[Nev POV]
Siegfried Forest? Seriously? We were supposed to go to the Beastn continent.
Maybe it was a last minute change but what caused the change? The teachers loved throwing curveballs at us. Fine, whatever. Surprise test, I'd survive. Heck, I'd probably build a magnificent ice castle while I was at it. Survival didn't have to be roughing it.
It could be comfortable to... Plus I have not plans in getting involved in this ACT.
The Act itself wasn't the least bit rewarding and it's only purpose was to harden the Azrael's resolve to murder. Azrael claims that he would cut down any demons he fought without batting an eye. But when it ca to races other than demons his resolve wavered.
Basically one of the students during the summoning of the Eight star bear was planning to do sothing on so vulnerable beautiful students but what he didn't know was that Vera was among those students.
She was injured when she jumped infront of Azrael to take an attack from the bear. Azrael thought that the man was also aiming for Vera. In that mont he snapped and even though they were now hiding from the bear waiting for the teachers to rescue them. Azrael got angry beat up the boy and was almost going to kill him. No, he wanted to kill him.
He made up his mind that so people are just trash and should be gotten rid of quickly.
He vowed to protect his loved ones through any ans. Even if it ant killing.
Oh you might be wandering where the teachers were during this saga. Well they were busy trying to break through the ten star barrier which was set up by an expensive artefact. So they couldn't imdiately resolve the problem.
The purpose of the summoned bear was... Well unknown they never caught the culprit until later when a teacher confessed to it in another ACT as he was caught stealing from the academy's Library and selling it to tge black market.
As for what happened to the pervert well he was sent to the human church for rehabilitation. I think he eventually landed on Seraphina's hands and ... well connect the dots on what happened.
Hours lted away like snowflakes in the midday sun. Nothing happened. No monstrous wolves, no territorial beasts, just and the whispering pines. Maybe the teachers had gone overboard with the "surprise" and changed the entire location. Still, I bet those people's original plan of disrupting the Test is still going to happen. Though there may be slight changes.
Suddenly, a brilliant pillar of light erupted in the distance. It pulsed like a beating heart, then vanished as abruptly as it appeared. Curiosity tugged at , but staying warm and comfy in my ice ho held more appeal. It was probably so grand illusion, one of the teachers summoning a mythical beast or sothing. Not my problem.
Then, the world dissolved around in a flash of blinding light. One second I was in my cozy igloo, the next I was falling through a swirling vortex of colors and disorientation. A booming voice, deep and resonating, echoed sowhere within the chaos. It spoke of tombs, challenges, and rewards, but before I could grasp anything, I landed face-first on cold, hard stone.
Dust filled my lungs as I coughed, scrambling to my feet. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, revealing a cramped, dimly lit corridor. The air hung heavy with dampness and a faint stench of decay. Definitely not my ice castle vision. Fantastic.
Sighing, I brushed myself off. Ti to adjust the "survival" plan. Apparently, it was no longer building a luxurious ice domicile but surviving this… tomb? That's what the booming voice called it, right? Great.
Ninety-seven. I muttered the count under my breath, wiping the sli off my frost-spike. These things weren't much of a challenge – oozing, black blobs with a single glowing eye. More like a nuisance, really. Still, they were the ninety-seventh nuisance I'd dealt with, which ant I was making so progress through this tomb.
The puzzles sprinkled throughout the corridors had been a breeze. A basic test of logic and observation, nothing I couldn't handle.
However, it all felt… pre-programd, like so elaborate video ga. Still, a video ga with slis that squelched and popped when frozen.
And then I saw Topaz.
Topaz. But… not Topaz. The girl standing before was a stranger wearing Topaz's skin. Her once brown hair and eyes had been replaced by a shimring gold, framing a face that had shed its nerdy charm for a steely beauty. It wasn't just her looks though – she radiated power.
A six-star aura, a golden halo of six stars above her form, crackled with raw energy. In her hand, she wielded a peculiar blade. It looked like a katana, but not one I'd ever seen before. Its smooth black surface had a deadly elegance, accented by swirling golden patterns. Below her, the brutal testant to her power – the mangled corpse of a seven-star minotaur.
