VIII - Aqua: Surge

Sora: “Ignis core — Ignite!”

Synchronization complete. Ignis mode activated.

Sora transforms into his Ignis form, the knight in the blazing armour.

Watching Sora’s transformation, Ryu, in his Aqua Mare form, fumes in rage.

Ryu: “This is what I really hate about you, Sora…!!”

Sora lifts his blade, and they both lunge forward, clashing.

***

The school hallways echoed with distant explosions. Water was spilling down the stairwell like a broken dam, but Akiha and Kaito moved with absolute urgency.

Akiha: “Everyone, move! Follow the arrows, and don’t look back!”

Kaito's spiders projected emergency light paths as they scuttled across the ceiling. His mana spiders created brief oxygen bubbles for anyone trapped in the leaking floods by spinning pockets of solid mana every few meters.

A group of teachers stumbled out of a classroom, coughing. Akiha rushed over, supporting them with her shoulder.

Teacher: “W-What about the Mare—?”

Akiha: “Leave that to Sora.”

The teacher paused.

Then one of the students revealed what half of them were thinking:

???: “But… Sora’s coreless, isn’t he? How is someone like him supposed to fight that thing? We’re doomed if he’s our only hope.”

Akiha: “Listen to me.”

Her voice cut through the panic like a blade.

Akiha: “Sora isn’t weak. He never was. If anyone can put an end to that, Mare… It’s him.”

The teachers and students looked at her, stunned.

Kaito stepped beside her, adjusting his glasses as another explosion rumbled overhead.

Kaito: “Sora’s risk factor is higher than any of you realize… he might be the only person capable of matching that thing.”

A student swallowed hard.

???: “…You really think he can win?”

Akiha didn’t look away.

Akiha: “I don’t think. I know.”

Silence.

Reluctantly, the teachers and students started to move once more, following Kaito's drones in the direction of the exit.

Akiha observed them leaving, then shifted her attention to the hallway, where Sora was by himself with Ryu.

Akiha: “So please… Stay safe.”

Akiha whispered under her breath.

***

Sora: “Cross-core shift!”

Sora changes his core, from Ignis to Oil.

Sora: “Oil — Flow!”

Sora transforms into his Oil Knight form and dashes forward.

Synchronization complete. Pseudo core: Oil, activated.

The hallway trembles under the weight of the Aqua Core on Ryu's chest. Water starts swirling violently around him like a living storm, smashing lockers and ripping posters from the walls.

Ryu: “You think you can stop me now, Sora?!”

Sora moves forward; Steam rises from Sora's armor as droplets evaporate on contact.

Sora: “I don’t want to fight you, Ryu… but I won’t let you hurt anyone else!”

A spear of pressurized water forms in Ryu's hand as he charges. He thrusts.

Sora counters with a powerful punch coated in oil as he slides to the side, his metallic plates shifting with a liquid clatter. Ryu blocks, and the water flow is slowed as the oil sticks to his arm.

Ryu growls and releases a wave that slams Sora against the wall.

Sora pushes off the wall, activating the Ignis Core midway.

Sora: “Cross-core shift! Ignis — Ignite!”

Synchronization complete. Ignis mode activated.

Lines of molten red erupt from his armor. Like snakes, flames wrap around his limbs.

He swings a fiery uppercut, and as soon as the fire comes into contact with the sticky oil residue from the previous form, it intensifies into a larger fire.

Ryu must raise a huge water shield. The entire hallway is filled with the blast of steam.

In an instant, Sora transforms back into Oil Form.

Sora: “Once more— Flow!”

His armor darkens, veins of shimmering gold coursing through it.

He sprays the floor with a stream of black oil. Ryu steps on it—

—and Sora returns to Ignis right away.

Sora: “Again — Ignite!”

The entire puddle catches fire, and the corridor tiles are burned away as a rolling wave of flames pushes Ryu back.

With a roar, Ryu launches a spiraling tornado of water, lifting Sora off his feet and slamming him into a classroom door.

