"If you're going to talk about teamwork and comrade bullshit, then I'll save you some time—no!" Ayato replied, turning away.
"You can't win a chess game with just the King! Each one of them is a resource that you can utilize. They may not trust you now, but by saving them, you can earn their trust and show them that there's another leader in their midst. Despite their current limitations, their potential is undeniable, making them valuable pawns," Kelly explained, devoid of emotion.
Listening to it Ayato smirked widened and responded, "Alright, you've convinced me. But first, tell me why do you care so much?"
"Who says I care? Let's just say I'm trying to help a friend," Kelly replied, his gaze shifting towards Sumire. Thoughts of gratitude towards his grandfather flooded his mind. 'And this is the only way I can think of to repay my grandpa… By at least caring,' Kelly silently contemplated.
"Fair enough! What do you want me to do?" Ayato asked, willing to lend his support after finding some merits in his arguments.
"They need someone who has the strength to blow all that away in a single attack! They need someone who can blow their fear away! And the only one who can do that is you, you are the only one with enough charisma to make them follow you!"
"Should I just use my skill! If I use it moderately, I can control the output" suggested Ayato.
"No need for fancy moves, just go ahead of them and start destroying things. The rest, they will do on their own. Make sure to assist Ayase," Kelly instructed. As Ayato followed Kelly's advice and began to move, Kelly grabbed his wrist.
"Now, what?" Ayato asked annoyedly.
"I need a favor," replied Kelly. Ayato just smirked and said,
"Sure! But it's gonna cost you. So, what do you want? Safe passage?" Ayato said mockingly. Seeing that, Kelly just nodded. Just as Ayato was becoming disappointed, Kelly continued.
"I want you to protect her!" Kelly pointed in Sumire's direction and said gravely. "Now and in the near future too"
"And why don't you protect her? Unless you wouldn't be able to..." Ayato narrowed his eyes and looked towards Kelly suspiciously. But just as he finished speaking, Kelly interrupted him.
"Doesn't matter! Your favor will be returned," Kelly said. Ayato just shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Fine! Even if you don't, she'll be useful anyway," Ayato replied, if it was anyone else, they wouldn't have understood but Kelly by his tone understood it was a warning, that's indirectly saying if he couldn't pay, he will take the payment from another source. Understanding the underlying warning. The tone of their exchange grew tense, each of them holding their ground.
Kelly's grip on Ayato's wrist tightened, his voice taking on a beastly and cold tone. "You'll do no such thing; I already gave my word, and that's enough guarantee."
Ayato matched his intensity with an equally cold tone. "And I also said a person's word doesn't matter shit to me..."
However, before Ayato could finish his sentence, Kelly cut him off abruptly. "I don't care," he declared, releasing his grip on Ayato's wrist. "I am ready to pay interest. Now, go!" The air between them crackled with unresolved tension as Ayato hesitated for a moment, contemplating Kelly's words and resolve.
After their intense exchange, Ayato didn't utter another word. Instead, he swiftly turned and sprinted toward his classmates' position, his determination evident in his every step. As he reached the cluster of undead soldiers, he unleashed his full power, tearing through their ranks with impressive force. His display of strength and resilience served as a beacon of hope, igniting a fire within his classmates.
Inspired by Ayato's fearless assault and with the help of Ayase's assistance, the students rallied together behind them, casting aside their initial panic, and fighting with renewed vigor. Each one channeled their abilities, skillfully taking down the undead soldiers that surrounded them. The once chaotic scene transformed into a synchronized battle, with Ayato's leadership and their collective determination guiding their every move.
Whereas Kelly just stood at the edge of the bridge and continued to look towards the abyss as if it was calling for him.
As the abyss continued to call out to him, Kelly remained unfazed, seemingly indifferent to the impending danger. Deep down, a part of him welcomed the prospect of death, his own desires intertwined with the chaos that surrounded him. Ignoring the ominous premonition, he sprinted towards the nearby undead soldiers, a glint of recklessness in his eyes.
With the relentless attacks of everyone the number of undead soldiers started withering down. Ayato and Ayase already created a path for everyone just as the first student took a step on the stairs a shockwave came from behind that threw Kelly forward even the students at the stairs felt it and stumbled down with horror, they all looked back to find Agawa with blood seeping out of his forehead and standing with the support of his sword with everyone else injured and laying on the ground behind him.
Kelly felt his summon come back to him with little to no mana and injured seeing its condition Kelly was curious about what happened, but Kelly let him rest and spoke.