Hacked, sliced, cleaved… so parts, like the tail and fingers, were diced to a horrifying degree. Despite the grueso scene, not a single drop of blood marred Topaz, or rather, "Golden Topaz," or her weapon. A display of absolute mastery.
"You…" she began, her voice a mix of surprise and suspicion. "I can finally see 'you.' Why the disguise? Are you like ? Hiding from sothing? Soone? Tell !"
Her eyes – they were her biggest giveaway. The usually calm brown orbs were now a frenzy of emotions. Wide and manic, her pupils dilated and contracted erratically. And then, the blush. A crimson flush crept up her golden cheeks, a stark contrast to the composed warrior she presented.
The crazed look was both frightening and confusing. She held the sword at , her voice laced with a desperate edge. "No," she hissed, "Now that you've seen … I can't risk you telling anyone. Blackmail is… ssy. Only silence is permanent."
The next part was. "I found out," she said, voice teetering on the edge of a breakdown, "that killing makes problems go away… fast. Unless you're important. Then things get… complicated."
The entire monologue was a whirlwind. Half-whispered thoughts intermixed with chilling threats. It was as if she was having a self monologue as well as talking to at the sa ti. Yet, through it all, I held my ground, a silent observer. There was a morbid fascination in watching her. Though she held the sharp end of the argunt, I could feel the tension in her.
She was on edge, constantly checking my every move, trying to gauge my reaction.
Topaz's golden eyes narrowed. "You have sothing to hide," she snarled, her voice gaining a dangerous edge. "aning you have sothing to lose."
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. "Not necessarily," I countered, inwardly impressed by her ability to see through vampiric shapeshifting. "But still, kudos on picking that up."
She ignored my lightheartedness. "But since you saw ," her voice hitched for a second, "I have to kill you. Maybe… maybe the backlash…." Her voice trailed off, the last part mumbled under her breath. "I'll just leave the academy. Go and hide sowhere."
I rolled my eyes internally. There was no way she could think hiding would solve anything. "There's nowhere you can hide," I thought grimly, "if, and that's a very big if, you manage to kill . My mother will go on a rampage."
Topaz took a deep breath, her golden aura flaring brighter. A solid resolve hardened her features as she lunged at , her black katana humming with dark energy. "Neveah, this ti I won't hold back," she declared, her voice echoing in the tomb chamber, "so just give your life… please die."
I sighed, a cold realization settling over . "Golden Topaz" was right. There was no bluffing her way out of this. "I won't hold back as well," I muttered, eting her charge with a chilling resolve of my own and countered he attacked sending her sliding back so distance.
***********
[Third person Pov]
Neveah's sigh morphed into a growl as Topaz lunged. His casual facade lted away, replaced by the cold fury of a cornered predator. With a snap of his fingers, the illusory disguise dissolved, revealing his true form.
Tall and broad-shouldered, he stood in stark contrast to his initial 'small' self. His black hair, usually tad and unassuming, now flowed wildly around his face, framing eyes blazing a nacing crimson. The change was startling, but it didn't end there.
A wave of his hand sent a frigid gust through the tomb, sending a shiver down Topaz's spine despite her burning aura. The chamber's temperature dropped noticeably as Neveah summoned his weapon. An intricate ice spear materialized in his hand, thick and imposing. Its blade shimred with a chilling blue light, a stark contrast to the golden glow emanating from Topaz.
But the ice wasn't the only elent at play. As Neveah tightened his grip, a black vein-like pattern crawled across the spear's surface, twisting and turning like a shadowy serpent. The ice spear, initially beautiful, now resembled a deadly on. It grew heavier, nearly matching Neveah's height, its tip crackling with an unseen energy that resonated with the darkness swirling around Topaz's katana.
The playful facade gone, Neveah stood poised, the embodint of a warrior. He wasn't just powerful, he was a predator ready to defend his life – and his secret. Gone were the days of holding back. Topaz might have awakened so dormant strength, but Neveah, was a monster, his strength couldn't just be gauged by stars at this point. Two years ago he was taking on psuedo 7 stars.
What change would have happened in his journey through the continent? The two stood an impending clash was definitely promised.
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