"That guy honestly…giving us fifteen minutes to capture zones in such a huge forest." Azrael thought, moving through the trees with surprising grace.
"I just have to concentrate more on the goal then…Though, I hope you'll be okay, Riven."
Even though he had been the one to suggest splitting up, he was somewhat worried about his friend.
So far, the other hadn't shown any signs of manifesting his powers yet, meaning that in terms of the rest of the class, he was the weakest.
And on top of that, Lucian and he weren't exactly on friendly terms either, so if there was a chance of the two meeting, it wouldn't be pretty.
Leaping from tree to tree, he spotted a white flag that stayed on top a pile of boulders.
"Well that's just my luck." the young Poltergeist smiled to himself as he dropped down in front of the flag. "That's 6 flags down already."
Bringing out his marker, he marked the flag quickly and got up to leave, but he hesitated for a brief moment—something suddenly just felt wrong.
"Wait this seems easy…Way too easy…"
Azrael turned back to look round his surroundings. Sure, it was a big forest but the chances of the students coming across themselves weren't that small either. He had this feeling that someone somewhere was watching him.
To further justify his point, a rush of ice spread across the floor, heading towards the ghost.
On instinct, he leapt in the air and landed on the branch of a tree.
"Well, Well, Well. What do we have here?" Azrael said with a smirk.
"Don't take it too personal." A figure said stepping out of the shadows, frost trailing her footsteps. "I just have to restrain you."
Azrael scoffed. "Restrain? Seemed like you were going to put in cryostasis…You don't have to be so cold-hearted, Harumi."
The girl brushed her hair behind her ear. "You were able to dodge an attack like that, so you're clearly not someone to be underestimated…that's why I'm taking the trouble of dealing with you first."
Azrael sighed dropping his head a bit. "It would have been great, if this was just a simple combat training, less things to worry about…But with a clear goal and a time limit. Damn it."
He stood up, his head still down, still on the branch. "Guess I have no other choice then."
"Get your head in the game." Harumi swung her hand in the air sending a barrage of large icicles at the other.
"Oh well," Azrael said raising his head slowly, his eyes faintly glowing. "Better get to it."
___
There was a loud crash heard in the distance, birds scattering in the air.
"Guess some students have already clashed." Cyrus said adjusting his glasses. "I need to be quick about this and avoid combat if necessary…I can't waste time on that."
He stood up, getting ready to move, the white flag behind him marked by a blue 'X'.
"Hope that guy doesn't overdo it though," Cyrus murmured, obviously concerned about Lucian.
He noticed that the Vampire had been eyeing a particular someone ever since they had left the class, which honestly made the Imp feel a bit uneasy.
He began darting through the forest, and his mind had shifted back to the task on hand.
"I can just hope that he doesn't go too far." He said as he spotted a figure crouched down at a riverbed next to an unmarked white flag.
Runa turned, her eyes meeting Cyrus'.
"She hasn't marked the flag yet?" the purple haired boy narrowed her eyes at her, skidding to a stop.
Runa got up, her eyes wide. "C-Cyrus?"
"Easy Runa, I won't fight a girl just like that," The Imp said putting his hands up, before lowering them. "But I would need to restrain you. If I do that, our chances of winning will improve a lot."
"So you're not going to fight me?"
"Like I said, I have no interest in fight a girl just like that, beside avoid combat would be the best way to save—"
The girl charged at him before he knew it. He had let his guard down and the next thing he knew it, he felt the sharp, powerful impact of her foot under his jaw, sending him back a bit.
"The hell?!" Cyrus barked wiping his jaw, and he was in no way prepared for the long-haired girl's attack.
"Sorry," Runa said tying her hair back with a strand of it. "But I can't afford to lose...I have to win so I can get stronger. So I'm sorry, but I have to fight you."
She shifted her weight, getting into a low fighting stance.
"I guess underestimated her too early." The Imp tilted his glasses a bit, before getting into a different fighting stance. "Well, at least I have a good reason to restrain you now."
"I see, then I won't hold back then." Runa stated, her tone still small but her form was more serious.
Cyrus gave a small smirk. "Let's do this."
***
"What the hell was that?" Riven snapped his head toward the direction of the crash.
It had come from the same direction which Azrael had gone, making him narrow his eyes in concern.
"I got to help him, but," the teenager turned his head at the unmarked flag behind him.
He remembered what the goal was but it wasn't just didn't sit right with him to leaving someone behind, it wasn't just what a good and 'perfect' person would have done.
He looked at the flag and then the forest, contemplating between the two.
He finally made a choice, and with a tired sigh turned and broke into a sprint into the forest.
I can't just leave that guy to deal with things all by himself, I'd feel horrible.
He kept running deeper and deeper towards the sound, until he came to a halt in the middle of a clearing.
There were three different paths in front of him, he followed the sound of the direction but didn't know the exact place it had come from.
Darn it!
He cursed trying to figure out where the sound had come from.
He sniffed the air again, trying to see if he could at least sniff out the other but it was no luck, his powers would often come and go of its own accord since he couldn't quite control it.
"F*ck! Why now?! Come on sniff them out."
He took another sniff deeper this time and he actually got a scent but it was not Azrael's.
Someone approached him from behind.
"What do you think you're doing mutt?"
Riven's composure went stiff. He turned his head, narrowing his eyes at the one behind him.
"You just had to f*cking show up, didn't you?"
Lucian shrugged. "What can I say? I've been itching to give you a proper beating since that day, but I got curious as to what made you so mad as well."
The Vampire smirked, at the already provoked, Riven.
This guy isn't worth my time…
Riven turned ready to leave when—
"So I had a little background check on you."
The other stopped cold in his tracks, frozen on the spot, neither moving nor turning back.
Seeing this, Lucian continued, "Honestly, I get where I was wrong that day, but it still baffles me…How the hell is that Hunter to blame?"
Riven turned his head slowly, his hair over his eyes. "What…do you mean? Do you even have the slightest idea of—" his body straining with restrain.
Lucian frowned, pointing a finger at him. "Of course I understand how you feel. But it doesn't justify the fact they're six feet under because you were too weak to do anything."
Riven's pupils shrank, as he stared intensely at the other.
"What—What did…you just say?"
Lucian frowned. "Isn't it obvious, if you'd moved or even reacted in time, wouldn't they have been alright?
"Sure their wounds were fatal but instead of even trying to do something you just watched them die without doing anything…They are words for people like you…Cowards."
Riven clenched his teeth so hard his veins looked like they were going to burst. He had never felt this kind of feeling towards anyone—or thing as a matter of fact.
He felt his blood boil and his nails dug into his palm drawing a small trail of blood. His trembling fists so tight that his knuckles had turned snow white.
His breath became erratic, eyes filled with fury and rage.
This feeling told him the same thing over and over.
Just one single simple thing:
…KILL HIM.