Yeah, in those movies, when villains surround you, the heroes will do their pose and say "bam" and they all fall, and cheers will come from nowhere. Still, now it is not like that. Aqua tore her skirt, ran to Dreafus, and jumped, giving him a roundabout kick.
He blocked it, and she jumped back and started to fight him. As I turned back, 15 other dark elementals were waiting for me.
There was a time when Cosmo told me that the dark elementals that have no titles are not that strong yeah, right to Helheim with that, one lunged forward and I quickly moved and dodged, and then the other one jumped and his nails were long like sharp swords and tried to slice me and I ducked and kicked him in the stomach and as he flew back.
I shouted "FIREBALL" and unleashed a blazing sphere of flames at my opponent, who erupted in a fiery explosion, hurtling backward, charred and defeated. One down. Suddenly, a sofa came hurtling toward me, and with a swift strike, I sent it flying away.
As I regained my footing, I noticed a mysterious female figure before me, her back adorned with dark, writhing tentacles that she skillfully manipulated to hurl debris in my direction. I took off, deftly dodging the projectiles as they whizzed past me. Summoning my agility, I leaped into the air, using the flying objects as makeshift platforms to propel myself higher.
With a calculated maneuver, I landed behind her and delivered a powerful blow, knocking her out cold. Two down.
One assailant was already behind me, brandishing a sword poised to strike. Just in time, I ducked and summoned a flaming sword of my own, and we engaged in a fierce sword fight. Suddenly, my P.E. skill, "Rabbit Evasion," activated, allowing me to leap into the air once more. A flurry of arrows that was meant for me flew into my opponent instead. He staggered and collapsed, filled with arrows, blood pooling around him.
Quickly, I turned my gaze to the archer responsible for the deadly volley and unleashed a fireball that soared through the air, engulfing him in flames and obliterating him in an explosive burst.
I descended to the ground and peeked at Aqua and Dreafus fight.
The scene between Aqua and Dreafus was sheer chaos, with the surrounding area utterly devastated by their fierce sparring match. Dreafus, resembling a nimble cricket despite his weight, had transformed; his eyes were black, and ominous tentacles slithered from his back, lunging menacingly at Aqua.
Yet, Aqua remained unfazed. With grace and agility, she effortlessly dodged his relentless attacks. As she closed the distance between them, a confident smile graced her lips. "TORRENT BLAST!" she declared, unleashing a powerful jet of water that surged towards Dreafus's face.
The force of the blast sent him flying backward, yet he remained unscathed, snarling as he quickly regained his footing and charged back at Aqua, who stood poised and ready for his next move.
Before we had entered the room, Aqua had hired a distraction team. The moment they heard fighting, they would act like hooligans, causing chaos and scaring everyone away. It seemed to have worked; the civilians were long gone.
When I wasn't focusing on my environment, I have been surrounded.
Surrounded by the remaining eleven, I felt a surge of panic as I frantically scanned my surroundings. They charged at me, and I instinctively attempted to dodge their onslaught. But one of them managed to slash my hand with its claws, sending a jolt of immense pain coursing through me. I kicked the assailant away, but my sleeves were soon stained crimson with blood.
Realizing I was hopelessly outnumbered, desperation surged within me. I leaped into the air, shouting, "HELL'S DROP!" As I descended, flames engulfed me, and I plummeted to the ground, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that obliterated the area around me.
Amidst the chaos of flames, I managed to rise to my feet. My clothes, miraculously flame-resistant, had withstood the inferno, though I couldn't help but think that they might have served better as armor. Still, I had no desire to be naked amidst the destruction.
Sirens wailed in the distance, and I could see people fleeing the scene, their faces etched with fear. The dark elementals that had threatened us were either gone or, more likely, dead.
A strange mix of triumph and repulsion coursed through me; I had just taken lives, and while I felt nothing for the act itself, a deep disgust lingered at the edges of my consciousness.
I forced myself to focus on the present. Where was Aqua? I glanced to my left and saw her struggling to maintain her composure, her clothes surprisingly intact. Dreafus was nearby, with red scars on his body, but he was nearly naked, and EWWW, I chose not to dwell on the unfortunate sight and also to explain what I saw.
