Volume One | Chapter - Third Nebula Invasion Part One

Walking down one of the many pristine clean corridors of Essentia Japan Academy, Aiko yawned as she weakly stumbled her way to class little did she know that a rude awakening was in store.

Running up behind her, Uli grabbed Aiko around the waist hoisting her up into the air.

Aiko let out a scream as she didn't have a clue what was going on, only to turn her head around to greeted by a grinning Uli.

She frantically wriggled out of her friends' tight grip, "Don't do that! You scared me to death!" Aiko shouted as many students wondered by them glancing as they heard Aiko raising her tone.

Uli just laughed in response, "Look, chill out it was only a joke..." she decided then and there to change the subject eyeing her friend closely "...anyway, who were you having a secret rendezvous yesterday? Huh?" she continued to press the subject without letting up.

Aiko nervously smiled, "Well..." she pauses for a moment considering her options before proceeding "...I just spent some time with Sachika-" she was stopped by Uli before she could finish, her friend's eyes lit up with excited anticipation.

"Wait! You said Sachika right?!" Uli shouted as she asked, Aiko nodding curtly in response to the question confused by her friends' gleeful attitude.

"The Sachika Ito, nicknamed the Phantom Queen!" Uli pressed Aiko for more answers.

"I-I'm not entirely sure, she has silver hair with side bangs that somewhat resemble pigtails hanging down the side of her cheek!" Aiko hastily explained not knowing what else to say.

Uli almost fell before regaining her composure, grabbing her friend by the shoulders tightly, "Have you two made a Blood Contract with one another?!" Uli whispered loudly trying not to be overheard.

Aiko just shook her head quickly to answer Uli's question. Uli sighed with relief, "Good, just make sure you don't do that" she told Aiko with all the seriousness she could muster at that moment.

"What's the issue with doing such a thing with Sachika?" Aiko asked hesitantly to find out the answer.

"Do you know how jealous the other girls would get if they found out..." Uli gulped slightly "...it's common knowledge that Coordinators try to form Blood Contracts with prestigious Familiar's in order to raise their status within the academy".

Uli dreaded of the thought of something happening to Aiko like the other day, "Look, just promise me you won't form a Blood Contract with Sachika Ito, okay?"

Aiko tapped Uli's hands off of her shoulders, "Okay, okay...jeez just let it go already" Aiko replied as if impersonating a little girl.

Deep down inside Aiko didn't see any problem in the matter, it's my choice to decide whom I want to partner with so everyone can stuff it for all I care, she wasn't exactly thinking of asking Sachika in the first place but she hated the idea of people telling her what she can and can't do.

As the two of them walked towards the reception area of the academy in the centre of the room was a large group of students looking upwards, when Aiko turned to see what they were looking at it was a holographic projection of the news.

On the screen, they could see the image of a man dressed in a grey suit.

At 22:00 hours, eyewitness reports indicate that a Third Nebula Invasion has commenced as radar and communications blacked out of the Korean Peninsula, the news reporter paused for a moment placing a finger upon his earpiece, I-I just been informed that we have exclusive footage taken from a civilian source.

The screen cut to the recording taken from a civilian source, as Aiko, Uli and the other students watched, they could see the rainy overcast day of the sky as gunfire, flak and explosions filled the sky with a cluster of vibrant colours.

It wasn't long before a gargantuan white and blue electrical orb started to form in the sky above, a few seconds later an image of a Nebula Titan Platform along with the dozen Nebula Cruiser Platforms followed by a huge electrical surge that soon cut out the feed.

We've also received information that the Minister of Defence is currently giving a statement right now, so we'll now broadcast said statement.

The screen cut to a new image showing the Minister of Defence gave a speech on the current situation at hand.

As of this moment, we the Japanese Government have come to the decision to dispatch military aid and relief to the Korean Peninsula along with an Armiger detachment in order to provide support on the operation. We are unclear of the situation at hand, as sporadic information keeps coming out of the area regardless we will still provide full support to our allies abroad.

Upon hearing that statement, the crowd of students began to talk to one another some scared of what'll happen others unsure on how to respond to such a thing.

As the image was switched over to another channel, it wasn't long before some of the students went back to their usual business attending their classes and practises.

Aiko and Uli thought it was weird how some of these students, realizing they were mostly second and third years, never thought much of what the news reporter was talking about.

I guess they're just used to seeing this, the loss of friends and comrades were probably common nature to them it came with the job and title, Aiko thought to herself.

At first, both Aiko and Uli didn't notice Bethany running to them breathing heavily as pores of sweat ran down her forehead, "I-I've been l-looking everywhere for you" she announced with such a haggard tone.

Once she got her breath back she stood up straight, "Have you guys seen the news?" she asked.

Both Aiko and Uli nodded.

"About the Third Nebula Invasion, I'm sure the Koreans can handle it" Uli replied somewhat hesitant at her own confidence in such a situation.

"That's the thing..." Bethany sent shivers down their spines when she continued talking "...the two countries resumed fighting yesterday along the 38th Parallel Line, and that's where the Nebula emerged"

"You don't mean that..." the thought of it haunted Aiko, she didn't want to believe it. Bethany nodded confirming Aiko's suspicions, "Rumours are circulating that nearly all the second and third-year students of Essentia South Korea Academy were killed in the initial attack, and not much of the first years survived either"

Uli laughed nervously thinking that they were over exaggerating the whole thing, "Come on, you can't be serious..." when she realised that both Aiko and Bethany still had serious looks on their faces her knees trembled as she fell to the floor some of the students turned to see what was happening "...but we had friends go to that academy..." tears started coming to her eyes as the thought weighed in on her, Bethany knelt down trying to console her as the two of them hugged.

