Chapter 116: The Ambush at the Final Election Debate [1].
The day of the final debate had arrived and the high school auditorium was completely full.
Noah looked around while trying to find a comfortable position in his seat.
There were students from different grades, teachers, student council members, club representatives, administrative staff, and also some outside people related to the high school.
All for the final debate of the student elections.
Noah immediately recognized Aria on the stage.
It was impossible not to, since she was standing next to the other candidates, completely calm, while a teacher explained the rules of the last segment of the debate.
Ren was sitting to Noah’s right, Iris was to his left, Yume occupied the next seat, and Luna was beside her.
Noah looked at Aria again and then lowered a hand to the pocket of his jacket, since this time he did have the golden star.
He touched it to make sure.
’It’s here.’
He had checked four times before leaving home, then another three times on the way to the high school.
He would not make the same mistake again.
When the debate ended, he would look for Aria, hand her the star, explain what was necessary, and with any luck, finally finish that mission.
"What are you doing?"
Iris asked, at which Noah took his hand out of the pocket.
"Nothing."
Iris looked at the place where his hand had been.
"You were checking something."
"It’s not important."
Ren leaned in slightly.
"What do you have in there?"
Noah looked at them.
"Why are both of you suddenly so interested in my pockets?"
Ren sat back properly.
"I-I’m not."
Iris did the same.
"M-Me neither."
Noah watched them for a few seconds.
"I don’t believe you."
Yume leaned in from the other side.
"What’s going on?"
"Nothing."
Noah answered quickly, at which Yume frowned and Luna looked at him.
Noah sighed.
"After the debate I have to talk to Aria."
The four of them reacted.
"What!?"
Iris said.
"Why!?"
Yume asked while Ren looked at him with clear distrust and Luna stayed silent, but Yume asked worriedly.
"Is it about the engagement?"
"No, it’s not about that."
Noah answered, which made Yume relax her shoulders a little, but Iris was not satisfied.
"Then what for?"
Noah looked toward the stage.
"I can’t explain it here."
Iris observed him.
"That sounds suspicious."
"I know."
Ren spoke.
"I’m going with you."
"No, you can’t."
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to her alone."
Ren, Iris, and Yume frowned, while Luna simply looked at him.
Noah raised both hands.
"It’ll only take thirty seconds."
Iris answered.
"That’s what you said other times."
"And someone always interrupted."
Yume turned toward Iris.
"Other times?"
Noah closed his eyes.
’I shouldn’t have said that.’
The teacher on the stage called for silence and Noah took advantage immediately.
"It’s starting."
Yume looked at him for a few more seconds, but finally everyone paid attention to the stage.
On the stage, Aria answered the questions with the same confidence she had shown throughout the entire campaign.
One candidate spoke first about budget and Aria answered with concrete figures.
Another mentioned the campus security problems and Aria presented a plan divided into several points.
When they asked her about student activities, she spoke about funding, spaces, and schedules.
Noah watched her while trying to remember how that part had been in the anime.
Aria had always been good at speaking in front of large groups.
She did not need to raise her voice, nor did she use exaggerated speeches, so she simply answered and normally knew exactly what to say.
"She’s good."
Yume murmured and Iris crossed her arms.
"She has unlimited resources."
Yume looked at her.
"What does that have to do with what I said?"
"They prepared everything for her."
Noah looked at Iris.
"This again?"
"It’s the truth."
Ren intervened in a low voice.
"Aria prepares her own speeches."
Iris turned toward her.
"How do you know?"
Ren stayed still.
"Because..."
Noah looked at Ren, at which Ren looked away.
"Because I know her."
Iris did not seem satisfied, but before another argument could start, Luna spoke.
"Quiet."
The three of them looked at her and Luna discreetly pointed toward the stage, since the teacher was already looking in the group’s direction, so Noah lowered his head.
’Thanks, Luna.’
The debate continued.
Almost forty minutes passed, then an hour, and finally the closing round arrived.
Each candidate would have two minutes to give a final message and Aria was the last, so she walked to the center.
"During this campaign I heard many promises."
She began.
