Oshieru's gray eyes darted back and forth in quick succession, never taking their gaze away from the three assailants who had surrounded him. Something felt odd about these peculiar three. Half of it pertaining to their unconcealed faces.
"I'm shocked," The female assailant, Yui, commented. "You've fared better than the warriors without any armor. Maybe this shit-hole of a village has better warriors than I thought."
Touma, who still towered over the bodies of dead villagers, said, "He doesn't appear to be a warrior—more like an instructor. His attire is a dead giveaway."
"A shame. Good warriors could've been made here, then." Kono chimed in, throwing his hat away carelessly. "But your death is kinda necessary at the moment, so, maybe in the next life!"
In that instance, one of Kono's purple tails surged toward the instructor, prompting Oshieru to lunge away. As Oshieru landed back on the ground, Yui dashed behind him, reeling her right arm back and activating her aura print: yellow snakes that threw themselves that the blue Aura Sense instructor.
With his tachi sword, Oshieru sliced the heads off of the incoming snakes, the conjured aura prints dissipating instantaneously. Then, without warning, Touma appeared from the sky, crashing down above Oshieru. Swinging his sword upward, Oshieru blocked an incoming kick from Touma, forcing the scarred man a few feet back.
"My aura print may not be entirely versatile as the others, but that doesn't mean that I'm not deadly unarmed." Touma declared, rushing at Oshieru.
Releasing a sturdy punch, Touma's fist bounced off of Oshieru's tachi blade, warranting a second punch from the scarred man. Touma and Oshieru found themselves in a close-combat battle, rapid and successive blows were made by both sides.
Suddenly, Touma's fingers slithered around Oshieru's forearm, tightly holding it. Red tendrils appeared from the scarred man's palm almost immediately, aiming to penetrate Oshieru's flesh.
"Perhaps I can use you to kill off your own village!"
Fortunately for Oshieru, he managed to cover his entire arm with his blue Aura Sense, disintegrating the red tendrils and forcing Touma's hand away. Oshieru's leg then shot up, striking Touma in the chin and disorienting him from the fierce attack. To finish it off, Oshieru spun and thrust his leg into Touma's stomach, knocking Touma to the ground.
In an attempt to end the fight, Oshieru dove in on the vulnerable, scarred man, his blade ready to pierce. However, when the blue-haired instructor went to slam his sword down, snakes wrapped around his blade, halting his finishing move.
Oshieru clicked his tongue. "One at a time, please."
Oshieru's tachi blade emitted blue magic, both destroying the snakes and enabling the instructor to spin and slash at Yui from afar, a wave of blue magic flying off of the blade and through the air.
Yui gasped in surprise, hopping over the incoming wave of lethal magic. But when Yui looked back up, Oshieru was before her, lodging his tachi sword through her chest.
"Garrghh!" Yui spat, her throat closing in pain as blood gushed out of her body gruesomely.
Oshieru retracted his blade from Yui's chest, slashing the air to remove some of the crimson blood that coated his tachi sword. Then, his gray eyes locked onto Touma, who appeared to be assuming a new fighting stance.
Touma glanced at Yui's body, full of labored breathing, and scoffed. 'If he isn't a warrior, how is he keeping up with us? He's on par with some high-class warriors.'
Oshieru's eyes suddenly looked distant, his gaze flickering. Behind Touma, only a few meters away, more of the masked invaders stood tall, making the instructor take a hesitant step back.
"The rest must've showed up. How convenient…" Oshieru drolled, gripping his tachi blade at his side.
Shocking Oshieru, Touma raised his hand, catching the masked invaders' attention.
"Go to the tower, the lot of ya'! Kono and I will handle this guy on our own. No need to waste men on one person!" Touma unexpectedly ordered, waiting for the masked invaders to leave.
Shortly after, every concealed assailant rushed past Oshieru, dashing to the Village Information Center.
"No, damnit!" Oshieru cursed, his eyes steeling at the sight of Buraun's pinnacle being ambushed.
