Hello, everyone! This is Vio speaking. I just want to thank all of your for sending your amazing characters to me! Every one of them is really interesting and unique from each other, so it's a pleasure for me to make this story! Anyways, here's the official chapter that starts this entire story. It's pretty long, but I hope you guys enjoy! Anyways, please review so I can have this chance to talk with you! It's good to talk to the people who sent me all these wonderful characters in the process! Well, let's get started!
[Unknown]
Darkness.
Nothing is to be seen but darkness. Not even my own body is visible. Not even the choking air that surrounded me. My footsteps were empty. They didn't make a sound. I couldn't tell if I was standing straight or if I was walking.
Before my train of thought deluded my excistance I heard the sound of lights flickering on. A buzzing noise echoed into my ears, making my body tremble as my eyes were awarded with the almost blinding lights that were flickered on and off. On and off, on and off. It was an endless cycle.
Ah, well, at least I can hear something. The voices of people ringing in the distance. I wonder, can they hear my voice? I opened my mouth, calling for an answer.
... A reply. That's good. They can hear me.
The lights finally flickered on, allowing me the chance to examine the people around me. The people looked about the same age as me, if not a few years younger or older. Surrounded inside of a glasslike interior, the outside view was dark and meaningless. Why are we in here?
A rumbling noise shook the entire area. Screams of shock and terror echoed through the interior, people screaming for help as I added in my own voice. The ground was shaking, my body trembling as I heard the sound of cracks every second. One. Two. Three. More than three cracks were heard in a split second, and soon the entire glass interior broke into pieces.
We all fell into nothingness.
A high-pitched laughter resounded in the background. I wasn't here. I wasn't alive.
Nothing is here but pure darkness and agony.
[Unknown - Zen Souer]
"What a dream..." A fair-skinned teenage girl murmured, groaning as she felt the cool air touching every inch of her skin. Her entire body was stiff, her vision blurry as she opened her beautiful hazel colored eyes. She was lying on the grass on her back, her face looking straight up at the trees towering her. Stretching her arms and legs, the girl forced herself up.
The teenager was somewhat athletic and slender in built. She had white hair that reaches down to her shoulders, but the right side of her hair was tied in a fish-styled braid. Though her skin was fair and smooth, her hands are bruised with new and recent injuries and scars.
She wore a white collar around her neck, a green tie reaching just below her breasts. She wears a dark green bra with a brown jacket over, black fingerless gloves adding to her attire. On the bottom she wore black leggings and brown boots. The white-haired maiden wore two golden loop earrings on her earlobes, giving her an almost dignified atmosphere. What was interesting, however was the archery bag over her back, a bow and arrow available for her reach. Nonetheless, the teenager seemed to fit the prideful sort of personality type.
This teenager was named Zen Soeur.
SHSL Archer - Zen Soeur
Looking around the area, Zen found herself in what seemed to be a park. The fresh smell of grass and the trees towering her, the benches parked around the swings and slides, and even the childish look convinced Zen that it was the park.
"Why am I in a park?" She questioned herself, cupping her chin. "Aren't I suppose to be heading to Hope's Peak Academy-"
She stopped, her mind coming to an abrupt halt. A baffled expression escaped from her face, though it was the sort of expression that expressed not only confusion but worry.
Hope's Peak Academy? What's that? A school?
She said such words without grasping its concept. Though she was confused by what she had just said, she definitely knew it wasn't a mere coincidence. Zen knew what Hope's Peak Academy was, but she didn't know why and when she learned of such a thing.
All I remember is being titled the SHSL Archer and then after that... I don't know.
She bit into her inner lip, tapping her foot restlessly onto the grass.
Why? Why don't I know?
Though she was uneasy of the words Hope's Peak Academy, she was even more uneasy of her current location. Zen looked around the area, the sidewalk stretching from the park all the way to the distinct buildings up ahead.
Where am I anyways? I'm not in France nor am I in Japan...
The buildings in the distance looked modern and weren't different to that of any other building, but Zen couldn't pinpoint an exact location as to where she is. She raised her head up, her eyes staring into the skies. The clouds were blocking the view to the Sun, irritating her.
If only the clouds weren't blocking the way I could tell my east from west, but... Don't they seem to be a bit too close?
Zen sighed, her heart continuing to throb in an erratic pace. Though she was used to getting lost in the woods she was usually able to find her way out. This time, however, she was lost. She didn't know where she was nor what to do. There was nobody around her sight.
"Now that I think about it," Zen started, forcing a small smile to comfort herself. "It seriously looks like this place is deserted."
She stopped, immediately shaking her head.
Of course not. There has to be at least someone in this city. This place looks too nice for it to just be abandoned.
Easily convincing herself of that possible thought, Zen mustered up the courage and walked down in the sidewalk, the buildings gradually appearing taller from her perspective.
There was a large school Zen spotted a few miles away, a maroon color painting the building with multiple glass windows. A flagpole was fixiated next to the building, a strange symbol of a monochrome bear knitted on the flag. Close to Zen from the path she took were a few houses, each one looking quite different from the other. A few blocks away from the houses was a large building called "Sports Centre Gym".
Zen continued to walk down into the city until she stopped by a small cafe titled "Mono Cafe" which was just inches away from the gym itself. She peered into the frameless window, finding a teenage boy about her age unconscious. He was lying his head onto the table, his arms spread out as his expression showed discomfort. Though Zen was relieved that she wasn't the only person inside of the city, she was somewhat worried about the teenager and decided to walk inside the cafe.
