chapter 3: it's been a long time, you bastards (3)

Chapter 3: Long Time No See, You Villains (3)

These damn kids.

Why—despite being different, do they look so alike?

"Why does he look at the sky like a sad old man?"

"Don't you know? When a person gets old, they become senile."

"…What a poor thing."

'I hear you! Are you two doing this on purpose?! I'm not easy to bully, as they seem!'

As if giving himself a pathetic excuse, he sadly reflected on his misfortune.

"Regardless, I'm going now."

Leon said, gazing at the horizon.

"Where are you going, young sir?"

"You rascal, I still have questions, where to?"

Question marks appeared on the faces of the two as they stared at the young man.

The boy chuckled softly and didn't answer.

At the very moment they wondered what in the world was happening…

*Baah!*

*Whoosh!*

Howling winds struck the area!

That was the effect of a jump; the sound of impact was Leon's foot hitting the deck as he flew.

A high jump towards the sky, so fast you wouldn't notice.

Looking closely, you could see the boy somersaulting in the air.

"Th-there's someone in the air!"

"Oh my god! Won't we have even one peaceful day on this ship?! Bah! Just kill me and get it over with!"

"Damn honor! Damn being noble, and damn maintaining morals! Just make this stop!"

"What was I thinking when I came to this place? Huh? What? Want to go to the best academy? Look! Even the world is telling you to stop! Aah…"

Some people noticed something floating in the air before it fell.

Assuming they were pirates, or something bad, panic spread.

The previous fear hadn't disappeared yet; they had only just escaped a catastrophe at dawn.

Bottled-up emotions began to boil over, and some shouted to calm themselves.

Unfortunately, Lilith and the old man didn't have time to calm the people; like them, they had question marks on their heads.

What…?

What happened now? Did that mischievous young man jump into the sky?

*Slash!*

A sound of impact, followed by the scattering of water droplets.

One could imagine; it was the sound of something hitting the water.

The sound was quite loud, meaning the thing that fell into the water was rather large.

Water droplets could be seen flying in the air, forming a beautiful artistic tableau.

The two didn't have time to enjoy the picturesque sight.

Did he jump into the water? What?

Does he want to fish? At this time?

A strange thought occurred to the two, and for some reason, they could easily imagine Leon doing such a foolish thing.

*Whoosh~!*

The old man slammed his leg against the wooden floor and rushed towards the front of the ship.

Lilith, more refined, gracefully leaped to the same spot.

The two bodies landed gracefully on the ground.

The old man and the young girl used the magical energy within their bodies.

They softened their fall towards the railing preventing children from falling when they approached the edge of the ship.

The old man and Lilith landed on the bow and observed the sight below them.

The water was slightly turbulent, and the moving waves could be seen.

The water was a clear blue; one feels warmth upon seeing it, yet it simultaneously makes one feel cold.

These were the last days of winter, but the weather was still cold.

None of that was strange; rather, the sight before their eyes was more bizarre.

Eye-catching.

A beautiful sight of a standing person.

Water droplets slowly floated in the air.

They fell slowly, forming something resembling raindrops falling in the middle of the sea.

As if time slows towards nothingness.

Countless water droplets.

Looking down at that, you could see a small whirlpool swirling around something.

A seventeen-year-old boy standing there.

With his dark black hair, his blood-red eyes, as the water swirled around him, his fingers touched the strands of his wet hair.

Instead of drowning in the water… his body was above it.

He wasn't in the water, nor was he outside it.

Was he flying? No, was he swimming? No, not either.

In fact… he was standing on his feet.

As if the clear water was like a mirror, there was no ripple under his feet.

Unlike the random movement around him, what was under him was as stable as solid ground.

While washing his hair, the boy stood on the water as if it were the floor of his own house.

He didn't care about his wet suit or shirt and washed his hair using the water that was floating in the air.

It was worth noting that, unlike seawater, the water in the air was distinctly coloured from the environment and was perfectly transparent.

As it seems, the water was filtered and separated from any impurities or seawater.

His beautiful form and enchanting appearance; for some reason, Lilith couldn't take her eyes off him.

Thoughts in her brain raced.

To be able to stand on the water like that… not to mention controlling the aquatic environment around him.

There were no doubts, this boy, he is strong.

One could even say, really strong.

If magical energy were considered the blood flowing in the body, one could say the body itself is an embodiment of that energy.

