Rose Arcane University: The Dragon King Arc

Reunion At The Battle Royale (Pt.1)

Raijin's face expressed amazement from what stood before him. A university based purely on focusing on getting more in tune with their natural ability and then some. What he never realized was that the school itself resided high above the clouds to a fantasy land known as Elysium. He was a face amongst a crowd of people like him. No longer did he feel outcasted. He was finally amongst his people...technically.

"Alright, what do I have to do to sign up for one of these guilds?" Raijin would query on the matter at hand. "Your gonna have to sign up for all of the guilds to increase your chances of being picked by one of them. Take a picture so they can identify you and take part in the Battle Royale Initiation." Icarus says in response and started walking ahead of the young man. "Follow me, my boy." He issued for Raijin to follow, who did just that without a single thought. Icarus showed Raijin to the podium where they were taking names for the fight set to commence. "Excuse me. I have collected one of the Personnel-Requested Students." Icarus would speak first and have Raijin await while he handled business.

"Excellent, Lord Icarus. Can you issue who or which guild requested for him?" The attendant would ask respectively to the elder gentleman in front of her. Icarus looked around almost nervously before leaning forward. "Shatter Dragons..." He whispered to her. But despite his attempts to hide that fact from the other potential students, many with sensitive and increased hearing overheard him and gossiped amongst other candidates before they were all focused solely on Raijin causing him to awkwardly look around. "Why is everyone looking at me...?" Raijin questioned causing Icarus to turn and sigh in frustration. "I'm sorry Raijin...the top guild here requested you. Now knowing this, your a target to make an example out of and prove to be a better choice. All I can say now...is show them that your no pushover." Icarus says placing a hand on his back before pushing him forward. "Head towards the stadium. If you get lost, follow the crowd. It'll lead you right there." Icarus informed Raijin who nodded in response while following the current wave to its next destination.

Now solo and on his own, Raijin found himself surrounded by the hordes of students that awaited a metal door to arise and allow them into the massive arena. "It looks like a amphitheater..." Raijin spoke in pure bewilderment. This statement caused a nearby bystander to look at him in a awkward manner. "A what?" The male spoke up to engage in meager conversation. "Eh? Oh. A Amphitheater. Used in Roman and Greek architecture. Mostly used for drama and sporting events. Kinda like this." Raijin replied back in a calm fashion now that he's seen a massive glimpse for what's in store for them. "Oh. You must be one of those smart guys, right?" The mystery male asked only for Raijin to shake his head in disapproval. "It's better to have some knowledge of history. It grants us the ability to look at where we came from and improve indefinitely." Raijin informed the male he was speaking to whose excitement knew no bounds. "I guess so. I always look towards the future rather than the past! Maybe I should start doing that!" He declared happily only for Raijin to smile and nod towards the male. He was a strange yet cheerful individual. A tan individual with wild spiky dirty blonde hair and amber colored eyes to nearly match. He sported no upper attire unveiling his chest to all who saw him. His nape and both of his arms in their entirety were covered in tattoos. His lower half donned a more japanese approach with black hakama pants designed to have golden and red flames along the pant legs. But his main attraction was his monkey tail that swayed freely despite the lack of room. Regardless, Raijin found him cool to be around despite everyone else now bound to hunt him down because of the guild he's signed up for. The metallic gate would rise and the flood of students rushed in pushing the two males in; finally allowing breathing room for everyone there. The crowd was packed with both alumni and current students while the guild leaders sat in their own podiums aiming to find every student that signed up.

One of the podiums was residence to the second most strongest guild at the current point in time. It was here that a female with her legs crossed and shrouded in mystery sat within the podium reserved specifically for this particular guild. Another female who seemed to be a recruiter came to her aide with a personal question in terms of advising what to do with one of the candidates. "Umm... Milady?" She approached her superior in a quiet fashion. "Yes, Violet?" A authoritarian voice spoke confirming her attention was now on this female who was revealed to be named Violet. "There is...a recruit that you might want to see an-" She shyly spoke only for her to be interrupted by her higher-up. "If it's a male, immediately discard of it." She would reply almost instantaneous. "I-I know but...isn't this the boy you constantly admire?" Violet asked; flashing Raijin's profile in front of her to get her take on the issue at hand. The female in question reads the file and quickly scoped down the information after reading the name and noticing similar features from her memory but with an older defining detail to him. Without hesitation, the female rose from her seat and came into the light where everyone could finally see her. Examining the stadium grounds until her eyes finally found him with the other male he was speaking to.

