The fight between Luis and Idris continued.
The battle had reached a level of refinement that left every Zodiacian unable to look away. Every strike, every attack, every block, and every counter was executed with astonishing precision.
The entire Virgo Academy training field had become a stage for two warriors displaying their understanding of Aura control.
Luis, the Zodiacian who had disrupted Instructor Brandet's session earlier, was a beast in his own right.
Every strike directed toward him was met with an almost flawless defense. His movements were sharp, his counters were precise, and his defensive techniques were carefully calculated. He did not waste a single motion, every action carrying purpose and control.
As for Idris, the Zodiacian Chris had pinned down the previous day, his fighting style was equally impressive. He maintained a clear stance, a strong Aura output, and a neat method of control that displayed his experience.
Watching the two of them fight felt like witnessing two highly trained knights clashing against one another.
Every movement carried skill.
Every exchange carried experience.
Every collision of Aura sent waves of pressure across the battlefield.
However, at this stage of the battle, the deciding factor was no longer simply power.
It was Aura control.
It was endurance.
And anyone observing carefully could see the difference.
Idris's body had begun to succumb to the overwhelming pressure created by the dense amount of Aura surrounding him.
His breathing became heavier.
His movements gradually slowed.
Meanwhile, Luis looked as though the battle had only just begun.
His Aura remained steady.
His posture remained firm.
He showed no visible signs of exhaustion.
The gap between them became clearer with every passing second.
Then...
Idris faltered.
And in that instant...
Luis vanished.
No trace of his Aura.
No trace of his life force.
No trace of his energy.
For that brief moment, it was as though Luis had completely disappeared from existence.
Before Idris could react...
Luis appeared directly behind him.
BOOM!
A massive impact erupted from above Idris.
The force of Luis's strike sent him crashing downward from their mid-level position above the field, his body descending rapidly toward the bottom of the Infinity Platform.
The impact shook the battlefield.
The area where Idris landed sank from the force, creating a deep mark across the platform.
However, the Academy immediately responded.
The Nanobots surged through the damaged area like countless streams of energy flowing beneath the surface. The broken structure reconstructed itself within moments, restoring the field back to its original state.
The battle was over.
Luis stood completely unscathed, still carrying the presence of someone ready to continue fighting.
Idris, someone of considerable ability, had been completely overwhelmed, as though he had been plucked from a tree and dropped directly to the ground.
Silence filled the training field.
Then...
Clap.
Vibrate.
The quantum earrings embedded within everyone's ears activated.
The signal only reached those currently inside the Virgo Academy.
It was Instructor Brandet calling for their attention.
The conversations across the training field gradually faded as every Zodiacian turned toward the source of the announcement.
Instructor Brandet cleared his throat before speaking.
"I am pleased to see that a decent amount of students were able to use and implement the technique which I had taught, FLEX."
His voice carried throughout the Academy.
"It has a lot more principles, but we will not be diving deeper into it today."
A brief pause followed.
"Some of you went all out during your training sessions with your partners, and some of you were especially hurt. Therefore, you will all need to take a break to replenish your Aura and mental health."
Instructor Brandet paused briefly.
"As for physical..."
Clap.
WHOOSH.
The moment Instructor Brandet clapped, the Nanobots within every Zodiacian's Chrono Suit awakened once again.
They immediately surged outward at incredible speeds, moving around their bodies like countless streams of microscopic energy.
Within moments, the scars disappeared.
The bruises faded.
Internal injuries repaired themselves.
The physical pain that had remained after their battles gradually vanished.
At the same time, the Virgo Academy training field transformed.
The damaged battlefield returned to its original structure as the Nanobots rebuilt every section of the environment, restoring the Academy back to its flawless state.
The Zodiac Academy never remained marred for long.
Its countless Nanobots constantly repaired, analyzed, and maintained every structure, making the entire Academy feel less like a simple place...
And more like a living system that continuously responded to everything happening within it.
Chris's eyes were still blurry, but every physical pain he had felt was already healed by the Nanobots.
Chris's vision slowly began to stabilize.
