Cyno woke up at 1 PM the following day. Cyno was surprised by how long he slept. Six to seven hours of rest was his norm, even following his duties as a hero.
Cyno got out from the bed, then immediately brushed his teeth and took a shower. He then began working on a thesis he hadn't had time to write since the previous day.
The thesis that he was working on was in the discussion and conclusion sections. However, because his research results differed from the proposed hypothesis, Cyno's advisor asked him to provide a detailed explanation. This was the second time Cyno had repeated making a discussion section. Cyno couldn't pinpoint what parts of his writing lacked detail. Back when he was an undergraduate, his final assignment didn't demand this much effort.
Five pages typed, Cyno deemed his thesis complete. His head felt heavy and hot, a dull ache spreading through his skull, a direct result of the long hours spent tensely working. Glancing at the wall clock, he noticed the time was 6 PM. Cyno was shocked to find that time was passing quickly. During that time, he had not eaten at all and did not feel hungry.
However, Cyno avoided self-harm by not filling his stomach. He went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to check its contents. Only a dozen eggs and a large bottle of orange juice were there.
Cyno sighed and closed the refrigerator. He never fully filled the refrigerator with groceries because he wasn't good at cooking. He only stocked easy-to-prepare food ingredients. That means, he also gets bored if he eats the same food every day.
Cyno proceeded to change his clothes into an outfit that fit for him going outside. He brought his phone, money, and wore his Hero wristband.
Leaving his apartment, he headed towards the city center to find a dinner.
****
"Hey Cyno, you're on patrol, huh?"
Someone talked to him when he passed a place in Lokapala forest, a forest located north of Avidya. Directly after having dinner, Cyno left Sumeru City and wandered towards Sumeru until reached this spot. Turning towards the voice, Cyno's expression shifted from neutral to bored.
"What are you doing here, Kaveh?" Cyno asked the blond man. He was also a Hero like Cyno with the nickname Paradisaea.
"Of course, guarding this place." Kaveh got down from the horizontal wall he had been sitting on. He patted his back, brushing off the dust from his red hoodie.
"Guarding? In this abandoned place?"
"Hey! Don't you recognize this building is my masterpiece? Alcazarzaray is its name."
Cyno shrugged. "You're not that famous, Mr. Architect."
"Forget it." Kaveh said. "Miss Dori Sangemah Bay, a renowned antique dealer from Sumeru, formerly lived in this place, using it as her personal home. But now Abyss monsters, in various forms, have overrun Alcazarzaray, leaving it abandoned." Kaveh explained.
"What a shame. This place costs the same as my undergraduate and master's tuition fees combined."
Kaveh smiled wryly when he heard that. "Instead of focusing on the debt from the incomplete building, I volunteered to protect it from the Abyss swarm, an offer Miss Dori gladly took."
Who would refuse if a Hero offered himself to be a personal guard? Cyno said inwardly.
Their wristbands blinked.
"Okay... Time to work!"
Kaveh activated his power and now he was in full armor form. The briefcase that had been in his grip suddenly lit up, and his form was now broken into several parts and there was light connecting the fragments, so that now its form was like a hologram-powered robot.
"Mehrak is ready to work, Mr. Paradisaea." The briefcase said.
"So the rumor circulating among the Heroes that there is a Hero with a flying bag weapon is true, and that is you."
"Ugh... don't call Mehrak that. It's rude."
"I'll find another place to take down Abyss." Cyno ignored Kaveh's words.
"Wait a sec! Weren't you going to help me?"
"Aren't you stronger with that bag?" Cyno asked back.
"Two High-class Abyss were detected at two points in the location. Abyss Lector and Marana." The voice from their wristbands said simultaneously.
"Facing two Abyss monsters at once will overwhelm Mehrak. That will cost me more in repairs at Madam Faruzan's, which is a troublesome."
Cyno sighed. Then, he activated his Lupus Aureus form.
"Alright, time to judge them!"
"Turn into a weapon, Mehrak." Kaveh threw his briefcase upwards.
Mehrak, the briefcase, morphed into a long and large sword. A claymore.
Kaveh and Cyno then enter Alcazarzaray.
****
Meanwhile, on Lumine's side...
"Help me! Help!"
"Free me from this pain...."
"Mom... Dad...."
"Ah!!!"
Lumine screamed as she abruptly awoke. She gasped for air, eyes darting around her room. What did I just dream?
Never had Lumine had such a terrifying dream. She no longer remembered who they were, but their voices remained etched in her mind.
As if they directed the voices at her.
A shiver went down Lumine's neck. She pulled a blanket to cover her entire body. Her room grew icy cold, as though it were snowing in Sumeru, although the Land of Wisdom has a tropical climate.
Her eyes flickered to the clock beside her bed.
It was still 11 PM.
How strange, Lumine thought. Today she went to bed early because she hadn't slept enough since yesterday. What she got wasn't a beautiful dream, but one that would make her difficult to go back to sleep.
