บท 61: Aftermath!
[Tokyo Central]
[Thursday, 5.03 A.M]
*Ding**Dong*
No one responded to the bell for a lot while before the sound of rings become vigor.
"Ah...who in the seven hells disturbing so early in the morning". Sasha yelled in irritation. Subaru was also feeling heavy that's why he didn't wake up on the first ring, thinking that it would stop eventually.
However, he got up in the end.
" Sleep, I will check it". Subaru kissed her forehead gently before he got up from the bed. Sasha smiled and nodded with her eyes half-closed as she was darn tired because of a series of events.
Subaru slid a shirt over his bare upper body, as he approached the door.
The bell stopped ringing as soon Sasha yelled, because of the mana she leaked frustratedly. Subaru felt a familiar mana presence outside the door so he didn't dwell much to check on the person.
However, he was surprised to see who was on the other side of the door.
"Sorry for the disturbance Nishimiya Subaru."
Standing in tettered condition stood Rengoku with three other familiar faces behind him. Subaru's eyes widened in shock upon seeing their condition but first, he let them in and closed the door.
Except for Subaru and Fubuki in the room, everyone else was ragged and hurt from one way or another.
Theo was severely injured from top to bottom and Ririka was just weakened due to the absence of a great amount of mana. Since their clothes were still intact, it seemed that this wasn't the first place they went after getting injured.
Subaru healed them back to normal condition except for Ririka. He still couldn't transfer mana to others which always makes him sigh in disappointment. He placed her beside him as she leaned her body and left herself unguarded and fragile completely in his embrace.
"What happened?" After everyone settled down Subaru asked Rengoku who was sitting on a chair opposite to them.
"We were attacked.". He exhaled heavenly before continuing. "After you left, the school went into chaos. The remaining four of our team were discussing whether we should stay or leave however before we could conclude to our particular decision, the evacuation alarm went off". Rengoku stopped before rigidly gripping his katana.
" Before I could understand and react, the heavy bombardment started dropping on the island. The barrier was shattered and every instructor including us was powerless against those mana imbued missiles. It was fortunate that Ririka dono was with us or we might not have made it.". Subaru embraced Ririka more closely upon realizing what mistake he did. He left everyone behind as he didn't know what to do for now.
He would have contacted Ririka after a day as at that moment he was exhausted more than he thought.
However, looking back, he almost lost his friends and love just because of his own irresponsible behavior.
"Any idea who they were?" Subaru asked to which Theo responded this time.
"They were from Kingdoms. I don't have legit evidence but the information I gathered during the month, I am certain that they were from James' homeland." Subaru didn't speak and including him, everyone else stared at Theo.
"Since I didn't have my system in school, I wasn't able to deduct everything. However, from the partial results of my investigation, James was on a cover mission. He never got disowned from his country but was sent undercover to investigate something." Subaru raised his brows as he heard Theo's words.
Fubuki had little to no knowledge about this matter so she just listened to her son, in oblivion.
"And for what he was investigating, it's still unknown. I am sorry." Theo slumped back in disappointment before Fubuki held his hand firmly and sent a hopeful glance toward Subaru.
Subaru knew what it was so he obliged and said, "It's okay Theo. You did well". Theo's previous frown disappeared a little as he huffed his chest a little. It was amusing how fluently his mood could swing.
The room went silent for some moments. Every eye focused on the man sitting with a serious expression on his face.
Subaru regulated his thoughts some seconds before calling his new recruit.
"Hubris". A black shadow emerged in the middle of the room, with his body kneeling on the ground and head facing downward in respect.
A gasp resounded as Rengoku and Ririka felt a familiar aura from the shadow. It wasn't a doubt that the black cladded shadow whose eyes were glittered in purple hue, was none other than the previous top student, James Anderson.
[My King.] With a deep heavy voice, the shadow greeted his liege. By this time everyone knew that Subaru had {Necromancy} skill, but still looking at it by themselves, it felt completely unbelievable.
"What was your purpose in the school?"
[I was sent to investigate a certain person in that school, my King] The reply came without a hitch.
"Who sent you? And I want the particular name of the person."
[As you desire my King.] Pausing for what could count as an accurate second, he continued.
