It was Thursday evening. Since yesterday’s attack the lessons have been canceled while the police still tries to clear the case. Within the campus’ sportshall, currently filled with injured students, a sudden outburst echoes through. It was the waking scream of a certain young man.

“Everything alright, Nathan?” Mr. Desmond asked, standing next to the patient’s bed.

Sweat ran down his forehead as he grasped for air. “Y-yes. I just had a bad dream…”

“I see. Well, there is some good news,” the teacher said before continuing. “The doctor said that your wounds are minor but he recommends you not leave the bed, just to be safe.”

“I can’t. I can’t just let them take away so many of my friends. If I wait any longer…,” he went silent.

“Why don’t you wait for the police? I understand your sense of responsibility but it would be better to just let the police handle this.”

John knew he couldn’t explain his way out without telling Mr. Desmond. Trying to decide whether or not to trust him, his eyes wavered.

“Mr. Desmond,” John whispered as he leaned over to the teacher. “Can I count on you to keep a secret?”

The teacher replied with a slow nod.

“What if I was to say that I am a detective? What if I was to say that my name is not Nathan, but Johnathan instead?”

Mr. Desmond’s head jerked back in surprise before whispering back. “Then that would make you Sterling… Johnathan Sterling, correct?”

John sighed, knowing there was no way back now. “Indeed. I was sent with a mission to find the kidnapped students and was undercover with two of my friends, though they were taken away by what I believe to be very same kidnappers I was looking for.”

“So that is why you can’t wait,” the teacher mumbled.

At this moment a brown haired boy ran over to the bed. “Nathan! Oh thank god, you are alright!”

The injured detective struggled to recognize the face but then remembered. “You are the judge boy from fencing, right?”

“Yes, the name is André. Sorry I haven’t introduced myself earlier,” the boy said, his legs jittering.

“Uh, no worries. I should’ve asked too, plus I was quite rude to you yesterday. Forcing you to give me fights, sorry,” he clapped his hands together into a praying shape.

“You probably had your reasons, so I don’t mind… But actually I have a request for you,” the boy said fumbling his thumbs.

“A request?” the teacher wondered.

“Yes, it’s about Ewin. Seeing as how you are by far the strongest swordsman out of the rest of us, I wanted to ask if you could,” he grumbled. “Please save Ewin!”

A feeling equivalent to a jolt struck through John’s body as he heard this request. “Of course, I am not the only one who’s friends are gone. They probably had other friends too,” he thought. “I would love to help, but I don’t even have an idea of how I am supposed to fight them. I mean, I don’t even have a weapon to fight with here.”

“About that, Mr. Desmond, would it be okay if he borrowed our club’s trophy?” André asked, leaving John without an idea of what he was talking about.

“Officially that trophy is not allowed to leave the case. However, if someone was to take it out without my knowing…. I guess then I wouldn’t know, right?”

“Thank you, Sir!” he bowed to the teacher. “Nathan, are you fit enough to come with me?”

“I might as well, every second counts,” John said, nearly jumping out of the bed in excitement before his muscles tightened in pain.

“Wait, take these, kid,” Mr. Desmond handed him a small pack of pills. “The doc said you can take these if you are in pain, but be responsible!”

“My thanks, teach!”

After taking a pill, John followed André to the sports hall in which Ewin was kidnapped. A black and yellow warning tape surrounded the building, however they snuck under it. The brown haired boy lead him to the foil dispenser box.

“Wait, you don’t expect me to fight them with a toothpick, do you?” John growled.

“No, but if you pull this,” he says as he pulls the lever to dispense a foil. “Now if you press it further down.”

The sides of the box fell down, revealing the gear mechanism which would pull up the foils.

“Now all you have to do is take out this golden gear and pull it again.”

The gears which were now disconnected stood still, allowing a small chain of gears on the other side to rotate as something slowly rose from the top. A golden hilt followed by a sharp and thin edge ascended from the box.

“Take it,” André offered.

John didn’t hesitate and took the sword, which was a rapier.

“I am sorry that it probably is still not to your liking, but it’s the closest to a proper sword we have.”

“No, this is great. This slender blade is strong and sharp,” he says as he cuts through the air. “It seems heavy enough too, this should do just fine but how come you keep something like this kept behind a puzzle?”

