The clock struck 3 PM, people filling the seats of the Chegal Stadium to watch the next event of the St. Goken Meet. The event taking place at the time was the Winter Somun, an event which tests ones Strength, Grit, and Wits in a competition on a circle arena. As the seats filled, people began to wonder who this event's competitors were.
Walking onto the circle arena, Woo-Chi stood upon the center of the arena with a blank expression and glanced around the crowd for So-Yi. Everyone stared at Woo-Chi and whispered to each other, no one recognizing her at first due to her darker appearance. Everyone's judgemental whispers soon hit the ears of Woo-Chi via the whispering winds, her aura only darkening with more anger.
"The first competitor...uh, is Min Woo-Chi from Bulan High School! She certainly has a... commanding presence..." The male commentator said, tugging on his collar with a gulp from Woo-Chi's threatening energy.
Everyone waited for the second to appear, but as time went on they were only met with silence. Patience began to wear thin, everyone's complaints starting as they began asking where Woo-Chi's opponent was. People began booing, the uproars becoming louder by the second.
Woo-Chi scoffed lightly and crossed her arms, sensing that So-Yi had flaked out on the event. "Should've stayed out of my way...I win by default since my opponent is missing."
The referee cleared his throat lightly, bringing his microphone to his mouth to speak but a sword suddenly flew across the stadium, narrowly missing him. He exclaimed in shock as the sword stuck behind Woo-Chi, So-Yi warping behind her with tattered cloak flowing in the wind.
"So...you actually did show up. It seems you have a thing for appearing fashionably late," Woo-Chi said, standing back to back with So-Yi, holding her arms with an amused demeanor.
So-Yi glanced back at Woo-Chi, her eyes emitting blue and black energy due to her increasing pressure. "I had to clear my head from distractions if I'm going to fight you. The things you said about my father are true, he did have a scandal for protecting a Manaport Agent, I did have to bury him..."
"However... through my own battles, I've realized something that you should've. Throughout everything...God was the one and is still the one keeping me alive because I have a purpose. You seemed to have lost yours...we've flipped," So-Yi said, her ears beginning to ring as she began to sense tension in the air.
Woo-Chi chuckled lowly as she walked forward before swiftly pivoting around to blast powerful shredding winds toward So-Yi. So-Yi phased through the attack with a back step then warped toward Woo-Chi, landing a knee strike and a 12 to 6 elbow to the back of her head.
"You're fueled by rage...I am being fueled by clarity and experience!" So-Yi bellowed, using her same arm to strike Woo-Chi with a right hook, the force of her attack sending her rolling along the tiled floors of the arena.
Woo-Chi scrambled onto her feet, barely dodging So-Yi's attack with a phase then tried to phase through the next strike, but it failed and caused her to take a strike to the face. She grunted with her hands over her face, leaving her open for So-Yi's swiping chop into spinning hook kick to the back of Woo-Chi's head.
Woo-Chi grunted as she fell onto the ground, panting softly and slowly pushing herself up onto all fours. 'Why did my warp fail..? How am I still falling behind Sang So-Yi..?!'
So-Yi walked away from Woo-Chi, adding space between them and rubbed her wrist. "You said you were going to destroy me earlier. I'm not impressed so far...but I don't expect much for a girl who has a screwed sense of justice in her head."
Woo-Chi grit her teeth and let out a yell, rising back onto her feet and aiming two fingers at So-Yi. "Zephyr Blast!"
Woo-Chi unleashed a powerful burst of wind toward So-Yi, grunting softly as the recoil pushed her back, the high winds ripping through the stadium toward So-Yi with a large collection of debris. So-Yi stared at the rushing wave of wind and activated her Beshin-Keh, seeing a weakpoint in the blast near the bottom of the wave.
So-Yi swiftly summoned her sword and pressed the pommel of her sword against her hand as she parted her legs. With a focused thrust, she impaled the floor then slashed upward with all her might, sending a cutting wave to slice wave of wind in two.
Woo-Chi's eyes widened as she watched the cutting wave purposely miss her, the cutting wave striking the energy wall behind her and leaving a large cut within it. The referee also stood in shock, his eyes fixed upon the energy wall as he watched it slowly regenerate itself after believing it to being impenetrable.
I watched the fight from the top of the stadium, a soft sense of disappointment flowing in my heart as I watched Woo-Chi, my first direct student, fall into the hands of Wrath. "Woo-Chi... Is this really worth losing yourself to? You're not even acting like you.."
"This is bad... Woo-Chi is losing horribly! Come on, Woo-Chi! You gotta do this! This is a one on one!" Ro Kwang called out, blowing his airhorn in the air with supportive cheers.
"You got this Woo-Chi!!!" Mi-Ri cheered, clapping her hands together and looked over at Tae, noticing her analytical gaze. "Whoa...you're really into this."
