- We are now showing live footage of yesterday’s tragedy that has happened all around the world by what seems to be a group of terrorists with supernatural powers, raising fire with a thought or destroying buildings with just their bare hands. The UN has yet to give a proper explanation about yesterday's tragedy that has only been halted by what seems to be another group of superhumans. The video right now is showcasing a special fight as unlike the other occasions, the two parties differ from the rest, especially the attack who seems to be Walter Peltro, CEO of Peltro cooperation’s Gustav Peltro's son. We have as guest fighting expert and swordmaster Mr Rachetto to help us analyse some of the scenes we are seeing here. Mr Rachetto, could you please tell us exactly what might happen here besides the obvious supernatural powers?

- You see, if you take a closer look here, in terms of strategy, the masked person had actually an advantage. The attacker could have been provoked or could have gone out of control with not much reason as you can see here…

It’s really amazing how even the teachers let the beamer show the news. I mean come on!

You are a news channel that’s supposed to stay serious yet invite a fighting expert to talk about my fight? How the hell should he know about what really the factor was in this battle?

Kind of pisses me off, to be honest, but I had to let it slide.

“Man… why do I feel so shitty today?”

“Tell me about it! I feel like my head is going to explode!”

And besides the news being shown on screen, the repeating sounds of dumbasses having their headaches kill them was also something new today.

All of them that had that headache had something in common as well.

They were the fuckers that ‘hunted’ me yesterday, not letting me even have some good rest before getting home.

I’m just glad they all forgot about it before I even knew it. Maybe they were really possessed? I’m not sure as I didn’t feel any Will or Mana so either I was mistaken or someone way stronger than me was doing this.

But I didn’t really care now. It was over. What else do I have to think about it?

I was just now focused on the news that showed my fight from yesterday. I even watched it multiple times. But every time I looked at it, I would always have my mouth wide open.

Leaning to the others, I started to whisper at them, finally asking what had me dying of curiosity.

“Just going to ask but… you have any idea how they even got such good videos of the fight? I mean look at this! It looks more like a movie than live footage.”

They were extremely well made! Like the quality was more of a movie camera instead of a phone and these angles should be impossible unless a ghost took them.

"Maybe they are just that talented?"

"Fe’liu…Is it even possible to be so talented to make the impossible?"

Why have you three gone silent? Did I say something wrong?

All three of them were looking at me with an expression that literally said ‘Seriously?’. Why are you three looking like you are ready to punch me?

OOOHHH!

I forgot!

"Ah … Sorry! Guess it was possible to be so talented…"

"Shut up!"

“Shut up!”

"It's all okay my dear!"

All three at the same time. Again. Only that this one girl next to me was in a much better mood than the other two, making me question what exactly happened yesterday.

I don’t remember what happened after I was going to bed. What did I do?

I didn’t, did I?

No, of course, I’d not.

But what if I did?

I mean she is a beautiful girl.

Almost surpassing Gina as well when it comes to beauty.

So if I was drunk and followed the moment, I…

Nah. I’d most likely have slept before even considering such an option.

And even then, I’d have already realised something like that has happened the moment I woke up.

I was safe.

Phew.

"Someone seems to be in a good mood. Even not being in the same mind as Laetisa."

"Hihi! I don't know what you are talking about."

Then at least do a better job at acting! Look! You even started to scare the two of us already! But I should probably stop slowly moving back from her with Fe’liu as we felt two gazes on us that, if staring could hurt, would have killed us already.

“But it’s great that your father let you two come back today. Must be great to have the second strongest human as your personal bodyguard here.”

“No place is safer than this school now that the principal declared he will protect his students yesterday. And not like we weren’t used to having strong people as bodygua-Urg! Hey!”

“Shut up, you idiot.”

“No… it’s fine… not like we could have changed anything. And besides, he most likely is reading while thinking about a new torture method.”

“I agree! We aren’t mad or sad anymore. Only scared of what he will do when he returns.”

Remembering my first time with him made me already shiver! If he really returns, I might as well kiss my ass goodbye unless I'm strong enough to not get my ass beaten black and blue.

“But yesterday was amazing! The way you smiled made me so jealous! I wanna fight as we-FLICK-Ouch! Hey!”

