Conquering The Novel



The audience was split between cheers and disbelief as the second round of the semifinals came to an abrupt end, just like the first.

Maya strode confidently onto the stage, her trademark grin lighting up her face as she addressed the mic.

"What a one-sided match that was," she exclaimed, pausing for dramatic effect. "I thought the teams making it to the semifinals were supposed to be strong and capable. What a disappointing performance from Shadow Academy. Both rounds ended in less than ten minutes, leaving no chance for Team Shadow Academy to even counterattack properly."

Maya shook her head in disappointment, her eyes scanning the audience. Though she was thrilled with how well team Soreh Academy had performed, she couldn't help but wish that their opponents had put up more of a fight. It would have made for a more interesting match, after all.

"Anyway, congratulations to Soreh Academy for becoming the first finalist of this 42nd annual inter-academy tournament! Let's give them a round of applause," Maya added, gesturing to the victorious team. The crowd followed her lead, applauding energetically as the fans of Soreh Academy cheered.

Clap— Clap— Clap

"Now, let's move on to match 2 of the semifinals, where the Powerhouse Martial Star Academy will be taking on the underdogs of the tournament, Team Cherry Blossom Academy. Who will be the next finalist to face Team Soreh Academy in the finals? Let's find out!" Maya spoke with enthusiasm.

[Semifinals Match 2: Team Martial Star Academy Vs Team Cherry Blossom Academy!]

"We'll be back after a short break, so don't go anywhere! Match 2 will start soon!" The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, signaling to Maya that it was time for a brief intermission.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation as they waited for the next match to begin, wondering who would emerge victorious and earn their place in the tournament finals.

***

Team Soreh Academy was in high spirits cheering and high-fiving each other in their allocated section of the arena after their victory over Shadow Academy and making it to the finals.

Ares, however, was ignoring their celebrations and was seated in the front row, his gaze fixed on the stage where the teams from Martial Star Academy and Cherry Blossom Academy were preparing for their match. Livia sat on his right, her head leaned on his shoulder, and she appeared to be dozing off.

She had been awake all night, her mind preoccupied with Ares and Diana's date. But now, with Ares by her side, she finally felt at peace, and her exhaustion got the better of her.

Ares let her nap, knowing that she needed the rest. Meanwhile, Diana approached them, her face beaming with pride. "Hehe, Ares, did you see my performance? I did good, right?" she exclaimed.

"Shh!" Ares gestured for her to keep quiet and pointed at the sleeping Livia.

!?

Diana lowered her voice. "Oh, sorry," she said in a hushed tone and moved to his other side, where she held his arm and leaned on it.

"So... how is she doing now?" Diana whispered, referring to Livia.

"...She's better," Ares replied shortly.

Diana nodded, understanding the situation. "I see. She seemed to have a breakdown. Her eyes were swollen as if she had cried all night. It's good to see that she's feeling better now," she said softly.

Ares turned to look at her, surprised by her calm demeanor. "You didn't seem to be bothered by the situation," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"...It's not that I'm not bothered," Diana replied. "But I'm trying to let go of my jealousy for your sake. I don't want you to be in a difficult situation, and I think Livia will come around eventually, for your sake."

"I hope so," Ares said with a small smile. "My master will be arriving soon, and I don't want any unnecessary drama."

Diana looked worried. "How are you going to convince her? She's even more dangerous than Livia. She wouldn't care about us being princesses or whatever, and might attack us right away when she hears we're dating."

Ares chuckled at Diana's concern. "I'm surprised you know her that well," he said. "You're right, things could get messy when she finds out, but I'm hoping Aegis can come up with something to diffuse the situation. Mika listens to her...somewhat," Ares said, shuddering at the thought of Mika's potential reaction.

"You both love and fear her at the same time, don't you?" Diana teased, seeing Ares's expression change. "It's my first time seeing you afraid of someone."

"...."

Ares didn't reply, but the look on his face spoke volumes.

"Mika can be really scary sometimes. Though she wouldn't hurt me, I'm afraid of what she would do to you two. As you said before, she wouldn't care about you two being princesses and wouldn't mind going to war against both of your kingdoms at the same time," Ares said, his mind racing with possible scenarios.

"...."

Gulp— 

Diana gulped loudly. She already knew how unpredictable and dangerous Mika could be. "I...have to get stronger soon," she muttered to herself.

Ares noticed her reaction and smiled. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out. I'll introduce you both to Aegis. She can teach you how to get on Mika's good side. She's already teaching Silvia, so I'm sure it'll be fine," he reassured Diana.

Diana nodded, relieved to hear that there was a plan in place. "That's a relief. I really don't want to be on Mika's bad side."

Ares replied with a smile. "None of us do."

Diana turned to him, curiosity in her eyes. "Is Aegis also someone you're interested in... romantically?" 

Ares raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"You two seem quite close," Diana said.

Ares shook his head. "No, I see her as a friend and mentor. She's my love guru or something similar," he replied with a grin. "We've been through a lot together, and she's always had my back." 

Diana looked a little disappointed. "That's too bad. It would have been nice to have an S-Rank healer as one of my sisters. At least I wouldn't have to worry about your health." she said, leaning back against Ares. "But I guess there's still a chance as relationships start first from friendships," Diana spoke optimistically.

Ares chuckled, "That's not going to happen. Aegis would never betray Mika, who she sees as her benefactor and sister. But it would be a different story if Mika allows it herself, which is very much unlikely."

"I see," Diana nodded understandingly.

Suddenly, Ares heard Irethiel's voice in his mind, filled with panic and urgency. "A-Ares! We are in huge trouble!"

!?

Ares quickly focused his attention on Irethiel, "What got you so riled up?" he asked telepathically.

"T-The seal! It's broken! Not one, but two at the same time," Irethiel informed him, her voice trembling.

Ares' mind raced as he tried to process what Irethiel was saying. "...You mean two more Demon Lords have been released at the same time?" he asked for clarification, his expression turning grim.

"Y-Yes! And they are not some small-time Demon Lords like Pazuzu and Belphegor!" Irethiel said, her voice shaking.

"It's ...Lilith and Asmodeus!" Irethiel added, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.

!!

Ares' heart sank as he heard the names of the newly unsealed Demon Lords. He knew that Asmodeus and Irethiel were enemies, and it was also one of Asmodeus' servants who had entered the dungeon where Irethiel was trapped in order to kill her under his orders.

But he had no idea that even Lilith was on her tail. He knew that Lilith was a particularly powerful and cunning Demon Lord, and her release could mean trouble for everyone.

"Tsh, you are such a troublesome demon, Irethiel!" Ares muttered under his breath, shaking his head in frustration. He knew that they needed to act fast before the Demon Lords come after them.

Diana noticed the change in his demeanor and asked, concerned, "A-Ares, is everything okay?"

"Don't worry about it," Ares replied, his mind already racing with plans and strategies. "Here, take care of Livia for me. I have somewhere to go."

Swap—

Using his location swap skill, he swapped his place with Diana and then disappeared, leaving behind only a blue trail.

!?

Diana watched him disappear, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of her stomach. She turned her attention to Livia, who was still sleeping soundly.

"I hope everything's okay," Diana muttered to herself, then turned to look at Ziona, who had been silently watching them the whole time without even blinking.

Their eyes locked, and they continued to stare at each other without speaking.

After a moment, Ziona stopped staring and turned to leave without a word.

Diana watched her go, then turned her attention to Livia once again, but her mind was already racing with thoughts.

'I have to keep an eye on that beast-woman,' she thought to herself. 'She's one of the women who knows my Ares' true self, like that cunning bitch Ayla and me.'