Silence began to descend upon this place.
The members of "Item" all fell silent as they watched Kakine Teitoku's half-remaining corpse collapse.
Even Frenda had gone pale, unable to recover for quite some time.
But the one who suffered the greatest shock was none other than Hamazura Shiage.
"What the hell... is this...?"
Hamazura Shiage's face was deathly pale as he bit down hard on his lip, trying to force some strength out of himself.
It was no wonder Hamazura Shiage was reacting so badly.
After all, he had always believed that Level 5 Espers stood high above everyone else.
In the eyes of Level 5s, a Level 0 like him was worthless trash that could be killed at any time.
And now, a Level 5 Esper had been brutally beaten to death right before Hamazura Shiage's eyes, and that person had been The Second. How could that not leave him deeply shaken?
On top of that, Mugino Shizuri, whom he had once considered invincible, had likewise been beaten black and blue by Kakine Teitoku. Only now did Hamazura Shiage understand.
It was not just Level 0s who were worthless.
In this Academy City, even the Level 5s whom Hamazura Shiage had regarded as untouchable were just as worthless in the eyes of certain people.
Only then did Hamazura Shiage understand why the girls of "Item" had been so terrified whenever Fang Li was mentioned.
"He's practically a monster..."
The appraisal slipped involuntarily from Hamazura Shiage's lips.
Though his voice was extremely quiet, it was clearly audible amid the indescribable silence that had settled over the area.
And so, the members of "Item" all saw it.
Fang Li stopped paying attention to the dead Kakine Teitoku, shifted his gaze, and looked over.
"—!"
Every member of "Item," Mugino Shizuri included,