[September 18, 2418 - Tuesday, 8:15 PM]
Nagini stood within the Bunny Garden with her clipboard and took notes while Alan and Liao Ru gathered evidence within the area. Nagini looked around the renewed garden, humming softly at how efficiently Rosemary and Eins worked to restore the garden.
While looking around, Nagini took old DNA samples from the ground and began to analyze the samples with her high-tech device. The lights of the machine glowed brightly then the screen displayed information regarding Nanako. Nagini smirked at the screen then began going through the specs of Nanako.
"We might have a breakthrough here. That blazing lion was right, they fought in the Bunny Garden. Based on the energy signatures around here, her Arks are still here," Nagini said, looking back at Alan and Liao Ru.
Liao Ru continued through the entrance and walked toward a split path within the garden, one path leading to a withered flower field and the other leading toward a dried up lake. "Do you know anything else?"
"Yes. Nousagi's DNA was found on the other side of the Bunny Garden. The only part of the garden that remains alive," Nagini said, swiping through her pictures while her high-tech device reconstructed where everything was on the day Nanako vanished.
Alan walked over to Nagini and rose an eyebrow at her device, looking at the screen to see Nousagi having a tea party with her literature friends near a pond with butterflies fluttering around them. "What about the other areas? Did it finish reconstructing what happened with Nanako?"
"Not yet. We need Senkaku's DNA as well for it to fully reconstruct, but here's what I have so far," Nagini said, showing the screen to Alan.
Alan looked at the picture shown on the screen and saw Nanako and White Ø unleashing a devastating fire attack toward someone. He looked at the field again, seeing the path of seared grass leading toward the flower field.
"Let's go check out the fields first then we check the other path," Alan said, turning around to follow the path toward the flower fields.
Nagini and Liao Ru began following behind Alan toward the flower fields, the air becoming more humid the closer they got to the fields. Liao Ru felt fiery energy coming from the fields then jogged forward, noticing a red glow coming from the center of the field.
"...won't die... Can't die here...my friends...!" Nanako's echoing voice sounded from the red glow.
"Hanabi... I need your flame..." Her voice echoed once again through the air.
Liao Ru walked toward the glow on the ground and looked down, noticing a red diamond shaped Ark resting upon the ground with a dome of fire around it. She crouched down and reached toward it, her hand passing through the dome and grabbing hold of the Ark.
"What'cha got there, Phoenix?" Nagini asked, walking up to Liao Ru and crossed her arms.
Liao Ru stood up with Nanako's Fire Ark in her hand, feeling the desperate heat emitting from the gemstone. "It's a Carnelian Stone. My Phlogiston Gem is telling me that this is called Pyradius..."
"I trust your judgement granted you are the Ruler of Phlogiston. That Ark belongs to Nanako huh? I heard her voice when we got close to it," Alan said, looking at Liao Ru.
Nagini hummed softly and looked around the fields, her sharp eyes noticing a white fragment upon the ground. She walked to the fragment then picked it up, realizing it was a broken piece of a mask. She smirked then chuckled before bursting into laughter.
"Noxius?" Alan asked, looking back at Nagini.
"What's gotten into you, Nagini?" Liao Ru asked, looking over to Nagini as well.
Nagini held the mask fragment up to the sky, noticing half of a pink-green intricate triangle appearing when light hit upon it. "Based on how everyone explained her disappearance, it had me to believe Jeht decimated her...but I was wrong. She managed to unmask him..."
{Chapter 44: Recognition}
[September 19, 2418 - Wednesday, 9:00 AM]
Today was the last day of the Matsugaya Arts and Music Festival, and subsequently the last day of my enrollment within Matsugaya. I wouldn't have guessed to make it this far, but we are all here, including Nanako, enjoying the scenery.
"Motosaki! You have to try these rice cakes that Ms. Nousagi made! They are so amazing!" Aisha exclaimed, holding a rice cake out to me with a bright smile.
"No, you should try the fluffy cream filled bun Mama and Obaasan Kyoto made. They are much more savory," Otsuki said, holding a fluffy bun out to me.
I chuckled softly and rubbed the back of my head, not expecting either girl to approach me with a food competition. "Uh, how about I try both? I'm sure they are equally as good."
"I personally enjoy the fluffy bun. It was made with a perfection only the Nagagami Clan can produce," Naomi said in a connoisseur manner, licking her lips at the thought of the fluffy bun.
"That's because you're both very high class. My aunt's rice cakes are very homey and has that more down to earth feel. The saltiness of the rice intermingling with the sweet jelly filling creates such a diverse experience in your mouth," Rebecca said in her usual elegant tone.
