Chapter 115: Anger Of All

"Waaaah!" I screamed out of fright from the man behind the bathroom door. "Oh, Lars..."

Lars was looking down at the floor looking like a person who was on the verge of death, adding the bags under his eyes. He went past me to enter the bathroom without batting an eye. Behind him, Erik was standing there and places a hand over my shoulder.

"I don't know what you did, but you should apologize."

"Eh...? How did you know?"

"I just know."

"Okay...?" 'Probably haven't gotten any sleep from last night. I feel sorry for him. Moreover, does Erik know?'

I stood right next to the door, waiting for Lars. However, when he got out, he had his eyebrows furrowed. From his face, I can easily discern that he's not in a good mood for small talks, especially to me. He looks exhausted. Erik gives me a pat on the back before we went out of our room, for our daily training routine. We wore our usual outfits and head out.

I'm stealing glances at Lars, thinking of ways to apologize since I really did bother him last night despite not being at fault; nevertheless, I still feel responsible for it. While at it, I also glance at Erik because I remember his face last night sleeping soundly. Is Lars the only person who got woken up?

In the halls, I heard some ruckus about last night.

"Hey, last night, I saw an orange light outside."

"Yeah."

"Me too."

"Really? I'm too asleep to notice it."

I smile bitterly while listening to them. The light was probably Rosalyn's flames.

That morning, we did our usual routine and met up with Instructor Sienna. It's just a normal day like every other day; however, I'm not particularly fond of someone's eyes looking my back the entire duration of my running. I lower my pace to get next to Instructor Sienna the person responsible for my discomfort.

"Um, why are you looking at me? Can I help you?"

"Hm... I heard some rumors about a peculiar phenomenon last night."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"Why the long face then? I'm just stating the words that are circulating around. Did you manage to tame it?"

"Don't tell me you have someone watching me the entire time?"

"What? No. You know that we're keen on protecting the student, so it's normal to have someone around patrolling." Instructor Sienna said while holding back her laughter.

"Oh, that's good to know because that proves they're properly not doing their job. Leaving a defenseless student of yours like me to the hands that took adva—" I replied.

"Adva?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, for your information, I'm completely innocent."

"I'm just saying~ Luckily enough, those guards are not harmed in any way. Plus, Ms. Rosalyn didn't appear in the roll call. It's not that hard to piece them together."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, do you also want to bear half of her punishment?"

"No thanks. I'm good."

"It's hard to be handsome because charismatic people like you are having a tough time."

"The headmaster said that, right?"

"Who says that openly other than him?" She giggles. " I also want to point out. You're quite popular with other students, especially among senior student years. Well, in a bad way."

"Is that so? And what way?"

"Well, firstly, it's something about manipulation magic."

"What are you saying?"

"They're thinking that your so-called dark magic is manipulating the poor, innocent freshman goddesses of S-Class. The princess of elves, a black-haired samurai beauty, and now, Rosalyn. Plus, adding the second-year girl from back then. Aren't you surrounded by beauties?" Instructor Sienna said.

"Pfft, hahahaha..." Tears are coming out of my eyes from laughter.

"You're a weird young man... You don't usually laugh at those, rather get offended. Anyway, you better dodge."

"Pardon?" A bright light at the distance got closer and closer. "Are those flames?" I said while squinting my eyes over the distance.

I squint my eyes. Albert's flaming body was approaching me at a dangerous rate. Moreover, his eyes were burning. I dodge him by moving my body to the side. Once he passed me, he mumbled something which caught my attention. "Albert?"

Albert crashes to several trees before turning his body around to attempt a second attack but instead got greeted by Instructor Sienna in front of him.

"Chill down." Instructor Sienna slams Albert's face on the ground. "Tch, so hot."

"What just happened?"

"You tell me."

"I have no clue. Umm... I guess, thanks for saving me?"

"Just doing my job." Instructor Sienna smiles at me.

I look down at Albert kissing the ground. There are two possibilities on why he's here... No. There's only one. It's about Rosalyn. However, talking to him seems impossible considering he's not in a state where he could reason with.

"I thought you're protecting students, not harming them. He looks in a lot of pain."

"Try doing that on an unstable person."

"Okay... You got a point. But damn, miss, you're quite strong to manage to hold him like nothing."

"I won't be here if I'm not strong." Instructor Sienna smugs.

"I know, I know."

I got closer to them and crouches in front of Albert. He's been cursing me non-stop, but I didn't pay heed to it. 

"You better don't get near here." Instructor Sienna warned, so I complied because my senses also told me to not do it. At any given moment, his mana can explode, causing a predicament in the surrounding. Especially, my other classmates are also with us. They're looking at Albert horrified. Instructor Sienna did something which made Albert's dilated eyes shake and the light within his eyes appeared before losing his consciousness. The flaming body of Albert extinguished.

"Good. Stay down. Haaa... I'm glad I always carry this around." Instructor Sienna shakes a bottle in her hand. She then looks at me. "What a protective brother. Protecting his sister from a man like you."

"Oi!"

"Well then, everybody shall continue running! I will bring this boy and check on you guys later!"

Instructor Sienna puts Albert on her shoulder like an object, taking him away somewhere else—to the infirmary, obviously. I stood at the same place until the silhouette of Instructor Sienna disappears. At that moment, I'm not contemplating the actions that I did nor regretting them because I understood that Albert chose this path himself, despite knowing the consequences of it... I stood there staring from afar with sympathy in my eyes.

"Hope..." I muttered.

Hope. No matter how helpless we are, a simple hope would reignite the flames of our will to live in our hearts and will give us the courage to fight for our life once again. No matter how dim the light is, as long there's light, there's hope until our mind tells us to give up. Some could even prevail for hours, seconds, or even years, but the fact still remains, we will try something just to live because we are scared of death. We can't imagine life after death... Or because of the fact, we can't escape death.

Remembering the phoenix's words, deep inside I want to truly believe he's a redeemable person. "I wish it's all true. If so, I want to say that I admire it." I said as I watch the distance where Instructor Sienna and Albert disappeared to.

"Hey, what are you saying? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just talking to myself. Let's go, Erik."

"You sure? After you almost got attacked?"

"I'm tough." I laughed.

In response, Erik grins at me. "Haven't heard that in a long time. Good to know. If you need something, I'm here to help. And also Lars... Where is he?" Erik glances around.

As we're about to continue, the class' atmosphere was completely destroyed because of the abrupt appearance of Albert.

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After the incident with Albert, the class went normally until lunch came because there are four women waiting for me outside of my classroom. One out of four of those women had a dazzling smile that would take the hearts of hundred men, and then, there's the rest, looking at me angrily. Out of instinct, I almost teleport myself out just to run away from the dangerous sensation that they exude.

"Oh hey..."

"Claude~!"

Rosalyn jumps to embrace me with her arms and legs around my body. For some reason, I imagined Tsuki on Rosalyn because they act the same. Before anything, I need to think of ways to appease Adelle, Clara, and Lily that are releasing some murdering intent toward Rosalyn. Rosalyn, on the other hand, she's not even paying them attention. Like in her eyes, I'm the sole person existing in this world.

"You have some reasonable explanation about this right?" Lily said coldly.

Adelle is also on the same boat as Lily. Clara's face is still the same though, so it's hard to guess. Her poker face still throws me off.