"It's cold... So cold..."
"It's them.. Them again!.."
"It's.. Not It's not your fault.."
"Those beast! Those ugly beast!!"
Itoshi's mind was consumed by a burning hatred for the Seele's. The shock of what he'd just witnessed blurred his thoughts—another person dear to him had died right before his eyes.
Kara stood frozen, stunned by how quickly everything had spiraled out of control.
"Y-You're kidding me..."
From the skies, quick response team arrived to take down the seeles. A single attack helicopter came to Yomitan High, with a logo on the side. United World Defense Society. "U.W.D.S."
Soldiers came out from the helicopter tried to fight the monster using the conventional fire arms.
"Go Go Go!"
Their Captain ordered as they all came into position.
"Fire!"
With no hesitation, the men in arms fired at the beast.
Hundreds of bullets flew from the casings to the seele, but it was all useless.
A soldiers voice echoed through the chaos,
"Sir Flame bullets don't work on it, We need more Fire Power!"
Through his comms, a soldier's voice crackled urgently. The soldiers had drawn the Seelie's attention, and now the monstrous creature shifted its focus onto them.
The Seelie lunged, striking with terrifying force as the soldiers called desperately for backup.
Meanwhile, Kara saw an opening—a chance for her and Itoshi to escape.
"Koya!"
Kara froze as she turned her eyes onto Itoshi,
Itoshi was consumed by a raging storm of anger and hatred.
"First you took them" He shouted, eyes blazing, as he gripped his fist
"Now you took my only friend! Curse you, you dull creatures!!"
"W-Wait.."
Kara whispered to herself.
With a roar, Itoshi unleashed his fire power, flames erupting around him as he charged at the Seelie.
[Prominent Rhythm]
The Seelie, having fought off the soldiers, now locked its attention on Itoshi—who burned with a large, steady, but subtle Blue Flame that flickered across his body.
In the creature's eyes, all it could see was the fire raging within Itoshi.
The soldiers exchanged glances, realizing what they had been searching for: a Fire Power.
Itoshi gathered his strength and unleashed a concentrated blast of flame aimed directly at the colossal Seelie.
With a flash, the creature dodged the attack in the blink of an eye, now fully focused on Itoshi as it growled.
It charged forward with a massive punch.
Despite the massive size difference, Itoshi managed to block the blow. The force of the hit shook him, but their power levels were nearly equal.
The Colossal Seele and Itoshi exchanged blows, shaking the air around him. Blue flame and wind battered the School.
Kara watched as everything unfolded, trembling and sweating.
"Koya.."
After a sudden loud bang and a screech from the beast. Itoshi summoned his strength, he grabbed the Seelie by its chest.
The creature's eyes widened in fear as it stared at him for one last moment.
"Disperse"
Itoshi murmured.
Flames engulfed the Seelie in a blazing inferno. It screeched in agony as its body burned.
The soldiers and Kara stood stunned—none had ever seen such precise control over fire before.
Itoshi's body crumpled to the ground.
Kara snapped back to reality and rushed to his side, trying desperately to keep him conscious as his vision faded.
~~~Post Yomitan Incident~~~
Nine centuries had bled into the past since the first spark of elemental power was gifted to humanity. Over that span of time, four primary elements solidified their place in history, though they were soon joined by a growing list of modified strains and entirely new, reality-bending abilities.
In the suffocating dimness of a vast chamber, seven figures sat perched on their thrones, eyes fixed on a massive screen. The display flickered, replaying grain-filtered footage of Itoshi's brutal display at Yomitan High.
A figure at the end of the balcony shifted slightly.
"So he calls it Prominent Rhythm, huh."
"So young... and what a beauty. We should take him with us!"
Another leaned forward, the glow of the monitors catching a faint, hungry glint in their eyes.
"That's right! Having him in our organization would bring us great profit,"
A third voice added with a sharp, business-like edge.
A heavy hand slammed onto a reinforced armrest.
"No way! What will everyone say? What will the people say!? He's a Flame User!"
"Exactly! Our image would be destroyed if the public knew we harbor a fire wielder,"
A voice hissed from the center throne, the fear of media backlash palpable in their tone.
The third speaker scoffed at the hesitation.
"Idiot, forget the image! Bringing him in means millions."
"Calm down,"
A calm, authoritative voice spoke over the rising bickering, steadying the room.
"We need to think carefully. What we witnessed could be either our greatest asset or our biggest mistake. This requires discussion."
"I say we get him,"
The first speaker stated, cutting through the nuance with a flat, final tone.
The cautious figure gestured wildly toward the screen, where the footage showed the charred aftermath of the fight.
"Outrageous! The people won't trust us if they find out about him. And how do you expect to convince a delinquent like that? He single-handedly beat five students!"
"It's simple,"
The final figure whispered from the furthest throne, the sound carrying a weight that silenced the others.
"To acquire something 'special,' you need to use something equally 'special.'"
~~~Okinawa~~~
February 28, 2169. The day Hishiki was mercilessly killed by a Kolossal-class Seele. The day the Return began.
March 1, 2169.
Itoshi woke up in his old, dirty room. Kara lay asleep on the floor beside him, her small frame curled up in the dim light. His head felt heavy, and his memory was a total blank, like a reel of film that had been burned away.
"What the hell happened? My head hurts..." Itoshi softly muttered, clutching his forehead with his fist as he tried to ground himself.
Kara's eyes snapped open, and she sat up instantly.
"You're finally awake!"
Suddenly, Itoshi bolted upright, the sudden movement sending a spike of pain through his skull.
"Hishiki! We have to save him! He was taken by a Seele!"
