"Nice to meet you all. My name is Layla Neftis."

Another transfer student. This was definitely not normal. It would've been if it was a new semester, but the first was just about to end. Who would bother entering a school when there's only one month left till vacation?

"This girl is… Hey, Yu."

"Yes, she is!" Yukio replied and cheerfully waved at the girl from his seat.

The girl appeared stunned for a moment, but then smiled sweetly and timidly waved back. Once introductions were done, this soft spoken girl, not much taller than Hannah, having shoulder length blonde hair and gentle blue eyes, took her seat in a vacant spot.

Once classes were over and the boys were about to leave, they noticed her being surrounded by their classmates and being welcomed warmly.

Not wanting to intervene, they smiled. "Oi, let's go." And called each other to take leave.

However, once out into the corridor, "U-um! Please wait!" a voice stopped them from behind.

"What's the matter?" Yukio asked in a friendly manner.

"U-um…t-thank you… for back then…"

"Hehe! Just for that? You really didn't have to rush out, really. Go on. Everybody's trying to welcome you!"

"N-no it's…it's not that… I'm j-just… not good with crowds… and that time… I couldn't bring myself to ask someone else to help, so… I'm thankful for your assistance!" She meekly bowed.

"If it's like that then don't sweat it! If I had noticed, I would've helped that little guy too! There's nothing to be thankful about me, hehe!"

"U-u-um! Is it okay if… I get along with… and accompany you from now on?"

"Hmm? You mean you're asking to be friends?"

"I-if that's what it turns into, then…" She faintly nodded.

"Alright! It's fine by me! What about you guys?"

"Is that even a question?" said Shin.

"You're more than welcome, Layla-chan!" Suzume replied.

"It's not like we have any member limit." Diavolo smirked.

"I'm the Class President. If there's anything you need help with, feel free to ask me about it!" Hannah proposed.

"You've got the green signal, then!"

"T-thank you!" She fidgeted.

"Ah, but not being good with crowds is no excuse to leave everyone behind, okay? They're trying to be nice and get along with you too, you know!" Yukio lectured.

"Y-yes! That I understand… I'll do my best…" She turned around and looked at the peers who were greeting her before. "I-I'm sorry… for jumping away like that…"

Explanation time. That very morning, on their way to school, Yukio had noticed someone attempting to save a kitten from a tree. However, the person in action seemed too weak and inexperienced in climbing for a save. Yukio being as he is, excused himself from his friends and went forward to help. That was all.

Afterwards, Yukio casually advised the person to ask for help if she was incapable of handling such cases for herself and took leave without hearing nor expecting any form of appreciation. That person… happened to be this girl, Layla Neftis.

But wasn't it odd that such a transfer student made contact with Diavolo's group, first thing after she entered school? Surely at least Diavolo was on alert against her, right?

Nay. After four months, the boys had warmed up to their environment, and that included Diavolo. Unlike initially, where at least one of them were wary, they were now okay with making new friends. Their suspicion levels had drastically decreased, especially for this girl.

No matter how they looked at her, she did not seem malicious. Not one bit. It's that natural aura one had around themselves. Even if one did not know her, they would instinctively deem her a sweet and lovely individual.

In this manner, the new transfer student was also added into their group. Rather than 'group,' she entered primarily because of Yukio. Just like she said, she was not good with crowds. Similar to how a shy person tends to stick to someone s/he's familiar with in a crowd, she tended to be attracted towards Yukio. That, and also the fact that Yukio seemed to be part of the same flock as her: a naturally nice person.

As Class President, it was also quite convenient for Hannah to help her out. With Yukio's presence, it was easier for her to get to know the rest of the group as well. Meaning, they got quite close fairly quickly.

Without going into the details, they got to know that Layla's arrival really did something to do with her parents. Something quite normal. As for why she chose to enter in the final month and not the next term, was because she wanted to treat this month as her training period. Once she got used to how the school worked, it would be easier for her to fit in from the next semester. As such, she was excused from taking the fifth monthly exam and numerous other things that would take a toll on her.

