…

Rise: “GRRRRRAH, YOU LITTLE SHIT! Is this the thanks I get for keeping your secret?! You stupid runt – you WASTE of a-”

…

Noel: “Aaaah~ Ah, Ahhh~ Mr. Abrams, Mr. Abrams~ Rise is trying to kill me! Rise is grabbing my collar and threatening me again, just like last time! See?! Now you’re also a witness-”

…

Mr. Abrams: “(Ah, I’m so tired. Ever since school began, my rest schedule seems to have gotten shorter. I wonder what awaits me in the coming months.)

AHEM. You two, quit it. Noel, the problem with your little story… is that I had a powerful witness watch you leave. What do you have to say about that?”

Rise: “AHAHAHA!! You’ve been caught shrimp. Face the music and prepare for expulsion already~”

Noel: “*Glares at Rise* …Is it a tall, blonde Ericson lady? Did she rat me out??Darn it, father’s right, you can never trust an Ericson! I shouldn’t have thought nicely about her a few minutes ago!”

Mr. Abrams: “… No. No it isn’t.

Anyways, *ahem* Noel. I’m now hearing news about a massive… ‘gargoyle’ type of creature going on a rampage around campus? Although there were no reports given to me mentioning YOU at the scene… I happen to find it utterly strange that you snuck out for a stroll, and paralleling your stroll all of a sudden, comes a monster attack. Problem on campus ensues, while your school shirt is burnt due to unknown origins.”

Noel: “It’s NOT unknown! I told you already that was all Rise’s fault, HE burnt me…!”

Rise: “Grrr, stop trying to dig a pit for me too you damn brat!”

Noel: “Ha! I don’t need to expel any effort doing that. Your so skilled at digging those pits yourself, after all. Digging you a pit? HA! Don’t slander my name!”

Rise: “It’s NOT SLANDER if it’s TRUE you stupid, lousy--!”

Mr. Abrams: “Haah… stooooop…! Noel. So, now that the current situation’s details are about to force your confession - care to give me a genuine explanation about that little stroll you went on? And don’t you dare lie! Believe me, I’ll know if you do.”

Noel: “…”

Mr. Abrams: “Mmm? I’m waiting, kid. Spit it out already.”

Noel: “It doesn’t matter if I say it or not, because you wouldn’t believe me anyway. Since that’s obviously bound to be the case, then I’d rather stay quiet!”

Mr. Abrams: “Just talk, kid. I’ll be the judge of whether you’re lying or telling the truth. Remember? I believe I already explained this sort of thing to you just now.”

Noel: “…”

Rise: “Pffft! Hahahaha~ yeah, go ahead. Tell him what you told me before!”

Mr. Abrams: “Rise, be quiet.”

Rise: “…Hmph!”

Noel: “…Fine! After I won permission from the condescending blonde lady by surpassing her reaction speed with my base speed, I managed to explore a forest. Then I saw a lot of elemental discharge… along with some weird spacey-fluctuation things. I got curious and intended to find out what kind of experiment the school was hiding over there.”

Mr. Abrams: “There shouldn’t be any experiments that would interfere with today’s match… none that’ve been approved anyhow… but I could be wrong. The principal has been… a tad different, as of late. Still, even if there were such an approval given, the faculty would never approve of a dangerous thing like that taking place in the ‘Gargantuan Arbory’ where students and staff with plant specific powers work on the delicate growth period of those trees. Hmm… continue, Noel.”

Noel: “…Okay.

I tried heading in the direction I saw the elemental flashes, fully expecting to find fireworks failing or some weather expert doing their experimentation thing in secret.

Instead, I was attacked by a faceless mage with pointy ears. And he REALLY wanted to kill me.”

Mr. Abrams: “...Pointy ears?”

Rise: “*Chuckles* Go on, Noel. Get to the book~ pffft!”

Noel: “I’M GETTING THERE!! You just be quiet. Moron.

Anyways, I tried hard to beat him, but I couldn’t. He was just too skilled. I managed to suppress him, or catch him off guard a few times though. But…”

Mr. Abrams: “But…?(This Magic user sounds like… but why would one of them be in the world of humans? Maybe it’s presumptuous of me to call it that, however…)”

Noel: “But then he summoned a giant gargoyle thing, saying for it to keep me company or something, and left. The wort part about it was that person treated such a difficult to fight opponent like that rock monster as if it was only a toy! That’s annoying, isn’t it?”

