I stretch out my body for a bit as we were about to bout in what seems to be a handicap match against an old enemy that I used to know. Roman, he was a leader to a fake dark guild back during my high school days. My team and I put a stop to their activities of lounging around and selling drugs to people at our city.

Then there’s this other guy who I haven’t know his name yet but I did in fact met him before. The mysterious hooded guy was the same person who was chasing after me and Hosuke during the time we were saving little Zenith back then. He could summon and control all sorts of canine species from domestic dogs to wolves. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already added some few more canines that I haven’t seen before.

“Hey, hey, hey…” Roman walks out between the trees and said, “Where are you friends? Are you here all alone, buddy? Did your friend leave you or something?”

The other guy then added, “Maybe they threw him out because of how ‘useful’ he was. I mean, he’s not like the type of person to be a fighter or anything.”

“You’re damn right, Moxly.” Roman patted the guy named Moxly.

“Your name is Moxly?” I asked him.

“Is something wrong with that, kid?” He questions me back.

I pulled back and said, “Hey it’s alright. I’m just asking if that’s what I’m supposed to call you. That’s your name, right?”

“You’re damn right it is, kid.” Moxly raised his right hand and ordered his wolves, “Ravage him.”

The pack of wolves stood from their position and began to make its way to me. As one of them was about to pounce on me, I moved it away by pushing it with my wind magic. The following wolf does the same trick as well and I immediately took it out by throwing it far off with a huge wind blast to it. The wolves stopped for a second and decided that it was best to surround me and attack at the same time. But their plan was foiled as soon as I made a force field around me.

“A wind shield, eh?” said Roman as he clenches his fist. “I thought your wolves would be more savage than this, Moxly.”

“Shut up, Roman! They are smart enough not to do stupid things like hurting themselves!”

I looked at Zenith who was still shaking from the thunderous lightning that I made just a few moments ago. She noticed that I was looking at her. I gave her a reassuring smile and somehow that calmed her down for a bit.

Now, about that lightning…It was actually a parting gift I got from someone back in high school. A memento I got from someone. That someone I’m talking about was non-other than The Thunder Mouse, Rika Lightning. I kind of forgot why people called her a mouse. I think it was because of how small and chubby she was…unlike Zenith over there…A-anyway, as I was saying before I was distracted by that small matter. Before Rika left to do other things, she decided to sever our ties and gave me some kind of memento that I’d keep around.

-

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It was graduation day. Rika asked me to see her by the school rooftop.

“Here.” Rika threw at me a small object.

I managed to capture it and looked at it and say, “It’s…a pin badge?”

“You love those things, right? I mean you gave me one on my birthday. Remember?”

I did give her a pin badge for her birthday. It was custom made with my own designs. It’s not like I love making badges but it was just something different that I could give to her instead of something else. She loves it when I gave it to her but I haven’t see her displaying it at all.

I replied to her, “Well, it was just a one-time thing, actually.”

“Oh really?” Rika wondered, “But your school bags were always filled with it if I’m not mistaken…”

“You’re damn right it is…” I got to admit that she’s not really wrong about that.

“Oh so that means, you love keeping it. Am I right?”

“I guess that’s how it is…” I casually laughed.

I looked back at the badge to look at its design. It was a yellow coloured pin badge. It had a pretty simple design but I digress. It was a pretty good effort, if I do say so myself.

“That’s not just an ordinary badge. That’s a badge made specifically by my hands. I shaped a piece of metal using my lightning blade. It took me almost an entire day just to make it look exactly as other pin badge.” She said so cheerfully.

I was impressed, “Wow. That’s pretty good, Rika. I didn’t know you would do all of that just for me.”

“Just think of it as a returning bargain. You gave me your own pin badge and now I give you one of my own. It’s just how it goes. It’s called a favor.”

“Well then…I’m glad it turned out well…” I keep the pin badge inside my pocket.

“There’s one more thing I wanted to give to you…” Rika slowly tiptoes to me.

“What else did you owe me?” I tried to think about that as hard as I could but there was nothing at all that come to my mind.

“I’ll teach you how to use lightning magic, White. How about that?”

“W-what? Why would you do so?”

“It won’t be enough. But you’re just too damn weak. I just wanted you to be good at protecting yourself.”

“But I’m fine with what I have right now.”

“No.” Rika looked at me seriously, “It’s not enough. At the very least, try to learn this ability so you could at least fight whenever the going gets tough for you…if not that…” she looks away and shyly said, “Use it to protect the ones you love…”

I was taken aback to what she said. I didn’t know that she really cared about me that much. I guess it just shows how useless I was back then.

“Alright then…show me how you protect the ones you love.”

Rika smiled and nodded. She teaches me how to use lightning magic. I don’t know why she would insist on teaching me when there’s a chance that my body won’t be compatible with lightning or anything…

-

But surprisingly enough, I was actually compatible with lightning. Even though she teaches me for only a day, I was successfully able to manipulate one small spark. But as time went on, I trained on my own at my new home and today was the day where I can finally tell her that I did it.

“Rika…thanks a lot for this.” I brought out the pin badge from my pocket and kept in back inside. “Now I can surely protect the ones I love…” I said that as I took a quick glance at Zenith who was still watching over. “Alright then…” I clenched my fist.

Sparks begins to be created across my fist. The sparks then begins to travel across my body. It was starting to become more noticeable when a bunch of electricity sparks was moving all over me.

“Woah, haven’t seen that one before.” Said Moxly.

“Big deal. I’ll crush him before he can do anything with that spark he’s making.” Roman took up a bunch of pills from his bottles and charged toward me.

“Watch out for the wolves, Roman!”

“It’ll be fine!”

As Roman was about to grab onto me, I punched the ground and made a stream of electricity on the ground. As we all know, electricity doesn’t go well with earth but the fact wass we were actually near Gemhold. The City of Gems. This place was filled with underground mines. These mines requires some kind of energy supply in order for it to be maintained. And luckily enough, just below me is a huge gem powered wire that powers an underground mine nearby.

“I guess I’m lucky enough to have to use this ability at this place.”

In a quick instance, Roman and the wolves was enveloped by a stream of purple lightning all over their body.

“So this is what happens when you combine Purple Gem Energy and Electricity.” I nodded my head as I understood what was happening, “Purple Gem is a good electric conductor, huh? I’ll keep that in mind then.”

All of the enemies in front of me were defeated with ease. Now that was what I call a dangerous bet. I can’t believe I bet my own life over a simple science experiment. But still, it’s two bird one stone. I beat my opponent and I also learn something today. All is well.

“Curses!” Roman fell down to the ground.

“You haven’t seen the last of us, kid. We will meet again soon! I can promise you that!”

“What makes you so sure about that?” I asked him back. “It’s not like you guys are going to get stronger than I am at this pace, right?”

“No…very soon…when the Blood Moon comes…then we will show you…”

“The Blood Moon?”

Moxly picks up Roman and left the area.

I was still wondering what was Moxly talking about but that matter immediately swooped away as I saw Zenith was lying next to the tree. She finally calmed herself down from the looks of it. I better get her back to the Inn…

All well that ends well, I think?

TO BE CONTINUED