Chapter 198: Chapter 198 Destroying the Barrier.

The time slightly went further back before Soma struck down the barrier that shifted the reality from the truth about what happened to Hina, Leon and the demon Mary.

After the duel that finished with the seniors, they celebrated their victory in a sweet moment. Soma and Xiao Lian decide to do some light sparring and run for another twenty minutes to loosen the tension in their body before they end their training and go toward the locker room to freshen themselves.

In the locker room, Soma, with a steamed and cleansed body devoid of any sticky fluid from sweat or dirt that sticks to his skin, is putting on his uniform when he overhears the two males he assumed seniors talk in whispers across from his locker.

"Hey, did you know?".

"What?".

"Recently, there is a rumour that a nasty Demonesses that sucks men's vitality roams around the Academy".

"Oh, I heard that too. Man, I wish that were true. I am willing to be sucked by her to reach peak pleasure".

"Are you stupid? What if the demoness is ugly?".

"There is no way, dude. The name itself is Demoness. How can someone who called that be considered ugly? Rather, she probably had a bewitching appearance that would make every male crotch stand up just by seeing her".

"...Damn pervert".

"What the fuck! You are the one who starts the topics".

As the two seniors begin to argue about their delusion, Soma, who knows the incident behind that rumour, sighs as he mutters. "So, it's already started. I hope Leon can grow because of this," from the story he remembered, as the first rumour in the academy spread out. The incident that will involve Leon and Mary will happen in the week after.

However, Soma had nothing to do with it, as he had already decided to leave everything to Leon to finish the first hurdle in his journey to becoming a saviour unless something urgent happened. He tidied up his appearance and closed the locker door before he left the room.

Once outside, he leaned his body toward the wall while waiting for Xiao Lian to finish her change. Time passed, and gradually, the shadow below his feet stretched and mixed with the other shades in the surrounding hallway.

"Sorry for the wait. Did you wait long?".

Soma, who turned his attention toward Xiao Lian, who just got out of the bath with her still-drenched hair, stood before him with a floral scent that came out from her body, attracting her male instinct to sniff it.

"No, let's leave the academy".

"Mm".

Xiao Lian nodded her head as she began to nestle herself beside Soma and walked side by side in close distance. Slowly, they were immersed in their own world that was muted by the tranquil atmosphere of the academy and the comfortable distance they had.

The two spent their time in comfort while occasionally Xiao Lian, with her delicate finger, would throw some light poke toward his side, making Soma turn his attention to her. As she noticed Soma's attention had turned to her, she unknowingly would always curve her lips, making Soma stunned seeing her beautiful expression.

"What?".

"Mmmm, Nothing".

"So".

Soma turned his attention to the front as he recalled this is also one of Xiao Lian's nature, where she is a spoiled girl. She tends to argue with Hina because of her frank affection toward Leon, making Hina a bit jealous because She envies her straightforwardness in expressing her emotions, different from Hina, who tends to hide her honest feelings.

Arriving at the entrance door of the academy, they stepped their feet outside the building while accidentally being slammed by the warm wind that brushed their skin, causing the swaying of their uniform.

Soma cast his gaze toward the west, seeing the red sun that had already submerged half of its body into the horizon, casting its last light for the day before, replaced by the glittering light that spread across the entire universe and a moon that would be accompanying them.

"Hm?!".

Then, from the corner of his sight, there was a bright mass of a ball of flame that ascended the sky before it exploded, letting out a roar, spreading a brilliance of firetails before it disappeared instantly without a trace.

"What's the matter?".

Xiao Lian's curious tone brought his attention back toward her. Soma shook his head and brushed apart the phenomenon he saw earlier as his imagination.

Soma moved his feet to go to his dormitory, but without knowing why, his feet refused to leave the ground. He checked if the puppeteer skill was activated, but there was no notification about it. His calmed heart began to stir as he recalled the conversation that happened a moment ago between the two male seniors. "What is happening to me? ". Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He felt that if he left the place and brushed aside the phenomenon he saw earlier, Soma would regret it for the rest of his life. It was not because there was some unknown being whispering to him, but it was his instinct that told him to go toward the flame.

"Xiao Lian, could you please go back alone?".

"What's wrong? You seem restless?".

"There is something I need to check over there. Did you see the flame earlier?".

"Mm, that was fire magic. I feel it was familiar from its mana, but it suddenly disappeared instantly. So, I'm not sure".

Soma's face stiffened as he heard Xiao Lian's explanation about the flame earlier.

"Xiao Lian, you sure the mana it gives seems familiar to you? How can you sense that?".

"Mm, Yeah, I have a Mana manipulation that reached level 5 last week. I could feel the nature of mana it possessed, and it was the same feeling when red-hair showed her magic to me".

