Glonas offered a slow, theatrical bow, fixed an eerie smile on his face, and turned his gaze toward Lamy.
He looked more like a cult leader or a dark pope than a mere representative, and for a moment, Lamy was left speechless by his uncanny presence. She quickly shook off the feeling, however, and raised her voice to a shout.
"Are you the representative of this dangerous association? My, what a fitting outfit you've chosen for the role!"
"I would prefer you not use words like 'dangerous.' The Society of Friends of the Night is a gathering of people who empathize with the ideology of Lord Kurotobari, the champion of True Justice. Our way of thinking simply differs from yours."
"I don't care about your association! What you do with your own sense of justice or your empathy for a criminal is your business, but do not involve the students of our school!"
"We have not 'involved' the students of Luminous Academy. They participated of their own free will. It is quite regrettable for you to say such things when we never dragged them here by force."
Glonas remained perfectly calm as he countered Lamy's increasingly hysterical outbursts.
Her anger mounted at his evasive, slippery demeanor. Forgetting her original purpose, Lamy began to hurl insults at both him and the members of the Society of Friends of the Night.
"Be silent! Do you not realize that the very existence of a group that worships a criminal is a stain on the honor of Luminous Academy and this city? To exalt a murderer as a paragon of justice... have you no shame?!"
"Oh? Does a teacher of Luminous Academy truly denounce Lord Kurotobari as a murderer and an evil-doer? That is... a truly irredeemable act."
The moment Lamy insulted Kurotobari’s brand of justice, the atmosphere around Glonas shifted.
Even more striking was the surge of pure rage that erupted from the believers. Their hostility focused on Lamy and the students like Cyan standing near her.
"Calling Lord Kurotobari evil for judging villains?! That woman is unforgivable!"
"Lord Kurotobari is the Messenger of Justice who delivers Divine Punishment to sinners in our stead! Do not dismiss him with a word as base as 'murderer'!"
"How is he any different from the Magic Knights who slay monsters or Magic Armor Beasts? He's just hunting things that harm people!"
"T-Teacher... this is getting bad, isn't it?" one of the students asked, trembling.
"D-Do not be flustered! As proud students of Luminous Academy, you must possess a spirit that remains unshaken by such trivialities!"
Lamy scolded her students, but she was visibly shaken herself. Her words lacked any shred of conviction.
"Comrades, please calm yourselves," Glonas called out to his followers, watching the teachers with a meaningful smile. "These people have certainly said something unforgivable, but there is no need for us to act. They will surely be judged by Lord Kurotobari in time. These Great Sinners and the academy students who were taught a false justice will eventually bow before True Justice. Let us look forward to that day with anticipation."
As the people gathered in the assembly hall cheered the words of their cult-like leader, the air grew thick with an abnormal, suffocating fervor. Completely overwhelmed, Lamy and the others hurriedly rounded up the academy students and beat a hasty retreat, fleeing the scene as if for their lives.
"...And that was the report from the security personnel who have infiltrated the Society of Friends of the Night," Jinba explained. "The members are incensed. A teacher barged into their meeting and insulted the man they worship like a god. Now, they're all waiting for the Iron Hammer of Justice to fall upon anyone associated with Luminous Academy."
Yugo and the others wore grim expressions as they listened to Jinba's report. The news filled them with a heavy sense of foreboding.
Sakura was particularly overwhelmed by guilt. Her decision to attend the meeting had drawn in the Hero Candidates, which in turn had attracted even more students, leading to this disastrous confrontation.
"Right now, the people in that society are out for blood," Jinba warned. "I won't tell you twice. I'm going to accompany you, so it's best if you all return to the academy immediately."
"He's right," Setsuna agreed. "We aren't in uniform, so they might not recognize us at a glance, but it would be a nightmare if it came out that we were Luminous Academy students. Let's head back for today."
The situation was deteriorating. It was best to get behind the academy walls before anything else went wrong. Everyone agreed with Jinba and prepared to leave—until Sakura spoke up.
"Please wait a moment. This one must escort Mary-dono to her home before returning to the academy. Therefore, please head back without me."
"Wait, that’s a terrible idea," Yugo countered. "If you're going, I think we should all stay together."
"I agree with Yugo," Jinba added. "I'll personally escort the girl, so it's probably best if the rest of you head back to the academy as a group."
Mary chimed in, her tone defensive. "In the first place, I didn't ask for an escort. I'm not a student of Luminous Academy, so I'm not in any danger."
"Even so, there is always the possibility of an emergency," Sakura insisted. "This situation is this one's responsibility. I could not face Lord Gaut if anything were to happen to Mary-dono. Unless this one sees with these very eyes that Mary-dono has returned safely home, I cannot be at peace. Setsuna, the rest of you should return to the academy with the security force. Come, there is no need for concern. This one shall surely return shortly."
Setsuna and Raiha exchanged a look and sighed. Having known Sakura for a long time, they knew that once she got like this, there was no changing her mind.
Yugo realized they couldn't let her go alone to see Mary off regardless of her stubbornness. He stood up from his chair.
"Then I'm going with you. As a man, I can't let a group of women walk the streets alone at night."
"If Yugo is going, I'll go too," Ryuga said. "It'll be safer that way."
"T-Then I'm coming as well!" Raiha jumped in. "I need to be there to hold the reins so Sakura-chan doesn't do anything reckless!"
"No, this is this one's problem," Sakura protested. "There is no need for Yugo-dono and the others to lend a hand—"
"It's a bit late for that, Sakura-chan," Raiha interrupted. "Besides, isn't the mess we're in right now the direct result of you acting alone without consulting anyone?"
"Ugh... mmm..." Sakura fell silent, unable to argue against Raiha's logic.
Taking her silence as a win, Yugo pushed the plan forward. "Right, then it's settled. Marcos, I'm counting on you to look after the others."
"Hmph. Well, it can't be helped," Marcos replied. "Leave things on this end to me."
"Aww... I wanted to go with Yugo too," Melt pouted, clearly disappointed.
"Stop it. Honestly, even four people is pushing it," Yugo told her. "Any more than that and we'll stand out too much. It'll just slow us down. Just head back ahead of us."
"Fine..."
Though she grumbled, Melt followed his instructions and began the trek back to the academy with Jinba and the others. Yugo and his small group set off as well, moving quickly to get Mary safely to her front door before the night grew any more dangerous.