M-Cube: For once, I got a perfect score on one of my Chinese writing tests, and no one needs to know to what degree of how I celebrated. That's why I was so busy.
*InnocentDiamond: There's a reason why Dan used two guns, but they're not like Cross Mirage at all. And Dan will never be a blade student. That's how you pronounce it? I read the characters like they were Chinese. Acoustics and acousto-optics...I'll check that out. Thanks!
*AliceXshun's huge fan: Thanks! Also, can you make an account? I always ask this to guest reviewers.
*S. S. R: I actually didn't think of having a swimming pool, but now that you mentioned it, I'll edit the storyline to have a scene regarding being thrown over a boat. You get what I mean? I do see the resemblence. I still have to Google Japanese weapons, so I'm as not familiar as you.
*Cherry-Tree: For now, it's done. Diving suits were random, only for training use. In a real life emergency, that won't apply. It does make a lot of sense, now that you brought it together. I didn't even know I did that!
*RosesOfTruth: School-issued weapons are perfectly safe, and the storage method will come in a lot later. There's nothing wrong with having too many classes.
*CookieDecor22: I get it now. I'll try to put in more classes when I can, and Julie probably won't appear for a while. Maybe through chats, but not in person. Okay, I'll try to mix the genders.
*krikanalo: Thanks!
Runo: You've never had perfect?
M-Cube: Close to perfect, yes, but never 100%! Also, I will publish a Hallowen oneshot soon! Don't be mistaken by the beginning of this chapter.
Shun: Why's that?
Dan: Sucks for you!
M-Cube: Anyway, we're moving on to a different part of the ocean. I apologize in advance for any unclear technical terms.
[4] Unreliable Backup
"Tag-team mix!"
After two days of hard work, Marucho scheduled a practice battle. He cheered and waved a blue flag in each hand on the platform. The underwater training fields were almost finished, so the staff handled the rest of that. The control center was covered with waterproof boards as a temporary wall. The overwater training fields only required readjusting the safety pads and tightening the lane dividers.
At one of the overwater fields, Shun and Alice stood on one of the dividers, while Dan Runo stood on the opposite side. By now, all four of them were good friends, but both teams stared at each other with confidence. Having each team consist of mixed genders, departments, and education status was only fair.
"Remember, this only for practice. Don't go too far! I want to make sure that the repairs worked." Marucho pressed a few buttons on his watch and then his tablet. Some nearby surveillance cameras and sensors blinked upon activation. "Start!"
"Remember what I told you about Runo" Shun whispered to Alice. "She'll destroy or stop things at the moment they happen, but most of the time, haste makes waste."
"Also, Dan maybe may look clumsy at times, but he gets really serious when provoked." Alice reminded.
Runo glared at Shun and mumbled, "Shun's a trained ninja and especially fast, but if you can find a pattern, then you can take a step ahead and block him in his path."
"Great!" Dan thanked. "Alice is a smart and observant girl, so blocking her senses is key, but take it easy."
After all four participants shared their bits of knowledge of the opponent to their partners, Runo leaped forward with the first attack. "Fiber Optics!" Sight is the top sense out of all five. Shun can probably dodge that, but Alice can't.
"Blocking my sight already?" With some assistance from Shun, Alice approached the southern corner with her hand above her eyes. "Telekinetic Suspension!"
Runo screamed in appalment. "Dan! Do something!"
Alice had to maintain a still position over the water to hold the streams of light still, but that gave Dan an advantage in loading his revolver cylinder and aiming. "Targets are locked for Ecarlate. Heavy Rotation! Now I need to load Incarnat." Stand still for a little longer, Alice.
Water moisture will ruin both of your handguns, Dan. Shun reached for six arrows and aimed. "EF-3 Pathbreaker!" Each arrow redirected each bullet, all back at Dan and Runo. "Alice, you can let go now."
"Dan, look up!" Runo warned. Alice's minute of suspension is up. "Prism Dispersion!" All six bullets exploded heavily above the water, disturbing the magnetic field Marucho created to maintain hovering and prevent splashing. "I'm sorry! I had no choice!"
As the four fought passionately, Marucho made a long list of observations. "The magnetic field is sensitive to explosions. That corresponds to the safety pads sinking when Mylene's bomb exploded, Shun. I'm afraid I have to deactivate it for repairs." Marucho pressed more buttons on his tablet, and the water began rocking. "That means trouble for you guys! This is a real water battle you have now."
"I don't think I can survive in this!" Dan landed carefully on a lane divider and loaded his semi-auto pistol. "Targets are locked for Incarnat. Track and Trace!" A few tracer bullets fired and followed Shun and Alice everywhere. "There's no point in running away."
Alice wasn't as fast as Shun and had to rely on the dividers for rest. If I can't outrun them, then I'll get rid of them. "De-Existence!" Suddenly, every tracer bullet disappeared.
"Why does my heat hurt...?" Dan's speech slurred as Runo tiptoed over to grab his arm. "What the-"
"I can reverse the last attack used by the opponent, and your headache is a side effect of me looking into your mind." Then Alice began feeling lightheaded. "But I have that side effect, too."
"Marucho, we should stop now." Shun suggested. "We really need to fix the magnetic fields."
"Alice and Dan don't look so well, either. Let's all go inside." Marucho turned off the sensors and cameras. "That reminds me. I have another mission for the four of you. I'll tell you later inside in the meeting room."
The five of them took a seat around the large meeting table in the meeting room on the negative-first floor. An old man with glasses walked over and reported, "Master Marucho, the underwater training fields are complete, but the magnetic field will take a few more days."
"Thanks, Kato. Can you log me onto the network, please?"
Kato pressed a few buttons on the wall, and Principal Hamasaki appeared on the screen. "Good morning, Marucho! I called earlier, but after two consecutive busy tones, I gave up. How are you all doing?"
Marucho gasped. "You called?! I didn't know because we were outside testing the overwater training fields and found some flaws. I was going to tell you that everything is finished underwater, and the only things left are the magnetic field flaw and the hole in the control center. My final concern is that I request to ask more friends to come back."
"Before you ask, I received an email from another graduate saying she's coming today. Who do you have in mind?"
"More graduates are coming?" asked Dan and Alice.
Marucho shushed them and continued talking. "We'll need all available for my next project. I was thinking of calling Ace Grit back. Who sent you an email?"
"Mira Fermin. I already told her to take a ferry to where you are, but Ace is on his own. Good choice, though. Maybe the others can come back someday. Permission granted."
"Great! Thank you very much!"
"You're welcome. I must attend an assembly right now, so farewell."
After Principal Hamasaki logged off, Marucho left his seat. "My next project is to build more shuttles and paths, but it won't be easy because we need to explore the area to ensure safety. Mira and Ace will be on their way by ferry to the cliff shore control center, which is more dangerous than here. Runo and Dan will stay here, while Shun and Alice are coming with Kato and me. Understand?"
"What?!" Dan rose from his seat and punched the air. "I want to get out of here!"
"And if something bad happens to you out there, you're left to die because you don't have a smart-watch to contact us with." Runo replied, sipping her coffee.
"Oh yeah..."
"Sorry Dan, but that was one of the safety precautions that I considered." Suddenly, an idea popped in Marucho's mind. "I can ask Mira to bring a spare smart-watch over if she has one! I hope she hasn't left her house yet. Shun and Alice, Kato will take you to the platform where my cruise ship is while I give Mira and Ace each a call."
"Good idea, Marucho. Let's go, Alice."
"Coming!"
MxMxM
Kato gathered safety vests and life preservers, and tossed them aboard the small cruise ship. Shun and Alice leaned over the railing of the roof of the cruise ship, looking down at the butler and platform. Marucho ran as quickly as he could with briefcases in his hands. "Marucho, what's with the equipment?" Shun shouted. "And please slow down so you don't hurt yourself."
"This is all for our expansion project. Mira left thirty minutes ago with another smart-watch with her, and Ace is boarding a ferry as we speak." He handed the briefcases to Kato. The butler started the engines and drove the ship away from the platform, while Marucho went down to the basement kitchen.
Alice watched the cliff shores and water training grounds fade into the distance as the ship traveled farther. "I feel bad that Dan and Runo have to stay behind to monitor the remaining repairs while we can go out and explore."
Shun shrugged his shoulders looked away from the control center. "It's not every day Marucho takes you out on his cruise ship for important matters. Runo also knows how to repair the place, and Dan will have to stay with her until he gets his own smart-watch. Considering that Runo saved him on our first day back, that's not a coincidence."
"What are you implying?" Alice asked jokingly. "Anyway, back to real business. How will Marucho begin any expansion if there's no place to start? Back at the shores, there was the control center in the water and a signaling station on the shore."
"I have no idea, either. I think there used to be emergency coast guard station out in the open here." Shun sighed and rested his elbows on the railing and his chin on his entwined fingers, staring into the empty blue sea. "This place was the last place I wanted to go after what happened two years ago. That coast guard station might not be functioning at all, but it's probably still here."
"It must've been very upsetting to see your school in ruins." Alice sympathized. "I can still see the hole in the control center from this distance."
"I think that hole will be there for a long time." he replied, staring at the hands of his watch. "Anyway, you displayed some amazing skill during the practice battle. Not everyone would use time reverse to stop an attack. How did you come up with that?"
"Thanks. I'm very punctual, that's all. I wouldn't call it 'time reverse', but telepathy is all about any communication with only the use of the mind. The best that I did was looking in Dan's mind and 'convincing him' that he never used that attack at all, which will later 'convince' reality as well. Then I have to 'see' what the next attack will be and stop it before it is used. I would've used it, but you called for timeout, and Dan and I were too disoriented to do anything. Can you tell me what sorcery classes you took?"
"I remember every weaponry class that I took, but not so much for sorcery." Shun walked from the railing and paced around in thought. "Does SDI still teach acoustics and acousto-optics? I haven't had the time to check out the new course catalog yet."
Alice held her chin in long thought. "That sounds like music, and the Weaponry Department does consider musical instruments as weapons based on the catalog. What are those classes about?"
"Both involve the study of sound waves. Those were my favorite sorcery classes, and my teacher taught us how to play certain tune with a leaf. I have a leaf in my pocket right now. Want to listen?"
"Sure."
Shun blew the leaf clean and placed against his lips. For a moment, he played a short, old-time tune, and Alice was deeply captivated by his skill. At the sound of incoming footsteps, Shun stopped playing and looked at the stairs. "Marucho!"
"I haven't heard you play that in a long time since that day you went to visit your mother for the last time in the hospital, Shun."
"The 'last' time?" Alice questioned with wide eyes. "Shun, did your mother...?"
"It's nothing" he interrupted. "I got over it, but honestly, I couldn't sleep at all and played the leaf for the entire night." Shun put the leaf away and looked at the tray of drinks in Marucho's hands. "What did you make, Marucho?"
"Mango-pineapple-peach smoothies. Totally out of boredom and lack of bottled water. Everyone gets a glass."
Shun grabbed two and handed one to Alice, who thanked him after. "It's sweet and sour at the same time." Shun critiqued. "How much ice did you add?"
"Not much. I forgot to restock the ice. What do you think, Alice?"
"Delicious with a very tangy twist. Thanks for making these!"
"Anything for a friend! In response to your question about where to start expansions, we are going to the old coast guard station, currently monitored by only one person at a time. I contacted all the workers who work shifts there, and they're all fine with me. That's also where Mira and Ace's rides will dock at." Marucho pointed to a short, cabin-like structure in the water not too far away. "That's the place. Kato and I have to verify identifications before you can get off."
"That's fine. We'll talk in the meantime." Shun replied, watching Marucho leave the ship with Kato. "What did you think of that leaf tune, Alice?"
"It was beautiful and sharp, like a flute. But when Marucho mentioned your mother and all night, did he really mean that?"
His avoiding of eye contact with her gave it away. "My mother's worsening health and eventually death hurt me a lot. She was always there for me for everything. Attending the rest of my classes was the only way to forget about the pain, but that's not important. I still have an annoying grandfather."
"I know that feel." Alice walked over and held Shun's empty hand, much to his surprise. "My parents died when I was really young, and my grandfather raised me from that point on. My school and friends are like a unique second family to me. No one's ever replaceable, so cherish what we have now."
In return, Shun let go of Alice's hand and held it in return. "You're right. Right now, repairing the rest of the school is most important." He looked behind her and saw an area of water bubbling and displacing. "What's that?"
"Submarine and airship, sixth and seventh hours." was Alice's sharp reply.
The ascending submarine was definitely the same as the one from days before, but the airship descending from above was new. Mylene and Lena appeared as usual, in addition to another man in a green trench coat on the deck of the airship. "What do we have here?" he asked.
"Jesse, meet two of the annoying brats who beat us yesterday." Mylene introduced. "See? I will get you back for this...over the water!" Mylene's heeled boots went from unlighted to blue, allowing her to hover on the water surface. "Hydro Artillery!"
"Telekinetic Suspension!" Alice counteracted.
"Mylene knows this place isn't as waterproof at the control center." Shun muttered while pressing the buttons on his smart-watch. "Marucho, we have three enemies present on the water. Alice's holding them off the best she can for now."
"I knew they would find us somehow, but I have a better idea. Shun, grab the silver briefcase in the control room. Open it, and you'll know what to do. The coast guard and I are working on something at the moment."
"Thanks, Marucho. Alice, I'll be back." Shun hurried downstairs to the control room and opened the silver briefcase on the counter. It's the magnetic field operating system. He lifted the tablet out of the felt lining and stared at the wires and buttons. This morning's practice battle turned out to be productive after all.
Meanwhile on deck, Alice stopped Mylene's attacks, but Jesse moved his airship above the cruise ship and held his hand out. "Ah, what a nice day for a storm to strike. Blast of Tempest!"
"Draining Rain plus Gorgon Viper!"
Three at once. I can't handle all that. "De-Existence!" Trying to reverse an incoming strong storm, deadly precipitation, and streams of all at once drained Alice's energy, and she lost immediately before either one could be nullified. I shouldn't have done that.
