Unending Nightmares

Since we are further inside the part of the city that is still under control by the enemy, it took a while before the S.S.S agents arrived to arrest them and take care of the wounded.

"Are you kids sure about this?"

"Yes, sensei."

"We've always been doing it like this, boss."

"Lead the way, sir."

Wanting to finish up the defusal of the Astra wave emitters in the city, we decided to head to the center of Fukushima where the last and largest blot of detectable Astra energy is located.

"Are you three ready?"

"""Yes!"""

"Alright. Prepare for infiltration."

We decided to go for a nighttime infiltration and wore night vision equipment in order to safely navigate the roads and alleys leading to the city hall of Fukushima.

"…Stop."

"…"

"Wahahaha!!! This thing slaps!"

"I think I don't need to sleep tonight because of this!"

"Come on! We have a lot more in here!"

On the way, we came across a group of people using the Sorcerer Stone drug and running around energetically as if they are possessed.

"How many cars have these guys stolen just so they can race around the city?"

"Too many to count, that's what."

On the main highway, there are some who are racing around with stolen police vehicles or cars from the nearby car dealership shops.

"One last turn. Don't look into that house's window."

"H-huh?"

"Just don't do it, alright?"

"…"

At the last alleyway to the city hall, Furuta-sensei told us with a strict voice to not look inside a house as we make our turn. I may not have looked inside, but I sure heard and felt the amount of heat coming from inside the building to understand what is happening inside of it.

Let's just say that there are a lot of passionate voices and warm breaths in there.

"My goodness… is that really Fukushima's city hall?"

"The treasury building is burnt down, and the east wing building is vandalized."

"More than that, go and look at the flagpole. I am not a Japanese, but that kind of flag desecration isn't something that even I would find funny or amusing."

"Tch! These anarchists…"

As for the fate of the city hall's national flag, what you would expect a disrespectful group of anarchists would do to it is what happened.

"Astra wave scanner is almost overloaded. I'm turning it off before it explodes on us."

"So, it's inside?"

"Yeah. And pumping out as much Astra energy as that guy you fought in Chiba. It's good that this place doesn't have any trapped civilians. Any higher concentration of Astra energy and everyone in this area is going to be brain dead."

"…"

While we are looking for a place to go and sneak into the building, I sensed something was amiss and whispered it to Furuta-sensei.

"Sensei… I can feel something."

"…Oh. Now that you mention it."

"Should I set up a Subspace?"

"Yeah."

"Mana, Kai… prepare for a Psychic battle."

"Understood."

"I got your backs."

I closed my eyes and focused my Astra energy until it reached a certain point and let it loose to cover the immediate area around the city hall building.

"<Subspace Creation!>"

In an instant, the place became empty of people, the noises disappeared as if it was muted and everything except for us four was colored black and white.

"H-huh?"

"Under us-!"

*Ka-crack!*

"Darn!"

"Almost got us!"

We immediately loosed our control over our powers and prepared for battle as the building where we are standing on was destroyed by a Malignance that looked like a multiple-armed gigantic humanoid monster with one eye.

"Malignances! This one is not alone!"

"GRUAAAA!!!"

"HAGAHAGAHAGA!"

As soon as Kai shouted that out, two more of the same variety of giant-class Malignances appeared from beneath the buildings around the city hall and charged towards us with their six or eight gigantic arms.

"Darn it! They're too agile!

"Keep dodging! Don't attempt to attack them when your footing is not solid!"

"Aye!"

I opened my flask that has my blood and made it levitate around me to keep it close and accessible.

"Drat!"

"Rai! Give Mana a platform!"

"Roger!"

Mana tried to jump up towards an apartment building's roof but was swatted away by one of the monster's hands. Seeing this, I solidified a portion of my blood and shot it towards a wall.

"Mana! Use this!"

"Hyaup! Woah there…"

She saw the rod-like solidified blood and caught it with her hand to perform a circular somersault before stepping and jumping off from it.

"Thanks!"

"No problem! Get into an offense position, Mana!"

"Gotcha!"

"Raaahhh! These guys are pissin' me off!"

