章節 47: Mutant Human (Part 1)

"Kidnapped?!" Orpheus yelled in shock

"What about the rest of the message. I don't think this letter will just say; 'We've kidnapped Raya. Come get her'" Aella said

"The rest of the letter is…" Rhea sighed

"What is it?" Andrian asked

"It also said that if I want to see her, I should bring the code to the secret library of the Cages" Rhea said dejectedly

"What?" Orpheus asked in confusion "Why would someone be needing the code to a secret library?"

[The Cages is one of the strongest factions in the world for a reason. The code should be a secret to their strength]

'Oh, you're back. Where have you been?'

[In your head. Where else?]

'That's true. Just that you've been silent for a long time

[I can't just be helping you out in every problem you face. You won't grow that way]

"So, what are you going to do?" Andrian asked "Are you going to betray the Cages?"

"Although I ran away from home, they're still family. But Raya is family too" Rhea sat on the ground while clutching her hair "I don't know what to do"

"This isn't that hard to figure out. We just walk right into their base and het your friend back" Aster said

"Such a muscle-brain." Tana shook her head "Do you even know where they took her?"

"If we don't know where she was taken, how are we going to give the secret code to them? Assuming we were going to give'em" Orpheus said

"I guess we would just have to the school authorities" Aella shrugged

"No. They wouldn't be able to do anything" Rhea stood up from the floor "Everyone, including the dean, is so afraid of the Cages that once they hear their name, they all try their best to not interfere"

"I guess it's up to us" Orpheus sighed

"What do you mean by 'down to us'?" Tana asked "do you even know the power level of the kidnapper?"

"Let's just wait here. For them not to tell us where to meet, it means we've been followed and watched closely right from the beginning" Andrian said "They'll appear at the right time"

"So, that feeling I was getting was one of getting followed. How strong are these guys?" Tana mumbled

"Whatever. It's too late to do anything" Aella said

"Waiting it is then" Orpheus squatted on the floor

"No. You all should go. I'll handle this myself. It's me they need" Rhea said

"Hey. I'm your student, you're my master. It's only right that I help you do this." Orpheus said "Now, sit down and let all your worries fly away"

"Honestly, you…" Rhea instantly became speechless

"Hold on a sec." Aster spoke up "I'll admit, I got lost in all that you guys were saying, but I'm pretty sure I heard se are going to wait for an enemy we know absolutely nothing about?"

"Not absolutely nothing. At least we know the person is a kidnapper" Andrian shrugged

"You… What the hell is wrong with everybody" Aster asked himself

"What is it? Scared?" Tana grinned

"Of-of course not" Aster said "The current me can fight any of the Olympian brothers to a draw, talk less of an unknown brat"

"Olympian brothers?!" Rhea gasped "You're joking, right?"

"Of course, he is. This guy right here has a thing for exaggerating a little above the bar" Aella said and shot a glare at Aster

"Whew. I got scared there for a sec" Rhea sighed

"So, we just sit here and wait?" Tana asked while staring around

The sun was already setting and almost all the students had retired to their dormitories, making the path they had been walking on quiet and lonely.

"I'll admit. This is getting scary and interesting at the same time" Orpheus had a large smile on his face

"I knew it. He's a battle maniac and muscle-brain like Aster" Andrian muttered to himself but much to the hearing of everyone

"What did you say?!" Orpheus and Aster yelled out

"Hehehe… Just kidding, just kidding" Andrian chuckled

"Hmmm. I don't think you all understand the gravity of the situation on ground" a male voice said from behind them "Not that it concerns me anyways"

"Who's that?!" Aella ears perked up under her hood while everyone looked around vigilantly without lowering their guard

"Ah, forgive me. Dammit, I said it again" a familiar tall and not-so-burly figure of a guy stepped out from the darkness "Well, whatever. I'm Bray Hawkins. The guy you've been waiting for"

"Where's she?" Rhea asked immediately as her katana appeared in her hands

"Where's who?" Bray titled his head in confusion

"Don't play games with me. Where's Raya?!" Rhea raised her voice

"Hmmm. White hair, blue eyes, uses a dark katana. Matches the description perfectly. Ah!" Bray gasped and his eyes widened a little "You should be Rhea, right? Rhea Cage"

"Do not ask questions you know the answer to" Rhea said with annoyance

"Ah, forgive… shit! I believe you brought the codes?" his eyes wandered around her as if searching for something

"I swear. If you don't bring my friend out right now, I'll hack your skull open with my blade" she put her hands on the hilt of her blade "Where's she?"

"Oi! Ain't we supposed to stop'er?" Orpheus whispered to the four beside him

"I honestly don't know" Aella whispered back "What's with the sudden change in accent?"

