The group of children watched in stunned silence as Seiya effortlessly dispatched the ant before them, their faces etched with disbelief. The heavy stillness in the air was palpable as Seiya dismounted from the fallen ant, his presence alone causing the remaining ants to recoil and retreat—clearly unsettled by his unexpected presence. Which meant their strategy to stall him with their initial forces had failed.
"What…what is this?!" Eiro, the blonde boy who often bullied Seiya in the dining hall, stammered in disbelief. His anger was evident as he approached Seiya with deliberate heavy steps.
The children present were the older ones, three girls and five boys, including Hayne. All of similar age to Seiya, with only a few slightly older.
"How is it you were given a weapon while we were sent here defenseless? It's as if they sent us to die!" Eiro spat, his voice a bitter growl. His face was contorted with rage, veins bulging against his forehead.
"You always play the victim, claiming you have it worse than anyone else, yet you were the one equipped to survive. Why? Is it because you're his son and our lives are expendable?" Grabbing Seiya by the collar, Eiro's fury boiled over.
"Stop it!" Hayne's voice cut through the tension, firm and commanding.
"These ants are as tough as steel! Only specialized weapons can pierce them! That weapon you're holding, it must've been made for this purpose! Admit it! We were sent here to die, except for you!" Eiro shook Seiya violently, demanding answers.
The others watched, their silence a tacit agreement with Eiro's accusations, save for Hayne who stepped forward and firmly pried Eiro's hand from Seiya's collar
"That's enough!" Hayne's voice was sharp, his gaze unwavering.
"This isn't the time for infighting. Look closely; it's not a specially made weapon. It's a mandible from the ants themselves" Hayne revealed.
Their eyes shifted to the mandible in Seiya's grasp, the truth dawning on them. Eiro clicked his tongue in frustration, reluctantly acknowledging the fact.
"Tsk! Even so, my opinion of you won't change! You and your father are the reason our lives are miserable! And you're a murderer! A hypocrite!" Eiro sneered before stepping back.
Seiya offered no retort. His attention turned back to the ants, observing as they hesitated, seemingly gauging whether to regroup or flee.
With swift precision, Seiya leapt toward the nearest ant, driving two mandibles into its skull and finishing it off with a brutal strike to its back.
The remaining ants assumed defensive positions, bracing for combat. The children trembled as they watched Seiya's relentless onslaught, fear creeping into their hearts. This was a side of Seiya they'd never witnessed, assertive and aggressive—a stark contrast to the meek, shy boy they always bullied.
"He's….so strong" a girl whispered, her voice quivering. "He's cutting through them like it's nothing. How is that possible?" She murmured, fear evident in her voice.
"How did he even get those mandibles? He couldn't have ripped them off with his bare hands, could he?" Another questioned, their disbelief growing.
Just as they said that, Seiya gripped an ant's mandible and tore it apart with sheer strength.
"…."
"…."
They were left speechless, their mouths agape.
A girl with brown hair gasped, her trembling hands covering her mouth. "What if he… what if he takes revenge for how we treated him?" She stammered, her voice barely audible.
"He wouldn't do that!" Another child interjected.
"Right?" Uncertainty lingered.
"But…what if he does?" The uncertainty in their voices mirrored the unease in their hearts.
As Seiya mercilessly eliminated the ants, the children's apprehension grew, haunted by their past mistreatment of him.
"Eiro, you bullied him the most. If he's coming for anyone, it'll be you first" a boy pointed out, shrinking back.
"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!" Eiro snapped, though his bravado was betrayed by the fear in his eyes.
With the last ant defeated, Seiya turned and began walking toward the group. The children instinctively recoiled, inching backward as he approached. Hayne, however, met Seiya halfway, concern etched on his face.
"Look at you—you're a mess! You
haven't even healed from your previous injuries!" Hayne scolded, his brows furrowed with worry.
Seiya, covered in a mix of his own blood and green ant fluid, lowered his gaze, unsure how to respond.
The others shot one another with awkward looks, confused how Hayne could easily approach Seiya after seeing how aggressive he was.
"How did you manage to defeat them so easily?" Hayne's curiosity was evident as he searched Seiya's face for answers.
"The..they…" The weight of the atmosphere presses down on Seiya, rendering him unable to speak.
"Yes? Tell me slowly. I'm waiting" Hayne probed softly.
"The… ants. They didn't shoot out poison like the….previous ones. They only had stingers" Seiya finally explained, avoiding Hayne's gaze.
"Oh I see! You're saying compared to the first wave you fought, these ones are weaker. Alright I understand." Hayne's lips curled into a soft smile. "You're incredible."
"Tch! What's so amazing about him?!" Eiro interrupted, his hostility unabated.
"I did say enough with your childish chatter, did I not?" Hayne's voice turned icy, the warmth around him now replaced with a cold, steely edge.
"If we the older ones are here, that only means the younger ones are somewhere out there, fending for themselves! We should be thinking of how to get to them and help them" Hayne remarked.
Turning to Eiro, Hayne's glare intensified. "Refrain from acting so shameless! If this is how you refer and treat the person who saved your ass then you're nothing but a selfish coward!"
The group shifted uncomfortably under Hayne's scrutiny, their eyes darting away from his piercing gaze.
"Tsk!" Eiro spat, looking away. His irritation was evident.
"We'll stick together and search the dungeon together. Splitting up is too risky. Seiya is our best chance against these monsters, so we'll stay with him and offer whatever help we can" Hayne declared, his tone resolute.
Though combat skills were scarce among them, Hayne's leadership instilled a semblance of order. The others nodded in reluctant agreement, their survival instincts overriding any lingering resentment.
Hayne turned to Seiya, his expression softening. "I'm sorry Seiya, we can't offer much help. Most of us are Awakened but our Abilities aren't suited for combat. We can't do much but we'll support you however we can"
Seiya responded with a nod and began gathering the ants' mandibles. At Hayne's prompting, the others moved to assist. Though the girls struggled with the weight, unable to even carry any. The boys strained under the burden, using their all to carry just one but they had to endure 'cause they wanted to survive.
As Seiya led them back the way he came, it prompted Hayne to question. "Isn't that the way you came from? Shouldn't we search new areas?"
Seiya's awkward silence spoke volumes.
"Don't tell me, you know where they are?" Hayne asked, eyes alight with hope.
"Mn" Seiya's quiet confirmation was all he needed.
"Let's go!" Hayne announced, rallying up the group as they followed Seiya's lead.
Seiya couldn't help but ponder if he could count Hayne as a friend. If he could expand the list of people who cared for him beyond just his mother and siblings.