Chapter 38: How Do You Know It?
Chapter 38: How Do You Know It?
Lucas continued walking out, but he was petrified when he heard that name. He didn't know if that was Vacio trying to piss him off, but it was a different voice.
The words "Nice speech, Blaze Harper…" slowly resonated inside the hall as he stopped walking.
He turned harshly to where it came from and saw a familiar man clapping with a smile from the far corner of the Conference Hall. He was greatly taken aback. He knew his haughty aura very well. He was not Mister Vacio.
Isn't that Coach Clive?
His memories of when he battled Vacio reappeared like sprouts. Was it true? Did Vacio say that Coach Clive knew all of the events from the past life he was saying? How come it was true?
With all of the happenings interrupting his thoughts, Lucas recalled how Clive was overbearing and protective over him, significantly with the Null Room Incident. He cannot help his temper and walk back to the Conference Hall with obvious anger.
Everyone turned to look as he hobbled towards the corner of the hall. The tables where the parents and the students were there were all over the place, but Lucas decided to walk at the edge of the hall.
At that moment, he can clearly see Coach Clive and his emotions that seemed dry and uncanny; he was also unable to react in an instant this time. He was focused on this Coach in front of him, as he fastened his pace.
He neglected all of the people that attended this meeting and stared directly at Coach Clive, as he walked past the chandelier, leaving a tall shadow following him to the corner. Coach Clive had stiffened his body and was not breathing.
Even though he was drenched in water earlier and was feeling unwell, he never lowered his gaze and he felt his heart clench. There was a sharp thud in his chest.
How?
How did Coach Clive know that name? He knew how much of a liar Vacio is and that he won't believe every word he says —but right now, it's pretty obvious that what he said that time was true! Why would Coach Clive say that name?
What's more, to somewhere like this? He knew that Vacio was speaking it; no one else but Vacio alone. However, at this moment, Coach Clive unexpectedly looked disheveled. Could it be…
Vacio, how factual is your statement that Lucas felt this heavy feeling within him? Coach… how do you know it?
Coach Clive stared at him blankly and heard Lyns' surprised voice ringing out from the stage of the hall. "Lucas, where are you heading at? You have caused trouble now; could you please pipe it—"
As she spoke, he still walked up towards Clive, eyes narrowed. His intense gaze did not sweep across the room but only settled on Clive. His heart lurched, and he saw Coach Clive instinctively want to run away, but he seemed to be frozen to the spot and could not move.
What on Earth was that reaction?
He let Coach Clive watch him strode across the room with long steps until he was right in front of his mighty face.
"How?" Lucas' tone was sinister, and there was danger in his eyes.
Coach Clive was in shock. His throat was dry and his mind completely white.
"Speak now! Say what you know! Who are you? How do you know it?" Lucas began grabbing the Coach's wrists tightly, almost crushing his bones. His eyes were focused on him; his hands smoking like it was about to aflame.
The intense pain brought Coach Clive back to his senses, and he struggled to extract himself from the grip on his wrists. "What are you saying, Lucas? Stop it; let go of me now!"
He ignored his shouts, and his grip became even tighter. His eyes were bloodshot like that of a savage animal, and he seemed ready to tear him apart. "Just answer me. What do you know? Who are you? How is it that what you had called me is so much like what Vacio will do? How do you know that name that he used to call me with? How in the world would you know that? Answer me, Clive! Answer me now!"
He didn't mind if the pain he was making to Coach Clive will break him out in a cold sweat. He never minced his words and neglected if it will strike him like his fire.
All he was intrigued by was that name.
Blaze Harper!
How would he have the nerve to forget that? In his fight with Vacio, he was almost killed will his relentless attacks and powers. How can he forget that moment? That was the time when he learned that there was an alternate persona within him that lived in the past that was named Blaze Harper. However, he can't believe it was true even if he was struck to death by that fatal chest pain brought when Vacio attacked that small book. He unknowingly believed it was true when he felt that the book was connected to him.
If that was all factual, then what Vacio said about Coach Clive was also…
Oh my— It can't be!
He felt that Coach Clive's wrists went cold, and the blood flowing on the veins in his arms seemed to have frozen despite his flames. Too uncanny that it felt like Clive was negating his fire powers to tolerate the pain it brought him.
