Heian Ciemnosc's Displeasure

Another person from the Sub Student's crowd seemed to be walking among their ranks. They moved to make way for someone else until the front opened to reveal a handsome blond man with white, elegant yet smooth garments, such as a jacket with a unique folding design. It appeared to be filled with foldings with small green handkerchiefs, as if a wall with disorderly organized windows all over the place.

This man looked simple, clean, and bona fide, for whatever it’s worth. Not even half a minute had passed since Heian Ciemnosc asked for his next opponent’s specifications, and such emerged from the Sub Student’s crowd to fight him. Now, the pale teenager looked at the blond young man who looked like he was the epitome of the ‘gentleman’ word.

“Name’s Karl, from a Middle Kingdom as well called Posion. It is rather new within my Galaxy, but I won’t elaborate. You must have a lot of work to adapt now that you’ve left such an uncivilized failed ‘Kingdom’ - and your worth can now be measured as it should.” The young man nodded, seemingly, a sign of respect from Heian Ciemnosc’s unequivocal strength. But then continued with a slight change of words and tone.

“Heian Ciemnosc…” Heian Ciemnosc repeated his name softly, his eyes somewhat soft-locked onto the blond, Karl’s, body. Sensing his gaze, Karl was a little weirded out, worried this pale teenager would go gay on him or something. So he quickly skipped some pleasantries and offered his advice. “I value your strength and bravery even now, as you could’ve joined the Academy immediately. But the Great Sage was feared for nothing more than his strength and wits, and if you think anyone can be like that… Heh, well, that’s not how it works.”

“Tell you what,” the blond started ruffling his hands through under his jacket, seemingly searching for something, and when he grabbed something with his hands, he took them out and showed them to Heian Ciemnosc before continuing. “I have here 2 Expectres, I have a few more, but these are the strongest.”

Taking a few steps forward, the distance between Karl and Heian Ciemnosc was less than 7 meters. Karl said in a good ‘big brother’s’ tone, “As long as you can defeat my 2 Expectres, defeat, not destroying them. I will count that as my loss. As an Ashes Apperception realm in the 10th stage, that’s the least I ought to do for a promising talent of the Wrath Nihility Academy.”

The crowd on both sides widened their eyes, even if a little. It was very well known that to destroy an Expectre, one needed powerful Soul skills or techniques at the very least, which aren’t really ‘easy’ to gain, as one must stand high within the First Step first to even have a Soul. Leaving the pale teenager the chance to have an easier time entering the Academy now. It was considered incredibly generous, at the very least. That was a skill for making connections.

Only… Heian Ciemnosc had already been slightly pierced in a few ways. Firstly, insulting his Sinvonnia Kingdom, where so much of his life and those he shared with came from. Even if he ended up doing the worst one could to their own home, destroy it; it was still his home. And secondly… this Karl dared to say the word ‘promising’ before talent or potential. Now that was a big strike.

But there was also something else in his eyes, twinkling as his nose squirmed a little, seemingly in disgust and distaste. But the young blond man didn’t notice. Though many of the Sub Students detected this strange change, yet did nothing since it didn’t seem like someone of his cultivation could do anything against such a capable Sub Student.

Shuaaa- laaa~.

Karl pressed the blue-black spheres in his hands after showing them to Heian Ciemnosc and the crowds, including all the teachers around, as if it was some sort of honor and pride to hold such items as his own. Then, with his Power Energy fueled into the spheres, making them float up and 2 meters above the young man’s shoulders. Afterwards, 2 grotesque and fearsome figures appeared, first as shadows with their outlined appearance and then with their ‘full’ body.

The first one, above 4 meters tall, hovering in the air, had 2 gigantic claws but fragile and thin, long arms only about a meter long. It had a long head-helmet, as only holes for its eyes and mouth were visible, and had a crown-like ‘design’ on top of its head-like helmet. It was a most obscure blue color, like the deepest waters from the clearest of waters towards the surface. It had a reverse triangular-shaped body that pretended to be made of flesh and muscles, just like an ordinary body would.

