Chapter Text
It was another normal day in Kivotos. Students, animal people and automatons walked the streets, going about their everyday lives.
However, little did any of them know…this was the last day of “normality” in their lives.
An explosion suddenly rocked the SCHALE Building, causing nearby citizens to immediately take cover. The explosion’s magnitude was much larger than any that could be caused by conventional explosives; the SCHALE Building crumbled, collapsing upon itself as smoke and flames billowed out, glass shattering and steel bending.
From the GSC Building, Nanagami Rin heard the explosion echo through the streets. Shooting up in her seat, she turned to the window only to see the SCHALE Building falling down, flames spewing into the sky like a dragon’s breath.
Immediately, Rin grabbed the phone on her desk, punching in a few numbers. Forget the paperwork for now, Sensei’s safety was paramount!
A few moments later, the person on the other end of the line picked up.
“Rin, if this is about the explosion at SCHALE, I’ve already mobilized Valkyrie to head over there. Stay calm, and don’t panic. If you’re really concerned, head to SCHALE yourself. I’m already on my way there.”
“...Thank you, Kanna. Sorry if this bothers you, but could you reroute one of your Valkyrie units over to the GSC Building to get me to SCHALE? Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Rin quickly closed the call before rushing out of the door. She needed to be there in case of trouble…
…
It was too much.
Fire. Pain. The feeling of Originium assimilating his regenerating flesh.
He couldn’t even see out of his left eye anymore.
“Fossil…move…dammit! Khh…”
“My child. Be not afraid. Relax. Let me guide you.”
“We’ll help! Frost…take…leg!”
“Your Oripathy’s getting worse. If you so wish…I can end your misery right now. You won’t even feel any pain, you’re already used to it…”
“Ghhh…! Hang…Valkyrie…here! Need help!”
“Shit! Call…ambulance…now!”
“Patriot-sensei!”
Flames. Torn, twisted steel. Dark crystals steadily growing out of his body. That was all he could see out of his good eye.
“Oh? A teacher…but at this rate, your body won’t even be able to teach anyone.”
His head hurt. The yelling, the screams, the roaring and crackling of the fire, the voice in his head…
He felt himself moving.
Hands were dragging him out of the smoke and fire, toward the pure blue expanse…
“Good night, child of mine.”
A bolt of pain suddenly shot through his head, before an influx of information, nonsensical and corrupted, slammed into his brain, instantly sending him into a comatose state…
…
Rin practically kicked the door open as soon as the police cruiser stopped in front of the ruined SCHALE Building, seeing Patriot’s limp body being dragged out of the wreckage of the building by the combined efforts of RABBIT and FOX Squads along with FrostNova. FrostNova herself had injuries in a few places, while coughing slightly from the smoke.
“I already called for an ambulance. They’ll be here soon to transport Patriot-sensei to the nearest hospital-” Kanna said to Rin, before being pushed to the side as Rin rushed over to FrostNova, bracing her as she collapsed into Rin’s arms.
“Please…help him…” FrostNova said, grabbing Rin’s cloak firmly.
“...I will. Trust me.” Rin said, looking over at Patriot. His wounds were regenerating, but were being rapidly covered by black crystals as well…something Rin hadn’t noticed until now…
In the meanwhile, she could only cradle FrostNova’s head, trying not to mind her cold touch, or the icy tears that were flowing down her cheeks.
…
Rin returned to her office late at night, wanting to finish the day’s paperwork. She tried to focus, yet with both Patriot-sensei and assistant sensei FrostNova in the hospital, anxiety gnawed at her thoughts, muddling them. An uncomfortable feeling had also formed in her chest, growing stronger the longer it had been from the time she’d visited the explosion…
Suddenly, a sharp pain in her lungs forced her to cough, once, twice, three times. Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Rin drew it away to see warm, sticky blood with small granules of the same black crystal that was growing from Patriot’s body inside the blood.
The pain spread from her lungs, rapidly devouring her body and making her fall to the ground in agony, coughing, choking and writhing in pain. Her vision hazed from the pain, she could only watch in horror as black crystals grew from her hands, piercing the skin and exploding out of her flesh-
…
“It has been 25 days since the mysterious explosion at SCHALE, which has put Patriot-sensei in a coma. Assistant sensei FrostNova has filled in for Patriot in the time being, however, it has still not stopped the gradual decline of the Academy City’s well-being. For unknown reasons, the GSC has still refused to disclose any information about the lack of action from Acting President Nanagami Rin on these matters. On another note, multiple students have reported becoming sick, especially in Gehenna Academy. We advise any students that are not sick yet to wear protective face masks and be careful of what public spaces you enter, as well as your own sanitation. Take care, everyone!.”
