Kodokuna Hito, a third year in the Garden of Eden. He sat alone once more under a tree looking up at the sky seeing nothing but a lone cloud by itself. On the tree was a heart as well as the initials 'D+E' while under it was a tombstone with the name Etsudo Aketchi. His silver eyes continued to stare into the sky while his long silver hair flowed in the soft blowing wind. The sunlight revealed his lightly tanned skin and lean body build. It's been two years since he lost his partner to a savage on their third mission, his last hope in regaining his will to continue being satisfied with the world. With everything he ever cared for taken from him, he had nothing else to lose excluding being too prideful in ending his own life.
It was against him to take his own life as well as just seeking out death. All he could do was continue to survive. If anything, due to the loss of his partner and only lover now, he was placed in a very dark state of mind where he did as he pleased when he went on a mission. Even though he would disobey orders almost every time, he would end up killing a savage or two by himself with no records of how he did it. Due to all his successes of wiping out Savages, they would call upon him when they were in dire need of help.
His overall scores were well in passing but only barely. When he had his lover beside him he would almost always hit highest in the class and second in the school. Without any real motivation any more, he has simply tossed aside his need to push for anything high. What's the point when he had no one to lean on anymore? There was one time when the president herself had offered him a seat in the student council, but he flat out declined and walked away.
-Ceremony-
An issue occurred when two students showed up late in response to trying to bring in a new student, one with a high score, one that would rival that of the president. The simple order of expelling the two made Kodo come to life for a split second but was barely dismissed. Normally he would have voiced his opinion on the issue alongside his lover but lowered his head. Suddenly another stood up and voiced his opinion, one that almost completely mirrored his own lover, Kodo's head shot up and looked directly towards the boy who spoke and blinked. He listened intently before ultimately, he to was ordered to get expelled.
"Kind of stupid and childish don't you think?" Kodo shouted out as he made his way to the stage with his hands by his side.
"How dare you. Know your place!" The vice-president shouted before seeing who it was and gritted her teeth while gripping her hands into fists.
"I know my place well. Back off and shut up. Normally I would but that one…" Kodo spoke looking towards the boy with silver hair as well before slowly turning to look back at the president. "Reminds me too much of her. You expect me to stand down after that?"
"Oh? It is rare for you to voice your own opinion in a long time. Very well. How about this then. We battle one another. If I win, they will all be excused this once." Claire spokes with a smirk.
"…and if I lose then I as well as the other three will be expelled?" Kodo finished with a blank expression.
"Yes. Do you accept, Kodokuna Hito?" Claire asked grinning softly now.
The students widened their eyes and began to talk to one another at the name of the student that walked up. His name was well known and as such a legend, sadly not a good one. A third-year who was barely able to pass every class. In their eyes, he seemed to be barely struggling to stay in school while also rumored to rarely eat or drink. Even outside the school, he was known to be a total failure who had no real skill in using a hundred. After all, his hundred was custom built by himself and his lover before she met her end.
"I accept. I wish to add one more thing though. Our fights records are to be deleted completely." Kodo demanded while his blank expression shifted into that of a serious one. One Claire has not seen in years.
"…very well. All records of our fight will be deleted." Claire answered before the two nods and Kodo walked off.
He came to a stop and looked to Emile to stare at him for a few seconds before smiling faintly and turning to leave.
-Day later-
Kodo walked out into the field holding his hundred in his right hand while looking forward to seeing Claire was already in her hundred. Since it had been years since she has seen Kodo using a hundred, she thought he would be extremely rusty and as such did not go into full armament.
"I see you did not run. I'm impressed. It has been years since I have seen you in your hundred. Last I remember, you were not allowed in many missions to take out Savages." Claire taunted before Kodo simply sighed and shook his head before flicking his hundred over-head.
"Hundred…on," Kodo whispered before the silver hundred shattered and engulfed the field in light. Once the field died down, it revealed Kodo in his hundred while wielding a spear in his left hand.
His hundred was pure silver along with his skin-tight suit. The only real armor he had was his lower body leaving his upper body completely exposed excluding the lower part of his face. Steam flowed from the side of his mouth guard while he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders backward.
