[Author’s Note: Sorry, guys! 😅 By mistake, instead of saving it, I accidentally posted it. That was my fault, I know! 🙈 Please don’t open or read this yet until the remaining two parts are released later.
Apologies once again! 🙏💖]
“On my back!” Sandra shouted as Mary quickly moved to cover her. Both of them pressed their backs together, their bodies tense as they scanned their surroundings with wary expressions.
Their eyes darted around, searching for the enemy who had suddenly vanished without a trace.
“Can’t you use your blood like before?” Sandra asked, her tone edged with urgency.
Mary clenched her teeth in frustration. “Do you think I have an unlimited supply of blood or something? I used my own fucking blood just to stop that thing, and you want me to keep doing it?!”
Sandra let out a short snort, shaking her head. “Then why the hell do you even call yourself Bloody Mary if you can’t keep using your own blood?”
Before Mary could snap back, a sword materialized out of nowhere, slashing toward Sandra’s shoulder with deadly precision.
Tang!
Sandra reacted instantly as she blocked the attack.
She twisted her body, preparing to land a kick on the tiny figure that had ambushed her, but before her foot could connect, the enemy had already disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, the figure reappeared behind her, sword raised for another strike.
Mary, however, was faster. She lunged forward, her own blade intercepting the attack just in time. Gritting her teeth, she growled, “They call me Bloody Mary because I use the blood of my enemies, you dumb bitch… not my own!” She swung her weapon, aiming straight for the hooded figure’s head, but once again, it vanished just before her blade could connect.
Sandra let out a slow breath, her eyes narrowing. “Looks like we’re stuck dealing with this sneaky little shit,” she muttered, forcing a weak smile despite the growing tension. Her gaze flickered toward Aether, who was desperately running away while Jack continued to fire relentless rounds at him.
“Come on, man! You can’t keep running forever. Just stop moving for one damn second,” Jack called out, his voice laced with amusement as he pulled the trigger once again. His expression twisted into something wicked as he fired another shot toward Aether.
Aether threw a sharp glare at Jack, “You goddamn bastard! I never thought you’d be the one to betray us!”
Jack simply shrugged, an infuriating smirk on his face. “Betray? Now, that’s a pretty big word coming from a slave,” he taunted, his fingers never pausing as he continued firing, keeping Aether on the defensive.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Master’s grip on Dora’s throat tightened as he pulled her closer, his voice dripping with cold authority. “Tell me, Dora… what exactly did you give me?” His tone was dangerously calm, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it, a warning that he was quickly losing patience.
His power surged, growing stronger at an alarming rate. The sheer intensity of it made the air around him feel heavy, and suffocating. It was getting harder to keep up with him, his presence alone becoming overwhelming.
Dora groaned, her body tensing as the white flames seared against her neck. Though they didn’t burn her skin outright, the unbearable sensation of heat crawled through her nerves.
“If you’re not going to talk… then I don’t see any reason to keep you alive,” Master said indifferently, his grip unwavering as he slowly pushed his dull sword into her stomach.
“ARRRHHH!!” Dora’s scream tore through the air, her body convulsing as the searing pain intensified, spreading like wildfire through her veins.
Master remained unfazed, his mind briefly wandering to his own body. He could feel something was off. As much as he was intrigued by his growing power, there was something else… something trying to tear him apart from the inside.
It was as if his body was struggling to contain everything like he had devoured too much and was now on the verge of bursting.
His grip on the sword tightened as he refocused, his patience wearing thin. “I will ask one last time… what did you giv—”
“I know!” Aether’s voice suddenly cut through the chaos, his words echoing across the battlefield.
Master’s movements halted as his gaze snapped toward Aether, who was still being hunted by Jack. For a moment, there was silence before Master arched a brow, his annoyance evident. “What? What exactly do you know, Joker?”
Aether, breathing heavily, reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass tube filled with a crimson liquid. He held it up just enough for Master to see. “Let her go… and I’ll give this to you.”
Master’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the tube, a flicker of curiosity surfacing in his mind. Questions formed rapidly—Why did he have that? So it’s not a coincidence at all? Then what he was hoping to do here? Was he the one who gave it to him?… Or it was just a tric–
However, before he could dwell on it, his attention was drawn back to Dora.
