14 Happy Birthday

Not long after, Daniel was discharged in the hospital. Since his injuries were healed, the doctor didn't say much.

As he was talking to the doctor, he was surprised to find that aside from broken bones which are healed now, he didn't have any stab wounds.

'It seems that my regeneration is potent enough to even affect my organs.' Daniel said inwardly as he touched his stomach.

Remembering that feeling, he shuddered. Although his head was dizzy that time, he saw and felt something stabbing through him.

It was an unpleasant experience.

The doctor also said that there is no problem in his body. No scars, no broken bones. Nothing.

He even felt it. In fact, he feels lighter than before.

"I must be insane. Getting stronger by being hurt?" He muttered while entering the campus.

"Kid! It's good to see you." The guard smiled at him in surprise.

"Good to see you." Daniel smiled in return.

"Are you really sure you're okay? You don't need to go back immediately, you know. The school head would understand." The guard persuaded, "He also wants to apologize because the incident happened inside the campus." 

"No worries about it. The doctor said I'm okay now." He waved it off.

"Can't stop you kid. Just tell me if you need something." Seeing that his persuasion didn't work, the guard just patted his shoulder and said.

"I will." He said while waving his hand continued walking to his dorm.

While walking, he noticed that the students aren't as lively as they used to be.

'Must be because of the incident.' He thought. The Anti-Entropy might've hid the case about Asakura Mizuki, it won't mean that it wouldn't affect the students.

As he was about to reach his dorm, he saw someone which surprised him.

"Kiana? What are you doing here?" Still with her drill hairstyle, Kiana is leaning on a wall close to his dorm.

"I was waiting for you obviously." She answered with annoyance.

"... Are you really okay?" 

"Tough as a horse." Daniel replied while flexing his biceps which earned Kiana a snort.

"What brings you here?" He asked with curiosity. Doesn't she have classes?

"Ehem.. you see..I asked the teacher to leave to visit you. She agreed because it's you…." She said while not looking at him. 

If it was a normal person, he would've been touched since someone is willing to ditch their class for him but knowing Kiana…

"So you use me to ditch your class?" He gave her a stink eye.

"I said I'm here to visit you." She glared angrily. Although there are times where she's too lazy to go to class, she is being genuine this time.

"Nothing we can do about it," Daniel shrugged.

"Since you have no classes, let's go to that restaurant again. My treat." 

"I should be treating you…" Before she finished, Daniel already walked away.

Seeing this, she shook her head and followed.

—

After they left the school, they chatted while walking before reaching the restaurant.

Opening the door, they sat at their usual place and began their order.

Unlike the usual, Daniel came to the counter and said something before going back which intrigued Kiana.

"What's that for?"

"Just wait."

Not long after, a group of waiters and waitresses came out holding a bunch of food.

Under Kiana's surprised eyes, they placed the food on the table before a large cake was brought over.

"T-This.." Kiana was speechless.

"I know it's late but Happy Birthday Kiana."

""Happy Birthday!""

The staff shouted in unison.

Kiana looked at Daniel in daze.

"Are you gonna cry in joy? Don't worry, I won't hold it out against you." Daniel said with a smirk.

Kiana didn't reply directly and only looked at the side, "Idiot.." 

Daniel shook his head and started placing a candle on her cake. 

"Thank you…" Kiana looked at Daniel once again but unlike the usual, he had black sclera looking at her with an emotionless stare.

Shaking her head, she decided to forget that memory. This is the true Daniel.

No one could convince her otherwise.

—

Outside the restaurant, a figure in a white dress was standing.

Looking at Kiana blowing her candles and Daniel clapping at her. The figure in the white dress sighed.

It was the girl Daniel bumped with a few days ago.

"I don't know who to be jealous of.." She muttered while looking at them.

"Should I be happy? Or should I be angry?" She sighed.

"If it's both of them. I can never get angry." She looked at them fondly.

"Wait for me. Sooner, we will be together."

—

"That was a great feast." Kiana exclaimed while stretching her arms.

After the celebration was done, Kiana seemed to revert from her usual cheerful se

Since that incident, Kiana was… off. He didn't know the reason but it's there. 

There's also how she's always cautious around him. She may not tell it but he can.

It was only after the celebration that she returned back to her previous self.

