Chapter 68: Dusting the Rust Away

*Purpura*

I sighed as Sou left for school the following day. While I was glad he wasn't with Sehun anymore, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about Sou's consuming desire for revenge. I understood his pain and the need for closure, but I worried that pursuing revenge would only lead to more heartache.

As the day drew on, my thoughts continued to be consumed by Sou and the path he had chosen. I couldn't shake the feeling that revenge might not bring him the peace he sought. I knew firsthand the destructive power of vengeance, and I didn't want Sou to go down that dark path.

Although, I doubted words could dissuade him. Sou was almost eighteen, he could make his own decisions. As for me, I needed to get stronger. Loitering around her wasn't getting me anywhere. I'd allowed myself to grow rusty, as proven by my pathetic performance against the Dark Lord.

"Hey, Purpura!" Seiya said.

I smirked. "Nice timing."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"How about we have a little spar in the labyrinth? I need to blow off some steam and get stronger."

Seiya's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, sure, Purpura. I didn't know you were into sparring."

I chuckled. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right? Plus, it'll be good for both of us to practice our skills. What do you say?"

Seiya grinned, his competitive spirit ignited. "Challenge accepted, Purpura! Let's see what you've got."

We left the Citrine residence and made our way to the labyrinth.

"Hey," Zivan said as he mowed his family's front lawn.

Seiya smiled at him. "Hey. Uh, how are you feeling?"

Ziv touched his stomach. "A bit sick, but nothing breakfast won't fix."

"Hey, Purpura, mind if I whip something up for Ziv first?"

I continued walking. "I don't mind. I'll go ahead."

"I don't think that's wise, it's dangerous to go by yourself," Zivan said, holding his hand out.

I shrugged. "I'll just consider it training."

Seiya sighed. "Just let him go, he won't listen. He's as boneheaded as Sou."

I rolled my eyes. "And you, from what I heard."

Ziv covered his mouth with one hand. "He got you there, Seiya."

Seiya blushed and pouted. "You better not tire yourself out, Purpura."

I smirked. "Oh, is that a threat?"

"It's not, kid. It's a promise!"

I snickered. "You brothers sure are a feisty bunch. Fine, I'll hold you to it, 'Big Bro'."

Seiya laughed and patted my head. "You smartass."

Zivan sighed. "Children."

I sighed and removed Seiya's hand from my head. "Anyway, I better get going."

"Alright, take care!" Seiya said, waving.

"Don't fight if you don't think you can win!" Zivan yelled.

"I got it!" Goodness, those two acted like parents. Well, like Sou's parents at least.

I walked over to the forest and closed my eyes as I waited for Seiya to finish feeding his boyfriend. If Sou and I started dating, would he cook for me whenever I felt hungry. Although he already does that.

My face blushed. Ugh, there I went, acting like some love-sick girl again.

I opened my eyes as a wolf charged at me. It wasn't any regular wolf, however. It had strange markings etched on its forehead.

I smirked. "Finally, an opponent!"

The wolf charged at me, but I managed to predict its attacks with my foresight ability.

"Nice try, but you can't defeat a psychic with that kind of speed, pup!" I taunted.

With a swift motion, I sidestepped the wolf's attack, its teeth snapping shut inches from my face. Its eyes, glowing with a strange, otherworldly light, narrowed as it skidded to a stop and turned to face me once again.

I could tell from its stance that it was preparing for another charge. I felt a thrill of adrenaline rush through me. It had been too long since I'd last had a good fight.

As it lunged at me, I threw myself into a roll, barely avoiding its snapping jaws. I came up in a crouch and launched myself at the creature, aiming a punch at its side. The wolf yelped and skidded sideways as my fist connected.

But it quickly recovered and lunged for me again. I narrowly avoided its teeth and aimed a kick at its head. The wolf dodged, its movements swift and agile. It was a worthy opponent, but I was determined to win.

We continued our battle, our movements a blur of offensive and defensive maneuvers. With each attack, I could feel myself growing stronger, more confident. I could feel my powers surging within me, eager to be unleashed. Although I had to make sure not to over to do it. I had to save my energy for seiya.

"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, my eyes gleaming with excitement. "I expected more from a creature embedded with the power of the abyss!"

The wolf growled, its crimson eyes burning with fury. They reminded me of the Dark Lord's during our battle in the city. Although I knew it wasn't him. If it was, I would've been struggling a lot more instead of toying around with it.

With a sudden burst of speed, it lunged at me, its teeth bared and claws extended.

But I was ready. I braced myself and, just as the wolf was about to reach me, I unleashed a surge of psychic energy. The wolf was thrown backwards, yelping in surprise. It skidded to a stop and rose to its feet, shaking its head as if to clear it.

I smirked, my heart pounding with exhilaration. "Now that's more like it!"

The wolf growled, its eyes filled with defiance. But before it could launch another attack, a familiar voice echoed through the forest.

"Purpura!"

I turned to see Seiya, panting heavily as he sprinted toward me. "Are you crazy? Taking on a creature with the power of the abyss alone?"

I shrugged, my eyes never leaving the wolf. "I told you, it's training."

Seiya shook his head, a mix of exasperation and relief on his face. "You're reckless, you know that?"

I rolled my eyes. "And you're a worrywart." And I thought Sou and the Rose siblings were worrywarts.

The wolf took advantage of our distraction and lunged at me again.

Seiya held his hand out and touched the beast's forehead, erasing it from existence in one go. The only thing that remained was a single crystal.

"Woah," I said.

He grinned. "Scared?"

I crossed my arms. "As if! I know your void powers aren't all powerful. I've seen Sou fight before, I know its limits."

He laughed. "Or so you think, but that's fine. If you do manage to land hits on all the kinks in my armor, then I'll just have to develop new armor!"

While I got what he wanted to say, his expression fell flat for me.

"Well, let's get going!" he said, grinning as he waved at me.

As we stepped inside, I could feel the excitement coursing through my veins. Seiya was no wimp, so this was sure to be a hard-fought battle!