It’s a Sunday, Ryuga arrives at his meeting spot after getting a haircut and taking a bath from his house. It’s nothing out of ordinary. He just regained his old look instead of his long-hair look. “Maybe I should have asked the barber to cut it a little shorter.” Ryuga said as he played with the hanging hair strand that was on his forehead.

“Sorry, did I make you wait?” Akuma who just arrived asked Ryuga. “Not really, I just arrived too.” Ryuga said to Akuma. Ryuga and Akuma both made their way to a noodle shop.

Both Ryuga and Akuma took their seat and Akuma asked Ryuga, “So, what’s bothering you?” Akuma asked Ryuga. “Umm…You realized it…” Ryuga said. “Yeah, I wouldn’t expect my student to call me and ask to spend time with me. It would mean that he is not taking any advantage of me and that’s not like you.” Akuma proudly said those words to Ryuga.

(Why do you exactly think that I am a greedy man Professor? It’s not like I have any sign of being a greedy young man…)

“Well, what is it?” Akuma asked Ryuga. Ryuga sighed and finally, he started to speak, “Well, you see, our school has an expedition to the other world.” Ryuga pointed out. “Yeah, what about it?” Akuma asked as he ate the ramen that had just been delivered to both Ryuga and Akuma. Ryuga swooped up some noodles and then replied to Akuma, “I don’t know anything about the other world, so I wanted to know whether you could give a little info on that world.” Ryuga asked Akuma for his knowledge of the other world.

Akuma laughed at Ryuga’s request, “You could have asked me about that yesterday on my phone when you were asking me to hang out with you.” Akuma said to Ryuga. “No, no, I mean like, I want you to take me to the other world so that I can know more about that world.” Ryuga pounced onto the table. “It’s the only way I can learn more about it!” Ryuga looked away, “Also, if you could tell me more about Ogres…I will appreciate it.” Ryuga said as he looked down in the bowl full of ramen.

“Ogres huh? I heard you and Jau-Unfurn of the second year are quite a pair. Is it for her that you are asking me to take you there?” Akuma asked Ryuga. “N-No! It’s not for her…” Ryuga looked away. “So, who else is an Ogre you know? I don’t think so that there is any other single Ogre that you know that you would like to spend time within the other world.” That’s when Akuma realized, “Plus, Jau-Unfurn’s class isn’t the one who is going on an expedition. It’s your class meaning that only first years are going to go out on an expedition.” Akuma said to Ryuga. Akuma wondered for a second why Ryuga wanted to know more about Ogres.

(I am sorry Professor! I can’t tell you about her. I can’t tell you about Alicia. After all, she is a Ghost. You won’t believe in Ghosts since you are a science person…)

Akuma sighs and smiles, “Fine, I can do at least that much for my student.” That’s when Ryuga smiled like a little kid who had just been given a present. “Thanks, Professor!” Ryuga thanked Akuma for accepting his request.

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

Inside Ryuga’s room, Alicia is reading a manga, “That idiot Ryuga…” Alicia kept her manga down, “He is going on an expedition. He is going to leave me again. I don’t understand, why did father ask me to stay with him?!” Alicia looked out the window as she floated. As she looked out of the window, she remembered what the man with the mask said to her.

“You must stay with that boy. He will be quite a vital asset to us in the future.” The masked man said to her. “What does that mean father? Where are we going to use him? If you are asking me to betray him, I will not do that!” Alicia pouted her face. “After all, he is my friend!” Alicia did not look satisfied with the masked man’s answer.

“There is a war coming Alicia and even you know that.” The masked man said to Alicia which changed her angry face to a sad one. “I know.” Alicia replied to her father on what he said about war. “That boy, he will be a vital part of that war. That boy will be the one to walk among the immortals and fight against them. That is the reason I want you to be near him. I want you to protect him. I want you to fulfill his needs but most importantly, I want you to make him stronger. After all, he is Ryuga Aragi, the son of The Madman.” The masked man said. “I understand father.” Alicia said with a sad tone. “We Illuminati will find a way to bring you back soon my child.” The masked man spoke with a smile.

Alicia looked out of the window and sighed, “I have to lie to Ryuga…Just for a little longer Ryuga. I just have to lie to you for a little longer. Once come back to life, I will definitely take you and run somewhere far away from where no one can find us. Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere with no wars between this Illuminati and the world. I will protect you to the very end because you are…My first friend.” Alicia smiled as she looked out of the window.

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

Ryuga and Akuma move out of the train that goes to another world. “We have finally arrived, to the other side.” Akuma said to Ryuga who walked with him. Both Akuma and Ryuga showed the railway inspector with bunny ears their train ticket and moved out of the station.

