"If the vessel dies, even if it belongs to her...We can't afford to lose it. He is the best candidate."
Caesar couldn't breathe. His mouth was dry as sand, and his skin was soaked with sweat.
Mr. Shawn was the first person to react.
He thrust his bulky hand, and the same violet cloud from his dimension appeared and flew towards the figure who had just impaled his student.
As the cloud flew speedily to the figure, it vanished. Moments later, Mr. Shawn coughed out a mouthful of blood. He dropped to a knee and held his ribs, as if it was broken.
I think you shouldn't do that, the figure said, with no emotion in his voice. You won't believe how many people have died trying to go on the offensive.
Everyone froze due to fear. Zeus' eyes darkened, Izobel held her breath, Leo's teeth chattered, Escanor's flame above his head dimmed, and Martha's mouth was left open.
But the figure killed a friend closer than a brother, and that was enough to make Caesar go berserk.
Caesar was above the figure, with rage in his eyes.
FIRE IMPACT!!!!!
Caesar screamed as his hands glowed white hot, the entire temperature of the room increasing drastically.
But as Caesar was seconds away from landing a hit, he saw something uncanny: The face of a veiled woman.
Before he could register what he saw, his hands returned to normal, and the temperature of the room returned to its original state. Caesar coughed up more blood than Mr. Shawn as heat scalded his chest area, leaving a knuckle imprint.
The figure sighed, What did I tell you about going on the offensive?
Caesar was still hungry for vengeance. He was angry, but he was also patient.
He managed to move Chalybe's lifeless body out of the way, resting it on a wall. The gaping hole in his chest pierced through a heart on his left side. Miraculously, his other heart still beat, but had some arteries and veins missing.
Caesar's hand was covered in warm blood.
Can you reflect attacks? Caesar asked with his voice becoming deeper.
The figure's green eyes fixated on Caesar, as if to gauge him.
Have you ever argued with an ant? The figure said with his hands on his waist. "It's pointless, but rarely entertaining. That's how I feel talking to you people.
The figure glanced back at the other students, still frozen in shock.
But I am thinking if I should let you all live. The figure took a deep breath, his pale skin receiving just a slight glint of color, before returning to its ghastly hue. I have completed my mission. On second thought, I should finish you all.
Murmurs spread across the room.
Who sent you? Zeus screamed at the figure.
The figure's eyes drifted to Zeus, his braids looking unkempt, but his face unexpectedly calm.
Who cares? The figure spread his hands, with the sleeves plastered with black feathers. The black feathers left his sleeves and turned into slaver beak ravens.
Izobel quickly recalled the unusual ravens that were cawing at the academy's entrance. Fenrir mentioned that it was unlikely there were lots of them in the daytime.
Did the figure cause it?
The crows charged at the students, their bloodshot eyes filled with the desire to hunt and devour.
Filled with rage, Zeus raised his hands to the sky and the ravens were immediately splattered to the ground, as the pressure increased tenfold.
More ravens kept coming, and the figure rushed at Mr. Shawn, who was slowly recovering from his wounds.
First, the teacher. The figure stared down at the professor.
No!!! Izobel screamed. Her eyes glowed intently, but she was hesitant.
If Caesar's hypotheses were right, the figure could reflect incoming attacks to the opponent that sent it. But Izobel had more questions.
Was there a restricted range? Izobel thought. Could it affect multiple people? Could my attack kill me?
With a new priority, she conjured a large pink rellabug avatar. It possessed 6 mighty pairs of wings that flap rapidly, 4 thin legs, a horn protruding from its forehead, and an abdomen with microscopic needles.
The avatar, as large as a man, swooped in and carried Mr. Shawn. If Izobel couldn't attack the figure, she could have also saved Mr. Shawn. But suddenly, the peculiar happened. The avatar dropped him and went towards Izobel.
Leo joined Caesar, who was still staring at Chalybe's body.
Leo, Caesar said. Will you please watch him?
Leo struggled to control her breath, but she slowly nodded, and Caesar disappeared.
He rushed at the figure with a kick, but his leg seemed to stop. Caesar noticed that some sort of barrier was protecting him and was even absorbing the impact.