Unlike blood, magical energy was something that interacts with the environment in a specific way.

In this continent, there were many cultural differences, where four cultures dominated.

Naturally, the use of magical energy and its very naming differed from one culture to another among these four.

Let's leave the rest of the continent aside for now.

Let's turn our thoughts towards the academy they're going to, whose island is located on the border between two countries on the coast, which is the mainland.

The dividing line between the east and south of the continent.

In that interval, the two countries closest to Moon Island, where one of the four largest academies in the continent is located, are Cairo and Nanman.

Cairo, where the blood purity system was in place, and there is what is called the difference between nobles and commoners, and that was Lilith's birthplace.

And the magical energy there was called Mana.

The main fighting style relied on the different elements, swordsmanship, and so on.

And on the other side, there was Nanman, where blood relations and the clan system prevailed.

Where—nepotism is most important for clans, as the saying goes, a relative is more important than a stranger.

For sects, despite not being as cohesive as clans, the merit system was more important, and anyone could be accepted among them.

Their name for magical energy was simply Qi.

Of course, as one might expect, the main fighting style is based on martial arts and internal energy.

From this point of view, even with the general system, there were fundamentals that did not change, even across the entire continent.

And that was—talent, rank, techniques, and finally, magical tools.

Other than that, there were clear differences between the two countries.

It could be said that there was a disparity in how magical energy is used from one person to another, yet, even among the differences, there were always fundamentals known to everyone.

The ability to control magical energy; that was one of the fundamentals.

When one chooses fire as a combat path, according to their progress and understanding of their path, not to mention other variables—like their talent level, their rank, their fighting technique, and their tools.

They will, according to their abilities, naturally generate flames.

However, even if the appropriate environment is created, there are limits to what a person can do with external aids, and thus, there is a need for the vessel to be good.

The person—being the vessel, needs experience and interaction with the surrounding energy, to improve their understanding and control of their path's ability, becoming clearer and better.

Let's take someone, for example; if they did the same thing Leon did, there would be immense pressure on their body.

The result would be internal bleeding in their organs, and perhaps severe damage to their core heart.

The core heart is where magical energy comes from and is pumped into, and its function resembles that of the heart.

And now, let's return to the current situation, which Leon Evinus did.

What he did caused a burden to the person, and according to his main combat path, what he did could be either easier or more difficult.

Let's take the path of fire, for example.

It was more difficult to stand on the water—which is saturated with the essence of water energy—when one's main path is fire.

It wasn't impossible, but the effort expended was more compared to someone using another path.

Not to mention the comparison with someone using a water path, for whom water is their natural habitat.

Naturally, if someone uses their main path, which is fire, in a water area, the quality will decrease significantly compared to the normal situation.

And on the contrary, when one is close to lava, a fire path user will have the advantage.

And since the essence of the fire element was the most numerous and of the highest quality in that area, there would be a conflict with the essence of other elements.

If the paths are conflicting, of course, the advantage will be for the path that has the highest essence.

And therefore—from the perspective of the lava area, the effectiveness of other paths opposite to fire will decrease.

That was true since water and fire are opposites.

From this, it can be concluded that Leon's main path may be water, or something similar.

Seeing him wetting his hair and wiping his face with water, the two felt foolish.

The old man wasn't really shocked; however, he showed a shocked expression outwardly.

Their expressions were marred by shock.

Leon removed his school blazer, leaving only the white shirt, which was wet.

His muscular form was slightly visible through his shirt.

The boy sarcastically laughed in the face of the two's expressions, especially Lilith, who looked at him intently.

"Seems like the side effects were because of that, huh?"

Unexpected, but useful too.

"Since the rest of the trip is boring, I'll go ahead of you."

He laughed heartily and gestured to leave.

"…Young sir?" Lilith tilted her head slightly.

"Rascal, what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Leon looked at her intently.

This initiative didn't escape Lilith's eyes, and she doubted something.

But it's not the time for that.

"Oh right, Young Lady Lilith, if you don't mind, I'd like you to take care of my coat until you reach the academy."

She looked at him briefly before smiling, "I don't mind, young sir."

"Alright, goodbye!"

Saying that, he struck the water with his foot and went towards the island.

*Whoosh~!*

As if hitting the ground, Leon's foot hit the water hard, and he made a high jump.

What brutal physical strength!

The wave hit the ship hard.