Tae stayed silent as she was lost in her own head, thinking about what she witnessed earlier and leaned forward in her seat. "Woo-Chi's not winning this...by a long shot. Sure, we've seen how skilled she is and she's an A Rank Valkyria...but Sang So-Yi is a different level especially when she has a goal."
"What are you talking about, babe?" Ramud asked with a soft grunt, holding his side and looked over at Tae with confusion.
"Sang So-Yi retired Dreamy Wave because she talked about her mother. Woo-Chi made comments about So-Yi's father, what do you think a Military Child like her will do? I'm a scrappy chick, but Sang So-Yi is a S Rank in CQC," Tae explained, sitting back in her seat with a soft exhale.
"I just don't believe Woo-Chi could say something like that...it didn't sound like her at all," Soel-na said, wanting to give Woo-Chi the benefit of the doubt.
The crowd continued to watch as So-Yi dominated Woo-Chi in their fight, most of the crowd chanting So-Yi's name while the smaller portion cheeree for Woo-Chi, wanting her to make a comeback. As Woo-Chi began to gain the upper hand, the crowd began to erupt into cheers until So-Yi took her down with a sweeping toss.
Woo-Chi rolled over onto one knee before rising into her feet with a sharp breath, moving her hair from her face then let out a bellow as she awakened her Valkyria Form, Special Air, albeit hesitantly, awakening around her. So-Yi grunted softly as the high winds slightly obscured her vision, forcing her to use her arm to shield herself.
"Now the game is different! Let's see how you handle this, I'll show you the power of a real Valkyria!" Woo-Chi bellowed, surging forward at high speeds and landed a clean punch upon So-Yi's jaw and sent her flying backwards.
So-Yi shook her head as she flew backwards then noticed Woo-Chi above her and blocked her punch in time to grab her arm. Pulling her down toward her, she twisted her body around and warped into a powerbomb, the slam taking the air out of Woo-Chi's lungs.
With a sharp inhale, Woo-Chi took in her air and then some before blowing out a powerful gust to knock So-Yi away. She rose back onto her feet quickly then dashed forward, warping forward into punch onto So-Yi's stomach then followed with an uppercut.
"I'm just getting started!" Woo-Chi laughed, awakening Special Air into Rush Mode, her battlesuit shifting her wings into jet propellers before launching her toward So-Yi in the air.
So-Yi grunted heavily as Woo-Chi struck her from all directions at high speeds, Woo-Chi's movements a green streak of energy in the air with each rushing blow. Woo-Chi appeared above So-Yi and palmed her back, releasing a massive burst of energy and blasted So-Yi to the ground.
The crowd erupted with wild cheers for Woo-Chi, the big screens replaying Woo-Chi's Rushing Wind Combo for everyone to rewatch. The smoke cloud began to clear slowly, So-Yi slowly rising to her feet with immese pressure rising from her body. Steam rose from So-Yi's body, her eyes glowing light blue with white pupils, her light blue energy beginning to affect the arena with cracks.
The crowd began to grow silent after feeling So-Yi's overwhelming pressure, the might of the Silver Mercenary returning to the physical. So-Yi manifested her Silver Swallowtail butterfly, silver particles of energy beginning to float around her body as her butterfly fluttered around her in orbit.
"That hurt a bit...but I believe it's time for me to finally show you the difference between you and me, Min Woo-Chi. You've been taught by Nox...and seemingly learned nothing. You're so lost in your vengeance...you don't see I've been marking you the entire time," So-Yi said, wiping her lip with her thumb.
Woo-Chi looked at herself, her eyes widening as she noticed her energy points were marked with silver symbols upon her body. "What is this..?"
"You are going to see how I retired the S+ Rank Valkyria, Dreamy Wave. My battlesuit isn't known as the Silver Mercenary for no reason...my mom was a high ranking Commander of the Military. My special ability is called Unseen Eye," So-Yi explained, summoning a silver pistol in her hand and fired an energy bullet at Woo-Chi's shoulder with perfect accuracy.
Woo-Chi grunted as she hit the ground, wincing in sharp pain from the stinging sensation around her body. Clutching her stomach, she could do nothing but pant and groan, one of her energy points completely disabled.
"When you're marked by my Beshin-Keh, my attacks have perfect accuracy...there's only two options here. Give up your revenge...or face being retired at the age of 18," So-Yi said, watching Woo-Chi groan in pain on the ground.
Ha-Rin watched with a pained expression, barely able to watch So-Yi fight her battle for her. She knew it should've been her down there, she knew it should've been her taking punishment. However, again she escaped judgement.
Woo-Chi pushed herself off the ground and rushed toward So-Yi with a battle cry, swiping her arm down to launch a slashing gust toward her. So-Yi walked walked forward and caught her arm before she could complete the motion, her gaze only growing colder by the second.
