A clock is heard ticking, its resonance is felt all across the room, a young boy looks at the windows on the left side of the room, the frost sticking on their frame. He holds his face with his hand, slouching his form forward.
The room is filled with the noise is chatting students... their classmates. Their bored adviser sits at the front, distracted in using his phone. He sighs and whispers to the person in front of him, getting the attention of the person he knows he can trust... the most...
"Psst!" he murmurs, the person tilts their head around, their braids moving along with them.
The girl looks at him confused and curious. Her hands are holding some kind of gum, she fiddles with the packaging, making a rustling sound as she hands a single piece of it.
"Yeah, Jisei?... Want some?" she asked. Her gentle and calm demeanor... soothes him. He softly nods, grabbing the gum from her hands, feeling her warmth if only for just a second. He twiddles the gum between his thumbs, his eyes averting from her gaze. She brushes her bangs away from her eyes along with playing with her braids, waiting for him to speak...
"Umm... well... both of us already know that we want to... follow each other no matter what. That we'd support each other in whatever path we want to pursue right?" he asked, his eyes drifting more and more to the ground. She shifts her seat, making a creaking sound, she gets closer to him, his cheeks flushing.
"I mean... yeah? what's your point though?" she bluntly says, questioning him. She suddenly grabs his face by the chin, rubbing her hand unto his cheek, she stares right at him. He tries to look away but... he hesitates and looks back in return.
"I- I wanna be an Ishiin!" he firmly states. She jerks her head backward, stunned by what she heard him say.
"Really? Damn..." she scratches her head and taps her foot.
"Not that I wouldn't follow you all the way! It's just... what made you decide to want to become one? Is it because you want to follow in your dad's footsteps?" she asks him, genuinely wanting to know his answer... she shifts in her seat and sits with her legs crossed over.
"I haven't... seen him... for 3 weeks now, my mom says that this has happened many times before but... he said... that he might die..." his body shakes and trembles, his face covered in complete agony, he raises both of his hands and rustles his hair in frustration. She watches over him, wanting to say something... anything... to comfort him. But no words leave her lips at this moment.
"I haven't told mom about this... all I said was that I saw him leave as he said goodbye to me. But he said a whole lot more! He told me... that he didn't mean to ignore us... that he won't be there when I need him the most... that he wants me to protect mom and sis, that I need to be ready... for the worst..." he looks at his hand and curls his fingers, its form trembling. He forcefully closes and tightens his grip, forming a fist. She only stares at him, her gaze frozen as she processes all of it.
She desperately wants to console him, to help him... But her body refuses to listen to her, she is suspended on her seat, her hands trembling trying to move closer to Jisei. Her lips are parched and her tongue is at the tip of her teeth, getting ready and about to say something...
"Jise-"
"Manaka-san! That's why I want to be an Ishiin! To be ready for whoever dad's fighting... to be able to save him!" Jisei states with a strong resolve, with such determination! He immediately grabs both of her hands and clasps them together with his, he looks at her with his eyes all lit up with such willpower. She looks away at first, her face turning red, taken aback by his sudden movement.
But she glances over at him, his eyes familiar to the look he gave her when he... saved her... back then. She turns her head to look back at him, her eyes warming up to him, she remembers all of the times they were together, all of what he did for her, all of what they've been through.
How much he believed in her... how much he knew she could change!
She lightly gives Jisei a small smile, which causes him to give her a small grin of his own.
.
.
.
"I- I don't want him to die..." he mutters under his breath, the warmth in his face disappearing and turning into cold sorrow.
"Please Manaka... please help me... I know it's irresponsible for me to ask this from you... but-" he is suddenly embraced by her, her warmth filling and covering his entire body. Her swift gesture gave him his answer.
"Of course, I'll help you! Even if being an Ishiin means we'll have to go through hell and back, I don't care! I want to be with you no matter what, you gave me something I never thought I could ever feel in my entire life... you love me... you actually care for me... you made me feel genuinely loved! ...and I want you to know! that I'll always do the same for you..." she says this while giving Jisei the most beautiful smile he has ever seen, he raises his arms and wraps them around her, he tightens his grip on her as she also does the same for him.
They are frozen in place, their embrace lasting for what seemed like an eternity...
They let each other go and went back to their proper seats.
"I won't let us down... Manaka-san..." he gently says to her, her lips curling for another sweet smile.
"I know you won't..." she remarks back at him, forming a cheeky grin, one that he can't see... but can instead feel.
He forms his own, their joy in each other apparent... though their love... will be tested...
.
.