At times, during their usual hangouts, it was noticed that unfamiliar words slipped out her mouth, which, when pointed out, she would become flustered and apologize. Contrary to what they had previously assumed, Layla was not from a different city, but from a different country! She had to hurry in getting used to the native Dimelian language, so more often than not, her original tongue would slip out.

As for her progress in school, she was quite absorbent in multiple theoretical topics, but unsurprisingly, she did have problems with language. She could speak Dimelian more or less fluently, but it would be too much to expect one to get used to writing as well in such a short time. Even her notes for other subjects were written in a different language.

In that aspect, Hannah helped her out quite a lot. Occasionally during free periods and after school, she would skilfully understand her problems and give out tips and shortcuts. Being from the Rose family, she had to learn language and etiquette from a very early age; and as she grew, she managed to figure out tricks for her own convenience. Although she acted freely with her friends, outside she displayed proper dignified manners.

Although it was said that Layla absorbed easily, it was actually because she properly focused in class. There were a couple of reasons for it. First was because she was a transfer student. Being so, the curriculum might be different compared to her hometown, so it was important not to miss out more than she already did for entering late.

Second, was that she did not use books from Dimelia. She had brought over a few reference books from her homeland, but as expected it was not enough. Since she had trouble reading complicated terms in Dimelian, it was important that she listened properly.

Regardless, thanks to Hannah, what she already knew became even more prominent and she gradually started to find complicated words easier by the minute.

Although, her Natura proficiency was unknown. But since she was accepted even at the end of the term, she was pretty good, right? As mentioned previously, she was excused from attending things like weaponry classes and such, so knowing that in this way was out of the question. And besides, she was already so busy with all the cramming that nobody wanted to bother her with it. It was adorable to see her giving her all.

Sadly, it was not the same for the boys; mainly Diavolo and Shin. Although he displayed a commendable performance, Claude's made him feel very inferior.

"If only I could get that power again…"

He started asking for strange things during training. Like, knocking him unconscious before a sparring session. Of course, Hannah didn't allow it. But at one point, she got so annoyed at his nagging, that she herself sent him out. The result? He was out cold for a few hours, so that day turned into a waste.

"This is why I keep telling you! Train normally! Don't let Claude's display get to you like that! You were doing so well, and now you're asking for the strangest things ever!"

Diavolo massaged his forehead. "I'm aware that it's strange, but I have validation…"

"I'm listening." Hannah crossed her arms.

"It was during the assaults. In both cases, when I was out cold, I saw this gate. And there was this voice that urged me to break it open. And when it cracked, something happened and… as soon as I came to, power was gushing out of me."

"The power that you mentioned before?"

"Yeah. This is what's making me frustrated. I know that it's there, but I need a trigger."

"Wait, so… back during the test, didn't the instructor say you blacked out in the middle?" Shin intervened.

"Yeah, but… that amount was nothing. I was able to get more out, but there was still something missing. Hannah, do you know something?"

"A door, huh… Sorry. But I'll try asking Grandpa about it."

"This is just a random guess, but…" Yukio casually added in. "Could it be the Stone of Eclipse?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, Yu?"

"Well, it's the description that Hannah gave us. Even if it's called a 'Stone,' because of lost information, nobody really knows why it's called a stone anymore, right? So it doesn't really have to be a literal stone. What if it really is something internal? Some form of realization?"

"Yu… you're a GENIUS!"

"Ehehe! Am I now?" He scratched his head.

"So Diav got a head start, again?! God dammit, now I'm mad!"

"No no no no no!" Hannah flailed her hand in front of her face. Her heart rate increased and sweat began to pour out. "Don't even get that sort of idea in your head! Even if you guys are miracle workers, there is a limit. What sort of joke would it be if one of you just suddenly decides to find something and you suddenly actually do end up finding it?!"

"Yu! Try knocking me unconscious!"

"Okay!"

"Listen to what I'm saying!!!"

In this way, the eccentric lifestyle continued on for two weeks, until the carnival opened up.

