Chapter Text
“Battery!” Jack Larison allowed himself to be dragged through the halls by Snow as they headed upstairs to where the captains were, but someone else stood in their way.
“Great,” Jack grunted. “It’s the boy wonder.”
Standing at the top of the stairs was Gray, also known as the Stone Bull. The vice captain of the Mourning Stars took a step forward and allowed gravity to carry him down the entire flight as he jumped. He landed at the bottom and straightened up, folding his arms. Snow looked uncomfortable and backed away a little, but Jack stood his ground.
“What happened?” Gray asked sternly.
Jack gritted his teeth and also folded his arms. “What happened is I discovered your little secret. I heard the reports. There was a rumor going around that you helped Lady Tori capture the false Arcane Knight. The one who was running around causing issues for everyone. The thing is, though, no matter how much digging was done, the report ended there. No mention of a sentence or a crime, or even what the person's name was. That’s who they are, right? That’s the missing false Arcane Knight.”
Snow’s head jerked to look at Gray in shock, and a gasp escaped his helm. “Are you serious? That young shadow mage was the fake Knight who was causing the guild so many issues? Isn’t that guy a criminal? I heard he committed a lot of property damage, did a ton of trespassing, and most importantly, was in some tax evasion scheme.”
Gray’s look shifted slightly as he stared at Jack. “What happened in the simulation?” Gray ordered in a smooth tone.
“You don’t know?” Jack frowned.
“No one does.” Snow shook his head. “I guess you haven’t been told yet, but the rest of the Knights weren’t given the recording of this exam like we were with the other ones. The captains are keeping the footage to themselves. I don’t know what that boy did to set you off, but it had to be bad, right? I guess if he’s the fake Knight that was running around, that explains a bit of your reaction.”
Jack shook his head and hissed. “It’s not just that.”
“It isn’t?”
“I didn’t instantly die.” Jack shuddered a bit. “That monster tore me in half, but I was able to survive and cling to life for a little while longer. Do you know what I saw? I saw that headless bastard moving around. The way his body twisted and reacted. The way it moved. The way it kept fighting even after death. Magic ends when the mage’s life fades away. The only magic that can last after the user's death is the mana of the four rulers of old. I felt something inside of me snap as I watched his spell—those hands. I’ve seen them before on the battlefield of the Mordheim nation. I’m telling you, whoever that man is, he isn’t someone who belongs to the Knights. He shouldn’t be here.”
Gray hummed softly and let out a sigh. “Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re wrong. It isn’t for you to decide, though, is it? These exams have always existed for one purpose. The final test determines it. It’s what’ll decide who is fit to be a Knight and who is fit to be a failure. If he is a spy, if he’s corrupted and evil, we’ll know and we’ll deal with him. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but either way, attacking him in front of a room full of people was quite the stupid move. Especially when that man has so many eyes on him already.”
Jack sneered. “Do you think I’m scared of you or Tori?”
“It wasn’t us I was referring to.” Gray turned away and gave a casual smirk. “Just so you know, Evelyn has her eyes on that man you attacked.”
Jack felt his face pale, and his knees shook as Gray began to walk away. “S-Seriously?” Jack clenched his teeth and shook his head. “Who the hell is he?”
Meanwhile, back in the stadium, Olivia watched as Pretty Face’s performance began to come to an end. The woman had gone through two different songs and had successfully gotten the crowd to be chipper once again.
It was kind of hard to believe people had been afraid and in a panic moments ago, because now they were cheering loudly and waving their phones around. A mage with light magic had caused the room’s lighting to shift, making it appear night, and various colors and mist filled the air as Pretty Face danced through the sky, now singing a love song. Humans, at the end of the day, were simple creatures, and it didn’t take much for the crowd's mood to shift.
All the guides had left as well, save for Sune, who stood near the doorway keeping her arms folded in case any more sudden fights broke out. The rest of the Knights were all up in the stands. The barrier the captains had was still up as well, and Olivia wondered if they even knew what happened under their noses. Surely they did, yet nothing had been said or done. It was the same when Davi had challenged Rowan. No one stepped in either.
