the least I could do for you. Please take it.”

  “Guess I can’t say no to this offer…”

  I still think he went too far with this, but at the same time, I don’t want to leave a bad impression on him, so I receive the card reluctantly.

  After that, he reunites with his wife who’s having a conversation with Kiriwatari-sensei. I have no clue what they’re talking, but judging from their expressions, they must have a good time together. Mr. Miller and his wife give each other a kiss before switching their attention back to me.

  "So this is the young man that saved us…Gotta say Chiyoe, your students never fail to impress me.”

  “Uhm, thanks Mrs. Miller, I appreciate it.”

  We shake hands. Despite being in her 40s, her hand is just as smooth as silk. She still looks as youthful as those in the early 20s.

  “You can call me Liz. I like it that way more.”

  Unlike her husband, she prefers to be called not in a very formal way. I don’t want to disrespect the elder, but at the same time, if she thinks this is better, I should just follow it.

  “I didn’t have the honour to see you in action, but your woman…she’s a whole different breed. You really have good eyes, don’t you?”

  “Ehehehe, tell me about it.” I ughed it off.

  If there’s one thing she got it right, is that Tiamat really is a different breed, no pun intended. I don’t think sensei told them the truth, and I want to keep it that way.

  I don’t want to scare them, or even put them in danger since enemies might go after them for their impact. I have to be careful in every step I make, now that there’s someone out there might want to get a hold of this.

  “Let me tell you kid, you’re gonna go very far. Today you work for someone else, tomorrow you are your own boss.”

  “Let’s just hope that day won’t come soon Liz.” Kiriwatari said jokingly.

  After finally dealing with everything, I say goodbye to Mr. Miller and sensei and head inside Takenada-san’s car. We leave the mega center, ending one of our most memorable days ever.

  Rome.

  City of Seven Hills.

  Eternal City.

  In the city where Christianity runs through everybody’s blood, those who swore to never put their trusts on God are still lurking, waiting for the day to burn the world down with their own hands.

  One of them is here, plotting a scheme to put the world in misery.

  “Lita, report!”

  “Yes ma’am! The intelligent team’s discovery has now been confirmed to be true. We’ll send a team to that pce once you give us the command!”

  “Excellent work Lita. Ronnie, call [Omega Team]. Tell them to bring me “that”. We’re heading tomorrow.”

  “Copy that.”

  After giving the orders to the inferiors, the tanned woman in golden armor turns around. She’s one of the [Chaotic Seven], nickname [Apocalypse Warlord].

  Known for being a ruthless warrior on the battlefield, her name brings fear to everyone hearing it. Her ability to switch armors and weapons is what makes fighting against her is the worst punishment anyone could imagine of.

  But every power comes with a drawback.

  In [Apocalypse Warlord]’s case, it's the limitation of how many she can switch. Her ability consumes a lot of mana, and for a warrior who lives and breathes in battlefield, something like that has no pce to exist.

  “Master, are you seeing me…”

  Inside an abandoned church, the ruthless warrior looks up to the starry sky, reminiscing about what she used to and what she’ll become.

  From the moment she and Master met eight years ago, her destiny was written in the stars. He showed her the light, the true meaning of power. She’s grateful for everything Master has done, and she swore to do what it takes to deliver it to him.

  For the st five years, she’s working as hard as ever to fix this problem. And now, she’s closer to the solution than ever. Five years of blood, sweat and tears has finally paying off.

  “Finally, after all this time…the power to truly reshape the world to Master’s liking…”

  Regardless of the drawback, she’s still considered the best among the best. But to her, that isn’t enough.

  The more she fights, the more she realizes that power is everything. Master doesn’t accept weaklings within his ranks, and in order to do that, she must destroy her weakness once and for all.

  “This Yasutaira kid, he has talents. But is that enough to stop us young man?”

  After nding in Rome a few hours ago, she received a document file. Inside that is everything she needs to know about Yasutaira Waka, the Japanese teenager that had stopped them not only once, twice but three times in just a month.

  Despite his bad reputation as [The Heretic], he put on a fight that made [Fire Fist], [Mastermind]’s right hand heavily injured and had to put in the healing tank for the next two weeks.

  Not many can pull it off, let alone a fifteen years old kid who couldn’t even do magic until st month. That information has already shaken the organization. Some said [Fire Fist] had become rusty, others thought that she imprudence her opponent during battle.