He stumbled to his feet and, in his panic, ran past me. As he brushed against me, I instinctively reached out and touched him, but he managed to escape, lost in the chaos.
I couldn't let him escape, not now. But Aqua needed my help. Ignoring the pain from my bleeding arms, I sprinted toward her, determined to reach her side.
Aqua was alright except for the fact she was cursing in 12 languages, then she glared at me and said, "You let him go and we have failed the mission".
She was pretty much annoyed, while she was healing my arms, I said, "Calm down, we have not failed it" and she said, " What do you mean" and I smiled and said " I touched him" and my hand was glowing and Aqua said amazed " Don't tell me you perfected" and I said "IGNITE" and we heard an explosion far off.
As we reached the site of the explosion, it was in an abandoned area, I gave it to Dreafus, he was fast, and we saw a black thing there and guess who it was, Of course, Dreafus, then he looked at us and said" What did you do, there is no possible way you could have attacked me from far away" Wow he is able to speak while like that, also he's sharp, expected from a general and I said" I used the technique IGNITE " then I was cut off by Aqua who said " Are you crazy why are you telling him your move" and I said" It is okay, he is about to die anyways" and I went to him.
I explained, "It's a technique where I leave a mark on someone's body by touching them and infusing it with P.E. energy. When activated, the mark will explode." Dreafus chuckled and replied, "So that's how you caught me! By the way, what was your name again? Oh right, Blaze." He turned to me with a smile that, given his burned visage, was unsettling. "I see the similarities," he continued, "Hahaha, just like your parents."
At those words, my gut twisted in horror. "How do you know my parents?" I demanded. He grinned maliciously. "Of course, we captured them."
Despair washed over me as I stammered, "What do you mean?" He leaned closer, relishing my anguish. "We captured your parents, and they're probably being tortured as we speak. When I saw their faces, I felt delight, and when I looked at you, I saw the resemblance."
"YOU'RE LYING!" I shouted, fury rising within me. The urge to rip his face off consumed me, but before I could act, Aqua interrupted, unleashing a water bullet that pierced through Dreafus's head, blood trickling down from the hole.
She turned to me, concern etched on her face. "Blaze," she said softly.
"Don't try to stop me! I have to save my parents!" I retorted, desperation fueling my anger.
"Blaze, you cannot do it, you can't save them" Aqua said
"Then what am I supposed to do huh, I can't stay here while my parents are being tortured", I shouted
"Blaze, listen," she urged, her voice steady. "You can't just rush in. You don't even know where they are right now. How can you be sure Dreafus isn't just trying to mess with your mind? You need to calm down and breathe. If it's true, we will find a way to save them."
Her reassuring grip on my hand began to temper my rage. I took a deep breath, letting her words sink in. "Thank you," I finally managed, and she smiled gently, grounding me in that moment.
We jumped out of the portal, and I almost puked again. I checked my watch, and it was 4A.M, Aqua said" Mission Complete and I am tired," and she left to her quarters and left me there, I stood up and managed to remember where my room and walked to my quarters, and as I went to my room, I removed my clothes and changed into a red velvet shirt and a brown colored short.
I heard a knocking on my door and went to check who it was. It was Aqua, dressed in a blue striped nightgown with sleeves and wearing green sandals. She told me she had a surprise for me and asked me to follow her. Filled with curiosity, I told her to wait while I went back inside to put on my slippers. After quickly changing, I returned, closed my door, and said, "I'm ready." She smiled and said, "Follow me."
As we walked through the vast hallways adorned with intricate designs on the golden walls, the ceiling bulbs cast a warm glow that illuminated our path. As we passed by, I noticed various paintings depicting different individuals. One of them caught my eye: Cosmo, with his usual outfit, professional-looking purple hair, and violet eyes that seemed to shimmer with life.
There were other paintings as well, showcasing people I had never seen before.
Aqua glanced back at me, as if she could read my thoughts, and said, "Those individuals belong to a higher organization called The Zenith Society.
It consists of a group of mysterious, powerful figures known as the Paradoxes.
They either possess god-like abilities, are incredibly wealthy, or often both. They are highly revered—so much so that in some cases, it is considered a crime to even speak their names."
