[Day: Tuesday]
[Time: Morning]
[Location: Sanctuary University]
Morning light streamed into the pristine chemistry lab at Sanctuary University, casting a warm glow on the polished surfaces and neatly arranged equipment. Joy and I walked in together, greeted by the faint scent of chemicals and the organized chaos of scientific inquiry.
Ui stood by a table, her expression a blend of tiredness and determination. "Good morning, you two. You both are here pretty early aren't you. Is your project going well?" she said, her eyes sharp yet encouraging.
Joy nodded, her eyes sparkling with determination. She immediately began organizing our workspace, ensuring every piece of equipment was in order. "We did a lot of brainstorming and working yesterday, so I think we're ready to get some tests going!"
I watched her with admiration, noting the meticulous care she took with each item. "This project means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Shiro asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
"Yes, it does," Joy replied, a hint of pride in her voice. "I believe in maintaining high standards in my work. Accuracy is everything."
Ui stepped forward, walking toward our table and looked at the heap of notes we had. "Hmm~ I see making you two partners has exceeded my expectations. I'm sure I have nothing to worry about especially since you're already working on the project on day two."
Joy expressed her desire to use only authentic materials and methods, explaining her dedication to accuracy. I listened intently, respecting her commitment and beginning to think about how I could contribute effectively.
We set up our experiment, following Ui's instructions carefully. Joy took the lead on measurements while I assisted with the equipment and took notes. Ui watched closely, offering occasional advice and ensuring we adhered to safety protocols.
The first trial didn't go as planned. The reaction was off, leading to a minor setback as the elements combined caused black smoke to erupt in Joy's face.
Joy's frustration was palpable, but she tried to maintain her composure. I stifled my laughter at the setback and reassured her, suggesting we analyze what went wrong.
"Let's figure this out together," I said, my tone calm and encouraging.
"Okay," Joy said, cleaning her face with a towel.
Ui stepped in to guide us, pointing out potential issues and encouraging us to try again with adjustments. After a few attempts, we finally achieved a successful reaction, fusing Oxygen and Fire to create a small thundercloud. Joy's face lit up with delight, her earlier frustration forgotten.
"We did it," she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.
"This is the first step of Alchemy. Understanding how elements can work together and apart. I suggest you two to go out and experiment in a more open area for this project as the nature itself will give you more to work with than chemically made elements," Ui suggested, her tone a mix of support and excitement for our project.
I, inspired by Joy's dedication and Ui's suggestion, suggested we think outside the box for our project.
"I have an idea," I started. "How about we go to Verdant Grove? I can show you real Elemental Fusion and Fission."
Joy's eyes widened with excitement. "That sounds amazing. I'd love to see that."
Ui nodded in approval. "It could be a valuable learning experience. Just be careful and take notes. And remember, we have another extended lesson today due to the testing around the College Board so make sure you're back before my class ends."
As we wrapped up for the morning, Joy and I left the lab with a sense of accomplishment and anticipation. We had a new adventure ahead, one that promised to deepen our understanding of chemistry and Alchemy and our bond with each other.
[Day: Tuesday]
[Time: Noon]
[Location: Verdant Grove]
The two of us got off the bus at a stop near Verdant Grove, our steps synchronized as we traversed the rest of the way to the sacred lush forests ahead. Joy stuck close to me, practically holding my arm as she timidly scanned the area. I reassured her that nothing was out to get us and that the forest was relatively safe if we stayed away from going in too deep.
We entered Verdant Grove, greeted by the dense, vibrant foliage and the serene sounds of nature. Birds chirped overhead, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. I led the way through the winding paths, pointing out various plants and their unique properties.
"Look at this one," I said, stopping by a plant with iridescent leaves. "It's known for its ability to store elemental energy."
Joy took diligent notes, captivated by the beauty and complexity of the natural environment. "This is incredible... I can't believe such a place exists. I'm so ready to see real elemental fusion!"
