Julius stood calmly in front of the battered Kamin with his textbook smile. But his eyes were not smiling.
‘This… didn’t unfold as I planned.’
He hated when his plans derailed. It annoyed him, a trait he knew well came from his father, Varnel.
‘How did he find out?’
The smile on his face masked the surprise he was currently feeling. His aim from the beginning had been to mess with Malakai’s head before the Hunt, using Renlo.
He had wanted to beat Renlo into submission, forcing him to stay away from Malakai and isolating him. The latter would have known what had happened. He would have known Julius was the cause.
But ultimately, because Julius believed he was more powerful than him, Malakai would have been unable to do anything and instead carry a mind full of rage to the Hunt.
There, Julius had planned to crush him. To bring Malakai to his knees, licking at his feet just as he was meant to be doing.
But his plan had been foiled. Renlo hadn’t given in, despite how much he was beaten. And Malakai had interfered just in time to put a stop to everything.
Julius sent a glance toward the other two youths. Both battered. Both crying in pure agony.
He turned his gaze back toward the boy staring down at him as though he were insignificant. The boy that had once trembled beneath his feet.
He hated those eyes.
“That’s enough, Malakai,” Julius said, his mind spinning as he thought of a plan. ‘I’ll simply expedite everything. I can crush him here.’
He frowned, gesturing toward the beaten youths. “You’ve gone too far. I heard everything they said, they were simply trying to help out their fellow colleague, teach him how to fight.”
He suddenly raised his hand, waving his palm forward. And in the next instant, multiple figures streamed out from the forest, appearing around the clearing.
Renlo instantly recognized them. They were the other youths that usually swarmed around Julius in class, his minions. Male and female geniuses from the advanced class, each one eager to curry favour with a Vein.
As they emerged, they stared at Malakai as though he were a monster.
‘A nice audience. Good.’ As the youths appeared, an excitement bloomed in Julius’s chest.
The process of breaking an individual, of making them submit to absolute power, he loved every bit of it.
In front of this audience, he would beat and break Malakai.
He deepened his frown and continued.
“Just take a look at what you’ve done,” Julius said coldly. “You’re misusing your privilege as a Vein to prey on the youths of the clan. Despicable.”
“You’re not fit to be a direct descendant.”
His aura rose. The air around him shifted.
“Bow and apologize for beating up those youths, and I’ll let this slide.”
Renlo’s eyes widened as he realized what Julius was doing.
‘He’s insane.’
Julius had orchestrated all of this just to get to Malakai. And now he was trying to pin it all on him?
Renlo’s gaze shot toward Malakai. The latter’s expression hadn’t changed once. But the aura around him… frightened Renlo.
Julius frowned. Malakai wasn’t reacting the way he had expected.
“You—” he began.
“Shut up,” Malakai said flatly, cutting him off.
Julius narrowed his eyes, but Malakai didn’t stop.
“You talk too much.”
He didn’t turn to look at the students staring at him like he was some monster. He didn’t care. His entire focus was on Julius. The one responsible for everything
He tilted his head slightly, voice cold.
“Unlike you, I don’t require tricks to make my intentions clear.”
His killing intent erupted from him, slamming into Julius and the surrounding youths. Julius’s eyes narrowed to pinpricks. He lowered his gaze… his legs were shaking.
‘T-this again?’
“Julius,” Malakai said, his voice like iron, “I will make you regret this.”
Julius’s eyes snapped up… but Malakai was already gone.
‘Where!?’
His eyes exploded wide, his gaze snapping to the side, just in time to see the sharp tip of a scythe slicing toward him.
Julius’s eyes narrowed. He was surprised. To think Malakai would blatantly attack him!
‘Doesn’t matter. I’ll crush him.’
His stance shifted, and he darted back a step, sharply evading the gleaming blade that threatened to pierce his skull.
‘I’ll end this fast.’ Julius felt a rush of glee.
Compared to before, he had now formed a total of three nodes in his body, two in his legs and one in his right arm. He couldn’t imagine losing to this trash.
His eyes sharpened. Vita surged through his legs. He blasted forward, his right arm raised, snapping toward Malakai’s neck to grip it.
‘I’ve got him.’ Numerous ways to break Malakai surged through his mind, and a smile curled on Julius’s face.
However, the split second his hand neared Malakai’s neck, the latter’s body jerked to the side, allowing the hand to tear past him.
Julius’s smile shattered. ‘What?’
But Malakai didn’t pause. He shot forward, closing the distance in a blink, snapping Julius out of his thoughts.
His gaze narrowed. ‘It was a fluke! You won’t escape this time.’
Malakai may have evaded his first strike, but Julius could tell he was slower than him.
His right leg exploded upward, his knee hurtling toward Malakai’s chin.
But Malakai’s expression didn’t change. As though he saw it coming, he twisted sharply to the right, evading the attack with ease. The gust from Julius’s strike sent his hair flapping, but he didn’t waste a second.
Malakai’s body dipped low, his leg sweeping out beneath him. It struck Julius cleanly, knocking him off his feet.
Julius felt as though he was dreaming. But even now, Malakai gave no time to comprehend the reality.
Before Julius could hit the ground, Malakai’s body surged up, and his leg exploded forward, slamming into Julius’s stomach with immense force.
The air was knocked out of his lungs. Pain surged through his body as he was sent flying back at blistering speed, crashing hard into a tree.
Bam!