“Well, they were assholes!”
After dealing with those three idiots, I took the elevator to the third topmost floor. Michael, of course, followed.
I gave him a sideways glance. “Why did you speak up for me?”
He met my eyes, held my gaze for a moment, then shrugged. “Like I said, they were being assholes. I got angry. I don’t like bullies. You should know that by now.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Wow, Michael. You’re unbelievably stupid.”
For a second, he just blinked at me, as if he couldn’t quite understand what he’d just heard.
It was a natural reaction. He expected a thank you, and I called him stupid instead.
Then his expression twisted into a scowl. “Excuse the fuck outta me?!”
I crossed my arms. “You let your emotions rule you. People like you are so easy to manipulate. They were trying to provoke us — well, me specifically. When Thalia saw I wasn’t reacting, she took a loose jab at our mission. And like a dumb little mouse, you ran straight into her trap.”
Michael’s scowl hardened. “What… what the hell are you even talking about? Why would she do that?”
I resisted the urge to smack my head against the nearest wall.
How dense was this guy at this point in the story?
Thank the heavens he was good at fighting. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even deserve to be an extra, let alone the protagonist.
“Because,” I said, “she was trying to bait me into a fight. If she challenged me outright, I’d refuse. But if she made it look like she was just settling a score, I’d have no choice but to accept a duel.”
Michael opened his mouth, then hesitated. His lips pressed into a tight line.
“I… I—” he huffed, then glared daggers at me. “I guess it’s my fault for trying to stand up for you. Again.”
I shook my head. “That’s not the point. Your unchecked hero complex and desperate need to prove yourself make you an easy target.”
Michael’s jaw hung loose. “What the fuck, you jackass?! I don’t have a hero complex! And I’m not an easy target! Also, what, you’re saying I should’ve just stood there and let her run her mouth after she dragged our mission into it?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “No, I’m saying you should’ve thought before you acted. You didn’t stop them. You gave them exactly what they wanted. You were ready to fight.”
He scoffed. “And what would you have done, oh wise one?”
I smirked. “Ignored them. Made them feel like the irrelevant background characters they are. People like Thalia thrive on attention. Take that away, and she’s just a glorified air freshener — annoying and easy to forget.”
Michael’s scowl faltered, but his frustration remained. “Yeah, well, that’s called having no spine. And so what if they wanted a fight? I could’ve taken all three of them alone. If you’re scared to admit you couldn’t, that’s your problem.”
I let out a dry chuckle.
“And here it is.” I gestured vaguely at him. “Ever since you got a little stronger, your arrogance has been through the roof. You underestimate everyone and think you’re invincible. Do something about it. There are fights worth taking, and then there are fights that aren’t worth the bruises. Every man knows that.”
Michael threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, is that so? Now you — Samael Kaizer Theosbane — are giving me a lecture on arrogance?! You who used to pick fights like it was a damn hobby?”
I met his gaze evenly. “And look what happened to me?”
Michael blinked, looking genuinely confused. “What do you mean, what happened? You became the Ace!”
“Yeah,” I said, my voice steady, “but not before you beat the ever living hell out of me. I learned to pick my battles. You, on the other hand, are just starting down the same path I already walked — and crashed on.”
Michael faltered. For the first time, he didn’t have a sharp retort ready.
Then, after a moment, he scoffed and rolled his shoulders like he was physically shaking off my words.
“Do you remember that one time?” he asked suddenly. His voice was quieter now, more bitter. “You shoved my face into your class’s dustbin. In front of everyone.”
I frowned.
I… had no memory of that.
“It was near the end of the school year. Do you remember what you said to me that day?” He asked but didn’t wait for an answer. “You told me to ‘know my place.’ That weaklings don’t deserve respect.”
His hands curled into fists. “That was the day I realized how unfair the heavens were. You were born strong. I was born weak. And because of that, you got to walk all over people like me. If I had been as strong as you back then, I could’ve stopped you. I could’ve stopped all of you.”
His words didn’t spark any memories.
But I didn’t doubt them either.
The old me… yeah. That sounded like something I would’ve said and done.
Michael let out a short, humorless laugh. “Funny, huh? Now here you are, lecturing me on arrogance like you weren’t the most arrogant bastard in existence.”
I held his gaze for a moment before shrugging. “And? Do you want an apology? Or are you trying to prove something?”
His jaw tightened. “I don’t need an apology. I just want you to understand one thing — I’m nothing like you. I’m not easy to manipulate, not someone anyone can exploit. Do I underestimate people sometimes? Maybe. But I have the strength to back it up. And most importantly, I’m not a piece of shit.”
I smiled at that delusional response but didn’t bother reacting.
The elevator came to a stop and its metallic doors slid open with a soft chime. I stepped out first, Michael following behind.
Deciding to shift the conversation, I asked, “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”
Michael studied me for a second longer than necessary, then let out a deep breath, reining in his emotions and calming himself down.
His voice was measured when he finally spoke, “I’ve thought about your deal. I’ll take it. But I have three conditions.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Three?”
He nodded. “Believe me, you’re still getting the better end of the deal.”
Yeah, I seriously doubted that.
But I let him continue.
“What are they?”
Michael held up three fingers, ticking them down one by one as he listed off his demands, “First, you said you had two thousand Essence Stones. You were going to give me a thousand. I want all of them.”
Bold. Very bold.
“Second,” he went on, “I need you to get me a few books from the archives. From some of the restricted sections that only an Ace has access to.”
That was doable. Convenient, even. I needed to visit the Archives soon anyway.
There was something hidden there — an artifact named The Key of the Order. I needed to get that.
Michael lowered his final finger. “And third, I want your golden sword.”
…This bastard.
I didn’t even have it in me to laugh at his audacity.
His Demon, Xaldreth, must have sensed something about the sword. Michael might not have known exactly what, but he knew it was more than it appeared.
Of course, that meant he wanted it.
I kept my expression neutral, pretending to think about it. “My sword?”
“Yes.” His gaze was steady. “You said you didn’t know what it could do, so it has no real value to you. I’m willing to offer you twice what you paid for it. It’s a fair deal.”
Wow.
The audacity of this guy trying to sell me on a deal? Me?!
“These are my terms,” he added. “Take them or leave them. I don’t care what you say or do — I’m ready to face expulsion.”
We stopped outside a room.
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Well, at least you know how to bluff.”
Michael frowned. “…Bluff?”
I grinned. “Let’s play a game.”
After a short pause, he asked with clear suspicion in his tone, “What kind of game?”
“Simple,” I said. “You have to make me admit you’re smarter. I have to manipulate you. We both have two days. If neither of us succeeds, you still win.”
Michael narrowed his eyes. “And if I win?”
“I accept all your conditions. No loopholes. No tricks.”
His brow arched. “And if you win?”
“Then you take my original deal. No conditions. You get the thousand Essence Stones, and we work together on my terms.”
Michael folded his arms, weighing over the options in his mind. “And we both have two days to pull it off?”
I nodded. “Two days. No brute force, no threats, no outside help. Just our wits.”
He studied me, then slowly shrugged. “Fine. You’ve got yourself a game.”
We shook hands on that.
I could already see the gears turning in his head. He thought he had the advantage.
After all, he could just do nothing for two days and still win. As long as he didn’t get manipulated by me, the victory was his.
And if he actually got me to admit he was smarter? Then he’d win outright.
He really did have the upper hand.
…Except, he didn’t.