Massimo already had to stab Arthur, though Arthur had no reaction. He instinctively gazed at his knife.
The edge of it was dispersed, as if it had never existed. How laughable.
So like, how is it possible? Am I dreaming? Massimo was thinking actively, at the same time he, as though, was in his illusions. Does my metal concentration skills at that weak level ? That I even can't hold the metal accumulated. No, the problem has to start long before! When creating it. So, I should really be unskillful, I guess.. Wake up. What ? What an incoherent sentence I have in my mind.
Wake up! Wake up!
The sounds kept getting louder. Wake up, already.
All of a sudden, he felt his eyelashes twitch as he finally opened his eyes. Due to a room in front of him differed a lot from The Tricolor Magnet Citadel's indoors, his body instinctively strained to rise. But, he couldn't get up feeling a tingling sensation in the area of his right lower leg.
"Ooh, brother you woke up!"
Piero seemed to have been watching him all along. It turned out, that during the last battle in the hall, Massimo was stabbed by Arthur Ruingert and lost consciousness. Hearing of it, he slightly turned his head.
"So, The School of The Cyclical Wind won?"
Piero replied him with a nod.
The School of The Cyclical Wind became untouchable. They won 3 times in a row. But, brother, you shall not worry. This is just a minor competition.
In The Tricolor Magnet Village the teenagers, who have finished the 9th grade, would get a chance to earn a fair amount of silver, while the annual check-up procedures being held. Of course, the resources were limited; therefore, it was decided that each of the 5 schools would gain 15.9 kg of silver - that is, if they lost all 3 times. Otherwise, in case they won, their life would be a bed of roses.
For comparison, an ordinary family had from 4.3 to 19 kg of silver to exploit in practice - in everyday life, while fighting or strengthening their mental barrels. It would be foolish, if they used all of the silver only for fighting or some kinds of practicing. Obviously, there were more of the silver up to 40 to 119 kg each family possessed, though those metals were parts of the buildings in the village and played the crucial role in supporting it.
The Tricolor Magnet Citadel already declared a law on the inviolability of these metals. Its scholars cold-bloodedly punished the offenders, those individuals who dared to extract metals from the buildings. If one of the scholars killed an occupant, no one would mind. It meant the occupant deserved so.
There is no need talking of the strength of the scholars.
"That kitty is right, gold Fioretti boy!" Massimo, just now noticed Julia Roberto Carlus, his classmate, was here all the time. Piero made a surprised face.
"By the way, who is she ?" He giggled hiding his mouth, while simultaneously winking with the corner of his right eye.
"I am his" - "she is my" They started and stopped at the same time. They wanted to proceed, but Piero was much faster.
"I think, I got you. So, I won't disturb you." Saying this, he was going to leave the patient room, when Massimo cried out his name again. However, next words of his brother made him come to terms with this. The situation got even worse.
"Don't worry about Mum, I will tell her. So, she won't arrive here soon. Have a good time together!" Actually, Piero did accent on the last word.
Slam.
The door shut leaving them alone. Now, they have to share the awkward moment.
Julia was nervous and Massimo was too. Wait a minute, wasn't it very bold for a girl to come to a boy's place right after the competition ended. Although, I know the boy was ill and so on, it, anyways, looks like I have feelings for him, doesn't it?
"Massimo, you know I think you did well actually." Roberto Carlus's princess couldn't hide a tremor in her voice. A little bit more, and it seemed she might get up and run away.
At the end of the day, she was a girl after all—and not just an ordinary girl. But, the girl that radiated the yellow warmth of the sun. Her skin was smooth and monochromatic. Her satin-finish brows greatly complemented her narrow brown eyes, which shone bright orange before sun.
She didn't pronounce yet, she had initially wanted to pronounce. "You lost to Arthur, but still you will get 5.3 kg of silver. Although, you won't get 10 kg, others, who didn't perform, won't get anything. That's why, you benefit from it, anyways."
Massimo thought of it too, his opinion coincided with that of Julia's. For Massimo this scene seemed a little wrong. He couldn't put the pieces of the puzzle together in his mind.
Why on earth did she start treating me like that all of a sudden? Something has to stand behind it. Massimo preferred to possess situations. Not to be a puppet in them. So, he straightened his posture and was about to say something as Julia stood up leaving a chair and sit down next to Massimo on his white bed.
In this moment, he could barely take a breath. Stabilize yourself, fool! Massimo was like, what the hell is on her head ?
But, all she said was I think you are better than Arthur Ruingert. I thought you would defeat him, though I don't know how you lost to him.
Was it really worth it? Soon she left. Yet as it turned out, she had been by his side ever since Massimo was sent to be treated.
The Tricolor Magnet Citadel. Inside the main building.
A conversation of the leaders could be heard.
"We are running out of the resources, that was the reason we reduced the number of the schools participating in the competition. For four years now, we've been holding these resource-draining competitions—and what's the result? There is no resources left in The Tricolor Magnet Citadel!"
Being honest, there were some resources as opposed to the words of Iruka - The lord of the Qin-ci family. Especially, hundred kilograms of gold. But, yeah silver was in a poor amount.
"The superior lord, Fudzivara doesn't deserve to be the leader of The Tricolor Magnet Village. Because of him, we, currently, are facing this run-out."
"Exactly, let's overthrow him!"
The commotion continued to gain momentum. The different clan leaders were more likely to agree with Iruka, though some weren't preferring to stay calm.
"Who is with me? After overthrowing Fudzivara, we will bring back our metal using the gold in the storage. Anyways, those, milk-suckers don't know how to use the silver properly. "
"We, We, WEE!!" The crowd shouted.
Next moment, someone knocked on the door. The hearts of the crowd stood still, as if they were frightened goats.
Nonetheless, they soon became calm again. The owner of the following voice was Wana Tsukushi Tabachi.
"Gentlemen, may I come in?"