Part 5

Time: 1:52 p.m.
Location: Locust Ave., The Bronx, NEO New York City

White clouds.

Silence.

There was a long groan from a female laying on a bench on the roof of a one-story building on a quiet street.

“This whole city is something else,” she said as she watched the planes in the light blue sky move overhead.

Boredom.

Valeria Lucia.

A tan-skinned woman with long brown hair that was sprawled out on the bench with various tattoos and markings on her chest and arms, she was a black tank top with bronze pants and black thigh-high boots.

Pulling on her shirt, she began fanning his face with her left hand.

“Hot and bored.” Valeria sighed. “This is not how I plan to spend my day; are you sure this is the right location? What if we are lost?”.

“You know, if you complain, it will only draw more attention to your ever-increasing crows' feet.”

A meek female voice broke out.

Camellia Lucia.

A brown-haired, tan-skinned teen wearing a black cloak with the hood down had gold markings on the sleeves. In her fingerless gloved hands was a book she held, resting on her legs.

Silence.

That remark irked Valeria, causing her to quickly sit up.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘CROWS FEET’?”

Valeria shouted out, causing the other female to shield her face with the book from the irate woman.

"Ugghhhh,” Camellia quietly shrieked.

Suddenly, Valeria cupped her hands to her face, with her fingers touching the skin under her eyes.

'N…no, it can’t be …. Could my skin really be like that?”

She quickly darted her brown eyes to the edge of the roof.

“No!!!” She exclaimed loudly to herself before dashing towards the ledge.

Aurelius Lucia

A middle-aged man, dressed in a black cloak with lightly tan skin and bown hair that was tied in a braided ponytail.

His brown eyes glanced up at the woman on the roof.

“What?” Aurelius replied in an annoyed tone.

“Face, my face, are their wrinkles on my face?”

There was a long pause as he stared at the woman on the roof.

“This cannot be your concern right now; we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

Valeria turned her head, pouting.

“Yeah, yeah, waiting for the Crystal Guardian. Gosh, we have been waiting for almost two hours.”

“….Oh really.”

Aurelius and Valeria's eyes widen at the voice that sounded like a deep growl.

It was him.

Haruko Matsumoto.

“I hope I didn’t keep assholes waiting too long.”

Small sparks traveled across his body.

Aurelius stared at the teen, not saying anything.

He could see that through the teen’s ragged appearance, he was annoyed, possibly angry.

But that wasn’t what he needed right now.

Stepping a step forward, Aurelius spoke.

“You’re a little late, given the matter at hand, but better late than never.”

Aurelius turned around and began walking away.

“Please follow me; we have a lot to discuss with you.”

Behind Aurelius, he could hear rapid footsteps behind him.

"HEY, WATCH OUT!!”

The man paused, then turned around and saw the teen leap forward off the ground and quickly spin around.

“Huh?”

In the air, approaching the unsuspecting man, the teen extended his left leg and kicked the man in the face with his outstretched left leg.

The man’s body spun around before falling to the ground on his back.

With grace and swiftness, the teen’s feet landed on the ground.

“Alright, which one of you dipshits wants some next?”

Haruko said as he stared up at the woman on the roof.

A grin appeared on Valeria's face.

Her fingers were shaking on the ledge.

“Camellia, prepare a binding spell; it seems we have to restrain him if we want to move forward.”

“R-roger!” Camellia said as he quickly closed the book and clapped her hands together, interlacing her fingers.

Valeria placed her hands and right foot on the ledge.

Like a rocket, she propelled herself up in the air above the teen.

Haruko took a step back, watching her.

In the air, Valeria flipped forward, extending her right leg out and bringing it down upon the teen with an axe kick.

Haruko crossed his forearms, blocking the kick from the woman.

Haruko grunted as he started at the woman, who had a wide run on her face.

Grinning himself, Haruko pulled his arms apart and then grabbed the woman's extended ankle.

Haruko slid his right foot on the ground, swung his arms across, dragging her body into the air, and flung her away.

Twisting her body in the air, she slid on the ground with her left hand and knees before coming to a complete stop.

Both stared at each other.

“It seems you’re not that much of a pushover, that good...”

The ring markings on her left forearm and arm began to glow white.