  But for [Apocalypse Warlord], none of that is true.

  [Fire Fist] of everyone knows the importance of taking every battle seriously. She just didn’t expect her opponent to possess such power in him.

  And that isn’t half of the side of the story.

  “And the mysterious woman, just what is she…”

  While still on the aircraft, she was told by [Mastermind] about the woman who appears to be Yasutaira’s assistant. She was there when [Fire Fist] was pulled away from the generator room, as well as when she was defeated.

  While recovering, [Fire Fist] told her boss about how uncomfortable and eerie she felt. It’s like that woman could easily destroy them with just a single thought, but chose not to do so.

  “Just stand here and think about it won’t help at all. Once I achieve ultimate power, I’m coming for all of you…”

  Wasting no time at all, she leaves the church behind, heading to the next battle of her life, where the twist of fate will lead her to even more unexpected events.

  (Yasitaira’s POV)

  “Alright, just a little adjustment and…Done!”

  After the hang out at Miller Mega Center, I returned home. For the rest of the day, I sorted out the utensils I bought and put them into the cupboards while also doing the usual chores. Not only that, the bookshelves in my bedroom are now welcoming new members as I asked Kira to buy what I need so I could go and look for the utensils.

  “Never knew you’re a bookworm too Master.” Tiamat poked fun of me as I’m putting the remaining on the shelves.

  “Hey, at least I don’t wait in line for days just to get a hand of the new book, that’ll be way too much to handle.”

  In an ironic twist, Kira, while still under mind-control, once waited for a whole morning just to buy the new volume of his favorite novel. He recalled being too impatient to the point of almost tried to poisoned everyone in line so he could buy it sooner.

  Everyone in the car, inclduing me and Tiamat, couldn’t even imagine how was that even possible. We knew the kind of person he used to be, but to that extent…That’s just borderline insane.

  “OK, let’s see…it’s 9 p.m already? Woah, time flies! Good thing I already took a bath.”

  “Aw, imagine all the fun we missed…”

  “God…damn it Tiamat…”

  I ughed it off when I heard what she said. I’ve read enough novels and watched enough shows to know exactly what she preferred to. In fact, I got to experience it a few times. It’s a nice feeling…but at the same time, if I let it slide regurly, we might get addict to it.

  The furthest I could do is let Tiamat sleep next to me, and that only because she promised to not do anything suspicious. Letting her rest inside my sword just feels so wrong, and as her master, I can’t let it happen for much longer.

  “Well Master, there’s still work waiting for us tomorrow, so I guess we should get as much sleep as we can.”

  Tiamat then changes her clothes. This time, it’s a pin pink pijama with pink fur slippers as well. No matter what she puts on, she still looks gorgeus as ever.

  “Fufu Master, how do I look?”

  “Stop teasing me Tiamat. You already know what I’m going to say…”

  “Aw look at you Master! Acting as cute as usual…”

  I know that she’s trying to lighten up my mood. I don’t hate it, but then again, I’m still fifteen. I’m not ready for that level of commitment. Besides, after everything that happened today, I’m just too tired to py along with her.

  “Say what you want, but let me just brush my teeth first. Can’t go to sleep with a bad breath can I?”

  I stand up and go to the bathroom. Tiamat waves her hand and sits on the bed waiting for me. After a few minutes, I return to bed and turn off the lights.

  As I’m lying on the bed, I look at Tiamat in her eyes. A man and a woman sleeping together isn’t something rare, but at my age, it’s a miracle.

  "Master, are you excited for tomorrow?”

  “Well sort of. On one hand I’d like to know how much I’ve grown, on the other hand…I don’t know what to expect.”

  “Don’t worry Master. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you. I am your loyal servant after all.”

  “Yeah, you’re right…”

  “Goodnight Master.”

  “Goodnight Tiamat.”

  This day has been long, and I’m gd we end it on a rather high note. We feel asleep, hoping tomorrow will be just as good as we want.

  (Kiriwatari-sensei’s POV)

  “Mom, it’s me, your daughter…”

  Standing in front of a grave, I put the flowers I brought with me on it.

  My mother had tragically passed away eleven years ago. Nobody could give me or my father a proper expnation, and that leads me to this graveyard. This is where they buried her body, this is where she said goodbye to this cruel world and reposed.

  Ever since then, my family hasn’t been the same.