"Uhh, Manaka?" Jisei asked her while tapping her shoulder, she turns over to his position, confused.
"Yeah?" she asks as his eyes are fixated on her hands, on a certain something she was holding onto earlier.
"Do you have any more gum? I think I dropped the one you gave me after all of that..." she giggles in hearing him say that he wanted more, he looks away while scratching his head. She rustles the packaging of the wrapper, only to find out that there is only one more piece left.
"Well... I'll give you the last piece! Even though I accidentally swallowed my gum after all of that! It's all yours..." she states, sliding the gum in between his lips, she presses her thumb onto his lips. His face turns an almost scorching red, they both stare at each other once more as he starts to chew on the piece of gum.
She leans in closer, sitting on his lap, she grabs his face by his jawlines as she gently raises it towards her. Her face is centimeters away from his, she brushes the side of her hair by her ears while giving him a playful smirk.
"I'm all yours..." she whispers into his ear, her words sending a vibrating and ever-ringing impact on him.
.
.
The bell suddenly rings...
The ringing is felt by all of the people in the classroom, their adviser stands up, the whole class watches his movements. He raises his wrist and pulls the end of his sleeve to look at his watch, the bell continues to ring.
"Homeroom is over! Lineup everyone! We're moving to the auditorium now!" their male adviser exclaims, the students all get up and leave the classroom, they all walk out the door chatting to one another, one by one. The classroom is left completely empty, a hand reaches for the switch and pushes it, closing the lights in the room.
In the stark darkness and the shivering condition of the room, from beneath its cold floors. A hand reaches outwards, it grabs hold of the tiles of the floor and pulls itself upwards, its feet connecting to the ground.
A lone figure stands in between the desks of the class, its eyes drift all across the room, searching for something. It pulls its hand out, feeling the warmth of the students that just sat there earlier, it keeps walking and walking, tracing its hand on the end of the desks... till it suddenly stops.
The figure inspects the school desk, it rubs its hands all over the seat of the desk, its hands immediately glow, the white light covering its face and blinding its eyes. The silhouette smirks and extracts all of the aura of the student that once sat on that desk, it molds the aura and shapes it into a ball of bleached light.
She giggles...
Her laughter echoes all across the hollow room, she raises the white orb that is wrapped around her hand and proceeds to suck on it, her lips opening slightly to completely absorb all of the aura in her hand.
Her hand suddenly starts to form veins all over, from the back of her hand to her wrist and all across her arm. Yellow marks start appearing on her arm, she covers her mouth and proceeds to giggle even more, her laughter getting louder and more intense. She opens her arms wide as all of the aura from their desks is drawn out, the light flashes through the whole room, overwhelming her eyes. The light is then absorbed into her, the yellow marks start emerging all throughout her body, from her arms up until her neck.
The yellow marks are similar to what bleeding ink would look like on paper. She looks upon her marked body and nods in approval, she lowers her legs and puts her hand through the floor, her hands grabbing onto something. She raises her hands, for what seems to be, a polo and suit.
She pulls her arm and puts on the polo first, then the suit second. She walks up to the door, looking down at her hand as she turns it around, to see the marks on the back of it. She charges the aura from the marks, her hands glowing a yellow tint. She snaps her fingers, making a clicking sound.
"Perfect~ this makes this the final school... time for the real show~" the woman muttered under her breath, she reaches for the doorknob as she slams the door shut. She continues to walk down the empty hallway, the clicking of her high heels filling the hollow landscape of the hall.
"I can't wait..." she lets out a satisfied sigh, her lips curling upwards for a smirk.
She hops and jumps towards the nearest wall near the staircase, her form slipping through the insides of it, she is slowly sucked away, her overjoyed face passing through it. A female student at the end of the hallway catches a glimpse of her, her eyes squinting at the lady's figure, the very moment she blinked, the lady disappears...
The confused student quickly runs up to the wall where she last saw her, slowly reaching for it, she grasps the cold texture of the concrete... but her hand won't go through it.
"What the hell was that?" the student asks confused, she shrugs it off as she went down the staircase, a yellow mark glows faintly on her hands.
.
.
.
The flashing lustre of the spotlights covers the entirety of the black stage, the red seats surround and are directly in front of the humungous platform, multiple whispers are heard as they are drowned out by the PA system.
The auditorium is brimming with the many loud voices of teachers, each of them handling the many segments of their planned graduation ceremony, and just as the current speaker proceeds to leave the podium, a man in a white suit comes nearer, he messes with the microphone and then in tapping it, causing a little screeching noise to come out, he speaks.
