Chapter 38 - Cold Flames.

(Arisu Watsken)

Something heavy pressed against me.

An oppressive presence that confined me in the murky abyss of obscurity, a suffocating pressure constricting my chest, refusing to release its hold, as I was pulled deeper and deeper into the abyss.

The pressure intensified, as though a leaden boulder had been laid upon my being, impeding my every attempt to break free.With each passing moment, the weight upon me grew heavier, an unseen burden that threatened to crush me entirely.

The darkness that enveloped me seemed to thicken and swirl around me like a ravenous predator, ready to consume me whole.I struggled and fought against the oppressive force, but it was unyielding, unrelenting in its hold on me.

As my breaths became shallow and laboured, a sense of panic set in, as if I was being pulled inexorably towards the edge of an unknown precipice.

The suffocating pressure continued to build, until I thought my very bones would shatter under the weight of it all.My body trembled uncontrollably, and my limbs felt numb, as if they belonged to someone else entirely.

Every breath was a struggle, and I fought to pry my eyes open somehow as I laid on a glacial cold surface, helpless and vulnerable.A sudden sense of despair washed over me, as I realised I was still trapped in this place, with no way out.

The darkness that had once seemed so foreboding now felt like a welcome refuge, shielding me from the pain and suffering of the outside world.

As the minutes stretched on into hours, I lay there, alone and forgotten, as if time itself had ceased to exist.

My mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions, each one more suffocating than the last, as I struggled to find a way out of this endless nightmare.

But no matter how hard I fought, the darkness persisted, an unyielding force that refused to be conquered. And so, I lay there, a prisoner of my own mind, consumed by the weight of my own suffering.

As I attempt to recollect the events that led me to this place, a tumultuous wave of emotions crashed over me, triggered by the memory of my last interaction with Arthur.

I never imagined that the intense rivalry I harboured towards him, born out of a desire to crush the only individual I deemed my equal, would morph into something far beyond the realm of reason.How did I succumb to such feelings for him?

It defied all logic, yet it is an undeniable truth that I cannot escape. My heart flutters at the mere sight of him.However, as much as it pains me to admit, he was the reason behind my current predicament.The last thing I recall was bidding him goodbye, but he did something inexplicable in that moment, disrupting the flow of my mana passage.

Because there is no way I could be defeated at the hands of Lucas, who had ingested a perilous potion that preyed on his vitality.

But amidst this maelstrom of confusion and uncertainty, a singular query haunts me: Why did Lucas refer to me as "princess"?

The question hung on the precipice of my mind.

A cacophony of explosions brought me out of my reverence. My consciousness still lingered on the fine line between awake and unconscious—-like living a lucid dream.

However, I could hear words... explosions... screams.What was happening?

A rough, ragged hand seemed to grip me from my chin as my consciousness slowly started to return to me. Using every ounce of my strength I opened my eyes.

As I slowly regained consciousness, my surroundings came into focus. Above me was a crimson dome that seemed to stretch endlessly, covering the entire school. I could see the silhouettes of various people standing around me, including the human prince and princess, as well as members of the Student Council and Disciplinary Committee.

The effects of the drug that had rendered me senseless were beginning to wear off, allowing me to perceive my surroundings with increasing clarity. With each passing moment, my mind felt clearer, and I began to piece together what was happening around me.

The faces of those gathered around me were etched with worry and fear, and their eyes were wide with shock and disbelief at the chaos that had engulfed us. Despite the apparent danger that surrounded us, they remained rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do next.

As the drug's grip on me slowly loosened, I began to feel a sense of clarity that I had not experienced in some time. My thoughts were clearer, and my senses were slowly returning to me, allowing me to take in the gravity of the situation around me.

Looking to my right, I saw the brutally charred body of a disciplinary committee member. Suddenly looking to my left, I saw an orange haired boy wearing a mask carrying an ugly smile.

"Lukiyah. Do what you want. Go wild." He said with a snicker.

Lucas, the youngest of the Wykes, stepped forward and forcefully lifted my chin, inspecting me closely before yanking me up by my hair and forcing me onto my feet. I attempted to draw on the mana within my core but found that my efforts were futile; the restraints binding me were still firmly in place, rendering me powerless.

