CHAPTER 2

“So do you have an idea where Greetman could be at this moment Takeda?” I said

Takeda however seemed uninterested as he was reading a book but didn’t even bother making eye contact.

Soon after I began tapping my shoes on the floor he looked up, fixed his eye glasses and said

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you ask the headmaster? I am sure he would have an idea”

“I don’t really like talking to that man…he sends shivers down my spine every time I do…”

“You have a spine? Said Takeda.”

“Very funny…”I said “anyway I will be off to meet him please take over my class for me…”

“Oi, oi aren’t you just doing this to skip your duties Osfor!”

But I didn’t reply and walked out of his office. This will have to do as punishment for calling me spineless

I am prudent! Not a coward.

I already been to Kazehara’s Office but it seems that she is out somewhere…

If I have to bet on it I would say she is with Sraam, damn bastard, never teaching anyone anything, and never there when you need him but always there when there is trouble…I wonder why he even got a teaching position here in Albion…sigh

Good lord this is annoying…

“Osfor-sensei is it?” said a girl I never got the pleasure of meeting before. After all she is not from our school even if she, for now wearing its uniform.

“What can I do for you Lori-chan?”

“Chan? …seems a bit too friendly but whatever, Osfor-sensei I wanted to ask you about something”

“Go ahead.”

“Well, I knew from some students that before the grand tournament began, you were responsible over training a boy in this school…I want to know more about him if that is okay with you…”

Hmm

“That boy was a possessed contractor he deserved what happened to him so please do not bring this up. Whatever you heard about him you should forget it. These contractors are masterful liars.” I said

Even though I know that every word I just spoke was in fact utter and complete bullshit, I still tried to seem most convincing, after all we don’t want our country’s policy to change views even though we did discover that Asura remained a human until the day he passed away.

Damn it to hell I really feel the urge to just blow the entire thing…but I can’t seem to do so as it will make Yuna look like the one responsible over all of this…and even more will make our council’s judgment to be faulty…

“Spare me the bullshit” said the girl in a rather angry tone.

This actually came to a shock to me as the expressions on her face changed radically from a docile and good looking little girl to that of a wrathful one

“Huh? I said” still trying to feign ignorance “What do you mean little girl?”

“You know well enough that he was not like what you say he is. You can’t even lie properly. It is the same case everywhere, all of you Alsians treat one that showed power and might while protecting his friends to be a murderer, a demon in human flesh, while you all know that he was never one of such deeds, I never got to know him as long as everyone else did but the crossing of our blades convoyed me what he truly felt.”

… I remained silent

“If I was one to judge, I would have condemned you responsible over this. It is true that he changed, I do not deny it. But he! and I don’t know how, HE still came back! The feeling of terror, oppression and dread disappeared the moment he dropped to his knees but all of you! All of you! Condemned him, you never gave him the chance to explain himself. No you killed him. As the one that was his teacher why were you not with him? Why were you not there to guide him? To show him the way! To protect him from that devil that possessed him…it was your fault…and only you are to be blamed.”

After she said those words she turned away and left stomping at the earth like if it was her sworn enemy…

Her words left me baffled…however…if I had not been so greedy and covetous I should have stayed with them instead of going to that lab…god damn it…this girl knows how to press my buttons…

***

“I-I asked you a question! What did you do!” said Yuna with a red face and tears barely contained.

I then looked at her and wrote

“I saved you.”

She looked at me then at where we were

Then a moment later

“That explains nothing! What did you do to M-my body…” she said

I wrote

“Heat stroke. You were going to die.”

She then sighed and stood up and began to rearrange her clothes. She still looked very angry but said nothing afterwards.

“Challengers! Do you wish to proceed?” said the overseer

I thanked the guy as I was really begging to feel awkward.

“Yes, I want to proceed” said Yuna “Alone!”…

Oh…she is angry…

“Proceed”

Said the overseer as another doorway opened. I waited until Yuna entered then I followed soon afterwards

“Women…” snorted the Overseer.

I actually laughed at the statement and entered.

It was a mountainous area nothing too scary rivers here and there and the fresh air was a good way to release some of the stress.

But something was not right. It was calm…too calm.