"Today, is a very important day for all of the students here, more specifically... for all of the senior high students who have now graduated! From all of the endeavors that they have endured to the tremendous responsibility that they now carry on their way to college!" he proudly states with a respectful and humbling showcase of his pride towards his students.
"I as your principal, am very proud for all of you present here today! From the beautiful families of our seniors to the great support that each of our students has for each other, no matter what grade level they may be! You have taken all of your hardships and efforts to finally achieve your goals and-" the principal continues on, raising his hand and placing it on his chest, with his loud voice booming on the speakers across the chamber.
But just as the ceremony was going so well... a few of the students notice an overwhelming sensation on the back of their hands, they raise it closer to their eyes, a glowing yellow light fills their vision. The pain is too much to handle for some, some shift in their seats uncontrollably, some start to scream, and some... start to shake... uncontrollably...
The teachers closest to their corresponding sections rush out to their seats... and in doing so... they see the horrifying sight in front of them... most of the students were feeling tremendous pain, the glowing yellow lights on their hands were starting to cover the other parts of their bodies... A large surge suddenly coats their figures, they... were having seizures as if they were having epileptic attacks! Their screaming starts to rise up and swell... The principal quickly gets off the stage and talks to his assistant and the people nearest to him on the stage.
Should they call the police? or... the ICA?
In seeing the tragic incident spiral out of control before their very eyes, both Jisei and Manaka got up from their seats as they both faced each other and shouted-
"We've got to get out of here!"
They quickly get on top of the tip of the seats and ran across all of them to the centermost point of the staircase leading to the exit, they only narrowly avoid the immense gathering crowd of students, teachers and families trying to help and calm their fellow seniors out.
They sprinted faster, as they continued to avoid the collecting horde of people rushing out to the exits, the same way they are.
"Why is this happening? And why are we not affected... like at all?" Manaka genuinely asks him, He starts to breathe in and out, focusing on his control... his body starts to glow with a blinding light surrounding his entire frame, Manaka's eyes widen in seeing this.
"I don't know why any of this is happening... but as to why we're not affected though... it must be because our families have backgrounds that include the complete control of aura... not everyone can just handle aura, let alone someone else's... especially when it's this strong..." he states as he forcefully kicks the main doors wide open, the swinging of the doors revealing an even worse sight than what was inside the auditorium.
"Not only are the seniors affected! but even the rest of the school is!" Jisei exclaimed as both of their eyes drifted all across the hallways leading to the auditorium... multiple juniors are feeling the same effects as the seniors, even the grade schoolers are! The teachers and the parents run over to the children while trying to help each other. Then suddenly... the blaring ringing of the bell starts to reverberate all across the whole school! As each of the sprinklers starts to rain pouring wet water onto the poor students.
Jisei starts to grit his teeth and tightly clench his fists, he holds the aura that is overflowing out of him, as he proceeds to strengthen and refine it, the air around him gets thicker and the visibility of his aura starts to sharpen into a much harsher and rugged shape.
It all dissipates out of him... he drops to the ground, trying to catch his breath.
"I still can't do it... I'm not ready yet!" he shamefully admits this... he quickly gets up and tries to muster his strength once more, his body is covered in soaking cold water, the ground under his feet slightly cracks and the air around him thinning out... his aura disappears once again, he falls to the ground, kneeling in defeat...
"Jisei..." Manaka worryingly mutters to him... she squats down towards him, her hand grasping his hair.
"WHY NOW?!? Why did this have to be the time when I can't use it!" he frustratingly shouts, slamming his fist on the cracked floor beneath him. Manaka rustles his hair, gently rubbing her hand unto it.
Jisei sighs over his crushing and overwhelming feeling of exasperation...
A certain young man in a suit starts to enter from the hallway in front of them, his suit all soaked just like everyone around him, he twitches his head and grabs the back of his neck, rubbing it. He squints his eyes at the both of them...then he sudde- he instantaneously flashes near Jisei in a squatting position with his arms all around his legs.
He continues to stare him right in his eyes, Manaka proceeds to glare at him, her eyes are like sharp pins and needles to the oblivious young man, who doesn't seem to notice her glaring at all...
.
.
"Are you Jisei Suzuto?" Rushiko bluntly asks him...
.
.
"Uhh... yeah... I am Jisei Suzuto... and who are you? by the way?" he asks him while scratching the back of his head, his hand lightly touching Manaka's hand, who is still giving him headpats. Rushiko slightly coughs, he unbuttons his trench coat and puts his hand inside, grabbing what seems to be a rectangular plastic case that is holding something inside.
