The sunset is merely a prelude to the dawn, yet its majesty fills my mind with astonishment whenever and wherever I saw it.

Just like the golden eyes of the young king, I used to lay my sword upon.

Just like the brilliant smile of the princess I used to serve that radiates the warm light of kindness.

Just like the kingdom I used to protect that was filled with laughter and smile.

The sunset... The scenes... The peace... Passed so quickly...

The sunset is filled with too many emotions and memories for my dying heart to comprehend.

Am I destined to watch this world until it perishes?

Or is this a punishment granted to me by the one who created the sun, because of the countless blood I've spilled on this world?

I stopped my steps, and take a look at my hands.

These bloody hands had taken too many lives for me to count.

Whether the lives of the good or the evil, the fact that blood got spilled by these hands will never change.

It seems that I've lost my golden ticket to heaven, huh...

"What are you doing, standing still and looking at your hands like that? What kind of drama or anime are you imitating, Lance-Kun? Just for your information, you're blocking the way,"

The cold and arrogant voice of the despicable witch entered my ears, the way she ruined my emotional moment... This girl... Can't she just leave me alone!?

"Shut it,"

By the way...

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked Frostina that is walking together with me for an unknown reason.

Ao and I are going to the supermarket near the academy to buy our monthly necessities because Ao forgot to run her errands yesterday. But why is she going together with us? Is she following-

"Just to tell you, I'm not here because I'm following you. We coincidentally walk on the same road because my house is in the same direction, that's all," said Frostina with her usual tone.

"Is that so?" I replied shortly and continue to walk.

Ao that usually talks a lot is playing her phone while walking, it seems like she is having a lot of fun by talking with her friends in a group chat.

High school girls' stuff, huh...?

"Anyway, why are you and Entama-San going together?" (Frostina)

"Hm? I'm going to the supermarket, and it seems that she's going to the supermarket too. Just like you, we just coincidentally walking towards the same directions, that's all," I answered indifferently. It's not a lie, we're going to the supermarket together so it's obvious that we're going to the supermarket together.

"Hm..." Frostina seems to be suspicious about us. Well, for a loner like me, to be able to walk to the supermarket together with Ao that is considered as one of the academy's famous beauties, it's not strange for her to be suspicious.

Especially because Ao ran towards the clubroom because of my threats, she must be curious what did I threatened her with.

"Entama-San. It's not my business, but since we're going to be in the same club starting tomorrow- Today, actually. What did Lance-Kun threaten you with?" Asked Frostina.

So she did ask that question, huh...

Some sweats started to pour from Ao's head as she must be wondering whether she needs to pretend to not hear Frostina's question or not with too absorbed in playing her phone as a reason.

"She has a debt with me, I said that if she refuses to enter the club, I'll tell everyone she has a debt with me," I answered in Ao's stead.

Ao glared at me as her expression made it easy for me to guess what she is thinking.

(What the hell with that reason!? You're ruining my image!!) (Ao)

What can I do? It's the closest reason to the truth, isn't it?

Frostina doesn't seem like a person who will go around and tell anyone about it anyway

(W-Well, that's true, though...) (Ao)

Whoa... Turns out we could talk without using any magic, huh...

(I AM telepathing with you right now!!!) (Ao)

Ah... No wonder...

"T-That's rather unexpected," (Frostina)

"What? Just what kind of threats do you think I will threaten her with?"

"Hm... Something more malicious? Since you look like a perverted loner so it's like for example-" (Frostina)

"Fine. Fine. I don't need any examples," I cut her words immediately.

"Is that so?" Frostina replied while imitating my response towards her before.

This girl...

"Anyway..." Ao suddenly closed her phone as she looked at Frostina and me.

"This club... What are we supposed to do in it? You called it the service club, right? Is it a club that does some kind of service or something else? Why do you want to make this club anyway? And why did a loner like Ray got to be inside the club together with someone like you, Frostina-San?" Ao suddenly asked us a lot of questions.

