Chapter 27: A Deal? |
Xia Ya’s calm words echoed in everyone’s ears.
The once noisy and chaotic campus instantly fell into an eerie silence, leaving only the crackling sound of the surrounding pillars of fire.
No one had expected Xia Ya to say something like that—not even the arsonists of the Ashen Order.
Just moments ago, the tension had been wound as tight as a drawn bowstring, ready to snap at any moment. Both sides had braced themselves for an all-out battle—
Yet in the blink of an eye, the supposed leader of the opposing side had straight-up surrendered.
It was like throwing a punch with all your strength, only to hit nothing but cotton—an inexplicable sense of frustration.
The arsonist leader was stunned for a few seconds before a trace of anger appeared on his grotesque, acid-scarred face beneath the black robe.
"Are you mocking me?"
Even ants struggle to survive—who would willingly seek death?
The more you compromised, the more you surrendered, the more you pinned your hopes on the enemy’s so-called mercy and empty promises—the faster you would meet your demise.
And the Ashen Order had never once been associated with mercy.
They never expected to deceive people with flowery words either.
He refused to believe that a senior student from Saint Roland Academy wouldn’t understand this principle.
"Oh? You actually figured out I was lying? Not bad."
Across from him, Xia Ya raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.
"Looks like my earlier judgment was correct. You really are different from the average arsonist."
"You’re a logical, intelligent, high-end model arsonist."
For some reason, despite Xia Ya’s words clearly being a compliment—
They sounded far more grating to the arsonist leader’s ears than the furious curses of the other students.
A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, and he was about to lash out—
But then he saw Xia Ya suddenly press his hands down.
"Alright, since you’re a smart guy, I won’t beat around the bush."
"So—let’s make a deal."
Xia Ya turned slightly and gestured toward Diris, who stood nearby, a scythe to her pale throat.
And to the group of disheveled commoner students trembling under the arsonists’ watchful eyes.
"Dispel the fire formation and let them go free."
"In exchange, I’ll surrender without resistance and willingly step into the altar—
To become the sacrificial offering for your Fire Sacrament."
…
The arsonist leader glanced at Diris, pitiful yet defiant. Then he looked back at Xia Ya.
A spark of realization flashed in his mind, and in that instant, everything clicked into place.
So that’s how it is.
Now, everything made sense.
Xia Ya and Ailora indeed had the power to attack the altar head-on.
But even if they did break the altar and tear down the fire-sealing formation, the countless students still bound in place would remain.
In such chaos, how many could actually be rescued? That would be left to sheer luck—
Even saving half would already be a miracle.
Especially that girl named Diris—her death was almost certain…
Thinking about it now, they might be elite students of Saint Roland Academy, but at the end of the day, they were still just kids.
Still young.
Living in the ivory tower of a Transcendent Academy, they had never been forced to confront the cold, cruel realities of the world.
Nor had they tasted the bitter sting of betrayal.
So, they still believed in that illusionary thing called love.
They still clung to romanticized ideals like salvation, sacrifice, and comradeship—
The very words dreamt up by wandering bards, naively believing they could be heroes who protected and saved everyone.
For a fleeting moment, as he gazed at Xia Ya, the arsonist leader found himself lost in thought.
In Xia Ya, he seemed to see a reflection of his younger self—
The boy from a small village who had once dreamed of being a champion of justice.
And he recalled a certain village girl named Cuihua, who had once stood at the entrance of that village.
But the next moment, the arsonist leader’s expression turned cold once more, erasing all unnecessary thoughts.
Love? Eternal promises?
All just sweet lies meant to toy with the hearts of fools.
Only ash and flames were the true, unchanging constants of this world.
And if you wanted to play the hero—then let’s see if you even had the qualifications to do so.
The arsonist leader fixed his gaze on Xia Ya, his voice hoarse.
"You want to trade your one life for hundreds of theirs? Are you kidding me—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Xia Ya ruthlessly cut him off.
"Oh? You mean to say… I’m not worthy?"
