The Extra's Rise-Chapter 248: Sophomore Ball (2)

Arthur had precisely zero control over the situation.

One arm trapped in Cecilia’s iron grip, the other held hostage by Seraphina. Two princesses, one goal—his absolute and total possession.

"Arthur is going to dance with me," Seraphina declared, her silver gaze glinting with quiet certainty.

Cecilia scoffed, rolling her crimson eyes. "Ha. Dream on. As if that would ever happen for someone like you, Ice Princess."

Seraphina’s fingers tightened. "At least I don’t treat people like toys, Witch."

"Both of you, stop fighting," Arthur tried, attempting to yank his arms free. Futile effort.

Cecilia and Seraphina weren’t just strong—they were stubborn.

But before either of them could escalate further, Arthur vanished.

A blink. A shift. A warp.

The grand hall disappeared in a swirl of mana.

And when the world reformed, Arthur found himself somewhere completely different—his head resting comfortably on something soft.

A lap.

"Hehe, you’re here now," a familiar, smug voice giggled.

Arthur blinked up to see Rachel, sapphire eyes gleaming mischievously, fingers already reaching up to pinch his nose.

"Rach?" Arthur coughed, jerking upright. "Where are we?"

"Outside," she answered far too happily.

Arthur took a second to register his surroundings. The cool night air, the gentle sway of enchanted lanterns floating above them, the quiet hum of the distant ballroom music. A rooftop, just on the outskirts of the venue.

And then, the final puzzle piece clicked.

"You used one of the seven-circle mages from the Creighton family," he muttered, realization dawning.

Rachel beamed. "Of course."

Ever since the demon attack during the mid-terms, the second-year students had been assigned elite protection. Each of the superpowers—the Creighton family, Slatemark Empire, Mount Hua Sect, and the Ashbluff family—had sent two Ascendant-rank mages to act as unseen guardians.

Apparently, Rachel had commandeered one of them.

"After all," Rachel continued sweetly, "I’m a princess. And the Saintess. Am I not the best?"

Arthur stared at her, bewildered. "You just—"

"Anyway," Rachel interrupted, completely ignoring his attempt at reason, "you look so handsome today."

Her sapphire eyes shone, taking him in, her smile turning from playful to something softer, something more dangerous. "You’re so perfect for me, Arthur… Arthur… Arthur…"

Her voice was growing breathier, as if just saying his name was enough to make her dizzy.

Arthur swallowed.

"Do you like the view?" she teased, tilting her head, her face now very close to his.

Arthur’s eyes flickered away on instinct. "Rach—"

’So cute!’ Rachel thought gleefully, watching him struggle.

"Dance with me," she whispered, fingers tracing absent circles against his sleeve. "I’ll win."

"Rach—" Arthur started, once again attempting the futile thing known as reason.

And then the air changed.

Heat.

A rush of mana.

A deep, rich crimson flooded the rooftop, saturating the space in Cecilia’s unmistakable aura. The rooftop tiles beneath them cracked, energy pulsing outward in a slow, suffocating wave.

Arthur turned, already sighing in exasperation.

Rachel, however, did not sigh.

Her expression hardened.

A flicker of light—a glimmer of divine gold—and in an instant, wings unfurled from her back, spanning out in a display of pure celestial brilliance.

With a single pulse, the oppressive crimson mana was purified, washed away in radiant light.

Rachel’s sapphire eyes turned cold.

"Annoying witch," she muttered.

The rooftop crackled under the weight of their mana signatures clashing.

"Both of you, stop—" Arthur started, stepping forward, already preparing to de-escalate.

But before he could, another mana presence entered the scene.

A new one.

A dangerous one.

A knight landed on the rooftop.

He was tall, clad in the silver and navy uniform of the Slatemark Empire, his presence exuding raw, disciplined power. And in his grip—a sword infused with astral energy.

Arthur froze.

’What the actual fuck.’

Cecilia stood just behind him, a satisfied smirk curling on her lips.

"Luke!" Rachel snapped, her voice sharp.

Arthur’s thoughts derailed.

’Cecilia brought an Imperial Knight into this? Is she actually insane?’

And he was currently swinging an astral blade down toward them.

Arthur’s instincts flared.

He moved—but before he could act, another presence interrupted.

A sharp collision.

A violent clash of mana.