The bells chimed once she opened the door, a pleasant sound ringing into her ears. She stepped into the cafe, the aroma of brewed coffee roaming into her nostrils. Her stomach clenched in want, her eyes glistening with desire as she licked her lips. Zen couldn't help but grin a little, wondering if she should order some coffee before hearing a struggled groan in the background. She turned her head around, finding the teenager stretching his arms.
"Mm..." The teenager rubbed his tired eyes, pale brown hair swaying from side to side. Zen took a glimpse at his appearance, noticing a few faded scars around his arms and face. She wondered if they even reached throughout his entire body, then lingering on how his childhood was like.
"Are you okay?" Zen asked, patiently waiting for the teenager.
The brunette opened his similar brown eyes, a tired expression overwhelming his face before he turned to Zen. His expression then stiffened, his lips curving into a frown as he blinked a couple of times. He looked around his surroundings slowly. It was as though he was trying to process the situation he's in at the moment thoroughly. He cupped his chin, deep in thought.
"Where..." He started, his eyes turning to Zen. "Where are we?"
Zen raised an eyebrow, baffled by his words. "Are you saying you don't know where we are?" Though she had a hunch that the brunette himself didn't know where he was and seemed to be in state she was in beforehand, Zen wanted to confirm her suspicions about him.
The teenager nodded. "No, I don't."
Zen crossed her arms, nodding her head as well. "I guess that makes two of us then."
She looked at the teenager again, noticing his strange clothing. The brunette wore a brown, almost red colored tank top under a leather jacket that seemed almost similar to what those motorcycle gang boys would wear. Though the teenager wore such an attire, she couldn't imagine him as a delinquent from the way he was acting at the moment. On the bottom the teenager wore grey trousers and black loafers, helping Zen mistake the clothing for that of a delinquent. She shook her head at the thought. No. She had no time to judge others for their tastes.
"Two of us?" The brunette eyed Zen weirdly, his tone of voice somewhat shocked. He clicked his tongue, heaving a small breath of air. "Does that mean you don't know anything as well?"
Zen shook her head. "From as of right now you are the only person I've seen here."
"You're the only person I've seen," the brunette replied, almost mockingly at that. He then stopped, eyeing her observantly. "Um..." He bit his lips, as if hesitant to say anything. The brunette averted his gaze to the ground, his tone of voice becoming quiet. "What's your name?"
The white-haired teenager answered. "My name's Zen Souer. I'm the SHSL Archer if you want to ask."
"SHSL Archer?" The brunette crossed his arms, pondering on Zen's introduction. "Ah, right. I'm also a SHSL student."
Zen tilted her head. "Student?"
"Student? W-wait... I don't recall being a student for being a SHSL..." The teenager bit his lips, murmuring under his breath. "How strange..." However, he turned back to Zen, staring at her with a cool posture. "The name's Cocoa Law, but call me Kingsley. I'm the SHSL Lawyer."
SHSL Lawyer - Cocoa "Kingsley" Law
"Kingsley?" Though Zen did find the transition from Cocoa to a name with a new meaning strange, she decided against questioning the teenager from such. Instead, she took priority in having her questions answered. "Tell me something, Kingsley. Do you remember anything before you woke up here?"
Kingsley gave Zen a strange look, but nonetheless cupped his chin and pondered on the thought. "Well... No, nothing. All I remember is gaining the title SHSL Lawyer and then...then I just blacked out."
"You too huh?" Zen couldn't believe that her hunch was right. Kingsley was in the same situation Zen found herself in. The sudden awakening, the loss of memory, the title of SHSL, the words that were spoke without knowledge. All of these happened between Zen and Kingsley. Was it just a mere coincidence or was there something else behind it?
Zen gulped. I'm pretty sure this isn't just a coincidence.
"Anyways," Kingsley started, interrupting Zen in her train of thought. "Is this place really deserted?"
Zen sighed, scratching her head. "Strangely enough."
"If I knew where we were I would've loved for such an occasion, but..." He frowned, standing up from his seat. "I don't know anything. I need to investigate the area."
Starting to walk out of the cafe, Zen was left in shock as she quickly chased after the lawyer. "Hey!" She cried, grabbing onto his sleeve. Kingsley stopped, turning to the archer. "Let's go together. It's a bad idea if we split up, you know?"
"Together?" Kingsley sighed, turning his direction to Zen. "Why?"
Zen clicked her tongue, staring intensely at Kingsley with her determined hazel eyes. "Trust me, I don't think you should leave without someone behind you. I just have this bad feeling. It's like...we're in the middle of the woods with bears hiding, just ready to lounge at you."
Kingsley raised an eyebrow at Zen's analogy, the color from his cheeks turning bright pink. "Um... T-this isn't the woods, you know. W-we're in a deserted city."
Zen sighed. "It's basically the same thing, except without the animals."
The lawyer averted his gaze. "But-"
Zen shook her head, her grip on Kingsley's sleeve tightening. "Trust me on this. Isn't it strange enough that this city is deserted, yet feels as though someone's been occupying this place? You went through the same things I did up until now. You might want to be left alone, but it's not a good idea. Don't trust me, but my instincts."
Kingsley averted his gaze, his brown pale eyes staring into Zen's. Though her attitude towards the situation was rather unpredicted and forceful, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming feeling of trust in her. Her eyes expressed pure determination and confidence, shocking Kingsley who was left stunned.