It's rare for Ao to open a conversation, especially with me. Well, it seems like she's opening a conversation with Frostina and not with me, though.

"Um... I still didn't know the details since we, making this club is an order from the academy that conveyed by Suzuka-Sensei. I didn't know why, but she said that the academy decided it in order to repair our unsociable character, and she said that we're important assets of the academy so we should repair our character. But it's indeed a question as to why Lance-Kun got asked to enter the club with the same reason too," (Frostina)

"Anyone who entered the academy will put their real names on their answer sheet as we usually did at junior high school, so anyone with particularly high scores will definitely get known across the academy. Considering I never even heard his name before, I believe his grades are not the reason why Suzuka-Sensei asked him to enter the club. But it's because he had other exceptional skills instead," (Frostina)

"Judging from your reactions and steps, you seem to be quite adept in terms of martial arts, Lance-Kun. So I assume that the reason why Suzuka-Sensei asked you to enter the club is that despite you have a talent in martial art or a sport, you're way too unsociable that the academy couldn't help but force you to enter the club, am I right, Lance-Kun?" (Frostina)

That's quite a deduction. She might be a good detective.

But well, as I've said before, this academy protects every private information of the students in the extremest way possible. Even the score tests of each student will not get announced unless the academy got permission for it.

In every answer sheet, there is a place to write your nickname. At the first exam, people mostly put their real nicknames and those who got the top scores, got their name announced on the academy's billboard, and have their names known throughout the academy.

"Ray..." Muttered Ao as she looked at me.

Yes, Ao. She didn't know.

At the first semester, whether it's on the entrance exam, on the mid-term, or at the final exam.

There is a person who ruled the first place with perfect scores in every subject.

The nickname put is 'Yizhenfheng'.

It means 'A gust of wind'.

And that nickname is mine.

"I don't. Maybe they just chose me on a whim since I coincidentally a loner too, and a boy like me will be easy to make excited to be inside a club with a certain mannequin witch," I answered indifferently.

"I see... That also makes sense," (Frostina)

Frostina seems to accept my reason.

"Well, I think that is all, Entama-San. Then if you may, it's my turn to ask, what kind of relationship do you have with this unsociable loner? He is not someone who has the capabilities to socialize with someone who is considered to be at a rather high position of the academy's social hierarchy, how come someone like you have a debt with someone- something like this," said Frostina as she pointed her index finger to me.

'Something' huh... That's quite a Frostina-like way of insulting.

"W-We... Our relationship is..." Ao stared at me with her eyes, asking for help.

Just say that we got acquainted and I happen to help you when you lost your wallet in a convenience store or something?

(Help!!) (Ao)

I just told you my opinion, didn't I!?

I told you to-

"We-We're childhood friends!" (Ao)

C-Childhood friends...

"I see... That's why you call him with his first name, huh... It must be hard for you, Entama-San..." Muttered Frostina as she pats Ao's shoulders.

Just what kind of harsh things will she experience just because of being a childhood friend with me, huh!?

"A-Ahhaahaha! I glad you could understand..." Ao acted as if I did make her gone through hardships because of being my childhood friend.

A-Ao... You're doing this intentionally, aren't you...

"Hmph! Just wait, I'll cut your allowance to 1/4 next month," I snorted and continue to walk.

"A-Allowance?" (Frostina)

"N-N-No! You must mishear it!" (Ao)

(I'm sorry! I went too far!! Please forgive me, Ray!!) (Ao)

Ao begged with her telepathies to me, but I don't answer her.

"Ouch! Why do you suddenly stop? R-Ray?" Asked Ao as she bumped my back.

"That's..." I saw some people with the same uniform as ours, talking and peeking inside a dark huge mansion. The mansion looked like it had been abandoned, and its medieval design made the abandoned mansion look more menacing.

"Looks like there are some people with lots of free time," I muttered as I continue to walk.

But suddenly, the pictures Achaeus gave me entered my head.

Now that I think about it, didn't Achaeus said something about the last victim of the serial murder case?

"The last victim is near our academy..."