Alan woke up the next morning still feeling the weight of regret from the previous night... or so he thought.
But that feeling vanished in an instant, violently, when his window was suddenly smashed again, this time in a terrifying manner!
BOOOM!!
The window shattered into pieces, and through it came a dark, fast-moving shape.
Alan (screaming as he tries to get up): "Wha—WHAT THE HELL?!"
Before he could finish his scream, he was hit with inhuman force, sending him flying to crash into the wall behind him!
CRASH!
The distinct sound of three ribs breaking simultaneously was heard, followed by the sound of him crashing to the ground, writhing like a fish out of water.
Alan (in immense pain): "AAGHH! My ribs! MY RIBS!!"
Seconds passed before his body began to heal as usual, but the pain was still so intense that he thought he would never scream again.
From the smoke emerged... her.
It was Kira, standing over him, hands on her hips, her gaze sharp, and her tail shaking with anger.
Kira (yelling): "You forgot our sparring session, YOU IDIOT!!"
Alan (groaning and trembling): "S-Sparring...? I... I thought that was tomorrow..."
Kira (with escalating anger): "It was today! And you kept me waiting for TWO HOURS!!"
Alan (crawling backward): "I was busy... thinking... about cake. And regrets. Mostly regrets..."
Kira (waving her fist): "Good. Now regret THIS!"
In an instant, she jumped on him again, starting to punch him in a totally exaggerated manner, as though trying to crush him into a cat pancake.
Alan (screaming like a chicken): "AAAGH! I'M SORRYYYY! I'M A CAKE-LOVING MOROOOOON!"
As the punches continued, his body healed each time, only to be broken again, like an endless cycle of torture.
But somewhere within this violence, he felt something strange… perhaps, just perhaps… this was care? Or was it just a legitimate attempt to kill him? It was hard to tell...
After fifteen minutes of punches, kicks, and her jumping on his chest like it was a trampoline, Kira finally stopped… partly due to exhaustion, partly because Alan had turned into what could best be described as a human pancake.
Kira (panting): "Hmph… That should teach you to ignore a lady."
Alan (lying on the ground with his eyes spinning): "Yes… lesson… very clear… please stop spinning, ceiling…"
His body was already healing, but his head still thought it was midnight, and he was a tomato.
Then, without hesitation, Kira opened his food storage and grabbed some cake… the magical cake from her ridiculous ring.
Kira (smiling): "I'm taking this as compensation."
Alan (slowly sitting up): "Noooo… not my cake… please… take my soul instead…"
She took a bite.
Kira (chewing): "Mmm… Delicious. I see why you became addicted."
Then she looked at Alan with a calm yet terrifying gaze:
Kira: "But next time you forget a training session, I'll take your tail, even if you don't have one."
Alan (with dramatic seriousness): "I'll grow one if it means keeping the cake…"
As she turned to leave, she paused at the door and spoke in a softer tone:
Kira (quietly): "Still… thanks for last time. You were… funny."
Alan (in great pain): "That's… not the compliment you think it is…"
After she left, Alan lay there on the ground, contemplating his life, his decisions… and the amount of cake he lost in that battle. He didn't have the strength to stand, but he reached out for the ring weakly.
Alan (in a faint voice): "One… more… cake…"
But the ring emitted a strange sound… its magic had temporarily been exhausted from overuse!
Alan: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Thus ended the morning, a disaster of physical, emotional, and cake-induced suffering… but the day wasn't over yet. New misfortunes awaited Alan, especially now that he had received an official summons from the high administration office...!
After enduring his physical and spiritual torment from the cake catastrophe, Alan found himself in an entirely different place. No, he wasn't in a warm bed, nor in a comfortable spot. He was sitting in front of the headmaster's desk at the Verenia Academy, and he could sense something strange in the air.
Alan (staring around wearily): "Ugh… Why am I here again? Did I do something wrong? Is it about the cake?"
The headmaster answered in a calm voice, his sharp eyes fixed on Alan as if his actions weren't surprising, but rather expected.
Director (in a harsh tone): "Mr. Alan, this isn't about cake... but your behavior has been less than… stellar."
Alan (hoarsely): "Well, when you spend all your time fighting monsters and running away from your responsibilities, you tend to not focus on the finer details, like behavior."
The headmaster glared at him with suspicion, but said nothing. Then, he shuffled some papers in front of him as though they were critical documents.
Director: "Anyway, the reason you're here is because of your 'unique' contributions to the academy. You've… survived and completed missions against all odds, though your methods are… unconventional."
Alan (smiling sarcastically): "Unconventional, huh? I prefer to call it… innovative."
The headmaster looked at Alan with examining eyes, as if the tone of his voice suggested any new action could lead to something unexpected. He then returned the papers to his file and glanced at Alan for a long moment.
Director (in a low voice): "Well, despite your… 'innovations,' you've been chosen for a special task. You will be leading a team on an upcoming mission."
Alan (shocked): "Me? A leader? Are you sure? I can barely lead myself to breakfast, let alone a mission!"
The headmaster smiled a mysterious smile and said in a less serious tone.
Director: "That's why you'll have help. And if you fail… well, at least you'll have a nice snack during the mission."
Alan (mockingly): "Oh great, snack time while I probably get eaten by a monster. Perfect."
The headmaster gestured for him to stand, pointing toward the door.
Director (seriously): "Get prepared. You'll meet your team tomorrow. And remember, this is a mission that will test your limits. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Alan turned around, still in disbelief, feeling a mix of anxiety and thoughts of how to ruin the upcoming mission. He left the office wondering if he was truly a team leader or just someone used to fill the gaps in battle.
Alan (whispering to himself): "I need to figure out how to survive… and how to avoid being eaten by whatever monsters they throw at me."
But while he tried to process the upcoming mission, he had no idea that the challenges ahead were greater than anything he had ever faced.
To be continued...