"... Fine," he finally answered, speaking in a soft voice. "But remember...I'm not going to be the one protecting you if anything goes wrong."
Zen nodded, letting go of the lawyer's sleeve. "Thank you," she said, grinning at Kingsley who turned his head away from her.
The duo walked down the path, nothing but buildings that were suited to a regular city towering over them. Nothing special, yet nothing too bland. There was a mall miles away, shopping stores and even a cinema nearby. It didn't seem to matter to the duo, the two of them simply walking past the area completely until they find more people in their line of sight.
"Seriously, where the hell are we?"
"I don't know! Sheesh, stop asking me!"
Zen and Kingsley turned to each other, realizing that there were voices nearby. The duo quickened their pace, jogging towards the sound of the two feminine yet irritated voices. In the distance was a dark-brown haired girl who had her hands on her hips, irritated at the red-haired girl who growled at her.
"Um..." Kingsley stopped, slowly backing away. "I-I think we came at the wrong time..."
Zen chuckled forcibly, staring at the scene unfolding in her eyes. "Haha...ha... Should we break them up?"
Kingsley shrugged, turning his back away from the pair of girls. "You can do it. I'm... I'm not good with people."
Zen stared at Kingsley, a deadpan expression overwhelming her face. No kidding...
"Oi! You two over there!"
Zen jumped from her place, realizing that the brown-haired girl was pointing towards their direction, the redhead scratching her head awkwardly. Kingsley sighed, murmuring under his breath as the duo can only watch as the girls walk towards them.
"Finally I see some more people," the brunette started, her tone of voice growly and irritated. "This woman over here's too much of a bother on me. She's just like the trash that you unwillingly picked up alongside the road."
Kingsley and Zen stared at each other worriedly, their minds synchronizing into one. Harsh.
"Wha-? How rude." The redhead glared at the brunette, obviously crossed with her unyielding behavior. She grabbed onto the brunette's purple button-up blouse, bringing her closer to her face. "Do ya wanna say that to my face, huh?!"
"Trying to act tough?" The brunette grinned, a wrathful expression glimmering in her eyes. "Don't even bother arguing with me. I already forgot your name anyways."
The redhead scoffed, shoving the brunette aside. "The name's Hikari Tennoyama, the SHSL Mountain Climber," she said in a pissed off tone of voice, flipping her braided hair to her back. "Don't forget it."
SHSL Mountain Climber - Hikari Tenoyama
"This is just getting out of hand..." Kingsley murmured, his head looking from side to side in search of help. Zen was left dumbfounded, almost at a loss on what to do.
Hikari spat at the ground, stomping away from the smirking brunette before she finally laid her hazel eyes on Zen and Kingsley. "Ah!" Her face was immediately flushed of its color, her heart throbbing fearfully as she realized how she portrayed herself to the duo. Violent and rude. That's the words she felt were coming at her. She quickly dusted off the dust on her black bomber jacket with her hands that were accessorized with brown fingerless gloves.
"Excelsior!" She cried out, saluting the dumbfounded duo with a wide smile. "Hikari Tennoyama, SHSL Mountain Climber. Nice to meetcha! I would appreciate the effort if you all told me your names."
Hikari stood taller than Zen by a few inches, her body built lean and tanned. Zen couldn't help but notice that her legs were quite long, proving as evidence of her adventurous spirit as a mountain climber. However, the archer also took notice of her left hand which was missing her ring finger. Zen shuddered, wondering what sort of incident caused such an occurance. Kingsley himself seemed to notice her missing ring finger, his expression stiffening subtly.
Behind Hikari's jacket had a picture of an eagle flying over the mountain, on the top with the words "TENNOYAMA" imprinted while the bottom said, "SHAKIN' HANDS WITH GOD". Under Hikari's bomber jacket was a white undershirt while on the bottom she wore blue demin jean shorts for pants. She had brown hiking boots for shoes and on the top of her head were a pair of ski goggles. Around her neck was a golden locket.
Zen nodded her head, acknowledging Hikari's presence. "My name is Zen Souer, the SHSL Archer."
"Oh, yeah! I heard of ya!" Hikari chuckled, walking over to Zen's line of view. "The famous archer around the world. Ya won a lot of trophies." She then grinned, a flirtatious smile creeping to her lips. "How lucky of me to have such a cutie here. I guess I can yell "Eureka", right?"
The archer laughed nervously, wondering if she was safe with Hikari inches away from her face. "Y-Yeah, sure."
Hikari gave her a comforting pat on the back, then eyeing Kingsley who simply watched them from afar. "So, who're you?"
Kingsley stood silent for a bit, averting his gaze. He then sighed after a few moments, introducing himself to the mountain climber. "Cocoa Law. Preferred to be called Kingsley. I'm the SHSL Lawyer."
Hikari chuckled, nodding her head joyfully in response. She turned to Kingsley, cupping her chin. "Hm. It's probably just me, but I feel like I heard the name Cocoa before..."
Kingsley crossed his arms, shaking his head. "No... It's nothing familiar. I don't think that I did anything that will ever catch your attention."
Zen eyed Kingsley, noticing his somewhat flustered expression. She inwardly chuckled at his embarrassed state before eyeing the brunette who frowned at them in disgust. "Um..." She turned to Hikari, almost frightened to speak to the brunette herself. "Who's she?"
Hikari's expression stiffened, her lips curving into a frown. "Oh, her? She's Sora Watanuki, the darn SHSL Appraiser. I seriously don't get how she can be an appraiser when all she does here is insult me."
