“Hahahah–”
BAM!
Alaric’s hand tightened around Kenley’s neck, the fury in his eyes unmistakable as he slammed her against the wall once more, “Is there anything funny?” he growled, his voice thick with anger. The sound echoed in the cold, dark locker room, but Kenley’s smirk only grew wider which only irritated Alaric even more.
“You think this is a game? What are you guys planning?” Alaric demanded, his grip unrelenting.
Kenley didn’t answer immediately. She simply coughed, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but the smirk never left her lips, “U-Us? It includes ‘cough’ you too, r-right?” she managed to say, her voice strained but laced with mockery.
Alaric’s patience snapped. He threw her to the ground,
Thud
Cough, cough
She coughed and gasped for air. Yet, even as she struggled to breathe, she looked up at him with that same infuriating smirk.
“M-My uncle told me everything… Alaric,” she wheezed, her tone dripping with satisfaction.
Alaric’s expression darkened. “Is this revenge?” he asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
Kenley shook her head, slowly rising to her feet, “It’s not revenge, Alaric…. It’s not about getting back at anyone… It’s about my uncle’s dream,” she whispered, her voice taking on a dangerous edge. “It’s about his creation… A creation that could alter the power hierarchy of these worlds!!”
Alaric’s frown deepened, “There are no such creations…”
“Tsk, you still don’t get it, Alaric….. Monsters have different kinds of Arcane crystals, right? Golden, silver, copper… Just like we have Arcane cards,” Kenley explained, her eyes gleaming with a dark excitement.
“…”
“But you see…. Why there is no Rainbow One just like the Chosen One’s cards?… Have you ever wondered about that? Mister Ex-Chosen One?” Kenley said with a small smile.
Alaric’s mind raced, trying to piece together what she was hinting at, “If there is such a thing, then—”
“Everything will be disastrous, right?” Kenley finished, her voice filled with twisted amusement, “Not even a group of Golden Rankers would be able to kill that single Rainbow Crystal Monster.”
Alaric’s breath caught in his throat. The implications of such a creation were terrifying and could only handed by the Chosen ones…”There is no such thing—” he began.
“Yet,” Kenley interrupted, her smile widening. “There was nothing like that… yet.”
Alaric’s expression hardened. “Do you really believe that mere beings like us can create such a monster?”
Kenley’s smile was all the answer he needed.
“Who is behind this? How do we destroy the dome?” Alaric demanded, his hand returning to her throat, the urgency in his voice undeniable.
Kenley mumbled through his grip, “Behind this? No one’s behind it… Everyone is just a pawn… Origin Pillars… ah.”
….
….
Meanwhile, deep beneath the Academy…
Crunch, Crunch…..
A mechanical voice echoed through the underground as millions of spiders swarmed over a massive door, their mandibles gnawing at the metal.
“Tsk, it’s taking longer than I expected…” the mechanical voice grumbled, frustration evident.
Then, suddenly…
Crack
A soft crack echoed in the darkness.
The spiders paused their relentless assault, scuttling away from the door.
The entire surface appeared untouched…. perfect!!
“What the hell…” the mechanical voice muttered, focusing on the tiny crack…. it was small but,
That frustration turned into glee, “Hahaha…” the voice laughed, the sound mechanical and grating. One of the spiders approached the crack, trying to squeeze through, but the gap was too small.
“Change it,” the voice commanded.
The spiders immediately went to work, their bodies shifting and twisting, reshaping themselves like intricate machines. They combined their efforts, and soon, one of them managed to wriggle through the crack, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
Inside…
The dimly lit cave hummed with an eerie silence, broken only by the mechanical whirring of the spider’s crystal eyes.
As they flickered, a voice echoed within its cold, metallic form, “Magnificent!” it exclaimed, awe evident even in its robotic tone. The sight before it was nothing short of breathtaking—the Origin Pillars, ancient and powerful, stood like sentinels in the dark recesses of the cave.
The spider moved closer, its legs clattering against the stone as it cautiously approached the elevated platform in the centre of the pillars.
Just as it was about to reach the centre of the pillars, where Mother usually appears, a shadow flickered…
Thud!
