Two Yellow G-3s laid for claiming.

The battle didn’t last long with the combined might of fist, mace, whip, sword, and ant bites. I handed them to Tatsuki and Maria without comment.

“I can’t improve my whip, it's the same level,” Maria frowned. Tatsuki crushed hers, and her t-shirt was covered by a loose kind of Gi top. The black cloth was trimmed in gold. She flexed her arms, looking pleased.

“Always wanted one like this,” she admitted.

A quick Observe told me it was a good choice.

Midnight Treated Gi. Armour. G-2: A Gi top that has increased resistance against strikes and jabs. The black cloth can make the fighter’s movements harder to predict in mid-combat.

Maria eyed her costumed firend before smiling. Her yellow gem crushed shortly after.

Her simple black skirt and white shirt was similarly covered, but the material fell to her knees, her sleeves extended so only her fingers were visible. She gave a little twirl to show off the blue coat with a cross stitched into the back.

I twitched slightly as I had Quincy flashbacks, but Maria didn’t know about that.

Blue Mantle of Faith. Armour. G-2: A robe that has spent time in a holy place long enough it has picked up a vibe. Nothing extraordinary about this coat is noted but it does provide an increased defence against piercing attacks.

Damn... I wanted armour now.

Ah, well Chisai was up next then me. I could wait.

We walked passed the now mangled gates that had one of the Beasts impaled on the spikes. Chisai’s Tombstone was a perfect set up for Tatsuki’s axe leg apparently.

“So, I got some unarmed passive skills and an active for Scissor Kick, it’s just a powerful kick but it’s cheap,” Tatsuki said as she stepped over the ruined gate.

“I got Kido Affinity and a Lightning passive. My Byakurai is also now on my list of skills...” Chisai offered, looking pained. He sent me worried looks, no doubt expecting Captain Mayuri to appear any second, and kidnap me.

“More whipping and healing,” Maria added without much detail. I didn’t get much besides another Pyro-Infusion and a Shield skill myself.

I was now a solid 645 out 700 for EXP. If I was close to levelling, Maria and Tatsuki couldn’t be far off. Chisai was higher level, so he might take longer.

The stairs split midway,but connected again before a large set of double doors.

“I’m getting Nishima vibes. Think it’s a mid-boss?” Maria tilted her head. I nodded seriously.

“Feels like it. We’re two rebel beasts short as well. Only one way to go,” I pushed on the door after making sure everyone was ready, and my Energy was at full.

The room inside was another classroom. Except this one had hundred, if not a thousand brighter outlines writing endlessly. What they were writing, I couldn’t see since nothing seemed to be there.

At the far end, a giant thin wraith with a hood pulled over his head. It glided back and forward, a giant rusty pocket watch swinging like a pendulum from skeletal hands. Each arc of the watch sent out a booming tick that caused a few echoes to falter in the harsh environment.

“Flunked... so much potential down the drain,” the wraith spoke in a dull tone. A couple of desks vanished as the floor beneath gave way and sent them to the floor below.

Deadline. G-6. Mid-Boss: The gathered fear of success and failure. The ghastly spector is felt by all students. The stifling rooms and silence makes even the most confident falter. The watch is the source of its power but also the most dangerous part.

The wraith turned to look at us at the far end.

“Exams are in progress. Leave before I do it myself,” it warned us. Tatsuki took a step forward.

“Nah, we’re here to take the exam in kicking ass and I think we’re gonna ace it,” she proclaimed. It was interesting to see how Tatsuki had quickly adapted to... the mindset in these things. Maybe seeing students (even in ghostly echo forms) getting treated badly rankled her?

All the writing had stopped, and the silence was even worse than before.

“Do you know that you’re basically making this worse and causing good workers to fail because you’re acting like a giant prowling menace?” Maria asked innocently.

“Bullying those already nervous isn’t nice,” Chisai said, frowning.

I shrugged helplessly.

“Teammates, stealing my one liner moments,” I said and raised my shield as Deadline held his clock out.

“You are wasting my time, and yours,” he growled and I saw a gaunt man under the hood. He looked ancient.

“These coddled brats cannot handle this? They will crumble in the real world,” Deadline snorted.

“Results are all that matter! If they cannot produce what is expected of them, they are unfit for society!” he screamed.

“A worker who does not due his paperwork because his boss is mean? Fired. A waitress who cried when a customer is rude? Not fit for work. A doctor who let pressure upset them? A disgrace! If you cannot use your time efficiently, then you are a waste of life,” Deadline spread his arms.

He stumbled back as Maria’s chain reeled itself back in after striking his jaw.

“Someone who rants instead of helping his students is worse than a waste. He’s a fucking hypocrite,” Maria spat. She threw out her hand and her golden eye appeared.

“Parvum Lumen! Lock on!” she yelled and I rushed ahead as the Wraith exploded forward, sending desks and echoes flying. The clock swung like a flail and I was lifted clear off my feet and into a wall. I felt my breath leave me in a rush.

Maria’s scout’s iris glowed and it fired a single tiny flash of light. It hit Deadline and left a smoking point. Tatsuki rushed around, hopping over crushed desks, forcing Deadline to swing at her. He turned away from Maria as her eye blasted a few more times before it fell out of the air, depleted of energy and faded away.

The smoking holes were small but looked deep. I Charged forward, and barely pushed Deadline enough to make his next clock swing miss Tatsuki. I was grabbed, and the old guy had a grip like steel. He didn’t seem too bothered by my elements or acid. Chisai appeared, slashing with a focused expression. The hand gushed dust as the blade bit deep.

I was freed and Chisai backed off.