SHSL Appraiser - Sora Watanuki
"Ha! That because you can't differentiate trash from true value. Trash like you aren't allowed to question the job of an appraiser." Sora came walking between Hikari and Zen, pushing herself in the middle with a rather dignified pose. Her arms crossed, her head held high, her prideful smile. She looked as though she belonged to the race of royalty.
However, Zen couldn't say that her sense of fashion was quite ordinarily for the formal life. Sora wore a short-sleeved button-up purple blouse with a padded suit jacket on top, a black zip-up skirt that came down to her knees. Fitting her strange attire were her fishnet stockings and high-heeled black boots. Around her neck was a string of pearls. Of course, that wasn't all. She had three piercings in her right earlobe, two in her left. Zen then noticed the black umbrella with a hook-shaped handle that was lying on the ground close to where Sora was last standing. How...strangely formal.
"Trash?" Hikari's expression darkened. "Who the heck's trash?"
"You, of course."
Hikari clenched her fists, grinding her teeth as she was seconds away from punching the SHSL Appraiser to the sky. "Ya piece of-"
"It's not nice to call other people trash."
Sora turned around, finding Zen glaring at her with a disdained expression. The appraiser, however, stood indifferent to the archer's act of bravery. She instead took a step closer to her, putting her finger over Zen's lips. "If it makes you feel better," she started, speaking in a low voice. "I think I find you quite hateful. I'll make sure to take extra caution around you."
"W-wha..." Zen was left stunned as Sora walked away from her, ignoring Hikari who cursed at her in disgust. An empty feeling resided in her heart, her stomach clenching in unease. Zen bit her lips. "Hateful...?"
"Don't let her words get to ya," Hikari started, comforting the archer with a gentle smile. "We're already in a tight situation here anyways."
"Ah, right." Kingsley surveyed his surroundings. "I guess you don't know where we are either?"
Hikari nodded. "Yeah. I thought you guys woulda know, but I guess not."
Kingsley frowned. "I guess that means you're in the same situation as us."
"Yeah. Sora too. We both woke up inside of the mall over there and came out. She kinda started to bug for a bit so when I saw you two I was kinda relieved." The mountain climber chuckled, awkwardly scratching her head. "I guess... Ya'll don't remember anything?"
The lawyer shook his head. "No. I remember learning about my SHSL and then I blacked out."
Hikari grinned, sweat trickling from her forehead and falling to her cheek. "Oh, what a coincidence. Me too." She turned to Zen. "Lost ya memories too?"
Zen nodded, forcing herself to answer. "Yeah. This city's mostly deserted too."
"Yeah, I noticed that." Hikari tapped her foot on the ground, pondering on something before an imaginary lightbulb was flickered on. She snapped her fingers, surprising Zen and Kingsley who eyed her in bewilderment. "Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we search this city together?"
Zen smiled. "That's a good idea. I was actually thinking about that."
Hikari grinned coyly, putting her hands on her hips as Zen can only chuckle awkwardly in response. "Oho. So we think alike."
Kingsley, however, responded to the situation with another question. "... Where's Sora?"
Turning their eyes to the position Sora was last at, everyone was left confused as they looked around the entire area. With no clues left behind Hikari spat at the ground, clicking her tongue. "Girl must've ran off."
Kingsley sighed. "... D-Does she really hate us that much?"
"Probably only me."
Zen bit her lips. It's probably not just you.
Bzzzt!
A buzzing sound resounded throughout the entire city, ringing loud enough to roam into the teenagers' ears. They covered their ears, pain overwhelming their heads before the ringing stopped, then being replaced by a high-pitched voice.
"Ahem. Is this working, is this working? ... Alright, great! Ahem! Everyone here, please report to the center square! I repeat, please report to the center square!"
The voice disappeared alongside the background static that started when the buzzing sound occured, but it simply caused the trio to be left in even more confusion.
Kingsley was the first to talk, his lips curving into a disgruntled frown. His nose wrinkled in disgust. "What...was that?"
"No clue," Hikari answered, scratching her head. "Um... He said something about center square, right?"
"I-I don't think that's the only thing that matters," Zen stated, gulping. "Where did that voice come from?"
Hikari shrugged. "Probably just a loudspeaker..."
"Probably doesn't help."
"Anyways," Kingsley started, crossing his arms in a composed posture. "We should find the center square. He did say "everyone" will be there, right?"
Zen nodded, cupping her chin. "Everyone... It means that we're not alone."
"If we found each other I'm darn sure there'll be others waiting." Hikari winked at Zen, giving her the thumbs up signal as she led the group around the city in search for the center square. "Um..." She stopped a few seconds later, turning to the duo. "Do ya know where's the center square?"
"I thought you..." Kingsley sighed, rolling his eyes. "No, I don't."
Zen chuckled, simply brushing off the matter at hands with the only conclusion she can come up with in her head. "I guess that means we have to just walk alongside the road."
The trio agreed on that conclusion, walking alongside the road for a few minutes before they finally spot another person. However, they were at a loss on where they are and how close they were to center square.
"Hey, there's more people!"
A strange red-eyed boy wearing a fedora mixed in with a black suit, pants, and dress shoes stood a few steps away from the trio alongside a black haired boy with tinged blue spiky hair. The duo simply waited for the trio to scurry towards them, each of them relieved by the other's appearance.
