Kai sat against a tree.
Every inch of his body is screaming in pain and exhaustion.
Breathing was even harder for him as his nose was still crooked and clogged with blood, forcing him to breathe through his mouth involuntarily. He combed his dry hair back and looked at the area.
"Did I pass out?" He questioned internally. "If so, how am I still alive?"
His mind recalled the intense battle last night.
Rage and the hallucination from the herbs overtook him and made him go feral.
It was when he used another round of Dark Discharge to punch through Matilda's shield that the darkness claimed him. He could only use the Dark Discharge four times, but after casting Deep Slumber on her to make the opening, his mana was exhausted.
Frankly, it was a miracle that he managed to activate the Dark Discharge.
Had that not been the case, his fist would've been shattered for punching the hard shield.
Matilda is nowhere to be seen now.
She has the chance to take him out last night, or if she also fell from exhaustion, she has the chance to kill him again, since she woke up first. But he was still alive. And from the looks of it, he didn't suffer any wounds other than the ones he got from the battle.
"You were spared,"
A voice startled him.
Professor Hera was leaning against a tree to his right.
He didn't know how long she had been there.
"How long have you been watching?" Kai asked as he reclined his head back tiredly. "Or did you arrive now? Go ahead and mock me. I got beaten up badly."
"Quite a while," Professor Hera shrugged. "Considering who you are facing, surviving is an achievement on its own right, don't you think?" She took something from her pocket. A vial with crystal clear green liquid inside, oozing with mana and a fragrant scent. "Drink it."
Kai caught the vial and looked at it.
He didn't think about it much and downed the vial.
Its effect was immediate as his wounds began to close visibly.
A minute in, he could finally breathe through his nose again. And it was then he realized he was wearing a mask. His own mask, but the Ox Leaves were already changed to new ones. "She's quite a softie. She couldn't kill you, and even make sure you'd survive."
"She pities me," Kai sighed, but there was uncertainty in his tone.
He didn't know what was going on inside Matilda's mind.
Since she had the chance to take him out, she should've taken it.
Or at least, the Matilda that Kai pictured would certainly make use of the chance, as that would put her in a more secure position. If he's not around anymore, she could rest easy. One less enemy to think about.
Professor Hera stared at Kai and smiled.
She is now starting to see his other side, the dense side of him.
"You still don't understand her?" A sigh escaped her lips as she massaged her temples and shook her head. "Do you really think she's okay with being in Team Coeus? Okay with how Lion runs things? For Zeus' sake, he cut open other students and staked them for everyone to see. He beats those who say anything, bullies the weaker, cannibalizes the fallen, and even uses the female students however he wants."
"Of course she is!" Kai snapped. "If she's not okay, she wouldn't be siding with that animal."
"No, Student Kai…" Professor Hera looked at him with clarity behind her eyes. "All she wanted was to survive, and there are no other ways to survive if Team Coeus has three High Angels. If she had another option, she would take it.
"And now, you gave her that other option," She added meaningfully.
Kai's eyes widened.
As much as he was angry at Matilda for bringing the wolves to kill Team Crius and him, there is logic behind why she did what she did.
From interrogating the scout, she must have found out that Team Coeus has three High Angels. Found out about their close proximity. Perhaps even learned that Team Coeus is assuming a more offensive method, so there's not much time to prepare.
Not to mention, Team Crius' base is utterly barren.
No mana ore mine nearby, and the Awakened Monster is also nowhere to be seen.
It was bad luck that placed Team Crius in such a bad situation, and she doesn't have the strength to contend with three High Angels, especially with Lion on the picture. Matilda simply has no other choice but to change sides if she wants to survive.
Even in the second rite, Matilda was on board with taking out the other student.
She was on board because the other student was dangerous and evil.
"Everything in this world revolves around power," Professor Hera's voice rang again, teaching him the ropes. "When the Blue Void appears in the sky, the law of the world did not change—as people believed. It only became clearer. Everything has always revolved around power.
"That's the point of all this. To make you understand the cruel world Angels would live in. You do not deserve equality when your very existence is a loss for mankind. For you, good or bad meant nothing under the umbrella of power. They are accessories for the strong."
Kai grimaced.
His head dropped as his tries to wrap his mind around what Professor Hera was saying.
It's not that she didn't believe in morality.
But that Angels like Kai and countless others—who have less than five Divine Locks don't get to have the right to that. High Angels got better rooms and lifestyles. Angels get the basics. Lesser Angels get even less.
