3 Volume One | Chapter - The Phantom Queen
It wasn't long before the new students had arrived at Essentia Academy of Japan.
Admittedly to Aiko, the whole journey was tense especially between her friend Uli and the black haired girl that sat next to her, the two of them were shooting daggers at one another with their eyes, the look they gave one another if possible could kill someone.
The trio of friends immediately left the Humvee.
Aiko and Bethany were both glad to get out and have some breathing room, the black haired girl followed shortly after, she paused for a moment glancing at Aiko.
But before Aiko could say anything the girl stormed off into the distance, well at least she doesn't hate me I think, Aiko smiled nervously to herself.
As she and the rest of the Coordinators gathered in the courtyard as instructed by the Armiger personnel.
The Humvee's that brought them here drove off leaving a trail of dirt and dust.
Some of the students coughed from breathing in some of the particles.
They all stood there waiting, at the front of the group Aiko noticed a high standing pedestal but no one was there.
"So, do we just stand here and wait? Or what?" Uli casually muttered.
Bethany let out a long breathe of air before responding, "We were told to gather at the courtyard until instructed otherwise, so yes we wait here"
Uli scoffs at Bethany's somewhat sarcastic answer, "I know that but it just seems weird that we're waiting for someone instead of the other way round..." she places a hand on her forehead "...sometimes you can get on my nerves Bethany"
"The feeling's mutual!" Bethany announced out loud that most of the students around them could hear it.
She grabs Uli with her arms hugging her intently almost to the point of suffocation.
.
"B-Bethany...I-I can't breathe..." Uli breathes were starting to get shallow and short before Bethany released her grip "...you trying to kill me?!" Uli shouts out, as she viciously points her finger at Bethany.
Bethany laughs, "Like you said before..." a devilish grin appeared on her face "...you can get on my nerves" quoting Uli earlier statement.
Huffing and puffing trying to get her to breathe back, Uli just stood there slightly hunched over, "I swear you're the devil in disguise!"
The grin disappearing off her face, Bethany's expression returns to its more noticeable and quite frankly, friendlier persona.
"Trust me, if I was the devil then Aiko here wouldn't fail to disappoint as God"
"Hey what does that mean?!" Aiko responded by raising her voice slightly.
Bethany shook her head, "You fail to keep to deadlines and your just helpless at organizing yourself, the world would fall apart in a matter of minutes..."
She glances between Aiko and Uli "...anyway can we just drop this" she finished.
Uli chuckled to herself, "You were the one that started it".
Bethany groaned to herself, without realizing it someone from the building ahead of the group had exited from the front doors walking towards the high standing pedestal.
As Aiko took in the surrounding locale, she noticed that the buildings were modern but had a sense of historical touch to them.
The buildings were made of today's typical material mixed in with a design dated back twenty plus years ago.
The concrete rectangle complex building were all situated around this one courtyard, but looking through the many sightlines around her, Aiko could see that there were gardens, fields and cosmetically impressive structures littered between them.
As Aiko stared at a medieval styled bell tower in the distance, her attention was immediately brought back to the front of the group when she heard the sound of clacking heels against concrete and then metal as they went up the steps to the top of the pedestal.
A woman in high heels and a black business suit and white t-shirt stood before the group on the pedestal.
Her long brown hair tied in a ponytail matched her brown eyes.
"Good afternoon girls, as you all well know around you is Essentia Japan Academy..." the woman gestures to the surrounding buildings "...as of today you'll become full-fledged students at this academy, mankind's future in battling the Nebula"
The group of girls before the woman stood there watching and listening to her intently.
As the woman looked around, her eyes laid upon Aiko near the back of the group.
As for Aiko, she could tell that the woman was looking directly at her.
The woman gave Aiko a curt nod and smile before turning her head away to avoid arousing suspicion among the girls.
"While you attend this academy I, Mistress Daiki, is of the highest authority within this academy..." she pauses for a moment to catch a breathe before continuing "...so as your Mistress, I ask of you to do your very best at this academy and remember to never doubt your fellow students!"
And with that Mistress, Daiki ended her grand speech leaving the group alone in the courtyard.
