Shock covered everyone who heard, looks of disbelief and low whispers filled the room.
Mamoru stepped over to me, "Tomoe-kun," he said softly, before bowing his head in a respectful manner.
Mamoru's actions immediately stunned everyone. However, not long after, Kazuki and Kohaku got up from their seats and also lowered their heads, following Mamoru's footsteps.
"Please help us," said Mamoru.
The atmosphere became tense for a while.
"Stop lowering your head. I was here to help you from the start, wasn't I?" Hayden turned to me.
"I will defeat the Six Demon Kings because it is my own wish, not because of someone else's request." I said in a slightly angry tone.
They seemed to understand the meaning of my words and slowly began to raise their heads.
After that, they sat down again. Even though people's gazes were still on us, I chose to ignore them.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked while leaning back in the chair and folding my arms.
Mamoru began to explain, "Here's the plan..." He explained his strategy in detail and at length.
"So that's it," Hayden said after listening attentively. "In that case, we'll meet again in three days."
We departed. "See you later," I waved as we walked out.
As usual, we walked together since our homes were in the same direction.
"Why are they willing to go so far to defeat the Six Demon Kings?" Hayden looked curious.
"I don't know. Maybe they want recognition?" I pondered aloud.
[Transition to Henka High School]
There was a commotion on the field. "Hey, stop it! What are you guys doing?"
It turned out there was a fight going on, with many involved who were afraid to intervene for fear of getting hit.
"Ugh," he sighed, ruffling his hair. "What's wrong with you guys? Especially Takashi and Daichi, aren't you both members of Mamoru?"
"Friends? My friends wouldn't hurt me. You're not the Daichi I know. Just die!" Takashi said sharply.
"And you're not the Takashi I knew as an older brother. You're a demon!" Daichi retorted angrily.
They exchanged punches, landing solid blows on each other's faces. Their movements and techniques were equally skilled and swift.
"How dare you call me a demon after stealing my girlfriend," Takashi said as he threw a punch.
"You were the one who stole my girlfriend," Daichi replied firmly, refusing to be outdone as he threw a punch too.
"Ha!" Their punches almost collided, but suddenly Mamoru appeared and stopped them.
"That's enough!" he shouted firmly, putting an end to their fight. "What are you guys doing?"
Seeing this, they all stopped fighting.
"What's wrong with you guys? Fighting your own friends?" Mamoru asked in disbelief, his voice filled with disappointment.
Mamoru turned around, grabbing Takashi and Daichi by their collars, rendering them helpless. "Especially you two!!!"
Mamoru was genuinely furious. "Tell me what happened."
Takashi and Daichi explained their issues to Mamoru. "Can a woman cause destruction to a family?" Mamoru let go of their collars.
And decided to leave.
"Ma-moru"
[Transition to Akaari High School]
In the classroom, some people gathered at the back. There, a teacher and several other students were studying seriously.
But they didn't pay attention to it. "Kazuki-san, I heard you're going to face the Six Demon Kings tomorrow?" one of them said.
"What? Seriously? Count me in, Kazuki!"
"Yeah bro, I want to join too!" added another enthusiastically.
After that, Kazuki stood up and walked to the front. "If you guys join, then I won't be able to bring my own heroism," he said, taking the teacher's chair and sitting at the front.
Inside the classroom, several people gathered at the back. There, a teacher and several other students were seriously studying.
[Back to the protagonist]
I was lying on the floor at home, enjoying the boredom as I counted the days until three days later. My excitement was really peaking.
"Aniki, are you really going to fight the Six Demon Kings?"
"Of course, what's up, Miyu?" I sat up.
"Can I join? I can help," Miyu said with a worried expression clearly visible.
"I refuse,"
"But, Aniki, the Six Demon Kings are very powerful. What if you get hurt?" Miyu tried to seriously consider the reasons behind her desire to participate.
"In that case, what if you get hurt?" I replied with a question that left her speechless.
Then, I stroked her hair. "Don't worry, I'll definitely come back. For sure!"
[To be continued]