Good day everyone. This AstraKnightZeta, or AKZ for short. Before reading this chapter, I want to give you a bit of info about this story, why I created it, and why I hadn't updated Penultima since its publication. Note this story is a crossover; however, since the archive of this crossover is low (with three stories at the moment), I decided to upload this into both in said archive and the mainstream, which by the way we already have some crossovers lurking in here, until the story in the crossover archive had received nice load of followers and favorites. Secondly, the reason why I wanted to write this was elements I'm using are based on my favorite video game I had as a Kid, which if you want to know right away, is Mega Man ZX, hence the title High School ZxD. I debated between Star Force or this, but I decided to do the latter since the prior is being well written by Tailsmo4ever and using the themes of ZX, aka the Biometals, would be easier for the readers to understand than EM Wave Change and its associated terminology. Lastly, the reason why I haven't updated Penultima for a while now is for two reasons. 1)I wrote on got deleted and was too occupied to rewrite it due to work and college and 2) I originally intended wanted to publish ZxD first before Penultima, and while I do want to continue it, I've been occupied with more important things.
So without a further ado, please enjoy my fanfic, Highschool ZxD. Please like, commit, and subscribe to this story. All criticism is accepted.
Warning: OOP OC, Harem Stealing Story, OC having a deep, intimate relationship with canon characters who are either previous involved with someone else or weren't in a romantic relationship in the canon, lemons, graphic violence scenes, and et cetera.
He plummeted into the depth of the Dimensional Gap like the lifeless carcass sinking into the bottom of the sea. His battered and inert body had sustained injuries from battle he could no longer remember. All he could hear through the silence of the realm was the sharp ringing sound echoing his bleeding ears. All the iridescent colors of the opalescent abyss looked rather blended, moving in a tie-dyed pattern rather than kaleidoscopic design. His weak, frail soul was broken beyond disbelief, leaving him in a vegetative state of mind.
He had no prior memories before surfacing in the psychedelic abyss. He couldn't remember how he ended up in the Dimensional Gap or why he was left in the state he was in. All he could recollect was a devastating pain of guilt and regret tearing through his heart. He could have sworn tears he felt warm salty tears trailing down his face as he drifted down into Dimensional Gap, ready to accept whatever fate had in store for him. As everything within his gaze faded into black, he managed to grab a glimpse of a figure approaching him at rapid speed. He wasn't sure what it was, but it took the appearance of a red, enormous creature.
*Ding Dong Ding Dong*
The rhythmic sound of the final bell echoed through the halls of Kuoh Academy. Many of the students and faculty members became relieved and rejoiced as another strenuous school day had come to an end. All the teachers stopped their lessons after hearing the first ring while the students dropped what they were doing and began to gather their belongings. Many of them rose off their seats afterward and left their classroom to either head home or attend to their after-school activities.
Aero Estrellas, a recent transfer student from abroad, on the other hand, woke up to the sound of the final bell. He opened his soft dark chocolate brown eyes and lifted his weary head off his drooled textbook to look the classroom. Seeing the situation unfold, he realized the school day had come to an end.
"Shit," he said, letting out a loud yawn. "Can't believe I slept through another day of class."
He rubbed his eyes and wiped away any drool he had under his lip. He stretched his arm out and rolled his stiff neck before collecting his belongings into his small leathered briefcase. He took a deep breath to muster all the strength his tired body had and used it all to lift himself off his seat. After gaining his second wind, he moved his rickety legs and staggered his way to the door.
"Ara? Where do you think you're going?" A voice asked from behind. Simultaneously, Aero's vision went dark as a pair of slender fingers covered his eyes and two soft chest mound pressed against his back, throwing him off guard. Aero's body cringed in respond. Shivers went down his spine, his muscles tensed up and became rigid, and his heart nearly gave out. All the weariness Aero woke up with had left his system. The culprit responsible for startling him giggled.
'Wait… That voice…' He recognized the voice right away. The individual behind him removed her hands off of Aero and took a few steps back from him. Aero turned around to see the beautiful, buxom woman behind him. She was around Aero's age with silky long ebony black hair and vibrant violet eyes. She wore the female uniform of Kuoh Academy, which consisted of a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings that look very tight around her ample chest with a black ribbon around the collar. She had a black shoulder cape that had a matching buttoned corset and a short magenta skirt with white accents that showed off most of her beautiful curvaceous legs. She had an orange bow on top of her head, which was used to tie up her long hair into a single ponytail that reached down her her legs, and a pair of black knee length socks.
