The series of incidents involving Ken were publicly treated as student violence.

The student who caused the incident was expelled from school. It was announced that he had been banished from Arcazam on the same day, and the matter was settled.

However, in reality, the repercussions of this incident did not end there but spread everywhere.

Not only was it a case of misuse of abilities, but the fact that the school had no idea that the culprit had been hiding his abilities, led to a big question mark about the school's credibility.

Even now, the academy was receiving a series of requests from emissaries from various countries, asking for an immediate explanation of the situation and countermeasures.

Furthermore, Abyss Grief's involvement in this incident had further complicated the situation.

Abyss Grief escaped from the research institute by becoming a parasite on a human.

This could leave a serious impact not only on Jihad but also on the survival of this school.

This could have a serious impact not only on Jihad, but also on the survival of this school.

Needless to say,? Arcazam and the Solminati Academy were supported by many countries. Therefore, the evaluation from the emissaries who act as liaisons between each country had a great influence on Arcazam's operations.

In some cases, it could even lead to the restructuring of the Solminati Academy.

Jihad responded to this problem by generously handing over all the information regarding Abyss Grief to the emissaries of the various countries, thereby avoiding their pursuit.

The ability to parasitize organisms, interfere with the host, and greatly increase their abilities through transformation. And the predatory barrier.

No creature with so many unique abilities exists on this continent. The fact that they were able to obtain so much information at once was a great advancement in the research of Abyss Grief.

Furthermore, they had also secured the person who was used as the host. With this, they may be able to get more information on Abyss Grief. And that was not all. It may also provide a clue to the cause of the great invasion, which had been shrouded in mystery until now.

Information about Abyss Grief to be obtained in the future. It was conceivable that each country would want to obtain more information as quickly as possible.

Therefore, the emissaries felt that it would be unwise to intervene in the Solminati Academy at this time, and only mentioned Ken Notis' incident to some extent.

In short, the emissaries of the various countries took the attitude that they would leave it to Jihad to deal with the situation while urging strict caution and improvement. It could be said that they imposed a troublesome role on Jihad.

Nevertheless, despite the seriousness of the situation, many people at the school breathed a sigh of relief that the matter had been settled.

However, in the midst of all this, there was one person who continued to be busy dealing with the situation without a break. Jihad, who was actually in charge of the case, and Inda, who was assisting him, were frowning at the mountain of papers on the desk in the office.

Both of their faces showed signs of deep fatigue.

"Now then, Inda-dono, your report please ......."

"Yes, sir. This is the report on the investigation of the magic stone used in the previous case ... It was as Jihad had feared."

Jihad received the report about the magic stone that had gone out of control during the investigation of the previous incident.

The cause was a powdered magic stone that someone had sprinkled on the Curbstone.

When the shattered Curbstone was submitted to the Gloaurum Institute for investigation, a powdered magic stone was found among the Curbstone fragments.

Both the magic stone powder and the Curbstone were very sensitive to magic power and require delicate handling.

There was no way such a thing could be stored in the same place. In addition, sprinkling magic stone powder on the Curbstone was like exploding a fireball in our hand.

The Communication Magic Stone was originally a prototype of the Gloaurum Institute and was under the strict control of the Solminati Academy. It would be difficult to break in and tamper with it from the outside. That was why suspicions arose about the existence of an insider.

Furthermore, various troubles occurred during the investigation. If there was an insider, it would not be too difficult to disrupt the investigation.

Jihad and Inda began their investigation to uncover the insider. One suspicious person emerged on the investigation.

"So, you're saying that it was a member of the same group that silenced the Starlight that was tracking Camilla?

"Yes. After that incident, one of the Starlight members went missing. We traced the trail he left behind and found his body in the forest outside the city."

"What is the condition of the body?"

"It was severely damaged that it was difficult to identify, but from the remains and the body size, it could be inferred that the body is the same as the one we suspected. Also, several items belonging to the members of Starlight were found. Considering the circumstances, it's almost certain ..."

A sigh escaped from Jihad's mouth.

"Have you searched their base?"

"We've already done that, but there's nothing that can be a clue ..."

Feeling as if a weight had been put on his shoulders, Jihad listened to Inda's further report, which was also not good.

They were quick to silence and destroy the evidence. It was clear that they had been played.

"Excuse me. Jihad-dono."

At that moment,? there was a woman who suddenly entered the office without the consent of the owner of the room.

She was a noblewoman in a black dress. Her breasts were pushed up, and her legs peeked out from the slit, drawing a lustrous curve.

The bland office began to take on the color of a flowerbed in a garden.

