All existence had been taken over by Darkness.
It leisurely robbed every eye of the ability of sight, then presented everything as empty colors, devoid of shape.
Amidst the void, a faint sound emerged.
"Huff..."
After the first breath, a faint Light descended from the heavens, breaking through the fortress of the Darkness and bringing sight to every eye, allowing them to once again witness colors and shapes.
After the battle of restoration, the eyes witnessed that the space was divided into two realms.
One side still eroded by Darkness, hollow and shapeless. The other embraced by Light, and yet colors and shapes did not yet reside there.
In this tense standoff, something happened.
The shadow in the Darkness realm suddenly retreated to the side. It was punctured from the inside by a pair of slender legs armored by black long socks and dressed in red shoes.
The legs broke through the shadows and crossed the threshold. The instant they entered the Light, they became the first shape and the first color in the Light realm.
Tap Tap Tap Tap
Shortly after, another pair of legs followed with a rabbit's restlessness, carrying their owner in a constant bounce up and down.
Step step Step step
Another pair of legs trailed behind. This one, however, was faintly shaking, filled with fear of what was left behind in the Darkness realm.
Puff
At once, the shadow fully dispersed, fearfully yielding the entire space to a white-haired angel.
The Light followed, marching in a fervor to finally subdue the Darkness realm.
Standing in the middle of the glorious radiance and surrounded by dancing little stars, the angel's eyes were hidden by round black eyeglasses. Though they were out of sight, one could imagine how ethereal they were.
"Heh~" The angel grinned with charming confidence. One glance at that breathtaking image was enough to make one's heart instantly stop, and the little stars began to cheer and shook in joy. Just as the divine itself intended.
Pat
From behind, a fair hand landed on the angel's heavenly shoulder.
"Get ready, Gojo" a feminine voice spoke to the peerless figure.
The hand withdrew. Then a black-haired girl with a lollipop in her mouth moved out from behind Gojo. Her red shoes settled onto the smooth floor as she calmly guided the entire group forward.
Gojo slightly tilted his head. "No need. This will be easy" He chuckled, then followed after her with his face turned up toward the heavens.
"Huff..." Rin kept up her breathing exercise, her gaze quietly tracking the backs of those two.
Monna stopped beside her, her own restless hopping finally calm. "Let's pray we somehow win"
"Let's go" Ruby, with her legs no longer shaking, trailed after the light of Ellen and Gojo.
A towering white gate stopped Ellen's advance.
She observed the imposing structure, a shallow exhale escaping her lips, then she turned to face the army behind her. "Are all of you ready?"
"For a victory?" Gojo raised his hands, colliding his open palm with his fist. "My skills are itching for it"
"Hmph" Ellen ignored him, her attention shifting to the girls behind him.
Rin took her last deep breath. Monna took one final jump. Ruby straightened her posture. Together, they gave a silent nod.
In response, Ellen nodded back, then turned once more toward the imposing gate.
Her hand rose, fingers landing on the cold bronze handle. She twisted it and, with a small amount of force, pushed the white structure open.
Stark, sharp light flooded the entire space.
The group raised their hands to shield their eyes as the overwhelming brightness crashed over their senses.
"Ellen!" "Gojo!" "Ellen!" "Gojo!" "Ellen!" "Gojo!"
A chorus of voices reverberated in their ears, individual voices becoming impossible to distinguish as the shouts of men and women merged into one overwhelming roar.
Once their eyes adjusted, Gojo, Ellen, Rin, Monna, and Ruby witnessed people standing on rows upon rows of circular seats. Each circle climbed upward, filled to the brim with an enthusiastic crowd in school uniform.
"Yeeaaahhhh!!!"
As they began to advance further into the middle of the arena, the crowd erupted. Hands raised, they shouted with all the strength their vocal cords could muster, all in celebration of their arrival.
"Ellen!!!" "Gojo!!!" "Ellen!!!" "Gojo!!!" "Ellen!!!" "Gojo!!!"
At the last chant, they stopped.
"...And we don't forget about the emotional support! Rin, Monna, and Ruby!" The crowd leaped to their feet.
Rin sagged her shoulders at the usual knife announcement. "Even if it's true our skills are not good, when you always say it like that. It still hurts..."
"Yeah..." Monna sighed, following suit.
Amidst the deafening noise, Ruby noticed their lowered spirits. She approached slowly and wrapped both of them in a warm cuddle.
"Cutee!!!" the crowd roared again.
Gojo, without visible emotion on his face, quietly stared at the girls cuddling and comforting each other. A while later, his gaze slowly shifted toward the source of the chorus of voices.
