Great Aka Tribe, Scarlet Rune Palace

“Scarlet Runic Lord!” A trembling concerned voice rang out. “What happened to you?! You must come quickly to get treated, hurry now!” Lawou urgently said to Scarlet Runic Lord Tafei.

He was laying on the ground in the palace walls. Blood covered him everywhere but he had a smile on his face. He didn’t seem to hear Lawou urging him as he let out a hearty laugh that was filled with infinite joy. It had been a long while since he had laughed this hard. His laughter carried throughout the palace and entered the ears of many of the beasts present.

“That scum of a dog Star Duke Alpha failed haha! Akata got away safely and he didn’t even get to see a hair on his head let alone touch it. HAHAHA!” Scarlet Runic Lord Tafei laughed loudly and without reserve.

After laughing for a bit he coughed up a mouthful of blood and sank into a deep sleep. Lawou looked at him deeply before hurriedly picking him up and carrying him to to get treated. After that she reported what she had heard and saw directly to Golden Runic Lord Taple.

He sat in his throne, which was just a comfy bed of leaves, mud, and other things, and thought deeply. Suddenly he let out a hearty laugh as well. “So they weren’t able to get their hands on Akata after all haha, excellent. It seems my son was able to carry out this mission well and come back in one piece. He definitely deserves to be rewarded heavily.

That Meteor Wolf Star Tribe sure is daring however. But, they are apart of our tribe and a powerful force as well. If they can put this matter behind us then I will do the same naturally. I will personally let Tabet know what has happened and I will go see Tafei soon. Thank you Lawou.” With that Golden Runic Lord Taple stood up and then vanished from his position.

Meteor Wolf Star Tribe

“So he ended up getting away then? Humph. No matter. We can pursue him in secret, there’s no need to make this a public matter any longer. I’m sure that Taple will be looking for us to let his issue go and leave it in the past, so we will make it seem that way.”

Star Sovereign Allica looked coldly at Duke Star Alpha and then waved him off. He left obediently and didn’t look back at all.

“Azalica.” She spoke coldly. Soon a wolf walked in that was slender and had smooth fur running along its back. Its claws were a jade white and looked as bright as the moonlight. “I want you to search for that mortal Akata and keep track of him. When the time is right bring him back to me, dead or alive, your choice. Make sure that none of your movements are followed and keep this a secret. I have some need of his body and I don’t want information spread.”

“Yes Star Sovereign Allica.” was the simple reply from the young looking Star Wolf. With a flash of neon light the wolf turned into a beautiful looking maiden with white robes. Her eyes sparkled and her features would cause any man to salivate with lust.

Star Sovereign Allica waved her paw and then caused Azalica to disappear from the spot she had been standing in. She gave a cold snort and continued to sit there.

Red Cloud Sect, Red Cloud Hall

Akata and Fourth Elder appeared within Red Cloud Hall together in a flash. Akata took in a deep breath and looked around with glinting eyes. ‘I’m back.’ He mused to himself. It had only been two months but to a 13 year old child that felt like a long time. He felt much more mature now that he was back, as if he could teach others about the outside world and his experiences.

As he was going through these thoughts he was interrupted by an abrupt voice. “Akata.” This voice sounded very familiar to Akata and he spun around and greeted the person who spoke. “Sect Leader.” He said as he was bowing down.

She looked him over and said, “I’m sure you have had many experiences while being away from the sect and it seems as if you have grown a lot as well. But now is not the time to be discussing your little trip. We must prepare for an upcoming war between us and various other clans and sects.” She said with slight indifference.

Akata’s eyes went wide. Fourth Elder had mentioned a war but he didn’t go into any sort of detail. But what Sect Leader Fu had just said made it seem as if the Red Cloud Sect would be going in alone against different clans and sects.

Just what was the Red Cloud Sect? It was mysterious sure, but by no means was it considerably strong. Akata realized this on his trip to the island and meeting the various beasts. Any random beast could cause huge problems for the disciples of the sect. They were just too weak when compared to others.

“Excuse me, but… how are we supposed to stand up to multiple forces by ourselves?” Akata couldn’t help but ask. He was truly concerned for the Red Cloud Sect and its safety. He knew that the disciples weren’t that strong here. He alone could probably beat all of the disciples with ease, let alone whole clans and sects.

“We naturally have a way to fight against others. You shouldn’t concern yourself about those matters now and should prepare for the war.” She lifted her hand and a light flashed toward Akata and sank into his forehead. A wave of information entered regarding a divine ability.

“This is a divine ability that I’m having all of the disciples and Elders learn in order to be ready to battle. You should spend the next few days becoming accustomed to it and be ready to use it.” She waved at Akata as if gesturing him to leave.

“But…” before he could even say anymore, Sect Leader Fu waved her hand once more and caused him to disappear. When he reappeared he was inside of his own room. He closed his mouth and sighed. He had grown used to being teleported away against his will by now.

He looked around his room to see all of the familiar things that were insignificant to him in the past. His room was broken down and looked abandoned. The only color besides gray that existed was the red bedsheet that he had.

Akata walked over to his bed and sat down. As usual the bed made a strong creaking sound as if it might collapse at any moment if he moved any further. He rubbed his hand over the red bedsheet, this was something that comforted him throughout his life. It wasn’t exactly soft but made him feel warm and cozy whenever he laid on it. This sheet had been with him for as long as he could remember.

After a bit of reminiscing, Akata’s face filled with determination. ‘I will protect this sect if it’s the last thing that I do!’ He began to study the divine ability that Sect Leader Fu had passed on to him.

‘Red Cloud Formation. An ability that manifests the will into overwhelming power. It uses the mind as the core and the body as the support. The mind is used to power this divine ability so a strong mental energy is needed to get the full effect. The body is needed to guide all the power produced from the divine ability. It is guided through the organs, blood, limbs, skin, and bones. Everything is essential in making this work perfectly.’

Akata reviewed the divine ability but didn’t start to immediately train in it. He first settled his mind and collected his thoughts. Everything was moving too fast for him at the moment. In just two months he fought a disciple in a death match, had been punished and kicked out of his sect temporarily, came into contact with powerful beasts and was attacked on numerous occasions, then after coming back home found out that a war was coming. He really had to clear his head right now.

He walked out of his dorm room and then decided to stroll around the sect. It had seemed like forever since he had done this. He came to see many familiar faces and they were shocked to see him. They chatted with him for a bit and Akata steadily became aware of another upcoming event.

‘It seems that everyone knows that a war is coming and it looks as if they are prepared. Not only that but many people have had tremendous breakthroughs recently. I’ve even seen a few 5th Grade disciples walking around. They aren’t even talking about the war, however, but the upcoming Body Spirit Exam and Red Cloud Sparring Day.’

After walking around Akata came to know that there had been a lot of changes in the two months that he had been away. These changes weren’t minor either but really huge that basically changed all of how the Red Cloud Sect was. These changes made the title of “mysterious” really fit.