"Did she just try to reverse our attacks? Pointless." Mylene scolded. She placed her bazooka on the water surface and pressed a button on the side. Tripod legs propped out, and the bazooka barrel extended and widened, with the addition of three minor barrels installed on the sides. "Hydro Typhoon!"
"Not going to happen!"
All eyes faced Shun, who ran back up to the deck. After throwing a sensor attached by a long wire into the water, he plugged the other end of wire into the tablet and pressed a sequence of buttons. The sensor released a few electric shocks, and Mylene instantly fell into the water, messing up her attack. The airship and submarine twitched a little.
"Shun, what was that?" Alice reached for the railing to help herself up. "Is that the magnetic field system from this morning?"
"It is. Marucho carried this in the briefcase and must've taken the other one with him."
"Go figure. Lena, bring Mylene back into the submarine now." Jesse closed the book in his hand and flew his ship a couple meters from Shun and Alice. "It appears that the magnetic field didn't do much. Ghost Storm!"
Winds everywhere gathered and blew around the cruise ship and airship. Jesse, his airship, and the submarine were out of sight. Shun looked back and forth between Alice and the visible area of water in front of them. "Alice, do you want to try floating on water?"
"Can I? How?"
"Give me your watch." Alice extended her hand to him as Shun connected another wire from the smart-watch to the tablet. After pressing a sequence of commands, he pulled the wire off. "Finished. What you need to do is to hover on the water long enough to freeze this storm in motion."
Alice nodded, then climbed over the railing, dived down, back-flipped, and landing safely with her feet centimeters from the water surface. "It's working! Telekinetic Suspension!"
The storm stopped in motion, but the haziness of the winds was still present. I still can't see where Jesse is. One shot won't be enough. Shun drew out four arrows and pulled them back as far as possible, but an incoming voice interrupted him.
"Gallow Punch!"
A hammer flew from nowhere like a boomerang and shattered the layer of gray haziness. The hammer spun back to the hand of its owner, an auburn-haired girl wearing white and navy business casual attire. "At least that worked for now. Shun, over here!"
"Mira! There you are! We-"
"Back up?! Again?!" Mylene climbed out of the submarine with her bazooka and a red cartridge again. "Poison Rip!"
"Black Loop Hole!"
A dark circle appeared in the sky and sucked Mylene's attack into nowhere. "Are you serious?!" she screamed.
"Just as serious as you. Hey, Shun!"
"Ace! Welcome back! Sorry about the emergency."
Jesse and Mylene exchanged silent glances. "It appeared that the new cast has been introduced after intermission. Mylene, we might as well leave now since we are done with our roles for the day." Their departure marked the end of today's battle.
Alice let out a sigh of relief as Shun helped her back up the cruise ship. "Beautifully planned, Shun, but who were those-"
"Ace?!"
"Mira?!"
Mira and Ace's boats landed next to each other by the coast guard station, and the two glared at each other from two meters apart. Shun realized what was going on and groaned. "Shun, what's going on?" Alice demanded.
"We've been so busy about waiting for Mira and Ace to come that we forgot what would happened if they were together."
"So what would happen?"
"What the hell are you doing here, you freaking tomboy?!"
"Tomboy?! You're the one who couldn't look up to me back then!"
Shun cringed at the stressful thought. "Mira and Ace are like water and oil. Put them together, and they won't. Sure, both were skilled Salutatorians when we graduated, but definitely not skilled in peacemaking."
This wasn't exactly what Alice expected, and the problem only got worse when Marucho came back outside and saw what happened.
#Attacks:
Heavy Rotation (Dan): shoots six fast-spinning bullets that spin and attack together (Ecarlate)
Track and Trace (Dan): shoots tracer bullets that trace and follow until collision (Incarnat)
De-Existence (Alice): nullifies the most recent attack used by the enemy
Blast of Tempest (Jesse): summons a dark storm (nullified halfway)
Hydro Typhoon (Mylene): stronger than Hydro Artillery, where the bazooka now turns into a tripod firearm with multiple and larger barrels
Ghost Storm (Jesse): [Plitheon] creates a dark whirl of winds that block all the enemy's senses
Gallow Punch (Mira): [Magma Wilda] throws a spinning hammer which immediately shatters any of the enemy's attack on impact
Black Loop Hole (Ace): creates a black hole that consumes the enemy's attack into nowhere
#Classes:
Acoustics: study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound
Acousto-optics: study of interactions between sound waves and light waves
XOXOXO
M-Cube: Tried my best to make sure everything appeared in proper order. Who's glad to see Mira and Ace again?
Everyone: *silence*
Mira: Seriously?!
Ace: We're not here for nothing!
Marucho: Actually, that is a very accurate statement.
M-Cube: Ouch. This is all my fault.
