The Return Of The Exiled Villain

CLANG!

Steel rang through the empty hall as Aurora’s longsword crashed against Gray’s rapier. She immediately pressed forward, boots scraping across the wooden floor.

"You’re slower than last time," she said, already cutting again.

Gray’s blade met hers calmly, angling the parry so her sword would slide off.

"Or maybe you’re just impatient."

Aurora clicked her tongue and stepped in closer.

Her next cut came low, aiming for his front leg.

Gray pulled the foot back and dropped his point, knocking her blade into the floor.

CLAANG!

Before she could recover, he thrust straight at her shoulder.

She twisted aside.

The tip of the rapier tore a thin line through the air where her arm had been.

"Close," she muttered.

"Not close enough."

Aurora reset her stance and came at him with three quick successive swings, one at the head, ribs, then a rising diagonal.

Clang... cling!

Gray stepped inside and carefully parried the first and second swings before catching the final cut and circling his point under her blade, forcing it wide.

"You’re telegraphing the third cut," he said.

"Then stop talking and punish it."

She lunged.

The longsword shot forward in a straight thrust toward his chest.

Gray turned his torso, letting the blade pass a finger’s width from his shirt, then snapped a counter-cut at her wrist.

Aurora jerked her hand back just in time. The tip of his rapier scraped across her knuckle guard with a harsh metallic screech.

"Tch!"

She jumped back two steps, breathing a little harder. Gray did not give her time to settle. He advanced immediately, point aimed at her center line.

CLANG!

Their blades met again.

Aurora tried to bind and shove him off-balance.

Gray yielded half a step, then suddenly stepped offline to her left. His rapier flicked toward the opening under her arm.

She blocked late.

The impact jarred her wrist.

"You’re actually pushing me," Aurora said, a short laugh escaping her.

"Since when do you win pure exchanges?"

"Since you started leaving openings."

She answered with a heavy diagonal cut from high right, putting her shoulder into it. Gray met the blow early, near her hilt, and redirected the force upward.

CLAAANG!

Aurora’s sword rose higher than she intended.

Gray stepped in and drove a thrust at her midsection. She twisted, the tip grazing her side, and answered with a horizontal cut at his neck.

He ducked under it.

Swish!

The blade passed over his hair with a thin whistle of air. Still low, Gray swept his rapier up from below, aiming for the underside of her sword arm.

Aurora pulled the arm back and brought her blade down in a vertical cut meant to force him to the floor.

Gray’s rapier instantly rose to meet it.

CLANG!

The two swords locked for a moment.

Aurora pushed harder, trying to use her greater weight.

Gray angled his edge, let her force slide past, and immediately stepped on the flat of her blade with his front foot, pinning it against the floor.

Her eyes widened.

"Don’t...!"

He thrust at her face.

Aurora released the hilt and leaned back, the tip of the rapier missing her nose by centimeters.

Her hand scrambled back to the sword and tore it free, but Gray was already moving.

He beat her blade aside with a sharp clink, then circled his point over the top and pressed down on her guard.

Aurora’s wrist bent under the sudden leverage.

Her fingers opened.

The longsword spun out of her grip, flew several meters through the air, and hit the floor with a loud, rolling clattering sound.

Gray stopped with his rapier leveled where her sword had been a second earlier. He held the position long enough for the echo to fade, then lowered the blade.

Aurora stared at her empty hand, then at him.

"Y-you..."

A short, breathless laugh escaped her lips.

"...You really are a damn monster."

Gray stepped back and rested the rapier against his shoulder.

"Why, thank you," he smiled lightly.

Aurora let out a long sigh and lowered her arm. The playful edge in her expression faded into something closer to resignation.

"I don’t have anything left to teach you," she said quietly.

"You’ve already mastered every move of my sword art. And now you’ve even beaten me in a pure exchange with nothing but the blade."

She glanced at the longsword still lying on the floor several meters away, then back at him.

"If anything... I should be the one calling you Master from now on."

