It was clearly heard. Holders is what Reika have uttered.

"You said Holders didn't you...?"

Suddenly, Rine felt intrigued and constantly shook Reika's shoulders, waiting for her to say something.

"Hey, Tell me. Tell me more about Matsuo, and how he got his Procure!?" Fine insisted out of the blue.

But even if pursued for her response, she have already steeled herself and steeled her lips from the topic.

"You sure know lots huh..."

"..."

Her voice itself just made Rine take back his query. Thus immediately shifted his gaze to the hallway because of the sudden pressure he felt.

"A-Ah. My bad, My bad. I just got curious about that Holders thingy out of the blue. Just disregard it if you want..."

"But it looks like you know something rather than me. Should I be the one to ask?" she sarcastically replied.

Rine started to become timorous and acted on his own, leaving Reika at her spot.

"N-No. I was really just curious about it. That's all"

"B-But anyways, I still gotta go report this to the teachers. Those guys with that manners should be suspended even for a while." he continued.

"Ehhh!? Didn't you heard what I said? He won't let you get away with this."

"Its fine. I am already used to this."

Hence, he went off without looking back, turning lefts and right on the hallways to get him out of Reika's sight.

"Phew~ That was close. I shouldn't talk too much or they might find out..."

...

"They might found about my Procure."

And on the other hand, after Rine left the scene, Reika went to the other direction to find his brother.

"Tsk. I told him to stop, but he kept doing on his own! I should find him before he makes another one."

Then, she ran quick, finding her brother from the vicinity. And on the way, she passed by one of their classmates, waving at her.

"Yo, seems you were on a hurry." A guy named Ryuunosuke called.

"Oh- Rin. I was actually finding brother. He might cause another trouble to himself."

"Well, I was lucky to see you here. Could you help me find him?" Reika continued.

The guy nodded as his reply, thus they went on their way.

At any minute by now, the class might start soon, but Rine still wasn't there on his seat. The other two were also missing when the next subject teacher arrived.

"Hm? was the two geniuses absent for today?" asked Ms. Nishimiya on the class.

The class didn't response for a second, but exactly on that moment, the three students missing on their seats arrived late.

"Uh. Sorry ma'am I am late-- Huh?"

From beside, he didn't noticed that the two were also standing on the front door, panting.

"Huh?" Synchronized Reika from Ryuunosuke.

Though they were strucked dumbfounded, they don't have any choice, but to sit down as the next is starting.

"Woah! This is the first time that these two gone late for our class. And you two Mr. Hasegawa? Where did you three have been?"

"Oh ma'am. I am really sorry for getting late. I didn't noticed the time when I was eating, so it took me a long time." answered Rine with a bluff.

Reika was surprised that he blurted a lie in front of the mentor. But to protect his reputation, she muted herself and went along.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Y-Yes ma'am. We three were actually taking our lunch a while ago. We didn't see the time."

"Wait Reika. Weren't we--"

"Shh-"

Before Ryuunosuke say anything, Reika halted him and have the true events covered in a lie.

"Ah! I see. Well you three should manage the time. Sadly, I might write this to your records because of tardiness."

Then, Ms. Nishimiya took a seat and readied the new lesson of the class.

| Outside the Campus |

After class, Rine packs things up and went his way back home early.

"Ugh. Everyday is so tiring..." yawned him while walking down the sidewalk.

The road was quite empty. There were not much vehicles passing by, as of it was completely silent. He saw various students, going off from school with clusters of numbers, with their friends and loved ones, more specifically: Couples. He didn't saw Matsuo and his friends, going out the campus. Only the familiar faces he saw was from Reika and Ryuunosuke, which walks home together at the moment.

"Oh my, Seriously!?" Hahahaha." chuckled Reika.

"And then--"

They were on the other side of the road, yet Rine still could hear them having a good talk, laughing at their own jokes. He was slowly feeling envious from the two. Especially, seeing Reika with another is somehow uncomfortable to him.

"Aw man, what's with that girl anyway? I don't even have any affection towards her, even the slightest, but what's with this my gut feeling right now?"

"Ugh! Whatever."

Denying his feeling, he shifted his gaze to the road and walked away overtaking the crowd to reach his home more quick.

| Rine's House |

Reaching his home didn't took him long enough. The lights were off, this Its doors and windows was left shut, to prevent any burglars to barge in.

