39 Hide and Seek
They had us gather in the courtyard in the morning. Our small group of three gathered under our banner of four while we waited for our newest member. In front of us. Yet again out instructor was my master. The woman seemed to be slightly sadistic, as she took every opportunity to torture us. The sun had not yet risen, and we would be soon be leaving the academy again.
Before long the fourth member of our squad appeared. She was wearing the same uniform as Lily, who immediately recognized her. "Floe! You're our new member that's amazing!" She cried out in glee. The woman was average height, but I could not comment on her looks as she appeared as a walking corpse to me. Lily immediately made introductions. "This is Floe, she is in my class and specializes in the staff. She's an Ice esper." Floe nods as she surveys the group, noticing the girls standing rather close to me she made a snide remark "sleeping with you isn't mandatory is it? Because I don't swing that way."
I let out a relieved laugh. "No, believe me I have my hands full. So you're a Dark magus as well? Seems like we are an assassination squad, how are you at stealth?"
Floe eyed me warily before addressing the girls "must he speak? I fear his masculinity will damage such beautiful flowers such as yourself." Lily laughed at her comment, receiving it with grace, however ash glared at the girl a smirk appearing on her lips as she spoke. "You are in luck, Dark has no interest in a wilted flower such as yourself, he only accepts the best into his harem".
Harem? I thought to myself, it's not I chose for this to happen!
"Only a woman of loose moral standing would choose to share a man with..."
The woman did not have a chance to finish her sentence as a pair of fists gave her matching black rings on her eyes. Lily's voice rang out "instructor we cannot accept this woman as she brings disharmony to our squads dynamics."
Ash and I quickly nodded in unison.
"Besides a regular human would only slow us down" - Ash
Master slowly nodded. "I should be able to arrange it. I like your idea Dark, an assassination squad. We will move on that direction. Now then, for the next 6 months you will all be under my care, I will advice you on how to work as a unit, to utilize your gifts together. And help you discover your path. Blah. " she looked down at the unconscious Floe with look of disgust. "Let us depart from here, it stinks."
We reconvened at her house, our house?
More specifically the courtyard. "The purpose of a squad is to support each others strengths, as an assassination squad your purpose will be quick rapid assaults and escapes. Towards this end you need to have excellent stealth abilities. Ash you already have an amazing stealth skill, and Dark had taught you silence. Dark you have a passable technique, but you need to attain perfection in both it and silence. Lily you have neither. You need to learn silence from Dark as well as learn a stealth skill. I know of a great one that will compliment your illusions it is called "invisibility" get it from the library before the end of the day. "
"Another skill that is a must for this squad is an skill that made Arcane Assassins famous. Though certain dark magus have access to the skill as well, so it will not be seen as a betrayal to teach you Lily. The skill is called
A surge of information hit me like Truck-kun. My inner world shook as a telekinetic sonar wave struck it, sending echoes reverberating through out. "Focus on the waves, feel them within your essence. Become one with them." Wave after wave crashed into me. A vague notification began to vibrate. Its words blurry as I was struck again and again. An unknown amount of time later the notification became clear.
Uses telekinetic waves to observe the physical surroundings. Results dependent on perception level.
"You should have all received the skill, now the fun begins" she looked over all of us. "We are going to play a game, you are all it. With your eyes closed you will use the skill to find me. I will know if you cheat. Count to thirty and begin, I will not leave the courtyard. The game is over when you find me, or class time ends. Go."
I stood still, the world around me dark as I called my heart. I listened to my surroundings, I could hear the faint sound of Lily's breathing, and further away the sounds of squads clashing, laughing, and fighting. In the courtyard the only sound was Lily's soft breathing.
I focused on the skill I learned, concealing my telekinesis as I sent it in waves around me. It did not travel far, only a few feet. Six feet to be exact, the same number as my perception stat. The force bounced against the girls, ignoring their clothes as it struck their bodies. Beautiful curves filled my inner world and it bounced off of them. However what showed was not the human figures that they showed, but rather their true forms. Lily's wings and horns came into view, something that was not surprising in the least as I saw it in detail every night.
The view that was surprising was Ash. Her naked body was projected very human on the outside, excluding her 12 beautiful eyes. Rather, what showed inside her body is what surprised me. On her chest an image of a large spider appeared, covering her entire torso. So this is how master knew.
I tried focusing elsewhere as I searched, but as I walked the entire courtyard I found nothing. Soon Master called for an end, her voice mere feet from me as I opened my eyes. "Go eat lunch, when you return you will hide and I will seek. The first to be found will have to do 100 laps. Lily you will sit out as you learn your stealth technique"
I ended up running 500 laps that afternoon, as master found me in seconds. She forced me to run them naked, only using stealth to cover myself. Needless to say a lot of people witnessed me in by birthday suit. Ash received the same treatment, though no one saw her due to her increased stealth ability.
Lily sat on the side studying furiously, obviously unwilling to bare it all to the world as we had done.