《Midnight Arcadia》


 Chapter 1

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 1


    In this world, only a single thing matters. Blood. Your blood determines who you are and who you will ever be, such is life. The power that blessed humanity in its time of need was called ¡®Veins¡¯, allowing for magical feats and protection during times of unprecedented crisis. But when everyone has power, the strongest naturally rise to the top to control the weak. This is what Sky Akiyama thought as he looked down at his blank high school application form. Despite now being 15 and most of his peers having had their Veins for years, his would never manifest. His mother had gotten him checked many times to ensure that he was not a part of the small part of the population that couldn¡¯t manifest Veins, but the results were always inconclusive. Sky¡¯s train of thought was cut off as his little sister barged into the room. ¡°Sky! Mama said breakfast is ready!¡± said the young girl. He jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion, but his clouded mind was silenced as he gave a smile to his little sister. ¡°Alright, Ayako. I¡¯ll be right down. Mom probably needs my help¡­¡± he said with a small chuckle. He got up from his chair and followed Ayako downstairs, there he greeted his mother. Her silver eyes doting upon her son like she usually does. ¡°There you are, Sky! I tried to make waffles!¡± she exclaimed excitedly. He looked down at the earnest attempt to make waffles, but they were charred beyond recognition. His complexation went a bit pale as he forced a smile. ¡°They¡­ you did great mom.¡± he said, attempting to make her feel better. Despite the situation his mother laughed. ¡°Oh Sky, you don¡¯t have to lie! Can you make breakfast please sweetie?¡± she pleaded between her gentle laughs. Sky let out a sigh as he rolled up his sleeves, grabbing cooking equipment. ¡°Leave it to me, mom. I got this!¡± he said with a confident smile. Before long he had a full breakfast ready for his mother and sister. As he ate with them, the house doorbell rang. His mother perked up at the noise. ¡°Ah that¡¯s right, you had a day planned with Akihiko, didn¡¯t you dear?¡± she said with her signature gentle smile. She assured him that Ayako and her would get along fine without him today. He gave her a nod before getting up from the table and grabbing his jacket before opening the door. ¡°Hey, Sky! You ready?¡± the boy asked. Sky gave him a nod before stepping outside along with him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready to go. Let¡¯s go, Akihiko.¡± Sky said. The boys walked down the from the suburban alleyway and out onto the busy city streets. Akihiko turns to Sky excitedly as they walk. ¡°Guess what man!? I got into Himeji!¡± Akihiko said with joy. Sky looks at him with surprise before responding. ¡°Seriously? Congrats, Akihiko!¡± Sky said, happy for his friend. Sky contemplated as they continued to walk, considering the gravity of what Akihiko just told him. Himeji is not like other high schools, it¡¯s a very special high school that trains those in attendance to become proficient with their Veins. Akihiko had always had a decently strong Vein and more importantly had always been Sky¡¯s best friend. He had been there for him and to help him when kids in middle school would try to bully him. Though Sky would never take that kind of bullying and would always try to fight back even when it would get him a few broken bones. But Akihiko going to Himeji would mean that Sky couldn¡¯t join him in high school, and deep down that made Sky sad. But he would be happy for his friend, not allowing how he feels about it to dampen the mood. Akihiko would tap him on the back before saying something. ¡°Hey man, you alright?¡± Akihiko asked, his concern clear. Akihiko was normally loud and always confident, many traits that Sky wished that he had, but his concern for his friends was always on point. ¡°Yeah, just a bit sad that I can¡¯t join you in high school.¡± Sky admitted, despite his initial reservations. Akihiko rubbed the back of his own head as he remembered. ¡°Ah, yeah that¡¯s right. You still haven¡¯t picked a school. Sorry about that man.¡± Akihiko said, feeling bad for his friend. He quickly bounced back and said in a happier tone. ¡°We¡¯ll find the right school for you, dude! Don¡¯t worry!¡± He exclaimed excitedly. Sky couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. ¡°Thanks, Akihiko. It¡¯s hard to be sad about anything with you around.¡± Sky admitted. The boys continued on their way as they talked about schools and Akihiko¡¯s admittance into Himeji. When they turned a corner on the way to their destination, they noticed a girl who was knocked over by the busy street. Sky without skipping a beat walked over to her to help her up, offering her a hand up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked the girl. She looked about their age, her emerald green eyes looking up at his charcoal black eyes before she finally took his hand. Once she rose to her feet, she dusted off her outfit and tucked a tuft of her brown hair behind her ear. ¡°Thank you so much¡­ I never knew the capital was so busy!¡± She laughed, embarrassed by getting knocked over. Sky gave her a smile, relating to the struggle. ¡°Yeah, it can get rough this time of year especially. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright, though! I¡¯m Sky.¡± He said as he held out his hand for a handshake. She took his hand into her own and gave a gentle handshake. ¡°I¡¯m Ayumi Yamasaki. Nice to meet you, Sky!¡± she said, much more relaxed after having become acquainted with him. Akihiko finally speaks up after keeping quiet for a long time by his standards. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Akihiko, Sky¡¯s best friend.¡± he says in his usual happy tone. After some conversation the boys decided to invite Ayumi to the park, their original destination. The newly found trio begin to walk to the park in the center of the city. Meanwhile, outside of Himeji¡­ A woman walking out of the main gate receives a phone call. She lets out a sigh before picking it up. ¡°Yo, Nova speaking.¡± the woman said in brazen tone. ¡°Ms. Koizumi, we¡¯ve received reports of a violent inmate breaking out of the prison. You¡¯re the closest to the scene, can you check it out?¡± A young woman said on the other side of the line. Nova let out another sigh, clearly not enthusiastic about the situation, as if it bores her. ¡°Yeah, I got it. I¡¯m expecting an extra big basket of pocky when I¡¯m done!¡± Nova says jokingly. She hangs up the phone and begins to casually walk toward the scene. ¡°Geez¡­ sending me for this is a bit overkill, isn¡¯t it?¡± she says to herself. Back at the park¡­ ¡°Woah! You got into Himeji too, Ayumi!?¡± Akihiko exclaimed, excited about meeting a potential classmate before even starting school. Sky smiles as his best friend and newfound friend talk about their incoming school year. He can¡¯t help but feel a bit weak compared to both of them. Himeji was his dream school when he was Ayako¡¯s age but without a Vein it¡¯s impossible to get in. He leans his head back on the bench the trio is sitting on, letting out a sigh. He looks up towards the sky through the tree branches that shade the bench, looking towards the massive translucent barrier covering the entire kingdom. It¡¯s been a sign of protection for humanity ever since the ancient times, allowing humanity to progress to where it is today. Ayumi looks towards Sky and smiles. ¡°What about you, Sky? Have you decided on your high school yet?¡± she asks innocently. Sky ponders the question for a moment, wondering what he should say. Should he lie? It might cover him from the embarrassment from saying he can¡¯t manifest his Vein. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. I would like to go to Himeji, but certain¡­ circumstances wouldn¡¯t allow me to.¡± he decides to answer honestly, though omitting some information. Ayumi gives an understanding nod, not wishing to pry any further. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. I hope you¡¯re able to apply to Himeji regardless! It would be amazing to have you as a classmate!¡± she says while grasping her hands together, a smile on her face. Sky can¡¯t help but blush a bit at her smile. He smiles back at her. ¡°Yeah¡­ I hope so too.¡± he says. Akihiko gives him a pat on the back as he laughs. ¡°Yeah, dude! If you manage to get into Himeji, it would be awesome!¡± he says with usual excited tone. Akihiko normally is able to claw Sky out of his worrisome spirals with ease and Ayumi has been a wonderful friend to him in this short amount of time. He lays his head back on the bench, this time with a content smile. He feels like nothing can ruin this moment for him. That is¡­ until reality rears it¡¯s ugly head once again. An explosion goes off nearby, shaking the very ground beneath them. More go off as he quickly rises up from the bench along with Akihiko and Ayumi. His face going pale as he scans the surrounding area all around to see where they are coming from. Screams engulf the park as panicked citizens try to flee from the scene. Sky, Akihiko and Ayumi begin to try the same until Sky hears someone speak from directly behind him. ¡°New prey right after I get out? How lucky am I!?¡± the man said, his tone delirious. Sky could feel his heart drop right into his stomach. He holds his arms up and over his chest as he quickly turns around, but it does little to stop the explosion that is produced from the man¡¯s hands. Sky is launched backwards and slides across the ground, his arms burned. Akihiko and Ayumi yell out his name as the energy from their Veins erupt to life around them. Ayumi rushes to Sky¡¯s aid while Akihiko stands his ground between the man and his friends. Sky¡¯s vision blurry and his breathing sharp as he uses his burnt arms to get himself up off the ground, the adrenaline truly taking over. Ayumi helps him up best she can. The man begins to laugh. ¡°No way! You don¡¯t see that often! The brat doesn¡¯t have a Vein! His energy didn¡¯t even attempt to protect him!¡± the man laughs. Akihiko gets angry at the words as he assumes a fighting stance. ¡°Fight someone on your own level, freak!¡± he exclaimed. Akihiko and the man begin to fight, Akihiko using his Vein to manipulate the very earth beneath them. The man blasts through the pillars of earth that rush at him, using the very same explosions to propel himself forward towards Akihiko. As the man raises his hand to unleash another devastating explosion, Akihiko raises a wall between himself and the man to block the explosion. When the wall comes down due to the force, Akihiko rushes through and lands a punch on the man, sending him backwards onto the ground. The man rises back up to his feet, no harm apparent. ¡°You little shit¡­ Your energy is unrefined, but that¡¯s to be expected from a brat like you.¡± he says with a smirk, realizing his energy output is much higher than Akihiko¡¯s. Akihiko glares at him with anger. They begin to fight again as Sky manages to rise to his feet again with Ayumi¡¯s help. ¡°Ayumi¡­ we have to help him!¡± Sky says, the desperation clear in his voice. She nods, agreeing with him. Sky instructs Ayumi to focus all of her energy into an attack that will damage the man. Without missing a beat, she holds her hands up and begins to channel her energy into them. The air around her begins to swirl into her hands and form a ball. The man noticing the swell of energy begins to divert his attention away from Akihiko and attempt to stop her. Akihiko forms the earth around the man¡¯s legs. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, asshole!¡± he screams out as he places his hands on the ground and a big pillar emerges from the ground, striking the man in the face, breaking the earth holding him in place and sending him flying. He uses an explosion to get back up off the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for that! Pray to your gods, brat!¡± he exclaims angrily as he wipes some blood from his nose. He launches forward, once again with his explosions. He dodges a pillar that comes from the ground and grabs Akihiko¡¯s collar, throwing the boy into the nearby tree. ¡°Now, Ayumi!¡± Sky yells out. Ayumi lets out a scream as she throws the ball of wind towards the man. The ball traps him inside and begins to lacerate him, at first leaving shallow cuts but as his aura cracks like glass he begins to take much deeper cuts. The man screams until the ball of wind dissipates. The trio begin to take deep breaths as the man lays on the ground. Ayumi falls to her knees, exhausted by energy burnout. ¡°Did¡­ did we do it?¡± Sky asks, unsure of their victory. Much to their dismay, the man comes out of the crater produced by the ball of wind, bloodied and weaker for it. ¡°You¡­ you damn brats! I will not be beat by some high schoolers and a Veinless brat!¡± he yells out, his voice raspy. Akihiko, despite his exhaustion rushes back over but the man grabs his collar once more and blasts him away point blank, the force breaking through his protective aura of energy. Akihiko attempts to get back up and get back into the fray but when he looks up, he already sees Sky running towards the man. ¡°Sky!? Stop! Run away!¡± Akihiko yells out. Sky doesn¡¯t listen to him. He runs towards the man despite how scared he is, he can¡¯t hide behind his lack of Vein. The man laughs as he sees Sky run toward him. ¡°You!? What do you plan on doing? Don¡¯t make a mockery of me, kid!¡± he yells out in laughter. He holds his hand up to blast him point blank, but at the last second Sky manages to roll out of the way. After he is back up right, he jumps toward the man with his burned fist raised. The man is surprised by Sky¡¯s apparent show of agility. When Sky¡¯s fist collides with the man¡¯s protective aura, it is stopped for a moment. Sky lets out a scream as a red spark appears over his fist for a moment and his fist breaks through the man¡¯s protective aura and lands squarely on the mans face. The force from the punch sending him directly into the ground. Sky falls to the ground after landing the punch. He rises to his knees, breathing sharply. The man despite it all manages to rise to his feet shakily. He barely manages to raise his hand towards Sky. He closes his eyes, bracing for the explosion. But the explosion is sent directly into the ground. Sky¡¯s eyes widen in shock as he sees this happen. Before he can even think much further about it, he can feel a hand on his shoulder as a woman vaults over him. She brings her leg down onto the man and he violently hits the ground due to the force, knocking him out immediately. The woman looks over her shoulder with a confident smile. Her golden yellow eyes peering into my very soul. ¡°You kids alright?¡± she asks. Sky lifts up his arm and points towards Akihiko. ¡°My¡­ my friend needs help!¡± Sky pleads with the woman. She looks over towards Akihiko who is breathing heavily on the ground and then towards Ayumi who stumbles back down to her knees when she tries to move. She then looks back down at Sky, her expression changing to slight surprise. ¡°Did you land that last hit?¡± she asks the boy. Sky nods, saying it was him. He notices his raised arm and notices it has been healed and is confused, both of his arms had been healed. When did that happen? He ponders to himself. The woman¡¯s words cut through his thoughts as she speaks clearly. ¡°Would you like to attend Himeji High School?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 2

