Chapter IV: The Dance Of Knives

The Academy grounds were cloaked in a deep, haunting quiet as midnight struck. Shadows stretched long and jagged across the cobblestone paths, and the lanterns lining the walkways flickered like dying stars. The air was charged with an undercurrent of unease—something was brewing tonight. Something dangerous.

Within Kurenai Gakuen’s labyrinthine corridors, rumors of the Crimson Council’s next move had spread like wildfire. Whispers of high-stakes challenges and covert alliances filled the spaces between locked doors and shuttered windows. But in the epicenter of this storm, two names stood out above all others: Cyan Vance and Raven Solace.

They were no longer just participants in the bloody games that defined the Academy. They were icons—targets to some, legends to others. And tonight, those legends would be tested.

The Call to Action

Cyan Vance stood in front of the massive, wrought-iron gates of the Academy’s underground dueling arena, his crimson coin glinting between his fingers. The gates towered over him, carved with images of serpents devouring their prey, a grim testament to the bloodshed that had unfolded here over the years.

His onyx-black hair was disheveled, as though he’d barely bothered to fix it after waking from some forbidden dream, and his soft red eyes glimmered with a dangerous mix of amusement and calculation. His uniform, perpetually undone, gave him the look of a rogue prince, someone who never played by the rules but always came out ahead.

“Vance,” a voice hissed from the shadows.

He turned lazily, raising an eyebrow as Kano emerged, a fresh bruise on his cheek from their earlier encounter.

“Back for more?” Cy asked, his tone dripping with mockery.

“Not here to fight,” Kano growled. “This is bigger than our little rivalry. Someone’s put a hit out on you.”

Cy’s smirk widened, but his eyes darkened. “A hit, huh? I guess I’m more popular than I thought.”

Kano stepped closer, his voice lowering. “The Council doesn’t like how fast you’re climbing the ranks. They think you’re a threat. Tonight’s trial isn’t about earning favor—it’s about eliminating you.”

Cy’s smile didn’t falter, but his grip on the coin tightened. “Good,” he said softly. “Let them come. I could use the exercise.”

The Arena

Deep beneath the Academy, the dueling arena stretched out like an ancient coliseum. Massive stone pillars rose to the vaulted ceiling, their surfaces etched with scars from battles long forgotten. Torches mounted on the walls cast flickering, blood-red light over the stone floor, and the air was thick with the scent of iron and sweat.

Raven Solace arrived moments after Cy, her long black hair streaked with crimson catching the torchlight as she stepped into the arena. Her crimson eyes swept across the gathered crowd—students ranked high enough to spectate and gamble on tonight’s trial.

She moved with the grace of a predator, her polished boots clicking against the stone floor. Her dagger, sleek and deadly, rested at her side, its blade glinting like a promise.

“You’re late,” Cy drawled, leaning casually against one of the pillars.

Raven glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “You’re early.”

Their gazes locked for a moment, and the unspoken challenge between them crackled like lightning.

Before either could speak again, the booming voice of the Crimson Council’s arbiter echoed through the arena.

“Tonight’s trial is a test of survival. Five opponents. Two hours. No rules.”

The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices a chaotic symphony of bloodlust.

Raven turned to Cy, her lips curving into a smirk. “Think you can keep up?”

Cy chuckled, his soft red eyes gleaming. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

The Trial Begins

The gates at either end of the arena groaned open, and five challengers stepped into the blood-soaked battleground. Each carried a unique weapon, and their eyes burned with the kind of desperation that only came from having everything to lose.

One of them, a hulking brute wielding a warhammer, pointed it at Cy and Raven. “The Council wants your heads,” he snarled. “And we aim to deliver.”

Cy tilted his head, his grin unfazed. “You might want to reconsider. I’m not much for sharing.”

Raven stepped forward, her dagger gleaming in her hand. “Let’s make this quick. I hate wasting time on amateurs.”

The brute roared, charging forward, his warhammer crashing down with enough force to crack the stone floor. Cy moved first, his collapsible staff snapping into place as he sidestepped the attack. In one fluid motion, he struck the brute’s wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon.

Raven was already moving, her dagger a blur of silver and crimson as she engaged two other challengers. One wielded a pair of sickles, the other a spiked mace. They fought like cornered animals, but Raven was relentless.

She danced between them, her movements sharp and calculated. Her dagger sliced through the air, deflecting the sickles and driving the mace wielder back. In a flash of crimson light, she activated her Scarlet Frenzy, her blood forming a whip that coiled around the sickles and yanked them from her opponent’s hands.

The crowd roared as the two challengers fell, their blood staining the arena floor.

Cy’s Precision

Cy faced the remaining two challengers: a lithe woman with a bow and a man armed with twin daggers. They moved in tandem, the archer firing arrows to pin him down while the dagger wielder closed in.

But Cy was always a step ahead. His Crimson Foresight activated as the adrenaline surged through his veins, the world slowing to a crawl. He dodged the arrows with ease, his collapsible staff spinning in his hands like a blur.

When the dagger wielder lunged, Cy sidestepped, his staff slamming into the man’s ribs with a sickening crack. He caught the next arrow mid-flight, tossing it back at the archer with unerring accuracy.

The arrow struck her shoulder, and she fell to her knees, clutching the wound.

Cy twirled his staff one last time before retracting it, his soft red eyes scanning the arena.

“Done already?” he asked, his tone dripping with mock disappointment.

The Aftermath

The trial ended in chaos, the arena floor littered with the defeated challengers. The arbiter’s voice boomed again, declaring Cy and Raven the victors.

As the crowd dispersed, Cy and Raven stood at the center of the arena, their breathing steady despite the carnage around them.

“You didn’t hold back,” Cy remarked, his soft red eyes glinting with amusement.

Raven sheathed her dagger, her crimson eyes meeting his. “Neither did you.”

There was a pause, the weight of their unspoken connection hanging in the air.

“You know this isn’t over,” Raven said finally. “The Council won’t stop until they’ve crushed us.”

Cy’s grin widened. “Good. Let them come. I wouldn’t want this to get boring.”

As they left the arena together, side by side, the torches flickered behind them, casting their shadows long and menacing against the stone walls. The game was far from over, but for now, they had claimed their victory—and sent a message to anyone who dared to challenge them.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***