In the corner of Oshieru's eye, he noticed a flash of purple, making him block with the blade of his sword. It was one of Kono's tails. Kono's smug expression had faded, and a monotonous expression had taken its place.
'Must be pissed that I killed the girl.' Oshieru reasoned, staring down Kono.
"Kono," Touma called out. "Don't kill him—he could be useful. I just need to inject him with—!"
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. This fight has been dragged on for too long." Kono disregarded Touma.
Then, ominously, more purple tails sprouted from Kono's back, giving the blonde male six tails in total, three more than before.
"I can make more, but I doubt I need all of them to defeat you," Kono claimed, his tails swaying.
Oshieru's eyes narrowed. 'He reminds me of Utsukushi. Maybe they're distant relatives.'
The blue Aura Sense instructor then parted his lips to speak, "I don't think your tails will help you all too much. Just more parts to cut."
Kono grounded his feet. "Each tail provides me with reserves that assort my Aura Sense. The more I create, the more magic I can distribute through my body with fewer repercussions."
Oshieru huffed. 'How stupidly powerful. With that alone, he might as well contain more magic than any warrior around.'
Oshieru and Kono never took their eyes off of each other, leading them into a dangerous staring content. Now, all they awaited was for one of them to initiate the fight.
XXX
The masked assailants continued to spring themselves toward the Village Information Center. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop in a single bound, their eyes locked on the tower in the middle of the village.
As each of the assailants grew closer—*boom!*—a squad of the masked invaders was suddenly blown away by a giant beam of magic. In frantic shock, the invaders spun their heads to the top of the tower, immediately noticing the group of warriors stationed atop the building.
Giant Genso-Kyu's hovered in the air as three or more warriors fueled the orbs of magic. With all of their combined magic, the Genso-Kyu made by separate groups of warriors grew larger.
In the middle of those giant Genso-Kyu, Haishi sat on the roof of the Village Information Center, his overlapping each other lazily. He then grumbled anxiously.
"Since I'm being forced to protect the Council, I might as well do what I can from here."
With these giant Genso-Kyu, the swarm of invaders started to die down, the majority of them being struck by the blasts shot from the orbs of magic. Haishi's lazed-filled face observed the massacre occurring before him. It was foolish of them to assume that the Village Information Center was unprotected or for them to at least rush the building uncoordinated.
Averting his gaze from the incoming invaders, Haishi noticed a group of students in armor fighting on the ground. His expression morphed slightly.
"Huh, those students are finally tasting battle for the first time." Haishi sounded, his eyes wavering with concern and pride.
By looking at their headbands, they belonged to a blue Aura Sense class at Buraunmajikku. What year they were in was unknown to the chief.
Soon, Haishi's eyes returned to the slaughter of the invaders, watching as more Genso-Kyu beams were launched at the retaliating assailants.
'Perhaps you attacking Buraun wasn't a bright idea.'
XXX
"There can't be much of them left!"
With Naderamu's shouting, the students of Class 1AB, excluding Tanjo, fought hard. This was their first fight with warriors from another part of Adonai. More specifically, a fight for their lives.
With a heavy punch, Akogare landed a solid blow in the face of a masked assailant, knocking them out instantly. "Hah! I knew those spars would do me good!"
"Don't get cocky now," Meisei said. "Getting distracted now can still end us up in death."
Akogare then murmured, "I know, I know. It's just that we've never fought like this before!"
Unexpectedly, Utsukushi's voice rang through the ears of the Class 1AB students. "Look! It's Mr. Oshieru! Right over there!"
Pointing in a general direction, the pink-haired student had directed the eyes of her classmates to spot their blue-haired instructor, Mr. Oshieru.
"Maybe the crowd is shrinking from people being able to get to safety." Sukudo rationalized, his eyes returning to the invaders that surrounded them.
True to the brown-haired student's words, the crowd of fleeing villages has shrunk significantly. Most of them must have managed to escape into the Village Information Center.
"Oshieru may be able to help us!" Akogare suggested loudly, proceeding to make his way to his instructor.