Rise: “what’s so scary about a rock monster? Had I been there-”

Noel: “You’d be killed before you can undergo your little ‘evolving’ stunt. That rocky thing had speed just a few notches slower than mine, and its massive bulk let it cover more ground. Besides this, it could regenerate any damage dealt. I had trouble with its size and healing properties. Oh! Also, it could generate powerful winds by flapping its wings. It’s … rocky wings. Don’t ask me how, because I couldn’t tell you.”

Mr. Abrams: “Sn enchantment, most likely.”

Rise: “…So, what you’re telling us is, that you ran away with your tail between your legs? Is that right?”

Noel: “HUH?! Who the heck would evereun away from such a fight! I stayed and inflicted damage too! It was just really difficult because of …reasons!”

Rise: “Uhuh, sure~ hehe.”

Mr. Abrams: “Running away is never something to feel shameful of. It only means your opponent was better prepared than you were, at the time. Just make sure to prepare next time you...go for a walk.

(Wait, fuck! I almost forgot, this brat was only supposed to go on a stroll! Who encounters a murderous Alf during such a mundane thing?? What bad luck this brat has…)”

Noel: “It’s TRUE! That rock puppet, thing might be capable of regenerating, but it CAN’T regenerate broken limbs! Only the portions that’re damaged yet not fully torn off! Using that knowledge, I broke some of its limbs and left but ONLY because I was bored! Nothing else – no more, no less!”

Mr. Abrams: “Oh? That’s some good work you’ve done, then. But why did I hear word about you carrying a book? did you take that fellow’s book? Because if you did…

(This family and their mischief-making.)”

Noel: “It wasn’t his, it was Aria’s! I only returned it to her!”

Mr. Abrams: “…! Noel, what are you talking about? Explain yourself in detail, don’t leave anything out!

(Was someone targeting Aria, then? But how would this boy know the book was hers when she’s still in a coma? Could it have something to do with her superpower that revived everybody, or the fact that she’s STILL in a coma, making her officially the only student of mine left, to still necessitate treatment? Could… this book… could it solve things, somehow?)”

Noel: “Um, When I arrived further in, I saw a really old looking book just sitting there, untouched on top of a rock. I reached out for it, but I got shocked or burned, one of those two, in return. Apparently, the book didn’t want me touching it.”

Mr. Abrams: “… So, you…

(You left it behind, then? Then… how does he know the book belongs to Aria…?)”

Noel: “Naturally, my curiosity won over the pain and I wound up picking it up again, and flipping the cover over.”

Rise: “Pfff-ahahahaha! The book beat you up! You only got caught by Mr. Abrams thanks to that book burning your school outfit! You idiot! Ahaha~”

Mr. Abrams: “(Unfortunately, I can’t laugh. I don’t find such a feat the least bit funny. Because, as incredible an accomplishment it may be, to withstand pain, in order to achieve that type of thing, this kid had to have tolerated similar levels of pain first. Of course, there are those who have their pain receptors forcibly turned off, but I happen to know that this isn’t the Malierano family’s style. With suffering, comes strength. They’re like that – unafraid to repeat what the old geezer from that family experienced, except forcing such experiences down his own the throats of his own children.

I can’t find such a thing even remotely funny. Not in the least.)”

Noel: “What’s so funny? I did a good deed by picking that book up! If I hadn’t, I would’ve never flipped the book cover over! That’s when I discovered the ‘name’ written inside of the book! It was Aria’s name!”

Rise: “But with so many Aria’s in the world, how can you tell if it belongs to her?”

Noel: “Obviously because the book told me, stupid.”

Mr. Abrams: “…”

Rise: “…”

Noel: “Ei- Either way, It stopped shocking me after I got close to the stadium, and I left it next to her bed so that she can discover it.”

Mr. Abrams: “You WHAT(with that book shocking and burning him, if it doesn’t truly belong to her, then what would it do?? Noel may be able to tolerate that sort of painful shock, but somebody as fragile-looking as Aria? Stupid boy! He’s too fucking impulsive for his own-)”

Winney: Mr. Abrams! Thank goodness you’re here! Your student, she’s- she finally woke up!”

For a moment Mr. Abrams’s eyes softened.

Yes. Just for a moment.

Winney: “She woke up, finally, but… she won’t stop crying!”

Mr. Abrams: “!! …Take me to her.”

---