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Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: I Broke an Angel and All I Got Was This Lousy Wing

"So since when could you destroy souls?" Mom asked sternly, her eyes narrowing as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed like she was interrogating a war criminal.

I shrugged without looking up. "Since forever. I have demon mana, after all."

She pushed off the wall and stepped closer. "You do realize you just gave yourself an even bigger target."

"Not really." I let out a bored sigh and picked at the scuffed edge of my gauntlet. "I only damaged his soul a little. It's not like they know I can destroy it completely. And anyway…" I gave a sharp exhale through my nose. "This tournament's been boring as hell. Might as well add some spice."

Mom crossed her arms again, her tone clipped. "Why did you even make a spell like that? And don't say, 'Because I could.' It looked effortless—dangerously so."

I looked up, actually surprised. "Wait… seriously? You don't know why I made it?"

She frowned. "No. Why? What the hell would make you want to destroy a soul entirely? Hurting them is bad enough. Didn't Kayda talk to you about this?"

I scoffed and leaned forward, my voice colder now. "To make sure monsters like my father don't get another shot. I'm not risking him reincarnating, not ever. Souls like that? They need to end."

There was a long silence between us.

Then finally, Mom exhaled. "…Right. Fine. Just… don't overuse it."

I smirked faintly. "I won't. That's what Kayda's for—keeping me in check."

She gave me a knowing look. "She did tell me about the spell, by the way."

I tilted my head. "Oh?"

"She didn't want to, but you scared the crap out of her when you almost erased someone mid-yawn."

I snorted. "Whoops."

Shaking her head, Mom changed the subject. "So… has Zagan talked to Amari yet?"

I slouched deeper into my seat. "Nope. Last I heard, he locked himself in his room again."

"I hope that fight wasn't just a fluke," Mom said, brushing her bangs back with a sigh.

I shrugged. "I doubt it. Dean said that Zagan just needs time to sort out his feelings.

I arched my brow. "What, like years of time?"

"I hope it won't take that long," Mom said, her voice tightening. "Amari's not going to wait around forever. Most nobles lock down their matches in the academy. And you two are heading there next year, remember?"

"Ugh, yeah…" I groaned, leaning my head back. "That's coming up."

She smirked. "Well, your grandmother runs the place. No transferring out."

"Tsk. Total waste of time."

"It's also a great place to level," she added flatly.

"I could just sneak into the Dead Forest and do it there," I muttered.

She shot me a sharp look. "No. You're not ready for that place."

"...Riiight~," I replied, dragging out the word and rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious," she warned.

"I am taking it seriously… just selectively," I added with a cheeky grin. "Anyway, why hasn't my match started yet?"

Mom tilted her head. "Good question."

I glanced at the clock. "They probably forfeited."

"I wouldn't be surprised," she said with a dry chuckle.

I blinked. "Wait, why would they?"

She looked at me like I'd missed the obvious. "You blew the last guy's head off with a gun. What exactly do you think they'll do? Block it with prayer?"

I smirked. "I only use the gun if they're boring."

She raised an eyebrow. "And you think anyone in this tournament can entertain you?"

"Maybe that kid who wrecked Zagan," I admitted.

"You really think he's a threat?"

I shook my head. "Not really. He just buffs himself. At best, he has a rare class. And the rarer your class or title, the harder it is to level. You guys know that."

She gave a wry smile. "That was a lot of words to say, 'He's not a big deal.'"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Don't underestimate him," I said, mocking her tone with a grin. "I'm not that short-sighted."

Mom's tone dropped, her voice serious. "Just… remember there's an adult watching."

I hesitated. "You think he will be here?"

"I doubt it," she said quietly, almost to herself. "But there's always a chance."

Suddenly, the loudspeaker crackled overhead:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Sorry for the delay. The two contestants are ready to begin!"

"What the hell is going on now?" I muttered.

Mom's lips curled into a dry smirk. "You're fighting a big angel. I honestly didn't think he'd stay in. You're an agility fighter. He's… well, not."

I stared at her. "And you're telling me this now?"

She shrugged. "I figured he'd withdraw."

"Whatever." I stood, stretching lazily. "Let's get this over with."

Arena—Match Begins

The crowd roared the moment I stepped out onto the field, but my focus wasn't on them—it was on the walking cathedral of a man standing across from me.

He was massive.

Just under four meters tall, with wings like fortress gates and a jaw that looks like it could bite a car in half. The halo above his head pulsed with holy energy, and even from here, I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

"Ah, so you didn't forfeit," he rumbled, folding his tree-trunk arms across his chest.

