Too Close

Aoi and I dismiss our AI's and start the Stage Upgrade process, it lasts around ten seconds. After accepting the challenge to defeat a new set of bosses, the top ten powerful players of Elements, I feel a lot better about the new goal. And the first person going down--KillerZone.

Number 10 on the list of powerful players, uses a Grand Hammer and already killed a government boss just a day earlier. I'll need to study up on him after we're done here. Mom should be able to extract information from this Knight, so let's make him talk. I lick my lips, smiling at the prospect of this idea.

I Speed Four right into combat while Yuuzuko gets healed by Aoi, this time I'm aiming for the Knight's Face. He obviously blocks the attack, but that's what I want. "Hey! Seems like you need to tell us who your boss is!"

The Knight swings hard in my direction laughing maniacally, but I notice he's tensing his hand a little too hard. I dart out of the way of the attack, "Like hell, I'll tell you. We'll earn our prize!"

Seems to me that he's on his high horse, let's bring him down a peg. There's nothing else to hear except the quickening of my heartbeat. He pushes me back and I quickly return, "What's wrong? Did your hand get singed from my AI's Fire Strike? Does it burn?"

The Knight twitches his hand and tries swinging again and hits me, but my Flare is up and I Stealth V so he doesn't know where I am, "Listen. This hand was burned a while ago. Not because of you!"

Bingo. I had a feeling it was him. I knew I heard that voice from before. Why are you even in this gang? Extra Experience? Better weapons? Now, steam is coming from my eyes. You always looked after everyone, gave them the right gear they needed. You are the best blacksmith in the game!

"What's wrong with you?! How?! Why?! You are gonna let your Boss kill my mother?" I yell as I Speed Four into his chest with my Daggers, Aura shoots a Fire Strike towards the Knight and it gets deflected by his sword.

I'm relentless in my attacks, he constantly blocks them. The damage is not even taking effect even when I hit him. Damn it! I hate his Defense Shield, but it's almost out and soon he'll be Vulnerable.

The Knight switches to his shield and lightning sparks on it as I attack and it electrifies me. I lose 5% more health, going down to 90%. He moves behind me and strikes me from behind with his Greatsword, "You didn't read the whole contract, Kazuki! There's prize money! That's money I can use to help my family!"

The lightning from the Greatsword, electrifies me again and paralyzes me for a split second. He swings again and attacks me from the front, making me fly into the school wall, breaking it. Under the dust and shadow, away from the sun. My health is now 60%, I can still keep going.

Ten seconds are up and Aura appears beside me, her blue hair the color of a blue flame. Wearing a dark dress and now having a physical katana with intricate fire pictograph designs that glow. There are red horns on the sides of her head and her eyes are seeing red.

"Kazuki!" Aoi's voice calls me, "Kazuki, watch out!"

A flash of light and speed sparkles through the air. SuSu's liquid barrier encompasses me before chains of light wrap around me as the Knight charges me. Reaper's Scythe cuts the chains and Yuuzuko Dual Strikes the Knight from the shadows, "Hey. Don't forget about me. You're messing with the new Number 1."

Ice Missiles fly out and attack the Knight, his Defense Shield very low. He might use his Ultimate again, but in this flurry of attacks Reaper finally makes his move.

"Garden of Bones!" Reaper yells as the Knight gets grappled by his feet, pinned to the ground.

"Good job, Yuuzuko! Shoot him now!" Mom says, shooting the Knight with her Deagle.

A loud blast from a bolt action rifle echoes in the air and the bullet flies from the wall, from the shadow and hits the Knight. Doing critical damage to the Defense Shield, destroying it and making him Vulnerable--he won't be able to move for 5 seconds. What an opportunity.

"Aura! Wild Flames!" I yell with all my might. Screaming it into the ether, hoping Aura can take this opportunity. I don't care who's around, I want him to realize he's wrong for choosing that side.

Ninety feet around us the ground bursts into flames, a wildfire that encompasses everyone around me dealing 60% damage, burning for 10% extra per second for three seconds. 90% damage in total if it hits. Yuuzuko places his hand on my shoulder--but I slap it away, "Don't. Touch. Me."

Everyone is burning around me and except Aura and I. Walking towards the Knight, his health now at 5% from the Ultimate, "You four are the WEAKEST people I've ever met! How DARE you come after my mother like that! Prize money? Sharing it with a Boss? COWARDS!"

"Kazuki! Stop!" Someone says from somewhere, I don't care. All I see is vengeance. Cowards who should be taught a lesson for messing with my friends and my mother, as much as I don't trust her. And I WILL interrogate her later.

The Knight is out if the trap from Garden of Bones and stands feeblishly. Look at him. He decided this for himself. To learn what happens when you mess with me. He uses Speed II to get out, but I easily catch up with Speed IV. What is he thinking?

A large explosion comes from above and I look up as the forth and final member of the loser bunch wraps around space and grab the Knight. I fly up and go to finish him off with Cause Flame--now doing 35% damage as Aura is Stage Three. The Knight uses his Ultimate again and it hits me back now I'm at 25%. Tch. Guess I'll back off.

"Well say hi to Hazaki for me! Cause I killed her! Must suck to suck, right Rockheart!" I yell, voice strains, slightly breaking at the betrayal. Damn it, Rockheart.

A pillar of light strikes down in the distance and multiple come towards me, but I notice my friends all at 10%--even my mother. There's a strong squeeze in my chest. I did it again. Damn it, damn it, damn it! They're gonna pay. Flare.

I try to get to Aoi as fast as I can and finally she uses her AI's Ultimate. Purify. A huge ring of water within a sixty foot radius around us healing us upto to 60% in six seconds. Gives us a shield equal to 50% of our health and cures everyone's debuffs. Adding Liquid Barrier to all of us adds another 10% to our shield.

The light pillar comes through dealing what would be 80% damage, but everyone has a means of escape or mitigation. I have my Flare, Yuuzuko his Shadow Walk, Aoi use her Ice Wall. I'm not entirely sure what Mom has, she is a boss.

Falling from the sky is a man in a yukata, blonde with braided hair, smiling as he brings down his hammer. I think for now, we should retreat. Or at least, regroup. As much as I hate this idea. I do want to learn about KillerZone and study everything about his Element and his AI's Element. Mostly his AI's Element.

I'm glad they aren't here to see me, "Guys, maybe we should leave. Regroup and come up with some sort of plan."

"Yeah. And also have a serious conversation." Yuuzuko says.

I let out a sigh, "Come on du--"

"No, Kazuki. We need to talk about what the hell was that." Yoshiko says sternly.

"I'll need have a serious conversation with you, Mother."

We all flee down the steps, looking to see the school absolutely destroyed. Luckily everyone used their cubes and we able to escape if needed. Burnt robots liter the grounds and stone steps as we follow Yoshiko.

Yoshiko along with only one other person looks to be younger than me by a few years in a light blue jean jacket with a gray hoodie covering his head. A small Stage 1 AI girl with light blue hair with streaks of white hover and follow him with a seriousness to her face. Wearing a light blue t-shirt and her skin a dark tan.

The guy speaks in our private conversation, "Yoshiko says we're heading towards a secret bunker in a small village not too far away from the city. We'll meet up in a non-descript house near the highway leaving the city."

I look ahead, the thickness in my throat growing more and more. "Yeah... Sure." They want to make it a problem? Let's make it a problem.