With the semester coming to a close, Joy Ronald Heart's Carnival would open twice every year to earn big bucks. With that, they would spread around and create many other branches and create new attractions and make improvements. Although technically open throughout the year, this carnival isn't really considered open because most of the major rides and attractions remain closed until this time. The maintenance costs were simply too high for small crowds coming everyday.

Two weeks before the actual semester breaks, was the preparation period. So, why had the group decided to spend the day here so early?

">?)(*!@%$#!)(?!@*#*%)@#)!?>!@($)%)"

"S-s-stop, Layla! We brought you here to take a break!" Hannah quickly held Layla's hands and stopped her constant sequence of murmuring the things she memorized.

"That's right. You've been cramming too many things too quickly. You need some rest." Yukio agreed.

"So this is the carnival, huh?" Shin looked around him. "Looks quite lively!"

"It is, isn't it? But this is not even ten percent of what you'd see during the actual break!"

"So we'll come again, right, Hannah?" Yukio asked sparkly eyed.

"Of course! For now, let's enjoy ourselves with our new friend here, okay? Layla, remember. This is for you. Just forget all the school stuff and enjoy for now, okay?"

"Y-yes… I understand…" she replied with reddened cheeks.

Currently, the only people present were tourists who had a tight schedule, wealthy families who wished for a head start and people having numerous other reasons. Hannah being present, the group was able to benefit from the privilege of getting a head start on many of the games and rides. Together, Diavolo, Shin, Yukio, Suzume, Hannah and Layla spent a hearty afternoon and evening, all the way till the sun had set.

"Did you have fun?" Hannah asked.

"Yes!" Layla replied with vigor. "I had a great time! Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad! There were also a few water sports open, but if you go now, you might catch a cold."

The carnival was situated just on the borders of the inner city, similar to Rose mansion, on the plains near the coastal areas. Thus, almost half of the entire carnival had interesting water rides too. Utilizing the hilly areas and plateaus, there were also a few air and ground themed rides too, but they were not open yet.

Layla smilingly shook her head. "It's okay. I had plenty of fun. After so long, I was able to clear my mind. Right now, I simply wish to rest," saying so, she sat meekly onto a nearby bench.

"Ah well. There was one more ride left that I wished for you to try out, but I guess we'll leave it for the summer break, then."

"Eh?! There's another one! Let's go then!" Shin said excitedly.

"Shin! Layla's tired! Have some respect!"

"Ehhhh~! Diav, say something!"

Diavolo reflexively looked at Suzume, their eyes momentarily meeting until he instantly looked away again. "I'm fine either way…"

"It's okay, everyone. You all can go. There's no reason to hold back your fun for me."

"We can't just leave you alone like this! What if a pervert approaches you?"

"Then I'll stay back." Yukio volunteered.

"You sure, Yu?"

Yukio nodded. "Don't sweat it! It's not that I was stressed out like you and Diavolo anyway. I had my fun, so I'll rest with Layla."

Hannah sighed. "Fine. Take care of her, okay?"

"We'll be back soon, Layla-chan!" Suzume assured.

"Don't come crying to us later when you've missed it!" Shin waved as they walked away.

Diavolo smiled and waved back.

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Within a few minutes, they reached their destination. It was a huge structure made of some form of train tracks. But instead of straight paths, it went up and down and left and right and basically any direction.

"This is it. Let's go in." Hannah gestured.

"Whoa! This is the thing we could see from the entrance! What is this?!" Shin gasped in awe.

"Welcome, Miss Rose!" A smartly dressed man grandiosely greeted the group before she could answer. "I have heard the rumors of your arrival. It pleases me to see you come visit my most cherished ride."

"Good evening, Sir Jason. I'm pleased to see you're doing well! Let me introduce you. These are my friends, Shin, Suzume and Diavolo." Hannah gestured appropriately.

"It is an honor, young Sirs and Madam." The man smiled and bowed.

"Everyone, this is Sir Jason. He is responsible for planning new rides and upgrading many of the major rides here."

"Nice to meet you!" the three greeted.

"For the past few years he has been working effortlessly on making new upgrades to this ride, making it easier to use and maintain, and of course more fun! A very diligent man!"

