23 Volume Two | Chapter - Royale Preliminaries Part Three

Slowly stirring awake, Sachika's vision was blurred. Eventually focusing her eyes on a single spot. It took her a few seconds to notice that her head was laying upon a pair of breasts. Looking up, her face filled with embarrassment when seeing Hibiki in her underwear.

She too realised that she was in her underwear. Sachika was about to jump out of the bed when her stomach started to churn. Rushing to the toilet all you could was Sachika vomiting.

The noise woke up Hibiki who was dreary herself. Only to then realise that Sachika was being sick in the toilet.

"Y-You okay Sachi?" Hibiki muttered, leaning against the door frame to their toilet.

The response was a weak groan, "I feel like a truck hit me" Sachika replied.

"Maybe you should party some more, get more akin to alcohol" Hibiki laughed.

Sachika didn't have the strength to respond. Seeing daylight she quickly glanced around Hibiki at the clock.

8:15 am

"Shit! We've missed the start of practice!" Sachika shouted.

Hibiki's fun going persona soon changed to that of dread. The two girls quickly pulled themselves together. After putting on their academy uniforms, they dashed out of their dorm room with such speed. That it startled the students outside on their break.

The duo clambered their way to practise having no regard for their fellow students. As they shoved and barged their way amongst the surrounding students.

***

"Come on, get your backs into it!" the female instructor shouted.

Both Sachika and Hibiki were heaving and sweating from their punishment. They both had to run a hundred metres sprints carrying a concrete pillar. Although humanly impossible on the other hand for these girls it was a walk in the park, unless you had to do it a hundred times.

On their hundredth sprint, the duo collapsed upon the floor. Dripping in their sweat on the floor, the two girls looked as if they died on the spot.

"That'll teach you two a lesson about partying late at night!" The instructor hovered over them, clearly not pleased. Hibiki suddenly vomited on the short grass. As for the instructor, she turned away in disgust.

"Jesus, sort yourselves out!" She walked away leaving the girls on the floor. As for Sachika and Hibiki they didn't waste any time getting a breather for a few minutes.

***

Looking across the classroom Aiko could see her friend hunched over her desk. That's what you get for being careless, Aiko slyly smirked to herself.

"Miss Uli!"

"Ahh!" She shouted making heads turn.

Looking around Uli noticed many of the students and the instructor was looking at her. She laughed nervously not knowing what to do. The instructor returned to teaching the class.

As the class carried on, Aiko noticed an odd sensation in her left arm. To her, it felt numb, but after a few seconds, the numbing feeling had gone. Once the bell rung all the students started packing their belongings and shutting down the terminals.

As Aiko left the classroom an announcement blared over the academy's speakers.

All second and third years are expected to attend practice for the Royale.

As a reminder, the Royale for both years begins in one week.

Aiko knew what the Royale was, however, she wasn't expected to participate because of her status as a Coordinator.

The Royale was made for the Familiars to test their might against one another. It was also a means of bragging rights and authority within the year. Aiko noticed a crowd gathering at one of the windows in the corridor.

"Hey what's going on?" Uli groaned as she stepped out of the classroom.

Aiko shrugged. The two decided to go check themselves.

"Look the Devil Trickster is sparring!"

As both Aiko and Uli reached the window they could see two students clad in black nanotech suits. One with purple hair and braid, the other bright red hair and a ponytail reaching her tailbone. The flurry of sparks emitting from the clashing of a glaive and greatsword created a miniature light show.

Ashina backflipped as Jade brought her greatsword smashing into the ground a dirt-spattered into the air.

"Essence Tendrils!" Ashina shouted, as a dozen or so tendrils outstretched from the formers back striking towards Jade. Jade held her greatsword like a shield deflecting the attacks, however, some of them got to her cutting away at her nanotech suit.

"Lightning Tachyon!" From her back, a cluster of electrical sparks appeared on Jade's back. As she dashed towards Ashina charging her blade up with electricity. Upon striking a loud crackle could be heard as Ashina blocked the strike.

Skidding across the dirt, Ashina flipped her glaive into the air. As it came down with such immense precision she kicked the unsharpened end. The blade point of the glaive shot towards Jade. The latter only just able to deflect the weapon.

However, this left her open to attack. Looking ahead Jade saw Ashina use Essence Tendrils again. She watched helplessly as Ashina's tendrils attacked her, chipping away at her nanotech suit more so than before.

Lying on the floor grunting in pain, Jade's Essence Armament Weapon disintegrated as she slowly sat herself up. Her C cup breasts were on show as wash parts of her torso and waist. Where Ashina's copies from Phantom Break damaged her.

"That was a good match," Ashina said cheerfully as she leaned over hand out to Jade. As for Jade, she scoffed but reluctantly took the student council presidents hand.

Back in the corridor, the students that had watched the practise match take place cheered and clapped. Uli was too tired and hungover to even care about what happened. As for Aiko, she was left in awe after witnessing such a fight between two Familiars.

She couldn't deny that the more she watched the Familiars like this, the more she wished that she could be just like them.

***

As Marsa moved up the ranks it started to make other students notice her. Although any other girl would be ecstatic about the prospect. As for Marsa though she wanted to stay under the radar as much as possible. But no matter what she did, she was just too strong for her human counterparts.

She laid on her bed, her corset was replaced with a t-shirt but she still wore her academy uniform skirt. Hearing her cell phone vibrating, she sighing stretching over to pick it up. Opening up the text message it read.

Go to the window and open the curtains.

At first, she was confused thinking it was Xena playing some prank on her. But when she opened the curtains her eyes widened in shock.

With her eyesight incredibly more efficient than the average Familiar. From her dorm window, she could see Hazer standing outside the academy entrance in the night sky.

Upon seeing him a small gentle smile appeared on her face, as she rushed out of her room to see him.