29 Volume Two | Chapter - Summer Beach House Part Three

The sound of dry heaving could be heard throughout the camp the girl who had just sucked the blood out of a random man felt physically sick. Even after doing it a few times before and she couldn't get used to the idea more so to the taste and smell.

The camp is situated in the middle of a dense forest making it a very suitable place to use if you didn't want to be discovered.

On all fours, the lower half of her helmet was open revealing her mouth and a few strands of white hair as she continued to dry heave.

"Look at her I told you she couldn't handle it!" another exclaimed their armour of similar material to the girls except it was less extravagant to the latter. Their body structure was clearly that of a man.

His friends laughed without a care in the world as the girl continued to vomit this time blood started to come up.

"Oh come on really?!" the same guy shouted out laughing hysterically.

They were unaware of the hooded figure limping up behind them without warning he punched the man across the face dazing him. He then launched him back into a pack of carnivorous four-legged monsters that resembled the sabretooth except its body was a mixture of flesh and red crystallized material, with spikes protruding from their backs.

In the background was the sound of blood-curdling screaming along with the sound of flesh and bone being ripped and snapped.

The hooded figure loomed in the centre of the group looking around slowly his head snapping around sporadically.

"Does...anyone else...like to...make...a joke?" he asked voice scarily calm. The group around him avoided eye contact or to be more precise they avoided looking at where his face would be. The girl was still on all fours as blood dripped from the bottom of her lip.

No one in the group responded to the hooded figures question.

"Good...now...get back...to work" his head aimlessly looked at around nothing in particular. The group continued to stand there as if unsure of whether they should comply with their leaders' orders.

The persona of the hooded figure changed like a flick of a switch for an instant, "WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?! GET BACK TO WORK!"

This time his subordinates didn't waste any time they immediately gathered their things returning to their assigned duties. The girl who was still on the floor trembled slightly with fear as she could sense her leaders gaze upon her, she stayed on the floor not knowing what to do next.

"Ayano...come...with me," he asked calmly not waiting for an answer he limped off towards his temporary quarters as Ayano pulled herself together following after her leader.

As the duo entered the tent, the hooded figure sat on top of a stool he turned around looking towards Ayano then indicated to the free stool next to him. Ayano took the offer without hesitation she looked back towards her leader who told her to hunch over slightly.

"Show me...your...composed...fibril" he muttered.

Ayano paused for a moment but she dare not defy him, she did exactly as she was told the metallic digitized armour over her spine reeled back as the Essence particles shifted. There her Composed Fibril shone an emerald green. The hooded figure placed a hand on top of Ayano's Composed Fibril sending shivers down her spine.

"The...Nebula Core...hasn't...fused...with your...Composed Fibril...properly" he runs his fingers along Ayano's Composed Fibril from between her shoulder blades down to her tailbone examining it closely.

"We need...to...hasten...the process" he stands up walking to the edge of his tent digging through his belongings. Ayano still sitting on the stool watched as the tension rose in her not knowing what was to come next. After a few moments of looking through his belongings he finally turned around looking at Ayano, in his hand he held a crystal shard but inside it, you could see the currents of Essence particles.

Limping back over to Ayano he cracked the top open then slowly poured it over Ayano's Composed Fibril. The particles were being absorbed into her spine, however, an excruciating pain went through her spine that made Ayano tense up and her eyes screwed shut trying to hold back the tears.

After a few seconds, the procedure had finally ended an, in turn, her armour started to emanate an emerald green as Essence particles flowing out of her armours engravings. She too could tell that her body felt different compared to before.

"Give it...some...time...you're body...needs...to adjust...to the...changes..." pausing for a moment he took in a quick breath "...that...Nebula Core...is...one of the...few hundred...Sacred Essence Armaments...created..." his hooded head turns looking at Ayano "...don't...disappoint me" he bluntly stated. He then turned walking out of the tent leaving Ayano alone panting to herself.

Gathering her thoughts Ayano reformed the armour that covered her spine, and she too left the tent.

***

Sachika, Aiko and Hibiki waited outside the airport for the others to turn up a few moments ago they greeted Uli and her partner and much to Sachika and Hibiki's surprise it was Roselle. It was extremely rare to see a year one Familiar partnered up with a Coordinator it was just the norm for Familiars to be older than their Coordinators due to preferences.