"Oh, please, Miss Rose! Your praises are wasted on me! T'is but a passion after all! But I must say, my Roller Coaster is my most prideful work among the thrill rides! We've only prepared two carts right now so we're not open yet, but we will make an exception. It would be a great honor to have a Rose be the first to ride it!" He bowed gleefully again.

This man was no show off. His every movement was so refined and smart that one could easily think of him as a nobleman. From the very beginning, his eyes had been glowing out of passion, and as soon as Hannah praised him, they expressed even more joy! He clearly loved his work and wished to express it through the rides! With a quick clap of his hands, several workers immediately got to preparing a cart onto the tracks.

"Fufu! Thank you! I've already heard about the upgrades from Grandpa. I'm looking forward to it!"

"You shall not be disappointed."

Once the cart had been prepared, the group got on. Each cart could hold a maximum of eight people, in pairs. In the first four seats, they sat in the order of Hannah-Shin and Suzume-Diavolo. Making sure they were seated appropriately and had fastened themselves securely, Jason nodded and placed his hand onto a machine. With a small jerk, they were steadily moving forward.

"I can't wait till we make the dip from up there!" Shin excitedly said.

"There are no wires attached to the cart. How is it moving?" Diavolo asked curiously.

"Ah, that was the upgrade I talked about before. Previously, the entire ride was made of an inefficient mechanism using wires and cables. But now, it functions similarly to a third generation gun."

"Third generation? This is a weapon?"

"No, no. It simply functions in a similar way. A third generation gun is entirely made of crystal, unlike a second generation, where the bullet was the one made out of it. When the gun is injected with energy, it propels the bullet forward with much greater velocity. Right now, Jason is using his Raze on the tracks which is pushing the cart forward."

"So that man can also use Raze, huh…" Diavolo thought.

"But it isn't complete yet. It is already quite difficult to create a weapon entirely of crystal, so one can imagine how hard it would be to create an entire track out of it, right? That's why the crystals in the tracks are spaced out, just enough to cover the length of a cart. This is also why, if you notice carefully, we're experiencing a bit of jerking in our motion. Once they increase the crystal density in their next upgrade, it will be gone, so people with motion sickness shouldn't get on the current build," she explained as they reached the top of the thirty meter dive.

"…… Eh?" Shin let out as cold sweat started to form.

Diavolo, hearing that, immediately shot his eyes open. "Shin, don't you dare—!"

VRRRRRRRR

"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!"

...

..

.

"Ehehe! It was nice of Sir Jason to lend us some spare clothes, right Diavolo-kun?" Suzume awkwardly asked.

"I thought I could burn it before it hit, but I was wrong," Diavolo said depressed and disgusted.

"My bad, Diav…" Shin covered his mouth and burped.

"Geez, why didn't you ever tell me you had motion sickness!" Hannah exclaimed.

"I thought it was just the sea at first, but I felt dizzy in your car the day we got attacked too."

"Now I feel sick," Diavolo complained. "Let's just get Yukio and return home…"

With that, they made their way to the place they had left their two friends, but once they got near, they found many people running haphazardly in the area.

"What's going on?" Suzume asked.

"I don't know. Did an attraction face a problem?" Hannah guessed.

"Oi, Shin," Diavolo called out in a serious tone.

"Yeah…" Shin replied in a similar tone and the two ran towards the direction of the commission.

"Hey, you two, wait!" Hannah called, but it was too late. "Geez!"

"Don't tell me, it's…" Cold sweat formed on Suzume's forehead.

"Suzume?" Hannah looked at her for a moment until finally realizing the situation. "Let's hurry!"

----------------------------------------

"I knew 10-v-1 was overkill! Just look at the poor kid!"

"Orders are orders."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's just do him in!"

There, surrounded by, what seemed like, fifty suited men, stood a bleeding and panting Yukio. Behind him, lay an astonished and scared Layla, shivering on the floor.

"It's alright! Just stay behind me!" he reassured her. However, "This is bad… I don't have my weapons and it hasn't rained for a few days! There aren't any sources of water nearby! These guys are too tough to handle with normal combat alone!" He grunted as he looked at the men, each having their own unique weapon.

