Thunder roared in the skies above, a flash of lightning stretching through the gray clouds. Minuscule droplets of rain hurdle toward the ground, splashing upon impact.
A figure stood tall in this rain, his sword gleaming under the lightning. His heart felt heavy, his mind felt overloaded. As this figure looked to the ground, his blue hair hanging from his head loosely, his eyes latched onto the forms of several deceased bodies clad in chalkboard-gray armor and blue headbands fastened around their heads, lying lifelessly on the dampening dirt.
Standing a few feet away, a darker figure brandished a blade soaked in blood, dripping to the ground. Behind this darker figure, more people appeared, perched in the trees or crouched in the bushes.
"How disappointing." The voice of the darker figure cut through the ominous silence. "An instructor that failed to save his students."
With one foot forward, the blue-haired figure looked up, his gray eyes piercing through every strand of wet hair that clung to his skin. Slowly, the instructor raised his free hand up to the collar of his blue vest, two of his fingers wrapping around it tightly, enabling the man to forcefully tear the vest off from his body, leaving him in nothing but a black, long-sleeved top.
This blue-haired figure was none other than Oshieru. Anger shot through his entire body, glowering at the dark figure that smirked before him.
The dark figure had short-shaved hair and was tall and bulky. His black apparel, with sashes wrapped around him, blended in with the night. But to Oshieru, his smile, his face, was as visible as day.
With a thousand thoughts running through his mind, Oshieru lunged toward the shaven man. Reeling his tachi sword back, the instructor slammed his blade against his opponent's, cracking the ground and blowing the rain away.
"W-woah!" The shaved man exclaimed in shock as he quickly found himself becoming overwhelmed by the blue-haired instructor.
With his left hand, Oshieru conjured a powerful Genso-Kyu and jabbed it into the shaved man's gut—*boom!*—proceeding to discharge an intense beam through the man's body, sending the man through the air and crashing through several trees.
*THWOOSH!*
Suddenly, arrows encompassed in blue and red Aura Sense surged toward Oshieru. Within the blink of an eye, Oshieru sliced every incoming arrow. The instructor didn't need to look at the arrows to slice at them; the magic that they were coated in was enough to enable the blue-haired instructor to merely sense every incoming shot.
As the arrows continued to rain down on the instructor, Oshieru charged his legs with his Aura Sense cautiously, then leaped into the trees, slashing at every archer individually, watching as their bodies fell to the ground.
As Oshieru remained still on the branch of a tree, a new figure with a hood over his head hopped behind the instructor, swinging their sword, hoping to subdue Oshieru instantly.
*CLINK!*
Oshieru felt the incoming attack, swiftly rotating his entire body and blocking the sharp blade of the figure's sword with his own.
Oshieru's gray eyes were glued to the figure's yellow eyes. When a streak of lightning darted through the sky, the figure's pale face was illuminated vividly.
"RAAH!" The hooded man emitted out a battle cry, shoving Oshieru back.
The instructor flipped through the air backwards, landing on a different tree branch. Oshieru surveyed as his adversary cloaked his sword with his red Aura Sense, prompting the instructor to do the same—a blue layer of magic covering the blade of his tachi sword.
Before the two could clash, Oshieru parted his lips to speak, "Why? They were kids! They were my students, and you killed them!"
Images of their unconscious bodies filled his head once more, making his sword flare brighter with blue Aura Sense.
"Whether they were students or not doesn't change their future. They were becoming warriors—sooner or later, they'd die at the hands of another village." The hooded man claimed, narrowing his yellow eyes at Oshieru.
Oshieru grit his teeth, his jaw muscles becoming tense. The grip he had around the hilt of his sword tightened, his eyes flickering between numerous emotions.
The hooded man spoke once more, "You should be glad that they died honorably. Your grief only tarnishes their final moments!"
Those words sent Oshieru over the edge, prompting the instructor to jump at the hooded man at breakneck speed. With one swift motion, Oshieru knocked the yellow-eyed man's sword out of his hand, falling out of the tree and to the ground. The blue-haired instructor didn't wait for the man to realize what happened, and he kicked the hooded man up to the tree that was attached to the branch they stood on, his back slamming against the wood violently.
The hooded man raised his head slightly, his eyes widening as his hood flew back from sudden gusts of wind. Standing before him, Oshieru's tachi blade was glowing brighter than before. The heat could be felt from a few feet away.
Oshieru gradually lifted his tachi sword into the air, as if to strike down the hooded man once more. As the man tried to escape, an aura print replica of the instructor's sword lodged itself into his gut, restraining the hooded man to the tree. Spurts of blood fled from his mouth with every cough, trickling down his chin.
"Since my students got their 'final moments' so early—why shouldn't you, as well?" Oshieru murmured eerily.
