Chapter 216 - 215 : Back to the Academy
Arthur turned toward the voice and smiled.
"My lady, I’ve returned just as I promised," Arthur said.
When he turned around completely, Astarte was standing right behind him.
Her long purple hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, while her pitch-black eyes remained fixed on his with an almost unsettling calm. She wore a revealing black-and-violet outfit that hugged her body perfectly, exposing just enough to make her appear dangerous rather than merely beautiful.
The dress accentuated her slender waist, long legs, and the elegant threat hidden within every movement she made. She looked less like someone standing in a forest and more like a queen of darkness who had stepped out of a nightmare.
Astarte studied him for a moment.
"To be honest," she said, "I thought you would’ve run away."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I could have, if I’d wanted to," Arthur replied. "But I’m the kind of person who always takes what’s rightfully his, no matter what."
His gaze sharpened.
"And right now, my lady... you owe me a few things."
Astarte’s expression remained unchanged.
"I’ll keep my promise," she said. "But make sure you don’t die along the way. You wouldn’t look very good as an undead, serving me for all eternity."
She paused briefly.
"Although..." Astarte added, "I don’t entirely dislike that idea."
Arthur almost laughed, but he managed to keep a straight face.
"Don’t worry," Arthur said. "I’m very difficult to kill."
Astarte’s eyes shifted slightly.
"Very well," she said. "Aiden is at the academy, correct? That’s our next destination."
Arthur nodded with a smile.
"It is."
Astarte’s tone softened ever so slightly.
"Then what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let’s go."
Arthur raised a hand.
"Before we leave," he said, "may I ask you for a small favour?"
Astarte looked at him.
"What is it?"
Arthur’s expression turned serious.
"Could you leave the forest’s defences exactly as they are?" he asked. "That way, the Holy Kingdom won’t be able to seize the World Tree or invade the Kingdom of Elvania so easily."
Astarte considered his request for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"Very well," she said. "It’s a trivial matter for someone like me. Consider it done. Besides... I don’t like the Holy Kingdom either."
Arthur smiled.
"You have my gratitude, my lady."
Astarte looked around the forest one final time.
"It seems it’s finally time to leave this place," she said quietly.
She raised a single finger.
The next instant, a massive magic circle flared beneath their feet.
Light and darkness intertwined into a swirling vortex of mana.
At the same time, the mansion standing deep within the forest began to collapse behind them.
Cracks spread across the walls.
The roof split apart.
The entire structure crumbled into dust and broken stone.
A flash of light swallowed Arthur and Astarte.
An instant later, they disappeared.
Behind them, the mansion finally collapsed completely.
───────────────
Celestia Academy
The atmosphere inside the academy’s training grounds was electric.
Students from the first, second, and third years filled the stands, every one of them holding their breath as they watched the duel unfolding below.
At the centre of the arena stood two young men.
A white-haired boy named Aiden Nexaris, sword in hand.
Standing opposite him was Damian Stormborn, his crimson spear held firmly as he adopted an aggressive stance.
Both of them were battered.
Blood stained their clothes.
Bruises covered their bodies.
Their uniforms were torn in several places, while sweat and dirt mixed with the blood running across their skin.
Yet neither of them had fallen.
Both were still standing.
Among the spectators sat Evangeline, Isabella, Aaron, and Julia, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Not far away stood Arina Evan Imperius, wearing a confident smile.
Beside her, Diana Stormborn cheered loudly for her brother.
Jasmine Cael Ashford, the First Princess of the Ashford Empire, watched the duel with calm, emotionless eyes.
Victor Blackthorn, heir to the Blackthorn Family, observed Damian closely, carefully analysing every movement and technique he displayed.
Liana was there as well, smiling as she watched Damian slowly gain the upper hand.
Arina let out a laugh.
"Don’t forget our bet, Evangeline," she said. "Once Damian wins, I’ll be the one leading the first years in the Inter-Academy Competition."
Diana raised her voice.
"Your little servant doesn’t stand a chance against my brother!" she shouted. "Tell him to surrender already, loser!"
Jasmine remained silent, her cold gaze never leaving the battlefield.
Evangeline’s voice cut through the noise.
"It’s not over yet," she said calmly. "Don’t count your chickens before they hatch."
Below them, the duel continued.
Some students cheered for Aiden.
Others shouted Damian’s name.