“Keep your voice down and stop calling me that. try to stay out of sight for the time being they said. Don’t attract any attention for the time being they said. Live your last few weeks of school to the fullest they said. But here I am, fighting for my life on day one and now there is a big fat target on my disguised back because of that. I just wanted to enjoy school at least once since my memory of school hasn’t been that great…”

"Don't be so down, Laith! At least you got us two and a crazy yandere with you."

Hearing this at least made me not as pessimistic. I got more friends than before and I wasn’t bullied for the time being. I guess I could enjoy my school life for now.

But the words Fe’liu said had not the same effect on the other two as on me as one was looking at her brother with curiosity while the other was glaring daggers at him. Hang in there, brother! If you do this right, you can survive this!

"Brother, what's a yandere exactly?"

"Something you should stay away from unless you want to live with no senses. At least that's what I got from my research."

"Should be about corr-AAH!"

Why the hell do I get pinched for that! He was the one saying that you were a yandere!

"HMPH! I'm not a yandere, stupid…"

"Tsundere?"

“Tsundere?”

"What's that?"

Oh, Laetisa! You have so much yet to learn! Maybe I should give her my tablet full of research material.

Don’t look at me like that! It was a great collection of quality mangas.

"It's someone that even if you get treated harshly by that person, you know they have a mellow side as well that you can go to and cuddle all you want."

"Fe'liu, that's some good research you do. Let me lend it as well! I have only seen violent tsundere characters…"

"Since you don't get the resources as we do for our immigration, you most likely didn’t know about it. We need such resources to interact with the other races and Humans have the greatest variety of cultures since your population is so massive."

"Then someone didn't inform me about this certain research to immigrate like what you call manga? Even if I am their sister."

Uuuuhh… Fe’liu. It does not look good for you. He easily shrank under the gaze of the two girls now that one felt insulted and the other was full of anger.

I couldn’t help but silently laugh at him for that. I got a kind of payback for how fast he gave up protecting me and only prayed for me.

"Oh, Laith! I have to tell you something first…"

"Hm? What is it, Lae?"

“Although we got here today thanks to the principal and the Association director, Father still wants us to stay at home, for the time being, worried that something might happen to us while we are outside. Today was only an exception to say goodbye for now.”

“Oh… but I thought it is going to be the safest place on earth for the two of you. I don’t believe the Association would let anything happen to the two of you.”

“That may be correct but we are still only in the hands of the Association that already has their hands full with what happened yesterday. And our father is just too overprotective to let us go to school in a time where awakened ones fight each other.”

"It's fine Lae! I can just stay with Laith and we will visit you guys on the weekend when we got time and see you for a bit."

Why are you staying at my place again? Am I a hotel for you to stay at for free?

"Why don't you stay at your own house?"

"I live alone for longer than you so I'm giving you company as I should. We lived more than half a year together and you want to object now?"

"I objected from the beginning! You were the one who never listened."

"But you were so demanding yesterday! I couldn't forget how strongly you grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer!"

“I can’t remember something like that!”

Oh shit!

Did I?

No! I am sure I didn’t.

I already thought about that! I’m clear! So stop lying!

Alyssa was shaking her head while her face was beet red out of a feeling called ‘embarrassment’.

Hardly knows about it.

But can perfectly act like it.

And her acting this time was successful as she got those two to react in the same way.

"Pfft!"

"WHAT!"

First of all, you two calm down! It’s Alyssa we are talking about! I don’t have to explain to you two that her words are as serious as me saying that I hate weapons.

Impossible, right?

“Dude… humans do that so early? Aren’t you still too young to make… you know…”

“Oh my god, Fe'liu! You are so pure! But I get where you are coming from. Humans have a life expectancy of 72 years and the oldest person lived was 122 years. So unless you awaken, you have not as much time as the other races. Humans don’t have mana to use as life energy, remember.”

“Oh true… forgot that you two don’t use Mana but Will. It’s so weird tha-”

“Hold on! This isn’t what’s important! I did not do anything like that with her! You have to believe me!”

“We do.”

“We do.”

“So please don’t listen to that harl- wait you do?”

“Yeah? It’s Alyssa we are talking about. Not like she wouldn’t take the slightest touch of you as a passionate hu-AAH!”

