Celis crossed his legs, resting one leg over the other, and folded his arms across his chest.
"For now, it's better if you just apologize to her and stop trying to control her."
Shintia shook her head with a faint smile.
"I already did. I apologized to her over chat this morning, but she wouldn't accept my apology."
"So—"
Celis's expression turned lazy and annoyed.
"—why are you still here?"
With a heavy and embarrassed heart, Shintia answered.
"Well... actually, I live with Dea. Dea complained to her parents that I was being mean to her, so I got kicked out of her house. So I'm staying here for a while."
Celis scratched his head in annoyance and let out a long sigh.
"Don't just go making decisions on your own like that."
Shintia chuckled, feeling awkward about being a burden to Celis.
Celis suddenly said.
"You're weird."
Shintia didn't understand what he meant.
"You were all shy yesterday. Now you act like we're already close friends."
Shintia shrugged with a faint smile and tilted her head slightly.
"I don't know, I guess we're the same. We both don't have parents, and we're living life completely directionless."
Celis's eyes widened upon hearing that.
"How do you know?"
"Hella told me. She said you were home alone, so I decided to stay with you for a while."
Celis got up from his seat.
"Whatever, do as you like."
Celis walked off into his own room, leaving Shintia behind.
Shintia was glad that Celis had accepted her staying at his house.
"Hella was right. Celis is a good person, yet also a ruthless person who will use any means necessary to achieve what he wants."
Celis lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, and sighed.
"Heehhhh....., jeez... whatever. But oh well, as long as she doesn't bother me, it's fine."
He looked to the side, picked up his phone, checked it, and then put it right back down.
"Hella hasn't updated me again. Do I really have to look for the information myself?"
Celis covered his eyes with his arm.
"Oh well, ever since fighting Suo, I'll just look for it myself."
The next day, Celis walked around the school with the Sumitsu Sword at his waist, looking for Mitha.
"Where is that kid? She's not replying to my texts."
Celis spotted an area behind the restrooms—a spot hidden from all the classrooms—where three people were bullying someone.
Celis approached them and was shocked to see Mitha sitting limply against the wall, her cheeks red and her clothes dirty.
Mitha was terrified and on the verge of despair, unable to do anything except be tormented by them.
Mitha heard Celis's voice as he walked up to them.
"Hey, can I join in?"
That gentle voice and wide smile left Mitha in complete shock.
"Celis?"
Celis looked at Mitha with an indifferent gaze.
"Huh? Who are you?"
"Huh?!"
Mitha's eyes widened. Her shocked expression made the bullies burst into laughter, enjoying how pathetic she looked.
"HAHAHA, look at her, she's terrified!"
"What a pathetic kid!"
"That's why you shouldn't be so weak, you idiot!! HAHAHAHA!!"
Mitha couldn't say anything and just stared down at the floor. Celis looked back at the bullies, who seemed to be having fun, and stopped smiling. One of them barked at Celis.
"Hey, hurry up and hurt her. I'm sick of having her around here."
Celis replied with a faint smile.
"True, she's terrified, pathetic, and weak. But now—"
One of them angrily yelled, "Huh?!" At the exact same moment, that person's head was suddenly sliced off, crashing down onto the floor.
Realizing what had happened, the others panicked in sheer terror seeing their friend's head separated from his body.
"—you're the ones who are going to feel terrified, pathetic, and weak!!!"
Mitha watched in absolute terror as Celis's brutality played out right before her eyes. Within moments, all of them were killed by Celis.
Once he finished his business, Celis looked over at Mitha. Mitha shrank back in fear, unable to look Celis in the eye, trying to run away, but her body was already too weak.
Celis offered his hand.
"Come on!"
Terrified and panicked, Mitha refused to take his hand. Celis understood, offering a faint smile as he tried to coax her.
"Relax, I'm here to help. Before I moved here, I was just like you. Bullied by three people every day."
Mitha was startled and summoned the courage to look at Celis. Despite her fear, she trusted him—the person saving her for the second time.
"Really?"
Celis nodded.
"Really."
Mitha reached out and took Celis's hand, pulling herself up.
"But why did you kill them?! They wanted to live too!"
Mitha felt worried for them even though they had treated her so poorly. Celis firmly spoke to snap her out of it.
"No. They didn't deserve to live. People who bully the weak are lower than trash."
"Nooo! That's not right! It's bad!"
"So, do you want to keep getting beaten up by them?! Kept around as their plaything?!"
"....."
Mitha couldn't find the words to respond.
"They'll never know what it's like to be you unless they experience it themselves. I know you're kind, but showing kindness to people who are cruel to you is just being naive."
Celis gently patted her head and said.
"You're strong, it's just that your heart is too good for this cruel world."
Celis smiled at Mitha. Mitha stared at him with wide eyes, sorrow clearly radiating from his expression.
Mitha thought to herself in disbelief.
"Is he... sad?!"
Celis pointed at the corpses.
"Before that, can you erase their existence with your magic?"
Mitha nodded. She stood in front of them with hesitation in her heart. Celis reprimanded her.
"Ignore what they are. If you keep doubting and being afraid, you won't achieve anything and you'll just stay at rock bottom."
Mitha let out a sigh, closed her eyes, and spoke.
"Rasure."
Their bodies and even their blood faded away until they vanished without a single trace. Celis felt bewildered by his own behavior, thinking to himself.
"What's wrong with me? Why am I constantly lecturing people?"
Mitha walked up to Celis.
"I'm done."
Celis started walking ahead.
"Let's go to the stadium, sword practice."
Mitha's mood improved, and she followed closely behind Celis.
As they were walking out of the school grounds, Suo and two unfamiliar guys suddenly stepped out to block their path.
Suo looked at Mitha, and Mitha shrank away in fear under his malicious glare.
"Heh... bringing another chick?"
Celis answered indifferently.
"We just want to go practice sword fighting, get out of the way."
Celis walked past them, and Suo flashed a condescending smirk.
"During third period, there's going to be a short speech before our duel tomorrow."
Celis stopped and glanced back.
"A speech?"
"This is an inter-class sparring match, you know, not just your average sparring."
"Is that so?"
"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, you—"
Another smirk spread across Suo's face. "—participated in the tournament match back then. Which means you're the strongest in your class."
Celis was surprised to hear that and muttered to himself.
"I'm the strongest?"
Celis replied to Suo with a cynical look.
"You're wrong, I actually lost that time."
Celis resumed walking away, leaving them behind, while Mitha hurried along behind him.
Mitha asked Celis.
"Who was that?"
Celis answered with an arrogant tone.
"Who knows."