Third Person’s POV
“I have no idea how I’m supposed to deal with this mess!” Isadora groaned, frustration clear on her face as her gaze fell on the remains of the once-proud academy.
She really wanted to cry at the sight of her academy reduced to nothing but debris. All those years of history, all the memories, the knowledge stored within its walls—now nothing more than dust and rubble.
“Don’t worry, Principal!” Kai said, puffing out his chest with a proud expression, “Even if there was no enemy left to fight, I am still here! No matter what, I will help you rebuild everything!”
“We will do it for our home,” Leon added, his tone filled with determination as he placed a hand over his heart.
Aqualina, who had been silently working, suddenly turned her head to stare at the two of them. She watched them for a moment, then let out a small sigh before finally speaking, “And how exactly do you plan to do that? Just standing there and talking?” she asked, her voice edged with sarcasm as she struggled to move a large chunk of rock out of the way.
Both Kai and Leon immediately coughed, their expressions shifting into ones of awkwardness. A faint blush crept onto their faces, Without saying another word, they quickly bent down and started working.
The entire area was filled with people working tirelessly. Guards, survivors, and others who had once called this place home were all putting in their efforts to clear the debris.
Some were removing smaller pieces, while the larger chunks were handled by the Chosen Ones.
It wasn’t necessarily their duty, but this place had been their home once. It had sheltered them, nurtured them, and given them a purpose. More than that, the origin pillars—the very foundation of their power—were buried beneath the ruins of the academy.
There was no choice but to dig through the wreckage. Whoever ascended to the throne as the next sovereign would be responsible for guarding this academy for the next one thousand years. It was a duty none of them could afford to neglect.
Isadora let out a weary sigh, her tired eyes shifting toward the Archpriestess, who was diligently moving through the injured, her hands glowing with healing energy.
Beyond the academy, the destruction extended into Valysar City. The damage was severe, entire buildings were reduced to rubble, and streets cracked and torn apart. Rebuilding the city would take months, perhaps even years. The academy itself would need just as much time, if not more before it could return to its former glory.
“What should we do with them?” Sandra’s voice broke through Isadora’s thoughts as she approached… She gestured toward a group of children.
Isadora glanced at them, her mind already considering the options. Then, her gaze drifted toward the Archpriestess..
But…
“I cannot,” the Archpriestess suddenly spoke without even looking at her back.
“I didn’t even say anything,”
The Archpriestess didn’t respond, simply continuing her work as if the conversation had never started.
Shaking her head, Isadora exhaled deeply before speaking again. “Look, you know as well as I do that keeping them here isn’t an option. We don’t have the resources, and rebuilding will take months—probably even longer just to get half of the academy back on its feet.”
The Archpriestess finally paused, her fingers still glowing with soft golden light as she finished healing a wounded man. Slowly, she turned her gaze toward Isadora, her expression unreadable. “I am sorry to say this… but for some reason, Mother does not wish for anyone to enter our Empire at this time.”
Isadora’s jaw clenched, “Aren’t they supposed to be under Mother’s protection? And now she’s just abandoning them?”
The Archpriestess shook her head, “I do not know the reason behind her decision. But if there is one thing I am certain of, it is that Mother always has a purpose. She does nothing without reason. If you wish, I can arrange for an orphanage to be established here.”
However—
“They can’t be placed with the other children,” Isadora countered her voice firm, “We still don’t know how to deal with them. What if, by some accident, they harm the others? We can’t risk that, and you know it.”
The Archpriestess exhaled a long breath, Then, as she straightened, she looked directly at Isadora. “Then what do you expect me to do?”
Isadora ran a hand through her hair before taking a deep breath. “Take them with you,” she finally said.
The Archpriestess said nothing. Instead, she simply turned back to her work, continuing to heal the wounded as if the conversation had already ended.
Isadora’s lips twitched in irritation.
Sandra, who had been silently observing the exchange, suddenly spoke. “What about giving them to him?”
Isadora blinked at the suggestion… That was right—there was still one person available, wasn’t there?
A smirk slowly formed on her lips, “Yeah,” she murmured, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. “He might just be the right one for this.”
