Chapter 255: Drexel’s Other Side
Zephyr felt an unsettling shift in the air. His fists tightened with barely controlled rage, and the look in his eyes was downright chilling. People could almost feel the sharp edge of his anger.
But it wasn’t because soone was after him—he could handle that. What really got under his skin was the fact that soone was willing to ss with the Alliance’s success for their own shady reasons.
Drexel and Elio exchanged a quick, tense glance, both clearly aware of sothing they weren’t sharing. But no one dared to speak just yet.
All eyes were glued to Arix as she carefully inspected the cha, everyone holding their breath.
After about ten agonizing minutes, Arix finally stopped. She turned to the cha’s head, her face clouded with uncertainty.
"Drexel, is there really an issue?" Drexel’s voice wavered, his concern for Zephyr evident. If sothing was wrong, Drexel wasn’t about to let it slide.
Arix struggled to find the right words. Nothing obvious was wrong, yet she had this unshakable feeling that sothing was seriously off—sothing that could be deadly.
’How co that I can’t pinpoint it?’ She shook her head at Drexel before turning to the small tiger cub nearby. "Sophia, is there anything wrong with the head?"
Sophia gave a solemn nod and then directed her gaze at the cha’s owner. "Soone tampered with the head of this cha. If it triggers during battle, you might not make it out alive. And they’ve set it up so that your death would seem like just another unfortunate accident—no signs of foul play."
A collective shiver ran through the Alliance’s cha squad.
Sure, accidents in battle were all too common, especially in the high-stakes competitions they were involved in, where the odds of survival weren’t great to begin with. But the idea that soone had sabotaged a cha to ensure Zephyr’s death—that took malice to a whole new level.
"Who would be vile enough to sche like this during a competition?" Cirilla’s voice trembled with fury, her eyes practically blazing.
"I’ve already contacted Admiral Sykes. This is more than just a simple case of sabotage," Varden said, maintaining his composure, though he was deeply concerned. He had imdiately reached out to soone who could take control of the situation.
Elio looked like he wanted to say sothing but held back, instead turning his gaze to Zephyr.
After all, it was Zephyr’s life on the line, so the decision was his to make.
Zephyr, unlike the others who were brimming with righteous anger, remained unnervingly calm. Maybe he’d been through this kind of thing too many tis before.
"Sophia, can you remove it? And will it ss with the match?" Zephyr asked, his voice steady, eyes calm.
Sophia shook her head, looking regretful. "I can do it, but it’ll take at least three hours. You wouldn’t have ti to compete."
Zephyr’s hands clenched even tighter. His knuckles turned white, standing out like sharp peaks. He finally closed his eyes, drawing in a deep, steadying breath.
When he opened them again, he turned to Drexel. "You’ll have to take charge in this match. Can you handle it?"
Drexel hesitated, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Arix, hoping she might pull a last-minute miracle.
Arix caught his look but could only offer an apologetic shake of her head. "I’m sorry. I can’t even figure out what it is, let alone fix it."
Seeing no other option, Drexel let out a heavy sigh and turned to Zephyr, nodding firmly. "Alright, I’ve got this match covered."
With the competition right around the corner, there was no ti for second thoughts.
"I know you do," Zephyr said, offering a rare, slight smile. Then he turned his attention to the three reserve mbers standing nearby.
He studied them closely, his eyes finally landing on Quinnie. "Quinnie, I’m counting on you this ti."
Quispe was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected to be chosen, especially not like this, but he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. With a quick nod, he accepted the responsibility.
With the team lineup finalized, Zephyr gave Drexel one last nod and then made his way over to Sykes, who had just arrived, looking anxious.
Once Zephyr was gone, Elio approached Drexel, his face shadowed with concern. "Drexel, this has the old man from the Calix family written all over it, doesn’t it?"
"I can’t say for certain," Drexel replied, his eyes narrowing in thought. "But there’s no one else who wants Zephyr out of the picture more than the head of the Calix family."
"The ergence of the Psychic Ware must have reignited his ambitions. And with his son awakening a Psychic Incarnation too, it’s no wonder he’s so desperate to eliminate Zephyr," Elio added, his voice dripping with cold disdain.
"Whatever you do, don’t let my sister hear about this. I don’t want her feeling any guilt over the Psychic Ware thing," Drexel said, his expression tightening.
Elio paused, taken aback. "You’re underestimating her, Drexel. She’s stronger than you think."
"I know," Drexel admitted, his tone softening as he thought of his sister. "But I still don’t want these ugly things tainting her view of the world."
Elio rolled his eyes, unable to help himself. Then, with a smirk, he threw an arm around Drexel’s shoulders, his voice turning playful. "Fine, we’ll keep it from her. But we still need to figure out how to deal with that Calix family head."
Drexel pushed Elio away, his expression turning serious. "The head of the Calix family will face justice through the military court. It’s not our place to interfere."
Elio raised an eyebrow, thinking how easy it was for Drexel to say that. He rembered the last ti soone crossed the line—the way Drexel dealt with the imposter pretending to be Arix. The so-called trial was hardly impartial, and the outco had been brutal.
The mory of "Raya" being tortured until she was barely recognizable sent a shiver down Elio’s spine.
’Of all the people to anger, they had to pick this sister-obsessed maniac?’ Elio sighed. ’God help them. Maybe next ti around, they’ll make better choices.’
...
Despite a slight hiccup along the way, the warship carrying the Alliance cha team finally made it to the competition site without any major issues.
Five warships, each representing a different nation, all docked at the sa ti on the Empire of Eden’s massive starship carrier. As the doors opened, the cha teams from each country stepped out in neat formations.
Nano-caras, which had been waiting for this exact mont, sprang into action, buzzing around the five teams. These caras captured everything, broadcasting the event live across the interstellar network with perfect clarity.
All around the galaxy, people tuned in to watch.
The Kering family on Hecaris, the Leonidas couple in the Empire, and even the orphans on Planet Waste were all gathered in front of screens, eagerly following the live broadcast.
Fleur, clearly nervous, leaned into Thaddeus, her eyes fixed on the screen as their two children appeared.
Thaddeus gave her shoulder a reassuring pat before turning his own gaze to the broadcast, his expression calm but watchful.
At the orphanage on Planet Waste...
"Look! Sister Gwen, I see Arix!"
"I see her too! Go Arix!"
"Arix is the best, no doubt!"
Sister Gwen smiled warmly as the children’s excited whispers filled the room. She turned her attention to the broadcast, silently cheering, "Go, Arix."
At the the Empire of Sacred Moonlight’s royal palace...
Luna Athyst watched the live feed, her face etched with displeasure as Cassian appeared on screen. "What’s that silly boy doing just standing there? He should at least say hi to Arix!"
Alpha Leonidas chuckled softly at his wife’s comnt before explaining, "Honey, Cassian’s the team leader. He needs to stay focused and lead the team."
"It’s just a small competition. Is that really more important than greeting his wife?" Luna Athyst’s tone dripped with disdain, as if Cassian wasn’t even her own child.
Alpha Leonidas, unfazed by his wife’s grumbling, joined in, "Cassian’s nothing like I was."
Luna Athyst shot her husband a long look but chose not to say anything more.
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