The Vice Headmaster, convinced that interrupting now would enhance his standing among the council members, was further incensed by the current Headmaster's apparent gullibility in being easily deceived by a child, Asher Eli.
Just as he was about to intervene, a gentle voice interrupted him.
"OH! Hello," came the voice from behind. Turning around, he saw a crimson red-haired beauty looking at him with a calm demeanor.
"W-What are you doing here, Scarlett?" the Vice Headmaster asked with a frown.
"Well, my little brother is clearly upset for some reason, so as a dutiful big sister... and devoted wife, I should help him, right?" Scarlett said calmly, as she idly rubbed the ring on her finger.
"What are you babbling about--" Before he could finish his sentence, something struck his neck, and he collapsed like a puppet without its master.
Observing this, Scarlett sighed and cast a glare at another red-haired beauty, who simply met her gaze. Scarlett spoke, her tone tinged with annoyance, "You really had to interrupt my fun... Mother?"
"Hmph, I just don't want my daughter to get hurt," Mariel, the object of her address, offered a nonchalant shrug, her lips pursed in a display of mild displeasure.
Scarlett sighed again; she couldn't bring herself to address Mariel as 'Sister' directly like Lilith and others.... Even calling Mariel 'Mother' was a duty to her respect and small bond... That's all!!
Scarlett's internal turmoil resurfaced at the mention of maternal ties, a sense of disquiet creeping over her. Brushing aside her unease, she approached Mariel with measured steps, her expression now one of solemnity, "Merely accepting your presence does not guarantee Mia's acceptance... so tread carefully, Mother," she cautioned, her words laden with unspoken tension.
However, for Mariel, this perceived setback was merely a temporary obstacle on her path to reunion with her beloved. She was prepared to go to any lengths to be with her Love, even if it meant navigating treacherous waters or facing familial discord. To her, it was merely one hurdle among many that she was willing to surmount. Once this challenge was overcome...
Her face turned red as she just thought about that blissful night.
'Drip, Drip'
Anyway, as they approached the Arena...
"Let's engage in a little game, Lucian... I know you fancy games, don't you?" Eli proposed with a mischievous glint in his eye.
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"Why would I entertain such a proposition from you, Eli?" Lucian retorted, his brow furrowing as a sense of foreboding began to gnaw at his heart.
"Oh, come now, Lucian. You must realize you've made a blunder... Really messed up!!" Eli remarked casually, stooping to pick up some debris scattered on the ground.
Unlike Carter's visceral reaction, Lucian remained remarkably composed, his expression betraying no hint of surprise. Instead, he calmly inquired, "When?"
"Well, that's rather difficult to determine..." Eli replied with a pensive expression, his gaze fixed on the thing now in his possession.... a disembodied hand.
A grimace formed on Lucian's face as he hastily examined his right shoulder, finding it similarly devoid of its usual appendage, blood seeping from the raw stump.
This time, rather than hurling the gruesome object at Carter, Eli simply discarded it, his lips curling into a small smile as he regarded Lucian with a hint of amusement, "Fine art," he remarked cryptically, gesturing with his hands as if framing a masterpiece, before peering through the imaginary lens.
An exhibitionist with no hands!!!
A grotesque tableau that left the audience stunned into silence, their horrified whispers barely audible amidst the palpable tension.
The anger bubbling inside Lucian surged to its breaking point, threatening to spill over in a torrent of violence, when Eli's voice pierced the air, cutting through the tension like a knife.
"Lucian... I'm simply seeking answers from your son regarding responsibility for that incident..." Eli intoned, his tone deceptively calm as he crouched to pluck another shard of debris from the ground. "Just summon him here... I assure you, I won't kill him as I am about to do.... Carter's son." His words dripped with venom, sending shivers down the spines of those within earshot.
People swallowed hard, their throats parched with fear, as they witnessed the unfolding confrontation.
Carter, his face a mask of dread, turned towards Eli, only to find him standing before his son's healed leg, a chilling presence in the midst of the chaos.
"Hello, Mr. Carter. My name is Asher Eli, and I have come to collect a debt that you hold very dear," Eli murmured, his voice carrying a weight of inevitability as he wrestled with the unconscious form of Theo. Each word hung heavy in the air, suffused with a sense of impending doom.
"You have two options to settle your debt," Eli continued, his tone devoid of remorse as he outlined the grim choices before Carter.
"Either reveal the truth to all, or...
Kill Lucian in exchange for your son's life."
'Thud'
'Thud'
'Thud'
'Thud'
The sickening sound of severed limbs hitting the ground echoed through the arena, a gruesome punctuation mark to Eli's chilling ultimatum. In that moment, the true extent of his depravity was laid bare for all to witness.... a ruthless predator, willing to exact the most horrifying of prices to settle his score.