- Desire to Get Strong -

"It's okay. It's definitely....fine."

Hearing that there was someone else who had the same ring with him, Karaka lost his composure immediately and asked him where and who that person was.

Right at that moment, without wasting a second, Ehwa immediately swung the ignition sword and cut the bridge down while Endorsi, she used Bong Bong and saved Bam. She brought him back to the train while Bam, he wanted to reach for Ehwa and the others who chose to sacrifice their lives.

Yuri grasped this moment and then used her shinsu to attack Karaka. At the end, they still have to bid farewell to their friends.

[Ha Yuri's Zahard Shinsu Control Skill Murderous Energy- Rose Shower]

A huge and red rose bloomed before them. The red petals of roses covered Karaka who failed to dodge it and also their friends who sacrificed their lives for them.

Charlotte had seen this coming. She had seen this coming from the beginning. She thought that since she had seen it from the beginning and refused to change it, she had no right to cry for their friends' sacrifices. She knew that they were alive, that they won't die, but why was that her heart still beating fast in worry and sadness?

The door of the train was closed.

Bam sat on the ground, leaning against the door in depression. He clenched his fists and tears streamed down from his eyes.

"Bam, what happened?" Khun asked.

"Why you are the only one who comes back? What about the others?" Boro asked as well.

The regulars who made it and survived had entered the train first so they weren't aware with what happened outside.

Charlotte knelt down on the ground and wiped her brother's tears. She didn't need to see what happened at outside to know what happened.

"Brother..." she called rather softly. Her voice was usually cheerful, lively and energetic. But this time, it sounded rather soft and gentle. "Didn't you say that I am a clairvoyant? As a clairvoyant, I could promise you that they are still alive."

"....." The others didn't understand what she was saying.

Bam didn't say a word either.

"Sorry Charlotte...." he responded to his words a moment later. "But I need some time alone."

Before, he always had some time for her. He never pushed her away. But this time, he needed some time alone and Charlotte understood that. She didn't mind it at all.

'I, too, need some time alone.'

Charlotte thought that aside from eating, the best way for her to get rid of her stress and frustrated was to visit the dreamland. Maybe after spending time in the dreamland, she would feel better.

But the problem was she was wide awake.

She was too awake to go to the dreamland which was strange, since she felt quite tired right now.

She felt tired but she wasn't sleepy.

Sometimes she couldn't understand herself what she wanted. There were things that she can't discover on her own, things that she couldn't solve on her own and at this moment, she will always run to one person who always helped her.

Altaira and Celeste had always seen Charlotte as a child. Even though from outside her appearance looked like a young woman, inside, she was as playful and naive like a child. Even though the others scolded her for being childish and playful for her age where she could be considered as an adult already, she didn't care about it since this was how she was.

She lied on Celeste's lap, hugging the pillow that was stained with tears tightly and closed her eyes.

Celeste gently stroked her hair.

"People say that she is a monster." Celeste turned her head around and looked at Altaira. "But it's hard to call her monster when she has a fragile side like this."

Altaira who was covering Charlotte with the blanket snorted, "What does those people know? My sister has never been a ferocious tiger. She's just a little strayed kitten who needs someone to take care of her."

"Maybe what's scared them is her power" Celeste responded.

"Her power? If they don't mess with her then she wouldn't give a damn about their existences. It's just a simple fact and they never realized about it" said Altaira.

Celeste paused for a moment and then asked Altaira.

"Say....do you really think that Ehwa, swordsman and Rak will be safe?" Celeste asked him.

Though her expression showed nothing or didn't show any particular expression, she was also genuinely worried about them. She believed that they were alive, since both Charlotte and Altaira said so.

"They will" Altaira responded. "Ehwa comes from the Yeon Family and her flame will be more than enough to shield herself and the swordsman until they meet their savior. As for Rak....we're going to meet him soon."

"Savior?" Celeste echoed and raised one of her eyebrows.

"Yes. And we are going to meet him in our next destination."

"The Floor of Death right? We're going to meet him there?"

"You sound like you are expecting him to come."

"The savior of my friends is also my friend" Celeste said. "And I'm looking forward meeting him since you won't be telling me the person's identity as a surprise, right? I know you too well."

Altaira wrapped his arms around Celeste's neck.

"Yeah, you know me too well" Altaira said with a smile. "But I might have to warn you first that this person.....how should I put it.....? The point is that he's not a good person. You will understand it more when you see him."

His blue eyes glanced at the door where he noticed a figure standing at outside before whoever the person outside walked away. He glanced at the door rather coldly before he closed his eyes and lowered his arms.

".......don't be so hostile at the person outside" said Celeste who also noticed the person's presence.

"I know."

And so, he stood up and walked outside to look for the person.

"If you are worried, you should have just gone inside" he said to his half- younger brother. "Why are you hiding like that, eh? People might just think that you are observing your crush secretly--"

A knife was thrown and Altaira was lucky to dodge it. The knife then hit the wall behind him.

"Don't speak nonsense" Khun who was holding some food on his hands said. He was going to send the food on his hands to Bam. "I was just worried of her for a moment."

"Then why don't you go inside?"

"I have to look for Bam."

Altaira mouthed an 'oh' and nodded his head in understanding. But Khun thought that his weird brother was thinking about something else.

"Whatever you are thinking, get rid of that thoughts" he said.

"I'm not thinking about anything though.....?"

"It is hard to believe when you have that kind of expression with you" Khun responded. "Either way, since she's in your hands, I'm sure that you won't do harm to her."

