Before he could dwell on it too long, Derek squinted at him, concern creeping into his voice. "Alright, your turn now. Did you really get jumped? Where the hell were you yesterday?"
Then his grin returned, wolfish. "Wait, wait—don't tell me. You finally got laid, didn't you?"
Arkham gave him a deadpan look. "Stupid... Does that thought ever every leave your brain?"
Derek laughed. "C'mon, man, don't blame me for having hope, at least one of use should get laid. But hey—you didn't exactly say no… don't tell me… you did?"
Arkham rolled his eyes. "It's a long story," he muttered. "I'll explain later."
He adjusted the new bracelet on his wrist, still getting used to wearing something on his hand. "For now, can you just tell me what's going on? What's with all the panic?"
"Oh, this?" Derek scratched his cheek. "I'm not totally sure, but I heard there's another demon wave at the South Gate. A-class, nothing too crazy. The veteran heroes should handle it."
"Then why are we being called?" Arkham asked, frowning.
"This is what happens when a blind guy asks another blind guy," a calm, cutting voice interrupted.
They both turned to see a girl with long blue hair approaching, her expression unreadable and her sapphire eyes locked on Arkham like he was some minor annoyance blocking her way.
Asuna. Class representative. Top student. And one of the academy's strongest rising talents. Her ability—Frostfire—was a rare elemental fusion, combining fire and ice into a volatile and destructive force.
Controlling just one of those powers was hard enough. But Asuna could handle both with ease.
Derek groaned under his breath. "Great… here comes the ice queen."
Asuna ignored him completely and spoke directly to Arkham. "The reason we were called is because the demons this time weren't normal. They self-destructed the moment they reached the barrier."
Arkham's expression shifted. "They blew themselves up?"
She nodded. "The explosions caused widespread fires and destroyed several buildings in the southern residential district. Civilians are trapped. Fires are spreading. They need rescue support and fire suppression teams."
"So… we're backup?" Derek asked.
"Yes," Asuna said coolly, already turning away. "But don't worry—most of you will probably just be tasked with helping injured civilians. Think of it as a chance to earn some extra merit points."
She turned and walked ahead without looking back, her presence as chilly as ever.
"…Such beauty," Derek muttered, watching her go. "But cold as a ice. I swear, even if I have the change, I wouldn't fuck her."
Arkham shot him a look. That look said everything: 'Like hell I believe you.'
Derek threw his hands up, laughing. "Hey, c'mon man, don't be like that. We're bros! I know you've got a crush on her. I'd never touch her. Strict bro-code."
Arkham sighed. "I just said she was beautiful once."
"And I, as your loyal best friend, have remembered it forever," Derek said with dramatic flair, placing a hand over his chest. "Etched into the holy archive of 'Things Arkham Said While Not Thinking.'"
"…You have issues."
"I know," Derek grinned. "But I'm your bro. That mean we're the same."
Arkham didn't say anything, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Just for a second. Then, without a word, the two of them picked up their pace, heading toward the deployment zone .
***
The scene changed as they reached the outer perimeter of the South Gate.
Smoke curled high into the sky. Buildings lay in ruin—roofs caved in, windows shattered, flame-blackened walls threatening to collapse at any moment.
Fires still raged across several buildings, flickering orange and red against the morning light. The acrid stench of burning wood, scorched stone, and something worse flesh, clung to the air.
Emergency workers and heroes moved in every direction, shouting over comms, hauling debris, or working to repair the shattered outer wall. Most of the heavy focus was there, where chunks of concrete had been blown apart from the Daemon detonation. Cranes and rebar shot into the air, as the barrier's still flickering weakly.
Their instructor Barney turned toward them as they arrived, barking over the noise. "Line up! Now!"
Students shuffled into formation, faces tight with nerves. "You're not here to fight. The veterans have that under control. But this place's a mess, and people are still trapped. Do your job, earn your points, and don't die."
He scanned the group quickly, then turned to Asuna. "You. Frostfire girl. You're on fire suppression."
Asuna's eyes lit up with a glint of pride. "Yes, sir."
She stepped forward with prideful smile, blue flames already flickering along her fingertips. Without wasting a second, she took off toward a burning apartment complex.
The instructor turned next to Derek and Arkham, eyes narrowing. "You two—split up. Join the evac squads. Get civilians out. Prioritize kids, elderly, and anyone who can't move on their own. If you find a wounded, tag them for healing and move on."
Derek frowned immediately. "Wait, hold up Sir Barney. Are you serious? Arkham's not even awakened yet. What if the building collapses on him? Or another wave hits?"
Arkham stepped forward before the instructor could answer. "It's fine. I can handle it."
There's no way he will miss out this change, with so many wounder he can test his full recovery.
Derek looked at him like he'd grown another head. "Bro. You literally got your ribs kicked in yesterday."
"I'm fine now." Arkham gave a calm nod, then flashed a half-smirk. "Besides, don't you notice my change?"
Derek squinted at him for a second, then groaned. "Oh, I noticed. We're definitely talking about it later."
Arkham turned, already heading toward the smoke. "Still gonna beat you to more merit points."
Derek scoffed, falling into a jog in the opposite direction. "If you die, I'm looting your dorm."
"Not if I torch it first." Arkham replied with chuckle.
Their instructor, Mr. Barney, stood nearby, arms crossed. He didn't say a word—just watched them with the same tired stare he always gave. Any other student talking back like that would've been eating push-ups for the entire week.
But Derek? Yeah… Derek was a special case.
"Ass-man comeback confirmed," Derek muttered, then turned and ran in the opposite direction.