C4 Game

Five years ago, ten year old Karma was on her knees, breathing heavily in front of a man, who happened to be folding his arms and looking unamused.

"Again." The man said, "Do it again. You must be stronger than everyone."

"Yes, father." Karma said.

"Do you remember what I taught you?" Karma's father asked.

"Yes, i do" Karma answered, "There is no place for the weak. The weak will always be underneath the boot heel of the strong."

"Yes, the weak will always be underneath the boot heel of the strong." Karma's father said, "Only the strong will survive; it has and will always be the law of nature.... Do not forget that, Karma."

Seven months later, Karma was kneeling in the ruins as she stares at the corpses of her father and other members of the Dreygar tribe.

Current fifteen year old Karma, suddenly wakes from her sleep and sat up on her bed.

".... Damn it." Karma said within herself.

Hours later as Karma was bathing in a lake, she began to recall images of her father and mother.

"My father, Garou: The chief of the Dreygar tribe of whom that position has never taken from him, due to him being undefeated and my mother, Nira ... one of the strongest warriors of the Dreygar tribe, along with every member of my tribe... Are all dead." Karma said within herself, "The strongest tribe in Agaroth... Slaughtered like chickens and yet no one has any idea what happened."

Karma recalls as the ten year old her awakens and finds herself in a closet while being tied with a ropes made of red light.

Another flashback occurs as ten year old Karma stepped out of her house and stared in horror as she sees Dreygar corpses laying on the streets.

"I was only one that survived the unknown slaughter of the Dreygar tribe." Fifteen year old Karma said within herself while still bathing, "Guess i was only lucky to do so."

Hours later, during class as Zera was teaching, Karma was staring at Cloud from afar in her own seat.

"He is another survivor of the unknown slaughter and he too, has no idea on how his own tribe was wiped out." Karma said within herself, "I wonder what he is thinking right now. Five tribes of Agaroth were wiped out during the unknown slaughter; One major tribe and four minor tribe: The Dreygar tribe, the Izubu tribe, the Elkodash tribe, the Zyne tribe and Stormwind tribe. Two survivors and neither of us have any idea what happened. Well, this is infuriating."

Minutes later as Karma and Killer bee walking out of class, Karma was staring at the ground while Killer bee was talking to her which made Killer to look at Karma with a bit of concern.

"Karma, are you there? " Killer bee asked.

"What?" Karma asked as she turns to look at Killer bee.

"Is something wrong?" Killer bee asked, "You are usually detached from others but today, you were just staring at Cloud."

"Yeah... so what if i was staring at him?" Karma asked.

"So, you have you gotten interested in him, huh?" Killer bee asked while smiling.

Please, I could care less about him." Karma said, "However, i can't help wondering what he is thinking at the moment. Why is he pushing himself this hard since he knows that he is at a huge disadvantage against everyone in this academy? Is he so arrogant that he thinks he can win against others without the use of kan. Is he really that suicidal or is he just plain stupid? That i can not comprehend".

"If that's what you feel, then why don't you go and ask him." Killer bee said while smiling, "I mean, you are both here for the same reasons, right? To become a pilgrim and bring honor to your lost tribes.

Karma became mute with Killer bee's statement and resumes staring at the ground.

Another flashback occured as thirteen year old Karma was sitting in a cave with a green old dragon and discussing with him.

"So, you want to join the pilgrim organization, correct?" The dragon asked.

"Yes, master Riu." Karma answered while facing the ground, "In the next two years, the pilgrim academy will re-open and I'd like to be a part of it, in order to bring honor to my deceased tribe."

"Is that all?" Riu asked, "Your father and i knew each other before. I raised him, trained him and made him strong. Do not forget, he showed you to me, when you were just a baby.

Unlike your father, who happened to be a weakling in power until i trained him; you were born extremely talented and times and times again, you've shown it. Just like that fire incident..."

Karma recalls when she was five years old, when a male instructor was pacing round the Dreygar children and watching as they struggled to create a fireball with their hands.

"A Dreygar's natural Kan element is dragon's fire." The instructor said, "As descendants of Reizo - the father of the Dreygar tribe and the slayer of gods and dragons; You must show that you more than capable of using your strengths to protect Agaroth and live up to the name of being a Dreygar."

During this incident, some students were unable to create a fireball, while some were able to create a little. A certain boy among them was able to create a medium sized fireball with one hand, but Karma sighed and easily created a humongous fire ball with both hands and lifted it up, which made the instructor and the rest of her classmates mute and stare at her in horror.

And don't forget the combat incident.." Riu said.

Another flashback occurs when Karma was dodging the punches and kicks of a male student. As the boy was still throwing punches and kicks, Karma easily caught his fist and smashed his head to the ground with her other hand, leaving him unconscious.

Two female students, quickly came charging towards Karma but they were easily taken down with a reverse roundhouse kick, which sent them both twisting in the air and laying unconscious. Another male student tried to punch Karma from behind but Karma evades it. The male student begins his assault of punches and kicks but Karma was still evading them all. The boy, being frustrated with Karma's continuous dodging, charges towards Karma and lands a straight high kick to Karma's face which leveled the ground and created a smoke screen in the environment. As the smokescreen cleared, the boy stared in shock that Karma easily stopped his foot with one hand.

"N-No way...!" The boy said within himself, "But that's impo-!"

Karma immediately slammed the boy on the ground with enough force that seriously leveled the ground and left him unconscious .

As Karma began to walk over multiple unconscious bodies ,the teachers and the other students were staring at her in shock.

"She... she just defeated thirty of the opposing team on her own!" A female teacher said.

"Well, turns out that she didn't really need her teammates, after all. They were only blockages to her path of victory. " One of the male teachers said while folding his arms.

"What surprises me more is that she doesn't even seem tired, after all that. She is too good to be in this class level!" another male teacher stated.

"Even in healing, academics and other matters like cooking, you've always stood out on top but your father didn't." Riu said while folding his arms.

"What are you trying to say, master?" Karma asked as she lifts up her head to look at Riu.

"You and your father are two different people, but yet i can still see that same look, he once had... The look of vengeance towards the person that once betrayed him as a child and left him to die." Riu said, "It was because of that person, he solely focused on getting power and getting stronger. In the end, he never found that person and he decided to settle down and have a family.

When you arrived here, after your tribe's destruction, i could tell that you were once a warm and kind-hearted child. But now, i could feel the intense darkness and rage, building within you... Just like your father. So I'll ask again... What is your game in becoming a pilgrim? Because I know that it is not just to bring honor to your tribe."

Karma began to stare at the ground again as she recalls the images of her father and mother's corpses, along with the corpses of other Dreygar members, which made her to clench her fist.

"I was taught that the weak perishes and are usually trampled upon..." Karma said as she recalls when she was emitting a yellow light over her father's wound with her palms, in attempt to heal her dying father, "When i saw the bodies of my people and mother, i desperately tried to save the last person breathing, who happened to be my father, but yet... I couldn't do it. I was told by my father that his situation is beyond my power. That was the first time ever, i felt so powerless."

"Karma..." Riu said softly

"The weak perishes and are trampled upon." Karma said, "I've seen it severally. From the animals and insects in my tribe, to the monsters in my training with you in the other worlds. When I couldn't save my father, i felt trampled upon; I felt tossed away like a rag... In other words... I felt so weak..."

"Karma, what is your...?" Riu cuts in

"He, she, them... I don't care who they are." Karma cuts back, "I don't care who they are or what they are, but i can guarantee that I'll make them pay for what they did to my tribe and this pilgrim organization is my first path to ensure that; Because as a pilgrim, you'll get special missions to go on several places and visit several races and with that, I'll be able to shed light on my tribe's murder.

I'm not that powerless girl, i once was. I'm no longer that girl that shed tears because of the overwhelming thoughts of feeling useless."

Karma recalls when she was sobbing while laying her head on her father's dead body.

"I'm no longer that girl..." Thirteen year old Karma said softly as she began to emit a menacing red aura, "Instead of being trampled upon by others, I'll be the one to trample upon my enemies! I'll make that person watch as i destroy their tribe and race, in front of their eyes. I'll make that person suffer terribly before i reduce the person to ash!

That is my main resolve in becoming a pilgrim of Agaroth."

After recalling that moment, fifteen year old Karma was sitting on the grass of a valley while watching Cloud from afar as he stares at his reflection at a river.

"Why do you push yourself so hard, Cloud?" Karma asked within herself, "What is your main goal in becoming a pilgrim? Is it truly to represent your tribe or is it something else?..."

While Karma was still watching Cloud, Sting walks up to Karma from behind and sits beside her.

"Oh hello, Karma, isn't this a pleasant surprise?"Sting asked while smiling.

"What do you want?" Karma asked while still watching Cloud.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that." Sting said

"What-do-you-want?" Karma asked Sting in a cold manner while still focusing on Cloud.

"You've been following and watching Cloud, for a long time now. Why?" Sting asked with a smile while watching Cloud, " Do you like him?"

"Piss off." Karma replied

"You know, it's ok to like him." Sting said, "After all, i do like him too."

Karma's eyes rolls towards Sting after making that statement and Sting instantly perceived what she is thinking

"Woah! As a friend, i like him as a friend!" Sting said while closing his eyes and nervously smiling, "Plus, I'm not into that type of relationship, anyways."

"I see." Karma said as she resumes watching Cloud.

"Do you know one of the things that made me like Cloud as a friend?" Sting asked as he resumed watching Cloud from afar, "His determination. That whitehead doesn't know when to give up, even the situation is highly against him and it's kinda cool."

"Why do you idiots overhype the whitehead?" Karma asked while still watching Cloud from afar, "The fight between him and Van was handicapped and Van wasn't even serious with him.

Plus all this talk about determination is crap because determination without the right power to back it up, won't help you win a fight."

"Yeah, you're right, it won't help anyone win a fight." Sting replied, " However, a lot of people, tend to compare you to him. I mean you're both fighting to bring honor to your lost tribes as the last survivors and you both strive to prove yourselves, like two sides of a coin and two opposite parts of nature: Black and White.

One who happens to be strong and comes from a renown tribe and one who isn't strong and comes from a debased tribe. Makes sense, don't you think?"

Karma clenched her fist so hard that Cloud heard the crack of her knuckles from afar

"Huh...what the-" Cloud said as he turns around and sees Sting and Karma sitting besides each other, "Sting? Karma? What are they doing here? Were they following me?"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Sting.." Karma said as she looks at Sting with a serious demeanor along with her irises glowing, "Don't talk like you know me, because believe me, you don't. And as for Cloud, if he should somehow make it to the tournament then I'll test that weakling's strength myself."

After hearing Karma out, Sting nods his head and stood up to leave

"Hold." Karma said, "Why do you pretend to be a fool? You could have been an A ranked student, A + or even an S, but you deliberately play your strength and slack in academics...why?".

"Wow, so you noticed, huh?" Sting asked while grinning and scratching the back of his head with his eyes closed, "Well, i never had any interest in becoming a pilgrim in the first place, plus the only reason why i joined was because i was forced to. With that being said, I don't really see any reason to stress myself and put any effort like the others."

"You really are hopeless." Karma said, "However, you are the second I am looking forward to fight. Should we cross paths in the tournament or rumble, I'll gladly test your skills."

"I look forward to it" Sting replied while smiling.

The moment Sting left, Karma recalled the moment she was kneeling in front of her dying father.

"Don't cry, child." Garou said to Karma as he gently touches her cheek with hand, "My time has finally come."

"Father, please no..." Karma said while tears were still flowing from her eyes.

"I need you to live on ... To live on and bring honor to us as the last of the Dreygar tribe, Garou said, "Take this scroll. It will lead you to the Old dragon of the mountain - Riu. With this scroll, he will fully acknowledge you as my daughter and take you in to become his pupil."

As Karma collected the green scroll, Garou gave her from his cloth, Garou began to cough out blood which made Karma panic more.

"I've lived my life with nothing but regrets but the two things i never regretted, was marrying your mother and having you as a daughter.", Garou said as he held Karma by the shoulder, "So, i need you to promise me something. Promise me that you will never be weak; Promise me that you won't stop getting stronger, that you will never be a burden in terms of power and you'll always stand at the top. Promise me."

"I-I promise..." Karma said while wiping the tears from eyes.

Garou's red irises suddenly glows brighter and Karma found herself emitting a red aura.

"F-Father... what's going on?" Karma asked in confusion

"Karma - My one and only daughter.." Garou said weakly, "You are...the most precious treasure, I have ever had up till now. Thank you for existing in my life."

Garou suddenly drops dead and Karma stares at his corpse in horror.

"F-Father...Father...!" Karma said as she was tapping his body, "Father, No! No! ...Father, please don't do this to me! Please don't leave me! Father! Father! FATHER! FATHER! FATHEER!"

As Karma began to wail heavily, Karma's golden irises suddenly turns red in the process .

After recalling that moment, fifteen year old Karma, closed her eyes and sighed.

"The weak will always get trampled upon. That is the law of nature." Karma said within herself, "But yet my tribe... Is it that they were weak or they were just not strong enough? Regardless, i am strong. I am no weakling; Weaklings are considered as lessers and i am no lesser and when i find the person that did this to my tribe, I will make that person pay!"

As Karma resumes watching Cloud from afar, Cloud was also staring at her from afar as well.

"As for you, Cloud.." Karma said within herself, "Should we cross paths in the rumble or tournament... I'll gladly test your skills."