Maple High School Academy Hidden Year 1
Levi Strauss and the Journey to the North - West - Watch and Learn

Watch and Learn

“DON'T CRY, LEVI. I understand how you feel, son. Losing your mother is painful. But that is how the world works. One day we will be separated too. Therefore, strengthen your heart. Do not dwell in sadness. Show the world that you are a strong and unyielding boy!”

Levi's eyes were open. A spray of sun doused his body that lay in the air. Levi felt nothing for a while. There was only white around it. It even feels like the world is slowing down. A voice from the past resounded repeatedly inside the child's head. Levi tried to move his entire body, but at the moment he was only able to raise his left hand. There were scuffed gloves visible as his hands were raised. The scabbard has a symbol. Suddenly, Levi regained consciousness and the world returned.

He remembered that he was fighting against the king of scorpions.

“What is the monster—“

“Be quiet, Grumble.” Someone said while carrying Levi's body. “I thought you'd end up being a piece of meat, but I misjudged you. Hows it? Nice not sleeping, Levi Staruss?”

Levi was dumbstruck when he found out that the one holding him like a princess was Lord Betelgeuse. Plus, the black-haired man now blinked one eye while throwing an unusual smile. Levi suddenly thrashed for release and .. bruuuk!

“Ups! Not my fault, is it? You asked for this,” said Lord Betelgeuse in an innocent tone after he let go of his grasp.

Down there, Levi complained because his back that has a former incision was hit by desert sand. He groaned as he shouted the name of Lord Betelgeuse. The man paid no heed as he had just scratched his ear. He came up to the king of the scorpions who had now appeared. The fiery aura of anger from the monster did not subside, quite the opposite.

` “That's why I hate fighting monsters. They think growling will look scary. In fact, for me it seems forcing,” he said while turning the eyeballs. Lord Betelgeuse walked leisurely closer to the creature. Although the air around tried to suppress him, the man did not show a vigilant reaction. He even mocked the scorpion king with a cynical look. “Why? You're pissed, yeah, 'cause I'm a sneer, lowly monster?”

The growl returned to the air with the attack of the scorpion king. The giant claw lunged right towards Lord Betelgeuse who was then grinning widely. The collision was inevitable, once again creating a sandstorm. Levi lowered his head and tried to hold on so as not to crash. He searched for the whereabouts of Lord Betelgeuse, hoping that the giant claw would not hurt him. After all, the scorpion claw was extremely deadly. Once they get their scythes, they'll end up tragically like Romeo and Juliet.

“Lord Betelgeuse?”

Levi called the name of the king of Malice Island in a discordant tone. Both of his eyes examined the already silent state. Although Lord Betelgeuse sucks, but he does not want to lose his figure. Since this journey began, Levi started to like the man. He felt the presence of a father figure in Lord Betelgeuse. Although, he had once intended to collect it into an object of research, Lord Betelgeuse was neither really angry nor vengeful towards him. In fact, when he thought Lord Betelgeuse was about to make it fall, the man actually helped him. Levi gnashed his molar teeth. “Lord Betelgeuse, answer!”

When his gaze began to clear, a relieved smile blossomed on Levi's face. He found the figure he was looking for. Lord Betelgeuse was still standing firmly in his place, not even budging in the slightest. Merely, around him were already the hands of darkness holding the giant claw of a scorpion. The hand that came out from the shadow of Lord Betelgeuse. That ... black magic? whispers in the heart.

“Don't worry, Levi,” said Lord Betelgeuse as if he knew Levi's thoughts. “I won't die easily. Well, although in the end all living things will feel death, but not for me now. My pride would fall if killed by this lowly creature and someone in power at Maple Academy would dance around if that happened. I won't let that shitty Fairy Blaster laugh.”

Levi moved towards a safe place. In his mind, he wondered whether Lord Betelgeuse was the principal or not. If that was true, there must have been a connection or event that happened between those people in the past. He'll figure out a way to find her later. Yeah, later. Because now, Levi prefers to sit down to rest with the pain that is still lodged in his back. The pain makes a person unable to think clearly.

“Graaahhhh!”

“Give up, monster. Your life I'll forgive if I leave here right now.”

However, the words of Lord Betelgeuse actually made the king of scorpions even more upset. His pride as the ruler king of the middle-of-the-disputed desert was trampled by foreigners. “Oh, don't want to, huh? Alright if that's what you want,” Lord Betelgeuse replied again. “Levi Strauss, now I'll teach you how to deal with one-on-one enemies. First, you need to calm down and never show fear. Wh why? Because predators can feel the aura of fear in their prey. Don't position yourself as a victim!”

At the end of it, the scorpion king seemed to prepare the horses. The creature suddenly jumped with a pointed tail that was ready to poke at its target. “Second, give intimidation to your opponent. That will make them think twice about attacking.”

Sure enough, after Lord Betelgeuse had said that, the scorpion king suddenly stopped in place. His face looked up, displaying a look of fear. It was as if what he saw right now was a figure so big, so powerful, and emitting a terrifying aura. The monster retreated backwards as the triumphant grin of a fallen angel had just developed its huge black wings. The wings even cover some of the sun's rays, such as the state of an eclipse. “Three, give painful attacks to your enemies.” Lord Betelgeuse raised both hands. From there, the black energy gathered together to form a huge void ball. The magic was launched towards the monster at full speed, until a powerful explosion shook the place.

“Is he dead?”

“Not yet, that monster I let die,” replied Lord Betelgeuse. He approached Levi who was full of sweat for enduring the pain. His one finger casts a magic that can wag Levi's suit. Lord Betelgeuse opened the pocket hanging from the boy's waist and took one of the tubes containing the blue liquid. “Last lesson for you, Levi Strauss. Don't go before your enemy really ‘lah’. Now, we start the closing scene.”

“M-means?”

Lord Betelgeuse only signaled for Levi to notice. The man approached the sprawled monster figure and howled weakly. “As a king, you prefer to fight even if your abilities are not comparable. Alright, as a reward for that bravery, your death will not end in vain.”

The tube containing the blue compound held by the angel was thrown into the body of the scorpion king. Hydrogen. As the compound touched the air, a puddle of water appeared to drench the desert below. Make it like a small lake. The water swallowed a scorpion that could no longer dodge. Amidst the events that still raise questions, Levi sees how Lord Betelgeuse cast a magic spell, then directs his hand to the surface of the lake.

“Dark Magic: Demon Rose Garden.”

Miraculously, somehow the sharp thorny root tendrils came out from within the puddle. The roots filled the entire lake, caging the helpless figure within. The final moaning sound of the scorpion king signified the fight was over. Levi was shocked to not believe it. He rubbed his eyes because he had just seen blood flowing from behind the tendrils. Soon, roses bloomed from there. The carcass instantly turned into a beautiful rose garden.

“His death was not in vain. It ends up being a beauty in the middle of the arid desert,” said Lord Betelgeuse. “Isn't this a masterpiece, Levi Strauss?”

“A-I ...” Levi was about to stand up as his head swirled. His gaze suddenly blurred and he fell to the ground. His breathing began to be irregular and the incision on his back gave him pain again. Shit, I must have been poisoned, he murmured.

Feeling unable to move the body, Levi looked at the clear sky without clouds. He laughed and wondered if his life would end here. Someone looking at his weakened body, Levi was sure it was Lord Betelgeuse. However, two other figures appeared from behind the man. The figure he was familiar with, but his gaze was now fading. The two familiar figures approached him while making a sound. Unknowingly, Levi shed tears.

“A-yah .. I-mom ..”

Then he fell asleep.