The city of Ezora was bustling with life on this marvelous morning. The buildings dominated the downtown landscape with their silver and futuristic appearances. In this atmosphere, many of its residents were compelled to go to work or school. As for Lolya Mitressey, she belonged to the latter category. Every weekday forenoon, the fifteen-year-old girl was exiting her home to head towards a place where unique disciplines were taught. Unfortunately, her journey was a bit more challenging than usual. Three other students from the institution had begun chasing her in a pedestrian district. Consequently, the luckless teenager had to start running, while her long purple hair, stopping at her armpits, followed the movements of the wind.

“Leave me alone!” she pleaded as her amethyst-colored eyes welled up with tears.

“Do not be scared, Little Flower. Why don’t you come and have some fun with us?”

Hearing that sentence disgusted her to the highest degree because that nickname had been given to her by her deceased parents. Only her friends called her that now. In the spur of the moment, she decided to diverge into an alley but quickly hit an obstacle. The walking silhouette of a mother and her young son appeared a little further away. Not wanting to rush and bump into them, her only option was to use the skills she had learned. That’s when she jumped onto the lid of a dumpster, then propelled herself into the air, zigzagging along the adjacent buildings.

“Wow! Look, Mom! A ninja!”

After her acrobatics, the student landed back on the ground, and her escape continued. Unfortunately, the misadventures were far from over. At the same moment, another resident of the metropolis was taking a stroll in the area. All heads seemed to turn in his direction. Clearly, he was one of the four guardians tasked with protecting the population. His white armor gave him a noble appearance, while the two ends of the long flammulated ribbon he wore around his waist fluttered in the wind.

“Glory to you, Master Red Guardian!” a woman exclaimed, bowing before him.

This greeting quickly elicited a response. A simple hand gesture was the only reply he provided. However, the movements of the young man were suddenly interrupted. During her sprint, Lolya Mitressey crashed into him full force. The unfortunate girl then fell violently to the ground, but anxiety began to creep in as she looked up at the person she had just collided with.

“By the Almighty Oracle! I sincerely apologize, Master Red Guardian! I was not watching where I was going!”

The Ezora native got back on her feet and brushed off the dust that had settled on her purple t-shirt and blue jeans. Then, behind the metallic mask that concealed his face and the rest of his head, the individual in question merely uttered a series of contradictory statements.

“Do not apologize. It was me who was not paying attention.”

The scene was short-lived, as reality soon caught up with the fifteen-year-old. The voices of her bullies resounded strongly in the distance. The cycle seemed destined to repeat. The catastrophe appeared inevitable.

“Hey! There is that big idiot!”

Under the grip of panic, their scapegoat had no time to think and quickly sought refuge behind the armored warrior. It was the best solution to escape the dead end.

“Please! Can you do something? They have been chasing me for a while!”

Fortunately, the protector agreed to the request. Menacingly, he cracked his knuckles and assumed an offensive stance. However, this gesture proved to be more than sufficient. The trio of pursuers came to an abrupt halt upon seeing him. They had no chance of winning against him.

“Shit! It is the Red Guardian!”

Frightened, the small group hastily fled in the opposite direction. Their retreat amounted to disappearing into a nearby alley. Relieved by this outcome, Lolya could not help but let out a sigh of decompression. The worst had been averted. With gratitude, she politely bowed before her savior.

“Thank you so much, Master Guardian.”

“No need, miss. I did not do much.”

“On the contrary. Your presence was more than enough. I am a student at the Elite School of Ninja Arts, but I do not have the skills to confront them on my own.”

In a typical context, the survivor’s praise could have ended with those words. Unfortunately, the scene took an unexpected turn when her rescuer made a remark that categorically shook her.

“I am already aware, Lolya Mitressey, that you are at E.S.N.A.”

Her reaction was immediate. Upon hearing her name being pronounced, a look of astonishment spread across her face. The meager reputation she held within the institution could not possibly attract the attention of such influential individuals.

“You know who I am!”

“Of course. This is not the first time we have met.”

