FAMILY ABOVE ALL: BATTLING AGAINST GODS

A few hours before the second part of the second-year ranking war started...

Within the southern region of the academy, and at the Principal's office...

Sitting on one of the two sofas facing each other, Arlo, Arianne, and Joe briefed Principal Stanley and Julian on what happened in the secret realm. They shared some of their experiences, including how they had witnessed the death of the third-year students, and how they had survived Rook and his party's chase.

Of course, certain information was withheld, such as Landon dying at Arianne's hands, and the fruits they had found on the floating mountain.

"So you are saying that little werewolf and this brat...I mean Joe killed the Rook and his team?" Teacher Julian asked shell-shocked.

"That is right?" Arlo had no choice but to reply as Arianne seemed uninterested in responding to their questions. It seemed she still held a grudge with Principal Stanley. Besides, it seemed her brother being asked to wait for them outside unnerved her greatly. Joe on the other hand was too worried about his sister to care about their questions.

As for Evangeline, she had left in a hurry to inform the Protectors about what transpired within and outside the secret realm. Ever since Scarlett killed the first ranked Second-year student whom people were still not aware was a demon, the Protectors had secretly moved to investigate the entire academy and find out if other students or staff had been corrupted. Ella had no choice but to leave with her, as she needed a powerful backer to remain safe.

"The last question..." The silent Principal suddenly spoke, his expression slowly becoming grave. Looking intently at the three small kids before him who he wasn't sure would remain under his jurisdiction any longer due to their newfound strength, he opened his mouth and spoke, his deep voice ringing across the entire room:

"What is the cause of the tribulation lightning that suddenly shook the skies and rumbled the earth?"

As if planned, Arianne and Joe looked at Arlo. They knew something like those could not be hidden, as many more witnesses were aware of the truth.

Seeing the two little kid's reaction, Principal Stanley and Teacher Julian also shifted their gaze to Arlo, awaiting his reply.

Under the stare of all the parties in the room, Arlo remained calm, his expression unchanged.

He had thought deeply about what to say during their return to the academy. While Scarlett, Rebecca, and the other leaders had not had the opportunity to ask them that question because of what transpired, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was asked.

And there was no way he could reveal Seraphina's existence. But he also had to tell a believable lie that would explain such a manifestation of heaven's fury.

Arlo couldn't come up with a tangible lie even after racking his brain several times. So after a long and careful thought, he decided to tell the truth...or rather a truth. Something about him that was simply unbelievable...but still in the realm of humanly acceptable.

Pointing at the unconscious Anita who was still resting comfortably on his head, Arlo spoke with a calm voice:

"I believe you are already aware that I am a warrior. Well, this is my first summon."

Principal Stanley and Teacher Julian studied Anita for several moments, a look of surprise on their faces. This was the first time they had seen a slime, especially one that was a summon. Still, they got over their surprise and threw a questioning look at Arlo:

"So!?"

What does the slime have to do with the lightning tribulation?

Arlo remained silent for a moment, before he gathered his courage and revealed a secret of his, one that he had been planning on keeping to himself but now had no choice but to reveal:

"Well, I connected to another summon within the secret realm."

The Principal and Julian looked at him with blank expressions for several moments before their eyes widened like saucers.

"Wh-What!?"

They couldn't believe their ears. It was widely known that only the ancestor of the Asura race was able to summon two astral warriors, making her talent in Ki cultivation monstrous and unrivaled.

Yet a boy before them was claiming to have talent that rivaled hers?

Feeling his throat go dry, Principal Stanley spoke with a slightly trembling voice:

"C-can you show us? I mean your second summon..."

Arlo shrugged, "Why not?"

After a great deal of thought, he had already decided on which of his two summons he would reveal, as that would allow him to use their abilities freely in the open.

Connecting with the fox seal of his upper arm, Arlo commanded within his mind:

"Come out!"

A huge portion of his Ki was instantly sucked into the seal, and before he knew it, a black light shot out of the seal before turning into a small figure on his lap.

When the figure appeared fully, Arlo was stunned senseless. The others shared his reaction, including Arianne and even the downcast Joe.

This was the first time Arlo was seeing his second summon, and he had to confess that she was the most beautiful and adorable monster he had ever seen. No, she was the most splendid creature he had ever laid his eyes upon.

There on his lap was a small black fox with nine tails, her sleek fur as dark as night itself. Each of her tails swayed gracefully behind her, a testament to her otherworldly beauty. Yet, it was not just her ebony coat that captivated the eye.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice the delicate edges of her tails, painted in hues of deep purple that shimmered in the light within the room. These accents contrasted beautifully against the velvety blackness of her fur, adding an ethereal quality to her appearance.