However, Jihad furrowed his brow slightly at the person who had entered the room without permission and put on a stern expression on his face.

"Mekria-dono. We're troubled that you're visiting us so suddenly like this. As you can see, the room is a bit unsuitable to receive a lady at the moment. I would appreciate it if you would at least give us enough time to adjust it to your taste ... "

"Ara? I've taken the time to come and see you, but you sure have a lot to say. I thought that a man of Jihad's stature would have the decency to smile and forgive a woman's whimsical visit ..."

Jihad's tone was clearly unwelcome. But the woman who entered, Mekria, had a flowery smile on her face.

Jihad responded to Mekria's words without changing his stern expression.

"I'm afraid I wasn't blessed with such a thing."

"You are joking. I'm told that your encounter with your wife was so passionate and seductive that even we were envious ..."

Jihad shrugged his shoulders and cut to the chase.

"So what can I do for you? You're not here just to talk to such a lonely middle-aged person, are you?"

"Well, I thought you might be depressed by this incident, so I'd like to encourage you a little ..."

Jihad and Mekria faced each other. They were exchanging smiles, but there was a tingling tension running between them.

"Is that the important thing you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, this matter cannot be overlooked, as it should be. I'll be sure to bring this up with the Arcazam Council."

Arcazam Council. It seemed that they were trying to use the requests from the emissaries of the various countries to put pressure and increase their influence.

It was true that the decisions regarding any Arcazam's operation were made by the council. If they want to reorganize the school, Jihad couldn't ignore it.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Yes, that is the extent of the responsibilities I have received from Egrod-sama."

Jihad responded in a nonchalant manner while taking Mekria's gaze head on.

Egrod Fabran. This is the name of one of the aristocrats of the country of Foskia that Mekria serves, and a person who opposes the development of Solminati Academy itself.

Mekria probably didn't think that she could say anything about the school and Arcazam's response at this moment. She backed off easily, turned on her heel, and headed for the door of the room.

Mekria, who had her hand on the doorknob of the office, suddenly turned around as if she remembered something.

"Ah right. You've taken a long time, but there seems to be no detailed report regarding the battle with that demon beast."

"Don't worry about it. We will definitely be able to give a proper report in the next council meeting."

"I see. What kind of battle was it? ....... I'd love to hear about it. That demon beast is a common threat to those who live on this continent. I'm hoping that some of our feelings of anxiety can be lifted."

"... Yes, definitely."

After exchanging words with each other, this time, Mekria disappeared to the other side of the door.

Silence drifted through the office.

Perhaps it was due to the tension the two of them were giving off, Inda found her own heartbeat echoing in her ears.

However, she still had something to report to Jihad. While clutching the bundle of papers in her hands, she stepped forward.

"Jihad-dono. It has been reported that the member in question disappeared at certain times before this mission. Also, no one in the residence saw Lady Mekria during that time. However, just before she disappeared, the guard who had been attached to her confirmed a trace of a magic reaction. That location is ......."

"Is it in the residence where Mekria-dono is currently staying? ..."

"Yes, also ...... probably she was the one who snuck an infiltrator in the Starlight."

Inda's voice became quieter and quieter. The next thing Jihad knew, silence filled the office once again.

Jihad slowly leaned against the back of his chair. The sound of a creaking chair echoed through the quiet office.

"... I can't do a forced investigation without definitive evidence. And given the dexterity of the insider's disposition, it's unlikely that there's strong evidence. And tomorrow's Alcazar regular parliament. Must attend "

As long as there is no definite evidence, we can't do an investigation. Given the swiftness with which the infiltrator was disposed of, it's unlikely there's any strong evidence left. Besides, I have to attend the regular council meeting in Arcazam tomorrow."

While looking up at the ceiling of the office, Inda gave a small nod to the words coming out of Jihad's mouth.

"She will be quite enthusiastic and I'm sure she'll cut into the fact that this incident was caused by a school student in the next Council."

"Yes ... What are we going to do about it?"

"Well, we've done all we can do. We'll have to make good use of Abyss Grief's information. I've also taken some preparations to deal with Mekria-dono. It won't be ready in time for tomorrow, though ..."

Despite Inda's concerns, Jihad turned his chair around and looked out the window.

The city of Arcazam had returned to its bustling daily life as if the incident had never happened.

The bell that announced the start of the school day rang throughout the school building.

"Classes are about to begin. Inda-dono, shouldn't we hurry?"

"Y-yes! Excuse me."

As he watched Inda leave the office after bowing, Jihad was thinking about the future of this school

The incident that Ken and Abyss Grief had caused this time would haunt them for years to come. But time has a way of leaving everything in the past.

