With the ring of the morning bell, classes at Buraunmajikku started at their standard time. Students that flooded the halls entered classrooms, each correlating to their Aura Sense and year. As the weekend ended and the dawn of a new week approached, aspiring warriors who attended the academy were expected to return.
And just like any other class, Class 1AB resumed.
"All right! Get to your seats." Mr. Oshieru ordered, leaning against the front side of his wooden desk.
Before him, his excellent students of the blue Aura Sense took their designated seats throughout the classroom. Soon, the class hushed themselves, patiently awaiting further orders from their instructor.
Everything appeared ordinary. It was reassuring for Oshieru to know that his students wouldn't fret over devastating events like the invasion that took place on Friday, and when they were forced into the fray and fought their very best.
Having unwavering bravery is a key factor in becoming a class warrior of any level—low or high. Being able to look a jeopardizing situation in the eye and push forward is something most don't have in the beginning, so the blue-haired instructor welcomed it immensely.
Makes his job a lot simpler, too.
However, one thing was different. Despite it appearing so trivial, the occurrence sparked a certain blonde-haired student to voice himself.
"Hey, guys, where's Tanjo?" Akogare asked, staring at the seat where Tanjo would typically sit.
Every head turned toward the vacant seat at that same moment. Tanjo had not missed a single day of training, yet his spot in the class was completely empty.
Shortly after, the same question invaded the minds of several.
Where was Tanjo?
"Ahem…" Mr. Oshieru garnered the attention of his students, clearing his throat audibly. "From this point forward, Tanjo will not be… attending the academy."
Eyes shot wide open, mouths gaped, and shock ensued to every student in Class 1AB…
"HAAAA!?"
…Loudly.
"Calm down," Mr. Oshieru put a hand up, signaling for the class to halt their increasing bewilderment. "It happens. Every year, students tend to drop out or leave completely. He had his reasoning, as would anyone."
Akogare jolted at those words. "But why would Tanjo of all students leave!? He put himself over others in any situation—becoming a warrior seemed like a dream to him!"
The blonde refused to believe that one of, if not his closest friends, would vanish, completely drop out of Buraunmajikku academy. Tanjo had a drive stronger than most, so why would he suddenly leave?
In a separate row of seats, Naderamu had an expression of confusion and anger. With her brow knit and a finger repeatedly bouncing off of the desk before her, she grew just as shocked as her fellow blonde.
"We'll just have to pay him a visit then, won't we?" Naderamu said ominously, making the rest of Class 1AB shiver.
Mr. Oshieru's voice overruled the students within seconds. "I recommend that you drop the topic immediately."
"What? why?" Utsukushi asked, craning her head slightly.
Mr. Oshieru sighed. "The faster you move on, the faster you forget; the faster you forget, the faster you can realize that you need to only worry about those around you–especially in troubling events like on Friday."
"But Tanjo was around us." Sukudo reasoned, his countenance showing a sliver of surprise.
Mr. Oshieru hated lying to his students, but having them worry about Tanjo's whereabouts—which they would most likely never learn—would only impede their training.
Oshieru himself had to accept that the same way.
"Tanjo left the village with his guardians. They felt discomfort from the invasion and fled elsewhere. Who knows, he could attend a different academy in some other village. All you can do now is have hope for him." Oshieru said, watching as his students calmed down narrowly.
Meisei raised one hand, which was instantly spotted by Mr. Oshieru. "So, are we sticking to our previous lessons, then?"
Mr. Oshieru nodded. "Yes. I've been meaning to introduce more things to you all, the invasion was just an inconvenience."
The instructor's thoughts drifted at his own words, his eyes becoming distant. Oshieru found morbid irony in the events that recently unfolded.
First, his dream of losing students, just for him to lose one more. The invasion sure was an inconvenience, whether it was for the academy… or for time itself.
'Where ever you are Tanjo… your friends won't forget about you. That I know.'
XXX
"How do warriors stay balanced like this!?"
Jumping from one tree branch to another, a familiar jet-black-haired teenager struggled to place himself evenly on each landing. Just like the day before, when he attempted hopping from the rooftops, he was entirely menial in his efforts. Tree branches were far more difficult, being slender and more fragile than structures within his village.
Dropping himself onto a different tree, the teenager sat down, his armor clanking.
"Aw, I probably should've bought a map of Adonai before leaving. Dammit."
The teenager rested his head in one of his palms. A frown tugged at his lips, his hair swaying softly in the gentle breezes.
"Maybe not a good start, but I didn't expect it to be fun. Think, Tanjo, how far east is the next village…?"
While he was in the academy, knowing distant villages was something required to become a warrior. However, he had no clue about how to answer his current predicament.
"There is a small town a hundred kilometers from here." a new voice reached Tanjo's ears, making the boy jump to his feet.
Tanjo's eyes instantly closed on to the source of the voice, his body locking from shock.
Residing a mere few feet away, a long, blue-haired figure hovered in the air. His white and blue robes dangling loosely, just like before.
…Just like before! This wasn't similar to the last time he saw this particular individual.
"...Kronos?" Tanjo sounded.
The robed individual nodded curtly. "I'm not sure who else I'd be."
"As in, the god who I talked to in space?" Tanjo furthered his questioning.
Kronos furrowed his eyebrows. "Why else would you have been able to hear in space if I wasn't a god?"
"Why would I be in space in the first place!?" Tanjo shot back hastily.