Aiko heard a beeping sound on her cell phone, a custom made one that both Familiars and Coordinators used.
They were given them prior to departing upon the train to this academy.
They were told back then that the new cell phones were formatted to work along with the artificial intelligence system at the academy.
Every academy that housed Familiars and Coordinators around the world had their own artificial intelligence.
They were left in charge of supplying and organizing the relevant data that each student needed in a matter of tenths of seconds.
Upon the screen of Aiko's cell phone appeared a map of the academy, a red outlined route and at the bottom of the screen read, Room 634.
I guess this is the information on the location of my room, Aiko thought to herself.
Not too far away she could see both Bethany and Uli discussing the location of their rooms.
"So where are you girls at then?" Aiko asked.
Uli answered first, "It looks like me and Bethy here are in the same location!"
Bethany's cheeks turned red, "Don't call me that!" she said through gritted teeth.
Uli wraps an arm around Bethany's neck with a big smile on her face, "Oh you love it really!".
Bethany responded with a dull gloomy face wishing Uli would just stop calling her by that name.
"Anyway, what's your room numbers?" Aiko asked.
"Room 512!" Uli responded with an energetic tone.
"Room 519" Bethany muttered.
Aiko looked at the map on her cell phone again, from what she could tell their rooms were on the block next to hers.
So the first number must indicate the block you're in, Aiko concluded.
The trio agreed that they'd walk together until they had to part ways.
Without further ado, they set off for their rooms like many of the other students that arrived with them today.
***
Aiko had been walking by herself for a few minutes, with Uli and Bethany leaving her alone when they arrived at their designated block.
Aiko had an uncomfortable feeling about being by herself.
She heard the stories about what happened to freshman students like herself especially considering she was a Coordinator, or as some would like to call them Defects.
In the distance, she could see a group of girls hanging outside what looked to be Block Six.
At first, she didn't think much of it until she got closer noticing the insignia and tag distinguishing the students as 2nd Year Familiars.
When one of the girls eyed her as she walked closer, a chill ran down her spine.
As she passed them, one of them with bleach white hair grabbed her on the arm yanking her back.
The girl restrained her by latching tight grips around Aiko's wrists, one of the other girls walked up closer to her.
"You're a freshman right, a Coordinator?" she asked directing the question at Aiko.
Aiko at first was hesitant to respond, but she did eventually, believing it was the best course of action for her for the time being.
"Um, Y-Yeah" she muttered quietly.
The girl who asked her the question grinned at the thought of hearing such words, slightly as if overjoyed in a matter of fact.
"Good, then how about forming a contract with all of us?" the girl asked as if trying to be polite.
Aiko had heard about this amongst students at high schools prior to graduating onto Essentia Academies.
The Blood Contract was known to all, a Familiar and Coordinator would exchange one Composed Fibril between one another as a sign of bonding with one another after forming a partnership.
However, she heard of rumours about a practice known as Rituals.
From what she could find out it was when a group of Familiar girls would force a younger Coordinator to give up their Composed Fibrils to multiple girls against their will.
Aiko even heard about the extreme cases of girls being raped or murdered as a consequence.
However because so little was known about it or even verified by either the students or staff faculty they were only as rumours.
But from what Aiko was witnessing it looked like those rumours were about to turn very much true.
"No, I won't do it" Aiko responded with determination.
The girl who was smiling before, her expression turned sour upon hearing those words, "What'd you say?" she bluntly asked.
Aiko gulped, "I'm not giving you my Composed Fibrils"
This time the girl said, "Really? Well, I tried to be nice about the whole thing..." she held out her hand in front of her "...Essence Armament deploy!" she commanded.
Essence Armament a form of battle armour used by the Familiars when fighting their enemies. The only way scientists could explain such discoveries was that the armour and weapons produced by Familiars and Coordinators were that of borderline magic and science.
Upon saying those words the girl started to form metallic armour plating composed from a digital material along with her arms and legs.
Each metal plate was spaced out from one another, and between them formed some form of orange light energy.
Then the girl formed a small dagger that too had orange etchings upon it.
But these resembled the likes of arteries and veins the way they were etched upon the weapon.
