“Crunch, crunch, crunch...”

The balance… The crispiness… How can it be?

My hand trembled as the garlic bread burned my fingers with an aromatic steam, with a dip in the garlic sauce, I took a bite… A sudden bright light blinded me, a white cloud with a single hand reached out and grabbed my winged soul. I can finally die happily...

The man with his bulky muscular arms holding a basket, stood proudly behind the counter with his white chef hat and a smile that interrupted my ecstasy. More! GIVE ME MORE! Gently he placed the basket filled with fresh bread, I drooled and the man crossed his arms with a nod. Heh, don’t mind me then! Hastily feasting on the food for a while, the once bright smile turned grim, a drop of sweat fell from his forehead… “Eh, shouldn't you take it a bit slower?”

“No way!” I replied, continued my feast until I started to cough heavily.

The old chef sighed and gave me a glass of water that I quickly gulped down. A cold shiver cleared my throat. Phew… “Refreshing!!”. Now gliding down from the chair, I laid there relaxing with a heavy stomach. The chef shrugged “Well, I am happy to know that my bread taste that delicious… My name is Mohammed by the way, and yours?” He asked, reaching out a hand towards me.

Shaking the large hand, I smiled “Noah, Noah Akatsuki, I registered yesterday”

“Oh, that explains why you are here…” He fiddled with his mario mustache, “ Though are you an investigator or an Gun Magician?

I tilted my head, “Investigator?”

“Yeah, those with the dangerous role to find the sneaky infected”

Oh, that’s right… Master told me that majority that worked for The Order are the investigators, since the virus had evolved to the point that bare a similar anatomy as humans. The only point you would notice that they even existed in the first place, was the unreasonable disappearance of humans once in a while, because the virus couldn’t eat anything else for nutritions.

Hence the organisationen cooked up a few countermeasures, which one of them was to investigate the most suspicious people in the area of the missing person with the help of professionally trained people.

Funnily a group tried to protest against the human rights and privacy, until it was revealed that the leader of the group was a infected himself…

Of course there are also other roles in The Order like the scientist, strategist and much more, but the most important ones is the Gun Magicians, which I was. Though limited in numbers because no one knows where the guns come from. We only know that it is the most effective weapon against the virus and that you could only obtain one through succession from the previous owner or suddenly finding one at the middle of the street… I am the latter.

“Nah, I am a Gun Magician” I answered, hands resting behind my head.

Inspecting my body as he fiddled with his mustache, he gazed upon the emblem on my right chest. “You are awfully quick to join a clan…” He made a saddened expression,” And the Tower of Roses at that…”

Hmm? “What’s wrong with the Tower of Roses?”

“Eh? You don’t know?”

Sulking I answered,“I was kinda forced to join upon my first day here… But other than that, what’s wrong with the clan?”

He snickered, “ Not telling…”

“...” Right… Savouring it I see...

"Hmm? It looks like the men is back" He said pointing to the entrance of the male dormitory.

With a "Thud" the door opened and a large group of zombies poured in, groaning with each step they took towards the stairs. Meanwhile three musketeers still lively complained about something.

"Uhh... Whos idea was it to bet with the girls..." A brown haired guy complained..

"... You... idiot..." A blonde guy answered slapping the back of the other guy.

"Shut up both of you... I need some sleep..." A samurai looking guy frowned.

"If you didn't lose we wouldn't be so tired" The brown haired retaliated.

"Pfft, says the one who lost to a F rank..." The blonde taunted.

"Shut up, she backstabbed me!"

Turning back towards the counter as the mass of students made their way to their rooms, I asked "So... What did they do all night?"

"... You don't want to know... Either way, don't make a dumb bet like that brown haired guy and try to avoid getting dragged into one or you will end up like them"

"Right... I'll keep that in mind" I said, sipping the white cup with steaming tea that appeared out of no where. Hmm, nice...

"Oh, by the way, Mohammed do you know where the girl dormitory is?"

