The Return Of The Exiled Villain-Chapter 223: A Negotiation For A Spar

’Shit, shit, shittt! What should I do? Even my mother warned me to be careful against Gray, and now... he’s fucking here! Right in front of me!’

Ovrin’s fingers twitched slighly.

But seeing Gray so calm, even though he was two big realms above him, made him more nervous!

Where did he get that confidence from?!

Was he mentally unstable or something!?!?!?

"That’s me," Gray nodded lightly.

He coldly stared at Ovrin, causing him to shiver slighly.

"There was no need to swing at Seraph... Even if you’re the Headmistress’s adopted son... that can be considered an abuse of power."

"Not to mention that Seraph is the Student Council President... and attacking the Student Council President during a death duel... should be quite a hefty crime, don’t you think?"

His words were spot on, and hearing them, Seraph had already grabbed her President Emblem, which allowed her to force any of the students to obey orders.

And if they didn’t, the defense mechanics of the academy would activate and act on the student, eventually forcing him into submission.

"This..."

Ovrin frowned lightly.

"I just wanted to help out a fellow classmate, there’s no need for that, right?!" His eyes turned to Maelis, in search of a helping hand.

But Maelis simply gave him a cold smile.

’...This damned bitch! See how I’ll make you beg me later!’

"So... what’s your excuse?" Gray asked lightly with a faint smile.

In Ovrin’s eyes that looked like a devil smiling!

"I... uhh..."

Step...

"How about we stop here?"The audience is getting bored at this point." A familiar voice suddenly reached out to them.

"M-Mom?" Ovrin stammered lightly.

Gray also turned around just to see Aurora looking at him with a faint smile on her lips, now wearing clothes that completely hid her body, unlike the clothes she had worn in her secret meeting with him.

"Headmistress!" Seraph bent her head politely.

Gray didn’t greet her or anything, and just approached Maelis, helping her lightly, before asking in a whisper:

"Was it your idea to challenge Seraph to a death duel?"

"Of course not, my dear brother. I’m merely the victim~" she blinked twice, looking like she was the most innocent person ever.

He continued staring at her, waiting for an actual response, and seeing this reaction from him, Maelis sighed deeply.

"She was the one who challenged me."

"Why?"

"Because of you, obviously!"

"Of me...?" His eyebrows furrowed for a moment.

And at that moment, a memory suddenly flashed through his mind... the memory of the day when they had arrived at this academy.

"Do you think I don’t know what your family ordered Gray to do?"

This caused Gray to frown slighly as he looked over to Seraph with a complicated look. She was calmly speaking with Aurora, not revealing a hint of impulsivity.

[Everyone says you’ll never forget your first love... even between Gods it was like this. Her feelings towards you... should be quite deep.]

Jasmine commented lightly.

Gray nodded at her words.

’...Well, I don’t want to hurt her as she ones of the few people I truly love. Those feelings are already deeply caged, and if they appear again... I’d probably turn into some brainless fool.’

[Are you thinking of cultivating the Emotion Severing Technique again?]

’Only if truly needed.’

Putting his thoughts aside, Gray pulled Maelis’s cheek slighly.

"Why didn’t you refuse her challenge? You are smart enough to know that she’s stronger than you."

"Mhpf... that’s because... because..."

"Because?"

"...I’m not telling you!" she averted her gaze, causing Gray’s smile to twitch.

’Now why the fuck are you acting like this?’ he sighed inwardly.

But because Maelis was acting like that, almost like a spoiled and stubborn child, Gray instantly got a hint of what actually happened.

Thinking of Seraph’s enraged expression during that small period of dialogue between the two of them before she was going to deal the final strike, he could easily guess that they were talking about him.

More precisely... the time when he was being used by his family.

But to think that Seraph was really enraged by that... it was probably because Maelis teased her about how she had not helped him at all or something like that.

’...She got furious that easily because, in reality, I refused her help during that time since I didn’t want to bother her, especially since I was the one who had broken off our relationship.’

’And having Maelis remind her of those dark times could easily cause her to flare up completely in madness.’ 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

[...You got everything just purely based on facial expressions?!]

