Trip

The comforting warmth of the morning sun bathed the room, coaxing me out of sleep. I yawned and stretched, relishing the sensation of my muscles awakening. Mmm, that stretch felt good. Even with my eyes still half-closed, I could sense Biana's presence in the vicinity. Given yesterday's misadventure, I couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be on the warpath. I better watch out; she's definitely mad.

As I was pondering over how to mend fences with Biana, I felt a familiar vibration from my pocket. Fishing out my TSI, I activated it, and a holographic screen sprang to life. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw a message notification. Zeke? Why the hell is that psycho texting me?

With a resigned sigh, I opened the message. The text read, [when you get a chance, go visit that old man, he wants to talk to you]. My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Does Darius need something? Ah, whatever. I'll deal with it when I get there. We'll be heading back today anyway. Trying to shake off my irritation, my thoughts took a lighter turn. Hehe, time for breakfast~. I'll put that cook in her place again.

After freshening up, I approached the door, mentally preparing myself for any possible confrontation with Biana. But nothing could've prepared me for what awaited on the other side. As I opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of Biana, standing outside still in her pajamas, holding a pillow with a mischievous smile plastered on her face.

Ah, fuck.

Attempting to defuse the situation, I began, "Hey, Biana, about yesterday–"

But before I could finish, she interrupted me with a small, unnerving chuckle and, without any warning, attacked me full-force with the pillow. I'd have laughed it off, assuming it'd be a light, playful hit. Boy, was I wrong. The impact felt as though I'd been smacked by a freight train. Or, in more relatable terms, like being hit square in the face with a brick.

Fuck, it hurts. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This bitch put some runes on her pillow!

And just as that thought crossed my mind, there she was, hovering above me, still sporting that same sinister grin. She proceeded to relentlessly pummel me with the cursed pillow, each hit stronger and more painful than the last. "You fucking bastard! How do you like it, huh? Aren't I such a good friend?!"

The intensity and sheer ferocity of her attacks left me dumbfounded. I'd completely forgotten to shield myself with aura. Each blow felt like a mini explosion, and my internal screams and rants consisted of a mixture of expletives and pleas for mercy.

As the barrage of pillow hits continued, all I could think was, This isn't how pillow fights are supposed to go! But then, given our past actions and Biana's personality, perhaps I should have anticipated something like this.

Biana's laughter rang through the room, echoing maniacally. "Hahahaha! You deserve this, you fucker! Be grateful I'm only doing this much!" She continued her assault, driving the pillow onto me with relentless force.

Finally, seemingly running out of energy, she paused. As I groaned and got up, rubbing the spots she'd hit, I grumbled internally, Thankfully, Umbra lowered the damage taken, but this bitch! Is she trying to cripple me!?

Her giggles rang out again. "That felt good." Then, her mood shifted dramatically, as if a switch had been flipped. Dropping the pillow, she collapsed to the ground, her shoulders shaking. Tears trickled down her face. "I... I can't sleep. Fuck you V," she stuttered, her voice a mix of anger and distress.

"Hey, get over it. Your mother made you drink that potion for a reason," I tried to console her, Tsk, she deserves this punishment though.

And as expected of Biana, with no warning whatsoever, she suddenly punched me right in the balls. The pain was instant, overwhelming, and made me seriously question my choice of friends. I crumpled to the ground, groaning in agony and rolling around like a fish out of water.

Biana, seemingly satisfied with her retaliation, strutted out of the room. I let out a sigh of relief, "Finally, that crazy fucker left."

The rest of the morning went by in a blur. Breakfast with Isadora was a quiet affair. Aira, surprisingly, joined us, adding a semblance of normalcy to what had been a chaotic start to the day. After our meal, it was time to meet with Professor Thaddeus. He seemed to be waiting for us, and by the looks of it, everyone was present.

"Alright, settle down," Professor Thaddeus started, his voice carrying authority. "You all did great during the examination. Class A had originally won the competition. However, due to unforeseen circumstances and because of the performance of both classes, we decided to leave it as a tie."

As he went on about the formalities of choosing our professors, my attention waned. My thoughts wandered to Darius. What could he want? The moment Professor Thaddeus mentioned a break, I snapped back to the present.

