Chapter 23
The following week brought a surge of portals opening and demons erupting from them. This rise was caused by the Phoenix Demon. Although he had disappeared without a trace, he had opened many portals before vanishing. We vanquished demon after demon and closed portal after portal, to the point it became exhausting.
For the first time, we encountered a few members of the Heavenly Council. They provided some intel: The Phoenix demon wasn't the only mastermind behind this upheaval; small groups of enemies were causing a disturbance among the people.
After the school year ended, the Council wanted us to start traveling. I had nothing holding me back, unlike Micah and Beck, who still had family responsibilities and were underage.
Baby, our substitute teacher, tried to help us brainstorm. We thought about planning a field trip during summer break. That way, we'd be free to travel without raising suspicion. But this created another issue: she'd have to supervise the other students, making her unavailable to help us if needed.
One solution was to turn it into a paid trip, which would naturally limit participation. But even then, she'd still be stuck playing chaperone.
So we shifted our focus to working hard at the café, hoping to save enough for the trip. It was difficult, with demon sightings pulling us away from work constantly. We rotated shifts to avoid overexhaustion, and if a situation were too much for one of us, we'd call for backup.
I'm unsure because the portals were only mere cracks and not fully opened; only small, weak demons were leaking out. These cracks reminded me of turning on the lights in a roach-infested room; they scattered everywhere. Small, yes, but plentiful.
"Baby,, there's got to be some way to upgrade our Sourusensa device, much like cell phones getting system updates or newer models with faster and better technology," I asked. "Is there any way that we could request that a power level meter be placed on the device?"
"I'll most certainly submit a request to HQ. However, I'm not quite sure. It's honestly reasonably new technology, so it may take some time to put it together, and even when it arrives, there might still be some bugs."
"Please do. It could make a big difference. Knowing the threat level beforehand would help us manage our energy from day to day better."
"In the meantime, I can help you sharpen your ability to sense spiritual energy. You won't be able to use it over long distances, yet, but with your current capabilities, you should be able to assess the power level of spirits around you."
"You say 'spirits,' not just demons. I don't quite understand what you're saying."
"Exactly what I said. I'll help you sense the spiritual energy in everyone—Beck, Micah, even yourself. You'll begin to adapt to the flow of energy all around you, not just in demons. Energy exists in everything: people, plants, animals... all of it."
"Every single thing that brings life has energy, a spirit, a source of life that is knitted together, connecting us all. Do you remember me telling you about this?
"Everything that has life carries energy, a spirit," Baby continued. "It's all interconnected, coexisting in the same place. Remember what I told you before? About freshwater currents and saltwater oceans? They rarely mix because they're too different. But people can change. Their energy can shift and adapt."
"I see," I said, "much like the light in the dark within the world and within us."
"Yes, but people's light and dark sides are much like those of creatures; they can learn to adapt, overcome, and change themselves, thus changing the environment around them."
"This would be a great idea and would help us with people, maybe before they begin to change." I added, "I've often felt that darkness around people before. If I can help them before it takes hold, I want to."
"There's another skill I want to teach you: how to control your spiritual pressure. You tend to leak energy without realizing it, which affects others and can even make you more susceptible to being a target. That's why we originally trained inside the mountain."
"Oh wow, I apologize for that. I never knew I was doing that."
"You and the girls will come to the training grounds after school. Thanks to the Heavenly Council, we've upgraded the barrier—no more outside interference."
(Later, after school)
"Okay, ladies," Baby said. "Kaysi brought you here to train. You are already familiar with the basics of sensing spiritual pressure. You've sensed the little ghost girl, and you can sense demons. You also know how to manifest your weapons."
"Now, I want you to learn how to sense good and bad spirits within people from a distance. Kaysi has shown signs of being able to detect negative energy before someone turns corrupt."
"With enough practice, this skill could extend as far as 10 miles. It'll be invaluable in combat."
"Your weapon charms have dual purposes. Not only do they store your weapons, but they also act as antennas for spiritual energy. Each gem matches your aura color—the glow that surrounds you."
"I want you to start by focusing until you can see your own aura. Then, try to see each other's."
"I've already done that," Micah said. "I can sense my aura and recently began seeing other people's spiritual pressure."
"Can you assess a target from far away?"
"Not that far yet. But I could sense Kaysi in the same building during the Phoenix Demon fight; it just took time."
"What are you visualizing when you see the aura? Baby asked Micah,"
"Soul ties. Like silk ribbons flowing around people. They sometimes resonate with each other, interweaving, connecting, and even leaving fibers behind attached."
"Yes," Baby confirmed. "Our spiritual auras can affect each other, sometimes leaving residual traces. It's the same with animals. For example, if Beck plays with a kitten whose aura is yellow, she may carry some of that yellow energy for a short while."
"Once you're ready, we'll play spiritual hide-and-seek to hone your skills to help you sense your spiritual pressure as well as your teammates."
Soon, we could pick up on each other's presence more easily. Baby then had us go outside the barrier to test if we could locate demons nearby.
After finding one or two and defeating them, we decided to call it quits for today and head home. Baby told us to also cut down on our time and resources. Our spiritual pressure, awareness, and strength should depend on the size of the demon's threat level.