Could it be, all this time, my apartment is haunted? Lumine drew a conclusion from her dream. However, she rejected it immediately. Her apartment was located in the heart of the city. How could a ghost be in a crowded place?
During her time as a postgraduate student, Lumine never sensed anything unusual in this apartment. Therefore, she discarded the strange thought far away.
Lumine laid down and closed her eyes again. The blanket that had wrapped her body earlier was still in the same position.
Sleep now. Tomorrow, I need to finish a report and meet the lecturer. Dream about that report if necessary. Lumine told herself.
****
"One down." Cyno said after delivering the final blow to Marana with his spear.
"Argh!"
Kaveh's scream diverted Cyno's attention. The man was thrown when Abyss Lector put up an invisible shield that covered his entire body as he swung his claymore.
"Your attack style is nice, but unfortunately, you're still careless." Cyno said, watching Kaveh, who was standing up. His claymore reverted to its original state, Mehrak.
A loud laugh erupted from the Abyss Lector in front of them.
"I'm unbeatable!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Abyss monster!" Kaveh said.
"Bah! I'm the one who should tell you that!" Suddenly, a portal appeared in front of him. Hundreds of Abyss monsters stormed out of the portal and ambushed Cyno and Kaveh.
"Coward! Using them for cover!"
Kaveh commanded Mehrak to become a dual-blade sword. He gripped the hilt, readying himself for combat.
Kaveh swiftly attacked the monsters. Kaveh used his hands as if conducting an orchestra. The dual-blade followed the movement of his hands, slashing the Abyss monsters that tried to attack him. When a monster was about to attack him from behind, Kaveh made one of the dual-blade multiply into five. The swords floated and spun as if being guided by the wind. Kaveh was shielded from the monsters as the swords struck them one at a time.
Kaveh, exhausted from battling the monsters, panted. The monsters that were summoned by Abyss Lector earlier were now gone, thanks to his attack, half of which was also assisted by Cyno. The man who had the Hero Lupus Aureus form was currently combating Abyss Lector.
With so many monsters, he can still take on a high-class Abyss?! That's insane! Cyno's actions amazed Kaveh.
Cyno moved swiftly to a spot close to Kaveh. "Only 25% of the monster's barrier remains," he said while observing the hologram screen on his wristband that showed the details of Abyss Lector's condition.
"I'm exhausted! I'm leaving the rest in your capable hands, Lupus Aureus."
Cyno was surprised to hear that, but luckily, his armor concealed it from Kaveh. "How on earth did you single-handedly guard this place this whole time?"
"Never there are two high-class monsters in here simultaneously before." Kaveh replied.
Underneath his armor, Cyno's smile was flat. "Alright, I'll eliminate it."
Cyno battled the Abyss Lector again.
"Mehrak, you still got energy?" Kaveh asked after Cyno left.
"60%, Sir."
"Then... Mehrak, activate defensive mode!"
A light green barrier formed around Kaveh from Mehrak. The blond man then released his Paradisaea form.
"Long live in peace...." Kaveh lay down on the floor.
"I'm glad I asked Madam Faruzan to make you, hmhm~." Kaveh looked at Mehrak while humming.
Kaveh turned to watch Cyno, whose hands were now covered in purple ribbons and became like giant claws. Cyno floated upwards and plunged his hands into Abyss Lector's chest, piercing the monster's body.
Cyno landed on the floor. Abyss Lector's body was shattered into pieces and slowly disappeared.
"Wow..." Kaveh watched the fight in amazement. "I'm curious, Mehrak...when will I achieve such power?" Kaveh spoke to his briefcase after the protective mode was deactivated.
"Train regularly and your stamina will increase by itself, Mr. Architect."
The response came not from Mehrak, but from the man with orange irises beside Kaveh. He had released his Hero form.
Kaveh turned his head and was shocked to find the person next to him. "Since when were you here, Cyno? Weren't you there earlier?" Kaveh's index finger pointed to where the Abyss Lector was.
"A Hero also has teleportation skill. Have you forgotten?"
"Really?!"
Cyno breathed in deeply. "It seems like you need to go back to training place. After graduating, you guarded this place. It's a shame that such a wonderful weapon is only used to make a shield for you to laze around."
"Hey!" Kaveh exclaimed. He felt offended.
"I'm just giving you advice for your own good." Cyno then folded his arms across his chest. "Surely you don't want to make Alhaitham sad when he finds out that you died protecting this place, right?"
"Careful what you say, Cyno!" Kaveh then stood up, grabbed Mehrak, and, while grumbling, he continued to say, "Okay. I'll be back at Madam Faruzan's for intensive training. Then, I will get an incentive from Miss Dori if I successfully defeating many high-class Abyss."
"Good to hear." Dang, all he thinks about is money.
"Thank you for your help," said Kaveh.
"I'm being nice this time. If I face a tough Abyss like this again, I expect a payment from you." Cyno patted Kaveh's left shoulder. "See you," he said and left Alcazarzaray.
"Wait a minute! What do you mean by that?!"
Silence was the only answer Kaveh received.