"Yaaaaaaahoo!" A young man jumps through a window, his blue eyes blazing with excitement as he lands, his bright golden hair shimmering along with him as he raced through the hallways, his bag hanging off of his shoulder.
His name, Michael.
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"MOVE!"
His voice rips through the halls, the crowd of students parting in response. A fact that has left the young man grinning as he rushes through.
With practiced movements, he weaves through any bystander, taking a sharp turn, only to come upon against another, bigger roadblock.
A tall young man with a stature dominating the hall, his arms crossed as he grin in malice, a cadre of his friend behind him. "Hey! Freak! No running in the halls!"
"Oh! Hi Mark!" says Michael, his speed increasing. His eyes trained against them as he sprints.
Mark readies himself and raises his guard, small circles of light dancing at the edges of the fingers. The men behind him do the same. A brawl like before will no longer end in their defeat, certainly not against a freak like him.
Michael grins at the gesture, his hand balling into a fist as he raises his arm for combat before he spins in a quick one eighty, his middle finger raised.
"Bye Mark!" He shouts as he disappears in a burst of speed.
An action that left Mark gaping and twitching in utter fury.
"You bastard! Come back here!"
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Michael stops at a screeching halt, almost losing his balance as his face hits a wall, one which he recovers from. His eager smile shining at the girl before him.
"Hey, sorry I was late. The teacher held us up for a bit." Michael leans unto the wall with a smile as he tried to hide his heavy breathing.
The girl fidgets, "Uh, yeah."
Michael notices this but pushes on anyway, "So, I thought we should probably go to the-"
"I'm sorry. I don't think we should go through this date."
Michael's smile falters before recovering into a grin. "Oh sure, when do you?"
"I kind of don't want to anymore." She admits, her eyes shifting away from his.
His smile then strains, the sheen in his eyes dulling as he offered his hand and spoke, "It's fine, I get it. It happens, though, thanks for at least giving me a shot, yeah?"
She meekly nods, shaking his hand in affirmation, "Yeah."
.................................
After walking for fifteen minutes, making sure no one was around to see him. Michael shouts out in frustration. "GYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Another one! Damn it! This is the worst!" He slumps his shoulder down.
He then smiles to himself in exasperation, "I guess I should've seen it coming. A freak like me can only go so far."
He shakes away the thought, "NO! Hell no! She didnt give this chance just to throw it away!"
"Though she never really said it'll be this hard. I probably should just try harder!" Michael mutters, pumping his fist as his eyes fill with determination.
With such thoughts he trudges through the dark and crooked street with carriages blasting through the road and sky, the nightfall turning alight in their magic.
Perhaps he would be inside one now, having a date, if he wasn't born this way. His shoulder slumps more at the thought as he mutters, "Guess I'm going to have to stay a little longer this time."
With such a thought, he looks up, his eyes gluing itself to a familiar sign. A bookstore and one of the few things he still cherishes in this world.
It was a place of sanctity, solitude, and safety. It was a place he could call home, since it wasn't a pile of rotting wood and sinking floors.
And so, like any fellow in his situation, he kicks the door right open, an action followed by a shout ripping through the store as he looked around in excitement.
"Hey! Ahros! I'm back!"
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The door blasts off with a bang, revealing him a familiar sight, a room filled with books, a room with tables enough for groups to stay.
In the middle of it all, someone stood, a handsome man, an elegant man, one that oozed both style and refinement, his overcoat fluttering behind him. A man that held an eerie and earsplitting grin.
A man that was held at wandpoint by a group of four men.
"Ah! Michael! I knew you'd arrive! I've created a new serialization! I wish to have you review it once more!" The same man waved with excitement, ignoring the threatening light of the programmed explosion magic, one sticking directly into his temple.
Michael nods and walks to the counter, his eyes on a new cover as he walked through a group of men, wands and magic circles, each one a threatening view for any.
The said group then shouts, "Get on the ground and give us the money!" He grabs Michael's shoulder as he pushes his face into his, "Are you even lis-"
"Hey Ahros, is it this one?" Michael tilts his head to the side. His excited smile mirrored by his friend and the closest man to a parental figure.
He inspects the book in his hand. "This seems thicker than usual."
"Yes! Oh, can you also read the notes for its sequel? I kinda need this one to be better." Ahros chirps back, his pink irises filled with mirth.
Michael waves it away, breaking free of the thug's hold as he nodded, walking to a table to read the man's latest work of romance, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got it. Who are the new guys, anyway?"
Michael gestures to the group of men, now pointing their wands at him.
"I do not know of these fellows. Though with their actions, I believe they have come to rob me of my material wealth." says Ahros, his head now slammed to a table as the men shout in confusion.
A thug runs then also shoves Michael's head unto the table as he roars in anger. "What the fuck is wrong with the both of you! We are holding you at wandpoint, with a magical device capable of blowing this store into smithereens!"
Michael glances at Ahros and chuckles, "Is he serious?"
"Yes I believe he is."
Michael glances at the thug. "How about you review those words again and we'll talk?"
The man looked at him for a few moments before paling, his hand suddenly shivering in terror at the realization, his group looking at him in confusion.
The man suddenly let go of the device in his hand. His eyes, wide with horror. "T-that is."
"A magical device capable of killing all of us here, one that you obviously cannot operate." says Michael as he sat back up, rubbing the pain off of his cheek.
He then grabs for it and smiles as the device deactivates in his hand. He looks at the thug in amusement as he continued, "Do you know what else made us confident?"
Michael then disassembles the device before him, his eyes locked with theirs as he does so.