Kronos shrugged nonchalantly. "To make it easier for me to converse without screwing up my own routine."
Tanjo was at a loss for words. This man—no, god—randomly appeared next to him, but here, on Earth. At first, the teenager thought of their first encounter as a dream, but the timing of the dream would've been far too convenient.
Kronos looked around silently, his whole body turning in the air. "I see you took my advice. I appreciate that."
"I have some motives of my own too, you know," Tanjo replied, staring at the god.
The god folded his arms behind his back. "I'm sure you do, Tanjo."
The teenager was then caught off guard.
"You know my name!?" Tanjo hollered, nearly falling off of the tree branch he stood on.
Kronos' gaze shifted back to the teenager, his lips parting as he spoke, "You said it just a minute ago."
"Oh…" Tanjo murmured, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
Suddenly, Kronos vanished, reappearing behind Tanjo in the blink of an eye. The action spooked the teenager enough to make him stumble, his body tipping off the branch completely.
But an arm wrapped around his shoulder before he could slip. "That is why I came here."
Tanjo took a few moments to respond, processing Kronos' words. After a few seconds, Tanjo said, "Me falling is why you came to Earth?"
Kronos's monotone expression refused to change, despite the mindless question. "Partly. But I stopped by to make sure that you don't mess up. I told you what to do, but now I need you to execute it."
With barely any force, Kronos pushed Tanjo forward, warranting a perplexed countenance from the teenager.
Tanjo was abruptly placed in an unexpected environment. The trees have all vanished. There was now nothing except a beautiful sky and stone ground. No clouds to be seen.
"Hah! That's bright!" Tanjo yelped, shielding his eyes with both of his arms.
In the distance, what appeared to be the sun shined brightly, taking up the majority of the sky.
Kronos stared at the star, not feeling the brightness and heat from the giant celestial body. "Yeah, stars are naturally bright. That's why humans shouldn't gaze directly at their own."
Tanjo perked up at Krono's words, scrunching his nose up in confusion. The boy slowly tilted his head to look up at the robed god.
"Their own? What does that mean? Where are we?" Tanjo asked, hiding his eyes behind Kronos' figure.
Kronos relinquished his hold on the teenager, his feet finally touching the ground. The god ambled away, his head craned upward, admiring the starry sky.
Then, Kronos spoke up. "Oh, just a test galaxy I made recently. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you."
Before Tanjo could question what Kronos had said about this 'test galaxy', the blue-haired god halted in his tracks, turning to face the teenage boy.
"You aren't strong enough," Kronos stated bluntly, his voice as monotonous as possible.
Tanjo stood silent, stumped. "Huh, not strong enough? Of course, I'm not, I left the academy."
"That's not what I meant. I need you to be stronger—and fast. I want you to find someone, and do it quickly. I'm aware of your own motives, such as finding that boy—don't ask how I learned of it, you'd waste time—but time doesn't stop for the weak." Kronos claimed, his voice calm.
Tanjo had trouble formulating a response. So many key details were being thrown around, and red flags were going off in the boy's head. Though the god chose to remain mysterious, Tanjo ignored every warning and moved on.
"Who is this person?" Tanjo asked, his eyes steeled.
Kronos closed his eyes. "A woman named Asami. She will teach you how to fight. Fortunately, she has enough power of her own to train you."
"You made me leave the academy, just for someone else to teach me how to become stronger?" Tanjo questioned rhetorically, lost in confusion.
Kronos walked to Tanjo's side, his back facing the bright sun in the distance. Tanjo moved to face Kronos, struggling to face the intensity of the star. Gradually, Kronos raised one hand, pressing two fingers together.
"Through this, you'll gain far more power and strength than you would if you stayed in your home village. The future needs you, Tanjo. Asami will show you how to control and utilize all of the power you have, and give you the experience of how reality really is." Kronos declared, his tone sounding absolute.
Asami… Tanjo apparently had to find a woman named Asami. Who was she?
"This specific woman has blue hair, brighter than mine. She tends to stay away from large villages—which is great since she not only resides in Adonai, but she is not far from where you previously were." Kronos informed the teenager.
Tanjo nodded. "I will find her, then. Also, where exactly is 'not far'?"
"The first town you come across. Keep heading east." Kronos answered.
Tanjo craned his head to the side, raising one brow. "How do you know she's there?"
"Just believe me. I have a knack for predicting the future."
Suddenly, Kronos snapped his fingers. Within moments, the star behind Kronos started to get brighter with every passing second. Then, without warning…
…the entire star exploded.
Tanjo jumped back the moment he saw the explosion. But, before he could land back on the ground, both he and Kronos returned to the forest they previously stood in. The boy could finally feel dirt and grass, and hear the sound of leaves wavering in the wind.
As Tanjo looked up, he noticed Kronos walking away. "Hey, what happened!?"
The god didn't stop to turn around. Kronos spoke as he left, "Don't forget: Find Asami, she'll lead you into the future we need."
The moment Tanjo blinked, Kronos was gone. Not a trace of the god could be seen.
Tanjo looked down at his legs, then proceeded to stand up.
"Asami, huh? I hope this doesn't take too long…"
XXX
Kronos, huh? Let's forget the fact he blew up a star and look at the fact that Tanjo might be getting a new teacher! What's up with him and getting blue-haired people to guide him to become stronger? Who is Asami, and what can she do? Will Tanjo find her? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_