NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Power of wind
"A new mission has arrived. Accept Elena's challenge and beat her into a pup, and gain some authority over the household. Elina has stopped the original Ivy powers in the house, host!!"
As Elena announced, the moment was tense. The system beam excitedly wagged its body and announced the new mission arrival to Ivy.
Ivy heard the system's voice in her head, her eyebrows raised in confusion. She was about to battle with Elena, and there was a new mission. She couldn't face it with fear, but with courage. She looked at Elena blankly as she told her, "I Ivy Everhart, accept your challenge, dear sister-in-law. I am going to teach you what respect is since you don't know how to respect your sister-in-law."
Ivy adjusted her hair with a smile. With a wave of her hand, she condensed her magic into her arms. Wind-like woven patterns enveloped her, bringing her palm facing Elena. She gave a haughty stare.
Elena smirked, her eyes mocking Ivy. She scorned Ivy's wind magic. She thought, compared to her flames, the wind magic was nothing. In her presence, Ivy was just a bunny from the rabbit clan. Ivy could do nothing.
A final sneer played on Elena's lips as she dramatically gathered her fiery whip, displaying it with a flourish. "Ivy, I am going to teach you a lesson. You don't know your place in this house. As my brother's wife, you will be subject to my authority. You don't even deserve my brother."
Elena did not wait for Ivy and already attacked. Her whip swiped toward Ivy, almost hitting her.
Ivy leapt, the wind swirling around her as she attacked back. Her wind clashed with Elena's flames. She fought, and the wind pattern wrapped around Elena's arms, slicing her hand.
Ivy's lips curved into a smile. "Elena, you are a coward with hard wings. You only target me when I'm vulnerable. Fight me when I am ready."
Elena attacked again, her whip with flames coming like a raging hell. The damage Ivy's wind caused made her furious.
She sent her whip toward Ivy's face. "Fighting you with decency is not what I want, Ivy. I am going to crumble you. Watch you as you cry and suffer in pain as my flames burn you into ashes?"
Ivy soared up with her wind, escaping the attack. Elena was attacking fiercely. A minor mistake, and she would have disfigured Ivy's face, but Ivy wasn't slow, either. She controlled her wind patterns, countering the flames on Elena's whip.
She was mastering her original Ivy powers very well.
As Elena attacked, Ivy sneered. "You cannot defeat me. I always stand on top."
Her actions did not stop. She attacked fiercely toward Elena. Elena grew more infuriated by her words. It did not stop there. She inquired, "Is your erratic behavior powerless against me?"
Unknown to Ivy, Elena was now like a raging volcano. She was heading toward other deceptive means from where Ivy could not see. Elena whipped her flames, and suddenly, she teleported and powered her flame toward Ivy. The system yelled, having been observing what was happening. It saw the whip and hurriedly warned Ivy, but Ivy had no way out.
"Host, watch out for Elena!!"
Ivy heard the system's scared cry, but before she could react, her eyes met with Elena's whip coming toward her. It barely missed her, striking her arm. She fell to the floor, hitting the pillar. She coughed out a mouthful of blood. Elena had used tricks to defeat her. Holding her chest, she looked up at Elena, glaring at her. Elena had a small, dangerous smile on her face.
Elena's feet sounded forward toward Ivy. She was going to finish Ivy off. Her steps were slow and deliberate, like a witch coming to claim a soul. The system panicked. Elena's advance left Ivy with nowhere to go. It seemed like Elena was going to kill her, and the system was pretty useless. Just as it seemed like everything was over for Ivy, Lucian appeared.
His voice commanded, "Enough of this, Elena! What is going on here?!"
Elena quickly retrieved her whip, hiding it and staring innocently at Lucian, who had just arrived. Putting on a false innocent-like expression, she ran to Lucian and hugged him. She cried on his shoulder.
"Lucian, she hurts me! Suddenly, she started fighting with me! I didn't want to hurt her. Brother, please take justice for me!"
Ivy sneered secretly, seeing Elena's display. She couldn't help but think Elena was such a talented actress. Look at how swiftly she shifted sides. Ivy feared that her acting was too good, and the villain might stand on Elena's side. Ivy stared at Elena's hug, meeting the villain's icy gaze. As always, his expression was unreadable. Ivy put on an innocent face, blinking at him, forcing a smile. In her heart, she said, Please don't hurt me, Lucian.
Lucian briefly turned his gaze away from her and moved closer to Elena. His tone became more serious. He pointed to the door and ordered Elena, "Go to your room, Elena. You're grounded for the day."
Elena's eyes widened with shock. It appeared Lucian was taking Ivy's side. She couldn't believe it. Ivy was the one defending him, but he was casting her away.
"But brother…" Elena's voice came out with shock and disbelief. She couldn't say anything else.
Lucian gazed at her coldly and ordered again, "I say go. Get out."
This time, his tone carried more authority, giving her no room to refuse.
Elena glared at Ivy, her anger seething, before she turned and stormed away, her footsteps heavy with fury. Ivy sighed with relief, silently thanking the heavens that Elena was finally leaving.
Ivy's heart raced. As Elena walked away, she thought in her heart, that girl got issues. Ivy felt a shadow fall over her head. She felt cold, and her heart slowed. She raised her head, her eyes meeting Lucian's. Ivy's face transformed into a pitiful one.
"Lucian, I'm hurt," her voice came like a moan.
Lucian glanced at her, and Ivy felt nervous under his gaze. Lucian moved closer to her, his face losing all emotion. She felt him pick her up, her arms instinctively wrapping around him. Her hand accidentally grazed his, injuring him. Lucian noticed her pain and quickly brushed her hair back, comforting her. "It's okay, it won't hurt."
His voice was very comforting, and Ivy stopped wincing in pain.
Lucian carried her down the broad hallway to her room and laid her on the bed. He stood there, his gaze fixed on her, his rigid expression portraying no emotion. Then he said, "Take off your dress."
-