“RUNNN!!!!”
The two screamed at once.
And as they bolted away, endless curses resounded behind them, soon followed by the whooshing of cards flying after them as they exploded all over the goddamn place.
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
….
One, there was a very angry guy. Two, he was out to get them for some god-forsaken reason. Three, his cards crackled with pure Mana that was incredibly deadly.
Hearing this, Jack couldn’t help but shout, worried…
“Sharky, we need to go inside! We’re way too exposed right now!”
That they were, a red-faced Sharky nodding in agreement through his laborious breath as they ran. But they had barely covered a few meters that the cards were already upon them.
Jack quickly prepared himself to dodge.
Not yet, not net, not yet, NOW! Power coursed through his legs, ready to catapult him as far away as humanly possible. But before he could finish the motion, IT happened!
LOTS of Quirks activated all over, and with this…
[Blood Sovereign Curse Activating!]
[Blood Sovereign Curse Activating!]
[Blood Sovereign Curse Activating!]
….
He felt it assault him.
Blood gushed from the ground, blood gushed from the air, blood especially gushed from the bystanders as they all stared at him with devilish grins. No, not bystanders…
He felt their Mana wash over him, and then he saw their faces. Gratitude toward him, indignation toward the meddlesome Student Council member, and slyness at their plan.
It all merged into one bloody vision, one that covered the entire courtyard, but even then, he understood: they wanted to help!
A second later, glowing walls, shiny orbs, even living Quirks manifested between the running duo and the cards, the shockwave ensuing pushing them forward.
“Y-You guys!”
“Y-YOU BASTARDS?!”
Pursuer and prey gasped at once.
This was their way of thanking him for selling with integrity when he could have hiked the prices like a madman. They all confidently glowed.
‘How about that? You versus dozens of us. Think you stand a chance?’
He did, he freaking did! Even in his surprise and fury, the man didn’t skip a beat. He cackled, raising his Student Council Badge like a shield, one that was hella intimidating.
“You guys think its worth pissing off the entire student council over those two clowns? Go ahead, feel free. We’ll see who comes on top on the other side!”
“….”
“I don’t mind branding you all accomplices…” He threatened, his voice eerily cold and his Mana crackling as he went all out!
As more and more cards materialized by his side, they faltered. One after the others, the students gave up, their Quirks darkening as they averted their gazes.
‘Sorry, we tried, but that Badge’s scary!’
‘Actually, even the guy’s scary!’
‘He’s a rising star ain’t he?!’
…
Some didn’t mind fighting a bit for Jack’s sake, even if the enemy was the Arcane Dealer, but by then, there were already so many intimidated that it wasn’t worth it.
They’d probably lose. Besides, it wasn’t a life-or-death fight either.
The two sellers would be captured. They’d probably get detention. Maybe they’d be temporarily expelled? Either way, saving them now would only delay the inevitable.
‘Sorry, brother, but you’re on your own.’
As soon as Jack saw them all give up, he tensed up. Dammit! Akin to the most fleeting flash mob, they had all given up way too fast. Then again, to him it was more than personal.
Were their lives in danger? No.
Were they about to go down? Seems like it.
Were their classes going to suffer? DEFINITELY!
…
Language and Runic Magic. They could say goodbye to those as soon as they were captured! He was totally convinced the Academy wouldn’t care for their choices if they missed the deadline.
Panicked, he surveyed the group of students like a hawk…
‘Anyone? It can be anyone, really. Hero, Squirrel-Lover, a greedy bastard maybe, anyone willing to help! I’ll pay you if I need to, but I need to get this guy off my back!’
Yet, none dared to make eye contact. This was doomed for failure. Realizing this, he refocused on the projectiles targeting the two of them.
The crackling cards zoomed at them and—
“Sharky, watch out!”
Jack straight-up attacked! Power coursed through his arms, and then— THUMP! He punched Sharky, many gasping in incomprehension, the latter included.
His fist mightily collided with his best friend’s plump body, the latter jiggling endlessly. And then it happened. For every force there’s a reaction, and it just felt like he had hit a spring.
Both were sent flying, tumbling to the ground.
As for the cards, they smashed precisely where they had been a second ago! The ground beneath their position exploded, sending dirt, grass, and Mana everywhere.
It covered them, soiling them whole. But they barely noticed it, their eyes transfixed on the crater where they had once stood. This guy, was he trying to take down their legs?!
He was, and he wasn’t bloody done either.