I found a perfect spot for the demonstration, a clearing surrounded by ancient trees. I explained the process, guiding Joy through the steps and showing her how to observe the phenomena.
"Watch closely," I said, taking a deep breath then exhaled.
Joy watched eagerly, her eyes wide with wonder. "Okay," she exclaimed, getting ready to jot down notes and ask questions.
I carefully began to awaken my power, forming an orb of Earth Energy in one hand and an orb of Wind Energy in the other. By carefully combining the two, I successfully made Dust Energy, the cloud of dust circling over my hand.
Joy's eyes widened and she leaned forward with her hands on the ground, her expression a mix of awe and disbelief. "Wha— What...just happened..?"
I chuckled softly at Joy's reaction, looking at the cloud of dust in my hand. "This is Elemental Fusion also known as Elemental Recomposition. There are many results that can come out of this. This is different from elemental mixing, another version of Elemental Fusion."
Joy quickly jotted down what I just said, her gaze soon returning to me. "What else?! I-I wanna see more!"
I chuckled softly, starting to think of what else I could show her. As soon as an idea struck me, I nodded my head then formed an orb of cool wind in one hand then formed an orb of water in the other. Combining the two together, I formed an orb of ice, but I wasn't finished. I formed another orb of wind then tossed the two together, both colliding and exploding into snow.
Joy looked at the sky in awe, a cheerful laugh filling the air as she stood up and watched the snow. "This...is amazing...how did you do that?"
"Right? Without your gauntlets nonetheless, and you're starting to create more than Lightning, Geysers, and Ice~" Passion giggled softly, watching the snow as well.
"One more!~ Please, I want to see just one more!~" Joy said enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with joy and her gaze fixated on mine.
"Alright, alright settle down, Joy~" I chuckled softly then summoned my gauntlets on my right hand. My gauntlet shifted into my White Dragon Gauntlet. "This is the last one~"
Joy nodded her head eagerly, her eyes carefully watching me. "Okay..~"
I formed another sphere of water in my hand, tossing it up and causing it to burst into a dome around us. I used my gauntlet to sent a ray of light at the dome of water, forming a rainbow dome around us.
Satisfied with my work, I crossed my arms and watched the rainbow dome around us. Joy watched the rainbow dome with me, her heart racing from the excitement at the sight.
{Charm/Talent EXP +10,000}
"This is so beautiful, Shiro... I've never seen anything like this before," Joy said, turning her gaze to me with a shy smile curling on her lips.
I looked at Joy, my gaze locking onto hers. "I'm glad you're enjoying the sight..~"
Joy stepped closer to me, her body heating up with emotions she couldn't explain. I watched as she stepped closer, a soft smile playing on my lips. She gently placed her hands upon my chest, leaning into me slowly.
"Can I tell you something..?" She spoke softly, her gaze gentle and her tone soft.
"Yeah, what's up..?" I asked, my tone soft as well.
Joy took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, but soon found the courage to speak her mind. "I—"
[Shiro! Duck her head!]
I reacted quickly, not wasting her time and pulling Joy down with me as Lust-E instructed, evading a lightning bullet that went through the rainbow dome. The dome splattered to the ground, forming a puddle around our feet.
I glanced over to where the bullet was fired, my eyes widening as I noticed the person that was standing in the distance. I stood up slowly, holding Joy protectively. "I thought you...died..."
The man stared at me with a smirk on his face. He fired more lightning bullets at us, his psychotic laugh filling the forest air. "That's what you'd like to think right?! I'm immortal remember, with or without that stupid fucking Stone! The energy is just within me now!"
I grunted as I dodged each bullet with Joy in my arms. I tossed Joy in the air, not wanting her to stay in this forest any longer while Lotus was here again. "Passion! Take Joy back to the university!"
Passion appeared in her dragon form, catching Joy then looked down at us one last time before flying off quickly. Joy screamed in fear as she held onto Passion, her scream now fading in the distance.