"It has been a while…I just hope you don't say anything you'll regret." Kodo spoke eyeing Claire who narrowed her eyes and got ready.
"MATCH…START." The announcer shouter making Claire smile and back up to begin her bombardment with her drones.
Kodo brought his spear up and tried to defend the best he could before getting hit by a few of the beams of energy forcing him backward. With his focus on the energy beams, he forgot about Claire who swiftly closed in on the gape where she brought her right fist into Kodo's gut making him widen his eyes a grunt in pain before being launched back a bit. Coughing heavily to catch his breath, he looked forward and brought his spear back to throw it with as much strength as he could.
The sudden attack made Claire widen her eyes but smirked as her drones came back and made a shield to easy deflect Kodo's weapon. Upon the sudden block, Kodo panted heavily while falling to one knee and sighing. Claire removed her drones to bring out what seemed to be a buster cannon. The sight of the buster cannon made Kodo groan while slowly standing up and facing Claire.
"This is why your lover died. You didn't give it your all." Claire taunted with a grin.
Kodo gritted his teeth as his sanity snapped and looked to her with killing intent now. As the buster cannon shot towards Kodo's location, it exploded and kicked up dust. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before the crowd gasped in awe and surprise. Claire had no idea what they were awing at as she looked at the crowd for a bit.
"CLAIRE-SAMA BEHIND YOU!" The vice-president shouted making Claire turn around to come face to face with Kodo in full armament, her eyes widened in sheer surprise.
"Did I not warn you…not to say something you will regret," Kodo whispered.
The field was now engulfed in dread and despair with Kodo's full armament in full view for the crowd to see. His entire body was now covered in armor but not as heavily as before, but it showed an image of a real soldier. Energy flowed from his back and the back of his helmet; the energy flowing on his back made an image of dragon wings while his helmet seemed to stretch all the way down to the ground making it look like that of a dragon.
"Let me show you…what a real dragoon can do." Kodo spoke narrowing his eyes before vanishing from her sight once more.
Claire looked behind her to find his spear was missing now before turning to see Kodo inches in front now holding his spear once more. She placed her buster cannon in front to take the hit while she herself was launched backward. The sudden attack made her grow ticked before she too went into her full armament.
"Petals!" Claire commanded as he drones released smaller versions of themselves to begin to assault Kodo.
"Fangs," Kodo whispered as his shoulders, as well as his shins, opened revealing small like spears that raced towards Claire's petals quickly dismissing them while Kodo aimed his spear forward while getting into thrusting stance.
"What!?" Claire spoke a little surprised before the fangs raced towards her drones but quickly avoided the fangs and disposed of them.
Gritting her teeth, she caused her drones to race Kodo to force him out of the stance. Once her drones appeared in front of Kodo he had suddenly vanished and appeared right in her face once more. Kodo's speed was already beginning to grow more with each passing minute while Claire was growing more worried about her loss. She moved to the side as to avoid the thrust but to her surprise, Kodo had released his grip on his spear and ducked down to uppercut her gut to launch her upwards.
Claire groaned in pain with her eyes widened in shock. As she was collecting herself, Kodo appeared in front of her once more with his spear in hand. With both in midair now, she was sure that it would not harm anyone as she brought her buster cannon out once more and aimed at Kodo firing at point blank. As her cannon died down, she saw a fake image of Kodo made by the energy of his wings and tail. Her attention looked down to see Kodo on the ground still holding his spear aiming up at her.
"Roar," Kodo whispered as his spear shifted into a buster cannon and fired upwards engulfing Claire in its blast.
As Kodo's beam died down, Claire was seen knocked out an in critical condition before she fell towards the ground. In such a condition, such a fall would kill her while Kodo turned his back and began to walk away. The crowd screamed in fear as the president was at risk of dying before their very eyes.
'Save her.'
Time slowed down before Kodo widened his eyes and looked behind him to see his lover floating behind him with her arms wrapped around his neck crying. Kodo was at a loss for words as tears began to form in his eyes. His arms wanted to wrap around her body but as his arms met her ghost, she vanished. Gritting his teeth tightly, he turned and raced towards the falling president before catching her just before she fell into the ground. Upon landing on the ground, he laid Claire on the ground and stood up tall. Tears already falling from his eyes and leaking out from the eyeholes of his helmet onto Claire.
