[Arc II-Royal Hunt]

The birds were chirping in the warmth from the season of Spring. I was comfort by someone as a hand was patting my head gently. My eyelids became lighter as it slowly opened by itself. The ceiling was familiar while the curtains were flying around from the wind.

The hand was very soft and I could tell that it was a girl. I suddenly remembered what my alter ego told me. I sighed in relief as I reached for the hand that was patting my head the entire time. Her hand was very soft. I did not know how to describe how soft it was but it was a bit rough in the same time.

When I turned my head to the right side, I saw Rika's face of relief. Her eyes were red as it was a sign of her crying recently.

"Wel-Welcome back, Sora..." Rika said as she was smiling with her eyes closed as her tone changed from monotone to a very happy tone as she welcomed me back.

"Hm. I'm back...Rika." I replied as I felt a sense of satisfaction for no logical reason. Maybe it was that conversation with my alter ego.

"I was worried about you. You would not wake up at all even though you started spitting blood all of a sudden. Not to mention, bruises started to appear on your body."

"Ah... Now that you mention it, I have bandages all over my body. Wait...."

Was the fight with Riki was real? I actually thought it was a dream but after removing my bandages and looking at my body for a while, the location of the bruises was exactly the same with my fight with Riki. I turned to Rika and saw her with a very sad expression with a forced sad smile. She looked at me as tears started flowing out from her eyes.

I did not know the reason why she started crying again. I thought it was tears of happiness but with an expression and smile like that immediately got rid of that. She was genuinely sad for some reason. I had to ask her but I was worried in the same time.

"Ah....uh...what's wrong, Rika? You suddenly start crying all of a sudden." I asked with a worried expression.

"It's....I...I don't know. I was hoping that you would stop fighting. Stop finding truth as to why you are targeted."

"Rika... There's no way I will stop. I will find out who is targeting me. Besides, those 'Legion Angels' got me into a dream. I had to fight one member-"

"It wasn't from them at all. Not to mention, 'Legion' was completely destroyed two weeks ago." Rike interrupted me as she was desperate to say something out of her mind.

"What!? What do you mean "it was destroyed", Rika?!" I was incredibly shocked. My eyes were widened as I gritted my teeth.

"How....how long was I asleep, Rika?" I asked as I directly looked at her eyes.

"One month..... You were sleeping for one month." Rika answered me as she looked down.

"One-One month?!" I was shocked. I did not expect I would be asleep for that long.

"I'll continue explaning to you what happened to 'Legion' since you want to know that badly." Rika wiped her tears away and kept looking down.

"Rika...... Con....tinue then."

"Two weeks ago, 'Legion' was destroyed completely as all the members of 'Legion Angels' have died. It was a small group of people.....probably around 5 of them. The leader announced that their name was 'Vanguard'. It was the same person who attacked you in the alleyway."

"Vanguard...."

"As for Rin's condition...she woke up."

"REALLY!?" I was excited. I was glad in the same time.

"Yes. She just need some more rest. As to the person who attacked Rin, it was that leader of Vanguard."

"What? How do you know?"

"That's because he announced it as he was provoking you. He actually somehow thought that you would be alive."

"Wait wait wait wait Rika. What do you mean by that?"

"That person was the one who put you in that dream. I suspect that his ability is to make you dream and whatever damages you take in that dream will become reality. For now, he named himself 'Ghoul' so we should refer them that way."

"Rika..... Is that the reason why you said that I should stop fighting?"

"........yes....." Rika answered softly as she finally looked at me.

"I'm.....sorry, Rika. I can't just turn a blind eye about this. I must fight 'Vanguard' no matter what now. Of course....I can't do it alone. So that's why Rika.....can you help me?"

"I.....I guess...so. I will protect your back no matter what. We won't die from this fight." Rika stood up from her stool and answered me."

"Now then. I guess I should ask the tsun-tsun woman too."

"Meaning?"

"She is an Advant after all. Not a weak type that is."

"I don't think now is the right time." Rika said as she was concerned about something.

"Why?"

"That's because her grandfather was the CEO of Legion and her great friend which is her bodyguard is the leader of 'Legion Angels'."

"Aaaaaaaaah~ I see........ I'm definitely screwed now...."