The bus finally arrived early the next day.

Killian got the text while on his hospital bed. He turned to his side, ignoring the alarm going off. His eyes had a darker shade around them, accentuating his red pupils and pale skin.

’How did I manage to piss off everyone I spoke to yesterday?’

"The same way you bait angels to try to kill you?" the Void chimed in. "You have a sharp tongue, Killian."

Killian said nothing to defend himself. After all, yesterday’s records couldn’t lie. Juda and Evelyn were disappointed at his decision concerning Ryuk.

Shania had been upset he left the matches to her, and so was the red-uniformed leader that he found out was the leader of all the Amega newbies.

Pixie had also stomped off after his last statement, saying nothing to him.

"Do you think my social skills got worse because I mostly train alone?"

"Did you have social skills before?"

That did it. Killian slapped his bed, rising off it. "If you have nothing helpful to say, then don’t say anything at all!"

"I am being helpful. And you shouldn’t yell in a hospital."

Killian clicked his tongue, shuffling his feet towards the washroom. He prepared to leave, sending his belongings into his inventory and returning to the room with a towel in his hands.

"Thistle, wake up."

Under his bed, she murmured and he heard her turn to the other side. Killian sighed. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

He had decided she could stay under the bed at night so he wouldn’t keep being drained of mana subconsciously.

But she had made a makeshift bed with his sister’s pillows, and built a literal fortress under the dark space. He turned to the table.

"Ah, did I forget I ordered a basket of carrots last night?"

Thump!

Thistle’s head hit the base of the bed, and slowly she stuck her head out, her eyes shining brightly with no trace of sleep.

Killian pointed at the table, and her widened eyes followed. She nodded and cheerily crawled out from under the bed, took the towel he offered and moved her little feet to clean up.

The Amega newbies were ready by the second hour after the bus arrived. Killian stood at the entrance of the door, looking out for Juda and Evelyn who would be joining them.

"I heard you left organizing the matches halfway." George appeared beside him. "Are you in a better mood now?"

Killian didn’t look at his direction, still checking the hallway the newbies rushed out from.

"Yes," he responded, looking away from the hallway as Juda and Evelyn walked down. "Will you join us at the academy?"

"No," George moved away from some newbies moving out. "I was never in charge of sending you guys to the academy. The one who handled your training waits at the academy. The lady you spoke to is the one in charge of the selection in this region so go with her."

Killian narrowed his eyes on George. Wasn’t he being a little too laid-back because the lady was his ’friend’?

George met his gaze and a grin spread on his face. He stepped further from the door when an energetic wave of newbies moved out again. "I will be taking Juda to meet his S-Rank Warden who works in a hospital at the academy. So I might stay to watch the first batch of trials. Is that fair?"

Killian turned away. "Do what you want. But if you are coming, don’t leave Juda alone in an unfamiliar place, come with him. And don’t be late."

George subtly rolled his eyes at Killian’s lecturing tone. "The first batch typically starts as soon as you arrive. So don’t be late either."

His words confused Killian but he didn’t inquire. There was no reason to stop him from being late since the bus was already here.

After the newbies said their goodbyes to the selected winners, the bus finally moved by the third hour.

George sat with Hallie, the red-uniformed lady and leader in charge of the Amega newbies, in the front seats by the driver, divided by a glass wall.

Killian made sure to save a chair for himself in the first row passengers’ seat with Evelyn and Juda, so he could make up with them. When he sat down, Juda immediately waved.

"Where did you go after yesterday?"

"Um," Killian glanced at Evelyn seated in the middle. "Training."

He noticed she looked his way, then away again. ’Maybe she’s not really upset.’ "Hey," he said, looking forward.

Evelyn said nothing, but relaxed on her seat, giving him listening ears.

Killian cleared his throat, while wondering why it was suddenly harder to just apologise for a misunderstanding. "So, I understand I was wrong earlier—"

"Because Juda told you that you are?"

"Well, yes. But also," Killian adjusted his posture.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Juda cheering him on and he knew he needed it with the scary tone Evelyn had. "That Felina girl is really a tyrant."

He started by bringing someone else for her to be mad at. "After you left, I saw her bashing a girl’s face because she lost. Blood was everywhere. It was really a mess."

Evelyn’s eyes shifted to him. "That small girl is a bully?"

Killian nodded, his back rested on the seat since he reached some type of solidarity with Evelyn. "So I sort of sided with Ryuk when she attacked her because of that. I was still wrong."

A sigh left Evelyn. "I know you hate bullies. I do too. As former D-Rank students, those kinds of people are very triggering."

Killian agreed with a nod.

He added quickly before Evelyn did. "But I know I still shouldn’t have let Ryuk escalate it that way. I will be more mindful next time I have to handle something like that."

Which he would hope was never again.

"So about that playlist," he added when Evelyn wanted to speak again.

She sighed instead, but a smile crept up to her lips. "You like hip-hop, right?"

Killian only shrugged. He listened to anything as long as they didn’t bore him.

Then a screen lit up in the bus, and all attention went to it.

The foreboding music that marked its entrance left a cautious expression on all the faces of all present.

"Greetings, Amega Region."