"I—"
"Not worthy of exchanging for this bunch of weaklings?"
Before Xia Ya even finished speaking—
The arsonist leader suddenly felt it.
The vague fog that had been clouding his perception of this boy—
Vanished.
Layer upon layer of mist dissipated—
And in his spiritual awareness, Xia Ya’s radiant, scorching soul essence was revealed without any concealment.
In that instant, the arsonist leader was struck by an overwhelming sense of insignificance.
Like an ant facing a mountain—
No. That metaphor was far too inadequate.
It was more like an ancient ape raising its head for the first time to gaze at the sky—
And beholding the vast, boundless sea of stars.
The arsonist leader hadn’t even snapped out of his daze—
When an urgent message rang in his mind from his superior, the Pontiff.
"Quick. Accept his offer."
Outside the fire wall.
The Ashen Order Pontiff, who had been astride his molten giant this entire time—
Who had not spoken a single word even while exchanging blows with two Fourth-Ring Masters—
Finally spoke for the first time.
For a mere student who hadn’t even reached the Third-Ring yet.
As a high-tier Fourth-Ring powerhouse, with mental energy vast enough to command Monarch-Tier summoned beasts,
His spiritual perception was far keener than his subordinate’s.
Even though it had been just a fleeting glimpse—
In that moment, the Pontiff felt as though he had seen a shining star.
Radiant and blazing, yet incomprehensibly deep and mysterious.
The discovery made his hands tremble with excitement, so much so that he momentarily lost control of his molten giant—
Giving Lieutenant Colonel Zieg’s Earth Warbear the perfect opening to land a brutal earth-element combo attack.
Chunks of molten rock shattered and crashed to the ground, leaving scorched craters in the earth—
Yet the Pontiff didn’t care in the slightest.
Yes, the Ashen Lord’s nature was a little mad.
And yes, that madness had influenced the entire Ashen Order.
But the mere fact that the Ashen Lord had chosen to establish this faction proved that—despite everything—
Even He still had earthly needs.
And His greatest need—
Was intelligent souls.
The more mysterious, the more powerful, the more pure the soul—
The more valuable it was…
As an offering for the Fire Sacrament.
That was why this time, they had gone against conventional wisdom—
Instead of attacking remote regions, they had directly targeted the completely unguarded Saint Roland Academy.
Because, compared to those who had been hardened by the trials of life—
Those whose souls had been tainted by the stench of greed, or dulled by years of hardship and suffering—
Only the students within these ivory towers still possessed pure souls.
And in truth, the student quality at Saint Roland Academy had not disappointed the Pontiff.
That girl who had managed to form a contract with a Pure White Unicorn was an unexpected delight.
But—
Compared to Xia Ya.
Everyone else was utterly insignificant.
"Accept his offer. His value to the Lord alone far exceeds that of everyone else combined."
"His soul is the perfect nourishment for the Lord… I will hold off the two Fourth-Ring enemies outside with everything I have."
"Remember—even if we all perish in the end, we must stall until the Fire Sacrament is complete."
Leaving behind those hurried words, the Pontiff once again focused his full attention on the battle.
He had already been fighting two opponents at once, and his brief distraction had given Lieutenant Colonel Zieg and Professor Karn the perfect opening to land a brutal beating on him.
If he lost focus any further, he would be defeated in no time.
His own death was a small matter—
But if his failure meant the Lord missed an opportunity to restore Himself, then even in death, he would not find peace in the divine realm.
On the other side.
The moment the arsonist leader received the transmission, he turned back—
Only to be met with the sight of the black-haired, dark-eyed boy gazing at him with an amused, unreadable expression.
At some point, his spiritual aura had retracted once again, shrouded in layers of mist, making him impossible to perceive.
Only those deep, pitch-black eyes remained as piercing as ever—
Reminding the arsonist leader of the endless silence of the starry sky.
"Well then—"
Xia Ya let out a lazy yawn.
"Shall we make a deal?"