Chapter 45: …Who?

“W… what’s going on!? Respond, respond!”

The dust that had accumulated and settled on the ruined streets of Toronto was almost an ocean. And with the sudden eruption that trembled the ground, that dust once again rose to the air.

Scarlet Mage tapped her ear several times as her connection with the rest of the Academy was suddenly cut. She could feel her eyes slightly watering; everywhere they looked, nothing but gray. Her breaths would have probably been erratic if they had the right to be, but with all the dust drowning her in the air, the most she could do was struggle to breathe.

“H… help!”

However, as soon as words of fear traveled through her ears, Scarlet Mage’s watering eyes were instantly filled with fire as she clasped her hands together. And slowly, as she pulled them apart, the dust that gathered near her arms started to twist, quickly being devoured by the vacuum between her hands.

And not even a quarter of a minute had passed; Scarlet Mage’s arms were already raised in the air, a boulder floating above her– a boulder made from the dust gathered in her sector, compressed ever so tightly.

“Is everyone alright!?” Scarlet Mage then yelled as her eyes immediately looked towards the voice asking for help, only to see a student cowering on the ground, “If you’re not injured, then please come to my side!”

Scarlet Mage then stretched her arms to the side, causing the boulder to split and shoot towards the ruined buildings. She then immediately once again closed her eyes, trying to listen to the drumming of the hearts within her vicinity.

There were hearts that seemed to want to scream out, and also those which felt like they were stomping their feet for miles; but other than that, there were no beats missing– everyone within her sector was safe.

“What’s happening, Miss Scarlet Mage!?” Silvie was the first to rush towards Scarlet Mage; her eyes quickly scanning the surrounding for anything amiss.

“We don’t know yet,” Scarlet Mage let out a stuttered breath as she opened her eyes, “Is everyone in your group alright?”

“Yes. No one seems to be hurt.”

“I’ll leave you to calm and gather the rest for now,” Scarlet Mage then said as she once again tapped her ear several times, “I’ll try and see if I could contact anyone from the Academy.”

“Wait, is… this another test?” Silvie asked. But Scarlet Mage didn’t seem to hear her as she was busy fidgeting with her tablet.

“…” Silvie had her eyebrows slightly furrowed, but still, she did as Scarlet Mage told and assisted the other students within the sector to gather up. When they boarded the bus earlier, when she found out that the onslaught of reporters was just a test, she felt slightly relieved and disappointed at the same time.

Although she did what was right, and even though the reporter was just fake; she still destroyed someone else’s property because she suddenly lost her cool.

“What’s happening, Mega Girl!?”

“Is this a drill!?”

“Should we return to the buses!?”

“We don’t know yet,” Silvie immediately answered the other students’ questions as they arrived, telling them that Scarlet Mage was trying to get a hold of the others.

“I think we should return to the buses!”

“What about the other class? Do you think they’re safe!?”

“I–“

“Is… are we safe here!? Are we under attack!?”

“P… please don’t pani–” Silvie tried her best to calm the other students down, but alas, her words were being overpowered by the frightful wails of her schoolmates.

“We’re under attack!?”

“No! Miss Scarlet Mage, please save–“

“Could all of you shut the fuck up!?”

And as the other students’ voices became louder, a roar even more powerful than all of their worries combined reverberated in the air. All of them then looked towards where the powerful voice came from, only to see a pair of hips that jiggled every time it was patted by its owner.

“Seriously, you guys are a waste of the school’s oxygen!” Hannah’s frustration continued to rumble in the air as she patted herself clean of the dust that stuck to her bright pink suit, “We trained for weeks and your first response when something happens is to panic, the fuck.”

“Pft, worry yourself not of the side characters, Nuclear Vixen,” Gary then followed her from behind, dramatically flapping his cape to the side as he walked towards the other students, “And fear not, for the Dragon Mona– chu!”

And before he could finish his words, the dust that was blown off of his cape entered his nose, causing him to sneeze vehemently.

“That’s what you get for being stupid,” Hannah scoffed before turning around to check up on Riley, but as soon as she saw him slowly walking towards them without even a speck of dust on his costume, her eyes started to twitch.

“Why didn’t you also keep my costume clean!? There’s supposed to be a camaraderie between us!”

“Because I am the younger brother, si– Nuclear Baby,” Riley then answered as he slightly adjusted his sunglasses, “And the younger brother always comes first.”

“W… what? Stop listening to mom!” Hannah then yelled as she rushed to hug Riley, hoping for some of the dust on her suit to stick to him. But alas, it was as if there was an invisible armor enveloping around him, causing Hannah to slip away inches before she could hug him like a bear.

Seeing Hannah suddenly trying to chase Riley and failing, most of the students whose hearts were previously in turmoil slowly started to calm down. Scarlet Mage’s incoming words, however, once again brought them back to reality.

“It’s no use, I can’t reach anyone else,” Scarlet Mage said with a sigh, “For now, our best option is to return to the buses, stick to me.”

