Chapter 288 - 286 : It’s over
High above the demonic stadium, Maya floated unsteadily in the air. Her breathing had become ragged, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Countless cuts and bruises covered her body, while Athena’s relentless spatial attacks had torn her white clothing in several places. The confident smile she had worn earlier was gone. Only anger remained.
"Damn it..." Maya coughed blood into her hand. "I have already lost too much."
Her dark eyes flickered toward the glowing notifications only she could see.
[ Remaining Nexus Points: 40,500. ]
"I am not wasting any more Nexus Points on this fight." She clenched her remaining hand. "I need to get out of here."
Maya’s cold gaze settled on Athena. The woman remained suspended in the sky, surrounded by faint blue spatial rifts. Her golden hair moved in the wind, while her veil concealed her expression. But Maya could feel it. Athena had no intention of letting her escape.
’That fucking bitch isn’t letting me go.’
Maya’s eyes shifted downward, and then she noticed another Athena standing beside Arthur. The duplicate had handed him a small device.
’That must be a teleportation device.’
A faint smile appeared on Maya’s face.
’This is my chance.’
SHLK!
A spatial slash suddenly tore through the air. Maya’s eyes widened as the invisible blade sliced through her arm. Blood sprayed into the air, and her severed limb fell away.
"FUCK!"
Maya cried out, clutching the wound as pain surged through her body. "Another spatial cut..."
Athena’s voice echoed across the sky. "Do not even think about escaping."
Maya looked upward.
"You still have to tell me who is behind all of this."
Maya gritted her teeth. "Yeah." Her eyes glowed with hatred. "In your dreams."
She raised her remaining hand. "Do not think you have defeated me already."
"Second Authority. Matter Transmutation."
The ground below suddenly erupted as massive spikes of stone and metal shot toward Athena like a forest of spears. Athena didn’t even move. A wave of blue spatial energy spread outward from her body, and every approaching spike shattered into dust before it could reach her.
"Do you think childish tricks like that will work on me?" Athena asked calmly. "Just surrender—"
Maya vanished.
Athena’s eyes narrowed.
The white-haired Sentinel was gone.
She immediately looked downward.
The students were rushing toward the portal, with Arthur standing beside Layla. The teleportation device had already been activated.
"I will make sure the Saintess escapes safely with the other four," Arthur announced.
The students stared at him.
Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Is he finally insane?"
Evangline crossed her arms. "Not that he was ever sane."
Arthur raised his voice. "Everyone, stop."
The students halted.
Arthur looked toward Karina. "Let the Saintess step forward first."
Karina stared at him cautiously. She knew Arthur wasn’t suddenly being kind. Something was wrong, but escaping was her first priority.
She stepped into the portal.
The remaining Lumina Academy students followed after confirming that it was safe.
Arthur turned toward Layla. "Take everyone else to safety."
Layla nodded. "Fine."
The other students began moving toward the portal, but Damian remained behind.
"I am not leaving my Master alone."
His eyes remained fixed on Athena in the sky.
Arthur sighed.
Then he kicked Damian directly toward the portal.
"Arthur!"
Damian disappeared through the blue light.
Diana watched the scene and sighed. "Thanks for that. My brother is a bit of an idiot."
Arthur looked at her and smiled faintly. "Do not worry. He is just like you."
Diana’s mouth twitched. "Do you always have to start fights?"
Arthur shrugged. "Sorry. It has become a habit."
Diana clicked her tongue before entering the portal.
Arthur remained behind, watching until the last student disappeared through the blue light. Layla. Aiden. Damian. Diana. Victor. Jasmine. Evangline. Isabella. Arina. Rubina. Aaron. All the remaining academy students.
Everyone was safe.
Only then did Arthur’s shoulders relax slightly.
He turned toward Athena.
She was still somewhere in the sky.
But Maya was nowhere to be seen.
Arthur frowned.
’Did she escape?’
A voice suddenly came from directly behind him.
"Looking for something?"
Arthur froze.
Every instinct in his body screamed danger.
He slowly turned.
Maya stood directly before him. Her body was covered in blood, one arm was missing, and her breathing was heavy. Yet her eyes were filled with victory.
"Found you," Maya said with a smile.
Arthur immediately activated Infinity with the mana he had recovered. A thin layer of defensive mana surrounded his body.
Maya moved without warning.
A compressed blade of matter appeared between them.
SHING!
Arthur barely had time to react. The attack struck him, and although Infinity weakened the force, it couldn’t completely stop it.
His vision spun.
For a moment, he saw the sky.
Then the broken arena floor.
Then darkness.
Arthur’s body collapsed.
Maya stood above him, breathing heavily before finally smiling.
"Finally."
A notification appeared before her.
[ Waiting for Confirmation. ]
[ Anomaly Annihilation Reward Will Be Credited in 1 Minute. ]
[ Amount: 5,000,000 Nexus Points. ]
[ Credit Pending. ]
Maya’s eyes widened.
"Five million points?"
She stared at the notification in disbelief. It was an absurd amount. She had hunted dozens of anomalies, killed System users, and destroyed dangerous bloodline carriers, but she had never seen a reward like this.
"Was that boy really such an absurd anomaly?"
Maya slowly stepped toward Arthur’s fallen body.
Then she stopped.
Athena stood between them.
Her veil was still in place, but something about her had changed. There was nothing human in her eyes now. Nothing calm. Nothing restrained.
The moon-shaped mark on her wrist glowed fiercely.
Even the ruined stadium seemed to lose its color.
Maya instinctively stepped backward.
"It is futile now," she said, trying to sound confident. "He is dead."
Her eyes shifted toward Arthur.
"And soon, you will be too. So—"
Athena moved.
Maya’s words died in her throat.
A spatial strike slammed into her body and sent her flying backward.
BOOM!
She crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Before Maya could recover, Athena appeared above her. She grabbed Maya by the hair and slammed her into the broken stone.
BOOM!
Once.
BOOM!
Twice.
Again.
Each impact shattered the ground beneath them.
Maya tried to activate another Authority, but Athena’s pressure was overwhelming. Space began compressing around her body, slowly and mercilessly crushing her.
Maya screamed.
Blood covered her face as Athena lifted her from the crater and threw her across the ruined stadium.
Maya crashed through several broken structures before finally hitting the ground.
Half-conscious, she stared at the countdown appearing before her.
[ 10 ]
[ 09 ]
[ 08 ]
[ 07 ]
Maya smiled weakly.
"Just a little longer..."
Blood spilled from her mouth.
"And victory is mine."
The countdown continued.
[ 06 ]
[ 05 ]
[ 04 ]
But before it could reach zero, a spatial rift suddenly opened beneath her.
Maya’s eyes widened.
"No—"
Her body fell through the distortion.
The rift immediately closed.
Maya vanished.
The remaining notification disappeared with her.
Silence returned to the arena.
Only Athena remained.
She stood alone amid the ruins of the collapsed stadium—the blackened stands, shattered floor, and fading smoke surrounding her.
Athena slowly turned toward Arthur’s fallen body.
Her expression was hollow.
She clicked her tongue softly before walking toward him.
Step by step, she eventually sat down beside him.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
She simply stared at his motionless body.
Then Athena slowly lifted her eyes toward the sky.
It was over she had won.
"Another person close to me died today, Mother. "
Her voice was barely a whisper.
The glow of the moon-shaped mark on her wrist flickered weakly.
"Am I still cursed?"
The ruined stadium remained silent.
No one answered her.