  My father mysteriously disappeared just a year after her death. I as her daughter had to do everything in my power to carry on her legacy. I can’t say I did a very good job, but at least I tried my best.

  “I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but…I promise, I’ll discover the truth and bring justice to you…”

  That’s what I’ve been saying years after years.

  A promise that no one know whether I can fulfill it or not.

  A way for me to cope with the loss of my own family.

  And maybe, a path for me to not be drowned in darkness.

  “Maybe you and I aren’t that different Yasutaira-kun…”

  Just like me, his parents also died the same day as my mother. I knew about this just a few years ago, but I never told him about it.

  Every night, I feel guilty for not doing it. I just…I just don’t know where to start, how when to. I just…can’t do it.

  “1 Corinthians 16:14. Let all that you do be done in love..”

  A mysterious voice interrupts. I take a look back and see a blonde nun walking towards me. I smile lightly, knowing who she is and why she’s here.

  “You made quite an entrance, Mika.”

  “That’s Sister Mika for you, Chiyoe. How many times do I have to tell you?”

  “Not the first and will never be the st. So did you get it?”

  “Here, I got what you asked. It’s a bit…well, see it for yourself.”

  She handles me a bunch of files. They look old and dusty due to not being properly stored. She said that gaining access to these files wasn’t easy as it was long forgotten as time went by.

  “[Project Otherworld]…”

  “I wasn’t involved in this so there’s not much I can say. But what I do know is that everyone working on this project were either died on that day or suffered sequee since, including “them”. I wish I could help you more but…this is all I got.”

  “That’s alright Sister, you’ve done your best. I couldn’t ask for more.”

  The investigation on my mother’s death hasn’t progressed much. I had to deal with a lot of things she left behind while also guiding the students in her academy as well.

  But now, I can finally take one step closer to unveiling the truth. I’ve waited eleven years just to get this far, and nothing will stop me from doing it, not even [Rising Phoenix].

  “You know Chiyoe, back in the days, Chisato-sama was a popur figure here at this church. She would help us with the charity meals whenever she could, hang out with the kids and tell them stories. Thanks to her, [Holy Church] and [Knights of Tomorrow] were more united than ever. We weren’t just good allies, we were…family.”

  Mika steps right beside me and start reminiscing about the past. She looks mencholy as she’s looking at the grave.

  “But ever since her death, the retionship had no longer been the same. Honestly, I kinda wished we could go back to the good old days, but things changed, for the better or the worse.”

  Working as a head nun for over 20 years, Mika done seen it all. The sorrow in the opponent’s eyes, their guilt, their regrets, all the stupid actions that led them to the verge of death, those are just a fraction of what she had experienced doing the job.

  “Well, I just hope what I’ve done today could make some kind of impact. Truth be told, I’m sick of us no longer be allies. There’s just no point of standing in each other’s way like this!”

  “Don’t worry Sis, the impact had already happened…” I said with a faint smile on my face.

  We all make mistakes along the way, that’s an undeniable fact.

  I myself had done some unforgettable things to get here. I don’t even think I deserve to be judged fairly once I’m dead.

  But in darkness, there’s always a ray of hope.

  That ray of hope is none other than Yasutaira Waka.

  In a world where you have to dirty your hands in order to survive, that kid proves that things don’t have to py out that way. He doesn’t back down for any fight, he just pick up his sword and do what he can for what he believes to be true.

  Sometimes, you just gotta have to listen to your heart and do what must be done. You don’t know whether you’re going to fail or not, you just have to try your best and see how things turn out.

  “Huh, what do you mean by that?”

  “You’ll know eventually. In the meantime, wanna hear me talk about the party of Miller Mega Center? The kids is going to love it!”

  “So he did invite you to the party. I heard [Rising Phoenix] attacked that pce.”

  “And you’ll hear the rest of it when I get inside. You coming with me or not?”

  “Hey, wait for me!”

  After getting what I want, I go back to the church, doing what my mother used to do best, hoping she would be proud of it.

  I left the church the following day, pnning on the next steps of my journey.

  (Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

  The morning after the attack, I visit Ms. Hartwell’s office as pnned. I use the card she gave me to teleport to a small building somewhere in Osaka.

  When I got there, Kariuda-san called me, asking me if I could make it back in time for the student council work. I didn’t exactly know how things would go so I asked for a day-off. After I got her permission, we stepped into the building.

