Thu!
Alaric spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, wiping his thumb across his lips. He stared at the crimson streak on his thumb, his expression darkening, before slowly turning to Aether, who was being restrained by the professors.
Aether, gritting his teeth hard enough to make his jaw ache, glared daggers at Alaric. His hands were held tightly by the other professors, but that didn’t stop his seething rage. He knew he was causing a scene—knew how important Alaric was here—but he didn’t care.
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Not when she was missing!
“Where the hell is Aqualina, you bastard?” Aether demanded, his tone dripping with furious yet oddly restrained as if he were making an effort to remain civilized.
Alaric’s gaze bore into him, cold and calculating, “You’ve got some nerve, Aether. Do you even realize what you’ve just done? Putting your hands on me—the Vice Principal—isn’t just audacious; it’s outright treasonous. Even if you are ‘real deal’, attacking a Vice Principal without provocation is a serious offence. Do you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
Yet,
Aether’s lips curled into a grin, “Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing, Alaric. Don’t fucking lecture me about offences. I cut off your hand when you were the Emperor, remember? Now, quit wasting my time….. Where. Is. Aqualina? Otherwise I… I might do something” His voice dropped, each word sharper than the last. His dark eyes, vacant and endless like a black hole, sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.
Something felt deeply wrong about him.
Alaric’s frown deepened, “Do something? You might do something? I’d like to see you try,” he said, his fingers sparking with crackling energy. “Let me remind you of your many crimes today, Aether.
You infiltrated the Academy without permission, used charms on a professor, and assaulted me, the Vice Principal. That’s more than enough to lock you away indefinitely.” His voice rang with authority as he continued, “I hereby order you to be detained and imprisoned immediately.”
The professors exchanged uncertain glances, their apprehension evident. They knew Alaric was in charge in the Principal’s absence, and they had no choice but to comply. However,
“Hehe… Hehehehehe…” Aether’s low chuckle broke the tense silence. It was an eerie, unhinged sound that sent chills through the air. “Oh, Alaric… you really didn’t understand my question, did you? Where. Is. Aqualina?” His voice was almost teasing as he titled his head. Then, with a casual shrug, the professors holding him were suddenly flung backward, the force of his movement too much for them to restrain.
Step.
Alaric’s eyes widened in disbelief as Aether disappeared in a blur of motion, reappearing behind him in an instant.
Drip…
The sound of dripping liquid filled the corridor…. Blood streamed from Alaric’s forearm, where his hand had been severed cleanly.
“This should jog your memory,” Aether said, tilting his head and holding up Alaric’s dismembered hand as if it were a trophy.
‘This brat!!’ Alaric’s thoughts raced. ‘He’s growing stronger—at an unnatural rate. Not even Isadora developed this quickly!’ His teeth clenched in pain and fury as he growled, “Do you think hurting me will solve anything, Aether? You’d better stand down now before you do something you’ll regret—”
Step..
Aether’s punch slammed into Alaric’s jaw with such force that his face twisted grotesquely, sending a shockwave through the corridor…. Aether tried to talk but he didn’t listen so he decided to talk in a different way…
Step…
Before Alaric could even react, Aether’s fist connected with his gut, the impact shattering bones in Aether’s own hand.
But Aether didn’t stop…
Step….
Step…..
Step…..
Aether spun with inhuman precision, slamming his elbow into Alaric’s chest with devastating force.
BOOOMMMMMMM!!!
The sound echoed through the corridor as Alaric was launched backward, slamming into the far wall and embedding into it like a ragdoll.
Aether flexed his fingers, his blank expression as ever…. The professors were frozen in shock, their eyes darting between Aether and Alaric. The Vice Principal—the second strongest in the Empire—had been completely overpowered.
They gulped in unison, fear seeping into their voices, though the readied themself to protect the Vice Principal!
“P-Please calm down, young man,” one professor stammered, his tone shaky.
“Y-Yes,” another chimed in, his face pale. “You don’t understand the consequences of attacking the Vice Principal! If the Principal hears about this, she’ll kill you!”
Aether didn’t even acknowledge their words. His vacant eyes remained fixed on Alaric, who was pulling himself out of the wall. Alaric’s face twisted with rage, his voice a furious roar. “I’m….. going to fucking kill you!”