"Arthur Leywin! Step forward before I defile her in front of the entire congregation," Lucas roared, his own mana searing through him, eating away at his core's foundations. The gathered crowd remained silent, each individual glancing around nervously. The silence was almost deafening.

My heart pounded wildly within my chest. Arthur...if he wasn't present, did that mean he hadn't anticipated the attack from Alacrya happening so soon? But why did they hasten their assault? How had they managed to catch both Arthur and myself off guard?

Amidst the chaos of my racing thoughts, I experienced something peculiar. It was a sensation of warmth, one that felt distinctly familiar. It was mana, I realized with a jolt of surprise. I could feel it coursing through me once again!

(3rd person PoV)

Perched atop the vermillion dome, which had materialized to encompass the entire Xyrus Academy, Arthur surveyed the throng of students below. Beside him sat Sylvie, her keen eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of treachery.

"You were correct about them all. Kai, in particular, was the most conspicuous," remarked Sylvie, her topaz orbs darting from one individual to the next.

Arthur remained silent, his thoughts occupied with something else.

Sylvie tried to sense his unease and inquired, "Shouldn't we assist Arisu in her time of need?"

Arthur's lips parted, but he fixed his gaze on the mana-less form of Arisu before replying, "Do not fret. She would be able to do it," he paused before he flicked his fingers and an artefact appeared in his hand as he clicked it, "About time."

A tremendous surge of mana erupted from Arisu, causing a deafening chorus of explosions that made Sylvie struggle to maintain her balance on the dome's surface.

Arisu's figure stood tall amidst the chaos, her lengthy white hair rippling like a banner of war, and her golden irises replaced by shimmering orbs of fiery orange that resembled the evening sun.

Lucas, who had been gloating only moments earlier, was suddenly silenced as Arisu's features flickered and transitioned from Tessia's to Arisu's before returning to her original visage.

Her voice dripped with contempt as she spoke, "Desecrate me? You? I hate to break it to you, but you severely lack the ability to do that."

Draneevee, the Alacryan with striking orange locks, retreated a step and queried, "You? How did you come here?"

However, Lucas was not interested in Arisu's means of arrival. Instead, he declared, "Doesn't matter. I will kill her right now," and forcefully slammed his staff into the ground. A colossal knight materialized from the flames, ready to carry out Lucas's bidding.

But Arisu was not intimidated. She snickered in amusement as the flames dissipated and the knight vanished with a mere flick of her wrist, overpowering Lucas' flames.

"Is this all you can do? Even with your performance enhancement potions? It seems that you are a complete failure," she jeered, her words stinging Lucas like a venomous serpent. A vein bulged on his temple, signifying his fury at her taunts.

"Cower?" Arisu murmured, her tone dripping with mockery. "You think cold flames like these can make me cower? A failure through and through, indeed, fufufu."

"I am a Wykes. How dare you!" Lucas spat as he raised his staff above his head.

[Flaming Lance]

A spell in which flames change its composition and literally solidify was launched at Arisu at a lightning speed. Standing her ground, she put her hand in front of her and let the lance come closer.

Everyone held their breaths as they saw Arisu face the disastrous spell head on.

Just as it was about to touch her palm, the flames flickered once again and the spell dissolved in thin air, like it was never there.

"W-What? Why?"

"Fufufufu. Like I said, your flames are too cold. Let me show you what flames really are." She said and snapped her fingers. The Orange hair alacryan, who was standing in the corner, observing everything was suddenly engulfed in a tornado of flames. His skin burned, the foul smell of flesh melting spreading everywhere. His blood curdling screams resonated in the deathly calm of the school before even his bones turned to ash in the eye of the raging tornado made of pure blue flames.

"This is what you call Fire magic. Magic like yours is no better than a candle." Arisu mused before her body was suddenly gripped between a cobweb of metallic strings.

"Kai Crestless." She spoke without looking back.

"You seem to be aware of me." He said, his thin eyes fixed on her.

"You are a terrible pretender."

