2:30 PM, Day 4
Viktor looked out the window, thinking.
"When are the students from the other schools going to arrive?"
"It should be now, right?"
"Oh, there they are." Viktor thought, looking towards the main entrance, wherea group of fifty students were suddenly escorted in, the students quickly fleeing into the school, away from the Reunion troops.
"Sonya?"
"Now what?"
"Around fifty students just got escorted into the school through the main entrance."
"And why would you need to tell me that?"
"I thought it would be good to share information, now that we're allies."
"Hmph." Sonya crossed her arms, walking over to the window to take a look for herself.
"So, what do you think we should do?"
"What are you asking me for?"
"When are you going to realize that we're allies, not enemies?"
"Fine… I guess we could go observe them."
"Sure." Viktor picked up his backpack and walked out.
"How long is it going to take before we're even able to cooperate?"
"Is it worth it to cooperate?"
"Well, she is an extremely powerful combatant… Strange, it feels like there's a deeper reason, but I can't put a finger on it." Viktor thought, concluding his train of thought and leaving the thoughts for later. He needed to stay alert. A short while later, this alertness paid off, as they met a group of new students.
"Who are you?" A tall, lanky boy, obviously the leader said.
"None of your business." Viktor said, readying his staff.
"Can we not fight, for once?" The boy said, dropping his weapon and putting his hands up.
"Oh, thank goodness. Sure!" Viktor said. "Could you let us through?"
"No problem." The group parted and Viktor walked though without any conflict.
"They could be dangerous in the future. Why did you spare them?" Sonya said, disapproval obvious in her voice.
"I don't kill people on sight."
"Soft." Sonya dryly chuckled. "Are you still this innocent, even after four days?"
"I spent the first three hiding and training in a classroom, alright?"
"Just kill when you need to, at the very least."
"No problem."
The two walked forwards in silence after that, quickly reaching to the main entrance to the school.
"What was the point of going here again?" Viktor laughed, looking around.
"It was your choice to let me give a suggestion."
"Good point. So are we just going to go b-" A scream suddenly rang out, Viktor readying his staff and running towards the origin of the scream, almost colliding with a girl who was literally on fire. Just as he was recovering from the shock of a burning person running straight past him, Sonya caught up.
"Just what were you thinking?"
"I was curious, okay?"
"Curious enough to almost run straight into the fire?" Sonya said, pointing to the flames in the hallway to their left.
"Good point. But why do you care?"
"Because we're allies."
"Good point." Viktor said, running off towards the fire.
"WHAT NOW?" Sonya yelled in the distance, slowly following him.
"That was one of the food storages!" Viktor yelled, his voice fading in the distance.
"Dumb bastard…" Sonya mumbled to herself, seeing his figure slowly run off into the distance.
"At least he's a capable fighter. Wait, why am I making excuses to help a noble?" Sonya thought, finding the same strange desire to stay with him in her heart.
"But he's burdened by guilt. He's probably going to try and save those students."
Indeed, at the exact same time, Viktor was trying to drag a student out of a pile of chair parts.
"Help! HELP!"
"Would you please shut up? I'm trying to help you." Viktor said, letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Get off me!" The student said, trying to punch Viktor.
"Fine…" Viktor walked off towards the exit, leaving the student to try and escape themselves.
"Another failure… Can I, a single person, change anything in all of this?" Viktor thought as he returned to the hallways.
"I should keep a list… How many has it been?"
"The kids in the gym, one."
"The nobles, two."
"The ambushers, three."
"The people in the fire, four."
"Even though all of them attacked me somehow, I still failed. I failed all of them." A single tear rolled down Viktor's face, soundlessly falling onto the floor.
"But now isn't the time, is it?" Viktor wiped his face with the back of his hand as he rounded the bend towards Sonya.
"You done trying to save them?" Sonya said, snapping out of her reverie and turning around to face him.
"Yes." Viktor replied, composing himself.
"How many did you save?"
"None."
"You see, now we just wasted fifteen minutes for nothing!" Sonya said, walking back. "You should really stop trying."
"Eh, whatever." Viktor said, falling silent.
10 minutes later
Viktor walked into the classroom, closing and locking the door behind him before sitting down on a nearby chair and taking a break.
"What now?" Sonya impatiently asked.
"Have you literally been in the middle of the action every day for the past 4 days or something? Calm down!"
"Actually, yes."
"Good point… Right now, I guess all we can do is plan."
"Do we need a plan? We have enough supplies to survive at least a month."
"Sure, but what if we're attacked? What if it takes far more than a month to reconnect with society?" Viktor said, despite knowing full well that it would only take a month at most.
"Then we deal with the problem when it appears."
"Wow, you are stubborn. You do have a point, though. It does appear like a plan is unnecessary for the time being."
"You see?" Sonya said, falling silent.
"I guess I'll train a bit…" Viktor said, starting to do sit-ups again.
5:00 PM, Day 4
A light knock sounded on the door as Viktor was practicing with his staff. "Excuse me, is anyone here?"
Sonya walked over and opened the door. "This is our territory. We're the only ones allowed in."
"Sorry, but my friends and I are looking for shelter… Um, are you… Sonya?"
"You're… Anna? Take another classroom."
"I know this might-"
"There are only two inside, Anna. Let's just chase them away." A voice said from the hallways, Viktor immediately tensing up and walking over.
"What's the issue?"
"…Viktor? Why are you, a noble, here?" Anna said, jumping back.
"My past doesn't matter anymore. Let's just get straight to the point. What can you help us with?"
"Well, Lada's a pretty good cook. Would you let us stay if she cooked something for you?"
"Wait a minute, this is Gummy and Istina!" Viktor thought, finally realizing who they were.
"Very well then." Viktor said, walking back to his seat.
"Introductions first, presumably?" Anna said, walking in.
"Alright. I'm Sonya, and this is Viktor. And you don't mess with us." Sonya said. "Wait a minute, why did the word 'us' just come so naturally out of my mouth?"
"I'm Anna, as you know. This is Lada." Anna said, gesturing to an upbeat girl behind her.
"Alright, tell the rest of your group to come in." Sonya said, filing her thoughts away for later.
"Okay." The rest of the group filtered in. This group was obviously not in the best of health; their clothes were tattered, many had cuts and bruises on them, and all of them had dark bags under their eyes signifying that they hadn't slept very well in the past few days.
"Wow, Istina's group was weak back then…" Viktor thought, looking at the new arrivals.
"But I guess they are my responsibility now."
5 minutes later
"Now that we're all settled, how about we organize all the equipment into a pile?" Viktor said.
"Nobles, always trying to take control of everything." A dry laugh came from a girl to his right. "Just let us be, would you?"
"And you are?" Viktor asked.
"Vika."
"Well, what do you suggest we do otherwise, Vika?"
"Just stay put. We all need a break, right?" A chorus of "yes" came from the other students.
"Come on, can't we work for the common good for once?" Anna said, walking to the center of the classroom.
"Anna, we owe nothing to them." Vika said.
"Yes, but it would benefit us too, as well as help us foster mutu-"
"Could you please not go into a long speech again?"
"But it would be good for us to get everything organized."
"Yes, but not under a noble."
"Then how about I organize it instead?"
"You'll still be influenced by the noble."
"Alright, fine. At least consider cooperating please, Vika." Anna sighed and walked off.
"After all these years, Anna's still a peacekeeper…" Sonya mumbled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Alright…" Viktor sighed. How would he deal with this group in the future?