He stretches his arm towards Jisei and gives it to him, Jisei hesitates for a moment as he looks into Rushiko's eyes, his eyes are filled with determination and will, his eyes... they've seen things that both Jisei and Manaka have never experienced before...
They've been through hell and back...
Jisei slightly flinches and looks away, suddenly raising the plastic case towards his face. He sees the same face, but it's... he looks younger... like about 2-3 years younger than he is now, his face is more inviting in the picture, filled with more warmth and... innocence... his cheeky grin is burned into Jisei's eyes and into his memory bank...
"The name's Rushiko Hirotsu! I am currently a Grade "B" Ishiin! and from how I've evaluated the situation... so far... you two are the only ones who aren't just unaffected by the foreign aura affecting most of the students here... but it seems that the two of you are familiar with aura as a whole, especially you... Jisei Suzuto..." he gets closer to him, scooching over to Jisei, his face is right up close to his, he shows him the same grin from the picture... except... let's say... it's more...
Unsettling...
"UH WHAT?!?" both Jisei and Manaka exclaimed out loud, Rushiko chuckles a bit, covering his mouth with his gloves, the same warmth from the picture is radiating out of him... his eyes are less threatening now too...
"Calm down! I'm just playing you both!" he says, grabbing his Jisei's hands and helping him to stand up alongside him, Manaka continues to glare at him. He notices this and laughs once again, he grabs his ID from Jisei's hand and tucks it in the insides of his trench coat.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"I mean it was obvious that you know how to exert your aura properly! I could even feel it from the main entrance! Letting it all out is the easy part, controlling it... isn't. I haven't told you this yet, but I am the student of "the" Suzushii Kakomi! or so it'd be a lot more familiar for you... Suzu-san is the lifelong old friend and comrade of your dad! "the" Atsushi Suzuto! both of them have fought together in many multiple missions together... including in the infamous "Osaka Conflict"..." Rushiko states all of this, while Jisei just stands there... frozen in place...
"My point is-"
"Do you know where my dad is?!? Is he still alive?!? Please tell me!" Jisei instantly interrupts him, grabbing Rushiko by the collar, violently shaking him. Jisei's face is distressed... Rushiko sees this and silently nods, as a sign of knowing what he's feeling... atleast he understands what he is feeling...
He knows what he's going through...
"I don't know much... but from how Suzu-san has been acting... I feel that he knows where your dad is... and he desperately wants to save him... just like you..." Rushiko reassures him, Jisei lets go of his collar and sighs in relief, he shamefully looks away from Rushiko, of what he just did. Rushiko shrugs it off and grasps his back, rubbing it.
"Don't feel ashamed of yourself! You just wanted to know what happened to your dad! That's all!" he coughs once more, clearing his throat and preparing his mind for what he is about to do to Jisei... he takes off the both of his gloves from his hands and places them on the outer pockets of his coat.
"Getting back to the point... I'm here because of the final request that Atsushi-san asked from Suzu-san... your dad wants you to be supported by Suzu-san, no matter what you may choose now, we'll accept it... my point is..." Rushiko places his hand on Jisei's shoulder, and he firmly tightens his grip on it, never really hurting him... but it is also still felt by Jisei... the overflowing aura surging out of Rushiko's hand... that is...
"Are you willing to fight? to protect those closest to you, when they can't? are you willing to become an Ishiin? to help those in need at this very moment? I have seen and felt all of the presences in this entire school, and only you are able to exert your aura out of everyone here... I can feel the presence of the Insurgent... the perpetrator that caused all of this pain... but if I fight her right now and not get rid of her aura on the ones most affected by all of this... some of these students will surely die... if you are willing to fight, I am authorized to use "the" Modified Protocol on you..." Rushiko waits in anticipation to the answer of Jisei... will he choose to help those that he holds dear? even those people that he doesn't know? To follow in his father's footsteps... to one day... save him? Or will he falter in the weight of all the responsibility that he now carries?
His answer... will decide his fate... it will... decide... his destiny.
"I'm willing... I'm willing to become an Ishiin just like my dad! To find and to save him... to protect all those closest to me... and those affected by the Insurgents... I- I won't let any of them die on me! I... I can't let them die... I can't let him die... I won't let you die! Manaka!" Jisei sighs out and exerts his aura once more, the aura flowing out of him is overwhelming, causing the cracked floor beneath him to sink even further below, his aura starts to chip in the walls, the ceiling and the very small radius around him, multiple particles of grinding concrete, glass and steel from the lockers, the windows and the walls start to surround him and Rushiko.