Without warning—*SWOOSH!*—Oshieru thrust his sword, charged with immense Aura Sense, downward, releasing a powerful wave of blue magic. The wave grew so strong that every tree in its path toppled over, including the one Oshieru stood on, forcing the instructor to hop away.
A cloud of smoke covered nearly the entire forest, almost as if a forest fire had occurred.
On the ground, Oshieru rested on his knees, clutching his arm painfully. Despite being one of the only individuals to successfully master their Aura Sense completely, an attack as powerful as this was too much for the instructor. It wouldn't be a shock if his arm had been broken, the bones potentially littered with cracks and crevices.
Soon, Osheiru's blue headband slipped from his head, becoming loose and falling to the damp dirt. The rain ostensibly lightened up, mere droplets splashing the instructor every few seconds.
The instructor's gaze turned misty. His body felt extremely exhausted, making Oshieru collapse to the ground. So, his broken arm theory might've not been too far-fetched—his whole body felt as if it was failing him.
Landing on his back, Oshieru looked to the sky, his eyes drooping. Before his eyes could shut entirely, a figure emerged from above, a hand extending outward toward him.
XXX
He awoke. His gray eyes surveyed the room he resided in, quickly darting through his surroundings. Immediately, the blue Aura Sense instructor, Oshieru, spotted his fellow instructor, Mr. Akushon.
Akushon still wore his red vest, an identical headband strapped around his head, slightly covered by his black and yellow hair.
Akushon grinned lightly. "Good morning, princess."
"Fuck you," Oshieru retorted, turning his head.
Akushon sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Your students were great out there. I wasn't there to see everything, but from what I heard, specifically from the chief himself, they took on quite a few of those masked invaders."
Oshieru's eyes glinted at the thought of his students, he then pushed himself off of the hospital bed he laid in, his head snapping to Akushon. "My students! Are all of them fine!?"
"Physically, yes," Akushon answered. "Mentally? I have no clue. When I arrived, you were the only being carried away—save for a few of the civilians, of course."
Oshieru let his body crash back into the soft material of the hospital bed, his arms retracting to his sides, and his head resting against a white pillow.
"I can already tell that I'm in a hospital room—what happened to me?" Oshieru asked, his eyes locking on Akushon.
Akushon averted his eyes, his gaze finding its way to a blue vest and headband that were folded and placed on a table.
"I was told that you can leave once you wake up. You suffered a fatal blow to the ribs, which resulted in three of them breaking. You then experienced blunt force to the head, a fractured skull, which was assumed to be from the blunt force, or from your head being squeezed tightly—which is what several bystanders said to have potentially happened." Akushon explained, folding his arms across his chest.
Oshieru exhaled. "Great."
"Don't get worked up over it; the medical team managed to heal your wounds quickly. All you'll really feel is sore." Akushon rationalized, his eyes returning to Oshieru.
The blue Aura Sense instructor gazed softly at the ceiling, an unreadable expression appearing. At that, Akushon frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Hey, you aren't getting sappy about the situation your students got in, are you?" Akushon snapped, awaiting Oshieru's response.
Oshieru didn't answer, only lifting himself out of the hospital bed. Looking down, he was dressed in the same clothes he fought in, minus the vest. However, no blood had stained his black shirt. In the corner, Oshieru finally noticed his vest and headband folded atop a table, leading the instructor to retrieve both of them.
"I nearly watched as one of my students, Naguru Akogare, was about to be killed. I couldn't even stand up to save him." Oshieru berated himself.
Akushon's frown deepened. "You said that you'd return to teaching to rectify your past mistakes. Letting them bring you down is the exact opposite."
"That's because I was supposed to be the one who nearly dies instead of my students. If anyone were to die, it's supposed to be me, Akushon. I know you're the same way with your students." Oshieru proclaimed, slowly putting on his blue vest.
Akushon inhaled. "Oshieru, you can't save everyone—"
"I know, Akushon." Oshieru interrupted. "I'm not quitting, either. Leaving those students would be just as bad, especially with their worries probably being as high as they've ever been."
Oshieru finished buttoning up his vest and grabbing his headband. Strangely, the blue Aura Sense instructor didn't put on the headband, merely staring at it, then closing his hand.
"I realize that if I coddle them like I have been, nearly refusing to let them participate on trips, they'll only suffer the same fate as… my last class," Oshieru concluded, proceeding to walk past Akushon silently.
"Wait," Akushon called out to Oshieru, making the blue-haired instructor halt. "Tanjo. What about him is different—what separates him from his classmates?"
"Nothing," Oshieru responded.
Akushon turned to look at Oshieru. "Bullshit. He may strive for the same thing as his classmates, but I'm talking about his strength. Ever since the beginning of the year, you have reported arbitrary anomalies that correlate to his growth."
