Chapter 6 Episode 5: Retribution

 At the white leafed forest known as Kohes forest, many students laid bloodied on the ground. During this incident, an injured student was sitting beside a tree and tried to stand up but ended up groaning in pain, due to his injuries.

"Damn it, Izaiya!" Izaiya said, "You've really outdone yourself today..."

Izaiya stared at bloodied bodies around him and scoffs.

"It was foolish of us to think that we could defeat him with numbers." Izaiya said within himself while touching his injured belly and facing the ground, "Damn. Looks like his rank isn't for show. What a monster..."

Izaiya suddenly lifts up his head and sees a shadow figure walking towards him with glowing flaming eyes.

"Ah, there you are..." Izaiya said while smiling, "The monster among mortals.... Onak..." 

Onak steps out of the shadow and glares at the injured Izaiya. 

"You know what to do..." Izaiya said, "You've collected the black flag and-"

Onak interrupts Izaiya as he clamped his hand over Izaiya's face. Other students became startled as they heard sound of Izaiya's screams from afar.

Back at Koshendu forest, Van lifted Garl off the ground by the throat with one arm while Rico sat unconscious beside a tree. As Van was choking Garl while grinning sadistically, blue beams suddenly appeared round Van, causing him to let go of Garl (due to Van's body stiffening).

"What the..? My body! I can't move it!" Van said within himself .

"Enough, Van!" Rico said while getting up, "You're strong. Infact, you are far stronger than any of us! But remember, my kan ability of 'Soul chain' gives me control over your soul's movement, therefore affecting your physical movements as well.

As long as those blue lights are there, Van, you cannot move without my permission, neither can yo-"

Rico was quickly interupted as he found himself being grabbed by the jaw by Van. 

Witnessing this, Garl stepped back as Van peeked at him and smirked evilly while still holding Rico.

"What the...how did he get there?" Garl asked within himself, "He was under Rico's hold a few minutes ago. How did he get out? Once your trapped within those blue lights, you can't break out!"

Van smashed Rico's head into the ground which created massive craters and left Rico unconscious. Van sadistically smiled as he peeked at Garl again and kicked the unconscious Rico to a huge tree.

" I've got a new move i've been waiting to try out.." Van said with a grin as he raised his index, "Hornet light: Unforgivable chain."

Van snaps his fingers and multiple lilac beams appeared round the unconscious Rico, piercing all over his body in an instant and leaving him to bleed out.

Garl, being angered and shocked by what he saw, gritted his teeth and snarled.

" VAN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" Garl asked, "He was down and out! There was no reason to beat him to that extent!!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Van asked as he turned to look at Garl, "I had every reason to beat him to that extent. You, Juni and that rat, deserve more than this for betraying me.

You know, when you first brought me into your little group, I was given the impression that you were my friends but you were all nothing but backstabbing rats."

"Van, Rico did not betray you." Garl said, "It was me and Juni that planned this. When we told Rico of our plan, he disagreed and begged us not to commence with it.

Multiple times we planned to take you down but Rico would look at us and we would decide not to attack."

"Oh, so you did plan to betray me?" Van asked while glaring at Garl.

"Yes, we did." Garl answered, "So, if there's anyone you should be angry at, it should me and Juni. But please, punish me instead of them since I was the first to think of it."

"Oh, don't worry." Van said, "You'll get what's coming to you ... After I deal with Juni."

"Juni?" Garl asked in shock, "But she's unconscious."

Garl stared in horror as he spots Juni slowly getting up and Van's glare quickly turned into a smile.

"Van...stop..." Garl shakily said.

"Hornet light..." Van said slowly while still smiling.

"Van, please don't...!" Garl said.

"Mata... Maraiya ..." Van slowly said while grinning.

A nest of lilac hornets appeared over Juni and Juni, sensing their presence, lifts her head and stares in shock. The hornets rained down lilac beams on Juni that pierced her body severally and created a lilac explosion.

As the smoke had cleared, Juni fell on her knees and Van appears in front her and instantly lands a high knee on her jaw which sent her crashing across the forest.

"Trash." Van said while smiling.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Garl asked as he punched Van on the cheek.

"I TOLD YOU TO TAKE OUT YOUR ANGER ON ME!!" Garl said while viciously punching Van on the face.

Van quickly retaliates with a headbutt and followed up his attack with a lilac beam on the belly that sent Garl roughly tumbling on the ground.

While Garl was struggling to get up, he began to cough out blood and noted himself to be bleeding on his belly.

