289 New fate

BOOM! The clash cracks the ground, slowly opening it up. "You again... You should know your place by now," Ri mumbles with his husky voice, his eyes narrowing at Lúthien who stands defiant before him. "I won't lose to you again," she says through gritted teeth, blocking his fist with her sword.

She jumps back, but Ri rushes forward, relentless. "If you're going to join the fight, stop backing up like a fox," he growls, throwing another punch, only for Uda to intervene, casting a magic shield just in time. "Shut the hell up, you damn demi-human. If you weren't so difficult, we wouldn't need to do this," she states sharply, her breath heaving with exertion.

Ri rubs his temples, his frustration visible. 'This girl is making it difficult for me, her spell casts are quick and stable,' he thinks, pushing his feet into the ground and charging at Uda. "Hmm... is it a generational thing for kids to be disrespectful? You kids all curse and disrespect others with nothing but curses," he mumbles, appearing in front of Uda with a thunderous BOOM!

Lúthien grits her teeth as she intervenes, 'I predicted he'd come after her, but why is he so fast? I barely managed to get here and he's not even using mana,' she thinks, glaring at him. "Disrespectful? You're the criminal here. Just what exactly happened to you? A part-wolf demi-human. Most demi-humans are slaves to human countries, and the ones here are all calm. Demi-humans are naturally weak, but you... you come from the tribe," she accuses, slashing down at him with renewed vigor.

Ri catches the sword with his hand, blood dripping down from the wound it creates. "The tribe..." he says calmly, his eyes cold and distant. "Kid, sometimes it's best not to talk," he states calmly, his voice a chilling contrast to the warm blood that flows from his palm, as he effortlessly breaks the sword.

"Oh, I've heard of this. I went to buy some canines and heard there was an accident which made the market boom," Oliver says casually, lounging on a high branch, seemingly detached from the tension below.

"Hey, hey, hey, can someone explain what the hell you're talking about?" Uda asks, clearly confused by the unfolding drama. Her eyes dart between the combatants, seeking clarity.

With a heavy exhale, Ri's frustration manifests physically as he abruptly grabs Lúthien by her foot and slams her into the ground in less than a second, sending a shockwave of dust and debris into the air. "There are six demi-human tribes. The fox tribe, cat tribe, bear tribe, crow tribe, goat tribe, and the wolf tribe. These six tribes are different from other demi-humans. They're isolated and refrain from engaging with the world. Unlike other demi-humans who are born weak, these six tribes are full of powerful people," Oliver explains nonchalantly, peering down as Uda quickly casts a shield to protect Lúthien.

"The fact that you're a prisoner means you either left on your own terms or they disowned you," Caelir interjects thoughtfully, tapping his chin as he sits next to Oliver, his tone speculative.

"I suggest you stay out of my past," Ri warns, his voice low and threatening as he pops his neck, his ears twitching slightly—a sign of his irritation or perhaps pain. 'Dammit, my body has too many internal injuries. That potion messed me up. I need to finish this as soon as possible, but I can't use mana and the seal makes it impossible for me to use my attribute,' he thinks, exhaling heavily, his annoyance palpable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Fuck, you kids are making me mad," Nia says, spitting out blood with a defiant smirk. Holding up her sword, she points it at Isadora. "You, I like you. You remind me of my old days. Ah~ To be young again," she says, her laughter mingling with the pain, her pink eyes glowing ominously under the shade.

'Something is off, I don't know what it is but she's unusual. Do I know her?' Aira ponders internally, her grip tightening on her sword as she watches Nia warily. Isadora, expressionless as ever, blinks and looks at Nia's sword.

BOOM! They both clash, charging at each other simultaneously, the impact sending a shockwave that slices through nearby trees. Nia smirks, her delight barely contained. "Oh, how adorable," she whispers, as her sword slashes Isadora across the chest.

"Dammit, how!?" Sera yells, pulling Isadora back and taking a swipe at Nia. Isadora coughs up blood, her face still void of expression, and looks down at her hand, now covered in blood. 'I don't get it...' is the only thought that flickers through her mind.

"Hmhmhm~ Are you curious?" Nia taunts, licking her lips before halting her assault, her gaze flicking between the young fighters. "Just who is this? Just how? How can a single person handle us? Why can't I understand her movements? I feel like I know her sword technique, but I just can't recall," Nia muses, her tone a mix of admiration and confusion.

Aira glares at her with a calm, piercing stare. "You are royalty, I think I've seen you before when I was a child..." she states, trying to piece together the fragmented memories.

Nia shakes her head vigorously, waving her hands left and right. "No, no, no, no, no," she protests, her face contorting into a comical frown. "I was royalty once upon a time, but those days are gone," she declares, her voice carrying a note of finality mixed with a tinge of nostalgia.

"Royalty? Huh? How did a royal end up as a prisoner?" Sera asks, scratching her head, utterly baffled by the revelation.

"Hahahaha, it's quite funny actually, it all happened so fast~" Nia says, leaning her cheeks on her palm, her tone light yet tinged with an undercurrent of dark humor. Aira studies her intently, the puzzle pieces falling into place. 'That long brown hair and those pink eyes... She's using a tiny sword, but all she needs now is a change of clothes and her sword...' Aira lifts her own sword, recognition dawning. "You're supposed to be dead... I remember the day it happened when Loia fell," she states calmly, her voice betraying a mix of disbelief and realization.

