We strolled away from the main building and headed towards the adjacent one which served as the training hall. The dormitory wasn't anything fancy, but it was spacious enough to accommodate all of us.
As I entered my room, I was pleasantly surprised by its luxurious furnishings. It wasn't as extravagant as Kain's room, but it was still impressive. Everyone else went to their respective rooms, except for two people who had to share a room. I guess I'll be sharing with the Hero, what was his name again? Was it Saburo? No, that's not it. I think it's Satou...right?
It was strange to see Satou go into another room with someone, was I the only one without a roommate? But before I could ponder that thought for too long, I heard a knock at my door.
I spun around and made my way back to the door, decided to find out who had dared to interrupt my solitude. With a swift tug, I yanked it open, revealing the same maid I had encountered earlier, now dressed in the academy's uniform. It seemed my assumptions about her true identity were off.
"Um, Master Kain has assigned me to stay with you," she stammered, almost as if she was afraid of me.
"I thought this was a boys' dormitory."
"Actually, Master Kain was aware of your... actions," she began, hesitating before continuing. "He assigned me to keep an eye on you as I am one of his trusted people."
This was certainly a bit of unexpected news. How could Kain have known about my... actions? There were a few possible explanations, like the lack of a clear motive for the intruders to kill the staff and the absence of any further attacks after that. But the strange thing was that the girl didn't seem surprised by the revelation.
"I didn't..?"
"Y-you did," she stuttered, looking increasingly flustered.
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I did."
"You didn't-" she halted. "..stop messing around."
"Well, I don't need someone else to keep me company," I declared, slammed the door shut, locked it, and ignored the frantic knocking that followed.
I walked over to the bed, flung myself onto it, and with a deep sigh, let myself drift into a peaceful slumber.
***
I was rudely awoken by the persistent knocking on my door. I rubbed my bleary eyes and rose from my bed, the morning sun streaming through the window. Time seemed to have flown by without my noticing.
When I finally opened the door, I was greeted by the same girl from the night before. She was still wearing the academy school uniform, but it was obvious she wasn't just a maid.
"C-Can I come in now?" she asked hesitantly.
"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?"
"Master Kain will scold me if I don't," she explained.
"And why would I care about that?"
"S-Surely you wouldn't reject a girl as your roommate…" she pressed.
I sighed, ready to shut the door when suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the dormitory. The sound was so intense that I felt my ears ringing and I was temporarily deaf.
I threw open the door and beheld a shocking sight - a meteor? had crashed into the building. In the center of the destruction stood a mysterious man, draped in pure black armor, a strange black mask obscuring his face. The armor was sleek, almost slender, but didn't seem particularly strong.
As the smoke began to clear, I saw that the Hero, Satou, was being stomped by the man. The maid was nowhere to be seen, likely reporting the event to Kain. The man was wielding an extremely long katana on his back waist, but something was off. After he drew it, I was taken aback.
He unsheathed the blade with such force that it snapped in two. Yet, to my surprise, the broken end in the sheath lifted and merged seamlessly back into the sword, as if by miracle…oh well it was obvious that was Quatom.
It all happened in a flash, before I could even blink, the man had already swung his katana with lightning-fast speed. The sharp blade sliced through the air and landed with a fatal impact on Satou, who lay frozen below his foot.
With a sickening crunch, Satou's head was severed cleanly from his body, sending a spray of blood and gore splattering across the man's black armor. And there I was, the only witness to the brutal scene. I felt no remorse for the fallen hero, no fear for the stranger with the deadly blade. I simply stood there, taking in the surreal display before me.
The room was silent except for the sound of the man's breathing and the dripping of Satou's blood onto the floor. It was as if time had stopped and there was no one else in the world besides the two of us.
He swiftly lifted his katana, wiping the blood off its blade with a quick swipe. He then shot me a sideways glance, his piercing masked gaze then fixated on me as he turned his head slightly in my direction.
Before disappearing without a trace.
"Eliminate."
A menacing voice hissed behind me, accompanied by the cold press of a sword's edge against the skin of my throat.