Absolute Soul
90. Sharp Stare Rattles

Haikal smiled awkwardly as he scratched his cheek, wondering why he could be surrounded by Blazer candidates from various sides that made him unable to run.

Jack's participation in the siege of Haikal made the young man even more helpless. Although Haikal is touted as the best dark horse in this year's Welcome Tournament who was even able to defeat Edward, in fact if surrounded by many people like this Haikal even though he could not get away with it easily.

"Give up, Haikal! You can't escape our siege, Salvia Fan Club!" jack exclaimed loudly at Haikal who managed to make some of the disciples there cough slowly, even the young man who was being surrounded himself almost choked on his own breath.

"There really is such a club? After all, since when did you become a Salvia fan?" haikal asked a little astonished.

"Just now, why?" Jack asked back with an expression that was no less remarkable.

Jack's response successfully made Haikal scratch his head not understand the way the blonde youth thought, "Keep that aside, why are you guys surrounding me as if I'm a dangerous Verg?" Haikal glanced at those who surrounded him.

"Of course if you're not surrounded you'll run away" replied Jack who directed the male Blazer candidates in the room to besiege Haikal earlier. Highlight Jack's eyes then turned more serious, "Just like you escaped from Verna."

Haikal raised his eyebrows in reaction to Jack's words, he opened his mouth shut but not a word came out. Haikal clenched his teeth not finding the right words to avenge Jack.

Jack could see the truth of what Haikal did not deny, "I know I have no right to say this as an outsider, but if you do feel that way then say it. No one will know your heart if you don't say it."

Haikal clenched his hand trying to reject Jack's words, but at the same time there was a part of him that admitted Jack's words were not wrong.

The atmosphere immediately turned serious making the Blazer candidates who heard all that confusion did not understand what Jack said, but chose to silence because they did not want to talk wrongly.

As the room fell into silence and a serious atmosphere of heaviness, Salvia approached Jack and patted the young man on the shoulder, "Here Jack, don't corner Haikal any more than this."

Jack frowned in response to the girl's request, "Salvia, you don't understand the problem we're discussing. I'm doing this for the sake of—"

"I know, you're doing this for Haikal's sake at Verna's request." Salvia nodded softly after slightly touching her line of trouble, "But, if you continue to corner Haikal then Haikal will get even more hurt."

Salvia turned her gaze towards Haikal who seemed so surprised before smiling faintly, "I know you are hurt, Haikal. The look in your eyes contains deep sadness and regret, just like I used to."

Haikal wanted to say something to Salvia but before he could do so, Salvia dismissed the Blazer candidates who besieged Haikal asking Jack to let him speak with Haikal.

Jack could not refuse Salvia's request considering from the beginning Salvia was the one who wanted to know Haikal's past until he was carried away and unconsciously cornered Haikal back like in the last game.

Jack then directed the Blazer candidates around to stay away for a moment. Salvia stepped towards the quieter side of the room with Haikal who was actually reluctant due to the awkward atmosphere between the two, but did not dare to say 'no' to Salvia.

"So, what do you really want to know about me?" Haikal scratching his cheek covered his nervousness.

Salvia took a deep breath for a moment before embracing and hugging Haikal, burying her face as deep as possible in Haikal's chest, making the black-haired youth and the rest of the room glare fiercely watching her.

Haikal hastily pushed Salvia to try to escape the girl because of the sharp and painful glare of the eyes of almost all of the male Blazer candidates in the room, but let alone release Salvia even tightened his embrace which made Haikal sweat more cold.

"Sorry...."

As Haikal panicked and did not know what to do stoned by the painful look of the male Blazer candidates, Salvia's soft voice reached his ears. Haikal could hear a small sound of Salvia's sobs that could only be heard by him.

Haikal immediately understood Salvia's intention of apologizing, he rubbed Salvia's head slowly understanding the guilt that Salvia was feeling at the moment, "It's okay, it's okay, all would definitely react similarly if they saw it directly."

Salvia became calmer as Haikal's hand grabbed her head, so her sobs also came to a halt. Moments later he lifted his chin looking at Haikal's face from below with his eyes puffy, "Haikal cheated."

"Did?" Haikal raised his brows not understanding the 'cheating' intent that Salvia had put forward.

"Haikal cheated," Salvia said once again as she pushed Haikal's chest away, leaving the young man even more confused, "Haikal cheated anyway." Salvia smiled showing her white teeth saying so.

Haikal's expression grew increasingly disturbing not understanding which part of him was cheating, but the nervousness and uneasiness in his heart immediately disappeared upon seeing Salvia's smile. Without realizing it Haikal also smiled.

"Oh, I thought you guys were discussing something serious or something like that, it turns out to be friendly."

Haikal and Salvia almost jumped up when they found the sentence, only realized that at this time it was not just the two of them who were in the room, he said, especially Haikal who felt dozens of swords raining down on his body from the gazes of the male Blazer candidates.

Haikal shook his head slowly trying to ignore the deathly glare that led to him, he then turned his attention towards the origin of the voice that had awakened him just now. He immediately shriveled to find out the origin of the voice, "Heru?"

"Yo" said Heru raising his hand with his trademark smile. He was seen with Verna propping up his shoulder.

Haikal and Salvia immediately approached Heru and Verna, "Why are you here? Don't you have to rest? What about your condition?"

"Hey, don't throw me such a row of questions like I'm a chronic patient." Heru smiled wryly in response to Haikal's over-sounding reaction, "My condition has improved thanks to Verna."

"Fine what, you forced me to bring you here," Verna grumbled a little frown at Heru's coercion. Can be seen his eyelids are quite swollen due to crying.

"Come on, don't frown so. I'm really getting better." Heru laughed awkwardly unable to refute Verna's words.

Verna in fact did not hear Heru's words, she pinched Heru's stomach which resulted in her lover screaming in pain. It then made Verna raise her eyebrows, "Where has it improved?"

After that Heru did not dare to reply to Verna further, "I came here so that I could hear your plan as well" Heru explained, "Thanks to Verna my condition has improved so much that it allows me to participate in the plan."

"It is not comfortable to do nothing while still being able to do something," added Heru expressed his desire without covering anything up.

Heru's current condition did not allow him to fight immediately, but he was still able to advise in the planning of evacuating the common people in this building to a safer evacuation site.

"Maybe, but you better listen from afar while resting with Verna." Jack comes cutting, "The percentage of success of evacuation plan can increase as many can fight."

Jack's advice is accepted by Heru and Verna. They then look for a place to rest while listening to the meeting from afar, Heru still needs Verna's medical care in the future.

"Haikal, Salvia, you're the last one back. Match the information of Blackout and Verg members wandering around out there with others," Jack asked as he pointed to a set of tables that were made into one as a meeting table, "Can it, right?"

"It could, but...." Haikal pointed at the male Blazer candidates who cast razor-sharp gazes at him from behind without turning his head, "Can you do something to them first? I could die being stared at like that all the time."