Omega Wars Chronicles

Chapter 30 Episode 29: Among Us

Back in the hall as Cloud was walking alone, a hand made out of shadow tries to grab his shoulder from behind which prompted Cloud to turn back before it could happen but the shadow dispersed quickly, leaving Cloud a bit puzzled.
  As Cloud turns back to resume walking, he ends up meeting Zotek standing in front of him.
"Hello, Cloud." Zotek said.
Cloud being startled, hops back a bit.
"Oh... Zotek. It's you." Cloud said, "Is there anything you need?"
"The first half will soon be over and the second half will begin. I want to know how well you are preparing yourself for the semi finals when it arrives." Zotek said.
"I am carefully observing everyone in the tournament and their strength." Cloud said, "They are amazing but to be honest, the thought of facing any of them in semi finals makes me shiver with fear.
Pit,  Onak, Karma, Xorian and your nephew Sting are all incredibly strong and I'm not sure if what I'm planning might work, considering that i could face any of them at the semi finals."
"Well, it's good that you aren't completely confident in your skills." Zotek said, "It shows that you are not cocky and stupid, considering what you are up against. However as much as i am interested in seeing what you have in store for us at the semi finals, i am curious in knowing how you feel about your tribe being a major tribe."
"I've been through this before." Cloud said while facing the ground, "Initially, i had problems accepting that, but... But, I've come to realize that it doesn't matter if my tribe is a minor or major because in the end, i will always be Cloud of the Stormwind..."
"And that will never change." Cloud said as he raised his head.
"Is that so?" Zotek asked while observing the look in Cloud's eyes.
"Yes, it is." Cloud replied.
"You say that but that's not true." Zotek said within himself, "Deep down, you haven't fully accepted that you might be one of the majors.
Living in denial... Just like him."
   Zotek recalls years ago as little Sting was on his knees with tears flowing out of his eyes while emitting a purple aura along with his irises glowing as he holding his head in pain.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!!" Sting said.
"Sting, calm yourself." Zotek said.
  Zotek stepped back a bit as numerous white of souls were swarming around Sting, leaving Zotek stunned.
"Sting..." Zotek called.
The white souls that were swarming round Sting suddenly turned black and dashed into Sting's body which made Sting scream out in pain, turning his aura black-purple and his scleras black.
After recalling that incident, Zotek stared resumed staring at Cloud.
"You two do have some things in common." Zotek said within himself, " However, that man earlier said something about Cloud being the ruler of the end. What does he mean by that? Does Cloud have any knowledge of this? Does he know about this and he is choosing to pretend and play his strength just like Sting? Is that one of the reasons why he is trying to live in denial? I need answers and the only way i can think of getting them is from this tournament."
Zotek sighed with his eyes closed and walks past Cloud.
"You should get back to the audience center and watch the current match going, if you truly want to observe their strengths." Zotek said, "I really look forward in watching you perform... Cloud of the Stormwind."
  The tone behind Zotek's words made Cloud glance at Zotek with a suspicious demeanor as he exits the hall.
"Yo, are you going to stare at him all day?" A masculine voice asked.
Cloud turns back and sees the person to be Sting who happened to be smiling at Cloud.
"Oh, Sting." Cloud said, "Were you here all along?"
"Yep." Sting answered with a smile, "I was being lectured by Zotek on how I'm this and that and i can't change this and that... You know... Family stuff."
"Oh..." Cloud said, "Anyway, congratulations on your win against Gorn."
"Thanks." Sting said, "I got excited thinking about how strong he is and how cool the fight would be but in the end, turns out that i was just too strong for him to handle."
Sting facepalms himself and sighs.
"Man, what a let down."
"To be honest, i wasn't surprised you won." Cloud said, "I've seen what the both of you could do, especially you since we've been on several tasks."
"Remember the task of Tomeru?" Sting asked with a raised eyebrow while smirking.
"You mean the one we were sent to collect the black tusks of Ivanor?" Cloud asked with a raised eyebrow while smirking.
A flashback occurs as a minotaur was laying down the ground, completely injured to the point he was unable to get up despite his attempts.
"Is this some kind of joke?" The minotaur asked himself, "I, the powerful Tomeru, outsmarted by a mere Stormwind and defeated by a Ripar child... Unforgivable...! Absolutely unforgivable!!"