Although his body had recovered physically, the exhaustion from the battle still lingered. The feeling of completely draining his Aura remained fresh within his mind.
"Once you all have had your Aura replenished and your mental health has stabilized..."
Instructor Brandet continued.
"For those of you who do not know, your mental health is the in-depth part of your mind from which your skills and techniques relating to Aura emerge."
His voice remained firm as every Zodiacian listened carefully.
"With unstable mental health, your techniques will receive significant damage. Techniques such as FLEX make deep use of both your Aura and mental health, and if you wish to explore deeper applications of that technique, we shall continue during the next gathering."
After finishing his explanation, Instructor Brandet turned away and left the Virgo Academy hall.
Within the Zodiac Academy, there were twelve directing instructors representing the twelve academies.
Each instructor possessed a unique design of Chrono Suit, along with their own specialized equipment.
Instructor Brandet's Chrono Suit carried a brown color scheme. The outer circle displayed the logo of the Zodiac Academy, while the inner circle contained the Virgo sign.
The exact same symbol was engraved upon his earrings.
The Vice Director's Chrono Suit carried a light blue color, displaying only the Academy's logo.
Meanwhile, the overseeing director possessed a cream-like colored suit, with all twelve signs aligned in a straight circle and the Academy's sun logo positioned at the center.
"Wh... What happened to me?"
Chris looked around in confusion.
"Weren't we in the middle of a fight?"
Rhys had already carried him toward one of the Cathedras constructed by the Nanobots.
The structure had formed instantly beneath them, adapting itself to provide a place for the exhausted Zodiacians to rest.
"Well, it was a draw," Rhys replied.
His voice carried the same energetic spirit as always.
"We both depleted all our Aura, but I replenish mine faster than you do. That's why I am still up and going."
Chris looked at him for a moment before releasing a small smile.
"I'll let you have this one..."
His voice carried more life now that his vision had fully returned.
"But the next fight is mine."
"Hey Chris."
Rhys called his name with a loud whisper-like voice.
Chris immediately looked toward him.
"Don't mock me. I have already given you the win. I won't tolerate you rubbing it in."
His expression carried a playful sense of annoyance.
Rhys smiled warmly.
"THANK YOU."
The sincerity behind his words caught Chris slightly off guard.
Chris looked away for a moment before smiling.
"No... Thank you."
His voice became softer.
"I haven't had a friend in a long time. It really feels nice to have someone whom I can call a friend."
Rhys's expression changed.
The happiness on his face became impossible to hide.
"From now on..."
Rhys placed his hand forward.
"You are my Brother."
His voice carried complete sincerity.
"From now till death do us part, we will always be best friends."
Chris looked at him.
For a moment, the noise of the Academy faded.
The countless Zodiacians around them.
The endless training grounds.
The enormous world surrounding them.
None of it mattered.
Because in that moment, Chris had gained something he had not expected.
A true friend.
"Yeah."
Chris smiled.
"Nothing will ever come between us. We are brothers from this day on."
He rose from the Cathedra and slammed his palm against Rhys's palm, forming the structure of an arm wrestling contest.
Both of them smiled joyfully.
"Hey, hot shit."
Luis's voice cuts through the atmosphere with a vulgar tone.
The moment Chris and Rhys finish sharing their newfound friendship, the atmosphere around them shifts.
Across the Virgo Academy hall, Luis is standing over the purple-haired girl Chris had noticed earlier that morning.
Luis stretches his hand forward and strokes her chin in an unbelievably disrespectful manner.
The girl immediately tries pushing him away, but the exhaustion from the previous sparring match still weighs heavily on her body. Her strength has not fully returned.
Her sparring partner is already drowned in his sleep, completely unconscious from the exhaustion of the training session.
Yet Luis continues.
He keeps trying to lean closer, attempting to force her into a situation she clearly does not want.
Chris's expression changes instantly.
The warmth from the moment he shared with Rhys disappears.
The sight before him irritates something deep within him.
The girl whose eyes had caught his attention that morning is being harassed right in front of him.
"Hey Bro, I am going over to help her."
Chris's voice carries a disgustingly pissed-off tone.