“N-No… A-Aether… d-don’t do it!” Dora struggled against Master’s grip, her face contorted in pain and desperation.
Master blinked before a slow, knowing grin stretched across his lips. “I see… now,” he murmured. His gaze shifted back to Aether, his voice calm but commanding. “Hand it over.”
But even as he spoke, Jack showed no signs of stopping. He continued firing at Aether, the gunshots ringing through the air. If a stray bullet hit the glass tube, it could be destroyed in an instant.
Master frowned, realizing the risk. “Stop it, Jack.”
Jack, however, only smirked, his finger still pressing down on the trigger. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll kill him before he even has the chance to—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Master gave a simple wave of his hand. In an instant, Jack was blasted backwards with tremendous force, his body soaring through the air like a shooting star.
“MMMMAAATTTTTTTTTTEEERRRR!!!!” Jack’s scream echoed as he crashed into the distance.
Master exhaled slowly. His eyes locked onto Aether, his tone colder than before. “Now, give it to me.”
Aether hesitated, taking a deep breath before speaking, “You let her g—”
Master’s expression darkened, “Brat… you are in no position to negotiate,” he said sharply. Without another word, he twisted the sword deeper into Dora’s stomach. A violent tremor ran through her body as the soul-burning sensation intensified, the sheer agony wracking every fibre of her being.
Aether gritted his teeth before finally muttering, “Here,” and, without hesitation, he hurled the tube to the other side of the battlefield, his eyes locked on Master’s every move.
Master’s eyes widened in shock. Without wasting another second, he tossed Dora aside like a discarded doll and lunged toward the glass tube, his body moving with a speed.
Aether pushed himself forward without hesitation, reaching out just in time to catch Dora in his arms (even though his wrist was still half cut off) before she could collapse onto the hard ground.
It was clear—Master’s sword wasn’t just any ordinary blade; it inflicted wounds that burned far deeper than the flesh, searing the very soul itself.
Dora gritted her teeth, forcing herself to push through the unbearable pain that coursed through her body. Despite the burning agony, she took a shaky breath and exhaled before forcing out a strained, “Yeah… I’m fine.”
Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her feet, though her legs wobbled beneath her. She winced before turning her sharp gaze toward Aether, “What the hell did you just give it to him?”
Aether let out a small, tired chuckle, “Well, you know…” he shrugged in a casual manner, though there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.
He turned his gaze toward Master, who now stood motionless, staring intently at the tube in his hands. His expression was unreadable, his fingers gripping the glass as if he were trying to confirm that what he held was real.
“Just what the hell is in that?” she asked.
Aether’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with amusement, “The same one he created.”
Dora furrowed her brows, “Huh? What do you mean?”
Aether winked at her playfully, the corners of his lips twitching with satisfaction.
Just then—
“FUCKER!!” Master’s furious roar shattered the tense silence. His voice boomed across the battlefield, filled with nothing but pure rage. His hands clenched around the tube, his grip tightening to the point where cracks formed along the glass.
He had been played. The liquid inside was nothing more than something he himself had created long ago.
It was useless to him.
Aether chuckled, shaking his head with an almost teasing expression. “Well, you still fell for it, didn’t you?” he taunted, his tone dripping with amusement. He turned to Dora with a sly smirk. “So, what do you say? Why don’t we fight together? Like a duo.”
Dora arched an eyebrow at him, “Well, I don’t mind at all.”
Aether nodded in approval, though before they could make a move, he added, “But I’ll only use around… 50 to 60% of my power.”
Dora blinked at him in surprise, her lips parting slightly in confusion. “Why? Why would you hold back?”
Aether, however, knew the answer all too well.
If he fought at full power—if, by some cruel joke of fate, the so-called Law of Nature decided to level him up in the middle of battle—then he was completely screwed.
He was not making any fucking choice!
It was a risk he could never afford to take. He had learned this lesson the hard way, knowing that even the smallest mistake could cost him everything.
That was precisely why Aether never fought with his full strength. Not because he couldn’t, but because he really, really shouldn’t.
If he pushed past his limit and triggered the level he wasn’t ready for, then everything would spiral out of control.
Shaking off his thoughts, Aether and Dora clapped their hands together in silent agreement.
Without wasting another second, they both broke into a sprint, their bodies moving in perfect synchronization as they rushed toward Master.
