“Janus get out we need to- what the hell!” I said covering my eyes. All the bathroom doors in Maryterdom had no locks, It was better to lose your privacy than to have someone not be able to save you from a Seraphim ambush because you locked the stall.

I had seen Janus naked plenty of times, it happened often when you lived together. Seeing him on the toilet a few times wasn’t that bad, what was bad was seeing him naked with a naked girl on his lap.

“Dude, do you mind I’m kind of in the middle of something, well… rather someone.” Clearly, he didn’t mind as much as he pretended considering he was cracking jokes.

“Are you two going to stop?” I said covering my eyes.

“Wanna join? You don’t mind do you?”

“I’m down.”

“I’m good. Just meet me in the cafeteria when you're done.” I rolled my eyes quickly leaving the bathroom. It wasn’t the first time I caught Janus with a… partner. He had gotten quite popular recently.

People could tell the next event would be up really soon. There was no better time to strengthen alliances and make new friends. I myself have been on the receiving ends of a lot of booty calls but Red as it turns out is quite possessive and the last time someone made an offer to me in front of her she used the girl’s face to crack a table. I had no illusion that it was a romance thing, I knew Red had multiple partners. She just kept me to herself as just another demonstration of power. Gross but I didn’t mind. I don’t want people to think I owe them just cause they slept with me, I have yet to accept any of the proposals much to Janus’ teasing.

It didn’t take long but Janus soon found me along with Ida, Vesta, Gaspra and Ryugu. These were the four I had personally recruited. Red had forbade them from officially joining the group, they weren’t allowed into the private room and weren’t considered part of her gang. What they were though were considered backups and they would have to listen to everything she says. I personally have been spending the last few weeks training them and while they have made some improvement they have yet to reach the level of an Einherjar group member level.

“What was so important that you had to interrupt me while me I was teaching a girl what it means to love.”

“I bet she faked it.” Ida smirked earning her the middle finger from Janus. The five of them had gotten on quite well. Janus spent more time with them than he did with other Red members. He claimed it was because he was preparing for the eventual fallout with Red but I could tell he was having fun. With Red, he was the runt of the group but here he acted like an older brother.

He wasn’t wrong though, the clear fact I had my own squad was becoming more apparent and not just within our own team. People knew that Red and I had an alliance that at best could be called temporary. As demonstrated by this morning it had made Janus and I quite popular. Me being one of the very few ichor-wielding students and without a team was quite an appealing option.

“You two. Enough, this actually is quite serious.” I growled at the two.

They both gave a mocking salute but to their credit did listen and be quiet. Right now was the first and probably not the last time that the whole year was gathered together. There were a lot fewer people than at the start of the year. Around half? Had it really been that much?

At the front standing on the table was the gargantuan boy Titan. He had his gang act as bodyguards stand at the base keeping the crowd away as if he wasn’t capable of taking everyone himself. Titan also had an ichor but no one knew what it was yet. It wasn’t something visual like Apollo or Zeus ichor that could turn the user’s body into a ball of fire or create large amounts of bioelectricity respectively.

Unfortunately, Titan was too good at hand to hand so it wasn’t like we could tell if it had improved anything of his physical stats.

“This is an immoral act that has been committed in our halls. It is our duty as Slayers to hunt the filth that did this and enact justice!” Titan roared over the crowd earning some claps and some eye rolls.

“What’s the deal with Mr Pretentious?” Janus whispered to me.

“Four bodies were found outside the bathroom.”

“So? That happens all the time, its a very commonplace that Seraphim hide.”

“Slayer weapons. I wouldn’t put it past Seraphim to use Slayer weapons but if they did then it would be the first time we first years have dealt with it.”

“Oh shit! Really? We finally got some murders.” Janus sounded a little too excited, he thought the danger was fun but he hadn’t actually met any real murderers. The image of Solaris smirking at me made me scowl, I just couldn’t get away from the bastard, he was even pissing me off in my head.

“Are we really doing this?” Bennu called from the crowd. He had now lost his Einherjar status but he still had quite a bit of influence and the crowd separated around him to give him his own space.

“We all know who did this.” He continued.

“And who might that be?” Titan raised a brow at Bennu who scoffed.