No chirping of birds, nothing of the like not even the sound of small animals could be heard. Just utter silence if not for the sound of the rivers.

There was the light of a rising portal far away in the distance and before it just about a few dozen meters was Yuna who was slowly walking forward.

After she turned back and saw me she hastened her steps. Probably grumbling something under her voice…I had enhanced hearing so I could get the gist of it

Something like pervert and lecher….well I have been called by that word before and it still hurts…

I really am turning soft…

Yuna then conjured a spirit. A small dragon like creature that was able to carry her and fly her toward the pillar of light.

I actually was not releasing my presence as I didn’t see the need to. In fact there was not a sign of life in this place.

Yuna began flying over the area and hastening toward the exit. I had already Dragnifyed my eye and was able to see her going forward despite the distance.

However a moment later she was shot down.

How and why and by whom I was not sure but I clearly saw a huge boulder strike at her midflight.

I began to hasten my footsteps fearing the worse.

Once I reached where she fell I saw that she was standing. Probably she dampened her fall with some sort of magic but it seems that she was surrounded.

Golems. Earth golems and by earth golems I mean creatures the shape of giants made of stone.

They were surrounding her and approaching menacingly while she had a few spirits at her side that were snarling and growling at the incoming monsters. The wolves she summoned will be useless.

I dropped down toward where she was and the creatures turned around. Well most of them did the rest still had their eyes or where their eyes should be I mean common they are made of stone…on Yuna.

“Leave me be!” shouted Yuna

I didn’t respond.

I released my presence so that it would affect the beasts and scare them away…but it seems you can’t scare stones…

“I said leave me alone! I can handle this! They are but stones and I don’t need your help” she said and commanded a wolf to attack one of the creatures

The wolf got squashed instantly…

I looked at Yuna and her face turned red from embarrassment.

When did she turn to a tsundere?

She then created a Mahojin and shot forward a wave of freezing ice.

One of the monsters was frozen instantly covered in ice, his friends looked at him and he just shrugged it off breaking the ice like if it was but a nuisance.

The other golems soon turned toward Yuna and began attacking.

One of them struck at the ground where she was only to cause her to jump backwards but this was a bait as he was forcing her into backing into another golem behind her who was now swinging down his massive stone made arms and trying to squash her. I then used an earth shattering smash on one of the golems close to me and sent him reeling toward the one that was going to attack Yuna.

The moment she looked up and saw the hands of the golem about to crush her. The one I struck crashed into him and sent him flying.

But man…I didn’t think myself capable of such thing. I thought at most I would have destroyed a piece of him and it would hit the other so that he loses focus but even I didn’t expect this.

Yuna looked baffled at me probably just noticing how strong I am. But if she could see the look on my face a look well hidden behind an expressionless mask, she would know that I was shocked as much as she is.

The other golems soon forgot about the little girl and decided that the guy that was capable of doing what I just did should take priority.

They all moved toward me. While Yuna took the chance to go toward the gate. She summoned another small dragon and rode it away.

…really I thought to myself.

“Ugh, how about we play for a while…I need to vent off some frustration if this is ok with you guys.” I said to the non-sentient towering golems.

After about five minutes I had managed to turn most of them to grounded dust then I left.

I should probably took it easier on them but it seems that they could regrow their lost limbs and part is I don’t destroy a small orb like item inside each and every one of them.

I then walked into the next floor which by the way was the thirty sixth. And saw that Yuna was still there.

“Challengers. From this round and until the fiftieth floor it shall be but waves of enemies. Enemies you had fought before and enemies you will have yet to see. Be ready and be prepared. Your will shall be tested. Your patience and your trust. Do what you need to do so that you live.”

Once he said that I prepared myself for anything that will show up.

A moment later a blue flames began to ignite on the rims of the arena. From them exited the same humanoid like creatures. The doppelgangers. They all had different faces but two were much known to me. Yes one had the face of Yuna. While the other had my appearances…not the actual ones but the ones that I had before I entered the void. My face my eyes my physique and my weapon.

