The Devil’s Cage

Security garrison, interrogation room.

The group of ambushers were locked up in isolation.

Statement records were placed on the table outside, and with Tyrese’s permission, Kieran went through the papers carefully.

Five minutes later, Kieran looked up at Tyrese.

“Palreynold discovered them accidentally? Do you believe it?” Kieran asked.

“I don’t, but based on the investigations we carried out at the scene, they weren’t lying.” Tyrese shook his head and showed doubts on his face.

“Of course, they weren’t lying. However, Palreynold was attacked and landed in front of them, I want to know who attacked Palreynold and why,” Kieran said.

“I have no idea, I’ve tried my best to deduce but nothing came up to explain the situation.” Tyrese bitterly smiled and shook his head again.

Kieran didn’t answer. He stared at the professor for a second before the latter conceded with his hands up.

“Fine, there is one explanation, but I myself don’t even believe it, so…”

“When there is one answer left, no matter how unbelievable it is, it is the true answer. Palreynold isn’t paying me a visit here!

“We never fought face to face before, but because of the pieces of information I leaked, he must hate me a lot and is here to take revenge. The one who attacked Palreynold obviously didn’t want me to get hurt, but the person responsible doesn’t bear good intentions either.

“The person may think that me living could garner more attention here, just as we are doing right now!” Kieran interrupted Tyrese and at the same time locked onto a guard in the interrogation room. Before the guard could react, Kieran landed a kick on his chest.

Bang!

The guard crashed into the wall after the kick. All the bones in his body cracked; his widened eyes were filled with confusion, having no idea how Kieran found out it was him.

It was easy.

He was so close to Kieran and the malicious intent in his gaze so obvious, it was like telling Kieran to his face that the guard was here to kill him.

Of course, there was another point.

“The interrogation process was too fast. Since these guys were here to ambush their targets, they must have been handpicked. Perhaps not all of them would sacrifice themselves for the cause, but it can’t be that each of them is a coward.

“There was no pressure in the questioning, their struggles more like they were for show, and they spilled everything so honestly… It made me think, ‘are they incited to do this, just to lure me here?’.

“So other than the guard who carried out the interrogation, who would be the most suspicious? Throughout the process, these guys gave their best effort to not look at you. Isn’t that weird? How could the interrogated not look at the interrogator? It didn’t make any sense.” Kieran explained slowly as he looked at the confused guard.

His explanation wasn’t for the guard or Tyrese, despite sounding like it was for the professor.

The professor looked at the fallen guard and felt embarrassed.

Earlier, Tyrese had promised Kieran that the guards were all Principal Romuse’s direct subordinates, they were all clean.

“2567, I…”

Kak, Kak Kak.

The professor wanted to explain, but before he could, the cuffs on the ambushers automatically unlocked, allowing them to jump on Kieran like hungry tigers.

Then…

Bang Bng Bang!

Kicking images that could cloud the sky bloomed like blossoms, and after the heavy thuds, all the ambushers who threw themselves at Kieran were sent flying backwards faster than they came.

“I think you should notify Principal Romuse about what happened here and also check the internal staff members. I will check their bodies for more clues,” Kieran said as he walked towards the dead bodies of the ambushers. He looked like he was searching for clues but only he himself knew what he was looking for.

“Okay!”

Rapid changes occurred in a short period of time; with Kieran purposely pushing the initiative from one side to the other, the weight of the standing changed. The professor didn’t notice anything weird as he nodded and ran outside.

Kieran heard the professor leave in a hurry. His expression didn’t change as he checked the body before him; the scene entered Romuse’s sight through a special transmission signal.

In fact, since Kieran was brought to the security garrison, Romuse’s attention was wholly focused on him.

“A living 2567 attracts more attention, eh? He really does; at least, a part of mine is attracted. Well then, who else longs for my attention?”

A name suddenly popped up in Romuse’s mind. The principal took a deep breath, not wanting to believe it, but it was the most reasonable answer.

“Principal?”

The record officer, Mori, looked at Romuse with worried eyes.

“Don’t worry, my heart is weak but not that weak. Deal with Tyrese when he comes; I’ll be back soon.”

The principal then stood up from his chair.

“Noted. Please… be careful!” Mori reminded the principal again.

“I will. Let’s hope he won’t put me in a difficult position.”

A sigh later, the principal vanished from the room, and another sigh sounded.

Mori raised his right hand to look at the little dandelion-like bonsai plant the size of his little finger. The little plant wasn’t as calm and still as usual, for it was actually twitching violently.

No one understood the meaning of the violent twitches more than Mori: the principal lied.

The principal wasn’t as ok as he claimed. Deep down in his heart, there was indescribable anger.

“Hope all is well.” Mori prayed for the best, but sometimes, prayers go against reality.

A moment after the prayers subsided…

KABOOM!

A loud explosion went off and shook the entire E Block. All the buildings trembled, and even the firm ground got torn apart like fragile plastic wrap.

Mori was shocked when he felt the concussion. He closed his eyes, and his face showed helplessness and bitterness.

“This is the end.”

…

Kieran squinted his eyes when he felt the shaking ground.

The explosion was clear in his ears, and the aura that burst out from that was also within his expectations. It was from Principal Romuse and Professor Smith.

“I guess Smith is up to no good, and Romuse caught him red-handed.”

When Kieran arrived in the garrison, he noticed the place was put under heavy surveillance and that the cameras moved according to his movements.

It was obvious that he was placed under some kind of surveillance.

