《Archangels of War》


 Chapter 1: Magic Forest

    "Are we there yet?" Kami complained from behind me. It was the 5th time she had asked me in the past ten minutes and it was really starting to tick me off. I thought I''d get used to her whining by now, but then again, I also thought that she would grow out of her whining habits years ago. I stopped in my tracks suddenly, causing Kami to run into me. "Hey, at least give a heads up before you do something like that-"


    "Kami, I already told you that were traveling through the ''Magic Forest''. As soon as you heard that you should''ve known that this was going to be a long journey. Not to mention it''s only been five minutes since you last asked me that, did you really expect a different answer?" I scolded her like I had many times before. Just like always she turned her head away from me, crossing her arms together.


    "Yeah, well it''s not exactly my fault that were going through the magic forest in the first place. You do know that Theta Magic Academy has a front door, right?" She kicked a rock away, so hard that it lodged itself in the tree. "They do have a culture for being very receptive, besides we''re literally students attending the school. What did you think they were going to do to us, shoot us on sight?"


    I sighed, already tired of this conversation. "Kami, you of all people should know that we''re not the type of people that go through front doors." With that, I picked up my pace, hoping to escape this pointless conversation and my sisters nagging. However, to my disappointment my sister kept up with me, stride for stride, bickering along the way.


    "Do you know how much of a commotion it''s going to cause to be seen going through the back way? You do know why Theta magic academy is surrounded by this forest don''t you. We''ll be lucky if they don''t, shoot us on sight." I ignored my sister, quickening my pace even more until I was way ahead of her. The terrain I ran across was covered in red and orange leaves that crunched under my feet at every step. The massive redwood trees around me blocked out the sun completely. Unlike average redwood trees that rise to around 200-300 feet, these trees rose to nearly 500 meters. The trees were so tall that barley any sunlight was able to pass through, making it extremely dark, even during the day. During the night hours it was pitch black, so dark you couldn''t even see your own hand directly in front of your face. I vaulted over a massive piece of fallen wood, easily almost six feet tall. Probably just a branch. I thought to myself as I continued to run. "Hey bro! Wait up!" I heard Kami shout as she clambered over the trunk sized stick. I ignored her.


    Dodging past another tree, I closed my eyes, homing in my magic sense. Everything that has life has magic, making it so that they can be sensed. the more powerful the being, the larger their magical aura will be. As soon as I closed my eyes, the magical Aura of the trees was so large and overwhelming I was able to paint a near perfect picture of the scene in front of me, allowing me to dodge and weave trunks and sticks even with my eyes closed. One thing I had noticed about the Magical Aura and energy of the forest was that every single tree, leaf, stick and piece of bark seemed to have the same amount of magical energy. Almost like someone had gone to every single object and distributed an equal amount of magical energy to them. This fact gave the forests magical aura a very monotone, but at the same time, peaceful feel.


    That''s what made it so easy to notice what happened next. To my left, a massive amount of Magical energy had been displaced. It seemed that all the magical energy in a 140-meter radius was being funneled into one point. Through my magic sense, Objects started to wink out, their magical energy being sucked out. "Kami! On your guard!" I shouted to my sister. Not needing me to explain any more, Kami Froze, closing her eyes as well. "You feel that." I asked.


    Kami nodded. "Someones charging up a magic spell, and a pretty powerful one at that, seeing as how their drawing magical energy from the forest and the air." I nodded.


    "Can you discern what type of magic spell it is."


    Kami glared at me. "Really, a test, out her, in the middle of the forest." I didn''t respond. With a sigh, Kami answered the question, "It''s hard to discern from over her, but from what I can glean from the magical aura concentration and shape, its probably a grade B, no A, wind type spell." She opened her eyes and gave me a annoyed glance. "Proud of yourself, brother?"


    "Of course, what kind of brother would I be if I didn''t take every opportunity to train and quiz his little sister." I replied in an arrogant tone. Then, I turned my attention to the Wind spell forming to my left. Grade a, that''s no joke of a spell. The wind pressure in the area had lowered, and the wind had calmed down. That was a telltale sign that a high level wind spelled was about to be launched. As soon as the fores had reached its quietest moment, I held out my hand and Kami took a step behind me. In front of me, a bright blinding light flashed vaporizing everything in front of me, trees, leaves, sticks, and branches. The spell made direct contact with my hand and pushed against it in a warring clash. I closed my hand, completely canceling out the spell, all the wind that was blowing a second ago, vanishing. My Sister long Jet-black hair fell downwards, her dress straightening out as well. In front of me. Every single living and nonliving thing had been completely vaporized out of existence. The spell has left a large trail of destroyed ground and unearth dirt. All leading towards one point.


    A massive beast, nearly 20 feet tall and almost as wide as the trunk of the trees faced us from the other side of the vaporized portion of forest. It was covered in scratches and wounds that twitched and glowed a bright green every time it took a breath. Its eyes glowed bright red and saliva dripped from the monsters Jaws. It was like a massive bear. "A magical beast." Both me and my sister said at the same time. I glanced at her.


    "Jinx. You owe me a Soda." Was all she said.


    I held my right hand in front of me, opening my palm to analyze it. An orb of green magic revolved in my hand. Kami peaked over my shoulder. "So, you didn''t cancel out the magic spell, you absorbed it instead? How is that possible, when you closed your hands, the wind was dispelled, like you had canceled it out. " She asked in confusion.


    "Not exactly." I replied, Begin to take steps toward the magical beasts. "Magic spells have a total output power, on a scale from 0-100%. 1% being the weakest output a spell could have, and 100% being the highest. The wind spell that beast used was around a 90 percent spell. So I canceled out forty percent of the spell, and absorbed the other fifty percent of the spell."


    Kami gave me another annoyed glance. "Your turning this into another learning session? While we''re on the topic then, that must have meant you were able to analyze the beasts magic sequence?"


    "Activating a magic spell works like programming a robot. To initiate the spell, or start the robot, you need to have lines of code telling it what to do. Same thing with a Magic Sequence. A line of code that passes through the brain, detailing exactly what is needed to activate the spell. Every time you learn a new spell, that spell''s Magic sequence is stored in your hippocampus permanently, to be drawn from and used at any time. The more times you use a spell, the faster you can process its magic sequence. Depending on the strength of the spell and a magician''s mastery of said spell, some of the most skilled magicians can release spells in-"


    "Less than a second." Kami finished for me. "So, what you''re saying is that this magic sequence is one that you''re unfamiliar with?"


    "No, I have this spell''s magic sequence memorized already." I noticed my sister, confused expression and began to explain further. "Magic sequences can be layered onto of each other. Only advanced magicians can do so it, but it allows you to combine multiple different spells. For example,", I pointed towards the magical beast that had slowly began to approach. "The spell that beast used was a wind spell, combined with an acceleration spell for speed, and an incineration spell to burn up everything the wind touched. That''s what I picked up when I analyzed the spell a few seconds ago."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Kami nodded. "I get that, and now I finally understood why you felt the need to absorb the monsters spell. You wanted to analyze the spell so you could figure out its exact activation sequence, so you could use the exact same spell against the beast. I also understand that the reason why you absorbed only fifty percent was so you could combine it with 50% of your own magic to create a spell with a 100% mixed output, although you could have chosen any combination amount."


    "Spot on." I replied, impressed by her analyzation skills.


    "However, brother I do see one problem with your idea." I raised an eyebrow. "Your spell wouldn''t come in at 100 percent, as your portion of energy output wouldn''t be at its strongest, seeing as you don''t have a wand to maximize your potential."


    I came to a stop, smiling outwardly. The magical beast let out a low growl beginning to circle around us. "Congratulations, you passed sister." I pointed a finger gun towards the magical beast, starting to activate the spell. "However, seeing as this is a new spell, I''m going to need time to process the magic sequence. Could I request your help?"


    Kami moved to stand next to me, a blue aura of magic forming around her, chilling the air, and freezing the ground beneath her. "Tsk, Tsk. You really are hopeless without me brother." She extended her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, to columns of ice shaped like dragon heads shot up from the ground, flying towards the beast. The beast dodged out of the way, but with another flick of her hand, Kami changed the direction of the dragon, catching the best by its legs and neck. Dragging it across the ground, Kami flicked her hand once more and raised the beasts thrashing body into the air.


    I raised my finger at the best, a green magical aura flowing around my hand. "Hallow Wind Scythe." I launched the spell, a blinding flash a bright light the only thing in front of me. When the spell reached the end of its duration, all that was left was the burned ground and shards of icicles. There was no sign of the beast.


    "Well then, I''d say that that was a successful lesson."


    Theta Magic Academy was as large as a castle and just as grand as one as well. Spiraling peaks and staircases that seemed to touch the sky. Large battlements surround the Academy. Diamonds and rubies were placed all around the castle rising peaks and battlements. The Academy was a mixture of white, striped with gold, sparkling with Jewels, and the peaks of the building colored red. Even from the hill me and my sister stood on, Theta Magic Academy towers above us, nearly blocking out the sun. There was a long winding gravel path that winded up the hill the magic academy stood upon. From where I stood, I could feel the magical energy being emitted from the barrier that surrounded the school. As we walked up the path, I picked up the stone, chucking it towards the barrier, using a wind spell to propel it. As soon as the stone made contact with the barrier, it was deleted from existence, burning away so quickly that I couldn''t even see the ashes. "Do you have any plan on how we''re actually going to get into the school." My sister asked.


    I stretched my arms wide yawning, my legs burning from the long journey. Even through the night, we never stopped moving, using flame spells to illuminate our way. "Have I ever not had a plan before?" I replied scanning around the hill. To my left, I picked up the nearly imperceptible sound of a foot crunching on grass. I followed with my eyes, and noticed a bush shake slightly. I sighed, letting out a breath I had been holding in for the past few seconds, Turning back to face the path, I had looked back just in time to see the path open into a large meadow, sprinkled with Tsubaki, and Camellia flowers. Just pass the meadow, the golden gates and golden arches of the schools back entranced loomed ahead, shining in the sunlight. Along the arch that hung above the gate, were words made up of gemstones that read, "Magical Academy for the Gifted." "If this is the back, imagine the front." I muttered to myself.


    Just a few meters before you reached the gate to enter through the back, the Barrier began. From how close we were standing, we could feel the power of the magical barrier. It was so strong, even walking took more of an effort than it should. The barrier emitted so much magical power, I could visibly see it, a bright white wall crackling and fizzling with energy. I reached out my hand, and upon contact with the barrier, the palm of my hand burning upon contacting, causing a fizzling sound to be made as the barrier cracked and pooped with energy. Trails of smoke rose form my fingers into the air If I hadn''t used a defense spell to protect my hand it would have been vaporized out of existence. As I began to step back from the barrier, five guards surrounded me holding daggers to my neck, throat, stomach, back, and one stood in front of the barrier, pointing a gun to my head. Instantly I looked around an noticed multiple other people hiding in the meadow.


    "Hands up, and do not move!" I complied without any problems, knowing I was outnumbered. "Don''t move, explain what your doing here."


    Keeping my hands up, and making sure not to make any sudden moves, I pulled out the student Id that hung from my neck. "Me and my sister are students official recognized by the school. We have identification and everything." I stood completely still as the officer with the gun moved up to grab my Id. He seemed to be the highest in command, he was just as tall as me, and dressed in a black version of the uniform I wore. Pants, a dress shirt, and a long black cloak. Ginger hair covered his black shades, but I could feel his gaze burning a hole through my head.


    "Raiden Chisaki." The officer said, pulling out a device from his pocket that he used to scan my ID. After a few seconds, he looked back up, instantly drawing his pistol and pressing it right against my forehead. I heard Kami gasp in fear behind me, as officers closed in on her as well. "The database does recognize you, however," He pressed the pistol deeper into my forehead. "I have a hard time believing any competent student accepted into one of the 7 grand magic academies would do something this idiotic. What is your motive, non-magician!" He spat those last words out like venom.


    "Hey! Step away from him!" I heard Kami shout. I felt a chill in the air, and a rise of magic power coming from behind me. Slowly, I stretched my hand out completely, barring Kami from trying to move forward. I looked at her from the corner of my eyes.


    "Stand down Kami, no need to get yourself shot." I looked back towards the man holding a gun to my head. "I assume that your the captain of the defense force here?" I ventured, maintaining eye contact with him. I heard the flick of the safety being switched off, his hand hovering over the trigger.


    "I''m the one asking the questions here, if you know what''s good for you, you''ll answer." The air behind me had become below freezing, the magical energy building up to its climax. I sighed, knowing it was only a second before Kami reached her climax and froze everything in the area. She always had a bad habit of getting mad on my behalf.


    "Seeing as how you are the defense force captain, I''m sure you can get in direct contact with a member of administration or the student council, than I''m sure we can squash this once and for all." The captain made no move to remove the gun that was pointed at my forehead, but instead, used his other hand to reach for something in his pocket when a soft but stern voice from behind stopped him.


    "Yuri Hanami, put that gun down immediately." Behind him, a girl of nearly the same height stood in front o the back gate of the school. The sun shone brightly on her golden skin, and her hair flowed in the wind, a jet black color. She walked down hill towards us. The defense force captain, or Yuri, instantly holstered his pistol and bowed.


    "Hello madam president." I looked over in shock. So, this was the student council president? She was undeniably beautiful and carried an aura of friendliness and power. I could tell Kami was just as shocked as me due to the fluctuation of her magical energy, and the fact that the temperature slowly began to lower. The security guards that had previously surrounded me with their weapons drawn moved away, lowering themselves into a bow. Kami and I followed suit.


    "No, no. That isn''t necessary whatsoever." The student council president said quickly, motioning for all of us to rise. "Here, in this school, we are all equal, there is no need to bow to anyone no matter the status." Interesting. I thought to myself before straightening up and giving the student council president a smile. "My name is Raiden Chisaki, and this is my sister, Kami Chisaki. I do apologize dearly for what had happened here, we''re foreign exchange students and we were told that the only way to get to Theta Magic Academy was through the magical forest." That was a half-truth half-lie.


    The president waved it off. "You took a journey through the magic forest and came through relatively unscathed. It would be ridiculous for me to assume that you aren''t someone qualified enough to attend this magic academy. And once again, I do apologize for Hamani''s actions." She turned and motion for us to head inside with her. "Come, I only think it''s fair that I myself give you a personal tour myself."

 Chapter 2: Theta Magic Academy

    The halls of Theta Magic Academy could pass for the halls of a grand palace, fit for the king of Japan. The walls rose high, and curved into arches, decorated gold and silver with gems and multicolored ribbons that draped from the top and hung above us. Each separate hall had its own hanging chandelier that dominated the hallway, doing its job to illuminate the entire hallway all on its own. It was made out of pure crystal that allowed you to see through it and see the glowing balls of fire that acted as the light source. The Academies main lobby could pass for an entire ballroom on its own, large and decorated with statues of the school founders. In the center of the lobby, was a pair of winding staircases that twisted around each other, leading to the second floor of the building. The lobby itself branched off into multiple different passages, each marked with a name. One was titled, "Dining Area." Another, "Magical Classrooms." "Engineering Branch" "Extracurricular" And one that particularly caught my interest, was one titled, "Student Evaluation." As we walked through the large lobby, to the student evaluation corridor, the student council president, whose name we had found out to be Suijin Hajimoto, explained to us the history and origin of all these things.


    "I regret that I can''t show you throughout the entire school, however, I do have to give a speech for the opening ceremony, I hope you understand."


    I nodded. "No worries here, if anything, I should be the one apologizing for causing you this hassle of having you walk me to the auditorium."


    To my right, the defense force captain, Yuri Hanami spoke up. "You''re Japanese is surprisingly good for a supposed foreigner." The suspicion and accusation in his words did not go unnoticed. Before I or the Suijin could speak up however, Kami quickly answered his question.


    "Although we weren''t born in Japan, our parents were Japanese, so we grew up around the culture." Hanami nodded, but I could tell from his body language that he wasn''t convinced just yet. Just as we reached the auditorium door, Suijin turned around to face us.


    "This is as far as I can take you. Just find any open seats you can. First years occupy the left half, second years in the middle, and third years on the right." With that, she gave us a smile and walked off with Hanami. I turned around to face my sister.


    "Well then. Let''s go, shall we?"


    ***


    I pushed through the large double doors into the auditorium. As I stepped inside, I was nearly blinded by the brightness of it. Multiple large Chandlers hung from the ceiling each one. It felt like standing in a room with multiple miniature suns. In front of us, leading from the entrance all the way to the stage were stairs. I couldn''t tell much about the stage itself, aside from its amazing size. It was covered by two large red curtains. Just like Suijin had explained to us, there were three major sections of seats. One to the far left, one in the middle, and one to the far left. Each row was separated by a set of steps. The auditorium was nearly packed to the brim. Some students chatted, while some sat quietly, and others read books, or played with magic. The students closest to the door had turned to look at us, and instantly began muttering among themselves. I guess that''s to be expected. I noticed that my sister had stepped a bit closer to me, obviously nervous. "And here I was thinking I was useless without you." I said, taking a jibe at her.


    I got an icy pinch in return.


    "You do know that were in two different years right. I''m a second year and you''re a first." I gestured over to the first-year seats to the far right of the auditorium. Nearly all the seats had been taken, with only one or two open seats available. "Better go now or you''ll be forced to stand." I turned to look for a seat of my own in the second-year section when and Icy palm touched my shoulder. I turned around to see Kami glaring at me.


    "Not only did not offer to walk your poor little sister to her seat, instead leaving her to walk by herself, you also couldn''t at the very least, you''d wish me good luck." The temperature was dropping at an alarming rate.


    "Even if I did offer yo-" The look in her eye''s stopped me from finishing that sentence. Instead, I smiled an offered to walk her over to her seat. "Would you like me to walk you to your seat?"


    "No, but thank you for the offer!" She said sarcastically before turning around to leave, walking at a brisk pace. I stood at the top of the staircase, scratching the back of my head. I wonder how long she''ll stay mad at me for. I then turned and scanned the second-year seats, searching for the perfect spot.


    ***


    I had decided to take a seat in the 5th row, slightly closer to the back then the front. It was a seat by the stairs, across from the third-year seats. As I settled down in my seat I scanned around the auditorium room for a clock. 9:27. When we had first arrived here, we asked around town for information about the Theta Magic Academy, looking for when it opened, and where exactly it was located. Despite the fact that the Academy stood atop a large mountain, which should make it visible from any part of Japan, according to the locals we had asked, the entire Magic Academy was covered by a giant concealment spell, that kept it from the eyes of the public. They also told us that the only way to get there was through the Magic forest, littered with magic beasts. However, that was all speculation of course nothing concrete. One person who had a child that attended the school had told us that in your acceptance letter you would receive the exact coordinates to reach the Academy. Which brought me to the real crux of the issue. Our acceptances letters did not have the address printed on them. For some reason or another, that crucial information had been omitted from our acceptance letters. Which is why we decided to head through the magic forest. I know, a pretty ridiculous thing to start all of this commotion for however I was just grateful we made it in ti- My thought was interrupted by a shadow that appeared above my head. I looked up to see a large student flying down towards me. Seconds before Impact, I applied a levitation spell on the person, stopping them above my head. Instantly, three students rushed over to my row, apologizing profusely. There were two girls and one boy. One girl with long red hair, the other girl short blonde hair, and a boy with blue hair that came down to his chin.


    The boy who had nearly crushed me had finally managed to get his feet back on the ground, and had turned around, with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Yeah, I''m really sorry about that." He turned to face his friends. "Really guys?" All three of them looked they wanted to laugh. I nodded my head, accepting the apology.


    "No hard feelings." I kept my response short and sweet, hoping to avoid any form of extended conversation. A student flying across the auditorium seats had already caused more than a few heads turn, and I''d rather avoid causing any more of a scene than had already been created.


    However, to my dismay, the boy spoke up, analyzing me through his curtain of blue hair. "I have to say, that was seriously impressive. The speed at which you reacted to what was going on and activated the levitation magic sequence was pretty impressive." He complimented me, but it didn''t feel like it. No. Instead, it felt like he was scrutinizing every part of me, simply making statements about what he had saw.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The brown-haired boy who had nearly crushed me spoke up in a loud, excited voice. "Yeah, it''s almost like that of the "Pri-" He stopped his sentence at a pointed glare from the red-haired girl. "N-never mind. Anyways, I''m sorry for that, I really am." He turned around and began to walk towards the top row of seats, following the two girls. Only the blue haired boy remained, staring down at me. It almost felt as though his honey brown colored were seeing right through me, right into the very magical particles and molecules that made up my body.


    "You''re a second year, and yet I don''t recognize you. Are you a new transfer? Or¡­ A foreign exchange student?" His eyes never left me, and I returned the favor, staring him directly into the eyes as I answered his question.


    "You are right, this is my first year attending Theta Magic Academy. I''m a foreign exchange student from America. However, my mom and dad were Japanese, and I grew up around the language." I anticipated his next question, which seemed to shock him.


    He nodded slightly before turning around to go join his friends. Before he left, he apologized once more for what had happened. I nodded, and watched him leave, analyzing him just as he had me. He was tall, maybe 6 foot 1 to 6 foot 2. He carried himself with a relaxed demeanor, and he was dressed in the regular school uniform and nothing more. He didn''t do anything to stand out, and instead did everything to blend in. To become a part of the crowd. It allowed him to be observant. I also know that when he needed to, he could also step in, and collect information that he couldn''t collect from observation, through conversation. He was obviously skeptical of me, and I noted that, reminding myself to keep my guard up. It was best to assume that rumors had begun to spread that Me and Kami had traversed the Magic Forest, Theta Academy''s best defense, unscathed. Assuming it had, I probably already had a target on my back. It was evident from the actions of Hanami and that blue haired kid.


    The lights turned off, descending the room into instant, pitch black darkness, startling a few unsuspecting students including me. I heard the sounds of curtains being drawn back, and the stage lights began to turn on one by one, revealing a bare stage aside from two things. The student council president standing in the center, and a huge banner behind her that read, "Welcome to Theta Magic Academy." After a few seconds of silence, Suijin Hajimoto began to pace around the stage, speaking as she walked.


    "Nearly 100 years ago, the first appearance of Magic was made. According to the records dug up by historians, a young girl who could emit fire from her hands, was discovered living in South America, which is now known as the home of Magic. After his discovery, the girl was tortured and burned at the stake." Everyone knew this story. It was one that every parent of a child who could wield magic was told. It was a story parents told to show to their child from a young age that we were different from others, more powerful yes, but it could also get us killed. "Soon after, more and more of these cases popped up, all concentrated in the regions of Mexico to South America. These magic wielders were hunted down, and they held mass burning, they were tortured, killed, and hung. Soon, these Magic wielders began to flee. Laws began to be constructed. It was illegal to house magicians, who at the time were called "Witches" and "Wizards". It was illegal to even interact with them. Anyone who violated these laws would be hung and killed right along with them. As these wizards flees, they traveled to different countries, and the populations of wizards and witches increased. Soon they were so plentiful that organizations began constructed to fight back. An organization known as the Grand Magic alliance. There were ten founders. As you may know, those ten founders became the leaders of the ten Grand Magic families."


    I was a bit curious as to where this story was going, and I sat up in my seat. "They planned a grand rebellion, a fight against their oppressors. They claimed to fight for equity, to be treated as people and not as volatile weapons of mass destruction. They began a war, one that lasted nearly ten years before the Grand Magic Alliance finally came out on top. But instead of stopping there, at equality, the magic alliance grew greedy, and this time the oppressed became the oppressors. This tussle between magicians and non-magicians continued on for hundreds of years and leads us to the present day." She finally came to a stop in the center of the stage. "All this to say that despite the fact that you all are students of Theta magic academy that does not make you better than anyone else. At Theta magic academy, we take up our wands and activate our magic spells not for destruction and battle, but to achieve peace and most of all, strive for equality." Just then, when the buildup of magical energy had reached its climax, and droplets of water began to accumulate forming a wave of water that curved around Suijin and reached out across the bleachers wowing students. The flow of water took the shape of different ocean animals, flowers, cherry blossoms, and an assortment of different words and items. Her magic reached out from not only her but had a different item for every single person in the auditorium. There were easily around 200-300 students in here. it was an extremely amazing feat. in front of me was a Tsubaki flower recreated in pinpoint perfect detail. She dispelled the spell as everyone watched in uninhibited amazement.


    After Sujin''s amazing performance and warm welcome, she walked off of the stage, and from behind the curtains appeared a massive man, easily almost 7 feet tall, with graying hairs, and a long gray beard that reached down to his waist. He had a massive trench coat on, and below it, he wore a sort of black suit. Despite the fact that he had graying hairs, he didn''t look old whatsoever. He stood ramrod straight and had an aura of power that commanded respect from everyone in the room. Things fell silent as soon as the man walked onto the stage. He also held a large stick in his hand that could have passed for a cane, with a large red gem at the top. One unmistakable factor about the man was his magical energy, which stretched from him to envelop the entire room. It was like someone had dropped a warm blanket on top of me.


    "Students of Theta magic Academy." His voiced boomed loudly but he wasn''t shouting. it carried throughout the entire auditorium and echoed off of the walls. "As magicians, you must keep a few things in mind. Just like your student vice council president stated herself. Your abilities do not make you better than anybody else. Nor does the tragedies that occurred in the past give you the right to bring harm upon others. You are expected to act like role models for society. Any student who violates that...." He didn''t finish his sentence, and he didn''t need to. Every single student sitting inside the massive auditorium had gotten the memo.


    He walked forward, making his way to the edge of the stage. Each step of his massive boots echoing through the silent and tense room. "But most importantly..." He raised his cane-stick high into the air, and nearly every single student held the breath in anticipation as he slammed his cane into the ground!


    "POOOFFFFFF!" A massive number of confetti fell from the ceiling as brilliant bright lights began to shine and glow all through the auditorium, and music began to play, giving it the vibe of some sort of crappy disco party. "HAVE FUN!" The man''s booming voice rang out louder than the sound of music. The music lasted for a few seconds before gradually fading out.


    "..."


    For a few seconds it was silent, as a majority of the new students sat there in shock, me included. Thats when the sound of someone''s laughter could be heard.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! I can''t believe it! The old man actually went through with it!" The rowdy laughing was coming from the row directly above me, so I turned back to see the same girl with red hair from earlier nearly doubled over in her seat from laughter. She flipped her head backwards before placing a hand on the blue haired kid sitting next to her, seemingly for support. "Masayoshi, can you believe it?"


    "Please get your hand off of m....." However, Masayoshi''s complaints were simply drowned out by her laughter once again.


    I looked on in complete shock as she continued to laugh like there was no tomorrow. Mainly because she was the only person actually laughing. nearly every eye in the auditorium was on her, but it seemed like she couldn''t care less.


    From across the auditorium, someone could be heard saying, "I can''t believe this. Who actually let Erika''s idea go through?"


    All the while, the man onstage seemed to be completely at a loss off words at the lack of reaction from the crowd. He turned to look at someone who was backstage before whispering a question. Well, it should have been a whisper. But his loud voice carried throughout the auditorium.


    "Ana, I thought this was supposed to be a hit? What happened?"


    Giggles could be heard from behind the curtain.


    At the exact same time, me and my sister turned to find each other, our eyes saying the exact same thing.


    What the actual hell...

 Chapter 3: VIP

    "Who would have thought that that old guy was the headmaster?" Kami said.


    Me and my sister had met up directly after students were released from the auditorium to discuss whatever that debacle at the end was. "The entire thing was great.... until it wasn''t." I said as we walked out of the massive double doors that lead into the auditorium. We were back inside the halls of the school now, but compared to last time, it was bustling with students, and yet it didn''t seem crowded in anyway.


    Kami giggled to herself. "You have to admit though, it was pretty funny. Especially when the old man turned around to question someone backstage in confusion."


    I wasn''t amused, however. "Whatever that was, I hope it isn''t a regular occurrence around here."


    Kami looked at me as though I had killed the mood completely. "You''re just a bundle of joy, aren''t you?" She punched my shoulder lightly. "Loosen up bro."


    "I''m perfectly loose." I replied, dusting the ice shards that her fist had left on the emblem of my uniform that marked me as a second year. each one of the three years had its own separate emblem that was etched unto the shoulders of the uniform. It was the logo of the school, a flame burning through a massive windstorm, followed by a corresponding number of stars for whatever year the student was in. 1 star for first-years, 2 for second years, and 3 for third years.


    "The only thing that''s loose about you are your shoelaces." At Kami''s words, I looked down at my boots only to see.... that the laces were fine and completely tied. I looked back up, glaring at Kami, who had turned around to hide the smile that was creeping its way onto her face.


    "Tch!" I ultimately decided that it wasn''t even worth scolding her for. In fact, it was probably her way of trying to alleviate some of the tension and nervousness that she was probably feeling. It made sense. She was moving to one of the seven grand magic academies in the world. A prestigious school with rigorous courses and training. Not to mention she would be alone throughout most of it. This brought me back to our conversation right before the start of the opening ceremony. I should probably offer to walk her to class.


    I tapped Kami''s shoulder lightly, causing her to jump up a little before slowly turning her head around and smiling. "What is it, dear brother?" She was pretty clearly tense, just as I had expected.


    "Relax. what room number is your class? I''ll walk you."


    Her facial expression light up instantly at my worries and her smile widened. She held out a hand. "It''s room 7 in building one. Let''s go, my brother!"


    I looked down at her hand. "I''m not holding your hand."


    Her smile became ever so slightly strained. "You sure?


    I nodded. "You''re a big girl now."


    Kami clasped her own hands together. "Way to be a model older brother."


    "Thanks."


    ***


    The first-year building was extremely impressive. This to say, it was like its own school. Of course, there was the hall of classes and rooms, which was massive in its own right, almost the size of an apartment building. It was multiple floors, each one its own dedicated branch. Battle, Magic research, and Magic engineering. However, the most impressive part of the entire thing was the massive outside training field that was the size of a colosseum. It was a Beautiful green field with trees and benches and beautiful meadows of flowers. If it wasn''t for the massive signs lighting the walls of the hall that lead down to the field that read, "training grounds" it could have been mistaken for a really expensive park.


    Kami''s classroom was one of the first that could be seen when you entered the first-year building, however she had suggested that they go walk around for a little bit and take in the scenery. "it''s the first day, so I doubt that they would be super strict on being late to class." That was Kami''s justification for it.


    "Still, arriving late to class on the first day of school will leave your teacher with a bad first impression of you. it''s best to avo-" However Kami wasn''t listening by that point and was already running down to check out the finely furnished luncheon, which was almost the size of a building. I was starting to notice a trend. Everything in this place can only be described as, grand. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    After walking around the school for a bit, we looped back, and I dropped Kami off at her class. Before she entered, she tried to wrap me in a hug which I reasonably ducked out off. Before I left however, i made it a point to wish her, "Good luck."


    By the time I had returned to the second-year building, which was actually pretty similar to the first-year building, save for a difference in color scheme and class numbers, the bell had rung. Looking up at a clock I could see that it was 10:15. Crap. I''m late.


    Recalling the acceptance letter that I had received to Theta magic academy, my class number was 24 with Ms. Elmer. As I made my way to my class I picked up on a very disconcerting detail. I was the only person in the hallways. That could mean only one thing. I''m literally the only person not in class right now.


    Which was a completely ridiculous fact in and of itself. I mean, how could it be possible that I was the only person who was currently late to class. Even though this is a grand and prestigious magic academy, it still was odd that nobody else was laying off of class or anything, especially considering the fact that it was the first day of school. They must be in the bathrooms, was the conclusion I came up with, however I knew that it was just me trying to make myself feel better. Thats what I get for letting Kami lead me on.


    When I finally arrived at the double doors that lead into my classroom, I could tell from the window that things were already in full swing. the teacher was standing at a podium in the front of the classroom, and from the looks of things, she was really into her speech. She was a pretty young lady, probably no more that 25 years old. She had long brunette hair and was dressed in a business casual outfit. She also had red glasses that framed her face, highlighting her gray eyes.


    From what I could tell from my spot looking through the window, nearly every single seat in the classroom was filled except for one, which was in the back corner. Perfect. I thought to myself. I can assume that she''s probably already taken attendance and has moved on into introductions. So, by that logic, she already knows I''m missing.... however, it would probably be better to wait until she finishes her speech for me to kno-


    However, at this point, someone turned around to look at the window, and they noticed me. It was the blue haired kid, Masayoshi. His eyes lingered for a second or so, before another girl took notice of the glance. She had blond hair and blue eyes, and what seemed like a permeant smile plastered unto her face. She also turned at saw me standing at the window. In a class wide dominion effect, head after head after head began to turn and glance at the idiot who was late to class, which just so happened to be me. Quickly, the teachers head also turned and she looked out the window to look at me.


    Taking a look at the situation, I racked my brain for the proper way to react. It was too late to leave now so I did the only thing I thought I could.


    I put a smile on my face and waved.


    ***


    When the classroom door opened, the teacher stood in front of me, her arms crossed. "Raiden Chisaki. Nice of you to finally come join us."


    "Hello there.... I blanked at the teachers name." Damn you memory that only blanks when I really need it!


    "Ms. Elmer, too you.


    "Good morning Ms. Elmer." I gave another smile, and instantly knew that it was the wrong move. Ms. Elmer gaze had sharpened considerably as she looked me up and down.


    "Do you have a reason as to why you''re just now arriving to class young man?" The way she had asked the question, it was clear that she was not going to even consider whatever excuse I could come up with. However, I very well couldn''t remain silent, so I said the first thing that came to mind.


    "I-...Uhh....I got lost." I could hear the wrong bells blaring very loudly in my head. It felt like I had chosen the very wrong dialogue option in a visual novel.


    The teacher''s facial expression did not change one bit. A clear sign that she simply wasn''t buying anyone of my bullshit. After a few more seconds off uncomfortable silence, she stepped out of the way, allowing me to enter the classroom.


    Beyond relived, I stepped inside the classroom, trying to ignore all the eyes that were boring straight through me into my soul, and bolted for the seat in the back corner of the room. However just as I was halfway there, A firm hand clamped down unto my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. "Where exactly do you think you''re going?"


    Ms. Elmers cold voice sent shivers down my spine. I very slowly turned around and pointed to the empty desk. I made sure to keep a light-hearted expression on my face. "I''m heading to my seat.... ma''am." However, Ms. Elmer simply shook her head, turning to point at a seat that was right next to her podium.


    "Sit there. You''re my VIP now." There was no hostility, or any sort of ominous tone in her voice. And yet the calmness, and hint of joy in her voice as she directed me to the ''VIP'' seat, gave me a very bad feeling. I sat down in the seat, and looked to face the entire class, most of which were either staring at me, making jokes, or doing both.


    I leaned back in my seat and put my hands into my pockets, trying to play it cool-


    "Hands on your lap and back straight, Raiden."


    "Yes Ma''am."


    I immediately sat up straight and placed my hands unto my laps at the command from Ms. Elmers. Despite not yelling, she still gave off a commanding aura that compelled me to follow any order she gave without any backtalk.


    More snickers from students around the class. I notice a glance from one of the other girls-an olive skin girl with brown curls-and oddly, it seemed to be filled with pity.


    Thank you...I guess? I thought to myself. I was unable to discern why she would feel bad for me.


    I was going to find out real soon.

 Chapter 4: Eccentrics

    "As I was saying before I was very, very, rudely interrupted." I looked straight ahead, pretending not to notice the killer glare Ms. Elmer was casting at me. "I will be your one and only teacher. This school operates in one teacher teaches all necessary subjects'', for one set class of students. Because of the nature of this school, -being one more focused on magic than anything else-that only applies to basic classes, which actually only take up half of your day. Things like reading, math and science aren''t a heavy focus. The other half-of your day will be taken up by magic specific courses. For example, courses like, Magic engineering, which is focused on how we can implement magic into our existing technologies to better society. Or courses like magic refinement, which is focused on how we can better enhance the power off your magic skills. And others."


    Ms. Elmer leaned back from her position over the podium, before stepping around and standing in front of it. "Considering that it''s the first day of school, I won''t be assigning any work. So, you essentially are free for the next 2 hours. However, there are a few things that I''d like to show you before you I let you off the hook." She walked over to where I was seated and stood behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "With the help of my VIP, Raiden." I immediately froze, continuing to stare straight ahead with a blank expression on my face. From my peripherals, I could see Ms. Elmer lean in, and I could feel her warm breath on the side of my face as she spoke, her lips only inches from my ears. "Smile." It wasn''t a suggestion.


    I immediately forced the best possible smile I could.


    "Good Boy."


    She stood back up before walking over to stand beside me. "I''d like to use this time to provide you with a useful piece of information." She held out her hand and gathered a ball of mana in her hands. "This is mana. Its properties can be changed to whatever the user wishes." As she said this, the orb of mana in her hand began to shift and change different forms. Flames, flowing water, and a howling wind. Suddenly, she closed her hand into a fist, dispelling the mana completely. "An important part of Magic, is that not all spells are lethal. There are those that are capable of recon, or other more interesting things. Such as..."


    Suddenly without any warning, she pointed her finger at the side of my head and fired off a concentrated beam of light. Straight at my head. The beam of light made contact, but it didn''t hurt or kill me on impact. Instead, it traveled straight through my head. After a second, she released the spell, before turning back to face the class.


    "Like right there. The spell I just fired into Raiden''s brain is going to make his right arm involuntarily raise." My arm raised, and I looked at it in confusion.


    Some students looked at me in awe, while others had expressions of skepticism on their faces. Mrs. Elmers adjusted her glasses before returning to the podium. "If you were even slightly skeptical of what I just told you, good. because it was bullshit. Remember, in a world like this, Skepticism is your greatest ally."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    * * *


    As Mrs. Elmers VIP, I wasn''t really allowed to leave my seat. However, other students were allowed to freely roam around, and one of them ended up approaching me. As she got closer, I recognized her bright red hair and boisterous laughter. she was the same fearless girl from the opening ceremony. The one that seemed to have played a sort of practical joke on the headmaster of the school.


    She pulled up a seat before sitting down, leaning forward on the chair''s backrest. She still had a mischievous smile on her face. "So, Mr. VIP, how''s it going?" She said it in the most innocent voice possible, which completely contrasted all of her mannerisms, and the sly expression on her face. However, I decided to play along, mainly because I was pretty uncomfortable.


    "Things have been great, thanks for asking. How about you, Erika?"


    She seemed shocked that I knew her name. She turned to a girl who was approaching, the same one who was looking at me with pity earlier on. "Nova, am I really that notable?"


    She stopped right next to where Erika was seating, looking down at her with a somewhat exasperated expression on her face. "Not in a good way, you know that right?"


    "Pssh. All notability is good notability."


    Nova looked at me with a sort of, ''get a load of this guy, expression.'' "Please, don''t take anything she says seriously. I apologize on her behalf. I''m Nova, nice to meet you."


    "Oh. Nice to meet you, Nova." Erika''s expression had suddenly become serious, and she leaned in, causing her chair to nearly touch the ground,as she was standing up now. r


    "So, how''d you do it?"


    I stared back at her with a blank expression, more concerned with the proximity of her face and chest, than whatever question she had just asked. "Huh?"


    Suddenly, she was pulled back, as Nova had grabbed her by the hair. "Learn to respect people''s boundaries, Erika."


    "Oww! Ow! Okay! I get it! Let go!"


    "She was referring to the stunt that you and Ms. Elmer pulled." voice interjected. I, as well as the two girls turned around to see who it was. Leaning against Mrs. Elmers''s podium was the mysterious blue-haired kid, Masayoshi.


    I turned back to look at Nova and Erika. "When did he get here, and why is he posed like that?" I whispered this.


    "No idea." Nova said.


    "Zero Fucking clue dude."


    Masayoshi, seemingly unperturbed by out whispering in his presence, pushed himself off of the desk, only to nearly trip on literally nothing. Immediately righting himself, he attempted to play off the moment before looking back at me. "As I was saying, how did you manage to pull of that stunt? It pretty clearly is impossible to fire off a beam of magic through someone''s head without side effects."


    "Oh, that, it was nothing really. She just fired the spell and stopped it right before it actually pierced me into head. Then, I simply waited before casting a spell of my own, to give the illusion that it had gone straight through.


    "Thats like, seriously impressive man." Erika said, as she finally manages to snake her way out of Nova''s grasp.


    "Oh, really. I don''t think it was that impressive."


    "The speed that you would have to react to understand the situation Ms. Elmer was trying to set up, and launch a basic light magic sequence, all in less than a second." Masayoshi listed how hard the feat I performed was, his eyes never leaving mine. "Impressive."


    "uhh.., thanks.... I guess." I didn''t really know how to continue the conversation, a flaw of mine.


    At that moment, Mr. Elmer came to my rescue. "Masayoshi, Erika, and Nova, please return to your seats and stop harassing my VIP."


    They complied, although Masayoshi''s stare seemed to linger on me, while Erika let out an, "aww." I leaned back in my seat, drained from the short interaction.


    What a great start to the first day of school.

 Chapter 5: Hikaru

    To say homeroom was a tiring endeavor would be a gross understatement. Not even mentioning the antics that Erika was going on-a series of pranks and attempted gags on not only me, or Ms. Elmer, but pretty much the entire class. Nobody was safe from her conniving hands and schemes. That was not the only unfortunate thing I had to put up with throughout the hour or so we had of free time before we got the second half of the day. I had to put up with students coming up to me and asking how I ended up being so late to class. Some seemed utterly bewildered at how careless or trivial my reason was, and I didn''t blame them for it. What kind of excuse was, ''I let my sister drag me around a mini tour of the school.


    The questions seemed endless, not all of them related to my tardiness. A lot of them seemed to either be aimed at my idiotic reactions to just about everything, or how I had managed to pull of that trick where it had seemed like Ms. Elmer had shot me through the head with a beam of magic. When I explained it, the general consensus was that it was an amazing feat of quick thinking, and speedy spell activation. I on the other hand, didn''t really understand why it was so impressive. It was simply activating a magic spell quickly after getting the read on a situation. However, I wasn''t about to deny the praise.


    Despite the fact I was being praised (sometimes) most other conversations couldn''t even really have been considered that, as it was more of people walking up to look at me while having conversations amongst themselves, like I was some sort of zoo animal. Which made the entire wait feel even worse, as I could hear literally everything they were saying. At one point a group of girls surrounded me, making it impossible for me to find where I should look. After what felt like an eternity, the novelty of Ms. Elmers VIP had worn off, and people had finally started to leave me alone. I breathed a sigh of relief, tired of the endless bombard of questions. I leaned back in my seat, and my hands unconsciously slipped back into my pockets wh-


    "Raiden. Sit up straight for me."


    I immediately sat up straight at her voice. That was another thing. Apparently as Ms. Elmers VIP I wasn''t allowed to slack off in the slightest. Whether it was a thing of maintaining an image, or a sort of punishment, -which it probably was-it was just another added factor that made the hour wait even worse. Heh, that''s like the third time I''ve said that. From the corner of my vision, I could see someone else approaching me. She had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I racked my memory for a few seconds. She was- The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Hey there!" She said in a bright voice and a shining smile.


    I remained silent for a few seconds unable to really speak. I was still trying to remember her name and she had already gone and started a conversation with me.


    "....H-Hi." I wanted to kill myself.


    "Your name''s Raiden right."


    I nodded defeatedly, not bothering to even try and speak anymore. I was too mentally drained.


    "I heard a bit from the other students. You were late because you were walking with your sister around the school, no?"


    "Pretty much the story. Terrible reason, right?"


    However contrary to what I would have thought, she didn''t think the reason was bad at all.


    "No, I think it''s a pretty wholesome reason. You were making sure your sister didn''t get lost."


    "I guess." I laughed nervously at her statement. When you put it like that, it sounds like I''m so role model big brother. "I wouldn''t give myself that much credit."


    She frowned at that statement. "But those were your intentions, right? You weren''t purposely using her as an excuse to skip class or something like that. Were you?"


    "No! -.. Sorry. I mean no, I wasn''t."


    After that, the smile returned to her face, and she clapped her hands together. "Then perfect. You had only good intentions, so I think that you have nothing to be down about."


    I froze for a second and simply stared at her for a little. Did I really seem down. No way. Maybe a bit tired, but down? Th- I stopped my train of thought. I looked at her in her eyes, the ones that seemed to have a little bit of shine. I chuckled slightly. She had managed to read me even though I thought I was doing a good job of hiding what i really felt.


    She looked down at me confused, probably wondering why I was laughing. "Is everything, okay?"


    I nodded. "Everything''s great. In fact, they couldn''t better."


    She still looked extremely confused, however, my own happiness seemed to make her smile, and I could guess that was all a person like her wanted. To make other people smile.


    "If you don''t mind, what''s your name." She was definitely someone whose name I wanted to commit to memory.


    "Off course I don''t mind! My name is...." However, at that moment that bell had rung, and I was only able to catch her last name.


    "..... Hikaru."

 Chapter 6: Ultimate Academy

    As soon as the bell rung, I wish I could say that I immediately got up out of my seat and headed straight out of the class, however it was unfortunately, the very opposite. Instead, I sat in my seat, with my back straight, and hands in my lap as I waited for Ms. Elmer to give her verdict. After 30 or so seconds, the last of the students began to leave, and I could see Erika waving at me with a wink. After all the students had left, I could see Ms. Elmer glance over at me before nodding, and then walking over to stand in front of me. "It seems you''re not a complete bumbling idiot after all."


    "Heh." I laughed nervously, not exactly able to predict where this conversation was going. "Thank you."


    "Not to mention, your reaction speed is quick. Despite the fact that I told you nothing, you were able to quickly copy the exact spell sequence I had used, cast it, and also play along with the lie." Just like everyone else, Ms. Elmer gave me my flowers. "However, that does bring up the question, what exactly was someone as smart as you doing being late to class. I''m sure you understand how important first impressions are."


    "Oh, that.... Well in all honesty, I don''t really have a good reason as to why I was late to class. I was walking around and checking out some parts of the school with my sister, and we lost track of time." I decided against coming up with some stupid excuse and just told her the truth. She nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.


    "If that''s what it really was, then I accept your answer." My eyes widen slightly, that mea- "Don''t get your hopes up. Your still my VIP until further notice." Dammit! Looks like I''m still in for hell! "What is your sister''s name."


    Why would she want my sisters name? "Kami Chisaki." I gave my sisters name, however in the back of my mind I tried to decipher why she would need my sister''s name. Nothing good, was the conclusion I came to. However, in my book, nothing good meant something along the line of, having a conversation about me with her, which was still a very unappealing prospect.


    After the short conversation, Ms. Elmer allowed me to leave, and as soon as I exited the classroom into the hallway, I finally breathed my long-awaited sigh of relief.... Or so I thought because just as I was about to take aforementioned sigh of relief, a strong arm slammed down unto me, wrapping around the back of neck. I was just about to breathe out as well, so this all ended in me almost choking on air. (If you can even believe that.) When I looked back to see who my almost murderer was, I was unsurprised by the face I saw staring down at me.


    I was greeted by Erika''s mischievous grin as well as her vibrant red hair. "Yoo, what''s good Raiden!" Despite the fact that I had only had one prior conversation with this girl, she was going around acting as if we were long lost buddies.


    Still trying to catch my breath from almost dying, I tried to respond, "all-ahem-all goo-" However before I could even finish responding, Erika cut me off, leaning in even closer than she already was, and that was saying something considering the fact that she had her armed wrapped around my neck.


    "So, what exactly were you two discussing back there." It took me a second to realize what she was trying to imply.


    "Whatever your thinking, nothing of the sort happened!" I very quickly, made it very clear that whatever Erika was trying to say, simply didn''t happen. It would be catastrophically bad for my already not good reputation if rumors about me messing around with a teacher were to start circulating.


    What felt like two full force punches, which I assumed were Erikas misguided concept of pats, were levied unto my back as Erika began to laugh loudly. "Chill out dude, I''m just pulling your leg." Whatever her idea of a joke is, she is very sorely mistaken. Or maybe I''m just too inept to understand what she was going for.


    By this point, Nova and Masayoshi had come back from the entrance to the second-year building. Presumably in search for Erika when they realized she wasn''t with them. When Erika noticed, she waved and hollered over at them. "Yooo! Guys!" As soon as I saw Nova, I cast her a pleading look, and she returned my gaze with another look filled with pity. However, this time I wasn''t complaining. I needed all the pity I could get.


    "Erika, don''t you think your being a bit, rough, with Raiden?" Nova asked a rhetorical question, and a pretty obvious one at that. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Not at all, in fact, me and Raiden are having a great time, right?" Whether Erika new it was a rhetorical or not, she answered the question, while also seeking support from me.


    "I''m having a great time, but I''d really prefer if you let me dow-"


    "See! Even he admitted it. Everything''s fine, so stop sticking your nose where it doesn''t belong, Nova." She even stuck out her tongue for dramatic effect. I had expected to be cut off, but nonetheless I was still caught off guard. It seemed like everything this girl did was quick, strong, and of little regard to the thoughts people around her.


    "And who exactly do you think your talking too?" Nova replied with just as much sass as Erika had insulted her with. Clearly, my help would not be coming from her. So, I looked over to the only other person in the hallway who I knew and wasn''t staring at us like we were a group of weirdos .... never mind, he was too.


    When my eyes finally landed on Masayoshi, I could see through his curtain of hair, that his eyes held the same expression as all the other people who were passing by and watching this situation. One that read, what the hell are those three doing? However, he was my only shot at getting out of this, so I cast a pleading glance at him anyways. He looked at me with an indiscernible expression for a few seconds, before turning to face the two arguing girls, and said,


    "Hey, guys, let''s go meet up with Leo and check out the rest of the magical facilities."


    That seemed too do the trick, as they turned to face Masayoshi, and noticed the plethora of weird stares that we were getting.


    "Y-yeah, your right." Nova said, with a blush creeping unto her face.


    "For sure Man!" Erika shouted, with not a single ounce of embarrassment in her voice.


    And she didn''t let go of me, all the way until we arrived at the magic section of the second year-building.


    ***


    The magic sector of the second-year building was even more grand than that of the basic class section. A majority of the magic classes were upstairs, and each one was nearly triple the size of a regular classroom. I looked inside some of the classroom, and I noticed a plethora of what seemed to be tubes, and wires, and other widgets and gadgets strewn across the massive tables that were all connected. The second-floor hall was split into two sections. Magical Foundations, and Basic magical developments. I could imagine that this tied into what Ms. Elmer had told us in her speech at the beginning of class.


    Magical foundation classrooms looked extremely similar to the regular classroom, with the only notable differentiating factor being the massive amount of mana that I could sense coming from the rooms. Each and every one had their own unique magical signature, and they all felt very familiar. Almost like something from.... the magic forest? It was hard to pinpoint. Almost like a scent that you could recognize, but only slightly, and never attribute a memory to.


    The third floor was much more complex than the second floor, as it was two sections, that were split into multiple subdivisions. It was the magical engineering and magical research sections. Those two main sections were further split into smaller subsections such as, design, applications, technology, reactions, and more.


    "Jeez, so many buildings. We''re not actually expected to take all these, right?" I asked the question as I glanced inside one of the classrooms. Were where approaching the end of the third floor and somehow, I found myself tagging along with Erika and friends, however, I wasn''t exactly opposed to it. When I wasn''t being suffocated by Erika, it was actually an enjoyable experience.


    "hmmm? Oh, yeah, you missed the first half of Ms. Elmers explanation. Basically, there are so many classes that we couldn''t dream to take them all. Instead, were supposed to choose two specific sections to focus on and take our choice between the classes that it offers. The deadline is sometime after the culture festival." Nova was the one who answered my question.


    "Ahh, interesting." It made sense. There were so many classes that one student couldn''t take them. So instead, they had students choose specific sections to focus on, which they could join, and pursue to focus on their wants. It was a pretty nice system, with lots of diverse options.


    At the end of the third floor, there was a door that seemed to lead outside. Erika pointed to it excitedly, bouncing up and down as she said, "Come on guys, we should totally check it out!" Not even waiting for a response, she dashed through the door, causing a bright sunlight to shine into the hall. As I stepped outside, I was left utterly amazed.


    We were standing on one of those glass bridges that you could see from outside the school. It was winding, and the sun light reflecting off of the glass prism made it shine in multiple colorful hues. That was only the start though. The winding glass path was directly above a massive field of green grass and trees, with birds and butterflies fluttering all about. The same Tsubaki flowers that could be seen at the back entrance of the school were scattered sparsely throughout the field. The shining sun combined with the magnificent overhead view created a beautiful scene.


    "This must be the training grounds. Jesus....This academy continues to Suprise, every time."


    Erika was leaning on the rail next to me, admiring the view. "I know right, it really is the "Ultimate academy."


    I looked at her with a blank expression. "Was the one-liner really necessary?"


    She stuck her tongue out at me. "Screw you, you could have at least played along."

 Chapter 7: Summon

    As I stood over and just admired the beautiful scene that was before me, I saw Masayoshi approaching me. He seemed just as impressed as I was, if not more. "This definitely deserves the title of "Grand Magic Academy."


    Masayoshi nodded. "Even though I was here last year, I''m still constantly being amazed by just how large, and not to mention beautiful the school actually is." That came as a little bit of new information for me. He''d been going her for over a year. It also went to show just how large and expansive the academy really was. It made me wonder about the size and grandeur of the third-year building, now that I had seen the first- and second-year ones.


    "Does that mean you''ve also known Erika and Nova for a year as well?" I asked, genuinely curious.


    Masayoshi nodded, turning to look at Erika and Nova, who were in the midst of arguing and pushing each other around. Surprisingly, Nova was holding her own, and I could respect her for it. "I''ve known both of them since my first year, but they''ve known each other from childhood." I nodded at the statement. They both did seem very close.


    "What about, that other guy." I brought up the same dude who had almost crushed me at the opening ceremony. Although they had been sitting next to him then, I hadn''t seen him in Ms. Elmers class.


    Masayoshi sighed as he was reminded about the shenanigan''s that occurred prior to the introduction ceremony. "Once again, I''d like to apologize for what happened. Leo and Erika were goofing around...Do I really even need to finish explaining?"


    I shook my head. He really didn''t. Anything to do with Erika and the answer was fairly clear. She had simply tossed Leo into the air. Which was another seriously impressive thing to think about, considering the fact that he was double her size. "So, his name is Leo?"


    "Short for Leonidas. Pretty fitting, if you ask me." He was named after Leonidas, the Spartan king, who is most known for his infamous last stand against the Persian army, with only 300 Greek soldiers. A name that was associated with resilience and strength. "In fact, that''s him over there."


    I turned around to see where Masayoshi was pointing and noticed Leo approaching from the exact opposite side of the glass skywalk. Next to him was another girl, who had dark brown skin and long braids that reached down to her waist. She was also smiling and waving at us. Leo was a fairly large, almost like body builder. He had broad shoulders, and noticeable biceps. His uniform seemed almost too small for him, the white and red blazer stretch to fit around his large frame. He was almost 6''6, and so her towered over pretty much everyone currently on the skywalk.


    That made the girl next to him seem extremely tiny, but in truth she was probably around 5''10 or so. She also wore a blazer, combined with a white skirt. As she waved over at us, I noticed the emblem on her shoulder, that designated her as a third year. A little bit of craning my neck, and I could see that Leo was also a third year. Which also brought up the question of what he was doing sitting in the second-year section.


    "He''s not exactly one to follow the rules, which explains why he''s so chummy with Erika." Almost as if he could read my mind, Masayoshi answered my question before I even got the chance to put it into words. I cast him a brief glance, less than a second, before turning to watch the conversation that was about to begin. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What''s good my people!" Erika started the conversation with an over-the-top greeting, or at least over the top for my standards. Instantly, the brown-skinned girl ran over to her, and they hugged each other.


    "How''s it been going Erika!"


    "Its me! Of course everything''s been going great, Aqua." As they were spinning around mid-hug, the managed to have a full conversation.


    "I can''t believe you actually went through with the idea to prank the old man!" She squealed.


    "It was a dare! And I don''t go back on my word, you know that!"


    They probably would have kept spinning and spun themselves off of the skywalk, entwinned in each other''s arms. However, they ran into Leo''s massive brick wall of a body. When their momentum was put to a sudden stop, Erika looked up at Leo like he had interrupted a very intimate moment. "Oh, it''s you."


    Leo looked back down at her with the same expression of contempt and disgust. "Yeah, its me."


    Erika seemed to hug Aqua tighter as if she was scared that Leo was just going to grab her and run off. "Aqua, stay away, he''s definitely plotting something." Aqua continued to hold unto Erika, however it was clear she took what was going on as a joke, a smile still plastered on her face. Erika turned to Nova who was standing behind her.


    "Nova! Prepare for battle! He obviously wants revenge for what happened at the introduction ceremony!"


    "I am not going to prepare for any sort of battle." Nova immediately shot down Erikas ridicoulous request.


    I turned to look at Masayoshi, asking him, "are these to really the best of friends?"


    He replied with a look off his own, that said, "trust me, this is how they joke around."


    Reminded of what had occurred during the introduction ceremony, Leo seemed to notice my presence, and walked over to me, making sure to shoulder check Erika along the way. He reached out a hand before introducing himself.


    "My name is Leonidas Armonda. I''d like to formally apologize for what had happened earlier. It is a massive embarrassment for an older student like me to make such a fool of myself Infront of my underclassman." Behind him, Erika snickered, however Leonidas didn''t move and inch, steadfast in his apology. It was a sincere one that came from the heart. I shook hands with him.


    "No need to bow your head. Masayoshi here already explained most of what happened to me. So please don''t bow, you''re making me feel a bit embarrassed."


    Leo raised his head, before nodding in thanks. When he stepped to the side, I was suddenly tackled to the floor by a flying hug from Aqua. "So! who''s this!" I hit the ground and stared up at the smiling face that was framed by the sun, of the girl who was currently on top of me. Great. another person who doesn''t respect boundaries. Although, she is really pretty.


    "I''m Raiden. Raiden Chisaki."


    "Raiden! Thats a beautiful name!" She grabbed my hand, forcing a handshake even though she had already tackled me with a hug and was currently mounted on top of my chest.


    I looked to the side and meet Masayoshi''s eyes for what felt like the 10th time that day.


    His shook his head slightly and his eye''s said, "There''s an explanation, but you already knew that didn''t you?"


    Meanwhile, Leonidas had turned to face Erika, with an evil grin on his face that even sent chills down my spine. "Erika, you''ve received a summon to the student council."


    Everyone seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Erika''s expression had turned into a mix of stone-cold fear and shock. The mention of the student council was enough to flip the whole atmosphere of every single person, except for me, who had no idea what was so bad, and Aqua, who was still smiling and shaking my hand. Nova went up to Erika, wrapping her arm around her shoulder.


    "Let''s go then."


    Instantly, I looked back up at Masayoshi.


    "Why do both of them need to go?" My eyes asked.


    "Emotional support." His eyes replied.


    "Emotional support? For what?"


    He shook his head. "You probably don''t want to know."


    And that was when the realization hit me. I was pinned to the floor by an air-headed girl who was still shaking my hand, having a conversation with another dude with just our eyes, all taking place on a vibrantly shining glass bridge that hung over a beautiful field, and was framed by the sun''s bright shine.


    Never a dull moment, eh?

 Chapter 8: Lunchtime

    Erika didn''t return before the bell rang. That was odd. For now, the idea was just a thought that hovered in the back of my mind, because now, I was standing inside of one of the magic development classrooms, listening to the teacher-a middle aged man with a fairly messy haircut and for some reason, a monocle-explain what the basics of the course were, and why we should choose his course, over anything else. I had been going through this pattern for almost 2 hours straight, going from class to class, listening to what were essentially business pitches. "This class is best option because of x. If you love y, then this class will definitely be for you." To be honest, I couldn''t really care less. If it wasn''t a requirement to choose at least two of these classes, I probably would''ve taken a nap. At the moment, the two ones I was the most interested in, were Magical Sequencing Advanced, and Magical foundations.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard the sound of the bell ringing. I waited for a few seconds, before standing up from my seat to leave. The reason for that pause was just to let the crowd thin out a bit before I left, so I could avoid getting caught up in the hassle of hallway traffic. I looked up at the clock in the hallway and noticed that it was 12:50. Meaning now it should be-


    "Attention all students. It is now time for lunch. Head to the luncheon to choose your meal. Once you''ve made your choice, you can eat your food anywhere, just be mindful to clean up." An announcement made on the PSA confirmed my thought process. It was time for lunch and thank God it was. I don''t think I could deal with another hour of door-to-door salesmen, except I was the one going to their doors. Which I guess revoked my right to complain, but that wasn''t important. What was important was that I was very hungry.


    All three years were released for lunch at the same time, and you''d think that it''d cause a sort of congestion, or over crowdedness. However, due to the sheer size of basically everything in Theta Magic academy, there was rarely ever a period where it was too crowded. Not to mention, that each year had their own building, that had its own path to the luncheon, which was so large it could really be its own school in and off itself. It was a massive domelike structure that had three massive glass walkways protruding out of its sides, that each lead to the buildings of the different years respectively.


    Despite how far apart these walkways were, I could see the outlines of the students as they made their way to class. Another pretty cool detail was that the walkway''s themselves winded up and over a massive garden, with multiple benches spread throughout. It gave a great view while you walked over to a cafeteria fit for royals. This really lives up to the name of grand magic academy.


    When I arrived at the doors of the luncheon, a massive almost gate fit for a hanger stood in front of me. Within a few seconds, a rumbling sound could be heard as the gate began to lift open, allowing the way for students to walk in. The inside of the luncheon was massive, (probably the fifth time I''ve said this) so large that it could easily hold a hundred thousand students, even if you didn''t remove the tables. There were three main entrances were students entered from, and at the wall where there wasn''t a gate, was a collection of multiple little food stands that were labeled off into different sections. "Meat, fish, pastries, dessert, vegetables, fruit." It seemed endless. Not to mention that everything was completely self-serving. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    At a glance, the system may seem inefficient, simply because of the sheer number of students that would probably need to line up. However, a quick glance at the table would reveal a tablet where you could place your orders, and a robot would bring you everything you needed, no need for you to get up. And there were a lot of these robots, and a lot of space for them to traverse. On average, even lengthy orders of 5 or 6 students could be delivered in less than 20 seconds. All of this information being available on a pamphlet right next to the tablets which I quickly scoured through. I picked a random table, deciding to eat in the luncheon. It''s too early for me to just go off and eat lunch in the meadow like a loser. Maybe in a week or so.


    Just as I sat down and began to pick out my meal, I spotted a familiar streak of red hair in my peripherals. I turned to see Erika standing in the center of the flow of students. An exasperated expression on her face. Nova, and everyone else seemed to be missing, so it now fell upon me to figure out what to do. So, I called out to her.


    "Hey, Erika! What....Happened?"


    Erika looked up slowly and saw me. As she waked over I could hear her murmur, "Food first, everything else later."


    ***


    After ordering a copious number of fries and dousing them in an even more copious amount of ketchup, Erika sat down and began to eat. After taking a few bites, she turned to me and began to explain.


    "I''m sure you guessed it already, but I was called into the student council office because of that little prank I played on the headmaster." That part was unsurprising.


    "You look more than a little bit tired. Was the punishment that bad?"


    Erika sighed. "Even worse, I wasn''t punished." I looked at her with a very confused expression. How exactly was not being punished, worse than actually being punished?


    "How exactly is that a bad thing?" Erika looked at me with a shocked expression. She suddenly stood up, grabbing me by the shirt and pulling me real close.


    "What do you mean how exactly was that a bad thing? Despite what I had done, making a mockery out of the headmaster of the school. Suijin still forgave me and everything. She looked at me with a smile as she pardoned me!" We were getting stares.


    "Oh, yeah, that must have been terrible." I was bullshitting. I didn''t get what she was talking about whatsoever.


    Erika let go of my shirt before shoving another handful of fries in her mouth and slamming her head into the table. "I know rightttttt. It''s just so annoying. She''s always been like this!"


    I was completely at a loss for words. I didn''t even know what she was so disappointed about.


    "Simply enough, Erika hates how lenient and nice Suijin is. She believes that she should be much stricter than she currently is. She''s been trying to get Suijin to impose some sort of harsh punishment on her for a whole year now." I didn''t even question Masayoshi''s sudden appearance, or how he was able to read the question that I had yet to ask. I didn''t even flinch when I turned and saw him laying down on the seat next to me, staring at the ceiling. Instead, I began to turn to Erika while saying,


    "Well good luck with that. From what I''ve seen of her, she''s not the type of person to do something like that, no matter how much she''s pushe-" However Erika was already lights out asleep. How exactly is this girl so bipolar! Wasn''t she just screaming?


    I sighed, as I took a look at the mountain of fries, before turning to Masayoshi.


    "So....What are we going to do about that?"

 Chapter 9: Magical Engineering

    I had suggested that we just throw the rest of Erika''s uneaten food away, as neither of us had much of an appetite for fries, and Masayoshi agreed. As I grabbed the massive platter and walked over to the trash, I bumped into someone. If it wasn''t for the death tight grip that I had on the plate, as well as the help of some magic, the massive heap of fries would''ve definitely crashed into the floor. I looked down at the person I had bumped into. She was pretty short, although her uniform denotated her as a third-year student. She had long brown hair that came down past her shoulders, and her green eyes were framed by a pair of box-shaped glasses. I reached out a hand to help her up. "Sorry, I wasn''t watching where I was going."


    She looked back up at me with a confused and slightly dazed expression. "Oh! No! It was my fault. I was running." She accepted my hand hesitantly and I pulled her up. Even standing up she still seemed short, only coming up to around my shoulder level. I decided it would be improper to let the conversation end there, so I put my best foot forward and asked for her name.


    "Oh, m-my name? Its, Minerva....And you?"


    Raiden...." A long silence followed the introduction.


    Great, two people who have no idea who to keep a conversation up, are currently trying to have a conversation.


    Just then, Minerva seemed to notice the massive platter of fries that I held in my hands. Her eyes seemed to dimly light with interest as she asked, "Were you planning on t-throwing that away?"


    "Yeah, I was. My friend ended up ordering much more than she could handle, and also fell asleep mid meal." Did I just call her my friend? I assumed that Minerva was just going to ask if she could have it instead, which I wouldn''t have been opposed to, as it would have meant no food would have been going to waste. However, what she suggested was very different from anything I could predicted.


    "O-oh. If that''s the case, then, if you don''t mind, c-could I use it for something?"


    "Of course I don''t mind. What exactly are you planning?" I was genuinely curious as to what she could have wanted it for, besides eating.


    "Well, if you''d like to see, then follow me." She led me through a tight pack of students, which was pretty easy for her considering her build, however it was extremely difficult for me, not only because of my height, but also because I had to maneuver a massive plate of fries throughout the crowd without accidentally hitting someone in the head. I probably said, "excuse me" and "sorry" right then, more times than I had in my entire life. Which was really saying something considering my past. Finally, after sifting through what felt like an endless wave of students, we arrived at a table that was relatively crowded, with all third-year students except for one outlier, which was Nova.


    When we arrived at the table, the first thing that happened was that I locked eyes with Aqua, who''s eyes lit up at seeing me. What exactly about meeting people does this chick find so jolly? I sidestepped out of the way of the flying hug, thinking I was safe; however, she was surprisingly quick on her feet-or should I say in the air-as she twisted her body and grabbed my shoulder. She then displayed her impressive strength by then completely changing the direction of her fall despite her momentum being at odds with her, and pulled her self-back in my direction, latching onto my back like a koala bear cub would do to its mother. "Hey Raiden!" She greeted me with a very cheerful expression, and she quite literally crushed me with a hug from behind. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Hey Aqua, how are you doing?" I hoped the misery in my voice didn''t seem too obvious.


    If it was, Aqua chose to ignore it completely as she grabbed some fries from the platter and then responded to my question, "I''ve been having a great day! Three years at this school and yet no other time of the day has managed to beat out lunch yet!" The pressure on my back seemed to suddenly vanish and I looked back to see Leo holding Aqua by the back of her blazer like a scene you''d fine in a cartoon.


    "Alright Aqua, Raiden is pretty obviously uncomfortable so lay off." Aqua crossed her arms over her chest and put a pouting expression on her face. I shot Leo a look of thanks, and he smiled. Finally, I turned back to where Minerva was standing, looking through a bag before finally pulling out some sort of odd contraption out of her bag. It had the rough shape of a pistol, but besides that, nothing else about it resembled the weapon. It was constructed mostly out of wires which twisted in and out of each other and wrapped together to form the shape of a pistol. All of the wires converged at the point of a small ball at the tip. It looked like some sort of alien blaster.


    Nova walked up behind Minerva, glancing at the contraption. "Oh, Minerva, is that what you were working on?" Minerva jumped slightly before turning to face Nova while scratching her head, laughing nervously.


    "Yep! I finally finished it, no to test if it works." She turned her eyes to the massive platter in my hands.


    "Oh Raiden, I didn''t see you as the type to enjoy eating such a large amount. Thats always been something Erika would do...That belongs to Erika, doesn''t it." The realization seemed to dawn over Nova, and I nodded confirmation. I then turned to Minverva.


    "So, what is it meant to do?"


    "Well, essentially, it''s like a gun, however instead of shooting, it would instead absorb things. So, in this case, It would absorb the fires and convert them into magical energy, that could be stored and used for different purposes." She got the whole explanation out without stuttering. That seemed like it could be fairly useful, as it was not possible to absorb things that weren''t spells, even if they had magical energy. The item had to me made of magical energy for absorption to even be possible.


    "So, this is what members of the magical engineering branch get up too?" Minerva nodded.


    "We work on all kinds of things; this was just kind of a personal project of mine." I nodded, pretty impressed. I guess I didn''t give the branches as much of an opportunity as they deserve.


    "Well then let''s try it." I held out the platter of fries in front of me."


    "O-ok." Minerva held the gun out in front of her, before pressing the trigger. Instantly, a light washed over the plate, and slowly, the fires began to decompose, and slightly visible dots of magic returned to the gun, causing it to slowly light up from the base.


    Minerva''s face brightened immediately, and a wide smile appeared on her face. "It WORKED!"" She squealed, at the same time, Aqua hugged her, squealing right along with her. I couldn''t help but give a small smirk as well. it was impressive. At this point, the platter was almost empty. However pretty soon, a concerned expression washed over Minerva''s face, replacing her joy. "Uh oh...."


    "What''s the problem?" I asked.


    "Well, I didn''t exactly design a method of differentiating the process of the gun firing, from when it got fully charged so, once the guns light reaches the point, it''s going to automatically fire."


    I would have made a comment however it was too late, as the light had already reached the point, and a beam was fired.

 Chapter 10: Third-Party

    As soon as the beam was fired, I was given less than a second to react. The plate had already been cleaned of fries by the gun, so I simply flipped it to face the blast. Small beads of salt slipped off and bounced on the floor. I also activated a reinforcement spell that worked from the center out, the center being the strongest point, and the outer surface being the weaker points. The blast was extremely concentrated, but surprisingly strong, and it hit the plate with enough force to push me back an inch or so. I could see that the center was starting to burn, as even from the back a small red dot was starting to grow larger and larger. I assumed that the gun would stop firing once it ran out of magical energy, however it would be impossible for me to know when that would be, as the sparks generated by the magic beam clashing against the magically reinforced plate.


    This probably won''t hold out for much longer. In that case... I put the palm of my had behind the plate, so that once the beam broke through, I could instantly cancel out the spell. However, that wouldn''t be necessary, as the magic beam was suddenly put out, like flipping a light switch. Surprised, I moved the plate out of the way and saw that the beam had stopped, even though the gun still had magical energy left. Nearly a third of the gun was still lighting up. Minerva and everyone else still look shocked and flabbergasted, taking a moment to register the fact that the beam had finally stopped.


    Pretty much everyone in the cafeteria had turned to watch the light show that had just transpired. It was dead silent as everyone seemed to try and understand what the hell had just happened. Thankfully, no alarms had gone off, and most people had lost interest pretty quickly, however the ones who were closer continued to look on.


    "The fuck...." I muttered under my breath.


    "Oh, my gosh are you o-okay!" Minerva exclaimed, immediately setting the gun the down. I nodded my head.


    "Yep, all good over here. Though that blast came as a little bit of a shock."


    Nova seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Good." She then turned to Minerva with a strict expression. "What do you have to say for yourself." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Minerva bowed in front of me. "I''m so very sorry! It''s my fault, I created a faulty machine, and you almost got hurt testing it."


    Immediately I shook my head, my own embarrassment starting to rise at the sincere apology. "No worries really, you don''t need to bow or anything. Not in front of me at least." I said that last part in a pretty low voice.


    From behind me, I could hear Masayoshi make a comment. "Impressive. Unlike last time, you had even less time to react. Yet you were still able to execute a fairly strong reinforcement spell."


    "Impressive that you were even able to see all that. Considering how fast everything happened." Despite the fact that on the surface we were praising each other, there was an analyzing and slightly wary tone behind both of our voices. Not that anyone else but us seemed to notice.


    "So... what exactly happened." Leo asked the pretty obvious question that was in the back of everyone''s mind.


    Minverva shook her head. "I-I don''t know. It should have kept firing until it ran out of fuel completely."


    "Well thank god it didn''t." Nova remarked.


    "Do you think that it malfunctioned, or something?" Aqua proposed.


    Minerva shook her head. "I doubt it. If It were to have malfunctioned, it probably would''ve exploded or something." She said it in a casual tone.


    "Mind if I take a look?" I had a theory about what had happened and needed to confirm it.


    "O-Of course not!" Minerva handed the invention to me." It was extremely light, and slightly warm. I held it in my hands for a few seconds, before turning it to take a look at what I truly cared about. I looked at the tip of the beam where the dot where magic was fired lay. Upon close examination, I could see the telltale sign that someone had made use of a cancelation spell. No shot anybody here could have done this, right?


    I slowly looked over from person to person. Minerva seemed to have been too in shock to do anything, Nova thought that it was luck, and Masayoshi was standing off to the side the entire time. That left me with only one conclusion. A third party was responsible. Someone competent enough to activate a cancelation spell in a split second, all without being seen or having their presence discovered.


    Just then, I felt the eyes of someone boring into the back of my head. I looked around as quickly as I could, however I could only see a sea of students getting up and leaving. The bell had rung. I handed the invention back to Minerva, who apologized one more time. As I turned to walk back to class, I thought to myself,


    There are definitely some impressive students at this school.

 Chapter 11: Mock Battle

    After the whole debacle in the cafeteria, all of the second-year students were called to head towards the training arena. We were directed to all gather along the canopy of connected skywalks. Once there, we were met by a person dressed in a long trench coat and wearing a Fedora. A tag on his trench coat identified him as, "Himitsu". He was leaning back against a railing, standing in the center of all of the connected skywalks, on a glass circle that seemed to just be floating in the air. It wasn''t connected by anything obvious, and so the only answer that I could come up with, was that it was a product of magic. Or maybe even excellent engineering.


    After almost a full minute of silence, Himitsu pushed off of the railing, and finally began to speak. "Thank you all for gathering here. As I''m sure you''ve already guessed, this is the schools training arena." He stretched out his arms in an encompassing gesture. "Not only is it extremely large and beautiful, but also...." He reached out a hand into the air, before closing it into a fist. Instantly, a massive bolt of lightning was called down from the sky and crashed straight into ground with immense force. This sudden use of a very powerful magic spell startled more than a few students, including Erika, who was still half asleep right next to me. Once the debris cleared, we could see that the training field was completely unscathed. That massive bolt of lightning was the equivalent of throwing a foam ball at a mountain.


    "It may have seemed like the ground wasn''t affected at all, but what had really happened was that the damaged ground was reconstructed instantly! Impressive right? This goes for pretty much all of the environment here. This is where most of the actual use of magic will take place, or ''The fun stuff.''" He had said it in an over-the-top tone and even put up finger quotes, which just looked really unnatural. "Inside of this training arena, we will hold examinations of magic abilities, practice situations, and most importantly...MOCK BATTLES!"


    Those last words were able to get a reaction out of the students. Battles? Inside of a massive, beautiful arena? Not to mention and indestructible one? Sign me up! was the probably the thought that went through most of the student''s mind. Himitsu seemed to take a look at his watch. "Thats all you really need to know for now, as most of the activates involving this arena are going to be left up to your teachers to coordinate. However, seeing how it''s the very first day of school, and we still have a good chunk of time left, how about we hold some mock battles right now? Any volunteers?"


    Nearly a hundred hands shot up. Pretty much everyone gathered around her right now wanted to participate. Everyone except for me. When Erika noticed that I hadn''t put my hand up, she tried to force me to. I didn''t even try to resist, as I knew it would be to no avail, and instead, began to pray that I wasn''t chosen. "Hmmm? There sure are a lot of enthusiastic students here. Who to choose, who to choose?" After around 30 seconds of contemplation, Himitsu finally seemed to come to a decision.


    "You! Brown curls!" He pointed directly at Nova. She began to crack her knuckles, and I could tell she was excited. "And You! Golden bracelet." He pointed to a girl who was really tall and had short black hair that stopped around her nose level. She wore a multitude of shining gold bracelets on either hand, as well as large leather boots that rocked jewelry of their own.


    I turned to Erika. "Know who that is?"


    Erika nodded with a dejected expression on her face. "How could I not. Thats Aura. Her families pretty high ranking and has ties to some of the 10 grand magic families. I''m pretty sure she''s European or something."


    Someone who''s family has ties to some of the 10 grand magic families was no joke. The 10 grand magic families were 10 households who produced generations of extremely strong and competent magicians. Their roots could be tied back to some of the very first users of magic in history, and because of that lineage, they are considered "Royal Families." "You seem like you really don''t like her. Is there a reason or-"


    "Don''t ask dude. Just watch the fight." I promptly dropped the subject without further pressure.


    By this point, Nova and Aura had made it down into the arena and faced off against each other. There was about 700 feet of distance that separated the two, and standing in the direct center of them was Himitsu. He had his right hand raised into the air. "You guys will have five minutes to fight." He took one glance and Nova, and then one glance at aura, before bringing his hand down in a downwards arc and shouting, "BEGIN!"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As soon as the battle commenced, Aura began by pointing a finger gun at Nova and firing a massive beam of magic that consumed everything in front of it. It traveled much faster than the speed of sound and was the size of a literal train. As the massive blast of magic made contact, it generated a large amount explosion that launched a building size plume of smoke straight into the air. In the next moment, a wind spell was cast that instantly dispelled the smoke, revealing Nova standing there, unscathed, her curls bobbing and blowing in the wind, and a smile on her face.


    "OOWW." The watching crowd let out their reactions as the first exchange of the battle occurred.


    "Despite the strength and speed Aura''s attack, Nova''s standing there completely unperturbed, with a daring smile on her face!" Himitsu was sitting on the railing of one of the sky walks, commentating.


    Aura looked at Nova, unimpressed. In the next second, Aura dashed towards Nova, leaving a crater in the ground from where she leapt off from. She aimed a punch directly for Nova''s chest, which Nova blocked both of her forearms. The ground beneath them instantly began to crack and shatter, and debris was kicked into the air. Winds also began to swirl around them. Aura let one of her legs touch the ground, and then used it to twirl and bring the other one around for a side kick too Nova''s face. Nova dodged cleanly by simply leaning back into a flip. Aura did not let up though, and she chased Nova down, continuing to throw punches and kicks. Nova continued to block and dodge.


    "An up close and personal showdown! It seems these to ladies are going mano a mano!"


    "Nova''s strong, but definitely not physically stronger than someone like Aura. So, she''s playing this more on the defensive until she gets the chance to use a powerful magic ability and take her down in one hit!" Erika explained Nova''s strategy.


    "That strategy hinges on her ability to continue taking these attacks from Aura, and who knows how much longer she can do that for?" I pointed out the obvious flaw in that strategy. Depending on how long it took for Novas huge final attack to be ready, it could already be too late.


    "Oh, but Nova is one strong little gal. That is one thing I know for sure." Erika said those words with absolute confidence.


    After dodging another kick from Aura, she used it as a chance to grab her leg and flip her upside down. She was preparing to follow up with a punch to the gut, however Aura was quicker, already charging up another beam of magic to be fired, even as she was upside down and flying throw the air. The massive beam fired, and Nova just barely managed to move her head out of the way to avoid it. However, instead of just smashing into the ground and exploding, the beam instead split into multiple smaller balls that began to fly towards Nova like homing missiles. Nova instantly jumped into a series of back handsprings and flips and twirls to avoid the attacks, watching as they exploded all around her. Aura dashed through the smoke caused by the explosions, which give her enough time and cover to catch Nova off guard, allowing her to land a vicious blow to Nova''s left side, which sent her flying across half of the arena, only coming to a stop after hitting a tree.


    Another large cheer from the crowd. "OHH! Ladies and gentlemen, the first blow of the battle has been landed, and it goes to Aura!"


    A few more of those and she''ll definitely be out for the count.


    Aura dashed towards Nova, preparing to follow up with a viscous combo. It was a pretty perilous situation all things considered. However, Nova looked up and once again, she smiled.


    At the same time, Erika seemed to smile as well.


    "She''s all set up." I murmured to myself as I connected the dots. I looked up in the sky. There, you could see what seemed to be the light of something falling back down to earth. I could sense the faint magical energy of that thing begin to grow as it got closer and closer. By this point, everyone else had seemed to notice it.


    "Folks! What is that in the sky! Is it a bird? A plane? Or wait! Could this be the magic spell that Aura had launched at the beginning of the battle!"


    That was indeed what it was. At the beginning of the battle, when Nova seemed to have face tanked Aura''s blast, what she had actually done was deflect it and send it straight into the air, using the smoke as a diversion. Now, it had come back down just in time to save her. I didn''t know how high the barrier extended, but it was safe to assume that she let it reach that limit, before curving it back down to the battlefield.


    The beam began to pick up speed and it seemed that it would crash down just at the same time Auras first blow would land. In bated breath, the crowd watched as the massive beam of magical energy was about to make contact. From where I was standing, I could see Nova mouth the words, "Supernova." Which was undoubtedly badass.


    Just as the move was about to hit her, Aura pulled her hand away from the punch, and instead use it to cast a defense spell to block the magical attack. The force of the blow pushing against Aura''s defense spell caused massive amounts of wind to be kicked up, and the ground around them to be shredded and cratered completely. However, the attack seemed like it was too strong and was about to overpower her. Just before the magic spell tore through her defense spell completely, she closed her hands, and the entire magical spell was altered, transforming into a sword.


    "UNBELIVIABLE! Aura has just regained control of her magic spell!"


    Aura then turned to Nova, and began to aim a slash for her when-


    Himitsu intervened, declaring the five minutes over.

 Chapter 12: Pretty Please

    Himitsu ruled the battle as a draw, as time ran out before decisive blow could have been landed, but a majority of the crowd had come to the conclusion that if the battle had been allowed to continue, Aura would have probably taken the victory. A few more mock battles were held, but none of them were as impressive as the first. After the last one concluded, Himitsu gave one last message before the final bell of the day rang. "This is just the beginning of everything that Theta Grand Magic academy has to offer. Tood aloo!"


    "That guy is way so happy for my liking." I complained to Erika as the final bell of the day rang and we were walking out. By this point we had met up with Masayoshi and Nova already.


    "His entire existence is like one huge oxymoron. Wears a massive trench coat, Fedora, and glasses, and yet acts like some little kid." Erika replied. She then turned to pat Nova on the back. "Great fight out there Babygirl." She added a wink and blew Nova a kiss.


    Nova, however, shook her head. I could tell that she was more than a bit bummed by how the battle went. "At the end of the day, that battle can only be considered a loss, nothing more, nothing less." Her facial expression and tone suggested that she had more to say on the subject, much harsher than what she had.


    "I''d say your being a bit harsh with that analysis. You made use of a great strategy, just turned out that your opened was able to make a final play that you couldn''t foresee." Nova gave an exasperated sigh before running to face Masayoshi.


    "I get that you''re trying to make me feel better about myself, but if anything, that comment just made me feel worse. So do us both a favor and shut up." Masayoshi didn''t seem very oppose to the suggestion.


    We had just made it back onto the second floor of the second year building when two students called us over. Aura, and another girl, who had long blonde hair and was blowing a fairly large pink bubble in her mouth. Her school uniform was the ordinary one, save for the fact that it fit tightly around her slim figure, and it marked her as a second year. Her dark blue eyes were watching the crowd absentmindedly, seeming as if she didn''t have a care in the world.


    Suprise was the emotion that was etched unto Nova''s face, and understandably so. "What business could this girl possibly have with me."


    As we approached, Aura''s expression shifted from a neutral one, to a serious. She pushed herself off the wall, before stopping in front of us, crossing her arms. "So.... what exactly did you want?" Nova asked. There was a bit of edge to her voice that was barely noticeable.


    "Well, I''d like to say, what you did in that battle...Was actually fairly cool." Nova froze. She had been expecting a wide variety of things, however a compliment, was definitely on the lower part of that list.


    "Um, wow, thank y-you. I guess." She was reduced to a stuttering mess by the unexpected compliment. "That thing you did at the end, were you turned the spell into a sword, was pretty cool." Immediately, Aura''s face began to redden, and she looked down, murmuring.


    "Thanks, a-a lot." She said some more, but the rest was absolutely unintelligible. The rest of us looked on at the situation with suspended disbelief. It was hard to believe that this was what she had actually wanted to say. Not to mention, both of them seemed to melt into a puddle of jelly at even the whiff of a compliment.


    "I''ll be honest, this was the last thing that I was expecting." I said this aloud.


    "We''ll you really shouldn''t stereotype people by looks." Masayoshi said. I couldn''t tell if it was a joke or a genuine accusation.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Well, how could I think anyone else. According to how Erika spoke of her..."


    "Erika also hates the fact that the student council president won''t punish her. It''s safe to say her idea of bad and good or significantly twisted in the direction of masochism." Masayoshi sidestepped out of the way of a punch.


    "Keep your creepy comments to yourself dude." Erika followed up that statement with another attempted grab on Masayoshi.


    "You guy''s seem like pretty good friends." This came from the blonde-haired girl. For the most part, her presence had disappeared, and she now reasserted herself back into the conversation.


    I would have made a comment on the situation, however Erika responded for me. "Yeah, we''re great pals!" She hooked her arm around my shoulders, and I caught flashbacks to when the same thing had occurred earlier on in the day. This time, her grip wasn''t nearly as death tight, but it still felt like someone had placed a boa constrictor around my shoulders.


    The girl took one look into my eyes, for not even half a second, and seemingly came to a conclusion. What that was, I didn''t know, nor did I want to know. The entire time that these shenanigans had been going on, Nova and Aura had been having some sort of conversation, and it had just come to an end.


    "Thanks for that, though a brief rundown of the battle was the last thing that I had been expecting you to talk about." Nova said.


    "Well, I was really impressed with your performance during that battle, and I really wanted to talk to you about. I heard what some people were saying, and I thought I''d let you know that I-I really thought that was a great battle."


    Nova nodded. "Thanks. Nice to meet you, Aura."


    "N-Nice to meet you too."


    After saying our goodbyes, we turned and left. However, I could feel someone''s eyes boring into the back of my head. I didn''t even have to turn around to know that it was that blonde haired girl who was staring directly at me. And her gaze remained there, as I made my way through the hallway. Tracking me through the wall of students. And just as I reached the end of the hallway, I could hear a, POP! The kind that comes out when you let a bubble pop.


    ***


    "We meet again, brother." Kami greeted me with a serious expression on her face. I had broken off with Erika and the others around the time we exited the second-year building, albeit, with more than just a bit of effort. Erika''s grip was no joke. And Masayoshi had more than one interrogating question to ask. Nova was the only one who hadn''t tried to keep me from leaving. She instead, spent the time looking up at the ceiling, most definitely reminiscing about the conversation she had with Aura.


    "Why are you greeting me like that?" I asked immediately. If there was one thing that I didn''t trust, it was Kami telling me the truth the first go around. Kami sniffled.


    "It''s just, I had a really rough day at school."


    "So you couldn''t make any friends. Tough luck." I pushed myself off of the wall of the entrance of the first year building I was leaning on. Kami looked shocked for a few seconds before jogging to catch up with me.


    "Obviously I was joking. However, you said that as if you do have friends."


    "Is it really that surprising that you are strong, handsome, and charismatic brother was able to make a plethora of friends?" I was exaggerating everything in that sentence.


    Kami looked like she wanted to puke. "Dark black eyes, and black hair. At least your hair covers your eyes, so you don''t look like a dead man walking everywhere. However, you are related to me, so I guess you''re not all that bad." She shook her head, causing her long hair to shake a bit as well.


    "Jesus Christ. Critic much?" I murmured this part under my breath, too low for Kami to hear.


    "Anyways, moving on to more important things. Brother, it seems I''ve received a summon to the student council office."


    "What exactly did you do to get sent there?" I thought back to how even mentioning the student council had brought tension when I was with the others.


    "Don''t say it in such I grave tone! I didn''t do anything wrong, I''m sure of it."


    "Yeah yeah, whatever you say." I took a step away from Kami to avoid the air of cold that had begun to build up around her. She stepped closer. It felt like I was inside a freezer.


    "I thought, why not accompany me? That should make up for your obvious transgression this morning. Only a little bit, of course."


    "Didn''t I make up for that by walking you to class? Besides, your 15 years old. I''m su-"


    "Pretty Please Brother!"


    She had come to stand in front of me, her eyes pleading. It seemed like she was on the verge of tears. All that cold from before had completely vanished. I had just about enough of weird stares for today, so before others could even notice, I said,


    "Fine fine fine. Just get moving."

 Chapter 13: The Student Council

    According to the main office-which was more of a royal lounge-the way to get to the student council room was to head up the winding pair of stairs that was in the center of the school''s Main lobby. The steps would take you all the way up to the 7th floor of the building, where you would find all of the different student service rooms. They also told us that that once you go up there, "You couldn''t miss it." My legs were a bit tired from all the walking I had done already, and I grumpily mumbled to myself as I ascended the stairs.


    Kami, who was a few steps ahead of me on the staircase, must have heard me, because she suddenly stopped and turned around, staring at me with an unreadable expression. "Brother, this is the third time that you''ve began mumbling dark things to yourself on this very short journey to the student council office."


    I stopped, a bit surprised that she had been able to notice. "What of it?" And this is the third time?


    "Well simply enough, its rather unsettling. It also rather not has to explain to the entire student council why my brother is mumbling too himself." She said it in a joking tone, and even her words themselves could be taken as a joke. However her gaze had suddenly turned piercing, and I knew for a fact that this wasn''t a joke. I also knew exactly why she was so concerned about it. It wasn''t the fact I was mumbling. No, she was more concerned with what I was mumbling about.


    I sighed. "Yeah, I get your message loud and clear. Can we, keep walking now?"


    "Hmph. As long as you know that having a constant pessimistic attitude isn''t good." She turned around and continued to ascend the stairs, humming something too herself.


    Jeez, she is seriously perceptive. I continued to trudge myself up the stairs, this time making sure I didn''t let any negative thoughts slip.


    When we got to the 7th floor, the first thing that we noticed was the student council room. Just as the reception lady in the office had said, "You couldn''t miss it." The entire rectangular hallway which had rooms lining each side, all lead up to the one large white door at the end of the hall. It was decorated in gold accents and had different colored gems lining the edges. There was also a large plaque right next to it that designated it as, "Student Council Affairs." As we slowly approached the door, I took a look at some of the other rooms. "Counseling. Recreation. Student Government. General Services." A majority of rooms were empty at the moment, which probably meant that they had head to find people to head those branches.


    When we finally made it to the end of the hallway and in front of the door, we stood ad paused for a few seconds. Just admiring its beauty. Now that we were closer, we could see something that was nearly impossible to see from afar. An inscription just below the handle of the door. Amor vincit omnia.


    "Love conquers all. Pretty fitting." I spoke.


    Kami nodded. "Well then, shall we go?"


    I looked over at her for a second, before shaking my head slightly. "I should be the one asking you that. You look like you''re shivering. Which should be impossible considering the fact that your whole ability is ice." Before Kami could aim an Icicle for my jugular, I pulled open the doors, and blinding light greeted us.


    Inside the student council room, there were three massive windows at the back of the room, that let in sunlight, which reflected off glass prisms which were structured at every corner of the square room, giving the entire place a colorful tinge. In the center of the room, there was a long rectangular table that extended from a few feet away from the door, all the way to a few feet away from the windows. There were 10 total seats. one heads on each of the shorter sides, and 4 seats on each of the longer sides. Bookshelfs packed to the brim with large encyclopedias and magic texts lined the walls, as well as file cabinets. Sparsely spread in between those, were different abstract paintings, swirls of color that seemed to depict multiple things at once.


    When we opened the door, all eyes in the room turned to look at us. They seemed to be doing nothing special prior to our entrance. Kami was standing behind me, obviously pretty nervous. My eyes flicked quickly at each of the faces in the room. I couldn''t recognize most of them, except for Suijin Hajimoto, and Yuri Hanamai. He was standing to Suijin''s left. As I locked eyes with him, I could feel the distaste coming from his glare.


    Suijin was the first to her speak, her smiling expression shining just as bright as the sun which blasted in from the windows. "Welcome, Kami, Raiden." She said it as if she wasn''t surprised that I came.


    I gave my best smile and held a hand up. "Thank you. Its n-nice to meet you all." Christ, i''m not built for this social interaction stuff.


    "Good afternoon." Kami was about to bow when she remembered what Suijin had told her earlier. words from earlier. Instead, she offered her brightest smile.


    I took a look at the clock and noticed that it was quickly approaching 4. She''ll fucking kill me if I''m, late. I decided to speed up this whole interaction. "So, according to Kami, you guys had summoned for her?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suijin nodded. "Yep, but before that, I''d like to introduce you to the other members of the student council." She gestured to Yuri. "You''ve already acquainted yourselves with Yuri." She then pointed to the person to her left, going down the row until she reached the other head of the table, and coming back up her right side. "Riko Shibai, head of the magical engineering committee. Ichijo Nakamura, head of extracurriculars, Ayung Shibai-Riko''s little sister-vice president of the magical engineering committee and sitting directly across from me is the student councils vice president, Genji Yukimura.


    Riko and Ayung could''ve have been mistaken for identical twins if it wasn''t for the height difference. They both had shoulder-length black hair and storm gray eyes. Riko was a third year, and Ayung a second. Now that I think about it, I remember seeing her in my class. She was one of the people who had been utterly baffled at my dumb reason for being late to class. "Oh, it''s you." Was all she said. Her sister shot her a sharp glare before turning back to face me with a smile.


    "What she meant to say was, it''s nice to meet both of you."


    "Pleasure''s all ours." Me and Kami said at the same time. Some snickers. I turned to look at her. Thats another soda, she said telepathically.


    Ichijo was of average height, and had red hair, though it was darker and more dulled than Erikas''s fire red mane. Interestingly, he also had red eyes that peaked out from behind the curtains created by his hair. He was a third year. "Hey there, any questions about joining clubs goes to m-" He was interrupted by Genji, who shot him a glare.


    "Already trying to recruit them and they''ve been her for no less than a few minutes. How depraved can you get, Ichi?"


    Ichijo just shrugged his soldiers. "What can I say, I''ve always got my mind on the prize."


    Genji wheeled his chair around, to reveal a fairly tall guy, with snow blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked at us cynically. "So, these are the two who managed to get through the magic forest unscathed? Nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you too ma''am." That made everyone freeze. Even Kami looked at me like I had lost my mind. Genji''s face twisted into an expression of shock and anger.


    "Ma''am? Wh-" Before he could finish, I snapped my fingers. Immediately, her spell was undone, revealing a girl with the same snow white, blonde hair that reached down to her waist, and an unbelievably flat chest.


    She froze for a few seconds. Unable to get any words out. Her face began to redden. She finally turned around, mumbling to herself. "You win."


    Riko began to laugh, unable to hold it in anymore. "I can''t believe it! He saw through your disguise first try!" Genji was glaring daggers at her.


    Suijin interjected before an argument could break out. "Alright alright. Calm down. I''m sure that display at least gave you an idea of what kind of magicians these students are?" No one on the table objected. She then turned to Kami. "We have a lot of upcoming events, and we''re a bit short-staffed. So, Kami Chisaki, we have called you in her to offer you a position in the student council."


    That made Kami freeze. I was also a bit surprised too. That just didn''t seem like something that was sensical. "W-What do you mean?" Kami asked.


    Suijin continued to look at her with a warm smile. In this light, I could notice small eyebags under her eyes. "Exactly like I said. We want to offer you a position here on the student council."


    "B-But. I''m a first year." Kami protested. Suijin simply looked at her with an expression that read, So what? "Kami continued. A-and I-It doesn''t make any sense. First of all, you barely know anything about me. What could I have done in one day of school that could possibly make me qualified to join the student council?"


    "You managed to cross the magic forest."


    "Y-yeah I guess, bu-"


    "And you also received a direct recommendation from two teachers."


    "Two?"


    "Your own teacher, Mr. Jacque, and"


    I filled in for Suijin. "My own teacher. Mrs. Elmer." I figured that it was suspicious that she had asked for my sister''s name. But to think she would give her a personal recommendation for the student council.


    "O-ok. But, what about others? I''m sure that people won''t be happy to hear that someone first year got a position on the student council before them." Kami argued weakly. She probably still couldn''t bring herself to understand why she had been chosen.


    "I''m sure they would be able to understand why you were chosen. Passed through the magic forest, unscathed at that, and received two recommendations from teachers. Besides, do you remember what I told you this morning, as well as what I had said in my speech? Any potential member who would get angry at someone else for getting the job because they were, below them, isn''t someone I want on my student council."


    Kami could not find any other reasons to argue.


    "So, will you be joining?" Suijin asked."


    Kami nodded. "Who am I to refuse. This is a great opportunity" She then seemed to remember something. "On one condition."


    Yuri Hanamai seemed more than a bit shocked at that, but before he could speak, Suijin held up a hand, still smiling. "Go ahead."


    "I''ll only join if you offer my brother a position."


    In sighed. I knew this was coming. Kami was always the type of person to do things on my behalf, even if I was adamant, it was okay. I really would have been fine not being offered a position on the student council. But Kami wouldn''t.


    Suijin nodded. "it''s reasonable. And I''m sure we have no objections, right?" Everybody nodded. She then turned her shining purple eyes to me. "So, Raiden. Will you join the student council?"


    I didn''t even think twice. I shook my head no.


    That made Yuri do a double take, and every one of the student councils members seemed to pause. Even Suijin seemed shocked. "Why?" she asked.


    "Simple, because it doesn''t align with the mission I was given." The answer made complete sense to me, though I''m sure it would confuse the rest of them.


    Suijin paused for a few seconds, analyzing me. "The goal you were given?"


    I nodded, feeling no need to further explain. "I apologize for Kami''s ridiculous request. With that be all?" I really needed to get going.


    Suijin nodded, though she seemed to still be in deep thought. "Tomorrow will be your first day on the job Kami. As my assistant."


    We nodded our thanks and said our goodbyes. Just as we opened the door to leave however, Suijin said,


    "You said it doesn''t align with the mission you were given, but what about your heart?"

 Chapter 14: Tea Time

    By the time we arrived home it was already 5 P.M. Kami had forced me to make a few stops at a store to pick up some things for her to cook with, even though I had told her I wasn''t hungry. "Well, if you''re not hungry, then I guess It''s not for you." She said it in a passive aggressive tone. I could tell that she was angry about something, and I knew exactly what.


    "Are you really that mad about me declining to join the student council?" However, Kami simply shook her head, her expression reading, "Not now." After we had purchased everything, we headed home. Our house was a fairly average, if not on the larger side. It was two stories tall and surrounded by a modest yard and gate. There was a small bed Japanese''s roses that lined to front walls of house, framed nicely by the light blue color of the home''s walls. There were also two separate roofs, one for the actual house, and one that covered the garage section of the home, which was a rectangular shaped portion connected to the main home. At the front, there were 2 windows on the first floor, and five on the second. There were no cars in the driveway, nor was there any in the garage. It could be considered a very modest, yet beautiful home.


    However, if it was up to our parents, we probably would have been living in a much grander estate. They were adamant that it was what Kami deserved; however, she had told them with a sort of cold expression, "I''ll be fine in a regular home. I''m not some sort of princess. Besides, I want to try and live an average life." Had it not been for that, our parents would have purchased the largest home they could find, and most definitely would have had the interior specifically designed for her. I paused in front of the door for a few seconds, staring at it.


    "How long are you going to stare at our front door for? Do you want to start making out with it?" Kami asked impatiently. Her irritation seemed to have only grown.


    "Maybe." I grabbed the keys from under the blue and green welcome mat (cliche, I know), before slowly bringing them up to the lock and twisting. As soon as the click of the keys unlocking the front door could be heard, an electric panel popped out of the door. A small light began to flash from it. I leaned forward, allowing the light to scan my eye. Once the panel light up green, the panel retreated back into the door, and I opened it.


    The interior of the house looked just as modest as the exterior. As soon as you stepped in, you first saw the living room, which consisted of three black fur couches, that assembled themselves around a coffee table which had a vase of flowers on it. There was also a Tv. Just a few feet away was a wooden dining table that occupied most of the wide room. You could also see the kitchen from there, which was fairly large, fitting a refrigerator, oven/stove, and also dishwasher with other cupboards for ingredients and miscellaneous items. Next to the staircase, you could see two other rooms, as well as the pantry and the bathroom. The dark blue walls lined with paintings and pictures. The biggest one, was a portrait of Kami done when she was little. Our mother had insisted that we take it, though she was undoubtedly sad to part with it. The portrait was done by a magnificent artist and captured Kami perfectly. She was dressed in a white dress with a blow ribbon at the neck. She was wearing the same butterfly earrings that she wore now. The artist had done a perfect job at catching the curious and innocent, yet thoughtful and contemplative look she had in her eyes. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Drawing my eyes away from the painting and instead towards the clock, I noticed that it was 5:15. 15 minutes late. She''s going to be more than a little bit discontent. Fuck, she might even take this into her own hands.... I shivered at that thought. No point in keeping her waiting any longer. I slipped off my blazer, beginning to walk towards the stairs that lead to the second floor, where my room was. I prayed that Kami would forget what she wanted to talk about and just let me go, however my prayers were not answered. Just as I made it to the first step of the staircase, Kami''s ice-cold voice stopped me.


    "Brother. We have to talk." This was not a request. it was a demand.


    I turned around reluctantly. "I''m guessing this is about what happened in the student council''s room?" Kami didn''t even bother to dignify that question with an answer. Instead, she gestured towards the table.


    "Take a seat. I''ll pour some tea."


    "I''ll be okay, really." She also knows I hate tea.


    She ignored me, walking to the kitchen. I sighed, resigning myself. There was no way that I could win this battle. I took a seat at the head of the table, place my blazer on my lap. A few minutes later, Kami walked out of the kitchen, with two steaming hot cups of tea in her hand. She placed one down next to me, and I gave her my thanks. She then deliberately walked all the way over to the seat directly across from me, on the other side of the table. She sat down, not even bothering to blow on her tea, drinking it steaming. She remained silent.


    "So exactly how mad are you at me?"


    "How mad do you think I am?" She still didn''t bother to look up at me.


    "Listen, you of all people know why I had to declin-"


    "Know? What exactly do I know?"


    I paused, taking a sip of the tea. It wasn''t like her tea was bad, I just couldn''t stand tea at all. "My mission was laid out to me before I came here. Joining the student council doesn''t align with that mission."


    "So, this mission has taken your free will?" Her words were biting, and her gaze was harsh. I could hear the point she was making loud; however, I knew that it didn''t matter. Things that came to me never mattered.


    "Listen, I don''t want you to do that again, okay? Doing things on my behalf. I''m perfectly fine with fading away into the background. I only have one job." I set the cup down on the table.


    "Nonsense." I could feel Kami''s anger rising. "You''re perfectly fine with being left behind? Don''t give me that crap. And don''t do things on your behalf? If I don''t vouch for you, who will?"


    I still didn''t completely understand what she was trying to get at, but I didn''t have time. I downed the rest of the tea. "Thank you. However, this is the end. I said what I said. Whether you like it or not, that''s the truth of things. It''s up to you whether you want to accept it, or not."


    I stood up from my seat and began walking up the stairs. I could feel Kami glares burning holes into my back.


    "Dumbass."


    I sighed.

 Chapter 15: Master

    I shut the door to my room, tossing my blazer on my bed. I was already tired from the long, overly eventful school day, and my argument with Kami didn''t help things. She was also the type of person to hold a grudge and remain steadfast in her beliefs. So, I doubt that any approach could have diffused the situation any better than what I had chosen to do. And yet I still felt like I could have done something better. For a few seconds, I just stood there, staring at the dark blue walls of my room. They were barren. Except for one painting. It was abstract art. Just a collection of colors that all swirled and gathered at a center point in the canvas. Red, green, blue, purple, maroon. All kinds of colors covered the canvas. All erupting from one point. I didn''t really know why I liked it so much, but I did. It made me think of all the different things that go into a person, beliefs, personality, emotions. All of these things combining at the center. At the heart, of the canvas.


    Alright, that''s enough admiration of art. I moved away from the painting, heading to a nightstand which was right next to my bed. It was a decent sized bed, and beside the nightstand closet and painting, it was the only thing I had in my room. I opened a drawer on the nightstand and reached into it, grabbing a red box. It was fairly small, about the size of a pack of cards. After which, I headed out of my room and walked down the hallway until I arrived at the bathroom which was on the second floor. I set down the box on the counter before turning to turn on the sink. I was planning to splash a little bit of water on my face, in hopes to somewhat wake myself. For a prolonged period of time, I just stared at my reflection. Dark black hair that covered my eyes. My skin was a sort of ivory tone. I used a hand to push my hair out of my eyes. Two dark black pupils stared back at me. Kami was right. They made me look like a dead man.


    I splashed some water on my face, before wiping it off with a towel that was behind the door. I grabbed my box and headed downstairs. Kami was nowhere to be found, but I could hear the water in the downstairs bathroom running. I wonder how long she''ll stay mad at me for. I tried not to think about our argument too much. I''m sure she''ll be fine by tomorrow.


    I made my way to the side of the staircase. I was meet by a white wall with nothing there. I put my hand on the smooth surface, and a few seconds later, a click could be heard. The door slid open without any more effort on my part. I stepped inside the secret passageway, walking down into the basement. I heard the door click shut behind me. It was fairly dark in the passageway, however the deeper i descended, the more light there was. After a few seconds of walking, I made a right turn and found myself in a very brightly light, and undoubtedly impressive, room. From the opposite wall to the entrance point, there were three massive screens. One on the front wall, and two on the side walls. The monitors were easily larger than 82". Just under the massive TV''s, was a fairly long desk that looked very futuristic. It was made of metal, and blue Leds lit it up. It had a keyboard as well as a bunch of other buttons. All of the walls in the room were made of metal and shone a bright blue color. There were also a bunch of boxes stacked in the corners of the room. I made my way over to the monitors. I tapped my feet twice, and a chair materialized behind me. I collapsed into it with a groan.


    "Open." I muttered. Instantly, the three large screens turned on, blasting the room with light. It made it possible to see that the color of all the metal that everything in the room seemed to be made up of was black. Leaning forward, I typed a command into the digital keyboard, before pressing a green button. The screen flash blue as it shifted over to a call screen. A profile picture of a pink bear plushie appeared as well as the caller ID, ''Yuki''. However, it never was allowed to ring once, as the call was picked up instantaneously.


    On the screen was a woman who looked to still be in her 20''s. She had blond hair that descended down to below her waist. She had cool blue eyes, like the ocean. She wore jeans that were held up by a spiky black belt. She also wore a shirt that had the sleeves cut off all the way up to her shoulders. She wore a gold necklace that went straight down between her chest, before showing a heart shaped pendant. She also wore the same butterfly earrings as Kami, except they were pink instead of blue. She looked down at me with a grave expression. She spoke, and despite the cold in her voice, it still sounded as sweet as honey. "Raiden, I thought I taught you better than to keep a lady waiting.


    It was this moment when I realized that I had completely forgotten to come up with a good excuse. "I was-" However before I could feed her some bullshit lie, she interrupted me. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Not only that, but..." She leaned into the screen, as if she could smell through it. "You smell like women."


    ***


    I was shocked by that statement. For a brief second, I seriously believed her. I mean, I did talk to a lot of girls today. And most of them were touchier than necessary. Guilt started to creep up in the back of my mind, until I realized that we were on a phone call. Which goes to show how high of a regard I held her in. I seriously believed she could smell all the people I had interacted with through the screen. While I was having this moral dilemma and realization, I kept a blank expression on my face. "Don''t say nonsensical things like that."


    "Hah! So, you are guilty, I can see it on your face!" My poker expression didn''t work on Yuki.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about." I continued to play dumb.


    "Not only do you leave my waiting for over 30 minutes past our appointment, but You do it to go fraternize with females?" Her expression was piercing, and I felt like I could sense her magical energy flowing from across the screen. "Normally, you know how this would end, right?"


    I nodded, swallowing.


    "Well because this is the first day of school, I''ll let you off the hook!" Her entire tone had completely flipped, and she was speaking in a high-pitched, vibrant tone. "However, the next time it happens," Suddenly, her voice flipped again, becoming low and dangerous. She was staring acid death at me. She didn''t even bother finishing her sentence. After a few seconds of letting me revel in my terror, her smile returned before she said, "So, tell me how your first day of school went!"


    3 personality changes in the same minute. Shes definitely bipolar. "Oh, it went really well. Heading through the magic forest went smoothly, and we even got a tour for the student council president." She held up one finger.


    "Continue."


    I had no idea what the finger meant, but I continued to detail my school day. "After which, me and Kami checked out the school, which lead to me being a bit late to class. That caused me to become my teachers, VIP." She laughed. And then put up another finger. I was starting to get an idea of what those fingers meant. "I also ended up making three pretty cool friends-"


    Another two fingers went up.


    "And I meet up with some cool third yea-"


    Another two fingers. She was at, five now. The smile never left her face.


    "And we meet the student council..."


    Three more fingers went up. She was holding eight. Her smile appeared more strained. She didn''t even bother to elaborate. I knew exactly what she was counting. My question is how she knew which ones were the girls. I said very vague things. Is this chick an actual witch?


    "This chick, is your master, and I believe she deserves a little more respect." Yuki said through gritted teeth.


    "Sorry master. It won''t happen again." She was reaching the limits of her patience, so I decided to backpedal.


    She eventually put her fingers down, but her blue eyes seemed to bore straight into my soul, saying the things her mouth didn''t. "So, you were summoned to the student council. What for?"


    Happy for the subject change, I answered. "Kami got a position on the student council. And she accepted."


    Yuki whistled, clearly impressed. "That girl is seriously impressive. First day as well?" She then returned her gaze to me. "What about you. Knowing her, she wouldn''t leave that room unless you were offered a position as well."


    I paused for a split second, and Yuki was able to easily figure out my answer. "You declined, didn''t you?"


    I nodded. "It didn''t align with my mission. that''s why. I''m here to protect Kami, nothing more. I also didn''t like the way Kami just brought it up on my behalf. I was fin-"


    Yuki shook her head. "Your still like this? Raiden, I do hope you understand why Kami did what she did." I paused, confused by her statement.


    "Of course, I understand why she did what she did. It''s just, I don''t need her doing things on my behalf. It''s nothing she should have to worry about."


    "You just contradicted yourself." She sighed, looking at me with a solemn expression. "Raiden, you should really take a moment to understand your own feelings, instead of just throwing them away. Just because you''re on this mission, just because of everything that happened to you, doesn''t mean you still have to live like this.... Enjoy yourself, Okay?"


    I didn''t reply. She was the third person today to bring this up. I just nodded.


    "Alright then, I''ll be signing off. Make sure you''re not late for the next one! Goodbye!"


    The call ended, and the screen flashed back to the faint blue light of the home screen. I sat in my chair, unable to gather my thoughts. So, I did what best helped calm me down. I grabbed the red box and opened it. Inside, was a case filled with cigarettes. I grabbed one slowly, before shutting the case and putting it back in my pocket. I then used a fire spell to the light it, before taking a puff, breathing out smoke into the cold air of room.


    What the hell do they all want from me? And why does it have to do so much with my own heart?