Sadly, this reply only left her more confused. Numerous interrogations began to bombard her mind. The Red Guardian was the youngest member of his squad, at the age of sixteen. This meant that he interacted a lot with teenage people. Yet, they had not crossed paths until now.

“I believe you are mistaken. I have never had the opportunity to meet someone like you.”

Surprisingly, the adolescent boy seemed convinced otherwise. As a justification, he tapped her shoulder in a friendly manner. Questions begged to be asked. However, the exchange was at its conclusion. The elite fighter had decided it.

“By the end of the day, it will come back to you. For now, I would advise you to leave. Your classes will start soon. I would not want to be the cause of your tardiness.”

Agreeing with his order, the student gave him a military salute. It took only a few seconds before she resumed her journey. Luckily, the last few meters passed without any issues. The brick building, surrounded by an impressive wall, stood before her. Once inside, she headed towards the section where the lockers were arranged. One of them caught her attention. Gripping the strange luminescent padlock that held it locked, words in a mysterious dialect were spoken.

“Opahamé!”

A click echoed. Now, she could open the door and retrieve her school supplies. Everything seemed to be proceeding as usual. However, a voice resonated through the intercom system and interrupted her actions:

“Lolya Mitressey is requested to report to the main office as soon as possible.”

Intrigued by this unusual convocation, she closed the metal structure and made her way towards the designated place. Fortunately, it took her only a few moments to find out the reason. Kazelia Nikoha, her science teacher, was the one to welcome her upon her arrival in the room.

“Greetings, Lolya. I hope I’m not catching you off guard.”

The woman brushed a strand of her long dark green hair behind her ear. Then, she gave her the piece of paper that occupied her right hand. Important instructions seemed to be written on it, and its recipient grabbed it to examine.

“Today, you will not be attending classes. We have a mission for you.”

“A mission?”

“Yes. In the past fifteen minutes, an anonymous call was made to our request line. For motives unknown to me, the telephoner demands your participation in a special operation. Apparently, there is a clandestine laboratory somewhere in the forest conducting illegal experiments on human subjects. The orders are to put an end to their activities. Lethal means are authorized. All the details are in the document I provided you with.”

A silence fell between the two females. The main person of interest skimmed through the explanations with an alert gaze. Curiously, when she finished, a sigh of exasperation escaped her lips. It seemed that the solicitation did not please her at all.

“I think the client is likely to be disappointed. For a guaranteed success, I would advise sending a more talented candidate. They must not know that I am the weakest of the school.”

Her interlocutor became nervous. She did not want to agree too harshly. To compensate, she began inspecting her surroundings, trying to hide the indignation reflected in her emerald eyes. After careful consideration, the teacher finally responded with honesty.

“That is what we said to him. However, the decision remained with him. Besides, in the worst-case situations, you have the advantage of being a sorceress of Kâ. This is an asset that will help you avoid certain problems.”

These words did little to improve her student’s state of mind. A shiver ran down her spine. Dramatic scenarios crowded her thoughts. Fortunately, courage seemed to be enough to prevent her from giving up.

“Okay, I guess I do not have a choice. After all, I will not be alone. If I complete the mission, maybe I will get an acceptable grade and be well paid.”

Now, there was no necessity to linger. The fifteen-year-old bid farewell to her teacher. She then turned on her heels and left the meeting area. However, as she was walking away, Kazelia called out to her:

“Hey! You could have shut the door!”

She needed to rectify the situation. As a result, the culprit’s voice echoed in the hallway. A series of words from an unknown language were articulated:

“Ozaka Kaïto Mira!”

Following this incantation, an unprecedented phenomenon occurred. A mysterious halo of violet energy gradually enveloped the requested object. Clearly, this feat was the outcome of magic. Suddenly, without any human intervention, the wooden structure leading to the office closed on its own. It was a perfect demonstration of telekinesis.