Woo-Chi grunted in shock then groaned as So-Yi struck her stomach, the blow weakening her a bit for So-Yi to follow into an uppercut. A silver symbol shone upon Woo-Chi's chin, allowing So-Yi to follow into a guaranteed Flutter Strike.
"The Silver Mercenary is relentless in her attacks! Special Air is barely able to withstand the meticulous strikes of the military trained Valkyria!" The female announcer commented, watching the battle closely with a critical eye.
"Oh! Special Air managed to break free from her attacks and is powering up! They're now going back and forth! Do you feel these winds?!" The male announcer asked, feeling his spirit awakening at the sight of the battle.
Woo-Chi pushed So-Yi off her then let out a yell as she unleashed multiple wind bullets toward her, but So-Yi quickly deflected each of them and smirked as her Holy Fire only grew stronger. Woo-Chi noticed So-Yi's smirk and grit her teeth, charging up an attack with pure frustration.
"You smile at my pain...you laugh when I'm hurting the most! Screw you, Sang So-Yi!" Woo-Chi roared, high winds rushing around her body and began condensing into one single point as she clapped her hands together. "Piercing Arrow!"
So-Yi looked up as Woo-Chi fired a powerful wind spear toward her, the wind spear breaking through her aura's defenses immediately and striking her upon her chest. Woo-Chi charged forward with a roar, boosting forward with a Wind Step and launched a swiping chop across So-Yi's chest.
Her hand phased through So-Yi's body, her body slowly dematerializing into a silver silhouette before she reappeared behind Woo-Chi with glowing silver eyes. As her eyes widened slowly, she turned around with a gasp and grunted heavily as So-Yi struck her with a Spirit Flash, silver lightning flashing upon impact.
"Woo-Chi!" Hyeon Bae cried out, gasping and covering her mouth as she watched her fly across the arena.
"You're fighting a losing battle, Woo-Chi. You want revenge so badly, you'll attack anything standing in front of you. You'll fight the one who's been protecting your name! Is it because I'm defending Ha-Rin, who's already paid her dues?!" So-Yi asked, her voice stretching cross the entire stadium.
Suddenly, everything clicked to each student from Bulan and Grushia why this fight was even taking place. A few gazes shifted over to Ha-Rin, who held her head low in shame. Whispers began to slowly break out, rumors and other comments beginning to spread.
Woo-Chi used the energy wall behind her to stand onto her feet, glancing up at So-Yi with her hair a mess, her eyes full of pain and distress. "Why..? Why can't I ever get any real...fucking justice around here?! Why!? Why are you protecting her?! You KNOW what she did to me!"
"Were we not also reaching out to you for the past two years?! I get it... you're hurting and you went through unimaginable trauma! But so did the rest of us! We saw what Manaport was hiding in our school! We saw what Cho Jin-Hyan was doing! I saw Covet!" So-Yi revealed, placing her hand upon her own chest.
Woo-Chi's eyes shot up in terror and she gasped, placing her hand upon her chest with tears welling in her eyes. "No...No you didn't! How did you see him?! Why is he still alive?!"
So-Yi could see the terror in Woo-Chi's eyes and watched as she sunk down on the ground against the energy wall. Staring at her friend, she would see the Spirits of Fear and Wrath taunting and haunting her. She began walking toward Woo-Chi and began to call out to her, but was washed away by a blast of Suffocating Winds.
"Get back! Stay away! You've seen the truth and you still defend her! You are no better than Kan Ha-Rin! And I will not stop until I kill her!" The Spirit within Woo-Chi began roaring, Woo-Chi's eyes shimmering purple with malicious intent as she fired another Piercing Arrow toward So-Yi.
Suddenly, a wolf of blue aura rushed forward with a howl and intercepted the attack, the collision causing an explosion. So-Yi grunted as she covered her face from the smoke then looked back, noticing Tae rushing onto the arena.
"What's this?! Is this even allowed? High Wolf, Silver Mercenary's rival, is tagging in with her against Special Air?!" The male announcer asked, scratching his head and glancing out the window at me.
Remember....
The battle isn't against flesh and blood...
Your student is being haunted...
It's time you act, King Nox.
Qutsade is your kingdom...
I have given you dominion,
It is your responsibility to keep it in order under the Law of Liberty...
I heard God's voice loud and clear, my Holy Blaze emerging from my forehead and expanded into a fiery crown. Staring down at Tae and So-Yi, I snapped my fingers, the two warping into the stands and leaving everyone confused.
Woo-Chi rose an eyebrow then gasped as she watched me warp into the arena. "Oppai..."
I stared at Woo-Chi, my coat shifting into white robes with Sephora wrapping around my body in her White Serpent form. "Woo-Chi... it's time I teach you a real lesson. Forgiveness."