But Lucas didn't mind, as he cornered him to the corner counter and pressed on with his interrogation. "Tell me right now! Who the hell are you in this life? Do you know me? Do you know Blaze Harper? Then answer, sucking old man!" His wrath overwhelmed his mind.
Being this close to him again made the memories of when he pulled him through the corridor when he was injured with the Null Room Incident come back to the forefront of his mind, as he watched the Coach struggle in panic.
This was the first time he saw him this distraught.
"Lucas, let go of me! Are you out of your mind? I know no one! Not anyone at all! You just mishearing things! Let go of that grip now or I'll use my powers to you!"
Seeing the tension between the two, Principal Lyns rushed forward to pull Lucas back. He has caused so many feuds this day and any more brawls will make his stay within White Day much terrible than before.
"Lucas Martin! Calm down! You're gripping the Coach of the White Day participating team: Coach Clive of the White Day High, not any person you can start a fight with!"
Lucas was not moved and continued his look like he was ready to burn him alive. "How could you know that name Vacio called me? Answer me!"
He felt Principal Lyns use all her might to pull him back from his grip. He yanked the Principal and it throw her away from them. Everyone appeared shocked after what Lucas did to the Principal.
He did not know what to focus on at that moment but he know that he needed an answer for what Coach Clive has said earlier; no one other than that pathetic Vacio and him knew the name Blaze Harper since Vacio only spoke about it when they were alone. However, this Coach that was uncannily related to the story Vacio was telling was able to speak about that name. What did this mean?
The answer was evident to him now. However, Lucas was more interested in making sure that, this time, he must dwell with this truth to know better, rather than to remain quiet.
"I just called according to the name and nicknames everyone called you. It's perfectly understandable that as your Coach, I know things about you!" Coach Clive shouted at him.
Yet, Lucas refused to hear any of it and continued to press on, almost hysterical —raging and burning in anger "How the hell do you know it?"
Clive squinted as he felt like his wrists were being crushed, and the pain was close to intolerable by his powers. He shrieked and was ready to battle it out with Lucas. "Why do you care if I know it or not?" Clive retorted with a shout, powerful enough to silence the crowd. "Lucas, who are you to me? You didn't care about anyone, don't you? Then why do you care now?"
"Just answer me!" Lucas was furious and suddenly used his other hand to grab the bottom of Clive's face, forcing him to look up at him.
The crowd suddenly got their phones and take pictures and videos of what was happening, since right now, they were seeing someone pressing onto the Coach's faces like they were someone insignificant. The staff tried to stop them by covering up the scene, but the others still tried to capture them.
"Yeah; you're right! I don't care about you! That's true. What I cared about is why do you know that name! How is it possible for you to know that when Vacio never spoke about that publicly?" Perhaps it was hope or anguish from the confusion he got from Vacio's story before. He knew it was preposterous, but he was waiting for a different answer from the Coach.
His tirades came in waves at him, and he thought he heard his voice trembling ever so slightly.
Clive shut his eyes, willing himself not to reveal a single ounce of emotion to Lucas. He appeared so helpless, but he still refused to let him go.
A chill ran up Coach Clive's spine. He could not let him discover what Blaze Harper really mean. He definitely could not. Lucas appeared monopolist now, and its tendencies were too strong, so it was understandable if he can not dare imagine what consequences he would face if he took Lucas back.
This was something that Lucas was not prepared for.
Coach Clive forced himself to calm down… "Win the selection and I'll tell you all you need to know, Blaze Harper."
He felt his grip loosen as he spoke.
Lucas released Clive as soon as he said that. Then, his tears fell without warning. Snippets of his memories flashed across his mind after hearing what Coach Clive said.
On a random day, there were huge bushes and trees of ivies by the roadside, blooming splendidly in the summer breeze. A young, tall man was standing against the light, smiling at the man in front of him with his hand outstretched — Dutch, let's come back to the Clique!
Dutch, let's come back to the Clique.
That voice was low and mesmerizing, like a curse, that sounded like him. But this time, he can see it clearly. The image of the boy he was seeing inside his mind was uncannily similar to the man on the book cover that Vacio showed him. He has pink hair and gray headphones.
Tears blurred his vision even more as he unknowingly recalled all of these memories from no-one-knows time, and it looked like his overall appearance changed. It felt like he was him. Was he…
He seemed to have gone back to the past after hearing Coach Clive call him again with that name, turning back time to become that little boy once again. He didn't know when was that.
