«Hey, Rex, did you skip physical education too, huh?»
The one speaking is Leon Thazreel, one of his classmates — a tall and bony guy, with carrot-colored hair and an idiotic smile that never leaves his face.
«I've already told you at least a million times that my name isn't Rex…»
Ren is leaning against the railing of the terrace of Tsugumi High School, enjoying the fresh morning breeze and his inevitable cigarette.
Almost his entire family attends that school.
He is in the third year, Yuzu in the first, and Mika in the third year of middle school. Iris, instead, works as a waitress in a maid café in the center of Ashiya.
Ren had even insisted on leaving school and helping with the household expenses, but Iris had not allowed him to.
According to her, he already does more than enough, and she doesn't want him to give up the only thing that still makes him feel a semblance of normality — being, for a few hours a day, just a normal eighteen-year-old boy.
«Anyway, Leon… the mask you were wearing last night really sucked.»
Leon shrugs.
«It was the cheapest one. My supervisor told me not to show my face, so I obeyed. But there was no need for you to go that hard on me! You almost killed me — seriously!»
«You didn't hold back either. My leg and arm still hurt, even after the treatment.»
«Well, my supervisor was watching me, so I had to make it believable, right? And honestly, you should thank me for not using that power I told you about. You wouldn't have beaten me so easily if I had!»
«Tell me the truth — you didn't use it because if your boss found out you're stronger than you seem, he'd make you work more, right? You're the worst hitman in the world…»
Leon flashes a huge smile.
«Damn, Rex, you scare me when you're like this — you know me better than my mother!»
«Please. Anyone would understand that you're the king of slackers after five seconds with you. Anyway, did the wound heal?»
«If it hadn't healed, I wouldn't be here, alive and kicking, chatting with you, right? But it took more than four hours! Damn it, I didn't think you could use that power to paralyze other people's magical energy too! That was a nasty surprise!»
«Speaking of which…» Ren's voice becomes more serious. «How do you know Raelor Valraen? And how do you know he was the one who trained me?»
«Come on, who doesn't know Raelor Valraen? He's one of the most powerful beings in all of Elyndra! Anyway, my superior told me everything — mostly as a warning not to underestimate you.»
Ren takes one last drag from the cigarette and throws it beyond the terrace, hitting a trash can three floors below with almost surgical precision.
«I'm still waiting for you to tell me who is behind all this and why he targeted me. You'd better talk, or the next time we clash I won't be as lenient as last night.»
Leon shakes his head.
«I'd like to help you, really… but honestly I don't know.»
«I'm tired of this whole story. Tell me his name. So I can close this matter once and for all.»
«I'm not messing with you, I swear! I have no idea who's behind it. I just carry out my supervisor's orders — he's the one in contact with the boss!»
«Then tell me who your supervisor is.»
«Rex, don't do anything stupid. I like you, and I don't want you to get yourself killed. From what I understood, the boss is interested in you, yes, but not that much — otherwise he would have sent someone much more dangerous than me. Trust me, you'd only make things worse. Let's keep doing what we've always done — I act threatening, you refuse, we exchange a few blows and it ends there.»
But Ren doesn't even listen to him.
«Leon, tell me who your supervisor is. I just want to talk to him.»
«Ugh… fine. But don't blame me if things go bad, okay?! His name is Jace Lance, and he's a vampire sent here by the boss to keep an eye on my work. Apparently I wouldn't be very efficient. What a joke!»
«I wonder why they think that…»
«I wonder too! And don't ask me anything else, because I really don't know more. I've already talked too much! If he finds out I told you about him, they'll cut my salary in half, and then I won't even be able to afford discounted Halloween masks anymore!»
«Yeah… you really are the worst hitman ever…»