The angered Tomeru raised his head and sees Cloud and Sting standing in front of him while staring down at him with the shade of their hair covering the upper parts of their face.
"You...! You two...!" Tomeru said while gritting his teeth, "The both of you won't get away with this! You hear me?! You won't get away with this!!"
Cloud and Sting turned their backs on Tomeru and began to walk away while Sting was playfully flipping the black tusk in his hands, angering Tomeru even more.
"You bastards!!" Tomeru said, "I will recover! I'll hunt you down! I will castrate the both of you with my own hands and both of your mothers will cry over your manhood!!"
Cloud and Sting suddenly paused and looked back with a menacing glare.
"Real sh*t!" Cloud and Sting said to Tomeru with a devious grin as Sting's irises glowed along with his scleras turning black.
After recalling that moment, Cloud and Sting bursts out in laughter.
"Do you remember the look on his face when we said that?!" Cloud asked.
"Yeah, it was so funny that i almost couldn't control myself in holding my laughter!" Sting replied.
This moment was interrupted as Cloud and Sting suddenly felt a disturbing presence behind them that caused them to slowly look back and see the person to be Onak who happened to be glaring down at them with his irises glowing.
Cloud looks down and noticed the blood dripping from Onak's hands.
"Hey... Uh... You're bleeding..." Cloud said, "Your hands... They are..."
Onak raised his hand and glared at his blood soaked palm.
"This is not my blood." Onak said.
Cloud and Sting instantly stared at Onak with a shocked wtf face.
"Oh..." Sting said.
As Onak walks past Cloud and Sting, Cloud turns back with the look of concern.
"His energy... It's like Zera's." Cloud said, "They both don't match that of a human being."
"Why do you he is called the monster among mortals?" Sting asked, "You know, he's just like you."
"Huh?" Cloud asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He didn't arrive in the first month of the academy." Sting said, "He came in the second month of training but not at his own will..."
A flashback occurs as in a foggy landscape as multiple explosion took place; during this moment, a Kenar girl was tumbling backwards on the ground and quickly stabilizes herself with her hands, revealing her appearance to be Juni who happened to be breathing heavily while watching as multiple shadow figures in the smoke were moving towards her.
The shadow figures stepped out of the smoke, revealing their appearance to be that of humanoid beings with the head of lions. In front of the humanoid lions, stood one who had a white mane along with his eyes glowing brighter as he grinned sadistically at Juni.
Juni became shocked as she immediately noted the white maned humanoid lion holding a bloodied and unconscious Ziron at the back of his shirt.
"Damn it. This is bad..." Juni said within herself, "To think that we would be ambushed by the Moabians when we were just sent on a task of collecting the healing water of river Nyxx and to make things worse, they are being led by the Moabian in the white mane, Ashuk; the Moabian who ripped out the bones of 200 orcs... Just to drink from their skulls.
  What do i do? I can't beat him not to talk of fighting them all but i can't abandon my teammates at the same time..."
"Child of Agaroth, the nation that has stood on the pinnacle of all races, defeating and even nearly wiping out the entire god race, i greet you." Ashuk said, "To think that the humans who were once a fragile race would become the strongest once kan was discovered is truly intriguing.
However, sensing your power, you are extremely weak and i do not take pleasure in crushing insects, so I'm going to hand you over to one of my subordinates to handle and feast on your flesh."
Ashuk looks at a pale blue maned Moabian and the Moabian instantly perceived the message.
"Do as you wish, Emed." Ashuk said.
Emed nods his head and immediately advanced towards Juni. However as Emed tried to punch Juni, he was suddenly interrupted as Juni engulfed her foot with aura and lands a high side kick to the head which sent him tumbling on the ground and left the other Moabians (except Ashuk) amazed.
"I am Juni of the Kenar tribe of Agaroth! Do not underestimate me!" Juni said in a battle stance as her irises glowed.
Emed stood on his feet, stretched his neck a bit and smirked as his own irises glowed. In a flash, Emed disappeared from where he was standing and appeared in front of Juni which caught her off guard.
"H-he's fast!" Juni said within herself.
Emed immediately punched Juni into the ground which made her cough out spittle and massively broke the ground in the process. Emed began to ferociously pummel Juni with his fists which was increasing the destruction on the ground and burying her deeper into it.
