———Kenni———

  <11: 59 am>

  “I certainly didn’t expect to see her here, of all pces.” I remarked.

  “You actually know who that is?” Wiina said, finding that idea rather surprising.

  “I’ve seen her around a few times. I was checking some major incidents and looking at it from the sidelines, and she was there.” I expined myself. I have heard some rumors about her as well, something about… Well. It’s not important right now.

  “Considering we haven’t heard anything about you being there, I guess you didn’t even bother to help.” Karra said. That is true, but does she have to be so accusatory with that tone?

  “Well you didn’t have to word it like that.” I really don’t want to risk my life if I could help it. I’m plenty confident in my own strength, but I’m also plenty confident where my limits lie.

  “Lightning affinity, is an elemental sub-species associated with pnts, using man-made weaponry. Quite the contradiction.” Wiina remarked, finding her to be weirdly mismatched. “Do you know anything about her that you’d say is interesting?”

  “I never interacted with her, but from what I know, some weird… government shadow cabal thingy seems interested in her. Does that help?” I still don’t fully know what’s going on with that particur group, and the guy I interrogated is just a grunt with very little info.

  “Huh. Sounds like a rough time.” Wiina commented, not sounding too interested. “Hope you didn’t inadvertently end up on their shit list somehow, or this pce might no longer be one of the more peaceful ones.

  “I made sure no one spotted me, I’m pretty darn confident about that.” They don’t need to worry on that front. The guys I interrogated are already taken care of. “Also, wouldn’t the fact that she’s here mean her enemies will come here too?”

  “...I guess that is true. Though at that point they must’ve already had something in mind.” She said, looking rather confident that things are under control. “So what did you think of the two fights? I know it kinda dragged on, but none of them are really that keen on losing. It’s not like they’re match fixing.”

  “I mean. The fact that they aren’t going all out kinda makes it seem a bit scripted, let’s just say.” Karra chimed in. “You have an idea of how much they’ve been holding back, right? Out with it.”

  “Uhhh…” Her tone became awkward as she’s clearly trying to dodge the question. “The first match held back a lot more than the second. Is that enough?”

  “Can you really not say more?” I asked, wondering why she’s so hesitant.

  “It’s not that I can’t. I’m not exactly disclosing their personal information or whatever, but it is still something they’re intentionally hiding, so it’d be wrong to-

  “You’re still a sappy bitch, huh.” I cut her off, seeing that she clearly doesn’t trust us… or maybe just me, to keep quiet. “Just stop with the reasoning and tell us the most you’re willing to.”

  “...That was uncalled for, don’t you think?” Karra said with displeasure in her tone.

  “It’s fine. Let’s not fight.” Wiina said before taking a long sigh. “To put it in the simplest terms I could think of. If you and Karra are around level 100, just for the sake of the argument, then the participants of the second match would be around level 300, while the first match would be… level 10,000. Obviously none of them can really show power anywhere close to their actual level, their performance is more akin to what you two can already do.”

  “So is this level like… a power level or RPG level.” I’m asking just to be certain. One is linear, one is exponential.

  “RPG level.” She answered. So the gap is even rger than times three or times a hundred.

  “How the heck do they even…” I was about to ask how they get so much power in such a short amount of time, but then I remembered a keyword that came up in our group conversation. “Ahdeid…”

  “Don’t say you figure that out to their face if you could help it.” Wiina said. “Imagine calling someone that old.”

  “Hah! That’s your concern?” I said with a scoff, knowing full well that’s not what she meant at all.

  “I don’t think anyone will be pleased with being called a fossil.” Karra said to her defense. Get a room, you two.

  “Yeesh. So what’s the pn for the afternoon?” Is it going to be more of those folks, or perhaps something else?

  “You’ll just have to wait to see.” She said before taking a sip of tea. “Will you be joining?”

  “Hmm… I guess I could. What would happen if there are too many people anyway?” I don’t see why I wouldn’t, though the fact that we don’t really know what the actual pn would be is rather concerning.

  “They have some contingency in mind, don’t worry about that.” Wiina said. So she can at least say that much. “But would there be so many willing to sign up? They don’t even know what it’s about aside from putting them on the stage.”

  “People were hel fired up once the matches were over. They keep talking their ears out.” Karra pointed out. “Obviously that doesn’t correte to possible participants entirely, but a big number is still a big number.”

  “I’m surprised it was even received that well. It’s basically a pit fight.” Wiina pointed out. “Maybe they’re just so starved for this kind of spectacle again. A lot of events are closed down, be it sporting events or others.”

  “Who really knows the reason as to why.” I said, not seeing that part as particurly important. There is something more important to talk about, or to be more specific, something I am quite curious about. “There’s one thing I like to ask, actually. Did you get a clear answer from this mastermind?”

  “Hm? Oh. You mean whether or not they’re making child soldiers? They’re not.” She answered nonchantly. From her tone it is pretty clear that she believes in that answer. “Where did Useph get the ludicrous idea anyway? He’s usually not the one to spout nonsense.”

  “...The hell are you looking at me for?” What’s with that gaze she’s giving me.

