"It's Captain Ryodon!" - People from other teams and even the staff looks at Ryuma from afar. He notices their gaze towards him, but he pays no mind to it. He walks straight into his office without saying hello to anyone.
"All teams. Come to my office."
"Alpha, Beta, and Delta teams are here, Captain." - Ishino appears.
"Good. Everyone sits down for a few minutes, and I will introduce your next mission."
"Your next mission will be this person: The current princess of the country - Princess Lilia. Our job is to protect her as she is paying a visit to Edser city. She will come here in two weeks, so we should prepare ourselves right now, and set up the defense if necessary."
While Ryuma is explaining details of the mission. Both Ishino and Yuna look concerned. What is currently in their mind is not about the mission, but rather what they heard yesterday. They are looking for a suitable time to talk to Ryuma.
...
"So does anyone have any more questions about the mission?"
"Where are the princess's guards?" - Yuna asks.
"Right now, I have received a piece of information from the headquarter that Princess Lilia does not fully trust her Royal Guards as she is thinking spies are hiding within them. She is asking for our help to get rid of them. Therefore, although this is considered a visiting trip, our task to protect her really is to assist her in that part. I will take part in this mission as well, so just go along with the order and we will be fine. Anything else, guys?"
"No more, Captain."
"Alright, get back to your training. I will give further information a few days before the mission begins."
...
"Umm... Captain? Do you have some time?" - Yuna stays back after everyone leaves.
"Just Ryuma is fine. When we are alone, hearing you call me Captain this Captain that does not feel nice at all." - Ryuma complains.
"Then...Ryuma, is there anything we can do regarding the incident yesterday? I happened to hear your conversation at the end of the day. I just want to..."
Yuna suddenly notices Ryuma's emotionless face staring at her. His face tells her that she might or might not step over the line for what she just said. Her instinct tells her to stop talking, but her mind is saying the other way around. She cannot help but hold Ryuma's hand.
"I understood the burdens you need to handle as our Captain, but I want to help you as...as your friend..." - Yuna stutters a little bit at the end of her sentence.
Ryuma still stays quiet while holding Yuna's hand, then a sudden letter comes straight into his office. It is just as Ishino and Yuna expected: Ryuma is being summoned directly to the Battle Circle for investigation.
"Ryuma?"
"It is fine. I expected something like this from them, at the very least." - Ryuma cleans up his table and gets himself ready for leaving.
"If you want to help me, then just stay outside of the Circle and watch from afar. I know I cannot stop you from coming to the Circle, but please be an audience just for this time."
"What do you mean by "audience"? I am worried about you, and I cannot leave my friend to be like that!" - Yuna angrily responds, but what she receives back is a cold stare from Ryuma.
"If you don't listen to me, then I will make it an order. No one from the 120th Awakened team shall come into the Circle without my permission. Otherwise, you will be removed from the team from now on." - Not a single change in Ryuma's expression.
Feeling hopeless, Yuna runs out of the office. Unfortunately, Ishino was outside waiting for her the entire time.
"Yuna?"
"That stupid Ryuma!" - Yuna screams out loud.
"Let's calm down a bit. I gather everyone from our team to help him out, but with that order of his, we can only come and look at him. If anything happens then at least we are somewhere nearby to assist him timely. Don't you think?"
"You are right. Let us go." - Yuna calms herself down.
"Stupid Ryuma. I care about you so much, but you keep on pushing me away. This time, you will not get what you want!" - Yuna talks to herself.
...
"Captain Ryodon presented!"
"Welcome, Captain Ryodon. Weirdly, we are having a meeting like this." - Madam Eliz together with all other top leaders of the headquarters are looking at Ryuma.
"Madam, please be informed that I am not the one who makes this meeting."
"Right, then I will be direct with you: We will conduct a Battle Circle for investigation. We will test if you lied to us regarding the massacre last night. After that, you will perform a magic evaluation to make sure you still have the qualifications to be a Captain. If you are demoted, your team will go on with a new Captain. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Madam."
Yuna and Ishino just barely arrive on time when Ryuma is about to be investigated. They hurriedly take their seat with the rest of the team.
"Chain of Confession!" - Several chains from all the team Captains as well as the leaders connect to Ryuma. If he lies, the chain will glow red. Otherwise, it will stay golden meaning that he is telling the truth.
"Are you the one who made the direct kill order to your team?"
"Yes, Madam. I am that person." - The chain glows golden.
"Did you want to kill them in the first place?"
"Absolutely!" - The chain stays golden.
"Final question: The entire team must be responsible for what they did. What reason do you have to say that you will handle everything by yourself?"
"With all due respect, Madam. Please target the one who made the call which was me. If anyone from my Team is involved in this, then I will do anything to protect them from danger. If that means I have to go against the entire headquarter then so be it." - The chains shatter into pieces immediately.
"Madam! That guy is too dangerous to be a Captain. That cold stare of his is worrying us. He may be a cold-hearted killer by nature. Please consider and demote him right away without further steps." - Several leaders urge Eliz.
"Team 115 and 118. Please bring Captain Ryodon's team to the Circle." - Eliz makes her order.
Quickly, everyone from Ryuma's squad is brought up to the Circle. This is no way out for the 120th Awakened Team, but Ryuma does not think so.
"I told you before, Eliz. Do not push this any further..."
Ryuma summons his spears using his power and throws them at a ridiculously fast speed toward both team 115 and team 118. Some dash through the body and some aim directly at their heads. In just three seconds after his team came into the Circle, the entire area is filled with blood. With the same emotionless expression, he walks up to the last person who just barely survive the attacks.
"AHHHHH, MY LEGS! MY LEGS!"
"Team... Go back now. This is an order from your Captain." - Ryuma spear through the heart of his final victim.
"Ryuma..." - Ishino looks worried.
"NOW!!!"
"Hahaha, now that is what I want to see my old friend. Or should I call you by your nickname back then: the "Eighth" one?" - Eliz gives out a huge laugh after seeing the attack. It seems like this is what she expects to happen.
"Alright, everyone dismissed! The case is closed."
"What? But Madam Eliz?" - Several leaders are confused by what Eliz just said.
"You heard me loud and clear. First of all, what Captain Ryuma did yesterday was understandable as those people were not someone that would stay alive if he brought them back here. Secondly, I saw what I want to see in him already. Thus, he is not guilty. However, I still need him for further assessment. This will be performed here, but we need some personal space to do so. Once again, everyone please leave. We are done for today."
Not everyone is happy with that decision, but they know they cannot do anything as this is Eliz's direct order and Ryuma's power is way stronger than theirs. They stare at Ryuma one more time before leaving. Now the Circle has only Ryuma and Eliz left. She walks down to the Circle and confronts Ryuma.
"GUARDIANS!"
Eliz takes out a pendant from her pocket. It seems to be a device to call or connect someone from other places to come right next to her. Within seconds, six shadows from the sky appear and fly down to the Circle. Each of them is as strong as Eliz. That is something Ryuma knows for sure when he looks at them.
"Long time no see, guys."
"What do you need, First one?"
"Just a reunion..." - Eliz smiles at them while her eyes fixate on Ryuma.
~To be continued~