“It’s obviously Canis. These four are all part of Solaris’ gang. Riddle me this assholes, who is strong enough to kill Einherjar followers and has a hate boner for the bastard to the point that murder isn’t off the table.”

Without even saying the name everyone in the cafeteria turned to me. It was no secret I hated Wasp and Solaris, it certainly made sense that the first suspect was me.

“The Mutt is a hate-filled little bastard, does anyone here really think this is something he wouldn’t do?” Bennu challenged the crowd. No one argued with him. Well almost everyone.

“Oh shut the fuck up!” Janus roared. “You’re just a little jealous bitch, whose mad that got neutered in front of everyone and now has to sleep with the rest of the Non-Einherjar.”

“You want to go little man!”

“Bring it.”

“Bennu!” A new voice interrupted. Red. “You touch anyone of mine and I’ll sodomise you with a rifle.”

“You’re a lucky little man.”

“Suck my dick Non-Einherjar.” Janus gave him a wanking motion with his hand.

A cough from Titan brought everyone’s attention back to the front.

“Bennu makes a good point. Canis? No offence but we all know this certainly isn’t beneath you.” Titan raised a brow at me. This might actually be the first time he ever acknowledged me.

“I didn’t kill the idiots. You found the corpses in the Non-Einherjar bathrooms, I spend all my time in the training room. The last time I went near there was when Red picked me up, any of these bastards can attest to that.” I pointed out. All the non-Einherjar knew I didn’t come near their section.

“A convenient excuse, one that lacks any real evidence,” Titan said unconvinced.

“So what? Guilty until proven innocent? Any of the non-Einherjar could do it, they hate you bastards just as much as I do. Even Einherjar members can get killed by non-Einherjar when ambushed or outnumbered. Maybe this is a murder by the masses, you should watch your back Einherjar.”

This earned a lot of swearing thrown my way by the non-Einherjar. People calling me a liar, a bastard and a lot more colourful words. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t really matter cause the most important person in the room believed me. Titan gave a look over the crowd, he may have been unbeatable in the combat room but he profited off the Einherjar system the most. Having the non-Einherjar rebel against it would be devastating.

“Very well Canis, you’re free to go. But if I find out you are responsible you will regret it.” I rolled my eyes. Titan acted like a sheriff in a lawless place. Like he was a paragon of holiness despite the fact he was more than okay with Seraphim killing our peers. As long as I played into his delusions and stroked his ego then he would leave me alone to my own devices. I wasn’t sure if he actually believed I was innocent but if it got the idea of the non-Einherjar rebelling out of the open then he would drop his accusations.

“Don’t I get a say?” Solaris approached Titan. “After all it was my followers who were slain.”

Titan gave a disapproving hum, Solaris had every right to give his opinion but he didn’t want to lose the power to Solaris. At least it would be a better way than Kepler lost his power to Solaris.

“I am heartbroken that this tragedy that this terrible thing has happened in our halls. But the last thing I know that my men who sadly perished would want is for these accusations to be thrown around.” I hated him so much. “To you who did this I hope that you didn’t just I hope that the people who did this know that you didn’t just attack me, you attacked all of us. Together we are strong, it is only as a community that can we thrive.”

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People cheered around me, the only people who didn’t cheer were the people who knew Solaris. Why was he even doing this? Of all people, a murderer like him would love to senselessly string someone up and torture them, especially after all this. He wouldn’t kill his own team did he? He did with Kepler but that made some sense. This would just be pointless slaughter and as much as I hated him he wasn’t that stupid as to waste resources.

But he wasn’t angry? No, I wouldn’t even know if he was or wasn’t. Solaris is better at this than me, trying to predict how he feels or his goals is pointless. I don’t think like he does, It’s pointless to try. But, if anything he at least knew what happened. Those four were out on his orders for a certain reason, why else would they be somewhere they had no reason to be like the non-Einherjar bathrooms? He must at least know what happened but is choosing not to release it. That or these four were rebelling against him and this is just him culling his own group.

Did he intentionally kill them or did something go wrong?

“Well said Solaris!” Titan puffed out his chest patting his fellow Einherjar on the back much to the dislike of Solaris. “Let us all band together. Einherjar and non-Einherjar alike, we will find whoever did this and these murders will not go unpunished!”