The people nearest to him stare in awe and wonder, but they are also terrified of him... His shouting reverberates all across the school, he looks at Rushiko. While Rushiko nods in return, he lets all of his aura into Jisei, his shouting intensifies as it shatters all of the windows on the left and right hallways of their position. Manaka gasps as she covers her mouth, she is completely wary of what is happening to Jisei... scared that she might lose him right there and then...
Her tears are dripping on the floor, mixing in with the still pouring water from the sprinklers...
Jisei's body is completely covered with a whitish blue tint, he holds all of the aura in and focuses on strengthening it... reinforcing it... using it...
.
.
Controlling it...
He tightly clenches both of his fists while gritting his teeth, his shouting ever growing... it's growing out of control! Rushiko is sent flying all across the hallway just as a huge shockwave is sent through the ground, causing the gathering crowd that is watching him to all back away, the multiple grinded and gathering particles are surrounding him, his aura is overwhelming to all those who look at him, his aura is blinding them... but just as Jisei was about to go... berserk...
A hand gets through all of the chaos...
Rushiko places his other hand on his shoulder, he looks at Jisei and gives him another nod, his eyes reminding him of... he doesn't remember who it reminds him of... but all he feels is complete trust and control emanating out of Rushiko. Jisei's overswelling and harsh aura is contained thanks to Rushiko, but this time... Rushiko didn't even let any of his aura into Jisei... All Rushiko did... was calm him down, letting him know that he's not alone in his suffering. In the overwhelming feeling of the weight of the world being pushed on his shoulders, Jisei once again sighs out, controlling his aura, shaping it into a much smaller area surrounding his body, though his aura is sharper and more concentrated than ever before!
It didn't dissipate...
Jisei just stands there, his entire body emanating the whitish blue tint from Rushiko's aura, Jisei looks unto Rushiko's whole form, multiple parts of his clothes are ripped off and grinded by the gathering particles encircling Jisei. Multiple wounds cover his body as he is bleeding all over the floor, Rushiko breathes in and out, stabilizing his condition and slowing the constant rush of blood flowing from his wounds.
"Don't worry about me! this is nothing compared to what I've been through! Just be glad that I got close to you in time, or else you would've gone berserk on us all! But... you did it! You now have complete control over the aura that you've not only strengthened but also contained inside and out of you! Now summon your Ishii!" Rushiko exclaims as he pulls out his blade from his holster beneath his tattered clothes, he proceeds to spin it in such a fast manner, that it can't be seen by the average naked eye, he continues to twirl it around to the point where the blade starts to spark and turn into lightning.
"Try to do something like that, release whatever concept you have in mind, it can be "whatever" comes to mind first, just summon it using your hands! You can make up whatever you want later on! For now, think of something that is very practical and useful right now! We don't have much time left!" Jisei nods, and with his eyes and mind completely focused on one thing alone, a concept so simple, that it's perfect for the very type of situation they're in, his hands start to glow as he summons the weapon he has in mind.
The frame of a gun starts to appear... his hands and his mind are both grasping it...
.
.
A shining semi-automatic M1911 appears in his hands, he touches it and feels the surging of his aura coming out of the pistol while at the same time he can still feel the cold steel as he caresses it, he holds it with both of his hands with it pointed at the floor, he turns over to look at Rushiko.
"Woah... I made a gun... Hmm... how do I use it? Do I just use it like a normal gun?" he asks him, with his finger on the trigger, about to pull it. Rushiko immediately blocks his finger with his hand, his head twitching and his face giving him an unapproved look.
"Don't waste your energy... your ammunition depends on how much aura and energy you have in you, you may have lots right now... but you shouldn't shoot so hastily! Also to answer your question, it's a yes, use it as you would a gun!" Rushiko states, tossing his spinning blade on the ground, cracking the floor's tiles. He stretches his hands out, releasing and manipulating the aura from the blade, his blue lightning-like aura spreading to the auditorium and to all the hallways from their vicinity, it sends multiple shockwaves spreading and hitting all of the affected. The yellow aura and the consecutive marks that appeared on their bodies are destroyed and cleansed, the many people looked at Rushiko with both relief and amazement.
"All you have to do is shoot your gun at the affected students, you won't hurt them just as long as you don't want to! Remember... that in using your Ishii, control is essential. In whatever you may intend to do, your Ishii is deeply rooted in what your mind is set out to do! You have to control your willpower and your emotions, never let it get the best out of you! (just like earlier...) but never lose sight of what you're fighting for, because... the very moment that you not only lose faith in the people and the reasons that you are fighting for... the very moment you lose faith in yourself... your Ishii will control you instead, manipulating you... corrupting you..." Jisei nods, he slides the pistol's slide and cocks the hammer of the pistol, Rushiko then grabs both of his shoulders as he shifts him closer to him.
