章節 124: 120th Adversary: Tiana Draxler
"You're in the same class as Zora?"
The senior division cafeteria. Miko was in the cafeteria with Hina and the boys, Luka and her group, and Momo.
"Yeah, he barely comes to class so we never realized."
Said, Ace.
"So he came to class? Which one?"
"Proxy Studies. It might be because he's a proxy himself."
"What is he like?"
"He was quiet and listened in class, but he was scary."
Ace said.
"He was continuously releasing this demonic aura and bloodlust. It was as if he was constantly at war or ready for battle."
"Is he strong?"
Miko acknowledged Ace's newly sharpened instincts which he obtained through learning Vita. So if Ace declares anyone a threat, he'll acknowledge that person as such. Especially now Ace's strength might be equal to his.
"He gives off the same dangerous feeling Kaido does. However, he seems to be more likely to attack you."
"So he's more aggressive?"
Ace nodded. Miko thought about it for a bit.
"Well, that could be a problem if we're trying to get along with each other. I mean, you might not believe me but I can be sorta a hothead sometimes."
"Dude, everyone here saw you punch someone just five minutes ago. We know."
Sora said.
"If you and Zora meet I'm sure punches will be thrown in less than a minute."
"That's not true. I'm not that much of a thug."
Miko tried to defend his image but his words only fell on deaf ears.
"Oh, I just remembered."
Miko dug into his pocket and took a small pouch. With everyone's eyes watching him with wonder, he emptied the bag on the table for all to see.
"Rings?"
What came from the bags were shiny rings.
"I had Layla order these a while back. I kept forgetting to give you guys."
He took up a ring. The rings were thick, had colorful gems in them, and had a symbol of a Dragon entangling with a crow engraved on it.
"They're made from 20 Karat gold infused with published magic stones."
He placed the ring on his finger.
"These rings represent the members of Renacido who fought alongside me."
He then handed rings to Momo, Hina, Sora, and Ace. Regis, Ishma, and even Tiamat had their rings on their fingers for a while now.
"Thanks, Miko."
"I'll cherish it."
Momo and Hina were grateful for the rings.
"I was just given a ring by a man…"
"Yeah, I don't know how to feel either."
Sora and Ace looked hesitant to put on the rings. In the end, they put them and smiled.
"Not gonna lie though. I feel rich just wearing this thing."
Ace started admiring the ring.
"What? No ring for Luka? And you call yourself her future husband."
Aya teased.
"She'll get a ring and more when the time is right."
Miko replied with a casual tone. So casual, Aya couldn't reply. Luka said nothing either.
"Oh, there's been something that's been bugging me."
Miko didn't realize or rather didn't care for the mood he created and continued the conversation as normal.
"Who currently are the top-ranking students? The Four Dragon Stars?"
Luka nodded.
"I'm not trying to degrade the Dragon Stars, but when Krul and the others were here, they didn't really care about ranks and barely participated in ranking tournaments. That was because they never intended to graduate from here in the first place. So the rankings have been dominated by the Dragon Star for the last 2-3 years."
"Why 2-3 years?"
"Because that's the period when the Dragon Stars transferred here."
"Then, what are the current rankings?"
Luka looked at Aya and Kana for help. Luka had left for over a year, so she was out of the loop with the current affairs of the academy.
Kana answered.
"The current rankings are Klaus at 1st, Kaido at 2nd, Zora at 3rd, and Tang at 4th."
"So Kaido isn't first?"
Hina asked.
"No. Since he transferred here, Klaus has been ranked #1 even after Kaido came."
"Then he's the strongest Dragon Star?"
"I wouldn't say so."
Aya replied.
"The rankings don't necessarily represent a person's true strength. Especially since the Dragon Stars don't participate in every ranking tournament. That being said, no one knows who the strongest of the four is."
Miko thought about it some more then asked.
"What about this Tang guy? He's at 4th and he's the one I've heard the least about."
"That's because Tang is more reserved than the other three. There are many times when he's not even on campus for weeks. But he's never lost or drawn a single fight in his time here. All victories."
"Sounds like quite the badass."
Miko said.
"There's also someone else I'm interested in. Not a student but a teacher. I think her name is Tiana Draxler. Do you know her?"
"Know her? Prof. Draxler is the most famous instructor here."
Luka answered.
"Are you interested in her because she taught your siblings?"
"There's that, but there's something about her that's bugging me."
"Are you sure you're not just attracted to her?"
"I'm not like you, Ace."
Miko leaned back in his seat.
"There's just something about her that seems off."
"Well, for what it's worth. She is the one in charge of the Four Dragon Stars."
Aya said.
"What?"
"She's the only one that can keep them under control. There was an incident when the four of them were going to fight and decide who's #1 despite the teachers' disapproval. Prof. Draxler stepped in and put them on under control."
"How?"
"Who knows? She just approached them and they all backed down."
"It might be the same reason why you feel like something's off about her. They probably didn't want to get on her wrong side."
