Chapter 428 - Surprise Visit.

At last, the tournament was finally over, yet the headache brewing in the mind of the supreme general had just only begun.

For several minutes, a smiling facade remained on the supreme general's visage like a mask, hiding what truly laid within. 

All the spectators had long cleared out from the stage, and all the competitors along with them. What remained still present were the canopy of judges, still excited as ever conversing about the match that had recently transpired before they left to prepare for the award ceremony. 

"You see! You idiots should have trusted the principal! She knows her students best doesn't she! Such a good teacher!" Ashley Orbec grinned, wrapping her hands around the slightly flustered principal Rayna Davis in celebration like they were best friends. 

"Miss Orbec! Please stop! You're giving me too much credit! It was but a hunch!"

"Hahaha! Nonsense! Nonsense! You were right on the mark!" She laughed. 

"Hmmm… I do admit, that boy… Kane… Hmmm, quite the rare specimen… Shame on me for thinking lowly of him…" Yuria dark parted her hair and bit her lips as she leaned back and crossed her legs. 

"Although I am not in complete accord with the fashion you make of this miss Yuria, I am in  general agreement, the boy is special. His abilities are still rough around the edges as well, he has so much untapped potential. Don't you think so sir Vilhelm?" Gray Osborne, leader of the Hawk guild commented and looked around to see his fellow male judge. 

"Huh? You asking me? Can't you see I'm too depressed, crying over losing my guild weapon here?"

"You can continue crying Vilhelm Ortiz, but while you do that I'll think of how I can make that boy my own…" Yuria dark giggled, narrowing her eyes. 

"Wha!? You didn't even have faith in him before it started! What makes you think he'll join you! With two guild weapons at my side now he'll no doubt join me!" Ashley proudly exclaimed. 

"Ladies, Ladies, calm down. We will see when it all happens. I also look forward to seeing who it is that will win him over. He and Adam Walker were evenly matched, but sadly for us, Adam will no doubt follow in his grandfather's footsteps and join the ranks of the military, isn't that right Supreme General?" Grey Osborne looked around to meet the cheery yet dull eyes of his superior, and after a moment of odd silence, his eyes moved and he began to speak. 

"Well of course! My grandson is not for sale to any of you! He'll no doubt be my successor! We, humans, are strong, but not immortal! Even I!" He laughed out loud before casually standing up from his seat. 

"Where are you going, sir? Do you not want to relax and hang out with us?" Vilhelm raised his head and asked. 

"Apologies young leader of the hunters, I would love to stay here! But sadly I cannot. This is no time for relaxation, I may be old, but I'm still the supreme general. There's always work to be done!" He chuckled heartily, like the tender laugh of a caring grandfather and with an equally bright smile to follow it.

"Damn! I would never survive being supreme general! But at the same time, it makes me so grateful to know we're in good hands!" He raised his head, almost forgetting about his earlier depression, only for it to be once again returned in full by the supreme general's ensuing words. 

"Oh, and I did not forget! I'll try my best to reimburse you for your lost guild weapon. It may not be exactly as valuable, but I'll try my best! It was my fault you lost it after all!"

"O— Oh no… It's fine… Please… You don't have to… But if you really want to… Then I guess maybe you can give me something..." 

Vilhelm reverted back to his earlier state, and the entire room collectively fell into laughter. 

"This has been quite the experience conversing with all of you! I've been to many of these over the years, yet something tells me that this one will be special! I'll certainly have a hard time forgetting this one! I should get going though! So long!" 

Everyone said their farewells, and the supreme general coolly walked from his seat heading towards the teleportation corridor where he had arrived. 

Yet, before he entered, he heard a voice call him from behind… 

"Open your right-hand supreme general! You're too stressed, I can see the veins! Or is—"

It was the voice of Ashley Orbec, leader of the Flameseekers, lively and upbeat as always.

Yet, before he even had the chance to hear it all let alone react in his ailing mind, his body had already been whisked far away, leaving him all alone back in the isolated comfort of his own room.

Suddenly, his heart sank, his brain began to throb and his head began to hurt. It did not feel real, almost like he was undergoing an out-of-body experience. 

His eyes widened, his racing heart and heavy breathing entered his ears as he witnessed droplets of his own sweat slide from his face and onto the teleportation pad below. 

And before he could think any further, he slowly moved his head and steered his wide eyes onto his right hand… 

Indeed, it was closed shut like adamantine, sweaty, shaking, veiny, and bright red.

His face was again broadened in panic as he tried to unclench his hands. And even for him, in that brief instant, he did not know how, until he truly forced himself to do so.

"For how long was that thing like that…" He muttered under his radically increasing breath. 

"Ashely Orbec… Did she figure me out? No! She couldn't have! And even if she did! She has no evidence! No one would believe her!" He slowly tried to laugh off his worries and return that fake lively mask of his, yet no matter how much he tried he simply could not do so. 

"Kane… That boy… That evil spawn! It's all his fault! My perfect public image has been stained! My poor grandson... He ruined everything!! Why… WHY WHY WHY WHYY!!  If it weren't for him I'd—"

"..."

"No no no no…It's not his fault…  It's all mine hahaha…" He gripped his old wrinkled face with all his palm. "I greatly underestimated him… Like his parents, I should have gotten rid of him while I had the chance, just to be safe! Even worse! I allowed him to gain popularity and power right underneath my nose!! Unlike his unknown parents who knew nothing about how society functioned, he has the people on his side! They worship him like the new saviour of our race! There would be public outcry if—"

"Arrrrghhhh!!" He heavily shook his head.

"'Arrrrghhhh' Indeed, you're put in a tough spot now aren't you Supreme General of the Military."

Abruptly his world of dark, self-isolation was invaded by another… The sound of a female, one that he had had never heard before, strong and proud unlike any other he could even dream of.

His senses were heightened, and his spine shook like crazy for reasons he did not even know. 

"Ah—" He quickly scanned around the room that he thought he was alone in, and only then did he notice a figure carelessly sitting upon his couch looking the other way, only the back of her silky head of purple-tinted white hair showing.

"So… We finally meet face to face… Do you act like this often? Quite pathetic for the overlord of these humans don't you think?" She casually laughed from her seat, her head still turned. 

"What is this!? How long were you in here!? Who are you! This is my special room! There should have been no way for you to enter unless given my permission!!"

"..."

"Hmph hmph… Oh! Apologies! I must have forgotten to introduce myself! My manors must have been getting rusty, I rarely get the chance to actually talk to people you see!" She chuckled once more, now standing up from her seat yet still not turning around. 

As that happened, the supreme general's imagination went wild, willing things into existence that were not even there. Subconsciously, he took a step back from where he stood, his eyes solely on the woman ahead past the world of nightmares

"I am known by many names all throughout the three realms. But you, you can call me by the name I'm most famous for… I am queen Avilia Graymore, the first demon lord…"