The Return Of The Exiled Villain-Chapter 210: Aurora

"...Not at all," Gray's reply came shortly after.

The reaction was immediate.

Aurora's lips curved downward as she puffed out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout, leaning closer as if daring him to react.

He did, just not the way she wanted.

Pop!~

He pressed a finger into her cheek without warning, deflating the act entirely.

"Cuteness doesn't suit you," he advised.

"It looks forced."

For half a second, she froze, but just as quickly, her eyes lit up.

"Oh?" she hummed, clearly delighted rather than offended.

"So you are paying attention."

She straightened, rolled her shoulders back, and smoothly shifted her stance, one hip cocked just enough to sharpen the curve of her waist, the tight line of her skirt guiding the eye down to her hips, then further to her long legs.

A pose truly meant to be sexy.

"To be clear, what about this one~?" she added playfully.

Gray's gaze swept over her once.

"It does," he admitted with a small nod.

"That one fits you."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." She clicked her tongue, circling him half a step.

"You really are dangerous."

She stopped in front of him and gently hooked her index finger under his chin, lifting it just enough to force him to meet her eyes.

"Flirting so casually with an older woman," Aurora teased slighly, although se was clearly pleased by his words.

"Do you have any idea how cruel that is~?"

Her smile widened.

"And here I thought you didn't miss me at all."

"I really didn't. Not even a little," he replied plainly.

Aurora blinked once.

"…Ouch."

"That's not an insult," he continued, lifting his chin just enough to slip out of her finger without touching her.

"It's just a fact. Every time you appeared, you did the same three things."

"Oh?" Her smile sharpened.

"Only three?"

"You teased me," he said, counting calmly on his fingers.

"Relentlessly. You tried to confuse me with half-truths and flowery words. And then—" his eyes lifted to hers, dark and unamused, "—you tried to make me sign contracts that would turn me into your possession."

Aurora placed a hand over her chest in mock offense.

"Possession is such an ugly word, darling. I prefer exclusive disciple."

"You used blood clauses."

"Minor details."

"You hid soul-binding subtext in the margins."

"Creative formatting."

"You smiled every time I noticed."

Her lips curved wider.

"Because you always noticed."

"....You're exhausting." Gray sighed, rubbing his temple.

"And yet, you never once walked away," she leaned closer again.

"I was younger," he replied flatly.

"And you were annoying enough to be educational."

That caused her to laugh.

"Do you know how many geniuses begged me to teach them?" Aurora murmured. "How many would have signed those contracts without reading a single line?"

"I'm aware. That's why you kept trying with me."

She tilted her head.

"And why do you think that is?"

"Because my talent was simply too monstrous... and you probably have a kink for people that refused to comply with your wishes," he answered immediately.

Her pupils dilated at his words.

"…You make it sound so romantic."

"Romantic? You literally tried to brand me," he added dryly.

"Only spiritually."

Gray blankly gazed upon her.

"..."

Aurora was silent for a second.

Then she laughed again, brighter this time, clapping her hands once.

"Ahhh, there it is," she said warmly.

"That sharp tongue. That spine. That infuriating clarity."

She stepped closer until there was barely any space left, heels clicking softly against stone.

"So?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with pure excitement.

"Now that you're stronger… smarter… far harder to bind..."

Her smile turned slow and dangerous.

"Care to read a new contract together?"

"No."

An obvious instant refusal.

Aurora's smile didn't fade. If anything, it deepened as it really was the kind of smile that belonged to someone who enjoyed refusal far more than obedience.

Then, Gray exhaled and added calmly, "And next time, don't use a student from your academy to try to corner me into joining."

He had hit the mark with that phrase.

"Hahaha~"

Aurora laughed softly, one hand lifting to her lips as if she had just been gently scolded rather than exposed.

"You mean my nephew?" she asked lightly.

"Oh, darling… You give me far too much credit."

"He was already obsessed with you," she continued softly, twirling her hair in her fingers.

"Your talent, your growth, the way you move as if the world should keep up with you instead of the other way around. He truly wanted to fight alongside you."

Her red pupils glimmered.

"So I gave him a little push," she said sweetly. "A whisper here. A suggestion there. A boost of confidence."