  On the outside, it looks like a normal pharmacy store. We go inside and the cashier immediately greets us. I give her the card, telling her we’ve scheduled an appointment beforehand.

  “I see…Follow me.”

  She gets out of the counter and leads us to a secret elevator downstairs. Throughout the whole process, her facial expressions don’t change much. It really makes me wonder how long she has been doing this job…

  “I’ve heard about both of you from the boss. You have no idea how excited she was st night. I hadn’t seen her that happy for years!”

  “Ahahaha…”

  We I first seen her, she really gave me a mencholy vibe, but that quickly changed after we talked to each other. She showed me a whole new side of her that I never expected to see. It’s a surprised but very welcomed one.

  “Woah, this pce is amazing…”

  “Yeah Master, imagine how much they’ve spent on this…”

  After a few minutes, we finally get to Ms. Hartwell’s office. As we’re getting closer, a little girl wearing a white gothic dress is standing there, waiting for us. I can clearly see a faint smile on her, implying she’s happy to see us.

  “Lucy-sama, they’re here as pnned.”

  “Thanks Shiro-kun. Hello Yasutaira, we finally meet again. Surprised to see my “office”?”

  “Ahahaha…A little. It’s not the “office” that I imagined, but I can’t compin much can I?”

  When she said “office”, I did not expect an entire boratory with literally every equipment known in the medical world. Frankly, I can’t even recognize some of them. How is she putting all those stuffs in this whole area?

  “I’ll leave her to you two. The store isn’t going to function on its own.” The cashier said jokingly.

  We say goodbye to her as the she leaves the b. If there’s any word to describe her, it’s “professionalism”. There’s no fw in her action, everything runs smoothly like it’s been programmed to do so. I myself also work in a professional environment, and I’m really impressed with her. I guess that’s what it takes to work for [Knights of Tomorrow].

  “Alright, now that you’re here, shall we get into business?”

  Ms. Hartwell guides us to the MRI machine in the corner of the b. The machine is in an isoted area, as it would make the job easier for the doctor and the patient.

  “Before the scanning, please check the locker in the left. There you’ll find everything you need. Don’t worry, we have enough spaces for you to change.”

  I do as she said. The gown, while donning the typical blue color, feels very soft and comfortable. I pull the curtain and put my clothes and accessories back to the locker.

  Honestly, this is a weird experience to me. I’ve never done a MRI scan before, so the best I can do is follow Ms. Hartwell’s instruction.

  “How do I look Tiamat?”

  “Looking good Master. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

  “Yeah…”

  I go to the MRI machine and lie down on the ft bed. Ms. Hartwell, now wearing a b coat on top of her dress, stands beside me, giving the machine a few final adjustments. Seeing her standing on a chair just to reach to pces she normally can’t is quite cute I must say.

  “I know you’re anxious, but rest asured. Just do what I said and you’ll be fine.”

  After those st words, the bed pulls me inside the machine, beginning the scanning process.

  “Yup, I was right, your body did heal up after all…”

  After around an hour, the scanning is complete and I put on my normal clothes back. I wait for another ten minutes to get the results.

  As expected from the both of us, there isn’t any battle scars or injued spots on my body after my fight with [Fire Fist]. I remembered not being able to move an inch or being exhausted due to the side effects of [Super Strengthen Magic]. She really put me in work after all…

  “You must have known by now kid, but [Super Strengthen Magic] is a double-edged sword. You risk your body, your soul and even your limited mana pool for a temporary power boost. It’s a common knowledge, at least for now…”

  She stops for a second. What she said is exactly what Tiamat keeps reminding me. [Super Strengthen Magic] sucks a lot of the user’s energy, but with training, I can control the amount of mana used to maintain the form. There’s still a long way for me to go, but at least I know I can do it.

  “But you Yasitaira, you are not like the others. That insane amount of mana you possess…I can name at least ten people who would totally be jealous of you, and that speaks volumes.”

  “Ahahaha…”

  I was born with it, so there isn’t much I can do about it, litreally. I guess I’m the unlucky one, as the whole “crime gatekeep” scenario had been keeping me down for way too long.

  “Since [Super Strengthen Magic] is the only thing you can do, let’s narrow things down. Throughout the history, not many could maintain the form for a long time. But you, you could break all that barriers. And in order to do that, I must know where you’re standing now. Follow me.”

