"Oi oi . . . I reckon I took things a little too far."

"A little . . . too far? You, you . . . FUCK!"

Looking at the state of Melvin, Halio immediately knew that Melvin had lost his mind. While Halio did feel quite guilty for what he had done, there was no time for that. 

Although the suspended bolts of mana around Melvin did not seem to be any different from before, the intensity, strength, and quantity were clearly magnified! 

Moreover, he was still continuing to channel mana to conjure many more bolts! 

Halio was unsure that if left unattended Melvin could stay in control. Halio knew that he was pushing his limits.

"Feeria boy, this is for your own good."

Deepening his stance, Halio tightly held the halberd with both of his arms to prepare to create a great sweep. Slowly lifting his left leg up to rotate his body, gathering momentum and force, he kicked off, swinging the halberd towards the direction of Melvin.

"OOAAH!"

Usually, Halio would not need to take more than a few seconds to initiate such an act. However, due to the restrictions of being unable to take a step, Halio was required to kick off his leg without taking a step as a means to increase the swinging potency. 

Before Melvin could finally finish his conjuring of bolts, he was slashed by a torrent of powerful strength. It is important to note that the halberd, itself, did not hit Melvin as he was positioned metres away appropriate for a mage. It was the generated force that struck him.

"BAAAA!!" Melvin cried in anguish.

Not only was Melvin injured by the force, but the sudden disruption of channelling mana also backfired to inflict critical damage to Melvin.

After the passing of his scream, Melvin soundlessly fell to the ground. 

His HP fell to 0 and entered the blank state.

Melvin's state of condition was unknown.

Even Stilla is probably in much better shape. 

"Ahh . . . Shit . . . I hope that fella is alright," Halio said in remorse.

It was at this moment that a contour of a predator was seen. 

The predator launched its attack!

Halio's body shuddered as his instincts informed him he was in grave danger. Danger that was much more alarming than Melvin's previous actions. 

Furthermore, he understood that his very own life could be taken away from him at this moment. 

Who could have the balls to dare try to kill him in the broad light of day at the Caleyar Orphanage?

SMACK!

Halio felt the back of his neck grazed by a long object until he felt an acute pain on his shoulder. 

"AHHHH!" Halio groaned in acute pain as he took a few steps back and fell on one knee looking down. 

He put one arm around his injured shoulder and looked his head up, he saw the face of a young boy he was very familiar with. 

It was Dalis. 

Dalis's eyes were restless and hazy. 

The two stared at each other for a brief while, but Dalis, who could no longer handle the pressure, turned his eyes away. 

There was a very awkward silence between them.

If Dalis had not redirected his initial attack from the back of Halio's neck to his shoulder, then the consequences would have been unimaginable. 

"Go quickly to them, don't cha worry about me." Halio was the first to break the silence.

" . . . "

Dalis nodded his head in affirmation and quickly jogged away. But, after a few seconds of moving towards his fallen comrades, he turned his back to see Halio watching him.

"Sorry . . . Teacher . . . " Dalis said uncomfortably before quickly turning his back and walking to Stilla's side.

" . . . It's my bad, I escalated things too far," Halio replied. 

However, he was unsure if Dalis had heard those words.

 

***

 

The incident had stirred the Caleyar Orphanage. 

Those who had watched the fight had seen Halio knock out two students and another student almost deal a lethal blow against Halio. It was fortunate that Stilla and Melvin's injuries were not as bad as it had seemed. 

Stilla was able to recover in half a day while Melvin would require at least a week of recuperation. 

Melvin had not suffered any real internal wounds and much of it was external due to the halberd's ability to disrupt mana.  

As the authorities had gotten wind of the incident, they investigated and questioned Halio's actions. Testimonies, verifications from students, including the victims, had significantly helped alleviate and solve the misunderstandings of the situation. 

However, Halio was still required to be punished due to his unlawful actions which went against the Church's policies and teachings. Fortunately, his privilege to become a future Vanquish member was still intact as talent can't be wasted, and desire to atone was evident. 

Halio was judged to have three years of community service and required to work as a soldier in training for another year. This was considered to be a rather light punishment. 

As for Dalis . . . 

"Come on in my daughter," a gentle voice resounded.

"Yes Mother," a Sister replied.

They were Mother Michelle and Sister Edna.

Sister Edna had entered the dark room of Mother Michelle's personal office. 

Here, Mother Michelle would work, signing papers of various documents, and meet with special guests or authorities. 

