Chapter 2: Preparation For New Saviors

At 8 AM, Yaxoc strolled into the academy, noticing a group of unfamiliar faces gathered in the courtyard.

"Huh, new saviors?" Yaxoc muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right," Hannah's voice chimed in as she approached. "I recently discovered someone with incredibly powerful magic."

"Is that so?" Yaxoc replied, intrigued. "Alright, show me."

Hannah gestured to one of the saviors, who hesitated before stepping forward.

"So, what's the deal with this one?" Yaxoc asked, studying the newcomer.

"This savior has Time magic," Hannah explained, her tone proud. "It's the strongest magic known. What do you think?"

"Impressive," Yaxoc admitted. "What about the others who joined the academy? Surely—"

Hannah cut him off. "Not only do we have new recruits, but we've been training them intensely. They're learning fast." She pulled out a chart with a triumphant smirk.

"Over 75% of these saviors have C-tier magic," Hannah began. "Lightning and Light are the highest among them. Then there's the 15% with B-tier magic—Meteor and Tornado dominate that group. Moving on, 9% possess A-tier magic, including Gravity, Telekinesis, and Nuke. And don't worry, I've put measures in place to prevent the Nuke users from… well, blowing up due to anger." She sighed dramatically. "Finally, only 0.9% have S-tier magic. Legendary Up and Chaos are the most powerful in that tier."

"And the remaining 0.1%?" Yaxoc asked curiously.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Hannah laughed sheepishly. "They possess Time and Star magic—extremely rare abilities."

"How many saviors joined in total?" Yaxoc inquired.

Hannah's eyes lit up. "Over 50,000!"

"FIFTY THOUSAND?!" Yaxoc shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah, do the math!" Hannah teased.

"Math? No thanks." Yaxoc shook his head.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Anyway, don't you see? We're training these saviors to reach their full potential. It's all part of the plan to ensure our victory in the war."

"What are their stats?" Yaxoc asked, still skeptical.

"They're currently at ZZZ Tier," Hannah said, her voice brimming with pride.

"ZZZ Tier?!" Yaxoc's jaw dropped. "What did you feed them?!"

"Oh, just my special training regimen," Hannah said with a smug grin. "That's why I'm so powerful myself. One day, these saviors will lead us to victory."

"But don't forget," Yaxoc warned, his tone serious. "Lucius, Ogamak, and Yurgion are aware of us. What if one of them intervenes?"

"Oh, stop worrying!" Hannah waved him off dismissively. "I've got everything under control." With that, she walked away with the new savior, leaving Yaxoc behind.

"I've never seen her so excited about someone with rare magic," Yaxoc muttered. "I mean, it's cool and all, but still..."

Just then, Luna appeared, still in her pajamas.

"Yaxoc?" she called out, her tail twitching slightly.

Yaxoc turned to her, confused. "And why are you wearing pajamas?"

"Hannah teleported me here out of nowhere," Luna said, her tail wiggling in irritation. "Didn't even give me time to change."

"Yeah, whatever. Where are the others?" Yaxoc asked.

"They're off doing their own thing. Who knows what Marcus and Moonlight are up to," Luna replied.

"Probably best not to ask," Yaxoc said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm going to change into something more casual," Luna said, teleporting away in an instant.

"Eh, whatever," Yaxoc muttered, wandering outside to clear his head.

As he stepped into the courtyard, he spotted a lone figure standing near the edge of the academy grounds.

"Who are you?" Yaxoc asked, narrowing his eyes.

The figure turned around with a calm, confident smile. "Greetings. I suppose you don't know me, so let me keep it simple." He straightened his posture. "My name is Xavy, and I have the strongest memory known to existence."

"What's your business here?" Yaxoc asked bluntly. "If you're here to apply, you're too late."

Xavy chuckled softly. "Apply? No, pot boy. I'm just here to observe."

"Sounds suspicious," Yaxoc retorted, crossing his arms. "Stop messing around and go back to middle school or something."

Xavy smirked, unfazed. "That's rich coming from someone who got knocked out by a 7-year-old."

"HUH?! HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!" Yaxoc yelled, visibly annoyed.

Xavy's smirk widened. "I have eyes everywhere, Yaxoc. I see everything… including you."

Yaxoc clenched his fists. "Tch, whatever!" He stormed off, grumbling to himself while Xavy watched with an amused expression.

"Neat," Xavy mumbled under his breath before raising his voice. "Hey."

Yaxoc stopped in his tracks and turned around, noticing Xavy now wearing a stern, almost irritated expression. "What do you want now?"

"I've got something important to show you," Xavy said curtly. He motioned for Yaxoc to follow. "Come."

Yaxoc hesitated, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, but eventually began trailing behind him. "This better not be some weird joke," he muttered.

Without a word, Xavy opened a glowing portal, leading to a dimly lit room. Inside was a dark table with two chairs placed directly opposite one another.

"Take a seat," Xavy instructed, stepping aside to let Yaxoc enter before sealing the portal shut behind him.

Yaxoc reluctantly sat down, crossing his arms as he studied the ominous room. "Alright, so what's this about?"

Xavy stood across from him, his expression grave. "We're here to discuss Lucius's plans. I've managed to uncover some critical information about him." He leaned forward slightly. "Did that woman from earlier share any substantial details about Lucius? Or just the usual fluff?"

