"Probably just your imagination. Anyway, my clothes are dry. I should head back. I told my family I'd be home by noon, and it's already past 2 PM."
"You're leaving already? Oh... it is late. Come back and play soon, okay?" Shizuku said, looking slightly dazed.
"I will."
Alistair said his goodbyes and headed downstairs. Shizuku watched him go, a fire smoldering in her eyes. Since he was leaving, she would have to "finish" what the strawberry milk had started by herself.
Downstairs, Alistair saw Akari sitting on the sofa.
"Mrs. Fujito? You're up?"
"My mind was tired, not my body. You 'treated' my body quite thoroughly, remember?" Akari rubbed her temples.
Alistair chuckled and changed into his own clothes. "By the way, that 'Special Cream' is great, but don't eat too much at once. It's... taxing on the kidneys."
"I wasn't talking about you... whatever. I'm going to nap." Akari waved him off.
Alistair walked out to the bus stop. He checked his phone—a string of urgent texts from Seira Kannonzaka. He decided to show his face at the academy before heading home for the night.
...
Am I being watched?
As he reached the academy gates, Alistair felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He looked around but saw nothing unusual. Probably just the security cameras, he thought, stepping inside.
Up on the roof, "Seira" (now controlled by Sonaya) watched him.
"It is definitely the 'King's Destiny,' but it's faint. I've never seen a destiny fluctuate like this. It can't be man-made, yet it's not fully formed. Is it a hidden talent?" Sonaya muttered.
"What are you talking about? 'King's Destiny'? Sounds fancy," Arisa Kurusu's voice echoed in their shared mental space.
"Nothing you need to know. But Alistair has potential. His progress toward Transcendence is over halfway, and he carries the scent of a powerhouse. He must have a very strong teacher."
"Stronger than you?" Arisa asked.
"I would need to be at my peak to face them," Sonaya replied coldly.
The "Information Room" fell silent. Sonaya was a Half-God, one of the fourteen sisters. Specifically, she was Sonaya, the "Assassin" sister whose soul resided in the ritual dagger.
Unlike her sister Rhea, who focused on "One-Hit-Kill" burst damage, Sonaya's specialty was [Coexistence]. She didn't hunt as a lone wolf; she hunted as a Pack.
Her ability allowed her to create a mental "Information Room" where her "vassals" (up to seven) could share thoughts and data instantly. It also featured "Stat Feedback"—as the "Alpha," her strength increased as her vassals grew, and vice versa. Most broken of all was "Life Sharing." As long as Sonaya lived, her pack could be resurrected indefinitely with no cost.
To the girls, the idea that Alistair had a teacher on par with a Half-God was terrifying.
"Don't panic," Sonaya's soul-form said in the mental space. "If he has such a teacher, they are likely an old monster. In our world, strength is everything. If a student dies because they are weak, the teacher rarely interferes unless a higher-ranked person cheats. Just don't use 'underhanded' methods against him."
Crrrk.
The door to the Student Council room opened.
"Whoa, why the long faces? Did something happen? Maybe I can help?" Alistair asked, walking in to see Seira and Arisa looking unusually grim.