Sora said.
"Then they instinctively obeyed her?"
Miko became quiet for a while.
"What kind of person is she?"
At the same time, Tiana Draxler was walking down the halls of one of the academy buildings humming with a smile on her face. The building she was in was the instructors' office building, where all the instructors and other staff members had their offices and workstations.
Tiana stopped in front of a door with a sign which said Principal Office.
"Come in."
Before she could knock, she was invited in. She opened the door and entered the room. Someone was sitting behind a desk with their feet on the table while playing with a Rubik's Cube. Tiana came in and sat on a chair by the door. She silently looked at the person in front of her. It was an elderly man with all of his hair white, with a face covered with wrinkles. Yet, his eyes were filled with youth.
"Principal Matters, you wanted to see me."
"Yes, I wanted to discuss something with you."
The principal answered without taking his eyes off the cube.
"It's about those boys I asked you to look after."
"The Four Dragon Stars?"
"Yes, them. They've been on their best behavior because of you. Well, that's only in the academy anyway."
"Are they perhaps in some shady business?"
"Like you don't know? You're in the shadiest of businesses yourself. So don't act innocent in front of me."
Tiana smiled in response to his words.
"All four of those brats come from impressive backgrounds. Klaus is a prince of a powerful empire on the Night Continent. Zora is the son of the famous War Chief of the Black Bone Tribe, Hora. Kaido is one of MYTH's Gravity Queen's Favorite. Tang….his background puts all of them to shame."
He pointed at Tiana without looking at her.
"That's why you're the only one that can control them. Yet, why is it that all four of them are preparing to destroy each other?"
"I can't control their personal lives outside of the academy, sir."
"That excuse might would've worked on someone who doesn't know your identity, but not me. You're pushing for this to happen aren't you, Prof. Draxler?"
"I really can't wear any masks in front of you huh?"
Tiana laughed a little.
"One who wears masks can naturally see when others are wearing them."
"I guess you're right."
Tiana straightened up herself.
"While it's true that I would like to see those four go all out, it's not like I'm helping them in any way."
"But you're not trying to hinder them either?"
"That's because my stance is completely neutral. I want to see how things will turn out. Will they survive to witness a new age or will they become just another name written in the book of death?"
"You're a horrible teacher."
"On the contrary, I believe that I'm a great teacher."
She placed her hand over her chest.
"I love my children and will do everything I can to guide them down their desired path. However, I won't hold their hands and lead them. I prefer to equip them with everything they need and allow them to make their own decisions. Let them feel the pain of defeat and learn from it."
"What tough love."
"But it's still love."
The principal finally stopped playing with the cube and looked at Tiana.
"I suppose we have similar outlooks on life. I look at life like this Rubik's Cube. Everyone is given one and there are many things you can do with it. You can try to reach your goal by continuously turning the pieces until they match, you can have others help you solve the puzzle, let them take control and solve it for you, or you can just give up and put it down and watch it gather dust."
"You can even destroy your cube or other's to make yourself feel good."
Principal Matters nodded.
"The choice is completely yours to make."
"Then what have you decided to do with your cube, Principal."
"I still have it. But I've also stolen countless others, solved them, and made them my own."
Tiana burst out laughing.
"How interesting. I'm the same."
The principal started solving the puzzle again.
"The Four Dragon Stars are too talented to lose. It would be a waste not only for the academy, but for the world. So I want you to prevent them from going at it."
"My apologies, but I believe that's now impossible."
"Don't joke around. I told you, those excuses won't work on me who knows your identity. Do you want me to spread your identity around? Pretty much all of the Global Powerhouses would gladly come for your head if I told them where you were."
"You really enjoy playing with death, huh?"
"It's make me feel alive."
The principal smiled.
"Besides, if I really have to flee for my life, you won't be able to catch me. After all, I am no one but everyone."
"As expected of a man with 1000 faces."
Tiana relaxed in her chair.
"But you're misunderstanding something, Principal. While I can stop them for now, doing so wouldn't be a good idea. That's because it will only lead to a much bigger conflict that will lead to even more deaths."
"And why's that?"
"Because a chaos factor has been added to the equation."
"Are you talking about Gamiko the Third?"
Tiana nodded.
"Did you know? When too many stars gather there's bound to be a massacre. That's the case now. Six dragons are gathered together. If you coop them up here, some are bound to die. I can't stop that."
"I see. You have a point. Then, stop the current issue. Whatever happens after that we'll handle them one after the other."
Tiana stood up.
"I see. Then I'll get to it."
She smiled.
"After all, they're all my cute children. I don't want to see them dead."
At same time, Miko and the others were leaving the cafeteria when someone blocked their path.
"Kaido."
"Hello."
Kaido greeted them with a smile.
"What can we do for you?"
"I have a small favor to ask."
Under everyone's gaze, he pointed at Ace.
"I want to have spar match with you."
"Huh?"
Ace pointed at himself with a confused face.
"Me?"
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