"Ugh, my head... Why does it feel as if I drank the Zalkar's milk again?" Cloud asked while getting up and rubbing his head with his eyes closed, "I think I'm gonna barf."
Cloud opens his eyes and finds himself in a desert, spotting his mother and father from afar.
"Mother... Father?..." Cloud said as he stared at them in confusion.
Cloud's parents while maintaining an emotionless expression, turn their back on Cloud and begin to walk away.
"Hey, wait!" Cloud said as he chases after them, "Mother, father, wait! I have a lot i want to-"
Cloud grabs hold of his mother's wrist, causing his parents to stop. However as they turned back to look at Cloud, both of their eyes were glowing white which made Cloud to move back a bit out of shock.
"Mother... Father ...?" Cloud said in confusion.
Cloud's parents suddenly wither away and Cloud spots an army of shadows staring at him from afar with glowing blue eyes.
"Who are you guys?" Cloud asked.
As Cloud stepped back a bit, he felt a presence behind him and he quickly turns around to see who was behind him which appeared to be the cloaked man standing in his front.
"All is done, all is ready." The cloaked man said in a dark tone while emitting a faint black-blue aura.
The wind became a bit wild as the man pointed his finger at the sky and as Cloud turned to see what the man was pointing at, Cloud stared in shock at the pale blue omega sign on the sky which made the sky to start cracking.
"Now it is your turn to bring the end of days, young one." The cloaked man said in a dark tone while grinning demonically as his eyes glowed white underneath the shadow of his hood.
Cloud wakes from his dream, breathing heavily in the middle of the night and noted the blue omega marking on both of his palms glowing.
"Your marking glowed.." Sting voice replayed in Cloud's head.
"What's... What's going on? Cloud asked within himself, "And my dream.. Why... Can't i remember a thing from it again?"
Few minutes later, Cloud was standing outside the building of the academy's dorm and was staring at the moon. While he was staring at the moon, he received a glitching vision of the entire planet Earth cracking up and exploding which left Cloud with a headache causing him to touch his right eye as a result of the pain.
"Ugh, dammit!" Cloud said, "What the heck was that?...what is happening to me?.."
"Can't sleep? I'd advice you to do so in order to preserve your strength." A feminine voice said, "After all, today is the rumble of worth."
Cloud turns back and saw the feminine voice that just spoke to him to be Karma who was folding her arms as she walked towards him.
"Wow, isn't this a surprise." Cloud said while rubbing the back of his head and smiling, "You've never spoken to me since i arrived; not that i was expecting you to but due to you constantly watching and following me yesterday, i felt if you really wanted to-"
Karma quickly interrupts with a straight kick to the face that created a powerful wind pressure. However, once the dust had cleared, it was shown that Cloud barely evaded the attack by an inch, leaving him stunned at her actions.
"Hey, what the hell?!" Cloud asked in irritation.
"Relax, that wasn't a real kick." Karma said as she puts her foot down, "If i wanted to really attack you then it would have been lights out before you know it."
Karma resumes folding her arms and sighs.
"I came here to ask you something. What was the last thing you remembered about the unknown slaughter?"
Cloud recalls five years ago as him and his parents were walking towards a shop while laughing together.
"Our big boy is now ten years old!" Cloud's father heartily said, " Once again, Happy Birthday, Cloud!"
"I still can't get over the part that our son's birthday is on the Izormi festival!" Cloud's mother said while smiling, "You know what they say about those that are born on the Izormi festival, Gorg? That good things always happens to them on that period and I'm just glad that our son is alive and doing well. I would never trade this moment for anything."
"Thanks, mother and father." Cloud said while smiling, "As along as i have the both of you, I'm the happiest boy alive!"
"Well then, happiest boy alive; pick whatever you want from the shop and when we get home, I'll prepare your best dish!" Cloud's mother said.
"Really?!" Cloud asked excitedly.
Cloud's mother nods her head with a smile. Cloud's father cleared his throat and turns his face away.
"Hey, don't forget me." Cloud's father said, "When we get back, Cloud, i'll show you my greatest hunting and fishing technique that made me the best in this tribe."
"You mean it?" Cloud asked, "I thought i was only supposed to learn them when i was fifteen or sixteen?"
"Well, I've changed my mind." Cloud's father replied, " Since, we are all in a good mood, i've decided to calm down a bit for you. Aren't you happy?"