I summoned both of my gauntlets, walking forward and activating my Angelic Source. My cross appeared and hovered behind me, its heavenly glow illuminating the forest. Lotus chuckled as he reloaded his gun, his weapon glowing brightly with power.
"Shiro, it's not that he is immortal. He can resurrect himself. Rebirth. That's the skill he's using, even without his Philosopher's Stone, he's had that energy brewing in him for so long it's just a part of him. He purposely let us kill him last time." Lust-E said as she transformed into her Heavenly Form.
Lotus laughed manically, holding his revolver to his head and grinning evilly. "You can't kill me, Destiny's Hero... It's impossible!"
I got into my battle stance, my gaze determined and focused. "Tch... And he just ruined my Quick Date with Joy. Great, now I gotta explain to Naomi why a damn dragon is at the university..."
"You can explain it later! Focus on the task at hand!" Lust-E said, bracing herself for combat.
With that, I activated my Unleashed State, lunging toward Lotus at high speeds. Lotus laughed as he rapidly fired bullets at me, the bullets zipping toward me at full speeds. I evaded and blocked each bullet with Earth and Water shields.
Lotus evaded my first strike, his years of experience still higher than mine despite my Level being 20 stages higher. I launched a flurry of attacks upon him, but his reaction time was slightly faster than the speed of my speed.
He countered with a blow to my stomach, following it with a high reaching kick to knock me in the air. "Heh...Lusella not here to help you this time?!"
I groaned as he knocked me away, sending me crashing into the street. I stood up quickly as I heard the oncoming traffic then I quickly got out of the street and ran off. Lotus stepped out of the forest and chuckled softly, watching me run.
Lotus ran after me at high speeds, leaping toward the opposite side of the street and landing a roundhouse kick to the back of my head. I grunted as I rolled along the ground, swiftly getting back up and blocking his next strike.
Lust-E swooped down and smashed my cross across his head, knocking him back then flew back to the sky. This bought me enough time to run off again while Lotus was recovering.
[The goal isn't to beat Lotus, but to escape. We need to escape Lotus, he knows he can't go into the city after everything he's done.]
I nodded my head then sensed an attack from behind, ducking my head then looked up to see Lotus flying right by me. I rushed forward, dodging his sweep kick then landed a roundhouse kick to knock him back. I landed on the ground and landed a sweep kick then performed my Sanctuary Combo, juggling him in the air then Lust-E swooped down and knocked him in the air with my cross.
I sprang into the air, landing a powerful Superkick directly to his chest, iridescent lightning flashing upon impact. Lotus groaned as he was knocked away, slamming into a tree.
"Hey! Get in!"
I looked back and noticed a car stopping beside me. I looked back toward Lotus before hurrying inside the car in the passenger side. Once I was inside, the man driving the car drove off quickly.
Lotus stood up and dusted himself off, scoffing then looked around for me. "That slippery brat. Tch...next time I'll make sure he doesn't escape..."
I looked into the side mirror and sighed softly in relief as I concluded we were safe. I looked over at the man with a grateful smile. "Thanks for saving my ass back there."
"Once I got the call from Naomi, I knew it was serious. I mean a damn dragon landed in the middle of her campus, so she knew you were in danger when she didn't see you but a girlfriend of yours on her back," The guy said, his tone tired and pretty monotone.
I studied the guys appearance for a bit to see who he was. He had messy black hair, heterochromia where one eye was a pale blue and the other a pale green, and a pretty slim build. He wore a black lab coat and a nametag.
"You're Raymond?" I asked, curious about the man.
"The one and only. The main supplier for Karma. You must've heard from me from Naomi?" He asked, glancing at me then back at the road.
"Ehh...I heard about you from Faith," I answered truthfully.
"Faith Winters. Hmm, well that's one way of knowing my name. Anyways, I am Raymond Drapton...the son of that serial manipulator Louis," Raymond said, his tone a mix of spite and disdain for his father.