Most of the girls admired the two handsome boys fighting in the arena.
Most of the boys cursed them for being so popular.
And at the very centre of it all, mana crackled violently around the two combatants as the real battle was about to begin.
On the other hand at the training ground.
Aiden moved.
His figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he thrust his spear forward.
CLANG!
Sword and spear collided with explosive force, sending a violent shockwave across the arena.
The stone floor beneath them cracked instantly.
The two separated.
Then they disappeared again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Their weapons collided dozens of times within a few breaths.
Neither gave the other even a moment to recover.
Aiden’s swordsmanship was graceful yet deadly.
Every slash flowed seamlessly into the next, each aimed at Damian’s vital points. His Faceless Sword Art constantly shifted its trajectory at the last possible moment, making every attack nearly impossible to predict.
Damian refused to be overwhelmed.
His spear became a crimson blur.
It spun around his body like a raging storm, effortlessly deflecting every strike before turning defence into offence in the same motion.
Thrust.
Sweep.
Spin.
Pierce.
Each movement flowed naturally into the next, forcing Aiden onto the defensive.
BOOM!
Their weapons clashed again.
Aiden suddenly twisted his wrist, slipping past Damian’s spear.
Slash!
A deep wound opened across Damian’s shoulder.
Blood splashed onto the shattered arena.
The crowd gasped.
But before their eyes...
The wound healed.
The torn flesh stitched itself together within seconds.
Damian grinned.
"My turn."
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath his feet as he shot forward.
His spear pierced through the air like crimson lightning.
Aiden barely tilted his body in time.
The spear grazed his ribs.
Before Aiden could regain his footing—
BANG!
Damian spun the shaft of his spear and slammed its butt into Aiden’s side.
Aiden was blasted backwards.
He slid across the arena, carving a long trench through the stone before finally stopping.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He casually wiped it away.
"Not bad," Aiden said calmly.
Damian smiled.
"You’re stronger than I expected."
Aiden lowered his stance once more.
"So are you."
The two stared at each other.
Neither dared underestimate the other anymore.
Damian broke the silence.
"Why don’t you surrender?" he asked. "You already know I’m stronger."
Aiden’s expression remained calm.
"The same reason you can’t."
Damian’s eyes widened slightly.
"The penalty..."
Aiden smirked.
"You figured it out."
Damian laughed.
"Then I guess there’s no point holding back anymore."
A violent crimson aura erupted from his body.
[ Skill Activated ]
[ Immortal Flesh ]
Grade: ??
Time Limit: 5 Minutes
[ Effect ]
Regeneration increased fivefold.
Consumes an enormous amount of mana and stamina.
If the user’s mana is depleted, the skill deactivates immediately.
Another blue screen appeared.
[ Skill Activated ]
[ Undying Monarch ]
Grade: S
[ Condition Met: Survive Fatal Damage ]
[ All Attributes +150% ]
[ Regeneration Doubled ]
Another notification appeared.
[ Skill Activated ]
[ Pain Nullification ]
Grade: S
[ Pain receptors Disabled ]
BOOM!
Dark crimson mana exploded from Damian’s body.
His wounds healed before everyone’s eyes.
Bruises vanished.
His exhausted breathing steadied.
Crimson lightning danced around his spear as an overwhelming pressure burst from him.
Several first-year students instinctively stumbled backwards.
Even some second-years frowned.
Aiden simply watched him.
"So that’s your full strength..."
He slowly raised his sword.
"Then I won’t lose either."
Silver mana erupted into the sky.
The entire battlefield trembled.
[ Ultimate Skill Activated ]
[ Worldbreaker ]
Rank: SS
Type: Ultimate Enhancement
[ Description ]
A high-grade enhancement skill that temporarily releases the user’s physical and magical limits, drastically increasing all attributes for a short period.
The immense power comes at the cost of severe mana consumption and tremendous strain on the user’s body.
[ Effects ]
[ All Attributes +1000% ]
[ Duration: 5 Minutes ]
[ Physical Limiters Removed ]
BOOM!!
A pillar of silver mana erupted around Aiden.
His white hair fluttered wildly.
The ground beneath him shattered into countless pieces.
The pressure released by the two prodigies collided in midair.
Another violent shockwave swept across the academy.
Many students had to shield their eyes.
Even the instructors watching from afar became serious.