"You are just too smart, council president." Kai replied.

"Do you think that your threads can stop me even when that boss of yours couldn't?"

Kai took a step back. The amount of information Arisu had on them was terrifying.

"You won-" Before Kai could speak, he along with every Alacryan and Dicathen's traitors were set on fire, their bodies disintegrating before they could even scream.

Lucas fell on the ground, a sudden despair washing over him. He was helpless. He couldn't even hold a candle to Dranevee and he was killed before he could even challenge her. His world seemed to collapse on him, the sense of superiority crashing down on him as he saw Arisu smiling down at him.

"So, what was it about defiling me?" She said walking slowly towards Lucas.

"S-Stay away... I am a Wykes."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Arisu said with a smirk before she stomped on his abdomen, her heel digging into his guts. "It's not like I will kill you. But I can't let you go for saying such things about a maiden like myself, fufufufu." She smirked and lowered, "I have given that right to someone else, so you will have to pay for even thinking about it."

She said and placed her feet on his crotch.

"W-What are you doing?" Lucas asked, his condition growing dire because of the potion.

"Just burning your family jewels. Doing the future generations a favor." She said with a smile as Lucas' pelvic region got caught on fire, his screams echoing through the school.

Suddenly, Arisu jumped to the right avoiding a thunderbolt. Looking back she saw 3 individuals, dressed in elegant white uniforms. The Lances.

Bairon, the male human lance shot a bolt of yellow lightning at her as Arisu responded with her own spell, using Fire magic for the first time. The blue flames clashed with yellow lightning, neutralizing each other.

The other human lance, Varay, looked around while the Dwarven lance ignored Bairon, starting to inspect the surroundings.

"How could you do this to my brother? To a Wykes?" Bairon's voice was a thunder as he rushed towards Arisu but swords made of ice showered from the sky. Bairon was instantly captured in a cage of ice while the ones that attacked Arisu were melted in a near instance, the water pooling by her feet.

Varay's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at her, "I didn't do anything wrong. But if you want to capture me, I will come willingly. Try force with me and you will regret it." Arisu said and Varay nodded. She knew it from a glance. They were equally strong. Breaking a fight with someone of her own caliber would result in a widescale destruction, killing hundreds of students.

"Bairon, you are not to make decisions. That is the work of the council. Insubordination will not be tolerated." Varay said as Bairon clenched his teeth.

"Understood."

(Arisu Watsken)

After a while of investigation, the lances were given enough witness evidence about Lucas terrorizing the school along with Alacryans. However, they still wanted to capture me. Because of the Wykes being more powerful than my parents, that was expected.

The rage I felt at the mention of Lucas trying to do something to me was an alien concept, something I had never felt before. I looked up at the night sky, full of stars. Even in this moment when I had multiple mana restriction artifacts around me, all I could think about was Arthur.

Where was he?

What happened to him?

Behind the barricade were my parents and my sister. I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone so I just motioned my hand, telling them I was alright. Just as I was about to look back, I saw a familiar face.

Between the raging crowd of parents, I saw Arthur standing amidst them, his tall stature visible from where I stood. His alluring, crystalline sapphire eyes locked with mine as his lips moved.

'I will get you out.'

An unrestrained smile crept up my face as he vanished the next moment. My heart fluttered. Not at the prospect of being taken out of prison but because I could see him.

There really was something wrong with me.

(Arthur Leywin)

"That went as expected." Sylvie said as she flew beside me in her draconic form. Landing in the middle of beast glades, I opened the communication scroll and established connection with the one I had to.

"Otis Wykes," I muttered as the connection established.

"Huh? Who is this?"

"Pinky and Deuce. They sent their regards." I replied as after a few seconds of pondering, the colour from the face of Otis Wykes---the head of Wykes family and father of Bairon and Lucas Wykes, faded away.

"We have some serious talk to do." I said as he gulped audibly.

(*****)

Author's Note

Just to let you know, I fell a bit sick while writing this so the quality might have dropped. I am all good now after a good night's sleep, so will be back with same quality as before, tomorrow.

See ya all then.

Sayonara.