Chapter 333: Kai’s Reasons
Due to what happened, Kai needed to sign a paper stating that it happened outside the range of the Guard Angels. If he didn’t sign, these Guard Angels would be executed the next morning instantly.
It was less strict on the Protector, but he would still be in a lot of trouble.
He wasn’t cruel enough to let that happen, as it was entirely his fault.
Additionally, he also needed to fill out an accident report so that others could learn from.
Only then could the group finally return to the academy.
Kai and the others mounted Feeny after making sure that she wasn’t badly wounded, and the moment they descended from the portal and returned to the First Sky, the full force of a strong blizzard struck them hard.
Since winter came, things had been really tough in the First Sky.
All seasons in the First Sky were a bit different in time, and they were also exaggerated.
Snow on the surface meant a blizzard on the First Sky, and when a blizzard swept the surface, then the First Sky would suffer worse. From the new professor who replaced Professor Hera, Professor Nessia, there might be a Sky Blizzard.
It was simply a far worse blizzard that could happen solely in the sky.
Fortunately, that hadn’t happened before.
"Bree, use your thing!" Dorian shouted, covering his face with his arm. "I can’t stand cold."
As a Supernal of Empusae, he wasn’t really good with snow. Not that it crippled him in a way, but the dullness from the snow was more uncomfortable for him than the others. In fact, he was the one affected by the current season the most.
"Don’t yell at me." Bree smacked her lips and then channelled her mana.
A translucent membrane stretched over the side where the snow came from, creating a wind-block that gave a sense of relief for everyone. Even though the academy uniform has a heating property so that the students don’t freeze to death, it was still not enough.
Kai scooted forward, sitting right on Feeny’s neck.
"You can still see well, right?!"
Croak—!
"Good! I know you’re not good with snow, so drop us at the Aerial Stable! You can go to your cage right after!"
Croak—!
Other than the snow and the below-freezing temperature, the visibility was also awful.
Fortunately, Feeny was able to know where she was going, so they didn’t need to worry.
It took a few hours to arrive at the Aerial Stable, which normally would only take an hour or so. As soon as Kai and the others got down, Feeny immediately croaked goodbye and went straight for her cage.
Her cage was done a month ago, so she mainly stayed there to recuperate.
"I’m going on ahead first." Dorian rubbed his arms and rushed away. "Fuck this weather."
Bryan and Abigail also said that they were going ahead and rushed after him.
"Aren’t you two supposed to get going, too?" Kai glanced at them as he headed for the stable. He had something to do before returning. "I don’t need you two to accompany me. I got hurt, but not that much."
"You’re meeting with the Demigod’s people, aren’t you?" Bree asked.
"..."
"Do you really need to side with them? If you’re worried about a sponsor—I can help. I could ask about it to my father. I’m sure he has contacts. If not, then my brothers would certainly be able to help."
"I agree with her," Matilda added. "They tried killing you several times already. Even earlier, you risked your life again to get the Chieftain’s head. Why do you insist on siding with them? I don’t understand."
"We don’t have time to do all that." Kai glanced at the stable master sitting behind his wooden table near the entrance—and then shot a mana from his fingertip. His eyes immediately rolled back as he fell asleep. "Besides, I already got the head, didn’t I?"
"Do not give me that nonsense." Bree tried to keep pace with him. "We already brought this up to you months ago, and you still refused to listen."
"After you gave them the Chieftain’s head, will it be done?" Matilda asked persistently.
Kai didn’t answer.
He knew that there were still more requirements for him to be accepted by the Demigod.
"You can’t even answer." She clicked her tongue. "You don’t need to go through with this."
"And offend the Demigod the second time?" Kai stopped and sat down on a pile of hale, only turning to look at the two. Neither had any trace of backing down from talking about this. "I have to quickly reach the Second Sky."
"Why?" Bree asked—raising a brow. "Because of the Fallen Faction? I can’t believe you’d go to this length for an organization that you barely made contact with. You don’t have to be a part of them, Kai. You really don’t."
Kai exhaled heavily through his nose, intertwined his fingers, and looked down at the ground.
He understood where they were coming from.
Of course, he did.
Just swallowing his pride and serving the Demigod was already unreasonable, as this was the same person who had sent people to kill him more than once. And to make it worse—Kai had gone to such lengths simply because he wanted to be a part of the Fallen Faction.
An organization that he barely knew.
