With that, a fissure appeared in the flawless, diamond-hard ice barrier, a silent parting of the ways that created a perfect opening. Through it walked Elysia and Lisanna, their movements a symphony of swift, enchanting grace.
They ascended the rubble-strewn stage, their regal bearing a stark, breathtaking contrast to the surrounding devastation, like two pristine lilies blooming in the heart of a volcano's crater.
Their sudden appearance sent a fresh tsunami of confusion crashing through the already reeling crowd.
Thousands of minds struggled to process the scene. Whispers, sharp and frantic, erupted like sparks in dry tinder.
"The heiresses? What are they doing?"
"They're C-Rank… What possible role could they have in this?"
In the section reserved for Aegis Academy's brightest, the atmosphere was thick with a suffocating dread. Terris, Ed, and Jane shot to their feet, their eyes wide with horrified understanding.
A film of cold sweat glistened on Terris's brow. "No… I think I know where this is going, and I don't like it one bit."
Ed let out a ragged sigh, dragging a hand down his face as if to wipe away the impossible reality before him. "You and me both. This is about to get messy on a level we can't even comprehend."
Jane swallowed hard, her usual sharp wit completely deserting her. Her eyes darted between her friends, a grim premonition shadowing her features.
"Terris," she said, her voice low and strained. "You're going to have to find a way to keep your boyfriend on a leash after this. A very, very short leash."
For anyone with even a passing knowledge of Zenith City's elite, the scene was fundamentally wrong. Orion had merely beckoned, and they had come.
These two were proud, powerful scions of noble families, women who navigated the political landscape of the Apex with practiced ease. To see them obey the summons of this once unknown—even one who had just displayed world-breaking power—was an inversion of the natural order.
More bewildering still was their demeanor.
Lisanna's radiant smile was a common sight, but Elysia—the Ice Princess of the Wintercroft family, a woman whose expression was perpetually carved from glacial frost—wore a look of soft, private contentment. A faint, almost imperceptible smile graced her lips, a sight so rare it was like witnessing a solar eclipse.
For one young man, that smile was not a miracle, but a cataclysm.
Ryan Sterling was no longer breathing. Or perhaps he had forgotten how. The world had collapsed into a maelstrom of roaring static as he watched Elysia, his Elysia, draw closer to that… that monster. Every fiber of his being, every particle of Aether in his core, screamed in protest.
A violent, possessive storm of pure, undiluted anxiety raged within his soul, a darkness he had never known he possessed.
"What… What is this…?" he choked out, the words stolen by the hurricane in his mind.
Broadcasting across the city, the scene sent identical shockwaves through the lavish estates of the Apex.
Theron, Kaelen, and Elara watched, their jaws clenched so tightly that veins pulsed visibly on their temples.
"That arrogant brat…" Theron growled, his voice a low rumble of thunder. "Don't tell me he intends to make it public…"
Only Alya retained her composure, a wry, knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Ah, my dears," she said, her tone deceptively light. "At this point, you might as well accept the new reality. We all know there isn't a single thing we can do to stop it. And be honest with yourselves… do you even want to?"
Her question hung in the air, sharp and undeniable. The three other parents deflated, the fight draining out of them as long, weary sighs escaped their lips. Power. The promise of it was an intoxicating poison, and Orion was offering it by the gallon.
Elara muttered under her breath, a final, futile protest against the inevitable. "Couldn't the boy at least try to show a shred of noble decorum?"
Back on the ruined stage, Orion's calm smile never wavered as the two young women reached his side. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out, gently taking each of their hands in his. He gave their soft palms a light, reassuring squeeze, a current of warmth passing from his skin to theirs.
Both maidens shivered, an involuntary reaction to the intimate contact. A tide of crimson crept up their necks, a blush too fierce to be suppressed.
"You…" Elysia hissed, her eyes narrowing, though her voice lacked any real heat. "Have you forgotten we are being broadcast live to the entire city?"
Lisanna let out an indignant snort, but her eyes danced with a mischievous, irrepressible amusement. "You're getting far too bold for your own good, playboy."
Yet, for all their token protests, neither made the slightest move to pull away. In fact, their fingers tightened instinctively around his.
