Lucivar and Leandra exchange a nod.
As expected, because of their earlier argunt, Axel was still sitting in the parking lot right under the street light. He hadn't co back in yet—his expression reeked of lancholy, seemingly deep in gloomy thoughts.
It was obvious that the fight with Elira was getting to him.
However, it was unclear whether he was sad or sothing else entirely.
Upon taking a closer look, however, Lucivar noticed that he wasn't gloomy but panicking instead.
Just the sight of Axel's expression alone told Lucivar what he needed to know.
He liked what he was seeing.
'Going through the main gate like this is very risky,' Lucivar pondered as he glanced to the side at the CCTVs that were facing the main gate but all of them were now tilted slightly upward, capturing only the roof of the guard posts. 'However, with Leandra's telekinesis, she could easily tilt them all up. Now we are in the clear but we still need to be fast'
Not wasting a single second, Lucivar's eyes glowed erald.
He cast an ability, the Major Morphing ability and shapeshift his face into another's.
It wasn't random—Lucivar used the mohawk man's face.
"Keep a lookout," Lucivar instructed as he glanced at Leandra sharply. "I'll trust you to have my back"
Noticing the sarcasm in his tone, Leandra sneered.
But as Lucivar was about to move, she stopped him—barring his way with her hand.
"Not yet, there's still one more CCTV—watching over the parking lot," Leandra warned, nudging her chin at the CCTV at the other corner of the parking lot, quite far away from them. "I need to get closer or else that guy, Axel is going to notice my ether"
As she said that, both of them sneaked to the bushes on the side—avoiding the CCTV's view and Axel.
anwhile, inside the academy's main building.
It was a long day for Clara—she had been teaching practical combat to students and now had only finished grading tests from the second and third-year students. All she wanted the most right now was to go back ho and call it a night.
Cleaning her room and putting the necessities in her bag, she began preparing to leave.
But it was then her phone rang.
"Who is it now…?" She mumbled tiredly, taking out her phone from her bag—recognizing the caller, and placing it—beside her ear. "Do you know what ti is it? It better be sothing important… I am very tired right now"
Upon hearing what the person on the other side said, Clara frowned.
"You suspected soone is tampering with the CCTV angles? No, no students dare to do that, and with the increased number of patrols. We even used the academy hunters to make up the quota. I'm positive that there's no more intruders," She refuted dismissively. "Go—and send a team to check. Do I need to tell you everything you need to do?"
As soon as she said that, she ended the call and began stacking and tidying the papers.
Ten minutes later, another call ca through.
"What is it this ti?!" She yelled, beginning to feel irritated—but that irritation stopped. "Huh? What do you an all of the viable guards were uncontactable? How is that possible? Fine, et there. I will send the puppets"
Once the call ended, Clara put down her phone and sat back down on her chair.
She realized that she must've underestimated the situation.
Closing her eyes, an aura that was hued by a mixture of crimson and white surged around her like vapor as she accessed the ether core hidden inside the academy ground—the construct that kept the academy going.
Clara was one of the highest rank officers, she had the authority to the ether core.
Other than her, only two other people could access the ether core—Victor and the principal.
Upon grasping the power of the ether core, her focus deepened as her consciousness was transferred to one of the Kalvins outside near the guard compound not too far away from the admission office, "Let's see if there are any rats around. If there was, I'd go there myself"
Back to the parking lot.
"Shit…" Axel mumbled, sitting on the ground while leaning against a motorcycle.
Both of his hands were pulling on his hair in frustration.
His eyes darted left and right, the thoughts racing in his mind were so loud that people might be able to hear them if they were close enough, "What made her change her mind? Is it Thalia? Elira beca a lot different once that bitch knew. Shit… Shit… Shit! What am I going to do now?"
Axel was teetering on the border between sanity and insanity.
He was visibly stressed.
"It's alright… everything is alright…" He inhaled deeply, convincing himself that everything was fine and dine as he gazed upward to the starry night. "I'm going to be alright and I can definitely do this. I'll take it slower, it's not over yet"
Creak!
"Hmm…?" Axel looked down when he heard the creaking sound of tal.
Glancing at the sound's direction, he frowned when he saw nobody.
He only saw another street light with a CCTV that was weirdly pointing to the sky.
Swish!
Just then, his head snapped to the opposite side at a big decorative tree that was shaped into a sphere.
"I should get back…" He mumbled and stood up.
For so reason, he could sense soone watching him from behind that tree and it made him uneasy.
As soon as he turned around, a shiver ran down his spine.