"… Let's just wait for his friends to show up."

"You sure that's a smart move? Because as far as I remember they—"

『☆ Anti-Group Immobilizing Technique; Material Natura: Plasma』

『☆ Anti-Group Charring Technique; Material Raze: Plasma』

"『Discharge』!!!" "『Flare Impulse』!!!"

"GAAAAHHHH!!!" "AAARRGGGHHH!!!"

"… Well it looks like we don't have a second option anymore…"

With a large electric current flowing over the ground, and a bright fireball charging through the air, in an instant, almost ten of the men fell, paving a path for the saviors to dive in.

"You guys!" Yukio looked at the two figures standing gallantly in front of him with his half open eyes.

"Hey, hey, Yu! What happened?! Weren't you supposed to be the strongest out of us?!" Shin taunted. "What's up with that pathetic appearance?!"

"We just took out ten with one blow. You're disgracing us, you know?"

In seconds, Hannah and Suzume hurried through the lying bodies and stood beside the two victims.

"Are you okay? Can you move?"

"Is Layla-chan hurt?"

"Yeah, I'll manage. And Layla's fine too. But… sorry, guys. Without my weapons or a fluid source, I couldn't deal with them. They're really strong!"

"We don't have our weapons either… What do you think, Diav?"

"This'll be troublesome. We simply caught them off guard. And it's not like we completely took them out either. They'll be back on their feet soon. Whatever we do, it'll have to be quick."

"I'm joining the fight too!" Hannah intervened. "Don't stop me."

"Heheh! As if we'd do that!" Shin smirked.

"Yukio…" Diavolo whispered. "How much blood did you lose?"

"Um, quite a bit, but…"

"You already have ammunition, then."

"Eh?"

"It's not just yours. As we fight and bleed, I want you to use it to your advantage."

"D-Diavolo-kun?!" Suzume gasped.

"W-wait a minute!" Hannah shrieked.

"That's right, Diav! You serious?! Using blood is…"

"No, wait! I understand! The idea is fine and it should work, but… blood is too thick! I can't control it like other fluids yet!"

"Then, how long will it take for you to extract the water out?"

"It will… take time…"

"Uncertain, huh… It's a gamble then. Listen to me," Diavolo explained. "None of us have our weapons and we are outnumbered by more than ten times. We aren't strong enough to continuously use 1-star attacks yet, so the most we can do is temporarily subdue them. To finish this, we need to take them all out simultaneously. However…

My flames won't be strong enough, and Shin can't control his electricity once it leaves his body. Hannah's thundercloud attack might work, but it'll take us out indiscriminately as well. The only one who can deal proper damage with pinpoint accuracy right now, is you… Yukio."

"I see now. So you want Yukio to prepare water bullets and deal fatal blows from a distance."

Diavolo nodded. "But we can't just leave him unguarded. Shin and I will go for the offensive. Hannah, you're the only one among us with abundant sources of Material, so—"

"I got it. I'll protect them."

Diavolo smiled. "Thanks. Now then, let's— Gwah!!!"

"DIAV!!"

Thud!

By a strong unforeseen kick, Diavolo was knocked away from his place.

"Ten seconds is all I can wait, boy. Your whispering took more than thirty. Don't try my patience like that." The man then spat on the floor.

"You!!" Shin punched the man with all his might, but he blocked the area of impact, leaving him safe, but launched two meters to the side."

Diavolo stood up and spat out a lump of blood. "Yukio…" looking straight at his eyes, he conveyed the commencement of the operation.

Yukio steeled his expression and nodded, immediately placing a hand on his largest injury.

"Healing, are we? Oh no you don't!" Another man leaped into the center.

Fwoosh fwoosh!

Gushes of wind blew and pushed him back.

"What?!"

"Not on my watch." Hannah glared back at him.

"Tch! Rose brat! Hey, you guys!" he called in more people.

Meanwhile, "Shin!" Diavolo called out.

"Yeah! I know! Hopefully we do better than the exam this time, eh?"

"Think you can keep up?" Diavolo smirked.

"Heh! Don't get ahead of yourself, Raze bastard!"