"Don't worry." Van said while smiling as he was walking towards Garl, "I'll make sure that your punishment will be far greater than her's."

Back at Xondu forest, the injured Cloud was heavily breathing while holding his belly in pain as he reaches an isolated area in the forest and falls flat on his face.

"Damn, i managed to escape from that maniac." Cloud said within himself while struggling to get up.

Cloud recalled as Xorian was slamming him repeatedly on the ground while holding on to his ankle with one hand and tossed him away like a rag.

Another flashback occurs as Xorian ran towards Cloud and drove one of his shoulders into Cloud's midsection, causing Cloud to cough out blood and spittle while crashing back-first into multiple trees.

Another flashback occurs as Cloud was at the edge of a cliff, bleeding severely from his forehead while his entire body was shaking as he struggled to stand.

Xorian slammed his fist against his palm and grinned.

"I wish i could play with you some more, but unfortunately for you, you seem to be at your limit and time is fleeing." Xorian said as he sets his right fist in a position to punch Cloud. Xorian suddenly ignites his fist with red aura and sighed.

"It was fun. Have a good trip, Cloud of the Stormwind!"

Just as Xorian launches himself towards Cloud to punch him, Cloud quickly opens his eyes and sidestepped Xorian, causing him to fall from the cliff

"F*****CCCKKK!!!!" Xorian screamed while falling into the bottomless mist.

Cloud, seeing Xorian had gone, fell on his knees and began to breath heavily.

After recalling that moment, Cloud stood on his knees and sighed.

"I only averted his punch because of the hunting technique my father taught me on how to read the target and the environment before they attack."

Cloud tries to stand on his two feet but painfully falls back on his knees. 

"You are basically the weakest and lowest among us..." Karma's voice replayed in Cloud's head.

"I am weak..." Cloud said within himself while facing the grass on the ground, "Honestly, I don't know how I've survived alone since my tribe's death. All the dangers, the monsters and other things that have tried to kill me when I was wondering on my own... i don't understand how i was able to survive all that...

I don't understand how I even managed to survive this academy's trainings and tasks.

I don't even understand how I managed to survive against other students!!

I should have died a long time ago. No matter how i try to look at it, i am just a useless guy who is trying to keep a promise that was made a long time ago."

"You weren't present during the first five months of intense training where some of the students even lost their lives while some left because they could not handle the pressure...You came after these five months when the training became a bit mild but you still barely survived and passed..." Zera's voice replayed in Cloud's head.

"Damn it!" Cloud said within himself as he hammerfisted the ground, "Why am I like this? So weak... So damn useless! I'm not like them, I'm not...

Well, there is no point of me complaining now. I just have to keep moving forward."

As Cloud tried to stand on his feet, again, a green potion falls out of his cloth to the ground, which made Cloud recall when he was discussing with Leorona, alone.

"Here, take this." Leorona said as she hands a green potion to Cloud, "Took me over a week to make this, but you'll feel a lot better... Trust me.."

Cloud takes the potion from Leorona but smell of the potion caused Cloud to hold his nose.

"Ew!" Cloud said, "I know you're giving me this incase I run into another Van beat down situation <Which i can't remember> but couldn't you make something that doesn't smell like the decayed back of a grandma toad?!"

Cloud lifts his head and stared at Leorona with a scared expression as Leorona glared at him with a raised eyebrow while emitting a black-red aura and folding her arms.

After recalling that incident, Cloud picks the potion from the ground and stares at it.

" I wonder how this potion didn't get destroyed while I was getting my ass beaten." Cloud said within himself, "Well, here goes nothing."

Cloud quickly gulped the drink but began to hold his throat with both hands while choking and rolling on the ground.

"What the hell did Leorona put in this thing?!" Cloud asked within himself while still rolling and choking, "Is she trying to kill... Wait a minute... I wasn't able to use both of my arms before..."

Cloud sat up on the ground and began to stare at his palms.

"There was no pain when I even sat up..." Cloud said within himself, "My body was completely wrecked by Xorian; it was a miracle that I was even able to walk to this point. Looks like I owe Leorona a lot for this. For her to take out her time and make this... Maybe I should-"

Cloud suddenly halts as he spots a yellow flag near a tree and smiled at it. Cloud quickly stood up and walked towards the flag.

"Well, what do you know?" Cloud said within himself as he removed the yellow cloth from the flag, "Looks like i've gotten my chance into the tournament. Now, all I have to do is-"

A golden portal suddenly appears underneath the yellow cloth on Cloud's hands and the portal suddenly disappears with the cloth.

