As Tokura lay on the ground, he looked over at Nepalo, sprawled in his human form not too far from him and having just opened his eyes after a short loss of consciousness. The sight of his defeated enemy meant it was time for a well-deserved rest, which made the pseudoknight smile.
Only one thing bothered him – the monstermorph was smiling as well, the reason for that being beyond the victor from their battle.
(Nepalo) ‘-Y-you turned my own attack against me … that was a nice one.’
(Tokura) ‘-At one point I figured I wouldn’t be able to bring you down with just what my shield was capable of after having already used it quite a bit. So I turned to the next best thing – that mighty crimson energy of yours. The only problem was getting the timing of the attack right, so I could hit you before you could cover yourself with that defensive layer again.’
(Nepalo) ‘-So you did know about it.’
(Tokura) ‘-Courtesy of the sacrifice Exo and the others made. I couldn’t have won without them making you use up some energy and figuring out your weakness. One could say Earthling Class #1 beat you.’
Nepalo scoffed.
(Nepalo) ‘-And my demise will change absolutely nothing in terms of how this battle is going to end.’
(Tokura) ‘-Stubborn even in defeat, aren’t you? Don’t forget we have the Summerbolts on our side. They’ll thwart any plan you bastards have.’
(Nepalo) ‘-And we have the Nightsongs. Want to bet which family is stronger?’
(Tokura) ‘-Inheriting the position of Sunbird’s strongest is the best reward I could get from you. What use would I have of making a bet now?’
(Nepalo) ‘-You’re still thinking how this will affect the school, Braveheart? After what I told you? You really think life will just go on as it has up to this point? (the grin on the leader of the Ares Trio’s face became wider) The fact that you’re still thinking on such a small scale is the reason you and your group are going to lose.’
(Tokura) ‘-And I’ve heard the grander one’s scheme is, the more likely it is to fail.’
(Nepalo) ‘-Whoever said that didn’t have the resources we possess.’
The unwavering confidence of his opponent was really getting on Tokura’s nerves. And the more he listened to him, the more he wanted to get up and force him to shut up with a good old-fashioned beating with his fists. But at the same time he thought enough energy had been spent to defeat the bastard, so all he did was counter Nepalo’s words with his own.
(Tokura) ‘-You and your damn resources!!! Can’t you see what’s going on?! You rigged this whole Class Battle in order to win and we’ve still beaten you time and again since it started! Even when relying on cheating, you’re no match for us!! All of your resources combined can’t triumph over our madness!!’
While shouting at the Crimson God of War, the ‘small’ battering ram eventually realized he was no longer looking at him, but was still smiling.
(Nepalo) ‘-You wouldn’t be saying that if you could see what’s behind you.’
What was behind him was a group of ten soldiers with black uniforms and partial gray armor, helmets to completely cover their faces and anti-deviant weapons. All of them looked exactly like the ones Yuki, Hikaru and Seiren had fought two weeks ago.
(Tokura) ‘-Is this … is this what you meant by ‘resources’?’
(Nepalo) ‘-Among other things, yeah. (he glanced at Tokura with triumph in his eyes before returning his attention to the group of soldiers) I’m guessing they sent you to take out whoever we haven’t managed to deal with?’
(Random Soldier) ‘-They did indeed. (he and four others pointed their guns forward, the pseudoknight seeing that only one of the weapons was locked on him, the targets of the rest being Nepalo) We’ve actually come to kill all of you, though.’
Tokura’s opponent was as shocked as him by the masked man’s words.
(Nepalo) ‘-No, no, wait a minute! That wasn’t the arrangement!’
The soldiers aiming at the duo chuckled in response to that while the rest circled around them to reach the other Martians.
(Random Soldier) ‘-And you know what the whole arrangement is, do you? The plan was to eliminate every single witness to the events in the park except for the Nightsongs right from the start. You’ve served whatever purpose you could, so it’s time to die now.’
Nepalo desperately tried to get up at least partially, his face twisted by fear and his voice – quivering with despair.
(Nepalo) ‘-B-b-but Ulura didn’t tell us anything about this! And our class can still be useful to you!!’
(Random Soldier) ‘-Ulura isn’t in charge of our forces. Ukris is. She’s the only one who knows the whole plan. (he pulled the trigger of his weapon at the same time as all the others) And if you were really that useful, we wouldn’t find only one Earthling without a scratch on him here and your class all beaten-up.’
Pale green vines covered with thorns, energy isosceles triangles, streams of slime, acid projectiles and elongated needles that seemed to be made of flesh came out of the guns of the five who had focused their attention on Tokura and Nepalo then.
While the Martian screamed for mercy, the Earthling was too numb from disbelief to make any kind of sound. It had happened so fast that he hadn’t even had time to process the information he had just learned or accept his circumstances.
Dying like this didn’t seem possible for him. By the hand of someone he didn’t know and whose connection to the current situation he didn’t fully understand. During a simple Class Battle that was supposed to end with broken bones at best.
Light with the same color as the attacks closed around him as he struggled to comprehend what was happening and in an instant there was nothing more to think about. Nothing more to do. Just nothing.
There wasn’t even any pain. The reason for this was none of the attacks aimed at him and Nepalo ever reached their targets, something having destroyed them preemptively by passing very fast in front of the fallen warriors.
The leader of the Ares Trio had also opened his eyes to realize he was still alive, looking around with as much surprise and confusion as the one who had stripped him of his title.
(Nepalo) ‘-Hock?!’
There were no traces of Daroid anywhere around however, so it couldn’t have been Hock. Instead, the burned figure of a young man clad in an enormous amount of electricity appeared between the soldiers and the ones they were trying to kill. For all intents and purposes, this charred creature with almost no clothes left on it and very spiky hair was whatever remained of Hikaru, having gritted his teeth with a wrath that could almost be felt in the air.
The sound of a blast was heard at the same time behind Tokura and Nepalo, the two looking in that direction to see the bright red, tangerine and fireworks that combined hues of yellow, orange and red that had consumed the other five soldiers nearby. Out of the smoke cloud left from the explosion came a man as burned and naked as Hikaru, only this one had golden hair that was less spiky, most of the skin on his left arm and the lower half of his right leg being entirely black. That had to be Seiren.
The five in front of the battering rams were preparing for another attack when the young Blackscale teleported by the young Summerbolt’s side, the rivals combining a lightning and explosive wave that focused on the enemy weapons. As the weapons exploded in pale green bursts, Tokura’s classmates finally turned to him.
Looking at the state they were in, Mr. Braveheart couldn’t help but grin.
(Tokura) ‘-What exactly did you two do to yourselves this time?’
(Hikaru) ‘-I burned myself up to become as fast as Hock.’
(Seiren) ‘-And I blew myself up along with Gorudora to take him out.’
(Nepalo) ‘-You defeated them, then? Where are they now?!’
The rivals only glanced at the red-skinned monster in human form with slight disgust.
(Hikaru) ‘-I nailed the bastard to the ground in a gully not far from here with four lightning spears when I was done with him.’
(Seiren) ‘-Oh, I put mine in the ground back in the rocky area with only the head sticking out. When he wakes up, he’ll need some time to get free.’
Tokura straight-up started laughing now, proud of the rivals’ achievement and baffled by the methods they had used to restrain their opponents.
(Tokura) ‘-Yeah, that sounds like something you would do.’
The pervert gave a hand to the pseudoknight to get up while the mad genius looked over at Nepalo again.
(Hikaru) ‘-Well, God of War, looks like I just saved your life.’
The Martian was trying to hide his irritation from this turn of events very hard when Tokura looked at him after getting back on his feet, him and Seiren supporting each other now.
(Nepalo) ‘-You moved to stop those attacks from hitting Braveheart, Summerbolt. Don’t think I owe you anything.’
(Hikaru) ‘-All I want is information, scumbag. (he looked at the soldiers wounded by their guns exploding) Or maybe you’d rather side with the people that just tried to kill you simply because they no longer have any use of you?’
(Tokura) ‘-No need to question him, Hikaru. He’s told me everything he knows.’
(Seiren) ‘-That’ll clear some things up then. Like what the hell are more bastards like the ones we fought two weeks ago doing here.’
A few silhouettes rose up nearby, turning out the five the hydra master had blown up were only temporarily incapacitated, now coming back for revenge.
(Hikaru) ‘-Should’ve blown them up better, Blackscale.’
(Seiren) ‘-I would if I could, you shit. (both him and Hikaru fell on their knees with heavy breaths, Tokura managing to somehow stand upright on his own) But I reached my limit a while ago, so there’s nothing more I can do.’
Of course he couldn’t. It was a true miracle both him and Hikaru were even conscious at this point. Earthling Class #1’s ‘small’ battering ram may have exhausted himself, but at least he hadn’t suffered any damage, though, so he could still be of use.
Whatever power was left in him was used to teleport one more time with a burst of Flexoid next to one of the troopers, landing a couple of hits on his face before pulling the weapon from his hands and kicking him back. As he fired, he thought about how ironic the whole situation had become. A deviant using an anti-deviant weapon against ordinari to protect other deviants.