"Akeno-san," Aero called out to his classmate's name, much to his surprise. His shock reaction turned bitter as he looked at the beautiful girl with a cold scowl and frightening glaring eyes. "Don't scare me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
The young woman Aero scowled was none other than Akeno Himejima, one of Kuoh Academy's "Great Ladies"; a prestigious reputation she gained for her extraordinary and elegant beauty as a Yamato Nadeshiko. She was a high school senior and Aero's classmate. She was one of few students who approached Aero after his arrival and had been a close acquaintance of his ever since, much to some of the envious male students' disbelief.
"Ara? Did I scare you that bad?" Akeno asked, sounding all sweet and innocent in her tone, much to Aero's annoyance. They knew each other far too well. Akeno was aware Aero would briefly be vulnerable after taking a nap, and Aero knew she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass to sneak up on him and take him by surprise.
Aero wanted to chastise her for the stunt she pulled, but he before had a chance to open his mouth, Akeno approached him, her breasts jiggled for every step she took. He raised a brow, unsure why she shortened the distance between them and surprised to see her hand reached out to his head. Her gentle fingers slid through the thickness of his charcoal black hair and ruffled it. Aero cringed on the inside. Without even need to see the reaction of the remaining classmates in the classroom, he could already feel the daggering glares coming from the most envious students.
"There," she said, removing her fingers from his head. "You had something in your head."
"Ah, thanks." Aero scratched the back of his head, blushing. "You didn't need to do it."
Akeno smiled elegantly. "No sweat. It's my pleasure to help out a classmate."
Again, Aero felt ominous stares coming from his classmates. Oh, how they loathed him for being so close to one of Kuoh Academy's top idol. The way they treat one another was very intimate, like childhood friends behaving like a married couple.
"You should be very fortunate I found you, Aero-kun." Akeno giggled. "Who knows what would have happened if either Buchou or Kaichou found you sleeping again in the middle of class."
Aero shuddered, not liking the idea of either president of his club or the student council catching him in the act. He had spent some time here in Japan, and he had yet get accustomed to its time zone. They let side at first since he just came to the country, but it was getting on their nerves as he kept dozing off during school hours.
'Speaking of which,' Aero quickly surveyed the classroom and noticed the individuals in question were not present.
"If you're wondering where they are, Kaichou left early to attend a student council meeting, and Buchou went to the infirmary to you know, "get some rest"," Akeno explained to Aero's relief. "But Buchou should be heading her way to the clubroom as we speak to start today's club activities."
"You better get going then," Aero said, trying to bring the conversation to an end. "After all you are the vice president of said club. You wouldn't want to be the last one to show up."
He headed straight to the door, ready to make his breakaway. Akeno quickly grabbed him by the wrist before he had a chance to take a single step. "Where do you think you're going?" Akeno asked, dropping her sweet and gentle demeanor for a colder and frightful one. "After all, you are a member of the same club. You wouldn't want to trouble Buchou for not showing up again."
"Ah… Akeno-san, you're crushing my wrist." A single tear of sweat crossed down on a side of Aero's head, showing the stress he was feeling as Akeno inhumanly tightened her grip on him.
"So, you're going to come to the club today then?" Akeno said with an unsettling smile. This smile looked no different than her usual elegant one but gave off such an eerie atmosphere and emitted a terrifying black aura around the Yamato Nadeshiko.
"I-I would love to attend." Aero stuttered for his life. "But I have somewhere to be. I'll attend tomorrow."
"You said that last time." She reminded him. "And the time before that. And the time before that. It's like you don't want to hang out with us at all," she said with a hint of sadness and hurt in her tone. The grip she had on him loosen up. She soon let go of his wrist completely, leaving Aero nonplussed and a bit remorseful when he looked to see Akeno lowering her gaze, her eyes hidden beneath her black bangs.
"Akeno, I…" He looked down at his sore wrist and back at her face, unsure what to say. She cared for him a lot more than Aero imagined. She wasn't the only one either. All members of the club she and Aero were part of worried for his well-being. "...You're right. I have been neglectful to you and the others of the club. I swear to you I'll start showing up to the club tomorrow."
