The four girls who had been in charge stood frozen, momentarily stunned. Their teacher was gone, nowhere to be found where they had secured him. Panic set in quickly. Nohea started running in circles around the room, clutching her head in frustration. The same thought raced through all their minds, “How did he escape? How? How?” The chilling realization that he might have been toying with them all along sent shivers down their spines.

Nohea's voice trembled as she spoke, uncertainty etched across her face. "Wait," she whispered, "we didn't let him go, did we?”

Elowynne shook her head fiercely, her eyes wide with fear. “Absolutely not! When we scratched his back, he was definitely still restrained,” she insisted.

...Yes, they scratched Mr. Arcturus’s back earlier per his request... murderously.

One of the girls who had been assigned to watch Mr. Arcturus earlier spoke up, recalling the state of his restraints. “His hands were definitely tied,” she said firmly. “And he was only wearing boxers. His feet were bound with rope too.” She paused, frowning as she thought it over. “We checked outside a few times, but there’s no way he could’ve escaped without us noticing.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances as the impossibility of the situation began to sink in. Then another girl chimed in, pointing toward the window. “But now he’s outside, fully dressed in formal attire! His hands aren’t cuffed, and he’s even wearing shoes. The rope is completely gone.”

The first girl shook her head, her voice trembling with disbelief. “It’s like he just vanished from here and reappeared out there.”

The group gathered near the window, their curiosity drawing them together as they watched the confrontation between Zyair, the librarian, and the mysterious figure revealed to be Mr. Arcturus. 

Mr. Arcturus turned his attention back to the librarian, maintaining his focus even while surrounded by armed guards. His concern was not for his own situation but for Zyair, as shown by the intensity in his eyes. The safety and well-being of Zyair was the only thing he had on his mind.

Mr. Arcturus's grim expression briefly softened as he let out a heavy sigh and spoke to the librarian. “I'm their class teacher.”

Instead of reacting with shock or concern, the librarian burst out laughing. “Class teacher? seriously?”

The librarian continued bursting into laughter, holding his stomach as he glanced at the soldiers behind Mr. Arcturus. “A new teacher?” he asked incredulously, “From this class? Is he serious?”

When Mr. Arcturus shot a stern look, barely hidden behind a polite smile, at the soldier still holding Zyair firmly, the man immediately released his grip and snapped to attention. The librarian's eyes fixed on the soldier, his anger simmering beneath the calm surface. “Soldier,” he said, his voice cold and authoritative, “I believe I outrank you. Care to explain why you’re ignoring my orders?”

Lieutenant Livian straightened his posture and offered a crisp salute, "Apologies, sir! It seems this gentleman is indeed their teacher, and our orders explicitly stated that we're to follow him closely due to his position with the class.”

“What?! Since when?!” the librarian’s face flushed with anger. He turned toward Mr. Arcturus, only to find him smiling pleasantly. That only seemed to aggravate him more.

Lieutenant Livian cleared his throat, attempting to explain, “Sir, we were about to report the arrival of the new teacher, but our communication devices have been malfunctio—” 

“The students didn't abandon you?” The librarian’s sudden outburst cut him off.

“It's not like that,” Mr. Arcturus replied softly, locking eyes with the librarian. “I'm simply doing my duty as a teacher when my students require assistance,” he replied coolly, his face unreadable. “What about you? Why are you here? This area is for Class 11-5 only,” he stepped closer, towering the librarian with his tall figure, “and I don't remember there being a library here for a librarian to visit.”

The librarian shifted uncomfortably, swallowing hard before responding, “S-So what?” He stammered, “I'm a faculty member of Bihira High. I have every right to visit here.”

"Is that so?" Mr. Arcturus retorted. "If you're part of the Bihira High faculty, then that implies my students are also part of Bihira High students, correct? So if you can visit here, then my students should be able to freely visit the main campus too, isn't that right?” Though he knew that’s clearly against the rules set only for their class.

The librarian glanced around, attempting to signal the soldiers for assistance, but they disregarded his plea. Mr. Arcturus could feel the librarian's nervousness and clear attempts to evade the situation, yet he decided to press on. "Why did the school place Class 11-5 here, anyway? Was there a specific reason? They could have easily accommodated this class on the main campus, agree? I don't see any issue with that.”

Zyair couldn’t help but enjoy watching Mr. Arcturus go head-to-head with the librarian. As a student, he knew better than to interfere, but seeing a teacher stand up to the librarian fascinated him. It was the first time he’d seen the librarian appear so small, so conflicted, and so unable to respond. He hadn’t realized a teacher could wield such influence, especially in a situation like this.

Mr. Arcturus sighed heavily. "Look, I know your history all too well, Mr. Unne. I've seen your past records, and it's clear you have a history of targeting my students." 

The librarian gulped nervously at these words, sweat forming on his brow. 

"You've also shown disdain for the Lieutenant and the soldiers here. Don't let it get to your head. Yes, you're respected as a faculty member here, but outside this school, you're just an ordinary citizen. And the Lieutenant remains the Lieutenant—he could end up blowing your head at any moment if you continue with your sadistic behavior."

The librarian trembled uncontrollably, staring at the soldiers before him. He hadn't expected this. The thought of their firearms piercing through his skull didn’t cross his mind. He wanted to apologize, to shout his regrets, but the words stuck in his throat. All he could do was stand there, trembling and sweating profusely as he stared at their weapons.

"Pfft," Zyair stifled a laugh, quickly covering his mouth as he glanced down at the librarian’s pants, which were getting wet. “Did he... did he just pee himself?” he thought, holding his laughter. The soldiers who saw it also struggled to suppress their laughter at the sight. 

Mr. Arcturus then turned his gaze to them, his voice stern, “Lieutenant Livian, and all of you,” his voice boomed. They snapped to attention as he continued, “Don’t think for a moment that I will forgive you for threatening these innocent students. I don’t recall it being stated in your military code to threaten unarmed civilians. Pointing your weapons at my students—innocent students—is this what a soldier does? You took an oath, reciting it with conviction, to protect citizens with all your heart. Are you telling me those words meant nothing to you? And you call yourselves the saviors of humanity? You’re nothing but terrorists hiding behind uniforms in my eyes, and a disgrace to this nation."

Lieutenant Livian gulped and trembled upon hearing those words. He raised his right hand and gestured for his men to lower their weapons. The soldiers obliged, understanding the reasoning behind the Lieutenant's order.

The students in the classroom exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend the abrupt shift in atmosphere. They hadn't heard the conversation between Mr. Arcturus, the librarian, and the soldiers, but they could clearly see the results. The librarian stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock, while the soldiers lowered their weapons, their faces a mix of embarrassment and fear. The students noticed the librarian's trembling form and whispered among themselves, wondering what could have silenced him so effectively. Despite the confusion, one thing was abundantly clear – Mr. Arcturus was the reason behind this. There was no doubt about it.

"What's happening over there, Zyair?!" Zora screamed in his thoughts, clenching his fist as he glared at Zyair, who was clearly enjoying himself as he watched Mr. Arcturus, the librarian and the soldiers.