Kieran couldn’t tell for sure whether or not Principal Romuse authorized the watch; nevertheless, it didn’t stop him from carrying out his plan.

From the conversation with Smith, he knew Smith had some ulterior motives.

Although unable to pierce his thoughts, Kieran could provide a ‘chance’ for Smith.

For example: create a chance for Smith by garnering all the attention on himself.

At first, Kieran was still figuring out how to do it without being too exposed, but when the Ryde Family attacked him, they coincidentally provided him with an opening; hence, Kieran chose them without a second thought.

Of course, what he said about his love for food and the Ryde Family attacking him first was the truth.

The plan worked perfectly and even better than expected.

Smith seized the ‘chance’ without even cautioning.

Kieran was rather surprised at Smith’s eagerness. He was also similarly surprised by the explosive battle aura from both of them.

“IV – V? No, no, their true power should be higher than that.” Kieran was very certain.

He could feel that Principal Romuse was holding back his power in order to keep Theorate in one piece, and so was Smith, but unlike the former, he wasn’t worried about destroying the school.

Kieran could tell Principal Romuse was preventing Smith from unleashing his full power repeatedly.

After thinking for a while and feeling the battle aura go away, Kieran took a deep breath.

They ended with a draw, and Smith left, traveling quite the distance within a second.

Kieran still had no idea what Smith was up to, but he was sure Smith would not give up just like that.

Therefore, before Smith returned, he should quickly solve his own problems, despite being investigated in the garrison.

So what?

He had a certain ‘reliable’ and ‘undying’ subordinate.

…

Kurt’s Lab was located west of the 5th year teaching building.

Although in Theorate’s syllabus, the students were to spend more time learning about expeditions and combat in the Mystic State, classrooms and labs were still available for them.

Most of the time the classrooms were empty; however, Kurt’s lab was different.

The lab was filled with people all the time, today included.

Some could say today was the busiest day ever, as even the person in charge, Professor Kurt, arrived in his lab.

However, if Professor Kurt had a choice, he would rather stay away because he was only in charge in name, the kind of person who would take a handsome pay every month and didn’t need to do anything or care about anything.

As for the identity of the true owner of the lab? The Ryde Family!

It was no secret in the lab, and it was also why Professor Kurt appeared.

Leo Ryde and Morphen Ryde were dead

Unlike Oliford Ryde, who died of an unknown cause, the two of them were murdered, and the culprit was obvious.

2567, the alleged strongest First Seat.

But… so what?

The principal would not allow the Ryde Family to have their way; maintaining the current situation was already the best proof of the principal’s patience.

However, once the line was crossed…

Professor Kurt couldn’t help but shiver at the thought.

As a professor of the school, he knew how inhumanly powerful the principal could be.

Compared to that powerhouse, how small was Professor Kurt?

Therefore, after he arrived at the lab, which was filled with the subsidiary members of the Ryde Family, he acted dumb, kept quiet, brushed them off with excuses, and stalled them with trivial stuff.

The people had a limit to their patience though.

“Professor Kurt, we hoped that you could help us,” said one of the members, who was the assistant of the lab.

“Help? How? By confronting Romuse?” Kurt laid his hands open.

“You don’t need to face the principal directly. We just need you to appear before the principal in a timely manner, and then we will take care of the rest,” the assistant said in a euphoric manner.

“How is that different from suicide? Don’t take Romuse for a fool! Or are you people treating me as one?!” Kurt chuckled in disdain, unmoved.

After that, he stood up, intending to leave; there was no reason for him to stay anymore.

The members of the Ryde Family obviously wanted to send him to his death. Kurt himself only wanted to earn some extra cash, not die for some cause. Why would he go along with the crowd’s suggestion?

“Professor Kurt, don’t forget our deal! Your duty is to help us!” the assistant argued.

“The deal also stated that I have the right to reject!”

Kurt walked out without even turning back.

At the same time…

KABOOM!

A loud explosion sounded; the land trembled.

The sudden concussion shook everyone and captivated their attention, Kurt included.

Everyone turned towards the direction of the explosion; thus, no one noticed the figure that suddenly appeared in the dark.

Kurt finally noticed when the figure jumped on him.

“Who the hell?!” Kurt shouted and dashed forward, trying to ditch the ambusher, but Kurt obviously underestimated Bloody Mary’s speed.

Before he could even take the first step, Bloody Mary’s arm already pierced through his chest. After Kurt’s shout, the other occupants of the lab realized what happened to him.

“Palreynold?!”

They looked at Kurt, who was in a puddle of his own blood, and ‘Palreynold’, whose hand was bloody.

“What are you doing? The Ryde Family has no conflict with the Sil Inner Sect!” the assistant shouted.

“No, we didn’t have conflict before, but we do now! 2567 is our target, how dare you people touch him! Are we, the Sil Inner Sect, dead to you? I am here to teach you people a lesson about the rules around here!”

Bloody Mary chuckled coldly and charged towards the crowd like a gale, its hand like a sharp blade that was wielded in a flurry. Blood splashed, and bodies piled up.

The battle wasn’t covered up so attention was garnered quickly.

Before anyone entered the lab, Bloody Mary was long gone, leaving behind a ‘controlled’ scene.

The news of the Sil Inner Sect assaulting Kurt’s lab spread while everyone was still shocked by the battle between Romuse and Smith.

Ude, who was paying attention to the Sil Inner Sect’s movements, got the news first hand.

He sent his men to verify the news before he took out a special-tuned communicator and contacted everyone within the Sil Sect.

There was to be war against the Ryde Family!