Chapter 128 - 127: Manifestation

If you are reading this now, please come within 30 minutes the chapter is under editing.

"Don't have time!! Encourage this girl to fight her inner Demon!!"

Nora was dumbfounded at the unexpected event.

The screen on her smart link was clearly showing a girl which resembled Runeko, but she seemed to have undergone some transformation, and it made her look very creepy.

She was letting out terrifying shrieks while being restrained under Harry's strings.

"W-What's going on?" Nora asked with a nervous look on her face.

"Talk to her. You are the one closest to her, she might listen to you." Yuji had understood the reason for which Spike contacted them.

As for what was going on, it would be clear sooner or later.

Nora looked at him, and nodded. She calmed herself a bit, and finally spoke, "Runeko! It's me, Nora. Can you hear me?"

…

On the other side..

Spike looked at Runeko with a grim look on his face. He was hoping for something to happen.

"Runeko! It's me, Nora. Can you hear me?"

As soon as Nora spoke, Runeko frowned and began to struggle even frantically.

'Crap!'

Harry cursed as he was immediately pulled, losing against Runeko in strength. As his feet left the ground, and he was about to go flying, a large hand grabbed him,

It was Biggie.

Harry looked at him in surprise as Biggie pulled him back to the ground, and took over the strings from Harry and wrapped them around his hand. He wasn't going to lose in strength easily.

"How did you get out of there?" Harry looked towards the place where Biggie was pinned by the huge branch and saw that it was moved to the side somehow.

"I don't know. It somehow moved on its own," Biggie replied in confusion.

They had no idea that someone had interfered in the fight and helped them out.

…

With Biggie onto the strings, the situation stabilized and Runeko was once again restrained. This allowed Spike to get even closer to her.

"Runeko! I don't know what's happening. But, I know you won't do anything wrong."

"You can fight that thing. I know you are strong. You have been through a lot and yet you never gave up. A lone girl who came from a far away place to build herself a future and take care of her mother. This is you, a person with a strong will. You can't lose yourself like this.."

"How can someone like you be weak?"

"You are one of the strongest people I have ever met.."

"She is right! Even though you were scared, you kept on trying. Only a strong person isn't afraid of failures., Runeko." Yuji took the opportunity to speak out as well.

"Didn't you want to change yourself? You saw that girl, Leo's sister. She has started to change and you as well. You are her starting point. Are you going to give up now?" Harry asked as he looked at her. He was talking about Amelia here. He had checked out Runeko's smart link and hence knew what was going on because of the messages.

This girl wanted to change herself. But, wants and reality were not the same. She had failed dozens of times. Her meek personality wasn't easy to change. She didn't have friends, and even the joining of the club wasn't on her own efforts, instead, she was scouted by Nora.

That too because she couldn't open her mouth either in refusal or acceptance. In the end, Nora just dragged her to the club, and made her sign the application.

But, things had started to change for her.

"True, you couldn't even speak to a person earlier. But, Leo was scouted by you. Don't you see it? The change has started to happen, are you going to give up here?" Spike asked as he looked at her.

Runeko's face twisted in pain, as she raised her head towards the sky, and let out a piercing shriek. A strange aura rose from her body and spread out in all directions.

No one was prepared for that. In an instant, all the people around felt an impact on their bodies.

Even Biggie for an instance, felt as if he had seen stars.

"Whoosh!"

They were all sent flying away and immediately fainted.

Before anything worse could happen, a strange aura similar to one released by Runeko but even stronger, surged. It immediately enveloped the students forming a protective covering around them.

"This is bad." Jack frowned as he looked at the Zest, "It's using its will to suppress the girl."

The Dean didn't have a good look on his face as well. If it wasn't for Will, there was a chance for Runeko to fight back. But, there was no way that a normal girl could resist a Will.

"Ahh!!"

"Hmmn?" Dean's eyes suddenly widened when he noticed a golden glow surrounding Runeko's body.

The grey colored matter which was surrounding her began to get pushed aside. The third eye which had emerged in between Runeko's brows began to shrink as well.

The moment the third eye was pulled outside, the Dean raised his hand, and shouted at the same time, "Jack!"

With that his Will rushed in like a tide, and so did jack.

The Dean's Will clashed onto the Zest, and it let out a painful screech. It's grip on Runeko loosened for a second, and before it could regain possession of her body, Jack was there.

His one hand held onto Runeko, while his other hand clad in his own will struck the Zest.

"Bang!"

The impact sent the disgusting creature flying away.

Jack then looked at Runeko. She had fainted but that golden glow was still surrounding her body. There was a strange exoskeleton-like suit attachment which had appeared around her arm.

'You can't be serious..' He looked at her with wide eyes.

"How in hell do I not know about this?" The Dean asked in anger as he looked at Runeko. Such a great seed was right under his nose, and yet he had no idea about it.

"I want to know the same." Jack shook his head.

"A Golden Rank Skill, and that too with manifestations." The Dean looked at her with a serious look on his face, "Don't let this matter leak and get someone to check her background."

If such a person had appeared out of nowhere, and didn't have any significant background, only god knew how many people would go crazy to draw her towards them.

It might even get her in trouble. Too much talent wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"No wonder, she could resist and fight back that creature's Will.." Jack looked at her in amazement.

"You take care of them. I will end this." The Dean suddenly disappeared leaving them behind. He was most likely going to chase that thing.

…

"Where are you taking me? Shouldn't we be evacuating?" Leo looked at the girl with a frown on his face.

A vein popped up on Doris's face. This guy had been annoying her.

She couldn't believe it was the same guy from the past who wouldn't do anything against the rule. 'Did he hit his head too hard in the accident?'

"Boom!"

An explosion sounded. It was not very far away from them.

A frown appeared on Leo's face.

"What are you doing? Run!" He immediately turned around and pushed Doris along as well.

There was only one commotion going around in the Academy. It was related to the murderer incident. Meaning that thing was heading towards them.

Doris was taken back by Leo for a second, but she soon realized it as well. And, immediately uncuffed him. It would be bad if the cuffs prevented him from fleeing.

She looked behind her with a frown on her face as the two continued to move. She couldn't understand one thing.

The announcement that the Instructors had surrounded the murderer near the Dorms had sounded long ago. Did that mean that the Instructor not only failed to kill the person but even allowed him to escape?

How was that possible?

The Instructors in the Academy were very strong.

There was no way that a student could fight against them. In that case, was the murderer not a student but someone else?

Even as she ran, several questions kept popping up in Doris's head. But, there was no one to answer them.

Leo looked behind with a frown.

He just hoped that Runeko would be saved. He was already beaten to the point where running was a trouble for him, he most probably couldn't be of any help here.

'Hmmn?' Leo suddenly felt a will. It was a familiar feeling and he had already experienced it more than once.

'It doesn't give me that disgusting feeling..'

The Will most probably didn't belong to a Zest.

'Someone is here..' Leo immediately knew that someone was there to deal with that thing. Jack had told him that even in the Academy, the number of people who could use Will could be counted on one hand.

'I have to see what will happen to her..' Leo slowed down his steps, and when Doris had moved ahead, he slowly turned around and backtracked his steps.

'Please be safe…' Leo prayed inwardly. If something really happened to that girl, he would feel guilty for his whole life. After all, that Zest got out of that jar because of him, even though it wasn't his fault directly, he was indeed involved.

Leo couldn't deny that.