Chapter 16–Chamber of Thorns; Aftermath
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————————The Next Day————————
The school's defense were brought back to life but to what cost? Although the great bastion was standing tall in the midst of everything, from the highest room of the school to the foundation; lives were lost in the battle. The teachers failed their jobs
Two students had died in their protection; Haruto Kuromiya in Class C-2 and another student in Class C-1.
There were many amounts of patches where grass used to be and statues were demolished from the siege. There were no orchids, no azaleas, no plants that could trigger seasonal triggers. The charming, marvelous courtyard that Surwick was known for——reduced to nothing. The faculty were grieving about the two students and there was one faculty member who was taking it the worst.
The one who was regretting so much that if he could wind back time, he would in a heartbeat:
Sora Minami. He had known the boy for half of his life, and Haruto knew him all his, familiar with each other.
He walked towards the Principal in a slow pace, his feet were heavy from the news he received from his student Sasha Arkhangel; the one who told him about. On how he protected another student from dying, dying in their steed instead.
Lino turned around and saw how Sora was acting. Acting like he lost a person from his past. I know where this is going, Sora....
"I just received word that....that....Haruto Kuromiya is dead, sir..." Sora gulped, still being in shock as he reported back to the Principal, who is wrathful beneath his furry exterior. He wanted to find who did this to their school, and make them pay for they did.
Two lives....Lino thought, started to fume underneath as Sora kept continuing with his report. Two students with a bright future: Cut down in mere seconds. How.....How? Even without the
"The Shinobi population will be distraught about this, Lino. He was the last Kuromiya, sir. The last one....Mid-World lost another Protector." Sora notified his employer more about, his eyes once full of life, now were blank and teary. He did not know what to think anymore, just doing something was the only thing he could do.
I've known the Kuromiya Clan for all my life, and Haruto's father was a morbid but decent man...Always having the need to do the right thing. They died on the road with dozens of bullets in their head, just coming back from getting ice cream.....I was the first one to arrive at the scene.....I was interning at the time...Sora was beginning to reminisce about how he met Haruto after his parents were murdered.
It reminded me so much of how Batman was born with his parents in the alleyway, yet in his case——it was in the nice part of Avignon, N.U.S.N. Whoever did it was in a rush: the shots weren't accurate and showed evidence who killed them were inexperienced. It was a gory scene, and little Haruto was sitting in the rain. I was...there to comfort and he accepted it....He didn't reject me....It was such a pretty day that morning and afternoon....As if the Earth knew she lost a great family that fateful night. He ended his reminisce and returned to the real world, he wanted to not face reality currently.
Lino looked at his employee and said in a dire tone, "I need to answer your question—It was Ryoji Kazama who formed the group and went to the generator room." Lino deceived Sora as only him and a few selected knew the secret room in this school. No one knew about what lied beneath the school.
Lino had a small "circle of trust", only letting some into his private affairs into the bizarre life of Lino Saon. Kaimana was known to be second-in-command when Lino had to go to a high-priority voyage, it piqued the faculty's interest whenever he left and spread rumors about it.
The ignorant children were the worst when it came to the gossip.
"....I have something in mind, Sora. Before we have to do this senseless interview, you can see him one last time." He added, seeing how Sora looked at him
Sora Minami perked up a bit. Although Lino had underlying trust-issues, he did hold all of his workers in high regard—He was no monster.
"I can?" If Sora could just see Haruto Kuromiya one last time before the conference, it will bring him closure.
His boss gave him the okay, and entered Surwick by one of the doors that was not broken. It made Sora relieved that he could see him one last time.
He's south from us, you know the location. Try to hurry a bit, I sound so harsh from this, I know. I need all of my people there—Even you. Lino telepathically spoke to his worker, as Sora was enrolled into Surwick due to his efficiency in telepathy.
Thank you, Lino.. I completely understand. I do.
Sora thanked his boss telepathically, starting to run at the location as quick as possible and without a break.
——Later——
Sora arrived to the place where the body of Haruto Kuromiya laid. It was outside the school but was not not far, it was a decent shed with a single purpose: dump any unfortunate souls into Memorios Beach, seeing how the Kuromiya Clan abhor being buried wanted to be close to Kuromiya Island, an island located in the Tsushima Basin.
Haruto Kuromiya, his father, and his father before him, believed in eternal freedom by dumping the ashes of any Kuromiya in the seas. Every time a Kuromiya died, many people would flip a coin if the next one was either sane or insane in the N.U.S.N.
