Chapter 9: 15 Years for 2 Minutes
[In the Academy]
[Principal Genji - POV]
"This is my patience limit, Katsuro," I said with annoyance in my tone.
"Relax, Katsuro, I have many more things to talk about," Principal Katsuro said with a smirk.
"What now? You failed to answer my question, but you expect me to answer yours?" I said in a rude tone.
"So what? Don't you know who holds more power?" Principal Katsuro said in an indifferent tone.
"Our ranks are same—" I was interrupted
"On paper only, Genji, 'cause you know I hold a higher rank than you," Principal Katsuro said.
"But, sir..." Saki was interrupted before she could speak.
"Shut up. Who here wants to hear you?" Principal Katsuro said in a rude tone.
"S-s-sorry principal Katsuro," Saki said, lowering her head.
"Bloody hours have ended, communication is restored, then where is he?" Principal Katsuro said.
"Are you talking about him?" I asked.
"Definitely," Principal Katsuro said.
"About R—" I was interrupted.
"Don't take his name, Genji, just call him master" Principal Katsuro said in a high voice.
"He would be a master to you; for me, he is still my student but more like a son," I shouted.
"This should work for Vance or would have worked for Seraphina, not for the master," Principal Katsuro slammed the cup on the table while saying.
"Don't take her name from your mouth," I said, losing my temper.
"If she was this favourite to you, then why didn't you—" For the first time in this conversation, Principal Katsuro was interrupted, but from...
WHOOOM—SSSH!
A sudden shockwave came that broke the window, destroyed the whole garden, and broke the tea cups on the table.
"Wh-Wh-What was this?" Principal Katsuro stammered.
DING-DING-DING
In a moment, a bunch of notifications appeared on Saki's phone, and all the heads turned to her.
"What is it, Saki?" I asked, my tone soft.
"Nothing about the shockwave, sir, but it is about the third-year student, June Mizu," Saki said.
"What about her?" Principal Katsuro asked before me.
"She has been announced as the third Mythic Grade," Saki said with excitement.
"What? After the master and Vance, becoming a Mythic Grade from the same batch, she has become one?" Principal Katsuro asked.
"What is so shocking in it? And after all, that is not a problem, but this shockwave definitely is," I said in a calm tone.
"Don't you hear what she said?" Principal Katsuro shouted.
"I heard the third Mythic Grade has emerged. But what was that shockwave?" I shouted.
"Genji, why don't you say the worker to leave already if you are so eager to talk about it?" Principal Katsuro gritted his teeth while saying.
"She isn't a worker, and she will be staying," I shouted again.
"Doing business with you will always be impossible for me," Principal Katsuro said.
"So, you know what it is," I said in a low voice.
"Affirmative," Principal Katsuro nodded.
"We are almost the same age. Then how can I not know and you know?" I said in an annoyed tone.
"First of all, we are not almost the same age. I am 150 years old, whereas you are just 98," Principal Katsuro had a genuine smile.
"Leave it, just tell me what it was," I asked.
"The technique or a myth that cannot be achieved even by the exceptional children in our academy, my greatest ancestor named it as SHŪKYOKU KENGEN" Principal Katsuro took a pause.
"Your ancestor—" I stopped because I didn't wanted to argue with him again.
"The technique my bloodline willed to see their whole lives and died without seeing it, but—" Principal Katsuro looked into the sky.
"But..." Saki asked instinctively but immediately lowered her head.
"But those unlucky people weren't him to see this greatness," I said.
"You get it, Genji. You finally get it," Principal Katsuro's smile became wider as he spoke.
"Saki, immediately find out who is the one strong enough to have this technique," I said while looking in the sky.
"One?" Saki asked in confusion.
"So what carrion?" Principal Katsuro said in a harsh tone.
"Katsuro!" I shouted.
"No, sir, I asked because there is more than one shockwave. There are three," Saki completed.
[Outside the Cinema Hall, Dotonbori]
[Black Screen]
"What happened? What is it? How did you come back, you were dead," Kaijun said in fear.
[SILENCE]
Arashi kept his eyes locked on Kaijun.
"Answer me already, and what was that technique?" Kaijun said, slowly taking his steps back.
SHHKK—SHRRR!
The moment Kaijun failed to move any further because of the invisible barrier, something started emerging from Arashi's back, tearing his flesh.
"Wh-What is this?" Kaijun shouted in fear.
"What? Are you scared?" Arashi mocked.
Kaijun's words were unable to come out of his mouth as...
A black and grey silhouette of Arashi's soul emerged from his back, laid its chest on Arashi's back, placed one hand on Arashi's face covering his half face which had his damaged eye, and crossed another hand across his neck.
Kaijun was terrified of the view and tried to run, but nothing worked against the invisible barrier.
"You can't run past it. That is the blackline, neither can it be broken, nor it is something anyone could escape from," the SHINKAKU on Arashi's back said in a dark tone.
"What have you done, Arashi? You won't make it alive from here..." Kaijun stopped mid-sentence.
FLESHHH... TCK... TCK...
Arashi used his healing technique to regrow the arm Kaijun had eaten, but for its cost, Arashi neither used his whole flux nor his lifespan, but the arm of the SHINKAKU.
Kaijun tried to cross the blackline but he failed to move even a micro meter so:
GRUNNKK—!
Kaijun lunged forward with his whole power towards Arashi, but...
In the very moment Kaijun lunged to attack and kill Arashi, his thoughts felt like they were optional, but what Arashi says should be his priority.