Emma scoffed at everyone and placed her hand upon her hip. "Nothing beats homemade cookies that me and my sister made! The Great and Mighty Duo, Emma and Natsuki, strikes again!"
I chuckled softly at everyone and decided to take all three treats. "How about this? We can all enjoy the treats together. Also look, everyone is here for this last day."
The girls and Nanako looked over to where I pointed to and noticed Nousagi, Kyoto, Hanabi, and Usagi hanging out together at a booth, the four women sharing laughs and memories with each other. For the first time in over 30 years, all of Nanako's close friends were in Matsugaya again.
"Look there, even Mr. Yamamoto is here," I said, chuckling softly as I watched him scold his son, Kaido, for taking his car on a joy ride last night.
"Everyone is really here. I wonder if it's for Nanako. After all, everyone really loved here around here," Naomi said, holding her arms and gave a small smile at the adults in the area.
"Yeah, I think it is for her. It's the time to finally make amends, turn over a new leaf. It's better like this, no more grudges between one another," I said with a smile, taking a bite out of Emma's cookie.
"So, this is your rival huh? His energy feels similar to the extinct Izuna Clan from Qutsade," A voice said behind us.
I heard my clan name then turned around, grunting softly as I noticed Amon behind me with a cloaked figure. "Amon."
Amon watched as the girls turned to face him as well then scoffed at them, tossing my phone back to me. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to return this to you. I heard you and your ensemble is transferring to St. Fraskia Academy after today."
"Yeah, we are. As long as we are here, your father will hunt down my friends due to his suspicion. I want us to be prepared for when that happens," I said, my gaze lingering upon Amon's.
Amon exhaled heavily through his nose, slipping his hands into his blazer pockets. "I know why he is...After all, Nanako influenced your mother. Fell in love with your father. I am not her son and I say that for my own sake...I refuse to be the son of someone who could not consent."
"As far as I know, my real mother is long dead...and so is my father to me. Don't take what I say as if we're friends now. I still do not like you, and I have an obligation to my clan," Amon added, turning around to walk away.
I watched as he walked off then hummed. "Amon!"
Amon stopped walking then looked back at me. "What?"
"Who is that with you? A friend?" I asked, glancing over at the man cloaked in white, something about his energy being familiar to me.
Amon glanced over at the man then turned around. "His name is Joshua, and yes. He is a friend."
Aisha watched as Amon and Joshua walked away then tilted her head. "Friend being in his vocabulary is still so strange to me..."
"They seem to be close, I suppose... Something about Amon has definitely changed. No hate speech or anything? Not even an attack?" Naomi questioned, looking over at me with confusion.
I crossed my arms and hummed softly, knowing he was telling the truth about reading the testimonials. Anyone who would read these would break, but I began to wonder what his next steps would be since he only denounced Jeht and not the Mato Clan.
----------------------------
"You're not raiding Kabetori tomorrow? What could have changed for you to make such an intelligent decision?" Madam K asked, filing her nails as she sat at her desk in the infirmary.
I crossed my arms as I stared at Madam K, unable to tell if she's being genuine or sarcastic. "Well, I've just been thinking about how under prepared I really am. I can probably take someone like Aurum, but Averice and Marlucia are a mystery."
"So, you are going to St. Fraskia to prepare? Huh, I thought men don't make it into St. Fraskia since it is a majority Valkyjian School. How the hell did you make it in?" Madam K asked, glancing at me with curiosity.
"Because Saki-kun is just so goated like that! Name another person who can just take on a Mad Scientist and live to tell the story!" Aisha answered, placing her hands upon her chest with a proud smile.
"More like she spared me, God willing at that. But, apparently my mother and father knew Ms. Yuta, so that also played a role in it. I know I am not to be a war hero, but we need this edge," I said then inhaled sharply as I looked over at Nanako.
"Especially when Nanako is becoming more and more visible to those who have eyes to see," I added, rubbing the back of my head.
Nanako nodded her head at my statement with her arms crossed as she lingered behind Aisha. "...or...ct!"
Madam K rose an eyebrow at Nanako's figure then glanced over at me, unable to understand the ghostly sound she produced. "First, You have a spirit with you? Is she a Yokai? And two, what did she even say?"
I cleared my throat loudly, shaking my head. "Firstly, don't call her a Yokai, she actually hates that. But, yes, she's a spirit at the moment. And two, she said 'Correct', it's very complicated..."