"She's my sister" said Altaira and crossed his arms. "I won't hurt her. In fact, the more time she spends with me, I feel really, really happy since she spends most of her time with either you or Bam that it makes me feel a little lonely."

Khun frowned when he heard that.

His playful smile looked similar with Charlotte but for some reasons, it was more irritating to see him smiling like that rather than seeing Charlotte smiling playfully. Maybe it was because he never liked this male from the beginning.

"Weirdo" he turned around and walked away. Well, he was just there to check whether Charlotte was fine or not.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

N

oah told everything that happened to Nathan.

Nathan didn't expect that someone as big and infamous as Karaka, the slayer, would show himself and attacked regulars. He was also confused why the administrator didn't do anything to stop the fight between Yuri and Karaka. Was the fight between the two high rankers were necessary in his eyes? Even though they were fighting near the regulars' area?

If only the administrator's mind was that easy to read....

But that was not the top priority now.

Nathan had heard that Noah be friended with two slayer candidates. One of them even helped him to escape and free himself. But the more that he thought and ponder about it, it seemed like leaving his two disciples with the two slayer candidates wasn't a good decision.

The two slayer candidates were slayer candidates for their abilities. Nathan firmly believed that FUG appreciated talents more than background. He was sure that those slayer candidates' abilities were extraordinary and that they were stronger than any other regulars, including his two disciples who were just ordinary regulars. With the difference on the strengths, Nathan thought that not only that this will harm the siblings, but will also be burdens for the slayer candidates.

"I think it is the time that you should leave your friends" he said to Noah who was surprised.

"What!? Why should I!?"

"The slayer candidates are too dangerous" he said. "This time, they even have Slayer Karaka to visit them personally and lost the three of their friends. Today you and Celeste might be lucky that you weren't dead or sacrificed, but are you certain that in the future, you'll be this lucky? I'm sure you are smart enough to not forget your desire for climbing the tower and smart enough to know the difference between your strengths."

He was aware that both Bam and Charlotte were dangerous monsters. He knew that no matter how hard he tried to improve himself, he couldn't match with the two of them. He can't die before he achieve his desire.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before he loosened his fists and let out a sigh.

"Be calm. Be composed."

If there was something that he learnt from his father, then it was about his temperament and emotions. He wasn't someone impulsive and he tried to calm himself down.

"Then all I need is to get stronger right?" He asked Nathan. "If I am stronger, you won't stop me from doing what I want to do right? After all, we, the creatures that lived in this tower has always been destined to face danger. Leaving Charlotte and the others or not... at the end we have to fight to survive every single day right?"

He envied her world. He envied her world where most of people lived in peacefulness and calmness without fighting. A day where he could just watch the TV while eating or snacking and doing nothing sounded rather nice than the tower where he lived on.

"But no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to surpass them" said Nathan again.

"Maybe not today" said Noah. "I know that they are monsters, that their powers are terrifying and frightening. But I want to help them. Even though it is just a small help, I still want to follow them until the end.

Old man-- I mean, master, didn't you say that the best way to learn is based from experience? Then I'll have to follow them to experience more life and death, to face more dangers and to turn all pains into my strengths. This is not only because of our friendships but also, to gain more power and to avenge my mother. ."

As a master, he was worried that one day his disciple might lost his sanity due anger and madness. He didn't want Noah to walk on the same path like him, to make the same decision that he regretted at the end. But now that he listened to Noah's words, he was certain of one thing.

'He wouldn't walk on the same path with me.'

Nathan was confident that Noah won't make a decision that he'll regret for the rest of his life. His lips curled into a smile.

"Alright, since you want to be strong, then as your master I should be helping my adorable student right?" Nathan asked with a friendly smile. "Then soon enough....we'll start our training!"

Noah was taken back. A second ago his master was so solemn and hostile and a second later, he turned into who he was, a cheerful, carefree and good-for-nothing old man.

'Wait....'

"Don't tell me you warned me to stay away from my friends just to make me say those words?!" He pointed his index finger accusingly at Nathan who smiled mischievously and also smugly. "Good for you old man! I fell for your tricks again!"

"But it isn't that bad right? After all, this teacher will teach you to get stronger. Even though you are hopeless, but I'm sure that there is a way to strengthen your abilities!"

"You are the hopeless one here! Your whole family is the hopeless one!"

Nathan laughed when he heard that.

"A student takes from his teacher. If I am hopeless, doesn't that mean you are also hopeless?"

"You....!"

"You won't be able to defeat me, Noah" said Nathan. "I am your teacher and also the one who raised you. What's running in your mind, I know it all. Oh and anyway, do you know where Celeste is? You and she are usually like a pair of chopsticks, inseparable. Where is she?"

Noah clicked his tongue.

Earlier, he wanted to take Celeste away from Altaira. But when he noticed that Charlotte was talking with them in a bad mood and watched how Celeste was comforting Charlotte, he canceled his intentions.

"She's with her friends" he answered with an annoyed look.

Noah didn't mind Celeste hanging around with her friends, but he didn't like Altaira. Altaira hasn't earned his approval yet.

"And you don't go with her? It's good to socialize, you know."

"No need. Going there will only give me headache."

Nathan wasn't sure what bothered his adorable disciple, but he was sure right now his disciple looked like he was restraining himself from killing a person.

'Who on earth pissed this cat off? He looks like someone has stepped on his tail on purpose.'