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 2


    Sky looked up at the woman with disbelief. Being invited to Himeji? How could this even happen to him despite the tragedy that had just occurred today? His mind ran a mile a minute before finally being cut off by the woman speaking. ¡°Hellooooo? Earth to spiky? You there?¡± she said, not taking the situation seriously at all. Sky was able to focus for the first time in the last couple of hours and realized he was speaking to the Nova Koizumi, the number two rated strongest in the world. ¡°You want¡­ me? In Himeji?¡± Sky asked her as he pointed up at himself. Nova perked up and pointed a finger up with a smile that did not fit the situation. ¡°Correctamundo kid! I would like youuuuu in Himeji High.¡± Nova said with real emphasis on pointing at Sky. Akihiko could be heard laughing close to where Sky was sitting on the ground, still shocked. ¡°That¡¯s awesome, dude!¡± he said labored and tired as he slowly rose to his feet. Nova looked over at Akihiko and then back towards Ayumi, who was still behind Sky. ¡°We¡¯ll have a lot of work to do¡­ look at you guys, experiencing energy burnout after only a few short minutes of real battle!¡± Nova said with a shrug, indicating she already knew both Akihiko and Ayumi. Sky remembered and despite how painful it was he got up and moved towards Ayumi. ¡°Yamasaki are you alright?¡± he asked as he helped her up. She took his hand and rose to her feet slowly. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ just really tired.¡± she said labored and tired, just like Akihiko. It looks like the effect of energy burnout is brutal, she can hardly stand. Nova walked over towards Sky and Ayumi as she flicked her fingers towards herself, forcing Akihiko to rocket towards her hand. She grabbed him by the collar once he reached her hand and she sat him down right next to her. ¡°Well, spiky? I haven¡¯t gotten an answer yet.¡± Nova said with a confident smile on her face. Sky looks back up at her and manages to form a small smile. ¡°Of course! I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d love too!¡± Sky said, of course excited about the chance to enter his dream school but still shaken up by the events of today. Nova gives Sky a big smile while clasping her hands together. ¡°Perfect! I¡¯m expecting a lot from you, spiky.¡± she said, her demeanor shifting to a more serious tone. Sky raises up his hand slightly. ¡°My name is Sky Akiyama¡­¡± he says, not sure how to handle the tone shift while in the presence of one of the strongest people in the world. Nova lets out a hearty laugh. ¡°Well then, Akiyama. From this point forward, you are a student at Himeji High.¡± She said with a smile. Akihiko and Ayumi interjected, seemingly having recovered slightly from their energy burnout from the overuse of their Veins. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, man! Looks like you don¡¯t have to worry about finding a school anymore!¡± Akihiko said patting Sky on the back. The pat on the back makes Sky wince in pain as his body has been through hell today but he does genuinely appreciate Akihiko being there. ¡°Yeah! It seems we will be able to know each other even better, being classmates and all!¡± Ayumi says with a gentle smile, her demeanor suggesting that she is still exhausted. Sky was finally able to relax a bit despite emergency services finally arriving on the scene to tend to the wounded. Nova begrudgingly sighs and tells the trio that she will be back. She flicks her hand upwards, launching the unconscious attacker¡¯s body up into the air, allowing her to catch him with one hand and walks over to the police. Sky, Ayumi, and Akihiko take the time to rest underneath a nearby tree, their bodies enduring explosions. Ayumi falls asleep resting her head on Sky¡¯s shoulder as he looks down at his arms. He could have sworn he took a direct explosion, and his arms were severely burned. But here he was, his arms completely fine. He ran his fingers up and down his arms to ensure that what he was seeing was real and not some adrenaline induced hallucination. Akihiko looked over at Sky, concerned for him. ¡°You alright man? You¡¯ve been rubbing your arms for the past 5 minutes.¡± Akihiko asked. Sky looked up from his arms. ¡°Akihiko¡­ didn¡¯t my arms get burned? When¡­ when did they get healed?¡± Sky asked, his confusion painted all over his expression. Akihiko placed a hand on the back of his neck as he stretched. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­ it was kind of a blur and when he sent me flying that last time, I really was out of it.¡± Akihiko admits. Sky looks back down at his arms, pondering what could have happened. The silence doesn¡¯t last long when Sky hears someone yelling his name. ¡°Sky! Oh, thank gods, you¡¯re safe!¡± a woman shouts out. He looks up and sees his mother and little sister running towards him. Ayumi wakes up and rubs her eyes as Sky¡¯s mother kneels next to him. ¡°Sky! Are you okay? We saw the news of an attack in the park, and we had to rush over!¡± she said as she begins to check him. Her hands running over the burnt sleeves of his jacket. She places a hand on Akihiko¡¯s shoulder, concerned for him as well. ¡°You too, Akihiko! Are you all okay?¡± she said, her worried tone displaying her fear for all to see. Sky grabs his mother¡¯s hands before he speaks. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re okay. Akihiko and Ayumi here helped keep us safe. Ms. Nova even showed up and defeated him!¡± Sky says with a small smile, trying to help his mom calm down. ¡°We were worried dummy!¡± Ayako says, the tears in her eyes are about to spill over. Akihiko joins in on ensuring the both of them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am! We all did our part; Sky even gave him a big ol¡¯ punch!¡± Akihiko said triumphantly. ¡°That¡¯s right ma¡¯am. Aki¡­ Sky jumped towards him when I was too exhausted to move.¡± Ayumi said shyly. Sky¡¯s mother is still clearly worried, but she manages to take a deep breath and calm down slightly. Nova returns after turning the attacker back in. When her eyes land on Sky¡¯s mother, she looks surprised. ¡°I see¡­¡± she mutters under her breath. She put her normal confident smile back on and walked over. ¡°Alrighty! Akiyama, Yamasaki, Nakashima. Come to Himeji tomorrow morning for introductions now that we¡¯ve got our last student. I¡¯m expecting you all there~!¡± she says with emphasis as she begins to walk away, waving behind her. Ayumi perks up as she finally remembers. ¡°I should get back to my parents! They must be worried!¡± she says as she slowly rises to her feet. Sky looks up at her, concern on his face. ¡°Will you be alright getting home, Yamasaki? You were having trouble standing earlier.¡± He stated, his concerns were valid. She nodded, ensuring that she would be okay. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, I feel a lot better now after resting a bit! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning, Akiyama!¡± She said as she walked away. Sky and Akihiko gave her a wave. Akihiko let out a sigh, his thinking similar. ¡°I should probably be doing the same¡­ I¡¯m going to get an earful from my mom about this one. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow man. Goodbye ma¡¯am.¡± Akihiko said, giving his goodbyes to Sky and his family. As he walked away Sky was left alone with his mother and sister. His mother began to question him about Himeji. ¡°Tomorrow morning? What¡¯s happening dear?¡± his mother asked. Sky explained the events and what lead to Nova inviting him to attend Himeji. Ayako looked overjoyed at her big brother getting into a school he had always talked about, but his mother had a look of concern on her face. ¡°Dear, what about¡­ your Vein, sweetie.¡± she said quietly, trying to keep it secret. Sky looked down at his lap pensively. He had forgotten about that quite major detail after being swept up in the adrenaline today. But Sky wasn¡¯t going to let this hold him back anymore. He had to take this chance, because he would never get another one. He looked up at his mother, confidence shown brightly within his features, much like how it used to be when he was in middle school. ¡°I understand that I might just get sent home anyway¡­ but I must take this chance, mom. I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn¡¯t.¡± Sky said, his resolve absolute. His mother let out a sigh as she stood up, offering her hand to Sky to help him up as well. ¡°You¡¯re a lot like him in that way¡­ I understand, dear. I¡¯ll support you.¡± she said with a gentle smile on her face. Sky looked surprised to hear of his father after all these years, but he quickly returned the smile she had given him. ¡°Thank you, mom. I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Sky said with a big smile on his face. Ayako joined in by popping up between the two of them. ¡°Are you gonna become like Nova and get the bad guys?!¡± Ayako said with stars practically in her eyes. Sky let out a chuckle and put a hand on her head. ¡°Yeah. I promise.¡± Sky said. As Sky and his family left the park to finally go home, there were two people discussing something important atop the Hero Agency building. ¡°The incident that happened today within Kigen¡¯s capital, it all went smoothly I take it?¡± a man says, his voice smooth and intimidating while being cloaked in shadow. ¡°Sure did! Honestly, Kigen should boost up their security. It was way too easy to get within that prison.¡± Another man said, his voice erratic. The man cloaked within the shade placed a tablet down on his desk. ¡°They have all the security they need within Nova Koizumi. That¡¯s besides the point, look at this footage.¡± He spoke. The erratic man looked at the tablet and saw the footage of the incident within the park taken from a camera at a nearby store. ¡°What the hell!? Is that what I think it is? A child doing that is next to impossible!¡± he said, sounding more disappointed than anything. The man cloaked in shadow stood up and looked at the other man, his piercing blue gaze could make anyone tremble in fear. ¡°The red spark¡­ Send Andrea to monitor this boy.¡± He spoke, his authority in that moment absolute. ¡°Who could¡¯ve thought that the experiment to test Koizumi¡¯s reaction time would have led to such favorable outcome! Hahahaha! I¡¯ll let Andrea know immediately.¡± The erratic man said before walking off with his hands on the back of his head. The next morning Sky woke up bright and early, eager to show up to Himeji fully prepared. He had taken care to dress nicely and after having a nice breakfast with his mother and sister, he took off for Himeji High. As he was walking to the extravagant building that served as a symbol of hope for the next generation, he could feel his heart begin to pound with nervousness. He had no idea what to even expect, what would his classmates be like? How many would there be? He swallowed back his nervousness and tapped his face to focus once more. He stood there in front of the gate for only a few moments but for him it felt like an eternity. Right here and now, he would finally breach the proverbial barrier that kept him from his dreams. With one final deep breath he stepped past the gate and walked towards the courtyard. The entrance near the gate is decorated with beautiful trees native to Kigen. After only a little bit of walking he could see them, his new classmates. There were only a handful of them, about 12 of them total. Some familiar faces, some brand new. Nova noticed Sky walking up to the group and waved towards him. ¡°Akiyama, you¡¯re here! Now we can finally start!¡± she said in a well-meaning teasing tone. She had Sky line up between Ayumi and Akihiko, both of which gave him a silent smile and wave. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know but it¡¯s a Himeji tradition to assign you all into teams of four. I guess we got pretty lucky this year with getting 12! When you hear your name called, please step forward.¡± Nova said. Sky took a deep breath as Nova began to call names, each one stepping forward. Nise, Miyuki, Galaxy, Akihiko. Sky should have guessed that he wouldn¡¯t have been in a team with Akihiko, but the disappointment still stung a bit. Kouka, Kaede, Mio, Ryo. Four unfamiliar faces walk up and convene with their new group. ¡°I suppose that just leaves you four, doesn¡¯t it? Sky, Ayumi, Chiyoko, and Kaminari. Please step forward.¡± Nova said, her tone more serious than usual. Sky stepped forward with 3 other girls. One of which he had met yesterday. Chiyoko looked prim and proper while also scarily cold, her light blue hair tied within a ponytail and her sea-colored eyes peering into his very soul. Kaminari was a quiet but intimidating girl; her striking yellow hair and muted yellow eyes just gave off a sense of hostility. Nova clapped her hands together before speaking. ¡°Here are your new teammates for the next four years everyone!¡± she said with her normal unserious tone. Sky looked towards his new teammates and took a deep breath. It finally set in for him. This was real.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 3