Madam K glanced over at her assistant and watched as he sighed and walked off to finish making solution for a sick student. She looked back at me and Aisha with a hum. "Well, what do you need me to do? I'm stuck here until the sports season is over with."
"Weeelll, since you so kindly asked, I actually need information about Averice and his entire chess board of men. I know about Faux and Aurum, but who are the others?" I asked, batting my eyes at Madam K.
Madam K sighed softly and lowered her head. She sat back in her seat then set her nail filer down. "Alright, you already know Averice is the owner of Midas Casino and has eight, well seven Pawns now. Marlucia is his Queen, Faux is his Rook, and Aurum is one of his Pawns."
"Averice has districts as strongholds and if those get brought down, his security weakens. As far as Rosa und Grün," Madam K continued and reached inside her pocket, tossing me a rose colored metal card.
I caught it and noticed it was her Rosa und Grün VIP Card. I looked back up at Madam K and rose an eyebrow. "This is your VIP Card. You're just giving it to me?"
"It's about time Averice falls and if he falls, the Womato-gumi loses all of their main funding that doesn't come from the Daimo-kai. You arrest the owners of Rosa und Grün, half of your battle is over," Madam K said, looking at me with a serious gaze.
Nanako hovered behind me and looked at the card as well, recognizing the membership card then clapped her hands together with a gasp. "I...mem...t...ere..."
I hummed at Nanako's comment and looked back at her. "You recognize this?"
Nanako nodded at me and looked into my eyes. "Mi...to...E...ik..."
Aisha began to decipher what Nanako was trying to say and crossed her arms with a head tilt. "Mito..? Eik? Wait, Mikoto and Erik. Okaasan Mikoto and Mr. Erik went there?"
"Oh right. The Rosa und Grün case closed because they didn't have enough evidence that there was a drug operation going on...but we have to get through Averice first," I said, looking back down at the membership card.
Kenji huffed as he ran to the infirmary and rushed through the door. "Motosaki! We've got some trouble on campus! It's Jeht!"
"Jeht?" I asked, looking over to Kenji then glanced over at Madam K, Aisha, and Nanako before running off.
"Motosaki, hold on!" Aisha called out, following after me with Nanako floating behind her.
I ran through the halls then came at a stop at a window, glancing down on the ground level to see the courtyard was filled with commotion. My eyes shined as I stared at the entrance, noticing Amon standing before his father then clenched my fist.
"No...He may not be perfect, but I won't let you manipulate him again," I said, opening the window and took out Aurum's coin from my pocket then took aim.
Aisha huffed as she caught up to me then gasped as she saw me standing in the window with a coin aimed at the courtyard. As I flicked the coin and Warped toward it, Aisha stopped at the open window with Nanako and watched with concern.
Jeht looked at Amon and Joshua with a scoff then crossed his arms. "You do realize that you can not simply just leave right? I am your father, and I am responsible for you."
Amon scoffed at Jeht with defiance, glaring at his father with pure disdain. "You lied to me my entire life! Manipulated me into this bullshit and now I've lost everything! Because of you...I can never be the same again."
Jeht laughed at Amon's strong comment then sighed softly. "Don't make a scene right now, Amon. Let's g—"
Amon's eyes widened as he noticed me appear in front of him with a heavy right hook to Jeht's jaw. Jeht groaned and staggered backwards a bit, his hand holding his jaw as he looked at me then smirked.
'Was that Warp..?' Joshua asked mentally, his gaze focusing in upon me.
I landed in front of Amon then my mother's gauntlet materialized upon my right arm. "Jeht, a foolish mistake appearing in Matsugaya! What? You heard everyone was here, so you thought you'd go down memory lane too?"
Jeht chuckled softly at me as he rubbed his jaw then groaned lightly. "I am just here to collect my foolish son. You'd be wise to not strike your District Mayor again."
"District?" I asked with disbelief then looked back at Amon.
Amon scoffed softly and turned his head with his hands in his pocket. "Yeah, he's running for MHI Mayor...he wants to overthrow the SPA Minister. It's disgusting."
Jeht fixed his tie and hummed at his son, his gaze shifting back over to me. "That's right, and I could get you expelled for such an action. Or better yet, get your Badge revoked from the SPA because you're too emotional to operate.."
I clenched my fist then looked back, noticing Nousagi and the others watching then noticed someone waving behind them. Recognizing the familiar serpentine eyes, I realized it was Nagini holding up her high tech device and signalling for me to stand down.
