Chapter 435: Chapter 435- Festival 166- The Sun Cot 15
The grueso battle’s afthermath lay bare for all to see.
Cracks ford in its hemisphere as it was slowly absorbed by the darkness of oblivion.
Rifts ford in the sky and land as the Academy bled to death.
Its spread was nearly imperceptible— slow, surreal, and barely noticeable to the human eye.
But its destruction was undeniable.
The Horic Academy for Gifted Children will fall.
Despite this crisis at hand, and the empty spaces that were once filled with students, two significantly important figures sat back to back while their bodies were drenched in the rain.
Jane Lucia and Darrell Silvan.
They were the perpetrators of the now-dead Professor, Roland Sunrise.
His body was pinned like a war trophy a few feet away with a spear.
Stabbed through with a torrent of swords that pierced his every being.
It was difficult to imagine the thod of his death, and perhaps better that one didn’t.
The grueso sight did nothing to leave a drastically fearso impression on those who couldn’t stomach it.
The perpetrators, though…didn’t seem to care.
If anything, Roland had it coming.
“His death was quite anti–climactic.”
His voice snapped Jane’s thoughts.
The divine son glanced at the scene Darrell was observing.
“You ca at him in full power when I had pulled him down a bit…” he arched his brow with a satisfied smirk. “What did you expect?”
“Well…” Darrell muttered for a bit, then stopped.
He glanced away and adjusted his posture.
Sighing heavily in the cold night.
Jane did the sa.
His head tilted upwards as the rain licked his skin, clean.
Blood and wounds.
Washed away by the intent of the downpour.
He blinked, images flashing before his eyes.
Visual images replaying in front of his irises.
His gaze narrowed at the thought.
“What was that last move?”
Jane had seen it in a blur.
A sudden spell that had turned the tide completely.
Overwheld Roland in a startling display of power, and downright impaled him with flying swords.
It was a horrific sight, but…it was beautiful.
“What move?” Darrell asked as he strained his head to glance back.
This mont was a ti of relapse. Of rest.
Just until they arose to begin their task of finding the others.
Darrell relished it as much as he could.
Making minimum movents with any slight need of it.
“The one where the swords stread through the skies….you called it Descent of the Sword Works.”
“Oh. Spirit Elf Magic; Chapter 55.”
Darrell said with a slight amusent in his tone.
“What about it? Are you intrigued by it?”
Jane sat silent for a mont.
His thoughts reeled in before he replied.
“It’s a spell from that grimoire. The Silvan’s Heirloom.”
Darrell flinched. Just a bit.
The Heirloom was an artifact passed down generations of Elvin Royalty.
It wasn’t a matter that he could just share with anyone— especially with a son from one of the Great Families.
But then…
‘Jane isn’t just anyone to anymore.’
The tides had changed. Bonds had ford.
The past was being re–written.
For years, the Great Families had been wary of one another.
Desperate to hold their own in the world and are selfish in achieving their own interests.
But now…
‘Jane is a friend. A damn good one at that.’
They had fought together. Argued together. Ate together. Sat together.
They were no longer enemies.
Still…
‘The Heirloom isn’t sothing to be conversed with outsiders.’
It didn’t an he would leave his friend hanging, though.
“Hah, Co on, Jane.” He said with a cheerful tone in his voice. A chuckle escaped his lips.
“Our grimoire is just as efficient as the Lucia’s gift. The gift to use the powers of the gods.”
Jane scoffed. “You idiot.” He stated, coolly.
Then, with a low tone, he muttered.
“…only ten per cent.”
The words to anyone would have been re gibberish swallowed by the torrent of rain.
But to Darrell who sat next to him, it was news.
“Yo–You shouldn’t revea”–
“Oh, please.”
Jane cut him off with a sigh of resignation.
“It’s evident that we no longer perceive ourselves as enemies.”
The golden-haired glanced into the distance.
A voice was projecting in his head. Raph’s.
It was the sa statent he made that day. That one impossible goal he shrugged off at the ti.
“Perhaps harmony within the Great Families….isn’t so far fetched…”
The statent lingered.
And the world stood quiet.
No response ca from either. No statent or jab at the absurdity of the matter.
Because despite it being nothing more than a delusion, it had begun to take root in their hearts.
And that…beca living proof.
They both sighed in unison.
Relaxing further. Easing the tension in their limbs and joints…until they didn’t.
Splooch. Splooch.
The sounds ca subtly. But they were there, and it sparked the boys to alertness.
Splooch. Splooch. Splooch.
Incoming footsteps.
The duo glanced at one another, then stood in unison.
“Ready to fight again?”
Darrell’s cheerful voice projected in the air.
“Hah.” Jane scoffed. “You focus on trying to keep up.”
