The moment Isdis turned her crimson gaze toward Utibe, something inside Tega snapped.
His body tensed, every fiber of his being screaming at him to stop her. He had been holding back before, fighting at a level that would have let him walk away with only a few scratches.
But now?
He roared.
A golden aura exploded around him, his muscles thickening, veins pulsing beneath his skin. His fangs extended further, his claws lengthening to dagger-like proportions. His form was no longer just fast—it was feral.
Isdis, inches from Utibe, barely had time to react before he was on her.
BOOM!
Tega's claws slashed through the air, sending a shockwave so strong that the entire building shuddered. Isdis barely dodged, her body twisting unnaturally to avoid the strike.
But she wasn't smiling anymore.
Her crimson eyes darkened, and her aura shifted.
The playful energy around her melted away, replaced by something darker, heavier. Her fingernails elongated into razor-sharp claws, her skin glowing faintly under the dim light. A faint mist surrounded her, laced with an alluring scent—one that would make any weak-willed creature drop to their knees.
A succubus' aura.
She exhaled, and her voice dripped with an unnatural sweetness.
"You're making me excited, dog."
Tega leaped forward before she could react and gave her a heavy punch to the gut sending her flying in the air.
Isdis crashed through the shelves, her body slamming into the far wall with enough force to send cracks spiraling outward. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, but she barely seemed fazed. Instead, she wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, her eyes flashing with something between rage and… delight.
"Oh, now that was fun," she purred, her voice like silk laced with venom. "You really are a wild beast."
Tega didn't answer. He was breathing hard, his golden eyes glowing like twin suns. His muscles twitched, veins bulging from the sheer strain of pushing his transformation further. His claws were coated in his own blood—he had dug too deep into his palms without even realizing it.
But he didn't care.
All that mattered was stopping her.
With a snarl, he lunged forward again, the floor cracking beneath him. His speed was monstrous, almost too fast for human eyes to follow. But Isdis was no human.
She sidestepped at the last second, her lips curling into a smirk—only for Tega to twist mid-air and rake his claws across her side.
A clean hit.
Her black dress tore, and crimson splattered against the ground.
Isdis let out a low hiss, more annoyed than hurt. Her vampiric healing kicked in immediately, but Tega didn't give her time to recover. He pressed forward, his claws becoming a blur of relentless strikes, each one aimed to tear, rip, and kill.
She dodged, parried, countered—moving like a shadow, her form flickering in and out of view. The air between them screamed with the force of their battle.
Then, she decided to stop playing.
A succubus' charm wasn't just in her beauty. It was in her very essence.
With a single breath, she unleashed it.
A wave of unnatural allure radiated from her, wrapping around Tega's senses like chains. His vision blurred, his movements slowed. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind suddenly filled with thoughts that weren't his.
His muscles stiffened.
His claws hesitated.
His instincts—his rage—flickered for just a moment.
And that moment was all she needed.
She was in front of him in an instant. Her claws gleamed under the dim light as she swiped at his throat, aiming to end it now.
Tega gritted his teeth. His mind screamed at him to move, but his body—
"Enough."
The word was spoken softly.
Yet, it was absolute.
The battle that had been raging with deadly force halted in an instant.
A heavy pressure crashed down on them both—so suffocating that even breathing became difficult.
Tega's golden eyes widened in shock. Isdis flinched, her claws stopping inches from his throat. A cold sweat formed on her brow.
The air shifted.
The tension in the room was thick, suffocating. Even though the fight had stopped, the heavy pressure of the suited man's presence lingered like an unshakable weight.
Tega and Isdis stood frozen, their eyes locked onto him, every instinct screaming at them to remain still. Even their breathing felt like a risk under his gaze.
Then, the man sighed. A long, drawn-out sigh that somehow carried more weight than any words. He adjusted his sleeves, dusted off his already immaculate suit, and then…
He unleashed.
"What. The hell. Do you two think you're doing?"
His voice, though still calm, carried a sharpness that cut deeper than any of their claws.
Tega flinched. Isdis stiffened.
