"Enough."
A firm female voice cut through the noise from the classroom entrance.
"Let's begin today's lesson."
Iych was right.
This wasn't the time to worry about how others saw us.
All we had to do was focus—and keep moving toward whatever future we were chasing.
------------------------
Classes went on smoothly, as if nothing unusual had ever happened.
TING! TONG!
The dismissal bell rang.
Without hesitation, I packed my bag, eager to go home and rest.
"Rinne! Can I walk home with you?"
Iych's voice startled me.
"Huh? But… the lower district and the upper district are opposite directions."
"Hmmm…" She tilted her head, thinking.
"Then I'll go to your house!"
"What? Why?"
I honestly couldn't read what was going on inside her head.
"Well…" she said, pouting slightly, "I've always been curious about how people in the lower district live. Can I?"
Ugh…
"The lower district is dirty and dangerous," I said quickly, trying to stop her.
"You wouldn't like it."
That wasn't a lie.
Someone from the upper district would stand out too much. She'd be an easy target.
"No, no, no, no! It's fine!" Iych grabbed my arm.
"You'll protect me, right, Rinne?"
"Absolutely not," I said firmly.
"The lower district isn't a place you can casually walk around in. It's not like the upper district."
"…Rinne," she sighed.
"Okay, fine. Then let's just walk around near the academy."
I let out a breath of relief.
"Alright. I'll go with you."
-------------
We bought some food and wandered around the area near the school.
Even though the academy was located in the upper district, it wasn't like I knew the surroundings well.
"Hey, Rinne," Iych said suddenly.
"You really are from a lower-class family, right?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well… you have a surname, don't you?"
"As far as I know, surnames are usually only given to people from the upper district."
"…Is that so?"
"That's just what I've heard. I'm not sure if it's actually true."
Come to think of it…
She wasn't wrong.
People I knew in the lower district didn't have surnames.
"Then what's your surname, Iych?" I asked.
"Hm? Mine's Svoregia. Iych Svoregia!"
She said it proudly.
I'd never asked my parents about the surname Alz.
But if my memory was right… none of my old friends had one.
"Rinne?"
Iych looked at me with concern.
"It's nothing—"
"Whoa, whoa. Look at that."
"Two pretty ladies out for a walk…"
"Did you get lost? That's so sad."
"How about we help you?"
Our steps stopped.
So people like this existed everywhere, huh? Upper or lower district—it didn't matter.
"What do you want?" Iych shouted.
"Relax," said a man wearing a bandana, holding a knife.
"We're just here to save you."
At the very least, hide the knife first.
"If I'm not mistaken…"
A man with a cigarette smirked.
"Rinne Alz and Iych Svoregia, right?"
"I've never heard of the Alz surname," he continued,
"but Svoregia? Everyone knows that name."
"So~"
The third man twirled a chain in his hand.
"How much do you think we can get for ransom? Hee-hee."
"Choosing prey near the academy was the right call, Marco!" one of them laughed.
"Tch," the man with the cigarette exhaled smoke.
"I told you—just listen to me, and this would be over quickly."
"Rinne…"
"It's fine," I said quietly.
"I'll handle this."
ZHUUSH!
An iron scythe formed in my right hand.
I wasn't used to it yet—but at least blocking and slashing should be possible.
"Ohooo~"
The chain user laughed.
"That's impressive control for a student!"
"Iych, stay behind me!"
I lowered my stance.
WOOSH!
I leapt at them in a single bound.
This ends now—
BWUNG!
TRANG!
What—?!
My scythe was stopped.
"How?!"
"HAH! Weak!"
DUGH!
The chain wrapped around my weapon and yanked me forward.
A fist slammed into my stomach.
"GAAHH!!"
"Rinne!"
Iych's voice trembled.
"Are you okay?!"
"I'm… fine."
They were strong.
Stronger than I expected.
"Rinne!" Iych said quickly,
"Their weapons are their talents. Be careful. I'll help you too."
So that's why the chain didn't break…
Then—
"What about the one in the middle?" I asked.
"What's his talent?"
"…His cigarette."
What?
What kind of ability—
"Fyuuhhh~"
Marco exhaled smoke and flicked his lighter.
"Now that you've seen our talents, there's no happy ending for you."
"…What are you doing?"
"Do you know what happens," he said calmly,
"when gunpowder meets a spark?"
Gunpowder—
"IYCH, BACK!"
I grabbed her arm and jumped away.
"Explosion!"
BOOOOOOM!! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Blasts tore through the narrow alley.
We avoided the worst of it—but heat scorched my skin.
"Still alive?"
Marco narrowed his eyes.
"I've made a smoke screen. I'll leave the rest to you two."
"KYU-KYU-KYU! Roger, boss!"
"Understood."
ZHRUSH!
They vanished.
Where—?!
Behind me!
TRANG!
"UGH!"
I blocked a knife strike—
Where's the chain user?!
"KHEH! You know why I love chains so much?!"
"What—"
"BECAUSE THEY CAN BIND YOUR MOVEMENTS!"
My legs?!
Since when—
"ALL THAT'S LEFT IS TO PULL—AND YOU LOSE!"
SIIING!
Metal screeched as weapons clashed.
"IYCH—!"
Where is she?!
"You don't need to worry about me, Rinne."
"…What?!"
"How are you behind me?!" the chain user was confused.
JLEB!
"Why—"
GRRRKK!
"HEY! HEY! STOP THAT! DON'T MOVE YOUR HAND INSIDE MY BODY!"
"Sshhh. Don't scream. Rinne is trying to focus."
CRING! CRING!
The chain fell to the ground.
I smiled at Iych behind me.
She smiled back.
"Oi, oi, oi," the knife guy muttered.
"What's that idiot doing?"
He's distracted.
Now!
TRANG!
I pulled back.
WOOSH!
And lunged forward—
"Too slow!"
The knife shot straight toward my movement path.
SWUNG!
What—
BRUGH!
I hit the ground hard.
"Your reactions are good—for a student," the man said.
"But still not enough."
"W-what do you mean… not enough?"
My body screamed in pain.
"…You haven't noticed yet?"
The smoke.
No—
A barrier?
"With Marco's smoke sealing us in," he continued,
"no one's coming to save us."
He pulled out another knife.
"Only one of us leaves alive."
WUSH!
He vanished again.
CRATS! CRATS! CRATS!
"UGHH!"
Slashes tore across my body from every direction.
My vision blurred.
If this keeps up—
My arm will break.
"If this is smoke…"
I tightened my grip on the scythe.
"THEN I'LL BLOW IT AWAY!"
WHOOOSH!
I spun the scythe in a wide arc.
The smoke thinned—just enough.
"I'll admit it," a voice echoed.
"You're smart. You've got potential."
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Another slash.
"UGH!"
"My name is Roy," he said calmly.
"Just a bandit who happened to meet you."
"Maybe this is our first meeting…"
CRATS!
"But anyone who catches my interest—"
Blood sprayed.
"—HAS TO DIE."