An imposter among us [1]

Even as the exams were set on a battle royal most seem to forget it's more aimed at survival whereas in combat. Using that information Neon knew the odds of finding some easy points for the exams but all thoughts shifted anew. Lately, he felt a movement, even though the exams were for survival his minions spot a few breaching the private grounds

"Hey, Eins! Are we there yet?" After hours of trekking the big pile of snow in Everglaze Henry came to be bored

"In a minute, Mr. Henry Adams! Can you give me a break? It's hard enough just to get an identity closer to yours now you're pissing me off! My intel said they came to deal with a certain fella in charge of guarding the entree,"

"Are you sure they didn't betray you? I've heard tons are after your head, Phantom Thief. It wouldn't be a surprise if we're ambushed right now!" He swayed his spear in his back where it points and nearly pierced the neck of their guide

"What the fucks wrong with you?" Eins flicked his spear away from the Glazerus where it came to be stunned

"Oh sorry if im a little paranoid but aren't I near one of the most wanted Guardian in the world?" Henry defended his actions like so and even Eins couldn't disagree with the reality of things

"But still... look! He's shaking in his boots!!!" He points to Sakkari where he shakes in front of two domineering figures

Sakkari was about to fetch something beneath his coat and the two flinched where they enter a stance until they saw a portrait. "It's a pleasure meeting you Azure nim! I am Sakkari of Everglaze may I get your autograph? No wonder Mr. Neon told me it'll be a treat, I get to meet my only idol from up close... is my enthusiasm too much?"

"You know him???" Eins and Henry were baffled by the sudden turn of events when their guide unknowingly knows of their comrade

...

[Artificial rift: Academy grounds

Current location: Cafeteria

Situation: Battlefield]

"Where did he go?" A group of Glazerus managed to escape his tracks where they hid along the rows of tables stacked in an orderly manner

"Hey can you dial it down? I can't read with all of these useless bickerings interrupting my spare time. By the way, have you ever read this? Guide to being a perfect villain, let me read you a paragraph, first step no world-destroying schemes–" He tilts his head to the left and evades a frontal slash from his opponent's blade

"Get him!" Neon back step along with him was a spearman launching a barrage of powerful thrust and he dodges so with little to no movement

"Focus more on combining new attacks instead of repetitively thrusting. It's such a powerful technique but if you're attacking a faster opponent then it's useless. You there assassin from the back. My back was open for a long time why are you hesitating?"

His remarks easily invaded their minds and instead of a plan, the assassin along with the spearman came forth to attack. Without any option left of swaying his body, he decides to walk and evade their attack on both sides, and not long after he was struck. Coming from his blindspot where their swordsman leap for a downward strike manages to pierce his weakened flesh

"Do it now!"

The mage and their support from the back came and root him in place with their debuff and spells alike. The spearman and the assassin finish their well-coordinated attack by sending forth a heavy attack on both sides. But as the light reaches their spot victory was far from reality once they saw their combined efforts were nowhere near enough

[System: The Guardian has called upon the activation of [Natures blessing]

[Nature's blessing]: As the world persists in denying destruction the chosen few are granted to bring life back to the soil. Their very touch can sprout grass and their presence itself is but a miracle to those suffering from famine. Wherever and whenever just a call for their power grants them pre-existing crops in their palms

Rank: E+++

Invocation of plantation: Grants seeds from the current environment upon the casting of the skill. The aforementioned seeds have an increased growth spurt when they're in physical contact with the caster. The caster will gain the ability of [Touch of Life]

Touch of Life: Any seeds within physical contact with the caster have their growth rate increased by 1000%. As long as they're within the caster's reach they can control the operation to their very will. Invoked seeds have their growth spurt multiplied by the 3 of the aforementioned growth rate

Activation requirement: 150 mana and chi, needs water if not available the casters blood will be its medium

Duration: 30 minutes

Cooldown: 1 hour]

A wall of icicles purely shape into thorns came shielding his body and when his watch rang he relinquished the use of his book "Times up... break times over, so let me ask you this. How do you want to die? I'm a little generous today. I'll make sure I don't Decapitate, Eviscerate, and fill your bodies with additional holes. Before that do you want some Ever roses? They take so long to bloom so this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,"

In fear for their lives, they ran but their opposition was soon thwarted by the thorns of the rose. The elongated stem of the roses rush forth and entangled his opponents until they felt the pollens touch ever so freezing. They slowly felt their bodies falling in temperature, no matter what Item they used the air no longer changed. As their limbs froze they saw Neon reclining on the rose's leaves and proceeded with reading his book

'Beautiful and eye-catching these roses may be, their pollens were known to be life-threatening. Ever roses only bloom in the coldest of climates, whilst their pollen isn't poisonous it does pack a large surge of frost. Just a small whiff can be lethal and in cases just like those guardians over there felt a shower of these pollens. Slowly but surely all shall return to the snow and their frozen carcasses will be flower beds for them to bloom once more,'

Cold yet any feeling of pain was nonexistent, these flowers wrapped their pollens until their host are frozen as ice. A second later their bodies crack and break down with no such contact and there blooms a new beautiful rose. Neon picks the solid rose-like sculpture and threw it violently near the exit where it meets its following host

"Ahh! Get it off me! I don't wanna die!!!"

The screams from the exit grew ever so silent and they spread through the hallway as dozens came to be affected. "If these flowers are given enough force they'll explode causing a mist of their pollens spreading rampantly. Glutton give me today's daily report, I haven't heard from you ever since I ask you to investigate those guardians. You said they're moving beyond the public grounds aren't I right?"

(My liege im quite confused, if those places are prohibited why even add them to the examination?)

'You make it sound like it's an easy job, Vestal. First of all, just creating an artificial rift is enough to take a toll on the caster. Second, those areas need to be guarded at all costs then the caster will increase the difficulty within. Meaning there's no way they can seal it off, there's only bound to be a way to better guard that place, do you understand?'

(Yes my liege!)

'First the museum now the school? Who knows what in the world is this terroristic group after? The only thing I could think of as a link is that the museum has historical text long before it became Everglaze. Why would the remnants of the former Russians go so far as to infiltrate this school?'

(... my liege what is this history before the birth of Everglaze?)

Vestal's question made Neon wander to a blurry yet unforgettable past and he finally aligns the missing piece

'Wait a minute, ousting of Russian President Alexander Putin in the controversy of him being a part of inhumane experiments. The unidentified explosion from the sewer system where was ultimately revealed to be the place where tons of Glazerus were held captive. Finally the last piece, my ever-so-blurry memory and the appearance of demonic guardians in that facility,'

His vague memory and the outright stinging sensation in his mind seemingly grew stronger as he tries to recall. "Merona Blight... just what are you hiding from me? What happened that you want me to forget–"

Glutton's voice appeared out of the blue and he gave his report in an alarming tone

(My liege!!! There's the homunculus you've dispatched in my ruling found a secret passage in the principal's office. We need to go, these people are the same as you described. All of them are wearing a mask with a symbol of a circle painted in red)