The next day came around and the four of us were making our way to our meeting room so we could meet Harmony for the first time. We walked inside, noticing Heifer and Nagini in the room as well. Leona and Taurus appeared in the room then Nagini put up her effect field.
"Alright, let's see her." Nagini said, crossing her arms while sitting on her platform.
Nina summoned her Zodiac Crystal then it shined brightly. A black and white vortex of wind formed beside Nina then revealed a woman. The woman was a beautiful fair skinned woman with long black and white hair, silver eyes, and wore a silky white dress with gold adornments. On her right hand she wore a white bridal glove and on her left, a black bridal glove.
"Harmony~ It's been too long~" Leona greeted and smiled.
"The Lady of Justice..~ The Balance of all Zodiacs..~" Taurus giggled and waved.
Harmony smiled and looked at everyone. "It's nice to finally be here with you all again. Where is Amunet and Ishara?"
"They don't attend this academy plus they are all the way in Citrine. We will be meeting them at Zodiac Square later tonight with VI and Mina to move our plan forward. August, do not use your Fluorite under no circumstances. That power...we will be needing that." Nagini said.
"Got it." I nodded.
"Oh Harmony, I've got to show you the teacher's lounge~ I've been disguising myself and getting free food~" Leona said.
"What? That's not allowed and what the heck?! Leona you are a Goddess acting like a teen, sneaking around and just—" Taurus started.
"I'm in~ Nothing wrong with a little mischief here and there~" Harmony giggled.
Nagini looked at Taurus then shrugged. She chuckled and hovered over to her desk. "This meeting is over. If you all have any questions, too bad. Ask me when I'm not on the clock."
I smiled and walked off. "See ya, Nagini."
"Goodbye, August Eyica." Nagini said and put on her glasses.
"Ahh so that's his last name..~" Lily said and giggled as she followed me out the classroom.
"Eyica? What an unusual last name." Nina said as she walked out.
'Exposing his last name like that is extremely dangerous. She's lucky she did it around allies and not enemies...' April thought to herself as she followed us.
"I'm in your class so... I'm gonna take my seat." Heifer said then walked to her seat.
---------------------------------------------------
Classes went by as normal, by the end of the class some of us were hanging out in the classroom instead of going to battle practice. Ms. Ray outside of teaching is a very chill and down to earth woman. Even she doesn't agree with what the curriculum requires her to teach.
"And this is where these frauds are wrong! Like seriously, we have a living member of the Infinity Council here! Henosis is real!" Ms. Ray said as she showed some of her research on the projector.
"So you're saying that the Hero of Origin had every Zodiac Power? Even the Chinese?" I asked and tilted my head.
"Heck yeah he did! He's the Hero of Origin. He's the First Zodiac, The First Angel, The First Demon, and the First Spirit!" Ms. Ray said.
Lily and I shot each other a quick side eye then she looked away covering her mouth. I looked up and covered my face.
'It's literally just coincidence.' Lily said to me via telepathy.
'Nah for real, literally just coincidence. No way...' I said to Lily via telepathy.
"What's wrong?" Ms. Ray said with a soft chuckle.
"My bad, it was the side eye Lily gave me...I knew to not look at her." I said and sighed then heard an explosion outside.
"What the hell..?" Nina asked, looking up from her phone.
Multiple students hurried to the window to see what was going on outside. A fight had broken out between Julius and a low tier. I walked up to the window and looked down at the scene.
"You useless, enfeebled specimen! You dare get in my way and hit me with your little fireworks you call Fire Manipulation? Do you know what I do to disabled beings like you?" Julius asked as he walked toward the guy.
The guy cowardly walked backwards, not wanting anything to do with Julius. "It was an accident..! I didn't mean to do it..!"
"Oh, it was an accident huh..?" Julius taunted then rushed forward toward the guy then struck his stomach with his knee.
The guy groaned and stumbled backwards then grunted loudly as he was kicked away. Julius chuckled then grunted as he was blasted in the back with a ray of pink light. He looked back and noticed a woman standing behind him.
"You too with the fireworks, allow me to show you a real light show." Julius said then began to charge up for an attack.
I rushed out the classroom and quickly made my way to the training grounds. I ran outside then awakened my Zodiac Power then rushed forward in front of the woman then used my Burning Assault to counter Julius's beam. Another explosion happened and Julius grunted softly. He watched the smoke clear then noticed I protected the woman.
"Still picking on low tiers huh? You're more pathetic than I thought." I said. "For a high tier, you're pretty lame. You claim to be the reincarnation of King Arthur yet your skills don't show for it." I said.
Julius glared at me then clenched his fist. "You think you're all that huh? You got yourself a little fame, you get yourself some girls but you're still the same loser!"
I looked around then looked back at Julius. "C'mon man. You sound so pathetic bro."
"You do sound kinda weak man." Julius's friend said.
