4.2.

Following that, they left the cafe and went around exploring. Walking through the busy markets, giving corn to stray birds at the fountain park, enjoying street food for lunch, and entering the super crowded 'shopping mall' to see what this place was about.

It was evening when they decided to return.

A calm sky, the roads quieter than usual. The two paced down the road, hand in hand.

"What do you want to eat for dinner later?" Schwii asked.

"Is Iona not going to be around?"

"She's not."

"Then.. what do you want to eat?"

"I'm asking you, silly."

"Should we just buy a couple sandwiches and bring them back to the apartment?"

"Sandwich.. then let's head to Mochi Corner and see what they have there."

"Good idea."

A cart powered by an engine humming along holding goods passed by them. The passionate gazes of jealous mercenaries huddled near the inns and guilds. They would scowl at the love birds every once in a while.

Schwii leaned against Sequencee's arm.

"You know. When father told me that I was your fiance, I was thinking.. why did I ever fall in love with my cousin?"

She raised his hands to eye level and played with his fingers. Sequencee supported her waist so that she wouldn't fall from such an awkward position.

"But now I think.. maybe my cousin is the best person for me. On paper, it would look weird, but at least we get to stay together for the next century."

"If you think that's bad, you should see Shiro and Risa."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Risa likes Shiro, even though they're siblings. That's my guess at least."

"Ah, that's true." Schwii merely nodded.

"Too bad Linzy is acting like the alpha."

"This is why I don't like you having more than one."

"Yeah. I know."

BOOM!! BOOMMM!!

The ground shook, explosions rang and smoke exploded from an alley right behind them. Instinctively, they two turned around.

From the backstreets, a boy wearing a tattered uniform from some academy rolled painfully across the ground. His lips stained with blood, wounds covered his body, pale blue hair messy with dirt and dust.

Two noteworthy traits about him were the fluffy ears on his head and a bloodied tail. His eyes were a shade of madder red– he looked awfully familiar.

He forced himself to stand and stared into the smoke.

A silhouette appeared from within.

"Be a good boy and come back to your alpha, please?" a saccharine voice echoed.

"Fuck off..!"

He streached out his hands and an ear piercing shockwave shot forth. As if gravity had converged in a horizontal direction, it slammed into the source of the silhouette in a way that seemed to drag time with it. Dust and debris shot up–

A tall woman figure, beastkin, wearing a loose maid uniform appeared from the settling dust totally unscatched. In her hand was a whip of sorts.

"Are there no guards around here?" Schwii asked, looking around.

"It doesn't seem like it.. actually, there," Sequencee said.

"Oi, the hella you think ya doin'?" a nearby mercenary team came in between the female maid and the boy.

"Oh, there they are," Schwii said.

"Uh, they don't have the badge though," Sequencee said.

Unlike other regions, national security in Rika Nation's is run by mercenaries or private guilds, not knights. While there is a governing body to the nation, there is no army or knight's order. To put it otherwise, Rika Nation's army are all mercenaries.

"I'm not interested in you men. I'm here for the boy," the woman snarled.

"Look. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean we don't take measures to maintain the safety around the place."

"Hmph. Humans are really a bunch of trouble," the maid cared not for it and simply advanced. The mercenaries held together in a tight formation, acting to defend the boy.

The boy got up and got ready to dash again when he winced at the pain of his sprained ankle.

"Sequencee–"

"You okay?"

"T-Thanks."

Kshing. PAk. Slide. Slap. KShing–

A fierce battle was happening between the maid and the six mercenaries.

"Tell them to run, she's not–"

"GGAHHHH!!!"

Baam!! A mercenary was thrown into the sky and slammed into the wall of the building. Blood spurted from his mouth as his consciousness faded.

"W-What–"

"Want to try me again?"

She slapped her whip, causing a small explosion on the ground. The mercenary who had just lost his wrist glared at her with bloodshot eyes.

"You.. everyone hold their ground until the guards arrive! Caolin, check on Ronchester!" the team leader commanded as he charged towards the maid.

"I wonder.." Sequencee muttered.

"What should we do about this?" Schwii thought they were being too nonchalant.

Sequencee approached the boy. Sequencee noticed a badge.

"Hm?"

He's a student from another academy, Sequencee just didn't know which.

"S-She's here for me. I can't let her take me away.. n-not when I've already made it here," the boy pleaded.

"What is your relationship with her?"

"She's.. the alpha's subordinate. She wants me back in the pack, but I refuse. I'm a beta, I don't need that crap. Damn it. Even though I came here to find someone," he cursed.

"Bring him out of here already!" Caolin yelled at Sequencee.

"L-Let's go," the boy stretched out his arms, as if asking for a hug.

'This is inviting trouble.'

BAamm!

"Leader!"

"As I said. I'm here for the boy! You foolish people who know no strength think that you can be heroes simply because you can stand on your hind leg!" The maid roared. A shockwave blew, causing the air to tremble. The other mercenaries around staggered and fell.

"Sequencee?" Schwii tilted her head

"Give me a moment."

"W-Wait, what are you doing?" the boy's voice froze up.