"Akogare, no!" Naderamu hollered, her eyes widening as an incoming attack was directed at the running blonde male.
Akogare barely at the time to turn his head as he felt himself get pushed back, dragging through the ground violently. He grunted in pain as he could vividly feel something crack within his body.
Standing over Akogare, an invader with a veil over his mouth brandished a sword, raising it high, preparing to slice the blonde student below him. Rei of Team Ganbaru appeared.
XXX
Oshieru, much like his fox-like opponent, grounded his feet, bending his knees. His tachi blade hung to the side, gleaming in the sunlight. Both Kono and Oshieru were prepared to pounce on each other.
Kono hunched slightly, his hand almost touching the ground, the animalistic posture perplexing Oshieru. However, it greatly exemplified the fox-like traits that Kono possessed; the purple tails sticking out, along with the sharp, purple claws that protruded from his hands.
"You are really sticking to the whole animal shtick, huh?" Oshieru commented, his gray eyes analyzing Kono intently.
In the distance, Oshieru heard a yelp of pain, his sound garnering the instructor's attention due to the familiarity of the voice. In fear, Oshieru's eyes widened at the sight mere meters away.
Naguru Akogare was lying on the ground, Rei stood over him and was ready to finish him off with a sword.
'No!' Oshieru shouted mentally, his feet turning quickly.
Before Oshieru could lift himself off of the ground, he felt a fist pound him in the stomach. Then, a hand gripped his face, slamming his head to the ground and cracking it instantly.
"Hrrhg!"
Kono forced Oshieru's head into the ground, not allowing the instructor to move. Gradually, Kono started to apply pressure to Oshieru's head. Behind him, one of his purple tails hovered above the blue Aura Sense instructor, then swiftly stabbed him in the back, blood pouring from the fresh wound.
Oshieru squirmed, trying his hardest to escape Kono's grasp—but the fox-like male was physically much stronger than him. The easy distribution of his magic, utilizing his multiple tails, was presumably the reason for this.
"You shouldn't have taken your eyes off of me, swordsman," Kono said menacingly. "Now, how did you kill Yui again? Oh, yes: stabbing through the chest."
Then, more of Kono's tails were stationed above Oshieru's torso. All the instructor could do was watch as Akogare, his student, was about to die. For the first time in a while, fear clouded Oshieru's mind.
Brief flashbacks of old students flooded his memories. Images full of blood, and the body of a dead student in his arms were all that Oshieru could see.
'I'm… sorry, Akushon. I couldn't keep my promise…'
As Oshieru closed his eyes, the whole world felt as if it shook.
*BOOM!*
With his eyes snapping open, Oshieru's eyes were glued to the scene before him. Shock and surprise had begun to overwhelm the instructor at the new sight before him; and, seemingly enough, Kono's as well.
Standing over Akogare was no longer the masked invader. Instead, a student that Oshieru, and the nearby students, recognize very well. With his jet-black that swayed similarly to the night in Ryakudatsu, Tanjo stood above his fallen classmate, his hand extended outward.
The masked invader from before could no longer be seen, but the sight of a hole that was created from a powerful blast that stretched through the entire village was all that everyone needed to know what had happened.
Tanjo's outstretched hand slowly lowered back to his side. Perhaps it was because of his fading consciousness, but Oshieru could swear that Tanjo's expression was filled with nothing but emptiness. It was like staring at a completely different human being.
Also, instead of his supposedly blue Aura Sense, three more colors revolved around his body subtly—like smoke escaping from a fire.
Within moments, the remaining invaders rushed toward Tanjo, all of them brandishing their weapons in order to strike. As this happened, Tanjo's body apparently flickered out of visibility, only for him to reappear in the air, a multi-colored Genso-Kyu in hand, and he blasted every invader away. Each and every attacking assailant was wiped out instantly.
Slowly, Tanjo's lifeless eyes met Kono's.
Bracing himself for some kind of attack, Kono still wasn't prepared for Tanjo to appear before him in a flash and kick him through several structures. The power of the kick leveled the ground as well as blew away nearby structures. But, surprisingly enough, Tanjo's expression remained expressionless—as if the act of kicking a highly powerful assailant through an entire village was normal.