BAM!

A tag team attack, and one of the men lost consciousness.

"These guys… were a duo, huh… what a pain," the impatient man murmured. Using nothing but eye contact, he easily conveyed some sort of strategy and more than twenty of them surrounded them.

"It's quite intimidating if they're all in sync like that, right?" Shin sarcastically said.

"Barfed, and now… gonna piss?"

"You!!!"

In this manner, as efficiently as possible, Diavolo and Shin fought against a majority of the group. They made sure, whenever they got the chance, to knock an enemy unconscious with a swift move. That way, they'd have less enemies to deal with and more time to give to Yukio. Of course, it was not easy. The intense flurry of weapons combined with a professional level synchronization they had as a team was outright life threatening. What they suffered was not mere cuts and scratches, but legitimate gashes and blunt damage.

Even if they were up against a professional team, these two had been such since childhood. They read each other's moves better than their opponents, and with that, somehow managed to deal with the enemies.

But with every damage being as dangerous as it was, their efficiency decreased. Thus, it was absolutely necessary for them to take an opponent out at the soonest chance they got. What looked natural at first, turned into desperation, and this… soon started to give rise to a hint of suspicion in their leader. "What are they planning?"

Meanwhile, Yukio continued to gather blood and filter them out under the pretense of healing himself. It was difficult, but he had to seep his friends' blood through the ground instead of over it, to avoid being caught. Although it pained him to see his friends get hurt while he simply sat there, he knew how crucial his task was in this operation.

Before him, was Hannah, desperately, yet bravely, protecting the three of them. Using her gaseous Natura, she attacked multiple enemies simultaneously, as if it was a part of her own body. Such expertise was what a Rose was capable of.

From Hannah's point of view however, her attacks weren't nearly as satisfactory. Because of the fast flurry of enemies, she didn't have time for any announcements nor any time to charge attacks at their 100%. She had to sacrifice power for speed. But if she went any faster, her attacks would probably end up being negated. She feared that if the enemies sensed her gradually decreasing force, they would quickly be able to take advantage of the situation.

Suzume sat at Layla's aid, while at the same time lamenting over the fact that she was of no help at all.

"Onee-chan, it's started again. This group is way too large for them to handle without their weapons! Why must I be so useless in these situations?! I can fight too!"

Even though she said that, she knew why she couldn't fight, which was the reason that frustrated her most. Prioritizing one for the other was a harsh decision she had to make.

The trembling body of Layla in her arms broke her away from her thoughts. Turning away from the fight, she saw just how terrified she was. Poor girl probably never faced a situation like this. It was all because they let their guard down after so long. If they had attacked earlier, they could've made sure Layla didn't have any involvement in this. Unlike those three, she was not really a fighter. But wait… then why did she join Twinsoul, a school for fighters? That too in Sector-B?

"Done!" Yukio exclaimed.

"Finally!" Shin screamed in relief.

"What?! That kid wasn't healing himself?!"

"『Flare Impulse』!" "『Discharge』!!"

『Anti-Group Levitation Technique; Material Natura: Gas; Miniature Tornado Gust』

"HAH!!"

In an instant, the assailants were scattered, stunned and elevated off the ground respectively. Time slowed down for Yukio as he tried his best to focus on all the scattered bodies. As he did so, numerous water droplets floated out of the ground, and for some reason, Yukio felt like he could focus on three zones at once!

"This feeling… exactly… what…"

Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew——

Aiming at every single body, Yukio shot at the only vital spots that were completely exposed: their necks. Some landed on the side, some dug into their throats, some into their vocal cords and others jabbed into their spines. In an instant, it was all over.

Thud thud thud!

Bodies dropped everywhere. They couldn't even scream properly because they were either paralyzed, lost their voice, or their throats were filled with their own blood. Around twenty bodies, writhing and shaking in pain, while it was unclear if the others were dead or not.

"Haah! Haah!" The three panted.

"It's over… we did it…" said Shin.

"You mean Yukio did it?" Diavolo corrected.

"Shut up!"

"We all did it!" Yukio pitched in.