I looked back at Jeht then scoffed at him, my mother's gauntlet dissolving from my arm. "Whatever you're planning...it won't work. What? You think you can give pardons to the Womato-gumi when you become Mayor?"
Jeht rose an eyebrow at me, noticing my eyes shining brightly with pure resolve. "Hm..?"
"It won't work...I won't allow you to. Just like I won't let you take control of your son anymore, not like how you did Nanako. Everyone knows what you did," I said, scoffing at him then walked away.
Jeht felt a chill crawl down his spine hearing my words then glanced over at Nousagi and the others, his lips curling into a sly smirk as he began remembering each of them from 30 years ago. He chuckled lowly before turning around and walking away.
Amon watched as Jeht turned the corner and disappeared, but felt a sense of dread come over himself. He looked at Joshua and noticed his earrings were shining then grunted as an explosion blew a hole in the wall of the main gates.
I stopped as I heard panicked screams and the explosion, my gaze shifting over to the cloud of smoke and noticed a masked man walking onto the campus. I gasped and summoned my Fusion Sword then leaped back, my caution raising to maximum seeing Senkaku.
"What a fool," Nagini said, chuckling as she walked to a courtyard table and sat down.
"It's just like 30 years ago... No, I won't allow you to ruin this again!" Hanabi roared, summoning her lance as powerful flames flared around her body.
Senkaku adjusted his mask then chuckled as he looked around the campus, his shadow aura flowing behind him with every step. "I'm tired of these set backs, so I will just simply do this on my own..."
Heido let out his howl and caught Senkaku's attention, the air growing extremely cold around the campus as Brumal howled as well. I looked back and sensed Heido's immense aura, the level of his spirit energy catching me off guard as well.
Kyoto's eyes grew cold as she locked onto Senkaku, her aura forming around her body as well. "So, you leave your hellhole to come here and cause trouble...this time, I won't hesitate."
Senkaku adjusted his mask and looked around the campus, watching as the teachers and The Hounds quickly escorted students and parents to safety. He chuckled softly and held his hand out toward Mr. Yamamoto and Kaido, an orb of dark energy forming at his palms before he fired it at them.
"Dad, look out!" Kaido yelled out, pushing his father out of the way and taking the blast head on.
"Kaido!" Mr. Yamamoto and I yelled out in distress.
I turned over to Senkaku with pure anger and detached the back sword of my modular sword then dashed toward him. "You will pay for that!"
Senkaku smirked at me and dodged my slash then kicked my sword out of my hand. He grabbed my neck and holstered me off the ground, looking into my face. "Your God has let you live for too long, and just like your parents, you will perish.."
"Oto!" Heido called out, running toward Senkaku and lunged forward with a tornado kick.
Senkaku held me in front of him like a meat shield, forcing Heido to stop his attack then he slammed me to the ground before dashing forward with a knee strike to Heido's stomach. Heido coughed heavily then grunted as Senkaku launched him away with an energy blast.
Hisumi appeared behind him like a flash of lightning then launched a dashing slash, but was parried by Senkaku's aura flaring and blocking the attack. She grunted as she was pushed back then groaned as Senkaku struck her sternum with his elbow.
"Now...where is she? I know one of your girlfriends should have her," Senkaku said, stepping over me then stopped when I grabbed his ankle.
"You will not lay a finger upon Nanako nor my friends!" I yelled, raising to my feet and grit my teeth as Mozanaim began shining brightly in my pocket.
Senkaku watched as I rose to my feet with a Holy Fire pulsing against my chest, his eyes shimmering as he remembered my parents also possessing one. "That is still a phenomenon worth researching...maybe I'll take your body as well for experimentation."
"As if we will allow you to do so!" Hanabi yelled, running toward Senkaku with Kyoto flanking his other side.
Senkaku sighed and dodged Hanabi's thrust then slipped by Kyoto's slash then noticed her body flickering and reappear behind him. He grunted as Kyoto landed a palm to his spine, staggering him forward into Hanabi's high kick.
"Brumal!" Heido howled loudly then leaped into the air, his nails sharpening into claws as he struck Senkaku's chest with a Wolf Claw, spiking him down to the ground.
Senkaku recovered onto his feet then began scanning his surroundings then swung his arms out, releasing a blast of suffocating winds around his body to push everyone away. "Mato Technique: Vexing Hurricane!"
Senkaku unleashed a flurry of cutting winds toward each of us, each flaying wind blasting Heido, Hanabi, and Kyoto and launching them away. He looked up, his eyes slightly widening as he noticed me warp in front of him with an uppercut.
