Incubus Awakening: The More I Lust, The Stronger I Become

Although the crater was too low for anyone to hear what was going on, some of the students' faces fell the longer Logan's body sat still.

"What's going on? Is he alright down there?"

"Hey, doesn't it look like Sabrina is crying right now?"

"You don't think he's dead, do you?"

While the rapid onset of rumors sparked conversation between the group, their voices grew quieter—reacting to the heavy air.

Mana reached out to clasp their necks like a real tangible hand, coming from just one point.

"Logan!" Alarmed, Sabrina grabbed Logan's face, feeling for his heat. There was none. "Logan, stay with me!"

Clicking his tongue, Zack stood over her with his hands behind his back. "It's sad, really. I didn't want things to get to this point, but he defied my order and went near you. It was inevitable—"

"You—this—I'll never forgive you!" She bit, eyes furrowed wildly. The light in her pupils dimmed—fists clenched and teeth grit.

With each tremor along her body came another bolt of energy passing through her. "Zack, I swear that this act will never be forgotten by me!"

"Hah! Come on, Sabrina, you know there's nothing you can do to me. What, are you going to break up with me?"

"Maybe I might." Embroiling with all the same fury, Sabrina held Logan tighter.

"You wish. You already know that our relationship is arranged. Breaking up with me would mean disowning your house, and you know that you can't do that, right? Or do I need to remind you why?"

Although his girlfriend sat on the floor in a ball of tears and seething mana, Zack smiled all the same. No, rather, his lips tilted upward with each passing second. His eyes even begun to glint once Sabrina'd lowered her face to Logan's, bumping her forehead to his.

"What are you doing, kissing him when he's already gone? Just leave things be and come to me, Sabrina." He raised his hand to her, palm ready to receive her contact. Even though his words were somewhat consoling, Sabrina didn't lighten up by even a micrometer.

"No way, Zack. I promise you, even if I must be with you on paper, there's simply no way I will accept you after this," she swore, swiping her hand through the air like a blade. Zack didn't react.

"So be it," he said once, raising his arm in the air. "We're all good here!"

In just moments, Sabrina thrashed the already-splintered ground with a great leap, carrying Logan's body with her. The air folded to her mana, jutting out from her like daggers to seize the movement in the figure ahead of her. "Vice-President, what are you doing?" she asked, gruff.

It was a single boy. Jet-black hair. Eyes that narrowed continuously to either ends of his face, an expression so blank that one could've drawn it in a few minutes, and arms that hung from his shoulders like noodles. He'd maintained just the creepy air that Sabrina always remembered him for.

The boy only raised his arms in the air. "I'm not here to instigate things any further, just to collect the body." Then, his eyes prodded the area just behind him, quietly motioning their arrival.

Then came the storm of figures—each vesting a coat of white that buttoned up vertically. Blue gloves, white face masks, and black hats revealed who they were: The 'Cleanup Crew', a special unit dedicated to providing essential first aid to grievously injured students, and 'cleanup' of those who were dead.

"W-wait!" Sabrina yelled, looking down at Logan. "Please, don't just stuff him in a casket. He can be saved, his heart only just recently stopped!" One of the nurses held her by her wrist, dragging her along the floor. "Krrrggghhh!"

"We'll be the judge of that," the nurse grabbing her said, gripping her even tighter to the point of turning the skin blue.

Another nurse used the opportunity to lift Logan from the floor, giving his legs to another in close vicinity. For a moment, they held both his ends in the air, but after another couple came into view—this time, with stretchers—the nurse holding his head let go, allowing his skull to smash into the ground unabated. "Sorry, let go too early. It's just so hard, touching F-ranks like him on the daily. Makes my skin crawl."

Khwk!

Hard bone cracked against the floor, clearly coming from Logan. The nurse let an awkward sigh escape his lips before he crouched down to pick up where he left off. Sabrina roared.

"Vice-President Solomon, Zack, what is the meaning of this!" The two stared at her absent-mindedly, then glanced to each other.

Solomon stepped forward. "As I'm implored as a running officer for the student body, I'm cleaning up the scene here and making sure things don't escalate beyond how bad they already got." Patting his hand against her shoulder, he looked down in grief. "I'm truly sorry about what happened to Logan, but there's nothing to be done."

"What do you mean there's 'nothing to be done?' Zack killed him! Should he not be punished!?" She grabbed his hand, pressing down on it with all her strength. "This is completely unacceptable. I mean, Zack was the one who attacked Logan by pushing him repeatedly. You can't even paint this as self-defense!"

Solomon didn't flinch at her strength—eyes flicking directly into her own."I'm sorry, but that's false." His hand lifted to head level, a small, crystalline orb seated in the center of his palm. Using his thumb, he tapped its foggy surface to reveal a horizontal projection of light. In it, video began playing—video of Zack talking, then a random cut of feedback before, eventually, footage of Logan shoving Zack. It was only then that Zack slammed Logan's head to the ground.

Sabrina let go of Solomon's hand, backing up. "No... this can't be..." she gasped. "To think you're in on this too..."

Solomon looked to the ground, ignoring her. "Look, Sabrina. While it is unfortunate what happened, the truth is that Logan attacked Zack first. In a pure act of self defense, Zack used all his strength to save both you and him. Such an act does not go against the school's guidelines."

She scoffed. "Just save it, I'm above all these lies." Then, tears in her eyes. "Let me just go and see Logan one more time."

Nobody stopped her as she moved to the hovering stretcher, supported by four nurses. They each shuddered at her presence, but didn't fight back as she pressed her hand into his chest. "Logan... I'm so sorry. if I could trade places with you, I would."

It felt like an infinite web of rope was pulling her down, rendering her legs useless. She collapsed to the floor, head trapped in her hands. "I...I'll never forgive myself..."

Despite hiding herself from the ambient light, something else peeked into her vision. Different; unique.

"W-what the!" One of the nurses called out, losing their grip on the stretcher. Logan's body fell to the floor.

Still, purple illumination shot out into the air, powering the whole room. Sabrina looked up with blood-shot eyes. There it was: a whirlwind of mana blowing through Logan's chest. Its light was enough to blind everyone—all but her. No amount of pain could stop her from witnessing him. The way his eyes jerked, revealing the purple hue of his pupils. Then, a second wind.

He was breathing.