Clear liquid, sailing through the air, managed to land on the little blaze resting at his palm.

With a furious roar, it expanded to cover his hair, his face, his arm and even spread to parts of his upper body like the chest and back.

5: “DAMN YOU – AAAAHH! My – my face! You fucking shi-AHH!”

6: "FIVE!! Hold on, I’ll shoot him dead right n--”

*Kachak*

Brennan: “Heheh, you completely fell for it!”

*Throws!*

6: “...Wh-What…? Just where did… you all come from?”

*BANG!*

.

.

.

*BOOM!*

Trying to burn rubbing alcohol in the container doesn’t work well, if at all. You would probably notice that the container itself doesn’t burn as easily as the alcohol within.

(...Don’t test it though. This narrator is not an expert on this topic!)

This is a safety measure designed to protect buyers from select dangers like the sun and low temperature fires.

But...what if a bullet were to penetrate the bottle?

Furthermore…

...What if, the bullet detonated from inside the bottle, immediately after burrowing through the plastic cover?

The result was a magnificent burst of flame that engulfed both 6 and 5.

Why were the two boys that supposedly ran away in favor of securing their own safety over standing their ground and fighting, now hiding nearby with bottles of rubbing alcohol?

Brennan and Ian had been hiding. Both of them decided against leaving after hearing Li Shun’s resolved farewell… but only after taking their first steps outdoors.

…

Brennan: “*Huff – Puff* Hey, why did you stop running?”

Ian: “…”

Brennan: “It’s… because of what he said, isn’t it? Those last words-”

Ian: “Mrrgh! DAMMIT!! What last words? Those won’t be his last words!!! I won’t allow it!”

Brennan: “WAIT!! I … I-I want to turn around and save him too – but remember!! He’s…

...He is planning on going up against two villains! Two BLOODTHIRSTY, CRUEL AND EVIL...villains!! What can you do to help?”

Ian: “...I…. I don’t know. Nothing? Flail until I die maybe.

Something? Throw a vase or two at them or even try using the other windows somehow… maybe as a game of chase so they’re busy hunting us down while...well, I dunno...

I JUST...don’t know. But, if I don’t do ANYTHING...then, well…. I’m not dumb enough to think my involvement will be any sort of GAME-CHANGER for us. This definitely won’t mean ‘victory is at hand’ or anything even remotely like that, but I…

I don’t wanna live with regrets! I don’t want to keep on living with the knowledge that... that MY ACTIONS caused somebody else’s death!”

Brennan: “!! *Shaking* Wh...What...What do you mean..? Causing someone else to die, he REFUSED to leave! Li Shun WANTED to remain back there – he CHOSE to stay behind! Nobody said he needed to fight them...he.. he chose to follow...into the forest….”

Ian: “What?”

Brennan: “*N- *Sniff!* -Nothing! You heard my point already – you don’t owe him anything!!”

Ian: “Dude… even if I don’t owe him anything, I don’t really have a reason to abandon him either…”

Brennan: “You do!!! VILLAINS. HAVE. INVADED!! What part of that isn’t a good enough reason to abandon him – no – ALL of them?? OUR lives mattered first, so we left! EVERYONE knows that’s a good enough reaso-”

Ian: “...But...But HE’LL DIE if we don’t help him! He can’t defeat two villains by himself NONE of us ca-””

Brennan: “...We...WE AREN’T FUCKING HEROES, DON’T YOU GET IT?! What can people like us get done?! HUH?? We’ll ONLY be extra bodies for them! Let’s go catch a REAL hero’s attention to help them and HOPE we aren’t too late!”

Ian: “But we WILL be too late! Look around you – just take a fucking look! How do we even get OUT OF HERE?! Where do we go to get BACK to the non-combatant’s school?! How are we supposed to get somebody’s attention… when we don’t even KNOW how to get out of here?!

...By the time we DO come back here...Li Shun will… he’ll already be…”

Brennan: “...But, still… listen to those explosions! They’re probably searching in every single room…”

Ian: “*Sniff* Then we have time to think something up.”