[I was trained by the British Hunter's Association, for this mission. Except for some of the higher-ups, everyone else knew me as a normal awakened. So my exile doesn't create uproar. Alexander Markov, the chairman of the association knew about this all as he was the one who persuade this undercover mission, in the first place.] The shadow concluded without pausing.
Subaru sighed as it wasn't surprising as he assumed.
He called back the shadow for now, on which Theo suddenly spoke up.
"Wait! Shouldn't you ask him about the person he was investigating?" Kyojuro also anticipated it, so he looked toward Subaru confusingly.
Subaru made an uneasy face as he already had a hunch about the person but for some certain reason, he didn't want to involve others in this. Knowing him very well, Fubuki interjected in the conversation before Subaru could say something.
"Theo, I think there are some of the things, we better not be aware of, right?" Theo immediately realized his mistake and with an apologetic look, nodded.
"What about Yuno?" Subaru asked and felt Ririka's grip stiffening on him. He patted her head to soothe her before she groaned and embraced him more closely.
"After returning here she immediately went her own way. I didnt asked as it felt unnecessary and somewhat dangerous".
The room again fell into silence before Subaru broke it with words that no one would have expected.
" I would like to apologize for what happened. It is my fault that you guys aren't able to study in that school anymore." Subaru bowed lightly making everyone's eyes wide, including Kyojuro.
"W-what...I mean you don't have to. There were some of the things which I learned from there but it's not like I can't learn them without the school". Theo panicked but said exactly what he thought.
" My purpose of going there is fulfilled so you don't have to shoulder the guilt, my friend". Kyojuro was also honest with his words.
"I went there only because of you..." Ririka murmured under her breath and this fact was already known by Subaru so he just smiled at her. Before he could continue a sluggish voice was heard by everyone.
"What commotion is going on so early in the morning..." Sasha walked toward the living room wearing only Subaru's shirt and buttons partially intact.
Theo's face immediately went red as he closed his eyes. Kyojuro was continuously facing Subaru without breaking his line of sight.
(A/N: Eternal Chad.)
Fubuki dashed toward Sasha and with a chop on her head, she broke Sasha's trans.
"Ouch."
"See how you are dressed before you walk out, sleepyhead". Fubuki bent forward and started buttoning her shirt properly. Sasha opened her eyes finally and while rubbing her head, saw the people in front of her.
She went red immediately and hid herself, taking Fubuki as cover.
Subaru chuckled before he rose from his seat, after leading Ririka to a resting posture on the couch.
" Mom, until I get back, can you take care of Ririka?" He asked in a gentle tone. Sasha frowned before she realized the reason.
"I will. But where are you going?"
"Just on a stroll. " As he said Kyojuro also got up facing Subaru.
"I will also take my bid. I hope we will meet in future Nishimiya Subaru". He extended his hand which was equally received.
" I have a premonition that we will meet soon. But anyway, until next time my friend".
_________...________
After seeing off Fubuki and Theo, and leaving Ririka and Sasha at home, Subaru teleported to a certain part of the town, outside of Tokyo.
The part where he appeared was a torn-out place, void of any existence if one was to see from the outer cover. However, deep under the cover reveals something else.
Subaru checked the surroundings and defenses around the area and was surprised to find the presence of heat and mana detectors, which were only exclusive to the association. Naturally, the detectors didn't perceive the no-mana-man as Subaru proceeded inside the fortress.
The next thing he saw after he teleported was a town situated under the same torn land. Building a society underneath the ground was an admirable feat to achieve. It was astonishing to see how many people were inhabiting a place that no one could even guess until they were high-class hunters. But taking the location into the account, it was highly unlikely that any high-ranked would come here.
The place where he was standing was an office-like room that had a huge glass fixed at the front, giving the full view of the town.
The scene was so calm and relaxing that Subaru felt like watching it for hours but he sighed and remembered the purpose of coming here.
Turning his head, he saw a pink-haired girl, lying on the couch in a pitiful condition. Her pretty hairs were disheveled with her face stained with dark burnt marks. Her clothes were burnt all over the place, making her almost naked.
She was sleeping when Subaru came so he didn't bother her and used [Regressor], to heal her up.
He walked quietly toward her before crouching down to level his face with hers. He gently tugged her hairs behind her ears and watched her, silently for quite some time.
'Today, whether our paths will diverge or be intervened for forever'.
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A/N: Drop a comment if you are liking the stroy~
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