The Return Of The Exiled Villain

After the fight against Curry, Gray stopped the challenge there as he didn’t need anything more, and doubted that another person with divinity would appear anytime soon.

It had been a week since then, and Gray didn’t find anyone who also had divinity on their body, which quite disappointed him.

He also started the same challenge two more times, but no one actually dared to step into the arena.

It was quite a pity for him since he wanted to test the strength of those third years.

”Huugh~”

A satisfied sigh slipped past his lips as Lyra gently massaged his shoulders, with a happy grin splattered across her face.

”That was delightful,” Gray stated as he sat up, rolling his shoulders lightly.

”I’m happy that you’re satisfied, chuu!” Lyra fell into his arms, planting a quick kiss on his lips, before snuggling herself into his strong arm.

Currently, they were lying on the vast green field of the academy’s garden.

They had just had a picnic with just the two of them, and were currently just enjoying each other’s company.

The afternoon drifted by without hurry.

Lyra tugged him up from the grass a little later, her fingers laced with his as she insisted on walking through the garden paths.

She kept close, swinging their joined hands with quiet joy, occasionally leaning into him as if checking whether he was still there.

”You scare everyone,” she said, smiling up at him.

”But you are gentle with me. I really like that~”

”I am selective,” Gray glanced down at her with a faint smile.

She laughed at his words and pressed her shoulder against his arm again.

They stopped by a small pond where sunlight trembled across the water, lily pads drifting slowly and lazily.

Lyra crouched to touch the surface, watching the ripples spread, then looked back at him with eyes full of warmth.

”Sit with me,” she grabbed his hand lightly.

They shared the stone edge to the point of their knees brushing against each other.

From then on, Lyra talked about nothing important at all.

She rambled about classes she barely listened to, teachers who spoke too long, and how she kept losing focus halfway through lectures. She drifted from topic to topic with easy warmth, mentioning a dessert she wanted to try later, then complaining about how strange her class felt.

”There are no girls,” she said, pouting slightly.

”Except me and Katia. Everyone else is a boy.”

Gray’s lips twitched.

After all, he was the only boy surrounded by girls in his own class.

”Oh!” Lyra suddenly straightened, her eyes lighting up. ”Did you hear? The fifth-year students are coming back from a really high-grade dungeon!”

”The fifth-year students?” Gray asked calmly.

”Yup! People say some of them are already at the peak of the King realm!” She nodded quickly, excitement spilling over.

”They went into a king-grade dungeon and only came out after two whole months!”

”Really?”

”Mhm, mhm!”

[Gray.]

’Do you need something?’

[Lyra’s divinity suddenly got a spike, to the point of even rivaling those of a low-tier god. Those gods inside of her must be planning something.]

Hearing Jasmine’s words, Gray’s eyes chilled lightly as he gazed down at Lyra.

She did not notice.

”Oh, and there is going to be a Student Ball on Friday night!” she continued happily. ”They are inviting every student from all academies. It will be hosted here!”

”A ball?”

”It is for the academy’s fifteenth-year anniversary,” Lyra added with a huge smile.

”Everyone is going.”

’A student’s ball? Isn’t that the perfect place for me to encounter people with divinity? Gods do tend to prioritize finding someone young so they can train them early...’

His lips curled up darkly.

”GRAY!!!”

A sudden shout of his name caught his attention; he sat up from the grass and turned directly to the source of the sound.

Ronan came into view at full speed, hair disheveled, breath tearing out of his chest as if his lungs were on fire.

”Haagh... ugh... fu... G-Gray...!”

Gray did not move to help him.

”What is it? And why are you so tired?” he asked flatly, raising an eyebrow.

Ronan bent forward, hands braced on his knees, sucking in air until his vision steadied. Then he looked up, hiseyes wide with panic.

”T-that...” Ronan took a deep breath before continuing,

”M-Maelis is in a fight to the death with the first princess! And she seems to be losing... You need to do something!”

”A death fight?!” his eyes widened in complete surprise.

’...What the fuck is wrong with her?!’

”Lead the way,” his eyes turned significantly colder.

Ronan did not waste another second.

He spun and started running again, leading the way.

”Wait for me, Gray!” Lyra hurriedly shoved the cloth, basket, and remaining food into the small picnic bag, slinging it over her shoulder before rushing after them, worry flashing across her face.

They cut through the academy grounds at speed, drawing stares as they passed.

They reached the arena, and it was strangely packed.

Students crowded the seats, their voices overlapping in tense excitement, fear, and disbelief.