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 3


    Sky looked towards his new teammates as the reality finally began to set in. How would he even begin to explain his situation to them, especially ones that looked so hard to talk too? Before he could even really think about it Nova had walked up behind him and grabbed onto his shoulders and pushed him towards the girls. ¡°Now now, Akiyama, you can¡¯t be shy now!¡± Nova said, her amusement with Sky¡¯s bashfulness not well hidden. Sky brought up his hand to give a wave. ¡°Nice to meet you all¡­ I¡¯m Sky Akiyama.¡± he said. Nova muffled chuckles could be heard behind him. The blue haired young woman named Chiyoko walked up first and gave a look of disappointment after looking him up and down. ¡°It would be just my luck to get someone like you as a teammate¡­¡± she said to herself yet not even hiding her disappointment whatsoever. ¡°I¡¯m Chiyoko Oshiro, it¡¯s a pleasure for you, I¡¯m sure.¡± She continued. Sky looked surprised along with Ayumi and the quiet girl that he had yet to be introduced to. ¡°That Oshiro? The same medical giant Oshiro?¡± Sky said, completely shocked that his teammate was the heiress to the biggest medical company in the world. Chiyoko clearly had a very pleased expression, like she was happy to be recognized. ¡°Of course, the one and only. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± she said, her high and mighty attitude becoming extremely grating already. The yellow haired girl cut in walking up to Sky, much to the annoyance of Chiyoko. She inspected him for a moment, the tension rising as Sky felt increasingly more uncomfortable. She raised her hand before speaking bluntly and to the point. ¡°I¡¯m Kaminari Himura.¡± She spoke. Sky hesitated for a moment before grabbing her hand and giving her a handshake and a smile to the best of his ability. His nerves clearly getting to him. Ayumi pats his shoulder with a smile that could melt ice. ¡°We are on the same team, Akiyama! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± she said happily. Sky relaxed a bit at a familiar face and let some of the tension that had built up ease. Chiyoko, not pleased with being ignored cut back in to ask questions. ¡°I suppose since we are all on a team now, we should familiarize ourselves with each other¡¯s Veins. Though I doubt any of them compare to mine.¡± She said with a snarky undertone, but the others agreed that it was smart. Ayumi spoke first, quiet but not afraid. ¡°My Vein is Wind Manipulation, though my energy reserves are pretty low at the moment¡­¡± she said reminded of the day prior. Kaminari is up next and gives a similarly quick and concise response. ¡°Hardlight Projection.¡± She spoke. She did not feel the need to elaborate any further and even Chiyoko didn¡¯t want to test any further. Despite that Chiyoko brought a hand to her chest and proudly presented hers. ¡°I call it Absolute Zero. I can lower the temperature of a radius around me to near absolute zero!¡± she exclaimed, clearly very proud of her ability. The girls then turned to Sky, waiting for him to share. His words got caught in his throat. What was he supposed to say? He didn¡¯t have a strong Vein like theirs. The most he had ever done was land a punch that got him here in the first place. As he stumbled over his words once again, Nova grabbed onto his shoulders from behind and blurted it out. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have one yet! Akiyama here is a special case.¡± She said completely unserious. Everyone, even those were conversing amongst their own groups, had heard her say this. The entire classed looked towards Sky with shock. He could hear all of them begin to whisper and he looked down in disappointment. Koizumi playing favorites? A random with no Vein, why was he even here? Nova cut through the chatter. ¡°Hey now, I hand-picked ¡®em! He¡¯s likely to surprise you all.¡± She said as she gave Sky a pat on the back. She walked towards the center of the courtyard and gathered all their attention. ¡°Now that you all have your groups and have become acquainted with your group, it¡¯s time that you all get to know each other. Despite you having a group, you will all be working together on the tasks given to you.¡± She explained. The class was then allowed to begin acquainting themselves with those outside of their group. A girl with purple hair walked up to Sky first, her appearance familiar. She looked him up and down with a confused look before her purple eyes landed directly on his black charcoal eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, what made sis pick you? Must be something those damn eyes saw that I can¡¯t¡­¡± she uttered, not really caring how Sky felt about it. Sky looked at her confused before speaking. ¡°Sis? ¡­You mean Ms. Koizumi?¡± he asked, his mind slowly putting the pieces together. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m Galaxy Koizumi. The younger sister of the Nova Koizumi.¡± She said, her voice growing sarcastic when mentioning Nova. Sky looked at her with awe. Being a Koizumi must mean her Vein is strong. The Koizumi family had always been a prominent figure within Kigen¡¯s hero world due to their strong blood, and Sky was standing in the presence of two of them. ¡°My Vein is called Rewrite. I can take a 10x10x10 space and rewrite the laws of the space, given my energy can keep up with it. I can tell by the look on your face that you were curious about it.¡± She said, catching Sky off guard. He apologized with a bashful smile. Before Galaxy walked off though she said one more thing. ¡°I hope you can keep up with the expectations of being hand picked by her. It¡¯s tough.¡± She said more like a warning than anything else. She walked off and began to talk with the other students. Sky couldn¡¯t help but let out a wavering sigh. Those words really set the reality in for him, he had gone from no one to having these crushing expectations placed upon him, even if it was only by a few. He did his best to steel his resolve and carry on. He walked up to another student who seemed very laid back, their demeanor suggesting that they were tired. They gave a peace sign before speaking. ¡°Yo, Mr. Picked-by-the-strongest¡­ I¡¯m Kouka Fujioka.¡± They spoke. The nickname rubbed Sky the wrong way, but he pushed past it and introduced himself. The two couldn¡¯t hold a conversation for very long due to Kouka seemingly falling asleep. Sky raised his hand slightly, preparing to wake them up but he decided against it. He merely moved on. After quietly stepping away from the sleeping Mochi, he bumped into a quiet girl. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Are you alright?¡± he asked, worried that he had inconvenienced her. The girl looked towards him, her deep violet eyes and black hair making an impression on him. ¡°I¡¯m alright. You¡¯re the boy picked by Ms. Koizumi, aren¡¯t you?¡± she spoke, her voice quiet. Sky had quickly grown tired of being just the ¡®boy who was picked by Nova Koizumi¡¯, but he had no choice in the matter. He nodded and said that was him, introducing himself in the process. The girl was extremely quiet, even more so than Kaminari, but she eventually introduced herself as Nise Kasei. The two exchanged a few more words before parting, just mere small talk. Sky let out a sigh before passing by another girl on his way back to his group. He couldn¡¯t explain why but he stopped in his tracks as he passed by, her white hair and silver eyes so catching, as if something deep down was telling him to stay still and run away all at the same time. The girl had been looking directly at him at the same time. She was the one to break the tension. ¡°Miyuki Yukimura. You can stop staring now.¡± She said, calling out his staring. This finally made him snap out of it and speak back. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m Sky Akiyama.¡± He said in return. The interaction was so brief, but it was one that confused him so thoroughly. He couldn¡¯t explain why he felt compelled to stop and look at her the way he did. He decided to just let out a sigh and continue. After the brief introduction with Miyuki, he spoke to the remaining students. A girl named Kaede, with blonde hair down to her shoulders. A girl named Mio that had short, platinum blonde hair. And finally, a boy named Ryo, with short black hair. Once the students had acquainted themselves, they lined up in front of Nova once more. ¡°That¡¯s everything for today and will conclude the team selection process for this year. Before you all head home, you will get measured for your uniform. I¡¯m looking forward to next week once school officially starts.¡± She said with her characteristically usual smile. Sky shuffled in the line as the students got measured one by one. He couldn¡¯t help but think of how out of place he felt, like he didn¡¯t belong here. Two Koizumi¡¯s, the heiress to the Oshiro company, all of these exceedingly talented individuals. He wasn¡¯t like Akihiko, even though Sky had fought back against his bullies all his life, this was out of his league. His overthinking was stopped once he reached the front of the line and began to get measured. Once the process was complete, he waved to Ayumi and Akihiko, who reciprocated. He attempted to do the same with Chiyoko and Kaminari to little success. He began to walk home as a figure on top of a building overlooking the sidewalk leading out of Himeji looked down upon the students. She dialed a number on her phone and within moments the other side of the line picked up. ¡°This is Andrea, the boy you requested me to look over looks completely normal. Are you sure you wish for me to continue? ¡­ ¡­Understood. I will be on the lookout for Origin.¡±