If given a choice, the learner would have preferred to attend her courses. Nonetheless, her obligations forced her to return to her locker. Ten seconds later, her belongings were back inside. The first stage of her new mission was to head out of the building. She achieved that goal by using languorous steps. Once outside, she was approached by Karaï Hokara, a childhood friend. She was trying to prevent the two small ponytails on top of her short crimson hair from following the whimsical gusts of wind.

“Good morning, Lolya. It is rare to see you here. Normally, you wait for classes to start in the cafeteria with Lassa. And I notice you have not brought anything with you. You might be in a tough spot if you do not take care of that.”

Her brown eyes met her comrade’s. From there, the young teenager showed her the ring binder and pencil case she held in her arms. Amused by the attention being given to her, the recipient of the message quickly smiled.

“Do not worry about that. It turns out I have been asked to assist someone on one of their missions. I am counting on you to fill me in on what I will miss today.”

“I see. With your current level, that is quite surprising.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” her addressee sarcastically remarked.

At the same moment, Kurohaki Kuzanèl, the boyfriend of the second female of the group, approached them. He grabbed his beloved by the waist and kissed her nape, eliciting disgusted grimaces from the supernaturally powered sorceress. His turquoise hair, stopping at the base of his neck, displayed partially elevated side strands. Moreover, he had marvelous blue-green irises. Once his endearments were finally completed, he reached out his hand towards Lolya and playfully flicked her forehead.

“Well, well. Our Little Flower has decided to desert her usual waiting area. That is not normal. I hope you are not sick.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny,” retorted the main person of interest, though amusement did not reflect on her face. “To your great surprise, you will know that I…”

However, her explanations were interrupted by the sound of the bell signaling the start of classes. From this, the three friends bid each other farewell without attaining some sort of conclusion. Now, all the students gathered in the courtyard hurriedly entered the educational building. Seeing them leave, the fighter girl let out a long, deep sigh of weariness. To refresh her memory, she glanced once again at the document she had received. The approximate location of the clandestine laboratory was indicated at the very end. Using public transportation would allow her to conserve her strength if needed. Thus, she made her way to one of the city exits by that means. It was only there that her ninja skills were called upon. The nearby forest was vast. With one powerful leap, she reached the same height as a thick tree limb. From there, her movements continued for a distance of eight kilometers, propelling herself onto other broad-leaved.

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Suddenly, the adolescent arrived at the outskirts of an abandoned quarry. The place seemed to match the geographical coordinates. Doubt could not happen, as a mysterious building had been erected there. To avoid detection, she chose to observe it from her current position. This decision led her to articulate a new magic spell:

“Ludosia Visiona.”

These words triggered a transformation in her pupils, allowing her to see as if she had binoculars. Worry gripped her body. Guards were stationed at the main entrance, holding machine guns. The situation had just become more complicated.

“Damn it! We will have to sneak inside without drawing attention. Hopefully, the other ninja will come up with a plan. I am terrible at this kind of thing. By the way, I wonder where he is. I do not find him anywhere.”

Hypotheses raced through her brain. Where could the orchestrator of her assignment be hiding? Her thoughts had disconnected her from reality to the point where the fifteen-year-old did not notice the movement behind her.

“Hey, you!” exclaimed a male voice in a menacing tone. “What are you doing here?”

These words made her jump in terror. The hair on her entire body rose. However, as she turned her head, it was the features of a familiar figure that caught her eye. The guardian that she had previously collided into stood before her, laughing.

“Ha, ha, ha! My sincerest apologies. I could not help myself when I saw you.”

This prank did not amuse his colleague. It was evident on her face. Her heartbeat had doubled due to stress. The luckless girl demonstrated it by clenching her fists, accentuating her anger.

“With all due respect, Master Red Guardian, never do that again! I almost had a heart attack!”

“I am perfectly aware that it frightened you,” he said awkwardly. “Sometimes it is quite difficult to maintain a serious demeanor when one is known for having a temperament like mine.”

Gradually regaining his professionalism, the elite warrior approached the rocky ledge where the student had taken refuge. Then, the young man pulled out a smartphone from his metal armor and began inspecting the surroundings using the camera zoom.

