A few minutes earlier.
Junya was listening behind a tree stump not too far away from their exact position. After hearing Wenji speak a few times, he could recognize the voice anywhere.
'This guy doesn't have any luck with anyone it seems. I might just have to let them get my revenge for me then'
After getting better spatial awareness of their location, he peeped and could finally see their confrontations.
"Shake him down, I wonder what a weirdo like him has got on him."
Junya's curiosity peeked and also looked to see as well.
'A book that's it? He really just carries junk on him?' He was a little letdown seeing what they all confiscated. It left a distasteful annoyance in his mouth and continued to observe.
Not a minute later he watched Wenji pull a vial from almost out of nowhere and threw the fluids into his captor's eyes. A big commotion ensued between his angry captor and the group.
'How? I just watched them search him, where could he have been able to hide something like this? Better yet, he really seems to know a thing or two about potion mixing.'
He brought the stale-looking liquid from his pocket, never imagining he would actually need it other than to show proof of Wenji's con. Rather, he questioned its authenticity, surprised.
'I would have normally never even thought about drinking this but it might have the capability. He must have some tricks up his sleeve.'
After trying to think himself out of drinking it but he couldn't think of a good enough reason. He pulled off the cap and drank the vial clean, making the fluids slide down his throat.
A second later, he could still feel the potion inside him because of the relief starting to spread into his body. His body continued to feel lighter and most of his cramps and aches began to disappear.
He felt the urge to shout in happiness from the potion not just replenishing his stamina but giving him extra energy. However, all that flickered and started wading. Like a light bulb that was turned on and then turned dim, his fatigue still lingered, but not as badly.
"This little insect, he actually gave me a half-done potion." Although Junya was angry for having gotten a half-done potion he was happy for some relief. The potion still got rid of all the fatigue he procured through his training making it hard not to have a smile on his face.
"I need the real thing," Junya muttered and peered at Wenji with a big smile.
'If I can get the potion from him fast enough, running from these guys shouldn't be hard. I don't wanna fight someone this early in school. Fighting them shouldn't take much out of me, so I don't have to worry about losing my sanity'
A quick look over to his left and he saw the person they had looking out for oncoming students.
'I will take him out first. The one holding him is half-blind and Creig only has big muscles, so they shouldn't be hard to outrun after I get a potion from Creig, he must have one more, I'm sure of it'
In his mind, he thought of a plan to get toward Wenji without the least possible conflict between them. He wasn't very confident in his ability to take all of them and escape without causing a big commotion which could leave him in a worse position than if he left now.
'Maybe even telling them that he should have more good stuff on him will prompt them to search more and they should grant me at least one for the clue.'
Through his mind plans were made and discarded within a second until he was satisfied with this one.
'Let's go'
As he got up from his knees the first below his boots crunched.
"Who's there!"
'Shit!' Junya cursed and tried to think of his next plan as he realized that his plan would have to be scrapped if he was found. 'Maybe, I can tell them I'm friendly that should be fine'
The student ran out toward his location quickly. "What are you doing here-"
As the student came around the corner, Junya clenched his fist and punched out from the corner, landing it right on his nose. He screamed for a second but a swift elbow to his chin make him slump to the floor.
Now it was impossible to make an attempt of working together, instead, he panicked and broke the lookout's nose and even failed to at least take him out quietly.
"I finally did it this time" He grew a smug smile at the situation that he swore not to get himself into.
"The fuck? Who are you talking to?"
Junya ignored the attention he received and looked straight into Wenjis eye's to make sure his intentions were clear.
"I finally know how I'm going to repay you." He savored the way Wenji looked, quite contrary to his persona when they met before, which was quite cocky.
"Is there a problem?" Creig was the first to address Junya with an unhappy tone with his eyebrows furrowed, different from his usual blank expression..
"I'll need to take him with me, he pulled a fast one on me, so we have some unfinished business."
His lips developed a frown when he heard the tone of Junya's statement.
"We don't have any need for him after we are done. I'm sure we can work something out instead of coming at us with hostility". Without getting upset, he tried to talk to him again.
"As long as he isn't hurt, I'm losing time here. Just leave him there and you can walk away."
"Who does he think he is babe are you just gonna let him talk to you like this!" His girlfriend screamed and urged him to do something.
Junya was slightly thrown off by the weird development of the situation.
Why was no one moving? Originally he expected them to rush him, during which he would be able to get Wenji and leave. he already had a good grasp of their speed and could tell that he would be able to outrun them in a footrace.
Immediately a glint from the corner of his eyes flickered.
Thwang!
Three throwing knives filled the area his head was just present, he arched his back slipping past them letting them drive themselves into the tree.
He dug his toes into the ground to maintain his arched position.
'It's a trap!' He realized in a split second and cartwheel multiple times evading a dozen more knives flying toward him until he fell behind a tree stump for cover.
'I was careless, I read 6-7 or seven different people that were a part of this group and didn't even take the time to check if anyone else was around. I haven't even seen the third person since I came here. I was too preoccupied with thinking of a plan to realize something so obvious'
"It's too late to regret your actions now!" His aggressor was a student with a tall frame and strong muscles squeezed by his uniform. He had a crooked nose and a saber that was tucked away in a sheath at his side.
Swoosh!
Junya bent his body like a C to dodge the slash, making it fly above his face, making it swiftly zip bu.
'I know I should have brought my own weapons!' A second of revelation came over Junya but it was too late for that.
"Vanessa, now!"
Thwung! Thwung! Thwung!
A few dozen more knives came flying through the bushes, flying through Junya's last position consecutively. He was forced to kick himself back and skilfully evade all the knife attacks flying toward him.
A few meters away, a bush started shaking and started to reveal the figure of a woman. She had great stealth which made her hard to sense the surroundings and hardly made any noise.
"Tch, all that and you couldn't land a single hit?" The saber-wielding student complained. "You may as well be blind!"
"Be quiet, how blind do you have to be to see that he is hit." Vanessa put away her final knife in her pack.
'I definitely evaded them all, did I really get hit?' He wondered while feeling a trickle along his cheek. Instinctively, he wiped it away when he was greeted with his palm full of blood.