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Chapter 405  John Tarmias VS Earth Tepes [2]

The creature\'s face, skinless and burning with a dark red hue, was a horrifying sight that sent shivers down the spines of every student watching. Its fleshless visage was an embodiment of terror, its features distorted and twisted by the cursed mana that pulsated through its form. The sheer malevolence radiating from the creature was instilling fear to the onlookers.

As it descended, the creature\'s enormous mouth gaped wide, revealing rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. At the back of its throat, a dark red breath of fire began to gather, the energy swirling and coalescing into a searing inferno. The intensity of the cursed mana was overwhelming, and the very air around the creature crackled with its dark power.

[Earth.]

Heldora\'s voice growled in Earth\'s mind.

"I know," Earth answered with a click of his tongue. He had made a critical mistake—he had underestimated John. Severely. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He had dismissed John as a lesser threat, and now he was paying the price for his arrogance.

"Sunfire Draconic Form," Earth murmured under his breath as he landed back on the ground with a thud, his feet sinking slightly into the scorched earth beneath him.

In an instant, a surge of intense golden fire erupted from his body, spiraling around him in a fiery maelstrom. The flames were unlike any ordinary fire; they were infused with the power of the sun itself, radiating a heat so intense that the very ground beneath Earth\'s feet began to crack and blacken, turning to molten rock. The golden flames expanded outward, sending a blistering wave of heat across the battlefield, causing several students to instinctively shield their faces from the scorching temperature.

***

"S-Shouldn\'t we stop the fight already, Professor?!" Amelia\'s voice rang out, concerned for her beloved Johnny.

Celeste, along with a few other students who hadn\'t been entirely consumed by the thrill of the fight, nodded in agreement. The battle had escalated far beyond a mere training exercise—it had become something far more dangerous, far more real. "No way."

But then, to everyone\'s surprise, I shook my head, a big grin spreading across my face as I watched the fight.

"Amael?" Celeste\'s voice wavered as she caught sight of my expression. Her eyes widened in alarm, her brow furrowing in concern. My grin was twisted, almost maniacal, as I fixated on the battle, particularly on John.

[<Hecate, this little pest. She\'s really spoiled him. He\'s probably going to win.>]

\'How about you spoil me as well?\'

[<I am already spoiling you a lot.>]

\'Whatever. Rather, John\'s going to kill this fucker for me.\'

The fight was tipping in John\'s favor—I could feel it.

John bore no malice toward Earth, but even without that animosity, he was overpowering him. Despite Earth\'s advantage, with his Sunfire having the ability to purify curses, John\'s cursed power had reached a level of unprecedented strength, something beyond the norm. It was clear that Hecate\'s influence had pushed John to new heights.

"But it\'s dangerous! Aren\'t you worried?!" Amelia\'s voice broke through my thoughts, her gaze locked onto me, annoyed.

I shrugged, dismissing her concerns with a casual wave of my hand. "That guy didn\'t die and managed to save you despite being poisoned by the most potent poison I\'ve ever seen. There\'s no way anything will happen to him against a blond-haired weirdo spewing cringe words like \'draconic form\'."

Amelia blushed slightly at the mention of John saving her, the memory of that moment clearly still vivid in her mind. She could probably still see him as he had appeared when he rescued her—his eyes filled with concern, his voice steady as he asked if she was alright, and the way he had accepted her confession afterward. It was undoubtedly the best day of her life, a moment straight out of a romantic movie, one she had relived countless times in her mind and shared with anyone who would listen including me much to my annoyance.

"And besides, I won\'t let anything happen to him. He\'s my brother-in-law, after all," I added, my tone light, but with an underlying seriousness. I knew that Layla would be upset if anything happened to John, and I had no intention of letting that happen.

"Why don\'t you show such brotherly love toward him face to face?" Victor chimed in, a grin tugging at his lips as he watched me with amusement.

"No way, I\'d rather die," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "How about you?"

Victor scratched his head. "Kind of difficult—I\'m rooting for both of them," he admitted with a shrug.

Right, they all know Earth there.

Suddenly, I felt my heartbeat quicken. A groan slipped from my lips as a familiar presence made itself known.

It was Vysindra again.

I turned my gaze toward Earth, who was now undergoing a startling transformation. His appearance shifted subtly but unmistakably—golden scales began to emerge along his arms and face, glinting ominously in the light. His eyes, once calm, sharpened into predatory slits, filled with a dangerous intensity.