"One more thing... "the" Modified Protocol can only be used once on any person who has the ability to exert their aura, all the protocol entails is that, whoever may the Ishiin be, they are responsible for whatever happens to the person they are giving a temporary boost to... I am responsible for you... your Ishii right now? It isn't permanent yet... all I gave you was one little push to awaken whatever ability you had in you, you'll have to properly learn how to awaken it on your own next time! Though since I did show you some semblance of how, it'll be a lot easier next time... you won't lose control... don't worry! Me and Suzu-san will be the ones teaching the both of you, and yes, Jisei-san. She is also a suitable candidate for becoming an Ishiin! She may not know how to exert her aura yet, but she also isn't affected at all by the foreign aura of the Insurgent at all! She is able to fight... just as long as she wants to... if you two accept… you’ll become Assistant Ishiins! From this very moment on! These are the conditions… if you two want to help… if you two want to become… Ishiins…" he says this while looking at Manaka, who rubs both of her eyes, giving him a determined look and nod.
"We accept! The name's Manaka Yukinari! And I am willing to fight alongside Jisei-kun! Please let me help!" Manaka says this with an absolute adamant look on her face, she's seen how much Rushiko has helped Jisei in the past few minutes alone! She knows that she can trust him... that the both of them can trust him... that he is their key to becoming Ishiins together!
"Alright then, though I can't use the protocol on anyone who can't exert their aura, I can only strengthen someone else's aura and therefore only temporarily awakening their Ishii abilities... I can't make you release your aura, no one can... but you... Hmm..." Rushiko states, grabbing his chin as he thought of something, someway that Manaka can help out... his eyes widen and enlargen as he gets a sudden idea! He lifts his tattered coat once more, grabbing the other blade from his holster, he raises its hilt towards Manaka, his hands coating it with the same whitish blue aura that is surging and sparking in front of her.
"I can give you this blade instead! It has my aura embedded into it so it's perfect for someone who can't use Ishii yet... though for the both of you, Jisei's Ishii abilities aren't permanent at all! At this very moment, his aura is being consumed by the temporary boost I gave him, my aura is letting his Ishii flow out of him, the problem is... that it's burning all of his aura as we speak, if you're gonna fight, do it fast and efficiently! Or else you'll just waste your aura for nothing, by the time your Ishii runs out, you won't be able to move anymore!" he says looking at Jisei, he turns his head to look at Manaka again.
"As for you, Manaka-san... my blade only has a limited amount of my aura, even if I did fill it to the brim, it isn't much aura to begin with... so use it wisely, as this is the only way you are going to be able to destroy the foreign aura of the infected here! The both of you can only fight for a limited amount of time! So you've got to act now..." Rushiko meticulously explained to them both, the both of them nod as Manaka grabs the sparking blade from Rushiko's hand, she wields it, spinning and flipping it around until it stopped at the back of her fist.
"We can handle the rest! Hirotsu-kun! You don't need to teach me how to fight, Senpai! I can handle the fighting on my own~ We can handle all of the infected here! Please go find the perpetrator of all this! I'll take care of Jisei-kun!" she confidently says, grabbing Jisei's hand and pulling him away. Jisei gives Rushiko a thumbs up as he is dragged by Manaka, the both of them move towards the front hallway in front of them making their way to the main hall from which the main entrance is located at.
"Got it! I'll find you two when I've dealt with the Insurgent!" Rushiko brought up his hands and placed them on his lips, shouting at them so they could hear him. He turns his back on them, making his way to the exit, outside... to the school grounds... many of the parents, teachers and fellow students thank him, he raises his hand and he waves it at them as he heads to the right corridor, he follows and feels the presence of the Insurgent that caused all of this turmoil... this pain... and yet... he can't shake off the feeling that this person... may be someone he once knew...
Someone she once knew... and still loves...
He forcefully bashes the doors with his arm as the both of them are sent flying all across the campus. The cold wind rushes in and chills him to the bone, the snow covering his ripped and wounded body, he makes a hissing sound due to the overwhelming pain of the icy flakes coating his still healing grazes.
Rushiko steps forward, making little footsteps on the frost-covered ground, he charges his aura and lets it all out, the snow under his feet is pushed back by the radius of his aura, coating his entire body. The sun is completely covered by shivering mist surrounding him and the campus, he scans the area with his eyes, totally focused on making up the slightest figure that can come up from within the fog... his eyes never blinking...
