Lortell ran through the long, elegant corridors of the grand palace.
Her heels clicked against the polished marble floors, her steps quick and urgent.
Maids bowed and greeted her as she passed, but she didn’t spare them a single glance.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Something felt wrong.
She reached a large wooden door and, without hesitation, shoved it open with a loud bang.
"Father! Are you alright?" she nearly shouted.
Inside, Arthur Mariette sat comfortably on a luxurious sofa, sipping tea from a delicate porcelain cup.
He didn’t even flinch at her sudden entrance.
Instead, he slowly turned his head toward her, his face completely calm—expressionless, as if she had merely interrupted a peaceful night.
"Huh?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow.
Lortell’s eyes widened in relief.
He was fine.
She let out a small breath—
But then, realization hit her, and a flicker of surprise crossed her face.
"Wait… you’re not dead yet?" she blurted out.
Arthur choked on his tea.
"What do you mean dead yet?!" he snapped, his tone suddenly childish and irritated.
"I’m not dying that easily!"
Before Lortell could respond—
Beep… Beep… Beep…
A sharp, rhythmic pulse echoed in her mind.
And then—
A violent shock, like lightning, coursed through her body.
Her breath hitched.
She knew what this was.
It was the signal from the essence stones she had placed on Esdeath’s body.
She had set up hundreds of them—meant to track Esdeath’s location and detect danger.
And right now—
All of them were signaling at once.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
Lortell’s face paled.
Her pupils shrank.
"Someone set me up! They made me think my father was dying!" she gasped, realization crashing into her like a tidal wave.
Her hands clenched into fists.
"Oh, shit… Esdeath is in danger!"
Arthur, still seated, heard her words.
He didn’t understand everything, but he caught enough to know it was serious.
Lortell wasted no time.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rare-looking essence stone.
It was an Emergency Teleportation Stone—a one-time-use item that could instantly transport her to the academy.
Without hesitation, she poured her mana into it—
Crack!
The stone shattered into pieces.
She froze.
Her heart sank.
"Damn it… I knew it wouldn’t work!" she growled under her breath.
She turned sharply toward the door.
"I need to get to the government teleportation facility!" she thought, ready to sprint out of the room.
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But before she could—
"Wait," Arthur said casually, taking another sip of his tea.
"I have a teleportation portal here. Let’s use that."
Lortell whipped her head around, her eyes blazing with urgency.
She didn't ask any questions.
"Let’s use it! Hurry!" she said, her voice sharp with desperation.
Arthur didn’t waste any time. Both of them rushed down to the basement.
A massive portal stood in the center, glowing with a swirling, water-like energy.
Arthur quickly adjusted the coordinates. His hands moved swiftly, setting everything in place.
"Alright, let’s go!" he called out.
But then—
Crack!
A sharp shattering sound echoed through the basement.
The portal’s glass-like surface broke into countless pieces, scattering across the floor.
Arthur’s eyes widened in shock.
"Someone definitely knew we’d use this teleportation too…" he muttered, his face darkening.
Lortell clenched her teeth.
Her fists tightened.
"Shit… shit… SHIT!"
She had no time to think.
She had to move.
Now.
BAMMMM!
A massive shockwave exploded from where she stood as she launched forward at full speed.
The entire palace trembled.
Walls cracked.
Ceilings collapsed.
Within seconds, the entire grand palace crumbled into dust, reduced to nothing but ruins.
Trees were uprooted.
Debris flew in all directions, covering the sky in a thick cloud of dust and rubble.
Screams of panic filled the air.
Who knew how many people had been buried alive under the falling stone and wood?
Then—
A hand pushed through the debris.
Arthur slowly climbed out, his body covered in dust and dirt.
He coughed, shaking off the rubble.
"Hold on, I’m coming too!" he shouted.
But Lortell was already gone.
Kilometers ahead.
Her speed was insane—far beyond what even S-rank fighters could match.
Everywhere she ran, powerful shockwaves followed, tearing apart the land beneath her.
She was like a red flash of lightning, unstoppable and blinding.
Then—
BAM!
With a single leap, she spread her long bat-like wings.
A powerful flap sent her soaring high into the sky.
The moment she took flight, her speed doubled—no, tripled.
She was nothing but a streak of red light, cutting through the sky like a meteor.
"Just hold on for a few minutes, Esdeath!" she shouted, her voice lost in the wind.
"I’m coming!"
-------------------
Calista’s face was pale as she stood frozen, staring at the Rank B monster in front of her—Lightning Charm Wolf.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
But as her eyes quickly scanned the beast, she felt a small sense of relief.
The wolf was badly injured.
Deep wounds covered its body, blood dripping onto the ground.
Its breathing was heavy.
Its strength was nowhere near its peak.
But…
That didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous.
"Howl…!"
The wolf raised its head and let out a deafening roar.
A bolt of lightning crackled from its sharp horn—rushing straight at Calista.
Her eyes widened.
But instead of running, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed her palms together in prayer.
A golden magic circle appeared in the air.
Sacred symbols and complex patterns glowed brightly.
The lightning strike hit the magic circle—but it didn’t break through.
Instead, the holy energy absorbed the attack and retaliated.
A brilliant beam of holy light shot forward, striking the wolf head-on.
"Arghhh!"