Did the Knights not care? They seemed to be annoyed that Jack had harmed their image, but that was as far as it went.
It put a slightly sour taste in her mouth. Knights were supposed to be superheroes. The silver-haired beauty who saved her was a prime example of this. That woman had not only slain all the monsters but also fixed the village and then even took her home. The woman in the witch outfit was a prime example of what a hero was.
Davi also fit the role. She didn’t like how people judged him. He wasn’t some mad beast but instead was a good person who helped people a lot. He even let Rowan win in his fight, just to help the guy.
Speaking of Rowan, the boy had become slightly famous and now had a massive crowd around him of people wanting to speak to him. Rowan had entered this arena being the least favored noble, and now everyone wanted a piece of him for one simple fact. He beat Davi Hawker.
Whether it was true or not, or there was more to the story, that didn’t matter. In the minds of the people, it was simple. Jack Larison was an Arcane Knight able to make a shield that the other Knights couldn’t break. Davi broke through it in one punch. That meant Davi was stronger. Rowan beat Davi. That meant Rowan was stronger.
Of course, that’s not how any of it worked, but that was beside the point.
Olivia let out a sigh and folded her arms, still annoyed. “I hope Davi gets back soon.” She muttered. “Besides that, though, how did your guys' test go?”
She had separated herself from most of the crowd and was with her little group. Ash, Bruno, Irene, and, shockingly, Ken, all stood with her.
“My test ended in us all dying.” Bruno chuckled. “I wasn’t even able to do anything.”
“You fought something that crazy?” Ash frowned.
Bruno’s usual smile was gone, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. It was a Knight that reminded me a lot of Davi, actually. I’m pretty sure I know who it was, but I didn’t get a good look because that thing killed me in one punch. “
“Our test also didn’t go well.” Irene hummed. “Sadly, I died as well. We fought someone called Medora.”
“Medora?” Ken raised an eyebrow. “White Wolf Medora?”
“You know her?” Irene cocked her head to the side.
Ken shook her head softly, an action the blind girl failed to notice. “I’ve never met her, but she’s considered a big deal. She’s basically the equivalent of those bastard captains. Rumor has it she didn’t just gain a spirit but bonded with it, becoming something like a mix between man and beast. You guys call them Mutants here. Though where we’re from, controlling the spirit side is something many learn to do. Not everyone can walk the physical or spiritual path, and some, like Medora, decided to walk the path of the beasts instead.”
Irene let out a soft hum. “Interesting.” The girl tapped her chin. “I don’t know fully what happened since I’m blind, but apparently, we appeared in a forest, and this Medora lady hunted us down. I was left last since she wanted to take the stronger prey out first. My music magic failed to work on her, and she ended up killing me. Luckily, it was rather quick and painless.”
Ken let out a snort. “Well, that’s how you know it was a fake Medora then. The real one would have taken her time tearing you apart and would have eaten you alive.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah, that woman is insane.” Ken laughed. “She’s more like a wild animal that the elders of her sect sick on Knights. I wonder if she can even speak. I know she hates my family.”
“Why does she hate your family?” Olivia asked.
“My dad chucks dog biscuits at her anytime he has to go to elder gatherings.”
“I see…”
Ash raised an eyebrow as he stared at Ken. The woman was a lot more chill now and even smiling sometimes. “So you were with Davi, right? What happened?”
Ken’s smile faded, and the woman folded her arms and let out a huff. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“And she’s back to being her usual self.” Olivia chuckled.
“Watch it,” Ken growled, but the woman didn’t actually do anything. Her eyes had been locked onto Olivia since she joined the group, studying the white-haired girl. Olivia had been doing her best to ignore it, but it was kind of unsettling. She couldn’t tell if Ken’s look was calculating or just hungry… “Looks like the flying girl is done.”
Olivia jerked her head up and instantly regretted it as the darkness in the room switched off and the sun's natural lighting came back. “Ah! My eyes!”