With that the crowd dispersed, all satisfied by the ending if not suspicious of each other. I didn’t care though, Solaris clearly had something to do with it and he wouldn’t be a problem soon. The next event all my Solaris problems will be gone, for now I and own personal group went to the training rooms to spend the rest of the day.

I found myself walking the corridors of the first years. It was the night of the murders and everyone was tense so the halls were more empty than usual. Janus was at my side, unsurprisingly walking a few steps behind me despite my attempts to tell him he wasn’t just my shadow. I think he liked having a role, the concept of being a shadow entertained him.

Being Red’s second had not just given me perks amongst my peers but also with the Seraphim. The weaker ones actually made an effort to get out of my way, they were here for the first years after all, the weakest of the bunch. If these are the Seraphim that only attack the weak then why would they fight the strongest of the first years? They did still attack it was just noticeably less frequent.

“Why are we walking around exactly?”

“Cause there are murderers on the loose and despite how it ended I’m the one people think did it.” I explained.

“Which you didn’t?”

“Janus you spend every second of every day following me. I know you know I didn’t.”

“So then why are we out here exactly?”

“Because If i didn’t murder them then someone did, I would like to catch them before they murder anyone else.” That wasn’t true. Truthfully I didn’t care, Whatever the murder they were doing me a favour by killing Solaris’ gang.

The murderers were doing one of four things.

1. They were targeting Solaris specifically. That’s good for me.

2. They were targeting Einherjar and just happened to go for Solaris first. Not good for me considering I was still with Red but that would end soon and I hated the Einherjar anyway.

3. It was self-defence. I wouldn’t put it past some of Solaris’ gang to be put up to some sketchy stuff like bullying the non-Einherjar. If they killed a bunch of selfish Einherjar members then good.

4. It was a murderer who just killed them pointlessly. Completely random. This honestly was the only one that affected me negatively.

Or finally the fifth option, was Solaris’ plan which I had no chance of figuring out myself.

No, instead the reason I was out here was because I just needed to think. I needed a break from the Einherjar stuff. Back when it was Fox and I, we would always scheme, make little plans. But back then it was just about survival, now it felt like it was just about winning. I made it my goal just to get revenge on Solaris but… was I even doing that?

Everything I did seemed petty. The fighting with Fox, being Red’s toy, making my own group. None of these things affected my survival, having my own team wasn’t the worst but there were more effective things I could be doing. One would be taking down the murderer but did I even want to?

“If there was a murderer who was just taking down Solaris would you let him go if I was you?” I asked Janus, he was always behind me, always listening. Whenever I asked a question out loud he would answer even if it wasn’t for him. I sometimes would forget he was their and ask a question out loud to myself and he would think it was for him.

“If I was in your situation yes. I would. But if I was you I wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I had to go against Solaris I would want to win, a murder who was tagerting the bastard would only benefit me so I would let them go. But if I was you? No. Never. You are too selfish. You want everyone to live but Solaris. If a murderer was happy to take other people down to get him then you’d stop them because you are too arrogant, you’d think you’d be more capable alone and you’d want everything to go your way.”

Again with the selfish stuff. I was occasionally but I didn’t see myself the way Janus did. I wonder how I appeared in his head.

“Thank you Janus,” I whispered, he heard me though. He always does and when I looked into the reflections of the windows of the halls I could see a small smile on his face.

“Canis?” A feminine voice called out.

I stopped in bewilderment, last time I heard a female voice call to me from around a corner I was jumped by a female-dog Seraphim. This time it was something so much worse though as I caught the sight of a black and yellow coloured armour come around the corner.

“Wasp?” I said in shock. When was the last time I actually talked to her? She wasn’t alone of course, Fox was standing right besides her but being this close to Wasp he faded into the background.

Before I knew it Janus closed the gap between him and Fox and tried to deliver an elbow to Fox’s face. There was too much room between them though and Fox was able to get his forearms up to block the hit but the sound of Fox’s forearms and Janus’ elbow colliding made me wince.

