"Good morning, Brother. Sorry I'm late."
"Don't worry about it. I haven't been waiting that long."
Yugo greeted his younger brother with a smile, raising a hand as he folded the newspaper.
Fee gave a small nod in response, but his eyes drifted to the paper in Yugo’s hand. "Did another one of those craters appear? Where was it this time?"
"A town near here, apparently. Luckily, it looks like there weren't any casualties."
Yugo spoke in a cheerful tone, trying to ease the anxiety of his brother, who had clearly already seen the headlines.
However, Fee’s expression remained clouded. He focused on the detail that troubled him most. "A nearby town... That means they really are getting closer to Luminous Academy, doesn't it? We don't know who’s making these holes or why, but do you think this place is the target?"
"Hard to say. We just don't have enough information to go on right now."
Yugo acknowledged that while the rumors were widespread and the concern was valid, he shouldn't say anything reckless.
Fee didn't stop there. "Brother, do you think people like Abyss are involved in this too? I’m a little worried that something like what happened on Wind Island is about to happen here at the academy."
"...It’s possible. If there are others out there capable of causing such massive incidents, it wouldn't be surprising if they were behind this, too."
Yugo knew Fee was bright enough to have reached that conclusion himself. But looking at his brother's pensive expression, he realized that such intelligence often invited unnecessary anxiety.
Seeking to encourage him, Yugo thumped his chest firmly and spoke with conviction. "Don't you worry. I’m here, and so is everyone else. Besides, we’ve got Jinba-san and the rest of the Security Force on our side, right? If we work together, we can overcome any crisis—just like when we took down Abyss!"
"You're right!" Fee’s eyes brightened. "We have you, the man who defeated Abyss, and Ryuga-san and the others are with us too. Hero's Condition #5: Stand as one who can take their comrades' hands and fight alongside them. As long as we uphold that, we'll be just fine!"
"Exactly! For now, let's just keep an eye on things without worrying too much."
"Okay!" Fee gave a vigorous nod, a smile finally returning to his face.
Yugo smiled back, glad to see his brother's spirits lifted. But as he looked ahead toward the academy, something caught his eye.
"Hmm? Who’s that?" he murmured.
An unfamiliar trio was walking toward the school, being guided by Uno. It was clear they were visitors. The woman in the lead was dressed as a Sister, yet the two men following behind her as escorts didn't look like clergy in the slightest.
What an odd group, Yugo thought, coming to a halt to observe them more closely.
"Are they from the Central Church?" Fee asked. "It’s rare for them to visit Luminous Academy..."
"The Central Church? What’s that?" Yugo asked, frowning at the unfamiliar name.
Fee took a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining. "To put it simply, they're a church with a lot of influence in the Royal Capital. They’re the ones who deliver divine oracles."
"Whoa, oracles? That’s pretty impressive."
"Well, they don’t happen very often. Their main job is overseeing religious events and ceremonies, but I don't know much more than that..."
"So the Sister in the middle is the messenger from the church, and the two behind her are her escorts?"
It made sense now. If the two men were just guards, that would explain why they didn't have a religious air about them. Deciding it would be rude to keep staring, Yugo turned his attention away from the group and Uno as they entered the school grounds and went back to talking with Fee.
However, at that moment, Yugo had no way of knowing that in just a few short hours, he would hear a truly staggering revelation from those very three.