Some of the nurses arrived as soon as they saw them and took Efron from them. Kilos' eyes moved around the reception with caution. He had just remembered that he had exposed himself to those who might be looking for him. He adjusted his collar to an upright position and donned his glasses.
Fred called out, "Kilos, what do you think happened to Efron? He's been there—what's going on?"
Fred didn't even mind that they were in a hospital.
"Shhhhhhh!" Kilos warned sharply. "Don't dare mention my name again."
Kilos walked away from him, heading toward the exit, ready to flee. A familiar face appeared from the direction Fred was looking at—the same passage through which the nurses had come. The lady approaching was none other than Dr. Le-an.
Kilos stepped forward to meet her, his stride urgent, determined to apologize and settle the scores between them. But at that moment, Le-an turned away and gave him her back. Then she left.
Kilos was stunned.
Fred made the moment worse. "What do you think you're doing?" he mocked, his laugh contagious enough to draw attention from a few people nearby.
---
While all this was happening, Manny was still waiting for him. Clearly annoyed, he had concluded that Kilos Barber was not fit to stand before him.
"I told you he wouldn't show up. The last time he fought me, he took advantage by summoning his monster. But I'm ready with mine now," he fumed, pacing aimlessly with arrogance.
"Did you inform him about this venue?" Tiffany asked, just to be sure they weren't at the wrong location. But that word infuriated Manny even more.
"Where else do you think we could fight, you fool?" Manny snapped harshly.
This was the same venue where recent training had been held to determine group captains—the same ground where he had suffered defeat.
"This is the right place," he reaffirmed confidently.
Just as Manny was considering leaving, Kilos Barber appeared at the arena.
"Oh, you made it. I'm going to pay you back for what you did to me, and I'll make you confess your allegiance openly!" Manny barked as he dashed forward.
Kilos Barber's predetermined calculations worked perfectly. He waited until Manny was just a few meters away, then leaped and landed a punch on his face—then another.
Manny was caught completely off guard, and the shock was evident. He immediately summoned his monster into the fight. With a deafening roar, it emerged from the space before him and charged at Kilos Barber. Its claw slashed into his shirt, tearing it into ragged strips.
Pleased with the development, Manny commanded, "I order you to kill that bastard now!"
On hearing that, the monster grew wild and lunged at Kilos. For a moment, Kilos couldn't mount any attack, so he focused on evading danger. When he faked a lunge forward, he quickly veered in another direction to avoid being hit.
"Kilos, this is a huge chance to upgrade," he heard the inner voice say.
"I thought the same too," Kilos replied, optimistic yet unsure of what exactly he needed to do to win.
Winning this would be a new ladder to the next level. His strength would increase, and his skills wouldn't remain the same. He could already feel the energy and heat as Manny's summoned monster drew closer.
"Tell me what I should do," he pleaded, hoping the inner being might guide him through this kind of fight. "What do you think, mister?"
But there was no response from the voice. Desperate, Kilos decided to try something unexpected. He dashed across and landed a surprise kick on Manny. Caught off guard, Manny fell—and the monster groaned and collapsed as well. That made it clear: the fall of Manny was the fall of his monster.
Kilos didn't bother with the monster anymore; it was already stunned. Manny tried to summon the monster back to its original space, but it was too late. Kilos' sharp claw pierced through Manny's shoulder, drawing blood. Manny collapsed to the ground and couldn't get up again. The monster vanished.
Tiffany, who had watched the entire scene unfold, could barely believe what he had witnessed.
"Did he die?" Tiffany asked, though his tone made it obvious he already knew the truth but was struggling to accept it.
Manny had been killed by Kilos Barber—in Tiffany's presence.
The next morning, a message came through for Kilos, stipulating a time to meet Professor Robinson. Kilos believed the teacher's course was already having adverse effects on him—especially sending such a message while he was still in bed. The lecturer had demanded that he prepare the students because he would be arriving by 7.
"You didn't show up last night," Fred accused Kilos, referring to how he had left Efron at the hospital. Before leaving, he had promised to return, but the fight with Manny had taken precedence.
"How is Efron? Is he fine?" Kilos' concern was visible and strong.
"He's getting well."
Fred's reply was comforting, but it was time for Kilos to go. Just then, Fred stood in his way.
"What?" Kilos asked.
"How is Manny? Did the fight go well?" Fred lowered his voice, ensuring the other roommates couldn't hear.
Kilos Barber felt guilty about how Manny's case ended. Telling Fred the truth would put the blame squarely on him. So, he simply said, "Manny sleeps."
He left before any further questions could follow.
---
While Kilos had been at the hospital, Robinson had arrived on campus—but with a heavy heart. The students couldn't see the fun-loving man they had met during their first encounter.
"When mental capacity is down, you are down," he began. "We all have a time when we become vulnerable through our mentality."
Robinson explained that the ability to be a champion depended on one's emotional state. He emphasized that no one could build a success story without assistance and advised that everyone needed someone else when their own strength failed.
"My hands are weak, and I'm vulnerable because I lost my cousin. His name was Manny," the teacher finally revealed what had been troubling him.
Professor Robinson was the one who had introduced Manny to the academy after seeing his great potential—believing that talent could serve the fatherland. His sudden demise had triggered a deep emotional wound.
Right on cue, Kilos arrived, and the sorrowful faces were enough to show they were mourning. Tears rolled down Robinson's cheeks, and words failed him. Overwhelmed with emotion, he fell onto Kilos' shoulder and said, "Someone killed my cousin!"
Though Kilos didn't know the man was his cousin, he responded, "I will find the killer for you. Then you can do whatever you like with him."
"Thanks," Robinson whispered, wiping his face. He had reached the door when he remembered something very important—the name of his cousin.
"Find the killer of Manny, and I'll appreciate you forever," Robinson said, then slammed the door shut. His footsteps echoed through the classroom.
Kilos Barber's heart skipped a beat at those final words. A wave of shock swept through him as he realized, with full certainty, that Manny truly belonged to Professor Robinson.