Chapter 169 A Drill?

Manny and the others had continued with their conversation after Lee Seng had left. The cafeteria was loud and bustling with students. Manny had his arms folded and he was leaning back into his chair as the group talked about plans for the weekend.

"We could go out for a day. I wanna hit up the mall and get some new clothes and accessories." Olivia suggested.

"There's a really cool mall like half an hour away we could go to. Manny took me there once with a bunch of our other friends. It's worth the trip." Liz told the group.

"If we're going into another part of the city, is there anything interesting to do around there? I don't just want to shop." Ritsuka tilted his head as he leaned back in his seat.

"You'd just be walking around the city, then. There's a couple of restaurants around there that's worth the trip, actually.." Manny answered.

"Oh, we should go to that Japanese place!" Liz clapped her hands.

"Mmm, we could hit that place up or we could do Korean BBQ, buffet, or that burger joint. I think Lee Seng would enjoy that burger joint the most."

"Mmm, we could hit up some food joints. I'm always down for food." Evan agreed.

"What day did you guys wanna go? Saturday? Sunday?" Ritsuka asked.

"Uh, we could go–"

CRASH!

The whole building shook and a loud pulse noise bounced throughout the room. Students began to scream in the chaos. Food, chairs, tables and students went flying as a large group of men in metallic hound helmets flashed into the room.

"What's happening?" Liz turned to look. The group of hound men filtered into the cafeteria, stopping anyone who tried to confront them. They blocked the main exit to the cafeteria and the group watched a hound man walk up. Manny made a small noise, recognizing the symbol on the hound's armor.

'It can't be.' Manny denied. 'That's… 2's signature rune.'

"Cooperate and we'll be on our way." The hound man spoke. His hound-faced helmet was gold with red accents. He scanned the area, his helmet scanning the students. "We only need one person. Give us him and none of you will have to get hurt." The golden hound motioned and some red hounds moved into the cafeteria.

"How did they get in here without going through security?" A student whispered around Manny and the group.

"Look at their emblem. Doesn't it look familiar?" Another student whispered. The red hounds moved and scanned the students quickly. Each face scanned wasn't a hit, so they moved on. A couple of students got cocky and stood up.

"Who sent you? The Academy?!?" A male student asked. A red hound turned to look at him and in one motion, grabbed at his throat and raised him upwards.

"Silence." The red hound tightened its grip. Students began to panic and the chaos began to ensue.

"Is this… a drill?" Liz whispered to Manny. Manny shook his head as he watched the red hound toss the student into one of the pillars.

"Cooperate or you will be dealt with." The golden hound reminded the students.

"If it's a drill, we know what we gotta do." Manny glanced at Liz and the others.

"Do what, exactly?" Olivia asked.

"Fight and follow the drill protocol. The school wouldn't tell us about this kind of thing. We have to act accordingly." Liz answered. Manny stood up and turned to look around. A couple of red hounds moved and pointed their guns straight at him.

"Stay down!" A red hound shouted at him. Manny sighed and took a couple of steps forward. He raised his hands and looked around.

"Man," Manny spoke loudly. "I didn't expect this to happen so fast. Usually, it doesn't happen until the end of the year. I guess the Academy is spicing things up." A red hound shot at Manny's stomach. Manny winced in pain and felt the blood trickling. He smiled. The bullet flew out as his body healed. "Now."

Purple-black lightning bolts flew past Manny and slammed into the red hounds. Red hounds turned and pointed their guns straight for Liz. They began to spray down at Liz who was already sending bolts straight for them. Evan jumped over the table and threw himself in front of Liz, summoning a shield to catch rogue shots.

"God, we're really doing this." Olivia flicked her wrist and watched as the food and materials on the table started to break up into their smaller components. She flicked her wrist at the red hounds and roundhouse kicked the first red hound closing in on them.

The students began to retaliate and push the red hounds back .The golden hound simply watched the chaos unfold around him.