Hearing those words, Gray’s smile changed into a faint smirk.

He stepped closer, closed the remaining distance between them, and gently lifted her chin with two fingers.

His thumb slowly brushed across her lower lip.

"...I might like that if it’s in bed."

Before she could answer, he leaned in and kissed her firmly enough to leave the taste of his lips behind.

Then he released her chin, turned, and walked away without looking back.

Aurora remained exactly where he had left her.

Her pale cheeks flushed red in an instant.

Aurora stayed frozen for only a second longer.

Then she clicked her tongue, picked up her fallen longsword in one smooth motion, and ran after him.

"Gray! Wait, don’t just say something like that and walk off!"

She caught up to him in the corridor, still slightly out of breath from the spar, and fell into step beside him.

Her cheeks were still pink, but the usual teasing smile had already returned.

"If you’re going to talk about making me call you Master in bed, the least you can do is stay and finish the conversation," she said, leaning in a little closer.

"Or are you planning to leave me hanging on purpose?"

Gray glanced at her from the corner of his eye, the faint smirk still present.

"Maybe."

Aurora opened her mouth to reply...

"Gray."

Elárien’s calm voice cut through the corridor.

Both of them stopped.

The elf princess stood a short distance ahead, expression as composed as ever, a sealed envelope held neatly in one hand.

Her golden-green eyes moved from Gray to Aurora, lingering for a brief moment on the residual flush still visible on the headmistress’s face, before returning to him.

"An official invitation has arrived," Elárien said.

"Addressed to both of you."

She held the envelope out.

"It is from the Royal Palace. You and Headmistress Aurora have been invited to the Royal Banquet."

Elárien held out two separate envelopes.

Aurora took one without hesitation while Gray accepted the other.

Aurora broke the seal first and unfolded the thick, cream-colored paper. Her eyes moved across the formal script.

"To the esteemed Headmistress of Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy, Aurora..." she read aloud in a dry tone.

"His Majesty the Emperor extends his most sincere regards and cordially invites you to attend the Royal Banquet held in celebration of the successful conclusion of the Inter-Academy Exchange. Your presence would greatly honor the occasion, and His Majesty looks forward to the opportunity of speaking with you in person regarding matters of mutual interest between the Crown and your academy..."

Aurora’s expression flattened.

She scoffed openly, folding the letter with a sharp crease.

"Mutual interest," she muttered.

"As if that man ever cared about anything beyond what he can use. ’Sincere regards’... what a load of polished nonsense. He only wants me there so the other academies see that even I have to show up when he calls."

She tapped the folded invitation against her palm, clearly unimpressed.

Gray opened his own envelope more quietly.

The wording was similar, and carefully flattering, but his name was written with the full title the palace still officially recognized: Gray Vireux D’Aurélion.

The final line noted that he was permitted to bring a companion of appropriate standing.

His eyes lingered on that sentence for a moment.

Then the corner of his mouth curled upward.

Seraph’s engagement announcement would take place at this very banquet.

The Emperor and the Elven Prince would both be present. The entire political stage would be set exactly as planned.

And he was going to walk into the middle of it with Seraph on his arm.

Gray folded the invitation once and slipped it away.

Aurora noticed the expression and raised an eyebrow.

"You’re in a good mood," she said.

"That usually means someone is about to have a very bad night."

Gray did not deny it.

Aurora stepped closer, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.

"Alright, what are you planning this time? Don’t just stand there looking pleased with yourself. Tell me."

Gray stayed silent.

She waited a second longer, then pouted when no answer came.

Without warning, she reached up, grabbed the back of his head, and pushed his face straight into her chest.

"Mhpf..."

Soft, warm flesh pressed against his cheeks and nose as she held him there.

Gray did not pull away. He remained quiet, letting her shift slightly so that her breasts moved and jiggled lightly against his face.

After a few moments, his voice came out muffled but clear.

"...Prepare for tonight."

"Huh?!"

Aurora froze.