“Well, maybe you’re even stronger than me…” I added, my voice trailing off as my eyes stayed fixed on the sword in his hand.

It was the holy sword, and from its looks, it was pulsating with power. Even with my special mana constitution, I wasn’t entirely confident I could match that kind of strength.

Not against a weapon like that.

Especially because of what was hidden inside of it.

I couldn’t fully see it, but I knew.

I’m sure that the Excalibur has some kind of sword spirit.

Normally, as the bond between sword and user increases, their power will increase exponentially, just like Lumi and I.

But still… even with Excalibur in his hands…

“But… it still isn’t enough to beat me…” I added faintly.

THRUM!

A pulse of silver mana exploded outward from me, rippling through the space like a shockwave.

The force slammed into Lucas and the others like a tidal wave.

His eyes widened as he staggered back, barely managing to keep his footing by stabbing the tip of his sword into the ground for support.

Ella, Maya, Iris, and Rose were flung backward, landing hard several feet away.

Lucas gritted his teeth, steadying himself, but Telmo… well, I’d made sure he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

He was still crumpled on the ground, gasping for air.

I wanted him to feel every bit of this.

He still had to pay for his words.

Calmly, I began to walk toward him, my hand moving to unsheathe the sword at my waist.

With a flick of mana, I lifted my hand, forcing his arm to stretch out as if held by invisible chains.

“…Don’t you fucking dare talk about her ever again,” I spoke in the coldest tone I could ever mutter, there was even a hint of killing intent in my voice.

My grip on the hilt tightened as I raised my sword, ready to strike—

CLANG!

Creak!

The blow never landed. Lucas appeared in front of him, blocking my attack at the last possible moment.

His sword quivered under the force of my strike, his arms trembling as sparks flew from the collision.

“Agh… dammit!” he cursed, gritting his teeth as he pushed against me.

I frowned, my eyes narrowing.

He was stronger than I’d expected.

He was a bit stronger than I thought.

Is that so?

I poured more power into my blade, the silver energy surrounding me intensifying as it pulsed in waves.

Lucas responded in kind, coating Excalibur in black mana as he grunted and pushed harder.

“HAAA!”

With a strong force, he was able to push me back.

At that moment, the time seemed to slow down as I noticed three shadows around me, trying to attack me or keep me in place.

Even with my speed, I could dodge one—maybe even two—but the third strike would land no matter what.

Fwip!

So, instead of holding my ground, I did the unexpected—I threw my sword straight at Lucas, marking it with a special talisman that Alaine had given me.

It allowed me to conjure [Wind Steps] once.

Lucas easily dodged my sword, and just as he approached me, I was already surrounded.

Ella’s blade rested coldly against the back of my neck. Rose stood to my left, her weapon poised on the front side of my neck.

Maya’s fists, glowing with blue energy, hovered inches from my stomach while Iris stood behind me, her staff brimming with magic aimed at my spine.

If they attack at the same time, I’d suffer a lot of injuries.

“Stop Aestrea… you cannot win a battle against all of us together,” Ella spoke in a cold tone, looking at me with hesitant eyes.

What are you so hesitant about?

Is it because you’re attacking me, the man that you like?

Fucking hell.

If you were going to be like this, you could have simply stood aside.

And what’s that face for Rose?

Why are you biting your lip?

If you and your group didn’t bother the things I was doing, this wouldn’t have happened a lot. There was a small amount of silence during this time…

And someone needed to break it, so, shaking my head, a grin slowly spreading across my face.

“Ah… you guys really are too naive…” I said, almost pitying them.

“Even if I was alone, I could still win…”

I took a step forward, and they tensed.

“But who said I’m alone?”

FWOOP!

Under my eyes, a sudden gust of wind exploded outward as the talisman I’d planted on my sword activated.

Their weapons were ripped from their hands, flying into the air as I vanished.

Alaine had finally arrived.

By the time they turned, I’d already reappeared beside my sword, snatching it from the ground.

As soon as the smoke cleared, everyone was looking at Alaine who had arrived at my side in surprise.

I mean, who wouldn’t?

She’s still a high S-rank awakened.

However, the way they froze made me smirk. They knew they couldn’t take both of us on, and the look on their faces was almost pitiful.

They were very cautious of her, and at their expressions, I only sneered.

“By the way, now there’s another reason for me not to join your group at the festival,” I said before turning around and walking away from them.

Alaine also followed behind.

She didn’t glance back once, but I could feel her mana subtly spread around us, watching their movements like a hawk.

If they tried anything, she’d know before I even had to ask.

“…Master, do you want me to kill them?”

After walking for a while, Alaine asked me in a neutral tone. I turned and looked at her, seeing her determined eyes to follow my every order.

What kind of luck do I have to have such a loyal servant?

But well…

“…No need. At least…”

I still needed Lucas to kill the demon king.

If the Demon King was affected by normal blows instead of the Holy Sword, I wouldn’t mind being the one to kill him.

But after the Demon King there’s that damned Demon God that I got spoiled off in one of the reviews.

Gosh, if it weren’t for those reviews and comments, I wouldn’t know much about what to do to get stronger.

But for now, I’ll take a look at him for now…

And if he does not pass my requirements…

“Not yet.”

I’ll kill Lucas myself.