“I do not understand,” his female partner interjected. “Initially, you did not want me to miss my classes, but it turns out that you are the person who summoned me here.”

“Yes, that is true. However, I changed my mind when I saw you leaving.”

“Why? You are a guardian. I will not be of much help on this mission.”

“I will explain when we are done. For now, your role will be to serve as bait for me.”

“Bait? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Like this!”

Unexpectedly, her colleague roughly pushed her into the void with a solid kick to the back. The gesture prompted a panicked scream from her, while also alerting the individuals tasked with defending the installations. The painful landing that followed became the least of her worries. As she touched the top of a sand mound, the young girl was greeted by two machine gun barrels pointed in her direction.

“Hands in the air!”

Lolya swallowed. In order to avoid being riddled with bullets by her assailants, she didn’t flinch and complied almost instantly. As for the two men, they exchanged a series of unsettling glances. One of them then spoke up, saying something that was definitely not a good sign:

“Take our guest inside. I will inform Doctor Van-Croft.”

The first nodded in agreement, while the other grabbed his walkie-talkie. Under the threat of his firearm, the prisoner was escorted into the depths of the building. Now, a labyrinth of corridors and doors lay before her. The ninja sorceress was then led into what was resembling an operating room. Afterwards, the guard immobilized her to a stretcher with leather straps and placed a piece of duct tape over her mouth. The next stage was about to start. With that, the jailer left without making a sound.

Tormented by panic, the schoolgirl with purple hair began to squirm in all directions. However, her terror reached its peak when a sixty-year-old male arrived on the scene. Blood stained the surgeon’s uniform he was wearing. Without even caring about her reaction, the man rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a voice recorder.

“This is Doctor William Van-Croft from the Red Dress Company’s Ethereal Extraction Center. It seems that our actions have attracted attention, as some of our employees have discovered and apprehended what appears to be a ninja spy.”

Suddenly, the torturer did not hesitate to examine his captive. Amidst her muffled groans, he felt around her pants to retrieve a wallet. After inspecting its contents, he initiated a brief computer search on the nearby machine.

“From what I can see in the E.S.N.A.’s public database, the individual, female, goes by the name of Lolya Mitressey. Furthermore, I can notice that she possesses the Kaïto gene, the typical signature of the sorcerers of Kâ. She will make a perfect subject for our experiments. According to her profile, she has also been an orphan for four years following a horrific incident involving her family. I conclude that she will not be missed by anyone.”

The memories of this event were far from pleasant for its victim. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. The teenager could do nothing else to express her sadness. In the meantime, the doctor grabbed a syringe filled with a strange blue liquid and dangerously approached her immobilized shoulder.

“Do you know what I like about people like you? It is your regenerative ability that prevents you from dying. Usually, this injection is lethal. I cannot wait to see how many doses your body can take before the pain demolishes your lucidity. And do not bother struggling, this place is equipped with anti-magic devices.”

Just as he was about to act, the tide turned in favor of the young girl. A powerful explosion rang out, followed by the sound of an alarm spreading throughout the complex. A nurse burst into the operating room, completely panicked.

“Sir! The Red Guardian entered the building!”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I do not understand! He smashed through the reinforced doors as if they were made of cardboard!”

Enraged, the old surgeon dropped his syringe to the floor. In the aftermath, the ninja with supernatural abilities received an unpleasant slap provoked by his frustration.

“You little bitch! Your capture was just a diversion to allow him to locate us!”

Given that Lolya was gagged, she could not respond. However, her expression indicated that she was delighted by the situation. Time was running out. There was only one solution for the sexagenarian and his assistant. They grabbed the largest objects they could find and blocked the only access to the operating room. Unfortunately, their stress intensified when all the lights in the building went out simultaneously. Darkness pervaded the space, and distant cries of pain filled the air. Footsteps echoed in the adjacent corridor, stopping in front of the doors to their hiding place. Without any visibility, a cacophony of broken equipment preceded the intrusion of someone into their improvised shelter. The screams extended for long seconds, then abruptly dissipated. At that moment, the power system mysteriously turned back on, revealing one of the most gruesome scenes. The walls were covered in blood, and the lifeless bodies of the attackers lay strewn across the filthy floor.