"What the ..What just happened?!" Cloud asked in shock.

"Looking for something?" A feminine voice asked.

Cloud turns back and sees the person that spoke to him was Killer bee who happened to be holding the yellow cloth while smiling.

"Hey, that's mine!" Cloud said in slight irritation, "I found it first! Give it back!"

"Oh? If you want it, then feel free to take it." Killer bee said as she extends her arm to give Cloud the cloth.

"She's giving it to me that easily?" Cloud asked within himself in surprised manner, "This is a trap. It has to be... But I'm running out of time!"

"Hey, no games here." Cloud said, "Just give me back the cloth."

"Like i said before, if you want the cloth then feel free to take it." Killer bee said while smiling with her eyes closed.

Cloud walks towards Killer bee and grabs hold of the cloth but Killer bee quickly responds with a straight kick to his midsection which sent Cloud rolling backwards to a tree.

Cloud groaned in pain while holding his belly and growled at Killer bee.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Cloud asked.

"I said feel free to take it." Killer bee said while smiling again with her eyes closed, "But that doesn't mean you won't fight for it. Plus, remember, Zera made it clear that even if you've gotten a flag cloth, you haven't gotten a free pass until you've submitted it to her."

"Give me a damn break." Cloud said, "Time isn't on my side or anyone's side for that matter. I don't have time for this!"

"Hey, I'm basically doing you a favor." Killer bee said while smiling, "If you look at it, I have nothing to lose. I can easily use my Kan ability of "Gates" to leave this place and submit the cloth to Zera but I want to give you a chance to fight for it.

So, I'll strike a deal with you. Defeat me and you will get back this cloth but if you don't want to agree to this then I'll just take my leave.

And plus, I won't use my Kan ability to assist me in our fight. Not a bad deal, right? So what do you say? "

"I've seen her ability before.." Cloud said within himself, "Gates: An ability that allows her to create portals and transport herself or anything she desires in an instant. She can easily leave this place and give the cloth to Zera but for some reason, she is giving me a chance to fight for it." 

"She has nothing to lose here.... I'm the one with everything to lose." Cloud said within himself as he clenched his fist, "Damn it! I've been cornered! I want to avoid fighting as much as i can... But what are the chances of me finding another cloth? I have no choice but to accept her offer."

"Fine, i accept." Cloud said.

"Good!" Killer bee said while smiling, "For someone who managed to outsmart Van and Xorian, I wonder how you will do against me."

"Xorian?!" Cloud asked within himself in shock, "How does she... She has been watching me all along! Looking for an excuse to duel with me! Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Let's just get this over with." 

Cloud smiles at Killer bee and Killer bee responds with a grin.

"Let us begin." Killer bee said.

Back at Koshendu forest, Van was holding the unconscious and bloodied Garl by the shirt while glaring at him.

As Van continued to glare at Garl, Van began to emit a lilac aura and growled.

"F*cking sh*t!" Van said as he kicked Garl on the head and sent him crashing across the forest.

"Humph, i can't believe I let myself associate with rats of your kind." Van said as he turned his back and began to walk away.

As Van was walking, he began to recall a few days after the fight between him and Cloud; Van, Garl, Rico and Juni, were on their knees, breathing heavily while injured.

Van lifts his head and glares at Sting while Sting coldly glares at Van.

"D-Damn you...!" Van said, "Damn you, Sting! I'll make sure to pay you back for this!"

"This doesn't make any sense..." Juni said , "How could a B+ candidate be this strong? Strong enough to injure us and Van?!"

Sting scoffs at them and turned his back to walk away.

"Be glad that's all i did to you." Sting said in a deep darkened tone while walking as his scleras turned black and his green irises glowed.

After recalling that moment, Van glared at the orange cloth on his hand and clenched it.

"That damn bastard... Who does he think he is?!" Van angrily asked within himself, "To humiliate me like that... I'll get you for this! And as for you, Cloud...!"

Van began to recall the image of Cloud, causing him to clench his fist harder.

"...Knowing you, you will somehow make it to that tournament. And when you do, you better hope that we don't cross paths. Because if that should happen... I'll rip you apart!" Van said within himself while emitting a lilac aura, "You! Sting! Onak! Karma! Every last one of you! I'm coming for you! I'm coming for all of you!!"

Van halts as a crowd of students, stood in front of him and a female student walked in front of the line.

"Hand over the cloth and you won't get hurt." The female student said.

"Move." Van replied as his right eye emitted a lilac streak of light.