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    To Be Continued

 Chapter 4

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 4


    Sky was awoken by the sound of his alarm going off, he fumbled with his phone as he attempted to turn it off. He brought his forearm up to his forehead as he lay within his bed staring up at his ceiling. Today was the day, his first real day of school. A soft knock on his door caused him to sit up, his mother¡¯s voice coming through the door. ¡°Sweetie, are you awake? Today is the day! Ayako helped me make breakfast for you, come downstairs.¡± She said, her voice was sweet and caring. He rose from his bed and began to put on his uniform that had arrived a couple days prior. The black pants that hugged his body nicely without being uncomfortable along with a black fitting blazer. After he brought the buttons together, he slid a hand across the material while looking into his mirror, the material feeling firm and lightweight. It felt more like flexible armor than a regular school uniform. He let out a sigh before opening the door and going downstairs. ¡°There you are! You look great sweetie!¡± his mother doted. He gave her a bashful smile before taking a seat at the table, a traditional Kigen dish atop it. ¡°Tamagoyaki? You guys made this for me? Thank you!¡± He asked surprised before picking one up and taking a delightful bite. ¡°It was my idea, we both start today, and this is my favorite!¡± Ayako said, happily eating her own Tamagoyaki while dressed up in her own adorable uniform. Their mother smiled at her children, proud of how big they were getting, but even she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about Sky going to such a dangerous school. What if he ends up like his father? It was thought that made her sad, but she held strong for her son¡¯s dream. Once Sky finished his breakfast he stood up and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thank you so much for breakfast guys, I¡¯ll be back later!¡± he said before walking towards the door, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder and leaving. He walked down the suburban alley and out onto the busy street of the capital. His path reminding him of the day that got him into the situation to begin with. As Sky began to walk towards Himeji, Nova was looking over some papers at her desk within Himeji. She had to confirm what she saw within Akiyama. ¡°A child his age landing a Spark¡­¡± she trailed off within the empty classroom. A man walks into the classroom and places a stack of papers on top of Nova¡¯s desk. ¡°Here are the documents you asked for, Koizumi. It was a bitch and a half to get them all from the Agency but here they are.¡± He said, wiping away some sweat from his brow. Nova began to look at the documents before smiling. ¡°Thanks, Dai. This is huge help.¡± Nova said in kind. The man pulled on his tie to loosen it before responding back. ¡°It¡¯s not really a problem, but what do you even need this for? It just looked like the background on a random family. You know them?¡± Dai asked before leaning against the desk. Nova closed her eyes in thought, uncharacteristically serious. The silhouette of that man appearing in her mind for just a moment. ¡°Not really, just wanted to confirm something I had on my mind.¡± Nova said as she stuck out her tongue and shrugged. Dai laughed as he took out a cigarette and lit it. He took a draw before looking back over his shoulder at her. ¡°Really only you could get away with something like that, Koizumi.¡± He spoke before taking another draw from his cigarette. He stood back up before putting out his cigarette and flicking it effortlessly towards the trash can near the door of the classroom. ¡°The students will be here soon. The second years should be finishing their winter break missions and show up sooner or later. Good luck on the first years, Koizumi.  Even though I know you don¡¯t need it.¡± He said as he waved behind him and left the classroom. Nova was left alone once again with her newly obtained documents. She continued to comb over them while thinking more about her class. She could see it in many of them, these kids will become extraordinary. While she was busy thinking about it, the students began to flood into the classroom, taking their seats separated by each group. Nova stood up and began to look at the class with a smile usual for her. ¡°Welcome to your first day in Himeji. I¡¯m sure you all are eager to get started with the fun stuff, but this is still a school. That means learning!¡± Nova said while clapping lightly. Some of the class let out a groan, such as Akihiko and Chiyoko, while others were unbothered by this, like Sky and Miyuki. Nova began to explain the basics of how the Vein works, all of which knew. Cells within the blood stream based on the blood type produced energy that resides within the heart and projects outward once the Vein is activated. While Nova began to explain, Sky raised a hand to his heart, feeling it¡¯s beat and wondering why his Vein hadn¡¯t manifested yet. He wasn¡¯t O-, so he wasn¡¯t Veinless, but he wasn¡¯t useful like a Veinless either. This made him clench his hand over his heart as he listened. ¡°Let¡¯s get some examples, eh? Outside everyone!¡± Nova said as she made a gesture with her hands towards the door, pushing everyone towards the exit. The class flooded out into the courtyard and then lined up alongside each other. ¡°Now, another crucial aspect of Vein training is energy reinforcement. Reinforcing your body with your energy can make you a whole lot more durable and even make you strike harder. I¡¯m sure many of you think the energy emitted from your body is enough naturally but when in a real encounter you need to reinforce your actual body with energy, so you aren¡¯t taken out in a single hit. That being said, I want you all to strike me.¡± She said with a confident smile. The entire class looked at her with surprise. She wanted them to hit her? Would they even be able to? None of them had even seen Nova take a hit when her big fights went live on the internet. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, I¡¯ve turned my Vein off for now. It¡¯s just pure energy reinforcement. Come on!¡± She assured, really urging her class to throw a couple strikes at her. Galaxy walked up first; she had already been subjected to training with Nova in the past, so she already is well aware of the outcome of this exercise. She readies a fist and with all her might throws a punch into Nova¡¯s abdomen. She doesn¡¯t even budge. She urges the rest of the class to try and one-by-one they try. The result is always the same, with no reaction. Sky walks up next, being the last to go. He raises his fist and closes his eyes for a moment. He then throws a punch with all he can muster within it. He winces in pain and grabs his hand. It felt like punching a brick wall. He could hardly even believe it. He returned to his place in line all while being unable to get the thought out of his head. All his classmates will be able to do that at some point? That¡¯s a terrifying thought to him, he didn¡¯t want to be left behind. The thought made him steel his resolve as he looked forward with a determined look. Nova looked at all her students and let out a hearty laugh. ¡°The looks on your faces! They all do that for the first time. It never gets old!¡± she laughed. Once she had stopped laughing, she was finally able to explain what she had wanted to. ¡°Phew¡­ anyway, over the next couple weeks you will all be working together one-on-one to work on energy reinforcement. We can work on actual Vein techniques for each of you at the same time. Look forward to it, everyone!¡± she said with an enthusiastic fist raised in the air. Sky let out a sigh knowing his future just got a lot more eventful.


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    To Be Continued.

 Chapter 5

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 5


    Sky looked towards his new teammates after Nova had announced the one-on-one time that they would be partaking in. He could feel the pit in his stomach knowing that he would have to possibly spar with any one of these powerhouses. Nova began to talk with each of the other groups dividing them up into pairs and giving her reasons why. Sky wasn¡¯t really paying attention to what she was saying, he just began to spiral out of control internally. He had already been thinking why he was even here in the first place. It was a constant struggle between wanting to prove himself and wanting to just save himself the embarrassment of failure. This wasn¡¯t anything like middle school, he had gotten into plenty of fights with those with Veins but there was never such a vast gap in power. Ayumi looked over towards Sky with a worried expression on her face. She had only known him for a little while, but she was grateful to him and Akihiko for saving her when she needed it. They had spent some time together during the two-week period between that day and school starting, which only solidified her desire to help him. She walked over to Sky, away from Chiyoko and Kaminari, and placed a hand upon his shoulder. ¡°Hey¡­ Are you alright, Akiyama? You look pale.¡± She said quietly, trying not to involve other people within the conversation. Sky jumped slightly at the touch but let out a sigh of relief when he heard Ayumi¡¯s voice. ¡°Ah, sorry. Just worried about my lack of Vein.¡± He said, not wanting to worry Ayumi any further. She wasn¡¯t completely satisfied with his answer, but she could tell that he felt at least a little bit better having someone check up on him. She gave him a smile that warmed his chest and put a fist to his chest. ¡°You got this, Akiyama. You can do this.¡± She said, trying her best to sound like Akihiko. Sky let out a chuckle before thanking her. Before either of them could notice, Nova popped up between them with a devious smile on her face. ¡°Whatcha talkin about~?¡± Nova said. Both Ayumi and Sky jumped at her sudden appearance. Nova let out a laugh as the two kids blushed in embarrassment. ¡°Chill out, I¡¯m here to assign you two to pairs for the spar today. You guys did hear me when I said that right?¡± She spoke. She fakes a dramatic pose and clutches her chest and lets out a gasp. ¡°My students already ignoring me¡­ woe is me!¡± she said overly dramatic. She stops poking fun and points at Ayumi and Kaminari, pairing them up. Chiyoko lets out a scoff. ¡°I¡¯m left with the Veinless? Seriously?¡± she said disgusted. Sky felt angered by her statement but simply turned his head and scoffed himself. Ayumi steps up, also upset by her statement. ¡°Hey! That was uncalled for!¡± she said. Chiyoko steps forward to meet her gaze. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you. He¡¯s a big boy, he doesn¡¯t need his girlfriend to do all the talking for him.¡± Chiyoko said in a quick response before walking past her and up to Sky. She smiles mockingly before poking him in the chest. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Veinless?¡± she said. Nova broke them up before letting out a sigh. ¡°Oh, to be 15 again. That¡¯s enough, save it for the sparring match.¡± She said moving Chiyoko along. Kaminari let out a silent scoff. ¡°Of course, I get the dysfunctional team¡­¡± she said under her breath. Nova moved everyone and their newfound pairs to the arena on school grounds made for Vein training and had everyone seat themselves. Nova called out a pair to step upon the slightly raised platform serving as the arena. Galaxy and Akihiko walked up first. ¡°Alrighty the rules are simple. You two are allowed to use your Veins, first to knock their opponent out of the ring wins. Make an effort to use energy reinforcement but it¡¯s not a big deal if you can¡¯t, this is just to gauge where you all are at.¡± Nova said before telling them to begin. The auras of the Veins sparked to life as they smiled at each other. ¡°I might not be my sister, but I¡¯ll be certain to go easy on you.¡± Galaxy said, confident in her win. Akihiko returned the gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to not embarrass you too badly in front of your sister.¡± He said. The friendly spar began quickly as Akihiko raised a wall and sent it flying toward Galaxy. She smirked as transparent lines appeared within the world forming a box. As the wall approached her it suddenly gave way as if it was a liquid, dropping to the ground. Galaxy took the chance and sprinted towards Akihiko throwing a high kick. Akihiko was surprised and barely managed to block it as it sent him flying. As he was tumbling across the arena, he formed a wall within his path to catch himself on. He let out a labored breath. ¡°Goddamn! That hurt like hell! You already have practice with energy reinforcement! That¡¯s no fair!¡± he yelled out. He stands back up and dusting off his uniform. He smiles regardless and begins to run towards her. He focuses on his arm, imagining the energy surrounding his arm like skin-tight armor. He jumped towards Galaxy using the ground rocketing upwards sending him forward. Before he could even reach her though she smiled and waved at him. Akihiko looks confused before he is sent flying directly upwards. ¡°Rewrite, remember Nakashima? You can¡¯t just ignore the area I control.¡± She said as Akihiko started falling back down to the ground. She lands a kick as he falls, sending him out of the ring without any issue. After Akihiko lands and his aura dissipates, he stands back up. ¡°Damn¡­ I have a lot to work on!¡± He said with a laugh, not even upset about losing. Sky was in awe as he watched Akihiko so readily take his loss. He once again wished he was like Akihiko. Before Sky could gather his thoughts, he heard his name called. He let out a wavering sigh before standing up alongside Chiyoko and walking toward the arena. He looked towards Chiyoko, a worried expression on his face. Chiyoko returned a smirk, one that just screams ¡®I¡¯m better than you¡¯. Once Galaxy arrived back to the rest of the group, she looked towards Nova. ¡°Sis, are you sure this is a good idea? He¡¯s Veinless, I don¡¯t see what you see in him.¡± She said to her sister quietly, her surface level worry showing. Nova smiled as she placed her eyes upon Sky. ¡°If my hunch is right, we are going to see something amazing.¡± Nova said as if she saw something within Sky only she can see. Chiyoko let her Vein spur to life, her aura expanding to cover the entire arena. ¡°It¡¯s no fun to pick on a Veinless. You can still leave now.¡± Chiyoko said as she fixed her ponytail. Sky shivered as the aura passed through him. He looked towards the ground for a moment as her words processed in his mind. He had been called Veinless for years, why was he suddenly scared of being called that now? He began to understand why, everyone here could kill him. He was terrified of dying before he got to live, but it was the world he lived in. He slowly raised his head and looked at Chiyoko eye-to-eye. ¡°I know you are stronger than me. But I cannot let this chance escape me. I will fight, no matter how futile it sounds.¡± Sky said. He was still terrified of the power that he quite literally stood within, but he wasn¡¯t going to go down without a fight. Chiyoko let out a scoff before snapping her fingers and rapidly lowering the temperature within her aura, making Sky shiver once more but he began to run towards her regardless. He could feel the temperature get colder and colder the closer he got to her, but he refused to let it stop him. He attempted to throw a punch towards her, but she dodged at the very last second. She looked at him completely surprised. ¡°How are you this close? What are you doing!?¡± she yelled out before barely blocking a second punch that sent her stumbling backwards. Sky immediately backed away from her to warm up, but he was still freezing. His body was shivering but he had a newfound look of determination. ¡°It¡¯s just some cold. I won¡¯t let that stop me.¡± He said, his voice wavering. Chiyoko looked annoyed by this and stomped on the ground with a foot and sent a wave of ice towards him that came up from the ground. Sky barely manages to dodge it, getting a cut across his leg in the process. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be able to handle the cold near me, just give up!¡± Chiyoko yelled out once again as she waved her hand, sending multiple icicles towards him. Sky wished she would just shut up and focus on the fight. He ran towards her, sliding under the icicles and using his hands to spring himself upwards and landing a kick on her, sending her to the ground. Chiyoko let out a frustrated scream as she threw her hand out towards him, barraging him with below zero icy wind. He brought up his hands to attempt to cover his vitals, but the wind sent him flying onto his back, his arms suffering from ice burn. He let out scream of pain as he clutches his arms over his chest. Akihiko and Ayumi yelled out for Sky, their distress growing with each passing moment. Galaxy looked towards Nova once again. ¡°Sis, stop this! He can¡¯t handle it without a Vein!¡± she tried to plead with her. ¡°No one will interfere. He¡¯s so close.¡± Nova said deathly serious. All of the students looked at Nova with some fear before returning their eyes back to the ¡®sparring¡¯ match before them. Chiyoko began to walk towards Sky with an angered expression. She kicked Sky while he was still down. ¡°Who do you think you are, Veinless!? You actually kicked me!¡± she said while still kicking him. Sky grabbed her ankle and caused her to trip before managing to get back up. Chiyoko looked at him with disgust before collapsing her aura to normal size and lifting up her hand, the temperature around her hand hitting absolute zero. ¡°You¡¯re weak! You don¡¯t belong here! I tried to be nice and give you the chance, but you made me bleed!¡± she yelled out at him as she readied her fist into a punch. Sky looked at her with an equally angry expression, he was sick and tired of being called weak. He was going to show her right now, he was no longer scared of what she could do to him. His arms were already in excruciating pain, he was going to keep going no matter what. There was a slight spark of energy around his arm as he readied his own punch. ¡°I¡¯M NOT WEAK!¡± he yelled out as he landed his own punch while dodging hers. When his fist landed on her abdomen the impossible happened once again. The brilliant blood red spark flashed around his fist as it pierced her aura and launched her directly backwards with fierce velocity. Chiyoko hit the wall behind her and then fell to the ground. She spit up blood before laboring to breathe. Sky despite what he just felt quickly ran over to Chiyoko¡¯s side. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Sky said as he tried to help her up. The rest of his class looked in awe before Galaxy yelled out. ¡°You hit a Spark!? I haven¡¯t even done that!¡± Nova began to walk towards them as she clapped. ¡°I knew I saw something good in you, kid!¡± Nova said as she kneeled down next to both of and put a hand on each of their shoulders. Chiyoko was finally able to take a deep breath and sit up properly and Sky¡¯s arms no longer felt like they were in excruciating pain, only moderately in pain. Nova stood back up while helping them back up by just picking them up off the ground with one arm each. ¡°I knew that energy was in there somewhere, I just needed to see if you could land another Spark to free it some more.¡± Nova said as she placed them back on the ground. Sky looked confused and then looked back down at his arms. There was a light glow of a white aura just barely covering his body, it was dim, but it was undeniably some energy. The energy from a Vein.