Jasmine narrowed her icy eyes.
Victor Blackthorn unconsciously clenched his fists.
"So this is the strength of the academy’s true monsters..."
Arina’s confident smile slowly disappeared.
Even Diana stopped cheering.
The duel had reached an entirely different level.
Aiden disappeared.
Damian vanished almost simultaneously.
BOOM!
Their weapons collided high above the arena.
Before the crowd could even react—
BOOM!
They appeared behind each other.
Another explosion.
Then above the spectators.
Then at the opposite side of the battlefield.
Silver and crimson flashes danced across the training grounds faster than anyone could follow.
Only the strongest students could barely keep up.
Aiden attacked relentlessly.
His sword descended with terrifying force.
Every slash was powerful enough to split stone.
Every thrust targeted Damian’s heart, throat, or head.
Damian answered with flawless spear techniques.
His spear curved around Aiden’s blade like a living serpent before striking back with explosive speed.
Every clash released another shockwave.
Every collision shattered more of the arena.
The battlefield slowly crumbled beneath them.
BOOM!
Aiden suddenly accelerated.
His movements became nearly invisible.
Three slashes landed almost instantly.
Slash!
Damian’s chest opened.
Slash!
His arm split apart.
Slash!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Yet before anyone could celebrate...
His flesh regenerated.
His wounds disappeared.
Damian laughed.
"Is that all?"
Aiden didn’t answer.
Instead...
He became even faster.
Damian’s smile slowly faded.
’He’s still getting faster...’
For the first time, genuine danger filled Damian’s heart.
He tightened his grip around his spear.
’Then this ends here.’
Every remaining drop of mana surged into his weapon.
Crimson lightning roared around the spearhead.
The surrounding air distorted under its pressure.
Aiden mirrored him.
Silver mana poured into his sword.
The blade shone so brightly that it illuminated half the battlefield.
The entire arena trembled violently.
Everyone held their breath.
Neither moved.
Then—
They vanished.
"Spear Art!"
"Faceless Sword!"
BOOOOOOM!!
Sword and spear collided head-on.
The impact shattered nearly half the training grounds.
Stone exploded into the sky.
A violent dust cloud swallowed the battlefield.
Silence.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Seconds later...
The dust slowly settled.
One figure remained standing.
Damian Stormborn.
His body was drenched in blood.
His breathing was ragged.
His spear trembled in his hand.
Several bones throughout his body had broken.
Yet...
He was still standing.
Several metres away, Aiden lay unconscious on the shattered ground.
His sword rested beside him.
Damian slowly dropped to one knee.
"I... actually won."
He let out a weak laugh.
"That guy was ridiculously strong... One wrong move, and I’d have been the one lying there."
A blue notification appeared before him.
[ Quest Completed ]
[ Defeat Aiden Nexaris in a Duel ]
[ Reward Obtained ]
[ Blessing of the Goddess of Life and Light ]
Damian smiled.
"So that’s my reward..."
Before he could say anything else.
Red emergency lights flashed across the entire academy.
The same alarm...
The very same one that had echoed throughout the academy when Arthur kidnapped Arina.
Damian’s smile froze.
"...Not again."
A massive black magic circle suddenly appeared in the centre of the ruined battlefield.
Dark mana swirled around it.
The crowd instinctively stepped backwards.
Everyone held their breath.
A figure slowly emerged from the light.
A handsome young man with black hair and crimson-red eyes stepped out of the magic circle.
Arthur Celestian.
His expression was calm.
His posture relaxed.
Yet the instant he appeared...
The atmosphere changed.
Even standing still, he radiated a pressure that drew everyone’s attention.
Arthur slowly looked around before his crimson eyes landed on Damian.
A lazy grin spread across his face.
"Long time no see... loser."
Damian’s mouth twitched violently.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" he shouted. "Are you here to kidnap someone again, you bastard?!"
He immediately pointed his spear at Arthur.
Before either of them could make another move—
"Stop."
A calm yet commanding voice echoed throughout the academy.
Arthur looked up.
Standing on the balcony above was Athena, the Headmistress.
She still wore the same elegant veil that concealed most of her face.
Her icy gaze rested solely on Arthur.
The overwhelming pressure she released silenced the entire training ground.
Arthur smiled.
"The top student of the first year has returned, Miss Athena," he said.
"But... you don’t seem very happy to see me."