"Hm... The door key... Ah, Found it"

Thus he twisted the doorknob and went upstairs to his bed.

"Man... I wanna sleep" murmured to himself.

The silence of the inside was so deafening, that no rattles, nor minimal sounds can be heard as he changed his clothes. Rine lives alone in this house. He doesn't have any sibling, an only child perhaps.

On his desk, was a single picture of him, along with his parents. You can see his big, bright smile on the picture, as if he was the happiest human in the whole world. Yet that smile vanished in a snap...

Yes. It was been six years ago when the tragedy of his life occurred in front of his own eyes. When on his tenth birthday, his Mother and Father was killed on an accident near a certain cake shop on the plaza.

The police reports said it was definitely an

accident, since there was lightning that hit the electric pole and crushed his parents. But until now, Rine couldn't forgive himself.

"If I hadn't insisted to have a cake that time... Would they be still alive?" whisphered him, downcasted.

Dispersing his own thoughts, Rine laid onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I guess I should just sleep this..."

as he slowly closing his eyes, the more darkness succumb his vision. Rine let drowsiness kicks in, until he fell into a slumber.

| Shimada Residence |

Meanwhile, on the cold night at twelve. Reika was still up on her bed, troubled.

"Tsk. I can't sleep..."

She rose from the cushions and went outside from her room, going down the stairs, when he saw Matsuo on the living room. Idling at the sofa.

"Oh, Brother, you're still up--"

Reika got surprised when her brother looked at her with an intruiged expression.

"What's with that expression? Does anything bad happened.?"

Matsuo slowly turned back, as if he was frozen unsettled on an important matter.

"Our butler, James called me a while ago. He is on the precint right now at this moment... I know this is sudden, but Uncle Jin... He was found dead inside his house."

"Eh...?"

The shock left Reika stuttering. Her eyes went to widen as she got left astounded, stopping her legs from going down the stairs.

"How did they said so!? Was it really confirmed that it was him?"

"Yeah. Based on the appearance, it was definitely him." Matsuo answered. in despondence.

"It can't be... But Uncle Jin was one of the Greatest Holders on our family right? How did they manage to--"

"It could be that the culprit was also a Holder. I'm not sure for myself, but the Seventh Shard. It was gone."

"I ordered James to find it on the crime scene, yet there was nothing left on the scene." He continued.

"So I think the culprit's main purpose was to get the shard at Uncle Jin's possession."

The bad news had caught the two dishearted. To think that they could be next target lead them distressed, as they also possess something which has relevance to that thing they called a Shard.

"Anyway, we should be cautious on our movements from now on. They might attack us sooner or later if they knew you have the Sixth Shard ss your necklace." suggested Reika.

"Ugh. Here we go again! How many times should I say to you, that I'm fine by myself."

"But you might get in trouble if you don't listen!"

"Shut up. Stop ordering me around. I only told you the news, but none of it matters for me. I know what I am doing."

Hence, from the small argument, Matsuo went upstairs then shut the door on his room.

"Brother, When did you became like this..."

Thus the night passed, just like the events happened that time.

. . . . .

Then the next day came as Rine went off to school.

"Oh Gosh. I forgot to eat dinner last night. I was just lucky that I had the leftover curry on the ref." He murmured to himself while lazily carrying his bag.

The school gate was already full of people standing by, formed by numbers of students, stepping inside the campus.

Rine's classroom was far ahead on the third floor. He got used climbing upstairs back and forth until now, that he already memorized how many steps he could take before reaching his seat.

"79, 80, 81..."

While counting the steps, Rne didn't noticed two persons, leaning on the windows of the hallway.

"Hey. You Junior." yelled the guy with a piercing on his nose.

"U-Uh... Yes?"

"You Bastard! You've got guts to expose from the teachers eh?" confronted the other guy.

"Huh? I don't know what you were saying. Exposing who?"

*Don't play dumb! We knew you were the one reported the issue last time! Now Matsuo got suspended because of you!"

"I told you. I didn't do it."

Even repeating it to themselves, It doesn't look like they're willing to listen to his words. However, it was true. After him and Reika's conversation, the thought of him going to the faculty became voided and settled himself to the library instead. He didn't talked to anything, nor anyone about this case. But these two weren't here just for a talk...