The warmth spreading from his touch was more than just physical; it was a deep, resonant hum that vibrated within their Aether Cores, a comforting and addictive song that made suppressing their own smiles an impossible task.
Orion let out a soft, knowing chuckle. He turned his gaze back to the sea of faces before him, taking in the entire spectrum of human emotion.
He saw the utter confusion in the eyes of the masses, still fixated on the C-Rank limit. He saw the raw, seething envy in the eyes of the young men who had spent years pining for the two beauties now at his side. And he saw the looks of pure, unadulterated horror, as if from men who had just witnessed their own sweethearts betray them on the grandest stage imaginable.
Letting the tension build to a fever pitch, Orion's voice finally boomed across the stadium, imbued with an authority that silenced every last murmur.
"These two lovely maidens are recognized throughout the province as talented, C-Rank heroes, are they not?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I declare this: in one week—a single week—they will not only exhibit an Aether Purity that far surpasses the C-Rank threshold, but they will also demonstrate a combat prowess easily matching the absolute peak of that rank. And before the question forms on your lips," he paused, letting the bombshell hang in the charged air, "I will state the reason for this impossible growth plainly. It lies with me. Only through me, through a bond with me, can any woman shatter the cage of her Aether Core's limitations and ascend to heights she never dreamed possible."
He drew the two blushing girls a fraction closer, his grip firm and possessive. His final words were delivered with the force of a divine decree.
"And naturally… they can only be with me. And nobody else."
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"
The sound was not a collection of individual shouts but a single, unified roar of pure, mind-shattering disbelief. It was a physical shockwave of sound that blasted across the stadium and erupted from every broadcast device in every home, bar, and villain hideout across Zenith City.
In their private viewing room, Theron, Kaelen, Elara, and Alya nearly launched themselves from their seats. They had braced for a simple relationship announcement, a political power play. They had never, in their wildest nightmares, imagined he would reveal the most coveted secret in their society—the key to breaking the C-Rank limit—so brazenly, so publicly.
The stadium descended into utter pandemonium.
"Impossible! How can one person be the key to another's power progression?!"
"This is madness! Not even the S-Rank heroes claim such an ability! It defies the very nature of Aether!"
Amidst the storm of doubt and confusion, Orion's voice cut through the noise, as calm and clear as a mountain spring. "All of your questions, all of your doubts, will be answered in one week's time. This test of their progress must, of course, be held at an institution whose credibility is beyond reproach. A place everyone can trust. Do you know of such a place, my dears?"
He turned his question to Elysia and Lisanna, seemingly oblivious to the raging crowd.
The two girls were still reeling from the sheer audacity of his declaration. They knew firsthand their power was growing at an exponential rate due to their bond with him, but to hear him suggest their potential was limitless, that they could soar past even B-Rank, was a dizzying prospect.
Looking out at the ravenous eyes of the crowd, seeing how even righteous, veteran heroes had lost all composure, their faces twisted with a desperate, covetous hunger, was even more shocking.
The promise of power had utterly consumed them.
No one even questioned the fact that Orion was claiming two noble heiresses simultaneously, or that his words implied he would have many more. The lure of breaking the province's shackles was a temptation too absolute, too powerful to resist.
Shaking themselves from their daze, Elysia took the lead, her voice ringing out with its innate aristocratic calm.
"If this demonstration is to be conducted with absolute transparency, leaving no room for doubt, then there is only one suitable venue: Aegis Academy." Her voice gained strength and conviction with every word. "The Academy has maintained its unimpeachable standing since the founding of Cascadia. It has direct ties to the other provincial bodies and the overarching Provincial Hero Association Directorate. It is an institution whose data and judgment can never be falsified."
Lisanna nodded enthusiastically, her natural effervescence returning in a rush. "She's right! In one week, Ellie and I are going to shock the entire world! And he's not wrong, you know," she added with a mischievous giggle, squeezing Orion's hand tighter. "The only reason we're getting this strong is because we've gotten very close with him."
Elysia let out the softest of sighs, a ghost of a smile touching her lips as she, too, tightened her grip. "In a sense, this pervert does indeed possess an outstanding, unique Talent… one that is unlocked only when we cultivate a… profound relationship with him."
