"Did he run away?"
"Maybe, I mean, I don't see him anywhere around in the arena."
"Seriously, after the Vampire Queen made a deal!"
"I told you, didn't I? That guy was just a coward, and he only won due to the Vampire Queen's interference; otherwise, he would never defeat our Hero."
Chatters and speculations spread like wildfire around the arena, creating a buzzing atmosphere that made it hard to discern any single conversation.
On the higher platform, Adriana's expression turned to a frown as she observed only Theo standing for the race. The once battle-ready arena had seamlessly transformed into the perfect racecourse.
"Where is that boy, Vampire Queen?" Carter asked, his frustration evident in his frown.
".... He will be here any moment," Adriana responded with an air of certainty.
"You've been telling me that for an hour!" Carter retorted, his tone slightly softened by the morning's earlier ordeal. He decided to hold back any further complaints directed at the Vampire Queen.
Maintaining her indifferent expression, Adriana chose not to respond to Carter's remark. Her ruby red eyes flickered as her vision shifted to a bird's-eye view of Nex Academia.
Having summoned her bats and dispatched them all around Nex, Adriana had been tirelessly searching for Eli's whereabouts.
Despite hours passing since the scheduled time for the race, Eli had yet to make an appearance. Adriana's vision shifted from one bat to another as she continued to meticulously scan every nook and cranny of Nex Academia in the quest to locate him.
'~Ring~Ring~'
"Did you find him?" Adriana answered, her voice tinged with urgency.
"...."
"Scylla?"
"B-Blood..."
Those ominous words echoed through the phone, causing Adriana's frown to deepen. Her heart skipped a beat unknowingly, and suddenly her vision changed.
She found herself seeing a bluish-black-haired girl standing amidst a bloodied scene, as if something or.... someone had burst.
'Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump.'
Her heart skipped another beat, prompting her to ask with a sense of urgency, "Where are you?"
"..."
"Scylla!!"
"H-huh? Yes... Yeah, right, it was in the direction towards the orphanage!!"
"Is he... there?"
"...."
Adriana was about to press Scylla for more information when she noticed the bluish-black-haired girl starting to move.
Nudging her eyebrows, Adriana observed the girl entering an old building. After a minute, she emerged with honey-coloured hair, blindfolded, and bowed her head, greeting as if nothing had happened.
"H-He... is not.... here."
Hearing Scylla's heavy-breathing voice, Adriana gulped, visible fear etched across her face.
"Is something wrong?" An enigmatic voice interrupted the tense moment.... it was none other than Lucian Dawn, the King of Dawn Kingdom.
Adriana, with a blank expression, glanced at Lucian, who flinched momentarily before regaining his composure and maintaining his enigmatic smile.
"Vampire Queen?"
"If anything happens to him, let me tell you.... Your death won't be an easy one!!" Adriana threatened, her words carrying the weight of imminent danger, before disappearing from the platform.
"!!!" Carter was taken aback, cowering, "W-What happened?"
Lucian nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, saying, "Who knows?"
Seeing that, Carter couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion.
This race was supposed to be between King Theo and Asher Eli, as planned. However, for some reason, Asher Eli had not yet arrived.... A tension lingered in Carter's heart as if he felt something wrong looking at the man who was trying to help him.
On the other platform,
"B-Big Sis, where is Big Brother?" Mia asked, nervously biting her nails as tension hung in the air.
"..."
"ssshh"
"...I am not sure how to answer that."
As three white-haired women materialized before Evelina, the banter continued.
Evelina observed the trio – a middle-aged lady with numerous wrinkles, a cute loli with a petite frame, and another middle-aged lady with fewer wrinkles. They all shared one common trait: white hair. However, that didn't necessarily mean they were relatives or anything more than allies.
"Tsk, Before following the order... cancel that ugly illusion," Evelina commanded as she seamlessly disappeared.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three of them exchanged glances before also vanishing, their presence concealing a mystery yet to unfold.
Coming to the arena,
"Where is he?"
"It's getting late!!"
"Did he really run away?"
"Let's start the race without him!!"
"If he is late, then it's his problem, not our Prince!!"
"COWARD!!"
"Did you hide behind the skirts of Vampire Queen?"
"Hahahaha...!!"
The crowd from Theos' kingdom erupted in chaotic shouts, expressing a mix of frustration and taunts.
"Vampire Queen..." Carter calmly called Adriana, who had just returned.
"..." Adriana didn't immediately respond as her eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, aided by her summoned bats, in a desperate search for Eli.
Carter persisted, "It's almost three hours; we cannot delay any longer!!" Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelFire
"..." With Adriana offering no response, Lucian decided to interject,
"Whether Asher Eli comes or not, according to our pact, the race should go on... Head Master, you have shown enough partiality; now, act like a person who stays neutral."
The Head Master sighed, feeling the weight of the decision, and looked at Adriana for any sign of approval.
Adriana, still scanning the area, glanced at Lucian, who maintained a confident smile, seemingly convinced that he was merely stating the truth.
"I am sorry, Vampire Queen, but we cannot delay any longer," the Head Master announced with a defeated expression as he hovered above the stadium, addressing the puzzled audience.
Clearing his throat, he continued,
"Due to some complications, Asher Eli will join in the middle of the race... Now, let's begin!!"
King Theo wore a taken aback expression, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. The unexpected turn of events seemed to have thrown him off balance.
The Head Master returned to the platform, and with a sombre nod, he added, "This is as much as I can do, Vampire Queen... The rest is in your hands!"
Carter, though not entirely understanding the intricacies of the situation, was filled with joy, shouting enthusiastically, "Come on, my son!!"
Lucian cast a quick glance at Carter before focusing on his phone, whispering, "SUCCESS" with a wide grin on his face. Whatever plan he had set into motion seemed to be progressing according to his design.
Theo, seemingly unbothered by the turn of events, appeared flabbergasted. Nevertheless, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and began walking, donning golden boots adorned with intricate carvings and small wings.
The audience erupted in laughter, their mocking tones echoing through the arena.
"See, our Prince walking the race like a piece of cake!"
"Hahaha... Seriously, our prince is mocking them.... hahaha.."
"Look at those arrogant eyes as if he was the king!"
"Come on, man, he is going to be the King!!!"
King Theo, hearing the comments, couldn't help but smirk, elegantly stating, "I will walk until that so-called Hero Killer comes.... This is the benevolence I bestow upon them," as if he were generously giving money to beggars.
'THUNDER!!!!'