 Chapter 16: A world Divided

    Unfortunately for me, my prediction was incorrect. Kami had not cooled off by the time the next day had rolled around. if anything, she seemed to be even angrier. It was also a fairly chilly Tuesday morning, so that may have contributed to her ill mood. I wasn''t dumb enough to ask any probing questions, and I made sure to keep everything I said vague and general, so as to not spark an argument so early in the morning. After we had eaten a breakfast of eggs and pancakes, we headed out for Theta magic academy. Thankfully, this time we didn''t have to go through the effort of tearing out way through the magic forest. Suijin had provided us with a special magical stone that would direct us to the path of the magic academy. As we walked down the street, I could feel the stares coming from others. Curtains could be seen being pulled back suddenly, as those in their homes moved to get a better look at the two attendees of Theta magic academy walking down the sidewalk. It was obvious that those stares were not just those of interest. Despite the fact that we had a very shiny magical rock in out possession, all of the stares were concentrated on us. There were looks of discontent from those who sat on their porches. Mothers who moved to stand in front of their kids at the sight of our uniforms. Yet nobody said a word. There was irritation, but also fear swirling in the minds of everybody in our neighborhood.


    From a lawn of one of our neighbors, I could hear a news broadcast being played. "According to government census and information gathering bureau, the number of neighborhoods that are split between magicians and non-magicians has grown over 12% in the last 30 years. Experts say this growth is the first sign at long lasting peace and integration between the two sides. They''ve even gone as far as to say that the future is looking bright."


    "Just our luck that this house happened to be smack dab in the middle of a non-magician residential area." I murmured to myself. Usually, towns were split, almost segregated into sects of Magicians and non-magicians. It was nothing government enforced. It was 100% a cultural thing. People put immense time into studying areas that they were interested in, just so they didn''t buy a house next to the other side. Which was what it really was. Two divided sides. Despite the what the news was saying, the gap between the two sides was not much closer than it had been at the time of the first resurgence of magicians. It was the kind of thing that people didn''t acknowledge, but knew was there. The divide between the two different sides was something that was just embedded into the rhythms and throes of everyday life.


    "There simply just isn''t a world where complete integration between the two sides is possible." This was coming from another person''s yard. A middle-aged man with white hair was sitting on a small table in his yard, talking with his wife. "How exactly can you expect people to be safe living next door to a literally bomb!" His wife nodded her head in agreement.


    "I''ve heard of rumors that those who spend their life living next to magicians develop mutations from the second hand in-take of mana." She was drinking a bottle of what seemed to be white liquor. As we walked by their yard, I could feel their gazes shifting over to us. They didn''t say anything but stared with expressions of slight contempt. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    When we finally left the crushing atmosphere of the neighborhood, and walked unto the main bustling streets of Sendai, a new, arguably even more disconcerting feeling had fallen upon us. Unlike in the neighborhood, where stares were more personal, and individual conversations could be eavesdropped on, the busy city was a massive web of activity. Massive screens that rose high into the air or were even on buildings themselves displayed news. Besides the weather, all other news was related to magicians. Mostly, debates on if there would ever be a society were these to separate parties could co-exist. New detailing malicious acts from Magician''s, or heroic acts from magicians.


    On the street, glances were unavoidable, and though they only lingered for a second or to, it felt like there was an entire connected mass, which was baring down its gaze upon us. Criticizing. Accusing. Hating. People making use of cars that ran on mana to minimize greenhouse gases drove by casting stares that could burn holes through us. People who were commuting to work at buildings specially designed and enhanced by magic architecture seemed to keep their distance on the streets. Streets which were kept in pristine condition through the use of technology that had been produced by breakthroughs in magical engineering.


    Despite how it may have seemed, I didn''t completely blame them for their reactions. Looking at their perspective, they were sharing a world with beings who could be likened to gods, able to take the lives and destroy the world that they lived in whenever they pleased. Haunted by stories of those who used the gift of magic to tear down entire societies, commit atrocities that could never be erased from the history books, and even just look down upon them like they were nothing more than maggots.


    We walked by one of the screens where a well-known pro-human Chinese figure was debating a magical engineer. The man went by the alias of Huyan Zhou. He was 40 years old, and his most notable features were a scar he had just under his right lip, as well as his circular glasses. He had been running rampant over the past few months, mostly because of the non-stop debates that he was holding every day of the week.


    "20 years ago, a man named Lucas Oscuras, developed a machine that could be used to transfer raw magical energy into light capable that was capable of powering towns for years. A noble and useful invention. However, not even 3 years later, a man used the technology to create a beam of light so concentrated that it was able to slice continents in half. The weapon was aptly named, ''Muerte Oscuras.'' I ask you, how can you possibly create and develop magically technology, knowing that it will inevitably be turned into weapons of mass destruction?"


    "Firstly, these things are not inevitably. When they do happen, it is unfortunate, and I hold deep sorrow in my heart for the lives lost because of those who twist the findings of geniuses. However, the mindset that we should never try and innovate because of tragedies that occurred along the way, is not beneficial to our society. If we had that mindset back during moments like the industrial revolution, our implementation of nuclear power, society would never advance.


    People watched.


    People talked.


    And they argued.


    There was an underlying tension in the air. Despite the fact that studies would tell you that society was becoming more conjoined, and the two sides were becoming more integrated into each other''s societies, the truth of the matter is that this world is divided. There will always be a rift between the two sides. The divided sides. A seam that could burst into a fissure at any moment.


    A seam that separated those blessed in the image of the gods, from those embraced by caricature of evil.

 Chapter 17: Justice

    This time, I made sure that I wasn''t late to class. In fact, I was the first person in class. I had seen that a lot of students seemed to linger around different sections of the school. Hanging around the training arenas, luncheon, hallways, and the glass bridge. However, a vast majority of students hung out around the front of the building, which was just as impressive as I was led to believe. The magic academy was located on an artificially created hill near the bank of Lake Yamanaka. It was located right behind MT. Fuji. On the hill, there was a meadow that was twice the size of the one located at the back entrance of the school. It stretched so far from left to right that it almost seemed endless. The path that leads up to the front was made of clean cobblestone. Once we had reached the start of the barrier, multiple magic Knights stood in the front, checking are school uniforms and ID''s. Their uniforms were much different from ours, instead they boasted large coats that reached down to their knees in the color of teal and white. On their arms, a certain number of bands denotated what rank magician they were. 5-1 was the ranking system. Rank 5 being the weakest, and rank 1 being the strongest. These guards were rank three.


    As I walked inside of the barrier, I was thinking about the main fact of how nobody knew where this was. Not only the fact that it rested not too far from the bank of Lake Yamanaka, which was a major tourist attraction, but it also was near Mount Fuji. There was simply no what a building of this size could be concealed. On the topic of Mount Fuji, I wonder how I couldn''t see the massive mountain from the back of the school. Despite the fact that the school wasn''t big enough to completely cover it from view. I turned around, only to see, nothing. The mountain wasn''t there. There was only a regular grassy meadow, that stretched as far as the eye could see. That was when I realized it. The barrier must have been imbued with some magic spell that made it filter things when you looked through it. From the inside looking out, this place could almost be seen as completely isolated from anything in the actual world. And I guess there''s something special that allows those who are actually attending the school, allowing for them to see what non-magicians couldn''t. All in all, whatever complex series of connected and layered spells was being used to create this effect, it was definitely very impressive.


    The front yard of the school was the size of a courtyard, and featured fountains and benches, as well as small places where you could purchase drinks and coffee. It was the perfect place to hang out. Which explained why most students hung out there. When I stepped into the classroom, Ms. Elmer looked over to me from where she sat at her desk-located in the back left corner of the class-smoking a cigarette. I wanted to make a comment about how that probably wasn''t allowed on school grounds, let alone inside of a classroom, but ultimately decided against it. I''d rather not get on her bedside two days in a row.


    "Raiden, you do realize that you are," She glanced down at her watch. "A whole two hours early to class." I nodded as I took a seat right next to her podium. She continued to look over at me. After a few seconds of staring, she shook her head before looking back down at her phone. "Are friends really that hard to make?" She muttered this to herself.


    "I have friends...I guess."


    "I wasn''t asking you Raiden."


    "Sorry ma''am."


    ***


    From the moment I walked in, two hours early, to an hour later, I just sat with my thoughts. Sometimes I turned to watch Ms. Elmer, who was smoking and scrolling through her phone. Besides that, it was extremely boring for the hour that I sat there. I kept remembering the same three scenes over and over again. My argument with Kami, Suijin''s words: But what about your heart? I thought back to my conversation with Yuki, and the words she left me off with: Enjoy yourself, okay?


    "God, I wish I had a cigarette right now." I tossed a longing look at the one in Ms. Elmer''s hand. She had heard me muttering, and now noticed my gaze.


    "I don''t know what''s more concerning. The fact that you just wished you had a cigarette, or the fact that you expected I would have actually given you one." She looked at me with an accusing glare.


    "It was worth a try." I sighed, resigning myself to being drowned by my thoughts until the door opened. Two people stepped in. Hikaru, and Masayoshi. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Good morning!" Hikaru said excitedly, as she stepped into the classroom, waving her hands in the air with a huge smile on her face.


    "Good morning." Masayoshi said a second after. In stark contrast to Hikaru''s bright overly exaggerated greeting, Masayoshi gave a rather tired, emotionless one. He didn''t even bother to wave.


    "Morning." I said, yawning at the same time.


    "Good morning students. You do realize that you''re still a bit early, right?"


    "Yep!"


    "Yes..."


    Ms. Elmer''s eyes slowly tracked from the three of us. The overly happy and excited Hikaru, who was bouncing up and down. The seemingly dead Masayoshi, who''s words and pale complexion almost gave him the vibe of a zombie, and me, the 16-year-old who had just expressed his need for a cigarette. She sighed. "I really can''t put up with such warring personalities so early in the morning. After a few seconds of contemplation, she looked back up at us. "Alright listen here you three, take a seat, and try to be friends."


    "But we already are friends!" Hikaru exclaimed.


    Masayoshi just seemed confused.


    I averted my eyes.


    "Just take a seat and don''t be rowdy."


    ***


    I remained in my seat at the front of the classroom, while Masayoshi took his seat in the 3rd desk from the door, in the front row. Hikaru took her seat in the table right next to him. other "Seeing as how were the only three here, we should take what Ms. Elmer said to heart. Let''s get to know each better." She clapped her hands together and looked at each of us patiently.


    I was fully prepared to spend the next hour in silence; however, it was clear Hikaru wasn''t going to let that happen. I really didn''t want to be bother by social interaction so early in the morning, and it seemed like Masayoshi shared a similar opinion.


    After a prolonged silence, Hikaru spoke, her smile not even faltering in the slightest. "So, tough crowd. That''s okay. How about I start us off then. What are things that people like to talk about. idols, music, so-"


    "Justice." Masayoshi interrupted Hikaru as she verbally expressed her thinking, interjecting with just one word, justice. Hikaru seemed to be a bit surprised and confused by Masayoshi''s sudden interjection, however that quickly faded away as she was happier about getting an actual response.


    "Really! Well then lead the way."


    Masayoshi froze for a second, realizing the consequences of the sudden statement. He sighed, before speaking. "What I mean, is I want to have a conversation about Justice. Right and wrong. Applying that Idea to the current situation. The divide between magician and non-magician. The never-ending war between the 7 continents. The 7 grand magic academies that are nothing more that places to train students to become soldiers. To prepare them for the upcoming battles that areas sure to come after were spurred out of this momentary peace."


    Masayoshi did not hold back anything as he laid out what he wanted to discuss. It was absolutely nothing lighthearted, and instead, topics you would only really discuss with people you are close with. Even then, it would be a pretty difficult subject to broach.


    Hikaru seemed to be at a loss for words, and I thought it would be unfair if I let her make all the efforts in keeping the conversation up. The gaze that Mrs. Elmer shot me was also a pretty good motivator. "Right or wrong? In the context of everything that is happening, does that even exist?" I proposed a cynical viewpoint of the idea that right or wrong could not even be applied to the situation of the war, and the divide.


    "Thats exactly where my point lies. In a situation where the concept of right and wrong don''t exist, where does true justice lie?" Masayoshi revealed his true question.


    "Well, comprise is the best option, no? If there is no right or wrong, then it is inherently wrong to assume that there is a side where justice lies. It simply means that justice can only be found at the center of everything." Hikaru input her suggestion, easily managing to find her place in the conversation. The conclusion that she had proposed wasn''t exactly misguided either.


    "And yet I believe that it doesn''t exist. Simple enough, I believe that Hikaru''s answer would be the right one, if it wasn''t for the very nature of wars and humans. There simply will not be a point were comprised could be reached. Pride, greed, sloth, sins like these prevent a future where a common ground can be found to be impossible. Therefore, if the only place where justice can be found doesn''t exist, then justice, can''t exist." I chimed in with my own opinion, beginning to become more wrapped up in this conversation.


    "However, good and evil can be clearly defined, can they not. There are acts that make someone good, and those that make someone evil. Even the morally grey actions lean to one side. So, in a world were good and evil can exist, then how could right and wrong not? And in a world without justice, what reason would there be to even strive for doing what''s right in the first place?" Masayoshi proposed his antithesis for my claim. We all sat in silence for a few seconds, contemplating this topic. We had all shared our ideas, so naturally, we turned to the only person in the room who had yet to speak up.


    Mrs. Elmer stared back at us, sighing. "Why are you looking at me. Legally, I can''t tell you anything." She blew smoke into the air. "But believe me, it makes me happy to see the youth is so critical of everything going on."

 Chapter 18: Wands

    By the time the bell had rung, everyone was sitting at their seats, and Mrs. Elmer had put her phone down and walked to the front of the classroom, preparing to give an announcement. We had spent the rest of the time between the end of our conversation to the time the bell rang, just contemplating all of the ideas we had discussed. In truth, I found the discussion very interesting, and more importantly, it gave me a good insight on what kind of people the other two were. Hikaru as I guessed, was a very lighthearted and good-natured person. Her idea that justice lie with comprise was one I truly believed might have been the right answer, if not for the fact that compromise was impossible. Masayoshi on the other hand was a bit harder to get a stable read on. His idea that because right or wrong exists, then Justice must exist, didn''t tell me much about him except for the fact that he had a very strong conviction and a belief in the idea of justice.


    As I analyzed these two, I know they were doing the same thing, as I could see Hikaru''s gaze flash from me, to Masayoshi, before flashing back to the front board of the classroom. I could also feel Masayoshi''s gaze boring straight into me. The reason that I wasn''t on my phone was because of an interesting rule that Theta Magic Academy had, which prohibited even bringing cellphones unto the campus. I assumed that it had to do with some sort of security reasons, but I didn''t use my phone much anyways, so it didn''t really affect me.


    By the time all of the students had gotten to their seats, Ms. Elmer began to speak. "As much as I would have loved to get started with the first lessons of the year," That comment was meet with groans from students who couldn''t stand the idea of schoolwork. "There is one very important thing that you must handle first, and that is the selection of your wands." The class burst into excited chatter.


    Wand selection was something that everyone who grew up with the ability to use magic looked forward too. Wands were the staple of many famous magic knights, and without them, a magician could never reach their full potential.


    "Looks like I don''t have to explain anything, judging by your excited reactions..." She looked at Erika who was shaking the boy in the desk behind her violently. When she noticed Mrs. Elmer gaze, she let of the boy, holding her hands in the air innocently. I feel for you dude, trust me. "Now, I should say one thing. Despite their names, wands don''t only take the shape of those you see, ''magicians'' use." She used air quotes to show that she was referring to the kind of magician that couldn''t actually use mana. "Instead, they can take any shape that you wish them to. For example," Ms. Elmer held up her hand to reveal a silver bracelet with gems lining it. Some students gasped at the beauty of it. "This is my wand. Like I said, a wand could even be something like a hairpin, or something shaped like your phone. The only important thing is that the object you choose must have some sort of meaning to it. Some connection to you in anyway."


    Students began to discuss what they would make her wands. Ms. Elmer must have heard some very wild suggestions, because she felt the need to make this next statement, "Also, please take this seriously. Don''t chose something to be your wand as a joke, because you won''t be provided with a new one until next year. On that topic, don''t break them. They are very durable, however I have seen them break in some admittable stupid ways, so be careful. They aren''t a problem to replace, but the meaning behind your first wand should not be underestimated." After Ms. Elmer finished her explanation, a voice on the P.A said,


    "All second-year homerooms, please report to the engineering branch." I recognized that the voice belonged to Riko. Ms. Elmer gestured at the door with her hand. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Oh, and be civilized. I really hope I don''t receive any complaints on the account of your stupidity."


    ***


    "So, any ideas on what you''re going to choose for your wand?" Erika asked as we walked through the exit of the second-year building. As we approached, we could see first year students exiting from the engineering branch. They were giggling and talking amongst themselves excitedly. I took notice of the wands almost immediately. Some of them were so ordinary that you could get them confused for everyday items. Books, headphones, ones that looked like phones, bows, and other unique items. My eyes sifted through the crowd, and I was able to find Kami immediately. She had also been able to find me. As soon as she locked eyes with me, she threw her head to the side with a "humph!". Still hate me. She then began to talk to a fairly tall girl next to her who was staring at me. She had bright green eyes. I did notice that she had two of the same hairpins in her hair. The same butterfly one she always had. That must have been her wand.


    "Oh idk, Ill probably just choose something like a pair of earphones so I can tune out all of your bulllshit." Nova said as she rubbed her forehead. She was pretty clearly already tired of Erika''s shenanigans, which was unfortunate, considering it was still very early on in the day."


    "Alright then, fuck you too." She then turned to me, reaching her hand out in a gesture that I had recognized. One that had given me post-traumatic stress disorder. She was going for a grab around the shoulders. "Hey Raiden, how about you, considering Nova wants to be a meanie." I side stepped out of the way, however Erika just stepped to the side, and I was caught in a vice grip. Considering the fact that I had no way to escape, I answered her question.


    "Pssh. I''ll probably go for something a bit basic, like a, sword, maybe?"


    "Thats far from just a bit basic dude. I mean, are you going to give it any special customizations or something?"


    "I wasn''t planning on i-"


    "Dude you should totally but like a sick ass lightning bolt somewhere on it. Considering your name."


    "Yeah, maybe I''ll do that."


    "You should, it''ll look totally badass. Make you even cooler than you already are."


    Cool? Did she really think I was cool? Me? Nice joke. I thought to myself. However, I appreciated the suggestion, and I would take it to heart...


    As soon as we got to the front of this long ass line.


    ***


    When it was finally my turn to get my wand, I stepped inside of the magical engineering room. The first room I entered was a fairly dark room, with a computer hooked up to a massive machine with a hatch and a place to put your hand. Sitting at the computer was Riko. "Hey there Raiden. Ive been waiting for you How''s your day been."


    "Oh, I guess it''s been good." My voice was hoarse. I thought that second sentence was pretty ominous, but I didn''t pay it much mind.


    "I''d ask what''s wrong, but Its very clear you just barely escaped from an encounter you''d rather not think about, so I''ll save you the unnecessary questions. All you need to do is place your hand there and envision your weapon. A model will be displayed on my screen, and then you could add your customization. Whenever you''re ready."


    I placed my hand on the machine and envisioned a long Katana, with a handle guard in a crown-like shape, as well as a lightning bolt engraved on the actual blade. Riko nodded as the model appeared on her screen. "That all?" She asked?


    I nodded.


    "Okay and done." Sounds came from the machine after Riko pressed a button, and after a few seconds the hatch opened, letting out some smoke into the room. With permission from Riko I reached inside and pulled out the blade, which had entrails of smoke flowing from it. It was fairly long, and the sheath was all black, with my name on it. The handle was also black, and the only colors were that of gems on the crown-shaped handle.


    "You added some extra touches."


    Riko nodded. "I thought it was looking a bit bland. Also, look on the top of the handle."


    I looked at Riko for a second. She smiled and winked. "Consider it a present from the student council president herself."


    When I looked at the top of the handle of my sword, I saw a pink heart.

 Chapter 19: Challenge

    Who the hell slips cryptic messages unto someone else''s weapon? I thought to myself as I stepped out of the Wand creation room, into a sort of testing facility. It was a room made out of completely silver metal. There were places to sit down and talk, as well as multiple racks of targets to test out magic. There were even multiple stations where you could duel specially engineered robots. It was sort of a double testing area. Where not only students could test their wands, but it was also a place for those in the engineering branch could test their inventions and developments.


    I was still in a bit of shock as I walked over to one of the shooting targets that was fairly far; at around 10 meters away. Riko had said to consider it a present from the student council president. The message behind Suijin''s action were quite clear. I brought my sword in front of me, giving myself a better look at the top of the handle. The pink heart seemed to smirk at me. "What about your heart?" I recalled Suijin''s words from that day in the student council office. I doubt she''s going to let up. I thought to myself. She was extremely similar to Kami in that manner. She would not let something go until she got the response she was looking for.


    "Cute, but it kind of looks out of placed on that long sword of pure black." A voice said from behind me. I turned my gaze to the side and noticed Nova''s brown curls. I was the first one of the groups to get their wand done. When I turned around, I noticed Nova standing behind me with her arms crossed. At first, I couldn''t actually see her wand. When she noticed, she smirked before holding out her right hand in front of her face. A gold ring with gems inside it that was the shape of a star sat on her ring finger.


    "It definitely is fitting." I said as I looked at the star shaped ring. Her name literally meant a star that suddenly increases its brightness. "That much cannot be said about mine, however." I sighed as I glanced down at my weapon.


    "Really? I get that the heart may seem out of place, but I don''t exactly think that it''s bad, or unfitting." Nova shared her opinion on my wand. "Besides, the actually look of the wand isn''t even the best part." Nova stepped in front of me, aiming a finger gun she made with her left hand. I could feel the mana in the air beginning to swirl towards the tip of her finger as she charged up a spell. Grade C fire spell. I instantly recognized the spell type and its grade.


    Nova fired, and a streaming blast of flame erupted from the air in front of her finger. It traveled the distance towards the target quickly, and when it made contact, creating an explosion the size of the targets head. When the smoke cleared, there was a hole the size of an orange was created on the left side of the targets head. The blast had missed the bullseye in the center slightly. "Now, let''s try it with the wand."


    Nova held out her hand once again and began to charge up the same spell. This time, there was a noticeable difference. Not just in the concentration of magic energy and flow of mana, but also just in the air. I could feel the air begin to heat up from where I stood, and the point near her finger was blurred in a haze of heat. Grade A fire spell. Just from using the wand alone a basic fire spell jumped up two whole grades.


    When she fired, a massive torrent of flame shot out and, in an instant, it crashed against the target. The target provided absolutely now resistance as the spell turned it into ash immediately, before continuing to travel until it contacted the back wall, which must have had some sort of magic nullifying properties, because the spell died out immediately. The light and shadows that had covered the area around us when she fired the spell died away.


    Both I and Nova''s hair fluttered back to their neutral positions, after being launched into the air widely after the wind caused by the blast. I was impressed. "Exactly like a blazing hot supernova." I muttered under my breath, having been completely taken aback by the beauty of the fire I had just seen. Nova turned back to look at me with a sort of sad smile on her face. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Flattery? Doesn''t work." She said jokingly.


    "It was a genuine compliment. Grade A spells are no joke." I reiterated that my statement was not as superficial as basic flattery.


    She nodded, turning her gaze to the ground. I could see the solemn but also disappointed look in her eyes. "If only that was good enough."


    "What makes you say that?" I might have come off as prying, but I really did want to hear more. It reminded me of that moment after her mock battle with Aura. I could read the expression on her face, and hear the disappointment in her voice, despite the amazing performance she put up. It could have just been that she was an overly competitive perfectionist, but there also could have been more. And if there was more, then...


    I know that feeling all too well.


    Nova looked at me for a few seconds. After a prolonged silence that made me feel really awkward and consider apologizing, she spoke. "I have a goal." She said it with such conviction, that if she didn''t take the time to explain anything else, I probably would have been able to get a good grasp on why she was so hard on herself. But she did continue to explain. "Something that I was told was impossible by all of my peers around me. Something that not even someone I idolized so much could achieve. I comparison her, I was almost pitiful. So, I wanted to become stronger in order to fill the shoes that were so unimaginably large."


    A feeling of disappointment because you aren''t good enough. Especially when your being held in comparison to a seemingly unattainable perfection. It was something that I could understand. "So, you push yourself to do better than good and be better than the best at all times." I finished for her. Nova nodded.


    "Have you ever heard of. S-Rank abilities?" She asked me.


    I nodded. "It''s based off the phenomenon of magical abilities, right? Just taken to such a level that it is considered unstoppable." I gave Nova my answer.


    Nova nodded. "Magical abilities are born from when a magician ties together multiple layered and connected lines of magic sequences, in order to create an effect. For example, famous magic knight from Europe, Julius. He makes use of multiple incineration spells that are layered together with light and sensory magic, in order to create an infinite number of automatic blades of light that -fight for him. i want to be able to create an S-rank ability like his. Thats one part of my goal.


    I nodded. The magic knight of legends, Julius of the Holy European empire. One of the few magicians in the entire world who were ranked above basic grades. They were considered, "World enders." Their power was fabled to be able to destroy the entire world if used for evil. The golden-haired knight in particular, was an extremely popular one, not only because of his good looks, but because of his legends. He was fabled to split the entire continent of Africa in half with just a wayward swing of his blade. He was also an extreme advocate for, "justice."


    "Thats more than just a tall task. Creating a magical ability itself is already one of the hardest things a Magician can attempt to do. But an S-rank spell? Thats nigh unattainable." I shared my realistic viewpoint of Nova''s goal.


    "As unattainable as you believe justice is?" A voice from behind me said. We turned around to see Masayoshi and Erika approaching. I immediately took notice of their wands. Masayoshi''s was a very unique one, being multiple rings on all ten of his fingers. Each one had a scale in the center. He also held a book under his arm. Erika''s was a long Katana nearly identical to mine, albeit the sheath and blade handle were red instead of black. on the top of the handle of her blade, was a flame design.


    "As you can see, I thought that Raiden had a pretty cool Idea with the Katana, so I just copied him!" Erika shouted as she began to flaunt her wand. Masayoshi looked from my blade to hers.


    "You two seem to be on the same wavelength." I seriously hoped that wasn''t his attempt at a compliment.


    "Your wand seems to be pretty unique. What exactly was your vision, or inspiration?" Nova asked.


    "Kurapika, from Hunter X Hunter. However, I decided to ditch the chains for the book, to emulate a bit of Chrollo." Masayoshi name dropped some Hunter X Hunter characters. I wasn''t caught up, so I extracted myself from Nova and Masayoshi''s conversation, as they began to discuss the latest chapter.


    As I moved away, Erika followed me, muttering something about, Spoilers. Then she turned to me and took a good look at me weapon. She then smiled as she seemed to get an idea. "Hey Raidennnnnnnn?"


    From her tone of voice to the way she stretched out my name as she called me, I knew something bad was going to happen. "Yes?"


    "I challenge you to a duel!"

 Chapter 20: Duel

    I stood inside one of the rooms that was built for dueling targets. Erika was standing across from me, and the target itself had been folded down into the seem on the ground where the rails that moved it lay, in order to create enough space to actually duel. The room was around the size of a shipping contain, just in more of a square shape. It was actually pretty spacey, but for a duel using magic, it might as well have been a coffin.


    A few people gathered outside by the window that allowed you to look into the room. At the front, I could see Masayoshi and Nova watching. I waved at them from my spot. Erika did the same. I turned to face her, taking a deep breath. "Didn''t even give me enough time to get acclimated with the new wand. Are you really itching for a duel that much?"


    Erika gave a fierce smile. "I just really wanted to know. Whose sword is better? Your blade of pure obsidian black, or my blade of fiery red?" She began to twirl her sword which was still in its sheath. She was going so fast that it looked like a stick of fire.


    "And a simple test using the targets couldn''t suffice?" I asked as I began to examine my own blade. Despite how basic I had originally though it looked, the black sheath and handle did look pretty good. I began to toss it from hand to hand, trying to get a good feel of the blades weight.


    "No way! The only way I could have gotten the answer I wanted would have been through a clash of steel!" Erika stopped twirling the blade, placing one hand on the sheath and the other on the handle, and standing in a wide legged stance, ready for battle. I on the other hand, stood straight up, holding my blade at my side. My other hand rested at my side as well.


    "3!"


    "2!"


    "1-"


    Just as she got to one, she dashed forward at me, also beginning to unsheathe her blade. A stick of red fire was coming directly for my throat. I dodged to the left, and as the blade seared past my throat, its direction suddenly changed. Erika aimed another 3 slashes in quick succession that I dodged; each one inches from my throat. I jumped back away from her brutal onslaught, however she just pivoted easily and dashed towards me. My back hit the wall, and I cursed at the miniature size of this room. I thought that I had had more space to work with! I barely managed to push myself off of the wall in time to avoid Erikas''s stab. Her blade embedded itself into the wall, and I used this as an opportunity to counter. I pivoted and aimed a high kick. Erika blocked it with her sheath.


    She used the sheath to push my leg out of the way and throw me off balance. By this point, she had managed to remove her blade from the wall and was aiming it in a downward arcing slash for my head. I used my sheathed sword to block the attack. Erika had put all of her momentum behind the blow, so I leaned back as my sword caught the slash and used it to toss her into the air. Erika must have been expecting that move, because she pushed into it, flipping into the air. As her foot touched the ceiling, she didn''t immediately slip off, signifying that she was using some sort of attraction spell. Her hair fell Downard due to gravity, and she looked like a flame that just happened to have a human body attached to it. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She put two hands on her sword, and I could feel mana beginning to converge and swirl in the area around her. He hair whipped in the wind that was created by the concentration of Mana. The temperature in the room was rising. Thats a seriously powerful fire spell. As I turned to face the spell, I could tell from just a glance that the spell was going to be extremely powerful. The red metal of her blade had already begun to ignite, and in a second, it was just fire with a handle on it. Erika took a pose, holding the flaming blade just over her shoulder and behind her head. The power of the spell seemingly increased tenfold, the flame growing larger, and the room getting hotter. Sweat trickled down my forehead.


    I won''t be able to dodge this one. Along with me, everyone outside had been watching in awe at the strength of the spell. Although it would technically be classified as grade A, it most definitely wouldn''t be wrong to consider it something beyond that. I grabbed the handle of my blade, deciding that now was not the time to resort to defense. I had to respond to this with a spell of my own, lest I be consumed by the raging hot fire. I began to gather mana around my blade. As I unsheathed my blade, revealing with the obsidian black. I allowed the mana to swirl as I decided what my best bet would be. I should probably just use a water spell. A grade A one like that will surely cancel out the flames.


    As I made my mind, I allowed the automatic sequence to play through my brain for a water sp-


    It was canceled. My eyes widened for a split second. I looked at the crowd from my peripherals. A bunch of unfamiliar faces. One of them had canceled my spell! Why? if I thought about it critically, anybody with the technique to cancel a spell, most definitely had the ability to actually sense what spell it was. Were they trying to send a message? Did they not like the fact that I was going for a water spell? Tch-! I didn''t have time to consider the options right now.


    Instantly, I charged up enough mana for me to cast a grade a lightning spell. Lightning began to surround my blade in a massive flash of crackling, purple veined lightning. I held the blade at my side, letting the power build up. Erika smiled a devilish smile as she realized that the clash she was waiting for was really going to happened. She continued to up the power of her flame spell, until it seemed the magic had engulfed her body completely. I did the same, seeing that it was the only respectful thing to do. I upped the power of my lightning spell, until the flashing lights blinded my vision as well.


    A clash of blue and red.


    Lightning and fire.


    Erika swung her blade, and a wave of hellish flame erupted from her sword. "CRIMSON PHEONIX!!!!"


    I swung my own blade, almost getting got up in the energy she was giving off. "Thunder''s judgment!"


    The two powerful spells clashed in a flash of white brilliance.

 Chapter 21: Reprimand

    "So, what exactly made you two think that launching grade A spells in such as small enclosure, near so many people, would be in any way, okay?" The student council President asked from her seat across the room from us. Me and Erika stood in the student council room, side by side, facing the reprimand of Suijin. After the clash of our abilities, a large explosion rung out, so strong it shook the entire engineering wing, and it could even be felt in the council room itself. Of course, security came rushing to the spot, and when they found a group of kids standing in front of the dueling room window, I''m sure they sighed in relief, but also annoyance.


    "I mean, at least no one was hurt, right?" Erika proposed a flimsy excuse, that Suijin shot down without a second thought.


    "That is not my argument, and you know it. And secondly, both of you could have been hurt in that explosion." Suijin''s tone was completely serious. She was staring down at us with a stern look in her eyes. Erika nodded, not even bothering to try and give any sort of argument. There''s no way she actually managed to tame the fire. I didn''t have time to ponder over how impressive what Suijin had did was for any longer however, because she then turned her piercing gaze to me. "And you Raiden."


    I felt literal chills down my spine as she said my name. "Yes?"


    "I have to say, I''m more than a bit disappointed. If there was anyone who would have done something to diffuse the situation, I thought it would have been you." Despite the fact that she talked about being disappointed, I picked up on the humor in her tone. That did not stop me from still wanting to protest that I tried to handle things calmly, however my attempt at that was stopped by some third-party.


    Third party? Could it have been the same person as in the luncheon?


    It was actually the most likely possibility. It was not every day that you came across someone that was able to completely cancel out spells. That was because the process was more than just a little bit difficult to grasp. It involved using the mana that you could exude from your body, or your aura, to literally disrupt the forming of the magic sequence.


    "Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?" Suijin asked.


    Erika shook her head no. Suijin turned her gaze to me.


    "I guess that I''d like to say, I believe that me and Erika are two very smart and skillful magicians. No matter what, I have absolute confidence that neither of us would have actually been hurt by the attacks, even without the intervention of the magic nullifying machines. That being said, I do understand why you aren''t happy about what me did. So, sorry." I bowed my head.


    Erika looked at me with a more than confused expression. And then she smirked to herself. "And here I was thinking you wouldn''t dream of openly opposing the student council president herself."


    Suijin simply shook her head. "Remember what I told you on the first day Raiden? We all are equal, meaning that you don''t have to bow to anybody."


    "I know." Was all I said as I raised my head once more.


    "And Erika! Same thing to you. If students have a disagreement with anything, then they are allowed to voice it, no matter if it goes against what I think; as long as it''s done respectfully." Suijin yawned as she said this. The longer this conversation went on, the more I realized it. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Suijin looked tired.


    Not like the tired you are after a fairly long day of school, or oversleeping. She was tired to the bone. She looked like she had skipped out on many nights of sleep. It seemed like a struggle for her to keep the smile on her face, and I noticed the same eyebags I had the other day. Only this time they were darker and deeper. Behind her, the sun was being blocked out by the clouds, seemingly mirroring Suijin''s mood.


    It was light. Slowly being blocked by the creeping darkness of fatigue.


    I made this observation without saying a single thing. I didn''t know how exactly I would even approach that kind of topic, especially with someone I didn''t know that much. Which made me feel, a bit worthless. What does it matter if I can see it, if I can''t do anything to actually help.


    "That being said, I still have to levy out a punishment." Suijin''s words, and Erika''s grown of disappointment snapped me out of train of thought. I looked up at Suijin who was smiling back at us. Even smiling she looked tired. "So, how about this?" Suijin paused for a few seconds, as she thought up what our punishment should be. Finally, she came to a conclusion. "Seeing as you two obviously have the magic energy to spare, and are itching to use it, how about you help clear out the excess debris from the latest magical engineering test!"


    ***


    "Test? What kind of test obliterates an entire 3 fucking rooms!" Erika exclaimed as we were standing in front of the ''test'' area. I had to agree with her as well. We were in the extracurricular section of the magic academy. According to what Suijin had said, the culture festival planning committee had been running tests on what sort of fireworks would have the best impact. Mistakes were made, and this was the result. We were tasked with clearing out the debris from the explosion, to make the job of cleaning and reconstructing the rooms, easier. Suijin had said we should make use of any methods that we liked.


    "TODAYS LESSON, WERE GOING TO GO OVER A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF ANY REFINED MAGIC KNIGHT, WHICH IS NAMING YOUR ATTACKS!" I could tell it was Himitsu from the tone of the voice, as well as the unbridled energy it gave off.


    "Sounds like we''re missing out on some very fun stuff." I commented as I picked up a rock and analyzed it. From the leftover mana residue, I could tell that it was destroyed by series of small explosions, that slowly burned away at the rock. Looking at others, I could see that they were destroyed and chipped all at once, by one big explosion. Seems like they were testing more than one type of firework in here.


    "You bet it." Erika said as she kicked a destroyed piece of the wall with such force that it embedded itself straight into ceiling. She seemed to be thinking about something.


    "I heard that the reason why magic knights name their abilities, was because doing so made them stronger. Can you believe that?" I spoke.


    "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess that''s a bit crazy. But It kind of makes sense. You definitely do get all pumped up and hype when you name drop a strong ability." She was distracted as she answered my question.


    I looked down at the wand that was in my hands. Suijin had let us bring them. "If I ask what your think-" I used my sword to bat away the rocks that were being thrown at my head. I guess that''s a known. I really didn''t know how exactly to handle things like this. throughout all of our past conversations, Erika had been the main driver, pushing forward. Now that she was silent, I really didn''t know how to continue.


    If Kami was put in the same situation, she would be able to succeed.


    I shook my head.


    You only have one purpose, never forget. A voice that I recognized all too well in the back of my head said.


    I won''t forget. I could never forget. Because,


    My own voice, and the voice in my head said at the same time,


    Because should you ever forget, then that means you''ve lost the purpose for your pitiful existence.


    "Seeing how she let us keep our wands, do you want to burn things?" I suggested.


    Erika smirked a little. "For sure."


    And so, we used our wands to burn away the debris. And I tried to burn away my thoughts. Of guilt, and of inferiority.


    I really am pathetic.

 Chapter 22: Catharsis (1)

    For the second time today, I was in the student council''s office, under the gaze of Suijin. Unlike the last time however, I was not in trouble. Thankfully, the cleaning of the 3 rooms in the extracurricular branch went smoothly, if you consider burning all debris in sight to a crisp, smoothly. No, this time, I was in the student council office because today was Kami''s first day as an official member of the student council. By extension, I went along with her. She seemed to have cooled down considerably, because she didn''t toss me any icy glares or try to slice my head off with a frozen axe. She did, however, ignore me. Despite my pitiful attempts to create conversation by asking her about her wand, Kami wouldn''t budge, remaining adamant in ignoring me.


    Beforehand, the rest of the student council room had been empty. I had assumed it had been because of matters relating to Wand distribution, and if so, it means that me and Erika''s little stunt had caused Suijin to have to pull away from her duties; in order to correct us. Great work, Raiden.


    Once we walked in, the members of the student council turned to look at us. All except for Genji Yukimura, who looked away indignantly. Ichijo noticed her reaction and smiled teasingly. "Looks like someone''s still a bit salty." He raised the pitch of his voice a few octaves to make it come off as more annoying.


    Genji replied with a not very nice term, and Suijin looked appalled.


    "Genji!"


    "Hey, he started it! Tell him to stop being a-"


    Suijin cut Genji off before she could drop another horrible term. "As a member of the student council, I expect you to have a bit more maturity.... Both of you." She tossed a glare at Ichijo who had begun to snicker. He straightened in his seat and wiped the smirk off of his face. Suijin turned to us with a sigh, obviously very ashamed of what had just happened. I wasn''t too affected by it, as I found the whole situation to be humorous. I could tell Kami felt the same way, even if she refused to show it.


    "Good afternoon, president."


    "Good afternoon, Suijin." I almost wanted to chide Kami for referring to the student council president by her first name, however Suijin''s gaze stopped me. Kami also shot me an icy glare from the side. I believe that it was the first time that she looked at me since we met up after school, and it was to gang up on me with the student council president.


    A long silence ensued in which the eyes of each and every student council member turned towards me. Everyone''s eyes were on me, and it seemed like they were all expecting something. I was still a bit confused on what exactly they wanted me to do, when I noticed Riko pointing at Suijin.


    "Good afternoon.... Suijin." I finally managed to say.


    The student council president smiled. "Good afternoon, Raiden, Kami."


    Was that really necessary? I thought to myself.


    Suijin seemed to have read my mind because she replied. "Yes, yes I believe it was."


    ***


    After she had finished setting the record straight with me, she turned towards Kami. "Welcome to your first official day as a student council member. I apologize for the inconvenience, however we are starting to get really busy, so I can''t give you the proper introduction that I wanted to." Suijin expressed her regret at the fact that Kami would have to be rushed into things, instead of being given the chance to flow into rhythm of student council life.


    "Now worries, I can keep up." Kami said confidently. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suijin smiled at the girl''s attitude. "That confidence is definitely the marker of a student council member."


    "Do I really have to st-" I cut myself off before Kami or Suijin had the chance too. Suijin smiled at the fact that I seemed to already be catching on.


    "How about you guys take a seat?" Suijin gestured to multiple open seats at the table.


    Kami gracefully walked over and sat down in seat that was on Suijin''s right, directly next to her. I walked over to stand behind Kami''s seat, making no move to actually sit down myself. "Raiden, take a seat." Suijin said with a smile on her face.


    " Oh no, I''m fine really, I prefer to stand anyway-"


    "Oh no, you''re a guest here Raiden. It would be completely ridiculous if I let you stand for the entirety of this meeting, which I don''t imagine being short in anyway whatsoever." She gestured to the seat by Kami once again. "Take a seat."


    I took a seat.


    ***


    "Now, to start of this meeting, I''d first like to ask all of you how your day was." I was a bit shocked. I expected them to get straight to business, seeing how Suijin was forced to forgo slowly introducing Kami into the process of student council meetings. However, Suijin went down the line of every single person sitting at the table, allowing them to tell her how their day went, and even asking questions and sharing reactions to the retellings. I watched the whole thing in awe. It reminded me a bit of the stunt she had pulled a=on the first day of school, creating a different water construct for every single person in the auditorium. Except this time, it was a much more personal act, not for any flair, but just because she truly cared and wanted to. Both felt just as awe inspiring to watch.


    When Suijin finally turned her gaze and expecting, warm smile to me, I couldn''t bring myself to do anything but tell her about my day. I started with my conversation about justice with Masayoshi and Hikaru. I summarized the key points, mindful to not take any more time than was necessary, however, Suijin didn''t let me. Every time I tried to skip out on a detail, she would ask a question that would force me to elaborate. Each time that she sensed something was left out, she would go back and ask me to elaborate. I was hesitant at first. I didn''t want to get drawn into the conversation. The voice in the back of my head reminded me, because should you ever forget, then that means you''ve lost the purpose for your pitiful existence. When I had reached the part of my day about the wand selection, she made sure that I went through the process slowly.


    "There really isn''t much to it. I couldn''t think of anything interesting to make my wand, so I just went for a sword."


    "What about the color? You decided to make the blade all black."


    "I thought that it would have made it a little easier to conceal."


    "Ok, and what about the lightning bolt? The one that is etched unto the very metal of the blade itself?" I froze for a second, as I wondered how she even knew about that. However, I very quickly realized that Riko probably told her.


    I paused before I finally answered. "It wasn''t something that I had thought up myself. Erika, Erika had told me that she thought it would be, "badass" if I put a lightning bolt on my blade, so I did."


    Suijin''s smile seemed to widen. "You see, there was more of a reason for the design of your wand." The look on her face was one of triumph, as she managed to get the real meaning behind the choices a made from my wand out of me.


    When I looked to Kami, I noticed the happy expression on her face. She was looking at Suijin with a bit of awe, and that made me curious. I would have to ask her when she stopped being mad at me.


    "What did you think of the little design that I added?" Suijin asked me.


    I didn''t want to be rude, so I gave the most respectful answer I could. "Oh, at first, I though it looked a bit out of place, but someone I knew called it cute, so I guess I''m fine with it." That made Suijin and Kami burst out laughing at the same time, and me want to kill myself on the spot. Why the hell was I going into such detail? She didn''t even have to press me for it this time!


    However, I knew the exact reason that I was going into such detail. I was being drawing into the conversation. Suijin''s way with words and her persistent nature in getting information; combined with how well she was able to listen; all of it was dragging me even deeper into this conversation. It felt good to just talk to her about things, to just speak, even if I was embarrassing myself a bit. I even found myself giggling a little with the rest of the student council. She was casting a spell, a magic one, with no mana being used whatsoever. Just her words, her voice, and her smile.


    Crack!


    When I finally finished telling Suijin about the duel with Erika and our punishment, she had already been laughing so much that her face seemed to remain permanently tinged with pink. By the end of it I had realized that I had felt better, much better than when I had entered.


    How? Just how did she manage that?


    For a moment, I had forgotten my purpose. And yet I felt better than ever.

 Chapter 23: The Castle of Dreams

    When the student council finally got to work, it was definitely a nice process to watch. "Throughout the past few days and weeks leading up to this, we''ve all been planning how to organize the upcoming culture festival. As you may know, the Culture festival serves as almost a new student initiation celebration." Suijin brought up the main topic of discussion. She looked towards Kami. "Thankfully, we haven''t gone so far into the planning process that our new members here would be lost." Suijin smiled, while Kami nodded. I pretended not to notice the extra s that she added to the end of members.


    "If I may ask, when is the culture festival?" This was Kami.


    "The first of November." Yuri reminded us of his presence in the room. For as much of an annoyance as he is, as a guard, I have to say, he''s fairly effective at his job. I begrudging acknowledge Yuri''s skill in stealth and fading into the background.


    "So, we have three weeks to get everything prepared." Kami quickly calculated the time between now, October 9th, and the first of November. "That isn''t exactly a lot of time."


    Suijin nodded. "Especially with the idea that we have planned for this one. These things have been in talks for a while, and thankfully, we''ve managed to come up with a fairly detailed outline on everything that we want to do and create. However, actually building and setting everything up is not an easy task." When she explained the state of things, understanding dawned on not only Kami''s face, but on mine. Depending on how complex the plan for things three weeks was more than just a bit of a pressing time period.


    "In that case, just how complex are these plans?" Kami continued to ask more questions, attempting gain a better grasp on the student councils'' situation. Suijin looked across the table towards Genji. She nodded, before pointing her finger at the wall behind Suijin, just above the window. She then fired off a light spell, and the room watched interestedly as the one singular spell diffracted and diffused into multiple light beams that shot across the wall in order to form what looked like a complex map of a castle. Looking at the map closely, the high peaks and large battlements, I realized that it looked nearly identical to the student council room. Suijin smiled, not even bothering to look behind her.


    "We call it, ''The Castle of Dreams''"


    The Castle of dreams? A pretty mystical name if you ask me.


    "Castle of dreams...?" Kami muttered the name to herself, seemingly drawn to the mystery and mystique behind it. "What exactly, does this castle of dreams entail? Besides just being a pretty cool name for a place? From what I can see here, its''s a remodeling of the entire school. Except the design has been changed to resemble a fairy-tale castle almost."


    Suijin nodded. "It''s the 75th anniversary of this magic academy''s conception. I thought, would it not be fitting for such a monumental moment, for us to draw back on the roots of magic. Did you know that back before the first appearance of magic, people told fairytales, in which they imagined magical worlds. They viewed these fairytales with such awe and amazement, and even wished for them to be real...." She didn''t need to finish her statement, as the message was obvious.


    When actually met with the prospect of real-life magic, they reacted in fear, and in hatred.


    "That includes the entire interior of the school as well." Riko added in. "We planned for there to be no shortage of mechanism that operate within the school that give it that effect. A lot of them based upon real life fairy tales." She snapped her finger, and a draw from behind her opened, and multiple rolled up blueprints were pulled out, almost as if an invisible hand had reached in and grabbed them. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    She used her own mana which was floating through the air and allowed for a wind spell to travel through it. Once the spell reached the draw, in order to open it, she layered the wind spell with an if then magical sequence. That sequence stated something along the lines of, "if spell makes contact with physical object, then reverse direction. That allowed for the wind spell to pull the draw open and caused the blueprints to be caught up in the flow and delivered it straight into her hands. That was the method behind what she had done, just much quicker to give it the illusion that she had invisible hands. I smiled to myself. I loved to analyze magic.


    Genji noticed my smile while I was staring and Riko. Pervert. She mouthed.


    I immediately wiped the smile off of my face and leaned back in my seat. I guess I did look kind of like a creep.


    Riko laid out the blueprints on the table, revealing the plans for multiple different kind of machines, with unique functions. There was a large machine that looked like someone had taken a weed and made it the size of a skyscraper. According to the blueprint, it was supposed to be the height of the school, reaching from the bottom to the academies highest peak, and serving as a sort of makeshift ladder that students could climb. It was named, "The Beanstalk." As I continued to look through the many blueprints that were scattered around the table, I noticed one that was labeled as the counterpart of the beanstalk, "Rapunzel''s mane." There were other designs too. A model to turn the luncheon into a massive gingerbread house, plans to decorate all of the training areas in complete snow, with one singular coffin in the center.


    "This certainly is, mysterious." Kami said in awe as she looked from design to design. She began to turn towards me to ask me something, but she stopped. Halfway there a sort of, sad look entered her eyes, and she turned away, shaking her head a bit. I almost wanted to apologize on the spot. I couldn''t tell the reason for why that look was in her eyes, but-


    It''s probably your fault. The voice inside my head said mercilessly.


    Kami then turned her head towards Riko and Ayung. How hard do you think these would be to make?"


    Ayung answered her question. "In truth, these aren''t exactly very difficult to make. it''s not like were designing special magic technology that has extremely complex functions and require a large number of layered magic sequences. These are a lot of extremely simple designs, some of which don''t even involve magic sequences. Given the time limit, I don''t suspect that we''ll need even two weeks to complete everything."


    "Just two weeks?" She had been expecting there to be a tighter time frame. She shook her head. "If that''s the case, then it''s a good thing, right? The entire display can be up and ready a week before the festival even starts." She failed to see any need for worry. Besides the task of delegating and assigning work for the creation and placements for decorations, there wasn''t any more work to be mindful of.


    "And that''s where the conflict arises." Ichijo spoke up this time. "Suijin, and all of us on the council have all agreed that we want the unveiling of the caste of dreams to be a surprise. Therefore, setting things while students are still going to school, is a no go." A new problem presented itself. If this whole thing was to be a surprise, they would have to get everything up a day or two before the festival occurred. Looking at the number of blueprints on the table, and the diagram on the wall, that would be high-near impossible.


    "Thankfully, we managed to convince the headmaster to allow the week before the festival to be no school." Before Kami could even reply, Suijin revealed the solution to the problem."


    "That then leaves us with a week before the festival to set everything up." It didn''t take Kami long to realize the problem. "Since you want this to be a secret, only a select few trusted students will actually be allowed to work on this. Meaning we''ll have significantly less manpower than expected."


    Suijin nodded. "You take on quickly." She looked at the clock. "Ah! It seems that I''ve held you for a bit longer than I wanted to. Turns out, we actually were able to take it slow." She smiled happily. I realized that this was also probably part of her strategy as well. By framing it as if we were going to speed through the meeting, Suijin had set it up so that she could, in a metaphorical sense, pull the rug from underneath us, in how slow she actually paced this meeting.


    "Just some things to think about. When we meet tomorrow, lets discuss some ideas. Meeting, Adjourned!" Suijin raised her finger into the air and smiled happily. Everyone at the table couldn''t help but smile as well. It was infectious.

 Chapter 24: KAMI

    It had taken much convincing, but I had managed to break away from Raiden after school. By much convincing, I really meant that I just told him I was going to eat out with some friends and tried my best to lose him. At first, he flat out refused to let me go alone, and was adamant in following me all the way to the mall. "You of all people should know that I''m not just going to leave you to go to the mall alone." I was really starting to grow tired of that damn phrase. I remained silent, continuing to walk. Raiden followed closely behind, continuing to talk. "Before we left home, I was given one task. One order. A purpose. To p-"


    "To protect me." I finished Raiden''s sentence, not even bothering to hide the disdain in my voice. How many times was he going to reiterate the same point, use the same excuse? "You say that again and again, but do you really think that I need your protection that bad?" My voice was starting to raise but I didn''t care. I was just frustrated with all of Raiden''s actions as a whole. Claiming that everything that he did, or more fittingly, didn''t do, was all because he wanted to remain on the path of protecting me? "Even if you do, even if you want to continue treating me like a fragile piece of glass that will break at even the softest gust of wind, are you really going to throw away any sense of identity that you have, for this mission?"


    Raiden was taken aback by the raise in my voice, and the harshness off my words. For a moment, I wanted to apologize, I wanted to make the hurt look on his face go away, but then he spoke. And his next words served only to anger me even more. "Listen, as long as I keep you safe, and in the best standing possible, who cares what happens to me? I''m the only one affected by my actions, and if I''m the only one who will face the consequences, then if I can handle it, It''s okay, right?"


    I clench my fist in anger. What the hell was this guy saying? What kind of stupid. self-sacrificing attitude was that? It was bullshit! "And what about me? Huh?" He looked confused, unable to answer my question. He remained silent, as if I had just asked a rhetorical. I turned away from Raiden in frustration, beginning to walk. "Just like at the house yesterday, you don''t get it! Even if you don''t care about being left behind about suffering, what makes you think that I want to see that? That I want to look back and see my brother, holding himself to a sub-human standard?"


    "You''re exaggerating i-" Raiden began to speak, but I cut him off.


    "Oh really? Exaggerating? I don''t think so. You''ve just become a sort of slave to that damned mission given to you by father!" That was probably the harshest thing I had ever said, and I really didn''t mean it. However, I was too angry, my emotions to clouded by my rage, to even think of taking it back.


    Raiden instantly looked down, and my anger flared once again.


    "Why, won''t you even look me in the eyes while talking? What-" I was stopped by the fact that Raiden had already turned around. He began to twirl his wand in his hands, the long black sword looking like a cane.


    "Alright, I''ll leave you alone." There was unimaginable sadness in his tone. As he began to walk away, I wanted to reach out, to immediately apologize, however, I couldn''t bring myself to. As I watched my brother walk away, the only thing that I could think about was what exactly was wrong with me. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ***


    I sat down at the table with my two friends, Homura, and Ren. We were inside of a coffee place that was located inside of the large mall plaza. It was a medium sized placed, and we were sitting in the corner table, by a window. This was in a futile attempt to try to avoid the stares we got from people. Even as I was walking through the plaza, I couldn''t stop myself from feeling the gazes that were drawn toward me because of the uniform I wore. What made it even worse, was the fact that not all of them were hateful. In fact, most of them were scared. I though back to what Suijin had said. About the fact that people used to regard the magical as fantastical, and an interesting sort of mystique. And now, they looked upon it with fear. How Ironic, I though cynically.


    Ren had returned to the table with our cups, and we thanked him. He was a average height boy, with twists that reached down to his mouth area. He had fairly dark skin. "You really didn''t have to do all of that." Homura said as she accepted her cup thankfully.


    Ren shook his head as he passed me my cup. "It was an opportunity to be a noble knight and take on the brutal gazes of disdain in place of the two-maiden sitting in front of me. It was an obvious decision." He exaggeratedly held a hand to his heart.


    "Ha ha, you''re one funny guy." I said sarcastically as I grabbed the cup from his hands. I took a few sips, loving the taste of the tea.


    Ren leaned over to Homura and began to whisper into her ear. "Who the hell actually orders tea at a coffee shop?"


    "I can hear you." I spoke.


    Ren moved away from Homura instantly, pretending to clear his throat, as if he had never asked the question in the first place. He then shifted his gaze to me. "Soooooo, Kami, what''s on your mind? I can tell that something is a bit off."


    "First of, don''t say, ''so'' like that, you sound like a creep. Second off, don''t try and read girls that you''ve only known for two days, It makes you look like a creep." I immediately criticized Ren''s demeanor and actions.


    Ren put his head down and held his heart in a joking manner. "Can you believe the harshness of her words Homura?"


    "I''ll be honest, nothing she said was wrong." Homura shot down Ren''s cry for help brutally. "When you first meet me, you had been following me around for the entire day, all of this to just return an earring that had fell down. If I had been even a little less compassionate, I would have accused you of being a pervert right then and there.


    "Uggh!" Ren let out a hurt cry.


    I watched the interactions between the two, smiling. These were the two idiots I had made friends with. A tactless girl with long straight, black hair, and a melodramatic boy with twists. Then I remembered my interactions with Raiden. My smile faded instantly. Homura and Ren noticed this, and they looked towards me expectantly. I sighed.


    "Spill it." Ren said.


    "Go ahead and lay it out." Homura said at the same time.


    I sighed. I was just about to speak when-


    6 men dressed in black burst into the coffee shop, crashing through the door, and immediately grabbed hostages. A 7the man walked into the room with a weird device in his hands. Outside the window, a veil seemed to fall, blocking at the view of the outside. I could feel my chest being constricted, as I lost the ability to feel the mana in the air. Magic sealing tech!


    The 7th man held a pistol into the air, shocking the entire coffee shop into silence. "Where are members of the organization that only pursues justice. We stick to the shadows and morph the shadows. We are the ones who are responsible for the sentencing, and the execution!" After he finished this, he turned his pistol to us. "And because of those wretched magicians sitting over there, you all are about to lose your lives!"

 Chapter 25: Bolt of Judgement

    A deadly silence permeated the air of the coffee shop. People sat in tense, and unbelieving science as they tried to comprehend what exactly was going on. 7 masked men had just burst into the coffee shop on a Tuesday afternoon, threatening the lives of every person inside. They claimed to be the judges and the executioners, some sort of apostles of justice. And they pinned the blame, the cause for their actions, on the 3 magicians who sat in the right corner of the room. However no reproachful gazes were cast their way, because people were still caught up on the fact that there was a seeming terrorist attack, that they would be victims of.


    At first there were the screams, and the sounds of chairs hitting the ground as people began to get out of their seats to flee. Scalding hot coffee washed the floor as tables were overturned in the frenzy. It was the start of panic, one threatening to engulf the entire room. However, before the panic could completely take hold, and transform the once peaceful coffee shop into an everyman for themselves war zone, the 7 men moved: quickly and effectively, to squash the disorder. The lead man, the one who had spoken, moved to intercept a lady who was the closest to the door. He moved quickly and without hesitation, slamming his fist into her chest, before tossing her limp and unconscious body to the side. He then aimed his pistol, firing three shots. Two of them were clear warning shots, hitting the ceiling and back wall respectively, but the third shot found its home in an elderly women''s leg, causing her to cry out in pain as her body painfully thumped into the ground.


    Immediately, everyone else who was beginning to get up, to try and run, or to try and fight, stopped. Seeing what happened to the others had put enough fear into them to stop them from making any hasty actions. By this point, Me, Ren and Homura had snapped out of our stupor and moved to try and solve things. As I got up, I felt the Prescence of someone behind me. I kicked the leg of my chair, causing it to rise a few feet into the air, before I grabbed it while turning toward the man, using the momentum to create a powerful swing that would be sure to knock this person out. However, the large man that was behind me moved with insane speed, ducking below the chair. I let the chair go, allowing it to crash into the window. The chair flew outside but was stopped by a massive black dome that wrapped itself around the entire cafe. The chair crashed into the dome with an explosion of electricity and wood.


    So, they''ve set up a dome to encapsulate the entire area, and have magic sealing tech? Obviously, they''re not just run of the mill criminals. The man who had dodged the chair was now coming up for a punch, which I avoided. He threw two more punches which I dodged. After I dodged the third one, I held out my hand, in an attempt to freeze my opponent. It was all muscle memory.


    And then I remembered I couldn''t use magic. The man threw a punch. I moved to dodge it, but I knew that I would probably be too late. However, just then, Ren grabbed the man from behind, before spinning him around and delivering a right hook straight towards his face, knocking him out instantly.


    "Thanks dude." I thanked him while I internally chided myself for the carelessness.


    "Just doing what a knight does." I glared at him for the joke. Now is not the time.


    Homura had just finished dealing with another one of the men, using the broken off leg of her chair as a sword to fight. "So, what exactly is the plan." She asked.


    "Simple. We have to deal with these guys as quickly as possible, and with the least number of causalities possible. Zero, if we can manage!" As I established our course of actions, we turned to face the rest of the men in the front of the room. However, before we could even make our move, we were stopped by the scene that we saw. The lead man was standing in the front of the coffee shop, by the counter. He was holding his pistol to the head of someone.


    That person was a girl who couldn''t have been over the age of 9. She was shaking in fear, and her face was strained with tears. Her mouth was moving, and she seemed to be mouthing the words, "help me. However, the only sound that came out of her mouth was a low whine. She was seconds away from breaking down.


    The site made my blood run cold. Ren and Homura also froze beside me. The man began to speak, and his voice was cold.


    "Enough of your struggling. The three of you magician scum will line up by the door, where these innocent people made to suffer will be able to see you." He pointed to the door. "And should you resist..." He pressed the gun deeper into the side of the girl''s head, making her grunt in pain and fear. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Or else I''ll blow this girl head off."


    ***


    We complied. There was no other choice. It was that or watch a poor innocent girl get shot.


    Once we were in the front, I couldn''t stop the frustration from taking hold in me. My fist clenched tightly in anger, even tighter than they had when I had my argument with Raiden. Raiden! The memory of my argument with my brother returned to my mind. I didn''t apologize. A dark thought came over to me. What if I never got to apologize? Why did I have to be so..... I couldn''t bring myself to admit I was wrong, because I knew I wasn''t. That realization didn''t stop me from longing for my brother to be here.


    If Raiden was here, he''d surely be able to figure it. I thought. Despite all of his flaws, his inability and refusal to let himself be something separate from his mission, his mission to protect me, it was also because of this fact that he was the person that I trusted most in my life. I knew he was a capable brother, far more capable than I could ever hope to be.


    No matter what, keep your head cool. Raiden''s words from so long ago rang through my mind.


    The man who was holding the girl hostage had begun to speak. "All of you that happened to be gathered here today, are not here because of luck. No. You are here because of fate. Because this moment was destined to occur from the very conception of the universe. You are here to Bitness the truth, and the execution of justice!"


    The opener to what this man wanted to say was meet with silence. Nobody could tell exactly what he was going on about. He sounded more than just a bit eccentric as he rambled on and on about things like destiny and fate.


    He turned to face us, the three magicians from Theta magic academy that stood in the front of the coffee shop. He pointed his pistol to the three of us. "These three represent a plague that was brought to our world. A disease that was allowed to fester, to grow, and to slowly devour our society."


    A disease, a plague? Bullshit! I though angrily to myself. Everything that came out of his mouth were lies. Lies that normally, anybody would question. But in this situation, with the hatred that magicians already face; when you told the reason that you or a loved one might lose a life was because of said magicians, even incoherent and illogical rambling would make a sort of sense.


    "Because of these children of the devil, you are forced to suffer daily. Remember the actions of the Wizard of Greed? The Wizard of Pride? Millions died because of magic. And millions continue to die because of magically engineered technology!" Mentions of the wizard of greed and pride made me freeze with shock. Everyone had heard of them. The wizard of greed, most famously known for being the wizard who shifted the balance of the world. Brought magicians from the persecuted, to free. However, his greed and need for power did not end there. He did not stop until regular people had become the persecuted, and magicians, the persecutors. He is seen as the one who started this cycle of violence and hatred. And the wizard of pride. A man who was unable to stand the fact that people were scared of him and thought him to be a monster. Unable to stand the fact that people did not revere him like a god. And so, because of his pride, he slaughtered them. Mention of these two vile historical figures, actually gave his twisted argument credence in front of these scared civilians.


    "Because of these magicians, this little girl might have to die."


    Everything he was saying made me increasingly angrier. One look at Homura and Ren told me that they were feeling the same thing. When the man turned to continue his speech, I tapped Homura, making sure to not catch the attention of other four guards standing watch around the room. Once I got her attention, I gestured to her wand- a dagger that was concealed inside of her dress-and then pointed to the door. I also made a zapping sound effect with my mouth. I wanted her to throw her wand out of the door, and into the dome.


    This is because of what I had seen earlier. When I threw the chair outside of the window, I was testing to the dome. The electrical reaction that it had given me in response was enough for me to guess that this was some sort of nano-tech technology barrier. Therefore, if Homura where to toss her wand at it with a loaded magic sequence, and it was able to pierce in even an inch or so, it would be enough for the spell to activate, even if it was really small. This would then spread via the lightning that was caused by the impact of the dagger, would cause a chain reaction which would obliterate the barrier.


    Unfortunately, because of the situation, I couldn''t get my logic across to her. However, Homura seemed to trust me, and Ren was able to read the situation as well. We were all poised and ready to act. The man was still continuing his speech, and he had reached a climax.


    "This world was meant to be inherited by humans! Not magicians. Every single last one of your troubles, one of your woes, and especially the one you are facing now can only be seen as a fault of those half breeds, those devils!" His voice was filled with hatred and venom. At that moment, Homura tossed her wand, which was loaded up with a Lightning magic sequence. The sequence wouldn''t activate until it had mana to actually work with.


    At that moment, the man spread his arms wide, reaching a physical and emotional crescendo. "Let the bolt of god, the message of the one above, be the sign for you all. Let it be the shock that kickstarts your will to take back what is ours!"


    And at that moment, the world was engulfed with lightning, due to the barrier exploding. After that, we were able to close things out before the light could even fade away.

 Chapter 26: Duality

    It took no longer than three seconds to completely deal with the terrorists. As soon as the barrier was taken down, and Mana was restored to our bodies, we made quick work of the men. By the time the flashing lights from the destruction of the barrier had ceased, we were already done. We gathered them in the center of the shop, tying them together with rope that we found in the back of the shop. Ren had already called up the authorities. He would have called the IMRF (Immediate Magic Response Force) however, there was no telling how the situation would go if the police and IMRF interacted. After we had successfully captured and detained the men, we gather in the center of the shop, waiting for the authorities to arrive so we could give our statements. Ren and Homura had rushed over to check on the wounded, include the elderly women who had been shot. I turn to approach the little girl, who was still crying on the floor. As I approached, she didn''t even look up.


    I stood in front of her for a few seconds, thinking of what I should say. What can I even say. She''s so young and was forced to be a center piece in something so horrific. Will any of my words even have an effect? Would they even matter? What consolation would they serve to someone who was forced through something so terrible, at such a young age? However, for the second time today the words of Raiden rung clear throughout my mind. I steeled my nerves, preparing myself internally. No matter what, keep your head calm.


    I walked over until I was standing directly in front of her. As my shadow blocked out the light from outside, she looked up at me, and I got a better look at her face, strained with tears. I kept a smile on my face, trying to show that things were all right. I reached my hand out to her, making sure that I didn''t invade her personal space. She shrunk back in a bit of fear. "It''s okay, things have been resolved. Your safe, your saved." I spoke in a soft and low tone, making sure to keep my words short and resolute, despite my soft tone of voice.


    Her eyes remained glazed in fear, and she didn''t seem ready to accept my words. How could she? After what she had just been through, she had every right to be scared. Her thoughts were probably a jumbled mess inside her head, and it was my job to help her sort through them. I continued to speak, not retracting my hand, or letting the smile slip off of my face.


    "Im not going to tell you not to cry, please, cry. You deserve to. Despite everything that happened up there, you were strong, and you remained strong. I''m sure your parents are proud of you. I''m sure everyone''s proud of you. I''m proud of you. You are strong."


    She shook her head, seemingly unable to accept my words of praise. "hnng! b- I-, ..." She tried to formulate words, but a new round of sobs racked her body. She was unable to accept my words. The fact that she was sitting her crying should be proof enough that she wasn''t nearly as I was saying she was.


    However, I shook my own head. "Do you really think that because you''re crying right now, it takes away from how strong of a person you are?" I paused for a few seconds. "No, it''s the fact that you are able to cry right now, to express the emotions that other would see as weak, that makes you so strong." I slowly reached my hand out further. "You are as strong as anybody I know. Magician or not." I tilted my head to the side, continuing to smile. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Her expression seemed to brighten considerable. Tears still in her eyes, and sobs still racking her body, she reached out her small hand for mine. Just as they meet-


    "Stopp! Get away from my daughter!" A voice screeched from across the coffee shop. The girl froze, and I faltered for a second, not expecting such as outburst. When I turned, I notice a woman and her husband rushing in our direction. The women had been the one to scream, and the man was trying to get her to calm down. She dashed in front of her daughter, wrapping her in a tight hug, in an attempt to shield her from me.


    "Baby, I''m so happy. So happy that you''re okay." She also crying. The husband joined in on the hug. The scene should have been heartwarming, a family reunited after a tragedy almost ripped them apart. However there was something wrong. There was a spot of black on this perfect picture. The women turned her eyes to me, that spot of black. Her gaze was hateful.


    "You! What were you trying to do to her! Were you trying to infect her with the same disease that''s taken hold off you?" I flinched at the hate in her gaze and the venom in her words. She was talking to me like I had been the one to hold her daughter at gun point. I took a step back.


    The husband intervened, trying to get his wife to calm down. "Mira! Stop! It''s over. It''s over okay! She''s saved. This girl saved her." However, his attempts were in vain.


    "NO! It was because of her that our little girl was even in danger in the first place!" She reiterated the words of the man who had held her daughter at gunpoint. She said them like they were the ultimate truth. I took another step back, unable to believe what I was hearing. My heart pounded so loud I thought it was going to pop like a balloon. From behind me, I could her a few other people shouting in agreement. I looked around the coffee shop in a bit of horror. Are they, serious?


    The women continued to throw insults and curses. "Because of this devil, this infected devil, I almost lost my little girl. I watched someone get shot! If they were never her, this would have never happened! They only solved a problem that they all created!" I took a step back, still unable to comprehend where this was going. All around me, I could hear the voices of other people joining in with her. Throwing insults. Curses. It felt even more constricting than the mana sealing dome that had surrounded the place.


    It was even worse.


    "And you had the audacity to try and reach out for the person you endangered! To try and indoctrinate the young girl''s mind!" By this point, I couldn''t take the insults anymore. Was she right? I turned around, beginning to walk away. My mind was spinning. "How much of a monster are you!"


    I''m sure tears were spilling down my eyes at this point. How hypocritical. I was just preaching to this young girl about how being able to cry makes you strong, and yet here I was crying, thinking I was even weaker than ever. I walked faster. I could hear Ren and Homura over the crowd, but I ignored them, continuing to walk. Just as I reached the door, I could hear a fragile voice shouting out at me. And I knew exactly who it belonged to. She was still crying, but her voice felt stronger than mine ever could.


    "Ms. Ms. Thank you! Thank you so much!" I didn''t hear anything else after that, because the sirens were too deafening.

 Chapter 27: RAIDEN

    20 minutes before the attack on the coffee shop. Raiden.


    I sat on the chair inside of my secret room, my feet kicked up onto the table. I was leaning back in the chair, and there was a cigarette in my mouth. I believe it was my 5th. The ashtray in front of me was telling me that I was definitely underestimating that number. My eyes remained glued to the ceiling, and the rest of my body was unmoving. I had been like this for the past fifteen minutes. The only thing on my mind was my last conversation with Kami. Her frustration. Her anger. Her words. They bounced around my mind like walls of my head were a trampoline.


    I exhaled deeply, allowing smoke to be blown into the air. From my position, the smoke in front of my face blurred my vision slightly, and the blue lights of the room resembled that of a sea of eyes looking at me. I closed my eyes.


    "Listen, as long as I keep you safe, and in the best standing possible, who cares what happens to me? I''m the only one affected by my actions, and if I''m the only one who will face the consequences, then if I can handle it, It''s okay, right?"


    "And what about me? Huh?"


    "Just like at the house yesterday, you don''t get it! Even if you don''t care about being left behind about suffering, what makes you think that I want to see that? That I want to look back and see my brother, holding himself to a sub-human standard?"


    "You''re exaggerating i-"


    "Oh really? Exaggerating? I don''t think so. You''ve just become a sort of slave to that damned mission given to you by father!"


    I replayed the part of the conversation in my head. Especially that last sentence from Kami. I had been agonizing it over this entire time. it had been affecting, more than I wanted to believe. Was I really acting like some sort of slave. At the time, her words stung a bit. But looking back at it, she might have been right. During every single thing I had done since our first day of school, I had kept the same thought in the back of my mind.


    Don''t lose sight of your mission.


    I clung unto those words, used them as a shield, as an excuse. Every time something came up, and opportunity, a chance to try something new, I would hide behind those same words. Like with the student council. I thought, if I were to join, that would be indulging far too much into myself. I would eventually lose sight of my mission to protect Kami. So, I rejected Suijin''s offer. I said it was for my mission.


    When Kami confronted me about it after school, I hid behind the same excuse.


    "So exactly how mad are you at me?"


    "How mad do you think I am?"


    "Listen, you of all people know why I had to declin-"


    "Know? What exactly do I know?"


    "My mission was laid out to me before I came here. Joining the student council doesn''t align with that mission."


    "Listen, I don''t want you to do that again, okay? Doing thing on my behalf. I''m perfectly fine with fading away into the background. I only have one job."


    "Nonsense."


    "You''re perfectly fine with being left behind? Don''t give me that crap. And don''t do things on your behalf? If I don''t vouch for you, who will?"


    Another one of our previous conversations passed through my mind. Once again, I began to see the meaning in Kami''s words. She was trying to say that she hated the way I disregarded myself, my own identity, for this mission. Especially because I kept repeating, like a broken record, that it was all for my mission to protect her. Unknowingly, I saddled her with a guilt that she was the reason I refused to set my own identity, that it was her fault that I was a slave to words from years ago. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I gritted my teeth at my own stupidity.


    What kind of brother are you? Forcing your little sister to vouch for you, forcing her to be the one to get you to break out of your shell. Hiding behind the same cowardly excuse that it was for your mission. For her. Why did I even follow those words so closely?


    A memory returned to my mind. An imposing man, with a serious expression in a black suit was standing over me. At the time I was a child. When his mouth open and he spoke, I shrunk back at the commanding tone in his voice.


    "Raiden. Never forget. Never lose sight of the mission you have been giving. Your only purpose is to protect the princess. Protect Kami. That is, it. Don''t ever lose sight of that goal. Because should you ever do, you will lose sight of the only reason for your pitiful existence."


    Little me turned his eyes in a downcast expression. "Father..." He murmured under his breath.


    "Father?" He repeated the words, seemingly disgusted that they had even came out of my mouth. "Don''t ever use such a term of endearment with me ever again." His words were severely cold, his gaze even harsher. "With everything that has happened, you can only be likened to a defect, a parasite. And yet you have the audacity, you possess the greed, the nerve to refer to me as your father? Compared to your sister, you are nothing but trash."


    I froze, remembering the words of my own father.


    "But Kami." I muttered under my breath. Kami''s want for me to be my own person, and my father''s outright rejection of that ideal clashed inside of my head for precedent. I was being torn apart. The ideals that had so long held root inside of my mind were slowly being questioned. Maybe Kami was right. "I should, I should try to change." I muttered weakly to myself. If the way I currently was, meant I was being a burden to my sister, then the only option was to change.


    "So, you''ve finally understood the meaning behind what me and Kami have been trying to tell you?" A voice said. I look down. The screen had come to life, and Yuki appeared in front of me. She was dressed the same as she always was. Her eyes seemed to pierce into my soul. She frowned when she notices the ashtray on the table, and the cigarette in my mouth.


    "Raiden! What did I tell you about smoking?" She shouted at me, her voice almost seeming parental. Not like I would know what it means for a parent to be worried about me. I removed the cigarette from my lips, tossing it into the ash tray. I watched as it slowly began to burn away.


    "How long have you been listening in?" I asked, my voice cracking as I spoke.


    "For a while know. However, I decided to remain silent, seeing as how you clearly were in some deep contemplation." She smiled. "However, I''ve seen that you''ve finally come to understand what Kami has been trying to say?"


    I sat in silence for a few seconds. I glanced at the corner of the room, where my wand was leaning against the wall. I took note of the bright pink heart that was inscribed on the top. My master seemed to notice it too. Her smile grew warmer. "Whoever did that clearly is a very smart girl. You should consider asking her out."


    I couldn''t even bring myself to respond to her joke, to ask her how she knew that I wasn''t the one who made that modification, how she knew that the person who did, was a girl. I was too busy thinking. Remembering. Thinking. About all the words that people had said to me. When Erika had suggested that I add a lightning bolt to my wand to make it more badass. Kami, calling me a slave, yelling at me in anger for not being selfish enough. Nova, explaining her goals. Yuki telling me to finally enjoy myself. And finally, Suijin telling me to follow my heart. They were all pushing against the dam that was my own fears. My own misconceptions. The person that was holding that dam together...


    An image of my father reappeared in my mind. Calling my greedy. Selfish. Likening me to trash. There was no way none of his words didn''t hold at least the smallest bits of truth. I leaned my head down, holding it in my hands. At any moment, I felt as if my emotions were going to spill over. I felt like the dam was going to explode, and the water would drown me. Yuki noticed this. She began to speak in a soothing voice.


    "Don''t let objects of the past, words of the past hold you back now."


    I gritted my teeth in frustration at the weak state that I was currently in. I had never felt this weak since... That time in the rain, with Kami, when we were little... "Master, is, is it really, okay?" My voice was on the verge of breaking.


    She nodded. I could almost feel her arms come to wrap around my body. "It''s okay." At that moment, I could her the front door open. Yuki''s voice dropped to a whisper, as if she was right there in the room with me, holding me tight. Like a mother would their child. "Go, go set things right." At that moment, the cigarette began to burn brighter than ever. I stood up, a new sense of motivation taking hold in my body. I walked up the steps, more motivated than I had probably been in my entire life. I opened the door, being met with the bright light of the sun.


    And then, all of my motivation was suddenly crushed by the image in front of me. The fire inside of me was put out. All of the positive thoughts that had motivated me, pushed me to go and reconcile with Kami, to try and change my own ways. They were all snuffed out as easy as one would blow a birthday candle. The sight in front of me did that in under a second.


    Kami was standing by the front door, a bruise on her left eye, and tears running down her face. She looked scared, more scared and terrified then she had ever been in her entire life.


    In the basement, the flame of the burning cigarette went out.

 Chapter 28: KAMI and RAIDEN

    I couldn''t form words. I couldn''t stand the sight. But I couldn''t take my eyes away. Standing in front of me, was my sister. My lovely sister Kami, who I had sworn to protect. My sister who was beautiful, and always smiling. And yet standing in front of me, was none of those qualities. Her beautiful face was marred by the bruise around her eye, the expression on her face was one very far from smiling. In fact, it wouldn''t be crazy to say that she looked as if she would never smile again. And the tears. The tears that slowly trailed down her face. W-when was the last time I had seen Kami cry?


    "Who." Was all I could get out. It was more of a statement, a declaration of sorts, then an actually question. My brain still couldn''t process what my eyes were showing me. I wanted to reject the image in front of me, to have it scraped out of my brain with a cheese grater. That would be less painful than looking at my sisters hurt face.


    Kami took a step forward, and nearly collapsed onto the floor. I immediately rushed in to catch her, allowing her to lay her weight on me. I could hear her soft and trembling voice murmur, "Raiden..." That froze me completely. Finally, my brain made a decision. The image in front of me was something that I had never wanted to see, never thought that I''d ever see in my lifetime. Whoever did this... Whoever did this to Kami.... I couldn''t even voice my thoughts. I clenched my fists in anger.


    Kami seemed to sense my displeasure, because she reached out, grabbing the sleave of my white shirt. She squeezed hard, as if she was trying to stop me from leaving. "NO, I-its over..."


    "It''s over? What the h-" I was just about to start, to let out my anger in the form of words, but Kami stopped me once again, pointing towards the table.


    "Just, let me explain, please."


    ***


    I helped Kami into her seat at one head of the table, before taking a seat right next to her. I offered to get her something to drink, or to get her an ice pack or something, but she declined. Saying that she wanted to get everything out first.


    "After we parted ways, I had left to the coffee shop in the mall with two of my friends. When, out of the blue, terrorists attacked. They claimed to the judges. The executioners. They claimed to be justice." Kami''s set the scene of everything that had happened. I listened closely, waiting for her to get to the part of who exactly had gave her this bruise. What had happened for her to come back crying.


    So, you can do what? Get revenge?


    My father''s mocking voice entered my head now. Almost as if sensing the state I was in, sensing the fact that I had completely lost my resolve, lost all of my determination that I had built up.


    Shut up!


    She''s already hurt. You failed your mission.


    Shut up!


    I redirected my attention to Kami''s story, which didn''t give much respite from the voices. Her story was only adding on to the guilt that I felt.


    "They shot someone, took a girl hostage, and went on an entire rant about justice, and how everything that happened in that store was our fault. Because we were magicians." Her voice was extremely small during that last sentence. She was scared.


    You caused this. My father''s voice returned.


    It was like someone had put another spear in my heart. The walls of the dam that I had just managed to break were slowly being built up, all done by my father''s figurative hands.


    "They had a barrier, a dome around the place. We managed to destroy the barrier and take them out but-" Her voice broke, sobs threatening to overtake her speech. I paused for a few seconds, surprised at the turn in the story. If the terrorist hadn''t done this- This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Kami continued to speak. This part seemed to be the hardest, as she took a deep breath before she spoke, trying to keep the tears at bay. "And there was the little girl. The one who was held hostage... I spoke to her, I told her that she was strong, that despite the tears she was strong... I held out my hand for her, to help her up, to help her come back..." At this point the tears began to fall, streaming down her face, and she began to sob uncontrollably.


    The sight of my sister breaking down, of her crying, it made me want to break. My anger had begun to wash away. It was not replaced with guilt. Guilt of being stupid enough, weak enough, dumb enough to let my sister get hurt like this. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed the painting of Kami, the one that encapsulated her beauty, when my eyes returned to her currently bruised and tear strained face. I couldn''t believe myself.


    What did I tell you. I tried to warn you. I tried to help you, Raiden. My father''s voice took on a low tone, almost as if he was trying to empathize with me.


    You are despicable trash, not only for forgetting your mission, but also for letting Kami get hurt. For letting Kami cry. For letting the same thing that happened all those years ago happen again! The one thing that you vowed to stop! The one thing that you promised you would never, ever see again!


    At some point, my father''s voice faded, and it became mine. I was screaming at myself, unable to handle the guilt, the worthlessness that I felt.


    "But I was meet with hate. They hated me, they called me trash, compared me to a disease!" Kami had finally reached what was making her feel so torn up, what was making her cry. "They all scorned me! And I began to cry, and I felt weak! Everything that I said that little girl, they were all lies! I was being a hypocrite, a damned hypocrite! I lied to her, and she thanked me with all her heart!" Kami began to shout and cry at the same time. She breathed heavily for a few seconds, before finally lowering her voice. "This bruise, it came from the police who were trying to interview me. They took any chance they could to hurt us." She stopped speaking. She was hurt, scared, in need of comfort. In need of someone to try and help her.


    And I couldn''t do anything. I couldn''t think of any words to say, and even if I could, I would never be able to phrase them correctly in the first place. I sat in front of Kami, being utterly useless. I couldn''t help her through her suffering.


    Don''t you see it now? The depth of you utters worthlessness. My own inner voice and my father''s voice mixed together as they ruthless citizen me. Just a few minutes ago, you were going on about trying to break away from your mission, trying to be more selfish. Now, do you not see the consequences of your sins? Of your sloth. Of your greed. Even now, you can''t rectify anything. Even if you did speak, not a single word you could muster would be a reassurance. You see that yourself. Which is why you can''t even look her in the eyes anymore.


    Everything the voices were saying was spot on. I had turned my gaze to the floor, too ashamed to even look my sister in the eyes anymore. Despite being enveloped in her own tears, she still was able to notice the change in my demeanor. She reached out slowly, before suddenly grabbing the sleeve of my shirt once again. She pulled me close, speaking frantically.


    "No no no no no. Don''t do this right now Raiden." Immediately she began to wipe away her tears. "Don''t try and take the blame, this isn''t your fault! Look my in the eyes. Raiden please, look me in the eyes!" Her voice grew more panicked and frantic. She had noticed my expression, and now she was trying to hide her tears, hide her fears, in order to make me feel better. I couldn''t look her in the eyes. I was unworthy.


    What the fuck is wrong with you? Has the idea of shame been completely removed from you? How the hell can you, who claims to be her older brother, be sitting her pathetically, as she tries to console you? Who the hell are you to put your concerns over those of the princess! My father''s voice returned, louder, and harsher than ever. They bounced off of the walls of my brain, reverberating through every bone in my body.


    If you can''t help her mentally, if you can''t even help her sort through her own thoughts, then do the only thing you can do. Forget yourself, forget your selfish desires. Lay down your body and your life in her defense. Do it for the princess. Because that''s the only value that your worthless existence serves any more. Thats the only thing you can do. Because in everything else, you are completely, utterly, useless.


    "Kami." I spoke. She perked up. I looked her in the eyes. Her scared face, her tear strained face. For a moment, her eyes were filled with hope. But my next words shattered that hope. Ground it to dust. They weren''t the words of endearment that I should have given. They were cold words. A promise that came out of love, but probably did nothing more than put a stamp of hate in her heart. I did it on purpose. I knew that if I said these words, she would have no choice but to hate me. To recognize my incompetence. Even if she didn''t hate me at the moment, when she thought back to this moment, this time where her so called older brother was unable to do anything to mend her suffering, she would surely look back at this moment with hate in her heart.


    "I am going to fulfill my mission now. And never again will I abandon it. That, I can promise you."

 Chapter 29: Distance

    "You made the wrong choice, Raiden." Yuki voice found me as I returned back toward the basement. As I walked, I knocked over my wand, causing the long black sword to clatter across the ground in front of me. It landed in front of me, and the heart that was etched unto the blade faced me. It was a grim reminder of everything that I would give up, that I would lose, because of the decision I had made.


    It''s all for the best. This is the only way to make sure that Kami never cries again. That she''s never hurt again.


    This time it was my own voice that spoke to me. No, it had always been my own voice. I had simply been trying to hide from the realization I had come to about myself. This was made evident by the fact that after a bit, my dad''s voice became my own.


    "This was the only option." I muttered quietly, as I picked up the blade, flipping it over so that I couldn''t see the heart anymore. I set the wand down, before returning back to my seat. Yuki was looking down at me sadly. She also clutched her pendant closely.


    "Was it the only option, or the easiest option." I knew exactly what she meant by that. What she was trying to insinuate. I knew that she was right as well. I had gone as far to make the realization myself.


    "Anything I would have said at that time would have done nothing to help. You know that better than me that reassurance from me is as good as no reassurance at all." I tried to explain, attempted to give a reason, but in truth, it was just an excuse. However, it was necessary.


    Yuki shook her head with a sigh. "You still don''t get it? Don''t you think that your sister would have understood you better than anyone else? If you had just tried. If you had attempted to console her, even if your attempts were pathetic, that would have done much more for her that you think. That would have been enough to bring a smile to her face."


    All I was able to get from that sentence was that Kami was already used to my weakness. My incompetence. It was only more of a reason for me to make this decision. If I was useless at anything else that could help her, the least I could do was help her in the way I can. Be the perfect sword and shield for her.


    Yuki looked away from the screen for a few and muted herself. From what I could see, it was clear that she was talking to somebody, but I couldn''t tell who. After which, she turned back to the screen with an indescribable expression on her face. She unmuted herself and began to speak.


    "Raiden. On Saturday, you father and mother would like for you and Kami to return to the house."


    ***


    The news of my father''s request had not left my mind, even next morning. I arrived at Mrs. Elmers class early, much to her dismay. I took my seat in the VIP chair, and simply staired at the wall. Ms. Elmer had tried a few times to ask if I knew anything about the situation at the mall just outside of the magic academy, which involved three of Theta Magic academies students." Everyone had heard of it. I had made national news. The entirety of the media''s work to try and cover up the massive ravine between magicians and humans was all burned away in an instant.


    I lied. I told her I had no connection to anyone from the incident. I was sure that she saw through my lie, however she didn''t say anything else. At some point, Hikaru and Masayoshi had arrived. After greeting them good morning, I attempted to keep to myself. As expected, Masayoshi and Hikaru were discussing the topic of the terrorist attack. As expected, Masayoshi posed a question about justice. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "According to witness testimonies, when the terrorists approached, they made a mention of the fact that they were, ''the judges and the executioners.''" Masayoshi put that part in air quotes. "I think it''s pretty obvious that you can''t claim to be a sort of justice, and then take hostages, and shoot people." Masayoshi''s voiced remained calm and measured, in spite of the kind of topic he was discussing.


    Hikaru looked down a bit sadly. In her voice, you could hear how affected she had been by this news. "I thank god that there were no casualties. That poor little girl and her parents, who had been held at gunpoint.... Thankfully, there were three students of Theta there at the time, and they managed to take care of things before they really escalated. In terms of justice, I think your absolutely right. There is no justice, in what was done yesterday.


    There was a long silence. Hikaru and Masayoshi and subconsciously, waited for me to express my thoughts on the matter. However, I was going to do that. When they turned their expectant gazes to me, I couldn''t help but be reminded of Kami''s gaze. It reminded me of how she had looked at me on the table, when she cried her heart out, and put her most vulnerable self in front of me.


    And it reminded me of my inability to help her.


    "I- I don''t have any thoughts."


    It was bullshit, and everyone in the room knew it.


    ***


    Later on in the day, after lunch, as we were heading towards the training arena, Erika approached me, and she began our seemingly daily routine of her grabbing and squeezing the life out of me, as she talked about anything random, and didn''t give me a chance to respond. However, this time I wasn''t even trying to respond; I wasn''t even trying to protest. I just went with things. My thoughts were distant. Far away. As if my mind, and my physical body were separated by a wall.


    I assumed that Erika didn''t notice this, however Masayoshi, who was always watching closely surely did. And Nova, who would always look at me with pity as Erika did this, was looking at me with a different, more mysterious expression. It was a knowing look. A look that made we want to run away from its gaze.


    ***


    During the training period of the day, I was absentmindedly listening to Himitsu''s over energized ramblings. He was speaking about the plan for how he would structure his class. Or more fittingly, lack thereof. He was proposing some sort of, "free birds" kind of class set up. Where after introducing what aspect of magical energy or sequences we would be learning, and then he''d leave it up to our, "Free and maturing brains to decide how to go about it.


    It was more of an excuse for him to not do shit, and everyone knew it, but no one said anything. It wasn''t like having a free period was anything bad. Today however, Himitsu proposed a question, and said that we would have the rest of the class to ponder over it.


    "Think of, an ability." He didn''t elaborate, and didn''t go into any further explanation. He just leaned back against the railing. And stood there.


    ***


    At the student council meeting for the day, I sat next to Kami. Throughout the entire walk there, we didn''t share any words. She had managed to cover the bruise on her face as best as possible, but that didn''t stop the slightly dark spot of skin around her eye to show. Throughout this entire meeting, her eyes were downcast, and she struggled to maintain eye contact with the other members.


    If I noticed it, then everyone else surely noticed it. During the meeting, they discussed options for how to go about setting up the castle of dreams. However, I wasn''t listening. My thoughts were drawn back to all of the interactions that I had with my friend''s. Their reactions. Their gazes. It made me feel.... I couldn''t explain it.


    "Maybe, it''s all just superficial." I muttered to myself. It was more of a thing to make myself feel better for how I acted today.


    When I looked up, I noticed both Kami and Suijin staring at me.

 Chapter 30: Confidence

    Throughout the entire school day, I never left Homura and Ren''s side. During homeroom, which I shared with both of them, we sat together. No words were shared. We still needed time to process everything that had happened yesterday. All around us, Students were gossiping and talking about the terrorist attack at the mall. The general reaction was a mix of shock, fear, and anger. In the front of the class, I could hear two students having a conversation.


    "Just who do they think they are? How can they have the audacity to commit such heinous acts, and then blame it on magicians? No way people actually believed that bullshit!"


    The boy sitting next to her nodded in agreement. "They must think that people are dumb or something. If they were going to direct their hate at anyone, of course it would be the terrorist who held them hostage in the first place!"


    I chuckled cynically as I heard their conversation. If only they knew...


    Next to me, Homura looked over, startled by my sudden chuckle. She reached out a hand to touch mine, which was resting on the table. The warmth of her hand on mine calmed me down, even if it was only a little bit. I looked at her appreciatively, and she gave off a weak smile.


    It was a small reassurance, and in truth, it probably didn''t have value, and yet it still means something to me. It helped to uplift my mood. It had been the fact that Homura had tried, not the fact that she had did a good job.


    If only Raiden could understand that....


    When my thoughts turned to Raiden, I couldn''t help but remember the events of yesterday. Everything. The terrorist attack, my conversation with the little girl, the hatred from the people. And most importantly, the part that hurt the most: My conversation with Raiden. When I came, I had been seeking some sort of comfort, but Raiden couldn''t provide it. Instead, he brushed everything off and fell back upon the excuse that I hated so very much.


    "I am going to fulfill my mission now. And never again will I abandon it. That, I can promise you."


    That declaration stung. That sting was only made worse by the fact that Raiden had nearly broken away from the restrictions of this mission. His mission to protect me. When I had arrived home, and Raiden had burst out from the basement, he bore a cathartic expression on his face. His eyes held hope. But that was crushed as soon as he laid eyes on my weak figure.


    Weak.


    That was what I was.


    Homura gripped my arm tighter, able to sense my distress, but unable to actually form any meaningful words to help me. Beside her, Ren was just tapping his finger on the table, looking at a wall in the class. His eyes were distant. As I looked over at him, I wanted to reach out and say something, to try and pull my friend out of this hole he was in, but I couldn''t.


    Could this have been what Raiden felt yesterday? Was he this torn up by his own guilt...Because of my weakness?


    ***


    Once that that thought had entered my brain, it never left. Throughout lunch. Throughout training, throughout classes. I could only think about whether it was my fault that Raiden ended up returning to his mission.


    Homura noticed my attitude, and she was glaring into the back of my head the entire day, as if to say,


    "Whatever you''re thinking about, stop. It''s wrong."


    I wish I could stop, but it wasn''t that easy.


    Things were never that easy.


    Even back to when I was young.


    ***


    I was still unable to break away from the Jail that was my thoughts, even all the way after school, when we arrived at the student council room. The discussion picked off from where we had left of last time. The problem of how exactly we would be able to get the castle of dreams completely built and set up within a week, while involving as few students as possible proved to be one with no easy solution. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Back and forth, the student council members gave and shot down ideas. Things from attempting to use magic that could hide the decorations in sight, to renting out multiple different buildings in order to store every last one of the decorations and pieces until the time to set it up came; these ideas were brought up, and subsequently brought down. This had gone on for a decent amount of time, and I had remained silent throughout.


    My silence didn''t go unnoticed. Maybe to the student council members, who still had yet to adjust to the fact that I was a member, they could forget about my prescence. However, Suijin could not be fooled. From time to time, I could feel her gaze turning towards me. After Ichijo had his suggestion shot down, a period of silence began. That silence was quickly broken however, by Raiden of all people. However, he was not presenting an idea or anything. Instead, he seemed to have been talking to himself.


    "Maybe, it''s all just superficial."


    Those five words drew the gaze of me and Suijin. Raiden seemed to have realize that he had spoken these words aloud, because he looked up, noticing both me and Suijin looking at him. When me and Raiden locked eyes, he was quick to look away. That hurt. It''s probably-


    However, before I could finish that self-deprecating thought, Suijin''s sweet voice sounded out, snapping my attention to her.


    "Well then, let''s hear from the two people we haven''t heard from yet." She clapped her hands together and gave us a warm to smile, to show that this wasn''t a callout, but instead an attempt to push us into the conversation.


    Realizing that they were probably expecting me to speak, I opened my mouth to begin, but Raiden spoke first.


    "Do you think that it would be possible to get everything set up in a week, with the few amounts of people that you plan to involve in this mission?"


    Suijin took a second to ponder. "I believe, that within a week, we could probably just barely get everything set up. But that possibility isn''t realistic, considering how we have to also keep up with other tasks like preparing the defense of the culture festival."


    Raiden nodded. "Then, seeing as how that task isn''t too intertwined with the actual Castle of Dreams itself, couldn''t have some other students collaborate together with Yuri to figure it out?" Raiden suggested a solution to the dilemma.


    "I have to say, it isn''t exactly the worst idea. Seeing as how the layout will be pretty much identical with that of the actual school, we could have a group of students plan out the defense without having to worry about anything getting out." Surprisingly, Genji was the one to support Raiden''s idea.


    "And for the actual selection of students, leave it to me. I am the Chairman of extracurricular''s for a reason." Ichijo pitched in.


    Suijin considered for a few seconds. It wasn''t the worst idea, but she seemed, hesitant.


    The one to give her the push, was surprisingly, Raiden.


    "I think you should take it. it''d be a way for you to.... lighten the load." He emphasized the last part of his sentence, and it seemed to work, because Suijin''s eyes widen as she turned to cast Raiden a glance. She then smiled at him before turning back to face the rest of the cancel.


    "Then, I approve of the idea."


    The problem had found a solution, and the slightly tense air in the room had been alleviated. From everyone except for me. I felt a bit, weird inside. A slight bit jealous, that Raiden could find the words to help Suijin, but not me. it was a selfish thought, but I couldn''t stop myself from thinking it.


    "Seeing as how we achieved what we set out to do, how about we end this meeting early?" Suijin then raised her finger into the air before saying, "Meeting Adjourned!" After which, we all stood up and prepared to leave.


    "Kami, could you stay for a bit? I wanted to talk to you, in private of possible." Raiden froze for a few seconds, before reluctantly taking a step out of the room. When the large doors closed behind him, I turned to face Suijin. I was prepared for her to chew me out, for her to ask me about why I was so silent. But I should have known that that was never going to happen. Suijin wasn''t that type of person.


    She stood up from her seat, and her tall and slender frame was framed nicley by the sun. She then waked over to me, before slowly, grabbing my hand. At first, I couldn''t understand what exactly she was trying to do, and my entire body remained tense. However, her hand was warm. And her gaze was warm. She then put her other hand on my head, patting it for a few seconds. I still stood in absolute bewilderment at what she was doing.


    She then leaned in close and began to speak. "Don''t let your confidence fall."


    Again, five words. Five words that made me want to collapse. And I nearly did. However, Suijin''s strong arms did not let me fall. She held me close and began stroking my hair, as she let me bury my face in her dress.


    "It''s alright. It''s okay to cry."


    As she began to speak, I couldn''t help but notice that she was reiterating the same words that I had spoken to that little girl what felt like ages ago.


    She contined to stroke my hair and hold me closely. Tears were about to fall from my eyes.


    "Being able to show your emotions, and be vulnerable, is strong. It takes much more strength to do that, then it does to bottle everything up and push everybody away."


    However, coming from Suijin, these words held actually meaning.


    But still, just like the little girl had, I shook my head. How could this display of wretched weakness possibly be strong?


    "Kami. You won''t understand it now. But with the help of others, and with the help of your friends, you''ll be able to see it soon. How strong you really are. So, for now, don''t let your confidence fall. Don''t let go of those around you. And most importantly...


    She leaned in close before saying these last words.


    "Don''t give up on those who are closest to you."


    And the only thing I could do, was break down into tears.

 Chapter 31: Sin

    The massive clock tower provided a perfect view of the streets of London. Down below, despite it being nearly 10 P.M. at this point, there were still large amounts of people walking along the sidewalks. A steady stream of cars traveled up and the street. They called the tower, "Big Ben." Its eponym was said to be Sir Benjaman Hall. A civil engineer who oversaw the clocks installation. Surrounded by all kinds of art galleries and museum, the massive clock tower stood as one of the pinnacles of architecture and engineering from the old world. The world before magic.


    A feat of engineering like this could be easily replicated now. All of the world, many of the continents had adopted their own massive clock towers, ones infinitely larger, and infinitely better looking than the Big Ben. In Asia, they had a massive clock tower that pierced the very clouds themselves. At midnight, a bell would chime, a bell so loud and resonate that it seemed to be a sound that was coming from the heavens above. In North America, they had a clock that with combination of fire magic, every hour when it chimed, it would release fire spell that burned the time into the air for a brief moment, for all to see.


    In truth, compared to modern day architecture, this clock tower was irrelevant. It was pitiful. It was an archaic structure in this new modern world of magic, which made it stand out all the more. That did bear the question though: Why was it still standing? Why was it left unchanged?


    "It''s only natural that they''d want to cling to their feeble creations. The pitiful marks that they left this world with. For nothing more than the purpose of maintain their own ego. That is why this archaic piece of trash still stands."


    A voice spoke. It was a man, who was dressed in a perfect white suit, that held not even a speck of dust. He also had perfectly clean blonde hair which flowed in the wind. He sat on the ledge of the clock tower, allowing his long legs to dangle over the edge. Underneath him, the town of London went about its business. They looked like fleas. No, an army of termites was a more accurate description of the pathetic beings below him.


    "Then let''s blow it off its hinges. Destroy it. Blow away the foundations and allow this marker of the past to be lost to history. The only way that things can be reset is through destruction. Long ago, there was a very smart man. He came up with a beautiful quote. ''The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world.'' Wrath and destruction. Thats the only way you can bring about rebirth." Another voice suggested behind the man.


    He was also tall, and he stood next to the man in the white suit. His outfit consisted of a long dark purple trench coat that flowed in the wind. One of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch. He wore a dark and sinister smile on his face, as he watched the people down below him, and talked of chaos and destruction. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "How violent of you. Is violence the only way you know to express yourself? All that effort, and for what? To achieve what? At the end of the day, would it not be better to let them go as is? Is this show of holding on to the past hurting anyone? If not, then why put the effort into trying to tear it down?"


    Another voice spoke. This one belonged to a woman. She was laying on the ledge of the clock tower, with a hand dangling over the edge, swinging back and forth. He other hand was in front of her mouth, as she was seemingly trapped in an endless yawn. Her long messy braids spilled over the ledge as well, but it didn''t seem like she was going to make any move to fix them. She was dressed in shorts as well as an oversized hoodie. She had white sandals on her feet as well.


    "I have to say, I don''t agree with that violent man slut''s ramblings, but I can''t exactly get along with your slothfulness. With that beautiful of a body, the fact that you can just lay around doing nothing is such a waste of potential~"


    This time, an even higher pitched voice came. She was standing on the base of where the peak of the tower began. She had light skin, and curls that bobbed up and down as she spoke. She was dressed in scandalous outfit. A miniskirt that might as well have been a belt, and a fuzzy crop top. She held a hand to her chest, right above her heart. Or at least, tried to. Certain obstacles got in her way. "Look at all of them down there. It makes my heart flutter and break to think they don''t know of my beauty. To think that they don''t worship me~ And when they lay eyes on me for the first time, they''ll have no choice but to bow down before. They will have no choice but to submit to their lust. I wonder why~"


    "How greedy of you. To assume that they must worship your existence. To assume that all of them most become your personal slaves?" This voice came from the very tippy top of the tower, were a man stood on the peak. He wore a suit that was similar to the man in white, however his suit was completely black. There was a cigarette in his mouth, and his white hair flowed in the wind.


    "How hypocritical of you to talk of greed. And there is more to beauty then just adulation." The man in the white suit said. He moved to stand, and as he did, the other 3 turned to attention, except for the girl who was laying down. "Just make sure that you keep that hypocrisy away for long enough to complete you mission." The man then reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. He unfolded it, before reading it. He then held it up behind him for the others to see. There were two words written on the paper.


    Gluttony.


    Envy.


    The man then let go of the paper, allowing it to fly away in the wind. "You all know the task. Go wherever you like. Before the first of November, I want you to find two subtle candidates." With that, the man turned to look down at the people walking the streets of London. Of the insects that were below him. His face contorted into an expression of disgust.


    "Pathetic beings."


    And then he took a step, allowing himself to fall straight down towards them.

 Chapter 32: Phi

    My blade clashed against Erika''s, sparks flying into the air. We traded slashes of our sword, equally matched. Erika took a step back, and then slashed twice. I dodged to the left, and she followed up with a quick kick. After somersaulting backwards to dodge, I swung my blade in a counterattack, using a wind spell to launch a slash straight at Erika. Erika took one look at the slash and used her sword to bat it away, yawning as she did. "Is that really its Raiden?"


    It was just a farce though. I had used the split-second distraction the weak spell had given me to charge up two powerful magic spells. A light spell in my hand, and a flame spell on my sword. Noticing the flame spell, Erika grinned excitedly, as she charged up one of her own. I released the light spell, allowing it to envelope the area and block out Erika''s vision. I then combined the fire spell with a lightning spell. The long black blade in my hands was covered in flame and electricity. I dashed forward with the blade at my side, and I could sense Erika do the same.


    Just as our blades were about to collide-


    "STOPP!" We suddenly pulled back our attacks. A second later and an explosion of magic would''ve rocked the entire arena. We turned to see who exactly had interrupted our battle. We saw Himitsu standing, his dark coat blowing in the wind. "No no no no no! That is not at all what I wanted when I said come up with a unique ability. Just combining two different types of elemental magic is too restrictive!"


    We were currently in the training arena. Continuing off of the lesson that Himitsu had mention prior, he allowed us to break off and do whatever we wanted to try and stimulate our brains to come up with these unique ideas. Erika suggested that we mock battle. All around us, people were taking, harnessing magic, thinking, or just outright laying on the ground lazily.


    "Well, what exactly do you want us to do?" Erika asked, the frustration in her voice clear. She was not a fan of having her battle interrupted.


    Himitsu pretended as if he didn''t hear the sass in Erika''s voice. "An ability is something unique. Something that takes advantage variety that layering magic sequences provides you with. Take for example, one of the abilities of the headmaster." Himitsu''s mention of the headmaster caused a few of the heads nearest to us to turn in curiosity.


    "It is thought that he simply has the ability of precognition, but no such magic sequence exists. Instead, his ability to seemingly dodge and avoid any attack actually comes from the layering of multiple magic sequences. Mainly, he makes use of the forces of wind, as well as repulsion and gravity sequences, to alter the movement of his foes, as well as increase the speed of his own movements." Himitsu noticed the confused looks.


    "Ahh, bad example, none of you have actually seen the grandmasters power in work." He chuckled to himself. "When you do get the chance to see how he uses his magic, he will surely be impressed." He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts about the grandmaster''s excellence. It was only Erika''s loud, "ahem" that brought him back to attention. "Oh right. I can''t exactly force the creative process into you, but, if you want to get a start, or learn the method." He paused for a few seconds, before looking around. "Talk to the prince. If he even has the time to spare." Himitsu then left. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I stood there flabbergasted for a few seconds. Why did he say it as if I was going to know who that was? I turned to Erika with a questioning expression on my face. Before she had the chance to answer however, a voice from behind me did.


    "The prince. Probably the most famous person at this school. Though I guess his fame isn''t as great as I thought considering you don''t know about him. Either that, or you''re a completely socially inept loner."


    I turned around and saw a familiar face. The same blonde-haired girl who had been hanging around with Aura when she talked to Nova about their mock battle. She still was sucking on a lollipop, and her storm gray eyes seemed to be looking right through me. I wondered what she was doing directly confronting me, and even seemingly making a joke.


    "Oh....." I spoke. I''m sure that both her and Erika could see the fact that not a single bit of understanding had dawned on my face. Erika sighed, and the blonde girl smiled a bit.


    "Think of him as a prodigy. By far, he is the greatest magical student in this entire academy. He has insane amounts of magical energy, an insane number of spells memorized, and most importantly, one of the best magical abilities you''ll probably ever see. According to the headmaster, it''s only one step away from being an S-rank ability."


    All of that praise helped me paint a picture of what kind of enigmatic figure this prince guy was. If all of that information was true, then the title of prince was more than deserved. Still, I didn''t really understand what was going on. This girl I barely knew was explaining information about this guy I barely knew and was being very vague about it at that.


    "Could you tell me his name?"


    "His name? Sure. It''s Shindo." Everyone around us instantly silenced as the girl in front of me namedropped the prince. Even Erika seemed a bit shocked at that. I couldn''t really understand the reactions.


    "Shindo..." I muttered to myself. If this guy truly was as good as they say he was, then...


    My mind returned to the two incidents in which magic spells were cancelled by a third party, with insane speed and accuracy. Once in the luncheon, and the second time during my battle with Erika back when we first got our wands.


    Then could it be? He was the one responsible.


    For a second, my mind raised at the prospect of meeting this prince, of talking to him. However, just as quickly as it appeared, it was shot down.


    Don''t lose sight of your mission.


    Those words snapped all of the curiosity out of my body. I could not betray Kami, or my mission, My interest in this prince would just have to be forgotten.


    "Thanks. I''m Raiden by the way." I held out a hand awkwardly, not really sure how to close out this conversation I didn''t initiate.


    Her smile seemed to have grown a bit wider, as she realized something. She then took my hand, shaking it up and down a few times.


    "Nice to meet you Raiden, my name is Phi." With that, the mysterious girl who called herself Phi turned around and walked away.


    The entire time, she had never taken her eyes off of my stomach area.

 Chapter 33: Shaking

    Saturday.


    I stood in front of the mirror, shirtless. I closely analyzed the defined muscles of my body, gained through years of ruthless training. A disconcerting feeling arose that their was something wrong in my reflection. I ignored it. Looking down, I noticed the scar that ran down from my right side, all the way to my left. It looked like it was made recently. It was an angry pink that contrasted against my skin. I ran a finger along it, wincing in pain at the ghost of pain which accompanied it. The scar still burned. I could still feel the mysterious gaze of Phi on me. She couldn''t have known about this scar, could she? I thought back to the moment when I had gotten it. I was young. A newborn. I didn''t suffer from "infantile amnesia" as people called it. I only had one memory of my baby days, a memory that I was sure I had no right recalling. My finger traced the scar, and suddenly, the bathroom dissolved. The cold tile under my feet gave way to shadowed walls, the air thick with the sound of thunder and broken glass...


    ***


    I was crying. I was crying a lot. There was a blur of shadows and movement. Looming dark walls stood all around me. There were shouts. The rough voice of my father, the sweet voice of my mother. The sweet and seducing voice of a third person. Outside, the sound of rain thundering against the window drowned out my cries, only amplifying the sense of isolation I felt.


    My father''s voice shouted loudly, full of hatred and accusations. "You slut! Just leave!" The sounds of things being knocked over, of glass shattering, could be heard. A bolt of thunder slammed violently into the ground outside.


    My mother was crying same as me. Her tears rolled down unto my small body as she held me close. Drops of warm tears that seared like heat began to fall unto my bare skin. my She seemed to shift, to move away, and for a brief second, I caught sight of the woman. Of her.


    She was dressed up in a long black dress and a witches had. She had piercing gold eyes which glared down hatefully at my father. At me. Her dark imposing figure was slowly approaching as my father continued to shout, and rain continue to pound down roughly unto the house.


    "You dare call me a slut?" Her words dripped with enough venom to kill a person. As she slowly approached, a bolt of lightning struck, creating a dark silhouette that would remain forever engrained in my memory. "You betray me, break my heart, twist my words, and choose this witch of all people, and you have the audacity to call me a slut!" Her voice raised in volume, beginning to boom louder than the thunder outside.


    My father moved to stand in front of my mom, blocking her off from the women. The sound of her steps ceased. "And so, you come into my home? Threaten my family? Call my wife a witch? How hypocritical of you. For a moment, the image in front of me crystalized, and in perfect detail, I could see the women''s face. In that moment, her expression twisted into one of pure disgust. The lines on her face bunched together, her eyes squinted, and her lips pulled back.


    At that moment, she launched a magic attack. My father immediately pulled us behind him, preparing to take the blow for us. It was a noble act. An act I could never imagine my father actually doing now.


    But the attack was not that easily thwarted. It twisted out of the way, weaving between my father and mother''s arm. it slammed straight into my stomach, and my world became one of searing hot, burning pain. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Maybe with this, you''ll learn the consequences of your actions."


    In the background, I could hear the soft sobs of my mother, and the sound of someone trying to console her. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw my father, holding me closely, like a parent worried about his child would. However, then was one error in this scene, and incongruity. Instead of the face of a worried parent my father wore an expression of fear. He seemed petrified.


    "A failure. It''s a failure."


    ***


    I snapped myself out of the memory. My body was shaking a bit, and beads of sweat rolled down my forehead. Cold. It''s cold in here. I suddenly register how cold it was inside of the bathroom. It didn''t help that I was shirtless.


    I took a step out of the room, and shakily put on a simple outfit. Black dress pants and a white shirt. I rolled up the sleeves of the shirt, my hands shaking all throughout the process. My breathing started to deepen considerably. Every breath felt like I was struggling to get even the bare minimum amount of air into my lungs. Every time I exhaled, my entire body seemed to shiver. Like it was going to collapse.


    After I very slowly slipped on my shoes, I stood. The shaking in my hands had slowly grown worse over time. Nothing I did seemed to make it stop. I couldn''t go out and face Kami like this, my hands vibrating. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm down. However, shaking never left. My breathing never settled. In fact, it began to quicken.


    It really is cold in here. The A.C. wasn''t that high, was it?


    The A.C. was off.


