「 Talk 」

"... I welcome you, Kira."

Hearing that calm voice, Kira focused his attention on the man in front of him. Gustang is a tall man who has a handsome face with elegant brown hair, the rimless glasses he wears add to the impression of intelligence to him.

Gustang was wearing a smart white tuxedo with a black suit collar, an old gray shirt underneath and a black tie. When he saw Gustang's figure, it reminded Kira of an old book that can make people fall asleep after reading it.

"I apologize for the ill-treatment from my subordinates before, please sit down."

A chair then appeared in front of Kira, and Kira followed what Gustang said and sat in the chair while watching the gaze of Gustang.

Even though he is currently calm and friendly, who knows what will happen. Kira is very vigilant right now, the man in front of him is one of the strongest and most influential existences in the tower, and Kira doesn't know how strong Gustang really is.

 Moreover, he was an Irregular who climbed the tower with the heads of other great families and the king of the tower itself.

" As you know, I'm Po Bidau Gustang. "

"My name is Kira, I came here to ask you some important questions."

" You are a straightforward person huh, don't you feel you have to apologize to me for the mess you caused on the 12th Floor?"

Kira had expected Gustang to say that after he heard his words before.

"I don't feel I have to do that, after all, I didn't mess up the test in your floor or something."

"Well, you're right, you really don't do what you normally do on the other floor when you do the test on my floor."

Kira raised his eyebrows because Gustang seemed to know quite a lot about him.

"But destroying the Superbomb in Submarine is another matter."

'I knew this was related to that.' Kira's expression still hasn't changed one bit, he then said.

 "Looks like I've offended you."

"Well, let's just say that you have blocked my way a bit like a puddle after rain. And after you know that, do you think I will answer your question?"

Gustang looked at Kira's blue eyes, for a moment he got the feeling that he was staring at an supreme being, the same feeling when he was in the presence of an Administrator. But it disappeared in an instant and Gustang decided to ignore it.

"It seems that the rumors are true, So you also want to use the Super Bomb to fight against Jahad's empire, huh. "

Hearing Kira's words, Gustang's expression did not change in the slightest.

"Watch what you say, brat, Did that Macseth's little girl who tell you nonsense like that?"

Gustang said a rhetorical question and Kira was also silent. He then spoke again.

"Looks like I have to remind you again brat, you are currently talking to one of the 10 great family heads, I am not a snobby man but you should keep your attitude and speech when in front of me. Especially saying such sensitive topics, you could be killed. "

Of course Kira knew that, and because he knew that Kira intentionally said the sensitive topic openly in front of Gustang. He wanted to know how Gustang's response to his question.

'He doesn't deny my words ...'

Even though Kira sometimes acts stupid and rash, he's not an idiot, he won't just trust the words of others even if it's his friend's words. He will not believe so if Gustang intends to fight against Jahad before he checks by himself.

Gustang then returned to speak.

"The reason why I let a Regular like you meet me is because I am interested in your actions on the 12th floor, convincing Mai Macseth to be your partner, defeating a Ranker, and destroying a Superbomb. I want to spare my valuable time solely because my curiosity about your strength, how can a regular like you have such strength, I want to know that. "

Hearing that, Kira nodded slightly.

"I think you're right, but it's a pity I'm not interested in you, Po Bidau Gustang."

"Ho ~"

"The only reason I came to this place is, I want to ask you how to get out of this tower and go to the outside world, that's all. Do you know how?"

The eyes of Kira and Gustang meet each other.

"Hmmm, that's a pretty interesting question. Someone also asked me about it before. But as I said before, do you think I will answer your question?"

'This man ... then I have no choice but to say that. 'thought Kira, feeling that their chatter was not moving forward in the slightest.

"If you don't have anything else to talk about, then leave, I'm losing my interest in you."

Gustang closed his eyes and was really no longer interested in continuing his conversation with Kira, but before he turned back, Kira said.

"Actually I am an Irregular," Kira said, revealing his secret with a flat face, like someone who had just said a random word.

