Chapter 166
BLAZE (4)
Some time earlier...
IAM's attention, however, was elsewhere. His eyes flicked around the room. Snow had disappeared—he hadn't seen where she went.
His eyes narrowed.
He had no intent to fight this lunatic. His only intent was to escape.
He leaned slightly toward Reuel and whispered, "Reuel, say something annoying."
Reuel blinked, clearly thrown. "Wait—what? Why!?"
"Just do it."
"What kind of plan—"
"Reuel."
IAM's voice was soft but firm. There wasn't time for explanations. Not the full ones.
With a theatrical groan, Reuel swallowed hard, then turned toward Blaze...
Reuel shouted, "I'm going to report you! For abuse of authority and disregarding your superior!"
Blaze's bright blue eyes flared as he cackled, "Ka ka ka! Superior? There is no one superior to me!! Especially not that lucky little bitch! Do you hear me?! Report me all you want!"
Reuel shrunk back slightly, his hands trembling as the sheer intensity of Blaze's presence pressed down on him.
He hissed through his teeth, "Now what, huh!?"
Yohan spoke quietly, his voice almost a whisper, "We should split up and run in different directions, like last time."
"I agree," IAM said, nodding slightly. "But it might not work... I've sparred with experienced-level ascenders before. The gap is pretty big. If we split up, he'll definitely catch at least one of us."
Reuel exhaled slowly, a sinking feeling setting into his chest. "Well," he whispered, "we're fucked then."
IAM didn't respond immediately. He seemed to be thinking—measuring something in his head. Then he looked up.
"We're going to have to take him down," he said, his voice clear and steady.
Reuel's head snapped around. "What?! Are you insane? You literally just said he's way stronger than us."
"Stronger," IAM replied, "but not invincible. He's still human. They get tired. They slip up. As long as he doesn't use any Path methods, we might be able to manage. You guys might, anyway."
There was a pause. Yohan's voice cut through it. "What exactly do you mean, you guys?"
IAM's eyes flicked to him, unblinking. "Exactly what I said. You guys need to hold him down. For at least a minute. I've got an idea."
"A minute?" Reuel nearly choked. "That's ridiculous! Have you seen how big that guy is?!"
"I know," IAM said. "It's not ideal, but it's the only window I can work with."
"To do what?" Henry asked. "What the hell are you even planning?"
"Just trust me," IAM said again, quieter this time. "I know we haven't known each other for very long... but I'm willing to try if you are."
Reuel narrowed his eyes. "You don't get to pull the emotional trust card, not after what happened yesterday. You manipulative little gremlin."
Henry took a deep breath, then looked him straight in the eye. "Let's say, somehow, this insane plan actually works. How do you know he's not going to chase you first? There's four of us. One in four chance."
IAM allowed himself a small smile. "No... there's almost no chance he's going to pick me. Or Yohan."
Reuel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And how the hell can you say that with confidence?"
IAM turned to him slowly. "Because Henry already pissed him off earlier when he stood up for Snow. You... just did, with that little superior comment. Between the four of us, you two are the ones who've drawn his attention."
Reuel stared, mouth half-open.
"You... you bastard. You little demon. You twisted, manipulative, spawnling-like creature!"
"I'll buy you something."
Reuel stopped mid-breath.
A pause...
"I swear if this doesn't work, I'm going to haunt you."
"So?"
IAM and Reuel exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement. Henry's eyes stayed locked on Blaze for a long moment, his jaw tightening as he weighed their options, before he finally gave a slow nod.
The four of them spread slightly apart, each calculating their escape route, their hearts pounding in anticipation of the chaos that was about to erupt.
...
IAM had watched over his shoulder, eyes tracking the chaos behind him. Just as he'd predicted—Reuel went flying through the air like a ragdoll, limbs flailing before crashing into Yohan mid-sprint. A mangled pile of limbs and curses, the two tumbled across the grass like broken dolls.
What IAM hadn't accounted for was just how perceptive Blaze would be—sharp enough to twist the chaos to his advantage, using Reuel and Yohan's collision as bait to make Henry stop of his own accord.
Still, it was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.
If anything, that only made their setup look more organic and less like a coordinated trap. It might've even worked in their favor—Blaze would be less likely to suspect what they were really planning now.
Good. Let him keep underestimating them.
IAM snapped his head forward and picked up speed, the adrenaline kicking his legs into overdrive.
The academy's side parking lot was just nearby, tucked behind a cluster of low hedges and trees. A line of compact mini-cars sat in tight formation, untouched and waiting.
He approached one of the vehicles at random, not thinking too hard about which. They were all the same model—small, boxy, light-framed cars designed more for quiet transport than speed. Still, it would have to do.
A thought suddenly slid into his mind, like a snake through the grass that was waiting for the gap.
He could just get in... and drive the other way.
Away from Blaze. Away from the fight. Away from the madness entirely... Just like he did with Mia.
His body froze. The memory clung to his spine like an ugly insect. Biting away at him.
That day. That moment. The choice he made.
A bitter laugh slipped through his teeth—dark and dry.
It would make perfect sense.
He had no real reason to be doing this. No obligation. No binding code of honor..The plan was reckless, thrown together in a rush, and relied far too heavily on instinct and timing.
He would probably mess it up.
He stared down at the interior of the car. The dashboard. The seat. The wheel. His exit, wide open.
And he was tempted. Genuinely tempted.
But... he was better than that. At least, he wanted to be.
He had asked for their trust. Reuel. Yohan. Henry. And now they were back there, fighting with everything they had—betting on him to follow through.
He clenched his jaw and climbed in, fingers fumbling slightly as he started the ignition.
"Now," he muttered, adjusting his grip on the wheel, "I wonder how fast this thing can actually go."
There was a lot that could go wrong. He could miss the timing and crash before he even reached Blaze. He could miscalculate and end up injuring himself—or worse, the others. Blaze could break his promise and use his path methods, ending everything in seconds... IAM wasn't even that good at driving...
But those were the kinds of doubts that belonged to people that were afraid of failure.
As for IAM...
IAM had already experienced death.
The only thing he feared now...
was dying with regret.
He slammed his foot on the pedal.
...
IAM had slowly turned round the corner, his eyes scanning the chaos ahead. The four of them scrambled in the fight, muscles trembling, exhaustion slowly creeping in. He knew there would be no better opportunity than this.
Blaze was tired, distracted, but still dangerous—he was lined up as perfectly as he could be, a predator in the center of the target . The others were already losing their strength slowing. This was the moment.
IAM lined up the mini car from far enough away to build speed, hoping it was heavy and fast enough to make an impact. His hands gripped the wheel tight, breath steadying, pulse hammering in his ears.
He exhaled, feeling the tension coil in his chest.Just a straight line. That's all he had to do.
He slammed on the pedal.
The engine roared, tires screaming against the concrete as the car surged forward. Dust and gravel kicked up behind him, spinning in a miniature whirlwind, and for a heartbeat, the world seemed to shrink to a single axis: him, the car, and Blaze.
Blaze's piercing eyes caught his, a flash of awareness sparking in them. IAM felt the faintest flicker of doubt—but there was no room for hesitation.
Ahead, Yohan, Reuel, and Henry recognized dove clear, rolling aside as the car tore through the space between them and Blaze.
Time slowed. The distance vanished.
The car, a missile of metal and speed, bore down upon Blaze with unstoppable momentum. Dust and light blurred the edges of reality.
IAM's eyes locked onto Blaze one more time—a predator meeting its reckoning—and then, at the last possible instant, he leapt out.
The car collided.