“Whew!” exclaimed the guardian with the red ribbon as he wiped the crimson liquid that had splattered on his armor. “This place could really use a cleaning lady!”

This remark greatly annoyed his mission partner. However, she merely emitted a sound indicating that she wanted the adhesive tape on her mouth to be removed. The elite protector approached her and delicately pulled one of the extremities.

“Thank you so much,” she expressed as she regained her ability to speak. I almost got in trouble.

Then, an extraordinary event occurred. The masked boy grabbed the straps holding her immobile and effortlessly tore them apart. Astonished by this act, the survivor stood up with wide eyes but remained seated on the edge of the stretcher.

“How did you do that?”

“Eh, eh. It is thanks to a special device in my gloves. It comes in handy when I must rescue damsels in distress.”

“I see. That’s convenient. I knew someone who could also do that kind of thing, but he did not need any tool. His family had that capability for generations.”

“Let me guess? You are talking about the Onayas?”

The young girl was not surprised. After all, that clan was renowned in Ezora. Regardless, just like with the Mitresseys, their members had been decimated in dreadful circumstances. Seven years had passed since the tragedy, but the wound stayed fresh in the community.

“Yes, I was referring to them. What happened was horrible and it is unfair that the authorities never managed to arrest the culprit.”

A sigh followed her statement. On the same day, several painful memories had resurfaced in her mind. However, nothing prepared her for the comment her savior made.

“Was your companion called Seth by any chance?”

Just like before, a dumbfounded expression appeared on the face of the fifteen-year-old. Her body no longer reacted properly. It was partially unsettling. Apart from her current friends, no one could be aware of that detail. How did the Red Guardian found out?

“You are really starting to scare me, Master Guardian. Why do you know his name?”

Suddenly, the young man placed his gloved forefinger on her lips, urging her to be silent. The time for explanations seemed to have come for the duo of ninjas.

“There is something I want to show you.”

Unexpectedly, the elite warrior reached for his metallic mask. It bore the patterns of two dark shapes resembling eyes, under which were connected slightly arched reddish spikes. A click was immediately heard. In a slow and nervous movement, his hand lifted it above his head. Normally, the guardians were not allowed to expose their faces. When Lolya finally discovered his appearance, tears began to run down her cheeks. Black hair, partially disheveled, and a magnificent amber-colored gaze characterized the individual she recognized as her former best friend.

“No, it is imp… impossible,” she sobbed in emotion.

Seeing her, the sixteen-year-old boy wished to calm her by embracing her compassionately. This revelation was extremely upsetting for her. The whimpers intensified. It was the only suitable response to this situation.

“I’m sorry, Little Flower. That night, I was the only one to make it out. Unfortunately, the other guardians decided to declare me dead. I wanted to tell you. Alas, my schedule prevented me from doing so. Our encounter this morning gave me an opportunity that I immediately seized.”

The grip of his partner became stronger. She did not desire to let go anymore. A feeling of security and ease dominated her. Several minutes were necessary before Seth Onaya could step back. From then on, the sorceress wiped her eyes and a curious smile appeared on her face as she slowly rose from the stretcher, retrieving the wallet that had been stolen from her.

“You did not have to push me off that cliff to confess all of this, you know.”

Those words did not take long to elicit a quirky reaction. An amused chuckle escaped his mouth. Then, he placed his hand behind his head to express regret for his actions. Simultaneously, he seemed both happy and uncomfortable with how their adventures unfolded.

“I am sorry. I did not have much time to think of a plan. I just went with the first idea that came to mind.”

“That is evident. I blame myself for not making the connection earlier. You still have the same unpredictable attitude as when we were children.”

“You could not have known. By the way, speaking of unpredictable attitude, there is something else I need to tell you.”

