Devil's Chains

Ninth Loop - First Training

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"So this is the real world... So this is how small I truly am..."

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"... noble ranks of weapon wielders and conjurers named Metallium Demesne. The Queen is here, too after the news about the Hermit inside the university spread out like a wildfire. Alam mo bang gawa sa pure titanium ang weapon niya? Titanium in pure, raw form is harder than steel and is known to be the next hardest metal before tungsten. Gosh! She's every wielders' nemesis and nightmare!" dinig kong saad ni Jenine bago ako humikab. It's saturday kaya ang naka-schedule na klase namin ay tungkol sa weapon training- for a whole fucking day!

"I don't think she'll be able to scrape the Hermit's chains with her weapon even if it's in its purest form."

"Well... Who knows? But I know, that'll be an exciting match to look forward in weapon community if ever na magkrus ang landas nilang dalawa! I'm betting on the Hermit here. Hahahaha!"

Three boring days had passed really slow before they finally permitted me to go back. Ayaw pa nga sana ni Al but Kaiser insisted since it's training day. Damn. He's so eager to push me to try my chains again after the incident in my living room.

"Nakikinig ka ba sakin, babae?" tanong ni Jenine na bumaling sakin habang papasok kami ng cafeteria. I groaned at her so she continued pero wala naman talagang napoproseso ang utak ko mula sa pinag-uusapan nila. It's like, they're telling a story originated from outer space. All the things I hear from them sound new and different.

Life. Really complicated. Ugh.

Greige Eigengrau.

That guy's confusing me!

Pagkatapos ng insidente nung nakaraang araw, para na naman itong bulang biglang nawala matapos akong kumustahin at ipaliwanag sakin ang tungkol sa training.

'Gaano ba ka importante ang training na iyon na hindi pwedeng um-absent?'

I remembered asking that to him. Instead of answering, he ignored me by saying he's leaving already at may kailangan pa daw siyang asikasuhin.

Lakas ng topak. One moment, he's so close to me. The next moment, he's gone.

'Disappointed ka na naman, Xzeus?' bulong ng isang bahagi ng isip ko.

Wait. Ano? Disappointed saan?

"Masyado kang praning. You should confirm our allegiance to the Queen 'cause the Hermit is obviously a lone wolf."

"Huh! Lone wolf, ya' say? She's alone when she's on the hunt but she's got a knight and a ronin in her tiny legion as per my witnesses statements. One more thing. I don't want to become an underling to that hag."

"Sabagay.. I'd rather act as a Freiherr too than a slave. Ikaw, Xzeus?"

"Ha? O-oo.." wala sa sarili kong sagot ng maulinigan ko ang boses ni Hara.

"Anong 'oo'? Oorder ka ba ng pagkain mo o mag-aapply kang estatwa dyan?" napalingon agad ako sa kanila na meron ng bitbit na tray. Nauna ang apat na lalaki samin kaya hindi ko na sila tanaw sa paligid. Malamang nauna na din sa field.

Antagal ko bang nagspace-out?

The hell!

Nagtatakang napatitig sakin ang dalawa ng may manipis na bulto ang tumabi sakin. May hawak itong tray ng mga pagkain na ang majority ay desserts.