Ame's Pov
All the bubbles in the air suddenly split in half and fell to the ground, creating puddles everywhere. Even the one I had hardened to form my spear had returned to liquid form. My legs gave out from under me as I realized my breathing was ragged. Suddenly I found myself in Susanoo's presence. He looked at me with an indifferent expression but his usual haughty atmosphere that was always around him was nowhere to be found.
'It seems you have finally learned defeat today child.'
Was that all he had to say? In that brief moment it felt like I had seen him move countless times and blades had been everywhere in the air. Anyone of those blades could have taken my life if he so wished it. Looking up at Susanoo, I saw that he was still watching me before he spoke.
'His skills far surpass yours. That can only be possible with years of dedicated training a strong will. You have always been regarded as powerful from a young age and that has stunted your growth. No one pushed you to be better and they just made you feel like the strongest.'
"Why wait till now to say all this to me? Why not tell me sooner ? Do you enjoy kicking me while I'm down?"
I was getting furious. I had been played with and it was a fact that my opponent didn't even take the fight seriously. He just evaded all through. The moment it seemed I was getting ahead of myself for landing a hit on him, he did not waste any time putting me in my place.
'If you hadn't lost to anyone do you feel you would have listened if I told you this sooner?'
He wasn't wrong though. I had been riding on my own high horse for a long time that the weight of this loss was crushing. There was only one thing to do. Get up and become better. There was no way I was giving up when I had a god with me. Looking up at Susanoo I saw his smiling before he waved me away. His superior attitude back in full force.
'Now leave and lick your wounds. I have other things to tend to.'
And with that I was back to reality.
Tora's Pov
After executing the technique, I had to stop and focus because of how disoriented it had made me. In a single moment, I had executed an absurd number strikes to eliminate her source of superiority. The bubbles that she had created. If it wasn't for stamina training for years I would have collapsed already. But I was not going to allow anyone look down on me. This was my first time using this technique and it was more taxing than I initially imagined.
Catching my breath while numbing my pain sensors so I couldn't feel the soreness or lash back from the technique, I stood up straight and turned to look at Ame.
Looking back, she just sat on the floor where she had collapsed with a blank expression on her face.
'She's talking to having a connection right now. Though dangerous to do with an enemy nearby I believe the one supporting her sees you as trustworthy.'
Hearing Byakko's explanation I nodded before taking a seat at the end of the hall so I could rest my back on the wall while still watching her. It didn't take long before she blinked and became conscious of her environment.
"I don't appreciate being tested by anyone. That was the only warning you will be receiving. Do that again and you'll regret it." I told her in a cold tone.
Byakko had just passed on a technique to allow me heal myself and repair major damage to my body but it was not so easy to grasp making my current healing process slow. Still watching Ame, she stared at me for a while then took a deep breath before getting up and walking to where I sat.
She unexpectedly took a seat beside me before saying anything.
'I acknowledge that you are stronger than me, but that doesn't mean it will always be the case. I'm going to get stronger and challenge you again. So till then let's work together.'
Her hand was outstretched towards me and I looked at it before giving her a once over. Taking her hand and giving it a firm shake I let go before standing up.
'What was that technique you just used? I know it's rude to ask, but how did you stop my technique? It felt like my control over the water was cut and I've never felt something like that before.'
"Simple" I replied her. "I severed the the water on a molecular level. Not even your power can hold onto something that's been destroyed to that extent."
Feeling my healing was almost done, I stretched my body then started walking towards the exit. The sound of her footsteps signaled that she was close behind and with that we left the school.
Unknown Pov
"The target seems to be growing at an unexpected rate. Either he becomes one of us to assist in our cause or we destroy him. Either way he cannot become a threat to us."
'We have someone on the inside watching him already. For now we will allow them to continue engaging and see how that turns out. We do not need to take any rash actions at this point. Let us focus on more important matters.'
Listening to the other executives talking about the other plans we had for the organization, I inwardly snarled as something deep in my gut told me the boy was of greater concern than they made him out to be. I had rewatched the recent surveillance footage and he seemed to be defying all natural concepts with his otherwise mundane powers time and time again. What concerned me more was that the more he fought, the stronger he became and the more crazy abilities he showed. It would be interesting to see how much stronger he could be and if I could make him mine. That would definitely increase my standing in the organization. Chuckling to myself, I tuned out their conversation as I began to formulate my plan.