Woo-Chi stared at me, slowly walking toward me and held her hand out toward me, desperately wanting me to help her. As she grew closer, the Spirit of Wrath within her recognized me immediately and noticed my Crown of Exzodia and the iridescent energy around me.
"It's him...The Echo of Christ... He's here!" The Spirit of Wrath roared, his spirit corruption Woo-Chi into attacking me.
"You protected Ha-Rin! You traitor!" Woo-Chi screamed, launching a Zephyr Blast toward me, her blast amplified by Suffocating Winds.
The wide spread burst of winds rushed toward me, but I didn't budge and allowed the storm to crash over me. The crowd gasped was they watched the winds ingulf me, but my aura pulsed around my body, purifying the winds and calming the storms around me.
"I didn't abandon you, I want to you finally open your eyes. I am no perfect man myself as I can only partially echo what I walk in...but if anything, I want you to see the way I do," I said, holding my hand out toward Woo-Chi.
"No! Do not let him win! If we can't strike him down, we will take his beloved!" The Spirit of Wrath roared, going into Woo-Chi's heart and amplifying her worst emotions within.
"You're a faker! A fraud! When I needed justice from a king, MY king, YOU CHOSE HA-RIN!" Woo-Chi yelled, slapping my hand away then let out a roar as she launched a Piercing Arrow toward me.
I grunted softly as she swiped my hand away then let out another grunt as I felt her piercing winds impale through my side. I winced softly as I looked at my side then parried Woo-Chi's next strike before placing my hand upon her stomach, enforcing Freeze upon her.
Woo-Chi grunted heavily as she was frozen in place for a second then stumbled forward as I warped behind her. She looked back at me with a low growl, her eyes full of pain and unresolved hatred. "Even now...you still run from me instead of confronting me! Are you a King, or are the rumors about you true..? You are a fake savior..."
I stared at Woo-Chi and exhaled softly, my eyes glancing around the stadium at the watchful eyes. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath then slowly exhaled, holding my hand out to her. "Woo-Chi, I know you can hear me."
Woo-Chi yelled and ran toward me with a punch, but I swiftly dodged then blocked her spinning kick. She twirled around once more, generating winds and launched another Piercing Arrow toward me. I began letting out air from my lungs, weaving my hand around to redirect the Piercing Arrow to the sky.
Woo-Chi looked up at the wind arrow and watched it burst into a kaleidoscope of Sovereign Butterflies, each one raining down toward her like meteors but missed her purposely. She covered her eyes from the smoke and began wildly launching wind blasts, hoping one would hit me.
"No matter what you do to me, Woo-Chi...I will always forgive you. No matter how many wrongs you do to me, I will forgive you seven times seventy. That is how I see, I don't only Echo Judge, King, Shepherd, and Savior... but also Advocate so you won't have to face the Heavenly Jury alone!" I called out to Woo-Chi, snapping my fingers and cleared the smoke in front of her.
"Forgive your brother and sisters as your Heavenly Father forgives you. Do you think God doesn't see your struggle, your pain? He does, He felt it, and lived it! They put Him on the cross, an innocent man! Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" I continued, holding my hands up as I walked toward Woo-Chi.
"You don't understand! She nearly killed me! Left me for dead!" Woo-Chi yelled, firing multiple Piercing Arrows toward me out of desperation to keep me back.
I continued to walk toward Woo-Chi, seeing a storm surrounding us as a volley of piercing winds began to hit my body and pierced through my body. The crowd, especially Luciel and Do-hari, began reacting physically, watching Woo-Chi actively try to kill me to keep me back.
"The Romans, they didn't just kill my Lord, but gambled over His garments! They casted lots over them! What do you think Covet and his malicious dogs were doing to you?! Even after all of that, what did Jesus say?" I asked, grunting in soft pain as I fought through the storms to reach Woo-Chi.
Claudio began sitting up in his seat, remembering a conversation he had with me a while back. "No...you're doing it now?!"
"Nox! What are you doing?! Stop her!" Flynn yelled out, standing up in her seat while gripping her spear tightly in her hand.
"Father! Father forgive them, for they know not of what they do!" I called out, the storms slowly clearing around us, Woo-Chi's teary face finally becoming visible. "Forgive Woo-Chi, for she doesn't know what she's truly doing. Forgive Ha-Rin for she didn't know what she was doing! Forgive Nu So-Hee, forgive Sang So-Yi, forgive Grushia and Bulan!"
Woo-Chi began to slowly see clearly, seeing the piercing wounds on my body and began to slowly cover her mouth. She watched as I finally reached her and placed my hand upon her head, tears finally falling down her cheek.
I smiled at her as I saw the light return to her eyes, tears falling down my cheeks as well. "Father, let Woo-Chi know Your perfect rest. She's gone through so much...and it's time she knows what it means to truly let go.."