Senkaku grunted heavily as I struck his chin then took a step back, his gaze noticing my militant look. I exhaled slowly as I began concentrating harder, my lips parted as a bit of drool began leaking out while I used Insight upon Senkaku.
'What's going on with this Izuna...I haven't seen this look before,' Senkaku thought to himself then grunted as my body became a blur with a single dash.
I struck Senkaku with a rib shot then followed with an overhead right, staggering him, but I didn't left him rest as I stomped forward, knocking a pebble off the ground. Nachah locked onto the pebble and marked it, allowing me to Warp.
Senkaku looked around for my next location, but I warped back in my same spot and struck his chest with a powerful straight, a burst of spirit energy erupting from my fist upon contact. He groaned as he was knocked away by a Spirit Flash then I rushed forward in zigzag motion.
Senkaku blocked my uppercut with his palm, but didn't notice Nachah running across my shoulder and leap off to strike him with his Jackrabbit Kick upon his jaw. I followed with a spinning elbow then pivoted around once again then took a crow hop backwards into a Superkick upon Senkaku's face, cracking his mask.
"Those movements...that is Flow Motion at its finest, an Izuna Classic," Joshua said as he watched, his gaze shifting over to Nousagi and Usagi. "But it's not over yet..."
Amon watched with his arms crossed and scoffed lightly. "He seems more focused than anything...that is a new look from Motosaki."
Senkaku grunted softly as he fixed his mask upon his face and stared at me, his gaze filled with a mix of entertainment and disdain. "Seems like our last bout in that rusted church as taught you something...but that's the only lead you're going to get."
Nousagi began walking forward and rolled her shoulders, glaring at Senkaku and scoffed at him. She awakened her Valkyria Form, a brilliant glow forming around her as her spirit energy flowed around her like water.
I looked back at the feeling of Nousagi's spiritual pressure, watching as she and Usagi began stepping forward to face Senkaku. "Ms. Nousagi. Ms. Usagi..."
"Go. Go find Nanako and your friends. We will handle Senkaku," Nousagi said, summoning her chakrams then took upon her stance.
Usagi took her fingerless gloves from her pockets then slipped them onto her hands, balling her hand into a fist. "Hurry, while we hold him off."
I nodded at the two then wiped my mouth before running off to find Aisha and the others. Senkaku watched as I ran off then held his hand out toward me, but paused as Nousagi threw one of her chakrams at Senkaku, forcing him to dodge her projectile.
Senkaku looked over at Nousagi then chuckled softly at her. "If it isn't Nanako's killer...I suppose you were jealous that things didn't quite work out for you."
"Do not attempt to flip your crime upon me. I loved Nanako as if she were my sister, and you took her away... manipulated her. For 30 years, you've escaped justice but this time, you won't escape!" Nousagi declared, steam rising around her body.
I ran through the main halls while gathering Aisha and the others then grunted when a stray energy blast struck the building, causing the lights to flicker. The halls were filled with terrified screams, the glass of the campus shattering and the walls crumbling from the intense battles outside.
"Everyone, listen up. Find as many students, parents, teachers, anyone and get them to safety! Leave none behind!" I said, looking at Aisha and the others with a nod.
"Okay, I'm on it! Let's go, Otsuki!" Aisha said, running off down one side of the hall.
"It's me and you, Becca! Let's go do this!" Emma said, hurrying off with Rebecca down the other end of the hall.
It was only me and Naomi left, the two of us rushing around the building to find anyone who was still inside. While we searched, a stray fireball crashed into the second floor window and exploded, throwing Naomi onto the ground.
I helped Naomi up then picked her up in a bridal carry while continuing down the halls toward the Student Council Room. Naomi held onto me tightly and looked back, noticing small embers upon the floor.
"Our school...it's being destroyed. That man is ruining the festival!" Naomi cried out, looking up at me with sorrow.
I continued to run then came to a stop when I noticed large rubble in front of the Student Council Room, blocking the path inside. Naomi and I could hear worried voices coming from inside the room, the voices sounding like Tsubami and Lotus.
Working together, Naomi and I removed the rubble and freed Tsubami and Lotus from their prison, but the reunion was short lived as a dark beam of energy crashed through the window and hit the wall. An explosion went off, causing the floor beneath us to give out and we began falling down to the first story.
Nanako flew down to the ground then thrusted her hand to the ground, releasing a powerful burst of wind to blow under us so we could land safely on the ground. She looked around at the school with sadness, old memories of Matsugaya flashing in her mind as she looked at the current state of it now.
