CXLV ||| When Time Goes Against Space

"Can you stop tainting my reputation, darling?"

"Hah," Bell mocked him, "as if she need to do that."

He frowned, "I was talking to my daughter, crimson fangs. Not you. So, shut it, will you? Your annoying arse is not welcome in this talk."

"It is very, very welcomed," I glared at him. "Curse him as much as you want, Bell. I allow it. Besides, why are you so rude?"

Father scoffed, "How am I the rude one?"

"She's like you, she can talk about it. She's just as rude," Oliver growled bitterly. "Too bloody rude."

"And you are a Saint," I mocked.

{"Really?"} "Never said I was one. I'm talking about you!"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, because I'm the only one wrong here."

"Hel!" Bell gave me a look. "You're being a bitch."

Even father gasped to that, but I ignored. "Can't be helped. Blame father for making me like this."

He frowned, "How is this my fault?"

"It kind of is," I winked at him and turned to Oliver. "Did you get it for me? What I asked you in the market?"

{"Really? Now?"} "Now you want them?"

"What? It's you who made business with me like this."

"Because you wanted them!" Oliver gave a annoyed look.

And you wanted what I would give you for them. "So?"

{"I still do. But I'm angrier than I was before."} "I got it."

I like when you're angry. "Good. Give them to me later."

{"No wonder you make me so bloody furious. But you better think thrice before doing anything. You won't feel my anger, that you like so much, if you insist in this madness of break us,"} he growled. {"Give. Up."} His eyes turned red again as he stared at me. "After the matches?"

Not talking about that. "As we agreed on our business deal."

"You better not lose to that sophomore, Wilhelmina!"

"That's extremely offensive," I scoffed. "I would never."

"We'll destroy them!" My team beamed behind me and I nodded in proud agreement. They are done for, poor unlucky kids, fell on my match.

✵ 𖣔 ✵

The penultimate match out of the eight was Agatta's team and she gracefully defeated the adversary team and took the sophomore giant girl's opal crown away for herself. That was when Hanna and Micah came back, after being out for some hours, both looking as if they had a bath of life force and rejuvenation, plus flushed cheeks.

"Naughty," I winked at her as she sat with Micah on Yumi's side.

"We didn't come late, right?" She asked with the biggest smile.

{"Seems like they enjoyed themselves."}

Right? Look at how flustered she is. Adorable.

{"I wish it was us out of here doing what they were doing instead."}

You wish for lots of things.

"Not at all. You lost all the matches, but we were last and we'll be up now," I got up and my team did the same. "Here," I summoned two ice cream pallets of strawberry and of chocolate for each of them, "I kept it for you," then I turned to Oliver and her held my hand.

"You better destroy them," he took my hand making me fall on his lap, "I'll kill you if you lose, Wilhelmina."

"That would be suicide though," Bell mocked but she swallowed when I glared at her. "Just joking."

"You shouldn't joke about death," River growled.

I held Oliver face by his cheeks and brought him closer, "Of course, I'll destroy them, Oliver-Sean. Who do you think I am?" Then I kissed him and he kissed me back, of course, because he was dying for this.

{"I was, indeed."}

Pushing him back to his chair, I jumped from his lap, "I'm furious at you, don't think otherwise," I growled and he chuckled.

"I'm the one with reasons to be furious."

"Then be furious," I winked and my team mates followed me, going down through the crowd that was gawking at me, and after two minutes we arrived at the entrance of the arena we are already familiar with. Before we went inside, I turned to them. "Remember, kids, you have seven minutes to enjoy yourselves and play this game. When the time is up, I'll freeze the arena and I'll deal with the rest, okay?"

A nod, "We'll win for sure!" Felix exclaimed.

"Hell yeah!" The others grinned.

"No mercy, but don't kill. Leave the killing with me," I winked.

"Aye, I'm excited," Shiryu beamed which is a surprise.

"We are," Yumi, his twin, elbowed him.

"Be aggressive, no need to contain yourselves!" I advised.

{"Hel, I love you!"} He said before the barrier closed.

I know, Oli.

As the barrier fell down, it blocked everything else and we were each sent to one of the thirty entries of the maze that we now know with the palm of our hands give the time we spent training in here, thanks to Mia's power.

Mia came to the center of the maze, floating high enough for us to see from where we are, even though the walls of the maze are probably twenty meters tall, with the ball in her hands.

"Now, for the last match of the day, we have two teams of set 2. Team B, having as it's leader Hel Rosalind Miralanthor," ah, thank you, "the black winged-serpent with time magic, from senior advanced classes, whose team is made of Felix-Gabriel Moore, the twins Kawasaki Shiryu and Kawasaki Yumi, Elsa Kayan, Savannah Santino, Dorothy Kaeveney, Priya Dharni, Yuliana Hermawan, Melvin Ambrose, the also twins Kalisha Solarin and Noah Solarin, and Danielle Devereaux. Opposite to all others, this will be the first time Hel plays Eclipseball, so it'll be interesting to see how she will do. Her goal will be to take the opposing team obsidian crown for herself, without letting them touch hers."

As she said that, a adorned emerald crown appeared on the top of my hair, then, I took the tiara I was using and sent it into my ring. Okay, I confess it feels amazing to wear a crown.

"On the other side, we have team F. As it's leader, Aviv Kadyrov, the incubus demons with spatial magic, from sophomore advanced classes, whose team is made of Nila Kommineni," female fairy, "Colum Cuindlis," also a incubus demon, "Alonso Collantes," male wolf shifter, "Christian Christensen, Jaxon Jacobson," both male elves, "Teodosio Spinetti, Loreno Richetti, Ottavio Favero," all dark wizards, "Rina Ludovisi," dark witch, "Clifford Patterson, Aaron Woods, and Eaton Barker," both born vampires.

What an excessive amount of testosterone. Only 2/13 girls.

"Aviv has played on the tournament and on the cup for the last five years, so he's technically more experienced than Hel. His goal will be to take the emerald crown from Hel's head by himself, without letting her touch his. You know the rules: There are no rules. The eclipsing ball will teleport randomly to the players hands, so, stay aware."

Well, after all the training I got used to it, but they don't know that.

Mia went even higher, "Let the match of time against space begin," she dropped the ball and disappeared back to her seat.

Am I lucky that the ball chose me first?