Even so, none of them gets to go through life slowly.
Either become stronger and be useful for mankind, or perish for the greater good.
For them, there will always be a price to be paid.
Why…? Why do the Gods allow this? Can't they bless each one the same? Can't they simply erase the Blue Void so that everything can return to normal again?
Kai brooded at those questions.
But he knew he wouldn't get the answer no matter how long he contemplated.
Only by seeing what the Blue Void really is would he learn more.
Not to mention, there was still the Demon Man whom he wanted to kill.
First, I need to survive this.
Professor Hera saw the change behind Kai's eyes—they became sharper and more resolute.
He's learning.
Kai stood up in a slow rise.
He squared his shoulder and straightened his spine before turning to walk away.
"What are you going to do?" Ms. Hera asked.
Kai glanced over his shoulder, "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to win this."
…
"Where is she? That Apollo bitch," Wolf approached a man from behind.
His long, murky blue hair, along with his dominating stature, made it clear that he was Snake.
Snake had been watching the hill before him from behind the tree lines, watching the peak in search of any way to climb up. "She hasn't made an appearance yet, but her team should be starving by now," He glanced at Wolf, eyes deep blue like the deep ocean. "You look like shit."
"That fucking Lesser Angel tried to take the crate— and I underestimated him," Wolf spat to the side, still angry at what happened. "Team Crius is still in this rite. Lend me your people. I want to deal with him."
"No need," Snake shook his head. "Matilda has already located his base."
"And you believe she'll do the right thing?"
"She will."
"How are you even sure about that?!"
"She's not stupid. She knew that there was no chance she could beat Lion and us," Snake shrugged, finding the matter to be inconsequential in comparison to what was in front of them. "Instead, we should focus on how to deal with Team Hyperion. We can't climb the hill with Layra's bow pointing at us."
"We already surrounded the hill. Soon, they will come down," Wolf exhaled through his nose to blow out his anger steam.
"But Lion is running out of patience," Snake's brows dipped—into a frown. "We have to take the team down in a couple of days at most before he goes on another rampage again. Ah, I have an ide—"
Before Snake could finish his words, his eyes darted to the side.
Someone was approaching them.
A familiar face.
"He's that strong, huh?"Snake smiled in amusement, seeing the bruises and scars that were evident across Matilda's body. She was even walking with a hunched back. "A Lesser Angel did this much to High Angels? Now I feel like I'm missing out."
"Where are the others?" Wolf asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me they're dead."
"They are," Matilda hissed through gritted teeth. "All of them are killed. I warned them not to underestimate him, but they did, and the Lesser Angel made them pay for it. I got a prisoner. A healer. No harm in having more healers."
"And the Lesser Angel?" Snake crossed his arms.
"He's dead," Matilda answered flatly. "I killed him."
"And where is the proof? Surely you brought proof for your claim," Wolf inquired demandingly.
Matilda reached for something strapped behind her and threw it to the ground.
It was the handle of a shattered scimitar, and it reeked of blood.
"Alright, since that's done, both of you should begin searching for the Awakened Monster." Snake turned away, staring at the hill once again. "Team Hyperion encountered a mine far earlier than us, so all of them might already have opened their second Divine Lock."
"You're thinking they are going to aim to win this without a fight?" Wolf scoffed. "Cowards."
"Coward or not, we're fucked if they got the Blue Gem, and sneaked west to claim their win," Snake waved his hand, gesturing for them to move on. "Get the Blue Gem. I'll think of a way to draw them down."
Wolf was clearly displeased by Snake's commanding tone.
It was almost like he was a dog that was told to fetch.
But he didn't say anything.
His failure to claim the Lesser Angel is shameful, and he can't muster the courage to say anything.
Upon returning to the main camp, Matilda stumbled across Abigail.
A student was cornering her against a tree.
"Prepare to depart, Rosaline," Matilda pushed her aside and pulled Abigail away. "We are going to find the Awakened Monster."
"Tch," Rosaline clicked her tongue, but she left without arguing.
Once the coast was clear, Matilda sighed and walked to her tent.
Abigail followed closely from behind and hovered right at the entrance to the tent, playing with her fingers nervously. "Matilda," She called. Her voice was shaking and meek. "Did I do the right thing? Abandoning him like that..."
"No, it's not right," Matilda answered without looking as she took the first aid kit. "But it's understandable. What else can you even do? Just cling to the strong like the parasite you are."