Chapter 209: Proven Feat
———Lynda———
<12: 19 pm>
“This feels super real, but it’s not. I never paid that much attention to this until now.” I said while laying on one of the beach chairs as I gaze at the virtual horizon. “...We got a while to relax here. Maybe change the scenery if you want.”
“I’m fine.” Glery replied quite simply. It has been a while since we met a scenery like this since the whole debacle. Obviously she’s not the one to go out often, but we have been to a beach once or twice.
…This view is actually quite wonderful compared to the ones we’ve been to. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a bunch of rowdy people going around causing a scene. Right now it’s just the two of us. The real deal probably would’ve been even better, if we can find an empty beach to relax at, but that sort of opportunity just doesn’t come around, does it? Any sort of empty beach just isn’t a place most people wanna go to, and travel options aren’t exactly high.
It doesn't help that a lot of countries and even individual states are on lockdown due to everything happening. You’d think it’d stabilize by now but it really hasn’t.
The sound of the waves crashing is quite calming, and the monochrome tint to the scenery is a bit weird but there is a sense of solace to it. Not sure why I put that setting in, but it does have quite the effect on the view.
Glery isn’t even doing anything and already go for napping. I know we got time, but not that much. I guess I just have to remember to wake her up later.
…Weren’t we talking about something we got into the simulator? I believe it was something about whatever the hell the Perfect Class was doing. I think I got a video of… Actually, let me pull up the interface and just look at it through there.
There was a picture of it being shown around. A massive explosion is shown above one of those cities taken over. Now the name and place ain’t important, what’s important is the witnesses talking about what happened. From my understanding someone with black wings and scarf caused the destruction that destroyed more than half of the city with the casualty numbers uncertain. It doesn’t take a genius to know who that is.
I’m kinda surprised that things even got that far. Just how much did they piss her off for all of that to happen… And the scale of it. That’s the thing that people don’t talk about enough.
Causing so much damage by a spell that didn’t even hit the city directly is absurd. No one in their right mind should ever cause that kind of destruction, if they even can.
It could’ve been someone else, I guess, but it seems like it was her, right? I guess it could’ve been that person that fought Wiina, but something tells me the whole city would’ve gotten nuked instead of just half of it being destroyed. Maybe I’m thinking too much into it.
…I kinda want to ask Glery something, but I guess I should just be patient and maybe don’t overthink anything right now. The fact that Kenni can do that has a very troubling implication. I can’t say I like it.
…Actually, is there an alarm setting? I could go for a nap right now.
<3: 49 pm>
“You have heard of the rumors, right?” I asked just so it’s clear we’re on the same page.
“Of course. It’s quite a rumor. Certainly rather terrifying to think about.” Kroin answered. “Not exactly something that gives us a peace of mind, the idea that someone who could blow up a city is here in the school.”
“We don’t even really know if it’s her for sure, right?” Trener asked. I suppose it’s not definitive, but who else do we know that does stuff like that?
“We don’t, but the description matched her, and she already has the habit of doing this, if the strings of incidents involving someone with black wings are anything to go by.” Kroin replied. “All things considered, it’s rather surprising it took so long for such a devastating battle to take place, not that I was expecting her to be the one to do it.”
“...Weren’t there other reports of battles wrecking cities?” I asked, since there are multiple destroyed cities at this point, be it in the United States or elsewhere.
“There were, but those don’t exactly vaporize half the city in one attack, it’s more drawn out.” He explained. I guess there is a difference… “Anyone could technically destroy a city given enough time, but to do so in a single instance is a massive task.”
“...Has anything happened since then?” Trener asked, clearly a bit concerned at the direction the conversation is going in.
“Not as far as I’m aware. No one gets a good look at the culprit, let alone a photo. The fight probably took place in quite a short time, or perhaps they were simply too fast to follow, that was an issue even for us in a stadium.” Kroin explained. “It’s why we can’t definitively say it’s her, even if the survivors’ description matches.”
“Kind of a headache to think about. Just gotta love something being just not quite proven.” Trener said while scratching his head, before he continued with enjoying his drinks. There aren’t that many options for drinks, mostly just low sugar juices, teas, and sodas. Probably because you can drink as much as you want with no limit. Most people here definitely don’t have the self-control to not drink until their belly is full, especially if super sugary drinks are on the menu. The stadium foods were much more indulgent, which makes sense considering the occasion.
“...By the way, doesn’t this mean all the people in Perfect Class can do something to that degree?” Rousi said after being silent for a long while and only enjoying his food.
“That would be the logical conclusion, yes. Obviously some of them are on the top and some at the bottom of their hierarchy, but all of them are vastly stronger than us. We don’t have direct comparison or good gauge, but that’s the general consensus.” Histon answered. A bunch of city-destroyers, ain’t that just fun to think about. “...So are the people from the stadium battles outside of the teachers in mechs that strong as well?”
I turned to look at Glery who was the most observant with the best power detecting ability, who simply nodded in response.
