"Okay! Once we enter this forest, we'll be on the move non-stop!"
One final reminder can be seen from Mr. Akushon, the instructor of class 1AR. Both classes, the warriors, and teachers can be seen standing outside the entrance of the Fukuga forest.
Mr. Akushon fixed his gaze on the academy students in front of him before handing it over to his colleague. His long, luscious black hair, with the occasional strand of sun-kissed blonde hair floating over the top of his head in the breeze.
Mr. Oshieru met the red-aura instructor's eyes and captured Akushon's gaze. After a few brief moments of nodding, the two teachers appeared to have reached an unspoken understanding.
"It's time to get going. We want to make it at least a quarter of the way into the path before sun-down! Any questions, comments, or concerns before we begin?" Mr. Akushon hollered out to the group of students, asking the same question for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
The copious, non-verbal nods were enough for the teachers, prompting the instructors to adorn a resolute glint in their eyes. "Alright, then! Off we go."
Mr. Oshieru and Akushon were the first ones to step foot into the Fukuga forest, then being followed by the warriors and students.
Shortly after they started walking, a teenage girl with chestnut-brown hair turned to one of her classmates. "What do you think we're going to do once we get to Ryakudatsu, Kakudo?"
A student that has familiar ink-black glasses, black slick back hair, and hazel-green eyes can be seen turning to the chestnut-haired girl to respond. "I'm sure that it'll be strictly training. After all, we are trying to become warriors."
The chestnut-haired girl raised her arms from her sides and placed both palms on the back of her head, the armor she was wearing rattling with the sudden movement. "Sounds boring."
going over to the blue aura, Meisei can be seen walking beside Akogare and Sukudo. "Man, it feels weird to be all casual with the folks we just fought a few days ago," Meisei said quietly, darting brief looks at the numerous red-aura pupils in the area.
Sukudo hummed in acknowledgment, not removing his eyes from the man-made path ahead of him. "I guess. Just remember, they'll be training alongside us. Keeping the mindset that they're just 'the people we beat up' is not going to be of assistance." His usual monotonous voice reached the ears of the blue aura students around him, most particularly, Tanjo's.
"Do you think we'll be able to see them in action? During our training, not against us, but against various types of opponents? When we fought them, they appeared to be rather powerful, yet the year is still so young." Tanjo inquired, his gaze rising to the calm blue sky and the dead cotton-white clouds.
Naderamu shrugged her armor-plated shoulders. "I'm not exactly focused on them. I want to be able to grow from this trip, not gawk at the others' abilities." Naderamu's words were not at the forefront of her mind, as seen by her actions. But there was something else. Tanjo, the jet-black-haired classmate, drew a half-lidded glance from the female blonde. 'I'm still waiting for you to tell me what an aura amalgamation is.'
XXX
Kaminari Nozomu could be seen traversing throughout the Fukuga forest as well, accompanied by his 'fellow' warriors.
"Man, you really got yourself a dull mission to start your career with, huh?" The white-haired Nozomu was nearly caught off guard when he heard a sluggish and jovial voice. The same dark brown-haired female warrior could be seen staring blankly at Nozomu, her head cocked slightly to the left. Nozomu inhaled deeply before replying to the female warrior beside him.
"Yeah, I guess so. " Nozomu exhaled, facing forward once more, maintaining a steady pace as he walked on the dirt path.
"Not much of a talker?" The woman spoke once more, causing Nozomu to mentally groan in annoyance.
"Just trying to stay focused on the mission at hand," Nozomu grumbled out, nearly wishing that he had a certain ice-cold beverage in his clutches.
Nozomu was then tapped on the arm, forcing him to look to his left, where he discovered another of the warriors. "Don't worry about her. She always acts in this manner when meeting new people; it's how she greets everybody." This warrior had long black hair that hung down the front of his face and stopped at the tip of his nose.
The white-haired Nozomu simply nodded in response to the younger warrior's words, the white-haired Nozomu seemingly uninterested in the people around him. His lack of attention was seen by the younger male next to him. "You don't appear to be accustomed to missions like this, huh?"
"I've done something similar to this once or twice before," Nozomu replied to the younger dark-haired warrior, not bothering to look in his direction anymore.
Only a smile could be seen on the younger warrior's face. A smile that is both serene and understanding. He suddenly turned to gaze forward, his attention focused on the path ahead of him. "I see your point. On your first mission, you don't want to get sidetracked. I'm going to leave you alone. But I can't say the same for the others."
A low hum was all that was verbally emitted from the white-haired Nozomu.
XXX
Taking a break from the academy's tour, we can now see a young person with peach-blonde hair reclining on top of a tree branch. His sleeveless arms were positioned behind his head as a fleshy cushion against the tree's hard surface, and his tight black trouser legs were crossed.
"Hey, Kono. Get off your lazy ass and come see this." A deep voice commanded the lazing blonde.
The peach-blonde-haired male who's now identified as Kono groaned as he started to sit up, stretching his arms, eliciting a cracking sound from his stiff bones. "No need to be a dick, Tako."
Kono's blonde hair was clipped as a shiny object sped past his head. The thing resembled a sword, with two strong blades on opposing sides of the leathery brown hilt. Looking at the source of the throw, you can see a man with a masculine frame, light black hair, and dark black eyes, with his arm still extended from tossing his two-sided blade. "Don't call me that. It's Takoshiki. Stick to calling me that."
Kono huffed playfully, crossing his arms. "Fine, Shiki," Kono murmured under his breath, taunting the man in front of him.
"Grah! Just hand me my sword back, there's something more important than your stupid games!" Takoshiki demanded, high amounts of anger and animosity lacing the underbelly of his words.
"Alright, alright." Kono complied, yanking the thick-bladed sword out from the tree, a slit in the wood was now visible a mark. "Here." Kono traversed over to Takoshiki, handing him the heavy dual-bladed sword.
"Finally. Now, look over there." The sword wielder directed, pointing a finger in a certain direction.
They watched as a group of travelers, all armored with the exception of the two people leading the group, stalked through the woodland from afar, away from the hill they were standing on.
Kono then turned to the black-haired sword wielder. "You think they're going where we're going, bro?"
Takoshiki's fury was now even more visible as a tick mark appeared on his head. "Stop referring to me with your strange lingo! I'm also unsure. However, they appear to be moving in that direction. So I propose that we inform Jinshu and exterminate them."
Kono's left eyebrow raised at Takoshiki's words. "You are really quick to kill, huh?"
Takoshiki grumbled as he stood straight up, turning around and heading in a single direction. "Stay here and keep an eye on them. We can't lose sight of where they're heading." The sword wielder ordered, his voice fading out as he walked farther away.
Kono only nodded, obviously unseen by the sword wielder, but the blonde obeys anyways. Returning his gaze to the travelers. "How unlucky for them."
XXX
Hey! I hope you guys enjoyed today's chapter. We can now see where this story is heading! Stay tuned to find out more.
Have a Good Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_