"Is that really you, Rai?" She questioned before calling out to him. "RAIJIN!! RAIJIN!!! IS THAT YOU?!?!" She screamed for his attention only for the excitable fellow beside Raijin to look in her general direction and point her out. "Hey. You know her?" He asked Raijin who turned around and finally looked after finding where he was being summoned. His eyes focused heavily on her but upon realization, his eyes shot open widely in response. 'That hair...those eyes...' He thought before finally calling back to her. "KUSA? KUSANAGI?!?!" He yelled. Knowing he remembered her only made her smile to herself to the point of shedding a tear down her cheek. "I never thought I'd see you again!" She retorts to him holding back the urge to cry. Raijin couldn't help but smile at this heartfelt reunion. "If your here...then-"

Without warning, a chain surged and wrapped around Raijin's wrist which caught him and Kusanagi by surprise. Following the chain, he noticed a face he could never forget. A slight smirk managed to form on the male's lips. "Well...I'm starting to like this school already. Now that I know my two best friends are here!" He spoke with a charming wit attached to his vocal cords.

"TETSUO!!" Raijin exclaims happily before Tetsuo leapt to his side keeping the chain attached to his friends' arm until he was close enough. "I've been looking all over for you! I even convinced my foster parents to go back and get you but you were gone!" He spoke while placing Raijin in a playful headlock. "Do you have ANY idea how worried I was that they did something to you?!" Tetsuo asked expressing legitimate concern in his own tone. Eventually, Raijin managed to get him off before speaking his part. "I wasn't going to wait for a whole new batch of kids. No one was going to replace you guys either. So I left." Raijin explained his reasoning to Tetsuo who nodded and shared his genuine feelings between the two. "That's actually fair. So now it's only a matter of surviving this, right? Let's do it together! I finally get to see your abilities when not holding back!" The excitement was palpable as Raijin could feel this aching feeling in his chest that wanted to burst aflame. His attention turned to the waves of enemies ready to battle them to get their hands on Raijin. With allies he can rely on and a future to look forward to involving Kusanagi again, Raijin stood firm clashing his fist into his free hand. "Yeah. Let's do this!"

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"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE YEARLY BATTLE ROYALE INITIATION! IT IS HERE THAT ONE HUNDRED CONTESTANTS ENTER! AND ONLY FIFTEEN CAN ENTER AND BE CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF A GUILD! PLEASE NOTE CONTESTANTS THAT EVEN IF YOU MAKE IT TO THE LAST FIFTEEN! IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING MEMORABLE, THE GUILD LEADERS DO HAVE THE OPTION OF NOT PICKING YOU! BUT THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR!" A massive voice echoed through the arena with Raijin, Tetsuo, and the young man from before standing amongst one another. "So we have to be in the top fifteen...while also impressing those guild leaders enough to be chosen?" Tetsuo summed up the statement for Raijin to understand and nod in agreement. "It looks that way." He says looking towards the male from earlier. "If we're doing this together, what is your name and abilities?" Raijin finally asked which made the young man place his arms behind his head. "Huh? Oh yeah! Duh! Sorry about that. I'm Sun. Pleased to make your acquaintance!". The man now known as Sun announced his name with slight salute towards the others. "Sun? Like...the literal sun? Solar Empowerment?" Tetsuo questioned only for Sun to shake his head before beginning his rebuttal by unveiling his monkey tail first leading to both install individuals getting what he meant by that. "More like Sun Wukong. But hey, that would be a cool power." Sun at least considered such an ability to be cool in his book.

"ALRIGHT! GET READY FOR AN EPIC FIGHT SET TO COMMENCE BEFORE YOU!" That voice rang throughout the stadium implementing a stir of cheers throughout the crowd. "YOU GOT THIS RAI! YOU TOO TETSUO!" Kusanagi's voice traveled towards her two best friends now aiming for a chance to join one of the guilds. "Milady! What happened to your stoic nature and showing no sorts of favoritism?" Violet asked of her superior who turned to her only to look down at the battlefield again. "That's because these past few years have brought additions like you are worthy of joining my forces as a guild. But these boys are my best friends. The ones who inspired the creation of the woman before you. Of course, I'm going to show favoritism. It's just..." Her attitude towards this revelation suddenly changed in tone. "It's just exactly the reason why I kinda hate what I've become and what I've created..." Kusanagi spoke truthfully about her current self. I've made a guild that basically accepts only women...a foolish mistake...because now they are here and I can't accept them. No matter how much I want them by my side again." Kusanagi nearly wept to herself after thinking this through. Violet gently bowed in respect. "Regardless Milady...I don't think your too far gone to break that cycle and make a change. It could be even fun with them around." Violet recommended to her higher ranking officer. "Maybe you could break that tradition...or...forge an alliance with the guilds that they choose. But work exclusively with them to where they can come to us or we go to them. Think of it like...an extended family." Violet offered as a method to stay in close proximity with her friends. Kusanagi lightened up in joy with these choices and became determined to see them victorious again.