Rhys immediately follows his gaze.
"By all means, do what you want."
A small smile forms on Rhys's face.
"I have your back."
The words carry no hesitation.
He is already prepared to follow whatever Chris decides.
Luis remains completely focused on the purple-haired girl.
His attention is consumed by trying to force her into submission.
She continues resisting repeatedly, but the recoil from the previous training match has left her body weakened.
Luis's grip tightens.
Slowly, he pulls her face closer toward his own.
The harder she struggles, the stronger his grip becomes.
Her warm, light-skinned face begins turning red from the pressure of his hand.
The distance between their faces shrinks.
Five inches.
That is all that remains.
Before Luis can move any closer, a hand grabs his wrist.
Chris's left hand locks around Luis's right wrist.
The grip is firm.
Controlled.
Strong enough to forcefully remove Luis's hand from the girl's face, yet precise enough to avoid hurting her.
Luis freezes.
For a brief moment, confusion crosses his expression.
Then anger replaces it.
His eyes narrow.
"You..."
Before he can finish, Luis pulls back his fist, preparing to strike Chris.
But the punch never reaches its destination.
Rhys's hand catches it instantly.
The impact stops directly inside his palm.
Rhys's fingers tighten around Luis's fist.
The pressure increases.
Luis attempts to retaliate, but then he realizes something.
His Aura has not recovered enough.
Facing Chris alone was already one thing.
Facing both Chris and Rhys at the same time is another.
Reluctantly, Luis pulls his hand away.
He gives them a vulgar expression, licking his finger while looking toward the purple-haired girl before walking away.
As he passes Rhys, he spits beside his left side.
Rhys does not even react.
He simply watches him leave.
Luis's Caesar cut remains sharp and clean.
Idris carries a shadow perm cut.
All male instructors and officials maintain down perm hairstyles.
Chris immediately turns his attention back to the girl.
He squats down and reaches out his hand to help her stand.
"Hey... Hi, are you okay?"
A slight blush appears on his face.
Before he can say anything else, the purple-haired girl suddenly wraps both arms around his neck.
She pulls him into a sudden hug.
Chris freezes.
His face immediately turns red as he tries to pull away, but she does not let go.
After a moment, Chris gently slips his hands through hers, carefully releasing her grip.
He places his hands on her shoulders and moves her slightly away.
"Are you alright?"
His voice carries genuine concern.
"Yes, I am."
Her voice is soft.
"Thanks a lot for stepping in for me."
The differences between the male and female Chrono Suits become more noticeable within the Virgo Academy.
For the males, the Chrono Suit consists of white shorts accompanied by white chausses serving as socks, all extending down toward the dark-colored silver bottom line of the Element X Boots.
Their upper body is covered by a thick white, short-armed Chrono top, with chausses extending toward the gloves, all covered beneath a knee-length white robe.
For the females, the design changes slightly.
Their Chrono Suit consists of white pant-like bomb shorts, with footwear similar to the males but slightly higher at the sole end.
They also possess mid-length white chausses extending five inches above their boots.
Their upper wear consists of a thick Chrono top with chausses extending from the inner section to form gloves, accompanied by a mid-length robe.
Chris stretches out his hand for a handshake.
A welcoming smile appears on his face.
His monochromatic grey hair, eyes, and nails make his appearance unique.
"Hi, my name is Chris. What's your name?"
Chris keeps his left hand behind his bowl haircut while extending his right hand forward.
He remains squatting as he speaks.
The purple-haired girl's hands are small.
Instead of using one hand, she uses both hands to hold his right hand and shake it.
Her light-skinned hands feel warm against his.
Chris gently helps her back onto her feet.
"My name is Elisa."
Her voice reaches Chris's ears.
It carries a dim mixture of soprano and alto, creating a warm and angelic tone.
The blend is smooth, without breaks or cracks.
It feels almost like a warm container of jelly to the ears.
"Hey Elisa, it is nice to meet you."
Chris smiles.
"Hope you are not hurt."
"Before it skips my mind..."
Chris turns slightly.
"This bro right here..."
He points toward Rhys standing at his left side.
