Chapter 167 - The one who rules

"No… I don't want to be in the darkness again… No…! NO!!!!"

Leviticus then glanced towards Faustina who now had dark circles under her eyes. Her complexion was paler than before, and she was fuming hot. 

A fever?

Leviticus held Faustina in his arms and then closed his eyes to tentatively feel the mana coursing through her.

"She didn't lose much mana..."

In fact, she was coursing too much mana in her body that Leviticus isn't certain with his ability to read the amount of a person's mana. There shouldn't be that much mana inside a person… but then again, she was a noble.

Leviticus frowned. 

The undead prince's body was regenerated. That would take a huge amount of mana. Just how much did the undead prince amass from Faustina? 

"Eul…"

"Shh," Leviticus carried Faustina to his arms and then shifted to carry her to his back. Faustina was still having a fever, and her breaths had silent gasps and were hot and rigidly unsteady. Leviticus was able to break through the undead prince's spell, and so he was able to walk to the halls without the loop. His eyes caught the vase and the petal that was plucked and then proceeded to go northeast, where he would be able to meet his group.

And with their number, they would be able to defeat HER.

—

That was the original plan. Michelle and the others were to head northeast where the dark castle should be situated. As per Leviticus' instructions and based on the structure of the dark castle he had described, Michelle, Stella, and the other should be near the castle. They shouldn't stray too long to the garden because enemies might respawn sooner or later.

"I can't believe we got tricked by Anakin."

"I know..."

"Tch... And I said to myself I won't lay low."

All of them were having regrets—Michelle herself included. And Michelle bet that she was feeling the guiltiest. After all, she was the one who kicked Faustina out.

But why? Why did she do that? Whenever Michelle would look back to her own actions, she would only feel the same sentiment: because it was right. The moment was right.

Anakin was right.

That was what her mind was screaming. But how in the world would Anakin be right when he didn't have much proof? Anyone could have placed those fragments on Faustina's pocket. But none in Leviticus' group considered that possibility and just believed that she was indeed a fraud, and it was Anakin who was telling the truth.

"I feel sorry for her..." It was Stella who said this. "I don't know how I'll face her... or Levi. We did something horrible."

The sour look on everyone's faces was enough to drain one's morale. Michelle was being eaten away by her conscience. She feels partially responsible for this—it was like Anakin gave her a bow and arrow, and she had used it to shoot Faustina down. 

"Everyone," Michelle started, stopping to her tracks. "We have to apologize to her."

Of course, they have to. That was given.

"Now?" One of them asked.

Michelle nodded her head.

"When we get the chance," says Michelle. "I know we did something horrible. Especially me. I think we ought to own up to what we did and apologize to Miss Faustina."

"Leviticus chased after her, right?"

"Yes," Michelle nodded. "They have to be together now. And knowing Levi, he'll head northeast to get in 'there'."

"That's right. That's one detail we missed telling Anakin."

"We just told him it's the 'way to pass'," Stella said. "But I don't think he knows what's coming."

"Or who." Michelle stared at the distance.

"The undead queen."

**

"I am the undead queen, examinee." The woman exclaimed as a flash of purple-black colored lightning sparked from her forearm and bare, rotten palms. 

Anakin's eyes widened. The undead queen? 

"Your mana has a stench of corruption. Why don't you let me have it?" The undead queen then snapped her finger, and from that snap, Anakin was electrocuted by the purple-colored lightning.

"Aah. Yes." The undead queen smirked. "Your mana will suffice."

Anakin tightened his grip around the wood of his staff. 

Stand!

He gritted his teeth.

This cannot end here. He had to be a mage!

Ruenti… Lilliane…

He can't fall behind!

"Now give me your mana!" 

And as Anakin helplessly waited for the black fume to consume him...

Leviticus had arrived at the scene.

"Looks like the rich boy found her first!"

Faustina slowly opened her eyes. Her head was resting on Leviticus' shoulder, and he was carrying her to his back. Faustina blinked as her clearing vision sees a boy who was in the midst of getting consumed by a fume, and a lightning bolt to follow—

Faustina wasn't able to think.

But her body was able to move.

Faustina pulled from Leviticus and ran as fast as she could towards the young man who was staring helplessly to the fume—

Holding her staff firmly, Faustina conjured a spell stronger than the whirlpool she used.