Brennan: “Ahahaha...I’m gonna die here. WHY don’t the two of you get it yet?? We need a REAL HERO to-”

Ian: “...Do you remember…? The drone picked up a phone conversation between the witch and somebody else...a PHONE CALL!!

What if she has teammates in the forest?!”

Brennan: “…”

Ian: “Hahah...I get it now. I really hate this, but… our BEST – no, our ONLY LOGICAL CHOICE here is to stop these two monsters. Without a healer, the rest won’t be as bad.”

Brennan: “...I feel that you’re jumping the gun. Why is that our only choice?”

Ian: “For one: The woman is a healer. I STILL don’t think they’d just randomly send a healer to the front lines without some method to SURVIVE on the front lines! Other than healing, that is… but she shouldn’t be powerful or else they would be better off sending her after the mons---Ophelia. It would be an absolute waste to fight weakling losers like us by using an OP pawn.

Two: Her ability to heal is MUCH more important than her combat capabilities, if we assume she even HAS any at all, so she won’t get aggressive. If anything: she’ll specialize in long range and support, meaning rather than 2 vicious villains, we can KIND OF count them as 1 ½. We know that her healing is critical because somebody on the other line requested it from her and argued about her position being ‘safer’. Too bad we didn’t hear enough of what they said to each other...

*Shakes head*

Third: The person on the other line is probably in the forest. Think about it: WE have two villains, the GIRLS probably have a few villains, maybe more than us...but you know the strength the mons...Ophelia showed at the arena. Remember? She completely shook everything in the colosseum!”

Brennan: “Wait. That makes no sense. I mean, maybe it does a little but...isn’t it more reasonable to say that phone call came from the GIRL’S side? Didn’t you say they’d need stronger villains to face the monster referee? She’s THAT strong, so it makes sense that they’d receive casualties next door if they went to face her.”

Ian: “If she attacked...we would feel it.”

Brennan: “!!"

Ian: “There hasn’t been ANY tremor yet, so I’m assuming the girls are safe for now. If they were injured by her to the point that a healing call was necessary...then we would at least feel the building rock.”

Brennan: “I...see…”

Ian: “So our safes-”

Brennan: “WAIT!!”

Ian: “AAH!

...What - What is it?!”

Brennan: “Well...ASSUMING – only ASSUMING that your deduction is correct...then something HAD to have attacked the villains in the forest… in order for them to request healing...right..?”

Ian: “...DO YOU SEE MY POINT NOW!? The forest is TOO dangerous! There’s far too many variables to call it a path to safety – I mean for heavens’ sake, we don’t even KNOW which PATH to take!!!

We’ll be alone, lost, defenseless and helpless in a stinky, icky forest where the enemy could attack us from ALL sides! That is NOT what I would call ‘safer’ than a building with 1 hall on the first floor and COUNTLESS windows to escape from.”

Brennan: “Nnng, but… but…

nnn. I don’t wanna go back…

It feels like choosing how I should die: between the jaws of a lion or a Jaguar!”

Ian: “...Haah.

That guy... that stupid, idiotic FOOL wants to stay behind and rescue the girls...our freaking classmates! Can YOU seriously go on living with yourself after someone died because of preventable decisions YOU made?? Because I can’t!”

Brennan: “I already am…”

Ian: “Huh? What was that? I couldn’t hear you. Speak up, please.”

Brennan: “...I was just saying that I can’t go back in if he’s already dead! We’ll only peek and check things out! If he’s alive then we’ll help. How’s that sound..?”

Ian: “...Agreed. I wanna help, but I’m NOT about to make a stupid decision like Li Shun did. I don’t want to die.”

The fearful duo hastily turned around and ran for the window they both hopped out of.

.

.

But they didn’t immediately jump back through it.

No.

Such a move would be illogical. And Ian only moved based on logic.

...or….mostly moved with logic. So, there they stayed.

Remaining still for the entire time-span that it took the villainous twosome to blow up room after room. And finally…

Brennan: “Shhh! I hear voices!”

