A week had passed since Tanjo had first saved Kit the kitten. The kitten had practically adjusted to the new environment instantly. It just goes to show that not all cats are outside cats.
Currently, Tanjo was walking down a pathway, making his way toward Buraunmajikku. Ever since the teenage boy had run into Ms. Tassei, which led to her seemingly solving all of Tanjo's problems regarding his Aura Sense.
Just yesterday, Tanjo had been able to properly form a Genso-Kyu without the support of both hands. Despite the fact that even low-class warriors could accomplish such a feat, it was a milestone for students—especially ones without the proper knowledge of manipulating their magic.
Mr. Oshieru once said that warriors use their Aura Sense to cloak their swords because their opponent's magic is too potent for a standard blade to pierce their skin. They may completely exploit their Aura Sense by simply encasing their sword in magic and manipulating it to swirl around the length of their blade. Conjuring up a Genso-Kyu is just the beginning.
—Flashback—
Tanjo could be seen with a crouched stance, his right hand sticking outward. His instructor, Mr. Oshieru, stood meters behind the boy, observing him through his long strands of blue hair.
"I had shown you all before, keep your palm facing the sky and focus on the flow of magic traversing to your palm. Once you master this, learning everything else will come much more smoothly." The instructor of Class 1AB said, folding his arms over his vest-covered chest.
The jet-black-haired boy tensed his palm, the warm sensation of magic coursing through his arm and gathering at his palm. This was a make-or-break situation: either successfully master the Genso-Kyu or go back to square one, being stuck with the two-handed gesture to conjure any sort of spherical shape.
Suddenly—*Vrrrm*—a light blue hue emitted from Tanjo's palm. To the boy, controlling the Aura Sense color was his biggest challenge. Tanjo only had brief moments of experiencing the power of every Aura Sense being enacted at once—most notably, during the class battles of Class 1AB against Class 1AR.
He'd been advised to keep his "condition" a secret on several occasions. He had no idea why, but after discovering how a prominent tyrant and the leader of the only dynasty that ever existed in all of Adonai's history had the same power as him, the adolescent swiftly became tight-lipped about it. His biggest regret today is telling Apiru Naderamu about it. Thank the gods she never inquired further about Tanjo's meaning.
"Come on..!" Tanjo ushered the Genso-Kyu forming in his palm, trying his hardest not to apply too much pressure or too little.
Then, a sphere came into existence, forming upward in a blue spiral. Due to its opaque texture, it had become unclear as to if the ball of magic was still spinning or not.
However, none of that mattered to Tanjo…
…He had managed to use a Genso-Kyu with one hand!
"Good job, buddy!" Akogare congratulated, smiling at Tanjo mirthfully.
Naderamu, the class's second blonde, looked at the Genso-Kyu with interest, then hummed, "Not bad; you were behind for a while there—good thing you finally caught up!"
Every other student in the class had taken a momentary break from their training, gazing at Tanjo and his Genso-Kyu, only for all of them to be told off by Mr. Oshieru.
"All right, get back to your training! We still have quite a bit before the day is over!"
Tuning out his instructor's words, Tanjo was mesmerized by his Genso-Kyu, feeling the sensation of a floating sphere of magic residing above his palm. It was like an invisible foundation held the Genso-Kyu in place, presenting it to the world.
'I'm doing it, Old Man!'
—Flashback End—
Returning to the present time, Tanjo was being forced to dodge and weave around traveling villagers that walked in the opposite direction as the boy. The paths really got packed during the day, mainly before and after academy hours.
People did need to get to work, Tanjo guessed.
Speaking of people…
"Oomph!"
Tanjo had accidentally bumped into a stranger.
The stranger wore a strange-looking hat, which still oddly suited him. His build was lean but slightly muscular; his sleeveless top matched his black pants. The stranger was accompanied by three others, one of whom was a female, and the rest being male.
The man in the weird hat spoke first. "Where the hell are you going, kid?"
Tanjo's eyes widened, bowing shortly after. "Sorry, sorry! I was in rush! Please excuse me!"
The teenager then slipped by, continuing his path to the academy, quickly forgetting about the strangers he had run into.
"People need to pay attention more," Yui mumbled, watching the jet-black-haired boy scurry away.
Touma shrugged. "We all make mistakes, I guess. Like when Kono tripped on a tree branch while trying to jump tree-to-tree."
"Hey!"
"Don't 'hey' me, Kono. You ditched us to buy an ugly-looking hat, also coming back with the information that Lord Phoenix had contacted you with important information about a Tansu Beast residing in this village."
Kono turned his head away indignantly.
"Well, at least our mission will be spiced up a bit."
XXX
At the Shinkaku base, a kitsune-clad individual stood before a wave of similarly dressed people. Two separate units of Shinkaku members stood tall, a small walkway between both of the groups making each of the units visible.
The individual in the front was the masked female, Katsuko, the second in command. Katsuko was the one always left in charge in Lord Phoenix's absence. But, as of this moment, Lord Phoenix had ordered that Katsuko assemble two separate units of their people, discreetly discussing the reason behind closed doors.
But soon, it wouldn't be so discreet.
Through her kitsune mask, Katsuko's eyes spotted a certain person walking toward her and the units, prompting her to spin and face the Shinkaku members sternly.
"Stand tall, everyone! Lord Phoenix will now speak!" Katsuko then walked off to the side, kneeling.
Walking up beside her was Lord Phoenix, his eyes scanning the crowd of his people. Under the mask, Lord Phoenix grinned.
"Greetings, Shinkaku! I have had your superior, Katsuko, assemble you all in the time of utmost importance!" Lord Phoenix proclaimed, raising his arms as he spoke.
"Recently, we discovered the presence of a Tansu Beast within village territory! As you know, those beasts were once descendants of the great gods themselves! Their power is said to be boundless—their vessel being their only outlet! If we manage to subdue the vessel, the beast will be transferred right into our hands!" Lord Pheonix exclaimed, his voice getting gradually louder, his arm's movement becoming more animated.
It wasn't lost to Lord Phoenix. Every time he had made these speeches, he felt enveloped with power and authority—the requisite of being a god. The gods had to be omnipotent, authoritative, and all-knowing. If he is to succeed in transcending to the higher race and becoming a god, Lord Phoenix will need to instill all that he can into the minds of Shinkaku.
Lord Phoenix lowered his arms slightly, eyeing his followers. "With this information being acquired, I had made the competent decision to dispatch our very own members to retrieve the beast. However, only one unit is required."
Only one unit? Those words confused the members of Shinkaku. It was obvious that there were two separate units, so why was there a need for two if only one was needed to obtain the Tansu Beast?
Those questions would then be answered.
"Along with the news of the Tansu Beast, we have discovered a potential threat to our organization! They are a band of rogue warriors that sully this nation! The second unit will be sent to the group of rogues to put a halt to their evil conduct!" Lord Phoenix declared, silence ensuing all around them.
Good. Silence meant that they were listening, Lord Phoenix thought.
Lord Phoenix's eyes narrowed, his eyes never leaving his followers. 'Removing this group will both purge any disruptions, as well as enable us to bring back a specific follower of mine.'
The leader then cleared his throat.
"The name of this group is known as…
… the Furusato Unit, our biggest threat!"
XXX
*GASP!* How did Lord Phoenix discover Furusato? Was it Kiyo? If so, how? What will really happen once the unit reaches them!? And what will occur with the other unit being sent to Buraun!? Stay tuned to find out more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_