Chapter 591: Continental Festival 15
Haah...! Haaah!
Each breath burned in Hajey’s lungs as he sprinted through the dense forest, branches snapping and leaves scattering behind him.
His boots barely touched the ground before he kicked off again, weaving between trees with desperate precision.
Where did it all start to go wrong!?
His heart pounded so hard it drowned out every other sound.
Sweat and blood mixed on his cheek as he grit his teeth.
Shit—!
FOOOOSH!!!
A violent blaze roared past his side, slamming into the trees ahead and erupting into a wave of golden-red fire.
The explosion tore through the forest, scattering embers that clung to the bark and ground like burning snow.
The air itself screamed.
Hajey dove to the side, rolling behind a large boulder as another streak of flame blasted by.
The heat singed his arm, his mana barrier hissing and crackling like it was about to melt away.
He glanced at the aftermath—the place he’d just been standing was now a crater of molten earth and ash.
Even the sturdy mana coating around his body was burning away just from being near those flames.
"Dammit... she’s insane!"
His day had already gone to hell the moment he ran into Rose.
But somehow, things managed to get worse.
The real nightmare began when he and his remaining squad stumbled across her—that crazed person!
He risked a glance over his shoulder—the cause of his misery blazing in the distance.
Even from this far, one look was enough for anyone to know who she was.
Platinum-blonde hair that shimmered like molten silver, eyes burning crimson like embers, and a beauty that could have belonged to a goddess.
Combined with the fire swirling wildly around her, she looked less like a human and more like some divine spirit of flame.
Stacia Alger Del Luna Crown.
The princess of the Del Luna Kingdom.
Even her name carried weight—one of the most prodigious geniuses in the academy, a monster among monsters.
And now, she was after him.
Hajey grit his teeth, a mix of disbelief and frustration twisting his face.
Of course, he knew about her. Just like the other top students, he’d made sure to study every single one of them before the competition began.
Their strengths, weaknesses, habits—everything that might help him avoid ever crossing paths with them.
He had planned everything perfectly.
He even made countermeasures just in case.
And yet—
She appeared out of nowhere.
No warning.
No sign.
Just a sudden explosion of fire, a blinding light that swallowed the forest whole, and before anyone could react, half of his group was gone—burned to ash in the blink of an eye.
Why!?
Why did she attack them so suddenly?
Was it because they got too close to her territory?
No, Hajey was sure her team wasn’t even nearby. He had checked, double-checked. There was no reason for her to be there.
Then what—?
His mind raced as he leapt over a fallen log, flames licking the ground behind him. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
This wasn’t random.
This wasn’t just Stacia wandering around aimlessly and deciding to have some fun.
She was targeting them.
He could feel it in the way her attacks chased only his group, the precision of it all, the fact she hadn’t gone after anyone else nearby.
No... this wasn’t coincidence.
Hajey’s breath hitched, his body shivering despite the unbearable heat surrounding him.
"She’s... deliberately hunting us..."
But why?
He never did anything that could’ve caught her attention.
No provocation, no mistake, nothing.
So why her?
Why now?
His thoughts spiraled, frustration mixing with panic as he tore through the forest.
His plans were falling apart faster than he could think.
Every move he made since the start of the competition was carefully built to avoid situations like this—and yet here he was, running for his life like some weakling.
He clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his neck.
I can’t keep running like this... I’ll be roasted alive before I even reach cover!
His hand twitched.
A single thought surfaced in his mind—
Should I use it?
He focused his mana downward, his feet glowing faintly under the strain.
The Hidden Blade Technique’s [Second Form: New Moon]—
a high-speed movement art that could instantly tear through space, giving him a single window to escape.
If he used it now, he could get away.
But there was a catch.
He hadn’t mastered it.
Not even close.
It was a desperate gamble—his body could only endure one use before collapsing.
Still... it was that or die here.
Just as he prepared to activate it, a familiar wave of scorching heat pressed against his back.
"Damn it—fuck!"
VOOOOSH!
A roaring fireball screamed past his ear, the heat searing the back of his head.
His hairline caught flame for a split second before he ducked and rolled—
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion behind him was deafening.
A wave of burning air slammed into him, throwing him off his feet like a ragdoll.
The world spun as he crashed and rolled across the ground, coughing up blood.
"Aghh—!!"
He slammed into a thick tree trunk, his bones rattling.
The impact nearly knocked him unconscious.
For a moment, he couldn’t breathe; his lungs felt like they were on fire.
He forced his trembling hands against the dirt, trying to push himself up—but his limbs refused to move.
His entire body felt drained, as if every drop of mana inside him had been boiled dry.
He looked down at his arms—his veins glowed faintly, mana leaking out like steam. The air shimmered around him, the temperature so high it distorted his vision.
Even the emergency bracelet on his wrist—his one safety net—was beginning to melt.
The magic inside it flickered weakly, the usual soft light now sputtering and cracking.
"Ha... you’ve gotta be kidding me..." he muttered hoarsely, watching it warp under the heat.
Will it even work... when I die?
The thought made his stomach twist.
And somewhere behind him, the sound of slow footsteps approached—steady, unhurried, confident.
"You run well..."
A calm, melodic voice slipped through the smoke.
Hajey froze.
When the dust cleared, Stacia was already there—standing right in front of him, just a few steps away.
The golden-red flames behind her painted her platinum hair in hues of crimson, her eyes glowing like twin suns staring down at him.
"You..." Hajey rasped out, his throat dry and raw. "Why are you doing this?"
Stacia tilted her head slightly, as if she genuinely needed to think about it. Then, with a small smile, she said,
"Because you were annoying."
"Huh?"
The answer hit him like a joke that wasn’t funny. His mind blanked for a moment.