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    To Be Continued

 Chapter 6

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 6


    ¡®It started with that damn punch.¡¯ Chiyoko thought to herself as she was sent flying into the tough concrete wall. She fell to the ground barely able to catch herself while landing on her hands and knees. She could help the guttural feeling rising as she spit up blood. She was struggling to breathe as she shakily stared at her palm that is now covered in her own blood. She couldn¡¯t even begin to understand how this could have happened. Being¡­ being beat by a Veinless. She heard voices of what was probably her classmates as the boy who sent her flying in the first place came to her aid, attempting to prop her up on his shoulder. She couldn¡¯t even think straight, continuing to stare at her bloodied palm. Sky had tried to say something to her, but she could barely even understand it. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± he tried to say, stumbling over his words worried that he actually wounded her. She was lost in thought. Her family had always relied on the truly Veinless, as their blood was the only suitable for blood transfusions and for the medicine that her family had produced. But her father viewed them merely as tools. She had been raised this way for years, thinking that the Veinless were meant to help further those with Veins. Yet here she was having suffered a defeat by a boy that her father would view as less than useless. She never truly hated the Veinless, like her father did but she certainly did view them as people that should understand their place. But here she was, having been hit by a technique that not even the great Nova Koizumi can consistently execute. What would she say at the end of the day? Her father was going to expect a report from her, she can¡¯t even imagine how he¡¯ll react at the news she lost to what was a Veinless boy. Nova had come over and began to congratulate Sky, in his supposed second time landing a Spark. She put her hands on Sky and Chiyoko¡¯s shoulders as she began to speak but Chiyoko wasn¡¯t listening that closely. Her injuries began to disappear, no doubt to the healing output from Nova. Of course, she was jealous of that too. Her Vein was powerful but her manipulation of her energy within her body was exceedingly poor. She couldn¡¯t perform reinforcement, and she absolutely did not have the energy reserves or energy manipulation required for even just self-healing, which that in of itself was something only the top 0.2% would ever be able to perform. Many expect that she has excellent energy control due to her Vein-type but in truth she got lucky due to her blood. Her aura being able to be projected outwards over an area is exceedingly difficult for normal people and most will never be able to perform it even if you are high ranking amongst the Agency. She even began to fool herself into believing that. She was lifted up off the ground by Nova and placed onto her feet. ¡°I knew I could see it in you. This will be a great starting point to see if we can get that Vein outta you.¡± Nova said to Sky, patting him on the back in the process. Chiyoko slowly turned her eyes towards Sky and could see the faint outline of an aura. The warm white glow of energy. It was much weaker than even her own, but she could definitely tell that it was not present in their earlier scuffle. Even this boy was beginning to outgrow her, and it was still just the first day. This made her stomach turn as she could already see the look on her father¡¯s face. Sky began to inspect his arms, which had once again been healed. He learned that it was a property of the Spark no doubt, it only happened after he landed one both times. The light amount of energy that surrounded his body shocked him. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was looking at. It quickly dissipated but it became a familiar sensation. He could replicate it without a Spark he thought to himself. ¡°Though I can see the energy I can¡¯t see the Vein underneath it all. You likely still haven¡¯t obtained the power of your Vein but being able to produce energy is a start. It¡¯s like there is a dam around your Vein and the Spark put a crack in it and now energy is leaking out. We¡¯ll pull it outta you somehow! Sorry to use you as a test dummy, Oshiro. The emotion had to be real!¡± Nova explained to Sky and then apologized to Chiyoko as she shrugged with a goofy expression on her face. While Sky was in awe of his new power, Chiyoko¡¯s eyes widened as she looked towards Nova. ¡®I¡­ I was made his sparring partner on purpose¡­ I was used like some sort of dummy?¡¯ Chiyoko thought to herself. Sky turned to face Chiyoko and put a gentle hand upon her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m still so sorry Oshiro¡­ I had no idea that was her plan, I¡¯m surprised she even thought it would work! I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.¡± Sky said to her. She swatted his hand off her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She said in a quiet voice before walking off. Her embarrassment and world view being shattered in one fell swoop was like salt in the wound. Nova watched as she began to walk off. ¡°Hmm¡­ She¡¯ll come around eventually. Anywho! That¡¯s all for today, everyone. I will see you all tomorrow.¡± Nova said to everyone as she turned with her hands together and a smile. Everyone began to get up and walk towards the gate. Sky stayed for a moment and stared towards Chiyoko, feeling bad for what he had done even if it was accidental. He lets out a sigh before turning around and beginning to walk out of the gate alongside Ayumi and Akihiko. Chiyoko gathered her bag and began to walk out of the gate on her own and purposefully attempted to drag her feet, scared of the interaction that will happen once she arrives home. The sound of her steps against the concrete was the only noise she could focus on as she walked through the crowds of people. She finally arrived at the massive building that she looked up towards with a worried expression. ¡®Oshiro Corp.¡¯ it was labeled. She took the hesitant first step into the door and into the lobby that was full of businessmen and women. She was greeted by the woman behind the desk. ¡°Welcome back Ms. Oshiro.¡± She said in the same tone that she had always heard since she was little. Chiyoko didn¡¯t respond back and went directly towards the elevator and hit the top button. The elevator ride to the 125<sup>th</sup> floor where her home resided was particularly grueling today as her thoughts were flooded by what she was going to have to tell her father. Finally, the bell rung and the big metal doors began to slide open, bringing the lavish and comfortable penthouse into view. She was greeted by a tall man with short brown hair, glasses, and a tuxedo vest with the undershirt sleeves rolled up her forearms. ¡°Greetings, Miss Oshiro.¡± He said as he extended his arm forward, wanting to take her bag. She planted her bag within his gloved hand. ¡°Thank you, Enmei.¡± She said in a flat tone. She took off her blazer and placed it within his hands as well, who quickly folded it and placed it over his forearm. He took his thumb and middle finger with his free hand and corrected his glasses. ¡°You seem down today, Miss Oshiro. Is there something you wish for me to do?¡± Enmei quickly said in his always polite and refined tone. Chiyoko relaxed her shoulders a bit more, Enmei may be young, no older than his mid-twenties, but he had always made Chiyoko feel a bit better. She was able to smile lightly for the first time in what felt like hours. ¡°It¡¯s no worry, Enmei. It was just¡­ something happened today at school. It has really shaken me.¡± She said, confiding in Enmei. He listened intently as she began to recite what had happened at school earlier today. ¡°I see¡­ well that is quite the shocking development. It will be okay, Miss Oshiro. I¡¯ll see to it that your favorite is prepared for dinner tonight.¡± Enmei said while readjusting his glasses once again with a small smile on his face. Chiyoko was able to smile back before she heard the voice she was dreading to hear since this afternoon. ¡°Chiyoko, you¡¯ve returned. How was your first day at Himeji?¡± A man said in a cold and intimidating voice. Enmei quickly stood up perfectly and bowing his head while Chiyoko stood at attention. ¡°Father¡­¡± she said as the man with an intimidating build and blue hair similar to Chiyoko¡¯s, though adorned with grey hairs, stepped into the room with a folder of important company documents he was reviewing. Chiyoko couldn¡¯t help but gulp in intimidation as her father walked in. ¡°We began on Energy Reinforcement today¡­¡± Chiyoko said meekly. Her father closed the folder and began to look towards Chiyoko. ¡°So I take it Koizumi had you all spar. She hasn¡¯t changed a bit since she became a teacher.¡± Her father said. Chiyoko could feel her stomach churn. ¡°Yes, father¡­¡± she said once again. Her father was quick and calculated with his responses. ¡°The results?¡± he asked, his tone not leaving room for lying. ¡°A¡­ a loss. A Veinless boy landed a Spark against me. It was a ringout.¡± She meekly said defeated. Her father gave her a glare as if he had misheard her. ¡°Himeji let in a Veinless boy? He even landed a Spark and you lost to him?¡± he asked once again. Chiyoko gulped once more before answering. ¡°Yes sir, he was picked by Ms. Koizumi.¡± Chiyoko said in clarification. Her father gave her a look of disappointment and anger all wrapped into one. ¡°Do not let it happen again.¡± He said before he walked off. Chiyoko finally let out a breath, like she could finally breathe again. She looked meagerly towards Enmei before walking off towards her room for the night, no longer wishing to speak. Enmei placed the bag and blazer in their proper places before walking towards a secluded room. He took out a phone and began to dial a number. ¡°¡­Andrea. This is Enmei. The boy he asked you to look out for has landed another Spark.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 7

