...what happened to this old childlike friend of mine?

She was just hugging me as if something had happened to me, well, I was practically dying from this pain but, it wasn't something new to me.

I knew Anna could feel the emotions, but I also knew she can't tell just from the feeling of cussing a lot that I was in that much pain but this one was different.

Even her eyes couldn't tell I was in too much pain, and she wouldn't just react like this because of some pain.

Then... why was she like this?

Hugging her back and caressing her back, I asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Her grip around me tightened, and in an even more hesitant voice, she asked while burring her face in my shoulders.

"Your soul... the entire soul shook and almost crumbled down when you punched him..."

She could barely say those words, and I could hear her wildly beating heart.

She was the only one to act like that, and Anna... she also couldn't stop her tears.

But everyone just stood some distance away, waiting for this one to finish her long hug.

Everyone knew for a while now... she was afraid.

She had lived longer than us, but she was still young, and this was the first time she was having all these feelings.

She was different from mom in this matter... a weak one in matters of the heart.

Mom believed, no, she just knew nothing could happen to me, so even though her heart told her something happened to me, even though she felt restless, and even though she knew I would be harmed for certain... she just knew I would come back.

Just like I had come back from some impossible-looking place.

She had this belief only a mother could have but, this one was different.

I didn't know her eyes could even see the fluctuation of soul energy but, as she saw it... my soul definitely almost decreased for a moment.

But this was just the result of using that technique.

It used all kinds of energies inside my body, even the most fundamental soul energy.

And if something happens to the soul, it naturally means the person's life was in danger.

Just this much clearly explained her wildly beating heart. This cold sweat also covered the body with this high temperature.

Even her uneven breaths and her shaking eyes a moment ago...

She was frightened, afraid of losing me.

But this old child-like friend of mine was afraid for nothing.

"I'm fine...

See, there's not even a scratch on my body. Though it's meaningless to think you won't notice that internal pain.

But, well, it's nothing compared to the training I have been put through.

So, I'm fine, and everyone is watching. If you continue this, how will they hug me?

I'm theirs, too, right?"

Still hesitant and with shaking hands hugging me from behind, she looked up at me with her tear-filled shining pink eyes that looked just... marvelous.

I loved those eyes for some reason, and maybe she loved mine, too.

She was just looking deep into my eyes, just staring, and as we just stared into each other's eyes, all the sounds in the world faded away.

There were just the two of us right now.

Just us in this quiet place, with our warm bodies joined, feeling every part even with this thick clothing, she... wanted to do something right now.

And I knew I also wanted that.

But... it wasn't time yet.

It was difficult, too difficult in this particular situation, but I closed my eyes and just hugged her back.

This surprised her and also took her out of that magical state and back to the devastated arena, with both our families lovingly looking at us.

She couldn't see them from this angle but, she didn't need to see that to know just what kind of faces they would be making.

I knew, and I knew she knew it, too.

It wasn't time yet.

We will do that, maybe more, and everything as time passes... but it wasn't time yet.

Now, she had that signature blush of hers that I adored dearly, and I rejoiced at the fact that I had this third eye to look at her even while looking at the front and... I always remember these kinds of moments.

She was cute, and this hug ended with her going to the very back of everyone and just standing behind her grandma while just looking down and hiding her face.

Just like some cute little girl.

'She's the same girl who tied me to a tree with her indestructible chains, cussed left and right, and killed countless beings without hesitation? Yes... sure.'

We used to call this kind tsundere. But she was different, in some aspects, at least.

Well... she's adorable.

Sighing internally, I opened my arms and caught the little angel running towards me with that same crying face her big sister had.

And I just helplessly caught her, and just stood there as mom also hugged me after I stood there with her in my arms.

My dear family... they were worried, and the reason was this old fella behind me, looking at every one of us warmly.

Though he was getting death glares filled with bloodlust from the rest of my family, aside from an awkward smile, he was still standing there shamelessly.

'It's all your fault. Death would be a mercy for you at this point, headmaster.

They know you are like an immortal cockroach, tough and coming back even after getting its head cut off.

But you... you are definitely going to get tortured to death for this one.

Test... you say. Yes, now they will take your 'test'.

Test your endurance, love for life, and reaction to different kinds of pain.'

I can see that thick bloodlust, what more, they actually wanted to kill him right here, and right now.

But they were helpless.

Deep down, even they knew he was a good person, slave to his desires for excitement and adventures.

So they were just going to keep him for a night, in the underground torture chambers just above this floor.

They will have even more fun than in the afternoon when they beat him for just some minutes.

I didn't even want to pray for his good health. He deserved it even after my punch.

Mom and Anna... I worried them too much because of my own selfishness.

Anna was even more afraid because even though mom knew how I felt even without Anna's ability, Anna was actually feeling those things.This chapter's initial release occurred on the N0v3l-B1n site.

I had some idea how it would feel because I can feel the other beings connected to me like Celes, Zoe, and Ronna.

Even Lucy and Asta.

I can feel their emotions but, Anna can feel all emotions.

And fortunately, it was up to her if she wanted to know the emotions of people and not something like a forever passive characteristic, like my memory or Alf's sharp mind.

She was special, but the ability that was meant to help others sometimes asked for greater strength, endurance, and mental strength as one went forward.

Anna was afraid right now, not as much as Rein, but... she was afraid.

The things I felt were good with me.

Explaining them and putting them into words was painful in itself.

But she could feel those unexplainable pains. And this was most probably her first time feeling something like this.

And a poor young girl who has felt nothing but good things throughout her sheltered life... though she understood everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about, she was still afraid.

I knew she will be fine, now that I was fine, and she knew that I was alright.

I was just relieved she was such a wonderful kid.

Mom was worried, but she knew I was fine, so she was just hugging me to ease her pain, and so does mine.

I was fine but, having these two with me made me feel complete.

And I wanted to just be in this moment for as long as I can... but maybe this bastard of a headmaster couldn't watch this heartwarming scene for more, and called my name loudly, breaking the serenity this destroyed place had.

"Eon...?" his voice was sincere sounding and my third eye had already returned to the other floor to check things up.

His voice was truly annoying for this moment after all he had done today.

Even that punishment was nothing compared to the rage I felt.

I didn't want to look and just hug them like this, but mom tapped my back and released me from her gentle embrace.

This one surprised me, as well as a confused expression of how they didn't react to these words as it should clouded my face.

And a surprise even greater than the previous one painted my face as soon as I looked back at the old, young-looking headmaster.