It was wrong to judge so early but where every inch of land, hypocrisy roam the lands with failing grace.
This is the best thing we can do for him.....This is the best thing we can do for him...This is the best thing we can do for him....He repeated the same line for a little bit, struggling to open
"Oh god....." He lamented, his eyes widen as he saw his only remnant of his past: Haruto Kuromiya; permanently resting his eyes and never to utter another word. His hair was unrulier than ever, even after death.
Never in his whole life did he expect to outlive this thirteen-year-old: Especially the one that reminded of everything was great in his past.
He held Haruto in his arms, do what Marcus wanted to do yesterday: cradle him. "No, no, no, no, no," He wept silently, his tears were dropping onto his past's face. He did not care if anyone could see in such a vulnerable state—he just wanted him to be back in his life.
He wiped his tears away and put him down gently, reminiscing too much about how they met and how Haruto has been a part of his life.
..You need to pull yourself together, Sora.....You need to be strong for the public media soon....If anyone sees me like this then, oh well....He thought, trying to make peace with his mind.
Someone placed their hand on his shoulder,
"Are you gonna be okay?" He knew who it was but he did not care. The thing Sora had in this mind at the time was their conversation.
———Back Then———
It was a week before the attack on Surwick as Haruto was reading a book about uncommon weather phenomenon in the library when Sora encountered him.
Sora sat down across him and looked at him, gaining Haruto's attention
"Are you going to be okay, Haruto? I know it was a long time ago, but does it affect you tremendously?" He asked him, even asking Haruto if he wanted to be a part of Class C-1.
Haruto accepted his proposal, of course as he felt an admiration for him. He hated many things and many people; but the person he tolerated in life was Sora Minami, the one person who helped the most in life.
Out of all days to see each other: It had to be this day..... Haruto thought to himself as his along time was ruined.
Finished.
Still. I always do like his company, even though I can barely tolerate him. Haruto thought, choosing to be more social today instead the usual sullen approach to life. He closed his book nicely and put it aside. "...I won't ever be okay, Mr. Minami." He answered politely, before stating another thing. "I just have to live with it, that's all you need to know." He revealed the truth before his teacher who looked at him in sorrow..
They both looked at each other, understanding each other since they were distant cousins; sharing the same grandfather while having familiarity at the same time.
Sora sighed. "There are students that have-"
Haruto rejected with a quick "No" as he knew where the conversation was about to dwell in: School counseling. He abhorred the hate of going to a shrink, seeing how he was above talking.
He looked up to him and uttered a word, seemingly interested in what he wanted to say. "Do.....You....." Haruto stopped for a brief second, his eyes looked at his book in silence, quickly scanning through before Sora grabbed it and put on his side in a calm way, similar how a dog owner would take the bone gently.
"No, say it." Sora ordered him in a concerned tone, always wanting to hear more from. He began to more stern with him. "You can say it. We are cousins after all."
"Distant."
"Does it really matter?"
The battle was over as Haruto ceased it and instead asking him the one thing he did not expect from him
"....Do you think there is something above us? Like a god or something more?" He did not mince his words with him as it made even Sora, a grown man, wondering more about the concept of someone-above-men.
Even though Heaven does exist, Corheim is the one who's the chessmasters of this little chess what we know as the Twelve Realms. Our whole existence, once the six years are done, is revealed to the Alumni. I'm one, so how should I handle this? I could tell him the truth or a lie? Which is which? I dunno since the lines between are blurred. Sora thought before choosing the third option: The blurry truth.
"I think...It depends on what the context is. There could be higher than us, that there is someone better than all of us. Do I really know? No. I don't. Yet, I like to think so."
For the first time in a while, Haruto smiled rather kindly towards him.
It was a rare phenomenon to see his seventeen facial muscles to work up a smile. It was not forced or out of anger; just a pure smile on his face.
"Thanks. I guess that answers a part of my question. Don't tell anyone I can smile: It'll freak them out." He returned to his usually stone-face and reached for his book.
"I won't, little cousin."
I won't. Sora thought as he picked up a few books, this would be the last conversation would be the last Sora Minami and Haruto Kuromiya would ever have.
———Now———
He held back his tears and looked at his friend, Haruka Uteshiki, it was weird for him to see his best friend sad for him. She usually had an abundance of energy.
"I''m fine."
"Really? I just saw ya cradling your dead cousin..."
