Chapter 7.3 - Zenith - In The Wake of Chaos

It was daylight and I found myself inside a clean resting room. I was already lying on a bed and alongside me was Yumiko, Lala, Sonozaki, Azreal and Mei. Mei had took care of me throughout the time I was out. It has been a since I finally woke up and today everyone else decided to visit me.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood after finding out I was alright. But I could tell from their expression that they were holding back something. It was of course the biggest elephant in the room which was the news of White's 'disappearance'. They were all hiding knowing full well that I would be the most damaged about the news. What do I think about it right now? I think I still couldn't accept what I have learned.

But before the story moves on, the door to the resting room was slammed open, revealing a well endowed woman rushing into the room as she catches her breath. It was Rose Lindow. A friend I dearly cared for. My best friend.

"Zen, you're alright!" She proceeds to hug me. "I'm so glad you are fine."

I assured her, "It's okay, Rose. It's not that bad. I only fainted."

"But you were shocked!" She was very worried of me, "We've promised to go out and eat that creamy chocolate cake, right?"

I remembered, "Of course I know that. I also intended to bring along Yumiko. Isn't that right?" I turned to Yumiko who was looking outside of the window.

Yumiko finally notices and responded, "Yes. We promised that." She gave us a faint smile.

Rose then had an idea, "I tell you what! Since you're finally got up. Why not we celebrate this occasion with that chocolate cake?!" She stood up, "I'll go and fetch it for you guys. In the meantime, don't leave me behind alright?" She reached out for a fist bump.

To which I answered her fist bump. Rose then reached it out to Yumiko. Yumiko unwillingly bumped her fist. Rose jumped for joy as she hugs me once again and leaves the resting room. And there she goes. She's such a lovely person to have. She was the one who first talked to me when I got here...correction, the first girl, the first one was White, I believe. Without Rose, I would be in much more confusion in managing my academics. She even helped us get through the things that happened in Gemhold. I would sometime end up laughing thinking about that Zhongguo traditional dress we wore that time. Yeah, I'm quite surprised that I am now able to remember a some of what the previous Zenith had memorized. The Snow Phoenix Zenith, that is.

Sonozaki then steps in, "Well then...I think it's time for me take a hike."

"Where are you going?" Lala asked.

He replied, "With the way things are going. I doubt the situation will change without us doing something about it. With Nova still out there with White's body, I'm perfectly sure that things are just going to get crazy. So I think it's time get some additional help."

"Are you going to call the law enforcement now?" Azreal wondered.

"I don't think they'll believe my story." He shakes his head. "But there are several talented people who knows about this thing. Plus, most of them is acquainted to White in one way or another. You can trust me on this." He gave us a reassuring smile.

Everyone was still thinking until I told Sonozaki, "I think that's a good idea, Sonozaki. The more people there are helping out, the odds of saving White will go higher."

He nodded and tips his hat as he leaves the restroom. One less person have left the room. Leaving only Yumiko and the others.

"Now that you are getting better..." Mei puts down a cup of tea on a counter next to me. "I think it's time for me to tell you what we've been doing all this time."

"I heard you've been busy somewhere way off in Zhongguo." claimed Lala.

She took a seat and agreed, "Yes. We did. My goodness...where to begin..." She looked all over the room.

Yumiko then told her, "Maybe you can start with who's involved."

That was in fact a great idea. Mei then proceed to tell us her story. While it was a long explanation, I tried my best to translate the story into what I understand. So to start off, Mei alongside with Team Stardust went on an adventure throughout the main lands of Zhongguo. So who's in Team Stardust? After White left Team Stardust, he gives the leadership role over to The Black Berserker, Blax Tank. With Blax leading the team, Rulend Soft, Haruhiko Hosuke, Rider Blade, Lore Pidea, Kaym Famine, Zone Helmine, Haze Kazama and Yin Kirin were there to help out. Mei was also there as well of course. She do hang out with the team but she isn't officially in the team.

With that being said, after an unforeseeable phenomenon that happened in Dragonstal, Mei returned and asked Team Stardust to help put a stop to a pair of Chaos Champion that was, at the time, was trying to revive a dead tyrant. In order to speed things up, Blax decided to split the team into two and obtain the required artifact on the west and east side of Zhongguo. They would then come together to obtain the northern artifact. After acquiring all four artifacts, they finally went to the center of Zhongguo, where the Chaos Champion was still trying to revive the dead tyrant.

Long story short, they would eventually defeat the pair of Chaos Champion. The two of them are called Zing and Zang respectively. They put up a tough fight. They were even able to revive the dead tyrant but since we had all of the four artifacts, they were able to seal the tyrant back to its resting place. It took a couple of years for them to acquire these artifacts and before they know it, everyone in Infinity Academy is almost a semester away before graduating.

"And I guess, that's gist of it." Mei finishes her story.

Azreal was amazed, "Jeez, that's sounds cool. I'd love to visit Zhongguo one day."

"This Zing and Zang...did you guys fought them one at a time or..." wondered Lala.

Mei then answered, "We beat them together at the same time. Hosuke also used his dragon power to defeat them." Mei was trying to remember, "I think the final blow was when both Hosuke and Yin does a Fusion Reactor."

"I see." I nodded as I took a sip of tea. "Now then...what happened after I fainted?"

Mei summarizes, "Right after you fainted, Recordia suddenly arrived and tried to wake you up."

"Oh yeah! Where is she?" I asked.

Mei tilted her head, "She's there beside you. Sleeping. She's the most worried person of all of this."

I looked next to my pillow and saw a tiny fairy sleeping through the day. She looked very tired. I carefully caressed her golden hair as she continues to sleep.

Mei then continued, "Everyone that was trapped in Virtue is currently recovering. Some of them have also got up. For example..." Mei gestured toward Yumiko.

"Violet being with me kinda speeds up the process." she explained.

"What about that girl that helped tended my wounds in Virtue?" I asked.

Azreal then steps in and said, "If you're talking about Izzy. She's still recovering right now."

Lala added, "That also goes the same way for Hariken Shiro and Typhon Blanc."

Mei added, "Since you've been in the Full Dive machine not that long. Your recovery is a lot quicker than the other except for Yumiko and Azreal of course."

"My best guess is because of the dragon inside of me." Azreal kinda brag about it, "Despite using up a lot of it, I'm quite surprised to find out that I recovered faster than a lot of people."

Azreal laughed for himself as the other simply leave him be. It truly feel like the end of something with all of these calming tones we're feeling. But the truth of that matter was that there was still one big trouble that was inching closer by the day. And that was the looming chaos of Nova and his Champions of Chaos. I looked at the clock and it was almost noon. Just as the clock strikes noon, the chaos reemerge itself.

A strong whacking noise can be heard all over the room. It came from Azreal. He slowly succumbs to the floor as his head started to bleed a little. Behind him was Yumiko, who used the end of her flintlock on him. Yumiko just blindsided Azreal. It didn't look like it was an accident. It looked intentional. And so, the chaos begins...

TO BE CONTINUED