Chapter 07–The Ruby Lights
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Lights have turned off on their own, as everyone in the class went to the back left corner, Ryoji wondered on why this was happening. Was it a training exercise or the real deal? Ryoji wondered as Mr.Lewis' face had grew stern and serious.
Igneus appeared and shouted; "Everyone: Do not worry, my fellow people-that-need-saving! For It is I:Your savior; Ign-"
A fellow student, taller than everyone interrupted him by saying; "You there! Didn't your Bonder ever taught you not to be screaming while you're on a lockdown?!" The tall student shouted back, unaware that he was also yammering as well. Kinda ironic, since you're also screaming too. Funka thought while looking up at him.
He had indigo hair what was kept tidy and organized. The boy was quite muscular for his age, along to go that he was a year or two older than every student in the class. He wore half circled glasses and his jaw was strong looking. He fixed his glasses' position on his nose as he proceeded to argue more with the Heart.
"Who the hell do you think you are!?!" Igneus roared back at him like a dinosaur would.
"My name is Reza Tokanharu. I aspire to become a Protector, but I see that you aren't taking things seriously because you're jeopardizing every live in this room by shouting!" Reza introduced himself, Igneus turned away from him and pointed at him. He kept yelling out nonsense that he was the Savior of all Humans, Mr.Lewis looked at Ryoji and asked rudely; "Can you shut him up or shut him down?"
Ryoji said no and explained, "Sorry about him. He suffers from a superiority complex—he has the feeling the need to say he's better than everyone in this room."
Brandon Lewis shook his head as something hangs at the door very violently. "It does make sense. That reminds me—Isn't a Heart the personification of the Bonder's emotions as well?"
"Well, yes—but I-"
"If you suffer from a superiority complex—then you've come to the right school to fix that up."
The door shook in fear as Sora got into a fighting pose, with Sora shouting,
"That door won't hold on for long!!"
"I AM the door, Sora! Don't you be worrying about us now too!" Brandon reassured and convinced him to protect the children as the door busted wide open. It was a Reaper, alive in the flesh.
The Heart-Bond's legs trembled from seeing the monstrosity that lived in that nightmare of his. It is real. I thought Reapers didn't exist! Damnit! I thought they were presumably mere myths! Ryoji thought while Akina held on to Marcus as tight as she could, she was scared because the eye of the beast. It terrified her and rest of the students, its single ruby eye stared at the students.
A obsidian Zweihänder with light motifs appeared in Mr.Lewis' hand, and rushed towards the beast.
He swung the presumably three-hundred-pound blade with a relative ease and was covered in a gleaming light.
SWISH!!! The body of the Reaper slides diagonally, explodes suddenly after it was sliced in half. The aftermath reeked of petroleum and rusted iron, and the stench traveled every corner of the room.
Everyone braced themselves, even Sora wasn't expecting this event to happen. The brown eyes of our Heart-Bonded protagonist opened once again to see that the carefree teacher; was now encased in a robust black armor. His eyes were no longer almond brown, but as yellow as the Christmas Lights. The helmet was quite intimidating, with large prongs looking like horns, and broad iron shoulders.
"HAVE NO FEAR, MY FELLOW STUDENTS,
FOR IT IS I! THE CONQUEROR OF THE ABYSS! THE VANQUISHER OF EVIL! THE HORSEMAN OF LIGHT!! I AM NEVEAH!!" Shouted Mr.Lewis, under his hero persona Nevaeh. All students were all hopeful once again and the fire of Ryoji grew stronger than ever after witnessing Neveah in the flesh.
"Yeesh. Could've kept it down a notch." Sora complained, the laughing of Nevaeh calmed the atmosphere. Another monster came and grabbed his limbs with its white and black tentacles.
Although struggled with grunting under his breath, he closed his gold eyes and was beleaguered by a powerful light that dispelled the Reaper. Groggy from Nevaeh's light counter, The Beast Who Reaps Souls dazed from the light. It kept moving as if it was a glitch from a video game.
So, can light itself be a weakness for a Reaper? It could be, Ryoji—it could be indeed. Ryoji analyzed while the Horseman of Light's left punch clenched into a mighty fist and glowed a radiant yellow. Mr.Lewis hovered towards, throwing it and shouting from the top the lungs. "HEAVEN'S SPHERE!!!!!!"
The impact of the jab caused it to blow up into a small electrical explosion. Everyone covered their eyes from the blast, but soon realized that Nevaeh stood triumphantly and placed his loved Zweihänder in the ground.
He swung that blade like it was nothing. And the way he took care of those Reapers... Is that the power of a Real Hero? Funka thought with curiosity as Mr.Lewis looked at Sora. He nodded as the students just stared at him.