"Happy? I'm beyond happy!" Cloud said excitedly as he hugged his father, "I've waited so long for this and now, i think I'm going to burst with happiness!"
"Alright, happy boy, pick what you want from the shop and let's head off somewhere else." Cloud's mother said, "You don't want to-"
Cloud's mother halts her speech as she looks up and sees the sky and the sun slowly turning black.
"Wha-what is happening?" A man said while placing his daughter behind him.
"What in the world-"
The woman was cut short as the entire place became pitch black and was filled with screaming and tearing of flesh.
Hours later as the darkness had cleared, rain began to fall as Cloud wakes up with an injury on his arm and his belly, causing him to groan and cough in pain.
Cloud lifts his head and finds the environment in ruins and himself surrounded by corpses.
"What just happened?" Cloud weakly asked himself, "Why does everyone-?"
Cloud suddenly halts and stares in shock and horror as he spots his parents lying on the ground lifelessly with a huge hole on their chests. Cloud walks towards his parents and falls on his knees while tears were slowly streaming out of his eyes.
Current fifteen year old Cloud after recalling that moment, faced the ground and sighed.
"It was on the Izormi festival; A time where we the Stormwinds celebrate the goodness and flow of life which takes place on the third day of the third month of the year; this happened to be the period i was born. The last thing i remembered was seeing the sky and sun turn black then when i woke up, i found myself surrounded by corpses of my own people..."
"His birthday is on the same day as mine?" Karma asked within herself as she stared at the ground, "Never mind that. Something isn't right here. I survived because i was tied in a closet. Whatever attacked his tribe must have been the same thing that attacked my mine.
Five tribes were wiped out on the same day and not even the Dreygar tribe survived this. Cloud, however, must have taken a direct hit from the attack and yet he is still alive. How is that even possible? Who the hell is he? What is he?..."
"Hey, Karma, were you paying attention to half of what I was saying?" Cloud asked with a raised eyebrow.
Karma lifts her head and sighed with her eyes closed.
"Never mind. There is another thing I wanted to ask. Something that has been completely bugging me about you.."
"What is it?" Cloud asked.
"I want to know what your game is in becoming a pilgrim." Karma said, " You are basically the weakest and the lowest among everyone else. A fly that could easily be swatted out by others,l but yet you still persist in trying to become a Pilgrim of Agaroth even when the odds are highly against you. Tell me, Cloud, what makes you think that you have a chance at winning? Or do you think you'll win because you think you are better than everyone else? I'm curious."
After hearing Karma's question, Cloud turned his back at Karma and stared at the moon .
"It's not that I considered myself to be better than everyone." Cloud said, "No, I've never thought of that, because if I was, then there would be no point of me competing to prove myself."
"Then why? Karma asked, Why do you persist, Cloud?"
"It's complicated, really." Cloud said, "I am quite aware of my status as the lowest and the weakest. But... I made a promise when I was five; a promise that i would be the first Stormwind to become a pilgrim and the greatest warrior that ever lived.
Well, it seemed like a promise that children would make and forget about it, but i was dead serious. Ever since my tribe was wiped out... Each time i remember that incident..."
Cloud recalls of the scenery of him kneeling in front of his parents corpses while it was raining.
"Each time i remember that incident, i could feel the weight of that promise, getting heavier and heavier." Current fifteen year old Cloud said, "As the last of the Stormwind, it is my responsibility to keep that promise and believe me, i won't stop until it is fulfilled. This is my game and the reason i push myself so hard, Karma."
"Is that so?" Karma asked.
"Yeah, it is." Cloud replied.
"I see..." Karma said while closing her eyes.
Karma drops her folded arms and walks away from Cloud.
"Good luck, lesser...you are going to need it." Karma said while walking away, "Just don't let the weight of your desperation crush you."
"Desperate?..." Cloud asked within himself in shock, "Am i really desperate? Is everything I've done, out of desperation?"
Cloud stared at the ground and began to recall scenes of him bloodied on the ground severally. Cloud also recalled a scene of him crawling on the ground, despite being severely injured.
"No, I can't lose!" The injured Cloud said, "Not until I've fulfilled my promise and become the greatest warrior that ever lived!"
After recalling that moment, Cloud clenched his fists while staring at them.