In their eyes, he was being reckless, unreasonable, and perhaps even gullible.
But he had his own reasons.
"When my sister died, I lost everything," Kai muttered whisperingly—recalling that dreadful day that was still fresh in his mind like it happened yesterday. "I don’t want to continue living in this cold world. I wanted to accompany her in the underworld—but I couldn’t. Before she breathed her last, she told me to become strong, and more importantly, she wanted me to live for myself. That day, I promised that I would become strong and live for myself.
"Now... I am strong. And I also want to have my revenge against that Demon who used Bella as a show. A lesson for the others. An introduction to this sick, cold world. And I am going to achieve that."
He looked down at his gloved palm, and then clenched his hand hard.
So hard that his knuckles turned white.
So hard that the friction from his glove material made a dry, leathery sound.
Kai unclenched his hand again and breathed heavily.
"But I’m only a man. It would take years—or even decades for me alone to reach that Demon." His voice trembled with barely restrained rage. "I can’t take it. Just knowing that Demon still walks this world after what he did... It’s driving me insane."
He grabbed his head, trying to ease the throb in it from even the thought of the Demon Man.
And though his face was covered by his mask, his eyes reflected extreme malice.
It was foreign to Bree—she had never seen him looking like this before.
Even back in the tournament when he was rageful, his eyes weren’t anywhere near this.
Kai’s hatred was so palpable that she could feel his hatred brushing against her skin like heat.
But this wasn’t foreign to Matilda.
During the Blood Rite, she had seen his eyes like this—perhaps because Bella’s death was still fresh, still bleeding. Back then, deep down—he had blamed everyone around him for losing her. And it showed.
Matilda even felt relieved a little that he no longer felt that way.
She thanked Dorian and also Professor Hera for helping Kai change his view.
A bit of good helped him realize for good that the system was broken, not the people.
"I need others like me," Kai lowered his hand again and sighed. "One heart can hold hope. A thousand hearts can forge a new world. For that—I need to be in the Fallen Faction. Only then can I reach that Demon faster."
"But Kai... You have us." Bree said. "We’re here for you."
Matilda nodded, agreeing with her.
If Kai needed other people to get his vengeance, then the Ambrosia Pact would certainly help.
Both had convictions in their eyes.
Kai wanted to believe them. He wanted it more than anything right now—that the two would stand beside him, hunt down the Demon Man, and reshape the sky into something better. But how could he? Neither of them carried any true desire to change the sky for themselves.
Not the way he did.
In order to kill the Demon Man, there was nothing that Kai wouldn’t do.
Even if doing that would be the last thing he did in his life, then so be it. He wasn’t afraid.
But these two weren’t like that.
Bree wanted to help him because of love.
And Matilda wanted to help him because she owed him for saving her life.
Hard for them to really put down their lives as the people in the Fallen Faction would.
"And I hope the two of you will accept my decision." Kai turned away. "This is what I want—for myself. For my sake, accept this decision. If things escalated in the future, and my decision proves to be a mistake, then we can talk again. I’m sure we can figure it out then."
"Fine. If you’re that sure, then I can’t really force you." She sat down beside Kai, wrapped her arms around his arm, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I also hope you’re not angry at us for bringing this up again."
"Of course, not. I know you have only good intentions for me."
"Mn."
Kai looked up at Matilda, who still seemed to struggle to accept.
"Matilda?"
"Tch... Okay. But promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Never let your guard down. If there was even a notion that the Demigod or the Fallen Faction would betray you, then you’d not hesitate to do the right thing."
"Fair enough." Kai nodded, finding no problem with the promise. "Are you fine now?’
"No." Matilda leaned over the wooden pole—and crossed her arms. "But I will soon. Give me a minute, and I’ll be fine."
Kai nodded, and then changed the topic. "What about the two of you? For us to get cum laude, each one of us would need a sponsor. It was one of the requirements imposed by the academy that couldn’t be loosened."
"Don’t worry about me." Bree shrugged.
"I already talked with some professors." Matilda also shrugged. "Shouldn’t be a problem."
"Speaking of requirements, I think we should talk about the elephant in the group," Bree said as she straightened her back—looking at Kai and Matilda with a knowing look. "I don’t think Bryan could come with us.
"Abigail was already nearing Aspirant Supernal rank, while he showed no progress. I think... this is his limit. His bloodline can’t reach the Aspirant Supernal rank."