“I like that.” Valeria said it in a seductive tone. "Brachium sinistrum, primum fluctus" (Latin transl. Left Arm: First Wave.)

Valeria brought her left arm back, flexing her bicep, and clenched her fist.

A punch.

That was his initial thought.

But-

From right where she was standing.

There were a few feet between the two.

Valeria took a single, heavy step forward with her right foot.

(Unless she can stretch her limbs, the distance is far too much for her to physically hit me.)

Haruko started to shift his body right.

(If that is the case…..it won’t be the punch that hits me…)

Valeria started to swing her left arm.

Flashes of the woman he fought on the bridge and leader of that group-mainly the weapons they had.

Not what weapons they had, but what they did when he dodged their attacks.

Haruko started to put his strength into his moving legs.

(But what would follow.)

For the woman with her weapon, the spear, she had a wider range of a follow-up attack, and the leader had a much narrower and more precise range of a follow-up attack.

If he assumed that he was right about her ability, then he needed to time this right.

His right foot crept onto the tips of his toes.

Under the cover of his body, Haruko used his right hand to unclip his back bag from the strap that was hanging on his left shoulder, letting the handle fall into his right middle finger.

Valeria thrust her right arm forward, aiming at the teen’s body.

(Now!!)

Haruko dove under the path of her punch.

He watched her fist closely.

From her fist was a quick blast of wind that shot over the teen's lowered body, like a bullet, creating a crater into the store window behind the teen, shattering the windows.

He turned his attention back to the woman.

(Her attacks have both speed and accuracy, but….)

Haruko began to straighten himself up.

(From what I can tell, the attacks that shoot off her only happen when those markings light up and she physically exerts herself.)

Haruko started to twist his body left, sliding his left foot across the ground.

Valeria started to swing his left arm with a wide haymaker.

(….If I can throw her aim and her timing off, even just by a little bit…..)

Haruko started to swing his bag at the woman, letting it slip off his fingers.

The bag hit the front forearm of Valeria.

The heavy school books in the bag pushed the woman's arm and fist towards the ground.

BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

A small, pothole-sized crater appeared between the two.

(….I can create an opening to attack her.)

Haruko and swung his left fist forward, causing the woman to sidestep to the right, dodging the punch.

The teen glanced up at the smirking woman.

Getting annoyed, Haruko thrusted his body upwards, swinging his right arm up with an uppercut, causing the woman to step back and tilt her head back, letting the teen’s fist pass her by.

Valeria lowered her head to see the teen spin around and kick his left leg out, causing the woman to cross her forearms to block the kick, pushing the woman back several feet.

Valeria lowered her arms.

“Damn, for a small kid, you sure pack quite the kick.”

Haruko did not respond beyond staring at her.

All Haruko managed to do was take a single step, before he heard a loud noise that sounded like a drum barrel falling to the ground behind him.

The noise caused Haruko to turn clockwise.

Something hit him.

It was fast.

It took a while for his brain to process everything.

First, his right arm.

Then his chest.

Pain.

It was heavy.

Whatever had hit him lifted him right off his feet.

The teen gasped to take a single breath of air.

His breathing felt constricted.

The teen locked up.

The man he kicked earlier- someone he thought he had taken care of.

Right now, he swung something large and heavy into the teen’s body.

A large metal object that looked like a collapsible double-sided hammer.

Haruko was only able to get a quick glance at it for maybe less than a second before his body flew off the weapon, violently bouncing off the ground several times before hitting the side of a parked car, creating a dent on the two right doors.

Everything was quiet as Aurelius stared at the teen as he sat on the ground with his back against the damaged car, slumped over, motionless.

As the man stared at the teen, Valeria walked up to him, rubbing her left forearm.

“After everything we did to come into this city on such short notice, I hope that didn’t kill him.”

Aurelius straighten himself up.

“This is the Crystal Guardian we’re talking about here, but if we are honest, if this is the best that they can do...”

Aurelius swung the hammer down lightly, causing the weapon to fold upon itself.

“Then maybe it was a mistake going after the both of them.”

Haruko’s left finger twitched, followed by a small spark that was emitted from the tip of his finger.

