I am the Only Son of Nyx

Kai had a deal with Dean Lanchester.

He would challenge and defeat the freshman students in order to liberate Layra from scrutiny, so that the academy could heal her eyes without them being able to refute. But this also created another problem.

A transgression problem that would be tied to Kai.

All Dean Lanchester would do was stall the punishment, only until the tournament.

Once the Dragon Ring Tournament was concluded, the punishment would continue—and the only shield that could deflect it was being the Red Prince. At that point, Kai coming to the Aurelian Academy wouldn’t be a trespass, and the punishment for beating the students would be far lighter.

Reduced from execution to a harsh reprimand by a representative of Aurelian Academy.

Now, it was time for Kai to report to Dean Lanchester.

Kai arrived near Aurelian Academy faster than he had expected, all thanks to the raven—that cut through the sky like a black arrow. Its wings devoured distance with such ease that it still surprised him.

But he didn’t tell it to land near the academy’s core territory—that would be disrespectful.

Even as the Red Prince, he couldn’t do that.

So, he guided the raven toward the lowest point of the slope, away from the main grounds—and whispered a quiet command. "Fly and roam around as you wait for me, but don’t get too far away and don’t create a commotion."

It croaked once in protest, but banked away to roam either way.

Kai leaped off the raven.

The wind caught his crimson mantle—unfurling it like a banner as he descended. The ground rushed up to meet him, and he crashed hard onto two feet—the impact only bent his knees a bit before he straightened again.

Underneath his feet, the solid ground cratered.

Cracks spread outward, but his stronger body absorbed the shock without complaint.

And then, the Eventide Mantle of Lifeblood wrapped around him like a second skin—settling over his frame before he began the climb. The slope was steep as he remembered, flanked by towering maple trees whose red leaves drifted down in slow, lazy spirals.

During the night, these trees had looked ethereal—ghostly sentinels in the dark.

Now, under the harsh light of the sun, they looked like ancient shelters.

Canopies bestowed upon mankind by Demeter, the Goddess of Harvest herself. Their arching branches grew overhead like the ribs of a great temple. It was Kai’s first time being in the area when the sun was still out.

Last time he came was already deep into the night, so this was a new view.

Along the way, Kai surprisingly passed a few students.

It was time for class, so he didn’t expect anyone to be outside.

Maybe their schedules are unlike ours.

The passing students cast him surprised glances—not everyone knew what the champions of Eventide Academy were called, or what they wore, but they could tell he was a champion. His mask was red and shaped like a dragon, making him look like a Demon.

But it was unlikely for a Demon to stroll in the sky, so the assumption came naturally.

He was the champion of another academy. Visiting. Rare, but not impossible.

As Kai neared the top, something else caught his attention. Banners. He saw several of them strapped onto the trees. Several flambeaux on either side of the road. And also, the faint scent of wine lingering in the air.

A frown crept to his face.

"Has there been an event recently?" Kai wandered.

Something had happened here—a celebration, perhaps.

But from the thin, dissipated scent, he reckoned the event was a day old or maybe two.

Regardless, it was over now.

Kai kept climbing.

Once he finally reached flat ground, still a short distance from the main gate—he was greeted by three figures. They sat on either side of the road, arranged like sentinels, and their postures seemed casual, but their placement was deliberate.

Like they were anticipating someone. Anticipating him.

All three wore Aurelian Academy uniforms and faceless masks. Freshmen like him.

But what gave them away was the fact that they weren’t surprised to see him.

Kai cast them a brief glance and moved to walk past them with unhurried steps.

Before he could get close, one of them pushed up from her thighs to stand, and stepped into his path, blocking the way. The other two remained seated, but their heads turned—tracking him with an attention that felt less like curiosity and more like assessment.

He was being probed.

And then, the one standing before him spoke.

"Are you Lesser Angel Kai?" She asked—the pale white eyes behind her mask narrowed.

"Red Prince Kai." Kai corrected, and met her gaze directly. "I came here only to meet with the dean, Dean Lanchester. If this is about what happened that night, then you better forget about it. I don’t accept a challenge anymore."

"He doesn’t look like much." Another student—a woman with multi-coloured hair, sectioned in red, yellow, and blue—added with a chuckle. "Not as domineering as everyone was talking about. Just a regular guy."

"Can’t believe everyone lost to him." The last one, a well-built woman as tall as him with sharp and piercing yellow eyes, chimed in, looking him up and down. "I think I can take him if I try really hard."

"You probably could," Kai shrugged. "But I’m not here to fight, so get out of my way."