There was a large window behind her work desk where one would be able to view the front yard of the orphanage. Yet, at this moment, the curtains were closed, and two lamps had been lit on each side of the work desk. 

The atmosphere felt in some measure . . . disturbing.

Sister Edna felt quite unsettled.  

She slowly took a guest chair and sat quietly while Mother Michelle continued to face her back towards her. I hope Mother Michelle can forgive him too, Sister Edna hoped in her mind. 

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Michelle turned her figure towards Sister Edna.

"Edna, what do you think of that boy?" 

"Boy . . . Dalis, Mother?"

"Yes. Provide me with a satisfactory answer."

Sister Edna knew that she couldn’t make it brief. So, she went with the beginning.

"When I initially took him in 3 years ago from your care Mother, I thought he was a mysterious and peculiar boy. Dalis would always give off this demeanour as if he was different from all of us . . .” 

Sister Edna’s eyes flickered. “No rather . . . It's best to say, he seemed to be too mature for his age. Even if he had grown up in some kind of sophisticated environment. Dalis appeared to lack something that most of the other kids had, and he didn't try to open up with the rest of the children. I find it hard to believe that it was because he was introverted or unsociable. He was able to communicate fairly well if necessary with his peers or us adults.”

"What do you think he lacked?" Mother Michelle asked, intrigued. She moved a little closer towards Sister Edna.

Sister Edna tilted her head. "I'm not quite sure . . . Many of our children lacked family members or relatives. So perhaps it was a sense of belonging . . . or love . . . Yes, I believe it's more towards the need for a sense of ‘belonging’. Strangely though, this ‘belonging’ was different as the empathy wasn't quite there.”

"I see . . . What about now? After you have watched him for 3 years, has anything changed?"

"Yes!" Sister Edna excitedly jumped out of her chair.

"Ah . . . Apologies Mother!" Sister Edna embarrassingly returned to her seat. 

Sister Edna paused for a bit, clearing her throat. Then she began to speak.

"Thanks to the influence of Stilla and . . . Melvin. Dalis has become a much brighter boy than the lonesome boy he once was. Back in the day, Melvin was quite the handful to the rest of the children, probably because he felt distraught about his circumstances.” 

Sister Edna sighed. “As a result, he would occasionally let a ‘little’ of his anger out against the other children. But for some reason, he would mainly pick on Dalis. Even though they were a little similar. I thought eventually things would escalate to a very unpleasant direction, so I was very worried about what to do, but that was when . . .”

 

*Flashback*

 

"DAAALISSSSSS!!!! MELVIN!!!!! From today onwards you can't fight anymore because I'm going to be your Big Sister! Got that?! No more fighting! Or Big sister will not forgive you!!!"- Stilla

"Hmph! What nonsense! Little orphan girl, do you think you can have the qualifications to be, my big sister? Or my sister, for that matter? If you want to . . . come and try! I will show you the Great arts of Feeria!" - Melvin

"There is no need for a big sister. If I wanted a big sister . . .  Sister Edna can be considered to be my big sister." - Dalis

"WHAAAATTTT DID YOU SAY??"

*SMACK* *BOOM* *BANG* *POW* *WHAM* *CRASH* *SCREAMS* 

 . . . .

 . . . .

 . . . . . . 

"HMPH! Y-YOU! THINK I WILL SURRENDER TO THIS? THEN YOU MUST BE NAIVE! I AM MELVIN SERVEN FROM FEERRRI—IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Never had Melvin in his orphanage life, has he been so disgraced as he had been now.

On the other hand, Dalis had already given up to fight against his fate.

 

*Present*

 

“E-Excuse me.” 

Mother Michelle moved a hand towards her mouth to cover her titters. 

"To think that the girl that Karen picked up was . . .” Mother Michelle gently shook her head. “Enough of the past. Tell me how Dalis is now?"

"Mother Michelle, he is usually seen to be around Stilla or Melvin. While his demeanour hasn't changed much, and he still maintains this invisible distance . . . He is much more open to talk to if you were to speak with him, especially if you are close to him.” 

The smile coming from Sister Edna as she talked continued to blossom, beautifully. 

“In addition, he can get along much better with his fellow children! Occasionally, I can even see him let out smiles that are definitely genuine. In the past 3 years ago, he would smile, but it seemed forced or inauthentic.”

Sister Edna’s smile was at full bloom.

“I am very happy with him!" 

Mother Michelle was somewhat dazed. Her daughter’s sincerity and heart warmth had touched her heart. The image of her evoked memories of when Edna had managed to become a full-fledged Sister. 