As soon as he came out of the station, he looked quite bamboozled. “This is…Quite unexpected…” What Ryuga saw was a village full of Ogres. He looked around and there was greenery everywhere. This small village looked quite beautiful and just looking at it left Ryuga quite speechless. The Ogres stared at Ryuga and Akuma as if they weren’t expecting any human visitors. “Professor! This looks like a dream…” Ryuga said to Akuma. “Want me to pinch you?” Akuma asked Ryuga. “No, I am pretty sure you will not pinch me but punch me. So, I rather not.” Ryuga said to Akuma in his unenthusiastic tone.

Ryuga and Akuma take a walk around the Ogre village looking at various things. “Woh! Look at that Professor!” Ryuga pointed at a plushie of an Ogre which looked quite cute. “See that Professor!” Then he pointed out at the unique hazel apple that an Ogre was cutting. “Professor, Professor! Over here, look at that. There seems to be some kinda Ogre idol!” Ryuga pointed at the single television in the village where an Ogre was singing a song on a stage.

“Wait…Why do I feel like I have seen her somewhere?” Ryuga carefully looks at the television. “Are you humans here for some business?” A bulky, strong-looking bald Ogre wielding an ask asks Ryuga and Akuma. “Yeah, I am here to explore this place with my student. He said he wanted to know more about the Ogre culture.” Akuma said as Ryuga kept on looking at the television in deep thought. “I see…” The bulky Ogre looks at Ryuga. “Oi kid, you want to know about that Ogre?” The bulky Ogre asks Ryuga. Ryuga nods. “She’s an Ogre who has made name for herself in the singing industries. She’s also from our village. Her name is…Shiezel Jau-Unfurn.” The bulky Ogre says to Ryuga.

Ryuga understood straight away why that Ogre looked quite familiar, “Jau?! That’s Jau?! Seriously?!” Ryuga kept on asking the bulky Ogre. The bulky Ogre looked quite confused with Ryuga’s carefree expression of Jau-Unfurn’s name. “I see, she is an idol in this world, huh?” Ryuga started speaking to himself. “Do you know Jau-Unfurn?” The bulky Ogre asked Ryuga. “Yeah, she studies in the same school I do. She’s a senior of mine, a year older than me.” Ryuga answered the Ogre.

“I see…So you used to be Madam Alicia’s classmate and student.” Ryuga’s eyes widen from the shock that the bulky Ogre mentioned Alicia. He wasn’t expecting that from the bulky Ogre. “What’s your name?” Ryuga asked the bulky Ogre for his name. “Shiezel Mearid-Unfurn. I am Jau-Unfurn’s mother’s big brother.” The bulky Ogre answered Ryuga.

Akuma sighed as if he already knew something like this was going to happen. “I see…” Ryuga wasn’t able to look right into Mearid-Unfurn’s eyes. Instead, he looked down and told him, “I am sorry…I wasn’t able to save Alicia.” Mearid-Unfurn clenched his axe and bought it down right next to Ryuga with full anger. Everyone turned their attention towards Mearid-Unfurn, Akuma, and Ryuga because of the impact the axe had next to Ryuga. “I don’t know why no one remembers about Madam Alicia but if you remember her, you must know what happened to her!” Mearid-Unfurn said to Ryuga. Ryuga looked away and answered, “I will tell you everything I know but I need you to promise me three things.” Ryuga said to Mearid-Unfurn. “What are those promises?” Mearid-Unfurn asked Ryuga. “First, whatever I tell you, please refrain from talking about it to Jau. Second, I don’t want you to act out of anger or else Alicia will never be proven non-guilty.” Ryuga put forth his demands to Mearid-Unfurn. “I understand…Would you mind telling me about it?” Mearid-Unfurn asked Ryuga. Ryuga nodded, “I understand…”

For the next hour or so, Ryuga talked with Mearid-Unfurn near a silent tree about the whole situation and Akuma also overheard the situation. “I see…So that Ryan Arkwet was the reason that everything got covered up.” Akuma said as he looked up. “I never thought that Ryan of all people would have betrayed my sister’s trust…” Mearid-Unfurn looked quite unhappy.

“Sir Aragi, I really am grateful that you told me everything.” Mearid-Unfurn said to Ryuga. “Please, you don’t need to give me so much respect. Just call me Ryuga or Aragi, I will be fine.” Ryuga said with a nervous smile. “I see, I shall call you Ryuga.” Mearid-Unfurn said to Ryuga. Ryuga nodded. “Don’t worry Mearid-Unfurn, I will definitely clear Alicia’s name from every guilty book and also…I will be sure to take down Ryan Arkwet.” Ryuga said to Mearid-Unfurn with a smile. Mearid-Unfurn smiled and looked at Ryuga, “I am glad, she had a friend like you who cared about her.” Mearid-Unfurn said with a smile.

