"Shoya! You're okay!"
The little girl, Kuro, came running to me, hugging me from the back.
"You good, dude? We heard you were out for two days."
Tatsuya and Emika followed. Everyone was wearing casual clothes. It seemed weird but even I was in a hoodie and jogging bottoms.
"We were worried..."
Emika said, downcast.
"I'm sorry for making all of you worry."
I said with a smile.
They sat down at the same table as me. Though, in reality, I hadn't seen them for two or three days, to me, it felt even longer. I guess that place drains my sense of time.
"Yeah, you better be. We were all surprised when we heard Kuro say that you wouldn't wake up."
Tatsuya said, jabbing my arm with his finger.
"I had... a real bad nightmare. Something worse than what I normally have."
I replied.
Emika started to look more worried while Kuro stared at me. Tatsuya gave me a quizzical look; I nodded at him. He realised what I meant.
"So, anything happen while I was gone?"
I tried to lighten up the atmosphere with a friendly chat with friends.
As I observed each one of their faces, it seemed like my attempt failed. Something did happen. Something bad.
They exchanged glances before Emika began talking.
"Kabura-san has gone missing."
"Akane has..."
I have a feeling it has to do with what happened on Saturday. She looked conflicted when I wanted to know what it was.
By 'it,' I mean her cold blood.
Akane even called herself a monster.
"Great, we have that attack three days from now too..."
I thought aloud.
As soon as the words exited my mouth, my heart skipped a beat.
"Attack? What are you talking about?"
Kuro asked. She looked me in the eyes. I softly glanced back and chuckled wryly.
"I-it's nothing... Don't worry."
The black-haired girl grabbed my hoodie and dragged me toward her. Kuro had that fearsome cat aura about her. Her irises also seemed to form knives.
"Tell. Us."
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you."
She let go.
I mean, Weissmann didn't tell me to exactly keep it a secret, but he'll probably want some secrecy. If they wanted to keep it a complete secret, then I'm sure Ophelia, Weissmann's maid, would tell me.
"On May the 3rd... The school will be attacked. The ones attacking are called Valhalla and they want to kill the principal."
They all were shocked, though the one who believed me instantly was Emika.
"It's probably true then."
I looked at her. Noticing my gaze, she panicked.
"Oh, u-um, I mean, my family know about Valhalla. They're a selfish group who do whatever they want."
So, I've been told.
"It's not surprising that they would want to go after Principal Mori. He's a major figure in the world of Streia after all."
Is it just me or are the majority of people who go here from rich families?
There are some slightly above-average people like Maki, Kitamura and Professor. But, by my standards, they're rich.
I guess they either think I'm rich or a scholarship student. As for Kuro... That story remains to be told.
"How do you know this, Shoya?"
Emika asked.
I've hinted to Tatsuya a couple of times about my nightmares and Kuro knows briefly, but... Emika is the only one left out.
As much as I'd love to tell her, I'm not ready.
"Uh, Wei-Principal Mori told me. I had to visit him after my two-day coma and he just mentioned it to me."
I almost slipped up with the name. Since he's an important figure, I'm sure people would hate it if I called him by his first name.
Emika was deep in thought. It was the first I had seen her so concentrated. That look of concentration was a nice change of pace.
"If Valhalla attacks, then it won't only be the students at Altheria who will be in danger. But also the citizens of Altria."
"Are they that dangerous?"
Kuro asked, wondering what she meant.
Emika slammed the table. The moment she did, she retracted her hands and apologised with, 'sorry,' she then carried on.
"Kuroha. This organisation is a slippery one. Once they get into the SSB's hands, they somehow escape like water. It's led by a rogue who's escaped the SSB for 12 years, Gilheld Asuma. So, to answer your question, they are dangerous."
I just hope that we can all survive this pandemonium when it arrives.
--
Within the office of Weissmann, there is a secret room. A secret corridor connecting to different rooms would be accurate.
Weissmann ventured down to the deepest room. It contained jail cells. Only two were filled.
One with a red-haired man and the other with a silver-haired boy.
The red-haired man, Fray, took notice of him first. As he gazed upon Weissmann, a wide smile appeared on his face. He jumped to the bars and spoke to the man.
"It's you again! I need a rematch! I know I can beat you! This time,"
Fray pointed to the scar on his forehead.
"I'll be leaving you with a scar."
Weissmann chuckled slightly.
"How amusing. You actually think you can beat me?"
"No. I can kill you."
Fray whispered to him.
The ash-blond man walked over to the other cell and observed the child in it. Unlike Fray, he looked calmer and cleaner. Despite not being given food or water, he looked completely rational.
Weissmann smirked at the sight of him.
"Well, aren't you the lucky one, Death? And I thought your friend over there was the Wheel of Fortune."
He said.
"He is, but it seems like bad luck is on his side."
Argent took a glance at Fray. The red-haired man shrugged his shoulders.
Abruptly, both cell door's unlocked themselves. They both stared in awe as Weissmann did nothing.
"What are you planning?"
Argent asked immediately, holding off Fray.
"Go to your boss and tell him that I'm coming for him. Gilheld needs to know that."
The boy laughed.
"You think the likes of Gilheld could command me?! He is simply a minion, like me, not the boss. He's merely a pawn in a game of chess."
"I know that. But, right now, he is your boss. So, go tell him this for me. 'I will take your Singularity, just like how I took your mother from you. I promise.'"
Argent took ahold of Fray and stared Weissmann in the eye. Eventually, he nodded and walked away.
"White Exodia..."
He muttered under his breath.