’It’s a little obvious, to be honest.’

[...]

Flick!

"Agh!"

"...Next time, don’t do something so fucking dumb," Gray flicked Maelis’s forehead, causing her to rub the red spot in a pout.

Despite that, she nodded lightly as a deep smile appeared on her lips and directly glanced at Seraph, who instantly noticed her look.

Rustle...

"Ahh~, it hurts!" she supported herself further into Gray’s arm, causing a vein to twitch in Seraph’s smooth forehead.

"Hehe~"

This caused Maelis to laugh in pure delight.

Gray simply shook his head at her actions.

"Gray, come here!"

Until he was suddenly called out by Seraph. He was a little confused as to why they called him, but he got closer to them nonetheless.

"Is there something you need from... me?" His eyes turned colder at the last word he spoke, directed right at the headmistress whose lips curled up.

"It’s nothing~, I just wanted you to challenge Ovrin for a little spar match, but of course, Ovrin will reduce her realm!" Aurora said teasingly.

"What?! That’s not what we discuss—"

"—Shh. Your duel is already complete, and you have no right to interfere in my things. Am I clear?" Aurora interrupted her words and coldly stated.

Seraph gritted her teeth, but nodded nonetheless.

"Y-Yes, Headmistress..."

Giving Gray one last look, she approached Maelis and led her out of the arena, leaving the three of them in there.

"Do you accept the challenge, Gray?" Aurora looked at him once more.

"...Do I get something if I accept it?" he asked a question instead.

Hearing her words, Ovrin’s pride got a little hurt, but thinking about how monstrous Gray was before, it was normal for him not to consider fighting against a mere King-realm user when he probably had the chance to be taught by monsters like his mother.

"Mhm... that depends. What exactly do you need?" she asked curiously.

Hearing her words, Gray put on a thoughtful expression.

’Jasmine... for you to unlock your next ability, how much divinity do we need in terms of Qi Orbs?’ he asked lightly.

[...Probably fifteen Emperor-level Qi Orbs.]

’Fifteen?!’

[Yes... and that will unlock the Authority of Destruction completely. Along with that, I’ll finally be able to materialize my body... for at least ten to twenty minutes.]

After hearing that it was to unlock the Authority of Destruction, Gray eased up a little. After all, he knew how overpowered that authority truly was.

The power to destroy anything from existence, ignoring the opponent’s power level... was simply too seductive for him.

’I can’t possibly ask her that... then, there’s only one opinion.’

He raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I want you to teach me your personal sword technique without me turning into your disciple by any means possible."

Those words instantly caused Ovrin to swallow hard as he directly noticed the freezing aura coming from his mother.

Her red eyes momentarily turned blank, swirling lightly as her lips curled up into a scary yet extremely wicked smile.

"...Why do you always refuse to be my disciple?" Her lips parted as her voice came out in a freezing tone that was almost scary.

’That possessive look again...’

"I already explained to you the reason," he calmly replied.

Those words caused Aurora to let out a small scoff, waving her hand to suddenly condense a small box around them.

Gray looked at the box and instantly noticed that it was a barrier that wouldn’t let anyone know what was happening inside.

"I do not want to be your toy, or treasure, Aurora."

Now that they were alone, he called her directly by her name.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

She laughed in a strangely scary manner, like her voice cracked but returned almost instantly in a cynical tone.

"...Why won’t you simply be mine?"

Her true thoughts finally came out.

"Why would I want to be yours?"

"WHY WOULDN’T YOU?!"

She shouted loudly, her eyes widening in complete madness as she slowly started stepping closer to Gray, who was already leaning against the wall of the barrier.

"I’m extremely beautiful, just like a damn goddess! I have more money than I can count, and can directly give you whatever you want!"

"But why?! Why don’t you want any of that? You should be fucking grateful that I’m already offering everything I have to you!"

She was finally merely inches away from him.

"The only thing that I just want in return..."

Aurora raised her hand, gently caressing Gray’s cheek as she looked deeply into his calm and black eyes.

"Is... you."