And suddenly... Gray felt a quite grand amount of strong aura.

’...Peak of the King realm?’

’The fifty-years are already back?’

Despite that, he pushed their presence aside and quickly looked over to the arena.

BOOOOM!

The arena floor was soaked in chaos.

Steel screamed against invisible pressure as Seraph pressed forward, sword blazing with sharp, silver sword qi that carved the air with every swing.

Each step she took sent thin arcs slicing outward, tearing lines into the stone and forcing Maelis back again and again.

”Aghk!” Maelis staggered.

Her long black hair clung to her face and neck, soaked dark with sweat and blood.

Strands stuck to her lips as she breathed hard, chest rising unevenly. One sleeve hung in tatters, fabric shredded by near misses, skin beneath bruised deep purple.

Blood slid from a cut along her brow, trailing down past her green eye and dripping onto the cracked arena floor.

Fwishhh!

Her gravity magic pulsed wildly.

The ground beneath Seraph buckled, pressure surging upward in violent waves, trying to crush bone and pin movement.

And yet, Seraph did not slow down.

She stepped through the pressure with clenched teeth, sword qi flaring brighter, wrapping her blade like a living edge.

With a sharp twist of her wrist, she cut downward.

FWIP!

The arc of qi split through the gravity field and struck Maelis square across the torso.

THUD!

Maelis flew backward and crashed hard into the ground, skidding across stone until her body rolled to a stop.

”C-cough, cough, d-dammit!” She coughed, blood spraying from her mouth, fingers twitching as she tried to push herself up.

”M-Maelis...!” Lyra screamed in complete panic.

”Huff...!”

Maelis forced herself to her knees, shaking, palms pressed to the floor as gravity surged again in a desperate pulse.

The air around Seraph distorted, pressure stacking thick and heavy.

”...You are wasting strength,” she coldly spoke, lifting her sword once again.

Fwoop!

She lunged, and in response, Maelis instantly raised her hand, gravity snapping upward in a tight, crushing sphere.

Fwip, fwip, fwip!

Seraph sliced straight through it, sword qi screaming as it shattered the spell like glass.

Three consecutive strikes that landed cleanly, carving shallow but brutal wounds across Maelis’s side and shoulder.

Splat!

Blood splattered the ground, her body twisting under the force, cries tearing loose as she stumbled and fell again.

”Tell me... how does it feel?” Seraph suddenly asked, using the tip of her feet to lift off Maelis’s chin.

”Does it feel good?” she asked once again.

Maelis gritted her teeth at her words, as she moved her hand to conjure a spell, but was intercepted!

Splurt!

”HAAARGHHHH!”

The tip of Seraph’s sword pierced right to the middle of her backhand, causing Maelis to shout loudly in pain.

”Why are you screaming...? Gray must have suffered a lot more pain, and yet, at a simple wound like that, you’re already screaming?”

Her eyes were locked with Maelis’s green ones.

”Cough...”

Maelis coughed once and then scoffed.

A thin, broken sound slipped past her bloodied lips, followed by a low laugh that grew louder despite the pain tearing through her body.

Seraph’s brows knit together for a brief instant.

”What’s so funny, huh?”

Maelis lifted her head with effort, long black hair hanging loose and matted against her face.

Blood dripped from her chin, pattering softly against the stone, yet her green eyes burned bright with something vicious.

”You,” Maelis said, laughter bubbling again.

”You’re standing there pretending this is justice.”

Seraph’s grip tightened.

Maelis laughed harder, her shoulders shaking despite the sword still pinning her hand.

”Gray suffered,” she continued in a venomous tone.

”He suffered more times than I can count. So tell me...” Her eyes locked onto Seraph’s.

”Where were you?”

Seraph froze.

”Where were you when he needed protection?” Maelis went on, smile twisting cruelly.

”When he needed someone to stand in front of him. Or at least someone to stay... or even, simply someone to listen~”

Her laughter rang out again.

”You were not there,” Maelis whispered.

”Not once.”

Seraph’s jaw clenched.

”I do not even know why you are doing this now,” Maelis said, coughing blood between words.

”It can’t change the past~”

She laughed again.

”AHAHAWAHGAHA!”

BOOOOOOOM!

At those venomous words, something snapped.

Seraph’s eyes darkened as fury surged through her, sword qi swelling violently around her blade, roaring and unstable.

The pressure slammed outward, forcing the air to scream as she raised her sword high.

”Shut it!”

The killing intent flooded the arena.

Her blade trembled, qi flaring brighter as she prepared to bring it down and end it in a single strike.