Mortal Man

Mayumi watched the battle in front of her with wide eyes.

{"Mayumi-sama, answer me, are you okay!? Stay still for a moment because I'm on my way there."}

A man's voice could be heard from her phone, but Mayumi didn't say anything, she was still stunned to see Lev and the big man whose body was probably much bigger than anyone she had ever seen in her life fighting each other brutally.

But Lev's movement, parrying every attack from the big man with his elbows and hands. His movements were so effective and well-trained, it was not a normal move for an ordinary highschool Student. In fact, she wasn't even sure that a JSDF soldier could match Lev in a hand to hand combat after he saw the sight in front of her.

"No... I think I'm fine." Mayumi said before she ended the call.

The outcome of the fight was decided, the big man fled after Lev managed to disarm and break his arm.

Mayumi then approached Lev with a worried expression.

"Haiba-kun, are you... You seem to be fine."

"Oh no, my right arm is broken!"

"Hm...!" Mayumi looked at Lev with a frown, this wasn't the right time to be joking around, she thought. She then noticed the dagger in Lev's hand.

" That... "

"His bayonet." Lev muttered, playing with that bayonet as if he was spinning a pen. As a knife fanboy, Lev has covered almost all types of daggers around the world, ranging from the most common ones like the AKC 9 White Russia, to classic series like the M9 Bayonet and Gerber Mk. II, to the special series of daggers like the ones in his hands right now.

XIN X Bayonet Series 8, is the 8th type of Dahan's special army bayonet which is now almost non-existent in the market after the destruction of the country by the Yotsuba family.

While Mayumi who saw Lev playing with the knife in his hand and looked at it with care and love, was thinking.

' With this level of fighting ability it was no wonder Morisaki and the others lost that day. But the question is, who exactly is Haiba Lev? '

"By the way senpai, you must have realized that he was trying to kill you, right?"

Mayumi who heard that sighed.

" Of course... "

"This isn't the first time?" Lev asked and Mayumi shook her head. Lev who saw it just looked at the girl in front of him with a mysterious look.

The two of them then sat down on one of the benches there. Lev couldn't leave Mayumi alone after the incident that just happen. He stared blankly at the empty street.

' Messed up the magic school, and now hired someone from the great asian union and tried to kill an heir to one of the Ten Master Clans... Tsk, flies. ' Lev thought.

After a while of sitting and chatting, then a car arrived. It was a magician from the Saegusa family.

"Haiba-kun, once again I thank you for your help. If you weren't there, I don't know what would have happened." Mayumi said from the car with a sincere smile.

Lev who heard that just nodded. He had already handed the dagger belonging to the big man to Mayumi for further investigation. This is not his country, he has no authority here. He would ask Mayumi for the results of her investigation later.

"I just happened to be with you, I can't let my student council president get killed just like that. Watanabe-senpai will definitely punish me if that happens. " Lev said.

Mayumi just smiled.

"Then see you later, I will send the data to you as soon as possible, but promise me not to act rashly."

Lev didnt say anything.

Lev then noticed the sharp and analytical gaze of the man in front of Mayumi.

"Don't let her go home alone again, or you'll lose your head to Saegusa Kouichi." Lev whispered to the man, he make sure that Mayumi didn't hear him at all.

The man was silent before the car drove away, Mayumi waved her hand and left Lev alone there.

The smile on his face slowly disappeared, Lev stroked his neck before muttering.

"Protecting someone, when was the last time I did that? It's a strange feeling."

He doesn't hate that feeling.

Meanwhile, Mayumi who was sitting with a calm smile in the back seat of her car seemed lost in thought about something.

"Mayumi-sama, may I know who that man is?"

Hearing the man's words, Mayumi's smile disappeared and she sighed.

"Does my answer matter? Even if I say no, you can look up his identity by yourself."

"..."

The man fell silent. Mayumi then looked up at the night sky and thought.

' Even I don't know who Haiba Lev really is. '

***

That night, around 01.00 AM, Lev received the data from Mayumi. It was faster than Lev expected.

Sitting in his chair, Lev stared at the screen in front of him with his arms crossed.

"There has been no suspicious activity for the past month. That's something."

Lev then sees a folder containing 14 places suspected of being the hiding places of Blanche. He held his chin.

' The open debate between the student council and the Sympathiser will take place tomorrow. 99%, I'm sure that they will use this opportunity to wreak havoc. Killing the students?...'

