(Discontinued) CORHEIM Year One Volume 1: The New Heart in Town

VOL.2: Chapter Dvadeset i Jedan

Chapter 52———SKIRMISH ON!
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In Reza's house, he lived all by himself cozily from his part-time job at the grocery store in Navotitlan. He almost got robbed on Saturday until he scared them off by telling them that he was from Surwick.
Even hearing the name was blasphemy to the crooks. Which was odd for him, considering that his school bled fine heroes and heroines over the past hundreds of years.
He sluggishly rubbed his eyes before donning his glasses and looking at his alarm clock. Today is the day! Reza thought, exuberant of today's competition.
He jumped in glee for he knew: Today was the start of the three days where the Skirmish took place.
As he got ready, he looked at a family portrait where a younger version of himself was cuddled up with his father and mother. The good times...He thought, reminiscing the good times but didn't let it go to his head. Instead, he made a vow to the portrait. I will make you guys proud once more...I swear...

———8:15 a.m.———

Buses were lining up for each class that was going to participate today.
Each and everyone from Class C-2 arrived in her sports uniform, only this time the entire suit was maroon with golden lines across the suit, and wore their respective masks. Ryoji's mask had horns attached  to his mask, Takeo had ice patterns riddled on the dome of his head while Funka was lined up with the same properties of her gauntlets and Marcus had a domino mask.
Just a simple if that.
Everyone was ready for today, even being in the mindset of winner takes all. The winner of the Skirmish will be known to the entire hero community and will be sought by hero-seeking interns to follow in their footsteps, that will mean Ryoji and Akina and everyone else must give it their all. No slacking off today, even Armando Ayala, who had no mask because he believed that heroes shouldn't wear it—Instead, they should embrace their private identities.
He wasn't the sharpest knife in the knife block.
And Akina wore a red scarf around her mouth, something that was with her from the day she was delivered to the Duncannons. She also wore white gloves and good track shoes, all the while making sure her hair was not tickling her eyelashes.
Beri, wearing his hero mask over his track uniform, wondered why Akina wore a scarf as means to hide her identity.
"Is that what you're wearing for the Skirmish?" Beri asked
"This-s is my hidden identity. I don't-t do well with masks that cover my-y entire face and this was-s the only way." Akina explained bashfully as she looked at Cecilia before she put on her mask.
You're also pretty bashful... Beri thought as accidentally poked elbows or shoulders on Tsurugi's metallic elbow who wore a purple visor over his eyes.
Beri only looked back and scoot away awkwardly from Tsurugi. "I'm not gonna bite you, man. Geez." Tsurugi muttered to himself while the action was over there with the Vanguards. "Where's your mask, Haritoka?" Cecilia asked him insincerely, wanting to make him suffer due to his body being an inconvenience to him. Her mask mirrored that of an owl with a sharp beak going downward, her eyes looked sharper under the mask.
Kadoku had no mask, only his purple, draconic face was bare. He did have an excellent-looking mask for everyone, but Kadoku was also pissed at how it broke.
"I ACCIDENTALLY RIPPED IT 'CAUSE OF MY HEAD!!" He blurted out before pointing at his fellow Vanguard companion. "Besides, I will not be asked by you of all people!" He started pointing at the obvious with her design.
"Not even your mask is nice! It's so predictable and redundant cause...YOU'RE AN OWL!!!" He yelled at her, which made a few snickers in delight.
"The fact that it's shaped like something I'd rather not talk about really speaks volumes," Jordyn said outspokenly to him, even one far away could see a vein popping out of his head. 
Like Armando, Jordyn wore no mask since the world practically knew who she was. Jordyn was not hiding and her 38K Followers on Instagram knew her true identity.
She even knew the ones that were waiting when she turned eighteen.
"You mean a dill pickle, right?" Taig asked while faking that he was innocent, he just wanted to hear the word that Jordyn was implying since he was not so innocent even Haral thought he was.
I don't think that was the word that Cecilia was going for...But you would get an A for effort... Hrishti thought.
Instead of a mask, she wore heavy makeup to conceal her identity. Hrishti was good in make-up so much that her identity was not going to be figured out by those who wanted to.
Everyone was huddled up to hear the good news about the Skirmish and Brandon was ready to tell them.
"Listen up! This year's Skirmish is in Windvoren, so we're going to take the bus this time around!"
The festival is in Windvoren? How interesting... Ryoji thought as he stepped in and sat alongside Su-Jin on the bus. She got comfortable speaking with him.
Unlike most of the class, Su-Jin's parents were still together and were her actual parents. Which was uncommon, yet very healthy at the same. She wondered why he didn't know where his parents are currently. So she asked in a whisper, finding that question to be a more intimate one. "Ryoji, you never talk about your parents. Do you know where they are?"
"They..." Ryoji was looking for an answer for her while trying to be honest with her a bit. "Are usually working where they kinda don't. I don't know where they are..."
Kadoku also had parents who cared for him despite them being normal and...he wasn't.  He loved them and acted differently around them. "Sorry to hear about that, man. Can't believe like you have to live your whole lives not knowing where your moms and pops are..." Kadoku empathized with his polar opposite.
Then he remembered, that Protectors and Vanguards were enemies. Why should he care about the Heart-Bond?
He should care, but what was the point of all? It would have been better if they were friends or had a good impression, but the past is called the past for a reason.
"Whatever. Maybe it's a good thing that your parents don't know about ya."
Just when he seemed like a decent person for once...Still better than me...Ryoji thought while resuming looking at the window as his conversation with Su-Jin was at an end.
Windvoren was the N.U.S.N representative of Germany and was known to be the middle of it all.
Not too much crime occurred there but it wasn't rare either, Windvoren was hardened enough to be not so gullible as the residents of Avignon's most peaceful county Christine. Windvoren's counties were Pfullenfurt, Vilsbüren and Nuremland.
And Nuremland, the biggest county in Windvoren, was where the Skirmish coliseum resided.
Companies were glad to be sponsoring the Skirmish as millions from over the N.U.S.N and some parts of the world were watching these brave, little souls compete in grueling matches to determine which student will become the 2018's Skirmish Winner.
Many think of the Skirmish Festival as a modern-day gladiator slugfest, except with children in Surwick fighting for their future.
This year, however; the pharmaceutical company ZiON was not present for this year's Skirmish due to the Rescue Garden Incident. The publicity almost made Sera blackout before the Skirmish had begun.
Even the Duncannons were able to get seats with the Berunjis. Hiroki Berunji, or Captain Molotov
August and Hiroki have known each other back in their childhood days when August cared about many home runs he could get and Hiroki cared about how to impress a girl with his powers.
Hiroki slapped his hands together and rubbed rather viciously. "I know who's gonna win this year's and it's gonna be Funka!" Hiroki shouted his daughter's name while August shouted his children's names. "Akina and Marcus!"
The two proud fathers looked at one another and thus ignited a rivalry between the two. It was healthy to do this, for fathers to do this every time they disagreed.
"Oh, it's on...My daughter and my son are gonna kick her ass until Funka is gonna be begging her to stop."
"Really? Wait until mine powerbombs the shit of yours!" Hiroki bickered back, pressing his forehead onto August's.
Ehana and Cierra watched their husbands in dismay, seeing how competition can change people.
There goes my husband... Ehana and Cierra shared the same thought, both of them were embarrassed by their husband's little squabble.