Chapter 289: The Return Trip and the Uninvited Guest!
So, with the help of the great human tool, Misogi-senpai, Luke and the others successfully left the battlefield after finishing their desserts and resting for a while.
As for that battlefield, which was already dangerous enough to be classified as a forbidden area, Touka planned to report it to Director Kurono later.
Barring any accidents, before all the various remaining traces disappeared, it would basically be treated as a forbidden area.
On the way back, Stella suddenly asked Touka,
"Touka-senpai, that guy who controlled the rock giants… is it really fine for us to just leave him alone like this?"
Although the matter had come to an end for now, the result was not exactly pleasant.
Everyone had safely finished the battle, but the most important core objective, "eliminating hidden dangers before the training camp," had not been achieved.
The mastermind behind the giant incident was still shrouded in mystery.
Stella was extremely dissatisfied with this situation.
In fact, aside from Luke, the others more or less had the same thought.
The mission had not been completed, yet their group was already preparing to return. A faint feeling of having given up halfway rose in everyone's hearts and refused to leave.
"There's no helping it. If we wanted to track the Blazer behind the rock giants, the best timing would have been the instant the rock giants were destroyed."
Touka also sighed a little in response to Stella's question.
"At that time, we all chose to confirm our companions' safety first. From that moment on, it was already impossible to track the other party."
Stella actually understood this too, but this outcome still made her somewhat unhappy.
Touka seemed to see through that as well. She smiled at Stella and opened her mouth to explain.
"I checked it. The signal interference is already gone."
"After I contacted Kanata just now, I asked her to report to the Director first."
"We can leave the rest to the Director. Besides, I also injured that puppeteer a little. For a short time, the other party probably won't make any more moves."
Although Touka's explanation did not fully relieve Stella, it at least helped ease her mood a little.
Knowing that no matter what, this matter would end here for now, the crimson-haired princess could only purse her lips and change the topic.
"By the way, who exactly was the person who attacked Luke?"
"Someone who could leave behind such exaggerated traces definitely can't be an ordinary person, right? Luke, you really can't tell us?"
"Sorry, I really can't say."
Luke gently shook his head and once again refused to answer that question.
This was not the first time Stella, Touka, and the others had asked him this.
Luke also had no intention of making up a lie to fool them.
So regarding this question, he directly gave the answer that "because of the enemy's ability, I can't reveal any information."
That was indeed Luke's current state.
Although Edelweiss was not a direct participant in the Rebellion's plan, she had taken action to stop Luke and had clearly said she would stop him again afterward.
Revealing information about her was basically the same as revealing related information about the plan.
With the restriction of the "Rule of Grace," the moment Luke dared to do so, his heart would be crushed instantly.
Of course, even without that restriction, Luke did not plan to tell them the truth.
After all, this was related to his second fight with Edelweiss. If possible, he did not want to ruin that matter.
On top of that, Edelweiss had promised him that this plan would not take the life of anyone from Hagun Academy. The Rebellion had another goal.
Hagun Academy was merely the one they had chosen from among the Seven Mage Knight Schools because it was relatively easier to use for advancing their plan.
Compared to this matter, another matter interested him more.
"Touka-senpai, you said you somehow got lost in the forest?"
That was what Touka had said earlier.
It was precisely this matter that caught his interest.
"Eh? Ugh… y-yes, I did get lost…"
"But I don't usually have this problem! Really!"
Faced with Luke's sudden question, Touka explained in a panic.
"I don't know why either… The moment I heard movement from Stella and Ikki's side, I immediately prepared to rush over."
"But I was clearly moving in the direction where the sound came from, yet I just couldn't approach the battle location."
"I kept going around and around… and in the end, I-I got lost."
When she said the final sentence, Touka's voice was already so small it was almost inaudible.
The girl seemed extremely ashamed that she had made such a stupid mistake at a critical moment.
If Misogi Utakata had not found her later and activated his ability to guide her, Touka probably would not have been able to make it in time for this battle.
However, Luke had a different view of this.
The reason was something Edelweiss had said to him before.
'Raikiri was held back by someone else, just like you.'
Those were Edelweiss's exact words at the time.
Luke did not think she would lie to him about such an insignificant point. So from Edelweiss's perspective, Touka must have been held back by someone at that time.
But according to Touka herself, she had not encountered any enemy. She had simply gotten lost in the forest.
Luke looked at Touka, whose face was flushed red with shame, then suddenly turned his gaze toward Misogi Utakata.
This is the only causality-interference-type ability user in Hagun Academy. Luke had personally witnessed his true ability earlier.
'Causality interference… I see.'
After thinking for a moment, Luke roughly formed a guess in his heart.
But in the same way, he could not say it and did not plan to say it. In the end, he only smiled and lightly brushed over the topic.
…
After that, Luke's group chatted casually as they returned to the training camp center.
However, just as they returned and were planning to have a proper dinner and rest…
The arrival of an uninvited guest interrupted everything.
"Kurogane-kun, someone specifically asked to see you."
Facing the returning group, Toutokubara Kanata greeted them first, then spoke to Ikki.
"It seems the other party went to the school first. After realizing you weren't there, he specifically took a car here."
Almost everyone understood the meaning behind Kanata's words in an instant.
The visitor did not come with good intentions!
"He's looking for me?"
Aside from feeling wary, Ikki was also somewhat confused.
Who would specifically come all the way to a remote place like Okutama just to find an unpopular F-Rank Knight like him?
"Toutokubara-senpai, what is the other party's name?"
"He calls himself… 'Akaza.'"
"?!"
The moment Ikki heard that name, his expression immediately grew tense.
And just then, a slippery, sticky male voice came from the hallway beside them.
"Oh~ There you are, there you are. You really made me search so hard, Ikki-kun~"