.
Recovering from stupor, I wiped the glistening sweat off my forehead. Outside of the barrier, my strength had recovered back completely, which was 5 times as strong as my capabilities in the barrier. Removing the rubble around Cress's body had become child's play, her legs layed nearest to the outside of the rubble, giving a reference on the rest of her body. Her knees layed over one another, bringing her spine in similar to a fetal position.
Blood could be observed dripping down her hair and neck. It seemed that she had been knocked out. The blood loss was multiple magnitudes less severe than when she lost an arm in our battle against Kuraver. Though lesser in severity, it was blood loss nonetheless. It would be pretentious to claim 'I wouldn't let Cress feel pain ever again', however it was still a just goal. After all, it has been my source of motivation for the past 4 years.
Was it the cultist? My lack of control over [demonic energy] crystallised into those strange tentacles, however those tentacles were easily susceptible to my control. Another supporting factor was my active radar, every single one of the tentacles had already faded away, right before the explosions. The radar could easily identify such large clumps of energy, which expressed that the tentacles were definitely gone.
Whoever the perpetrators were, they shouldn't be forgiven. If I kept leaving things to the distant authority, nothing would change in the face of absolute power. Unless an even more absurd existence were to come into play, that would make them a potential enemy as well with the danger they posed, just from existing alone, from their presence alone.
Graduating from a certain point of power, individuals become able to affect their environment with their mere presence. This marks them as highly dangerous individuals. Who marks these people? The government. The ruling authorities have a tight grasp on at least a couple of individuals, using them as guard dogs of the law in case of anomalous events. Tighter control, power, efficiency, the new queen's influence spreaded far and deep into crevices of society and efficiently locks them into each other like gears in a system. Advancement could only accelerate when such feats were achieved to roll the ball down the slope. Some describe it as tyranny, some describe it as order, it was merely some indecipherable riddle for someone like me.
Coloured in a dewy yellow light, the bedsheets bathe in the setting sun's radiance while sounds of rustling traversed the room.
"Mhmm~ uhn~ ugh!"(?)
"Uhh? Ah! You're finally awake! I can't believe you got knocked out! Weren't you strong enough to slice through something like that?"
"Huh?" (?)
"Hmm? You're still delirious? Well, you don't have to worry about the misunderstanding, another kid came up to me a while ago saying 'Cress nee-sama saved me from a flying rock! Is nee-sama alright?'
Guess you'll always be more reliable than me huh? , hehe~ even though my level has always been higher, it seems you're far more suited to being a hero than a warrior. "
" Cr... ess...? Nee... Sama? Where... am I? "(Cress.)
" Eh...? This... Huh? I...! "
" Like I ask... Who am I and where am I? It seems I've been injured... But I still can't tell what's going on... "(Cress)
" TCH! GU! "
Slamming her delicate pale fist into the wall, a large chunk embedded into the other side. Though she lost her composure, Lilith still had enough common sense and self-control to not go all out on the wall. The floor shook a little with what could be described as a mini earthquake when observed by outsiders. Several alarms blast into the system before being forcefully shut down and reasoned as a false alarm.
"I'm sorry for losing my cool. I'll need to refresh myself. I'll... Catch up with you when I'm ready. Even after losing memories... You still have your common sense... Right?"
"Well, Isn't that rude... I do in fact retain the common reasoning and logic of social cues... I see... I must have been someone important to you... I'm sorry..." (Cress)
"It's not your fault... I could only get so frustrated from my own undoing... It's better if you recuperate without me to disturb you here. I'll get back soon..."
"... It's unfortunate but... Good luck. I think you're a good person... Well, you're the first person I met so it doesn't amount to much... But a person like you who agonises so much over my suffering, must be a good person, so I can only believe in you. (Cress)
Turning around, a bright glowing smile could be seen attached to her supple face. Her expression, a mix of melancholy and hope. It seems I've achieved what I've always wanted to achieve, to be depended upon by Cress... Though not in such a messed up manner. Even after getting my 'reliable moment', I still managed to shame myself by revealing my tears to Cress.
"Haha... I guess this was the natural result... Even after losing your memories, you're still the one supporting me in the end..."
"hmpf~ you should go now, do whatever you need to do. Whatever you just said, was not true at all... I'm sure even before... It was still the same. I'm only able to support you because you were here for me. Don't underestimate the anxiety of an amnesiac, I can't expect you to know how it feels...but you should still be respectable. Now, leave! "(Cress)
" Yeah... I'll never understand it... So just wait here, I promise to be up to par with that person you think so highly of. "
Wiping away the warm liquid accumulated on my cheek, I once again put my back to it as my body turned around and opened the door in a conditioned manner. Grasping the door knob, a swerving sound arose as I stepped into a hallway of the teacher's office building. The first floor, positioned right behind the receptionist, was the school infirmary that spanned an entire floor. Unlike the air inside the room, the outside was slightly more humid, which was accompanied by a slight temperature.
Waiting right outside, a familiar grown man layed his back on the side of the door frame. His frame was not so muscular, and not so skinny either. It seemed to be the right amount of fit that is exuded by the muscle shapes of a veteran.
"It seems you've been listening to something so embarrassing..."
"Your radar was on at all times, since that time... You had easily noticed my presence in the middle of the conversation. Well, no one would blame you if your conversation consumed your conscious over everything else." (Kuraver)
"So, what is your objective in eavesdropping?"
"Can't a teacher show some concern? She's your only family right? And even then, you aren't related by blood." (Kuraver)
"... Drop the facade, spitting poison doesn't make your disguise any better..."
"You're about to find and attack the culprits right? I doubt you'd find them, but I'll tell it to you straight. Give up. Leave it to the queen's assault corp, you have no place in this... Or at least not enough to concern losing your life..." (Kuraver-sensei)
" I see... I'm sorry sensei... But I can't let THIS GO! Otherwise! I would be losing to the border... The boundary... "
Hiding her expression, Lilith could only make a quick escape after the final outburst. Even after regaining her composure from Cress's words, it was stated rather directly, she cannot let go.
Running off, she left an old men that gave a deep sigh before getting on his way.
"Haa~ You've already crossed the boundary when you decided to enter this school... Nothing can be done about that, now it's time to make use of it..." (Kuraver)