Her eyes, too, held a mesmerizing allure, glowing with the same enchanting purple hue as the tips of her tails. They seemed to hold the secrets of the universe within their depths, drawing in those who dared to meet her gaze.

As she moved with a feline grace, a mane of soft purple fur cascaded down from below her neck, framing her slender form in a regal embrace. It danced with every step she took, adding to her mystique and enhancing her already enchanting presence.

This small black fox, with her nine tails and eyes like pools of amethyst, was a creature of rare beauty, a sight to behold.

"KIAAAH!" The deafening silence was suddenly broken by Arianne's cute cry.

Lunging forward, she tried to grab the cute creature from Arlo's lap only to be stopped when the fox bared her small but sharp fangs at her. Only then did Arlo recollect himself. As if sensing his emotions, the fox turned back to him before moving closer and snuggling into his embrace.

"I am so happy to finally meet you...Arlo." Her soft, beautiful, and soothing voice rang out in his mind.

"Kira..." For some reason, this name suddenly appeared in his mind, as if imprinted within. Caressing his new summon, Arlo reveled in how pleasing her fur was to the touch, and the small but cute purring sounds Kira released further boosted this feeling.

"A-hem!" The Principal suddenly coughed. Repressing the urge to snatch the little fix from Arlo and caress her to his satisfaction, he looked at Arlo with confused eyes:

"But that doesn't explain your tail and eyes..."

While Kira indeed had tails, three at that, the tail behind Arlo's back was distinctly different from hers. While hers was night black with purple edges, Arlo's was longer and covered in multicolored scales. Not to mention that Kira's eyes were purple while Arlo's were blue, and even looked reptilian.

Shrugging, Arlo pulled Kira closer to the fox's satisfaction and responded, "I don't know. I just became like this after connecting with her."

Arlo already knew that while revealing Kira's existence could explain the heavenly tribulation, it couldn't clear the doubts about why he had changed so much. But he didn't care, it wasn't as if they had a choice other than to take his word for it.

.....

Four figures walked steadily on the wayside. The streets were somewhat empty, with many buildings made from darknite lining the roads.

Principal Stanley had offered to take Arlo to the Second year ranking war, but he politely refused. He already had Stefan to guide him, so he didn't need his assistance. Him staying longer with them would only displease Arianne further.

Speaking of the little vampire Princess, she held the unconscious Anita within her embrace and glared resentfully at the beautiful fox within Arlo's.

"Hmph! Who wants to touch you!? My Anita is enough..."

The little fox merely opened one eye and spared her a glance, her eyes soon shifting to the blue slime. Soon after, she moved her head to the other side before shifting to a more comfortable position, ignoring Arianne and Anita altogether.

"You..." Anita's face flushed red from anger, causing Arlo to shake his head wryly.

Seeing Joe remain silent, Arlo felt bad upon seeing his friend downcast. Suddenly, he had an idea.

Moving closer to Joe, Arlo offered with a smile, "Why don't you touch her!?"

Joe who was lost in his thoughts was suddenly attracted by Arlo's voice. Looking at the black fox in Arlo's embrace, he hesitated for a moment, especially when he caught sight of Arianne's expectant eyes.

However, after a while, he gritted his teeth and brought his palm closer to the fox.

As if feeling his approach, the little fox opened one eye, her purple eye immediately fixing on Joe causing him to flinch. But even after a while, the fox didn't react and merely stared at him.

Seeing this, Joe gathered his courage and slowly pushed his hand forward, before...patting the fox on her back. Seeing that the fox didn't reject him, he went further and caressed her black fur, reveling in how comforting it felt to the touch.

Arianne's increasingly gloating eyes gave way to shock before turning into boiling anger. Her ruby eyes shone brightly, and her body trembled. She didn't even notice that she was squeezing the blue slime in her hands tighter. Thankfully, Anita was still in her process of transformation and wasn't conscious.

A little away from the trio, Stefan watched with an amused smile.

Seemingly no longer satisfied with merely touching her, Joe tried to grab the fox from Arlo only to finally elicit a reaction from the new summon. Baring her teeth, she growled softly, showing her rejection of being separated from Arlo.

Joe quickly retracted his hands, and even though he had failed to carry the fox, a sincere smile still painted his face. Seeing that his mood had indeed improved, Arlo thought to himself:

'I should try communicating with Seraphina, and get her to release the pitch-black snake. That should keep him company and maybe take his mind away from his sister.'