  I go to the other side of the b with her. Tiamat is right behind me, smirking mysteriously. I don’t know what she’s up to, but let’s just hope that she’s not messing around this time.

  “We’re living in the digital age where everything can be measured and turned into information. Nowadays, stats are what matter most to Magcias. They’re updated monthly, weekly, hell some even check those stats on a daily basis. And that birthed the rise of SR Enterprises.”

  As we’re standing in front of what I assume to be her custom monitor, she types something to the keyboard. A few minutes ter, the bigger screen on the wall starts showing up something I instantly recognize.

  “As the company behind the [Status Ranking] app, they gained massive success from it and since then, it became the world’s biggest database. We even work with them from times to times.”

  I definitely need to do my homework the next time I involve into something like this.

  Knowledge is power they said, and since I’m now a member of [Knights of Tomorrow], I have to step up my game. Tiamat would love to help me, and that’s exactly what she told me through [Telepathic Line].

  “Here Yasutaira-kun, I need you to put on this helmet. It’s a special device used to update your stats onto the database. Don’t worry, I’ll help filtering out things you don’t want to publicly reveal to the world.”

  I do as she said and put the metal helmet on. It may have two antennas on top of it, but it certainly doesn’t give me super speed or shrinking ability. As I close my eyes, I can feel my magic flow swirling around me. Ms. Hartwell told me it was just a common thing, as the helmet is scanning my body, again.

  After around five minutes, I take the helmet off. I open my eyes and see Ms. Hartwell working on the numbers while Tiamat is still standing in the corner silently. She’s been…quite tely, and I’m a bit concerned about it. She’s not pulling something crazy here right?”

  “Just what in the world are these…?”

  For some reasons, Ms. Hartwell’s hands are shaking nonstop. She’s trembling in fear looking at the screen, even her face is sweating like crazy. It’s like she just discovered something so horrifying it’s giving her nightmares.

  “Uhm Ms. Hartwell, are you OK?”

  “Kid, take a look at the screen.”

  I look up the screen. All the numbers and data I saw before are now been reduced down to what exactly is normally shown in the app:

  Name: Yasuitaira Waka (やすたいらわか)

  Gender: Male

  Age: 15

  Height: 172 cm

  Weight: 70 kg

  Strength: S

  Attack: S

  Speed: A+

  Intelligence: A

  Stamina: S+

  Defense: B+

  Magical Ability: C

  [Summoning Magic].[Super Strengthen Magic].[Telepathic Line] (passive).Magic Resistance: B

  Overall Ranking: A+

  Notes:

  Extreme amount of mana.Have not yet committed a crime.[Tiamat] has been added to the summoning pool.“Hey, that’s actually kinda great!”

  As expected, my overall stats increase a lot over the past month. I did gain a bit of weight too, but that’s not something I’m too worried about. However, the [Notes] really caught my attention…

  “Huh, her name popped up…That’s strange.”

  “Kid, that’s the least thing you should concern about.”

  Ms. Hartwell clicks on another tab, revealing what seem to be Tiamat’s stats. From what I’ve seen, I assume this is what makes her sweat like crazy from the beginning.

  Name: Tiamat

  Gender: Female

  Age: ???

  Height: 168 cm

  Weight: 57 kg

  Strength: EX

  Attack: EX

  Speed: EX

  Intelligence: EX

  Stamina: EX

  Defense: EX

  Magical Ability: EX

  Magic Resistance: EX

  Overall Ranking: EX

  Notes:

  Mythological creature.Identify [Yasutaira Waka] as [Master].Information has yet been properly updated or confirmed.Yup, that makes perfect sense.

  It’s no surprised that Tiamat’s power is far beyond human capability since forever, but these stats…They’re still unbelievable from the standpoint of someone who doesn’t know half the truth, in this case Ms. Hartwell.

  “Oh hey, what did you know, human technology has finally been able to capture just a fraction of my power. Bravo!” Tiamat, now stands right beside me, said sarcastically.

  “Tiamat…Did you know anything about this?”

  “…”

  “Goddamn it…”

  “C’mon Master, where’s the fun when I’m to one to spoil it all! Besides, seeing that reaction really put a smile on my face. Ain’t that right little girl?”

  “Yea…Yeah…You’re right…”

  Hearing those words almost break Ms. Hartwell into pieces. Her fingers are still shaking, to the point of no longer be able to type properly. She’s now no more than a kid accidently discovering something that she shouldn’t, and she’s regretting it.