"Whether It seems desperate or not, i dont care." Cloud said within himself, "If i forfeit after everything that has happened over the past few months then I'll become a laughing stock and i'll bring shame to my tribe. I can't stop... No, i won't stop until I've accomplished my goal."
In the morning, all the students had gathered in front of Zera as she stands on the pulpit for an announcement.
"Good morning, everyone." Zera said, "As you are all aware, today is the Rumble of worth; A day that grants students the chance to participate in the tournament to become the new generation of Pilgrims and to be honest there is nothing more in the world that could me happier right now than this. Seeing the face of the future pilgrims of Agaroth sparks a light in my heart and I wish you all the best in your efforts... However there's been a slight change of plans."
The revelation of this announcement brought a tiny murmur among the students.
"Slight change of plans?"
"What happened?"
"Will it still take place?"
"Maybe it is another scheme to get Cloud off the academy."
Zera looks at Zotek and sighs.
"Unlike the previous rumble of worth which happened to be a team rumble, this one will be search rumble. A rumble where every student will go into the forests of this academy, find a flag and bring the cloth of it.
Now i won't tell the forests that the flags are in or how many flags there are, that is something you'll find out for yourselves. Any student that submits the cloth of the flag to us will have the right to participate in the tournament but once it's evening, the rumble will end, whether you are with a flag cloth or not."
Zera halts her speech as she spots Cloud among the students and evilly grinned which made Leorona shiver beside her.
"What is this madwoman thinking, now?" Leorona asked within herself.
"Oh and I have to say that anything goes when searching for the flags." Zera said while smiling, "So, if you want to tear yourselves apart, break each other's arms and legs, comatose your opponent; feel free to do that. Just don't kill anyone.
And remember, even if a student grabs hold of a flag cloth, that student hasn't gotten a free pass until it is submitted to us. Good luck to you all! You'll will need it..."
Just as all the students had left, Zera began to chuckle and grin evilly again while emitting a green aura.
"What is it again?" Zotek asked within himself, "Why can't she compose herself for once?"
"Zera, what's wrong?" Schroeder asked.
"Can't you feel it?" Zera asked while still grinning, "The intensity of the students wanting to win and become a pilgrim?! The rush of battle flowing into their hearts, fists and feets! Oh man, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!"
Zera's green aura suddenly increased in height, causing Schroeder to step back a bit.
"This is pure... Ecstasssy!!" Zera said as she deviously smiled while sticking out her tongue like a snake.
"You know, it's not too late for Zera to get some help." A male teacher said to Leorona.
"That's what i feel, Arxion." Leorona replied, "Believe me, that's what i feel."
"H-hey, Zotek." A female teacher shakily said, "Do you think Zera will lose control and go on a rampage? I mean, we've all seen what she can do when her emotions gets this high."
"Don't worry, Ernia." Zotek said while folding his arms, "She won't do a damn thing."
"And as for you, Cloud..." Zera said within herself while smiling evilly, "Let's see how you'll succeed ... When all the students are willing to rip themselves apart! In other words... You better watch your back!"
In the blue leafed forest known as Xondu forest, Cloud and a few other students were quietly searching for flags. However, a male student while searching for a flag was observing the others for any suspicious movements.
"Everything seems ok." The male student said within himself, "No wild movement has been made... Yet. Why hasn't anyone made a move? Maybe they are waiting for someone to make the move so that they'll strike? Or maybe they have spotted a flag and don't want anyone to notice until they've ripped out the cloth and submitted it to Zera?"
The male student noted as another male student approached Cloud and began to discuss with him.
"What are they discussing?!" The male student asked within himself with a paranoid expression, "Could they have found a cloth and are trying to bargain?!"
"No, i, Ziron, cannot let them get away with this!" Ziron said within himself as he ignited his arm with a pale blue aura, "I WILL NOT LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS ME BY!!!"
Ziron threw a crescent aura slash towards Cloud and the other male student but they both dodged the attack and the male student that was talking to Cloud quickly launched towards Ziron with a wild grin and punched him in the face, sending him crashing through many trees and laid on the ground unconscious.
As the male student that defeated Ziron was breathing heavily while staring at the ground and smiling, the other students that had just witnessed what happened, stared in shock and began to murmur among themselves.
"What just happened?" A female student asked.