…
“It has been 50 days since the explosion at SCHALE. According to assistant sensei FrostNova, the virus spreading around is called Oripathy, and is caused by the inhalation of or injury by large quantities of Originium. Originium is able to spread by assimilating and converting organic matter, such as flesh or plants. You can identify it by its unique appearance of a dark, mostly opaque crystal.”
An image of an original crystal, taken from a pile of assimilated organic waste from a landfill is shown.
“If you see this crystal, immediately contact authorities; they will clean it up. Medical groups from multiple schools are working on a cure for Oripathy, but at present, there is no cure. If you are infected or know someone who has been infected, please report yourself or that person to the authorities, as dead infected individuals explode, spreading the virus. If you think you are about to die from Oripathy, contact authorities IMMEDIATELY. This is not a drill.”
“With the urgent news out of the way, a few more concerning developments have risen; Kaiser has been making increasingly heavy pushes into school territories in response to the inactivity from both Patriot-sensei and acting President Rin…”
…
It’s a risk. I know it.
So…why?
I’ll have to leave here soon, Ayane. I’m sorry.
Are you even Ayane anymore? Or just…a hunk of Originium?
…I’m sorry.
Ah, the pain…the crystal’s inside me too. It hurts, but I can take it. For the school, for-
They’re back again…those no-good Kaiser bastards…FrostNova’s busy in the city, so I don’t blame her for not coming to help.
Ah, the news is on…I’ll go deal with Kaiser, then I’ll be right back, Ayane.
Then, we’ll go out for some Shiba Seki Ramen later…the five of us…alright? That’s a promise.
…
“It’s been…khaa…urgh…dammit…75 days since the Sanctum Collapse…riots have sparked up around the city, as Kaiser has completely abandoned…ghh…all pretenses, and launched full-scale attacks on the major academies…aghhh…despite FrostNova’s…gh…attempt to…khuk-khak-guurgh…augh…ha…ha…ha…dissuade the rioters…people are convinced that Originium…is a bio-weapon created by Kaiser to take over the city…considering its use as an energy source…haaa…and the fact it doesn’t affect non-biological citizens…”
“Millenium has lost all power to enforce their lockdown…the GSC has been fractured, all its members are either out of…ahk-! Kha-urghh….comission…or…dead… Gehenna…is completely covered in Originium…Trinity has fallen into civil war…if any students is still out there, uninfected…”
“May…luck be with you…and…don’t come to the main city…we can’t be helped-”
“There is no cure.”
…
The city burned. Riots had run unimpeded through the streets, the officers enforcing order long gone. The once-clear blue sky was now clouded in smoke and ash, yet even dissatisfaction could only run for so long before panic inevitably came. What were once towering flames were dying down; streets filled with anger and fear were now empty and silent.
Only the occasional cough of a sufferer echoed through the streets.
Rhythmic, mechanical footsteps strode down the deserted streets.
Then, they stopped.
The line of Kaiser PMC automatons, headed by the General himself, came to stop at the sight of a single figure blocking their path.
One figure blocking their path to eliminate the last two obstacles towards their takeover of the city.
“FrostNova told me to stop anyone from approaching her or Sensei. I intend to fulfill that order until the last breath.”
“...And what for? At this point, even if Patriot wakes up, this city is doomed.” The General said.
“For hope. The hope that he can make a miracle…and save this city once more, even if it is on the brink of death.”
“Alright, then…let us clash. The Idealist versus the Realist. You will face the cold, hard truth soon. Just like everyone has-” The General looked at the figure, with an almost pitying gaze.
“Faust.”
…
What’s the point of this struggle? To live another day of pain?
It shouldn’t have to be this way.
The students shouldn’t have to suffer.
I shouldn’t have to suffer.
He shouldn't have to suffer. He’s already suffered enough.
All I can do now…is grant them a quick death.
Even if some of them don’t deserve it.
…
From the highest building still standing in the city, ironically the GSC Main Building, a single figure fell.
Their white hair fluttered in the wind along with their cloak as they plummeted down the building stories, faster and faster.
But they were never going to touch the ground.
Because there was enough Originium in the environment to do what she wanted to do.
Channelling her Arts one last time, she began singing the lullaby she once sang to two young boys next to the campfire.