She was really proud of her. 

Edna was one of her favourites after all. 

That was why. 

She thought it was a real shame. 

The atmosphere of the room, unexpectedly, had become rather warming over time.

"Alright Edna you may leave now," Mother Michelle said. There seemed to be a little loss in her voice.

"Eh? Is that really all you wanted to ask?" Edna quizzically asked. She hadn’t even gotten to the part of talking about the incident. 

Mother Michelle looked at her a little weirdly for some reason. But she paid it no heed. "Hmm, well . . . Just watch over him for me. My daughter . . . "

"Yes Mother I understand!"

Sister Edna carefully rose from her chair and prepared to respectfully leave.

"Oh yes, just one last thing . . . " 

"What is it mother?"

"Could you check that boy's mana seed growth? The last time I had heard about it. The seed was still dormant." There was something concealed beneath her eyes.  

"Ah, yes you’re right . . . Would you like me to check it now and report back?"

"No need, you may report to me about it anytime. Besides . . . "

"Besides?"

"Oh nothing . . . " 

 

***

 

Meanwhile at a particular dormitory room . . . The boy in question was, likewise, having a private conversation.

"Daaalisss. I'm coming in!" 

"You don't need permission to enter your own room. Idiot." 

"Well then I'm coming in!"

Stilla, lively and energetically entered the room. Maintaining her energy, she lunged towards him to sit by his side on the bed.

"Everyone is worried you know? Although there are rumours circling around, the people who were at the scene know exactly what had happened," Stilla said casually as she rocked the bed a little by swinging her legs. 

"And yourself? Unlike me, you were actually injured." Dalis, who had been staring vacantly into space, turned his head towards Stilla to look at her.

"No one needs to worry about big sister! Big sister is always healthy and dynamic!" declared Stilla. She moved the sleeve of her slender right arm to flex, reassuring Dalis that she was completely fine and recovered!

" . . . " 

Dalis stared at Stilla's jolly face, his eyes soon turned into a look of tenderness and concern. Stilla, having noticed this uncommon reaction, couldn't help but stare back at his captivating eyes.

The two stared for a period of time until Stilla broke this unusual state of affairs.

"Ah . . . Jeez . . . Stilla is fine . . . alright?"

"You're not using big sister?"

Stilla's face turned a little flushed, and she embarrassingly shouted,

"Don't tease your big sister!!" 

. . . 

. . . 

After the two idly charted for a few minutes, a much more serious conversation was brought up.  

"Stilla, are you not going to ask me about what I tried to do . . . ?" Dalis asked in a weighty tone. 

"Hmm?" Stilla cutely rolled her head. As if she had no clue as to what he was talking about.

"Forget it." Dalis stood up from his bed and then headed towards the door. 

"Dalis." Stilla called out.

Dalis abruptly stopped himself from turning the doorknob. Then, he turned around to see Stilla approach him, slowly with kind eyes.

Faintly tilting her head to the side, she said,

"Dalis, I'm glad you had changed whatever thoughts that had lingered in your mind during that fight. We may have lost big time this time, but we would definitely be able to win next time! Or . . . at least in the future, yeah! Big Sister believes it!"

Dalis was silent for a few seconds. He moved his hand as it clenched into a fist towards his mouth and let a little chuckle. Then, he approached Stilla and gave her a soft karate chop to her forehead.

"Thanks. You don't need to worry. " 

Dalis then walked back to the door to leave the room but . . . 

"You're not gonna ask about Melvin's condition?" Stilla interrupted. 

"Oh right . . . Is there any chance that he will be required to be in bed for more than a week?

"Oh Dalis you!" Stilla pouted, putting her hands on her hips. 

After Dalis left the dormitory, he headed towards the main hallway. On the way, he spotted a few of his roommates chatting. When he listened closely, it was unsurprisingly about the incident with Halio. 

Jessica, Elliot, Sienna.

"Halio, that damn good for nothing teacher of ours! To think he'd actually go so far as to knock out Melvin and Stilla!" Jessica asserted.

"Mmm it's quite unforeseen . . . When we faced him, he just told us to leave after sparring for a bit because it was apparently enough? Elliot queried. 

"Sigh, you guys. Did you even see the overwhelming difference between the way we fought and Stilla's group? There was a clear difference between their teamwork, coordination, strength, and other areas. It made me realise how much our group is lacking compared to the others," Sienna disclosed the truth.