"Are we at the center square?" Zen asked, smiling sweetly because of the duo's presence. Kingsley stood back from a distance, looking as though he was intimidated by the duo's appearance. Hikari, however, waved at them with a wide grin on her face.
"Yes." The raven nodded his head, dark royal blue eyes staring into her's. "Well, not exactly. We're just a few blocks away, but the other people there told us to look out for others like you three."
"Everyone here's quite cute," the red-eyed boy stated, interjecting in the other's sentence as he twirled his fedora.
The red-eyed boy wore dark blue hair that reached just above his head, asymmetrical bangs reaching just above his eyes. His fedora was black with white strips lining up, giving him a sort of classy look that fitted alongside the rest of his attire. With his black suit and pants, the bluehead looked as though he fitted right into a crime drama.
"Oho, now that I've taken a good look at you three lovelies, I'll get on to introductions." He then stopped, throwing the fedora to his head as he held a rose in his hands. He smirked. "The name's Ruekra Barrows. I'm the SHSL Magician. This buddy of mine's Ren Furude."
SHSL Magician - Ruekra Barrows
"The SHSL Swordsman." Ren simply heaved a small breath, ignoring the magician's advances on the trio. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
SHSL Swordsman - Ren Furude
The trio took a glimpse at the swordsman, first noticing the vertical scar that cut into the left side of his thin lips. They then notice the several silver piercings on his ears, giving him sort of an intimidating look. He was rather athletic and muscular, having broad shoulders, but he wasn't as built as a body builder themself. In fact, he seemed to be on the same level as an average athlete. Ren wore a black hooded muscle shirt, outlines of his abs showing. On the bottom he wore pale blue baggy cargo pants, white running shoes with crimson laces on the bottom. Like Zen, he wore his accessory behind his back. A gold and blue halted katana was strapped to his back by a brown sheath. Yes. He is definitely the SHSL Swordsman.
The trio nodded, introducing themselves to the teenage boys who listened intently on their words. Ruekra smiled, nodding his head. "Well, I think we should get going. I feel like someone's gonna nag us if we stay here for too long."
Ren crept up a small smile. "Agreed."
Hikari sighed, brushing her locks of her hair behind her back. "Seriously though. If ya gonna tell us to meet at the center square then ya should've just given us some directions." She frowned, obviously irritated by the sudden demand the high-pitched voice called out towards them. "We don't know anything about this place."
Ren turned to Ruekra, the two of them realizing what Hikari had just said. Ruekra scratched his head, heaving a small breath of air. "Um... I guess that means even you lovelies don't know this place like the rest of us."
Kingsley clicked his tongue. "I figured."
"That's unfortunate." Zen sighed, the clenching feeling in her stomach starting to return. A mixture of feelings overwhelmed her. From fear to nervousness to discomfort, most of these feelings were directed towards the deeper level of despair.
"Don't worry about it," Ren replied, comforting Kingsley and Zen with a passionate tone of voice. "Once you get to know everyone else here I think you'll see that we're actually a well-efficient group of high schoolers."
Hikari's ears perked up. "Huh? High schoolers?"
Ren's eyes widened, his expression baffled by Hikari's questionable tone of voice. He then realized what he said, then eyeing Ruekra. Ruekra, noticing that Ren wanted for him to explain to the trio, quickly smiled and threw an arm around the flustered swordsman.
"Well, cute little mountain climber, from what we've seen all of us who're in this city are all high schoolers. Though some of us may seem younger or older, we're still educated in the range of high school."
"Basically," Ren began, continuing on from Ruekra's explanation. "It seems like whoever's calling for us to meet has something brewing in mind... And if I have to say, I have a bad feeling about it."
Zen gulped, a chill running down her spine. "A bad feeling..." Though she did had a feeling that something malicious was up in store, she refused to believe it as such. She wanted this to be nothing more than a hunch and for everything to be a dream. Though unrealistic from her usual morals, she couldn't help but feel afraid of the situation. It wasn't as though she was lost in the woods or was chased by apprehensive scavengers. No. This was a different matter, both physically and mentally.
"A-anyways," Hikari quickly interjected, trying to break the tension roaming between the atmosphere. "Let's get going. I'm pretty sure this is nothing more than a joke."
The group decided that Hikari's decision would be the best for now, their footsteps echoing into the distance. Though it was only a few blocks away Zen felt it was hours away as the lingering silence continued. Ruekra and Hikari tried their best to calm the atmosphere, Hikari continuing to flirt with Zen while Ruekra pulled out the same magic tricks in front of Kingsley's unamused face. Zen knew the duo were not only trying to ease everyone's neves, but their own as well.
"Here we are."
The group were awarded with strange looks from eleven other high schoolers, Sora included in the mix as she faintly chuckled to Hikari's demise. The group walked towards the others, Ruekra and Ren greeting them with a knowing smile.
The first to greet them was a wavy haired violet girl, bangs covering her left pale pink eye with her other eye a dark pink hue. "Yo! You guys are back rather quickly."
Ren nodded. "Well, we needed to escort these three here."
"Oh yeah! Oops, forgot about that part." The pale-skinned girl nodded, examining the trio with a hum. "Hmm. I guess you three are here because of the announcement, right?"
Hikari chuckled. "Um, obviously?"
The girl chuckled, her Cupid's bow shaped lips smiling in amusement. "I was just testing you!" She replied, scratching her head. "My name's Mizuki. I'm the SHSL Hip Hop Dancer. Peace!"