Oshieru stayed silent, only looking down at the hospital floor.
"You know something, Oshieru." Akushon declared. "You know something about that kid—!"
"He's strong, Akushon! Unreasonably so, but I never stopped supporting him. I refused to document everything about him. I even went as far as to research possible reasons for his discolored Aura Sense and immense power!" Oshieru spoke loudly, but not enough to disturb the rest of the hospital.
Akushon was bewildered. "What did you find?"
Oshieru inhaled deeply. "I'm fairly sure that the rest of the village knows by now, but Tanjo Nozomu appears to have something called an 'Aura Amalgamation,' something that the infamous 'Crimson Messiah' had all those years ago."
Akushon walked toward Oshieru, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Why would you hide something like that? Especially to Principal Manabu?"
Oshieru sighed. "I was afraid that he'd be pulled from my class. I mean, I watched as he blew right through the Kodaina Forest accidentally. Power like that scares people—especially when it belongs to a teenager. And, since an old tyrant had such power, managing to have supposedly killed all of the gods that ever existed, everybody would be, and now probably are, terrified."
"What do you mean 'now'?" Akushon questioned.
"I watched as Tanjo somehow utilized his Aura Amalgamation to save my student, Akogare. And, just like before, he managed to blast a hole through the village with one attack. I can't even imagine what happened afterward when I blacked out." Oshieru said, his voice sounding calm, but with a hint of nervous curiosity.
Both Oshieru and Akushon stood in silence, contemplating their next set of words. Then, Akushon nudged Oshieru forward.
"You should leave, get back to your home—or the academy. Whichever one." Akushon said, smiling lightly.
With a nod, Oshieru quietly left the hospital, leaving Akushon to his thoughts
XXX
"Is this luxuriant enough for your tastes?"
Standing outside a one-story home, Kaminari Nozomu observed the building that was showcased right before his eyes. It was remotely similar to the first house. Standing next to Nozomu was Kou, donning her armor; the blood had been washed away.
"Well," Nozomu spoke, "I can't really complain. Besides, what the house looks like is none of my concern."
The two sat in temporary silence as they looked at the house. Suddenly, Kou's eyes drifted toward Nozomu subtly. A question lingered within her mind, so she parted her lips to ask:
"How's that kid doing?" Kou said, examining the white-haired man's countenance.
Nozomu's breathed in slightly. "Tanjo? He's… He's a little down. He'll be fine after a while."
"I saw that he goes to Buraunmajikku; is he going to be returning anytime soon?" Kou sounded, her mind drawing back to the moment she spotted the jet-black-haired teenager lying in Nozomu's arms unconsciously.
Nozomu slid his hands into the pockets of his pants, his white cloak still draped over his torso. His royal-blue eyes darkened but were perceivable to Kou.
Then, Nozomu started striding toward the house, traversing across the stone pavement that led to the front door. "I doubt that I can decide that much longer. Tanjo may or may not want to continue—but it's the people here that might… oppose."
Stray thoughts invaded Nozomu's mind as he reached out to twist the doorknob, forcing the door open slowly. Kou, who was walking behind him, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Kou merely followed the man into his new home, watching as Nozomu surveyed his surroundings.
"Why would people oppose, exactly?" Kou questioned, her eyes drifting off throughout the home.
The white-haired man hesitated, changing his gaze toward a new room. Like before, Kou didn't stray far from Nozomu.
"People tend to view things in a different light when it's out of their control," Nozomu replied cryptically, walking through a doorframe and entering a separate room.
This room was the kitchen. Immediately, Nozomu's eyes dashed to the corner of the kitchen, his eyes gleaming slightly at his new find. It appears that his request was fulfilled as a mini-fridge was placed neatly underneath the counter—fitting smoothly with the cupboards.
"Commander Haishi informed me of your… drinking habits. So, he went and stocked it up for you." Kou stated.
The moment her words died out, the sound of the mini-fridge opening could be heard instantly, Kou's head snapping to notice Nozomu crouched down and peering into the mini-fridge intently.
Inside the mini-fridge were several bottles of alcohol—Nozomu nodded contently, standing back up.
"Tell Commander Haishi I give him my 'thanks.'" Nozomu expressed his gratitude briefly, scanning the rest of the kitchen.
Kou smirked. "I will."
As the two continued to venture throughout the home, Nozomu viewed every room closely, surprised by the striking resemblance between this home and his previous one.
With that in mind, Nozomu turned toward Kou. "Was this just built?"
"No," Kou answered. "It actually belonged to… a warrior that died during the invasion."
Nozomu deadpanned. "Great."
"I have a question, Nozomu," Kou said abruptly, making the white-haired man halt.
Nozomu craned his head to the side. "I'm all ears."
"Will you ever return to the ranks, or was that just a one-time thing?" Kou asked, making Nozomu frown slightly.
Nozomu folded his arms. "Did Haishi tell you or something?"
"He may have." Kou swiftly replied, eyeing Nozomu dubiously.
Nozomu's frown deepened. "Is that all he told you?"
"If this is about you being a Tansu vessel, I—!"
"So you are aware of that," Nozomu confirmed, his eyes meeting Kou's.
The sheer amount of power through Nozomu's gaze shook Kou internally, but she then steeled her emotions. "You paraded around the village with lightning on you—there wasn't much needed to deduce the notion."
"What are you going to do about this, then?" Nozomu asked, his stare intensifying.
Kou put her hands to her hips. "Nothing," the lieutenant said. "And, apparently, you have already acquainted yourself with our resident Reberu Manabu—the other Tansu vessel."
"She was found out, too?" Nozomu asked, his eyes wavering.
Kou nodded. "The Council of Buraun is stingy when it comes to topics like this. Hell, half of them see Manabu in the limelight, while the rest see her as a monster; I also assume that's what you fear."
"I don't fear being seen as a—"
"Don't lie, Nozomu. You wouldn't be so riled up about this if you weren't." Kou interrupted sternly.
Nozomu narrowed his eyes. "No. I'm not. What makes me apprehensive about this is the fact that it paints a target on Tanjo and Manabu's back. I'm not sure if you learned this yet, but the entire reason Buraun was invaded was to capture me."
Kou was forced into silence, shock spreading through her expression. Nozomu was right: they hadn't yet been able to figure out what the motive of the invasion was—they all assumed that it was to get rid of rival villages, but the idea of villages attacking one another during a peaceful era doesn't quite add up.
Finally, Kou then spoke. "Then why don't you join our ranks? Manabu applied herself as a principal to support this village. She may not have been able to fight during the invasion like she might've wanted, but it doesn't mean you can't help out, either."
Nozomu stood still, his eyes locked with Kou's. Then, he walked past the lieutenant briskly.
"We'll talk about this another time, Lieutenant. I'm going to go find Tanjo."
XXX
Tanjo was kneeling in the grass, his hands smoothing out a patch of dirt in a rectangular shape.
Sorrow filled Tanjo's eyes deeply. Though no tears escaped, his body felt weak and unwilling. His jet-black hair veiled over his face, and his eyes were closed tightly.
Underneath this patch of dirt was Kit the kitten—Tanjo's first successful rescue. The kitten was so malnourished when Tanjo first discovered him, but that soon changed as Tanjo rescued him. It was exciting for the boy. After failing to save the kid in Ryakudatsu, lingering emotions of dread and guilt flooded Tanjo's conscience.
Lying in the grass next to Tanjo was a single dandelion. Gingerly, Tanjo placed it in the dirt patch that was Kit's final resting spot, nestling it safely.
"I'm… sorry, Kit." Tanjo apologized, folding his hands into his lap. "I failed again."
In an instant, memories of Tanjo's encounter with the supposed god named Kronos filled his mind.
—Flashback—
"You have to live on morals." The blue-haired god's words seeped into Tanjo's ears.
"There are far too many problems on Earth—more specifically, the three nations: Adonai, Shanti, and Zebulun." Another piece of Kronos' monologue hit Tanjo to his core.
"Several people will die…" Then another.
"Chaos is an intermittent thing. It only happens when it's relevant—which could be anytime." A final sentence ran through Tanjo's mind.
Before any more could return to Tanjo, an outside voice emerged.
—Flashback End—
"Hey, brat!"
Tanjo's moist eyes cracked open, turning his head to glance behind him. Old Man Nozomu was staring at him questionably, prompting the teenager to stand up from the grass.
"Oh, is the new house ready?" Tanjo asked, scratching his neck with a faint smirk.
Nozomu took multiple seconds to reply. "Yes, it is. I see you buried the kitten. That's… thoughtful of you."
Tanjo's eyes returned to the dirt patch, a wide grin filing his countenance.
"Yeah, I wanted him to rest in peace."
XXX
As night washed over the sky, with everyone sleeping in their beds comfortably, a figure walked up to the dirt patch that Kit the kitten resided under.
A few inches away from the patch, a stone slab was pushed into the ground. The figure then proceeded to carve into the stone, writing in the dark.
Once the figure was done, they stood up. Then, without warning, the figure dashed away with a quick flash of lightning, momentarily lighting up the stone slab.
On the stone slab, the following words could be seen:
'Kit Nozomu, you will be remembered.'
XXX
I struggled thinking of an appropriate ending for the first chapter of Volume Four, but I think that this is a good one. I didn't plan for Kit to die so early, but his death with be more crucial than you may think. What will Tanjo do with Kronos' words? What will happen to Nozomu? Stay tuned to find out!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_