He didn't wait for an answer, stumbling as he rushed toward the door.
"Koya..."
She cried out, lunging forward to grab his legs, her weight anchoring him to the spot.
"Hishiki-san..."
"What?! We need to take him back! Hurry!"
Itoshi argued, his voice rising in a desperate panic.
As Kara's voice trembled, she struggled to deliver her message, her grip tightening on his trousers.
"Hishiki-san..."
"What? Tell me!!"
Itoshi barked, looking down at her with wide, bloodshot eyes.
"He's no longer with us..."
Was all that came out of her mouth.
Those few words were enough to leave Itoshi's face twisted in horror. The air in the room felt like it had been sucked out, replaced by a cold, suffocating silence.
"You're lying!"
Itoshi snarled, though his voice cracked.
"The Seele took him by the neck..."
Kara whispered, her head drooping as tears hit the floorboards.
Itoshi was furious, his teeth gritting together so hard they threatened to snap.
"Where did it go?! I'll take it down myself!"
"No... stay here. It's already dead... You defeated it..."
Kara choked out.
"What?!"
Itoshi stared at his hands, finding no answers in the grime beneath his fingernails.
A sharp knock echoed from outside. Still overwhelmed by everything, Itoshi stormed toward the front door, his steps heavy with frustration and grief.
He swung the door open to reveal a man in a crisp suit, a rapier sheathed at his waist. Behind him stood five soldiers, their posture disciplined and alert. Itoshi's eyes immediately caught the insignia on the left shoulders of the uniforms: W.E.S.C.U.
"What do you want?! We're in the middle of something, dumbass!"
Itoshi barked.
"Oh, young man, no need to be so hostile. We just want to..."
The man paused, looking to the ground for a brief second before meeting Itoshi's gaze again.
"Talk."
Suddenly, an invisible force slammed Itoshi backward into the house.
"Koya!!"
Kara screamed.
The man moved with terrifying fluidity, swiftly grabbing Kara and wrapping his arm around her neck. He pressed the tip of his rapier toward Itoshi, who was still reeling from the impact.
"What the hell was that?!"
Itoshi thought to himself before he locked in once more.
"You fucking bastard."
"My masters want to see you. Come with me, and there will be no trouble,"
The man in the suit stated calmly.
"Are you deranged? How the hell do you expect me to just come with you after all this?"
Itoshi argued.
The man sighed, looking genuinely weary.
"Kids these days... Hold her."
He passed Kara off to one of the soldiers and charged at Itoshi, intent on knocking him out. Itoshi lunged for the kitchen, grabbing a butterknife and bringing it up just in time to block the incoming strike.
The man smirked, seemingly impressed by the boy's split-second decision-making.
"Nice reflexes, kid."
"Tsk. Is that all you got?"
Itoshi shot back.
The man struck with a flurry of blows aiming for Itoshi's head, but Itoshi managed to block every strike. Suddenly, a mysterious, invisible force slammed into Itoshi's stomach.
"What the hell was that?! He's so fast, I can't even see him move!"
Itoshi thought. He dropped to his knees, coughing up blood as the air left his lungs.
"KOYAA!!!"
Kara screamed, tears streaming down her face.
The soldier holding her grew irritated and tightened his grip.
"Shut up, woman."
The battle came to a momentary pause.
"You know, it would've been easier if you didn't resist,"
The man said, standing with pride as his shadow loomed over the kneeling boy.
Itoshi wiped his mouth and smiled.
"Ah... I get it now."
He lunged at the man again, throwing a flurry of punches. Many found their mark, but the man remained unfazed, his expression unreadable. Without warning, the man drove a brutal punch into Itoshi's stomach, winding him a second time.
But Itoshi refused to back down. Gritting his teeth, he launched another assault. They exchanged a rapid series of blows, each strike generating powerful gusts of wind that whipped through the house. Furniture rattled and lifted, swirling violently in the air, while the doors slammed shut, sealed tight by the sheer pressure of the battle.
Itoshi broke away, dashing backward as the heavy door thudded closed behind him, trapping them all inside.
"Tired now, kid?"
The man in the suit asked.
Itoshi wiped the blood from his lips, a confident smile etched on his face.
"Knew it. You're gifted with wind."
"Very impressive. No wonder you were labeled a 'Special Lost Subject.' Well then, allow me to formally introduce myself,"
The man replied, his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he studied Itoshi's abilities.
As the wind caused the curtains and furniture to drift around them, the man continued.
"I'm Hawthorne. I dedicate my life to the World Elemental Special Control Unit—W.E.S.C.U. I'm here to retrieve a special subject lost ten years ago. A flame user with deep blue hair... I didn't expect it to have grown this long."
"Blah, blah. Don't care. Your wind's almost out,"
Itoshi shot back.
Hawthorne chuckled, but his expression shifted as the room was suddenly swallowed in darkness. The curtains, loosened by the earlier gusts, finally draped over the windows.
"Saw something in a magazine a few days ago... never thought it'd be useful,"
Itoshi muttered in the dark.
"What—Shit!"
Hawthorne gasped.
In the total darkness, Itoshi lunged forward, swinging a piece of wooden furniture with everything he had. It connected squarely with the back of Hawthorne's head.
"If an intruder breaks in, darkness is your friend. You know your house better than anyone else,"
Itoshi confidently whispered.
Hawthorne flinched, A blast of wind quickly rushed forwards. But it was already to late.
Hawthorne collapsed forward, his thoughts racing as consciousness slipped.
"Damn... I let my guard down. He used my wind to close the curtains and door. But... why couldn't I sense him?!"
~~~To be Continued~~~