Then I asked her, "Aqua can you beat them", then Aqua looked at me with a face filled with shock and replied saying, "Hah, you are joking right, I would die before the fight even start, and the worst part is I won't even think about doing something like that in the first place" Yikes, they are that strong
I felt a pang of anxiety, hoping I wouldn't think of a name that belongs to them and just blurt it out. Aqua continued, "You should know that Cosmo is among them, and he is referred to as the Infinite Paradox." I couldn't help but think what a fitting title that was as we descended the staircase and turned a corner into another hallway.
Finally, she added, "And even with a group like that, there are figures who stand above them, shrouded in secrecy. After all, this world is filled with infinite secrets and mysteries waiting to be uncovered—some that should never be known by anyone. But that will be a lesson for another day. We are here."
Under the moon, which was purple in color, I asked myself, "How is that possible?" I looked around as a cold breeze swept over me. We were outside in grassy fields that seemed endless, which was strange considering the entire base was surrounded by a sandstorm that obscured the horizon. Suddenly, I heard a voice in the distance and noticed a light shining somewhere ahead. Curiosity piqued; we started walking toward the light.
As we approached, we discovered a white gazebo, and inside it, a glowing ball of light hung from the ceiling. There, I saw Cosmo, Axel, and Stone sitting comfortably. They were all dressed in nightwear: Axel wore yellow pajamas adorned with square designs and a sleeping cap, Cosmo was in an indigo suit-like outfit—his apparent obsession with suits evident—and Stone sported a tank top paired with military trousers.
The gazebo was festively decorated with an array of delicious foods and balloons in the corners. I turned to Aqua, who had just entered and taken a seat next to Axel, and asked, "Whose birthday party is it?"
She replied with a smile, "It isn't a birthday party; it is a celebration." Intrigued, I pressed further, asking, "Then who are we celebrating?"
Aqua's smile widened, and before I could react, everyone around me pulled out confetti and playfully sprayed it all over my face. Laughter filled the air as Aqua declared, "Obviously, it is you, Blaze! Congratulations on your first mission!"
I was shocked and bewildered, yet I felt a sense of happiness for what they were doing. All the doubts and disgust that had been plaguing me since the mission seemed to slowly fade away. The food was super delicious, and I watched as Cosmo tried to boast about himself, only to be playfully shut up by everyone around him. In that moment, it felt like these guys were my family.
But with that warmth came a wave of sadness, as it reminded me of my own family and friends. I missed the times we used to eat and laugh together, and I couldn't shake the reality that they were not here with me now. I couldn't go back after everything that had happened; it would only put them in danger.
I realized I had to hide my sadness, not wanting to spoil the mood or disrupt the camaraderie they were so generously sharing with me. I needed to show them that I was happy, even if it felt like my heart was heavy with longing for what I had lost.
After all the meals and snacks were finished, I told Aqua that I was going to sit on the grass and look at the sky. As I sat down, I looked at the sky, The moon had returned to its normal color—did it change frequently, I wondered? Under the nice, cool midnight breeze that blew through the grass, making its way from side to side as if it were dancing, I looked up at the sky. There were no stars, just the vast expanse of darkness, awesome, just when I wanted to look at the stars.
Meanwhile, Aqua and the others were watching Blaze, who had food crumbs on his mouth. Stone broke the silence, saying, "Even though Blaze looks so happy, I still feel like he is very sad somehow. I don't know why, though." Aqua thought to herself, "I think maybe this reminds him of his family and friends. Well, it's understandable."
Then Cosmo chimed in, "It could be because this is his first time killing a bunch of people." Axel smirked and said, "Okay, we know the drill. Let's play rock, paper, scissors, and whoever loses has to console Blaze. Ready?" Everyone nodded in agreement.
Axel began, "Rock, paper, scissors!"
Cosmo went to Blaze and chose to sit beside Blaze and asked, "Blaze, are you okay?" Blaze replied, "Yes, I'm fine."
Cosmo thought to himself, "I can't believe I failed, and I'm sure the others are laughing at me right now. Ugh."
Then Cosmo told me, "You know, you don't need to feel bad for killing those guys, you know"
"I know I don't want to feel bad, but they were still people, and I just ended them", I replied.
"Hmm, okay, let me tell you this, did you know those dark elementals who owned that place called Your Desire, bought children to rape them, and do all kinds of immoral stuff to them, then sell them again to other people", Cosmo said.