Under everyone's disbelieving eyes, a young man with black hair as black as night jumped across the water.

Every time his foot hit the water, the water would fly into the air.

When he reached a sufficient distance, he started running at a ridiculously fast speed.

*Whoosh~! Whoosh~! Whoosh~!*

"Bah! What is this! Is he amphibious or what!"

The old man grumbled but didn't bother chasing him; he would see him at the academy anyway.

"This… is something rarely seen, isn't it?"

Lilith smiled wryly to herself as she thought.

"Instead, I think we should calm the passengers?"

"I think so."

The two smiled bitterly at each other.

The situation was chaotic for the passengers.

This son of a bitch; he left us with the problems until the end.

Back to Leon, he was running at an incredible speed towards the island before him.

"That senile old man; he seems to have disguised himself and pretended to meet me for the first time."

"Good, that way he won't put me through the trouble of explaining the situation."

"As for that girl, Lilith Chronos, from what I see, she may have guided the passengers to safety and maintained their sanity; this also explains the admiring glances she received."

Not to mention her sudden attraction to me… a nightmare's call, she fell for it.

Well, that attraction had nothing to do with romantic emotions, and it was more than just curiosity.

That was helpful for his plans.

He needed a business partner, after all.

He recalled the sight of passengers looking at her fondly and smiling from ear to ear.

That explains a lot.

"I've cast the bait now; it remains for the fish to swallow it."

He organized his thoughts, and his blood-red eyes turned towards the island before him.

*Whoosh-*

The water was swept away as if a shark was swimming on the surface.

Shoulders erect, the upper torso slightly leaning forward.

The body's muscles were tensed to withstand the air pressure.

Let's go faster!

His crimson red eyes flashed with a bright light as he laughed fiercely.

"Kuahahahaha! Wait for me, you villains! I'm coming!"

He increased his speed at least twofold!

He became like a cannonball!

Jump!

After seeing the land on the horizon, he jumped forcefully towards what appeared to be a place where ships docked.

One could vaguely see a group of people standing there, not one or two, but a large group.

Jump!

He jumped again, but this time with greater intensity.

"Wh-what is this?!"

One of the crowd shouted, pointing at something falling from the sky.

It was falling towards them at high speed!

"It's a-a person! Oh my god!"

Collision!!

The thing called "person" crashed forcefully onto the beach sand near the ship docks.

*Whoosh~!*

A cloud of dust spread everywhere; the wind resulting from the impact caused the present robes to flutter violently.

"It's dangerous! Stay behind me, students!"

Before the dust cloud even disappeared, the teachers stepped forward and pushed the students back.

They can be confused later; they now need to protect the students.

In a place like this academy, it wasn't surprising that pirates would come on rare occasions to plunder the island.

Crescent Light Academy, or Moon Light Academy, call it what you will; it had a somewhat special environment.

Unlike most places, it wasn't under the rule of the empire; it was an independent educational institution that deliberately relied on its own income and revenue more than on collaborations with the empire in many cases.

In any case, since the relations between the academy and the empire were ambiguous, whether they were in agreement or disagreement was unknown.

At most, they were allies who benefited from each other.

That is why some foolish pirates dared to attack the academy; they might get some benefits.

But most didn't think about the reason why this academy stood proudly despite not fully enjoying the support of the government.

Don't mess with the beasts; this is an important rule that must be understood, and the pirates who came over the past years didn't understand that rule.

That misunderstanding was the reason for their deaths.

Regardless of anything else, the dust cleared from the "person" who fell from the sky.

Swallowing.

The sound of someone swallowing their saliva was heard; the teachers sharpened their instincts in the face of the "person" as their unclear form slowly appeared.

…Huh?

A person? No, a young boy?

"Akh, damn, my head is spinning, I really overdid it this time with the jump, I should have controlled my body weight before landing."

The audience heard a disgruntled voice coming from the boy's mouth.

After seeing the uniform the boy was wearing, the teachers relaxed their guard slightly.

One of the teachers approached the boy, who was brushing the dust off his body, and asked, keeping a distance.

"Boy… who are you? And why did you fall from the sky? More than anything, why are you still alright after that fall?"

"Hmm?" The boy stared at the crowd before him, tilting his head in confusion.

"Who do you mean? Me?"

'Is there a ghost behind you or what?! Why are you looking behind you?!'

The teacher standing in front of Leon thought silently.