  Took me a while to bring her back to the game, as I had to basically babysit her for ten whole minutes. In that ten minutes, I also scolded Tiamat through [Telepathic Line], telling her to never do that again.

  “Aw Master, you’re no fun at all.”

  “If everyone has your sense of humor, humanity is long gone for now. And considering your history with bnk space, you get what I’m saying.”

  “Yeah you’re right Master…”

  “Honestly, I sound like an old man for a guy with that name attached to him. Look, if you really want to pull that kind of joke, at least tell me beforehand. Let me mentally prepare for whatever you throw at people, got it?”

  Tiamat nods her head. I know she likes teasing, but I don’t know about the others. They might have a heart attack if they’re in the same room with her. Even worse, they might lose themselves and go insane at any time given.

  But then again, this is just her having fun after all. She hadn’t been socialized for hundreds of years, and her st interaction with human was literally her trying to escape from the scroll while those who did it celebrated with wines and good food.

  Those memories must have haunted her for a long time before I got sucked into the scroll as well. I’m just gd she’s able to get through it and be what she wants to be.

  “So, Ms. Hartwell, what should we do with these data? We can’t just publicly upload them. The world will go nuts over them instantly.”

  “Don’t worry kid, I got this.”

  She then types vigorously on the keyboard. In just a few minutes, my stats have slightly changed, as now all the information regards Tiamat has been hid away. Or that’s at least what I thought…

  “Here, take this kid. All the hidden data has been encrypted, so no one on this world will get access to it without your permission.”

  She gives me an USB. She also says that she’ll tell me how to decrypt ter, so I don’t have worry about it. Good thing I already built me a solid computer a few months ago, or else I don’t know what to do with the USB.

  “As for these stats…I’ll let your sensei know. Since you’re her student, it’s best to let her handle it instead of me. You can go home now.”

  “Really? That’s great!”

  “Yeah, just like her, I don’t want to put too much pressure you. You got potentials, but there’s still a long way to go. Besides, you just came back from a brutal fight. Get that rest you deserve will ya?”

  “Ahahaha, thanks…”

  Ms. Hartwell soft punches my belly as she’s leading us back to the front store. We say goodbye to her and Shiro-san, before teleport back to my house, ending the meeting with yet another high-ranking knight.

  Archaios Neos.

  Known as “The Old Temple of Athena”, the existence of it was once considered a myth as it was brunt down after the Persian invation in 480. Now, the temple, or at least the remaning of it, is still there, standing and becoming a remnant of the glory past.

  That is until ten minutes ago.

  “Help…me…”

  Without warning, the temple was attacked by a mysterious army. They don’t care who you are and what you are. They came, they saw and they conquered. With the weapon on their hands, they hunted down every single one of the guards with no hesitation.

  No one can stop the wraith of the mysterious army, even when the guards are filled with seasoned veteran. Being overpowered and underprepared, they were mercilessly killed, leaving the temple behind without even know how that was possible in the first pce.

  “A survivor huh? Guess I’m holding back way more than I wanted to…”

  As the remaining survivor trying to escape temple by hopelessly crawling out of it, the old man was met with a tanned girl wearing shining golden armor. She’s the one giving him all the beating, eventually crippled his legs. Surrounding her are the soldiers who just killed some of his fellow guards.

  “Woman…What do…you want from…us…” The old man whispered weakly.

  "Don’t you dare fool us old man. You know exactly what we want. Either tell us or I’ll personally burn that face of yours. Your choice”

  “You can never…become god…or even control god… They will never obey…someone like you…Go to hell…”

  Mustering those st words, he gets what the girl promised to do: a face burnt to the point of unrecognizable. The “st man standing” of the temple is no longer there to protect it.

  “Tsk, stubborn bastard. Fine, you think you’ve got the st ugh? Soldiers, find the “real” entrance, even if we have to destroy this temple again!”

  The army starts searching the pce like crazy. Hours ter, one of the soldiers takes out a small device and teleports the entire amry, including their leader, to the deeper part of the temple, leaving the dead bodies behind facing the starry sky.

  The attack of [Apocalypse Warlord] that night will ter on shock the enitre country, as it’s not only one of the worst incidents to ever happened, but the events following after it will forever change everything.