“Full set, huh?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
With a meticulously worn black mask, I returned to the dormitory, only to find Erika waiting for me.
Unlike me, Erika wasn’t completely covered from head to toe. Just her silvery hair was neatly tied back and hidden.
“Where’s Cynthia?”
“She’s just on the move. We should head her way as soon as she stops, right? Anyway, can’t we go anywhere inside the Academy?”
“Got it. Make sure to keep tracking her.”
“Already on it.”
“Any suspicious points till now?”
Erika nodded while pulling up a hood that covered all but her eyes.
“Yep, she’s the perfect picture of an Academy student. If anything, too perfect.”
With a shrug, Erika tightened the hood at the back and started stretching her limbs.
“Well, today’s the day then.”
Unresponsive, Erika’s eyes were already closed.
She seemed focused, likely sensing some change from Cynthia’s end.
I stayed as quiet as possible not to disturb her.
“She’s stopped.”
“Where?”
“About 2km northeast of here.”
The moment Erika spoke, something clicked. Roughly calculating, northeast of the dormitory by 2km… definitely the Training Forest where Cynthia had received the candy last time and the Cain Incident occurred.
“Let’s go.”
Extending my hand to Erika, I recalled the rooftop we’d visited when heading to the Vice Chancellor’s office last time.
It’s time for a catch-in-the-act operation.
*
“Phew.”
Cynthia hurried through the night, her uneasiness evident as she glanced around. Although the area was deserted due to the late hour, caution was necessary.
Reaching the Training Forest, memories of her previous encounter here surfaced. The memory of Cain Hover going berserk when she couldn’t offer any help gnawed at her. And even with the candy in her system at that time, she hadn’t been able to react. Once again, Ryu had to step in.
Was that why?
Despite knowing she shouldn’t, Cynthia found herself relying more on the candy.
“It’s only when necessary. I’ll use it only when necessary.”
Cynthia rationalized, though she realized it was a futile effort. Having consumed the candy a few times, the potency it provided wasn’t lost on her. No known enhancement drug worked this fast.
The fact that she had to sneak around each time to receive it from the Vice Principal further reinforced its illegality. Not to mention her increasingly erratic emotions—quick to anger over trivial matters, unable to brush off minor annoyances.
It didn’t take long to connect the dots, but she couldn’t stop. Once a week, without fail, she indulged in the candy during her training sessions. The power boost it granted for 30-odd minutes was irresistible. Despite knowing it wasn’t her real strength, she couldn’t let go.
“Hey!”
Cynthia called out into the still forest. It felt eerily darker and quieter tonight.
“Hey!”
Finally, a familiar voice responded and the man in the white robe appeared.
“Yes?”
“Here.”
The man quickly pulled out a large bulging bag from within his robes, likely filled with candies.
“Yes!”
Cynthia reached out eagerly, but in the blink of an eye—
“Is this it?”
Both Cynthia and the man froze, stepping back simultaneously.
Instead of either of their hands, a mysterious black-clad figure now held the candy bag.
“Who… who ARE you?!”
The man in white robes immediately took a defensive stance, mana swirling around his hands.
“Is this illegal drug distribution acceptable in the Academy?”
As the term “illegal” hit home for Cynthia, the man ignored it, instead charging forward.
With a loud THWAK, the man’s mana-powered fist was easily deflected by the black-clad figure.
Gloved hands casually blocked the oncoming punch, and the candy bag disappeared into thin air.
“Who are you?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
“Wha…!”
POOF—and both figures vanished into thin air.
“….huh?”
Cynthia blinked repeatedly, sure she’d hallucinated, but no, the evidence remained: the indent of the white-robed man’s previous footstep clearly marked on the ground.
“….?”
POOF—and the figure reappeared, sighing audibly. Only now, the white-robed man was nowhere to be found.
“Miss Cynthia Surplus.”
A familiar chill ran down Cynthia’s spine at the sound of her name.
“W-who…”
“Disappointing.”
“Wha..t?”
Though the darkness hid her face, Cynthia felt her cheeks flush. Somehow this unknown person’s words resonated deeply with her.
“I had no idea you were…this sort of person.”
Unable to respond, Cynthia felt exposed, as if this figure knew her deepest secrets.
“I think you’re quite aware of your…situation.”
Through the darkness, Cynthia could feel the penetrating gaze beneath the black mask. It was sharp, cold, and judgmental.
With a swish, the black-clad figure pulled out the candy bag, holding it out to her.
“Considering this might be the last time, shall I leave it to you?”
Cynthia’s eyes automatically traced the bag’s outline, although logically, accepting it now seemed preposterous.
“I won’t tell anyone. If anything, I owe you a favor for helping capture that guy.”
“…What?”
After lambasting her for being dependent, why was this person relenting?
Cynthia’s confusion deepened as the enigmatic figure offered her the bag of candy.
“It’s your choice, no?”
Cynthia stood silently, the man’s calm voice hiding a clear underlying message.
“Who are you?”
“That’s beside the point. I’m short on time. Shall we cut this short?”
“…Go ahead.”
Respectfully bowing to the figure’s decision, as they paused briefly before retreating.
“Well, I’m off.”
POOF—and in the blink of an eye, the figure vanished completely, leaving no trace.
“…”
For a while, Cynthia stood still, perplexed by the strange encounter. The sudden appearance of the black-clad figure, the candy thievery, vanishing with the robed man, reappearing, offering the candy bag, and now vanishing once more.
“Who… were you?”
Her mind swirled with questions, but most of all, a sense of disorientation lingered. Something about the encounter felt off.
