n

n

n

nSouta heard someone called his name. He looked over and saw a man with huge build. He has short brown hair and sky blue eyes. He was Brando Hylott from the Shield Class 1-A.

n

"Oh? Brando! How are you?

" Souta greeted Brando with a smile.

n

"I'm fine. How about you?

" Brando replied as he walked towards Souta. He noticed that Souta was with Bryan, Lumilia, and a little girl.

n

"I'm fine,

" Souta said and he turned his attention to the salesman. He received the paper bag that contained the strawberry cakes.

nBrando had many bruises in his body. After all, Souta defeated him before in the special test.

n

"Hello, Bryan and Asvares.

" Brando greeted Bryan and Lumilia then he looked at the little girl with long green hair. He wondered who's this little girl.

nCl.u.s.ter hid behind Lumilia and carefully looked at Brando. Since she didn't know him, she was shy and wary at the same time.

nBryan smiled at this and said,

"She's Cl.u.s.ter. We're taking care of her.

"

n

"I see...

" Brando nodded his head in understanding.

nSouta who finished buying the strawberry cakes joined the conversation.

"How's your injury?

" He asked Brando.

nBrando looked at the bruises on his body before he replied,

"It's okay, the healers from the Institute healed most of the heavy injuries in my body leaving only the bruises.

"

n

"That's great,

" Souta said.

n

"Do you have something to do?

" Bryan asked Brando.

n

"Nothing, why?

" Brando replied to him as he slightly tilted his head.

n

"Then, do you want to join us? Actually, we're going to Souta's house.

" Bryan asked Brando even though it wasn't his house.

nBrando looked at Souta and asked,

"Is that okay?

"

nSouta pondered and thought that there's no harm if Brando was going to join them. He looked at Lumilia and asked,

"Is that fine with you?

"

n

"It's okay, it's your house after all,

" Lumilia replied to him as she patted Cl.u.s.ter's head.

n

"You heard her,

" Souta said as he shrugged his shoulder.

n

"Thanks, then I will take your offer.

" Brando thanked them with a smile.

nLumilia looked at Brando and never thought that Souta and Bryan were his friends. He wasn't surprised that Brando was Bryan's friend because most of their classmates were Bryan's friend, but what surprised him was Souta. In the class, Souta would only talk to a few individuals and it's pretty rare if he would talk to someone else besides Alice and Bryan.

nIt's already rare that Souta would talk to someone in their class, then what about the other classes.

nSouta and Bryan knew Brando well. Back in the ranking battles, Bryan challenged Brando a lot as Brando defeated him in the mini-tournament before. While Brando challenged Souta in the battle for the same reason.

nEver since then, the three of them became close and always talked when they met each other.

nSouta and the group went to the best shop to buy some fruits and honey for Yuko. He wouldn't forget something important.

n

"Honestly, I got scared when Souta appeared in my class' campsite,

" Brando said with a sighed. He knew from the ranking battles that Souta was many times stronger than him, that's why he trained harder for the past months.

nHe wasn't prepared to fight Souta in the special test, so he's planning to avoid their class at all cost, but who would have thought that Souta was going to appear in front of their campsite.

n

"Haha, that's nothing.

" Souta laughed lightly.

n

"It's okay if it was only Bryan but you Souta... It was a different matter.

" Brando sighed helplessly as his shoulder dropped down. He wanted to get stronger not just for himself but for his class too. A lot of people were ridiculing his class saying that they were not fitted to become a class 1-A. Their class was the weakest among all of class A in the Institute.

n

n

n

"Ha, so you're telling me that you can handle me,

" Bryan said as he smiled deviously.

n

"Of course, if it's you I still have a chance.

" Brando didn't back down.

n

"Haha, then let's fight and see if you can do it.

" Bryan laughed.

n

"Stop it, you two. Both of you know that you can't win against me.

" Souta said as he walked between them.

nLumilia just simply listened to their conversation. Cl.u.s.ter was sticking close to her as there's a new face in their group.

nSuddenly, Souta stopped walking as he felt the presence of someone following him.

n

"Hmm...?

