I am the Only Son of Nyx

Bree realized what Matilda realized a few seconds later.

She stopped trying to approach Kai and decided to push away this heavy atmosphere.

"Despite the process, the tournament is really working in your favour as expected," Bree said. She turned to glance over her shoulder when she heard the door was closed, and focused back on Kai when it was only Matilda. "Students were now openly talking about you. Some of them even wanted to get closer to you.

"I’m not kidding." She pointed at Matilda with her thumb. "She can attest to that."

"Mostly female students, but yes," Matilda confirmed. "If you win this tournament, no doubt that the students would completely forget your class as the Lesser Angel, especially when the Red Prince title was over it. And once you represented the academy—in the next tournament, this will all be in the past."

Kai turned around and began applying the healing cream again.

He was too focused on the battle earlier and didn’t pay any attention to the crowd.

It’s good that the students are starting to look over his class as a Lesser Angel.

That is all he wanted.

"What about the Chancellor?" He asked. "And Ragnar?"

"He can get as mad as he wants, but he couldn’t do anything to you if you won the tournament fair and square." Bree waved her hand dismissively. If Kai won, then the Red Prince title would become his no matter what.

"Ragnar was visibly panicking after you beat Barbara—but I felt like his panic is more urgent somehow." Matilda crossed her arms and tilted her head a little, contemplating. "Like his life was on the line."

"I mean, the Chancellor might kill him for failing to deal with Kai." Bree shrugged.

"Do you think the Chancellor would kill him? I’m doubting that."

"He can make Ragnar be kicked from the student council, or make up reasons to significantly lessen his Accolade."

"No, I don’t think it’s that. Both of those things won’t get him into trouble instantly."

"It’s the Demigod who wants me dead." Kai intervened as he leaned forward, fingers curling around the edge of the wooden table as a slow sigh escaped him. "He has eyes everywhere. I am certain he was aware of the tournament and made contact with Ragnar."

"Him again?" Matilda frowned at the news. "It made sense."

"Of course, it made sense. A Demigod’s raw power and influence are beyond our imagination. People even called them Gods among men." Bree shook her head, remembering her first time watching a Demigod in action. "If it was him, then I get why Ragnar would be scared."

The Chancellor has full reign within the academy, but not so much beyond it.

Because of that, he still has to show restraint.

If he did something outrageous like killing a mere student in his own academy, then he would have the Association of Angel Academy on his back that’ll give him a lot of trouble. However, this restraint didn’t apply to the Demigod.

He has influence everywhere within the Five Layers of Heaven, so he’s untouchable.

"Then you should be extra careful in the final round," Matilda said with concern.

If Ragnar really did make contact with the Demigod who wanted Kai dead—then he without a doubt had already held something in his hands. Something powerful, something that would guarantee Chester’s rise as the Red Prince and kill Kai in the process.

"Security is really tight in the stadium," Bree mumbled. "Everyone was checked at the main entrance."

"Yes... The grey-masked Angels even had a tool to scan for mana level. It’s really bad."

"We were even patted down since we’re from the same group as you."

"Hm. Had that not been the case, we would’ve smuggled in a healing vial or two."

"I didn’t expect any of you to bring me anything." Kai kept working the healing cream into his wounds without pause. He wasn’t surprised that the stadium’s security was tight. In fact, he had anticipated it, which was exactly why he’d expected nothing from them. "I’m going to be fine, don’t worry."

"Who said I don’t bring anything, though?" Bree asked playfully.

Kai frowned and looked over his shoulder only to meet Bree’s teasing smile.

Even Matilda was surprised to hear this.

Then, Bree reached for the necklace she was wearing and pulled it out from beneath her shirt. It had a small vial as its pendant, and inside was a liquid so pale blue it was nearly colourless—and by every sense, it looked like any other ordinary vial.

She unattached the vial and tossed it over to Kai.

He caught it and inspected it, "What is it?’

"A suppressed mana potion. It contains mana, but emits nothing, not even the slightest trace, because the mana inside has been suppressed. Deactivated is probably the better word for it." Bree’s voice carried a note of pride as she explained the vial. "Only when it’s drunk and then processed by a Supernal’s body does the mana awaken and become usable.

"I knew that they would use a mana detector, so I made it in advance."

"Made... it?" Kai looked up at her with a clear frown. "You made this?"

"I-I also have a Legacy Imprint that lets me transmute things." She confessed with a stutter at the realization that Kai and Matilda weren’t aware bout this Legacy Imprint of hers. "It alters the fundamentals of matter slightly to produce a different version of it."

"I always wondered why Supernals of Eileithyia were treasured, never to be brought into battle under any circumstances, even though the Goddess’ rating is not that high." Matilda’s eyes shifted toward the vial. "Now I understand why."

Kai wasted no time and drank the vial.

Just as Bree explained, once the liquid settled in his stomach, mana began to ooze out.

It spread across his entire body, but the amount was minuscule.

"Yes, it trades the mana volume of a normal potion for being untraceable." Bree had read Kai’s thoughts before he voiced them. "I would have brought more, but I was afraid of being caught. If the grey-masked Angels found one, they’d find the rest. So, I’d rather guarantee something for you."

"As I said, I expected nothing." Kai nodded, and then he gave a small nod. "Anything at all is already a plus. Thanks."

Before the mana potion, Kai had absolutely no mana.

He tried gathering as much as he could, but in a span of not even half an hour, it was too much.

No matter how much he tried, he won’t recover enough mana.

His mana reserve was so minuscule that he couldn’t activate any of his abilities. Not even the Nigh-phantom Imprint, which requires the least mana to activate. He’d hoped the breaks that the participants get between rounds might restore enough for one desperate use.

But even that didn’t seem plausible either.

Fortunately, Bree brought the suppressed mana potion.

It wasn’t much, but he now had enough mana to use one of his abilities at least once.

And that’s extremely helpful.

"Return to your seats," Kai told them with a firm tone. "The final round is about to start."

Matilda turned, but stopped midway.

"Kai..." She called. Her voice was softer than normal, and there was a tinge of both worry and hesitation in it. "In the final round, what would be your plan? Are you... Are you going to try to kill Chester?"

Regardless of what Chester did, there were many eyes.

Kai was able to kill Barbara, but that was only because of their bet.

It was different with Chester. He wouldn’t kill himself.

And Matilda feared Kai would try to kill Chester even when the moment didn’t favour him.

An accidental death could be excused; that was the rule—but Chester was too careful for that. If Kai made an attempt, Chester would make sure that there was no misunderstanding about his attempt to kill.

Perhaps he’d try to make Kai angry or surrender to make sure Kai couldn’t finish him off.

Either way, Matilda didn’t want Kai to do anything rash.

"If the chance arises, then I would," Kai answered firmly. He wanted to kill Chester for what he did, but there’s no reason to risk his safety, or else everything would’ve been for nothing in the end. "I won’t be tricked into making a mistake."

Matilda smiled faintly.

She was relieved to hear those words from Kai’s mouth, as he was normally reckless.

"Come on," Matilda said, turning to Bree. "Let’s go back."

Just then, she noticed that Bree was staring at Kai silently, and there was confusion in her eyes.

She then stepped forward.

"Kai." She called his name, then hesitated, the words catching in her throat. She breathed and then shook her hand, deciding to continue. "Is there something else you haven’t told us? Once you become the Red Prince, you’ll be untouchable. And even if you lose the final but survive, the fame from this alone would shield you.

"Why are you being like this?" She added. "Why do I feel like there’s more?"

From Bree’s perspective, Kai had already won.

He could aim to win the tournament, but if Chester proved too powerful with the Demigod’s backing and winning became impossible, he could always surrender and walk away with his life intact.

The fame he got from this would be enough to shield him from harassment.

But Kai still seemed like he was inside a pit of darkness.

Like he was still drowning, and Bree didn’t understand why.

That is, unless he was hiding something from them.

Kai didn’t answer right away. He just stared at them, eyes unblinking—as if hoping his silence might hide the truth. But Bree saw through him. She always did. A slow breath escaped him, and then, finally, he spoke. "If I fail to become the Red Prince, I die. They will take me as a criminal. Execute me."

"What?!" Matilda gasped in surprise. "What do you mean? Since when?"

Bree was also surprised, but she tried to remain composed.

Only her harsh swallow betrayed the turmoil inside after hearing what he said.

"Why is that?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"The reason is not important," Kai said, shaking his head lightly. He had no intention of telling them about it, at least not at this moment. "Just know that for me, it’s either I win this tournament and become the Red Prince—or die."

Moments later.

Kai stood in the arena again with the same unbreakable posture, masked, and his trusted Blood-phantom Scimitar in his right hand. Around him, the crowd was cheering loudly, shaking the entire stadium.

Across from him was the person he wanted to kill.

Chester stood in a similar posture, shield and sickle in hand.

His eyes behind the mask had no trace of mockery—they were now as sharp as a blade.

The final round has begun.