"You are a traitor."Maria’s voice cut through the air without hesitation, sharp and unfiltered, carrying no anger, no raised tone just cold certainty.
Neptunia just blinked, then tilted her head slightly, lips pursing as if she had just been accused of sothing absurd rather than dangerous. Instead of panic, instead of denial or anything she pouted an almost exaggerated expression that felt deliberately placed there.
"You guys really want to kill ?" she asked, her tone light, almost playful, as if she were discussing sothing trivial. Then she sighed and straightened, her eyes glinting faintly as she looked at both of them. "I wasn’t the only one hiding my real identity, you know. You didn’t tell who you really were either. You can’t suddenly get angry just because you failed to see through my disguise when I managed to see through yours on my own. That’s... quite petty, if you ask ."
As she spoke, a low smile curved her lips not mocking, not cruel, but confident. And with that smile, sothing seems to have changef.
Neptunia standing before them no longer carried the faint hesitations, the careful pauses, the soft tone she had worn throughout their journey. The ek guide, the obedient companion or the girl who always stood half a step behind she was gone rather now she seems different as she look like soone soone composed, self-assured, and unshakable. Her posture straightened her presence solidifying, her eyes holding an unspoken authority that no disguise could fully suppress. She looked... regal. Calm. Strong. Like soone accustod to being obeyed rather than protected... Showing her true self now.
Maria noticed it instantly as her eyes narrowed.
"Who said we’re calling you a traitor just because you hid your appearance or your identity?" Maria replied, her voice steady but colder now, each word asured. "I’m calling you a traitor because if you are a princess.. and as strong as you just implied then explain this to ."
She took a step forward, the air between them tightening.
"When the Sea Lords’ forces were closing in. When an entire army of sea creatures was advancing on us. Why was I the only one holding them back? Why didn’t you help? I was injured you didn’t step in."
Her voice didn’t crack. That made it worse.
"And even when i was about to die," she continued, staring straight into Neptunia’s eyes. "And you still didn’t help. Don’t tell a princess of Atlantis soone with your status and background didn’t had no way to heal . No elixirs ? No thods? No Powers? Why didn’t you?"
The silence that followed was heavy.
Hiding her identity was one thing. Maria could not have cared about that. But this this was different. This was about trust, about survival, about standing shoulder to shoulder when it mattered. And Maria had been alone.
Neptunia listened without interrupting, her expression unreadable. When Maria finally stopped, Neptunia exhaled slowly as she crossed her arms with deliberate calm.
"First of all," she said coolly, "As i already told you my powers were sealed. Completely. So no, I couldn’t step in even if I wanted to."
She raised a finger, counting calmly.
"Second, our deal was never about helping each other in combat. Your job was to protect . My job was to lead you here. That was it. I fulfilled my part. Perfectly."
Her gaze sharpened slightly as she leaned forward just enough to press her point.
"And lastly were you really in danger?" she asked, eyes narrowing just a fraction. "You’re a noble from the land. I don’t know how powerful your family is and how it actually works but I refuse to believe you had no dicine, no backup plan, no thod to save yourself? No secret thods or anything? Want to keep going?"
Her lips curved upward, smug now, knowing.
"If I really wanted to," Neptunia added softly, her eyes glinting with sothing dangerous, "I could reveal quite a lot right here. But are you sure you’d be able to handle that?" As looking at her with thats understaning girls gaze.
Maria stiffened.
Her eyes darted for the briefest mont an instinctive reaction, but enough.
"No need," Maria said quickly, cutting her off. Her voice was controlled, but the tension beneath it was unmistakable. She t Neptunia’s gaze again, hard and unyielding.
Neptunia smiled.
"Good choice," she said, the word dripping with quiet victory.
Maria forced a smile of her own, thin and artificial, as if nothing had happened. But a vein pulsed at the side of her neck, betraying her. She was furious and she knew Neptunia knew it.
Razeal watched the exchange silently.
He didn’t intervene of interrupt them neither taking sides
Instead, he just observed carefully, critically letting the tension settle as he assessed both won with an analytical calm. Neptunia, despite everything, was being... reasonable. Cold, yes. Calculated, definitely. But nothing malicious.
She hadn’t violated their agreent.
She had said she would guide them here. She had done exactly that.
As for her real motives? Razeal didn’t care. What mattered was intent.. and when he activated his killing sense earlier, there had been nothing. No hostility. No murderous intent. Not even a trace directed at him.
That alone told him more than words ever could.
Causing trouble with Neptunia now would only create unnecessary complications. Powerful ones.
He’ll just let the matter rest.
Neptunia, noticing his silence, glanced at him briefly before turning back to Maria, her gaze steady and unafraid.
"Well," she said lightly, "I don’t really mind if you two want to have a problem with ."
Her eyes glead.
"But are you sure you can handle the consequences?"
The air seed to tighten around them as her words settled, not as a threat shouted aloud but as a promise spoken calmly, confidently, by soone who knew exactly what she was capable of.
