Chapter 41: SHADOWS BEHIND THE SCREEN

Inside a dark room hidden somewhere, several men in suits were sitting in a circle around a large round table placed right in the center of the room. The dim light from a hanging chandelier illuminated their faces, creating long shadows that moved across the walls whenever they shifted their heads. The atmosphere inside the room felt heavy and tense, like something big was being planned behind the silence.

After Team IX-9 won the first competition, the men in suits looked restless. Some of them exchanged anxious glances, some bit their nails, some tapped their fingers on the table, and some just stared blankly at the wall.

"Boss," said one of the men in suits with short hair and a thin mustache, his voice trembling slightly. "What are we going to do next? They’re starting to show themselves in public. This is dangerous."

The man sitting in the middle of the table didn’t answer immediately. He wore a black suit with a red badge on his chest—a symbol depicting a large eye with a compass as its pupil. The eye looked like it was watching every corner of the room. His right hand held a glass filled with dark liquid, which he swirled slowly between his fingers. His sharp eyes stared at the wall as if seeing something invisible to others.

"Well," he finally said, his voice deep and calm, "this is as I expected. They’re starting to move. So we’ll proceed to the next phase."

"But, Boss..." the short-haired man continued, "the situation is quite unfavorable. They’re at that school. At Phoenix Academy. That place isn’t easy to infiltrate."

Instantly, all the men in the room fell silent. They exchanged glances, searching for answers among themselves. The sound of their heartbeats was almost audible in the silent room. All eyes were fixed on the man in the middle of the table, waiting for the decision that would determine their next move.

The man wearing the red badge looked at all his subordinates with an unreadable gaze. Then, with slow and measured movements, he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small remote control, pressing a button.

Suddenly, a large screen on the back wall of the room lit up. A recording started playing—a recording from the sports festival that had just taken place. Clearly visible on the screen, the students of Phoenix Academy were competing with full enthusiasm. And among the crowd, several students from Class IX-9 and the six additional students who had joined them could be seen.

"Wait, Boss... what is this?" asked one of the men with thick glasses, his eyes widening in surprise. "This is a recording from the festival? How did you get it?"

The man in the middle of the table smiled slightly, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Heh. Turns out they’re brave enough to appear in such a crowded place. They think they’re safe. They think no one is watching them. But they forgot that wherever there’s a crowd, there are eyes watching."

"I don’t understand, Boss," said the man with the thin mustache, his brow furrowed. "What does this recording have to do with our plan?"

"By using this moment," the man in the middle continued, his voice growing heavier and more meaningful, "we can destroy that school. That way, the old man won’t bother us anymore. No one will protect them. We can move freely."

Instantly, the man wearing the red badge laughed with satisfaction. His laughter echoed in the silent room, making some of his subordinates shiver. The sound of that laughter was like someone who had been waiting too long for this moment and finally saw the opportunity right in front of him.

"But how, Boss?" asked the man with thick glasses, his voice still sounding doubtful. "If we infiltrate there, we’ll be caught quickly. That school is heavily guarded. There are many teachers there. Not to mention the principal... she’s not an ordinary person."

The man in the middle of the table looked at his subordinate with a contemptuous gaze. "Fool. Who do you think I got this video from?" He pulled a photo from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the middle of the table. The photo landed with a loud slap on the glossy wooden surface.

All the men at the table leaned down to look at the photo. In it, a woman could be seen walking in the corridors of Phoenix Academy. Her face wasn’t very clear because the photo was taken from a distance, but her posture was familiar enough.

"She’s our informant," said the man in the middle with a satisfied voice. "I’ve instructed her to gather all the information about that school. From the activity schedules, security structure, to the principal’s habits. Everything has been recorded."

"I see..." murmured the man with the thin mustache, his eyes still fixed on the photo. "So our position will be safer. We know everything happening inside that school without having to enter it."

"Exactly," said the man in the middle, his smile widening. "We can move without them realizing. We can attack from within."

Satisfied sounds could be heard from everyone in the room. Some of them sighed in relief, some smiled with satisfaction, and some started discussing the next plan with enthusiasm. The tense atmosphere began to thaw, replaced by the confidence that they were on the right track.

But suddenly, one of the men at the end of the table raised his hand. His sudden movement made everyone in the room go silent and turn toward him.

"Are you forgetting something?" the man asked, his voice soft but clear in the silent room. His face showed no expression, but there was something in his eyes that made the others slightly uneasy.

"Forgetting what?" asked the man with thick glasses, his eyebrows raised.

"The Grim Reaper," said the man, his voice growing softer. "I heard rumors that he’s been seen at that school."

Instantly, upon hearing that name, the room became chaotic. Several men exchanged panicked glances. Some started whispering, some bit their nails, and some clenched their fists on the table.

"The Grim Reaper?! Didn’t he die already?!" exclaimed one of the men in a high-pitched voice.

"Are you sure about that information?!" asked another in a disbelieving tone.

"Quiet! Everyone quiet!" shouted the man in the middle of the table, his loud voice immediately stopping all the commotion. The room fell silent again. All eyes were on him, waiting.

The man wearing the red badge took a long breath, then looked at his subordinate who had spoken with a sharp gaze. "Calm down. The Grim Reaper died eight years ago, along with the end of that war. No one survived that war. No one could have survived the final battle. He’s dead."

"But, Boss..." the man tried to continue, but the man in the middle raised his hand, stopping him.

"So you don’t need to worry about that. It’s just a rumor. Nothing more than baseless gossip." His voice was firm and undeniable. "The Grim Reaper is dead. And the one at that school is just an ordinary teacher. Nothing more."

The face of the man who had brought up the Grim Reaper smiled slightly. He looked down, but the smile on his lips didn’t fade. "You’re right, Boss. He’s dead."

The man in the middle of the table nodded with satisfaction, then turned to face all his subordinates. "Now, let’s continue. There are several things we need to prepare before we can execute our plan."

The atmosphere in the room slowly calmed down again. They started discussing the next plan, speaking in soft, calculated voices. But behind all that conversation, there was something nagging—something that made some of them still uneasy.

At the end of the table, the man who had spoken about the Grim Reaper was still smiling slightly. His sharp eyes stared blankly at the wall, as if seeing something invisible to others.