Lev wasn't sure. It seemed that his threat to Kinoe was completely ignored. It was not surprising, nor did he expect that they would care about the words of a high school boy.

Lev then stood up.

'If their goal is to kill an heir to one of the Ten Master Clans, then they shouldn't be rash in using 1st High School students. They must have other goals...'

Lev who realized something then widened his eyes, before he laughed.

"Hahahaha, I am such an idiot, i'm overcomplicated this thing even though their way of thinking is so simple. Of course it's that what they want..."

Magic.

Lev forgot that he called these people hypocrites for a reason.

"A magic school. Apart from being used as a place for teaching and learning activities, it is also used as a magic development site and database. Compared to a real magic development institution, of course schools are much easier to break into and full of loopholes."

Like a helpless sheep.

"A group of Anti-Magics who wants magic. Well that's funny, what a bunch of clowns."

Lev got rid of all his worries. He took these idiots too seriously. Although he couldn't let the big man get away with it.

Because he was likely in direct contact with one of the most dangerous people in Blanche.

The Shadow of Dahan. Zhou Gongjin.

***

[ Auditorium, First Highschool, 08;12 ]

Many students gathered in the auditorium to watch the open debate between Mayumi and the Sympathiser group. Most of them are 2nd Course students.

"But to call it a debate, it's quite sad isn't it? It's more like Saegusa-senpai is giving a speech."

Lev was currently standing with Tatsuya who was serving as the disciplinary committee in one corner of the Auditorium. While the student council members were in the backstage, monitoring the debate.

Tatsuya nodded his head.

Mayumi continued her speech until she finally brought up the two forbidden words.

"However, i won't deny the discrimination atmosphere that happens in this school. "Bloom" and "Weed". "

A commotion began in the crowd.

" The school and student council has banned these words but unfortunately, many students use these words. But Its not just 1st Course, but also there are 2nd course students who despise themselves as a weed. As if they have accepted their fate. " Mayumi said in a firm tone.

Lev who heard that smiled. It is true. But many students shouted, as if denying that fact.

" It definitely occurs. The problem is these walls, this barriers of awareness. As a student council President, I want to remove these walls. However, creating new reasons for discrimination isn't a solution. Each and every 1st and 2nd course student is a student of our school... And the three years you spend here is also irreplaceble."

The auditorium fell silent. They come to realization.

" People's heart can't be change by force. But aparts from that i am going to do everything i can to improve the situation. "

Everyone then stood up and clapped, it was a beautiful speech. Even Lev admits it, he claps with a smile.

"Isn't this reminds you of the story of the caterpillar and the butterfly?" Lev said, glancing at Tatsuya, who was glaring at him.

" What do you mean? "

Lev smiled calmly, looking at the crowd of students with a thoughtful look.

" The caterpillar is a prisoner to the idea that conceived it. Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this society. While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive. One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly. The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar. "

"..."

" But strange thing, the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits. Already surrounded by this magic society the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him. He can no longer see past his own thoughts. He's trapped."

Lev then continued.

" When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots. The result? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant. Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle.

Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same. "

Hearing Lev's words, Tatsuya asked.

"Who is the butterfly and who is the caterpillar?"

Hearing Tatsuya's question, Lev then smiled at him, it was an inexplicable smile. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before...

*BOOOOOM*

A loud explosion sounded from outside the Auditorium. Tatsuya who heard that widened his eyes, while Lev, he looked calm, because he had expected this to happen.

"Tatsuya, go and protect Saegusa-senpai. These people are after the inheritors of the Ten Master Clans."

Hearing that, Tatsuya widened his eyes.

"You..."

But before he could say anything, Lev had gone downstairs.

Tatsuya stood for a moment before he went straight to Mayumi and Miyuki who were on the stage and caught the students who were trying to attack Mayumi.

And when the students were busy evacuating themselves, the main auditorium door suddenly opened and revealed the figure of a group of people wearing gas masks and fully armed.

But what caught Lev's attention is the man in front of those people. A 2.5 meter tall giant wearing special armor and a mask to cover his face.

Noticing Lev's presence, the big man clenched his fists.

' Looks like I shouldn't bother looking for you... '

Likewise with Lev who had walked in the middle of the auditorium, standing a few meters in front of the big man.

"I'll definitely kill you, blonde bastard." The man's scream echoed through the auditorium.

"Hmph." Lev just snorted.

Its a showdown.