Woo-Chi stepped back and gasped as she noticed me stagger, holding me up with what strength she had and began to slowly bring me to the ground. "Oppai! Oppai! Are you okay?!"
I chuckled softly at Woo-Chi and looked up at my butterflies, watching as they swiftly worked to heal my body in perfect coordination. "It's not my time yet... I'll be alright for the time being. Are you okay..?"
Woo-Chi stared down at me and noticed the wounds on my body that she had caused and reached over to touch one, her finger entering my arm. "I did this..?"
I smiled at her and closed my eyes, turning my head up to the sky. "No...you didn't. You're okay, Min Woo-Chi."
-----------------------------
"What the heck...did you all see how Mr. Nox looked? That flaming crown on his head, the serpent around him? Even those butterflies!" Ramud asked, still in awe over what he had just witnessed.
"Never mind that, did you all hear what Woo-Chi said about Ha-Rin? Bro, she's freaking scary..." Mi-Ri said, shrinking down into her seat and took a sip of her strawberry milk.
"You don't even know half of the story," So-Yi said, leaning forward on the lounge couch.
"Then what is the full story? Why did you accept to fight Woo-Chi?" Soel-na asked, sitting up in his seat to look at So-Yi across the room.
"Did you see what Woo-Chi did to Nox? None of you would step in to help your own...no matter how sadistic she once was. You all weren't there at the Grushia Seminar...to see how truly sick Cho Jin-Hyan is," So-Yi said, her eyes glowing faintly and balled her fist against her leg.
"If Ha-Rin stepped out there against Woo-Chi, she would have died guaranteed and that Spirit of Wrath upon her would've taken her over. There would be no justice then...there's a difference between Ignorant Evil and Willful, Premeditated Evil," So-Yi continued looking up at Soel-na, her gaze directly landing upon his.
"What?! Are you calling Woo-Chi evil?!" Soel-na asked, springing out of his seat, Nae Ki-Pam and Ro Kwang getting up to hold him back.
"Whoa bro, that's a female dude. Besides...you don't think Woo-Chi has also been harboring ill intent over Ha-Rin recently? I don't want to sound like we're ganging on her, but dude...if she's piercing Mr. Winters, she's definitely one shotting Ha-Rin," Nae Ki-Pam said, sitting Soel-na back down in his seat.
Suddenly, the doors opened and everyone turned to look at the doors, noticing Woo-Chi walking in slowly with her head down, her feet treading slowly against the floor. Behind her, I walked into the room as well, my arms wrapped in healing bandages from the wounds.
"Everyone, my student has something to say to you all before I get into my message," I said, placing my hand gently upon her head with a light smile.
Woo-Chi grunted softly as I placed my hand on her head gently, her eyes becoming more saddened as she began to realize what it looked like to forgive. "Everyone... I'm... I'm sorry. Ha-Rin, I'm sorry for nearly killing you early. I don't want to sound like I'm justifying my actions, but...I was in a state of loss and I thought...this was the only way to end it.."
Ha-Rin looked at Woo-Chi, holding her arm and getting off the wall to walk toward Woo-Chi. "Min Woo-Chi...I should be the one apologizing to you and I should be doing it a million times over. Once again...I let someone handle my problems because this time...I was scared."
Woo-Chi looked up at Ha-Rin, meeting her gaze with tear struck eyes and sniffled, tears slowly falling out of her eyes. "Kan Ha-Rin..."
Both girls couldn't say another word, only just embracing each other in a tight hug, their friendship slowly rekindling before the jealousy took over. The room was filled with silence for their reconciliation, everyone giving them time to reconnect.
Once they finished forgiving one another, I smiled at them and guided them to the rest of the group. "Due to the recent incident of this event, the ruling is a No Contest. However, I've seen enough to know who will be in Class S and who will need another year in the Wilderness."
"But I want to be very fair to everyone involved here. I have one more event in mind that combines the last two into the Redemption Cup, the Seolhart Meet. Two leaders from Grushia and Bulan against the Four Class S Teachers," I said, hearing excitement within the lounge and chuckled.
"Whoa, the Redemption Cup and it's all of us against the Class S Teachers? Who will these professors be?" Ramud asked, getting excited for the final event.
"It's a secret, but be known the Seolhart Meet is held in four locations, each location leading to the final destination, Seolhart Institution. There are only four battle rooms and the other five locations are Temples where you can receive various Temporary Blessings from," I explained, holding up the number nine and smirked at them.
"And the area covers three cities, Bulan, Grushia, and Seolhart. The Zone is called The Wilderness," I said, swiping my hand and moving the curtain to reveal the outside.
Outside the hotel, the entire city was shifted into a jungle like area, a blimp flying overhead with a Z upon the banner, symbolizing this event contained Zodiacs. Immediately, everyone's eyes turned over to me and noticed me loosening my tie.