After being given enough proof by Xiao Lian, Soma began to ponder what actually happened. "First, Hina wouldn't do something so foolish as to lose control over her magic. Second, the usage of magic in the academy is forbidden except if something urgent happens. Also, the place where the ball of flame flew is". His eyes bloated as he began to piece the puzzle scattered in his brain.

"Tch, damn it!".

"Soma?!".

Xiao Lian raised her brows, seeing Soma, who dashed away, leaving her alone. Soma, who recalled the ball of flames emerged. It was the back place of the Academy where many trees grew, and it was also the place where Leon found out about Mary's true identity.

The forest was within sight as he began accelerating further, trying to enter the place. Still, suddenly, his body was slammed toward an invisible barrier that absorbed the force from his running momentum.

"What the?!".

Soma's body bounced back as he bumped his butt to the ground. He cast his gaze at the invisible barrier in front of him. The barrier he knew well was being erected in the forest, the place where the first tragedy that befell Leon in the story unfolded. His body shuddered upon the realization he had. He shot back up and lunged his punch forward, but the barrier was absorbing its impact.

"Damn it, I need to destroy the barrier quickly, but I need a sharp weapon to break through it".

"Soma?!".

From behind Soma came a worried shout as Xiao Lian approached his side.

"Soma, what happened? All of a sudden, you run away like that?".

His luck seems to be in favour of sending him Xiao Lian, who happened to have a legendary object that could pierce everything on its peak performance.

"Xiao Lian, can I borrow your spear, please?".

"...But, the spear won't listen to anybody besides me who has been chosen".

"Xiao Lian, please. Let me take a look, and if the spear is impossible to hold, I will try another method".

"What is actually happening?".

Xiao Lian, who had never seen Soma so restless over something, knit her brows in wonder. Then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw Soma's left hand floating mid-air. She began to focus her senses and felt a turbulence of mana that obstructed her vision.

"This is".

"A barrier has been erected, and the flame from earlier was probably from Hina as she sent some signal to be noticed and asked for help, but the flame disappeared because of the barrier that blocked our sight".

"Red hair is?".

"Xiao Lian, please, let me hold it for a while. With your weapon, I can use my strength to breach through this barrier".

Soma shifts his attention toward Xiao Lian wholeheartedly, putting her in a difficult situation. She was afraid Soma would receive a backlash upon the contact with the spear, but she was also afraid that if what Soma said was true, Hina was in greater danger inside.

Xiao Lian grits her teeth while summoning the blue spear in her hand. With a trembling hand, she presents it to Soma.

"Here, please tell me if you cannot hold it. I will help you".

"...Thanks, Xiao Lian".

Soma received the blue spear from Xiao Lian. It was cold to the touch and also serene at the same time, clearly resembling the attribute of water. But within those calm and tranquil nature, water also possesses a devastating calamity that could annihilate humankind.

The spear in Soma's hand began to tremble slightly before it gradually got stronger, and the weight multiplied, making the veins in his right hand visible. The spear started to let out a buzzing sound that reverberated through his skull, jamming his thoughts.

With the sudden invasion of his brain, Soma's consciousness almost turns white when he grits his teeth and activates his skills.

[Extra Skill Adapt activated]

[Extra Skill Puppeteer activated]

"...Yield before me!".

The spear that noticed the change in Soma began to resort to its last defence, but Soma was faster as he burst apart his crimson aura with thousands of bolts that danced across his skin and invaded the spear, making the spear violently revolt in his hand.

"Soma?!".

"I said. Yield before me!".

[The power of Saint had been drawn toward your body, and it strongly resonated with the spear in your hand]

Soma, who drew Martial Saint power, turned the spear upside down before slamming the tip of the spear shaft to the ground, letting out a thunderous roar that shook the surrounding air. Also, the spear was coated by hundreds of tiny bolts, shining in crimson color.

"You succeed?!".

Xiao Lian, who saw the results, opened her eyes in shock. She felt a bit conflicted about it and also proud that Soma could do the same thing as she did, which made her happy.

"Xiao Lian, the moment the barrier collapsed, rushed to the inside".

"Mm, okay, what about you?".

"I will go from above".

"Above?".

[Martial Saint First Technique, Three Steps of Heavenly Lightning Tribulation]

[First Step - Lightning Scatter]

Soma, whose body was covered in crimson lightning, jumped from his place, and he began to kick empty air to move toward the barrier core in the centre above. Once he arrived in the air, he clenched the spear in his hand and concentrated the saint's power and lightning in his body, infused with the spear.

The blue spear began to tremble in excitement as it received an unknown power that enhanced its power to another level.

"Oh, mighty spear, Break that thing for me!".

Soma pulled back the spear as he tensed his hands to draw his full power upon the throwing of the spear. He inhaled a deep breath as he began to throw the spear down.

"Go!".

The spear, like a crimson meteorite that descended to the land, struck the surface of the barrier, corroding its structure before it shattered and let out a thunderous roar as if announcing its might.

"Hina!".