TN: Rain of Darkness
In that dry, earthen landscape, Naoko lay injured in the pit Koa had opened in the ground. The man stood above her with a firm expression, his eyes fixed on her without wavering.
"I already know there are others. Call them to fight." Koa ordered.
Feeling slightly less dizzy, Naoko adjusted herself and faced him. Despite the pain, she was still able to move. Quickly, she raised her hand and launched a thick mass of water toward her opponent's face.
Koa was hit. He hadn't been expecting a counterattack, but even so, it didn't seem to stir any emotion in him. After wiping away the excess water, he looked into the trench where the girl had been moments ago, and was surprised to see it completely filled with water.
Did she turn into water? he wondered for a moment.
A few seconds later, Naoko appeared behind him, aiming a kick at his head. Koa reacted instantly, blocking the blow with his right forearm.
The girl crouched low again, returning to a fighting stance. At that moment, Koa threw a punch toward her face, but she used her arm to deflect it. He quickly followed up with a right hook, which she managed to block, barely.
With both of her arms locked against his, she switched to another kick, this time toward Koa's ribs. The man, clearly experienced in combat, chose not to defend. Instead, he caught the girl's leg, lifted it to his shoulder height, and threw his weight over her, making her lose balance and crash hard to the ground, bruising her back.
"No more kicking! The communicator device. Do you have it?" Koa demanded, his tone sharp as he leaned over her, pinning her wrists so she couldn't escape.
The city's unstable weather turned suddenly violent, rain began pouring down in sheets.
She's the Water Potentia… this rain will only make her stronger, Koa thought quickly, already trying to come up with a strategy.
The rain… how lucky, Naoko thought, her mind racing for a way to get out of that situation.
Her thoughts were abruptly cut short. A strange pressure began to weigh on her entire body, as if every nerve and muscle were being tortured. Pain spread through her like blades under her skin, and a scream escaped her lips. Koa only stared, expressionless. Her body convulsed involuntarily under the agony, but her mind was still trying to grasp what was happening.
Such pain… unbelievable… He's not even squeezing me, just holding my arms. Every part of me hurts so much… Could this be… Mental Potentia? Naoko seemed to reach a conclusion.
"If you tell me where the other Potentia are, I can ease your pain." Koa proposed.
"I…" Naoko murmured, then fell silent.
A huge mass of water formed right behind Koa. He heard the rushing sound, turned around, and was struck with surprise as the great wave enveloped him completely.
Now Koa was the one trapped, unable to breathe or move. The water was so dense that his vision blurred; he couldn't see anything beyond it.
Moments later, the mass of water dissolved, and Koa gasped for air. Regaining his senses, he immediately noticed that the girl he had been fighting was gone.
The Water Potentia, once within his grasp, had escaped. There was no sign of which way she had gone, and he had no lead to follow.
Desolate, Koa sat in the mud beneath the storm.
She used the rain… tried to drown me… I lost her. She did all that in her condition… Her willpower… it's beyond measure, he reflected, alone.
Sayuri's House, Evening.
Night had already fallen. The younger girls were home, Megumi had gone out for a walk, and Naoko still hadn't returned or sent any message. Sayuri paced back and forth impatiently until Akiko appeared.
"Akiko… it's getting late. Have you heard from Naoko?" Sayuri asked, hopeful.
"She went out for the school event with the girls from her class!" Akiko replied cheerfully, walking toward the kitchen.
"Akiko… show some concern! She did say that, but I didn't think she'd be this late." Sayuri sighed, rubbing her forehead.
Moments later, the front door burst open so fast and loud it could be heard from the kitchen.
"I think that's Guang." Sayuri said, heading to the living room.
"SAYURI! I NEED HELP! I FOUND NAOKO LIKE THIS!" Guang shouted.
Guang rushed in carrying Naoko. Covered in mud and drenched from the rain, her legs trembled uncontrollably. The only thing keeping her from collapsing completely was sheer willpower.
Sayuri, who knew how strong Naoko was, froze at the sight.
"NAOKO!? WHAT HAPPENED!? PUT HER ON THE COUCH!" Sayuri exclaimed, hurrying for the first aid kit.
Naoko was placed on the couch to rest, visibly exhausted, barely holding herself awake. Guang handed her a glass of water, which Naoko accepted with gratitude and took a few sips. Sayuri sat beside her, checking for fever with the back of her hand.
