NOVEL WEB Chapter 52: Hey Mike
Mike was thrown to the ground.
One of the Sals shouted:
"Binding Magic!"
Chains shot up from the floor — but this time, they nailed him to the ground.
Mike looked up and spoke calmly:
"I'm fine… I don't want to hurt anyone… Lasa…"
Suddenly, Lasa came running in.
"H-h-Hey Mike… how are you?" she asked nervously.
Mike replied, his voice shaking:
"I'm… unbelievably sorry. And now… I'm being punished for it…"
Then one of the Sals snapped at her:
"Hey lady! Step back!"
But Lasa screamed:
"HAS! GIEL! KAD! BAZ!!!"
Mike's ears perked up at one name:
Baz?
How long had it been since he talked to Baz?
Didn't he say he'd finish his training soon?
Then — they all came rushing in.
One by one, they stared at Mike.
Actually… the entire cafeteria was staring at him.
Everyone had heard what happened.
Lasa screamed,
"DO SOMETHING!"
Baz sprinted forward and knocked the Sal away — sending him flying into the wall.
"Come on! Grab him!" Baz shouted.
Giel picked Mike up.
"What's up, old buddy? We're breaking out now, yeah?"
Mike said weakly,
"Giel… I missed you so much."
Giel grinned.
"All good. Welcome back, man. You'll get your kiss later."
They broke out of the academy.
Baz even punched a commander in the face on their way out, shouting:
"I'm a human, not a weapon!"
And with that—
The whole group escaped.
They didn't go back to Mike's apartment.
Not even to any of their parents' homes —
They knew those places would surely be watched by now.
But they did know exactly where to go.
They went to…
Glus's house.
It was still standing, untouched.
Nobody had bought it, so it remained abandoned.
As Giel opened the door,
memories hit him like a wave.
He whispered softly:
"If only you were still here, Glus…"
They laid Mike down on a couch and finally removed his bindings.
Then Mike sat up slowly, looked at his friends, and began to talk.
He told them everything.
About El, about Shadow,
and finally…
about Fireborn.
He explained that Fireborn would arrive in a few months —
and that he was stronger than anyone they had ever faced.
Then Mike said:
"Shadow. Appear."
Pffwoom—
There he stood.
General Shadow.
He bowed deeply, then dropped to one knee.
"What do you wish of me? Whatever it is… I will support you without question."
Before anyone could react, Kad pointed and spoke:
"You… You're that guy! The one with that insane aura back in the Sal hospital, right?"
Mike looked over and said:
"Oh—yeah. He only talks to me. But maybe we can try something…"
He turned to Shadow.
"Shadow, you're allowed to speak to others now."
Shadow simply replied:
"As you wish…
Yes. It was me."
He looked directly at Kad as he said it
Then Mike spoke:
"I had a crazy intense fight with General Shadow…
It was so close — I even lost a friend during it…"
Of course, Mike hadn't told them about the System —
or that El had one too.
Giel nodded and then spoke up:
"Alright guys… I think it's safe to say we can all forget about graduating from the Sal Academy."
Baz raised his arms and shouted with joy:
"FINALLY! FREEDOM!!"
Mike laughed and turned to look at Lasa.
"Lasa… please. I'm asking you to forgive me."
But Lasa didn't answer — instead,
she slowly stepped closer…
And kissed him.
Then she smiled softly and said:
"It's okay…
Just please — try not to kill me again, alright?"
Mike's face turned bright red.
But he nodded and said:
"I'll never lose control again. I promise."
Then he looked around.
"We need to go buy some supplies. Who's going?"
Giel and Has raised their hands.
Has whispered under his breath:
"I need to get outta here, I can't take all this lovey-dovey stuff. Ugh."
They pulled up their hoods and headed to the nearest shop.
Time passed.
They lived, trained, and prepared in that house.
But then…
Mike looked at his calendar.
"Three days… until the Fireborn battle."
He was ready.
Shadow was ready.
And now —
his friends were ready too.
Mike stared at the calendar and muttered:
"Fireborn… bring it on, you bastard."
Just then, Giel walked into Mike's room.
"…Uhhh, Mike?
Were you just talking to a calendar?"