Pat
A hand landed on his shoulder, and Ellen's calm voice reached him. "Just a new ritual. The cuddling is their way of entertaining the crowd, making the basketball court livelier. They can handle themselves, don't worry"
After watching the crowd excitedly shout cute over and over, Gojo looked at the three cuddling girls again.
He studied their expression for a while, and sensed that none of them were genuinely hurt. He let out a breath, and the tension in his chest gradually disappeared with it.
"...as the most handsome being in this floating ball of dirt in space. I'm simply thinking about how to always look cool" he murmured.
"Uh-huh" Ellen nodded and pulled her hand back.
Swoosh!
A basketball tore through the air, shooting toward Ellen's face at alarming speed.
Bam!
The brown ball stopped just inches before her indifferent gaze.
Gojo looked at the ball in his palm and casually twirled it on his index finger. He watched it spin, then turned toward the direction of the throw with a massive grin.
"Woah, the coward Lucien used a sneak attack, vewy scawy~"
The moment Lucien heard his mocking tone and saw that infuriating grin, his left eye twitched violently.
Anger surged through his blood vessels, and the adrenaline shot through the roof, rallying his nervous system to the edge of an erupting volcano.
His mouth opened, and a loud, hot breath escaped.
Witnessing this, Gojo stuck his tongue out and wiggled it left and right.
At that, Lucien could not hold it any longer. His face muscles contorted and compressed. He bared his teeth like a snarling cheetah.
"Yo-"
"Boss! Our captain is here! Behave, remember! Behave!"
Lucien froze. Every word in his exploding mind died the moment his lackey's voice rang out.
Within an instant, the fire inside him went cold. The adrenaline that had flooded his body retreated, timidly hiding in the deepest, most isolated corners.
Gojo's left eyebrow lifted at how quickly the steam was taken out of him in real time.
Lucien turned away, took several deep breaths, and nodded. "You're right, Lackey No. 1. Thanks for reminding me"
The newly christened Lackey No. 1 blinked repeatedly, his mouth hanging open, about to question the name. But one look at Lucien's cold expression was enough to make him quietly step back.
"Huh?" Gojo stopped the twirling basketball on his finger and chose to watch Lucien, who quietly retreated with the lackey.
"From a crouching, teeth-baring cub to a well-behaved cub. How curious..." He turned his head toward Ellen.
"What do you think?" he said, tossing the ball aside. Compared to the cub who pulled his dull little claws back, the ball was boring.
"It's their captain..." Ellen fixed the smooth sleeve on her hands.
- Thugnificat -
As she said the name, her voice was heavy, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She kept smoothing the already slick sleeve even more carefully.
"Ahah!" A wide smile crossed Gojo's lips. "What kind of nickname is that!? Hahaha!"
"That is not a nickname but his real name" Ellen turned toward him, and a deeper frown appeared on her face.
"He is widely recognized as the baddest thug among bad thugs. Many people say his parents named him that way because, when he was born, the first thing he did was not cry. Instead, he extorted his parents' entire savings"
Gojo blinked and stared at Ellen's straight face.
"Ahahaha!" He immediately doubled over, hands on his knees. "A baby extorting his parents' savings?! Ellen, do you believe that junk?! Haha!"
"Hah..." Ellen shook her head at his mockery.
"You're right, the rumors are too much. Most likely, his Tribe named him with the words Magnificent and Thug. Maybe tied to a violent culture? Or perhaps a symbol of strength?"
"Wha?" Gojo's laughter stopped, and his eyebrows rose as he noticed the complete calm in her voice.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Just as he was about to ask further, heavy footsteps stopped him. He blinked, smiled, and turned toward the sound.
A tall, massive panda Thiren with a large belly walked excitedly toward him.
"Gojo! My beloved student!" A bright girlish voice shouted out, brimming with youth.
"Yoo! Hahaha!" Gojo extended his hand. "Dap me up, teacher!"
The panda smiled and met his palm.
DAP!
Dap~ dap~ ap~ p~
The sound of their dap echoed through the arena, mingling with the crowd's loud cheering for the now-dancing Rin, Monna, and Ruby nearby in the center of the basketball court.
Still, Gojo and the panda ignored all the noise, choosing to focus only on each other.
As they held the dap, they patted the backs of each other's hands.
The panda smiled widely. "Gojo, why haven't you attended the club for so long?"
Gojo mirrored her exaggerated smile. "You know how it is. I need to take care of many things back at the shop. Especially since the shop just bled money instead of earning it"
Then he dropped his shoulder.