"You want to die?" The maid showed her canine towards Sequencee.

He reacted by saying nothing.

"Hah. Piece of shit who knows nothing."

Her whip tore through the air and shot towards Sequencee.

"RRRUUUUNNNN!!!" The boy shouted in panic.

Boing–

The whip was reflected back with ease. In shock, the maid quickly crossed her arms to defend against her own killing blow.

BAng!

She was forced a few steps backwards. Her arm brutally lacerated, blood pouring.

"You.."

It was the reflection barrier which Judy had used once during the magic CQC combined with the resilient aspects of the Warp Net from the magic concert.

But before she could complete her sentence, she dropped to her knees, supporting her upper body with her hands. A spinning magic array encased her in a gravity field, multiplying the downwards pull several folds.

Following that, Sequencee casually tossed a seed to the ground. It quickly expanded into crystal vines which further restricted her movement.

A minute passed as those in the surroundings watched in awe. Just as the next wave of mercenary guards were arriving, Sequencee release the gravity magic. The maid fell to the ground exhausted. Her breathing labored.

"Resolved."

"Show off," Schwii retorted.

"Yeah well. More people could've gotten hurt if I didn't."

"W-Who are you.." the beastkin boy asked.

"I'm Schwii, he's Sequencee. Students of Riestallia Academy."

"She's the one that initiated the attack."

"A beastkin? Keep up your guard everyone, transport her carefully."

Packick–

The crystal ivy restraint was torn. A low growl was heard. The guards that came close backed away at once.

Slowly, the maid stood up. Her eyes burned in rage. Golden aura emanated from her body, causing everyone to tremble.

"I'll kill you!!"

A shockwave erupted as she pounced forward at extreme speeds.

"Fire."

Star Auger, which Sequencee had been secretly preparing, exploded with a shockwave that exceeded the one created by her forward charge.

Her figure blurred as the first Star Auger collided with the ground, sparking an explosion that caused a small crater to form. The tremor of the shockwave caused her posture to break.

A second Star Auger fired off. Left with no choice, she conjured golden claws made of condensed mana and swung it against the spell. Her futile efforts of head front confrontation, even with the backing of her system gift, sent her back slamming into the depth of the alley.

'It's kind of difficult to restrain someone like that without killing.'

He opted for Star Auger because if it were Starfall, Sequencee wasn't keen on drill a hole into her body. Star Auger had less penetrative power, but the knockback was far greater.

"Does anyone have a sleeping potion or anything like that? Just in case she wakes up again." Sequencee asked.

Of course, he only received crickets.

"Hm.."

"We'll take it on from here. We have someone from our party capable of restraint," the leader of the guard party said.

"I see.. then I'll leave it to you," Sequencee casually repaired the asphalt ground to its original state. Though not perfect, it was at least flat.

"Thank you for your help."

"Do you need more aid in carrying the injured to the hospital?" Schwii asked the two mercenaries that were limping in their party member's arm.

"N-No need. Thank you for your concern young miss," due to Schwii's beauty, probably, they didn't dare trouble her with their problems.

"That's done. Are there more people on your tail?" Sequencee asked the boy.

"Linton. Call me Linton."

"Linton, got it. Hold still for a moment."

"Hm? E-Eh? You know healing magic?!"

"Superficial wounds like this are alright. Any more than that, I can't. You should go see a priest after this. You're bleeding inside, that I can't fix."

"Yea.. thanks a lot. You're really powerful."

Sequence nodded, finishing up the light heal with a resolution spell to prevent any secondary complications. Linton twisted his ankles– it no longer hurt, he could stand up alright.

"I'm from Covenants Academy. Thank you for saving me.. ugh.. my clothes. This sucks," Linton complained.

"So you're living here too. For how long now?" Schwii asked.

"Um.. I began studying in Rika Nation since the New Dawn. Though I'm earnestly trying to get my enforcer license, the main reason I came here is because I've been trying to find my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Yes. She has white blue hair and red eyes just like me. Maybe a little shorter. She's cute, quiet, but has a hidden fierce side to her. She's an alpha type, so her actions can sometimes be.. you know, a little extreme."

"I see.. good luck with that then," Sequencee's voice cracked up a little.

"Thanks.." Linton's shoulder's sagged.

"Uh, how do you know that your sister might be here?" Schwii asked.

"No. I just know that she's here, my instincts are telling me so," Linton nodded to himself.

"I see–I guess beastkins really have it different."

"It's alright.. I don't want to trouble you any more with my matter. Thank you for saving me.. see you when I arrive as an exchange student!" Saying so, Linton gave a short farewell and quickly left the scene with his tail wagging.

A short moment passed, a guard approached them and asked about the main victim. They wanted to question him about the situation.

"He already left.." Sequence could only reply so.

The guards dragging the beastkin maid away, the two tacitly began walking home.

"Say.. doesn't he look familiar to a certain someone?" Schwii asked.

"Familiar? I mean.. he kinda looks like.. um."

"Forget it. Let's return to the academy."

"Y-Yeah.. it's probably not fate playing tricks on us.. right?"

At this point of time, the two were thinking of the same thing.

– Linzy.