"What was that ?" Lyka's voice wavered, breaking her usual calm. She looked visibly shaken, her lips trembling, an obvious sign of the trauma she had endured after narrowly escaping being burned alive.
Asher couldn't have cared less. He stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "Stop acting."
His attitude and deanor ca off as too cold, too detached.
Before anyone could respond, Harris thrust an accusing finger at him. "I saw it! He's a murderer! The fire ca from his direction!"
The room went into total silence. Every eye turned onto Asher, their expressions a combination of fear and suspicion.
His face remained stone-cold, making him look more dangerous in their eyes.
Elaine took a step back, her heart pounding as her eyes flicked nervously between Asher and the spot where the fire had erupted. The thought of soone summoning flas—especially after a student just died from explosion was too much for her.
She liked him. But could she ignore the growing possibility that he might be the mastermind in all of this.
Lyka on the other hand, despite her initial shock, straightened up.
"That's a pretty serious accusation, Harris," her voice was firm, but there was a tremor that slipped through her words. "We don't know what's going on. Jumping to conclusions won't help us."
Harris wasn't backing down. His finger jutted forward again, frantic. "Are you blind? He didn't even flinch when the fire appeared! He's the only one who could've done it!"
The other teachers exchanged nervous glances. Ms. Greene stepped back, while Mr. Ryan tightened his grip on his phone.
Asher shook his head slowly. "Still acting? Fine. I'll force you."
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Raising his right hand, twelve fireballs materialized, swirling around him. The flas illuminated his face in harsh, flickering light, making him appear more like a villain than ever before.
Ms. Greene gasped, stumbling backward into the wall.
"What is he doing?" Her voice cracked with panic. "Soone stop him!"
Mr. Harris stood frozen, his eyes wide with terror.
"He's a monster!" he scread, his hands trembling around the broom like a child clutching a talisman.
Elaine's hands clenched at her sides, her breath shallow. She wanted to speak, to ask him what he was doing, but her voice failed her. Her mind raced, torn between what she knew of him and the terrifying image before her.
Could he really be the one behind all this?
'I see it now,' Elaine thought bitterly. 'That's why I was able to get out before. He was playing the whole ti...'
"Asher," she finally managed to choke out, her voice shaky. "What are you?"
Harris shrieked, his eyes wild. "He's a demon! He's a fucking Demon!"
For a split second, Asher's flas flickered, not from any weakness, but because the teacher was totally right.
'Why do I feel like I'm the villain here?' he sighed inwardly. The fire around him dimd slightly as he took a long, steadying breath. 'I just wanted to quit school... I never asked for this.'
His thoughts spiraled, a rush of frustration, and confusion flooding him all at once.
Then, just as quickly, his hyperfocus state kicked in, calming him down almost instantly.
Outside, students had gathered, so filming with their phones, the others whispering in frantic murmurs.
"Is that... fire?" soone asked.
"Is he... doing that?" another whispered.
"Is he going to hurt us?"
The fear in their voices was clear, but so was the fascination. No one moved, glued to the sight of him surrounded by flas, looking more dangerous than ever.
"Why are you doing this?" Asher decided to talk it out first.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lyka responded, looking as clueless as ever.
"I'm tired of this," he said, opening his palm for an attack. But she stepped behind the other teachers.
There was no way he could unleash his powers here—not with so many innocent people around.
Asher's thoughts raced. 'She knew exactly what she was doing. Right now, I'm playing right into her hands.'
"I…" Before he could finish his words, a sharp cracking sound echoed, like glass shattering.
Out of nowhere, he found himself alone in the room. The familiar surroundings vanished, replaced by a heavy silence and an ominous dark sky visible through the window.
As he struggled to figure out his next move, sothing else suddenly broke through the silence—the unmistakable sound of explosions in the distance.
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
The force of each blast reverberated, as if the very world was being torn apart.
'What's happening now?' he thought, rushing to the window.
There, amidst the chaos, stood Lucy. Her body had completely transford.
She wore a blood-red dress, woven from her own blood, and from her back sprouted massive blood wings. In her hands, she wielded two blood swords, their sharp edges gleaming.
She was locked in combat with another figure, but this was no specter. The entity she faced had fox ears and three tails that lashed through the air, striking with explosive force.
'That's Miss Lyka,' he was certain it was her.
But her face was completely different now—she looked younger, more beautiful. The fox ears and tails added an entirely new layer to her appearance, making her as striking as Lucy, if not more.
Added to that was her attire—a silver kimono that flowed gracefully with each of her movents.
Lyka's gaze flicked to him for a split second, and he could see the annoyance in her eyes.
She had been forced to cancel the world she had made for him, all because Lucy had gone into full rage mode.
Lyka had expected to easily defeat a demon, especially given her status as a legendary beast. But to her surprise, she found herself being cornered.
Lucy also noticed him, but her focus was entirely on the fight. Anger radiated from her as she stood ready to kill her opponent.
"You're dead!" Lucy roared, and her blood aura exploded outward. Her dress morphed into a more tallic form, and in an instant, thousands of blood swords materialized, swirling in the air around her.
"How dare you speak to like that, demon!" she spat back, her fury matching Lucy's.
Her three tails turned into five, each one becoming more ethereal, their aura flaring.
The five tails closed in tightly together, and in the center, a burning orange sun erged. It radiated an intense heat, even fiercer than Asher's flas. It was several levels more advanced than his attacks.
"Bloody Rain!" Lucy shouted, and the thousands of swords rained down from the sky, each one falling like deadly droplets.
"Solar Fang!" Lyka countered, her five tails converging as the miniature sun at their center erupted, sending a flash of light so intense that it temporarily blinded everyone.
Asher was forced to cover his eyes, struggling to regain his vision amidst the overwhelming brightness.
BOOOOOM!
An explosion erupted, so powerful that the very fabric of reality began to crack, unable to contain the raw force of their powers.
Still blinded by the flash, he struggled to maintain his balance. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what was happening.
'Why are they even fighting in the first place? '
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