Class 1AB never stopped running. The village was a mess, with several civilians rushing through the streets. Concession stands were toppled over, littering the ground with various foods and items. Even the warriors that convened to navigate the villagers appeared unnerved and uncoordinated.
It certainly didn't help that the barracks were placed on the opposite side of the village from the academy.
"Mr. Oshieru! The pathway up ahead is blocked!" Utsukushi hollered, prompting the blue-haired instructor of Class 1AB to lock his eyes onto the path up ahead.
'Damnit!' The pink-haired girl was correct, several civilians blocked it—the warriors were busy trying to regulate the pathways.
"What about the Village Information Center?" Naderamu chimed in, eyeing the tower off in the distance. "Aside from the barracks and academy, it should be the next safest building!"
Mr. Oshieru scowled. They weren't left with many options; pathways were blocked, and the barracks had been obliterated, only becoming smithereens of their original state.
The blue-haired instructor conceded. "All right, new plan: head to the Village Information Cent—!"
"Watch out!"
With the mere warning from Tanjo, Mr. Oshieru snapped toward the sight of a massive ball of magic crashing down toward the village—more specifically, where they were running.
Despite the Genso-Kyu-like appearance and its size that could be easily compared to a house, Mr. Oshieru dashed in front of his students, conjuring up a mass of his Aura Sense into one hand and discharging his magic immediately.
*BOOM!*
It only took a few short moments for Oshieru's blue beam to collide with the impending ball of magic. The giant ball was overpowered in a matter of seconds as the two clashed, disintegrating within Oshieru's strong blast.
"All right, Mr. Oshieru!" Akogare cheered from behind, smiling at his instructor.
Mr. Oshieru surveyed the sky above. "Keep running! We don't know where that came from, nor do we want to find out!"
And with that, the students of Class 1AB changed their course to the Village Information Center.
XXX
Kaminari Nozomu was returning from work. Apparently, an emergency protocol occurred, enforcing a mandatory leave on everyone present. Nozomu, on the other hand, refused to be stranded with a crowd of fearful villagers.
So, instead, Nozomu ran straight home.
'What could have happened to have put the entire village on alert!?' Nozomu questioned himself, helming onto the path he lives on.
Everything looked intact. Not a thing out of place. Nozomu stood outside his home, silent and observant. If nothing was wrong, what could have scared all of Buraun?
*SHING!*
In a flash, Nozomu dodged an incoming assault from the sky, hearing as the weapon used planted itself into the ground. Turning to the side, Nozomu spotted a small knife, the blade enabling the white-haired man to see his reflection.
'The hell…?'
Suddenly, the knife started to shake erratically, illuminating a radiant purple. Before Nozomu knew it, the knife caved in, releasing a powerful explosion into the ground, leveling part of the pathway.
As Nozomu leaped away from the explosive assault, his eyes caught something else. On the roof of his house, a figure clad in black clothing and a mask concealing its face landed gracefully, staring down the white-haired male.
'Terrorists!?' Nozomu offered an explanation to himself, finding his feet on the ground once more.
But, to Nozomu's misfortune, identical figures seized the rooftops of every home nearby, surrounding him in seconds.
"Stand down, Tansu vessel!" A fox-masked figure demanded, warranting apparent and visible shock from Nozomu.
Nozomu clenched his fists tightly. 'How do they…!? Hold on, if they're after me, then where's Reberu!?'
Not giving Nozomu a chance to become lost in his stupor—*boom!*—one of the masked figures shot a small, yellow beam toward the white-haired man, forcing Nozomu to push himself off the ground and away from the course of the blast.
Unfortunately, that very beam struck the ground just before the Nozomu residence, destroying the entire garden and blowing a hole through the entrance of the house.
'Damnit! Not the house!' Nozomu mentally yelled, watching as a few planks fell from the walls and ceiling of his home. The white-haired man could only pray that Kit, the kitten Tanjo rescued, was in a safe part of the house.
"Last warning, Tansu vessel!"
Nozomu steeled himself, contemplating how to execute this situation properly. Realistically, the man only had one viable option—lest he allows for this section of the village to be ravaged in the masked figures' attempt to capture him.
Without warning—*Shrroom!*—Nozomu saw an outburst of light in the corner of his eye. From the light, a beam way too fast for the white-haired man pounded into him with incredible force, knocking Nozomu back into his house, crashing through every wall in his flying body's trajectory.
"Mew."
A quiet mewl made it to Nozomu's ears. Lifting his head, Nozomu spotted Kit walking out of his closet, his fur now ruffled and spiked.
Next to the kitten, a chest that was creaked open lay on its back, revealing its contents—a mere piece of white clothing, making Nozomu's eyes glint with several wavering emotions.
"You damn runt, get back into the closet before—!"
Nozomu never got to finish his sentence as another serrated weapon found itself lodged in the floor after being tossed from outside. Similar to before, the weapon began to emit a bright illumination, preparing to detonate.
"Shit!"
*KABOOM!*
XXX
"How do we get in!?"
Hollering loudly, Akogare's eyes danced all around the Village Information Center, looking for any feasible entrances. Sadly, there were none. On all sides, the tower was swarmed by panicked villagers.
"Find a nearby warrior, they can assist us from here on out!" Oshieru ordered, his gaze flitting between numerous locations.
Tanjo's eyes were as frantic as his fellow classmates', scanning the area for warriors; low-class or high-class. However, the swarm of villagers encompassed his view of his surroundings.
"You'd think they'd have all these people under control!" Meisei shouted, his eyes darting around no more than Tanjo's.
Tanjo's mind meandered slightly. What about the other classes at the academy? Are they safe behind the walls of Buraunmajikku? What has really been happening outside the village's walls?
Tanjo parted his lips to speak. "Well, maybe most of the warriors are out scouting whatever the issue is."
"Yeah, maybe," Sukudo said lowly. "But, if that is the case, then what would have happened to take up so many warriors?"
Tanjo was stumped. He had no clear explanation of the situation, nor a single grasp of what to make of the recent events. At least, not until…
*KABOOM!*
An explosion captured the eyes of many, multiple heads craning and locking on to the loud, thunderous roar in the distance. Tanjo quickly analyzed the explosion, noting how dangerously close it appeared.
"Wait…" Tanjo murmured. "That came from…"
A torrent of cries and screams ripped through Buraun, worsening Class 1AB's current predicament. Mr. Oshieru, specifically, rushed to the back of his group to facilitate a better view.
Oshieru's lips went dry, his eyes dilating. His hand found its way wrapping around the handle of his tachi blade, unsheathing it slightly. It felt as if his heart would pop right out from his chest.
The instructor dreaded his next set of words: "So, my assumption was correct. The village is being invaded."
Taking place before Oshieru's and hundreds of civilians' eyes, masked figures sprawled across Buraun's land, taking up rooftops and pathways, closing in on every stranded person in the village.
"Class!" Oshieru called out precipitously. "We may not have many options left, so, think back to this entire year and what you have learned! Because, right now, we have a battle on our hands!"
This obviously frightened the students, but not to the degree that Oshieru anticipated. Instead of countenances of desolate hope, Class 1AB formed expressions of confidence.
It wasn't long before the moment was ruined.
"Hold on! Where's Tanjo!?"
XXX
The battle supposedly begins! And what happened to Nozomu and Kit? What will happen to Class 1AB? And, else more, where did Tanjo go!? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_