Julius looked at his friend then pushed him back. "Move aside. The only reason I lost to you the first time is because you caught me off guard. I'm ready for you now, punk!"
I looked back at the woman then pointed at Julius with my thumb. "This guy am I right?"
The woman giggled softly at my joke.
Julius growled then dashed toward me then went for a punch, but I dodged him then pushed him back. I looked back at the woman then dodged his attack again.
"C'mon bro. Supernatural Senses plus Supernatural Reflexes..? You literally don't have a chance." I said then swiftly struck him in his weak spot.
Julius groaned as he stumbled back then tried to block my next strike but it was a feint. I landed a high kick at his face then dashed forward striking him with an Upper Lion's Fist. I waited for him to come back down then swiped down, hitting him with a staggering chop.
"You're finished!" I roared then launched him away with a powerful Lion's Fist.
Julius groaned as he rolled along the ground. He tried to get up but fell back to the ground. The crowd that was around us cheered and clapped.
"Alright show's over people, get your asses on somewhere." Nagini said and sighed. She looked at me then winked.
I winked at her back then grunted as she pinched my ear. "Ow..! Ow..! What did I do..?!"
"I just feel like yelling at two people instead of one. Now shut up or I'll rip the entire ear off!" Nagini said.
"Welp, Dr. Noxius got him. He's gonna be getting an ear full.." Nina chuckled.
April smiled and sighed. "That girl though. She didn't even hesitate to attack. Who is she?"
"That's Evie. Her ability is called Pink Ray. It's nothing special other than her having a pink variation of Light Manipulation." Nina said.
"She is a really good scouter and can move at Lightspeed. She leads a smaller group called the Pink Defense. She's a third year I believe?" Lily asked.
April smiled and watched Evie check on the other students. "It's nice to see the lower tiers taking initiative now.."
Ms. Ray smiled and sat down in her seat. "It's because of August...He influenced them to finally step up and be a leader. It is an amazing sight to see, even though I still have my doubts."
April looked at Ms. Ray then rose an eyebrow. "Why?"
Ms. Ray crossed her arms then closed her eyes. "Headmaster Vinson is a powerful man. He is Archer's father. You see...August technically isn't supposed to be in this academy. When he joined he didn't even meet any requirements. No power. No ability. No skills. Nothing."
"What are you saying?" Nina asked.
Ms. Ray opened her eyes then her eyes shined. "I am the reason he got in. I made a deal with Headmaster Vinson...I look after August as if I am his mother. I make sure he stays in line. I make sure he stays quiet about this academy. About Headmaster Vinson if he ever find out too much."
"Wait..." April started.
"Because of August's rebellion against this academy now, not only is he in danger, but I am too. If he wins this fight...it might be his last victory. That's one reason why Nagini is keeping him so close. Nagini isn't the type of woman to have friends, but when she likes someone she latched onto them." Ms. Ray said.
"I hear my name and I hear truth." Nagini said as she walked into the classroom.
I grunted as I walked to my seat holding my ear. "Geez... I'd rather you rip my ear off woman."
"Anyway, I heard what you all were talking about. It is true that my Lab Rat is in possible danger...but that's where the fun starts..~" Nagini said then tossed Nina, Lily, and April a Drive Crystal.
April looked at the crystal then held it up and noticed it was shaped like a Diamond. "A Zodiac Crystal?"
"It's an Incomplete one. I was able to perfectly replicate each of your Zodiac Crystals. Since you and Lily are nominated, the moment you bond with Rama and Imogen that Zodiac Crystal will awaken. For now you have access to your base Drive Forms." Nagini said.
"Professor, you're actually tagging along with this whole thing?" Ms. Ray asked.
"Of course I am, Dahlia. This man has untapped potential. A potential only I know from the past. I'm not letting that bafoon Vinson take him away because he barely knows how to run his own academy." Nagini said.
"At least she's on our side..." Ms. Ray chuckled softly.
We all lightly chuckled at Ms. Ray's comment. It was nice to finally have a team with me instead of being alone on this journey, but I knew Ms. Ray and April were always going to be on my side.
A hooded student was listening from the outside then walked off quickly with this information. Nagini smirked and used a drop of her blood to construct a small snake to follow the hooded student. The small snake managed to slither up the student's skirt and gently wrapped around her neck then camouflaged itself.
'I'm smarter than that, little girl. I am always aware...' Nagini thought to herself.
----------------------------------------------
Classes finally ended and we were all dismissed. I rushed out of the building and ran toward Zodiac Square. April ran after me then leaped down the stairs. Nina used her wind to fly out of the building then Lily warped toward Nina, riding on her air currents.
"We're gonna be late! Let's get a move on!" I shouted. I noticed Nagini was calling me then answered.
"Tsk. Tsk. Running late?~" Nagini chuckled.