  “To be fair, he didn’t exactly put much stock into it.” Karra remarked. “Still a weird cim, since it’s not like that’s the main focus. Most of the training is just from other students wanting to try it out.”

  “Hopefully this event doesn’t make that kind of thought fre up again. There’s a difference between aspiring people and whatever he’s insinuating.” Wiina said, not wanting to have to deal with what she considered a rather infmmatory theory. “Also, can we talk about that?”

  “That?” Karra echoed, confused as to whatever she could mean. I have a few guesses, but I don’t really know which one she’s talking about.

  “Yesterday’s incident.” She eborated. Right. That whole mess.

  “I thought we agreed that it happened because it’s Monday, and everyone hates Monday.” I jokingly said, not even knowing what else we could say on the topic.

  “What do you want to talk about, in regards to it.” Karra asked, choosing to entertain her. I can’t help but feel like this is just a way to avoid any hard-hitting questions.

  “The fact that they choose to gang up on that guy again. It’s been four times at this point!” She said, sounding oddly infuriated. “They’re lucky they get to keep their heads at all.”

  “Weird that he seems to be a magnet for bullies, but that can’t be the only reason you’re concerned, right?” Karra pointed out. It is a weird thing. Wana and the others have to intervene personally whenever this specific person gets involved. Something weirdly special about that guy. All I really know about him is that he’s a meek kid from a different cssroom. I don’t even know his name.

  “Yeah. I think it’s important to have someone else know about this, especially an instigator like you.” Wiina said while looking straight at me.

  “So what’s the key info?” No need to beat around the bushes, right?

  “That guy has an… explosive transformation. When his emotions run wild, his power increases massively, and he will cause destruction in his wake.” …Hold on. Isn’t that like someone we know?

  “...The Krusher?” Karra muttered, bewildered by the sudden revetion. That giant brute that terrorizes the town for a little bit before Wiina shows up and he never shows his face again. “He’s here, of all pces?”

  “I mean. In hindsight it makes sense.” I said as I’m scratching my head. “He’s mainly aiming his uncontrolled rage at people he recognizes, and we’re part of the same school. It sorta made sense.”

  “He is nothing the security can’t handle, but the talk of having a wanted man is definitely not a welcomed scenario.” Wiina pointed out. “And since he’s an old guard, it would be very suspicious to turn away his application.”

  “It would be a whole new rabbit hole to jump into.” I said, just thinking about how confused and irritated the authorities will be if they ever figure this out. “Guess they’re pying dumb for now?”

  “You could say that. It’s a matter that is quite delicate.” She replied. “But in truth, the third party doesn’t care too much about it in the long run, but Mana definitely does.”

  “Pour one out for our dear principal, I guess.” I sarcastically said. Just what a weird turn of conversation this has come to.

  ———Lynda———

  <12: 31 pm>

  “...You sure you know how to do it?” I asked Trener, still feeling skeptical.

  “Of course I do! Watch me pull all kinds of amazing stunts down there!” He confidently said. Not sure if it’s ignorance or bravado, but good for him, I guess?

  “...Are you sure this friend of yours is gonna be fine?” Fiss asked before chugging down the st bit of the soup in the bowl.

  “He’s tenacious, if nothing else.” I said, having the confidence to say that he is a guy with some merit.

  “Gals. Should I be hearing this?” He said, clearly not happy about the gossip being said in front of him.

  “I think it is best to hear some warranted criticism.” Kroin said, sounding rather bored, or maybe just focused? “I know my limit, so I won’t be joining myself.”

  “Do bookworms not at least know how to cast a spell?” Fiss asked with a tone that shows more innocent curiosity than mockery.

  “He does, but he isn’t a durable guy.” I answered in his stead. “We still don’t really know how this second half is gonna go down, so if it’s something like a free-for-all, a squishy guy like him won’t st.”

  “A bit too cautious, ain’t he?” She remarked. I guess the fact that it can’t be anything too dangerous since it involved the students might be part of why she thinks that way, but I got the feeling that won’t be the case at all.

  “Nothing wrong with that, I’d say.” I said to his defense. On another note. “And what about your friends? Shouldn’t you go talk to them?”

  “It’s fine.” She dismissively said. Is there an issue with them or something? Or does she just simply feel indifferent?

  “If you say so.” I said while taking a gnce at the others at the lunch table. They obviously have no idea what to make of a student from a different css sitting next to their cssmate. There’s nothing wrong with being acquainted with someone from a different css, of course, but it is making things awkward right now. “So if we’re just talking about our css. That’s… eight, eight people from our css signing up for it. Just how many are there actually gonna be?”

  “Even if we’re low-balling and say just one person per css, that’ll still be about fifty people, and I think we can be certain there are more people signing up than that.” Kroin answered, already doing the math. “Honestly speaking, while I can see them plopping everyone onto the field at once, something tells me there is more to this second half than just a simple free-for-all.”

  After I just expined his rationale, really?

  “Whatever it’s going to be, hopefully it’s not boring.” Trener meanwhile doesn’t seem all that concerned with logistics and such, and just wants a fun event.

  Most people probably have that sort of reasoning too, and who can bme them? This kind of discussion is going to become irrelevant in an hour anyway, we’re just talking nonsense at this point.