"Well, I suppose...I can reveal something to you. I am one of those teachers and unlike before, I will be training your salvation and faith like an athlete...but also your bodies for what's to come. Do not be afraid, this is a Sanctioned Event. God is watching us," I said, smiling at them before warping away.
"What? Wait, is it starting now?!" Ko'rai asked, standing up quickly.
[Event Start!]
[Event ends at January 10th, 12 AM. (8hrs Left.)]
The first temple within The Wilderness lit up, its lights beaming through the foliage like a safety beacon. Atop of the temple, Yochanan stood upon the rooftop and waited patiently for the students to arrive. He looked up at the sky, Sait flying above and scouting, her feathers leaving a trail with every flap of her wings.
Once the first wave of students arrived, Sait swooped down to Yochanan so he could hop on her back and escape from the temple. Approaching the temple, Hyeon Bae and Akagi Mori led the charge inside and immediately paused as they noticed a Messenger at the end.
"Greetings, Children of St. Goken, you all are indeed favored by the Lord. He hath sent me to deliver a message. He will lead you as He has led the Israelites from Egypt and the Eyicanites from Arcania," The angel of the Lord said, his smile warming to the hearts of the many.
Hyeon Bae smiled happily at the angel and hurried over to him, Oriel closely behind her and lowered herself to her higher rank. "You are an elohim...! Wow! I've only seen you all in my sleep sometimes!"
Akagi cleared her throat lightly, a nervous sweat creeping down her cheek. "Whoa...an actual angel? This is The Wilderness correct...so what are we expecting here?"
"I agree with Akagi. The Wilderness is a Elonun Zone correct? So are we being tested here? What's the purpose of this zone?" Yi Yunso spoke up, stepping forward with her arms folded with light curiosity.
The angel of the Lord looked over at Yi Yunso and walked over to the side to reveal a basket of manna sitting upon the offering table. "This is a work from the Lord, your God. Manna from Heaven, food that shall sustain you for today. You are to take one loaf a person and eat it throughout your walk with Him."
The angel continued to speak, saying, "The Wilderness is not an Elonun Zone, or Dark Lord Zone as it is commonly known. It is a Genesis Zone, a level higher than the rank of Elonun. This Zone is going to show you how God works and His provisions. You will encounter The Lord and you will get to know Him as He will know what's in your heart."
Hyeon Bae and the others began to feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement well inside of them, a feeling they couldn't explain nor control. Hyeon Bae felt the Rauch Hakodesh stigmata glowing brightly upon her back and a loving presence behind her.
As commanded, each student took a loaf of bread, the size perfect enough to fit the whole mouth. The angel took a loaf as well and demonstrated how to eat it, breaking it in two before consuming it himself. Everyone followed suit, each of their Spirits awakening and their eyes finally opening to the Border around them.
"You are to travel to Dong-ga, Bulan where your first test is. Win or lose, you will pass through. Not through your own merits, but by what my Lord, The Christ, can do for you," The angel said, giving the students a nod before ascending via a pillar of light.
"What the Lord can do for us? What does that even mean..?" Ramud asked, wiping his mouth and grunted softly. "The aftertaste of that manna is strong..."
So-Yi crossed her arms and glanced around the temple, her eyes catching sight of a man cloaked in white linen standing at the offering table. "What the...he wasn't there before."
The man reached inside the seemingly empty basket, pulling out a loaf of manna bread and closed his eyes with a light smile. "This is my body; which is for you; do this in remembrance of me..."
The students watched as he broke the bread and consumed it, faint unexplainable holy energy spiralling around him before vanishing calmly. They watched as he turned around, his warm smile putting them at ease for a moment.
"Greetings, students. I hope you don't mind if I tag along? I happened to stumble along here and felt quite hungry. I didn't intrude did I?" The man asked generously, his gaze shifting to Hyeon Bae as she noticed her approaching him.
"No, you aren't intruding at all! My name is Hyeon Bae, a leader of our group!" Hyeon Bae introduced and smiled, holding her hand out to the man. "We're headed to Seolhart, so it's going to be a long journey!"
"About exactly an eight hour trip on foot crossing three cities. I am up for that challenge," The man said, taking Hyeon Bae's hand and shaking it.
So-Yi hummed softly at the man with a curious expression, noticing the Holy Dove resting upon his shoulder calmly. 'Is that Ascea..? No, I can barely even sense their energy and they are right in front of us. This is incredibly strange...'
The group began the long journey around St. Goken, their first stop being Dong-ga, Bulan. Hyeon Bae, Song Jae-in, Choko, and Reene were in the frontlines boosting the morale with music with their heavenly instruments, the class behind them chantings 'heys' while each of them marched.