"Really, I'm shocked, I never knew", I replied
"Yeah, you never knew. Let me tell you this, Blaze: anyone who turns into a dark elemental—whether they are a child, an old woman, or even a priest who helps the poor—will automatically turn evil. They will start doing things that the world's evil cannot even begin to describe. Some of them don't even age from when they were turned, so a child can have the mind of someone who is 50 years old."
With a sad tone, I said "So they aren't really any hope in saving them, huh, all we can do is to murder them"
"Well, you are a really good guy Blaze, I was thought I could help in saving them, but because of that, I lost a precious person, someone who was important to me, died because of me trying to save a dark elemental, so Blaze, I have to advise you to stop being kind and to not pity any dark elemental and think of killing them as saving them, for there is no salvation for them, that is the only way to survive in this world of madness and insanity, for worse have yet to come" Cosmo said.
I was in thought, by what I just heard, I guess now to survive, I have to kill and be stained with blood, hah..., I don't know what to do, sincerely.
Cosmo looked at me and then said, "Well, I got something to tell you, that will make you happy, I know you are having doubts about whether your parents are captured by the dark elementals, right"
Eh, how did he know about that, did he know, I guess Aqua told him about what Dreafus said.
Cosmo smirked and said, "So, I sent some guys to your house, and guess what, they are all fine and okay, and they gave the warriors a letter to give to you", he brought out a piece of paper which was folded out of his pocket and gave it to me.
I unfolded the letter and read:
Blaze,
Thank God you are all right! I was so happy when I heard about it from the guys who met us.
I am also very sorry that I hid from you all these years that you are an elemental. We did this to protect you. Your dad and I wanted you to live a normal and happy life, away from the dangers that lurk in the other world. But I guess we couldn't shield you from it.
So, Blaze, no matter what, do not lose your path and become evil, for it is very easy to lose your mind there. Always smile, no matter what challenges you experience, and be happy, for that will make me happy.
Also, do not worry about us; we are very strong, so you don't need to concern yourself. We will meet you soon, I promise.
I love you, Blaze. Stay alive, no matter what.
Love you.
The letter ended there, and I felt both happiness and sadness. I was relieved that my parents were okay, but I was also saddened that they couldn't meet me yet. I vowed to stay alive, no matter what, until I could be reunited with them. With that thought, I carefully folded the letter back and put it in my pocket.
Cosmo, then said "The surprise isn't over, yet I heard you like the stars, huh"
I never told him that, but there is no need to question him anyway, he is just plain mysterious, and I don't want to know his secrets.
He continued, saying "I removed all the stars from the sky for this".
Wow..., wait did I just hear he removed all the stars in the sky, he is lying, there is no way that is possible, right, he got to be lying, yes, I'm correct"
Cosmo, then had a look of annoyance on his face and said, "I'm not lying, I really did remove the stars", he can read minds now, what the hell.
Blaze didn't know that everything he was thinking, he was muttering it out, and Cosmo could hear him.
Cosmo raised his hand and snapped his long fingers. His eyes shone brighter than ever as he said, "See!" Suddenly, the vast expanse of darkness in the sky transformed. White dots began to appear everywhere, and the once-dark sky, illuminated only by the moon, now glittered with countless stars. The stars were back.
Then he snapped his fingers again, and they disappeared.
My mouth dropped as I realized something was very wrong. The stars, which numbered in the millions, had just disappeared with a snap of his fingers. My mind raced with countless thoughts, desperately trying to process what I had just witnessed. None of my logical explanations could account for this phenomenon.
Could he be what they call the OP character of the verse? But isn't this too overpowered? No OP character I know could do something like this. He has to be a monster—no, a god.
Wait, could it be that we are within a dome, where he can simply snap his fingers and create an illusion of stars and everything else? Yes, that must be it! I chuckled to myself, fully aware of how crazy I sounded, but I didn't care.
Then Cosmo looked at me with disgust on his face and said, "Believe what you want to believe, this is what I want to show you." He waved his right hand in the air and spoke words I didn't understand.
Suddenly, from nowhere in the sky, I saw a white light like a star. It began to move, and more lights appeared, each stopping in different positions.