In a flash, Alaric vanished, reappearing directly in front of Aether. His fist shot forward, aiming for Aether’s face.
Thud!
Aether blocked it effortlessly, but Alaric wasn’t done…. With a snap of his fingers, an explosion of fire erupted, engulfing Aether’s face in flames.
The force of the blast sent Aether flying backwards. Coughing through the dust, he waved the smoke away, his face emerging unscathed. A slow grin spread across his lips as he stared at Alaric.
“…” Alaric’s frown deepened even more. He wondered what was wrong with Aether… his blast could have obliterated Aether’s head if it was pervious weak Aether, but now, it hadn’t even scratched his face.
“So, you want it like that, huh? Fine by me!” Alaric sneered, a wicked grin spreading across his face. His body began to rise into the air, “No one will question me after this—especially since you’re the one who started it!” as he thought, ‘I will end this bastard here and now!’
Aether shook his head, his expression unreadable. “You’re still avoiding my question, Alaric,” he said, his voice steady but laced with warning. His body crackled with vibrant purple sparks as he too lifted off the ground. “You’re making a mistake, one you won’t be able to undo.”
Alaric’s grin faltered for a split second as he took in Aether’s rising power. His eyes narrowed, ‘That energy… it feels familiar… Victor’s energy? Could he have taught him? No matter!’
With a sharp clap of his hands, Alaric sent the air around him spiraling inward with a violent force. The professors watching from the sidelines stumbled as the vacuum-like pull destabilized their footing.
“Stop this, Vice Principal! You’re going to destroy the building! Just answer his damn question and end this madness!” one of the professors shouted, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and fury.
But Alaric wasn’t listening… His pride, his reputation as the second strongest in the Empire, had been bruised. Being humiliated before others was something he couldn’t forgive.
Meanwhile, Aether remained eerily calm. The temperature around him began to plummet, the air growing colder and colder with every passing second…
And suddenly,
Crack…
The walls nearest to Aether began to crystallize, turning into pristine, glimmering ice. The frost spread slowly but relentlessly, inching its way toward Alaric and the other professors.
Alaric’s eyes widened as he took in the sight. ‘Chantless?’ His mind reeled at the realization. Aether had used no incantation, no words to summon such power.
To be honest, during Aether’s previous fight with Mortimer, he hadn’t needed to chant at all. Back then, he had chosen to chant simply to immerse himself in the rhythm of the battle. Mortimer had relied on grand incantations to reach his ultimate form, and Aether had wanted to match that feeling that’s it…. But now, this wasn’t a game—Aether wasn’t here to play around anymore.
Alaric gritted his teeth, frustration boiling over. He pulled his clasped hands apart as the air around him swirled violently, compressing into a deadly spear of pure, concentrated wind. The energy pulsed and hissed, sharp and menacing as he spun the spear in his hands.
With a snarl, Alaric thrust his arm forward, hurling the spear with all his strength.
SsssssssHhhhhhhhhh!!!
The compressed air spear shot toward Aether like a missile, the sheer pressure causing the icy walls creeping toward Alaric to shatter and disintegrate into glittering particles.
Ssccccccrrrrrrkkkkkkk!!!
The spear tore through the air, vibrating with an ear-splitting intensity. It was mere moments away from piercing Aether’s chest when—
Deep exhale…
Aether released a slow, deliberate breath, the air around him turning frigid as a plume of icy smoke escaped his lips. His hand extended outward, fingers brushing the spear’s lethal tip.
Crack…
Sssssshhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr!!!
The air spear froze in an instant, the swirling currents of energy halting as they solidified into glistening ice. The frozen weapon fractured, the shards scattering in every direction like fragile crystals!!
Alaric’s eyes widened in utter shock, his pupils dilating as he watched the frost spread. The freezing energy wasn’t stopping—it crept along the walls and floor, inching toward him relentlessly.
‘Why he is this powerfu–‘ It was already mere inches from his feet when—
Snap!
A sharp, decisive sound rang out as Aether snapped his fingers. The frozen world stopped abruptly, the creeping ice halting in its tracks before shattering into a cascade of shimmering particles that dissolved into the air.
“What is the meaning of this, Aether?!”
The words echoed with authority, reverberating through the Academy.