“Oh? You dodged that? Good for a first year, but…” the but was very visible as dozens of cards flew in a circle around him. And then, with a wave of his finger, they all went out!
Except that this time was different.
Before, they had been flying mostly in straight lines; this time, they weren’t. They were akin to birds or perhaps heat-guided missiles, and they were coming for them!
As Jack and Sharky got up and ran, many understood. They were screwed, so goddamn screwed! And anyone thinking this would have been right.
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
….
Every card landed closer and closer.
So what if Jack tried evading? He felt the explosions on his skin, his head madly thumped, and the ground had even restarted bleeding, a nightmarish curse ridiculing him.
He wasn’t at Legendary-U anymore. He was in a sea of blood.
By his side was Sharky, the friend he struggled his best to protect. His skin was burned in many places, his ever-jovial face showing the pain he tried hiding, all the while clutching his pocket.
That’s when they shared a look, one that meant so much.
‘I’ll do it. I’ll Bloody Valor his ass! Scare the bitch’
‘It won’t work. I think that’s why he’s angry.’
‘He thinks we’re rich? If only…’
….
Sharky’s family was rich, but he himself wasn’t. As for Jack, it wasn’t even a question. Yet, as they ran from the “law”, they could almost feel their purser’s glee at catching them.
By now, they were merely rabbits in a cage of his design.
He knew it. They knew it. The cards knew it.
Then it all beautifully ended…
…
“It’s over. Give it up.”
The whooshing of the cards was a crippling sentence. He’d take their limbs, enough to incapacitate them, enough to easily drag them to the Direction’s Office.
There, they would face their punishment for causing trouble, a case involving students, solved by students, and one that would absolve all the others. He’d be their sacrificial goat.
He’d be—
Zoom! Woosh! Curve!
Curve! Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Curve! Zoom?!
….
The prison of cards shattered. No, it didn’t just shatter, it imploded on itself in the most magnificent fashion. And that’s when Jack finally saw him: a glowing Cheetos!
"Ah?! Sorry about that, my hand slipped!” As the familiar voice resounded, Jack chuckled in relief. That orange hair, those orange clothes, and those rocks: it was his training partner!
“You! Going after the Student Council?!”
“After? Can’t you see that I’m assisting you! They’re just so slippery!”
He shamelessly claimed, already sending another rock volley to “apprehend” the two runaways. As for who he was helping, it was clear with all the cards exploding!
Jack wanted to heartily laugh at that moment, but there was no time. He rose, using Strength of a Thousand Men to help Sharky up, and then they ran like the wind.
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By now, they were so close, only about a dozen meters from the entrance! It would be much easier as soon as they’d cover this. The walls AND the students would protect them!
Anything to block the sight of those deadly cards!
“Scoff. Think you can get away? DREAMING!”
Cards flew for the last time.
There was no mercy. This time, the bystanders wouldn’t even get the chance to act. This time, everything would end, and the medics would need to be called.
He was done letting them escape, no matter what.
Cards appeared once again, then they flew at both targets. Jack & Sharky, but also that annoyingly meddlesome orange guy, the latter forced to run to save himself.
That only left the duo of troublemakers.
By now, they had reached the Academy’s doors, but it was too late. They didn’t have enough time to get into the building. So close yet so far, they had finally met their match.
They’d wake up at the infirmary, a time skip later…
“Sorry, Sharky, for dragging you into this.”
“Dragging me? We’re brothers!”
“Even still, that’s— WHAT?!”
…
Jack froze, but it wasn’t just him either.
He froze, the bystanders froze, their pursuer froze, and as for the cards… Sharky powerfully stepped up, opened his mouth wide, and— ATE THEM?!
Anyone watching doubted their eyes, their gaze going from the Enforcer to the craters his magical cards had left all over the place and finally returning to Sharky.
He had just eaten it all?! How?! Those were pure destructive Mana! They almost expected him to explode from the insides, sending organ bits all over the place, but he looked fine.
Actually, he wasn’t, but it seemed benign in comparison…
“J-Jack, fuck I’m gonna be sick. Those taste so bad.” He looked so pitiful, his face turning all shades of uncomfortable, and yet he didn’t look hurt in the slightest.
Seeing this, Jack couldn’t help but tremble in excitement and humbleness. This was his friend! Compared to eating Magic, him possessing a shadow world was nothing— yet.
He’d grow stronger, too. He’d learn to use his Quirk. Still, before that, they had to run fast! After all, they could already hear hurried and angry steps rushing after them.