“If he is knocked out, let's hope he wakes up soon so that we can do what we came here for.” Valeria said before glancing up at the roof of a building. “Hey Camellia, you can forgo the binding spell; we’ll just take him like this.” Valeria shouted out, ”

Camellia peeked out from over the ledge of the roof, looking down upon the pair.

“Are you sure you want to do that?.....”

The sudden grunting voice caused Valeria and Aurelius to turn back to the teen.

Slowly, the teen began to rise to his feet.

Pip.

Pip.

Pip. Pip.

Pip. Pip. Pip. Pip.

Drops of blood drip onto the ground from the left side of the teen's head.

His light blue eyes peeked through his bangs and blood as he stared at the two.

“Keep everything the same; come at me with everything you have, and I will do the same….”

Sparks of lightning traveled through his body and clothes.

“Because I don’t want to hear any excuses when I kick your asses. Now then….”

Valeria grinned.

Haruko wiped the left side of his chin with his right hand.

Aurelius swung his arm, unfolding his weapon.

“Let’s do this again!!!” Haruko shouted out.

Both Valeria and Aurelius sprinted towards the teen, causing Haruko to raise his right hand.

The man swung the hammer.

The woman pulled her left arm back.

A small white stream of lightning blitzed between them, which they did not notice as they got closer to the teen.

And then-

BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

A delayed sound.

The loud noise caused the two to stop in their tracks and lock back.

A gray trash bin with a hole burning through its side traveled through several of the trees planted on the sidewalk.

“What the….?” Valeria mumbled under her breath.

Gritting his teeth, Aurelius turned back to the teen, and his eyes widened.

Behind them, Haruko was running up to them.

“Pay attention, will you!” Aurelius shouted out to the woman.

Valeria was slow to react as she turned to face the teen, only to get punched in the right side of her face by the teen’s left fist.

The impact of the hit pushed her back several feet, causing her to fall to her hands and knees.

The teen’s attention was then drawn to the sound of scraping metal on the ground.

Next to him, the man was dragging the top of the hammer on the ground to swing it upwards, attempting to strike the teen.

The teen ducked his head under the swing, dodging the attack, only to block a knee strike by crossing his forearms in front of his face.

The strike straightened the teen back up.

Valeria backflipped, kicking her right foot up, breaking the teens guard.

The man rammed his left shoulder into the teen’s chest, pushing him back.

Valeria ran up to Haruko, causing the teen to swing his left arm to punch the woman, which she ducked under the arm.

“Brachium dextrum: secundi unda" (Latin transl. Right Arm: Second Wave)

On her right arm, two of the ring markings on her forearm started to glow.

Valeria twisted her body, swinging her right arm.

Her right palm hit the teen's right midsection in silence.

The teen could feel his internal organs move as a force of pressure hit his midsection.

Blood trickled out of the side of his mouth as he was lifted off his feet.

His vision was starting to get blurry as all the noise around him began to fade out.

Throughout the faint silence, the teen could hear a faint scrapping sound.

His blue eyes glanced slightly to his right, only to see the man swinging the hammer off the ground upwards towards him.

Haruko barley managed to cross his forearms to block the hammer strike.

The strike hit the teen, knocking him up into the air and towards the roof ledge of the building behind him.

His back broke a portion of the ledge, causing him to flip backwards into the air.

In the air, Haruko closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

Black.

(Clear your mind.)

Aoi's voice rang out in his head.

Nothing.

(Focus on everything and nothing, both at the same time.)

In that pitch-blackness that was in his mind, a single spark of lightning broke out.

(Take in the world and reject that very same world.)

Haruko extends his right arm in front of him, with his left hand grabbing the right forearm.

(In that one moment of serenity…..)

FSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH.

Suddenly, in a wild outburst, lightning engulfed his right arm, breaking out in the sky and tearing into the building and ground below.

Haruko opened his eyes, staring angrily at the pair on the ground.

(Let one feeling…..) Aoi's voice faded out.

Haruko kept his index and middle fingers slightly apart, pointing them at the two.

(…BE THE BASIS FOR WHICH YOU DRAW YOUR POWER AND FOR WHICH YOUR POWER EXISTS, Haruko yelled out in his mind.

The grip on his forearm tightened as the lightning output increased dramatically.

“…..Chains of binding twilight.”

