[Third Person POV]
The battle among the Oppressor and the heroes was massive. However,since the heroes were already ready for the attack, there were not any causalties.The mall also was not heavily damaged and would be repaired within a month.
The world was definetly taken back by such a large scale of terrorist attack. Every news channel was talking about the attack.
The Atropis guild was provided fifteen billion dollar from the governemnt. The guild that had helped also received their rewards.
Lucas Aldegar was also now one of the hot topics. Every hero reported that : "Without Lucas we would have never won this fight without sufferring damage."
******
'Hmm! Where is this place?' Ciel slowly opened her eyes and saw a bright white ceiling. She looked infront and saw curtians surrounding her.
"What do we need to do in order to stop people from killing each other? When will the villians learn?"
She could hear a news reporter rambling about the recent incident.
She looked at her right and saw her friends in hospital bed. All of them were awake.
"You are the last one to wake up" Alice said that while putting a smile on her face.
Ciel was happy that none of her friends were sevely injured.
"Are you guys fi-"
"Creak!"
The door of their room opened. Ciel was alerted.She didn't finish her line.
'May be someone has infiltrated the room?'
It was common for villians to strike someone when they were vunerable. Ciel couldn't see who it was because of the curtain. Ciel was ready to attack.
The sound of a chair moving could be heard.
" Hmm!Where'sthe remote?"
Ciel recognized that voice. She could never forget it even if she wanted to.
Just hearing her name coming from that voice would make her shiver.
'Why is Ryujin here?'
Ryujin on the other hand was searching for the remote. He found it in a table. He changed the channel. He was watching a football game.
"Ahhh come on! Why is my team so bad? They are playing as group of donkeys high on some drugs. Pass the ball idiot!"
Ciel was taken back by Ryujin's rage.
'So he likes football'
She looked at her friends and saw that they were pretending to be asleep while listening to Ryujin.
They had been doing it because it was fun to listen him become angry at a football game.
She also decided to do the same.
The door on the room opened again.
"Oh!You are here as well?"
Ciel again recognized that voice.
'Why is grandfather here?'
Ryujin looked at Arthur. Beside him was Zerox.
"Why are you always with Zerox?"
"Cause he his my butler."
"More than a butler he is like your babysitter"
Zerox nodded his head in agreement.
"That is true."
Ryujin then asked Arthur
"Why are you here?"
"My students got injured. Of course, I should come to check their condition. I am the principal"
Ciel and her friends were touched. They could hear the conversation but decided not to interfere. It would be too awkward to join the conersation now.
"Principal? But isn't Zerox always the one doing your work?
"That is again true!"
"Just shut both of you"
Ciel was giggling. She had never heard her grandfather so flustered.
'How are they this close?'
Arthur and Zerox pulled a chair each and sat beside Ryujin.
Zerox looked at Ryujin and said " Why are you here ?"
Ryujin was here because he wanted to watch his football game. He didn't have the subscription to the sport channel so he couldn't watch it from home. He couldn't watch it on illegal site as well. He could go to his friends house but he doubted anybody had the subscription.
His last option was the hospital room. Of course,he couldn't say this to Zerox
"I am here to keep a watch."Ryujin decided to lie.
Arthur,Zerox and the others were taken back.
"At 12 am!"
Ryujin did not reply. His eyes were glued to the tv.
Arthur face palmed.
"You know that this place is heavily guarded right?"
"I know but still it doesn't hurt if I stay as well."
Arthur and Zerox were proud of Ryujin.
' To think he had such a soft side to him.'
On the other hand Ciel and others were touched.
'He really is such a kind person.'
Arthur then scratched his cheek and said
" I heard that my granddaughter slapped you?"
Ciel was ashamed of herself. She clenched her fist. It was one of the worst moment of her life.
Ryujin looked at Arthur. He waved his hand.
"Dont worry she already apologized?"
"What?"
Arthur and Zerox were shocked.
"My granddaughter apologized?"
"Yeah!"
Ciel was now getting angry.
'Why is he overreacting at me apologizing?'
"How did she apologize?"
"Not telling you."
"Ah! Come on"
Zerox then stood up and bowed her head.
"Thank you for saving the young lady again!"
Akio,Alice,Anna and Emily looked at Ciel.
'What did he mean by again?'
Ciel didn't look at them. She just causually turned her head to the other side.
Arthur patted Ryujin on his shoulder.
"Thank you my boy. Not just for saving Ciel but also saving these kids."
"Its fine."
Arthur then took out something from his dimensional ring. It was a red-colored ball.
He gave it to Ryujin.
"Take it"
"What is it?"
"The mana core of the S-rank Orc."
"Why should I take it?"
"Without your help I wouldn't be able to win the fight. I would have been dead. All of the media gave the credits to me for saving the city when you helped as well."
Arthur knew that Ryujin was the Rune Mage and an S-rank core would be valuable to him. He could use it to make items and relics.He was expressing his gratitude towards Ryujin as well.
Ryujin didn't deny the gift. He stored it in the system ring.
The students were again shocked to hear the conversation.
'He helped the principal fight? How strong is he?'
Ciel had other thoughts.
'How manysecrets does he have? Will he ever tell me if I ask him? Can I be close with him? Will he ever open his heart to me?'
Ryujin stood up from his seat. His team was losing and he didn't want to see it any more.
Zerox asked him.
"Are you going back?"
"Yeah! Looks like the security has been tightened. You guys are here as well and soon these guys will wake up."
"Dont you want to say 'Hi' to them?"
Arthur asked him. He wondered why he would leave after guarding for such along time.
Ryujin avoided that question.He looked at Arthur.
"Hey old man! Can you do me a favour?"
"Stop calling me old! and I would do any thing as long as it is within my power."
Ryujin thought about it. He wasn't here to guard the students but he was worried about them.
"When these guys wake up,tell them: You guys did good.Dont worry"
All of them were surprised.
"Why do you want me to tell it?"
"This guys have gone through a lot. Facing villians stronger than them and getting beaten must have filled them with despair. They probably feel useless,weak and pathetic. Their mental state has also taken a blow. They were just unlucky to face strong villians."
"Why don't you tell it then?"
"Umm..It is more impactful when an adult says it."
Arthur wanted to ask him many things but decided to ask him only one thing.
"Why do you care for them? I thought you guys were not that close."
Ciel and her friends also thought the same thing.
'Why does he care for us?'
Ryujin needed them to save the world. He could kill anybody easily but saving everyone was not an easy task.Ryujin looked at curtain where Ciel and others were resting on their hospitals bed.
"That is true. We are not that close. We had a minor misunderstanding but that has been sorted out. The main reason I want to help them is so they don't lose their 'light'.When I look at them, I see that light. "
" I want them to live a happy life. I want them to value their feelings. I dont want them to burden themselves with useless things. They should value their believes rather than the words of the world. I hope they can get out of the cage that the world puts them in. Believe they can Fly high and even if they fall,be proud that they once had hoped to fly high."
Ryujin then walked towards the door. He opened the door.
"Ryujin have you lost you light?"Arthur asked him. He was curious.
'How is a kid like him so mature?'
"I did once. It was suffocating.. I was ready to do anything to gain that light back again but then I realized that if I lost myself, I would never gain that light. It took me some time to regain the light back again.However the process was extremely painful.I dont want them to experience the same.What was that saying: Precaution is better than cure"
He said that and walked out of the room. The whole room was silent.
Ciel took her pillow and covered her face. She was crying. His words touched her. Never had she ever felt like this. Just within a week she felt many emotions.
The other students also felt happy that there is someone who wanted them to succeed and be happy in life.
Zerox looked at Arthur.
"We don't deserve him."