But now that they were indoors, they finally had a chance…
“He won’t dare recklessly explode the hallways.”
The hunt was only beginning…
.
.
.
“Are you kidding me?!”
“Shhh, just keep running. No time for that!”
They should have been safe inside the school, right? They weren’t. They had barely entered, and the hallways started exploding, white marble raining down like snow in a winter storm.
Powder all over the place with enthusiastic screams resonating madly, either youngsters registering with their Squirrels or randoms happily watching this new spectacle.
“Hey everyone, look out! Someone pissed the Arcane Dealer off!”
“Those two are freshmen, right? They’re so damn screwed!!”
“Wait, the Squirrel Seller?! Let him through!”
…
Just when everything seemed bleak, the crowd broke open to let them pass as if they were royalty. Hell, there were even a few giving them salutes as they passed?!
Legendary-U students giving salutes.
Tiny Squirrels giving salutes.
Quirks rumbling joyfully.
…
Add to that the marble powder falling over them, and it made the entire scene magical, not that they had time to enjoy it as they ran for the underbelly of the school.
Maintenance Tunnel? There wasn’t just one; there were countless! Most were ignored because of how stuffy and damp they were, but they were their salvation at this moment.
And as Jack expertly led the way…
“Jack, be real with me. Are you an undercover spy?!”
“Pfft— Why, because I know these tunnels like the back of my hand? It’s public info. I just memorized them. As for why I did, even you can guess why, right?”
The weaker one was, the slier and more prepared they had to be; that much was a truth of life. Well, either that or one was setting themselves up for failure.
“Still, Jack, can’t we just ask that Acid Blob of yours for protection? I’m sure it wouldn’t mind. Then we can either confront the guy directly or just use it to escape, no?”
As Sharky asked, Jack couldn’t help but chuckle, picturing what his gelatinous friend would say: “-... .-.. --- -.-. -.- / -... .- -.. / -.-. .- .-. -.. / .... ..- -- .- -. ..--.. / --- -.- --..-- / -... ..- - / ..-. --- --- -.. .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.-” Which roughly translated to 'Why not, but give me food?'
Yet, he knew better…
“No, it won’t work. It might have to stand down because of that School Badge. That and those goddamn cards are ranged. If we’re in a gelatinous Cube, we’ll be jellied target practices.”
The more he ran plans in his head, the more this could end badly. A single student was involved for now, but what if he got reinforcements? Then there were the school rules.
How many had they actually broken? Technically, barely any since nothing said one couldn’t sell Squirrels, cause honestly, why would it? But as his thoughts reached this point, he grinned.
“Sharky, this might sound crazy, but we can’t hide. We have to get to class. Play it cool, act like nothing’s wrong, that’s the only way we can avoid punishment all together.”
“ARE YOU CRAZ— Just kidding, I know you are.”
“Hey, that’s slander, you know!”
“Pfft— As if!”
The two bantered in one of the Many Tunnels, simply wasting time. They heard echoes of pursuers in the back a few times, but luckily, nothing came out of it… until it was finally time.
9 AM, the moment of truth!
At the entrance of Support 101, a youngster sat sternly, seemingly meditating, but the ethereal cards flying around him revealed the chaos of his mind.
‘C’mon, show up and see how I apprehend you. Even better, skip class and prove how guilty you are. An innocent man would stand proud, but you won’t, right?’
Either way, he was ready, guarding the only path.
But that’s when he felt it. Behind?! He didn’t even have time to turn that a madman sprinted in, Jack, and only Jack. His legs erupted with power as he rushed for the class door.
Reach it, and it would be his win. He was ready to bet Mr. Flintlock wouldn’t allow just anyone to take him away IF he reached his seat— He had missed too many lessons, after all.
As for his current predicament…
“Maintenance Tunnel? Good try, but foolish!”
As the enemy cackled, cards flew, lighting up a corridor that would have otherwise been somewhat dark. Blue, yellow, and deadly! In response to this, Jack used his abilities.
[Strength of a Thousand Men Activating!]
[STR++, AGIL ++, FOCUS +++]
[Still Not a Quirk!]
…
He had to evade, somehow.
In a straight corridor, he was screwed. He knew it, and anyone watching would have to. It was seemingly an impossible situation.
Yet, at that very moment, an ink-stained battlefield flashed past his mind, but so did a Red Devil. Survival was different here than in the White Plane, for sure.
As cards covered the corridor, he acted.
Like a wannabe acrobat, he rushed toward the walls and ran up?! Every step felt weird as he struggled against gravity, but his increased stats allowed him to manage.