There was sound. Then talking. Then the two enemies opened the door outward – and suddenly...!

Nothing. No fire or explosions...only the comical sighting of their classmate punching one of the two villains and dropping them to the thick floor while shouting aloud about bunnies aiming for jugulars.

Ian: “He… he did it..?

…

…

THAT fucking easy?!”

Brennan: “No way… no fucking way… it CAN’T be that easy...hahah, it’s not possible… right? I refuse to believe that idiot and his lucky punch one-shotted the villain!!”

Ian: “Heh, maybe he didn’t need our help after all. Maybe we’ll be able to help the girls escape from this place after all! Maybe he lucked out, and she’s just an ordinary healer--”

*BANG!*

Ian: “MEEP!”

Brennan: “A...a gun?”

…

They were SO close to opening the window...until that gunshot woke thm both up from their hopeful dream.

Unfortunately for Li Shun, Ian was completely right. She had come prepared. And unbeknownst to any of them...she was NOT only a healer.

---

Brennan: “...Do you want to go in yet?”

Ian: “No. Of course not, we have to wait for an oppor-*BOOM!*

...opportunity. A REEEEALLLLLYY good one.”

Brennan and Ian stayed still – motionless almost. The entire time observing from their window position. Sometimes the fight would leave the viewpoint of the bedroom doorway they were watching from, so they had to change windows. Then suddenly, a few explosions later...Ian took a deep breath and spoke.

Ian: “Brennan, we’re going to have to act soon. I predict that woman will try and revive the beaten-up guy.”

Brennan: “Why do you say that? She’s doing well by herself and Li Shun keeps getting forced back… oh. Wait.

.

.

.

...I see now!”

Ian: “It seems you’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Brennan: “…”

Ian: “Speak up, what did you think of?”

Brennan: “Well...she’s forcing him back because she wants to revive her comrade...but why? The answer is either A) Her bullets are being spent and that worries her, or B) she has little to no confidence in being able to revive her comrade after a certain amount of time passes.”

Ian: “Hmmm, I think it’s C) She wants to lessen her burden by saving her energy. The more she can conserve, the more she can heal, probably. Maybe she’s worried about the phone call she got earlier. I wonder what could be so dangerous to them…”

Brennan: “Oh! Maybe… maybe a hero took notice!! Maybe somebody-”

Ian: “Get real. These guys wouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake. I think it’s safe to say that no hero will come, unless something big enough...LOUD enough, catches their attention…”

*Kachak*

Ian: “Hmm?”

*BOOM!*

Ian: “...Is she stupid? No no, I take that back, actually.

She’s pretty smart.”

Brennan: “She JUST shot the floor. How’s that smart?”

Ian: “Because NOW there’s a barrier blocking Li Shun from striking her! Being a long-ranged fighter with a gun—-hmm. Wait. Can she even SHOOT through that fire wall? Hmm. Eh, she wouldn’t have done that for no reason. Now the guy will be revived—oh look! Li Shun’s down! Come on, let’s go. We’ve got to help before she—”

Suddenly a bright, white light fills up the hallway, lighting the windows completely.

Brennan: “I don’t see why this is all considered a ‘smart’ decision by her. Couldn’t she have just shot at Li Shun when he was on the ground for almost a full minute? That would have been ‘smarter’ right?”

Ian: “...Sh-Shutup and open the window! Sheesh, like I’M going to have all the answers about stupid villains.

Brennan: “...Pfft, are you embarrassed ‘cause you praised her for being smart when she ain’t?”

Ian: “Mmmm! If YOU aren’t going to open the window, then I will!!”

However again, right as he began opening the window that led closest to Li Shun’s location…

They bore witness to an unbelievable scene. Usually in fights, rubble merely shows how tough the battle was, but nobody actually pays attention to it unless it’s about to bury somebody or they’ve already been buried. But this guy...this shameless kid actually had the nerve to pick up a piece of broken flooring from the most recent explosive bullet...and throw it, baseball style, right at her forehead…

They saw her fall backwards in a trickle of blood and cheered. Did they win? Did they REALLY win just now??

