Chapter 86

Brain was quietly waiting for someone in a classroom that was no longer in use.

The time was 1:10 PM—

The door slid open.

"Ah, Brain, you're already here!"

Sarus, Brain's friend with the same iron school badge, appeared with a cheerful and relaxed voice.

Brain opened his mouth.

"I called you. I couldn't let you wait."

"Serious, aren't you!"

Sarus said with a laugh.

"No, no, I know you're serious, but... why are you skipping class again, serious Brain?"

Sarus laughed as if it were amusing.

As Sarus said, it was currently class time. Due to yesterday's commotion, it had turned into self-study, but...

Brain had never skipped class before.

"...I wanted to talk to you when no one else was around, Sarus."

"Hmm. Why is that?"

Sarus grinned.

"Ah, you, could it be confession time!? Sorry, Brain. I think you're a good guy, but I—"

"It's about last night."

Brain ignored Sarus's light-hearted remark.

Sarus smiled at Brain's uninterested expression.

"Oh, you're serious. Sorry, let me hear you out."

"I suspect you."

"Huh? Suspect? What do you suspect me of?"

"Yesterday's commotion—did you cause it?"

"Yesterday's commotion, you mean the undead incident?"

Sarus opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Then, he burst out laughing loudly. After a while, he continued.

"Hey, Brain! I'm just a student! There's no way I could summon that many undead! Could you, top of the class?"

"I can't."

"Right? So, there's no way I, who has worse grades than you, could do it!"

"...I don't know..."

Brain shook his head and replied briefly.

"I don't think you're putting in your full effort."

"That's an overestimation!"

Sarus laughed it off.

"Anyway, do you have any solid evidence that I did it?"

"...Last night, I destroyed the magic circle from which the undead were emerging. Some of the characters drawn in the circle had a distinctive style."

Brain looked at Sarus intently and continued.

"That style matched the one I know you have, Sarus."

"Hmm."

Sarus maintained his smug expression.

"Interesting, but—being suspected just for that is sad. Could it be a coincidence?"

"That's not all. After destroying the magic circle, I was attacked by a black-clad figure in the school building."

"Really? So?"

"I fought with that person, and their movements were very similar to yours."

Brain was confident in this conclusion.

After enrolling, Brain often practiced hand-to-hand combat with Sarus to improve himself.

They had clashed many times in martial arts.

Brain knew the weight of Sarus's punches and the trajectory of his kicks.

"...Sarus, what were you doing last night?"

"I was sleeping in my room. I told you I had a headache, right? There, alibi established!"

"That doesn't count as evidence."

Brain shook his head.

"You could have used a spell to replay your words in response to the door knock."

"That's not fair! If you say that, there's no way to refute it!"

"Last night—our group of three with the iron school badge received a call to action. You know that, right?"

"Right, Brain, you told me."

Sarus's words made Brain nod.

Last night, after returning to the dorm with Albert, Brain visited Sarus's room and told him about it.

"When I called you for the mission, why didn't you show your face? Even though I, your friend, called you."

"Sorry, my head was too painful. I felt a bit better after sleeping."

"...I see. So, you were mistaken..."

Brain sighed, confirming Sarus's lie.

"The call to action wasn't from me. It was from Albert and Mr. Filbus."

Sarus's expression, which had been smug until now, wavered for the first time. Brain had suspected Sarus's mistake from their conversation last night.

—That's who called me! Sorry, I couldn't hear you properly!

Sarus bowed to Brain, addressing him.

To Brain, who thought he had called.

That's why Brain had set this trap.

"What do you mean, Sarus?"

"Hehehe... Hehehe..."

After a troubled laugh—

Sarus spread his arms wide and shouted.

"Hahahaha! Well done, great detective Brain! The one standing in the way of this Sarus's ambition is indeed you!"

"Capture Net!"

Brain pulled out a small cane from his waist and pointed it at Sarus.

Simultaneously, a net of light expanded from where Sarus stood, converging at the center at a speed like a rubber band being pulled.

However, the net caught nothing.

"Ah! Scary! Scary, Brain! Using magic out of the blue!"

Sarus had already moved back.

Brain tilted his head.

"You confessed, didn't you...?"

"No, no, no! Just kidding! Just a joke! No way!"

Sarus rambled as usual.

"Listen, Brain. I was mistaken. I thought you called me. But, what can I do? I was sleeping with a headache. I wasn't paying attention to whose voice it was."

"I see."

"Do you understand now?"

"No, not yet."

"Whaaat!? There's more!?"

"Take off your clothes."

"Huh?"

Sarus reacted to Brain's sudden words.

"Why are you suddenly saying that in the middle of this conversation? Is it a confession? Sorry, but—"

"Don't try to hide it. I want to see your left side."

Brain fixed a sharp gaze on Sarus.

The smile finally disappeared from Sarus's face.

"...What? Is there something on my left side?"

"When the black-clad man attacked me, I hit his left side. The impact should have left a mark."

"...And you think that mark is on my side?"

"Yes."

Brain nodded and continued.

"To prove your innocence. Will you cooperate?"

"Sorry, but I can't do that..."

Sarus subtly changed his stance, no longer standing stiffly. He adopted a posture ready to respond to any situation, alert to everything.

Brain watched this with a heavy heart.

He had spent a considerable amount of time with Sarus since enrolling.

It seemed their friendship would end here.

"Capture Net!"

The magic again, but the result was the same.

Sarus quickly avoided the spell. Then,

"Magic Arrow, Magic Arrow!"

He extended his right hand and fired two arrows.

Brain also dodged, and the sound of breaking glass came from behind. Sarus quickly closed the distance to Brain.

"!"

Brain deflected Sarus's attack.

Sarus's martial arts were—sadly—exactly the same as yesterday. The weight of his punches and the trajectory of his kicks were all the same.

Sarus laughed, looking at Brain's eyes.

"Hahaha, it's like yesterday's review!"

Brain took a small breath.

Yesterday's review.

It meant he no longer intended to hide.

"...You!"

"Correct, correct! As expected, Mr. Brain—!"

Sarus grinned.

"I am—chosen by the darkness!"

...Darkness...?

A mysterious word stuck in Brain's mind. Seizing the moment, Sarus's knee struck Brain.

"Ugh!?"

Brain was thrown back, retreating to the window.

Sarus quickly closed the distance and pushed Brain's chest out the window.

The window, broken by the Magic Arrow, offered no resistance as Brain's upper body was pushed out. Glass shards stuck to the bottom edge pierced Brain's back.

"...Gah..."

Sarus looked down at Brain, who was grimacing in pain.

"Hehehe. Well, dear friend Brain, here's a present from me."

A black flame ignited on the index finger of Sarus's right hand.

"Will you make a contract with me and become a warrior of darkness?"