Chapter 9

Mrs. Yuki took roll calls to make sure every student was present, and prepared for today’s exam. Once she was finished, Her and the rest of 2-C made their way to the field for the combat portion of the test. “You may all get changed into your combat clothes,” said Mrs. Yuki. The students went and changed out of their school uniforms and into their combat clothes. Raiden came out in a pair of military boots, black pants, and a dark blue hoodie. Riku was dressed in a similar fashion to Sabo from One Piece. Lotus wore a suit similar to Marvel’s Black Panther but instead of a Panther it was more tiger-like with orange stripes and accents. Carmen grabbed Raiden’s duffle bag and changed into her usual skin tight suit.

The first two combatants stepped up and took their positions across from one another. Karma took a stance as did Riku, they stared each other down thinking how to take down the other, but unbeknownst to everyone else Karma had other plans.

“Begin!” Mrs. Yuki shouted.

Riku and Karma ran at each other having the same plan as they brought up their fists throwing them at one another only for them to clash. Karma brought his leg up and in one quick motion ran up Riku’s body doing a jump kick launching himself and the latter back. Riku stumbled but recovered and made a finger gun firing a light beam at Karma as he came down. Once Karma landed he charged at Riku again, and in turn Riku coated his arms in darkness. Karma clicked his tongue, and jumped to the side trying to strike his side though Riku saw this coming and pivoted sending a sword of light at Karma. The blade phased right through Karma, as Carmen realized what was happening “Riku! get out of there!” Carmen yelled.

“Trying to corrupt me I see?” Riku asked Karma, ignoring Carmen.

“I wouldn’t say that I'm doing this out of choice…” Karma laughed.

“Karma!!!!” Raiden yelled just as he was about to charge at him. Mrs. Yuki activated her gravity magic, making Raiden float. Mrs. Yuki came down from above Karma adding Gravity to her hands to make the strikes more effective. Karma jumped back and made a corruption spike to skewer Mrs. Yuki, thus causing Riku to go wide eyed and send out an arm of Darkness to catch Mrs. Yuki only to be too little too late as the spike pierced her and she spoke her final words.

“I’m sorry Riku...Honey…” said Mrs. Yuki. Riku fell to his knees with tears in his eyes as he crawled to Mrs. Yuki watching the light fade from her eyes.

“Ki..stay with me please!....please please oh god no please Ki!” Riku cried

“I’m sorry…” Karma muttered as he walked over Riku towering over him with his arm made into a corruption spike. He raised his arm then drove it down, but then a spark came from out of nowhere and suddenly Karma was tumbling from the strike. Suddenly the sky became cloudy as lightning struck all around their current location.

“What the hell was that?” Karma asked as he sat up, but all he saw was Raiden’s piercing blue eyes with a look of a killer’s intent within them.

“I WARNED YOU WHAT I WOULD DO IF IT WAS YOU” Raiden shouted and suddenly rushed Karma appearing under him kicking him up into the air. Karma coughed up some blood, as Raiden came from the side upper cutting him further into the air, and then teleported above Karma sending him into the ground.

Shit he’s too fast for me to move...I’m only going to get one chance to phase through his attack Karma thought as Raiden came down in a spiral making a lightning bolt. Once the attack was near Karma he phased through it and put some distance between them. Though he felt something was off as the dust cloud was still there Karma saw red lightning? Suddenly a bolt of red lightning came flying from the dust cloud skimming Karma’s cheek.

“Raiden stop!” Riku yelled.

“He’ll kill you!” Carmen shouted.

“We can’t take him!” Lotus yelled.

Lillie didn’t say anything she was just frozen with fear watching the two clash. It was unreal to her, and on her first day of becoming part of the class. Everyone else was pleading for their friend and classmate to stand down, but he just wasn’t listening. This became clearer and clearer as this battle went on that this was not the Raiden that they knew this wasn’t him.

Karma and Raiden charged at each other once again, but Karma aimed to stab Raiden with a corruption spike. Raiden flipped over Karma and grabbed his arm applying enough pressure that it snapped the bone protruding from his arm. Karma yelled in pain from his arm being snapped, he can heal rapidly but it still hurts a lot. Karma turned to throw a punch at Raiden’s face but the latter caught his fist and performed a technique that shattered his elbow. Karma bit his lip hard that blood drew from it as he realized that even though he can regenerate Raiden will just keep going.

“This isn’t over! I’ll see you all again soon” Karma said as he disappeared.

“Oh no you don’t!” Raiden was about to rush again but he felt something, or rather someone weighing him down.

“Stop Raiden...I know you’re in pain from Akaze’s death but you have to let Karma go...if you go on any longer you’ll die!” Carmen.

Raiden took a deep breath as he coated his arm in lightning. It was as if it was the only light source due to how dark the gray skies are. This will be sure to kill him...Raiden thought as he pushed Carmen off him, then rushed Karma with an unmatched speed as Karma phased through the attack only for the lightning clone to disperse. Raiden came from above and clotheslined Karma into the ground. Raiden stood over Karma, his opponent’s blood on the sleeve to his hoodie he reached down and grabbed Karma by his hair forcing him to look into his eyes and see the bloodlust. Karma felt fear for the first time staring into Raiden’s eyes looking at the burning hatred, the hatred he had bred from killing someone he considered friend. Carmen, Riku, and Lillie looked shocked at the sight in front of them, Raiden had bested Karma in a battle that could have resulted in his own demise. I...I didn’t want any of this...I need to ask for help...I need them to listen…. Karma thought as he watched Raiden raise his leg and delivered a spartan kick to his chest.

W...why I can’t stop my body...I can’t control myself...I have to stop...but...but he killed Akaze….no I can’t kill him Raiden thought as he slowly approached Karma’s body. Then something unexpected happened once the dust was cleared Karma wasn’t there anymore he had escaped, it wasn’t like Raiden could have finished him anyway. After all only Cure could kill corrupted, the most the young man could do was temporarily kill him, but the healing abilities of the corruption have no limits. Raiden yelled at the sky causing more lightning to strike the ground that was in the field, but then he collapsed falling face first on the floor.

Meanwhile Karma was using a wall to hold himself up as he walked, but then a female figure appeared behind him. She approached him and once within range teleported the two back to her hideout, an old warehouse in the middle of the city. “What happened to you?” asked the female.

“Raiden is what happened...if you didn’t make me kill Akaze I would be in perfect health right now!” Karma yelled.

“Well you’re wounds are healing but slowly....what more can you tell me about Raiden?” asked the female.

“If he is compatible with Cure....or even gets his hands on cure he is a threat to your plans Yukari” said Karma.

“I see...maybe we should seek some outside help” said the female known as Yukari