"So you're Nevaeh? The N0.25 Hero?" Takeo asked before adding, "So that's why no one knows who you are. Anyone after N0.12 is a nobody." The prime homeroom teacher immediately responded to his insult by karate chopping him in the head. "Nobody?! Boy, I just saved your live!" After a lecture, Nevaeh checked to see who was hurt.
A large feedback occurred, but kept coming back. Finally, it said, "I need the teachers of C-1, C-2, B-1 and B-2 to come downstairs, we need immediate backup. Every other teacher is here but they require assistance. Those Reapers are surrounding the area, and there is no light in the facilities due to the backup generators currently being inactive. But that will tomorrow's problem. Again, we need teachers from those respective classes to come immediately downstairs. This is Principal Lino Saon, signing out." The Principal needs backup!?! This is serious now... Ryoji thought as he was trembling in fear. This was a new feeling to him. Akina observed her fellow friend as he shook, deep down in her heart; she wanted to help him.
But even she, was scared of what was to happen.
"I guess that's our cue to leave.." Mr.Lewis stated, his voice returned to normal. Sora looked and responded while scratching his head, "I know. But who's going to watch the kids?"
"...I'm seriously confused. Is this real or not, Sora?"
"No, it isn't. We're supposed to have a little presentation going on here. I don't—"
Ms. Arkhangel stepped forward, bowed gracefully and said, "I can watch them, Mr.Lewis. I have the best test score in a while, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my fellow peers. Go off, help Principal Saon. I got this." Sora's face showed as he was about to argue with her, but Brandon Lewis put his hand on his comrade's shoulders and whispered in his ears.
He nodded and looked all around his students in a abyssal room. "Alright then, but don't have anyone leave this room and barricade it with anything you can find!" He ordered her. Before he left, two small orbs of light lit up the room, where there was dim light inside the class in lockdown. Mr.Lewis took a deep breath under his baleful helmet, and as soon as everyone, Arkhangel told her fellow peers to sit quietly in a sit.
Damn, all of our teachers are risking their lives for ours. I know that the generator room is not their main priority, but if I get to actually turn on the generators, there could be a chance weher we possibly survive this. But how exactly? Mr. Lewis did say that no one can leave, but rules can be bent for the right reasons. But how would I be able to get to work?
"Duh, just get someone whose superpowers are electric-based and a damn good engineer." Igneus answered inside his Bonder's head.
Exactly.
Ryoji jumped out of his seat and admitted, "I think I know a way how to make them go away."
"How?" The cat-girl Arkhangel simply asked, her hands on her curvy hips as if she was waiting an answer. She was older than the rest of the class. The entire class looked up to her, even Akina had a curious eye fixated on her fellow friend. Ryoji shallowed up his "fear" of large crowds. "I know it shouldn't be priority, but I have a hypothesis; If I can get a ragtag group come with me to restart the backup generators; since they have major power to keep Surwick running, and since the Reapers have an presumed weakness of light itself, maybe then it'll make them slither away?"
Really? How are you going to really active it? That was the counter question that Ryoji was expecting to hear.
But rather; "Go on."
"Huh?"
"Go on. I want to hear more of your plan. Even though the Principal and Mr.Lewis himself said for us students to stay in the classes, we are Heroes in Training after all. We have to take risks as the heroes we want to be, including the plan that I'm about to hear. That is the prime definition of being a Hero; to hear other opinions so that we can improve our future. So then, Ryoji Dragomir Kazama; tell us on you're planning to get all of us out of this wretched mess."
Ryoji scratched his left cheek and blushing as well. "Okay, wasn't completely expecting that but, okay. Um, what we should do is to activate the generators. But in order to do that, I'm gonna need a party of eight, including a mechanic who knows their way with machinery like that, and also somebody whose powers is to generate large amounts of electricity." He explained. After proposing his wonderful idea, Akina quickly said yes. Followed by "Sure, what the hell," by his rival Takeo. He was the one person so far that he was not expecting to count on. Huh. I didn't see that coming....
"I'll come with." Funka said harshly, her shoulder cake into contact with Ryoji's. That's three people right now, including me. Just need four more. "I, Reza Tokanharu, it is my duty as a fellow student to assist you on your potential ill-fated adventure." He placed his glasses in place and groomed his hair.
"Please, I want to help too!" Yelled a sweet girl, she appeared right in front of Ryoji. She was the same age of most of the students, but was the center of Class C-1. She was quite radiant and quite delicate-looking, with her cloudy long hair to be pale blonde and light blue with a hint of spearmint blue . Her face was quite innocent, her eyes were a pink with a turquoise opal in her pupils. She stood tall and regal, maybe that was the reason why people looked at her with much infatuation.
