Back Together

The glass shocked her, the cold feeling against her cheek causing her to jolt and pull away. She looked up, her eyes wide as saucers and trailing tears that hadn't yet dried as she just stared blankly at Hikaru.

"How… how did they think that wasn't a special grade? It was a demon… something like that belongs in hell." She muttered the same words she had said maybe hundreds of times by now.

Sitting down beside her the mattress shifted under his weight as he put the glass gently in her hands. "I don't know." Hikaru lied. His voice was strained, raw from screaming just moments before.

Sniffling he wiped his nose with the back of his hand as he looked out at the setting sun. They had been told that nothing was left of Frank's body when they went and defeated the spirit.

It made sense, after all that spirit had left nothing but ash.

Ash that scattered in the wind. There would be no way for them to find a body… at least the ashes would be scattered though, maybe the smoke would find its way to heaven if such a place existed.

"We just have to… move on I guess?" Hikaru said hopelessly, he knew that it wouldn't be possible. Maybe for her, maybe she would go home and move on. But he never would be able to. His home had betrayed him and sent him to his death for whatever reason. And if he said a thing he would be disposed of.

'And so will she.' He thought as he looked at Stacy, her moist eyes glazed and puffy from crying. He would never do that for her.

He remembered vaguely, Frank telling them to run, him kissing her. Having dragged him out of the rubble, helping him lift what should have been impossible. For someone he hated for foolish reasons, yes, but still, he had done so for him… or maybe it was for Stacy.

It didn't matter, he was alive thanks to Frank, he hadn't run when it would have been easy. And he had stayed so that they could escape.

He never felt so… useless.

"You should get some sleep… it will do some good," Hikaru said as he stood up. Swallowing the dread that settled into his stomach. He didn't know what he could make with this life anymore.

"Alright," She responded simply as she put the untouched glass down, watching a droplet roll down its side and flatten against the nightstand. Her voice was so… empty.

She was out of tears, it was time to rest now.

At least for now. He was sure that there would be many more when the sun rose.

Turning around he left the room. The soft click of the door behind him mixed with a sigh that escaped his lips. He was so tired, the last thing he wanted to deal with right now was someone else… he knew that it was cruel to think that but he couldn't help himself.

But he would never listen to such thoughts, he knew that she needed his help right now so he would do his best to be there for her.

Walking to his own dorm room he was just about to enter it before he heard a familiar voice, one that he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Hikaru… It's good to see you again."

Turning suddenly Hikaru looked at the person who spoke. "Joben… It's been a while. Hasn't it."

His old friend had left in his third year to help out with some business the Higher-Ups had and hadn't been able to contact them in a while.

"I mean it's good to see you but I really need some sleep, can we talk in the morning?" Hikaru asked, his voice exhausted. He was glad to see his old friend but at the same time, he was… broken right now. And Joben worked for the Higher-Ups.

He couldn't trust him, he hadn't seen him in a year after all.

"Sadly I can't wait until the morning. The Higher-Ups are after me. I saved Frank, quick I'll explain in your room." Joben said, grabbing a stunned Hikaru by his shoulder and pulling him through the door before closing it.

"W-Wait what do you mean saved Frank?" Hikaru stuttered out as allowed himself to be moved.

"Long story short, Frank is still alive, he killed the special grade somehow and almost died in the process. The Higher-Ups want him dead though so they sent someone to finish the job. I got him out of there before they could. I've hidden him away and he is sleeping. But as soon as they find out he isn't dead then they are going to come after Stacy to lure him out." Hikaru quickly explained.

"We need to get her and get out of here now if you want your friends to live, I know, I worked for the Higher-Ups but that is in the past. Just trust me if you want your friends to live, I will explain more later when we have time. Please, I want to do what is right." Joben started saying.

Nodding his head rapidly Hikaru felt his body pumped with adrenaline. "Alright, okay, wow, that is a lot. But alright. Since you know so much I guess so. Let's go." Hikaru said, turning and leaving his room marching his way to Stacy's room.

Gritting his teeth Joben didn't think that Hikaru would go for such a direct approach. Yes, he had made him more agreeable since he didn't have time for doubt or argument but still. That was… headstrong.

Jumping out the window he made his way around the outside of the building and by the windows. Staying out of sight crouching below the window line, they might be here already. While Hikaru could just walk into the room without looking too suspicious if he even showed his face alarms would be sounded.

Getting to Stacy's room he saw that her window was already open, the shuffling of sheets being heard quickly followed by the creaking of a door.

And then chaos erupted.

Ducking he felt air rush past his head and looking up the back wall of the dorm had exploded out as a masked sorcerer suddenly was flying out of the wall. Yelling sounded through the air as he stood up and saw Hikaru trading blows with another sorcerer. A screaming Stacy crawled back towards, facing the fight unaware he was behind her.

Great, that had gone well.

Grabbing her as she got to him he just said, "Sleep." He felt her go limp in his arms before jumping over her and sliding across the floor. Grabbing the leg of the Sorcerer and doing the same thing with him.

Feeling him collapse to the floor he looked up at the shocked Hikaru and said. "We need to get moving now."

Nodding his head Hikaru dashed forward and grabbed Stacy, sweeping up Joben under one arm as he did so.

