There really is one! From the roof where I stood, I held the golden keys within my fingertips.

A blew of gust ran through my body, the daylight burnt my skin. What was it with high places being cool despite the sun?

“Come down already.” Lisa, who was supervising me at the back shouted, creating a circle with her hand near her mouth.

She was covered by the shade of a certain tree, protected against the rays.

“Yeah.” I wiped the sweat from my brows and neck. “No second-year students right?” I jumped from top, then landed, rolling over to the green grass.

“There's none,” Lisa said with a smile. Whether on her mood, that same beam could be cold as ice or warm as spring, from time to time, she would let out the latter when Rito was here—or at least, that was the case until now.

I brushed the dirt from my uniform as I walked close to her. Our objective is for Rito and her to end up together. But something is happening to this girl, and I don't know what that is...

Noticing that I had stared at her for too long, Lisa tilted her neck, inquiring what was the matter.

I dismissed it, shaking my head before opening my lips. “How many keys do we have again?”

“Eleven now in total,” Lisa answered, unfolding her metallic fan. She switched her gaze from afar, squinting her eyes.

“What? Enemy?” I pursued her sight with mine and docked at the horizons, the academy spanned even to the place where our eyes couldn't see.

“Is that Ri—”

Clang! Without any sign, a flying dagger went flying towards Lisa. It was blocked by my sword, it went up in the sky while reflecting the light, blinking, then pierced the ground with its tip.

“—to...? What just happened?” Lisa turned around to me as she was oblivious that her life would have ended if I was not around.

“Tsk!” The source of the dagger came around from the trees. It's not a student for sure!

“Ha! Angry that I almost killed your girlfriend?” Finally, the perpetrator showed himself. It was a man clad with black clothes. I have a feeling that I've seen this kind of clothing before...

“He's from the Magus!” Lisa reacted harshly at the sight of this man, she released the blade from her fan and took on her fighting stance.

Lisa was on guard, ready to strike with her sword at any moment. “He must be an assassin to kill... What did he just say...? Girl—”

“Ms. Lisa!” Rito shouted with a giant leap that traversed the ground rapidly.

He unsheathed her sword, forcefully clashing the other guy as their blades went against each other. “You bastard!”

This was the first time I had seen Rito that angry. Even the assassin was pushed back by the power of his body.

Lisa remained stunned while looking at the man of his dream. She then threw a fleeting glance at me while muttering “friend...?”

Puff! Smoke came raising from her face as she went red, averting her eyes from me and back to the fight.

I didn't know who had said it, but women were indeed a mysterious creature. I have no clue what she was thinking right now.

“Katana Jitsu! Slice of the half-moon!” Rito cut the air and produced a projectile made of something white.

“A magic swordsman!” The assassin exclaimed, trying to dodge the missile but it hit him in the abdomen. “So you're the kid that's giving headache to the higher-ups huh!?”

“What are you doing here! Why are you targeting Ms. Lisa!?” Rito pointed at the assassin, his eyes were sharp as his sword.

“Hmph! The magicians want the two of you dead, kid. It's because you two knew too much!”

The assassin, Rito, and Lisa, they all knew the meaning and the importance of this talk. Yet, here I am, having no clue as to what was happening.

Urg! I'm getting dragged in this kind of situation again! I had enough of this! Just finish your fight already so I could go back to my job!

“Lisa! It's your chance now! Help Rito fight that man!” A good idea! This kind of chance might never appear again so I hurried the dazed girl.

“Ah...! Cough. You are right. This is my chance.” There seemed to be a reluctance from her voice, but I speculated that it was just her recovering from the shock earlier.

“That's the spirit!” I cackled, unbefitting of the situation. I lightly tapped her from the shoulder just to encourage her, but her response was not something I was prepared for.

“Kya!” She let out a girly scream. SHE LET OUT A GIRLY SCREAM. D-did I hit her too hard! O-or is she disgusted at me!?

Because of her shout, Rito and the assassin were both interrupted on their serious conversation. “Sorry... Please continue...” I apologized to the two, drooping my head.

“Just what are you doing...!” I furiously whispered to Lisa.

“Kya...!” She just moved one step away from me, covering her mouth, her cheeks flushed. “I-I know! I'll go there, all right...! Just... Just don't come near me for a moment...!”

“Are you an idiot...!? We're partners...! It will be unavoidable to get close to each other...!”

“E-even so...!” She was set on keeping a distance from me.

Just why are you acting like this! You weird ass girl!

In the middle of our banter, Rito broke out with a passionate speech. “Just because of your wicked ideologies, innocent people suffer! I'll stop you now!”

