The ground beneath Damien fractured under the force of his stance, cracks splintering outward in jagged lines. His muscles tightened beneath his clothing, coiling with controlled violence. Internally, the shift was immediate as his extra two hearts switched at a microscopic level and changed into adrenal glands which caused for Wi to surge through his bloodstream, saturating every fiber of his body.
His eyes flared brighter and he moved.
BANG.
The floor shattered behind him as he launched forward. In less than a heartbeat, Damien stood directly in front of Travis, his fist already drawn back.
It connected.
A clean, brutal impact to the gut.
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.
Then Travis was gone.
His body tore backward through the air, smashing through wall after wall in a violent chain of destruction before finally disappearing into the distance.
Damien straightened slowly, rolling his shoulders as his grin widened.
"Come on," he muttered, almost disappointed. "You said you were going to kill me…"
A low chuckle escaped him.
"Don't go back on your promises."
The chuckle broke into laughter. It was loud, unrestrained, echoing through the shattered hallway and the air.
Several corridors away, Travis lay collapsed within the wreckage, his body barely held together. Blood poured from his mouth in thick streams down his chin and pooling beneath him. The imprint of Damien's fist remained pressed into his abdomen, his clothing warped inward unnaturally.
A student stared through the broken walls, frozen.
Then slowly turned and looked back at Damien.
He stood untouched beneath the sunlight pouring onto him, crimson eyes glowing faintly, his laughter still lingering.
The three watched in silence.
Jiwon tilted his head slightly. "Did we go too far?"
Soren glanced at him, unnaturally calm. "What do you mean?"
Jiwon didn't look away from Damien. "We've been pushing nonstop for months… and now he's—" he paused, "—different."
Renji pushed off the wall, posture straightening.
"Let's see how he acts once the Wi drops," he said. "That'll tell us."
Damien's laughter faded.
The glow in his eyes dimmed, then disappeared entirely. He stretched his arms overhead, loosening his shoulders before his gaze drifted toward the damage he had caused the walls torn open in a straight, violent path.
He stared at it in silence.
Then looked back at them.
"I think we're done here."
Renji stepped forward slightly. "Why?"
"Because he's dead," Damien said plainly. "He's not a problem anymore."
Renji paused, glancing toward the destroyed walls, the words did not feel strange to him as he gave a small shrug.
"Yeah. That checks out."
Jiwon rose slowly, still watching Damien.
"I'll ask again," he said, glancing at Soren. "Did we go too far?"
Soren met his gaze without hesitation. "He did what he had to do. Killing is part of the process."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Unless you think otherwise?"
Jiwon held his gaze for a moment longer before looking away. 'If Damien hadn't killed him, Damien would've died.'
The thought settled easily.
"Yeah," Jiwon muttered. "Just a dumb thought."
Soren stepped forward. "Let's go." Jiwon followed him.
He walked past Damien and Renji without waiting and they immediately began to follow. Around them, students shifted aside instinctively, their gazes fixed on Damien with a mix of awe and unease.
In the observatory, silence lingered before Mr. Paton spoke.
"Interesting."
A faint smirk formed as his eyes remained locked on the portal.
"If Travis is among the stronger major demons… and Damien handled him like that…" he trailed off slightly, "then what happens when he faces Oliver?"
Victoria leaned forward, her composure slipping as she stared at Travis's broken body.
A half-wolf professor spoke, voice tight. "Then… would Oliver even stand a chance?"
Silence followed.
Mr. Paton didn't answer immediately. His attention remained fixed on Damien.
Then, slowly he smiled.
"Even I'm wondering that."
He leaned back slightly.
"Oliver, Mary, Pure, Leonardo, Polaris… they've dominated this academy for years. There's a gap between them and everyone else."
His eyes sharpened.
"But Damien entering that equation…" a quiet exhale, "changes things."
A low chuckle followed.
"And we haven't even seen the others fight seriously yet."
The room shifted uneasily.
"This will be the greatest Blood Festival this academy has seen."
His smile widened.
"Legends will be born."
Elsewhere, behind the gymnasium, Oliver sat alone at a round table, legs lazily propped up, surrounded by empty chairs. The door burst open as a demon rushed in.
"Sir—we have bad news—"
"Travis is dead," Oliver said flatly, not even looking up. "And Mary probably took a few down with him."
The lackey froze. "How did you—"
Oliver's gaze lifted, sharp.
"Do you think I sent Travis to win?"
The room fell still.
"I sent him to stall," he said simply. "To keep Damien occupied."
A pause.
"The only fight Damien will ever have is with me."
The lackey hesitated. "But your brother—"
"I don't care."
The interruption was immediate.
"If Damien struggled, I wouldn't care who won. But hearing he got overpowered…" Oliver's lips curved slightly. "Now that's interesting enough for me wonder is there someone as strong as me?"
Silence hung before Oliver spoke.
"You think I'm arrogant don't you? No. No. No," He wiggled his finger at every no, "My friend, you're only arrogant if you're wrong."
The words settled heavily in the room.
Oliver stood.
The chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"Anyway," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets, "this place has gotten boring."
"What do you—"
Oliver moved.
He appeared directly in front of the lackey, one hand already wrapped around their throat. A slight squeeze—
—and the neck collapsed inward with a sickening crunch.
The body dropped.
Oliver didn't look at it again.
He stepped out into the hallway.
Moments later—
screams echoed through the building.
Back in the observatory, Victoria shot to her feet.
"Is he actually destroying his own organization?!"
Around her, crimson-skinned professors murmured angrily.
One slammed their hand down. "That arrogant brat… Who does he think he is?"
On the portal, Oliver walked through blood-covered halls, whistling softly, completely unbothered.
Near the cafeteria, the four had stopped.
Renji leaned against the wall. Jiwon sat cross-legged, yawning. Soren stood slightly apart, deep in thought.
Damien sat on the ground, his head resting against the wall, sleeping.
The first day of the Blood Festival had come to an end.
And it was only going to get worse....