But then suddenly, like a phoenix rising from the flames of rebirth – 5 stood up with a vigorous roar.

Both Ian and Brennan expected that to happen, but they were hopeful the healing procedure got cut off after the villainess herself received a heavy conk to the forehead.

Li Shun picked up another piece of flooring. This time, Ian DID manage to open the window, crawling his way in.

Ian: “Seems troublesome, but Li Shun is prepared and he isn’t. Another good pitch and we w-”

*BANG!*

Brennan: “…”

Ian: “,,,

,,,Quickly pull me out – pull me back out!”

The situation took a DRASTIC and deadly reverse as a gunshot ignited within the fire in front of Li Shun, causing an explosion that ONLY seared his body but not the face thanks to that rubble being used as a face shield.

By the time he landed again… he was now back at the original room where everything began. Ian stood by and listened closely.

|6: “You...fucking BRAT! Do you have ANY IDEA how much that HURT?! Luckily when using my healing powers on myself, it’s extremely fast! But NOW – I can only use it 2 MORE TIMES for the ENTIRE day!! I’ll personally kill you!”|

The situation seemed absolutely dire. Li Shun as down, both villains were now revived like fire spitting zombies and now they were aiming to kill him!

...It’s just, Ian was only focused on one thing.

Ian: “...She can only heal...2...more times…? For the WHOLE day…?”

His eyes shone with magnificence at the eavesdropping speech, contrary to the worried Brennan.

Ian: “So...she means to say that… if they heal anybody TWO more times for ANYBODY… then she’s completely out of healing..?

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Hehehehehe. so...if fireman over there eats his own flames...and that gunning witch HAPPENS to shoot a bottle of highly flammable liquid… Then…”

This time, it was Brennan’s turn to wear a pair of glittering pupils!

Brennan: “That means that those two heals will be forced to be spent on...hehehe”

…

A few minutes succeeding this collectively resolved plan of theirs, and both 5 as well as 6 were once more collapsed on the floor.

These two actually managed to successfully surprise attack the pair of villains, stupefying all three humans currently engrossed in battle!

Ian: “Ha...haha…..hahahahaha! Take that you stupid assholes! Hahaha--*Ahem* actually Brennan, let’s pick Li Shun up and escape through a window.”

Brennan: “Ahahaha---Eh?? but why…? WE WON!! Hehehe-”

Ian: “Just HURRY IT UP! Let’s go because we don’t have any time to waste!”

…

*SSSHHHIINNGG!*

6: “39...RAAAAAHHHHHH!!! YOU FUCKING TODDLERS! I WAS TRYING TO BE NICE BUT NOW I’LL MAKE EACH OF YOU PAY!”

Brennan apparently forgot about 6’s ability to self-heal while conscious. By the time she broke through the flame barrier she made, the 3 youths were gone.

.

.

.

Li Shun: “...Thought...*Cough* ...weren’t com...ng. *Cough* Why did...come...bac-*Cough*”

Amid the bloody cough attacks, Li Shun attempted fruitlessly to hold a casual conversation with his rescuers.

Of course, they were in no mood to speak with him.

Brennan: “Sh—Shut up stupid..! I can’t die here, not until I fully develop my powers! Yet, here I am, following two FUCKING IDIOTS throw rocks and rubbing alcohol at bloodthirsty villains!”

Ian: “...They weren’t rocks, they were floor tiles--”

Brennan: “WHATEVER! Like it fucking matters what they ARE!!! I’m almost out of courage… I can’t handle this suspenseful hit and run stuff. Forget the girls please, they have the monster so I’m sure they’ll be completely okay. Let’s get outta here!”

Li Shun: “C...n’t. Th- *Cough* -The gir… *Cough* ….girls nee...d h...elp...”

