The three didn't know why, but someone was covering for Peter. Which meant that their suspicions were correct. Someone had made Peter do this. And it wasn't just anyone. Someone with high enough backing to be able to cover it up, and get a second-year to take the BLAME.
Tsukuru glanced over at Shizuka and saw her grit her teeth and tighten her grip around her rapier.
'Duke…' She thought.
The group of nine started to walk around the training center. The group was situated with the kids in the center, Faye in the front, and Leo in the back. However, Shizuka refused to leave Tsukuru's side. Tsukuru had his new Metal Slime Spawn pressed against his chest, his arms wrapped around it as if he was hugging it. Standing between Tsukuru and Quinn was the Harpie. She had her arms folded under her chest with a look of great annoyance on her face.
Vorden glanced over at Tsukuru.
"Hey, isn't that thing kind of heavy?" He asked.
Tsukuru glanced back at him.
"Well, it's better than having it sit on my shoulder." He replied.
Hearing this, Vorden winced.
He could only imagine trying to rest a forty-pound ball on his shoulder.
Eventually, the group returned to the reception area. Faye went up to the computer on the desk, which had a passcode machine on the wall next to it. Faye punched in a code, and the screen turned green, and a beep was heard. A moment later, they all heard a loud chunk coming from the arena.
The three boys all turned their heads back towards it.
"Huh." Tsukuru muttered. "So the switch wasn't even in the arena."
Vorden clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Yeah, well." He agreed. "We would have never been able to open that thing ourselves."
However, Quinnthought differently. With his Inspect Skill, he would have at least gotten past the passcode machine. However, he wasn't sure if the Skill would have helped him with the computer.
The group then returned to the arena. When they did, they saw that the folding table Tsukuru had made in the center of the arena had been pushed on its side. A large Portal could now be seen standing there, most likely lifted up from beneath the arena on some sort of mechanism.
"What?!" Del cried, before his shoulders slumped. "It looks perfectly fine! You mean I carried this damn thing for nothing?!"
The others ignored him and made their way to the Portal.
As they got closer to the Portal, Quinn could hear his heart pounding. However, he wasn't the only one.
"What's wrong, my boy?" Leo asked.
Quinn looked back at him, a strained smile on his face.
"Oh, nothing." He replied.
It was a lie, and Leo knew it was a lie. And Quinn knew that Leo knew that it was a lie. However, Leo didn't say anything.
But Quinn remembered back to the words of the man when I had considered eating that lasagna of Tsukuru's. About how it was essentially poison to Quinn. It was clear to him that his body had gone through far more changes than his previous evolution. Back when he was a Halfling, he could still eat food. But now, he couldn't. Before, stepping into sunlight would just make him feel weak and halve his Stats. But what if this time, he just burned to ashes?
Instantly, Tsukuru and Vorden looked to Quinn, then to each other. They had realized the same thing.
"Uh, Shizuka?" Tsukuru asked, looking over to his left. "Do you know if the sun is still out on the base?"
Shizuka gave him a confused look for a moment, then her eyes widened.
"Oh, right. Pioletic's weird day and night cycle." She replied. "Yeah, the sun's probably still going to be out for a few hours."
Sergeant Faye looked back at them.
"That may be so, but I suggest you all rest when we get back." She replied.
Hearing Shizuka's words, Quinn gulped.
"Oh, will you relax?" The voice of the annoying man replied. "Don't worry, the sun won't kill you!"
Quinn's eyes brightened with relief.
'Really?' He thought.
"Yes." The man replied. "Why would I lie to you? Although it will have a…different effect on you."
Quinn gulped again.
'What…kind of effect?' He asked.
"Well, just wait and see." The man replied.
With the man telling him that he had nothing to worry about, Quinn's heart started to settle down a bit. The System had no reason to lie to him. Unless, of course, it was playing a sick joke on him. But then, why would a machine do that? Although, knowing the personality of the man from the tutorial videos, it was totally something he would do.