Feeling Hikaru's technique make him lighter than a feather he just held on knowing that they could move faster this way. "Where too!" Hikaru yelled, grabbing Stacy under the other arm and doing the same with her weight.

Using the contact he had with Hikaru he just put the information of where to go right into his mind. He could have done that with the explanation. Well fuck it he could do it later. "Go go go!" He yelled as he saw Other sorcerers look on in confusion.

Gakuganji came out of one of the halls in his robes, holding an old-style lute.

Feeling Hikaru's own weight decrease he felt the air leave his stomach as suddenly they were soaring through the air. The weightlessness of Hikaru's technique and the strength of his cursed energy enhanced leap sending them soaring into the air in a massive arc.

"Hold on!" Hikaru yelled a bit too late as they were already reaching the peak of their jump well above the top of the tree line.

As they started to fly through the air Hikaru increased their weight again without slowing their speed. Increasing their momentum dramatically. And they soared.

Shooting through the air in a straight arc just before they hit the ground he felt their weight once more vanish just as Hikaru's feet hit the ground.

And so it happened again. Each leap took them more than a hundred meters as they covered the ground at insane speeds.

Soon finding themselves back in the industrial district Hikaru put Joben down and changed his hold on Stacy, holding her like a princess as he frowned a bit.

"Did you put her to sleep?" He asked, his brows furrowing as his eyes grew a bit colder.

"Would you rather her wake up meters into the air under your arm like a sack of potatoes?" Hikaru asked, his eyebrows raising as he started to walk leaving an accepting Hikaru behind. "That's what I thought, let's get moving. We better get hidden before they come searching. While that leaping is great for traveling it leaves cursed energy where you land."

Nodding his head Hikaru followed, cutting his technique which was still affecting Stacy. Feeling her weight increase he almost stumbled but got his footing before following Joben deeper into the charred buildings.

Passing rubble, ruin and toppled structures reduced to cracked masses of concrete and bent steel. All the buildings bore the same horrible charring puddled mess from where it had started to melt. The shattered glass that had rained down onto the road had melted onto to the asphalt that had cooled mid-bubbling.

"It… wasn't like this when we left it…" Hikaru muttered, it was ruined yes, and there was fire. But this was next level, it was as if the surface of the sun had descended for a moment flash melting everything.

Nodding Hikaru ducked under a fallen building. Everything here had started to sink into the ground when it had been molten causing everything to dip towards a point about 300 to 400 meters away like a sinkhole had opened. The surface had mostly cooled however unless it was trapped under piles that had protected it from the winds.

"Yeah, Frank somehow generated enough heat to kill a spirit made from fire… You should see where he was sleeping when I found him." Hikaru said.

Nodding numbly as he looked over all of this he wondered what had happened. The damage quickly became less intense but still… in just this area around here it was… almost insane. "How far away is it? Where he was sleeping?" Hikaru asked.

"Not far, maybe 300 meters. At most." Joben revealed. Utterly stunning Hikaru. This kind of damage in a 300-meter range? That wasn't something that should be possible without sacrificing something… what had Frank given?

Nodding his head once more like a confused child he quickened his pace. Catching up to Joben as they made their way away from the worst of the damage and to where the place was only ruined by the fires that had spread. Going into a building they made their way down cracked stairs and into a well-concealed basement.

Getting into a basement Joben waited for Hikaru to enter before sliding a piece of broken concrete back over the door to hopefully make it look like the room had caved in.

"Take a seat… this is where we are hiding for now. Let me explain properly while I grab something to eat though, and wake those two up. I hope you don't mind but I will use my technique to make sure they don't panic, especially Frank. If I don't he might kill us all." Joben said motioning around to remind Hikaru what was outside the room.

"Alright, it is best to be careful. You alright?" Hikaru asked as he saw his friend limp his way over to a box and take out a few bottles of water, throwing one to Hikaru.

Nodding he responded, "Yeah, just burnt the bottom of my feet saving Frank." Taking off his shoes with a wince then his socks to show his bandaged feet. Gosh, it hurt like hell.

Nodding Hikaru said, "Well… are we waiting for the morning then? Or are you waking them now?"

"I'll wait until the sun rises," Joben answered, taking the lid off his bottle and downing half of it. "Better get some rest in yourself, you've had a big day."

Sighing in agreement Hikaru responded reluctantly. "I'll trust you because you seem to be running as well… but I better wake up here." Looking pointedly at Joben.

Holding his hands up peacefully Joben says, "You have my word. Trust me I have more of a reason to be hiding from the Higher-Ups than you. I promise I am just looking to do what is right." His face fell as he said the last bit.

Nodding Hikaru lay down on the floor, putting Stacy somewhere that looked the most comfy… not that there really was a spot like that.

"Oh, and Hikaru… call me Gavin tomorrow alright, I… just do that much for me," Joben asks.

"Sure… I can do that." Hikaru says, his face confused but he didn't question it. There must be a reason or something… maybe.

"It's good to see you again Hikaru," Joben says, a smirk appearing on his face.

Nodding Hikaru chuckles to himself, this all seemed so… surreal. "You to 'Gavin.'"