Maria didn’t reply.
She simply let out a quiet, humorless smirk and turned her head away, her gaze drifting toward the vast arena below as if none of this concerned her anymore. From the outside, it looked like indifference cold, practiced, almost dismissive but beneath that thin layer of composure, irritation simred. She didn’t care enough to argue, and she didn’t care enough to justify herself either. Whatever Razeal decided was her decision too. Afterall she’s under him for now if he choose to fight she’d had too and if not she cant fight.. Knowing no one gonna decide on her words or nor was she dumb enough to believe she had the right to make the choices.
Still... that didn’t an it didn’t bother her.
Neptunia’s tone, her smug confidence, the way she spoke as if everything had already been asured and settled it all grated on Maria’s nerves. The casual superiority, the faint mockery hidden behind a smile, the implication that Maria’s struggles were inconveniences rather than monts where she had genuinely been pushed to the brink. Maria kept her arms crossed, her posture straight, her expression flat but her eyes were duller than before, shadows gathering beneath them. She looked calm, but it was the calm of soone deliberately refusing to explode.
Neptunia noticed.
She noticed imdiately.
The slight curve of Maria’s lips, the way she turned away without another word it amused her more than it should have. A faint smile tugged at Neptunia’s mouth, growing sharper, more satisfied. She didn’t know why, but irritating this woman felt... very pleasant. Perhaps it was the challenge. Perhaps it was the resistance. Or perhaps it was simply that she hates Maria’s guts.. Whatever the reason, Neptunia enjoyed it very much.
With Maria no longer engaging, Neptunia’s attention shifted back toward Razeal. Her eyes lingered on him, curious now, expectant. She wanted to see how he would react, what stance he would take whether he would side with indifference, hostility, or just back down as not being an arrogant fool.
Razeal, anwhile, looked utterly unconcerned.
He shrugged casually, as if the tension hanging between the two won barely registered in his mind.
"I don’t really care," he said simply. "Whatever happened, in simple words.. you’re not my enemy. For now."
His gaze flicked to Neptunia briefly, sharp but calm.
"So I won’t fight you. Though," he added with a lazy tilt of his head, "if you want to, I won’t say no either."
He yawned right after, covering his mouth as if the entire situation bored him. To anyone watching, it was almost insulting. He wasn’t posturing, wasn’t threatening, wasn’t even trying to appear dominant. He simply... didn’t take it seriously.
Because, in his mind, it wasn’t serious.
He couldn’t die. And even if things escalated.. if Neptunia revealed herself fully, Even if her father intervened, if the armies of Atlantis decided to move it still wouldn’t matter. He would survive and he knows that so it didn’t frightened him.. So he just let her decide it because just creating problems where is nothing to gain he Still wasn’t interested in that.
Neptunia straightened.
Her chin lifted, posture shifting subtly. The playful curve of her lips faded into sothing sharper, more dignified. She clasped her hands behind her back, standing a little taller now, a faint echo of royal bearing seeping through her movents.
"You’re challenging ?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him.
Razeal took a single step closer.
Not aggressively. Not dramatically. Just close enough to invade her space.
"You want to?" he replied calmly, looking down at her without a trace of hesitation.
For a mont, the air between them grew heavy.
Their eyes locked.
There was no laughter now, no teasing. Just two figures standing far too close, asuring each other in silence. Neptunia’s gaze was sharp, calculating, layered with sothing prideful but restrained. Razeal’s was steady, dark, unreadable no fear, no excitent, no reverence.
Maria watched from the side, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn’t move or speak, but irritation flared hot and sudden in her chest. The way Neptunia stood so close to him.. it annoyed her far more than she cared to admit. Her fingers curled faintly, then relaxed again as Neptunia broke the mont.
"Alright, alright," she said suddenly, waving both hands lightly as her expression softened. A playful glint returned to her eyes, coy and almost harmless. "I was joking. Chill man."
The tension snapped, just like that.
Razeal stepped back, shrugging once more as if nothing worth rembering had happened.
He didn’t respond.
Neptunia studied him for a second longer, then sighed softly. "So," she asked, tilting her head, "since you can’t participate anymore... what are you going to do now? Go back?"
Razeal glanced at her sideways. "You’re a princess," he said. "You must know the direction to that place, right?"
Neptunia’s brows knit together briefly before she shook her head. "No. I really don’t." Her tone turned more serious now. "If I did, I would’ve told you the mont we reached the Royal Ocean. That place is... extrely secret. No one except my father knows its exact location."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice, as if sharing sothing forbidden. "And honestly? I’m not even confident he would tell if I asked. He’s cruel man. Even to . Believe it or not, I don’t like him.. He’s heartless just like you.."
Razeal studied her face carefully, trying to read her. He couldn’t tell if she was exaggerating, acting, or being completely sincere.. Still he just ignore it.
"So there’s no other solution?" he asked.