"Huh?" Gustang opened his eyes and looked at Kira sharply.

"From the beginning I was wondering, why do people of your caliber bother to watch this boring tournament. So you're interested in Bam, huh."

Gustang's expression changed slightly after hearing Kira's words.

"Or rather his status as an Irregular. Even though you told me to be quiet, but you can't deny it right ... that you really intend to carry out a rebellion."

"..."

Kira has prepared this scenario beforehand if Gustang refused to give him an answer to his question. Well, if you think logically, who would just say yes to a random request. Because of that, Kira prepared several statements that at least made Gustang interested in him.

"You ... are an Irregular, so that's how it is ... now it makes sense if you are an Irregular. But I didn't expect more than one Irregular to come to the tower in a very short time span like this. And from what you said before It seems like you already know him well," Gustang said.

Kira who heard that grinned in his mind, it was because for the first time Gustang started the actual conversation.

"Do you mean Bam? Yeah, I've known him since I first entered the tower."

"That's quite surprising, it's very rare for Irregulars to bond with friends ... of course that's an exception for Great Warriors."

" Friend, huh? "

Kira looked down slightly when he heard that word, well he had friends, Rea, Franz, Ran, and Mai ... they were all his friends, Kira did not deny that.

But Bam, he is different. Since Kira first met him he knew, Bam was similar to him, but also very different, and because of that Kira felt that he was not suitable to befriend Bam. He only realized that after going up from the 2nd floor, his friendship would only be his weakness.

"So, have I returned your interest?" Said Kira.

"I have to admit, you have the guts to pull me back to the chat and even talk about that ' topic ' twice, aren't you afraid I will kill you here?" Gustang grinned a little and tried to corner Kira.

But Kira just shook his head and smiled faintly towards Gustang.

"Wouldn't I be the 'pawn' that fits your plan?"

Gustang's smile disappeared in an instant when he heard Kira's words.

"You're really something huh ..."

The atmosphere between the two of them finally became a little better, although Gustang did not agree with Kira's words yet.

"So about my question, I heard from Mai you know how to get out of the tower. Is that true?"

"That's true," Gustang said, not trying to hide anything.

" In that case-

But before Kira could finish what he said, Gustang interrupted him.

"But you can't do that, at least for now."

" What do you mean? "

"One condition to get out of the tower is to become a ranker, because only a ranker who can travel freely in the tower," Gustang said with a deadpan expression.

Hearing that, Kira raised his eyebrows.

"Becoming a Ranker huh ..." Kira was actually a little surprised by Gustang's words, not because of unreasonable terms, but because the conditions were too easy in his opinion.

"But not only that, this method also can not be ascertained how likely it will succeed, because indeed no one has ever tried to do that, including myself."

Kira nodded and accepted an explanation from Gustang.

"But even though I haven't fulfilled the condition for now, can you tell me how?"

"I can't do it. Because if I do, I'm sure you will do stupid acts like breaking out of the inner tower. Because if you do that, then you will become an imperial fugitive."

"Being a fugitive, that makes me nostalgic," murmured Kira, remembering his days being hunted by government soldiers day and night.

"But that doesn't matter, even if those Jahad's Army are after me, I will kill them all." Kira's expression did not change the slightest as he said that.

"I don't know if it's confidence or arrogance, but with your current strength, you will die if you fight a squadron leader."

"Do you want to see it for yourself?"

Suddenly a Baang of light appeared behind Kira and immediately formed a sword, but Gustang only slightly glanced at it and Kira's sword of light mysteriously disappeared in an instant.

* fwuosh *

' Huh? ' Kira widened hjs eyes in surprise before he felt a slash aimed at him.

* swing *

Kira avoiding the attack easily and catch the hand of the attacker who is none other than Fae. But Fae doesn't let Kira catch her hand just like that, she turns her body in the air to release her hand and direct a Horizontal kick towards Kira's head.

* fwuosh *

Kira avoiding and backing back quickly. When Fae pulled her dagger and prepared to glide towards Kira, she was stopped by Gustang's voice.