Just then, the footsteps ended, and the source erged.
“Oh.”
The familiar voice caught them off guard.
Soon, another figure erged.
“Were there still others?”
Her tone dripped with curiosity, before her gaze flashed with recognition.
“Darrell Silvan. Jane Lucia.” She called, slowly.
“Why are you still here?”
The duo glanced at one another and then at Raph and his sister, Thalia.
Their expressions tensed. Then.
“Where the fuck have you been, Jun?”
“Jeez, Raph, seriously. Where the hell were you all this ti?”
“I nearly died, man!”
“Darrell kept making mistakes because of his crush! He nearly got us both killed.”
Darrell froze. His expression turned stern and he whipped his head towards Jane.
“HEY!”
The latter burst into a fit of laughter.
Raph and Thalia watched in silence for a mont, before their faces dissolved into satisfied smiles.
They glanced at each other, then at the duo.
“You two are farther from the rest. They’ve all evacuated.”
Raph said as he pointed backwards with his thumb.
Darrell arched his brow.
“All of them?”
Thalia tilted her head.
“Most have departed. Only a few like ourselves remain.”
“The Portals were projected in that direction where most of the students were present, but we were told two more appeared around the Academy’s Hostel Complex,” Raph interjected.
Darrell chuckled. “You an what’s left of it.”
Jane smiled at his jab while Raph grinned.
“Enough from you two. Be on your way.”
He turned around to walk away when he froze mid–step, his expression turning grim.
A mont of silence lingered as they all turned to what he had stopped to look at.
A slight look of surprise etched its way to Thalia’s expression, but it was quickly controlled to shut it off.
She recognised him instantly.
The man was struck by swords and hung like a flag pole.
“Professor Roland was one of them, huh?” She stated.
A sort of bitter taste in her tongue as she said so.
“Yeah…he was adamant,” Darrell said with a sigh.
“And racist too,” Jane interjected with a scornful look on his face. “Good riddance.” He added.
Darrell broke into a fit of laughter at his statent, while Raph continued to stare at it.
He had tuned the others out.
Completely absorbed by the sight.
‘Impressive.’
He thought.
“Was this before or after the Mana Reflux?”
The question ca like a bolt, and they reacted as such.
Jane and Darrell flared their eyes open.
“Wait…what?” Darrell muttered.
Jane narrowed his gaze. “A Mana Reflux…”
He bent low. “So that was it…”
Raph tilted his head slightly.
“You…you guys didn’t know about it?”
He was increasingly intrigued.
Who didn’t know about this phenonon?
Jane shook his head.
“We noticed Darrell couldn’t draw in mana nor store it, and I had difficulty controlling most of the potency of my divine mana, but it had not crossed our mind that it was from external influence.”
Thalia chuckled.
“It’s expected. Most first years don’t know of this theory.
It’s sothing only inquisitive minds learn, or a topic taught in your third year.”
She turned to Raph.
“You’re just an anomaly.”
“Sister?!” Raph was exasperated.
It was true, but it didn’t change the fact that he was.
She ignored him. Turned around and signalled for them to co with.
“Ti waits for no one. We must make sure everyone has departed before Mrs Kira carries on with her plans.”
Jane and Darrell froze.
“Ki– Kira?!”
Darrell stamred.
“Do–Don’t tell …” Jane muttered under his breath before he let the reality dawn on him.
“Kira rlin?”
Who else would be referred to as “Mrs. Kira” if not the Witch of the West?
It was a subtle guess, but if there was soone capable of summoning mass portals and leading the evacuation, who else if not her?
“Yes,” Raph replied with a bitter taste. Hesitation played a coil with his stature as he gripped his fist tightly.
Her existence worried him.
Not just her– every Household Head was a threat.
Every Patriarch and Matriarch of the Great Families were capable of mass destruction.
Experience. Battle instincts. Energy levels.
They had it all.
It was difficult to admit, but even as a 9th Star, he wouldn’t stand a chance against any of them.
‘But…if put on my level…would I still win?’
The question lingered before he comnced.
Taking step after step towards their desired goals.
Without their father, Michaelo Jun, he was reminded once again how vulnerable they were to external elents.
‘Perhaps it is ti…’
A long ti ago.
When he battled with the instincts of revenge and control.
A ti he had fought himself, and his father who had seen it all.
The promise bonded in blood.
‘Should I contact the others…’
He lingered slowly as their pace increased.
Silence suffused the air while Darrell and Jane followed after them.
They knew her na was a sensitive topic for most, but especially for Raph.
She was more than a threat. She was a foe.
His foe.
So, after his reply, they stayed quiet. Observed and followed.
Raph was left to his thoughts.
His conclusion was drawn with finality.
‘The other Juns.’
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