Artificial 6: Exorcist Academy

Chapter 6: Survival

(Artwork is done by AI that my friend Mikey used. It's Selena Mendez, a character he made, and later traded to me but still helps me write.)

Narration:
The day after everyone returned to their respective branches,
Lady Himiko and Selena had a private talk with the Pope of the Church Organization.

"My friend has done a little digging on all the other Branches and has learned that they plan to overthrow the Christian Branches should this gatekeeping continue. Also, that private meeting you had with Legate Carter last night, yeah, some reliable sources I have has your meeting recorded as well as dug up the secret deal Principal Eraqus Woods made with you. If word reached the other Branches, you'd be looking at a minature civil war on your hands. And the new blood, Terra Woods. Imagine what he'd say or do to the principal if he found out you only passed Miss Carter because Principal Eraqus Woods didn't like her dating his son. So I'm going to give you two options, sir. Either take a step back and leave my grandfather temporarily in charge, and let us retrain your Exorcist from the ground up, or we can go forward with this information and instigate a civil war. Pick your poison."

Himiko says rather bord while Selena threatens to mash the send icon on her smartphone. In the end, the Pope complied, taking a step back for a little while, and in the span of a week, the whole Mexican Branch was in London's Branch, making some rather drastic changes.

Terra POV: We were given one week off per the Pope's orders,
but upon returning,
everyone in the London Branch was greeted by Exorcist in knight like armor and katanas attached to their sword frogs,
standing at attention with two large rows going up the side of the walls and the woman from yesterday and her grandfather standing over the next floor, looking out at us as everyone assembled in the room.
"Good morning Academy students and fellow Exorcist! We, the Mexico Branch, have been given permission to train you all from the ground up and mold you into warriors! INTO SOLDIERS!"
She proclaims with such intensity that she practically commanded the respect of all those around her.

"Starting today, you all will be put into a survival exercise! Most of you, if not all of you, will be in misery, will be in agony. You will likely come to hate me as a person, but you will live! YOU WILL SURVIVE! YOU! WILL! CONQUER! Before everyone boards our helicopters, I want you all to ask yourself something. Will you risk your life to become an Exorcist?! Would you be willing to push your body to its limits and byond?! Some of you will die, and some of you will give up, but those of you who succeed will be remembered! Anyone who wants to drop out of the London Academy, nows your chance! We will have other Branches come and pick you up so that you may continue your Exorcist career!"

After that speech,
it wasn't long until almost everyone left the building.
All I saw was the faces of those defeated by the weight struggle.

Narration: Platoon leader Kenneth approaches Himiko and whispers in her ear.
"Himiko, thirty percent is all that remains."
Both look down at the small group of people.
Some terrified shitless,
others standing straight,
proud with eyes full of resolve to see their convictions through to the end. (This is too far! We were doing just fine with Mister Woods. And for the Pope of the Church Organization to deem this necessary. I can only wonder why the sudden change.)
Azura thought.

(To become a Legate with Azura and Terra. I couldn't imagine my life without them, so if they're risking their life, I'll risk mine!)
Ventus thought.
(For my father and for AJ, I will do whatever it takes be a Legate some day!) Terra thought as he had the most doubts in his own abilities.
"The eyes in these people. I like them. You who have chosen to stay and take this survival exercise have my deepest respect! From this day forward, I will rebuild you from the ground up into future legends!"
Himiko proudly states.
"This fear that you feel, this resolve to see your journey to the end! Never let go of it! Use it as your strength!"
All Exorcist on the ground floor stand up straight and saluted,
all except for Azura,
who had doubts in her mind.

Five hours go by as all Exorcist taking the survival exercise get off the Exorcist helicopters and break off into 1 on 1 pair of instructor and student.
Lord Gabi Shimura (Himiko's grandfather) takes Terra,
Himiko takes Ventus,
and Selena takes Azura.
The rest of the Exorcist and Academy students are going off with other instructors.
Right at sunset,
all students and Exorcist had a slight increase in gravity,
so it felt like everyone was lifting 40-pound weights,
only it was their whole body.

"Now we begin, do not undo the gravity spell I cast on you. You are to land a hit on me to pass, for each day you fail to land a hit, you are to hunt for your own food and water. Weapons are forbidden unless you can create them. Do you understand?"
Google Translate says for Lord Shimura to Terra.
"Yes, sir!"
Both do a martial art bow and begin, whereas with Ventus and Himiko, she is more focused on teaching him martial arts and making him do exercises such as leg stretches,
knuckle push-ups and sit-ups.
Over with Azura and Selena,
Selena sits on a stump while Azura is being her usual stick in the mud by the book herself.

"I'm not going to be following the script of others. Instead, I'm going to break that stick in the mud, none flexible mind of yours. Now come at me."
Selena motions for Azura to bring it on. And so our three protagonist took their second real steps onto becoming Exorcist.
Meanwhile,
on the other side of the world, somewhere in the United States, Seth Thompson and Zoey land on a G.O.A. building and break in from the rooftop. Armed security comes rushing down the hallways and open fire on them,
but Zoey goes badass gunslinger and cuts a bunch of flips,
stylishly killing them.

Seth phases through walls and stealthy take down any armed security or potential enemies.
Zoey gets swarmed,
but she swiftly ends them by dodging, taunting then killing them with her gun, or her new sword she got from fusing the power of all her siblings and father's swords into her.
The blazing red knight sword with a curved blade and molten rocks formed on the back of the blade.
Seth creates two shadow daggers and begins a murder spree down the lower levels while Zoey is setting off chained explosions on the upper floors,
now dual weilding her gunblade and lava sword.

Seth steals from the head's safe, pocketing millions of dollars in a big travel bag while Yuzuhara comes in from the front door,
slaying anyone in her way with her odachi as she made her way to the basement where there was no windows, rips off the door by it's handel and asks if there was a Aiko and Haruki in the room in the most soothing motherly voice ever.
Two shadows in the room hide behind a barrel of all things in the room as Yuzuhara enters the room,
looking for someone,
and right as Yuzuhara made it to the center of the room,
a mercenary attempts to choke her out only for two fox tails to pick him up by his arms and slam him in front of Yuzuhara.

Yuzuhara sprouts a third tail and imaples him in the heart with said tail, concludes that no one is in the room only to turn around and see two werewolves like Artificial Demons with black hair with a purple tent to it,
one wore glasses,
the other wore a scarf made of pure electricity,
but both had adorable little wolf ears and tails.

"Hi, sweeties. Are you Haruki and Aiko?" Both nod and hug Yuzuhara's legs. "Come with me, little ones, we'll take you back to your momma."
Back with Seth,
he gives a call to a cilent saying his partners have the children now only to hear loud yelling in the background, followed by something being knocked over from the sounds and a bunch of collateral damage.

"Ma'am, are you ok?"
Seth asks only to hear gunshots from her end and the call ending moments later. "Momma's scent is gone."
The little girl Artificial shadow werewolf Demon says in a sad tone,
seemingly understanding the death of her mother as if she knew this would happen.

Both break out into tears, and Yuzuhara gives them a tail to hang onto as she carries them up several floors to Seth and Zoey,
who both look sad at the orphaned children.
"Well, it looks like we have two new additions to the ever growing family ladies."