Chương 103: Lizard's Tail (2)
Other than the lack of teachers, there wasn't anything strange. Sebastian diligently answered all of his exams.
'This is too easy…'
Sebastian had reviewed all the material he needed to study when he stayed in the dorms. With his memory, it was simple for him to read through a few books.
Now, as he looked through his paper, his hand was moving at an unperturbed speed. It didn't stop writing.
Some of the students couldn't help but glance at Sebastian from time to time in wonder. He hadn't participated in lessons seriously for almost the entire time he was enrolled. One school year was actually a little more than a year.
Real lessons happened from the start of the school year which was around January, until the end of the year. Then, the final exams would be held a few months later.
It was a complicated system compared to the regular schools but there was no other choice. Unlike normal people, Inheritors couldn't leave the school until they were truly able to be released to the outside world.
They were the hope of the people but at the same time, they could also be a symbol of fear. Without the right education and mindset, they could even become enemies of the very people they're sworn to protect.
"...And with that, I'm done."
Sebastian dropped his pen on his desk and sighed. He couldn't leave class early so all he could do was wait until the professor told them it was fine to be dismissed.
"Lookie here."
"?"
Sebastian—and all of the students, and the professor turned their heads. The classroom was silent until that voice came along. There was a man wearing a mask accompanied by three others.
"This place is occupied by us and it'd be troublesome if we had everyone movin' around."
"You can't be here, we are having examinations—"
Bang.
The teacher was cut off and fell back.
"You see that?"
The man raised the fairly large weapon in his hands. It was a tube of metal attached to a handle. The man's finger was on what looked to be a trigger.
"Are y'all impressed? Heh."
The man chuckled as the students froze.
"This here's a weapon that can put you Inheritors in your places."
Sebastian frowned and looked at the professor who had collapsed. There was a hole in his shoulder and there was blood dripping down.
Not everyone might have seen it, but Sebastian did. There was a ray of light that shot through the professor's shoulder. It was so fast that Sebastian didn't know if he would be able to react to it in normal circumstances.
"Don't even try usin' yer abilities, it's pointless."
Just as he said that, a few of the students looked down at their hands in panic. None of their abilities were manifesting.
"W-why are you doing this?"
The professor asked as he clutched his shoulder. His ability had failed to activate as well.
"Ya haven't gotten it through yer heads yet? This is a hostage situation, and the entire school is the hostage."
"?!"
The students were alarmed and began to panic. Without their abilities, they were nothing more than regular people.
"Pipe down!"
The man shot his weapon and pierced the roof.
"If I catch any of y'all making noise, that there's going to splatter your brains out. Now, form a line and follow us."
"D-do as he says."
The professor informed the students. It wasn't wise for them to fight back, especially not when they didn't know of the enemy's numbers and couldn't use their abilities.
Sebastian blended among them. He could tell how strong the three were and he concluded that he could defeat them even without his abilities but much like the professor, understood the situation and obediently followed.
…
They were led to the gymnasium, the largest venue indoors. Though it was the largest, it was still difficult to fit all of the students currently in the school.
"Amy…"
Sebastian muttered as he frowned. Amy was led to the gymnasium as well.
"Why are all of you doing this?"
Amy questioned them. Her gaze was unyielding even in the face of danger.
"Isn't it obvious? We want something, and the only option of getting that is to take this academy hostage. No doubt that the entire city will be in chaos and agree to our demands."
"You won't get away with this. The houses will launch an operation to hunt all of you down."
"You don't think we've thought that much through? You're really underestimating us, Miss Luna. Is threatening the only thing you can do now that your abilities are sealed?"
—It appears this is quite the situation.
"Balanos! Where have you been?"
—I was resting. That aside, what's happening here?
"The entire school is being held hostage by those guys. They're holding unfamiliar weapons that fire faster than our abilities."
—With the overwhelming number, it's impossible for them to contain everyone.
"Yeah, but there's one problem, none of us can use our abilities."
—Hm? No, that shouldn't be possible… Unless it's that item.
"Which one are you talking about?"
Though Sebastian was inside a sea of students, nobody could hear his whispers.
—It was lost during the war. A weapon made with the stigma in mind. It could seal the abilities of Primogenitors in a wide area. Using it, the users of the stigma won many skirmishes and battles.