"I know you're here! Show yourself! Stella!" he shouted as he continues to refine and sharpen his aura, he grabs his blade and he spins it around, the familiar blue lightning sparking from the tip of the blade to the very bottom of the hilt.
He suddenly senses the presence of the Insurgent by his right near the certain classroom window of one of the buildings, he instantly strikes it with his blade, the flash of blinding blue light is sent towards the shadow.
A hand pops out from within the shadow... from within the wall beside the window, his lightning-like aura still sparking from the blade... is caught by a single mere bare hand! The hand breaks it into tiny little pieces, shattering it... and from how easily it broke... she didn't even need to try...
His aura didn't even seem to faze her... at all...
She instantly flashes from behind him, grabbing his shoulder as she wraps her lips around his ear... whispering something...
"Oh~ You don't need to be so formal! Calling me by my old callsign! Wouldn't it hurt? to call me like how you always did? Rushi-san?" she mutters into his ear, sending chills down his spine. She suddenly punches a hole right through him, her hand coming out of it... she rips it out as his blood is sent spilling all over the ground...
He loudly groans... coughing up blood... spilling it on the snow...
"You're still as weak as I remember you... ahaha~" she lightly giggles, her gradual laughter echoing all over the empty and freezing campus. Rushiko flashes away from her, his hands on the giant hole by his chest, her hands just narrowly avoiding bursting his heart open... but it did hit his right lung... he proceeds to glare at her, with his breathing being more frantic because of what happened, he desperately tries to stabilize his condition, knowing that this fight... is going to be a relatively quick one...
"Come on! You know I wouldn't just let the fun end that quickly! What's the point of breaking you? If I can't enjoy it slowly? Hmm?~" she sadistically looks at him with a perverted sense of pleasure, she licks her lips while snapping her fingers... the same yellow marks are seen from her wrists, the same yellow aura seen from the infected... is surging from her hands...
The very moment she snapped her fingers... multiple students jumped from the windows of the upper floors!
Rushiko continued to glare at her, his eyes twitching in disbelief... over what she's done... and has become...
She looks at the few students whose bones broke from jumping at such a height, and she brutally places her foot on one of the guy's heads. She mercifully beats his head in, her high heel digging straight into his skull, his blood covering her suit and face... she licks up the blood from her lips and moans in doing so.
"These pathetic little slaves can't even handle my simple orders... tell me? What use do they have? Besides being my playtoys... my food... my pleasure? ufufu~" She coldly states, laughing hysterically... his ears started to ring from her deranged laughter... Rushiko just stood there... beyond belief... this woman... someone that he used to know, someone who was capable of doing so much good... and she did!
But not anymore... she's turned into this sadistic piece of trash... someone who doesn't even see the value of a single life... let alone how many? she's turned into the very thing, they- no... she was fighting against...
What would she think of her? Seeing her like this? What have they done? To her... ?
.
.
What would Shi-
Most of the students that survived the fall, started to rush in after Rushiko. He grabs his last remaining blade and he powers it up, while still trying to stop the bleeding from his chest, he loudly screams in agony as his aura sharpens around him, but his last remaining lung can't handle his usual average output of his aura... he's becoming weaker... by the minute...
The very moment the infected students were getting closer to Rushiko... encircling him...
He launches himself unto the air and towards the nearby wall behind him, kicking unto it. He drops downwards and he spins his entire form, slashing all of the foreign aura of the affected in one fell swoop! He slides on the snow-covered ground, now painted by the red tint of his falling insides... All of the students drop to the ground, the aura being forcibly ripped out of them, causing them to instantly faint.
He knows he doesn't have much time left... he can't stabilize and stop his bleeding, and with every move, he makes... trying to fight against her... he is losing blood! And if he continues to do so...
He's going to die soon...
He decides... to give it his all... to use up all of his aura...
.
.
No matter what... she's going down...
He immediately gets up and rushes towards her position, spinning his blade faster than ever, the same sparks emanating out of it. He throws it unto her, the lightning flashing before her very eyes, she lets out a playful scoff as she raises her hand, confident of the same outcome as earlier.
She couldn’t be more wrong...
Rushiko stretches out his hands and turns the blade into little pieces... into... smaller spikes! It pummels onto her bare hands and spreads to the rest of her body, the little pieces stinging her because of his aura.
She looks at her bleeding hand... at her bleeding body... and she relishes in it!
She giggles mischievously, releasing all of the yellow aura from her body and onto her hands, she makes the same defeaning sound as she clicks both of her fingers together... calling out most of the infected students!
