Chapter 313: Match Made in Elysian Field
Boom—!
An expanding ring of golden mana blasted outward the moment the arrow left the string—a shockwave that rippled through the air and set the tall maple trees rustling. Leaves scattered, and branches swayed.
And the arrow itself turned into a golden comet.
It spun so fast that it became a blur, cutting through the air like a beam from the sun itself.
Kai’s pupils dilated as the world slowed around him.
Becoming an Aspirant Supernal had done more than strengthen his body—it had sharpened his perception, too, stretching the milliseconds into something he could perceive, react to, and then counter.
He saw the arrow’s rotation, saw its path, and saw the moment it would reach him.
Since Layra wanted to see how strong she really was compared to him, he didn’t try to dodge the lethal arrow. Instead, he decided he would meet it head-on. He planted his foot forward—and the ground fractured beneath the weight of his stance.
His arm muscles coiled and bulged as he swept the Blood-phantom Scimitar upward.
In a quick, diagonal arc.
Every fiber of his body fired and moved in perfect synchronization—his limbs, muscles, and breath worked perfectly as the Perfect Slash took effect, refining the motion into a state of pure flawlessness.
And then, the True Arc Ending Fragment activated for the first time.
A distortion extended from the blade.
It was a shimmering extension that reached beyond the steel’s physical length.
And the impact was a deafening clang that split the air and echoed across the entire area.
Clang—!
Blinding light exploded outward, a flash of gold and white that swallowed everything. Each of the three students watching the clash threw their arms over their faces, stumbling backward a couple of steps, unable to see anything but the blinding light that burned their eyes.
Unlike them, Layra could see perfectly fine.
And through the glare, through the chaos, she watched Kai execute a flawless move.
Kai’s scimitar intercepted the arrow perfectly. The blade caught the spherical arrowhead—the part that was supposed to detonate—and sliced through it as if it were paper. Then, the edge continued, carving through the entire length of the golden arrow, splitting it cleanly into two.
Even without losing momentum, the halves flew past him, slamming into the trees behind.
Both exploded in a burst of radiant gold, shattering the bark and charring the rest.
Only then did Kai straighten.
He sheathed the scimitar with a calm, deliberate motion—the blade clicked back into place as if nothing had happened. Layra, on the other hand, stared. Her most powerful attack, the one she had poured everything into, had been cut through like it was nothing.
Even then, the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.
Like she found it ludicrous that she expected anything but this to happen.
On the side, the three students who were still blinking away the glare finally came to the harsh realization of what happened. Their faces behind their masks went slack with disbelief. Unlike Layra, who could somewhat anticipate this could happen, they couldn’t.
All three of them expected Layra to be on equal terms with Kai.
Push him back or even win against him.
But reality proved that Layra was not strong enough to beat Kai, not right now.
Kai approached Layra—waving his hand as if shaking off a cramp. The gesture suggested the force of the clash had hurt his arm. A casual, almost dismissive motion, but Layra knew better. He was doing it simply to not make her feel bad.
"Are you happy now?" He asked nonchalantly. "Satisfied with my performance?"
"Yes, I’m happy." Layra nodded. "But is that really your limit?"
"Mana-wise? Yes. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
"I see. Then I’m satisfied."
"Come on." Kai walked past her—continuing on ahead toward the academy grounds. "I still need to meet with Dean Lanchester, remember? Still need to report to him that I’ve won the tournament and become the Red Prince."
"No need for that," Layra said, stopping him mid-track. "I became the Emerald Princess."
"And? What’s that got to do with the deal I have with him?’
"I can use my title to pardon your punishments."
"Hm?" Kai’s brows furrowed together. "How did you do that?"
"I simply said that I’m the one who invited you to the academy that night, and also told you to fight the others to help motivate them to grow stronger." Layra shrugged her shoulders—and then smirked. "What? Did you really think I’d let you carry all the burden when you were doing this for my sake?"
Kai chuckled inwardly.
He did go out of his way for Layra, so she must feel guilty for letting him do that.
It was probably the reason why she decided to become the Emerald Princess.
Since she clarified that she was the one who invited him, then he wasn’t trespassing anymore. And with her additional clarification, saying that she was the one who told Kai to challenge the other students, he made no transgressions at all, effectively eliminating all the punishments coming his way.
"I came here for nothing then." Kai shook his head.
"Meeting with me is nothing for you now? I get it." Layra turned her body a bit, crossed her arms—and pouted as if Kai could see her face through her mask. "I guess I am nothing to you now that you’re famous."
"Err—Since when are you this sensitive?"