Even though the students were still worried about what was happening, they had no choice but to follow Scarlet Mage. If this truly was not a drill, then the last thing they wanted was to be left behind.

“Report, Silver Moon.”

“P… please don’t call me that here.”

Scarlet Mage could not help but slightly hiss as Riley’s voice whispered beside her. Looking at him like this, wearing sunglasses as he casually walked on her left… it was as if he was just strolling around the city.

“Right. Forgive me, Scarlet Mage,” Riley then said as he once again adjusted his sunglasses for no reason, “But please do report what is happening.”

“…We might have an intruder in our midst,” Scarlet Mage slightly hesitated if she should answer Riley’s question, but him being who he was, she didn’t really have much of a choice, “You… don’t happen to have anything to do with this, do you?”

“No. I’m in retirement, Scarlet Mage,” Riley said, the tone of his voice slowly becoming slightly disappointed, “You are my second-in-command, you should be taking note–“

“Kya!”

“Is… Isn’t that…”

“Run… everyone run!”

“Riley!”

And before Riley could even finish his words, the familiar cries of the students once again roared in the air; but this time, it was accompanied by the sound of their feet, drumming as they suddenly scampered away like rats.

Riley then blinked a couple of times as Hannah suddenly rushed in front of him, her body already engulfed in a fiery storm of flames.

“R… Run, Riley! Please run!” Hannah’s words stuttered through Riley’s ears, “Scarlet Mage, what are you doing!? Please take my brother with you and run!”

“That’s…”

Riley then looked behind him, only to see the number of students dwindle from 36 to just 5. Besides him and Hannah, the ones that remained were Silvie, Gary, and a male student who was probably from another class.

“…” Riley then turned his gaze back to the front, only to see Scarlet Mage looking at her with an extremely confused stare. And finally, Riley then slightly leaned his head to the side to see what the commotion was all about…

…only to see a man clad in a jet-black suit and wearing a motorcycle helmet that was even darker; a costume belonging to one individual– Darkday.

“P… please tell me that’s Tomoe,” Gary could not help but stutter before taking in a huge gulp.

“It’s… not Dark Frost,” Silvie then answered, her breaths slightly fettered, “That’s… a man.”

“F… first day outside the Academy and we’re already dead. Ha. Ha. Hahaha,” Gary then burst out in nervous laughter. But even though his heart was threatening to jump out of his chest, his feet still remained solid on the ground– not even entertaining the idea of running away.

“Riley…” Scarlet Mage then leaned closer to Riley as she whispered in his ear, “…What are you planning?”

And despite Scarlet Mage’s attempt to whisper, Riley answered with a normal voice, completely saturating the nervous words pestering the air.

“It’s a fake, ew.”– were Riley’s exact words.

“A… a fake? How do you know!?” Hannah then slightly backed away as she heard her brother’s words.

“There’s a letter embroidered on his torso, Nuclear Baby,” Riley answered as he pointed his finger towards the man. And true enough, as their eyes focused on the man’s costume– there were the letters XIX on it. Perhaps because their fear got the best of them, they were unable to even notice the letters even though it covered almost the entire torso part of the suit, brightly colored in silver.

“…Roman numerals?” Hannah then muttered, “Number 19?”

“How very perceptive…”

Everyone put up their guard as the… fake Darkday started walking towards them, “…As expected of Whiteking’s children.”

“Whiteking’s… children?” Both Gary and Silvie glanced at each other upon hearing the man’s words.

“Wait, you two are Whiteking’s chi–“

“That’s not important right now!” Hannah then once again roared as the flames surrounding her body became even hotter, “You… what do you want from us?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry,” the fake Darkday then let out a small chuckle as he wagged his finger,

“We’re not really here for the two of you… but him.” He then said as he suddenly pointed towards Gary.

“M… me!? B… but I’m just a side character,” Gary stuttered as he once again let out a nervous chuckle.

“You do not belong in that stupid Academy, Gary Gray,” the fake Darkday breathed out, “They hail you as future superheroes… but did you know that you belong in a list of students that has the highest potential of becoming a villain?”

“…What?”

“Just ask your instructor, there’s a whole lot of you being carefully watched by them.”

“Is… is that true, Miss Scarlet Mage?” Silvie was the one to ask the question; Scarlet Mage, however, remained silent as she glared at the fake Darkday.

For this man to know the things he knew… could only mean that there was someone inside the Academy who leaked the information– there was a mole inside Mega Academy.

“See how they fool you and act as if they made no transgressions!?” The fake Darkday then stretched his arms to the side, letting out a sort of wailing moan as he continued with his words,

“Your talents would be much appreciated in our organization, Dragon Monarch. Darkday needs you in his army! We will train and hone you more than Mega Academy ever could!”

“Interesting,” Riley then took off his sunglasses as he looked at the man from head to toe, “Darkday is your leader, Number Nineteen?”

“Indeed!” The fake Darkday then raised his arms in the air as his body began to tremble, “We will bathe this world in eternal darkness; giving life to those who live in the shadows. We…

…are the Dark Millennium!”