[South Korea, Somewhere Under the Rainbow]
[Early Morning 6:11 am]
...
"What happened here?" Ben asked, the last one to appear on scene.
"We don't know Sir Benjamin. But it would seem like the awakener that helped the young miss escape, specialize in flames. Black flames." One of the 4 responded as Cecilia observes the raging flames with interest.
Ben: "Black flames?"
"Yes. And they won't go out no matter how hard we try to put it out. It's like-"
Cecilia: "They're undying."
Ben: "Undying?"
Cecilia: "Hhm. It reminds me of a folklore I heard long ago. About a flame that burns for seven days and nights or until its target has turned to ashes. Amaterasu."
Ben: "As in the goddess of the sun from Japanese mythology?"
Cecilia: "Yes."
He scoffs in disbeliefs, "so you think some god did this?"
She shakes her head, "no. But someone trying to copy her."
Ben: "Well, they succeeded. Cause never in my life have I ever seen such dark, black flames."
Cecilia: "No sh*t Sherlock! To achieve such magnificent flames is virtually impossible. Not even blue flames were achievable so what makes you think-"
She stops, sighing as she forgot that she's talking to a brute who knows nothing but fighting and serving his beloved master apparently. The same one he couldn't stop ranting about as he praises them like they're some sort of god. It's a miracle he even knows a Japanese mythology.
Cecilia: "Point is, it's basically impossible to change the color of one's flames. At most, they could go for a dark red color, but that's all. That is unless they're a complete and entitled monster."
He sighs, "so we're dealing with a flame prodigy?"
Cecilia: "Not just any flame prodigy. But a prodigy that stands out and above other prodigies."
Ben: "Meaning?"
Cecilia: "We're so f*cking screw."
"Agreed." Yulius hushed voice got their attentions as they turned to face her. There, she stood on a tall abandon building, looking down on them, imitating the other awakeners with just her mere presence alone.
Ben on the other hand, shook off the fleeting feeling, walking forward in an arrogant manner, flaunting off a bit of his aura, showing he does not fear her.
"Finally deciding to show yourself!" He shouted, in attempt to annoy her, get a reaction out of her. Instead, he receives nothing but an empty hum full of amusement.
The blondie grinded his bottom half teeth, irked by her presence and nonresponsive nature. Reminds of him of one of his colleagues who his masters favor a bit more than him.
And it would seem like Yulius noticed this, from the reaction she got out of him. Her Observational Haki also felt a slight disturbance from the male awakener, sensing agitation, jealousy, hatred, and anguish.
Resulting in her right brow to fly upward, as her other descended down. Part of his hatred and anguish are forwarded towards her, but the rest are targeted at someone else. Or himself. Which was odd in her opinion. Why would someone hate themself?
Confusing the white head greatly. She was never one to be in tuned with her emotions, nor did she understand them fully. They'll probably the only thing she cannot master even with an instruction manual.
No matter, she has no intention of grasping what it means to freely express oneself or understanding the paradox of her feelings. It sounds too much of a hassle. One she doesn't plan to fix for quite a while, as studying about such matters is nothing more but a waste of time.
Especially when she runs an entire organization. It's pointless to allow personally feelings to interfere with serosity matters regarding the entirety of the awakened world.
She's responsible for the lives of 400+, and so much more in the future. There's no room for failure. Only when they've grown strong enough to fend for themselves, will she loosen up a bit. Which is fairly soon as the majority of Eminence awakener's strengths are already around the Top 100's.
Though that's not to say she doesn't understand simple emotions like happiness, sadness, laughter, etc. Even love. It's just how complex these human emotions are sometimes that Yulius cannot fully comprehend it.
Like why someone would hate themself? Did they do something bad warranty of developing hatred for oneself? Or do they just do so, because they can?
Or how about love? How does one love someone else? Moreover, express their profound feelings for that person. Yulius cannot imagine herself loving someone romantically. Sure, she had partners here and there in her previous life, but she did not feel any sort of deep connection with any of them.
Like the ones described in romantic comedy films where you get butterflies in your stomach, or how someone can live rent free in your mind. Personally, that just sounds annoying and distracting in her opinion.
Which was why she never had many successful relationships that lasted more than a couple of months or so. Because in their eyes, she didn't seem genuinely interested in them when in reality, she just didn't know how to express herself.
Heck, she even watched a bunch of romance and did her research about how to be a loving partner. All that came up, was mostly s*x relating things on how to please your partners. Which was how she got really good at s*x in the first place.
And I'm afraid, word got out that she was that good, which led to many using her for that reason alone. Not for love, but for s*x. If not that, then her family's fortune.
Which was why she holds her walls so high up around her heart. Because in her eyes, that is the most vulnerable part in her body. As it can be harm both physically and mentally. But something tells her, that it will hurt more mentally than physically.