"And in the next second..." He began but before he could finish, there was a sensation of being pulled through space. When I opened my eyes, we were right by the gate.

I let out a sigh, "Ugh, finally, this test is over. Now, time to deal with more pressing matters."

Returning to the academy felt like a breath of fresh air, minus the sea smell. As I walked back to my dorm, I felt a familiar glare burning holes into the side of my head. A quick glance confirmed it was Biana, still mad about the events of the past day. Fuck, is she up to something? Tsk, I'm not gonna wait and find out, as soon as I get changed I'm out of here.

I whistle a casual tune as I stride into my room, quickly locking the door behind me. It'd be a real pain in the ass if Biana somehow breaches this defense.

Shedding that dreadful uniform, I slip into my go-to ensemble. "Nothing beats black," I say to myself, adjusting my black pants, shirt, and the contrasting black and white hoodie. Damn, I look sharp... I hope.

My chair creaks slightly under my weight as I sit down, pulling out my beloved "baby." It gleams under the light, but it could gleam more. "Eira will chew me out if I don't give you a proper cleaning," I tell it.

Having gotten it to sparkle, I remove the temporary magic stone. "Tsk, no need for you anymore," I muse, tossing it aside. Keeping Ilka contained was a good idea, her nagging is the last thing I want to deal with now.

Digging into my bag, I pull out another magic stone, taking my time to carve it so it nestles perfectly into my gun. Once settled, I reload my now-empty magazine with bullets. Satisfied with my work, I stand, stretching out the stiffness in my back. Professor Ayla isn't back yet. We're supposed to let her know before leaving but I don't think she'll care if I leave.

Just as I'm about to exit the academy, an eerie feeling of being watched creeps over me. Now what you they plotting?

Whirling around, I spot Biana, inexplicably dragging Isadora along. "Did you seriously think you'd slip by me unnoticed?" I ask, eyebrows raised in amusement.

Clearly not expecting to be caught, Biana stumbles backward, her eyes widening. I honestly didn't even catch Isadora's sneaky maneuvers. Stealthy as a cat, tsk, I have a long way to go.

With a huff, Biana points accusingly at Isadora. "Tsk, it's your fault we're busted!" Ugh, is she brain-dead? What a shameless bastard.

I chuckle. "How in the world did you rope her into this?"

Biana smirks triumphantly. "Easy. I nabbed her sword and threatened to snap it unless she played along."

I blink, taken aback. Is she completely nuts? What the fuck is wrong with her? She must have gotten her training sword if she were to take Isadora's real sword... I don't know what would happen.

"Stealing swords? Really, Biana? What's Isadora helping you with anyway?"

With a grin that's too wide to be sane, Biana exclaims, "She's gonna assist in breaking your arms!"

I turn to Isadora, searching her face for a hint of jest. Her nonchalant response? "Very, very delicious food." This girl, is she hungry already?

I sigh. I remember now. That culinary debt. I should whip up something for her soon. "Promise, I'll cook you something amazing soon, okay?" No wonder she willingly followed Biana, what should I make her?

Isadora simply nods and hauls Biana away by the collar. "Hey! What are you doing!? Let go!" Biana screams, her voice going a pitch higher with each word. "You betraying bastard! Just you wait, V! Once you're back, I'll get you!"

I can't help but shake my head. Just what am I going to do with her? Should I throw her in a lion pit?

Walking away from the academy grounds, I find myself zigzagging all over town, almost aimlessly. As I stroll through an empty street, I quickly switch my shirt and hoodie into a different pattern. Sigh. Liam and Aira have this annoying habit of assigning stalkers to potential threats. "Better throw them off the trail," I murmur to myself.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my precious Umbra, watching it morph into a mask that snugly fits my face. The anonymity feels good, even if just for a short while. Merging into the crowd, I'm just another face among the hundreds that move about, going about their daily lives.

Soon, I find myself approaching the train station. Hopping on, I endure the hour-long journey that seems to drag on forever. 'Fuck,' I think, 'this city is so damn huge.'

Exiting the train, I stretch, my back popping in satisfaction. "No need for this anymore," I muse, removing my Umbra mask and placing it back into my pocket.