“Stop pinching his cheek, Aly! Even though I love you, I have to say that my stupid brother is right here.”

“Hey! That’s what you are saying to your brother?”

“I’m your older sister. I have a right to insult you.”

“Older by 5 minutes!”

“Still older.”

“Pfft! Enough, you two.”

“Hahaha!”

I couldn't hold back my laughter anymore. Fe'liu was just acting exactly as a little brother would. Not that I know but I can understand at least that he is more childish in some ways than Laetisa.

Felix was right at the end. As long as I have those two and a crazy yandere next to me, my school life should be enjoyable, to say the least.

But before we knew it, normal lessons started again as the expert said all that he wanted to say, not answering the viewers the question they all had in mind.

What happens now? What is the decision of the UN and every country?

What are we going to do from now on?

No [Mortalis] realm human had any good idea. In fact, no one had.

No one knew truly how the Break is really going to happen and what the normal humans experience now will only become worse than it is now.

I feel kind of sorry for them but there is nothing to be done with.

Because the possibility of someone being able to awaken is still one in the ten thousand and that is if they are at the peak of the [Mortalis] realm.

And those that didn't make it would die right at that moment.

And humans were greedy.

Very greedy.

So telling them the truth from the beginning would give the opposite effect, making everyone try out their chance before dying in the process.

I know from Gramps that the Association tried to make a device capable of determining the success of a person's awakening, making it possible to have everyone know if they could awaken during the end of the 19th century.

But it was an utter disaster in the end. About 1000 volunteers and more than 700 of them died during the trials after the machine calculated a successful awakening.

Since then, it has been dubbed as something unusual with the theory of the world rejecting the rising amount of awakened ones.

So there was nothing they could do.

What do I personally think?

They are going to prepare shelters for the normal humans to survive during anything that could happen during the Break before it stabilises. But how much of this is possible? Depends on how the Break really is going to work.

But I put those thoughts aside, Sketching some new weapon designs with no written notes, making sure that I look natural.

I was now on a level where I could sketch a weapon design almost realistically but I tried not to overdo it.

And like that, schooltime passed by with nothing surprising happening all the way to lunch break.

So far so good, I'd say. I could enjoy some spare ti-

Why the fuck is he coming here?

I want to be alone with my friends so don't you dare come toward me.

"Hey there, Leech! Seems that someone lost their best pal. What happened? I really want to know what made him abandon you."

"I don't really feel like talking to you…

…James"

"Oh, what's wrong, buddy? Are you too scared to tell me that you were abandoned again?"

Again…?

James was looking at me with a grin on his face, saying every word with a mocking tone as he just wanted to provoke me.

"Oh? Now speechless, are we? But I'd be if I was you. Your last true friend abandons you at least! And now you are desperate. Trying to find new friends who don't know who you really are."

BAMM

Slamming the desk as hard as I can without breaking it, I stood up and went towards James with anger filled in my veins.

"What is your problem, James!"

Face to face.

With almost no gap between our noses.

And the two of us just stared at each other's eyes, not even flinching for a moment.

"Heh. You can't help but show your true self when getting angry, don't you? Always so violent!"

"Shut up, you dumb fucker!"

"Just leave us already!"

"Sit down, Alyssa!"

I'm not letting you intervene in this! I'll handle my own problems myself, not letting anyone become responsible for my own matters.

"Oh, I feel so~ sorry for you, guys. Tell me. How does it feel to talk with his fake self all the time, not knowing who he truly is?"

"Piss off before I make you, James."

"OH, PLEASE NO! Please don't beat me up like an animal!! I still have a future!"

He shrank back at my words, shaking his hands with his face plastered with fear.

He was acting but he was acting very well, making my blood boil even faster.

"But you wouldn't now. Because everyone else forgot about the reason we hate you, right? You changed so~ much in so little time, that I honestly didn't recognise you at first. And that's good. With a new look, you could just be your fake self and everyone would slowly accept you. But that's what I can never let happen."

I know where he is going and it makes me angrier more and more.

"You think you are so great because now you have someone protecting you, don't you James? Now that you know the pr- the man from yesterday will protect every student. So you got cocky and tried to make my life worse again. But guess what? I'm also a student!"

"Oh, I thought animals like you wouldn't be consi-"

PACK

A hook right on the left side of his face.