"Finally! You get to give me some more fun! And just right before... you die!" she laughs at his pathetic attempt of ever defying her, his eyes widen at the inconceivable sight before him... even more of the affected students are jumping to their deaths, only some survived… and are coming after him.
Beneath all of the poor corpses of the victims... were grade schoolers... children...
Rushiko loudly screams at the horrific sight in front of him... because of him...
He lets out all of his aura, no matter how painful it may be! No matter how close he is to dying! He won't let himself die before he kills her! The area of his aura gradually expands wider and bigger, it is more refined and sharper than ever before! The pain in his chest... the pain in his lung suddenly hits him like a train... but he ignores this as the adrenaline rushes inside of him, his blood is pumping so fast... and yet it's pouring so quickly out of him too...
His hands start glowing the form of a blade on each finger gap until he had 8 blades in both of his hands, he throws the first 4 at the massive crowd of the affected running after him, and just before it hits them... he retracts them, creating multiple small wires from his fingertips connecting them with the other 4 on his other hand.
He grabs the first 4 blades once more and pulls both of his arms backward, aiming them towards the vast amount of the infected before him. He spreads both of his arms and crosses them together, he overwhelmingly sends all 8 of them flying towards the gathering crowd, the instant speed imitating the flash of a lightning strike... but none of the blades ever hit any of the students, all 8 of them hit the ground beneath their feet, sending an immense and huge shockwave, destroying the foreign aura affecting them... cleansing the manipulation of her from them.
He instantly flashes beneath her as he powers up his fist in that very instant, and he collides it with her jaw, she is sent flying upwards, blood spilling out from her mouth, her jaw snapping from the force.
She immediately flashes away from him, her feet slipping from beneath the ground, he waves both of his arms, making the same pose as earlier, the same 8 blades forming on his hands. He lets go of the first 4 as he starts to spin it around, grabbing them by the small wires attached to them, charging them in the process.
He proceeds to throw all 4 of them, one by one with left to right motions at her position, manipulating the blades by their wires, she instantly dodges all of them by slipping into the ground with a smirk on her face… using her portals. Each of the blades only misses by margins in hitting her by her portals, he clenches his fist and releases the lightning contained from within his blades.
She is hit by the enormous shock radius of the blades stabbed on the ground, the lightning being fueled from not only the aura embedded within but also by the constant supply of his aura surging from his fingertips all the way to the wires and to the hilts attached on the blades.
Her stark figure is loosened from the portal, her body is severely electrocuted from the massive amount of lightning being pumped into her, she is sent flying in midair. He sends the last 4 blades after her, all of them stabbing her by each of her limbs, the blades connecting into her body, he raises her further, carrying her and throwing her body like a ragdoll.
He loudly shouts one last time, releasing all of his aura, its wide area of coverage causing the snow to float and the mist around him to surround his entire body, he summons more of the blades as they float on his back, all of them connected by the same metallic wires with the same sparks traveling through them. Their vast numbers reaching all the way across the campus, he manipulates the blades on his back, their wires curling and bending towards her.
All of the blades hit her, surrounding her with all of the pain that she’s caused and was reveling in earlier, but… even in this moment of pure suffering, her face hasn’t changed, the look on her face… hasn’t changed…
She still has the same gleeful and perverted look she’s always had… ever since he first saw her… like this…
She is completely surrounded and covered by the wires of the blades, with all of them stabbing her, wrapping her, and electrocuting her, her blood is sent spilling all over the blistering ground, completely painting it red. The whole campus is filled by the enormous flash of lightning rushing into her, filling her… pleasuring her…
“ Bleeding Storm! ! ! “ he screamed as his surging aura sends a gigantic shockwave, shaking half of the entire academy! The blue flashes of light blinded both Rushiko’s and Stella’s eyes… A loud moan is heard from within the enormous metallic ball that is currently imprisoning her… it instantly falls downwards towards the mortally exhausted Rushiko, its gigantic form rolling in front of him, he catches it with his foot, curling his back and panting from all of the chaos that just ensued.
He coughs up a large amount of blood as he looks onto his hands and his chest, his blood continuing to spill uncontrollably from the wounds and the giant hole in his ruptured lung… the light from his eyes fading, he curls up a light smile, knowing that this is it…
He’s done for…
He passes out and falls straight on the red and freezing ground, his hands shaking and trembling, his breathing rampant but also fleeting… his eyes slowly shut close for the last time…
Or so he thought…
- To Be Continued -
Ending Song: https://youtu.be/_nmutqhuWFE / Skrting on the Surface - The Smile