Sora stumbles to his feet, battered, his flames flickering feebly.

Ryu charges, raising a huge water hammer above his head.

Sora takes a deep breath.

...Change.

Oil Form.

Ignis Form.

Oil Form.

Ignis Form.

Sora is able to break Ryu's rhythm and avoid the water hammer as each shift creates tiny bursts of pressure.

He propels himself upward by using the recoil of an Ignis jet-burst—

—and takes hold of Ryu's chest.

Sora: “Ryu! Enough!”

Ryu's chest is heated by Ignis' molten energy just enough to expel the Aqua Core.

Click.

The Aqua Core expels.

Ryu's eyes widen as he freezes.

Sora catches it in midair.

As the hallway floods with water and collapses—

Sora inserts the core into his Genesis engine.

Set! Aqua!

Sora: “Aqua — Surge!”

Sora's body erupts in a burst of blue-white light. Plates shift into fluid, smooth curves. Like living water, waves ripple across his armor.

Sora raises his hand.

Now, the flood that Ryu unleashed bends in his direction and obediently spirals around his shape.

Ryu staggers back.

Ryu: “No… no, that’s mine—!”

Sora moves like flowing water.

With a hydro-boost, he slides forward and slams an elbow into Ryu's stomach. Then, he kicks broadly, sending a whip of water flying across the hallway.

At last, Sora clicks the trigger on the Genesis Engine 3 times, compressing the entire flood into a shimmering sphere by gathering it in his palm.

Ryu staggered, steam hissing off his skin.

Ryu: “You—! How are you still standing!?”

Final Genesis: Tidebreaker!!

Sora: “Because I’m… Genesis Knight! The knight that will protect everyone…!”

Sora releases. The compressed sphere erupts outward like a tidal cannon, detonating with a thunderous crack.

Ryu is thrown into the opposite wall by a massive water blast that depletes all of Mare's remaining energy.

Ryu: “No… this can’t be…”

Defeated, Ryu untransforms and collapses.

Sora removes the core and untransforms, dropping weakly to the ground.

Sora: “Mission… Complete.”

Sora took out a test tube, and he downed it in one go.

The medicine that can “heal anything”, according to Kaito.

Sora: “...Tastes bad. And my head hurts… But I guess it really does make me feel better.”

***

???: “W-What was that loud noise?”

One of the teachers said, trembling, as everyone who had successfully evacuated stood outside the school gate.

Just then, a figure appeared walking out of the school.

Kaito: “Is it Sora… Who successfully defeated the Mare? Or is it Ryu… The villain who managed to defeat the hero?”

Akiha: “Mr. Kaito! Stop talking nonsense!”

—And the figure steps out.

It was Sora, walking slowly and weakly, dragging the Genesis Engine.

Akiha: “Sora!”

She immediately rushes towards him and supports the exhausted Sora.

Soon, sirens echo outside. Police and MHRA agents arrive and restrain the unconscious Ryu.

As Akiha was supporting Sora, Kaito started deactivating his “Mana Spiders”, or whatever invention he released to assist the mission earlier.

Akiha: “It’s finally over…”

Sora: “Yeah… but something tells me this is only the beginning.”

As the duo walks alongside each other, many teachers and students, who are watching, start whispering to themselves.

???: “A coreless… saved us?”

???: “Such a strong Mare, and he defeated it?”

But as of right now, the duo didn’t care. The most important thing to do next… is to report back to headquarters.

Sora: “H…How’s Mr. Senzaki?”

Akiha: “He’s fine. Let’s leave everything to the police and agents for now; we have a mission to report.”

Sora nodded in response. Watching the smiling duo, Kaito followed with a smug little grin.

The three of them begin to walk back slowly to the MHRA headquarters.

But unseen by them, a shadowed figure stands on the rooftop of the school.

Watching Sora.

Studying him.

???: “…So he’s the vessel, huh? Interesting.”

And then, a student spotted the figure. But before the student could say anything, the figure vanished instantly.

Like an assassin.