Ian: “...So he says. Come on. Let’s keep this window open and rush to the window closest to the end of the hallway. Maybe there we’ll have better luck finding the girls and then tell them to run out of a window and rendezvous someplace.”

Brennan: “Wait...then Why keep this window open? She’ll just follow us out…

.

.

.

Oh.”

Ian; “Mhm, see? Isn’t it brilliant? The ENTIRE outdoors is a good place to head, so where would she go? She definitely wouldn’t expect us to come running back into the very building we escaped from.”

Brennan: “...Just saying, as a precaution, maybe we should actually GO into the forest… looking for help is better than not looking for it. What if the girls are dead already? There’s been NO quakes yet and I doubt the villains on their side haven’t contacted them yet…”

Ian: “We can send out a spy cam to monitor her movements. Again….I ‘m sure it’ll be fine, let’s just go.”

Brennan: “You know...never mind.”

Ian: “You sure? Now’s probably the last chance you’ll get to talk.”

Brennan: “...I...no forget it. Let’s just move.”

Ian: “...Okay. I won’t pry.”

…

...Just as Ian predicted, she saw the open window and cursed inwardly. How come they didn’t plan for the possibility of the children escaping into the forest?! How embarrassing!

In times like this… she needed to make a phone call.

*RIIING!*

*RIIINGG!*

1: “Huff...Huff...wh...what do you – ow! Want 6?? AAAH!”

6: “...First, are YOU okay? You don’t sound good at all...should I use my last heal on you??”

1: “Huff...Huff, not right now. I’ll call when I *BOOM!* ….when I really need---wait what?! DID YOU JUST SAY LAST?! What the hell happened over there??”

6: “5’s down. He was completely useless during the entire fight. I encountered 3 children, but they gave me the slip through the windows. Can you check if there’s any groups of three wandering around the forest? Pretty please?”

1: “H...Hold on.

…

…

…

...Nope. Nothing. Are you sure they left? There’s a pair of two, one holding another. And there’s one on their own. But the one being held in the pair of two looks dead. Either these three are the ones you’re after split apart or—AAHHH!”

*CRACK!*

6: “...How did we get into this mess?”

…

Ian, Brennan and Li Shun slowly made it to the barrier separating the male and female dorms, and there they saw…

Nothing. The girls were still in the gym at this point and only beginning to make their way out by smashing a hole in the wall. The boys didn’t manage to see anything though because a strange noise caught their attention first…

*Kachak*

Ian: “...No...im...impossible! You...you should be…!”

Brennan: “In...in the… forest…”

6: “Hm~ Shoulda, coulda, woulda. I was going to go...but it felt a bit ‘wasteful’ to go without confirming you guys aren’t still on the first floor. And I’m glad I did~

Ready to die?”

Ian: “Not...Not quite. Activate drones 1-5! turn on high pressure water cannon mode from backpack! Utilize cleaning gun! Fire the alcohol blaster once more!”

A highly pressurized water hose rose from the giant backpack behind Ian, along with two small handgun sized fixations on each side of the hose. From the side pouches popped out baseball sized drones, each targeting the person before them and… orbited her…

6: “...What are these supposed to do-pthew!”

Clear liquid, mixed with white energy and highly concentrated blasted her from a fair distance. The only physical threat was the water, but that clear liquid was highly flammable. There was NO way she could let it touch her gun!

…

Li Shun: “If we...work tog...ther we… can beat her!”

Brennan: “Oh, you’re sounding better, too bad you’re drooling blood. Just shut up and stay asleep.”

Li Shun: “N-No! We cannot...fall here! We…can’t... what...do you two specialize in that...can be...*Cough!* *Cough!* ...useful?”

Ian: “...I have all sorts of cleaning supplies and tools to clean. There are three different guns equipped to my backpack that clean and I invented a special concoction of energy that can even clean blood!”

Li Shun: “…”

Brennan: “I have a super power…”

Li Shun: “Oh!! That’s--”

Brennan: “It lets me speak with really small animals...and understand them. But they have to be very close by.”

Li Shun: “…”

Ian: “Well...Well what about YOU mister Lucky Fist?”

