Chapter 37 Brookside

Crimson Vanguard - Training Room

The Crimson Vanguard Training Room was a vast, high-tech facility designed to withstand the harshest of battles. Towering walls lined with reinforced steel encased the space, while the ceiling was fitted with adaptive lighting that adjusted to simulate different combat scenarios. The floor—crafted from a specialized shock-absorbent material—was covered in faint scorch marks and deep gashes, remnants of past training sessions.

On the sidelines, the second-year trainees stood in silence, their gazes locked onto the center of the room. There, Victor stood with his black jacket draped loosely over his shoulders, his expression calm, almost bored. Opposite him, Zaheer panted heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to land even a single hit.

With a desperate grunt, Zaheer sprinted forward, using his momentum to tumble into a powerful spin, his legs whipping through the air. Violent whirlwinds erupted from his feet, slicing through the space between them and rocketing toward Victor at immense speed.

Without hesitation, Victor moved. Effortless. Fluid. Unfazed. He twisted his body just enough to let the wind blast rush past him, his jacket billowing dramatically from the force.

"Keep your arms straight when attacking," Victor advised, his tone as calm as ever.

He took a slow, measured step forward, the gap between them closing. Zaheer's eyes widened as he launched another whirlwind, but Victor merely tilted his head to the left, dodging it with ease.

"Your stance is completely open."

Zaheer clenched his teeth, frustration boiling over. He twisted mid-air, bringing his leg down in a brutal top-to-bottom axe kick, sending a crescent-shaped wind blast roaring toward Victor.

"Now you're just being desperate."

Victor lifted his hand, his palm facing forward. Instantly, a brilliant orange glow ignited in his palm before erupting into a searing inferno. The flames were unlike Ryder's—deeper, richer, resembling the fiery core of an explosion rather than a simple blaze.

The moment the fire met the wind, it didn't falter—it consumed. The flames surged forward, crashing into Zaheer with a deafening blast, sending him flying backward. His body skidded across the training floor before coming to a shaky halt.

Silence filled the room.

The second-years stood frozen, watching in awe.

Victor exhaled, his jacket settling back against his shoulders as he lowered his hand. His gaze remained impassive.

"Lesson's over."

Zane and Kai stood at the back of the training room, the dim lighting casting long shadows over them. Kai's jaw hung open in awe, his eyes locked onto the man standing at the center of the now-empty training floor.

"Wait… that's Victor?" Kai muttered, barely believing what he was seeing.

Zane responded casually, not even looking up. "Uh-huh."

Kai's admiration quickly morphed into irritation as the realization sank in. "This guy… he was one of the people who didn't vote for me to become a student here. And now I gotta train with him? Just great."

"Give the guy a break," Kurozaki's voice echoed in his head. "Maybe he's not that bad."

One by one, the second-years filed out of the room, their murmurs fading into silence until only three figures remained—Zane, Kai, and Victor.

Zane took a step forward, his usual smirk in place. "Hey there, Victor."

Victor barely shifted his gaze. His presence was heavy, his voice filled with quiet authority. "What do you want, Zane?"

Zane ignored the cold tone and continued advancing. "I heard about the mission you're going on tonight, and I want our newest intake here to tag along. Just so he gets a taste of what real missions feel like."

At the mention of Kai, Victor's sharp gaze slowly turned toward him. He studied him intently, his piercing eyes taking in every detail.

"His aura… it's completely different from the last time I saw him," Victor thought. "Zane's really done a number on him. If he's putting in this much effort, then I can't refuse to play my part. After all… he is the last seal of Alzarel."

Kai lowered his gaze under Victor's scrutiny. The weight of his stare was suffocating.

Then, to everyone's surprise—

"Fine. I'll do it."

Kai's head snapped up in shock. Even Zane raised an eyebrow before breaking into a grin.

"Really? That's great!" Zane said, his enthusiasm obvious.

Victor turned to Kai, his expression unreadable. "I'm heading out at 10 PM sharp. Don't be late." Then, with a small glance at Kai's attire, he added, "And take off that outfit. You've been wearing it since day one."

Kai's initial joy melted into embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Y-Yes, sir."

"He's not wrong, kid," Kurozaki chimed in. "I don't even have a sense of smell, and I can tell you stink."

Kai groaned but ignored the jab. He looked at Victor. "Umm, quick question… where exactly are we going?"

Victor's gaze darkened slightly.

"Brookside High School."

Kai's breath hitched. His eyes widened in pure shock.

****

Inside the City of Ashford – Brookside High School

Victor and Kai stood before the rusted iron gates of Brookside High School, their eyes fixed on the blackened, hollow structure before them. The school loomed like a forgotten relic of the past, its cracked walls and shattered windows whispering tales of the tragedy that had once unfolded here.

Victor, as always, was clad in his signature attire—a black shirt tucked into black trousers, his signature jacket draped over his shoulders, fastened only by a silver chain that gleamed faintly under the moonlight.

Kai, however, had finally been given the Crimson Vanguard's official uniform. He practically radiated excitement, his hair a striking shade of blue, still damp from the long-overdue shower he had taken. He now wore a sleek black jacket, a silver zipper running cleanly down the center, paired with matching black trousers and polished shoes. The outfit fit him perfectly—not too tight, not too loose, allowing him complete freedom of movement.

Yet, despite his fresh appearance, his surroundings told a different story.

The city of Ashford was still a graveyard of destruction. The remnants of Bloody Halloween had left deep scars—collapsed buildings, burned-out cars, and debris littered the streets. The air was thick with an eerie stillness, and even the wind seemed hesitant to move.

The school itself looked like a place that had been abandoned long before the catastrophe. Cracks ran through the building's foundation, vines creeping up its broken walls, reclaiming what man had left behind. The windows were pitch black, a vast void of nothingness that swallowed any light.

Victor took the first step, his boots tapping against the cracked pavement. The sound echoed through the empty courtyard, bouncing off the silent walls like a ghostly whisper.

Kai followed, his eyes shifting warily across the desolate campus.

"So… tell me why exactly we're here?" Kai asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

"Every time a large-scale battle like Bloody Halloween happens, it leaves behind a powerful trace of magical energy," Victor explained, his voice calm yet firm. "That lingering energy acts as a catalyst, giving birth to new creatures—ones we call the Unborns. The stronger the residual energy, the stronger the monsters that emerge."