The fog ended, and the barrier around the captain's seated area dropped, allowing the eight of them to be seen again. Pretty Face stopped dancing and slowly came down but remained above the crowd, still just out of reach. Her smile changed to one that was more professional, and she brought the microphone up to her lips.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and anything else in between, I’ve just been informed that the captains are done reviewing the footage. Due to some incidents that happened in this exam, the public will unfortunately not be given viewing access, nor will any Knights not classified in the level of vice captain. Worry not, though, because you all just got a free showing of a Pretty Face concert, and the footage is going to be uploaded online for you all to see!”
That got a lot of the crowd to cheer and celebrate. Not everyone was happy, though. Those who failed the test would often look up the exam online to study the recruits who passed and watch the live stream of the various other exams. Missing out on a full test was quite shocking, and it also looked bad on Dark Star since it was her test that was having everything go wrong in. Despite the mild negativity, though, many people in the crowd were excited and ready for what was about to come.
Pretty Face’s wings grew out, and her smirk got larger as she lifted herself higher into the air. “Are you all ready?”
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
“I said, are you all ready!”
“Hey!” Someone in the crowd yelled out. “What about our Knight gear?”
Pretty Face’s smile faded slightly. “Oh? Yeah, uh, why don’t you take it up with your future captain! If any of you get on Dark Star’s guild, ask her why she made that promise, because that’s sure as hell something I’m not about to deal with! Now! Who’s ready to get this part started?” The cheers got even louder, and Pretty Face chuckled. “Aren’t you all precious? Alrighty then. In that case, I think it’s time to begin!”
Down below, Olivia bit her lip and looked around. “Shit.”
“What is it, bro?” Bruno asked.
“It’s Davi.” Olivia winced. “He’s still not back.”
Ash frowned. “Surely he made it back. Maybe he wasn’t able to find us. We are in a big crowd.”
Olivia shook her head. “No. He’d find me. I’m sure of it.”
Irene tapped her foot down and pondered for a moment. “Should one of us go look for him?”
“That would mean we’d run the risk of missing the test ourselves.” Ash pointed out.
Ken rolled her eyes. “Oh, for Han’s sake.” She pulled her gourd off her belt and shook it. Yujin flickered out, his body taking on the form of a flaming wolf. He was extremely tiny, though, being only a foot wide and big.
The spirit bowed its head. “You called, Lord Ken Yuan?”
“Go and find the stupid idiot known as Davi and bring him back here,” Ken ordered.
The wolf’s ears twitched, and he sniffed at the air. “As you command, Lord Ken Yuan.”
“There.” Ken huffed. “As long as he hurries, he’ll make it.”
Olivia smiled. “Thanks.”
Ken seemed caught off guard and shook her head. “I owe that fool that much for helping me in my test. It’s the least I can do.”
Olivia nodded and looked back up toward Pretty Face as the woman finished hyping the crowd up. The woman gave a sly look as she stared down at all the eager faces. “Well, if you’re all really ready, then I think it’s time we begin.” Pretty Face cleared her throat, and soft music began to play. It was a beautiful melody that danced across the room, and the woman gripped her microphone with both hands. “Three tests are determined by the captains.” The woman said softly, her voice gentle and soothing.
Olivia gasped, and she felt a soft wave of mana caress against her. It wasn’t coming from Pretty Face, though. Instead, it was coming from every direction. Up, down, left, right, and all around her, it twisted and danced. Unlike the other tests, the arena didn’t shake, and this time a simulation really wasn’t used.
Pretty Face continued to talk. “The test of skill exists to see if you have the power required to be an Arcane Knight. The test of knowledge exists to see if you’re smart enough to be an Arcane Knight. The test of courage exists to see if you’re brave enough to be an Arcane Knight. There is one last test, though. The most important one. The king's personal exam. The test of soul. A test that exists to see if you yourself are even worthy to be an Arcane Knight. The first three tests were a warm-up. They were there for you to show off your skill, your knowledge, your courage, and if you can impress the captains. This next test, though, you have to impress someone far above the captains. You must impress the king himself and show him why you are worthy to be knighted. If you succeed, then you’ve successfully done it. You’ve become an Arcane Knight, and starting tomorrow, you will live out the rest of your existence serving this kingdom and its people. If you fail, though, then don’t despair, for that just means you have more growing to do.”
Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hadn’t done well in the first or second exam, but she at least got her entire team through the third one. That had to mean something, right? Surely that was enough. She prayed it was.
She wanted it so badly. She wanted to be a hero. Someone who could help people. Someone who could inspire others. She just wanted to reach that goal and do what she couldn’t. Maybe then her father would finally come back for her…
“Damn it… Why am I still thinking of that jerk who left me…?”
Pretty Face brought the microphone down and winked. “Alright then. It’s time it begins. The test of the soul is starting now. Good luck.”
Meanwhile…
“He said that I had the same mana as the Ebony Knight,” Davi muttered quietly. “I still know nothing about him, but people keep comparing me to him. Over and over and over. That man even claimed I might be a descendant of his.”
“Jack Larison is a fool,” Evelyn said softly, and she ran her fingers through Davi’s hair. “He’s a useful fool, but still a fool. He’s wrong about you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Have I ever been wrong before?” Evelyn purred softly. “I haven’t, have I? Not since I found you and took you under my wing. Look at you. I leave you alone for a few years, and you’ve become so lost and helpless.”
“I’m not,” Davi said quietly.
“You are.” Evelyn insisted.
Davi wanted to say more, but he held his tongue. There wasn’t a lot he could say due to the position he was in. After meeting Evelyn in the hallway, she had moved their conversation to a private room. It was a simple-looking bedroom, small and enclosed, meant for the Knights to sleep in during the break between tests two and three. Evelyn was seated on the bed, and she had forced Davi to sit next to her. Her arms were wrapped around his head, and she kept it pressed into her shoulder, muffling him slightly as she held onto him.
“Leaving you was a mistake.” Evelyn hummed. “I should have kept you by my side.”
“I left you,” Davi responded flatly, and the fingers that were going through his hair stopped for a moment.
Evelyn clicked her tongue and tilted her head. “And how did that turn out for you? Did you find your dragon? Did you slay it like your mommy commanded? No. You didn’t, did you? Instead, you wandered, lost and alone, going nowhere with your life, being accused of having the seed of the Ebony Knight within you. Of course, that’s impossible. I know your full bloodline, and I know his as well. The Ebony Knight was truly a pathetic man who died alone, not leaving any children in the world. He has no sons or daughters who could lead to you. Your mother's bloodline is still quite interesting, though. After all, the blood of an—”
“That’s enough,” Davi grunted, and he forced his way out of Evelyn’s embrace. He folded his arms, and his scowl deepened. “You know why I came here, right? Why I wanted to see you.”
Evelyn let out a soft huff and puffed her cheeks out. Slowly, she lifted off the ground. She didn’t cast a spell, and unlike Pretty Face, she didn’t have wings either. Like all witches, she could fly naturally, even without mana. She fully lifted into the air and lazily spun around to lie on her back, hovering at perfect eye level with Davi so she could look back at him.
“This outfit I’m in barely covers me, you know. I bet you can see my cleavage if you—”
“Evelyn,” Davi growled.
The silver-haired girl giggled softly and rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun.” She reached out and poked him softly on his nose. “You want to ask about the snow-haired beauty, right?”
“You met Olivia, right?” Davi demanded. “She’s talked about you before.”
“Yes, yes, I met her.” Evelyn’s smile returned. “She’s gorgeous. Of course, that’s not what caused you to have your eye on her, is it?”
“Is it true?” Davi asked, and for a moment his voice cracked. “Is she…”
Evelyn’s own smile faded. “Yes.” She said, and her words caused Davi’s eyes to close. “Of course, just you and I are aware of that fact since we’ve alone felt its mana. Not even your brother knows the correct feeling like we do. The other Knights might be able to guess what kind of blood runs through her veins, but they’ll naturally assume that it’s an ancestor of hers. After all, plenty of humans have had the blood of elves, giants, demons, and angels pumping through their veins, so a human with the blood of a dragon isn’t that shocking, and there are plenty of examples, myself included. Dragons have the polymorph skill after all, able to take on the forms of humans and hide amongst them, which is the only reason they haven’t been able to be fully wiped out yet. That’s a fact the general public doesn’t know, though.”