(I wouldn’t have given jack shit about her if not for that fake news that the newspaper posted. I wouldn’t have been pissed off at all if I wasn’t humiliated. I wouldn’t have done any of this at all if Alicia herself didn’t come back…I wouldn’t have thought so much about things if that damn smile of Jau didn’t get me…Jeez, both those sisters really did push me deep in this shit, didn’t they?

No, they didn’t push me in this shit, I walked into this shit with my own will. So, if I have walked into this shithole, I will have to be the one who has to get out of it by myself.)

“By the way, what’s the third request you had?”

“Teach me about the Ogre culture, Mearid-Unfurn!”

“Oh my, are you really that much deeply in love with our little Jau?”

“W-What?! Where did that come from?!”

“See, I told you Ryuga, everyone believes that you are in love with Jau-Unfurn. Only you don’t.”

“Not you too, Professor Akuma!!!”

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

Ryuga entered his room where Alicia was reading a manga. Ryuga entered with a smile and sat next to her. “Hmm?” Alicia looked confused at Ryuga’s actions. “Hey…This expedition, why don’t you come with me? You will get bored sitting all alone in this room when I am away, right? So, why don’t you come with me?” Ryuga asked Alicia. Alicia looked quite surprised by what Ryuga told her. She looked away into her manga and asked Ryuga, “Is it really okay if I came with you? Won’t I be in your way? After all, expeditions are meant to be like missions. You will be quite busy there too-“ Ryuga interrupted Alicia before she said anything, “So guide me! After all, you were supposed to be my teacher. So, continue being my teacher and let’s go on an expedition.” Ryuga said to Alicia. “What if people catch us talking and think you are crazy?!” Alicia asked Ryuga. Ryuga smiled and answered, “Let them think that I am crazy.”

Alicia just couldn’t get Ryuga to budge and for once she thought that Ryuga was actually caring about her. “Jeez, what’s with you Ryuga?! Normally, you ignore me and go to this busy schedule of yours. You don’t even ask me if I want to come with you or not and now you come out of nowhere telling me that I can go with you. Do you think so that I will believe you this time and think that you aren’t busy?! Hmph!” Alicia was quite of character this time. Normally, she is calm and cheerful but this time, she wanted to cause a drama so that Ryuga could notice her.

“Let’s go, Alicia.” Ryuga smiled and said to Alicia. Alicia sighed. “Are you really sure you want me to come?” Alicia asked Ryuga. Ryuga nodded. “Really?!” Alicia asked again. Alicia smiled and looked back in the manga with that smile, “Alright, I will come with you. So, you better spend some time with me, alright?” Alicia demanded from Ryuga. Ryuga nodded, “Let’s spend all the time together when we go on the expedition. Even when I eat, sleep and even bath. Stay right next to me.” As soon as Ryuga said that Alicia could stay next to him even while bathing, Alicia’s face turned red, she buried her face in the manga in front of her. “That’s my way to pay you back for leaving you alone for three months.” Ryuga said with a smile. “Idiot…” Alicia whispered as she secretly smiled.

~GHOST WORLD ACADEMIA~

“That Ryuga never understood how to truly use it.” A person touched the robot model that Ryuga and Akuma made together. “He made some vital mistakes but if he knows how to make you, even he will know what your weaknesses are. That is why I made it so that you be his prototype while I make the real thing.” A robot similar to the one that Ryuga and Akuma made appears behind the person as he adjusts his glasses.

“You see Ryuga, you are truly one mad lad to make such a thing but I am even crazier so, I made this. I will kidnap Mayumi Revons! I will defeat Bleed! And then, finally, I will kill Ryan Arkwet! I will do it all I will destroy this Ghost system so that I can bring back our peaceful days. I will destroy the same Ghost system which destroyed my master! I will do it all!” The Crazy Scientist laughed maniacally as he looked at the robot at which once could be said was made by Akuma and Ryuga but now, it’s only Ryuga’s robot.

In a corner, Slips silently watched the Professor, “Professor Jin is far from reach now. If there is anyone who can save Professor Jin, it’s you Ryuga. Because in the past three months, if there was anyone that Professor Jin had the most fun with, if there was anyone who made him smile, it was you…So please, save him, Ryuga Aragi. That is my request.” Slips could only hope that her request reaches Ryuga.

At Ryuga’s house, Ryuga and Alicia were excited about the trip and that’s when he saw a crack in the window in his room and that’s when “Something bad is about to happen…” Ryuga’s intuition kicked in.