The figure stood in silence, scanning the room, savoring the hopeless expressions of the students frozen in shock. Then, he broke into laughter.
"Free at last! You really tried your best, old man, but in the end it was futile. Such a weak will could never hold me back, especially when a jackpot like this is standing right in front of me."
Sato's heart began to pound faster. He was frozen in fear, petrified, unsure of what to do.
"Ah, such young souls, overflowing with hope, with dreams and shining futures. How delicious…You are my favourites!"
In that room, fear left everyone unable to move, except one person—Asahi. He got a hold of Sato's arm and pulled him.
"We need to go!"
Sato was still frightened, looking at the psycho and then back at Asahi.
"We need to go—now!" Asahi, raised his voice.
He dragged Sato out of the classroom, the two of them sprinting down the hallway.
The man was surprised for a moment, a twisted smile creeping across his face.
"Oh my…it seems my mana didn't affect him. That's…troublesome. No, it's perfect…a little change of pace will let me stretch my legs. But first…"
He turned his gaze to the remaining students, their bodies frozen in fear, as he raised one of his knives toward them.
"Now…who should I begin with?" His blade drifted from one trembling figure to another.
"You…you…or perhaps…" A wicked grin spread across his face. "Everyone!"
As Sato and Asahi sprinted down the corridor, the hallway filled with the piercing screams of their classmates. Students spilled out of nearby rooms, confusion painted on their faces.
"Leave, everyone needs to leave!"
Asahi tried to warn the others, but his words only spread more panic. Then, from the far end of the hallway, the man stepped out of the classroom, drenched in blood, casually wiping one of his knives clean.
"Damn it!"
Asahi was frustrated, knowing that everything was not going to end well, while Sato began to get a hold of himself.
That man…is a hero. Damn it. Nexus doesn't discriminate…any great achievement is enough to earn the title. So killing innocent people…counts as an achievement too?
Sato's chest burned with fury at the realization. By refusing to judge between good and evil, Nexus could make anyone a "hero," even monsters whose lives were built on crimes.
Caught in his head, Sato felt a weight on his shoulders. It was Asahi, now staring straight into his eyes.
"Listen to me, you need to go!"
"What do you mean, I need to go? What about you? That psycho is staring right at you!"
"That's exactly why you need to leave, he's after me."
Asahi pushed Sato from behind as he struggled, refusing to leave and wanting to stay by his side.
"Just go already. Trust me—I'll be fine."
When we were kids, Asahi wasn't the brightest, but when it came to being thrown into a problem, he always had something prepared.
"…Tsk…Be careful." Sato said with a heavy heart.
Sato ran down the hallway, heading straight to Megumi's classroom. He skidded to a stop in front of the door, just as it burst open. Megumi stepped out, spotted him and, without a word, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him along.
"Wait…wait a second! Where are we going?"
"To meet with Butterfly and Irina, of course."
"And your class? There's a maniac hero in the school, you know?!"
"I already felt his presence. Right now, worrying about others won't help. If we die, Irina and Butterfly will be eliminated too, and then that trash will be free to do whatever he wants."
Sato quickened his pace, finally grasping the situation. The only ones who could fight a hero…were other heroes. But even as he understood this, he couldn't shake the burning frustration inside.
I know I can't even hold a candle to that monster…but if I had been stronger, I would've cut him down where he stood.
While Sato was still on his way to Megumi's classroom, Asahi's eyes fixed on the hero. The chaos of screaming students faded away, his focus narrowed to that blood-soaked maniac alone.
"What a beautiful friendship. Letting your friend run, knowing I'm after you… But don't get me wrong. Once I'm finished with you, he'll be my next target."
The man's voice echoed down the hall as more students rushed for the exit.
"That's if you finish me first, right?
Asahi followed up, raising his middle finger at the man.
COME ON, FUCKER! COME AT ME!"
"You damn brat!"
In a single motion, the hero rushed forward. Every student caught between him and Asahi was cut down, one by one, the walls painted in crimson. At last, he reached Asahi, blade raised, ready to strike…
On the stairs leading to the top floor of the school, Sato and Megumi hurried to meet Irina and Butterfly.
"How do you even know where they'll be waiting for us?"
"In case of an emergency, I arranged a meeting point with Butterfly, Irina should be with her."
"This is our council president, always vigilant."
"Save your praises until this is over."
Once they reached the classroom, Megumi opened the door. Inside, Butterfly sat on a bench, swinging her legs in the air, while Irina stood against the wall, with her arms crossed.
"You arrived!" Butterfly said happily, relieved to see Megumi safe.
"Took you long enough." Irina welcomed Sato with a cold voice.
Sato moved closer to Irina, who showed no sign of relief or concern, just the same unbothered expression on her face.
Well, it wouldn't hurt if you showed at least a little concern…like Butterfly. But, I guess that won't happen.
"Did something happen?"
Does he want me to act weak like that woman? Not a chance.
"No…it's nothing" Sato gave up.
Awkward silence followed, and Sato didn't push the subject any further.
The silence was shattered by the sharp sound of blades clashing, echoing through the school. With each strike, the clashes grew louder and heavier, until a final, thunderous blow rang out.
Looking out the window, they saw a thick cloud of dust rising into the air. As it cleared, the lunatic hero came into view, clashing his knives against the blade of the hero Sato had seen two days earlier.
"We need to help him!"
As Sato spoke, Megumi was already on Butterfly's back, the two of them dropping gracefully to the ground.
Irina rolled her eyes, grabbed Sato, and leaped down as well. The moment they landed, she let him fall onto the floor with a thud.
"You could have been more gentle, you know!"
No longer looking at him, Irina fixed her gaze on the blood-soaked hero.
"Is he really that dangerous?" Sato, a little concerned.
"Just stay behind."
Together with Butterfly, she moved to support the long-haired hero, while Megumi and Sato slipped into cover.