Icy winds coalesced around her form, swirling and slowing her fall, letting her come to a complete stop three-quarters of the way down the building. frostNova began ascending, slowly at first, then faster and faster as pulses of increasingly stronger cold winds blew outwards from her, freezing the surroundings.
One pulse.
Frost formed on the nearby building walls.
Three pulses.
Whatever remaining fragile objects froze over completely.
Five pulses.
They were visible now, a light, frigid blue. Fragile things like glass crumbled into tiny ice shards from the force and cold.
Seven pulses.
Ice covered every building within a one-block radius of her. Pitch-black Originium charged the ice, coating the closest buildings to FrostNova in black ice.
Nine pulses.
Buildings froze over then shattered, sending large chunks of frozen concrete and steel crashing down.
Ten.
Pulses.
FrostNova finished her lullaby.
The wind swirled around her body.
Then, everything seemed to freeze for a single moment-
Before ice exploded outwards from FrostNova. Pure ice, unlaced with Originium, for it was formed too quick for the Originium to corrupt it, slammed outwards from her, while the winds inside froze, cocooning her in ice. An intense shockwave of cold, far stronger than every previous pulse, froze the water in the air itself, coating everything on the ground in a thick layer of ice.
Originium.
Corpses.
Invading Kaiser automatons.
Buildings where infected students took refuge, taking their last breaths.
The flash-freeze crawled its way through every building, every nook and cranny in the center of the Academy City, expanding outwards.
Every district with even a moderate amount of humidity was coated in ice.
No lives were spared.
None needed to be.
Because this world…
Was already taking its last breaths.
It wouldn’t matter anyways.
Along with everyone else…
Every trace of Originium was sealed under thick layers of ice.
…
A massive spire of ice reached into the skies, and snow fell softly from it.
Below, everything was frozen.
In the Academy City, everything had fallen silent.
Save for one thing.
One person.
A singular girl in the desert, the only place to survive the flash-freeze due to its lack of moisture in the air, crawled across the dunes.
Their infection made their every breath labored, their every step closer to their last.
At last, they collapsed onto the sand, clutching four school IDs in their hands.
As their eyes began to close, a light shone on them.
The Chroma in the sky.
The Nameless Priests…
…and Sensei.
She wished so hard to blink to make sure what she saw was real, yet if she closed her eyes now, she would surely never open them again.
Hours ago…
Cold...
It doesn’t matter.
I’m finally awake.
I’m here.
It seems like it’s done good work here, even when I’ve been absent.
“Patriot…”
Theresa, that was what she was called, right? Don’t worry, “Patriot-sensei”. Just take a backseat…you’ve already suffered enough-
NO.
“Patriot, don’t stand up so quickly. You’ve just woken up, and your Oripathy is severe. You shouldn’t-”
Patriot’s good eye, his right eye, whose iris was once a red pinpoint, morphed into a rhombus shape. Glaring at the crystallized remains of what used to be a nurse in the corner, the Originium crystals suddenly grew at an impossible pace, crawling along the walls before-
Multiple Originium spikes impaled Theresa from multiple directions, her eyes widening in disbelief and surprise.
“...what? How…no…you’re…not him.” Theresa said, staring at Patriot in shock.
“Not…yet. Now-what…what…have you done…” Patriot (?) responded, a calm and composed voice or cold indifference coming first before a slow, disbelieving voice took over at the end.
Patriot's other eye socket, one that had Originium spikes growing out of it, lit up. It glowed dimly through the crystal, even if he could no longer see out of it.
“No…Theresa-I…”
“It…doesn’t matter, Patriot. FrostNova already contained the spread of Originium in the city. I can still sense…one. Last life. In the Abydos Desert…so go. I’ve…always believed you to be a noble and valiant soul.”
“So, go on…go save your students.”
Theresa weakly reached out her hand, mustering a light smile despite the large amounts of blood she was losing. Patriot took it, and Theresa used the last bit of strength left in her to put Patriot at ease and stabilize his mind. His rhombus-shaped iris slowly faded back into a normal, circular eye. With that, Theresa went limp. Patriot bowed his head, emotions swirling within his chest.
What was he supposed to feel?
Waking up, just to feel submerged.
Fighting through it, just to witness something else that was not him moving his body to kill the King of Sarkaz he had pledged his life to.
Sadness?
Anger?
“...”
No.
It didn’t matter right now.
What mattered was saving the last student he had left…before it was too late.
“A.R.O.N.A, become my eyes, ears and legs. And most importantly of all…prevent any sort of mental interference from clouding my judgement again. I cannot commit such a mistake once more.”
“Understood, Sensei.”