The Metal Military Academy
Chapter 36: The Tree of Suicide

Nadia stood up from the bench, and pulled the still-silent Chrysanthemum to peek close to her.

“Kris, you already know Mas Damar and Bang Ardan, right? Well, if this is my brother in front, his name is Rafa. He is one class and one class is also the same Bang Ardan,” said Nadia introduced her brother to Chrysanthemum.

“Wah.... Your friend, Dek?” ask Rafa to be friendly.

Nadia nods, “Known, Bang. He's Chrysanthemum, my dormmate. He is not arrogant without fear, just his son is quiet, so rarely talk.”

Chrysanthemum had noticed Rafa's appearance until he had to look up. Apparently, Nadia's brother has a tall body as well. The height of Damar and Ardan alone can make Chrysanthemum neck pain, especially the height of Rafa. Where the muscles stand out more anyway. But ironically, Rafa's face is rather cute.

“Greetings, Senior.” Finally Chrysanthemum made a sound as well, he even bowed respectfully before Rafa.

Rafa is also sad. “Not respect that. We are both students here.” He extended a hand to shake at Chrysanthemum. “Happy to meet you, Chrysanthemum.”

It was not Chrysanthemum who returned Rafa's hands, it was Ardan who greeted the young man.

Rafa raised next to the eyebrows in astonishment. Why is it Ardan shaking hands with her? Just kambet what man oyen this one?

Nosily, Rafa brought their hands to Ardan's forehead, intending to force Ardan to salim. Automatic Ardan immediately hit their hands.

“Why do you ask me to salim?! I'm a few weeks older than you, Raf!” ardan spray.

“Finished.. ngalangin salaman people. I ‘kan intentionnya want page am Chrysanthemum, not the same you. Even want to break through this you. So, a quizengin aja,” rafa nosy.

“Come, Raf.” Dramatically, Ardan touched the chest of his field. “This heart of mine feels unwilling to see the Chrysanthemum Deck coming into contact with another man even though that man is my own cousin. It felt.... Aish!”

Rafa is silent with the iris of the eye pointing upwards, already sickened by the king of this one drama.

Seriously? Just shaman up to that drama Ardan?

“Aulah, Bang.... Not even 12 hours to know, not yet made, ‘dah jealousy aja you,” said Nadia no less clumsy.

“Yes.... How, yak? This heart has been stuck with the Chrysanthemum Deck since first sight.”

“Choose. Soot you, Bang.” Nadia pulled the Chrysanthemum again until it faced Ardan. “Try seeing this Chrysanthemum face. Does he seem to care about all that purity of yours, huh? Ooo, certainly not.”

Ardan noticed the face of Chrysanthemum which now even again looks flat-plain plain as before. In Ardan's eyes, the silent Chrysanthemum like this already looks adorable.

“Ih. Very cute, anyway, this adoration of my heart.” Fad Ardan poking the tiny nose of Chrysanthemum. 

Spontaneous chrysanthemum lowered his head while stroking his nose that was rubbed. Chrysanthemum so feel amused funny when feel Ardan's hand on his nose. However, his face still looked flat.

Nadia immediately pulled Chrysanthemum back to her. “Ish, Bang Ardan! Thought son of a sambel belacan, play makeup. Right, said Mom, apparently. Children today his hobby is playing molak-colek.”

“Nih we when is lunch?” ask Damar. “Decision mulu later even not so eat. Abis this ‘kan we must go around again.”

“Ya, already. Gases. To the canteen near here aja,” invite Ardan.

The five of them walked together to the cafeteria in question for lunch.

While on the road, Ardan had turned his head to see Nadia holding tightly to Chrysanthemum's shoulder while chattering as usual.

“Nad, I'm the one with the Chrysanthemum Deck. You'll be tired.”

...~*~*~*~...

Somewhere mysterious, precisely in a very large room dominated by dark green, the atmosphere felt lonely and gripping. The green walls there did not look like ordinary walls, but rather seemed to be lined with something as supple as skin, as well as having beating veins.

The room really felt like it was inside the belly of a giant creature. But here, there are many advanced components and equipment such as computers to generators. Many cables are also lying around, heading to a point in the room.

That is, a big tree. The light brown tree that has lost many leaves, has a surface that is dry and peeling, crushed into wooden crumbs.

But strangely, the front part of the tree trunk surface looks like the face of a man who was downcast closed his eyes, and his face was already peeling, fused with the tree itself.

One of the lizard-headed male creatures was examining computer data directly connected to the tree. He was not alone, there was another figure standing behind the tree-side table in the form of a hologram. The hologram is certainly not an original figure, but a projection of advanced communication technology between the solar system which means the original figure is in another location.

The hologram figure was a male humanoid, wearing a brown robe covering all the original clothes he was wearing, and he had no face other than one black eye with a yellowish iris on the right.

“How about the reports of mutants who were exterminated in the countryside near the goblin's nest yesterday, Soldier Girdan?” ask the hologram. “I heard, the mutant was successfully exterminated by a mysterious weapon. Have all the connections connected to the mutant headquarters been severed?”

“Location is currently maintained by the local police. The academy and the Orbit Force do not know that there are mutants of our former project there. So, they just stated that the damage that occurred in the area was a laser catapult attack belonging to the State of Gistovan,” explained the lizard-headed man. “And don't worry. All network connections connected to the headquarters have long been disconnected. So, our involvement in the project will not be caught.”

“You're sure they're not making up?” the hologram was convincing. “Bringing other countries to the problem of local territorial damage will only cause internal conflicts in Planet Ribelo.”

“Ya, his name is also Force Orbit. So, I'm not surprised.” Girdan re-read the data on the computer. “Currently, the Orbit Military Force is in a shaky period due to various cases that have befallen its officers. It is only natural that their performance will decline. Isn't this a good opportunity for our side to attack, Mr Ajhu?”

“Not first. There's still a lot to think about. We also have to move smoother to be able to take advantage of momentum.” Ajhu seems to think, “I only suspect that the weapon in question is not a weapon from Gistovan's side. There's something they're trying to hide, or it's still unknown.”

“You mean, this possibility has something to do with Astan Pradipta Cornell?”

The hands of the reptile Girdan pointed towards the man's face on the surface of the tree trunk. The face that looks familiar in the eyes of Ajhu, his figure was once at the peak of glory during the Power Revolution.

Unfortunately, the man preferred to die by suicide, squandering the immense potential of the power he possessed.

“How about the development of research on Astan cadavers?”

This time, Girdan grabbed a tab next to the computer, reading the data that was there.

“Too hard to do genetic engineering back just to further research the power that Astan.” has Girdan put the tab back on the table. “She, already planned her action for suicide.”

Ajhu narrowed one eye, noticing the lifeless face that had already fused with the tree. The leader was not out of thought with the decision of Astan who preferred to end his life like this.

So laughable...

At that very instant, the automatic door of the room opened, revealing three male figures. Each of them has a very different appearance.

On the right is a man wearing sophisticated armor complete with brownish green and helmet, and carrying a large gun on the back.

On the left was a young man who was only bare-chested, wearing a brown dragon muzzle-shaped mechanical mask, long red-haired, had a large lizard-like tail in red, and had a large, red-colored lizard tail, and there are some scales on certain parts of his body. He also carried a long katana that was still sheathed in his left waist belt.

While in the middle position is a young man who wears a dark-colored cloak covered with a headscarf covering the entire face. Faintly both hands appeared black with a purplish aura that moved on the surface of the skin.

“Finally, you guys came too,” welcome Ajhu cold.

...~*~*~*~...