Cain was out on a stroll at that time. He loved to stroll, observing the outside and immersing himself in the Academy life.
Since he was a child, all Cain had known were the four high walls of his clan. He lived a caged life for he was his clan's shame. Cain's lackluster Special abilities made him the scorn of his clan, he was like a stain they deliberately hid from the world so that the Solomon name shall never be tarnished.
It took a lot of detours for Cain, but he managed to convince the clan elders to let him attend this academy. Even though it disgusted him, it's true that he is thankful to the clan elders.
That is when Cain noticed a ruckus happening near the bookstore. Sheila Sunscreen, his classmate, was surrounded by hostile people. You don't need to be a genius in understanding emotions to know this, that's why Cain immediately understood.
"Hey," Cain shouted. "What the hell are you doing!?"
Cain knew it was bullying when he sees one. During his entire childhood, he spent most of his time enduring such bullying.
"Who's this? Another runt?"
"Hahaha, he is gutsy! I like that…"
"Hey, little boy, want to play with big sister?"
The hostiles sneered at Cain's show of heroism. But Cain was not exactly doing this out of the goodness of his heart either. He's just pissed, so without hesitation, he activated his Special Ability— the mutant ability called the 'Rays of Light'.
Sadly, Cain wasn't even able to make another move as someone grabbed him by his neck. Suddenly appearing in front of him was a blonde fellow. Invisibility, Cain deduced the ambusher's ability at once.
Cain felt his toes leaving the ground. He was being lifted single-handedly. Taking a second look at the blonde, Cain was mystified as to how such a scrawny-looking guy was able to exert such strength.
"Let's go and do a little flying, shall we?"
"Huh?"
Before even Cain knew it, he was sent flying. Crashing at Deron's face, spilling blood, and accidentally kissing the redhead— this day was just too eventful for his liking.
"I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them. I-am-going-to-kill-them." With bloodshot eyes, Cain mumbled to himself.
He unsteadily walked out of the bookstore. There were five (5) hostiles, and Cain was not sure if he can take all of them. Judging by the blonde's strength, they were not to be trifled with.
Sheila came to Cain's side and offered him an arm. Cain accepted it and didn't mind whether she was clean or not. He hasd been dirtied anyway.
For a germaphobe like Cain, what happened was an unforgettable memory for him that would forever remain a stain in his life. It was unforgivable.
Cain resentfully glanced at Deron who arrived at his side.
"Calm down, Cain… Let me handle it." Deron righteously said.
"What the? Do you want to handle it? I want a pound of their meat, don't get in my way."
"Sigh… I don't mean it that way. Besides the blonde over there, I've already fought the other four, they are second years. They're strong, but I've already fought them once, so I think I can handle them just fine. I am just saying, Let me be the vanguard."
"Fine," Cain grimly looks at the blonde who was the center of the enemy's formation. "You can have the others, but I'll take blondie over there."
"W-wait… Please take this." Sheila intruded on the two's conversation. She handed a 'seed' from her pouch a bit timidly to the two, but still in the end she managed to convey her feelings. "These seeds are conjured by my Special Ability, please eat it."
Deron and Cain doubtfully looked at the seed but ate it nonetheless giving Sheila the benefit of the doubt. Immediately, the two restored their vitality.
The injuries they took are not light, but not that heavy either.
"Cousin Carl, what are you doing here?" Alighting from the bookstore were Lorie and Jana.
Together with Deron, they were the only customers of the bookstore thus not much ruckus was caused. However, the Bookstore owner thought differently. The owner has already dialed 114 to report the situation.
"Oh, if it isn't Cousin Lorie." Carlos Orland Dromas, the only son of Archduke Dromas and Lorie's distant cousin. He was now a second-year and the undisputable leader of his Class A.
"There is no need to remind you that you are in East Sector, the 1st year's territory?" Lorie warned Carlos. But her cousin stood undeterred.