Alaine promptly nodded her head at my words.

But still, this is a bit troublesome…

I shook my right shoulder lightly.

The impact from Lucas’s strength had dealt me quite the damage.

He has grown quite strong after getting that damned holy sword.

So, I guess… it’s my time to get a power-up no?

I glanced at my phone slightly…

It seems that I was going to be busy for those three days before the festival.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Master… do you really have to go alone?” Alaine asked hesitantly, her hands carefully adjusting Aestrea’s equipment as she spoke.

Her voice was soft, but the concern in it was clear.

“Yeah, I do,” Aestrea replied with a small nod. “If a high S-rank came along with me, we’d draw too much attention. I’d turn into a target the second I step foot in that place”

He was dressed in dark clothing from head to toe, a long black jacket trailing down to his legs. Two swords rested securely at his waist, their blades hidden beneath dark sheaths.

Inside his jacket, tucked into one of the inner pockets, a sleek white gun was hidden away.

And finally, on his right hand, the mask that he had worn during the masked auction he attended with Christina stood quietly.

“I’ll be going now…” Aestrea spoke to Alaine softly.

“…W-wait a second!” Alaine called out suddenly, stepping toward him with hurried steps.

“Mhm?” Aestrea raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity appearing across his face as he paused to wait for her.

When she reached him, she tiptoed up and leaned closer.

Without warning, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

“…Good luck,” she whispered, her lips curling into a warm, genuine smile as her eyes closed briefly.

But before she could pull away—

Smack~

Something soft brushed against her lips.

Alaine’s eyes snapped open in surprise, just in time to feel a firm hand rest on her waist, pulling her closer, while another hand gently cupped her cheek.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what was happening.

Her cheeks turned a deep red as her heart raced. Slowly, her sparkling green eyes locked with his.

And at that moment, she noticed it—Aestrea’s usual crimson-red eyes had finally returned, glowing faintly with their intense hue.

“Haaa…”

Their lips parted, and Alaine let out a soft gasp, her gaze still locked on his. Aestrea looked at her sparkling green eyes for a moment before smiling softly.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Alaine also smiled at him.

“I’ll be waiting…”

Fwoop!

The air stirred around her as Aestrea leaped out of the dorm room window.

The gust of wind made her hair sway, and she instinctively stepped forward, leaning on the windowsill to watch him.

Her eyes followed his figure as he moved quickly across the academy grounds, his dark coat fluttering behind him as he headed toward the central district.

Thump, thump, thump!

Her heart started beating real fast, as she let out a shaky sigh.

“I’ll be waiting for you…”

With one last glance out the window, Alaine slowly closed it. She turned toward Aestrea’s bed, hesitating for a moment before walking over to it.

The faint scent of him still lingered on the sheets, and she couldn’t help but breathe it in as she sank onto the bed.

Her hands instinctively reached for his pillow.

She pulled it close, hugging it tightly to her chest, her face partially buried in its softness. Her nose twitched as she caught his familiar scent, and a small smile crept onto her lips.

“I’ll miss you…”

She sighed deeply, resting her cheek against the pillow as her fingers clung to the fabric. Even though he’d just left, she was already missing his presence.

Meanwhile…

As soon as Aestrea reached the central district, he turned to the right, entering a dark alley. It was narrow and quiet, with flickering lights barely lighting the way.

The whole place felt dangerous, but that didn’t bother him.

He cautiously looked at his surroundings and continued walking, feeling multiple gazes from the people in the corner.

The people in the alley didn’t look nice at all. Most of them had scars on their faces, crooked grins, or just an overall rough and mean appearance.

Some looked like they had been through a lot of fights—and probably caused plenty too.

But Aestrea just ignored them, while still keeping an eye on his back.

He didn’t know if one of them would attack him or not.

After walking for a while, he stopped in front of a huge man who looked like a wall made of muscle. The guy’s arms were crossed, and his face was completely blank, but the size of him alone was intimidating.

Aestrea recognized him right away. He was the same man from the auction.

Without saying anything, Aestrea handed the man a letter.

The man took it and stared at him like he was sizing him up. Then, he pressed his finger to his right ear, where a small communication device was tucked.

A moment later, he stepped aside and said:

“You can go in.”

Aestrea didn’t say a word. He walked past him, heading further down the alley until he reached a door.

Instead of knocking, he pushed it open without hesitation.

Inside, a familiar face greeted him.

Longing on an ornate sofa, twirling a glass of red wine on her hand, while still having the same annoying smug smile on her face, she turned her intense gaze towards him.

Yara Devereux.

The underground queen.

“Well, well,” she said with a teasing tone, taking a sip of her wine. “You’re back already? Did you miss me so much that you couldn’t stay away?”

Aestrea ignored her words, and instead spoke:

“I need something from you.”

Straight to the point.

Yara raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. “Oh?”

She didn’t ask what he wanted, instead, her lips curled into a playful smile:

“And what do you plan to offer me in return?”

At that, Aestrea’s lips twisted into a cold smile.

“I’ll be your challenger in the Death Tournament.”

“Oh?”

Yara’s playful expression shifted into something sharper. She stood up, her eyes glinting with excitement as she set her wineglass down.

“Now, that’s interesting,” she said with a wide grin as she stepped closer to him.

“Now we’re talking.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep