Black ✴-CHAPTER 6- NEW WORLD PART 5-BEGINNING OF HUNTING SEASON

The Gym

Raeyon felt his blood boiling, like a fire had ignited within him. The sudden rush of power he felt caused an explosion that sent a shockwave through the academy.

*SHAKE!SHAKE!SHAKE!*

"What is this shaking?"

"I don't know. I sense it coming from the gym."

"We better go check it out."

Even the teachers who were in the staff lounge felt it. Jack, who was in a battle with the one who caused such an explosion, shook his head. He couldn't believe that even after all that fighting, Raeyon still had such power under his sleeves.

Jack, not going to be outdone by him, decided to respond appropriately�"

"LET'S DO THIIIS!! HAAAAAAAH!"

He screamed. Summoning forth more power. The students who were watching the fight, couldn't believe it. The fact that those two had such power. Suddenly they could hear voices. Other students and teachers came from their classes just to see who or what produced such a shockwave. Even Duran, Derino and Yoriko came. Among the students who came, there were some of the strongest students in the school.

The energy that Jack gave off was no less that of which Raeyon gave off. The two of them did not move for awhile. The students who just came, along with the teachers had their eyes wide open. Even Duran gave his thoughts on the two-

"Though they are not at the level of the third years, they are definitely some of the strongest students among the first years, maybe even among the second years too."

If Duran, who rarely said that someone was strong, said that about two first years, then they had to be amazing. Derino, who looked closely at the two, suddenly saw who was fighting Jack�"

"Wait.. that's the new student?"

"Hm? My,my, it is. I can't believe it"

Even Yoriko couldn't believe it. The fact that it was Raeyon who gave off such energy. Duran didn't know who Raeyon was, so he asked for his name as he leaned on the railing from the stands-

"What is that boys name?"

"Who?"

"The one with long black hair."

"Oh thats Raeyon Shi. The new student. It's his first time in the academy."

"Oh, I see."

Jack and Raeyon still squared of with each other. Seeing that it's about time they end this, Jack made the first move.

"HAAAAH"

He jumped forward, flying towards Raeyon.

"Take this!!"

BOOM!

Their first collided, sending a shockwave throughout the gym. The railings that Duran and the others leaned on rattled, causing Derino to almost fall over. He exclaimed�"

"Those kids are insane! Why is the teacher not stopping the�"wait, I finally see who it is."

Watawari was a man who would rather have students fight till one of them had broken bones than to stop the match himself. One time, a parent had to come to the school to personally see and scold him for causing her child to get 3 cracked ribs. The Institute Of Education (IOE) wanted him removed from the academy.

Raeyon and Jack continued attacking each other, not one giving an inch. The numerous clashes sent repeated shockwaves throughout the gym. Genova and the others, who stood closer to the court, had to cover their eyes so that dust wouldn't blind them, they also had to plant their feet into the ground so they wouldn't be blown away by the force of the attacks.

"HAAAAH!"

"HAAAAH!"

They both screamed, trying to overpower the other. Not one of them gave an inch. Attack after attack, block after block, it seemed like they were evenly matched, but it soon became apparent who had the edge�"it was Raeyon. Kazuki was the first one to realize that he had an edge.

"It would seem like Jack is being overwhelmed."

"Yeah."

"But still, it was a pretty close battle, Raeyon just has a better physique."

"Yep."

It pained Genova to say, but it was true. In terms of physical strength, Raeyon was far stronger. His physical body was trained to the point that even swords with the sharpest edges wouldn't be able to scratch him. For someone who practiced martial arts like Genova, the fact that he had to admit that Raeyon had an edge over him in terms of physical strength, made him unhappy, yet at the same time, it made him excited.

When he saw his classmates, he thought that only Kevin and Aki would have been able to give him a challenge when it came to hand to hand combat, but now that he knew that Raeyon was also someone who would give him a good fight, he got happy�"

I guess it's time I change up my training regimen. I better consult my master and tell him that there is someone who I MUST defeat.

He didn't see Raeyon only as a valid reason to consult with his master about changing his training regimen, but he also saw Raeyon as his rival�"his first rival.

"RAEYOOON!!"

"JAAACK!!"

BOOM!!PSHHH!!BOOM!!PSHHH!

Punch after punch, kick after kick, with each hit, the power they brought forth was greater, but Jack soon began to realize that he couldn't keep up any longer�"

Damn it! I'm being overwhelmed. Even though I'm fighting with everything I've got, why am I losing??

He couldn't understand it. He was on equal footing with him moments ago, yet, he was being overpowered now�"

I guess I should go back to long range.

Realizing that he couldn't keep up with Raeyon at close range, he jumped back, trying to create some distance between them. Raeyon tried to catch up, but Jack kicked up dust in the air, causing him to stop.

After the dust cleared, he realized that Jack had already launched an attack, using the dust as a distraction�"

"ICE CREATION-MILLION RAIN"

Million of arrows rained down from the sky. Raeyon dodged swiftly, with every step he became faster, more agile, and stronger. After thinking about it for awhile, Jenna came to a shocking discovery�"

"Is Raeyon getting stronger as the fight drags on?"

All her classmates looked at her. Rolando, who was sitting on the ground, didn't understand what she meant.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I can't explain it properly, but it would seem that as he continues to fight Jack, it becomes easier for him to read his attacks making it easier for him to dodge."

What she said was so correct, that even Duran came to the same conclusion.

If that boy can get used to his opponents attack pattern, then he could potentially be able to defeat anyone, as long as they don't kill him before that of course.

The onslaught of attacks continued, with each wave, Raeyon dodged, getting faster and faster. Jack, after realizing that Raeyon was getting faster after each wave, stopped firing and tried to catch his breath.

"Huff, it would seem like he's adapting to my combat style, it's like he's completely reading and predicting my attacks."

Is he done?

Raeyon wanted more. He wanted to continue fighting, so that his blood could boil more. Since Jack stopped, Raeyon went on the offensive�"

"FIRE TECHNIQUE-DRAGONS BREATH!"

A dragon head formed behind Raeyon, towering above him, nearly reaching the ceiling. It roared, fire burst forth from it's mouth. Jack sensed that no shield that he created would be able to protect him, so he decided to block it with an attack�"

"ICE CREATION-FROZEN DRAGON: KING'S ROAR!'

An ice dragon, same size as Raeyon's, appeared before Jack. It roared,a bone chilling beam gushed out of it's mouth.

BOOM! CRACKLE!

The two attacks collided, splitting the ground beneath them. The sound of ground and ice breaking could be heard. They struggled, trying to push each other back. Both Jack and Raeyon poured more OSCELL into the dragons�"

"Haaaah!"

"Aaaaaah!"

The dragons grew in size, the pressure they gave off also doubled. A mixture of fire and ice began to form a ball in the middle of the court. Suddenly, there was a sudden rise and drop in temperature. Sayuri and the others became hot and cold, causing them to catch a sudden fever.

Watawari realized that the students from class A and B would get worse if he continued to let them be exposed to the hot and cold air, so he put up a barrier, trapping the cold and hot air within. Jenna, after Watawari put up the barrier, sat down, with her arms wrapped around her. She looked up, and saw Genova and Aki perfectly fine.

"Ho..ho..how...ar..ar...are...yo...you...two..so..so...ffff...fine?"

"Hm? What do you mean? Its not really cold."

"Yeah, where I'm from, it's usually cold all year round."

These two�"

"ICE CREATION-YETI SPIRIT!"

"FIRE TECHNIQUE-FLAMING DRAGON CLAW!"

The screams of two hot blooded maniacs echoed throughout the gym. A giant yeti monster,50m in height,cast a giant shadow over the court.

[ I can't see anything! ]

[ What the hell is that? ]

[ Wait, there's a light! ]

A sudden burst of light could be seen. Everyone thought that it was just Raeyon covering his body in fire,but no, it was�"a giant dragon claw that was on fire. Though it was not as big as the yeti spirit,the light it emitted completely brightened up the court that was in darkness. Teachers and students looked on as those two prepared to launch their final attack.

"Let's finish this Raeyon!"

"Yeah!"

Raeyon rushed towards Jack, flying through the air. Jack launched the fist of the yeti sprirt forward. As they approached each other,their energy increased,causing the ground beneath them to crack even more,creating more craters. The rocks which broke apart floated up,as if the pressure from the attacks attracted them.

"JAAAAACK!"

"RAEYOOON!"

They screamed each other's name,putting their all into their attacks. The students, both on the ground and in the spectator stands braced for the explosion that would have been created when the attacks hit. As they approached closer,it was like time slowed down for a couple seconds, then�"

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A huge explosion. The force sent the benches flying. The students thought they would be protected by the clear shield that Watawari placed up, but they were wrong�"

CRACK! BREAK!

The shield shattered,turning into OSCELL. Tisha's   jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that the shield a teacher put up was broken by the combined forces of two first years�"

Is Watawari Sensei weak?

It wasn't that Watawari was weak,infact he was very strong, Raeyon and Jack were just that strong. The fact that they were able to break the shield proved that.

They continued to push,trying to destroy the others attack and land a direct hit. They struggled and struggled, putting everything they had into their attacks�"

Damn! I'm going to lose!

Jack was being pushed back. As it seemed like Raeyon was about to break the yeti sprirt, he noticed something had lit up on his chest�"

What's that? Wait, it's the�"

"GYAAAAAAAH!"

He groaned from the pain, his attack faded. Jack felt that something had happened to Raeyon, so he seized the opportunity. He pushed the yeti's fist towards Raeyon with everything he had.

CRASH!

Raeyon took a direct hit. He was sent barreling towards the broken ground, rocks going down with him. He crashed into the court. By the time he hit, the seal had already gone back to normal.

The smoke from the explosion cleared. Since they stopped seeing the flash of light and no longer heard any noise coming from inside the court, Jenna and the other students and teachers, thought that a victor had finally been decided. And so he was. The one who emerged victorious from the smoke was�"Jack.

They were all surprised. Even Duran couldn't believe it. They all thought that Raeyon would've have won. After they saw Jack, they all looked for Raeyon. When they finally saw him, he was lying in a crater in the ground, bruises all over his body. There was a sudden silence in the gym, Duran was the first one to break it�"

"He lost huh."

Everyone heard him. They looked up at him. He suddenly dissapered and reappeared by Raeyon's body�"

Oh no,he's going to see the seal. I've gotta hide it�"

Raeyon lifted his hand, trying to cover the seal, but he couldn't move a muscle. His entire body ached. Duran realized that he couldn't move, so he picked him up and flung him over his shoulder. He then spoke�"

"Well, I guess we now know who is stronger. 8 days from now, will be the starting of an annual event in the academy. HUNTING SEASON! those of you who do not wish to participate can come see me in the staff room during the 8 days leading up to the event. If you don't come, it means you are participating. That is all."

Everyone was shocked. If such an epic match wasn't enough excitement, Duran just came and announced that one of the most exciting events in the academy, was about to take place in 8 days time.

THE INFIRMARY

After the announcement of Hunting Season, an unconscious Raeyon was brought to the infirmary so the nurse could tend to his wounds.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Come in."

Duran walked in. He placed Raeyon on a bed and then left. He didn't even bother telling the nurse what happened, since she already had an idea. After he left, the nurse walked towards Raeyon and sat down besides him�"

"My God,I can't believe they allowed the battle to continue to the point that you would receive such wounds."

10 minutes passed. She sat there, not moving an inch. That is when she finally heard a sound�"

"Ugh!"�"

Raeyon groaned. He finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw a woman wearing a white lab coat. At first he thought it was BEHEMEN, but then realized that it wasn't.

"You're finally awake."

"Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary. My name is Haruka Rei, I'm the school nurse. What is your name?"

"Ugh! School nurse huh. My name is Raeyon Shi."

Raeyon Shi? Oh the new student. Anyways I better ask him to confirm�"

"You're the one who was fighting Jack?"

"Yes."

"Oh I see."

Raeyon looked around. He had just realized that he was the only one there. He knew for a fact that Jack also had wounds all over his body, so he thought that he would be there as well but he wasn't. Haruka felt that he was looking for Jack, so she told him why he wasn't there�"

"If you're looking for Frost, he's not here. His wounds were not as bad, so it could have been healed on the spot."

Oh. Who healed him?

"If you're wondering who healed him, it was Jenna Arie."

Raeyon couldn't believe it at first, that the Jenna who had hated Jack would be the one that healed him, but after he thought about it, it made sense, since she told him to defend while they were fighting.

"Your wounds are already healed. Surprisingly, they healed really fast, your body must be crazy strong and tough."

"Thank you."

Raeyon examined his body. He wanted to make sure that all his wounds were really healed. He looked at his chest, and remembered the pain he felt when he was fighting Jack�"

That feeling, what was it? It was like my power was being drained and my muscles were being pulled apart. This seal, is it limiting the amount of power I can use?

He then remembered what BEHEMEN told him before he got to ANILA, that if his full power was used there, he would be targeted. Suddenly, he thought of something�"

Wait, if she healed ALL my wounds, that means she saw the seal. Does she know about it? Does she know what it does?

Raeyon couldn't help but wonder, if she knew, would she question him? Would she figure out that he wasn't from Earth and try to figure out where he was from? These questions circulated in his mind.

Haruka looked at him and wondered what he was thinking about. She realized that he was examining his body, especially his chest area. She then wondered if the marking on his chest meant something�"

"The marking on your chest, what is it?"

Raeyon stared at her. He thought about what to tell her since he couldn't tell her the truth. After he thought about it for awhile, he answered�"

"I was born with it."

"You.... was born with it?"

"Yes."

"Oh....ok. well, you're free to go. Also, school is already over so don't head back to class."

"What about my bag?"

"Don't worry, someone brought it here for you."

"Who?"

"Jack."

Jack brought my bag here for me? Must be a lie.

Raeyon then got off the bed, took his bag, said bye to Haruka then left. While he walked, he could feel that his body was in better condition than before, but didn't know by how much. He went to the bustop to wait for a ride. While he waited, he saw Tervon on the other side of the road along with a little girl�"

His sister maybe?

The bus then arrived, he hopped on and was on his way back home.

FROST MANSION

Jack sat in his room, thinking about the battle he just had. Even though he won, something still bothered him�"

Why did he scream? Why did he suddenly stop attacking and let me hit him? Wait, did he let me win? No no no no.. Impossible.

Jack felt for sure that something had happened during the battle, and was sure that Raeyon did not let him win, since they were both so into the fight. He took out a phone, plugged in his ear piece and was about to listen music, that is when he heard a knock on his door�"

"Jack, may I come in?"

"Yeah."

The door opened. A woman walked in. She had long silk-like blue and white hair and blue Crystal like eyes. She wore a white top and a red skirt, with red shoes. Her name was Melina Frost�"Jack's mother. She sat on his bed, placed her hand on his lap and began talking�"

"So, how was your first day of school?"

"Normal. Nothing interesting happened."

"Hmm I see."

Jack looked at his mother. The smile she walked in with, suddenly turned to a frown. He felt that she knew about THAT, so he got prepared for a lashing, but to his surprise he didn't get one. Instead he got�"

"Congratulations son, you've made me proud."

Praise. For what exactly? He didn't know, all he knew is that something or someone saved him from going to sleep early. His mother then continued�"

"I heard that you had a battle with a new student and won."

That's what she was talking about? Whew!

Inwardly he heaved a sigh of relief. His mother was the one who taught him to claim his spot as the number 1 among the first years and to defeat any challengers. She was also the reason he had such a cocky personality.

"Well, anyways, congratulations."

"Thank you Mom."

Oh I should probably tell her about Hunting Season.

"Mom."

"Hmm?"

"Hunting Season will be starting in 8 days time. So I was wondering if I could get Ded to train�"Mom?"

His mother had a blank expression on her face, like someone who had just heard something they shouldn't have. He waved his hand infront of her face, but she didn't move or blink at all. He thought that she froze, so he got up and headed to the door. Suddenly he felt someone grab his arm�"

"Wait. You said Hunting Season is starting?"

"Huhuh."

"In 8 days time?"

"Huhuh."

What's up with her?

She placed her hand under her chin and pondered for a while�"

Hunting Season. How could they announce it so quickly. I mean the first years just got to school, so they don't know how dangerous it is. Should I let him participate? But what if I don't and then he hates me for it?

These thoughts floated around in her head. She was afraid. She began shivering under the thoughts of Jack being targeted by the third years. He saw her shivering, so he called out to her�"

"MOM!"

She was startled. She looked up at him and realized that she was scaring him because of how she shivered. She pulled herself together, got off the bed and exited the room, not looking back once.

Jack sat back down, scratching his head. He was confused by what just happened. Did him telling his mother about Hunting Season cause her to remember painful memories? After thinking about the possible cause for her reaction, his head began to hurt. He decided to continue what he was going to do. He laid down on his bed and began listening to music.

ROY SHI STORE/RAEYONS HOME

Raeyon got home after 15 minutes on the bus. He went uptairs immediately so that he could properly check his body. He made sure that there were no wounds on his body, so Roy wouldn't see them. After that, he went to the bath, took a shower and then went downstairs to wait for Roy. Hours passed, but Roy was not home yet. Raeyon didn't know wether or not he was in trouble or had some business to take care of.