Certainly, it was an incident that left a bad aftertaste on them.

One person died. He was a young man with a bright future and was about to get married.

Ken Notis, who was responsible for the incident, had been parasitized by the Abyss Grief and he ended up doing something that couldn't be talked about in public.

Jihad's face distorted in shame. He found himself clenching his fists as hard as he could.

This incident. It was a complete blunder for them.

They were behind in every sense, and this was the result of it.

The Abyss Grief's peculiarity was one thing, but not having a complete grasp of the students' abilities was outrageous.

To be honest, Jihad felt like cutting his own throat.

But he couldn't just throw away his responsibility. It was easy to imagine what would happen if Arcazam was reorganized.

Without a doubt, the quality of the students at Solminati Academy will decline. As a result, not only the students but also many others would die.

The countries that were under the threat of demon beasts would request to dispatch the school students as soldiers as soon as possible. Countries that were in a safe zone would want Arcazam's technology and would try to weaken the city's power.

Indeed, the students were still lacking in experience. However, as they study and train at this school, they would definitely be able to develop their basic skills.

There might be times when they fell into a tight spot due to lack of experience, but if they were strong enough, there was a chance they could survive.

By surviving, they would gain invaluable experience, which they could use for the next time, pass on to others, and thereby help many people.

However, if they couldn't acquire even that basic power, they would be killed without being able to do anything.

Moreover, the graduates of this school would be the core of those who would fight off the great invasion when it happened again. However, if the core had no strength, many of the people under them would fall prey to the demon beasts.

As a result, the number of victims increased in a chain reaction. It was honestly inconceivable how far the damage would spread ...

"... There's no point in regretting it now."

Jihad meditated and calmed his mind.

Regret still swirled in Jihad's chest. But he couldn't just stay like that.

At this point, Jihad's own thoughts were secondary. All he could do was to protect this place where he could give his students as much training as possible.

Jihad thought to himself as he watched Arcazam return to its daily routine.

"The problem is what should we do with 'him'..."

In a way, it reminded him of the key figure in this incident.

Nozomu Bountis. He and Lisa Hounds still haven't woken up.

Lisa Hounds was not a problem.

He had had the elf Shīna check the residue of the Abyss Grief, and she didn't show the slightest hint of it, nor had her physical examination revealed any abnormalities.

But at that time, Jihad witnessed a strange power leaking out of Nozomu Bountis' body.

It was neither magic nor Qi, but a pure torrent of elements. He had never seen power like that before.

Jihad had also seen the sight of elements solidifying and appearing like a haze. Some spirit species used similar powers. But it was usually limited to a single attribute.

If they tried to control multiple elements, especially conflicting elements, they never knew what would happen when different powers interfered with each other.

What Nozomu Bountis did at that time, the sight of multiple elements appearing at the same time was impossible.

Furthermore, the magnitude of the power that erupted was also out of this world. It was not a power that one person could contain.

"Well, it's true that the boy will be a headache for you guys~~"

"...~!?"

Suddenly, a voice echoed in the office.

Jihad turned around, and before he knew it, an old man with a white beard was sitting on the sofa in the office.

The old man, with an aloof smile on his face, was fiddling with a cane in his hand and smiling wryly.

"Well, well. Now that I'm here, why don't you at least offer me some tea and confectionery?"

"Old man ..."

At first, Jihad was so surprised that he could only stare at him, but he quickly regained his composure and turned his stern gaze to Zonne.

Jihad hadn't even felt his presence until he spoke to him.

Jihad's alertness swelled at once, and fighting spirit leaked from his entire body.

An old man with an unknown identity and an unknown purpose. He may look like a good-natured old man, but Jihad knew firsthand that his abilities could not be underestimated.

However, he knew that Zonne had a great deal of information about not only Abyss Grief, but also Nozomu Bountis.

That was why Jihad was determined to get the information out of Zonne, at all cost.

Perhaps sensing Jihad's atmosphere, Zonne erased the childish smile that had been on his face earlier.

"The situation has changed. I decided I'd tell you a little bit about myself."

Jihad's eyes widened in surprise when he heard those words.

Zonne had disappeared in a flash after Nozomu and Ken had fallen. Naturally, Jihad had searched the entire city, but he hadn't been able to find Zonne's tail or even his footprints.

That's why Jihad hadn't expected the old man to come in contact with him.

"...... I'm surprised."

"Hmm?"

"You were so concerned about Nozomu at that time. It's not clear, but I can imagine that there's a reason for that extraordinary power of his.? I thought that if you were going to talk to me, it would be about Nozomu-kun ..."