I look around the station, taking in the serenity. "This place is always quiet. Makes for a nice change." After a moment of appreciation, I head towards a statue and, without breaking my stride, walk straight through it. Emerging on the other side, I'm greeted by the familiar opulence that is unmistakably Darius's territory. "This place is as extravagant as ever," I chuckle. "Darius really knows how to show off."

A familiar man approaches me. It's that guy who directly serves Darius, sort of like a butler. I could never remember his name. It always felt like it was just on the tip of my tongue.

"You finally arrived, Kael," he says, adjusting his glasses. "Darius has been expecting you for quite a while."

I rub the back of my neck, a bit sheepish. "Sorry about that. We had this exam on an island," I explain.

The man's eyes widen a fraction, a rarity for someone who usually has such a poker face. "That exam, huh... Well, it's alright. Darius is currently... dealing with a difficult person. Feel free to join him," he says, pointing towards the grand office doors.

'A difficult person? Just what kind of monster is in there?' I wonder. 'Seriously, who could possibly give Darius a run for his money?'

Trying to act nonchalant, I respond, "Sure, Just who can give Darius a hard time? Most of the overpowered people aren't going to appear any time soon. Is it perhaps Lilith? Or maybe his dragon buddy?"

As I step into the grand room, the sight is, to say the least, unexpected. Darius, usually the picture of poise, is practically spitting fire. "You darn brat! I told you to stop starting fights!" he practically bellows.

The young woman - the brat, apparently - stands with one foot defiantly on what used to be a sleek, beautifully designed coffee table, now split in two beneath her. "Huh? You old fucker, let me out of this darn place then!" she shoots back.

My heart aches a little as I see the broken table. 'God damn it, I was going to buy that off of him. It was a freaking collectible!'

They both turn to me, breaking their mutual glaring contest. I feel like I've walked into a bickering parent-child show, with Darius playing the exasperated parent to this fiery, rebellious teenager.

"Hahaha! Finally, I've been waiting for you," Darius grins.

I squint at the woman. Dark red cascading hair, orange highlights... Looks about my age. My god, she's gorgeous. But those eyes? Pure, undiluted menace.

She snorts in disdain. "This weak bastard is the one you've been waiting for?"

'Well, hello to you too,' I think, rolling my eyes internally. Outwardly, I raise an eyebrow, nonplussed.

Darius chuckles. "Hmhmhm, Alright then, why don't you test him? You don't have a problem with that, do you, Kael?"

'Is this a joke? Wait, wait, wait...' My internal panic goes from zero to a hundred. 'I'm the test?'

Without even a millisecond to process, she lunges. 'Oh, shit.' Every muscle in my body screams in alarm as I spread both mana and aura, just managing to defend myself. It feels like I've been hit by a freight train.

'What the fuck! That nearly killed me! Is she some kind of mutant? Who hits that hard?'

As I dodge her next few attacks, my initial shock subsides, replaced by a sort of detached observation. 'Okay, Kael, think. She's strong. Scary strong. But... Her moves? Predictable. Sloppy. All brawn, no finesse. Her strength is superior to that of Isadora for sure, who the hell is she?'

She sneers. "You weak bastard! How dare my father send me here!"

My smirk grows wider. "Weak, huh?"

I see my opportunity and take it, redirecting her charge until, to both our surprise, she ends up smacking herself and tumbling backward. Hehe, Ilka is truly the best teacher.

Darius erupts in laughter. "Hahaha, you've improved, boy."

She's fuming, her face reddening in anger and embarrassment. "You sneaky little shit!"

I can't resist. "Aw, did you just hit yourself? Must be frustrating fighting someone who uses their brain."

"You-" she stammers.

I interrupt with a wink. "Next time, try not to break any collectibles."

She's about to retort, but Darius interrupts. "Enough! You two are worse than a pair of kittens. Kael, meet my niece, Lysandra."

Lysandra grumbles, "I'm not your damn niece. And who the fuck is this jerk?"

"Jerk? You almost took my head off," I quip back.

She huffs, "If I wanted to, I would have."

We glare at each other for a few more seconds before Darius, clearly trying not to laugh, says, "Why don't you go cool off? I need to talk to Kael, just don't start any fights will ya?"