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 7


    Sky looked towards Chiyoko, his gaze lingering on her form as his regret rises up through his body. She looked towards the ground, clearly lost in thought. Sky couldn¡¯t even begin to think what she might be thinking due to his rash actions. He hadn¡¯t lashed out to insults like that since his early middle school days, he felt terrible about it even though he undoubtedly gained from the interaction. He simply let out a sigh before turning away from her and following Ayumi and Akihiko out of the gate. He thought he would just make it up to her later. He stared down at his hand with the light glow of energy surrounding it, he still couldn¡¯t believe this either. He wondered how his mom would react to this development. Akihiko pat Sky¡¯s back with a big smile on his face. ¡°Would you look at that man! You belong here after all!¡± Akihiko said. The energy dissipated and Sky looked up towards Akihiko. ¡°I never thought I could ever do this. It¡¯s like¡­ It¡¯s like a wall began to crack inside of me.¡± Sky explained, his gaze thoughtful. Ayumi chimed in with her thoughts as well. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you progressed so fast though. Surely with enough practice you¡¯ll get your Vein properly!¡± She said with that warm smile she often wore. Sky couldn¡¯t help but smile at Ayumi¡¯s optimism, agreeing with her with a nod. He looked towards the sidewalk as they arrived at the crossing. ¡°I hope Chiyoko will be alright though. I still feel really bad, she looked really shaken up.¡± Sky said regretfully. Ayumi and Akihiko attempted to cheer him up, and though it helped a little, he still felt bad. He thanked them both and apologized for being so down about the whole thing. As they walked through the crossing a woman bumped into Sky while he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Sky quickly apologized to the woman before noticing her odd appearance. She was wearing a leather hood that made it extremely difficult to make out any features upon her face. ¡°Careful where you¡¯re walking there, kiddo.¡± The woman said, her tone uncannily cheery. Sky apologized once more, despite being weirded out. They began to walk off, continuing their trek through the busy crossing. But she put a hand upon Sky¡¯s shoulder, the action made him shudder slightly at the sudden touch. Sky began to feel uncomfortable, but the woman lowered her obscured face to his ear. ¡°I would be careful if I were you, your life will get¡­ extremely difficult soon.¡± The woman whispered into his ear before she let out a chuckle, causing goosebumps all across Sky¡¯s arms. When he turned around to look at the woman she was already gone. He looked throughout the crowd to see if he could find even a hint of where she could have gone but he couldn¡¯t. He heard Ayumi and Akihiko call out to him from the sidewalk and he shook his head and ran to catch up with them. From atop the Oshiro Corp building the woman looked down upon them. ¡°So that¡¯s Tsukiko¡¯s kid, huh? He¡¯s basically a ticking time-bomb. What do you think, kiddo?¡± She asked as she lifted up her hand, talking to the person behind her. ¡°He landed two Sparks within a couple weeks of each other. No one but Nova Koizumi or One could do that in their entire lives.¡± The young girl with snow white hair and silver eyes said. ¡°That¡¯s their kid, alright! Too bad he¡¯s going to truly suffer on the path he¡¯s been set on.¡± The hooded woman said as she tilted her head back, kicking her feet off the side of the building. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how he¡¯ll do.¡± She said. Down within the crossing opposite from Sky and friends, a man and a young person are walking down the street. ¡°Jun, why are we in Kigen? Andrea and Enmei are already here, there is no point in being here until the operation. The young person said, clearly not wanting to be around people. Their skin pale and their bracelet beeping before administering another dosage of blood into their body. The man let out a laugh before looking back towards them. ¡°Lighten up, Shigeri! It¡¯s called having fun.¡± The man said erratically. Shigeri let out a scoff while putting an earbud in their ear. ¡°Fun for you maybe¡­¡± they said under their breath. The duo continued to walk as they made their way to the Kigen Division Agency building. ¡°Looks like Andrea was right. The Agency building is only a few minutes away from Himeji by foot. Shigeri, can you manage to Veil this off?¡± Jun asked, planning something with a devious smile. Shigeri looked up to the building and closed their eyes, feeling the surrounding area. ¡°I could put a Veil over the Agency building, Koizumi wouldn¡¯t be inside on the day of the operation though.¡± Shigeri said, confident in their predictions. Jun looked up towards the building with his hand on his head, swaying back and forth with a smile on his face. ¡°That works just fine, Shigeri. We just need time, Koizumi would show up regardless. Let¡¯s ensure that it¡¯s just Koizumi searching though.¡± Jun said with a laugh. Shigeri looked up at Jun, tired of his antics already. A woman with dirty blonde hair walked up to the two, taking off her sunglasses. ¡°Andrea, the boy is the right target?¡± Jun asked the woman. ¡°Yes. I saw the second Spark and Enmei has confirmed it. Prep can begin for the operation on the 23<sup>rd</sup>.¡± Andrea said with a smile. Jun couldn¡¯t help but smile as he looked up towards the Agency building. Sky walked into his house after finally splitting with Ayumi and Akihiko. He couldn¡¯t contain his excitement as he walked up to his mother. ¡°Hi, sweetie! How was your day?¡± She asked, her comforting smile filling the room. He explained what happened before he showed her the light glow of energy around his hand. His mother¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the energy around her son¡¯s hand. She shakily lifted up her hand and took his hand into her own. She traced her thumb across his palm. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s so like his¡­¡± she said under her breath, her longing apparent. She wiped away a tear as she smiled at him, her own excitement finally starting to build. Sky couldn¡¯t help but notice her reaction, but he didn¡¯t pursue it. It must have been about his father. Sky and his family began to celebrate as they ate all together. They all conversed about their day and what they were all up to. Sky couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing that no matter what happened he always had his family at the end of the day. After dinner Sky went to his room upstairs, getting under his covers after prepping for bed. He finally planted his head on the pillow as he the happiness began to subside. He understood after the long day that he had experienced that his life has been permanently changed.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 8

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 8


    Sky woke up to his ringing alarm, the sound was piercing enough to have him get out of bed and begin to turn it off. He gazed down at his hands, looking at his energy that he had gotten the day prior, making sure that it really did happen, and he wasn¡¯t just dreaming. He let out a sigh as he allowed the energy to dissipate and began to get ready. He heard his phone buzz as he put on his blazer. It was a text from Akihiko, letting him know that he was informed of ¡®in the field¡¯ training. That¡¯s what he had heard from Galaxy at least. Sky was confused by what ¡®in the field¡¯ training could possibly entail, would Nova really set 15 year olds on Agency jobs? Now that he thought about it, she probably would. He let out a tired yawn before walking downstairs, not entirely looking forward to that possibility. He quickly ate his food before saying goodbye to his family. The route was becoming increasingly familiar to him as he made his way to Himeji. He was walking absentmindedly, the groups of people blurring together, they just became blobs to him in his tired trek towards Himeji. Before he could even realize it, he had bumped into someone. Reality all came back into view when he realized that he had bumped into a girl, he helped her up making sure that she¡¯s alright. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re¡­ Akiyama, right? You put on quite the show yesterday.¡± The girl with blond hair said. He realized it was one of the unfamiliar faces within his class. It was Kaede¡­ he thinks. He couldn¡¯t quite remember but he was at least confident that was her name. ¡°Yeah, it was eventful at the very least. Sorry for bumping into you again.¡± Sky said, apologizing. The two began to make their way towards the school, making light conversation on the way. ¡°Did you hear about the ¡®in the field¡¯ training? Kouka had brought it up to me, it sounds rough for only the second day of school.¡± Kaede said, her voice naturally quiet. Sky told her that he heard about it earlier, equally not excited about it. They began to theorize what could happen, would they really be allowed to perform Agency missions? It sounds crazy but it wasn¡¯t uncommon to see at least second years within Himeji perform missions for the Agency. They usually aren¡¯t the big jobs, such as a shadow outbreak or mafia activity, but they were jobs that required skill and talent. The more Sky had thought about it, the more he realized how truly talented you have to be to be in Himeji. It¡¯s dangerous, and most parents are only comfortable sending their children due to the fact that Nova Koizumi is the one teaching. Nova¡¯s abilities are truly unmatched, her reputation alone can allow Himeji¡¯s continued existence. Sky began to get nervous once again but he was able to keep it internalized, to not come off as weak in front of Kaede. The two crossed the front gates and met up with the rest of the students, splitting up into their respective squads. Sky looked towards Chiyoko, her expression is that of annoyance when she sees Sky arrive but there is truly nothing Sky can do about it right now. He¡¯ll make it up to her later. Ayumi gave Sky a silent but happy smile and wave as he arrived and stood next to her. Nova snapped her fingers once everyone was in place, quickly demanding full attention. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard already, but it¡¯s true. You all will be performing Agency jobs for the next week. There will be nothing that is an extreme risk to your life and I will be watching, but this is required to determine if all of you are suited for this work.¡± Nova explained with a voice that quickly projected across the courtyard. A male teacher walked up besides Nova, putting out his cigarette in the process. ¡°I will also be in the field along side you. Between Nova and I, we can protect all of you if things get really hairy.¡± He said, his voice sounding tired. Everyone looked at the man, some recognizing him, others like Sky not recognizing him immediately. He introduced himself as Dai, the teacher of the current second years. He was also high ranking among the Kigen Agency. Though he wasn¡¯t amongst the best of the best out of every kingdom he was certainly a capable fighter in his own right. Everyone looked on in nervous anticipation, waiting to hear what they would be doing for the next week. There had been activity of a new gang within the capital, we would be in charge of quelling the activity, especially of those of smaller crimes. Dai looked towards all the students before speaking once again. ¡°I hope you all are ready.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 9

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 9


    Everyone looked amongst themselves as Dai expressed his hopes for everyone¡¯s readiness. Sky had heard about Himeji students being used to stomp out gang activity and performing missions for the Agency but actually standing here about to be sent out for this was something that put nervousness within them all. This was the reason that the selection process was so straining and why all that paperwork was required, it was all starting to make sense to Sky. Nova put her hands together as she walked up in front of Dai. ¡°With that, we¡¯re off to the races! Good luck everyone. I will be keeping a close eye on you all.¡± She said with enthusiasm, the gaze from her golden yellow eyes striking through everyone. She put on her usual goofy smile as she clapped twice and suddenly disappeared, the air making a booming noise as the air rushed to fill the vacuum of where she had stood. Everyone was shaken up by the surge of air, besides Galaxy and Dai, who remained unfazed. Dai let out a sigh as he pulled a cigarette out of his back pocket and brought it to his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go, kids.¡± He said before lighting his cigarette and walking past everyone, out of the gate and into the capitol proper. Sky looked on with worry as he began to follow his team out of the gate. Dai handed one person from each team a map and a list of information that they would be patrolling, detailing what they should be looking out for as well. Sky looked down at the map that he was handed, his teammates surrounding him looking at it with him. It looked like that each team would take a different set of wards of the city, splitting up to cover more ground in more time. One by one each team began to leave the gate onwards towards their sectors. Before they knew it, Sky and his team were left alone. Chiyoko snatched the map and instructions out of Sky¡¯s hands to look at it closer. Sky looked at Chiyoko with a regretful expression, still feeling bad for the day prior. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Just follow and do what I say.¡± Chiyoko said, giving the cold shoulder to Sky. Ayumi got frustrated but before she could say anything Sky put his hand on her shoulder, signaling to her to just let it go. Kaminari began to walk past Chiyoko, not caring about her grievances. ¡°Just don¡¯t slow us down, rich girl.¡± Kaminari said in an uninterested tone. Chiyoko let out a scoff and began to follow. Sky and Ayumi looked at each other for a second and just let out a sigh before beginning to follow behind them both. As the team began to walk to their sector Ayumi decided to pierce the tension. ¡°Can we at least be told what exactly we should be on the lookout for? Mr. Dai had said that we are looking out for people in black masks, but is there anymore to go on?¡± She asked. Despite Chiyoko feeling upset, she couldn¡¯t deny that was smart to share. She pulled out the instructions once more and looked over them one last time while walking before she shared. ¡°We are to question and apprehend any persons that are wearing full face black masks with a white star upon it. That¡¯s what it says. It¡¯s some new gang coming to power in the business of selling O- blood. Disgusting, really.¡± Chiyoko explained. Sky looked towards Chiyoko with surprise. Kaminari cut in before he could say anything. ¡°Veinless blood, huh? Makes sense. Everyone needs it.¡± She said quickly and concisely. Sky looked down towards the sidewalk in thought. Veinless were always vitally important to the population, their blood was the only other blood that could be used in transfusions, most important for the most powerful part of the population. Getting a blood type that wasn¡¯t yours could cause conflict in Vein cells, destroying you from the inside. Sky was frustrated by the fact that these innocent people were being possibly kidnapped just because of their blood. He decided to just put the thought out of his head before he made himself more upset. The team had arrived at the first ward they were made to search. They began to move into alleyways and start their search. There were a few people, all suspicious but none were wearing the mask. It was eerie seeing this part of the city he grew up in. All of these people either doing shady things or struggling to survive. It was an ugly reality that he hated to gaze at. The group went through the entire ward but didn¡¯t run into a single person wearing the mask they were looking for. ¡°Ugh, we searched the entire ward. This sucks.¡± Chiyoko groaned in discontent. Kaminari told her to just deal with it as they moved towards the next ward. The tireless search began once again. Sky let out a yawn as he walked, stretching his arms. In the moment he accidentally bumped into a woman with dirty blonde hair, causing him to stumble. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He said embarrassed before he caught up with his group. The woman dismissed it as he walked off, smiling to herself as she walked into the crowd. When Sky caught up with his team Kaminari bumped his arm with her elbow. ¡°Nice one, Akiyama.¡± She teased. Even though he was being teased, he was pleased that Kaminari was actually interacting with him at all. Chiyoko stopped when she spotted something down an alleyway. ¡°There! Black mask with a white star!¡± She said before she started to sprint down the alley. Kaminari without missing a beat began to follow her. Ayumi and Sky who were caught off guard took a moment to process what was happening before also sprinting down the alley. The man with a black mask noticed the group running towards him and he began to flee. Throwing items down behind him to slow the chase. Chiyoko activated her Vein, the large aura emerging from her. She blasted the items out of the way with ice, her frustration evident. Kaminari with extreme athleticism used the ice to speed up her pursuit. She reached out her hand as she caught up to the man but at the last second he dove down towards the subway entrance. Kaminari cornered him upon the platform. The rest of the team caught up soon thereafter. Sky looked directly towards the man, his determination only growing. This was his first real test.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 10

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 10


    Sky stared directly through the man in the mask, their eyes meeting and the tension in the air growing with each passing second. The platform was silent, the line not running due to being shut down for the day. Everyone was tense, as if just waiting for the proverbial balloon to pop. As if right on cue, the platform announcement sent everyone into action, finally releasing the tension. The man in the mask allowing his Vein to roar to life as he moved with unbelievable speed towards a pillar upon the platform. Chiyoko was first to activate her Vein, attempting to cut off his escape routes. Kaminari was next and she was able to keep up with the masked man as jolts of electricity followed her. Before she was able to grab onto the masked man, she lost her balance due to Chiyoko¡¯s Vein frosting the platform tile, causing her to slide out of control. ¡°Oshiro! You¡¯re screwing us over too!¡± Kaminari yelled out in frustration as she smoothly corrected herself, sliding past the masked man. Chiyoko ignored her as she used the ice to slide towards the man but the look in his eyes looked manic as she approached him. He threw his arm to his side and caused the very shadows to jump up out of the ground and crash into Chiyoko. She managed to bring her arms up to block the worst of the attack but her aura was shattered and her Vein was turned off as she was sent into the wall with extreme force. Rocketing in from behind her came Sky, who with a boost from Ayumi was sent flying towards the masked man. The masked man was about to easily dodge but he began to be pulled towards Sky, Ayumi using her Vein to form a vacuum to suck the man forwards. Sky readied his newly energy filled punch and threw it towards the masked man. The masked man brought up his arm to block the punch best he can, letting out a groan as the punch connected. He quickly counter attacked, throwing a punch of his own knocking Sky back. Sky landed on his hands and springboarded towards him with a kick, landing firmly in the masked man¡¯s abdomen. The masked man let out a pained groan as Kaminari came in from behind forming basic staff out of light. She took a swing towards the masked man connecting with his arm, launching him across the train platform. ¡°Himura!¡± Sky yelled out, holding his hand out towards her. She understood and threw the staff towards Sky as he ran towards the masked man, his confidence growing as the encounter continued. Kaminari followed up with Sky, forming another staff out of light and flanking his other side. The masked man looked up, his anger evident even under the mask. ¡°Enough. I tire of this.¡± He said, his voice was low and menacing. He grabbed the staves, one with each hand without much effort. They break into motes of light as Sky and Kaminari look on in surprise. A wave of shadow erupts from the man, forcing Sky and Kaminari to hold up their arms to attempt to protect themselves from the onslaught. Sky was grabbed by the neck and lifted up off the ground by the masked man. Sky winced in pain as he grabbed onto the masked man¡¯s forearm. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what she sees in you, boy. Count your blessings, you will leave here alive, however broken you might be.¡± He spoke before he threw Sky straight into the wall in front of him. Kaminari looked back as she yelled his name before also swiftly being knocked into a nearby pillar. Ayumi launched a ball of wind directly towards the man, causing him to stumble backwards a bit. Ayumi quickly pulled out her phone, calling the number that was on the map earlier. ¡°Dai! Get here quick! We found one, but he¡¯s going to incapacitate us at this rate!¡± She yelled into the phone before hanging up and gathering a big gust of wind and creating a wall of wind. The masked man put his arm up at the force of the wind, but he didn¡¯t budge. The force of the shadows meeting the wind in equal measure. As Ayumi is struggling, Chiyoko gets up and activates her Vein once more. ¡°You¡¯re dead asshole!¡± Chiyoko yelled out as the temperature on the platform quickly dropped. The wall of wind began to toss shards of ice as Chiyoko walked forward. Ayumi looked over at Chiyoko, surprised at her willingness to combine attacks with her. ¡°It¡¯s just a byproduct. It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± She scoffs before she summoned multiple icicles around the masked man and had them all fall upon his location. Ayumi dropped the wall of wind and formed a vortex instead around Chiyoko, allowing her to chill it to absolute zero. Chiyoko yelled out to fire towards the man and without hesitation Ayumi fired it all off towards the masked man. A chilled fog obscured the point of impact. Both Chiyoko and Ayumi begin to breathe harder due to the exertion of energy they were putting forth. A rush of shadow cut through the fog and went straight for Ayumi. Chiyoko attempted to raise a wall of ice to block the attack but all it did was dull the impact. Ayumi was knocked back towards the stairs leading out of the platform, lying unconscious. Sky, who had the least amount of reinforcement, stood up. His energy dull but still present. He walked up beside Chiyoko as they both looked towards the man. There was silent camaraderie as they both got into a fighting stance, staring down the masked man who had shadow pouring out from his body like a raging storm. This fight was only getting started.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 11

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 11


    Sky¡¯s breath shook as he raised up his fists to once again confront the masked man, Chiyoko¡¯s exhausted demeanor and aura shrinking keeping him company. Sky was honestly terrified, and he could tell that Chiyoko was too. Even though he was terrified, the growing desire to keep his team safe was what kept him going. He didn¡¯t care what happened to him, he could be beaten down until it was hard to even recognize him, but he would keep fighting until his last breath. The masked man¡¯s silver eyes bore into Sky in particular, the wave of shadows emanating from him growing in strength. Sky and Chiyoko brought their arms up to shield themselves from the onslaught. Sky¡¯s eyes widened as the figure was suddenly standing in front of him with his arm raised for a brutal gut punch. The masked man was there coming out of a wave of shadow directly in front of Sky, prepared to launch him through the roof of the train platform. It¡¯s like everything slowed down around Sky as the punch moved in on him. Chiyoko¡¯s face of shock spoke more than any words could as she lifted up her arm and tried reaching for Sky. He did his best to move out of the way, doing whatever he could to avoid the devastating punch. Though it was close, Sky managed to barely avoid the punch, the knuckles of the masked man grazing Sky¡¯s chin. The force of the punch being sent directly into the roof of the train platform, causing multiple lights to go out. The masked man was clearly surprised by Sky¡¯s dodge to where he was caught off guard by Chiyoko¡¯s ice wall of spikes, some of the spikes managing to pierce his arm, causing him to bleed. The masked man let out a grunt of pain, the first break in his icy exterior. Sky took advantage of the situation after catching himself from his stumbling backwards, launching himself forward with his right arm readied. The face of determination on his face even after the complete shock of being nearly killed on the spot. His fist was surrounded by the now familiar red sparks, he landed his punch directly into the masked man¡¯s face, the power of the Spark piercing his Vein¡¯s aura and landing directly. Sky put all of his weight into the punch as the red lightning from the reached the roof and sending the masked man into the wall across the tracks, the impact of the punch burning away Sky¡¯s right sleeve up to his forearm. The red lightning produced from the Spark soon began to flow elegantly, as if turning to water, and flowed directly into Sky. Some of his injuries begin to heal, soothing his exhaustion from his earlier damage. Chiyoko looked pained by seeing Sky land yet another Spark, once again outperforming her but now was not the time to be thinking about this. The masked man stood up from the rubble, not being even close to being taken out of commission but having sustained actual damage. The left corner of his mask had broken and fell away, revealing his snow-white hair and left silver eye even better. ¡°So this is why she¡¯s interested in you! It¡¯s all starting to make sense now!¡± The masked man says, his tone happy as he cracked his knuckles. Sky and Chiyoko looked at him confused before looking at each other for a moment. Sky kept his guard up as he raised his fists once more. ¡°What do you people even want! I haven¡¯t even met you before today! Why are you so interested in me!¡± Sky yelled out, getting frustrated by the events of today. The masked man let out a laugh as he loosened his tie. ¡°My lady would be extremely disappointed in me if I let out the secret to soon.¡± He said as he brought up a finger up to the bottom of his mask, producing a shushing motion. Chiyoko growing frustrated as well threw her arm to the side. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! You can¡¯t be just a normal gang! Your interest in some unremarkable Veinless boy makes no sense!¡± She yelled out in frustration, unable to contain what she had been thinking herself recently. Sky glanced over at Chiyoko, but he couldn¡¯t deny what she was saying. It was true that this man¡¯s sudden interest in him was too odd to be a coincidence. The mention of this ¡®lady¡¯ was also sending his mind into a spiral. ¡°Never take your eyes off your opponent, boy!¡± The masked man yelled out as he came out of the shadows in front of Sky and grabbed him by the neck. Sky dangled in his hand as he attempted to struggle in his grasp. Chiyoko sent out more icicles, all rocketing towards the masked man. The masked man looked over at Chiyoko, malice in his eyes as his Vein activated. The icicles were all caught out of the air by tendrils of shadow and broken. ¡°Not again, princess.¡± The masked man said before sending a huge wave of shadow towards Chiyoko. She attempted to dodge, freezing the ground to slide but she was caught by one of the waves and launched across the platform, her Vein aura dissipating as she was launched out of it. The masked man looked back up at Sky, still struggling within his grasp. ¡°And then there was one. My lady did specifically ask to not kill you. She had hoped this little altercation would have awoken something within you, but alas, you are not ready.¡± The masked man spoke as Sky began to lose consciousness. In his last-ditch effort, Sky swung his legs back and forth and kicked the masked man¡¯s torso with both of his legs, causing him to stumble backwards and drop Sky. He dropped to the ground and began to breathe heavily for air and slowly lift himself back up. ¡°You people are insane!¡± He yelled out, his voice raspy due to the lack of air. Sky looked towards the masked man with anger, he had to keep his team safe. They had all done something to help him in this fight and he would be damned if he was going to let this masked lunatic make their efforts go to waste. Sky looked onwards with new-found resilience, prepared to stall for as long as he must for Dai to get here.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 12