All the more reason why she shouldn't try or bother falling in love in this life. It didn't work out in her 1st life, who's to say it will in her 2nd. Moreover, she did all this pointless studying on how to be a good partner, in return to be used in the end.
There's no point. No point in giving your heart away for someone else to hold, if they'll just break it in the bitter end.
Brushing her worries and tedious emotions aside, she jumped off the building she was on, landing in front of the wearily awakeners who flinched at the sight of her.
Her short size didn't imitate them one bit, but her aura on the other hand, did. As it was like facing a bear. Not your average type of bears, but a monstrous one. The Seo's aura standing 10 feet off the ground, while theirs didn't even make it off their bodies.
Thinking this, Cecilia realized they were never the hunters in the first place. Even as they ran around like mindless puppets in search of their escapee, expecting to overpower the hunted completely, they've trapped themselves in doing so.
It was like a game of chess. As each one of them splits up, made it so much easier for the younger girl to take each of them out, one by one. Which was why, they needed to stick closely together if they wanted to get out of here alive.
Who cares about the escaped girl. Their survival is much more important than some little girl they were supposed to keep a close watch on.
Besides, the raven's gone. So should it really matter anymore? Apparently, Ben thinks not. He refuses to accept defeat. Never in his life has he bowed his head down to anyone other than his master. And he refuses to do so even now.
Even if his opponent is way stronger than him.
But he thinks not, as the brat in front of him must've wasted most of her reserves getting the older girl out and fighting the other awakeners, so there's no way she can overpower him in terms of stamina.
He just has to outlast her which shouldn't be all that hard. Cecilia thinks the opposite. If the black figure in front of them is able to produce black flames, take out the majority of them while also freely leaking out her aura, resembling the size of a bear standing of their hind legs, then they're screwed.
Even if they all teamed up together to fight her, they wouldn't even dent a fraction of her reserves. More or less, they wouldn't beat her, diminishing either of their chances for survival.
Unless they caught her off guard. Which if she thinks about it, only increases their chance of survival by 0.024%, in total, making it to about 0.078%. Not even close to a whole percent. And that's being generous, as she has no idea what Yulius true capabilities are, putting them at a greater disadvantage no less.
She didn't think they'd lose at first. And she still wouldn't have thought so if Yulius hadn't jump down from the building she was previously on, allowing her to have a closer glimpse of her powerful aura.
It was chaotic and dangerous all around, but soothing and soft when you get closer in. All in all, most awakeners would've viewed the white head as a lost cause because naturally, it should've and would've been hard to control, better yet, master her energy.
But seeing as she has perfect control over her energy, even going as far as skillfully hiding her magnificent reserves, is mind blowing. She was only able to catch glimpse of it due to her psychic ability that allows her to somewhat read her opponent.
Moreover, something tells her this isn't even a portion of her true capabilities. All she can do is use the others as baits to stall for time, in order to ensure her escape to survival. Cause there's no way in hell is she staying to fight a monster.
Unfortunately for her, it was already checkmate, the second she lay eyes upon them. And Yulius knew what she was thinking. Her Observational Haki sense a flux of emotions instilling from her. The rest, not so much.
But she expected this. Psychics are probably the only awakeners aside from the Top 10's, who are able to sense her true aura. Hiding it is pointless in their eyes, unless your able to perfect controlling your aura. Making note, to do just that. As she doesn't want anyone from Mir to sense her. Not yet at least.
Ben, being the arrogant prick he was and still is, wager, "if you give us the girl, we'll allow you to walk out of here alive."
Yulius laughs a little, 'turns out that little one wasn't all that wrong.' Inferring about the raven's plan to turn herself in, in return for her walking out of this place unharmed.
The blondie didn't take her response all too well as he thought she was mocking him. So did Cecilia and the other 4 awakeners. But Cecilia didn't have the guts to voice her inner thoughts out, especially in front of the person who holds their lives in the palms of her hands.
"Why you?!" Instantly bringing forth his right hand into the air, summoning a dark hue of red and black that swirled around until it eventually formed a cross, while also turning the rings of his eyes red, before lowering his hand, slamming the attack right on top of her.
"CROSS OF DEATH!"
Yulius didn't want to show too much, while also challenging herself. She summons black flames on the tip of her index finger, swirling it around in a jokingly manner before she snaps it upward, making contact with the cross, as it repels his attack and disintegrates it completely.
The force of the attack sent shockwaves blasting everywhere the second her flames threw back his cross. Expanding outwards as his cross came down in pieces with black flames latched onto it.
Cecilia and Ben were force to put up a barrier, defending themselves from the incoming shockwaves while also completely disregarding the other 4 awakeners who would've been seriously injured, better yet dead, from the outcome of the attacks colliding, if they did not have a running start as soon as they saw Yulius full counter.