The group stepped through the vortex of swirling, green energy, vanishing inside. A few moments later, they reappeared outside the Portal back on the base.
As Quinn opened his eyes, he saw that he was in the training room. The same one that Peter had pushed him through. Quinn looked behind him and saw the Portal, its interior still glowing with the vortex of red energy.
"I thought the Portal would send us out in random locations!" Quinn replied.
"That's only the case for Red Portals." Sergeant Faye replied. "It's designed that way so Beasts are unable to know the location. Also, since Red Portal Planets tend to be unexplored, it's often hard to pinpoint exact locations."
***
At the same time as the group's return, in a different location on the base, five individuals sat at the table in the meeting room of the First-Year Building. They were Head General Paul, General Nathan, General Duke, Sergeant Dillon, and the Supreme Commander, Oscar White. However, Oscar sat in the seat that Paul would normally sit in. Meanwhile, Paul was sitting in Nathan's seat, with Nathan sitting in General Faye's seat.
A tense atmosphere filled the room, having firmly rooted itself in place upon Oscar's arrival. In his seat, General Duke's face was pale. He felt like he was a death row inmate and it was the day of his execution. He was just waiting for the arrival of the guards to transport him to the location where he would meet his END.
'How the hell did it end up like this?' Duke thought.
As if to answer him, a memory flashed in his mind. It was a conversation between himself and Sergeant Dillon.
***
"Are you sure this is wise, my General?" Sergeant Dillon had asked. "Those two…they're Hikiko Tsukuru's closest friends, if the reports are accurate. Isn't this like…poking a sleeping bear?"
Duke had turned to Sergeant Dillon and had given him a death glare.
"Shut up, I know what I'm doing!" He had growled before turning around in his chair. "Maybe after hearing about his friends 'demise', he'll learn what happens to those who…step out of line!"
***
Duke gritted his teeth.
'You just hadto jump in the Portal after them, DIDN'T YOU?!' He thought bitterly. In his own narcissistic mind, he still blamed Tsukurufor hisrash actions. 'Now, here I am, waiting for Sergeant Shizuka's return so she can end me!'
A moment later, the door to the conference room was thrown open. A private was seen at the door.
"Head General!" He yelled.
Paul turned to look at the man. He had a look of irritation in his eyes.
Seeing the look, the private's eyes widened. His face paled as he realized what he had just done. He coughed nervously into his hand.
"Please excuse my actions, sir." The private replied. "But the Red Portal in the restricted training room has been reactivated. Nine life signatures have been detected, with eightof them matching the tracking signature of the base's wristwatches!"
Instantly, Head General Paul jumped to his feet.
"It's them!" He yelled, both happiness and relief in his voice. "They've returned!"
General Duke glanced to the side.
"Yeah, whoop-de-doo." He muttered.
Oscar glared over at him.
"Actions have consequences, General Duke." Oscar replied.
Duke gritted his teeth in fury.
Oscar then turned to the private.
"Put that training room on lockdown!" He ordered. "I don't want any of them leaving until we arrive!"
The private nodded frantically and ran back down the hall.
Oscar then turned back to the others.
"Let's go." He replied.
Slowly, the three remaining individuals rose from their seats. Together, the group of five headed outof the meeting area and down towards the restricted training room on the west wing.
***
Back in the training room, Sergeant Faye turned to the others.
"Del, you're free to go." She replied. "Leo and Shizuka, you come with me. We'll report our success to General Nathan and let him decide on what to do with the Truedream body."
Hayley then turned to the students.
"Hikiko and Vorden, you're free to go as well." She replied. "Enjoy what's left of your Sunday before classes start again tomorrow." Her gaze then shifted to Quinn. "Quinn, you stay behind. There are still some checks I need to do."
However, before any of them could move, a stampede of footsteps could be heard approaching the room. Instantly, a large group of soldiers flooded in, blocking the exit. One of the individuals stepped forward. It was the same General that had interrogated Quinn after Brandon's death.
"I'm sorry, Sergeant Faye." He replied. "But I can't let any of you leave this room."