The Imperial Knight’s astral blade was halted mid-air—stopped by a countering force just as powerful.

Arthur exhaled.

Cecilia clicked her tongue, barely hiding her irritation as the Creighton seven-circle mage stepped forward.

"Your Highness Rachel, I apologize for my delay," Luke said with a stiff bow, his voice laced with formality. "But—"

"Shut it," Rachel cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. "I told you, don’t worry about it."

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Arthur exhaled sharply, feeling the tension tighten like a noose around his neck. He could already see where this was going.

"Rachel, Cecilia—stop," he said, raising his hands in what he hoped was a gesture of peace.

It wasn’t.

Both girls turned their attention to him like a pair of predators who had just spotted fresh prey.

"Both of you are being—" Arthur started, only to be rudely interrupted by the sudden, overpowering scent of honey.

The air shifted.

Soft petals, light as whispers, drifted from nowhere.

Plum blossoms.

Arthur’s shoulders sagged.

Oh, for the love of—

Before he could even register what was happening, slender arms wrapped around him from behind, a warm breath ghosting against his ear.

"Hello," Seraphina whispered.

Arthur barely had a second to react before she took off, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

He groaned. Loudly.

’Can I finish a goddamn sentence for once in my life?!’

This was getting ridiculous.

"Mine," Seraphina declared, holding him possessively as they soared above the ballroom.

Arthur didn’t need to see the chaos below to feel it.

He could sense Cecilia’s mana crackling like a storm left behind. He could practically hear Rachel’s indignant rage from here. And now, the unmistakable pressure of another mana signature loomed nearby.

Arthur craned his neck and sighed.

A Mount Hua Elder.

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Fantastic.

A seven-circle mage. An Imperial Knight. And now, an Elder.

"Sera," he muttered, his voice strained. "Are you seriously using your family’s elders just to steal me from a dance?"

Seraphina’s grip didn’t loosen. If anything, she held him closer.

"I am a princess," she said, as if that explained everything. "Their loss if they try to stop me."

Arthur rubbed his temples. "You do realize disciplinary action is a thing, right?"

Seraphina just shrugged, her expression unreadable. "They wouldn’t dare. And even if they did—" she turned to face him fully, ice blue eyes glinting under the moonlight, "—it would be worth it."

Arthur inhaled sharply, suddenly very aware of just how close she was. The cool night breeze sent strands of silver hair fluttering, reflecting the soft glow of the stars. She looked almost unreal.

Ethereal.

It was the only word for her.

For all of them, really.

Each of them—Seraphina, Rachel, Cecilia, Rose—were impossibly beautiful, terrifyingly strong, and far, far too intelligent for his own good.

Men would kill to be in his position.

Yet here he was, completely trapped in the middle of their personal war over him.

And, if he was being honest?

He didn’t blame them.

Arthur was many things—calculating, strategic, a near-genius when it came to battle. But when it came to this? To love, to relationships, to whatever this absolute mess was?

He was naïve.

Because as much as he wanted them, he didn’t want to share them.

And he knew—deep down, in the very pit of his soul—that they felt the same way about him.

That was the real problem.

"Sera—" Arthur started, forcing himself to break the silence.

Seraphina tilted her head, waiting.

But before he could get a single word out—

Roses.

Blue roses.

They bloomed around them in an instant, flooding the air with their unmistakable fragrance.

Arthur knew what was coming before it even happened.

"Oh, for the—"

And just like that, he disappeared again.

The next thing he knew, he was falling—or rather, landing.

His vision blurred momentarily before settling, and the first thing he saw was a familiar shade of auburn.

Then, warmth.

Then, fingers in his hair.

Then, a voice, soft and utterly pleased.

"Hi," Rose greeted, her tone so casual it was almost insulting.

Arthur blinked.

He was in her lap.

"Rose." He exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "You too?"

She tilted her head innocently, running her fingers through his hair as if this were a completely normal situation.

"What?" she said. "I waited my turn."

Arthur groaned.

"You kidnapped me right out of Seraphina’s arms."

Rose just smiled, completely unbothered. "She kidnapped you first."

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it.

He had… nothing for that.

No counter.

No argument.

Nothing.

Rose grinned at his silence. "See? You get it now."

Arthur dropped his head back onto her lap, staring at the sky, utterly defeated.

This night wasn’t even close to being over.