Tora's Pov My mind was not on whatever the instructor was teaching today as it had wandered a long time ago. I was pondering on more ways to adapt my swordsmanship with Byakko's power in order to increase damage output. The possibilities were endless. I just had to put my mind to good use. After school, I made my way to the training location as usual only to find the professor was not alone. With him were Kiri and Ame. "What are they doing here?" Turning his head to look at me Professor Pius replied me 'I believe it is pertinent to mold your unit into a proper one if you are to make any progress in the future. From now I will take charge of your team and take it upon myself to whip you in shape before the time comes to send you on missions.' Ame was still pouting and making comments about a grumpy old man under her breath while Kiri just said 'Well I hadn't gotten to the point of selecting a teacher to be our team's guardian yet so this makes things easier.' Sighing I stepped
Professor Pius Pov Well, it seems like even HE was impatient to meet them. I haven't brought anyone here for a while now. But since he summoned them himself, they are likely to face more serious challenges than normal. Hmph. Well, I can at least watch and see what the other two are made of. That Tora boy is growing at an outstanding pace. Raksha, I sincerely hope this vessel can adapt quickly to your brother's power. Kiri's Pov Hmm. I suddenly appeared in the forest that was below us. But the green scenery sure is nice. Who knew that the mirror could be used like this too? It sure is fun sticking with the people you told me to Celeste. The shadows stretched and formed the outline of a fox before moving and speaking. "You have only unlocked powers of two tails so there are still things you cannot perceive with your level of power." "Even two tails worth of power is incredible. I wonder what I can achieve with all nine tails. Maybe I'll be able to overpower Tora." The smile on my
Tora's PovStanding in the white forest that I had seen from above it really was more beautiful than I could imagine. Snowflakes fell leisurely and the air had a serene feel to it. Too bad the killing intent that I sensed was ruining the perfect environment. Since the presence just seemed to observe for now I think I'll just ignore it for now. Walking along the only pathway that was visible I channeled power into my eyes and began viewing the entire place through Byakko's eyes. It was always exhilarating seeing things in another light spectrum, be it in a fight or just on a normal day. Counting the number of electric signals being generated from bodies, I counted a total of forty eight enemies surrounding me and moving in a continuous formation as I wandered along the path. Finally being content with the precious moments of peace and serenity I had enjoyed, I decided it was enough and focused on the task at hand.As if noticing I was ready, a figure flew overhead and after going in a
Ame's PovDispatching the dogs became somewhat easy as I now knew how to get rid of them. But now the rising challenge was the female golem attacking from the rear end. After I had destroyed about half of the fiery dogs, she started to toss magma balls at me anytime I closed in on a potential opening on the remaining dogs. And by the time only three were left, the ferocity of her attacks had increased to an annoying level. Using the orbs rotating in the air I drew them close to me before firing them in all directions at a high speed. The whizzing sound they made like arrows could be heard along with the deep thump as they made contact with anything before exploding. Using this chance as I had stunned the enemies attacking me, I did the only thing I could manage right now. I ran.Running as fast as I could, I sniffed the air in hopes of finding any moderate-sized body of water. I had smelled it back then while fighting and now I was desperately following the scent. Going as fast as I c
Kiri's PovFinally free from the bubble she was trapped in, the gorgon-looking monster screamed in my direction. Already expecting this, I used my powers to block off most of the waves coming toward me. Immediately her scream subsided, she twirled the staff in a timely fashion before slamming the end on the ground again. However this time, nothing happened. Looking confused she looked at the staff in her hands. Only then did she notice a difference. The crystal was gone. "Missing something?" I waved the stone that had previously been resting stop her staff in front of my face.Her face contorted in anger as she pointed the staff at me and vines from her body began moving. Gradually, they wrapped themselves around the body of the staff, slowly making their way towards the tip. Once at the top, a part of it extended sideways and formed a long, curved blade. Before long she held a deadly scythe in her hands. Holding it in both hands, she looked at me and then let out a deep growl that
Ame's PovDAMMIT."I lost to the monster." The smile on the golem's face as I passed out still haunted me to this moment. I was in a small room that looked like a private healing room in ancient china and I was told to get dressed. The walls were basically paper thin and the curtains fluttered in the wind so gently as if caressed by an unseen touch. Sitting up on the futon I was laid on, I looked at myself and saw the bandage wrapped around my torso. Memories of bleeding out from the gash and the helpless situation I found myself in were still so fresh in my mind I wanted to curl up somewhere and not come out. I had always trained around large bodies of water like streams, lakes, or waterfalls when using large area attacks or techniques that dealt a lot of damage. So naturally, finding myself in an environment without that particular requirement put me at a huge disadvantage. Finally done with sulking, I stood up and walked to the large tub filled with water in a corner of the room.