The girl instantly slashed down the middle of Aiko's chest.
Making a clean cut down her corset the material split apart, revealing Aiko's small B cup sized breasts.
Aiko began to panic trying to break loose from the grip around her wrists.
She couldn't wrench herself free, the girl before her came closer with her dagger as if anticipating what was about to happen.
"Now I think we'll have a little bit of fun," the girl said with a grin.
Aiko closed her eyes wishing it was all a dream.
But when she heard two heavy thumps on the concrete pavement, she opened her eyes to find that the two girls behind the girl in front of her were lying on the floor throats cut.
Before Aiko even realized it a powerful gust of wind blew behind her.
The grips around her wrists weakened taking a few steps forward the girl that restrained her fell backwards with a huge gash cut diagonally across her chest as blood spurted from her mouth.
Aiko didn't waste any time to hold what clothing she had left on her torso whilst also trying to cover her breasts with both her arms, embarrassed by the position she was put in.
That's when she saw it, the Familiar using her supernaturally enhanced physicality moving so fast that Aiko couldn't her eyes on the girl. There was a sudden build in dust particles that shone an eerie blue as they swirled around Aiko's mysterious saviour.
The girl with the dagger was somehow able to block it, her opponent immediately stopped locking weapons with her.
It was at this moment Aiko saw a girl with beautiful silver coloured hair.
She wore the same uniform as them, and also noticed the same insignia and tag that the other girls had on their uniforms.
Along with the red headphones that hung around her neck.
"The infamous Phantom Queen huh?" the girl with the dagger muttered attempting to push Sachika away.
Sachika stood there looking at the girl, the armour along with her arms and legs the same albeit with different patterns and a energy of blue.
And her weapons were that of a pair of bladed gauntlets with armour covering the top of her hands and forearms.
A blade extended out past the elbows and slightly over her fists.
Sachika didn't respond to the girls' comment about her nickname at this school.
Instead, she readied herself to strike. But before she could do that they were stopped by a group of Armiger personnel wielding their weapons towards the girl and Sachika.
"Disengage your Essence Armament's, now!" one of them demanded.
At first, the two of them were reluctant but both of them eventually complied.
The two of them were immediately cuffed then escorted away by a pair of Armiger guards from the area.
Medical teams attended to three girls who were injured badly but still breathing.
Somebody must have seen what happened then informed the Armiger, Aiko thought to herself before she too was escorted to the medical wing of the academy.
Students gathered outside their dorm blocks to find out what was happening.
Through the crowded people, Aiko spotted her friends Uli and Bethany that had looks of worry upon their faces at seeing Aiko in the state she was in.
In one of the top floors of the surrounding dorm blocks, a girl watched on as she looked intently at Aiko.
Whom was being escorted away. Wearing the same uniform albeit added cosmetic and decal effects, upon her right shoulder an insignia and tag clearly distinguished her as being a 3rd Year Familiar.
Her left shoulder had a pinned band stating, Student Council President.
As she continued to watch Aiko intently, her dark purple hair and side braided ponytail hanged down the right side past her collarbone.
Which mixed in beautifully with the now setting sun in the distance.
With her right hand, she aimlessly fiddled with the end of her braided ponytail until Aiko entered the main complex building.
She then walked away from the window only to be met by her own Coordinator.
Her Coordinator had long black wavy hair, and a single thin braid hanging down the right side of her face.
It closely resembled the student council president's own braid.
When she saw the student council president she bowed her head, " Ms Corrigan".
The student council president sighed, "Amelia, you don't need to be so formal with me you're my Coordinator after all"
Amelia blushed slightly, bringing out the colour of her amber eyes, "But...Ms. Corri-"
She was cut short when the student council president kissed her upon the lips gently, her cheeks turning beetroot red.
The student council president smiled gently, "For the thousandth time call me, Ashina".
Amelia nodded complying with Ashina's request.
"Now, we have someone we need to visit" Ashina announced.
She walked down the corridor with a big smile on her face followed by Amelia.
Whom was still clearly embarrassed, and to be honest very pleased to receive such an informal gesture from her Familiar partner.
