Astrovoid Shower- Celestial University Book 2: A Bully Romance

Chapter 73: Easel of Empathy

On their way back, Sehki asked Lorena what to do about Ruben.

"Hmm, Tenshia seems the most focused on Void fighting, so you can work with her. Arian's annoying but Cree could keep her ego in check."

"Problem is media boy's gonna waste time spreading more negativity to make his friends look like heroes. And if they're working with Proxim, we need to sever their ties."

"You think they're working with him unintentionally?"

"Whoever they are, to us it seems like they're the villain. To them, they must be like a benefactor helping them bridge the power gap. They don't see me as someone saving Terra, but like the Void: someone that's deadly dangerous, something they're afraid they can't stop."

"There's a but coming."

"Dango, Meng, I could see a few of the Rising Twelve seeing past the perception. She chose to help us fight her cousin and Fari. I could talk to her but we can't let Ruben distract us. The girls are coming with us: Taylor' gonna pick Delphine as his wife. Nyla seems to care about Capel."

"You're not thinking..."

"Let's try to ship him with Kayla! That'll get his eyes on something other than his phone!"

"Why would we ship those two somewhere else?" He forgot Earth and Terra slang weren't always equal. "So we're gonna fight propaganda with sex appeal?"

"Exactly! Or romantic. Whichever appeal works the best. Better her than Tychonis."

"Feels manipulative. Then again, he's doing the same thing."

"Using our peers to fill his own unsatisfied lust and ego?"

"He might be...after sparring, remind me to research him and Fari."

When they got back to the dorm, Wali announced they were set for training, calling on the Shadow Brawlers, Ainsley, and Taylor for a role call.

"Ichi."

"Dos."

"Three? What's the lost language phrase for that?"

"Four, Cree, not now."

"Uh, five?"

"Yawn, boring," walking away.

Sehki sucked his teeth. "Tay, come train with us!"

"I don't need too. The hero always figures out how to win in a pinch."

"True, but they usually get their butts whipped multiple times first. Then again, karma's always a beautiful sight to behold. Where's my ladies?"

Delphine came rushing in to tackle him near a tree while Kayla and Nyla weren't too far behind.

He felt her up from asset to muscle. "Did you get stronger or something?"

"We've been training with your mom, silly! I can show you some moves, and," sliding to his rear, "you can show me how hard you've been working."

Nyla yawned. "Let's get this over with."

Sehki picked Candy as his sparring partner.

"You'll train me?"

"Well I have good defense, your brother's an all rounder, and Lore mixes range with speed. We've both got new forms that trade speed for power and durability. You work on your reaction speed for switching and using it faster, I'll get used to Lorena's. Get ready, sis!"

They went into their new forms and collided.

Cree took Lorena for a surprise.

"You're unlocking your Zodiac?"

"Trying to focus and push myself to channel it through multiple parts of my body, the key is balance. Sehki wants to help these guys, but if we gotta beat em' up again to get there, I wanna' be another Zodiac user with you both. Show me what you can do with those new blades."

Taylor watched even Kayla and Delphine launching echo attacks at one another, while Ainsley offered to help Nyla improve her shield skills.

They're putting in so much effort - but I'm going to win either way, twitching with memories of him as a DeVoid, watching his fingers quiver.

"I'm strong enough to be a hero....aren't I?"

After two weeks, the Shadow Brawlers, heir, Hydraulic Heralds, and Queen Austrians were brought to Mechion's office.

"With the Cultural Festival started, you'll all be participating and searching for the second facility Coalition's forces haven't been able to find. Also, Fari was taken."

"What?"

"I have my suspicions. Starlight wasn't used to transport her completely. Lorena, what did you find?"

"I know Easel. Sort of. When I was younger, there was a food shortage after the Shakuheld's deaths. Those living on the outskirts didn't have enough Hydroclear magic to know if the water and the aquatic animals from below were purified."

"Your dad got by working cases for a bit until he was attacked."

"But others weren't so lucky, so it became a battleground of sellers and people who couldn't afford it risking their health for any sort of food, and if they were turned to a Void, the guards would show up and...well not everyone is reverted back to normal safe and sound."

Taylor yawned. "Get on with it already, she's clearly working with Proxim."

"A hero who doesn't care about the villains they fight will lose."

"An-y-way, I was practicing my powers when I came across a girl who was showing other kids that she caught fish infecting the Voids and was able to burp out the infection. Some started taking advantage of her but I think I told her to eat some first and hide." She took a breath.

"She said her parents wanted to make sure no one would have to starve. The food in the central city was too expensive for most of us to buy and the sellers over here were stepping on each other for a quick buck since some had better teachings of their StellArts."

"But?"

"One day there was a huge shipment where people got sick. I saw her break into the shipment and take the trucks back home. She got rid of the Void influence but there were orders from the royal family to arrest her. I," shuddering.

"I was too afraid to get in trouble. Her parents begged them to take them instead and she swam away."

"She must've found Kesh not long after," Wali chimed.

The rest of them turned to Taylor and Austrina with anger and confusion, causing them to flinch.