It didn’t have much substance or volume, but its eyes were scrapped in long slits, and only the upper corners of each were a few inches wide. While its mouth, on the other hand, was like a worm’s mouth filled with tiny teeth, immobile and shining an eerie green-blue.

The other figure was only about 1.8 meters tall, with little arms not even half a meter long, looking just like the taller one. The moment they appeared, the crowds on both sides cheered. It was very rare to find any cultivator with enough potential to control these Expectres at such an early stage in their cultivation path, and Karl looked so young to boot. It was such a promising future…

Yet, all Heian Ciemnosc did as soon as those 2 appeared and tried sending shivers down his spine as a sort of mental attack. Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes narrowed and turned ultimately cold, serene yet maintained their lovable appearance. Karl once again didn’t notice this and simply said after giving his toys a few more seconds of fame, which were indirectly his ‘points’ of fame.

“Come on, attack an-” Karl nodded gently to Heian Ciemnosc, gesturing to his Expectres in a way that was simply a gentleman giving an easy way to someone else without suffering any secondary effects, and he was really genuine about it. But Heian Ciemnosc had other plans, “You bought them?”

“Err, yes?” Though the young man was startled by Heian Ciemnosc’s unusual interest in these, and adding the previous ‘light’ in Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes when looking at himself, Karl responded anyway and quickly. And once Karl said so, Heian Ciemnosc nodded, tilted his head to the left, and softly spoke, like a whisper, but more than enough for anyone around except for non-cultivators to hear him.

“Is this the way Expectres are treated? One can… just buy them? Hm,” Heian Ciemnosc lowered his head. Then his eyes went upturned, looking straight with darkness at the blond young man. “You can’t even tell these were a mother and son, did you?”

“... gasp…” - “What?” - “Err…” The crowd had mixed reactions as soon as Heian Ciemnosc started speaking. Some believed them, despite the one conveying them being no more than a country bumpkin in the Obsidiafying realm. Others simply did not believe it. But a few others were struck silent, like some history between Expectres and them had occurred, and even more so, heard of before perhaps.

“These two, that one’s the mother, and that’s the son.” Heian Ciemnosc first pointed at the tall figure, then at the shorter one. The young man looked unclear still about the situation, perhaps trying to go through it with a steeled heart. But Heian Ciemnosc continued to make it tough to do so as he went on. “I can even smell they were from a big family, and the rest of those you bought must be in your possession, right? Is. That. Right?”

“... S- sure,” Karl responded somewhat shakily. But then managed to recompose himself when taking into consideration who was speaking like this to him. Yet, the Teacher watching this frowned slightly, then relaxed after glaring at Heian Ciemnosc.

“You said these were the strongest, right? Oh, I can just smell it,” Heian Ciemnosc said before taking steps forward. Karl’s back began to feel shivers of danger which he refused to acknowledge. Because it was simply impossible to feel like this against a backwater civilian such as this pale teenager! This teenager might be able to beat someone in the same realm, but so could he when it came to people like Heian Ciemnosc!

Nevertheless, Heian Ciemnosc continued to trek forwards with his head lowered and eyes upturned, looking at Karl with ultimate coldness. His voice was quiet, not even seemingly enraged at all. “Possibly taken when they were together, then killed, also together. Tortured and made into… this.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Gesturing to the Expectres, the crowd fell more silent while Karl began to feel it; the actual fact that he had bought something like this. But Heian Ciemnosc continued. It was far from over.

“They might have had the best relationship within that family of civilians that the people you paid took away and turned into Expectres.” Heian Ciemnosc then looked at the Teacher, Sub Teachers, and Assistant Teacher before saying with a quiet tone. “That’s one point less for the Academy, I guess.”

Heian Ciemnosc then turned his head back to Karl, who looked back, now calmer than before and with Power Energy fluctuations with the cultivation base of the Ashes Apperception realm 10th stage raising to the occasion. “Give them peace right now. Or, oh, I’ll make you.”

As Heian Ciemnosc said this, his teeth began to ‘grow’ but not ‘grow’ simultaneously. It was just his Claws Out, with now his teeth growing to the size of an additional fingertip. A fang with darkish substance, capable of devouring all light, appeared and made the insides of his mouth turn into creepy, terrifying jaws of devouring power. But Karl held a firm foothold and said nothing, even taking a step forward and had his 2 Expectres prepare for battle.