"I feel so exhausted…" Hannah dropped onto the floor.

"Let's head home, then," Diavolo advised.

"Eh? Won't Sir Jason be mad at the destruction we've caused?" Yukio asked, concerned.

"If he didn't take action till now, then he probably expects us to cover the costs. Although I'll be the one taking the full brunt of it, I'm sure."

"He's a nice man, but I guess not that nice, right?" Suzume commented.

"You… fucking… brats…!!!" a voice cursed.

In an instant, their cheery mood went a full 180 as the raspy voice addressed them. The man stood amongst the writhing bodies, staggering, and holding onto his neck. It was probably the leader.

Because he had realized something was fishy, he was somehow able to avoid a vital blow. And now, he was ready to kill without any mercy!

"Uh…guys? Any more ideas? Diavolo?" Yukio asked, looking at the exhausted bunch.

Diavolo and Shin looked at each other and seemed to understand something. Bringing their alternate arms near each other's, they pointed it at the man.

"『Flare Impulse』" "『Discharge』"

They seemed to have some energy left for one more attack. In a massive stream, less intense than the original, Diavolo's fireball flew straight at the man with no hindrance. Additionally, Shin electric current seemed to be carried within the fireball, rather than over the ground, until finally, the attacks landed on him.

"GAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" he screamed as he was roasted and electrocuted at the same time.

"Their attacks combined?!" Hannah thought, surprised.

"Okay, we're done," Shin nonchalantly said.

"That ending was kind of… underwhelming?" Yukio commented.

"What happened to all the damage you guys have been taking?!" Hannah asked.

The two shrugged.

"Geez! I don't know anything anymore! Let's just go!" Hannah stomped her feet and turned around to see how Layla was doing. "Here, hold my hand, Layla. Can you stand up?"

Surprisingly, without anybody's help, Layla shot up to her feet. With a gloomy expression, she stared down at Yukio.

"You…killed?"

"Eh?"

"Did you just… kill all of them?"

"I did wound them in their vital points, but, I'm not sure if they're dead. Look, some of them are still trying to stand up."

A chill ran up Layla's spine. "You…you… *@*$**$!!!!" And with tears flowing down her cheeks, she ran away towards the exit.

That was when it all dawned upon them, the current scenario they were in. A group of bloody teenagers, surrounded by a combined fifty corpses and near-dead bodies. It really was a horrifying sight to behold. What maniac would one have to be to think this was normal?

But this was normal. In the world that enveloped these teens, staining their hands with blood was normal. It had to be. Or else they wouldn't be able to survive. But for a girl like Layla, this was nothing short of terrifying.

Yukio looked at his own hands as questions arose in him. Why was he able to kill so easily? Come to think of it, even using blood as a means to fight seemed to astonish Hannah and Shin too, right? Yet he was able to fully accept it as a plausible method for success. Why was Layla so afraid when she uttered the word 'kill'? Hasn't Diavolo already killed a person? What was the big deal? It was to save himself, right? Isn't it justified? Layla found it comfortable to talk to him because they were similar, right? So she should be able to understand him. She should be thinking similarly. And yet, when he killed, she lost it. Was the weight of a life really that big of a deal? Just what is… life?

"Eh?" As if something was triggered, tears started to pour out. "Why?" he asked as he stared blankly at his own hands. His body suddenly started to feel cold, and his fingers and then hands started to tremble.

"Yu…" "Yukio…" His friends solemnly looked at him.

"Why do I feel this immense feeling of loss?" he asked as he hugged himself for warmth. "It wasn't like this at first. I mean, Diavolo did it too, right? But he didn't seem like he was affected like this…" He desperately tried to understand why he was feeling like so. When he thought about the people he had shot down just now, he didn't feel a thing. Yet still, why was he feeling such sorrow?

"Tell me… Diavolo… was it the same for you? Did you also feel like this after that day? Or is there something wrong with me?" he trembled and asked, all the while staring at the ground.

Diavolo bent down and placed his hand on his shoulders, "Let's go home," followed by Shin removing his shirt that he wore over his tee and placing it over Yukio as the girls helped him stand up and walk.