“It’s meant to be a pandora’s box. This sword was used over a century ago by the teacher who opened this club. Everyone knows it is in here since it is revealed every year at the tournament, but it hasn’t been used besides that.”

“How can I possibly thank you for letting me wield this piece of history?” he asked as he sunk his eyes into the reflection of the gold ornate.

“You can thank me by bringing back my friend, that is all I ask of you.”

With a swift cut through the air, leading into him sheathing it into his trousers belt loops he offered his right hand. “I will bring him back, even if it should cost me a few limbs.”

Having split paths with André, John was now on a stroll to perform his own investigations. Meanwhile, within a tight dark room three people slowly began to wake up.

“W-where am I?” a man with a white lab coat mumbled. “What is this? Why am I tied to this metal post?”

“I am afraid you aren’t the only one tied up here Aaron,” a blonde girl with a red track suit sighed.

“Wait who are you two and why am i tied up with you?” the third person without a shirt wondered.

“Kimberly, you got kidnapped too?” Aaron said in a disappointed voice.

“Seems so, and since you don’t know any of us, you must be Ewin, right? John told me about your argument,” Kimberly concluded.

“Wait, you know his name?” Ewin nearly shouted.

“Let’s just say we know each other quite well, Mr. Topless,” a boy on a bed snarled.

“This voice, is that you Matt?” Aaron was astonished as he tried to look over the bed, only to find him bandaged and attached to an infusion bag. “What.. happened?”

“I got roughed up by that gunner and taken here since I they didn’t want me sticking my nose in their business,” Matt answered in a hoarse voice.

“I’m just glad you are alright, I am sure John would be happy too!” Kimberly exclaimed.

“Shush now you pesky nuisances!” a rough voice from the other end of the room yelled.

“This voice, it is awfully familiar but where did I hear this voice before?” Aaron tried to recall.

“Damn it, I am supposed to perform research here and not babysit for those two jerks!”

“Now I remember!” Aaron shouted. “Are you, are you Ferid?”

Out of the gloomy back of the room a small person came closer. “Aaron Barford, I am glad you still at least remember me.”

“Well of course! We were classmates! However, why are you here?”

“He’s their chemist, he made a weird liquid that can knock you out if you inhale it. Chloroform I think it was,” Matt explained.

“Indeed, I am. This masterpiece is an irreplaceable asset of ours!” the man said, holding up a flask.

“But how come… you didn’t seem like a bad person. Why are you working with those people?” Aaron shivered from the cold and wet room.

“You really want to know? The reason is you!” He pointed his index finger at Aaron. “Back then I worked so hard to become the best in every subject but was no more than your shadow! You aced all of the exams and graduated as the best student!”

“That’s just delusional, are you trying to tell me that I shouldn’t have tried to give it my all?,” Aaron asked in an awkward tone.

“Don’t give me that! It isn’t like you shouldn’t have studied but what made me mad was how I barely had any time for anything other than learning, while you had the leisure to go out with friends! Where is the fairness in that?” he yelled.

“It is true that I was always a quick learner but I never knew that he was that jealous,” Aaron thought. “So now you kidnap the best students and do what?”

“Oh you want to know?” he said, laughingly. “Well our boss usually has a talk with them but if that should turn out badly..” Ferid walked over to his desk and pulled out a rat from a small cage and gave it a drop of liquid from a phial. “We… get rid of them.” The rat jerked and screeched until it stopped moving.

Kimberly turned her head away from the scene, in disgust. “What will you do with us then?”

“Well, one of us wants to keep the child and the fencing brat while our boss has some interest in you. I however, want the pleasure to personally take care of you, Aaron.” He grinned.

“What happens if we don’t agree with them?” Ewin said, staring at the wet, shiny floor.

“Should you choose not to cooperate, which is your given right, then just see for yourself.” Ferid threw the rat over to Ewin.

His stomach turning around, the black haired young man looked away. “I see.”

Meanwhile near the main building, John was taking a look from outside.

“So up there is the window from where that swordsman jumped down from,” John mumbled to himself, looking up at the broken window.

He kneed down and took a look at the grassy ground, searching for anything that could help him. Though he seemed to merely find small shards of glass, not even footsteps.