The cloaked man walked behind them, amused by how music was the one thing unifying Bulan and Grushia and how effortlessly Hyeon Bae led the charge. As he listened to the song, he noticed a crowd was outside watching, the numbers growing and the cheers growing louder.
"Here we...go!" Hyeon Bae said, shifting the pattern of her beat upon her drums while dancing with Song Jae-in, Choko and Reene.
"Go!" Song Jae-in joined in, hopping into the air happily.
"Go!" Reene shouted, clapping her hands together.
"Go!" Choko exclaimed, pointing forward and snapping her fingers to the beat.
The music bounced off the ground and walls of the building, the music causing even the surrounding trees to wave in motion. The lights of various building began turning on, Butterfly Residents also walking out of their homes to listen to the music.
Yochanan watched in the distance with his arms crossed, watching as the students before him took a moment to worship and smiled. "So, this is why you said to be patient...I can certainly see, they are favored."
Soon, Yochanan got off the wall and walked forward with his eyes closed then lightly flicked one of the cross accessories upon his tunic, an arrow of light flying toward the students at high speeds. The cloaked man noticed the arrow of light first then his Holy Dove let out a trill, catching everyone's attention.
"Ahead!" The man called out, pointing ahead toward the arrow of light headed toward them.
Akagi quickly got into action with a grin, using her energy to manipulate the arrow of light and warp it back to Yochanan. Yochanan phased through the arrow, catching her off guard and causing her ribbons to rise in shock.
"What..? He avoided my Twisted Tempo like it was nothing! Heh, this must be one of those teachers, Mr. Nox mentioned! Now things are getting interesting!" Akagi laughed, launching herself toward Yochanan without a second thought.
"Akagi, wait!" Ramud called out, grunting softly as he knew it was too late.
Yochanan watched as Akagi approached him then dodged her punch then sensed her warp behind him, her attack phasing through his body as he became a white silhouette and warped to the side. Akagi landed on her feet and glanced back at Yochanan with a smirk, noticing he was being defensive.
"Who the heck is that? His old ahh should NOT be moving like that," Ro Kwang said, holding his fist over his mouth as he was wildly impressed.
Woo-Chi stared at Yochanan, remembering a past private conversation between me and her about Yochanan. 'His Forerunner...the man with a tunic and multiple crosses attached upon them. This guy was supposedly a teacher at St. Meishi as well...another Class S exists outside of us?'
The cloaked man watched as now everyone had become cautious then began walking forward with authoritative calm, his hands resting behind his back. "So, this must be one of the teachers from St. Goken's Class S? A fifty against one is wildly unfair, but given your experience...I do recognize that Spirit."
Yochanan smirked at the cloaked man and lowered his head, his eyes closing with respect. "Well, I am his descendant or at the very least his Echo. I am a Forerunner like he was, so I am quite experienced in the Wilderness. Bring whatever challenges you will, I will see them through."
The man nodded and looked back at the group, pointing out a few students to step forward. "Akagi, Tae, Jiahn, Mizu, and Ye-Won shall take on this challenge and I will assist. They shall know how sufficient the Grace of the Father truly is."
Claudio watched the event from a balcony while leaning against its rails, his lips curling into an amused smile as he watched Ye-Won step forward. "Alright, kaikuahine liʻiliʻi... Let's see if our training even works against Master Yochanan."
Flynn chuckled at Claudio's soft hopeful words, watching the event as well and looked down at the cloaked man with interest. "I wonder who that is. I know it isn't Noxie, he rarely shows up with a dove even as The Echo. This guy has a different essence."
Yochanan summoned his staff and rested the bottom upon the ground, clearing his throat softly and exhaled slowly. "Soon, you'll reach Seolhart and meet the King of Qutsade, but before that you must prove why you're worthy of meeting him. The Dean of Seolhart Institution will teach you all how to walk in truth."
"Walk in Truth? I already know how to do that. Mr. Nox taught us all how to when he first appeared! What more do we have to learn?" Akagi asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head.
Yochanan chuckled softly at her, amused by her confidence. "I have had many like you before, even before Nox stepped into his purpose. There are levels to Walking in Truth as there are steps on the stairway of heaven. You only know the seeds of it."
Jiahn slipped her hands into her pockets and hummed softly, studying Yochanan for a moment before speaking. "You mean there is more than Fluttering, Phasing, and Warping?"
"Invisible Speed, Instantaneous Movements, Multipresence, there are genuine levels you will never reach within your own merits. There are limits you can not break on your own, waters you can't calm within your own ability," Yochanan answered, his gaze shifting between Akagi, Tae, and Mizu.
Yochanan's gaze shifted to Jiahn and Ye-Won finally, "Walking in Truth isn't only a spiritual ability, but a physical lesson. There are things you can not do with your own devices, people you can not lead with your own worldly wisdom."