"Tch, the students really live up to their motto." The golden hound shook his head as his armor began to wrattle and pulse with red energy. "Do what you need to do, hounds." The red hounds behind him began to move forward. More hounds were pouring into the chaotic cafeteria. The hound helmets were coming off and red and black energy poured out of where their heads should've been.

The red hounds monstrously screeched as their armors were beginning to cover in the samw red and black energy. They all started to blaze and destroy anything in their path. Students, chairs, tables and food flew everywhere as the smoky red hounds moved forward. Red energy claws enveloped their hands and a couple split off to fight Manny and the group.

"What the hell are those?!?" Ritsuka shouted as he dodged a swipe and sent a flurry of punches into one of the red hounds. He pulled away and pulled the black sword, Obsidian Glass and slashed at the incoming red hounds.

"I don't know but we need to follow the procedure!" Manny dodged and whipped a kick into the smoky red hound. Bolts of purple lightning flew out as Evan slammed his shield into a smoky red hound and released the kinetic energy stored up. The hound went flying backwards into his buddies.

"What's the procedure!?!" Olivia asked. She bobbed and weaved as she dodged the smoky red hound clawing at her while forcing bullets to dismantle around her. The bullet casings and gunpowder flew around her as she slammed a palm into the smoky hound, paralyzing it. Olivia kicked the hound and roundhoused it away from her.

"Get to safety! Alert the Academy!" Manny shouted.

"Black void." Rituska dropped the sword and backed up into his allies. The floor around them filled with black energy and swords began to ravage the battlefield. Ritsuka threw his hand into his pocket and opened it as he walled himself with swords. "Notify the Academy?!?"

"Notify them!" Liz shouted as the space around her began to spark and distort. Four lightning bolt beams flew out and scorched the red hounds. Ritsuka tapped the Academy and hit the first phone number he saw. He raised the phone to his hands as he watched a sword pierce one of the red hounds. Black and red energy flew out of the hounds body and the armor went limp.

"What the fuck? They aren't alive?!?" Ritsuka shouted. The phone clicked and a voice greeted him.

"Hello, Numbers Academy. What can I do for you?" The voice asked.

"We're under attack in the Third Year Dorm building!" Ritsuka shouted.

"Understood. Follow the procedures." The voice acknowledged. The phone hung up and Ritsuka looked at it.

"That's it!?! An alright?" Ritsuka swiped his hand forward and watched as the wall of blades rotated over towards Olivia as a smoky red hound slashed through the blades like butter. "They said to follow procedure!"

"Alright, try to call Lee Seng while we head over to him!" Manny shouted. The group pushed forward. Ritsuka, Olivia and Evan moved to the front while Manny and Liz stuck in the back. Ritsuka watched as Obsidian Glass flew out of the black ground surrounding him and swiped at the enemies in front of him.

"Don't let them out!" A red hound shouted. More smoky red hounds flew at them as lightning bolts met them. A red hound flew towards Liz and Manny. Manny quickly threw himself in front of Liz and took the hit, tumbling backwards.

"Manny!" Liz shouted. Evan grunted as he blocked a swipe.

"Our formation sucks!" Evan shouted. "What do we do? Do you want me with you guys or in the back?"

"Protect Liz as best as you can!" Ritsuka shouted. Evan simply nodded and released another kinetic blast and turned. He watched as a red hound was aiming straight for Liz and threw himself into her as a loud sound ricochet off the walls. The two landed on the ground, Evan feeling the red and black energy graze his back.

"Evan, are you okay?" Liz asked as she released a bolt of lightning straight at the guy who shot at Evan.

"I'll be fine." Evan forced himself up and pulled Liz onto her feet. He resummoned the shield and ran towards Manny who was tustling with three red hounds.

'Huh, Manny's actually really good at martial arts, too? I really shouldn't doubt the guy who literally grew up with Lee Seng with the Numbers.'