Frederick laughed when Kyoji answered him, saying...
"Your aim is good, and you react well, but don't think that's enough to survive these monsters. You need real fighting skills, up close, or you won't last against a mutant attack." He swung his sword playfully, as if to prove his point.
"Your sword skills might be okay for a kid, but they won't save you from mutants either, especially the strong ones. You need a good ranged weapon," Kyoji shot back with a chuckle. He lifted his gun and fired a shot into the distance, hitting a mutant that howled in pain.
Frederick frowned, surprised, and stared at Kyoji. After a moment, his usual calm returned, and he said...
"You know, I used to think being stuck with these kids at the academy would be boring." He glanced at the other students, who were still shaking with fear...
"But maybe I was wrong. So, don't die today," he added with a genuine smile.
Kyoji frowned, studying Frederick. He could tell the smile was real. It wasn't surprising; it fit Frederick's personality. He was competitive, but his strength and status made it hard to find anyone his age willing to challenge him. Kyoji didn't seem intimidated by Frederick's power or position and actually had some skills, and that excited Frederick.
Of course, Frederick didn't truly see Kyoji as an equal. Kyoji only had an F-tier talent. Frederick was just thrilled to have someone to crush, to break their spirit and confidence – something he enjoyed immensely.
Kyoji knew this but didn't care. He believed that compared to his goals, even Frederick was insignificant, a mere pebble on his path.
He didn't answer Frederick; there was no time. Ten to fifteen mutants had broken through Miss Anna and Major Gareth's defenses and were charging toward them.
"Everyone, weapons ready! Get ready to fight!" Frederick shouted, drawing his sword.
Kyoji looked back at the other students, their faces pale with terror. None of them were ready.
"Pathetic," he muttered.
"Hey," Frederick called.
"What?" Kyoji asked.
"Let's make a bet: who can take down the most mutants?" Frederick suggested with a grin.
"Not interested," Kyoji replied.
"Hmmm, how boring," Frederick sighed, shaking his head.
"Alright, how about this? I'll give you a two-point head start." He grinned, clearly amused by the challenge.
"Still not interested," Kyoji said.
"So boring," Frederick mumbled, dashing towards the oncoming horde.
Kyoji ignored him, calmly raising his gun to provide cover fire.
He wasn't great at close combat. Without any talent in his past life, he'd focused on ranged weaponry, relying on guns instead of physical strength. Years of practice had honed his instincts and aim, which became obvious the moment he started shooting.
Bullets rained down on the mutants, each one finding its mark, killing some, injuring others.
Kyoji wasn't alone; Frederick was living up to his reputation as the strongest youth. He moved gracefully through the mutants while Kyoji provided covering fire. They quickly dispatched ten mutants, but more kept coming. Miss Anna and Major Gareth were fighting bravely, but they were overwhelmed. Kyoji could only hope that none of the stronger mutants broke through their lines.
For now, they could only handle the weaker ones.
But even the number of the weaker ones were becoming too much for Frederick and Kyoji to handle. The group of students behind them wasn't much help. Some were visibly terrified, and high-pitched screams pierced the air, blending with the growls and roars of the mutants. Chaos reigned.
Two minutes passed, and Frederick was struggling to keep up with the sheer number of beasts.
"Hey, we need more help here!" he shouted to Kyoji.
Kyoji turned towards the panicked students.
"Hey! All of you who chose ranged weapons, step forward and help now!"
His words cut through the panic, and a tense silence fell. Hesitantly, some students stepped forward, while others remained rooted in fear.
Kyoji didn't pressure them. He only wanted those willing to fight.
Around two hundred students, each clutching a gun, joined them. Kyoji swiftly organized them into a formation and gave quick instructions.
No one questioned his authority. After all, he clearly knew his way around firearms.
With the students' support, the tide began to turn. More and more mutants fell to their combined firepower, as well as the efforts of Major Gareth and Miss Anna.
Ten minutes passed, and reinforcements arrived, easing the pressure on Major Gareth and Miss Anna. They were finally gaining control of the situation.
Kyoji, like many others, saw no need to fight further and watched the remaining mutants being slaughtered.
Frederick, covered in wounds and bleeding, slumped against a wall, chest heaving. He had pushed himself the hardest.
Kyoji's hand throbbed from the constant firing. But unlike the other students, he couldn't relax. His brow furrowed as he kept glancing at the ceiling.
The mutant horde wasn't the real danger. It was what came next.
"Didn't know you had firearm training. Did Butler James teach you that?" Ethan's voice startled him.
"No, he didn't," Kyoji replied calmly, not turning.
Ethan knew better than to pry. Kyoji's short answers meant he wasn't interested in discussing the topic.
"You did great back there," Ethan said.
"Just trying to stay alive," Kyoji replied calmly.
"Bullshit. You could've hidden like the rest of us. You did something amazing today," Ethan insisted.
"Him too," he added, nodding towards Frederick.
"I guess we did," Kyoji conceded, finally looking away from the ceiling and towards Frederick.
He might not like Frederick's personality, but he respected his strength. Even without his powers awakened, Frederick had remained calm and collected against the mutants, even managing to kill a few single-handedly. It was clear this wasn't his first encounter with them.
As the most talented member of the Coliseum City's second most powerful elite family, Frederick's training was undoubtedly more intense than others. Kyoji wouldn't be surprised if he'd faced death multiple times already.
Ethan followed Kyoji's gaze and sighed dejectedly.
Kyoji turned to him, noticing the depressed look on his sweaty face.
"What's with the long face?"
"I'm pathetic," Ethan mumbled, sighing again.
"Why do you say that?" Kyoji asked.
"Didn't you see? I'm weak. I froze when I saw those beasts. I thought… I thought with a talent, I'd be stronger. But I'm still the same pathetic Ethan," he grumbled.
Kyoji chuckled.
"Yes, you… all of you were pathetic." He gestured towards the students, still shaken from the experience.
Ethan wasn't offended. He knew Kyoji well enough, and besides, it was true. He simply sighed and lowered his head.
"But being pathetic is one thing, and remaining pathetic is another," Kyoji continued.
Ethan looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"How are you always like this? Cool and calm? Aren't you scared?" he blurted out.
"Of course, I'm scared. But panicking in the face of danger won't keep me alive. I'd rather confront it head-on and have a fighting chance than cower and wait for it to consume me."
Ethan's green eyes widened in surprise, then softened into a smile.
"You're so cool. I wish I could be like you."
Before Kyoji could reply, a tremor shook the ceiling.
'Seems like they've arrived,' he murmured, his gaze fixed upwards once more.