"We are all going to die."
Purple's words lingered ominously, making both Scar and Julien uneasy. Die? How could that happen? Still, despite their misgivings, they followed her instructions, kept their questions to themselves, and headed back to their room.
Scar's mind raced, wondering if Dain was behind this, if the bastard was targeting people close to him. Purple stood between their beds, positioning herself like she was about to give a lecture. Then she spoke.
"I know you're full of questions, but I'm only saying this because I need your help. Whether you live or die doesn't matter to me. What's at stake is bigger than that."
Scar frowned. He didn't need further explanation to understand this had nothing to do with Dain. The academy was involved, perhaps. Or the Vey family.
Purple exhaled.
"If you want your answers, here they are. The Supreme Council plans to awaken Morvan, Savior of the Lost."
Their eyes went wide with terror. Worse still, Scar began shaking, his confusion bleeding into fear he couldn't suppress.
Morvan, Savior of the Lost, was one of the few Daywalker Hostile- level threats in existence. But while Quagmire and Morveth arose naturally, Morvan's origin was Savior.
It appeared when someone became sufficiently evil. Only a few recorded sightings existed, each time to eliminate threats to mankind. The summoning condition? A certain kill count.
Why even bother? Let a God Killer deal with it. No lives wasted.
"W—why… they're going to sacrifice all of us, just to stop V?" Julien asked, his voice trembling.
Purple nodded.
"It was believed that once Morvan killed someone, their Inheritance disappeared. The Supreme Council isn't willing to risk stopping V by ordinary means… he could hand his Inheritance to someone he trusts, letting the massacre continue, or it might fall to someone equally malevolent."
She frowned.
"They don't understand how twisted V is. He'd probably already predicted the Supreme Council's every move. He could turn the tables on them or summon Theo, Ally of Mankind, to stand against Morvan. Either way… this ends with everyone in that arena dead."
V's reach was expanding, and the Supreme Council had apparently taken Purple's counsel seriously. V required victorious souls for power, which made the upcoming Epic Competition in one month the obvious strike point. But fear of vulnerability was already working its way into the Council's thinking.
"Clearly, the Zheng clan and Arthur, among a few others, oppose this. Yet the majority of the Council agreed. We are merely Akumas… we are expendable. They believe our Inheritances will return to them no matter the cost, so long as Morvan defeats V."
Before anyone could let their concerns be known, she cut them off.
"Morvan doesn't matter. When it arrives, it'll chase V. My only concern is surviving the arena massacre. The real danger is the one hunting us."
Scar's chest grew tight. Once again, his mind went to Dain. That bastard was the only one who wanted him dead, after all.
"Wants us dead? How?" Julien asked, confused.
Purple gave him an angered look. "They began with you. Whoever is behind these plans is trying to pit the three of us against those under V's command. Our deaths are nearly guaranteed. And even if we live, they intend for us to endure three consecutive defeats."
Her expression darkened. "Even if we survive the fights, three consecutive losses is a death sentence. We all know that."
Scar's throat tightened. His eyes flickered desperately as sweat drenched his body. Purple's words became more distant with each passing second. The thought consumed him: Dain was using this to kill him.
A single duel loss resulted in punishment: night patrol along the human domain's walls. Dangerous work, depending on where and what they encountered. But three consecutive losses branded someone a failure, earning them missions meant to kill.
On paper, the official story was that these punishments helped students break through their limitations. Actually, it was just the academy's way of weeding out the unwanted.
'This isn't possible… The Ruler of Zeus always hunts and kills us personally. This can't be true.'
Even through his chaotic mind, he sought solace.
"So this person is taking advantage of the Council's decision to allow V to slaughter us?" Julien asked, skeptical.
Purple nodded positively.
"But don't worry, I've got a plan."
Scar immediately turned to Purple, waiting for her to reveal the plan.
"Don't waste a second; forfeit every match. This person must be a staff member, and they'll match us with opponents who'll almost certainly end our lives."
Julien nodded immediately. No deliberation necessary. He'd almost gotten killed days ago by overestimating his ability to fight one of those things.
Scar, however, found himself smiling. Hope at last. He'd almost given in to despair. But he had allies. Purple was brilliant, one of the smartest he knew. Together, they stood a chance.
"I'm already tracing who wants us dead. If any of you fall, it will stain the Vey family's name. The public believes we're close friends, and I won't tolerate gossip damaging my family's reputation."
She exhaled deeply and locked eyes with Julien.
"Don't fight! Forfeit all your duels." She insisted.
Julien managed an awkward smile. The comment was directed at him, he was well aware.
Scar stretched, releasing the tension. His spiraling mind had made him stiff, but now he saw reasons for hope. Capable friends surrounded him. And he knew one thing for certain: Dain would want to do the killing himself. The pattern held for centuries.
"…"
The threat hung in the air, but it didn't slow time down. The day passed anyway.
Night fell quickly, and they found themselves once again at the Rover residence, in the courtyard that functioned as a training area.
For the first time in a while, intense training wasn't the starting point. Arthur wanted to learn about Scar's Inheritance first and, crucially, figure out the best way to train him with it.
"Uhm… are you certain I haven't mentioned the name of my Inheritance? I feel like I already have."
Scar sighed, watching Arthur act childishly despite his age.
"Whatever… my Inheritance is Flames of the Unknown."
As soon as Scar finished speaking, the calm evaporated. Flames appeared in Arthur's palm, and he shifted into a combat position.
Scar's body moved without thought, reeling back. His heart thundered. For one terrible instant, he'd glimpsed death. Everything blurred together, yet in that frozen moment, Scar stared death in the face.
Arthur Rover, the wielder of the legendary flames, Sun Phoenix, was terrified.