Chapter 72: Revival of the Partnership?

Zen ran up to the boy, trying to catch up with him.

“Chu-Chu Jiahai,” Zen said with uncertainty.

“Leave me alone, Wang Zen.” Jiahai said, not bothering to look back.

“I need to speak to you.”

Jiahai continued walking.

“Shibi is missing.”

Jiahai stopped.

“Do you know anything? Did Bao…”

“I don’t know anything,” Jiahai said, lowering his head before walking on.

“Help me find him.”

Jiahai stopped once again, clenching his hands into fists.

“Jiahai, please!”

“Follow me,” Jiahai said before sprinting off.

Zen quickly followed after him.

Jiahai led them to a deserted part of the academy, shrouded in the shadows of the tall trees around the place.

“Jiahai, where…”

There was a growl. Zen stood ready for battle when a Ragged Jackal come from seemingly nowhere.

“Stand down, Blackfur.” Jiahai said.

The Jackal continued to growl defiantly.

Zen looked at the beast’s silver eyes.

“Jiahai? You have contracted another Ragged Jackal?”

“…technically… I guess.” Jiahai said as another, leaner Ragged Jackal also made an appearance. It too, had silver eyes. “But really, Blackfur is more loyal to Rizon than I.”

Jiahai walked forward and Rizon met him partway.

“Rizon, I need your help. Do you remember Shibi?”

Rizon growled.

“Yes. Yes. I know.” Jiahai looked back at Zen. “I don’t like this either.” He returned his sight on Rizon. “Let’s track him.”

Rizon sniffed the air and bounded off with Jiahai and Zen following after.

“Blackfur, stay behind!” Jiahai shouted.

Blackfur growled.

“And stop growling at me!”

Rizon led them across campus and into the forest within the academy’s territory. The journey through the forest was quiet and awkward. To the two boys, the time when they would talk, laugh and hunt together as friends seemed like so long ago.

Zen looked around. The path that Rizon was leading them down had signs of battle all over. Chunks of wood missing in trees, scratches on rocks, groves of removed vegetation on the ground, tree branches lying on the ground.

Zen looked up in worry. The branches above spotted the most damage. The branches above… Shibi’s domain.

Rizon sped up, making Zen and Jiahai break out into a jog. Rizon suddenly stopped, barking out. Zen and Jiahai saw two dog like creatures, saliva dripping from their bared teeth.

“Mud Hyenas,” Jiahai said.

The mud hyena’s were flanking a red and orange mass. Zen felt a pain rising from his heart when he saw the mass.

“Shibi!” he rushed forward.

One of the Mud Hyena’s rushed forward, its body glowing in qi. Zen met it with a kick but the Hyena overpowered him and threw him back, sliding along the ground. The Hyena continued on but Rizon and Jiahai leapt before the fallen Zen, Rizon’s fangs glowing in qi while Jiahai activated his knuckleduster move.

“Stay with Zen, Rizon.” Jiahai said before running forward.

The other Mud Hyena also ran forward. A qi form in the shape of a bear trap grew around its mouth. The Mud Hyena grabbed his fist and dragged the screaming Jiahai down onto the ground.

Zen quickly made his way to his feet and rushed to help Jiahai. The first Mud Hyena stepped in front of Jiahai who was being dragged away, standing between Zen and Jaihai. Zen touched his storage stone, and yellow balls of ligh flashed near his open pal and moments later, his short one sided blade appeared.

“Get out of my way, mutt!” Zen spat amongst the sounds of Jiahai screaming.

The Mud Hyena’s body began glowing and charged at Zen but Zen met it with his swinging sword. They passed each other and a moment later, Zen fell to a knee, coughing out blood. The Hyena turned around, its bared fangs looking like a smirk on its brown face. The Mud Hyena’s eyes opened wide when blood squirted out from its side.

Zen focused on the Hyena that was dragging Jiahai to where Shibi laid.

Jiahai’s other knuckleduster fist slammed into the hyena, bt its bear trap formation extended to shield its face from the hit. Jiahai pulled his fist back and with a determined shout, punched into the barrier and smashed it apart, hitting the Hyena away with a punch. The Hyena let go, sliding back and leaving Jiahai’s bloody and limp arm.

The Hyena was preparing for another go at Jiahai until Rizon landed on it, biting into its fur with its qi charged fangs. Jiahai leapt forward, his fist prepared to slam down. As if on instinct, Rizon leapt out of the way just as Jiahai’s fist made contact with the Hyena, slamming it flat into the ground.

Zen sighed in relief, it seems Jiahai did not need his help. He became aware of a power building dangerously behind him. He rolled to the side as the Hyena he had slashed sped past him.

“Jiahai, behind you!” Zen warned as the Hyena continued on to Jaihai.

Qi spikes burst from Jiahai’s knees before he turned around and leapt forward, thrusting both his knees out to meet the hyena straight on. The two attacks met and the hyena was blown back. Zen swung his blade, slicing deep into the hurtling hyena which continued on with a trail of blood.

Zen did not stop, continuing forward for the hyena Jiahai just took down. For hurting Shibi, Zen wanted his pound of blood. Jiahai moved out of his way.

When he was upon the hyena, Zen sensed danger and jumped up just as another Hyena sped past where he was standing. This newcomer was much stringer than the other two who were mid ranked Novice. This new one was a Disciple, the level above Novice.

The hyena that was down rose up, the bear trap qi technique back around its mouth as it shot up to take a chunk off of Zen. In mid air, Zen aimed his blade down and let gravity do the rest. He landed on the bear trap qi formation with his legs and thrust his blade straight down. The bear trap extended to block the point of the blade. The bear trap energy expanded out, wrenching Zen’s weapon from his hands and sending him hurtling away.

The new Mud Hyena turned its sight on Jiahai, rushing for him with its body glowing in qi and a trail of qi following behind it like the tail of a comet. Jiahai sprinted towards it and jumped forward with his knuckleduster knees thrust out. They met and struggled for a moment before the hyena sped past him, sending him spinning quickly in the air before landing painfully.

The other hyena was about to finish the job but Rizin stood in front of it where they skirmished, throwing paws and biting at each other. However, Rizon was losing this skirmish.

Zen got up to see the Disciple level Mud Hyena watching him. Its body glowed and it sped towards him. Zen ran for it too, grabbing his sword off the ground on the way. Just when they were about to meet, he leapt over it and it continued on its way while he continued towards Jiahai and Rizon.

“Rizon, out of the way!” Zen said as he came closer.

Rizon moved out of the way as Zen swung his blade to decapitate the hyena but his blade was stopped when the bear trap formation clamped down on his blade, stopping it. Zen sore under his breath as he failed to pull the blade from the qi technique of the hyena.

The hyena came up from behind, its mouth also surrounded by the bear trap qi technique. Zen tried harder to pull his blade, realising that the hyenas were coming in for a scorpion pincer move. He did not want to let go of his only weapon as he doubted he could defeat the hyenas without a weapon.

He swore again as the other hyena was now upon them, its technique biting down on his position, sending out an explosion of debris. The debris faded, revealing the two hyenas and only the two hyenas.

Zen landed behind them, under each arm was Jiahai and Rizon. He gently placed them on the ground.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Jiahai said as he got to his feet.

They stood there, facing the two Mud Hyenas. They outnumbered the wild beasts but they knew that it counted for almost nothing as both hyenas were much stronger than any of them.