He rose high, almost reaching the ceiling, and flew above the cards. They passed right under him, their crackling Mana stinging his face and eyes, but he endured it with a grunt.
Then he landed on the other side, his knees protesting the harsh landing. He found himself right in front of the class door a roll later. Yet, just before he could enter, he felt it.
The cards that had missed him? They were coming back!
Controlled by the enemy, they made a U-turn and blocked any possibility of escaping. Floor, air, ceiling, everything was bloody covered this time, the two fighters realizing what this meant.
‘It’s over.’
‘It’s over.’
‘It’s over.’
…
It really was.
Jack didn’t even look back.
His hand landing on the Class door, he pushed it open, entering. As for the cards, they reached him directly and— BOOM! Mana exploded so powerfully that it shook the corridor.
The explosion was powerful enough to dash all hope and crazy enough to be inescapable. Seeing this, Jack didn’t try to avoid it, and neither did his wolves.
At the very last second, they came out.
Ink wolves rushed out of his shadow, their curious eyes glaring dagger at the weird blue and yellow cards as they pounced. Whatever those were, they were going down!
‘AWOOOOOOO!!!’ Silent howls escaped them as they were instantly reduced to shreds, their Mana Cores landing back in Jack’s shadow. But they didn’t care; they had succeeded.
Their existence was enough to trigger the chaotic Mana in the cards, the latter detonating before they reached Jack. And with this came the mightiest push ever. The chaotic Mana explosion launched him right through the door!
He erupted inside like a cannonball, disturbing the happy atmosphere. What had been students happily chatting as they waited for class to start now stared shellshocked.
1. The door had been smashed open
2. This was Jack, rumored to be expelled
3. And even his clothes looked half destroyed?!
…
It was so much at once that they wouldn’t have been human if they didn’t stare in shock. Yet, amidst the deadly silent atmosphere, a girl was special.
“Ha! Jack, here, here! I kept your seat open!”
Invisible Girl, aka Clara, was already enthusiastically waving him over. Yet that wasn’t his primary concern. He glanced back, and there his pursuer was, right at the door.
As if a demon blocked by a magical circle, he was stuck at the entrance, seemingly unwilling to cross an invisible boundary. With this, Jack finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He had been right. The student council dealt with student matters, but him stepping inside the class had turned it into a teacher matter since this was Mr. Flintlock’s territory.
Under a death stare, he relaxedly headed to his seat.
“Jack! Jack! Jack! Tell me, is it true?! Did you really sell squirrels? I heard that from a friend. Please tell me it’s true. I wanna get one too. They're so fluffy and cutesy! They're even better than living plushies!”
“Sorry, but I ran out of squirrels…”
“WHAAA?! That sucks. Wait, is that why that guy was chasing you? Did he want one but got mad when you didn’t have any? Eh, I won’t let him bully you, or my name isn’t—”
“Clara.” A certain billboard-like student interrupted. “Can’t you see that’s a member of the student council? Arcane Dealer is his nickname. He’s probably here to punish that broke friend of yours.”
As he remarked, whispers erupted in the classroom. Was that what it was? How could someone Quirkless cause such trouble? Or maybe that explained it instead.
He was desperate enough to ignore rules.
They watched it all with rapt attention, their eyes fixed on the Enforcer at the door. Would he come in, or would he remain there to ambush Jack? They were dying to know.
But before he could decide, they felt it: the warmth, the regal aura, and the badassness of the casual yet mighty footsteps. Mr. Flintlock was here.
“MR. Flintlock, I’m Brian from—”
“Later. I have a class to teach. Wait by the door, silently so.”
The man barely acknowledged the student’s existence, and he clearly didn’t care about the destroyed door either.
He stood before the blackboard and waved a hand as a door of pure yet heat-less fire rose to block the entrance. Then, he started the day’s lesson as if nothing was wrong.
“Today we’re talking about Super Morality…”
It was a classical trolley problem but revamped for their needs.
Between two options, should one save a few Supers or even more Civilians? The problem was simple yet complex: Supers could also save more civilians, but the latter were truly innocent.
What was the right thing to do? Should one think as a utilitarian or as an idealist? It only got muddier if one considered that bad apples could be hidden in both groups.
It didn’t take long for the Class to get into the dilemma, soon forgetting all about the Enforcer behind the new door as they heartily voiced their opinions.
“The Supers! They’ll help us save even more…”
“The Civilians! It’s the Supers’ job to sacrifice themselves!”