She leaned back, spreading her hands with a helpless shrug. "No. This was the only way. And now..." Her lips pressed together. "We’re late."
Razeal exhaled slowly, then shook his head. "Alright."
There was no anger in his voice. No frustration. Just acceptance.
Then his eyes lifted again, sharp with renewed interest.
"Tell about your brother then," he said. "Is he strong? Any specialties?"
Neptunia blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Huh? My brother?" She stared at him, confusion evident. "Why do you want to know about him?"
Razeal rolled his eyes slightly. "Just answer."
"Well... he is strong," Neptunia began, her tone asured, almost reluctant. "Just not... seriously strong as his real interests and motivation lie elsewhere." She tilted her head slightly, eyes drifting away as if picturing him. "Still, strength matters when you carry an image, and he knows that. He’s close to being officially declared Crown Prince of Atlantis now since most of the noble families support him. Even my father does."
Her lips pressed together for a brief second before she continued, irritation flickering behind her calm expression. "I don’t want to accept it, but he is talented. That much I can’t deny. You wouldn’t need much of an introduction if you t him.. he’s a good fighter. Skilled. But..." Her eyes narrowed faintly. "He’s easily provoked. Cocky. Arrogant. Almost like you."
She paused, studying Razeal more closely now, rubbing her chin as if comparing the two. "If there’s any difference...," she murmured, then shook her head. "Ah. Right. He’s married to three princesses. And has over three hundred concubines."
She said it flatly, without drama, as if reciting a statistic rather than describing a person.
"He’s filthy," Neptunia added coolly. "And yeah very good at making girls fall in love with him."
Maria’s head snapped toward her.
"Over three hundred concubines?" Maria repeated, disbelief sharpening her voice. Her brows drew together, eyes narrowing as she stared at Neptunia. "Your brother is a degenerate.. And how does one person ever handle that much?"
"I know," Neptunia replied imdiately, nodding once, completely unfazed. There was no defensiveness in her tone if anything, it sounded like agreent. She didn’t even look offended.
Razeal, anwhile, said nothing.
But his eyes flickered.
Just for a mont.
Good with girls?... The thought crossed his mind, slow and deliberate.. Intrest flickering in his eyes.. before he buried it just as quickly. He didn’t let it show on his face. Outwardly, he remained calm, indifferent, simply nodding once as if absorbing information.
"Can I beat him?" he asked, cutting straight to the only part that mattered to him.
Neptunia didn’t hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
"Of course you can," she said firmly. "Even I can beat him.. I an you can’t beat but yeah.. You can."
She waved a hand dismissively, her expression turning openly disdainful now. "He’s nothing more than a scoundrel. A lust-driven bastard. Most of his strength cos from father’s genetics anyway. He even failed to raise the Trident of the Sea, if that tells you anything."
She raised her thumb confidently. "You can definitely beat him. I guarantee it."
Razeal nodded slowly, as if confirming sothing he had already expected.
"Thought so," he said quietly.
Then his gaze sharpened again.
"What about that four thousand year old guy?" he asked. "Can I beat him?"
Neptunia’s expression shifted.
The confidence faded, replaced by hesitation. Her brows knitted together, and she exhaled slowly.
"Him...? I don’t think so," she admitted.
Razeal tilted his head slightly. "Can you beat him?"
She frowned, clearly not sure about it. "I don’t know. I’ve never tried." Her voice lowered. "He’s an old monster. My father once said that even he can’t defeat him without using the Trident. He went as far as saying no one in the world can defeat him in pure physical strength."
She shook her head. "So... I really don’t know."
Then her eyes narrowed as a realization dawned on her.
"But why are you asking?" Neptunia asked slowly. She studied him more carefully now, suspicion creeping into her gaze. "Don’t tell you’re thinking of jumping into the arena and directly asking my father for permission to participate?"
The implication hung heavy between them.
Razeal didn’t deny it.
"Yeah," he replied simply, nodding once.
Neptunia stiffened.
"I wouldn’t suggest that," she said imdiately, her tone turning serious. "My father is extrely strict when it cos to rules and regulations. You might think this competition is just for fun. Or entertainnt because It’s really not."
Her eyes hardened. "This is a serious tradition. You should’ve realized that from the reward alone. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said he would comply with any request from the winner of the second position. That’s tradition. Even if soone asked to beco king, he would grant it."
She paused, then added quietly, "Of course, no one would dare. Because anyone can reclaim the throne afterward by defeating or killing the king... Which obviously the king would."
She looked straight at Razeal now.
"But yeah he would still honor it. That’s how serious this is."
Her voice softened just a little, but the warning remained sharp. "That’s why I went to ask permission from the authorities. And I’m a princess. Even I don’t have the authority to interfere here."
"If you act out of turn, you’ll offend the king. And if you do... the consequences will be severe."
Razeal listened without interrupting.
Then he frowned slightly, genuinely puzzled.
"And why do you think," he asked calmly, "that I’ll be the only one facing the consequences?"
----
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