“Let’s see, he jumped down from there, I saw it, but I didn’t see him land…,” he scratched his chin, thinking. “I didn’t hear him land either to be honest… though the grass may have acted as a cushion to silence the drop.”

John walked inside the building and snuck under the black and yellow striped band which was attached to the stairway to the medic quarter. Standing inside the very room where he watched his friend being kidnapped, he took a peek down the window.

He gulped. “This is insane, it would require incredible athletic strength to jump down with a person on your shoulder without making any noise this is the third floor after all!”

Staring downwards he eventually noticed a man in a black suit walk past the spot where John was only a few moments ago and watched him continue to the back of the building.

“Is that one of them?”

Back inside the dark cellar, a sudden gleam of light blinded the kidnapped but ended with a loud bang of an old metal door. A black haired man with a sword on his hip entered.

“So you woke up?” the man said.

“This voice,” Ewin trembled. “It couldn’t be! Brother?”

Kimberly, Aaron and Matt let out an astonished shriek as they heard him say that.

“You must have the wrong person Ewin! There is no way--”

“No, he is correct. I am Larson, Ewin’s older brother,” the man interrupted Aaron.

“Big brother! I am so glad you are fine.” Ewin’s eyes began watering. “I was worried sick when I heard that you were kidnapped…”

“Thank you for your worry, but I wasn’t kidnapped.”

“What? But then,” the younger brother was speechless.

“Ewin, this man is the one that kidnapped me… he is on their side, kid,” Aaron explained.

“No way! My brother can’t be one of them!” Ewin yelled, shaking his head vigorously.

“He also kidnapped me, he speaks the truth,” Kimberly supports.

“You should listen to your friends. It is true, I am part of this organization of my own free will,” Larson said, patting his brother´s head.

“But why?” the younger brother cried.

He looked over to Ferid before answering. “I cannot tell you, but you will know once you join us too.”

“Join...you?” Ewin mumbled.

“Don’t even consider it Ewin! If you do that, then John is sure to-”

“That name! You mean he is actually here?” the swordsman shouted.

“Crap,” Aaron thought. “Uh, no.”

“Damn it, now here I thought we already got rid of all the troublesome people,” Larson grumbled.

“Wait, if they didn’t know John was here, then did they kidnap us just to kill us after we decline?” Kimberly whispered to Aaron.

“Oy, Ferid! Babysit ‘em for a bit longer while I get this Detective,” he said as he walked out of the large steel gate.

Outside, John was now lurking around the back of the building but didn’t find anything suspicious. “Where did that man in the suit go?”

Suddenly, a metal grating on the ground next to the building lifted up and Larson emerged from it, before walking around the other side, unaware that John was watching him.

“There is a secret path under that ventilation grating? Does the school not know of a secret room? Whatever, I need to take a look now.”

John waited until the suited man was out of sight before moving in, lifting the grating and climbing down a metal ladder. Once he was at the bottom, he stood before a large steel door.

“This must be it, better be prepared.” He drew his sword.

All of a sudden a loud noise came from the inside, a gunshot.

“Damn you stupid crybaby! Stop making noise, your brother probably doesn’t even care about you at this point!” John heard a voice from inside.

“But my big brother shouldn’t--,” another gunshot interrupted what sounded like Ewin’s voice to the blonde haired swordsman. “Shut up already! I can’t work with a baby like you around.”

It was more than confirmed to John that Ewin was on the other side of the door. After taking a deep breath he pulled the little pack of pills from his pocket and took a swing of it, swallowing more than a handful of pills before entering the door.

“Ewin are you alright?” John shouted through the room.

As his eyes moved from Aaron to Kimberly and Ewin, he began to grind his teeth, but then his view shifted to the young child on a bed. Attached to an infusion bag, Matt layed there, bandaged from head to toe.

“What did you do to Matthew,” John mumbled, staring at Ferid who held a gun at John.

Although the four of them greeted John, glad to see that he came for them, he didn’t pay attention. His pupils contracted to a mere dot as a surge of anger boiled within him.

“What do you think a kid like you can do? I have a gun, you know,” Ferid laughed.

“This smell, no it couldn’t be,” Aaron recognized the smell. “John! That gun uses Gunpowder, be careful!”

“Thank you...but I don’t care…,” John mumbled, seemingly absent minded.