"Did Xorian of the Kenar tribe just take down Ziron of Tenplar tribe ... with only one punch?" Another female student asked.
"They are both A - students but if he was taken down by the likes of Karma or Onak with just one hit then I'll understand." A male student said.
"What the hell just happened?" Cloud asked within himself while staring at Xorian in shock, "How did a simple conversation between me and Xorian, make Ziron to strike like that?"
A flashback occurs a few minutes ago as Xorian approaches while Cloud was walking towards a bush.
"Hey, Cloud!" Xorian called.
"What is it?" Cloud asked as he turned to look at Xorian.
"Hey, come on!" Xorian said while smiling, "It's me, Xorian! The guy that you once teamed up with when we assigned to complete task 457!
Anyway, i just wanted to say that the fight between you and Van was awesome. Even though Van was over a 100 times stronger than you, you still managed to score a victory against him."
"Uh, thanks." Cloud replied, "But i have no memories of what you are even talking about."
"I see. So the rumors of your memory loss are true." Xorian said, "Anyway, if you need he-"
Xorian and Cloud instinctively dodged Ziron's crescent attack at the same time.
"The hell...!" Cloud said within himself in shock as he dodged the attack.
"Finally!" Xorian whispered with a smile, the moment he dodged the attack.
After recalling that moment, Cloud stared at Xorian in horror as Xorian's wild grin had increased while clenching his fists so hard that blood was dripping from his hands.
"Ziron, you moron!" Cloud said within himself, "There is a good reason why they call Xorian 'The battle psycho' ; once you put him on a blast... All hell will break lose..."
As Xorian was staring at the ground, he suddenly bursts out in laughter and slams his fists against each other, creating a powerful wind pressure in the process .
" Fists are back on the menu, guys!" Xorian said with a psychotic grin.
Xorian suddenly appears in front of a female student at high speed and punched her in the face which sent her crashing through other students and created a rift on the ground.
Xorian began to knock away male and female students with his punches and kicks, causing the other students to charge towards him. However, during this incident, a male student's shoulder accidentally hits a female student, causing her to grit her teeth and glare at him as her purple irises glowed.
"I told you not to touch me, you filthy bastard!" The female student said as she grabbed his arm and lands a round house kick on his face which sent him twisting in the air.
The female student got taken down by a punch from another male student and that male student got taken down by a high knee to the face by another male student and from that moment, all the students at Xondu forest began to attack each other with punches, kicks and blasts.
At the golden leafed forest known as Erishkal forest, Karma finds a red flag and removes the cloth from it. However, as she turned back, she sees an army of students standing from afar and a male student walks in front of the crowd.
"Hand over the cloth and you won't get hurt!" A male student said.
"YEAH!" The crowd shouted.
"I don't care how strong you think you are or what your ranking is! You can't beat all of us!" A female student said.
"YEAH!" The crowd shouted again.
Karma, however, seeming not to be fazed by their numbers, sighed and began to walk towards them while emitting a red aura.
At the red leafed forest known as the Zenob forest, Sting was sitting on a rock in a relaxed manner while smiling with his eyes closed at all the unconscious bodies in the forest.
"Wow, these guys are really...tough." Sting said.
One of the students who seemed unconscious, woke up and raised his head to look at Sting.
" Impossible !" The male student said within himself, "Is he...is he truly a B+ pilgrim candidate..?"
The male student suddenly passes out as Sting stood up to leave.
Back at Xondu forest, Cloud was running while dodging the bodies that falling from the sky.
"This is crazy! Just what was that idiot thinking?!" Cloud asked within himself while running, "However, this is not the time for me to complain. Time is not on my side or anyone's side in that matter.
If I try to engage them, then the chances of me getting knocked out and losing the rumble is high. Luckily for me, i know this forest like the back of my hand and with the way they are rampaging now, i should be able to slip through without them noticing."
"Hey, don't take your eyes away from the battle, Whitehead!" A masculine voice said.
Cloud instinctively guards against the punch that appeared out of nowhere but the force of the punch, quickly sends Cloud roughly crashing through the trees. As Cloud got up, he began to breathe heavily and coughed out in pains.
"Damn... My arms..." Cloud weakly said within himself as he noted his arms to be shaking.
"Surprise!!" A huge male student said as he appeared in front of Cloud to punch him, "Don't take your eyes of-"
The huge male got interrupted with a high knee to his left cheek by Xorian, which sent him roughly tumbling across the forest.