Immediately, Caesar felt the pain throbbing in his feet. Caesar stepped back and rushed towards the figure again, with his fist glowing an uncanny red color.
Every punch damaged him, not the enemy. The barrier devoured his attacks, feeding the pain back into his bones. Where was the peripheral energy going?
Caesar soliloquized, He is not even flinching, which means that the force of my attacks isn't even reaching him. He stands there with no fear, being confident that I won't be able to touch him. HE BELIEVES HE IS UNTOUCHABLE.
Caesar would attack, get his limbs shattered, retreat, change position, and get his body battered. The cycle repeated.
I admire your delusion, the figure said. But won't you agree it will kill you before it scratches me? Brave, but foolish.
But in the background, the students weren't more successful.
Zeus crushed the ravens with lightning, while Martha smashed them with her hammer, but her swings were getting slower. Escanor's flame dimmed, so his morale was very low, which resulted in scrapes and bruises.
The students were able to eliminate swarms of them, with some shooting energy balls, mini stars, and most impressively, some sort of portal that dissolves the ravens.
Even though they weren't paragons, they were still very skilled with their divinities or skills.
But as the students were getting stronger, the ravens got faster, deadlier, and precise by the brumite, and in the pace, some students might get injured, or even worse.....
Neverland: Mermaid's song.
A domain of warmth enveloped the room as students' strengths began to replenish. Caesar's eye drifted to see Atlanta, sweating and wheezing, but creating the incomplete attribute.
Caesar couldn't believe he had forgotten the ability he had perfected this morning. He had to thank Atlanta later.
Neverland: Prometheus' sacrifice.
Caesar crafted a larger Neverland than Atlanta. When her swaying eyes met his, she surprisingly smiled.
Caesar trusted his classmates, even though he only knew 3% of them.
Neverland: Hive queen comfort, Izobel said.
Neverland: Jupiter's mercy, Zeus screamed.
Students started to open their own Neverland, complete or not, to help each other.
As students focused on the numerous ravens and raven hulks, Caesar focused on his enemy.
This guy couldn't be limitless, Caesar thought. It is simply impossible. He couldn't possibly take hits from everyone or everything. So there must be a limit, surely, there is always a limit. But where? Well, I have to hit him hard enough before to find it.
The figure appeared behind Caesar. Your battlefield awareness is truly rubbish.
Caesar turned around to attack the enemy, but was greeted by 6 ravens which hit his chest at high speed. Caesar's mouth was stained with blood.
No, not now, Caesar thought. Am I reaching my limit?
Caesar screamed as he rushed back to punch the figure, his muscles in his arms rupturing. But instead of pulling back and trying a different approach, he pressed forward.
Press on, Caesar gritted his teeth. Break my limit.
"STATIC SHOCK X MIGHTY FUSION!!!!!!" Caesar grinned as his arm became a vessel of nuclear force, rapidly decaying matter to its smaller components.
His uniform was torn to shreds from the additional shock wave he produced from his attack. And in a glint of hope - The Figure stepped back. His lips twitched, showing a sign of alert and confirmation that the paragon's madness had become an inconvenience.
What drives this boy? The figure thought. Why is he smiling? Why doesn't he...no, that's not it.
With every layer of force he stacked, Caesar's bones grated, blood spraying from his knuckles and joints. By the time he added the last, his arm was no longer an arm but a blood-glutton weapon.
You are getting better, Caesar. Mr. Adalwin would say.
But Caesar was not looking for better: He was aiming to be the best.
His hands throbbed with unbearable pain, but Caesar refused to give him. He relesead his hands, did a quick stretch, and continued.
Will I fail? Caesar thought. No, I can't, not again. I can't keep failing. What kind of paragon, no, what kind of knight would I be, if I can't help those around me?
Applying all 5 forces in one arm was suicidal, with his mom warning him of the whiplash.
Caesar, come back to me perfectly. Okay? Evelyn would say.
Sweet memories of his caring mother filled his head: Her warm smile, her childish fetish, her excitement over fashion, and her love for him.