Nousagi grunted as she crashed through the doors and rolled onto her side, panting softly while she tried to push herself off the ground. She looked over at the entrance, noticing Senkaku walking inside the school.
Senkaku looked at each of us then his lips curled into a wide grin when he noticed Nanako checking up on Nousagi. "Hello again, old friend. It's about time you showed up again."
Nanako looked up at Senkaku, her magenta eyes glowing brightly with anger. She immediately flew toward Naomi and placed her hand upon her back, causing the gemstone in Naomi's pocket to glow a brilliant iridescent color.
Senkaku watched as Naomi's aura shifted into an aurora like energy, suddenly remembering why Nanako was such an issue for him in the past. He chuckled softly at Naomi then looked over at me, watching as I took my Zodiac Crystal out of my pocket.
"Mozanaim! It's time to even out the playing field!" I called out, my Zodiac Crystal glowing brightly in response then my eyes began shining brightly.
"An Influenced Valkyria and a Zodiac Wielder...now things have certainly become interesting," Senkaku chuckled, getting into his stance.
I began walking forward then immediately closed the distance between me and Senkaku with a backfist to his jaw, staggering him then popped to his left with a spinning back kick to knock him to the side. While Senkaku tried to recover, Naomi ran forward and thrusted her hand forward, unleashing a burst of wind to knock Senkaku out of the building.
"What the heck was that..? The Izuna just closed the distance immediately?" Senkaku asked, watching as Naomi and I ran out of the building after Senkaku.
"Naomi, launch a blast toward Senkaku!" I said as I came to a skidding stop.
Naomi leaped over me while her aura flashed red, allowing her to generate a fireball then she launched it at Senkaku. "Go for it!"
Activating Mozanaim's magnitude ability, I targeted Naomi's fireball and expanded it so it could reach a wider area. Nagini hummed with interest as she recognized the ability, an intrigued chuckle sounding in her throat.
Senkaku grunted as he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge fast enough, so he fired a concentrate laser through the fireball, forcing it to detonate in midair before it could reach him. "Mozanaim is the Libra Zodiac, I thought they only dealt with Law and Justice..."
"Keep your eyes open!" I called out, warping toward Senkaku then struck his chin with a step up knee then grabbed onto his cloak to warp upward to Nachah's cotton ball.
Senkaku broke free from my hold then struck my jaw with a cross then attempted an axe kick, but his foot struck my light blue silhouette. Reappearing above him, I bellowed as I struck his neck with a chop and sent him crashing to the ground before warping after him.
Naomi slid under Senkaku then knocked him back up to me with a burst of wind then I struck his back with a Spirit Flash, knocking him to the ground. Rolling out of the dust cloud, I used magnitude upon my own strench to throw Senkaku forward.
"Shogi!" I called out as my spirit energy roared around my body.
"No more games! Let us do this, Motosaki!" Shogi responded, temporarily promoting into a Bishop then moved diagonally upon the spiritual square.
I began tapping my forehead as my intuition began to increase due to the Bishop Promotion, my spirit energy increasing instead of my speed and strength. I opened my eyes then began using Insight upon myself and smirked.
Senkaku stood up and looked up, a piece of his mask chipping off then his eyes widened noticing a volley of energy knifes flying toward him. He formed a barrier using his aura to deflect each knife, but he began to notice me warping to the nearest one toward him.
Senkaku groaned as I struck him with a side kick, his mind wondering how I passed through his barrier. He grunted as he rolled backwards onto one knee then noticed another volley of knives flying toward him at high speeds. "Another volley?!"
I warped toward the furthest knife then caught it and threw it forward to collide with another to knock it behind Senkaku. Warping behind Senkaku, I struck his back with a palm strike then began my Warping Barrage, landing a Warp Strike from every conceivable angle.
Senkaku grunted as he was knocked forward toward Naomi into her orb of water then it exploded, sending him backwards toward me then I touched his back, forcing him to Freeze for a second. He grunted as he was frozen in mid air, unable to move.
Warping back in front of him, I struck his stomach with another Spirit Flash and let out a yell as I exerted more power into my Spirit Flash, my arm recoiling back from the immense strength of the Spirit Flash.
Amon watched as Senkaku crashed into the gates then looked back at me, wondering if I had been truly holding back against him the entire time. "Where did he get this from..? Could all the Izunas really do this?"
"In Qutsade, an Izuna was the first to discover warping. What Motosaki seems to be doing is something I haven't seen before, admittedly. It's almost as if his instincts had grown sharper," Joshua said with a chuckle, glancing up at the sky at Shogi.