He couldn't blame her if it was because of Asakura Mizuki that she's feeling down. After all, they are friends and her death must have affected her mental health.

However, he feels that it wasn't the case. Sure Asakura Mizuki is a part of it, but he feels that there is something more.

And it's related to him.

"By the way, how did you know when my birthday is?" She asked curiously. As far as she knows, she never told him her birthday.

"Huh? I heard it from someone…" Daniel held his head. 

"Are you okay?" Seeing this, she came to him worriedly.

"I'm fine." He replied with a wry smile.

Kiana saw it was not the case but she reluctantly nodded.

"Forget it. You probably saw it on my ID, you creep." Kiana crossed her arms with a harumph.

"Why does that sound like something that you would do?" He rebutted.

Instead of getting angry, she just smirked at him and replied, "If it's Mei-senpai, I would do that."

"Though, there's an exception now." 

"Huh?" Daniel looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

"So you admit that you are creepy?" 

"..."

—

"Where is it?!" An angry voice called out.

"Calm down, Dr. Tesla. The data is already being sent." A calm voice spoke.

"What do you mean calm down, Ein?! There's someone who took a Herrscher powerhouse without being noticed out there?!" A red haired, twin tailed girl shouted. She's Frederica Nikola Tesla.

Or as she's called, Dr. Lobst—Tesla.

"A Pseudo Herrscher," Ein corrected, "It wasn't a Herrscher or else the Third Eruption would've happened." The blue haired scientist sipped her coffee.

"Whatever! There is still something dangerous out there Einstein!" Dr. Tesla said while furiously typing the keyboards.

"Indeed but we can't find it. Siegfried's daughter is there as far as I remember but I don't think she's the one who did it unless…" Lieserl Albert Einstein dragged her words.

"What?" Dr. Tesla asked with annoyance.

"Nevermind, it's unlike." Dr. Einstein shook her head, "Although it is indeed worrying that there is someone who can kill Pseudo Herrschers out there and we have no idea who it is." She continued with a sigh.

"Hmph! It must be that bimbo's doing." Dr. Tesla muttered angrily.

Dr. Ein was in deep thought. Normally, she would agree that it's probably that woman, but her intuition is telling her that it's not the case.

"Speaking of her, do you have any news?" Dr. Ein asked.

"I don't know what that woman is doing now. I only know that she's in Nagazora, waiting for something." Dr. Tesla answered while glaring at her keyboards.

"That's troublesome." 

"Why are we even following her orders?! She's not the leader nor the founder of Anti-Entropy!" She asked Einstein.

"Because we have no choice. The leader is still recovering. We don't know when the next eruption will be. The worst decision for us is to have internal conflict." The blue haired scientist replied helplessly.

"Joachim…" Hearing her mentioning their leader, Dr. Tesla muttered with sadness.

"In any case, we have two problems now. Whatever Cocolia is doing in Nagazora and the mysterious person who took down a Pseudo Herrscher." Dr. Einstein said with solemnity in her voice.

Dr. Tesla was angry but helpless. Anti-Entropy is at its weakest currently and fighting amongst them is unwise. 

*Beep* 

"Huh?" Looking at the monitor, Dr. Tesla typed a few codes before a picture appeared.

"Who's that?" Hearing her question, Dr.  Einstein also looked to see an unfamiliar man standing in front of Siegfried's daughter, Kiana Kaslana.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I remember Siegfried mentioning that his daughter is together with some guy. It's probably him." Dr. Tesla held her chin in thought. She remembers it because Siegfried wouldn't stop how he's gonna beat up that guy for tricking his daughter.

He has that salty look on his face while doing it.

Meanwhile, Einstein just shook her head and watched the vid. Nagazora City is monitored by ME Corp which by extension, Anti-Entropy as well. 

The head of ME Corp, Raiden Ryoma's daughter, is also studying in Chiba Academy. It was convenient that the incident happened there.

"What…?" The blue haired scientist muttered in shock.

Just.. What is this?

"Ein… Why am I shaking?" Dr. Tesla asked without moving her eyes from the monitor.

Dr. Einstein immediately smashed the monitor using one of the wrenches she found nearby owned by Tesla which snapped them out of their fright. 

"Ein.. I think we should tell this to Siegfried." Dr. Tesla sat down and said with an exhausted voice.

Einstein didn't reply but nodded. They should really tell him this.