" Souta quietly looked around his surroundings. He tried to guess who's following him.

n

"What's wrong, Souta?

" Lumilia asked him when he suddenly stopped walking.

nBryan and Brando too looked at him with a questioning gaze.

nSouta looked at them and he took a deep breath. He slowly opened his mouth and said,

"Don't be surprised about what I'm going to say.

"

nLumilia, Bryan, and Brando nodded at him. They noticed his serious expression, so they thought that what's his going to say next was important.

n

"Follow me, I'll tell you while walking,

" Souta said in a low voice and he started to walk.

nLumilia held Cl.u.s.ter in her arms as she followed Souta closely.

nBryan and Brando followed him closely so that they could hear what he's going to say.

nAfter a few moments, Souta opened his mouth and said in a low voice.

"Someone is following us.

"

nLumilia frowned when she heard his words. She looked down at Cl.u.s.ter with a worried expression. She then asked,

"How many?

"

n

"Five or more,

" Souta said to them.

n

"Hmm... That many people are following us but I still couldn't notice them. It means that they have some skills. I want to fight them.

" Bryan commented and grinned widely.

n

"I felt that they are powerful. With skill like this, I think you wouldn't stand a chance against them.

" Souta said.

n

"Is this true, Souta?

" Brando asked from the side.

n

"Yeah, I think it would be good if you go now,

" Souta said to Brando.

n

"I will stay here. I'll gladly help a fellow schoolmate of mine.

" Brando replied to Souta.

n

"Oh? Then, thanks.

" Souta was surprised at Brando's words. To think that Brando would choose to stay here despite knowing that someone was following them.

nIt seems that he needed to place Brando in the bracket of a good guy.

n

"Let's go here.

" Souta went inside the restaurant. He thought that if he went inside the place where a lot of people stay those people wouldn't show themselves. Also, if someone went inside this place, Souta would be able to mark them and remember their face.

nLumilia, Cl.u.s.ter, Bryan, and Brando just nodded their head and followed Souta with asking any questions.

nSouta was the strongest among them and he knew how to handle this kind of situation, so they followed him like a leader. Also, Lumilia and Bryan would follow him and know that he wouldn't bring them any harm from their experience in the Desolate Forest.

nSouta's group went to the second floor of the restaurant and there they sat in the vacant table. No one said anything and they sat silently sat in their seat.

nSouta rubbed his chin and he looked outside the window. He wondered why someone was following them and he wanted to know what's their purpose.

nHe couldn't clearly determine their number as some of them were quite skilled in stealth. If not for his good intuition, he wouldn't be able to notice that someone was following him.

nIf these people were following them then they clearly have a target. Souta guessed that it was Cl.u.s.ter. He thought that the people who were after Cl.u.s.ter found her. It's not that surprising as Souta didn't bother himself in disguising her.

nIt was only a possibility. He wasn't sure if she's really the target. There's only one thing that he was sure and that's these people were quite strong.

n

n

nSouta noticed that something was wrong. There's no waiter that ask them about their order even when they were just sitting here for a while now.

nHe turned around and saw two people wearing black cloaks in front of them.

nBryan and Brando immediately stood up and put up their guard when they saw this.

nA commotion started, so the people in the other tables turned their heads to watched them. They all looked at the two people wearing black cloaks and Souta's group who were facing them.

nSouta was still sitting in the chair while observing the two people. The person on the right side was grinning and his presence wasn't that much, but the problem was the person on the left side. The person on the left side doesn't have any presence at all.

nIf Souta weren't going to focus his senses then he would be able to sense the man's mana.

n'This man could hide his mana this well. Compare to the other one this one is more dangerous.' Souta thought and he focused his eyes on that person.

nThen, the person on the right side lifted up his hands. He pulled down his hood and revealed his face to the rest.

nSouta saw the man's face and was surprised. He smiled and said,

"I should have killed you at that time. Well, I won't let you go this time.

"

nHe suddenly pulled out the Vajra Sword Saya on his waist and used Crimson Moon skill immediately.

nSwoosh!!

n

n