"Since you said I’m nothing."
"I never said that."
"You implied it."
"That’s not the same thing."
"So, I’m wrong? Is that what you’re trying to say?"
"No. No at all. I’m the one who was wrong to even argue..."
Kai decided that since he was already at Aurelian Academy, he might as well meet with Dean Lanchester and inform him of the good news personally. It was the respectful thing to do, and would also not make the trip a total waste.
Of course, he didn’t forget to ask Layra to accompany him.
Not because he didn’t know the way and needed her guidance—but because he knew that if he didn’t, she would make a big deal about him not wanting her beside him or something along those lines.
And she was right.
Her eyes had lit up the moment he extended the invitation.
Such a bright spark meant there was an equal reaction if he made another wrong decision.
And he didn’t want to know what she’d do.
Both of them walked side by side.
Seeing the Red Prince and the Emerald Princess walking together was quite the sight.
Every student they passed turned to look. Whispers spread through the corridors—growing more intense by the second until they became a wildfire. Some were expecting trouble, some were confused, and some, the more romantic souls, murmured about how perfectly these two matched one another.
Kai could feel Layra’s mood shift with each passing comment, especially the romantic ones.
She stuck closer to him, close enough for her shoulder to brush his arm.
And then, deliberately, the back of her hand grazed against his.
Kai sensed the hint, felt the hint, and decided to take it.
His fingers found hers, and he held her hand as they walked. Her grip was warm, steady, and though she didn’t say a word—the slight upward curve of her lips could be felt even with the mask on, and that’s all he needed to know.
Dean Lanchester welcomed them with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
It was a rare occasion—two champions walking hand in hand into his office was really rare.
He rose from his desk and gestured for them to sit with gleaming satisfaction in his eyes—Kai had promised to become the Red Prince, and he delivered. Even though the circumstances had changed, this was still a pleasing sight to see.
Even better, he had grown close with Layra, who was now the Emerald Princess.
For Kai to risk his life for her already spoke of a strong relationship.
Back then, Dean Lanchester thought nothing of it, but that also changed as Layra was now the Emerald Princess. A bond between the two academies was forming, and he could already see the possibilities unfolding.
He spoke about the new circumstances.
Now that Layra had stepped forward to clarify his visit, there were no more punishments for him, exactly as Layra said earlier. But even so—there were still people who didn’t want to let this go.
𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
However, now that he was a Red Prince, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
Those people would have no choice but to drop this incident, guaranteeing his safety.
And then, Dean Lanchester also spoke about the importance of cooperation in the Second Sky, of the great work past students had accomplished by working together. Kai and Layra listened attentively, nodded, and said the right things.
Neither knew the situation in the Second Sky clearly, but they would work together.
No doubt about that.
Once the meeting ended, Kai and Layra excused themselves politely and took their leave.
Layra followed him down the slope until they reached an empty clearing.
"Are you going to leave right away?" She asked.
"I am," Kai smiled sheepishly—seeing that she wanted him to stay for longer. "I’d stay longer if I could, but I only stop by here to meet with Dean Lanchester. Now, I need to go to my next stop—the AAA headquarters."
"Hm?" Layra tilted her head a little. "What for?"
"I need to register as the Red Prince. All champions have to do it in person."
"Really? Then I can come—too. I haven’t done that yet either. I didn’t even know I needed to register. I’ll come with you."
"I have no problem with that," Kai said, shrugging. He also wanted to spend more time with Layra, so this was perfect. He then turned away and raised his fingers to his lips. A sharp whistle cut through the air.
For a moment, nothing happened.
And then, a streak of darkness appeared in the sky, growing larger by the second.
It descended at extreme speed until it slammed to the ground ahead.
Kai and Layra watched as the raven unfurled its wings, boasting its massive stature.
"Such a beautiful and scary beast." Layra praised.
"I got him recently," Kai replied and mounted on. "Come, get on."
Layra didn’t move.
Instead, she raised her fingers to her lips and whistled.
Roar—!
An overbearing roar echoed across the clearing.
Kai’s head snapped up. From above, a massive shape descended—a griffin with feathers of white and gold. Its wingspan was nearly as wide as the raven’s, and its presence radiated a warm, luminous energy.
Light affinity.
Just like him, Layra also got her own mount.
It landed beside the raven with a grace that belied its size, and Layra strode toward it.
She mounted the griffin in one fluid motion as an emerald robe materialized around her frame, made entirely of wind. She looked back at Kai with a widening smile. "Race you to the AAA?"
"You’re really full of surprises, huh?" Kai laughed. "Game on!"