Timmy’s eyes widened with fear as he watched the seemingly drunken Aether being supported by Helena… coming towards him!
“W-What?” he stammered, his voice trembling as he stared at Aether with a mix of confusion and dread.
Helena shrugged nonchalantly, “I don’t know,” she replied, her tone casual as she glanced at Aether, who was resting his head on her shoulder… he was the one who asked her to move towards Timmy.
Aether, on the other hand, despite his current act, really wanted to bury his face in her chest but given the presence of others, he restrained himself, knowing it would be inappropriate… for now!!
“Aether!” Helena called softly, hoping to snap him out of his daze. Aether blinked, his eyes refocusing on Timmy, and without warning, his face lit up with an exaggerated smile.
“Oh~ My dear friend!” Aether suddenly released Helena and threw his arms around Timmy, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“HUH!!” Timmy gasped in shock, his body stiffening as he was engulfed in Aether’s vice-like grip. Before he could even process what was happening, Aether squeezed him tighter, almost crushing him, “I’m really happy that you’re alive, my friend. I missed you so much~” Aether declared, his voice laced with a drunken slur.
Timmy struggled, his bones creaking under the pressure, “S-stop!!” he managed to choke out, his face turning a deep shade of red as he desperately tried to breathe.
His eyes darted to Helena, silently pleading for help, but Helena was watching with teary eyes, touched by what she perceived as a genuine display of friendship.
Aether’s hand moved toward Timmy’s neck, his fingers brushing against a small mechanical spider attached there….. As Aether gently touched it, he turned his head away, preparing for the worst….
Sh!
The spider’s crystal eyes suddenly dimmed, losing their colour but it still attached to his neck due to its mechanical strong grip and fangs on his neck.
Aether glanced at it before clicking his tongue in disappointment, ‘Tsk,’ he thought as he released Timmy, who collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
Aether was actually pleased that his theory had worked….. his Arcane energy had short-circuited the spider’s circuits.
Yet, a part of him had almost hoped for something different, given his hatred towards Timmy, ‘Well, We have lots of time to kill him…’ he thought, staggering away with a drunken gait.
He stumbled into another student, embracing them just as tightly. “I miss you my friend~” As he touched his neck and as he expected, the spider attached to this student also short-circuited.
“W-Who are you!!” the boy shouted, shoving Aether away with a mix of shock and disgust. Aether’s legs wobbled, and he stumbled again, this time landing on another student. He repeated the same action, and just like before, the student pushed him away, bewildered.
“W-Wait!” Helena called out, trying to help, but Aether continued to fall into others. His chaotic spiral reached its peak when he ‘accidentally’ hugged a girl.
“KYAAA!!” The girl shrieked, raising her hand to slap Aether, but Helena quickly intervened, glaring at the girl, “Sorry,” Helena said curtly before pulling Aether away from the group.
Helena’s annoyance was evident, her lips pressed into a tight line, “What are you doing, idiot?!” she snapped, unable to comprehend how Aether could shamelessly hug another woman so openly.
It was beyond inappropriate!
It was utterly shameless!
It was blasphemy!!
She really needed to scold Aether for this action.
Aether, still feigning drunkenness, looked at her with a mischievous grin, “Are you jealous?” he asked, his voice slurring.
Helena’s face turned bright red, “O-Of course not!” she snapped, but Aether smiled, his arms wrapping around her suddenly, “Don’t worry~” he whispered as he softly touched her neck, his hand brushing against where the spider would be.
Helena’s face flushed even deeper as an unexpected wave of warmth spread through her body.
[+5000 A-]
Just then, Aqualina, who had been watching Aether’s antics with growing irritation, stormed over and yanked him away from Helena, “What’s wrong with you?!” she demanded, her voice sharp with annoyance. But before she could say another word, Aether pulled her into a hug, leaning in close to whisper, “You look cute~”
Aqualina’s face turned beet red, and she shoved Aether away in embarrassment.
[+8000 AP]
Aether staggered back, his legs wobbling as he skipped past Kai and stumbled into Selene.
Unlike the others, Selene didn’t push him away; instead, she hugged him tightly, holding him close. But before long, Kai and Leon, both irritated by Aether’s behaviour, pulled him away from her. Aether’s erratic movements continued, leading him to fall into Aria, who, like Selene, embraced him warmly.
However, Delphine quickly intervened, pulling him away again, only for Aether to stumble into Lia next…..
Lots of stumbling~
As the chaotic scene in the stadium played out,
Alaric was elsewhere, his focus razor-sharp. He carefully extracted a small black crystal from Kennedy’s lifeless body, his face a mask of grim realization.
He clenched his teeth, seething with anger at the thought of being manipulated by such a lowly bastard. His gaze flicked to Victor, who was fixated on Kennedy’s body with an intensity that was unsettling.
“How did you know his body has it?” Alaric asked, his voice tense.
Victor didn’t respond immediately. His eyes remained locked on Kennedy’s corpse, lost in thought. Finally, he spoke, his tone urgent, “We don’t have time… Let’s move.”
Without waiting for a reply, Victor turned and began to walk away. Alaric, frustrated by the lack of an answer, could only grit his teeth and follow him.
But as they returned to the stadium, Victor suddenly paused, “I’ll be back,” he said curtly and then made his way towards the restroom.
Alaric frowned, suspicion gnawing at him, he leaned closer and heard a pissing sound…. he shrugged it off and continued towards the stadium.
Meanwhile, Victor, after ensuring Alaric was out of sight, slipped out of the restroom window. Moving swiftly, he retraced his steps back to where Kennedy’s body lay. Without hesitation, he lifted the corpse and…. took it!!!
…..
….
Back in the Stadium
“Finnian!!” she cried out, rushing towards the group of professors who were struggling to carry the wounded and unconscious Finnian.
It wasn’t just Finnian who was in dire straits; his entire team was battered and bloodied, with Jack in the worst condition…. his arms had been severed, leaving him grievously maimed.
Helena’s heart pounded as she knelt to treat their wounds, her hands trembling as she worked quickly to stabilize them…. The old woman also helped them!
“W-What happened?” she asked her voice a mix of fear and urgency.
Thalia, her face pale and twisted in pain, managed to speak through gritted teeth, “T-That bitch was really something else… She almost got us.” Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, a testament to the brutal battle they had faced.
They could not even move their body after fighting that thing!!
Despite the grim situation, one of the students, unable to contain his anxiety, asked, “D-Did you get the stuff?”
Nyx, though clearly exhausted, pulled out a small black crystal from her pocket. The sight of it brought a collective sigh of relief from the group… there was now just one final piece left.
“Hey! Vice-Principal found the last one!!!” a voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the tension as someone spotted Alaric returning to the stadium… with a small black crystal in his hand.
Aether’s lips curled up…
Elsewhere, in the Darkness… or rather under the big bell…
A small mechanical spider watched with gleaming eyes as something monstrous was being crafted. The spider’s mechanical voice echoed in the silence, filled with maniacal glee.
“It’s finally time…” the spider hissed, its gaze fixed on the grotesque creation that was slowly taking form.
The twisted, mangled webs held together the flesh of dead humans, their bodies fused with hundreds of spiders. They worked tirelessly, knitting themselves into a single, horrifying entity…. very disgusting!!
“My beautiful creation… Hahaha…” the spider cackled, its voice filled with madness and dark satisfaction as the abomination continued to grow, a nightmarish blend of flesh and machine.