"Yes, you."

"Well, who am I? That's a question that needs deep thought, hmm,"

The boy put his hand on his chin, falling into thought.

'…This rascal.'

It had not been seconds since the boy spoke, and they already felt his impudence.

"Right, should I answer who I am?"

" … Go ahead."

"I'm Oxygen."

"What…? "

"Oxygen."

"…I heard you the first time, do you think this is a joke?"

"I'm serious, I'm not a person, I'm Oxygen."

Silence spread over the area.

No one spoke for a few seconds.

'Let me grab you, and I'll let you know what real oxygen is!'

He tried to step forward and strangle the boy, but the other teachers stopped him.

"Hehehehe, it's a joke, a joke, I wanted to lighten the mood a little after I felt the tension."

He waved his hand lightly and laughed; it seemed as if he hadn't made a mistake.

"A joke?! Damn you and your joke, let me go! Let me grab this rascal!"

In his fit of rage, the boy's voice interrupted him as if he hadn't noticed what the teacher was doing.

"I am this year's enrolled student, Leon Evinus, sir teacher."

He bowed respectfully, offered a polite smile, and introduced himself.

The teacher was slightly surprised and coughed awkwardly, ordering the others to leave him.

"Cough, at least you have some manners."

"I'm always polite, sir, hahahahaha."

"Hahaha, what a beautiful joke."

"I wasn't joking, though."

The two laughed amicably before falling silent.

"Anyway, how about answering the other questions?"

The woman who had previously been standing said as she held the teacher who wanted to strangle Leon and prevented him from approaching him.

"Alright, how did I fall from the sky? I came across the sea by jumping; why wasn't I hurt? Because I'm strong, very strong."

He declared proudly.

That's obvious! Tell us what we don't know, you scoundrel!

The eyes of the people here were blazing as they stared at the young man who was laughing without a care.

This impudence must end here!

One of the students stepped forward and boldly spoke to Leon.

"You, the teachers are kindly talking to you now, and instead of being grateful, you speak impudently; aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

A handsome boy with a noble aura; his firm yet calm voice came out smoothly.

Leon's lips trembled slightly.

Look at this sissy?

The handsome boy thought as a confident aura matured from him.

That "imprudent boy" was supposed to be embarrassed after his words; all he has to do now is gather the crowd and take control of the conversation, and the boy will comply.

In many cases, crowd control was a skill to be learned; this way, one could make a person comply.

But unfortunately, he was dealing with someone who shouldn't be talked to about morals.

Who was Leon? He was the kind of person who made you want to vomit blood in anger.

I'll make you curse your mother for giving birth to you! You effeminate son of a bitch!

Of course, this boy will learn this the hard way.

"What? Ashamed? Huh?! Who's talking?! You?! Let's leave everything else aside, aren't you ashamed of your effeminate appearance?! You look more like a girl than the girl herself! "

An impudent and disgruntled voice came from Leon's mouth.

"Gi-girl?!"

"And you dare to talk about morals with me?! What?! Be grateful? Your face is whiter and smoother than my entire life, you sissy! I thought you were a girl for a moment! Get away from me, you girly-face!"

The boy was left speechless.

"Yo-you villain!"

Naughty words came out of the boy's mouth as he blushed with embarrassment.

"Bft!"

One could hear the stifled laughter of the students.

Not you too, teacher!

The teachers tried to suppress their laughter, and their bodies trembled.

Damn you and your morals! Kids these days, seriously!

"Oh my god! Does this thing dare to insult me?! I'm a villain, but what are you? Huh?! I don't know whether to call you he or she, or even those won't be enough for you!"

The boy spat blood in anger!

Bah! Damn you, son of a bitch, if I don't kill you today, I won't rest in peace when I die!

As if it were a repeating scene, one could see a boy grabbing his sword and trying to reach Leon, but the others held him back!

"Stop, Edward! Don't rush!"

"Don't let him reach you! The teachers will punish you if you do something to him without reason!"

The boy named Edward loosened his grip on his sword slightly and sent a glare of hatred towards Leon, looking at him angrily.

Oh? Look at these rascals? It seems they're good at using these things above their heads?

But unfortunately, I'll have a reason to get rid of these "villains" soon.

I'm counting on you, teacher!

"…Alright, I think that's all, I have some sad news, sir teacher, I was trying to lighten the mood to make the news less difficult to accept."

