Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 337: Finding More

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 337: Finding More

Celestina's interrogative tone and question turned Oscar stiff as a board, like a criminal about to approach the guillotine. His blood ran cold as ice, freezing his veins. Oscar opened his mouth but closed it again, clamped shut from the mix of shame and unwillingness. As a good face reader, Celestina had surely seen through him.

"How did you figure it out?" Oscar resigned himself and admitted his guilt with another question.

Celestina sheathed her rapier, unsummoned her dragon anima, and crossed her arms. All actions showed her unwillingness to hurt him, but Oscar only felt worse, seeing how much she trusted him. Yet, he broke that trust. Demon was his responsibility, and Demon killed the innocent with Oscar's hands. As Demon always said, he was Oscar, and Oscar was him.

"When the board game survivor described the unknown Fabricator who wielded a hammer with incredible strength, I immediately thought of you." Celestina drew closer to Oscar. "Their description of the hammer matched yours. I remember those blue swirls. However, I shot down Charles' joke before it could sow any doubt in you."

Celestina stopped a foot from Oscar, looming over him with a regal presence. An authoritative and regal pressure spilled over to suppress Oscar. He lost his breath, struggling to say a word. Right now, she changed from Celestina, his fellow book reader, to Princess Celestina Lovre Dragnar, the will of the Brilliant Drake Empire.

"I wanted to ask you myself. I believe in you. My eyes never failed to see through a person, and I know you're not someone who would kill their ally without a good cause. But the descriptions and your reaction confirmed everything." Celestina leaned closer, a fierce gaze from her emerald eyes. "So, what happened? Was it a conflict? A traitor? Or something else?

It fell to Oscar to answer. His face fell in shame. The hallways turned silent, with the last echoes of Celestina's voice fading. He lifted his head toward the high ceiling, wishing to fly away. With a sigh, he faced forward, matching her gaze.

"Would you believe me if I said I had no control at that time?" Oscar slumped to the floor, kneeling from exhaustion. He chuckled and cursed at himself. A part of him wished to scream out and oust Demon, but Celestina already had too much burden on her shoulders, and this was his problem.

Robert Raeven's lectures echoed from within, reaching his ears and telling him not to be afraid of asking for help. Despite how much it nagged at him, Oscar refused to follow his one-time teacher's lesson. Perhaps he would tell them when they were out, or Demon was resolved.

"Are you ok?" Celestina crouched down with a wrinkle of worry across her fair brow. "What do you mean you lost control? Is it really something you can't tell me?"

"I..." Oscar lost his words, and sweat flowed down his cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for killing him, and I feel awful. I'm sorry for not being able to tell you, but you shouldn't be so focused on me. Not when we're so close to the end."V/\IssịT n0(v)eL/b(i)(n).co/m for the b/est novel reading experi/en/ce

Celestina didn't respond, not withdrawing her gaze. Then, a rustle came from Oscar's waist. Gol-4 levitated while still tied to Oscar and let out a small sigh.

"Let me vouch for him. Something is happening to him, and he doesn't wish to burden you. I can understand your worry, girl. Please try to be gentler with him. He has much on his mind, mainly trying to help you." Gol-4 said.

Celestina closed her eyes and furrowed her brow in deep thought. After a short few seconds, she exhaled as the usual gentle warmth came from her eyes. Oscar lost the tension from his shoulders. One look from her was enough to let him know it was alright.

"Much later. I suppose we're both guilty of hiding things from each other to avoid burdening them." Celestina giggled and tapped Oscar's shoulder. She drew her silver hair back and skipped ahead. "We should be quite far, and yet nothing is happening."

Minutes later, Oscar heard a loud shout and snapped his head toward its direction. He smiled and rushed ahead with Celestina following by his side. He knew this voice, having heard it so many times. His eyes glinted with glee at the figure with green hair.

"Fred!" Oscar shouted, waving his hand.

"Os?!" Frederick looked dumbfounded before a wide smile spread across his face. "Os!"

Oscar twitched when he saw a swarm of large bees, one foot long, with two stingers chasing Frederick. Celestina raised her hand, and a downpour of falling light blanketed the hallway like a thunderstorm. Hordes of bees fell as lifeless husks impaled by several arrows of light, unable to withstand her powerful Ein.

'Shattering Wave' x 'Ripple Shroud'

A shockwave of obliterating Eirin let out earth-shattering cracks, turning many bees into piles of mush. Oscar's bulwark hissed and steamed from the rising temperatures caused by the fearsome explosion of power.

"Great, now I can fight with ease." Frederick turned. Winds gathered around his twin blades, screeching and twisting. It was as though Frederick had mastered the hurricane and unleashed it upon the bees, reducing the remainder of them into scraps.

"I didn't expect to run into a large swarm the moment I teleported here. But thankfully, I ran into the two of you." Frederick cheered and laughed while swinging his swords around with a whistle. He leaped over to Oscar and clasped his shoulder. "Good to see you again, Os, my man. And greetings to you, princess."

"Greetings, Frederick. It's good you're here. We need all the help we can get." Celestina bowed slightly.

"Fred, it's good to have you here." Oscar clasped Frederick's hand. "Now all we need is the rest of us. Have you seen Emily?"

"Emily? Oh, right." Frederick laughed awkwardly. "I left her behind. She probably really enraged right now...."

"What did you do?"