Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 82: Erika Valentine

[Alert: You have entered Stella Xerath's crosshairs.]

'Hm... well, whatever.' Kael thought, shrugging. His gaze met the woman's, and he let out a light sigh, as if dealing with a spoiled child.

"I'm just messing around. No need to take it so seriously," he said casually, trying to ease the tension.

But the magical aura radiating from her was anything but gentle.

It happened in an instant.

A second, a blink of an eye—and then the punch came.

Kael barely had time to react.

BOOM!

The air around him exploded as the woman launched a strike with overwhelming brute force.

Instinct took over.

Kael raised a mana barrier at the last second, and the impact crashed against it like a meteor falling from the sky.

CRACK!

The barrier trembled. Cracks spread across its magical surface like a spiderweb.

The students watched in absolute shock.

The ground beneath Kael shattered violently, as if an earthquake had been generated by the sheer force of the blow. The shockwave sent dust and debris flying through the air, forcing the weaker ones to retreat to avoid being caught in the aftermath.

The instructors, who had been silently observing, took an involuntary step back.

Kael, however, stood firm.

With a snap of his fingers, he reinforced his barrier just as it was about to shatter completely.

The pressure was absurd.

'Shit… this woman isn't playing around.'

Slowly, he raised his eyes to Stella Xerath.

She was still there, standing, her cold and impassive expression unchanged, as if the punch she had just thrown was nothing more than a warm-up.

"Not as weak as I thought," she murmured, her sharp gaze analyzing Kael with newfound interest.

He smirked.

"Yeah, and you're more aggressive than I expected."

The redhead licked her lips, her fists clenching once again.

"Let's see how much you can take."

Kael sighed.

'For fuck's sake… Can't I just enter the academy like a normal person?'

He cracked his neck, feeling the crushing pressure of the woman in front of him. The punch he had just blocked was no joke—Stella Xerath was completely serious.

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The students around them were utterly terrified. Some looked at Kael as if he were a monster for even surviving that blow. Others were frozen in place, simply in awe of witnessing the legendary Sword Demon attacking someone without hesitation.

The instructors were equally tense.

"She can't actually be thinking of continuing..." one of them muttered.

"If that boy isn't strong enough, he's going to die," another commented grimly.

But Stella didn't seem to care.

"Ready?" she asked, taking her stance once more.

Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I really didn't want to make a scene on my first day..." But then, his smile widened. "On the other hand, since you insist, I guess I can have a little fun."

Stella's eyes gleamed with excitement.

BOOM!

This time, Kael moved first.

The ground shattered as he vanished from his spot, reappearing right next to her with lightning-fast speed. His fist glowed with pure mana before coming down in a direct strike.

BANG!

The impact sent a devastating shockwave across the area, lifting dust and debris into the air.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then… black flames exploded into the sky.

A flaming blade pierced through the dust curtain, sweeping across the area in a destructive arc.

Kael retreated at the last moment, dodging the attack by mere centimeters.

As the dust settled, Stella stood there, her sword bathed in black flames, a wild grin on her face.

"Interesting..." she murmured.

Kael let out a lazy smile. "You're not bad yourself."

The instructors were pale.

"Those two... they're going to destroy the academy if this keeps up!"

But Kael and Stella had already fallen into the rhythm of battle... and neither of them was willing to stop now.

Kael snapped his fingers, and in an instant, a sword of pure ice materialized in his hand. The air around it turned frigid, and a layer of frost spread across the ground beneath his feet.

Stella's eyes narrowed.

"Interesting..." she murmured, spinning her flaming blade.

Kael twirled his sword casually. "You like fire, huh?" He smirked. "Then let's see how it fares against absolute zero."

He lunged forward.

CLANG!

The clash of blades created an explosion of vapor and ice.

Stella's black fire was supposed to burn through anything—but to her shock, her flames were being snuffed out.

"Impossible!" Her eyes widened as she saw her sword flicker, its flames devoured by Kael's ice.

He grinned at her surprise. "First time using this, but... not bad."

Stella laughed. "Oh, so that's how it is?"

BOOM!

She swung her blade in a larger arc, trying to overwhelm Kael with sheer impact.

But he glided aside smoothly, dodging with effortless grace.

"You'll have to do better than that."

Kael countered instantly.

With a single motion of his sword, the ground beneath Stella froze solid.

She tried to move—but ice surged up her legs, trapping her in place.

