It wasn't anything much just a simple exchange between the two of them from time to time during the week of her house arrest.
It even became a routine after just three days.
They didn't know anything much about the other except what is already on the news.
But the principal had the student come deliver the study materials to her all the time so it must have meant something.
And also, h▢▢ name.....
"Ah! A chainsaw!" shouted Aerina causing Laura to end her eye contact and turn around quickly.
True to that a chainsaw is being used by a lumberjack clothed monster with the face of a tree stump.
"Can you fight, Ms.Bernard?"
"I can, what about you two?"
"I think so...." said Aerina pulling out a bunch of items, including a gun.
"Well, then I'll be the vanguard, could I ask Ms.Bernard to take care of the surrounding monsters? I think some might be breaking those tree roots already"
"Understood, leave it to me", wand out she heads to her side charging up her attack.
___________
A blast of wind hit her face as Aerina blinked again to confirm what just happened.
A looming figure soon reached the chainsaw-wielding monster and then a moment later it began to roar in pain.
(A speed-type combatant?) she was surprised at this and while she was thinking that the monster's tree stump face began showing marks of cuts.
It pulled out its chainsaw from the roots and began swinging it widely, hitting the monsters around it as well.
Then something fell on top of it sending a powerful blast to the surrounding.
"Ms.Gear, get it together please", Laura's voice then interrupts her as she soon realizes the monster began breaking in.
"Sorry!", quickly she got up and charged her weapon.
The gun held in her hand began to charge up and the pieces on the ground began floating up to form a barrel and growing further apart as its power grows.
The beam shot out and cut through the monsters left and right as she struggled against the recoil of the weapon while her mana slowly depletes.
Some of the monsters managed to handle the beam which requires extra seconds for it to fall which gave the other monsters more time to reach her.
But a volley of rocks knocked them back giving her enough time to blast them with her beam.
"Thank you!"
"You can thank me later" replied Laura with a smile.
_________
The chainsaw loudly shakes due to its powerful speed and sharp edges as its owner brings it down onto the opponent who runs away with its two legs.
It hit the tree roots a bit but leaves only a mark.
The ground shook as the owner slam the feet onto the ground, before jumping up to slam the chainsaw into the skull of its prey.
It screamed for a while before stopping still.
Looking around there are the other opponents inside, its enemies.
__________
Vapour Blast
An explosion of water and fire destroyed 4 monsters in a row knocking the ones nearby backward for a volley of rocks to hit them.
(Good, its clearing up) thought Laura as she observed her surroundings which began thinning of monsters.
The classmate behind her is putting up a good fight as well as she blasts a powerful beam that destroys the monsters that touch it forcing them to crawl instead before getting hit again to finish the job.
Then she looked outside the tree roots but found no one there.
"....."
The lack of chainsaw sound disturbed her contrary to before.
"..."
She then noticed a small hole created by a monster from the other side as a new wave of monsters came in, but only a small number of them made it as a chainsaw-wielding figure cut them up.
This scares the monsters as they quickly retreat.
________
"So, nice job everyone"
"Yes, you too"
"L-Likewise"
The three stood together as they rested up after clearing the monsters nearby, loot cores, materials, or items that they drop,ped and finding a new tree to rest under.
"We might have to leave for the next tree after a while to avoid being tracked by those monsters again" said Laura after a moment of quietness.
"...Maybe we should sleep on the branches?" suggested Aerina.
"I'm fine with that," said her companion.
"Wait, what?" - Aerina almost choked on her water bottle when she heard the reply.
"Should be safe since the monsters I've seen so far are mostly humanoid, but it will leave you with terrible back pain"
"I-It was just a suggestion"
"How about we sleep in shift?" suggested Laura.
"Oh, right we could just do that"
"Y-Yes, that would be great"
And so the three decide on who gets to go first on the shift with a flip of a coin.
Aerina despite her protest fell asleep after much reassurance from Laura and her companion sleeping quietly and relaxed.