"...is my newfound best friend, Rhys."
A wide smile appears on Chris's face.
"Hey Elisa, nice to meet you."
Rhys gives a light smile.
"Nice meeting you, Elisa, but if you don't mind, we would like to take our leave now."
Chris smiles politely.
"Well..."
Elisa looks at both of them.
"May I tag along?"
Her voice carries a warm expectation.
Chris immediately looks toward Rhys.
A small gesture passes between them.
Chris silently asks.
Rhys instantly understands.
"One more addition to the group would not hurt."
Rhys smiles playfully.
"The more the merrier."
Together, the three leave the Virgo Academy.
Their Chrono Suits return to their base color, pure white.
They approach the Central Lyceum located at the heart of the Academy.
The massive area is flooded with countless Zodiacians.
Everywhere Chris looks, students from different clans gather, creating a living ocean of voices, movement, and Aura.
As they approach a suitable empty section, the Nanobots immediately react.
The Academy itself responds.
Metallic particles flow across the ground, assembling a Cathedra at incredible speed.
Within moments, a structure forms beneath them.
The three sit down.
Since we are all here now, how about we do something?" Rhys said.
He jumped off the Cathedra where Chris and Elisa sat.
As he landed, he performed a goofy spin followed by an exaggerated playful bow.
"Go on, we are all ears," Chris said, chuckling at Rhys’s strange behavior.
"We are all going to introduce ourselves. The two people sitting down will listen while the person standing introduces their clan name, wishes, aims, and goals. Is that alright with all of you?" Rhys asked.
Both Chris and Elisa smiled and nodded.
"So I should go first since it was my idea."
Rhys stepped forward with his usual confidence.
"My name is Rhys Drack. I am from the Drack clan, and I wish to fully understand my clan's connection to the Holder."
The moment the word Holder left his mouth, Chris’s body reacted.
A slight cough escaped him.
His heartbeat instantly accelerated.
For a brief second, fear flashed through his mind.
Did he just reveal too much?
The thought that someone could discover his identity as the Holder sent a wave of tension through him.
But after realizing Rhys was only speaking about his own goals, Chris relaxed.
He let out a small chuckle and gave Rhys a reassuring gesture to continue.
"Forgetting about that slight interruption we just encountered, as I was gallantly saying..."
Chris rolled his eyes at Rhys, giving him a side glance.
Rhys ignored him and continued.
"I wish to uncover the hidden text of the Drack clan's Void Graph."
The moment those words were spoken—
Shh.
The atmosphere shifted.
Elisa’s expression changed instantly.
"Firstly, Rhys, you do not let anyone, absolutely anyone from any clan, know that you possess a Void Graph."
Her voice carried concern and fear.
"It has been deemed perilous by the world's autocrat clan, the bloodline clan of the Holders. Even if you refuse to obey their rules, you will put your entire clan in serious trouble by..."
She paused.
Her expression became even more serious.
"You know what? Everything relating to your wish, never tell anyone about it. It is highly risky."
Rhys stared for a moment before giving a small understanding smile.
"No wonder my dad never wants me to speak about it."
He shrugged lightly.
"But aside from that, my goal and aim are simple. I want to become so ridiculously strong that I can achieve my wishes while facing every consequence head-on."
Rhys turned toward Chris.
"Chris, it is your turn."
He grabbed Chris by the arm and pulled him up.
Then, as expected, Rhys performed another ridiculous spin followed by a dramatic bow before returning to his seat.
Rhys had a shadow perm haircut.
Elisa had purple wavy curly hair, reaching about fifteen inches long.
All female instructors had ten-inch smooth straight cuts. Their Chrono suits followed the same design as female students, except their shorts were two inches longer and their robes extended eight inches longer.
Chris stepped forward.
"Hi, I am Chris Moonstraught from the Moonstraught clan."
A calm confidence rested on his face.
"Although my clan is branded as one of the weakest clans to ever exist, I don't intend to let that stop me from achieving my goal."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"My goal is to master my power and uncover this existence's mysteries."
A bold smile appeared on his face as he returned toward the Cathedra.