"ARE YOU READY!? BEGIN!!" The announcer voice yelled before an entire war commenced in the stadium. Raijin and Tetsuo stayed back to back to one another while Sun stayed in close proximity to them keeping potential enemies at bay as best as he could.

Everything ran smoothly until a behemoth of a man ran towards the trio intent of impaling whoever stood in his way. Raijin pushed Tetsuo aside and gripped the horns whose imposing strength proceeded to push him despite the difference in strength. "Rai!" Tetsuo yelled attempting to follow and help his best friend. "Your nothing but a mere small fry. What can you possibly do?" A deepened husky voice escaped that monstrosity. Raijin growled to himself when his strength started kicking in to halt him just as the wall was mere centimeters away from him. "Oh trust me. I sure know how to pack a punch!" Raijin exclaimed while finding the appropriate leverage needed to lift the monster man up and over his head. This strength surprised those that witnessed this feat nearby. Even spooking the centaur like male that thought of Raijin as nothing more than a wannabe punk that wished to be apart of this world before them. Raijin out of rage slammed his entire body into the wall behind him adding a perfectly placed knee to his nose to render the male unconscious.

Tetsuo ran to Raijin's side looking at what he left behind and chuckled lightly to himself. "Your still holding back, aren't you?" Tetsuo questioned his friend who looked at him with a soft smile. "Heh. More or less. Right now we need to start eliminating the others. We might need to split up to cover more ground. If push comes to shove be within hearing distance. You got that Sun!?" Raijin shouted to his newfound companion who summoned a staff to aide his battle again five other opponents. "Loud and clear!" He replied while flipping onto the top half of his staff showing perfect balance. "I'll go help him. You just show them what your made of." Tetsuo issued to Raijin who nodded before parting ways for the time being. "I'll make it out of this...this I swear." Raijin declared to himself as the battle wages on.

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Almost twenty minutes were into the royale. Sixty-seven contestants remained involving Vampires, Banshees, Werewolves, Ghouls, and people like Sun coming from nowhere with the physiology of a ancient deity or god aiding them to reach the top. Raijin remained vigilant as the battle was far from a climax. But the least he could do was show his abilities which impressed all of the Guild Masters while Kusanagi herself was starstruck from her inner amazement for her best friend. "I can't believe it. Raijin hasn't lost a single breath. He alone has taken out twenty-three opponents. He's so incredible. I haven't even seen much of his true physiology yet." Kusanagi praised highly of her friend of high significance.

Meanwhile, Tetsuo and Sun were back to back swarmed by other students. Somehow managing to keep them away from themselves and each other. "There is too many. Should we call Raijin?" Sun wondered which made Tetsuo nod at him while he tried focusing on getting out of their sticky situation. However, one specific male took their open blind spot from above. His entire body started shifting and breaking to compromise with his altering body while forming a wolf's snout showing razor sharp teeth to match. "TIME FOR A BLOODY AND HEALTHY SNACK!!" This maniacally deranged wolf man shouted aiming to chomp down and attempt to murder Sun and Tetsuo.

"CHOMP!"

Sun and Tetsuo had their eyes closed preparing for the worst. It didn't help that blood splattered along their faces. But it wasn't either of their life force that caused the spilling. Their eyes fluttered open to notice Raijin using his arm to defend them from harm. "R-Raijin!" Tetsuo called to him out to him in a perturbed manner. Regardless of the pain coming from the sharp teeth piercing through his skin, Raijin forced his arm high only to arch his free arm and punch the werewolf across his face knocking him away. "Rai...are you?" Tetsuo sought to know the condition of Raijin's injuries. "I'm fine...just give me a second." Raijin answered his friend rather calmly. Before his very eyes, Tetsuo noticed his wounds healing rapidly just as Raijin was ready to handle unfinished business with the radical maniacal freak of nature. An immense aura flaring highly off of Raijin's body. The intensity drove the students surrounding Sun and Tetsuo backed away slowly. "Do whatever you want to me. But just a healthy reminder..." Raijin paused as his golden hues flared up signifying his rage in that specific moment. "The second...that you try to kill my friends or loved ones...that's when I have to get serious." Raijin would iterate to his new enemy.

"Now...it's about time I showed you what I've been holding back..." Raijin would speak with fumes escaping his nostrils.