Meeting The Other Halflings

APOLLO SKY.

The pink-haired Benevolent student said earlier, indicating the name of the man standing two meters away from Crescent. The way he brought himself showed the telltale signs of his arrogance and confidence – making Cent itch to destroy his high chair.

"Are we going to stay here like this? This daughter of Beelzebub the Glutton is growing patient, son of Michael?" Cent continued prodding his ego, she crossed her arms to provoke him more. The buzzing of the students grew ever since the sadistic plot of the Benevolent students was interrupted by her – a Halfling.

Cent wanted to know the difference between the status of a Halfling and a Benevolent student. She could conclude that the students from the two dormitories Benevolent and Ambivalent were colluding against the students of the Malevolent dormitory. Cent knew the difference between the power of the Holy Flame against a lower-rank Malevolent student – it could turn the latter into ash in an instant.

How will Headmaster Kirk handle this situation? I want to see the hierarchy system in this academy.

Cent received a smirk from the arrogant angel. Her conclusion to what heavenly breed he was came from his almost corporal form – his soft-looking silver hair and his bluest eyes that reminded her of the ocean's waves.

From his hand – a swirl of aqua-colored flame emitted. It started as a spark that eventually turned into a sword made of blue flame. Unknowingly, Cent took a step back – her instincts sending her thousand signals to flee away from him.

A drop of sweat dropped from Crescent's chin as she gulped rather audibly. On instinct, she dismissed her wings. A part of her whispered the danger that the aqua-colored flame entailed for her – a demon. With her wings secured, Cent had no choice but to face the monster of a man without it.

"Scared, princess?" His velvety voice soaked with a hidden warning under the pretext of mockery made Cent raise her eyebrows with interest. His smile showed the reason for his arrogance as if he was telling her to behave and know her place.

He is undeniably strong. But he is a son of Michael and I am the daughter of Beelzebub, I am not going down like this.

Answering his smile, Crescent smiled sweetly at Apollo. With no weapons and her wings tucked away, she closed the gap between them – her steps were heavy with confidence.

"What are you doing, you Halfling?" The pink-haired girl shrieked like a banshee upon witnessing what she did next. The students around them gasped in horror as if what Cent did was something immoral.

I swear. The people in this academy are nuts.

Arms tangled at the back of Apollo Sky's fine neck – Cent's chin resting comfortably on his right shoulder as she tilted her head away from his head to stop her horns from touching any part of this angel's body. Her long black nails tenderly touched the tendrils of his silver hair – Cent smiled upon realizing his hair was indeed soft.

At one angle, Cent was hugging the arrogant angel as if she was a leech attached to him. Her bosoms pressed against his chest, entangling their aroma – his pinewood scent mixed with her minty one. But on the other side of things, the holy fire was dangerously close and pointed at her back – her heart in peril should he choose to stab her. Cent could feel the painful heat that the holy fire emitted.

It is this painful even if it is yet to touch me – these Benevolent people are no joke.

Cent clenched her fist, drawing fresh blood from her palms. Somehow, it was as if she was reliving her experience back at Julliard. The constant feeling of inferiority made her upset but decided to live with it 'cause no amount of protesting would help her. Hence, she decided to live like nobody while at it, and now she was planning to do the same. But whenever she thought of her dad, she would feel that nagging feeling as if being some nobody was not her trope.

"Will you kill me, son of Michael?" Cent's hot breath touched his ear as her nose nuzzled the back of his ear – her fingertips tracing his back languidly.

Shit!

Crescent's breath stopped midway when she felt him press his holy fire at her back as his free hand touched her back. For the people watching them, it looked like Apollo Sky was hugging her back – but the holy fire which transformed into a dagger-size blade was now attached to her lower back, hidden by his arms.

"Sky, let go of her! Damn it!" The pink-haired girl yelled and was about to stop their intimate position, but was stopped by the other one. "Do not interfere with Sky, Ariel. Know your place."

Oh? So she is not this scary guy's lover, huh? Damn, my back hurts like crazy!

The arrogant angel whispered back, his cold whispers brought an unwelcomed tingling sensation for Cent. "Do you want to die screaming or in tears? What's it going to be, daughter of Beelzebub?"

Fuck you!

Biting the inside of her cheeks to hide the pain she was feeling, Cent could taste the blood in her throat. She was about to summon her black butterflies when she felt a familiar aura towards them. A grin stretched her lips as plans overturned – her eyes connected with Ariel.

It is now or never!

Crescent pressed Apollo Sky's arm, which was holding the holy fire, to her back more, it earned a painful yelp from Cent's lips. In one swift move, she transitioned from hugging him to being pushed to the floor – her back dripped with blood onto the floor.

A voice boomed in the hallway, stopping Apollo Sky from attacking her slumped form. "What is happening here?"

The students gave way to the angry-looking headmaster of the academy. His eyes were actively scanning the scene that he just witnessed – from the ashes of the zombies to the corpse of an angel to the cowering form of Matilda in the corner, to Apollo Sky's aggressive posture towards Crescent, and the slumped and bleeding form of Crescent.

Crescent watched through her eyes shrouded with fresh tears as the strongest being in the academy shifted his lethal gaze to the angels. The gears in his mind drew the obvious conclusion of what he witnessed – it was the angels oppressing the Malevolent students.

"Apollo Sky, you disappoint me. Your father will hear about this. Crescent only got her and now you're bullying her with your knights. Go now and meet me in the office."

Ariel was displeased. "B-But Headmaster!"

"I said go now or I will expel you myself?"

How fickle-minded you are, headmaster.

Cent's weeping form was secretly watching the drama unfold before her. The three left after leaving her a fleeting look. Students made way for them, clearly reading the mood and how everything went wrong. The headmaster walked towards her but stopped midway after looking at her back.

Footsteps echoed behind her and because of her aching back Cent was only able to look back after a good minute.

"On behalf of the Malevolent Dorm, I ask for your forgiveness for this farce, Headmaster Kirk," said the man with three huge curved horns. His eyes shone like crimson fire as if it was burning. The mystery man was wearing the black version of Apollo Sky was wearing – a knight's uniform adorned with rubies.

Behind him stood Levi, the offspring of the Demon Lord Leviathan, who gave her a small wave. He was also wearing the same knightly black-colored uniform adorned with sapphires. Beside her stood a girl with long curly blonde hair with a lengthy single horn at the center of her forehead. She was wearing the female version of the knight's uniform, but instead of pants, she was wearing a skimpy skirt adorned with black diamonds.

Three meters away from the slumped form of Crescent, the three Malevolent students stood dominantly.

Headmaster Kirk spoke, "Crescent, meet your brethren. Damon, Sylvia, and Levi are also Halflings like you. Now that someone has come, I will leave you to them."

Are they the Halflings that I am supposed to defeat to stay alive? No way!