    I let my hands rest on my lap. I began to seriously hope that they stopped shaking soon. However, my prayers weren''t answered. The shaking continued to increase. Slowly, I brought my hands up and wrapped myself in a self-hug. My hands touched my bare skin, but instead of the warmth being transferred from my skin to my hands, my hands transferred the cold to my skin. Now my whole body seemed to shake.


    Get a hold of yourself Raiden! Your useless piece of trash!


    However, nothing could stop the shaking. It felt like my entire body had been covered in snow. It was cold. Oh, it was so cold.


    Failure. It''s a failure.


    Maybe with this, you''ll learn the consequences of your actions."


    Failure. It''s a failure.


    Don''t ever lose sight of that goal. Because should you ever do, you will lose sight of the only reason for your pitiful existence.


    Failure. It''s a failure.


    "With everything that has happened, you can only be likened to a defect, a parasite. And yet you have the audacity, you possess the greed, the nerve to refer to me as your father? Compared to your sister, you are nothing but trash."


    Failure. It''s a failure.


    You are despicable trash, not only for forgetting your mission, but also for letting Kami get hurt. For letting Kami cry. For letting the same thing that happened all those years ago happen again! The one thing that you vowed to stop! The one thing that you promised you would never, ever see again!


    Failure. It''s a failure.


    If you can''t help her mentally, if you can''t even help her sort through her own thoughts, then do the only thing you can do. Forget yourself, forget your selfish desires. Lay down your body and your life in her defense. Do it for the princess. Because that''s the only value that your worthless existence serves any more. Thats the only thing you can do. Because in everything else, you are completely, utterly, useless.


    Failure. It''s a failure. I''m a failure.


    The words crashed through my head, and with each repetition of failure, I felt the temperature drop even more. Until I couldn''t take it. None of my attempts to calm down were working. I did the only thing that I thought would help. I dug my hands into my skin, until they were deep enough to draw blood. The blood was war, it felt good. I began to scratch the sides, allowing more of the blood to draw down, to spread warmth over my body. Blood dripped unto the floor.


    Your a failure. Never forget.


    I continued to dig deeper into my skin, trying to engrave the words in. Print them deeper into my skin then the scar that was on my belly.


    "You''re a failure Raiden. Never forget that. Your only purpose now, is to protect Kami."


    And as the blood spread warmth over my skin, I let myself drown in it. In failure. In purpose. In oblivion.

 Chapter 34: Ego

    "This is the third instance of absolute destruction being wreaked across the world. This instance took place in China, as a massive portion of the great wall was completely destroyed in a massive light show last night. The culprit has still gone unidentified, though we suspect it''s the same person behind the destruction of Machu Pichu and Wellington Arch. The same as always, despite the massive explosion that occurred, there was not a single burn mark no single piece of debris left at the scene. It''s almost as if the wall was simply removed from reality."


    Inside of the bar, the multiple TV''s that hung on the ceiling played the same news broadcast. The past two nights, folks were greeted by similar broadcasts, for Big Ben and Machu Pichu respectively. All around, drunken and sober eyes were drawn towards the TV, as people began to express their true opinions.


    "Another one? Just what is this!" A man shouted, slamming his fist into the table. His cheeks were a deep shade of red, and his melodramatic attitude served as a clear sign that he was more than just a little bit wasted. "Going around, destroying monuments of the world? Where they hell do these fuckers get off!" He reached for his cup, only for his hand to knock it over, sending it crashing straight into the ground. The cup shattered into pieces, and beer seeped into the wooden floorboards. Around him, the other equally drunk men laughed and jeered.


    The man seemed to turn an even deeper shade of red as he told the men to, "Fuck off."


    This entire situation was watched by one man. The man in the white suit. Inside of the bar, his impeccable white suit, flawless features and clean blonde hair stuck out like a sour thumb. A series of empty cups lay in front of him, a sign that he had drunken much more than a healthy amount. And yet the man himself showed no signs of it. His cheeks did not flush, and he showed full control over all of his movements. He set down his seventh cup, before muttering to himself.


    "That damned violent bastard. I gave him free reign, but to do something so destructive and loud is a few steps away from stupidity. This must be the consequence of putting trust in anyone but myself." He tapped his fingers on the cold wood of the bar. In front of him, the bartender noticed the amount the man had drunken and decided to try and spark up a conversation.


    "7 cups? Your one heavy drinker." He leaned against the table as he said this, wiping the wine glass in his hands with a towel. He was a man of medium build, and unremarkable features.


    "You consider 7 cups a lot?" The man in the white suit responded, almost in disbelief.


    In that moment, it was hard to tell who was more shocked. The bartender, who had just witnessed a man down 7 full cups of bear, and, with not a single slur in his speech, asked incredulously if that was considered a lot; or the man, who looked at the bartender who was shocked by the amount he had drunk, in pure disbelief. However, the short face-off was interrupted when the tv screen flashed to show a camera that overlooked the great wall of China.


    In the darkness of night, the wall loomed imposingly in the background, looking down upon the hills which it stood on. For a few seconds, there was quiet, tranquility. Not even a wind disturbed the still scene. It was a calm before the storm. And just on time...


    A massive flash of light covered the screen, as a section of the wall seemed to literally explode. The light covered a majority of the screen, but it was still possible to see the shadows it cast. horrifyingly enough, not a single piece of rubble nor debris was launched into the air. When the light cleared away, there was no smoke, no rubble, no flames, no sign that there had been anything standing in the gap between the two walls, and no sign that there had even been an explosion. The camera image cut back to the news reporters, as they began to speak. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "What a horrifying power." The man in the white suit commented.


    The bartender raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure that it was a magician who did this?"


    However, before the man in the white suit could decide if he wanted to answer or not, another voice answered for him.


    "Isn''t it obvioussss? That kind of monstrous feat could have only been pulled off by those devil scum." The overly loud volume of the voice, and the slurring of this person''s words signified how drunk this man really was. It was the same drunk guy who had knocked over his glass. He had returned to the bartender to get a reveal. Paying no mind to the man in the perfect white suit next to him, he slammed his fist into the table.


    "Going around and taking down monuments of human history, of how far we''ve come. To do what? Prove that their better than us?" He sneered. "To put fear in our hearts? To reassure us that they''re the monsters we think they are and worse. What fucking bullshit." The man continued to spew his true, unaltered thoughts on the matter. With every sentence, the grunts and cheers of agreement grew louder. The man, invigorated by this support, continued to speak.


    "They think that they''re so much better than us, so much more advanced. The damned witches are just spawn of the devil. They weren''t created in god''s image, but in Satan''s. They are the evil that plagued this world!" As the man seemed to reach the climax of his speech, the cheers around him also reached their climax. Everyone but the man in white and the bartender were screaming their agreement.


    "What horrendously narcissistic ramblings." When the cheers had died out, and there was a short period of silence, the voice of the man in white could be heard. He said these words mercilessly, but directed his words at no one in particular, still tapping his fingers on the table. Their speed had increased.


    "Whsts wazzz that?" The drunk man replied, wheeling around to face the man in white. He continued to speak.


    "To claim to be those created in gods image. What narcissism. That kind of vain thinking is useless when put in the face of true power."


    "Youzz got some''in you want to say?" The drunk man leaned in, trying to impose himself on the man in white.


    "Your ego, your hubris, your overflowing pride absolutely disgusts me. You wretched vermin need to learn your place in this world, at the botto-" Before he could finish his sentence, a cup was slammed into his head, and then another, and another, and another, until all 7 cups that were laid out in front of the man had been shattered over the top of his head. The entire bar erupted into cheers once again at the show of violence. They wanted this man to shut up.


    "Aint gotzz mussh to say now, do you? Fucking pussy." The man then grabbed a cup out of the hands of the person behind him, before dumping the liquid over the man in white suit''s head. However just as he was about to smash the cup over his head, he froze.


    In front of him, the man, who just had 7 cups shattered over his head, and beer poured onto of him, showed not a single sign of it. There wasn''t a drop of blood on his perfect white skin. There wasn''t a single sign of his hair, nor suit wet from the water that had been dropped unto of his head. In fact, his white suit, clean blonde hair, and flawless face were just as flawless as they had been before the assault.


    The drunk man faltered, taking a step back in shock. "wh-" He never got that next word out though, because suddenly the man in the white suit had shoved his hand into his face. "Ahh-" The drunken man''s scream was cut off.


    Because at that moment his head exploded.


    A shower of dark red blood and pink lumps flew out everywhere, dirtying the walls, the floor, and other people. Blood splattered over the face of the bartender. Blood dirtied everything but the man in white. His suit remained flawless. The blood that splattered unto him left no trace, and did not stick. His entire appearance remained flawless.


    The man''s headless body hitting the ground with a thump was the only sound that could be heard. It remained completely silent in the previously loud bar. Everyone was still trying to process what they had just seen. The man in white stepped forward, leaning down and beginning to rummage through the pockets of the dead man. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of clothes. When he straightened himself, he seemed to be 10 times taller. Once again, despite searching a bloodied corpse, his suit remained flawless. He tossed the wallet that once belonged to a man who was now dead unto the table, in front of the frozen bartender.


    He stepped over the corpse of the man, heading towards the door.


    "Take that as your payment. You were the only one to remain humble, to not let your ego consume you."


    And with that, the impeccable man in the white suit left the bar.

 Chapter 35: Chisaki Estate

    I never thought that I would find myself standing outside of the front gates of the Chisaki estate so soon.


    The large wrought iron gates stood imposingly before us, the black metal glistening from the light rain that had begun to fall. The dark gray clouds seemed to hang directly above the massive mansions, which was easily the size of some educational facilities. The entire mansions were painted in black and white and was so tall that it cast shadows everywhere. From our position standing in front of the gate, which was by no means short, almost 10 feet tall, we could still see the slanting and sloping roof of the house. Windows were visible, and shadows could be seen moving through them, almost frantically. Very interestingly, at the very peak of the iron gate, the metal twisted and bent to resemble a heart.


    The rain was still falling slowly.


    Everywhere I looked, all around us we were surrounded by the territory of the Chisaki family, our territory. This massive mansion was located on an artificially created Island just outside of Japan. It was large, and the mansion encompassed most of that area. However, that didn''t mean it was the only notable thing that lay on the island. There was a large dock, which housed massive yachts and boats. Even more impressively, there was a massive mini airport, with two massive hangars and a landing strip on the left side of the Island. However, without a doubt, the thing that drew the most attention was the massive mansions, painted in black and white.


    A soft breeze blew through the air, cooling my skin, and causing my long hair to flow.


    At that moment, with the wind blowing in my hair, while I looked up at the iron gates, I could see a memory. One of when Me and Raiden were just kids. On the other side of the gate, I could almost see the visage of us as little kids.


    * * * * * *


    Me and Raiden had been playing around in the front yard for hours. All of the maid''s attempts to get us to go inside had failed horribly. Nothing in the world could possibly convince us to head back inside. Raiden and I sat directly in front of the gate, looking out at the outside world. The sun was beating down on us, and it couldn''t have been brighter outside. The grass was beautiful, and the long blades flowed softly in the cool breeze which always traveled through at this time. Even farther out, we could see the glimmering ocean, shining brightly under the powerful light of the sun. In the very back, we could see the Island of Japan.


    It was a beautiful science.


    So engrossed in the beauty of what I was looking at, I didn''t even notice Raiden standing up next to me, until he moved to stand right in front of the gate, gripping the metal with his hands. I was little at the time, around 5. So, I still followed everything my cool and strong big brother did. When I grabbed the gate, it was so hot that I instantly pulled my hand away and shouted in pain.


    "Ahh!" Immediately, the head of every single maid and servant standing watch outside snapped in my direction. A few of them moved to check on me, but I shouted, "I''m fine." As tears threatened to spill from my eyes.


    When I turned back around to face Raiden, he was giggling, holding one hand over his mouth. I turned my lips downward in a pouting expression, more than just a bit embarrassed. "What the hell are you laughing at?" I noticed that he was still holding unto the blazing hot metal of the gate. Raiden followed my gaze to his hand, before turning back to answer a question I hadn''t even asked yet.


    "Maybe when you get as strong as me, you can do the same." He smiled down on me, his smile brighter than the sun.


    That was what I always wanted to be. I always looked up to Raiden, always wanted to be able to do what he did. He was strong, and cool, and most of all, he was free. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He turned his head back to face the view of the water, beginning to speak. "Mom and Dad always say that the world behind this gate is a terrible place, one where we''ll be hated no matter how much we do, but, looking at it now, this beauty, how could it possibly be a bad place. How could it possibly be evil? Don''t you want to know, to explore the outside world, even a little bit?" When he turned back to me, his eyes were filled with so much hope, so much light and wanting, that I couldn''t bring myself to do anything but nod in agreement. He finally let go of the gate, showing no sides of being in pain or anything of the sort.


    "One day, I want to be able to go out there, to experience the world. I want to do lots of things. Drink coffee at a coffee shop, play sports, meet other kids." He turned to face me, reaching out his pinky. "And most importantly, I want to help you experience the world, Kami." He smiled again, and if felt like I was staring directly at the sun. "Pinky promise?"


    Without Hesitation I took his hand. "P-pinky promise."


    * * * * * *


    I was snapped out of the flash back by the sound of the intercom turning on. A voice spoke through the speaker which was attached to the gate. "You may come in." A voice that a recognized immediately. My eyes widened as I shouted out, "Mina!" From the intercom, came a happy laugh.


    "Hurry up and get in her Kami, I''ve been waiting to see how much this little girl has grown!" Mina was one of my favorite servants who worked at the Chisaki estate. I loved all of the servants of the Chisaki estate, but Mina especially. Not only was she extremely pretty, with snow white hair and gray eyes, but I loved her voice. I loved how when I was younger, she would always tell me stories about the outside world, which I would immediately share with Raiden. I loved the way she would style my hair with mom. I loved her.


    The sound of the gates swinging open filled my ears as the gates swung backwards to let us in. It took every ounce of strength in me to not immediately come rushing up through the gate. I couldn''t wait to see Mina. Mom. Dad. All the servants who made my life what it was. And then my willpower broke. I was just about to break out into a run when suddenly Mina''s voice came over the intercom.


    "Kami! It is not like a young lady of the Chisaki ton lose control of their emotions like that!" I immediately stopped running and slowed my pace to a walk. She had seen through my intention.


    "Sorry." I muttered, putting my head down in shame.


    "It is also very unlike a lady of the Chisaki home to bow their head. Look up." As Mina said those words, I hoped she realized how much the truly meant. How much I had been wanting to her those words, needing to hear those words. Suijin had said them before, but I just couldn''t understand them. However, coming from someone as important to me as Mina, they gained a whole new weight.


    I held my head up high, building up my determination as I walked through the gate. When I looked behind me, I noticed that Raiden had frozen, and he was staring at the ground. For a moment, I thought back to our arguments. I didn''t want to let them keep a rift between us for so long. It hurt. And I knew it hurt Raiden just as much. Even remembering his words about remain loyal to his mission. Done in an attempt to make me hate him. But I couldn''t let them keep this air of, sadness around the both of us. Not when returning to a place of such good memories. So, I gave him my very best and brightest smile, trying to recreate the ones he had given me so long ago, which always improved me mood.


    "You heard Mina. Keep your head up, son of the Chisaki family." And I turned around before I could see the expression on his face. I did catch the brief glimpse of hope in his eyes at those words, and that was all I needed to see.


    As we slowly walked through the yard, I took it as an opportunity to take everything in. To let the nostalgia of everything sink in. The green grass of the yard were we always sprawled out after playing around with magic, much to the servant''s dismay. The water fountain, which I had nearly drowned in on multiple occasions trying to freeze the water. The limestone steps of the pathway which winded up towards the front porch, which I had ran up and down multiple times. It all made me feel good. The same breeze from our childhood blew again, bringing in another wave of nostalgia.


    I hadn''t even made it halfway up the porch when the massive double front doors of house opened, and I was nearly tackled in a hug by a maid with white hair, and an angelic woman with long black hair and blue eyes. I hugged them tightly, and then, all of my will power fell to the wayside.


    "Mom.... Mina." I was inches away from tears as I held them tightly, missing the strong reassurance their arms brought.


    From behind Mina and my mom, I heard the familiar deep voice of my father.


    "Welcome back, my sweetheart."

 Chapter 36: Outcast

    As I stood at the bottom of the porch, looking at the heartwarming scene of Kami hugging mom and Mina tightly, I couldn''t stop the small feeling of jealously from beginning to form in my heart. It took hold like a parasite, feeding off of the hateful emotions that were already swirling in my heart and gaining strength of. Growing in size. It felt like it was trying to infect my entire body, that the sinking feeling had replaced the very blood in my arteries. Just like the debilitating cold I had felt, this feeling was so internally I knew that nothing I did could make it go away. I was jealous of how much they all loved each other. How well they all seemed to get along.


    And I hated myself for it.


    "Welcome back, my sweetheart."


    At that moment, all of my blood ran cold. The voice of my father-which although it remained a primary voice in my head I hadn''t actually heard recently-had not changed one bit. It was deep and powerful, while at the same time, remaining low and gentle. It still held the same commanding tone that I recognized it for, but this time, there was an element that I was unfamiliar with in his voice. That was because he never directed this to me. Only ever to Kami.


    It was affection.


    His emphasis on the words my sweetheart served as a spear to the gut. Unconsciously, at the sound of that affection, I took a step back. That kind of expression of emotion coming from my father was completely foreign to me. It was unnatural. And yet to Kami, it probably sounded how it was supposed to sound.


    Sweet. Caring. Affectionate.


    Kami looked up at our father, still locked in a death hug with Mina and mom. I was standing behind her, and couldn''t see her facial expression, however if her words and voice were any indicator of how she was feeling, then she was so happy that it threatened to bring her to tears. "Dad...." At that moment, I could hear footsteps. The click of shoes against marble. The same familiar jingling of the jewelry that hung on his wrists. At then, he appeared in the massive doorway.


    The figure of Takeru Chisaki was one of a man who had everything in the world. Everything from his demeaner: his upright posture, the expression on his face that showed nothing but utmost satisfaction, from the look in his dark black eyes, which seemed impose an air of control on anything they looked at. His appearance, well-kept black hair, which was slicked back, sharp facial features, and clear skin. His black suit, which was adorned with jewels and gold. A multidate of pins were attached to his uniform, signs of his contributions to the world of magical engineering. From head to toe, every inch of his 6''5 figure was perfect. From where I stood at the bottom of the porch, his large form cast a shadow down upon me. Making me feel smaller, and more isolated then I already it.


    Not once did his gaze turn to me.


    Not once did he look past the three people gathered on the porch.


    I cast my gaze downwards, clutching my wand tighter. The cool metal of the black sword the only thing able to calm me at the moment.


    I felt like an outcast. Intruding upon a moment I didn''t belong to.


    A dot of black and white on an otherwise colorful picture.


    "Is that your wand?" Mina asked in admiration. She slowly ran her finger through Kami''s hair, all the way until she reached the butterfly hairpin in her hair. "Subtle but beautiful. No one would expect it either. Not to mention," Mina pointed to the same butterfly hairpins that she had in her own hair. "Would it be safe for me to assume..." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kami nodded. "Yep."


    At that moment, Takeru had arrived and joined in on the hug for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, his gaze finally met mine. The expression on his face was that of....


    I didn''t know. All I knew was that it was much different from the gaze of affection that he had cast Kami.


    "Sorry." I muttered as I cast my gaze downwards. He hadn''t said anything, and yet I still submitted to him.


    "Come inside, All of you." He stepped out of the way, motioning for everyone else to step inside. Standing side by side and locking arms, the three girls were about to enter the house, when Kami forced them to a stop. She then turned around, as if to direct everyone''s gazes to me, who was still standing at the bottom of the porch.


    Keeping a calm expression, she reached out a hand, inviting me to take it.


    At that moment, 4 pairs of eyes were trained onto me. And there were undouble more who were looking down at the situation, other maids and servants who were spying in on us.


    "Raiden..." My mother said quietly. She avoided my gaze the same way that I avoided hers. It had always been like that. Since I was young. Every time she looked at me, it was always with a twinge of pain, and regret. So eventually, at some point, she had stopped looking me in the eyes all together.


    Mina on the other hand, smiled down warmly at me. It was a small grace, in the otherwise hopeless situation. I walked up the porch of the stairs, keeping my head facing downwards. Just as I was about to push Kami''s hand away however, I felt the gaze of my father, burning straight into me. Unsaid, he commanded me to take her hand. To not push her aside.


    And so, I did, I took her hand, and we entered the house. Kami''s expression seemed to light up. Her smile brightened.


    I wouldn''t have been able to make her smile like that if it wasn''t for my father''s orders. It only served as concrete proof that I couldn''t help Kami in any way that every really mattered. I couldn''t quell her emotional troubles like everyone else seemed to be able too.


    As we entered the house, we were greeted by a lavishly furnished and adorned lobby. It large and spread out in both directions. Everything was decorated in white and gold, a complete contrast from the black outside. In front of me, there were two spiraling staircases on the left and right, that intertwined with each other the higher they went up. There was a massive chandelier that hung from the roof, the size of a car. It was made of crystal and glass and illuminated the entire floor. Chairs that seemed to be made of gold laid around the lobby, surrounding a large coffee table, which was twice the size of your average dinner table.


    On the left and right, the building branched out into a massive entertainment area with a large tv the size of a movie screen, and extremely comfortable and well-furnished couches. Just like our own home, the Chisaki estate held paintings. But they numbered in the hundreds, all different shapes and sizes. The one that drew my attention was one of the bigger ones. It was the same we had at home. The portrait of Kami.


    All around, maids were moving around, whether it be cleaning, or rearranging items. The amount of them was staggering, and there were even more, working on the multiple different floors and sections of the home. A house of this size and grandeur would require more than just a few maids to keep it in order.


    As I took in all of the familiar sights, I could not stop myself from being reminded of all of the memories of a younger me. One who would run around the house with Kami, annoying the maids and servants. The one who na?vely wanted to experience the outside world. A happier me. A freer me.


    And a completely idealistic buffoon.


    My own voice stopped the train of thought that I was about to fall into. All around me, the maids came to bow before Kami, showing their respect. She greeted them all graciously, sparking small conversations. On the other hand, they avoided my gaze, or gave stiff bows, before hurrying away.


    Had it always been like that? Ha- My thoughts were interrupted by my mother''s on scream of horror.


    She was standing in front of Kami, and her eyes were trained on the bruise under her eye. Kami had used makeup to cover it to the best she could, but it was still noticeable. And now, under the bright lights of the chandelier, everyone could notice it.


    And then, I could feel the accusing gazes turn to me.

 Chapter 37: The Death of Raiden Chisaki

    "No no no no! It''s not what you think." Kami spoke immediately, as she noticed everyone turn their gaze to me. She shook her head furiously and stepped in front of me. I had nothing to say for myself. I had expected that this would happen, and I had even been steeling myself for it on the entire plane ride here.


    And yet I still felt shocked by the shear amount of hate in a majority of the gazes which were cast at me.


    Immediately, Mina moved to grab Kami, pulling her in for a hug. "Shhh. We understand. It''s okay." Kami was still worried, however. Was she really that deadest on making sure that none of the blame fell unto me? I shook my head slightly.


    I deserve all of the blame for what happened to her.


    I thought back to the day when she had come back, a bruise on her right eye, and tears streaming down her face. I''m sure she had come home in hopes to be comforted, to be told that everything would be okay.


    But of course, I couldn''t provide it.


    Mom approached her right after, placing her hands on Kami''s cheeks and forcing her to look up, so she could get a better look at the bruise. Her fingers hovered over the darkened portion of skin hesitantly for a second, before running over them as softly as possible.


    "Hkk!"


    Kami winced and tensed in pain. Although I''m sure she tried to hide it within the best of her ability, it was all futile. Mom and Mina could clearly see the pain she was in.


    Our mother''s expression, filled with worry, now became mixed with something darker. "How did this happen? Who did this." She might as well have been growling with how low her tone of voice was.


    "I-" Kami hesitated for a moment. She glanced behind her to look at me for a split second.


    A hand seemed to grab my heart at that moment.


    Is she hesitating, because she''s scared, I''ll be blamed for it?


    Once again, I marveled at how pathetic I truly was. Everything that Kami seemed to do was in order to protect me. Even while she herself was suffering, in need of comfort, she still found it in her to worry about me.


    However, I wasn''t able to marvel at the depths of my sister''s goodwill for long, because at that moment, Takeru Chisaki turned his gaze to me. When those piercing eyes made contact with mine, I could feel my entire being physically express discontent. As if it wanted to reject the cold, calculating gaze that man shot me. He then turned to Kami, walking forward.


    "Kami." He didn''t say anything else, but everyone was able to read his silence. He was asking for her to continue.


    And so, Kami did, because Takeru Chisaki was not a man to be denied. Unless you wished to meet his wrath. And that, I knew all too well.


    She spilled everything, leaving out any details that would place any blame on me. She said that after me and her had left school, we had gone home, and she had decided to sneak of and away from me, while I was showering. She then went to a coffee shop with her friends, where it was attacked by terrorist.


    Many gasped at that revelation. The terrorists attack that they had seen so much of on the news. Kami, the princess, was directly involved with it? She was a victim of it.


    I could easily read their thoughts, and as Kami continued to tell her story, I knew exactly where these thoughts would end up.


    She then moved to tell them how her and her friends had subdued the terrorist. By this point, she was close to breaking down, the memories of that day threatening to overtake her. She leaned heavily and Mina for support. She told them of the clear hatred that the people expressed for her, and how she got the bruise. From the police. By the time she had finished explaining everything, the air of the room had completely shifted. Not only in a metaphorical sense, as the morale in the room had dropped considerably, but also in a physical sense.


    Someone''s magical energy was leaking off of their body and wrapping itself around everyone around the room. The very air was tinged with this person''s magically energy, as they seethed, allowing it to flow into the air freely. The temperature in the room had literally dropped. It reminded me of the internal cold that I could never get rid of. When I looked down, I noticed that I had subconsciously grabbed my arm. I was squeezing it tightly. This aura of angry cold was emanating from my mother. Who stood next to Kami, her fists clenching into a fist, and relaxing.


    Into a fist.


    Then relaxing.


    It was not often when my mother allowed her magical energy to flow out so wildly. Even when we were little. She was always the image of complete calm and restraint. The few times she ever did let it show, where moments were things had really gone to shit. All of the servants in the room froze. And before I knew it, the gazes of sympathy that were cast upon Kami, had transformed into accusing, hateful, and suspicious gazes.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    That were all cast upon me. Kami''s eyes widened as she noticed this, however her words were cut off by Takeru''s.


    "Young man." Was all he said. Instantly, every pair of eyes in the room turned to him. His eyes were looking at me, and his words were directed to me.


    He didn''t use my name. His hands were gesturing to the long hall that lie between the stairs.


    The one that lead to his office.


    * * * * * *


    The hall that leads to Takeru Chisaki''s office held no other rooms. It was simply a long hallway, that lead up to a singular white door at the end. The walls were painted white and lined with gold. It was the simplest place in the house, featuring the least decorations. That was always a curse, however. There was never anything that I could distract myself with as I walked down the long hall. The feeling of dread that I got every time I walked down this hall as a kid never vanished. The lack of varying patterns only made the walk feel even longer. Even more monotonous.


    And even more dreadful.


    The entire time, Takeru didn''t even look back at me once, keeping a distance of around 4 or 5 paces in between us.


    After what felt like an eternity of walking, where my entire body felt as if it was going to explode from the tension, we arrived at the door. It was another, very simple door. Colored white, with gold decorations that formed the shape of two lion heads roaring at each other. He opened the door, and we both went inside.


    His office had not changed a single bit.


    Inside, there was one, large desk, which was filled with stacks of papers. Each one of them, some sort of deal, contract, or request. He was a man who essentially worked as a pivotal contractor and negotiator for magical engineers. Essentially, if you wanted an invention to gain traction, and to be funded. You went to Takeru.


    His desk was bare of any personal decorations, save for a single pen, which was light blue. It bore a small butterfly sticker on it. Kami had given it to him.


    The walls of his room were also lined with paintings, all of them famous in their own right. The starry night, The Mona Lisa, Song of Angels. However, the largest painting, which hung directly behind the desk, just above a window. was the same painting of Kami that we had in our home. It truly was a beautiful painting, shown by the fact that it seemed to be hung up everywhere.


    My father did not take a seat, and neither did I. He stood behind his desk, his back facing me. He opened up the curtains, to reveal a storm brewing outside. Light rain hit against the window. He seemed to be thinking.


    I clenched my arm tighter. I could feel the warmth of blood trailing down my skin. The scratch wounds had reopened. I''d have to change shirts before I met up with Kami.


    "A long while ago, a man had to plot an assassination."


    As he spoke, I didn''t even dare breathe.


    "It was necessary. It was for the better." He paced back and forth, still not turning his gaze to me.


    "It hurt the man to do so, but it was necessary. It was necessary in order to protect the next heir of the Chisaki business. The princess. Kami."


    His voice was quiet but strong.


    "When all was said and done, he couldn''t bring himself to deal the finishing blow." He looked up at the ceiling, almost regretfully. "He thought: what was so wrong with showing mercy now? It was a naive thought. One that he was never punished for." Finally, he turned his cruel gaze to me.


    "Until now. But I won''t make the same mistake again." His switch from third person to first person did not go unnoticed.


    As he moved to walk in front of the desk, towards me, I made a realization.


    He was talking about me.


    He noticed the shift in my expression.


    "You remember, don''t you? The night where Raiden Chisaki was almost lost, and a protector was born?"


    I remembered it all too well. The night where the Chisaki household was attacked. When Kami almost died. Because of my stupidity. Because I had but the thought into her mind of exploring the outside.


    "It was your fault." He spoke softly, almost sweetly, as if he was trying to console a child. But his words themselves were harsh.


    "It is your fault now."


    I nodded. Everything that he said was true.


    "Selfish acts. Greedy acts." He began to circle me. He resembled a wolf circling its prey. "You lost sight of your mission. And now, the entire Chisaki estate is in pain because of you." I had no argument to his words. No way to refute what he was saying.


    He then stopped. He looked down at my left arm sleeve, which was painted red. "Your faulty. Broken." He leaned in closely as he spoke.


    "You have no right to even stand on the same ground as the princess. The name Kami, you aren''t even worthy of speaking it right now. And you will never be. You aren''t worthy of her gaze. Of her smile. Of her concern." The disgust in his tone was ramping up.


    He then grabbed my wand from my hands. I tensed, but did not resist. He unsheathed it, taking a look at the entire length of the black blade. When his eyes reached the top, where the small heart was, he laughed cynically.


    "Longing after things that you don''t have and don''t deserve. That is very bold for a weapon. For a shield." He held out the blade in front of me. "Like this sword. All it''s meant for his protecting and fighting for its owner. Killing for its owner." He moved to stand in front of me, and then, he placed the tip of the blade directly atop the left half of my chest. Right where my heart was. A drop of blood was drawn.


    "They don''t have hearts. They don''t feel. They don''t need love. They don''t expect love. That is what makes them so effective." At some point, he had stopped meeting my eyes.


    "Kami Chisaki is your rightful owner. And you, her unworthy protector. Never forget. You can''t help her in any way that isn''t putting your life on the line." He leaned in closer. "Never forget that the times that you tired, you only ended up putting her in danger. Your emotional connection with her is a hindrance. A poison. A parasite." He pushed the tip of the blade a little bit further.


    "Trash. Remember those words. Thats all you are. Your only use is to serve as Kami Chisaki''s blade. Her shield. Nothing more." He finally pulled the blade away from my heart, allowing the blood to drip unto the floor.


    "As of today, Kami Chisaki''s brother has died." He seemed to become more relived as he spoke.


    "No. that''s not right." He turned back to me, before stomping on my blood which was on the floor.


    "Raiden Chisaki, has died. Born, is a weapon. One who''s only purpose is to kill and be a slave to its master."


    He then used my sword to slash marks unto the side of my neck. When I looked down, it was in the shape of a shattered heart. He then let the blade which had my blood unto it, clatter to the floor.


    And my resolve. My pride. My dignity. Fell along with it.

 Chapter 38: Lost

    At some point Takeru had left. I couldn''t remember though. I couldn''t remember the moment when the door opened. I couldn''t remember his parting words if he had left any. I couldn''t remember the sound of the large door closing shut behind me. I couldn''t remember anything.


    My mind was empty.


    There was void where my brain should have been. Dust where thoughts should have traveled. There was an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. It was like someone had replaced my brain with a black hole. There was a key feeling that something was missing. Something had gone missing. Something that I had possess before I stepped into this room, and the same thing which I would leave this room without.


    The rain had begun to pick up even more, slamming against the window. It served as background noise, filling an otherwise quiet room. Outside, the wind was causing trees and blades of grass to sway. Lightning could be seen flashing in the distance.


    There was another feeling. One that was just as absolute in its existence as the emptiness that now occupied my being.


    It was the cold.


    The same cold which I had experienced at home. It wasn''t just an external chill. It was an internal glacier. Just like the emptiness, the cold threatened to overtake my being. The two feelings did not combat each other, however. Instead, they seemed to synchronize with each other, combining to form an indescribable feeling in my body.


    That feeling took up my whole being.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    I looked down. A sound that resembled that of rain slowly dropping from a faucet, or dripping of the roof unto the ground could be heard.


    The sound was caused by my own blood, which was dripping slowly unto the ground.


    Unconsciously, at some point, I had grabbed my arm once again. Returning to the same method that always managed to stave off the cold, even if only just a bit. However, this time, I was not even given that small respite.


    The blood trailing down my arm was just as cold as my entire body. There was no more warmth. I dug deeper, trying to get the feeling of warmth to return. Even if it was only the tiniest amount. To distract myself from the cold which was becoming one with my being. However, no matter how much blood I drew, it never warmed my body. It was cold.


    Just like me.


    CRASSH!


    The sound of a distant thunder cracked the dark skies, as well as my own stupor. I slowly walked forward, ignoring the drops of blood which now covered the floor. Located my blade, which now had streaks of my own dried blood on it. When I picked it up, I couldn''t help but notice that it was cold. Just as cold as my body was. In fact, the blade was so in line with the feeling that I got when I touched my arm, that I could mistake it for an extension of my own body. As I leaned down to grab the sheath, I noticed in my peripherals the heart. The pink heart that Suijin had added to the top of my blade personally. The blood which was smeared on it made it looked like a shattered heart. With jagged edges. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The image of a shattered heart drew my attention to the scar, the brand, which was now on the side of my neck. It was the only part of my body that retained any warmth. The only part of my body that still had feeling.


    The only part of my body which had felt alive.


    Hesitantly, I reached out and touched it. As soon as my fingers made contact with the thing, it became cold. The heat didn''t transfer to my hand like I hoped it would. Instead, it was simply snuffed out like a flame. Snuffed out like a cigarette in an ashtray.


    Snuffed out like any semblance of rebellion, or determination that I had left to offer.


    I sheathed my blade, before turning, and walking out of Takeru''s office.


    * * * * * *


    I slowly drudged my way down the white and gold hallway. The lack of variety, the monotony of the hallway, was all the more noticeable. There were no thoughts in my mind. I just executed the basic commands of putting one foot in front of the other.


    Right.


    Left.


    Right.


    Left.


    There was nothing else. I ignored the outside world completely. I didn''t even consider the fact that my sleeve was covered in blood. That it would be an absolutely horrible idea to walk out into the lobby room looking like this. The wound was still bleeding. Blood still dripping from my arm. I didn''t notice it though.


    There was no more feeling.


    No warmth.


    No pain.


    No discomfort.


    There was just cold.


    That, and an empty void which it seemed no sort of action would be able to fill.


    I was still walking mindlessly, basking in the emptiness I felt, when suddenly, a small feeling of warmth exploded unto body.


    I stopped. Froze. I had nearly had a heart attack.


    And then, there was another feeling. This one started from my chin, before tracing a line all the way around my face, going in a full circle before stopping at my shoulder. The path in which the warmth took was seared unto my skin stayed for a moment, before returning to cold.


    When I cast my gaze behind me, I saw the familiar blonde hair of my master.


    Yuki. She was here. How long she had been following me, I didn''t know. The fact that she had managed to sneak up unto me, showed how out of it I really was.


    She had her body pressed up against mine from behind, her arms resting on my shoulders. Her touch brought a feeling of warmth to my body. One which I longed for. One I craved for. She brought them down, until they wrapped around my chest. The warmth faded from my soldiers, transferring to my back and stomach. All the places where her body pressed against mine were places where the feeling had returned.


    I gasped for a second.


    She brought her hand around to lift my left arm up and examine the blood which dripped off of it.


    "Oh Raiden..." She spoke breathily. She moved her hands away, and at that moment. My hand reached out to grab her. It had been an unconscious action. A show of desire. Something which i didn''t have the right to experience. Just as quickly as I had grabbed her hand, I let go. However, Yuki noticed my intention, and them wrapped her arms around me.


    "It''s going to be okay Raiden. You''re going to be okay." She mirrored the words that Mina gave to Kami. The ones that I had been jealous of. However, this time, the jealousy was gone. That parasite had been replaced with something much worse.


    Emptiness.


    At that moment, with the cold from my body fighting a battle against the warmth of Yuki''s touch, I saw something.


    A flame. A flame that represented a dream.


    It was burning widely, flaring up and down, fluctuating. I reached out, trying to grab it. And just as my hand came into contact, it was snuffed out. In its place, 10 more flames appeared, even farther away. And they burned even brighter. And I desired them even more.


    A goal. One that I could never achieve. Desires that were the cause of my suffering. No matter what, I could never achieve the ideal person that I wanted to be. Someone who was free. I could live thousands of lifetimes, repeat everything. Try and correct every mistake within my being, and I still wouldn''t be able to reach the ideal person that I wanted to be. Each goal reached would birth 10 new hurdles. Protecting Kami, breaking away from my own self-hatred, breaking away from all expectations. Those goals were far from impossible.


    They were delusion.


    Raiden Chisaki could die, 100 million times; be reborn 100 million times.


    And he would never, be free.

 Chapter 39: Ideals of the World

    If there was something that Suijin Hajimoto was incapable of, it was saying no. She was incapable of denying help to others. No matter how swamped in work she may feel at any given moment, she would never say no to someone who was asking for help.


    And by an extension of that fact, she could not bring herself to shift work to others either. It felt wrong for her to burden others with something that she could easily do herself.


    It was a flaw. One that she had realized but could not do anything to fix.


    Suijin found herself walking the streets Fujinomiya, a city located in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan. One of its main claims to fame was its proximity to Mount. Fuji. She was not alone.


    On her right, walking side by side with her on the sidewalk, was Genji Yukimura. They were both dressed in very casual outfits. Suijin, in a simple white dress and large straw hat, and Genji, in jeans and an oversized sweater.


    Behind them, Yuri Hamanai trailed. He also, was in more formal attire, with a white suit and dress pants. He was also wearing his signature black sunglasses.


    Suijin had always tried to nail the notion into Yuri''s head that he should loosen up more often, however he never seemed to listen to her.


    Despite the casual appearance of the three, they were still armed with their individual wands. Suijin''s, was a flower hairpiece that hung from the right-side of her head. Genji''s was a small compact ring, that at any moment could be transformed into a long, red spear. And Yuri''s, was a pair of bracelets that he wore on both of his wrist, which on command, could instantly be transformed into a pair of dual pistols.


    It was habit for all of them. Especially Yuri. He never seemed to leave anywhere without his wand.


    It was an interesting phenomenon, because, in truth, they were never really in danger. Even now, as they walked down the streets of Fujinomiya, with its many interconnected paths and alleyways, and its buildings which were constructed so close together, they never once where under the threat of any real, pressing danger.


    No one was going to try and lynch them.


    No one was going to try and hurt them.


    And yet, never, did these magicians part anywhere without their wands.


    Atmosphere was always scarier than the action that preceded.


    Now, one may propose the question, what exactly where these three doing walking around the streets, on a Saturday afternoon?


    "Have we arrived yet?" Yuri Hamanai proposed the question as they turned another corner, emerging into another street that looked almost exactly like the last. Compact buildings. Multiple streets that veered off in different directions.


    "Save for the names, everything about Japan has changed." Suijin used her extremely effective tactic of dodging the question, by beginning a new conversation. Although neither of the two walking with her pointed that at, as she always did it smoothly, and the conversations that it sparked were usually interesting. This led to the time being passed, and before they knew it, they would arrive. So, Genji and Yuri decided to listen in and participate in this conversation.


    "Really?" Genji asked, prompting Suijin to continue.


    Suijin nodded. "All of the old Japanese architecture, the old layout of the streets, they''ve all been changed. Not only has everything become more compact, but it''s also become more advanced." As she spoked, the group walked by a garbage truck which was collecting trash. The truck would grab trash, before dumping it into the compartment. There, the trash would be met with an incineration spell, burning it until nothing was left. The smoke and methane gas that would be released from this interaction, was then funneled into tubes at the top of the truck. Where it would go through a process extremely similar to denitrification, where it would be transformed into usable mana that fueled this cycle.


    With this, the old problem of landfills had been eradicated.


    A few blocks down, a man could be seen tiling his lawn. However, instead painstakingly going over by hand, he simply watched as a machine went through.


    A woman was working out in her yard, going through sets of different exercises. They were able to sense very tiny particles of mana inside her, a result from newly engineered weight-loss medicine that used small amounts of mana that carried out an extraction spell, so when they exited the body, they took the fat with them.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    There was not a single place where magic didn''t have its foot in.


    "I believe it''s like that everywhere. It would be impossible for someone born a hundred years ago to recognize any of the cities that we have now. The only thing that these new, revamped cities share aside from certain monuments, was their name.


    "Hanging unto any shred of the past." Yuri commented. "It''s not like I don''t get where their coming from, but why not let it crumble?"


    Genji nodded her agreement. As fate has it, at that moment they passed by a couple who seemed to be discussing the topic.


    "Going around, destroying the last traces of human history? That is probably the most disrespectful thing a person could do." A young man dressed in biker attire with blonde hair said.


    "It''s not just the structure, but also what it stands for. The name, "Machu Pichu" and the structures themselves, mean a lot more than just tall structures. It''s the only connection between the world before magic and this one."


    The answer to Yuri''s proposed question came in the form of a couple who passed by them on the sidewalk. They were discussing the hottest topic right now. The magician, or magicians, who were going around and taking down monuments of the human world. The latest target had been The Great Wall of China. Many figures of government have spoken out, calling them clear acts of terrorism.


    "I believe that their doing this in retaliation to the terrorist attacks that have slowly been springing up across the world. I''m pretty sure there was one in a coffee shop in Sendai." The blonde man spoke again.


    "Well, when some magicians go around doing shit like that, you can''t really blame them for how harshly they react to some of us, can you?" Genji said in a pretty sarcastic tone.


    "You can." Yuri replied, not a hint of humor in his voice.


    "Look on the bright side, "The Greatest Knight" Julius, has made a statement that he was going to step in, and make sure to stop this terrorist." The woman''s voice was a mixture of relief and nervousness.


    The man simply scoffed, the cynicism and sarcasm in his tone evident. "A magician volunteering to solve a problem that his kind created. I''m so reassured." They couple had stepped out of the range of their hearing, and their voices faded away.


    "Jullius has made a statement?" Yuri seemed equal parts shocked and happy at that. "If that''s the case, then that idiot''s days are numbered. If [[The Prince''s]] words, as well as the legends are anywhere close to true, that man will not survive an encounter with The Greatest Knight."


    Genji looked and Yuri in complete disgust. "I don''t know who you want to bend you over more. Shindo, or Julius." She was met with two very heated glares, which she ignored. "Don''t get on me for speaking the truth." She muttered to herself while pouting.


    "On the topic of Shindo, I believe it would be the best if everyone stopped calling him, [[The Prince]]." Suijin noticed the questioning looks and elaborated. "Well, first of all, that nickname can only be taking a toll on him. Everyone treating him like a god, even though he''s just a person. That''s complete unfair, and unjust. It creates an air of fear around him that no person should ever have to deal with."


    Yuri sighed. He was tired with the way the Suijin never seemed to care for herself, only the woes of others. "What does it matter? The nicknames fitting. The guy is a prodigy, a genius, a literal monster, by every sense of the word. Intimidating aura, unmatched magical prowess. But that''s beside the point. Why do you insist on worrying so much about other people?" They all paused.


    "You have bags under your eyes, slumped with work, and yet you still value other people above yourselves. I, I just don''t get it."


    For a split second, Suijin''s eyes widened in shook, before her expression darkened. "And I''m tired of you always treating me like I''m above others. Every interaction with someone who isn''t me, you cast them aside. It is your job to serve as the defense force captain, but that doesn''t mean you need to put me on a pedestal above others. You even did it on the first day of school." Suijin immediately fired back. They both saw the logic in each other''s words, and they both chose to ignore it.


    "I do this, because it''s my mission. My goal." Yuri said calmly. "Secondly, my reaction towards that Raiden guy, it was completely justified."


    Suijin couldn''t believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"


    "Because I recognized the look in his eyes. That empty, always calculating stare." He said it in pain, as if he was remembering a part of his past long hidden away.


    "Raiden Chisaki, is someone who was trained from birth..."


    "To be a cold-blooded killer."


    The conversation ended. They had arrived at the restaurant.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The man in the dark black coat stood atop of the clock tower, gazing down at the streets of london. . Just a few days ago, he had been standing on top of this building, sharing his opinion with the others. He had refrained from destroying it. He had refrained from showing London what true wrath looked like then.


    He had spared them. However now, he had returned. After taking down The Great Wall, Machu Picchu, and the Wellington Arch. They were all statements. Move to show people that hanging on to old archaism was a false way of living.


    "Destruction, is rebirth." The man muttered to himself. He prepared to take a step off of the tower, to drop down, and blow this thing away.


    However, he was stopped by a presence that he felt. He looked to his left.


    Tall. Blonde hair that swayed in the wind. Blue eyes. A longsword held in his hand. A white cloak hung from his body, flowing in the wind. His uniform was also white. A radiant smile.


    And 1000 blades of light behind him.


    Come to thwart the plans of the man in black, was a man in white. It was ironic juxtaposition.


    "The Greatest Knight", Julius had arrived.

 Chapter 40: The Brilliance of Magic

    Standing before the man with the eyepatch, was a legendary figure. Someone was revered as much as they were feared. A handsome knight clad in white, with 1000 blades of light floating behind him.


    "The Greatest Knight", Julius.


    "World Ender", Julius.


    The man clad in black standing in front of him let a smile creep up unto his face. This had not been what he had expected, it was much more than that.


    "You, will put a stop to me? You say that as if there''s anything wrong in what I''m doing. " The man spoke, his voice low. He turned around so that he faced Julius.


    "You say that as if there''s nothing wrong with what you''re doing."


    The two had a quick exchange, that almost represented banter. There was still a smile on both of their faces.


    One of confidence on Julius'' face.


    And one of satisfaction on the man clad in black.


    "All I''m doing is casting aside the whims and foolish symbols of the past. In order to usher in a new future, a new world, and a new society, you must first destroy the old. This holds true for anything you could think of. In order to usher in a new, you, you must first cast aside the beliefs of the old you. In order to achieve true change in government, you must rebel and cast aside the old." The man slowly took steps forward as he spoke, never taking his eyes off of Julius.


    "To cast aside and destroy are two completely different things." Julius did not react to the man''s slow approach. Instead, he simply shifted his position, so that he could hold his longsword in front of him.


    "When those old things are cast aside, they will eventually crumble, and fall. All things eventual crumble and fall. That is simply the law of the world. The law of the universe." The man stopped when he was 6 strides away from Julius. Small pieces of rock fell down off of the edges of where he stood. The space between them was small now, able to be breached with a single move from either of the two. "Answer me, Greatest Knight!" His voice began to rise. "Why do you insist on protecting these decrepit monuments of the past? A magician like you, someone as strong as you, should be able to see the foolishness in ideology that these serve as specific markers of the past? You yourself should see that these are simply chains that hold society back! And in order to get rid of chains, you must destroy them!" He took another step forward, however this time, he was stopped in his tracks by a singular blade of light. It flashed out quicker than the eye could see, embedding itself in the ground, inches away from the man in the black coats boat.


    "Or you can use the key to the lock." He rejected the very idea behind the man''s ramblings. He snapped his fingers, and the light from the 999 blades behind him disappeared, bringing darkness to the rooftop of big ben. It was clear that he did not want to draw any more attention to this battle than was necessary. "Even if the root of what you''re saying has a little bit of logic too it, everything else is just incoherent rambling. You claim to want to bring about new society, however doing it through the destruction of what tethers us to the old society will simply tear things apart. By destroying the chains, you are also destroying our arms and legs, leaving us trapped in the cell."


    The man in blacks face contorted into a slightly shocked expression, and then a bit of an angered one, before finally settling on the same crazed smile that he had worn before. "Is that so? You really reject the need for rebirth?" The man reached down, before grabbing the blade of light which was embedded into the ground with his left hand. With zero effort, it blew up. The smoke blew away quickly.


    "I reject the need for senseless destruction. Which is all you advocate for." Then, The Greatest Knight''s expression transformed into a serious one, as he faced the man in black. "On my honor as "The Greatest Knight" of the holy European empire, Knight of King Arthur, I will slay you here in battle and put an end to your terrorism! What is your name?"


    As any true knight would, before going into battle, Julius asked the name of his opponent.


    The man thought for a few seconds, before finally saying, "Wrath. You may simply call me Wrath."


    And with that, the two figures standing atop the Big Ben lapsed into silence. They had just shared a clash of ideologies, and now, they would share a clash of magic.


    A figure clad in black, faced a figure clad in white.


    An in an instant, the two figures vanish. Where they once stood, dust was kicked up and small craters were left on the ground. The clashed in the center of the building, their force equal to each other. They were sent sliding backwards.


    Immediately after the initial clash, Julius wasted no time. He raised his longsword high into the air, above his head. In the same moment, he activated a wind spell, which he combined with an incineration spell. His blade glowed a fire red color, and his blonde hair blew in the wind which was generated by it.


    He then layered that magical sequence with an acceleration spell, as well as a homing spell. He flicked his blade to the left quickly, fast as lightning. Intentionally, a powerful concentrated slash of fire blasted away from his blade, heading straight towards Wrath. It was concentrated enough that it didn''t risk destroying a single part of the Big Ben.


    Wrath reached out his hand, and as the magic spell made contact with it, it exploded. A plume of smoke enveloped the top of the Big Ben, and the only thing that could be seen was the flashing of a brilliantly bright gold sword. The two figures began to dance in the smoke, trading blows, and moving like ballerinas. The erupted out from the smoke, with Wrath seemingly at an advantage, pressing Julius backwards. However, the expression of The Greatest Knight did not once falter. He effortlessly dodged and curled out of the way of multiple attacks, all the while effortlessly launching counterattacks of his own. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He drew brilliant arcs with his blade, which shined like a rainbow.


    As Wrath went in for a grab, Julius ducked, before slamming his shoulder into the man''s body. Wrath''s body was lifted 4 feet of the ground, and Julius quickly followed up with a slash of his blade, which was propelled to even faster speeds with the help of a wind and acceleration spell. Wrath''s abdomen folded around the blade, and he was launched high into the air, out of sight. The wind around Julius'' body exploded at the force of the blow.


    "Home Run." Julius said with a smile on his face.


    However, he did not relax.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH! SO THATS WHAT IS IS!"


    The sound of laughing could be heard as Wraths figure could be seen falling back down. He was twisting madly in the air, holding his stomach with a hand over his eyes.


    Once again, not wasting even a single second, Julius flicked his blade once again. On the hilt, which was round and had 7 gemstones on it, two of them began to glow.


    Green and Blue.


    Julius then began to slash his blade repeatedly and quickly. He was doing it so fast that the movements of his hands were a literal blur. With every slash, a gust of wind or flash of lightning erupted from his blade. The diced thorough the air, cutting a deadly path towards Wrath.


    The colors shifted to the red and light blue gemstones.


    Julius continued to slash his blade.


    Now fire and Ice slashes were being launched at Wrath.


    The sky was filled with the brilliant light. Wrath, noticing the attacks coming his way, began to dodge out of the way of them, while wildly thrashing his left hand around.


    The magical slashes that made contact with his hand blew up instantly. He dodged the others. However, he couldn''t handle every last one, and he was caught by slashes. His blood rained down on the clock tower.


    The night sky of London had been transformed into a fire work show. Explosions of green, red, blue, and light blue could be seen. If people hadn''t been alerted to the battle that was transpiring, they sure would now.


    After dodging and blowing away as many attacks as he could, Wrath adjusted his falling position so that he was facing the top of the Big Ben. He then stretched out his right hand and grabbed the spire of the tower. Before his hand could be completely pierce through, he blew it up.


    However, he did not blow up the very tip of the spire. Instead, he blew up the base, allowing him to pull it free with one singular pull. He then blew up the rest of the long spire, shaping it into a makeshift longsword that fight in his hands. He landed a few feet behind Julius, his legs absorbing the impact of the fall. He sprung back up energetically. He turned around to face Julius, the sadistic smile on his face only growing larger.


    He pointed the once spire of the Big Ben now transformed into a sword at Julius''s own blade. The gold shining blade.


    "That''s how that sword works. Those gems, they must be runes. Specifically, runes that strengthen elemental magic. Do you have any idea how rare just finding one of those things is? Even the cheap ones go for hundreds of Thousands. And yet, you have 7. High quality two. Now wonder those magic attacks hurt so fucking much!" As he spoke, he opened up his coat to reveal multiple deep gashes around his chest area.


    "You''re lucky I missed. The next ones. won''t." Julius righted his posture. He wanted to end this battle as quickly as possible, Hopefully, without having to pull out, that ability. It would be a pain for more people to get drawn over to watch the light show. With that many people, any move that Wrath made to destroy parts of the clock tower could amount to large casualties.


    The two dashed at each other once again, trading blows. The makeshift blade was actually managing to hold its own decently well against Julius beautiful sword. That was due to the fortification and strengthen spells that Wrath placed upon it.


    All 7 of the magic gemstones on Julius''s longsword were shining. The blade began to glow a rainbow color, and every slash Julius made was 10 times more powerful. Each slash sent a wayward waved of wind, blast of fire, and flash of lightning, only making the scene on the rooftop even more eye-catching.


    Julius slashed in an upwards arc, before flicking the blade downwards. Wrath evaded the first at blocked the second. However, it was painfully clear that the spire would not last another clash. Julius noticed this as well. He dashed forward, gathering his strength for this next blow, and a multitude of strengthen, acceleration, and speed boosting spells on his blade.


    The rainbow blade slashed a downward arc.


    The almost shattered spire slashed an upward arc.


    And just as the two blades were about to meet, Wrath, who held the spire in his right hand, detonated it.


    The weapon blew up, and smoke immediately covered Julius face. Because of this, he was caught off guard for a split second, and his resolute slash faltered for a second. In that second, wrath grabbed the blade with his left hand, before twirling around, and tossing Julius off of the Big Ben.


    Julius flew away, his white cloak floating in the wind. And just as he seemed about to plunge down towards his death, his feet landed on something solid.


    Two blades of light were under his feet, supporting him.


    The Greatest Knight let out a deep breath, realizing what the battle had come to.


    Wrath watched closely, a smile on his face as his hair blew in the wind.


    During the last attack, in order to get off the explosion of the spire, Wrath had to let his face be cut by Julius''s blade. A deep gash was there, curving from his forehead, down around his eye patch. The straps of the eyepatch had been cut, and the flimsy thing flew pathetically in the wind.


    What the eyepatch was concealing, could only be described as horrifying.


    Instead of an eye, there was simply a red mass sitting inside of Wrath''s socket. It pulsated as if was alive, and it was clearly too small for the socket it was placed in. All around it, red blood vessels curved around. It was disgusting.


    Julius ignored it however. "I didn''t want it to come to this. However, I cannot let you go. I cannot lose to you." Julius then held his blade at his side before closing his eyes, gathering mana. Then, he spoke.


    "Wandenreich."


    Immediately after, 1000 blades of light appeared behind him. This was what the man, The Greatest Knight, One of the World Enders, Julius, was known for. His ability to create an army of light blades that followed his every command. He had perfect control over each one. And now, Wrath, who was witnessing this, could see why.


    The traces of mana from each of the thousand blade was all connected to Julius head.


    His brain. that was what controlled each of the 1000 thousand blades.


    That was what allowed it to have such precision, such pinpoint accuracy. But that of course came at a cost.


    A massive amount of mana consumption, as well as extremely taxing on the brain. That was the drawback of Julius'' "Wandenreich"


    However, those drawbacks didn''t matter now. Because not a single calculated though was needed for the onslaught that Julius launched. He simply allowed the 1000 thousands blades to rain down endlessly on his opponent. In front of him the front ledge was being completely carved up by the force of the blades crashing into it. Smoke was continuedly being kicked up, as Julius watched.


    Nothing would be able to survive such a ruthless barrage.


    Once all of the 1000 blades had been fired, Julius flicked his blade to clear the smoke. And to his surprise, now once was there to be found. No blood, no bloodied corpse, nothing. Nothing but the destroyed ruins of a section of the Big Ben.


    The battle between The Greatest Knight and Wrath.....?


    Had ended in a draw.

 Chapter 41: Cold-Blooded Killer

    The news of Julius''s battle spread quickly. The firework shows that occurred in London was not something which would easily go under the radar. Moreover, the damage to the Big Ben, as well as videos of the battle which were circulating online showcased massive explosions and clashes of magic in the air and at the top of the clock tower, helped lead the public to the realization that Julius had been battling the terrorist. The man who had torn down three monuments already. "The Greatest Knight" even came out and made an apologetic statement, expressing his guilt for not being able to catch the terrorist. but also, his guilt for damaging part of the Big Ben with his, "Wandenreich."


    The public''s reaction to this was more than just a little bit mixed. On one hand, Julius had stood up two, and managed to thwart the power of someone who could blow up massive structures effortlessly. Not to mention, he did it with minimal damage, as well as zero causalities. It could only be seen as a victory from a completely rational standpoint.


    However certain biases and the nuances in the situation made it more complex than that simple explanation would have you believe.


    There was the simple fact that despite Julius victory in this situation, it didn''t come without a cost. A portion of the Big Ben was still damaged, and although it could be easily replaced, it would never ever be the same as it once was.


    The Big Ben would never completely be whole, every again.


    Looking at it through that lens, the terrorist, Wraths, goal had succeeded. He had defiled the monument of the Big Ben, and this time, he didn''t even need to do a majority of it by his own hands.


    He didn''t need to completely destroy the tower, in order to destroy the fragile symbol that it was.


    It didn''t help that the shattering of this symbol, of the Big Ben, had been done at the hands of two Magicians in battle. It joined the terrorist attacks that had slowly begun to spring up around the word, in that it only helped further push the public opinion that if it wasn''t for Magicians, then things like this would never happen in the first place.


    "Because of these children of the devil, you are forced to suffer daily."


    The words of these terrorist, the ones who had attacked the coffee shop, and blamed it on Kami and her friends, were now circulating amongst non-magicians.


    And it was at a rapid rate. The idea was becoming less and less crazy and was being seen as more and more logical.


    It wouldn''t be long before the "Justice" of the world, was called into question.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    An hour or so before the fight between Julius and Wrath.


    "Cold-blooded killer? What the hell gives you the right to say anything like that?" Suijin slammed her hands against the table as she said it.


    They had arrived at their destination, a restaurant in Fujinomiya that was esteemed for ramen. They had come here in order to discuss matters relating to, The Castle of Dreams, however, they had become sidetracked in this argument between Suijin and Yuri.


    "When you''ve seen the things that I''ve seen, you recognize these things."


    For a brief moment Suijin paused. She knew about Yuri''s past. His traumatizing backstory. As a child, his parents were Magicians, and so, like all magicians, they faced troubles from people all around them. It didn''t help that they were pretty poor, and because of that fact, they were forced to live in a bad neighborhood where crime ran rampant.


    The neighborhood also happened to be a battleground between magicians and non-magicians. It was a place that truly showed of the nastiness of hatred. Gang beatings, meaningless arrests, constant jumping''s, murders every other week. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Both sides of the conflict were at their nastiest.


    And during one of these nasty encounters, both of Yuri''s parents were killed. He had seen his fair share of killers, and firsthand. Suijin had every reason to believe his words.


    However, the idea of calling someone else, a student of Theta, one of her underclassmen, a, "Cold-blooded killer" did not sit right in Suijin''s heart.


    "And how can you be so cruel. You barely even know him, and yet you go as far as to accuse him to be a murderer."


    There was silence for a few seconds, as Yuri tried to figure out an adequate response to Suijin''s questions.


    Suijin spoke her next words in a quiet, hushed tone. "You know, with the way that you two both cast aside your wants in pursuit of a mission or goal...You two aren''t that different."


    Yuri once again remained silent, but this time, it was because he himself had long realized this truth. Raiden Chisaki, and Yuri Hanami, were not all that different. In fact, they were strikingly similar.


    "Which is why I was able to recognize that look in his eyes. One of emptiness, one that has lost all of its purpose, and is simply waiting to be given his next order. Do you know why that is? Because for so long, I wore that same look. That same expression. I wore it until you pulled my out of it." Yuri recalled a darker time in his life, where he had no purpose. A time where there was no one there to give him a purpose. Something to live for, even if it came at the cost of his own humanity.


    And when Suijin had reached out her hand and asked for him to not throw away his life, he did just that. He accepted her kind words, and his cold heart had been melted by their warm interactions. And so, he accepted her request, and instead of throwing his life away, he devoted it to Suijin. To protecting her.


    The two lapsed into silence, stuck in a stalemate. Neither able to completely refute the others claim.


    And so, Genji finally interrupted the conversation, bringing it back on topic.


    "So, guys, about the castle, Ichijo said that he got a few volunteers that would like to help plan the defense of the festival. According to him, they all had signed up in a group."


    Suijin nodded for her to continue after she apologized for going off track. Yuri did the same.


    Genji pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and read off the names.


    "Hikaru, Masayoshi, Phi, and.....Raiden."


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    After my body had lost the warmth from Yuki''s embraced, I returned to my almost robotic patterns of movement. Yuki continued to walk with me, leading the way to my room. She held my hand tightly, and it was the only thing serving to tether my shattered mind to reality. We waited for the main congregation in the lobby to head off toward the east wing of the building, where my parent''s room and guest rooms were. Then, we ascended the twisting staircases up to Yuki''s room. Which was on the third floor of the building.


    Her room was large, and extremely well furnished, although this went for literally everything in the house. Just like in my secret basement, there was a massive television attached to the left wall. However instead of having a desk attached to it, her room was instead set up in such a manner that she had three couches gathered around the center of the room, along with a coffee table and carpet. Once couch faces the Tv directly, will the other two faced the entrance and window.


    Tucked off in the corner, there was a large queen-sized bed. It was decorated with stuffed animals.


    I took a seat on Yuki''s bed, and a few stuffed animals rolled into my field of view. A small T-rex and a panda. I winced to myself.


    I had given Yuki that panda on her birthday. Why had she kept it. Even when Takeru had demanded she throw it in the trash, had told her that gifts from me mean nothing.


    "What exactly happened in that room?" Yuki broke the silence. She sat on the couch, facing away from me and looking at the TV. She was looking at my reflection through the glass of the screen. The way she asked the question insinuated that she already had an idea and was testing to see if I''d tell the truth.


    "Nothing." I lied.


    Yuki shook her head. "For your entire life, you have never been able to successfully lie to me. You think that will change now, sweetheart?"


    I didn''t respond to her words. There was no point. In my peripherals, I could catch sight of shadows moving outside the mansion. Immediately I tensed up. Was it, a threat?


    Yuki noticed them too. She could read my intentions and knew that I was going to leave. Before I left, she asked me, "Do you really believe that Kami, the princess, your sister, will allow Raiden Chisaki to die?"


    I didn''t respond to her question as I rushed outside. When I arrived at the front yard, I could sense the magical energy of 6 people, spread out throughout the yard. I paused, taking a deep breath. In that moment, from my left, and attacker launched out, propelling themselves with a fire spell. As the attacker approached, I turned in one swift motion and sliced their head off. Blood sprayed over my already bloodied white shirt.


    From afar, the action may have looked like I just let sanguinary thoughts take over, but in truth, I didn''t feel anything. The only feeling in my entire body was that of the recoil from drawing my blade straight through bone.


    As the rest of the shadows jumped about, I faced them emotionlessly.


    And I slaughtered them.


    Every last one.


    In cold blood.


    Like a true weapon.

 Chapter 42: And to Never be Found

    After the trip to the Chisaki estate, things changed greatly.


    Firstly, everyone at the Chisaki estate was extremely worried and paranoid about Kami''s bruise. Especially her mother. Despite all of Kami''s insistence that she was okay, her mother, and the servants at the house could not help but remain paranoid at what could happen to the princess. It was not baseless worry either. By this point, news of the battle between Julius and Wrath had spread quickly across the entire world. With that, discussion also sparked quickly, and clashing ideals developed all around the world. With the increase in terrorist attacks from non-magicians and magicians alike, there was no way to assure that anywhere would be safe.


    King Arthur, of the Holy European empire, even went as far as to make a statement saying that there was basis for the idea that Wrath was not working alone. News of serial murders, all which had the same eyewitness testimony about a man in all white being the culprit, had begun to spring up all around South America. Stories about how he was seemingly invincible, and impervious to all attacks had begun to spread. Witnesses testified that before every murder, he went on a spiel about how others were beneath him, and talking about ego and humility. He had been dubbed, "White Knight of Pride."


    The rapidly escalating situation in the world, as well as the clear evidence in front of them in the form of Kami''s bruise, made it impossible for anyone at the estate to be able to rest easy. What made things even more pressing was the fact that Raiden, had seemingly failed his one and only mission. Because of this fact, everyone that was currently gathered inside of the east wing of the Chisaki estate was currently gathered around, watching the argument that occurred between Kami and her mother.


    They were currently locked in a stalemate that seemed never-ending.


    That was until, Takeru Chisaki broke the deadlock.


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    I stood outside, my wand in hand.


    The blade was covered in the blood of the enemies who had attacked.


    Outside, the courtyard of the Chisaki estate was covered in blood.


    Bodies were strewn about, all of them missing some body part, or possessing a slit throat, or twisted at unnatural angles. The waves of figures dressed in black seemed endless. From my right, another one jumped out, using a water spell to transform the water from the fountain into an attack which resembled a dragon.


    The head came flying at me, and without even a second glance, I held out my hand and canceled out the magic attack. From my blind spot and the left, two other figures jumped out, both of them wielding daggers. I dodged their slices, before flicking my blade quickly.


    Two arms flew into the air.


    Their heads followed quickly.


    The first attacker, the one who had used the magical attack, approached at me with full speed, a sword in hand. We clashed blades, and immediately their skill became of notice to me. We continually traded blows, dodging, ducking, slashing and casting magic sequences.


    I fortified my blade with a strengthen spell, before clashing with my opponent once again. With their free hand, the activated a light Magic spell which engulfed the entire area. Closing my eyes before I could be flash banged, I used mana sensory to pinpoint the location of my opponent.


    I began fighting with my eyes closed, due to the blinding light spell that was being activated all around me.


    There were more people, about 12, who surrounded us. Some were casting light spells, while others where casting flame or ice attacks at me.


    Using only mt magic sense, I dodged and weaved and blocked, all while keeping up with the skill of the swordsmen in front of me.


    My mind flashed back to drills which my father would always have me perform. He would have me spar with the servants of the estate, with my eyes closed. These servants were all of extreme skill and no pushovers either. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    After years of the exercise, I was a master at fighting without my eyes.


    Me and my opponent danced in the center of the bloodied courtyard, our sword slashes and occasional casting of magic sequences being the only sound.


    After evading another set of magic attacks that were cast by the onlookers of our battle, I activated a wind spell. However, this wasn''t any regular wind spell. No. It was the same one which I learned from the magic beast in the forest outside of Theta Magic Academy.


    "Hallow Wind Scythe"


    However, unlike the version I used to slay the beast, this one was a bit different.


    I layered the magic spell with a conditional, and if then statement.


    With every attack that I successfully dodged, the power of the spell would e=increase exponentially.


    And so with that spell pending in the background, I continued to dodge slashes from the swordsman whose swordsmanship seemed familiar.


    And after dodging another slash of the man''s sword, I released the attack.


    "Hallow Wind Scythe." I didn''t shout out the attack this time. I simply whispered it.


    And in and instant, after swinging my blade in a circle, a massive gust of wind literally cracked the air, cratering the ground around me, and the heads of all 12 of the onlookers came off simultaneously.


    The swordsmen were quicker to react, managing to block the attack, but he still suffered a fatal wound to his face. As he collapsed, he spoke.


    I recognized his voice.


    "That precision. That powerful spell that only killed the targets it was intended for, and damage nothing else. That magical prowess. That talent. No doubt. You are a prodigy. You always were."


    And when I opened my eyes, the sight that greeted my left me speechless.


    The attack had destroyed the mask of the mysterious man. And staring back at me, were the cold lifeless eyes of Mark. A servant of the Chisaki estate. One who trained me and looked after me since birth.


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    The realization dawned on me immediately.


    All around me, all of the bodies which I had mercilessly cut down, murdered without even a moment''s hesitation. They were not attackers, assassins, or anything of that nature.


    They belonged to the servants of the Chisaki estate.


    And I had killed every last one of them.


    Someone had forced these servants to do this. To suit up and play the roles of my attackers. I was so lost in the avoid that was my head, I didn''t realize it until now. And the person who had engineered this scenerio-


    Clap


    Clap.


    Clap.


    Very slow, methodically clapping came from behind me. I didn''t even need to turn around to know who it was.


    "And with that, the weapon of the Chisaki household, has been born." Takeru''s emotionless voice said.


    I realized it then. At my own assessment of Takeru''s voice being emotionless, I came to a realization.


    Despite the fact that I had just murdered 30 people. Thirty people who I knew the names of. Who took care of me when I was younger. Who I saw almost every day growing up. Despite the fact that I had just brutally murdered them,


    I felt nothing. Nothing at all.


    Nothing except for the slight chill in the air.


    And the chill inside my body.


    However, my thoughts were interrupted by the worried voice that rang out behind me. "Raiden!"


    Kami appeared in front of me in an instant, worry contorting the features of her face.


    It must have been jarring for her to walk out an see me, standing in the center of the courtyard. Which looked like some mentally insane artist had their hand in painting it with blood, and bodies.


    "Why-what the hell happened? Are you okay-"


    She grabbed unto my arms, trying to assess if I was okay. When she did that, blood began to seep from the scars that I had on my arms.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t noticeable to her however, as there was already a large amount of blood covering it.


    "This! Is it....yours?" She seemed hesitant to ask the question, like she didn''t want to know the answer.


    I took a look at the bruise on her face. The one I caused her to get. In comparison, whatever happened to me was pathetic. "It doesn''t matter." I did not stutter in my reply. My voice was devoid of all emotion.


    The cold voice that responded to her shocked her momentarily.


    "What do you mean it doesn''t matter?" She raised her voice a bit louder. "You''re standing out here, covered in blood and you''re trying to convince me it doesn''t matter." Then she noticed where my gaze was trained. On her bruise.


    "No. No. No." Her voice had fallen to a whisper. Tears began to gather in her eyes. "You can''t do this." Her eyes trailed down to the brand that was on my neck.


    "HK-"


    She sobbed. She took a look and Takeru, who was smiling, and back to me, who was looking at the ground, avoiding her gaze.


    "I won''t let you. I won''t let you!" She said it quietly the first time, before repeating it with more vigor the next."


    She grabbed me by the cheeks, forcing me to look up at her.


    There was fear, pain, shock, horror, anger, all sorts of negative emotions there. It made sense. The situation was horrifying, shocking. The scenery, of mutilated corpses and blood was something that could only evoke sour and bad emotions. However, there was something else in her eyes.


    Something more horrifying, at least, to me.


    There was determination there. A flame that would never be snuffed out. Her eyes had a fire in them, one that mine had already lost.


    I thought back to Yuki''s words.


    "Do you really believe that Kami, the princess, your sister, will allow Raiden Chisaki to die?"

 Chapter 43: Monster

    "I''m sure you all have seen clips of the battle between the greatest knight and wrath, haven''t you?" Himitsu asked, from his position looking down on the training field. His voice was able to reach from his position so high up, due to an amplification spell that he combined with a wind spell, which allowed his voice to carry so far, without dropping in volume.


    "Of course, it was everywhere. You couldn''t miss it." Erika mumbled to herself. She was standing to the right of me, next to Nova. Masayoshi and Hikaru were aligned on my other sides. Hikaru was smiling as always, and Masayoshi wore the same blank, unreadable expression. In fact, I could beat that he was currently in deep contemplation.


    "Well, the entire battle consisted of amazing usage of magic, as well as clever combat. However, what I want to talk about its probably the most popular part of the battle currently in circulation." Himitsu pushed himself off of the railing in a front flip, before flying down to the ground. Just before his legs hit, he activated a wind spell; which was mixed with an absorption; that mixed with a deceleration spell; in order to create a gravity spell; slowing his momentum and absorbing all of the shock that would have come with dropping nearly 60 feet.


    He bounced back up energetically, showing off his seamlessly endless reserve of energy. He began to speak, and down here his voice was louder that it already was. I slid my hands over my ears.


    Hikaru giggled.


    "Julius''s use of ''Wandenreich'', the 1000 blades of light that are his ability. As you guys may know, the past few class periods that we have spent trying to develop an ability. As I''ve been watching you-"


    "Yeah right." Erika muttered.


    "I''ve noticed that you all seem to lack the sense of creativity that is necessary to actually develop an ability." He held out a hand, and a flame appeared, burning brightly.


    "An ability is just using a magic spell, like a flame, water, or lightning spell." He closed his hand, snuffing out the flame completely. "Think of Julius''s "Wandenreich." Light spell, that combines with incineration, sensory, and homing spells. It creates an infinite number of light blades. However, he only ever uses 1000 at once." Hikaru looked over the entire second year student body that had gathered inside of the training arena. "Does anyone know why?"


    A hand shot up from across the field. A young boy. "Because all of the blades are being controlled by mana strings that draw a direct line from the blades to his brain. It''s what allows him to have such accuracy and precision while controlling them."


    "EXACTLY!" He shouted, and his voice boomed so loudly across the massive field that a few students did more than just jump.


    Next to me, Masayoshi cradled his ear which had been so unexpectedly and brutally violated.


    "There is a limit to the number of blades that Julius can control at once. Any more.m than that number of 1000, and not only will the blades lose their accuracy and strength, but his brain will also start to suffer consequences. Because the brain is the place where magic sequences are stored and processed, overuse of magic can literally fry your brain."


    That tidbit of information was something that wasn''t much talked about, considering the fact that it was common knowledge you shouldn''t overuse mana. However, the truth was, overusing mana could fry the very nerves and even whole sections of the brain. A few students shuddered.


    "Moving back on topic however, abilities consist of three key factors." Himitsu put up three fingers.


    "First, they should have some sort of condition of activation. Condition doesn''t need to be something as specific as an if then statement. For example, the condition could simply just be, ''I need to think of the ability to use it''. Something general like that could work, but you could also go for something more specific, if it''s too you''re liking. It could operate on an if then sequence as I mentioned before. For example, let''s take the ability of one of the students here at theta. Let''s see if you can guess who this ability belongs too."


    Himitsu smiled darkly for a few seconds before continuing. "Lets say the condition for the activation of my ability is seeing a magic ability in action. A pretty broad condition, no?"


    Himitsu paced around the field, not settling in one place.


    "The second factor is that it must accomplish something. This is the part considering the actual functionality of the ability. What spells are you layering together and connecting. What outcome is it achieving? Let''s say, in this case, as soon as I see an ability in action, I can immediately comprehend all of the layered and connected magic sequences that make up the ability and replicate it with 100 percent accuracy." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Silence. That was quite literally, and inhuman feat. It just wasn''t possible for the brain to process anything that quickly. Even for me, I could not do it within a second of glancing at it, with 100% accuracy.


    What kind of monster is capable of something like that?


    Noticing the commotion, or rather, lack thereof, that was passing through the students, Himitsu smiled darkly. "This brings me back to the condition. In this case, the ability actually functions off of an if then sequence. As soon as the condition of seeing an ability is met, and I learn all of the components that make it up, the ''then'' part of this statement is initiated."


    Himitsu paused for a few seconds, for dramatic effect. Everyone inside of the training field held their breath for that few seconds.


    "I can then kill the ability."


    Realization seemed to dawn on everyone inside of the arena, everyone except for me, that is.


    "By kill, I literally mean, kill the ability. I can disable it whenever I please. My brain automatically comes up with the perfect spells to counter the effect of the ability. I can always dodge it, block it, or simply cancel it. This all happens automatically. Just by seeing an ability once, I become literally invincible to it. Just by looking at an ability once, I can see the points of weakness and trace its death."


    A collective shudder moved through the entire mass of students. Even I shuddered at the implications of such a strong ability. To see the death of magic abilities. To strip a magician of the most unique thing to them, the thing they put the most effort in creating, in just a single glance.


    "In this case, I would move on to the third factor, which is the weakness, but an ability such as this one doesn''t possess a weakness." Himitsu then stopped, turning to face all of the students in the arena. He held out his hands to his side and spoke with a smile on his face.


    "This ability, so utterly powerful and absolute, that its was given a code name. One that comes from the "Lunar Legend, Tsukihime.''''


    One final pause.


    "It is dubbed: ''Mystic eyes of Death Perception.'' And it belongs to none other than, ''The Prince.''"


    Complete silence. There were many emotions woven into the stunned shock that everyone had been lapsed into. Awe, shock, revel. But there was a tinge of something else there.


    Fear.


    Fear. Not in the definition, like a literally fear that made you scared. It was a slight feeling of discomfort. Knowing that it was possible for somebody so strong, so monstrous, to even exist.


    Himitsu clapped his hands together and spoke cheerfully, seemingly unaware of, or choosing not to notice, the atmosphere that he had created.


    "Good Luck. Hopefully you can come up with these abilities before the end of the week."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    As soon as Himitsu let us off for the rest of the day, I broke away from the group. Erika and Nova were in deep conversation, and they didn''t notice my departure. However, Masayoshi, and Hikaru, who surprisingly, were also talking to each other, had kept their eyes on me the entire time I walked over to a fairly secluded portion of the arena.


    I unsheathed my wand and held it out in front of me. I began to think deeply. The development of my ability was something that I could not take lightly, because of how much of an impact it would have on my existence.


    My goal, purpose, was to protect the princess.


    Simply enough, I was a weapon.


    A weapon, that''s sole purpose was to slay anyone that threatened the life of Kami.


    In order to do that, I would have to be able to compete with monsters like Julius, who could summon a thousand blades of light; Wrath, a man who could blow anything up with just a touch; Shindo, someone who was capable of literally killing abilities. And all of the other horrifying magical abilities that existed in the world.


    Because of that fact, If I want to be able to complete my goal, my purpose, I must develop an ability that was capable holding it''s on against all of those, and possibly worse.


    Just like Nova, I need to create an S-Rank ability. No, something beyond even that.


    Or else I would have no worth.


    I clenched my wand tighter, as my brain worked rapidly, all of the cogs spinning in an attempt to try and develop something that was capable of defeating an ability that could kill abilities.


    However, my train of thought was interrupted by a touch, a dot of warmth, on my shoulder. I turned around, to see Hikaru, standing behind me, the same warm smile on her face.


    "Oh, Hikaru...." I let my voice trail off. I avoided her eyes, remembering my very first interaction with her. The way that she had completely managed to read through everything that I was thinking and feeling, able to sort through a mind that I couldn''t even wade my way through.


    "Hey Raiden! Sorry for interrupting you, I noticed that you had been in pretty deep contemplation."


    I shook my head. "Don''t apologize, in truth, I was just agonizing over the problem, instead of actually working towards a solution." The words were charged, filled with frustration for my own inability to figure this problem out.


    "Well, I don''t think that''s anything to exactly be mad over. That''s how all problems go. You first need to agonize over it, then you clear your mind, and work to a solution. The most important thing is, that if you can''t seem to stop agonizing over it, and aren''t making any significant progress, you should probably ask for help."


    She said the words innocently, and the smile never left her face, but she leaned forward to meet my eyes, which were cast towards the ground, as if to say she was talking to me.


    I laughed nervously.


    "Yeah, well, I''d hate to burden other people with my own problems. If I can solve it m-"


    "If you can solve it yourself, then you shouldn''t needlessly burden others, is that what you were going to say."


    She cut me off, saying the exact words that I had been planning to say. I sucked in a breath, before looking over at her in shock. For a split second we locked eyes, and she smiled sadly. Then, something else seemed to flicker behind her eyes.


    "Raiden, would you mind if I asked you something?"


    I nodded.


    "Would you mind, going out with me?"

 Chapter 44: Date? (2) & (3)

    What Hikaru had actually meant by going out, was not actually going out on a date, as one might have assumed from first hearing her words. I didn''t come to this assumption however, simply because I knew there was no way Hikaru would be asking me, on a date. Secondly, I never really understood or have even been in anything remotely close to a romantic enough relationship that I-or someone else-would ask the other out. Therefore, from the very moment that Hikaru asked me out, I didn''t even consider the idea that it was a date.


    Which was the correct answer. It had been as soon as the final bell rung. I didn''t make any concrete progress in my ability; however, I did have an idea. It was just a premise, a fleeting thing that could be tossed away or altered at any moment, but I had a starting point. I would never admit it, but the small success could be partially attributed to Hikaru. Her endless chatter prevented me from getting so locked up in my thoughts, that the only thing that I could think about was my own weakness. Instead, the cogs of my brain continued to spin, forming as many ideas as possible so that I could completely block her out.


    However, her endless chatter also prevented me from coming up with anything more than a premise, making the entire situation a double-edged sword of sorts. She definitely helped, but she did have some negatives.


    Anyways, it had been directly after school in which we had met up. Before I left with her, I hesitated for a moment.


    My duty to Kami was not something that I would lose sight of. Not again.


    And so, in that moment, I almost turned down her offer once again, however, as if she was somehow eavesdropping into my mind, Kami appeared. She took one look at Hikaru-who was looking at me with a pout on her face-and me, before shooting me a look.


    We had barley spoken since the incident at the Chisaki estate. Only the necessary things. But in that moment, she held the same look in her gaze that she held on to that day.


    One with determination. The flame seemed to have grown, even brighter than before.


    But that hadn''t convinced me completely. It was when she passed by me and said, "I''m going straight home anyways. I''ll never forgive you if you ditch her."


    And so, I agreed to go with Hikaru, promising myself that I would return as soon as possibly


    We had left the magic academy and were approaching the massive mega mall in Sendai. It was the same mall that the terrorist attack had happened at. It closed down for a few days, before finally reopening. We had approached the entrance when she finally told me the reason for asking me to come out here with her.


    "Well, in truth, It was because I was really nervous to come alone..." She looked down at the floor, with a blush on her cheeks, and embarrassment in her eyes.


    It wasn''t like it didn''t make sense. Just looking at the place from where we were standing, the signs and scars of what had happened where evident. Although there was no more actual physical damage left on the mall, the security had been raised greatly.


    There was now an extensive security check at the entrance, involving multiple metal detectors and scanners, as well as pat downs. The entire time that we went through it, a few of the people and police officers were glaring at us.


    Inside of the actual mall, there was security at every buck and turn. Every entrance of every store, stall, and even the restrooms had metal detectors and scanners. In fact, there was probably even more that were hidden from sight.


    But the most noticeable of all, the atmosphere was tense. Even if there were brightly decorated stalls and stores, even if people were laughing and children were running about the store, the atmosphere was one of fear. People checked over their shoulders, they were hesitant to enter buildings, they were wary.


    And they were especially wary of us. In the Theta Magic Academy uniforms, which served as targets, big red bullseyes that were painted unto us. Gazes, hateful, scornful, and fearful, were all drawn towards the two of us.


    However, Hikaru didn''t seem to notice, and it didn''t bother me much either.


    However, it didn''t change the fact that they were there anyways.


    "If that''s the case, then I can''t really blame you." I said absentmindedly.


    Although I was talking to Hikaru on the outside, on the inside, my brain was consumed with thoughts and worry for Kami.


    I need to finish this up and get back to Kami as quickly as possible.


    We continued to walk through the mall. "So, where are we headed?" I asked, more than just a little bit anxious. Undoubtedly, Hikaru had noticed the anxiety in my voice.


    "Seby''s Caffe." She replied.


    I stopped. We had past that almost a minute ago. I pointed my thumb backwards and prepared to tell Hikaru that we had already past it, but she simply shook her head.


    "Follow me, we''ll track back." She replied carefreely.


    I was still a bit confused at her carefree and seemingly unperturbed attitude. "But-"


    "I mean, while we''re at the mall, would it not be a shame for us to leave without having experienced everything that it had to offer?" She asked, before turning back, and continuing to walk.


    "What, what the hell is she planning?" I thought to myself. However, I couldn''t bring myself to leave her alone, or turn her offer down, so I followed her. I had no semblance of an idea what she wanted to achieve, but I followed her.


    She stopped in front of a stall of cotton candy. There was a little girl who was asking her mom if she could have one. They were 1.25 cents per each one.


    "I''m sorry sweetie, but I don''t any change." The mother spoke regretfully, and when she saw the look of disappointment in her daughter''s eyes, she seemed to hurt 10 times worse. Hikaru looked at the situation, in deep thought for a second, before reaching into the pocket of her blazer, coming out with 25 cents. She then tapped the women on the shoulder before handing her the coin.


    When the women turned around, she did it quickly, and with fear, and when she saw the uniform of Theta Magic Academy students, her fear grew. However, the warm smile on Hikaru''s face, as well as the quarter in her hand, her fear faded away. It was replaced with a look of relief, and gratefulness.


    She accepted the coin with a thank you, before turning around to show her daughter the coin, and pay for the cotton candy. "What color?" She asked.


    "I want a pink one. A pink one with a heart on it!" She said excitedly, gesturing to the one which was on display. The lady behind the counter smiled, as she grabbed a cone, and made it in front of the little girl. The entire time, her eyes shone brightly as she watched her snack come to life in front of her eyes. When It was finally handed to her, she squealed and bounced up and down in excitement. Hikaru was just turning away to leave, when the lady reached out and stopped her. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Anna. It was because of this kind young lady that you were able to get the cotton candy. What do you say to nice people who help you out?" The mother pulled her child, Anna, to face Hikaru.


    Anna was about to speak, but when her eyes grazed over Hikaru, she paused. "But Mommy, she''s a magician, isn''t she? Aren''t they all bad?" She said it with no anger, malice, fear, or hate. It was just an innocent question. She didn''t know any better and was genuinely asking a question. Her mother gasped, ready to scold the young girl, but Hikaru simply smiled and held out a hand.


    She then walked over to the little girl, before crouching down so that they were eye level. Her smile never left her face. "You name is Anna, right? It''s a beautiful name."


    "Thank you, my mommy said that my grandma gave it to me."


    "You grandma is very good at naming things, isn''t she?"


    "Yep! She even named out dog at the house, and the cat, she likes to name things!"


    Hikaru nodded. She then reached her hand out to point at the emblem that signified her as a student of Theta magic Academy. "You understand what this means, right?"


    The girl nodded her head, causing her blonde curls to bob up and down. "It means you''re a magician."


    Hikaru then made a correct bell sound effect, which made the girl laugh. "I am a magician. I''m sure you''ve seen a lot about magicians on the news, haven''t you? And some of it is real sca-a-a-ary, right?"


    The girl affirmed Hikaru''s question with a nod.


    Hikaru nodded once again. "We''ll, I''m a magician. Standing right in front of you. So, tell me, do I look evil? Do I look bad? Like I would hurt someone?"


    The girl shook her head vigorously. "No way!" She said it indignantly, as if any other answer was simply wrong. Which was true. "My mommy said that it was because of you that I was able to get this cotton candy, which tastes re-aaaallly good. And your smile, it''s so warm. And you have beautiful eyes. And hair. Your hair is really pretty, It''s blonde like mine!" While riddling Hikaru with praises, she reached out and touched her blond hair. Her mother watched the whole scene closely, ready to move in if anything that her daughter did made Hikaru feel uncomfortable.


    However, Hikaru''s smile only grew brighter, if that was even possible. He reached out her own hand and began to pat the little girl on the head. "You see. Despite what you heard on the news, when you saw one with your own eyes, you were able to come to the conclusion that not all magicians are evil, or bad. That holds true for everything and everyone. You can only every truly make a judgement of something, when you''ve seen it for yourself. Okay?"


    "Yes ma''am!" Ana even saluted, causing Hikaru to laugh. Hikaru then stood up, before turning to leave. Before she did however, Ana, waved at her.


    "Thank you, ma''am!" Her mother shot her a look, and she turned around before asking, "Umm. If you don''t mind, could you tell me your name?"


    Hikaru shook her head. "I don''t mind at all. Hikaru. Hikaru Hina."


    The girl nodded, before bowing. "Thank you, Ms. Hina!"


    Hikaru returned to the bow, before replying, "Thank you, Ms. Anna!"


    And the girl skipped away happily with her mom.


    I looked from the girl, back to Hikaru, amazed at the whole scene I had just watched. The kindheartedness of her actions, of her words. How well she managed to connect with the young girl and teach her a lesson. Not to mention the fact that she did all of this, without the expectation of being thanked. I opened my mouth to speak-


    "I do this because I like to bring a smile to peoples face. My father always told me that smiles are the cure to any negative emotion, if your sad, nervous, or tired, you should always try to find a way to smile, because it will kick those emotions right out!"


    She even held her hand out in the air and hit a pose of sorts, which drew a few laughs and glances from other people in the mall.


    Even I couldn''t help but shake my head "You people really have to stop doing that. Answering questions before I ask them. It hurts my pride." I joked. I actually cracked a joke. Last time I did that, was before my argument with Kami.


    "What can I say, maybe I''m just clairvoyant?


    Hikaru winked at me, before speaking in a teasing tone. She reached out her hand and poked my cheek. Warmth spread through the area she touched.


    "Or maybe your just to innocent and easy to read!"


    CRACK!!!!!


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    After that, Hikaru dragged me on what can only be called as an adventure. We walked throughout the entirety of the mall, stopping at different stalls and looking through windows of stores. The entire time, I tried to keep in mind the fact that I needed to get back to Kami; the entire time, I was trying to find an excuse so that I could slip away, however, at some point,


    I just stopped. I just stopped thinking about how to sneak away, stopped thinking about anything else but the moment I was currently in.


    We passed through another stall which was selling face paints. Hikaru stepped inside, before exiting with her face covered in yellow paint and stripes, that made her resemble a leopard.


    "Rawr!" She said as she popped out of the stall.


    I looked at her with an unimpressed, but nonetheless entertained expression. "Was I supposed to be scared?"


    Hikaru''s expression fell into a pout, clearly not pleased that her master plan to scare me had failed. If it could even be called a master plan. "Are you at least not impressed by the face paint?" She hit a pose, holding two fingers in front of her face and closing one of her eyes. When I hesitated in my response, she sighed.


    "Tough customer we have here. Well, then, how about you go get one done yourself!" Without even waiting for my response, she shoved me into the booth. In front of me, a middle-aged woman with painting supplies laid out at the table stared at me.


    "So, what do you want?"


    I was horrible at social interactions even when I had time to plan and prepare, so you can only imagine how terrible I was when I was put on the spot. After a few seconds of silence, stuttering and bumbling, the lady just shook her head and chuckled.


    She then grabbed me by the collar, before dipping her brush in red paint, and drawing something on the side of my cheek. She then let go of me, before flipping the mirror in my direction. On it, she had drawn a small heart on my cheek. "Think of it as I target for your girlfriend out there."


    Before I could even protest and correct the fact that Hikaru was not my girlfriend, she had already shoved me out of the booth.


    When I exited the booth back into the sunlight of the world, I nearly bumped into Hikaru, who was humming.


    When she turned to look at me, she noticed the heart on my cheek and gasped.


    "It''s so simple, but really cute! It looks exactly like the heart that you have on your wand! I obviously should have noticed that you have taste." She elbowed me lightly in the chest as she spoke.


    "If only my ''taste'', was actually up to me."


    We moved on to another few stores, messed around in dressing up mannequins, which eventually devolved into us trying to dress the other in the stupidest things possible. During the idiocy that was the dress up contest, I noticed the necklace on Hikaru. It was pink with a heart in the center. It must have been her wand.


    Eventually, we had made our way back to the cotton candy stand, as we waited for our cotton candy to be made.


    "Dude, you seriously looked dumb in that massive trench coat and fedora!" She was still doubled over with laughter, and it seemed at any moment she would collapse.


    "Really, I thought that I looked pretty fire in a trench coat." I replied.


    "I''m sure you do, a slong as its not three sizes two big!" She burst out into another round of laughter.


    As my laughter finally calmed down, and my facial features relaxed, I realized it. I had been laughing this whole time. Smiling. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing. There was also warmth in my cheeks. Warmth that I thought I had lost. All of this, in just one day. With just one person.


    Just then Hikaru handed me my cotton candy.


    It was pink and had a massive heart in the center. It was similar to the one that Anna had ordered.


    "This is keeping in mind how much you love hearts."


    I smiled. I genuinely smiled at the cotton candy. "Thank you." I was thanking her for much more than just the cotton candy. I was thanking her for the entire trip that she had brought me on. It reminded me of the talk that I had with Suijin.


    For a moment, I had forgotten my purpose.


    And I have never felt better.


    Hikaru nodded, a smile on her face and a fond look in her eyes. "Thats why I do this. That anxious look in your eyes when we first got her. I couldn''t stand it. So, I had to cure it. To fix it. And what better way to do that, then to help you smile? I love to make people smile, and I love to watch people laugh and have fun. One, singular, genuine smile, can brighten everyone''s day. Just like the sun."


    At that moment, there were four hearts, which all felt like they were simultaneously beating.


    The heart on my cheek. The shattered heart on my neck. The heart on my wand. And my own heart.


    They were all vying for control, fighting to come out on top.


    Two of them were shattered so badly it seemed beyond fixing.


    Two of them served as signs of hope, sigs. that things could be fixed.


    At that moment, I felt a searing feeling coming from the wound on my stomach. It was a white-hot pain that forced me to draw my had over it.


    CRACKK!


    At that moment, when we stepped inside the Cafe, my eyes were drawn to a table in the back, full of magicians.


    Masayoshi, and Phi were sitting at a table, with the defense force captain Yuri.

 Chapter 45: Hikaru Hina

    "You two seemed like you''ve had a lot of fun." Yuri Hamani stated in an ominous tone, as his eyes analyzed us. Just like the other two who were sitting at the table, he was dressed in his school uniform, and his expression was more than just a bit serious. Looking at the seriousness of everyone sitting at the table, which was in great contrast with the happiness that I and Hikaru had been experiencing just seconds ago, left my brain in a state of confusion and incongruity. However, Hikaru, simply walked over to take a seat at the table, gesturing for me to do the same.


    And so, I did. I took a seat between Masayoshi and Hikaru. Across the table, Yuri and Phi faced us. As much as I tried to ignore it, I had a feeling that Phi was staring at me.


    Yuri sat in silence for a few seconds, glancing over each one of us. His facial expression shifted and morphed until it finally rested on one that showed a hint of confusion and tiredness. "Alright, I''m sure you all know why your here, so I won''t waste any time with that-" Masayoshi''s raised his hand into the air slowly. Yuri, who was interrupted, paused, before nodding for him to continue.


    "Well, in truth, I have no idea why I''m here."


    Yuri''s facial expression than fell into one of shock. "W-" He took a deep breath before he spoke. "All of you who were called here, volunteered to do this meeting, no?" He phrased it as if the answer was obvious, however the silence that meet him gave a different answer. He looked into the eyes of each person sitting at the table for a few seconds, unable to believe what was going on. "So, your saying you didn''t volunteer to join the defense team which is responsible for planning the defense of our culture festival?"


    I shook my head.


    Masayoshi shook his head.


    Phi shook hers.


    And Hikaru nodded.


    Everyone had answered no to Yuri''s question, except for Hikaru, so all eyes were drawn to her. She was still sitting there with an innocent smile, as if she knew everything, and that there was no mystery.


    "The only reason that I came here, was because I received this note." Masayoshi pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket and held it out so that everyone else could read it:


    Come to Sebby''s Cafe at Sendai Mall immediately after school for a conversation about Justice. Love, Hikaru."


    There was even a small smiley face drawn in the bottom right-hand corner of the note.


    "A conversation about Justice, that is why I decided to show up." Masayoshi said as he rolled the piece of paper back up and stuffed it into his pocket. "Though, I''m starting to develop a keen feeling that I''ve been played." He directed his gaze to the smiling Hikaru, who pretended not to notice.


    Yuri then slowly turned his head to Phi, his gaze reading, "So what brought you here?"


    Phi removed the pink lollipop from her mouth before she spoke. "Simply enough, Aura had asked if I could show up to this meeting in her place because she was busy. I would never turn her down, so I decided to go." She then put the lollipop back into her mouth.


    Finally, Yuri brough his gaze to me. As his dark black pupils, which were usually covered with sunglasses, stared into mine, I couldn''t help but get the disconcerting feeling that he was trying to look into me. Trying to find out just what kind of person I was, just by staring me in the eyes. "What about you? You walked in here together with Hikaru, and it seems like you guys walked around the mall a bit before coming here, so?"


    "Well, it was directly after school when Hikaru asked if I could accompany her to Sendai Mall because she felt a bit nervous to go on her own. I had nothing else to do so I went with her. We ended up getting sidetracked a bit before we finally made it here." I answered.


    Yuri''s gaze lingered on mine for a moment before turning to Hikaru. It was obvious he didn''t trust me.


    But it was also starting to become increasingly obvious as too the cause behind the three of us who hadn''t volunteered for this meeting, somehow ending up here. And it all had to do with Hikaru.


    As everyone''s gaze turned to her, she laughed before throwing her hands up into the air. "You''ve caught me!"


    "Explanation." Yuri asked, not amused.


    "Jeez, no humor?" When Yuri didn''t reply, Hikaru sighed before going into her explanation. "Alright, so it was me who ended up volunteering everybody. The first question you might ask is, why I was chosen, and well, I can''t really answer that. However, when Ichijo had made the announcement that they were looking for volunteers, I decided that I had to help out. And when it comes to why I chose to volunteer who I chose, I guess it was because you all were people I knew had a keen sense for justice." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Thats very ambiguous, don''t you think? Are you saying that the only reason that you decided to volunteer the three of them was because of their sense of justice?" Yuri asked.


    Hikaru nodded. "That and because I saw that there was a chance to bridge some gaps, and make people smile." Her answer was completely mysterious and probably made sense to everyone else, except for me. Everything that I had witnessed in this short mall venture with Hikaru had given me an insight into the kind of person she was.


    Not only was she extremely emotionally perceptive, able to read how people are feeling within a glance, but she also possessed a strong drive and obligation to help others. Not only that, but she was also good at speaking with others. Therefore, if through her conversations with me, Masayoshi, and Phi, she picked up on the fact that we seemed be off, in a bad state, or even slightly sad or out of sorts, she would immediately hop unto any opportunity to try and fix that.


    "My father always told me that smiles are the cure to any negative emotion, if your sad, nervous, or tired, you should always try to find a way to smile, because it will kick those emotions right out!"


    Her words from before popped back up into my mind. She had gathered us together her because she had seen a group of people who for one reason or another, needed to smile. Needed to cure their bad emotions.


    "I knew from all of my conversations with Aura, that Phi would always talk about things that would happen in the world, always sparking discussions on the latest topics. When the Sendai mall attack occurred, she spent day''s just endlessly taking about how unjust it was, how ridiculous things were, and how out of hand things were getting. I also knew from my conversations with Masayoshi and Raiden that there existed a question in the world that needed to be answered. That question being,"


    "Where does true justice lie?" Masayoshi interjected, finishing for her.


    She nodded. "With all of this, I realized that I had found a perfect group of people who would most definitely do an amazing job in preparing the defense of the culture festival." Yuri began to slowly nod, seeing where she was coming from. "However, there was a problem. I also knew from my interaction with you guys, that for one reason or another, you would never willingly volunteer to participate. Which is why, I did things this way."


    "Thats why I decided to ask Aura if she could ask Phi to attend a meeting in her place, knowing how much Phi cares for and is a good friend to her."


    Phi''s eyes widened a little.


    "Thats why I wrote that note for Masayoshi, because I knew he would come if it was something about justice."


    Masayoshi nodded, impressed. "Read me like a book."


    "And for Raiden, I knew that he was just too nice of a person to turn me down." She chuckled a bit.


    "So, my fault was just being a nice guy? Pretty lame." I joked. But In reality, I was beyond impressed with how Hikaru managed to use information from her interactions with all of us, to masterfully weave situations in which she knew that all of us would be forced to go. It was beyond just reading people like books.


    Yuri nodded. I could tell that he was a bit impressed. "Yous said something about making people smile?"


    Hikaru paused for a brief moment, taking a deep breath. Her eyes began to water. "10 years ago, my father was killed in the war. You know, the one between Asia and Africa? I was only 5 at the time, but it stayed with me. He was an amazing parent who always cared for me and was nice to everyone. He always taught me that it was best for everyone to get along, and that you should do everything in your power to do that. He taught me that a smile was the cure to sadness. A cure to any negative emotion that you feel." She sobbed for a few seconds, the tears streaming down her eyes uncontrollably "So when he passed... I-I made sure that I did everything in my power to not cry for long. I took his words to heart. I took every given opportunity to make my mom and brother smile. Because, because that''s how he would have wanted everyone to live. So that''s how I live. Thats how I''ve resolved myself to go through life. My dad was a wonderful person, who was killed fighting in a terrible war. However, he would never want me to remember him in anger or sadness. He gave me the name Hikaru Hina for that very reason! So, I live always wanting to bring a smile to others. Even if it''s only a small bit of negativity, If I can cure it I should. I do it because that''s how he would want me to live!"


    Everyone was shocked into silence by Hikaru''s emotional outburst. I, and everyone else sitting at the table, couldn''t help but feel bad. Yuri clenched his fists together, and Masayoshi closed his eyes taking a deep breath. The war, all of the war, the fighting and the terrorism. It took something from everyone. And it definitely made them sad, and angry. However, here was someone who had been hit just as hard by this war, by this conflict, sitting in front of them, and despite being consumed by her tears, she wasn''t consumed by the weakness that came with it. She was going strong, going out of her way to help others. She was always smiling despite the horrible things that she experienced.


    Coupled with how she acted towards that little girl, towards me, it made me come to a realization.


    Hikaru Hina was a representation of strength. A true representation of what it meant to be strong.


    Someone who I wished I could match, even if it was only a fraction.


    "I didn''t tell you this story for you to feel bad. No. But I hope it discouraged you from leaving and hearing me out." Just then, a waitress arrived, holding a large platter filled with coffee and biscuits.


    And then Hikaru shocked us all again, by putting on a smile. Despite the tears streaming down her face, she put on a real, genuine smile.


    "Besides, I''m sure you all wouldn''t leave a crying young Maiden alone when she already ordered coffee and biscuits for you, right?" Even more shockingly, she made a joke.


    And with that, Hikaru Hina had cured, everyone sitting at the table.


    Her smile and laughter spread, all around the table, like the seeds of a dandelion.

 Chapter 46: Libido (4)

    After Hikaru''s heartfelt monologue, the rest of us had no choice but to honor her display of strength and resolve, by pulling through with the meeting. Simply enough, just as had been discussed when I had suggested to Suijin that she divide the workload up, we were going to be responsible with conjuring up the entire defense plan for the culture festival. In order to allow the "Castle of Dreams" to remain mysterious, we would be planning our defenses around the regular layout of Theta magic academy. It wouldn''t pose a problem however, as the Castle of Dreams was just a remolding of the academy anyways.


    "This meeting was just to serve as an introduction. Our actually planning will begin every day in the week leading up to the festival. We will meet here, at Sebby''s Cafe. By this Friday, we should have prepared a solid defense and security plan, that will be implemented in over the weekend." For now, I''ll answer any questions that you guys have." After the explanation, Yuri nodded to Masayoshi, who had raised his hand into the air.


    "Defense is a pretty vague term, what are the specifics?"


    "As you know, I am head captain of the defense force. All members of the defense force follow my orders. Essentially, in these meetings, we are going to be going over the distribution of forces all throughout the Magic Academy, discuss implementation of extra surveillance, as well as rotational strategies and reinforcements, should the need arise. Not to mention," His voice dropped low, tone serious. "Should an emergency ever occur, we are the ones responsible for coming up with a stable and safe evacuation and neutralization strategy."


    Silence fell around the table as the implication of Yuri''s words was not lost on anyone. A terrorist attacks. Although it should be literally impossible, considering the Magic Forest, and the barrier that surrounded the magic academy, the fear that there would be a terrorist attack was an irrational one, one that did not adhere by sound logic.


    Neither did terrorists.


    I scanned the faces of the others sitting at the table. Masayoshi''s expression was vague an un-telling as always, but I could see a hint of wariness in his eyes. Hikaru''s tears had cleared, and she was sitting up in her seat, smiling. She was proud of herself, but not only that, but she was also determined.


    A sear of pain shot through my neck as I made the realization that I had left Kami alone for far to long. Instantly, I stopped relaxing and sat up in my seat anxiously. Hopefully this would end soon.


    And when I shifted my gaze to Phi, once again, she was already staring at me. We locked eyes. Her gaze penetrated deep, like she was looking at me, into me, and through me, all at the same time. Her purple eyes, which seemed dark and light at the time, trailed down from my eyes to the heart on my cheek, to the brand on my neck, which was just barely visible under the collar of my shirt-before finally resting on the lower half of my body.


    Exactly where my scar was.


    She then brough her own hand up you around her shoulder, before rubbing it, as if it was aching.


    I started to feel a burn coming from the scar on my stomach. A chill rattled my spine, as I let out a shaky breath and looked away.


    "Any other questions?" Yuri''s eyes traveled from one person to the next.


    Hikaru raised her hand. "This one isn''t exactly related to the specifics of the defense force team, but it is related to the conversation were'' having." Yuri nodded for her to continue.


    "Where do you believe justice lies?"


    Silence once again fell upon the table as we all collectively looked over to Yuri to hear his answer. Yuri had a contemplative expression on his face for a few seconds before he spoke. "If I''m being completely honest, I would believe that Justice lies in the area where there is a comprise between the two conflicting sides, however, that will never happen." He set his hand back down on the table. "Therefore, justice is dead."


    Hikaru and Masayoshi shot brief glances at me.


    "Thats the same exact thing Raiden said." Yuri slowly looked back to me, and his eyes flashed with something. Recognition? Or wariness?


    "I say that we pick up this discussion at our next meeting, which is tomorrow." Yuri said. "I have something that I need to get back to." I breathed out a sigh of relief.


    "Hey, we shouldn''t just leave like this. Shouldn''t we have some sort of, like, concluding remark?" Hikaru hurriedly suggested.


    Yuri stared at her for a few seconds, before clearing his throat. He raised a finger in the air and then said. "Meeting Adjourned." It was just like what Suijin would do at the end of every student council meeting. Although He said it with no emotion and looked fairly silly doing it.


    It brought laughter to the magicians sitting at the table.


    As Hikaru would call it, "A cure."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    As soon as everything had been wrapped up, I immediately shot out of my seat to leave, but not before once again thanking Hikaru for the day she had given me. It was not something small. For the first time since the events that transpired at the Chisaki estate, I had felt warmth in my body. I had felt good. And it was all thanks to her.


    She just giggled. "Don''t thank me silly, that''s just the kind of thing that I hope to be able to do. Though it flatters me greatly that you think so high of me."


    After which, I headed outside the cafe. However just as soon as I had exited, and was moving to leave, someone stepped into my path.


    Phi.


    "Ah- he-...." My usual stupidity that only seemed to strike when I tried starting a conversation returned once again, leaving me just standing there speechless. It didn''t help that my mind was filled with thoughts of Kami, so I really wasn''t thinking straight.


    "Raiden. I have one question." She said, her gaze remaining locked with mine.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Go ahead."


    "Do you have any, scars on your body?"


    When she asked that question, I froze. The background sounds of the mall disappeared. The beating of my heart got louder. And the searing of the scar on my stomach became hotter. It was such an odd question to ask, so foreign and random, that the only reason one would be prompted to ask it, was if they already had an idea.


    My hand unconsciously reached towards the scar on my chest which was now burning hot, and I stopped it mid-way, but not before Phi noticed.


    "Well, I have a lot of scars." I joked nervously. Reminder of the scratches on my arms came back.


    She nodded before turning away, while waving. "Thats all. Thank you for answering."


    "Your, welcome?" I muttered to myself; still frozen by the question she had asked. What exactly had been the point behind that. I shook my head, reminding myself of my goal. Make it back to where Kami was. I began to walk-run- throughout the crowded mall, weaving through people.


    As I turned a corner and saw the straight path that led to the exit. I unconsciously sped up, and that was when I noticed it. A group of men, and women, who were surrounding someone, blocking the way of the exit. There was a lot of muttering and cheering and such. I could hear people saying, "Shes so beautiful", and "I want a picture."


    I wished that I could go around them, but the path was blocked, so I''d have to cut right through. I began to push through people, apologizing all the way, as they glared at me. It was probably because I was a magician.


    When I finally burst out into the center of what this crowd was gathered around, I noticed something interesting. In the direct center, was a crap-ton of camera equipment. Multiple cameras were snapping pictures of somebody, who was posing with a man by a tree that stood in its own circular mini environment. As I walked by, I nearly bumped into the man who was getting his picture taking. He was practically drooling, and his eyes were glazed over, his expression one of carnal desire. I sidestepped him, more than just a bit weirded out. As I stepped around the camera equipment, The first thing I noticed was the voice. A girl''s voice, which was sweet like honey, and had a flirtatious and erotic.


    "Aww! I get that you all want a chance to lay your eyes on me, to worship me, but is there really a reason to skip? You''ll all get your chance to indulge your lustful fantasies and bask in my glory and beauty!"


    The girl standing in front of me could only be described as... well I didn''t really have a word to described her.


    She was of average height and had blonde curls. She had eyes that glowed pink. She had a very pretty face, and her lips were curved up in a smile. There was a massive bodyguard behind her, who was taller than me, and built.


    The second most notable part about her was the fact that she was half naked. A skirt, no, a mini-skirt-, no, a piece of cloth that just barely did its job hung from her waist. Her long, milky white legs were on full display. She wore a crop top, revealing the soft skin of her stomach. Her shirt top was also strapless, so her shoulders were visible. Her entire outfit was pink. She was standing with her arms out wide, as if inviting me to just take a dive into-


    I shook my head, shaking away any thoughts that would distract me from my goal. "Sorry for interrupting you, I''m just passing through." I turned to leave, but somehow, the same bodyguard that had just been standing behind her was now in my path.


    "Sorry." I stepped out of the way of the bodyguard, however just before I could leave, someone grabbed unto my arm. A split second later, the feeling of something squishy and soft making contact with my arm could be felt. Warmth spread through the limb.


    When I looked down, I noticed the girl was clinging to my left arm. She barely had anything on as well, so her bare skin was pressing against my arm and my brain was beginning to overload.


    I had no experience with pretty women latching onto my arms. Besides Yuki, but she''s just annoying.


    It didn''t help that her perfume was very strong, and it was starting to make me feel dizzy.


    "You. You''re not, immediately captured by your lustful desire. You looked at me, directly in the eyes, and yet, you didn''t succumb." She laughed.


    I could hear shouts from the crowd, but things were starting to get worse. My vision was starting to get blurry. My head hurt. That perfume smelled good.


    "You don''t immediately worship me? You don''t stare at me like an animal? Why is that? Why is it that you don''t seem to express lust? Love? Even now, I''m latching unto you, my skin pressed against yours, and not even a blush!" More insane laughing. I started to stumble, her grip on me the only thing that was keeping me standing.


    "Like a little lamb. Pure. Thats what I''ve been searching for. Thor! Take us to-"


    I didn''t hear anything else. Because at that moment, I passed out.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Failure, its a failure.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    A pounding headache. Like someone was hammering a nail into my head. Thats what I woke up to.


    "hkkk."


    I let out a groan, one which racked my entire body. Everything felt numb. My fingertips had no sensation.


    As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw pink. The room I was in was pink. My vision was still blurry.


    I couldn''t tell much from what I could see. There were a lot of led lights. And hearts on the wall.


    I think I was laying on the floor. I couldn''t be sure though. There was something soft and fuzzy below me. A carpet maybe?


    As I tried to sit up, and get my bearings, I was pushed back down.


    I felt a pressure on my body. Like someone was setting something down.


    When I cast my gaze downwards, I saw the blurry figure. They were dressed in pink, and pretty much half naked. She was on top of me, straddling my legs. Her eyes glowed a dangerous pink.


    "Wh-" I tried to speak, but her finger shushed me. She then leaned in, and I got a better look. She was staring at me with a look of pure longing and desire. As our bodies made contact, I could feel the warmth spreading throughout.


    She leaned in, and I could see he dangerous glint in her eyes. It was carnal, animalistic, desire. Her hands caressed my cheek. She then leaned in.


    Smooch!


    A kiss. She had kissed me. Warmth spread on my lips.


    "Something pure. Innocent. Clean." Her sweet voice sounded out in the room. It held a longing in it, a desire. Her hand trailed down my face, to my neck, all the way down my chest.


    "I''ve always wanted to defile something pure like this. A person without lustful thoughts? How will you taste?" She purred.


    Whatever she did next, I was not privy too.


    Because I passed out again.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    I flashed in and out of consciousness multiple times. Each time, I woke up to the same sensation.


    Warmth.


    Pleasure.


    Warmth.


    My brain began to warm up, my body began to warm up.


    It felt good.


    Warmth.


    Pleasure.


    Warmth.


    I could hear the sound of another person, who was also exclaiming in pleasure. However, I did not let it distract me.


    I felt so good that I was sure I was smiling, laughing, something of the sort.


    Warmth.


    Pleasure.


    Warmth.


    The scar on my chest burned but I didn''t care. I felt just as good as I did when I had been with Hikaru. When she had showed me that wondrous day. This feeling was just like that. It made me feel warm. Feel real.


    CRACKK!!!


    Feel like I was truly living.


    Warmth.


    Pleasure.


    Warmth.


    I could feel hot breath on my skin. Kisses. Touches.


    All throughout, I couldn''t move, so I just sat, and basked in the pleasure.


    Until I was literally threatened with overstimulating.


    There was a feeling of helplessness. I was scared. I didn''t know what exactly had been going on. But it was slowly drowned away in my own drowsiness.


    Warmth.


    Pleasure.


    Warmth.


    It was warmth, just like the warmth I had experienced when Hikaru had made me laugh. However, this feeling, was like the other side of the coin. Similar, but with its differences. It ran deep, and it grounded me in reality. Until the pleasure and warmth consumed me, and I blacked out once more.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    It was not clear, and it would not become clear to him, even after he had woken up. But that day.


    The Chisaki estates weapon, had been defiled.


    Raiden Chisaki had been violated.

 Chapter 47: A Little Death

    When I opened mt eyes, the pounding feeling in my head was finally gone. Although my limbs still felt numb. I was staring at a ceiling which was pink, and held a variety of different designs, all with the central themes of hearts and love.


    "Augh." I let out a groan as I tried to roll over. The first thing that I noticed was that my limbs were extremely stiff, as if they had not seen any use for hours. I clenched and unclenched my hands, as well as stretched my legs, trying to shake away my tiredness.


    I sat up and noticed that the room I was in was extremely small. It was just slightly bigger than a pantry, enough to fit a few desks on the side, and a mirror. I looked to the left and into the mirror. MY hair was disheveled, and it fell over my eyes, making it impossible for me to see them. My skin had a tinge of color on it.


    And that''s when I was drawn to the heat I felt. My entire body was warm, but the warmth was receding. My cheeks were slightly flushed, and I was breathing in and out deeply.


    "Its. Hah, pretty hot in here." I muttered to myself as I threw off the blanket which was covering me. My school uniform was in disarray. My pants were covered increases, and I didn''t even have my blazer on. My shoes were also off.


    "Where the hell am I?" As I asked the question, I rubbed my head. Although I didn''t have a pounding headache anymore, my mind was still in absolute disarray. I could barely even form coherent thoughts, let alone even try to piece together what sequence of events had brought me here. I gripped the fuzzy pink carpet below me tightly, as I tried to remember, anything.


    "...!"


    And that''s when a memory came back to me.


    I looked down at the carpet which I was squeezing tightly. Pink. Fuzzy. Soft. A blurry memory of shouts.


    Nothing concretes that explained anything, however.


    It didn''t help that I felt extremely exhausted. As I analyzed the room once more, I felt a burning sensation coming from the scar on my stomach. As I reached down to touch it, my mind flashed back to a previous conversation I had.


    "Raiden. I have one question."


    "Go ahead."


    "Do you have any, scars on your body?"


    "Well, I have a lot of scars."


    "Thats all. Thank you for answering."


    It was a conversation that I had had earlier, regarding scars. I was talking to.... a girl. Blonde hair, and with a lollip-


    Phi! I had been having a conversation with Phi, just outside of Sebby''s cafe. As the memories began to flow back into my grip on the carpet tightened. I scanned around the room once more, just trying to find any object that would spark my memory.


    I began to recall everything from the beginning, trying to figure out how exactly I had ended up like this.


    I had gone out to the mall with Hikaru, we did a little bit of messing around, before we joined up with the rest of the people responsible for planning the defense of the upcoming culture festival. After which, I had left, trying to return back to-


    Kami! Kami!


    "What time is it?" There was no clock in the room, which did nothing to quell the heart wrenching anxiety that I felt as I thought about my sister. How long has it been since...


    I took a deep breath. It would do no good to burst out of this room without having any semblance of an idea as to how I had gotten here. I would just have to force myself to recall everything, as quickly as possible. I dug my nails into my hand, hoping the pain would spur my brain to work faster.


    In the background, I could hear music. A song was playing. I couldn''t tell from where, but I could hear it.


    I had been sifting through the crowd, trying to make it into the exist, when I had been stopped by a girl in pink and her bodyguard!If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Start from the bridge of A little Death" The lyrics of the song were playing in the background.


    She latched on to me, and main thing I remember was her being really pretty.


    "Imagine the lyrice playing her."


    "She had been talking as well. She latched on to my arm and began speaking. Something about worship, desire, and innocence. But I could remember, because-


    "I felt dizzy because of her perfume. I must have passed out. Was it a drug?" Realization slowly began to dawn upon me as I recalled the memories.


    "Keep using your imagination, or play the song in the background. Copyright Problems!"


    And now my mind turned to the blurriest part of my memory. I had woken up, inside of this room, most likely. My head hurt. I didn''t know what was happening, and my limbs were numb. I couldn''t move. When I tried, someone settled their body on top of mine. She was wearing pink.


    "Was it...?" Pink. Then, after I had been drugged, the girl in pink took me here....


    There was the sound of kissing. A finger trailed its way down my face.


    "Chorus kicks in about here"


    There began the hole in my memories. The points in which I began to fade and lose consciousness. Those points were separated by moments of bliss, and warmth and pleasure. A pleasure so great it made me feel alive.


    "aughh." I placed a hand over my mouth, as bile resurged, and I threatened to vomit all over myself.


    "Unfortunately, copyright is scary, so keep imagining"


    Thinking about the pleasure that I had experienced during those fleeting moments of consciousness made me feel horrible. A bucketload of regret and shame seemed to wash over my body at the moment. I didn''t understand why, but a part of me rejected that moment. A part of me felt shame that it had even happened.


    On the other hand, that pleasure had made me feel even better than ever. That warmth, it reminded me of the time I spent with Hikaru at the mall.


    "Tired of imagining the song yet?"


    A sense of warmth and belonging that almost solidified my entity, grounded me in the real world. It was a warm feeling that made me-


    "Almost done"


    The words of the song replaced the thoughts in my mind, and I immediately shook my head. I was thinking stupid thoughts. My head was still in disarray. I stood up slowly, still trying to decipher what had happened in those moments.


    I had a sinking feeling. With the atmosphere of this room. The warmth, the pleasure, the fact that I had been drugged. It all pointed to a conclusion that I refused to accept. Because even the thought of it brought great shame to my being.


    I was shaking. Thinking about what could have happened made me feel scared.


    Inside of my being, it felt like I had lost something.


    But the other reason I refused to accept that conclusion, was because there simply wasn''t enough evidence to point to it. And the evidence I did have, was much too unreliable. There had been kisses, but I had no idea if it had been other people in the room. The girl did have a bodyguard. The warmth in my body could have been caused by how hot it was in this cramped room, and the proximity that it would have forced me and that girl to be at.


    The pleasure, most likely, came from the drug that was used to knock me out.


    "Yeah." I spoke shakily, preferring this conclusion to the other one.


    To the conclusion that suggested I had experienced the greatest violation of all time.


    "You made it!"


    The lyrics that were playing in the background seemed to go against my own thoughts. They represented another voice inside of me, that accepted that second conclusion. That was lulled and lost and deceived by that warmth and pleasure that grounded my being in reality.


    It was clashing with the conclusion that I was trying to convince myself was true. I hated it.


    I stood up slowly, distracting myself from the music. I noticed that my blazer was laying down on one of the desks.


    If anything, I should just get the hell out of here and back home to Kami.


    It was so much easier to ignore the two voices having an ideological battle in my head. Things were easier when the only thing that I could feel was cold. That chill. At least in that, there was no inner turmoil. No painstaking realizations. Just one thing.


    My mission.


    When I picked up the blazer, a note fell from it, and I picked it up. Flipping it upon, a note was inscribed in beautiful handwriting. It read:


    "Raiden Chisaki. I truly thank you for the night that we shared. Although, I''m sure you can''t remember. In meeting you, I was able to set out, to answer one of the questions I was meant to achieve. You answered the question that had enslaved me for years! Why do people find it so easy to fall into their own animalistic desire? I''m sure you''ve asked the question as well. Everybody that I meet, they can''t help but lust over me. My perfect body, my perfect skin, my perfect hair, my perfect eyes, everything! So, when I meet you, someone who didn''t immediately grovel at me feet, someone who didn''t immediately worship me, I knew, that I had found it. My perfect Adam! I had no choice. I apologize for the methods, but it was clear that we were meant for each other. You are pure, I am beautiful. We should be nothing else, but a married couple. If it doesn''t bother you, I took the consummation into my own hands. When we next meet, it''ll be at our wedding. Until then, remain loyal to me, sweetheart."


    Love, Eve.


    A chill ran down my spine as I read the note. Everything about this woman, who called herself Eve, was utterly insane. She was egotistical, she was eccentric, and most of all, she called us a married couple. It didn''t make sense. A myriad of questions ran through my mind


    How did I help answer her question?


    What does she want with me?


    What does she mean, "Married?"


    "What did she mean when she referred to me as pure?"


    But the question that rang out loudest of them all:


    What the hell does consummation mean?

 Chapter 48: Uplift

    "What exactly made you think that it would be a good idea to stay out until 3 A.M. in the morning? Kami asked in a furious tone, her hands on her hips as she stared down at me. I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, taking a sip of the cold coffee, that still wasn''t as cold as the glare that Kami shot at me. When I had left the mysterious room after reading Eves note, I was shocked to find out that I had been inside of a privately rented suite, in a love hotel. There were lots of questions flowing through my mind, however they all were dispelled when I noticed the time, 3:21.


    I rushed out of the room, followed by jeering remarks from the man at the reception desk.


    "Must have been his first time, eh? No reason to be so terrified otherwise."


    When I arrived home, any hope I had of sneaking back in had been shot down immediately, because Kami was sitting on the porch, in her pajamas. Pink with designs of bears on them. Her legs were crossed, and she was glaring at the sidewalk below. I could feel the chill from where I stood. I don''t remember what exactly I said then, but all I did know was that it only served to make her madder.


    When I entered the house, I was struck by a pang of sadness and regret as I saw the two cups of coffee on the table. She had obviously been waiting on me, in hopes that I would share what had happened.


    "This may look bad, but I promise I have a good answer-"


    "Good enough to justify how scared I was? How worried I was? I thought something happened to you! I stayed up for how long, agonizing over what could have occurred? Remember the terrorist attacks-" She stopped their, presumably because the mention of the terrorist attacks had brought back memories, she did not want to remember. I could tell that she was on the verge of tears.


    I clenched my fists even tighter, realizing the depths of pain that my own stupidity had caused my sister. Even if I was drugged, I had woken up multiple times? Was I really that lost in the feeling, that I forgot what truly mattered?


    I could feel my heart clench as I recalled the events that had occurred at the love hotel. Or more accurate, the events that I couldn''t remember.


    Only one thing gets done at love hotels, Raiden. The voice inside my head jeered.


    Shut up. I commanded. I didn''t have time to worry about what did or didn''t happen. It didn''t change anything, and it wouldn''t be any help to Kami.


    "Not to mention," Kami pulled an object from her pocket, it had a black case. My phone. "Like a dumbass, you didn''t bring your phone, so I couldn''t even call you!" Her anger was evident. And she was completely in the right. "So, what exactly was your, good answer?"


    I recognized the trick question. There was no good answer. I was in the wrong, and I''d be putting myself more in the wrong if I tried to justify what happened or make excuses. Even if I told her the truth, which-I didn''t couldn''t even piece together myself-telling her I didn''t know what happened would be a spit directly in her face. I was trapped. I had no way to defend myself, nor anyway to quell Kami''s troubled heart. Once again, I was us-


    "Smiles are the cure to any negative emotion, if your sad, nervous, or tired, you should always try to find a way to smile, because it will kick those emotions right out!"


    And the, the fog of myself doubt and self-loathing was pervaded by a light. A light that pierced through the mist and reached me, who was in the center of it all. A light that broke through the darkness, hinting at a way out, a path through the choking black abyss of my mind. The light belonged to Hikaru''s words. I remembered what she had told me, directly after she had helped that little girl and her mother. The words that were given to her by her late father, that she lived by.


    Those words that she had given me served as a beacon, that light a path I swore was closed. Closed by Takeru''s own hands.


    Just as quickly as the light came, it faded.


    However, I had received the message.


    I set down the cup of cold coffee in my hands. Kami was still waiting for my response.


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


    Kami looked at me, confusion creeping unto her facial features. I took a deep breath, taking a quick 360 of the entire room, the table, TV, paintings, my wand. And then I turned back to Kami.


    In a split second, with lightning quick speeds, I dashed.


    Before she even had a second to react, I had grabbed her by the stomach.


    "EHHH!?" Immediately, her body reacted. She tensed up, letting out a high-pitched squeal, and her arms immediately shot out to push me off of her.


    "Dude what the-hahahahaha, stop- ahhahaahaha!" Her cries of protest were cut of by laughter.


    I was tickling her. She was flailing around, trying to get away from my fingers which were tickling her lower abdomen. In all of the movement, we crashed towards the ground.


    "HAHAH-get-ahahah-off!" With a swift activation, Kami used a wind spell to blow me off of her just enough for her to break free. Immediately after, she rolled backwards, adjusting her posture so that it looked like she had just done a superhero landing.


    "Oh, so this is the game were playing?"


    I didn''t respond, adjusting my own posture into a low crouch, akin to what a track runner would do.


    An evil smile appeared on Kami''s face. "Game on, brother." She dashed forward at the same time I did. We both made grabs for each other, and went down like wrestlers, grappling each other. Kami had wrapped her legs around my back, before flipping over so that she was unto of me. She then used an ice spell to freeze my legs to the ground before she began to tickle me.


    And I laughed, a lot more than I''m willing to admit. I was nearly brought to tears by the laughter that was induced.


    "Awww? Does someone want me to stop?" She taunted.


    "Do-ahah, don''t worry about it-hahahaa" I could barely speak.


    "Trust me, I''m not."


    This battle went on for a few more minutes, as we both fought for control, using magic spells and grabs and throws, until we were too tired to keep going, laying on the floor of the kitchen, gasping for breath, stupid grins on our face.


    "You know, this doesn''t change anything, I''m still mad at you." Kami said, trying to sound angry and intimidating, but she was still smiling, curled up in a ball, and her words came out between gasps.


    "Maybe say that, when it''s a bit more convincing." I replied, also trying to catch my own breath.


    And then we just laid on the floor for a bit, giggling and tossing back and forth jokes.


    Thanks to the help of Hikaru''s words, I had managed to make my sister smile, to provide a cure for the bad emotions that I was at fault for. And for a moment, I had also found not only a cure, but path, a beacon that suggested there was a way for me to escape from my own uselessness.


    I would have to thank her again.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    In the morning, Kami was in significantly higher spirits. As we shared breakfast together, she sparked conversation. It was more than just a bit refreshing. We had been having breakfast in silence for a while now. She asked me about what happened after I went to the mall, and I explained everything, which I now seriously regret, because she simply would not drop the idea that Hikaru was my girlfriend.


    "Even the lady in the booth said it!" She seemed much more excited for this than I was, and I was the person who had actually experienced it.


    After breakfast, we headed to school. There, I noticed that I myself had also been put in particularly higher spirits. The first thing that I did when I had arrived was thank Hikaru, who was standing in front of the large meadow near the magic academy. In the sunlight, with the wind blowing, she looked undeniably beautiful-


    I stopped my train of thought when I noticed Kami''s gaze on mine. She elbowed me and rolled her eyes in the direction of Hikaru, as if to say, "Thats all you", before running off like a schoolgirl.


    I approached Hikaru slowly, deciding to do something that I would never normally do, ever. Once I was within range, I jumped in front of her and said,


    "Boo!"


    She looked at me with a blank expression. "Was I supposed to be scared by that?" She said in as emotionless of a tone as possible. She was mirroring the exact things that I had said to her, yesterday.


    "Ouch, at least try and act a bit spooked." I said, chuckling. I stopped to look at the flowers for a few seconds before turning back to her. "Thank you."


    She seemed a bit shocked, but she smiled. "Again."


    "Yes again. You''ve helped me more than you know."


    She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Where would you be without me, dear Raiden."


    "I truly wonder."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    My good mood remained for the rest of the day. I participated in what had become out daily routine, which is a conversation of justice. It was always between the three of us, Masayoshi, Hikaru, and me. Sometimes Ms. Elmer. I was actually trading banter with Mr. Elmer, who still refused to let me go from the VIP seat. I seriously wondered when I''d be freed from the embarrassing shackles that was my sit in the front of my classroom.


    "When I feel like it." She said, even though I hadn''t asked a question.


    I''m seriously starting to get tired of people reading my mind.


    After which, training went well. I had a basis for my new ability. I knew that it would activate off of an if then sequence, and its requirement for activation would be something that was impossible to notice within a glance.


    Thoughts of the prince and his insane ability consumed my mind as I worked on my ability. That, and Hikaru''s words. She would just talk about anything she felt like, usually cooking and sweets.


    Student council meetings went well, construction was already under way. The models of the beanstalk, and the other designs were being stored inside of a warehouse owned by the school. It was sanction by the headmaster.


    And defense force planning was also going well, although the meetings were still tense.


    It was great.


    T-minus 1 week until the Culture Festival.

 Chapter 49: The Prince

    Monday. The one week break before the school culture festival had commenced. Unfortunately for me however, I would not be sleeping in soundly. Instead, I was hard at work with the student council. Because of all the strenuous conditions around the Castle of Dreams, all of those trusted to know about it were required to work on it as well. I was currently standing on one of the many glasses'' staircases which winded it''s way around the magic academy. I was waiting, as well as watching.


    I was waiting for the rest of the student council to arrive, Minus Yuri who had already begun to put into action the defense team''s work.


    And I watched down below, as a variety of magical technology did work, in order to make our jobs easier.


    Robots capable of painting went through the halls of the school, making sure to paint literally every wall and door of the academy. Hundreds of other robots went throughout the building cleaning it. Others went throughout and cleared it out of any unnecessary items. Chairs, tables, everything that would eventually be refurnished. These robots that were powered by mana would do it all. It was a prime example of the combination between tech and mana.


    Alongside those robots, a handful of volunteer students that Ichijo collected were finishing up drawing the map for all of the items that would be added into the Castle of Dreams. That digital map would then be turned into something that was scannable for the robots by students in the engineering branch. That way, all of the tedious physical labor could be set aside and done by robots, leaving the more important tasks which required a personal touch to be done by the student council with our full attention.


    "Kami, your here even earlier than even me!" I turned to see where the voice came from. It was Suijin. She was dressed in completely casual attire, just a dress with black stockings. She had her hair up in a ponytail.


    I waved down at her. "Raiden woke up early and was too jealous to see me sleeping peacefully, so he forced me to wake up as well." Suijin giggled at that statement, as she hugged me.


    When I broke the hug, I immediately took notice of the tired look in Suijin''s eyes. She was smiling, but it didn''t hide the bags, and how stressed she looked in general. At first, I didn''t want to say anything, as that would be beyond noisy and rude, but I remembered the kind of person Suijin was.


    She had reached out to me and helped me even when I hadn''t asked for it. That in on of itself was reason for me to return out the favor. Not only to repay her, but because I wanted to actually help her.


    I hesitated for a split second, before reaching out my hand and touching her cheek. She seemed a bit surprised, but didn''t flinch, or move back.


    "You seem more than just a little bit tired. Are you sure it''s okay for you to be taking on so much work?"


    Suijin simply nodded her head. "I''ll be fine. After all, I''m doing all of this in order to create a perfect culture festival for everyone. So, when I see everyone''s happy face, all of this work will be paid off."


    It was a noble reason. However, it gave me a bad feeling. It was really similar to the things that Raiden said. The way that he would put others above himself and try to justify it by saying that as long as they were happy, it was fine. That was a dangerous mentality.


    "Even so, other people''s happiness isn''t your own. It doesn''t justify disregarding your own wellbeing." I spoke.


    Suijin paused for a moment, thinking over what I had said.


    "I have to agree with Kami. Yuri even said the same thing. You overwork yourself, Suijin." A voice said from behind us. I looked over to see Genji and Ichijo walking up the spiraling staircase.


    "What she said." Ichijo said, as he ruffled his hair. It was wet, and it covered his face. "Even if you say your fine, it doesn''t change what we can see."


    Suijin smiled as she saw them approaching. Genji and Ichijo were also just dressed in casual outfits, jeans and hoodies. Surprisingly, they were wearing the same color.


    "You two planned that out? It''s really cute!" Suijin commented.


    Immediately, Genji and Ichijo took a step away from each other, creating as much distance as the glass staircase would allow. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "No, this bastard copied me." They both said in sync, while looking away from each other. Which made me and Suijin chuckle even more.


    After she had gotten her laughs, Suijin addressed Ichijo''s statement. "I''m fine really? Even if what you''re saying is true, I have no choice but to pick up all this work. We can''t tell anybody else about this. So as the student council, we''re responsible for this. And as the president-"


    "Your responsible for everything right?" Another voice finished for her. This time, Suijin turned around in a little bit of shock. Standing behind her was, Yuri Hamanai. But he shouldn''t have been here. He should have been preparing things with the defense committee. Behind him, was a group of students.


    Phi, Hikaru, Raiden, and Masayoshi. All members of the defense committee, who weren''t supposed to know the specifics of the castle of dreams.


    Everyone turned their questioning gazes to him. Yuri simply shook his head. "Things, occurred." He tossed a glare at Hikaru, who inched behind Raiden, humming innocently.


    "Get away from me, I''m not your scapegoat." Raiden said tiredly.


    "Come on, live a little." Hikaru fired back.


    Phi laughed.


    Yuri turned back to Suijin. "But I assure you, these people can be trusted. Well, most of them." He said that last part under his breath, so that only Suijin and I-who were the closest to him-could hear.


    I knew exactly what he was referring to as well. My first clenched slightly. He was talking about Raiden. he didn''t trust Raiden and me whatsoever. I still remembered when he held Raiden at gunpoint when we first arrived.


    Suijin placed a hand on my shoulder, calming me down. I realized that I was allowing my mana to flow out, and the temperature was dropping.


    "If that''s the case, then have they already been briefed about everything relating to the Castle of Dreams?"


    Yuri nodded in confirmation. He seemed to be hiding something. I don''t know what it was, but something about his demeanor suggested that there was something that he was leaving out. I''m sure Suijin could see it to, but she didn''t press him for it.


    "What did you mean by what you said?" She asked.


    "Exactly what I said. Do you think that because you''re the president of the student council, it means you should shoulder everything possible?" His question was charged with a lot of emotion.


    Suijin shook her head. "I simply meant that because of my role as the president, I have responsibilities that have to be carried out."


    "You say responsibilities, but that''s a vague term. Where do those responsibilities end?"


    "As far as I can." Suijin said, with complete determination. She said it like a conversation ender, which made Yuri visibly more annoyed.


    "As far as you can? Ridiculous. Why stretch yourself to your limits when you have people to help you?" As much as I hated the guy, I understood where he was coming from. I remembered my own argument with Raiden.


    "My own burdens aren''t for others." Was all Suijin said.


    "Except they aren''t just yours. This is the entire council''s burden. And even then, that statement is hypocritical. You shouldn''t give your burdens to others, but you can take on other people''s burdens to yourself?"


    Suijin was stunned into a bit of silence, and so was everybody else. Yuri had a point, that much was clear.


    At that moment, before anybody else could make a move, a presence fell over the everybody like a veil. It was massive, strong, and seemed to flow on endlessly. It encompassed everything, and it felt like someone what dropped us into the center of a fog storm. A storm of darkness, which had no end.


    The aura was so strong that it could bring someone to their knees. Forcing them to bow to whatever it belonged to as if it was exalted royalty.


    It was so strong, so potent, and so all encompassing, that it left everyone in silent shock. It felt like all color in the world had been erased.


    The magical energy was so utterly powerful that it violated expectation.


    It violated logic.


    It violated reality.


    "I never thought I''d see the day where you two would argue." A voice said. It came from above. From the epicenter of where this insane amount of magical energy was coming from. There was a voice. A voice that suggested that the thing this Prescence belong to was human. A person.


    That was impossible. This aura could not belong to something human.


    It squeezed my heart, made my blood run cold, and sweat trickle down my brow. I was breathing deeply. My legs were shaking slightly.


    No, this couldn''t belong to a person.


    This mana literally transcended into the realm being a presence. Like the atmosphere. Something that was everywhere, at all times. That''s how it felt.


    It wasn''t a natural presence like oxygen was.


    Something dark. Something unsettling.


    I notice Suijin turn her gaze towards where the voice came from. She didn''t seem to be affected to the extent that I was.


    Slowly, I brought my eyes up as well. It felt wrong. As if looking this person-if you could believe it-in the eyes was a violation.


    I looked up.


    On the roof of one of the highest peaks of the magic academy, was someone. Around them, the air literally was being distilled by the strength of their magical energy.


    He was fairly tall, even sitting down. Black hair that stopped at his mouth, and piercing red eyes. He was sitting with one leg bent, and the other extended. He was leaning over his bent leg with one arm, and his other was at his side. Next to him, embedded unto the roof, was a large, red spear. Damn near the height of a person, it glowed red. It gave him the look of some sort of supernatural entity, like the grim reaper.


    "Shindo." Was what Suijin said. I gasped.


    "I haven''t been called that name in forever. What is it? Everyone calls me, "The Prince" now. It''s both refreshing and concerning to hear my real name."


    This was the man known as, "The Prince."

 Chapter 50: Shindo

    Now that I was standing in his presence, I could see why they called him, "The Prince".


    HIs aura was so potent and powerful that it threatened to bring everyone around him to their knees. To bow before him like he was a great monarch. A prince.


    Behind me, I could feel Hikaru tense, and unconsciously grab me, her entire body shaking a bit. Kamii was also shaking,


    Everyone else was doing a good job of hiding the physical reaction that being in his Prescence caused. The only people wo remained completely unaffected by the prince''s aura, were me, Suijin, and Yuri.


    Suijin was staring directly into the prince''s eyes, something that no one else was doing. She was the person who seemed to not even be shocked that the prince had appeared. She was just looking up at him, with an unreadable expression on her face.


    Around me, I could feel his aura curling and wrapping around my body like a python. It slowly trailed its way all-throughout my body, leaving a chill running through me. It didn''t feel good whatsoever, and so I prepared to release my own magical energy, in order to keep his away from me. However-


    "You shouldn''t do that." The prince said. His voice was resolute and powerful, although it had a hint of what seemed to be playfulness. He had directed his words to me, and I could feel his gaze bearing down on me. I looked up, locking eyes with his. They glowed red, a red that was just as bright as the massive spear that was next to him.


    "When two strong aura''s clashes, they create a fissure in space known as a, "Miasmic tear." Those things are still some of the more unknown aspects of magic. All that''s known for sure is that nobody to enter one has come out intact. Dead, or Insane. those are the only two options when dealing with one. I don''t know about you, but I''d rather not be either of those things." He smiled.


    At that moment, my own mind was set in stone. It was him. This was the guy who had canceled the magic ray shot from Minerva''s gun. This is the guy that canceled my magic spell back when I had dueled Erika. I had finally found him. Here he was.


    The prince.


    "What gives you the idea that my aura is strong?" I asked, curious as to how he reached that assessment. I was suppressing my magical energy. I always did. Another habit that my father drilled into me through endless training.


    The prince looked down at me with a calculating look. "Same way you can tell the difference between good pair of shoes and a bad pair." That answer was vague, as it gave no insight into how exactly he came to the conclusion about me that he did. However, that was probably his point.


    "Shindo, what are you doing here?" Suijin asked. Her tone was friendly as always, but this time she was a bit more serious. I could see it in her eyes. The look that I couldn''t read before was resolute determination.


    "I can''t stop by and say hi?" He joked.


    "Considering the fact that you''ve been avoiding the student council for a while, I''d say no, it isn''t exactly normally of you to want to stop by now of all times." Suijin kept staring down at Shindo, who was staring right back.


    "Oww, that hurts. You trying to call me a shut in?" He made another joke.


    I watched the entire interaction in silence, and so did everyone else. The one thing that I couldn''t wrap my mind around was Shindo''s attitude. From the way that students at the school reacted to just his name being spoken, I would assume he would have been a guy with a much more intimidating attitude. But he was almost like me in the way he interacted with others. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Cracking stupid jokes at the wrong time.


    It made me wonder how people had misjudged his character so greatly. Besides his aura, he didn''t purposefully try and act intimidating.


    Suijin did not find Shindo''s constant wisecracking funny, and so she didn''t respond.


    He sighed, before answering her question. "All right, I had a message for you and Yuri, but I didn''t expect this many people to be here." His eyes scanned over everybody gathered on the glass staircase. "This must be in preparation for the upcoming culture festival. Don''t worry, I''ll keep my lips sealed."


    "Is this something that you need to speak about in private?" Suijin asked.


    "Not at all. I''ll get straight to the point then." He turned to Yuri. "Whatever defenses plan you have already come up with, I''d recommend you fortify it even more."


    "Why do you say that?" Yuri asked, almost immediately.


    "You know that Wrath guy, well he''s popped back up. And he strikes a trail. He''s been tearing down monuments al over south America, to Europe, and very soon, he''ll arrive in Asia."


    "But isn''t he only tearing down monuments of human history?" Masayoshi asked. His voice came out a bit shaky.


    "That doesn''t matter. If there''s even a chance that he''s in the vicinity, then it''s better to prepare. Besides, there''s also the fact that he probably is related to the white knight of Pride too."


    The mention of both of these terrorists brought even more tension into the already charged air.


    Shindo turned his gaze to Suijin.


    "And secondly, this one''s for you Suijin. I heard from the grapevine that the 10 grand magic families are planning some event. According to some very powerful people, the head of the 10 families, Heath, plans to announce it at the end of Theta''s culture festival. Just another reason to increase security."


    Suijin''s eyes widened, and I could barely hold in my own reaction. I notice Kami visibly step back. This was information directly related to us.


    "W-who did you hear this from?" Suijin asked, in visible shock. This was probably the most shook up I had ever seen here. I could see the anxiousness in her eyes increasing. She was probably throwing this into the already massive pile of things she had to worry about.


    That being said I wasn''t faring much better.


    How long has this been in the works? Did Takeru know? Did mom know? What about Yuki?


    It was jarring to learn that the ten grand magic families of Japan were actually coming together for once. These 10 grand families were always in eternal conflict, as they fought to try and get their child to be the next heir, the next person to inherit the title of, ''Head of the Grand Magic Families.''


    Arguably one of the most powerful positions in the entire continent. The head had just as much power, if not more than the emperor of the continent.


    So, why were these always fighting magic families now teaming up to schedule something? It didn''t make sense.


    "I can''t say..." Was all Shindo said. He stood up, his white trench coat flowing in the wind. He turned around, reaching over to grab his spear. He pulled the long weapon from out of the ground, where it was standing. It was a double-edged spear, with carvings and designs on it. He spun it around in his hands for a bit.


    Before he left though, he turned back to face Suijin. "Yuri''s right, you know? You should really stop taking on so much responsibility. That includes worrying about others."


    He stopped the spin of his spear suddenly. He then brought it over his head before swinging it down in an X shape. On the air, a literally red X was drawn, and it opened up into a portal. The air around the portal was distorted, and the inside of the portal was a blood red color. Before he took a step through, he turned back to face her.


    She was staring back up at him, a completely shocked and off-guard expression on her face.


    "What are you saying?" For the first time, Suijin was left speechless.


    "I''ll be fine. I''m The Prince, after all." With that, he stepped through the portal, and the rapture closed shut behind him.


    His aura had vanished, and everyone could breathe and move normally again, but the tension was still left in the air. Suijin was standing in the center of it all, looking confused, and frustrated. For the first time, I had seen her unable to come up with a response that would help someone. It seemed to hurt her deeply.


    "Damn you, Miyamoto." Was all she said.


    My own eyes widened once again. Shindo was the son of the Miyamoto clan. He was the kid dubbed,


    "The Ghost of the Miyamoto."

 Chapter 51: Lessons Not Learned

    Thursday, October 28.


    Three days later, and Theta magic Academy had begun to transform. Now that all of the basic labor of the inside was completed, and all of the designs that the magical engineering committee come up with were finished being built, we had begun to implement them all. This part required the most secrecy, and so only the student council, defense force team, and a few people that Ichijo and Riko chose were allowed to participate. Among these people, were Aqua, and Leo.


    "Raiden!" I expertly avoided the flying bundle of braids that came at me, shouting my name. Over the past month, any time I greeted aqua she would try and do a jump hug thing, which she did when greeting anybody. Because of that, I had lots of time to master how to expertly avoid her signature move.


    "Good morning, Aqua." I said, as she sailed past me and latched onto Hikaru, who wasn''t braced for it, so she crashed into the ground in shock. I shot her a look of pity-Nova style-before turning around to greet Leo.


    "So, you two were among some of the chosen?"


    Leo nodded as he dapped me up. "Aqua heard the opportunity to partake in a "top secret mission'' and she didn''t even think twice. I just came along to make sure she kept her lips sealed about it."


    I nodded, turning around to look at Hikaru and Aqua, who had overcome their shock and confusion, and were now having a conversation on the floor, still wrapped in each other''s arms.


    It was all bubbles and smiles, exactly what I would have expected from an interaction between the two of them.


    "Hopefully you don''t regret the workload you''ve taken on." I commented.


    Leo looked at me anxiously. "What exactly are you trying to suggest? That it''s a lot of work?" His tone had a bit of concern in it.


    I just patted his shoulder and stepped by him. "Don''t read into it."


    Leo shouted back at me as I walked away. "How can I not? It''s like telling someone who was a class right after you, good lunch, right before they walk in!"


    After that exchange, I continued to walk along the glass skywalk, heading for the student council room. Behind me, I heard footsteps as someone ran to catch up to me. "Hey Raiden, you shouldn''t leave people behind, especially when you agree they can go with you."


    I turned to look at Hikaru, who was skipping happily next to me. "I agreed that you could come, yes, but that doesn''t mean I''m going to wait for you." I pointed behind me. "Besides, you and Aqua seemed to be having a good time over there, so I thought it''d be rude to interrupt."


    Hikaru sighed, shaking her head, but there was still a smile on her face. We walked a few seconds in silence before-


    "So. Where are we going."


    "You asked to come with me, and don''t even know where I was going?" I raised an eyebrow out her.


    She just turned around with a humph; before turning back and asking me the same question.


    "I''m headed to the student council room."


    "Ohhh, what for?" She asked immediately after.


    "To talk with Suijin."


    "About what?"


    "Things."


    "What things."


    "Stuff."


    "What stuff."


    "Grown up things."


    "What grown u- Wait! Are you trying to call me a kid!"


    I sighed as Hikaru began to angrily punch my shoulder. I wanted to talk to Suijin about Shindo. I couldn''t ask her about the 10 grand magic family''s situations, in order to keep our identity a secret.


    Chisaki, was a fake name, after all.


    A name used to disguise the fact that me and Kami belonged to one of the 10 grand magic families. In fact, I was utterly frustrated with myself for not catching it the first time, when she had introduced herself.


    Now that I thought about it, it was actually a very good thing that Hikaru was tagging along. There was simply no way that anything I said would get answers from Suijin, let alone provide her with any help. I had seen the look of frustration on her face.


    "So, do you have a crush or something?" Hikaru asked teasingly, as we walked down the long hall that lead to the student council room.


    I shook my head. "No."


    "Reeeeaaallly?" There isn''t that one person, that you look at, who makes your heart flutter?" She asked, leaning in much closer than anybody would be comfortable with.


    I pushed her away slightly before shaking my head. "Nope."


    After all, Raiden Chisaki does not possess a heart anymore. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    No. It''s more fitting to say her never did.


    We stepped inside the doors of the student council room and saw Suijin. Except, the person sitting in that seat did not fit the image of the resilient and strong student council president that I had come to know.


    She was slumped over her desk, her entire body seemed drowned in an indescribable fatigue. It seemed to have become her entire being. The dark bags under her eyes had only drown deeper and darker. She was inhaling and exhaling shaky breaths, and she was staring straight at the wall.


    She was like the physical incarnation of fatigue.


    When she heard the door opening, she tried to snap herself into an upright position, but she was all too late, and all too tired.


    When she locked eyes with the both of us, she shook her head, bowing it down. "S-sorry about that. I-I must have lost track of time. I''m assuming that something happened where I''m needed? God, why did i-"


    "Didn''t you say that there is no need to bow your head to anyone?" I cut her off.


    She paused, staring at me for a good few second. She was so tired that basic things became tedious tasks. "Ah, yes, sorry...."


    "If you were tired, you could have just told everyone that you needed to take the day off." I suggested.


    "Absolutely not." Suijin said, immediately. "With the culture festival this close, and with so many things still needed to be done, I should take a break. I''m the student council president-"


    "And so, you deserve to take on the entire burden, without a doubt?" Hikaru interjected. Her own frustration was just as palpable as Suijin''s.


    "That''s not what I..... I didn''t mean to.... It''s just...." However, Suijin could not finish her sentence. It was the clearest sign that she was not at 100%. Suijin was the person who always knew what to say. Always knew how to help other people. But in this moment, she couldn''t even formulate words. She was the one who needed help.


    "Take a break Suijin. Taking on so much work, even if you feel responsible for it, so is everyone else. It''s okay to rely on others."


    "No, I- I can''t. That is the one thing that I can''t and won''t do. Push a burden unto other people. Absolutely not."


    And yet she rejected it. She turned down idea of taking a break, of sharing her burden with others.


    "You know that Yuri is right." I stated. "You know that he was right, because he is the one person who knows you the best. And you know that everything he said was right. Even now, you only add more and more to your bag. The culture festival. Construction. Decoration. Design. Defense. Keeping up Morale. And now, worrying about The Prince on top of that... And yet, you refuse to ask for help. Do you truly believe that that is anything but, foolish?"


    "Shindo is a case I cannot let stand. In a school built on the premise of equality, built on the fact that your magic is not what defines you as a person, for there to be a student who is deemed a Monster, and held to an inhuman standard exist, because of their magic, it stands against my very goal. Shindo won''t say anything about it, but I can tell. I could always tell. From the moment he was given the moniker of, "The prince", I could tell that he hated it. It isolated him from all his peers. It made all of his peers view him with fear. I can''t let something like that slide. I''d be failing not only myself, but everyone who heard my words at the opening ceremony. Everyone who heard my message when i was first appointed student council president."


    "And you believe you can do that alone? Without the help of others. Change the cognition of the entire school, as well as plan a school wide event? Alone?"


    "I can''t. I can''t. Pushing my burden unto others is the greatest sin. And also, I''m the student council president. My role is one that is meant to symbolize strength. I will not let it fall. I won''t let it be tarnished."


    Suijin had a completely over the top vision of what a student council president should be. She held it to an unreal standard, as was trying to live up to it.


    "I think you''ve realized it as well. Me and you have similar faults. Do you still not wish to accept help?"


    "I will do everything because I am the student council president. I will complete all my work, and not only make the culture festival the greatest this school has ever seen, but I will also make sure that not a single student is left behind. That is my responsibility as not only the student council president, but as a daughter of the Hajimoto family."


    Alone. Those were the words that she had left out.


    Me and Hikaru stood in silence for a moment.


    "If that''s the case, then I''ll watch. I''ll watch how you handle this, alone." With that final message, I turned and left Suijin and Hikaru alone in the student council room.


    We had both made a bet. No, it was time to see it through.


    Just as I was about to step outside, I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, to see Yuri Hamanai looking at me.


    "Raiden Chisaki."


    "What''s going on?" There was something about his ominous tone that threw me off.


    "What exactly are you trying to do."


    I realized it then. He was eavesdropping on my conversation with Suijin.


    "I did what I thought was the right thing."


    "And so you decided to walk in that room, and weave seeds of doubt into her mind? To push insecurities into her head? To put cracks in her demeanor?" He was making baseless accusations.


    "You should see it better than anyone. She''s in trouble. She will crack and shatter eventually."


    Yuri''s grip on my shoulder tightened.


    "Nobody asked you to interfere with things that are none of your business. Protecting Suijin is my job. My mission. My goal. Something that I gave my life for."


    I was jarred by those words.


    "Gave my life for."


    My own goal of protecting Kami was something that I had given my life for. Something that I had cast aside my own identity to pursue. Something that Raiden died for.


    "I have someone that I want to protect at all costs as well. If you truly want to help her, you should push yourself to see past your own bias." I tried to give him advice, but it was pointless. As a protecter, I was worthless. I had let Kami be hurt. I couldn''t console her emotionally.


    "Heeheh. Heeheh. Hahahah!" Yuri began to laugh. "You, trying to give me advice on how I should help the person I dedicated my life too? What poor taste in humor. Do you remember, a week or so back, when Suijin had asked Kami to stay after the meeting?"


    I nodded slowly, more than just a bit worried as to where he was going. "There, your sister, the one you claim to be the protecter of, cried. She cried her eyes out in front of Suijin. Suijin held her in her arms, told her not to lose her faith, not to lose her confidence. Kami cried, as she talked about her own weakness, and how she felt like no one could help her!"


    My eyes widened, and I stood frozen in shock. Kami had cried once again. She had been put in pain once again, because of me. Because of how worthless I was. I cast my gaze downards, and I could hear Yuri make a disgusted sound.


    "Look at you. You can''t even look me in the eyes. And neither your sister. You think I don''t notice? How you avoid her gaze, how you also look down, as if she''s above you? You claim to want to protect her, but how can you protect someone who you put so much distance between! You don''t understand her, and you refuse to try, and yet you have the nerve to try and lecture me?" Yuri was exploding in anger, and although I couldn''t understand what caused him to escalate so quickly, I could understand one thing.


    That I was weak. He was right. I was a hypocrite.


    "The fact that me and you are so similar, that looking at you reminds me of how I used to be...It disgusts me! You, as someone who says their goal in life is to protect...You, Raiden Chisaki, are pathetic.


    And at that moment, his fist connected with my face.

 Chapter 52: Yuri and Raiden

    I was knocked backwards all the way onto the glass bridge by Yuri''s punch.


    My head snapped backwards, and I could immediately feel the heat of the bruise on my face. Yuri had punched me in the face. It was so sudden, and so out of nowhere that I didn''t even think to dodge. His blow had hit me on my right cheek, and it nearly knocked me off my feet.


    I turned back to face the direction of the hall, where Yuri was walking out. He clicked his two bracelets together, and they transformed into a pair of dual pistols. He aimed them at me. I couldn''t see his eyes, but I could feel the anger emanating from his entire body.


    I spit out blood over the railing.


    "Do you seriously believe that if you just dedicate your life, and give all of yourself up to your sister, that it would help her more, than if you tried to act like her actual brother?"


    Another scathing remark, one that stung deep. Yuri was reading me like a book.


    "It makes me wonder. Is Kami as worthless as you are?"


    That question served as the final straw. All of the anger that I had no outlet for, the anger that had been building up since I saw Kami''s bruised face, it all boiled over and exploded out. I reached into my pocket and grabbed a reality marble. Small marbles that could shrink the size of things and store them. I crushed it, and my wand appeared in my hand. I unsheathed the long blade.


    No matter how worthless I was, and how much he pointed it out, the one thing that I would refuse to stand for would be anyone calling my sister anything less than amazing. His comment spurred so much anger in me that I could feel my own face burning, and my hands clenched my blade so tightly that it threatened to draw blood.


    I bit my lip hard, trying to calm myself down, but at that moment it was too far gone.


    I was looking for an outlet, and I found one. The bruise on my cheek burned, reminding me of Yuri''s insults, but metaphorical and physical.


    "And now you will draw your blade, a-" I didn''t let him finish, because just then I drew my blade in a horizontal semi-circle, sending out a massive blast of wind.


    Yuri immediately responded by firing a wind spell of his own.


    They collided, and a gust of wind blew all throughout the glass bridge, causing it to shake. I dashed forward, and Yuri dashed backwards. He jumped back onto the roof of the building and fired blasts at me as I chased him down.


    Flame.


    Wind.


    Lightning.


    I blocked some of them with my blade and dodged the rest. I knew that because of Yuri''s weapon type, that he would prefer to maintain as much distance with me as possible. Therefore, If I wanted to win, I had to get up close.


    This time Yuri flipped over a railing, before falling straight downwards. When I jumped it, I saw him falling straight towards the ground. Just as I began to slide down the side of the building, Yuri fired a massively strong blast of pure mana. With no time to dodge, I held my blade out in front of me at an angle, coating it with mana, and deflecting the blast.


    It traveled away and hit a nearby hill, blowing it up in a massive explosion that shot dirt and soot into the air.


    I continued to travel down the side of the building perpendicularly, quickly gaining on Yuri, who was currently at gravity''s mercy. He was still firing away a massive blast of mana, which I dodged and deflected as we fell. All of the deflected blast hit the nearby hills in the distance, causing a chain of large explosions and mushroom clouds of smoke.


    Yuri grabbed unto a glass railing, before flipping around it twice to gain momentum, and then launching himself up at me.


    He was flying up at my feet first. Just before we made contact, I sidestepped out of the way, before grabbing his leg, and slamming him straight into the wall of the magic academy, taking care to not actually destroy it.


    However, Yuri was quick on his feet, or rather hands, as he placed his hands on the ground with a fortification spell to absorb the shock of the impact. He then kicked out with his free leg, which I dodged before pulling him back into the air.


    He flipped, trying to right his posture, but I wasn''t going to let him go. I slashed out with my blade, which he just barely blocked. He was knocked backwards and rolled over.


    We exchanged close quarter blows, where I took notice of how quick Yuri was on his feet. He ducked a flame-imbued slash before kicking. I blocked the kick and its follow up, before pushing him off of me. He skidded backwards before coming to a stop, and a short pause in the combat ensued.


    Around the outer sides of the magic academy, just before the barrier ended, the ground was smoking and charred.


    "Does this pointless destruction distract your mind from the truth of the matter?" Yuri taunted, as he got to his feet.


    "I have nothing to say to you."


    Yuri laughed cynically. "Nothing to say because you''re speechless, or because you know I''m right?" One second of hesitation was all he needed to know my answer.


    "Even now, the only action you can partake in is violence, you can''t express yourself with words. No wonder your sister had to come to Suijin."


    "Enough about me. You go on and on about how worthless I am, but Suijin is running herself into the ground right in front of your eyes!" I snapped back. I knew I had nothing to say about his own statements, so I changed the subject. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Yuri flinched in shock, before sneering at me once again.


    "Thats none of your fucking business! Even then, I''m handling it a lot better than you can."


    "If a lot better means breaking out into arguments in front of everyone, then sure, you''re doing amazing!"


    I could see the physical effect that my words had on him, as he was speechless for a moment, before pointing his guns at me once again. "Shut it!"


    A large flame spell was launched at me, and I canceled it.


    The massive roaring flame, which was the size of a semi, disappeared in an instant. Yuri was caught off guard, looking at the situation. Canceling spells was not something you saw every day. It was something that you saw maybe once in a lifetime.


    That brief second of confusion was all I needed. I dashed forward and caught Yuri with a right hook straight to his cheek. I got him back for his punch that started it all.


    His head snapped backwards, and his glasses flew off of him, falling all the way down to the ground


    Shattering.


    He looked down at them, pure hurt and shock and anger in his eyes.


    "-akkk."


    He spit blood out, and I followed up by using my blade as a baseball bat. I hit him directly in the stomach. Knocking him straight into the ground with enough force to cause a crater and launch debris and smoke into the air.


    I held my blade at my side, breathing in and out as I watched the smoking crater in which Yuri was laying. Behind me, I heard something clatter.


    One of Yuri''s guns. It had launched into the air and landed a few meters behind me. It began to slide down the side of the building. I looked back at the crater.


    Something was coming for my face.


    In the time that I had spent looking behind me, Yuri had thrown one of his guns.


    A useless attempt.


    I tilted my head to the right to avoid it.


    And then, I felt a presence behind me.


    I snapped my head around, and there was a barrel aimed at my forehead.


    Yuri was behind me. It was as if he teleported.


    Then I realized what happened.


    His gun, the one that had clattered against the building.


    He had swapped with it. Because the weapon was imbued with his mana, he used a technique called mana switching, to literally switch places in space with it. It was an instantaneous teleportation.


    It was a technique that only the greatest assassins in the world used. I knew, because my father had hired one of them to teach it to me.


    If you come across someone capable of using this technique, then know, that person is a trained killer. A skilled one at that. Someone who has dedicated their life to the craft of taking that of others.


    The words that the man had told me before he taught me the technique returned to me.


    Just past the barrel of the gun, I could see Yuri. Without his glasses, his expression was clearly visible. If I had time, I would have gasped.


    It was like looking into a mirror.


    Cold, calculating, emotionless.


    He was going to pull the trigger and take my life without a second thought.


    It was the exact same look I had gotten so used to seeing when I looked into a mirror.


    It was the same look that always remained in the eyes of trained killers.


    At the last second, his expression shifted, as if he was experiencing regret, a moment of realization.


    But I couldn''t grasp it, because a blast of magic was fired at me point blank.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The blast launched me backwards into the ground, with so much force, that it didn''t stop there. I was dragged through the dirt and ground, as the spell continued its frontal assault. I continued to be dragged backwards, smashing through stone, chunks of dirt, and plants.


    "Pfft!"


    My mouth was filled with dirt, and when I tried to reflexively spit it out, I only succeeded in getting more mouthfuls.


    I couldn''t see.


    When the magic finally dissipated, I immediately flipped over and slid backwards some more, casting a water spell to clean my face.


    I had been blasted all the way from the wall of the school to the very edge, where the barrier began.


    An inch or two more, and I''d have been incinerated.


    I could see a speck in the distance on the wall of the academy, which I knew was Yuri.


    "Why didn''t you kill me?" I asked aloud, as if that would have given me an answer.


    He had the chance. I saw the look in his eyes.


    So why was I still alive?


    I shook my head, before grabbing a stone, and imbuing it with my mana. I then chucked it in the direction of Yuri. I could see Yuri''s shadow do the same. And then, I used mana switching. I switched with the stone, and in front of me, was Yuri, who had done the same. We clashed midair, and once again entered a battle of magic and hand to hand.


    But this time, there was a new factor in play. With every blow landed, every kick missed, and every spell gone wayward, we spread out mana to as many objects as possible. And we began to use mana switching, to escape and try and gain advantages at every moment. Flashes of light that were constantly shifting position and teleporting. WE were going to fast that to onlookers,


    It must have looked like a constellation was being formed.


    We were teleporting all through the field of the magic academy, launching attacks, and spells, and mana. All the while, we were talking to each other.


    "Even know you must see it right?" Yuri shouted as we traded more blows. "The similarities between you and I!"


    "Why didn''t you kill me?" I shouted back.


    "Because that is the one difference between me and you, Raiden!"


    I wanted to say that I didn''t understand what he was saying that he was just going on, just rambling, but in truth, I could see what he was trying to imply.


    Me and him shared the same look.


    The look of someone who was trained to kill. That could mean only one thing.


    From a young age, the both of us were trained to kill. We grew up trained for that one purpose. The similarities didn''t end there. He and I were both hell-bent on protecting this one person. So much so that we would give our lives. Mana switching. We both could do it, because both of us were prodigies.


    The similarities seemed endless.


    But there was a difference. A glaring difference.


    "Is what you do out of your own will or is it because of a duty you were given!"


    A question that quite literally shattered my mind, just as the punch he gave me at the same time hit my face.


    "Is it from your heart? Or is it mindlessly following a mission you were given, like a slave?" Another gut punch.


    I remembered when me and Kami had argued. She had said the same thing. Mindlessly following a mission.


    It brought a scary question to the surface. A question that I didn''t have an answer for.


    "Was my concern for Kami genuine? Or did it come from the mission that I had been given?


    The brand on my neck burned, as if just thinking about that question had reopened it.


    I remembered all of my father''s words, all of his teachings, his methods, everything.


    The answer to that question, lied in the answer to another question.


    Did Raiden Chisaki have a heart?


    And the answer to that was no.


    Almost instantly, my will to fight was sapped out of my body. Yuri had made an irrefutable point, one that shattered my own worldview, shattered my nonexistent self.


    The battle was coming to its close. The only thing fueling my movements were the dying embers of anger. Just like the dying embers of my determination. Just like the fading flame that was my own identity. With just a small gust of wind,


    Raiden Chisaki would be blown from reality, like the seeds of a dandelion.


    He would cease to exist.


    My blade curved an arc to Yuri''s throat.


    Yuri aimed a gun at my head.


    Just before the blows connected, were stopped. All of our magic energy was sealed, and we were forced to our knees by an unreal magical presence.


    Above us, an old man in a long trench coat stared down at us, emitting the aura of a god.


    "My children, this, is not the way."


    The headmaster of Theta Magic Academy had returned.

 Chapter 53: Forever Cycle

    The aura of the headmaster couldn''t be explained. The best I could do was make a comparison. It felt like the prince''s aura, only less sinister, and more overwhelmingly powerful. Any thoughts that I had to actually describe the feeling that was placed into my body vanished completely as I stood beneath him. His long black coat was flowing in the wind, and he was standing right in next to me and Yuri, near seconds away from killing each other.


    Immediately, I dropped to my knees, and Yuri did the same, our weapons clattering to the ground. I could feel the headmaster glaring down at me. Right now, he seemed nothing like that goofy man that Erika had played a prank on during the opening ceremony.


    His presence was overbearing and everywhere, just like the princes. However, unlike the princes, his commanded respect, not worship. It also felt just as strong.


    Behind us, I could hear footsteps rushing over. Glancing behind me, I could see the others arriving unto the scene, anxious, wands at the ready.


    As they noticed what was happening, a few breathed in relief.


    "Thank god there''s no intruder. After everything that Shindo had said, I was sure..." Hikaru said, as she stopped to catch her breath.


    Ichijo took a seat on the ground, breathing out a sigh of relief. "All of those explosions were really worrying." Genji shared his reaction, wiping her brow.


    One worry was out of the way, but A new one presented itself.


    "Headmaster, what..." Suijin seemed completely shocked to see the headmaster of Theta magic academy standing before her.


    Above me, I could see the headmaster raise his arms in greeting. "Ahh, what a wonder it is to see you all again. A week of staring into the eyes of people as old as me can really do damage to the brain!"


    He exclaimed in an over-the-top attitude.


    "You were supposed to be out until Sunday, meeting with the council of the grand magic academies." Suijin supplemented, still in disbelief.


    The headmaster waved his hand impatiently. "It went how it always does. Europe and America''s grand magic academy leaders were going at it, Africa remained uninvolved, and I ended up just drinking with the headmaster of South America''s grand magic academy. That meeting has always been a farce, an attempt to deceive the public into believing their can ever be peace between the magic academies."


    I was a bit shocked to see him call something supposed to be sacred, a farce, so openly at that. The meeting between the 7 headmasters of the 7 grand magic academies. It was something that happened twice every year and was supposed to symbolize the peace between the previously warring continents. However, according to the grandmaster, that symbol of peace was always an illusion.


    "So, you skipped the meeting?" Suijin asked.


    "Don''t worry about that, more importantly," He turned his gaze down to me and Yuri, and I shivered. It felt like millions of different things, were crawling around my body. I couldn''t even look him in the eyes.


    "Were you guys running combat trials to test the structure of the school or something? I can assure you that this entire plot is filled with some of the sturdiest material possible. All though....."


    He directed his gaze towards the massive craters along the outer rings of the barrier, and the one in front of us. "You guys really did a number to it, eh?"


    "No, we weren''t." Suijin replied, snapped out of her daze, and her attention having been directed towards the two of us. However, she wasn''t angry, instead, she seemed frustrated and annoyed. As if another thing had been added unto her already incomprehensibly large plate.


    Which It had. I realized in horror. I had just added to Suijin''s nonstop growing list of problems.


    "Makes sense." The headmaster said. His tone turned completley serious. "Considering the two of you were trying to kill each other."


    "....."


    The onlookers were left in silence at the reveal made by the headmaster.


    Suijin and Kami''s eyes both widened, and Hikaru and the others were looking on in disbelief.


    "Wha-...." Suijin was the most hurt of all. Not only because of the fact that someone she was so close with, that she thought she knew so well, had done something out of her reach of understanding, but also because that person had done something directly against what she believed in.


    I remembered my conversation with her. How she said the reason she felt so strongly about Shindo''s situation was because it went against everything she stood for. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The look in her eyes told me that she was beyond hurt. Beyond confused. Beyond betrayed.


    Kami was staring at me with pure confusion in her eyes. She didn''t understand my motives, and in truth nearly did I.


    I was just angry. I had let anger be in control of my actions. It was something that had never happened before. For as long as I can remember, that was one of the first things that Takeru had drilled into my head. Stay calm and composed. The moment you let anger dictate your actions, is the moment you lose. However, hearing the way Yuri spoke about Kami, I could not let that fly by me.


    "hk!-"


    Yuri reacted physically to the look in Suijin''s eyes. In our fight, I had learned more about him than I had expected. I had learned about how similar we were. However, there was a key difference, one that Yuri himself highlighted.


    "Is it from your heart? Or is it mindlessly following a mission you were given, like a slave?"


    Yuri was motivated by his love for Suijin. That''s why he was capable of looking so hurt when he saw Suijin hurt.


    Thats why when I had seen Kami hurt, my reaction was of shock, of disbelief, of anger. Because I was just a slave to a mission I had been given.


    A worthless big brother. That was the essence of my own existence.


    The brand burned even hotter. The rest of my body felt even colder.


    "Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?" Suijin asked, the hurt evident in her voice.


    Suijin''s question, everyone''s expectant gazes, all of the conversations I had had, everything, it all swirled into a burning point. A single question remained at the center of that exploding point, at the accumulation of everything.


    "What was the true identity behind Raiden Chisaki?"


    A brother?


    No. Takeru had said it himself. I had seen it myself.


    A son?


    No. Absolutely not. My mom couldn''t even look me in the eyes. The entire Chisaki household feared me. My father was disgusted by me. I had killed people who served directly under the family, directly for me.


    A protector?


    No. That had been shot down by Yuri, by his questions, by what he represented. He was a truer definition of the word than I could ever be. It left only one option.


    A tool?


    But even that was being called into question. However, it was the best option. The only one that fit. The only one that could describe the existence of Raiden Chisaki.


    "Raiden, say something." Kami said, her voice shaking.


    "Worthless piece of shit." Those were the words that came from my mouth. They were directed at none other than myself, and everyone could hear me.


    I grabbed my blade, standing up.


    The headmaster stared at me, not saying anything.


    I turned towards Suijin, before bowing deeply. Doing the one thing that went against what she believed in. But it wasn''t out of spite. It was.... the exact same thing that I had done after I had seen the hurt look on Kami''s face. I had resigned to make her hate me, to make everyone hate me. That was the answer I had come up with.


    I could already feel Yuri seething at my actions, as he understood the true meaning behind them.


    "Sorry Suijin. All of the blame is mine."


    "Raiden..." Suijin was also speechless. She was in mental turmoil.


    "Raiden, this again?" Kami''s pained shout broke through the cloud of silence.


    However, I turned my gaze away from her. Yuri noticed my actions and his anger reached a boiling point.


    "See, this is exactly what I was talking about." Suijin snapped her eyes towards Yuri.


    "You, Raiden Chisaki, are irredeemable scum."


    I already knew that. I knew it better than anyone.


    "Yuri!" Suijin shouted out, in anger. The temperatures also dropped by a few degrees. When I turned, I noticed it was Kami. Her expression had darkened, but I could also see doubt in her eyes. I remembered when she had cried to me, about her own insecurities. Her lack of confidence. And I could do nothing.


    As all of this went down, the headmaster did not utter a single word. He just looked from face to face closely.


    "Is this really the choice you''ve made, son of Takeru?"


    I was frozen by the headmaster''s statement. How did he know my father? I shook my head. It didn''t matter. Nothing mattered. It had never mattered. At least where I was concerned. All of my attempts were pointless. It always led back here. It always would.


    It was a cycle. It was a cycle that I would never escape.


    I would try to pathetically crawl back, pathetically crawl away from the truth behind my identity, from the reality behind my existence. And it would always hurt the people around me. Make them suffer.


    Over and over and over.


    I would repeat the same mistakes, over and over and over.


    I would reach out for that flame, for the warmth, for a heart.


    And I would lose it all again and again.


    Again, and again.


    Envy of others. Of those who weren''t trapped.


    Greed, for wanting more than I should ever deserve.


    Sloth, for never being able to the right thing, the action that truly helped someone.


    Pride, for never being able to let go of my own pitiful worth.


    Wrath, for always being the one to bring pain upon others.


    Lust, for enjoying that feeling of warmth that I experienced, despite knowing the truth behind it.


    Gluttony, for seemingly never being able to get enough of that cycle.


    The truth behind Raiden Chisaki''s existence had been laid bare.


    A man who lost his heart. no-.


    The scar on my chest burned.


    The man born without one.


    I turned to Suijin.


    "I have the answer." She looked at me in shock.


    "To that question you asked me, on the first day of school."


    "This is the path my heart chose." I lied to her. I lied to everyone. I knew it was bullshit; they knew it was bullshit, but no one said anything.


    "All actions have consequences." The headmaster said cryptically.


    "A man must truly die, before they can be truly reborn."


    I turned my back away from everyone, towards the darkness.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The situation was as so.


    Raiden Chisaki, the one without an identity.


    Suijin Hajimoto, who believed that she was responsible for the weight of the world.


    Kami Chisaki, the hypocrite.


    Yuri Hamani, cursed by the visage of his own past.


    Shindo Miyamoto, the monster born in isolation.


    Hikaru Hina, the saint who couldn''t lead him into the light.


    Looking upon them, the young girl, dressed in a white dress, smiled.


    Her dress, no, cloth that covered her body, was blowing in the wind. Watching. Lusting. Searching.


    The witch of Vainglory.


    She had found him.


    The one to be loved by the witch.


    Volume 1- Forever Cycle. End.

 Chapter 54: The Witch

    Volume 2: Castle of Dreams, Start


    The scenery of the city below was familiar. The streets of London. It was near midnight, and there were very few people currently wandering the empty streets. Little to no activity, a stark contrast to what it was like just a few nights before, when they had originally gathered. Now, once again standing upon the Big Ben, they were reunited. However, it wasn''t any move of theirs that had brough them together. These 5 individuals always acted independently, and nearly nothing would bring them together.


    Except for the witch.


    She was the one uniting factor in this group. The one that kept everything together.


    She was the one that had blessed these five with their powers. She was the one that had shared her love upon them and given them a single order.


    "Follow me, for I am your savior."


    At the very lowest point in their lives, near death, considering death, considering giving up, leaving, stopping, abandoning, relinquishing, conceding, surrendering, yielding.


    At that very point, where there was nothing that pushed them to go on, when it felt like the world was lost, and that nothing could save them, she appeared.


    She was the height of a child, aged about 13, with long, white hair, that reached all the way down to her knees. She was dressed in a single white piece of fabric, which always flowed wildly in the wind when she appeared. Perfect, round eyes that matched the color of the sky.


    That was her appearance.


    She had been the one to save them, to give them the now powerful abilities they possessed. Their debt? Do everything in her stead. Complete her goals. Anything she said, will be done. No matter what it takes. No matter how many lives it costs. That was the truth behind it all. The thing that kept that ragtag group together.


    And now, she had given them a new mission.


    A new goal.


    A new direction.


    Find the next subject. The next person to receive her, "love."


    The witch of Vainglory had Spoken, and her order would not be denied.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Everything in the world, belonged to him. That was the belief of the man in the black suit. Everything that had existed, currently existed, and would exist. It all belonged to him. Because he was the one chosen by the witch. It was this singular reason that kept his way of life alive. Sure, she had chosen the others, but it wasn''t with as much love as she had chosen him. He was the special one. He was the one in which the witch placed her faith in. Because of that, everything in the world belonged to him, because everything in the world belonged to her. He was the perfect match, the perfect fit, the one who was made for her.


    The man in the black suit glanced upon the spire of the Big Ben, which had been destroyed by that barbarian of a man named wrath.


    With just a snap of his finger, it was returned to its glorious original state, not a single sign of damage.


    The man smiled.


    This power that was given to him by the witch, it truly was something glorious. Anything that he wanted-no-deserved, would always be given to him. Because of his endless amounts of mana, there was nothing he couldn''t create.


    The man then reached into the air, and from it, he pulled out a cigarette. From just thin air. He lit it with a flame spell and took a glance up at the newly restored spire.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Everything in this world belongs to me, because I am the only one loved by the witch."


    He spoke.


    With that, the man of limitless set out to satisfy the boundless abyss that was his desire.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    There was no point in overexerting yourself, in putting extra effort in, in none of that. At the end of the day, no matter what you do, it all leads to death. All of the actions that you take in life either prolong, or extend, that time. It was all pointless, and so, why try. In fact, the girl in the oversized hoodie once thought that it was all so pointless that she decided to end it all. If life just inevitably leads to death, why try and do anything else. Just end it all, that the fate that was coming for you always.


    That was until she meets the witch. Blessed, saved by her, and granted with an ability that made sure that she never needed to do more than what was necessary. She had already walked down that path, trying you very hardest, and it only led her to dark places. And so, this power, this ability she was given, it was the perfect remedy.


    The witch had saved her and fixed her. For that, she owed her, her own life. So, for that, she would always do whatever she willed, because she was loved by the witch.


    "A sane person in an irrational world. A world that says, "try your hardest" even if its futile. Thats why this way is the best."


    As she repeated these words to herself, she lazily raised her hand into the air, and the clock on the face of the Big Ben crumbled.


    The one filled with sloth, continued to remain inactive.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Desire, desire, desire. The girl in pink, Eve, only desired one thing. She softly caressed the picture of Raiden which she had kept on her at all times. It was perfect, it was so perfect. Not only did she love him, did she desire him, but so did the witch. The person who saved her. It could not be any more perfect.


    She slowly raised her lips to the picture, kissing it.


    It made her aroused, just looking at the image. Her Adam. Her perfect Adam.


    It was right in front of her. She was going to get him.


    The person she desired most, aside from the witch, the one who blessed her.


    The person who had saved her from the hell she used to live in, and given her new life, taught the girl who didn''t know love, how to love.


    Not only would she be able to find her beloved, but she''d also be able to fulfill the witch''s goals at the same time.


    It was perfect!


    "Thor, be ready!" A lightning bolt flashed behind her, and her bodyguard appeared.


    "Love, pure love, I though it didn''t exist, but here it is! Wait on me, my Adam."


    And so, the one consumed by lust, had her sights set.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Better than others. I was better than others. That''s what the man in the white suit believed. Why was this so? Because he was the one who gained the favor of the witch. She had chosen him, blessed him with an ability, and it was because of that, it was due to that reason, that he was better than anybody else.


    They were all ants, mites, vermin, rodents, that crawled beneath him. In comparison to himself, they were nothing.


    The witch had given him this blessing, this reward, and now, he would do anything to keep it.


    Her orders were gospel, her wills would become reality, her wants would always be achieved.


    Because she was perfect.


    A perfectly powerful being, who was gracious, who saved people.


    She had saved him. From the confines of hell, the confine that was war.


    There had been a point in this man''s live where he had felt less than human. Worthless. Despicable trash.


    However she had saved him and showed him that that was the most worthless thing you could possibly do.


    She had saved him and given him a power that made him stand above the rest.


    And because she had molded him into her image, he was also perfect. There was no doubt about it.


    "There is nothing worse than someone who can''t keep their ego down. Someone who pretends to be perfect. Anybody like that, is worthless trash. But at the same time, anybody who can''t even respect they''re on existence, is arguably even worse."


    With that, the White Knight of Pride leaped from the building, heading to his next goal.


    The witch of Vainglory''s, next goal.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Destruction. That was the only way for change to be brought about. To just let go, that was not enough. To just set it aside, to say that you''ve changed, grown away from it, is not enough. Because if it is still in existence, then the temptation would always remain, because that is the truth behind human nature. If there is temptation, then man will always fall into it. So, because of that fact, everything that is old, that is not of use, must be destroyed; that is why he was blessed with this power.


    The witch had seen his potential, and she had seen his vision. Because of that, she had granted him with the power to grant things the ultimate rebirth. That was his role in things. Her love for him, and his love for her would bring about a new world, one in which rebirth would be achieved. After all,


    "Something must truly die, before it can truly be reborn."


    As he said the words to himself, he reached out and touched the base of the big ben. Just then, the clock tower struck twelves.


    There, the final chimes of the Big Ben had happened.


    The bells rang out, as if in a cry of pain.


    And then, the tower, fell.


    It marked the start of their goal.


    The siege, of Theta Magic Academy.

 Chapter 55: Castle of Dreams

    The was a morning routine which I abided by every morning. It was something that I had followed for as long as I can remember. Every morning, I would repeat the same steps. Over and over again. That morning routine was simple.


    Every day, I would wake up at five in the morning. Early, yes, but I was used to it. I always woke up earlier training with my father anyways. Why 5? That was a question that I didn''t have a good answer too. 5 was just the time in which I couldn''t physically sleep anymore, even if I wanted to.


    After waking up, I would head to the upstairs bathroom, passing by Kami''s room. She''d either be asleep, or on her phone. If the latter occurred, I would peak my head in there and tell her to shut it off and go to sleep. She would then tell me to screw off, and I continued on with my day. However, even though I could hear the sounds of her phone, I nearly didn''t do it. I nearly walked right by her room, without having what was a nearly daily interaction for us.


    I took a deep breath, before knocking on the door.


    "Go to sleep."


    I didn''t peek my head into her room as usual. I just walked away, a bit hurriedly.


    No response.


    My own level of awkwardness rose. It had been like that ever since the day I had turned my back on everyone.


    Kami and I would still interact, it wasn''t as if we were ignoring each other.


    However, there was distance. Noticeable distance. Even more than before. My own actions, and my own inaction had caused this.


    Snapping my mind out of the spiral that I would have undoubtedly gone on, I stepped into the bathroom.


    This next part of my routine was a bit... I didn''t really have the words to describe it. It was just, something.


    I stood in front of the mirror, shirtless. Just staring at the reflection that I saw.


    Black hair.


    Black eyes.


    Pale skin.


    Scars, deep and shallow, that ran along my arms.


    Slowly, I ran my hand along them, feeling them out.


    Self-inflected. All of them were.


    I would analyze every muscle on my body, before finally turning towards the scar on my stomach.


    Over the past few weeks, the scar had begun to change.


    Usually, although it had healed a bit, it would still remain visible. It was there, but it only really looked like a part of my skin was a lighter color, and not like an actual wound.


    However, over the past few weeks, it had started to become fresher.


    It was much deeper; it looked like it would start bleeding at any moment.


    Running my finger along it, I winced in pain. That never happened before. It never felt like this before.


    I though back to my hazy memories, the ones from when I was an infant.


    The claustrophobic walls of the home.


    The loud, crashing of the thunder.


    Rain, slamming against the roof and windows.


    Lighting, flashing outside.


    The screams.


    The cries.


    And the girl dressed in black.


    She had given me this wound.


    "Hk!"


    Just thinking about her made my head and scar hurt simultaneously. Just remembering that scenario made it feel nauseous. I felt like I was going to puke my very intestines out. A pounding headache threatened to make me topple over, and I gripped the sides of the sink tight enough from my hands to bruise, bringing me back into reality.


    I continued with my routine, casting aside the vomit inducing memories of my past.


    "Failure, it''s a failure."


    My father''s final words before the memory cut away rang out loudly in my head.


    Still gripping the sides of the sink tightly, I forced myself to look into the mirror; to look my own reflection in its eyes.


    After a few seconds of prolonged eye contact, I spoke.


    "Raiden Chisaki. My name is...Raiden Chisaki." I hesitated. Why? No idea.


    "My one and only goal, my purpose?"


    "Ensure the Safety of the Princess of the Chisaki estate. Kami."


    With that, I let go of the sink and continued on.


    The rest of my routine was basic.


    I took a shower, washed my body and hair, and then got dressed for school.


    I always put on, undergarments, pants, shirt, belt, socks, shoes, and blazer. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    In that very order. Every day. This time however, his outfit was different. Because he was a member of the defense force, he was given a special outfit.


    Black pants, black boots, black shirt, and black trench coat.


    After I got dressed, I went downstairs and drank coffee. Besides water, it was hands down my favorite drink.


    And then, after that?


    I just sat and waited for the time when Kami would get ready, so we could eat breakfast and head to school.


    Except this time, the wait felt much more gut-wrenching and anxious than ever before.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Stepping through the barrier that led into Theta Magic Academy, they were greeted by:


    A world of Magic.


    The first thing that was noticeable was just the sheer number of vibrant colors in the air.


    Red, green, blue, black, orange, yellow, purple, violet, indigo.


    Small, fairy-like creatures that resembled butterflies flew throughout the air,


    The entire rainbow was flying through the sky and decorated the walls and the outer yards of the magic academy.


    It was truly a spectacle, one that would remain ingrained in your memory forever.


    Throughout the sky above the magic academy, fireworks, and magic sequences, flew throughout the air; unleashing beautiful images of flowers, animals, and even faces. It seemed to be an automatic thing, that only required mana to create the vast amount of colorful and creative images that it did.


    I was truly impressed by the skill of the engineering branch.


    The next, most noticeable thing was the changes that were made to the magic academy.


    First off, the magic academy had been raised nearly a hundred feet off of the ground.


    A massive base had been constructed, which raised the building off of the ground and up into the air.


    It was so high that the entrance was not possible to reach from where we were on the ground.


    Even if you created a low gravity sequence, and added a jump boost and sequence on top of it, you would be hard pressed to make it to the top.


    So, how were students meant to reach the entrance?


    A massive, green plant was in front of the base, curving and winding and twisting all the way up, providing a path to the entrance.


    It was the massive beanstalk. The same one I had seen in the blueprints that Suijin had shown me.


    "It looks even better in the day, where you can actually see everything." Kami spoke next to me.


    She was referring to the fact that we had put the finishing touches on the magic academy so late at night, that it was impossible to actually admire it. But now, standing in the sunlight, I could truly say,


    That it looked beautiful.


    Suijin and the student council had more than just outdone themselves.


    A hand hooked around my neck in a familiar motion.


    "Raiden!" Isn''t it just...." Erika, who was next to me, was left speechless. That was a very rare occurrence, and it was in testimony to just how great and lavish this magic academy really was.


    "Amazing. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Absolutely magical. There are no words that accurately describe just how well done this whole thing really is." Nova said from behind me.


    "Hey, you two." I spoke.


    Nova waved, and Erika continued to admire the academy, practically drooling.


    Ignoring Erika, who was completely zoned out, I turned to Nova. "Did you manage to do it?"


    She nodded her head. "Yep. It''s perfect. What about you?"


    "Same. The very best I could come up with."


    "How about the two of you stop trying to speak in code language that I can''t understand. I doubt it''s just to keep secrets from your friends." A third voice said from behind.


    Masayoshi, as all ways, appeared mysteriously, and out of nowhere. He was also dressed in the same all black fit, which made him look a tad bit cooler.


    "The both of you..." Erika had finally managed to wrench her eyes away from the building and now was looking at Masayoshi and me. "Look totally badass!" She finally exclaimed, patting us on the back.


    "The black is seriously so fucking sick."


    "Thank you."


    Th-ugh-thank you."


    Me and Masayoshi both said, gasping for breath.


    "Back to what I was saying." Masayoshi said after he had regained his breath.


    "What exactly is this secret you''ve been keeping from us?"


    Nova shook her head. "It isn''t a secret, considering it''s the only thing that Himitsu has been having us work on."


    Realization dawned over his face. "Abilities?"


    We both nodded.


    "I can''t wait to show mine off, its seriously so sick." Erika interjected.


    "Anyways, shall we?" Masayoshi gestured to the beanstalk, which we had to climb in order to actually enter the academy.


    "Of course! Last one there''s a-" I couldn''t hear her sentence after that, because Erika dashed away and was already halfway up the massive beanstalk, which was easily 150 ft tall.


    Nova followed quickly after her, and Masayoshi simply shook his head, before chasing after them.


    That left me alone. Kami had slipped away at some point, probably to join her friends.


    Just as I was about to begin climbing the beanstalk. I was stopped by a pair of soft hands which blocked my eyes.


    "Guess who?" An excited voice said.


    I recognized her voice immediately. Just hearing it was enough to lift my mood slightly.


    "Hikaru. Don''t do things like that. What if I thought you were an enemy and cut your head off or something." I joked, turning around to see her.


    She was dressed in the same outfit, which made her blond hair stand out considerably. She was smiling, and her hands were clasped behind her back.


    "Hehe. You wouldn''t actually."


    I gestured behind me to the massive beanstalk.


    "Theres only one way up."


    A competitive glint glowed behind her eyes. "Oh, you''re on."


    Immediately, we dashed up the beanstalk, using magic, and grabbing unto vines and branches to pull ourselves upward. It was a pretty even race, as we dodged students in a race to the top.


    We were almost at the top when-


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, Hikaru lost her handle, and was about to fall, until I grabbed her arm, pulling her up and over the edge, before we landed.


    I was holding her in my arms like she was a princess.


    To be completely honest, that was probably all unnecessary, as she could have used magic to save herself, but I had done it anyways.


    Hikaru''s mind had lagged behind for a few seconds, still stuck at back when she had nearly fallen. When here brain snapped back into reality, and she realized that she was in my arms, like some princess in a fairy tale, a red blush creeped unto her face, before she jumped away, facing away from me.


    "Ah, th-thanks, Raiden." She said, still covering her face, looking away from me.


    I stared at her huddled-up form in a bit of confusion, not exactly sure on why she reacted so strongly.


    Maybe don''t grab girls without their consent, Raiden.


    My mind immediately fired an insult at me, which I shook away.


    The scar on my stomach burned.


    After the short scene, we walked through the front gates of the magic academy, which were decorated lavishly, and entered the building.


    The main lobby had been completely transformed and refurbished.


    Colors were everywhere, streamers, vibrant holograms shot out from machines. In the center of the lobby, was a casket, which was supposed to represent snow white. The floor was painted to resemble water, and there was even a monument that had Cinderella''s glass shoes. The same fairly like things were inside as well, creating beautiful environment in the enclosed lobby. The glass staircase shined even brighter.


    Everyone was walking around slowly, still admiring everything. Hikaru was walking slightly faster than me, which was a bit odd. We were heading for the student council room to look for Suijin, but we noticed her standing in the center of the lobby, by the casket. She was being surrounded and congratulated and thanked.


    When we finally got our chance to talk to her, she smiled at us. There was a bit of an awkward silence, before Hikaru broke it.


    "Suijin, this place is totally amazing!" She then began to squeal and compliment Suijin on how well everything done was. The entire time they spoke, I kept my gaze downcast.


    When they finished talking, I looked up at SUijin for a split second, before turning my gaze back down to the ground. She looked even more tired than she had ever before.


    "This place is-, it''s really, great, you know?" I awkwardly spoke.


    Suijin nodded. "T-thank you."


    It was just a mess, and Hikaru could sense it.


    I noticed the strained smile on her face, and was going to ask her what was wrong when-


    An explosion shook the academy.

 Chapter 56: Hell

    The origin of the explosion was the roof of the magic academy. It rocked the walls, and the ground, and by all accounts, I would have assumed that it was something like an earthquake. If it wasn''t for the massive red-orange blast that came along with the tremors. Debris was catapulted downward from the ceiling at lethal speeds, crashing into the ground, and catching some students off guard.


    What became of them, I didn''t know.


    The massive plume of smoke and red orange flames erupted downward from the ceiling, reaching down as if it was the massive hand of some flaming giant.


    Pieces of debris ricochet violently off of the walls and the ground, wounding some students, and destroying the decorations and sections of wall that they hit.


    The first most immediate reactions were screams.


    Along with the massive BOOOM!!! that came along with the explosion, and the "CRACK and SLAMMS that came from the rubble and debris that that crashed into the walls and the ground; shrill screams, pained shouts, and strained yells erupted from the student body that was gathered in the lobby of Theta magic Academy.


    Students who were hit by stray pieces of glass, rubble, metal, soot.


    Those who were trapped under the larger pieces of the roof that had been blown off in the explosion.


    They all let out shouts, screams, and yells, which filled the massive lobby of Theta magic academy.


    Along with the smoke that was now spreading throughout the massive lobby of Theta magic academy. All of these factors combined to create a literal hell in front of my eyes.


    My eyes were overloaded with the vibrant color of the massive explosion. All of the rubble falling down and blocking my vision.


    My hearing was overloaded from the deafening boom of the explosion to all of the screams that surrounded me, and the sounds of rubble crashing into the ground and hitting students.


    My nose was completely overwhelmed by the smoke, and the smell of soot. The scent of something burning lingered in the background.


    My mouth was filled with the taste of charred air in smoke. I spit, but nothing I did could remove the foul taste from me.


    My own hands were numb from the number of times I swung my blade in order to block and destroy pieces of rubble.


    And finally, my brain was completely overloaded by the numerous amounts of things that I began to calculate.


    Who the hell is out attacker? How did they get in here? Was it just a machine misfire? That seemed much too unlikely. There was the saying that it was always better to over engineer than to under engineer. So that leaves the option of it being an attacker. But that only brought up a completely new question. How did they get in. The defense scheme that Yuri had given to the defense force was the one that made use of as many people as possible to cover the perimeters of the school. Members of the defense force were stationed around points were there was minimal camera coverage, as well as along the roofs of the building to survey from above. Not to mention that each member of the defense force was equipped with a panic button, that they could press when they spotted something suspicious, and it would send an emergency signal. Not to mention, they would have to get through the barrier. The one that was impenetrable. The one that literally hid the magic academy from the eye of anyone outside it.


    I slashed away another piece of rubble, helping a pair of students to their feet, before ducking under more falling debris and clearing a path for them to make it to the front exit.


    That also brought up the issue of Kami. Where she had gone, I didn''t know. However, I had to find her.


    Whoever this attacker was, they were seriously no slump.


    Next to me, Suijin used her own water magic to locate trapped students and guide them towards the exit, which I was keeping clear. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I looked over and noticed Hikaru, and Masayoshi''s black uniforms running about, helping students. Students were helping each other.


    Despite the utter shock and suddenness of the attack, the evacuation process was going smoother than expected.


    I could feel magical energy being built up, as someone charged up and let loose a wind spell in order to blow away the smoke. A gush of wind blew through the lobby, blowing away a majority of the smoke.


    However, in the center of the lobby, in between the glass staircases, a funnel of smoke was resisting being blown away. It struggled against the wind, and the funnel was pushed back, compressing even more. It was now circling around a spot in-between the two staircases, like a mini typhoon. The smoke sped up as the wind continued to blow against it, before it finally gave in.


    A final push from the wind and the dark smoke was vanquished, blown away.


    And standing in the center of the two staircases, was a literal fairy tale figure.


    Completely black coat. An eyepatch covering one eye. A chilling laugh came from the man, filling what was now a almost dead silent hall.


    "HAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"


    The man, the intruder, the culprit, perpetrator, the one behind the sudden attack on theta magic academy?


    He was Wrath.


    The man who had survived a battle with a world ender. The man who had endured an S-rank ability.


    He was the one who would serve as the villain, to this fairy tale, to the castle of dreams.


    If despair hadn''t settled into the students of Theta magic academy yet, it did now.


    My own heart dropped as his figure appeared. Standing tall, with his head reared back in crazed laughter.


    "W-why is he here?" I muttered to myself. It only made me even more worried. If someone like this was here, what exactly was going on at Theta magic academy?


    Cries could be heard as the last students were being quickly evacuated. I''m sure there was even more confusion outside.


    "Raiden!" Hikaru shouted as her, Suijin, and Masayoshi rushed to my side. In the now empty hall, her voice carried.


    "Masayoshi, did Yuri say that-"


    "Should a threat be posed to the magic academy higher than what we could prepare for, to leave it to him? Yeah. And I''ll be honest. I really hate where this going, but it seems like-"


    "He isn''t coming." Suijin finished for us. Her voice tense, and her expression possessing a hint of.... anger?


    I let out a shakey breath, trying not to let my worry for Kami cloud my eyes to the current situation.


    "First things first. How many students do you think are still in the magic academy?" I asked.


    Suijin shivered. "A lot. A bunch of people in the engineering branch remained behind to survey the machinery and monitor the designs. Not to mention, a lot of students went upstairs to check things out..." She couldn''t finish her sentence.


    "With how spread out everybody is. It quite literally will be impossible to go to everyone personally in time before..." Masayoshi didn''t need to finish that though.


    Before Wrath began to destroy things. I finished in my mind.


    Suijin''s eyes widened. "The PA system! There should still be a group of students in there that are in charge of getting out a message in case of crisis!"


    However, no such message came. That spoke depths with how off guard that this attack had truly caught everyone.


    "A few students part of the task force should have been defending them as well. Meaning, if no message has come yet then..."


    "Something has happened to comprise them, or put them in danger, or..." I finished for Hikaru, but left the last possibility unspoken.


    Hikaru and Suijin shivered at the thought.


    Suijin then took a deep breath, wiping her face, before turning to face us with a silent determination in her eyes. "We need to split up. The two of you need to head up to the PA system and help any students you meet along the way. Gather as much info as you can as too what''s happening. If you meet any members of the defense force, send them out to help others, and find the headmaster. Once you save the students in the PA room, send out a message, explaining the situation." Suijin calmly and quickly laid out or plan of action. Despite how tired she seemed, and how stressful this situation was, she was still capable of thinking rationally and put the lives of the students first.


    She had delegated this task to me and Hikaru. We both nodded, acknowledging her plan.


    "What about you two?" Hikaru asked, worried about leaving the two of them alone with such a powerful foe.


    An unbeatable, foe.


    Suijin simply shook her head, and flashed Hikaru a smile. "We will face this enemy and hold him off until then."


    I looked at Suijin''s figure. The slump in her shoulders was visible, as well as the strain of her facial expression. However, I knew she was a powerful, smart, and skilled mage. The foe she was facing, however, would render that meaningless. I couldn''t help but be a bit worried.


    "Don''t push yourself. This isn''t something that can be handled alone." I said those words to her as I left."


    Suijin gave me a look, one filled with complex, unreadable emotions. Those emotions flitted around her eyes for a second, as she glanced at me. And then she nodded. "Same to you."


    With that the two groups split up.


    Me and Hikaru headed to liberate the PA system.


    Masayoshi and Suijin turned to face Wrath.

 Chapter 57: Enclosed

    Using a low gravity spell, we bounded up into the air, soaring over the heads of Wrath and our comrades, climbing unto the second floor. The PA room would be located on student services, the same place as student council. We had to make it there as quickly as possible and get a message out over the PA system. We would inform all of the students remaining in the building of the exit, as well as rely on any other information that we gathered along the way.


    "We also have to figure out what happened to the students who should have been up there." I muttered to myself, as me and Hikaru bounded up the steps as quickly as possible. Down below, we could hear the sounds of conversations being had, however the specifics of the words being discussed were not privy to us. We didn''t have time to worry about that either. If we wanted them to be safe, we would have to complete the tasks we were given as quickly as possible.


    "Chances are, Wrath didn''t come alone." Hikaru said from beside me. Her face was set in a silent determination, and I think that I had a feeling of what was going on in her mind.


    That thought made my heart only beat faster. If Wrath truly had allies, ones that were as strong as him, then the safety of everyone was called into question.


    Kami''s safety was called into question.


    I clenched my wand tighter, gnashing my teeth together in order to force myself to focus on the task at hand. Don''t let your mind wander, Raiden.


    Bursting unto the floor of the student service room, the first thing we noticed was how empty it was. There was not a single sign of life, or signs of a struggle whatsoever. The hall was in a perfect state. Nothing had been touched. Everything was in perfect condition. From the walls, which were covered in vibrant colored streamers and hand drawn designs, to the doors which were modeled after different fairy tale stories. Nothing was out of place.


    "This is-"


    "Suspicious." Hikaru finished for me, as we walked through the glowing hallway. Our steps were slow, and nervous. The tranquility of the hall brought about an unreal tension. As if something would jump out of any one of the doors and attack us.


    But we made our way to the door which led to the room where the PA system was, completely unharmed.


    Our growing anxiety did not stop there, however. We stood in front of the door, scared to open it, terrified of we might find behind it.


    "Nothing to it, but to do it?" Hikaru tried to get out some motivational words up in the air, but her tone killed their effect. However, it was better than nothing, and with those words at my back, I pushed open the door.


    And the room?


    It was empty.


    Not empty in the sense that there was no one in there, but empty by the definition of the word. There was not a single article within the entire room. No decorations. No designs. Nothing. The speakers, the mic, the students who should have been there?


    Weren''t. They were all gone.


    "What the...." Was all I could get out. How did everything just, vanish? That wasn''t possible, right?


    Hikaru looked around the room with fear and confusion in her eyes. "Where did everything go?"


    Shaking my head, I went back outside and opened up a door to another room. Empty. And the next. Empty.


    Empty. Empty. Empty. All of the rooms leading up to the student council room, where all empty.


    "What could have done this?" I asked aloud. It wasn''t like someone had gone towards the room and thrown them in disarray or something. If anything, that would be more reassuring. No. Literally everything had just vanished from the rooms, and there wasn''t even the slightest sign of destruction.


    How to you get rid of all of those objects, all of those people, without damaging a single thing?


    "Without alerting a single person?" I asked aloud. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Let''s check the student council room!" Hikaru said as she rushed over towards it.


    It was the only room that we hadn''t checked. The massive doors were decorated in the style of a portal, one that presumably led to another world. We dashed towards the door, and when we burst through.


    We found it also empty, save for two things.


    A singular chair. A large one, that Suijin usually sat on during meetings. And a person sitting in that chair. They were wearing a black suit, and were sitting with their legs crossed, and arms on the seat rest. That had a smile on their face, and a look of want in their eyes.


    The man in the black Suits eyes roved over the two of us for a second. Then he spoke.


    "Are you two, the next additions to my Vault?"


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    Downstairs, a few minutes before Raiden and Hikaru meet with the man in the black suit.


    Wrath looked up as he watched the two students in black trench coats bound up towards the spiral staircase. He began looking around at the beauty of the place he had just entered, admiring the designs, the colors, everything.


    "The grandeur of this place, and its design. It really makes me feel like I crashed some sort of party." Wrath spoke loudly, but to himself. He reached his hand up into the air as he looked at the hole in the ceiling that he had created. The sun was shining though, creating a rough spotlight around where he was standing, between the two spiral staircases.


    "And I''m the star of the show." He turned his gaze to the two students who were currently standing in front of him.


    There was a girl, a pretty one at that, with long black hair, and a look of anger in her eyes. That look only made Wrath smile even more.


    Next to her, was a boy, with long blue hair that covered his eyes, and a neutral expression on his face. That bored Wrath. This was not the time for calm. He wanted to see anger behind the eyes of these students. Hatred. Intent to kill.


    "How did you get here." Suijin stated, as she faced Wrath. Her tone was dark, and her hands were clenched tightly together.


    "From above. How else?" Wrath threw out a purposely annoying answer to her question, in hopes of fanning the flames in her eyes just a little bit more.


    His only goal here was to serve as a distraction, in order to allow the other members to complete their own respective tasks. Therefore, he decided that he would have as much fun as possible as he played bait.


    And his bait, worked. Suijin''s eyes flared, and her expression darkened even further. Just as she took a step forward however, a hand reached out to stop her.


    It was Masayoshi.


    Wrath let out an audible "tch!" at that gesture.


    "Suijin, don''t let him bait you into getting angry. Thats his main goal here. Keep calm."


    "You always this much of a buzzkill, huh prick?" Wrath threw out an insult against the kid, but he did not bite. He didn''t even bother to look up at him. Instead, he cracked his knuckles and pulled out a book from his trench coat. Around his fingers, were 10 rings. His ten fingers were also covered in chains.


    Applying a spell to the book, he let it go and allowed for it to float into the air.


    He shook his hair, before turning to face his opponent, building up his magical energy. "I understand why you''d be angry. I don''t blame you at all. But if we fall for this barbarians provocations, we are bound to lose this battle." With that statement, Masayoshi was prepared for battle.


    Looking at Masayoshi thankfully, Suijin took in a deep breath, before letting it out, and turning to face Wrath with a neutral expression on her face. Her own wand was glowing, and she began to build up magical energy of her own.


    Realizing that his plan was thwarted, Wrath sneered angrily. "Barbarian? I''ll show you something truly barbaric then!"


    And with that, the battle in the lobby commenced.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Outside of the magic academy, in the yard, where hundreds of students were gathered, there was a problem.


    The evacuation process should have been quick and clean. They should have all been swiftly taken from the building, and lead by members of the defense force to the outside, where they would exit through the barrier. After which, they would call for reinforcements from the Mages Association. However, there was a major obstacle that was in the way.


    Infront of the barrier, sitting at the front gate, was a singular girl, with messy braids, and an oversized blue hoodie. She was hugging her legs towards her chest, and she was asleep. She was blocking the way.


    That in an off itself wouldn''t have been a problem. She was one girl. Asleep, at that. They could have easily taken her out or just walked right by her. The only thing that was stopping them was the massive aura that was leaking from her body. It was so potent and powerful, that while just approaching her, it felt hard to breathe, and like gravity was increasing.


    That was the sole factor blocking their way.


    However, the defense force was not incompetent. They had prepared multiple escape routes, just for the occasion that the front gate was blocked. So why weren''t those currently in use? Well because currently, they were all blocked off. By a multitude of different armed individuals, who all had one thing in common. A tattoo on their neck, of a Python with wings. These individuals also possessed an insanely high aura.


    All of these factors, along with the sudden attack from Wrath, a mythical figure that went toe to toe with a world ender- caused fear to consume the minds of all of the students in the courtyard.


    Order was impossible.


    Rational thought was impossible. And at that moment, the girl in the blue hoodie awoke.


    She yawned and then spoke. "Ahh, it seems it''s my turn." She spoke tiredly. She then waved her hand about lazily. A simple, unthreatening gesture.


    Then, heads began to fly.

 Chapter 58: Up to Bat

    An explosion ripped through the air, sending debris flying throughout the air and crashing into the walls. All around, decorations were knocked from their place, and the beauty of the lobby began to crumble.


    Another explosion quickly followed that one, and another. In quick succession, multiple explosions assailed the lobby of Theta magic academy, quickly turning it from a beautiful, well designed and decorated space to a pock marked land that resembled the face of cheese.


    Along with those explosions, spells of magic were curving throughout the smoke and debris that were constantly being kicked up.


    Water and fire. They twirled in a ballerina''s dance, acrobatically swinging through the destruction and towards their target, who took them on with a crazed smile, and


    This was the situation of the battle that was taking place in the lobby.


    Wrath charged, ceaselessly attacking his two opponents, all the while they attempted to keep as much distance as possible, using magic spells to slow down his pursuit.


    Masayoshi and Suijin both understood the destructive power that their opponent possessed was nothing to be trifled with.


    Someone who could blow down entire monuments, with just a singular explosion.


    A person who could go toe to toe with possibly one of the strongest people on the planet. The clips they had seen of his fight with Julius were not forgotten. His power, his speed, and his disregard for things, they were all things that these two had to be wary of.


    But it was also these facts that brought confusion to the minds of his opponents. What could he possibly hope to achieve coming here? If he just wanted to destroy Theta magic academy, then he could have done it without all of the theatrics. But even then, destroying a magic academy just didn''t seem to align with his goals. Not to mention it was extremely stupid.


    In seconds, the Mages association was probably already alerted to what was happening, and some of the strongest Magic Knights in the continent of Asia would already be on their way. Not to mention that they''d have to put up with the strength of the headmaster. Every magic Academy had one, and these were people seen as above the level of S rank magic knights, and just as strong as the world enders themselves.


    That lead Masayoshi and Suijin to the conclusion that Wrath most likely wasn''t working alone, to achieve whatever his mysterious goal may be. That lead them to worry about the situation of the entirety of the magic academy, but there would be no use stressing over things they couldn''t solve, nor have the time to worry about. They would simply have to place their trust that Raiden and Hikaru would be able to push through any obstacles they were meet with and get a message across the PA system.


    With inhuman speed, Wrath dashed forward and grabbed Suijin by the collar.


    "Ah-!" Her exclamation of shock was cut short by the finger that Wrath places over her lips.


    "Shhh!" He said, with a smile on his face.


    A chain wrapped itself around his body, and he was tossed away, straight into a wall.


    Sliding backwards, and trying to collect her breath, Suijin thanked Masayoshi for the save.


    "No need." He then turned to face Wrath, who was completely unfazed, despite the fact that he had been slammed into a wall, with a force that was nothing to scoff at either. "Our opponent is most likely playing with us. He won''t get serious."


    Masayoshi made that assessment with the upmost confidence.


    Suijin nodded, finally getting to her feet. "If he''s holding back, we could have a chance." However, Suijin shook her head at the possibility. There was no way they could win. If Wrath wasn''t taking things seriously, then it meant that his goal, was the same as theirs. To hold their opponent here, in a meaningless stalemate.


    "Damn!" Suijin cursed, clenching her fists together tightly. Looking at Wrath angered her. This person had just waltzed into her, and destroyed everything that Suijin had been working on, and he was here, smiling! It made her unreasonably angry, unbelievable hateful. All of this destruction of people hard work, trampling upon it as if it were meaningless, all of this, and for what? His amusement? Wrath had no clear goal. It was all.


    Suijin''s magically energy flared once more, reflecting how angry she was on the inside. Wrath smiled seeing that.


    Masayoshi had been observing Suijin quiet seething for a bit, and he had come to a conclusion. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Suijin, go. Check on the situation outside."


    Suijin looked at Masayoshi in disbelief. "What are you talking about? And leave you here alone with him? That''s suicidal! -"


    "It''s clear his goal here is to do nothing but waste our time. He''s a distraction, that''s proven by his lack of action and the fact that he''s been holding back against us. A distraction insinuates that there a much more pressing matter that he''s trying to divert attention from. You are needed there."


    Masayoshi made a sound argument that Suijin could not refute. She was worried about everything going on outside, where evacuations should have been happening. However, she was reluctant to leave the lobby. Not only because she was worried about Masayoshi, but also because-


    The opponent in front of her. She wanted to crush this person who took pleasure in trampling over others blood, sweat, and tears with her own hands.


    Masayoshi was cognizant of this fact, and that''s what motivated his decision.


    "Fighting an opponent like this in anger, will only lead to you playing right into his hands." With that final statement, Suijin''s will to argue fell, and she agreed with Masayoshi''s plan.


    "Just, make sure you stay alive! Hear me? Do not be reckless!"


    With those parting words, Suijin left.


    After watching Suijin leave, Masayoshi turned to face his opponent, who had a sour facial expression.


    "You''re really no fun eh, prick? Not only that, but you seem to think that your better than me." Wrath seemed like he was going to vomit just looking at Masayoshi.


    Masayoshi, however, paid his jeers no heed.


    He stretched his hands out to his sides, allowing the chains to dangle unto the floor. 10 rings, and 10 chains. In front of him, his book was floating, flipping back and forth through its pages rapidly.


    At the same time, 10, different colored orbs appeared over each one of his 10 fingers respectively. Blue, green, red, purple, white, black, orange, yellow, pink, and violet.


    "The scales of justice will not tip in your favor." He said, facing off against his opponent.


    Wrath simply laughed. "Alright then! Come and show me your scales of justice, you conceited prick!"


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    "Are you two, the next additions to my Vault?"


    Those were the chilling words that we were meet with as we entered the student council room. The man sitting before me and Hikaru was dressed in an impeccable black suit, and was sitting in Suijin''s seat, with his legs crossed, as if he owned the place. In the completely empty student council room, he and the chair were the only objects there.


    He had an unnervingly creepy smile on his face. His black hair was slicked back and shined.


    I still couldn''t believe what was going on.


    In every single room on this floor, all of the people and items, had vanished. As if they had simply been snapped out of reality completely.


    The literally only things on this floor besides me and Hikaru, were this man and the chair.


    The man sitting in front of us was a foreign entity. An invader. Just like Wrath. And I could sense from the magical energy gathering around him that he was no slouch either. That lead me to the only conclusion that I could possibly make. Hikaru had reached it as well.


    "You! What did you do with the students, with.... everything?" Hikaru shouted out at the smiling man in the black suit.


    The man did not even flinch, as he answered her question.


    "The kids of the magic academy, and all of the beautiful decorations and items that filled those rooms. I added them to my collection, to my vault! Isn''t it just wondrous? All of the things in the world can fit in my vault, therefore I must collect all of it. So, I ask, are you two the next two additions?"


    He reiterated his question, and the pit in my stomach only fell deeper. I had a horrible feeling about what was going on.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if you say yes or no, because the truth is you will end up in my vault anyways." The man laughed as if he had just told a funny joke.


    He was speaking nonsense, in riddles. It was just, confusing. However, the bad feeling growing inside me did not stop, it only expanded.


    There was something sinister about the man in front of us.


    I turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru, you should go, head for the roof, and try to locate someone."


    She looked at me with confusion. "What about you?"


    "I''ll stay here."


    She shook her head furiously. "I won''t leave you alone with this guy! You can sense it too, right? There something about him that''s evil. Whatever happened to everything, he was clearly responsible for!"


    Hikaru argued profusely to my suggestion.


    "Exactly, which is why we have to split up. Whatever he did to those people and objects, he''s planning too due to us. It would be devastating if the both of us fell her at the same time.


    "Then by that logic, shouldn''t we both leave this place?" Hikaru was looking at me with worry in her eyes as she argued against me.


    "We need to recover that P.A. system. And if both of us leave, then there will be no one to keep their eye on this guy."


    "And why does it have to be you, Raiden?"


    I looked at her and then decided to do what I do best: Say something stupid.


    "Well because I''m the guy here, and It''ll make me look like a valiant knight." I told a joke; a trick I learned from Hikaru to lighten the mood.


    Finally, she gave in to that stupid statement. "I''ll go and try and find help, but I''ll come back here as quickly as possible. So, promise me, promise me you''ll be okay, and you won''t just vanish." She had grabbed me by the arm and forced me to look at her eyes, which were filled with worry.


    "I...Promise." I hesitated, because I didn''t want to give her a false promise. Faced with an enemy I couldn''t understand, there were no guarantees.


    "No!" Hikaru rejected the promise with vigor. "Say it like you mean it. Say it. Say I, Raiden Chisaki, won''t lose here!"


    Her words, cut straight through me, as she set out her rules.


    She would only go if I gave her the most confident reply possible.


    So, I straightened my shoulders, facing her.


    "I, Raiden Chisaki, won''t lose!" I even smiled at the end, for extra effect.


    Seeing the smile, and hearing my words, a multitude of emotions passed through her face, and she blushed a bit. She then turned around before I could see the depth of the emotions that passed through her face.


    "You better mean it. If you''re not here when I come back, then, I''ll never forgive you!"


    With that, Hikaru left.


    I turned back to face my opponent.


    He smiled.


    "So, you''re the one up to bat. Let''s see the quality of the toy I''m going to add to my possession."

 Chapter 59: Pythons

    It took 5.


    It took 5 people having their heads separated from their bodies before people truly understood what was going on.


    The first was only noticed by the people closest to her, a girl with long brunette hair. However, they were still consumed by their own fear and confusion, and did not immediately react.


    In the time it took for them to finally let out their screams of anguish and confusion, 4 more heads had already been launched high into the air. Once the first person started screaming, everyone else began to scream.


    Panic spread like a wildfire. It was as if someone had drenched the entire student body in oil and dropped a match unto it.


    The current circumstances were the oil, and the depiction of students, the match.


    After the screaming, pushing and shoving commenced as students tried their very hardest to escape.


    Anyone who ran in the direction of the sleepy girl with the blue hoodie had their body mangled in completely unnatural ways.


    Heads sliced off, bodies sliced in half, limbs sent into the air.


    Intestines seeping out of bodies, brain matter and other fluids collected themselves in front of the girl.


    A rain of blood and body parts covered the entrance of the gate to Theta magic Academy. Sitting in the center of the bloody wasteland that she had created was the girl in the blue hoodie. She was completely unfazed by everything in front of her. A scene which should have made someone vomit.


    It made more than a few students'' vomit.


    And so the only choice, was for students to head towards the other exits.


    However, the other exits were also blocked off by people as well. A wide range of genders, heights, and demographics, as well as outfits and accessories. The only unifying factor among the people were a tattoo that they possessed on their neck of a python with wings.


    They were blocking off the exits, and had a massive aura, however in comparison to the monster that was the girl in the oversized hoodie, they were nothing.


    And so, a battle commenced. Between the magic academy students, and these people with the python tattoos.


    It was a battle for their lives, for their very survival.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    I could barely keep my bearings in the panic that ensued. After the first girl had gotten her head cut off, I was still locked in shock. It took the full onslaught of screams and blood splattering unto my face for me to finally realize what was going on.


    I turned my gaze to the direction of the gate. The wall of students that had been there vanished, and I was met by a sight that not even my minds worst nightmares could conjure up.


    Blood. Everywhere. It covered the ground, it was in the air, it was everywhere. The little fairies were covered in blood, and now red dots were flying around, only further increasing the horror of this hellscape.


    Bodies were strewn about the ground at unnatural angles, missing parts.


    Heads, limbs, eyes, they were all missing.


    Strewn about the ground, and they were in fluids. Fluids were seeping out of the bodies that were all over the ground. Red intestines, bloods, brain matter, and body fluids. They were everywhere.


    I snapped my eyes away from the horror hellscape and vomited over the ground. Next to me I could hear Homura doing the same.


    "What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck."


    Beside me, Homura was letting out similar curses. I couldn''t stand the sight in front of me. It was disgusting, repulsive, shocking, horrible. I hated it.


    I looked away once again, vomiting what felt like my entire stomach over the ground. I had already vomited my breakfast, so now it was just gastric juices that burned my throat as they were expelled. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. What was happening.


    The sleepy-eyed girl in the blue hoodie had remained completely stock still, but her gaze was drawn to the sounds of our retching and heavy breathing.


    Slowly she began to raise her hand, preparing to flick it once again. Stomping my foot unto the ground, I used ice magic to erect a wall in front of us. At the same time, she flicked her hand.


    Instantaneously, the wall of ice was sliced clean in half, shattered pieces of ice flying everywhere. Quickly after, the entire wall was shattered, showering us in pieces of ice. Holding my hands in front of my face to prevent icicles from getting into my eyes, I stared at my opponent in shock.


    Just what was this magic, this ability, that allowed her to decapitate people and shatter walls with just a lazy wave of her hand.


    I let out deep breaths, that were visible because of the temperature drop brought forward by the use of my ice magic.


    My mind still had yet to recover from what I had just seen. The images swamped my head, even though I tried to keep them out. Of blood. Of guts. Of bodies. Headless faces staring at me. As if blaming me.


    "You''re a hypocrite!" A voice cut through my head, and I shook it profusely, trying to ward away those useless thoughts.


    I wouldn''t be able to do anything effectively if I remained here, where I could see the bodies of the slain students.


    Students who had families, loved ones, hopes, dreams. All crushed. And for what reason?


    I grit my teeth, coming to a conclusion. This opponent was not one that I could let escape. If only for the souls of those who were wronged.


    And yet, standing in front of her, I knew I didn''t stand a chance. A small voice in the back of my head chimed in, telling me that I was weak. A liar. A hypocrite.


    "KamiI!" Homura''s body slammed into me from the side, bringing us downwards towards the pavement. My face made contact with blood, and I wanted to scream. My hands were slick with it, and I nearly got it in my mouth.


    Only inches above us, where our bodies once were, I could feel the air literally crack and shatter with terrifying force. Wind blew by with such power that even the ground below it was left was a crater, and pieces of our uniforms were torn.


    In my own overthinking, I had distracted myself from the enemy in front of me. If it wasn''t for Homura, I would have lost my own life.


    "T-thank you." I expressed my gratitude, still out of breath from the fact that I had nearly died. I looked down in horror at the blood on my hands and one thing was clear.


    I couldn''t fight in this area, covered with bodies and blood. I needed to move this battle away.


    "Homura, do you have any idea where Ren is?" I asked, slowly standing up on my feet.


    She shook her head no, turning to face the girl in the blue hoodie. She was yawning once again. "No idea, Kami."


    "Then it''s just us two." Doing my best to keep my eyes away from all of the bodies that were laid about the ground, I expressed my plan. "We have to get here to move away from the exit, not only to clear a path, but also too..."


    I didn''t finish my sentence, but my meaning was clear. To make sure she didn''t defile those bodies even further.


    Homura nodded in agreement. "Ready whenever you are. We''ll both need to cover each other. I''ll get in close, and you warn me of any oncoming attacks." With that, Homura launched into battle.


    Her wand was a pair of dual blades. They were pink, with the number 96 carved unto the handle She had an affinity for strengthening magic, and she used it effectively now. Using wind and flame spells to boost her speed, she quickly approached her opponent, avoiding her attacks.


    This gave me time to analyze the attacks of the girl in the blue hoodie. She attacked by moving her hand, and an invisible force would sheer through the air at speeds so fast, that it seemed instantaneous. That force was quick and strong, capable of slicing through stone arches like Swiss cheese.


    She did this all without even trying, just lazily flicking her hands.


    Ducking under another one of those near fatal wind slashes and using a flame boost under her legs to propel herself forward, Homura got within range for an attack.


    She drew her blade in an arcing slash, and then, I noticed a tell.


    This time, the girl in the blue hoodie moves her hand, instead, she just barely flicked a finger.


    "HOMURA!!!!" I shouted as loud as possible. At the same moment, I erected a thin ice wall as quickly as possible.


    The slash that was released from the flick of her finger, was much smaller in terms of range and strength that the ones she released using her entire hand. However, this one was so small and precise, that not only was its speed faster than sound, but its slicing power was out of this world. It tore straight through the ice wall, and if Homura hadn''t ducked, it would have cut more than just her shoulder.


    Homura arched backwards into a back handspring, followed by multiple more of that razor sharp, faster than sound-maybe even faster than light-slashes.


    She curved and dodged out of the way, and I blocked the ones she couldn''t avoid with ice.


    "Homura!" I pointed up into the air with no further explanation, but she got the memo. I had been building up magical energy for this exact purpose.


    Homura nodded, and dashed at her opponent, and I covered her. Using two ice dragons, as well as a rain of icicles from above.


    The girl in the blue hoodie, lazily flicked two of her fingers, sending out sharp blasts that decapitated the ice dragons, and then looked up, and this time using her whole arm, to send out a massive burst of wind that cracked the air, caused a massive crater on the ground beneath her, and blew all of the icicles to dust.


    However, the diversion had served its purpose, and Homura grabbed her by the hoodie, and tossed her as high as she possibly could into the air. The girl flew around a hundred, two hundred feet into the air, and then I released the mana I had been building up.


    "Frozen Palace!" Raised my hand into the air, I constructed a palace made out of pure ice in the air to trap our opponent. I the created an ice staircase that led up to it.


    Quickly, me and Homura dashed up the staircase, heading to continue the battle with the girl-no, she was the definition of monster.

 Chapter 60: Clairvoyance

    At the very top of Theta Magic academy, hidden in the highest peak of the school, was a room. It was a room that nobody except for one person knew existed. The room was fairly small, and it was bare, save for one desk, and a few miscellaneous items.


    An acoustic guitar was leaned against the wall. There were of few pictures on the desk of the same woman. A beautiful girl with black hair. On the walls, there were a few random paintings, and a coat rack was directly behind the desk. This hidden room, on the surface, seemed to hold no secrets worth looking for.


    To put it simply, the room was useless. If it were to be gone, 99.9 percent of the world would not be affected.


    But, like most things, the value that something holds usually lies in a single person. One single person is all that is necessary to give something, or someone, value.


    This room served as the headmasters own private quarters. Quarters was not the most accurate name for it, but neither was something like office, or room. Nothing like sleeping, or work was ever done here. And it wasn''t exactly a place where the headmaster could comfortably rest either.


    However, make no mistake, the room was essential to that man. If it were to be destroyed, if the items inside it were to be lost, the man would suffer great pain. It would be like losing a piece of his soul.


    And so, despite him spending minimal time in this room, which made him feel the opposite of comfortable or safe, he could never part with it.


    And there lies the contradiction in human nature.


    In this moment, however, the room which usually only ever held one person, now held two.


    The first was the rooms usual, and only, visitor. The headmaster was laid against the wall, with his hands and legs bound by shackles created from pure mana. They shined a bright gold color, and the prevented him from doing anything but squirm. However, he was not doing anything so unsightly, instead, he was still, facing the man in front of him.


    The rooms second, and also first ever second, visitor was standing on the other side of the desk, taking in his handiwork.


    A figure that had grown to be iconic around the world for his ruthlessness, nearly on the same level as wrath. Instead of structures, this man took on people. He claimed to be someone who would rid the world of its own hubris, according to witness accounts.


    The White Knight of Pride was standing before the headmaster. He was staring at the shackled man with a self-satisfied smile on his face.


    "Attacking a magic academy. Murdering students. Violating borders. Causing destruction." The headmaster listed all of the transgressions that had transpired on the campus of Theta Magic Academy.


    Pride laughed. "Amazing. So, what that bonehead told me was really true."


    An expression of confusion appeared on the headmaster''s face for a brief second, before it morphed back into something serious. "What are you after?"


    "Simple, this can all end, if you just hand over two students. Raiden Chisaki, and Phi. That is all were here for." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Absolutely not." Without hesitation, Prides suggestion was shot down. Pride however, seemed to already expect that answer, and he continued without a beat of hesitation.


    "It seems then, that you believe your students can hold out, or that the mages association will arrive?" When the headmaster didn''t answer, Pride laughed.


    "AHAHAHAAHAHAAH!" He reared his head back in laughter for almost a full minute. "You have yet to see it, haven''t you? The extent of her power."


    He reached his hands out wide. "One may believe that the ability you possess, the one that allows you to be 100% in tune with all of the mana inside of the walls of this barrier is powerful, and in truth, it is. It allows you to know anything that happens, anytime, anywhere. You know the exact details and can watch a vivid picture in your own mind."


    The headmaster''s eyes widened as Pride spoke. That was because, his ability, was something nobody knew about. He was the only one that knew of the ability he had. Something that he called, "Absolute Clairvoyance." It was an ability that allowed him to be 100 percent in tune with everything inside of the barrier of Theta magic Academy. He could perfectly see and sense everything going on them at any time.


    The only other person who knew of this ability, was long dead. Painfully so.


    Pride only smiled at his shock. "But it pales in comparison to her power. The witches. She is in tune with all mana in the entire world. She is one with it. She could be called Mana itself."


    Pride held a reverent tone, as if the person he was speaking about was a god-like entity.


    He suddenly changed his expression to one of sadistic pleasure.


    "So, Cato, what ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö told me, was true?"


    And that was when the headmaster lost his cool. It was not at the mention of his real name, which still came as a shock, but it was at the mention of the second name. The one that should have been lost to this world long ago. A name no one should remember.


    Struggling violently against his restrains, so hard that it drew blood from his wrists, the headmaster sneered at Pride while shouting.


    "How did you get that name! How did you learn of her! Tell me! What do you mean she told you! She''s dead! Long Dead!"


    However, Pride only laughed at the man losing his cool in front of him.


    "The power she gave you as a blessing, will now be transformed into your largest curse."


    With that, the White Knight of Pride shot out the lights, plunging the room into total darkness.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    With his sight eliminated, and all of his other senses dulled, Cato, the Headmaster of Theta grand magic academy, was forced into using "Absolute Clairvoyance."


    And what he saw, was truly horrifying.


    The front courtyard was where he first appeared, and it was the place that seemed to be in the most disarray. Blood and bodies.


    Severed limbs.


    Guts, and other horrifying things. Cato saw it all, and he could feel the terror and unrest of the students.


    All around the courtyard, students were battling, letting out and defending against magic attacks of frightening caliber.


    The were locked in life-or-death battles with mysterious men with python tattoos. however, the students were holding their own. A few had rallied themselves to work together, and members of the student guard were helping. Ren, Himori, Luka, were all at the head of this


    The situation was perilous, but not all hope was lost. In the air, two students were confronting a horrifying existence in a magic ice palace. Kami and Homura Insane attacks that defied the speed of light and scissored through anything in their path were launched by a lackadaisical young girl.


    However, the students were holding out. Miraculously.


    Inside the lobby, another student was struggling against Wrath. Masayoshi.


    Suijin was rushing outside. Hikaru was running around looking for help.


    Raiden was confronting an intimidating figure in a black suit.


    Genji and Ichijo were locked in combat on the rooftop with a figure dressed in pink. She was surrounded by 6 warriors who championed her.


    Yuri and the Prince had just made contact.


    Terrifyingly, there was not a single teacher or staff member to be found throughout the school. It was as if they had all vanished.


    Returning his clairvoyance to the dark room he was in, Cato breathed out shakily. They were holding out. They just had to keep this up until the mages association arrived.


    Just at that moment, he was struck with a massive amount of despair.


    "Why, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ? How did they, how do they know about you?"


    His cries were not heard.

 Chapter 61: Split

    Thunder cracked against the roof of Theta magic academy, and rain pounded ceaselessly against the high peaks.


    A sudden rainstorm. Just a few minutes ago, the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and there probably wasn''t a more vibrant place in the entire world.


    Now?


    Blood drenched the courtyard of Theta magic academy.


    A massive thundercloud so large and dark it seemed to zone off the outside world had appeared, and a torrential downpour of rain had been unleashed.


    In the sky, there was a massive ice palace, in which a battle was taking place. Below, in the courtyard, students were fighting for their lives. The sounds of magic attacks clashing and structures breaking could be heard faintly over the BOOM! of the thunder and the CRACK! of lightning.


    Atop one of the peaks, stood two students.


    Genji and Ichijo, both facing off against an opponent who stood atop the peak just above theirs.


    She had her arms outstretched wide, a blush on her face, and surrounding her on the peak were 7 warriors.


    Completely unperturbed by the violent rainfall all around them, she was observing the two below her.


    Dressed in a revealing pink outfit, she could be seen as the embodiment of the word, promiscuous.


    "Real bad day for rain, don''t you think?" Ichijo asked, activating his wand. It hidden as a necklace, that once removed, transformed into a massive, long bow.


    "An even worse one for your terrible jokes." Genji did the same, unveiling her spear, which only shined brighter in the darkness that they were now enveloped in.


    "I have to say, now that I look at it, you really did take your wand design from Shindo-"


    A slash that would have decapitated Ichijo came out, and he barely ducked under it.


    "Point Taken! For fucks sake could you not try and kill me over a joke."


    Genji simply turned to point her long spear at the 8 enemies standing before them.


    "Now isn''t the time for jokes. Look at the situation were in."


    Genji nodded his head, finally putting a serious expression unto his face as he looked over their enemies.


    "This, along with the fact that we have no idea where the headmaster is; no way to communicate with everyone else-"


    He took a look down at the holster on his pocket, which was suspiciously empty. The radio that had been there had vanished.


    "And these guys are no push over." He could sense the aura that they were exuding, and it was strong. If all 8 of them attacked at once, they were certain to lose.


    "You don''t think we could try negotiating, do you?" Ichijo asked.


    "Alway''s the coward, weren''t you?"


    "I''d prefer, rational thinker, thank you!"


    "No, I wouldn''t want to strike a deal with these bastards anyway. They come in here, trample over our hard work, attempt to trap and slaughter us like cattle, and do it all with smiles on their faces."


    Genji was so overcome with anger that she was shaking.


    Ichijo nodded, sighing deeply. He glared at the opponents in front of him. "Ill take the three on the left, we''ll split''em up."


    "Is it a coincidence that they also happen to be the three shortest ones?" Genji asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Perception is subjective" Ichijo fired back.


    "Shameless coward." Genji responded immediately.


    Knocking three arrows of different elements unto his bow-wind, fire, ice-Ichijo let out the first shot.


    That commenced the battle on the rooftop.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    My opponent is crazy.


    That was the conclusion that I had come too. It was the one thought that was racing through my already crowded mind.


    I jumped backwards over a slash of ice, pushing myself off of the wall and towards my opponent. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Weaving out of the way of another slash of wind and using a flame spell to propel me out of the way of a spear through.


    "HAHAHAh, can you believe it big sister? He''s actually dodging it all." A high-pitched voice spoke.


    "Don''t call me big sister, though I have to admit our opponent is skilled." A slightly deeper voice spoke.


    sidestepping a final attack, I let out two quick flicks of my blade, which my opponent blocked with a longsword that they had summoned out of thin air. Wielding the blade with perfect technique, he lunged at me, and I dodged out of the way, clashing swords with his next slash, and ducking under the next.


    "Beautiful swordsmanship, I can tell you''ve trained." A deep voice spoke.


    I jumped back from another slash, and this time let out to flicks of my blade from distance, launching flaming slashes at my opponent.


    "Don''t try and zone me!" A much more excited voice side, as he drew his blade in a horizontal arc, blasting away the flame slashes.


    I had already dashed forward, and taking advantage over the fact that he was swinging a bigger weapon, I kicked my opponent square in the chest.


    They were knocked backwards, but just as they


    were about to smash into the wall, a massive teddy bears plush appeared behind them, softening the blow.


    "Thanks Mr. Svarog." A child-like voice spoke.


    The wide range of voices that had just spoken, all of them came from the man that was standing in front of me. It was as if he was being completely possessed by different personalities. It was as if his mind was split by them, and he was cycling through.


    Why, there was no reasonable explanation. I had heard of a split personality disorder that stems from extreme trauma, however developing multiple. That was unheard of.


    That was why my assessment came out to be that my opponent was crazy. that was the only half reasonable explanation that I could think of, and even then, it wasn''t a rational answer.


    "Though I guess anything crazy is never rational in the first place."


    I spoke these words aloud as I completely unsheathed my blade, watching the opponent in front of me.


    He was currently holding his head in his hands, speaking incoherently, his pitch and voice changing dramatically. He seemed to be experiencing some sort of break down.


    It should have been the perfect chance to attack, however I did not pounce. That was because this had happened before. He seemed to have entered a state of overwhelmed confusion, as if all of his personalities were battling against each other all at once.


    The first time It had happened, I pounced on it immediately, looking to deal a finishing blow. However just as I got close, he suddenly lashed out, summoning a multitude of blades out of nowhere, and letting out magic spells.


    I had managed to layer a fortification magic sequence with wind spell, to create a makeshift barrier, however, I still picked up a nasty cut to the side of my neck.


    I ran my finger over the warm blood.


    Just what exactly was this guy''s ability? He could summon random objects from nowhere, he suffered from a split personality, and he could do a surprising number of things with perfect form. Thinking back to what he had said when me and Hikaru had first appeared, I tried to figure out some logical explanation for what this guy''s ability was exactly.


    At that time, he seemed completely calm and tranquil, and he certainly wasn''t battling against separate personalities. He had said something about wanting to add us into his vault.


    If I took that into account, along with the fact that every single room on this floor was empty, then I could conjecture that his ability was something along the lines of absorbing things and placing them into said vault. That applied to both people and objects.


    However, what were the specifics? Was the vault like a pocket dimension? Alternate reality? Did he take in the personalities of the people that he took into his vault? What about the objects? Was there a limit to what he could take in?


    There were too many questions for me to make any way, and even then, my idea was just a theory.


    With how irrational and crazy my opponent seemed to be, it was definitely possible that there was no rational explanation for his ability, that adhered to any sliver of logic.


    If that happened to be the case, then my best bet would probably be to stop trying to understand his ability all together and simply attempt to beat him.


    "I, Raiden Chisaki, won''t lose." I muttered the words Hikaru had told me quietly to myself, as a bit of a motivator. I would not allow myself to lose and cause her sadness upon her return. I had hurt enough people already. I couldn''t even fathom that I was actually worth being worried over, however Hikaru did worry, and therefore, I would be the greatest dick in the world if I lead her to cry.


    By this point, the man in the black suit had stood up once again, shaking his head.


    "That was a bit unsightly of me, all of those damn ingrates inside here just keep fighting for control."


    "Ingrate? Who are you to act as if in your control?"


    "Yeah, you are just as hopeless as we are in this situation!"


    Once again, he began to argue with himself, swapping between personalities constantly.


    Suddenly, and without warning, a large number of weapons simply appeared in the air behind him; aimed at me.


    They were all charging magic attacks.


    Slowly, facing the weapons in front of me, I unsheathed my blade.


    And then, they all fired.


    Ice.


    Wind.


    Fire.


    Bullets.


    Earth.


    Pure magic.


    It all came flying at me, and I dodged every single one.


    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


    Ducking dodging, I continued to count the number of attacks that I avoided.


    23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.


    30!


    When I got to thirty, I went for my attack.


    dashing forward and behind my opponent and I sheathed my blade, and as soon as I did-


    30 slashes were called down upon the body of my opponent, cutting him up.


    That was my ability, the one that I had developed.


    I called it, Perfect counter .


    Its condition for activation was simple, my blade needed to be unsheathed.


    After which, I had to dodge attacks. The more attacks I dodged, the higher my counter went up.


    When I deemed it ready, I sheathed my blade, and the same number of attacks I dodged, would be the number of slashes sent at my opponent. Those slashes did not need to travel, as they appeared instantly on the opponent''s body, or whoever I wanted them too, via a homing spell.


    Weaknesses, none that I could think of. It was an ability complex enough to not be able to be deciphered at first sight. It was created for the sole reason of beating out Shindo''s mystic eyes of death perception.


    I let out a breath as I turned around, looking to face my opponent who was most likely still staggered from the number of slashes that had been released.


    However, the bloodied man in the black suit, who was covered in slashes, had not been staggered whatsoever.


    When I turned, he was standing directly in front of me. His blood was dripping all over my own black trench coat. He looked down at me with a crazed smile.


    And then, he placed his blood covered fingers on my head.

 Chapter 62: Underwear

    A slash tore through the ice wall that I had constructed, sending pieces of shimmering ice flying everywhere.


    Continuously constructing barriers, a good few feet in front of me as I ran, I continued to circle around my opponent. At the first sign of one of the barriers being destroyed, I would immediately go on the defense and change directions.


    Back and forth, Back and forth.


    I continued this dance of death with my opponent, all the while providing a offensive fire of ice rain, that relentlessly fell upon them.


    While I partook in this game of cat mouse, Homura was looking for the opening to deal major damage.


    "Hiyaah!" From a small hole I opened in my barrier, I could see Homura battling fiercely, looking for an opening.


    She jumped back into a series of back handsprings, avoiding slashes that whistled through the wind and sliced apart parts of the ice palace.


    Once she arrived at the wall, she placed her feet on it, and I closed my fist, creating an ice pillar that boosted her forward, towards her opponent.


    Immediately after, I provided another distraction, summoning birds and dragon heads made of ice, that I unleashed along with the rain of icicles.


    All of it hit our opponent all at once, and Homura was approaching. It seemed we had found an opening-


    SMASHSHSHH!


    CRACKK!


    However, with a lazy swing of her arm, a insanely powerful force swept away everything at once, cracking the air and shattering the ground, the blow traveled at crazy speeds. I reacted as quickly as possible pulling Homura back with a use of an ice dragon.


    I dragged her behind the barrier I was standing behind, just in time to save her from the train-like force that tore its way through the ice palace, leaving a gaping hole in one of the walls.


    "Damn!" Homura cursed as she adjusted her dual blades that had nearly fallen from her hands.


    "It''s just never ending. And it doesn''t help that she''s doing all of this looking like she''s going to fall asleep at any second." I added.


    I took the risk of peaking my head around and it was nearly cut off by a fast-flying slash.


    Our opponent''s ability wasn''t something that was too hard to understand. She essentially controlled an invisible force that she could use to attack others.


    Those attacks were released by her movements. The speed and effects of these slashes directly correlated to which part of her body she used to release them.


    If she flicked her finger, then an insanely fast precise slash would come out, one that was able to decapitate in an instant. It didn''t have a wide range, but it was fast and sharp enough to make up for it.


    If she flicked her hand, then a blast that was only slighter slower than the former would come out, and it was larger, around the size of a table. It could slice through things, as well as obliterate them. It was the perfect in between.


    Finally, if she swung her entire arm, then a massively powerful blast with the destructive force of a speeding train would be unleashed. Contrary to what it would lead you to believe, this one was just as fast as the finger flick slash, which was not balanced at all.


    All in all, she was more than a formidable opponent.


    However, like everyone else, she had a weakness. "I''m sure you''ve been itching to ask, so go ahead."


    I told Homura. I had noticed the expression of slight confusion that had been developing on her pretty facial features. "Well, it''s pretty obvious that her weakness would be the fact that she needs to move to use her ability. Why couldn''t you just, freeze her where she''s sitting. This whole ice palace is of your own creation, so couldn''t you just freeze where she was?"


    "A pretty logical proposal, and I would have if I could."


    Homura nodded. "So, you can''t. Makes sense. What''s stopping you then?"


    I flicked a thumb over in the direction of where our opponent was. "Her aura. The magical energy around her body is so strong that it destroys the ice trying to approach her immediately, effectively creating a barrier around her. In order to actually freeze her, I''d need to charge up an attack with enough mana to clash with hers."


    Homura nodded, picking up her blades and beginning to stand.


    I reached out and grabbed the hem of her skirt. "Where are you going!"


    Homura looked down at me in confusion, and I stared back up at her with the same expression. Just what was she thinking trying to rush back into battle? We didn''t even have a plan yet! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Well, you said that in order to freeze her, you''d need to charge up an attack, right?"


    I nodded hesitantly at her question.


    "Well then, I''ll go ahead and distract her until then." She turned to leave again, but my grip tightened.


    "Relax! Or your pull it off completely! Unless you want me to fight in just underwear."


    I ignored Homura''s stupid joke. "But I don''t even think I can do that. Even if I charge up my strongest attack, chances are it won''t succeed. And then it''ll lead you to-"


    Images of the bloody courtyard returned to my mind, and I didn''t finish that sentence. I didn''t even want to imagine that possibility. It made me a tad bit angry that she would even consider risking that possibility.


    However, Homura looked back down at me with a similar expression of anger. "What is it with you and this lack of confidence! I''ve noticed that it started to develop a while back, the day after that attack on the coffee shop. I shot down the possibility, but did kicking the ass of some terrorists really lower your self-confidence?"


    She was shouting back at me, and I was a bit taken aback. "Wha-"


    "Was it an argument with your unnaturally beautiful brother?"


    I didn''t even have time to address her blasphemous comment about Raiden. I had had more than my share of arguments with Raiden in the past few weeks. All of them stemmed from the same topic, about how lowly he viewed and treated himself.


    And yet here I am doing the same thing.


    "It''s because you''re a hypocrite!" The same voice inside my head had said. It was the same voice that had begun to develop ever since the terrorist incident with the little girl. When I had tried to convince her that she wasn''t weak for crying, that she was instead strong, only to show unsightly weakness in front of her when her mother cursed me out.


    I had lied to that little girl. I had preached to her words that I couldn''t follow myself. I was a hypocrite for that, a liar, and a weak girl. I had cried, in front of her, Homura, Ren, the shop, the police, and most importantly, my brother. I had showed them all that weak side of me, and I couldn''t even buy my own lies that being able to cry was a sign of strength.


    Yes, that was the true reason behind it. I was a liar, and I was wea-


    However, my train of though was cut through by Homuras words, as sharp as a blade.


    "Cut it out!" Her words were sharp and strong, completely separating me from my own bad thoughts. "We had this conversation already, didn''t we? A girl like you, should really have more confidence in herself. Quit the humble act. Your pretty, strong, capable, smart, and have a smoking hot brother!"


    I could only give a wry smile at that last part. Homura couldn''t help but be overly blunt in everything she said and did.


    "If you fear letting somebody down," She leaned in closer, flicking my forehead. "The instead of worrying about it, make sure it doesn''t happen!"


    After that, she smiled at me, before picking up her blades once more.


    She turned to leave, but before she did, she blew a kiss at me. "I''m counting on you!" She said as she turned to face the opponent in front of us.


    I simply sat there in shock for a few seconds. Finally, I stood on my feet, a smile slowly creeping unto my face.


    "Underwear, hah!"


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    With Homuras blunt encouragement pushing me forward, I returned to face the battle. If I was scared of letting her down, I just had to make sure that didn''t happen. Got it. Although even that would be easier said than done.


    Going back to our same strategy, however this time with a small change. I was providing a bit less support and instead focused my energy on charging up my magic.


    It took a lot of effort to maintain the ice palace, the barriers, and my icicle rain all at the same time. So, I dropped the ice rain and attacks I was launching and focused on charging energy and maintaining the ice palace.


    I placed all of my faith in Homura, and by extension, in myself, because that''s where all her faith lay.


    "If this actually works, then I owe you one sparring session in my underwear!" I shouted out at Homura.


    I couldn''t see her facial expression, but I could hear her giggle slightly at the joke. "Maybe refrain from underwear jokes in such a serious situation!" She shouted right back at me.


    I could hear the sounds of her ducking and dodging, as well as the whistling and cracking of ice, the telltale signs of the girl in the blue hoodies attack.


    What exactly was her ploy. I still had very little idea of what was actually going on. There was no announcements. Me and Homura had been chilling outside, watching the beauty of the lights and designs, when a massive explosion rung out at the roof of the academy, and before we knew it, we were surrounded.


    However, that wasn''t what I should be worried about right now. If I wanted to even think about concerning myself with that, I had to get through the obstacle currently in front of me.


    Beginning to stand, I shot an Icicle into the air and shouted out at Homura.


    "Ready!"


    As soon as I sent that signal, Homura fell back, and I jumped out from my position behind the barrier. Holding out a hand, I unleashed the wave of ice at her, shouting.


    "El Hielo!"


    The ice rushed forward and clashed with the barrier that was the powerful aura of this girl. Some of it was canceled out, unable to cross the barrier. However, some broke through. It broke through, and it froze her arms and legs. Enough to stall her.


    "Homura!" I shouted out for Homura to rush forward and attack her.


    Her dual blades at the ready, she prepared to slash our opponent. However, at that moment, we both noticed something.


    The girl who had her arms and legs frozen, opened her mouth, and blew air out from it. It took us both a second to realize what is was.


    It was an attack.


    Foolishly, we had assumed that she could only release attacks from her arms, because she had only released them by using her hands, fingers, and arm, up until this point.


    And now, where were going to pay.


    I tried to summon an ice wall, but I knew it would be too late. "Homura!" I shouted, as she tried to use a wind spell to boost herself out of the way.


    The slash would cut her and then me.


    My life didn''t flash before my eyes. Instead, a single instance played, my memory of Raiden. The day he had expressed his will to go and explore the outside world.


    I thought about all of the argument we had, the faults we both possessed. The reconciliation we would be denied. The pain that I''d leave him with. Even if I hated how he went about it, he cared about me, and I cared about him.


    God, I had said some stupid shit.


    And he had done some stupid shit.


    However, the death that I had braced myself for never came.


    The slash never connected.


    Because it had been canceled out completely.


    Homura managed to safely get herself away from the blast.


    She slid back next to me, and I hugged her. There was fear in her eyes. There was fear in mine.


    "Absolute Zero. A technique I developed with the help of Yuri. Using a water spell combined with defensive magic sequences, I can create a zone in which all magic and attacks are slowed down to the point of harmlessness, as if under water. Rendering their effect, an absolute zero."


    A calm, strong voice spoke. My knees nearly buckled from excitement when I heard that familiar voice.


    I turned to the gaping hole in the wall, where the student council president, Suijin Hajimoto was standing.

 Chapter 63: Savior

    "Forgive me for the constant cycle of hooligans, with great power, comes great responsibility, as they say."


    The man in the black suit who had his hands around my head, quipped as he smiled down below at me.


    He was covered in brutal slashes, all of which were bleeding profusely. Blood was beginning to stain the marble floor of the student council room, and it was leaking unto me by extension, who was right in front of him.


    His hands were slick with blood, and they pressed roughly against my head. Immediately, I noticed that I couldn''t move. My body simply did not respond to any signals, as if all of the nerves had been cut off. It was the same thing as if I had been frozen.


    After using Perfect Counter, I hadn''t expected my opponent to recover so quickly. It was damn near inhuman. Scratch that, it was inhuman. However, it was all my fault. It was clear that my opponent wasn''t ordinary. It was absolutely foolish of me to assume that they''d be stopped by something as trivial as pain.


    "I''ll be honest, that attack really caught me off-guard. In all my years of living I never seen an ability like that. And I''ve been around a lot of abilities!"


    "Oh really, thats.... nice!"


    I tried to distract him by participating in the conversation, while I looked for some way to break away from the bind I was in.


    "Hahah! It''s no use, you can''t escape it."


    And he was right. Nothing I did worked. Even the circulation of mana in my body was being forcefully stopped, and the same was happening to my movements. Struggling was impossible. Breaking free was a pipe dream.


    The man leaned in even closer, until our foreheads were nearly touching. "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you, at least not yet. We have things to do, you see!"


    He reared his head back in laughter momentarily. He seemed to be back in control, and he wasn''t being consumed by his alternate personalities. However, he was still just as, if not even more eccentric as before.


    "Of course, It would be no good if we didn''t follow the routine. Unfortunately for me, I won''t be able to add you to my collection. Such a shame, but you are the one that SHE chooses."


    He stared deeply into my eyes with his own, unblinking. It was beyond unnerving.


    And just who was this "SHE" that he was referencing. None of this made any sense, damn!"


    "However, that doesn''t mean we should break routine! This is my favorite part after all."


    His hands massaged my temple. I would have uncomfortably squirmed, however I couldn''t move at all, so the most I could do was make an uncomfortable facial expression.


    His touch, foreign and against what I wanted, reminded me of that night. The night of warmth an-


    Cut it out! now''s not the time


    Mentally imagining myself gnashing my teeth together, I drew my focus back to the present moment, the utterly horrible situation I was currently in.


    "First things first, what''s your name?" He asked, as if this was just some friendly meeting at a coffee shop.


    I wanted to resist; however, I had no options. That, and the fact that some sort of force in my mind compelled me to tell this man my name.


    ''"R-Raiden..."


    "Impressive mental fortitude! To be able to resist, that''s the sign of someone truly strong. That fact, combined with your magical aura, as well as the brilliant ability; Are you a prodigy of some sorts, Chisaki?"


    My eyes widened. Despite the fact that I had not told him my full name, he had figured it out. He smiled down at me.


    "I''m sure you have questions, however it would behoove me to move on with this, so please save them for later."


    Not that I could ask them even if I wanted too.


    "Raiden, what is your biggest fear?"


    A question that I would have no idea how to answer had I been in control of my words.


    What did Raiden Chisaki fear? I didn''t have a good answer. I couldn''t just confidently say, nothing. that was a lie. However, what I did fear, I didn''t now. It was probably too many for me to count. Too much for me to think about, so I ignored it all.


    Like a spectator, I waited with bated breath as the same forced compelled me to give my answer. I wasn''t in control. Whatever this answer was, it came from my subconscious. Egged on by the power of this weirdo.


    "Myself."


    And of course, the answer was something cryptic. An answer that I couldn''t even begin to decipher myself.


    Myself, what the hell did that mean? And that was my biggest fear?


    The man nodded, as if he had expected this answer. "Final question. What is it, that you value the most in this world?"


    This one, I did know the answer too. I could say it without thinking. I didn''t even need to ponder, to wonder what kind of answer my own subconscious would pick out. Because the answer to that question was something that had been engraved so deeply into my brain I would never forget.


    Could never forget.


    "The life of my sister." I, thankfully, wasn''t shocked by the words that came out of my mouth.


    "Interesting...... Well then, it''s time to begin."


    "Ahhh!"


    With that, the man started to channel magic energy through his fingers, into my head.


    It burned, and it hurt, as the foreign magical energy was entering my head. It hurt so bad that I wanted to move, to flail, to let out the pain in a tantrum, however I couldn''t move. My body was locked in pain, so all of the pain and discomfort welling deep inside me remained, trapped.


    It felt like I was going to explode.


    He was going to shatter my mind if he kept going. Pop it like a balloon.


    "AAHHHHHH!"


    "This is my gift to you. Gracious of me, I know. Take a look at it and allow it to lead you to the correct answer. And then, return to HER embrace."


    With those final words, my mind finally broke, and I was knocked unconscious.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    An endless desert. A vast sea of sand that reached out farther than even the eye could see. A gust of wind blew through, slightly spreading and displacing the sand. The sun beat down on the ground relentlessly, keeping the sand at a burning temperature.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It burned my feet, which trudged through them. With every step, I winced. Every step I took hurt. The sand burned.


    All around me, wind blew sand into my eyes, causing me to stumble, trip, and wipe my eyes. Just walking hurt.


    Standing or walking, it didn''t help with the unreal heat that the sun was giving off. Constantly burning, it was relentless in the hell which unleashed upon the desert.


    It hurt.


    How long had I been walking. I wiped sweat off my brow and licked my sand-caked lips.


    I- I don''t know. It could have been hours, days, weeks, who knows? And at this point, who cares? All I knew was that the sun would not leave.


    And it hurt.


    Multiple times I stumbled, multiple times I tripped, multiple times I nearly fainted from fatigue.


    It hurt.


    However, each time, I got up. I got up and kept walking. Kept pushing. Towards what exactly?


    I had absolutely no sense of direction in this endless world of sand. However inside of me, I felt a pull. A pull to walk in this direction. So, I followed that pull and kept walking.


    Good god it hurt. It hurt like hell.


    I was walking on auto pilot, my legs ceaselessly dragging their way through the burning sand. Covered in blisters and cuts, I just moved them, one foot in front of the other.


    One foot in front of the other.


    It hurt.


    The sun never moved. It''s position in the sky never changed. It was always there, beating down on me.


    Was it getting hotter?


    It hurt.


    My throat was beyond parched. My vision was blurry, my brain wasn''t working properly. It was probably due to a lack of water. Water. Water. Water.


    Imagining the glorious liquid now, I was brought to my knees. When would I find water!


    Bringing myself back up, I continued to walk.


    One foot in front of the other.


    It hurt.


    One foot in front of the other, until-


    Splash! Slosh!


    The sound of water sloshing snapped me out of my trance.


    Unbelievable so, there was water.


    All around me. A vast, endless sea of water, that stretched out further than my eyes could see.


    Happily, I dove into the water, gulped it down, bathed in it, basked in it. It felt amazing. It felt cool. It was more than I could ever hope for, ever want. I could never get enough of it.


    Until I did.


    The water around me rose. Its level rising higher and higher. I was hopeless in outswimming it. And quickly, I began to drown. Flailing and thrashing around in the water, I tried to swim, to desperately reach the surface and get a drink. However, nothing worked. My lungs burned, my vision darkened, my entire body burned.


    And suddenly I hit something. A solid rock.


    Desperately grabbing unto it, I hugged it tightly as I pulled myself up, not caring about how violently I cut myself.


    I pulled, and climbed, and pulled, and climbed until-


    "HAAHAH!"


    My head broke the surface of the water, and I gasped in a massive amount of air. My lungs still burned, and My head was all disorientated from the sudden shift in pressure, but I was alive.


    Using my hands to wipe my eyes and clear my water-logged ears. I opened my eyes to-


    A sea of red. A sea of blood. I looked around me, horrified. The once crystal clear and beautiful blue water that surrounded me was no more. It was now a menacing see of red. I looked down at my own body, submerged in the sea of red, and that was when I noticed it.


    The cuts, and the bruises all over my body. They were everywhere. Caused by my climb up the rock I was currently hugging. I pushed away from it in horror. There were cuts everywhere, and they were bleeding profusely. And they were caused by me.


    I was swimming in a sea of my own blood.


    "Ahh..." Taking a Shakey breath and exhale, I turned myself away from the horrific situation I had caused and continued to move. I swam, forward strokes, towards the same direction I felt the pull.


    It hurt.


    All of the wounds on my body hurt. They hurt horribly.


    And so, it began again. Instead of desert, it was water. Blood water. Instead of the endless sun, it was the endless tides threatening to pull me under.


    I swam.


    And it hurt.


    I continued to swim despite that pain, pushing forward. Pushing through. Just like I had done in the desert.


    It hurt.


    It seemed endless just like the desert. There was no sign that anything had changed, that I was making any progress. But I kept swimming.


    Eventually I was on auto pilot, and the-


    I escaped the sea of blood and broke out on shore. Dragging myself up the rocky shore, not caring for the cuts that I was creating and worsening.


    I dragged myself up the shore, breathing deeply.


    And there, I saw it.


    A beautiful flame, crackling and sizzling. unbridled. It stood out against the black rocks of the shore. It was amazing. It burned strongly, resolutely. It was the strongest thing in the world. Despite the wind blowing, the water only inches away, it was burning brightly and beautifully.


    A white butterfly flew around it.


    This was my goal. All I had to do was reach it. I reached out my hand, and just when I was about to grab it.


    I was in the desert once more.


    The sun beating down on my skin. I looked around in confusion.


    "Wha..." I said silently, in disbelief.


    I could feel the same pull again. And so I stood up and walked.


    Through the burning hot desert. Swimming through my own blood, making it to the flame, and just before I reached it. I was sent back.


    Again.


    Sent back.


    Again.


    Sent back.


    And all throughout, I was in pain.


    Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.


    And all throughout it hurt. I was in pain. Burning sun. Cuts. Drowning. it hurt.


    It hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurt It hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurtIt hurt. It hurt it hurt


    At some point I had realized it. That this was an infinite cycle. An endless cycle. One that I would never be able to escape. However, I kept going, holding on to the hope that I would break through. I couldn''t break the cycle, and I couldn''t escape it either. I Truly was foolish.


    Forever Cycle. One I could never leave.


    I had gone through this journey over 100 million times. Failed over 100 million times.


    And returned, over 100 million times.


    Dragging myself up the shore once again, I began to approach the flame. I knew what was going to happen. However, I could not stop my hopes from rising as I crawled.


    That was when, I was stopped. There was someone in front of me.


    Looking up, her face blocked by the brightness of the sun, there was a girl standing in front of me.


    Tall, with a black dress and white hair that flowed in the wind. A butterfly pin that I recognized was in her hair. She had glowing vermillion eyes. She wore a smile


    "No one should ever be put through what happened to you." She looked back at the flame, before turning her gaze to me.


    "Tell me, do you want to make it to the flame?"


    I nodded weakly. Her smile grew. "No matter the cost?"


    I nodded again. Anything to break the cycle.


    She then reached out her hand. "Then, let me help you."


    Reaching out my bruised and weak hand, I grabbed her beautifully pale and slender fingers.


    As our hands touched, a dazzling light enveloped us.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    "Raiden!" A voice shouted. I was slowly being pulled out of the muddiness of my own mind.


    I was being held tightly against someone''s chest, and their arms were holding me.


    "Raiden, look at me!" There was a bundle of blonde in front of me. Slowly I reached out a hand, muttering.


    I was being held tightly against someone''s chest, and their arms were holding me.


    "M-mom..."


    The hand grabbed mine, and it felt warm. "Thank goodness, your alive. Y-your going to be okay. Thank you for keeping your promise."


    The voice seemed on the verge of tears.


    When my vision finally cleared, I could see who was holding me. I was resting against Hikaru''s chest, and she was holding me tightly.


    Allowing my eyes to travel around the room, I noticed a figure with a massive red spear facing the man in the black suit.


    It was The Prince. Shindo.

 Chapter 64: Order

    An explosion shook the ground and walls of the lobby once more, sending large amounts of debris cascading from the already ruined ceiling.


    Large chunks crashed into the ground, kicking up even more smoke than there already was, quickly making it nearly impossible to see anything.


    Flipping himself on top of a large rock, Masayoshi held his hand up into the air, summoning the green orb.


    Waving his hand, a wind spell was activated, and it cleared away the dark smoke.


    Wrath slowly walked over, a dissatisfied expression on his face. "How long do you plan to keep this up? Just running won''t get you anywhere." He picked up a rock with his right hand, detonating it.


    "Of course I know that." Masayoshi said, as he straightened to stand up, looking down at his opponent. "If I wanted to win, then running like this would be more than a bit counterintuitive. I would never make any progress like that." He stated calmly, unwinding the chain around his index finger. Slowly, he began to swing it, round and round, building up speed.


    Wraths eyes widened a bit at the boy''s statement. "If you wanted to win? Then that means, you have no plans to win?"


    Masayoshi simply shook his head. "Spot on."


    He then flicked the chain out, directly at Wrath, who ducked under it.


    The chain possessed enough destructive force to cut straight through the ground behind Wrath, and Masayoshi pulled it back to gain momentum, before launching it back at Wrath.


    Wrath however smoothly dodged the sharp tip of the chain, before grabbing it with his hands and using it to pull Masayoshi forward, and towards him.


    Masayoshi, however, did not panic. Instead, he allowed the chain to unravel from his hand until it was almost completely off, making it loose. He then used the time it would take for the entirety of the long chain to be pulled taut, to activate the red spirit above his right index finger.


    A massive column of flame was launched at Wrath, who was forced to dodge, he let go of the chain, and Masayoshi quickly pulled it pack, rewrapping it around his finger.


    Wrath sneered at Masayoshi from across the burning hole that separated them. "You''re a resourceful one, aren''t you? I would commend you for that, but your last comment is still ticking me off. No plans to win?"


    Masayoshi simply nodded, as he began to unravel two chains on his left hand. The two spirits from his right hand traveled up to float just over his shoulders. "What''s so hard to understand about that? Someone like you, who went up against a World-ender, and survived, is not an opponent that any student at this magic academy could handle, well except maybe Shindo."


    "I don''t know what pisses me off more. The nonchalant attitude that you''re putting up, or the fact that you''re insulating I would lose to a child."


    Wrath stretched out his right arm, moving it around in circles to remove the stiffness. "Actually, I know what pisses me of the most about you. That pretentious attitude of yours. You think your so much better than me. Not only from your tone and your words, but your actions too. You''ve been holding back."


    Masayoshi raised his eyebrows at that accusation. "Holding back? It would be crazy to hold back in the situation I''m i-"


    "Cut the shit! This entire time you''ve so far only been using the orbs around your right hand. The green, red, blue, yellow, and orange. You haven''t even bothered to make use of any of the ones on your left!"


    Masayoshi glanced down at his hands as Wrath pointed this fact out. It was true, he hadn''t used any of the orbs on his left hand, only the ones on the right.


    That was because of his ability. Scales of Justice. The 10 orbs that surrounded Masayoshi were split into two sides. All of the orbs on his right hand, were the executioner orbs. All of the ones on his left hand, where apart of the benefactor side. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Essentially, when Masayoshi looked at an enemy, he would sentence them, guilty or innocent. If they were marked guilty, then Masayoshi would use the book in his hands to cast a sort of debuff spell, that was so subtle you couldn''t notice. The spell makes them significantly weaker to the execution orbs, which were just balls of mana loaded with a multitude of magic sequences of the element that they represented.


    If they were marked innocent, then he could use the orbs on his left side to buff and heal them. The left side did not work on himself, because as the judge, it was important that he remained impartial. Therefore, he could not judge himself. That was the reason he was not using any of the orbs on his left hand.


    He would never reveal this fact to his opponent though. The more that Wrath didn''t know, and had to speculate, the better for Masayoshi, who was already at a disadvantage in this battle.


    "Alright you caught me." Masayoshi then flicked the two chains at Wrath. At the same time, the blue orb behind him launched out two birds of water, and the red orb launched out rapid fire bursts of flame bullets.


    Faced with multitude of attacks to react to, Wrath didn''t even flinch as he ran towards them. Holding out his left hand, he used it to intercept one of the water birds, at the same time that he leaned back to dodge the first chain.


    Detonating it, he twisted his body to dodge the second one, also avoiding a few flaming bullets. He grabbed the second water bird, but just as he was about to detonate it, it disappeared on its own, revealing a hidden yellow orb. Wrath barely dodged the lightning that was fired from the orb, point blank.


    He was flipping backwards, and so he put his hands on the ground to try and change his direction, however at that moment, Masayoshi pulled the two chains Wrath had dodged previously back.


    One slashed his across the leg, and the other grabbed his arms. Masayoshi the pulled, using it to flip Wrath over, disorientating him completely. With Wrath stunned for a split second, he was unable to dodge the remaining flame bullets, which caught him in the chest.


    BOOM!


    BOOM!


    BOOM!


    They detonated in quick succession, blowing Wrath backwards. However, the chain was stilled wrapped around his arms, and so Masayoshi used it to pull Wrath forward and towards him. Just as he did so, he cocked his right hand back for a punch, coating it with the red orb.


    Pulling Wrath directly in front of him with the chain, he then landed a nasty punch, directly to his face.


    Following through on his momentum, the punch blew Wrath back all the way towards the opposite wall.


    However, that was not the extent of Masayoshi''s attack. Pouncing on the one opening he had created, he used the chain wrapped around Wraths arm to pull him away from the wall he was about to crash into, twirled him around a few times, and sent him flying, straight into glass wall of the main office.


    CRACKK!


    SMASSHHH!


    The sound of Wraths body hitting many objects could be heard, and Masayoshi pulled back his chains, turning to face where he had thrown his opponent.


    All of the attacks that had hit Wrath were with orbs or coated with the orbs power. Because of his ability, those blows would have dealt extra damage.


    "He definitely felt that one." Masayoshi whispered to himself.


    "Damn right I did, kid!"


    Masayoshi looked on in shock, as Wrath walked from out of the rubble. He had a cut on his leg, his face was bruised and had small cuts of glass on it, and the chest area of his shirt and coat were dark from where they had been burnt. There was a bit of blood trickling down his mouth.


    "I hate to admit it, but that was a nice one. You got me really good there. That punch, and those flame bullets, they hit way harder than normal."


    Wrath smiled crazily, and Masayoshi unraveled two chains. One on his right, one on his left.


    "You keep landing those, and you might actually win."


    Wrath dashed forward, and at the same time, Masayoshi flicked his two chains forward. They crossed each other, forming an x that was rapidly approaching Wrath.


    The latter jumped over the attack, gyrating his body midair to avoid the lightning attack that was launched at him. He then grabbed the two chains and pulled on them. Masayoshi repeated the same trick that he did last time to snake out of this move, however this time Wrath expected it.


    "However."


    He threw the chains behind him, before grabbing unto a point even farther ahead. He then pulled hard on that point, and the Chain became taut, causing Masayoshi to be pulled forward.


    Catching Masayoshi with a mean right hook, followed by left, and then a knee to the stomach, Wrath kicked him away.


    "The way you fight-!"


    Just before Masayoshi smashed into the wall, Wrath pulled on the chain once again, pulling him forward.


    "Is much to orderly!"


    Grabbing Masayoshi''s face with his right hand, he smashed his head into the ground with extreme


    force, causing the ground to shake.


    "AHUGH!"


    Masayoshi coughed out blood.


    "This isn''t a court room, you know? In real life, the battlefield is a place of chaos, not order! If you restrict all of your movements to something you know works, and don''t take any risks." Wrath leaned in closer with a smile on his face. "You''ll never be able to win!"


    Masayoshi looked up in horror. It was over. He was dead. Wrath would blow his head off-


    At that moment something flew past over Wraths head. A pistol. Masayoshi watched it.


    In an instant, the pistol disappeared, transforming into a person. It was Yuri Hamani, defense force captain.


    Flying past while upside own, he had his other pistol pointed at Wrath.


    Wrath looked up, but much too late.


    He was caught dead in the face, by a massively powerful blast of mana.

 Chapter 65: Absolute Zero

    "Absolute Zero. A technique I developed with the help of Yuri. Using a water spell combined with defensive magic sequences, I can create a zone in which all magic and attacks are slowed down to the point of harmlessness, as if under water. Rendering their effect, an absolute zero."


    Suijin made her introduction to the battlefield, and at the perfect time. Me and Homuras strategy had been faulty, we made a miscalculation, and we nearly paid with our lives for it. Turning around to face where the student council president was standing, we ran over to her side.


    "Thank you!''


    We both said at the same time, as we tackled Suijin.


    However, Suijin caught us in her strong arms and smiled down at us.


    "No problem. I have to thank the two of you as well. For not only being smart enough to take the battle with this girl somewhere secluded, but also for saving lives, and..... surviving." Her eyes held a well of hurt and pain in them. It was clear to see why.


    The seen outside was something straight out of a horror movie. Blood, limbs and corpses were everywhere. For someone like Suijin, the president, who took her role very seriously, it would probably be devastating for her to see students massacred in such a manner.


    There was also anger in her eyes. Most likely for the way that those students were mistreated, how their bodies were violated and disrespected.


    With the culprit right in front of her eyes, I was surprised that she didn''t seem angrier. "Anyways, would you too like to catch me up to speed on exactly what kind of opponent were facing?"


    Me and Homura obliged. We explained everything about our opponent, like her three level of attack strengths, and how they were activated, as well as her surprising ability to launch these blasts through her mouth. We also explained the strategy that we took in trying to defeat her.


    "And that was the point when I had arrived. I have to admit, it was a smart plan, although you made a massive oversight. All though, I'', sure you two already realized it." She turned to face us, with a look similar to an instructor on her face.


    I was already kicking myself for my idiocy. My plan almost led Homura to her death, and she had placed her faith in me-


    I noticed Homura''s glare and immediately stopped the negative spiral of my thoughts.


    "What about everything inside the magic academy? Where are the teachers? Headmaster? How close are the mages association? What about Raiden?"


    I rapidly fired a multitude of questions at Suijin, hoping she knew the answer. The truth was, I knew that she was probably just as in the dark as we were, however she was the Suijin. The strong and capable student council president. She had to know something.


    Suijin placed a strong arm down on my shoulder, looking me in the eyes. "Calm down Kami, deep breathes." I complied, taking two or three deep breathes. "Firstly, everyone inside was caught off guard by a Suprise attack from Wrath."


    My blood ran cold.


    "You couldn''t mean-" Homura began.


    "Yes, the Wrath." Suijin cut her off.


    There was no way. The person who had gone toe to toe with the greatest knight, strongest magic knight in all of Europe, was here.


    He was one of the people launching the siege on Theta Magic Academy. Along with this girl, and the men in Python tattoos.


    "Just what the hell is going on here?"


    What was their goal? Why here, why kill students, why why why why-


    "Breathe Kami. One thing at a time."


    I nodded, forcing myself to take deep breathes again.


    "A trusted student is currently fighting against Wrath, I''m sure he''ll be able to hold his own." Suijin said those words confidently. "As for Raiden, I sent him to go check on the P.A system. He may have run into his own challenges, but I believe he can push through. Don''t you?"


    I had a lot of doubts and worries about Raiden, but they all pertained to his emotions. Him calling himself a worthless piece of shit was at the top of my list. However, when it came to combat prowess, to raw ability, I had 100% faith that Raiden would prevail. He was a prodigy, he couldn''t lose.


    "If it''s my brother, he won''t lose. I''m sure of it." I said, with just as much confidence as Suijin. I felt my own confidence returning.


    Suijin smiled. "Well then, this is now our battle. We will finish this as quickly as possible and make it back to support the others!"


    With newfound determination, we returned to the battle.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    With Suijin now added unto the battlefield, or battle strategy changed a lot. In terms of fighting techniques, Suijin was similar to me. She was very powerful at using water magic, as shown by her ability, "Absolute zero." She wasn''t that much of an up-close fighter, preferring to rely on magic instead of physical prowess.


    She supported Homura''s dueling fighting style from afar.


    She expertly weaved spells of water with other magic sequence that lowered and raised temperatures, in order to create powerful attacks of boiling hot, or frozen water.


    Her attacks were powerful enough to clash with those belonging to the girl in the blue hoodie, neutralizing them. It was impressive to watch. Relentless. Powerful. Calm. Smooth.


    Just like water.


    She was not only limited to water, however. She could use wind and fire, and she primarily mixed lightning with her attacks, creating a deadly reaction of water and lightning.


    I was amazed as I watched her technique. It was everything that I could have ever wanted to achieve. And she did it all calmly, with a smirk on her face.


    With my help, Homura''s advanced met no resistance. All of the girl''s attacks were neutralized.


    And so, Homura got in close, and-


    Her strike was intercepted, by two pairs of blades. Two new players in this battle. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    One was a blade of lightning, wielded by a dark-skinned girl with white hair. She wore a black outfit. Her eyes seemed to glow the very color of the lightning that surrounded her. It flickered and pulsed strongly.


    The other, was a blade of flame, constructed by a tall middle-aged man with black hair.


    These two pushed Homura backwards, protecting the girl in the center.


    For the first time, the girl in the blue hoodie showed a sort of emotion. A slight shock on her face, as she took in her two new protectors. "Eve......" She muttered. She shook her head.


    "No need to worry, Aergia. We were sent by Eve to assist you."


    However the girl had quickly lost her interest, turning her eyes back to the floor and yawning. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do whatever you please. Just leave the one in the center for me.


    "Who are they?" I whispered to my allies.


    Suijin muttered a curse under her breath, and Homura angrily stopped her foot.


    "I was right there too! Inches away from taking her head."


    "Keep calm. These two, I don''t know where they came from, but there not on our side." Suijin spoke calmly, although I was beginning to hear cracks in her demeanor. Her voice was slightly strained, and her eyes held a glint of frustration in them. As always, she looked tired.


    "So, obviously a change of plans is needed. They weren''t exactly subtle in discussing their plans, so we know the girl in the centers name is Aergia, and she want''s to fight Suijin 1 on 1. Those two, are reinforcement s sent by a girl named Eve, and they want to distract us."


    That new tidbit of information didn''t help much, as it was just adding more names, and no context. Who was Eve? However, it was a start.


    "Kami, Homura." Suijin spoke without looking at us, as she took a step forward, allowing her blazer to slide off and fall to the ground.


    "The two new ones, their strong, however, I believe you two can deal with them." She turned back and gave us a smile. "I''ll go up against the one in the center. Finish up your battles, and join me, so we can finish this.


    Without even another thought, Suijin began to launch a series of magical attacks at Aergia, and Aergia fired back. A clash between two utter titans had commenced. Magical energy and aura were off the charts, and the Ice palace was quickly being destroyed by the relentlessness and power of their attacks.


    I turned to face Homura.


    "Save the apology. So, we almost died, but we survived. Your strategy was still good."


    Homura immediately shot down the words that were going to come from my mouth.


    "Just focus on your fight. Remember what I said. Win this."


    I nodded at her, surprised by the faith that she had placed in me despite what happened.


    "I''ll take the fire sword dude on the right." She pointed to her side, where half of her shirt was burned completely off, exposing bare skin and parts of her undershirt. "He''s going to pay for this."


    "You better not die." I told her.


    "Same to you." She replied.


    And we returned to battle. Once again, the circumstances had changed.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    CRACKK!


    A lightning bolt smashed straight through the ground in front of me, as I dodged backwards.


    CRACK!


    CRACK!


    CRACK!


    CRACK!


    Quickly, four more followed the first in quick succession, and I continued to move backwards to avoid them.


    I fired back iciles of my own, which my opponent dodged. Flying through the air with the grace of a bird.


    Flipping over, she fired off another sizzling bolt of lightning, which I blocked with an Ice shield I constructed.


    Just like me, my opponent preferred to rely on magic, zoning me away with her expert flying and using of lightning magic.


    Stomping my foot on the ice ground, causing it to crack a bit. Two ice dragon heads were summoned from the ground and launched at the girl. She dodged gracefully, her white hair whipping wildly in the wind created by her flying. I continued to control the ice dragons, bringing them up and around, and back, creating new ones to keep up the pressure.


    While my opponent was distracted, I activated an acceleration spell, combined with a wind spell, layered on top of a flame spell.


    I jumped up into the air, jumping atop the many heads and bodies of my ince dragons to reach my opponent, she noticed my approach, and turned around firing off too lightning bolts, that I dodged using flames to blast me out of the way.


    Getting close, I launched a punch that she blocked. Quickly, I grabbed her, and we began sliding down the body of an ice dragon, as another head came flying towards us.


    Two follow up jabs that she just barely reacted too, and I let go of her, allowing for the ice dragon to hit.


    She crashed into the wall of the ice palace. I directed the dragon made of ice to drag her body all the way across, before bringing it back into the air, and letting it fall towards me.


    Then, I pointed my hands upward.


    "Reverse Ice Rain!"


    Launching a deadly rain of icicles at my falling opponent, I pressed my advantage.


    SIZZLE!


    BOOOOM!


    However, my opponent simply charged up their mana, before letting off a massive explosion of lightning. Obliterating all of the icicles and ice dragons.


    Overhead, at the same time, Homura And her opponent flew by, in an intense clash where they were both making use of flame spells to mauver their way through the air. Her opponent however, had transformed, his entire body now made of flame. He was flying using his flames as jet boosters, much faster than Homura was.


    In the center the incomprehensible standoff between Suijin and Aegria continued, a deadly rain of attacks constantly clashing, shaking the ice palace.


    Everyone was holding their own, I couldn''t lose, I couldn''t let them down-


    BANG!


    In my train of thought, I wasn''t paying attention to my opponent, so I was caught with a lightning bolt to the face, and a follow-up kick to the gut.


    Sliding backwards, I barely avoided another kick to the head. I moved back in a back handspring and wiped the blood coming from my nose.


    Great work, Kami.


    I told myself sarcastically.


    Keep this up, and maybe you''ll be able to disappoint everyone, not just those here!"


    Dodging another lightning bolt, I began to prepare a counterattack. My opponent was clearly weaker when it came to hand to hand, so that was the advantage I needed to press.


    Despite the fact that I knew my win condition, despite the fact that my opponent was not stronger than me, I couldn''t make any progress.


    Again and again I was kicked down.


    Another lightning attack caught me, and I was sent crashing into the ground.


    "Kami!"


    Homura shouted out worried, casuing her to get caught of guard, and nearly burnt alive.


    Suijin was distracted momentarily, and she got a cut along her shoulder for it.


    My own weakness was causing others to be hurt to.


    Gripping my own arm tightly, I chided myself.


    Get a grip Kami!


    However, I still couldn''t break through. Trying to dodge back, I tripped over my dress, and was hit by another bolt.


    This one burnt deep, leaving a scar in my arm.


    Breathing heavily, I was brought to my knees in front of this girl, who was floating above me.


    Why couldn''t I break through.


    I was just as strong as her.


    Better at hand to hand.


    Knew my strategy.


    What was I missing?


    "Don''t let your confidence fall."


    Suijin''s words from before, they returned to me now.


    "If you fear letting somebody down, then instead of worrying about it, make sure it doesn''t happen!"


    Homuras words also returned to me.


    Was that what I was doing? I was letting my confidence fall.


    Yes, that was exactly it.


    Just because I made a single mistake, I allowed the walls of my confidence to crack. It was showing in real life. The ice palace surrounding me and begun to show cracks and seams. It had been happening from the beginning.


    The opponent in front of me, did not have any magical or physical advantage over me. No, but they did have something more important than that.


    They had an advantage in confidence. They were absolutely confident in what they could do. They didn''t trap themselves worrying about letting others down. They simply focused on themselves, and executed at the level they knew they were capable.


    That was the missing piece. My confidence.


    However, it was easier said than done to fix that.


    "Kami, you probably have more potential for magical energy than me."


    "Really? I find that hard to believe. Someone as strong as you, brother?"


    Raiden shook his head. "Me, I''m not all that, really. You have to much faith."


    "What did we talk about? Stop with the downplaying yourself! Your great Raiden and don''t forget it!"


    "And your great too!" He leaned in, flicking my forehead. "A powerful magician. In fact, I believe that you would never lose to anyone!"


    The push that I needed, came in the form of a memory of a conversation I had had with Raiden walking to school. He had expressed his own confidence in me in his own self-deprecating way. he had said that he believed I wouldn''t lose to anyone.


    And so, I wouldn''t lose.


    "You really are an unknowingly selfish brother. When you hold expectation like that, I can''t lose." I spoke.


    With a smiled, I summoned an ice dagger, and cut my dress, turning it into a makeshift skirt, with more breathing room. Although, I cut it much higher than I intended.


    Probably nerves. I laughed at myself in my mind.


    I had an idea. From the moment Suijin arrived and revealed her ability, I had an idea.


    Getting into a fighting stance, I faced my opponent with a smile. Then, I said to myself:


    "Absolute Zero."

 Chapter 66: Other World

    Still in a daze from everything that had happened, I struggled to process the image in front of me.


    Hikaru was holding me in her arms, staring down at me with a relieved expression. In front of me, Shindo was facing off against the man in the black suit.


    His long spear was held behind his back, and from the look of the room, this fight had been going on much longer than I would have thought. How long had I been knocked out for. What was the last thing that happened again?


    Right! He had put his hands around my head and then said that he had given me a gift. What that was, I couldn''t know. If it was that hellish trial, then gift, was not the right name for it.


    Thinking of that never-ending cycle, I closed my eyes and winced.


    Not now Raiden. Right now, I should face the opponent in front of me. Enough being useless!


    I began to stand up slowly.


    "Raiden, are you sure that your fine to be moving like this?" Hikaru asked, grabbing unto my coat as I began to stand.


    I nodded. "I''m fine. Although my heads more than just a little bit in disarray."


    "Doesn''t that mean you''re not fine!"


    "Tomato Tomato." I replied. However her gaze suddenly snapped up to my eyes, and hers widened.


    "Hey Raiden......"


    "Yeah.?"


    "You sure you''re, okay? What did he, do to you?"


    "Oh, he just used his ability to forceful mess with my mind. In fact, it was his ability that did this to everything that went missing. He absorbed them, into his vault, which can not only store physical objects and people, but also souls."


    I spoke, in a matter-of-fact tone. Hikaru looked at me in shock.


    "What?"


    "Huh?"


    I to, was also left in shock.


    Not because of Hikaru''s shock, no, her shock was warranted.


    My shock came from the fact that I didn''t know where I got that information from. In fact, it hadn''t even felt like I was speaking myself.


    "When did you figure that out?" She asked.


    "I- I don''t know." I spoke. A look of confusion dawned over her face, and I was just as confused and frustrated. I had no idea when I figured it out, when I had learned of that information. It had just been in my mind.


    "More importantly, Raiden, your eyes, they''ve changed."


    I was already confused as to my own actions, and now Hikaru was adding fuel to the flame, talking about more stuff that I didn''t get.


    "One of your eyes Raiden. The left one, it''s red."


    My own blood ran cold. Taking a look into her shimmering blue eyes, I could see what she was talking about. One of my eyes was black, and the other was red. No, not exactly. It was the same vermillion color of HER eyes. The girl with the white hair, the one who had reached out her hand to me.


    Oddly enough, the new vermillion eye, did not feel out of place to look at. Instead, it was the black eye that felt out of place. As if it didn''t belong there.


    I turned away from my reflection, from the many things that were only serving to disorientate me further.


    Outside, a massive explosion could be heard, and it shook the walls of the magic academy.


    "AHUGHG!" I was brought to my knees by a sudden pain in my chest, coughing out blood.


    "Raiden! See! Somethings wrong."


    "Don''t worry, he''s fine." I surprised myself once again.


    Referring to myself in the third person!? What''s going on with your Raiden!"


    "Hikaru, I promise, I''m fine."


    Standing up, I picked up my sword, which was laying on the ground. Pulling it in and out of its sheath, I tested the weight. For some reason, it felt slightly unfamiliar. Nothing to do with weight or anything. It was just the feeling of the blade in my hand. It felt off.


    Shaking that away, I walked up to the prince''s side. He tossed a sideways glance at me, before saying.


    "How are we feeling, sleeping beauty?"


    "I''ll give you that one, it even matches the theme." I said, as I unsheathed my blade.


    The prince looked at me with a bit of shock, as if he was a little surprised that I had actually responded to his joke.


    What had I been told? That everyone feared him. They treated him like he was some sort of Prince because of his strength. So, despite the fact that he was usually always surrounded by people, he was considered a loner. Everything that he had must have been superficial. People always deferred to him, and he never really had anything real.


    Surrounded by people, and yet he remained Isolated.


    His entire situation went against what Suijin was trying to achieve. Her goal, her message, of equality despite your magical power, the one roadblock that message faced was the existence of the prince. Which is why when he had shown up, Suijin had been so torn up. It was why she couldn''t rest. That, and her overblown idea of what it meant to be a leader.


    Which is why he seeming so shocked that I responded to him.


    The prince glanced down at my blade, unsheathed. As his eyes analyzed it, I was reminded of what Himitsu had told us. About Shindo''s ability. Now was the time, my chance to see if the ability I created could beat out his.


    "Nows not the time to be messing around, you know?" He spoke.


    I simply looked at him with a, "Huh?"


    He pointed to my sword. "During your entire fight with Yuri, you held your sword in your right hand. But now, it''s in your left. Even if you are ambidextrous, would it not be better to fight with the hand you use more?"


    "uhhh." I looked down at the blade, in my left hand. Just like Shindo had pointed out, it was in the wrong hand, however, it did not feel wrong. Even though my eyes were looking down and my brain was telling me that what I was looking at was wrong, my body was telling me something different.


    Information just appearing in my head.


    My eyes had changed color.


    My sword hand had switched.


    There was an incongruity between my body and my mind. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was so utterly confusing. What about that trial. That cycle. That place.


    That repeated itself again and again and again and again and again and again and again-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Focus, Raiden.


    Just like always, when my mind began to wander in important situations, my own voice cut in to draw my attention back. However, this time, the voice inside my head that snapped my derailing thoughts back into place, was not my own.


    Who- who are you?


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: hah! Isn''t obvious. I''m you. But that''s not important, back to the situation at hand.


    Bu-


    At that moment, I lost control of my own mana, and it flared out. Strongly too. It was so strong that the pressure could be felt around the room, the walls shook a little, and Shindo and Hikaru looked at me in shock.


    At the same time, the man in the black suit had released his own aura, and so the two clashed.


    The crashed together, and then they ripped open a space in the center of the room, in which me and Shindo were dragged into.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    A world of blood red. That was what we were dragged into. Mountain peaks that stretched high into the air. The ground was a mix of black and red rocky terrain. The world felt unnaturally cold, as if we were standing in the center of the arctic.


    The most horrifying part of it all, was that the sky was red. It was a deep red. Like blood. Same with the moon. The red pupil of the moon stared down at us, as we looked around the hell we had been transported to. Everything about this place resembled something straight out of a nightmare.


    Just in front of us, there were massive scratch marks filled with blood and chunks of flesh. In the distance, a roar could be heard. The ground trembled.


    "This couldn''t be-"


    "A miasmic tear? It is." I finished for Shindo.


    He looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure."


    "Well...." Why was I so sure? "Well, you mentioned it back then, didn''t you?"


    Shindo shook his head. "It was as a poor taste joke. No one really knows much about those things. You know, because no one alive has returned from one?"


    He was right, I really had no concrete evidence to prove that this was a miasmic tear. "Well, it''s the only option we have left. Thats the only thing we can assume." I gave that as my answer, but on the inside, I just had a gut feeling. Something inside of me was telling me that this was a Miasmic tear.


    "Well, you do have a point there. If we assume what you said to be true, then our options are quite literally nothing. No one has survived one of these before. So, there is nothing out there on how to survive one, nor get back. For all we know, this place is just a tear in space, that we''ll be trapped in until the end of time."


    That was the worst possible outcome. If that was the case, then we would not be able to get back. We wouldn''t be able to return and help, and-


    I''d fail my mission!


    No matter what, I couldn''t let Kami be hurt. Who knows what the hell was going on back there? With Wrath and-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You really are a mess, Raiden.


    Not now! Shut the hell up, you damned voice!


    In real life, I grabbed my own head even though I wasn''t in pain. Whatever this voice in my head was, it was only serving to throw me even deeper into disarray.


    Shindo watched on from where he stood, silent as I seemingly battled my own mind.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Just trust your instinct. Or should I say, me. Trust yourself.


    Except you aren''t me! I don''t know who you are. You''re some foreign entity that just banging with our head!


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: It really hurts for us to hear you refer to yourself that way, to us that way. However, you do have a really bad problem of self-loathing.


    Damn! I had said, "our head" Who was ours? Who was this second person. Just what the hell was happening!


    "Shindo, we can get out of here."


    He raised his eyebrow. "What makes you so sure of it?"


    "Just trust me. All we have to do,"


    I pointed my blade towards the pass between two of the gargantuan mountains.


    "Is deal with them."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    What I had told Shindo, I didn''t really understand myself, at least, until they showed up.


    "ROOOAAAARR!"


    Massive monsters. At least the size of houses, came rushing out from the mountain pass. They were horrifying creatures, with looks not even a mother could love. Massive claws, deformed body parts, faces, multiple limbs, eyes, tentacles, tumors.


    They were a horrible conglomerate of flesh, that just hurt to look at.


    "What are these things!" Shindo said, as he dashed up and down, left to right, his red spear flicking rapidly as it could through flesh.


    "I don''t know!" I said, as I slashed through a tentacle, jumping backwards, and launching a fire blast directly at the beast in front of me, turning it to ash.


    "Really? I''m surprised, you seemed to know a lot of things before! Whatever that guy did to you, it really messed with your head! Fortunately for us, it''s been a great help."


    "Oh really, I''m flattered!"


    This battle had been going on for longer than I wanted to believe. I genuinely prayed that the passage of time in this place was different then in the real world.


    It was a stale pattern. Although the beasts were large, and powerful, they were nothing much to deal with. Any magic spell that they tried to use, was cancelled by me and Shindo. And so, the battle just devolved in a rinse and repeat of the same actions.


    Cancel, dodge, slash, kill, repeat. It was a stale pattern, and for how long we had been repeating it for, we should have gone insane.


    In order to prevent that, we ended up speaking to one another. "So then, how''s life been, Ghost of the Miyamoto!"


    "Just another nickname that I didn''t want! You sure have some jokes, don''t you sleeping beauty!"


    We were throwing around banter like close friends. Maybe you do become close friends when you fight alongside someone for hours, slaughtering endless amounts of deformed creatures.


    However, that was not the extent of things. I could feel it. There was another reason for it.


    The prince was strong, absolutely, he deserved the name he had been given. His combat speed was insane. He moved even faster than lightning, dodging spells point blank. He could layer insanely complex magical sequences together, creating spells that could perform multiple functions in one.


    Like the spell he used now, which used flame to blow up the ground, wind to create a dust storm, acceleration to apply to the debris in the air, and a final flame spell to launch the debris at the creatures, creating a rain of flaming hot, faster than sound rocks the size of semis. He did it all in one spell, just continuously layering more and more magic.


    This spell went on passively, as he fought up close with his massive red spear, spinning, and flipping and kicking. Like a baton dancer, with their flaming baton.


    He was strong, unbelievably so. And it alienated him. Separated him from others. It was a curse as much as it was a blessing.


    I knew that feeling. Despite that the strength I possessed growing up, it never changed the fact that I could feel the distance between me and the servants, between me and my own family. The strength didn''t change anyone. You could be called a prodigy, but when there''s no one to stand next to you, that strength, that title, becomes your barrier.


    It isolates you.


    So, to find someone that could stand on the same level as you, someone that could keep up, that wasn''t off put by your strength, it felt refreshing.


    Rejuvenating.


    Unconsciously, I found myself ramping up, increasing in speed, in the power of my attacks. More and more and more and more. I slashed and killed and blasted more of these monsters.


    Shindo was doing the same, Increasing in speed, faster, stronger.


    I wouldn''t lose.


    Unconsciously, I had turned this into a competition.


    With a smile on both of our faces, we slaughtered the thousands of beasts in front of us.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    For the first time, both Shindo and Raiden were placed in a situation where they weren''t separated from others because of their strength.


    Placed in a situation where they could go all out, and still not outpace the person next to them, they felt a new sense of being. They did not hold back, they went all out, in hopes of outperforming the one next to them.


    No words were shared, but that was because they weren''t needed. Their strength did the conversing.


    Their dance of death amidst a blood red moon expressed all emotion necessary.


    And the first barriers of isolation, were cracked.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Slashing through another beast, I pivoted, aiming a spell, and just as I fired, I realized my blast was aimed at Shindo. I stopped, and he did the same.


    There were no more monsters. They had all been cleared out. Disappointedly, I turned to face the pass, where there was no sign of any more beasts coming out.


    "No way."


    "It''s over." Shindo said, with the same amount of disappointment etched into his voice.


    I wanted to keep going. I still had more to give.


    I could still go faster.


    I could still be stronger.


    I wasn''t even close to tired. So why? Why had it ended?


    Turningback to face where we had come from, all that could be seen was red.


    It was pure carnage. Blood everywhere. Guts, bodies, limbs fluids, red blood, it was everywhere. It was an utter fucking massacre over there. I turned back to face Shindo for a moment. We were silent.


    "I got more!" I said first.


    "Hell no, I got way more!" He said immediately after.


    "Nuh uh!"


    "Yuh uh! It was clear the entire time that I was out speeding you!"


    "Delusion, I was clearly faster, and stronger for that matter."


    "Oh really, what about all the times you faltered?" Shindo pointed out.


    "Tch! You try fighting while having your head messed with!"


    "Excuses excuses!"


    While we argued, two portals appeared in front of us.


    One lead back to the room where Hikaru was battling against the man in black.


    The other lead to a rainy rooftop, where Genji and Ichijo were battling.


    Thank god. Looked like time didn''t pass normally here.


    "I''ll take the one with the black suit guy. If he really messed with your head, then getting closer will probably be worse."


    I nodded, turning to face the portal that led to the rooftop.


    "First people to ever survive a Miasmic tear, all thanks to me." I spoke.


    "Hah hah, you''re really funny." He replied sardonically.


    Another brief moment of silence.


    "You know, you could be really popular if you tried." I said.


    "I already am." He replied.


    "You know what I''m talking about. Don''t purposely make Suijin''s life harder. I hate Yuri, but I understand his motive."


    Shindo nodded. "You know, self-perception doesn''t have to be your greatest enemy. You should know how futile it is trying to fight yourself."


    With those final words, we stepped into the portals, and back into battle.

 Chapter 67: Simultaneous Siege

    "You are alright, Masayoshi?" Yuri asked as he reached his hand down to help him up. Nodding as he accepted the hand, Masayoshi dusted himself off. His head hurt like hell.


    "My head hurts, like hell, but I''m alive." He turned around to face the direction that Wrath had been blasted towards. There was a large, gaping, smoking crater in the wall, where Wrath probably lay. "Thanks for the save."


    "It was nothing. I should have gotten here sooner." Yuri seemed to be internally beating himself up for something. What it was, Masayoshi could easily guess.


    "Suijin was just here. She went outside to go help with things out there."


    Yuri nodded, slightly relieved. Of course, his worries would never be able to be completely relieved, because of the situation at hand, but a little went a long way, as they say.


    "Well then, I have to congratulate you. You''ve been holding your own against this...monster for a quite a bit, haven''t you?" Yuri patted Masayoshi on the back, who stiffened a bit.


    "Doesn''t change the fact that he would''ve killed me there had you not intervened. I made a foolish mistake." Masayoshi cracked his knuckles, before rolling his head around a bit, to check if he had a full range of motion. His vision was still a bit blurry, however it wasn''t something that would pose to much of a problem. Especially since he had an ally with him this time.


    "You still managed to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Against an opponent of this caliber as well, that''s all that really matters." Yuri looked at the smoking crater, where a figure could be seen hauling themselves out from. Yuri picked up a small stone on the ground, before reaching his hand out, and then his gun suddenly appeared in his hand.


    Masayoshi turned his gaze to Yuri for a brief moment. "What about you, where did you come from?"


    "I had just come from the arena when I heard the massive explosion." Yuri began to take a look at his weapons as he explained his side of the situation. "I rushed back as quickly as I could, on my may I noticed that my radio had gone missing. Just out of nowhere. Completely vanished. and that''s when I met up with [The Prince]. After which, we joined up with Hikaru, who explained that their where two attackers currently in the building. She said that R-Raiden was handling one."


    Masayoshi did not miss the hesitation in his voice as he said Raiden''s name.


    "And that you and Suijin were down here handling Wrath. Thats why I decided to come rushing down here."


    And the fact that he didn''t want to deal with Raiden. Masayoshi thought that to himself.


    "And you didn''t hear much about anything going on outside, did you?"


    Yuri shook his head, the frustration clear.


    Masayoshi was just as frustrated. What was the purpose behind these attacks? What was the goal? Yuri mentioned another attacker in the building, so how many people deep was this operation?


    "Were just way to in the dark. That, and all our comms have been cut out. Like they slashed off our eyes and ears." Masayoshi made a gruesome analogy, for an equally gruesome situation.


    "Do you want me to explain what''s going on!" Wrath shouted, as he stepped out of the smoke, his face still concealed.


    Yuri and Masayoshi both stiffened, as they turned to face the direction of their opponent.


    "Its simple. This attack, it was born out of a mutual agreement. Somebody had a goal, a vision, to achieve justice."


    Masayoshi narrowed his eyes at that statement. This guy, is going to preach about justice?


    "However, they were just a bit short-staffed, they needed a little more, a bit more manpower. And that was where we came in. SHE, the witch, our savior, she had a goal. Something she wanted to achieve.


    "So, we stepped in, helped out. Mutually beneficial agreement. That being me and all the ones she saved." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Wrath swung his arms out wide, as he reached a crescendo in his words. "This siege is the first step, the lightning of the coals. Soon, these sparks will ignite, into the flames of revolution!"


    Stepping completely out of the smoke, Wrath''s full figure was revealed. He was smiling, and his eyepatch had fallen off. In its place, was a mass of red squirming flesh, that was disgusting to look at. It glowed brightly.


    He winked at them with his one good eye.


    "Was that alright, Prometheus?"


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Continent of the Holy European Empire. Same time.


    The men in python tattoos had completely surrounded the school. As soon as the first had appeared, the school immediately went into lockdown procedure, with terrified children huddling in dark corners of dark rooms, trying to escape the dark fate that awaited them just outside.


    However, these were no ordinary terrorist. No, the men with the Python tattoos were more than that. They objective required more than just the run of the mill methods to be carried out. In order to completely ignite the flames of revolution, they needed fuel. And a spark. And this would serve that purpose perfectly.


    The school was a fairly tall structure, and it was large. It had an entire football, track, volleyball, and basketball sections.


    It was also created to withstand terrorist attacks. Specifically, terrorist attacks that came from magicians. Once the Muerte Oscuras had unleashed its wrath upon the world, a multitude of other death machines were created from mana. After the tragedy brough upon the world from that weapon, governments were quick to act, developing material that would be able to withstand these things.


    However, despite this fact, it did not stop those in python tattoos.


    Inside of a classroom, elementary school children were huddled up in the corner, next to their teacher, who was doing her best to calm them.


    "Shhhh. Shhhh. It''s going to be okay. It''s going to be okay. You''re all going to be fine. Its going to be fin-"


    At that moment, gunshots could be heard and screams quickly followed.


    Flinching, the teacher turned her head to the ground and began to sob. "Why. Why."


    "CRASHH!


    The door to the classroom was kicked upon with insane force, lodging itself into the opposite wall. Everyone froze, unable to move anything except their eyes.


    In from the door, walked a man. He was tall, so much so that he had to slightly duck to get into the doorway. He had long blonde hair, and storm gray eyes. He was dressed in a long flowing red coat, that resembled the cape a king would wear. His hair was messy and dishelved, but it resembled a crown. He walked with a royal aura about him.


    And when he turned to face the children, he had a smile on his face.


    "If there was one word to escribe what you al must be feeling right now, its fear. And understandably so. I mean, a bunch of people that the authorities are calling terrorist have broken into your school. Your scared. Your understandably scared." The man''s smile did not leave his face as he slowly began to approach the kids. Still, no one moved.


    They didn''t dare move.


    "However, it''s not like that at all. Terrorist is not a fitting name. No, we are the leaders of revolution." He stopped just a few feet away from the children.


    "Magicians took this world from us. They developed weapons of death, they themselves are weapons of death and destruction, that force you all to live in fear every day. We are here to end that."


    Silence.


    All that could be heard was labored breathing.


    The man approached a small little girl, who was trying to stifle sobs. He reached out a hand. She shrunk back, but his hand grabbed hers, quickly, with a tight grip.


    Like a python.


    He forced her to look him in the eyes. The storm gray eyes without a hint of a smile in them.


    "All around the world, attacks are being launched. On magic academies. On schools. Malls. Homes. All of it. Its all in an attempt to bring down this society of magicians. To take back what was stolen. These events, there all small sparks in our mission. Once all of them are combined, they will ignite. And our revolution will truly begin."


    There was a dreamy look in his eyes, as if he wasn''t really here. Like he was intertwined in a fantasy, and was living it out. His grip on the girl was tightening, constricting around her neck. However, he was too caught up in his own fantasy to notice. Her sputtering. Her choking.


    Her dying.


    When he returned dot reality. her limp body was in his hands. Her dead eyes stared back at him. However, he continued to speak, as if he was talking to an alive person.


    Instead of the dead body of a 5-year-old girl.


    "Doesn''t that sound great? Doesn''t that sound perfect. It''s all we could wish for, right?" His voice was increasing in fervor as he spoke to the corpse.


    "Prometheus. The police are almost here. We have to hurry."


    "Well, that''s our sign to go." Prometheus let go of the little girl''s corpse, letting the limp body fall in front of all of the children. They all looked on in horror, suppressing screams.


    "But to achieve that perfect world. We need sparks." Prometheus looked back at them and smiled. This time it was sinister. Full of malice, delusion, and grandeur.


    "And you all, will serve the role of sparks."


    With a snap of his fingers, he set them all on fire.


    The smell of burning flesh filled the hall of the school.


    The screams of those damned to suffering filled the halls.


    And Prometheus walked those halls, filled with the hellish sounds of suffering, gleefully.


    His hands thrown out wide, and a smile on his face.


    "Beautiful! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! All of your cheers! Your support! It all won''t be forgotten! Thank you! My subjects!"


    He shouted out, as he skipped through a hall filled with screams.


    Just behind him, the burning corpses of children and teachers crawled, trying to escape hell.

 Chapter 68: Kiss of Death

    Absolute Zero. That was what I named the technique I deployed. Seeing how Suijin had used it, reducing the efficacy of magic attacks within the radius to zero-as she put it-I was inspired.


    It couldn''t be called a full-fledged technique, as it was more than a little rough around the edges, however it was something that would allow me to gain the advantage in this battle.


    Ice. That was my specialty.


    As any magician had to growing up, I chose an element that I wanted to specialize in. One that I would study, that I would use enough to completely memorize all of the basic spells and sequences involving it. I had chosen ice.


    That was because of my enviromint. My training at the Chisaki estate, always took place in the outside area of the backyard, where there was a large circle, filled with the petals of surrounding Sakura trees.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Out there, it was always burning hot. So hot that after only a few minutes of training, I would get tired. I would be sweating buckets, and I just lost all the will to move on.


    "Up Kami! We''ve only just begun." Mina said.  as she energetically jumped around in her maid outfit. Stockings and all. She didn''t even show a single sign of sweating, let alone discomfort.


    "Oh, come on, Its burning hot out here! Can''t we just call the day off or something?" I complained from where I lay, in a pool of my own sweat which drenched the pink leaves beneath me.


    "Your opponents won''t be keen to call it off, don''t you think?" Mina made a valid point, but I was too busy wallowing in my own hatred for the sun to give it much thought.


    "Yeah, but when am I ever going to fight in the desert?" It was nonsense, and I knew it. The sun was just frying my brain.


    Mina stared down at me for a second, before sighing. She walked up before sitting down next to me. "Do you want me to teach you something, Kami?"


    In the distance, Raiden was doing his own training. I watched him in a bit of awe, as he moved flawlessly and quickly, without a hint of exhaustion. He was sparring against Yuki. Both armed with bokken, they battled fiercely with each other, trading blow after blow. All the while, Yuki was shouting pointers.


    "Less defense more offense! Faster swings! Don''t overcommit! Recover!"


    Raiden adapted quickly, taking each callout into stride as he shifted gears insanely quickly.


    It was a dance.


    "Yes." I said absentmindedly.


    Mina was also watching them, closely as well. She lifted her hand above my head, and then a relieving cool spread around my head.


    "Ahhhhhh." I exhaled in pleasure, leaning into the cooling breeze that was pouring from her hand.


    However just as quickly as the refreshing cold had come out, it disappeared. I opened my eyes with a, "hey!" only to see Mina standing above me, wagging her finger.


    "If you want to know how, then get up."


    After sticking my tongue out at her, I got up begrudgingly, still watching Raiden and Yuki''s dance, which was about to reach its conclusion.


    After a flurry of strikes, Raiden must have gauged something wrong, because the next parry of his ended up with his blade flying into the air, and Yuri pinning him to the ground with her knee.


    "Damn!"


    "Don''t lose focuses, Rai-Rai!"


    "Don''t call me that." Raiden shouted as he squirmed underneath Yuri.


    "Oh, and what are you going to do if I keep saying that?" Yuri raised an eyebrow.


    "God. This obnoxious personality is why you haven''t gotten married yet!"


    I turned away after that, not wanting to watch exactly what kind of punishment was enacted after those words. Raiden''s cries of pain were enough.


    "So, how did you do it?" I asked.


    "Ice magic. You can use to coat your body without it being visible. Using that, you are not only resistant to hot weather, but you can also minimize the damage dealt when touching hot surfaces."


    The mention of hot surfaces brought my mind back to the black iron gates of the Chisaki estate.


    Maybe one day you''ll be as strong as me!


    I remember how Raiden teased me for being burnt by the iron gate. If I could learn ice magic, then I would show him! That I could be just as strong and great as he was!"


    With a smile on my face, I told Mina: "Bring it on then."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    "Bring it on then." I taunted my opponent with the same words that I had told Mina back then. The smile on my face was just as wide.


    Suijin''s own technique was the inspiration for what I had come up with, and I combined it with my ice magic to create something new.


    Unlike Suijin''s, which used water to essentially deflect, absorb, and slow down attacks, my own variation of absolute zero made use of ice, more specifically, the temperature, to internally freeze an opponent''s circulation. It significantly slowed down the processing speed of the nerves in the brain that were responsible for transporting information about magic spells and sequences.


    It slowed them down so much, that it was impossible to use a magic sequence. Well not impossible, but the activation would be so slow that it didn''t matter. It did have a major drawback though.


    Not only did the effect also apply to me, but it did to anyone inside of the zone I used it in. Not to mention, I couldn''t go overboard with it, or else I''d accidentally freeze all brain activity of both me and my opponent.


    My opponent held her hand out in order to fire a blast of lightning, but as she soon realized, it wouldn''t fire. Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at me, but I was already in front of her.


    CRACKKKK!


    The floor of the ice castle below us nearly shattered completely from the force of my blow. A right hook straight to her chin. She was blasted backwards and I immediately jumped after her, catching her before she could fly away completely, and smashing her body into the ground. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Immediately rolling away, my opponent forced themselves to their feet.


    I followed up immediately, not letting up any of the pressure. My opponent backed tried to recover, to fight back, but I was relentless.


    Right, left, jab, kick, toss, slam.


    An endless combo. My opponent was launched backwards by the force of the blow, and this time, when she recovered, she did not attempt to fight back. She knew that she could not match me in hand-to-hand combat, so she went for the best option available to her.


    Escape the zone of [[Absolute Zero.]]


    It was the right idea; however, her plan came with one major flaw.


    This entire ice castle in the sky, was my domain. And so, in order to escape the techniques effect, she would need to escape the ice castle.


    She realized that only a second too late. She was just inches away from crashing through the ice wall and leaving, when I caught up to her.


    With great force, I landed a punch that smashed her skull against the wall.


    SMASHHHH!


    My opponent''s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she was defeated.


    Shattered pieces of ice hung in the air and fell from the ceiling, creating a rain of shimmering ice.


    I let go of the technique''s effects.


    Suijin! Homura!


    I turned towards where my two allies were fighting, to see that Homura had already defeated her opponent.


    Suijin, was facing off against Aergia. A pause had ensued in their battle. They were simply facing off against each other.


    Suijin had multiples slashes that were leaking blood on her body; however, she showed no signs of pain. She was simply staring, with determination, at Aergia.


    She had a few scratches of her own, however nothing major. She was staring at Suijin like she had just told her to take out the trash.


    "You two did well." Suijin congratulated us as we walked to join her. "Whatever you did their Kami, it was impressive. Just shows how great you are."


    I felt great hearing that praise.


    "Thats what I''ve been saying." Homura patted me on the back. "Seriously impressive work Kami! Developing a technique on the spot? And to think you were the one having doubts about themselves!"


    I laughed nervously. It did feel good though. To get congratulations from both of them, who had put their faith in me, was amazing.


    Suijin now turned her gaze towards Aergia. "Now. Its time we finish this."


    "Hmph!" Me and Homura both nodded as we faced our next opponent.


    Aergia turned her eyes to look at us, before for the first time in this fight, speaking.


    "Why. Why do you try so hard?"


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    I landed on my feet and nearly slipped off the roof of the magic academy. It was insanely wet out here, and the rain showed no signs of letting up. The sky had been darkened significantly by black thunder clouds that stretched into infinity. Using my sword to stabilize my position on the slanting roof, I looked around.


    WOOOSH!


    An arrow flew right by my head, exploding a few feet away. Looking in the direction of where it had come from, I took notice of two students, battling a 4 other people.


    There!


    As I moved to take a step-


    I slipped.


    Not because I had taken a misstep, or because I had actually slipped on the slick surface of the roof.


    No.


    The reason that I slipped was because my own body.......misfired. That was the best word to describe it. My brain and body lost their connection, and I slipped.


    "Shit!"


    Trying to reach out, I only ended up sliding my hand against the wet surface of the ceiling, and now, I was tumbling to my death.


    What the hell''s going on!


    Trying to regain control of my body, I mentally flailed-because my physical body wasn''t responding-in the air.


    Get a grip Raiden!


    I roared in my own mind, but it was to no avail, my body simply would not respond.


    Thats when my own had gripped a railing of one of the glass paths, and I flipped myself back into the air, landing unto another rooftop.


    I paused in absolute shock for a few seconds. I don''t know how, but I could just tell that I hadn''t done that.


    The entire act of saving myself, was something that I had not executed myself, because my body wasn''t responding to commands. It was like when people said that their body moved on its own, except in this case it quite literally did move on its o


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Thank me later, Raiden.


    The same voice returned to my head. I froze, a chill running down my spine.


    Just who the hell are you?


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: I''m guessing that if I answer, I''m you, you won''t believe me. The voice belonged to a woman. It definitely did. And it was teasing me.


    Cut the bullshit!


    I slammed my hand against the peak which I was leaning against.


    Laughing. I could hear her laughing.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Do you want an answer as too who I am? As to what''s happening to you, right now?


    I remained silent.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: I am, your savior.


    I froze again, nearly slipping to my death.


    Savior? Just what the hell was she talking about? Taking more free liberty to mess with my head?


    However, at that moment, my memories of the trial returned. That hellish cycle. 100 million times, with no end in sight.


    And the girl with the white hair, and vermillion eyes who had held out her hand. Who had offered to save me. What happened after that point, if anything did at all, I don''t know. But that was beside the point. If what she was saying was true, and she was that girl, then that mean-


    That we are


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Two souls inhabiting the same body, yes.


    She finished my sentence for me, with the exact words that I was going to use.


    But, that''s impossible. Things like that, they don''t happen.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Believe it, Raiden. Things like this happen all the time. The world of magic as you know it is much deeper than anyone could ever imagine.


    And for some reason, I knew she was telling the truth. Like, I could feel it.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Because of the fact that were two opposing souls, and because of that strain, your body is mixing up who is supposed to be in control. That time when you were not in control of your body, it was because control had swapped over to me.


    And she saved me from dying.


    I would have loved to say that my mind was reeling, but in truth, it was empty. What was there to think, after a revelation like that one.


    My body. I wasn''t even in control of that. Even that, had been completely taken from me.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: I can see why you react like that. You''ve essentially lost everything. Your mind, taken away from you by your father''s own orders.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your feelings, robbed away from you by something you aren''t even aware of.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your body, first defiled by Eve, and then control leaving you completely.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Even your identity is being called into question. Are you Raiden Chisaki, or are you-


    "¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö" I finished for her.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Everything''s been stolen from you.


    She was right. But stolen might to have been the right word. I had given it up. I was too stupid, too worthless, to self-centered to see what I was losing. It was my fault.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your autonomy.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Your body.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Your own soul.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your only reason to live now, is in order to serve as another''s tool. A weapon.


    The reality that I had been pushing against finally crashed down, and I accepted it. Everything she said was right. And what was worse, it had to have been the truth. Our souls were interlinked. We both shared each other''s memories. Our thoughts were the same.


    The fact that I even knew that was what was happening, was proof enough of what I said.


    I was her and she was me. NO, it wasn''t that far gone.


    We existed in a limbo state.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Your very humanity and identity have been taken from you.


    She was right.


    I was right.


    We were right.


    On my knees, I stared out into the rain, an empty expression on my face. At that moment, a hand wrapped itself around me.


    It felt warm, just like when Yuki had done it.


    Pulled closed to someone''s body, I looked up, to notice pink.


    Pink. Pink.


    Eve.


    My memories of that day returned, as I stared into her blushing face. She leaned down and kissed me on the lips.


    I didn''t even resist. She had already taken my body from me once, and she would do it again. There was no point in resisting. Shame, regret, disgust. It all welled up inside me.


    "My beloved. We finally meet once again."


    A drop of water appeared from my eye, rolling down my cheek.


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    Holding Raiden''s body in her arms, Eve brushed is hair out of the way, as she stared down at him. Just looking at him made her body feel all sorts of ways. Heat rushed up her legs, through her head, all the way around her.


    His eyes. They were black, like a void, and Eve was obsessed.


    His long eyelashes, they made him look so sweet, like a young boy.


    Eve was obsessed.


    His entire body, defined, trained, and yet still pure. Well, not anymore.


    Eve was utterly obsessed.


    Every inch made her obsessed.


    Even now, with a single tear rolling down his cheek, washed away by the rain.


    "All is well. All will remain well. As long as we are together."


    Raiden did not respond. He seemed nearly lifeless.


    As Eve held him in her arms, she thought as to why her power did not work on him. Her ability to make anyone that found affection in her, lusted after her, even the tiniest bit, would be under her complete control.


    It was one of the things that interested her.


    It couldn''t be because he didn''t find her attractive. The night the spent together, even if he wasn''t present for it, it made it clear that they had a bond. A connection. At least in eves mind.


    The reason for it, was something that she could never know, because not even Raiden knew it himself.


    At a young age, Raiden had been cursed. By a witch.


    A curse that prevented him from feeling any sort of romantic or lustful affection. For anybody.

 Chapter 69: The Monster

    Shindo stood in front of the man in the black suit, who had his head reared back in raucous laughter. When he returned from the portal, he had landed in-between Hikaru and the man. He hadn''t attacked her, thankfully. Although she could most likely hold her own. In fact, they had been in the middle of conversation. Shindo appeared from the portal, dropping down from the ceiling unto one knee, before raising himself up, and staring at the man in front of him.


    His long red spear was dripping blood, its shine dampened by the dark red liquid. and he himself was covered in the substance. It wet his hair, causing it to completely cover a majority of his face. His red eyes could be seen shining from within the curtain of hair.


    "Hahhhh."


    He exhaled a couple of deep breaths, as he stood in front of the man in the black suit. It was seeing this sight, that the man began to laugh.


    "HAHAAHHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!"


    He reared his head back, placed a hand over his eyes, and one over his abdomen. He laughed so hard that he was nearly brought to his knees.


    All the while, Shindo just looked on, unmoving.


    Hikaru stood behind Shindo, still in shock from the fact that he had simply appeared from the ceiling. She took notice of the blood covering his entire body, and she nearly vomited herself.


    "Y-your okay!" She managed to get out, after the feeling of vomiting had subsided. "W=what about Raiden?"


    Shindo turned around to face her, his one visible red eye shining. "Raiden''s fine. He''s on the school roof top currently.


    At that moment, a flash of lightning and the boom of thunder overtook the atmosphere of the entire room.


    Hikaru stared at Shindo for a second, in momentary fear.


    Shining red eye. Tall. Covered in blood. Wielding a massive murder weapon that was also drenched in blood. An unreadable facial expression. His mana leaking out and encompassing the entire room.


    In this state, Shindo could be compared to nothing less than a monster. A monster that had just finished its slaughter and was moving on to its next pray.


    Shindo took notice of the momentary fear in her expression, before looking away. It didn''t hurt him. People always looked at him like that. Even those closest to him. Even his own father.


    Typical.


    "Shindo! Remember what Raiden had said. About his ability being a vault of sorts, that could store both people and objects?


    Shindo froze for a second. He was more than just a bit shock that Hikaru had even decided to speak to him at all. "Yea." Shindo said, not taking his eyes off of his opponent, who was still laughing.


    "Well, if that''s the case, then everything that has gone missing, its in his vault. That''s why he acts so eccentric. When he uses his ability, the personalities of the people inside his body are allowed to resurface. That means; by defeating him, we can probably get him to empty that vault of his, not only saving all of the students and teachers trapped in there but also getting back the PA system.


    Even the teachers? Shindo was shocked. Thats why I couldn''t find any of them. But that means, that this guy had managed to infiltrate the magic academy.


    Shindo gritted his teeth. The situation only seemed to get worse the more information that he found out. No teachers. No way to communicate with others. No sign of the headmaster. And there were many more things that he didn''t know the status of.


    "If that''s the case, then I''ll beat this guy. Without killing him."


    The man in the black suit had finally gotten control of himself. "You talk with so much confidence. As if your victory was already decided as soon as you arrived."


    Shindo took a step forward. "Thats because it was."


    The man in black took a step back, and he looked down at his own legs in shock.


    "Heh. Amazing. For the first time, all of them. All of the students. No not just the students, every single soul inside of my body. They were all in agreement for the first time ever. The same sentiment. ''We have to get away from this monster standing in front of us."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Shindo paused. Thankfully, his hair covered his face, because behind it, he was left in utter disarray.


    "Monster." He muttered to himself, in a tone low enough that only he could her. He shook his head subtly.


    Same old same old, Shindo. Since you were born, you''ve been called a monster. Don''t let it affect you.


    Shoving aside the hurt that he felt, Shindo brough his spear in front of him.


    The man looked at Shindo with an awestruck expression. "We couldn''t grab the last one. Raiden. But you, we want to add you to our collection. [[Prince]]


    Shindo''s eyes widened a bit. He didn''t exhibit any noticeable physical reaction, but on the inside, he was seething.


    "That voice."


    The man in black just tilted his head, a smile on his face. "You recognize it, don''t you?"


    "You greedy bastard! Just how the hell! Just how the hell do you know her! How did you get her into your damned vault!"


    Shindo was clenching his fist so tightly that blood was drawn.


    The man just smiled, infuriatingly.


    Just as he was about to pounce, Shindo heard a voice from behind him shout. "Wait."


    Holding himself back, Shindo turned to face Hikaru. The anger in his eyes only served to make him look even more feral than he already was. And Hikaru flinched a bit, her words dead on her lips.


    "Just. Just go! You''d only get in the way." Shindo knew that he came off wrong there, that he should fix what he said, apologize for it, but the anger that was currently consuming him did not let him. It threatened to overtake his entire being.


    The way he spoke with others, was that one of the reasons that everyone feared him? It probably was. But for him, that was always the normal. Most of the interactions that he had with other people just felt wrong. Even if they were having a friendly conversation, it was always pointless. Nothing meaningful was ever shared.


    And for the others, he did shit like this. Needlessly antagonize another person. Say something dumb.


    That was one of the reasons why he was always cracking jokes. Because at least that way, he would insult someone on purpose, and that way, the nothingness that he discussed with others, it could at least be filled with some fake laughs as well.


    There were only a few people that he ever felt he was able to have a real conversation with.


    Raiden was one. For one, Raiden didn''t fear him, and Shindo could tell that Raiden understood him, that they shared a similar existence. That was because of their strength and power. That was why they could understand each other.


    Because Raiden didn''t fear him, there was no room for superficial interactions. Every word they shared had a purpose.


    The other was Suijin. That was just because of who she was as a person. What she stood for. She was very far from a hypocrite, and so because of her own ideals, her belief that power did not make you better than one another, she did not fear Shindo. She was one of the only ones able to actually call his name.


    And the final person, was someone from his past. From when he was younger.


    Hikaru looked shocked for a few seconds, but she immediately took Shindo''s sudden outburst in stride.


    "All right then. I''ll go meet up with others, try and spread and gather as much info as possible. I''ll be back. And when I do return, we''ll give that message on the P.A. system.


    Shindo could her the determination in her voice, in her steps, as she exited the student council room.


    Turning back to face his opponent, Shindo didn''t even hesitate.


    He dashed forward.


    Within the span of a second, he slashed his spear five times.


    The man in the black suit, Greed-which was what Shindo had decided to call him-tried to evade, but he was caught by two, directly across the chest. Not wasting a single second, using the momentum from each movement before to move into his next, Shindo kept up the onslaught, swinging his spear, slashing, twirling.


    All the while, Greed, who was put on the defensive, struggled to keep up with the speed that Shindo was exhibiting.


    Again and again, Greed was slashed.


    Across his shoulder, across his face, across his arm, close to his neck.


    Shindo was relentless. Blood was flying all over the place. Not only from Greeds wounds, but also from Shindo''s spear, and from Shindo himself.


    Greed would have definitely died, had he not done what he did next. Suddenly, a massive blast of light began to radiate of his body. Before he could be flash banged, Shindo canceled the spell, and ducked under the spear that came flying out at him.


    Greed now moved to take the offensive, coming at Shindo with a polearm. Shindo dodged, parried, and blocked effectively against the onslaught of attacks, looking for his own opening.


    As soon as he saw it, he activated a magic sequence.


    A flame spell, combined with lightning Layered atop of that were an acceleration and homing spell. Combing it all together, Shindo exucted that magic sequence, to from an army of spears. 100 hundred spears made of flame and lightning.


    Just like Julius''s, "Wandenreich." Using his own ability of mystic eyes of death perception, Suijin studied the Greatest knight''s ability, and replicated it with near perfect accuracy. The only thing he didn''t copy was the strings of mana that connected to the brain, allowing for full control. He wouldn''t need that much.


    Letting the spears fly at his opponent, Shindo watched as Greed dodged and blocked and twirled his spear in a ballerina dance that Shindo recognized all to well.


    "Damn! So you, you do have her."


    He didn''t want to believe it, but this was proof enough. He was using the same fighting style as her. Same movements and everything.


    The spears continued to rain down on him, before finally, Shindo attacked himself. Dashing through his own army of spears, Shindo charged up a magic spell in his own spear. When he got close enough, he detonated a cluster of the spears in front of Greeds face, creating a smoke screen, before swinging his spear into Greed like a baseball bat, letting off the powerful wind spell that blasted him away, straight out of the wall of the student council room, however just before he could be blown away completely, he used the spear to keep himself from being launched out of the hole in the wall.


    He landed on the ground and stared at Shindo, the same smile on his face. "You''ll have to do better than that."


    Once again, he spoke in the voice of the young girl from Shindo''s past. The first person to not fear him. His first friend. His best friend.


    A person from a time in the past, where he was called, "The Ghost of the Miyamoto."


    "I''ll kill you." Was all Shindo had to say.

 Chapter 70: Just One

    Nova and Erika were side by side, facing off against the never-ending spawn of opponents with python tattoos along their necks.


    The current situation had improved a lot from when it had first begun. Originally, when the whole attack first started, initiated by the massive explosion that occurred inside of the lobby of the magic academy, students had been in a rush to escape, only to find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.


    Inside of the magic academy, a horrifying figure with unrivaled strength. One that was the incarnation of Wrath and destruction.


    At the front gates, a lazy girl who with a flick of her fingers sent heads flying and turned the front courtyard of the school into a bloody mess that even the strongest of wills would have trouble stomaching.


    And blocking all of the emergency exits, were men in python tattoos, who fought with no regard for their own life. Constant attack, and no mind to play defense. It was as if they were all some sort of expendable resource, created just to slow down the escape of the students.


    But now, things began to change. Someone had created an ice palace, where they trapped that monster. Nova was worried for how that battle was going, but as long as the ice palace was still up, it was likely that the girl was still alive. After all, magic constructs vanished when their creator died.


    After that, the entrance to the front had been opened up, but it was quickly blocked off by these men. Along with a new, even stronger enemy. A man, who wore a black suit and black sunglasses that completely blocked his eyes. The magical energy leaking off of him was large and potent. He was not an enemy to be trifled with.


    After which, a few students managed to get a semblance of order into things. A red-haired boy, a dark-skinned boy with long twists, and a blonde-haired boy.


    Ren, Himori, and Luka respectively. Erika and Nova rendezvous with them, to find that two of them were in fact first years. Just saying that they were courageous was a gross understatement.


    After this happened, it began to rain. They were holding a strategy meeting of sorts. What they had figured out after fighting these men, was that they would not give up. They were all ridiculously persistent. Even when beaten down to the point where it would seem like they should give up, they kept battling.


    "What goal motivates them to fight so hard. To throw their life unto the line without second thought." Luka asked, as we faced off against the men. For some reason, they wouldn''t attack unless we tried to escape. Meaning their goal wasn''t to exterminate us, but instead, to keep us trapped here. That didn''t make any sense. But nothing did.


    Erika thought.


    "Or what spell." Himori stated cynically. "Theres no way that a simple goal motivates one to go this far. It''s a spell. It has to be. And whoever''s using this spell is one sick person." Even then, even though what Himori stated was probably correct, the fact was that it seemed as if these men and women''s determination, surpassed that which could be invoked by a spell; they were fighting for something that they truly believed in.


    "Whatever it may be doesn''t matter. What does is the safety of everyone. Just one is all it takes. Remember what Suijin had said.


    Before she went up into the ice palace, Suijin had helped out for a bit. Seeing what the girl had done, her anger had seemingly only increased. Whatever had happened inside the academies lobby had already angered her, and now seeing what happened to these students angered her further.


    However, she did not lose sight of what her mission was. Despite her anger, she exuded the qualities of a true leader. Using a spell to amplify her voice, she spoke.


    "EVERYONE. I understand that the situation we are in is truly perilous, and it seems there is no hope. There isn''t a single thing that I can say to deceive you into thinking it''s okay. Theres nothing, I can say to erase the images of what you seen. Closed in on all sides but figures of mythical strength, with the relentless darkness of rain encompassing us. However, we cannot allow this to be the end! All it takes is one of us to keep fighting. One of us to have hope, one person to stand above and be the direction, and none of us can give up. If you see one-person fighting, how can you just leave them to fight alone. I won''t try to sell you a lie, to sell you some false sense of security. That would be disrespectful to the ones who died. To the ones who had their lives brutally wrenched from them. However, giving up here means their sacrifice was in vain, and I refuse to believe that! I refuse to accept that. To say the live of another, of an equal, was in vain! It is up to us, the ones who are still living, to give their lives meaning! Even if it starts off as only just one! All it takes is just one! Just one to show courage! Just one to stand back up. Just one to cry out! IT takes just one person to spread the message, that everyone else can follow! And so no matter how hard we''re beaten down, as long as just one stands to fight, our fight is still alive, our sacrifices are not meaningless. It''s up to us, even if it only ends up being just one!" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Her heartfelt speech was met with a roar of courage, a cry of anger, shouts of determination. Her speech sparked something inside of the students gathered outside, fighting for their lives. It invigorated them and gave them the courage to stand once again.


    "JUST ONE!" Some students shouted, beginning to chant that, and the student council president''s name.


    Suijin''s expression had been a mix of a bit of disbelief, and shock. More shock. It seemed like she ha been expecting her words to flop, and yet they still had such a great effect. The motivation that was brought about by her own speech reached her as well.


    She seemed like she was going to smile, to be brought to tears, but something flickered behind her eyes. Embers of an anger that refused to die out. It made Erika worried. Pulling Nova to the side for a moment, she expressed that very fact.


    "I didn''t like it. I remember all the antics I used to pull. Even the one with the headmaster. All of it. Every time, no matter how bad it was, how bad it got, she was never angry. She always looked with compassion. She always forgave. She was never angry. She never, hated."


    Nova nodded. She understood what Erika''s concerns were exactly. "And you believe, that with that look on her face, she might do something that she will, regret?"


    Erika nodded curtly. The concern in her expression was evident. "I just, I-"


    Nova grabbed Erika by her shoulders.


    "Calm down. One thing at a time. Just one thing at a time. If you let yourself get swamped in all of the things currently going on, then you''ll be completely overwhelmed. You won''t be able to focus on one thing, and that will cause you to make a mistake. We need to save the people here first. There a first years, second years, third years, who might not ever see their families again once this battle ends. So, we need to put our all into this battle. After were done here, we can help the others."


    The look on Erika''s face said she wanted to argue more, but reluctantly, she sighed and smiled at Nova.


    "Alright then. One. One thing at a time."


    At that moment, the battle planning was finished. Once again, with a new spring of motivation, the students stepped back up, to entire the next stage, in this battle for their lives.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    "Do you want to know something interesting?" Pride asked the headmaster.


    Cato did not dignify that question with a response.


    Pride chuckled at the man''s stubbornness. In the darkness of the room, it was impossible for either of them to see each other''s facial expression. However, pride assumed that the face that Cato currently wore was one of anguish and pain. Trapped by a seal, having all his senses stripped away, and being forced to watch the massacre of his students. He was forced to experience every detail.


    "Don''t be like that. We have no choice but to spend some time together, so we should at the very least try to be friends."


    When he was once again left without a response, Pride decided that he would start to have some fun with this. How long would it take to get a reaction from Cato? What exactly would he have to say to make this old man react.


    "You know, the seal your currently locked in, it''s made from materials that can only be found in Antarctica."


    Cato did not speak.


    Pride raised an eyebrow. That should have gotten a reaction from the man. Materials from the lost continent? The 7th continent, which was stripped from the world, left to be a barren wasteland with untold dangers.


    "According to our supplier, the material is abundant over there. It''s just as common as sand on a beach. As grass in a grassland. As water, in the ocean."


    Cato continued to not reply.


    Pride stood up, beginning to pace. Despite the fact that it was pitch black, he circled the room perfectly, without bumping into a single object.


    "Imagine that. A land where material that can restrict the flow of mana, where material that can chain down even the strongest of beings is abundant. Imagine that. Even worse. according to our supplier, the form you see it in now, is its natural form."


    He thought he heard the ghost of a gasp coming from Cato''s direction. Pride smiled. This was proving to be more fun than he thought.


    "Imagine that. What horrors must exist on that land, what monsters must live in that continent, for the land to adapt to create natural chains. And that''s only the surface. Only the beginning of the mysteries held by the lost continent."


    Pride stopped pacing. "An entire continent mutated by mana, ripped from the grasp of the world. A continent that''s even less explored than our own ocean. A continent where chains are commonplace, where, according to those who''ve been," Pride leaned in as if he was in front of a campfire, telling a horror story to a group of children.


    "According to them, it''s a place where the wails of monsters never end, where simply stepping unto it, threatens to drive you insane.


    However, Cato did not react. He didn''t say a single thing. All though pride could literally feel the gears turning in his head at the implications of what he had said.


    Pride turned around, walking towards the door, before opening it. At that sound, finally, Cato perked up.


    "Where are you going!" He shouted; his voice hoarse.


    Pride''s smile grew so wide it hurt his jaw.


    "Orders. Orders from the witch. She is not to be ignored. Her word means more than anything else in this world."


    "What exactly are you planning! IS torturing me not enough! Will you really bring yourself to harm the children as well! AND WHO IS THIS WITCH?" Cato''s voice continued to rise in octave, until it consumed the entire room.


    "I need to get that boy before Eve has her way with him. Poor kid. To be placed in Eve''s sights can only be a curse. However, it can be said that being an object of the witch''s love, is a blessing that overtakes all. She is the one who granted us access through this unbreakable barrier after all."


    "Just what are you planning to do! How do you know ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!"


    "The second questions confidential information." Pride said in a teasing tone.


    "And as for the first, its simple."


    The smile on his face brightened even more.


    "I''m going to kill Raiden Chisaki."

 Chapter 71: Help Me

    "Why. Why do you try so hard?"


    We all stood in a stunned silence for a moment, as we digested her words. Or more the fact that she had spoken at all.


    For the entirety of this attack, for this battle. For the entire time she was murdering and causing carnage in the courtyard, she had not bothered to speak. I had just chalked it up to her being a cold-blooded killer, one who had no care to speak to those that she planned to murder. But now, she shocked all of my-and our-expectations.


    "Why, do we try?" I repeated, more confused at just what she was trying to ask us. We were being attacked. Our lives were on the line. What kind of question was that! I was starting to get a bit angry at just what she was asking.


    "Why, do we try?" Suijin also repeated, however her tone was much darker. It was fueled with much more anger, much more venom. Her expression was blocked off by a shadow. Her tone was so cold and hateful, that it made even me jump. I turned to look at her with a bit of shock on my face, but she was staring dead on at Aergia.


    "If not try, then exactly what are we meant to do? What are you suggesting?" Suijin asked these question as she began to walk over to her. Every step was heavy, every word was forced out through grit teeth. I turned to look at Homura, who also turned to look at me. A brief message was shared between our eyes.


    "She''s angry. Very, angry."


    That couldn''t have been a good thing.


    "What is your aim? Both of you. All of you! Attacking out of nowhere! Just how many friends did you bring! What did you even come her to do? To trample on the lives of others? To trample on the hard work of others? To kill, slaughter, destroy? You did all of this, and then, have the audacity to ask, why we try?"


    Suijin was only getting angrier and angrier as she spoke, and as she considered the situation more and more.


    All the while she was having this outburst, Aergia did not speak. She continued to lazily stare at her.


    Suijin''s fists were clenched tightly at her sides, and she was breathing heavily.


    Aergia remained silent for a moment. Then, just as she opened her mouth-


    A spear made of water flying at such a high velocity that it left sound as a afterthought was launched at her.


    Just before it pierced her in the eye, it was sliced in half.


    Just barely having time to react, Aergia had flicked her finger, and sent out a slash which split the spear in two.


    The two edges of the spear maintained a majority of their moment, tearing straight through the wall of the ice palace and flying away.; it provided a first-hand example of what would have happened had Aergia had not reacted in time.


    I flinched at the speed and force of the attack. Without a doubt, had that attack landed, it would have ended with fatal injuries.


    Was she really trying to kill her? I thought, with a bit of fear. No doubt, this murderer deserved much worse, however the way Suijin was going about it, this would hang on her conscience much heavier than she believes it will now, with her judgement blinded by rage.


    Was it just the sight of the dead students that made her this angry? I thought to myself, and Immediately I knew, there was much more to what made up the depths of her anger than that. When she arrived, she had told us that the explosion we had seen belonged to Wrath. He was the one who had destroyed the roof of the magic academy.


    All of those students inside at the time, there was more doubt that there was more than just a handful of casualties. And it all happened right in front of her eyes.  She must feel guilty for it. She must feel bad. Guilty? Responsible?


    "Sui-" I began to shout out her name, to try and say something, to tell her that it wasn''t her fault, however I was cut off.


    "Kami. Homura. You two should head outside and help the others. You guys have done well enough here. I should handle the rest. Or else..."


    She didn''t finish her statement. Immediately after, she rushed into to battle, not even giving us a second to argue.


    Firing of a series of water spears, she went on the offensive and the defensive at the same time. Using absolutely Zero to neutralize Aergia''s attacks, she continued her approach.


    Both me and Homura stood, shell-shocked. However, that sentence, that request from her, had given me the final piece for this equation.


    Her request that we go help the others, it came from a place of fear, and guilt. She was scared more than anything. Scared of what exactly? That''s where the guilt came in. She felt solely responsible for all of the lives that had been lost. Because she was the student council president. Because she was the student council president, she was responsible for everyone''s lives, she was responsible for the safety of everyone. And so, because of that responsibility, she was scared to have to watch any more students die in front of her.


    That was Suijin''s thought process. That was why she had come to the conclusion that she needed to handle it alone. So that she would be responsible for no one else''s death.


    "You say responsibilities, but that''s a vague term. Where do those responsibilities end?" Yuri Asked.


    "As far as I can go."


    I remembered the week before today. Before Shindo had appeared, Suijin and Yuri were arguing. Suijin was trying to shoot Yuri down, but he refused to let up. It was because he cared. That much was clear. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The other clear part was that he was right. He called Suijin a hypocrite for trying to take every bodies burden unto herself, while saying it wasn''t okay to push burdens unto others.


    Just like Yuri had said then, these burdens weren''t only for her. They belonged to all of us. We were all into us together. Suijin couldn''t just try to take all the burden unto herself because she didn''t want others to be hurt.


    Her thinking was so extremely similar to how I knew Raiden thought, that I couldn''t stop the anger that began to encompass me. It was not only that, but the thought was selfish, inconsiderate, a bit cowardly.


    Everything that Suijin was the opposite of.


    During the time that I was thinking, Suijin and Aergia were still locked in a fierce battle that showed no signs of letting up.


    Suijin was making massive progress and now found herself only a few feet away from Aergia.


    All the while she was making her approach, she was simultaneously firing a massive number of magic attacks at her opponent.


    Water spears, animals, and dragons all were launching themselves towards Aergia, clashing with Aergia''s crazy powerful blasts.


    Once Suijin was close enough, she made an alteration to her spells, because now, anytime that they detonated, they would explode into a plume of smoke. Soon, nearly the entire floor of the ice castle was covered in smoke.


    Just as soon as the smoke appeared, it was blasted away by a large gust of wind.


    Aergia had cleared away the wind in an attempt to pinpoint Suijin''s location, however it was too late.


    Coming from her opponents left side, Suijin raised her hands over her head and summoned a blade made of water.


    Bringing it down in a slashing arc, it seemed like she had caught her opponent off guard.


    However, I noticed the movement that Aergia made, hidden from Suijin''s vision. She flicked her finger.


    Reacting faster than even I knew I could, I used the ice from the ground under Aergia to reach out and grab her fingers, trying to stop the snap.


    However, I ran into the problem that I had told Homura about. Aergia''s aura was so strong that the spikes of ice that reached out were reduced to tendrils almost instantaneously. However, they didn''t dissipate. I pushed forward, and the tendrils latched onto her fingers, freezing them a bit.


    Still, the power of the blast released by the snap was still unreal. The ground under Aergia literally shattered and cratered. My efforts weren''t in vain, however. Because the attack was slowed down just enough for Suijin to get up absolute zero, nullifying the power of the attack even more.


    The attack still hit, however instead of completing blowing off the right half of her body, as I imagined it would have, it just left a deep scar in her shoulder.


    Immediately, Suijin dashed away, avoiding another to flicks aimed for her neck.


    As soon as she slid back towards us, I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at me.


    I could still see the anger in her eyes, however now that I had figured out what her thought process was, the fear in them became more evident than ever. She was more scared than anything. Of course she was. Just because she always but up the front of being the strong student council president who was always calm, she was still just a 16-year-old girl.


    I opened my mouth to give Suijin a piece of my mind, to tell her what I really thought about her actions, when I paused. I hesitated momentarily.


    A hypocrite telling someone else that they''re being hypocritical.


    It was because Suijin''s thinking was so similar to Raiden''s that I was reminded of my argument with him.


    If you couldn''t help him, what makes you think you''ll be able to help her?


    I almost let that small seed of doubt take root in my mind, but Homura tapped me on the back.


    When I turned, she gave me a small smile.


    I nodded and turned back to Suijin. Then, I laid things out.


    "Suijin, I hope you do realize that you aren''t responsible for everything that happens here, right?"


    Immediately, I could see the denial in her eyes, the will to argue, however I did not give her the chance. I kept speaking, not giving her a chance to try and justify her actions.


    "Just because you''re the student council president, does that give you the right to take on all the burdens for yourself, selfishly?"


    "No- not at al-" She was cut off once again.


    "Is it because you''re the student council president, that you feel able to give orders like leave me to fight alone, because you don''t trust your fellow students?" I continued to ask Suijin rhetorical questions that were meant to make her think. Meant to make her realize the stupidity of what she was doing.


    "Kami, I-"


    "Oh, then is it because of the fact that you believe yourself to be strong?" I said cynically.


    "No, that''s not i-"


    "Because your strong, you believe that your better than everyone else?" The killing blow.  Her eyes widened. Her mouth hung open. I had asked her a question that was completely against her belief. From our very first meeting, from the time in the auditorium, she made it clear that she believed power did not make you better than another. Being stronger did not make you better.


    By likening her actions to the one thing she wouldn''t stand for, inequality, I made her see just how outrageous her actions were.


    "Suijin." I spoke softly, leaning in. "You don''t have to do everything alone. That is the biggest recipe for disaster. When you take on more than you can chew, when I situation threatens to overwhelm you, it''s okay to ask for help. Thats what your friends are here for."


    Suijin had realized that I was right, but she still shook her head. "I-i can''t show weakness. I''m the president after all." She argued, but it was weak. It lacked conviction. She was showing weakness.


    Just like she had done to me, that day after the entire coffee shop attack, I pulled her into a hug. I could feel Homura also join in. "You think asking for help is weak?" Suijin didn''t respond, she seemed on the verge of tears. "Well people are weak. No matter how much power one possess, it means nothing if they burn out before using it. Just continually trying to fight things on your own, without asking for help when its available, is not strong, no. It''s just being stuck up, too prideful admit that you can''t do this by yourself. Being able to ask for help, that makes a person truly strong."


    I told Suijin a similar thing that I had told that little girl. In fact, it was the exact same format, just with a different message. Back then, I had been exposed for being a hypocrite. I couldn''t even take my own words into heart. So, it made me a bit hesitant to tell Suijin these words. Could my own words really be able to motivate someone. To snap them out of a trance.


    I awaited my answer as Suijin wiped her face. "Kami." She spoke.


    I looked at her with anticipation. "Yes?"


    "We really need to work on your delivery." She chuckled a bit.


    My own eyes widened. The anger was gone, but the fear was still there. But that wouldn''t leave until we had dealt with the obstacle in front of us.


    My words, the actually had an effect. I had helped her, I had convinced Suijin to not do this alone.


    However, before I could celebrate, Homura placed her hands on SUijin''s cheeks, forcing her to look up.


    "Ask."


    Suijin, looked at her, a bit confused. But I realized what Homura meant. She wanted Suijin to internalize my words. To not just understand them, but to take them in, to believe them.


    "Ask us. Ask me and Kami, for help."


    Suijin''s eyes widened a bit, and I could still see tears there. Her eyes travelled from Homura to me; from me to Homura. And then, she put her head down and placed a hand on each of our shoulders.


    "I- I can''t do this alone. It''s just too much. It''s always felt like too much. But I never let it show. I was scared of being seen as weak. As an inadequate leader. I was scared, really scared. So much that I let myself break my very own rule. The one I preached. And still, when those who cared, when Yuri, when they tried, I just pushed them away."


    Tears started to fall down her eyes, and she turned to face us.


    "Kami, Homura. Please. Please, help me!"

 Chapter 72: Who Am I

    Hikaru ran as fast as she could. She only had one goal in mind. To make it to the very highest peak of Theta Magic Academy. As high as she could possibly get, anyways.


    After leaving Shindo to battle against the crazed man in the black suit, Hikaru had mulled over any way she could make herself useful.


    She didn''t want to appear to make a Suprise appearance and got caught off guard in the middle of a battle, which would only end up making whatever situation she intervened in worse. But she also needed to interrupt all of the battles going on, simultaneously.


    According to the information that Raiden had given, the likelihood that the P.A. system and all of the missing students were inside Greed''s vault was pretty much 100%. Hikaru didn''t have time to question where he had gotten that info from, or what had happened to his eye, or why he seemed to be fighting an internal battle against his own body, but those questions lingered in the back of her head.


    At the moment, she turned her attention to getting as high as she could, as quickly as possible. Until Shindo could defeat Greed, they would not have access to the P.A system. Meaning if Hikaru didn''t move now, the entirety of the Magic Academy would Remain in the dark as to the situation surrounding them.


    Undouble, the fact that they didn''t know what was going on would hang in the back of their mind, like an itch you couldn''t scratch. It would end up distracting them, weighing on them, and worsening their mood and will to fight, and survive.


    So, Hikaru took it upon herself to alleviate that pressure from them, even if it was only slightly. After all, she knew that it was something her father would have agreed with. More than anything, she wanted to honor him, and the message he left behind for her.


    Bursting through the third-floor door that led to interconnected glass skywalks, Hikaru decided to take a quick shortcut. It was risky, considering the fact that it was raining so hard you could barely see in front of you, but it was a risk she was willing to take.


    Jumping form one skywalk to another, she got close to a wall, and jumped unto it, transforming the mana around her feet into spikes that latched onto the wall, allowing her to stand vertically. She then began to run up the wall.


    Once she arrived at the first peak, she took a look around, only to find out that it was damn near impossible to see any of the other peaks.


    She was simply staring into a void of darkness.


    A lightning bolt flashed, briefly illuminating the area for a moment. If there was anyone else here, they would''ve had definitely seen the light bulb flash on above Hikaru''s head.


    She activated a lightning spell of her ow, before tossing it in a random direction. She waited a moment, watching the path it illuminated. When it flew into the distance and collided with the barrier, she crossed off that direction from her mental map.


    She did this a few more times, in a 360-degree radius. When she was done, she had built a rough mental map of the area around her, with the center being the peak she currently standing on. With that mental image built, Hikaru began to jump from Skywalk to wall, on a path that took her upwards, until she reached the next peak. Once she was there, she once again did the same thing.


    Rinse and Repeat. Within a few minutes, Hikaru had managed to build her-self a fairly accurate mental map of the roof of Theta magic Academy.


    She cross referenced that with the map that she was forced to study by Yuri. It was part of their role as the special defense committee. They were completely required to know the layout of the school like the back of their hands.


    Because of the fact that Hikaru had appeared in a world of dark, in order to be 100 percent sure of where she was headed, she made use of the lightning bolt strategy, and rebuilt the map from what she could see, and filled in those blanks with what she already knew.


    Because of that, Hikaru had managed to maneuver herself to one of the highest peaks she possibly could.


    It was quick and clever thinking from her, and she gave herself a small pat on the back for it.


    The peak she was currently standing on was the same one that Shindo had been standing on when he had first appeared in front of everyone.


    It was only because Hikaru had been there, that she had decided it this specific pillar. Not only did it have a nice view of the area around, but it was also not blocked off by any other structures.


    Had Hikaru not been present they day Shindo appeared, she would have taken much longer to consider heading to this area specifically.


    Thank goodness she was, because time was of the essence right now.


    That whole intrusion by the special defense committee, had also come at the hands of one of Hikaru''s innocent schemes.


    During the time when they should have been having a meeting regarding their role as the defense committee, Hikaru had decided to suggest that they should head to Theta Magic Academy.


    Yuri immediately shot they idea down, saying that it wasn''t necessary, as they already had multiple maps with the exact same layout they could study.


    Hikaru argued back, saying it wouldn''t be as effective as the real thing, and besides, there was nobody doing anything important there, right?


    That question had been calculated, and the reaction Yuri gave was more than enough of a payoff.


    He sat in a bit of silence for a moment.


    At that moment, Hikaru pressed her advantage.


    "Unless you''re hiding something from us? We can''t exactly have trust if there''s something you''re purposely hiding from us. It would lead us to doubt everything you''ve already told us."


    With that final accusation, and the fact he was facing the pressuring gazes from the entire special defense force committee, Yuri had no choice but to resign, and lead them to the Theta magic academy, explaining everything about the castle of dreams along the way.


    She''d have to apologies for forcing Yuri to break an agreement he must have made with Suijin and lie to her on top of it. But her ploy only had benefits. More hands were on deck for putting up and building decorations, and now, she had saved time in finding a spot to execute her idea.


    She had two main reasons for coming up her. First, was the fact it provided a wide ranged arial view of everything below her. although at the moment, it was raining to heavily to see anything. Stolen story; please report.


    Hikaru had a plan to counter that, though. Clasping both of her hands together in front of her chest, she closed her eyes and focused every last part of her into her mana sense.


    Immediately, the dark world burst into color, as she could see the mana signatures of a massive amount of people battling. As quickly as she could, she sifted through the info, trying to get an understanding of what was going on.


    In the front yard, students were fighting in an all-out battle against unknown enemies. From what she could sense, it was still evenly matched, however the enemy side did possess one extremely powerful enemy.


    In the sky, directly above the front courtyard, Hikaru sensed four signatures inside a castle constructed of ice. Two of them were extremely powerful. One she recognized as Suijin. The other, most have been an enemy, and the two weaker ones must have belonged to allies of Suijin.


    Inside of the lobby, two students were facing off against Wrath. One of them was Masayoshi, and Hikaru could recognize the other as Yuri.


    Shindo ad Greed were still battling fiercely inside of the student council room.


    She could sense two people fighting a 2 v 4 along the roof tops a few meters away from her.


    And finally, she sensed two people upon a peak almost across the entire distance of the school. It was distant, but one of them was familiar and one wasn''t. Somebody was on the verge of being captured by the enemy.


    With this information having been gathered, Hikaru moved unto the second part of her whole plan.


    The second reason she had chosen to come up here was so that she could have an open space where her voice would carry as far as possible.


    Gathering her mana, Hikaru activated a voice amplification magic sequence.


    It involved first strengthening her vocal cords with mana and applying a spell that boosted the range of sound waves (A combination of wind and mana to strengthen the reach and power of the longitudinal waves). She then layered that with a wind spell and acceleration spell. This created a sequence that would allow her to not only speak louder but would also allow the sound waves to travel with much more power, for longer distances, without losing volume.


    With that done, she began to yell, her voice carrying through the entire magic academy.


    "EVERYONE! LISTEN CLOSLEY! THERE ARE 5 MAJOR ATTACKERS, AS WELL AS A SMALL FORCE OF UNKOWN AFFILIATION. ONE OF THE FIVE IS IN THE LOBBY. ONE IS IN THE FRONT COURTYARD. ONE IS IN THE STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM. ONE TWO ARE IN THE HIGHEST FLOORS OF THE MAGIC."


    Hikaru needed to end her message quickly, as her vocal cords were staring to pick up damage.


    "FINALLY, DONT GIVE UP!"


    With that, she deactivated the spell, and fell to her knees, caressing her throat. She hadn''t managed to be very specific, but hopefully this had an effect. Hopefully it could help take people''s minds off of worrying about the state of the rest of the magic academy.


    Hikaru took a moment to catch her breath. She wasn''t done yet. She turned in the direction of where she had sensed the two other mana signatures. She needed to get there.


    Without a doubt, that was where Raiden was.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    I could hear someone shouting. A voice yelling. The voice sounded beautiful, even while screaming. It was like the voice of an angel.


    I couldn''t hear what the voice was saying though. I guess that was fitting.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: No angels calling for you, huh?


    She had returned.


    Yeah, your right. But I guess they had never been calling for me. From the moment I was born.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Really? Is that what you think?


    Yes.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Even when your mom would sing to you.


    My mind paused, as it dredged up that memory. Another result of the fact that I didn''t suffer from infantile amnesia. I could remember, my mom holding me, singing different lullabies.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: She sounded like an angel, didn''t she? How can you really say what you just did?


    That was a lifetime ago.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You consider 15 years a lifetime?


    I didn''t respond. What was even the point in continuing this conversation?


    In the real world, Eve continued to hold me closely, stroking my hair.


    "Tell me Raiden, do you think I''m pretty?"


    What an odd question. Beauty was pretty objective, and without a doubt, she fit societies standard of beauty.


    "Yeah." I spoke, in a breathy voice that I didn''t even recognize as my own.


    Eve giggled. "That flatters me. Really. But that still doesn''t explain why...." She entered deep thought, leaving that though unfinished.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Raiden, do you, give up?


    I didn''t even hesitate in the answer.


    Yes.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You find no point in your existence?


    No.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You believe that you only hurt those around you?


    Yes.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You believe that you''re not even worthy to stand by the side of the friends you''ve made?


    Yes.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: And without a doubt, You believe that even as just a weapon, your worthless?


    Yes.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Are those thoughts, your fathers, or are they what you truly believe?


    What kind of question is that. Of course these are my thoughts. Without a single doubt. It took me 15 years of life to finally come to the realization that my father had come to as soon as I was born. A failure! Thats It! Thats all I am! A failure of a brother! Of A son! Of a friend! Of a person-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  Can you even hear yourself? All of this has no justification.


    I could feel my blood begin to boil.


    No justification? Of course this is all justified! I''ve lived through way to many examples to believe anything else! What Yuri said! Kami''s bruise! What happened at the Chisaki estate! I know me better than anyone!


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: No. You don''t. You have zero idea who Raiden Chisaki is. What his existence means.


    Don''t try and lecture me about me! I came to this conclusion myself! Because, because-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You didn''t come to a single one of these conclusions yourself. All of it. All of it is your fathers voice speaking for you. You''ve internalized  it so much, that you can''t even tell the difference. You only know what your father has said. According to him, your below human. But what about what others think?


    Why should I take anything you say seriously! I don''t know you! You don''t know me! You don''t care!


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Is that the excuse that you use? You push people away, so that when they challenge that hollow self-perception of yours, you can hide behind the excuse that they don''t truly know you, that they don''t anything about you, so their words can''t be true?


    Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I''m empty!


    Memories of everything that happened with Kami, the fact that I couldn''t help her, that I pushed her away when she tried to help me, the fact that she turned to Suijin for help.


    I''m Shameless!


    Memories of what Eve had done, the fact that there was a part of me that enjoyed it. The fact a part of me longed to feel warmth like that again.


    I''m just a stupid, cowardly, worthless existence. That is the truth behind Raiden Chisaki!


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your adamant in the idea that Raiden Chisaki is worthless. But in truth, you have no idea who Raiden is. You treat me like an imposter, but what if you are the imposter? Takeru.


    Don''t call me by that name!


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: With how much you spew his words, I''d be surprised if you weren''t him. Tell me, what does your Heart want?


    There again, the same question Suijin had asked me. Once again, I didn''t have an answer. It felt like every word that was exchange between me and ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö just further opened up the gap in my identity.


    Takeru.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:


    Raiden.


    Which one was it. Who''s will was out on top?


    Which one was right?


    Which one was I?


    If I were to take a gander into my heart, what would I see there?


    Who was me?


    The idea of finding out the answer to that question, it scared me. I didn''t want to figure out that possibility.


    I couldn''t take it.


    I would be completely ripped apart. My mind would be shattered.


    Who was I? Who was I?Who was I? Who was I? Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?Who was I?


    I hated it. Unconsciously, I grasped out for the same thing I always used to justify myself.


    My mission. I had to protect Kami. Put my life on the line for her.


    But even that, was gone.


    I was drowning.


    Drowning.


    And then my reality was shattered by a bright flash of light.


    I felt myself crash into the ground with stupefying force.


    Opening my eyes, I was back in the real world.


    I was laying in the dirt of the arena.


    A few meters in front of me, was Eve''s security guard. Lightning flowing off of his body.


    "Thor! Take it easy on Raiden, would you? He is my husband after all. I just want you to test him."


    Slowly getting to my feet, I picked up my blade, wielding it in the wrong hand.


    Looking at my opponent, I held my blade in front of me.


    However, there was no purpose in the movement.


    My will to fight, where was it?


    In a flash of light, I was blindsided by another blow.


    And another.


    And another.


    And another.

 Chapter 73: The Phantom

    From the very moment he had been born, Shindo was strong.


    Even as a fetus, doctors could sense the immense amount of magical energy he possessed. Before he was even born, the doctor proclaimed him a prodigy.


    His parents, and the Miyamoto family especially, were all excited. The perfect heir to the Miyamoto family.


    Without a doubt, this child would become the head of the 10 grand magic families of Japan, and he would lead the Miyamoto family to unparalleled fame and glory.


    This child''s fate had been decided before his birth. With this kid, Kanzaki Miyamoto and Kohaku Miyamoto would rise to power.


    Even though Kohaku would tell Kanzaki over and over again, to not plaster expectation upon his unborn child, Kanzaki was having none of it.


    This was his breakthrough. His excitement was unreal. It couldn''t be restrained.


    "In the very end, he is still a person you know. You shouldn''t force your own expectations upon him." Kohaku told him, in a conversation that they repeated every day. "That being said, I have no doubt that he will choose to lead the Miyamoto family to fame, because he was her child. She looked down at her stomach affectionately.


    However, there was a mistake.


    It was the sort of slip-up that you would make on a math test.


    Misreading a part of the question and then using the wrong formula.


    That was the best analogy for the mistake that was made.


    However, unlike the math test analogy, this mistake had much more catastrophic effects than just missing out on a few points.


    This consequence of the mistake was death.


    When the doctors had originally analyzed Shindo''s mana levels, they had actually given an understatement. They had assumed the excess mana that they were getting from their readings belonged to the mother, Kohaku. After all, there was no way a baby could possess such high mana levels.


    That was impossible.


    However Impossible, was the word that described Shindo''s very existence.


    Childbirth within those who possessed mana was very different from regular childbirth.


    In this case, the baby would take some of the mother''s mana as it exited the womb. This was because although the baby possessed mana, in order to open the arteries which allowed mana to flow through the body, it must take some of the mother''s mana.


    This usually never lead to any problems. However, in cases were the baby possessed an extraordinary amount of mana, a separate method was used similar to circumcision. This was because if birth was done normally, there was a chance that the baby would take all of the mother''s mana in order to open their arteries.


    However, that was an extremely rare case. The number of times it had been documented could be counted on both of your hands.


    And so, because of this miscalculation, and because of the doctor''s assumption that Shindo could not possibly possess this much mana as a baby, they did not use the correct method.


    And so, Kohaku Miyamoto, passed away during childbirth.


    It was a silent death. She was in no pain whatsoever.


    In fact, all of the machines inside the room were silent. They had been broken. Shindo''s aura was so strong that it had destroyed the function of the machines, making it impossible for the doctors to have pinpointed the exact moment she died.


    There was silence in the room. Except for two sounds.


    The sound of a newly born Shindo crying, and the sound of Kanzaki shouting in grief, desperately trying to wake his wife.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    "A murderer."


    "Did you hear that he killed his mother."


    "They say his birth nearly killed everyone in the room."


    The mutters were always there. Calling them mutters would be an understatement.


    The words were always said as if it was normal conversation. Spoken in a regular tone.


    Right in front of his face.


    No matter where he went in the house, he was followed by the words. The accusations.


    No matter where he went in the vast halls of the Miyamoto estate, Shindo could not escape his mantel.


    A murderer. One who had killed his very own mother.


    Steps that didn''t make a sound. Words that were heard by no one. However, whenever he entered a room, the air froze, and the tension was palpable. He was invisible in every factor but presence.


    Like a phantom. A ghost, invisible to even his own family.


    He was neglected in every sense of the word. Even when he was shown care by servants, the next day, they would be gone. Removed from service, he could hear his father say during dinner.


    Dinner was another moment where he was neglected.


    He was always well fed, with his food placed on the table.


    Except he had his own separate table. Off to the side. Facing away from where his father ate.


    No siblings. His father would never remarry.


    Any time Shindo tried to initiate a conversation of his own, he was neglected as well.


    There was a time in which he would come home from school, excited by the fact that his teacher had praised him.


    She had said "he was the strongest person she had ever seen."


    When he rushed to share the news with somebody, with anybody, all of the servants would avoid him. Everyone would avoid him.


    "It''s said that anyone who talked to him as disappeared."


    "It''s better you keep away. After all, you don''t want to disappear, right?"


    School as another thing completely. He was always changing schools for one reason or another. It didn''t help that there was a limited amount of top tier academies for children.  The common occurrence was that before a school changed, his father would be called in


    He didn''t have many friends, because other students avoided him. No matter how nice he was. Well, at least he wasn''t bullied. They seemed to apprehensive about him to do anything like that.


    His teachers were always changing too. Every other week he would get a new teacher. It confused him. But he decided that it would not get an explanation.


    After all, nobody cared enough to explain it to him anyways.


    In terms of his relationship with his father, it was terrible. He could count on one hand the number of times he had a genuine conversation with his father.


    Even the number he thought of might have been an extreme exaggeration.


    Ever where inside of the Miyamoto estate, he was invisible.


    A phantom, whose presence chilled the atmosphere.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    There was only one place where he could find any sort of respite. That place was a certain outside area, just a bit off from his home. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    He couldn''t relax properly in his own backyard, as he could almost feel the stares from window shutters that closed when he glanced in their direction. He couldn''t relax there.


    But this place, it was perfect. He always came here. It was easy to sneak away, considering he was a literal ghost in the eyes of all those in the estate.


    Sometimes he would stay in this place the whole night. No one would come for him. No one would question him when he came back.


    It was beautifully meadow, filled with white spider lilies. In the fall, the orange and red of the leaves which fell served to create a beautiful atmosphere. All around, the trees parted to form a perfectly wide circle where the sun could shine down.


    He trained here. He rested here. He though here.


    It was the closest thing to a "home" he had.


    He was sitting around, contemplating the reason behind his latest school change, when he heard a voice from behind him.


    "Should I start asking you to pay rent, considering how much you come here."


    Shindo didn''t respond to the voice, in fact, he didn''t even turn around.


    He had been conditioned, after all, to know that nobody would take the time to talk to him.


    However, then he felt someone grab his shoulder.


    Immediately he tensed, and without thinking, reflexively grabbed the arm that had grabbed him, flipping the person over and slamming them onto the ground.


    Immediately Shindo let go, realizing what he had just done.


    "S-sorry!" He spoke, and his voice was husky from unuse.


    The person he had just slammed into the ground was a girl of medium height and white hair that matched the colors of the flowers below her. She had storm gray eyes which were currently wincing in pain.


    "Jeez dude. You ignore me, and then when I try to grab your attention, your body slam me into the ground? Has no one taught you any manners?"


    "No, not really. I kind of learned myself." Shindo responded.


    "It was a rhetorical question dude!"


    "Rhetorical que-?" Shindo shook his head however, deciding not to waste any more of this person''s time. "Sorry again." He turned to leave, but to his surprise, she grabbed him again.


    She had recovered relatively quickly from behind slammed into the ground.


    "Where exactly do you think you''re going?" Her tone was icy, the same tone that was used when someone did spare the time of their day to talk to him.


    "I was going to get out of your way. After all, you-"


    "I didn''t say you could leave! After all, you body slam me, apologize, and try to run?" Her voice was rising and Shindo winced, realizing what he had caused.


    "I''m so sorr-"


    "The next time you apologize, I''ll might actually punch you."


    Shindo stood in momentary shock. Not only at the fact that the girl in front of him had just threatened to punch him, but also at a realization he had just made.


    This was the longest conversation that he had had with anybody. No one else had been willing to talk to him for that long. It felt like they always strayed away from him in fear. Was she not scared?


    What felt like the first conversation he had had in forever. And it was just a girl saying she was going to punch him.


    Shindo couldn''t help but let out a little giggle.


    She looked at him as if he was crazy. Well then. You certainly are a character."  A bit of her anger seemed to suffice, but she was still looking at her as if he was a bit eccentric.


    "Jeez when you start smiling like a dunce it makes it hard to stay mad at you."  She scratched her head and smiled nervously at Shindo. "That being said, I still can''t forgive you for your overreaction. I won''t ask what that was all about, but as compensation, you have to help me take care of this place. It also makes sense, considering you here even more than me."


    And without even knowing it, Shindo had been dragged into helping this girl out in caring for the garden of white spider lilies.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Her name was Sayako. She was a lot of things.


    Stubborn. Kind. Caring. Pretty harsh at times.


    However, it made for a fun time, as they both cared for the garden together. It took Shindo three days of this to finally muster up the courage to initiate a conversation with Sayako.


    "So uuhh, why do you decide to take care of this place?"


    Sayako smiled at Shindo, as if this was something she was waiting for. "Well, its beautiful. And because of that, I think it would be said if it got destroyed, no?"


    "But if others don''t care or notice, then what''s the point?"


    "Does it need any other point besides me wanting too."


    Shindo didn''t have an answer to that and returned to his duties clearing trash from the surrounding area.


    "I think you missed a spot." She gestured over to a section where there was still trash on the ground. Shindo immediately straightened, realizing his mistake. "Ah, sorr-"


    He caught himself before Sayako could say anything.


    She just sighed. "Seriously, lighten up a bit dude."


    Eventually, Sayako also joined his daily training in the field. She could never beat Shindo, however Shindo had always found it fun to spar against her. She moved with grace, but her movements were also creative and unexpected.


    As they lay on the garden next to each other, tired from a long session of sparring, Sayako spoke to him.


    "I will beat you. One day. And then, I can tell everyone else that I beat my unreally strong friend!"


    "Friend?" Shindo paused at her calling him her friend. Were they really that close after only a few weeks together?''


    She feigned a hurt expression. "So all this time, you really didn''t think of me as a friend?" She pretended to be on the verge of tears.


    "Ah, no, I''m sorry, it''s just. No, we are. We''re....Friends."


    After giving probably, the most heartfelt confession of his life, Shindo received the punch he had been promised.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    It was a Sunday afternoon.  Shindo was preparing to head to the garden once again when he noticed a piece of mail on the floor. It must have been dropped when the maids were bringing in the mail to his father.


    He considered just dropping it off in front of his father''s door, but he decided that he would give it to him in person.


    Why that was, he didn''t know.


    After spending almost 10 minutes standing in front of his father''s door, he was finally about to knock when he could hear his father shouting.


    "Don''t fuck with me Daisuke! I asked for you to send your best man. I''ll pay you even more than your asking!"


    A voice on the phone spoke, but Shindo couldn''t discern what he was saying.


    "Don''t try and tell me it''s overkill! Y-. You haven''t seen that monster!"


    Shindo''s eyes widened. He didn''t even have to think to know that his father was talking about him.


    His father continued to shout, cutting off the voice on the phone.


    "Just do what your asked and take the money dammit! When did KnT have morals!"


    Silence. The call ended.


    Shindo knocked.


    "Come in." His father''s voice was haggard, as if he was stressed.


    When Shindo opened that door, and his father saw his face, his eyes widened.


    They widended in fear.


    In shock.


    In hatred.


    His father looked at him with such hatred it felt like his gaze alone was trying to strangle Shindo.


    Shindo couldn''t even breathe. His father didn''t breathe. They just stared at each other.


    The door closed behind him with a click.


    "Her- I- I sa-"


    Holding out the mail, Shindo tried to formulate words.


    "What the hell are you doing here." Kanzaki said, a dark tone in his voice.


    "S-Someone dropped this."


    He handed the mail over, and his father snatched it out of his hands.


    Reading it over, he must have seen something he didn''t like, because anger completely overtook his visage.


    "Again, and again and again!"


    He slammed his hands into his desk so hard that Shindo flinched backwards.


    It''s just thing after thing! Without fail! Without a sign of stopping! It pisses me of!" He then looked up at Shindo.


    "All because of you. Every time You appear. You. YOU!" Before Shindo could react, his father had grabbed him by the neck and was strangling him.


    "AKk. UGhh! ACK!"


    Shindo was choking as his father''s fingers slowly crushed his windpipe. Saliva creeped down his mouth. He struggled, but not as much as he could. For some reason, his body seemed content to meet its end there.


    "You killed Kohaku! You took her from me! You are the one who shattered the Miyamoto dream! Your birth took us out of the race! It''s your fault! ITS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT! YOU MONSTER! YOU MURDERER! YOUR THE ONE WHO TOOK MY DREAM AWAY FROM ME!"


    Just as quickly as he had grabbed him, his father let go.


    Shindo hit the ground and immediately grabbed his neck, coughing out. There was a massive purple ring around his neck.


    He coughed out saliva and writhed on the ground in pain. He could still feel the fingers around his throat. The pain had been engraved in his soul. He would never forget it. Ever.


    His father looked at the writhing mass of his 10-year-old son in disgust. In shock.


    But mainly, in fear and regret.


    Turning away, he said, "Get out of my sight."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    That night, Shindo did not go to the garden. Instead, he had gone to his room.


    He didn''t sleep at all that night.


    The next day, when he went to the garden, he was greeted by a horrifying sight.


    A man dressed in black, was holding a blade to the neck of Sayako, who was struggling as best as she could. He was interrogating her, for information.


    Stepping out of the underbrush, Shindo was going to pounce and take the man on from behind when he was stopped in his tracks by the man''s words.


    "Move a single inch and she''s dead kid."


    Shindo froze. Sayako turned back to look at her. "Shindo! Don''t worry about me! Just run!"


    "So, this is Shindo, huh?" The man analyzed Shindo with cold, calculating eyes.


    Shindo looked down in horror for a few moments. This man. He was looking for me. And because of that, Sayako. She almost. She almost died.


    "I- I can''t run!" Shindo shouted back.


    What good was all of his strength of he didn''t Use it. It was worthless. Meaningless. He was a monster, right? So, at the very least he could fulfill the title his father had given him.


    Sayako''s expression fell, as she grabbed for her lance off to the side.


    In the same instant, the man flicked his fingers, and a knife was being launched at her throat.


    She wouldn''t be able to dodge. However, Shindo was there to push her out of the way just in time.


    "Sayako! He''s after me! Just run okay!"


    However, Sayako just shook her head fiercely. "No way! What about you!" But the look in Shindo''s eyes told her that this was serious. For the first time, Sayako looked scared. It must have been his fault. He had finally scared away his only friend.


    "Okay, but I''ll be back with help as soon as possible."


    She left. Turning back to face the assassin, Shindo readied his weapon. At the time, it was a sword.


    The assassin smiled at the kid. "Turning your back on the enemy really isn''t smart you know."


    "You wouldn''t have been able to kill me anyways."


    There was a slight tick in the man''s jaw.


    "The bounty on your head. For a kid. Its insanely high. It almost makes same feel bad killing a kid. But there''s so much money I can excuse myself.


    The man unsheathed his knives.


    With that, the duel in the garden of white spider lilies began.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The battle ended quickly. The victor, Shindo.


    He had cut his opponent down mercilessly. In fact, taking a look at the scene, one could have called it overkill.


    Motivated by more anger than anything, Shindo had slain his opponent. The scene was brutal. It was so bad, that all of the white spider lilies in the garden, had changed colors.


    It was now a garden of red spider lilies.


    Inside the forest Shindo could her the crunching of leaves as someone ran away.


    He turned, to see a retreating figure.


    immediately, he thought that it was Sayako. It had to have been her.


    He had finally scared her away. She had seen Shindo for the monster he truly was, and she finally left.


    After that day, Shindo had never seen Sayako again.


    And why would he?


    Who would want to spend their time with a monster like him?

 Chapter 74: The Ghost

    The battle had been raging on for a good amount of time, and the student council room had been completely destroyed. It was empty, but now, it looked like the kind of thing you''d see at a demolition sight.


    The walls were destroyed, the ground was pocked with holes, and the interiors of the building could be seen.


    Pipes and electrical units lined the walls.


    Flames licked their way up and down, all throughout the room. Whatever was left of the lights barely illuminated the room.


    Shindo jumped back, avoiding and spear combo from Greed. Waiting for the right moment, Shindo immediately stuck his spear out into the path of Greed''s.


    The momentum of the weapon was redirected, and as a result, Greed lost his balance briefly.


    Shindo followed that with two slashes of his spear.


    Greed used a flame spell to create a massive explosion in front of him and create distance, but it was too late to stop him from getting cut.


    Greed''s perfect black suit was now covered in dirt, scratches and blood. There were deep gashes at multiple points near his chest and arms. His face was covered in soot and dust, and his previously slicked back hair was disheveled.


    Despite that, he stood tall, showing no signs of slowing down.


    Shindo on the other hand, showed no sign of having taken any major damage. The dried blood that covered him did not belong to him. it was a mix of Greeds, and the beasts he had slain in the miasmic tear.


    Greed placed a hand over the two newest scars that Shindo had given him. He ran his finger through them and then stared at the blood intently.


    He then turned to look Shindo in the eyes. "No sign of fatigue. No sign of slowing down. And the hatred in your eyes has yet to leave."


    Shindo did not respond to Greed''s obvious taunts.


    Greed''s voice shifted abruptly. Now it belonged to what Shindo thought was an old man. "In my years of living, I have never seen such a monstrous existence."


    As this man''s voice spoke, Greed''s eyes raved over Shindo''s body in restrained admiration. Like someone admiring the beauty of a tiger. Strong, but deadly.


    "Aura levels that are off the charts. Inhuman strength. Inhuman energy levels. Inhuman everything." The voice shifted to that of a middle-aged woman. As if mimicking the mocking tone that she was speaking with, Greed''s eyes narrowed.


    Doing his best to ignore the words of Greed''s absorbed personalities, Shindo began to use his ability.


    Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. That was the name it has been given.


    It had been, Mira who had given it that name, right? It wasn''t like he hated it. In fact, he liked it.


    Although when he had tried to thank her, she seemed really nervous. But that was nothing new.


    His ability allowed him to thoroughly analyze a technique and immediately come up with a way to neutralize it.


    His eyes glowed a bright red as he activated the ability. Unfortunately, Raiden had spoiled the fun, so Shindo didn''t get the joy he always experienced when analyzing a new ability. He already knew that Greed''s ability was a vault of some sort that allowed him to store people and inanimate objects.


    As his eyes roved over greed''s figure, who was wrapped up in a conversation with himself, he made a note of how Greed''s body language shifted when he changed personalities. It was small things.


    The way he held his hands at his side.


    How his eyes narrowed or widened.


    The set of his jaw.


    It was enough for Shindo to be able to confirm that Greed did in fact take on the personalities of the people he stole. And from the looks of it, they could speak freely from within the body, whenever they did end up in control.


    And judging by the way he fought, the way he used Sayako''s exact fighting stile, Shindo knew that he could also take on the physical memories of the body as well. That was mainly seen in the proficiency he had in a multitude of weapons.


    All of that information, analyzed within a second. With that info, Shindo could confidently come to the conclusion, that the way to defeat Greed''s vault, was to kill Greed. That would forcibly eject all of the things inside his vault out of it, via deactivation of his ability through death.


    He could have come to that conclusion without using his ability, but he couldn''t have been sure if he didn''t use it.


    That would be easy. Greed was weaker than Shindo. However, there was something in Shindo that hesitated to kill Greed.


    It was the irrational part of him. The one that said, if he killed Greed right here right now, and if Greed had really taken Sayako, what if Sayako didn''t come out? What if-


    However, his train of though was broken off by Greed''s voice.


    "Shindo. The prince. The ghost of the Miyamoto."


    Shindo clenched his teeth together as he heard the two nicknames given to him in quick succession. He hated hearing them so much. He always hid it, but every time he was referred to by those names, the unrest in his heart grew a bit.


    Every time he heard Ghost of the Miyamoto; his mind was brought back to that terrible instance with his father. HIs father''s fingers around his throat. His father''s accusations.


    His chest felt like lead, and every breath he took felt like his throat was filled with glass.


    The prince didn''t get such a visceral reaction out of him, but he still hated it. He hated how isolated it left him.


    How much everyone who used it feared him. How the rumors isolated him from people he didn''t even know yet.


    But still, he decided to pretend that it was fine. Because even though he hated it, it was the truth. That was probably why he hated it so much anyways.


    Shindo Miyamoto.


    "A monster." Greed finished Shindo''s thought out loud. "Even your own classmates fear you. They can''t look you in the eyes."


    "Shut it!" Shindo clenched his fists, trying to prevent himself from getting riled up over Greed''s obvious taunting''s.


    "Their scared. Of you. Strength is supposed to be the beacon of hope for all. But in your case, it''s the shadow of despair." Greed continued to speak, walking closer and closer.


    "You make us feel inferior." Greed spoke in the voice of a student.


    However, Shindo thought it was this student truly speaking their mind. Kaylee. That had been her name.


    "How can I possibly live knowing that no matter how much I try, in the face of someone else, it''d all be rendered meaningless." Another student spoke.


    Shindo took a step back with widened eyes. Is this what they really though? Was it really all his fault? What was he saying. Of course it was.


    "A monster. The one time I actually felt his aura I nearly had a heart attack."


    "I feel bad for those who have to live with him."


    "I can''t imagine anybody being comfortable around a monster like him."


    "They call him the prince for a reason. Even if he acts nice, he clearly thinks he''s better than us."


    "How could he not have such a gross superiority complex. I''m sure it''s so large that he thinks showing us a little bit of niceness will excuse how much he thinks he''s above us."


    "No!. No that''s, that''s not true!" Shindo tried to argue, to deny the accusations, but his voice was lost in the sea of hate. The sea of accusations. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Greed imitated the voice of all of the students inside of his body. He used their voices to assail Shindo. To throw his mental balance off of the ship. To send Shindo careening into a place of mental instability.


    To deliver the final blow, he spoke in her voice.


    "All that time I spent with him. I didn''t want to believe it at first, but now I see it. He''s a monster. Thats all he''ll ever be."


    Greed spoke in Sayako''s voice, and the effect could be seen on Shindo''s face.


    He froze; his eyes widened. His mouth hung open.


    Inside of his head, all activity had shut down.


    Even she had said it. She was a monster. Shindo had figured that was the reason she ran, the reason they never saw each other again, however, to hear it, to hear her say that herself.


    It crushed him.


    Greed stepped in front of Shindo and placed his hands on his temple.


    He smiled down at the catatonic boy.


    "Let''s take a look. Inside your head."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    It was the same moment, Repeated again and again and again.


    His father''s hands around his neck. His fathers shout. His fathers gaze of fear.


    He saw the same scene play out in front of him hundreds of times.


    It was already engraved inside his soul deep enough, so why? Why did he have to keep seeing it?


    Was it because he never took responsibility? For killing his mom? For destroying the Miyamoto household.


    He had never met his mom, but when he overheard people taking about him, the only image he could formulate was an extremely kind and caring woman, who at times could get angry.


    However, she was loved. By the whole household.


    He had heard so many people talk about how in the months leading up to her death, she would talk excitedly about the birth of her new child. How she would lash out at anyone who would dare to disrespect them.


    Still, everyone was excited and happy for her.


    However, Kohaku would never get to see her son for herself.


    Because she was killed by him.


    "Was it, because I never apologized? Was it because, I never took responsibility for it? I never-" Shindo''s words were cut off by his father''s grip tightening once again. "Fix it."


    Fix it? What did that mean? How could he fix this? Fix the destroyed Miyamoto household? Fix any of it? It was beyond his grasp. He couldn''t do it. It was impossible. Despite all of his strength,


    He was to weak to fix this.


    Glass shattered, and he was brought to a memory of his that occurred 4 years after Sayako''s disappearance.


    Shindo had been accepted into Theta magic academy. Of course he had. There was no doubt that he would have been.


    After his battle against the assassin, he had not returned to the garden for almost a month. He didn''t feel worthy of it.


    It was Sayako''s place. She was the one who originally cared for it. And foolishly, Shindo''s stupid actions had forced her out.


    However, after 3 weeks he decided to return. After all, if she never returned, someone needed to take care of the garden.


    He was about to walk into the meadow of white-turned red spider lilies when he heard the sound of someone sobbing. He ducked into the shadows to see a man dressed in a coat sitting amongst the flowers.


    He was holding a picture in his hands and was sobbing. His wife was also hugging him.


    "It was my fault, wasn''t it? I was the one responsible?" The mother, who was also crying, shook her head vigorously.


    "No, if anything, it was my fault. I was the one always arguing with her. It must have made her feel like she didn''t belong home. It must have made her feel like this was the only place she belonged."


    The man dipped his head down and his body shook violently with sobs.


    "Sayako....I''m, I''m so sorry!"


    Shindo''s heart dropped. He began to hyperventilate. It felt like someone had dropped a bowling ball unto of his chest.


    His eyes widened before dilating.


    He breathed in and out, quicker and quicker and quicker.


    These were Sayako''s parents. Of course. She had been missing for three weeks. of course, Shindo wouldn''t have been the only one looking for her. Her parents would have been worried too. They would have wanted to know as well.


    Slowly, Shindo crawled backwards. His entire body was consumed by a mind-numbing fear and guilt. He couldn''t show his face in front of her parents. It was his fault she was gone. So at the very least he could have tried to say something, but what could he say?


    He was a monster. Single handedly responsible for destroying two families.


    And so Shindo ran. He ran, far away from that garden. He ran as fast as he could. Not bothering to turn back.


    He was scared. He was scared of what he had done. He could never forgive himself.


    And so, he ran. And he never returned to the garden after that day.


    Suddenly, Shindo felt hands constrict around his throat.


    The word turned black, and the ground below him transformed into water. There was only a small light in the center, that flickered on and off.


    His father was choking him. Again. But this time, the anger was gone. His father was looking at him with an empty expression.


    "Take responsibility." He spoke. "For what you destroyed." His grip tightened around Shindo''s neck.


    "AGUHH!" Shindo began to choke. He could feel his windpipe beginning to be crushed completely. His vision was blackening around the edges.


    "Take responsibility." His father repeated his previous words. "From what you ran from. From the beautiful person you killed. From the kind girl you ripped away from her parents. From the families you destroyed."


    Shindo couldn''t breathe anymore.


    "I- I-" He tried to speak.


    "Take responsibility and die."


    "I''m sorry-"


    Don''t you dare apologize!


    A voice shouted out. And the world around him shattered into glass.


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    A sweet voice that he recognized all to well called out to him, and the world around him shattered.


    He opened his eyes. He was back in the student council room. It was completely dark, save for a single lightbulb that was flickering on and off.


    He was being strangled. Two strong hands were around his neck, and they were squeezing tightly.


    Greed was strangling him.


    Shindo could feel the saliva dripping from his mouth, and he writhed, trying to break free. However, he wasn''t trying as hard as he could of.


    Just like when his father was strangling him, he thought to himself, "What was the harm in just letting go now?"


    However, the sweet voice that he heard would not let him die so easily.


    "You and your damn apologizing! What are you even apologizing for!"


    Shindo looked at Greed in shock. He was speaking in Sayako''s voice. Her personality must have taken over again.


    "F-fo-augh, for w-ack! what I did. To you."


    Shindo fought to get those words out. Hadn''t she said it herself? That she had realized he was a monster?


    Greeds eyes narrowed in anger, mimicking the anger that was in Sayako''s voice as he spoke. "Are you serious! You''re really going to let this freak play in your head?"


    Play, in my head? Shindo was confused, but Sayako gave him no time to think.


    "You believe your responsible for everything don''t you? You think that everything that happened was because of you, and the fact that you were born strong? What a self-centered viewpoint! An egotistical one! Now wonder they call you the prince!"


    Shindo was hurt. Even she used the title. She called him "The Prince". She said he was egotistical. Self-centered.


    "You think you haven''t taken responsibility?"


    Of course I''m responsible. I killed her. I destroyed the Miyamoto family! Shindo thought to himself.


    Just how much do you want? Spending all your time regretting, spending all your time agonizing over it! I know that''s what you''ve been doing. Spending all of your time letting it consume you! And yet, you still want more? To take responsibility for something that isn''t your fault?"


    No matter how much you try, this one change! it''s the truth! Shindo''s mind fired back.


    Shindo was starting to get confused. She knew? How? It wasn''t my fault? What was she talking about.


    "But that''s fitting. You are the only person who''d be able to do that. You are the prince. The one above other. The one stronger than the rest. And because of that, you will take on that responsibility, because you''re the only one with the strength who can. So be selfish. Be self-centered. Do it. Because you are the only one strong enough too."


    Shindo''s eyes widened. "Do it?" She was telling him to embrace the title of prince. To selfishly take on all the responsibility, to act as if he was better than others. That didn''t make any sense. That was what he was trying to avoid.


    This strength, it tore everything in his life apart. My mom. Sayako. My relationship with others. It destroyed everything. Why should I embrace it now? It turned me into the monster I am. Shouldn''t I just forsake it, let it all go?


    "You reject the title of Prince because you view yourself as worse than others. Thats why you hate it. Your strength has isolated you, but only because you''ve let it."


    Because I let it? No, no. It''s because I am a monster. I can''t. I can''t possibly embrace that. I don''t. I don''t want to!


    From now on, embrace the fact that you are strong. Don''t let what others say be the end all be all. Create your own image. It doesn''t have to be the prince but create an image that you can be proud of. And then, when you find me again, we can share it together."


    Embrace it? Find her again? Wha-


    "You are Shindo Miyamoto. The ghost of the Miyamoto clan. The strongest. The prince. A monster." Shindo''s eyes widened.


    "From now on, embrace those titles. Or destroy them. Don''t let them isolate you. If it means you take on the mantle, then do that. If it means you destroy them completely, forge something anew, do it. Take them and redefine what they mean if you want. Turn them away from the slurs you see them as now and turn them into the strength you need to carry the burdens you do. Tell yourself that you''re the strongest. That you''re the best. That you aren''t just a monster. That you are someone strong who can save others. Who others can believe in. You are their beacon of hope. Their Prince. Tell yourself that, because it''s true!"


    "What would you know! You ran! You-"


    "Or take them and rip them apart. Cast them to the side. Build something new. Connect. No matter what you choose, I have faith that you will be amazing! And most importantly, don''t ever apologize. The world doesn''t want your apologies. Don''t. Not until you find me again. And then, apologize for making me leave you behind."


    Shindo was shocked. He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. She wasn''t playing savior. Trying to act all high and mighty. She was telling him to choose.


    Take control. Destroy it or embrace it. He was in control now. It was up to him.


    At that moment, Greed regained control over his words, however, Sayako''s words had already had their effect.


    Of course. The answer had been so simple, he just couldn''t see it.


    He was strong. That was why he was called the prince. A monster. A ghost. A phantom. It was all true. However, he didn''t have to let other people define what that meant to him. He could do it himself. He could change the meaning and finally accept the title of Prince. Because he was strong, great, because he was the only one capable of shouldering that responsibility. He could fix the lies that other tried to bring him down with by telling the truth!


    I am, The Prince. Ghost of the Miyamoto!


    With that, Shindo decided that this would be his choice. He would become the prince. Embrace that title.


    Shindo affirmed this in his mind.


    Shindo held out his hand in front of him.


    Greed stood in silence, wondering whether or not Shindo had still given up.


    He smiled.


    "Kneel."


    Greed was brought to his knees by the sheer force of Shindo''s aura.


    He collapsed to the ground, unable to even look up.


    Shindo looked down upon him, his red eyes glinting in the darkness. Above them, the light bulb shattered completely, descending them into darkness.


    Greed began to shake in fear, as Shindo''s aura only grew in power more and more. As it became more and more murderous.


    "I''ll haunt you, even after you die. Even as you burn in hell."

 Chapter 75: The Prince

    Shindo stood above the shaking figure of Greed, a smile on his face. Greed looked up at Shindo with more than just a bit of shock and fear in his expression.


    Shindo had broken out of his grasp, just when he was this close to completely shattering the boy. Not to mention, it seemed he had stopped holding back like he was before. The fact that Greed couldn''t even stand right now was a testament to that.


    "Redefine what they mean? What a joke!" Greed began to speak. "You will never be able to escape the true meaning of, "Prince." It will stick with you. Like your shadow. Like a ghost. It will always be lingering in the background, to remind you and others of what you really are. A monster. One who refused to take responsibility for what he destroyed."


    It was one last final attempt. One last desperate attempt to try and regain the hold that he had on Shindo''s mind. However, it was futile.


    "I don''t want to hear anything from you."


    "Don''t think you can escape your past!" Greed shouted out, as he slowly began to stand. "You are the product of your past! Trying to outrun it is futile!"


    "Hah! HAHAHAHAH!" Greed looked on in shock as Shindo began to cackle. It was like Greed had told him a joke.


    "What..." Greed muttered to himself. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. The boy was laughing. Not just laughing, his head was reared back, and he had placed a hand on his stomach.


    Shindo suddenly cut off his laughter, turning to look at Greed with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Run? Run from what? Who''s running?" His voice gave the impression of someone about to burst back into laughter, but the look in his eyes was a dangerous one.


    Greed couldn''t even find the words to describe what he was feeling. However, something deep inside of him yearned to add this boy into his collection. Despite the fear that his body felt looking at the eccentric kid, his greed would not be satisfied until he had this kid in his possession.


    "I have no reason to run! Not from anything or anyone!" With a quick motion, Shindo had grabbed his spear, which shone brightly in the darkness. The only light in the room currently came from the opening in the wall.


    Greed had decided that he wanted to take this battle outside, where there was more visibility and space for him to fight.


    He would rely on the souls in his vault which possessed great long-range magic to keep Shindo as far away as possible. He would bring the battle to a place where there were a lot of other people, in order to limit the amount of strength that Shindo could use at once. He would use some of the students as hostages, and once he caught Shindo off guard, he would-


    However, Greeds entire strategy was stopped from the get-go.


    Shindo fired off a flame spell at the wall, causing part of it to cave and block the exit. It was pitch black dark.


    When Greed turned back to take a look at Shindo, he was gone.


    Without even hesitating, Greed charged up a large amount of mana and fired off a spell at the blocked off exit, however it was canceled.


    "Wha-"


    Before he could even think, he could feel a presence in front of him and a bolt of pain shoot through his chest.


    Immediately after he felt that shock of pain, he heard the sound of blood splattering on the floor, and steps.


    Trying to get his bearings as quickly as possible, he turned around.


    He activated a defensive spell, one he had taken from a dojo master in South America, famous for his strength in defensive magic.


    However, it was once again cancelled.


    Again and again, every time Greed tried to use a spell, it would be canceled.


    And every time his spell was canceled, he would be slashed.


    The chest, the arm, the leg, Shindo was relentless in his attacks.


    Cutting with perfect accuracy in the pitch-black darkness, he was so fast that Greed could only ever catch the after image of his red spear.


    Taking steps back, Greed realized that Shindo wasn''t trying to kill him. No. The reason he kept cancelling his spells and slashing him was because Shindo was trying to send a message.


    He wanted Greed to battle him one on one. Using Sayako''s fighting style.


    Gritting his teeth, but realizing he had no other choice, Greed summoned a spear.


    "I only ever started fighting with a spear until after I had met her."


    Shindo began to speak, as greed could hear his steps pacing around in circles.


    Greed followed the sound of his footsteps, tense, preparing for an attack at any moment.


    "I had asked her why she had chosen a spear, and she told me that it was the main weapon of choice for her family. However, she wasn''t the kind of person who would do something just because others would. So, I pressed further."


    Shindo''s footsteps suddenly stopped. He dashed forward at Greed and feinted, laughing at the way Greed overreacted.


    "She had said the reason behind her choosing the spear,"


    Shindo dashed once again, but this time, he committed, Slashing and Greed who dodged.


    Shindo was quick and by the time Greed had dodged the first slash, there were three more on their way.


    It would be impossible to accurately dodge them all in the darkness, and so Greed intercepted them with his own spear, although just barely.


    In that moment, the sparks released from the clash of weapons illuminated the darkness. For a brief moment, the two combatants could see each other.


    Greed was horrified to see Shindo with a smile on his face. Not just a smile of happiness, but a sinister one. The one of a hunter who had just found his prey.


    "Was because it symbolized prowess in the hunt." Shindo said this just before they were plunged back into the darkness.


    And there began the duel in darkness.


    Greed played the fight out on the defensive. Not because he wanted to, but instead, because Shindo was just too fast.


    Two horizontal slashes followed by a kick.


    Not letting up for even a second Shindo continued to press Greed.


    Greed blocked another slash, but he felt pain in his arm as Shindo had already moved on to his next string of attacks.


    Greed jumped backwards, but Shindo was already behind him, and he delivered a viscous kick to Greeds lower back.


    Greed was sent flying, but mid-flight, Shindo appeared on top of him, and used his spear to pin Greed to the ground, causing it to crack.


    "What''s going on!" Shindo''s voice was filled with glee and excitement. "Don''t tell me that your already done."


    In response, Greed jabbed his spear at Shindo''s face, but Shindo grabbed it, before pulling on it so hard that it brought Greed to his feet.


    Immediately after, Greed''s entire body crumpled around Shindo''s fist, as he was hit by the gut punch of a lifetime.


    CRASSSHH! This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Sent straight into a wall, he wasn''t even given time to revel in the pain of his four broken ribs, as there was suddenly a spear in his leg.


    "AGHHHHHHHHH!" Greed lashed out with his spear, hoping to get some sort of hit, but he was simply slashing air.


    Collapsing unto his knees, Greed couldn''t decide if he wanted to grab his leg, or curl into a ball and caress his chest.


    "Ahhhh." He exhaled in pain. He couldn''t use magic. He couldn''t escape. He couldn''t fight against Shindo.


    What the hell could he do! Just why was this boy so monstrous! He was treating Greed like a deer. Prey to be hunted. And judging from the excited sounds that Shindo made every time he landed a blow, he was enjoying every single moment of it.


    All he could see was Shindo''s afterimage as he moved. He could not land a blow on Shindo.


    It was like trying to fight a Ghost.


    Suddenly Greed could her Shindo dash towards him, and he dragged himself unto his feet, blocking the incoming slashes.


    As Shindo went for another attack, Greed opted for another desperate strategy. He summoned two other spears and tossed the one in his hands in front of him.


    Shindo curved out of the way of thrown spear, just like Greed had hoped.


    Greed now brough the two spears he had summoned down in an arcing slash. If it had landed, it would have undoubtedly done a crazy amount of damage. Near lethal, in fact.


    However, the blow never landed.


    His arms. They had been cut off.


    Before he could even register that, he was hit by Shindo''s spear. Like a baseball bat launched out of the arena in a homerun, Greed was sent flying out of the student council room, and rolling unto the ground, screaming and writhing as white-hot pain encompassed his body.


    "AHGHGAHHAGHAHHH! AHGAHGHGAHAHGH! AHGHAAHGH!"


    His screams of agony echoed throughout the hallway.


    He flopped up and down, left and right, like a fish out of water. Trying to find his arms. Where were they? What-


    He lost all his breath as the presence of death entered the hallway.


    Greed looked behind him in shock. Red eyes that gleamed with hatred. An aura so strong it threatened to collapse the very ground. A red spear.


    Death. He was death incarnate.


    Greed began to crawl. As quickly as he could without arms. He dragged his useless body as far as it would go. He hated it. He hated it. it hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.It hurt.It hurt. It hurt.v It hurt.It hurt. It hurt.It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.


    As he crawled, in indescribable agony, Greed thought back. His life flashed before his eyes.


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    GREED: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.


    Tenkyu hated those who were selfish with all of his might. Those who had the ability to help others but still choose not to. He hated them so much. Just who did they think they were. Damned bastards!


    He was always less fortunate in life. His wealthy father had left him and his mother to fend for themselves to pursue a series of affairs. One might say, he couldn''t keep it in his pants.


    His mother was not rich. She worked two jobs and was an alcoholic. Despite their bad financial situation, she would gamble.


    Tenkyu dropped out of school, in order to get a job. It didn''t help that he possessed mana. Normal people looked at him like he was more despicable than he already was, considering he was poor.


    Thats when his hatred of the wealthy came in. Just why did they get to have everything and he was left with nothing. that wasn''t just or fair!


    Eventually his mother fell ill. In a desperate attempt to try and afford the surgery she needed, he found his father and got on his knees. he begged, he prostrated himself, he offered to give his whole life away, so that they could afford the surgery.


    However, his father declined. Why should he have to spend his money to help those who are below him?


    Tenkyu couldn''t understand it. If you already had so much, why wouldn''t you share if it won''t hurt you? If you already possess so much, why would you want more?


    His mother died. At the hands of greed.


    He never spoke to his father again. Tenkyu was an adult, as so he was saddled with all of his mother''s debt.


    After that moment, Tenkyu began to hate, those who were greedy. He despised people who wouldn''t help others if they had nothing to lose, and everything to give.


    And so, despite his horrible life, Tenkyu spent it trying to help other people. Anybody he could. Even if he was less fortunate, he would still do anything to help someone who was struggling.


    However, it wasn''t out of the goodness of his heart. Not at all.


    It was all to make himself feel better than his father. Then all of the greedy bastards of the world.


    Every time he helped someone it allowed him to fell superior to those who didn''t, while also providing him with a reason to feel bad for himself. For others to feel guilty about themselves.


    Look at me. I have nothing, and yet I still give everything to help others. What about you, those of you who are more fortunate than me?


    And so that was how he lived. In a manner that was solely meant to groom his ego while also giving him an excuse.


    As to why he wasn''t anything in life.


    There were many times when he was given a chance. There was a time that he had helped a young girl from an assault, and as a thanks, her father offered him a job. Tenkyu declined, however. At the time, he had said it was because he was already working somewhere, however in truth, he still wanted to play the victim. The poor soul that was trampled upon by the world''s greed and selfishness.


    He wanted to be pitied. Not helped.


    There was another instance, where he had helped an old man who was also homeless. He helped the man carry his items, move to a better area, and even collected donations for him. At the end of the whole thing, when the old man tried to thank him and help him in return, Tenkyu snapped.


    "Just shut it alright! Shut up and leave! Leave me be!"


    He couldn''t look at the man anymore. It reminded him of his own weakness. His own situation. Like looking into a mirror.


    Underfoot, he crushed the broken mirror he had been staring into.


    However he never stopped helping others.


    It was the same routine. He decided to help out this girl, when he was led into a setup.


    Beat half to death. He had heard of this before. Groups of people who would lure unsuspecting magicians out under the guise of a innocent request, before catching them off guard and beating them as badly as possible.


    His will to help, had led him here. It was karma. Because despite the virtuous actions he performed, it all came from the selfishness deep down in his heart.


    At that moment, as he wished for death to come, he saw her. The witch. A girl the height of a child, maybe 11-13 years old. Dressed in white.


    She leaned down over him.


    "You want it all don''t you?" She asked simply. She had read him perfectly. The reason he hated greed and those who practiced it so much was not because of the people they didn''t help.


    It was because he was envious of them. Of how much they had, and he didn''t.


    He nodded weakly.


    "I will give you the power to have everything in the entire world. However, in return, dedicate the rest of your life to helping me complete my mission. I want to find something. Or someone. In return for this gift, all I ask is you spend the rest of your life helping me achieve this."


    Tenkyu agreed. What other choice did he have.


    With a kiss on the forehead, Tenkyu felt invigorated. His injuries were gone. He felt powerful. And at the same time, he heard a voice speak in his head.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: How many thousands of years has it been?


    Tenkyu froze.


    The witch of vainglory spoke.


    "Hold this. And when the time is right. You will gift it to someone. You will use your ability, and achieve your ultimate act of selflessness."


    With that, Greed was born.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    What did he do to deserve this end? To feel such pain at the hands of a monster.


    Greed though this to himself as he desperately tried to crawl away from Shindo. He was almost there too. A few inches, and he''d reach the stairs.


    Behind him, he could hear the slow footsteps of Shindo. He was taking in the moment, enjoying every second of the desperate, armless Greed attempting to crawl away.


    "Hadn''t I already been punished back then? Why, why do I deserve thi-"


    His cries were cut off, as Shindo plunged his spear into Greed, right through the heart.


    "You destroyed god knows how many lives. Today. Back then. You separated Sayako from her family. Plagued the people here with pain. Your Greed brought you to this end."


    For what felt like a long moment, nothing happened. Shindo was hesitating. He had only ever killed one person before. The very assassin that had tried to kill him. And even then, in a situation where his life was on the line, he still felt horrible about that act. Immediately after taking that man''s life, he threw up for what felt like an entirety.


    He didn''t want to have to kill. Especially in this case, where he would be killing a completely defenseless man. A cripple. However, when he thought of what this person did, and what he had taken, he knew it was the only choice.


    Below him, Greed began to cry. A faint sound. He was pathetically crying.


    "Please. Please. I, I just wanted to, I just wanted to help. Unlike that bastard who called himself my father. I did good. Why did it end like this? Why does the world hate me? After everything I''ve done. For all I helped, I can''t even get a little respite in the end.


    Once again Shindo''s will waver. This pitiful sight. This pitiful man. Would Shindo really have to be the one to end him? Why couldn''t someone else do it. Shindo didn''t want to feel that way again. Never again. He remembered his first kill, and even now, looking at his hands, he could see the bloodstains. He was about to have Greed''s blood on his hands as well.


    However, he could hear Sayako''s voice in the back of his mind. It told him that he couldn''t run away from it. He shouldn''t. He had to do this, not out of vengeance for her, but to do what was right.


    Even then, why was Shindo preceding with this killing?


    There was the fact that he needed to kill Greed in order to get the people trapped in his vault out, but he couldn''t hide behind the excuse.


    If that wasn''t the case, why was he killing this defenseless, pitiable man, pleading above for help?


    "God, If this is a punishment, I understand! If taking away my arms was something that you did because I didn''t help enough, then I''m sorry. It''s just, when I got this power, my life was fixed! I would never want again, so I didn''t feel the need to seek pity. Please, God forgive me!"


    With every word the man spoke, it became harder and harder for Shindo to rationalize killing him. He had to confront the truth.


    Although there may be vengeance in this kill, it would not be his main objective. He did not kill for revenge.


    He would kill Greed in order to gain back what he stole and rid the world of a monster.


    Shindo steeled himself.


    Sometimes, killing was necessary.


    He would never get to use to it though. He promised himself that.


    "God, please forgive me." Shindo Reiterated Greeds words.


    With that, Shindo twisted the spear.


    Greed was killed.


    For a long moment, Shindo stared at the body.


    A flash of white. As Greeds ability was undone, things slowly began to come back, returning to their original place. He could hear the voices of scared students inside the P.A system room.


    However, Shindo could not take his eyes off of the body.


    He etched the image of what he had done in his mind.


    He would never forget.

 Chapter 76: The First

    Hikaru burst into the hallway that led to the student council room with one-to-many worries on her mind. Although she did make the speech, she couldn''t be sure that everybody heard her, and even if they did, she didn''t really bring good news.


    Letting them know where the other enemies were might have taken their minds off of that, but in comparison to bringing news of the defeat of one of them, it was nothing.


    When Hikaru kicked open the door, the first thing that she saw was Shindo, standing over the body of Greed, in a noticeably damaged corridor.


    Hikaru froze at the sight. She dragged her eyes down towards Greeds body. HIs arms had been cut off, and she could see the tears in his still open eyes. The eyes had no light in them. He was dead.


    Hikaru''s breathe froze for a moment as she turned her gaze up to Shindo, who was still covered in blood. He was staring at Greeds body, a well of emotions in his eyes.


    Taking a moment to calm her heart, which felt like it would beat right out of her chest, Hikaru slowly walked over to Shindo-sidestepping around Greed''s body.


    She could only imagine what was going through his head right now. He was forced to take a life. That was something no one wanted to do if they were in control of it.


    Although she could not imagine the depths of the emotions that Shindo must have been experiencing currently, Hikaru was a deeply empathetic person. So, she could very easily see the conflict in his eyes. The guilt.


    Grabbing unto his arm she said, "You did what you had too."


    Shindo clenched his fists. "Even that, is no consolation."


    Hikaru stood in silence for a few moments, at a lost for what she could say to help him.


    "Heh.'' Shindo shook his head, before grabbing his spear and turning to face Hikaru.


    "First, I should really apologize for what I did back there. I kind of have a bad habit of....."


    Shindo stopped in his tracks when he saw the knowing smile on Hikaru''s face.


    "It''s okay. Really. More importantly....."


    Hikaru pointed to the P.A. system room. "We have a broadcast to make."


    Shindo nodded, taking a moment to move Greeds body out of the way, and into one of the empty classrooms. Throughout the entire process, Shindo could not shake the guilt he felt.


    As they approached, he took a moment to ready himself for what he would face when he stepped inside that room.


    The fearful, hateful look of the students who had been trapped inside of Greeds vault.


    When they opened the door to the room, they saw all of the broadcasting equipment, as well as a wide variety of confused students slumped over desks and on the floor.


    Hikaru rushed to the side of the nearest student, kneeling down to check if they were okay.


    Shindo did the same, with a bit of a hesitation.


    The student he ran up too, her name was Cath. She was a third year and happened to be in Shindo''s class. She was dazed, looking around as if she had just woken up from a nap. When she noticed Shindo in front of her, she froze for a split second, and so did Shindo.


    Even embracing his new title, Shindo was still too worried that he would end up scaring off his classmates.


    His hand hovered in the air for a split second, before he reached it out and asked, "Are you okay."


    His voice was just as shaky as his hand, and thousands of situations where he was yelled out, or called a monster, ran through his head, but despite that, he still reached out his hand.


    He didn''t avert his eyes. If he was going to be cursed, to be blamed, then he would take it on the chin.


    Thankfully, nothing of the sort would happen.


    Cath would grab his hand, allowing him to pull her up and unto her feet. "S-shindo." She stuttered while saying his name, but she still said it. "There was someone here. A-A man in a black suit. He-" She was scared and spoke frantically.


    Shindo placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him.


    Then, he said, in the most reassuring tone possible, "It''s alright. I handled it."


    A momentum of silent shock, and then relief flooded her facial features. Her eyes stopped darting around, her facial features relaxed, and she let out a shaky breath.


    In fact, an air of relief descended upon the entire room. Every single open of the still dazed students wore a relieved expression on her face, as they got to their feet.


    "Really?" Cath asked.


    Shindo nodded.


    Cath then looked down, a complex well of emotions on her face. An awkward silence ensued before Cath broke it, saying, "Thank you. And, sorry."


    Shindo''s eyes lightened up at the thanks. In fact, that singular thanks served to help Shindo more than anything else could have. He couldn''t believe it. He had been so ready to face critics, to be looked at with hate, or fear. Especially from the girl who had dubbed him with the title of "The Prince".


    He had prepared himself for that seemingly inevitable outcome.


    However, what he had not prepared for, was to receive thanks.


    It wasn''t only from Cath. It was from every single student in the room. They all gave their heartfelt thanks to Shindo.


    For saving them.


    Shindo stood in the P.A. room, in a bit of apprehensive awe at what was going on around him. The thanks, the warmth that he was experiencing, it all felt great, however Shindo did not think that he could except it. No, he couldn''t. After all, in order to save them, he had to-


    At that moment, Hikaru tapped on his shoulder. Shindo looked over, at her, to which she told him,


    "They''re thanking you. Isn''t that what you wanted?"


    Shindo opened his mouth to argue but he was not granted that chance.


    "You did what you had to. The fact that you still can''t get over means you didn''t enjoy what you did. And you probably will never get over it. You should never get over it. However, don''t let it collapse you on the inside.


    And then, she clapped her hands on his cheeks, which was enough to jar Shindo back into reality.


    "Heh." He could only chuckle at Hikaru''s actions. She had actually slapped him. Told him to get his mind back into the game. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    However, it was what he needed.


    He turned back to the students inside the P.A. room, before bowing a bit.


    "Thank you. Thank you all. I-I''m honored."


    He stuttered slightly over his words, and he could hear the sound of Hikaru giggling behind him.


    He would have said something, but at that moment, an explosion rocked the entire room.


    It came from the direction of the Arena. Shindo chided himself for his stupidly. Even though one battle was done, the entire magic academy was under attack.


    He turned, to go check out the situation, but Hikaru stopped him.


    Shindo looked at her, his eyes saying that he didn''t have time to stay here.


    "I get you want to help, but we still have to make the broadcast."


    Her point didn''t click with Shindo. "Couldn''t you do that on your own?"


    Hikaru just shook her head and made a gesture with her head.


    Shindo turned to look at all the relieved students getting their bearings. In that moment, he realized Hikaru''s implied message, however he couldn''t acceptr it.


    "That wasn''t on my account. It was just the news that they one who had captured them was defeated that did that-"


    "If The Prince were the one to deliver the message about the victory over one of the attackers, don''t you think that would inspire confidence?"


    "Or fear. Besides, they won''t even recognize my voice-"


    "Then tell them. Make them recognize. Pour as much conviction as possible into your words and give them the hope they need to continue on fighting!"


    Shindo looked at Hikaru with widened eyes. He couldn''t believe it. Once again, he was left absolutely stupefied by this girl. Everything she said and did, it was with complete confidence, and absolute determination. She did not hesitate. She did not settle."


    Still, Shindo was not convinced. It would take much more than that to destroy the isolation created by the title of Prince. There was just no way that he could accept the idea that his words would actually be enough to motivate others to take action. It was impossible.


    "If anyone''s going to do it, it has to be you, Prince." This was Cath. She looked at him with an indescrabable expression on her face.


    Shindo still couldn''t believe it. In fact, every other student in the room echoed the same sentiment.


    "IT has to be you!"


    "Do it!"


    "Let them know were ready!"


    At first, the shouts were a bit apprehensive, but soon the encouragement was being rained down upon him full force, and he just stood, stock still, unable to believe it.


    In this moment, Shindo began to think.


    When Cath had given him the nickname of Prince, she had not done it out of malice. In fact, it might have been done out of awe. Even now, Shindo could see the respect in her eyes. She had had that same look on her face, back when she had given him the title of Prince.


    It had been their first year. Shindo had beaten Cath in a sparring match inside of the arena, and she had approached him after the match.


    The interaction had occurred in a time when Shindo had completely isolated himself from others. After everything with Sayako, he thought that he should do everyone around him a favor and just stop hanging around others. After all, it could only end badly.


    Cath was a bubbly girl, and she completely overwhelmed Shindo in their first interaction.


    "Dude, what was that ability! It was so sick!"


    "Whi-which one?"


    "Well I can''t really pick one, so all of them! Everything you did out there was insanely cool."


    "Oh, we-, I-"


    "And even with that, you''re also insanely strong! Off the charts in every aspect."


    "Thanks-"


    "It was like I was fightining royalty. Maybe people should just start calling you the prince?"


    She had not given him that nickname to hurt him, isolate him, or anything like that. In fact, it was an innocent joke, that transformed into something else. It was beyond her control, and she never intended it.


    In fact, now that Shindo thought about it, his isolation, it was not as a result from the title of prince. The main factor behind that had been himself. He was the one who made the conscious decision to isolate from his classmates. It was him who was too scared to open up. It was him. And even though the title of Prince may have contributed to that in one way or another, that was only because he chose to let that be its definition.


    Like Sayako said, it was up to him to decide how he would let himself be defined. Back then, he chose to let that title mean isolation, to mean Prince, to mean monster. However now, he could change it.


    "Redefine it and make it into something that''s true." Shindo muttered Sayako''s message to himself.


    With that realization, Shindo could finally turn himself to face everyone else in the room.


    "I understand. I''ll give that speech."


    Hikaru''s eyes lightened up, and she jumped up and down in a bit of out of place excitement. She the calmed down, laughing nervously, before giving Shindo a brief overview of the situation from what she managed to gather.


    Shindo just shook his head and walked over to the microphone.


    He stared at it for a brief moment, realizing all too late that he had no script prepared. It was too late to plan one now, and he had to get on with this speech in order to help out as soon as possible, so he steeled himself, and turned it on.


    "Hel-"


    "SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"


    As soon as he turned on the mic, he was met with a killer amount of feedback that nearly blew out his eardrums. It felt like someone was banging against the wall so of his head.


    Great start, Shindo.


    "To everyone listening, this.......This is Shindo Miyamoto......." He couldn''t bring himself to say the next part, even though he knew it was the necessary follow up. However, a strong hand landed on his shoulder. Without even looking, he knew it was Hikaru.


    Behind him, Cath whispered, "You got this."


    "Or as some of you may know, the Prince." With the hardest part out of the way, the words slowly began to flow from his mouth. He did not stop, because if he did, he would lose all of his moment, and his speech would flop.


    "I''m making this announcement to you all form the P.A. system room, on the same floor as the student council office. Prior to this, the room had been compromised. By one of the many attackers currently within Theta Magic academy. However, as you may have already guessed, the perpetrator was slain. By my own hands......"


    Shindo didn''t know much about public speaking, and this was his first time even trying. He was quite literally a kid thrown into the pool and told, "Figure out how to swim." However, he just felt that a slight pause was needed after that part.


    "There may not be a whole lot my words can do to assuage the feelings of doubt and hopelessness that I''m sure you must have, however, if there''s one thing, I hope my message can do, it''s inspired hope. This is the first victory. The first of an inevitable many. How can I say it''s inevitable? Because there is no other option. We have to win. Nothing else can be considered, lest it become reality."


    Shindo gripped the sides of the desk tighter, leaning in closer to the mic.


    "Of five, the first has been defeated. A man who embodied the sin of Greed. He has been slain. And that won''t be the end! This is just the first! The first win, the first one we need to defeat the rest! Let my words from this place be the encouragement we need to take the rest! Let this first victory be the one to show you that these people are not invincible. Do not give out hope! There are five. 1 lies with an army of attackers in the courtyard.  Another inside of the arena. Another in the lobby. The last at the highest peak of the academy.


    Shindo was caught up in the passion of his speech, and that carried its way through the ending.


    "I''ll repeat it once more! I am Shindo Miyamoto! Known as the Prince of Theta Magic Academy! One of the 5 attackers was slain by my spear. I claimed the first victory of this fight, and now, you all will carry out the rest! Without a single doubt in my mind, we will win!"


    Inside of the P.A. room was filled with the cheers of the onlooking students. Shindo let their cheers ring out over the mic before turning it off.


    Letting out a deep breath, he turned to Hikaru.


    Her, Cath, everyone in the room. They were all beaming at him.


    Shindo couldn''t help but smile as well.


    Hikaru walked over to him. "I could really tackle you with a hug right now. That speech was amazing! Who knew you had the talent for public speaking."


    Shindo chuckled, shaking his head. "No, really, if wasn''t that good. Anyways, we have to go back out there. Help out wherever we can."


    Hikaru nodded, switching to serious mode. Clasping her hands together, she began to issue out directions. "All of you in here, I think that its best you to the courtyard and assist there in order to clear out the evacuation route. I need two of you to stay in here though. One to man the P.A., and the other to collect info. release scheduled broadcast on the situation. Kepp everyone''s hopes up!"


    Cath and a boy named Brennan volunteered for that job. The rest headed to the courtyard through the glass skywalk.


    "What about me, Private?" Shindo joked, as they stepped out into the glass walkway in the rain.


    Hikaru pointed to the very highest peak.


    "I feel horrible for doing this, but without a doubt, the one that up there is the strongest magical signature here. If you don''t want to do this..."


    "No. I''ll do it. Without fear. I''ll fulfill the hope placed in me and strike them down with my spear."


    Hikaru nodded at the determination in his tone.


    "What about you?" Shindo asked.


    Hikaru turned her gaze to the arena, where lighting cracked and slammed against the ground ceaselessly.


    "I''m going to help a boy who refuses to help himself."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Pride was still prowling the halls of the top floor of the magic academy when he heard Shindo''s broadcast. He had been taking his time, as he was the star of the show, after all.


    They couldn''t start without him. He was the greatest, the one above all. They would be forced to wait for him to grant them with his presence.


    However, his time was interrupted by the speech from Shindo. The boy called himself a prince. He had slain Greed. Although Pride did not care for the latter.


    No, he was irked that there was someone here with the guile to try and claim to be royalty. All with him here.


    As Pride walked down the stairs, he spoke to no one in particular.


    "You and your hubris. I''ll make sure to teach you a lesson in humility."


    With that, two forces of nature would stalk towards each other.


    Two who were the top of the food chain.


    They would hunt, each other.

 Chapter 77: True Meaning of Just

    Cato couldn''t believe what was going on.


    He had been left alone for no longer than 10 minutes when the situation had changed drastically.


    Thankfully, Pride was taking his time stalking through the magic academy, and judging from his personality, Cato assumed that he wouldn''t intervene in the action even if he was present. He was just that arrogant and cocky.


    The first thing that Cato noticed through his clairvoyance, was something he would have noticed even had he not possessed the ability.


    A massive mana signature simply vanished from the battlefield. Completely. Without a doubt, that was the sign of someone being defeated. Looking in closer with his clairvoyance, he could see that Shindo had just defeated Greed.


    Without a doubt, that was a massive development in the positive direction. However, Cato did not allow himself to even feel slightly good about this.


    The look of pure conflict and guilt on Shindo''s face essentially summed this up. Because he had been rendered immobile, in order to survive, the students of Theta magic academy would be forced to forsake their morals in order to survive.


    They would have to see and commit horrible actions. They would be placed in immense danger, hoping for help that would never come.


    At the same time that Greed''s magic signature had disappeared, multiple others had appeared as well. A number equaling to over a hundred had just spontaneously appeared. Without a doubt, this was the contents of Greeds vault being emptied.


    Students, teachers, and objects alike were suddenly teleported back to the locations in which they had been taken. Multiple of them were unconscious, which was probably due to the shift between dimensions they had gone through.


    Combing through the entire magic academy with his clairvoyance, Cato could see that of all the students and teachers who had suddenly been transported back, around only 10% of them had actually remained awake. The rest were knocked unconscious. This unfortunately consisted of a majority of the teachers as well.


    How long it would take for them to finally wake again, he didn''t know.


    All around, the students were still holding on. However, that what worried Cato.


    With his clairvoyance, he could pick up on the detail that the students were fighting so hard, with the hope that help would be arriving soon.


    They thought that he would arrive, to that at the very least, magic knights from the mages association to arrive.


    However, Cato had made a horrifying realization. Well, it wasn''t really a realization. He had already known this fact. From the moment he had activated his clairvoyance in fact.


    And that was, the mages association would never be allowed entrance. Nor would they be notified.


    And the students would not be allowed an exit.


    That was because the barrier that surrounded Theta magic academy had been tampered with. Some external force had made edits to a barrier, which not only allowed the enemies to infiltrate, but now, it made it impossible leave or enter. Blocking all forms of communication.


    It quite literally made the barrier that was supposed to serve as a protection, into a perfect trap.


    And if what Pride was rambling about was right, then there was only one being that could be responsible for messing with the barrier that was made with ancient magic.


    The witch of Vainglory.


    Whoever she was, she was no push over.


    Strapped to the wall, all Cato could do was watch, watch the students of theta magic academy fight for their lives, all while letting his anxiety consume him.


    What Cato didn''t know, was that even if the mages could''ve have been informed about what was going on, they would have still taken ages to actually arrive.


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    South America-Chile


    Prometheus stood atop of a volcano. A massive one at that. It reached over 40,000 feet into the air, its peak tearing well beyond the clouds.


    However today, there were no clouds in the sky.


    The peak was known by the name, Ojos de Salado. It was the highest peak in all of Chile, standing at around 6 thousand feet.


    The question one may ask, would be, what caused such a massive spike in height. And the truth is, no one really knew.


    However, the prevailing theory, was mana mutation.


    The origin behind magic in the world was also something that no one really knew. It just kind of, appeared one day. There were no 100% trustable sources for exactly what caused it, but the first appearance of magic was one known by all.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The main theory for what brought magic into the world, was one that revolved the crater in Chicxulub. The one that eradicated the dinosaurs.


    Scientist and archeologist who studied around the are noted that that was where the highest concentration of mana could be felt.


    They believed that after the meteor hit, it slowly began to allow this alien thing to flow into out world.


    Hundreds of millions of years later, and after enough exposure to it, people began to adapt, as they always did. They adapted to be able to use this new power.


    That was the origin of mana. A shaky one, with more questions brought up than it actually answered. But it was the widely accepted theory.


    Around the same time that theory had begun to gain popularity, scientist also began to observe that things were expanding. Animals were getting larger. Plants, trees, bugs. All of them began to expand and grow in size.


    And it manly only living things. Entire continents began to expand. Mountains, volcanoes, the entire planet was growing.


    In a century, the planet had doubled in size. It picked up two new moons.


    According to the records, it was a horrifying time. People were sure the world was ending.


    Witches, wizards, monster sized bugs, entire continents growing?


    The entire planet doubling in size?


    This widespread panic led to a destabilization of society; were magicians saw their chance to rise to the top.


    Mana mutation. That was the name they gave to those phenomena. It was also why some people began to view those who could wield mana as disease. Who spread their infectious poison just by existing.


    Prometheus began to walk, watching below his feet as the lava cracked and popped and flew.


    Around the world, volcanoes became more active. Perpetually active. Never falling dormant.


    Animals became more aggressive, challenging human''s role at the top.


    All of it required new technologies to be developed, new adaptations to be made to avoid being left behind.


    But perhaps the greatest example of this, could be found in the massive structure before Prometheus'' eyes.


    A massive storm of fog. Fog so thick and large that it was impossible to see through. Fog so dense, that the shadow that could be constantly moving behind it only seemed more terrifying.


    That massive storm of fog concealed the equally massive continent beyond.


    Antarctica.


    That was the one wild card this world could not adapt to.


    It quadrupled in size, and its expansion seemed never ending. With every year, figures came out about how Antarctica had grown exponentially once again.


    It kept on growing and growing. So much so, that for the first time in how many centuries of war, the 6 continents united.


    The formed a new 7th continent. Faux.


    It would serve as a military outpost. Hundreds of meters away, would be a wall made of mana resistant material. That wall would serve as the barrier to stop the expansion of Antarctica.


    However, they would need to be replaced every few months.


    On top of that, Faux had failed its purpose. Every envoy, expedition, extraction team, whatever you wanted to call it, everyone sent there never returned.


    Eventually, it was dubbed the lost continent.


    And humanity, for the first time, left something unexplored.


    Prometheus stopped his pacing when he reached the very edge of the volcano''s peak. Immediately, he was blasted by an insanely powerful gust of wind.


    Placing his hands in front of his face, and digging his feet deeper into the ground, Prometheus took the massive blast head on.


    HIs black coat flew wildly in the wind, and his hair was whipped backwards.


    Still, the windstorm raged on, blowing Prometheus farther and farther back until he was sure he''d be dropped straight into the boiling hot lava of the not so dormant volcano behind him.


    That was until he felt a hand on his back, and all of a sudden, the windstorm raging on in front of him had no effect. He nearly tripped anyways, just from the sudden shock of it all.


    Turning to his right, he saw a girl standing next to him. She was dressed in a nun''s outfit, and just like Prometheus, she was unaffected by the wind. She was transferring that to him, allowing him to stand in the face of the windstorm without flinching.


    "Common, don''t ruin the fun!" Prometheus shouted, trying to get her hands off of him, however she was not letting go.


    "And let you take a tumble off the deep end? You may be a freak, and as enticing as that idea may be, you are also our leader."


    "Aww, that really hurts you know. Aren''t nuns supposed to be caring Mia-"


    Prometheus ducked, and suddenly there was a white boot where his head used to be.


    Mia had almost taken his head off with a high kick.


    Maintaining that crouched position and admiring the view, Prometheus spoke.


    "Can you believe it? An entire continent, lost from the grasp of the world."


    Mia lowered her leg before shooting Prometheus a look that told him what she really thought of him. "Your obsession with that place only grows with each passing moment. I hope you don''t genuinely plan on sending more forces over there. You''ve already sent so many, and 90 percent who go past the first few meters end up dead."


    "But that''s what''s so interesting! We''ve barely scratched the surface of that place, and yet what we have found can quite literally shake the balance of the world! Tip the scales!"


    Thunder boomed loudly, and a bolt of lightning nearly took of his head, but he didn''t seem to care.


    Mia looked down at him like she wasn''t buying shit he was saying.


    Prometheus waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "They''re all loyal soldiers anyone''s. Dedicated to helping me light the entire world with flames of revolution. They all knew the risks when joining the Fangless Python."


    Prometheus stood, stretching out his arms.


    "And you''d really put a whole revolution at risk to satisfy your curiosity?"


    Prometheus simply smiled, taking a glance at the massive windstorm in front of him. A common occurrence near Antarctica.


    "These flames,"


    Pointing at the storm, and whispering ''Bang!'' to himself, the entire windstorm was vanquished instantly.


    "Won''t ever be put out."


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    "Prometheus? Flames of revolution?" Masayoshi repeated the words that Wrath had just said, confused.


    "What''s there to be confused about?"


    Besides the fact that hearing the word, ''revolution'' was undoubtedly concerning in the context of everything going on around the world. But also, it was how cryptic what he said was. What he was implying.


    "Oh, don''t tell me that you really were so shortsighted." Wrath continued to taunt Masayoshi while approaching closer and closer. Yuri tensed, clenching his pistol tighter, and aiming at Wraths head.


    "Can''t you see the bigger picture? This battle here, its just one of many."


    Masayoshi''s eyes widened, and Wrath grinned.


    "N-no way." Masayoshi''s mind was reeling at the possibilities. Did that mean, the terrorist attacks al around the world leading up to this date, Wraths acts, this attack, they were all connected?


    "This is occurring at a global scale. All right here, right now. A single question is being widely debated around the world. Through words, or through violence."


    Wrath spread out both of his hands wide.


    "I''m sure you''ve asked yourself this question before. Where, what, is justice?"


    Masayoshi felt chills rush down his spine, and his eyes narrowed in anger.


    "What the hell do you presume to know about justice?"


    Wrath''s grinned grew once again, as he realized his taunts had the intended effect.


    "Then let''s settle this. Whose idea of Justice, is right."

 Chapter 78: The Judge

    Injustice.


    Unfairness.


    Cruelty.


    It was all laid out bare for the young boy to gaze his eyes upon. And gaze he did. His eyes did not gloss over a single instance. He did not allow himself to tear his eyes from what he saw for even a single moment.


    Even from where he watched, a pedestal that separated him from the brutality, the boy did not shy away from it, nor did he reject that it was happening. Bearing witness upon the suffering and injustice below him, he allowed himself to be the witness too it.


    Because if he didn''t, then who would?


    All around him, adults were averting their gaze, staring at the ground, at walls, avoiding the situation going on below them. If they refused to witness this moment, that everything that this instance signified would lose all purpose.


    However, if even just one person was able to take it in, even if they didn''t fully understand it, that would be enough.


    And so, the young boy continued to watch, silent.


    The boy was not watching this scene for entertainment. Nor was he forced to witness it.


    He was studying it.


    An expressionless face.


    As he watched the man below him get beat half to death.


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    What did that man do? That was what the young boy intended to figure out as he made his way down to the open area in which he was lying. The only sign that he was even alive was the slow rise and fall of his chest.


    The young boy with blue hair crouched down next to the man, staring down at him.


    "Mister?"


    "Aughh."


    The man rolled over, letting out a pained groan. When he saw the shadow of the boy in front of him, he flinched, expecting another beating.


    After a few seconds of nothing, the man slowly opened his eyes. The boy was staring directly at him, with a blank expression on his face. "What did you do?"


    "Huh?" The man was simply shocked. The last thing he expected was for this kid to start questioning him while he was writhing in pain on the ground.


    The kid shifted a bit, his attention momentarily caught by a rat which scurried its way from the corner of one apartment building to the next. Just like this man, it was pathetic. At the bottom. A Scavenger.


    "Well. those guys, they were beating you. Violently too. Like you had done something to them. Like you had hurt them in some grievous manner, and they were getting even. And everyone else was just watching. As if this was some common occurrence around this place. So, my question is, what did you do?"


    The young boy laid out his inquiry nice and clear for the man to see. Still, the man on the floor, covered in grievous wounds, could not understand what was going on. No, that wasn''t the right expression, he understood what the kid was saying, but he couldn''t believe what this kid was asking. Was it not obvious?


    Finally, after considering it for a moment, the man began to laugh. He wasn''t allowed to laugh for long, as he wrapped his hands around his stomach in pain after a few seconds, but he laughed.


    "Kid, where did you come from. W-what''s a little kid like you doing out here?"


    "My house is currently occupied. My dad''s handling very private business, and he says I''m to young to witness it."


    "A-and you watched them do this to me, without calling the police?"


    The boy nodded. "The police don''t care. I saw countless amounts of them walk by, laughing and jeering.


    The man let out a pained sigh, before rolling over to look the kid in the eyes.


    "You''re a smart kid. So, I''ll tell you this. Some things don''t need a reason to happen. They just do. Those guys, they did this to me because they figured out, I could use mana. No more, no less."


    The boy tilted his head to the side, his eyes showing a brief moment of confusion before returning to their emotionless gaze.


    "But that doesn''t make any sense. Theres no logic to it. It''s just cruelty."


    "Welcome to the real-world kid."


    And then he fell unconscious.


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    When the boy returned home, his father was leaned against the wall, a coffee in hand. He was reading a newspaper which was detailing the latest kills in a series of serial murders.


    They had named this murderer, Cupid. That was because all of his victims were women, and at every scene of murder, there was a note, detailing what the killer loved about this victim.


    At the sound of the door opening, his father looked straight at the young boy.


    "Good afternoon."


    "Good afternoon." He replied, looking back down at his newspaper.


    Masayoshi stood in front of his father, looking at the newspaper for a brief moment, as he tried to figure out what he was going to say.


    "We talked about this, didn''t we?" the father said.


    The boy looked up.


    "About wearing your emotions on your sleeve like that. I can see clear as day everything going on in your head. You wanted to ask me about something related to injustice, didn''t you?"


    Just as always, his father was able to perfectly read what the young boy was thinking, even though he thought he was putting up a good poker face.


    "Yes. I saw a man get beat half to death on the street. Just for being a magician."


    The boy''s father did not speak, his face revealing no emotions.


    "And I was wondering, why was that allowed to happen. Wasn''t it blatantly unjust?"


    His father did not answer.


    "And was that why mom was killed?"


    After a bit more silence, the boy''s father stood, walking over to him.


    "We''ve went over this again and again. But I''ll repeat it for you."


    He picked up a knife that was oddly placed on the table.


    "This entire world is built upon injustice and lies. That much is a simple truth of live. Injustice does not always have justifiable reason. The first thing I taught you was to understand the world was a cruel place. Do you remember the first place we went together?"


    "The scene of a murder." The boy replied emotionlessly, even though he could vividly remember that time, when the sight of dead bodies made him puke, and his entire body felt ready to explode. He could remember vividly that horrible day. The way her body was butchered, what the killer did to her, the heart carved into her chest.  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The smell of blood and smoke. The flashing lights. His own blurring vision, caused by the tears that fell down his eyes.


    The sobs that racked his body, and the vomit that burned his insides.


    It was the crime scene of his mother''s murder.


    "You were five. I did that in order to hammer home my lesson. Once you''ve seen something as brutal as the scene of a grotesque murder, remain collected in other moments becomes trivial. This world is an unforgiving and brutal place, were naivety and innocence lead to death." His father took the knife and began to carve unto his own arm. A heart.


    The boy did not flinch. He did not back away. He just stared his father in the eye.


    "Everything I''ve done was to prepare you for the injustice of the world. So you can be ready to face it. So, what happened to your mother won''t happen to you. Keep your wits. Remained detached. Remain unreadable. I taught you all of this out of love."


    The boy''s father then sat down. "And the most important lesson of all?" He leaned in, no emotions visible on his face. "Never believe what others tell you."


    This conditioning. This training ever since he was child, being introduced to every kind of violence to build a layer of emotional detachment. To protect him from the injustice of the world. To not let what happened to his mom happened to him to turn him into someone who could read others and not be controlled or lied to by other people.


    That was what his father said.


    All of it contributed to the boy''s obsession with justice. His namesake.


    Masayoshi. That was the boy''s name.


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    Masayoshi was a smart kid. All of his teachers were fascinated by not only the boy''s intelligence, but his drive for learning.


    He was always asking questions, always testing new ideas. In any normal case, that would make a teacher happy.


    To see a student so fascinated with the world and everything around them. Was that not what teachers hoped to foster?


    However, in the case of Masayoshi, this drive was cause for concern.


    The boy was completely isolated from his classmates. He had done this willingly. He did not bother to speak to them, and only ever worked with them when he was instructed to.


    The boy had a keen fascination-no-obsession, with the idea of right and wrong.


    At every given opportunity, he would ask his teachers, and even his peers questions like:


    "What is true justice?"


    And,


    "Does harboring the suspicion that someone you know does something bad, and not acting upon it, the same as being complicit in the crime?"


    "Huh?" The man with the glasses stared down at the boy, who had spoken suddenly when he should have been silently reading.


    Masayoshi looked back up at him, his honey brown colored eyes boring straight through the man.


    The teacher fiddled with his glasses for a moment, laughing nervously as he broke eye contact with the kid. "What sparked a question like that? Shouldn''t you be reading?"


    Masayoshi remained silent for a few moments. "Do you have any books on true crime?"


    A bit more awkward silence.


    "I figured not." He answered his own question.


    Along with those odd questions, Masayoshi was always off doing something. When his teachers would confront him, he always told them the same thing.


    "I was just running a test."


    No matter what he was caught doing, he would give the same answer.


    Whether he was contemplating how deep underground he could go before he began to run into pipe systems.


    Whether this time he had been seen testing the effects of a sharpened stick on a tree.


    Whether he had been seen collecting cicadas to see how many of them it would take to mask a sound completely.


    He would just give that answer and refuse to elaborate any further.


    To others, it undoubtedly looked like a young boy up to pretty eccentric and reckless activities. As young boy''s do.


    However, to Masayoshi, the things he did could not be summed up as just the reckless activities of a young boy.


    Because he had begun to see the clues.


    Justice was only a short while coming.


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    The day it happened was unremarkable. A boring, Sunday afternoon. The only real significant thing that had happened today was the discovery of a few more of ''CUPIDS'' victims was being broadcasted on the news.


    The anchor, a lady wearing a red dress, and she had blonde hair. She was standing in front of a screen which was displaying a photo of the victim taken before they were killed, as she talked about their names and the way in which they were murdered.


    Masayoshi''s father sat back in his seat, looking at the screen with interest.


    It was a facade. Albeit a good one.


    Masayoshi walked through the living room, heading towards the kitchen. All the while, the anchor spoke in the background.


    "-just another victim of this serial killer still on the loose. This time, it was 27-year-old Miranda Diaz. A staple figure of her community in her town of Yoshino for being extremely kind, welcoming, and helpful."


    The anchor continued to speak about Miranda Diaz, all of her good deeds to the community.


    Masayoshi didn''t even need to pay attention to know what they were.


    Because he lived in the same town as Miranda Diaz. He had known her personally.


    She was the one who took him to the fair and tried to make him laugh.


    All because she hated the usual look he had in his eyes.


    She had been murdered. The same way as all of the others as well.


    Stabbed. Laid out on the ground, with a note reading what the killer loved about her.


    As Masayoshi reached for the knife that lay on the counter, he took notice of how his hands were shaking.


    His entire body was shaking. Gritting his teeth together, he told himself that it was the cold.


    However, the heater was on.


    He let out a shake breathe as he picked up the knife. Holding it in his hands, he tested its weight. He could feel the wear on the knife, the fact that it had been used.


    Masayoshi''s father did not cook very much. And when he did, the knife wasn''t used much, if at all.


    Taking a moment for deep breaths, Masayoshi tried to calm himself.


    Slowly but surely, the shaking faded a bit, but it was still there. His shaky, quick breaths began to slow down, but they were far from comfortable.


    And his eyes.


    He could see them in the reflection. They seemed calm, but they were unmistakably horrified. Scared.


    He was scared. Of what he would find when he turned that corner.


    Clutching the knife tighter, he returned to the living room.


    Only to be greeted by a horrific sight.


    In front of him, his father was still in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching the news intently.


    On the TV screen, they had moved on to the next victim. Cassandra Ito. The anchor began to speak. About how her body was the only one that wasn''t recovered. However, the scene at the crime suggested she had died before being taken. He tuned her out.


    Because Cassandra Ito''s lifeless body, their next-door neighbor, was propped up on the couch next to his father.


    His father, continued to stare at the TV intently.


    Masayoshi stood, frozen. His eyes widened just a bit; however, he kept his expression controlled.


    Just like his father taught him.


    Finally, Megumi Shibai turned his gaze to his son. His eyes traced their way to the knife in his hands.


    "I always knew you''d figure it out."


    Masayoshi wanted to scream. To bang his head against a wall, to lash out on his father.


    To scream and call him a no-good liar. And evil murderer. However, to his own horror, he continued to keep his own emotions under control.


    "Why?" On the inside however, he was going to break.


    He could only get that one inquiry out. His entire soul was broken. The man who did all of this, who trained him to become someone who could face the injustices of the world, turned out to be the one behind it.


    Masayoshi''s hands began to shake more and more violently. The knife clattered to the floor.


    He was losing his cool.


    "Remember what I told you. Your mom was killed. A great injustice. All because she was a magician. Because she could use mana. She tried to help others, and her reward was death. I didn''t want that for my son." He stood, ignoring how Cassandra''s body hit the couch.


    He walked over to a draw and began to rummage through it. "However, I couldn''t just walk up to you and begin a spiel about the injustice of the world to you. You were a five-year-old kid. You would never believe me. You had to see it. To be shown it."


    As his father spoke, Masayoshi''s mind began to wander. "S-so, all of the clues."


    His father pulled out a gun from the draw. Slowly, he began to load it.


    "I became Cupid. I killed those women, who all made the same mistake as your mother. To reinforce the idea that being unprepared, and naive to the injustices of the world, is how you get killed. I left those clues. Trained you in magic. Trained you in detachment and gave you and interest in the idea of justice. All so you could survive in this world."


    His father began to walk towards him, and Masayoshi began to walk backwards, unable to believe what was going on. He couldn''t remain detached.


    He began to hyperventilate.


    "I taught you that detachment so you wouldn''t fall to my own mistake. I couldn''t live without your mother. I just can''t. So, I made sure that you, my son, would be able to live alone. Because I love you. I made sure you would be prepared."


    Masayoshi began to pace backwards faster and faster, as his breath began to hitch. His chest felt heavy, and his mind felt like someone had set off an emp inside of it.


    "But it was all lies! A web of lies you created! Every moment was deception! Lie stacked upon lie! You created it all to manipulate me. All so you could feel good about yourself, before you took the easy way out!"


    Masayoshi''s back hit a wall, and with it, all of his energy to fight back was sapped. He slid against the wall, trying to crawl backwards but there was a wall blocking his retreat.


    His father approached, crouching down so they were eye level.


    "Of course. Why do you think the lesson I stressed the most to you, was, "Never believe what other tell you?"


    He stared his son in the eyes, with a smile on his face. Masayoshi looked back at him, with a devastated expression.


    First, his father used his own blood to trace a heart on Masayoshi''s forehead. His father then raised the gun to his own head. Masayoshi watched in horror.


    "Me and your mother weren''t prepared. We couldn''t handle injustice, nor could we find the right answer to what justice was and where it lay. We were flawed. But you, my son, you will be the one to figure it out. My lies, my love. They will carry you to that answer. They will carry you to triumph over what me and your mom couldn''t. Masayoshi. I love you."


    And then he pulled the trigger.


    Masayoshi''s face was splattered with blood.


    Outside, police sirens blared.


    CUPID had been brought to justice.


    But if justice was just as cruel as injustice,


    Then was they''re even a difference? Was ''true justice'', a delusion?

 Chapter 79: The Jury

    An explosion tore its way through the air between Masayoshi and Yuri, as they jumped to the side to avoid its blast. Masayoshi slid backward, never taking his eyes off of the plume of smoke, where Wrath was sure to make an appearance from. Using three of the chains, he called out to Yuri. He wanted to win this fight. He needed to win this fight. Because if he lost, then Wrath would be right, and if Wrath was right, then justice was no different than cruelty. If that was the case, then Masayoshi''s father had been right.


    He could never accept that. He would not let his fathers twisted ideology be proven right.


    "JUMP!"


    Yuri got the memo, and jumped into the air, boosting his height with an explosion spell.


    As soon as Yuri cleared the way, Masayoshi flicked the three chains, and they snapped at a viscous speed, cleaving not only the smoke clean in half, put also tearing a deep gash into the wall meters away.


    Wrath ducked low, crawling on the floor like a cockroach, before launching himself up into the air with an explosion, grabbing unto Masayoshi''s chains.


    As Masayoshi pulled them back to him, Wrath was dragged along.


    Wrath then let go of the chain, and used an explosion to blow himself forward, and above Masayoshi''s head, landing on the ground behind him.


    Not even allowing a second to pass, he kicked high.


    Masayoshi ducked under the kick easily, before avoiding the series of attacks that followed.


    Blocking the final hit of the combo, Masayoshi activated his red spirit, allowing flaming swords to come flying down at Wrath.


    They hit the ground exploding into flames as Wrath summersaulted backwards.


    When he was about to hit the wall, he used mana to stick to it, before running up the wall to escape the endless swarm of flame blades.


    In front of him, a rock hit the wall with insane speeds, before the rock switched places with Yuri.


    Without hesitated, Yuri fired an insanely powerful blast of flame from his gun, which Wrath jumped over.


    Using an explosion to propel himself downward, he aimed an axe kick to come down straight at Yuri''s skull.


    It was so fast that he shouldn''t have been able to avoid it.


    However, Wraths kick only hit the wall below him, causing it to crater, and for pieces of debris to be send high into the air.


    Yuri had already jumped out of the way, and now he began to rain down fire on Wrath, from his elevated position on the wall.


    Although they were standing on the wall like it was the ground, Yuri was farther up the wall and closer to the ceiling than Wrath was. So, in a sense, he had the "high ground" and the advantage, because Wrath had to fight against gravity while avoiding his attacks.


    Wrath made it look easy though, dodging and jumping and using explosion to help him avoid the wind flame and lightning spells that Yuri was launching at him.


    Something in Yuri''s expression shifted, as he then held out his other pistol.


    While he continued to launch attacks at Wrath with the first, he charged up a completely new sequence.


    A light spell, combined with a defensive spell, layered with an acceleration spell combined with an explosion and a small-scale portal spell.


    The defensive spell summoned shields made of mana, that hung in the air around Wrath and Yuri.


    Yuri then pointed his gun at one of those shields and fired. He pointed at another and did the same.


    He continued to do this, firing into the shields, which in this case, he had set to reflect instead of absorbing.


    The multiple light spells were reflected back and forth throughout the mirror like shields, none of them colliding with each other due to Yuri''s excellent placement.


    The light began to pick up speed, as it bounced back and forth through the shields, and as the acceleration spell kicked in.


    All the while this was happening, Yuri continued to fire off blasts at Wrath, forcing him to continue to dodge, keeping him within the area of the mirrors.


    Masayoshi caught unto the plan as well, and he began to flip through the pages of his book, while at the same time commanding his flame spirit to launch flames at Wrath, slowing him down even more.


    Finally finding the right page, he turned his attention back to Wrath, before imbuing his chains with a homing spell, making the target wrath.


    The chains came alive, and like long 20-foot snakes made of metal, they flicked at attempted to wrap themselves around Wrath, who was slowly beginning to be overwhelmed by the number of attacks.


    The light that was bounding around mirrors had now reached a speed so fast that it all mixed into one huge stream of light. Yuri then shifted the direction of one of the shields, causing the beam to divert its path, and head straight for Wrath.


    As per Yuri''s magical sequence, the explosion was set to detonate as soon as the beam of seemingly just light hit something.


    Wrath must have anticipated that, because he them let out a massive explosion, that nearly collapsed the entire wall, vaporizing all of the spells and a few of the chains that were assailing him.


    However, the beam of light hadn''t been caught in that explosion. At that moment, the small portal spell activated.


    The beam appeared from above, and Wrath blasted himself backwards.


    Yuri then used his mana switching technique.


    It turns out, the entire time that Wrath had been distracted, Yuri had not only been preparing that light beam magic sequence. He had also been imbuing all of the debris in his surroundings with mana. Specifically, his own mana.


    Mana switching allowed for you to switch yourself with things made of or imbued with your mana.


    However, it also allowed for you to switch two objects that met those criteria with each other.


    And that''s what Yuri did.


    He switched himself with his spell, along with any random debris imbued with his mana.


    Constantly. Over and over and over.


    This three-way switching, along with the attacks that Yuri fired, made it impossible for wrath to keep up.


    The light spell was always switching places, and so was Yuri.


    He couldn''t devote his mana sense to tracking just one, because he would undoubtedly be hit by the other.


    Even if he could track one, Mana switching would throw of his senses, and he''d still be hit.


    But the final nail in his coffin?


    The fact that Yuri was faster and stronger than usual.


    Because he was being buffed.


    Masayoshi''s scales of justice. The technique allowed for him to make use of buffing spells on those he found innocent.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Wrath tore his eyes away from the constant switching in front of him, to look at Masayoshi.


    There was a bright blue orb and green one on his left hand.


    Those orbs, along with whatever spell was in his book, were buffing Yuri currently.


    Masayoshi face had shifted. There was a bit of agony. A bit of confusion. But most prominent of all, anger.


    Before he could truly realize that he had been got, the wall behind him had been completely vaporized.


    His world turned to a bright flash of white.


    He felt an unbearable pain in his chest.


    And the entire lobby of Theta Magic Academy had been nuked.


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    The rain had only worsened over time. It pounded on the ground outside with such force and frequency that the sound of it drowned out everything else.


    Blades clashed, and arrows whizzed by.


    It was an all-out-battle, that was showing no signs of slowing down.


    All around the battlefield, different students were playing their part.


    Luka and Himori, two third year students were leading the charge, putting their all into commanding the frontlines, and pushing back the men in Python tattoos. They were two very charismatic leaders, who managed to keep the morale of the troops up.


    Ren was constantly moving from one side of the battlefield to the other, keeping watch of sections of the battlefield, helping out where it was necessary, and reporting back to Luka and Himori. He also helped to make sure their orders were relayed to everyone.


    Along the battlements of the magic academy, Riko and Ayung Shibai, along with other members of the magical engineering branch were manning special cannons that launched spells of magic down below. They were using this artillery to support those down on the ground.


    Erika and Nova, along with Leo and another second-year student, where tasked with holding of the other two stronger enemies that had appeared.


    Erika jumped backwards, avoiding a bolt of lightning that crashed into the ground in front of her.


    Her opponent followed quickly, launching a devastating combo of punches and kicks, that Erika twirled out of the way of.


    As she avoided the last of the attacks, she jumped up, and from behind her, Nova appeared.


    The ring on her finger glowed a bright purple, and purple veined lightning flicked instantly from the ring towards the man in the black suit Infront of them.


    Activating a shield spell, the attack was blocked easily, however it was just a cover.


    Erika came in on a slant, and swung her sword, which send a massive line of flame shooting out.


    The man ducked, however Nova followed up even quicker, slicing the air with her finger, creating a slit in which a blast of water was fired.


    The man in the black suit was unable to avoid that attack, and it caught him across the shoulder, spraying blood into the air.


    He stumbled back for a second, and Erika hopped unto the opportunity, driving a knee into the man''s chest.


    Before he could be launched away, she grabbed his suit, however he suddenly let out a massive burst of lightning from her body, that blew her away.


    Sliding backwards and next to Nova, she shook her hands, where the sleeves had been burned off to the shoulders.


    "Thats the first good blow we''ve landed on him." Nova said, as she adjusted her blazer. Her eyes analyzed the opponent in front of her, who was taking stock of his own injuries. Nova''s hands were shaking slightly, and she was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.


    Erika noticed this and placed a hand on her back. "Remember what you told me? Calm down. One thing at a time.


    Nova looked at her with a pleased expression before noddin-


    BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!


    A massive explosion suddenly ripped through the air, coming from inside of the magic academy.


    A massive plume of smoke and flames rose, as the entire wall crumbled.


    The dark world of rain was enveloped by a storm of smoke and fire.


    Debris was launched through the air, and it was only thanks to the quick thinking of those manning the artillery that people hadn''t been hit.


    The plume of smoke rose so high in the air that it towered above the magic academy, and someone slammed straight into one of the battlements on the outside.


    Holding a hand above their heads and looking up in shock, Erika and Nova tried to figure just what the hell was going on.


    The entire lobby of the magic academy had been caught in the radius of that blast, and even more concerningly, parts of the exterior were showing signs of crumbling.


    The explosion had shooken the very ground, and violently at that.


    Many people had been knocked off balance, and even more were hit by a few stray pieces of debris.


    Erika suddenly snapped her vision back to her opponent, realizing that they may have used this moment to attack, however-


    They were no were to be found. In the sky, a bolt of lightning was streaking its way towards the training arena.


    "Damm-"


    Erikas''s curse was cut off by another sudden explosion that rocked one of the battlements of the magic academy, blowing it off of its base completely.


    The massive structure began to tilt, to lean, before it finally began to fall, crashing a path directly towards the students who were gathered under.


    Many of them began to move out of the way, to used magic spells to launch themselves away from the blast, but many were to far to make it, or to stunned to move.


    Erika and Nova moved to use a magic spell to destroy the massive tower however someone else was quicker, and equal as powerful.


    A massive blast of mana completely vaporized a majority of the tower, and the rest of the debris fell harmlessly to the side.


    Out of the massive smoke plume that was not going to disappear any time soon, came two people.


    Yuri Hamanai, the defense force captain,


    and Masayoshi Shibai, a member of the special defense force team.


    Their black trench coats were flowing in the wind, and both of them were breathing heavily.


    From the other side of the battlefield, emerging from where the battlement once stood, was Wrath, the one behind the second explosion.


    And now, the trial to decide the true meaning of justice, had its jury.


    And so, the trial truly commenced.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡ Masayoshi and Yuri stood atop of the crumbling remains of one of the walls. Down below them, the battle had briefly ceased so that they could view what was going on above.


    Directly across from them, Wrath was laughing hysterically as he approached. A massive hole where the battlement once stood was behind him.


    "I have to admit, that was a good one!" As he praised their attack, he clutched his stomach, where his shirt and coat were burnt, and there was scarring on his skin.


    "Do you surrender?" Masayoshi asked, all the while attempting to keep the mask of cool on his face. The longer and longer this fight went on, the more and more his mask of calm began to slip. Eventually it would fully shatter, just like it did on that night with his father.


    He would be forced to confront what his father had taught him to hide.


    His own self.


    And so, to distract his own mind, he turned back to the other battle being waged alongside this one.


    The battle to decide what justice truly meant, and if it truly existed.


    "You condescending prick! Do you think I''d give up that easily! Just how much better do you believe yourself to be?" Wrath spread out both of his hands, the mass of flesh in his right eye expanding and closing along with the action.


    "These fights been given an audience. A jury. They''ll watch, as two ideas of justice clash. And one dies."


    Masayoshi took a deep breath, allowing a few of his chains to unravel.


    "As one is executed."


    Wrath sneered at the boy''s correction. He then pointed to his eye. "This. This thing that makes you so repulsed. It is the source of my power. The source of my strength. These explosions that I used to get rid of the old, and bring about Justice, they all come from here."


    Masayoshi and Yuri both took a look closer, analyzing the thing.


    It had veins and arteries connected to it that reached out through his body. Using mana sense, they could tell that the mass of flesh was indeed powered by mana. It could be likened to a tumor.


    Without warning, and before either of the boys could finish their analysis, dashed forward, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris behind him.


    Yuri jumped into the air and landed unto the wall, while Masayoshi remained on the ground of what was once a complete wall, no rendered to a tightrope.


    Flicking all 10 fingers, all 10 of Masayoshi''s chains slashed out, which Wrath jumped over and through.


    As soon as his boot touched the floor, Masayoshi wrapped a chain around his leg and pulled.


    Mid-air, Wrath gyrated his entire body in the same direction as Masayoshi had wrapped the chain, causing it to come lose.


    Still flying towards Masayoshi, Wrath lashed out in a spinning kick, which Masayoshi ducked under, while simultaneously blasting a flame spell at him.


    Wrath waved his left hand, detonating the flame spells, before allowing himself to slide along the rest of the wall.


    When he stood, there was a gun at his head.


    Yuri had already used mana switching to intercept Wrath.


    Masayoshi jumped into the air just as Yuri fired.


    The rest of the walkway was obliterated, and Yuri jumped unto the remains of the wall. Masayoshi stood next to him. Flipping through his book, he casted a defense raising spell. The Green orb on his left hand glowed.


    "I have a plan, howe-"


    A hand grabbed Masayoshi''s dace, before suddenly shoving it into the ground.


    Thanks to the buffs, Yuri acted immediately, firing his gun and preventing Wrath from detonating an explosion.


    However, Wrath maneuvered his body in an almost inhuman way, before kicking at Yuri''s head. Yuri dodged, backpedaling, and Wrath dragged his right hand across the ground, causing another explosion.


    Yuri instantly was able to see what Wrath''s strategy was. He was attempting to separate him and Masayoshi; in order to give him enough time to kill him and then remove the buffs he was giving to Yuri. Then, he''d finish off Yuri.


    Yuri dashed through the smoke, fired a few shots immediately, however Wrath and Masayoshi were nowhere to be found.


    Scanning around frantically, Yuri whipped his guns around in an attempt to locate where Wrath had taken him.


    If he didn''t act quickly, Wrath would kill Masayoshi.


    "YURI! CATCH!"


    Yuri snapped his head upwards to see Masayoshi falling down towards him. Grabbing him, he slid down on the wall.


    Looking around to see where he had come from, Masayoshi saw two people land next to him. Wrath landed in front of them.


    The two people who had landed next to them were Erika and Nova.


    Erika had an apprehensive expression on her face, and Nova looked jumpy.


    "Than-"


    Suddenly, Yuri couldn''t speak, because the aura Wrath exuded nearly brought him to his knees. Down below, multiple people fainted and passed out.


    Wrath was cackling, cracking his neck while allowing his aura to flow out freely. It enveloped the entire courtyard, exuding a pressure that was nearly crushing.


    Using mana sense, one could see that the aura being let out from his left eye, the one with the mass of flesh, had increased dramatically.


    "LET"S END THIS! SHOW ME WHAT YOUR JUSTICE MEANS TO YOU!" Wrath called out, in a taunt directed at Masayoshi.


    He had finally stopped holding back.

 Chapter 80: The Executioner (P.1)

    The four students of Theta Magic academy stood side besides, equal parts nervous, antsy, serious, and on the verge of having their emotions explode. In front of them, stood an opponent of unparallel power.


    Wrath reared his head back with maniacal laughter, one hand clenching the wound on his chest.


    Erika twirled her blade in her hands as she stared at the undeniably formidable opponent in front of them.


    "That presence. This guy is the real deal." She commented, doing her best to remove the nervousness from her body.


    "You should have known he was the real deal from the very first explosion." Nova said, looking behind to the massive hole in the lobby of Theta Magic academy.


    "Actually, that was our doing..." Yuri said, while nervously scratching his forehead.


    Both Erika and Nova just stared at him and Masayoshi in disbelief.


    "Well, its certainly was, something." Nova said, turning her attention back to Wrath.


    "I''d praise you, but that bastard still standing and the Magic Academy is collapsing." Erika stopped spinning her blade, holding it at her side.


    Wrath had finally stopped laughing, and now he was overlooking the battle going on below. In all of the chaos with explosions and falling buildings, the battles flow had been completely disrupted, and now it turned into a desperate scramble by both sides to gain the advantage.


    "Chaos." Wrath spoke loudly, but to no one in particular. "That is the root of all human nature. Anarchy. State of nature. In the end, chaos is the one thing that resonates deeply within all of humanity. It''s one constant."


    All four of the students stood silently, waiting for Wrath to make his move.


    "So, what better way to incite change, then to appeal to the one force of nature that all humans can recognize. Destruction. Complete and utter annihilation. Out with the old, in with the new. That is the only way society can be changed for the better, to a place where we can observe, Justice."


    Masayoshi clenched his fists, grinding his teeth together. Everything that this man said, all of it, was a pure mockery of justice. "Death? Cruelty? Murder? Terror? That''s what justice means to you!"


    Masayoshi had begun to yell, to the shock of his allies.


    Wrath smiled. "What''s with that look on your face. This entire battle, you''ve remained restrained. Emotionless, one might say. But now, you look like you want to kill me. To skewer me along a pole."


    Masayoshi ignored Wraths obvious attempts to taunt him. "Your obsession with destruction as a means to bring about change is not justice. It''s psychotic. You believe inflicting terror in people that are already scared, that already fear you, will change anything? You think using the same cruelties that perpetuate injustice to achieve justice will work! Thats just a disgusting perversion of what Justice is!"


    Wrath held a hand up in the air, to stop Masayoshi''s yelling. He seemed to be enjoying this. The reaction that he had failed to get out of the student council president, he would enjoy every last moment of getting it out of this boy.


    "When you want to remove a bad habit, a detrimental addiction, what do you have to do?" He didn''t wait for anyone else to respond, answering his own question. "You completely cut out what''s causing it from the source." He let out a mini explosion in his own hand.


    "That won''t apply to all problems. That brute force mindset can only carry you so far. A situation like what''s going on in the world right now, by your solution, genocide is the only answer! Should we just kill all non-magicians and have that solve all of our problems!"


    Masayoshi continued to take steps forward as he spoke, and this time Yuri grabbed unto him, forcing him to stop.


    "There is always more than one factor. For every idea of brute force, there as an equally complex strategy. However, in order for the world to spin, and for a solution to exist, both of these most be present. I fulfill the role of the former, and..." He pointed down to the battlefield, specifically to the men in python tattoos. "They and Prometheus fill out the latter. Both forces are necessary, in order to spur true change. Complexity, multiple unpredictable variables. Chaos."


    Masayoshi''s brain spun as Wrath let out his rationale. It only served to anger the boy even more that what this mindless cretin was saying had logic that could be used to ground the idea. The fact this ridiculous world view could even be rationalized in the first place was repulsive.


    "This is the second time you''ve made mention to this Prometheus! Is he your leader!"


    Wrath just winked with his good eye, staring into Masayoshi''s soul with the deformed red-one. "That''s top-secret!"


    Masayoshi''s anger finally boiled over, and he dashed forward, ready to-"


    Erika and Yuri both stepped in front of him, holding him in place.


    "Wh-"


    "Don''t let him do this to you!" Yuri shouted out. "I accepted you for the special defense team because you were the most rational. You''re calm. You think. You showed that to me in our battle together against him and look how we did. Now we have more allies. So, calm down and think!" Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Erika looked at Masayoshi with concern in her eyes. "This is the most I''ve ever seen you lose it. Don''t get me wrong, what he''s saying is making all of us mad, but don''t let that anger consume you. Your usually calm, so stay calm!"


    Calm. Methodical. Unemotional. Scheming. Just like his father had taught him. Masayoshi could only clench his fists even more. Would he really use the advice of that cowardly murderer?


    Running away! Thats all he ever did. From the moment that mom died that man spent the rest of his worthless live running away. Devising a complex plan to groom his son and leave him all alone in a world full of lies and injustice!


    Masayoshi''s thoughts began to devolve further. Arguing with Wrath about Justice, being told to remain calm. All of it made him think of his father. The coward that man was. The killer he was. The obsessed lunatic.


    And without a doubt, the emotionally restrained genius.


    In order to defeat Wrath, and prove that justice and cruelty were not synonymous, he would need to use what his father taught him. He would have to use his father''s tactics to prove his own father wrong.


    It was almost comical.


    How hypocritical!


    Masayoshi couldn''t accept that. If he did it that way. If he used his own father''s teachings to try and prove his justice correct, it wouldn''t be clean. It wouldn''t be what Masayoshi was aiming for.


    Because unbeknownst to him, Masayoshi had also become obsessed.


    Not only with justice, but also with distancing himself as much as he could from his father. With proving that dead man wrong.


    "Tch!" Shaking away the whirlwind that was his current mental state, Masayoshi redirected his focus back to the battle to come. "We were able to catch him once with just me and Yuri working together, along with his teleportation technique. Our best bet is to just overwhelm him and then land a massive attack that will weaken him enough to end this fight."


    Erika and Nova nodded, as they glanced at each other. "I''ll take up the vanguard along with Yuri then." Erika stepped forward to stand next to Yuri.


    Flipping through his book, Masayoshi activated his scales of justice, and they deepened Erika innocent. (After 3 or so attempts.)


    Masayoshi glared at her and whispered "Delinquent." under his breath, before activating the buffs.


    Speed, Attack, and Defense. Blue, Green, and red orbs floated in the air behind him, before passing on power to Erika, causing her body to glow. Jumping up and down, Erika tested the newfound feeling in her body.


    "I feel so pumped!"


    "Me and Nova will be supporting from back here. The moment you find an opening to land a decent hit, take it."


    Masayoshi looked to Nova, his expression asking if she had any objections. She looked up into the sky, before turning back to Masayoshi and shaking her head.


    "Me and Erika''s abilities are ones that kind of require the sun, or stars in general. I think I have an idea that could fix that, but it probably won''t work, so let''s go with your plan."


    Masayoshi seemed genuinely interested to see what their abilities were, and so he leaned in and whispered to her,


    "If we could buy you enough time, do you think you''d be able to......?"


    "No promises. But I''ll try."


    Masayoshi nodded and finally turned back to look at Wrath.


    Thunder boomed twice over head, like a Judge banging them gave.


    And the trial commenced.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    To say that Wrath had stopped holding back was an understatement. His movement speed was beyond just off the charts.


    He was like a blur, and even the buffed Erika and Yuri were having difficulties keeping up with just how fast he really was.


    It didn''t help that he was using explosions to fly around, making his fast movements unpredictable as well.


    Yuri ran along the wall, firing at Wrath to try and slow him down. Wrath expertly maneuvered in the air with explosions, avoiding all of them.


    Erika came from his flank, but Wrath was prepared, ducking, and kicking her away.


    Landing on the wall, he avoided Yuri''s high kick and jumped over Erika''s sweep.


    Masayoshi continued to spray Wrath from afar with flame ice and water spells, however Wrath was slippery, and he managed to evade the, landing back down onto the walls, he detonated it, blowing Erika and Yuri backwards.


    Masayoshi''s swung his chain, and Wrath leaped over it, before dodging the flaming slashes that Erika sent his way.


    Yuri had used Mana switching to get directly behind him, but almost as if he had a sixth sense, he avoided the blast, causing it to come straight for Erika.


    Not even flinching, Erika used her blade as a bat and sent the attack flying straight back towards Wrath.


    Masayoshi acted immediately, using his chains to distract Wrath.


    As Wrath attempted to what he always did and use his explosions to slither himself out of danger, he was stopped by a barrier, created from shields made by Yuri.


    However, Wrath was not out of options, as he moved to use his left hand to intercept the attack.


    However, Masayoshi had already anticipated that move. He had seen Wrath use it many times in their previous battles anytime that he couldn''t dodge. He used his left hand, and only his left, to blow up anything mana made.


    So, he used his chains to hold down Wraths left hand.


    Still, Wrath was not done, and he managed to gyrate his body just in time to avoid the attack.


    The attack made contact with the shield, and it reflected back towards Wrath.


    Once again Wrath managed to avoid it, but in return, Masayoshi managed to Wrap a few more chains around his body.


    As the attack flew by, it was suddenly swapped with Yuri.


    Yuri, who had been right behind the shield.


    He disabled the shield, and the blast of mana came flying right back towards Wrath, at the same time that Yuri fired once again.


    Wrath was hard pressed to find a way to avoid taking a majority of this attack.


    Masayoshi''s chains were restricting his left hand, and the rest of his movement. He was going to be hit by two attacks simultaneously.


    However just then, Wrath dragged his arm across the air, and detonated an explosion-


    That caused his to teleport away from the attacks and meters higher into the air.


    Masayoshi wasn''t prepared for whatever that was, and it dragged him forward.


    Thinking quickly, he pulled back on the chains, regaining control, and swinging them around, causing Wrath to be dragged across the ground and crash into multiple parts of the academy before he finally launched him into the air.


    An explosion erupted from the right of Masayoshi, and he saw Erika flying into the sky in a flaming ball.


    She reached Wrath in less than a few seconds, and se=dragged her blades into a myriad of cuts that etched red lines into the sky.


    Easily over 70 slashes.


    As she fell back down to Earth, an explosion detonated in the air, and Wraths smoking body came crashing down into the ground.


    The hit the ground at the same time, With Erika landing next to me, and Wrath landing a meters away in the battlefield down below.


    Yuri also landed next to us.


    Down below Wrath got up and dusted himself off. Aside from a deep cut on his chest and shoulder, he was unfazed, a smile still on his face.


    "Damn!" Yuri cursed, stretching out his arm.


    "All of that, for a blow that didn''t even faze him." Erika commented, the disappointment clear in her voice.


    Masayoshi paused for a brief moment, his mind racing with possibilities. Finally, it clicked.


    "His ability, it''s not just that of creating explosions."


    Erika, Yuri, and Nova all turned to him with a confused look on their faces.


    Wrath''s smile only widened, as if he could hear what they were discussing.


    "He can completely remove things from existence."

 Chapter 81: The Executioner (P.2)

    "Even I''ll have a hard time believing you if you said something that crazy." Erika said, as she flicked her sword, causing blood to splatter along the ruined wall.


    However, Masayoshi shook his head. He was right He knew it.


    "It''s because he''s done a great job at hiding it thus far." Masayoshi reeled his chains back, re-wrapping them around his fingers." He then pointed to the still smoking crater from where Wrath had leaped up to avoid Yuri''s attack.


    "There." Nova, Yuri, and Erika turned their heads. "Notice how only the area outside the crater is smoking? The actual hole that was taken out isn''t smoking at all. Like someone made an impossible perfect hole in the wall."


    "Even then, can we really claim it''s something as crazy as literally removing things from existence?" Yuri was still understandably apprehensive about accepting such as crazy idea as truth.


    Masayoshi nodded and then gestured to where one of the battlements of the magic academy once stood.


    "It would have been hard to see in the chaos, however when the tower began to fall, their wasn''t any smoke coming from the bottom, nor were the edges jagged like you''d expect from such a huge explosion. It was a perfect slice. The only things that were "blown up" was the ground around the tower. You probably noticed it too."


    Yuri was silent for a moment, considering what Masayoshi had told him.


    "But that means-" Nova began.


    "He''s been holding back more than even we originally thought." Masayoshi finished for her, turning back his gaze to Wrath, who was nowhere to be found.


    "Shit! Where''d he go-"


    Masayoshi''s words were cut off, because just then he was receiving a leg to the face.


    Masayoshi''s head snapped backwards, and he was launched through the air, smashing into the ground of Theta''s lobby.


    Rolling backward while getting the dirty taste of marble and concrete from his mouth, he looked around frantically, trying to find his opponent-


    Another blow, this time a punch that lifted him off of his feet.


    That uppercut was followed up by a vicious punch to his gut, which hit like a hammer.


    Masayoshi was blown back once more, rolling along the ground before coming to a stop on his knees.


    "ARUGHH!" Masayoshi retched violently, coughing out blood.


    He snapped his head upward at the sound of footsteps, and Wrath was directly in front of him.


    Leading down Wrath grabbed Masayoshi by his hair, pulling it harshly and forcing the boy to look at him.


    Masayoshi glared at Wrath hatefully, who only smiled back.


    "The look in your eyes. The anger, the hatred, the killing intent. All of it only serves to prove my point. You stand so much against my ideals, but you yourself prove them true."


    "I''m nothing like you. You are despicable tr-"


    Wrath punched Masayoshi in the face once more. "Wrong answer. Try again."


    Wrath moved to punch him again, however his blow was stopped by Erika.


    She had hooker her sword around his arm.


    "You seem to forget that he''s not the only one on the battlefield."


    Wrath turned back and sneered at her. "The rest of you are pretty bor-"


    Erika then swung her sheath like a baseball bat, hitting Wrath directly in the head.


    Wraths head snapped to the left, and before he could even react, she had slashed him twice with her sword and then flipped it to the blunt edge and used a powerful wind spell to send him flying backwards.


    He smashed into the wall of the lobby.


    Erika reached out her hand, and Masayoshi accepted it. "Had to get a little payback for you."


    Masayoshi chuckled a bit. "Thanks for that. Is Nova...?" He had noticed a massive concentration of mana beginning to form, which he assumed to be Nova.


    ""She''s almost ready. She just needs a bit more time." Erika explained.


    Masayoshi looked back up to Wrath, who also seemed to notice that massive concentration of Mana.


    "Let''s hope it''s not that much time."


    Wrath bounded from where he had crashed towards the walkway where Nova was in one great leap.


    Yuri fired a massive blast at him while he was mid-air, which Wrath dodged.


    Erika wasted absolutely no time intercepting Wrath, dragging her sword through the air in flaming arcs that Wrath twisted away from.


    Landing on the ground, they entered a quick and fast paced exchange of blows, in which neither one got the advantage over the other.


    Around them, smoke billowed into the air, explosions erupted down below, and ran beat down harshly.


    The light of fire and explosions was amplified in the darkness that the dark clouds brought down upon the battlefield.


    Just overheard, artillery was fired at the battlefield down below. The smell of soot and burning hung in the air.


    Along with the presence of death.


    Masayoshi rushed to get in a position of high ground, where he could sense that Nova''s mana was rising more and more.


    He prayed that she finished soon.


    Summoning the spirits of his right hand, the one that belonged to the executioner, he sent out a blast of concentrated flame in between Wrath and Erika, giving Erika time to get off of the defensive.


    Circling around Wrath with great speed, she sliced twice at his head.


    He ducked under it and threw a hook that she dodged.


    Placing her hands on the ground, she threw out to quick overhead kicks that Wrath blocked, before springing back up and slashing her blade at him once again.


    The blade was covered in flame and left streaks of fire in the air.


    With Wrath now on the defensive, Erika put on the pressure, launching slash after slash at him, not letting up.


    The flame trail that she was leaving behind became longer and longer.


    In the darkness, it resembled someone swinging around a flaming baton, that drew an arc of brilliantly burning circles and ovals into the air.


    As Wrath dodged another attack, Erika suddenly jammed her sword into the ground, activating an explosion spell.


    The ground around her completely exploded and smoke rose into the air.


    Out of the smoke, Masayoshi spotted Wrath dodging backwards, right into Yuri. Stolen novel; please report.


    Once again, he showed off his inhuman reflexes, dodging the blast of magic that were fired at him.


    Masayoshi knew they couldn''t let up the pressure now, and he also jumped in, swinging his chains.


    The carved deep scratch marks into the ground, but they didn''t hurt Wrath, as he jumped out of the way.


    Now working in tandem, Erika and Yuri began to hunt him down, not giving him a single second to even breath between attacks.


    Blasts of wind, lightning, and water, a flaming blade that could carve heat into the very air.


    Despite this pressure, Wrath endured.


    All the while, he was slowly but surely moving the stage of their battle towards Nova.


    Multiple times, the three combatants found themselves fighting along the beanstalk, as just a few meters down below an all-out war was entering its most climatic stage.


    It was clear what Wraths plan was. Hold out against the constant pressure from Erika and Yuri, while maneuvering the battle close enough to Nova that he could stop whatever she was attempting to plan.


    Masayoshi was easily able to read this though pattern and so he rotated over to stand directly in Wraths path.


    As the three made their way back to the top of the bean stalk, with Wrath now retreating, Masayoshi flicked his chains and wrapped them around Wrath.


    Wrath snapped his head back, the shock in his eyes clear.


    Masayoshi stared back at him, with only malice visible in his own eyes.


    Spinning Wrath around and around in the air, he spun faster and faster until the man''s body was going so fast that its blur formed a circle in the air.


    Then, he mercilessly pulled his chain downwards, sending Wrath crashing down over 200 feet.


    The villains body hit the ground with a massive boom, the smoke cloud and debris reaching even higher than the elevated position where the three stood.


    Breathing heavily, Masayoshi did not pull his chain back. Instead, he stood there for a brief moment, his body shaking.


    "You think that did the trick." Erika said dryly, as she wiped her brow.


    Yuri didn''t even respond, instead he immediately began to set up the same spell they had used in doors. Placing the shields at different points in the air and giving them the reflective property. Then, he began to charge up the same light spell that was mixed with an explosion spell.


    "Be ready, we still have to hold out a bit more." His voice was shaking, and it was most definitely from the fact that he had used so much mana already. "We have to end this, q-quickly."


    He put a hand on his head, gritting his teeth together.


    Erika eyed the spell, before patting Yuri on the back. "A spell this powerful most cost a lot of mana. And that teleporting thing you''re doing. I can sense your mana imbued into a lot of the objects around here, so you are really running yourself dry. You think you got one more big push in you?"


    "This is the last push I have. We need to end this here. Whether I fry my brain or not, we have to defeat him here. Masayoshi. Y-you ready?"


    However, Masayoshi did not respond. His gaze was trained on down below. His eyes had a scary glint in them.


    As Erika reached out to slap Masayoshi on the back of the head, his chain was suddenly pulled taut, and he was dragged down below.


    "Shit!" Erika and Yuri shouted at the same time.


    Wrath had been the one to pull the chain, and he brought Masayoshi only inches away from his face, before once again smashing him into the ground.


    Masayoshi coughed blood once more.


    "The longer and longer this battle drags on, the angrier and angrier you get! That expression on your face. You look like a murderer!"


    Masayoshi''s eyes widened.


    A murderer. Just like his father? No way!


    "Don''t try and act like you know anything about me!" Masayoshi lashed out, but Wrath just punched him in the face once more, causing his head to snap back violently against rock.


    "Oh, but I do know you! Even better than you know yourself!" He punched Masayoshi once again.


    "Something in your past lead you to become obsessed with Justice!" he punched him again. "You spent the rest of your life searching, chasing, stumbling after the answer to your question, refusing to accept that any other possibility was true!" Another two punches. Behind, canon fire caused the ground to rumble violently, and dirt was shot into the air.


    "Unable to find your answer, but to obsessed to let go, you kept searching. You threw everything to the side and justified it by saying once you found your answer it would all be worth it! You''ve spent your entire life fighting against who you really are! What you really are!"


    A final punch. Masayoshi''s face was covered with bruises and dirt. He had closed his eyes. He lay on the ground, defeated both physically and mentally. Wrath was right. He had read Masayoshi like a book. Laid out his own hypocrisy bare for all to see. Laid out the truth that he had been hiding from.


    He was exactly like his father.


    "Do you know how I know? Because that was me. Before the witch blessed me with the power to make a means to an end. I can create the justice I want. Can you say the same?"


    Standing up, Wrath kicked Masayoshi''s limp body.


    "Well then, do you forfeit? Do you admit that you''ve lost this battle. That your justice was just a fantasy? A means to escape?"


    Wrath leaned down and placed his right hand on Masayoshi''s face.


    "I have to say boy, you''ve given me an experience like no other. I won''t forget you."


    Just as Wrath was going to finish the battle, a hole opened up in the sky.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Both Nova and Erika''s abilities relied on the sun.


    For Erika, it was the sun. Like a plant would, she used the suns light to generate constant mana, that not only boosted her physical stats, but the power of her magic attacks. Her blade would be able to burn as hot as the sun and cut though anything. She was immune to fire attacks, and it even opened up an opportunity for her to have her own super powerful fire attacks.


    It was called, [King of the Solar System]


    Nova''s ability relied on stars. Specifically, constellations. Stars boosted her power, however under a constellation, Nova could recreate the constellation''s abilities and power based on the mythos of said constellation. For example, under Orion the hunter, she would be able to provide buffs to her archery ability, and she could create a bow made out of mana from her ring. The closer the star/constellation, the more power she could draw. And the more she knew of its mythos, the more she could reimagine it into something even greater.


    This ability, is called: [Nebula Queen]


    Unfortunately for both of these fighters, their abilities were greatly restricted as a result of the conditions of the battle. IN fact, they were unusable.


    The dark clouds that hung overhead, and the rain made it impossible for them to see the sun or stars therefore making it impossible for their abilities to activate.


    However, Nova''s plan was created in order to counteract this.


    Raising a finger into the air, she fired a concentrated blast of wind the size of a pen.


    Nova had noticed this a while ago, however whatever magic they used to break through the barrier, they had left a tiny hole the size of a ball-point pen when resealing it.


    That was what she centered her strategy around.


    The wind spell made it through the tiny hole, and it flew into the stratosphere. Once it was high enough, it expanded, blowing away all of the cloud coverage until a hole the size of a three-story mansion had been opened up in the sky, allowing the sun to shine through in all of its glory.


    Many people were caught off guard by the shining light, and they looked up, at the massive hole in the dark sky that allowed light to shine through.


    "All stars provide me with buffs, so what better star to use, than the one closest and brightest of them all?" Nova asked to no one in particular.


    Then she moved to the next stage of her strategy. Channeling every last bit of her mana, she called down a massive spell of light.


    Making it seem as if she had weaponized the light of the very sun, a massive beam of light came crashing down towards the barrier.


    Everyone looked up in pure horror and shock, waiting for it to come down. Including Wrath.


    However, this was all just a feint. The light crashed against eh barrier and a massive explosion occurred outside which felt like it rocked the world.


    However now one inside the barrier was harmed.


    The distraction had worked, as it literally put the fear of God into everyone down there. They were still frozen.


    Except for Erika. Empowered by the sun, even her red hair looked like it was on fire.


    She dashed forwards in a massive blast of flame.


    As she unsheathed her blade, it literally had become a stick of burning hot fire.


    In a second, she had appeared Directly in front of Wrath, who was still standing above Masayoshi''s body.


    Wrath who had finally snapped out of it, tried to escape.


    However, Masayoshi''s chains held him down.


    Wrath''s eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening.


    Mercilessly, drawing her blade in beautiful bright red-orange arcs, Erika slashed.


    Like a painter on a canvas that basked in the sunlight.


    4 slashes.


    She cut off both of his arms and carved a deep flaming X into Wrath''s chest.


    Coughing out blood, Wraths body fell backward unto the ground. Immediately, blood began to pool around his body.


    As the hole in the sky closed, and the sunlight vanished, the battle with Wrath reached its end.


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    Masayoshi stood over Wrath''s body; his expression shattered. Around them, the battle between the students and tattooed men was beginning to pick up once again, and so they needed to wrap this up quickly and bring their manpower back there.


    Still, even though he knew that, even though he knew he had to hurry, Masayoshi could not take his eyes off of Wrath''s dying figure.


    The man was spewing blood. It ran down his mouth. It seeped from the x shaped gash in his chest. came from his arms.


    Summoning a blade made out of pure light, Masayoshi held it above his head.


    At the sight of the weapon, Wrath smiled. His eye, the one that was just a mass of flesh and the source of his insane power, began to convulse slower and slower. Like it was his heartbeat.


    Masayoshi hesitated.


    Not because he had waned on his assessment of Wrath. No. Without a doubt, this man was evil. He was cruel. A monster.


    No, the reason for Masayoshi''s hesitation was the fact that he didn''t believe he was the one who could hand out justice.


    Wrath had broken him down systematically. Showed him to be the poser he was.


    A hypocrite, who became so obsessed with justice and proving his father wrong, that he tossed everything else to the side.


    He couldn''t claim to be any better than the man below him.


    Seeing the conflict in his eyes, Wrath''s smile only widened.


    And without a single word being spoken, he had successfully gotten into Masayoshi''s head.


    Masayoshi swung the blade down, killing Wrath.


    It was not a kill in the name of justice. It was not a noble or necessary kill. It wasn''t a kill in the name of the justice that Masayoshi claimed to stand for.


    It was a kill done out of anger. A kill spurred by emotions. A refusal to accept and let go.


    It was murder.


    There was no denying it now.


    Masayoshi was just like his father.

 Chapter 82: Fangless Python

    A Mysterious Island off the coast of China - 10:40 A.M.-After Wraths Defeat.


    "What''s the situation looking like?" A gruff voice demanded.


    Across the rotunda, the shaky voice of a much younger boy replied, "All 7. All 7 continents are being attacked simultaneously."


    A hand slammed against the table, causing the young blonde-haired boy to flinch. "We already knew that! We''re asking what the situation is looking! Are we pushing them back?" A different man with red hair asked, his entire visage shaking with rage.


    There was a brief moment of silence before the boy finally responded. "Currently, the number of attacks has dwindled considerably, and the enemies'' forces are being slowly overcome. However, all of the areas that have been attacked, were done at the hands of magicians."


    "That''s impossible!" The voice of a women said. She leaned forward while adjusting her glasses. She was tall, and undeniably good looking, with dark-skin and brown eyes. "All of our intel suggest that this is a force of non-magicians!"


    "Sympathizers. That''s the simple answer." An Asian man with long black hair said, flicking cigarette ashes unto the floor. "They''ve betrayed us to join the other side."


    "But why?" The girl fired right back.


    "We don''t even know the main goal of these attacks. We''ll be hard-pressed to find answers to anything else." He simply shrugged.


    "However, Liam mentioned that we are pushing them back. There lies hope in that fact." Another man with glasses and a clean cut pointed out.


    "Hope? What hope is there to be had. This is an act of war!" The old man who was the first to speak said this.


    "Not only that, but that bastard Cato still hasn''t arrived yet." The Asian man said, directing his gaze to the only empty seat out of a total of 7.


    "What are the chances that he''s still caught up trying to defend his own magic academy?" The red-haired man asked.


    The girl with glasses simply shook her head. "He should already know the standard procedure. He should have left that in the care of Japan''s own, ''World Ender'' and came here as quickly as he could."


    "That can only mean there''s been some sort of hold up at his magic academy. Something that''s keeping him stuck there." The gruff old man concluded. "The question is,"


    "What could keep the headmaster of a magic academy tied down like that?" A girl with brunette hair finally spoke up. She had a cross chain hanging around her neck.


    "Not only that, but all communication with Theta Magic Academy has been cut off completely." A brown-skinned man with dreads and his feet kicked up on the table added.


    "Thats the most concerning part. Liam! Where are a majority of their forces concentrated again?" The Asian man turned back to the blonde-haired youth.


    After frantically clicking on the screen of his iPad, Liam answered, "In all 7 of the continents, the majority of the most powerful forces are aimed at the Magic Academies."


    Complete silence dawned over the room. Liam continued.


    "Meanwhile, the capitals and locations of the imperial families and such have remained relatively untouched."


    Glances were traded between the 6 people gathered at the rotunda. The tension was only rising.


    "That means whoever is orchestrating this attack knows." The girl with the cross chain said cryptically.


    The girl with glasses nodded. "They know that the true power of the seven continents lies not within its government and royal family, which are just figureheads-but instead, lies in the magic academies."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Aiming for the magic academies of all 7 continents, while committing terrorists acts although the world, and framing them as the work of magicians. They''re trying to take down two birds with one stone." The Asian man said.


    "Through the terrorist attacks, they can win over the manpower of any non-magician and convince them to join this cause. That handles the army. And then, if they can topple even one of the 7 magic academies, then they gain an immense foothold in the world. With both of those conditions meet, they can start a rebellion." The man with dreadlocks only leaned back further in his seat.


    "Not to mention they timed this attack perfectly. At a time where everything in this world was teetering on the edge." The brunette girl lifted up her chain, analyzing it. "What''s our next move? We need to act now. Waiting for Cato simply isn''t an option."


    The old man spoke. "It''s simple. As the acting headmasters of the 7 grand magic academies, we must do everything in our power to make sure the magic academies do not fall into the hands of these barbarians. Leave all of the attacks on civilian areas to the army and local militia. We will hold back these terrorists."


    "Fangless Python." Liam said.


    "Huh?" All six insanely powerful magicians in the room turned their gaze to the young boy.


    He shriveled back at the pressure of their gazes. "They call themselves the Fangless Python."


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    Japan- Same time


    A singular man stood in the center of the massive field, filled with bodies, and massive burn marks and debris.


    He wore a black suit with a white flower stitched into the breast pocket. He was tall, with dark hair that blew in the wind.


    In front of him, the next legion had already shown up. He didn''t even pretend to be shocked. He had been fighting these people for hours, and they just never stopped coming.


    Behind him, Theta Magic academy stood. At least, that''s what he thought.


    At the moment, it was impossible to tell what was going on over there. All around the Magic Academy, were massive storm clouds that darkened the surrounding area. The barrier of the magic academy itself had been tampered with as well. What normally should have shown the illusion of a regular field, was currently completely blacked out. It caused it to look like a black dot int eh center of a storm.


    There was no way into the barrier, as someone had literally re-written its code. And there must have been no way out either, because he had not seen a single soul for the hours he had been standing there.


    No communication. No information. Everybody was in the dark.


    Next to the man, the air flashed blue, before a hologram appeared right next to him. It was of a middle-aged man wearing a red suit. He was sitting upon what looked to be a throne. His eyes were dark voids of black that absorbed all light.


    "Kaguya."


    The seated man spoke.


    "Yes, lord." Kaguya bowed, Showing his respect for the man in the hologram in front of him.


    "Tell me you have good news for me."


    Kaguya shook his head tersely. "Unfortunately, Lord Suzaku, the situation hasn''t changed from when we last talked. There still hasn''t been word from inside of the magic academy. And the waves of these tattooed men just keep coming."


    Suzaku audibly sucked his teeth. The disdain in his expression was clear.


    "May I remind you that inside of that magic academy lie everything vital to our country? The headmaster, representative of Asia is there."


    Kaguya nodded. In front of him, the waves of enemies were growing closer and closer. He could sense a very strong one approaching.


    "And many children of the 10 grand magic families are also in there. None of these 10 families are in a very good mood, and they are waiting anxiously for new on the status of their children. I shouldn''t need to remind you about how imperative it is that none of them are hurt. We have big plans. You know how hard it is to get the 10 families to agree on anything, so I don''t want this to go down the drain."


    Kaguya nodded, summoning a bow made of mana at the same time. "I understand."


    "Then figure out a way in there, and quickly!" The hologram disappeared.


    At the same time, a blast of wind magic could be seen flying high into the clouds, before dispersing them, causing the sunlight to shine down on the barrier. At the same time, a massive blast of magic crashed down against the barrier, enveloping the world of light.


    Kaguya watched this all with bated breath. "That sure is one hell of a flare. But it means those kids haven''t stopped fighting. I need to get in the-"


    "KAGUYA!" A voice yelled.


    Kaguya turned his attention downhill. There, at the head of the army of non-magicians, stood one man with a particularly large aura.


    He was tall, and he wore a long white coat that billowed in the wind. His eyes were a dark red color, and he had two swords at his hip.


    "You, Kaguya, are the ''World Ender'' of Japan, right?" The man asked, taking a step forward. He was standing just at the base of the hill, staring up at Kaguya.


    "I really hate that title." Kaguya said, aiming his bow at the man. "Just who are you."


    "I am a general of Prometheus''s army, of the Fangless Python. Code name, "Perseus."


    "Prometheus?" Kaguya asked. "Who is that?"


    Perseus smiled. "The soon to be king of this world. The harbinger of the flames of revolution!"


    Kaguya did not react to that. "Whatever your goal is, your myth ends here, Perseus."


    Perseus unsheathed his blades. "Show me your power, ''world ender!''

 Chapter 83: Pivot

    Wrath had been killed. With that, another major threat had been taken off of the battlefield. That only left three more to be dealt with.


    However, the remaining few weren''t going to be any easier than the first few.


    Aergia, Eve, and Pride.


    3 of unknown power and abilities. For those three, this was a matter of completing a mission to a person they were indebted too.


    For the students of Theta, this was a battle of life and death. In order to survive, they had to win and do anything that it takes to achieve that outcome. Whether or not they would be prepared to make the necessary choices remained to be seen.


    For the members of the fangless python, this was just another small step to their inevitable rise. Another piece of the puzzle. Win or lose this battle, they were assured that they would win this war. They had the upmost faith in their leader, in Prometheus. With him leading the charge, victory was assured.


    And so, they fought without hesitation. They threw their lives on the line without second thought.


    This battle with so many intertwined fates, raged on.


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    Hikaru was already halfway towards her destination, when the sound of a message being broadcasted over the P.A. system could be heard.


    Stopping in her tracks immediately, she tuned in her hearing, eager to see what had transpired.


    Along her journey, she had seen multiple massive explosions come from the direction of the front and from Within the Magic Academy. If that wasn''t worrying enough, whole sections of the building were collapsing at an alarming rate. Whatever battle was going on in the front was more than just a little intense.


    "Students of Theta magic academy! My name is Cath, a third-year student, belonging to the magical applications branch. I know my voice won''t do much in raising your hopes, however I hope that the words I bring will. The situation is without a doubt improving. Your efforts are not in vain! Wrath has been defeated!"


    Hikaru gasped.


    Wrath had been defeated. That should have been impossible. She had seen the trending clips of his battle with the "world ender" of Europe, Julius. He had managed to hold his own.  He had also been the one to initiate this attack.


    He was a mythical figure. He shouldn''t have been ''defeat able.''


    Yet without a doubt, that was what Cath had said. A group of brave students had managed to take him down.


    An indescribable feeling began to well in her chest, which could only be described as hope. Hope, that they would actually pull through.


    Everyone else must have been feeling the same way.  They had damaged to overcome the impossible, and now, what was stopping them from doing anything else?


    "The damages to the Magic Academy were great. I''m asking for anyone who is able-bodied and not locked in conflict to head to the Magic Academy and assist in the evacuation of the remaining students and teachers still trapped inside. Many of whom are unconscious! Find Brennan and work together with him. This fight isn''t over, however don''t lose help!"


    The broadcast ended their, and Hikaru felt much better than she had before. If things kept progressing at this pace, then maybe-no-they would definitely be able to win.


    After all, defeat wasn''t an option.


    Turning her attention back towards the arena, where lightning was striking without pause, her thoughts began to drift over to her reason for going there.


    Raiden.


    Internally, she was still kicking herself for leaving him their alone. Whatever that monster Greed had done to him, it had several messed with him. His thoughts were a jumble, his mana level was constantly fluctuating, and one of his eyes had literally changed color. She could only hope that whatever negative effects he was experiencing went away with that monster''s death.


    Despite all of that, he still decided to head to another battlefield. Still decided to put his life at risk. It was like he didn''t care at all if he died!


    And horrifyingly enough, Hikaru realized, he probably didn''t.


    From the very first conversation that she had with Raiden, she could tell he was one of those people who had low self-esteem.


    And he rarely ever smiled. Even when he was hanging out with Erika, Nova, and Masayoshi, he didn''t smile much.


    Hikaru gained even further insight into Raiden''s head in the morning that he, her, and Masayoshi had conversations about Justice. He was someone who wanted to look on the better side of things, however he always chose the reality of things.


    She could also tell that he enjoyed having those morning conversations, especially when they were about nothing meaningful. She enjoyed them too. Talking about the weather, or the latest HxH theories, or anything else. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That was until one day, he pulled back. Stopped participating as much. Kept to himself. He already rarely ever looked anyone in the eyes, and now, it was down to zero.


    Hikaru could not just sit back and watch him pull himself back form everything. Her own heart couldn''t handle the sight.


    The day Hikaru had introduced the lesson about developing their own abilities, Hikaru heard her own dads voice urging her on. Telling her to be the one to bring a smile to his face.


    And so, she did what she was best at and devised a strategy to bring a smile to Raiden''s face. She asked him to accompany her to the mall, not only to get him to join the special defense force team, but to also just have fun.


    Whether or not he viewed it as a date himself was a completely different matter Hikaru didn''t want to think about. She couldn''t even collect her own thoughts on that matter.


    However, what she did know, was that he enjoyed that day. She did too. He smiled just as much as her. He laughed. He had a good time.


    His smile and the time they spent was still engraved in her mind.


    And she could tell just how competent he was. He became a member of the student council on his very first day along with his sister. He was willingly late to class to take his sister out on a tour of the school, and she could tell that he cared very much for her.


    He was smart. He was strong.


    And according to the stories that Kami had told Hikaru when they talked, he was extremely reliable. He hated tea but still drank it every time Kami made it. He was a magical prodigy, but when it came to people''s feelings, he was a dunce.


    And he was someone who wouldn''t hesitate to help.


    He was everything great.


    And that''s why it made Hikaru so mad when he called himself a ''worthless piece of shit''. The way he just cast aside his own worth and took all of the blame upon himself. They way he tried to make everyone hat him, so that he could justify his own decision.


    She hated all of it. And she wouldn''t stand for it.


    She swore that she would pull him out of it, to give him a slap in the face to wake him up when the moments right.


    She wished she had done it sooner, because right now, it might be too late.


    Turning a corner, she nearly crashed into another student.


    Coming to a halt, she slides, to see the black-haired girl in front for her do the same.


    It was Aura.


    Her eyes widened in a mix of relief and shock at the sight of Hikaru. Immediately, she asked,


    "Have you seen Phi!"


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    Shindo jumped from rooftop to walkway to wall, never ceasing in one place for too long. He had only one target in mind right now.


    He was heading for the large battlement in the far corner of the Magic Academy, that hugged against the barrier. There, lie the strongest aura signature within the entire battlefield.


    Shindo had given this mission to himself. He couldn''t let it fall to anyone else. Because it would be selfish of him.


    After giving that broadcast and seeing the support he got from all of the students that he thought feared him, he couldn''t let them down by shying away from this task.


    In the back of his mind, his killing of Greed was still fresh. It would probably always remain that way. He wouldn''t ever let himself forget it, just like he never forgot his first kill.


    He landed on another glass walkway, increasing his speed. He wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he couldn''t make use of his ability to teleport, because he could only travel to places where he had previously placed a teleportation spell. He had never had any reason to come to this side of the magic academy. He was internally kicking himself. Had it not crossed his mind that it would be useful in case of an emergency?"


    Although, it looked like his opponent was taking their sweet time. They were either waiting for Shindo, or they were a very relaxed and self-absorbed person.


    Oddly, Shindo had a feeling that it was a bit of both.


    He had two main objectives currently.


    Number one, was to confront this opponent and prevent him from reconnecting with his allies. He hoped that all he had to do was hold this opponent off, however, he didn''t allow himself to operate on thoughts of hope.


    He resigned himself to the fact that he would most likely need to defeat this opponent.


    Which would be no easy task. Shindo hadn''t even seen this man yet, and he could be sure of that much.


    His second objective was to try and locate the headmaster. From the very beginning of this conflict, the headmaster had not made an appearance. Shindo knew that he wouldn''t just remain uninvolved unless something else was at play. And if there was anyone who would be responsible for keeping the headmaster out of the battle, who else but the strongest person on the battlefield currently.


    He slid down another rooftop, continuing to move. From behind him, a massive battle had just reached its conclusion. He could sense a very strong aura suddenly die out. The P.A. system announced that Wrath had been defeated.


    Shindo smiled at that news.


    Those massive explosions, and the sun suddenly shining down for a brief moment, along with that massive explosion striking the barrier. It was not an easy battle. But they managed to do it. That was two down.


    Suddenly, Shindo sensed another person''s mana signature appear, as if they quite literally appeared out of thin air.


    Stopping on a dime, Shindo vaulted over the battlement, to see down below the shadow of someone moving throughout the brush on the ground.


    They were darting from bush to bush, never in the open long enough for Shindo to get a good look at them.


    Immediately concealing his aura, he began to trail this person. He stuck to the roof-tops, making sure to stay out of sight.


    From what he could see, they were tearing a path towards the tower Shindo had been going too.


    Now, where they an ally, or an enemy.


    If they were an ally, they would have a lot of explaining to do. They were very far out from where the battle was concentrated. However, the lack of communication that anybody possessed probably excused that.


    As the approached a part with relatively little underbrush, the mysterious figure stepped out into the open. In the rain, it was extremely hard to make out who they were, but Shindo could tell they were a girl with long blonde hair.


    Deciding that now was the time to pounce, Shindo jumped out, and landed in front of this person.


    He spun his spear, before putting it right up to this person''s throat.


    At the same time, a knife was at his.


    Not even blinking, Shindo looked the girl up and down.


    She was wearing a black trench coat, meaning that she was a member of the special defense force. She was sucking on a lollipop, and had a radio attached to her left leg.


    "You knew I was following you." Shindo didn''t even bother to phrase it like a question.


    "I''d have to be blind to not notice such a powerful aura approaching. Congratulations on the speech."


    "Who are you?" Shindo faintly remembered seeing her on the day he had gone to see the preparation of the ''Castle of Dreams'', however he didn''t know her name.


    "The name? Phi."


    "What are you doing out here?"


    "I could ask you the same thing." She fired back, not shying to make direct eye contact with Shindo.


    "You seem smart. You know the answer to that already. Don''t make me turn my weapon against an ally."


    They had a prolonged staring contest, each one staring at the other through eyes that were locked behind curtains of hair that stuck to their heads because of the rain.


    "Are you willing to trust me?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.


    "That depends on your answer."


    She sighed, before slowly pointing to the massive tower behind them.


    "I know where the headmaster is being trapped."

 Chapter 84: The Act

    Suijin stood, wiping the tears off of her eyes. Both mine and Homura''s efforts managed to reach her. She had sincerely asked for help. For maybe the first time in who Know''s how long.


    In front of us, Aergia had been watching the situation. You couldn''t call the expression on her face anything but boredom, however she was staring directly at us. As if the situation had managed to pique her interest. If only in the slightest.


    Just as she opened her mouth to speak for what would be the second time, a screech could be heard.


    Over the P.A. system, Shindo''s voice spoke. He gave a speech about how he had managed to defeat one of the many enemies that had kept us boxed in here. He gave an update on the battlefield, before finally telling everyone to not stop fighting, and that our efforts would not be in vain.


    As the speech ended, the smile that was on Suijin''s face was so large it must have hurt. I knew because I had the exact same one on my face.


    "He did it. And not only that...." She didn''t finish that sentence; however, we were both so uplifted that I didn''t even question it.


    Pumping a fist into the air, Homura shouted out, "Hell yeah! That''s one down!"


    Aergia''s expression did not change in the slightest. Not even the tiniest shift in her features could be seen. Like nearly everything else, she seemed completely and utterly bored with it.


    She yawned once again, before stretching her arms.


    "No matter how many times I see it......I''m still shocked.......At how much you try to struggle."


    Suijin''s smiled faltered slightly as Aergia began to speak once again. My own expression fell a bit as well.  However, this time her expression did not fall into one of murderous rage. Instead, she kept her composure, and took a step forward, locking eyes with the girl in the blue hoodie.


    "I''m also shocked. You said the same thing before. I wasn''t in the right state of mind to answer that. And don''t get me wrong, your question still makes me angry, unbelievably so. However, It won''t make me so angry that I lose control. So, I''ll ask you this."


    Suijin summoned a bow made out of water. Notching three arrows unto it, she pointed it at Aergia. "What''s so hard to understand about a will to fight and struggle on?"


    There was a long moment of silence, and for a second I thought that Aergia would choose to not answer at all, but at the last moment, she spoke up.


    "This struggles you put on. This act, this action of putting everything on the line in order to survive? What''s its purpose? In the end, if you fail, it would all be meaningless."


    "That''s exactly why we fight." Suijin''s answer came immediately. "We fight with everything we have in order to avoid that outcome. But even more so, because we don''t want to go down easily. Even if we lose in the end, we fight to make sure that death was not an easy one. Ever heard, ''Do not go gentle into that good night?''"


    Both Homura and I looked at each other, before simultaneously shrugging our shoulders. We had never heard of that line either.


    Without even having once looked back to see our reactions, Suijin supplied an explanation. "It comes from a poem, written by a man urging his father to fight against death, and not die easily. A great read, even though its hundreds of years old at this point."


    Aergia tilted her head to the side. "But you''re only delaying the inevitable? Why not accept that dying light? Because at one point or another, it will claim you. It is inescapable."


    Suijin simply shook her head. "Living like that means you reject everything life has to offer. There are many opportunities to take, things to do, something you want to achieve. If you even have one thing to look forward to, then you can''t allow yourself to ever give up easily."


    Another long moment of silence ensued. Aergia tilted her head back, before finally saying.


    "I can''t understand you."


    Immediately after, a massive burst came flying out towards Suijin.


    She fired her three arrows, which neutralized the blast mid-air.


    Aergia flicked her fingers in multiple quick slices of air that came from all directions, however Suijin reacted just as quickly, firing arrows made of water to meet every last single slash that was launched.


    Taking a closer look, I was able to realize that it was an in-genius application of her ability. Taking the zone of Absolute Zero and turning it into something that was small enough to encompass an arrow or any other creation she opted for; she could create water that neutralized techniques.


    I wondered how the water that Absolute Zero was wrapped around managed to not also suffer from the effects. It should have dissipated immediately.


    "Look closer Kami." Once again, like she had eyes on the back of her head AND was a mind reader, she issued an answer to an unanswered question.


    Not only that, but she wasn''t even telling me directly, rather turning it into a, "learning opportunity." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    She was deceptively like Raiden.


    Focusing my vision, I took a closer look at the arrows she fired.


    Now that I was looking closely, I could see that the arrows didn''t actually dissipate until they made contact with the Aergia''s own attacks. That detail could be lost as just a clash if you weren''t looking closely enough.


    The real reason behind it? Absolute Zero didn''t activate until the water arrow made contact with Aergia''s own attack.


    It was even more genius and skillful than I had originally thought.


    "Seriously impressive. Just how...."


    Suijin giggled a bit. "Someday the two of you will be able to make use of sequences and spells, almost as skillfully as I do."


    I raised my brow a bit at the emphasis she put on almost.


    "Now, I want the two of you to be ready."


    Both me and Homura stood up straighter, tension flowing through our bodies.


    "I said ready, not tense." Suijin instructed. "Relax, let a deep breath out, but do not let your sense''s dull."


    Following Suijin''s words, we let out a deep breath, and let out muscles relax, while doing the best we could to keep our eyes and mind constantly working.


    Suijin smiled. She began to explain our plan, all the while firing arrows to neutralize all of Aergia''s attacks.


    "Right now, Kami, we have the home court advantage. Our enemy is forced to fight in a terrain that you have complete control of. Use that to your advantage. Shift the terrain to catch her off guard. Use it to sell your feints. Use your terrain to give your allies the edge, while confusing your opponent."


    Closing my eyes, I focused on controlling every single part of the ice palace. I used mana sense in order to pinpoint the location of everyone inside it, when I could sense an attack coming straight for my head at insane speed.


    Reflexively, I snapped my eyes open and flinched backwards, however the attack never hit.


    Homura had intercepted it with her blades, redirecting the force out of the hole in the wall.


    "Don''t break focus, we have your back!" Homura shouted, turning her focus back towards Aergia.


    Nodding, and placing face in my own comrades to keep me safe, I closed my eyes once again.


    Using Mana sense, I could see that Homura and Suijin were doing everything in their ability to intercept all of Aergia''s many attacks. However, Aergia was attacking so quickly that they had no clear openings for offense.


    They were relying on me to create those openings for them.


    Think Kami Think! Pouring all of my focus into strategy, I tried to come up with a method that would be able to hold Aergia off long enough for either one of my allies to land a blow.


    Her advantage lies in the number of ways that she can attack. With a swing of her hand, arm, finger, and even a blink. All of those actions can end up in devastating slashes. In an open environment, she can overwhelm opponents with just the sheer number of attacks she''s capable of wielding.


    So, in order to beat her, I''ll have to restrict the options of attack that she has!


    Turning focus back to the battle, I began to move parts of the ice castle.


    Raising a wall there.


    Dropping stalagmite out from the ceiling.


    Summon chains from the ground to divert her attention, before summoning even more walls.


    I set up an area of walls that did two things.


    Blocked the brunt of Aergia''s attacks, while also narrowing her field of vision and routes for open attacks. This hampered the speed and frequency of her blows.


    Still, it wasn''t enough. In order to circumvent the physical barriers, I had placed, Aergia just turned to her mana sense, using it to map out the environment, and easily launch her attacks while avoiding the barriers.


    This quick adaptation led to the barriers I had set up to become more detrimental to my allies, as Aergia now used the mana signature they were giving off to mask her own attacks.


    Damn!


    I immediately returned to my train of thought, trying to figure out another way I could throw her off her game, even if it was only for a singular second.


    "Kami!" Suijin shouted out to me once again. Her voice was strained, and I could tell that it was because of the number of things she had to keep up with at once.


    Still, she found a second to lecture me and give me a lesson.


    "Don''t restrict your own mind. And ability like yours requires freedom of thought. Keep every move creative. Do anything to make your true goal hidden, even if it means not thinking too much about what you''re doing! Fool yourself and your allies if you have to! Because if you can do that, then you can most definitely fool her enemy!"


    Her voice cut off as she returned to dodging and blocking attacks, however she had gotten her message across.


    Fool myself? Freedom? Creativity?


    Still, although her advice was good, it was much easier said than done.


    Let your mind be free? How could I-


    Suddenly, Mina''s voice came into my head. It was one of the many training sessions that we regularly had.


    Sometimes during battle, you have to empty your mind in order to let yourself battle more efficiently?


    "But how does that make any sense?" I asked. "Emptying your mind?  How would you be able to come up with effective strategies?"


    Mina nodded. "Good point. However, in a high paced battle, with many different factors, your margin for error is zero. You need to be reactive. If your constantly stuck in your brain, then you''re going to end up making a mistake, or miss something. The stress of the battle will also impede your ability to think. So, what you need to do is let all of it go. Just battle. Get into the flow. Before you know it, the strategy will come to you."


    Zero margin for area. Just allow yourself to enter the flow.


    Letting out another deep breath, I cleared my own mind.


    With that, I returned to manipulating the Ice castle. This time I didn''t have any other goal beyond, Impede Aergia.


    So, I resorted to whatever means.


    Rocking the entire palace, half-summoning a wall before letting it go, shifting the palace 90, to 180 degrees, summoning multiple ice dragons and other constructs as well as ice clones of myself. I cluttered up the battlefield.


    Soon, there was so much clutter, that no matter how you looked at the situation, with your physical eyes, or with your mana sense, it was pure chaos.


    Yet even in that Chaos, I was still able to locate Suijin and Homura.


    They had closed in close enough.


    Suddenly, I dropped all of the distraction on Aergia''s left side, giving Suijin the prefect view.


    She rained down arrow at her opponent.


    Aergia snapped her head around, reacting as quickly as she could to neutralize the attacks.


    Suijin maintained the pressure though, attacking Aergia with water dragons and blasts of fire and wind.


    Waving both her arms in a massive blast, she knocked back all of the attacks at once.


    I used my ice to pull Suijin out of the way, as a massive gaping hole the size of a room was left in the ceiling and the wall of the palace.


    However, both of our diversion had worked.


    On Aergia''s left, I had left the distractions, pouring a majority of my aura into them. The chaos on that side, along with Suijin''s distraction, was just enough to mask all of Homura''s movements.


    Allowing her to get behind Aergia.


    Our opponent turned, and fired a blast, but too late.


    The blast forced Homura to divert her angle, so she couldn''t land any sort of fatal blow.


    Yet, her blade still carved a deep gash from Aergia''s left shoulder to her right hip.

 Chapter 85: The Reason

    Blood was sprayed into the air, staining the light crystal blue of the ice palace with dark red liquid.


    Aergia took a step backwards, her eyes wide in shock. It was the most emotions I had seen her face express throughout the entire fight.


    Still, despite her obvious shock, she still swiped her hand through the air, sending an air like blast at Homura.


    Homura reacted quickly, jumping high into the air and rejoining us back on the ground. Raising both hands into the air, Suijin gave us both healthily strong pats on the back.


    "Beautiful work. Both of you." Her smile had returned, in full force.


    I smiled right back at her. Her words of advice had pushed through. Internally, I thought to myself, I''ll have to thank Mina as well. Show her that I appreciated her lessons a lot more now that I had grown up.


    Even though I was excited, happy even, at my success in this strategy, I still couldn''t ignore the small part of me that doubted. The small part of me that said, "But you failed once. You almost caused one of your friends to get hurt."


    It was a small doubt. But I knew if I let it foster and eat up my mind, then I would never be able to keep up my performance.


    Clear the mind!


    I shouted those words at myself internally, trying to get a grip.


    I let down all of the distractions and obstacles, opening up our view of Aergia.


    Her facial expression had returned to the usual look of boredom that she always had, but she was staring at the blood that seeped down from her hoodie and drenched her hands like it was foreign. Something that she had never seen before.


    "My blood." She muttered softly to herself.  She then reached out her hand, letting the red liquid flow out from her would, and drip from her fingers.


    Then, she turned her gaze up towards us.


    "An omen, that my inevitable end is rapidly approaching."


    Suijin gritted her teeth together. "If you believe that death is only the inevitable fate coming for you, then you will die. However, if you fight against it-"


    "Fight it? That''s........crazy.......... Like trying to fight a natural disaster."


    "It''s possible." Suijin replied.


    "It''s impractical. And it takes a completely irrational person to even consider something like that."


    Aergia now began to approach us, walking slowly. I took a step backwards subconsciously, as my mind registered that this was the very first time that she had approached us. It had always been the other way around. It had seemed like she couldn''t be bothered to care about the people who she was slaughtering.


    A strong hand fell on my back. I looked up to see Suijin looking at me. "Stay strong Kami. Don''t back down now."


    I nodded, facing my opponent, and locking eyes with her.


    "All things that live, will inevitably, die. That is a law of the universe. It is unavoidable. So, to struggle, is to attempt to spit in the face of a universal law you could never hope to overcome."


    "But to give up, would also be a spit in the face to everything that ever preceded you. Everything your parents worked for. Everything that people who fought for liberation, for freedom-for anything-worked for." I found my voice and began to speak. Aergia''s philosophy was one that I couldn''t accept. It was a disrespect to the very life that you were given. To believe that just because something was inevitable, that you should stop trying to achieve anything.


    "To over expend yourself. To work to the point that your body cannot hope to go one, all of it is just a waste. In the scale of everything, it means nothing."


    "Thats only if you try to view things through a scale grander than you. What about the scale of humanity? Of just your life? Of the people who care? If you take a look at it through a smaller lens, than will it still mean nothing?" I argued back immediately.


    "In the grand sch-"


    "Don''t try and hide behind this excuse of the ''grand scheme of things." The same way you believe that it renders everything else meaningless the "grand scheme" also means nothing to you! So why let it dictate your actions?"


    Aergia finally lapsed into silence. Had my point landed? Had it gotten through?


    However, my hopes were crushed when she shook her head. "I once lived my life trying my very hardest for someone else. I spent every waking moment working myself dry. I justified my constant actions with the idea that, "As long as they were happy, and I could make them happy, then nothing else really mattered, did it?"


    We all listened to Aergia''s story in a tense silence. Waiting to see what her point would be. What her final verdict would be.


    "But then, that person cast me to the side. Threw me away. An entire life wasted away. At that moment I realized their wasn''t a purpose. There wasn''t a justifiable reason to fight. There was no reason to try and try and try. There was no reason for anything. It didn''t matter enough. I had tried, and I had been burnt completely dry, with nothing to show. And I had made the realization back then, that none of it, none of it mattered." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I let out a disappointed sigh. What Aergia had said previously was right. There was no way we could see eye to eye. And how could we? She was a detached, stone-cold killer. She was a nihilist who believed that there was no purpose in life. She watched students brutally fight for their lives, and still had the guile to ask, why?


    She didn''t value life. However, according to her own anecdote, it hadn''t always been that way. There had been a point where she had tried. Where she had given everything her all. Because she had a reason. However, that reason threw her away. All of her efforts were cast to the side. Her reason was gone, and she had nothing to show for it, despite giving her all.


    And that was the gut-wrenching part.


    I could sympathize with her. I hated her ideals. It wouldn''t even be a stretch to go as far and say that I hated her. But despite that, I could see where she was coming from. I could understand what made her that why.


    Despite all of her sins, everything she had done, I had to accept that I could understand her, just a little bit.


    I wanted to vomit. The smell of smoke and rain, and charred things wasn''t helping the feeling at all.


    I put my head down, trying to calm myself. Outside, a massive explosion shook the entire world. The palace shook, pieces of it had begun to crumble.


    Coughing, I made the horrifying realization that I was going to run out of mana very quickly. Homura and Suijin noticed it too.


    "I''ll be fine. I won''t let this palace collapse until we beat her."


    Suijin smiled down at my determination.


    "Still, we won''t let this take any longer than it needs to." Homura said, turning back to face Aergia with a determined expression."


    Aergia sighed, before stretching her arms out wide, letting out a small groan. "This is the end." Her hoodie fell back, allowing her long messy braids to spill out behind her.


    Getting back unto my feet, I wiped saliva from my chin and glared at her. This battle would have to end right here.


    The palace began to shake, and the battle commenced once more.


    Homura charged straight forwards, aiming to close the distance as much as possible. Suijin was not far behind, with her absolute Zero arrows knocked and ready.


    Aergia began to flick her fingers, and move her hands and arms, twirling as she did so.


    Air like gusts of wind with the destructive force of a train, or small slashes with the slicing power of a power saw tore through the air.


    Homura dodged and blocked excellently, never allowing an attack to do more than graze her. Suijin covered her blind spots from behind, all the while maintain steady fire of water spears at Aergia.


    Once Homura got close enough, I caused a part of the palace she was standing to catapulted her into the air, over Aergia''s head. The elevated piece of ground was shattered by Aergia''s attacks, but it succeeded in its purpose.


    Homura landed behind her, and slashed upwards. However Aergia tilted her head backwards to avoid it.


    At the same time, multiple spears came straight for her head.


    Twirling her hands in elongated and elegant movements, she blasted them away, while avoiding all of Homura''s slashes.


    Homura imbued her blade with lightning and use flames to boost her speed. I provided her with the foot holds in the air, and she began to bounce around and around Aergia, slashing at her all throughout.


    Still, Aergia managed to avoid each and every attack coming at her with elegance. Even the attacks coming from me and Suijin, she avoided what she could, and used waves of her hands and fingers to take care of the rest.


    The way she moved, the pacing, the elegance, the violence that could spurt from such a beautiful act.


    It was a dance; a serenade of death.


    Flicking her arm and twirling in a circling, she let out a constant cyclone of these wind-like blasts.


    Thinking as quickly as possible, I dropped the floor of the ice palace, managing to get everybody out of the blast radius as soon as possible. The walls of the ice palace were completely obliterated; however, I reformed them quickly.


    Holding a hand over my chest, I took multiple deep breathes. Despite what I told Homura and Suijin, I was praying that this battle would end quickly.


    Aergia stared at me. She could tell that at any moment, I was going to run dry.


    Homura and Suijin both regrouped with me.


    "Kami! If you can''t hold it any longer than-"


    "No!" I shouted, standing to my feet. "It''ll hold. I won''t let it collapse." Suijin and Homura''s worry did not leave their expressions, however they respected my determination.


    "Aughh!" I grabbed my head. I had a pounding headache, and it felt like someone was pressing a hot iron against my brain.


    Was this feeling of burning out?


    I had heard of it before but never been put in a situation where I experienced it directly. All I knew was that if I kept over expending myself, I would fry my own brain.


    "One more push. Is that asking too much?" Suijin''s expression told me she would really be prepared to drop this whole strategy if I said no. I didn''t want to be the reason that more people potential got hurt, or even died.


    "I can manage."


    Aergia stood where she was, watching us closely. "A reason."


    "What?" Homura said.


    "You''re so willing to struggle, to fight against the inevitable, because you have a reason. Something that motivates you to fight."


    Her voice was blank, but her eyes were that of a person who had just made a huge discovery. What she said was a simple thing, nothing revolutionary, but it meant something to her. It looked like she had just discovered the answer to a question she''s had for who knows how long.


    She shook her head again. "I don''t have anything like that. A reason to go on has been missing from me for a while now."


    She flicked her hands, and all of a sudden, we were in battle once more.


    I tried to do what I had before, and let my mind fight freely, but it wasn''t working. I was trying to force something that should have come naturally. Every single distraction and obstruction that I tried to come up with was predicted and countered by Aergia.


    Her attacks were coming out much faster than before, and every one of them could take a life if they were to hit.


    Still, I continued to expend myself, forcing out as much mana as possible. I didn''t want to be at fault for everyone losing, I didn''t want to be the reason we failed.


    I was burning out quickly, and everyone else could tell.


    "Kami!" Homura shouted. "Slow down!"


    However, I wasn''t listening. I continued to throw up whatever sort of attacks I could.


    I was so tired and distracted, that I didn''t notice the fact that Aergia had managed to close the distance between us significantly. She was constantly sipping her right finger in order to create a deadly cyclone of air that kept Homura and Suijin away.


    I was too spent to defend summon anything to defend myself.


    "KAMI!" Both Homura and Suijin shouted at the same time.


    Aergia waved her hand in front of me, as if she was a queen sending off a servant.


    At the last moment, I created a hole in the ground below me.


    My last moment saves managed to prevent me from dying, however I was still grazed by the blow, and there was a crescent shaped hole in my side.


    And then I entered a world of pain.

 Chapter 86: The Ends

    The pain was so horrible that just calling it painful wouldn''t be enough to describe it. It felt like someone had taken a bucket filled with molten lava and was continuously pouring it on my side.


    It felt like someone had unleashed a colony of fire ants unto my abdomen. The pain didn''t stop there. It flowed through my whole body, coursed through my veins, and my nerves.


    The pain was so bad that it overloaded my brain, and white flashes and black spots dotted my vision.


    "Aughh!" Blood rocket from my mouth, and even the motion of just coughing burned.


    Everything from blinking to breathing to swallowing.


    It felt like someone had lit every single part of my body with a hellfire that would never burn out.


    Subconsciously, I reached out to grab the side of my body which was hurt. However, my hands were just meet with air, and a splatter of liquid.


    I looked down in horror to see a crescent shaped hole where the lower left side of my stomach should have been. There was no sign of bone, nor any internal organs. Anything that had been there was completely blown away. My hand was covered in my own blood, and I could feel the liquid as well as bile rising up in my own throat.


    And it was then that I realized I was falling. In order to avoid the majority of Aergia''s attack, I had to drop the floor of the ice palace below me.


    Above, I could see the shining crystal, even though the rain that pelted me ceaselessly.


    I was falling, and fast. It would only be a few seconds before I reached the ground. If I didn''t move to save myself now, I would be dead.


    But I was tired. Bone tired.


    I had made a mistake, and now I only had seconds to react before I died.


    Fool yourself and your allies if you have to! Because if you can do that, then you can most definitely fool your enemy!


    Suijin''s words returned to my head once more.


    Of course, fool yourself and your allies in order to fool your enemy.


    I reached out a hand into the air and closed my eyes.


    Having only seconds to act, everything I did was off of pure instinct alone.


    I dropped two more wholes inside of the magic palace.


    One for Homura and one for Suijin. They both came falling down. Shock, pain, and worry covered their faces.


    Rain quickly drenched their features.


    After getting them out, I concentrated the very last of my mana into one final attack.


    Closing my fists, I caused the palace to collapse in on itself, condensing together until it was as small as a table. A table made of jagged spikes of ice.


    CRASSHH!


    The spikes were stained with blood, and in the center of the ball of spikes, was Aergia.


    Pierced by the spikes of ice.


    In less than a second, the ice collapsed, fading away as I ran out of mana.


    A rain of bright blue pieces of crystals began to fall simultaneously with the heavy rain of water.


    I reached a handout.


    My strategy had worked. I had fooled Aergia into thinking I was out of mana, and then, caught her off guard with one final attack. Even if this blow didn''t kill her, the fall would. And even if that didn''t, she would be out of commission.


    Thankfully, I hadn''t let everyone down.


    Still, there was a part of me that was regretful.


    About a lot of things.


    For one, I didn''t want to die.


    I was scared. I was scared of death.


    Would it be painful? How long would it last?


    I was scared of leaving behind my family. Of leaving Mina. I regretted that I didn''t value her lessons more. Of leaving mom. I regretted the fact I would never be hugged by her again. Of leaving dad. Terrified that I would never be able to receive any of his advice again.


    But most of all, I was terrified of leaving Raiden. All alone. What would happen to him? He already didn''t care about himself enough. He had made it clear his only goal was protecting me. And so if I died, he would undoubtly blame himself. Even if it celary wasn''t his fault. Out of control, he would take all the blame.


    And where would that lead him? How deep would he fall into darkness after his sister died?


    And deep down, in the back of my mind, there was a part of me that accused me of being a murderer. I had killed Aergia after all. So maybe this death was deserved in away.


    An eye for an eye.


    In my last moments, my thoughts were torn in multiple different directions. I wondered when my life would flash before my eyes.


    I guess that was just a myth.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Above me, the shining crystals of ice were within reach for me to touch them. There was also a bright blue light.


    And so, I reached out a hand and touched it.


    It was cold, and yet warm at the same time.


    Under me, I felt a pair of strong arms.


    And above me, I same a curtain of red hair.


    And then the world went black.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Suijin had realized it much too late.


    And she hated herself for it. She had asked for these girls helps, and they had provided it. Courageously risking their lives in battle without a second thought.


    And yet now that the battle was over, Suijin could do nothing to help them out.


    Down below her, Kami was falling. She would make contact with the ground in less thanf a few seconds.


    Next to Suijin, Homura was shouting-no crying, screaming at the top of her lungs. She could do nothing but watch as her friend took the plunge.


    Above us, Kami''s Ice Palace completely collapsed.


    A rain of bright blue crystal ice had begun.


    Kami had managed to do it. She had fooled everyone and managed to land the critical final blow of the battle.


    Suijin could sense Aergia''s fading mana signature. She would be completely out for the count.


    But what was the point of any of that if she didn''t survive to see her own victory come into fruition!


    What was the point of anything Suijin had done, if she let another student die, this one in her care!


    There would be no excuse!


    What would the others think! She would have failed completely! But more importantly, this brave young girl would have lost her life.


    This girl who stood tall against a literal force of death, who mustered the courage to look and upperclassmen in the eye and tell them they were out of line. This girl who had a family, and a brother who loved her more than anything.


    She would die.


    What would Raiden think?


    Desperately, Suijin stretched out, creating a handout of water magic.


    She shot it out, desperately hoping, desperately praying that it would reach in time.


    However, her prayers were not answered, and her hopes had been shot down completely.


    Time seemed to freeze, Suijin opened her mouth to scream, but horrifyingly nothing came out.


    It had been drowned out in the rain.


    She would be forced to watch, in horrifying detail, each and every second leading to the end of Kami''s life.


    She couldn''t close her eyes. She couldn''t close her mouth, and she couldn''t stop the tears.


    And just then, a figure swooped from down below, grabbing Kami at the last second.


    Before Suijin could react, she was also grabbed by a pair of strong arms.


    Sliding across the ground, Suijin''s savor jumped from roof top to walkway, before finally making their way down to what remained of Theta Magic Academies lobby.


    Gently, they set her down on the ground.


    When Suijin finally caught her bearings, she looked up to see Yuri, staring down at her, his expression covered in fear. His eyes, usually covered by his signature black glasses, where bare, for all the world to see.


    He was scared. Still, when he saw that Suijin had noticed him, he removed the fear from his expression and smiled.


    "HAHH!" Suijin suddenly took a deep breath, realizing that she had been holding it this entire time.


    She rolled over and coughed out multiple times.


    Yuri immediately dropped to one knee, using his hands to check if she was bleeding anywhere.


    "I''m sorry I really am." He apologized as he did so. "Does it hur-"


    "I''m fine!" Suijin managed to gasp out in between the massive breaths she was taking.


    Still Yuri did not stop hover over her.


    "What abou- what about Kami. And Homura-"


    "Don''t worry, they were also caught. Now tell me about you, are you hurt, do you need to see a heal-"


    "Yuri I said I''m fine!" Suijin pushed away his hand, before leaning forward, and sitting up.


    Taking deep breathes; she surveyed her surroundings.


    From the moment that Masayoshi had managed to convince her to leave, to now, the lobby of Theta magic academy had changed.


    To put it simply, it had been utterly wrecked. An entire wall had collapsed, there was debris all over the ground, and the air had the smell of something burning.


    The rain poured down in a concentrated circle in the center of the lobby, due to the hole in the ceiling caused by Wrath.


    In the rain, Suijin could see Masayoshi, standing above the fallen body of an opponent.


    "We''ve defeated Wrath. And as you heard, Shindo also ended up defeating another one of them. And judging from the third person we saw falling, you''ve also managed to defeat your opponent.


    Suijin had stopped listening after Yuri had said they had managed to beat Wrath. Wrath? They had managed to defeat him. Suijin almost didn''t want to believe her own ears.


    With the help of Yuri, she managed to stand on her own feet. "What''s left?" She said, back to business immediately.


    Yuri looked at her for a split second, and his lips shifted upward almost imperceptibly.


    "There''s an untold number of places we need to be. Don''t tell me you plan to do everything al-"


    "No. I''m not going to do everything alone. I was just lectured about that by two people younger than me." Remembering Kami, she turned around quickly.


    "Where''s Kami?"


    "Was she the one who?"


    "Where is she?" Suijin didn''t even need to speak to let Yuri know that they answer was. "Yes."


    Yuri remained silent for a few seconds, before finally speaking. "I don''t know where she is. However, I know that a boy with red hair had caught her before she fell."


    Suijin breathed a very light sigh of relief. She couldn''t be sure until she saw for herself, but that was a good omen at the very least.


    Suijin began to survey her surroundings. She noticed Masayoshi standing in the rain. She took note of the battle raging on outside. She took note of the fact that Nova and Erika were just now walking in with Aergia''s body propped between the two of them.


    And then there was the fact that they she still had to find a way to group up with the kids in the P.A. system, and-


    Just as Suijin was about to let herself be drowned in the number of things that she had to get done, Erika and Nova finally arrived, and the propped Aergia''s body up against a piece of debris.


    Her body was covered in holes that were bleeding, caused by Kami''s final attack. Yet somehow, she was still alive.


    Suijin turned to Erika and Nova.


    Nova answered her unasked question. "She said she wanted to tell you something."


    Suijin couldn''t understand what Aergia could have possibly wanted to tell her. Suijin didn''t want to talk to her. Suijin made sure to use water to completely bind all of her limbs as well as her eyelids.


    Aergia locked eyes with Suijin for a moment, before finally speaking.


    "There are two things I thought you should know. The root of these abilities we''ve been given, they do not lie in magic." Everyone stood in stricken silence as she spoke. "Their called delusions. Their given out by the witch. She is the main perpetrator behind this attack. She is our leader. She was the one who gave us these delusions. In the simplest term, power that was born from trauma. Even if you defeat everyone here, chances are she''ll still have achieved her goal."


    Suijin had questions. However, she decided to let Aergia continue to speak.


    "Here end goal is something beyond the comprehension of anyone. None of us questioned it, because we owed a debt to her." Everyone knew by us, she was referring to only the other 4 strong aura signatures. The men in the python tattooed men were of a different affiliation. "However, know this. She is of a power beyond your imagination. Her goals are beyond your understanding. And whatever she wants to achieve at a current moment, she will. And at this current moment, her sights are set on Raiden Chisaki."


    Everyone gasped at that statement. This person, this leader of the organization which had launched an attack on Theta magic academy, was after one of their own students.


    Why?


    That was the one question on every bodies mind.


    "Why would you tell us this?" Suijin asked skeptically.


    Aergia looked up.


    "Death is inevitable. But I was impressed by you three. You broke the wall of apathy that hid Aergia." She then locked eyes with me. "So, I gave you this information. So that when you meet your inevitable end, you''ll realize that no reason can justify the struggle against the inevitable."


    As she finished, Aergia clicked her tongue. Realizing, Suijin called out for everyone to dodge.


    However, Aergia''s attack posed no threat to any of the students.


    Because she slit her own throat with the attack.

 Chapter 88: HER

    Eve stood in the rain, watching the flashes of lightning that erupted from the Arena down below. It was hard to see what was happening through the rain that was hailing down; however, Eve did not need to see what was happening to know what the outcome would be.


    She had sent her very strongest soldier after Raiden. Of all 7 of the soldiers that loved Eve, Thor was not only the strongest but was also the one who loved Eve the most.


    That was what tied all 7 of Eve''s soldiers together. The delusion that had been given to her by the witch of Vainglory. It allowed for her to maintain a perfect control for anyone who loved or lusted after her.


    However, Eve herself refused to believe it was love that motivated her soldiers to work under her.


    No, they were not like those pigs from her past.


    Nothing like those disgusting beings who let their carnal desires take over.


    That was impossible. Eve would never have to go through that again. She would NEVER have to go through such humiliation, and such objectification.


    Her soldiers, they were loyal out of love. That was why they offered themselves up. That is why they carried out her every beck and call.


    Because their love for her was unmatched. Just as her love for Raiden was.


    Pure love was the only words that could describe what she felt for the boy. From their very first sight. At that mall, when everybody had been lusting after her, he was the only who looked at her with eyes not consumed by desire.


    That single moment was the only sign that Eve needed to know she had found her Adam.


    Nothing that happened in her past would change that. Not the men, not her father who committed the worst betrayal of all, not her mother, who had abandoned her when it mattered the most, none of them would be able to change what she had now.


    And it was because of this love that Eve knew the outcome of this battle. Even know, as her beloved was being pummeled into the ground, Eve knew through their connection that he would not die here.


    He would overcome. He would stand. He would rise.


    He would defeat Thor, and take his life, proving that he loved her back just as much as she loved him.


    And then her and her beloved would become one.


    Eve turned around to face the two Theta students behind her.


    Covered in blood, both of them looked beautiful. Their hands were only inches away from the other.


    They had been reaching for each other just before they passed out.


    They weren''t dead. Eve wouldn''t kill them.


    Genji and Ichijo were their names.


    They would make up the final surprise she had for her beloved.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    CRACKKKK!


    Lightning sliced the sky in half, and thunder shattered the air.


    Another blow.


    And another.


    The pain ran up and down my body. It was never ending. A constant pain that left my entire body on the verge of short circuiting.


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    Every blow left its imprint on my body, the pain throwing me back into reality.


    I could feel the rain pelting my body, like someone was dumping a river of rocks on top of me.


    I could feel every blow that hit me, like someone had taken a syringe filled with pain and injected it into me.


    I could feel the lightning coursing through my body in a deadly current.


    I could taste the blood that filled my mouth. There was so much of it my mouth was filled with the taste of salt and iron.


    All around me my senses were overloaded with stimuli. My eyes were blind from the constant flashing of lightning point blank.


    My ears had begun to bleed from the sound of thunder so close, as well as the ceaseless, never-ending pounding of the rain.


    The only scent in my nose was that of something burning. Charred beyond recognition.


    And my senses of touch were ripped away from me by the lightning that flowed through my body.


    And despite the fact that I was overloaded with pain, and that all of my senses had been compromised, I still did not lose consciousness.


    In fact, my internal thoughts only magnified themselves.


    Even though I could feel every bit of pain, and every bit of noise and taste and sound, my thoughts remained clear.


    My mind was not clouded like how I wished for it to be.


    It was filled with my own thoughts.


    This is the end for you.


    The voice in the back of my head that had once been my father, and now had transformed into my own voice spoke.


    Too late coming. How many people did you hurt, how many things did you fuck over before you finally realized that you were in the problem?


    But now that you can''t ignore all those who''ve you''ve hurt. Now that you can''t hide from your own faults, you decide to accept the only solution their ever was.


    My chest was burning. I needed to breath. However, my lungs would not take in the air.


    In the peripherals of my fading vision, I saw it.


    HER.


    White dress.


    White hair.


    Blue eyes.


    A blue tie in the shape of a flower that hung from her neck.


    She was staring at me.


    Her white skin tinged a slight pink and red.


    She disappeared just as suddenly as she had appeared.


    This is what you deserve.


    Your worthless.


    Not even as a weapon could you find your use.


    You caused pain.


    You caused suffering.


    You couldn''t even take responsibility.


    You''re a slave. And now, you''ve lost your master.


    Nowhere to go. I was stuck. I had no more purpose. If I couldn''t protect Kami, what was my purpose?


    How could I justify my existence?


    I remembered the words of my father.


    "How can you justify yourself, if you can''t prove your worth?"


    "If you can''t fulfill the simple mission you have been given. you have no worth. No worth means you can''t justify the reason for your birth. Meaning your existence is pointless."


    "Lose sight of your mission, and you lose the reason for you pitiful existence."


    This was it.


    Above me, the man in the black suit that Eve had called Thor had ceased his beating.


    He was staring down at me. At some point, his glasses had fallen off.


    His blue eyes were staring into mine. Burning a hole through me.


    For a second, I almost through I saw tears in his eyes.


    The expression there was scared. Violated. Fearful.


    His eyes displayed the message, "Help me."


    How could I help you? I thought to myself. I can''t even help myself. Or anyone else around me for that matter.


    My mind flashed images of Suijin, Kami, Yuri, Hikaru.


    Of my mother. She had the same gaze at times. A gaze that was slightly fearful.


    Especially when she looked at me.


    It hadn''t always been that way. I began to remember. My lack of infantile amnesia.


    She used to hold me with love. She would sing. She sounded like an angel.


    Just like ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö had said.


    There weren''t any angels calling for me at the moment.


    And I was sure that they would never call again.


    The reason behind my mother''s fallen smile, behind Kami''s pain, behind Suijin''s pain, behind it all.


    It was me. I was the flaw.


    The sin that ruined their lives.


    The apple.


    For that, I deserved nothing less than death.


    Couldn''t he see that? I began to speak irrationally as I looked into the fearful eyes of my opponent.


    I''m despicable. I can''t help anyone. I deserved to die. So why are you looking at me as if I am the one who could help your situation?


    And then, in the corner of my eyes, I spotted a flash of white.


    Lifting my gaze, I saw HER.


    Not the short young girl who had been staring at me. No. I recognized this face.


    Vermillion eyes. White hair. Pale skin. Black dress.


    A sweet, silky voice that could lull me to sleep.


    A gaze filled with longing. Desire.


    Possession.


    It was HER.


    The one who had saved me.


    My savior.


    She smiled. Her black eyes analyzed me.


    And then she spoke.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Anything. Anything that you want could be yours, Raiden. All you have to do is believe. I''ll show you the way. To break through.


    And then she reached out her hands once more.


    My vision went white.


    And then it was filled HER.


    Vision of HER.


    HER words.


    HER smile.


    HER eyes.


    Everything in my world:


    Had become HER.

 Chapter 89: SHE

    Hikaru and Aura had both landed on one of the many battlements along the outer edge of the magic academy, when they noticed a tower being ripped from its base.


    Rising high into the sky, the tower had been separated from its first floor. There was no clear sign of what or who was behind this. Nor how they were doing it.


    Both Hikaru and Aura watched in pure shock as the tower was carried away into the rain. Higher and higher until it was barely visible from where it stood at the very peak of Theta. The relentless rain majority blocking it from view.


    "What the-" Hikaru began, when another crash of thunder drowned her out completely. Taking a look at Aura, she noticed that the black-haired girl had the same shock and disbelief on her face.


    She then turned her gaze back towards the Arena, where the lightning and thunder were at their strongest.


    She needed to get there. However, she also needed to help Aura find Phi.


    Turning back to look at Aura, she could see the worry lines on her face, the stress that was threatening to consume her.


    At any moment, Aura would collapse. So even though Hikaru desperately wanted to save Raiden, she couldn''t.


    She could never put herself over others.


    It was impossible for her. Even if it meant that in the end, she would end up losing when others won.


    Silently saying a prayer to herself, she decided to put her faith in Raiden. In the idea that he would be able to hold on just a little bit longer.


    "Aura. It''s time to hold up that condition I mentioned."


    At her name being called, Aura''s mind returned to reality, and she nodded. "Right."


    As they began to move, heading towards what used to be a tower and now was only a first floor, Aura began to speak.


    Hikaru didn''t know where in the story she would start from, only that she needed Aura to do this.


    As long as Aura''s mind was distracted, she wouldn''t be able to drown in her own stress and worry. It would keep her mentally stable.


    "I''ve known Phi for a while. Before I had even started coming to Theta. When I was in middle school. We meet a birthday party. I''m not sure why I had been invited. I think it was just more of a gesture than an actual invitation. I wasn''t really good with people. I didn''t have many friends. My parents were so excited to hear that I got invited to a party that they forced me to go. They wouldn''t hear anything else."


    As Aura spoke, her expression fell a bit. Her voice was strained.


    This was obviously not something easy for her to remember, let alone speak about.


    Hikaru almost wanted to tell her that she didn''t have to do this, but before she could speak, Aura continued.


    "So here I am, at this part where I have no friends, and I''m much to awkward to make any. Everybody''s getting drunk, or high, or......" She didn''t finish that sentence. "I ended up just standing in the corner with a fruit punch. Leaning on the wall and watching the clock. Eventually, this girl with blonde hair ended up standing next to me. Phi. At first it was awkward. And then I noticed that she was wearing a shirt that had my favorite band on it. Of course, I had no idea how to start the conversation, and I ended up muttering some of the lyrics of one of their songs to myself."


    "Phi ended up overhearing, and like a master, she initiated the conversation. She drew me in, and we ended up spending the entire rest of the night talking about this band. I ended up completely geeking out, and I''m surprised that she didn''t get weirded out. But for the first time, I felt seen. Not alone. Visible" Aura''s eyes had begun to light up as she talked about Phi. They were full of admiration.


    "She was so, calm. Collected. Cool. And smart. She was really smart and nice. She loved lollipops. A random thing, but she loved them. She would even collect them. Keep the wrappers. She always had one in her mouth. When I asked her, she said it was to, ''fill the void.'' I didn''t realize at the time but it was a reference to a line from one of their songs. I ended up liking her even more after that."


    Hikaru couldn''t help but break into a small smile as she saw the expression that dawned over Aura''s voice as she spoke about her friend in honest. Just reciting the little things made her smile. She was remembering all of their memories. And the expression on her face was one that said they were all good memories.


    "We ended up going to the same grand magic academy. We picked up right where we left off. That''s another thing about her. We''re always on the same frequency. Even if she kept to herself a bit..."


    "Kept to herself?" Hikaru asked. The question was a mix of her wanting to know more, and also a bit of her trying to keep Aura talking. As long as she was talking, she couldn''t be overwhelmed.


    Aura continued. "She didn''t like to talk about her past, or anything having to do with her parents or past friends. In fact, according to her she didn''t have many friends. That never made sense to me. She was such a great and funny person. When she did open up, it was always asking about love. What was true love? What did it feel like to be loved by somebody?"


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    Hikaru''s brow furrowed.


    "Someone always asking about love-"


    "Probably didn''t get much from their parents." Aura said sadly. "I know Phi agonized over it, and that was part of the reason why I was always by her side. I never wanted her to get so caught up in her own bad past that she would ever come to the conclusion that no one ever loved her. She made me feel visible back in a time when I thought I''d forever remain invisible. So, I made sure that she would always feel loved and stuck by her side."


    Hikaru could feel her own heart melting at that description of their friendship. It was pure. They both helped each other in their darkest hours. Neither letting the other down. Two people who meet on a whim, becoming the best of friends.


    She wondered if she could do the same for Raiden.


    Drag him back unto his feet.


    They were just a few feet away from what remained of the tower that mysteriously floated away.


    "But sometimes I feel like I''m getting in her way. That because I''m always around her, she doesn''t get a chance to make even more friends. I''m sure other people would love to be her friend. However, because of me, she''s missing out on those opportunities" Aura grabbed unto her own arm. "I sometimes feel like, she deserves better.


    They arrived at the ruins just as Aura had finished speaking.


    The remains of the first floor were completely empty, except for two things.


    A lollipop sticks and wrapper on the floor. Drenched by the rain.


    And a message carved unto the wall with fingernails.


    "VOID"


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Both Phi and Shindo had yet to move from their spots after the last exchange they had.


    They had both agreed to the fact that they were allies.


    Despite that, there was still an awkward silence between them that neither were very anxious to broach.


    On the inside, Shindo chided himself for being so socially inept.


    On the inside, Phi chided herself for the exact same thing.


    Finally, after a few moments of building courage, Shindo turned around.


    "I-"


    "I-"


    They both spoke at the same time, their faces only inches away from the others.


    They stared at each other for a few more seconds than was socially acceptable, before-


    "I''m sorry." Shindo said while bowing.


    "I''m sorry!" Phi said, while bowing.


    After a few more seconds, both stood up.


    "Did you bow lower than me just to make a point?" Shindo asked, turning around and trying to act all high and mighty.


    "You''re only saying that because you felt insecure about your own apology." Phi said, while turning around and crossing her arms, doing pretty much the same thing.


    "So, were in the business of copying now?" He asked incredulously.


    "I was just about to ask the same thing." Phi said.


    They stood like that, backs towards each other for a few moments.


    Shindo was still internally beating himself up for being so stupid. Why couldn''t he just turn around and have a normal conversation.


    He was grateful to have another ally. Someone who didn''t hate him or fear him.


    And here he was making them hate him.


    After a few more seconds, Phi broke the silence. "Obviously you still don''t trust me. So how about this, I''ll tell you a little bit about me. Maybe then you at least be able to stand me."


    Shindo didn''t say anything, so Phi took this as a sign to speak.


    "I was always pretty bad with people. I never understood them, and I ended up alienated from my classmates."


    From the first two lines Shindo could already begin to relate to her. He dropped his shoulders a bit and listened to Phi''s words closer.


    "So, it was a shocker when I ended up invited to this party. Guy ends up trying to hit on me, using the fact that he even decided to invite me as the premise for me to accept. During that time of my life, I didn''t understand love. I didn''t know what it truly was. I couldn''t grasp it, and I had nobody to show me. I didn''t feel anything for that boy, and I never have I felt anything for anyone else. Any pull. Any attraction. Any familial affection. It was all foreign."


    Shindo wished he could have turned around to see Phi''s facial expression.


    Behind him, Phi had begun to pace in the rain. She removed the lollipop that had been reduced to a stick from her mouth, allowing it and its wrapper to fall to the floor.


    They were drenched within seconds.


    "So, I went to the corner. There I ended up meeting a girl. She had also been standing in the corner, but it looked like she was just taking a break from the party. I wanted to start a conversation with her, but I couldn''t say anything. I didn''t know what to do. That''s when she ended up muttering lyrics of a song from my favorite band. That was when I realized I was wearing a shirt of the band, and I put two and two together. She had seen the shirt and began muttering the lyrics. In invitation."


    "She sounds smart." Shindo commented.


    Phi smiled. "She is. After hearing that, i got so filled with joy that I ended up blurting out my words out of nowhere. Somehow, we ended up in a conversation. We spoke for the entire rest of the party. At the time, I thought she must have hated me, because I was just rambling like a geek the entire time. That was the closest I had ever felt to understanding a person. Truly."


    Phi stopped pacing by a wall. "Over time, we spent more and more of our days together, and every day I spend with her, the better I felt. She was funny. Always smiling. Energetic. Charming. And she always had a new way to spice things up. Once she asked me why I always had a lollipop in my mouth."


    Phi paused for a few moments. The sound of scratching could be heart. "I ended up telling her a half-lie half-truth. That it was to ''fill the void.'' It was half true, but half of it was just me making a reference to a line from our favorite band''s songs. When she figured it out, she ended up talking about it for the whole day. Listening to her talk, I really noticed how smart she was. How much she paid attention to every detail."


    The scratching stopped.


    "Every day I spent with her; I came closer and closer to understanding what love was. What it meant to be loved and experience it. I loved to hang out with her. However, that was also when I began to think. She deserves so much better. Such a kind, sweet, caring person. She was wasted on me. She did so much for me, and yet I did nothing for her. At some point, I began to wonder,"


    At this point Shindo had turned around.


    Phi was standing next to the wall. On the wall, the word, VOID had been carved into the wall with fingernails.


    Phi began to lift up her shirt, all the way until her upper chest, and Shindo could see the faint pink laces of her bra.


    Along her stomach was a scar that started from her right hip and carved up her body in a crescent like ark that disappeared under her shirt.


    Phi was staring at Shindo with whimsical eyes.


    "Maybe SHE deserved better."

 Chapter 90: World Ender

    "Have you ever wondered as to the true scale of the world?" Prometheus asked Mia.


    He was standing atop the statue of liberty. He was leaning against the torch. One of the only monuments that had survived the tirade of the man who went by Wrath.


    Prometheus looked down at the city of New York in front of him.


    It was peaceful.


    It wouldn''t remain that way for long.


    Mia, who was positioned at the very top of the statue''s torch, looked down at him.


    "Scale? What more is there to understand beside the world is big?" She responded, as she turned to look off into the distance. Her hair was splayed out messily. One legged leaning over the edge, her dress riding high.


    A very promiscuous image for a girl who was dressed like a nun.


    Prometheus shook his head. His eyes continued to look over the city of New York. He took notice of every detail. Every small thing.


    The hundreds of thousands of small specks that were people, moving along with their regular lives.


    They must have already seen the news. Of the hundreds of other places that were currently being attacked.


    They must be scared, but not as much as they should be. They believe that they''re one step removed from all the chaos, and all of the destruction.


    They were naive, and foolish.


    "I''m not just talking about a physical scale. Of course, the world is big, but that scale can be quantified. No, what I mean by ''scale'' is how much of the workings of the world, and of the universe, are we not privy too?"


    Mia sighed. Prometheus had gone on this tirade for one time too many.


    "Mia, don''t be like that?" Prometheus said in a whiny voice, as he began to climb higher and approach where she was laying.


    "I wonder if you''ll be able to keep your head out the clouds long enough to actually complete out goal."


    Prometheus arrived at the top and took a seat next to where Mia was laying.


    "My head aren''t in the clouds. They''re right where they need to be."


    After a few moments of silence, Prometheus looked up.


    "I mean think about. This world is grand. There are places we have yet to ever see. Things we know very little about. The inner workings of even some of the simplest things have more complexities behind them than we can ever know. So, I sometimes wonder, how much to we really matter? What''s our role? Are we just cogs, or are we so small we can''t fill that role? What goes on behind the scenes that we could never imagine?"


    By the time he had finished speaking, Prometheus was nearly shaking from excitement. From both the prospects of his own questions, and the anticipation he had for what was going to happen next.


    Suddenly, the sun was blocked out. Mia was staring down at him. Her eyes were filled with deep emotions and affection.


    She placed a hand on his face, brushing aside a bit of hair.


    "Tell me, what does it matter? Promo, you''re going to be the king of this world anyways. It will all become yours. When you become king, nothing else will matter."


    And for a brief moment, Prometheus''s eyes softened. His expression softened just as much. His eyes were filled with gratitude and something else.


    "Your right. Still.... I sometimes wonder." His voice began to sound far-away. His eyes glazed over, as if he was lost in some sort of eternal dream.


    "When this is all done Promo, I promise I''ll help you find the answer to your questions. And even if we never find the answer, I''ll always be there to help you wonder."


    Prometheus''s eyes snapped back into reality.


    He nodded. Slowly, he stood up and turned his gaze towards the city below.


    The peaceful city.


    The city filled with the naive.


    And the foolish.


    And those who have yet to witness the truth.


    Mia stared at him for a few moments.


    "Is it time already?" She asked.


    Prometheus nodded.


    Raising both hands wide, he allowed himself a smile.


    The wind blew against his coat, causing it to billow.


    Unlike the raging windstorm he had just been in, this one was calmer. It was a summer breeze.


    The feeling sent shivers down his spine.


    It brought him back to a time where he would spend his days in fields of tall grass.


    Side by side with Mia. Not a single care in the world.


    At that time, he had posed the question.


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    "What do you think it means to be at the very top of the world?"


    Mia had responded, "Wouldn''t that just mean to be the very best. To be the ruler, and take the number one spot?"


    At that very moment, a calm breeze that sent shivers down his spine blew through.


    Prometheus responded. "Then that''s what I''ll do. I''ll become a king. I''ll reach the very top of the ladder and become a ruler."


    In the present, Prometheus repeated the same words in his head.


    Down below, the bustling city was full of sinners.


    Sinners who would become his subjects.


    A massive light flashed in front of them, casting a large shadow over the too.


    Silently, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky, blotting at the sun.


    And just as silently, a massacre ensued.


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    Bright lights.


    Blue and red.


    They cut up the sky, shattering through the clouds.


    The ground itself shook with the force of every swing.


    In the distance, hills were bisected from just the aftermath of the deadly slashes.


    Despite this strength and speed, the slashes never hit their target.


    Kaguya sidestepped another one of Perseus slashes.


    He dodged another, and then another.


    Perseus was relentless however and continued to slash.


    Kaguya was unfazed by the power behind his strikes, as he dodged all of them with unnatural clam and ease.


    Perseus blades, both things made out of some sort of metal that was obsidian black, they were nearly identical.


    One possessed the sign of a sun, and the other possessed a crescent moon.


    The one with the sun carried a red aura. The air around where it sliced would burn with the heat of a thousand flames.


    The ground below was charred.


    The blade with the emblem of the moon on the other hand made use of some sort of lightning imbued strikes.


    They crackled and popped, and their range was unreal.


    And Perseus dual wielded these weapons with more than just excellency.


    Slashing up, down, left, right.


    At times launching out double slashes and low sweeps, high arcing slashing.


    Changing temp from fast to slow, slow to intermediate, to slow to fast.


    Blue and red splooshes of color sliced the darkness that had been brough upon by the rain.


    His swordsmanship was not only excellent, but destructive.


    Just from the force of the slashes alone, the ground below them was being severely damaged.


    Should even just one land, it would have done significant damage.


    However not a single one had landed. Kaguya was an expert and moving his body, using shields to deflect slashes, and using his bow to counter at the right moments.


    Despite Perseus'' undoubtedly fast and flashy fighting style, he could not land a single blow on the ''world ender.''


    Dodging another red slash, Kaguya flipped into the air, before raining down arrows on his opponent.


    With just a single slash from the moon blade, a massive wave of lighting vaporized the arrows coming down at him.


    Before Kaguya had even landed, her had already activated another magic sequence.


    The ground below his open split open, revealing a massive fissure.


    From the darkness of the massive hole in the ground, a million lights flickered on.


    A million arrows made out of different elements were notched, ready to be fired.


    Perseus began to fall, looking downwards at the sea of lights below him. His face was stuck in momentary awe.


    Amazement.


    Respect.


    But not a single ounce of fear.


    In the next moment, an uncountable number of arrows were fired.


    Slashing his dual blades ferociously, Perseus blocked and deflected as many arrows as he possibly could.


    He was slashing so fast that it looked like a ball of red flame and blue lighting was floating down towards the sea of lights.


    When the arrows finally stopped firing, there was a brief moment of silence.


    And then the silence was shattered by the sound of the ground rumbling.


    Just under Kaguya''s feet, a massive beam of light shot upwards.


    Moving back, Kaguya was being chased by a beam of lighting that had shot up from the ground and was now piercings the heavens.


    In his backpedaling, he sensed something, and jumped to the side just to avoid the beam of flame that erupted from the ground not even a second later.


    Dodging and jumping, Kaguya weaved through the two deadly beams of red and blue like and extreme game of hole in the wall.


    The two beams suddenly lashed out in different directions before joining together, and the ground was completely bisected, shattering into pieces as it was launched into the sky.


    Down below, Perseus was laughing hysterically as he dashed forward, continuing to slash wildly.


    "There it is! A taste of what you can really do! Don''t hold back, let''s see how strong your world enders truly are!"


    Kaguya had his suspicions; however they had been confirmed by Perseus words.


    Perseus was here to distract him. He had taken this task because he thought it would be interesting to fight against a world ender.


    Now the real question was what he was distracting Kaguya from?


    Jumping from debris to debris, Kaguya began to fire more arrows and Perseus, who was not far behind.


    Jumping high into the air, Kaguya began to search around.


    Looking for anything, any telltale signs of something in the works-


    "Eyes right here!"


    Perseus was on him within seconds.


    A point black slash form both blades at once, Kaguya had no choice but to block with his bow.


    Taking a majority of the blow, he was sent crashing into the ground in an explosion of blue.


    Sliding backwards, Kaguya only had a moment to get his bearings before a downwards slash f red nearly cleaved him in half vertically.


    Another slashed of blue lighting nearly cleaved him in half horizontally.


    Just barely avoiding those slashes, Kaguya used the opening to get in close.


    Throwing close range punches and kicks, Kaguya stayed at a range that made it nearly impossible for Perseus to use his swords effectively.


    Still, his opponent was no pushover.


    Purposely eating a knee to the chin, Perseus used the moment to flip his blade diagonally to try to cut Kaguya''s leg clean off.


    However, Kaguya was prepared, and turned his momentum into a backflip, before kicking off of the sword and launching himself high into the air.


    Loading up his mana, he knocked an extremely powerful arrow. It glowed a bright red.


    "Helios''s chariot." He said to himself.


    Firing the arrow of flame, the air around it literally warped due to the heat. The massive flame that took the shape of a horse drawn chariot was coming down and Perseus with insane speed.


    From his point of view, it looked as it the sun was falling down.


    In the middle of a storm.


    However, he did not waver.


    Sticking his flame blade into the ground, he used only the moon blade to block the full brunt of the attack.


    The edges of his hair began to burn, and his fingers were turning black. He was being pushed backward; however he did not fall.


    After a few more seconds, the attack had been completely absorbed.


    The aftershock caused Perseus to do a 180.


    However, he didn''t stop there.


    He allowed his moment to carry him into a full 360 turn. His blade at his side, he slashed it quickly.


    Using all of the absorbed energy from Kaguya''s attack, Perseus launched a seamless counter.


    Kaguya''s eyes widened in shock.


    "SKY SPLITTING BLADE!"


    As he slashed, the ground below him shattered completely from the force.


    A massive wave of lighting traveled upwards into the sky before hitting Kaguya point blank.


    Blood flood from the wound that covered the length of his torso.


    The lighting crackled and boomed, and the very clouds themselves had been split by the force of the blow, leaving a massive gaping hole for the sun to peak through.


    And that was when Kaguya noticed it.


    What Perseus had been distracting him from.


    During their battle, Perseus''s army had vanished.


    Into thin air.


    And then, with horror dawning over his features, Kaguya made the realization. Because they were non-magicians, he couldn''t sense them slipping by.


    because of the rain, he couldn''t hear them.


    And because of the low visibility, and Perseus'' distractions, he never saw them.


    He had never seen them.


    And now, they had somehow made their way into Theta magic academy.

 Chapter 91: Understood?

    For a long moment after Aergia''s suicide, no one moved. No one was able to properly process what had just happened.


    There was a lot. From Aergia''s sudden decision to reveal the truth behind their plans, their abilities, their leader and their goal.


    All at once, before finally ending it with the notion that she gave them all of this information to prove that no matter how much you tried, you would still fail in the end. That final part was something only Suijin would''ve understand, seeing as how she had fought and conversed with Aergia.


    And finally, using her wind attack to slit her own throat? It was a jarring decision in the eyes of everyone. Why give up so easily? Shouldn''t she have kept on fighting?


    However it was especially jarring for Suijin, who couldn''t understand why Aergia would choose to give up in such a fashion.


    Throughout their entire battle she was rambling on this nihilistic point of view, and she believed there was no point in trying nor taking major action because the end was inevitable and unavoidable.


    So, for her to take an action as deliberate as choosing the end of her own life came as a shock.


    In her mind, she probably justified as the inevitable death that was always coming for her.


    However, Suijin interpreted that final act to be the side of her that didn''t completely buy into the philosophy she had grown into.


    The part of her that used to try, before she was broken.


    Making one final decision, and this one, to take control of her own life, even if that control was just ending it.


    They probably would have spent even more time standing in stricken and confused silence had it not been for the person to come flying through the wall.


    A student crashed through what remained of the lobbies walls and landed a few feet away from the stunned group.


    She was coughing blood and clutching their sides in pain. Her clothes were tattered and covered in dirt and grime.


    They all snapped their head in the direction of the fallen girl, when a massive explosion of flame could be seen coming from outside.


    The flame reached high into the sky, making contact with the barrier where it was vaporized. The blinding light drew the attention of everyone, snapping them out of their daze and reminding them of the task at hand.


    They were still in danger.


    There was a battle to be fought of grand scale, orders to be given, news to be relayed.


    Immediately, Suijin snapped her attention towards the coughing student,


    Rushing forward, she helped them up before using water magic to close of their wounds.


    As soon as the girl''s pain had subsided, she asked, "What''s going on out there?"


    "W-we were pushing them back." She grimaced in pain. "The men in the python tattoos." She clarified. "However just as we thought we were actually going to fight them off, reinforcements suddenly showed up."


    Silence.


    "Reinforcements!" Suijin shouted in confusion. "That shouldn''t be possible!"


    "T-that''s what we thought as well. But their there. They''re not magicians either. They''re this force of non-magicians, who have these suits that nullifies mana. The w-whole army. Theres almost 300 of them."


    Suijin''s blood ran cold. Mana nullifying technology was something that had just started to be given to the public. Even some richest people in the world would be hard-pressed to afford eve just a piece of the tech. To get an entire suit? And enough to provide an army?"


    "They''re winning background. And fa-" She vomited blood, and SUijin patted her on the back.


    "Don''t move, you''ve done enough. Just rest. We''ll handle the rest of this." Suijin reassured the girl before standing to face the rest.


    "This is bad. If they have mana nullifying tech, that leaves us severely outmatched." Suijin began to speak, slowly listing off the list of problems that they currently had. "There are still two major enemies working under this so called "witch" left, and worst of all, we don''t know where her target: Raiden is."


    Seeing how Suijin was beginning to spiral, Yuri placed a hand on her soldier. "One thing at a time."


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    "But we can''t afford to take one thing at a time. If we do, then people will die! As th-"


    "Don''t try and bring up the fact that you''re the student council president as some be all end all as to why you should try and overwork yourself. One thing at a time."


    Yuri was adamant about this, stressing every single syllable of that final line.


    Realizing that she was doing what Kami and Homura had just lectured her for, Suijin nodded, and took a few deep breaths.


    "First, we need to assess the situation on the outside battlefield. Figure out a way to regroup everybody and discuss a strategy that would be effective." Suijin spoke as slowly as she could in order to get the words out.


    "Then, we need someone to head to the group manning the P.A. system currently and tell them to send a broadcast asking for all able members to come to gather in the front of the school. As well as a message addressed to Raiden and anyone who finds him.


    Everybody else listened in closely as she spoke. All except for Masayoshi, who was still staring at the dead body of Wrath. His eyes were filled with guilt and disgust.


    "We need to do all of that, without the help of the headmaster nor the magic association. Whatever''s happening is keeping them held up, and so we can''t become reliant on their assistance. We need to do this on our own."


    Suijin finally stopped speaking, before looking towards the other three students that stood in front of her.


    In their eyes, she saw fear. She saw tension, and she people who were tired. People who wanted to rest but were forced to fight for their lives.


    But aside from that, she also saw determination. A will to fight, and a refusal to give up.


    Stretching out, Erika said, "Then that''s what we''ll do. We didn''t trump over the impossible to stop because the next wall looked just as high."


    Despite the tiredness evident in her figure, the ghost of a smile played around on her lips.


    Nova played with her curls for a bit, looking up at the sky. "What''s new? A shame that we''ll have to fight in such brutal rain, with the sun nowhere in sight." Nova complained noncommittally.


    "Whatever you say, Suijin." Yuri said, a small smile on his face. "Just like it''s always been."


    Suijin looked Yuri in the eyes for a few moments, as something passed between them. They''d known each other for pretty much their entire lives, so Yuri could have been referring to a lot of possible moments.


    Suijin finally turned to Masayoshi, who was still standing in the rain.


    "You heard me, didn''t you?"


    She ventured, not knowing if the boy had actually heard her.


    Masayoshi kept his head down for a few moments, before finally looking towards Suijin.


    "Yeah..." There was no emotion in his voice. He avoided eye contact with her.


    Remembering how Masayoshi had helped her back at the beginning of all this, she took a step forward.


    He was the one to deal the final blow. He must be filling guilt and disgust at himself. She thought to himself. She reached out a hand to pull him out of the rain, however he drew away.


    Suijin looked at him with shock.


    From behind her, Yuri placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don''t know what''s going through his head, but I know even the best words you can think of would clear it away."


    Still, Suijin didn''t want to leave him there. Looking so broke, standing in the rain over the corpse of the man he''d killed.


    Unbeknownst to Suijin Masayoshi''s state was a mix of many things. His murder of Wrath. The destruction of his philosophy. The destruction of his justice. The realization that he was just like the man he had dedicated 15 years of his life to trying to prove wrong.


    He was just like his father.


    "I''ll try." Were the words that Yuri said. Suijin looked him in the eyes and saw something that she only ever saw on rare occasions.


    "Alright, I''ll leave it to you then." Letting out a deep breath, she turned to the rest.


    "I have an idea, but it''s going to be pretty hard to actually execute."


    Everyone listened in closely.


    "I''m going to head to the frontlines and rally the troops. I''m going to rely on Masayoshi and Yuri to create a distraction among the newly arrived reinforcements-" Suijin paused, as she analyzed Yuri''s mana levels. They were low, and due to overexertion, his brain was close to its limits.


    Noticing this, Suijin shook her head. "No. Instead, it''ll be Masayoshi and-"


    "No. I''ll do it." Yuri said.


    Suijin looked at him as if he was crazy.


    "You''re not being serious, are you?"


    "I said I''ll do it. What am I here for if not to fight?"


    "God you''re a hypocrite." Suijin''s voice began to rise. "Look at the state you''re in right now! You just lectured me about the fact that I don''t need to push myself, and here you are doing the same thing."


    "I can''t just let you put your life on the line on the frontlines while I stay safe." Yuri said, as if that would answer everything.


    "And what makes you think I''d want the same for you? Your about to run out of mana, you aren''t going on the front lines, period."


    Suijin turned away from Yuri, exasperated. He had always been like that, but only when it came to her. He would always lecture about knowing her limits, knowing when to take a break, and not throwing her own life away needlessly.


    And yet he would do the exact same things. It was as if he couldn''t understand that she didn''t want anything bad to happen to him as much as he didn''t want anything bad to happen to her.


    "Masayoshi and Erika will cause the distraction. Nova and Yuri will take our message to the P.A. system and return back here."


    "Got it?" She looked Yuri in the eyes during that last sentence.


    Everyone nodded their understanding. Even Masayoshi, with a weak nod.


    However, Yuri did not nod.


    Suijin saw the look in his eyes, his posture, and the expression on his face, when you grow up with a person, you tend to notice the signs that they aren''t in the right mindset. And combine that with being deathly tired........


    "Yuri. Do. You. Understand?"


    Suijin took a step closer, clapping her hands in front of his face.


    Yuri''s eyes raised to meet hers. "Suijin."


    "Yes?"


    "I refuse to lie to you." After leaving that cryptic message behind, he turned to leave.


    Nova looked between the two in a few moments of brief shock, before rushing to follow Yuri.


    As she passed by Suijin, she said, "I''ll look after him. Make sure he doesn''t overwork himself out there."


    Suijin watched the two leave with an expression of confusion and worry on her face.


    Yuri only ever shut her out like that when he was planning to do something he knew she would hate.


    "Please do."


    Suijin decided to put her faith in others, and not let her concerns pile up, and drown her.


    Maybe she would have picked differently if she knew what the outcome would be.

 Chapter 92: VOID

    Aura could not tear her eyes away from the 4 letters scratched into the wall.


    The expression on her face was blank, however her eye''s welled with emotion. Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand on the word.


    VOID.


    Despite being roughly scratched into the walls with fingernails, the work was meticulously. Whoever had spent every single second drawing with care. Nova''s hands traced the seams slowly. Drawing the V. And then the O. Moving unto the I and finally the D.


    When she was finally able to wrench her gaze from words on the wall, it landed on the stick and wrapper. Bubble gum pink was the flavor.


    The well of emotion in her eyes only intensified.


    Hikaru did not interrupt Aura''s moment. She let her think. She didn''t say anything because she had no idea what was going on within the girl''s mind. Any words that Hikaru tried to give would only be empty, worthless.


    Not in the face of whatever she was thinking about in her head. And so, Hikaru remained silent.


    Finally, after a long moment, Aura reached into her pocket and pulled something out.


    Using her hand to shield it from the rain, she took a look at the pair of lollipops she held in her hand.


    One was the same bubble gum pink flavor that belonged to the empty stick and wrapper on the floor.


    And the other, was a green apple flavor.


    Aura stared at them for a brief moment.


    Finally, she spoke.


    "Phi''s favorite flavor of lollipop is bubble gum. She loves them. When she first told me that, I said, ''that''s pretty bland isn''t it?'' After that she asked me what my favorite flavor was, and I told her, ''Green apple.''"


    Hikaru didn''t speak, move, nor breathe. She did not want to distract Aura from the words she was speaking right now.


    "And she had said to be, "that''s even more generic'' We even had a huge argument about it. We still do."


    After Aura had finished the short anecdote, she closed her eyes. Her grip tightened on the two unopened lollipops in her hand.


    "She''s still alive." Her voice was full of relief, and her body deflated from the tension that kept it ramrod stiff. "I just know it. She''s still alive."


    Aura turned back to the words written on the wall. "I need you to fill the void."


    As much as she wanted to ask what that meant, Hikaru still did not speak. Fortunately for her, Aura answered the question.


    "A line from a song. Phi''s favorite." Aura''s eyes opened, however they still looked faraway. Right now, she was living a memory. "The first time we meant, this song had been playing, and I had muttered some of the lyrics. That''s the song that brought us together, and it was also the song that kept us together."


    "Figuring out the meaning behind those lines was simple. However, what that song meant to us was something we would always talk about. We would sit out in the sun, or inside while it was raining, and just talk about it. Phi said that she especially related to the lines at the end of the chorus, ''I need you to feel the void.''"


    Aura leaned against the wall, right next to the word that was the title of their shared favorite song.


    VOID.


    "She said she related to it so much because that was what she always felt. A void. Her parents never cared for her. She had no relatives who cared." Aura''s voice began to tighten as she spoke of Phi''s past. It hurt her. Because it hurt Phi. "She would always try to play it off as if it didn''t affect her, but I knew. I knew how much it hurt her...."


    It took Aura a few more seconds before she could continue speaking. "She had no friends, and the ones she did make only ended up hurting her, cutting her off." Her voice shifted briefly to anger. "She said from the moment she was very little; she didn''t have anyone that liked her, let alone actually loved her. There was always a void in her heart. A void in her life."


    "She would do anything to fill that void. The reason she loves lollipops so much is because it''s something that temporarily fill that void, that isn''t detrimental. Not like, other things...."


    Hikaru didn''t need Aura to finish that sentence for her to know what other things she could have meant.


    Substance abuse. Drinking. Anything that provided a little thrill, even if it was short.


    Hikaru filled in the gaps; her own heart began to ache for the girl.


    "That''s why she loved that song so much. Because it spoke to her personally. When I heard the reasons, I thought to myself, ''Can I even claim to like the song anymore?''"


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    A few moments of silence. Aura looked up, at the dark gloomy sky, allowing the rain to pelt her in the face.


    "She also said she loved it so much because it helped her fill that void a little bit more. She said that with every listen it brought her closer to what love might feel like. She said that she felt that way about our interactions too. That it was the first time she felt she could understand what it felt like to feel love."


    Aura finally looked at Hikaru, and this time, there was a smile on her face. Her eyes weren''t downcast, and there wasn''t any tension in her body. She held out the two lollipops in her hand before speaking directly towards Hikaru.


    "She''s alive. So, we''re going to find her, and I''m slap some sense into her for making me worry."


    Hikaru couldn''t help but smile back and Aura. "What a coincidence."


    "It just so happens that there''s someone I need to slap some sense into."


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    "Void. What does that mean?" Shindo asked Phi, as they began their journey to the tower where the headmaster was being kept. Through some sort of magic, someone had moved it to the very top of the Magic Academy.


    They were nearly there, jumping from sections of the magic academies'' buildings to walkways, never stopping in one place.


    They kept the gas on 100, rushing to confront the powerful enemy who had placed themselves at the highest peak they could manage.


    "It''s the name of the song. The one that Aura had muttered under her breath to initiate that conversation. The one that was playing at the party. It''s the song that kept me together for a majority of my life, and it was the song that brought me closer to the only other person to ever really get to know me."


    Phi replied, looking off into the distance. She hadn''t elaborated further on her last statement about Aura deserving better, nor did she elaborate on the scar that ran the entire length of her body.


    And Shindo didn''t plan to ask either. Obviously, she didn''t want to talk much about it, so he wouldn''t push her. However, it didn''t stop him from wondering what had given her that scar?


    What did it symbolize for her? And what was the true meaning behind her last statement of Aura deserving better?


    "Your awfully silent for someone with a lot on their mind." Phi commented.


    Shindo shrugged his shoulders. "Even if there are a lot of questions on my mind, it doesn''t mean that it''s okay to ask them."


    Phi smiled slightly. "How honorable of you, Prince."


    Being called the prince still gave him a mix of feelings, however Shindo could be happy to say that it didn''t make him feel like a monster. Like someone who was distanced from his peers.


    "Since you insist on being so chivalrous, how about we trade questions and answers? I ask, you answer, and you ask, I answer?"


    Shindo was 90% that one honorable act did not equate to chivalrous conduct, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Sure." He replied. It was only fair after all. She was answering all of his questions and telling him about her, so he should at least try to do the same.


    "Where did you get your spear from?"


    Shindo froze a bit. Only one question in and old wounds were already being prodded. He quickly snapped back to attention though, trying to not let Phi pick up on something wrong.


    "A friend of mine used to use a spear. So, I decided to pick up on using one."


    Phi smirked a bit. "Not what I asked~"


    Smacking a hand against his forehead, Shindo realized that she was right. She hadn''t asked why he chose the spear, but instead, where he got this spear from.


    He had psyched himself into answering her question completely wrong.


    Phi shook her head at his reaction. "2 for the price of 1. You''re up to bat again."


    She turned around and pretended to throw him a pitch.


    Begrudgingly Shindo answered the question again. He even added the motion of swinging a bat. "It wasn''t exactly me who chose this spear, more than it was the spear who chose me. According to my family, it was a cursed weapon, that killed its user within a year of them picking it up. My dad was ecstatic to get the weapon off of his hands and give it to me."


    "And how long had you had this weapon for?" Phi asked, pressing on.


    "5." Shindo responded curtly, looking at the long red spear in his hand.


    "Months?"


    "Years."


    Phi''s eyes widened a bit at that statement. So, he really is as freakishly strong as people said. She thought inwardly.


    "That was three questions. So, by the law of equivalent exchange I get three questions back."


    Phi was 90% sure that wasn''t how that worked, but she let it slide. "Fire away."


    "You said that song was what brough you together. But is that the extent of it?"


    Phi tossed a glance back at him but saw nothing. "The song nailed my life right on the head. A void. I always lived in a void, wanting-no, needing someone to help me fill it. I ended up doing a lot of things I regret in order to make sure that it was filled."


    She was silent for a few moments, and her facial expression had gone dark.


    "I wish I could say that the me that did those things 100% regretted them, the me that would inject things into her veins for just a momentary high knew what she was doing was wrong, but I can''t. I couldn''t then, and I can''t now. I can''t lie to myself. Back then, it worked. It was temporary, but it filled the void I was yearning to fill."


    Shindo remained in silence. He couldn''t think of anything to say that would raise Phi''s mood, and he realized, nothing that he said would have.


    She probably didn''t want any empty words either.


    "That song means a lot to me, because I can relate to it on a personal level. It was also Aura''s favorite song. She liked it for much less personal reasons; however, I still admire her reason for liking it. She told me she loved it because she thought it was a vibe."


    Her facial expression lifted up a bit as she began to talk about Aura.


    "Somethings so simple. She liked it because she thought it sounded nice. She could listen to it and sing the lyrics freely. I was always a bit envious of that, because I couldn''t listen to the song without seeing my past. Being reminded of what I once was. Being reminded that someone like me probably didn''t deserve to be at Aura''s side."


    "However, I couldn''t stop."


    Shindo realized he still had two questions left. He wasn''t an expert on how to maneuver conversations like this, so he did the only thing he thought was right.


    Allow Phi to talk about her problems, without interruption.


    "Why?" Shindo asked.


    "Because she only person that I ever felt like truly loved me. She was the one person that when I spent time with, I could feel that void being filled just a little bit more. She was the first person that helped me truly understand what love was. Something foreign to me."


    "What do you mean, foreign?" Shindo blurted that last question before he could stop himself.


    Phi stopped, standing on the walkway above Shindo.


    She looked down at him with a sad expression in her face.


    She pointed to the area where her scar was. And even though she didn''t pull up her shirt, Shindo could see it. Clear as day.


    "Because it was taken from me. Just like it was taken from Raiden."


    "All that was left was a void. An unfillable void."

 Chapter 93: Rise and Fall

    From the moment that the siege of Theta magic Academy had begun, to the moment that was now, the conditions of the battlefield had changed drastically.


    From the start, the students of Theta were caught completely off-guard.


    Panicked, fearful, and unable to think straight, they were rounded up and slaughtered like cattle.


    5 impossibly strong enemies had snuck through the barrier that should have been impenetrable, and without alerting a single person, had managed to kidnap every single teacher and seize control over multiple key points in the magic academy.


    Completely taking over the P.A system, blocking off the main exit, and even ensnaring the headmaster in a trap.


    Not only had the caught the students off guard, but they had also taken complete control over the entire situation.


    They were on top. An entire army of non-magicians and magicians who fought like rabid animals to their very last breaths.


    All of them tattooed with pythons.


    However, from that moment on, there was a shift. The battlefield had begun to change and shift to come to the advantage of the students of Theta.


    It began with Shindo''s defeating of Greed. Restoring nearly everything that had gone missing, including the teachers and students.


    Of course, all good things didn''t come without drawbacks. A majority of the students and teachers were knocked completely out of commission, and left in unresponsive states after being let out of greed''s vault.


    People had to be diverted to collect them, and ensure they were all moved to an area where they weren''t at risk to be hurt.


    And when you were trapped in one huge battlefield, finding one such area was not easy.


    Finally, it was decided that they would be moved to one of the magical engineering''s branch buildings, that hugged the barrier, directly opposite of the front gates.


    After sending a message through the P.A system, courage was instilled in all of the students. They began to fight harder, coming to realize that their foes were not invincible.


    And then swiftly after, came the defeat of Wrath.


    The most recognizable of all of these attackers, and the one who initiated this act.


    The one to clash head-to-head with a World ender.


    He had been defeated, and now the battle was seeing more and more winnable.


    The student''s morale on the front lines had risen significantly, and no longer were they just trying to survive.


    They were attempting to win.


    To triumph over what was previously impossible.


    When Aergia, the third, had fallen, the battle that was occurring on the frontlines had completely shifted from the state that it had been in originally.


    No longer were the students of Theta being slaughtered like animals on a farm.


    Now they were the aggressors, putting the pressure on the quickly dwindling numbers of they python tattooed men.


    The allegiance of these men, their goal, and their reason for coming her and slaughtering these students did not matter.


    Because they were about to lose.


    However, the battle did not remain in the favor of Theta''s students for long.


    Just as the tides of the oceans rise and fall. Rise and fall.


    That was also the flow of the battle.


    Rise.


    The castle of dreams had been a successful hit. A beautiful, mystical land that you could lose yourself in.


    A plethora of activates waiting to be tested, things to be done, foods to be eaten, and fun to be had.


    The grueling hours of everybody had paid off.


    Fall.


    And then the attack begun. Muder after murder, and injury after injury, they were overwhelmed and pushed to the very brink.


    Rise.


    They had made a comeback. They were nearing the home stretch. Soon, this battle would be over.


    And just like the natural process of the ocean, when the tide would rise, then it would inevitably fall.


    And that was exactly what had happened on the battlefield.


    Fall.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Suijin stood in a momentary shock at the sight in front of her.


    After issuing the orders to everyone, she had taken Masayoshi and Erika and decided to scale the destroyed outer wall of the magic academies lobby.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    They had taken the wall and managed to get themselves along one of the balconies of the second floor.


    From that position, what they saw could only be described as chaos.


    The last moment they had seen the battlefield, it was a place full of raging battles, blood and destruction everywhere.


    Despite that grim description, they were winning.


    The students of Theta had managed to push back their attackers significantly. They were on the precipice of victory.


    That''s what made the sight in front of them even more disheartening.


    Massacre. Destruction. Whatever term you wanted to use to describe it would work.


    Hundreds of bodies were scattered about. Splayed out along the ground. Burnt to a crisp. Damaged to the point they were unrecognizable.


    Belonging to both student and enemies alike.


    They were impaled upon spikes and weapons, scattered along the floor, fallen off of the elevated platform of the magic academy into the deep moat below.


    The sight was horrific. Flames ravaged the battlefield, consuming and everything in their path. Raging like a massive beast they tore about the battlefield, indiscriminately destroying everything in their path.


    The final addition to the horror was the rain, which continued to pound down ceaselessly. Just as raw and powerful as the flames that raged about, it could only be described as a force of nature.


    The drops of rain were more like bullets and bombs that fell at an alarming rate. The rain fell so violently that it reduced the field of vision.


    It clashed with the flames in a storm of elements, something beyond human comprehension. Neither would yield.


    An immovable wall vs and unstoppable force.


    And caught in the middle of this hell, was the ongoing battle.


    It was horrific.


    And yet Suijin could not tear her gaze away. All of this death, all of this violence and loss.


    Who could be blamed for it all? Who would the blame fall upon?


    As her eyes took in every part of the battlefield, she began to thing to herself, "Why?"


    What exactly had they done to deserve a horror like this befalling them.


    For the first moment during this entire battle Suijin wanted to fall unto her knees and scream.


    Cry, rip out her hair and pound her fists against the wet ground.


    It was in this moment of raw emotion that Suijin confronted her true feelings.


    She was tired.


    I want to give up. Can''t I just give up? No one would blame me, would they?


    She just wanted to get away from it all. Return to a safe place. The arms of her mom. Back to a time when her only worry was making sure Yuri didn''t do something stupid on her behalf.


    Back when all she had to worry about was Shindo isolating himself from everything.


    Back to a time when all she had to worry about was the wellbeing of the magic academy. The plans of the castle of dreams.


    As cowardly as it may have sounded, she did not want this role. She did not want to be the one that everyone looked too for help in the perilous situation. She didn''t want to be the one who gave orders.


    Because it would mean that the outcome would be a product of her own decision. She would be responsible for all deaths that occurred.


    And in truth, she didn''t want that. Tearing her eyes away from the battlefield for a brief moment, she looked at her own hands. They were shaking.


    Covered in dirt and wet with rain.


    And yet from her vision, her hands were slick with blood. In fact, her face was covered with the substance as well.


    IN a single moment the rain falling had been transformed into blood.


    The entire world had been given a red hue. Everything was drenched in the deep dark red of blood.


    Blood that belonged to somebody''s child. Somone''s cousin, and someone''s best friend.


    All of spilt by Suijin''s own hands.


    In that moment, she felt small amidst the blood rain. The face of the raging flame that stood in front of her, on a path to consume the entire magic academy.


    She was tiny.


    Aergia''s words returned to her in that moment.


    So that when you meet your inevitable end, you''ll realize that no reason can justify the struggle against the inevitable.


    In that moment the words Suijin had cast away returned, and they occupied a majority of her head. The only thing that she could think about was the idea that,


    "Maybe she was right."


    And in that moment, Suijin Hajimoto was on the verge of giving up.


    If allowed one more second in her thoughts, she would have succumbed to her doubts.


    She would have fallen to her knees.


    And she would have been defeated.


    However just then she heard a faint cry. One that originated from the battlefield down below were students fought desperately.


    "-one!"


    At first Suijin couldn''t make out what was being said.


    Snapped out of her own spiral, she focused her hearing, boosting its range with mana.


    "Just one! Remember the president''s words! Just one!"


    At first hearing those words made her want to collapse. They were using her words as motivation to fight.


    Her own words would lead them to their death.


    However, Suijin recalled what she had intended when she had given that speech. She had told them that all it required to still have hope was for one person to keep battling. As long as one did, the rest could find their feet as well.


    And so, hearing all of these students crying out, and using her words to keep on pushing, it would be the greatest disrespect for her to not honor that, and continue to fight on herself.


    Even if she was scared of all the deaths that might happen because of her.


    Even if she was tired.


    Even if she wanted to give up.


    And even if she wanted to fall.


    She would force herself to try. In order to, at the very least, honor the will of those fighting.


    Erika, who had been watching the whole situation, placed a firm, but Shakey hand on Suijin''s shoulder.


    Receiving that support, she nodded, steeling herself, and continued on their ascent.


    Within minutes, they reached the battlements were Riko and her sister Ayung were manning the cannons along with other students from the magical engineering branch.


    When they noticed Suijin and the others approaching, they wheeled around, shock in their faces momentarily.


    "Riko!"


    "Suijin! You''re okay!"


    As much as the wanted to crush each other in a hug, they knew they had more important things going on.


    Riko''s eyes had the same tired look as Suijin''s.


    "It isn''t good is it?" Suijin asked.


    Riko shook her head. "Their tech has neutralized out best advantage. Not to mention it seems to convert any mana nullified into whatever that flame is. It can''t be put out by any water spells.


    Looking down at the battlefield once more, Suijin said, "We need to pull back. We can''t beat them like this."


    Riko nodded at that statement.


    "Do you happen to have any aces up your sleeves?" Suijin asked. She knew that Riko tackled many projects on her own, even without the authorization of her or the headmaster.


    Riko paused for a moment.


    "We have to use it Riko. It''s our only option!" Ayung shouted from where she was a bit farther down.


    After hearing that, Riko nodded. "We have something. We were testing out different things with teleportation magic along with Shindo. If it works, we could defeat them without a large-scale battle."


    Not wasting time to wonder about whatever secret project they were getting up to with the help of Shindo, Suijin nodded. "How much set up do you need?"


    "We can buy a bit of time with this barrier that we''ve been holding out on using, but with this much mana nullifying tech, it won''t last long. Once it falls, we''ll need people to serve as a bit of a distraction."


    Riko had a hard time saying that last part, but Suijin nodded her understanding.


    Erika and Masayoshi volunteered. More Erika volunteering for both of them, because Masayoshi wa staring into the rain.


    "Fill me in on the specifics of this machine as soon as we regroup."


    Riko nodded, and pointed towards the loudspeaker they had mounted the battlement.


    "That should amplify your voice loud enough for you to be heard."


    Suijin nodded. Took a deep breath and then took a step forward.


    And another.


    And another.

 Chapter 94: Not Done Yet.

    Yuri and Nova, both had found themselves standing in the hallway that the student council room was. Or at least what used to be of it. The destruction in the hall was evident, debris flung everywhere, and a majority of the decorations completely defiled and destroyed.


    Exactly opposite from where they stood, there was a hole in the wall where the massive door of the student council once stood.


    Beyond that hole, the student council room was completely destroyed. Nothing was left intact, and there was an even bigger hole beyond that, in which the rain poured in from.


    There was a trail of blood on the floor leading from the center of the hallway to the student council room door.


    Yuri and Nova both stood in silence as the analyzed the situation.


    After a few moments, Yuri took a step forward. Slowly, he began to approach the door that led to the P.A. room.


    Nova didn''t move and instead watched as Yuri dragged himself there.


    "So, what''s going on with you?"


    She asked. She didn''t know Yuri all that well, besides the things that everybody else knew about him.


    He was the defense force captain, no non-sense, strong, and the only person that he seemed to really talk to was Suijin. Apparently, he had a very long and extensive past with her.


    Nova went over that information in her head as she awaited Yuri''s answer. She didn''t have to know the guy very well to understand that his words were cryptic and the expression on his face suggested he might be on track to do something...Ill-advised.


    A few feet ahead, Yuri finally came to a stop. He reached down, before picking up a piece of rubble that once belonged to the door of the student council room. He analyzed it for a long moment, before finally responding.


    "Nothing''s wrong." His voice was shaky, uncertain.


    Nova sighed, a bit irked, but she had expected that sort of answer. "Oh really?" She began to walk towards where he was standing. "I refuse to lie to you." She put on her best imitation of the exact voice that he had used. "You told her that instead of just saying that you understood. Cryptic don''t you think?"


    Yuri set the stone down on the ground, with the same care that you would a fragile piece of glass.


    When Nova approached, she peeked at the stone, and it had words inscribed on it. They were cut off.


    Amor vinci-


    "Amor vincit-" Yuri


    "Omnia" Nova finished for him. She had been to the student council room so many times on the account of Erika''s actions that she had the inscription on their front door memorized. "Love conquers all."


    Yuri finally turned around to face her. "Nothing''s wrong." More heisitation. He then turned around and opened the door to the P.A. room.


    When they entered, the room was i the same exact condition as all ways. It might have looked even better. Currently, there were two students inside. One was a girl with black hair who was standing by the mic, her eyes trained on the window beside her.


    The other was a young boy who was monitoring the sound systems and making sure that everything remained online.


    Both of their eyes snapped towards the door fearfully when they heard it open.


    "We''re not hostile." Yuri said while holding his hands up. Nova mirrored the action. "We come with a message from Suijin."


    The girl was the first one to gain her bearings, nodding quickly. She tossed a look to the boy, who nodded before turning back to the sound system, turning up the volume, and hovering his hand over a button.


    "Whenever you''re ready." He spoke. His voice was shaking a bit.


    "Calm down Brennan." The girl said as she noticed his shaking.


    They boy nodded. "I''m fine Cath."


    Yuri turned towards Cath and began to speak. HIs voice was eerily calm, a direct contrast to the way it had seemed hesitant and uncertain just a few minutes ago.


    Nova noticed that.


    "We need you to broadcast a message about two things. Number one, asking for any able-bodied students to maneuver to the front of the magic academy. Secondly, we want a message addressed to Raiden, telling him to come towards the front of the magic academy. Anyone who finds him should also take him with them towards the front. For description, he''s pretty tall, pale skin, black eyes, and he''s dressed in a black trench coat."


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    Cath nodded and turned around. She signaled for Brennan to turn on the system and she began to speak. She relayed Yuri''s message much word for word. Just as she finished, Yuri signaled that he wanted to speak.


    Once Cath moved out of the way, Yuri leaned in, taking a moment before he finally said.


    "Suijin. Theres nothing wrong. Just focus on your own task." He stepped away, and the broadcast ended.


    Nova stared at him for a brief moment, as he turned away. "I hope you realize that saying something like that will only end up with her being even more worried than she already was?"


    Yuri didn''t respond. He opened the door.


    Nova was starting to get really frustrated with how he was acting. And the eerie calm about him ticked her off to the fact that he had already made a decision. And now he was going to execute.


    However, all of those thoughts had no place in the current moment. Because when Nova turned around-


    Yuri was standing there, frozen.


    The door was wide open, however no light poured into the room.


    Because there was a shadow blocking it.


    There was a man standing in the doorway. He was dressed in all white. His suit bore not a single stain, scratch or mark.


    He had a smile on his face. His hair and teeth where the same pearly white.


    And he had his hands Wrapped around Yuri''s neck.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    A broadcast had just finished playing over the P.A. system. Hikaru and Aura were halfway towards their destination when the girls voice had come over the P.A. system.


    According to what she said, the student council president Suijin had asked for everyone to head towards the front courtyard of the magic academy.


    That made sense, Hikaru could sense that there was a major battle going on over there. Hikaru felt guilty about not heading there as quickly as possible, however she had to handle this first.


    She needed to find Raiden and make sure he was okay.


    Thankfully, she was given an excuse to do that with the second half of that message. The girl had instructed anyone who found Raiden to take him with them towards the front of Theta magic academy.


    Hikaru was shocked to hear his voice over the P.A. system.


    Why would they call for specifically him?


    However, Hikaru didn''t remain confused for long. Her mind instantly reached for one of the worst possibilities, and that was the idea that they had discovered Raiden was a target of some sort.


    As soon as that thought entered her mind, she increased the pace of her movements. She moved quicker, not even bothering to take care on the slick surfaces that she was jumping to and from.


    "Hikaru! Slow down!" Aura called out to her.


    Hearing Aura''s voice, Hikaru slowed to a stop and looked back at her. Aura landed next to her and studied her face with a concerned expression.


    "Remember what you told me?" Aura didn''t have to ask to know that Raiden was the person Hikaru was looking for. Instead, she reciprocated the same words that Hikaru had told her.


    "If you need to, you could talk."


    For an odd reason, Hikaru found it a bit embarrassing to talk about the reasons she was so adamant in searching for Raiden. In her own mind, she hadn''t completely decided what she felt.


    No, she had already known, she just wasn''t ready to confront it yet. And so instead she kept it general.


    "He''s an idiot. One that would die before he asked for help, because he doesn''t think he deserves."


    Saying it aloud made Hikaru wonder what made a person like that? What past experiences could leave someone who''s that talented believing they''re not.


    Aura looked at Hikaru for a few moments, before giggling.


    "What exactly is so funny!" Hikaru replied, her face turning slightly red.


    The moment they shared was interrupted by a massive collum of lightning that erupted from the arena, consuming it completely.


    Hikaru''s expression of shock and scream was lost in the blinding light and defeaning sound of the explosion.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    An empty void.


    Not a single sound, not a single sight, and not a single thought.


    Drifting, falling, drowning, but there wasn''t anything to ground any certain thought.


    I couldn''t have been drifting, nor falling, nor drowning, because there was nothing.


    Nothing to ground myself.


    I was in an empty void. I was doing nothing. Being nothing.


    It was almost as if I never existed.


    Floating in that void, there were no thoughts running through my mind. My life did not replay once again before my eyes. I didn''t reminisce, I didn''t ponder, and I didn''t wonder.


    It was clear as day proof.


    I was empty.


    At the core I would always remain empty.


    A void.


    There was nothing to Raiden Chisaki. And they would never be.


    From the moment he was born.


    To the moment he died.


    So pitiful I started taking in the third person?


    The voice in my mind asked.


    Which voice, I thought to myself.


    Me.


    HIM.


    or HER.


    Completely split and completely shattered.


    There was nothing whole about me.


    Slowly the void started to be permeated by thoughts.


    Regrets I had.


    Apologies I didn''t have yet to give.


    Questions I didn''t ask and answers I didn''t receive.


    And now I was going to die.


    From above, there was a light. A small but bright light.


    At the same time that light appeared, I heard a voice.


    An angelic and sweet voice that I recognized.


    My own mom.


    She was singing. The same lullaby she did when I was a baby.


    "Over the rainbow"


    That was the song she would sing. I ended up researching the lyrics. It was the firstb thing I did when I first learned how to use a computer.


    I read the lyrics over and over again.


    I imagined my mother''s angelic voice singing to me.


    I would cling to those memories. To my mother''s nice treatment.


    They would help me live.


    And now, they would be with me when I died.


    Slowly, I reached a handout. Slowly, my fingers stretched out, creeping towards the warmth of the light. My mother''s voice was getting louder.


    I could feel it now. The warmth I had gone without. I wanted to melt into it completely. I might have been crying. I might have muttered, "mom" to myself. I couldn''t be certain.


    I was losing myself in it.


    At that same moment, I felt hands on my shoulders.


    Cold hands.


    They softly caressed my shoulders, as a shadow leaned in from behind me and began to whisper into my ear.


    Her voice was silky, smooth, calm, cold.


    Her touch was cold, reassuring, something that stood out against the warmth enveloping my body.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Raiden. Your not done yet.

 Chapter 95: The Truth (p.1)

    You''re not done yet.


    Those words spoken by a sweet voice permeated the muddy and murky space of my mind. Slowly, I was being pulled back, away from the light.


    Slowly my mind began to un fog and clear. I was begin dragged away from the warmth. With every second my body grew colder, and my mom''s angelic voice got softer


    Slowly, I stretched out my fingers, reaching for the light and warmth again. I didn''t want to leave. I wanted to return to that state of near euphoria I had been in before. I wanted to return to that state where my mind was blank and my body was warm, as if in an embrace.


    However, despite my efforts, I was being pulled back. Into the cold. The arms that were pulling me down were cold, the air was cold, and my mind was slowly filled with thoughts that were just as cold.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Is it really cold? Or, is that just what you want to think?


    Of course, I thought it was cold. Why wouldn''t I? I had just experienced warmth, and now that warmth was missing. The only conclusion I could come to was that it had now become cold.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: That line of thinking, and that line of reasoning is logical. However, logic can be influenced by many things.


    I couldn''t see the point of what she was saying. As she spoke, I continued to try and reach for the light. Slowly but surely, the light in front of me began to shift.


    Like a constellation, the bright flashes seemed like stars as they shifted and moved, before finally settling into place.


    It was an image of a women. Sparkling brightly with long flowing golden hair. Where her eyes would be two brilliantly bright lights stared into me.


    She resembled my mother. A lot. I reached out my fingers once again and she did the same.


    As our fingers inched closer to each other I could feel the heat being given off from them. With just a few more inches, our fingers would have made contact. However, at that moment another hand grabbed unto me.


    Slender pale fingers that stood out in the darkness. They latched onto my arms and slowly pulled them back.


    They were cool to the touch, and the coolness spread to me skin. I was being pulled away from the warmth and the light, away from the dazzling gleam of stars that was the figure of my mother.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Everything that you are sure of is just your perception of things. What you want to think, or what your mind forces you to believe in order for you to keep functioning.


    As she spoke, I could feel her fingers trace over my body. With every touch, I flinched. Inched away, tried to pull away from her.


    The feeling of her fingers tracing over my body, of her touching me, they made me disgusted.


    Why?


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: In some moments, your mind warps the truth. It lies. Your own mind lies to you, in order to preserve itself.


    Her fingers trailed over my face.


    Tears, a whimper, something that was unbefitting of someone who was supposed to be strong came out from me.


    Why did I feel this way?


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: The first step for you, Raiden, is to see the truth.


    I already saw the truth. I knew the truth of everything. Raiden Chisaki was simply worthless. Unfit. Despite everyone around him who tried to help him, despite all he had, and despite all of the chances he was given, he still failed in the end.


    Worthless.


    An image of Kami''s smiling face ruined by bruises and tears flashed in front of my mind.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You think you know the truth.


    Her hand pulled my face backwards, dragging my eyes away from the dazzling lights, and forcing me to look at her.


    Her skin was pale white, and her hair was even whiter. So much so that they seemed to shine in the darkness that surrounded us.


    Her face was only inches above mine, and I analyzed each and every one of her features.


    Her perfectly smooth skin, not a single mark or wrinkle. The silky-smooth texture of her hair, as tendrils spilled onto my face.


    The hue of her eyes, as both vermillion circles stared directly into me.


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    There was no space separating our bodies. Despite the fact that she was pressed up against me, the only thing I could feel was cold.


    Cold and disgust. The feeling of our bodies pressed together filled me with shame. Instinctively I tried to move away, but her grip was death tight.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  You began to realize it now.


    She commentated, as her fingers continued to trace over me. Her hands moved down to my chest, and my entire body filled with tension, stiffening like a rod.


    She smiled at that reaction.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: In order for you to figure out who you truly are, you must first confront the truth. You must get rid of the lies you created in order to go on and confront the truth.


    I reached a handout, trying to break free from her grasp. Her touch and her words, they all made me feel horrible. I didn''t want to be touched, and I didn''t want to understand that what she was saying had reason.


    I wanted to return to that light and warmth where I had no thoughts to plague me.


    However, I had been ripped away from that respite, and I would not be able to return.


    In one last ditch effort to break away, I thrashed, however she did not let go. Instead, her gripped tightened. Like she was showing ownership. Telling me that I couldn''t break away from this.


    Her smile was sad, and the look in her eyes was sympathetic. She landed in, and her lips brushed against mine.


    The brief, momentary contact shocked me out of my daze, sending a jolt of lightning through my body.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:  You must face the truth.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Non-consensual.


    Sexual Assault.


    Rape.


    Those words swam through my mind. Besides that, my mind was silent.


    I was no longer sitting inside of that empty void. Now I was back, there.


    A small room, with pink led''s and the ceiling and walls colored pink as well. Designs of hearts and other love centered things.


    Desks against the wall, along with a singular mirror.


    The floor was covered in a fuzzy pink carpet, as well as pink and purple blankets.


    I was sitting in the center of the room, staring at the mirror.


    This was a love hotel. That much was easily noticeable. That was all of the information that you needed to know what that meant.


    That was all the information that I needed to know exactly what happened.


    It didn''t take a genius to piece it together. This room, Eve''s note, and the faint memories that I had of the experience.


    It didn''t take a genius to piece together what happened at all.


    I just ignored it. I lied to myself because I couldn''t handle the truth.


    The idea that I had been raped. It wasn''t just that fact. It was the fact that there was a part of me......


    There was a part me that felt warmth during that moment. That felt pleasure. The compared it to how I felt hanging out with Hikaru.


    That was what disgusted me. I looked away from the mirror, no longer being able to bare staring at myself.


    I was disgusted by myself. I was ashamed. I couldn''t face that part of me and I didn''t want it to be true.


    I couldn''t imagine having to tell Kami that, and so I never did. I distracted her and used that moment to distract myself as well. I blotted out the truth because it hurt to realize.


    It still hurt in this moment. In front of me, the mirror shattered.


    What the hell was her point? Seeing the truth? What did it change?


    I already knew I was horrible, despicable, and shameful.


    How did having the exact proof of that fact change anything? No. It only made things worse.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Is that all you can, see?


    Her voice broke through the silence that I sat in. She was speaking cryptically once again, asking me meaningless questions.


    What more was there to see. My shamefulness. My weakness. The disgusting part of me had already been blared out for me to see. I didn''t need to see anymore.


    Or more accurately, I couldn''t handle seeing any more.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''ve tunnel visioned. Understandable. Something horrible happened to you.


    Just because it was something horrible doesn''t excuse anything. It doesn''t excuse the fact that a part of me probably enjo-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: All you can see is the weakness in yourself. Your own flaws. No matter what happens to you, you can''t see past what you perceive as your own misdoings and wronging''s. You were drugged. Drugged to the point you passed out for hours. You were raped with you slept, only waking up momentarily to small bits and pieces. Eventually, your mind realized what was happening and it pulled away. You were never in control. You never had autonomy. You were being completely utterly dominated. So how have you managed to take the blame for everything that happened that night?


    I didn''t want to her hear words. I tried to crawl back, away from her voice but it was to no avail. Her words echoed throughout the room as if they were coming from speakers within the walls.


    I didn''t want to hear what she was saying because of how it made me feel. Completely helpless and alone. Disgusted by my own weakness and mind. She was right. I couldn''t see the truth.


    And I didn''t want to.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''d rather hide behind the same idea that it''s all your fault anyways, and that you should take all of the blame so that you can justify giving up and not trying. You did it back when Kami was hurt. You did it back when Yuri slapped some sense into you. When you realize your pushing up against the boundaries of what your father defined you as, you pull away and disconnect from others.


    Shut up! Just stop it! I already get it! I''m pitiful, I''m worthlesss-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: No. You''re not.


    Hands wrapped around me from behind, and I could feel someone''s head resting against mine.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:Your not worthless. You are not trash. You are not just a weapon. Those words are what your father said. Those words are what you have been led to believe by the man who calls himself Takeru Chisaki.


    No. It''s true. It''s already been proven.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö:I''ve already shown you. You don''t know the truth Raiden. The truth you think you know. You only know the truth that your mind lets you know.


    Even if what you''re saying is right what does it matter. Knowing the truth will only show me how much more despicable I am. It''ll only show how empty I am, and it''ll only prove that there was no point for me to continue.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Like I said before. You need to see the whole truth in order to figure out who you truly are. In order to know who Raiden Chisaki is, you most first know the full life behind Raiden Chisaki. You can''t make claims about yourself if you don''t even know yourself.


    There was silence. Her finger ruffled my hair a bit. I could feel her lean in, and whisper into my ear.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Besides. I would never let that happen. I will never let you give up. And you''ll never have to handle things alone. I am your savior. So give yourself to me, and I''ll save you.


    And then the room we were sitting in disappeared in a flash of light.


    And I began to see the truth.

 Chapter 96: The Truth (P.2)

    After the flash of light, I was watching me.


    To be more specific, I was watching a younger version of me, playing in the front yard of the Chisaki estate. The sun was blazing hot outside, like it always was there. The yard was well kept, the grass cut perfectly, the bushes and trees trimmed to perfection and not a single decoration out of place.


    The yard was massive, encircled by a large black iron gate.


    This younger version of me wasn''t alone of course. I watched closely as the two figures passed by right in front of me.


    Both were laughing and giggling, with massive smiles on their faces. Me and Kami. Both seemed to have not another care in the world.


    I didn''t speak as I watched Kami run after me, jumping over benches, dodging from trees to underbrush, and climbing atop the many statues in the front lawn.


    We were playing tag. A simple game, that we made more fun by-


    The younger version of me was approaching a dead end, when suddenly he ran long the wall of the house, using mana to run up the wall without falling. Kami paused for a few moments, staring up in awe.


    "That''s cheating!" She yelled out, to which I replied:


    "Nuh uh, we never made any rules!" As the little me made it to the top of the house, he looked down to see Kami hot on his heels.


    -The incorporation of magic.


    Despite her complaining, she was able to perfectly recreate the technique that she had seen me use. The game continued, only this time on top of the house.


    At this point, Mark and a few other servants of the household had come outside to watch over us.


    "Both of you!" He shouted, quickly climbing up the building himself. "Come down right now!"


    As he made it to the top, the game of tag was just ending. Kami had managed to catch me and was standing in front of me triumphantly with her hand on my shoulder.


    As soon as we saw Mark approaching with a dissatisfied expression on his face, a new game began.


    How long could we avoid capture?


    I could see the two of us jumping down off the side of the building, disappearing.


    For a long moment, I stared at the spot where we had just been. I didn''t move, and I didn''t say anything. Finally, a question flitted through my mind.


    Why was I seeing this now?


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "This is your mind. Whatever we''re seeing, it''s because you wanted it to be this way."


    I turned my head around to see where the voice was coming from. Sitting next to me was a young girl with long white hair. About the same age as I was in this memory. Her eyes were red. She was wearing a long black dress as well, with a white flower in her hair.


    I analyzed her in the silence, and she did the same. It was HER. I didn''t really know much about her. The only thing that I could say for sure is that she was the product of whatever Greed had done to me. A separate soul injected into my body.


    She was also the one who saved me. From that hell of a cycle that I could never break through on my own.


    "What is this place?'' I asked, turning back to take in the grandeur of the Chisaki property. No matter how long I spent away from this place, I was able to remember it perfectly. I would never forget it.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "This is your mind." She replied simply.


    "Why am I seeing this?" I reiterated the question that I had asked myself to her.


    I could see her turn to look at me in her peripherals. "We''re seeing this because your mind deemed it necessary. In order for you to see the truth."


    "The truth." I repeated those words to myself. I mulled over them. What exactly was she talking about when she referred to ''the truth?''


    "The things that my mind hides away or completely rewrote." I arrived at my answer fairly easily. "But why would I want to see something that was hidden away to protect me in the first place?" I asked.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Who am I?"


    I looked at her in confusion for a brief moment, thinking she was asking me a question.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "That was your question. You want to find out who Raiden Chisaki truly is. What his purpose is, and what he means. How can you answer any of those questions if you don''t even know the truth about yourself. About your past and the life, you lived up to this point."


    Her answer was one that I couldn''t refute. I couldn''t argue back against it even if I wanted to. And in truth, I did want to figure out the answer to those questions.


    Even if it meant looking into a part of my past my mind had locked away for a reason.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The next scene that we saw was of me and Kami standing by the massive iron gate. I was speaking to her, however the position that me and ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö were sitting at was too far to make out any of the words.


    However, I didn''t need to remember any of the words to this conversation, because I had the whole interaction memorized. It never left my mind.


    It was one of my many mistakes. Arguably, the greatest of them all.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "You hate this moment. More than anything. You wish you can go back in time and change it."


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö spoke my feelings out loud, and I turned to her in shock.


    "How''d you know that?"


    I had been keeping my thoughts to myself, and I had even kept the expression on my face neutral as we watched the situation unfold from afar.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Me and you are one in the same. We share a heart, and so I can feel what you feel."


    "And it doesn''t work both ways?" I joked weakly.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö smiled. "It does. Our feelings our just so in sync you can''t feel the difference."


    I was going to ask her what she meant by that, but in that moment the very worst part of this whole memory had commenced.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Raiden/me turned away from the gate to look at Kami. As he began to speak, I could hear his words, even though I couldn''t hear anything they were saying before.


    As if my own mind was reminding of my own error.


    "One day, I want to be able to go out there, to experience the world. I want to do lots of things. Drink coffee at a coffee shop, play sports, meet other kids."


    As he spoke, I began to speak as well. Quietly at first.


    "Shut up. Just stop. You''re ruining everything."


    "And most importantly, I want to help you experience the world, Kami."


    "Just stop talking dammit!"


    A hand settled down on my shoulder just as my anger reached its peak.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Do you truly believe that what you said back there was a mistake? That it caused everything that happened to happen?"


    Once again, she was back to asking questions with obvious answers.


    "Of course I do! Those words were what caused her to get hurt. She almost died because I just kept going on and on about exploring the world! Even though my father had warned us! He told us the truth and I didn''t listen to him and look what happened!"


    Despite the fact that I was yelling, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö reply was completely calm. Her smile never left her face. Her eyes were filled with empathy.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Your entire world consisted of the Chisaki estate. And just outside of that gate, there was a massive place to explore. A large world that was filled with the unknown. You were drawn to it. Anybody who was raised like you would be."


    I turned away from her, not wanting to hear her speak. Whatever she was going to say.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "You were filled with joy, ambition, curiosity. You were a kid."


    She put emphasis on those last words.


    "What does that excuse?"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "It''s meant to remind you that you were no wiser back than you are now."


    Every word that she spoke made sense. I was only left with one rebuttal.


    "But. If I hadn''t said that. If I hadn''t just thrown out my desire like that-"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Then maybe Kami wouldn''t have gotten hurt? Maybe she wouldn''t have been traumatized so badly that she forgot about the whole thing?" She finished for me.


    I didn''t respond.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Raiden, sweetie. You still have much more to see."


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    The scene changed once more. This time it was the dead of night. Kami and I were sneaking out of the house.


    Something we did often. With all of our training, we were able to avoid the detection of everyone else, despite the large majority of security the house had.


    At least, that''s what I had thought. However now that I was watching the memory from a third person point of view, it was plain to see that our father had allowed this to happen.


    For one reason or another. He had specifically instructed no one to interfere. I could see it in the way that they all watched without moving.


    They''d known. But they''d been ordered no to do or say anything.


    We went farther with every day we snuck out. First it was just past the gates. Then it was a bit farther, making it into some forestry areas. We continued to go farther and farther, completely enraptured by every little thing we saw.


    Until we made it to the ocean.


    When we saw the massive sea of water, that stretched out for a million miles in every single direction. The shimmering water reflected the pale blue light of the moon all across. In the distance, the lights of a foreign place could be seen.


    We stood there in awe, unable to move a singular muscle for God knows how long. In that single moment, I had told Kami,


    "How far does it go? How grand is everything?" I paused for a moment "How do you win?" I asked that last part softly.


    Kami didn''t respond for a few seconds, taking in the environment. "As much as you can imagine." That was all she said.


    The scene changed once again, and this time, it flashed forward to a moment where I was sitting inside. I had just finished my training with Yuki. We had come inside for a quick break, when Yuki heard something that caught her attention.


    A maid was calling her over. Telling me to wait there, she went to go talk to them, while I walked over to my father''s room, where I could hear his voice. The hallway was long, foreboding. A place I had walked through one-to-many times.


    As I made it to his door, I could hear his voice as he finished a conversation.


    "Yes. I''m willing to pay what''s necessary. You know me. Money''s not the problem. So why are you so apprehensive about this?" He seemed to be trying to convince the person on the other end of the line about something.


    "You want to know why I need so much? You want to know who you''re looking for?" Takeru laughed. Chuckled. "Don''t worry about it. Just do what I asked, and you get paid. Simple."


    "Jeez, I tell you not to move and the first thing you do is leave." Yuki was calling out for me. I walked away, tossing my father''s conversation aside as something trivial.


    However, now that I was looking at it from this perspective, it started to have meaning.


    I should have known back then. "Takeru never did anything trivial."


    I muttered that to myself, completely horrified.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Think Raiden."


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö said from where she lay upside down beside me on the floor of the living room.


    As the me inside of the memory had a conversation with Yuki, my mind was working in overdrive.


    I thought back to the moment when me and Kami had returned to the Chisaki estate.


    Takeru had talked about planning an assassination. He had said he had regretted showing mercy back then. He was talking about me.


    The pieces began to fall into place. The entire thing, the attack on Kami, us sneaking out and getting punished for it.


    Me getting punished for not listening to the father, and Kami getting hurt because of my idea.


    It was all a plan. Crafted.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "In order to destroy Raiden."


    She finished for me. She was smiling.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Keep going Raiden. Your almost there.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    I didn''t know if I could handle seeing anymore. The thoughts that were flowing through my mind were already enough.


    If I say anything more, everything that I ever thought I knew would have been pulled out from under me completely.


    I''d have no foundation, no stabilization, and I''d fall. I''d fall far, and there''d be no one to catch me. Still, as if I was watching a train wreck, I couldn''t take my eyes off of anything that was going on.


    The scene changed again, this time to that fateful night. I had woken up late to a massive commotion in the house. All around, everyone was looking for Kami. The house was in uproar. She had disappeared.


    Immediately, I had an idea of what had happened. I knew. So, when my mother turned to me, a pained expression in her eyes, I couldn''t hold her gaze for long. Instead, I said,


    "I''m going to look."


    After telling her that, I ran outside, ignoring the shouts and calls of everyone else. I ran and ran and ran and ran until I reached the beach.


    And that''s where I saw her.


    She was laying in the sand. From the distance I was standing, she almost looked peaceful. As if she was just lounging in the sand for a moment.


    I desperately wanted to believe that was all it was.


    However, within just a few steps, I could see the blood. As soon as I saw it, I began to run. Faster, until I reached her.


    Thats when I saw it.


    There was blood all around her body. Multiple horrible gashes covered her body, and the amount of blood was even more than I had originally anticipated. I kneeled down, propping her head up and slightly shaking her.


    "Kami! Kami! Please! Wake up!"


    My voice was breaking, my words frantic. Even now, from where I stood, watching this scene one step removed, I couldn''t get rid of the horrible feeling in my stomach. The pit in my chest, the beating of my heart.


    The feel of her blood dripping down my hands. Tears began to roll down my eyes. She was dying.


    In the distance I heard a sound. Then everything turned to black.


    I stood their, frozen for a moment. Slowly, I turned my gaze to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.


    My eyes were wide, and I could see the horror in my own facial expression from the reflection in her eyes.


    "What happened." I muttered. "What happened." I repeated.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Your memory cuts here. There is nothing after this moment.


    "You said it was my mind hiding it from me, right?" I asked as I tried to sift through my memory, only to realize that I couldn''t remember.


    Had it always been like this? NO way, right?


    Inside of my head, I could feel the memories there, but there was nothing surfacing. I reached out for it, and only grabbed the tendrils of what I knew was there.


    Just like the Raiden that was holding Kami''s dying body in the sand, I began to panic. Looking around in the darkness.


    It felt claustrophobic. I was trapped. There was a hole in my memory.


    Part of my life was missing. All that was there was just enough for me to make the conclusion Takeru wanted.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "You''re finally starting to see it Raiden."


    How had I never noticed it before? What was missing? What part of my life had been taken away from me?


    My breathing was quickening. My chest hurt. My head felt empty.


    I truly wasn''t even whole. I was brok-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Calm."


    At the sound of her voice, light entered the world.


    She was right in front of me, her hands wrapped around me and her face inches away from mine.


    I looked at her, equal parts vulnerable, scared, and confused.


    "W-what happened to me?"


    It was all I could ask. Something was missing. Something was taken from me. Just like with Eve.


    And I felt just as helpless, just as empty, just as guilty as before.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö placed her hand on my forehead.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "A spell that locked your memories away. It''s easily dispelled, if you actually know it''s there."


    She calmly explained.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "Are you ready?"


    She asked, her voice and tone sweet.


    1001 thoughts were running through my head.


    I was far from ready. I wanted to run away, to get away from it all.


    "Yes."


    I lied.

 Chapter 97: The Truth (p.3)

    For a moment, it felt as if a part of my brain was being liberated. Like it had been hidden away from before and suddenly popped into existence at this moment. As soon as I felt that a flash of light ensued, and the scene before me was one I had never seen before.


    I was viewing it for the first time. It was one of the many memories that had been taken from me. Either by the spell, or my own brain locking it away.


    We were on the beach. It was the dead of night, and only a single constellation was visible.


    A cross in the sky. Crux. The southern cross.


    That singular cluster of stars was what stared down at the scene transpiring below.


    I was still frantically shaking Kami. My eyes were wide, and there were tears. My hands pressed down unto her wounds, trying to stop the flow of blood, but there were just too many cuts. It was at that moment that I had made the realization she needed a medic. Someone who could use healing magic.


    I turned to face the direction from where I came and shouted at the very top of my lungs. "HEREEE!" My voice broke at the end.


    Instantly, I could hear voices rushing forward and the underbrush being displaced as people rushed to my location.


    The first person to break through the brush was Mina. Then my mom, and a few other servants and guards.


    "KAMII!" My mother and Mina both screamed at the same time, as they made it to where we were and crouched down, grabbing her and trying to wake her up.


    My mother looked down, saw the blood, and screamed. Mina on the other hand was muttering to herself, her eyes horrified. One of the servants turned to look at me.


    "What happened!" They shouted, and I flinched backwards, snapped out of my own daze.


    "I-I don''t know!" I tripped over my words, and the crying was making it nearly impossible for me to see her.


    Another guard stepped forward, getting in my face. "You''re the one always leading her around! What they hell do you mean what happened?"


    Spit flew in my face, but I was too overwhelmed to notice. "I-I-I"


    Just before I could be pressed more, my mother shoved the guard out of the way, and sliding towards me, and grabbing me. Her hands perused my body, looking for any wounds.


    "Raiden. Raiden, are you okay?"


    Tears flowed down my face slowly. "I''m sorry. I don''t know- I just- I-"


    "Shhhhhhh. It''s okay. It''s okay."


    This was a memory that I remembered. My mom frantically searching for wounds on my body while I apologized. I was scared, and I was a ball of emotions, unable to express a single thought.


    Thats when she began to comfort me. To tell me that it was okay. To tell me that everything that happened wasn''t my fault. I remembered this moment. Back then, it was what had kept me alive.


    Just like the memory of her singing lullabies to me did.


    Turning my attention back to the scene that was currently going on, I saw that my mom and had returned to where they were now beginning to transport Kami. She was holding my hand, and everyone was rushing, running to get back.


    It was in that rush that I noticed sounds coming from the nearby brush. Immediately, I snapped my attention towards it. In that moment, I could see all the training my father had put me through kick in. All my senses honed in.


    I turned on my mana sense and saw someone trying to sneak away from the scene. I slipped away from my mother''s grasp, and she shouted out towards me.


    "Raiden! Come back! It''s dangerous!"


    However, I wasn''t going to stop. I dashed through the brush, chasing down the person who was trying to escape.


    They began to increase their speed as they realized someone was pursing them; however it didn''t make a difference.


    Coating my body in lightning, I used it to increase my speed. It was a technique I called Electrification.


    Dashing forward, it didn''t take long for me to get this person in my sights.


    As we broke through the brush, there was no ground below me. They had set a trap, using magic to create a massive group that lead into a bunch of spikes made out of rock down below.


    I turned around, and behind me, I could see a hooded figure standing, a smile on their faces.


    They were smiling. They thought they had one. However, the younger version of me had a trick up their sleeves.


    Mana switching.


    As I began to fall, I threw out a blast of lightning at them. To them, it must have seemed like a desperate last-ditch effort to take them down with me. The figure easily stepped out of the way of the attack, unfazed. Their smile even grew.


    However, that didn''t last for long. Activating the technique, I swapped places with the blast of lightning, landing directly behind the hooded figure.


    As they realized what happened, they put a hand up to defend themselves, however it was too late by that point.


    II used my finger that was coated in lighting in order to slash them 12 times.


    Arm, leg, face, chest, shoulder, hand.


    They were covered in slashes in a split second, the final one opening up a red smile on their neck.


    They began to fall backwards, complete and utter shock covering their faces. I watched them, a cold, hateful expression on my face. I watched as they fell straight into their own trap.


    I watched myself murder this person for revenge. Something I couldn''t remember happening for the life of me.


    I simply stood in wide-eyed shock as the little version of me stood from across. He was staring into the distance with pure malice in his eyes, lightning flickering wildly off of his body. His right index finger was dripping in blood.


    I stood across from him, staring at him with shock in my expression. My eyes were wide and I was shaking uncontrollably.


    I couldn''t remember this moment at all. But know that I had seen it again, I knew that without a doubt this had happened. I had experienced this.


    I had killed a man. And yet I couldn''t remember it.


    As I began to take horrified steps back, I made the realization that this was one of the things my mind had warped and hidden away from me.


    "Why?" I muttered weakly to myself, unable to understand. With every new thing that I saw, my mind began to break a bit more. I didn''t want to see any more. If I did, my mind would shatter completely.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "This is just the beginning."


    I could hear her voice, but when I looked around, she was nowhere to be found. It was in that moment that I began to feel alone. It was starting to become cold. I reached out, but there was no one there.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "You killed a man. You don''t seriously expect that it didn''t have any mental consequences on you?"


    "But-"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "In fact, the very first time you killed a person was when your murdered Mark and the rest of them. And yet there was no bad reaction. You didn''t lose it. You didn''t feel guilty. Why?"


    The answer was simple. Because I had already felt that once, and nothing would ever compare to the first. Even if I couldn''t remember it my own subconscious recognized that.


    Internally, I felt a pillar crumble. I felt glass shatter. Whatever analogy you could draw to something breaking. I had been having this feeling from the very beginning. But now, it shook me to the core.


    It scared me.


    The scenery changed. In a flash, right in front of my eyes. Now it was within the hospital room where Kami had been saved.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "She''s stable. For now. She''s also woken up. If you want, you can go talk to her." The doctor, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline said. He paused for a few seconds before saying, "However be mindful. The attack was so traumatic that it put her in a near death state for a while. She''s missing memories of the attack, as well as a lot of moments leading up to it."


    I didn''t go Immediately. I couldn''t after what the doctor had just told us. Instead, I waited for my mom and dad to go in first. I was ashamed. I felt responsible for what had happened. If I hadn''t gone and ran my mouth, if I hadn''t actually snuck out with her on multiple occasions, this would have never happened.


    I was so wrapped up in these thoughts that I didn''t notice when the door to the room opened, and both mom and dad stepped out.


    "Raiden." My father said. His voice was tense, and vulnerable. He rarely ever showed vulnerability in his words. Hearing that shook me to the core.


    "Kami. She wants to speak to you."


    In that moment, I wondered. Even know, I could read the thoughts of the me that I watched from a distance. I could remember parts of this, but not all of it.


    is she going to blame me?


    She probably hates me.


    Those parts of me began to assume the very worst, and it made it nearly impossible for me to drag myself into the room. However, I did. Once the door shut behind me, Kami turned to face me. There were multiple bandages on her face and her arms were wrapped.


    A relieved expression washed over her face as she saw me. "Your oaky." She said, as if that was the only thing that mattered right now. Even as she lay in the hospital bed. "Theres an intruder. An attacker. I was worried about everyone else...."


    I couldn''t believe that she would be so worried about other people when she had nearly lost her life like that. "Don''t worry. I took care of it. They''re not going to hurt anyone else." I started off by saying something that would get her mood up.


    She smiled.


    Seeing that, I decided to keep going, and ask the questions that were on the forefront of my mind. "Why?"


    I let a beat of silence pass before I spoke again. "Why did you go out alone."


    After I asked the question, I braced myself for the answer, knowing that no matter what it was, I would blame myself for it in the end.


    However, no amount of preparation could have prepared me for what was said next.


    In my own memory, this part of the conversation hadn''t been included.


    "I did it because I wanted to be like you."


    Both the memory of the past, and the current me had the breath ripped from our lungs after that statement.


    Both of our eyes widened at the same time, and I can only assume that the exact same thoughts were running through our heads. However, Kami continued to speak.


    "You''ve done it so many times before. Going out alone, completely unnoticed. You''d always come back and look refreshed. Satisfied. I wanted to do what you did. But it looks like I only messed things up."


    She tried to sound lighthearted however her voice was so weak that I couldn''t buy into the joke.


    If only I realized how much she looked up to me. If only I thought about that before I did so many stupid things in front of her. Talked about so many stupid things in front of her. If I had just paid a little more attention to anything but myself this would have never happened.


    As the Raiden that belonged to the memory began to hyperventilate, I took a step back, trying to escape this room. However, as I reached the wall, I realized that I couldn''t leave. I was trapped. Now I was starting to hyperventilate. I reached out to grab something, anything for support, however there was nothing. Everything that I tried to grab for only ended up phasing through me.


    I looked around in disbelief. Not only was I alone, but the only things that I could touch were the walls that kept me boxed in.


    Internally, I felt another pillar fall.


    Just then, I saw myself run out of the room, to Kami''s shock. I burst out of the door, and my parents watched in shock as I ran.


    I ran, until I found myself back on that beach. Kami''s blood was still in the sand, as the tide hadn''t rose high enough to wash it away yet. I stared at the blood, absolutely disgusted with myself.


    At that moment there were many thoughts and emotions that were running through me.


    I felt guilty, and responsible for what had happened. It was because of me that Kami had been hurt so badly her brain forced her to forget it.


    I felt shameful, because it was my own mistake that led to this happening.


    My own mind was telling me that it was all my fault, and that I should atone for what happened. I remembered the vulnerability in my father''s voice. The pain and horror in my mother''s expression. Mina''s shock.


    I thought back on all of it, I remembered all of my father''s words, all of the training.


    What was the point when things ended up like this? All the effort that people put in was destroyed by him. All of the things that happened were his fault. All of the people were hurt by his actions.


    As Raiden began to spiral, he watched in horror as there began scene he couldn''t remember.


    He watched in the memory as he began to scratch himself, drawing blood. Just a few drops at first. However, there was more and more and more flowing out with every second that Raiden sat there. All the while, he stared into the ocean with an empty expression.


    He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn''t notice Yuki Walk about behind him. Not until she grabbed his hands and pulled them away from him.


    At that moment, I finally looked up and saw Yuki standing behind me. Her expression was sad and hurt.


    "Raiden, what were you trying to do?" She asked the question, but she sounded like she already knew the answer.


    For a moment I wondered what she was talking about. That was until I caught notice of the blood that dripped from my hands. That ran down my arms, and that covered the sand. There was so much of it that I was surprised I was still alive.


    Before I could come up with an excuse as to what was going on, Yuki pulled me in close.


    "Don''t do this to yourself Raiden." She said softly. I didn''t know when, but I had begun to cry. "Don''t do this too yourself. Don''t blame yourself for what happen. I want you to promise me that you''ll never do something like this again okay. That you''ll never try to end what hasn''t even started yet." Yuki herself seemed on the verge of tears.


    I nodded absentmindedly; however, Yuki wasn''t convinced. "Raiden. Promise."


    "I- I promise" I replied in between tears.


    After that, I watched as I blacked out from blood loss.


    That was the birth of my destructive habit.


    Another pillar snapped.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    In the next scene, I was waking up, and there were faint voices in the room. The voices belonged to my father and my mother, however the me on the table couldn''t tell at the moment.


    As his mind began to clear, he decided to pretend to still be unconscious, and listened in on the conversation.


    "So, what you''re saying is you knew what was going on and you just let it happen?" My mothers voice sounded hurt and angry at the same time.


    My father''s voice on the other hand, was cold. However, I could sense a bit of hurt there two. He was masking his own emotion. "You know why I had to do this. There was no other way. Pressure from the entire family lead to this."


    My mother slammed her hand against the counter, shaking it violently. "And so, in response, you plotted on your own kids? On your own family?" She was shouting.


    I held my breath. This was a scene I had never seen yet. There was a part of me that told me to close my eyes and block my ears, and to save myself from the damage this would cause. However, I couldn''t. I kept watching and listening.


    "They''re scared, Sora. They were all scared of him. Of his power. Of his curse. They didn''t feel safe. Not only the family, but from some of the 10 grand magic families. They think because of the curse, he''s a threat. They want him assassinated. They believe that he''s "the one who will bring upon ruin". As our ancestors previously fore tolled. His strength, plus his curse isn''t helping."


    My father''s emotionless facade began to crack. He sounded nervous. He sounded stressed. He even sounded a bit scared.


    My mothers anger subsided a bit. "And this was the only thing you could come up with? Traumatizing both of our children? Hurting them? Hurting everyone in the family! Raiden tried to kill himself! Is that what you want?"


    My father suddenly snapped. "Of course not! I don''t'' want any of this! But with what I have this is all I can do! The world of non-magicians wants him dead. Other magicians want him and his sister dead. And they''re both so naive. Believing in exploring a world that won''t hesitate to kill them! I had to do something to make sure they don''t run into their deaths."


    "And so, you chose the most violent path of all time! Our children''s lives are on the line! They''re wellbeing, and their futures. So, I''ll be damned if I let us go down this pa-"


    At that moment I closed my eyes because I knew what would have happened next. My mother''s voice was cut off as the sound of a slap filled the room.


    "Just stop! I know what I''m wrong! I know I''ll be punished. However, this is the only way. Yes, that meant allowing them to roam free, to sneak out without anybody stopping them. Yes, that meant hiring that assassin to hurt Kami. it was all in order to drill into their minds that the outside world was dangerous. And most importantly, it was to make sure Raiden stayed in line, and make sure that he continued to stay in line! I had to break him, to make sure that both Kami and him can survive this world!"


    My father walked to the corner of the room before punching it hard. He leaned his head against the wall, and judging from the shakiness of his voice, he was crying. "I would have never done this I had a choice. But I don''t. I don''t have a choice, okay? Better he thinks himself worthless than dead."


    At that moment, I saw myself shift on the table. Saw as he walked over to where my mother was crying, facing away from him.


    I saw how he reached down to touch her, to hug her, to tell her that it would be okay.


    I saw the action happen in slow motion. I saw his hands brush her shoulder-


    CRACKKK!


    The sound of a vicious slap echoed throughout the room.


    One moment, I saw myself reaching down to console my mom. In the next, I had been flung halfway across the room, a bruise on my face and blood dripping from my mouth.


    Maybe my sudden touch had scared my mother so much that she reflexively attacked.


    Maybe she was antsy after she had been hit by Takeru. Whatever it was, it had caused her to slap me.


    I saw myself on all fours, staring at the ground in shock. I then turned to look at my mom. Shock, fear and hurt in my expression.


    My mother stared back at me in pure shock. "Raiden, I-I-m sorry. Raiden I-"


    Before she could even say anything else, Takeru dashed forward and kneeled before me.


    "You were awake?" His eyes were streaked with tears. It was the first time I had ever seen him fall. However, I wasn''t focused on him.


    I was staring at my mom. And she was staring at me. Both of us had shock, hurt, and pain on our faces.


    Suddenly Takeru placed a finger on my forehead. "Listen Raiden. I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. And I know when you eventually break this seal, you''ll never forgive me. You won''t be able to, and I''ll understand. It''s all my fault. But don''t blame your mother. Don''t. Just understand that this is what had to be done."


    I could feel a spell being cast, and my vision began to go away.


    "And if you remember anything, remember this." He cleared his throat, shifting his voice back to a cold tone. "You only have one purpose, never forget. Because should you ever forget, then that means you''ve lost the purpose for your pitiful existence."


    At that moment, the final pillar snapped.


    The entire world around me collapsed. Everything faded away into a storm of incomprehensible things. Colors, lights, sounds and words all flashed by.


    So many things had been shifted. My entire understanding of who I was and the life I had lived had been shifted.


    And I was alone. And I couldn''t recover.


    My father''s words that always replayed in my mind. The reason my mother could never look me in the eyes.


    My horrible habit.


    I had seen it all unfold. I''d seen the truth.


    And my mind began to break. It began to shatter, to fly apart. And I couldn''t pick up all the pieces. I couldn''t.


    And that was when I felt her touch and her presence again.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Remember what I said. I''m your savior. Even if you can''t pick up the pieces on your own, I''ll do it for you.


    And for one final time, my world shifted.

 Chapter 98: Lie to Love

    ".... Fault."


    The sound of someone''s wretched sobbing filled the black void. It echoed throughout the darkness, reverberating off of nonexistent walls. The sobs seemed to stretch out for miles.


    "Hkkkk. Hkkkk." Sobs so forceful that they racked the body could be heard. They were the only sound within the void. There was nothing else.


    Of course, it wouldn''t make sense to talk about it in the third person.


    Because they were my sobs. I was the one pathetically crying their eyes out.


    "It''s all....my fault."


    Every part of my body heart. It felt like I had lost whatever it was that kept me grounded in this universe. There was nothing. All of my pillars had crumbled. I had seen the truth, and my mind couldn''t take it.


    Everything that I thought I knew was wrong. Inside, my heart felt cold. My body was cold, everything was cold. Everywhere I looked, there was darkness.


    My own memories had been altered. My father had done it. He was the one who engineered the attack that nearly killed Kami. He did it because of me. He said he didn''t have a choice. It was all my fault that it happened. It was on me. I did it. He said I was cursed, that there was something wrong about me. I was naive. It was my foolish beliefs and my own words that lead to this happening. He hurt my mom, and my mom who was hurt, hurt me. She had slapped me. She looked at me with fear in her expression. That moment was the reason she couldn''t look me in the eyes anymore. All of it, seen at once, had blown the hinges of my mind, leaving it to crumble.


    And I was all alone.


    There was no one around that could help me, no one around to help me pick up the pieces of what shattered.


    I felt cold. My breaths came out quickly, as if no matter how many breaths I took, I couldn''t get enough oxygen in my lungs.


    My chest burned from the emotions swirling inside it. It felt like my heart and head were going to explode simultaneously.


    I couldn''t take it anymore. As I floated through the silence, I just wanted to disappear. To fade away. To be free of whatever was ripping though my body and to be freed from the collapse of my own mind.


    "I''m just, hopeless." I muttered to nobody as I allowed myself to fall. I was too tired to struggle.


    My mind was too broken.


    I myself was too weak.


    It would all just slip through my fingers again.


    And just like always, I''d find myself staring that cycle right back in the eyes.


    My horrible actions hurt someone. I tried to change. I failed. Somone gets hurt again. I hated myself. I hated everything about me.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "No one''s coming to help you."


    I knew that already. I was all alone. I had nothing and there was no one coming to help me. This would be where it all ended.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''re all alone. But the task in front of you is something that you can''t do on your own.


    That was right. There was nothing I could do on my own. I just wasn''t strong enough to. My hands just weren''t big enough, my arms not strong enough, and my own mind not fortified enough to handle this challenge.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: So much misfortune. So much trouble. And who''s to blame?


    Me, I''ve always been the one to blame. It''s always been my fault, and it''ll continue to be that way forever. It''s my fault for everything.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: It''s pathetic, isn''t it?


    I might have laughed to myself.


    Of course it was. Of course I was. I was pathetic and would always be pathetic. After seeing the truth, I came to see that better than ever.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Even after all you''ve seen. You still can''t see the truth.


    In that moment I felt someone''s touch. The coldness that filled my body slowly began to recede, however the brief touch faded as quickly as it had come.


    I shivered as soon as the touch faded.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''ve seen everything, and yet you still believe the words of the man who caused this. You still blame yourself.


    Of course I would blame myself. It was my faul-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: A broken record. Repeating the same things over and over again. Trapping themselves in this infinite loop and then claiming that the cycle was inescapable.


    "No that''s not-" I spoke up this time, trying to refute her claims, however she cut me off mercilessly.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You believe this all started because you were a naive fool. You believe that your very birth was the cause behind everything. No, that''s not right. You don''t believe that you only believe your fathers words.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Your wrong. It''s because I know. I''ve seen it all for myself-"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You can only see what your father has led you to believe. He''s manipulated you. And you can''t break free from his grasp. You can''t pull yourself away from what you believe to be "The truth." However, the truth has now been completely shattered. Rewritten. You know the real truth now. Can you still believe the lies you''ve been told?


    "They''re not lies." Throughout her speech, I could feel someone''s touch for a split second, and then it would fade. Over and over again. A part of me longed for the warmth, while another shied away from the touch. It was like I was being overstimulated.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''re going to die if you don''t get up soon. You''ll break your promise to Hikaru. You''ll leave Kami alone.


    "That was inevitable. I can''t do it all. I just can''t. This was always the kind of person I was. One who hurt others.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: And your sister? You''ll really leave her behind?


    "During my fight with Yuri, he laid out the truth. I''m just to slave to my mission. Kami said the same thing herself."


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: No. What Yuri was trying to do was knock some sense into you. The fact that you were so angry at his statement shows the exact opposite.


    "What happened when Kami got her bruise, I couldn''t help her. She had to go to Suijin to truly talk about what had happened!" I argued desperately, my voice beginning to rise. My throat was beginning to grow dry from the shouting, but I didn''t stop. I couldn''t I needed to prove her wrong.


    But why? Why was I so hellbent on making sure that she was wrong? Was it because deep down inside, I had already realized that what she was saying was right. But if what she was saying was right, then I truly had no idea who I was.


    I wasn''t Raiden Chisaki. I wasn''t myself. I was just a personality that happened to enter this body. Seeing my memories had reminded me of how bright, hopeful, and ambitious that Raiden used to be.


    I was nothing like that. I wasn''t the same Raiden. It just wasn''t possible. And if Everything that she was saying was true, that meant I was a fake. That I was the wrong one. That I didn''t belong. That my very existence was a mistake.


    And that meant that once the real Raiden began to return, I would die. I would fade away, just like I had never existed.


    And internally, I didn''t want to die.


    So, I argued desperately against everything she was saying. With ever growing second, the cold ate at my body even more.


    "You don''t know me at all! I know myself better than anyone! I''m weak! I''m useless. I''m-"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You don''t know you at all Raiden. You don''t have a single idea as to who you are. You can try to piece it all together, but you can''t. And now, you mind is going to shatter because of it. You can only cling to the words of your father, because they''re the only true memories that you have. Everything else has been distorted.


    "That''s because those words were right! They were the truth about me that I refused to see at the time!"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''re wrong. You can''t seem to see it because it would mean your wrong. Raiden is someone who is cared about. That''s evident in Kami, your mom, even your own father in some twisted way.


    Scenes began to play in my head. My mom''s lullaby. Kami''s admiring gaze.


    "Your wrong your wrong! Cared about is lie!"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Raiden is someone who can make others happy. You''re outing with Hikaru, the memories you shared with Kami, everything that Yuki feels for you.


    Hikaru''s smile. My own enjoyment. The Warmth I felt. The ocean. Yuki''s caring gaze.


    "I''m only capable of bringing hurt! Of bringing pain to others! My actions only end in me and someone else getting hurt, and I''m shallow!"


    My throat was raw from all of the screaming.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Raiden is more than just his lowest moments and his shame. Raiden is a person beyond his vaults. Raiden Chisaki deserves to live.


    Images of me on the beach with blood dripping down my arm, of me inside of my room with blood dripping, images of Eve.


    I could scream no longer.


    "It''s all a lie. They''re lies. All of it."


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Then lie Raiden. All your life, you''ve been lied to. Manipulated. Taken advantage of. Your autonomy has been ripped from your grasps. So, take it back. Lie like they lied to you. Tell yourself lies, because even if you can''t believe them, you can use them. Use the lies to get back on your feet. Even if you can''t believe them, I will. So, lie Raiden. Lie to love yourself."


    My entire body was vibrating.


    "But, but, if Raiden is found, then what happens to me?" My voice began to break. "Where do I go? The one that took his place after his memories where taken? What happens to me? I don''t want to die either."


    I began to curl into a ball. Was there even an "I"?


    And in that moment, I felt the warmth of someone''s embrace. Arms wrapped around me from behind.


    "You are Raiden."


    "No-"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: "You are Raiden. You are part of Raiden. But in order to truly become Raiden, you must kill the other. Forsake the Raiden who can¡¯t even look himself in the eyes. Who can¡¯t even look his own sister in the eyes. Forsake the Raiden who isn¡¯t human. Toss him aside. Kill him. Bury him. And form yourself, anew.¡±


    In that moment, I could feel it. The split between my soul. There were two. Both parts were Raiden. So which one would need to die?


    "It doesn''t matter. No matter what. My mind will end up broken in the end. I will end up broken."


    "Shhhhhhh." She began to stroke my hair.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: That won''t happen. Because I''m here. I''ll be there for you. To do what you can''t. You''ve been working so hard for so long. Putting so much on your shoulders. Going through so much alone, without telling anybody. You''ve done it all alone. But now pass it on to me. Allow me to take the load you''ve been carrying for so loud. Allow me to take it all. Free your burdened shoulders. And when you fall, I''ll be there for you again. No matter how many times you fall back, no matter how many times you lose and want to give up, I''ll be there to catch you. I''ll always be right behind you Raiden. I''ll be your new support. I''ll take the place of the pillars of your mind. Whatever you can''t solve, just turn to me. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, turn to me. Whenever the very grandeur of it all feels too much for you to handle, turn to me, and I''ll be right there for you, ready to tackle it for you. I''ll always be there. And when you feel like your mind is going to shatter, and your pillars are going to fall, then don''t worry. Let them fall. Let them crumble. I will build them again for you. I''ll build them anew. Should you ever begin to feel crushed by the wait, let me help you. Just because your mind breaks easily, doesn''t mean you can¡¯t piece it back together. Let your mind shatter, let it break. Then piece it back together. Again, and again. Return, and fight, and cry, and then win. Again, and again. Let your mind shatter and pick up the pieces. Even if you lose some in the process, what does it matter. Just build it back newer and better. Take my hand. Raiden. Kill the past.


    In that moment, I took her hand. I let her words brainwash me, because it hurt to much to think for myself. I let all of her promises fill my mind.


    And I took her hand.


    She pulled me closer, until our faces were inches part.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Good boy.


    She pulled my closer, and her lips brushed against mine.


    At the same time, I felt a sword pierce my body. I grabbed the blade. But instead of pulling it back, I pulled it in deeper. Allowing it to pierce me. It wasn''t real, but it felt just like someone had stabbed me through. I felt something leaving me, fading away. The negative thoughts, the hate. It slowly began to fade.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Kill the past. And welcome the future.


    And for the first time, I thought,


    Maybe I can.

 Chapter 99: God of Thunder

    BOOOOOMMM!


    In the air, the sound of thunderous booms ruled the sky, and on the ground, Lightning crashed ceaselessly. The rainfall blocked out most of what could be seen in the distance. The powerful rain isolated the Arena from the outside world. It isolated me and Eve''s bodyguard.


    Thor was his name. It was fitting. His power was control of lightning. He must have been the one who brought on this storm.


    I looked up, analyzing the black clouds that surrounded Theta, blocking everything out completely. They were so large and dark that it was impossible for them to be natural. There was also the fact that I assumed there to be two layers of coverage. While the barrier did extend high, it wasn''t high enough for so many clouds to be present on the inside.


    I turned to look at the man who was responsible. He was standing on the other side of the arena, facing off against me, Lightning flickered off of his body violently, striking out at the ground and nearby trees. He was completely dry, as the rain didn''t touch him at all. It avoided him as if he was standing under an invisible umbrella.


    In between us, there was a massive trail of the ground. Where he had nearly beaten me to death beforehand. The ground was dotted with cracks and scarred from the heat of the lighting.


    When I had awoken, he wasn''t beating on me. Despite the fact that I had spent God knows how long unconscious, he hadn''t attacked me. In my mind, I thought back to the moment before I had fallen unconscious. He had ceased his attack back then as well. He had looked me in the eyes, and there I saw fear, vulnerability, violation.


    He had looked to me for help in that moment. I picked up my blade from the ground, shaking the dirt off of it.


    I took note of the heart on top. I remembered Suijin''s question. Did I have an answer for it?


    What about your heart?


    I remembered how Yuki had told me to follow me heart, to do what I wanted and enjoy myself.


    "I want." The words felt a bit out of place on my tongue, and my voice was husky. However, I paused through anyways.


    I thought back to a time in the past where I gazed at ocean and felt something. When I had told Kami that I wanted to experience the world. I thought back to those memories.


    I thought back to the words I had been given. That even if I fell, she would be there to catch me. I wouldn''t be alone. Someone would help me through my mistakes.


    "I want to be free."


    The words hung out in the air. A warm feeling rushed through my body. The words weren''t washed away by the ceaseless pounding of the wind. They were strong. I felt a weight in my chest lift.


    I stepped forward, turning my gaze back to Thor. As he looked at me, I could see the same pleading look in his eyes. I realized it in that moment that what he was doing was against his will.


    He had his control, his autonomy taken away from him by Eve. Just like she had done to me. He had spent his life watching as he did things he didn''t want to, forced to be a passenger in his own body.


    I could sympathize with him. I could understand it. I spent my entire life until this moment the same exact way. Unlike me however, he wasn''t given the opportunity to free himself. He wasn''t given the chance to break away from his chains.


    And so, he was asking me to help him. He was pleading with me. If I was in that same situation, I would want the same.


    And so, I was going to honor his decision. As someone who had experienced the same thing at the same person''s hand. I would honor it, and I would free him.


    I took another step forward, unsheathing my blade. Unleashing all 5+ feet of metal and its glory.


    At the same time, Thor began to move. He reached his hand out to the side. The lighting grabbed a piece of the trunk of a nearby tree, ripping it off and pulling it towards Thor. As it flew towards him, the lighting burned off pieces, reshaping it.


    Once it landed in Thors hand, it had been transformed into a hammer. One resembled Thor''s hammer. A hammerhead that resembled a capital T.


    He fortified the creation with mana, and imbued it with lighting, which caused all of its inscriptions and designs to glow blue.


    He began to walk forward. Our eyes were looked the entire time.


    As soon as we were a few feet away from each other, we began to circle each other, like two predators locked in a territorial fight.


    As I circled him, I pointed my sword, and he did the same with his hammer.


    "I. Raiden Chisaki."


    Thor''s face seemed strained for a moment, but then, he spoke.


    "I. Raijiin."


    "I will liberate you."


    With that affirmation, I dashed forward, and Thor did the same.


    As we clashed in the center of the field, lightning flashed and cracked, reaching out all across the arena.


    The ground below shattered, and I could feel the force of the blow reverberating through my bones.


    At the same time, Thunder BOOMED massively overhead. It signified the start of the battle.


    Between the two meant to rule the sky.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    Lightning sparked wildly around the battlefield, mercilessly vaporizing anything that was misfortunate enough to be put in its blast radius.


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    The ground below had ben vaporized and upturned so many times that it felt like I was standing on cotton.


    I swung my blade in a wide arc, sending a wave of lightning right at Thor.


    Thor easily sidestepped the lightning, before throwing his hammer straight at me.


    I dodged out of the way, but as I turned to attack, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise.


    Dodging again, I barely avoided the hammer as it came back for a second go.


    Shit! Is this guy actually Thor?


    I thought as I dashed forward and clashed blades with him once more. Sparks went flying once again.


    The impact was so powerful that we were both blasted backwards, however I didn''t allow myself to be forced back for too long. Immediately jumping high into the air, I held out my own blade, channeling lightning through it.


    Using a defense spell to create a shield, I used it to create a midair foothold that I rocketed off of.


    Thor didn''t waste any time, jumping off of the ground to meet me in the air. Once again, we clashed, causing a massive explosion of light to engulf the arena.


    This time, I was forced back by the force of the blow and crashed into a nearby portion of the magic academy.


    Before I could even get my bearings, a massive beam of light flew straight at me. I instantly pushed out of the crater, running along the wall as a massive beam of lightning began to chase me along the wall, carving up the material.


    The smell of burning and ashes filled my nose.


    Just as the wall ended, I turned around and activated a magic sequence. Combining a defense spell with a portal spell and then layering it with a speed boosting spell.


    As the massive wave of lighting reached me, I swung my blade. The defense spell that it was coated in allowed for me to neutralize the power of the spell. I cut the lightning wave clean in half, before using the portal spell to send the bisected spell back at Thor.


    Thor barley managed to dodge them both, but as he turned to face me, it was too late.


    I was already in the air, directly above him. I held my blade high preparing a powerful slash.


    Reflexively, Thor raised his hammer and coated it in a defense spell to block, however my attack was just a feint.


    Instead, I allowed my momentum to carry me past Thor, and I sheathed my blade.


    Activating my ability, perfect counter.


    As I fell back down to the ground, 3 slashes appeared on Thor''s body.  As Thor turned back to face me, I was already pivoting, holding my sheathed blade at my said.


    Gripping the handle tightly, I unsheathed the blade and slashes at the same time, letting out a mega wave of lightening. The ground below me cracked and cratered from the force of the blow, and a path was torn through the rain.


    "Cloud Shattering slash!" I said under my breath, as Thor just barely managed to raise his hammer up in time. However, it didn''t stop the whole attack, and a horizontal red gash appeared along Thor''s chest.


    Behind him, the clouds that were within the barrier were literally blown away from the force.


    Thor fell back to the ground, his landing causing a plume of smoke to rise in the air.


    As I watched and waited for my opponent to make their next move, a brief though flashed through my head.


    Why was I only using lightning spells?


    I had just made the realization. Besides the spell is used to facilitate my attacks, the only damaging spells I was using were lightning spells.


    Even when I had used my ability perfect counter, I imbued my blade in lightning.


    Was it because I wanted to prove that I was stronger? Did I really still operate on childish things like that?


    As I began to think about it, I heard a voice.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: I think you can cut yourself a little slack.


    I was momentarily shocked as her voice came over me. "You''re really still here?"


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Of course. I made a promise that I intend to keep. I''ll always be there for you.


    I was about to say something else, however in that moment Thor attack, throwing his hammer, which caught me square in the chest.


    I could feel a sharp pain in my rib cage, accompanied by the numbing feeling of lightning coursing through my body.


    The hammer seemed to have a mind of its own, dragging me across the ground and through multiple battlements and portions of the magic academy.


    The path of the hammer even curved to return right back towards the arena. The power of the lightning imbued within the hammer was also steadily increasing.


    In that moment, and Idea washed over me. I could end this battle in one swift blow if it worked.


    Clinging unto the hammer, I began to steadily absorb the output power of the lightning. I began to absorb the power steadily, combining it with some of my own mana.


    Waiting until the hammer was just about to return to Thor, I let go, allowing myself to land on top of the Arena.


    Before I could execute that strategy though, I was blindsided by a blow from my left.


    And then another one to my right, which sent my crashing into ground.


    I tried to recover; however, I was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers.


    And then I realized it.


    When I had jumped through the portal to return to the battlefield, Ichijo and Genji were battling against many different opponents. All of them under Eve''s control.


    Another blow hit me, causing me to cough out blood. My vision blurred. I had dropped my sheath somewhere along the way, so I couldn''t even use my ability to escape this situation.


    There were six of them. One in an all-black suit. One in a yellow suit with claws. One with a red suit. One with a blue suit, and one wearing red and black. Along with Thor.


    I was caught in the endless cycle of attacks. I did the best that I could to defend myself, However I was to disorientate to defend myself properly.


    I was knocked into the air by what felt like a shield, before two people with claws attacked me. After that, i was knocked straight into the ground by a massive blast of lightning and flame.


    I crashed into the center of the magic arena.


    Above me, six fingers landed in the stands, with Thor floating above me. It looked like something I''d see in a marvel comic.


    Holding his hammer high into the air and channeling lightning, he sent out a wave of lightning to crash into my body.


    And he held it there. Constantly pumping more and more and more.


    I began to grow numb, and I could feel my brain seizing.


    Blood and foam dripped down my throat, and the scent of something burning filled my nose.


    I had more than enough energy to execute my plan, however there wasn''t an opening. Even if this endless wave of lightning ceased, there were 5 others watching me, ready to jump in.


    Dammit! Your name literally symbolizes lightning, and yet here you are, about to meet your maker to it?


    Didn''t you say you were going to liberate him. Liberate all of them? Get up!


    But no matter how much I struggled; I could not escape.


    That was until-


    "RAIDEENNNNN!!!!!"


    Someone shouted my name at the very top of their lungs.


    In that moment I was liberated from the jail that was the constant lightning. All at once, all 6 of my attackers turned their heads to the voice who had shouted.


    I knew who the voice belonged to.


    Of course she''d find me. Of course, she''d stupidly shout out and draw the attention of all the enemies to herself.


    That''s just the type of person Hikaru Hina was.


    However, her distraction was perfect. Standing on my two feet, I released all of the energy I had been absorbing. A massive amount of lightning erupted from my body, surrounding me and flickering around wildly.


    I had absorbed more energy than originally planned, so my control over this state was weak.


    However, I used electrification, applying it to my whole body.


    I could feel my speed and power rise exponentially, more than should have been possible. And that was because under normal circumstances this much should have been impossible.


    However, because of all the energy I had absorbed, this spell was operating a 200%


    Lighting raged, and the clouds began to swirl around me. The wind blew violently.


    Clutching my sword, I stepped forward.


    Moving faster than even light itself I cut down all 6.


    One swift slash to the neck.


    In each of their eyes I saw relief. I saw happiness.


    I saw thankfulness.


    I had liberated them from Eve''s grasp.


    After I cut down Thor and landed on the ground, a massive explosion of lighting and energy filled the entire arena, rising up high into the sky and completely blowing away all of the clouds.


    The ground of Theta shook violently as if it was experiencing an Earthquake, and the very sky and ground itself cracked from the pure power of the blow. With one attack I had cleared a majority of the sky. Even the clouds outside the barrier were blown away. For what seemed to be miles and miles and miles that stretched out infinitely, the clouds were blown away. The sun began to shine down.


    And slowly, the heavens began to smile down at Theta once more.

 MAGIC

    This is essentially a glossary of Information that will be constantly updated as the story progresses. If you ever need a refresher on something, you can come here.


    Magic system:


    Mana: A from of energy that exists in magicians. It origins are currently unknown. It allows for magicians to use their abilities.


    Spells: Like your basic rpg, there are all of your elemental spells, as well as spells that can act as buffs and debuffs. Technically, an infinite number of spells can exist, because when you layer magic sequences on top of one another, you can create very complex spells that can do anything. Essentially, your minds the limit, both creatively, and physically.


    Magic Sequences: Magic sequences are processed through the brain like a computer would run code. They are essentially a string of spells that combine in order to become one spell. For example, combining a wind spell and acceleration spell, in order to create a speed boosting magical sequence. It essentially streamlines the process, so you don''t need to activate those two spells separately. The more you use a certain sequence, the faster you can process it in your brain, until it can be done automatically. This is why characters in the novel usually have a certain element they prefer, because they have taken the time to train with magic sequences involving that spell more than they have trained with others. That also comes with a major drawback. Because the brain is responsible for processing all of your spells, if you go past your limit, you literally fry your own brain.


    I.e:


    Spell = 1 magic spell.


    Sequence > than 1 magic spell.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Layering: This one may have confused a few of you, so I''ll break it down here. Layering is just the process of taking two separate magic sequences, or spells, and putting them on top of each other-(hence the name layering)-to form a new spell. This can be done as many times as you please. Let''s take an example. This one comes from the very first chapter.


    "The spell that beast used was a wind spell, combined with an acceleration spell for speed, and an incineration spell to burn up everything the wind touched.


    As Raiden explains here, the magical beast used a wind spell as the base. This is the first layer. Then, he places an acceleration spell unto of that wind spell, in order to increase its speed. He then layered an incineration spell unto that one once again.


    Now, you may ask, Greed_Route, you just explained that you can combine more than one spell together to form a magical sequence, right?


    To that, I answer yes. Keep going.


    You may now ask, in this case, why didn''t the magical beast just make one magic sequence with a wind, acceleration and speed spell. You can do that right?


    My answer to that, is yes. You can. How you decide to organize your spells is all up to the discretion of the magician. The magic system allows for freedoms like that.


    Output %: Not much explanation is needed for here. This is just the output power of the attack, on a scale of 0-100%. This represents the amount of mana you pour into the attack. The higher it is, the faster and stronger an attack is. A lightning spell fired at 10 percent, is much weaker than one fired at 100%. Most attacks are always fired at 80-100%, unless I specify otherwise.


    Cancelling Magic: This one is also pretty self-explanatory in the effect, but how does it work? In this case, the reason people who can cancel magic are so rare, is because the process is so difficult. It involves using mana in the air to disrupt a person''s brain waves as they are processing a magic sequence. This requires an insane amount of focus. Not only that, but as explained prior, people can process magic spells in less than a second if their familiar with it, so you need to be even faster than that to actually cancel it. Which is why it''s so rare.


    Thats it for now, hopefully this helped you understand my story a bit more.


    To Be Continued....

 Chapter 100: Liberation (5)

    I released electrification from my body, and Immediately I felt the draw backs of using such immense power. I nearly fell to the ground, my shaky legs just barely supporting me.


    My fingers were trembling so much that I could barely keep a good grip on the sword. The beating I had taken along with the use of electrification on 200% had left me in a bad state. n


    However, I had done it. Defeated all of those who were under Eve''s control, freeing them.


    Above, the sun shone done brightly. I had liberated it from behind the massive wall of clouds that had covered it since the beginning of this siege.


    I looked around, searching for Hikaru. It was thanks to her distraction that I had managed to get enough time to defeat them in the first place. I didn''t know what I was going to say, but I had to at least thank her. Maybe even admonish her for being so reckless.


    As I took a stumbling step forward, I took notice of a figure in my peripheral vision.


    White dress, white hair, and blue eyes. She was staring at me.


    I snapped my head to the left, but the only thing that was there was the remains of the academy which had been brutally burned by the powerful lightning spell I had used.


    Who was that?


    I had seen her once before. Right before I had been knocked unconscious in my fight with Thor.


    She was the height of a young girl, with a white dress that blew in the wind, as well as a bright ocean blue ribbon in her white hair.


    But for the life of me, I didn''t know who she was. Or what she wanted. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and I snapped my head around to see-


    Pink. A girl scandalously dressed in pink.


    Blonde curls that were pulled back. A bright smile on her face, and pink eyes.


    Eve.


    In that moment, my entire body tensed. My eyes widened as I stared her. The trembling in my hands increased significantly. In that moment, my entire mind and body was vibrating. I couldn''t think straight.


    Her she was, standing right in front of me. My attacker.


    And I didn''t know how to feel. My mind couldn''t process any stable thoughts. And my body didn''t know how to feel either.


    Half of me wanted to shrink away, while the other half was too shocked to do anything. Staring at her, a well of shame opened up in my stomach, and I could feel bile rising up in my throat.


    A feeling of being, "dirty" arose in my body, and I physically took a step back.


    On the other hand, Eve had a smile on her face. Her eyes were so filled with desire that I wasn''t sure she was present in the moment.


    "My believed." She whispered.


    The sound of her overly sweet voice sent shivers up and down my spine in waves that completely immobilized.


    "I knew you would prevail. I had faith in you, and it paid off." She began to take steps towards me. There were alarm bells screaming inside of my head, telling me to back away, however my body was frozen.


    The smell of her perfume began to fill my nose. It was sickeningly sweet, and slowly, I began to remember that day once again.


    Inside of the mall.


    Her approaching me.


    The sweet smell of her perfume. The intoxicating smell.


    Slowly my vision began to fade to black, and when I awoke-


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You''re not there anymore Raiden. That moment doesn''t define you anymore unless you let it.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö''s voice broke through my mental fog, snapping me back into reality.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: You said you want to be free right? Then become free. Liberate yourself from everything that once held you down.


    With her words, the shaking in my body subsided. My breathing slowly calmed down.


    She was right. If I wanted to be free, the first thing that I had to do was stop letting these things hold me down. I would face this challenge and then overcome it.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "We were always meant for each other." Eve''s words were spoken towards me, but her eyes were distant, as if she was recalling a past memory. She continued to slowly approach me, her hands playing with the hem of her skirt.


    "You were the first to not look at me with a lustful gaze. You were the first to be truly pure. You were the perfect Adam. Unlike those disgusting men from my past. Those pigs who could only see their fantasies when they looked at me."


    Eve''s voice slowly began to break but then filled with anger as she spoke about her past.


    I listened closely. Why did I do that? Did I really want to know more about her? No, that wasn''t the whole case.


    I wanted to know whys he did it. Was it really just because she was obsessed with me, or was them more to it?


    Those questions are what motivated me to hold my breath in silence and listen to her speak.


    "I would spend every waking moment hiding from their gazes. But it was impossible to hide. Impossible to escape them and what they wanted. And what they wanted, they always got."


    I could see her shiver, and I could see her hands trace up down her arms, as if she was trying to shield her body from the cold.


    "I was just an object. That was my role. Nothing I thought or said or wanted mattered. Just that I was silent. Just that I didn''t try to fight it. That I didn''t try to escape. I saw so many different faces every day, and yet in each of them, the same thing was there. Lust. Disgusting desire. It was in all of their faces. In their touch."


    Her breathing was slightly shaky.


    "I began to think to myself, was that the only thing there was in the world? Was everybody like this? Just a slave to their desire? With no care of second thought for others? I didn''t want to believe it. So, when she had come. When she had saved me, the witch, I began to search. The ends of the Earth. For my Adam."


    When she made a mention of the witch, her demeanor shifted. The vulnerability and the anger left her. Her smile slowly began to return.


    "And then I met you. I met you and for the first time, I knew that you were the one. You gaze wasn''t like theirs. Your words weren''t like theirs. I saw you, and I was reminded of how I used to be long ago. Pure."


    She was now a few steps away from me. She began to reach out her hands.


    I didn''t move.


    "She saw it too. The witch. She saw what I saw, and she gave me this mission to find you. I was so happy when I figured it out."


    She tilted her head at me and smiled. Her face was framed by the sunlight.


    A soft breeze blew through.


    She took the final step to close the distance between us, and then she wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.


    My body tensed for a brief moment, and I wanted to pull away. However, I didn''t. I steeled myself. I faced Eve, and did not turn away.


    "You saved me, Raiden. The idea of your existence is what kept me alive back then, and actually finding you rejuvenated me. I was so excited when I found you that I couldn''t wait. I couldn''t control myself."


    You ended up committing the same sin that those men committed against you. I said in my mind, finishing Eve''s tale. You let your own desires take control of you. After spending so long being the victim, forced to endure, when you were finally free, you repeated the same wrong as all those had done to you.


    My question had been answered. Eve''s motive. Her reason. It didn''t make anything better. However at least now I understood why it had happened to me.


    It was her act of taking back the power that had been stolen from her. It was a power play, a move to establish domination. It was also a bit of what she had told me. She felt like I was the one meant for her.


    For the simple reason that I didn''t look at her lustfully. That I wasn''t commanded by desire.


    Strengthening the grip on my blade, I prepared myself to do it one more time.


    To once again liberate someone. Even if I didn''t truly understand why I would do this for her.


    I should hate her. I should feel disgusted by her. I should push her away and be utterly repulsed and angry at the fact that she was here touching me.


    But in the same way that Eve needed to show that she had broken free from that past, i needed to show that I wasn''t going to be a victim of my circumstances. That I wouldn''t let won''t happened to me define me.


    Unlike Eve, I had gotten helped up from my bad situation. Unlike her, who had just been given the means to further her own broken mind. What happened to her throughout her childhood broke her, and she never recovered.


    And so, she ended up hurting someone else. That''s why I couldn''t blame her completely. Why I couldn''t hate her.


    But I also couldn''t forgive her.


    So, if there was one person that I could blame for this situation, then it would be the witch that she spoke of.


    She was the catalyst. And this witch, was looking for me.


    In that moment, I looked down at her, looking her in the eyes. Her eyes were filled with desire, longing, and pain. A pain that would never leave her. A pain that had been branded into her by her past, and a pain that she could never escape no matter how hard she tried.


    I raised my blade above both of our heads, pointing the tip at her back. I was holding it with both hands. I needed the strength of both of my hands to do this.


    I had no words I could say which could accurately capture anything I was feeling. There was nothing I could say to truly convey how I felt in this moment.


    So, I did something utterly insane.


    I leaned down, and I kissed her.


    It was more of brushing lips; however, it didn''t change anything. I had still momentarily locked lips with her.


    It was the first time I had voluntarily kissed anyone. Eve had leaned into the kiss, and as I pulled away, something in her face told me that she wanted more, but there was also a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.


    Maybe I was subtly getting back at her for the kiss she had given me when this battle started.


    I didn''t know for sure. And I was a bit scared to confront the true reason why.


    With that final action, I plunged the blade through her heart, stopping it just before I stabbed myself.


    In that moment, Eve''s eyes widened. Slowly, she placed her hands on my face.


    I didn''t flinch away from her touch.


    "Thank you, darling."


    CRACK!!!!


    With that, her hands went limp, her eyes dilated, and her body slowly crumpled to the floor.


    I pulled my blade out of her body, and let her body slowly fall.


    I stood there for a moment, looking at her. Despite all I was feeling, my mind was empty. I just watched her lifeless body, under the sunlight.


    I saw the blood drip from my blade and unto the charred dirt.


    I stood there for a long while, frozen. Just looking.


    I may have stood there for the rest of eternity if it wasn''t for the voice that shouted out at me in that moment.


    "Raiden!"


    I looked up. My heart may have swelled a bit.


    Blonde hair. Dressed in a black trench coat.


    Hikaru had finally arrived. And along with her, was Aura.

 Chapter 101: Hubris

    "So, this is where all the constant noise has been coming from. I have to say, don''t you think it a bit in bad taste to be holed up here while your comrades fight for their lives?"


    The man spoke with confidence, and a self-satisfied smile on his face. It seemed like he believed himself to be the greatest in the room, without exception.


    He had both of his hands wrapped around Yuri''s neck, holding him in the air. "No response. Tch! Tch! It''s only proper to respond when someone''s speaking to you."


    Despite the fact that he was choking Yuri so hard that he couldn''t reply even if he wanted to, the man in the white suit still blamed Yuri, as if it was his fault for what would happen next.


    However, before the man in the white suit could make any other moves, Nova stepped up, firing a lightning spell directly at him.


    The spell hit directly; however, the man wasn''t phased in the slightest. His grip didn''t loosen, and he simply turned his head towards Nova with annoyance comprising his visage, instead of any actual shock or pain.


    Despite the lightning spell she used being grade B, there wasn''t even a spot left on the man''s suit from it. He was completely and utterly unfazed.


    "You do know that it''s beyond disrespectful to interrupt two people having a conversation, right?"


    He spoke condescendingly, with undisguised distaste in his voice. His glare pierced straight through Nova, and she unknowingly took a step backwards from the pressure of his gaze and presence.


    Just as the man in the white suit turned to continue his conversation with Yuri, he realized that Yuri wasn''t their anymore, and instead, he was holding a piece of debris.


    Crushing the debris, he turned-


    And was caught head on by a massive beam of mana.


    His head snapped backwards, and he took a step back from the force behind the blow.


    However once again, he took no damage. His impeccable white suit and looks remained perfect, without a single sign of damage.


    He still wore a smile on his face.


    "With that aura, you must be the leader." Yuri spoke coldly; both of his dual pistols aimed at the man''s head.


    The man shook his head, his white hair bouncing. "You''re mistaken. I cannot claim to the lea-"


    "Bullshit!" Yuri cut him off before he could eve finish speaking.


    The man dressed in white didn''t like that very much, as the smile on his face transformed into a sneer.


    "You just don''t seem to have any respect for your superior''s, do you? I hate people like you. Those who idolize themselves."


    "You can cut the crap, because I''m not listening." Yuri snapped back, with just as much heat in his voice. "What is your motive, your goal in coming here? Who are those tattooed men outside? What happened to the barrier?"


    Yuri fired off questions rapidly, his voice rising octaves with every inquiry. He began to charge up mana, preparing to fire off another blast if he didn''t like what he heard.


    "Why should I answer your questions? You haven''t even given me the resp-"


    He was shut up by a kick to the face delivered by Yuri, which launched him into the air.


    Yuri immediately followed it up with two massive blasts of mana from his guns, that sent him crashing through the wall of the P.A system outdoors.


    At the same time, a massive rumbling rocked the entire magic academy, before a pillar of light could be seen rising in the distance.


    Seconds later, the rain stopped, and the clouds were blown away completely. The world shook violently once more before subsiding.


    Nova stood along with Cath and Brennan in momentary shock. However, she regained her bearings quickly, noting the fact that the sun was now shining down.


    She turned towards the two shell shocked students. "You guys have to stay here and make sure the P.A. system stays working. If our communication falls, this entire thing falls apart. As for that guy, me and Yuri will keep him away from here as best we can."


    Both Cath and Brennan nodded their understanding, and then Nova jumped out to follow Yuri.


    As soon as she entered the sunlight, her entire body felt rejuvenated, as if someone had doused her in some sort of magical healing elixir.


    Her bones felt stronger, her limbs felt more powerful, even her mind felt better.


    She landed along a large metal awning, still slick from the rain that had just faded. From where she was standing, it didn''t take long for her to see where Yuri and that man were fighting.


    BOOM!


    CRASHH!


    Magic spells were flying around violently, and explosions and smoke were rising into the air all along her field of view.


    One explosion to her left, then another along the far right, and then one directly down the middle.


    The battle was violent, bouncing from section of the magic academy to section without pause.


    Damn, is that guy an idiot? He''s already running low and mana and yet he''s trying to have such a large-scale battle with a powerful opponent.


    Nova began to move, jumping from section of the magic academy to the next, attempting to keep track of the battle as best as she could, however it was futile, as once she got close, the battle would just shift to another section of the magic academy.


    At this rate, he''s going to completely burn out. Nova began to rack her brain for any way to reach him and get him to stop. Shouting probably wouldn''t work. Neither would be using a spell to disrupt their battle. She''d run the risk of hitting him that way.


    Her mind began to flow to the cryptic way that Yuri had spoken and acted from the moment they broke away from Suijin to now. It was obvious that he had come to a decision. Was this it?


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


    Had he resigned himself to the fact that he would most likely die today? Is that way he fought so wildly, and without care.


    Nova stepped out of the way of a stray explosion that blew away part of the magic academy behind her.


    Nova began to consider the idea of just brute forcing her way into the battle, however she immediately shot it down.


    And then she looked up. The sun was shining down brightly. It was in full view, smiling down at her.


    Nova smiled.


    Brute force was the only option. She would just have to get in the way of their battle herself and break them apart.


    Holding her wand high into the air, she allowed the sunlight to shine on her ring.


    Nova''s ability [Nebula Queen] worked similarly to Erika''s. In both of their abilities, the mimicked plants in a way, taking int he sunlight and using a magic sequence to convert the light into mana. They could then use that as a constant supply of mana to strengthen themselves. While Erika focused on that aspect of her ability, Nova added on to its functionality.


    She also added the ability to be influenced by constellations. If she could imagine it, she could essentially copy it, using any star shining down at her to supply her with the mana to activate her ability.


    So, in this case, Nova began to imagine the mythos of the constellation named after the Greek hero Hercules.


    Of course, her ability would have been more powerful under the actual constellation, however, thanks to the freedom of magic, it wasn''t limited to only being useable under the right constellation.


    Nova could feel the strength coursing through her veins from the mana that she used to fortify her limbs.


    From her ring, a sword made out of flame appeared. Not wasting a single second, Nova charged up power in her legs, before jumping towards the currently ongoing battle.


    The ground she jumped from was cratered and vaporized.


    Nova shot through the air and an insane speed, jumping from parts of the magic academy to glass walkways, and off of the ground. Everything she jumped off of was left with a large burning crater.


    She moved so fast that she looked like a shooting star bouncing off of surfaces.


    Finally, when she arrived near the luncheon off the magic academy, she saw them.


    Yuri was constantly shooting from his gun, flame, wind, lightning, everything.


    He did not let up.


    And despite the fact that nearly all of his attacks landed, they did nothing to the man who was keeping up with him.


    The man was fast, able to keep up with Yuri''s speed even when he used mana switching. No matter what, Yuri was hard pressed to catch the man off-guard. And even when he did, the attacks that landed did nothing.


    To put it bluntly, he was wasting energy.


    Yuri was just about to dash forward and enter close combat, when Nova arrived.


    Like a comet, she crashed straight the man in the white suit, using her sword like a bat.


    She hit Hims o hard that he smashed straight into luncheon, causing a massive explosion and creating a large crater.


    Yuri paused in shock at seeing her. "Wha-"


    "You''re an absolute dumbass man." Nova mercilessly insulted him, and Yuri took a step back.


    "Just what the hell were you planning to do? Your already low on mana and you decide to burn even more, even though your attacks are clearly doing jack shit!?" Nova pointed towards the crater, where the white suit man walked out.


    Once again, he was perfectly fined. Unharmed in anyway. Not even a speck of dirt.


    "Clearly, he has an ability we need to bypass."


    Yuri stared at her in shock for a few moments, before nodding. "Yeah. I get it." He said unconvincingly.


    Nova was about to say something more when they were interrupted by the man in white speaking once again.


    "I seriously can''t believe it. Who raised you children? Is this what''s become of future? All of you completely engrossed in yourselves that you can''t even be bothered to pay basic respects towards those clearly your superior?"


    The anger in his tone was evident. He was about to explode.


    "And yet even when given multiple chances, you continue and continue to do the same. How much hubris can one possess, to the point they can''t see anything past themselves?"


    He began to approach them, his hands clenched into fists.


    "It seems you''re in dire need for a lesson of humility. So, I''ll give it to y-" As he began to raise his hand to cast some sort of magic spell, he was cut off once again.


    "It seems you''re the leader."


    Those words were spoken by a familiar voice that caused Yuri and Erika to both look up.


    At the same time, someone fell from the sky and landed.


    With one boot on the man in whites face, and the other on his outstretched arm, the person landed.


    Their black trench coat billowed in the wind, same with their black hair.


    They held out a long black katan at their side, with a small hear on its sheath.


    They had a smile on their face.


    Raiden Chisaki had joined the battle once more.


    ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù   ¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù¡¡¡ù


    A few minutes Earlier.


    Before I could even fully process her with my own eyes, I was being tackled down by a hug. A blur of blond and black was hugging me tightly, while patting my body looking for any wounds.


    I just laid there, a slight bight uncomfortable, and a slight bit touched by the concern that she was showing me.


    Did I really warrant such a reaction?


    I thought to myself, however I didn''t let the thought linger for long.


    Turning my focus back unto the figure who was hugging me, I raised my hand in the air for a brief moment just above her head, before letting it fall down onto her shoulder.


    She turned to look up at me, a mix of happiness and concern on her face.


    As I racked my brain for something to say, cursing myself for still being an absolute conversation dunce, I finally decided on:


    "You''re an idiot." I expressed my discontent for the fact that she had yelled out and drawn the attention of 6 enemies at once.


    "If I''m in idiot than you''re a complete dumbass." She replied in kind. Her gaze shifted from me to Eve. "I''m sorry."


    I cocked my head to the side. "Why are you apologizing?"


    She then pointed to the side, at Eve''s lifeless body.


    "No one want''s to be forced to do that. Yet you took it upon yourself."


    I stared at Eves body in silence for a few moments, before turning back to Hikaru.


    "Better it me than any one el-"


    Hikaru punched me not-so-lightly in the stomach. "Stop. Stop saying things like that."


    I didn''t even argue. She was right.


    She let her head rest on my chest for a moment as she spoke.


    "You actually kept your promise."


    "You say that like I''m a known liar or something." I joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood.


    "You''re an idiot who always puts everyone else first and never stops to think about yourself."


    As Hikaru spoke, I shut up and listened. She had a right to say everything that she was saying.


    "You constantly do stupid things and blame yourself. Every moment that I spent not knowing where you were is one, I spent thinking the absolute worst."


    I took mental notes of what she was saying. Habits that I needed to break out of.


    ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö: Habits, I will help you break out of.


    Looking down at Hikaru, I felt horrible.


    "I''m sorry. I really am. For everything." I apologized. I would have to do the same to Kami, to Suijin, to Masayoshi, Erika, Nova, everyone I knew.


    They deserved an apology.


    I heard the sound of giggling, and I saw Aura watching us.


    Realizing how close we were, our bodies tangled with one another on the ground, we both separated from each other and looked away, embarrassed.


    "So, where''d you guys come from?" I changed the subject.


    "We''ve been looking for both you and Phi. Her and Aura got split up in their fight with one of the other enemies here." Hikaru explained. Her eyes widened a bit. "Thats right. You probably don''t know, but we''ve managed to defeat Wrath and Greed. As well as another one. Along with the girl you defeated here-"


    "We''ve done away with four out of the five." Phi finished.


    My hopes soared as I heard their breakdown of the situation.


    We were winning. Pushing back against what once was a completely hopeless situation.


    "We need to broadcast your victory to the students through the P.A. system."


    Hikaru said as she begun to stand.


    I did the same, and immediately almost fell down. Hikaru rushed to catch me, supporting me with her body.


    It seems like I sustained more damage from that last battle then I had initially though.


    "You shouldn''t push yourself Raiden. Take a rest." Hikaru said.


    I shook my head. "Theres still too much to do. If we really want to win, we have to keep up this momentum all the way through. There isn''t any time for rest."


    "And so, the next best option is to just run yourself into the ground? What use will you be then?" Hikaru retorted.


    "I''m not going to do anything crazy. I promise. I''ll just head to the P.A system, deliver the message, and meet up with you guys."


    Hikaru looked at him for a few moments. "You promise?" She asked softly.


    "I promise." I replied.


    She nodded. "Then me and Aura are going to head for there" She pointed at a structure that had been attached to the top of the magic academy, now visible due to the rain being cleared away.


    "As soon as you finish, meet us up along the way there. That''s where we think Phi is headed."


    I nodded to Hikaru. She held unto me for a moment longer before letting me stand on my own.


    "You better keep your promise." She spoke.


    I smiled. "I kept the first one."


    We split ways.