"I need to run around searching for odd jobs that pay nicely, but..." A sigh escaped. "I can only work there temporarily. So now I'm jobless again, but at least I can cover the shop expenses for a while"
The panda's smile receded, and she nodded. "I see. My lazy student has faced a lot of difficulty. If it is only a financial matter, I can help you"
He shook his head. "No need. I can handle it myself. If things get dire, I can cosplay as The Honored One. Some pretty ladies out there might be willing to pay me a million for that"
She frowned. "Things like that aren't good for you. Let me ask around. I know people who might have a job for you"
He smiled. "Thanks, Teacher Hannah. If I need a job, I'll ask you"
step step step
At the sound of footsteps behind her, Hannah's furry round ears swiveled and her eyes narrowed. She quickly pulled Gojo into a close hug. "Alright. Listen carefully and remember what I'm about to tell you"
She leaned in and whispered, "The opponent you face, Thugnificat, is a strong one. Be serious or you lose. That's all"
She released Gojo and turned around toward the footsteps.
"Hello, Teacher Percival. Nice to meet you"
A man in an immaculately smooth gym teacher's uniform stood straight, his gaze steady on hers, carrying a warm familiarity.
He inclined his head. "Greetings, Miss Hannah. My pleasure. You seem more cheerful, and I see you have lost some weight"
Hannah let out a bashful laugh. "Indeed. I have one of my best players here, and I have been following a new diet lately"
Before Percival could respond, someone approached and whispered to him.
He listened, nodded, and turned back to Hannah. "Thugnificat will arrive here. So unfortunately, our conversation is cut short"
He did a respectful bow and turned around toward the door.
Gojo watched his back until he vanished through the door, then turned to Hannah. "People here seem to show a lot of respect to that captain. Isn't he just a crook?"
Hearing what he said, she let out a sharp breath through her nose. "He has real skills. The only reason our school got second place in the championship is because of him"
She glanced at Ellen, who kept a quiet watch over the dancing Rin, Monna, and Ruby from a short distance away.
"Rumor says he fancies your crush there and made a little bet with the girls. Better be serious, or he will make her fall head over heels. And don't just believe rumors, Gojo. He actually looks good and has good manners"
Gojo gave an unimpressed nod. "Uh-huh. You told me not to believe rumors, yet you just told me one"
She patted his shoulder. "Haha, good catch. But I believe your tense shoulder already tells me otherwise"
Under her paw, his shoulders suddenly relaxed.
"It's nothing like that. I'm just thinking about what kind of tough opponent Thugnificat will be as a basketball player" he said flatly.
Seeing his calm expression, she blinked, then chuckled. "A straightforward Gojo is more appealing, you know~"
Then, hearing footsteps getting closer, she turned and found Ellen leading Rin, Monna, and Ruby toward them. The three girls were a little sweaty after their dance.
Hannah smiled and whispered to Gojo. "If you want to court her, be an impressive, cool Gojo in this spar. And most importantly, shed that lazy personality of yours"
After giving him one last pat and a thumbs-up, she walked off to the side.
Watching her storm off, Gojo let out a sharp exhale and turned toward the girls. "Thugnificat will be here soon. Do any of you know why his 'legend' is so clearly exaggerated? And I heard he's good-looking and all. What's up with that?"
Rin perked up, her right hand shooting into the air. "Oh! I know! I know!"
Gojo locked eyes with her. "No rumors"
The cheerful hand wilted and took a slow dive down.
At the group's pointed look, she scratched the back of her head. "...I actually... don't know exactly what his deal is... actually, when I think about it, no one does"
Ruby recalled the rumors she had also heard, then gave a nod. "Most things about him are throwaway rumors. But the volume should bring us somewhat close to the full picture. However, instead of speculating at this time, how about we just wait for the man himself to come here? He will be here soon, no?"
Beneath Gojo's unwilling gaze, the girls glanced at each other and agreed.
"Fine, he is just a thug after all" He sighed, went toward Ellen, and stood beside her, just a half step behind her and facing the entrance with a calm expression.
Ellen's brows lifted. She sensed a faint hostility in his tone, and his act of dismissal felt strange to her.
She turned her head toward the other girls. They wore the same confused expression.
After a few seconds of staring, they came up with nothing. They shrugged and decided it was simply him being unhappy about the lack of information, and turned their attention to the gym entrance.
Click
The moment the door's bronze handle twisted, Ellen slowed her breath and focused.
Yet it was Teacher Percival who opened the white door. He stepped inside and held it open, his hand extended in a formal gesture of welcome.
Ellen narrowed her eyes. 'That respectful gesture... the next one must be him'
An astonishing sight unfolded.
From beyond the opened white door, a cloud of darkness crawled patiently toward the gym interior. It halted at the threshold and clawed into the door frame, carving a deep, painful wound into the wall.
The whole gym went utterly silent. The crowd and Ellen's group could only stare, their breath lodged in their throats.