He stopped.
In the silence, doubted his own reality. In that second, even his own presence was just the extension of Arashi's presence.
[Kaijun's Thoughts]
What is this feeling? He is just standing, but it feels like the universe is REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY POWER AS EQUAL INPUT.
"What are you thinking?" Arashi broke the silence.
Kaijun tried to say something but was unable to.
"If you are not willing to speak, then on this note I would like to end this fight," Arashi said, and suddenly appeared in front of Kaijun.
"I am not the shadow that follows man... I am the reason shadows learn to kneel," Arashi completed.
SLINGGRGR!
A clean slash of Arashi's katana separated Kaijun's whole body from his tail, and the dominion was closed. SHINKAKU started merging with Arashi again.
Arashi's BLACKLINE collapsed in such a terrifying way that it sends shock waves that travelled the whole globe and every arcanist in the world experienced it.
"He is dead right shinkaku?" Arashi asked
"You wanted him dead? So yes from my power you killed him" Shinkaku replied in a soft tone
Arashi's eyes got locked onto the dead body the boy.
"You wanted to save him right?" Shinkaku asked merging into Arashi.
"Yes,but a wise man once said to me nothing in this world happens according to our will" Arashi replied while looking in the sky
"I see I already felt it" Shinkaku said while fully merging in Arashi
"Vrym you must announce this fight has ended" Arashi said while resheathing his katana and looking inside his pocket.
Vrym flew from Arashi's pocket and expand his size to a grown dragon.
WHISTLE—FIIIT!
One out of three fights in Dotonbori was concluded, and the only winner is ARASHI.
[CUT]
[BLACKSCREEN]
In the dead streets of Dotonbori,above the underground metro station,no visibility, no sound, one could hear or see nothing except darkness...
"What is it?"
"A technique?"
"A strategy?"
"A trap?"
Nothing came, nothing emerged. But another blackline appeared.
"SHŪKYOKU KENGEN - JINSENSHINKYAKU
(Ultimate Manifestation - Godstep of Instant Flash)"
A new story has already begun in Dotonbori. I think the storm has already chosen violence. But what will happen now?
[THE ANSWER…..WILL WAIT]
[Somewhere in New York]
"Kuro, you told me that someone is approaching us, and we should wait," Vance said to his fox in a calm tone.
"Now how much time should I wait for someone to actually come?" Vance asked.
Yip... Kurogitsune lowered its ears, its tail curling around its legs.
WHOOOM—SSSH!
The same shockwave that came to the aircraft came to Vance. The house they were in shook like it was an earthquake.
"Kuro, even you didn't see that coming, hahaha," Vance laughed.
"Vance sensei!" It was the voice of Hina coming from a distance.
"Vance sensei!" she shouted again.
"I heard you, Hina. What brings you and that idiot here?" Vance asked in an annoyed tone.
"Sir, please don't say like that about master, but where is he?" Hina asked.
"He is not here. But as always, I thought he is with you," Vance said in confusion.
"He was—" Hina stopped suddenly.
"Then? Where is he?" Vance asked in a serious tone.
"When we were halfway in spatial displacement, suddenly he started murmuring and..." Hina took a pause.
"And," Vance retorted, becoming impatient.
"Master vanished. I thought he came to you. That is why I came here as fast as possible," Hina said.
"That's fine. Kuro, just shrink your size and hop into my pocket," Vance ordered. Kurogitsune shrank.
" Where are we going? Is master in any trouble" Hina asked.
"Your master is trouble himself, but yes, we, are going somewhere," Vance replied.
"But where?" Hina asked.
"If you tell me what he was murmuring, then I could tell the exact location," Vance said with a smirk.
"Many things, something Doton—... shū—I don't remember properly. But yes I remember a name," Hina suddenly jumped as she remembered something.
"So, will you tell me?" Vance asked.
"Yes, Shigaro. It was Shigaro sensei," Hina said in excitement.
"TATARI MIND MANIPULATION," Vance said very slowly.
"Hold my hand, we need to go to Dotonbori as fast as possible," Vance ordered Hina.
"FOLD," Vance said.
[Vanished]
Vance and Hina were teleported into Dotonbori. Vance's own technique is faster than spatial displacement, and it can be used to travel a countries in less than a second. But it requires:
[Hold that thought]
"Hina, how much time has passed before the Godwounds had opened? And the shockwave touched aircraft" Vance asked while walking.
"7 days, sensei, and the shockwave hit the aircraft 2 minutes ago" Hina said.
"I could have known that this was a trap,two godwounds opening opposite direction before the fortnight and the agent came running to me only, but why did they want the kids alone?" Vance suddenly stopped.
"Hina, is Katsuro there?" Vance asked.
"Yes, he was there to talk about APEX CONVERGENCE," Hina replied.
"Hina listen the shockwave we have just experienced was of," Vance in a low voice.
"What was it sensei" Hina asked in curiosity
"A forbidden technique or just say chances of getting this technique is next to 0" Vance took a pause
"Shūkyoku kengen (ultimate manifestation) is the name of this technique"Vance said in a very low voice
"You took so much time to arrive Vance," an authoritative voice came from behind Vance.
"Master!" Hina shouted.
"But you also bought a problem with you, you shouldn't have bought her" the master said.
"But, master—" Hina was interrupted.
"Because she won't be able to handle the pressure of what will be happening here" Master said in a dark tone with a smirk.
"Since when did I start following your orders, USHIMOTO?" Vance said as if suddenly his body was full of energy.