Kiyo, Lancaster, and Shiro returned to find Muichiro sleeping soundly as Sayo and Rika watched with cautious expressions.
"Looks like we walked into an awkward situation. Don't you agree, Lancaster and Shiro?" Kiyo asked with a grin across his face.
"Um… I don't know how to interpret the situation. Do you, Shiro?" Lancaster said looking at Shiro.
"I rather not engage in that scuffle"
Sayo and Rika just looked at them before erupting into laughter. The environment was quiet, still, and peaceful before a serious mood settled in.
"D-did you guys find him?" Muichiro asked as his eyes slowly opened up.
"I am sorry Muichiro, we could not. All we saw at the end of the road was a cliff leading to a waterfall which made it safe to assume he jumped." Shiro said.
"I won't believe it," Rika said standing up.
"You have to believe me Rika" Shiro answered calmly.
"I won't. I cannot stand losing anyone again; we have lost Yuta and now Arthur. We are slowly falling apart as a class and I cannot stand the sight of it happening" Rika said sobbing.
"I don't think we have lost both of them just yet"
"If we lost them, I would have seen them but I can't. So, we can assume Arthur is rogue while Yuta is alive but somewhere".
The place was quiet, subtle. No one did anything but allowed the atmosphere settle down. Rika cried against Sayo body while the boys just kept quiet as a way of accepting anything that has happened.
Walking back to Rena's mansion, the atmosphere was quiet, really quiet. No one wanted to say anything; they just wanted to bask in the sunset, as the green swayed gently in the wind.
Rena was waiting for them at the front of her mansion gates wearing an unreadable expression.
"So young kids, have you guys found the lost sheep Arthur?"
"No, he escaped"
"Hmmm, will he die out there. I wonder?" Rena asked with a grin across her face.
"Why the twisted smile, Rena?" Rika asked with fury in her
"Maybe, it is because I expected something like that to happen"
Rika charged up to Rena holding her celestial robe. The rest just kept quiet as their classmates to watch what the commotion was
"So, you gonna take out your anger on me?" Rena asked
"You know it is your fault Arthur was pushed away"
"Explain yourselfnana"
"I warned you that we weren't ready for Gandogo but you insisted or rather, forced your way through. You know, because of that; our class was divided and everything is collapsing one by one"
Rena was silent before raising her hand in the air.
"Why don't we carry this important discussion to my office?" Rena glared her eyes.
Rika and the rest nodded silently before following her to her office.
"Do you know why I did all of this?"
"I-I don't car-" Rika outburst was stopped by Muichiro who took charge of the conversation.
"No, but I am willing to bet you had a very interesting and good reason behind it"
"Muichiro, why are you suddenly the leader of this pack, is it by luck or because you rose above the rest?"
"Honestly, it was because I rose above them. It was simply natural law, the strong rise above the rest"
"Hmmmm, Good answer"
"Shiro, why do you have a network system set up that your own classmates know nothing about"
"I believed they would not approve of it, a system to give those weak a useful meaning out of their nothingness"
"Sayo and Kiyo, you guys bicker a lot but also a dynamic duo for the class to look up to, why is that?"
"Honestly, I and my brother are twins and two sides of a coin. Society portrays us as that and one that must always clash and must live in peace" Sayo answered looking at Kiyo calmly.
"Lastly, Lancaster, you act quiet but I see you interact in all social groups. Your voice is quiet yet deeply impactful, why is that?"
All faces turned to look at Lancaster who looked back silently before silently talking
"Honestly, I don't stand out, I only had fame because I stuck with Arthur. I have nothing capable of holding but I do what I do to understand the dynamics of our class"
All smiled before turning back to look at Rena.
"The reason I ask these questions, right?"
"I believe the society of Natural order and evolution, by pushing man in an uncomfortable zone; we tend to get the best and worst version of man but also understand its limitations and expectations"
"Why is your class the way it is?"
"I take it back in your world, the minority and weak are being protected but in this world, we tend make everyone evolve"
"It is not pretty but it helps"
"Rika, as a leader, have you done the appropriate measure to make sure your class evolution move in the right direction?"
Rika stared down before answering silently
"No"
"Do you know that means?"
"It means dependency. You want them to rely on you; it was an act of co-dependency that drove Arthur crazy with revenge"
Rika wanted to talk but Rena cut her short
"I am not saying it is wrong, but if you want to avoid the upcoming dangers that the demon king presents, you have to let your classmates grow"
Rika nodded — not out of respect, but because it was a silent truth that clawed at her heart.