The ease of its handling, showing them years of experience. The thug takes a step back in shock.
"What?"
"This!" Michael roars.
The four men close their eyes in fear, only to hear a bone chilling scream and open their eyes to a terrifyingly cruel sight.
Michael's foot was buried deep within the man's nuts, a sight that left their knees weak and their nuts frozen solid.
"Aah!" The man screams as he crumples like paper, the mind numbing pain leaving him a moaning mess as Michael steps on his head standing up as he spoke.
"Do you know what else?" His smaller stature devouring them whole. Each one of them stepping back as Ahros grins in excitement.
Michael then points to the floating amalgamation of light, "The utter stupidity you call magic. It's nothing but a mangled mess of runes and formulas, a pathetic display of competence."
He sighs, his hand over his cheek, a sadistic smile etched on his face. "The travesty they teach you on the streets is not a suitable replacement for actual magical knowledge."
The three men shiver at his eyes, while another shouted in panic, his hand over Ahros' throat. "D- Don't move! Don't move or I'll use this!"
Another then takes out another device, his hand shaking with panic as Michael ceases at the threat.
"I see. So you want to die?" Michael smiles. It was a smile filled with malice as the three men shiver at the threat, their eyes now shifting.
"T-that's." The man stammers, the device in his hand, suddenly lighting up. The power within it rising exponentially as the thugs panic in response, their eyes wide and their feet quick as they ran.
Only to be held off at the door, magical circles appearing on its every inch. Their eyes are now wide with fear and panic as they bang their arms in desperation.
Michael watches this all with a smile, his eyes half lidded before a realization sets in his stomach, anger pooling within him as he shouts, "You bastard! What do you mean you knew I'd arrive?"
Ahros calmly stands back up, his devilish smile apparent, the men around him falling to the side as the device drains the mana from their bodies. "Well, I just thought that there was no way a girl would ever go on a date with you."
"You asshole!"
"Perhaps."
"Just because you admit it, it doesn't make you any less of an asshole."
"Maybe, but talking about this won't give you any chances of finding a girlfriend."
Michael hisses, "Ooof, that was uncalled for."
"Oh my, did it hurt that much?" Ahros giggles, his hand reaching for his cane.
"Help us... please." the surrounding men beg.
The magical devices, consuming their mana, consuming the magic in their system, burning their insides as the devices in their hands prepare for a powerful explosion.
"Eh, I don't really want to and besides why should I?" Michael replies, shrugging, the man on his feet holding unto him as he wailed in pain.
"Y-yo-u wi-iill die with us." The man groans out.
"I assure you that we will not." Ahros interjects, magic forming at the edges. An eerie mixture of red and night, swallowing them whole as an explosion erupts around them.
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In a single instance, the store disappears.
Only to reappear, revealing the only two welcomed residents.
"Well, that certainly spiced up our evening, hasn't it?" Ahros remarks, the device in his hand, crushed into smithereens, his eyes glistening in delight as he looks to Michael.
Michael rolls his eyes at the gesture, his head turned back to the work before him as peace returns once more. "Yes, yes, your mysterious magical powers. Powers which has defied all human magical theories. How quaint."
Ahros chuckles, "Now, now, no need to be jealous."
"Jealousy would mean I know enough about it to understand its capability." He shrugs, "For all I know, that thing could kill me. "
He pouts at him before returning to his work and hobby, sulking at the thought. "Since you've never really told me anything about it."
Ahros nods in understanding, "That is true." He then taps his chin in thought, a malicious smirk forming on his lips. "How about this? I'll tell you about me once you get to your sixty ninth rejection."
Michael freezes at his words. "You and I both know that was the sixty-ninth. Oh and nice~"
Ahros giggles behind his hand, "Oh my goodness, that sounds so sad. Also nice~"
"Yeah, yeah, just tell me." Michael waves at the jest, the banter leaving him feeling a little better. Certainly a lot better than getting rejected.
Ahros pats him on his head. "There, there, I'll make sure this secret would cheer you up."
He takes a strand of his pink hair, his smile gone as he looked at him, dead serious. "Well, such a secret would require something more binding, you see? I would need to invoke you to secrecy."
Michael widens his eyes in realization. "That big, huh?"
He fidgets a bit and nods. This one wasn't a bluff. The man before him, the one that stayed at his side throughout his teenage life, one of the two precious people he has was now willing to share his secret with him.
All he could do was smile at the thought.
"I promise, I'll-" "Now, eat this!"
He shoves the hair on his face.
"I should've seen this coming." Michael facepalms.
"Nonono! This isn't a joke. I am dead serious. Taking in my DNA will be the only thing that'll ensure this secrecy." Ahros replies, his hand raised with a tranquil smile.
"Really?" Michael raises an eyebrow.
His hand hesitantly taking the hair off of Ahros' hand. He shivers in disgust before the hair inches closer to his mouth and Ahros breaks out into a fit of laughter.
A reaction that elicits an immediate response from Michael, one that involved him strangling the life out of the older man.
"You bastard!"
"Hahaha! Oh my goodness, you should have seen your face! It was hilarious!" Ahros giggles in delight, the hand over his neck, ignored.
"Ha ha ha. So funny!" Michael grits out as he tightens the hold, only resulting in Ahros' increasing amusement.
Noticing the futility of his effort, Michael sighs and returns to his seat, utterly disappointed at Ahros' antics. "Ugh, I should've known you won't let it go this easi-"
"I'm a God."
"Wat?"
"I am the King of the Gods. The Strongest of the Gods and the God of Love and War."
Michael looks at him for a few seconds.
"ok."