And as if on cue—
“Whoooosshhh…”
A sharp whistle cut through the tense atmosphere.
Everyone turned their heads and saw Victor strolling toward them with a leisurely gait, his hands tucked into his pockets. His sharp eyes swept over the wreckage of the academy, taking in the devastation with an air of amusement.
“Oh my~ What happened to this place?” Victor asked in a pitiful tone, his expression exaggerated in sympathy. He hadn’t expected this level of destruction.
Total annihilation!
If this was the result of just a small amount of Mother’s energy, then what about when the worlds truly started reverting? The mere thought made a cold sweat break out on his forehead.
Dora, Sandra, and the Archpriestess all flinched at the same time. They weren’t sure how, but their instincts screamed that it was indeed Aether.
“Look who finally decided to show up… after everything is already over,” Kai remarked with a smirk, his tone carrying a clear jab at Victor’s late arrival.
“Yeah, we handled everything without him,” Leon added, crossing his arms with a huff, his expression full of self-satisfaction.
Victor cast a slow glance at Leon, taking his time before lowering his gaze and murmuring, “One ball is missing.”
“WHAT?!” Leon’s face instantly contorted in horror as both of his hands shot down to protect his crotch. His body stiffened as if a traumatic memory had just surfaced.
But then—
“I’m talking about the bell,” Victor clarified, pointing toward the debris where the academy’s great bell lay half-buried. “It’s missing a clapper,” he added with a wicked grin.
Leon’s face turned an angry shade of red, his entire body trembling with rage. Without thinking, he moved to charge at Victor, his fists clenched.
But before he could take a step, Kai grabbed his shoulder, holding him back. “Come on, man… We’re the chosen among the chosen ones. You can’t let yourself be so easily provoked by some random nobody, right?” he whispered into Leon’s ear, trying to calm him down.
Leon took a deep breath, slowly unclenching his fists as he forced himself to relax.
“And don’t forget our three-year manly deal,” Victor added with a smirk, his voice carrying an almost gentle tone. “I always keep my promises~”
That ‘gentle’ smile sent a shiver down Leon’s spine. He knew better than to trust that look. Gritting his teeth, he turned away, silently chanting to himself that they were chosen ones, and they needed to remain composed.
Victor, satisfied with the reaction, finally turned to Dora. His expression shifted, “We need to talk,” he said, his usual playful tone gone.
Dora blinked, sensing the shift in his demeanour, “About what?” she asked cautiously.
“Not just you,” Victor clarified. “Everyone. The Rulers of the Empires, as well as the Chosen Ones.”
Dora frowned. “Why do you need everyone all of a sudden?” she asked.
“It’s serious,” Victor replied, his voice carrying a deadly weight.
Hearing that, Dora sighed. “Come on, Victor. You can’t just call everyone out of nowhere. At least give some time to—”
Before she could finish, Victor stepped closer and whispered something into her ear.
Dora’s eyes widened in pure horror, “Oh? Fuck! S-seriously?” Her voice barely came out.
Victor nodded.
A shudder ran through her body before she took a deep breath and straightened herself. Without hesitation, her voice echoed across the five Empires, amplified by her power.
“I, Sovereign of Empires, hereby call upon the Rulers and the Chosen Ones of the Empires to come to the Academy immediately. No matter what you are doing—drop everything and come here at once. That is my ORDER!”
Her final words reverberated through the Empires with undeniable authority.
Victor blinked, unsurprised by her reaction. Well, most of them were already here anyway, so this just made things more official. He shrugged, just about to turn to the side when—
Thud!
A sharp thin blue sword whizzed past his head, barely missing his hair before stabbing deep into the ground.
Victor stared down at the embedded blade. He swallowed hard. He had been purposely ignoring that particular stare for far too long, and now it seemed he could no longer avoid it.
Slowly, he turned his head—and there she was.
Aqualina.
She was smiling at him. But it wasn’t a normal smile.
“Oops… I missed,” Aqualina said, still smiling, her voice as sweet as ever.
Victor inwardly cried.
Being both a Ruler and a Lover was truly a tough job.
But… he had to face it eventually. So why bother running now?