“Seems that way, I think the third match fighters are relative to them, at minimum, while the other pairs are flat out stronger.” I answered in her place, just going off what she explained to me during the whole thing. “The last match is definitely where the power level is the most absurd. I don’t know if you guys have been playing around, but the setting for that bleached city is quite something, everything is insanely durable. The white material looked like it could easily withstand almost anything, maybe like… I don’t really know, you need to check it out for yourself. It’s a fixed setting. Basically, the fact that those two could break through those materials is absurd in itself.”
“That’s rather fascinating. Even if it’s supposedly a virtual construct, we already know that it takes real efforts to dispel them, almost like they are persistent in the world when they’re not. Perhaps I should look into it later.” Kroin remarked. “...But even without that, if you can confidently say that everyone there aside from the two ordinary teachers are on the same or higher level of power, that means that there are multiple city-busters just roaming around at this point. So many walking nukes around does not sound comforting in the slightest.”
“Yeah, ain’t that just lovely.” Trener said, obviously quite stressed at the implication of it.
“You know, you have been looking hella stressed for a week or two now, what’s up with that? Almost thought Histon possessed you or something.” I asked since it does look like something bad happened on his end.
“Nothing any of you need to worry about. It’s just family matters. One of our relatives went missing and that’s about it. He lives in a different state so it’s not even a local problem.” He explained. A missing person case is always quite a stressful situation. Nothing quite like the fear of uncertainty.
“With how many incidents are happening with no one knowing how much casualty each incident created, the odds ain’t looking great.” I can’t help but remark. “Where was he last seen?”
“He never really specified where he was, so none of us have any idea. At most he just said that he’s in a small town in New York, so he could be anywhere, really.”
“Well that’s not exactly a lot to work with.” Kroin remarked. Just seems like something no one can really do anything about if he has been missing for weeks. “Sorry for such an incident.”
“It’s not really a big deal to me, I don’t really know the guy. It’s just that my mom has been really annoying that her brother has gone missing. They barely even interact with each other last time I checked.” He said, clearly not liking the family situation he’s being put into. “I really have no one else to bitch about this to.”
“Having an extended family is a bit of a headache in this day and age, ain’t it.” I commented since it is one thing I never quite thought about. Mom and Dad barely talk about their relatives to me. “...So what were we talking about again? What else can really be said after talking about people destroying cities? We know multiple of them exist in this town, now what?”
“Not a lot. They’re not posing a problem for anyone so it’s none of our business even if we live in their mercy.” Kroin explained. “Unless some of you want to close that gap, which is probably impossible to achieve, I would suggest just focusing on whatever plans for the future you all have.”
“...There really isn’t a lot we can do aside from bitching, is there?” I said, not expecting any real answer.
<10: 54 pm>
…Just basking in the darkness and cold. It might not be snowing today but the cold air blowing through the area makes it clear that this is not the best time to be wandering around outside for a long period of time.
A sound of nothing but the wind and a… guitar? Who is playing guitar in the dead of night?
I walked towards the source of the sound to find someone who I wasn’t expecting.
It’s her of all people who is playing a guitar, someone who seems so focused on one particular thing and nothing else. Someone who never looked like she has any hobby.
“Hello there. What brings you here on this occasion?” She said after noticing me and stopped playing on the guitar. How can she even see the strings clearly in the dark environment?
“...Was just wondering who in their right mind was playing a guitar in the middle of the night. Never would’ve imagined you’d be the one to do it. I don’t even know that you play guitar.” I explained as she put her guitar down.
“I have hobbies. Just because people don’t know about them doesn’t mean I have none.” She calmly stated. “...You look slightly off today. Has something happened? It seems like a lot of people have been in quite a crisis lately.”
“You know why.” There’s no way she wasn’t in a conversation for that topic.
“Hm. People are way too afraid.” She mockingly said before suddenly pulling her scythe out, appearing out of thin air.
I unconsciously put my arms up in an attempt to defend myself. She doesn’t even do anything else aside from pulling the scythe out and I’m already doing this.
She put the scythe away after gauging my reaction. What’s her plan here?
“You can keep fighting. No one is going to scold you for it.” She said something rather vague.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked as I put my arms down.
“Just a word of encouragement. There’s no greater meaning to it.” She replied with a straight face. “The world is rather slow on the uptake. I suppose in this era progression of all kinds has slowed down considerably compared to what it was like only a few decades ago.”
“And what do you mean by that?” Is she talking about the current topic right now?
“With two events affecting the whole planet, does anyone actually think that city-destroyers couldn’t exist? That’s a very naive and borderline delusional expectation. Magic isn’t known as something with such a paltry limit, be it in fiction, or the actual thing.” She explained. I guess that’s true, but to think something like this actually happened feels extremely different.
“...So can you also do it?” I asked, since the conversation came this far.
“Of course. It doesn’t mean I want to do it. Such rampant destruction is in poor taste in many ways.” She answered. Honestly that doesn’t give me much confidence when she wasn’t even the one who did it in the first place. “It seems that statement doesn’t put your mind at least. No matter. It’s not my problem to begin with.”
“Lovely words coming out of your mouth…” I can’t help but be a little sarcastic at that comment.
Seems like things will really only escalate from here, just gotta brace for impact if things seem indifferent to people as lowly as we are.