When the battle between Thaddeus and Joki was about to begin, what was present in the air was expectancy and curiosity.
The results were almost already set in stone, yet there was expectancy, a hope that the battle situation might turn around, and just maybe Joki would be able to give a miracle.
One could effectively say the energy in the air was a positive one.
But not now.
Right now, as Morgaine and Calidor stood on the arena, there was no positive energy at all.
What was left were hearts spiraling out of control, and most of the students on the edge of their seats.
The most powerful females and the most powerful geniuses, both rhymed together in the same arena.
There was fear towards the destruction that would be caused to both and expectancy for what the end result would be.
But still, the geniuses, due to their ignorance, were still positive and prepared for a good show.
The same, however, could not be said at all for the Elders’ booth, which was unusually silent.
Fingers tapped on the seats nervously, coming from none other than the elders, and their occasional gazes flashed toward the Half-Fallen One before diverting.
There were no talks, no breaths too loud, and a sickening, heart-chilling silence.
"Are you all scared for my daughter, and afraid of what her loss could bring? Or afraid of what the rivalling energy between the Dominare family and the Wailing Banshee family can bring?" The Half-Fallen One herself was the one to break the silence as she turned the side of her gaze toward the elders, who all gave nervous laughs while scratching the back of their heads.
In the room, there was an elder who wasn’t laughing at the Half-Fallen One, though.
A female elder with an otherworldly beauty and long dark hair that covered the left side of her face, revealing her right eye, which was brimming with a dark light.
She was covered in long robes that oozed an intense aura of darkness.
This was none other than the elder representing the Lost family of the Wailing Banshee.
"All of it, you could say, Half-Fallen One," the elder of the Wail family responded.
"Surprisingly enough, even though the rivaling energy between the Dominares and the Wailing Banshees increases every year with every birth of every genius, I would say I, one of the Dominares, have the firmest of bonds with the Wailing Banshees."
"Isn’t that right, Lillith, my friend?" The Half-Fallen One said as she turned to look at the Fallen elder representing the Wailing Banshee family.
All of the elders couldn’t help but turn their furrowed eyebrows toward Lillith and the Half-Fallen One and swallow.
In fact, they knew well that both of the women were rivals, that had been at the neck of dominating one another for years now, and the Half-Fallen One had been winning since they were little.
"That is true, Asteralynia," the lady replied, and the elders couldn’t help but furrow their eyes.
The lady had dared to call the Half-Fallen One by her real name.
It was something that had been stopped from fear and reverence once her Lost One had ascended the throne of power, but looking at the Half-Fallen One, she wasn’t at all offended, nor was she even surprised that the lady had addressed her by her name.
Unknown to most, the bond between Aster herself and Lillith was thicker than that of water, even though the face of that bond was rivalry in the eyes of every other Fallen.
"But you are the only exception to this rule. Only you, out of the thousands of Dominares in existence, are welcomed into the grounds of the Lost Wailing Banshee family."
"Anyone else will still be seen as a rival, or even enemy, never at all a friend."
"Not even if the person is a daughter of yours," Lillith said as the Half-Fallen One chuckled.
"As crude as ever."
"But you all have nothing to worry about."
"We all have grown old enough to realize nothing in this world is set in stone, especially when it comes to strength and power. We have more in hand than to worry about the destruction that may be caused between two genius families competing."
"Most likely, this wouldn’t be the last nor even the thousandth battle between them if everything is to go well in the future."
"So forget the consequences, and let’s all just sit back and enjoy, shall we?" The Half-Fallen One said, as the pressure in the room subsided by an incredible amount, and only now could all of the elders sit back and relax to watch the battle that was slowly being unfurled below.
---
"Morgaine Dominare. It is an honor to face one from an enemy family in the test. Hehehe," a laugh, which ought to be evil, rang out from the lips of the coquettish-looking Calidor, sounding coquettish and friendly, completely opposite to what emotion should have accompanied it.
But Morgaine only responded by cracking her back and twisting her neck.
"Cut the bullshit, Calidor. You know well this is a war, and only one of us will come out alive!" Morgaine’s deep voice rippled through the battle stage, as Calidor’s coquettish expression slowly faded away, and a weird dark aura suddenly descended onto her.
"Seems like you’re not the one to be fooled easily. Then might as well get right to business. Prepare yourself, Morgaine..."
"I swear by all the Fallen Ones, I will make sure you beg for mercy on your knees as you drown in the screams and roars of your fears..."
"I will feast on your—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we begin already?" Morgaine’s uninterested voice rang out, turning to look at the instructor with a raised eyebrow, as Calidor had her words paused, and a vein popped on her head.
’I swear, this bastard. I will make sure you die on this stage, you arrogant bitch...’
The hate for the Dominares runs deep within every Wailing Banshee’s blood, and Calidor was no exception at all.
"Beg..."