The Messenger of Death

"The whole forest will be investigated by the school, if we find anything that contradicts all that you have said, then, believe me, I will personally make sure that you get the appropriate punishment for your lies." Vincent threatened.

Al frowned as he glanced at Vincent. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but I don't think the rest of my teammates were treated like this. I am giving an account of what happened, from my perspective. I haven't lied to you, so why am I being threatened. If it is because I have offended you in the past, then I am truly sorry for my previous lack of ethics."

Al purposely let his emotions affect the rate at which his heart was beating; his emotion helped spike its beating speed. Noticing the difference in the speed of his heartbeat, Vincent wasn't certain about his accusations anymore.

Of course, he didn't like Alex, but he wasn't petty enough to throw baseless accusations at him after his ruse didn't seem to have affected Al the way he wanted it to. Vincent returned to his former demeanor and sat down.

"There is no use in trying to force anything out of him, Vincent. Even if we believe that he is lying, we have no tangible proof that he is. So, Alexander, you are free to return to your residence. The total result of your group's collective merit points will be calculated and posted on the general MP notice board." Tsukishima announced.

"Thank you for cooperating with us, you should head back and take good care of your injuries." Hinata flashed a friendly smile at him.

Al sighed and stood up, he bobbed his head at them. "I will be taking my leave then, goodbye." He left for the exit…

"That kid is good at acting, he was even able to control the speed at which his heart' beats," Hinata stated. Her eyes were still planted at the door that Al walked out of.

"He is a talent that is rarely seen. His combat sense is a sight to behold. And his affinity with the elements, if it is as his team members say that it is then the school will try to groom him. Meaning that whatever accusations we have against him might not warrant any kind of punishment on him. Once the headmaster finds out about him, or Argus, they will put him under their wings." Tsukishima mentioned.

"True, if we want to prove anything then we have to do that before the higher ups find out about him. With the continental competition coming up they want to get their hands on all the talent that they can reach." Vincent folded his hands over his chest.

"True. Well, I have nothing against the kid. If anything, I like the kid. His attitude is a refreshment different from most of the students in the academy. Whether he was telling the truth or not, I don't have any intentions on digging any deeper." Tsukishima got up and left the room.

"Who says that I have anything against the kid?" Vincent whispered. He knew that Tsukishima was referring to him.

"What I am curious about is the miracle fruit he claimed to have found. I know that there are numerous amount of miracle fruits in the universe, but something doesn't sound right about what he described.

You just don't find fruits like that in a forest that is lacking sufficient QI that could support its growth. Even if it did get its supply of QI from an unknown source then you wouldn't find just one -- according to what i know. And he said that it was a peach, I suspect that he has more in his ring." Hinata spilled what was in her mind.

"Either way, I have my eyes on that kid. His origins are unclear too." Vincent said and disappeared from the room.

************

['That bastard has to die.'] Al declared.

Despite the fact that Alex couldn't remember much about his family, he still has a lot of love for his dead parents. He and his alternate personalities are sensitive when it comes to matters that involve the dignity of his parents. Sometimes when he tried to recall what his mother looked like, the memory that always comes first was that of his mother being violated by those that killed them.

He couldn't remember what she looked like but he could remember the shape of the person that violated his mother.

['Alex, I will give you the formula to the poison either way. It's the easiest way to kill that bastard. He is too strong for us to confront with brute strength, we will take him down with our wits.']

['That would be for the best. I was going to ask you for it.'] Lex spoke up. He too had been riled up by Vincent's cursing.

['Me too.'] Xander joined in.

Al's mood was sour as he was deep in his thoughts, thinking of the best way to kill someone stronger than him, with powers that defy logic and physics. He started to walk in the wrong direction, unconsciously.

['Al, where are you going to?'] Alex questioned.

['The guest inn, where else-'] He pursed when he saw that where he walking to, wasn't in the direction of the guest inn. He had walked to a garden that looked like it was abandoned. The grasses and flowers there was overgrown and untaken care of.

['I was too deep in my thoughts.'] He turned and started to retrace his steps…

"Argh!"

He heard someone cry out in pain. It was coming from another side of the unkept flower wall beside him.

"You foolish henchman, I asked you to do one simple thing and now you are telling me that you can't do it anymore. You went on a mission and came back with confidence as a souvenir. You must have taken something that messed with your memory, cause you seem to have forgotten who I am."

['Isn't that Duna's voice?'] Alex asked.

['It is his voice.'] Xander confirmed.

['Hmmm, probably some unlucky henchman that couldn't put up with his bullshit and wants to leave the gang that is being bullied. Nothing that concerns us.'] Al erased his presence and continued to retrace his steps.

"I haven't forgotten who you are, I-I just can't betray my teammates anymore."

Al stopped walking away.

['Isn't that Drake's voice?'] Al questioned.

['It is.'] Alex confirmed this time.

['I see. So that's why he asked to join our team, he was sent as a spy by Duna. Al, stay a bit so we can hear what he has to say.']

Al leaned gently on the flower wall, he made sure not to put too much weight on it…

"Now you are calling them your teammates? It didn't take very long for you to go over to their side, tell me what did they bribe you with?" Duna said.

"I wasn't bribed with anything, hell I wish I was. You'll be surprised by the things Alex is capable of." Drake answered.

"Oh really, tell me then, what about him will surprise me?"

"I have nothing to tell you, Duna, only that he is not someone that you should mess with. You might get struck by lightning…"

['Hmph, he knows how to speak well.'] Al complimented…

"Are you threatening me?"

-Thud! Thud!

Drake was kneed in his abdomen twice.

"Ahh." He cried out in pain.

"Let's beat him up till he talks or changes his mind about who his loyalty belongs to. Make sure you avoid hitting his face." Duna commanded his underlings.

['I don't understand how hoodlums think, why would you gladly take orders from others?'] Alex mentioned.

['We are called intelligent beings because we have the ability to reason and think… but not all intelligent beings are capable of using these abilities even if it is served to them on a silver platter. They are just sheep in human skin. They were born to follow.'] Xander explained.

['I want to see how long Drake is going to hold on for.'] Al squinted his eyes and smirk.

['If a man won't bend, then he will break when the pressure gets too much for him to handle. I don't think we need to be wary of Drake being an able spy, his heart has already faltered.'] Xander stated.

['I know, he has already earned himself a pass from me for holding on this long.'] Alex said.

['If he lasts any longer, who knows, I might take a commission from him and help kill those idiots.'] Al's smirk turned into a wicked grin.

['Our cultivation realm is still far from Duna's, he is a nirvana realm cultivator.'] Alex pointed out.

['I know, but who said anything about fighting him head-on. I'm going to use them as test subjects for the poison.']

['Oh, then that sounds a lot more reasonable.']

Drake was still getting beat up and an hour had already passed. Even his assailants were starting to get tired of beating him up.

"You are one hard nut to crack." Duna spat on Drake's face.

"What do they have on you that you refused to do what you were asked to?"

"Th-they have… Dignity and you don't. And you, you are just a dirty pig in nice clothing." Drake forced a smile up his lips, despite the spiraling pain in his abdomen.

"So that son of a b*tch called Alex has dignity now? We can keep on doing this all day. Continue beating him up." His underlings did as he said and resumed beating Drake up.

Al had been chewing on a straw-like grass for the past 30 minutes and when he heard Duna curse at his mother, the grass fell out of his mouth.

['Keep this one out of the test subjects' list. I swear I will kill him with my own hands when the time is right.'] Alex was enraged.