Chapter 4: "Don't take death lightly!"
Zain contemplated whether he should stand up for himself and demonstrate his abilities to the intimidating figure before him. He knew that allowing them to bully him would only result in more mistreatment.
Zain had learned this lesson through personal experience. In the past, he had allowed himself to be bullied without standing up for himself.
Why? Was he weak?
It wasn't because he was weak - far from it. In fact, he knew that with the right opportunity, he could easily rise to the top 10 rankings of the Angels. He just didn't like confrontation and preferred to avoid conflicts whenever possible.
His skills, powers, and secret connections were an unstoppable force that could easily dismantle the entire judicial system and hierarchy of heaven. There was no doubt that he could rule the heavens with an iron fist if he so chose.
But despite possessing such immense power and influence, he lived a life of mediocrity. In his desire to help others, he often neglected his own character, but when faced with blame or bullying, he cowered like a weakling.
The missing piece in his puzzle of power was a mentality of superiority, which he had lacked. But now, he could feel it slowly starting to take root within him.
He realized that if he did nothing today, then those who looked down on him would never settle.
He had considered causing a bloodbath before, but he knew it could cause complications for his mother.
Hence, he abandoned the idea of creating a bloodbath, realizing that it could potentially harm his mother. Instead, he devised a simpler yet effective plan that could make the bullies pay for their actions. He planned to give them a taste of their own medicine.
He gathered himself with a fierce determination and rose to his feet, fixing a menacing gaze on the bully before him.
He no longer felt the pain and any broken bones he may have had were already mended, leaving him fully capable and ready to take action.
The bully, known as Nothan, could sense the intensity of the dark angel's piercing glare.
He wasted no time and rushed towards Zain, asking aggressively, "What are you staring at?" and aimed to kick him in the stomach.
With acute awareness, Zain anticipated the bully's intentions and deftly evaded the incoming attack by pivoting his body to the right.
Nothan wasn't a mindless brute; he was agile and quick to react. He noticed Zain's movement and immediately applied the brakes, causing him to slide slightly. Then, he lifted his right leg to a near-impossible height, almost reaching his navel, and swung it with tremendous force, colliding with Zain's left thigh.
*Bang*
Zain staggered back as Nothan's kick made contact with his left thigh, but the pain quickly dissipated.
Nothan's eyes widened in surprise as he expected Zain to be writhing in agony after such a forceful kick. He had given similar blows to others before, and they had been left clutching their legs in pain. But Zain seemed unfazed, and his unwavering stare made Nothan uneasy.
As he looked at Zain, who was still standing with a glare, Nothan's mind was consumed by puzzling questions. "I put all of my strength into that kick, yet he took no damage?" he wondered, staring at the leg he had just hit in disbelief.
Nothan felt his heart beating faster than usual, not with a sense of euphoria but rather with confusion that sparked a slight feeling of fear.
He dared not show any signs of fear in front of his gang, for he knew it would cost him their respect.
"You there, how dare you glare at me?!" the bully barked, his voice dripping with venom. "I oughta gouge your eyes out!" He charged towards Zain, moving faster than before and closing the distance in less than a second.
With a sudden burst of energy, the bully delivered a second kick, this time with his dominant left leg.
"Again with my right leg?"
Zain noticed that when Nothan kicked him with his right leg earlier, it landed on his own right side. The angle was awkward, which resulted in a slightly reduced impact.
Nothan, being left-footed, didn't put all his power into the previous attack. However, this time he swung his dominant foot in a simple yet forceful path, with the intention to land the blow on Zain's legs.
However, Zain refused to let history repeat itself.
He wasn't a mere statue to be kicked around. Zain refused to be a passive victim any longer.
With a burst of strength, he summoned all the energy he could gather and leaped into the air just as Nothan's foot was inches away from him.
Nothan managed to regain his balance swiftly after Zain's dodge and was prepared to launch another attack.
He raised his foot higher this time, determined not to miss his mark. Despite his size, Nothan was surprisingly nimble and able to move quickly, his body twisting like a top as he prepared to strike once more.
*BAM*
The blow landed squarely on his abdomen, sending him staggering back a few steps.
Nothan's words slurred out as he regained his balance, towering over Zain who was now on his knees, pushed back a few feet. "You son of a bitch, how dare you glare at us? You think you're tough?" he spat out, his anger evident in his voice.