Janus quickly followed up his attack by another landing a blow to Fox’s abdomen and then another to his jaw. It was only after those two hits did Fox start to get in gear and start blocking more of Janus’ hits. Unfortunately for Fox, Janus was way beyond him in skill and it wouldn’t take long for him to be drowned in a sea of fists, elbows and knees.

That is, he would have been if it wasn’t for me ripping Janus off Fox which was no easy feat by me as Janus was a hurricane of blows that even I wasn’t safe from taking an elbow to my cheek whilst trying to pull him off Fox.

“Canis?! What are you doing! We got these fuckers!” Janus howled annoyed that I had taken him off his victim.

“We aren’t fighting with them!”

“Why not! I can take the loser and you can take the embarrassment of an Einherjar. This is it! Your revenge!”

“‘My’ revenge,” I emphasise that it was my revenge rather than his. “Will be done my way.”

“What? But- we can win!”

“Janus.”

With a growl, I felt Janus lighten up and I knew I could release him. Whether I could trust him not to go straight back to attacking is something I would have to wait and see.

“Thank you, Canis.” Wasp actually sounded grateful. Something was clearly wrong with her.

“Thank him?! I just got punched in the face.”

“You have a very punchable face.” I growled at Fox. I didn’t want Janus to kill them but I certainly wasn’t their friend. “Why are you out here?”

“Just going to the bathroom.”

“You have you’re own. Why the public ones?”

“Solaris keeps all the lower members in my private room while the higher ranks stay with him. I don’t trust using his bathroom and I don’t trust those lower members so I go to the public.” She explained.

Why wasn’t I attacking them? I had every right to. I wanted too as well. They left me to die, I at the very least could leave them with a broken femur. But… as much as I fantasised hurting them and in Fox’s case actually hurting him. I couldn’t. What was different?

“You’re face is bruised.” I knotted my brow. “Who did this?”

Wasp seemed surprised by me ordering her around but soon a smile made its way to her face. She liked the attention obviously.

“Oh, um it was nothing.”

“Nothing? You might not have the Asclepius ichor but we heal bruises quick, so unless it was five seconds ago then it must have been some real damage.”

I took a step forward which she flinched at but I was able to nudge her cheek examining her other bruises. They were concentrated around the neck? Someone was trying to choke her. Bastard.

Wasp knocked my hand away and gave me a heated glare her cheeks flushed with fury.

“I’m fine.” She growled.

“Tell me who did this?”

“No.”

My nostrils flared with annoyance why was she being so stubborn?

“Why do you even care?” She continued, “I thought you hated me! I left you to die remember!”

“Fucking finally.” Janus cracked his knuckles but I glared him down. If things continued to escalate then a fight would be unavoidable.

“Cause you are mine.” I took another step forward, now our faces were almost touching. She had nowhere to run, her back was against the wall and despite the fact she could have pushed against me she instead angled her head so our noses were only a few centimetres apart.

“I’d hate for someone to kill you first.” I smirked at her. A promise of my revenge, a proper revenge.

It was then she did the last thing she expected. I felt her lips on mine and my eyes widened in shock as I felt her hands wrap around my neck so she could put her tongue further into my mouth.

I shot back breaking away from the kiss with my heart in my throat instead of Wasp’s tongue with my hear beating so fast.

“Well… fuck.” Janus said in surprise. I couldn’t help but agree.

It took a few seconds to recover, my brain was a scramble of emotions and I was a second away from either punching her in the face or running away. Why was she here? Why would she kiss me? What does she have to gain? Was this all planned? No she was too surpised to know I was out here as well, then again she has been known to trick me.

“Oh, I see.” I put my hand over my heart trying my best to lower it. “Ha! You’re trying to get Red and I to cut our alliance early before the next event so you and Solaris have a better chance at winning.”

“What?” She sounded hurt at my words. Still trying to play dumb, it was insulting to know how little she thought of me.

“I look forward to destroying during the next event.” I spat at her. “Tell Solaris he’s a dead man.”

“Canis wait please.” I didn’t choosing instead to step past her and knock Fox aside with my shoulder. Janus eagr and as always right behind me did the same with more force. I could always count on him.

As I left I could have sworn I heard Wasp whisper one last thing but I must have been hearing things cause it sounded almost like honestly.

“What have I done to you?”