"Some are good, some are impossible, and others exist solely because saying them gets applause."
Several people in the audience laughed and Aria continued.
"I will not ask you to vote for me because my family has resources."
Iris made a small face and Noah saw her while Aria kept speaking.
"Nor because I currently form part of the council, but rather I want you to evaluate what I proposed and, if you consider that another candidate presented something better, vote for her."
There were some murmurs and Noah raised his eyebrows slightly.
’That wasn’t bad.’
"But if you consider that my proposals are the best..."
Aria smiled.
"Then I hope for your vote."
The applause began and Noah also clapped.
Iris did not do so for the first few seconds, but then she ended up joining the rest in a not very enthusiastic way.
Ren was looking at Aria with an expression that was hard to interpret and Noah brought a hand to his pocket again.
’When she comes down.’
He just had to wait.
The teacher returned to the center of the stage.
"With this we bring to a close..."
An explosion interrupted the sentence.
The sound came from the main entrance and several people screamed while Noah stood up immediately.
"What was that!?"
Another explosion appeared and this time from the opposite side of the auditorium.
The lights flickered and then went out, which made the screams increase.
"Stay calm!"
A teacher shouted, but it did not work.
The students began to stand up and Noah immediately felt a familiar pressure.
His detection ability activated indicating danger and multiple sources.
"Yume."
Noah said, at which she had already understood.
"Luna."
Luna stood up and Iris did the same.
Ren looked around.
"What’s going on!?"
Noah felt another presence, then others, which were too many.
"It’s not an accident."
The emergency lights turned on and a side door opened violently, where three women in dark uniforms entered.
Noah immediately recognized the symbol of the Great Mother Organization.
’It can’t be.’
One of them pointed at him.
"Target located."
Ren turned toward him.
"Target!?"
Noah stepped back.
"I’ll explain later!"
Another member appeared next to one of the exits and raised both hands, creating a dark barrier that covered the door.
At the same time, another barrier appeared at the opposite end.
"The exits!"
Someone shouted and more students began to panic.
The first unit advanced directly toward Noah.
"Capture him!"
Yume placed herself in front of him.
"I won’t allow it."
One of the attackers raised her hand and a dark discharge shot toward them.
Luna reacted and a barrier appeared, making the attack hit against it.
Ren opened her eyes wide.
"What...?"
Yume raised the magic key and Luna did the same with her gem.
"Ren!"
Noah said.
The energy surrounded both of them.
Ren stayed motionless while she watched how the uniforms disappeared and were replaced by their magical outfits.
Yume finished her transformation first.
"Stay away from Noah!"
Luna finished an instant later.
"Evacuate the students."
Ren looked at Noah, then at Yume, and then at Luna.
"Are they...?"
"Yes."
Noah answered and a new explosion shook the auditorium.
Iris took out her brooch and Ren turned toward her.
"Don’t tell me you too!"
Iris activated it and the energy enveloped her body, at which Ren stayed completely still.
"I don’t understand anything."
Noah took her by the arm.
"You can be confused later."
An attacker jumped over several rows of seats, but Iris raised a hand and a magical discharge hit her before she could reach them.
The woman was thrown back and fell between the aisles.
Yume looked at Iris.
"Nice."
"Thanks."
Another unit appeared from the stage.
Aria stepped back while the candidates began to leave their positions and several teachers tried to protect them.
Aria, however, did not stop observing Yume, Luna, and Iris along with the transformations, the attacks, and the magic.
"What the hell...?"
Noah saw her.
’The star.’
He had to reach her, so he put his hand in the pocket and the star was still there.
"Ren."
"What?"
"Stay close to them."
Ren looked at him.
"And you?"
"I have to reach Aria."
Ren opened her eyes wide.
"Now!?"
"Yes."
"There are people trying to kidnap you!"
"Precisely because of that I need to do it now."
Noah started to advance, but Ren held him.
"You’re not going alone."
"Ren..."
"I have no idea what’s going on."
Ren looked toward the attackers.
"But I do understand that all of them are after you and I don’t plan to let them take you."
Ren will protect her beloved Noah.