Master, who had been fuming just moments ago, suddenly regained his composure. His rage melted into a smirk, his confidence returning as he raised his sword. With a swift motion, he slashed through the air, sending a wave of white flames roaring toward them.
The sheer heat of the attack scorched the very ground, leaving a trail of burning embers in its wake.
SSsssshhHHHH!
Dora reacted instantly, leaping high into the air just as the flames threatened to consume her. She twisted her body midair, avoiding the deadly flames with precise movements.
Aether, on the other hand, dropped low, his knee skimming the ground as he slid beneath the raging flames.
And just as Master prepared for their counterattack—
Dora’s fist slammed directly into his face, the force behind it sending a deafening shockwave across the battlefield.
BOOM!
Master’s head snapped back from the sheer force of Dora’s punch, his entire body jolting from the impact. Cracks formed in the air itself, as if reality had briefly fractured from the sheer force behind her blow. However, before she could land another hit, Master twisted his body unnaturally, his movement fluid like a shadow.
THUD!
With a sickening grin, Master drove his fist mercilessly into Dora’s open wound, his fingers igniting with white-hot flames.
“Arrh!” she cried out, her body jerking from the searing pain. But before Master could twist his fist any deeper,
Aether’s foot shot forward, striking Master’s leg with brutal force. The impact sent Master stumbling backwards, forcing him to release his grip on Dora.
However, Master, Twisting his body mid-air with unnatural grace, landed smoothly, as if gravity itself refused to bind him.
Dora clutched her side, her fingers trembling from the lingering heat of the flames that had scorched her wound. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to remain on her feet despite the unbearable pain radiating through her body.
Aether, already in motion, refused to give Master a moment to recover. His body twisted with precision, his leg sweeping low in an attempt to strike Master’s ankle and send him crashing to the ground.
BOOM!
Dora lunged forward without hesitation, her fist clenched tightly as she channelled raw energy into the blow. The sheer force behind her attack sent shockwaves through the air as she swung directly at Master’s face.
Master, He took a swift step back, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword, ready to strike. But neither Aether nor Dora gave him the opportunity.
The moment he tried to pull his weapon, they worked together, attacking from both sides—parrying, countering, forcing him into a relentless dance of defence.
Dora, moving with lethal precision, silently manipulated her threads as she darted around the battlefield. She made sure her movements remained unpredictable, her invisible strings weaving into place as Master’s attention stayed locked on Aether.
“You think you can defeat me?” Master bellowed, his voice laced with arrogance.
His foot lashed out, kicking Aether square in the chest, sending him soaring into the air. But before Master could press his advantage—
Dora’s fingers snapped.
The invisible threads she had laid in place tightened in an instant, coiling around Master’s limbs like an unbreakable snare. His body jerked to a halt, suspended like a puppet caught in a web.
Ssshhh!
A sharp, icy sound echoed through the battlefield. Master’s eyes darted upward just in time to see—
Aether, descending from above, an enormous ice axe forming in his hands.
Aether’s grip tightened as he swung the axe downward, aiming to cleave Master’s head clean off his shoulders.
But just before the strike could land—
Master’s body erupted in white flames.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion burst forth like a time bomb, white flames expanding in all directions with an unstoppable force.
“FUCK OFFFFFF!!”
PPUUUFFFFFF!!!
The violent blast sent Aether and Dora flying, their bodies flung through the air before crashing hard onto the ground. Dust and debris filled the air, the force of the explosion leaving deep craters in its wake.
Aether groaned, his body aching from the sheer flames. A sharp burning sensation spread across his chest and his wrist was split open, blood trickling steadily from the wound.
“Fuck… it burns,” he muttered, his voice laced with pain as he clenched his chest, struggling to suppress the agony. Just then—
Snnngggg!
His pain slowly subdued and pain slowly reduced all of a sudden!
And,
A dangerous voice echoed through the battlefield.
“You need my help, Aether~”
His eyes snapped open. Aether turned his head slightly, and there she was—
The Archpriestess.
A slow, weak smile spread across his lips, “Took your sweet time, didn’t you?” he muttered.
She smirked, striding closer with that signature confidence, “Oh, come on now. You’re the one who told me to deal with the academy first, remember?” She winked at him.
Aether let out a tired chuckle, his grin softening just slightly.