I took a look at Yuna who now began to back away the moment she saw me…not the one with the mask no the doppelganger…

It then spoke

“Hey there!” it said with my voice…damn these things are good. “So what can I do for the one that killed me? The one tha-“but before It could finish its sentence I was already behind it and decapitated it instantly.

I don’t need this type of sentimental and psychological bullshit at the moment…

I continued on with the rest of them and waited for everything to end. I actually still hesitated a bit before I attacked the one that resembled Yuna but still I got the job done.

Yuna then looked at me with wishful eyes and said

“T-thank you…”

I didn’t respond. I know how that would have ended if I didn’t do anything.

Another round begun as the number on the floor changed.

The same blue flames sparkled and created few giant wasps and they all began to attack. These wasps were red and yellow and looked very disgusting but nothing a good and well-aimed strike of a blade can’t handle. Yuna regained her composure and began summoning her spirits and casting ice shards over the incoming wasps. She is using minimum amount of energy to kill off the creatures.

The round ended almost as fast as the first one did.

Another round soon began with giant worms created from the blue flames that soon began to circle the arena and tried to get to us. These things will be a bit difficult to take care off while looking over Yuna but nothing too difficult as I soon released my presence, and they all froze from fear.

Ah it is good to have this thing working again it seems that only the stone things were unaffected by it.

Yuna taking the sudden immobile nature of the worms as an opportunity to attack summoned her javelin like spears and shot at it. It easily pierced the flesh of the worm making it wake from its stunned state and began to hiss and attack Yuna.

I however had already finished with the other two as they were instantly decapitated. As soon as I tried to go and help Yuna I saw that she used the momentum of the approaching worm that stupidly opened its mouth to conjure a huge shard of ice that was based on the platform and was created diagonally .the moment the worm made contact, the ice shard grew and tore at it from within as it had entered easily into its mouth.

Another round soon began.

And we continued onward fighting off wave after wave of enemies most of them we had already fought before. And some rare ones I never got to see.

The round forty five was a bit of a hassle as many purple colored lions were approaching us from everywhere about a dozen of them I however just noticed something my aura began to fluctuate and I was unable to remain in equilibrium for much longer.

We killed off most of the lions and until just one remained I wrote to Yuna

“Don’t kill it”

And she did so. It seems that she is no longer pissed at me…but she is not speaking to me also

“Cage it if you could.” I wrote

She looked at me in a wired fashion but soon understood once she saw that I was panting.

And the first words I heard from her for a long time were

“You are not a monster after all, you tier.” She said

Yes I think I reached my limit. It’s been days since I entered this place and the whole time I had my body in equilibrium. I can’t keep this any longer.

She then created a dome of ice that surrounded the lion and kept it within.

The lion tried to crash into the walls but was met with sturdiness and strength far beyond what normal ice could do.

“One of your kind broke my ice wall that time, but that was only a hastily made mean of protection. Now that I don’t need to be hasty. You will be there for as long as I wish.” Said Yuna with pride showing on her face.

She then turned to look at me and once our eyes met. Well her eyes and my mask. She turned away. She still had a ting of redness over her face.

I have no idea what is going on inside her head but man do I need to rest.

I would have probably gotten better if I had eaten one of the lions or any of the beast’s flesh but the moment any of these ‘summoned’ creatures dies…their body evaporate.

I looked at the potion that I still had and weighed my options. Should I drink it and hope that it will cure my tiredness and my ever so growing hunger or should I just wait. It seems that the hungrier I get the weaker I become and the harder it is to remain in equilibrium.

I then decided against it. I might end up in a situation where I would need one of these and considering that it is the only one I have left I should probably save it.

“A-Arvion-san” said Yuna “I want to speak to you about something…” she said with a confident expression but the redness of her face could still be seen from a mile away.

“What is it?” I wrote

“I-I am sorry for the way I was acting before…b-but you have to excuse me…I now know for sure that you are not someone…p-perverted or you would have done whatever you wanted to me…you are strong enough to do so and I would be helpless against it…so I am sorry and once again thank you for saving me…” she said while bowing.

…So Yuna is a tsundere…

“No problem.” I wrote.

And continued on acting like if this is all normal. But man my face was heating up under this mask…

Oh god I am such a wuss…