With a motion, Earth extended his hand upward. The air around him hummed with power as a massive golden mana circle materialized above him, radiating an otherworldly energy. "Heldora\'s…"

The hairs on my arms stood on end as I sensed the immense amount of mana being drawn into this attack, not just from Earth but from John as well. The sheer magnitude of power they were about to unleash made my skin prickle with alarm.

"Maybe it might be better to end the match now yeah..."

I glanced at Gamir, expecting him to intervene, but he seemed utterly indifferent, as if the looming catastrophe didn\'t concern him in the slightest.

What kind of asswit made this man a professor?

"Breath!" Earth\'s voice boomed, and with it, a torrent of thick, golden flames erupted from the mana circle.

Before Earth\'s and John\'s attacks could collide, Gamir finally moved. With a swift raise of his hand, a barrier formed from dark, twisting plants shot up in front of us, encasing us in a protective cocoon.

-BOOOOOOM!

The explosion that followed was deafening, the force of it vibrating through the barrier. We were blind to the destruction unfolding on the battlefield, the only indication of the chaos being the bone-rattling sound and the shockwaves that rippled through the gaps in the plant barrier.

"Are they crazy?!" Amelia shouted, her knuckles white as she gripped the seat in front of her, her eyes wide with worry.

Celeste sighed deeply, shaking her head. "This is all your fault. John wouldn\'t have taken this so seriously if you hadn\'t dangled a reward in front of him."

Amelia flushed with embarrassment, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "I-I didn\'t expect it to go this far!"

"Well," Celeste smirked, teasing her further, "I hope your reward is worth John\'s level of dedication."

Amelia\'s blush deepened, her embarrassment only growing.

"Those two sure know how to get along…" I muttered, before turning my attention back to the battlefield.

The dark plants that had shielded us began to recede, revealing the aftermath of the clash.

"Huh?"

John was on his knees, panting heavily, while Earth stood, equally winded but with a smug grin plastered across his face. However, it wasn\'t Earth who held my attention—it was John.

His face was contorted with rage, a black contrast to the calm demeanor he\'d displayed just moments ago. What the hell happened to him? My eyes narrowed as I noticed the golden flames still clinging to John, licking at his skin with a malevolent intensity, much like they had with me in the past.

What had Earth said or done to provoke John like this?

I was furious with Earth for killing Shayna and Ephera, but what could have possibly set John off so badly?

"John!" Amelia called out worriedly.

John staggered but managed to stand, his expression darkening as he glared at Earth. "I swear, I will kill you," he spat, his tone chillingly cold.

Earth\'s laughter filled the air, his flames flaring even brighter in response. "Yes, John! Show me more of your hatred!" John, however, seemed beyond reason. He looked ready to charge at Earth again, his intent clear—he was going to tear him apart.

"Enough. The fight is over. It\'s a stalemate."

Gamir\'s voice cut through them.

"No! It\'s not fucking over!" John snarled, waving his hand dismissively at Gamir.

Gamir\'s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Mind your words when addressing your professor."

John\'s lips curled into a cold smirk, a retort forming on his tongue that I knew would be sharp and biting.

"John!" Amelia fortunately interrupted. "What are you thinking, you idiot?!" She yelled, her hand striking John\'s back in a sharp, angry slap.

"Ugh!" John grunted, the force of her slap snapping him out of his murderous rage.

"D-Don\'t! Don\'t make me worry like that again!" Amelia\'s voice trembled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Amelia…" John\'s anger dissipated in an instant, as if it had never been there. His expression softened, guilt flickering across his face.

Wow… how did he manage to calm down so quickly?

The only time I\'d ever seen such a rapid shift in emotion was when Cleenah intervened back then. I guess that\'s the power of love, as embarrassing as it sounds.

Amelia\'s face flushed a deep crimson. "I-I\'ll give you your reward, so please don\'t get angry for that!"

"Huh…" I grimaced.

Amelia, I don\'t think that\'s why he was angry…

Even John fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Sorry." John finally spoke but he didn\'t correct the misunderstanding. It was clear he still wanted that reward.

I should ask him later what this whole thing was about, I thought, as my gaze drifted back to Earth, who was now basking in the adoration of his fangirls, waving at them.

I clenched my fists hard my nails digging in my palms drawing blood.

[<Amael.>]

\'Yeah, right...\'

"Let\'s proceed with the next match," Gamir announced.

It was evident that guy, despite his professorial title, exhibited an alarming indifference towards the well-being of his students. Or more like every students except the ones from his House.

"Group H, Cylien Najel Elaryon will face Group E…"

There was a brief, almost imperceptible pause until Gamir\'s gaze shifted towards his kin.

"Alvara Freydis Teraquin."