"Oh, that was quite a day. Pfff, it's been years, I wonder how my old man is doing," Nia laughs, brushing off the weight of the memory with a flick of her wrist. Kaida, puzzled, scratches her head. "Your old man? Are you talking about King Mark? Wasn't he the first one to die that day? My family has multiple corporations in that region so we were told he got killed," she mumbles, trying to reconcile the stories she's been told.

"No, you're not wrong, they clearly stated they killed him," Aira adds, exhaling deeply, the air heavy with the gravity of their past.

"Pfff, is that the excuse? Ahhh, what a joke, he's just a pathetic old bastard," Nia states, her expression turning malicious for a moment. She walks closer, cutting her tongue with her tiny sword, the blood seeming to invigorate her. "Pffffhahahaha, then again, he made me what I am today~" She laughs, her joy almost disturbing.

Aira glares at Nia, her thoughts swirling. 'Wow... to think a respectable person can turn into this... just what exactly happened? She was once known as a peacemaker, a princess who trained to protect the people,' she muses, stepping back slightly. "Before the Republic took over the Loia Kingdom, Loia was known for having the most intricate sword technique, it is a beautiful visualization technique. I personally never saw it but I heard about it," Aira states, making eye contact, trying to reach the person Nia once was.

"Hmm... So why haven't we seen it?" Biana mumbles with a yawn, leaning on a tree, clearly more interested in the story than the potential threat.

"Ah~ That's simple, you see, fuck that, I'd rather die than use the full technique ever again~" Nia says with a confident, warm smile, dismissing the past with a wave of her hand.

"But it just doesn't make sense, how did you end up here? Even if the kingdom fell, you'd still be considered a princess if you sought asylum," Aira says, her expression clouded with confusion. 'I just don't understand. The whole war was a mess and the republic refused to give out any information regardless of the threats. Why would they fake her death?' she wonders, trying to piece together the fragmented history.

Nia laughs, a deep, hearty sound that seems to echo around the forest. "Pfffhahahaha, they created a fake identity and set me up, fortunately, it was the elves that arrested me~ If it were anywhere else. I, Would, Be, Deaaaad," she says, her tone exaggerated, as if she's recounting a particularly absurd play rather than her life.

She claps her hands, her face momentarily clouding over. "But enough about that, I was starting to enjoy the fun, talking about my past makes me bitter," she adds with a malicious tone, licking her lips as though savoring the taste of her memories.

BOOM! A gust of wind so fast passes by them, rustling the leaves and disturbing the dirt beneath their feet. BOOM! Another gust sweeps past Lúthien. BOOM! Another gust whizzes past Isabella. "Ugh... what the hell is going on?" Nia groans, slowly opening her eyes to see a different part of the forest. Beside her, Ri and Zelo stir, equally confused.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ri grumbles, struggling against the bindings that tie him. Zelo exhales sharply, irritation evident in his voice. "Tsk, what the hell... that's the boy and that's the nameless bastard," he mumbles, nodding towards Kael and the nameless man standing together, orchestrating the chaos.

"Oh~ You caught him~ We're finally free!" Nia exclaims with a smirk, her delight palpable even in their grim situation.

"Free my ass," Zelo groans, his eyes narrowing as he assesses their stance. "Look at how they're standing, they're working together..." he observes, his distrust growing.

Nia struggles against her restraints, her mind racing. "It happened so fast, just how fast are you~" she questions the nameless man, who remains aloof and unresponsive.

"What's the point of bringing them here?" the crazy fuck inquires, his tone cool and calculated. 'I could've just crippled them... this is a waste of time,' he thinks, but his expression shifts to a smirk, hinting at deeper plans. "I plan to use them," Kael reveals, his smirk widening as he looks over the assembled group. 

"Hey, I heard from the crazy bastard here you've been looking for me," Kael says, crouching down to eye level. Nia nods enthusiastically. "That's right, we're going to kill you," she responds with a gleeful smile.

"I thought you'd be more... pathetic," Ri adds calmly, sizing Kael up with a critical eye.

With a nonchalant shrug, Kael stands up. "Ah, how rude, Rianhet., or should I call you the third son?" he teases, causing Ri's eyes to narrow sharply.

"How do you—" Ri starts, but Kael cuts him off.

"Doesn't matter how I know," he says dismissively, turning to the crazy fuck. "The cameras are deactivated, but I need to deal with this before the other students realize what's happening. Come with me," he instructs, picking up Lysandra, who is snoring on the ground. 'System, take me to my dungeon,' Kael thinks, his mind already racing ahead.

[Are you doing what I think you're doing?]

'Hmhmhmh, that's right.' Kael's thoughts are mischievous as a rift opens up in front of him.

[How cold.]

The crazy fuck's eyes widen in shock. 'There was no mana shift, he didn't use any form of energy, it just appeared, the rift just appeared out of nowhere, what the hell is this man? The array didn't even react...' he thinks, his mind reeling with disbelief.

As they step through, Zelo's gaze sweeps over the area, and his face registers surprise as he sees thousands of zombies roaming around. "This is..." he mutters in disbelief.

"That's right, this is Aerolithia, the land infested with zombies," Kael states with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying the reactions.

"Are you crazy! We're going to die here!" Ri exclaims, his voice tinged with alarm as he struggles against his restraints.

"No, don't worry, I own this place. Now," Kael snaps his fingers and they're suddenly teleported into a dark underground structure. "Welcome to your new home," he announces as they walk forward.

A chair turns, and Eira, wearing a mask, stands up. "Hmm... so you're going to make these into 'boss monsters' in the dungeon? Is that seriously possible?" she asks, tapping her mask, her tone a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.