Aiko was in danger of losing her cool as were many other first years around them, so this is what it feels like wondering whether a friend is dead or not, as she too fell to the floor hugging Uli who was still crying.

***

Sachika and Hibiki were sitting together outside in one the academy's gardens, Sachika had her cell phone out on the screen it read, Dialling...Chi-Sun, once again for the fourth time it went to voicemail.

They were both worried at this point, they heard about the conflict resuming and the sudden appearance of the Third Nebula Invasion force this morning like everyone else around the world. Information out of the country was sporadic and in most cases unreliable.

"I hope she's okay" Hibiki muttered, Sachika just nodded in response.

"Stop worrying about something you can't change" both Hibiki and Sachika heard from the distance they looked up to see a girl, a third year at their academy standing before her lesser peers, her bright red hair tied in a ponytail hanging down her back almost reaching her tailbone, her sea green eyes staring at them.

Standing behind her was her second-year Coordinator, her almost white hair was blinding with the sunlight shining upon it as it too hung down in a short ponytail, the girls' silver eyes made her look alien with her hair.

"What did you say!" Sachika's anger was rising by the second.

"You heard me" the third year girl responded.

Sachika without thinking stood up forming her Essence Armament her bladed gauntlets appearing, in response, the third year's Coordinator held out her hand in front of her as fine pixelated shards started to emanate from her body as energy started to build up in front of her hand. The third-year waved her hand signalling for her to stop.

"B-But, Haven-sama" the girl responded.

"It's fine, it looks like Sachika Ito needs to be taught a lesson by her superiors" the third year answered, as she too started to form her own Essence Armament, her weapon was that of a great sword.

The handle and hand guard were long enough for two hands, the blade itself was straight until it got closer to the tip where both blades edge curved to meet in the centre.

The sword was almost the girl's full body height, it's length reaching the girls' shoulder.

Sachika smirked, "I've been waiting for a long time to beat you to a pulp, Jade Haven," she said as she readied herself. Jade also did the same readying herself for their fight.

Hibiki jumped up off the bench, "Come on! We don't have time for such things like this, we've got bigger fish to fry!" she tried talking some sense into the two of them, but both Sachika and Jade were adamant to continue this fight ignoring the pleas from Hibiki for them to stop.

The two of them charged each other before they could do anything a barrier in the appearance of bright holographic pixels emerged between them, they both crashed into it the barrier zapping them with strong electrical currents as the two of them winced.

Before the two of them was an Essence Barrier a fusion of Essence dust particles of electrical nature, it's exclusively used by the Coordinators allowing them to produce protective grids around their Familiar partners or to pin down enemies taking their range of movement

Turning to their left they could see both Ashina and Amelia the latter with her hand out as pixelated patterns emerged across the floor from her body to the barrier between Sachika and Jade.

Ashina twirling the end of her dark purple coloured braid smiled at the two fighting Familiars as Amelia stood slightly behind her, the girl's black wavy hair blowing gently with the wind including her braid that closely resembled her partners'.

Jade shocked bowed as did her Coordinator, deactivating her Essence Armament, " Ms Ashina" she answered.

Sachika reluctantly deactivated her Essence Armament, as both she and Hibiki stood there looking towards the student council president.

Ashina giggled, "I hate to break it to you ladies..." her eyes suddenly turned from their gleeful effect to a sour one "...but unauthorized duels are not permitted on campus"

"I deeply apologize, Ms Ashina, however Sachika Ito of second-year went out of line to draw a weapon on the third year" Jade responded bowing down lower than before.

It only took a split second for Ashina to return to her gleeful self once again, to everyone it scared them how quickly Ashina's persona could change but no one ever dared mentioned a word of it in her presence.

"I know everyone's on edge..." Ashina pointed to Sachika and Hibiki "...I am also aware that you were trying to give these second years an important life lesson on the burden of losing friends and loved ones..." Ashina clapped her hands together "...however, we must also never lose what makes us human" she announced.

Jade couldn't help but scoff at the last comment, but she refrained herself from answering back.

Both she and her Coordinator stood up straight from their bowed position, "Once again I apologize for my behaviour" Jade replied walking away with her Coordinator.

Both Sachika and Hibiki had their gazes on them albeit Sachika's was more hostile.

Once Jade and her Coordinator were out of sight both Sachika and Hibiki started to walk away before Ashina coughed to get their attention, the duo turned back looking at the student council president.

Sachika, as usual, wasn't thrilled, while Hibiki was just hoping that she wouldn't cause any more trouble.

"I was originally sent here to collect you two..." Ashina said, both Sachika and Hibiki were somewhat surprised that the former wasn't being punished for breaking the rules "...Mistress Daiki would like to speak to the two of you personally" Ashina finished with a big smile on her face, as she turned away walking towards the Mistress' office closely followed by Amelia.

Both Sachika and Hibiki followed suit, the two of them looking at one another wondering what the Mistress could possibly want with either of them.