Luxor Academy: Flames of Chaos

Chapter 17 - Zealous Battle

After the events of the auditorium, Seo and I had dinner together. Kazuki disapproved, and at the time, I didn't know that it was because Kazuki was in love with me.

"You don't seem much like your brother," I remember commenting. Immediately after saying that, I realized how rude it was.

But Seo didn't take offense. He simply laughed, placing down his forkful of potatoes before saying, "Me and Ryo are from different mothers and different cultures."

"Oh. Is that why we're here?" I asked. At that moment, I realized I was way too inquisitive.

"Yep," Seo smiled, taking a bite of his mashed potatoes.

"Anything you want to learn from me?" I was determined to not make this a one-sided conversation.

"Definitely," Seo nodded, "But the number of questions I have would take several dinners long."

"But we have the time, don't we?" I was so oblivious to my upcoming fate, "So ask away."

Three days passed, bunkered underneath the ruins of the dorms, no light coming in. Ryo had his eyes glued to the video feeds, Seo meticulously sharpened his arrows, and Kazuki spent his time training with anger as an inspiration. Caesar spent most of his time in a trance, and it was obvious that he was communicating with something-- or someone.

From what Kagami heard, classes were canceled. Those who were bold enough stayed behind to guard their lives, while those who weren't, did their best to escape through the academy sewers.

Then finally, after what felt like years of waiting, Luxor's voice ladened with weary crackled through the two-way radio.

"We have an auspicious setup," he said, "Let's start the mission."

"Understood," Ryo said, grinning, "It's time for a fight for the century!"

Immediately, everyone rose to their feet. Skyler gripped the suitcase that held Maeve's staff. Kazuki shouldered his bow and quiver and a scabbard containing Blaise's sword. Everyone but Ryo were unsmiling, even CJ had a grim expression that made his face look cuter than it already was.

"Hug me, Kagami," Aiko begged. Kagami obliged, enveloping Aiko in a tight hug. She didn't want to release Aiko, but after a few moments, Crow gently pulled them apart.

"Sorry, but if you two lovebirds don't separate, this mission will never fly," Crow cracked a small smile.

"Stay alive, Kagami," Aiko said, her deep brown eyes locking into Kagami's.

"I will," Kagami promised.

"And I'll make sure she stays alive," Crow smirked.

With that, they separated, with Kagami and Crow joining Kazuki and Skyler while Aiko went off with Caesar, Ryo, and Seo to join Luxor and CJ.

They moved silently in the dirty sewers that smelled of feces and urine. It was safe though, there weren't any Dead City soldiers.

Kazuki held a double-layered map in his hands, directing the group. In the hand that was occupied by Maeve's staff, Skyler held a rectangular device, meant to track Colt using a tracker placed by Hyacinth.

Kagami felt suffocated. She had joined Luxor Academy to learn and have friends. To give people like Blaise a place where they feel like they belong. To become girlfriends with someone like Aiko. To learn and explore from classes like Monster Hunting.

Now Blaise was dead, and Aiko was in danger as she fought against the Monster Hunting teacher. It hardly seemed like the school that she enrolled in a year ago. A dead nurse and the destruction of half of the school wasn't something that Kagami liked, but with the astonishing amount of deaths from this year, it was just unbearable.