And in Anakin's perspective...

And as he was on the verge of accepting his fate, the familiar figure of a girl came to block the attack with a wall barrier made of stone. Before Anakin could react, he and the girl were taken by an equally familiar young man.

"Looks like you're praying to fail," that familiar smug look, and that annoying voice—

"Leviticus…!" Anakin uttered in sheer surprise. 

"Seriously," Leviticus sighed, turning to Faustina. 

"You ran to protect this piece of work. You fascinate me," Leviticus had dragged the two of them away from the undead queen's spell, but that doesn't mean the undead queen would stop.

Anakin stared at both Faustina and Leviticus, loss for words. Did these two... just saved him?

"Now then," the queen licked her lips. "More mana to feast from!"

**

Leviticus knew what was to come. Located northeast was the castle's banquet hall where ballrooms take place. On the passage of the books he had read concerning the dark castle, the queen had spent her time in balls to quench her sadness.

She held the fanciest parties to find a suitable man to play with and to ease her growing sadness from the lecher king who was cheating on her with a lowly maid. The books described the hall to be "the queen's sanctuary" so Leviticus naturally assumed that it would be the undead queen's quarters.

"But the teachers said that we must not encounter the undead royals. Right, Levi?" Asked Stella. "So why are we going to fight her?"

"I believe she holds some key role to pass this exam." Says Leviticus. "The professor never said we have to deliberately avoid them. What she said is to 'avoid fighting' them and search for their weak spot. I think, with our number, we could overthrow the undead queen and make her spill the bind about the exit." 

That was the purpose of the dark castle, after all. O matter how much the teachers would phrase it, the real meaning was obvious to Leviticus. 

"Find the escape route. You can avoid fighting."

That was the simplest he could translate Moderator Yusha's words. If the examinees would think hard about it, they would realize that the dark castle was merely a labyrinth. This was a simple exam meant to test their toughness and potential. 

Magierstadt is indeed not letting the weak survive.

Leviticus thumped his staff to the floor as he conjured a barrier that blocked the fume being emitted by the undead queen.

The undead queen, who can conjure lightning made from dark magic... even her bolts alone can absorb one's mana.

"Hey, rich boy! Help me out here!" 

"Damn it," Anakin responded with a curse, but he stood up beside Leviticus and strengthened the barrier. "I never thought I'd have to fight with you side by side... a noble like me..."

Faustina stared at Leviticus and Anakin who were both in front of her—guarding her—from the fumes of the undead queen. Faustina's strength was still not there. The repercussions of the undead prince absorbing her mana were still there. 

Faustina tried to stand up, but she could hardly move her arms.

Anakin, noticing this, felt a tug of an unknown emotion in his heart. She was THIS weak. Her flushed face and her ragged breaths showed her exhaustion, and the fact that she was trying her best to stand up despite her body shaking meant she didn't have enough strength to go on.

Yet she rushed to save him.

Anakin gritted his teeth, turning to Leviticus.

"I will distract her." He says, "find the weak spot."

"Hey—"

Anakin proceeded to charge towards the undead queen and then conjured multiple spells. That frail girl, she protected HIM. If he can't do the same, then how in the world can he call himself worthy to be a mage?

"Anakin! Watch out!"

Anakin's eyes widened as a purple ball of lightning from above him went to strike him down—

But then—

"Levi!"

"Anakin!"

"BARRIER!"

Anakin blinked as a largely concentrated barrier appeared on top of him, rendering the lightning bolt harmless as its electric current disperses to thin air and faded to the atmosphere.

"Y-you guys..."

"Well, I never imagined this to happen." Michelle sighed.

"Me neither..." Stella agreed.

Leviticus sighed in relief.

"Took you guys long enough..." Leviticus exclaimed as the group ran towards him. And as they assembled, Leviticus moved forward. "Now, we must defeat her! Are you all ready?"

"I am the one who rules. I am the queen." the queen then sparked a dark fume in her hand and lightning on the other. "Bold of you to say you shall defeat me!"

"Everyone!" Leviticus exclaimed, making all of the examinees standing alongside him thump their staff to the floor in chorus. Anakin also drew away from the queen and then was dragged by Michelle to the group. 

"Now..." Leviticus thumped his staff to the floor as a large magical hex appeared below all of them. "We fight!"