Thorne broke the intense gaze, his eyes drifting away from Octavius's searching stare. He cast a fleeting glance at Otto, standing beside Octavius, before his gaze swept across the rest of Octavius's faction members. A hint of disdain flickered across Thorne's face, and he turned away, maintaining his cold expression.
Octavius, however, remained frozen, his eyes fixed on Thorne's figure, his mind reeling with questions and emotions. The spell was broken only when a sudden, startled cry pierced the air, drawing Octavius's attention back to the challenge. He turned to face the commotion, his heart still heavy with the weight of Thorne's unexpected appearance.
Pandemonium erupted when a blood-soaked individual stumbled out of the cave, sending shockwaves through the crowd.
The individual ran with all his might as he yelled 'I resign' away from the center of the stage.
Octavius's eyes darted anxiously to Nadia, relief washing over him as he saw that she was unharmed. She stood tall, her stance eerily familiar - the same poised demeanor she had displayed during the mage selection trials of the top ten.
As the chaos threatened to escalate, Nadia began to hum a soft, melodious tune. The gentle vibrations of her voice surprisingly calmed the crowd, quieting their panicked murmurs. With slow, deliberate steps, Nadia approached the cave entrance, her humming growing louder. She halted at the threshold, her gaze fixed on the darkness within. The air was heavy with anticipation as the crowd held its collective breath.
Suddenly, a creature began to emerge from the depths of the cave, its presence seeming to draw the very light out of the air. The onlookers watched in rapt horror, their hearts frozen in their chests. But it was not just one creature that emerged - it was two.
A towering Kragg, its imposing form radiating an aura of primal power, slowly came into view. Cradled protectively in the male Kragg's massive hand was a smaller, infant Kragg, its large, round eyes blinking innocently in the bright light. The crowd's collective gasp was audible, their minds reeling at the unexpected sight.
Just before the whistle blew indicating the end of their round, Nadia's name appeared on the ranking board with an "A" classification. She had been able to get to that feat by bringing out the Kragg without even doing as much as getting across the first line.
Still humming, Nadia approached the Kragg, her eyes scanning the creature's massive form. She noticed that the Kragg was injured, fresh blood oozing from its body. It had been struck, but by whom?
Meanwhile, the individuals who had been snatched by the Kragg earlier emerged from the cave, surprisingly unscathed.
As Nadia reached out to inspect the infant Kragg, a sword suddenly materialized in the male Kragg's chest.
Thorne had used his leviathan powers to cast the knife.
Thorne had utilized his Leviathan powers to launch the deadly attack from a distance.
Nadia's humming ceased abruptly, and she gasped in shock. The tranquilizing effect of her humming, which had seemingly calmed the Kragg, was instantly broken. The creature's eyes blazed with fury as it let out a thunderous growl, its massive body tensing for a retaliatory strike.
Just as the Kragg's massive leg was about to come crashing down on Nadia, Otto sprang into action, utilizing his incredible speed talent to snatch her out of harm's way.
In the same instant, Thorne launched his sword at the baby Kragg, but the father Kragg was too quick. With a swift swipe of his hand, he batted the sword aside, protecting his young. However, the Kragg's triumph was short-lived.
Unseen by the Kragg, a second sword had been hurled through the air, its deadly trajectory aimed squarely at the creature's throat. The sword's tip hovered menacingly, freezing the Kragg in place. The creature's massive body teetered for a moment before crashing to the ground, sending shockwaves through the tournament grounds.
The baby Kragg, now separated from its father, struggled to crawl back to the fallen creature. However, Thorne was already poised to strike, preparing to cast another sword at the helpless infant. Anticipating the attack, Octavius swiftly intervened, casting his void talent into the baby Kragg's body.
In the blink of an eye, the baby Kragg vanished into thin air, leaving behind a stunned crowd and a confused Thorne who had already cast his sword, but had missed it's mark due to the baby Kragg's disappearance.
Octavius was equally perplexed, wondering what had just transpired and whether his actions had been successful.
Before he could ponder further, Thorne and his companions began to move menacingly towards where the Architect faction were situated.
"Which one of you is practicing blood magic?" Thorne demanded, his eyes scanning the group as he arrived at their position.
Octavius knew that the unconventional feats they had accomplished would raise suspicions. The people of Wysteria were notorious for their intolerance of anything "different."
When no one responded, Thorne's expression twisted into a menacing grin. "Fine, don't talk. I'll carry out the Purification Rite on you all. And if it detects even a hint of impure magic, residual or otherwise, I'll kill you on the spot."
"You can't do that," Marilyn stuttered, her voice trembling. "Just because we've made an effort to win, you're attributing it to blood magic? And you're not even a member of the council, so you have no authority —"
Thorne's expression darkened as he took menacing steps towards Marilyn, his presence towering over her.
"I am the soon-to-be headmaster and chief mage," he declared. "I can do as I please. And we're going to start by testing the Purification Rite on you." He motioned to one of his companions, who stepped forward with a sinister-looking device.
Octavius stood frozen in horror, as he watched Thorne. The person standing before him, once his closest friend, now seemed like a stranger. The announcement that Thorne would become the chief mage and headmaster sent a pang of anguish through Octavius's heart. He felt as though he'd been punched in the gut.
He can't be the one taking everything from me, Octavius thought, his mind consumed by agony.
Just then, Void materialized at Octavius's side, his presence a silent comfort amidst the chaos.
[We have a problem, ]
Octavius turned to him, assuming he was referring to the baby Kragg. But Void's next words caught him off guard.
[That device they're about to use can detect me, ] Void explained. [However, I know a way to circumvent it. You'll need to cast me into your body. While I can withstand the pain, you can't. So I think it best for you to stand out and feel it all.]
With time running out as Thorne's companion brought forth the Purification Rite device, Octavius nodded in agreement.
[There's something else you should know, ] Void added
Octavius remained silent, waiting for Void to finish speaking.
[Nadia has white hair, ] Void revealed. [She's likely to be taken.]
Octavius's eyes widened in alarm at this revelation. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
[I tried to, ] Void replied simply.
Meanwhile, Thorne approached Marilyn, holding the Purification Rite device adorned with a spell sign. "Hold this for a moment," he instructed, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Marilyn's nervousness was discernible, but she took the device and held it without incident. Thorne's face fell, his disappointment evident.
Undeterred, Thorne handed the device to the rest of the faction members, each of whom held it without triggering a reaction. Finally, it was Nadia's turn.
For the first time since Octavius had met her, he saw a glimmer of fear in her eyes.
She hesitated, then took the device, holding it gingerly. The device remained inert, but Octavius's anxiety lingered.
That had perplexed Void, but he had little time to think about it. His eyes narrowed in confusion as the Purification Rite device, adorned with a spell sign, was handed to him.
Octavius steeled himself for the worst, expecting the device to react violently to Void's presence. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact, but as the seconds ticked by, nothing happened.
When Octavius finally opened his eyes, he was met with Void gazing at the device with an amused expression.
"What is it?" Octavius asked, his curiosity piqued.
Void's gaze remained fixed on the spell sign. [This isn't the right spell sign, ] he pointed. [It looks the same, but it's been altered. And the only person capable of altering spells is...] Void trailed off, his eyes locked onto Octavius.
"Marilyn," Octavius completed.
[It seems we're not the only ones with hidden identities.]