Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Uproar.
Standing in one corner, Hiroshi and Hisako, who still keep their heads high, help the other devastated and worried parents for their children's whereabouts.
"...Here, you must eat something".
Hisako and Hiroshi, along with the academy staff, approached the parents whose complexion was not good, extending their helping hands by providing food or even an ear to listen to their problems.
As the renowned awakeners, the two of them had already experienced many things that involved the sudden disappearance. However, each time passed, their heart was corroded by the negative aura that shredded their heart and clouded their mind, worrying about their daughter's safety.
Then, as the mood in the room stalled, a miracle of salvation came up in the form of a cracked space that extended in a vertical line before it slid open, revealing golden eyes that swirled like a vortex, making the surrounding air tremble and gave the dark room a bit of life.
Witnessing the appearance of the gate, all the people inside the building tensed their expression before then a single female student stepped out from it, as tears accumulated in her eyes.
"..I'm back. I've truly come back".
Then, from behind her, one after another, the new batch of first-year students appeared with dumbfounded expressions on their faces before bursting into tears.
"My son?".
"Mother?!".
A shrill cheer of reunion and relief enveloped the building, filled the room with a positive aura, and gradually, the gloomy atmosphere in the room dissipated.
"Dear, Hina is".
"Yeah, Hisako, they will soon come back".
Hisako and Hiroshi began to reunite with each other with trembling hearts filled with expectation, worry, and longing for their missing daughter. The students started to reunite with their respective parents before a lone boy holding a half-complete sword appeared, and the gate gradually lost its light and shrank in size.
As soon as the gate showed an unnatural phenomenon, they knew it well. Hisako and Hiroshi's faces turned pale because they couldn't see their daughter and Soma coming out from the gate.
"What happened? Soma!!".
Leon, who noticed the disappearance of the gate, quickly approached it, but an invisible barrier blocked his body. He slammed his clenched fist multiple times, trying to break the invisible barrier, but to no avail.
Eiji, Eri, and Lydia, who basked in the reunion moment, noticed the commotion as they returned their gaze toward the shrunken gate and opened their eyes wide in shock. The gate before everyone's sight began to shrink into the diameter of a basketball floating above the empty air near the podium.
"My god. What is happening inside?".
"Young master!".
A relief cry escaped from the lips of a beautiful woman in her twenties as she embraced the figure of Leon, who stood dumbfounded in front of the shrunken gate.
Leon's thoughts began to melt as he felt the familiar floral scent in his nose. The warmth from her body and the soft sensation that enveloped his tensed muscles loosened the tension in his body.
"...Livia".
"I am glad you are okay".
"Me, too".
The woman called Livia, who wore a prim frilly dress befitting a high-class person who used to wear it, shone in the dark room with its pristine white color. She was Leon's caretaker, who was always by his side since he was a child, and Leon had a slight crush on her.
Hisako and Hiroshi, who heard the boy called Soma named earlier, exchange looks as they gradually close their distance. They waited for the right moment to start the conversation as the boy separated from the woman with flushed faces.
"Excuse me?".
"Yes?!".
Leon, who notices Hiroshi approaching, raises his brows because of an adult man who seems familiar. He knitted his brows, trying to recall his memories, then opened his eyes wide in surprise, for he recognized him.
"You are…".
"May I help you, sir?".
However, before he could finish his word, the woman Liviabeside him stepped forward and shielded Leon in front.
Hiroshi lets out a wry smile as he steps forward, trying to be collected in front of strangers. But he could feel that his fingertips were trembling. He couldn't forgive himself because he still had a debt to settle with his daughter. Regulating his breath, Hiroshi once more opened his mouth.
"I have no bad intentions. I just want to ask about my daughter's whereabouts.
"Livia, calm down, I know them. You are Akabane Hiroshi, and if my guess is right again, the lady behind you must be your wife, Akabane Hisako. The renowned S-rank awakener's spouse from Japan".
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"Young master, is that true?".
Leon nodded his head as he walked forward and met Hiroshi head-on while extending his right hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr Hiroshi. I am Leon Pendragon, from Camelot".
Hiroshi grabbed the young boy's hand, who seemed used to a social event seeing from his aura.
"Yes, pleasure is mine. Then forgive my abrupt words, but".
"Please, be my guess…".
"I am sorry if I misheard you earlier. I heard you called Soma's name?".
"Soma? Yes indeed. I clearly said his name because he was with the other two girls standing behind me when I entered the gate. If you still doubt me, you can inquire more from the two people over there!".
"Thank you, Leon".
Hiroshi and Hisako began approaching Eiji and Eri's place to ask about Hina and Soma.
Leon turned his gaze toward the gate and knit his brows as he didn't understand what was actually happening. The trial was supposed to be over upon the disappearance of the guardian and the appearance of the gate. He brought his right palm and gazed at the symbol on its back palms. "Do I deserve such a title?".
Looking back, the one who led and the one who took the initiative in the whole expedition was none other than Soma himself. Yet the symbol of the Savior was added to his hand. There is also a title that he still doesn't know what the effect is.
"Leon, pardon me for my intrusion, but are the three of them safe?".
Hisako, who interrupted Leon's thought, made him turn his attention to her while stunned because he saw the resemblance between her and the red-haired girl he met earlier.
"Yes. They are fine. I can assure you that".
"Thank God, dear…".
"Yeah, we can sigh in relief if those two are fine, especially with Soma. Let's believe in them and wait for their return".
Hisako nodded her head before she turned her gaze to the small gate that kept swirling in golden color.
The two of them began to wait in front of the gate, separating themselves from Leon, who still kept glancing toward the gate, worried about their daughter's whereabouts.
Then, several times passed, and the gate that showed no sign of moving began to shake, creating a ripple of disturbed space before its size widened, making the same phenomenon as earlier.
Hisako and Hiroshi spring up from their sitting position and approach the gate.
"Hina, Soma?".
"...".
The swirling force on the gate intensified before, from within, three shadows. One boy and two girls were carrying the paralyzed boy on their shoulders while bickering with each other.
"Hey, silver-hair, can you not use this chance to do something improper?".
"...What are you talking about..".
"I mean, look at you, sneakily nestling your body to Soma. Because of that, we have a hard time walking, you know".
"? I'm helping him".
"...".
After finishing its business, the swirling golden vortex dissipated into thin air, leaving only an empty space.
"Hina, Soma…".
"Eh, Mom. Wait…".
"Miss, Hisako. Wait".
"?!".
Hisako ignores the three stunned voices while she dashes forward before embracing the three people who warned Hisako not to come. Because of the unbalanced state the two girls had, their feet slipped. Then, the four of them, brought down by gravity, dropped to the floor. "Crap!".
[Extra skill Puppeteer activated]
Soma reflexively activated his skill, forcing his hand to move, and brought the two girls in his hand up to lessen the impact they would receive with knitted brows, forcing his body to move. A heavy thud resounded as Soma felt his world sway before his vision faded and was soon embraced by the dark comfort of a void.