Ashiro looks at his father, confused. "How could you become twisted, You're so nice to Mom, Atsuo, Nao, and me."
Satsujin chuckled. "Just promise you'll put me down when that time comes. And if you can't then let someone else do it."
"ASHIRO!"
He springs awake, seeing the entire classroom staring at him as whispers echo.
"Y-yeah!?"
"What causes a revenant user's output to stay constant and controlled, despite condensing the energy's output?" The teacher asks, slightly upset at Ashiro napping in the classroom.
Ashiro scratches the back of his head, still sleepy. "Revenant Aura Compression is a technique that compacts aura and unleashes it in short bursts of power, be it long-range or short-range." Ashiro then yawns, almost falling back to sleep. "Sorry, Teach."
The teacher smirked at Ashiro, impressed with his knowledge of revenant. "Very good, Ashiro. Do you know how many innate techniques a revenant user can withhold?"
Ashiro thought for a moment, trying to find an answer. "No, I don't."
The teacher then explained the answer: "While it is true that we can't assume or say how many innate techniques a revenant user can have, we know that revenant is the baseline for an innate technique."
Midori looked at the teacher, bored. "Hey, when are combat classes?"
"Midori, interrupt my lecture again, I dare you." The teacher's voice echoed with authority across the room.
Midori scoffs at him, turning away. "(Damn bastard.)"
---
Ashiro walks down the hallway, talking with Kohaku "So when do you wanna set up another date?" He asked curiously.
"I was thinking we could visit that movie theater that's near the city, or maybe go star gazing on the hilltops of Nexus Academy. Oh, maybe the diner on that one street we saw a few days ago!"
Kohaku chuckled to herself cutely, seeing Ashiro's puppy-like attitude."(He's like a happy puppy going for a walk.)"
"How about the diner, We haven't had a fancy meal in a while," Kohaku replied, thinking about the delicious barbecue at the diner.
Ashiro nodded, pulling out his cellphone to make a reservation.
*Thud!*
Ashiro feels someone's shoulder smash into his. "(Who the hell?)"
Ashiro looks at the figure, seeing a boy with light brown hair and a baby face
"Ah, sorry that's my bad..." The facial expression he had was soft and sympathetic.
Ashiro waves his hand casually. "Nah, don't sweat it, bro."
The boy bowed again, trying to walk away. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience!"
Ashiro gently grabs his shoulder. "Haru, right?"
The boy's eyebrow raised from hearing his name. "Yeah.. you're Ashiro. The earliest S-Ranker of the modern age."
Ashiro smirked, but shook his head. "Nah, that title goes to my best friend."
Haru slightly tilts his head in confusion. "There was an S-Ranker before you!?"
Ashiro smiled, thinking about Kodak. "Yeah, he's someone special to our group. He brought us all together in a sense."
Haru nods, listening closely to Ashiro's description. "Was he stronger than you?"
"Yeah, vastly stronger," Ashiro replied, still wondering if Kodak was training. "And yet, he continues growing. Some days I feel left behind as he discovers more of himself. But I gotta remind myself that he's a Kawanari."
Haru's eyes then widened in surprise."Wait, are you talking about one of the 5 Kawanari's left!?" His voice filled with shock.
Ashiro scratched his head, realizing that he had forgotten about keeping Kodak's existence a secret. "Shit."
---
2 weeks later...
Nexus Academy, Wednesday Afternoon
The teacher entered the classroom, greeting them energetically. "Good morning class!"
"Good morning Sensei!" They replied, keeping the room respectful and welcoming.
He smiled at the warm welcome from the classroom. "As you all know, the first 2 weeks were based around basic techniques that helped with mastering your output and increasing your capacities of revenant."
He began walking around the room, looking at the students. His attention focused on Ashiro, Masaki, Akari, Kohaku, and Fumiko.
"While most of you performed above average there were 15 students amongst the 30 people within this class that became vastly more capable. I'm happy for you, but make sure you all are giving 120%."