She tilted her head.

"Nothing more."

Gray rolled his eyes.

Of course, he had seen it.

The respect and sincerity in Drake's gaze. The almost childish admiration that was buried beneath discipline and pride.

But admiration alone didn't make someone kneel in a cafeteria full of elites and publicly challenge another academy.

Orders did.

"You manipulate too easily," Gray stated flatly.

Aurora placed a hand on her hip and corrected with a faint smile, "I cultivate potential! Manipulation is such a harsh word~"

[...This woman is a little strange.]

Jasmine, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

'Why?'

[She has... both Demonic Energy and Divinity inside of her body, however... they have a complete balance, as if they were in... synchronization.]

Those words instantly caused Gray to be a little surprised.

"You used him."

"I used his desire," she replied smoothly.

"There's a difference."

She leaned forward slightly, enough for her shadow to fall over him.

"And tell me," she murmured, "if I hadn't intervened… would you even have considered my academy?"

Gray directly nodded.

"Those conditions are really good for me."

For a small moment, Aurora's smile softened

"…Good!" she said quietly.

"I'd be disappointed if you were that easy."

She straightened, turning away a half-step, auburn hair swaying down her back.

"Don't worry, Gray," Aurora added over her shoulder.

"I won't force your hand."

Then, with a sideways glance and a knowing smile:

"I prefer it when you walk into my grasp on your own."

Gray simply watched her walking away, his eyes never leaving her back until she completely disappeared from his sight.

'This woman... she might be me in a woman's form.'

This was one of the reasons Gray didn't accept being her disciple in the past. He knew that she was doing everything for herself, and being her disciple meant being used by her.

Or even worse...

And from the looks of it...

'She didn't change a single bit.'

He let out a deep sigh and then turned and left the gardens, heading back into the academy grounds... but just as he did so...

WHAM!

A body came flying straight toward him.

"—?!"

Gray reacted on instinct, his arms snapping forward as he caught the figure mid-air. The impact still forced him to slide half a step back, boots scraping against the stone.

"…Ronan?"

"Kurghh!" Ronan coughed violently, blood speckling the corner of his mouth.

His back was a mess, his clothes were torn, his skin bruised deep purple and red, several cuts still bleeding as if they had been carved rather than struck.

"G-Gray…?" Ronan wheezed, his eyes unfocused.

Gray's expression darkened slighly.

"What happened?"

Ronan tried to laugh and failed, groaning instead.

"Ah… you know… just a friendly exchange…"

Gray gently set him down, already scanning the area.

Across the open training path stood a student.

He was quite lean and tall, with two swords resting casually on his shoulders, one balanced behind his neck, the other hanging loosely from his hand.

His uniform was pristine... seemingly not having a single speck of dust or damage.

And he was smiling not arrogantly, but in a comfortably cruel manner.

"So this is it?" the student said, tilting his head slightly as his eyes moved from Ronan to Gray.

"Is this what the strongest students of Gloria Academy amount to?"

A few other students stood behind him, watching in complete silence.

Gray slowly stood up as his gaze locked onto the twin-sword user, looking at him with an almost blank and scary gaze.

"…You picked the wrong one to throw."

"Pfft... ahahahaawawa!"

The twin-sword user laughed softly, as if Gray had just told him a joke meant only for the two of them.

"Oh?" he said, rolling his shoulders once.

The swords smoothly slid down into his hands in a single motion.

"You look calm. That's good. I hate it when they scream too early... It's quite noisy when that happens... and I really hate high noises."

Gray didn't answer.

He gently pushed Ronan behind him, one hand steady on his shoulder for half a second.

"Stay down."

Ronan wanted to protest, but the words died in his throat when he felt a strange pressure keeping him from moving.

His eyes looked at Gray in surprise as black smoke started seeping out of his body.

The surrounding students instantly stiffened without realizing why.

Conversations around the courtyard thinned, then stopped altogether, attention slowly being dragged toward the two figures facing each other.

The twin-sword student tilted his head again, his eyes narrowing just a little.

"...Dark hair and black eyes."

His eyes widened in realization.

"Y-you're Gray Vireux?!"