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Frank looked at the animations with a slight sense of disgust and strangeness. Did the Gacha Game had any reason to be this graphical about a unit being sacrificed into currency? Usually this was done without any character saying or doing anything. And most of the time they weren't sacrificed but sent back "where they came from". However, this game specifically made them turn into dust through a magical room.
"Are games nowadays really this weird?" Frank wondered. "Kamei the guy was screaming for his life…"
"It's just scripted dialogue, they always say stuff like that…" Kamei shrugged. "I mean, it's just some funny stuff, right? It doesn't really matter, it's a game, niichan."
"E-Eh… Yeah, I guess so," Frank nodded, as he checked his phone, noticing some messages from Harumi and Erika.
[Harumi]: [Where are you? I couldn't find you in the train station as always.]
[Harumi]: [I ended waiting for another train, but you didn't come, so I took the second train.]
[Harumi]: [Are you sick?]
[Harumi]: [If you're sick I can give you a potion for colds and other things.]
[Harumi]: [Frank? Are you okay?]
[Harumi]: [Hi?]
"S-She didn't have to message me so much…"
Frank felt a bit surprised Harumi was so talkative only through message apps, but he felt slightly happy she worried about him to this extent.
[Frank]: [I'm fine, I just woke up late, sorry. I'm on my way with my sister.]
[Harumi]: [Oh ok]
[Harumi]: [That's nice.]
[Harumi]: [Attached Sticker]
Harumi sent a sticker showing a white cat giving him a thumbs up.
Frank giggled a bit; he didn't know Harumi had this side.
Then he checked Erika's messages.
[Erika]: [Hey Frank where the hell are you? Harumi's all sad now that you're gone dude.]
[Erika]: [Are you sick or something?]
[Erika]: [Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]
"She's so annoying…"
Frank sighed internally, as he answered her too.
[Frank]: [I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm going to school.]
[Erika]: [Oh yeah Harumi-chan just told me!]
[Erika]: [Wanna go to the karaoke today? I wanna go with you and Harumi!]
[Frank]: [Ok, but only if Matsuo comes along too.]
[Erika]: [Eeeeh… fine.]
"What does she have against him?"
[Erika]: [Let's sing to our heart's content! I bet you don't even know how to sing seeing how you're so stuck up ahahaha!]
[Frank]: [Hey, I know a few songs here and there, but mostly in English…]
[Erika]: [Of course, of course, you're American after all, hahaha… I want to see you sing in Japanese!]
[Frank]: [I'll suck…]
[Erika]: [Yeah that's why!]
[Frank]: [._.]
[Erika]: [XD]
"She's somewhat even more annoying online…"
Once the train reached the station, Frank and Kamei hurried to school, arriving barely in time before the teacher arrived.
His sister quickly ran upstairs to where her classroom was, while Frank moved around the corridors, reaching his classroom.
Harumi, Erika, and Matsuo were there, sitting while chatting.
However, the moment they saw him, they got happier.
"Hey! There you are!" Erika yelled at him annoyingly.
"Good morning Frank," Harumi greeted him with a cute smile.
"Yo," Matsuo waved his hand.
"Hey, sorry for being late… I really shouldn't had stayed awake watching youtube videos…" Frank made out a little white lie about it.
"Haha, happens all the time man," Matsuo laughed, patting his shoulders.
"He's lying though…" Harumi said, as she quickly saw through his lie.
"E-Eh? What?" Matsuo wondered.
"Ah…" Frank sat down looking at his friends and sighing. "Okay I lied, I was actually setting up a barrier for my house, a formation to protect my house and my parents. Happy?"
"So that was it?" Erika wondered. "Well I guess that's fine right? Anyway its not like we care either way if you come to school or not~!"
"You seemed to care a bit before though," Matsuo said.
"I-I didn't!" Erika said angrily, waving her tail around, which other people couldn't see due to the "invisible animal trait" ability she had within her ring.
"So you were doing that, it's very noble of you," Harumi nodded. "I suppose we should've suggested that ourselves, right? Your family is only a normal family, so technically, your very existence put them in danger."
"I know…" Frank nodded, sighing. "Remember the weird dreams I told you about? Well, one of those dreams…"
Frank explained to his friends what he had seen there, and his friends quickly became more serious. If his visions or dreams of the future were true, based in the knowledge he gained which even helped Matsuo grow stronger, then all of this could be true as well.
"Y-You family got killed?!" Erika gasped. "Shit… I guess you're being targeted by the Chaos Gate bastards?"
"Chaos Gate? I remember that name from somewhere…" Frank said.
"They're an organization of crime in the underworld thar runs all over Japan," Matsuo said. "And enemies of all our families. They are criminals, all of them… If you ever see a member, you either run, or if you're strong enough, take them down."
"What do they exactly do?" Wondered Frank. "I know that dude called Wasp was there, he did this to my family in those visions and…"
"Wasp… I don't really recognize that name," Matsuo said. "He's either someone new, or someone that has been working secretly for a long time. I'll report this to the clan, I'll try to appeal to the Ancestor for a stronger protection towards your family. She might even use divine intervention."
Matsuo quickly tipped on his phone, telling his parents about it, which would then tell the Ancestor.
"M-Matsuo, youdidnt really had to… I have barely done anything for the clan…" Muttered Frank, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Anything? you've helped plenty I believe!" Matsuo nodded. "Right?"
"Yeah, I already told my mother through telepathy," Said Harumi. "She said she'll sent some of her agents to protect your house too."
"H-Huh? Harumi! You didn't really need to…" Frank felt even more embarrassed.
"Frank, you're my friend… And someone I care for, if that were to happen to your family… I wouldn't really know what… what to do, so its better to prevent it. Mom appreciates you as well," Harumi smiled. "She knows you saved my life in that battle, so she has some level of appreciation… I think."
"I really don't know what to say… But thanks, thanks a lot," Frank said, smiling lightly.
Harumi blushed a bit, as she nodded timidly.
"I-It's nothing…" She muttered. "In the underworld, we always have to protect each other's backs."
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