He finished circling the room, ending up back at the chalkboard.
"We've discussed about revenant output and capacity. We now move on to the next stage." He lightly tapped a ruler against the chalkboard."Quality and efficiency."
The few students talk amongst themselves, some excited about the style of training, while others get upset.
The teacher then clapped his hands, and a blue energy echoed through the room. Students begin whispering, before immediately shutting their mouths.
"Who is that teacher?"
"That's Jaeden, no last name. He's rumored to be one of the strongest revenant users in the world."
Ashiro glances over, hearing the rumors and whispering."(No shit he's strong. I could tell just from his aura channels and pathways. He's achieved a rank higher than S-Rank!)"
Jaeden then cleared his throat, a gesture that let the class know he needed a quiet room.
"Ahem, as I was saying. I have noticed most of you struggle with efficiency and quality of your revenant. Mainly your skills and innate techniques. Your speed of activation is alright, but it's mediocre at best."
A student then raised their hand, prompting them to be called on by Jaeden."What do you want?"
The student who raised their hand was Haru, a person Ashiro had met earlier. "Will this training impact the festival happening tomorrow?"
Jaeden stared at Haru, rubbing his temple in annoyance. "No, it won't be. Because you all will be condensing and reinforcing your revenant cores."
A silence filled the room as Jaeden stared at the students with a blank stare.
"Well don't just sit around get to the training grounds ya fricking idiots!"
Students rushed out of the room frantically. Ashiro however, didn't rush out. He walked out of the room composed and collected. Kohaku grabbed his arm, holding herself close to him."So did you plan that reservation yet?
Ashiro smiled, nodding his head."I did, but with what's going on with the entire world and what our lives are pursuing. The diner has been delayed to next week." Ashiro's face was saddened slightly, both by a feeling of letting down his significant other. But also cause he felt as if he was slacking in the relationship. He felt as though he shouldn't let her down, nor feel down.
Kohaku then looked at him, looking at his eyes filled with guilt and a bit of sadness. She placed both her hands on Ashiro's face, holding him gently. And yet, he felt at peace with the warm sensation coming from Kohaku's compassion.
She then opened her mouth to speak. "I know that look. You're doubting yourself again." Her voice and eyes filled with empathy for him. "You're too hard on yourself. Give up that stern and strict attitude you place upon yourself."
Ashiro's face was flushed from the heartfelt words exiting Kohaku's lips. His heart fluttered from her empathy and compassion. He raised his hands, holding hers as she held his warm face. "(My heart feels like it's gonna explode!)"
Ashiro's face then flushed an even greater red, becoming like that of a bright cherry. "I-I-I.." The words he heard made him stutter with embarrassment. "(Fuck.)" His eyes nervously darted around the room, feeling uncomfortable from the constant eye contact.
He looked towards a wall to his right, but Kohaku gently redirected his face. "Please Ashiro. Look at me, don't turn away. Let me in and comfort you for once. You helped me time and time again. So let me do the same for you, Love."
Ashiro flinches slightly as she moves closer, but he gives in. "Okay, Kohaku."
Their heads lean a bit down and move forward, until their foreheads make contact. Ashiro's heart stops pounding out of his chest and Kohaku smiles as he finally lets her into his closed heart.
"How do you feel?" Kohaku asks with a soft tone in her voice.
"At peace... I never thought I'd-" Kohaku places her finger on Ashiro's lips, shushing him immediately. "Just enjoy this and feel your stress, anxiety, and pain dissipate."
[Conditions for Agony have been fulfilled!]
A warm and embracing energy coursed through their bodies, calming Ashiro deeply.
Bad memories of the fight against his father echoed in his mind, but were slowly quelled. His eyes soften as Kohaku and he walk further down the hallway.
But Ashiro then senses revenant, quickly followed by the feeling of heat and a green light.
He then hears Fumiko's voice from across the hall. "WATCH OUT!"
[2nd Earth Formation: Stoneheart Sanctuary!]
