Dark Flames; Reborn

Chapter 11 - Days

"Now then... people would probably have some bad comments on what Amagawa-san and I did last week but well... nothing we can do now." I enter the school building while I feel the stares some students along with their whispering I pay no heed to it. [Do everything normally. Act like how you usually do.] I try to act 'normal' but that doesn't even help much and as I open my shoe locker to change my shoes, out suddenly comes envelopes and letters falling to my feet.

[Are these all actual hate mail because of last week's incident?] I pick up the letters and notice that they have these... fancy designs. [Wait... could it possibly be that these aren't hate mail but rather...] I pick up the letters and arranged them all before placing them in my bag and heading towards my classroom where I was continuously greeted and congratulated by the other students I pass by.

"Zetsumu-san does there seem to be a problem? You have been shaking your head and sighing a while ago." our teacher calls my attention as I was reading the letters in secret. "Well you see... never mind, it's nothing." She says something I cannot understand as I sit back down. And while the lecture continues so does the problematic letters which I continue to read, this time quietly.

Upon reaching nearly half of the letters I begin to wonder [Why do most of them sound like I'm sick or something?] the letters were about encouraging morale something along the lines of 'you can do it' and 'with willpower all is possible' and the likes. I continue through our second period and manage to finish them all before it ends.

"What happened since I was gone? Everyone's saying congratulations to me since I first got here." I ask our class rep as our second period ends. "I think this video would explain better than I would, Zetsumu-kun." She holds out her phone which plays a video first showing the emblem of our school followed by dramatic music then student council president standing in the school auditorium about to give a speech...

"Good morning fellow students of Yoka academy. As you all have seen yesterday two students namely Zetsumu Tenha and Amagawa Rinko have caused an uproar by fighting those strange things that tried to enter our school building. I ask of you to please do not alienate them as their tasked in fighting for the world and the peace we all enjoy. They are fighting an unseen war where they may not return. So I ask you, fellow students of Yoka academy to wish them the best of luck so that they may both return as heroes."

As the video comes to an end I stare at the class rep's black phone screen dumbfounded at what Ensui just did. "Zetsumu-kun your mouth is hanging..." I look at her as I return the phone still unable to understand what I watched. "Well what's important is that both of you are back and unharmed right? We won't ask what you did or where you fought, it was the class' decision." I nod at our class rep seated in front of me who turns back to face the chalkboard as our third subject in the morning starts.

"You going somewhere for lunch, Tenha?" Genhou asks me as the bell rings signaling our lunch break. "I'm headed at my usual spot on the roof you can come if you like." He nods and we make our way towards the rooftop where the cool wind greets us as I open the metal door. The rooftop was empty as usual as we take a seat on one of the benches.

"Here have some of mine." I offer him some of the food in my lunch; I intentionally made some extra in case I get company up here. "You know, I got a call from my superior last night. He asked about any progress and well I reported almost everything that had happened." He says while we were eating "Really? So does this mean you're going to be sent back?" I ask him, "Quite the opposite actually, they told me to stay here and continue doing my job which is observing."

"Then it seems that we'll all be seeing at night while cleaning up corrupt souls." I say as I am almost done with my meal. "By the way, the president said something interesting earlier this morning. I too am interested as to why you didn't kill Amagawa-san."