"I'm fine, Haruka."
"You're not fine, look at you-"
He snapped back. "I'm fine. Leave me alone." She took a step back and then two steps forward, becoming extremely disdainful of his behavior. "I understand that you just lost your family and hurting currently: Don't put it that on me or you."
Haruka scorned him for never being open like Brandon and her, always clouding it away from his good friends.
"Yeah," He apologized calmly, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just lost someone I cared about. If anything; I'm pissed. I wasn't there for him-"
He held his mouth, holding back his tears as she was there to comfort him in these times.
"Listen to me," Haruka consoled him placing her hands on his mask, "you are an awesome person, Sora. You really are and I hate that you don't see that....But yer crying isn't gonna hurt anyone. It doesn't make you weak or anything like that. It shows that you have emotions." She placed her hand on back and walked with him to the council room.
"Sorry." He apologized again.
They walked inside the building where the televise interview was about to begin.
—————One Hour Later——————
Every faculty member sat in their respective seats while many newscast programs were about beleaguer the teachers with cameras and microphones close to their mouths.
"Hey." Haruka said to Sora while she nudged who was reminiscing about Haruto, the last piece of his early life smashed to pieces because he couldn't protect his cousin somewhat...Broke him, he immediately slapped one of the microphones as hard as he could. "Do you think we're gonna get impeached?" She asked with a smile, she wanted to put his mind somewhere else.
He looked at her in annoyance. "No—We aren't presidents, Haruka." He answered in a sardonic tone, Sora knew what she was trying to do. He loved her indomitable will, yet; He just wanted peace, for now.
The Principal, Lino Saon, was the last one that needed to show up.
He was the main event. Everyone was expecting him to spell out all the details and the reporters were craving for a good story.
"Well then," Lino cleared his throat, beginning to speak about the tragedy that happened. "let us begin. Yesterday, Surwick has been attacked by an army of Reapers and Daemon. Whoever have summoned a them is still at large. I am saddened to say that we have indeed lost two lives; one in Class C-1 and one in Class C-2." Lino addressed the situation, sad about that the event that occurred yesterday.
Haruka, Brandon and the rest of Surwick's faculty sat in their chairs silently, afraid to speak as the televised conference went on.
"Sir! Will you employ more heroes so that Surwick will have more security against future threats like these?" So this does not happen again?"One journalist asked, Lino had looked at the reporter and calmly answered, "Yes, we will. I've already asked two of my great friends who are Surwick Alumni, Chief Apex and New Glory, and they said yes.
We will begin to initiate more security protocols, effective immediately."
"Mr.Saon, will you have a break for the children can relax after this traumatic experience?" Another one asked in a sincere tone.
"I su—"
"Yes, we will." Sora interrupted his superior, standing tall.
"We will take a four day break because it is important for the students to forget about this, the students are extremely traumatized by this.
"But how can they forget if they are kids, Mr. Minami?"
"What's your name?" He answered as he walked down the stairs to greet the reporter with his hand out.
"Jerrod." The reporter said meekly, he was met with Sora on his worst day. "You sure ask a lot of questions.
"Well, it's part of my—"
"Hey Jerrod, stop running your mouth," Sora interrupted him the first. "do me a favor and get out of our court. As a matter of fact——Sit on your grandmother's dick and drink some Rose milk while you're at it, Jerrod." He fumed, even to going insulting the reporter even further. "Jerrod, fix your teeth since they're crooked than your wife. No, better yet, maybe your wife can—"" He stopped his insults at Jerrod, realizing that his grief was realizing
The whole room fell into a minute of silence due to the awkward atmosphere around them.
I forgot Sora had balls of orichalcum...
Ah, Man, how am I supposed to teach the classroom without you while you let your emotions out at the wrong time?????
Shit! That was the last straw for me! I'm done for!
All was quiet in the court until the third and final question was asked by more "social" reporter. She was kind yet a bit ditzy. "Uhhhhh.....Mr.Saon, do you believe that the Shinra Army, the largest army in the world currently, was behind this heinous crime?" He simply chuckled upon hearing her question. "I think not. To attack us during these days is beneath her. If anything, I reckon a Raven or a wizard must have done it..... And that ends this televised interview. Good day."
Every one that was a part of Surwick jumped out of their seats immediately, ready to go home to their families. "But, Mr.Lino-" The media badgered the patriarch with sheer animosity, hoping to get more answers from him.