Kai threw some seeds around the ground to restrain the malignances, but due to their size, they easily snapped the trees and kept on swatting us off from reaching stable ground.

"Hey, Boss! Little help here!"

"On it… <Ferrokinesis!>"

Finally, having marked all of the accessible metal objects in the area, Furuta-sensei focused and in just a few moments, those panels, pipes, posts and other metallic objects began to stick to the body of the monsters and kept them in place.

"You three! Do it!"

"""Yes, sir!"""

From the top of a building, Mana, Kai and I released all of our powers to finish off the Malignances.

"<Pyrokinesis!>"

"<Chlorokinesis!>"

"<Hemokinesis!>"

The surge of Astra energy coursed around our bodies and before it reached a critical point, we let it loose towards our respective enemies.

"<Core Furnace!>"

Mana's condensed orb of purple-hot flames hit one on the chest and in an instant, was consumed by the fire, leaving only some pieces of it.

"<Death Blossoms!>"

Kai's spider lily seeds turned into monstrous flesh-eating sprouts that once landed on the body of the monster, began to voraciously eat it and in the end, left some bloodstains and several crimson spider lilies on the ground.

"<Blood Rapture!>"

Instead of several crystalized blood spikes, I flung a large one towards it and once it connected, exploded inside the monster's body.

"…Wait! They're regenerating!"

"Leave that to me, brats… <Ferrokinesis>"

We became shocked after Kai said that the monsters are starting to regenerate, but Furuta-sensei clasped his hands tightly and began to chant his own attack.

"<Atomic Pile>"

Atomic Pile, as an academic, I have heard that word before and because of it, instinctively clutched down to the ground to protect myself.

*Kyiiii-!!!*

"W-What the-?!"

"H-Hey boss! What is that metal dome about? Why is it whirring like a fridge?!"

"You two, get down! That's a nuclear reactor!"

""!""

As soon as I said it's more common name, Mana and Kai also clutched down to the ground to protect themselves. However, our actions were lightly scoffed at by Furuta-sensei.

"No need to be so scared, you brats. I got everything… under control…"

"Just end it, Sensei!"

"Alright, alright…"

The metal dome kept on whirring until in eventually ended and the dome made of the transmuted metals fell off piece by piece and inside, what was left was nothing but flesh that looked like it melted off.

"…I didn't know that you dabbled on nuclear science, sensei."

"It was part of my Applied Mathematics thesis, I worked on it with a nuclear scientist so I can grasp the concept."

"Still… that was pretty reckless."

After finishing the Malignances, we ran to the interior of the city hall where the largest Astra wave emitter is located. The way towards it though, was something that has actual opponents guarding it.

"Wait… intruders!"

"Everyone! There are intruders here!"

"Drat! I didn't even sense them because of the denseness of Astra energy in here."

"Well, seems like it was the same for them since we fought outside and none of them saw us."

"Alright, let's break through their ranks!"

Furuta-sensei took the metal gate door from one of the rooms and used it to shield us from the Seed Psychic's attacks.

"Mana, Ephraim! Charge!"

"Yes!"

"Come on out, you rats!"

Mana and I shot out from behind our cover and pounced on the Seed Psychics in combat.

"Woah! Woah! These mobs are too strong!"

"I thought the admin said that this is a starter level!"

"G-G-Get away from me!"

Unlike what we expected, the people guarding the city hall's front yard were new recruits playing in the same "game-like" program of the Miyazono Corporation. They even had the same green highlights in their suits and the IDs they call as game passes.

"Kai! Destroy their cores once they begin to transform."

"Yes, sir!"

Kai, who took and taped a plant pot on his back earlier, controlled spiky stems to stab into the dead bodies of the enemy Psychics before they mutated into Malignances.

"Keep on going!"

"Push them away from the door! Guak-!"

Finally, we arrived inside the city hall and immediately ran towards the second floor of the building where more Miyazono Psychics are standing by to ambush us.

"Leave this to me."

"Alright, sensei."

"Hyap-!"

Furuta-sensei tossed a metal ball up to the next floor and once it bounced on the floor twice, clasped his hands before several death throes echoed upstairs.

"Damn…"

"Don't bother with praising or being disturbed with it. Let's go."