"Eh, at around 9 the loungeroom would reveal the other half that connects the dormitories, but if you are in a hurry, follow the wall of pillars outside and turn left twice at the corners and you'll see it straight ahead after a green garden"

"Really? Thanks Chef, also the food was great" I stood up and bowed.

He faced away, scratching his chin, "Eh, you don't have to bow... Just go already..."

"Heh, see you later" I smiled, waving and soon after left the building.

Taking a few steps down the stone steps, I stretched my arms and gazed upon the towers reaching towards the blue sky as seagulls flocked around. It is more amazing to see it up close after all... Especially that tower at the center that connected most of the buildings.

Though, time to pay Alicia a visit...

Following the wall of pillars of a large church like structure, I was amazed of the artwork carved out on the walls as I felt the cold and smooth bricks with my palm. Seeing a few nuns sweeping the sakura petals on the smooth stone floors near the front door, waving to me happily after they noticed me, I too replied back.

But soon after I stumbled into a garden of green and tall bushes, cut to look like animals. Walking past the giraffes, elephants and all sort of animals from Africa I stopped at one that looked like a doll.

Immediately sidestepping back I went into my kung fu stace... Wait, that's just a girl in gothic clothing...

"Waaaa!!" She cried, scrubbing her eyes that covered her face because of the large sleeves.

"What's wrong?" I asked the girl, crouched down to the same height and patted her black silky hair. ... Please don't steal my soul...

"I... I lost my ring nearby and I can't find it, Waaaaaa!" She pointed to a nearby grass.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find it, so please stop crying for your big bro, okay?"

She nodded, still scrubbing her eyes.

Nodding back, I started my search around the green grass nearby. Hm? What's that glittering thing over there... That was quick… Picking up the black ring devilishly carved out I turned around smiling "Here, I found..."

But she was nowhere to be found... A cold breeze passed me, I shuddered.

Guess, I hold onto this black ring for now... And, just like you said Chef , the building really is connected to each other.

Walking past the sakura trees with benches around them, I glanced upon the girls feeding their half dead boyfriends that laid soundly on their tights. Now I am really curious of how the brown haired guy caught everyone into the bet… And the bet itself.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

As I did, the gossips of a group of girls eating bentos on the bench caught my ear. “Hey, did you hear about the rumours? There is this creepy girl at school that vanishes the moment you turn your back on her”

“Eeeh? Really? How does she look like?”

“They say that she is as pale as snow, has a black and bloody gothic dress, and only appears when you are alone… Yes, she bares the resemblance of a doll and never shows her eyes.”

“Oh, yeah, someone said that if she stare into your eyes, your soul will be lost forever… Presumably a guy lies in coma at the hospital right now...”

“Eeeek!”

A drop of sweat rolled down from my forehead… I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear that…. Opening the door, the entrance had an exact mirror image of the male dormitory. Sitting behind the counter was a tall man with the green “PAPA” apron, who waved to me the moment I entered.

“Hey, are you looking for someone?” He said, putting the newspaper gently onto the counter.

“Uh, ah yeah… Can you tell me where Alicia’s room are, please? She should be from the Tower of Roses”

“Ah, her, at the third floor to the left.”

“Thanks”

“My pleasure” he picked up the newspaper again as I made my way to her room.

Moving past the hallway, a pleasant fragrance of perfume took hold as girls passed by with their chosen clothings that suited their style the most and profession. A few whispers behind my back, spoke about my clan crest, but I didn’t mind.

Alicia, Alicia… ah here… “Knock, knock, knock”

A few trembles could be felt shaking my feet, someone running in haste towards the door after falling from the bed. “Hello?” she said, black bags surrounding her eye as she stuck her head out with her bed clothes that revealed the good parts.

Turning away, bright red, I snickered “Hi, miss dorm manager… We meet again”

Silence took hold as she became flustered after noticing the reason. She closed the door on me.

“Knock, knock, knock”

No reply.

