“Are you alright?” Helena asked, her voice soft as she knelt beside healing Aqualina, who lay sprawled on the ground with a defeated, empty expression.
“… Yeah,” Aqualina murmured after a long pause. Her lips quivered as she bit down, hard… so hard that blood began to bead, trailing down her chin.
For what?
Because she’d been utterly and humiliatingly defeated by Victor!!
She had imagined there might be some difference between them in skill; after all, he was the Sovereign’s disciple…. But after that fight, she realized the bitter truth—she wasn’t even close to his level.
“There’s no need to be so hard on yourself,” Thalia said gently, her voice a rough mumble as she lay on the ground nursing her own broken limbs. She glanced over at Aqualina, understanding her thoughts without a word needing to be said…. Because she too having the same thoughts!!
“That guy… he’s something else!” Thalia said, irritation flaring in her expression. She, too, had been single-handedly taken down by Victor, “How the hell is he getting this much stronger? Is he even human?” she mumbled, her expression darkening as she recalled the fight. Her gaze then flicked to Helena, who, while bruised and battered, hadn’t suffered the same degree of injuries, “But seriously… why didn’t he hurt you like the rest of us? Did he show mercy on you?”
Helena shrugged as she finished healing Aqualina and looked up at the shifting clouds, “Do you think… the Dragon Emperor would ever forgive him?”
Thalia scoffed. “Forgiveness? He’d rather die than bear the shame of his son’s broken engagement.”
Helena’s expression grew slightly worried, “Do you think the Principal will intervene to stop them?”
Aqualina’s gaze drifted upward to the sky, where two figures hovered, distant against the slowly moving clouds. “Since he’s her only disciple, I doubt she’d let him be killed without a fight,” she murmured. Her words were soft, but a tinge of bitterness clung to her voice.
And Kai… He lay unconscious nearby, being healed by Finnian, while Vesperine sat beside him, tears streaking down her face as she clutched his hand.
Meanwhile, above,
Victor and Arkanis hovered in tense silence, a gust of wind catching their hair as they faced each other.
The atmosphere was thick, as if the air itself braced for something inevitable!!
Arkanis broke the silence first, his voice dripping with fury, “I thought we were friends, Victor… yet you took it upon yourself to destroy my son’s engagement? Do you even understand the disgrace you’ve caused? The pride we’ve lost? Do you realize I’ll be a laughingstock if I don’t hang your head above my castle gate?”
Victor wiped a smudge of blood from his knuckles, his expression thoughtful. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have gone so hard on them,’ he mused, then replied with a cool tone, “And here I thought we’d agreed to stay out of each other’s affairs. And as for pride… You call it pride? After you tried to take away someone’s lover and force her into a marriage? You can’t be serious, Arkanis.”
Arkanis clenched his jaw, hands twitching with the urge to strike. He longed to kill the man in front of him. And yet… with Aether missing, Victor was his only remaining link. He couldn’t afford to let his rage ruin his last chance to find him.
After a tense moment, Arkanis gritted his teeth and said, “If I’d known that human female was yours, I wouldn’t have encouraged my son.”
Victor raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with surprise, “Oh? Well, that changes everything. Guess we’re all good now. Let’s just take a break, then,” he said as he turned to leave. But in an instant, Arkanis appeared in front of him, mere inches away.
“Lowborn… Killing you would be like…” Arkanis snapped his fingers and continued, “…just like that. The only reason you’re still here is because… of the Sovereign’s influence. Otherwise, you know you’d be dead, right?”
Victor’s gaze turned icy as he regarded Arkanis. He moved slowly, almost mockingly, until his fingers brushed against Arkanis’s cheek. Arkanis frowned, eyes narrowing in confusion. Victor’s smirk was cold, “Not bad… hehe Maybe I should keep you as my… pet?”
Something inside Arkanis… finally snapped!