The supervising teacher wanted to scold the boy, but when he saw the serious look, he stopped.

The atmosphere became silent; some people swallowed their saliva and waited for Leon to speak.

He looked as if he was searching for the right words to say.

"How do I say this…"

The words came out of his mouth with difficulty; it was as if he was trying hard to pronounce the words and even the letters.

The teachers had an ominous premonition.

Don't tell me...

They silently hoped that nothing bad had happened.

"Actually, all the people on the ship… they're… they're"

The teachers closed their eyes in silence.

This confirmed their suspicions; Leon is the sole survivor-.

"Alive, they are alive and well."

His tone changed from gloomy to cheerful at an alarming speed.

They are alive, that's good; that was really good and happy news.

It's good news, but…

"Students,"

The supervising teacher, Dios Orpheus, smiled brightly as his voice came out gently.

"Grab this scoundrel, immediately."

The students froze for a moment and didn't understand what was said.

"Didn't you hear me?! Grab this son of a bitch quickly!"

The supervising teacher, Dios, stepped forward to grab Leon before anyone else.

But unfortunately, Leon dodged him and moved away quickly.

Dios was left lying on the ground.

"Eh?! Sir teacher, it was a joke! Don't you accept jokes?! They're alive and well, so isn't that good?!"

"Shut up! As soon as I get my hands on you, I'll show you what a joke is! Whoever catches him, I'll give them extra points in the exam in two weeks! Quickly now!"

Silence spread for a moment before everyone started moving.

"Catch him! Grab this villain quickly!"

"Get out of my way! It's me!"

"I'll catch him first!"

"Kikikikik hahaha! This is the spirit! Catch me if you can, you thugs!"

*Whoosh!*

Scattering!

"Aa-aah! My eye!"

"The sand! This damn sand got into my mouth and obstructed my vision!"

The sound of screams of pain and confusion echoed.

A cloud of dust spread and hit the students; it was as if it had its own consciousness.

When it cleared, Leon couldn't be seen anywhere.

"Look for him! Quickly! He can't have gone far!"

"O-ouch! Don't push me!"

The crowd didn't spare a glance at the fallen students and stepped on them mercilessly to pave the way!

"There is no peaceful day in this damned academy! Even on the first day! Damn…"

The supervising teacher, Dios, thought, as he lamented to himself sadly as he stared at the crazy students.

This academy seemed more like a gang of thugs than a prestigious academy.

"They'll take some time before they find me this way!"

Leon was sitting on a tree eating fruit while resting.

The area where he was sitting was densely wooded.

The students and teachers should now be distracted by searching for me; that way, no one will receive that senile old man.

Hehehe, you deserve this, you villain!

"…Regardless of this,"

A peaceful smile appeared on Leon's lips as his voice tone relaxed.

"How long are you going to hide?"

His voice traveled through the forest, but nothing happened.

It was as if he was speaking to the void.

After waiting for silence for some time, nothing happened either.

"What a pain in the ass."

Leon said in annoyance before staring above him.

Four.

There were four people standing silently on a tree next to the one Leon was sitting on.

Their appearance was somewhat unclear due to the shadows of the trees.

The place was somewhat cold.

Snow could be seen in some areas and on some tree branches.

*Whoosh~.*

A gentle breeze passed over Leon's skin.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you claim greatness with that stance? Seriously?"

Leon sighed and jumped from the tree.

He stared silently at these four newcomers.

"It's been a long time indeed."

Leon laughed fiercely as he said.

"Aye, you villains."

In the morning silence, the cold air struck the bodies of five people.

Four people were beside each other on a tree; each of them stood gracefully on a branch.

Below them, there was a boy smiling sarcastically, staring at them silently before initiating a sudden move.

Jump!

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!

"You will never catch me alive!"

"We will catch you, you villain!"

"Don't let him escape! Our money is in his hands!"

"My money!"

Thus, the first day of the academy's run ended.

Thus, how friends reunited after a long time.

And after the long winter passed, the signs of spring were leaving their mark on the world.

With smiles on their faces, the brothers flew through the trees.

For them, that was a sign of how much they missed each other.

And despite not saying anything, they understood it well; in this dangerous world, they felt the importance of companionship.

The wealth of the world can't buy a single second of time.

To make up for the lost time, it's time for them to spread their wings in the world.

And this time, they would do it together.

And that is what is called, brotherhood.