Kai was hiding right outside Z City High School, his gaze sweeping through the perimeter. The soldiers of the Fire Clan were guarding the gates. They probably added security because Kai tried to kill John Igna a few days ago.

  Kai scoffed. "Like I would just walk through the front door."

  It would be a waste of time to face them. So he waited for the right moment—watching, analyzing. When the guards looked aside for a moment, he leaped over the wall and landed silently on the other side.

  He easily navigated the school hallways like it was the back of his hand, easily avoiding Fire Clan soldiers along the way. He spent years skipping classes and sneaking out of detention; breaking the rules just comes naturally to him.

  He recalled Celine's words: Her childhood friend is in 11th Grade, C-Class.

  But there was one problem.

  Kai never asked for the guy's name.

  Finding the classroom, he knocked once and then kicked the door open.

  Students inside jumped in shock as their heads snapped toward him.

  "Is Celine's boyfriend in here?" Kai asked, tone flat.

  Silence reigned.

  The students exchanged worried glances as if they had just seen a ghost. Finally, a boy raised his hand hesitatingly.

  "I... I know Celine, but I'm not her boyfriend. Just childhood friend...."

  Kai shrugged. "Good enough for me."

  Before the boy could respond, Kai lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him out the window.

  The boys screamed in terror as they glided through the air.

  Fire Clan soldiers below heard the noise. Their heads snapped up—and the moment they saw Kai, their hands ignited in flames.

  "It's him! Attack!"

  Fireballs soared through the air, streaks of orange and red blazing across the early morning sky.

  Kai twisted mid-air, kicking a fireball straight back at the soldiers, making them scatter.

  Hurling himself across to the other side of the rooftop using the force of the explosion.

  "By the way, what's your name, kid?" Kai curiously asked.

  "Pyrus Cryoson. You could call me Pi for short."

  "Um... W-Where are we going?!" Pi stammered.

  "I'll explain when we are there."

  And off he went from rooftop to rooftop, dodging fire attacks and leaving the Fire Clan soldiers choking on their smoke.

  Eventually, they shook the Fire Clan soldiers off their tails before they arrived at their destination. When they entered the hotel room, Pyrus stopped.

  His small face was as pale as death, and his big eyes focused on the moment; before anyone could utter anything, he bolted towards her and strapped his arms around Celine as tightly as he could.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Thought you were gone," his voice muffled against her hair.

  Celine hesitated for a moment—then hugged him back.

  "Okay, lovebirds, break it up," said Kai, leaning against the wall, looking bored. "Here's the deal."

  He told them everything about Betrothal, how he found Celine, how the Ice Clan wrecked his house, and how his old man nearly died.

  Pyrus and Lucas had been silent listeners till now, hearing the entirety of the tale.

  "I... I'm really sorry about your house," Pyrus managed to squeak out.

  Kai shrugged. "Not a big deal. I will buy another one as long as my dad is safe."

  Then came the bombshell.

  "I'm going to raid the Ice Clan's HQ. Alone."

  There was silence.

  Celine's eyes were wide in disbelief. "By yourself?! That's suicide!"

  Kai grinned. "I wouldn't say that if I wasn't confident in wiping out an entire clan." "You don't mind that I destroy it, right?"

  Celine hesitated.

  She exhaled slowly. "There's no other choice. We can rebuild it afterward, even if it takes a long time. Just... don't kill them."

  Kai smirked. "When you said 'we,' you mean you and your boyfriend, right?" he teased.

  Celine's face turned bright red.

  "Oh my god! Just shut up!" she yelled, flustered.

  Kai chuckled, stretching his arms. "Alright, I'm going to meditate. I haven't reached Level 3 yet. It's better to power up a little before fighting an army." "Come on, Dad."

  Kai then walked to the other room with his father, leaving Pyrus and Celine alone.

  Pyrus turned immediately to Celine, eyes wide with shock, once the door closed. "...Did he just say he's not even Level 3?"

  Celine swallowed. "No way... He's that powerful even at a low level?"

  Tension settled between them as Pyrus hesitantly added, "And... they left us alone in this room."

  They both blushed, and neither of them dared to say another word.

  In the office of the Ice Clan Branch HQ, a soldier knelt before Trevor Cryoson, with a burnt and tattered uniform and drenched with blood. Breathing heavily as he made his report.

  "We've located Lady Celine, Sir."

  Trevor, seated behind a big desk, hardly raised his head. "Go on."

  Swallowing hard, the soldier went on to say, "She was reported to be in an old, worn building in Z-City. The property belongs to Kai Ciphera—the new Mercenary Champion of Z City. However, we've failed to capture them."

  Trevor drummed his fingers and silently cycled through thoughts of Kai Ciphera.

  He had heard that name before. The self-proclaimed champion seemingly had his fame come from nowhere.

  The soldier hesitated before continuing. "We suspect that Ciphera was the one who aided Lady Celine's escape and... killed our entire platoon single-handedly."

  As Trevor stared out through the dark, his face remained inscrutable. He leaned back, pondering.

  "No man can take out an entire squad. Even a high-level ability user would struggle against that many opponents." he thought to himself. "Was Ciphera really that strong? Or were my men simply a bunch of incompetent fools?"

  Trevor decided not to underestimate him. If he attacked head-on, there would be vast casualties.

  He needed to approach this with intellect.

  Then inspiration struck, and a grin curled on his lips.

  "I will not engage him directly," he said, standing from his seat. "We would only need leverage."

  This time, he turned back to the soldier. "Find Celine's friend, the one that sucked up to her ever since they were kids, and take him hostage."

  The soldier nodded. "Understood, sir. I will send a team immediately.""

  Trevor'sface broke into a wide grin. "He may be strong, but even the strongest men have weaknesses."

  The plan was unquestionably going to work.

  Unfortunately for Trevor, what he didn't know was that Kai had gotten to Pyrus first.