Kiri's PovI felt the excitement from Celeste the moment I laid eyes on the black pearl. It's very rare for her to become excited so this was indeed surprising. Picking it up I did not know what to expect but I was interested in knowing what could have gotten her so riled up she was almost dancing inside. "Kiri you have no idea how lucky we are." Hearing her speak to me first was also not something that happened often. Rather it was more the other way around. "Care to enlighten me then?" Before she could reply sun Wu picked up the pearl and held it out to me."Your connection with your past is already strong for one so young. This will help you on your way to gaining enlightenment." Barely able to contain Celeste's hunger for the item held out to me I took it from the general. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Before I could react I felt it pull a strand of my energy and bond itself to me making it light up with a purple aura. A few moments later the aura now seemed like a flame
Ame's PovWatching Tora leave I turned my attention back to Kiri. He had an indifferent look on his face and it was actually quite strange because he always had a smile plastered on that sometimes I felt he was wearing a mask until he spoke. I set him down somewhere in the corner and once again, the shadows around seemed to dance toward him. Not thinking much of it, I went to the center of the room and pulled out the sword I had received from General Sun. Pouring a bit of power into the blade it hummed and began giving off a faint hue. All of a sudden I was no longer in the training hall but standing on the still surface of the water with nothing else around me. Looking at my reflection in the water, it suddenly changed from my image to the image of Susanoo. Immediately, he stepped out from the water via the reflection I had just been looking at. So what did you learn this time around? "I'm sorry Susanoo. I've always thought of your power as mine but I've never taken the time to get
Tora's PovHaving your sight taken in just an instant can be very unsettling. Especially when you are not expecting it. Everything suddenly went dark but years of training helped me reign in the sudden panic that would have overtaken me. Gradually, light began to return starting from behind me. On closer inspection, I realized that the light wasn't returning, but the darkness was being sucked into one spot in front of us. It continued to gather and swirl until it formed a hurricane about twenty feet high. The speed of the hurricane slowed down until it finally dispersed leaving a figure crouching where it previously was. Letting out a deep breath, the figure stood up and looked around. He stopped when his gaze landed on me. His eyes were pure black with no hint of color. They seemed to suck in and swallow the light around, creating a shadow effect around them. He was dressed in a pure black kimono with red trimmings at the edge of the sleeves and the bottom. One of his shoulders was
Tora's PovMoving inside, I took a seat at the workstation and faced everyone. "First before we do anything, now that we've gotten acquainted with each other, it's best we know who our links are and what we can do. This way, we'll be able to pair up properly when we have to divide ourselves during missions." I said to them. "I'll go first. I'm connected to Musashi Miyamoto and the white tiger Byakko. I've always used a sword but with Musashi, my techniques improved by leaps and bounds. With Byakko, I have the authority over wind and lightning. Which I incorporate into my swordsmanship." Everyone was quiet and there was a small hint of surprise on Richard's face. Ame spoke up next. "I am connected to Susanoo, God of storms and the sea. Being linked to him gives me hydrokinesis but on a more powerful scale." She finished. Cecil spoke up next before anyone could start. "I am connected to the one named Brunhilde. A renowned Valkyrie who was the best of them all. Being with her gives me
Ame's PovThe walk back to our quarters was uneventful. Richard, Ursula and Conrad were taken to the infirmary. Cecil argued against it when the medics tried to take her and insisted that she was alright. Now, the rest of us walked back as Kiri briefed Tora on the rest of the platoon's condition. "You know what you did wasn't necessary." I said to him. He paused what he was saying to Tora but didn't break his stride. "What do you mean?." He asked. "If you hadn't provoked her in the first place, this entire fight could have been avoided." I said to him. "I'm never able to understand what goes on in that head of yours." He didn't reply but he offered a smile instead. "If I didn't do that, a repeat of what happened when we first Tora could have occurred." He said to me. "Not that it's any different now, but if we had allowed this matter to drag on any longer than necessary then it could cost us our lives during our missions." I turned my gaze to Tora, he remained quiet as usual. As al