Damn that Bishop thot!! Always hogging the cute ones! Why don't you leave some for the other girls!?! Jordyn said while her clenching fist hovered in the air. Back in the real world, the girl with the request waited for her answer with her hand hanged low.
"Sure you can! What's your name? I don't want to be calling you "Gurl", since we're gonna acquaintances now."
"My name is Sera Bishop. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kazama!!"
"No need to be formal, Sera. Just call me Ryoji."
And another one bites the dust... Jordyn lamented as the two of went along together. Be careful, Ryoji, I heard she can be ferocious with boys she likes.
Ryoji yelled out, "Alright, now I need a mechanic and someone who can generate electricity!" A boy of small height came up up to him, he was rather plain looking. He was scrawny looking, eyes as black as the night, with short navy blue hair. His goggles were quite futuristic, with the frames a neat orange and rest of it was a light blue. He seem quite nervous meeting the Heart-Bond face-to-face, as his face reminded Ryoji of those in Ravenskreig that showed cowardice.
"Um, I can help you, you said you needed a mechanic, right?"
"Well, that is the reason why I'm making a team to fix the generators in the first place."
"Well, I have a way to fix machines; including generators. My name is Cade Kikaishin. But please pronounce it right. It's K-A-D, the e is silent." He introduced himself, followed by some of the students whispering behind their backs, but Ryoji kept on grinned and ignored, despite having perfect cognizance of what they were talking about.
He knew that his plan was abou to be completed as a kid came up to him and said, "Yo, Kazama. My powers are generating a large amount of electricity! And I meet just the criteria! My name is Sanda Machipaku, a name where girls drool!" Ryoji sighed, now his job was complete. The rest of the girls grimaced as he finished his sentence.
"Alright, I got the group I needed for the trip. Listen, if one of them come, use everything in your power to stop them. Barricade the doors, and if those monsters came through the window; stay away from them." Ryoji ordered Mrs.Arkhangel, she nodded in agreement as they headed out. Akina hugged Taig and spoke to Marcus, "I'll be fine, bro."
"I hope so. Don't be a damsel in distress this time."
"Who you calling a damsel in distress? I'll be fighting on my way out. I suggest you do the same."
Despite her shrugging her brother's playful comment, he had ignited a deep insecurity within his adoptive sister.
Igneus returned inside of his cage; waiting to become a reliable tool to Ryoji once again. Before he left, the cat-girl stopped him.
"Before you go, Ryoji, my name is Sasha. It's best to know one another if we were to work with each other in the future. That is, if we all live through this." She said, checking to see if anyone rebellious enough to follow them. Before he left the class door, Ryoji made a peace sign to insure that they would be safe and sound.
Now in the dark abyss of the once crowded school, now as hollow and empty as a haunt mansion. "Jesus." Funka gasped at all the destruction she witnessed.
As they trek onwards on the path of where the backup generator, Ryoji was very aware that this will not be easy for for him and his fellow heroes-in-training....
"Hey Kazama! What's with that look? We'll be fine! What's the worst that can happen!?!"
Another eye was staring at them, Ryoji shook his head in frustration as the group of eight in a fighting position.
"Damnit Sanda, you had to be loud, didn't ya?" Asked Funka, Sanda twiddled his fingers sheepishly as the rest were of the group focused on the Reaper.
They weren't planning for this to happen, only to find the location of where the backup dynamo. Takeo's hands manifested ice, while Akina unsheathed two shuriken knives.
Igneus, let's do this!! Ryoji shouted inside his body as Igneus replied with him synchronizing with his Heart-Bond.
A cocoon of fire appeared for a split second before revealing the draconic Bonded-Ryoji. His fellow friend swooned about his appearance, the girl with the explosion abilitiy simply glance and and focused on attacking the creature.
A mighty gust of wind passed as Bonded-Ryoji lunged at the Reaper and swung a powerful punch on the "brain". After that, Takeo assaulted it with his fist of freezing ice. The beast went down, and the two celebrated two quietly...
The Reaper rose up once again and grabbed them by the ankles, Reza harden his fist and dashed through the tentacles; slashing through them with ease.
Akina aimed with her thumb covering the Reaper before throwing a barrage of shurikens.
"Dang! It's not going down!" Akina yelled, now Reza was dangling. Lightning generated from the fingertips of the rash boy as it travel to jolt the Reaper. It attention turned towards him, raising a tentacle. The three that were caught were still conscious, Akina sigh in relief as the limb grew sharper and traveled towards at the speed of sound.
All covered their eyes, but the tip of the Reaper's limb stood there as a large wall of green energy. Sera was seen holding it with her hands.