I wasn't proud of this punch.

It felt ugly.

Out of form.

Something I could usually counter in almost every situation.

But I hit him with that, not minding my form the slightest.

PACK

And followed by another punch to the stomach.

Just as ugly.

Just as out of form as the first punch.

Yet I didn't care.

PACK

Another hit to the stomach.

It was too wide.

I could have died if he was trained like I was.

But he wasn't.

PACK

And finally, a satisfying uppercut to the chin, knocking him back by at least two metres.

BAMM

My last hit must have been stronger than I wished as he was flying back for a bit before hitting a table as he landed. The corner of his mouth had already blood dripping from them and his cheek and chin were beet red from my punches.

I held back.

I held back so I wouldn't kill him.

But something in me said that it wasn't enough.

That I had to use more of my strength and beat the shit out of him.

That I had to not hold back, giving him what he deserves.

That I had to let loose.

"Puh!"

James spat blood on the ground, making everyone in the classroom more scared of the situation than before. I could see Alyssa clenching the desk as hard as she could while the twins were ready to jump at me at any time.

"See! COUGH… you didn't change! Doesn't everyone remember why he was the freak of our school? The younger students wouldn't but we were there! We saw everything! We know exactly why he was a freak!"

Hearing James's words, everyone must have felt uneasy and my violent reaction most likely didn't help as well. They all backed away from me as if I was a monster.

James never stopped to spat out word after word with each one becoming bloodier and bloodier. My face was dyed red in anger and my blood pressure would almost make my veins explode.

Why am I holding back? I have already hit him! I can do more!

Yes.

Why do I hold back against someone that deserves to die?

This was what the principal was talking about, right?

Kill those that need to die, show mercy to those that deserve to live.

I just…

Have to…

Kill…

You.

My eyes turned dangerous as I could hear the cracking of my fingers make me more excited to do to him what he has done to me in one sweet moment.

"Look at you! You haven't changed! You were always a 'Beast', ready to harm anyone that hated you!"

But my heart paused the moment I heard those words. I don't know what happened all of a sudden, but the wish to kill this bastard vanished from my body at this very moment.

I…

I don't know what came over me.

The anger on my face crumbled, replaced by an expression that can only be described as the face of someone scared of himself.

And I was.

It was the face of denial. A face one only would do if they deny everything that is happening in front of them.

What was wrong with me? I didn't know. I can hardly remember what he was talking about but whatever he just said made me want to…

…Kill.

Something that shouldn't be easy to do.

Something that shouldn't be considered so easily.

Something that should have consequences.

Yet I knew in my mind that what I thought about this was not true. It was easy for me to kill him. In a world where killing someone without using powers is already easy to consider, having to hold no responsibility for it is just as easy.

"Laith? What is wrong, my de-"

So I ran to my seat, packed my stuff and…

"I'm leaving."

"Laith! Where are you going?"

"I said I'm fucking leaving! It doesn't concern you where a beast is going, does it?"

"You are only running away, Laithy boooy! Just like alwa-"

PACK

"Shut your fucking mouth, you piece of shit! Wait for me, Laith!"

I heard another hit as Alyssa screamed at him so much that even I, who was almost out of the building already, could hear it.

But I do not want her to be by my side right now. Not like this.

Not when I failed to realise just how truly hard it is to be mentally strong. What was I thinking? Someone can't be social just like that overnight.

Someone can't change overnight.

Or just the night after.

And the one after that.

So I picked up the pace, moving my legs faster and faster until I was at the limits of [Mortalis].

I didn't go home just yet. There were workers sent by the principal to make the forge in the guestroom. And I just wanted to be alone.

So I just took a route, to see where I could go. To see where my own feet will bring me.

Until I arrived at a place that I thought I'd not see so soon.

The trees still had their little scars.

The grass still had slight marks on the ground.

The water next to the beautiful field was still as clean as ever.

THUD

"I'm sorry, Gramps… I just… I just couldn't do what you wanted from me… I…"

I found it hard to find the right words as I lay on the ground with my face pointing upwards and my right arm over my eyes.

It was hard.

Holding back was very hard.

But I refused to let go.

So I did what I did almost every day by now.

I complained to the one person that could take it all with a big fat grin.