The Lightning Charm Wolf howled in pain.
It staggered backward, its fur burning where the holy light touched.
Holy magic was extremely effective against monsters like him.
Calista sighed in relief.
But then—
Zzt!
The wolf moved.
Instead of charging straight at her, it used its speed.
With a flash of lightning, it circled around her at incredible speed, blurring in and out of sight.
It was waiting for the right moment to strike.
Calista didn’t hesitate.
She pressed her palms together once more, whispering a desperate prayer.
A glowing barrier of holy light formed around her, keeping the wolf at bay.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
The Lightning Charm Wolf slammed into the barrier again and again, trying to break through.
Calista’s breath grew heavy.
Sweat dripped down her forehead.
She knew she couldn’t outrun this beast.
The Lightning Charm Wolf was one of the fastest monsters known.
Crack!
Her heart sank.
A small crack appeared on the barrier.
The wolf saw it too.
With a gleam in its eyes, it became even more aggressive, its attacks turning wilder and fiercer.
Calista clenched her fists.
Her magic was strong, but…
"I'm not strong enough!"
She bit her lip in frustration.
She was good at healing.
She was good at defending.
But she wasn’t a fighter.
That was why—
She never made it to the finals in any competition.
BOOM!
With one last, powerful lightning attack—
The barrier shattered.
Holy light scattered into the air like glass breaking into tiny pieces.
Calista stumbled back, eyes wide.
She was completely exposed.
The Lightning Charm Wolf didn’t waste a second.
With a burst of speed, it lunged straight at her.
Calista gritted her teeth.
"It seems I have no choice!"
Calista clenched her fists, her heart pounding.
Then—
A strange energy burst out of her.
A dark pink aura swirled around her body, filling the air with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance.
Her body began to change.
A single horn grew from her forehead.
Her pupils turned sharp—like a cat’s, Her usual vibrant blue eyes turned into dark pink.
Her teeth became fangs.
And from behind her, a long black tail emerged, curling slightly at the end in the shape of a heart.
She smirked, her lips parting to reveal her sharp teeth.
"You fucking wolf!"
With lightning speed, she stepped forward and swung her fist.
Bam!
Her punch smashed directly into the wolf’s forehead.
The massive beast flew backward, its body skidding across the ground, leaving deep marks in the dirt.
It groaned in pain.
But it wasn’t down yet.
The wolf tried to get up, its legs shaking—
But it was too late.
Calista’s dark pink eyes locked onto the beast.
Her aura surged, flowing into the wolf like an invisible wave.
The wolf’s body trembled.
Then—
Its struggles stopped.
The once ferocious beast now lowered its head.
It sat down like an obedient dog, its glowing eyes staring up at her.
A satisfied smile spread across Calista’s lips.
She reached out and patted the wolf’s head.
"You’ll make a good pet," she whispered.
There was no doubt about it.
Calista wasn’t fully human.
She was half-succubus.
She had an affinity with both the Light Element and the Charm Element.
The Lightning Charm Wolf was already at its weakest.
With her charm magic, she immediately enslaved him.
She turned her gaze back toward the battlefield, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Now then… shall we continue?"
Her innocent aura was gone.
In its place was the presence of a cunning woman—one who had bad intentions.
------------
At the same time…
Esdeath and Selene coughed up blood.
The sheer pressure in the air made it impossible to breathe.
Before them stood a terrifying beast—
The Scorching Lava Snake.
An Rank A monster.
It had originally been fighting two Rank A teachers, but somehow, it had escaped from them—
And now…
It was here.
Although it had used up some of its mana, it was still strong enough to kill ten Esdeaths with ease.
There was no doubt about it.
They were going to die here.
They could not even stand.
Running was impossible.
The Scorching Lava Snake opened its massive jaws.
A fiery glow shone from deep within its throat.
Molten lava bubbled inside, ready to be unleashed.
A single breath from this beast—
And everything would be turned to ash.
Esdeath and Selene stared at it.
Their bodies refused to move.
Their minds screamed for them to run—
But there was nowhere to go.
This was it.
They could only wait for their deaths.
Splash… Splash… Splash…
The sound of thick, bubbling liquid filled the air.
The Scorching Lava Snake hissed and opened its massive jaws.
A bright, molten glow shone deep within its throat.
And then—
Boom!
A scorching beam of lava shot forward, rushing straight toward Esdeath and Selene at terrifying speed.
Their eyes widened.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down.
Death was right in front of them.
There was no way to dodge.
No way to survive.
But then—
A shadow suddenly appeared before them.
A figure stepped in, standing between them and the deadly attack.
And just before the lava could reach them—
Whoosh!
A massive green magic circle flared to life, blocking the fiery blast.
The lava crashed against the barrier, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Esdeath gasped.
She could barely believe what she was seeing.
The one who had saved them…
He had green hair and soft green eyes.
His face was tense with effort, his arms shaking as he struggled to keep the barrier up.
He was wearing the academy uniform—
Which meant he was one of the students.
But Esdeath couldn’t shake off the strange feeling in her chest.
He looked familiar.
Too familiar.
Her heart pounded as she quickly asked, "Who… Who are you?"
The boy turned to her.
A warm, genuine smile appeared on his lips.
And then, with a voice filled with certainty, he said—
"It’s me. Your ex-fiancé."