Their will to exasperate the N0.1 Hero made Lino quite impressed by humans, in his eyes: They have not changed in the slightest. He grinned mentally.
What Sora did was understandable yet highly unlike him. He's mourning yet this "televised" nonsense had to come in the day where he found his distant cousin dead. I cannot stand it.....This will cease..... He thought, thinking the perfect enchantment for the journalists
Lino began his spell, an extremely powerful one to the media as they fall under his possession. It was an ancient spell used by magicians of the olden times: His times.
I haven't used this one in a good minute, from what these youngsters are using these days...
"Cadunt in dextera mea." Lino casted his spell in Latin; it was his third learned language, and loved every second of speaking the language.
He waved his specter around and ordered the media around. "All of this was caused by an unknown assailant. This would be make the headlines for CNN, NBC, any insignificant news channel you work for; there's your money for today and you did not see Minami's breakdown. A group of experts had a hand in regaining the school's defenses." He finished his spell, making his scepter hit the ground and made everyone reverted to their benign self.
"Now: I SAID. GOOD DAY." He finished the spell by growling at them, ceasing all curiosity as many of them cowered behind their camera, ending the televised event abruptly.
—————Three Hours Later——————
———Surwick———
Dang, my head feel as if it got hit by a pig's ass. Ryoji thought as he rubbed his head, it was hurting him for the first time.
"And you think mine doesn't?" Igneus
Heartz can get...migraines?
"Uh-Duh, my dood! You think we're just unloving hallucinations that cause every misfortune in your life?"
........ He did not answer Igneus's question.
"You know, what, Ryo?" His voice became squeakier inside Ryoji's head. "I really hate on how you treat me sometimes! I thought we were treading on better soil now than ever?"
It's actually amusing on how your voice gets higher whenever you get angry or embarrassed...
"Whatever! I don't want to talk to you!"
.....I'm really not in the mood to be dealing with this right now..... Ryoji thought to himself, caressing his head as he woke up in a hospital bed with an IV needle. Where is everyone? Are they ok? I need to see if they're ok or not...Ryoji's feet were begging to be touched by the ground, but stopped when an extraordinarily doctor walked in his room. Ryoji got into a position where he was ready to defend himself.
"Its alright, Mr. Kazama. Your friends are fine." A black male said to him, he seemed to be friendly quickly, no longer perceived as a threat.
His attire was similar to what a doctor would wear, with a large red crosses on his sleeves, and carefully handled his fancy glasses.
"Greetings, I am Dr. Crossings, my nurse checked in about an hour ago and changed your IV—"
Ryoji interrupted him by pulling out his IVs as it shocked the good doctor. What the Hell?! Doctor Crossings thought, shocked on how this kid was pulling out of his medical paraphernalia so easily. You're not supposed to do that!
"I'd advise you on not doing that." His tone was grave.
"Sorry but I'm not considering on your advice since I hate. IVs. Feels like as if a "stonoga" was in my arm!"
"Stonoga?" He stuttered, unsure of what that word meant.
The Heart-Bond the. remembered something essential: Not everyone speaks your language. He smacked his head, even making the doctor more dumbfounded than ever.
"Centipede." Ryoji clarified a bit to his doctor.
The doctor's mind was a bit scrambled trying to decipher on what happened, before reaching another way in getting his attention.
"Maybe you know me as the Medicinal Hero: Red Alert." He introduced himself as the School's resident doctor, he sat down in his chair.
"I do."
"Good," His fingers clashed with the keyboard as he searched up Ryoji's background. "Now, I just have to ask some qesutions about your medical background since
Ryoji gave him his permission.
—Seven Minutes Later—
"So, I see that you have scars throughout your whole body. Do you have history of domestic violence?" Red Alert asked, the Heart-Bond quickly nodded no as the doctor completed his questions.
"Okay Ryo, you should ask what is going on and how your friends are doing."
I will in a second, and they're your friends too.
"Yeah right!" He snorted in disbelief. "I don't know what I do, but I really bring the worst in people.."
....No comment.
"Is it everything I do?"
....No comment. Ryoji repeated his neutrality, finishing his second conversation with Igneus, as he noticed his arm was fine and dandy.
"What the-" Ryoji muttered to himself, frantically checking his wounds and bruises to show him that they were no longer there.
