PHASE 54- SPARTANS AND THE BATTLE IN THE HOT GATES

Welcome to a cliched scene that is somewhat connected to the main story. It is the time for our field trip in the Brynheim City, which is the city of history. The city is rich in World War 1 and 2 stories which makes it ideal for having a History-Class oriented tour.

We visited old medieval buildings, abandoned military bases, disgusting tunnels, rusty tanks and airplanes, ruined frontiers, half-bombed churches, haunted mansions of world war generals, museum exhibits about the old military equipment used, and even an ocean park! (Which is the only thing unrelated to history...)

Aside from the history lessons we learned from Macho Steel and the tour guide who puked because he’s not used to riding on a bus, Amy told me an important history lesson:

“Apparently, World Wars are the result of Gate Guardian’s defeat in the old times. Eidolon attacks became so rampant that it corrupted a lot of people’s minds here on Earth Realm. That resulted in massive evil deeds such as holocausts, murders, lusts, and greed of the people. This already happened two times, and we Gate Guardians hope that it won’t happen the third time. That’s why we need to do our job better.”

The more you know from the lore. Just sayin.

The history trip is kind of boring for some, but there is a part of this tour that everybody should enjoy.

It’s the hot springs.

<>

All of the boys are organizing our things and getting ready for our bath. There’s a lot of rumors that the hot springs here in Brynheim City are the best among the country, so we should savor the moment and relax. I should probably forget Amy’s death flag even just for this day.

The boys who are ready for the bath are flocking together as if they are busy tallying something. When I went near to them, one of my classmates presented a notebook. It contains a list of all the names in the girls of our class.

“So the arrogant heartthrob is here!” Alex welcomed me. “I know you have been labeled as a woman-hater lately, but we would be glad if you answer this Cutie Poll!”

“We’ll get prosecuted if the girls found out.” I coldly commented.

“C’mon! This is just for fun! I know you’ve been hanging around the best idol and the ultimate cosplayer! I know you fancy one of them, so choose!”

As I checked the tally, Tiara Hikari is leading with 15 points, followed by Jeannette von Noctis with 8 points. The third place would be Miyu Bernhardt (The one I rejected under a cherry blossom tree, I guess.) with 5 points. The others got zero because they’re ugly hahaha.

There are 30 males involved in this field trip, so only two remaining persons have yet to vote. That one is me, and the other is Heushac.

Either way, Tiara wins this Cutie Poll. So it really doesn’t matter if I vote anyone, right?

“Choose what your heart desires.” My other classmate Nichols said. He has taken up the role of my conscience.

...

I finally signed one of the names. Then gave it to Andrew’s hands. “There. I have chosen what my heart desires.”

The boys in our class were surprised by my vote. They shouted “Ooooooh!” and “You have great taste!” and even “Our king Alaric is a man of culture!”. They praised me as if I am a hero, but I just revealed the woman I currently have a crush on. You readers should try to guess who is she who’s winning my heart right now.

“Hey, Heushac!” Emman waved his hand. “It’s your turn to vote!”

“M-Me?” Heushac pointed his own face. “I’ll pass, I have no interest in girls.”

“Don’t be stingy!” I said. “Just because Helena and Key’s name are out in this survey doesn’t mean that you don’t have to vote!”

“Shut up, Ric!” Heushac grabbed the notebook and randomly signed on a name that has zero votes in it. “To hell with it! I’m not interested in girls!”

Andrew raised his notebook up high so that all the boys in this room can hear the proclamation. “At last, the Cutie Poll has been perfected! This book shall hold the truth, the ultimate secrets of the Necronomicon, and the power of the whole universe!”

“Ahooooooo!” All of us shouted and made a single stomp, like a spartan enomotia.

Yeah, I know. We guys are trash.

<>

I finally had my chance to soak into the hot waters after a shower. Unlike most commercial hot springs, the water came from a nearby volcano, so everything here is natural. The flooring of the hot pool is made with flat stones which makes it a little slippery to walk on. This is the first time I got myself in a real hot spring, so I ought to enjoy myself.

I have been dipping my shoulders for quite some time now. It feels refreshing to have your skin being cooked by warm waters.

“Hey, Alaric.” My classmate Paulo tapped me. “Do you see the wall over there?”

He pointed a seven-meter tall wooden wall that separates the guys’ pool and the girls’ pool. We slowly approached the gigantic wall and some of my guy classmates are sticking their ears in it. I got curious so I did it too. And then I heard a lot of women giggles and other noisy talks.

“Beyond the great wall is Nirvana,” Andrew commented.

“I know what you guys are thinking,” I said calmly. “I may be a pervert like you guys, but I prefer being in low profile. I don’t want my parents to receive a suspension letter from our school.”

“So we will do it without our arrogant noble king, then,” Nichols said. Then he immediately shouted. “All males who have a strong will to do our objective! Phalanx Formation!”

“Ahoooo!” Most of the guys shouted. Then they assembled themselves like those house of cards, trying to reach the summit of the wall! That’s not even a phalanx!

“My idea will be a sword that can pierce the heavens!” Nichols had his nose bleeding while he gave me a malicious smile and thumbs-up.

“You guys are gross, you know that-” I failed to finish the sentence when I realized that my classmate Nichols’ nosebleed is not red, but pure black.

Little by little, his eyes turned hollow and began releasing black fluid. All other males in the Phalanx Formation did have the same symptoms as if they were possessed by an Eidolon! That explains why these idiots lost control of their lust!

I walked away from the walls to prevent exposure and hid behind a rock. Heushac hasn’t entered the hot pool yet, so I guess I will do the work alone. I swiped my fingers and opened a Gate.

<>

The counterpart of the hot springs in Yami is no different from my world. Still the same environment, except that the hot waters are replaced by mud and there is that blood moon in the skies, as always.

At the entrance, is a man wearing a black cloak. He has this spiky orange hair and his ears have piercings and rings. He is a teenager with crimson eyes with the sign of a triangle at the center of his pupils, making it clear that he’s from the New Order. And this man is carrying a gigantic mace… which kinda reminds me of someone I fought.

“Ey yo, Alaric Eisenhower.” This guy has a gangster accent! “I am Drex Brynheim of the New Order. And I am here to settle my score with you!”

He smashed his giant mace, but thanks to my , I had the clue to evade the attack! I’m also quite lucky that I had my waterproof watch with me, so I materialized my katana and readied myself for battle!

“Just so you know, I injected the deadly sin of lust to your fellow classmates. That is why they are acting like that! I corrupted their minds, so you have to defeat me in order to stop them from their perversion!” This black cloak is a lot more talkative than I thought!

“!!!” I released a wind drill pointing to the gangster mace-man but he evaded it easily by jumping sidewards! But that was according to my plan! I already prepared a to hit his feet where my tells him to land! I managed to freeze both of his toes!

“Urgh!” the Cursed Guardian cried. Now he can’t escape, and he’s wide open!

“This will be your end!” I shouted with all my might as I released all my energy in this finishing attack! “!!!” This giant wind drill is eight times bigger than usual! That’s ought to finish him off but-

“Shit!” He shrieked. Then he accidentally swiped his fingers and opened a Gate!

That’s where it all went wrong. I should have pulled my punches.

Because I got transported back to my world. My full power went with me to Earth Realm hot springs and it is unstoppable. It directly hit the giant wooden wall that separates the girls and the boys! The wall has been destroyed entirely, and tiny wooden chunks came flying everywhere!

“The gates of Jericho has been breached!” One of the guys cried.

Then the whole place was covered with the deafening shrieks of the girls.