Archangels of War

Using a low gravity spell, we bounded up into the air, soaring over the heads of Wrath and our comrades, climbing unto the second floor. The PA room would be located on student services, the same place as student council. We had to make it there as quickly as possible and get a message out over the PA system. We would inform all of the students remaining in the building of the exit, as well as rely on any other information that we gathered along the way. 

"We also have to figure out what happened to the students who should have been up there." I muttered to myself, as me and Hikaru bounded up the steps as quickly as possible. Down below, we could hear the sounds of conversations being had, however the specifics of the words being discussed were not privy to us. We didn't have time to worry about that either. If we wanted them to be safe, we would have to complete the tasks we were given as quickly as possible. 

"Chances are, Wrath didn't come alone." Hikaru said from beside me. Her face was set in a silent determination, and I think that I had a feeling of what was going on in her mind. 

That thought made my heart only beat faster. If Wrath truly had allies, ones that were as strong as him, then the safety of everyone was called into question. 

Kami's safety was called into question. 

I clenched my wand tighter, gnashing my teeth together in order to force myself to focus on the task at hand. Don't let your mind wander, Raiden. 

Bursting unto the floor of the student service room, the first thing we noticed was how empty it was. There was not a single sign of life, or signs of a struggle whatsoever. The hall was in a perfect state. Nothing had been touched. Everything was in perfect condition. From the walls, which were covered in vibrant colored streamers and hand drawn designs, to the doors which were modeled after different fairy tale stories. Nothing was out of place. 

"This is-" 

"Suspicious." Hikaru finished for me, as we walked through the glowing hallway. Our steps were slow, and nervous. The tranquility of the hall brought about an unreal tension. As if something would jump out of any one of the doors and attack us. 

But we made our way to the door which led to the room where the PA system was, completely unharmed. 

Our growing anxiety did not stop there, however. We stood in front of the door, scared to open it, terrified of we might find behind it. 

"Nothing to it, but to do it?" Hikaru tried to get out some motivational words up in the air, but her tone killed their effect. However, it was better than nothing, and with those words at my back, I pushed open the door. 

And the room? 

It was empty. 

Not empty in the sense that there was no one in there, but empty by the definition of the word. There was not a single article within the entire room. No decorations. No designs. Nothing. The speakers, the mic, the students who should have been there? 

Weren't. They were all gone. 

"What the...." Was all I could get out. How did everything just, vanish? That wasn't possible, right? 

Hikaru looked around the room with fear and confusion in her eyes. "Where did everything go?" 

Shaking my head, I went back outside and opened up a door to another room. Empty. And the next. Empty.

Empty. Empty. Empty. All of the rooms leading up to the student council room, where all empty. 

"What could have done this?" I asked aloud. It wasn't like someone had gone towards the room and thrown them in disarray or something. If anything, that would be more reassuring. No. Literally everything had just vanished from the rooms, and there wasn't even the slightest sign of destruction. 

How to you get rid of all of those objects, all of those people, without damaging a single thing? 

"Without alerting a single person?" I asked aloud. 

"Let's check the student council room!" Hikaru said as she rushed over towards it. 

It was the only room that we hadn't checked. The massive doors were decorated in the style of a portal, one that presumably led to another world. We dashed towards the door, and when we burst through. 

We found it also empty, save for two things. 

A singular chair. A large one, that Suijin usually sat on during meetings. And a person sitting in that chair. They were wearing a black suit, and were sitting with their legs crossed, and arms on the seat rest. That had a smile on their face, and a look of want in their eyes. 

The man in the black Suits eyes roved over the two of us for a second. Then he spoke. 

"Are you two, the next additions to my Vault?" 

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Downstairs, a few minutes before Raiden and Hikaru meet with the man in the black suit. 

Wrath looked up as he watched the two students in black trench coats bound up towards the spiral staircase. He began looking around at the beauty of the place he had just entered, admiring the designs, the colors, everything. 

