Chapter 2

It was a bustling school day for Ayumu Matasuu. Everyday was a bustling school day for Ayumu anyways, so she had not counted this day as extraordinary. She would yell at her older brother to stop calling her, since she was awake, and then grumble as she went to the bathroom to wash-up. Unluckily for her, she slipped on something on the waxy floor, and fell. "Damn you! Shinta, get here now!" Her little brother came in the bathroom.

"First of all, when I say no toys in the bathroom, I mean it. Not even if it is for the bath, not even if it was in there already, not even if it's not yours, so when I say…"

"Onee-chan, that isn't a toy…" Shinta pointed, and Ayumu looked at it, amazed. It was a glowing rock, and it had witch's Latin on it.

"Weird and weirder…"

As Ayumu rushed down the stairs, the TV was on, showing the news channel about a village being destroyed, her brother's last meal was splattered all over, and her older brother, Shorou, was washing the dishes.

"Good mornin' Ayumu, how was your first year at Light craft's academy?"

"Jeez, Shorou, that was pretty late!" Ayumu replied, since it was start for a new year, and Ayumu realised she was running very late

"Good bye Onee-chan!" Shinto called after her, but she was already a speck in the distance….

The Academy was a giant sculpture, consisting of a main building, which was essentially a Chinese style temple, which dominated the entire Academy area. It was surrounded by various departments, such as the triangular structure of the R&D department (also known as the late science department, since it blew up when a fusion reactor collapsed), while the literature building was 20 blocks of glass and metal constructed in such a way that each one was connected to the other blocks directly, 190 connections; connections that were hollow tubes that contained trans-pods, a little cubicle for transportation. Each block has a direct link to the library and also a service station for the students there. The mathematical department was on par with the literature, since it was a rectangular hectosphere, where the rectangular sides were of golden-ratio, and over 100 million digits of pi were inscribed on the walls. The most amazing achievement though, was the art and design block, were the structure was situated above the main path to the entrance to the academy, the shape of which was like a rolling wave, I shimmering display of glass and steel, which was a near impossible structure, while the interior design and the shape of the structure, trumped even the most famous of all art projects. This was the sight Ayumu saw as she ran towards the entrance, late for her first day at school. As Ayumu reached the school gates, she noticed the rock grew brighter as she was closer to the academy.

"Strange, I think I'll check it out in the library…." She said, while going to her classroom.

"Sorry I'm late, sensei, I fell over…." She began, but stopped when she noticed another new person standing up in front the class, and her blue skin shone vibrantly, outlining her petite features.

"My name is Armarmia Gedons, and I am a Duranei," Armarmia smiled, and the sun poked its head out of the clouds, as the rays of light touched Armarmia and Ayumu, connecting them.

"Welcome, Armarmia-chan, and we hope you feel happy here," the teacher smiled, before glaring at Ayumu, and scolded her for being so late.

"Sorry sensei, I fell over on my way here…"Ayumu replied apologetically, rubbing her head with her hand, "…Sensei? Where is my seat?" as Ayumu looked around for it.

"It's next to the windows, behind Armarmia's chair." The teacher scowled.

"Now, this is going to be your second year at Lightcraft Academy, and I hope that the previous year had prepared you for the upcoming years. As you all know, this academy is for the teachings of Lightcraft, or in general, Intelligence. We will teach you various subjects situated around this area for your 45 L.E.E, or the 45 Ladies of Lightcraft Entrance Exam, where over 1,000,000 girls are going to apply for. However, the odds are greater, since there will only be 9 places for Lightcraft, and 500,000 candidates. So you must try your hardest, otherwise you will fall." The teacher explained this shocking news to her already bedazzled students, and murmurs came all around.

"500,000 people…so many…"

"I not sure…."

"Damn, I thought it was just this school…"

"I'm scared…"

"Alright students, it's time to open your advanced Maths at page 3, and we start at quadratic equations…." And the teacher turned to the blackboard and started writing complicated solutions.