Oshieru, on the other hand, was passed out, blood still oozing from his back.
"Raah!"
Suddenly, a shout radiated throughout the area. Touma could be seen lunging at Tanjo, who was facing away from the scarred man. Without having to turn, Tanjo craned his head to the side to dodge an incoming strike, spun, and kicked Touma back.
Villagers nearby watched on in fear, their eyes unwilling to leave Tanjo. More specifically, his colorful Aura Sense.
"Oh, gods!" A villager shouted. "That kid has an Aura Amalgamation! We're all going to die!"
Touma stood back up from the ground, glaring at Tanjo with utmost animosity. With both of his hands, Touma filled his palms with his red Aura Sense, a flash of red encompassing his arms.
"I don't know who you are, but you will learn not to make a fool of Shinkaku!" Touma yelled, discharging a big, red beam.
As the red beam got closer, Tanjo didn't move a muscle, merely watching as the blazing attack decreased in distance. Shortly after, the beam swallowed Tanjo, his body no longer visible to the world.
"Shinkaku." An emotionless voice sounded, making Touma's eyes widen.
A grip suddenly found its way around Touma's neck, making the scarred man groan in pain. Behind him, Tanjo's empty eyes gazed at him.
"Shinkaku. Is that a village?" Tanjo's lethargic voice reached Touma's ears.
Touma struggled to break free of Tanjo's grasp. "N-no! It's an organization!"
Tanjo's hold tightened slightly, making Touma frightened. His usually stoic face was sweating heavily.
"Where?" Tanjo asked, his jet-black hair wavering in front of his blue eyes.
Touma's throat started to hurt. "We recently came to Adonai to discover the lost curses from the Takuetsu Dynasty, but we originate from Shanti!"
"Tanjo!" A new voice called out.
Looking to his left, Tanjo spotted Kaminari Nozomu. The Old Man. Nozomu nearly flinched at Tanjo's cold countenance. Lightning continued to flicker around Nozomu. The sight was menacing for the villagers.
"Put him down. You're making too big of a scene. Remember what I told you!" Nozomu spoke out to the jet-black-haired teenager, taking a step forward.
Tanjo's face was unreadable. Before the white-haired Nozomu could take a single step forward—*snap!*—Touma's neck was snapped like a twig, prompting his body to fall to the ground.
Nozomu's eyes widened. 'He… killed someone…'
The old man's mind went blank. Tanjo, the kid who swore to make everyone smile and feel safe, never thought of killing entering his mind—snapped the neck of an assailant. Of course, the person being an assailant is irrelevant to Nozomu.
But now…
…There will be bigger problems.
Nozomu's eyes darted to the villagers, looking into their fear and hate-filled eyes. This revelation stung Nozomu. Ever since he found out about Tanjo's Aura Amalgamation, he should've stuck by Tanjo's side, preventing any outbreaks—such as now—from happening.
"H-he's Lucifer's descent!" A random villager yelped, cowering behind a group of civilians.
Tanjo's eyes tracked down the person who asserted the ridiculous claim, but something hit him, mentally. The weak and vulnerable expressions of the villagers—tripping over one another to distance themselves from him.
Then, Tanjo's eyes finally revealed emotion.
XXX
Strange. Tanjo felt strange. Opening his eyes, he immediately spotted the change in the environment around him. Instead of the village, with a blue sky up above, he floated through an abyss—far greater than Ms. Tassei's own.
However, this abyss wasn't as dark as Ms. Tassei's. It looked like it was somewhere outside of Earth, with stars visible in the distance. Surprisingly, Tanjo felt nothing from this, aside from his initial shock.
"W-where..?" Tanjo gasped, choking on his breath.
"Somewhere far, far away." An unfamiliar voice made itself known, garnering Tanjo's attention instantly. "Farther than you could probably imagine."