"If...I may ask, what did Louis do exactly? You sound like you hate him," I said, genuinely curious.
"He's using his books and his fame to tear down Noelle Grant. He works for The Syndicates...that scum. He wrote a whole novel... exposing her true name and her true self. He is ruining her life using lies and is actively trying to get her killed. Words hold more power than you know and he knows how to use them," Raymond said, his eyes entirely focused on the road.
I sat back in my seat, processing the information. I stared out the window, now in deep thought and felt concerned for Habilee. I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh and rested my fist against my cheek. I couldn't imagine what she was going through, but I sent my thoughts and prayers to her, wanting her to remain safe...
[Day: Tuesday]
[Time: Afternoon]
[Location: Sanctuary University]
I ran down the halls at top speed, looking at my watch and knew I was way behind for Ui's class. Bursting through the door, I noticed the classroom was empty with only Ui inside and sighed softly.
Ui wiped down the tables then stood up straight, looking at me. "Shiro..."
"Ui— I mean, Miss Okabe, I'm sorry for being late. There was this thing and I had to send Joy away and I—"
"Shiro, it's alright. I understand. Joy told me everything," Ui said softly, walking toward me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and a gentle smile played on her face. "Thank you for thinking of Joy's safety...your act of heroism meant a lot to her and she even cried for you..."
"Where is she..?" I asked softly, meeting Ui's gaze with my own.
Ui's expression softened. "Joy is in the courtyard, waiting for you. She was quite worried."
With a nod, I didn't waste another second. "Thank you, Professor Ui," I said before turning and racing out of the classroom.
I navigated the familiar paths of the campus with ease, my mind solely focused on finding Joy. As I neared the courtyard, I saw a small group gathered near a bench. Chloe and Naomi were there, comforting a visibly distressed Joy.
"Joy!" I called out, my voice carrying across the courtyard.
Joy's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she seemed frozen in place. Then, with a cry of relief, she broke free from Chloe and Naomi's comforting arms and ran towards me.
"Shiro!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. She threw herself into my arms, clutching me tightly as she sobbed into my shoulder.
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. "I'm here, Joy. I'm here," I whispered, my own voice choked with emotion.
Chloe and Naomi watched with smiles of relief, giving the two of us a moment to ourselves.
Joy pulled back slightly, looking up at me with tear-filled eyes. "I was so scared, Shiro. I thought… I thought I might never see you again."
I gently wiped away her tears, my heart aching at the sight of her distress. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Joy. But I'm here now, and I won't let anything happen to you."
She nodded, a small smile breaking through her tears. "I know. I just… I don't know what I would do without you."
I gave her a reassuring smile. "You won't have to find out. We're a team, remember? We're partners, and I'm not going to leave your side."
{Charm EXP +15,000}
{Bond with Joy greatly increased.}
With those words, Joy's spirits lifted. She hugged me tighter, feeling the safety and warmth of my embrace. For that moment, all the fear and uncertainty melted away, leaving only the comforting presence of one of the people who meant the most to her.
------------------------------------
Lotus traversed through the forest and made his way out, looking around at Sanctuary City. He heard the sounds of sirens echoing in the air then noticed a figure walking toward him. "And who are you..?"
Ardor chuckled softly and she approached Lotus with her arms crossed. "I hear you're a smart fellow..~ I have a personal request for you. One I know you can't refuse..~"
Feleti leaned against a tree, his eyes closed and arms crossed. "If I were you, I'd accept the request you old shit."
"And if I don't accept..?" Lotus asked, glaring at Ardor and Feleti.
"Then I kill you myself...and this time I'll make sure you never come back..~" Ardor said ominously, her demonic pressure sending chills down Lotus's spine.
Lotus grunted softly and shuddered in the presence of Ardor. "Alright fine...what do you want..?"
Ardor smirked and licked her lips, giggling softly. "Good boy..~ Now here's what I want..~"
~{To Be Continued}~