After class, Ayumu jumped out of the main doors and waited for her friends, when she smelt a strange smell, of reiatsu-burn…

"Something's going on…," and she leapt into school again, calling out to her friends, "I'll be back in a sec…" and disappeared into the library.

Ayumu crept up the great spiral staircase in the west lobby of the library, which dominated the top of the south triangular building, like a giant dome, but in reality it was a sphere, since the bottom part was submerged into the south building, the R&D centre.

"….Mother never said how big the library was….and how scary it was…" Ayumu shivered, for the light in the library were dimmed to stimulate concentration, and hastily made her way up the stairs, and sat in a chair facing the wall. Taking out the glowing rock, she noticed it was glowing almost blindingly bright, engulfing the room with the many pieces of light emitted through the rock. Ayumu shielded her eyes, just as the rock went out.

"Hey! Unauthorised light source is forbidden! Get back here!" the library monitor barked at Ayumu, or rather where Ayumu was just a few seconds ago, since she was already running down the stairs.

Ayumu was sitting at her desk, going on to her interface, looking up research on the glowing rock of hers. So far, her screen came up blank every time, each time causing her to expand her search, until she gave up.

Ayumu sighed at her new rock, which was now completely dull. "Maybe it isn't worth it, it's probably some R&D material found by Shinta in the nursery, maybe I'll hand it in, see what Prof Spielberg can find what's in it…" and she fell asleep in her chair, when a fluttering of cloth can be heard nearby.

A crow flew past a derelict building, soaring through the black clouds as the rain started; a crack of thunder and lightning, then it fell out of the sky, its intestines ripped apart as an animal-like monster bolted through the night sky. It came back, swallowing the remaining carcass before it hit the ground. Blood dripped through its mouth, before a grey tongue licked it up. "That was not worth my time, Cobren," the monster snarled. His mouth chewed the slaughtered crow, bones chipping off and flying out.

"You know fully well that this land is barren in any type of edible food, and it is pure luck that brought the crow here." The person next to him replied, in a voice that could have only been made through living by several upper class families. However, the robes and hood he wore spook otherwise, since his robe was long and tattered, and was pitch black, yet not revealing his body shape in any way; the hood had an insignia that screamed of underground corporations, and only a stray moonbeam revealed his chin; the chin that grew slight stubble. His sword, hanging by chains over his back, was enchanted with darkcraft, was narrower than a man's two fingers, and as long as his body. The white sheath was decorated with black markings, of which could render a person unconscious if it was glanced at long enough.

"You say that Cobren, but did you really think that I would wait here for some unknown message? What stops me from leaving and spilling our secrets?" The monster bared his teeth, which almost took the entire width of his face. His skin was tanned, and strained, as though even the muscles in his face were bulging. Likewise as his partner, his hood covered all but his mouth; however, his insignia was of a monster clan, notorious for its bounty hunters. His rope was fitting to burst, outlining every single bulging muscle, and every single protruding bone. Each of the bones was filed to an infinitesimal point, so each was capable of cutting any substance on earth. Every bone was also situated at the most efficient point in his body, for defence, attack and counter. He was tall, a bit taller than is master, who was considered the tallest of his kind. This height often dwarfed the tallest human in comparison, but his companion often made it so, usually by removing all but their heads.

"I shall stop you from leaving here, by force, or by your sanity, Lucifer" and Cobren lifted up a glowing hand. The light shone brilliantly, which then pierced the sky, as though it was another strike of lightning.

"….No need to go to extremes, I know my place," Lucifer snarled, "And my name is not Lucifer, it is Rage!" He shook the ground with his gargantuan feet. The earth cracked, just as a shining Phoenix flew by.

"There's the bird, do we catch it now?" Rage asked Cobren.

"No…we follow it," with that, Cobren disappeared after it.

"HEY! You can't use that light speed thing of yours, ain't fair!" Rage yelled, running after him, as he also disappeared after the night.