Chapter 102: Chapter: 102 Strongest man below swordmaster vs the weakest swordmaster. [8]

Charlotte stared at the empty space where Vivian and the professor had disappeared.

It had already been an hour, yet there was no sign of either of them.

The battlefield was silent now, except for the faint rustle of the wind moving through the broken ground.

She tried to stay calm, but worry grew inside her.

Vivan’s intuition was really powerful, but even then, she knew the professor was a sword master, someone who could keep fighting even when his body was breaking apart.

He was like a beast that didn’t stop no matter how hurt he was.

"Haa..." Charlotte let out a tired sigh.

Her whole body ached, and she couldn’t even stand after using that time spell.

Every muscle in her body felt heavy, and her mana core felt like an empty shell.

"I can’t use mana for at least a week," she whispered, frustration slipping into her voice.

Her gaze fell on her trembling hands.

"That spell really takes too much," she muttered softly.

Still, she couldn’t deny how powerful it was, it could stop time for ten breaths, freezing everything in its reach.

But even so, there was one flaw.

During those frozen moments, the person trapped in time couldn’t be killed or harmed.

’But it was worth it,’ she thought.

During those ten frozen breaths, Vivian had managed to pull the professor into his Xi Realm, a space only he could control.

Now, everything depended on him.

Charlotte let out another long sigh, her voice weak but steady.

"The most important part is finally coming to an end," she murmured.

"But soon... the Empire will be at war."

Once Vivian captured the professor, the truth would come out.

With his sharp intuition, Vivian would find every hidden secret the man was holding.

And when that happened, there would be only two paths left for the Tramplins.

Either surrender and face the gallows for their betrayal, or fight and die on the battlefield.

Charlotte closed her eyes for a moment.

"They’ll choose to fight," she said quietly.

"It is better to die while fighting than giving up."

As those thoughts ran through her mind, the air in front of Charlotte began to tremble.

A faint ripple spread through the space where Vivian and the professor had vanished.

"Hm?" Her tired eyes flicked toward it.

The air shimmered like water, and her heartbeat quickened.

A mix of hope and fear flooded her chest.

Whosh... whosh... whosh...

The ripples grew stronger, twisting the air until a dark crack appeared, thin at first, like a line drawn on glass.

Then it widened, stretching with a deep hum that sent chills down her spine.

"Vivian?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

She waited, eyes locked on the growing hole, but nothing came out.

The crack pulsed, shadows leaking from its edges like black smoke.

It didn’t stop, it kept expanding, inch by inch, until it was large enough for a person to step through.

Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat.

Her hands tightened against the ground as a thought crept into her mind, ’what if it’s the professor who comes out... and not Vivian?’

Her chest tightened, but she shook her head, pushing the idea away.

"No," she muttered to herself. "Vivian will come back. He has to."

The shadowy hole now stood still, swirling slowly in the air, waiting for something, or someone, to emerge.

And soon, a figure stepped out of the hole.

His horns glinted faintly under the fading light, and his long, metallic black hair flowed behind him like liquid steel.

The air around him rippled with dark energy as he took his first step onto the ground.

Charlotte’s breath caught the moment she saw him.

Her heart skipped, relief, disbelief, and fear all mixing together.

She wanted to run to him, to make sure he was real and safe, but her body refused to move.

Her legs trembled, still drained of mana, and all she could do was stare.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue, seeing her struggling like that.

In an instant, his form blurred, and he appeared right in front of her.

The shadows bent around him as if bowing to his will.

Vivian’s eyes softened for a heartbeat, only for her.

That familiar tenderness flickered in his gaze, but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by a sharp, cold light.

"Don’t you dare use that spell again," he said, his tone calm but heavy with anger.

Charlotte froze the moment she saw the anger in his eyes.

She lowered her gaze, unable to look at him.

Normally, she was the one who led between them, the one who teased, commanded, and always had the upper hand.

But whenever Vivian got serious like this, she fell silent.

His calm anger carried a strange weight that left her speechless.

Her eyes darted around, searching for anywhere else to look.

She already knew the reason behind his anger, it was her fault.

She hadn’t told him the truth about the spell.

She’d said it could freeze time, yes, but she’d hidden what it really cost her.

