"Does that mean what I think it means?" Mark asked with a side look.
"Yeah...It means exactly what you think it means. That bastard will kill another person again after seven days..." Franz said as he gritted his teeth.
"That...that bastard... don't let me catch you...if I do..."
"I will show you something worse than hell!"
W wanted to speak something just as Mark spoke up saying, "Officer, does the girl's death affect this school in any way?"
"Hahaha...I like this principal already. I like you, old man. You care more about your reputation than life if your own students...? You are just like me...no, you're just the mirror reflection of me when I was young." Franz laughed.
"Don't you mean to say that you're the reflection of me since you're younger than me and all?" Mark said.
"Don't joke around, old man" Franz coldly glanced at Mark and said, "I don't want to be similar to someone else...if someone else is similar to me than its a different matter."
'Tsk, isn't it the same?' Mark thought, but he didn't dare say it aloud. The young one before him was obviously stronger and here, what strong said would be law.
"I understand what you mean and I think it makes a lot of sense now that you say it yourself. But I wanted to know whether it'll affect my school or not...we're going to have Magical Week starting today and I don't want it to be ruined just like that," Mark said.
"Hmmm...who are the girl's parents?" Franz asked.
Mark didn't reply but slid his eyes looking at Tresa. She hesitated before saying, "She is an orphan...she doesn't have any parents."
"I see. Then, principal, you can leave everything to me. If that girl has no one backing her then no one would be these to blame the school...and that's the end of the matter."
"Joey, dispose of the girl's body...she isn't needed here anymore," Franz said.
"Wait! What do you mean to dispose of her? Wouldn't you need her body to search for clues on the killed? Why would you want to dispose of her?" Tresa said.
"Searching her body won't give away a jack and that's a fact. We didn't get anything that led to the killer from other bodies as well. So, why just pile up the dead bodies?" Franz said,
"Even Trash is valuable in front of a dead body so why keep them and waste storage?"
"What!?... If you don't want to search the body then let me cremate her body." Tresa said.
"What a clingy girl. We can't have that. If word of this gets out then the school will be blamed and it seems our client doesn't want it." Franz said as he looked at Mark.
"Don't you think so?"
"Yes, dispose of her. If it affects the school's reputation then we don't need such a curse." Mark said.
"Principal, what are you even saying? She was one of the Perfect and you are taking this as just a small issue and dispose of her just like that?" Tresa said with sadness filled eyes.
"Even if she was a Royal, my decision would have been the same. I don't care what I have to do...but I won't let small matters like deaths drag the school's reputation down." Mark said in a domineering.
Auden who was listening to all of the conversations didn't think it was something new. What he felt right then wasn't sadness, not was it anger...what he felt was a pity for that girl whose friend was dead even though she had blamed it on him a while ago.
'She should already know that this is the current world we live in. The person with power decides everything. ' He thought as he looked at the girl's pale face.
'Shocked? Why is she shocked now? Perhaps she only now noticed how the world works. Her life before now would have been like butter because of being a Perfect but now she has finally realized what it feels to be powerless. She realized the truth too late though...'
'The World has rotten and it stinks of people who are rotten to the core. Unlucky her to realize that too late.' Auden sighed in his heart. The girl wouldn't be able to change anything and he knew that. If she spoke even more then even she would be in trouble.
"Alright, I accept." Franz sighed and said, "But I have a condition... even if you cremate her, don't talk about her death in front of anybody."
"You mean it?!" Tresa looked at Franz.
"Of course, but you'll have to fulfill that condition." He said.
"Don't worry I won't tell a soul," Tresa said as she patted her chest.
Her eyes were shining in happiness again for at least being able to cremate her friend, even if she couldn't hold a proper funeral...that was enough.
'And she played right into his hands. Sigh~, from what I see... she'll die next. It's not only her who saw the corpse... so, it would only make sense that by killing her they would warn everyone and also show that her death wasn't related to school...because if she has to cremate her friend then she'll have to leave school's vicinity, and that's what Franz and the principal wants. She'll be playing right into their ploy,' Auden thought.
This world has rotten for sure. He then looked at Tresa who looked happy from her heart and thought, 'Should I give her a heads up? But she accused me of killing her friend... should I really tell her?'
He frowned and frowned and frowned... gritting his teeth, he said looking at Tresa,
"Do you think that this matter is just over like that? After blaming me like that, you think you can just forget it...Girl, whoever you are..."
"I challenge you to a duel!"
Tresa shot a glance at Auden and sighed, "If that's how you're going to settle it then I would gladly comply. It was my fault after all...but don't blame me for being ruthless afterward."