“The Knights won’t do anything when they find out, will they?” Davi pleaded.
Evelyn shook her head. “Again, as I said, they’ll think it’s just an ancestor. My great, great, skip a few greats, grandfather was also a dragon, which is how I became a witch. All witches are the descendants of dragons, and while we’re extremely rare, we’re not unheard of. In fact, there are at least two other witches in the guilds, one of whom is even a captain. Witches are actually useful, just like people with the blood of giants or elves are, so as long as your little girlfriend stays useful, she won’t be mistreated. Dye even found out she’s a witch since he’s familiar with the mana dragons give off, and now wants her for his own guild. Of course, unlike you and I, he has no idea of the exact dragon whose mana she is giving off.”
Davi let out a heavy sigh. “Will sticking close to her work? Will it attract it? Will it all be worth it in the end?”
“That’s not for me to say, but I can tell you this.” Evelyn closed her eyes and hummed before opening them. They were sharper now. More cruel. “That girl will serve her purpose.” She reached out and cupped Davi’s face. “Don’t forget what that monster did to us, what it took from us. What it turned us into.” She hissed quietly. “That girl is connected to it. Let the others assume she’s a descendant, but you and I know the truth. She’s the offspring. Maybe it’s her father, maybe it’s her mother; either way, I’m certain, without a doubt in my mind, the Dragon that ruined both our lives is her parent, and we’ll use her as the bait she is so we can both have our revenge.”
Davi gave a hesitant nod. It had all built up to this. From the very moment he saw Olivia, he could sense the faint traces of dragonic mana lurking within her. Not just any dragon, though. The Dragon. The one that set him on this path in the first place. The one that turned him into the warrior of spite.
What would happen to Olivia, though? "Will she be okay?" Davi asked after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Evelyn's look changed, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Olivia Lot," Davi stated. "Will she be okay, being the child of that monster? I know you also have the blood of a dragon, but the dragon in your family history is long since dead, and that was hundreds of years ago. She's a direct offspring, and the blood of that monster is starting to awaken. Will she be safe?"
"That doesn't matter." Evelyn sneered.
"It does," Davi growled.
Evelyn growled back and then leaned forward and spun around once more. She gripped either side of his face and suddenly kissed him. Her lips were on his, and Davi felt his eyes widen a bit. She settled into his lap and hugged him tightly before finally breaking the kiss off.
“You keep doing what you’re meant to.” Evelyn purred once more and kissed his cheek, working her way down to his neck. “You’re my sword. So you do your job, and you do it right. You’ll kill the ones I point you at, and together we’ll get our happy ending. That girl will serve her purpose and be used up when we’re done.”
She kissed him again, harder this time, but Davi had enough. He shoved her off of him, sending the silver-haired girl down. Davi placed himself over her and stared down, his stern look not fading as Evelyn looked up into his eyes.
“If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it my way,” Davi stated. “I’ll use Olivia, and I’ll lure the dragon to me, but she’s not going to get hurt. Do you understand?”
Evelyn’s smile returned. “Maybe you did change while I was away.” Her fingers danced across his back, and she tugged at his clothes. "Do you really think you can keep her safe? You can barely protect yourself, little Davi-"
Davi cut her off when he leaned down and harshly bit into Evelyn's neck, causing her to gasp. He sunk his teeth in hard drawing blood.
"I wounded a big shot like you." He finally muttered, before he set up again and placed his hands on either side of Evelyn. "We will get our happy ending, I'll make sure of that, but we'll do it in a way that helps the most people."
"Fine, fine." Evelyn wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "We'll do it your way. Go on then, Knight. Claim what's yours."
He and Evelyn had a special relationship… Calling it love was wrong. Love was sacred and holy. Lust, too, would be incorrect. This was something else. It was a desire. One for control. Both parties wanted to hold onto.
It was not healthy.