"…What happened? How did you end up like this?" Sayuri asked, her voice trembling with concern.
"Sayu… there was… another enemy. Different this time." Naoko answered, short of breath.
Another one? Sayuri thought, incredulous. She helped care for Naoko until the girl felt well enough to shower and go to bed.
Planet Finalia, the same night.
"I'm here, my lady. What do you need?" Koa asked, having been urgently summoned to Ayami's main hall.
"LADY AYAMI TO YOU, BOY. NOW EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Ayami's voice thundered, filled with fury and authority.
"Lady Ayami… the others were idle in their missions. Although I was called only for support, I realized that…" Koa began, trying to remain composed.
"REALIZED WHAT!? THAT YOU COULD DRAW EVEN MORE ATTENTION TO THEM? THEY'LL BE ON HIGH ALERT NOW! LEAVE MY SIGHT! BE GRATEFUL I'M NOT PUNISHING YOU TONIGHT!" Ayami interrupted, shouting him down.
Everyone knew how commanding Ayami could be, and Koa was no exception. Realizing there was no point in explaining further, he turned and left, slamming the door in frustration. All he could do was swallow his anger.
As he walked down the main corridor, a voice called from behind.
"Well, well…" a woman teased. "Looks like someone just got scolded by the boss."
The mocking tone belonged to Yesenia, who smirked as she approached. Koa looked at her, noticing the still-visible wounds from their last battle.
"…How are your injuries?" he asked, trying to sound genuinely concerned.
"I'm better, healed just fine. But I needed to check if the sensitivity came back. Care to help me test it?" she said, her tone turning from teasing to seductive as she laid a hand on his chest.
Koa caught her hand and moved it aside. She frowned, clearly displeased. He didn't care much for her expression and commented bluntly.
"Maybe if you stopped treating people like objects, they'd stop treating you like one."
"Oh, so you're giving me a lecture now? You, of all people, who's also treated like a tool?" Yesenia shot back coldly. "You know she doesn't love you. Why do you keep pretending she does?"
Koa stayed silent after that, his serious expression unchanged. Without saying another word, he walked away, leaving Yesenia alone in the hallway.
March 25 — M High School
Morning classes in Room 202 were lively as ever. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, so students chatted in their small groups. Even Adonis had his own circle, talking about classes and random topics alike.
"Adonis! People wanna know, and I'll just say it! You into short smart girls or what?" one friend teased.
"I dunno, never thought about it." Adonis answered honestly, not even bothering to think.
"There's nothing going on between you and that girl from the first year?" the same friend asked, smirking.
"What girl, man? What are you talking about?" Adonis frowned, resting his elbow on the desk and raising an eyebrow, clearly annoyed.
"Ah… rumors are spreading! You know what they say, the voice of the people, the voice of God!" the friend said with mock wisdom.
Rumors!? Adonis suddenly felt this might be a problem.
March 26 — The Next Morning
The school was buzzing again, but this time with a new rumor.
Miyu walked through the courtyard during break and noticed people staring and whispering. At first, she thought it was a coincidence, but after ten groups did the same, she knew something was up.
Something's really weird here, she thought, uneasy.
Behind her, Aino appeared, looking upset.
"MIYU! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?" she shouted.
"WHAT!? TELL YOU WHAT!?" Miyu turned, startled.
"Blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah…" Aino explained every piece of gossip going around the school.
"What!? That's not true! Where did they even get that from? The only thing between us is trouble! He broke the lab glass, and I got blamed too!" Miyu snapped, frustrated that Adonis had dragged her into another mess.
Meanwhile, across the courtyard, Adonis walked through the crowd, also the target of whispers. He headed toward the covered court, a quiet, empty place at that hour.
He vented his anger by throwing a ball against the wall, hard, over and over. His thoughts fumed.
DOESN'T ANYONE HERE HAVE A LIFE? IF THEY HAVE THAT MUCH TIME FOR GOSSIP, WHY DON'T THEY STUDY!?
He ran his hands down his face and through his hair, clearing it from his eyes. That's when he noticed Miyu standing at the doorway. Their eyes met, and both turned red with embarrassment. She quickly turned around and left.
Damn… she must've heard the rumors too, Adonis thought.
That morning dragged on painfully for both of them. Between whispers and glances, neither could focus on the lessons. The only relief was that the weekend was near, and, thankfully, school rumors rarely lasted long.