Claire woke from the touch of the tears to find what she thought to be a boy who was lost but now in her eyes saw a lone broken boy rejected by peace and left to suffer all by himself. Kodo saw she was awake and sniffed softly before turning his back on her.
"Keep your promise….and apologies to Etsudo's grave…when you've recovered." Kodo spoke walking off now leaving her to her wounds while medics came to treat her.
Emile and Hayato came to thank Kodo but he simply walked passed them with his head down. Both were going to chase after him but were stopped by Char who walked in front of them.
"…who…what happened?" Emile asked Char who sighed and looked over her shoulders at Kodo as he disappeared into the tunnel.
"A broken soul who has lost meaning in happiness and motivation. You see…two years ago, he had a lover in this school. Etsudo Aketchi. She was a bright girl and always motivated Kodo to rise and try to always take first place. He did so…and got first place in every class he was in….and came second in the school right under Claire." Char began to with a sad expression.
"…wat happened?" Emile asked blinking slightly.
"ON their third mission, multiple Savages appeared. The most we have ever seen. They…no…he completed the mission. At a great cost." Char spoke sighing and closing her eyes.
"You mean…" Hayato spoke widening his eyes.
"Yes. Etsudo…. died on that mission. Along with the rest of their team…. Kodokuna Hito…was the only survivor of that mission. Ever since then…he was rarely put in missions. When he was called upon, he would always answer…but every time he came in…he was a different person. Void of happiness and faith. Filled with…. rage and hatred. He disobeyed orders. Did what he wanted…and slaughtered every savage in sight." Char finished opening her eyes and turning her body to look where Kodo walked off to.
"…does he not have any other friends…a family?" Emile asked growing worried now.
"No…his family was slaughtered by a savage as well as his friends. Since he was the only one to return from the mission that took his lover…no one every tried to connect with him. Claire tried to recruit him into the student council." Char spoke looking to Emile.
"What'd he say?" Emile asked a little happier now.
"If Etsudo was alive…. he would have taken it without a second thought…but because she wasn't around…he declined and walked away without a clear explanation. He mainly hangs out near her grave outside of the school grounds under a large tree…. the same tree they met under as well as where they confessed to one another." Char finished before sighing heavily and walking away.
"Where are you going?" Emile shouted as the two watched Char walk off into the tunnel.
"To do as promised. Delete all records of this fight. Not only from the school records but also from other people's phones. He wanted to be left alone. If word gets out about his custom hundred…. he will become a prime target for recruitment. He…. doesn't want that…. not now." Char answered before finally disappearing.
-Days Later-
Kodo sat under the tree once more looking up at the sky humming to himself with his eyes closed. The sound of someone walking made him open his eyes and sit up slowly to see Claire standing meters away with the look of someone who got scoldings. She looked to Kodo then bowed her head which he returned. He got up and moved away so that Claire could pay her respects and bowed her head to the tombstone before standing back up with her hands in front of her and still looking down.
"I…. I'm sorry. For saying what I said in the arena…I…I got caught in the moment." Claire tried to apologize.
"Don't. When I Blasted you with my Buster Cannon…you were in a critical state. If you feel you would have died." Kodo began walking forward with his back to her.
"…and you saved me," Claire spoke turning around to look at Kodo only to see his back.
"…it wasn't my choice. I wanted you to die." Kodo admitted without regret while staring off into the clouds once more.
"Then…why save me?" Claire asked gripping her hands into fists.
"Etsu…she wouldn't want that. In a sense…you can say she told me to save you. Of course, I would do so. Even if I did not want to." Kodo answered before walking away.
"…WHY DID YOU DECLINE THE OFFER IN JOINING THE STUDENT COUNCIL?!" Claire shouted making Kodo stop in his tracks before sighing.
"Because it would remind me too much of Etsu…" Kodo answered before he continued to walk off.
…and done. Damn.
At first…I just wanted to just make a badass scene in the fighting but…then I just started typing in whatever came into my head. Once I read it myself on what I wrote I almost cried.
This IS a one-shot but if your interested in this story and want me to continue it then, by all means, give me a heads up. I might just be motivated enough to make it a real story.
Leave a review^_^