After Emed had finished pounding Juni, Emed stared down and smirks as a bloodied Juni was groaning in pain. Seeing the results of his attack, Emed grins and immediately raised his fist to resume pummeling Juni but got interrupted as a mud attack suddenly hit and sent him skidding back which appeared to be Dunen who happened to be standing beside the injured Juni.
"Get away from her." Dunen said while having her hands covered in mud water.
"Dunen... Get away from here." Juni weakly said, "Save yourself while you still can."
"And leave you, Ziron and the other Graundar guy behind? Not a chance!" Dunen said, "I am a warrior, not a coward. I will stand and fight to save you and everyone else."
"You fool..." Juni weakly said, "This isn't one of those times where your big brother would come and save you. This is ... Wait, what other Graundar male?"
"I found a huge Graundar guy who was unconscious and almost naked." Dunen replied, "He was tied with powerful ropes made of blue light."
"So you discovered my food, huh?" Ashuk asked.
"I don't care how weak i am or how strong you all are." Dunen said, "I'll save my comrades and the other guy as a proud warrior of Agaroth! I can do this!!"
Emed wipes the dirt off his lips and smirks while emitting a fearsome aura.
"I can do this." Dunen said within herself, "If my big brother were here, he'd fight and save everyone. I can do this! I can do this! I can do this! I-"
Dunen paused in fear as Emed appeared in front of her in  motion to bite her head off.
"Can't do this?" Dunen said within herself.
The moment was suddenly interrupted as a powerful roar shook the entire environment, causing Moabians and Dunen to look towards to the view at their side that was covered in fog. A Moabian runs out of the fog in fear but suddenly falls on the ground and was dragged back into the fog, filling it with screams of pain and tearing of flesh which left Dunen and a few Moabians afraid.
"I WILL MURDER YOU ALL!!!"
Onak suddenly emerges out of the fog, screaming and running like an enraged wild beast towards the Moabians while having parts of his body covered with glowing cracks.
"COME AT ME, MY MEAL!!!!"  Ashuk said with a thunderous voice while charging an intense aura.
  Ashuk advanced towards Onak at high speed and clashed fists with him which absolutely devasted the ground to the point that the both of them were falling; despite the both of them falling, Ashuk and Onak were beating themselves mercilessly in the air until they finally fell on another ground.
Ashuk and Onak immediately got up like nothing ever happened, charged towards each other like wild beasts and resumed punching themselves savagely which was creating powerful shockwaves. During their exchange, Ashuk stopped Onak's fist and Onak stopped his and they began to stare at each other as Ashuk was staring down at Onak while grinning with his irises glowing and Onak was glaring at him with his teeth gritted along with his irises glowing as well.
Moments later, Dunen and Juni (who was resting on Dunen's shoulders with her arm round Dunen's neck) stared in shock as they spot Onak standing on a mound of Moabian corpses (including Ashuk and Emed) while being covered in blood and holding a huge spine in his hand. Onak eyes completely glowed as he gritted his teeth and immediately gave a massive yell that echoed through out the environment.
After explaining that incident, Cloud stares at Sting, dumbfounded with a wide-eyed expression.
"Dunen said that the main reason why they were able to get back alive was because Onak fell unconscious after killing all of the Moabians and also because they didn't make a sound after his rampage." Sting said, "When Onak was first brought here, he was an absolute loose cannon but now he is a bit tame compared to before.
No one knows his past, though we the students suspect that the teachers and the headmaster know something about him but nevertheless, that guy is a force to be reckoned with.
There is something that is bugging me, though. What killed the Moabian race? Rumors have been spreading like wildfire concerning the extinction of the Moabians and their realm and yet, no one knows what happened."
"Sting, I'm still trying to get over the part that Onak killed Ashuk." Cloud said.
"No, no, no. I won't say killed, more like murdered. " Sting said, "He did rip out Ashuk's spine. But what shocks me about this guy is that he seems quiet and anti social but yet, he has an extremely violent temper to the point that others think of him as an animal and are even afraid to go near him."
"I see..." Cloud said within himself while facing the ground, "To have someone this strong and dangerous in the tournament... Do we even stand a chance against him? If him and Karma should clash, who will win?"
Back at the arena, Meeno was clutching his belly with one hand and breathing heavily while staring far away at Dam who was still staring at the ground.