“I’ll try to save both, even if it means losing many of them!”
…
Whether they were for, against, or trying to change the question altogether, everyone was quickly getting involved. Yet, the more Jack heard, the more he felt like it was a trick.
At some point, he even found himself grumbling…
“Pointless. Either or neither’s the answer.”
The class turned incredibly silent.
Was it because people thought he had said something incredibly profound? Nope. Was it because people were laughing at his answer? Neither. Mr. Flintlock had silenced them all.
Tendrils of fire escaped his fingers as if fiery snakes, wriggling their way into students’ mouths and preventing any sound from coming out, making Jack’s answer echo loudly.
Raising an inquisitive brow, the teacher chuckled…
“Oh? Either or neither? Is that you giving up on the problem? You talked a big game about becoming a Super. Don’t tell me you’re backing down?” He playfully teased him.
Yet, he was clearly interested in hearing his answer. In fact, he even threw him a fiery Quirk-based chalk that glowed with Mana, the thing almost begging to be used.
As he felt it tremble in his hand, Jack got to work.
He drew lines of fire in the air, soon doodling a picture of the Super Problem in question. Then he wrote the popular PROs and CONs only to strike them all out.
He quickly scribbled over it…
1. Save the Supers: Survival Rate ???
2. Save the Civilians: Survival Rate ???
3. Do absolutely nothing: Survival Rate 100%
….
“We’re missing info. Pick whichever seems doable and fast! If both are too dangerous, it's better to retreat and make sure whatever Super you’re supporting does too.”
As he lowered the fiery chalk, the class sentiment was explosive. They were still magically muted, but if one read their lips, they would have seen disapproval.
‘Do nothing? Are you even a man?’
‘Coward! That’s so incredibly selfish!’
‘Isn’t that as good as not answering? Cheater!’
…
The teacher seemed to appreciate seeing their reaction, chuckling. Yet, that didn't stop him from turning to Jack with a playful gaze and completely changing the topic.
“Let it be food for thought. Now, today we have someone from the Student Council visiting our class to explain a few things about school life. Give him a warm welcome, will you?”
As he stated, the fiery door opened by itself, and a poised blue-haired student with cards hovering around him entered. As he did, everyone felt it.
Jack VS Student Council Enforcer
Crazy sparks flew between them as they met once more. The enforcer's mouth was smiling, yet his eyes weren’t: they were promising him a bad end!
Still, that wouldn't stop him from giving his presentation.
“As you know, you’ll start elective classes soon. This means you’ll meet students from different classes, cohorts, and even years. It’ll be super fun!”
“Another thing to note is that the Student Clubs will begin recruiting soon. Make sure not to miss the Clubs Fair in a few days. It’s the best way to figure out which you want to join. And yes, SupaBowl teams are already recruiting.”
“Finally, we at the Student Council are here to assist you. This means helping with problems you might have, guiding new students, but also squashing wannabe troublemakers. So, if you see anyone misbehaving, do report them.”
With the last part, the cards quivered.
They were dying to launch themselves at the annoying bastard just relaxingly sitting there after causing one hell of a squirrel problem. And the words that followed confirmed it.
“Quick reminder that selling on school premises is banned, and so is exploiting fellow students. In fact, I’ll be apprehending a troublemaker right after this presentation. Have a great day, everyone!”
Who he was talking about was painfully obvious. Winking at Jack, the enforcer finished his speech and relaxedly headed to the corridor where he planted himself solidly.
So what if Jack was safely inside the Classroom? He’d lose all protection once lunchtime came. Either he would leave the class, or the teacher would anyway.
Seeing this, Jack couldn’t help but stare at his teacher. Would he just let him do that? Apparently yes. But just as he was despairing, the fiery chalk in his hand trembled.
Out of it came a fiery vision, one that exploded before his eyes as if a hologram. It looked like a System message, yet he could clearly feel it wasn’t one either.
[Teacher Flintlock Has Offered a Deal!]
[How Badly Do You Want to Escape?]
[Are You Ready to Suffer? Y/Y?]
…
He quickly stared at Mr. Flintlock, the latter giving him the most ominous look ever. Yet, it seemed like the man knew him well. He hadn’t even bothered adding a NO option!
Just to keep the Credits it was worth. It wasn't just money. It was a Quark analysis, training resources, and even spoiling Lilly.
So what if he had to suffer a bit to give her a better life?
It was time for the Shadow Overlord to appear…