"Ah . . . well you're right, but I don't think we are that behind! Besides, their group is filled with monsters! Stilla is a crazy body consolidator fighter with unnatural-like physical power. Melvin, though irritable, is one of the very few Feeria orphans in this orphanage and considered to be quite talented for his age even in Feeria.” She paused, parting her lips as though she wanted to speak but was hesitating. In the end, she went through it.  

“While Dalis, though I'm not exactly sure what mana pathway he has chosen . . . That guy he's . . . weird. Definitely not weak at all. He may even be stronger than Stilla and Melvin. Well maybe he was in the past, but that's impossible now," Jessica retorted, a bit of anguish in her tone due to her inferiority.

"Dalis did in fact, almost deal a serious blow to Halio. If he committed through without changing his course at the last moment . . . " Elliot shuddered as he expressed those words.

"Although Dalis may seem unapproachable, he can be surprisingly easy to get along with you know? You guys should know that through watching him, especially when he's with Stilla and Melvin. We have been roommates for quite a long time now." Sienna attempted to shed some light on Dalis.

"Yeah but the fact is he almost—" 

"Elliot!"

Sienna cut him off.

"You know Dalis wouldn't do that. Dalis just lost his cool in the heat of the moment. If I saw you two like that, even I may have ended up making the same mistake he did." 

"Hey Sienna could you perhaps be . . . O-Oh, speak of the devil. " 

Looking at the finger that Jessica raised in the air, Sienna and Elliot turned to notice that Dalis was only meters away from them. The trio had no idea as to how long Dalis had been standing there. 

"Oh, um . . . Dalis did you perhaps just arrive? Dinner will commence soon in a quarter of an hour." Elliot smoothly tried to inquire him.

"Yes," Dalis blandly said.

"Oh that's uh, pleasant to hear." Elliot relaxed.

"Could there perhaps be something you're unwilling for me to hear you say?" Dalis's eyes glinted with menace."

"Ah no! It isn't something to bother about anyways!" said Jessica with laughter as she hastily walked up towards Dalis and sneaked an elbow attack into Elliot's abdomen."

"Did you really just arrive?" Sienna asked puzzlingly with a bit of doubt. 

"Yeah, about five minutes ago." 

The air around them became very awkward.

"D-D-D-Dalis we were simply discussing the incident today! Y-Your actions today were very understandable and justified! H-Halio t-that . . . "

Elliot was given a direct elbow to his abdomen once again. This time, Jessica did not bother to even try to hide it.

"Ah well, the cats out of the bag anyways so we're sorry about concealing it! However no matter how wrong Halio was. No matter how much of a bastard that guy is. You can't try and kill him for such a reason. It wasn't a life and death battle. It's common sense! And it's against the teachings of our morals," Jessica sternly confessed.

"Jessica is right. But in the end you didn't do the deed. So you are still the Dalis we know," Sienna commented.

We aren't even close to him besides him being our roommate! Elliot thought.

Seconds passed without a word being spoken.

"Thank you for the advice. Do not worry. There will not be such an incident again. " 

Dalis gave a short wave and then turned away from the three of them to continue walking down the main hallway. As dinner was starting soon, he planned to head there early for once as he felt it was necessary. 

Usually, Dalis would either casually be one of the last few to arrive, or he would be a little late. This was, of course, neglecting the exception of Stilla or Melvin dragging him forcefully to the dining hall.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, he saw Sister Edna approach him. For some reason, he had a feeling that there was going to be something important coming up. Dalis had an uneasy hunch about it . . . 

"Sister Edna are you perhaps looking for me?"

"Yes Dalis, I'd like to talk to you in private. It may take a little long so please follow me." Her body turned as though she was gesturing the way. 

"Understood Sister Edna. However, what about dinner? Isn't it necessary for you to be present at the table?"

"Yes. But I have made arrangements for somebody else to take my place. There is no need to worry Dalis."

"Everyone is going to be upset with a dinner that is not hand-cooked by Sister Edna, especially a tiring day like today." Dalis said, somewhat playfully.

"Dalis. You are underestimating this big sister of yours. Of course, I've already made preparations," Sister Edna retorted, raising a finger in the air. Her face filled with pride. 

"As expected." 

"Oh? You knew?"

"Yes. I was just teasing you."

"You can tease your big sister Stilla with your heart's content, but not towards me young man," Sister Edna reprimanded.

"Yes Sister Edna."

"Now then Dalis, let us go."

"To the dorms?"

"No, to . . . "