SHSL Hip Hop Dancer - Mizuki Komatsu
Mizuki wore a sleeveless black and pink midriff top. The word "Dance" was written across her top in bold black letters. On the bottom Mizuki wore baggy black pants that was covered in gleaming rainbow paint splatters with black all stars shoes with white laces. Mizuki had a black snap-back hate with a rainbow star embroidered on the front, also wearing several colorful bracelets and black fingerless gloves. Around her neck was a necklace of a pair of rainbow drop-shades while on her ears were pink ring earrings.
Ruekra grinned, giving Mizuki the peace sign. "Yup!" He then turned his head to the trio. "Anyways, this is Mizuki Komatsu as you may or may not know. She's quite the busty lady!"
"Huh?" Mizuki tilted her head, confused. "Did you say something? I heard you call my name...?"
"Oh!" Ruekra laughed as loudly as he can, crossing his arms while holding his chin up. "Ahaha! Nothing!"
Kingsley sighed. "This is a bit ridiculous."
"... Can you guys be quiet?"
Ruekra turned around, finding a chubby, pale-skinned girl with purple eyes squinting at him. Her fluffy bobbed chestnut colored hair swayed from side to side as she walked towards them. "Ah. Why, it's our lovely abstract artist."
The girl bit her lips, murmuring under her breath. "My name's Himeko..."
SHSL Abstract Artist - Himeko Utamaro
Himeko wore a lavender short-sleeved shirt with a ghost design on it. On the bottom she wore an ankle-length grey skirt with a black trim, her shoes bright blue high-tops with a floral design on the sides of them. Her shoes, however, were left untied though it seemed like Himeko couldn't care leas. The artists smock that she wears is in designed in that of a lab coat with various splotches of paint decorating it. Adding in to her attire was a pale blue beret that sat on her head.
"Abstract art?" Mizuki cupped her chin, eyeing Himeko with interest. "Ooh, I love abstract art! You should paint one for me."
Himeko's lips curved slightly as though she was about to form a smile. However, her lips immediately curved down in a split second. "... We already met earlier..."
"Huh?" Mizuki turned to Ren and Ruekra. "We did?"
"You zoned out the moment we started introducing ourselves to each other earlier," Ren answered, crossing his arms as he raised an eyebrow.
"We're that boring to you, huh?" Ruekra grinned, chuckling.
Mizuki's cheeks became pink in embarrassment as she flailed her arms about. "Wah! I didn't mean to! There's just too much on my mind!"
Ruekra's expression stiffened, sweat trickling from his forehead as he eyed the energetic hip hop dancer. "No, no, it's okay. Calm down, sweetie. It's no big deal."
"It sounds like I offended you guys though," Mizuki interjected, scratching her arms in a uneasy manner. She then sighed, smiling at Himeko. "Oh well. I'll remember you guys in a split second."
"A-a split second is kinda too quick," Hikari muttered under her breath, staring at Mizuki who jumped up and down happily alongside Ruekra who decided to go alongside her plan.
It was then did a blue-haired girl came into the scene with her hair particularly tied in a ponytail, a silvery lavender haired boy following suit in the process. "Those two are surely energetic."
Zen forced a small smile. "I-I say."
The bluehead smiled sweetly back at Zen, exchanging handshakes with one another. "My name is Hairi Komatsuzaki. Though it sounds similar I'm not related to Mizuki in any way. We just have similar sounding last names." Zen nodded, pleased with the fact that Hairi answered the question that lingered in her head. "Anyways, I'm a travel blogger."
SHSL Travel Blogger - Hairi Komatsuzaki
Hikari's eyes instantly widened, scurrying up to Hairi with a flirtatious expression as she held onto her hands. "Ah, I knew ya were the SHSL Travel Blogger. Just one look at your face and I'm all, "Yup! Totally a SHSL Travel Blogger!". Anyways, the name's Hikari. I think we can get along just fine."
Hairi laughed awkwardly, exchanging greetings with the mountain climber. "Y-yeah..."
Hairi had long blue hair that reached to her shoulders, an ahoge present in the middle of her hair, pointing to her right. Her skin was fair with her eyes deeming a beautiful purple hue. Hairi wore a dark brown dress that reaches down above her thighs, a large, pink floral pattern along the bottom. Her heels were black with grey thigh-high socks underneath. Around her throat was a red ribbon.
Zen glanced at Hikari and Hairi with a small chuckle, then noticing the boy who stood from a distance with a shy expression. "My name's Zen Soeur, the SHSL Archer," the archer started, introducing herself to the boy who eyed her in shock. "How about you?"
"My name?" The boy eyed Zen awkwardly, processing her words before finally lending her a small smile. Though his gestures seem to make him look shy and lonely, he spoke in a soft spoken, but kind manner. "Ah, yes. My name is Satoshi Yoshiro, but please call me Shi. I'm the SHSL Strategist."
SHSL Strategist - Satoshi "Shi" Yoshiro
Zen took a quick glance at his appearance, almost blushing in the process. Shi has a slim body, almost limber in build with a fairly pale complexion. His silvery lavender hair reached to the base of his neck, his bangs framing his face that slightly obscured his reddish pink eyes that are usually half-lidded. This led him to obtain a rather drowsy expression. However, what brought Zen into shock was his cheekbones and soft features which gave him a feminine outlook.
Hm, he's actually quite cute... Especially with what he's wearing...