The shadow crept quietly at the threshold, a stark contrast to the bright gym interior.
In the dark realm beyond, a faint silhouette revealed itself, weaving through at an unhurried pace.
Every time that silhouette wove closer, a strange tick of a clock reverberated in the air.
As that silhouette reached the border of Light and Dark, a pristine white shoe punctured the shadow, crossing the threshold into the Light realm.
The Light rushed forward to the border.
When it reached the legs, it transformed into twinkling little stars that bounced alongside the delicate legs.
As the owner of the pristine shoe finally stepped inside, the shadow hands that stretched toward his face, the ones that had clasped it so tightly, scattered into shallow mist.
Unable to contain him any longer, they fled back to the dark realm with a wisp of a whisper.
The instant Ellen's eyes settled on that face draped in soft golden veil, her eyes narrowed.
'...The rumors are downplaying it...' she thought. A touch of unease peeked through from her subconscious.
Meanwhile, Gojo had been watching her expression from the moment everyone focused on the door. As Ellen's eyes narrowed with gravity instead of astonishment or admiration, he smiled.
'That reaction... Heh, Teacher Hannah, a rumor is still a rumor no matter how you twist it' A faint smile forming on his lips.
'Let's see that 'handsome face' you have, thug'
However, when he turned to face Thugnificat, who stopped and stood before him, the sight made his Six Eyes go wide.
"Gojo Satoru... a name spoken with reverence in the hearts of many"
Amidst the silence, a melody softer than cotton and smoother than silk drifted through the air, gently embracing every listener's ears.
The golden veil over his face drifted open. From within, a tiny face peeked, cute and curious.
Little stars bloomed in his eyes as he periodically stole quick glances. Gojo's stunned expression reflected within those prismatic crystal-patterned retinas brimming with colors of light and deep blue, mixed with purple, and a few faint pink flecks.
His stubby white cat ears quietly twitched.
"I bear the name Thugnificat, and standing before thee now, I confess that the celestial radiance of thy magnificence hath caused mine own spirit to unfurl as doth a Peruvian lily awakening to the warmth of morning light"
The golden veil simmered into soft light and framed his calm expression, brushing his elfin lips, ones more enticing and sweeter than any fruit.
Behind him, his white tail swayed in a gentle arc. Yet, if one focused on it, it faintly quivered with excitement.
Ellen: The rumors are right! He is prettier than me!
Gojo: The rumors are Wack! Who says he is handsome? He is more beautiful than any woman I've ever seen!
Rin, Monna, Ruby, and the rest of the crowd: SUPER CUTE!!!
Thugnificat, upon seeing Gojo's silence, assumed his introduction had been inadequate, that something was missing. So, he would provide it now.
Under the quiet gaze of everyone, he bent at the waist at a precise angle, then proffered his hand toward Gojo, soft palm up to be embraced.
"Standing before thee fills me with such gratitude as words scarce can contain. Thou art all that rumor hath promised, and more. 'Tis a true honor to meet thee"
Reflected in Gojo's Six Eyes was that delicate hand, waiting patiently, hoping to be taken.
TBC
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A reminder that this is the place for End of Chapter Notes or Author Notes. If you don't want your immersion broken, you can confidently skip this, because these notes will never contain spoilers or story. Just me rambling.
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Hey Hey, Readers. Nilvan here.
It's been 11 days since chapter 12 release...
Sorry about the wait. I've been playing Assassin's Creed 4, the one from 2013. My ancient PC can't handle the resync, and I also play Stellaris.
(I'm still running an Intel i3 4150 and an AMD HD 7850)
Anyway, there's nothing much to talk about.
Soo...
That's all for now. Have a good day!
(❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡
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A Bonus Section: An Insight (May Change Perspective)
Today, I made the opening different. You might have already noticed.
The opening is grand and a little abstract, different from most prose in this chapter.
The war between Light and Darkness opens the chapter.
It is written that way to create a sense of grandiosity.
Rin is the first breath. She proves that life still exists despite everything being taken by Darkness. The darkness has not killed everything.
Ellen punctured the shadow. She proves that one can fight through the shadow of Darkness. She proves that fighting back is possible. She did not just survive. She broke through.
Monna is the restless legs. She proves that what Ellen did is possible, that one can do it, and that you can too. She is not the first, but she follows.
Ruby is the scared legs. She proves that even if you're scared, even if you're shaking, you can do it. She proves that fear does not disqualify you.
Gojo fully dispersed the shadow. He proves that even if the world was consumed by Darkness, eventually Light will prevail. The final answer.
All of them march forward, and they are celebrated and welcomed for that. People cheer. People shout their names.
It is a grand moment.
...
I want to hear your thought.