CHAPTER 11: MAGIC?

【Phoenix Gakuen】 is located in the north of 【Sekai City】, surrounded by tall buildings on all sides.

All kinds of stores and public facilities are available to the students, proprietors setting up shop aiming their services towards the students of the school.

-and in the midst of the bustling streets of the city.

「*Yawn* Well, at least I don’t have to go to classes, now.」

Saito Junichi yawned as he walked on the pavement.

Car engines were rumbling.

Wives were gossiping.

The sounds of music could be heard from a large plasma display, placed on the wall of a skyscraper which overlooked the typical daily life of the peaceful city.

(Damn, this city’s noisy during the day.)

Junichi commented internally, staring at the location mentioned in the memo Shizuka-sensei gave him.

【Wild Orange Diner】

(Wild Orange, huh? So it’s 【Tachibana(1)】? How come I’ve never heard of this before?)

Junichi mumbled, translating the English name of the store to a localised version whilst skilfully opening his dark-blue flip-phone.

-14:23-

The current time was displayed on his dark blue phone.

And, while one would think that he didn’t need to rely on his phone’s navigation, the boy found that the directions written on the back weren’t exactly the most……precise.

Thus, choosing to let his phone guide him, Junichi paused slightly, allowing his handheld to process his request before navigating a path to his destination.

(So it’s just a left at the next traffic light.)

The dark-haired boy confirmed, closing his phone as he proceeded to make his way towards his destination.

Yet, as he did so, something strange occurred to Junichi.

He could no longer hear the rumbling of car engines, pumping polluted exhaust into the pristine city air.

He could no longer hear the chatter of women cluttering the sounds of the street with unrestrained gossip.

Even the large plasma that was playing a unique commercial starring a pair of blonde and pink idols now only showed a blank screen.

(-the hell?)

Noticing the abnormality of the situation, Junichi cursed as he began to survey the area.

The bustling city landscape turned into a grey, desolate ghost town quicker than the flip of a coin.

And, because of its suddenness, this rapid change caused the dark-haired boy’s confusion to transition swiftly into wariness.

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(I smell blood.)

Junichi was led by his nose as he followed the unpleasant fragrance.

-which eventually led him to quite a horrific sight.

Two figures were glaring at each other on opposite sides of a 4-way crossing.

One was a girl, dressed in a red blazer with an unmistakable phoenix sewn onto the blazer pocket. The girl, who possessed scruffy orange hair that seemed strangely familiar to Junichi, was covered with cuts that ruined both her uniform and her fair skin, the pain from these lacerations causing her to fall to the ground.

The other figure belonged to a tall, white-haired man wearing faded white jeans and a grey, loosely fit shirt. The man had tanned skin that one might find in the tropics, and had several piercings on his ears, undoubtedly to make him look tougher.

And on an exposed portion of this tanned individual’s right arm laid a tattoo bearing the prominent image of-

(-an eagle?)

Junichi instinctively held his breath, regulating his breathing in an attempt to prevent either of these strange entities to notice his presence.

But alas, it was already too late.

「Who're you!?」

The white-haired man barked, scowling as his aluminium eyes were focused in the direction that Junichi concealed himself in.

And, while his efforts at remaining undiscovered had been foiled, the youth cared not as his curiosity had been piqued by the two individuals.

「…that's my line. Who the hell are you, bird-brain?」

Choosing to reply brazenly, Junichi walked confidently in between the two figures, his aggressive stance signifying that his bad habit of issuing taunts had once again begun to act up.

However, the white-haired boy's reaction to this provocation was drastically different from what the dark-haired youth was expecting.

「This annoying-as-fuck attitude, and those green eyes…I've finally found you!」

Unsure of what to make of this response, Junichi could only stand there, his brow furrowed as he tried to understand what the man with the bird tattoo just said.

However, seeing the boy's outburst, something must have been triggered in the scruffy, orange-haired girl as she unleashed a shrill cry of desperation.

「Run! Get away from him now!」

In an attempt to warn him of the impending danger, the chubby girl’s soprano mercilessly pierced the atmosphere.

And yet, at the same time as the girl’s shout, a silver shadow swiftly approached Junichi at an incredible velocity.

Needless to say, Junichi had long since noticed the white-haired man’s advance, choosing to ignore the girl’s warning as he rushed forward in order to match the assailant’s speed.

However, disregarding the girl’s cautioning may have been the dark-haired youth’s undoing.

For as he raised his fist in an attempt to counter the tanned boy blow-

(What the-!)

-Junichi’s clenched fist passed right through the tanned boy’s hand, phasing through his body part as if it was but an optical illusion.

It needn’t be said that the dark-haired boy’s attack had magnificently missed its mark.

On the other hand, however, the youth with silver-haired was unfazed, his assault continuing on a path straight into Junichi’s gut.

*thudd!*

「-gurgh?!」

Junichi groaned, flinching as his body sent signals of pain to his stunned brain.

But alas, this wasn't the end of it.

(C-Crap! This isn’t good!)

Witnessing the enemy’s leg aimed straight at his head, the dark-haired youth instinctively raised his arms in an attempt to block it.

However, once again, like some ridiculously overpowered magic, the boy’s leg passed through Junichi’s arms, mercilessly smashing directly into his head.

Following the sound of a huge impact resounding clearly throughout the desolate cityscape, Junichi’s body shuddered as it was immediately sent flying into the pole of a traffic light several metres away.

*Thud*

Following the sound of a huge impact resounding clearly throughout the desolate cityscape, Junichi’s body shuddered as it was immediately sent flying into the pole of a traffic light several metres away.

And upon impact with the sturdy metal pole-

「Ka-!」

-Junichi croaked pitifully, unable to withstand the pain as blood was expelled from his throat.

As the impact with the pole hit Junichi’s spine, he was unable to fully control his body, causing his frame to slide down the pole limply as strength left his limbs.

(Shit! W-what the hell was that!?)

Being only able to move his eyes, Junichi placed strength into his gaze, attempting to analyse the tanned figure of the boy who seemed to possess supernatural powers.

Yet, not caring about his current position, the boy approached him as he began to speak with a coarse, shrieking voice.

「Huh!? That was way too easy.」

(Damn…it…!)

The boy cursed, biting his lip in a frantic effort to hold on to his fading conscious.

Yet, as he was flickering between the different states of consciousness--

「Hoh?」

「I-I won’t let you hurt him!」

--Junichi heard a sweet, soprano voice softly trembling in resistance against the approaching silver shadow.

And then…

……the world around him turned white.