“Uh, can we leave this place before that? I remind you that you killed everyone. I cannot stand talking with all these corpses around us anymore. It is morbid!”

The student concluded her statement with a grimace. The elite warrior, alternatively, readjusted his metallic mask over his face before reaching out his hand to her.

“Ha, ha. Of course, young lady. Let me escort you to the exit.”

Now, the two teenagers hurriedly retreated from the building. Once outside, Lolya seized the opportunity to dispel her anxiety by savoring a breath of fresh air. She had seen enough for today.

“Well, with all the things that have happened, my report will be quite challenging to write.”

“If it can reassure you, I can take care of it,” her friend said. “It is because of me that you almost ended up being a test subject, so it will be a way to apologize.”

“That would help me a lot,” the fifteen-year-old replied. “After these misadventures, all I want is to go back home and curl up in my sheets to rest.

“That is understandable. However, do you allow me to finish what I had to tell you before I give you permission?”

“No problem. You have already revealed to me that you have become a guardian. I guess one more declaration will not hurt me.”

Surprisingly, the young man approached a little too close to her liking, while lifting his mask once more. A mischievous smile dominated his face. He seemed to have a plan in mind. Seeing this, the ninja girl began to feel nervous again. The multiple pranks he had orchestrated in the past came back to her memory. Her companion’s eccentricity was enough to make her constantly uneasy, as anything was possible in his presence.

“Watch your ears!”

The Red Guardian grabbed his phone and tapped on something unfolding on his screen. Suddenly, an impressive explosion occurred, creating an unprecedented noise. The structure behind them was nothing but a gigantic ball of fire and dust. Moreover, the resulting shockwave was so intense that the survivor was immediately propelled into the arms of her armored savior. At that moment, he took the opportunity to press his lips against hers. Time seemed to stand still during this performance. Their two hearts were racing. Previously, they had been the most inseparable duo. Seeing them on their escapades, several adults believed that their relationship would evolve as they grew older. There was no longer any doubt. This gesture had just confirmed it.

As the wind dispersed what remained of the charred building, the face of the sorceress with purple eyes began to blush. Shyness caused her to turn her gaze towards the ground. She was not able to look at her friend, who was readjusting his mask once again to regain his anonymity. Nevertheless, she had enjoyed the experience.

“That is what I wanted to tell you. Unfortunately, my responsibilities await me elsewhere. I hope you will not mind if I leave you to go home alone. Take the opportunity to rest. Tomorrow, I will provide you with more details.”

Without even allowing her to respond, Seth used his impressive ninja speed to disappear from her field of vision. Now, Lolya stood solitarily in the middle of the abandoned quarry, where a strong smell of burnt lingered in her nostrils. Consequently, she had to return to Ezora on her own. Her mission had been successfully accomplished. However, the Red Guardian had just entered her life. At this stage, the upcoming days would never be the same. The first question that crossed her mind was what fate had in store for her.

To be continued…

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Author’s note(s)

- Ladies and gentlemen! This was Chapter 1 of Guardians, completely translated from French to English! I hope you enjoyed it. There may still be a few mistakes, but if you find any throughout your reading, let me know and I will correct them immediately.

- We are still at the beginning of the adventure, but I wanted to inform you that this story was inspired by the Naruto and Soul Eater manga. I was also influenced by the character of Raven in the Teen Titans TV show to create the sorcerers of Kâ and Lolya’s powers.

- Many thanks to @SitoraCada on Wattpad for proofreading this chapter.

- I want to let you know that the pattern on the Red Guardian’s mask is currently serving as my profile picture.

- Thank you so much for reading this chapter. If you liked it, do not hesitate to leave likes, comments, or subscribe to me, as it encourages me to continue writing stuff.

- Finally, feel free to join my Discord server. You will find exclusive information and bonuses about my stories. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to make friends, participate in various activities, and access helpful resources related to writing. To join, just look at this page that gathers all my social media. Just be sure to select the correct one, as I also have one for French speakers.