Chapter 544: Sketchy Intentions!
Chapter 544
"Huh?" Mada muttered as he leaned back, narrowly avoiding a fast swipe of a claw to his face.
And then, kicking the air, Noelle lashed her whip forward. The weapon snapped like a streak of lightning, slamming into the beast’s head before she yanked her hand back with sharp precision, dragging the creature down and smashing it into the ground with such force that the earth quaked. Dust rose violently as a wide crater formed beneath its body.
"What happened?" Rivock asked calmly as he leaned from side to side, weaving through the strikes of three different beasts. Each of their claws missed him by a hair’s breadth.
That’s right—he was surrounded by three beasts, and for two whole minutes, not a single one had managed to land a hit. He avoided every attack as though it were child’s play, casually striking up a conversation with the other descendants in the middle of combat.
"I thought we were going to take our revenge on that brat in this world!" Mada roared, his voice like a growl. His ears perked up suddenly, and without hesitation, he spun around, bringing his sword up directly in front of his face.
CLANG!
The beast’s claws smashed into his blade, but unsurprisingly, Mada didn’t even budge. His stance was as solid as a mountain. With a snarl, he parried the strike away before swirling Ki violently around his feet. He stomped down with explosive force, smashing a devastating kick into the beast’s abdomen.
BANG!
A deep hole tore open in the beast’s body before its frame went flying, crashing into the distance with a thunderous rumble.
"Brat? What brat?" Rivock asked almost lazily. Just then, a claw came dangerously close to his face. In that instant, his expression hardened. With only three fingers, he reached out and caught the beast’s entire arm mid-strike, halting its movement completely.
A powerful gust of air burst out from the collision, ruffling his hair wildly. Without breaking a sweat, Rivock tilted his head slightly to the side, letting another claw from the second beast streak past harmlessly.
With a sigh, he released his grip on the beast’s arm and began walking away. For a split second, the three beasts were left stunned, unable to comprehend his audacity. But then rage filled their eyes, and they charged toward him with renewed ferocity.
Snap!
Rivock’s fingers struck together.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted instantly, starting from the beast whose claw he had just caught earlier. Fire and smoke consumed the area, and in the next moment, all three beasts were blown apart, their bodies scattering lifelessly in the darkness.
"How many brats do we have a problem with? Of course, I’m speaking about Grey!" Mada roared as he ducked low, avoiding a swipe meant to take his head clean off. Without even turning around, he swung his sword backward, stabbing it perfectly into the beast’s throat. Blood spurted out as he ripped the blade free, and the creature staggered helplessly before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.
"I’ve said this before, but I’m willing to say it again," Rivock replied, his tone edged with annoyance.
GROWL!
A menacing sound came from behind him, and his patience snapped. With a glare, he spun around and swung his fist forward.
BANG!
The air itself shattered as his strike broke the sound barrier.
BANG!
The second impact came immediately after, his fist colliding head-on with the beast’s massive claw. The shockwave blasted outward violently, sending the corpses of the fallen beasts skidding several meters away. For a brief moment, Rivock and the beast were locked in place, both appearing evenly matched in raw power.
Then—CRACK!
The sound of bones breaking echoed in the night. The beast’s full arm was ripped clean out of its socket before its entire body was sent flying across the night sky like a broken doll.
"I hate your impatience." Rivock’s cold voice cut through the aftermath as he straightened his stance, shaking his wrist casually. His gaze shifted sharply toward Mada. "If something were to happen to him right here, right now, your brother would completely lose it.
He gave us a warning the last time Grey went missing during the entry assessment, right after those peasants reported us. He specifically gave you another warning when you picked a fight with him in the canteen... and if I recall correctly, he even slapped you in front of all the students for that stunt."
Hearing all of Rivock’s words brought back waves of bad memories for Mada. His nails dug deep into his palms until blood seeped out, his teeth grinding back and forth as every image of the pain, anger, and humiliation he had suffered because of Grey came rushing back to haunt him. The embarrassment of standing powerless, the sting of being belittled, the shame of defeat—each memory poured gasoline onto the flames of his rage.
"Now, if something were to happen to him here, in another assessment filled only with students and beasts, who do you think your brother would suspect?" Rivock asked, his sharp gaze never wavering.
"How would he suspect us if we made it look like a beast killed him?" Noelle finally spoke up. She twisted her body to the side just in time, but the beast’s claws still grazed her shoulder, drawing blood.
Her face contorted in fury, and in a burst of rage, she drove her foot upward with crushing force. Her heel connected directly with the beast’s jaw, sending its head snapping back violently. Its entire body followed, tumbling helplessly through the air before crashing to the ground.
"No. Gunther isn’t that foolish," Mada suddenly spoke up, his tone heavy with certainty. "He spent years inside different beast portals, fighting and hunting like a maniac.
He never cared about administrative duties or politics, only about strength and battle. If he saw Grey’s corpse, he would instantly realize it wasn’t the work of beasts. He knows their marks, their habits, their methods. We can’t fool him that easily."
"So what now? Are we really going to let the brat go scot-free after all the humiliation we endured?" Noelle asked bitterly, her chest rising and falling as she huffed and panted. Her knuckles were white from gripping her whip tightly, and her eyes burned with hatred.
"Who said anything about letting him go?" Rivock’s voice was a low growl, but then his lips twisted, stretching into a devilish grin that spread across his face from ear to ear. His expression radiated cruel intent.
"Huh? Then how are we going to make him pay if we can’t touch him in this place?" Mada asked with a raised brow, curiosity mixing with his anger.
"That’s why the universe blessed us with the tournament coming up in a week," Rivock replied, his eyes glinting like sharpened blades. "That will be the perfect opportunity. We’ll teach him a lesson so brutal that he’ll never recover. We’ll humiliate him in front of the entire academy and even in front of the principal—your father. And after that..."
He trailed off as he spun around, his senses alerting him. About a dozen beasts were charging their way with killing intent, their roars shaking the air.
"He will die," Rivock finished coldly. He stretched out his hand, palm glowing as condescended Ki surged violently around it. The energy burned with a brilliant yellow glow, brighter with every passing second, illuminating his twisted smile.
"Before the academy or your brother ever realize what happened."
BANG!
BOOOOM!
An earth-shaking explosion erupted as a colossal yellow beam shot out of his palm, tearing through the charging beasts. Their bodies were obliterated instantly, shredded to bits by the sheer destructive force. Even the ground itself was not spared—everything in its path was blown apart and scorched clean, leaving behind only devastation and silence.