‘No one does anything… ever.’ Heian Ciemnosc’s body tensed, his muscles, bones, veins, organs and blood ready to go all out, but kept his dark Power Energy at bay. His face scrunched up more and more. Becoming wrinkled in a way that only added more terror to those who watched it, along his ultimately cold, serene, and lovable eyes. ‘I have to do everything. I’ll have to be the one to do it all.’

After his thoughts reached there, Heian Ciemnosc’s hands made a ‘click-pshift’ sound again, and his Claws Out showed at both his hands and feet… Some even felt the notion that something appeared at his rear, but it was just an optical illusion and was ignored soon after.

Stomp. Fwush, fwush.

Heian Ciemnosc and the 2 Expectres suddenly went into action concomitantly. Though the latter were in response to Heian Ciemnosc’s action and Karl’s reaction. When Heian Ciemnosc stomped against the floor, his full strength, which he thought would be enough to break apart the concrete, only left a rather detailed footprint; instead. Meanwhile, the 2 Expectres flew towards him, not floating, and lunged towards him with their gigantic and smaller claws!

Swiiip- pa- clan- plak! Pah, wheeesshhh…

Heian Ciemnosc collided with the mother, his left-claw-like hand meeting her head on, and with his pure bodily strength, shoved her backwards with another jump. Her claws met his left hand-like claw but were powerless, attempting to penetrate them. Only Heian Ciemnosc’s skin became slightly bloody with the encounter. On the other hand, the child was brushed away and sent flying to the side by Heian Ciemnosc’s right claw-like hand.

Karl’s eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk as he began retreating backwards with his cultivation base’s motors working at a full. Heian Ciemnosc closed in quickly after 2 jumps, pushing the mother along like she was nothing. Everyone knew how much of a robust and resistant bodily strength Expectres of such ‘quality’ had compared to monsters, zombies, or puppets. They were the top tool for those whose path focused on utilizing auxiliary battling tools, repairable and of great requisites to be re-used time and again.

Pshift. Immediately, with the sound of Power Energy formulating, Karl formed a barrier with a tool, creating a screen in front of him of a circular shape. It was a yellowish honey color, seemingly containing incredible durability. It was a tool and not an array formation pre-inscribed, so it didn’t follow the natural laws of its predominant colors and was of any the tool in question worked with.

Heian Ciemnosc looked a tit, but he kept going, not stopping for anything as he closed in, his eyes set on the blond young man. While his left claw-like hand gripped the Expectre mother’s claws and mangled them effortlessly. On the other hand, the Expectre son lunged at Heian Ciemnosc from the side, chased after them, soundlessly screeching, enraged, and losing all possible instincts it had left.

“Shit! Stop right there already! You should have accepted my grace when I gave it to you!” Karl shouted, his hair fluttering as he poured half his Power Energy into a tube hidden in his left pocket, enhancing the barrier before him. His nose wrinkled towards the upper middle, raging amok slightly as he shouted, “But since you don’t want it, don’t think I’ll give it a second time.”

Venomously speaking those words, Karl increased the barrier’s defense until not even himself could break it with one all-out attack. His heart ceased fearing only then but still felt somewhat naked…

Stomp- tap- punch!

Heian Ciemnosc stomped one last time with his left foot, his body lowering until his chest was just 10 cm away from touching the floor. His face still locking gazes with Karl, and the Expectre son right chasing right behind him sped up just as Heian Ciemnosc lowered his body. Without control, the child went over and almost smashed against the barrier. But it managed to stop itself and stand beside Karl, who didn’t even give it a glance as it all happened.

Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc’s body was impulsed forwards once more. He was now within the range of the young blond man, who stopped and maintained a firm foothold with the Expectre son to the side. Strangely, just as Heian Ciemnosc’s right foot tapped lightly on the floor and his body dashed forwards to explosively traverse the last meter before reaching Karl, the Expectre mother stopped struggling or acting altogether.