Fires formed around him, but they weren’t coming from the gun he had confiscated, but from the ground. And also, they were bright yellow in color. Their creator was Saya Summerbolt, who had just reached the field, and as the soldiers’ attention focused on her, the one Tokura had kicked back attacked again.
The thin concentrated ray of pale green fire coming from the weapon in Mr. Braveheart’s hands was dodged by his new adversary that reached him a moment later to smash a knee in his chin. Completely unbalanced, he dropped to the ground again with the weapon slipping from his hands. It was quickly picked up after it fell next to the soldier, but a crimson energy projectile shattered the villain’s helmet to pieces before he could fire.
Only one person could’ve launched such an attack on this field – Nepalo.
Although Tokura was shocked by this intervention, he still managed to respond faster than the soldier, picking up a rock from the ground and hitting him with it on the temple. A few drops of the blood that splattered from the wound on the man’s head the rock had created reached the teleporting warrior’s face while he hit him a few more times due to an impulse for revenge for the knee in the chin.
By the time the trooper fell, Saya had already taken care of the other four and had reached the place where Hikaru, Seiren and Nepalo were lying, the mother being left speechless upon witnessing her son’s condition. When Mr. Braveheart went to Mrs. Summerbolt, he saw the burned bolt had managed a smile in response to her shock.
(Hikaru) ‘-Don’t worry, mom. I got pretty roughed up, but I won.’
She also smiled at him and then looked around at everyone else in the vicinity, her gaze finally fixing on Tokura.
(Saya) ‘-Tora, can you use your Flexoid? I can heal all of you, but I’ll need another deva to run my solar flames through.’
(Nepalo) ‘-That worthless piece of shit can’t help you. (everyone looked at the Martian now) I’m the one who can use the most of their abilities out of everyone here, so I’ll do it.’
The Crimson God of War really was full of surprises. And he had given the one who beat him quite a few, each one bigger than the last.
(Tokura) ‘-Why?’
(Nepalo) ‘-My class needs treatment as well. I only caused so much destruction during our battle because I was sure the medics among these soldiers would heal my classmates when they found us. (he narrowed his eyes) Since they plan to kill us, I’ll need someone else to heal my team. Healing up three Earthlings is something I can live with if I know my people will survive.’
(Seiren) ‘-Wow, wow, wow. (the pervert and the red-skinned monster in human form exchanged glances filled with hostility) This guy and the rest of the Martians tried to kill us in cold blood. Now he wants you to save their lives?’
(Saya) ‘-They’re victims of this situation as much as us, Seiren, if not more, because they were also lied to and betrayed. (she directed her palm toward the Martian group, teleporting all of them next to her, Hikaru, Seiren, Tokura and Nepalo amid a whirlwind of solar flames, looking at the monstermorph now) Cover everyone here with your energy, Nepalo. Then I’ll mix my solar flames with it, so I can heal your people and mine.’
Nepalo spread a wide blanket of crimson energy over himself, his classmates and the Earthling trio with a nod, bright yellow flames being fused with that energy and starting to enter the students’ wounded bodies.
(Nepalo) ‘-Focus on healing me first.’
As Tokura expected, Hikaru was greatly angered by Nepalo’s words, but what he didn’t expect was for Seiren to be just as mad.
(Hikaru) ‘-I’m her son, you fu**!! She’ll heal me before anyone else!!!’
(Seiren) ‘-We’re already cutting you bastards some slack by even healing you and now you’ve got more demands?!’
(Saya) ‘-He’s the one providing the medium for all of you to be healed, brats. Shut it. (after scolding the rivals, she looked at the Crimson God of War again) Hikaru does have a point, though, Nepalo. I’ll heal him first.’
(Nepalo) ‘-Granted. Heal me right after him, then. I’ve got to go and find Hock and Gorudora and bring them here before some soldiers stumble upon them. And then we’re going to go and have a little chat with Ukris Nightsong.’
Someone laughed, turning out it was the soldier Tokura had beaten earlier, still being conscious despite the damage his head had suffered at the hands of the pseudoknight. As the group heard him, they turned their attention toward the smiling villain who coughed some blood.
(Random Soldier) ‘-Don’t bother, kid. All of us can keep track of the number of active members of our forces and we were ordered to send a distress signal should we lose more than half our numbers. With all the Martians being incapacitated along with the members of our squad, the total number dropped to less than half. And while you’ve been …’
A projectile of solar flames melted the soldier’s head to the bone a second later, the way Mrs. Summerbolt murdered him being shocking enough for Tokura, but what shocked him more was the thing he sensed just as that trooper died.
It was something powerful. More powerful than anything he had ever felt. And it was coming closer and closer to Nebula as clouds gathered in the skies above the park.
