Fantasy Libary 40

Title: Going Alone

Not long after, the group gathered in the rest area dispersed.

Claudia returned to the student council office to handle matters related to the Phoenix Festa, while Ayato and Julis seemed to have decided to train together, likely feeling the pressure from recent events.

After ensuring that the academy’s media clubs were no longer lurking outside, Ark finally left the rest area and headed to another part of the arena designated for participants.

Of course, he was going to look for his partner.

However, when Ark arrived at Kirin’s rest area, he was met with a loud, angry voice.

“Look at what you’ve done! How dare you?!”

The unmistakable hostility in the voice caused Ark’s brow to furrow.

He tried to enter the rest area, but participant rest areas were specially designed with locked doors, requiring permission from the occupant via a virtual interface for others to enter.

The furrow in Ark’s brow deepened. Without hesitation, he drew Ser-Veresta in its inactive form and activated it.

The now-active sword, the size of a dagger with a blade shimmering in a dark purple hue, exuded a subtle threat.

Holding the mini Ser-Veresta, Ark lightly slashed at the door.

*SSSTTT!*

The Mana around it was severed, disabling the lock. The automatic door slid open silently, revealing the scene inside.

Ark immediately spotted Kirin and her uncle, Kouichirou.

Kouichirou, with his back to the door, was angrily berating Kirin, who stood before him with her head bowed.

“You couldn’t even defeat the thirteenth-ranked student! Not only did you lose, but you also let yourself be swayed by that brat’s offer to team up for the Phoenix Festa?!”

“Who gave you the right to make that decision?!”

In his rage, Kouichirou slammed his fist into the nearby wall, causing it to shake from the impact.

Kirin stood there, trembling slightly, her small frame shaking as she kept her head down, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Do you really think you can get rid of me so easily?” Kouichirou continued his tirade, his tone wild and irrational. “Fool! Without me, what could you possibly achieve?!”

“All you can do is swing a sword! Who gave you the chance to pursue your so-called dreams?!”

“It was me!”

“Without me, do you think you would have ever become number one?!”

Kirin didn’t refute his claims.

Not because she didn’t want to or didn’t dare, but because she genuinely believed them herself.

She had always thought that her status as the academy’s number one was inseparable from her uncle’s help.

If it weren’t for Kouichirou arranging opponents for her on her first day at the academy, she would never have become one of the Page One students.

And if she hadn’t become one of the Page One students, she wouldn’t have had the chance to challenge the previous number one in the Official Ranking Battle during her first month.

Moreover, without the carefully prepared information on her opponents that Kouichirou provided, she wouldn’t have been able to defeat the previous number one so easily or maintain her title in the battles that followed.

Because of this, Kirin didn’t argue with her uncle’s words.

However, her silence only reinforced Kouichirou’s belief that everything Kirin had achieved was thanks to him.

As a result, Kouichirou’s anger grew even more uncontrollable.

“All of this happened because you’re useless! The rank and status I worked so hard to secure have been handed over! My plans are ruined! Do you realize how much loss you’ve caused me?!”

“I’ve poured so much effort into you, thinking that even if you’re useless, at least you know how to swing a sword well!”

“And now? You’ve completely destroyed everything! All my efforts are wasted, and you still dare to accept that brat’s invitation to the Phoenix Festa?!”

“I absolutely will not allow it!”

As he spoke, Kouichirou reached out his hand, seemingly intending to grab Kirin by the hair.

He had done this many times before and didn’t see anything wrong with it.

Unfortunately for him, today was different.

*BAM!*

A hand suddenly shot out from the side, firmly gripping Kouichirou’s wrist and stopping him.

“What?!”

Kouichirou was stunned.

“A-Ark-senpai?”

Kirin, startled by the unexpected intervention, looked up and saw Ark standing beside them. She gasped in surprise.

“Hello, Toudou-san.”

Ark didn’t look at Kirin. Instead, he turned to Kouichirou with a calm expression, speaking as if it were a casual greeting.

“It’s you?” Kouichirou finally reacted, speaking bluntly, “How did you get in here?”

“Obviously, I walked right in.” Ark replied, his face still wearing a cheerful smile. However, his tone was sharp and merciless. “Good thing I did, or I wouldn’t have seen someone abusing their niece in here, would I?”

Kouichirou’s face immediately darkened.

It wasn’t fear—it was anger.

“This is a family matter! It’s none of your business!” Kouichirou shouted, trying to break free. “Let go of me!”

Hearing his words, Ark immediately released him.

“AHHHH!”

Unprepared for the sudden release, Kouichirou lost his balance and fell hard to the floor.

“Un-Uncle!” Kirin cried out in shock.

Ark looked down at Kouichirou, his expression calm as he spoke.

“Listen to yourself. Are you saying that just because this is a family matter, no one has the right to intervene?”

“If that’s the case, what’s the point of having police?”

“Even an outsider, upon seeing someone about to harm an underage girl, has the right—and the reason—to step in.”

Ark’s words made Kouichirou, already in pain from the fall, even angrier.

“Do you know who I am?” Kouichirou glared at Ark and shouted, “I’m a Galaxy staff member under the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, which means I work for the organization that runs this academy. And you’re a student and a Genestella—how dare you lay a hand on me?!”

A Genestella attacking a normal person is no trivial matter.

Because of the overwhelming abilities of Genestella compared to ordinary people, even a simple attack can cause irreparable damage. As a result, society has strict rules: Genestella are forbidden from harming ordinary people without clear justification, and violators face severe punishment.

This punishment carries a certain bias.

For many ordinary people, the power of Genestella is equivalent to that of monsters. This has led to widespread prejudice. Fear and misunderstanding often cause people to overreact to any issue involving Genestella, resulting in countless unreasonable incidents.

Kouichirou was one of these people. His disdain for Kirin, his own niece, and his rough treatment of her largely stemmed from this bias.

Of course, he was adept at using the rights of ordinary people as a weapon to suppress Genestella, whom he viewed as monsters.

However, Ark responded more politely, his tone calm yet piercing.

“If I have proper justification, I don’t mind taking action.” Ark said, his gaze fixed on Kouichirou. “Even if I were an ordinary person and you were a Galaxy staff member, if you physically harmed someone who achieved the number one rank in their first year of middle school, someone with the potential to achieve great results in the Phoenix Festa as a star player, do you think Galaxy would care about your rights? Or would they care about her?”

Hearing these words, Kouichirou fell silent.

As a Galaxy staff member, he understood the workings of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation better than anyone. The Foundation was a purely profit-oriented entity.

And the Festa, one of the Foundation’s primary methods of stimulating the economy and amassing wealth, was of utmost importance.

If Kirin, an exceptional star player for the Phoenix Festa, suffered harm because of him, Galaxy would most likely hold him accountable rather than side with him. Protecting Kirin and Ark, valuable assets for the Festa, would be the priority.

“It seems you understand.” Ark said with an emotionless smile.

“If that’s the case, please leave on your own. Don’t disturb me and my partner as we discuss preparations for the Phoenix Festa.”