"You sure?" she asked. She raised her head and Aero could see her eyes no longer hiding under her bangs. He saw the fragileness and vulnerability she was in the reflection of her gaze. "You'll be attending for club activities?"
"Definitively." He nodded, smiling at her reassuringly. He placed his index finger on his chest and use it to trace an "X" on where his heart was. "Cross my heart."
"Well… If you say so." She smiled, only faint though. She seemed to take his words for now. "Well, I better be going now. Hope to see you at the clubroom tomorrow after school."
She performed a small bow to the transfer student; her luscious breast jiggled as she leaned forward and backed up. Her eyes seemed merrier as she passed Aero, relieved to know he just averted hurting his classmate feelings. He stayed in the classroom a bit longer till he was certain Akeno had left the corridor. He took his leave, and one of the remaining students let out a grudging grunt.
"Shit!" He shouted out loud to his friends. "Who the fuck would blow off the opportunity to spend the afternoon with beauty like her?" He asked his friends, who nodded in agreement.
Ever since Aero had transferred to Kuoh Academy, all the student caught on how acquainted he was with Akeno and other reputable members of her club. Other students before him had tried to join the club but were all rejected. It infuriated them to know Aero, an enigmatic transfer student from abroad, was given a membership on the stop and aggravated them more to know he refused to show up to their club meetings.
What exactly does he do after school that is so important?" One of the other students asked. Since his arrival, Aero had been very quiet and reserved. Whenever anyone tried to get to know him, he would try to end the conversation as quick as he can and refused to speak anything about his personal life. So far the only things they knew about him were the fact he had spiky, unkempt charcoal black, dark chocolate brown eyes, and lean athletic build body with a natural born tan. The most distinctive thing about him was that he carried around a black fanny pack around his waist. No one knew what he carried inside of it due to him never opening it during school hours.
During class, he would rarely pay attention to the lecture. He either be sleeping in class or staring off through the window, daydreaming whatever floated in his mind. How he managed to pass some of his classes will forever be a mystery to the rest of his classmates. During lunch, he'll head off somewhere exclusive and eat there alone till it was to return. And at the end of school, he'll be the first to leave if he hadn't dozed off and go to whatever the hell he goes.
"Man… That was close," Aero sighed, reliving the events in the classroom back in his mind. Now he had no choice but attend to tomorrow's meeting if he liked it or not. He had nothing against the club. Frankly, he enjoyed spending time with members of the club. However, there a reason why he doesn't attend to most of the meetings.
It dealt with his conscience. Whenever he was at school, there was an inner voice in his heart, telling he shouldn't be spending his time in school. At least not yet, he kept telling himself. No matter how much he tried to ignore the guilt or get rid of it in his heart, he only managed to subside it by only doing the only thing he can do: spend as little time as possible at the academy.
So far no one knew about this, not even his club members. He didn't want them to more concern than they already have. But he didn't want neglect them either. What happened with Akeno was a perfect reminder. So far none of the students in the academy haven't caught on, not to Aero's knowledge, but his relationship with the members of his club was more personal than it appeared to be and it goes back further than anyone could imagine.
Aero scratched a side of his cheek. "Maybe I should attend the club meeting tomorrow." He murmured. He was coming up to the Kuoh Bridge as the sun began to set. He saw another individual coming up from the other side. It was a middle age man with short black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a pale violet trench coat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, and a black fedora.
The two men crossed the bridge at the same time, casually. Their gazes briefly met as they passed each other. A brief moment of tension erupted from them making eye contact and disappeared after they averted their eyes away from one another. Aero continued walking his trail, pretending to be unaware the sound of the man in the trench coat's footstep turn silent and a pair of predatory eyes lock onto him.
He hurtled into the garden like burning meteor crashing into the land of the earth. The ground exploded on impact, leaving a wide, deep crater and everything within its radius had perished into thick clouds of dust. He groaned ever so softly, feeling the pain of his fall coursing through his sore and bruised body. His head ached, his mind discombobulated from the fall. Despite the condition he was in, he managed to draw out what little energy he had and lifted back on his two feet.
"...Huh?" He grunted, confused to the sight of the purple sky. He shook his pang head, trying to clear out his disoriented mind and tried to get his bearings straight.
The dust settled, and a swarm of guardsmen dressed in dark leather garments, wielding two-pronged spears in their hands, surrounded the perimeter of the crater. His heartbeat raced rapidly as his short quick breaths became heavier and apparent to the guards. The environment around him felt dense, making him harder to breathe. Flashes of unrecognizable thoughts popped into his head as the throbbing pain started to turn worse than before. He put his hands on his head in a futile attempt to subdue the pain.
"Step aside!" A voice shouted out behind the ring of soldiers. He noticed one of the soldiers step aside and allow a young, dashing man in his late twenties stand on the edge of the crater. He had astounding crimson red hair that reached down to his shoulders and majestic sapphire eyes. Judging by the magnificent robe of thick crimson with a large silver chest plate with the rims encrusted in gold he wore, the man had to be some eminent noble.
"What in the world?" The crimson haired man gawked at him in bewilderment as if he never seen anything like him before. The soldiers saw their Lord's reaction and got into high alert. They prepare their spears, ready to strike their foe down.His migraine and hyperventilation were driving him insane, his mind deteriorating. It was too much for him to handle.
"Giro... Prairie..." He began to roar out nonsense from his mouth as his body shook wildly. "Biometal... Mega M-Man..."
He couldn't tell if his delirious mind was playing tricks on him, but some reason he perceived all of everyone different than they appeared to be. Sure they seemed to be humans on the outside, but his mind was telling him something else. He detected unnatural auras residing in everyone, especially the crimson haired man. The young lord possessed an aura more tremendous and frightening compared to his men. They were not humans, he realized. His fight or flight response kicked in and overtook his stability of mind. If they are not humans, he thought, then they are...
"Mavericks..." He uttered out.
"Huh?" The crimson haired man heard his last word, unsure what he meant.
"You're... all mavericks..." He growled. He took a step forward, his foot crushed the surface of the ground and buried itself into the hole it made. "I... will... eliminate... every one of you...! Guargh!" He let out a loud battle cry and grabbed something around his waist before lashing out and dashed out toward the crimson haired man.
Aero stopped by a crosswalk. The road he needed to get through had a green light and cars were driving by fast. He pressed the call button and pulled out his cell phone out of his pocket. He continued to play oblivious to his stalker he picked up after crossing the bridge.
No doubt it was the man in the trench coat. Aero knew something was off about him after they walked by each other. So far the man hadn't made his move yet. Probably because Aero had been walking in an open area like the sidewalk, where potential witnesses would be driving nearby. His stalker didn't want to appear any more conspicuous than he already was because of his shady outfit.
He sent a quick text before putting his cell phone back into his pocket. The stoplight turned red, and the pedestrian signal on the other side of the road lit up the white walker on the top panel, indicating it was safe to cross. The young teen walked across the road, with his pursuer following him from behind. Aero managed to get to the other side before the orange hand light appeared on the bottom panel of the signal. He quickly glanced back to the other side to see his stalker waiting his turn to cross the road before entering the park in front of him.
From what Aero could see, the entire park looked deserted. Not a single person or animal was in sight to Aero's delight. He approached the water fountain and looked down to see his reflection in the crystal clear water. He waited patiently for his stalker to catch up to him without taking his eyes off his reflection. The sound of steady footsteps soon echoed through the park. Aero already could tell his stalker had finally shown up.
"This is rare. To meet someone like you in a place like this." His stalker spoke in a rather calm matter.
"Odd. I should be saying the same thing to you." Aero said, turning around to see the trench coat man. "If I remembered correctly, people like yourself aren't welcomed here."
Aero had a cold, stern expression on his face. Judging from the change in his demeanor, the man in trench coat understood he wasn't confronting any regular high school kid.
"Oh? You're not planning to run away?" The trench coat man remark in surprise.
"Why would I?" Aero asked. "I have nothing to fear from the likes of you."
"Then who is your Master?" The middle-aged man brought up. "It must be a person with a very low rank or with a weird hobby to choose this place as a territory."
Aero's brow twitched. "Hey, I resent that!" He retorted back.
"This territory belongs to you!?" The fedora-wearing man's eyes widened in surprise before bursting a whimsical laughter. "That's rich. I never heard anything so preposterous before."
"I'm dead serious," Aero assured him. He swiftly unzipped his fanny pack while his predator was distracted in his laughter.
"No, tell me the name of your Master." The man's laughter died out and his voice became grim. The smile on his face turned into a frown. "It's a hindrance to getting bothered by your kind. For that, we will… Wait, are you a "Stray"?"
'We? He isn't alone?' Aero thought concernedly, realizing the man in front of him wasn't only one here in this town.
"Yes, if you have no Master, then that will explain the worried expression on your face." The man said, picking up the Aero's momentarily shocked countenance. "Hmph. I don't feel any presence of your Master nor your comrades. I don't see anything that is trying to hide its presence either. And there's no magic-circle appearing here. According to the current situation, you are a "Stray". So it won't be a problem if I kill you."
"For the last time, I'm in charge of this territory," Aero reaffirmed him with his arms crossed. "Plus, I'm no fucking stray. Do you think I'm willing to confront you like this if I was one?"
"Yeah, if you're truly the one in charge of this territory then I'm a high-ranking Cadre." The man said, putting his right hand out and a pair of black wings emerged from his back.
The moment Aero saw his foe's hand and wings out, he quickly grabbed something out of his fanny pack like a cowboy drawing out his pistol and pointed it at the trench coat man. The man raised a brow, unsure what Aero was holding. It took a blocky triangular shape artifact with a blue color scheme and a large red crystal in the center. The middle-aged man was thrown off guard. He wasn't sure if this item was meant to intimidate him.
A dark blue light materialized on the middle-aged man's palm. The light took form into a large sharp spear. He quickly put himself into an assaulting position and charged straight to Aero, ready to pierce him with his weapon. His target remained perfectly still, the red crystal on his blue artifact lit up, and Aero murmured something under his breath the man in the trench coat couldn't catch. Upon seeing it, the trench coat man quickly halted his attack and pulled back as Aero was quickly enveloped by bright white light.
"What the?" He muttered after shielding his eyes away from the blinding light. The light died out and the man in the trench coat quickly noticed something on Aero he didn't have before.
Aero wore an armor the man in the trench coat never saw before. His attire he donned had a tight-skinned, jet-black body armor, covering every inch of his body from the neck down to the soles of his feet with tips of his fingers shaded in white instead. Another set of armor, colored in pure white, appeared to his hip down to the end of his high with a red gem encased on each side of Aero's hip. From his knees to his feet, a pair of blue boots emerged on his feet with a ruby gem on each knee and golden accents. He possessed a blue chest plate with golden accents and another glamorous ruby gem in the center. On his right forearm, he had a blue vambrace with a golden accent by the rim closest to his wrist and ruby gem attached. His left forearm had transformed into a blue arm cannon. For the finishing touch, he wore a matching blue helmet on his head with white trims and the same ruby gem on top.
"What in the world...?" The winged man in the trench coat gawked apprehensively. He couldn't get a read on his target's new form. Was it because Aero was on a level far beyond his comprehension or it was all a ploy. It had to be a latter. There was no way someone like Aero could beat a man like him.
"Tell me," Aero spoke in a solemn tone. "What's your name."
"My name?" The man in the trench coat blinked. "I go by Dohnaseek."
Aero raised his weapon back up and directed it at his foe. Dohnaseek caught a humming sound in his arm cannon. He can see a small light in the dark depths of the barrel. "Again, you can either leave town and spent the rest of your life in who knows where, or you can face me and met your end," Aero said, offering him an ultimatum.
Dohnaseek gritted his teeth. "If you think your silly costume is going to get the best of me then you're sadly mistaken. I'll show you not to underestimate the power of a mighty fallen angel!"
Dohnaseek resumed his charge assault in speed no one could see with the naked eye. Aero fired his arm cannon in foe's direction and an enormous shot of blue energy with red streaks came out. The spearsman's instinct kicked in the last second. He abandoned his attempt to assassinate in favor for evading his opponent's energy shot unscathed. It was too late though. The energy shot came in too fast for him to dodge the whole thing. It struck Dohnaseek on his right side and evaporated his entire right arm. The black winged man let out a sharp cry as tense burn pain in his right shoulder engrossed him.