"Well," she continued casually, brushing a bit of soot off her shoulder, "you are a good uncle... but that doesn’t mean you’re forgiven yet."
"...What?"
Her expression darkened just a little, her eyes narrowing—not with rage, but with a quiet, cold sort of disappointment.
"You caused my dear sister a lot of pain when you were younger, didn’t you?"
Hajey blinked, completely lost.
Uncle? Sister? Pain?
What the hell was she talking about?
This was the first time they’d ever spoken—he was sure of it.
Why was she looking at him like she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment?
"W–What are you talking about?" he stammered, forcing himself to stand despite his trembling legs.
Stacia’s gaze softened for a second—almost pitying—before she smiled again, that elegant, haunting smile of hers.
"In the Hell family, we have a rule. We repay love with ten times the love..."
She raised her sword, the crimson flames gathering and swirling along its blade, the air vibrating with mana so intense it made Hajey’s teeth ache.
"...But hatred," she whispered, eyes gleaming, "we repay with a hundred times the hatred."
"W–Wait—!"
"...That’s why, you should consider this my greatest act of mercy."
He barely had time to raise his arms before her sword came down.
The world turned white.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A column of fire exploded outward, splitting the earth and ripping through the forest in a straight line. Trees evaporated, the ground melted into glass, and a crater carved itself deep into the soil.
The sound was deafening. The light unbearable.
When the smoke finally cleared, Stacia stood there—expression calm, her blade resting by her side—staring into the burning trench that stretched endlessly before her.
Golden light flickered across the scorched field, sparks of divine mana dancing like fireflies.
Cracks formed in the air, celestial runes flashing briefly before shattering apart.
The safety bracelet on Hajey’s wrist glowed one last time—then burst into a blinding flare of gold.
In an instant, his body turned to shimmering particles and vanished.
He was gone.
Teleported straight back to the academy infirmary before the damage could become permanent.
Stacia watched the faint afterglow fade away, her hair gently swaying in the waves of lingering heat.
The flames around her slowly died down, leaving only a faint warmth in the air.
Then—
’You did too much...’
The voice echoed softly inside her head, calm yet sharp—like silk hiding a blade.
Stacia smiled faintly. "I believe you willingly gave me permission."
’Yes, but under the condition of control. You nearly exposed too much. There are people watching this entire competition.’
She chuckled, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. "Fufu, don’t worry. I didn’t do anything that would truly change the future. I’m just playing around with a few annoying mongrels, that’s all."
The voice fell silent for a moment.
But the silence wasn’t peace—it was disapproval.
Stacia tilted her head, amused. "Everything’s for our dear, so don’t get too angry, oh dear me~"
’Let’s switch now...’
She blinked. "Already? I thought you wanted me to show you a bit more of this competition."
’I’ve already seen enough. Let’s switch.’
Stacia smiled again, softer this time. "Alright..."
Her body relaxed slightly. The gleam in her crimson eyes deepened—then slowly faded, the color settling into a gentler shade of red.
The air around her calmed. Her aura, which moments ago had burned like a sun, now felt human again.
Stacia Alger Del Luna, princess of the Del Luna Kingdom, stood quietly amidst the ruined forest, expression unreadable.
’What are you going to do now?’ the voice asked again, tone lighter now.
"...Help my neglected team," she replied simply.
’Hm~ that’s a good choice. We’ve already done enough damage for today.’
"You mean you did too much," she muttered.
’Fufu~ everything I do is for our dear, you know that. Trust me—if you help him more, he’ll reward you in his own... intense way.’
Stacia rolled her eyes slightly, letting the voice’s teasing fade into the back of her mind.
She took one last look at the still-burning horizon—the crater where Hajey once stood—and then turned away, her cloak fluttering in the warm breeze.
Without another word, she started walking.
The forest creaked quietly as she passed through, each step leaving behind faint traces of golden embers that slowly disappeared into the air.
......
"AGGHHHH!!!"
Hajey’s scream ripped through the infirmary. His body arched off the bed as a searing pain tore through every inch of him—like fire spreading under his skin.
"Quick! Prioritize this one!"
"Bring me an advanced healing potion, now!"
"His mana’s unstable—his body temperature’s spiking like crazy!"
"Damn it, this is just like last time!"
The frantic voices of the healers echoed around him, their hurried footsteps mixing with the faint hum of magic circles activating one after another.
Through the haze of pain, Hajey’s blurry eyes darted around.
White ceilings. Mana lights. The sterile scent of potions and herbs.
He realized where he was.
The infirmary.
Again.
He let out a shaky breath, part pain, part anger. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his throat dry from screaming.
It was a cruel reminder.
A humiliating one.
He’d failed.
"Damn it...!"
He slammed his fist weakly against the bed, teeth grinding as memories of the blazing forest and that woman’s mocking smile burned through his mind.
He was so close—so close to finally humiliating the so-called shame of his family.
To proving himself.
To making everyone who ever looked down on him regret it.
And yet, everything fell apart again because of some random interference.
Why now? Why her!?
"Tsk..." he clicked his tongue sharply, forcing himself upright despite the healers yelling for him to stay still.
Ignoring them, he slipped a trembling hand into his pocket and pulled out a small folded paper covered in faint, glowing runes.
The symbols pulsed weakly, as if reacting to his mana.
He stared at it for a moment—then crushed it in his palm.
The runes flashed once before fading completely, vanishing into the air like smoke.
A grim smile tugged at his lips.
Even if this plan had gone to hell, the backup was still in motion.
He’d made sure of that.
"Don’t disappoint me now... Cristo,"
The faint light in his eyes dimmed as exhaustion hit him like a wave.
His head dropped back against the pillow, vision blurring to black.
And then—silence.
Only the faint hum of healing circles remained.