20 Volume Two | Chapter - The Beast Part Two

Twenty four hours earlier...

With his long coat drenched from the torrential rain, he stood under the cover of darkness, an abandoned warehouse. Taking out a cigarette along with a lighter.

After lighting his cigarette, the faint bloom of light revealing his battle-hardened face along with a few strands of blonde hair.

As he heard faint footsteps ahead of him, he pulled out his M9 pistol without a second thought. To his surprise, it was someone that he never expected to see again.

Before him, a man emerged from the darkness his Essence Form engaged, before a hulking behemoth loomed in the shadows.

"Hazer, how long has it been?" the man's orange energy within his Essence Form shone brighter for a moment.

"Dunno, the last time we met..." the blonde haired man grunted slightly "...you and I were fighting in the war to end all wars"

The man let out a laugh behind his armoured helmet as Hazer stood with his gun pointed at him.

"No need to be so venomous to an old friend!" He exasperated outstretching his arms to the side.

"You know, if I still had my Essence Armament I wouldn't have any regrets beating you to a pulp!" Hazer exclaimed raising his voice.

"When you do get your Essence Armament..." his motions to himself"...I would be happy to have my Sacred Essence Armament Recker go up against...whatever replacement you get as a substitute" his voice revealing a hint of disgust.

Hazer's teeth gritted against one another, as anger sheathed through him uncontrollably. He was able to calm his nerves, lowering his gun that had been pointed at the man this entire time.

"Anyway, it looks like you're no threat...that I can report to my commander about" the man walked into the darkness, moments later a sudden gush of air blew through the warehouse. As the sounds of reverberating rattled the interior of the building, a hue of white light shone through the darkness.

The next second, Hazer looked up through a gaping hole in the ceiling as he watched the trail of white lights ascend into the sky.

***

Marsa had been trying to stay incognito since the Royale, what made it harder was the fact that Xena couldn't be with her. Xena was expected to appear in her own Royale match in one hour's time.

She tried her best to keep her ears covered and not to talk to her fellow students in order to keep her teeth concealed.

When Marsa saw the sign to the infirmary an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her, as she increased her walking speed.

Barging into the head doctors office, the woman didn't seem at all surprised to see Marsa.

"Let me guess..." the doctor in her white overcoat and casual t-shirt and skirt along with her heels, she sat in an office chair sipping tea out of her mug "...didn't have your injection"

Marsa's cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.

"Look Marsa, you can't keep on avoiding injections..." the doctor continues sipping tea out of her mug "...if people find out what you really are they'd be panic"

In response, Marsa sighs, "I hate taking them" she mutters bluntly.

"Well tough until we find another solution, this is the best we've got" the doctor puts her mug down atop her desk, and motions her hand to indicate to Marsa to follow her.

***

Marsa sat in the chair located in the centre of one of the many physical examination rooms, her arm had a rubber torque.

As the doctor entered the room, in hand with an injector gun attached a cylindrical vial with a clear liquid.

"Doctor Knowles, I can't thank you enough" Marsa sheepishly spoke out.

"For what?" Doctor Knowles replied, as her medium length blonde hair with brunette highlights swished gracefully from side to side.

"F-For always being here for me..." Marsa gulped slightly as she readied herself for the injection "...and for keeping my true nature a secret"

Doctor Knowles gave Marsa a gentle smile, "That's what I do best...I help people..." with no urge to prolong the injection Doctor Knowles found a vein on Marsa's arm, immediately injecting the substance into the latter's body.

"...I'm a doctor after all" upon finishing her statement, Doctor Knowles pats Marsa's head gently. The latter blushing from the kind gesture.

It wasn't long before a sharp pain shot through Marsa's body as she flinched intensely. Gradually as the substances' effects started to kick in, Marsa's ears and teeth started to regress back to your average human size.

However, as both Doctor Knowles and Marsa knew very well, this procedure was only temporary, and only time would tell when they'd have to find a new solution.

***

Present time...

As Aiko's eyes fluttered open ever so slowly, she found it hard to make out her surroundings. She continued to flick water over her eyelids until it had moistened her eyes.

Once her vision started to clear, she could make out the outline of a person.

It wasn't long until her vision was perfectly clear, that the person hovering over her to her surprise was Sachika.

Teary eyes threatened to break out into full-blown tears, as Sachika's scruffy silver hair and academy uniform made her appearance stand out more.

"S-Sachika...-san?" Aiko muttered weakly.

Sachika let out a happy chuckle, "Yeah, it's me Aiko"

Aiko smiling weakly attempted to sit up, only to be struck by a searing headache.

"Ah! M-My head?" Aiko spoke out nonchalantly, clearly confused.

"W-What happened?" Aiko asked, looking to Sachika for answers. The former surprised she didn't remember, nevertheless, Sachika explained everything that had happened. What she remembered, and what others had told her.

Sitting there Aiko at first didn't know how to respond to an overload of information. All Aiko remembered was the lead up to encountering the Nebula-controlled Familiar, everything after that she didn't remember clearly.

"I hope that wasn't too overwhelming?" Sachika asked.

Aiko shook her head, "N-No it wasn't..." she laughs nervously "...obviously it will take some time for me to get my head around some of the details"

Sachika couldn't help but feel astonished by this girls' confidence, a feeling of confidence and hope was starting to etch into herself. Most likely because the girl lying before her, in a manner of speaking saved her from herself.

Looking to her right Sachika could see the wrapped up 'get well soon' present she had brought for Aiko. Blushing Sachika grabbed the box then immediately shoved it in front of Aiko.

At first, Aiko looked on rather confused until she noticed the wrapped up box in front of her.

Feeling ecstatic Aiko takes the box from Sachika, "Thank you so much!..." before Aiko could say anymore Sachika jolted upwards out of the cushioned chair.

"A-Anyway...I hope you like the gift I got you..." looking at the floor trying to hide her blushed face from Aiko she heads for the door "...now if you excuse I got other matters to attend to"

Sachika opens the door than steps through.

"W-Wait!..." Was all Aiko could say before the door closed before her.

As for Sachika, she rushed down the corridor of the academy's infirmary, her dace blushing intensely as her Composed Fibril set off an aphrodisiac effect through her body. As she wrapped her arms wrapped her slender lean body.

Little did she know that she walked past both Uli and Bethany, whom both noticed her as they headed to the patient's room that Aiko was situated in.