But Heian Ciemnosc’s movements did not stop. His right arm, free of any hold or from holding anyone, formed a fist with his claws, not damaging himself and even seemingly perfectly fitting in his fist. He threw a punch to the yellowish-honeyed barrier. Right as his face became illuminated by the bright barrier, and was at Karl’s right shoulder level after lifting his body a little in that last dash.

And just as Karl looked down towards Heian Ciemnosc, the confidence in his eyes changed as they looked at the center of the barrier, exactly where Heian Ciemnosc’s right fist punched. Where cobwebs appeared with the simple first impact of his knuckles. Afterwards, Heian Ciemnosc’s bodily strength was finally employed on the sweet, refreshing, and smooth barrier’s surface. Breaking it apart as his fist punched through the next half a second.

“Aah, noo- AAAAH!”

Puuh- grab, SL— crrr crack crack! Crrr-r-r-rr crack —AM.

The barrier was broken… it was simple. But before the crowds’ mind had any time to react, Heian Ciemnosc’s right hand grabbed the young man’s chest, and his collarbone visibly cut through like butter before being grasped like a piece of cloth. Heian Ciemnosc pulled Karl’s body up with such strength it became ragdoll. Karl’s eyes lost focus, and the little bits of the barrier left with only its perimeter that was falling onto the floor like specks of flames completely dissipated.

Yet, when Heian Ciemnosc slammed Karl’s body against the floor, he did so with all of his strength, and it showed. If the crowds’ eyes and minds were widely opened and tremendously stunned already. Then, they became silly right after. Heian Ciemnosc’s slam of Karl’s body against the floor had his limbs flung upwards; unnaturally.

His legs broke apart from 4 different sections, including his feet becoming flat meat pase and his hands’ fingers and knuckles flew about in the air… Karl’s limbs were all broken severely in the air! Just from Heian Ciemnosc’s bodily strength! Just from one motion alone!!

From sudden to elongated sounds of bones breaking apart in several sections could be heard discombobulated, making even the non cultivators hear. It was as clear as their heavy breathing sounds, if not louder. As for the one who suffered all that, he retained his conscience and felt the pain of going through all that.

Pum. Crr- crrrkk.

Heian Ciemnosc’s right foot came down Karl’s chest, pinning him down even if it wasn’t needed. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the ‘powerful’ young man under him. His left claw-like hand held the Expectre mother, and his right claw-like hand effortlessly kept the Expectre son at bay, grasping its neck as the mother only looked at the son without life.

“Y- yo- you can’t kill me. You won- won’t be able to!” Karl shouted, holding Heian Ciemnosc’s shin with his wrists, as his hands were like goo and had a very disgusting cut-off section. And he was right. Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t kill anyone in this test. Nor in the Academy if he was accepted after doing this. That’s why…

“Wait!” The Teacher, who had absorbed all this long and remained unmoved, even after the Assistant Teachers sprung to action, suddenly shouted at the latter and even put some of his cultivation base into the shout, effectively paralyzing the Assistant Teachers. Everyone looked at the Teacher in confused shock. Nobody could fathom why he would ever allow an actual Sub Student from the Academy to die!

“You cannot help that student. Not even I could.” The Teacher said upon seeing the Assistant Teachers retreat, exhaling in relief. Then stared at Heian Ciemnosc, and his Spirit Sense freely flew towards him and Karl. Every other teacher around followed without trying to harm the former.

“!!” The teachers showed shocked, completely disbelieving, and overwhelmed expressions! The participants’ crowd became confused, while the Sub Students became nervous seeing their respected teachers all have the same face. What was going on?

“Will you do it, or I’ll have to do it myself then?” Heian Ciemnosc lowered his head, his forehead placed against Karl and his claw-like hands still holding the 2 Expectres, with only the son struggling like a child out of his grasp but powerless. Karl felt like he was ‘connected’ to something so natural as coitus between the same species of a Race for the sake of reproduction and as natural as the instincts of living and non-living beings.

This connection… was that natural. But it felt as if whatever was making the connection; had to do with Heian Ciemnosc, this pale teenager. And if it was to be the second ‘choice’… then it would be by forcing his, Karl, body, and self to break the contract in the purest of ways. Killed from the inside! Inexplicable!

…