He wore a black jacket accented with a bit of white that was a bit big on him, the sleeves extending to just about to his forearms. His jacket had a small compliment of fur along the hem of the hood and pointy canine ears on top of it, topping the rather cute style off with a black coat with greyish black linings in various areas. He wore a black-and-white checkered armband on his right sleeve across the biceps area, a symbol of a king chess piece imbued on the right. Over these were a purplish white zip vest and a white button-up shirt with a long black necktie that had a flat hem and two horizontal white stripes near the end. On the lower attire consisted of plain dark jeans and a pair of black converse shoes with white accents.
"Oho! Now here's our cute little Shi!" Ruekra cried from the sidelines, running alongside Mizuki who practically twirled her way through the confused audience. He threw Shi into a warm embrace, the strategist almost squealing from shock as Mizuki threw herself onto them. "Don't look so scared, Shi. It's not like anything bad's gonna happen."
"It's better to face the future with a smile, you know?" Mizuki added, ruffling Shi's hair in an energetic pace.
"Sure," Shi answered, trying to endure the unintentional torture he's being out through by the optimistic and affectionate duo. "... I'm not too worried...though..."
"Ooh~ Brave, aren't you?" Ruekra crept up a mischievous grin, throwing Shi to the ground with Mizuki jumping back up in amusement. Zen tilted her head, turning to the others who were close to her. Hikari's eyes subtly widen in curiosity, Ren from the distance instantly averting his eyes to the ground.
Shi's expression immediately stiffened as he eyed Ruekra who chuckled continuously. "Please...stop..."
"I won't stop till you stop worrying about this ordeal!" Ruekra shook his head, laughing as he began tickling Shi nonstop.
Zen turned to Ren, pointing at the childish situation unfolding beneath her eyes. "Um..."
Ren shook his head, crossing his arms with a composed expression on his face. "Let's just say it's Ruekra's way of cheering people up. To be honest, he's pretty childish, isn't he? Well, I can't say it's bad though."
"I kind of feel bad for Shi though..." A warm honey eyed girl commented, her black wavy hair tied up in a ponytail. She glanced at the scene, finding Mizuki and some others chuckling at Ruekra who continued to tickle the poor strategist. "He really looks like he's gonna die from this. Ah, haven't met you. My name's Yuki Albright, the SHSL Audiobook Narrator!"
SHSL Audiobook Narrator - Yuki Albright
The audiobook narrator's eyes stood out more than usual, Zen believing she lined them up with black kohl. It was, however, pretty. Yuki's ponytail was tied with pretty and decorative hair ties that had lots of ribbons and beads alongside a hime-cut fringe. Her complexion was rosy, almost similar to that of a Caucasian. Her ears are slightly pointed and she had long fingers on her elegant looking hands.
Yuki wore a simple, straight round-necked dress-top with long, form-fitting sleeves. Though it is in plain in pattern, the top was vivid in color and almost blinded Zen's eyes. Around her waist she had a satiny black scarf tied as a sash, the bow she tied settled near her right hip. On the bottom were leggings that are also black and ballet-style pumps that match her dress top. Around her neck was choker necklace that tends to be decorative in a similar way to her hair tie.
"I'm still worried for Shi," Yuki said, leaving where she left off. "He's having a piloerection and the blood circulating from his entire body is making his face blue."
Zen turned to Yuki, frowning. "Piloerection?"
"Huh?" Yuki stopped, then grinning at the archer. "Oh, piloerection is when the hairs on your skin stick up. Basically, its the erection of the hairs on your skin."
The archer stood still, stunned into silence as she eyed the narrator carefully. "... Okay."
Ren glanced at Zen, noticing her baffled expression. He chuckled inwardly to himself, opening his mouth to speak. "Yuki tends to speak in a dictionary-like manner. The words she speaks from her mouth tend to confuse most people like you."
"Is that so?" Zen had to admit, realizing the fact she couldn't even understand much of what Yuki had just said lowered her self-esteem quite easily. She never even took one glance at the dictionary though she spent her days at the library. In an instant did she regret her actions.
"Speak of the devil," Ren muttered, noticing another figure walking over to them. "Another unique one."
"The life of Satoshi Yoshiro lies in the hands of Ruekra Barrows. How tragic. How unsatisfying. How violent. How despicable..."
Zen eyed the figure that roamed closer to them. It was a thin raven-haired boy with green eyes wearing a dark green military officer jacket, similar to the style from World War 2. However, the boy didn't wear his sleeves, making the jacket that of a cloak with, under the jacket being a gray undershirt. On the bottom he wore black trousers and boots, a belt with a silver buckle around his pants. For accessories the boy had black sun glasses hanging from his front pocket that he only uses when it is actually too bright.
"Oh. Hey there Saburo," Yuki greeted with a small smile, waving at the talkative raven.
"Ms. Albright, this sort of behavior isn't fit for the New World I'm in charge of. Though death may due all of us part, this sort of...mischief is unneeded." Yuki chuckled, nervously turning to Ren and Zen for help. The duo were left in complete silence as the boy continued. "I, Saburo Kato, the SHSL Speech Writer, will not tolerate this sort of behavior. Mere childish play this is."
Speech writer? Zen felt sweat trickling from her forehead. I think I can see why...
SHSL Speech Writer - Saburo Kato
"Anyways, I think Shi may have to go through CPR," Ren stated, interjecting between Saburo's small speech. Zen looked back, finding Ruekra completely oblivious to the state Shi's in. Shi's been gasping uncontrollably for a while, the faces on Hikari and the others slowly turning into worry. "He seriously looked like he's drowning."
