RAZIEL EREBUS II

He could see their worry as they hurried to his side.

At least he could perceive Bobby's concern; Joel however appeared to be more preoccupied with Anissa, who was now at the opposite end of the rather large hall, engrossed in some holographic files.

"You know, if this is the Academy's Medic, I don't think I'd mind being almost beaten to death," Joel muttered with a mischievous grin, but he was immediately met with glares from both Stare and Bobby.

Uncertain how to respond, he could only exchange his mischievous grin for a sheepish one.

"How are you feeling now? You seem surprisingly okay considering the beating you just took," Joel asked immediately, trying to dispel the awkward silence that had started to build in the room.

"Well, I'm alive at least," Stare responded with a slight smile.

However, his smile didn't deter Joel from retorting him.

"I highly doubt that'll remain true for long," Joel said, his expression now more serious than before.

"It's only the first day of lectures, and you've already provoked an Elite and then a teacher—although I'm very grateful for the latter. But still, it was a teacher and staff member of the Academy. And as if that wasn't enough, out of all the people you could end up in a fight with, you went for the Dark Prince Raziel Erebus," Bobby supported, his expression equally as serious as Joel's.

"Who knows what will happen in the second, third, or even a week from now," Joel continued from where Bobby had left off, receiving supportive nods from Bobby, who stood by his side.

Stare had already anticipated this reaction from the two and realized there wasn't much he could say to defend himself at this point.

At this point, he had grown tired of the repeated reaction about "fighting Raziel of all people". However, something else Bobby had said caught his attention.

Bobby had referred to Raziel as a Dark Prince, and from their earlier confrontation, Raziel did display the ability to control some sort of dark fog.

Was that the reason for the nickname? Well, that seemed very likely. Now that he thought about it, aside from knowing Y-204 was from a prominent Powerhouse family, he knew close to nothing on that subject beyond that.

This was probably his best opportunity to gather such information.

"I don't intend to engage in life-and-death battles on a daily basis," Stare replied, wearing a somewhat apologetic smile.

"...Today was more like my bad day, something I don't aim to experience every other day."

The two didn't immediately appear convinced by Stare's words. However, after silently scrutinizing the sincere expression on his face for a while, their expressions eventually softened.

This was the chance Stare had been waiting for.

"You know now I think of it, just how powerful could this Raziel's guy power house family be to get this sort of reaction from everybody. He didn't even seem the least bothered starting the fight despite the Academy's rules and so far I haven't heard anyone say anything concerning some sort of punishment for that."

For a moment there was just silence from both Bobby and Joel as they fixed a shocked gaze on Stare.

"It's a joke right? You do know the Erebus family isn't exactly powerhouse family." Bobby finally managed to ask amidst his shocked expression.

But the shock on his face only seemed to grow further seeing an expression of confusion grow on Stare's face after his question.

"Do you even know anything about the person you nearly fought to the death? I'm surprised because even I, who isn't normally interested in Prime matters unless they involve Stormbringer, Ava, or Frost-flames, know this," Joel questioned, his tone laced with suspicion.

Observing Stare's continued silence, Bobby could only let out a tired sigh.

"Raziel Erebus comes from the Erebus family, one of the most significant and influential family in this Era. While they bear resemblances to other powerhouse families, they aren't classified as one due to their distinct standing, which places them on a tier of their own," Bobby explained.

"The family was founded by Erebus, also known as the Lord of Darkness. He was the first Tier V Prime, the oldest among the three, and likely the most powerful."

"Not much is known about the family due to their extreme secrecy, but there are rumors and they don't paint the family in good light. Some describe them as emotionless and bloodthirsty, even questioning their humanity and likening them to demons. Additionally, there are whispers of the family wielding significant political influence behind the scenes, which may explain their immunity to various consequences."

"What I do know is that, much like the Withsworth family, the Erebus family share the peculiar trait of awakening a similar fief within themselves, the dark fog, and also prefer to train their young primes within the confines of their walls.

"Things would however change when a public announcement was suddenly made by the family of one of their possible heirs deciding to join the Phoenix Hero Academy."

The reason behind this decision and the motives of the higher-ups remained elusive. However, judging from his earlier display of power, it is evident that he isn't' in the same situation as Ruby Withsworth. Either way one thing was universally understood: it was wise to steer clear of the Erebus family.

"So honestly, the fact that you managed to live this time doesn't guarantee you would the next time you cross paths with him."

Stare simply nodded his head to show he understood.

He was correct after all; Y-204 was connected to a formidable family in this cycle—a family both powerful and enigmatic.

Two words he never welcomed, especially when they were associated with his opposing faction.

By now, he could discern that his initial plans were probably doomed to fail. If he aimed to make any headway in dismantling the Oracle's Path, he'd have to devise a new strategy.

However this wasn't exactly the time for that, he was still too incapacitated to come up with a suitable new plan and just all this current thinking alone was already causing him terrible headaches.

He silently observed Bobby for a while.

The kid appeared much more livelier than he had been just hours earlier. Was he putting on a facade because of Stare's situation, or had he genuinely moved past the class issue already?

Stare initially considered asking about it but ultimately decided against it. There was a significant possibility that Bobby was merely masking his true feelings due to the present circumstances, and probing further could reopen old wounds prematurely. While they would eventually need to address his class issues, today wasn't the ideal time.

Eventually, the three would delve into other topics, with Bobby and Joel dominating the conversation as Stare sat back and listened. The discussion centered solely on everything that had occurred after Stare lost consciousness.

In a pitch-dark area...

Two figures could be vaguely discerned.

One sat, their facial features obscured by the darkness, while the other appeared to be on their knees.

Silence lingered between them for a while, with only the sound of their breathing echoing in the area.

However, this silence was soon broken by the seated figure.

"You may speak," he said, his tone calm yet commanding.

"Raziel was involved in a fight," the kneeling figure reported promptly.

"And?" replied the seated man, now with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Handle the compensation for his family and ensure they don't escalate the situation any further than necessary."

The shift in the seated man's tone immediately made the kneeling figure feel uncomfortable, evident as he stuttered out his next words.

"He didn't... kill his opponent."

Silence once again enveloped the room, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

"That's peculiar," the seated man eventually muttered, his tone tinged with confusion.

"Bring me all the information on this supposed 'opponent' and make sure no other member of the Erebus hears about this incident."