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 12


    Without even a moment to spare, the masked man rushed Sky, appearing from his shadow and landing a punch. Sky brought up his arms to block the punch best he can, but he was launched upwards, through the subway entrance and out onto the street. Sky barely landed on his feet as he stumbled back, clearly winded. ¡°Run! Get out of the way!¡± Sky yelled out as he threw out his arm, warning the surrounding citizenry. Despite the confused populace, screams began to ring out as the masked man came launching out of the subway entrance, shadow coating his arm as he readied a slam. Sky barely managed to get out of the way as the conglomerate of shadow came crashing down towards him, Sky took this opportunity to land a punch of his own. The masked man let out a chuckle as he stumbled back slightly, the shadow that was attached to his arm dissipating into a shadowy mist. ¡°Well done, boy! Thrive in the light of the Spark!¡± the masked man yelled out as he continued his assault against Sky. The barrage was beginning to overwhelm him, causing him to stumble more and more, his arms getting bruised from the merciless onslaught. Sky¡¯s thoughts raced as he tried to keep up with what little energy he had, his reinforcement barely able to keep his arms from being completely shattered. He just had to survive a little bit longer, just a little longer. He misjudged a single movement and took a gut punch directly, sending him flying backwards. He hit the ground roughly, his energy just barely managing to once again keep his bones from being shattered. Despite this gargantuan blow, he attempted to lift himself up off the ground, spitting up blood. He looked up towards the masked man walking towards him, breathing deeply. He lift himself up to his legs, barely keeping himself up. The masked man picked up Sky by the collar, lifting him up off the ground. ¡°Is that all you can do? What happened to the boy that managed to break my mask? That managed to land a Spark? Show me what my lady sees in you!¡± He threatened. Sky gripped his arm, quickly growing tired of this growing trend. Sky grabbed onto the masked man¡¯s neck in return and lift himself up, surprising the masked man and causing his grip to falter for even just a moment. Once Sky felt himself begin to drop, he lift up both his legs and launched them into the masked man¡¯s stomach, causing Sky to jump backwards. The two men both began to breathe deeply, trying to catch their breaths. Sky wiped the blood from his mouth as he looked back at the masked man. ¡°I¡¯m getting really sick of you people already. This is my second goddamn day!¡± Sky yelled out, his voice hoarse due to the battering he has received. The masked man lift up his arms, laughing echoing through the streets as the alarms began to near on their location. Sky felt like he was able to breathe for just a moment, knowing that the help he¡¯s been stalling for was nearing. ¡°Looks like our time is up, boy. We will be keeping our eye on you <i>closely.</i>¡± He spoke as he began to melt into his shadows. Sky felt the world slow once again as he saw the masked man threaten to get away. He began to run forward and with a leap forward he managed to tackle the masked man and interrupting his getaway. Sky readied his arm for a punch on the downed man but was interrupted by being launched backwards by a torrent of shadows. The masked man quickly righted himself and expected to retaliate with another strike before escaping, but saw Sky being held up by a gruff looking man. ¡°Good job, kid. This situation was clearly more than you kids could handle.¡± The man said as he righted Sky up onto his feet. Sky looked up with his heavy-lidded eyes and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Dai, he had finally managed to make it. The masked man let out a scoff as both he and Dai activated their Veins, the world suddenly being plunged into darkness. Sky looked around shocked, only able to make out Dai, due to touching him. ¡°Oshiro isn¡¯t the only one with a Projection-type Vein.¡± Dai spoke, the slightest smirk played on his lips. He let go of Sky and he was suddenly left in darkness and was dazed. The masked man quickly began to look around, also surrounded in darkness, searching for his new enemy. A single streak of red moved around the darkness and despite the masked man sending out his shadows, he wasn¡¯t able to connect with anything. Dai suddenly appeared and landed a swift strike on the masked man, sending him backwards. ¡°A high-profile man such as yourself making an appearance? How kind of you.¡± The masked man spoke, sarcasm filling his voice. He lifted up his hands, the smirk under his mask apparent despite not being able to see it. ¡°You will see more of us, I assure you.¡± He coyly chuckled as he melted into his shadows, truly getting away this time. Dai scoffed as his Vein dissipated, restoring light to the nearby area. Sky shocked by the sudden exposure to light began to look around to get his bearings. ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Sky asked, his exhaustion beginning to set in. Dai walked over to Sky and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You need to tell me everything. Where are your teammates.¡± Dai asked. Nearby atop a nearby building, the masked man appeared from his shadows, a hooded woman there to greet him already. ¡°There you are, Moros! He¡¯s real interesting, ain¡¯t he?¡± She asked as she clapped her gloved hands together. The masked man brought up his hand to his mask and took it off, smiling coyly as he looked down at the street. His pure white hair falling to frame his face naturally and his silver eyes peering down at the street where he had left Sky. ¡°You were right, my lady. He was very interesting, indeed.¡± Moros said, his smirk growing, giving a foreboding feeling.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 13

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 13


    Sky kneeled down and did his best to lift Ayumi, carrying her up and out of the subway. He placed her down on one of the emergency cots that had been set up with the arrival of the police. Dai had come up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Your resilience is truly like no other.¡± The gruff man said to Sky, his voice outlined with regret. ¡°He went easy on me. He was playing with me the entire time.¡± Sky said, looking down at his unconscious teammates on the emergency cots. Dai looked down at Sky, just letting out a sigh. ¡°This was my fault; this group was of a higher threat level than the agency had marked them as.¡± Dai explained. Sky didn¡¯t respond to what he said, his body hurt too much to even bother. ¡°Where did Ms. Koizumi go?¡± Sky asked, still looking down at his teammates. Dai put a hand on his head as he let out another sigh, grabbing a cigarette and lighting it as a response. ¡°She alerted me to something that she had to take care of immediately. It¡¯s been radio silence since then.¡± Dai explained once again. Sky just let out a sigh, his exhaustion catching up with him. He began to lose balance, but Dai caught him, trying to keep Sky up on his feet. Dai had a look of concern on his face, one that wasn¡¯t usual for a man like him, but it showed that even this jaded man still cared for his students. ¡°Come on, kid¡­ you can¡¯t go fainting on me like that.¡± He said, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and tossing it. Sky was struggling to stay awake, his body hurting so bad that it had gone numb. He was eventually able to straighten himself out and stand back up, but it was an uphill battle. He had never exerted himself like that, had to fight for his survival like that. He knew his life wasn¡¯t in any danger if the masked man was to be believed but he knew that his opponent was prepared to break him. As Sky was lost in thought, he heard some of his classmates arriving. He peered to the left, that action alone hurting like hell. He saw Akihiko and his team run towards him, getting through the barricade of police. ¡°Sky!? Are you alright!?¡± Akihiko yelled out as he ran up to Sky. His voice full of worry for his friend as he looked at how beaten and bloodied he was. Even Galaxy was concerned as she looked at Sky and then down at his unconscious teammates. Despite how much he hurt, Sky turned his head and smiled. His eye lids heavy but his smile is genuine. ¡°Nothing a little rest won¡¯t fix¡± Sky said, trying to be strong in front of people he considered better than himself. Akihiko put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Come on, man. You don¡¯t gotta act strong.¡± He said, still concerned. Sky assured him that he was fine, trying not to cause any trouble. Akihiko knew he was fighting an up-hill battle and eventually just gave up. Miyuki, the girl with pure white hair and silver eyes, looked at Sky, her face not showing any discernible emotion, but she stared at Sky as if she would burn holes through him. She closed her eyes for a moment and eventually turned around and walked off into the crowd, not saying what she wanted to say. As Sky, Akihiko, and Galaxy had a conversation they were interrupted by Nova appearing out of nowhere. ¡°Sorry that I¡¯m late everyone!¡± She said as if she was late to a party instead of late to saving Sky and his team. She put a hand on Sky¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°I heard you did good! Good Job.¡± She congratulated him as she poured an energy into him, healing his injuries to the point that he didn¡¯t hurt while breathing. Sky looked up at her with confusion. ¡°Where did you go? You said you were going to help us!¡± He said, his voice displaying his hurt. Nova closed her eyes for a moment and then looked back at him with a serious look. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll tell you where I was, alright?¡± She said with an almost motherly smile.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    To Be Continued

 Chapter 14

    Midnight Arcadia


    Chapter 14


    Nova looked down from her position from in the sky, having just sent her class on a search for the rumors of the new gang activity. She smiled confidently as she saw their distinctive energies move throughout the city. Her diligent watch was interrupted when her phone began to buzz, rolling her eyes at the annoyance. She swiped and brought the phone to her ear. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m busy.¡± She spoke to the person over the phone, her passive aggressive tone clear. ¡°Come now, Koizumi. That¡¯s no way to greet a friend.¡± The man said from the other side of the line. Nova¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she began to focus on the conversation more. ¡°One? It¡¯s rare to get a call from you. What is it? Must be important.¡± Nova said to the man, seemingly called One. Her tone took on an immediate serious tint as she spoke. ¡°There has been a breach in Usan¡¯s wall. We haven¡¯t yet determined the cause. Grade 1 Shadows are entering the perimeter. You and I must defend while the breach is patched.¡± One said, his tone serious and quick to the point. Nova looked at her phone as if she could hardly believe what she had just heard. She let out a sigh as she brought the phone back up to her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± She spoke into the phone before hanging up and putting it away. She brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed them as if this major breach to humanity¡¯s safety was a minor annoyance. She looked down at the city streets, looking for her students¡¯ energies. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you even realize I¡¯m gone.¡± She said with a confident smirk as she clasped her hands together, teleporting to the breach in the neighboring kingdom of Usan. She walked toward the translucent barrier, looking like it had been shattered like glass. She walked up to where an emergency agency team had been deployed and there, she saw the man she was speaking to earlier. She put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Wearing a suit to this is just like you, One.¡± She said as a joke, the smile on her face was not taking the situation seriously. One looked over his shoulder and played a smirk of his own as he turned to see her. ¡°And it¡¯s very like you to not take any of this seriously, Koizumi.¡± One said, his voice was intimidating and clear. The two looked past the barricade that had been set up and out into the almost endless grassy plain beyond the barrier outside of Usan. The shadowy humanoid creatures stumble around outside and slowly being drawn to the opening. Their beady yellow eyes looking around frantically. ¡°Ugly things, don¡¯t you think?¡± One said, his wine-red eyes looking at the creatures that are the unfortunate literal shadow of humanity. Nova looked at them herself and just scrunched up her face in disgust. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with so the crew can deal with patching this.¡± She said, getting more annoyed with the situation by the minute. She jumped highly over the barricade and agents keeping it up and walked out of the barrier, the Shadows all looking toward her way. Their inhuman screeches sounded, as if activating the pack they began to sprint towards Nova, running on all fours in a horde. Nova smirked, her golden eyes peering directly into the creatures. She held up a finger, all the air within the area converging at a point and collapsing in on itself, forming a small star. The high-pitched hum of the star as it floated above Nova¡¯s finger only served to anger the horde even more. She lowered her finger towards the horde and within a bright flash and streak of light the star was launched at terminal velocity into the horde, killing many of the creatures immediately. She chuckled at her accomplishment before her Vein truly sparked to life. Using her complete control over gravity, she lifted up what was left of the horde and strained her hand, causing them to all be stuck into a ball. She looked over her shoulder with her smile peering into the distance. ¡°Want some of the fun, One? You can have this batch if you want.¡± She said, One walking up behind her with a smile of his own. ¡°You really know how to turn anything into a game, don¡¯t you? Privileges of being apart of the strongest, I suppose.¡± He said with a chuckle and as he lifted up a hand, caressing the outline of the ball of Shadows through his view. His wine-red eyes flashed cobalt blue for just a moment as suddenly the horde of Shadows were silenced. Their screeching no longer piercing the eardrums of the nearby personnel working on the barrier. Nova looked over at One, as if she felt something for just a moment, her face getting serious for just a moment. She collapsed her hand into a fist, crushing the remains of the Shadows under extreme gravity before releasing it, showering the grassy plains in a purple mist. ¡°You say that like you aren¡¯t the strongest too, One. It¡¯s your namesake after all. Mr. ¡®Number One rated Agent with the Agency¡¯.¡± Nova said as she put a hand on his shoulder, beginning to walk back towards the barrier. ¡°Was that a hint of jealousy from the great Koizumi? I figured you didn¡¯t care about being rated number 2?¡± He said, lightly teasing Nova. Nova let out a laugh. ¡°As if! I don¡¯t care about that; I know my strength.¡± She said with a wink. The two walked back into the confines of the barrier, the team making good work on closing the breach. Despite no threats being present in the immediate vicinity, Nova and One had to stay to keep guard, much to Nova¡¯s annoyance. She tapped her foot as she watched the breach get smaller and smaller until finally the translucent barrier was finally closed, reformed to its full glory. ¡°Finally! If you¡¯ll excuse me, I <i>really</i> need to get back to my students.¡± Nova said as she clasped her hands together and teleporting away, leaving One and the team at the barrier. One smiled to himself as he looked up at the barrier. ¡°What a person you are, Nova Koizumi.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    To Be Continued