cosmic outbreak

Chapter 24: The Betrayal

Hikaru woke up, feeling strange. He checked the place where he had been bitten, but to his surprise, the wound was completely healed. Confused, he turned to Pepo.

"Did you heal me?" Hikaru asked.

Pepo remained silent, not answering. Hikaru, still unsure of what had happened, decided to move forward toward the Dark Center.

After a long journey through the harsh Antarctic cold, Hikaru finally reached the Dark Center. As he arrived, a man greeted him with a sinister smile.

"Welcome, my dear puppet," the man said.

Hikaru frowned. "What do you mean by 'puppet'?"

"Oh, nothing," the man replied casually. "I am Yoru, the head of the Dark Center."

There were twelve students in total, and they all welcomed Hikaru warmly. As night fell, Yoru told everyone to rest because the training would begin early in the morning. Hikaru was assigned a roommate named Carlos.

As they settled in, Carlos asked, "Where are you from?"

Hikaru recounted his entire journey, from the zombie apocalypse to the alien invasion and his supernatural awakening.

Carlos listened intently and then hesitated. "That's... quite a story. But listen, be careful. The head is a bit..."

"A bit what?" Hikaru asked curiously.

Carlos hesitated again before shaking his head. "Never mind. Just be cautious."

They both went to sleep.

---

Meanwhile, in California - The Water Center

At Big Bear Lake, California, Kiyoshi and Kenji had already mastered water manipulation and were now learning to combine their powers. Meanwhile, in Hakone, Japan, Hiroshi, Kuroshin, Daiki, and Asahi were undergoing rigorous wind training.

One night, they all decided to visit their old hometown. When they reached their former school, they saw their old friends Senjiku and Akira—now zombies. They realized there was no way to save them. Asahi broke down in tears, mourning the loss of their past.

---

Training at the Dark Center

The next morning, Hikaru began his training. His first lesson was Dark Orb, which required him to condense dark energy into a projectile. It took him only three hours to master it, impressing Yoru.

The second lesson was Dark Punch, where students had to absorb dark energy into their fists and release it upon impact. Hikaru trained in various combat techniques, flying spells, and speed spells, advancing rapidly.

Unbeknownst to Yoru, Hikaru was already a master of Ether, a power far beyond the normal dark arts. Hikaru was about to reveal this, but Carlos suddenly interrupted.

"Hikaru, something's out there," Carlos whispered.

Hikaru glanced outside and sighed. "Relax, it's just a zombie."

But Carlos wasn't convinced. Later that night, the two of them overheard Yoru speaking to someone. Curiosity got the better of them, and they secretly crept closer to see what was happening.

Their eyes widened in shock—Yoru was talking to an alien!

They quickly retreated, now certain that Yoru was a traitor.

---

The Disappearance

The next morning, one of the twelve students was missing. The remaining students, including Hikaru and Carlos, searched everywhere but found no trace of him. Hikaru and Carlos exchanged uneasy glances.

"Do you think Yoru gave him to the alien?" Carlos whispered.

Hikaru clenched his fists. "It's possible."

That night, Yoru called Carlos outside. Hikaru, pretending to be asleep, secretly followed them.

To his horror, he saw Yoru handing over a meal to the alien.

Filled with rage, Hikaru launched an Ether Blast at Yoru, stunning him.

"So, it's true!" Hikaru shouted.

Carlos quickly moved behind Yoru and slashed him with a Dark Orb-infused blade, catching him off guard.

The alien lunged at them, attacking both Hikaru and Carlos. Hikaru countered with an Ether Slash, wounding the alien, while Carlos charged up a Dark Orb filled with Strength Spell and launched it, killing the alien instantly.

Now, it was 2v1—Hikaru and Carlos vs. Yoru.

The battle had begun.