“John?” Kimberly worried.

“You are the gunner… you hurt Matt….” The blonde detective cut through the air with the rapier.

“That’s the fencing clubs trophy sword!” Ewin exclaimed.

“I won't show mercy to those who shoot a little kid, especially not one under my care!” John yelled before rushing at Ferid.

Out of reflex, the man pulled the trigger on the gun and shot at John. The sound of the bullet left John a little deaf on the left ear as it scratched it. With one fell swoop he knocked the gun out of the man’s hand by cutting his pinky and ring finger.

A screech of pain echoed through the room as Ferid fell to the floor, his legs shaking in fear. “No you have this wrong, I didn’t hurt the boy. I would never--”

“Silence!” John shouted as he made a thrust toward him, stabbing the man’s lower leg. “How does it feel? The feeling of steel piercing through your body?” he laughed. “Just imagine the pain a child must have felt when bullets did the same.”

His friends in the room got goosebumps as they saw John giving in to his anger.

“No wait, John, he is speaking the truth! He wasn’t the one who shot me,” Matt explained loudly, but wasn’t heard.

Continuing to laugh, he cut forth and stabbed into the shoulders, legs and hands of Ferid. “People like you don’t deserve any pity! You should be grateful that I haven’t cut your throat yet, leaving you to die, suffocating from your own blood.”

“Please,” the man cried. “Please stop, don’t kill me please.”

“Oh,” John’s head tilted to the left with a grin, his grip on the sword tightening. “You honestly think you are in a position to demand your life?”

He swung his sword-hand back, and went for a final blow.

“Stop it, John! If you do this you will be no better than him! No, you will be worse than him!” Aaron shouted with all his breath.

His pupils widened but it was too late, the thrust was already in motion. Blood dripped down the man’s cheeks, though from a large scar. In the last second John managed to change the angle of this strike and rammed it into the seemingly soft floor.

“Thank you, Aaron,” the swordsman said in a calmed tone.

Ferid backed up to this desk in fear. “You are crazy, you were going to kill me!”

“Oh, sorry. Were you looking forward to it? I can still do it you know,” John smiled sarcastically.

Just as everyone calmed down a racking noise echoed behind John.

“It seems we have a troublemaker and a useless subordinate here, eh?” A man with long black hair said, holding a rifle in his hands.

Struck by a rush of coldness running up his back, John turned around and saw the man aiming straight at him. With a slight movement of the barrel to the left, the man made John move aside, standing in front of his friends.

“Now then, how come you weren’t able to kill a kid with a sword when you had a gun? Honestly, how pathetic can you be?” the man spoke to Ferid.

“I’m sorry, but it was all so sudden and he was so fast...and…,”

“I get it, don’t worry. You don’t need to be scared any longer.” He kept aiming at the injured Ferid. “Sterling is it? Do you remember me?”

“Remember you?” John tried to remember the long face and the long hair. “Sorry but you don’t seem to ring any bells.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, then let me ring a bell for you.”

The man aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. The loud noise of the shot made them flinch, closing their eyes and covering their ears. As they opened their eyes again, Kimberly choked while the others were in shock.

“Did he just.. he did… he really shot that man straight in the head,” John said to himself as his stomach began to turn. “This is, exactly like back then…”

“Now then Sterling Junior, does this bring back memories? I know it has been a few years but I was around not long ago when you were in Brinston after I heard that you were injured,” the man smiled.

“You. You are the man who killed… father,” he mumbled.

The man clapped twice. “There we go kid. I knew you would remember, although it is sad that it takes a headshot to do that.”

“Why did you kill this man, wasn’t he your ally?” Aaron asked.

“Ally? Yes. Worth living? Not really. We already have his lab documents so he wasn’t needed anymore. The only reason he agreed to join us was to kill the best students with his poisons, so he had his fun already,” he laughed loudly.

John fell to the ground, his legs feeling like jelly.

“Your face is pale, are you alright John?” Kimberly worried.

“No, nothing is alright. All this time I have been looking for the man who killed our father and now here he is. He’s right in front of me but I can’t even bring up the strength to stand up,” he said as his voice started to crack.

“Well that’s too bad. I wanted to have some fun with you when you figured it out. Fine, I guess I’ll go kill the boy then,” the gunner said as he aimed at Matt with a smirk.

