Chapter 185

[Third Person's PoV] 

As Zeta's ears twitched, she played with her food, distracted by the sound of a little girl's voice saying, "Mommy, I'm still hungry..."

"I know, sweetie. I'm sorry, but everyone only gets one serving of food..." the mother replied, her tone pained and sorrowful.

Zeta, in a good mood from the opportunity to spread the gospel of her lord in this chaotic world, stood up, taking her plate with her. She walked over to the little girl, who was clutching her stomach with a sad expression.

"Here you go," Zeta said with a soft smile, offering the food to her.

The girl's face brightened, while the mother looked at Zeta with apprehension. "What about you? You haven't eaten."

Zeta shook her head. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. She's still a kid and needs to eat all she can."

"Thank you, kind lady!" the little girl said, flashing a bright, innocent smile.

Zeta smiled back and crouched down to gently pat the girl's head. "Don't thank me—thank our lord and savior, the Shadow Monarch," she whispered.

"Huh?" The little girl tilted her head in confusion.

Cid covered his face, clearly embarrassed by Zeta's actions, while Akane, who hadn't heard what Zeta whispered, smiled at her kind gesture.

"Is she going to be alright without eating?" Akane asked, looking a bit concerned.

"Ah, don't worry. We can go months without any food or water," Cid reassured her. "It's one of the many benefits of having mana."

"Really? The more I learn about mana, the more incredible it becomes…" Akane muttered, finding the new knowledge fascinating.

When Zeta returned and sat down next to Cid, a tall figure appeared behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. They both noticed the color drain from her face as she shivered slightly. Cid and Zeta glanced at each other before turning their attention to the man.

As Akane looked up, she saw a man wearing the same school uniform, with typical Japanese black hair and eyes, except he was bulkier and had sideburns framing his face.

"Lieutenant Saejima," Akane muttered awkwardly.

"Come on, there's no need to be so formal. We were classmates three years ago, weren't we?" he said with a large, creepy grin.

Zeta glanced at Cid, who nodded slightly.

*"Was he really?"* she asked telepathically.

*"Unfortunately…"* Cid confirmed.

"Right now, you're my superior. Now if you'll excuse me, you're interrupting my breakfast," Akane said, shrugging him off.

Saejima didn't seem bothered. He just patted her back with a laugh and sat down next to her. "I'm afraid I have something important to discuss with you, my dear Akane."

Akane sighed. "We have nothing to talk about."

"Oh, but we do. For example, bringing her uselessness into the base and making them waste our food. These two are fine since they were strong enough to save you, so they could be useful and put to work. But what about the others? What if they start copying you, bringing in more freeloaders, huh?"

"That's enough!" Akane snapped, slamming her hands on the table and standing up. "You've already made me lose my appetite. Are you guys coming?"

Cid and Zeta shrugged and stood up, following her.

"Wait a minute, I'm not—!" Saejima started to shout, standing up to follow them. But he froze when he saw Cid, who was walking behind Akane with his hands casually behind his head. Cid stopped and looked back at Saejima, his eyes cold and lifeless, pitch-black.

Saejima's eyes widened in horror as Cid's gaze shifted back to purple. Cid then turned and continued following Akane.

Saejima stood there, a horrified look on his face. "Those eyes… I've seen those eyes before…" he muttered to himself, terrified. "But that shouldn't be possible… He's dead… That can't be right…he's dead," he continued, his voice trembling.

Zeta, who picked up Saejima's fearful mutters, looked at Cid with curiosity and confusion.

Cid just smiled and explained, *"Let's just say he tried picking on me when we first met, but it didn't end well for him. He almost died."*

Zeta smiled upon hearing that and wrapped her arm around his waist with an amused expression. 

"Sorry you guys had to see that," Akane muttered, a bit embarrassed by the earlier confrontation.

Zeta shook her head, reassuring her with a kind smile, while Cid simply grinned. "Don't worry, we understand. Not everyone is easy to be around."

Akane chuckled. "I suppose you're right…"

"So, what do you normally do after breakfast?" Cid asked curiously.