"The grandeur of this place, and its design. It really makes me feel like I crashed some sort of party." Wrath spoke loudly, but to himself. He reached his hand up into the air as he looked at the hole in the ceiling that he had created. The sun was shining though, creating a rough spotlight around where he was standing, between the two spiral staircases. 

"And I'm the star of the show." He turned his gaze to the two students who were currently standing in front of him. 

There was a girl, a pretty one at that, with long black hair, and a look of anger in her eyes. That look only made Wrath smile even more. 

Next to her, was a boy, with long blue hair that covered his eyes, and a neutral expression on his face. That bored Wrath. This was not the time for calm. He wanted to see anger behind the eyes of these students. Hatred. Intent to kill. 

"How did you get here." Suijin stated, as she faced Wrath. Her tone was dark, and her hands were clenched tightly together. 

"From above. How else?" Wrath threw out a purposely annoying answer to her question, in hopes of fanning the flames in her eyes just a little bit more. 

His only goal here was to serve as a distraction, in order to allow the other members to complete their own respective tasks. Therefore, he decided that he would have as much fun as possible as he played bait. 

And his bait, worked. Suijin's eyes flared, and her expression darkened even further. Just as she took a step forward however, a hand reached out to stop her. 

It was Masayoshi.

Wrath let out an audible "tch!" at that gesture. 

"Suijin, don't let him bait you into getting angry. Thats his main goal here. Keep calm." 

"You always this much of a buzzkill, huh prick?" Wrath threw out an insult against the kid, but he did not bite. He didn't even bother to look up at him. Instead, he cracked his knuckles and pulled out a book from his trench coat. Around his fingers, were 10 rings. His ten fingers were also covered in chains. 

Applying a spell to the book, he let it go and allowed for it to float into the air. 

He shook his hair, before turning to face his opponent, building up his magical energy. "I understand why you'd be angry. I don't blame you at all. But if we fall for this barbarians provocations, we are bound to lose this battle." With that statement, Masayoshi was prepared for battle. 

Looking at Masayoshi thankfully, Suijin took in a deep breath, before letting it out, and turning to face Wrath with a neutral expression on her face. Her own wand was glowing, and she began to build up magical energy of her own. 

Realizing that his plan was thwarted, Wrath sneered angrily. "Barbarian? I'll show you something truly barbaric then!" 

And with that, the battle in the lobby commenced. 

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Outside of the magic academy, in the yard, where hundreds of students were gathered, there was a problem. 

The evacuation process should have been quick and clean. They should have all been swiftly taken from the building, and lead by members of the defense force to the outside, where they would exit through the barrier. After which, they would call for reinforcements from the Mages Association. However, there was a major obstacle that was in the way. 

Infront of the barrier, sitting at the front gate, was a singular girl, with messy braids, and an oversized blue hoodie. She was hugging her legs towards her chest, and she was asleep. She was blocking the way. 

That in an off itself wouldn't have been a problem. She was one girl. Asleep, at that. They could have easily taken her out or just walked right by her. The only thing that was stopping them was the massive aura that was leaking from her body. It was so potent and powerful, that while just approaching her, it felt hard to breathe, and like gravity was increasing. 

That was the sole factor blocking their way. 

However, the defense force was not incompetent. They had prepared multiple escape routes, just for the occasion that the front gate was blocked. So why weren't those currently in use? Well because currently, they were all blocked off. By a multitude of different armed individuals, who all had one thing in common. A tattoo on their neck, of a Python with wings. These individuals also possessed an insanely high aura.

All of these factors, along with the sudden attack from Wrath, a mythical figure that went toe to toe with a world ender- caused fear to consume the minds of all of the students in the courtyard. 

Order was impossible. 

Rational thought was impossible. And at that moment, the girl in the blue hoodie awoke.

She yawned and then spoke. "Ahh, it seems it's my turn." She spoke tiredly. She then waved her hand about lazily. A simple, unthreatening gesture. 

Then, heads began to fly.