Sorry, mother, Caesar smiled. I won't come back perfectly. Will I even come back at all?
Caesar couldn't forgive a person who would take another soul because of evil. That was simply disgusting.
PENTAGRAM IMPACT!!!!
With a final shout of anguish, with his dark eyes emitting a blinding blue light, Caesar pressed forward.
Is this it? Caesar thought. Is that the right frequency?
The Figure's face twitched with annoyance, his streaks of blood getting redder, and his skin getting paler.
The figure reappeared across the room, but Caesar was already there. Caesar stopped, inhaled, and continued.
I feel like I'm flying. It hurts, but I feel ecstatic.
Caesar's chest, abdomen, other arm, and face were squirting out blood. His heart was beating uncontrollably.
A hulking monster descended from above, its claws threatening to slice Caesar.
Escanor swiftly slammed the beast to a wall, pinning it down.
Go, Caesar. Escanor said. Kill that thing.
Caesar, filled with more will, started to punch the barrier with his two hands. He started slow, but began to slam into the barrier at high speeds.
This boy, the figure said. He refuses to accept despair even though it is inevitable. That disgusts me.
At that moment, a wave of warmth washed over his body. He saw a large butterfly avatar on his back, and a multi-legged crimson centipede avatar coiling around his arms.
He looked behind himself to see Izobel, her clothes torn in different areas, but her skin remaining flawless as ever, and Mr. Shawn back in action, engulfing ravens in his clouds and opening portals to his dimension.
Her beautiful pink eyes were losing their color, and her hair was showing white patches in some areas. But Caesar understood her unspeakable rage: "BREAK HIM"
I could never give up. Izobel and Chalybe always told me that.
Caesar pressed on with newfound strength and a special companion to protect. His skin was turning pale, and his body was becoming light. His Neverland went down, as the physical toll almost ripped open his back.
Martha, from nowhere, landed on Caesar's back. Don't ever speak of this, she whispered.
Martha slapped his back, sending a wave of stinging pain. On Caesar's back was a white tattoo of a dagger embedded in a heart. Caesar could feel all the pain in his body diminishing, as if the pain was silenced.
Thank you, Martha. Caesar said. I owe you dinner.
Martha winked and leapt away.
The sky rumbled, with a hot bolt of lightning piercing through the clouds, and being absorbed in the greenish coating on Caesar's forearm.
How is Zeus still going? What a workaholic.
And a glint of hope shimmered as the figure gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger and disgust.
I won't die. No one else will.
PENTAGRAM SMASH X CENTIPEDE SHADOW DANCE X JUPITER'S CLEAVE!!!!!!!
At Caesar's knuckle, a ball of multicolored energy was birth, as if it gathered the collective hate of this evil entity.
Who are you!!! the figure shouted.
Caesar punched the energy. His heart's slowing down.
I...
It felt warm, like an orb of hate and hope. It was light and somewhat foamy like a sponge.
am...
Caesar locked eyes with the Figure.
Caesar.
As a bead of sweat evaporated before it touched the ground, a loud explosion occurred. With Caesar's knuckles being exposed to the bone, the entire room shook.
Chairs cracked, walls were filled with gaping holes, and quakes traveled across the class. The ravens dematerialized back to feathers.
The spot where the figure stood was empty, just a large crater that covered the entire room.
An eerie silence befell the room.
Caesar's knees buckled as he knelt, feeling as the white tattoo faded from his back. The skin of his entire right arm has vanished, revealing only his muscles, bloody and pulsating. A warm tear fell from his eyes as he took a deep breath and raised his fist.
The class cheered.
Chalybe was avenged, and Caesar was satisfied and relieved. He could hear the screams of students and Mr. Shawn.
He has finally done it.....
Impressive, A cold voice silenced the cheer.
The atmosphere of calmness was quickly replaced with a feeling of doom. Caesar raised his head to see a horror, the figure standing perfectly fine.
With eyes filled with sorrow and unkindness and skin as pale as a corpse, he was unharmed.
He stared at Caesar with his heavy eyes, crying streaks of blood which dripped down on his black clothing. No blood, no bruising, not even his clothes got damaged.
IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING.