Chapter 12

Shortly after Jack left the rooftop, the door of the rooftop opened from the inside. Out of it came a single girl-- Rebecca.

After spotting Marco with his hands in his pockets. She approached him.

"To think you two were skipping class here."

"Sorry, couldn't help it. The weather was too good." Marco said with a smile.

"Mhm… What did you talk about with Jack?"

"Nothing much. The weather and some other stuff." Marco replied with a nonchalant voice. Although he didn't lie to her, he couldn't tell her everything either.

He wouldn't tell Rebecca and Yuki about Jack's real identity. The alliance was obviously more convenient when the enemy didn't know about it, but the same can be said for them as well. That way Jack could conduct himself easier.

Besides if he told her, Rebecca would surely be against joining hands with Jack. He was the one, who attacked her, hurt Marco and made her power go out of control.

Right now, Jack was nothing but an enemy affiliated with an unknown group that's trying obtain her power. Thus making her agree to joining hands with Jack would be difficult. So this was Marco role to play.

He had decided to protect Rebecca. If he could protect her with the frontal attack, it would be the best. However, sadly that proved to be difficult. That being the case, he couldn't be picky in his methods.

"What's up?"

"W-well, I was looking for you, Marco… Eat this."

"I- Is that a lunch box…?" Marco inadvertently brightened up his expression on seeing the wrapped pouch that Rebecca held out.

"This is a first, what's the special occasion." Marco was surprised and wondered why Rebecca made him lunch, not that he was complaining though.

"Nothing really, I… haven't thank you yet for saving me, right? so this is the least I can do."

"Ah, I see."

"So Marco, where do you want to eat at?" Rebecca asked while smiling

"Here, it is a good place besides I don't go well with crowds." Rebecca immediately understood what he meant. They moved and sat on the corner close to the rooftop fence that prevented people from falling off.

They both opened their lunch boxes and Marco was genuinely surprised at Rebecca prepared for him. It was rice with assorted vegetables. A simple but refined meal. Taking his first bite, he almost melted on the spot.

"Wow! This is some wifey-level skill right here for sure! Someone needs to wife you up ASAP!" Marco sang his praises before quickly adding, "not me though."

Rebecca was happy with his praise and even slightly blushed at the talk of wifing her up, but hearing the last part of the sentence her mood immediately fell.

"Hmph hmph! Guess someone never wants to eat my cooking again." Rebecca said so and pouted.

Quickly realizing his mistake, he corrected himself and he hurriedly responded. "Okay fine! I would love to marry you, oh beautiful Rebecca. Now continue making me food, okay?"

Naturally, the food was his main objective. It was too good for him to be forced to stop eating it for such a small mistake.

"Good that you know! Oh, by the way, I don't want to marry you so you can keep all that talk to yourself." Rebecca said with a smirk.

Marco released a big sigh upon hearing that. If she didn't care in the first place, why did she have to bring it up? He guessed that this was an irrational woman thing that he'd never understand.

After that stunt, they continued laughing and joking while eating at the rooftop. Then Marco thought to himself after seeing Rebecca smile "Can I protect this."

He didn't have an answer to that yet. Because the real fight had just began. Even so, Marco had sent Jin a mail last night to report the events.

There hadn't been a reply yet. Since it was his father, he might answer with "You still have a lot to learn". Even so he thought would surely get a passing grade.

He was looking forward to what Jin would say to him, now that he faced his past and stood up again. He was already thinking up his words for a reply. They were words of gratitude.

The son, who you protected by even throwing away your status in the past. Now-- He certainly protected someone that only he could save.

***

The ringtone of a cell phone echoed through out a dark hall. Apparently, the place was one of the many hideouts for a certain dark organization.

"Hello?" Pressing the button, one of the former Heroes of the great war, Jin Oslov also known as the War God picked up the call.

"Oh, it's you… Yeah, I already know. 'Cause I got a mail from him." Jin was talking about Marco's mail to the dialogue partner.

"That's why I told you that there's no need to worry. Even without this case, he would've stood up on the right occasion." After saying so, Jin laughed.

"Marco is my and--- her son, after all." Then he responded to the words of his communication partner.

"Well, I know you're worried about him… That's why I kept him at a distance, where you can see him. Then look after him and Rebecca while I'm away. Sorry, but it seems like it'll take a while longer than I thought. I still need to clear out the other places as well." There he dropped his voice.

"Yeah. I still can't get in contact with 'her'. but So I'll try digging a bit deeper. There's also the matter with Rebecca too… There are surprisingly a lot of things to do. Don't worry, I'll contact Marco when I'm done here."Then Jin cut the call and slowly started walking.

Leaving the corpses of the countless those that had come after him behind, his face showed a ruthless smile.

"Don't get cocky from one success, Marco. You can't avoid it forever because you can't escape from your past and your fate." Jin declared into the empty space.