"That's enough, Fae!"

Kira didn't change his expression in the slightest even after he received a surprise attack from Fae. But what surprised him right now was his sword of light that had disappeared before. No, more accurately being destroyed.

Fae then disappears from her place again and hides, protecting Gustang from the darkness even though it is unnecessary considering the strength he has. Gustang then said.

"You must be wondering why your Baang disappeared, right?"

"..."

"What I just did was to use Shinsu's manipulation technique to destroy Baang who has a weak flow like yours," Gustang said.

But throbbing Gustang's explanation, Kira thought.

'That technique is similar to what Urek did to destroy my light swords in floor of archpelago, but if Urek did that by accelerating Shinsu's flow in the air in a large area following his Shinsu's speed, the man in front of me did it by concentrating it at one point. '

"Looks like your Shinsu teacher didn't teach you to use Shinsu well huh ... if this is just your strength, then there will be many High-Ranker with Wave Controller positions that will keep you from moving around."

Well, he learned about Shinsu from a teacher in less than a month, the rest he left to his experience in controlling mana.

'It seems like there's still a lot that I don't know about Shinsu, huh ... I really rely too much on my Chaos Energy to solve every problem. '

While Gustang looked at Kira with a serious expression.

'But what is this boy, with the help of my glasses I can see Shinsu's flow in the air more clearly, and I can confirm that Shinsu's flow in the air tries to avoid making direct contact with his body. But he can still control Shinsu in such a way? nonsense. How can he defeat a Ranker with conditions like this. '

Gustang smiled faintly, he grasped his chin before saying.

"How about this Kira, you said your goal in climbing the tower was to find a way out of the tower itself, right?"

Kira nodded. Besides that, he also had to fulfill a promise to Mystical Dragon who had indirectly saved himself from death.

"If you want to learn more about Shinsu then you can come to my library which is on the 38th floor, The Floor of Everlasting Rain. Well ... that's just my advice, because in the end the tower chooses what it needs. Even if you don't want it, but inevitably you will also be involved in a great war that will risk the fate of this tower. "

Kira looked at Gustang for a moment before he said.

"I don't think it means us to continue this conversation anymore, after all, you really have no intention of answering my questions further. So I will go and see you again when I become a Ranker, well it might not be too long so be prepared."

Kira then walked before Gustang and thanked him before turning around and walked out leaving Gustang who had turned back to watch the tournament again.

Suddenly Fae appeared behind Gustang.

" Isn't the 38th floor is that woman's residence? Do you intend to bring them together? " Fae said with a confusion.

" Well it all depends on whether Kira can convince her or not, after all, she is my niece. "

" Besides that, Why did you help him, milord? That man is very dangerous, he might turn against you in the future."

Gustang who heard that smiled bitterly and said.

"You're right ... why am I helping him, huh? Maybe this is just a selfish desire from a pathetic father."

' Right, Anne? '

***

* tap * * tap *

While Kira who had come out of Gustang's room immediately received a call from Mai.

{So how did it go, Mr. Kira? }

"Well, as you said, he is a troublesome man and difficult to talk to, if I had not prepared this chat before, maybe I would end up with no results at all today."

{So he told you? The way to exit the tower. }

"No, but he promised to tell me if I had become a Ranker, this is a pretty good result actually, at least I can make a good relationship with him, it will benefit me in the future."

{Then what will you do now? }

Hearing that, Kira stopped and looked out the window with a mysterious look.

"For now ... I think I'll take care of these FUG bastards first."

____________________________________

Po Bidau Gustang is one of the smartest people in the tower. He was the first person who could count Shinsu numerically, and the person who had contributed to creating a system of using Shinsu.

He was also the one who suggested Jahad to create a jahad's princesses system to find a woman who worth it to be the wife of Jahad.

Before Kira, someone had asked Gustang how to get out of the tower. That person is none other than Urek. But after meeting Gustang, he returned and said.

'I'd better dig my way out using a spoon than have to ask that person. '