Beck, having recently manifested her weapon, could handle level 1 and 2 demons. Micah could manage up to three low-level ones, and in emergencies, I could hold a three-demon mission, though Baby warned me not to overdo it due to my reckless tendencies.
Additionally, the rule has been that if any of us were struggling, we would call on one another when needed. In cases where there are multiples, the need for extra help is probable.
Our rule remained: if any of us struggled, we'd call for help.
The next morning, on the way to school, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut that refused to go away.
"Kaysi, are you okay? You're looking a little greener on the gills." Micah asked in her sweet southern voice.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just might have been training a little too hard here lately. Thankfully, there are only a couple more days left of school, and we can start our vacation before diving deep into work again."
Baby finalized the field trip plans. Some parents declined due to the cost, which lowered our headcount. Another teacher was coming too, in case of emergencies. Baby played it off like someone might sprain an ankle, which would give her a good excuse to leave with us if necessary.
The walk to school was a bit gloomy; it was an unexpectedly cloudy day. I did not bring my umbrella, as the forecast did not call for any rain.
Honestly, when we stepped out, it wasn't all that cloudy. The clouds rolled in out of nowhere, maybe because of the soon-approaching summer season.
We hurried our backpacks over our heads and ran to school as the rain slowly started to trickle down. Thankfully, the sky waited to let loose until we made it through the school doors.
"I haven't seen it pick up this fast in a while. Is there some type of tropical storm off the coast creeping in?" Beck asked.
"I'm not quite sure we have entered the official tornado season, so I wouldn't put it past the weather to change abruptly," Micah said with a faint sigh.
"That's true. We'll have to remember to grab our umbrella for the next couple of days of school left. I left a big umbrella in my locker," Beck said. "Looks like today it'll finally come in handy."
"Oh, Beck, you save the day if it doesn't stop raining after school." I chuckled.
The bell rang, and we headed to class. The rain intensified as the day went on.
Sourusensā buzzed, vibrating in my pocket. The timing was such that lightning crashed across the sky, making the lights flicker. It nearly gave me a heart attack.
It was a level one demon, only about 2 miles out. We could easily get it and get back within a decent time, but with the rain, we didn't want to chance it. One small demon can't do that much destruction in a short amount of time.
They are nearly harmless, even though all of them should be removed. We decided not to press our luck and wait until after school to handle this one.
Sourusensā went off a second time. Micha looked at me. "What did you do? Hit snooze on that thing instead of silence," she said jokingly.
"No, I hit deny. However, there are now three demons in the same location. That must mean a small portal crack is leaking them out."
"I'll go," Beck volunteered. "I'm cleared for level 1 and 2 demons. Besides," Beck laughed. "I'm the only one with an umbrella."
"Yeah, that should be okay; just call us. Micah suggested. " When you're done, you might want to go back to your house to get a change of clothes as well.
"Just be careful. Again, if you encounter any trouble, please call us immediately. I reassured her."
"Yes, I know, Kaysi, I am not like you!" She said jokingly, with a smug tone, laughing as she left.
Sourusensā went off a third time.
"Kaysi, if your phone goes off one more time, interrupting my class, I'm going to give you detention, the teacher shouted."
"Sorry, sir. Family emergency," I said as I dashed out the door.
"I'm sorry as well. Micah followed. "We share a cousin," she lied quickly. "I'll be right back, too," Micah said, ignoring him and telling us to return to class!"
Micah asked, confused and concerned. "Okay, what's going on?" she asked once outside.
"It's another small demon. This one, however, is a level two, not too far from Beck's location." My breath cracked a bit from worry. "I really can't make sense of the situation. In theory, if the portal is large enough, it could have more than one crack. We can head out there and help Beck. She's going to need it."
I'll go out there and clean up a few small ones. Also, I will help Beck finish. Also, if you stay, it will help the teachers to be less suspicious of us. There is no sense in all of us going.
"You stay. That way, the teachers won't be suspicious. I'll help Beck. I will call for help if it gets bad." Micah reassured me.
"Oh, Baby, you got some time away from class," I asked as she walked up.
"Yes, I want to investigate the portal. I noticed it is rather large and has multiple cracks, which also gives me a chance to seal it."
"I feel a lot better knowing that you'll be out there helping them. I'll stay here and hold down the fort." I lightheartedly chuckled. "You guys, be safe, and don't get too wet out there."
Back in school, I started to feel a little better, that everything would be well despite feeling uneasy.
I adore storms—the way the raindrops fall, the fresh air they carry, and even the sight of lightning streaking across the sky. It's awful that my friends have to brave this weather. I thought to myself.
I cautiously made my way back to Mr. Manes's classroom, attempting to come up with a plausible explanation for Beck and Micha's continued absence. I chuckled, thinking, maybe I could blame Baby—she was a teacher, after all, right? I'll tell them she needs her for a reason; she had to run.
Sourusensā Rings. My heart felt like it stopped. I held my breath with worry.
The uneasy feeling I had been trying to choke down all day was right.
This time, it wasn't the demons; this was a level 5 demon that was right here!
At the school, from the image on the radar that I could see.