I panted softly and grunted as I held my arm, the recoil of my Spirit Flash finally catching up to me. I looked over at Naomi and Nanako, giving the two of them a smile and a thumbs up. I watched as Nachah urgently hopped off my shoulder, the camera sigil glowing upon his back.
"Oh...now I will really kill you, Izuna," Senkaku threatened, standing up as part of his mask crumbled off and exposing his left eye.
I grunted and quickly took out my phone then took a picture, but immediately after taking the picture of Senkaku, a concentrated beam struck through my chest. I didn't even realize I had gotten struck until I heard Naomi scream my name.
"Motosaki!" Naomi screamed in distress, catching my body as I began to fall then fell down with me.
Again..? I was caught off guard with death once again... First by Amon, now by...the man I know is Jeht behind that mask. I could hear his mocking laughter as I slowly faded away, Senkaku's figure approaching me and Naomi while my vision became blurry.
I can't die...
I won't die....
Lord...
...
...
...
...
"Arise, My child..."
"Death has no power over you..."
...
...
I opened my eyes slowly, realizing I was back moments before Senkaku had recovered then quickly checked my body then let out a heavy sigh of relief. I looked down at my phone, noticing my clan's Save Ability had once again come to use.
"Oh...now I will really kill you, Izuna," Senkaku threatened, standing up as part of his mask crumbled off and exposing his left eye.
Hearing Senkaku's threat, my body immediately braced itself for his attack. Once Senkaku fired his concentrated beam toward me, I reinforced my hand with white lightning then launched an overhead chop, splitting the beam in two.
Naomi grunted as the clashing energies began producing high winds, forcing her to cross guard to block the rushing debris in the area. Senkaku rose an eyebrow at me then watched as I charged straight toward him then glanced up to see Shogi demoting back into a pawn.
"What..?" Senkaku asked with disbelief, barely dodging my uppercut then noticed Nachah charging toward him and rammed his stomach with his head.
Senkaku grunted as he was knocked through the hole in the wall then noticed a stream of lightning rushing toward him. He blocked my kick and pushed me back, his back leg loaded up for a high roundhouse, but I swiftly ducked under then rolled behind him with a scissor lock.
Scrambling with him onto the ground, I mounted on top of him to give him some ground and pound. Senkaku blocked each of my attacks then palmed my cheek heavily, causing my eyes to roll to the back of my head.
A bolt of lightning from above struck my body, helping me regain consciousness and surprised Senkaku. I let out a primal yell and struck Senkaku's face, causing his head to hit the concrete heavily then I delivered another then another, his mask cracking behind each strike.
"This is for my mother and father!" I yelled, cloaking my hand with lightning then struck his chest with an electrifying Spirit Flash. "This is for Matsugaya!"
Senkaku groaned as I struck his face again, but managed to throw me off then kipped up on his feet. "You will die here, Izuna!"
I got back onto my feet then grunted as I threw my blazer off with pure frustration, white lightning surging around my body with a conviction that began heating up my body. I let out another bellow, my spirit energy exploding around my body.
Amon felt goosebumps crawling around his arm then looked down, his own spirit stirring up from the intensity around the campus. "What is this..?"
Joshua smirked at me and crossed his arms, chuckling softly as he watched my Holy Fire rage and dance upon my chest as if to let out a cry as well. 'Motosaki...God loves you this much. Such energy is a blessing...'
Half of Senkaku's mask crumbled off his face, exposing his gaze of hatred as he stared at me. He noticed my Sovereign Butterfly manifesting around me then looked back up, noticing Shogi was still a pawn.
'Where is he getting this power from..? It can't be from his God. It can not be! I refuse to be thwarted by You again! I've beaten your elect before, and I will do it again!' Senkaku raged mentally, his satura energy surging around his body.
"Who?"
"You will beat who?"
Senkaku froze as he heard a mysterious voice respond back to his thoughts then glanced up, noticing a massive White King lingering behind Shogi. He grit his teeth then looked back at me, watching as I psyched myself up by launching lightning fast jabs in the air and let out another battle cry.
'He's becoming just as wild as Mikoto when she's fired up... You are doing this for him? You're wasting your time! How about You just give up already!? You have already lost this when You ignored Nanako,' Senkaku replied mentally and grinned.
"All things work together for good..."
"Since you're so confident..."
