An Unexpected Turn, a Weapon Run Amok

Mornye frowned at the urgent voice in her ear.

"You're calling me for this, too...? Don't panic. I'll be there right away."

With a sigh, Mornye looked at Rover and Mo Bai.

"The research institute is open to students. Would you two... like to come along? Seeing more of the place should help you get your bearings."

Hearing Mornye's suggestion, and remembering how dismissively she had spoken to the person on the call moments ago, Mo Bai thought her invitation sounded almost like a plea for help.

"Sure. Lead the way, Professor Mornye." Rover was interested in Mornye's suggestion.

As for Mo Bai...

"I'll pass."

Mo Bai's words made Rover raise an eyebrow.

"I still need to get familiar with the academy and register for a Terminal. A lot of things will be inconvenient without one," Mo Bai explained.

He could see the question in Rover's eyes.

"All right. See you later, then." Rover did not press him.

"Yeah."

After waving goodbye, Mo Bai headed toward the train.

Click—

Once the train doors closed, Mo Bai sat alone in his seat.

The carriage seemed much emptier than it had on the way there.

Am I really that sensitive? Do I feel lonely just because my friends aren't around?

Probably not. Mo Bai figured he had only just arrived in another world, and being alone left him feeling unsafe.

He was just an ordinary person, after all. It was perfectly normal to feel that way.

"..."

Okay, maybe part of it is that my friends aren't around.

Lynae was in class, and Rover... He should keep his distance from Rover from now on.

It was not that Mo Bai disliked Rover. He thought Rover was a good person, someone who knew how to reassure others and offer advice when they needed it.

But he remembered what that Goddess had told him.

"There'll be plenty more fun things waiting for you~"

She really had said that.

Mo Bai did not think he was the sort to go looking for trouble. Once he settled in, he would probably spend most of his time inside the safety of Star Torch Academy.

But Rover...

One look at Rover told him big things were ahead. Staying close would probably bring all sorts of unforeseen trouble.

Mo Bai still considered Rover a friend, of course, but keeping himself safe came first.

Until he got settled, he would keep his distance. He could apologize later, and it would not be too—

Hum...

"Hm?"

In the middle of his internal debate, Mo Bai noticed the train was slowing down.

Whoosh!

An instant later, that familiar sensation of weightlessness hit him!

"Am I some kind of plane-crash magnet?!"

Even as he complained, Mo Bai hurried to the train door.

His physical abilities were average, but with Cursed Energy behind him, smashing through a train door would not be difficult.

The problem was technique...

He had planned to improve his control of Cursed Energy bit by bit, then gradually tame other Shikigami to defend himself.

Who knew he would run into this crap on his very first day?

"Tch!"

Fueled by his negative emotions, Mo Bai kicked the door open and jumped into the air.

A surge of negative emotion could make him stronger in an instant.

But this also burned through Cursed Energy, and relying on it over time could leave him with psychological problems.

In the heat of the moment, though, Mo Bai had no other choice.

"Nue!"

Once airborne, Mo Bai hurriedly formed the hand sign and summoned Nue.

"Screech!"

Nue caught Mo Bai by the arm. He sighed, intending to have it lower him slowly to safety.

But...

"Hm?"

His vision, enhanced by Cursed Energy, picked out something in the distance.

Lynae was facing off against a student in a red uniform?

Who was that? And hadn't Lynae told him and Rover she was going to class?

Bang!

From above, Mo Bai watched Lynae fire her gun and drive the student through a red portal.

Then the robot above Lynae dropped down and powered on. It did not look friendly.

What is going on? This is way beyond anything a new student should be seeing.

If only he had that Terminal. The academy would probably contact him and tell him what to do.

But he did not. Right now, he had to decide for himself.

"Ugh."

Sometimes that was worse than having someone force a choice on him. If he chose the answer himself, he would not even have an excuse.

"Get over there. Fast."

At his command, Nue sped up as it carried him.

Even though he had given the order, Mo Bai found himself wishing Nue would fly a little slower.

That would give him more time to change his mind.

But he could not give Nue that order.

The person standing in front of that robot was Lynae. His friend.

He had not had many friends before.

No, he had not had any friends at all.

"Screech!"

With Nue's cry ringing out, Mo Bai raced toward Lynae at full speed.

Beep, beep!

A red light flashed beneath the mask of the female-shaped robot named Haiveisha as she faced Lynae. Then she turned her gaze toward Lynae.

More precisely, toward the glowing cylinder in Lynae's hand.

"Divine Dogs! Nue!"

Just as the two sides were about to clash, Mo Bai reached the battlefield and activated his technique.

"Screech!"

Nue hurtled toward Haiveisha. The electricity accompanying its impact stunned her for an instant.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Then the shadow beneath Haiveisha's feet stirred, and a pack of wolf-headed shadows lunged at her with snapping jaws.

This was an extended use of the Divine Dogs shikigami, an intermediate form that had not fully taken shape.

Though these shadows were not as powerful as fully formed Divine Dogs, there were more of them, making them better suited to tying an enemy down.

Crunch!

The shadows attacked from every direction and pinned Haiveisha in place.

"Mo Bai?!"

Lynae stared at the sudden turn of events in surprise.

She clearly had not expected Mo Bai to show up here.

"You owe me and Rover an explanation for standing us up!"

Beep, beep!

No sooner had Mo Bai spoken than an electronic alert sounded from Haiveisha.

"Crap! Mo Bai, get down!"

Whoosh!

The moment Lynae shouted her warning, Haiveisha tore free of Mo Bai's Divine Dogs at incredible speed.

"She's that strong?!"

Even with cursed energy sharpening his vision, Mo Bai could barely track his enemy's movements. Cold sweat broke out on his brow.

She's practically a miniboss, and I haven't even left the starting village!

But he could complain all he wanted in his head. His hands could not afford to slow down.

Lynae was too far away. It would take her time to help him, and until then he was on his own.

But what could he do?

The Divine Dogs were not strong enough. Summoning Nue again without time to build up power would only get it killed for nothing.

Tch. Forget leaving the starting village—I haven't even finished the tutorial...

Slash!

Haiveisha appeared before Mo Bai and brought her blade down. When it struck, nothing remained where he had been standing.

"Mo Bai!"

Only Lynae's worried cry echoed through the area.