I tilted my head, sizing him up. "Wow. You're, uh… bigger than advertised."

The angel narrowed his eyes.

I circled him slowly, pretending to study him like some kind of rare beast. "No offense, but what did you eat to grow like that? Fallen stars? Divine steroids?"

He blinked in confusion. "??"

"Oh. Right," I said, tapping the side of my head. "Muscles this big—gotta cut power from somewhere. Guess the brain got sacrificed first."

"What did you just say?!" He barked, stepping forward and slamming a fist down at me.

I casually stepped aside, letting the punch crater the marble floor.

"Hey now," I said with a grin, "the match hasn't started yet."

"Who cares?! Demons like you don't deserve rules!" He roared, and this time he brought both fists down like a sledgehammer.

I backflipped, landing lightly on the arena edge. "Okay, so we're doing this. Cool. Let's dance."

The gong finally rang.

I immediately vanished.

Reappeared behind him and tapped the back of his head.

He spun with a snarl, his punch so fast it blurred—but I ducked, slid between his legs, and flicked his shin with a tiny frost spell.

"Ow! What was that?!"

"Oh no, I tickled the mighty angel," I said, leaping up and landing on his shoulder like it was a training post. "Now what?"

"Get off me!" he roared, grabbing at me.

I jumped straight up as his hand passed through empty air. Mid-air, I snapped my fingers and launched a small icicle straight into his armpit.

"ARGH!"

"You know what your problem is?" I called as I landed behind him. "You're all bulk and no technique."

"You think you're funny?!" He spun and slammed his wings forward like a hammerhead, trying to crush me with sheer mass.

I blinked out of the way again.

He flapped upward into the air. I squinted.

"Oh, we're flying now?" I called out. "Fine, I'll come to you."

I vanished and reappeared mid-air a few meters above him.

"What?!" he shouted, craning up just as I stomped down onto his halo.

He reeled, losing balance, and I followed with a triple flip down his back, leaving behind a trail of tiny frost explosions that detonated on impact.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

His body twisted from the blasts, and he spiraled downward, barely catching himself with a wingbeat before hitting the ground.

Breathing hard now, he snarled and beat his wings, lifting back into the sky. His hands glowed with holy magic—he fired twin beams in my direction.

I blinked behind him and flicked the back of his neck.

"Too slow," I whispered.

He screamed, turned, and tried to body slam me mid-air. I let him get close—just enough—then punched his kneecap with an ice gauntlet.

Crack!

He screamed, losing altitude again.

I landed first, and as he tried to steady himself, I swept behind him and drove a punch into the back of his knee.

POP.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

"Oh man, that sounded painful," I said, hopping back and waving at the audience. "Can we get a medic here? Just in case?"

"You'll pay for that!" he roared, face red with rage.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "Cue the righteous fury arc…"

He launched himself at me again, wings flaring wide. But this time, I let him get close—then leapt, twisted mid-air, and landed on his shoulders.

"Say cheese," I said cheerfully—and slammed both my fists into the sides of his head with a frozen burst.

He tumbled forward, stunned.

I landed cleanly behind him and, before he could react, grabbed one of his wings.

"Nope. You're grounded now."

With a heave, I hurled him into the ground, feathers and marble exploding on impact.

I dropped down after him, crouching beside his twitching form. His wings fluttered, half-broken.

"You know," I mused, standing over him, "you talk a lot of shit for someone with such weak joints."

He growled something, but I ignored it.

Instead, I stepped onto his back, grabbed both wings at the base, and cracked my neck.

"This part always gets the crowd going."

"Wait—!"

RIIIIIP.

A scream tore from his throat as I ripped the wings clean off. Blood and light sprayed into the air.

And then he fainted.

"Oh, come on," I said, exasperated. "Don't black out now. This was just getting fun."

I summoned a small sphere of icy water and dropped it on his head.

"Ah! Wh—what?"

I blinked. "Wait… did he forget what just happened?"

"Ding ding! The winner is Kitsune Draig!" the announcer shouted.

"What?! I did not surrender!" the angel shouted, scrambling up in a panic.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, but you lost."

As he turned to protest again, I drew my gun and calmly fired.

BANG!

His head snapped back, and his body crumpled to the ground.

I blew the smoke from the barrel and looked around at the stunned silence of the crowd.

"Seriously?" I said to no one in particular. "You guys still think holy magic blocks demon bullets?"

I turned toward the exit, holstering my weapon with a flourish.

"You don't stand a chance."

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