"Okay, Lisa, can I call you that?" Rhys asked immediately.
"Yeah, sure. We are friends now."
Elisa gave a sharp smile.
She then stood.
"Hi, I am Elisa Curvature from the Curvature clan."
The moment the name left her mouth—
Chris and Rhys reacted.
"Curvature?!"
Their voices carried genuine surprise.
The Curvature clan was not ordinary.
They were among the Top Ten clans in the world.
Known for their immense aura control, adaptation abilities, and their history of being the world's autocrat clan for five consecutive years.
A clan with Holder blood flowing through their lineage.
"WOW! That is seriously cool, Elisa. To think you are part of the Curvature clan."
Rhys’s expression overflowed with excitement and respect.
Elisa smiled faintly.
"My wish is only one thing, and that is..."
Her voice slowed.
Her expression changed.
The warmth disappeared.
Her aura flow shifted.
The smile faded from her face as guilt and anger washed over her.
"That same wish is my aim, my goal, and my objective..."
Her eyes darkened.
"TO KILL the one who harmed my family."
The world around Elisa seemed to disappear.
Blurry images flashed through her mind.
The memory returned.
The screams.
The terrifying scene.
The overwhelming fear.
She was no longer seeing the Lyceum.
She was trapped inside the memory that haunted her.
Her breathing became unstable.
Her body weakened.
Tears formed in her eyes as she began losing awareness of her surroundings.
She was about to fall.
But before she reached the ground—
Chris caught her shoulders with both hands.
He steadied her and pulled her upright.
Chris and Rhys stood at 6'2, while Elisa stood at 5'9.
Chris gently lifted her chin, wiped away her tears, then placed his right hand on her head and his left hand behind her neck.
He pulled her into a firm, protective hug.
"I promise... I will always be there for you. No matter what happens, we will tread this path together."
His voice was soft.
But his promise carried weight.
Elisa held onto him tighter.
For a moment, all the pain she had carried finally broke apart.
She cried.
Rhys approached as Elisa slowly pulled away from Chris.
He placed his right hand gently on her head.
A bright smile appeared on his face.
"I am your friend, and that means you are family."
His smile widened.
"And family does not let family cry. I will always protect you. Don' cha worry... your bros got your back."
For the first time in a long while, Elisa smiled.
Not a forced smile.
A real one.
The loneliness that had surrounded her began fading.
The voices of Kill. Revenge. Invigorate.
The endless memories of violence that filled her mind...
All disappeared.
The scenery around her felt different.
Like the world itself had changed colors.
Peach.
Bright red.
Purple.
A new warmth returned.
A warmth she thought she had lost forever.
They escorted Elisa back toward their Cathedra.
The academy around them continued moving with life.
Thousands of Zodicians filled the central Lyceum, their voices blending into a massive wave of conversation. Beneath their feet, the academy’s nanobot network continued flowing silently, repairing, constructing, and adjusting the environment like invisible veins inside a living organism.
Yet within that overwhelming crowd, the three of them felt separated from everything else.
They had formed something different.
A bond.
Elisa sat down beside them.
Slowly, she rested her head on Chris’s right shoulder while her hand was gently held by Rhys.
For the first time in years, she wished a moment could last forever.
The voices that had constantly echoed inside her mind...
Kill.
Revenge.
Invigorate.
The memories.
The pain.
The endless darkness.
Everything disappeared.
As she rested there, the world finally became quiet.
Chris watched the scene silently.
His thoughts wandered.
He had entered the Virgo Academy with many goals.
To bring respect to the Moonstraught clan.
To uncover his family's secrets.
To understand why a clan known as one of the weakest possessed a Void Graph.
To discover the mysteries hidden within existence itself.
But now...
Something had changed.
His priorities had shifted.
He looked at Rhys.
Then at Elisa.
Two people who, in such a short period of time, had become more important than he expected.
A new determination formed inside him.
"I have a new mission."
"Not only will I bring respect to my clan, uncover my family's secrets, and discover the mysteries of this world..."
His eyes hardened.
"My number one priority will be..."
"PROTECTING THESE TWO WITH MY LIFE."
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