Arc 11; Search for the Cardinal Beasts, Chapter 73, When All Gear are Gathered

It's great to be home again, Mom, Dad and everyone seems to be doing great. Apparently here we were gone for nearly half a year. I suppose time flows differently here that in the other worlds. Hiro and the rest seem to be doing good as well.

"Arata, we've got class." Alexis knocked at my door.

"Coming." I answered.

We went outside and we, along with Adele, Adonis and Alistar walk to class. Rachel, Lucas and Angie are apparently in Course 3 with Will and Andrew. I'm in Course 1 with these guys. Course 1 is basic Brave related classes. Leon, Theo and Lia are Course 2, Article Tuning and Creation. Angie and Mitan are with Ethan and Reinhardt in Course 5, Power and Physical Strength Class.

"Morning." I greeted.

"Arata! Welcome back!" Mao immediately grabs my hand with a smile.

"Yo, you were gone for a while." Shiki, with his black hair and brown eyes with white skin said as he smiled at me.

"Yeah." I answered.

I've become friends with almost everyone in our class. As the bell rings, I sit next to Zhen since Alistar sits behind us. After class during lunch we all meet up at the cafeteria.

"So, how's school?" I asked.

"It's fine and all, but shouldn't we be searching for the Four Cardinal Beasts?" Angie asked as she began eating.

"I'd love to except we don't know where they are. The common knowledge is they dwell in their respective cardinal direction but... other than that we have nothing." I answered and opened my palm to them. "So... I've had Growth search the areas where they could be."

"You can really do anything with that guy, can't you?" Angie said.

"Well, Growth's purpose is to serve me. Each Flower has their own and it represents them." I answered. "Growth symbolizes me so only I can summon him. Navire said that Growth symbolizes my wish in a sense as well."

"You've really powered up." Hiro said.

"Not really. Compared to the other Flowers I feel like I'm still weaker." I answered and suddenly I felt something off. Instinctively, I prepare for anything. "Petals."

"Whaa!" May was happy to see small butterflies emerge from my hand and spread out in all directions.

These are Minor Spirits, I call them Petals collectively but each has its own name. I have the Petals go outside and look around they find signs of a possible Temperance.

"Tch. Looks like they've recovered." I said and got up and then the Temperance happened. "Petals."

They projected the view pf the Temperance high in the sky. What fell through was a badly injured Chimera.

"Tch. Is that all it was?" I said and sat back down. "Petals, destroy it."

"Can your Petals do that?" Lina asked and suddenly the Petals surrounded the Chimera and in a blink of an eye, destroy it by piercing it with light. "Just how much power do they have?!"

"About a quarter of mine." I answered. "They used a compressed blast of Vi to destroy its core. That Chimera was probably a straggler. Looks like they're cleaning up their ranks."

"Should we be worried?" Rachel asked.

"Nah. They're probably just dumping the useless ones out in each world. Nothing the Guardians can't handle." I answered and suddenly Growth responded to me. "What is it?"

A Growthlet, a smaller Growth appears before me and shows me live feed of what Growth can see. It's a small temple, a Castle. Snowflake Castle.

"Not it. Looks like this area isn't it." I told it. "How about you search further north?"

It answers in agreement and goes father north before cutting the feed. It's up north, searching for the Black Turtle's Castle. Genbu should be waiting there.

"Another failed attempt?" Liam asked and I sighed.

"Well it's not like I expected it to be easy the first try." I answered. "How have you guys been faring?"

"School's nice but we'd love to train our abilities more." Lucas answered. "Since we haven't gotten full control over our powers."

"Me too. I'd love to train in my new armor." I told him. "Maybe we can use the Arena later?"

"I think it's fine." May said and suddenly the alarm went off. "What is it this time?"

"It seems to be stragglers from the Nest." Pres. Mayumi said. "They've been out lately."

"We'll go." I answered.

"Okay, please be careful." She said and we nodded.

We head off to battle with the Chimeras and what we find are just Capricorns. But they'll be perfect to try out our weapons on.

"I, Arata now order the sky and the earth to severe their bonds, let the lamplight of life be revealed and grant the ones I will power, Level Boost!" I chanted and a golden light engulfed everyone.

"Oh, is this one of your new powers?" Theo asked.

"It's an old one. The one I used to make Will and the others my Blades. Hurry. Level Boost will only last for so long." I answered.

"Echoes." Lia's fans danced in the windalong with her as she shot blades of light at the enemy.

"Void Mirror." Angie's mirror devours most of the Chimeras.

I let them test out their weapons and just then as they were fighting I notice a person watching us from the side. I don't know who but my crest suddenly responds to them. The person turns my way and immediately runs off in the opposite direction after the battle ends.

"Yo, let's head back." Zhen said as he patted my head.

"Ah. Yeah..." I answered.

That man... could you be a Called One? Then what is his role. Navire said that all the Called Ones would gather so maybe he was one of them. He even said that only when all of us gather then will the path be revealed. He said that when all the gears gather our path will finally be revealed but... I still can't understand it.

For now, I'll have to believe in him. After all, he was the one that guided Fleur on her journey as well.