Revenge pact

Burning Bush Saga- Begin

"Just count my points..." Unwilling to engage in any pointless conversation, Adonis placed both sacks on the table, their legs creaking under the weight.

THUD

"V-vindicta..." Holding back tears, Vera dashed towards her team leader.

Adonis glanced at Vera for a few seconds before redirecting his gaze toward the path leading back to the academy.

Without a word, he walked straight past her.

"Vindicta?" A tear running down her rosy cheeks, Vera whispered his name.

"Where's Wendy?" Amber questioned Adonis, more concerned with the threat toward the Empire as opposed to his well-being.

Answering Amber's question with a casual point to the sack on the table, Adonis left, heading straight for his dormitory.

'What's wrong with him?' Redirecting her attention to the bloody sack on the table, Amber furrowed her brows.

"Is that really him?" Reluctant to approach his friend, Maxwell watched from a distance.

***

Avoiding everyone who attempted to engage him, Adonis walked along the path.

"Why'd he point at the sack?" Curious, Amber shuffled towards the struggling table and opened one of the sacks.

Inside, dozens of white and grey magic crystals awaited.

As her eyes gazed upon the contents of the sack, she couldn't help but gasp.

However, Amber, this gasp didn't stem from the sheer quantity of magic crystals but rather what rested atop.

Atop these magic crystals, rested a round, bloodied object that Amber identified immediately.

It was a head...

A human head...

Wendy's head.

***

3 hours later.

In a spacious marble bathroom, a tall teenager was seated in a large bathtub filled with steaming water.

SPLASH

Ignoring the water rapidly dripping from his hair, Adonis approached the sink near the wall.

DRIP DRIP DRIP

"No matter how many times I bathe... I'm still dirty." Gazing deeply into the mirror, Adonis frowned.

Staring back at him was a tall teenage boy, his perfect porcelain skin tainted by an overwhelming amount of blood as if he had just taken a bath in hell.

{Dirty? Oizys, you've taken five baths. What do you mean you're dirty?}

"Do you not see it?" Staring into the eyes of the boy who looked back at him, Adonis deepened his frown.

{See what?}

"The blood..."

{What blood? You washed off all the blood the first time you took a bath.}

"Look!"

{At what?}

"I'm dirty!" Tears running down his face, Adonis gripped his face tightly, threatening to rip off his own flesh.

{...}

"The blood of everyone I've killed, it won't wash off." He sobbed.

KNOCK KNOCK

Frightened by the sudden knocking at the door, Adonis jumped.

{Get yourself together, this is pathetic.}

Ignoring the Devil God, Adonis reluctantly exited the bathroom, heading towards the main door of his large bedroom.

Standing outside the boy's door was someone he recognized instantly.

Seeing Adonis open the door unclothed, the tall young man with burgundy hair leaped back, his crimson eyes widening in horror.

{Just because you're traumatized, it doesn't mean you should go around traumatizing others Oizys.}

"What do you want?" Looking at the Elder blankly, Adonis posed his question.

"Would you mind getting dressed first?" Using his hand to cover his eyes, Elder Mars frowned.

"..." Closing his door and taking a few moments to change, Adonis emerged once more, although this time fully clothed.

He opted for his usual unassuming attitude, long white pants paired with a short white tunic.

"So much better." Elder Mars sighed in relief.

"What do you want?" Repeating his question with a more irritated expression, Adonis frowned.

"Are you not going to invite me inside?" The vice commander complained.

"Is this going to be a long visit?"

"Well, that depends on how much you have to tell me." Smiling, Elder Mars swatted Adonis to the side as if he were a mere child.

Resisting to attack the Royal vice commander who barged into his room, Adonis scowled.

"Where do you keep your tea?" Entering Adonis's kitchen, Elder Mars smiled warmly, making himself at home.

{What a rude guest.}

"Go ahead, make yourself at home."

"Where?" Mishearing Adonis's sarcasm as a direction, Elder Mars opened a wooden cupboard, diligently searching for the tea.

"Second cupboard from the top." Taking a seat on his couch, Adonis sighed.

"Ooo Rooibos! I must say, you have good taste, Adonis." Filling a small cup with tap water, Elder Mars smiled.

'He didn't even offer me a cup.' Adonis sighed.

"Speech Magic: Absolute Command, Boil."

Obeying Elder Mars's command, the water began vibrating violently.

SHATTER

Due to the sudden increase in temperature, the ceramic cup gave up, shattering in the Elder's hand.

"Oops." Unbothered by the boiling water that graced his skin, Elder Mars frowned childishly.

"You better clean that up," Adonis commanded.

"You're quite rude Adonis..." Finally opting to use the kettle like a normal person, Elder Mars giggled.