She didn’t want him to stop her then... but now, seeing his expression, guilt pressed down on her chest.

Vivian stared at her for a while, saying nothing.

Then, with a slow sigh, his shoulders relaxed.

The edge in his eyes faded, replaced by something gentler.

Seeing her like that, flustered, avoiding his gaze, completely vulnerable, made his anger dissolve like mist in sunlight.

Without a word, he bent down and lifted her into his arms.

She blinked in surprise, her face heating slightly.

Before, carrying her would’ve been a struggle for him, but ever since he’d gained the Vehemoth physique, his strength had grown beyond measure.

In his arms now, she felt light, almost delicate.

Vivian glanced down at her, a faint, tired smile tugging at his lips.

"You really never listen," he murmured, but his tone was softer this time, more like a sigh than a scolding.

Charlotte didn’t say a word.

She simply sank deeper into his chest, her face hidden against him.

Her ears burned bright red, and even her neck flushed with color, matching the faint rosy hue already on her cheeks.

It was rare to see her like this, silent, embarrassed, and unable to speak.

Vivian felt her warmth against him and sighed once more, this time more softly.

Without another word, he turned and began walking toward the place where he had sealed Kafrik.

The ground beneath his steps trembled faintly, the air still heavy from the power that had opened the rift.

After a few quiet moments, Charlotte slowly lifted her head from his chest.

Her face was still pink, but her voice had steadied a little.

"Your horns... retract them," she said softly, glancing up at him.

Vivian blinked, meeting her gaze.

Even though she still looked flustered, the firmness in her tone made him give a small nod.

"Right," he murmured.

Focusing his energy, he felt a faint pull within his body.

The dark horns sank back into his skull, his long metallic hair shortened and lost its unnatural sheen,

and the pointed tips of his ears rounded again, his features returning to their human form.

Charlotte gave a tiny nod, relief showing in her eyes, while Vivian continued walking.

The landscape around them grew quieter and lonelier as they left the main battlefield behind.

The smell of smoke faded, replaced by the scent of dirt and crushed grass.

It took some time before they finally arrived at the place where Vivian had sealed Kafrik earlier.

Vivian stopped, his gaze steady but unreadable as he looked at the spot. Something felt off.

Charlotte followed his line of sight, and then her breath caught.

Her body stiffened, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"He... he escaped?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "How...?"

The earth was broken.

The ice seal was gone.

And the space where Kafrik should have been was completely empty.

Charlotte’s eyes darted toward Vivian.

She expected to see anger or frustration twisting his face.

After all, Kafrik had done terrible things to him, and now the man had escaped.

But what she saw made her breath hitch.

At first, there was a flash of disappointment on his face, just as she expected.

Yet in the next moment, that emotion melted into something entirely different, something far more unsettling.

His lips curved into a faint grin, and his eyes gleamed with a strange, wild light.

It wasn’t anger anymore, it was excitement.

He just stood there, staring at the empty spot where Kafrik had been, that grin slowly stretching wider.

"V... Vivian?" Charlotte called carefully, her voice hesitant.

No response.

His gaze didn’t shift; he looked almost entranced, lost in his own thoughts.

The air around him felt darker, heavier, as if the calm man she knew had been replaced by something else entirely.

Panic flickered through her chest.

Without thinking twice, she reached between them, grabbed her hand from where it had been pressed against his chest, and smack!

"Snap out of it, Vivian!"

He blinked, caught off guard. But Charlotte didn’t stop.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Each sound echoed in the quiet air, her frustration and fear spilling out through every strike.

"Charlotte—!" Vivian finally spoke, wincing slightly, his grin gone.

"I’m fine! I already snapped out of it—stop, that hurts!"

"Eh?" Charlotte froze mid-swing, her hand still raised.

She blinked at him, her face flushing again as realization hit her.

Vivian just stared back, one cheek slightly red, his expression caught between amusement and exasperation.

The tension broke instantly, leaving a strange silence, then Charlotte turned her head away, muttering under her breath,

"You shouldn’t smile like that, idiot..."

*********

Author’s Note:

Hello dear readers! This marks the end of the first volume. I hope you enjoyed it. Although I haven’t finished the second volume yet, I’m close, and I think you’ll really enjoy what’s coming next.

Thank you for all your support and lots of love 😘