Yaxoc shrugged. "Not really. She only told us his age, some personal stuff, and about how he supposedly got framed. Nothing groundbreaking."

Xavy scoffed, shaking his head. "Figures. She barely scratched the surface. Wanna know why?"

With a snap of his fingers, a thick folder materialized in front of him, brimming with documents. Xavy flipped it open, scanning the pages with a practiced eye.

"Listen up," Xavy began, his tone sharp and no-nonsense. "As much as I hate reading this nonsense out loud, this is too important to skip. So pay attention."

Taking a deep breath, Xavy began his explanation:

"Lucius was born on February 17th, 1980, in United Chronic, though he spent his early years in Masoquest. By age 15, he was a prodigy—he invented an alternative energy source that didn't rely on contaminants. This method was later recognized as a groundbreaking way to combat climate change, officially approved in 2015.

"He attended the University of the Chronical Country (UOTCC) and graduated at 25. He then became a professional teacher at the Academy of Saviors, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the strongest saviors of his time.

"But it wasn't just his strength that made him stand out. Lucius was revered for his intellect and his mastery of magic—something he could achieve faster than anyone else. That is, until 2017, when his magic was permanently removed due to allegations of fraud. From that point on, he was left magicless."

Yaxoc frowned. "Fraud? That's rough. But then what?"

Xavy didn't pause. "Despite losing his magic, Lucius's accomplishments didn't stop. He built an army and manipulated one of the most intelligent hunter bases. However, his path wasn't always this dark. Before his fall, Lucius was a relentless researcher. His hobbies included reading and honing his skill with a bow and arrow."

Xavy flipped to another page in the folder, his tone growing heavier. "Here's where things get messy. Lucius was the eldest of four siblings… all of whom were killed by his supposed best friend, Ogamak. But here's the kicker—Lucius never found out that Ogamak was the one responsible."

Yaxoc's eyes widened, but before he could speak, Xavy continued.

"You see," Xavy said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, "Ogamak orchestrated everything. Lucius wasn't just manipulated—he was framed. Ogamak planted seeds of mistrust, painting Lucius as a villain. The framing and loss of his magic pushed Lucius over the edge, leading him to join forces with Ogamak and his demons."

Yaxoc's expression darkened. "So… Ogamak's the real mastermind?"

"Exactly," Xavy said, nodding. "If you piece everything together—the woman's statements and my findings—it's clear. Ogamak used Lucius like a pawn. He knew the saviors' base was too dangerous to infiltrate outright. So he concocted a plan: frame Lucius, ruin his reputation, and turn him into an ally. Ogamak played the long game, and now he's got one of the most powerful strategists on his side."

Yaxoc leaned back in his chair, trying to process everything. "This changes everything…"

"It does," Xavy agreed. "And now you understand why I needed to show you this. We're not just fighting Lucius—we're fighting Ogamak's entire narrative. If we're going to win, we need to outthink him."

For the first time, Yaxoc looked genuinely serious. "Yeah… I get it now. Thanks for the info, Xavy. Guess it's time to put this knowledge to use."

Xavy smirked faintly. "Glad you're catching on, pot boy."

"What should we do? Should I tell everyone?" Yaxoc asked, his tone unusually serious.

"Yeah, whatever," Xavy said with a dismissive wave. "But remember this: if you see Ogamak or Lucius, don't fight them. You've been stupid enough to try that before."

Before Yaxoc could respond, Xavy delivered a swift kick, sending him flying out of the dimension.

"Jeez, cold talk," Yaxoc muttered as he landed on solid ground. He brushed himself off and looked up at the sky. "Speaking of cold…"

His eyes narrowed at the sight of snow falling gently to the ground.

"It's snowing? In February? I thought this only happened in December or something," Yaxoc mumbled, growing uneasy. "Something's definitely off."

Without hesitation, Yaxoc took off running through the streets, his mind racing as he scanned the area.

"Yaxocara! Get your ass over here!" he yelled. "I need you to help me figure out this weird snow!"

Moments later, Yaxocara appeared, her face twisted in irritation. "What the hell do you want? I'm cooking, you moron!"

"Wait, you're cooking?" Yaxoc asked, suddenly confused. "Then… who's cooking with you?"

"Moonlight and Marcus," Yaxocara said flatly, her expression now filled with disgust. "And trust me, you do not want to see them. That whole scene? Burned into my brain. Traumatized for life."

Yaxoc blinked. "Wait, what? Yaxocara, it's literally early Valentine's Day. Couples are everywhere right now."

"Yeah, and I hate whoever invented Valentine's Day," Yaxocara snapped. "I'd blow their stupid brains out for coming up with something so pointless for single people."

Yaxoc scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Anyway, back to the snow. What's up with it?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Yaxocara replied, gesturing to the flurries falling around them. "Who's messing with the weather this time?"

"Beats me," Yaxoc said. "But it's gotta be something—or someone—behind this."

Yaxocara thought for a moment before groaning. "We should head back to the academy. They've got that big-ass TV. Maybe there's a news broadcast or something explaining this."

"Why not just go to my house?" Yaxoc asked, tilting his head. "What's wrong with that?"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOUR HOUSE!" Yaxocara shouted, grabbing Yaxoc by the wrist. "LET'S GO!"

Before Yaxoc could protest, she took off running, dragging him behind her as the snow continued to fall.