22 The black dragon's trial (4): Special class

Akun strolled confidently through the rows of chairs until he reached Ken's seat. Looking down at him with a smirk, Akun mocked, "Not feeling so tough now, are you?"

(A/N: It may seem like our protagonist has given on his revenge now, but this is necessary for him to become darker later on.)

He then turned his attention to Mina, his childhood friend or former friend. Her mocking words had hurt him deeply before, but now he stood tall and said, "Mina, you used to be my friend, but you joined in with the others and laughed at me too."

As he moved through the classroom, he called out the names of the other students who had once taunted him:

"John, you tripped me in the hallway and laughed."

"Lily, you spread rumors about me behind my back."

"Tom, you copied my homework and made me look like a fool."

"Evan, you ignored me and acted like I didn't even exist."

"Chris, you said I was worthless and would never amount to anything."

"Emily, you made fun of my dreams and ambitions."

Each name he spoke carried a weight of hurt and betrayal, but Akun's voice remained steady and determined. He wanted them to hear how their actions had affected him, and now it was time for them to face the consequences.

"Now let the lesson begin." Akun then released his aspect power's hold on them. As Akun released his hold on his classmates, chaos erupted in the classroom. Some students desperately tried to open the doors, while others attempted to force the windows open. However, no matter how hard they tried, nothing budged. Akun's aspect power had made the exits impenetrable.

With an air of confidence, Akun spoke up. "If you want to escape, you'll have to go through me first," he said firmly.

Ken, still full of bravado, stepped forward and scoffed at the others. "Why are you all trying to run? We just have to beat up this loser, and he'll open the doors for us," he said, trying to rally the rest of the students.

Akun couldn't help but burst into laughter at Ken's words. However, his expression turned serious as he replied, "Go ahead and try, Ken."

The challenge hung heavily in the air, and the other students watched in anticipation. Ken, feeling the pressure of the situation, clenched his fists and charged at Akun. But as he swung his fist, Akun easily sidestepped the attack, leaving Ken off balance.

With a swift move, Akun extended his hand, and Ken felt an invisible force pinning him against the wall. He struggled to break free, but it was no use. Akun's aspect power had him firmly trapped.

"You see, Ken," Akun said calmly, "bullying and mocking me won't get you anywhere. If anything, it'll only make things worse for you."

The other students watched in awe as Akun effortlessly subdued Ken, the once feared bully now helpless in his grasp. It was a powerful display of Akun's newfound strength and confidence.

As the moments passed, Akun eventually released his hold on Ken, allowing him to slump to the ground, defeated and humiliated. The other students were left speechless, realizing that their former target had become someone entirely different.

"Ken!" Akun called out, his voice filled with authority. "You thought you were tough, didn't you? Now look at you!"

As Akun unleashed his powers on his classmates, chaos erupted in the classroom. Some of the girls began to scream in fear as they witnessed Akun using his aspect power abilities to slap his other classmates around. The force of his slaps left some of them with swollen faces, and it was clear that Akun wasn't holding back.

Some of the students who had mocked him earlier began to beg for mercy, pleading with Akun to spare them. Others, who had said they would serve him if he let them go, tried to reason with him.

Mina, tried to reason with him, "Akun, think about what you're doing! We were just joking, we didn't mean any harm!"

"Please, Akun, I didn't mean it! I was just kidding!" one of the boys also cried out.

Some of the other students who had boasted they would serve him if he spared them also chimed in, "Yeah, we'll do anything you want, just please don't hurt us!"

But Akun's laughter filled the room as he said, "Oh, you were just kidding? Well, I hope you're ready for some divine punishment then!"

He continued to use his powers, dishing out what he saw as retribution for all the years of mockery and bullying he had endured. But just as Akun was about to take things too far, the Endless Evolution System intervened.

[Warning!!: The black dragon's influence is taking hold of your thoughts and emotions. Succumbing to revenge will lead to your own destruction.]

Akun's thoughts swirled in his mind as he stood there, torn between revenge and restraint. The system prompt echoed in his ears, urging him to reconsider, to avoid the path of destruction.

"How is that fair? They kick me around, and I can only defend. I kick them around, and the system jumps in. Are these guys even worth forgiving?"Akun mused, his gaze sweeping across the trembling bodies of his classmates. Fear and panic filled the air, and some of them were now cowering in the corners of the room.

He couldn't deny the anger and hurt he felt from their mockery and mistreatment. And yet, he couldn't ignore the nagging voice of reason, cautioning him against giving in to the darkness.

His eyes locked with Ken's, who was still trying to regain his composure. Akun saw a reflection of his past self in the bully's eyes, a reminder of the torment he endured.

It made him pause, questioning if there was truly a difference between them now.

"Ha, looks like while I was trying to take down the bully, I ended up becoming the bully myself. What a bad joke."

he said aloud, his voice tinged with sadness. He didn't want to be like Ken, lashing out with his powers to assert dominance over others.

That wasn't the person he wanted to become.

The weight of the moment seemed to press heavily upon Akun's shoulders as he recalled Setapulus' cautionary words from the novel prologue, "Regression Of The Arc Mage Who Destroyed the World." Those words echoed in his mind.

"What distinct difference can I truly point out between myself and those who traversed the path of destruction?" he whispered to himself, the gravity of those words sinking in. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his thoughts, and continued, "They killed, and I killed. They plundered, and I plundered. My intention was to make them comprehend the anguish they subjected me to by taking what held significance to me. I fooled myself into believing it was the righteous course, consequently reshaping myself into the very entities I had previously shielded my people from. If I could live my life again my approach would have been different.."

In that moment of reflection, a profound realization washed over Akun. He was tired of this cycle of revenge and anger. He no longer wanted to succumb to the darkness that threatened to consume him. He desired something greater, something more meaningful than the fleeting satisfaction of vengeance.

Reality itself seemed to shudder and crack around him, and before he knew it, Akun found himself standing in the presence of the black dragon once again. The imposing figure of the dragon glared at him, an expression of anger and frustration etched upon its features.

"Why did you blow your chance for revenge?" the dragon thundered, its voice resonating through the space around them.

Akun stood his ground, facing the black dragon with a resolute gaze. "Don't get me wrong," he began, his voice steady and determined. "I won't let them get away with what they did to me, but I won't seek revenge. It's justice I'm after."