Xorian continued his rampage and dominated the fight; taking down multiple students with his punches and kicks. During his rampage, a female student tried to axe kick him from above but Xorian caught her leg with both of his hands and began to slam her relentlessly on the ground.
Xorian finally ended his slams by drawing her towards him while holding on to her leg with one hand and punched her in the belly with the other. The force of his punch made her to cough out spittle and sent her flying across the forest.
A male student tried to punch Xorian from behind but Xorian anticipated the attack and easily caught his fist without even looking at his attacker.
"D-damn you!!" The male student angrily said.
Xorian suddenly peeks at the male student and snapped his elbow with a single punch, causing the boy to instantly scream out in pain and stepped back a bit while holding his broken arm.
"Squeal for me." Xorian said with a wild grin.
"Wha-"
The male student suddenly got interrupted by Xorian with an instant punch and kick to the belly which sent him sliding back a bit and coughing out blood. Xorian appears behind the male student and quickly attacks with a powerful backhand that instantly pinned the male student on a huge tree.
As the male student slowly sits on the ground unconsciously, a powerful purple beam appeared out of nowhere but suddenly froze up as soon as it made contact with Xorian's out stretched hand.
"Impossible..." The female student said within herself as she stares in disbelief, "My attack...froze..?"
"Oh, Idjra, have you forgotten my Kan ability?" Xorian asked while smiling with his eyes closed, "I can drain the heat out of anything I touch and leave it frozen solid, which gives me two bonuses:
I can either used the drained heat to boost my physical capabilities or..."
Xorian suddenly advance towards Idjra at high speed, grabs hold of her face with one hand and smashes her head to the ground; quickly releasing a strong explosion that threw Cloud back and sent him crashing on a tree while setting parts of Xondu forest on fire.
"...I can double the heat power of what I've drained." Xorian said while getting up.
As Cloud's blurry vision had cleared, he spots the unconscious Idjra on the ground and stares in disbelief.
"Idjra of the Ripar tribe; the one who is regarded as a very powerful A- ranked pilgrim candidate... Taken down like that?" Cloud asked within himself, "Granted, i know Xorian is strong because I've teamed up with him before. But i never expected him to be this strong. Heck! How in blue hell is he even an A-? This guy is supposed to be an A+!"
As Xorian was walking towards Cloud, he suddenly stops and points at him.
"You are next." Xorian said while grinning as his red irises glowed.
At the violet forest known as Forest Koshendu, Van and his friends were walking over a large lump of unconscious bodies and spots an orange flag which made Rico smile
"This is it!" Rico said, "I knew we'll finally make it together as friends! Now, all we need to do is-"
"This is where we split up." Van coldly said while facing the ground.
"Huh? Van, what are you-?"
"There can only be room for one of us to enter the tournament and you know it." Van cuts in on Garl.
"Van, you can't just betray us like that after we've been through together as a group and friends!" Rico said.
"Betray?!" Van asked as he grits his teeth and clenched his fist while still facing the ground, "You've got a lot of a nerves to say that when you guys have been the ones planning to betray me this whole time!"
"Wha-"
You think i wouldn't notice?!" Van angrily cuts in on Rico while still facing the ground, "You think I'm f**king stupid?! You guys have been communicating with each other through body languages; giving each other signs on when to attack me but i keep turning back to look at you. And to make it worse, you pretend as if you weren't going to do anything!
So, don't you dare talk about betrayal, you two faced piece of sh*ts!!"
"Van, look! There's been a misundersta-"
"Enough with this crap!" Juni cuts in on Rico, "If this dimwitted bastard thinks he can take us down then i have no problem showing him his place!
We're are the ones who helped you, molded you and made you to become somebody and rise to become an A rank candidate! So if you think you can take down your crea-!"
Juni instantly attacked by a lilac beam which sent her crashing on a a tree and falling on the ground, unconscious.
"Wow. Didn't know she could shut up." Van coldly said while paying attention to his forefinger.
"Van, what are you doing?!" Garl angrily asked.
"Worry about yourselves." Van said as he was walking towards them while emitting a lilac aura.
"Van..." Rico said softly.
"Cause I'm going to teach you right now... Why nobody crosses me." Van said as his purple irises glows brighter.