"Territory? Hah! There's no such thing. Regardless of year level, any student of the academy can visit other Sectors…"
"The only reason the distribution of students is done by sectors is so that every year-level can have a sense of unity. Exactly that… Doesn't that sound like a forming of territories to you?" Lorie reasoned finally shutting her annoying cousin's mouth.
Handsome, with pedigree, and powerful… Carlos Orland Dromas was a foe that Lorie can't take lightly. The only way Lorie saw the end of it was to verbally dispute Carlos and not let it devolve into a fight.
They won't win, Lorie was certain.
Lorie wanted to cut up their losses as soon as possible. For that, she needed to calm down the wrathful Cain. However, looking at Cain who was on the verge of going berserk, Lorie abandoned the thought of even trying to convince the white-haired germaphobe.
Deron and Cain have already decided. From the tip of Cain's fingertips, blinding light poured out. Deron capitalized on this opportunity that brought blindness to their opponent.
With his impressive memory, Deron was able to pinpoint where his five seniors were at… The redhead swordsman rushed and struck the vital points of his seniors with tremendous speed.
A classic hand chop on the back of the neck, one down.
A palm strike in the throat, two down.
A heavy punch in the gut, three down.
And finally...
The fourth... a quick crunchy punch in the philtrum. Deron doesn't hold back even against a woman. Maybe thanks to the blinding light Cain conjured, Deron became even more daring as he grabs the fourth second-year lady by the neck of her blouse and gave her a judo throw.
Finally, Deron summoned his weapon from his [Inventory Storage]. With his sword still on its sheathe, Deron gave it a full swing as to where he recalled blondie, Carlos, was standing at…
However, Deron hit nothing. He felt nothing from swinging the sword. Alarm bells immediately rang in Derom's mind.
When the blinding light subsided, Deron intuitively opened his eyes, and in front of him are the four-second years he fell. His eyes landed on his fellow classmates.
Cain's eyes widened. Jana's jaw is slightly agape. Lorie is exasperated. While Sheila screamed at the top of her lungs. "BEHIND YOU!!" She said.
That was the last Deron saw when suddenly, he fainted.
…
When Deron woke up, he was met with the ceiling of East Sector's academy clinic. Now that he was a little in the know of the academy's architecture, he now knew that there were four separate clinics for each sector.
Each of them was managed by a nurse. Celine as the academy doctor visited from time to time, but recently she has been going back and forth in the East Sector in particular.
She massaged her forehead as she listened to Lorie resting on her own bed. There was no visible injury to her, but clearly, she was sweating from the pain. Deron idly listened as his partition was just on the other end of Lorie's aisle.
"So, Lorie… What happened is… Carlos went to East Sector to exact revenge on Deron for causing trouble two days ago?" It was Celine sharply interrogating Lorie.
"Yes. I know that you are the head prof in charge of the 2nd years, and I hope that you can discipline them according to the Academy rules."
"Thank you for calling me first before filing an official complaint. I appreciate it, but Professor Merrick already looked into it. There was no physical evidence they came in this sector."
"How about testimonial evidence? We clearly saw him!!"
"… I am sorry Lorie. I really did my best."
Celine and Lorie's conversation ended sourly.
Deron wanted to comfort Lorie, but he doesn't know what he should say. He looked to his right and moved the partition, adjacent to him, there was Alfir still unconscious and bandaged from head to toe.
Looking further ahead, he caught a glance of Cain with a ridiculous black eye. The germaphobe has long calmed down and left his partition open. He did some breathing exercises to calm his nerves more carefully. 'There must still be some anger left in his heart.' Deron thought.
Sheila and Jana can't be seen, hopefully, they didn't sustain any injuries.
Deron looked to his left and slightly opened the partition. To his surprise, adjacent to him was Pierre with two panda-like black eyes…
"What happened to you?" Did that Carlos also do this? Deron was confused as he doesn't remember Pierre being there in the bookstore incident.
Pierre was just silent the whole time, as he can't really tell Deron that Jana and a certain green-hair did this to him. Who knew what Deron might do if he learned it was him all along who allowed the 2nd years to secretly enter the East sector without leaving any records behind?
Pierre gulped nervously.