"You're awake, aren't you?"

I opened my eyes with a snap and flung my hand forward. The thick chains of the cuffs holding me down snapped easily and flew towards the bitch in the coat. She fell to her back and rolled to dodge the attack while I slowly got up from the ground and stood on my feet.

"W-wh-what the fuck!" Not a hint was left from her haughty and sly look of before when she tried to trick me as she crawled back to the wall with her hands outstretched. "I don't fight! Please, criminal boy!"

I ignored the bitch's plea and stepped up to her when a blue screen flickered in front of my eyes.

{Host! That doctor woman is now pushing herself against the wall!}

"I know, dumbfuck. You did well telling me everything, now shut up."

{Ahh, your eyes are all red again, been a whi—}

"Dismiss."

I talked to the useless system without caring for the others in the room. The doctor woman's eyes widened as she saw me talk to myself and approach her.

"You don't fight, was it?" I crouched down to meet her eyes and asked. The other four had still not noticed that I had woken up, there was no way to. The handcuffs they had put on us were made of a very strong anti-magic material, keeping them on felt like giving my mana circuits a vasectomy, but at least no one could sense us easily.

"I don't, I—"

I slapped the doctor across her face. Though my efforts in the last three days had worked enough to chip off the chains holding me to the ground, the heavy handcuffs were still stuck on my wrist. Sighing, I pulled her from the collars of her coat and made her face me. "Quieter."

"I don't," she whispered back, shaking her head from side to side.

Non-combatant healer. She would definitely have a weapon. I covered her mouth with one hand and checked the pockets of her coat with another.

“Thanks for healing me after that troll thing,” I said. “You didn't pay as you promised though, so I hope you can do it now.“

I found a knife and a ray-gun pistol in her coat pockets. Handling two weapons was risky, so I disassembled the pistol and crushed it with my feet before dragging the doctor to her feet.

With the knife kept right against her neck, I pushed her toward the door and asked her to walk, letting go of her mouth.

“Ralph!“

A dry, meek voice called out to me from behind. Right, I almost forgot about Kristina Steitz.

“G-get me out too!“ Kristina Steitz said, keeping her voice low.

“Maybe later.“

The thick metal door of the place creaked open and revealed a cave-like place similar to the one that led to Isabella's class.

Unlike the classroom, which was a magically created zone, this was a real place. Kristina Steitz continued screaming and flailing in the cellar, but I didn't care and made the doctor bitch walk out of the thin passageway.

The place opened up to a sizeable cove bordered with black rocks. At one end of the place was a rusty table with an induction stove and on the other side was a tiny CRT television facing a rotting, worn-down couch.

Isabella Ahlgrim and a muscular giant I had never seen before sat on the couch while Damian was making tea in the corner.

Pulling the knife further back on the doctor's neck, I coughed and glared at Damian.

“Yo, Ilya's uncle. Make some for me too, yes?“

Everyone turned with a snap as my voice made its way to their ears.

Isabella and the muscular man shot up from their seats while Damian slammed his cup on the table.

“What... did you do—”

“—Hey, teacher.“ I cut Isabella off before she could finish speaking. “Liking the scar on your head?“

Isabella Ahlgrim chuckled. “Absolutely not, I'll kill—”

Tightening my hold on the doctor, I nicked her neck lightly with the knife, a few drops of blood dying it red. “Then why don't you shut up before I give you another?“

I ignored Isabella's glare and turned to Damian who was slowly stepping toward me.

Goddamn.

Just what was these three's connection? What the fuck did they want from me?

Damian raised his hands and spoke out. “Ralph, been a while. You should put that knife down, you know?“

“You're eager to see your friend dead.“

“We aren't friends,“ the doctor bitch whispered. I smacked her head and turned back to Damian.

“I know, it's all suspicious. But we mean no harm to you at all. We're doing this for your own good.“

She was a healer anyway, it wouldn't matter much.

Without waiting for him to finish, I drove the knife further in.

“Woah Woah Woah! Criminal boy!!“

“Ralph! Stop Stop!“

I continued driving it in and glared back at all three of them. “If you want me to stop, then speak only as much as I ask of you.“

Damian nodded his head with his hands still outstretched when the muscular man smacked his hands together.

“Your plan won't work Damian, we'll just kill him twice.“

“You're crazy! Stand the fuck back!“

I was about to drive the knife further at the threat.

Right then, a hand came up from behind me.

I tried to jump to the side as the hand came closer, and passed from within my head. A surreal feeling climbed up my spine as I moved away and saw the black-gloved fingertips sticking out of my neck and passing through my body.

Five.

There were five of them.

The fingers passed by, then the forearm, and then the entire hand was sticking out of the edge of my neck as I jumped to my side. The fingers of the hand materialized and yanked the doctor behind by her hair just as I dropped to my side, letting go of my hold of her.

I tossed the knife into the air and rolled back on my feet before jumping up and grabbing the knife. With the knife back in my hand, I took a defensive position and stared at the person in front of me.

A sharp-beaked mask with thick lenses where the eyes stood. The person held the doctor with one hand and a stick in the other as his long black robes touched the ground. Sharp feathers stuck out from the shoulders of his getup while his fingers were gloved with sharp leather gloves.

"Kuh, Kuh... bold kid. I like him." The voice was screechy and high-pitched, it was altered to not reveal who was inside. "You've lost your hostage now, should've been more careful."

"Yeah?" I muttered.

If these people wanted me dead, they would have done it long back. Heck, they could've done it right now as well. Were they related to Agriche? Is that why they didn't want to kill me? No, that muscular guy was ready to fight me, kill twice? Something was holding them back, a reason they didn't want me dead.

An advantage I absolutely must use.

The knife spun in my hand as I reversed my grip on the hilt and brought it to my own neck. "Did I?" I asked, eyeing the crow fucker.

"That's not going to work, brat," Isabella interrupted. "Just give up."

I glanced at the doctor woman once, yes, it wasn't a big deal.

Without hesitating, I shoved the tip of the blade into my neck. It tore through my skin and then poked into my tendons as blood rapidly gushed out from my neck.

{HOST?! WHAT THE FUCK!}

I ignored the damning pain and continued staring at them all, the raucous blood now spilling through my mouth. Their indifferent gazes turned into shock, but I gave them no time to react as I tried to drive the knife further in.

"OK! STOP STOP!" Damian screamed with widened eyes. "I'll talk, ok? Just fucking stop!"

I stopped my hand in place as the knife was completely covered with blood. With my eyes growing hazy, I took a few steps back and nodded.

"Kuh Kuh! I really like this kid!"

Damian ignored the crow guy's nonchalant words and waved his hands again, gesturing at me to calm down. "Alright, what do you want to know? I'll spill, ok?"

"Are you being serious—" She doesn't learn, does she?

"—Fuck! I said I will!" Damian snapped at Isabella and turned back to me.

"Alright..." I said, my voice creaking weakly. "Who are you guys, where am I? What do you want from me... forget that, would you mind explaining what the actual fuck is going on?"

Damian nodded and took in a deep breath. "Ralph," he said.

"You have a system, right?"