Whoa! It appeared that their conversation had finally reached its end! This was the decisive moment!

“Go!” With a push of my palm, Lisa trudged forcefully, startled all on her own.

“Geez!” Now she was red! But she wasn't angry, she was nervous though.

“I get it...!” She said, vaulting herself to Rito and the man who, unbeknownst to I and Lisa, was already clashing with their weapon.

“Ms. Lisa!” Rito smiled in relief seeing her elegant figure as she glided through the ground smoothly.

One, two, three, all her attacked were blocked. Four, five, six, her last blow landed at the leg of the assassin.

Her attack speed was really impressive. Even I wouldn't know what to do with that barrage of blades.

“You bitch! F*ck this I'm outta here!” The assassin probably heeded that he was in a terrible situation as he hopped back like a rabbit. He reached for his belt bag, hauling a scroll of unidentifiable scribbles.

“He's using a teleportation scroll!” Rito warned us, his voice was an octave higher than normal. “He's planning to escape!”

“Elric!” Lisa pointed at the fleeting man as if saying, you get him!

“Why me!” I don't even know what's happening!

Scratching my head in irritation, I plunged myself to the assassin like usual. I purposely started slow so that his eyes would speculate that this was my normal speed. When I knew that he was looking at me, I crouched and burst at full speed, arriving at his rear.

I slammed the back of my rapier to his neck as brutal as I could.

“Guck!” My first blow didn't render him unconscious, but my second absolutely did. I kicked him in the jaw, twisting my hips so I could bring out my full power.

He spun dramatically, liquid coming from his mouth, then he fell into the ground while twitching.

Rito and Lisa should the ones that defeating this retard! I am really frustrated that my plan didn't go well as I wished for.

“F-fast...” I heard Rito muttered after witnessing how I fight. Yeah, not fair right?

I was aware of how strong am I in a one on one battle. I am confident in my strength, in fact, it was the only thing that I was confident at.

“You did well.” Lisa chimed in with a quiver of her fan. “No less from you, Elric.”

“Tch.” I just answered her with a click of my tongue.

“Don't reply like that.” Lisa wiggled her finger with a pout. “I don't have a choice, we don't want him to leave, right.”

I sighed and no longer speak after that. Lisa was happy and giggled.

“You two... Are quite close...?”

We turned our head and found Rito who was making a complicated face, watching us.

“Hell no,” I said.

“Perhaps?” Lisa added, then she stared at me with a teasing smile. “How heartless.” She shed her non-existent tears, fufufuing¹ to herself.

You're making him misunderstand! Just how dense are you! “We just happened to be working together, Rito. No need to think indecent.”

“I-I don't!” Rito desperately denied my accusation. What a youthful man he was! I like it!

“Anyway, I'll watch this man, you two report to the teacher or the Student Council or whatever, I don't really care.” Just spend time together.

“I think I'll sta—”

“Oh! Look at the time! You two need to go!” I said abruptly, having the intention to stop Lisa's words.

I shoved them together with my hand. Rito obediently moved while Lisa was...

“F-fine! I get it! I'll go!” She evaded my palm, “kya”, she said.

Deadpan, that was the demeanor I was emitting right now, no clue on how to deal with this girl.

I once heard in the eatery that maidens her age were exceptionally complicated. Seeing her directly, maybe they were right despite the fact that they were drunk.

She didn't accept well the attention coming from me and Rito after creating a scene so she hid behind the metallic fan. “Let's go Rito, we have no time to lose.”

Yeah, saving face won't do you good either, was I wanted to say but I kept it inside my tongue and said something else instead. “Take your time, an unconscious man can't escape any longer, and even then, I doubt he can outrun me.”

“Really, thank you, Elric. You've done so many things for me!” It was very sudden, Rito bowed full ninety degrees before me. Was it some sort of tradition from his homeland...?

“Nah, I just do things on a whim you know, just go already.” Well, being thanked by a good kid like him didn't feel bad at all. I scratched my head in embarrassment.

“Acting that way doesn't really fit you, Elric.” Lisa—from the distance—chided satirically.

“Shut up, just go already.” Just what's this girl today? This was not the way she interacted with me on our first and second day.

My head was soon riddled with useless stuff and unanswerable questions. Forget about it, nothing will change even if I think about it now.

“Please wait here, Elric,” Rito told me respectfully. Lisa could learn a thing or two from this man.

“I'll be back,” Lisa said.

“Even if you don't, I don't really care.”

The two set off walking as I sat on the chest of the unconscious assassin. “I know something bad will happen if I eat the delicious food she gave me.”

All I could do was grumble while patting my stomach.