The young man’s eyes looked right down the barrel, as a small spark of light ignited. The three who were tied to the post let out a loud scream and gasp as the shot was fired, followed by a dropping sound.

“John!” Matt howled in a rough voice.

“Impressive, you actually jumped in fast enough. If I hadn’t used an outdated Steamworks rifle then a bullet would’ve pierced through your body and that childs head. Too bad I guess, but that should still sting.”

“Shut your trap already,” John growled, holding the left side of his chest. “Wait a moment, it doesn’t even bleed?”

John pulled up his shirt and only saw a dark red spot on his chest.

“It was never my plan to kill anyone here, kid. That’s why I just kept one bullet in there for self defence. Plus, you deserve a better death than that. I mean, I can’t just let you die so clichéed,” he continued to laugh. “Don’t worry though. If anyone is to kill you, then it would be me. Just imagine it, killing both of the Sterling detectives!”

“I think I told you once already,” John coughed. “You speak too much, so shut up.”

“Fine, as you wish. Well I have to go report the unfortunate news to the boss now, kill you later kid!”

The long haired man turned around and ran out of the room.

“Would you mind me laying on the floor just a bit longer? I feel...really… dizzy.” John slept in, the aftereffects of the pills kicked in.

“Wait, no! Wake up you idiot! Cut the rope first!” Ewin desperately shouted.

“Don’t worry, I’ll free you,” a voice from behind a crack between the doors said before entering.

It was Larson, Ewin’s older brother.

“Big brother! You came back to save us!”

“Don’t you dare hurt John!” Matt stood up from the bed, stretching his arms as he stood before John with jittering legs.

The man sighed. “You can calm down, little man. This entire mission was a failure, and besides ‘he’ would kill me if I took his prize. Since there is no reason to keep you in here any longer I will just get you free, carry the injured out and make haste, is that alright with you?”

Without much of a discussion, he helped carry Matt and John out of the cellar and freed Aaron, Kimberly and his brother.

“You should probably go to the doctors quickly, they are in the sports halls,” Larson said as he was about to walk off.

“Wait,” Aaron demanded. “Why would you help us?”

“I don’t think he is all that bad of a person, Aaron,” Matt said. “The man with the rifle brought me here but didn’t care about my injuries at all, instead this man treated me.”

“I don’t have the leisure to explain myself, but please don’t think of me as someone who will always help you. The next time we meet, I will fight you. Farewell Ewinson, stay safe!” With that he threw a small ball behind him, letting it explode into a cloak of smoke. By the time it was dragged away by the wind, he was already gone.

After that, they headed to the doctors to get John and Matt treated while they explained the situation to the teachers. André jumped joyfully at Ewin, while a teacher sat next to John to talk to him.

“I can’t believe you ignored my warning, you actually swallowed the entire pack at once didn’t you?” Mr. Desmond shook his head.

“Sorry, but I don’t think I could’ve fought with this stinging pain otherwise. Anyway, it looks like my job is done here,” John claimed.

Everyone gathered around John to check up on him, while Matt was in the bed next to him.

“Thank you so much Nathan,” André said with tears in his eyes. “I knew I could count on you!”

“Indeed, you have my thanks J- Nathan! I might still be sulking down in that freezing cold cellar if it wasn’t for you.” Ewin tapped John’s shoulder in thanks.

“You saved me again, and this time I don’t even have a payment for you. I am just glad that you are fine, thank you.” Kimberly bowed.

“John, please don’t do that ever again. Had you actually been hurt from the shot then I wouldn’t know how to live with myself. But… thanks for saving me,” Matt said, muffled by the respirator on his mouth.

“I suppose that’s a job well done, right John?” Aaron added.

“Thanks everyone, I too am glad to see you all unhurt, well almost all.” John giggled as he looked at the zombie esque Matt who replied with a grumble.

“By the way John,” Mr. Desmond interrupted. “I spoke to the teachers and they said that they wouldn’t mind if you came by every now and then to study. See it as a thanks from this college for your excellent work.”

And so they continued to talk about their time at the college and laugh around. Though only a few days later, after John and Matt were fit again, they would have to say goodbye and head back home to the next mission.

Next time! John and Co. will enter a new Arc! So stay tuned!