A grotesque, brownish hand—ugly and twisted—materialized out of nowhere, snatching the spider from the air. In an instant, both the hand and the spider vanished into the darkness, leaving the chamber eerily silent once more.
Outside the Cave
Back outside, among the swarming multitude of spiders, one stood still, its crystal eyes flickering wildly.
“Found it~” it sang out in its mechanical voice, the thrill of discovery vibrating through its metal body. The other spiders responded in kind, the entire underground suddenly alive with the sound of shifting gears and clicking mandibles as if they were all adjusting themselves for the next phase of their operation.
In the Stadium
Thud!
Kenley’s limp body hit the ground as Alaric tossed her toward the professors. “Don’t let her say anything,” he ordered, his voice sharp. “And don’t let her be moved anywhere.”
The professors nodded and looked at Kenley who was already bonded tighter with ropes, gagging her with a dirty sock to ensure her silence….. Done by Yours truly, Alaric!
Delphine approached her curiosity piqued. “Did you find anything?” she asked, her eyes searching Alaric’s face.
He nodded curtly, “Just wait here,” he replied, before immediately turning and heading out of the stadium.
The professors exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of Alaric’s urgency. But they trusted his judgment and remained silent, knowing that as long as the students were safe, they had no right to question him.
Alaric moved faster, his thoughts racing as he descended once more into the underground. Kenley’s mention of the Origin Pillars had ignited a spark of suspicion in his mind. He knew there was more to this than she had let on.
But when he arrived… there was nothing.
No movement!
No disturbance!
The air was thick with an unsettling stillness, the walls unmarked by any sign of recent activity.
Alaric’s frown deepened, “There’s nothing here,” he muttered, frustration gnawing at him. His eyes fell on the massive door once more, searching for anything… any clue… that might confirm his doubts. But the door remained unyielding, as perfect as it had been when he first saw it.
“Did she lie to me?” Alaric wondered aloud, his irritation mounting as he turned to leave.
He needed answers, and he needed them fast.
He needed to find whoever was behind this as soon as possible before Principal arrived!!
Inside the Door
Thud… Thud… Thud…
Ugly, misshapen hands began to materialize from the heart of the Origin Pillars, their gnarled fingers grasping at the spiders, crushing them with brutal efficiency.
One by one, the millions of spiders dwindled to mere thousands, their mechanical whirring replaced by the sound of their bodies being obliterated.
“Arr!! Why can’t they just stay still for a second?!” the mechanical voice cursed from one of the surviving spiders, frustration evident as it watched the massacre unfold from a distance.
It commanded the remaining spiders to regroup, focusing their efforts on a single hand. The spiders obeyed, swarming the hand in a coordinated attack, their metal bodies forming a lattice around it.
But the hand was relentless, crushing the spiders with ease. The mechanical voice grew more determined, refusing to leave empty-handed, “I won’t stop until I get what I came for!” it declared, its tone laced with steely resolve.
As the numbers dwindled further, down to a few hundred, the spiders made one last desperate push. They managed to hold the hand for just a moment…. long enough for one spider to sink its mechanical fangs into the flesh.
Slurp
The spider extracted a single drop of blood before leaping back, just as the hand and the remaining spiders vanished.
“Hahahahah….” The mechanical voice laughed triumphantly, echoing through the underground.
The spider’s transparent abdomen now held a precious drop of blood….. a tiny but significant thing.
….
…..
Meanwhile, in the Pyra Fulgur Empire
In a vast, imposing black marble castle, the Principal of the Academy paused, her instincts flaring as she sensed a disturbance. She looked up, her thoughts racing.
“Is something the matter, Sovereign?” A voice filled with authority and pride echoed through the grand hall, pulling her from her reverie.
The Principal turned to the source of the voice, her expression softening slightly as she faced the handsome man, “Nothing at all, Dragon Emperor. Just concerned about my Academy,” she replied, a smile touching her lips as she regarded him.
The Dragon Emperor chuckled, his amusement evident, “Always worried about your students,” he remarked, his tone light before shifting to a more serious one. “Since you’ve come to me personally, as the Emperor of this realm, I will grant you and your people entry.”