Akagi hummed with intrigue and rose an eyebrow with a smirk. "Really huh? Well, I'm not too convinced teach! You're just gonna have to show me, I am a hands on learner!"
Akagi surged forward then twisted around on her foot, looping behind Yochanan with a spinning kick but he dodged it swiftly with a duck then swung his staff behind him, interrupting her warp attempt. She grunted and he flipped her around, causing her to land on her back then stood up straight.
"Walking in Truth isn't only about movement, but with the Spirit of God. You must walk with the Hand that Moves, not against it. You can warp and phase, great! Even the demons can to some degree, but can you truly align with God's Will?" Yochanan asked, sensing another attack and dodged Tae's attack.
The cloaked man noticed Tae couldn't stop her momentum as she headed for Akagi and swiped his hand subtly, shifting Akagi to the side while Tae rolled into safety. The Holy Dove chirped as he watched carefully, returning his wing to rest position as the man also rested.
"Ha! I've broken limits before, and now you're telling me there are limits I can not break?" Tae asked, standing up on her feet and turned around to face Yochanan. "My entire thing is breaking my own limits and reaching higher! I've seen my limits, and I will shatter them!"
Yochanan nodded at her words and pointed his staff at her. "Noxius was correct about you, you are very inspirational. You have a goal in mind and you push for it...However, where does your faith lie to reach that goal?"
Tae grunted softly, pausing for a moment to reflect on his question and lowered her gaze for a moment. 'What..? What is he talking about..?'
Ye-Won began walking forward and tied her hair back into a ponytail, her tribal tattoos glowing upon her body with high bravery. "I know just enough to know what it means to Walk in Truth based on my time with my brother and Mr. Nox...so allow me to show you what I've learned!"
Yochanan watched as Ye-Won charged forward with a spinning kick, but Yochanan dodged her kick then evaded her second kick using the same leg. She went for a third and missed, but pivoted around into a right hook. Yochanan parried her punch, causing her to stumble to the side then used his staff to block Mizu's torrent of water.
Mizu and Jiahn rushed in toward Yochanan, Mizu launching a sweep kick which Yochanan leaped over with ease. Looking up, he noticed Ji-MAN flying toward him like a homing missile then warped toward Jiahn, closing the distance for a back kick against her stomach.
"I've got him!" Mizu called out, cracking a water whip toward Yochanan's legs and wrapped the whip around his ankle.
Ye-Won rushed to Mizu and grabbed hold of the water whip, shifting her Affinity to Wind using ENA then amplified her W Cells into L Cells. Lightning surged around the water whip, the currents of electricity bursting down the line toward Yochanan's body.
Suddenly, an invisible hand grabbed Yochanan and pulled him away from danger, rushing winds nullifying the combined power of Ye-Won and Mizu's combined might. To the students, Yochanan seemed to move without moving a muscle, but Yochanan knew God moved him out of danger.
"What the heck was that? We had him!" Ye-Won questioned, her gaze never breaking away from Yochanan with slight confusion.
"It is the Hand that Moves, you felt the winds didn't you? The divine rhythm is around you and you can hear it. You just have to be still," Yochanan said, returning to a neutral stance and watched the students.
"Be still?" Ye-Won asked, standing up straight and crossed her arms.
"Being still loses us time! We're getting past you now!" Akagi said, grinning as she was ready to get back into the action.
"'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth,'" The cloaked man said, looking at the five and smiled at them behind his hood. "From the Biblos, Psalm 46:10. It is a staple since Walking in Truth requires Peace and Patience."
Tae glanced back at the cloaked man, noticing his Holy Dove nodding in agreement as if he could understand each word perfectly. She let out an exhale and looked down at her watch, her gaze slightly resolving as she decided to take the man's advice.
"How does one even be still..?" Tae asked with a sigh, looking over at the sidelines to see Hyeon Bae silently praying with Oriel and Gimatet-Hey.
"...allow them to hear Your voice, Lord. Give them the strength needed to truly be still and hear You. To feel Your hand guiding them," Hyeon Bae silently prayed, the Rauch Hakodesh stigmata glowing even brighter upon her back.
Quiet your mind...
Quiet your Spirit...
So you may hear Me...
The five students heard the voice of The Lord, their heads turning over to see the glory of The Lord beaming through the trees from above. A single white cloud glid across the blue skies, the only visible cloud in the sky which rested over them while Iridescent Energy began to rise from the ground.
Tae and the others began to see a bird fly from one tree to another, the bird flapping its wings 10 times before reaching the next branch. Jiahn caught on first to the sign and smirked, closing her eyes as her analytical mind began to whir and awaken.
'Either Yochanan is able to move ten times a second when he's active or we can move ten times...either way, You're saying one of us can Flutter," Jiahn thought to herself, fixing her letterman jacket and hummed confidently.