Aero dashed, leaving a faint after image in his trail. Dohnaseek didn't have to time to respond to Aero's swift movements and was left petrified as Aero pointed his cannon directly at his head. "I warned you, didn't I?" He asked, his weapon charging. "You should have left when I gave you a chance. Now you will face the consequences of your actions. Any last words?"
"J-Just what are you?" Dohnaseek managed to stutter between his pants. "Y-Your attack... You couldn't possibly pose such ability."
The energy blast Aero used had a familiar element Dohnaseek knew far too well: light. It was nothing compared to the light used in his spear. It should be impossible for someone with Aero's physiology to possess such ability. Only beings like him could have the power of photokinesis. So how would Aero possess this ability?
'Unless...' Dohanseek's eyes widened in realization. "It's your armor... isn't it? Just what in the world is it? An ancient forgotten relic of the past? Or is it a type of Sacred Gear?"
"Neither," Aero answered plainly. "It's for me to know, and for you to never find out."
Aero was ready to fire his cannon to finish off Dohnaseek. His final attack was unexpectedly interrupted by the appearance of a red magic circle. The two men stopped what they were doing and paid their attention to it. The pentagram on it looked very familiar to Aero, especially the rose signal in the center. "When I received your text about someone shady lurking around town, I assumed you probably needed backup." An elegant and feminine voice said as someone materialized above the magic circle. "But looks like you already have that handled."
Dohnaseek gasped. "Wait, you're..."
*Beep... Beep... Beep…*
He slowly regained his consciousness. His eyes opened to a white ceiling. His popped ears heard the irritating sound of the cardiac monitor. His aching body laid on the most comfortable mattress with his head resting on the softest pillow. His lips felt dry along with his throat, which also burned. His eyelids became heavier each time he blinked. He probably won't be conscious for very long.
He slightly tilted his head to see the opened door of the room. There stood a young and beautiful girl around his age. She had long, wavy fiery crimson hair that goes down to her thighs, shining blue eyes, reminding him of sapphires, and magnificent skin complexion white as snow. She wore a simple frilly pink dress with knee-length white socks and fancy black flat shoes.
Their eyes met and inadvertently awed at one another. The girl dropped the bouquet of flowers she held in her hand and rushed over to his bed. "Hello..." She spoke slow and soft. She gleamed him a gentle smile. "My name is..."
"...Rias Gremory." Dohnaseek spat the name of an uninvited guest in disgust. The person in question was a young woman around Aero's age with glistening snow white skin, alluring sapphire blue eyes, and scrumptious buxom figure. Her most distinctive feature was her long fiery crimson hair, which blew in the wind like roaring fire. She wore an identical school uniform Akeno wore; her bountiful breasts were compressed by her white buttoned shirt, and her magenta short skirt fluttered under the breeze given by the magic circle, revealing her black lace thong.
"Oh? It seemed my reputation precedes me." Rias mused in delight. Her magic circle disappeared, and she crossed her arms.
Of course, someone like Dohnaseek knew Rias Gremory, the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess. To him, she was an heiress to her noble household and the younger sister of a high-profile and influential politician. For Aero, on the other hand, she was his classmate, president of his club, and the other half of Kuoh Academy's Great Ladies.
"...If you here, then you must be in charge of this town." Dohnaseek figured.
"Of course." Rias acknowledged. "How are you doing, Fallen Angel-san? I see you made a grievous mistake confronting the Mega Man."
"The Mega Man!" Dohnaseek's face turned pale. He knew the infamous reputation of the Mega Man throughout the Underworld. According to the rumors, the Mega Man was an enigma of another dimension, who came into this reality with power no mythological faction had ever seen. Then it would mean that...
"You..." He looked back up at Aero, terrified. "You are the Mega Man!"
Well, I hope you enjoy the prologue of this new story. Please commit any question, compliments, and concern you have for the story. Here's an interesting tidbit of the story, originally I was going to use an OOC Issei Hyoudou to be the protagonist and went back and forth on whether or not I should use Issei or an OC, which is the reason why it took so long for this story to be published. I decided to use an OC for this story and if you continue to follow the story, you'll figure out why I did and how much impact it has on the story as a whole. Don't worry though, Issei will be in the story, but won't be in Rias's Peerage if this serves as any consolation to anyone.
Again, thanks for reading this, and I do hope this story receive a good following as the story progresses.