“When fighting a stronger foe, we used distractions and range attacks! Block only if you need to, but leave the heavy work to me and Maria!” Chisai yelled over to me. I nodded and rushed to the other side as Tatsuki began to Rage Punch desks and chairs at Deadline. I banged my shield.

“Over hear, you outdated piece of crap!” I yelled and Deadline snapped his blazing blue gaze at me. His clock lashed out like a snake, I Retraced to the left. The clock U-turned in the air and continued to chase me.

“Tatsuki Style: Scissor kick!” Tatsuki roared and her blazing red legs snapped down on the back of Deadline’s head as a Tombstone wall rose to block the clock. The weapon faltered and I did my best to smash into the clock face.

It cracked once, before the creature reeled back the clock as his head looked dented.

“Such... pests. Time to review what mistakes were made,” he announced and the clock hands began to wind backwards. His head made cracking noises as the damage slowly undid itself. I rushed in to attack as did Tatsuki.

Deadline moved his clock high out of reach as it floated off its own accord.

“Tatsuki!” I yelled and crouched slightly with my shield. I felt her foot press down on me before I pushed up with her own momentum of jumping. Her fists rained down on the clock and the unwinding effect stuttered.

I smashed in with Power Swing on Deadline himself. My mace struggling to dent his flesh much. The clocks own crack rehealed and broke again under Tatsuki’s rage. King moved in and gripped the leg of Deadline, who kicked her violently across the hall into a pile of desks.

I was also slapped aside like a fly. My Knockback kept my standing so I charged a Holy bomb as Tatsuki retreated. The clock had run out of time and the thing began to tick upwards once more.

The pulsing orb was throwing at the same time as Chisai used a Sai binding. The chains lasted maybe all of three seconds but...

It was enough for a mighty boom to engulf Deadline.

“Hell yeah!” Tatsuki cheered at the smoke spreading out from Deadline’s location. In response, a heavily cracked clock lashed out and struck her hard in the chest, crushing her against the wall. Tatsuki’s eyes rolled for a second before the clock retreated, letting land in a heap.

She instantly tried to stand up but her limbs weren’t working right.

“Maria, on Tatsuki! Chisai and King! With me!” I yelled and watched as Deadline strolled out the smoke, half his cloak gone to reveal his body.

He was covered in tiny little mouths. Little sucking holes that were tasting for something.

“I mistook you all for bugs, but I see now you have athletic potential. I will enjoy pushing you through those trials and enjoying your faces when you fail to reach anything with it. Sports are so hard to excel at,” Deadline tutted as if trying to comfort us.

I began to charge another Holy Bomb, having to turn off my Acid Cloak to have Energy left over. I threw it, as Chisai tried to bind him again. The chains didn’t even have a chance to land because Deadline moved like a demon on the wind. My bomb missed and exploded uselessly.

He moved right past Chisai and headed towards Maria who had her head bowed in prayer over an immobile Tatsuki.

“Maria!” I yelled and tried to use the Martyr Shield skill I hadn’t practiced but the distance was too great. The girl looked up, seeing the clock swinging overhead and towards her. She panicked for a second before she put herself in front of Tatsuki.

“Evil shall not pass!” she yelled and clapped her hands before touching the ground. The ripple of Haven spread out and the clock hit the slow barrier before Haven began to spark loudly at the impact.

The thing shattered and I now knew that I never wanted to destroy Haven. The thing roared out with a howl of freed holy energy which slammed into Deadline. The swirl sucked up desks and created a gale. Chisai and I had to dive for cover.as only Maria and Tatsuki seemed safe.

The storm faded, making it rain desks and clock pieces. Deadline landed in a crumple.

“Ah fuck! Haven just got an extra 3 hours on the cooldown because that,” Maria panted.

“I’m more concerned about the uncontrollable storm,” Chisai whispered mostly himself.

Deadline twitched and held up his broken clock.

“Time is up… everyone passed. How... nice for once,” he rasped and began to bubble.

Deadline has been defeated! 300 EXP gained!

Safe Zone is being created!

You have reached level 5! All stats increased by 1! Three stat points to spend.

Level 5: 245/900

Level 5 has been reached! Reward available!

Please choose one!

-3 extra stat points to spend once.

-1 F-1 Ranked Yellow Gem

-Double one resource meter. (HP. ENE. SP). This will be retroactive for points not spent so if User boosts Energy stat after reward with current stat points, the doubling effect will take them into consideration.

Well I was not ready for this.

“We got a two white gems and another yellow!” Maria called as Tatsuki limped over.

“I levelled,” she told us and looked startled at her options. Chisai also raised his hand.

“Same! System says I have to choose a reward because I missed my chance at level 5? She said it feels mean... I wonder why?” he puzzled. I stared at him.

“What kind of rewards?” I almost shook him.

“Um... its giving me the option of a F-1 green gem. Extra stat points, or Mastery of one Kido class spell meaning I suffer no drawback to using it silently without a chant,” he said quickly.

“My Raging Fist is one level off from evolving,” Tatsuki offered.

I rubbed my nose.

When it rained loot... it poured loot.

Now, how to handle it... I wanted the yellow gem at least. Meaning Tatsuki and Chisai got a white each.

But the level rewards?

That was a tad bit harder.

---

Russ stats:

Physical: 16

Spiritual: 14

Energy: 15

Mental: 12

Points: 3

Tatsuki Arisawa The Undeveloped Fist

Stats:

Strength: 9

Chi: 3

Spiritual: 5

WillPower: 15

Points: 3

Chisai

Spiritual: 16

Control: 15

Mental: 9

Soul: 9

points: 3