A large dome of rock forms from the ground, shielding Ashiro and Kohaku instantly.
Fumiko looks forward, angry towards the attacker of Ashiro. She runs through the hallway, her sneakers slightly squeaking as she inches closer towards Ashiro.
A voice then echoed through the hallway as Fumiko was mere inches away from Ashiro's dome of stone.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" A feminine voice yelled at Fumiko. A voice that was rather annoying to hear.
[Skill: Vine Slasher Activated!]
Green vines lash out, narrowly missing Fumiko's face as she slides over the vines.
[Skill: Blossoming Blades Activated!]
A glow of soft purple echoes on the floors of the hallway, staying in the air around Fumiko.
She turned and looked at her attacker, seeing Azami. "Aw shit." Fumiko didn't wanna deal with her at this moment, but she couldn't help Ashiro.
"Could we not do this? This brief has nothing to do with you." Fumiko said harshly, trying to insult and throw off Azami.
Fumiko then snapped her fingers, sending the 4 moonblades she briefly summoned at Azami.
However, she blocks the first two blades with a thick tree root that envelopes her arms.
[Skill: Rooted Defense Activated!]
The next two blades chase after Azami but they shatter upon impact with the multiple vines.
Azami then flicks her wrist, vines rupture from the ground, trying to latch onto Fumiko. However, she slips through the wicked attacks. Sliding over the floor and jumping from wall to wall.
"You just don't listen do you!?" Fumiko exclaimed, annoyed at Azami.
[Skill: Lunar Aura Activated!]
Fumiko's body glows the same tone of purple as her blades. She jumps from wall to wall even faster than before, becoming more precise.
Azami's eyes dart across the hallway, unable to keep up with the speed of Fumiko's movements. "Your pretty damn fast!"
Fumiko ignores the pointless banter from Azami. She fully focused her intentions on the opponent in front of her. Her lunar aura skill surged even more wildly, making Fumiko's eyes glow with lunar energy.
"(I stored up about 80% of lunar energy from last night's training, and now I have achieved power equal to Ashiro's!)"
Fumiko then stops moving around the walls of the hallway, making Azami smirk with overconfidence. "So you finally decided to stop running you bitch!"
[1st Vinestorm Formation: Briar Onslaught!]
Thick spikey vines erupt from the ground as Azami rushes down the hallway towards Fumiko. A stray vine tears through a wall on the left of Azami.
Fumiko shifts her feet a little, getting into a more evasive stance. She inhaled and slowly exhaled as Azami stormed the hallway. A vine then tears through the wall, lashing out at Fumiko.
The prickly edge of the thorn-covered vine grazes Fumiko's cheek. Blood slowly trickles down her face, but Fumiko didn't care and was only focusing on Azami's charge.
"DIE!" Azami screamed as her prickly vines tore through the hallway. Multiple students then watch as Fumiko sees them enter the hallways. "(Damn it, if I miss I could hurt them.)"
Fumiko then dodged a barrage of vines, followed by the combination of punches and kicks from Azami. Fumiko was losing ground as she was being forced back towards a group of students.
Fumiko then grabs Azami by her arms, using her arms to take the blow of her attacks. A red rash appears upon impact. Azami scoffs at Fumiko, unimpressed.
However, Fumiko then lands a precise strike on her face. Sending her flying through the hallway and into a wall.
[Skill: Illuminated Moon Strike!]
Fumiko sees Azami go flying through the hallway, completely knocked out.
[Jade Phoenix Activated!]
[Skill: Cry of the Phoenix Activated!]
A blast of green flames burst towards Fumiko. She prepares herself to block it. Suddenly a huge wall of stone erupts from the ground, nullifying the blast from Midori completely.
Fumiko then looks behind herself, seeing Ashiro and Kohaku. She smirks at Ashiro, before asking him about Midori and Azami's relationship. "So you gonna tell me why those two are after you?" She then playfully nudged his arm.