He felt his heart clench in pain, and the world was spinning around him as she stood in the corner of the misty Conference Hall. His right arm that he used to hold Clive was shaking uncontrollably, and his throat started to dry.
In his reverie, the Conference Hall became another one that was in the middle of an open-air stadium, in front of a ten thousand strong crowd. He was wearing a red jacket with gray fur and maroon pants, waiting for an opponent.
Cheers were sounding out all around him — Blaze Harper! Blaze Harper! Blaze Harper!
Deep within him, he felt his heart breaking as he stared emptily up into the sky. Where… was this? Who was he? Is this his past or current life? His tears kept falling with no signs of stopping, and he no longer had any strength in his legs to carry himself. He stumbled on the ground and stared helplessly.
An image of a huge man flashed into his mind —one that looked like Mister Vacio. He had stared in disbelief as it disappeared, before looking for him in hysterics at the ground full of audiences. Out of nowhere, he had been slammed by a strong blast that lacerated his whole body.
Another one from his back struck him that made him lay on the ground. He squinted as he felt some dust go inside his eyes as a result. He heard some footsteps walking towards him. He saw an apparition of a man he knew.
Wearing faded brown shoes and tattered black clothes, he saw the huge monster that attacked him after he lifted his head. He has tan skin —uncomfortably resembling Vacio.
"What an embarrassment, Blaze Harper. You cannot even defeat me —Avacious of the Great World." The huge man had said in a low voice. "Right now, this world has nothing to do with you."
He was shaking in anger, and would not let it go, shouting all sorts of things at him. As he lit his hands with flames, he rushed through him and unleashed a huge blast. He was Blaze Harper, and he would do anything to save their Clique.
As he started to recollect his memories of Blaze Harper's father, he had unleashed a maximum-powered blast, that made the huge man in front of him shriek in pain and agony. He cannot move, nor his opponent after that.
With that, he finished the man in front of him, until a small sphere rolled towards his feet. It looked like a pulse bomb that was black in color. He instantly know what it was without even seeing it from anywhere —Neo Belleza.
He kneeled on the ground out of exhaustion. He felt the wind blowing his body as he closed his eyes.
What was all he was seeing just now? Was it how his past self fight for his life before he got resurrected? He didn't know.
His body was feeling numb, and the sound of his tears could still be heard. Silence. All he can hear was silence.
Momentarily, his mind went blank, like the wind from that day when he was fighting Vacio was blowing non-stop. No… his mind wasn't blank, but instead, there were too many memories flashing through, churning through his mind, burning him. Overwhelmingly…
All of the gentleness and the pain. All the burning flashbacks from his past self. What was Coach Clive do to make him feel this way?
Dutch, let's come back to the Clique
Dutch Clive.
White Deity Clique.
What was all that?
Dutch Clive was dead as he tried to battle Avacious but he failed. Who is he?
He tried to squint harder, to try to see the recollection that was happening inside his mind.
Again, it was a bright summer's day with the ivies in full bloom at the Clique. Dutch Clive had brought him back home, holding onto his hand tightly. That day marked the day when Blaze Harper became a member of the White Deity Clique.
He looked elegant yet haughty, with a sort of suaveness that made him look like a King from another world. He wore a flattering vintage outfit, clean-cut maroon hair, and a light silk scarf. Besides those, he did not have additional accessories on. With his shoes shining from the summer light, he walked towards Blaze Harper and stopped right before him, looking at him—
You are now part of our Clique!
And that day when his destiny changed forever— in the doorway of the Clique he considered as home, he had been stabbed by that huge man again, making him fall to the ground, furiously dooming all of the dreams he had. Imprisonment… Despair… Almost going insane… Complete breakdown…
Avacious.
Glad that you died before the Neo Belleza was activated.
As he stared at the pulse bomb that was right before his feet, it flashed blinding lights that made him squint as he stared at it.
The light reinvented the world he was in, and the nightmarish final battle he has with Avacious was something that Blaze Harper did not dare think too much about. He only remembered himself being Blaze Harper, and then, being reborn into…
No, it can't be!
It seemed that he bid goodbye to the life of Lucas Martin and now, he knew he had become the epiphany he was seeing as his memories burned him —Blaze Harper.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone