Silence fell over the infirmary, as both D rankers looked at each other intensely
Klaus once again looked at his phone. The screen was still glowing with the headline: [ Skewer vs. Thigh: The F-Rank Upset ].
Leo too suddenly thought about something and slowly lowered his gaze. He looked at the traction sling holding up the leg of the boy in the next bed. specifically, the bandage where a skewer had been surgically removed.
They looked at each other.
They looked at the Goon.
'Wait a minute.'
The duo narrowed their eyes in perfect synchronization.
On the bed, Goon #1 was currently putting on the performance of a lifetime. He wasn't just playing dead; he was trying to cease existing. He held his breath. He slowed his heart rate through sheer force of will.
'Please, God. Any God. The God of Cowards. The God of Running Away. If you get me out of this, I will donate my entire allowance to charity. I will become a monk. I will never bully anyone again.'
He was sweating bullets. Cold, terrified sweat soaked his hospital gown.
Luck, as usual, had filed a restraining order against him.
First, a weak F-Ranker—a guy he thought was just an bully material—had broken his femur with a piece of processed wood. He thought beating up the peasant's friend would score him points with Lord Lance. Instead, it scored him a crippling injury.
And now?
Two D-Rankers—the Hero and the Aristocrat—were looming over his bed like reapers waiting to collect a soul.
He felt two shadows fall over his face.
"Hey," Leo whispered, his voice dropping all the sunshine and rainbows. "Did you do this to my best friend?"
"Were you the one who damaged my roommate?" Klaus hissed, dark mana curling around his fingers.
The Goon's internal screaming reached a pitch that only dogs could hear.
'I'm asleep! I'm in a coma! I'm legally dead! Go away!'
"Hey," Leo said, darker this time. "We asked you a question."
Their hands hovered over him. Leo's fist was clenching. Klaus's nails were lengthening into claws. They were about to grab him by the collar and shake the truth out of his broken body.
"Leave him," a voice croaked from the other bed.
Everyone froze.
Kaizen was sitting up, rubbing his temples. He looked at the trembling Goon with a strange expression. Pity? Annoyance?
"He didn't do anything," Kaizen said flatly.
Leo blinked, the golden aura fading slightly. "He didn't?"
"No," Kaizen sighed. "He didn't even land a single hit on me. I broke his leg with the skewer before he could throw a punch."
Kaizen pointed at the shivering lump under the sheets.
"It was his two lackeys who beat me up while I was distracted by his... screaming."
Silence.
Leo's face transformed instantly. The shadows vanished. The killer intent evaporated. He looked at the Goon with genuine, teary-eyed sympathy.
"Oh!" Leo gasped, covering his mouth. "Oh, you poor guy! You got taken out instantly? That's so sad!"
Klaus relaxed his posture, though he still looked disappointed he didn't get to curse someone. "Hmph. Incompetence. To be defeated by a skewer... pathetic."
The Goon let out a tiny, involuntary whimper of relief.
'I lived. I actually lived.'
On the counter, Nurse Jenny grabbed a second box of tissues. She was vibrating with excitement.
"Mercy..." she whispered to herself, scribbling in a notebook. "The protagonist shows mercy to the fallen mob... while the dark prince judges him... the dynamic is evolving!"
BAM.
The infirmary doors flew open again.
Two students skid into the room, panting heavily. Their uniforms were disheveled, their faces pale.
Goon #2 and Goon #3.
"BOSS!" they shouted in unison, ignoring the atmosphere. "BOSS! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! WE LOOKED FOR YOU ONCE WE WOKE UP—"
They stopped.
They looked at the bed.
They saw their Boss pretending to be a corpse. They saw a Red-Haired Boy looking at their boss. They saw a Dark-Haired Boy looking at their boss.
Leo and Klaus slowly turned their heads. Their necks cracked.
Their eyes were cold. Dead cold.
The temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero.
Goon #2 and Goon #3 felt their bladders tighten. They looked at the two monsters. They looked at the aura of death radiating from them.
'We're dead. We are so dead.'
Suddenly, Goon #1 sat up in bed.
He didn't speak. He couldn't risk it.
He made eye contact with his minions. His eyes were wide, desperate, and pleading. He made a frantic shooing motion with his hand behind Klaus's back.
'RUN! YOU IDIOTS! ABORT MISSION! SAVE YOURSELVES!'
Goon #2 saw the gesture. He saw the terror in his boss's eyes.
He understood.
Goon #2 grabbed Goon #3 by the collar. He bowed so deep his forehead almost hit the floor.
"APOLOGIES!" he shrieked. "WRONG ROOM!"
"VERY SORRY! HAVE A NICE DAY!" Goon #3 yelled.
They spun on their heels.
Zoom.
They didn't run; they vanished. The only evidence they had been there was the swinging door and the faint smell of fear.
Leo blinked. "Wow. They're fast."
"Cowards," Klaus scoffed.
Kaizen sank back into his pillow, closing his eyes.
'At least they're gone. Maybe now I can get some slee—'
"So," Leo said, spinning around and grabbing a chair. He dragged it right next to Kaizen's head. "Tell me everything. How did you break his leg? What was your technique? Teach me the Way of the Corn Dog!"
"I require the data as well," Klaus said, pulling up a chair on the other side. "Was it a piercing enchantment? A durability rune magic?"
Kaizen opened one eye.
Left: Leo. Right: Klaus.
"Can I please just go back to the trash alley?" Kaizen whispered. "It was quieter there."