Jihad also sat down on the sofa, facing Zonne.

"Well, I have business with the boy, that's for sure. One of my purposes is to watch over that boy and the fate of "that guy" sealed inside him."

An answer that was predictable to some extent. Jihad did not speak back but waited for Zonne's next words.

"But it all depends on that little boy..."

Their gazes collided as they faced each other head-on.

There was a moment of silence between them, but it was Jihad who broke the silence and opened his mouth.

"This is my guess... You contacted me because it became difficult for you to achieve your goal?"

"... Why do you think so?"

"If your goal is to only keep an eye on Nozomu Bountis, then you should contact Ms. Anri instead because she understands him better than I do."

Zonne raised his eyebrows slightly at Jihad's words, but Jihad continued his words regardless.

"But you decided to make contact with me. Maybe ... you're in a situation where you're working alone. Aren't you a member of an organization or group? I don't know, maybe you're in a situation where you can't get help from your organization ..."

Zonne remained silent and continued to listen to Jihad's words with a masked expression.

He was so iron-masked that he didn't even move his eyebrows, but his expression itself indicated that Jihad's words were not far off the mark.

"I don't know why, but you want to keep an eye on Nozomu Bountis, but you can't afford to have any help in this city. You contacted me because I have a big position in this school. Isn't that right?"

As if giving up, Zonne let out a deep sigh and scratched his head.

The way he pouted like a sulking child was a sight that made him look like a weak old man, unlike the man who had cornered Jihad.

"I can't give you all the information, but I can't leave that boy behind. He could be the key to the future of not only this city but this continent. That's what that boy showed me at that time. That's why I decided to tell you everything I could..."

"...~!?"

Starting with those words, Zonne's mood changed drastically.

The tired, dull expression instantly disappeared, and instead, deadly energy reminiscent of an extremely cold snowstorm hit Jihad.

Jihad's whole body stiffened as if he were frozen, like a frog being stared at by a snake.

"You can't run away after you hear it. I'll never let you go! In case of emergency, I'll burn this whole city to the ground! Of course, including that little boy ..."

Jihad had never felt such a super-dense bloodlust before.

Abyss Grief at that time, or even at the time of the great invasion.

The seemingly unreliable old man looked like a huge monster he had never seen before.

"...Do you still want to hear what I have to say?"

Zonne's words were like a reminder.

If he heard this, he would definitely not be able to back down. There was no doubt that there would be a precipice behind his back as soon as he took a step forward.

However, there might not be another opportunity to hear from the old man other than now.

This office was now like a veritable battlefield. A split-second decision could make the difference between the future and the present.

In the tense atmosphere that froze his skin, many thoughts ran through Jihad's mind in an instant. He had already made up his mind. What he had to do was to protect this place.

A moment of silence. But the frozen time starts to move with Jihad's next words.

"... Let me hear it... Your story ..."

Zonne gave a small nod and slowly opened his mouth.

====================================

In her blurry field of vision, she could see two people facing each other.

Two men dressed in white. One of them carried a katana in his left hand, his hand resting on the hilt of the katana.

The other was a blond-haired young man with a reddish-black right arm raised in the air. Half of his body was transformed into a strange shape that did not look human, and his body emitted a black mist that looked like a miasma. A stinging sense of tension drifted around them.

She felt a tightening sensation in her chest, reminding her of a bag of water about to burst.

The tension continued to build. If more water were forced into the bag, which was filled to the limit, it will eventually burst because it cannot withstand the pressure.

And then that moment came.

The half-transformed young man rushed towards the man with the katana in a straight line.

The young man with the katana did not move. He stood still and did not make the slightest movement.

However, the next moment, five shining colors of light danced in front of him.

The light was violent and intense. Two young men collided. As the light illuminated her, her blurred vision slowly lost its color.

"Nn...."

Inside a medical facility set up in the Gloaurum Institute. Lisa woke up in a room that was completely isolated from the outside world.

The first thing that struck her was the pure white ceiling. The room was made of combined stones, with no windows and only medical equipment placed inside the room.

The ceiling was lit by a magic lamp, but the static white light made the simple room even duller.

"Lisa, you woke up ..."

When Lisa turned her head to the voice calling her name, she saw her best friend, Camilla, standing next to her bed.

"Camilla ... Where am I?"

"This is not the school ... but a medical facility within the Gloaurum Institute. We were transported here after the incident."

Lisa just tilted her head at Camilla's words, as if she didn't understand why she was lying in the bed.

"Don't you remember? You see ..."

"....Ah~"

Prompted by Camilla, Lisa finally remembered what had happened to her. At the same time, her face suddenly turned pale.