Well, I’ll sit outside here then… Taking out my pocket watch, I stared as the arm moved through the few minutes until she finally opened the door, ready with her outfit. Surprisingly she had a similar outfit, other than it was a skirt with a black and blue checkered colour instead. I gave her a thumbs up and cut right to the chase “You could have just asked me you know?”

She scratched her smooth redden cheek. “I suppose… But after over 100 declines I had to…”

“Eh? That’s fairly a lot… Why is that?”

She reached out a hand towards me “Well you know how there is Clan Ranks right?”

Grabbing the hand, helping myself up, I answered “Yeah, the team strength is counted in alphabets from A to F. whereas the F is the worst”

“That’s right” She beckoned me to follow, “My clan rank is … Not even ranked at all”

“Huh? That’s impossible… Usually it is around E even if it was newly created?…”

She shrugged “Yes… But I chose the worst possible combination of members…”

“That is?” I asked, she turned around and held my shoulders… Senpai… here?

“Everyone in my team is so lazy! All they do is play playstation 4 everyday! And our rank keeps degrading lower and lower!” She pouted.

Silence broke out and she removed her hands with a “Ahem” and we kept walking.

“So far we have survived because I” She held her chest “ I alone have done a few solo missions in thís year… But doing those alone will not keep our maintenance budget up, considering the low rewards...” She kept ranting for a while...

“So they are lazy, but why don’t you just disband the clan and create a new one?” I then asked with a shrug as we entered a coliseum like arena with a sun that bathed the floor in light.

Staring at her tiny back against me, the long shiny blonde hair flapped happily with the wind as she stood still at the middle of the arena, “I can’t… I have promised my brother who left me alone with the clan”

I see… left alone… “Let’s change the topic then… Why me?”

“Because…” She said, as a black HK USP emerged from her hand.

“Eh?”

“Mock battle start!” A system voice announced and a blue mana field covered the arena in hexagons.

Reflexly I brought forth my own gun and fired.

“BANG!” Both weapons let out a sound simultaneously that echoed throughout the arena. Luckily no blood was spilled as the bullets had hit each other instead, creating a tiny shockwave. White and blue stripes… Lovely...

It didn’t end there though, she quickly dashed towards me and fired more bullets, which I dodged to the left and fired back. Using her sidestepping techniques that let out blue lightning on the ground and chirped immensely, she closed in towards me as she elegantly dodged the bullets. Seriously?

While I reloaded, she took the chance for a melee fight, sending a few punches that I dodged by jumping backwards. Having enough with her short range attacks, she went for a kick powered by lightning aimed towards my stomach. Pushing it away with my left palm to the right as I sidestepped to her back, a burn took hold over my palm. Shit…

Instead of regaining her stance, she immediately stomped the floor that cracked the stone floor, trembling to hold my balance, she went for a roundhouse kick with her other leg aimed towards my head.

Ducking as the hot wind blew past my now burnt hair and sent a shiver through my spine, I swiftly went for a leg sweep at her slender leg that held her body up.  Ouch! Is that a stone brick?!

With a smile, she went for another lightning stomp. Pushing myself back, I trembled as I had saved my brother within an inch from cracking like the floor.

Propelling myself back up, I aimed my newly reloaded deagle and fired once again but point blank. With a grin she used lightning sidesteps to my side and went for a falcon punch added with lightning effects. Chidori? Not this time!

Hitting her hand with my deagle, I avoided the burns and kneed her on the soft left side and made her fly at least 5 meters. I win? I thought, but as she slided with her back against the cracked floor, she let out more gun shots with her HK Usp. This time, even the mana bullets took hold of lightning effects and flew faster than my proud vision could see. So you were aiming for a feint...

Luckily, staring at her fierce blue eyes the whole battle, her plans was revealed all along and I could assume where she aimed the gun towards. Sidestepping to the right, she was shocked from my impossible actions. With a advantage I aimed my gun at her head. Though, she only smirked with her own gun now aimed towards me.

I clicked my trigger first.

“Bang!”

Darkness surrounded my vision, I lost consciousness…