Betrayal and Conflict

"Who are you?" Arsenal asked Davis, staring at him with a little confusion in his eyes.

"I am just a student like everyone else," Davis replied and raised his head to meet Arsenal's fierce gaze. "I know you want to protect her, I can do that for you," he added.

"Hmmm," Arsenal sighed and moved toward him. Placing his hand on Davis's chin, he raised the latter's face. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked him.

"I swear with my life that I will protect her in your stead, even if it means using my life to do it," Davis firmly replied.

Arsenal gazed at the boy, his determination to serve him intrigued him. And this made him wonder if it was a genuine choice or something else.

"I don't believe you," he said flatly and both Davis and Muna gazed at him. Both were caught up with the tone of his reply. "Yes, I don't believe you," he repeated with his eyes locked on the boy.

"Fine, test me then!" Davis boldly requested and Arsenal smirked.

"I will," he replied and looked around. Luckily, there was a piece of wood that was shattered by him so he picked it up and handed it to him. At first, Davis was reluctant to collect it but after seeing how they both were staring at him, he sluggishly took the sharp wood and began to stare at it.

"Don't just stare at it, use it. Stab yourself with it and show me your sincerity," Arsenal said to him. "Prove to me that you are sincere," he added.

"I should stab myself with this?" Davis asked but Arsenal didn't reply which meant that he really wanted him to do it. "O-okay," he replied reluctantly. Though he didn't want to do it, he had to. 'At least, he won't let me die once he sees that I am willing to stab myself,' thought him as he closed his eyes and slowly began to bring the sharp object to his chest.

When the sharp edge of the wood grazed his skin, he opened his eyes and saw Arsenal keenly watching him. A little frown settled on his face because it was not what he had expected.

"Go on, do it," Arsenal prompted him.

Davis, seeing that Arsenal had no intention to stop him gulped and went further to drive the sharp object into his skin. He gasped as the object pierced him but he hoped that Arsenal would eventually stop him but no... That didn't happen.

Just as the object was an inch away from his heart, he stopped and pulled the object out.

"I can't!" He yelled. "I can't do it!" He repeated and threw the object away. Standing to his feet, he faced Arsenal who didn't look surprised. "So this is your plan to kill me?" He asked him.

Suddenly agitated by the boy's temerity, Arsenal grabbed him on the neck and pushed him to the wall behind them. His action was swift and so everyone was taken aback. "You were so determined to serve me earlier but now... You even dare to shout at my face? What an act!" He said to Davis.

"Yes, so what if?" Davis boldly asked. "Do you know what I had planned? I initially wanted to earn your trust and then have my way with her, she looks pretty and I guess she's still a virgin. Having her on my bed, in my arms isn't a bad idea, is it?—"

~Creak~

"Yes, it is," Arsenal muttered and let go of his hold on Davis's neck. The latter dropped to the ground, dead.

"Master, you've killed him," Muna said from behind. She had expected it to happen since the boy failed to do what Arsenal demanded so she wasn't that surprised. The only thing that surprised her more was the fact that Arsenal killed him just right after the things he said. And that could mean only one thing...

"This is what will happen to anyone having such a thought toward you," Arsenal said to her.

Muna didn't reply immediately, she was thinking about what he said and why he did something like that. The way he put it shows that he was jealous; is he being jealous? No! He wasn't — He was only saying it because he was fully displaying his ownership over her. "I don't care, you can do whatever you want," she replied, having concluded that he didn't like it when other men showed an interest in her. To her, this was worth being excited about.

----

The news about Davis's death soon got to the Dean and when he heard about it, he felt sad and greatly disturbed.

"I am lost," he said to his teachers who were seated round the table.

"Sir, you don't need to feel lost about this," a male teacher replied. "That student that was killed comes from a powerful family and we can't afford to be at odds with them."

"So what do we do?" The Dean asked. This was his concern. "Are there any good suggestions?"

"I suggest we hand that strange boy and that girl over to them," the teacher replied and others supported him.

"Yes, he is right. The future of our school is at stake and the safety of our kids should be our main priority. We can not for any reason destroy the things we've worked for because of people we don't even know anything about," another teacher said.

The Dean fell silent as he thought of what his teachers were saying; their words all made sense but he didn't want to give Arsenal up at the same time.

"Why don't we give the boy a chance?" He asked them.

"Certainly not," they replied. "We must wash our hands off this matter or we'll end up putting our school in trouble."

After a while, the Dean sighed and concluded. "Fine, let us do it as you all want," he said.

Right after the meeting had ended — it hadn't been up to a minute yet and a student rushed into the office to inform of the arrival of Davis's family members.

"Bad news sure flies faster than the good ones," the Dean muttered as he stood up from his seat.

Meanwhile, he was unaware of the chaos that the Davis family members had already started the moment they arrived.

"If no one gives us a proper explanation for this, burying the school won't be seen as an evil deed to us!" A tall man yelled angrily. Behind him was a woman and two other men, they were all exuding powerful auras that intimidated the students around.

Soon after, the man of the event — Arsenal came over, together with Muna who was walking behind him.

"I can give you one if you wish," he said to the man. "I killed your son!" His voice was filled with audacity and everyone around heard him clearly.

Mr. Davis sneered at Arsenal. "You dare to take our son's life? You'll pay for that insolence!"

With a flick of his wrist, Mr. Davis summoned a bolt of lightning, striking the ground mere inches from Arsenal's feet. The latter barely flinched, his eyes locked on the family.

"You want a fight?" Arsenal growled, his fists clenched. "Let's give them one!"

The Davis family charged, their elemental magic unleashing a maelstrom of lightning attacks. Arsenal dodged, his agility and quick reflexes allowing him to avoid the initial barrage.

But the family was relentless, their powers combining in a deadly display of force. Mrs. Davis summoned a storm of sparks, while the two men flanking her unleashed powerful lightning bolts. Arsenal leaped, his movements a blur as he narrowly avoided each strike.

Undeterred, Arsenal counterattacked, his fists flying in a flurry of punches and kicks. The Davis family stumbled back, their lightning attacks momentarily faltering.

Seizing the opening, Arsenal launched himself at Mr. Davis, their fists clashing in a shower of sparks. The two men exchanged blows, their powers locked in a struggle that shook the very foundations of the school.