The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a blade. Alexis's hands were trembling with a mix of fury and embarrassment, while Rixsa's tail lashed back and forth like a whip.
"I want to make something clear," Alexis hissed, her eyes narrowing. "He didn't leave me. I left him. If he chose to start dating that... creature afterward, that's his poor taste, and it has nothing to do with me."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself so you don't cry into your pillow, pal," Rixsa mocked. "Unlike you, I'm actually good with my man."
"The hell are you talking about? Nervall isn't 'your man,' nor is he your boyfriend," Alexis countered. "The only reason he hangs around you is because he's too polite to watch you embarrass yourself for having zero friends."
Rixsa's eyes flashed gold. "Excuse me? I never said he was my boyfriend, and I have friends—a handful. I don't need a crowd to validate my life.
"If you'd leave Nerv alone for a single day, you'd realize nobody wants to spend time with you anyway."
"Why the hell are you calling him by his nickname?" Rixsa snapped, stepping into Alexis's space. "He's not your friend."
"How would you know? All you do is hover whenever you need something. You don't like his hobbies, and you don't let him spend time with anyone else, you possessive bitch."
"I'm not possessive!" Rixsa shouted. "Just because I don't want you whores hanging around him doesn't make me possessive."
"Oh? So if I spent a few days with him, would he finally stop spending time with you?"
"Stay away from him, I'm warning you."
"Or what? I'm allowed to spend time with whoever I please."
"No, you aren't! I won't let you corrupt my friend with your speciesism behavior!" Rixsa's voice boomed. "Who knows what sick experiments you Elves would try on him?"
Alexis looked genuinely affronted. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean! Nervall is a Dragon, even if his race lives in those deep-sea caves. Just because he produces pheromones and that... substance in his mouth, doesn't mean he's your test subject!"
"First of all, Nervall isn't a Dragon," Alexis corrected with a frustrated groan. "He's a Leviathan. They aren't the same."
"Isn't a Leviathan just a water dragon?"
"No! You fucking dumbass! It's a completely different creature. Leviathans and Dragons are both under the Draconic Classification, but they are distinct! You'd know that if you actually gave a damn about him."
"Tsk. Okay? And? So what if I didn't know that?" Rixsa rolled her eyes. "When he first arrived at the academy, you Elves were acting like feral animals trying to get his... liquids."
Alexis blinked, looking confused. "We wanted the Blue Honey his race produces."
"Isn't it just saliva? That thick cream in his mouth?"
"No, it's not! God, you're an idiot!" Alexis shouted. "His race has a specialized organ that turns the nectar of Primordial Prism fruits into a honey-like substance for long-term storage.
"Do I look like I study bees to you?"
"You don't look like you've seen a single book about anything informative," Alexis retorted.
"Yeah, whatever. I don't think the person who thought my friend was a demon using pheromone toxins to create sex slaves should be lecturing me."
"That was an honest mistake!"
"A mistake? In an academy filled with Master Mages? Please. Let's not forget that one of your friends tried to get him to 'cum in a cup' because she heard it was bittersweet and flavorful."
"She wasn't part of our group!" Alexis's face was turning a violent shade of red. "And you said you wanted to try it!"
"I never said anything of the sort!"
"The hell you didn't! You think I'd forget that? You're both freaks! Keep your fetishes to yourselves."
"You're one to talk," Rixsa sneered, leaning in close. "You've got a submissive kink and want to be roughed up. Choking is pretty crazy, don't you think?"
Alexis's jaw dropped, her entire face glowing crimson. "Who the fuck told you that?!"
"Don't worry about it, you sick f—"
SLAM.
The heavy double doors of the office swung open. The argument died instantly as Headmaster Valerius walked in. She was a towering woman with dark, flowing hair and an aura of such cold authority that the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
She didn't look at them. She walked straight to her desk, the clicking of her heels the only sound in the room.
"Rixsa. Alexis," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I could hear your 'scholarly debate' from the end of the hall. If either of you speaks another word about Leviathan anatomy or personal kinks, I will have you stripped of your White Coats and sent to the front lines of the Silent Mist by sundown."
She sat down and folded her hands, her eyes piercing through them.
"We have a situation. A high-ranking 'Blue Slime' and a 'Grey Iron Slime' have been spotted heading toward the City of Blue Jade. You two are our most capable trackers."
She leaned forward. "You will be departing immediately. Together. If one of you kills the other before the mission is over, I will personally ensure the survivor never sees the sun again."
The Acting Headmaster leaned back, her shadow stretching across the desk as the flickering candlelight caught the cold steel of her gaze.
"There is one more thing," she added, tapping a dossier. "Nervall and Audo are already stationed near the City of Blue Jade. They have been conducting preliminary scouting of the mana fluctuations. You will meet up with them upon arrival, consolidate your findings, and investigate the two anomalous slimes."
Rixsa's ears flattened against her head, her tail going completely still—a sign of genuine, brewing rage.
"Furthermore," the Headmaster continued, ignoring the Wolf-kin's darkening expression, "you are to assist the local exterior squad in clearing any S-rank threats currently migrating toward the city. The mountains have been restless. We cannot have a 'Slime Crisis' turning into a full-scale monster surge."
Rixsa didn't hear a word after the name Audo. Her face curled into a deep, jagged frown, her fangs baring slightly in a silent snarl.
That fucking bitch... Rixsa thought, her claws digging into the fabric of her uniform. She better stay away from Nervall. If I find her trying to 'study' his scales one more time, I'm going to rip those 'civilized' ribbons right off her throat.
Alexis, noticing Rixsa's reaction, let out a soft, mocking hum. "Worried about your little 'friend' being around someone with actual class, Rixsa? Audo is a refined specialist. I'm sure Nervall finds her conversation... refreshing."
"Shut your damn mouth, light pole," Rixsa hissed, though she didn't look at her. "We're leaving."Rixsa adjusted her heavy boots, her mind already racing through every possible scenario where she'd have to "accidentally" push Audo into a lake. Across from her, Alexis checked the edge of her blade, her face a mask of elven stoicism, though she was secretly wondering if Nervall's "Blue Honey" would be available for purchase once they arrived.