They transformed into letters, forming words and then sentences. In the sky, large and white, it read: "BLAZE, WELCOME TO THE GROUP, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING A WARRIOR."
Cosmo then asked me, "Those things are called Constellation birds, those birds in the night shine like a star, and can release a beam of light that can stick to each other, in case in need of help, they are really good in forming words and pictures in the sky at night, do you like it."
Tears started to form at the brim of my eyes as I gazed at the stunning presentation in the sky. It was a sight unlike anything I had ever seen back home.
Although I miss my home, I felt an overwhelming desire to explore this new world—both its beauty and its challenges—to my heart's content.
I was grateful to have friends by my side, ready to embark on this adventure with me, which eased my fears.
A big smile formed on my face as I realized how happy I was to have come to this world. Together, we looked up in awe at the breathtaking display above us, and I knew that this was just the beginning of my adventures.
After some time, I turned to Cosmo and said, "Thank you for what you did; I am very grateful." He looked at me with a blank face before breaking into a smile and replied, "Don't think much about it, Kiddo. Your payment will be your lessons' intensity being tripled for a month."
I raised an eyebrow and smiled back, saying, "How about a week and only doubled?" Cosmo chuckled, "Do you think you can negotiate this?" I shrugged and replied, "I never asked for this." His expression turned firm as he said, "Well, you enjoyed it. No refunds." This guy knows how to spoil the mood at just the right time. Whatever.
Cosmo then waved his hands, and the lights in the sky began to dim until they disappeared completely, and the stars which were gone came back. With a serious tone, he said, "Let us go back; it is time for a serious talk." I stood up and followed him as we made our way back to the gazebo. The table was cleared, once we were both seated, Cosmo clasped his hands together and stated, "It is time to talk about the chosen ones."
The atmosphere grew tense as I looked at Cosmo, feeling a weight in my chest that made it hard to breathe. Finally, he said, "Just so you know, there was a prophecy that spoke of the chosen ones who will defeat the Dark God Noxithar and end this despicable war."
Curious, I asked, "How do you know who the chosen one is?"
He replied, "When they are born, they have a birthmark of a star on their body."
A thought struck me. "Huh, a star? Does he mean the mark on the back of my neck?" I couldn't help but question. "How can you be so sure? Anyone could have a tattoo of a star on their body."
Cosmo nodded thoughtfully. "That's a very good question, Blaze. The difference is that the chosen one's mark emits a kind of unidentifiable energy—neither elemental nor dark energy. I discovered you have that kind of energy the day we met when I shook your hand."
Huh, I emit something like that, does it stink, then he said, "We have finally found four of the chosen ones. We are finally..." He suddenly stopped, his hand touching his forehead, and his eyes began to quiver. After a moment, he continued, "Um, sorry, we still have one more to go. Then the prophecy will be fulfilled."
That was strange. In the storybook I read, there were only four chosen ones. Wait, what was wrong with me? It was five. That was funny.
"Since it is getting late, I'll make this quick," he said. "Do whatever you can to get stronger in the meantime. When we find the fifth one, you have to be strong enough to beat me—if you can." Was he trying to mock us?
"Well then, have a good night's rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow. Bye," Cosmo said before disappearing in the blink of an eye. I was shocked, but the others didn't seem surprised. We all stood up, and Axel and Stone wished me goodnight before leaving. Aqua followed me to my room.
"Have a good night," she said.
"You too," I replied as I closed my door. I removed my shoes and jumped onto my bed.
I thought about today and what Dreafus said, I don't believe in God but in my mind, I prayed to God to let it not be true and I can trust Cosmo, right, with many thoughts in my head, I slept right away.
Of course, when I sleep, I often experience bizarre dreams. Is this a Percy Jackson world? I found myself in a dark room where I saw my parents chained up, looking beaten. My father was awake, but my mother was unconscious. I screamed their names and desperately tried to help them, but I couldn't move. As I struggled against whatever was holding me back, a shiver ran down my spine. Even though I knew it was just a dream, the atmosphere became grim.
Suddenly, someone entered the room. I couldn't see his entire body, especially his face, though he seemed cloaked in darkness, wrapped in a black cloak. He spoke with a playful voice that didn't match his presence, "How is the torture, sir? We have bouts more to do, ha-ha." His voice caught me off guard; it sounded familiar. Then my dad looked at him and smiled. "No need for formalities, son."
I yelped, I thought I was his only son, how is this possible, then when I looked at the man, he was looking in my direction, and started moving towards me, did he hear me, how is it possible, I was in dream form, I am not physically here.
He said" Seems we have a rat right Blaze, and he stretched his hands toward me, and I woke up.
I woke up with a start and was shocked at what was happening in my dream, I have a brother, and he captured my parents, and he knows who I am, how is that possible.
What if Dad had a one-night stand and wasn't faithful? No, he couldn't do that. It hurts just thinking about it. Cool down, I reminded myself; it was just a dream.
I glanced to my side and saw a pair of school uniforms in purple with white stripes, along with a matching school bag. I slumped into my chair, sighed, and then stood up to open my window. As sunlight streamed into my room, I took a shower, got dressed in the uniform, and headed to the dining hall.
When I arrived, I spotted Aqua, Axel, and Stone sitting together, talking and eating with what I considered bad manners. I walked over to the counter, served myself some cereal, and joined them at their table.
As I sat down, Stone looked up and said, "Oh, hey Blaze! How was your mission yesterday?"
"Horrible," I replied, and Axel let out a laugh.
Aqua then chimed in, "You're wondering why we're all wearing school clothes, right?"
I looked at them, noticing they were all dressed in the same uniform.
"Yeah, it is true why are we wearing this," I said. "It is because we have school obviously," Axel said.
I was shocked and happy, and I exclaimed, "Seriously, then Stone follows me and takes me to the school. Let's go!" Stone stood up with food in his mouth and said, "Oohmkay." I took that as a yes, grabbed my bag, and left the hall with Stone.
As we exited, I heard Axel tell Aqua, "Oh shoot, we forgot to tell him how the school is." Aqua replied, "Oh, he doesn't know that the school is a warzone."
As we approached the school, I was struck by its size. There were multiple buildings surrounding it, and the name read: Cosmo Nexus Academy. It sounded like the school was named after something cosmic. We entered through the doors, and I noticed that everyone was already in their classes. Stone turned to me and said, "I'm going to my class. Bye." He paused, looked back at me, and added, "Keep your senses sharp at all times, got it?" His serious tone made me think twice about the school's atmosphere. "Okay," I replied, watching him leave. Was it really that crazy here?
I checked my bag to find some books about Cosmo and a dagger. What did I need that for? I also found my ID, which featured a picture of me flexing my muscles—no wonder Aqua had been snapping photos of me. I looked at the class schedule and saw I was assigned to Level 5 Class F9. I dropped my bag and pulled out a map of the school. There was a mark indicating my class with a note that read, "You owe me, Blaze." Thanks, Aqua.
I packed my things and headed to my classroom. As I strolled through the hallway, I suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure that almost made me faint, if I were human. Peering into a classroom window, I caught sight of students inside, their piercing gazes likely the source of the pressure. Remembering Stone's advice to stay vigilant, I pressed on, not realizing I had passed my classroom until I noticed the lack of other classes. Nervously, I returned to the door and rehearsed my introduction speech in my mind.
Finally, I entered. The classroom was large, with about 30 students sitting at their desks. The teacher stood at the front, looking worn out with dark bags under his eyes and disheveled hair. When he glanced at me, I activated my P.E. skill, "GAMMA EYES", which allowed me to see gamma rays, including P.E energy. The energy radiating from him was overwhelming, nearly knocking me off my feet. No wonder the students were so well-behaved.
The teacher announced, "Class attention! This is the new student, Blaze Flamestrike. Most of you don't know him. He's new, blah, blah, blah. Blaze, introduce yourself. I don't care, uh." With that, he slumped into his chair, completely dismissing the moment.
Feeling the weight of my classmates' glares, I stepped forward to introduce myself. "Um, my name is Blaze Flamestrike. I would like to be friends with—" Before I could finish, something flew at me with lightning speed. I turned just in time to see a needle impale the board where my head could have been.
When I looked back at the class, I realized that the students weren't human; they were monsters with glaring eyes.
I AM SO FUCKED UP.
Comment and know what happens in the next chapter.