"How about I show you who I Am,"
Suddenly, a white eagle began descending down from the skies and soared over to Naomi and perched up upon her shoulder, catching her by surprise. My Sovereign Butterfly began to glow brightly then split into seven more Sovereign Butterflies, each one carrying an equal amount of energy as the original.
A Power Angel Statue appeared on the rooftop of Matsugaya High and stared down at the battlefield, the spiritual board filling up with pawns, Knights, Rooks, Bishops, and the King Himself. Senkaku felt a sense of defeat wash over him, goosebumps crawling down his spine chillingly.
I suddenly locked onto Senkaku then one of my Sovereign Butterflies flew toward him quickly then I warped forward, striking him with a roundhouse kick to stun him. Naomi noticed the opening then ran forward then the white eagle took flight to the skies.
Senkaku held his mask upon his face then grunted as the white eagle suddenly crashed into him, blowing him backwards while Naomi began enhancing her water energy into ice. She stomped on the ground to cause ice spike to protrude from the ground.
Senkaku grunted as he dodged the ice spikes then sensed me warping behind him, but couldn't avoid my charging strike to his back. 'What...is going on..?'
"Let's jump the shit out of him!" I called out, using my Sovereign Butterflies to form decoys around Senkaku.
"Oh yeah! I'm down with that!" Naomi replied, pumping herself up and smacked her cheeks.
Senkaku glanced around himself, noticing he was surrounded then immediately knocked away one of my decoys with a side kick, but the Power Angel Statue struck him with lasers from his eyes. Senkaku groaned as he was knocked away then my decoys began dog piling upon him.
Naomi ran over to me as I rushed toward to her then slid forward while cupping my hands together, giving Naomi a boost by tossing her into the air. Naomi formed an orb of lightning at her palm then fired a barrage of lightning arrows toward Senkaku.
"They're actually doing it..." Aisha said, watching from the window in awe.
Nagini's smirk grew wider as she watched, chuckling softly as he looked up at the sky. "You treat him as if he's really Adel... Maybe the Izuna Clan does come from one of the 12 Tribes of Eyica..."
Tsubami and Lotus watched as Naomi continued her Fulgar Arrow onslaught, the explosions producing a larger smoke cloud than the last. Tsubami looked over at me, noticing me holding Mozanaim in the air and gradually increasing the magnitude of Naomi's attack.
"Zodiac Arts!" I yelled out, gripping Mozanaim tightly as it began shining brightly. "Sword of Justice!"
Shogi spread his wings then promoted into a Knight then unsheathed his sword, flying off the board then crashed into the physical realm with a downward thrust toward Senkaku. A large explosion went off, knocking me and Naomi away but we're caught by Nousagi and Kyoto.
The smoke cloud began to slowly disappear, exposing the aftermath of my combined attack with Naomi. Senkaku slowly stood up from the ground, his mask completely falling off his face and revealing his true identity.
"Jeht..? He really are Senkaku..." Usagi said in disbelief, her hands covering her mouth in shock.
Kyoto glared at Jeht and held me close to her in a protective manner, her black wing wrapping over me as a cover. "I knew it..."
Jeht looked around and noticed half of the campus was surprised while the other half seemed to already know. He moved his hair from his face with a dark chuckle, closing his eyes and shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, I suppose this is a major setback, huh? Alright, I guess we go with Plan B!" Jeht said, holding his hand out toward me, Naomi, Nousagi, and Kyoto then pink cubes formed around his hand then shifted into spikes. "I'll kill silence all of you!"
"This festival will end for good, and Nanako will be mine! She should've stayed in Hajima if she wanted a long life! This ends now," Jeht laughed, launching the spikes at us at high speeds.
Suddenly, time gears appeared upon the spikes then crumbled onto the ground like dust. Jeht grunted softly and looked back, noticing Nagini walking up with her hands in her lab coat with a smirk upon her serpentine face.
"That is enough chaos for today...and if you want to live a long life, you'd retreat now. You've entertained me for long enough," Nagini said as she stood in front of me and the others.
Jeht scoffed at Nagini, not knowing who she was then charged toward her, but a single amped heart beat blew Jeht away and broke three of his ribs. He grunted as he recovered upon one knee, holding his rubs in deep pain and looked up at Nagini.
"You're messing with a Physical Goddess now! Elected and Elevated by Christ Himself! You wish to die here?" Nagini asked, taking a hand out of her pocket then positioned them into snapping formation.
Jeht stared at Nagini with disbelief, unable to sense her spirit energy but his own spirit knew she was too powerful to deal with. He scoffed with disdain before blinking away, not wanting to deal with the threat of Dr. Noxius Nagini.