Ashiro lightly chuckled in response to Fumiko's teasing. "Their siblings, and the main reason they attacked me was cause I tried to date Azami about a couple of years back. I then broke up with her after she was toxic and overly secretive. I suppose she somehow convinced her brother to try and take 'revenge' on me."
Fumiko only shook her head, slightly chuckling at the fact that Ashiro had a girlfriend besides Kohaku. "Well go beat that jackass again. He can't be too strong, right?"
Ashiro smirked, walking through the stone wall as it turned into dust. "Yeah, I got that much figured out."
A blast of green flames erupts through the hallway, inches away from Ashiro's face.
[Skill: Elemental Nexus Activated!]
[Ironclad Aura Selected!]
Ashiro's body instantly starts glowing a dark yellow of brown. Stone forms around his body, creating a full body of stone armor.
Midori smirked at him, impressed. "Well, seems you mastered the earth element. Good, that gives me more of a challenge to break you even more gruesomely!"
[1st Jaded Flame Formation: Flame Frenzy!]
Midori then disappears and reappears instantly. Ashiro throws a jab and a hook, but his fist just passes through him. His stone-covered strike passes through green flames where he thought Midori's face was.
"(What!?)"
Ashiro jumps into the air, avoiding the burst of flames. "(He made his body into intangible flames. So, what can I do?)"
Midori smirks, walking forward with green flames covering his hands. "Your physical prowess and martial arts are superior. I can admit that much, but your creativity is ass!"
[2nd Jaded Flame Formation: Rampage!]
Flames ignite from Midori's hands, getting hotter, stronger, and even larger. "People like you should just kill yourself!"
Midori rushes forward, jumping into a burning dropkick of green fire. Ashiro dodges the attack and goes for a punch with his armored hand. "(Let me try something.)"
[1st Flame Formation: Fiery Fury!]
The attack lands straight on Midori's gut, making him cough up a little amount of blood from his mouth. "WHAT!" He screamed in anger at Ashiro, repulsed by how his opponent was able to hit him.
Midori was angry and wanted to rush at Ashiro once more, but he noticed something strange.
"(His stone armor now has flames!?)" Midori was confused and stood up, slamming his fist into the ground in anger. "(He's able to use multiple elements. But I didn't know that his flames were stronger than mine. That brief nullification allows that jagged armor to pierce through my defenses. If I take another hit, I'll lose. So I can win with my speed!)"
Midori then rushed forward, landing multiple close-range attacks. "(I CAN WIN!)"
Ashiro continued blocking, trying to find an opening. "Tch, you really are too damn reckless!"
Ashiro then saw Midori rush him from the left. The stone armor then crumbles as Ashiro's blue flames fire up more intensely than before.
Godai's voice then enters his mind. "Looks like your combination style of both flame and earth still needs work, Ashiro. You just need more time to master the Earth incantations."
Ashiro's flames flare up as his voice speaks a single word. "Flare."
His flames then spread around his body.
[Elemental Nexus Activated!]
[Veins of Fierce Flames Selected!]
Ashiro's veins then illuminate a blue glow of flames. His body heats up and a message then appears from the system.
[Power and speed increased by 50%]
[Time limit: 4 minutes and 58 seconds!]
Ashiro smirked, thinking about the combination of both flaming incantations and the flame side of the elemental nexus.
"(Looks like it worked. Both my physical and activation speed rose even higher. I used to think that the Flare incantation was useless with the drop in power for my speed being doubled. But 'Veins of Fierce Flames' fixes that!)"
[New skill was created!]
[Skill: Elemental Amplification activated!]
[Understanding of Element Energy increased!]
Ashiro smirks at the messages before he turns, facing Midori with newfound strength. Information then surges within Ashiro's mind, information about flaring amplification.
[By using a combination of an incantation and an elemental aura. The user gains a transformation that vastly powers up the core parts of said element.]
Ashiro's hair then transforms into dark blue flames. His eyes go completely black, and his body even bulks up a bit.