"Defense Aether Magic? You know D.A.M.? Nice." Cade complimented Sera, she blushed wildly and then continued on making sure the wall stood tall. Another limb came striking at the barrier, and one coming after.
"Let us go, you stupid octopus!!" Yelled Bonded-Ryoji as he bit one of the tentacles, the Reaper yelped or something that resembled a yelp. It struggled to hold him, finally he was free.
Man, we gotta be careful! Despite it looking not so menacing, it's actually powerful Ryoji! Stated Igneus as Ryoji went back on his feet, smoke came out of their nose. Bonded Ryoji returned back to Akina and them as they changed their tactics. They spoke to one other
"What's the plan, Akina?" Ryoji asked, staring at it.
"Sera, drop the wall. Ryoji, throw Funka to the eye." Sera wanted to argue but Akina said "NOW!!!" Akina commanded as Sera reluctantly dropped it, the Heart-Bond threw Funka with one clawed hand.
She landed on its cyber "eyelid", she reached for its eye and her palms exploded on it, causing it to cry or something that resembled it. Three times her palm exerted explosion out of pure light and tugged its eyeball.
She screamed with every ounce of oxygen in her lungs as finally she ripped the eye out of its eye lid. It laid dormant as the two boys were finally freed from the clutches of the Reaper.
"I'M FREE!!" Yelled Reza in delight as the girl with the explosive power crushed the ruby eye but before she did; she looked at it. I admit, it looks mesmerizing to look at, but I'm a hero and it is my duty to pull out the roots of the wicked...she thought as she demolished it with brute strength.
Everyone is safe, good. Ryoji reassured himself as all stood on their feet. Funka's shoulders came into contact with Ryoji as she continued to move on once again. All except him stared at the lifeless body, the demon weasel-fox boy kept touching it as if is it was a innocent puppy. "Takeo; why are you playing with it?" Sanda questioned him, Takeo kept frolicking with it and said, "Why not?"
"Well... It's kinda weird." Added Cade. Takeo took one more glance before they moved further in the hallways. They were all silent, due to the group wanted to avoid the Reapers they dread of. Ryoji and the rest followed Takeo, because he knew where it would be located. People would normally run away from danger, alas; they cannot. That would break the image of a Real Hero; Never run way from a fight, always fight with the light of virtue within you.Breaking that such rule would define you as a coward and a disgrace to the Hero World.
But they knew no fear, especially Akina. That's how she met the Heart-Bond in the beginning.
Fear is only what a weak-willed heart would be daunting about. May their friendships and acquaintanceship survive during hard times.
No more were the bustling hallways teemed with eagerly students, now it was as quiet as the embrace of death, crawling with nonnatural creatures known as the Reapers.
The once halcyon skies were no longer, only a husky of its former self.
Glass shattering with the explosive energy of heroes clashing with the invasion.
———Track 07 Ended———
CHARACTER PROFILE
SURWICK STUDENT: CADE KIKAISHIN (13) TIMID MECHANIC
BIRTHDAY:2/28
HEIGHT:5'0
LIKES: Engineering, Analyzing
DISLIKES: People interfering with his work, Cucumbers
THE INSIDE STORY:
When I made this arc, I wanted to make sure that some characters are cemented into more prominent roles and some will be...secondary characters.
Sure, he's a central character to this arc of the story thus far, but he's a decent character.
He will have a purpose to this story.
CHARACTER PROFILE
SURWICK STUDENT: SERA BISHOP (12) MODERN PRINCESS
BIRTHDAY: 5/9
HEIGHT:5'4
LIKES: "The Color Purple", fashion
DISLIKES: Prejudice, People hating on her background or others
THE INSIDE STORY:
Despite contrary to popular belief, she is nothing like her mother, the CEO of pharmaceutical company ZiON. She is warm and friendly to everyone she meets; even to villains.
Her male peers swoon all over her since Sera is regarded as Miss Surwick of 2018, the female peers do not regard her in such way.
So, she doesn't have many friends. She is keen in taking new opportunities in gaining new friends.
CHARACTER PROFILE
SURWICK STUDENT: REZA TOKANHARU (17)
BIRTHDAY: 1/13
HEIGHT: 5'8
LIKES: Rules, Order, Studying
DISLIKES: Rule-Breakers, Villains
THE INSIDE STORY:
In a classroom, everyone needs the disgusted guy who has a a giant stick up his ass——And Reza that guy. He's the oldest guy in the class, and he feels that he needs to be the leader of the class.
Reza is not the brightest but far from stupid. He can listen to others: Though it remains unclear on how long he will maintain the information.
He failed two times on the Written Exam before he managed to pass both the exams needed to enroll in Surwick.