"Aaah!" Hikari screamed, her voice ringing throughout the entire city. "Shi's gonna die!"
Ruekra gasped, realizing that the strategist was thrown into a coughing fit. "Oh, what have I done?! Must death do us part, my lovely Shi?!"
"I-I'm not dead yet..." Shi murmured under his breath, coughing between words. His breathings were deep and shallow, his heart throbbing in an erratic manner as he forced himself up. "But please...never do that again..."
"This is seriously stupid," Sora commented from the sidelines, watching Shi who was being dragged to a nearby bench by Hairi. She then turned to the nearest person next to her. "Isn't that right, Kazuo?"
The light blonde-haired boy named Kazuo turned to Sora after a few seconds, blinking. "Huh? ... Oh, sorry, I've been coming up with an idea for a new game."
Sora instantly frowned, scoffing as she walked away from the soft spoken individual. "Tsk. Whatever."
"..."
Kazuo had his hair messy, bangs reaching just above his beautiful, alluring golden-brown eyes. His skin tone is quite pale, making people wonder if it's because of his lack of outside interaction though it might seemed to be the case because of his social awkwardness around people. His built isn't very muscular or defined, but it's best to define him as slim.
He wore a red zip-up hoodie over a black t-shirt. His hoodie was specially made for him with the initials "KN" printed on the back. Covering his untidy hair was a grey and white striped beanie, also wearing black fingerless gloves on his hands. Kazuo wore baggy blue jeans that was held on nice and tight with a belt that has a tri-force symbol on the clasp. His sneakers matched his t-shirt and hoodie, black with red trim.
"KN..." Hikari cupped her chin, pondering on Kazuo's initials before snapping her fingers. "Ah, Kazuo Nagakage?! Are you the famous game developer?"
Kazuo slowly turned to Hikari, yawning. "Hmm? Ah, yeah. That's me. Kazuo Nagakare, SHSL Game Dev..."
SHSL Game Developer - Kazuo Nagakare
Without a second to waste, Kazuo left Hikari's line of view into a distance away from the others. Hikari sighed, tapping her foot as she crossed her arms. "Ah... Unsociable..."
"Don't mind him. He's just shy, you know?"
Hikari turned back to find a tall young man with a chiseled body, his skin milk-white and his eyes a green hue. There was a mole in left cheek and another on his right one. The boy wore a long-sleeved green polo shirt, his sleeves folded to his arms. On the bottom were dark blue jeans and brown boots. Out of most the people Hikari has met so far, he was in the "quite normal" category for appearances.
"Shy? I think he's just unsociable."
The boy shrugged, glancing at Kazuo who sat down on the ground near the fountain that lied in the middle of the area. "Like Nathalie, though she's just a bit distinct like the grim skies brewing in the night. King, however, is quite the quiet one himself... Actually, a lot of people here are rather introverted."
Hikari nodded slowly. Still, there's quite a lot of energetic people here, including me for one.
"The name's Yuuya De Angelo, the SHSL Geographer. I hope we can get along fine."
SHSL Geographer - Yuuya De Angelo
"I'm sure we can," Hikari replied, grinning widely. She then noticed a light brown-haired boy with an ahoge speaking to a freckled girl with her raven hair tied in a braid.
Yuuya's voice spoke in a split second. "Ah, those are the two I was referring to. Hey, King! Nathalie! Come introduce yourselves."
The duo turned to Yuuya, glancing at one another before walking to him. "So, what's this about?" The brunette started, blinking. "You sounded like you already introduced me to her already. I'm King Legolas, the SHSL Pianist."
SHSL Pianist - King Legolas
The brunette eyed Yuuya, then glancing over to Hikari who waved at him with a big smile. He faintly smiled back. King wore a gold and white swirl patterned bandana with a silver club pin on his head. For the top he wore a green tartan jacket with a light mint hoodie underneath. On the bottom he wore moss cargo pants and tan zippered sneakers. He also wore a black wristwatch with a clover and blue diamond charm, another watch that is silver on his right hand.
"That works." Yuuya nodded his head, then turning to the raven. "And you?"
The girl bit her lips, cupping her hands as she averted her dark green eyes to the side. The raven wore a tucked white short-sleeved blouse, wearing a black flowing skirt at the bottom alongside white socks and black trainers. She was hesitant, but then opened her mouth, murmuring her name and talent. "My name is Nathalie Kato... I'm the SHSL Thief."
Hikari's eyes widened, throwing her arms back in shock. "W-wait! Thief?! I'm sorry, but I seriously cannot guess that as a talent! Ya look so cute for a criminal!"
SHSL Thief - Nathalie Kato
Nathalie's expression stiffened, her eyebrows burrowing in silent fury as she puffed up her cheeks. "... You have a problem with that...?"
"N-no, it's just that ya're seriously too cute to be a criminal..." Hikari forced herself to laugh, scratching her head as her cheeks blushed a bright pink hue. "Ahaha... I guess I made a new discovery today, huh...?"
Nathalie sighed. "This is why I don't want to share my talent," she whispered under her breath, inaudible to anyone's ears but her own.
"Anyways," Yuuya started, interjecting between the scene. "I'm pretty sure we're all here, so where's that high-pitched guy who told us to come here?"
King shrugged as Hikari cupped her chin. "No idea. Telling us to come here when he himself isn't here is pretty BS, huh?"
"Well, a villain has got to make his grand entrance and show off to the audience, right?"
It was then in an instant did something unpredictable happen.