Through the loud crackling of his lightning, he heard a soft, meek voice from the ledge of the roof he crashed through.

The young woman had her wooden staff pointed at the teen.

A green sigil appeared in front of the staff.

Green chains emerged from the sigil, flying towards the teen, wrapping around his arms, pinning them to his sides.

The lightning fizzled out from near him.

Camellia placed her left hand on her chest, lifting the staff into the air with her other hand.

“Obsidian Pillars”

(I can’t free myself.)

A black sigil appeared in the sky above the teen.

Out of the sigil, three large black hexagonal pillars shot out from the pillar toward the teen.

Two of the pillars struck the back of his shoulders, with the third pillar striking the center of his back.

The pillars slammed the teen into the ground, pinning him to the middle of the street.
Camellia jumped off the roof, landing on the sidewalk.

She took a few steps toward the struggling teen before stopping.

With his body pinned to the ground, the teen could not move much.

“Wow, two spells without any incantations; that's some pretty scary stuff.” Valeria said as she walked up to the teen.

“It is nothing too much; in fact, a rapid succession of spells without incantations lowers their functionality.”

“Is that so?” Valeria turned her attention to the pinned teen, who was now staring daggers at the woman. “Well, I can’t be too upset about that; those spells did their job.”

Valeria kneeled in front of Haruko, pushing his bangs aside.

“…..Haruko.”

The sound of the voice called Haruko to stop struggling against his binds.

Haruko's eyes turned to the open doorway.

Slowly, his eyes widened as he saw the person standing there.

Brown skin.

Dual-colored hair of blue and black is flowing in the wind.

From the open doorway, she stood.

Aoi.

“Aoi….what is…?”

Both stared at each other for a few seconds, with a look of concern and distress appearing on Aoi’s face as she stared at the beaten and blood-stained teen.

She quickly turned to the trio.

“You said that if I did what you said and came with you, then nothing would happen to either of us.”

Blank.

(….What?)

“There wasn’t much of an option—he attacked us first. This method was used to calm him down.” Aurelius said.

Haruko tightly closed his eyes.

His mind was a mess.

Meet us at this location, and nothing will happen to you or the other Crystal Guardian.

“With the location out in the open, it's most likely a trap.”

“Do you really think so?”

Haruko's mind was a mess of conflicting issues.

Grunting, the teen began to struggle against his restraints.

At the sound of the teen struggling, Valeria turned her head toward the teen.

Smirking, she spoke.

“I wouldn’t struggle too much; spells are not something you can break or dispel with physical or mental fortitude. Doing so will only cripple your body and overload your brain, shutting it down. You would be lucky if you ended up in a coma.”

Haruko did not stop struggling.

At the sign of his further attempts to break free, Valeria closed her eyes and let out an exhausted sight.

“Hey Camellia, you may have to throw down another binding spell, this time with an incantation, before this idiot hurts himself.

"Copy,” Camellia said as she lifted her staff into the air with both hands.

Once again, Haruko closed his eyes to the darkness of his mind, grunting.

Sparks of lightning started to surround his body.

“Sun scattered scarlet-Flower bed emerald forest.”

Grass started to grow from the ground under the teen's body.

“What the….”

Large wooden branches emerged from the ground, pinning his kicking legs and lower back to the ground.

"Haruko!” Aoi shouted out as she tried to run to Haruko but was stooped when a large hammer was thrown in front of her, hitting the wall to her left.

Aoi turned to face Aurelius, who now had his left hand out, staring sternly at the girl.

“Don’t.” He coldly said.

Seeing this, Haruko closed his eyes.

He needed to focus.

Struggling, his mind was completely black and void.

Haruko gritted his teeth.

He attempted to pull his arms apart.

“He is really going to try and break the spell through physical force.”

That statement from Valeria caused Aoi to turn her attention to Haruko.

Staring at the teen, she noticed faint white vein-like markings fading on and off on his face and fingers.

“Flower petal burial….”

Six large branch pillars emerged from the ground, surrounding the teen.

Several lightning sparks rang out in the void of his mind.

(Those markings…..those are…..) aoi thought as she stared at Haruko.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint, cracking sound.

Something was breaking.

“Six pillars form- huh?”

The sudden stop by Camellia caused Aurelius to turn to her.

“What is wrong? Why did you stop the incantation?”

“The pillars... they are breaking.” Camellia said as her voice started to tremble with fear.

Aurelius eyes went wide before he turned his head towards the pillars, and just like she said, several large cracks appeared on the black pillars.

“What the….”

In Haruko's mind, there were several quick flashes of lightning.

Using his knees, the teen began to push his body up, causing the pillars to wobble, bumping into each other and further breaking them apart.

Haruko's grunts started to become distorted.

The chains around his arms began to crack.

“CAMELLIA, ANOTHER BINDING SPELL, QUICKLY!!” Valeria shouted.

Camellia did not reply, beyond staring in horror as the black pillars began to crumble.

Flash.

In the black void of his mind.

Flash.

Something was there.

Flash.

Large.

Flash.

White

Flash.

A creature of mythological legend.

A dragon.

The dragon rested in a large, shallow body of water, with his chin resting on the back of its hand, sleeping.

The dragon began to rustle as lightning began to strike the water near it.

Huffing, the dragon began to awaken, opening its light blue eyes. After a few seconds, that dragon began to rise out of the water, standing on its hands and legs, shaking its head, and yawning.

After yawning, the dragon turned its attention to the lightning storm in the sky, growling.

The dragon then stood on its own two feet, closing its fist and opening its wings with a large shockwave. The dragon lowered its head, slamming its tail into the water.

Without any hesitation, it raised its head, loudly roaring at the lightning storm in the sky.

Blank.

It was as if a blank feeling washed over him.

Something.

Something inside of him told him to let out a yell, so he did.

The pillars broke completely as he stood up. With all of his strength, the teen pulled his arms apart, breaking chains with a large shockwave that shattered several nearby windows, causing everyone to shield their faces as a gust pushed them back.

After a few seconds of silence, Aoi lowered her forearm from her face, staring at Haruko.

There he stood.

Haruko Matsumoto.

His body was covered in an aura of white lightning that sounded like raging flames. Haruko opened his glowing, light blue eyes at the trio of magicians that were staring at him as if he were some monster from a horror film.

“Who are you people?”

It was a simple question, but it came out of the mouth with a slight distorted echo of an individual whose body was covered in lightning.

It was an astonishing and horrifying sight, but no one responded.

“Fine.” Haruko said, clenching his fist. “If you won’t answer…” The lightning that surrounded the teen began to intensify. “…then I will beat it out of you myself.”

Aurelius rushed in front of the two females, yanking on the chain, pulling his large hammer from the wall near Aoi.

Both men started to take a fighting stance.

“If they won’t answer your question, then perhaps I can….”

A voice spoke out.

“…If you are willing to listen, Haruko.”

Haruko looked up at the source of the voice, and his eyes widened.

Standing on the edge of a nearby roof of a two-story building was a lone individual.

“Alistair…”

Alistair raised his sunglasses up to his forehead, revealing his red eyes to the blue-eyed teen.

“Sup, that is a new look for you.”

Haruko stared at Alistair.

The lightning that surrounded his body began to fizzle out.

“Wha… are…you….doing here?”

The words that came out of his mouth were a mess.

Alistair did not answer.

Haruko took a step forward.

“Say something.”

There was a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Still, Alistair said nothing, only looking at the teen with a look of regret on his face.

Haruko slowly closed his mouth, clenching his fist.

Alistair sighed, closing his eyes as he lowered his dark sunglasses, with a somber look on his face.

“Believe me, this isn’t how I wanted all of this to go down, but that is not an option anymore.”

“What the hell are you talking abou-?”

Haruko didn’t get to finish his sentence as Alistair pulled something out of his right pocket and, in a quick motion, threw whatever was in his hand at the teen.

Whether by impulse or instinct, Haruko held out his right hand.

At the feeling of something hitting his palm, Haruko closed his hand.

Blank.

Haruko relaxed his body.

Nothing.

It wasn’t an attack.

“You can have that back; it is probably better in your hands than mine.”

The object felt small and cold in his palm.

Slowly, Haruko opened his fingers. In his palm was a red, six-sided crystal necklace.

One of the two things he was running around searching for.

Aoi and the item that he held in his palm.

His necklace.

Closing his palm, Haruko spoke.

“You were the one that took my-” Haruko cut himself off as he raised his head to the ledge of the roof, only to see that Alistair was not there.

(What the hell?)

“So, this is who you managed to bring along.”

Behind him.

Alistair appeared behind the teen, in front of Aurelius.

(He moved….what the hell kind of speed was that?)

“Yeah, if what you said is true, then there was a really limited pool of magicians I could pull from, but rest assured, these two are talented magicians in their own right.”

Alistair stared at the two women, causing Camellia to look away and Valeria to smile and wave at him.

“I guess I can't complain too much, given what we’re up against,” Alistair said, putting his hands in his pockets.

“And on your side?”

Alistair said, looking back at Haruko and Aoi.

“It’s a work in progress, but everyone is here now, so now we just need to move on to step two since we are on limited time.”

"Alistair, what the hell is all of this? What is going on?” Haruko said, walking up to Alistair.

Turning to face the teen, Alistair spoke.

“It is a lot to explain right now.”

Getting annoyed and walking towards Alistair, Haruko shouted out.

"WELL, START FUCKING EXPLAN….ning.” Haruko's voice started to drone out.

Alistair's eyes widen.

Haruko felt lightheaded.

His vision stared to wane, staring at the four before him.

Haruko fell to his hands, feeling that he was about to vomit. He fell to his hands, coughing and spitting out blood onto the ground.

"Haruko!” Aoi shouted as she kneeled down beside Haruko.

“Aoi, was it? Is it possible that you can heal him?”

“I can try.”

Aurelius leaned close to Alistair.

“Are you sure that we will be able to take this on?”

Alistair did not reply, but how could he?

This whole situation is undesirable for everyone here.

Doubt slowly started to creep into his mind as he watched the pair of Crystal Guardians.

“I’m honestly not sure, to tell you the truth…..” Alistair started to say as he watched Aoi’s right hand glow with a blue-colored orb of light before placing it on Haruko's right shoulder. “…. But given what is at stake, we can’t give up, not yet.”

Aoi stared at the teen as he was exhaling deeply.

“Whatever you want to say, say it now,” Haruko said through exhales.

“What do you mean?’ Aoi said as she brought her head closer to his.

Clenching his fist on the floor, Haruko spoke.

“About how I am reckless and idiotic for letting my necklace get stolen from me, even if the person who took it is a friend.”

“That is not what I am worried about.”

Haruko stared at Aoi.

“What do you mean?”

“Honestly, I was more concerned about how poorly you fought just now.”

“Eh.”

Aoi turned her head away from the teen.

“Fighting the way you did and letting a few magicians get the better of you gives us a bad name.”

“Ex-"

Haruko started to put his weight on his feet.

“-Cuse-"

He quickly stood up.

“ME.”

He was now looming over the kneeling girl.

“What the hell kind of complaint is that? You are really criticizing the way I fight.” Haruko shouted out, pointing his right index finger at Aoi.

Now it was Aoi's turn to stand up.

“That right, you are a Crystal Guardian now; your hand-to-hand isn’t going to cut any more; you fought better when you awakened those powers, and since then, from the way you look, it has been a downward spiral.”

“The way I look?” Haruko said in a low voice before shouting out. “The only reason I look like this and fought the way I did is because before I got here to save your stupid ass, I had to fight some crazy old guy with knives!!”

That last part of Haruko's statement caused Alistair’s eyes to widen.

(An old guy... with knives.)

“Well, did you win?”

“I….I” Haruko stumbled on his words. “I am not sure; he sort of ran away.”

(What?) Alistair thought as he removed his hands from his pockets.

Aoi folded her arms.

“So, you lost?”

“What? I did not say shit of the sort.”

“You fool, if you did not win, you lost.”

“What the hell kind of logic is that?

“Haruko!!” Alistair shouted out, startling Haruko, causing him to turn around. “This old guy you fought, what did he look like?”

“Huh….why?”

“Just answer the question.” Alistair replied back.

Haruko placed his right index finger under his chin and closed his eyes.

“Um, he is a few inches taller than me, wearing a brown dress shirt…..brown pants, and a balding head of hair at the top……”

“Where did you fight him? I want you to show me exactly where