The students were dressed in a variation of summer clothes Aiko wore a yellow one-piece summer dress and flip-flops, Sachika and Hibiki wore their trademark vests and short shorts with sneakers.

As for the others they wore t-shirts and jeans along with sneakers Aiko also had the chance to meet Hibiki's partner who was a year one like herself. Her name was Noel Garren a girl from the United States who had migrated to Japan a few months ago, her hair was straight and curled at the ends reaching past her shoulders the colour was a straight black very like Emike's when Aiko saw it.

Now the group had to wait for Bethany and her partner to arrive who was already ten minutes late. Suddenly a black Sudan car rolled up parking in the drop off bay outside the airport.

Bethany exited black Sudan wearing a casual t-shirt, jeans and sneakers followed quickly by her partner. Upon seeing Bethany's partner many of the girls' eyes widened in shock as for Sachika hers were like daggers.

"Wait is that Yuki Uwara?!" Hibiki blurted.

Yuki was wearing a red and white pattern one-piece dress.

Sachika's fists scrunched up as she continued to stare at Yuki, the latter groaning slightly upon seeing her rival. Both Bethany and Yuki joined up with the others exchanging their greetings.

"Beth you never told us she was your Familiar partner" Uli stated.

"Well, I knew it'd cause trouble" Bethany muttered under her breath.

Yuki looked around eyeing up Aiko who she winked at giving the latter a seductive smile. Seeing this just fuelled Sachika's hate and anger towards her rival exponentially making her want to beat the girls' brains in.

"What is she doing here?" Sachika asked venomously as she stared at Yuki. Bethany didn't answer she just continued to look down at the floor beneath her.

"Why aren't I allowed to attend a gathering my partner is going to?" Yuki sarcastically replied.

"If I had any say in the matter I'd permanently cripple you from doing anything"

Yuki giggled, "That's some tough talk coming from a girl who flapped around on the floor like a dead fish". Upon hearing that comment Sachika stormed up to Yuki pushed her violently, as for Yuki she just smirked.

"So you want me to humiliate you publicly this time around? Sure I'd be happy to make you a laughing stoke in front of all these people" Yuki started to materialize her Essence Armament when suddenly Aiko appeared between the two of them.

"Stop it!" Aiko's expression was full of pure determination. This shocked everyone even Aiko's friends were bewildered by her sudden surge of courage to get in between these two Familiars.

Yuki paused for a moment having conflicting opinions on this new development. Grunting she looked away with clearly slightly blushed cheeks that it took Aiko by surprise when she saw it.

"Fine..." she stopped materializing her Essence Armament then looked around at the group "...well, we going or what?" before anyone could answer she walked on ahead towards the airport entrance. Shortly followed by the rest of the group, Aiko was at the back of the group.

To be honest, if those two can get through this summer break without trying to kill one another it'd be a miracle, Aiko thought to herself as she laughed quietly.

***

In the parking lot across from the airport was a parked grey car inside a group of men sat inside one of them was looking through some binoculars watching the girls as they entered the airport. He looks to his partner sitting next to him with a touch screen pad in his hands.

The man with the binoculars gives his partner a single nod before he returned to surveillance the girls from the academy.

As for the man with the pad in his hands, he started typing a message.

Confirmed sighting of the girl entering the airport with another group of girls from the same academy.

They are departing for Okinawa as I'm typing this message.

Clicking the send button the man sent the message back to the research lab that was waiting to hear about his findings.

***

At Professor Oshiro's Research Lab...

"Professor Oshiro!" a lab technician shouted as he ran down the corridor to catch up with his superior. Professor Oshiro turned around to address his subordinate.

"What is it?" he blatantly asked.

The lab technician handed the pad over to Professor Oshiro, the latter took it into his hands reading the message that was displayed sent moments ago by the surveillance team he had hired to track down the girl. Upon seeing the message a smirk slowly appeared on his face.

He turned around with a proud smile on his face, "Get her ready we have a field test to administrate"

The lab technician nodded knowing exactly what Professor Oshiro was referring to, he immediately rushed off to get all the necessary equipment prepped and ready for the upcoming test.