Meanwhile, back on the ground,
“Looks like they’re just talking…” Thalia mumbled, a hint of disappointment creeping into her tone as she stood shakily, still sore from her injuries. She glanced at Aqualina, who was still fixed on the scene above, frustration written all over her face.
Helena glanced over at Kai, who was now fully healed thanks to Finnian, and then at Vesperine, who was supporting him as they moved away.
Then Helena’s gaze landed on Selene, who had just returned after securing her father somewhere safe. Selene’s eyes were wide with a mix of worry and curiosity as she watched the sky.
Helena leaned in, whispering, “I still can’t believe… you actually love him.”
Selene glanced at Helena, an urge rising inside her….. But she caught herself, took a calming breath, and finally smiled. “Yeah… he’s just… different,” she said softly.
Helena blushed, her cheeks tinged pink as she stammered, “M-Me too… I mean… the person I love… is different too.”
Selene’s lips trembled as she chanted inwardly, ‘Don’t kill her, don’t kill her. Please don’t kill her…!!!’ She forced a smile and whispered through clenched teeth, “So, did you finally confess to him? Your… love?”
Helena shyly lowered her gaze, tracing circles on the ground with her toe before nodding.
‘Fuck! She’s adorable! How is she this cute?! Was this the reason she was his target?’ Selene screamed inwardly, barely containing her killing intent. She grinned, “Well, then, you have to tell me everything—” But before they could settle into their girly conversation,
“MOVE OUT, NOW!” Aqualina’s voice roared as she and Thalia shoved both Selene and Helena aside just in time.
BOOOMMM!!!!
All four turned, staring in shock as Victor emerged from the crater in the ground, a smirk on his face as he looked skyward. There, a monstrous blue dragon hovered, its scales gleaming with indigo sparks. The beast’s voice bellowed, echoing through the air,
“HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A PET, YOU LOWBORN!” Its booming roar reverberated as its massive maw opened, gathering energy before,
SSSSSSSSHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
A torrent of indigo flames shot straight at Victor, blazing through the sky with deadly precision.
“We need to get out of here!” Aqualina shouted, but they couldn’t tear their eyes away from the scene.
Victor simply raised his hand, and with a wink, said,
“Bang~” as a purple flame ignited from his fingertips, meeting the dragon’s attack.
SSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!
The girls stared in disbelief.
Dragons were famous for their unstoppable flames—and yet, Victor’s own fire was consuming the dragon’s with ease.
Arkanis’s eyes widened, but his rage only intensified as he surged forward with all his might, pouring everything he had into the flames.
He was using everything!!!
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The two forces clashed, filling the air with an intense heat as each flame vied for dominance. At the exact point where the flames collided, something extraordinary began to form—a sphere of blinding white light growing steadily at the junction.
Thalia’s eyes went wide, her instincts screamed for her to run, and she screamed, “RUN!” She bolted without a second glance, and the others quickly followed, sprinting away as fast as they could.
Sssshhhnnnnnggggggggg!!!!
The white light expanded, pulsating like a time bomb on the brink of explosion… But then,
“That’s enough!”
Snap!
In an instant, everything stopped. The flames, the light, all of it vanished as if nothing had happened.
Arkanis paused mid-flight, his wings stilling as he looked with fury at the Principal, who hovered between them, her gaze calm and commanding.
“Control yourself, Arkanis,” the Principal said in a tone as sharp as steel.
“How dare you–“
“I said calm. Down.”
“….”
Then she turned to Victor, her expression critical, “Victor, don’t you think you might be getting a bit too full of yourself?”
Victor blinked in surprise, “What do you—” Before he could finish, the Principal motioned her gaze and He followed her gaze to the students, huddled together in fear.
Realization dawned, and he looked down at his own hand, suddenly aware he might have taken things too far.
The Principal let out a short, disapproving sigh, “Never forget, Victor… with great power comes great responsibility….. That is, if you wish to remain as you are!!!” Her gaze shifted back to Arkanis. “Tomorrow morning, they leave for the summit. No more delays!” Her voice was firm and unyielding, leaving no room for argument.