"Y-yes, sensei."

"I can use these for our sake, <Hemokinesis>."

Simply put, Furuta-sensei's attack made the metal orb to form into spikes that scattered all around the room and stabbed into them, killing them in the process. Although it left a bad taste in my mouth, I manipulated their blood to use it for the encounters ahead.

"Cover! Our shield is almost busted, sensei!"

"I know! Prepare to charge on my mark!"

"Yes, sir!"

Furuta-sensei stretched the metal door to cover the width and height of the hallway and once we are ready, sent it forward across the corridor with us running behind it.

"Argh! Crap!"

"R-Run away!"

"N-Noo!!!"

Some of them were squished flat on the wall while some managed to run away to the mayor's office where their main stronghold is located.

"Alright! Hit it!"

"<Pyrokinesis!>"

Mana slashed the metal panel using her fire machete and once we got to puncture the office door, I went all out on cleaning it up.

"Leave this to me… <Hemokinesis!>"

I made all of the blood I collected to enter the hole on the door that Mana made and flooded the room with blood before casting my attack.

"<Blood Pool!>"

The entire building shook lightly as the blood inside the room whirled around as if it was a giant washer. As I felt less and less living beings inside, I undid my attack and drained the blood through the office's windows.

"W-where are they…?"

"Gone… reduced to blood and bits."

"…I see."

The mayor's office had its carpet and other textile items filled or stained with blood, while the tables and chairs are strewn around the room after my attack, but the item we are trying to find was unaffected at the ceiling of the room.

"Let me diffuse it."

"We'll guard you, sensei."

"Sure."

Furuta-sensei took a chair and reached for the emitter as Mana, Kai and I guarded the windows and the door while he is destroying the instrument.

"This might sound strange for me to say… no less to kids like you who are so new to this that it's not wrong to call you as greenhorns."

"What is this about, sensei?"

"I awakened as a Psychic fourteen years ago when I was still in high school. Still, my life was still fairly normal as no one else knew about it. It was only after being discovered and recruited by the Sumeragi organization and having a near-death experience in my first mission to Old Osaka nine years ago did I fully understand the harsh reality of being a Psychic."

"About that, what happened in Old Osaka back then that it seems like an unspoken horror for you and Kai?"

I asked out loud which made Kai to look at me with a glum expression.

"The Old Osaka uprising… or simply called the 2064 Coup, was something not far from this event that happened here in Fukushima right now. Rival political factions in the city's council fought over the control of the populated city and after several skirmishes and street shootings between the groups, it descended into a full-on coup that had to be immediately stopped by the government."

"And how did the Sumeragi group got mixed up in it?"

"While protecting and evacuating some civilians, some of our men were ambushed by Miyazono psychics who would later use them as a leverage to get our Osaka estate stronghold out of the city, basically making us powerless in the area. The Kanbu officers started negotiations to lure them into thinking that our hands has been tied up, but little did they know that I and a few other Psychics have entered the city to save our men."

"What happened afterwards?"

"Well, we saved our members and got out of the city. It was a victory for us in the Sumeragi group, but for the Miyazono psychics who was tricked and made to look like fools to their superiors, they did something that costed us everything."

Instead of continuing with his story though, Furuta-sensei stopped moving and had his mouth open ajar for a moment.

"Sensei?"

"Shit! All of you, get down!"

*Pyiii-!!!*

"What the-?!"

Furuta-sensei jumped towards Mana to shield her as Kai hurriedly threw down tree seeds that grew to cover us two as a bright light washed across the room.

In an instant, I felt each and every fiber of my body being stretched taut as if it was being pulled by a machine with a monstrous strength.

"…"

And then… there was darkness. I can barely feel my body as I groaned in pain.

"Aggghhh…"

"Rai!"

"…Urk."

I tried to find my strength and move my body as I heard the faint shout of Kai.

"Rai!!! Get up!"

"-!"

Finally, I opened my eyes and I got up to see everything around us. We are in the backyard of the city hall and surrounded by an army of enemy Psychics.

"The Subspace was destroyed! We're surrounded by Miyazono psychics!"

"Got it!"

I stood up and felt a wound on my side. Before closing it though, I took out some of my blood to use it as a weapon.

"I'll keep them still, finish them off!"

"Got it!"

Kai snagged the Psychics by their leg or arm as I sent forward my blood spikes to kill them and if they are near enough, used the dead bodies as explosives that scattered more solidified blood to those around them.

"Wait… where's Mana? Where's Furuta-sensei?! How did we get thrown off the office room?"

"The Emitter was a bugged! It exploded after boss diffused it. He and Mana-chan flew out the other direction. We need to get the hell out of here and link up with them ASAP!"

"Alright! Prepare to run after my signal!"

Using the residual blood in their bodies, I took the enemy psychics towards our direction and used them as a barrier between us and the enemies.

"…<Hemokinesis!>"

I focused and after sensing that they are approaching our position, casted my attack.

"<Blood Rapture!>"

The bodies released their residual blood and shot out the crystallized blood like a claymore mine towards our enemies who had to stop to tend to their wounds or seek cover.

"Now!"

"Alright! Lend me your arm!"

As for me and Kai, he lent me shoulder as we made our escape. I was running low of Astra energy and with the wound on my side that was no longer bleeding but was still painful, I wished that the two other members of our group is alright since I barely have any more fight on me.

"Sensei! Furuta-sensei!"

"Mana-chan! Where are you two?!"

Once we crossed into the front yard, we finally found them.

"HAAH…! HAAH…! Not yet! Not until I get to-!"

*Byik-!*

"-! SENSEI!!!"

"BOSS!!!"

However, we were too late.

"You Sumeragi rebels… always being so pompous about your stupid dream of keeping this world in order…"

"YOU-! YOU BASTARD!!!"

"Urk! Wait-! Kai!"

"You…! I will never forget how Kaede-nee cried because of you!"

"Oh… what a touching reunion, isn't it, Replicant of that child?"

"SHUT UP!!!"

Kai was visibly enraged as he ripped his clothes apart and immediately went into his close combat flow state where his hair became fully leaf green and faced off against this unnamed enemy.

"Ahh…"

"Mana? Mana!"

I crawled towards a nearby rock where Mana was leaning at while her forehead has blood trails.

"Concussion… blood loss… I'll try to at least patch you up."

"I-I-It hurts…"

"Huh?"

"M-my leg… it hurts…"

"-!"

I looked at her left leg and on her thigh is a piece of metal that pierced her flesh.

"Damn it! Why is this happening?!"

I used my last remaining energy to close the wounds on her forehead and with my last remaining strength, pulled out the piece of rebar metal off her leg before quickly closing the wound that could've been fatal if both of us are not Psychics.

"Please… please stay alive, Mana… I promise, we can get through this…"

"…Y-yes."

He half-awake response calmed me as I crawled towards Furuta-sensei's position and analyzed his state.

"Wait… wait, wait, wait!"

"…"

I placed my hand over his chest and sensed something odd.

"Come on… come on!!!"

"…"

His heart is not beating properly. It was very faint and irregular.

"Come on, Sensei! This isn't the time for you to leave us yet!"

I continued to perform CPR to realign his heartbeat, but every passing second just makes it fainter and fainter.

"Wait… we are not in a Subspace!"

I remembered that and rummaged through my things and once I found it, tore open the defibrillator kit and stuck its nodes on his chest before snapping the switch into place.

"Wake up, old man!"

*Byig-!*

"Argh-!"

"Finally…"

Furuta-sensei was resuscitated by the shock and finally woke up. I placed a hand over his chest and confirmed that his heart was beating properly.

"…Kid."

"Just stay put, sensei… We're all alive for now."

"Wait! Where is Kai?! He can't-!"

Furuta-sensei looked like he wanted to keep something away from Kai but as he sat up, the color from his face was drained after seeing the fight in front of us.

"YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR TREACHERY AND THE PAIN YOU GAVE TO HER!"

"Like I care about you, Replicant."

I only got to observe our new enemy now and saw a man with long, silver-white hair that has it tied into a low ponytail, wearing a black suit that has golden highlights and a Miyazono lapel on his coat.

"<Chlorokinesis!>"

"You really learned nothing, didn't you? <Photokinesis>"

"-!"

"<Solar Flare>."

The plant that Kai was about to use to attack him was consumed by a bright light before disappearing along with the place where he was standing at before we jumped away.

"W-Who is that…?"

"A former member of the Sumeragi organization who defected to the Miyazono corporation nine years ago…"

The news that we are facing off against a traitor right now was something that surprised me. But the next revelation was what almost robbed me of hope.

"He's a Gardener… the highest-ranking Psychic fighters of the Miyazonos."

"G-Gardener?!"

"You have seen what happened earlier… he didn't even need to lift a finger to almost kill me… Kai is… Urk-!"

"Sensei!"

"I-I'm alright! What's more important is how we will get the hell away from here! Did you see where I left Mana?"

"Yes. I have also tended to her wounds."

"Good. Get her while I am grabbing Kai. We're retreating away from this place."

"Roger!"

I ran towards Mana and hoisted her on my arms as Furuta-sensei waited until Kai was about to be shot by another light beam from the enemy.

"I WILL KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL MASSACRE YOU! I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TRAITORS LIKE YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"

"I've had enough of this crap… <Photokinesis>"

"Now!"

"W-What?!"

"We're getting away from here!"

"I don't care about your orders! I need to kill that guy! That traitor who-"

"I'm not asking for your permission."

Furuta-sensei hit him on the neck to incapacitate him and after lifting him over his shoulder, looked at the guy standing atop a light post while holding a glowing orb of light on his hand.

"Was I too merciful to just almost kill you, Renjiro?"

"Mark my words, Will."

"…"

"I may not share the same hatred to you as this kid after you broke Kaede's heart or Lucas's sworn duty of finishing your life after you betrayed us…"

"What are you trying to get at, you ignorant braggart?"

"You were my teacher, so I think you are very aware of my past that shaped my personality and convictions. And because of that, I want you to remember these words…"

"…"

He pointed towards the man and spoke.

"My sword… will be the one to cut off your head."

"Haha… Hahaha! Hyahahahaha!!!"

"…"

"Alright then, you fool… I will remember that!"

The feeling of Astra energy in our surroundings suddenly became ominous as the man emitted a crimson-colored aura and his eyes that had white irises had its sclera turned pitch black.

"Ich-! Arghh…!"

After sensing that, a strong headache pulsated across my back and into my head as I heard the faint voice of Law, the spirit who is living in my body.

"[This aura… this feeling… it is him. It is him!!!]"

"What are you talking about?!"

"[That mortal! He is the vessel of that murderous spirit!]"

The orb of light on that man's hand grew larger and larger as Furuta-sensei ran towards us and grabbed me by the shoulder to run away.

"Who? Who is that, Law?!"

"[One of the beings whom I will kill… The Fifth of the Lower Spirits… Vainglory.]"

My headache subsided as I lost sense of my left eye. It seems like Law took control of half of my body as he turned my head around to catch a glimpse of that man.

"W-What the…"

"[Look at him, Ephraim. Look at his power and the destruction that he is willing to let loose upon this world.]"

"…!"

The orb of light consumed everything on its path as it continued to grow larger and larger until finally, it dissipated and formed a large crater in where the city hall used to stand.

"[Right now, even as the Divine Challenger, you are no match against him.]"

"…Tch."

"[But I will not let things to stay like that for you.]"

"Law…"

"[Prepare yourself, Ephraim. Today, you have seen the insurmountable distance between the strength of your enemy and those on your side. They have wounded all of you heavily and your master almost lost his life as well.]"

After saying all of that, Law undid his possession as I continued to run away from the scene along with my teammates. For now, this is all that we can do. Run and hide as we are too powerless to fight them.

But if Law will keep his word, this defeat… this retreat that we are doing… we won't have to do this next time.

"Agent Chronia! Agent Fujikawa! Get in!"

"Take care of her! She's heavily wounded!"

"Yes, sir!"

After three days of being in this chaotic warzone, we were finally rescued and as I laid down at the backseat of the van, I looked at the stars outside and thought to myself…

"To be stronger… Stronger that anyone else…"

I want to be stronger for those that are dear to me.