"We'll see," Auden said as he got out of the old building and walked towards the school arena.
I can't say it in front of everyone... that's why I need a place where no one can hear us. What's a more comfortable place than that soundproof glasses? But God, don't let her beat the crap out of me first... I still want to participate in Magical Week.
After entering one of the rooms, the glass cage sealed the room. An eerie silence filled the room before Tresa started punching her fist on the palm of her other hand.
"I will let you know that you shouldn't just challenge someone above you for no reason."
"Wait...wait...calm down and hear me for what I have to say," Auden said with a tension-filled face.
"What? What's there to hear? You challenged me and that's the end of it...prepare to be crippled." She said as she raised up her fist.
"Well, I will tell you either way...then it's up to you to decide," Auden said as he jumped back.
...
Tresa after entering the arena hadn't landed a single punch on Auden. The crowd was getting bored, especially Principal Mark who had been planning to organize the Magical Week after the duel. He was losing patience.
Est also wanted to see Auden crippled but his eyes didn't get the chance from start till the point.
Doc. W was also losing patient...ugh, patience. He was looking more forward to the outcome of the duel but it didn't seem like it was going to end very soon.
Inside the room, both seemed to be talking but they couldn't hear their words.
"Won't that just make me look bad...? What's the point of it anyway?" Tresa said as she tried punching Auden.
"Does it even matter in this case?" Auden said as he dodged another punch, "It's for you to decide what to do... but don't say that I didn't warn you."
"I see." Tresa said as she stopped throwing punches, "So, you are just trying to help me...or is there something that you want from me?"
"Heh..." Auden grinned, "For the first time, you showed that you have got a mind. Of course, I wouldn't just help anybody I come across. There's one thing that I need of you to do..."
Auden then told what he had in mind as Tresa grinned and said, "Eh...? Won't you be trusting me too much on this one? Do you really think I won't doublecross you?"
"You won't..." Auden said.
"Oh? You've got some guts for trash to try to order me like that..." Tresa said.
"Heh..." Auden then smiled and turned towards the speaker saying,
"I admit my los-"
"I lost!"
But before Auden could admit his loss, Tresa admitted her loss in front of the speaker making Auden the winner of the duel. Auden was dumbfounded as he hadn't expected it.
He turned to Tresa and asked, "It won't be your way of thanking me, would it?"
"Nah...I did what seemed right. And I won't be thanking you...you helped me...I help you and it's all over." Tresa said as she walked out of the room after the glass case rose to leave Auden dumbfounded.
"Tsk...I really can't understand what's goes inside other's heads." Auden said as he too walked out.
Principal Mark frowned listening to the result of the duel but it was only for a second. Tresa then walked to Franz sitting beside Principal Mark and said,
"Sorry for being selfish before sir. The bond between her and me had blinded me before but I'm alright now. I'm ready to let go of her."
"But I must also tell you something that the killer seemed doing something to the body before he threw it...so, if you'd like to then you can check it but I won't force you. You can dispose of her as well. I too don't want the school's reputation to be dragged down because of her. I too want to participate in Magical Week."
"So, I won't be getting in your way and I won't tell a single soul of this matter," Tresa said.
"Haha...don't know what made you change your mind but it seems you've come to your senses." Franz then looked at the two of his officers and said,
"First thoroughly examine the corpse after taking her to the station and then if we don't find anything, dispose of her."
"Yes, sir!" Both of them said and walked outside the arena.
"Thank you for honoring my words, sir. Now I'll be taking my leave. It seems like sir Principal wants to announce something ."
"Yeah...first gather every student to the gymnasium." Principal Mark said and left.
"Yes, sir," Tresa said as she humbly went to the job she was asked to do.
***
In but five minutes, every student gathered in the gymnasium as per the principal's wishes.
The students filled the room to every corner and in the stage was Mark with the microphone on his right hand.
"Students, you've read, you've fought and you've helped build the school even better than before except for some worthless ones...Today, one of your friends has died, but you won't be cowering in fear, would you?"
"Officer Franz has already said to me that the killer doesn't kill in the same place twice so you don't have to lose your cool because of this incident."
"You just do what you always do to grow strong. Her death wasn't the school's fault... it was her own fault for being weak. So, in this event push past your limits and grow strong than before. If you don't want the same fate to haunt you, you'll have to become strong. What do you say?"
"Yeah!!!" The students shouted in unison except for Class D students and a Perfect who was gritting her teeth throughout the speech.
"Push past your limits and grow stronger than your rivals in this event." Principal Mark said,
"The Magical Week Begins From Today!"