Brennan: “...That’s a good Superhero name for him. Heheh...”

Li Shun: “I took courses in a school from my mother’s side in my younger days where I was taught various fighting styles like Qigong, Bak Mei…”

Ian and Brennan: “Ohh!!! That’s super useful right no-”

Li Shun: “But I only made it to blue belt before I started chasing super heroes.”

Brennan: “...”

Ian: “...Tsk! Why was I even putting my faith in you – look at the state you’re in!”

Li Shun: “...(It’s not my fault my mother left me to that deadbeat father of mine.) I can’t help it...I was very little when she...passed away.”

Ian: “Yes, yes, very sad. But what’s SADDER is that we’re about to DI-”

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

*BOOM!*

The five drones were all destroyed, and the kids were reduced to a coughing fit. She easily dodged the hose and pointed the gun at the three males.

6: “Unfortunately for you, I’ve been trying to only shoot you BELOW the head, but my bullets are too powerful. If I screw up here though and let you all make a monkey out of me any further, then I’ll REALLY be a laughingstock among the other numbers. So~ I’m no longer caring about the rules. Bye – bye you fucking pests!”

*Kachak*

Brennan: “You know…”

Ian: “Now’s not the time!”

Brennan: “Heheh… even though I was so eager to leave this place and run away… There’s this one thing that I always wanted to become. One single thing that people laughed at me for, and said I could never achieve with a Z-grade power. I only wanted to leave this place because...Well, I can’t accomplish my dream if I’m dead.”

Ian: “...What was your dream?”

Brennan: “Hahah…….I always… wanted to be a hero.”

*BANG!*

…

Aria heard the gunshots, the blood splattering and the laughter of 6. The maniacal moaning and sadistic cackling of 3 and 2...She just wanted it to stop… for EVERYTHING to return back to the way it was...before the villains arrived… for EVERYONE she met today to be safe and sound.

At first there was a cracking noise reverberating inside of her mind.

Then, like a clock, a faint ticking began a rhythmic musical pattern in her ears, only for her to hear. Her eyes shone like brilliant orbs of white with silver outlines. And another white light appeared. This light was NOT overbearing however, rather, it was the exact opposite. It neither broke ceilings nor created a beam of light engulfing people. Like a gentle hand, lightly caressing the select targets of Aria’s fervent desire – each non-combatant, both dead and alive, became surrounded by a soft, dull white aura. And as she lost sight in her eyes...reality...no. FATE itself began to change to her whim.

Far away, though still on school campus...a book lost 12 of its pages.

…

Ophelia opened her eyes, and rubbed them. The very action itself astonished her…

Because…

…

…

Her arm magically grew back!

She looked around to see the villains blinking their eyes in confusion after the temporary light show, and beyond the barrier where her three comrades now stood side by side, equally as confused as her by the strange and unexplained situation.

But she would no longer ask questions. Hesitation was the VERY act that brought her such despair. She could dwell on matters when she was safe! For now…

She took one heavy stomp towards her torturers, threw her right fist back and with all her might, yelled towards the sky.

Ophelia: “ALL NON-COMBATANTS, DUCK!”

Li Shun: “Huh? What-”

Ian: *Turns head* ...MEEP! Duck, stupid!!”

Brennan: “Huh? What’s going...AAAH! *Shoved*”

Ian couldn’t push the other two down, so he jumped on the space between them both where their shoulders were still connected.

This unsuspected ‘body slam’ actually managed to save both of their lives...their renewed lives which Aria gave them…

Because...right now…

…….Ophelia threw a punch as hard as she could with her current level of strength. The fist seemed to grow in size as it closed in on the two murderous perpetrators. And after contact against the metallic whip of 3 and 2’s katars...numerous *Crack* noises resounded. They shot directly through the barrier like it was made of butter, colliding against 6 – briefly knocking her afar and…

well…

that day, the entire boys half of the dorm and a good chunk of the girls dorm that wasn’t safely behind her...disappeared.

---