"It isn't my fault! You spent the last hour of classes fussing at me and straight blabbering on about useless shit!" I said then grunted as I nearly tripped on a small ledge.
"Watch your step..~ Also watch your surroundings, you've got company~" Nagini giggled then hung up.
I heard a truck honking and noticed it running other cars off the road. "What the hell..?"
"Drive man! Drive!" The other criminal yelled.
"Stop your vehicle! You are under arrest!" A police man yelled from his speaker, driving after the truck.
"Let's go, Pride!" I roared then dashed toward the truck.
[Choose your Zodiac Crystal...]
{Solar Peridot or Rainbow Fluorite}
I summoned my Solar Peridot then awakened my Zodiac Power. I ran toward the truck and leaped forward. "Let's try to cause the least amount of damage!"
"Right!" April said then charged forward.
I landed on the truck and roared as I released a pulse of energy against the hood of the truck. The pulse of energy caused the engine to fail and the truck soon came to a stop. The criminals got out of the truck then looked up, noticing me on the top of the truck.
"Make this easy and surrender!" I called out.
"It's just some dumb teens! Take them down boys!" The leader yelled.
I grunted as they began shooting their bullets then cloaked myself in flames then propelled myself toward them. I landed a powerful spinning kick on the first criminal then struck his weak spot. He groaned then stumbled backwards. I dodged his counter then got behind him, getting him in a headlock.
"April!" I called out.
"Let's go!" April laughed then charged forward then rammed into the criminal. She laughed as she blew both of us away upon impact.
I chuckled then used my reflexes to land on the ground then slammed him to the ground with a German Suplex. I got up and noticed the guy was knocked out. A policeman ran forward and thanked me then put the guy in handcuffs.
Nina flew past and turned around then began to fire wind bullets at the woman chasing her. The woman used her energy shield to absorb the wind bullets then discharged a beam of energy at Nina. Nina came down with a stomp then caused a blast of wind to knock the woman upwards.
"Wind Arts: Gale Stream!" Nina bellowed then thrusted her palm forward, causing a blast of wind to blow the woman away.
"These kid's energy control is elite..! Only using enough force to neutralize them." A policewoman said as she ran forward.
The leader adjusted his mask then walked forward. "Useless rookies. I guess I have to do everything myself!"
He bellowed and lightning surged powerfully around his body. He rushed forward toward me and went for a punch, but I dodged him and went for a counter, but his body turned into lightning then he electrocuted me. I groaned and fell to one knee.
"This guy has tricks huh?!" Nina said and chuckled then surrounded her body with her Chi Energy.
"He has a mask, he's gotta be one of the Fallen!" Lily called out.
I stood up and noticed my Rainbow Fluorite shining then looked at the man. I chuckled then growled. "No mercy..."
I roared and awakened into my Drive Form. The man grunted and guarded himself from the pressure of my energy. I dashed forward and landed a high kick to the man's face then knocked him away with another blow. The man stumbled backwards then recovered.
He sensed another attack then dodged April's attack then groaned as Lily landed her slash on his back. He roared then his dark lightning energy blew us back. He looked at me and his eyes shined brightly.
I chuckled then got into a crouching start. I dashed forward and roared. "Fly away!"
I went for the attack, but his body turned into lightning. I managed to evade his lightning attack then groaned as he kicked me away. Nina bumped me forward then I swiped my arm, striking him with a staggering chop. Nina leaped over me and landed her chop attack then I rushed forwar, knocking him upwards with an Upper Lion's Fist. Nina kicked him away with a spinning roundhouse kick. She landed beside me and we charged up for an attack.
"Dual Zodiac Arts!" We bellowed then clouds began to form in the sky and high winds began to pick up.
The winds roared loudly and the thunder's clap echoed across the skies. April and Lily held onto each other as the winds began to pick up. They watched our energies combine into one.
"Roaring Tempest!" Nina and I roared.
A powerful hourglass shaped tornado formed and began dragging the man in. He yelled as he tried to resist the force of the tornado, but couldn't. I roared and set the tornado ablaze then the tornado dispersed into green and red energy particles. The man fell to the ground and his mask cracked then broke in two.
I walked toward the man and looked at him. A faint memory flashed in my head then I stopped walking. I just stared at him as the police got him off the ground. He looked at me then his eyes shined.
April noticed me staring at him then walked toward him. "August..?"
I reverted to my normal state then smiled. "Mission Complete.."
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Solar Peridot EXP + 400, Bond with Nina, April Increased!]
Nagini called me again and I picked up then she smirked as she looked at me. "Good job. Casualties: 15%. Mostly cars and roads that were damaged from your Dual Zodiac Arts. It's a clear road ahead."
"Gotcha." I said then hung up. "Let's go."
April nodded and smiled, but she now wondered who were the masked figures to me. She decided to let it go and hurry along to Zodiac Square.