"Tch... so this is your trick?"

Kael twirled his sword between his fingers. "I told you, didn't I?" He smirked. "Absolute zero."

Stella, however, just smiled.

"Funny..."

Suddenly, the ice around her exploded into black flames.

"I love a good challenge."

The instructors were speechless.

"WHAT?!"

"HER FIRE CAME BACK?!"

Kael held his stance, but his instincts screamed.

The new presence that appeared behind Stella was... absurdly oppressive.

It was as if the very atmosphere had frozen solid.

The woman exuded a dark, majestic aura, her imposing presence radiating an undeniable authority.

Her Hime-style haircut cascaded like a blade of black silk, and her ruby-red eyes gleamed with piercing intensity, analyzing everything and everyone around her.

Her elegant black attire hugged every curve of her body with refined grace—but there was no warmth, no kindness in her presence.

She was like a razor-sharp blade... wrapped in silk.

And when her voice, soft yet cold as ice, cut through the silence…

Stella froze.

Literally.

It wasn't Kael.

It wasn't his ice sword.

The very heat in the air had been stolen, and Stella's body trembled for an instant. Cold sweat ran down her temple as she slowly turned her head to face the woman.

"I... was just testing the newbie." Stella tried to justify herself, but her voice lacked the confidence from before.

The woman simply arched an eyebrow.

Kael, for his part, watched everything with a playful and curious glint in his eyes.

"Hoh?" he murmured, a crooked smile on his lips. "And who might this beauty be?"

Absolute silence.

The instructors and students around them held their breath.

Erika Valentine shifted her gaze away from Stella and locked onto Kael. Her eyes carried an air of superiority, analyzing him with an almost clinical sharpness.

"So, you're Kael Scarlet?" Her voice was soft, yet sharp, cutting like a well-forged blade.

Kael smirked. "That depends... does that question come with praise or punishment?"

Stella's eyes widened.

Did he really just say that?!

The air grew even heavier.

Erika remained motionless for a moment. Everyone awaited her reaction, but...

She merely let out a soft sigh.

"Whatever." She crossed her arms. "I am Erika Valentine. And it seems I have to deal with you."

Kael blinked.

Erika Valentine?

Then he recalled the recommendation letter.

'So this is the fencing instructor…?'

His smile grew. "Well, well… looks like I'll have an interesting teacher."

A shiver ran down the spines of the students and instructors.

He's flirting with Erika?!

But Erika didn't react. No change in expression, not even an extra blink.

She simply turned to Stella and, without emotion, said:

"Leave."

Stella hesitated for a second, her jaw clenching. But she didn't argue. Clicking her tongue, she stepped away swiftly, throwing Kael one last look.

Erika then fully turned her attention to him.

"Now… let's handle your admission to the academy."

Her tone was calm and controlled… but Kael sensed something hidden beneath her words.

[Meanwhile…]

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

The Headmaster of Azalith Academy, Altharion, maintained his composure as he stared at the red-haired woman lounging casually in his chair—as if it belonged to her.

Her golden eyes shimmered with a mix of disinterest and silent menace as she gently spun the chair, crossing her legs with effortless elegance.

Altharion sighed. "Why are you here?" His voice was calm but carried a hint of caution.

The woman smiled slightly—a smile that lacked any real amusement.

"I simply came to give you a few warnings..." She spoke, her silky voice cutting through the air like a hidden blade.

Her sharp golden gaze fell directly upon him, and in that instant, the air around Altharion grew heavier.

She then leaned forward slightly, her eyes glowing with a raw, overwhelming power.

"If by any chance…" She paused deliberately, letting her words sink into the air.

"...I even hear that my grandson has suffered external interference from other kingdoms..."

The temperature in the room plummeted instantly.

The very mana in the atmosphere trembled, as if it recognized her presence.

Altharion felt an unnatural chill crawl up his spine.

The woman smiled again. A smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I will erase this entire academy."

It was an absolute declaration.

Not a threat.

A promise.

And from the way her golden eyes glowed with an almost ethereal brilliance, Altharion knew.

She wasn't joking.

"You think I don't know that?" he retorted. "It's not just you who gave me an ultimatum, Eleonor... I've already been cursed by your daughter. After all, she's just as obsessive a mother as you are."

Altharion raised his palm, and a strange symbol flared to life in mana…

A mark that only Elion Scarlet could have left.