Mr Green's PovMaking my way to the training ground where the members of platoon nine were, I thought back to what I had seen from the silver-haired recruit name Sekizo Tora. He was efficient and quick witted. He displayed an attitude fit for a platoon leader. "Sir.! Do you really have to go by yourself? Surely there are more important matters for you to attend to." The young secretary walking behind me asked. "It's alright Sophia. There are certain things I have to do myself." I replied. "Plus I believe there's more to that young man than meets the eye." Getting to the training room, the guards opened the door and I stepped inside. The place was a literal mess. Scorch marks decorated the ground, the land was broken in so many places. Web-like craters and other dents showing points of impact were everywhere. To one side, the ground was smoking and red-hot with lava being the cause. If I didn't watch it myself, it would have been hard to believe that a fight between platoon members t
Tora's PovI raised my hands just in time to block a punch that was aimed at my abdomen. The force of the blow sent me flying deep within the gathering of trees outside of the clearing. I felt pain climbing up my spine and spreading throughout my body like wildfire. What on earth was that? When I finally came to a stop, I fell on my knee and looked ahead. It took great effort to channel and enhance my sight as my mind was reeling from the pain. Moving was hard and painful, a spot on indication that bones were broken. "SHIT!." I exclaimed. More pissed off than anything else. Concentrating, I began walking back to the clearing while tapping into my pain receptors and dialing them down to almost nothing. I had picked up this trick during one of my meditations some time ago. My armor was dented, but my headband and bracers remained intact. Healing internal injuries required precise focus, so finishing this battle quickly was the only acceptable option left for me. By the time I made it
Tora's PovDealing with the wolf was easy. He was no real threat. This one was a fighter. Her body was bones for battle, and she loves the thrill of the fight. This was a warrior worthy of my respect. Watching her technique, I got a rough estimate of what her power will be. Once the outline of the female warrior appeared, I heard Byakko give an appreciative growl. "A valkyrie. No wonder she is built different. Truly a fine specimen." Byakko said. At that moment, she had just dived down with power condensed at the tip of her spear. There were two ways to respond to this. Get out of the way, or respond with something equally powerful. I choose the second option. Channeling power through my arms, legs, and sword, I prepared my attack. I gathered power in my sword until the steel was blue and it was humming with electricity. I took a stance and waited while tightening up my muscles. The spear got close enough in a matter of seconds. Enhancing my senses so as to not miss the timing, I e
Kiri's Pov No longer able to withstand the urge, I dropped out of the shadows in front of Richard and his two teammates. The moment my feet touched the ground, I lunged at Ursula with my blade at the ready. I reached her long before her panic could fully set in. As my blade was coming down, I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand and all my senses screamed danger. With my momentum, it was already too late to stop myself. My blade clashed with a katana the force knocked me back as a wave of current went through my arm. Dammit. "What is going on here?." A pissed-off Tora asked. I released my control over the shadows, instantly freeing everyone. Just as I was about to answer, I saw Tora's muscle twitch before he was no longer in front of me. The sound of two blades clashing behind me made me turn around quickly. Richard was being pushed back by Tora. A vengeful expression was clear as day on his face. "That guy is dangerous and unhinged." He yelled. His teammates, however, didn
Richard's PovThe sound of weapons clashing caused Ursula to turn around immediately. Although if I hadn't parried the attack, she would be bleeding right now. I didn't know if the attack was meant to be a fatal one or if it was only intended to cause an injury. A mixed expression of shock and realization was etched on her face when she turned around. She just realized that Kiri was not just a smiley face. Weaving some signs with her hands, they glowed and she yelled out a spell as she struck her palm on the floor. "Show yourself. REVELARE." The glow from her hand seeped into the ground and went out in a wave across the room. I quickly started looking around as I knew this was her spell to show whatever was hidden, be it living or nonliving. However, nothing happened. Nothing was revealed. Kiri remained hidden. Even Cecil and Conrad wore looks of surprise on their faces. "Why isn't it working? Why can't we see him?." I said while looking around. "I don't know." Ursula screamed in
Richard's Pov I watched the silver haired boy walk out of the room after addressing his friends. Even without saying much, it was obvious that he was the team leader and they respected him. I looked at Conrad who was still on the floor shaking. Be it from anger or fear, I didn't really give a damn right now. "You always speak before carefully observing who you're speaking to." I said looking at him. "I hope you learned something today." I turned away from him and went to the bed I had picked earlier when we arrived. I was putting away my sword and shield when I heard someone walk behind me. The sound of someone seating on my bed followed and I turned around to see who the person was. Ursula sat on my bed with her legs crossed and her arms folded. I had known her for quite a while and she usually did this when she wanted to talk. Stopping myself from taking off my shirt as I was about to hop into the shower, I jerked my head towards the door and walked out of the room with Ursula at