'Could say the same about you...'

"You're much different than you were the first time I saw you." Increasing the kettle's heat, Elder Mars placed his hand on his chin.

"You get rid of those voices yet?" Elder Mars asked.

"I don't know what you mean..."

"Oh well, then that means you haven't." He shrugged.

"Why are you even here? I'm sure a vice commander has more to do than drink a first-year's tea."

"Surprisingly, I actually have DO have nothing else to d-"

"That's not the point, why are you here." Adonis dismissed.

"Yeah yeah, we'll get to that in a bit. Relax would ya?" Pouring boiling water through a paper filter into a new cup, Elder Mars brushed off Adonis's urgency.

{Is he in any way self-aware?}

'He's always like this.'

"Forgive me, I never asked. Do you also want a cup?"

'This is my home!'

"No thank you." Suppressing his inner thoughts, Adonis managed a polite reply.

"Okay." Carrying his cup, Elder Mars walked out of the kitchen and seated himself near a small coffee table in Adonis's lounge.

SLURP

"Ouch! It's hot!" Removing his mouth from the edge of the ceramic cup, Elder Mars frowned.

"How long are you going to stay?" Already tired of the Vice Commander, Adonis sighed.

Purposefully ignoring Adonis's words, Vice Commander Mars stirred his tea.

"So, to the reason I'm here." After stirring and blowing on his tea to cool it down, Elder Mars finally spoke.

"Finally."

"What do you know about Wendy Carter?" Sharpening his gaze, Elder Mars studied Adonis, his playful demeanor ceasing.

'I'm not surprised.'

"Not much other than she was a Dark Elf, sent to the Caelum Empire."

"I kinda figured." Shrugging, Elder Mars blew on his tea.

"Is that all?"

"Officially, yes."

"Okay then, may you please lea-" Adonis wasn't shy to make his irritation known.

"Now onto the important stuff."

"You just said that was all?"

"Yes, academy and Empire matters."

'I wonder what it is this time.'

"What else do you want."

"Just a few questions to quench my curiosity." Elder Mars shrugged.

SLURP

"Ouch! It's still hot."

'Then wait for it to cool down!'

"Ask away, then get out," Adonis said firmly.

"Now, Adonis... How did you kill Wendy Carter?"

"I-I, I cut her body in half." His actions replaying vividly in his mind, Adonis choked.

"In half? But I heard you only returned with her head."

"Well, I just cut it off afterwards as proof of death." He shuddered.

"Makes sense, but that wasn't my question. All of your teammates said that Wendy was Tier 10 High Rank, are you saying you're that strong or potentially stronger?"

"Well, I guess I am." Adonis shrugged.

"Luna did mention, you'd reply like that."

"Luna?"

"Yes, that girl is obsessed with battle." Elder Mars shook his head.

'You don't say?'

"I'm not going to ask you how strong you really are, because I'm sure you wouldn't tell me the truth so I'll ask you a more interesting question."

"Hm?"

SLURP

"Yes... Interesting. If you were to fight every single First-year Rising Star at the same time, how many could you defeat?" Ignoring the burning in his mouth, Elder Mars smirked.

"Defeat or kill?"

"Kill." Grinning, Elder Mars clarified his question.

SLURP

"All of them." After pondering the scenario for a few moments, Adonis answered the question flatly.

"Hehe, I like your confidence. But I disagree."

"And why is that?"

"You can't use magic." Emptying the tea into his stomach, Elder Mars shrugged nonchalantly.

"..." Deep in thought, Adonis tried to pinpoint the moment when Elder Mars had seen right through him.

sigh "Let me not take advantage of your hospitality." Elder Mars stood up abruptly and began stretching his stiff limbs, seemingly satisfied with the boy's expression.

'Since when was I being hospital?'

"Finally, bye."

"Adonis, a word of advice... You may have made great progress, but you're nowhere near strong enough. " Before he opened the door to leave, Elder Mars turned to face Adonis.

"Strong enough? To do what?" Adonis raised his eyebrow.

"To achieve your goal silly. Whatever it may be. "

"And what if my goal is to have a simple school life?"

"If that's the case then my instincts have been wrong..." Leaving the boy with a few words of wisdom, the young man left the dormitory.

SLAM

'I'll never get used to the way he acts...'

{Could say the same for yo-}

"Wait!" Flinging his door open, Adonis poked his head out the doorway, looking down the long corridor for the Elder.

SLAM

Failing to find the Elder and acknowledging it would be impossible to locate him, Adonis slammed his door in frustration.

"He didn't clean up his mess!" He glared at the broken cup in the kitchen-like area, his irritation palpable.

{Kukuku. He also stole your cup.}