"Why do you want me to go to school! Why do you want me to be so social! Why do you want me to understand others more even if they are against me! Why do you want me to see my school life to the end! Why did you train me in the first place if I was just whining like a little kid! Why did you say I was extremely talented when I couldn't even understand where to begin with this talent! Why did you let me experience so much hell to become stronger, only to break down now!

Why did you leave me alone when I wasn't ready to fully start on my own…"

I just ranted with whatever I felt like, not realising that all of my complaints were insecurities I had built up over the years.

I felt disgusted.

I tried to have someone else take responsibility for my problems.

But I felt helpless.

Because I was scared of myself. Scared that the moment that side of me shows up again, I'd lose myself completely.

I do not want to kill.

I do not want to consider that.

I do not want to know what the consequences of those actions are.

So I'll just stay alone, away from people that would make me think about such an option.

THUD

"It's okay to be scared. Even of yourself."

No. It shouldn't be okay to be scared of yourself. You wouldn't be able to live for long if you fear yourself so much.

"It's okay to protect what you have now, even if it was built on lies."

Why do you want to protect something that has been built on lies? It's unhealthy. It's unethical. It makes one realise just how much something or someone needs to be lied to just to be able to get what they want.

Because they would not accept the real you.

"It's okay to tell those you truly cherish your truth. Because we already know who you are and accept you without needing to know more. You won't make us run away. You won't make us scared of you. So it's okay, to tell the truth even if you believe it hurts the other person."

"I… I can't even remember that much of that time. I-I-I don't know if I can tell you the truth…But I wanted to kill James at that moment. I thought he deserved it. I thought that it would be easy. And I thought that I should just let loose. And I almost gave in. But the moment I heard him say the word ‘Beast’, I just felt like the worst thing ever. I don’t want that to happen… not uncontrolled at least.”

“And it won’t. Even if it does, we are here to support you. We are here to be by your side because we want to be by your side.”

Silence.

It wasn’t awkward.

It wasn’t unpleasant either.

It’s just a silence like any other with only the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the trees as the wind blew past them could be heard.

“Thanks… I calmed down.”

“Good.”

And we just laid there. On that naked field with nothing besides the grass visible.

And we stayed like that for an hour.

An hour in which I had the chance to calm down. My beating heart slowed down. My veins weren’t protruding anymore. My head didn’t hurt.

And my mind was calm.

Thanks…

I needed this.

“Ha… Ha… Here you are, Laith! Are you okay?”

“Is everything alright, dude?”

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

THUD

THUD

“That’s great…I’m glad…”

“Good to hear… so…”

“So?”

“So?”

“So?”

“How about we spar a bit. You know, to let some stress out.”

“Brother! How come you can be so stu-”

“I’m in! Let’s spar, Fe’liu!”

“Aly! Don’t encourage him!”

“It’s fine Lae. Don’t need to be considerate of me. In fact…”

Jumping up high from where I laid to land on the ground as silently as I could, I stood straight, looking at my friends that came just to see me and make sure that I’m feeling better.

“I want to join in on the fun!”

“Great! Then come at me, bro! And give me everything you got!”

“Sorry, Fe’liu. But if I did that, this fight would finish very quickly.”

“Urgh…”

Sorry man but that is true. If I let loose now, I’d end the fight as fast as possible. And everyone should know why. If we are fighting with weapons only, I will always have the upper hand.

“I’ll join in too! If it’s two against one, you clearly won’t think the fight is going to finish so fa-”

“If I’m going to give it my all, that means more than one weapon. Which also means I’ll not study a weapon but use those that I can already use well.”

“Lae!”

“Lae!”

“Alright! I get it!”

“Alright! That’s more like it!”

Now, this is what I’m talking about! Let me release all that stress!

My Will rose the more I felt ready for the fight, releasing my pressure as I stood ready with multiple weapons out on the field, piercing the ground like it was the graveyard of a battlefield.

“I’m not holding back! So give me everything you got!”

And just like that, I had my fight with my friends, letting out all that stress that has built up from what happened during lunch.

And I fought with them.

With the biggest smile I ever had, smiling like a true madman.

There was nothing to worry about.

I won’t have to worry about anything.

And just do one thing.

To let my heart run wild!