"You reckless, brainless, foolish children." His black eyes flicked between them with a stare so piercing it felt like being dissected under a microscope. "Not only did you engage in an unauthorized, unapproved battle—"
He took a step forward, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Not only did you nearly rip each other apart like rabid beasts—"
Another step. The sheer force of his presence made the walls creak.
"But you also managed to drag an ignorant human into your mess?" His gaze snapped to Tega, who visibly tensed.
Tega swallowed hard, but his voice still came out cocky—if not a little strained. "He wasn't supposed to—"
"Silence."
Tega shut up instantly.
The man's head tilted slightly, his tone deceptively mild. "Do you understand what you've done?"
Isdis, for once, had no witty comeback. She averted her gaze, lips pressing into a thin line.
The man continued, his words slow and deliberate, each one carrying undeniable authority.
"You. Have. Endangered. A civilian."
He let that sink in, watching their expressions carefully before exhaling through his nose.
"Do you understand the magnitude of your actions?" His voice darkened. "Supernatural exposure is not a joke. The Council works tirelessly to ensure our world remains hidden from human eyes. And yet, here you are, throwing that secrecy away like it's a mere inconvenience."
His sharp gaze landed on Isdis now. "And you—what exactly were you thinking? Toying with a werewolf like some deranged cat playing with its food?"
Isdis scowled. "He started it."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Are you seriously playing the victim here?"
Isdis looked away.
His voice turned cold. "You were enjoying it. Don't insult my intelligence by pretending otherwise."
Isdis clenched her fists, her usual flirtatious demeanor gone.
Then, his gaze flicked back to Tega.
"And you. Attacking a vampire-succubus hybrid with full intent to kill? Were you dropped on your head as a pup, or are you just that stupid?"
Tega's lips curled in defiance. "She was gonna kill me too."
"And yet, here you both stand. Alive." The man folded his arms, eyes narrowing. "That means you were both holding back."
Neither of them answered.
The man's voice dropped to a near growl. "Tell me—what would have happened if neither of you held back? If your instincts took full control?"
Silence.
"You would have massacred each other," he answered for them. "And that human—" his gaze shifted toward where Utibe was hidden, though he didn't look directly at him, "—would have been caught in the crossfire. Or worse, he would have witnessed your fight and lived."
Tega and Isdis stiffened at that.
"And do you know what happens when a human witnesses our world?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
They knew.
The supernatural world had rules.
Utibe should either be dead—or erased.
The weight of that realization settled in.
The man sighed, rubbing his temple as if they had given him the worst migraine of his life. "I swear, sometimes I wonder if I'm running a school or a daycare."
Tega blinked. "Wait—" He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you anyway?"
The man looked at him, unimpressed. "Are you seriously just now asking that?"
Tega shrugged. "You didn't exactly introduce yourself."
The man smirked. "Darius Malphas."
Both Tega and Isdis froze.
Utibe, who was still hidden but listening, felt the air shift as the name settled in the space.
Darius Malphas.
The Principal of Fantasia Academy.
The man who had complete authority over the supernatural students and their actions.
And he was furious.
And then—he walked in.
A man, dressed in a sleek, pitch-black suit, stepped into the ruined building. His shoes barely made a sound against the debris-covered floor. His hands were gloved, his tie perfectly adjusted, his presence immaculate.
But his aura…
It was wrong.
It was like standing before a void—something vast and ancient. Something that shouldn't exist.
His hair was silver, slicked back without a strand out of place. His eyes were impossibly black, like twin abysses swallowing everything they looked at.
And he was smiling.
Not a warm smile.
Not a cruel one.
Just… a smile.
Calm. Neutral. Terrifying.
Tega and Isdis felt their instincts screaming at them.
This man was not normal.
Not vampire. Not werewolf. Not human.
Something else.
"Children," the man said, his voice smooth, deep, and undeniably powerful. "If you truly wish to fight…"
He took another step forward, the pressure in the room intensifying.
"…then fight me."
Tega and Isdis froze.
Silence.
Then, almost at the same time, they both took a step back.
Bluntly. Unashamedly.
And the man chuckled.
"Good choice."