They were able to run far and fast enough away from the strong currents, so what they felt was a lighter shockwave as it blasts them back, littering them with scratches and bruises. All in all, none of them were seriously injured as they got back on their feet easily.
Though they decide together with a single glance that it was better if they stay back. Since they specialize in close combat and witnessing the battle up close will only get in Cecilia or Ben's way. Not that Cecilia had any intention of participating in the battle.
Yulius observing the destruction yawned to herself, 'too much?'
Her yawn was heard by others, mainly Cecilia who knew full well by now, the white head was not trying at all. Producing a counter for such an attack with ease, from a Top 100 world ranker no less, is no easy feat. And she alone did so.
Moreover, during the colliding attacks, her hood flew back, releasing her suffocating long white locks, while also revealing her pale white face with a black blindfold on. Judging from her looks alone, she looked no older than 10, baffling many.
"How old are you kid?!" Ben couldn't help but ask. There's no way a mere child easily defends herself against one of his strongest attacks. But it might as well be counted as his strongest. Because he didn't put much energy into it, lessening his strongest attack overall.
Nevertheless, he didn't see a need to use full power because he was sure no matter how strong her flames were, it wouldn't beat the power of his master. However, he highly underestimated the flame's heat and how fast it burns through stuff.
Completely disregarding Cecilia's words about Amaterasu, a flame that burns for seven days and nights or until its target has turned to ashes. Only after experiencing it himself, did he become slightly more cautious.
Yulius shrugs, "who knows."
Ticking off the blondie. As he was about to range another attack on the girl, Cecilia stopped him, gripping on his right shoulder with her left hand, "are you an idiot?! You saw how easily she counter your attack, and you still want to do it again?!"
This caused Ben to pause before he brushed aside her concerns, "it was probably luck."
Cecilia still did not budge, "you- we know better than anyone that, that" pointing at the girl shameless sucking on a lollipop with no care in the world (girls got her priority straight), "was not luck!"
"What do you want me to do then?! At the end of the day, she's just a child while I, am a world ranker. She stands no chance against me." His arrogance flaring once more.
"Yeah well, that child defended against your last attack. A world's ranker attack. Do you still believe you can beat that said child? If not, might as well beg on your knees for forgiveness." Cecilia voiced her thoughts, hoping he set his pride aside to ensure their survival.
But Ben couldn't care less and disagreed, "do you have no shame?! Me, a grown a*s man, lowering my head to a mere child for forgiveness! I rather die than admit defeat!"
Yulius hearing this, narrowed her eyes towards him, a flash of amusement flashed through, "is that so?" Her voice haunting their ears, "then so be it."
Raising her hands to form a black phoenix in the air, before lowering it towards Cecilia and Ben, going as far as reaching the other 4 awakeners, at an alarming speed.
The blondie and the female worked together to form a strong steady barrier to defend themselves against the phoenix. The same couldn't be said to the other 4, who disintegrated in the flames as soon as the attack touched them.
And it wasn't a painless kind of death, but a torturous one. Feeling their skin melt as the black flames covered every square inch of their bodies, burning them whole, until there was nothing left of them but bones and ashes.
The surviving awakeners who saw this scene, was left completely disturbed. A chilling death if you ask either of them. Done by a child no less.
Cecilia was distress by all means. She knows she cannot escape now that 4 of her baits have gone away. Or in this case, burned away. Adding on, even if Ben fought the girl, stalling for time for her to make her escape, she wouldn't make it.
As shown previously, she can single handedly destroy Ben before catching up to her. Moreover, Ben and her are merely colleagues. He will not fight Yulius and would instead use her as bait to escape. That is if Ben puts aside his pride and thoroughly thought this through.
Which he hasn't, "I have to admit, you don't suck."
The Seo replied nonchalantly, "I wish I could say the same for you."
Before pointing to both awakener's hands that had burn marks. It wasn't covered with black flames, as their barrier protected them against it, but the heat of her flames could be felt through it, which explains why their hands were burned.
Better that then having to amputate their entire hands, Cecilia thought. Ben couldn't see that, as he was anger by the mere fact a child alone was able to harm him. Moreover, he needed to receive help from Cecilia to defend against her one attack.
His highly induced pride wouldn't stand for that. And if his master heard of this, he'll lose his favor and be a laughingstock. He cannot and will not stand for such a thing.
Cecilia saw his frustration and knew the blonde awakener will continue and restlessly attack the girl no matter what. Naturally she only ever got annoyed by his gigantic ego, but now, she couldn't help but be thankful for it.
As his misogynist and stupid self-esteem, he thinks so highly of, will be the death of him but also, giving her the slight chance of escaping here alive. In the end, it's a win-win situation for her.
...