The truth that confronted her. The reality that it was she who had betrayed him, and it was she who had been hurting Nozomu all along, weighed heavily on Lisa's mind.

How much had she hurt him? How many selfish things had she done?

She had done things that deserved to be abandoned. Such regret and repentance stained Lisa's thoughts black.

Even so, Nozomu saved Lisa. Lisa vaguely remembered Nozomu's appearance at that time.

She remembered Nozomu's face as she looked at him, wounded and battered.

The scars that had been carved into Nozomu's body during the series of battles. There were several scars staining his pure white uniform.

The wounds may not have been deep, but they were not a number that could be ignored. If he was not careful, he could have lost a lot of blood and been in a dangerous situation.

The moment she realized this, Lisa hurriedly removed the sheet that was draped over her body.

"Nozomu ... Where is he!?"

"He's in the next room, but ...... calm down for a second!"

Lisa bounced up and tried to get out of bed, but Camilla stopped her.

Lisa's body was still weak and Camilla had been told by the doctor that Lisa was strictly forbidden to leave her room.

"Don't get up! Your body is not healed yet!"

"But ...!"

Certainly. Lisa felt her own body was heavy and her thoughts were hazy and unorganized. But she couldn't sit still like this.

Even though Camilla was holding her down, Lisa tried to get up. Camilla stared at Lisa from the front, as if to appeal to her.

Perhaps feeling that Lisa regained some of her composure through her gaze, she loosened the strength in her arms.

"Nozomu's still not woken up yet. From what I've heard, he had lost a lot of blood and it seems he collapsed due to overuse of Qi. Well, I think that's not the only reason ..."

Camilla's words and the scene in her dream she had seen earlier came back to Lisa's mind.

No, it wasn't a dream. That scene was definitely real.

"What was that light ...... that was coming out of Nozomu's body?"

"Lisa, were you watching that? I thought you were unconscious ..."

Perhaps it was the effect of the connection between their souls in the predatory barrier. It seemed she was remembering the scene in the form of a dream.

The outcome of that battle. She understood it clearly now. The blade that Nozomu pulled out sliced off Ken's right arm, and the torrent of power that flooded it obliterated the oddly shaped lump of flesh without a trace.

"Camilla ... What about Ken?"

"Ken is ..."

Camilla fell silent.

To be honest, Camilla had no idea what had happened to Ken. But when she visited Jihad and the others, they told her that Ken had been taken to the same facility.

However, the Abyss Grief had eroded his body and left him with such deep wounds. They doubted whether he could live a normal life. But before that, it was absolutely necessary to observe the side effects of that demon beast. At the very least, there was no doubt that he would be under strict surveillance.

"... In the previous case, the demon beast was attached to Jibin-san, who was injured by the demon beast, so I think both Lisa and Nozomu will be under observation for a while. But I'm sure you'll be released after some time."

Camilla left her seat and headed for the door of the room.

"Lisa, lie back down. I'll go get the doctor now."

As Camilla disappeared behind the door, Lisa slowly sat up.

Her body creaked and screamed as her joints stiffened from lying there for so long.

She climbed out of bed and put her ear to the door to listen to what was going on outside.

Camilla's footsteps were fading into the distance. She slowly opened the door and looked down the hallway, and saw Camilla's back at the end of the hallway.

The corridor was a single path, one side was a dead end, and there was only one way in and one way out. And at the end of the corridor, there was a military police officer wearing armor.

It was probably an isolated hospital room. There were no windows in the corridor or in the room.

Lisa walked out into the corridor without being noticed by the military police officer, who had their backs turned to her, and slipped into the next hospital room.

A bleak hospital room illuminated by a magic lamp. A young man was lying on a bed in the room.

"Nozomu ..."

Nozomu's name leaked out of Lisa's mouth. She slowly walked over to Nozomu, who was lying on the bed.

His chest rose and fell in a regular pattern. Apparently, his condition was stable.

However, there were bandages all over Nozomu's body, which was dressed in white.

Probably he had a slight fever due to his wounds. There was a wet towel on Nozomu's forehead and a tub of water beside him.

"I wonder if he has a fever... ~!"

Lisa's hand reached out spontaneously. But when her eyes turned to the bandages wrapped around Nozomu's body, she reflexively stopped her outstretched hand.

Looking closely, she saw that the gauze and bandages on his cheeks still had red stains on them.

His body's metabolism must have slowed down due to the exhaustion of Qi. The wounds had not fully healed yet.

Lisa's mouth distorted at the painful sight.

It was her fault that he had su-->>

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