Axel snapped his head to look at his behind and saw a muscular man with mohawk hair rushing at him with incredible speed. Raising his guard, he blocked a vicious punch by crossing his arms but the force pushed him back several ters.
'An academy hunter? No… an assassin? Is he from the Crimson Wolf Clan?!' He exclaid inside.
Just the academy hunter uniform the man was wearing alone made Axel's mind spiral.
Giving no ti for him to breathe, the man charged ahead once again—beginning a vicious assault.
In a blur of motion, much faster than Axel was accustod to—the man unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike deliberate and crushing. Axel dodged—and weaved, his movents frantic but very precise.
He tried keeping up but as he blocked a kick that he couldn't dodge, the gap beca evident.
From the power behind the man's blow, it was clear that he was stronger.
Gritting his teeth, he leaped back just as a vertical fist hamred down, cracking the asphalt where he had stood—monts before. The ground splintered, and Axel froze for a heartbeat, his mind racing to decipher the man's intent, "Are you from the Crimson Wolf Clan? This is the academy's ground. Do you think you'll get away with this?!" He barked.
But instead of answering, the attacker's cold gaze locked onto his.
Slowly, the man rose to his feet—his presence suffocating.
Feeling the amount of danger that was coming from the man, Axel sweated a little.
"Co on, man… I'm not taking any part in this!" He exclaid—this ti, his voice was pleading.
Swoosh!
Ignoring Axel entirely, the man's speed surges.
Axel's eyes widened as the distance between them vanished in an instant.
Panic flared, and realizing that he was in this for real, he wasted no ti to activate his ability.
Visibly, his arms shimred with a tallic sheen as he crossed them to block a devastating punch.
Bam!!
Receiving the punch with his ability only lessened the impact barely, the impact reverberated through his bones, numbing his arms despite the tal coating. His boots skidded across the pavent as he lifted his gaze in utter shock.
"A green-grade bloodline—the Magi Knight Hybrid," the man nodded in a pleasant surprise.
Ignoring the praise, Axel glanced to the main gate of the academy.
He was desperate for the guards, desperate for so help but the lot was empty—he was alone.
Nobody would be able to help him and he was for sure couldn't outpace the man.
'I should've gone back… I forgot that the Crimson Wolf Clan was after her…' Axel cursed himself as he realized his mistake. He should've known better, he shouldn't have lingered—he wasn't a part of the Feradith Family but his closeness to Elira had made him a target.
The Crimson Wolf Clan was relentless, and now he was paying the price for his carelessness.
His gaze then snapped back to the man.
Axel couldn't help but gulp harshly, the man's combat aura swelled—an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, one that was perfectly settled into his power. Just the sheer aura alone, his stomach dropped, there was no way he could beat the man.
'Fuck! I need to get out of here!!' He exclaid inside.
Sparing no more thought, Axel turned and bolted for the gate out of desperation.
But within two steps, a fist drilled into his stomach, forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips.
"Guarkh!" His eyes widened and bulged.
Even though the patrols were increased, there was still an assassin disguised as an academy hunter.
Gasping, Axel recovered quickly—he grabbed the man's arm but was stunned when he saw another fist heading straight to his face. In the nick of ti, his face hardened into tal as it slamd hard into his cheek.
Axel was thrown away—the force shattered his nose and cheekbone despite the tallic skin.
Crash!
He crashed onto the asphalt, pain radiating through his body as the man lood closer.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins—he struggled to his feet but the man already grabbed him by the head and kneed him onto his stomach before following with a hamr fist to his back, planting him on the ground and destroying any hope of retaliation.
"Bla yourself for being close with Elira…" the man mumbled, preparing to land the finishing blow.
Axel looked at the man through a blood-streaked vision.
'Forgive , brother…' He thought inside regretfully. 'But I think this is it for '
Just as Axel threw in the towel at life, surrendering to the mont of despair—a flicker of hope appeared as the man was suddenly hurled forward—and crashed onto the fence. Finding that the finishing blow never ca, Axel opened his eyes and saw a woman rushing to his aid.
She was beautiful, the most beautiful in fact—her deep purple hair lustered under the moonlight.
"Get up!" Leandra said sternly. "Let's get you inside. I'll deal with that man"
Leandra supported Axel and brought him inside without wasting a precious second.
On the other hand, sitting by the fence was the mohawk man—his illusionary appearance lted and revealed Lucivar's face. He wiped the blood drizzling down the corner of his lips and smiled, "I know I told her to save Axel but she didn't need to hit that hard…"
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