NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93: Stolen
Damien stood calmly at the base of the flagpost, arms relaxed, breath steady.
All around him, the sounds of battle had erupted into full chaos. His squad members had returned in force, intercepting the wave of Jiang Xiao Yu's units that had turned from a feint to the real deal.
Blades clashed, spells lit the forest in bursts of light and smoke, and mana pulsed in violent waves through the trees.
Amidst it all, Damien was defending against Jiang Xiao Yu's relentless assault, shadows clashing with mist in sharp, fluid bursts.
She moved like water, slipping through his counters, weaving feints with real strikes. But Damien held firm, anticipating her every angle.
Then a whisper of movement above broke his focus.
He looked up.
Athena dropped from the treetops in a golden blur, flipping once before landing beside Jiang Xiao Yu with practiced ease. The wind scattered leaves around her boots.
"Sorry I'm late," she said casually, flicking a leaf from her hair with the edge of her dagger. "It's not easy looking this good while sprinting."
Damien merely chuckled at her words and motioned for them to attack.
One girl or two girls, it didn't matter to him.
Jiang Xiao Yu didn't answer immediately. She stepped forward, mist coiling around her hands like silk. Her voice was calm, but focused.
"We don't have time. Our flag is under attack. We have to take his flag quickly."
Damien's voice remained quiet. Steady. "Then come take it."
Athena smiled brightly. "Sure. I always take what I want."
Jiang Xiao Yu exhaled. "Just don't do anything stupid."
But it was already too late.
Athena's eyes lit up like a misfired illusion bomb.
She didn't wait.
She burst forward and charge at Damien from the side, low, fast, and glowing with golden light.
Her daggers slashed out in a blinding arc, one aiming high, the other low, forcing Damien to pivot sharply and deflect.
He caught her wrists with practiced precision.
But she twisted like a ribbon in the wind, broke free, and ducked beneath his guard, too fast to catch cleanly.
Jiang Xiao Yu capitalized instantly, sweeping a curtain of water blades at his flank, but Damien slid between the attacks with barely a graze. He moved like a shadow, seamless and focused, countering with a sweeping leg kick that sent Athena flipping backward into a crouch beside Jiang.
Athena lunged again, hard and fast.
Damien blocked the incoming strike with his forearm, then dipped beneath her follow-up slash only for Athena to suddenly toss her daggers aside and spring forward without warning, arms outstretched.
He blinked. "What..."
She crashed into him.
Her arms locked around his neck, her legs coiling around his waist as momentum drove them both backward, slamming into the soft earth with a heavy thud.
Before he could fully process what had just happened…
She kissed him.
Full on the mouth.
Firm. Warm. Wet. And completely unexpected.
For a full second, nothing happened.
Not a word. Not a sound.
The forest stilled. Birds froze in midair.
Combat spells fizzled out mid-cast.
Someone dropped their weapon.
One student actually fell over from shock.
Jiang Xiao Yu, who had been preparing her next strike froze mid-cast, her water magic hanging in the air like suspended glass.
On the instructor platform, Professor Bai Lian covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes opened wide in shock, admiration and secret delight.
Professor Wu choked on his tea.
Professor Orange was already reaching into her bag for popcorn.
Damien laid there on the ground with Athena above him, completely frozen.
Athena slowly pulled back, her eyes twinkling like a mischievous fox. She whispered against his lips, "Thanks for the kiss… and the flag."
With a wink, she yanked the team's flag from its perch behind him and bolted.
It took Damien three full seconds to register what had just happened.
That little minx!
She had stolen his flag… AND his first kiss!
Still on his back, Damien slowly sat up, his face blank, but his ears were unmistakably red.
Jiang Xiao Yu stood above him, arms folded, expression unreadable. But the subtle twitch at the corner of her eye betrayed her irritation.
She looked down at him. "You let your guard down."
"I…" Damien opened his mouth, then closed it again. He was usually good with words. Right now, not so much.
"She kissed me," he muttered helplessly.
Jiang Xiao Yu stared. "I was here. I saw."
There was a long pause.
Then she added flatly, "You didn't even resist."
"I was… stunned," Damien said, rubbing his temple.
"You didn't even blink."
Damien coughed. "As I said… I was stunned."
Jiang Xiao Yu sighed and looked away. "Honestly."
Damien stood and dusted himself off, still dazed. Jiang Xiao Yu walked beside him silently for a few paces.
Then, without looking at him, she muttered, "Next time… I'm going first."
Damien blinked. "Huh?"
"Nothing," she said, and walked faster.
Back on the instructor platform, Professor Bai Lian exhaled dreamily. "Ah, young love and tactical betrayal."
"Love? That was not love! Those kids know nothing about love!" Professor Wu declared. "That was psychological warfare!"
Professor Orange chuckled, still munching on her popcorn with the same dreamy look as Professor Bai Lian. "Either way, it worked."
Professor Kong Hu sighed and rubbed his temples.
That damn Damien Bloodbane.
He had screwed up and completely turned the training sessions upside down.
Not by malicious intent… But by overperforming!
And in the single activity which he actually decided to underperform by standing right there by the flag instead of decimating his enemies… His god damn good looks overperformed!
He somehow made the American Princess kiss him and turned the training session into a source for a massive gossip session later that evening!
Professor Kong Hu had never experienced such a confounding start to the school year before.
"Damn it. I need to ask Principal Tian Long for a raise in my salary!"
In the distance, Athena could be heard laughing with absolute delight as she sprinted across the forest, flag in hand, her golden hair whipping behind her like a comet trail.
There was no more suspense to the ending.
Within the minute, the victory rune pulsed overhead. A chime rang through the air.
MATCH OVER – TEAM B WINS.
Cheers erupted from the northern base.