Rough breathing can be heard as the battle lasts no more than 10 minutes.
"Come on, you guys came all this way just to give us a tiny scare?" Shin's voice can be heard as he stands in front of the crowd of students brandishing their weapons.
(All the preparations are nothing against him)
The items that have been set up beforehand functioned well with nothing off.
But all they ever did is to hold Shin back for a couple of seconds.
(So this is a power of Rank 1) thought Laura, looking in the distance where Shin is fighting off against the remaining students of her group.
She summoned more fireballs and sent them hurling towards his location once his back is shown before throwing a few balls of wind.
Then with a use of her skill made the effect more powerful.
"Ouch..." said Shin sarcastically as he turned to Laura.
"Stay back!", Clara then appeared in front of Shin, pushing the weapons that were aimed at him away before blasting them with a skill.
Shield Blast Lv. 6
"Thanks"
"Concentrate"
"Yes~"
Shin then quickly slash down the owner of the weapons that were aimed at him the next moment.
"....", Laura and Clara look at Shin in disbelief, before that turns into hatred.
"You couldn't have just done that earlier?!"
"I thought you liked it nice and slow", Shin said in a sultry voice at Clara causing her to lose her concentration and almost get hit by an arrow, if not for Shin swooping her off balance and sending a long-range attack at the archer.
Horizontal Slash: Long Range
"Wh-Hey! You--Mmph", Clara was about to protest the way Shin is handling the serious situation they are in, but he silenced her with a kiss ignoring the chaotic scene around them.
".....", Laura was speechless at the sight and could only stare at the scene in front of her.
"Alright, catch you later", Shin then let go of Clara who quickly rebalanced herself before turning to the enemy nearby.
Laura's eyes wandered through the battlefield as Shin appeared and disappeared from sight many times as he cuts down his enemies one by one, faster than before as if he wasn't putting in his full strength at first.
(He's stronger than we thought!)
Shin then appeared right in front of Laura, right beside her hand that is holding a wand.
And in an instant her mind went through a series of scenes.
__
"Ms. Bernard, please help us save Shin Morima"
"...", Laura took a moment to register what had just said to her and turned to her classmates who she is sharing the table with, then back at the person who interrupted her break.
".....", her classmates seems to be as surprised as her at this sudden interruption.
"...Excuse me", Laura took her leave, indicating her classmates to enjoy their break without her and signal the person who interrupted her break to follow her to another location.
"Thank you very much"
"Will it take long? I would like to resume my break with my fellow classmates"
"No, not at all"
The two then sat down at an empty bench somewhere else and continue the conversation.
"Shin Morima is being controlled by Clara Steelford, please help us bring him back from that woman's grasp"
(...What?)
"That's quite an accusation you have there"
"Please believe me"
"Any evidence?"
"No"
The outright deny of evidence almost made her leave the student in front of her right then and there, but the next words made her glad she didn't.
"But from the way he is acting, it is very obvious, it's just that no one dares to say anything"
(That's a good reasoning, but...)
"And also the two seems to be in a romantic relationship"
(...Just that?)
"Please, take a look at these and reconsider", the student then bow to her with an envelop in hand.
"....."
(To bow like this...Maybe I can believe her)
Reluctantly, Laura accepted the envelope from the student, the latter turning to leave with a thank you and left her there.
Laura then return to the table to continue her conversation with her classmates, continue her lesson like usual and return to her dorm.
Later that evening.
"...."
A stack of photos spewed out of the magic pocket of the envelope, spewing various photos of the two exact individuals in different backgrounds.
(This is outright stalking....And I just became an accomplice), Laura realized it too late upon opening the envelope, and what was worse is that she is looking through the photos one at a time.
One photo shows the two out on a walk hand in hand.
(Are they on a date?)
Another show them to be eating ice cream and walking around the town they are visiting.
(....) her eyes linger on the two a bit longer, before moving to the next one.
This one shows Shin leading Laura somewhere to the side.
(?)
The next photo shows the two coming out of the side, with visible changes to Clara's dress and hair.
"...."
(Did they go through a narrow alley?)
Laura would then go through more photos which further highlights the two's relationship.
And after some time she came to the conclusion that the two are dating.
(The two seems to be a romantic relationship like she said....Then wouldn't that just means they are in the wrong for keeping it a secret?) Laura isn't someone who would judge someone for keeping something a secret as it is as normal as having a working and private life.
But the student's words bothered her a lot.