Zain was left speechless as he tried to catch his breath. He could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, a small droplet trickling down from the corner of his lips. "What the hell..."
Realization hit Zain as he understood that the kick was no ordinary one, it was much stronger than the previous kick. He realized that using Nothan's dominant foot wasn't the only reason for the increased power behind it.
It was imbued with mana, causing his whole body to tremble.
"There you have it, the mighty bear kick!" exclaimed Nothan's followers, their eyes sparkling with admiration at the move.
"A skill?"
"Did he just use a skill to attack me?"
Nothan chuckled as he looked at his friends, a sense of satisfaction emanating from him.
'Damn him…', Zain cursed under his breath at his own foolishness and frustration towards the enemy. He couldn't believe he had fallen victim to such an amateur attack.
"Although my mind anticipated the next strike and reacted accordingly, my body lagged far behind and remained vulnerable."
"Pathetic. There is much work to be done on this weak body. Its movements need to be refined and merged seamlessly with my thoughts through experience."
As Zain stood up, a rush of determination and anger surged through his body. He refused to let this bully continue to belittle and harm him. In that moment, Nothan was nothing more than a mere ant in his grand conquest of revenge.
"This won't do," he muttered under his breath as he made his way back to his spot.
Nothan and his gang were once again taken aback by Zain's resilience, as he got up from the ground without any signs of pain. Their eyes widened in disbelief, as they questioned what they had just witnessed.
Zain maintained a cold, unflinching gaze as he strode purposefully back to his seat. Nothan's eyes smoldered with fury at the sight, seething with anger.
"No more running away, you coward!" Nothan bellowed as he charged towards Zain. He unleashed his deadliest skill, the Shattering Punch, with all his might, aiming to obliterate Zain.
Like before, the Shattering Punch also carried mana that infused it with a faint brown hue, adding power and potency to its already formidable strike.
"Die!" Nothan screamed, his fist poised to strike Zain's unprotected head from behind.
Zain's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief as he processed the words. 'Die?' he thought to himself, 'Did he seriously just say that to me?'
Nothan had finally done it. He had managed to push Zain over the edge and evoke the one emotion that he had been trying to suppress: anger.
Zain turned his head swiftly, his left palm extending outward in a defensive gesture.
*BOOM*
Nothan's buddies chuckled until they saw Zain neutralize the blow.
Indeed, with just his left palm, Zain managed to halt Nothan's powerful punch, causing a shockwave that rippled throughout the room, drawing the attention of all present.
Zain's voice lowered to a threatening growl. "You insect, you dare to speak of death so lightly," he said, causing Nothan to falter in his composure.
"No, I...," Nothan stammered, his eyes darting around in fear as he avoided looking directly into Zain's intense gaze.
Nothan's body trembled uncontrollably, as if a fierce and deadly beast was standing before him, with a gaze so intense that it could instill fear in anyone.
As the shockwave reverberated through the classroom, half of the students were left in shock by the sudden turn of events. The other half, who had been previously disinterested, were now jolted out of their reverie and turned their attention to the commotion.
Zain, relying solely on his physical strength, was able to halt the attack effortlessly. Moreover, he had already infused mana into his right fist, ready to unleash his own counterattack when the door slid open, and the teacher stepped in.
Upon entering, he noticed that everyone present was fixated on him, save for two individuals - Nothan and Zain.
Zain's intense gaze was fixed on Nothan, who couldn't even bring himself to meet his opponent's eyes and instead kept his own gaze on the ground.
"What are you doing? Get back to your seats…", the teacher said, addressing Nothan and the gang.
The teacher's voice was enough to prevent Zain from any further outburst of fury.
Nothan's fist was released from Zain's grip, and he quickly retreated to his seat with his gang. Meanwhile, Zain was about to turn around and leave, but the teacher's timely arrival prevented him from doing so.
"Zain, please go to the infirmary. You're bleeding again," Mr. Falon said with concern evident in his voice.
Zain nodded in acknowledgement and made his way out of the classroom, his steps heavy with the weight of his thoughts.
As Zain left the class, Nothan couldn't resist taking one last jab at him. "Tsk, why do weaklings like him even bother coming to school?" he sneered to his gang.
As Nothan spoke, Mr. Falon turned his piercing gaze towards him. "Watch your tongue, Nothan. And pay attention to the lesson," he admonished sternly.
A subtle look of concern crossed Mr. Falon's face as he surveyed the student body, contemplating their future prospects after graduation.
He let his eyes rest momentarily upon the vacant chair previously occupied by Zain.
"I'm glad I arrived just in time. Zain doesn't seem to have sustained too many injuries today," Falon thought to himself with a hint of relief. "However, I hope he's doing okay."
In this ruthless school, the only ones who received any attention were the students with extraordinary abilities. For the rest, it was a
constant struggle to survive. And for Zain, who was considered the weakest of them all, it was a living nightmare.
These exceptions were Mr. Falcon, Dr. Riry, Len, and the headmaster, Won, who actually cared for the weaker students like Zain in a school that mostly favored the strong.
Zain headed towards the school infirmary right away.
*KNOCK KNOCK*
Dr Riry was intently focused on the papers in front of her, the deadline for submission looming near, when she heard a faint knock on the door. "Come in," she said, without looking up.
"Excuse me."
As soon as Dr. Riry heard the familiar voice, she swiftly turned her gaze to the door. "Zain?" she called out in surprise, noticing the small mark of dried blood around his mouth.
She walked towards Zain and asked, "Are you okay?" It was a habit for her to ask, even though she knew he wasn't.
Dr Riry's eyes narrowed as she saw the unmistakable signs of injury on Zain's face. "Don't lie to me, Zain. Let me take a look."
She guided him to sit on the bed and quickly fetched an injection from the medical kit.
She then rolled the shirt on his left arm a bit and injected him with a tonic, which would actually fasten the recovery process.
After rolling up Zain's left sleeve, Dr. Riry injected him with a tonic that would speed up his recovery process. She then placed her right hand on his back for further assessment.
A soft green glow emanated from Dr. Riry's palm, and as she placed her hand on Zain's back, he felt a warm sensation spread through his body. The pain in his injuries began to subside, and he couldn't help but relax in the presence of the soothing light.
Zain recognized the familiar sensation of a healing skill at work.
Zain had his eyes closed but then opened them wide in surprise as they noticed all evidence of cuts and bruises disappear without any effort on his part.
Dr. Riry noticed Zain opening his eyes abruptly and asked, "Is something wrong? Are you in more pain?" with a concerned look on her face.
Zain let out a small chuckle, "No miss, I'm actually feeling better now."
The relief was evident in Dr. Riry's voice as she exhaled, "Thank God."
As soon as Zain heard the word "God", he couldn't help but feel a twinge of discomfort or dissatisfaction, causing his eyes to twitch slightly.
"Sigh, Zain, you need to stop getting hurt, my boy. It's only been three days since I last saw you and the first thing I see is you bleeding again…"
"Do you know how much it hurts?", she asked.
Zain's lips curled into a small smile as he thought to himself, "What a beautiful human." Dr. Riry's concern wasn't limited to just him but extended to everyone who got hurt.
"Sorry to have troubled you, miss. I will be careful next time." Zain apologized.
"You better do," she folded her arms and closed her eyes, trying to sound stern but instead looking a bit adorable.
Zain continued, "Miss, are you an angel?"
Zain's words surprised her.
"Eh? I mean, of course, I am," she replied, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting a little. "I am using powers, ain't I?"
Zain quickly picked up the ID lying on the desk and showed it to her, "But it says here that you're just a normal human."
She giggled and scratched her head in embarrassment when he pointed out the inconsistency.
Dr Riry, an Angel from the Healing Class, had enrolled in the prestigious Rein School where she was asked to keep her powers a secret. It was believed that if children knew a Healing Angel was among them, they would become reckless and potentially get injured. Therefore, keeping her abilities hidden was seen as a necessary step to prevent unwanted injuries.
Dr Riry explained this to Zain.
"So you've been keeping your powers hidden all this time? That must be tough," Zain said, trying to understand the situation.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Zain assured her. "I won't tell anyone."
Dr Riry smiled in relief. "Thank you, Zain. I appreciate it."
"An Earth Angel of Healing class…"
"I have a feeling that I will encounter many more intriguing individuals here."