"How did they win?"
—Because they could still use their abilities under the item's influence. Unfortunately, the weapon was lost due to the God.
'They could still use their abilities? Then couldn't I?'
Sebastian felt his left hand. He used some energy and cut apart the ropes that bound him.
"That means, I'm the only one who can fight them."
—So it seems. Call upon my armor at anytime, it'll protect you from whatever they wish to do.
"Got it. For now, I'll take watch of the situation."
Luckily, they didn't try to actively try to hurt anyone. They were hostages, after all. Having less of them injured means the more they can get.
Just then, a few of the people left the room. Around three-fourths of the masked people were left behind while the remaining fourth tried to leave.
Sebastian looked around and after seeing nobody looking in his particular direction, he used the ability that he had been training for three months to use.
"Be one with the shadows."
Sebastian muttered and his body instantly submerged in his own shadow.
With the number of people crowding the area, nobody noticed the abnormality of a figure traveling from shadow to shadow at a frightening speed.
Sebastian quickly managed to leave the gymnasium without attracting any suspicion and rested in the shadow of one of the masked people. Though he didn't technically need to be in the shadow of another, it was a safer bet than making his own unnatural shadow.
"So, how much do you think we'll get out of this?"
"Fool, do you really think we're going to get anything?"
"What? Then, why did we kidnap all of those students and professors for if we aren't extorting money? Each of their families must be filthy rich!"
"Tell that to our superiors. Besides, do you think we'd be able to get away if we do that?"
The man on the left of Sebastian rolled his eyes and clasped his companion's shoulder.
"Look, though I'm not sure, I can feel that our goal this time isn't money. Some of us have already moved away from our patrol spots, they must've been informed."
"That's unusual."
"Right? We've always moved for money until now, so why the sudden change? Well, not like we have anything to say about it."
Just as the two of them finished their talk, Sebastian appeared from their shadows and inpacitated the one whose shadow he had hidden in.
"Hm? Oi, where are you?!"
His companion, the man who had been the more knowledgeable of the two seemed to notice his comrade's missing presence.
"You'll be joining him soon."
"Wha-?!"
He couldn't finish his cry as Sebastian dragged him into his own shadow like his companion.
Soon, another masked man appeared from the corner of the hallway.
"Eh? I was pretty sure that I heard voices coming from around here."
The man scratched his head. He lowered his weapon and turned around.
"Boo."
…
"Are you sure this is what we're looking for?"
"There's no doubt about it. It looks like the drawing, looks ominous though."
"There's nothing we can do about that. Look, just stuff it into the bag, I don't want to look at it anymore than I have to."
What they held was some sort of orb. Sebastian was looking at them through the shadows. Though he could take them all on, he needed to know of their motive.
And, he couldn't just interrogate one of them as that would take too much time.
From the gymnasium to here, which was the principal's office, he took down at least thirty masked people and with that number, he managed to figure out their identity. A terrorist group that had been the spark of trouble recently.
The Lizard's Tail.
The reason behind their name was unknown, but it was certain that they were nothing but trouble. In the past few months, they had killed many merchants trying to trade for a living and even looted many shops. Sebastian had even encountered a few of them while he was out selling his products a few weeks back.
With each successful job, they leave behind their symbol, a lizard with its tail cut off.
'What do these dangerous bunch want with the school?'
They definitely knew about the absence of the school's teaching staff. If they hadn't, then they would be very brave for charging into a place like this with just their weapons.
"How long will the item last? Even if we gather everyone, we wouldn't be able to get rid of the threats of those damn kids."
"They said that it would last for as long as the operation. Don't be too worried, the higher-ups have a lot of faith in it after all."
The two of them conversed as they stuffed the orb into the bag. Once they were finished packing, Sebastian emerged from the shadows and knocked out the both of them.
"What the heck is this thing?"
It looked ominous. Sebastian had seen it from within the shadows but holding it within his hands was an entirely different feeling. It looked like it would devour a person with just its miasma alone.
It was a familiar miasma, one that made Sebastian's blood boil.
"...Balanos."
—I can feel it. They used this to make Ptelea into that.
There was a trace of anger in her voice.
"It looks like there's enemies not just outside, huh…"
Looking at the orb, Sebastian marked another target he needed to be wary of.
The principal of Aurora Academy.
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