"Usually, I head to the training room. It helps me clear my head," Akane explained. "But you don't have to follow me. I only said that earlier to get you two away from him so he wouldn't bother you as well. You can do your own thing."

"I don't mind going to the training room," Cid shrugged. "How about you?" he asked, turning to Zeta.

"I'll go where you go," Zeta replied with a smile.

And with that, they all headed toward the training room, where Akane showed them the wooden swords she used for practice.

Cid grabbed a wooden sword, casually swinging it around a bit before nodding in approval. Meanwhile, Akane watched, her mouth slightly agape.

Though Cid was simply testing the sword, to Akane, his movements were extraordinary—so fast and precise that the air seemed to ripple with the power of his swings.

"Can we spar?" Akane asked, intrigued by Cid's sword skills. "I haven't met a swordsman whose movements I couldn't follow. That was incredible."

"As long as you don't get mad or upset, I'm game," Cid replied with a shrug.

"Why would I get mad or upset?" Akane asked, puzzled.

"Well, I'm obviously better than you," Cid teased. "And from what you've said, it seems like you're not used to meeting someone who's better with a sword. I just don't want you to get frustrated and ruin this friendship we've just started."

"Hehehe, you're pretty confident. But don't worry—I'm not that petty. Honestly, I'd be glad if I lost to you," Akane responded with a smirk.

"You sound like a masochist," Cid remarked with a straight face, resting the wooden sword on his shoulder.

Akane turned bright red and glared playfully at him. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that it's nice to know there are people stronger than I am. It means we'd have a better chance against the monsters plaguing our world."

"I know what you meant," Cid replied, rolling his eyes as he got into a ready stance.

Akane continued to blush as she positioned herself, legs slightly spread, holding her sword near her face with both hands, her eyes narrowing in focus.

Zeta decided to act as the referee. She raised her own sword and swung it down. "Begin!"

Without hesitation, Cid and Akane's mana flared around their bodies and swords as they charged at each other, matching smirks on their faces.

As soon as the signal was given, Akane launched forward with a swift, powerful strike aimed directly at Cid's shoulder. But before her sword could connect, Cid effortlessly sidestepped, deflecting her blade with a precise flick of his wrist. The force behind her strike was completely nullified, and Cid countered with a quick jab toward her side.

Akane barely had time to register the attack, managing to block it at the last second. She pushed Cid's blade away and immediately followed up with a rapid series of strikes, each one faster and more aggressive than the last. Her movements were sharp, her speed impressive, but to her surprise, Cid parried each attack with such ease that it almost seemed like he was toying with her.

No matter how she angled her attacks—high, low, or mid-level—Cid was always one step ahead, predicting her moves as if he could read her mind. He blocked every strike with minimal effort, his movements fluid and precise. It was as though he had already mapped out every possible angle and scenario before she even executed them.

Akane, growing more determined, shifted her approach, faking a high slash only to aim a sweeping strike at Cid's legs. But Cid didn't fall for the feint. With a calm smile, he jumped over her blade and tapped her on the back with the flat of his sword as he landed behind her. 

Startled, Akane spun around, her sword ready for a counterattack, but Cid was already moving. He disarmed her in a single fluid motion, twisting her sword out of her grasp and sending it clattering across the room.

Before she could react, the wooden tip of Cid's sword was at her throat, his smirk widening slightly. "Told you I was better," he said with a playful glint in his eyes.

Akane, panting slightly from the exertion, looked up at him in shock. She had never been outmatched so thoroughly before. But instead of feeling frustrated, a wide grin spread across her face.

"I guess I have a lot to learn," she admitted, a mixture of awe and excitement in her voice, while her cheeks blushed at their closeness and at how deeply Cid stared into her eyes.

Cid withdrew his sword. "Not bad, though," he complimented, with a wink. "You've got potential."

"Thank…" She muttered embarrassed by his flirty actions. 

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A/N: I just want to share an Image I found...

[Here]

Ps. I called their base a pharmaceutical building... it's a high-school, my bad...