"Are you actually scared of us?" the well-built woman laughed.

"No... I don’t think so." The woman who barred the way shook her head. "I don’t smell fear in him. In fact, I don’t feel anything from him at all."

"I’ll give you face since this is your home territory," Kai said and then pushed his mantle aside to expose the scimitar strapped to his waist. "But push more than this—and I’ll have no choice but to defend myself. And you don’t want me doing that."

For a suspended moment, the three students stared at Kai.

All of them were confident before, but the attire of a Red Prince made them hesitate.

Eventide Academy might’ve ranked below Aurelian Academy, but the title Red Prince wasn’t handed out lightly. Only a Supernal of genuine power could claim it. And regardless, despite Kai’s class as a lesser Angel, that title alone made one thing clear—he was not someone to be trifled with.

"I’d listen to him if I were you."

Just then, a voice reverberated through the air as another student approached.

She descended from the roar ahead with quiet elegance and power.

It took one look at her bright orange hair for Kai to recognize her—Layra.

"Emerald P—" the woman standing across the way paused the words that she was about to say from her mouth when Layra raised her hand, signalling for her to stop. "Are you here for the Red Prince?"

Both students immediately stood up and straightened their backs.

And this didn’t escape Kai’s eyes.

"Yes—with how the Red Prince arrived." Layra’s gaze remained fixed on Kai as she stopped right beside the woman. "It’s hardly a surprise that I came here to check, isn’t it? He’s being a little bit too eye-catching."

Kai heard what she said, but didn’t say anything back.

Considering the raven was big and loud, there’s hardly any way for him to arrive discreetly.

"You know of these people?" Kai finally asked.

"Yes," Layra gestured at the three students with an open palm. "They are all a part of my new group, Sun Gaze. After what happened with Namira and her asshole of a boyfriend, I decided to leave their group and make a new one."

Recalling the requirements to make a group, Kai knew that Layra had really put in some effort.

Especially when there was a limit to how many groups could exist.

But then again, she was a Supernal of Apollo, an Olympian God—it should be easier for her.

"I see you won your academy’s tournament. A Red Prince now." Layra’s eyes sparkled as they traced his attire, lingering on the crimson that seemed to perfectly match the hidden bloodlust in his gaze. "I never doubted you. Not for a moment."

"Yes, I won. Lucky, maybe... Or I simply couldn’t afford to lose." Kai replied softly.

"How does it feel?"

"It feels liberating. I don’t need to look over my shoulder anymore."

"What about the attention? I’m sure many girls want to be with you now."

"Are we really going there?" Kai chuckled inwardly.

"Going where? I simply asked what you’re feeling." Layra crossed her arms. "It’s not like I’d care that girls are now flocking around you. Not at all. I don’t care that some would probably throw themselves at you at every opportunity."

It sounded like you cared, though.

Kai didn’t say it aloud.

He would only be asking for trouble if he said that directly to Layra.

"More than the attention from girls—people looked at me differently now." He looked down at his attire, and he brushed the mantle with his hand, feeling its fabric. "I’m the only Lesser Angel who had not only survived but also become a champion. I made history."

"Made history..." Layra repeated those words and then smiled faintly behind her mask. "Did you know that Aurelian Academy also had its tournament recently—two days ago to be exact, the Sky Warrior Tournament?"

"Hm?" Kai paused when he heard this.

And then everything clicked—the banners, the flambeaux, and the scent of wine; those things were the remnants of the Sky Warrior Tournament. It made sense—for the other academies to also hold their tournaments around the same time.

"I noticed the banners and things earlier, but I don’t know about the tournament."

"Well, it happened, and the victor also made history."

"Oh?" Kai recalled the strong student he fought that night he was here. "How so?"

"The victor broke the record for the fastest final in the history of the First Sky—three seconds, exactly." Layra’s voice carried a contained pride—as though the achievement were somehow hers to claim. Perhaps the pride as a student of the academy coursed through her blood. "Three seconds. That’s all it took for the final to end."

"So fast..." Kai gasped.

He was quite sure his battle against Chester lasted more than fifteen minutes.

It was an extremely hard fight with many incidents along the way.

For the victor of the Sky Warrior Tournament to win in three seconds meant there was a nasty gap in strength between the finalists. Kai couldn’t help but acknowledge whoever it was that won. "Who is the victor? You’re making me curious."

Layra’s lips stretched wider.

She raised her index finger and turned it to point at her own face.

"I am." She said, and then paused, letting her answer sink in. "I’m the Emerald Princess."