Floating in this abyss with Tanjo was a man—white and blue robes flailing off of his body weightlessly. He had blue hair like Mr. Oshieru, but brighter and way longer, stretching down to his neck in length.
"Wh-who the hell are you!?" Tanjo shouted, moving his arms and legs reflexively, unbalancing his hovering posture and forcing him to spin.
The man's motionless face unnerved Tanjo to a significant degree.
"I didn't bring you here to question me." The robed man snapped, making Tanjo flinch. "I brought you here to push you in the right direction."
Tanjo's right eye drooped in confusion. "The right direction..?"
"Your power," The robed man's voice cut off Tanjo's thought process. "It is special in the eyes of few, but, reasonably, a curse to most. I know you're aware of your Aura Amalgamation—but I assure you, using it is far more difficult than it appears."
Tanjo floated in silence, surveying the man intently.
"But, if you heed my words, you can become stronger and fulfill whatever your little ambitions are." The man declared, his eyes staring into Tanjo's.
Tanjo was hesitant. "Well… what is this direction, then?"
This felt surreal to the teenager. Due to his Aura Amalgamation, he ostensibly unlocked a new path in life given by a strange man in robes, telling him what to do. The teenager was slightly overwhelmed, to say the least.
The man's eyes narrowed. "You have to live on morals. Sad as it is, you'll have to ditch your village. There are far too many problems on Earth—more specifically, the three nations: Adonai, Shanti, and Zebulun."
"What!?" Tanjo shouted in surprise, his mouth gaping. "You expect me to leave Buraun? My home?"
The man didn't back down. "If you don't, several people will die—including you and your loved ones. You were given your power with a set of responsibilities. If you pursue a peaceful future, then allow me to usher you into greatness."
Tanjo clung to every word the man said, his heart almost resonating with him. But, his mind, on the other hand, was opposed.
"H-how long is supposedly left?" Tanjo muttered, perplexion taking over.
The robed man shrugged. "Chaos is an intermittent thing. It only happens when it's relevant—which could be anytime. But, I can't dally with a teenager for too long. I'll be sending you back. Think about what I said, remember the faint power you just had possessed. That isn't even a fraction of what you can do."
Suddenly, a portal-like entrance swirled into existence behind the man, prompting him to turn and start floating away.
"Wait!" Tanjo called out hurriedly. "Who are you? You told me what you wanted to talk, now answer my question!"
The man halted temporarily, craning his head to look back slightly. His long, luscious, blue hair concealed his eyes.
"My name is Kronos, and I am one of the last remaining gods."
XXX
Tanjo's real body fell to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. All of his visible Aura Sense that exhausted him vanished, leaving nothing but a normal, unconscious teenager.
Nozomu dashed toward the jet-black-haired teenager, lifting him up. It was relieving to see that Tanjo never sustained any injuries, so making a disastrous trip to the medical bay could be avoided much easier.
Then, a masked invader fell to the ground after being stabbed with a sword. Nozomu looked up, identifying the newcomer that finished off the final assailant in the village.
Lieutenant Kou, with blood splattered all over her, stood with a concerned face, looking down at the teenager. More importantly, the lightning that adorned Nozomu. Her expression turned grim, getting caught by Nozomu.
"He's fine," Nozomu claimed, standing up. "And so am I."
Kou frowned. "He's one of the students. Where is his class?"
Nozomu's eyes wavered, jabbing his head to the side to usher Kou's gaze to the ground, spotting Oshieru lying on the leveled ground. Just a few meters up, the rest of the students stood nervously.
"Hey," Nozomu called out to Kou. "My house was destroyed in the invasion—I need a new one, is it possible to get a new one? Maybe one with a mini-fridge installed?"
XXX
And that concludes Volume Three!! A lot happened recently, and we got to see such powerful characters show off! For example, Regashi, Lord Phoenix, Kaminari Nozomu, and even Tanjo! Finally! The MC is relevant in fights! And we also got to see Class 1AB participate in fending off assailants! What will happen in Volume Four? Will Tanjo accept the God, Kronos', idea? Leave Buraun? Who knows!? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_