"How did we get dragged into this mess?" Andrian sighed

"Whatever the case, I still have a fight coming my way" Tana smiled, revealing her long, sharp canines "I haven't let lose in a long time. I can let lose, right?"

"Right?" Aster turned to Orpheus along with Tana. One could see that expectation was clearly evident in the tone of their voices

"No!" Orpheus shot back at them in a hushed tone, instantly crushing their hopes

"Battle freaks" Aella and Andrian inwardly shook their heads

"Uh, I'm afraid you cannot see her right now. Not until you hand over the codes" Bray smiled at Rhea

"I said, bring… her… OUT!!" she drew her blade out while sending out a lightning arc in the same swing

"Oh, shit!" Orpheus' eyes widened in shock and he immediately waved his hands, creating a tear in space that was behind Bray. The space tear was positioned in such a way that the lightning arc, Bray and the space tear were on a straight line

'You want to take the fight outside? Be my guest' Bray instantly guessed Orpheus' intentions and jumped into the space tear, before being flowed by the lightning arc and Rhea

"Look, if it's possible, I want you all to stay out of this fight" Orpheus turned to the four beside him

"Oh, c'mon. I…" Tana began to protest

"Tana!" Aella raised her voice a little

"…Fine" Tana sighed dolefully before turning into a red mist that moved towards his back and disappeared

"Just so you know. The second your life is in danger, we're coming out" Aella said and turned into a white mist that soon disappeared into his back, along with the others

"Thanks" Orpheus muttered and jumped into the space tear

…

*Boom*

A loud explosion occurred in the middle of the forest that was not too far from the academy and at the same time, not too close to the academy, clearing all surrounding plant life. Right at the center of the explosion, two figures were fighting with so much speed that a normal human would not be able to make out anything but sparks of light while a low-level junior intermediate magus would only see faint silhouette of their figures

"Where is she?!" Rhea yelled while swinging her katana wildly but with much precision

"The codes first" Bray moved from side to side, dodging the lethal swings of her blade by a hair's breadth

"Where's she?!!!!" Rhea released a large energy burst as her lightning armor covered her body while her eyes began to turn gold with flickers of lightning around it

"She's going berserk? It looks like this battle will draw on longer than expected" Bray muttered to himself and jumped backwards to keep some distance between himself and Rhea

"Where is she?!" she disappeared and appeared right in front of Bray while swinging her katana horizontally

"Shit! Is this really a first-year student?" Bray's eyes widened at the speed at which Rhea had teleported and clenched his fist tightly

…

Some distance away from the battle, Orpheus jumped out from a space tear that mended itself some seconds later

"What kind of battle happened here?" he stared at the scene of charred trees around him

[Damn! Now, I wish I was out there] Tana sulked

[Relax. Our time to act will arrive soon] Andrian tried to sooth the moody phoenix

"Uh, what's that?" Orpheus peered in a particular direction and saw the faint outline of an object, or rather, a human flying towards him "That's Rhea. Why is she coming back here?"

[You idiot! She isn't coming back here. She was sent flying! Dodge!] Costas yelled in his head

"What do you mean she was sent… oof!" he was interrupted by the collision of Rhea's body into his. The speed at which she was sent flying was so fast that even the collision between her and Orpheus didn't slow down her speed one bit, but instead, sent them both flying at the same speed

"What the hell happened to her that would send her flying at this speed?!" Orpheus yelled in mid-flight

[Stop flying in the air before asking questions] Aella yelled in his head

"Oh" Orpheus used wind to slow down the speed of their flight before landing on the floor with Rhea in his arms

"That guy…" Rhea coughed up blood before she could finish her sentence "he… took out an ele-elemental… attack with… with a punch"

"What do you mean he took out an elemental attack with a punch?' Orpheus asked but the color in her eyes had already faded, signifying that she had gone unconscious

"Aww man, I really didn't want to do this. But well, he said the codes or the girl" Bray's voice sounded from afar

"H-how?" Orpheus stammered in shock immediately he looked up from Rhea's body

[Are you sure this is the guy Rhea was fighting or are my eyes deceiving me?] Andrian asked no one in particular

[I think we all are seeing the same thing. But how… how is this possible?] Aella gasped

[I'm supposed to be there. I'm supposed to be there] Tana repeated the same sentences while sulking

[Shut the hell up!] Aster yelled at her but to no avail

[I don't think he's normal] Costas said

'What do you mean he's not normal?' Orpheus finally stood up from the ground and stared at Bray.

Despite the tough battle he had fought against Rhea, he still came out unscathed except for the few bits and pieces of clothing that was once his shirt

[Is it possible for a human to stop an elemental attack with a punch and come out unscathed?]