"My powers can heal wounds, rejuvenate, and even calm someone down when they're angered." Doctor. Crossings stated, "Since you're a Heart-Bond, it will take a while until you can heal properly." Dr. Crossings reassured the young orphan, who took some blood from his hand. "What about Funka? Her arm was seriously injured by the Reaper
hurt real bad...And Reza! Sera! Everyone that was with me? Are they alright?"
The doctor's perked up and looked at him politely, binding his arm with the rubber tourniquet. "Mrs. Burenji? Her arm is pretty much restored and resting, another room to the left. My adopted son wanted to see you but you were a bit unconscious, if you didn't know that, already." He said sarcastically and continued on. "The last time I saw him was in Reza's room at the far right. He might've left but I know for a fact that Sanda Machipaku already had to leave due to 'making it home to dinner'. Everybody: They're 87 Percent fine and you kids got a full week off!"
—Reza's Room—
"Ryoji?! You're in one piece!!" Reza beamed when he saw Ryoji coming and everyone else was there as well; Akina, Takeo, Sanda, Marcus, and everyone but Sanda and else in his room.
It felt for Ryoji to be hugged by Sera, whose fragrance reminded him of roses.
"She smells so good....."
Yeah.....I have to agree as well.
"Haruto Kuromiya died....." Takeo proclaimed sadly since he harbored a great respect for them.
"Did Class of the Griffons-ns lose someone as well? Akina questioned everyone in the room, awaiting an answer as Sera answered it. "Yes, his name is Chantrea Yen." She said. "I met him once during lunch break. He was very cute-looking since he was a slow Loris and they're really cute, as well."
Funka rushed into the room, barging in while giving Ryoji the stink eye and turned to everyone.
"Did you guys see the news?"
"Yeah, they lied on who restore our school back to the way it was and we can't say anything more about it? Sounds kinda communism." Taig said, making Sera and Cade uneasy as he was twirling his gun around them.
She made a hand gesture that resembled, 'Get outta here!'
"Not that——They caught the guy. They just caught the guy—Turn on CNN! I cannot believe that I, an average thirteen-year-old tomboy, is saying to put the news on....." She scratched her head while Akina immediately grabbed the remote and turned it on to the nearest news channel, where a dashing Ron Burgundy-sque anchorman and the stereotypical Latina anchorwoman took pride in being in the frontlines of restrained media.
The chauvinist anchorman went first.
"Yesterday, Surwick was under attack by an unknown assailant. Now, Now, the police have found
It is widely to be believed, that Batsaikhan Dorj, former operative of the defunct assassin group
known as Ravenskreig, was the true mastermind all over. The police have found him trying to escape from them in an abandoned distillery. Why'd you start the next story and then getting for me to eat, huh?" Ryoji spat his drink out as he heard that name., and the picture they showed of him was not too long ago.
He knew this man. He used to share camaraderie with this man, knowing that he could not hurt a fly unless he was forced to. Almost ten feet tall and weighing up to 900 pounds of muscle.
No...He.....No way he orchestrated the whole thing...He's a better man than I will ever be....
The misandristic anchorwoman went second. "I hate snooty little cherdos like you, dear old partner!" She nudged begrudgingly at her fellow anchor and started, "Sources say that since the Dolle incident, Batsaikhan Dorj had been hiding from lawmakers due to the Nevermore Law: If there is anyone you know that is either a Raven or is affiliated with one, they will the deadly consequences."
"I hate that law: It so cruel." She chided at the Nevermore Law, folding her arms and fuming over them.
If she only knew half of the story...Ryoji thought, all the while he kept thinking on how his former brother-in-arms is the number one person after O.J. Simpson.
Ryoji known Batsaikhan by another yet extremely offensive name:
The Great Mongol.
Ryoji usually called him by his last name as a sign of respect since he had no use for nicknames.
Sera, never the quizzical person, pulled Ryoji and asked, "Are you okay? Do you know that man?"
"No," He lied perfectly to her, making an excellent excuse for him spitting his drink. "I hate peach soda. I thought it was lemonade for a second." He chortled a bit at her staring right back at the TV screen before he theorized two things:
Did Surwick just frame a former Raven?
Or was this all a mistake?
———Track 16 Ended———
MAGIC SPELLS TO LEARN
N0.2
Cadunt in dextrea mea.
A superior-level of a manipulative spell, Cadunt in dextrea mea is learned through the highest order of school for wizards.
This spell is extremely rare and is used for the most twisted of ways: To cause misinformation or warp memories
This spell is ancient and only a few casters know of this spell.