The cafeteria was so quiet you could almost hear hearts pounding in the tension-filled room. Every eye was fixed on the two young men standing face to face: Pyris, calm yet seething with controlled rage, and Ragna, smirking in a way that begged for a punch.
The anticipation in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"What might that be—" Ragna began, his tone condescending, but Pyris cut him off mid-sentence, his voice sharp and icy.
"I'm surprised—and disappointed—that the academy allows filth like you to roam freely," Pyris interrupted, his words landing like a slap. Ragna's face twitched, his smile vanishing as a flicker of anger passed through his blood-red eyes.
But Pyris wasn't finished. Before Ragna could retaliate, Pyris pressed on. "The academy turns a blind eye to your behavior because you're a royal. Untouchable, are you? Well, I'm not the academy, you street trash. I won't stand by while you lay your filthy hands on my family."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Pyris's voice grew colder with every word. The crowd was frozen, a mix of awe and fear rippling through them as they sensed the intensity of what was about to unfold.
Ragna's smugness cracked, his face hardening into an ugly scowl, and a low growl escaped his lips as a bloody aura began to seep from his body.
The weaker students, especially those under Rank 3, visibly trembled, their bodies reacting to the oppressive energy spilling out of Ragna.
Seeing the development, the bossy girl ordered for popcorns, she could as well enjoy the entertainment as it lasted.
___
Unfazed, Pyris continued, driving the knife deeper. "You think you can hit my sister because she rejected you? Because you can get away with it? You're so disgusting and don't deserve to be called a man, and I won't let you go away with it!" Pyris's words struck Ragna like a crack of thunder. His rage flared, and his eyes glowed an even deeper crimson.
"You dare, fucking Obsidian!" he bellowed, his voice like a storm, sending shockwaves through the air. The atmosphere became suffocating, thick with tension.
His outburst stunned the crowd. No one had expected him to be so shameless, so vile.
"Very well!" With a burst of blinding speed, Ragna kicked off the ground, moving faster than anyone below Rank 5 could follow.
'Slow!' Pyris whispered within his mind, triggering his superspeed ability. The world around him decelerated. Time itself seemed to warp, though it was no magic at play-just the sheer velocity of his speed ability.
In this state, everything crawled while Pyris moved freely, unhindered.
But Ragna's vampiric speed was monstrous, and in an instant, he appeared before Pyris, his fist barreling forward with raw, untamed power. Rage fueled his punch, the air itself trembling under the force.
Pyris was faster, but the oppressive aura of a Rank 6 weighed on him, making it hard to outmaneuver Ragna completely.
Even so, he managed to sidestep, narrowly avoiding the strike. His hands clasped casually behind his back, his mind racing, calculating his next move.
Slap!
The sound echoed like a thunderclap throughout the cafeteria as Pyris delivered a sharp backhand to Ragna's face. The impact shocked the onlookers.
He wasn't done yet.
With a swift kick, Pyris hit Ragna's leg, catching him in the back of the knee.
Ragna buckled, crashing into an empty table, his face landing squarely in a plate of food. Pyris darted backward, quickly widening the distance between them, ready to exploit his speed should Ragna rise for a counterattack.
As time resumed its normal pace for Pyris as his ability made it seem like everything was in a slow motion, the cafeteria erupted in gasps.
In just two seconds, Pyris had humiliated Ragna-one of the vampire princes, a Rank 6, brought low in front of everyone.
"You dare!!!" Ragna roared, his voice laced with murderous intent. A torrent of blood-tinged mana surged from him, an overwhelming wave of energy that sent weaker students and tables flying.
Pyris, though faster, was shoved backward, skidding across the floor. The air thickened again, dense with malice.
"Die!" Ragna shouted, and countless threads of blood magic, wove together, forming thick cords of lethal blood energy. They shot toward Pyris with terrifying speed.
Pyris's face darkened, his mind racing for a solution. The sheer force behind the attack already gnawed at him, his skin tingling with impending danger.
He doubted he could avoid that attack!
Just as the deadly cords of energy were about to strike, a massive grey shield suddenly materialized, blocking his view. At the same moment, the blood magic evaporated, disintegrating into nothing as soon as it touched the shield's aura.
Ragna's attack had been neutralized.
There she stood-the student president, holding a grey crystal in her hand, her aura commanding the space.
"Student president!" murmured the crowd, voices filled with respect, the boosy girl from before.
"You never learn, do you, Ragna?" she said, her voice sharp and authoritative. "The academy strictly forbids magical combat in unauthorized areas."
Ragna clicked his tongue in irritation. "He started it!" he snapped, pointing at Pyris. His casual tone didn't match the gravity of the moment, it was clear, he was familiar with her.
"I saw everything, Ragna," she replied, her voice cold and unwavering. "He may have provoked you, but Pyris didn't use magic. You did. And honestly, how long are you going to harass Aurelia with your unreciprocated affection?"
The crowd murmured in disgust. Her words confirmed what Pyris had hinted at earlier, deepening their revulsion toward Ragna.
"Ragna Count Dracula, you are hereby judged," the president declared, her gaze fierce. "You'll follow me now, or be forced to."
Ragna's eyes flicked towards the boosy girl's friends and a muscular man standing near the exit. The man waved mockingly at him. Ragna clicked his tongue again, defeated for now, and nodded.
He wasn't about to challenge the Enforcers in front of everyone.
The student president turned toward Pyris, a rare smile touching her lips. Without even looking back at Ragna, she gestured for him to follow her.
As she passed by Pyris, her shoulder brushed against his, and she discreetly slipped a note into his hand.
She strode out of the cafeteria, with Ragna and his lackeys trailing behind her like scolded dogs.
Pyris watched her leave, staring at her retreating figure as the murmurs and whispers among the students grew louder.
Then, suddenly, the cafeteria erupted in cheers. The students broke into heated conversations, buzzing with the aftermath of the fight.
None of them dared approach Pyris, except for one- his sister.
She was already making her way toward him.
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Power stones readers