With a final, decisive smile that sealed the matter, Orion addressed the bewildered masses one last time. "Then it is settled. If a high-ranking official from the Academy would be so kind as to meet with us and arrange this demonstration, I shall grant it."
As if summoned by his very words, a brilliant column of silver light descended from the sky, landing near the trio with a soft, near-silent thud.
The light receded to reveal an imposing, middle-aged man, his face a mask of intense, barely contained anticipation. Elysia and Lisanna gasped.
"Vice Principal Silver!" they exclaimed in unison.
"You were here this whole time?" Lisanna asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
The Vice Principal let out a low, rumbling chuckle, his gaze gleaming with the fervor of a zealot who had just witnessed a miracle. "I came expecting a simple clash between promising youths. I did not expect to bear witness to the dawn of a new age."
He then turned his full attention to Orion and Lyra, his expression becoming deadly serious. He executed a deep, formal bow, a gesture of profound respect. "Sir Guardian, Madam Guardian. It is an honor."
Orion offered a casual, disarming smile. "Likewise. Now, let's be on our way. The coming days are going to be quite… hectic."
Vice Principal Silver sighed, a sound of weary excitement. "Indeed. I do not believe Zenith City will see this level of chaos again, even if a legion of villains were to lay siege to its walls."
As the group prepared to depart, Orion still holding fast to the hands of his two maidens, Lyra let out a long, theatrical sigh of utter boredom. "Finally. Orion, next time, learn to be more concise. Your long-winded speeches were putting me to sleep."
Orion merely rolled his eyes. Elysia scoffed at Lyra's bluntness, Lisanna smiled wryly, and the Vice Principal maintained his professional stoicism.
As they took their first steps toward the exit, Lyra paused. She glanced back over her shoulder, her voice, dripping with casual menace, echoing through the silent stadium.
"Oh, and one more thing, you Valerian rats," she called out. "Don't think for a second we've forgotten about you. We expect to see your family formally submitting to the Wintercrofts and the Vances by the end of the week. If not…" she paused, a sharp, predatory grin splitting her face. "I'll pay your estate a little visit myself."
Her grin widened. "Oh, and the test subjects Elysia and Lisanna will be demonstrating their new prowess on… they'll be from your family. Just so we don't have to worry about any unfortunate accidents happening to innocent bystanders."
A collective, audible gulp swept through the stadium. A fresh wave of undiluted fear washed over the crowd at the sheer, domineering brutality of her words—a perfect, terrifying counterpoint to Orion's calm, methodical control.
From within the blood-soaked rubble of the stage, pained groans could be heard. Collyer, Cassian, and the guards were stirring, their consciousness returning to a world of absolute humiliation, white-hot rage, and bone-deep despair.
As Orion's group finally departed, the thousands of spectators remained frozen, pinned to their seats by the sheer weight of what they had witnessed.
"It's… it's over?" someone whispered into the void.
"That can't be all, right? There has to be more…"
A bitter, humorless laugh cut through the quiet. "More? What more could there be? What is anyone going to do? Drag them away for questioning? Arrest them?"
The stark, simple question slammed into everyone with the force of a physical blow. Who in this C-Rank city had the authority—the power—to hold them accountable?
For the public humiliation and brutalization of C-Rank heroes?
For the reckless endangerment of thousands?
For holding a secret that could rewrite the very laws of their world?
Absolutely no one.
The display of supreme, untouchable power was its own justification. It was why no one dared move, why no one cried for justice. They had all seen what happened to the Valerians.
As this crushing realization settled in, everyone in the stadium and across the city understood.
All they could do was wait.
But one person was not waiting.
He was not processing.
Ryan Sterling remained as still as a granite statue, his mind a hollowed-out cavern of agony. The world around him had faded to a silent, colorless void.
Only two things remained, burned onto the backs of his eyelids: the image of Orion holding Elysia's hand, and the memory of her beautiful, genuine smile—a smile he had never once managed to coax from her.
'She can only be with me.'
The words were a war drum, beating a rhythm of torment against the inside of his skull. The stadium began to empty around him, a river of people flowing past a motionless rock.
He didn't notice.
He just stared at the empty, ruined stage, his Aether Core a churning tempest of impotent rage, the world gone silent save for the sound of his own heart breaking.