NOVEL NEXT Chapter 71: HER OFFER FOLLOWED HIS SLAUGHTER
Yomi let her fall to her knees.
No gloating. No anger. No words.
Just silence.
And the understanding that this wasn't punishment.
It was strategy.
He moved on without looking back, leaving her cradling what was left of her hand, the knowledge that she would never cast again cutting deeper than any wound.
Each opponent fell with specific, calculated injuries designed to serve as permanent reminders of the consequences of challenging him. Broken bones that would never heal quite straight. Severed tendons that would require months of magical reconstruction. Disrupted magical pathways that would limit their casting abilities for years to come.
From her hidden position, Evangeline watched the systematic dismantling with a mixture of horror and fascination that left her questioning everything she thought she understood about the nature of power. This wasn't magic as the academy taught it, this was something older, more fundamental, that treated conventional magical theory as a curious but ultimately irrelevant approximation.
When the last of Viktor's champions lay broken and groaning on the training ground, Yomi moved to Aeloria with the same fluid grace, though his demeanor underwent an immediate transformation. The cold calculation that had characterized his combat dissolved, replaced by genuine concern as he carefully examined the magical restraints holding her.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice carrying none of the terrifying authority it had held moments before. The contrast was jarring, from remorseless destroyer to protective guardian in the space of heartbeats.
Aeloria shook her head, though her eyes remained wide with the implications of what she had witnessed. She had known Yomi was dangerous, had seen glimpses of his true capabilities, but this systematic brutality revealed depths she hadn't suspected. Yet when he looked at her, when his hands moved with careful gentleness to break her restraints, she felt only relief and gratitude.
"I'm fine," she managed, her voice steadier than she felt. "They didn't... they just wanted to use me as bait."
The rage that flickered across Yomi's features at her words was quickly suppressed, though not before Evangeline caught a glimpse of what might have happened if Aeloria had been harmed rather than simply threatened. The nobles lying groaning on the ground had received mercy they didn't understand, a kind of restrained vengeance that could have been exponentially worse.
****
"That was... both terrifying and fascinating," Evangeline said as she emerged from her concealment, her voice carrying personal interest despite the carnage surrounding them. Her tone was steady, but her posture betrayed a subtle tension, like someone approaching a wild predator out of intellectual curiosity. "I followed the mana disturbance. I didn't expect to witness such a comprehensive demonstration of unconventional combat theory."
Yomi turned toward her with the fluid attention of someone whose awareness never truly relaxed, though his expression showed curiosity rather than hostility. His footsteps were soundless as he approached. He stopped in front of her, not at a polite distance, but close enough for her to feel the residual warmth of his aura, the sharp edge of restrained violence clinging to his skin like scent.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said simply, his voice low, breath brushing against her cheek. "This could have ended badly for observers."
"Perhaps," Evangeline agreed, stepping carefully around the groaning forms of Viktor's defeated champions. Her composure held, but her eyes flicked to the bodies around them, caution dancing behind her confidence. "But it didn't, and now I understand why my research into power dynamics led me to you." She gestured toward the systematic destruction surrounding them. "This level of capability transcends anything the academy produces. You're operating on principles that normal society doesn't even acknowledge."
He didn't respond.
Instead, he stepped in closer, closing the last of the space between them. One hand lifted, not with force, but precision, and settled gently at her throat. Not squeezing. Not threatening. Just resting there. Possessive. Measuring. His thumb brushed her pulse as if taking its rhythm.
Evangeline froze.
Her breath hitched, but she didn't pull away.
Her violet eyes, wide with shock, searched his face, trying to decipher intent beneath the closeness. He leaned in, not aggressively, but deliberately, bringing his face close to hers, close enough to breathe in her scent: lavender, parchment, and faint ozone.
Yomi's eyes narrowed slightly, as though cataloging her.
Testing her.
Then he stepped back, the moment dissolving as quickly as it had formed.
Her voice returned with admirable steadiness. "My family has resources that could benefit someone in your position," she continued, though a subtle flush had colored her cheeks. "House Morwyn values strength and intelligence over bloodline. We're pragmatists who recognize excellence regardless of its source."
Yomi assessed her offer with the same focus he'd used in battle, calculating, predatory. "What kind of resources?"
"Political protection, for one," Evangeline replied, recovering her rhythm. "Noble connections that could shield you from the kind of organized harassment Viktor represents. Access to cultivation materials that aren't available through normal academy channels. Information networks that could warn you of threats before they manifest."
She paused, studying his reaction before continuing. "But more importantly, we could provide legitimacy. House Morwyn's backing would transform you from an anomaly to be suppressed into a phenomenon to be studied and cultivated."
The offer was more comprehensive than Yomi had expected, suggesting that Evangeline's family possessed both resources and the wisdom to use them strategically. "And in return?"
"Access to whatever framework lets you defy magical convention," she said, her tone genuinely admiring. "We don't want to dissect or control it, we want to understand it with you. Our research has hit walls that only someone like you could help us break through. If you're open to the idea... you'll have to speak with my mother. She leads our house, and she'll know how to approach this as a partnership, one worthy of your capabilities."
"Access to whatever framework lets you defy magical convention," she said, her tone genuinely admiring. "We don't want to dissect or control it, we want to understand it with you. Our research has hit walls that only someone like you could help us break through. If you're open to the idea... you'll have to speak with my mother. She leads our house, and she'll know how to approach this as a partnership, one worthy of your capabilities."
Before Yomi could respond, Evangeline's expression grew more serious as she shared information that added urgency to their conversation. "Their defeat here won't end this conflict, it will escalate it."