Dean froze in fear upon noticing the menacing grin that the student directed at him. He sat still, not moving a muscle, silently hoping that was staring in another direction.
But that wasn't the case.
He leapt from table to table in a swift and smooth motion, knocking food trays and other people out of his way until he eventually landed right before Dean's table.
Silently, he studied Razz, taking a look at his wrist, then briefly observing Sale.
"If I remember correctly, your wings were clipped by my minions about a month ago," he said, taking a deep look at Sale.
Sale shrunk, his whole body vibrating intensely. It was hard to notice whether it was due to anger or fear.
"But you," he said, pointing directly at Dean.
Dean's breath paced up, his heartbeat accelerating, with the ever present heat on his palms intensifying.
"Then that settles it!" The student said in a loud, but terrifying tone.
He rushed forward, stretching his hands towards Dean.
Dean had just witnessed the student knocking someone out effortlessly, so he knew that there was no way he could try to fight back or escape.
He gritted his teeth in fear, his eyes closed as he braced himself for the incoming pain and torture that was about to be inflicted on him…
But then, a few seconds passed, and Dean didn't feel anything. No pain, no sensation. The only thing he could hear was the sound of struggle between two people.
Opening his eyes, Dean saw a display that made his heart skip a beat.
Holding on to the student's fisted hand was Razz. He was already on his feet, using his brute strength to subdue him.
Dean stood up immediately, walking backwards in panic, almost stumbling upon the chair behind him.
"Ra… Razz, you don't have to get involved…"
"Shut up, Dean!" Razz said, gnashing his teeth while locked in the fury of strength.
"I'm not gonna let this asshole push you aro…"
Razz paused as he noticed something.
Right beneath the student's left palm was a glowing fiery ball of condensed celestial energy that swirled violently, almost distorting the air around it. The last thing Razz saw was the evil grin that formed on his lips before he unleashed the devastating attack.
The ball of energy shot forward at an impossible speed, leaving a trail of white particles before hitting Razz directly on the chest. The impact was blunt, hard, and direct.
It hit Razz, exploding upon impact, sending him off his feet, flying backwards until he eventually hit a solid wall, leaving a large dent on it. His breathing slowed, blood dripping from his nose, mouth, and several parts of his body.
He stared forward, trying to make sense of what his blurry vision portrayed before him.
Dean witnessed the scene in horror. Razz was an alpha-ranked celestial who had a red wristband, but he still managed to get defeated with just one attack. Every bone in his body was telling him to run away while he could, but he couldn't leave Razz to suffer because of him.
He watched as the student slowly advanced towards Razz. Tiny strings of aura formed slowly between his fingertips.
"You think that just because we're at the same demonic rank, that makes us equal?" he said in anger.
"I'm gonna show you… why I come from the Sunfire clan."
He tightened his fist, raising it slowly as the strings of celestial energy wrapped around it. He pulled his arm backwards, prepping another fatal attack… but then…
"WAIT!"
A voice said from the crowd.
Turning around, the student saw Dean walking towards him.
"It's not Razz you want… it's me. Just direct your frustration towards me and leave him be,"
The student stared at Dean, his initial anger slowly turning into excitement. He turned back at Razz, as he dismissed the brewing attack, turning his energy into mere particles.
The student walked forward, raising his hand and releasing a loud snap that stung everyone's ears.
The next instant, two other students lunged forward, grabbing Dean by both arms as they dragged him out of the café. Sale saw the whole thing, but he just stood there in shock, not moving an inch.
Eventually, Raya, the tyrant, along with his two goons, took Dean out of the café, leaving the whole place in chaos and turmoil.
They both dragged Dean forcefully, periodically shooting tiny blasts of energy at his body, trying to weaken him as much as possible. They took him to an empty hall, threw him to the ground, waiting for Raya to decide his fate.
"I'll take it from here. Wait outside," Raya said in a condescending tone.
They both left without saying a single word, leaving Dean alone with Raya.
Dean grunted in pain as he tried to elevate himself. His whole body was already covered in sores.
He knelt weakly, staring up at Raya who wore an extremely excited look on his face.
"Look at you," Raya said in a mocking tone.
"You're so pathetic and helpless."
"Did you really think that I'd give you a pass due to your selfless act?"
Dean stayed silent. There was something else that he seemed to focus on despite the predicament he was in. Glancing down at his palms, he could see white lights shimmering about, vibrating in their fixed position.
"Please… you don't want to do this," Dean pleaded, having remembered the last time the celestial energy exploded.
"I don't want to do this?" Raya stepped forward. A single vein could be seen forming on his temple.
Without any hesitation, he pulled his hand backwards while accumulating a large amount of energy. The energy spun, forming a small vortex around his fist, swirling violently.
Before Dean could even prepare to brace himself, Raya shot his arm downwards towards Dean's face.
His fist made a brutal impact, which sent pools of blood out, tainting the floor beneath him. The hit sent a wave of pain shooting through his body, he felt his consciousness slowly slipping away.
But this didn't stop Raya.
He pulled his arm again, repeating the same technique he used. Once the vortex was at its max, he swung down again, and again.
Each hit felt like a building collapsing on his body. He could feel his bones weakening, his body shutting down in a desperate attempt to garner reprieve from the agony.
"Hahaha," Raya laughed hysterically. Each hit sent a feeling of joy pulsating through his being.
But then…
Dean stopped reacting to his hits. The loud grunts and cries that escaped his mouth ceased completely. It was followed by complete silence. The only thing that made Raya believe that Dean was already unconscious was the intense vibrations that his body still underwent.
Dean laid limply, he could feel all parts of his body heating up, his vision blurred by a white hue, and his bones quaking in accordance.
Raya sent one more devastating strike towards Dean, hitting him clean on his back. He tumbled, his body hitting the hard floor.
But he didn't feel any pain.
All his senses were masked by the overwhelming heat that he felt. It felt like the inside of his body was being roasted, his organs and bones felt like they were melting away. He gritted his teeth, clawing at the hard ground as he tried to stay in control.
Raya noticed the immediate change.
"Is this supposed to scare me or something?"
But the next thing made him halt his movements instantly. Dean slowly raised his head, his teeth clamped together tightly. But his eyes were different.
His left eye glowed with a deep ethereal hue, shining intensely. But his right eye…
A bright red beam of light immediately shot out of it, illuminating the hall even more. The pure crimson energy burned with a fierce and violent glow that seemed almost blinding. Dean gnashed his teeth in pain, he felt like his eye was on fire, being engulfed by the intensity of the demonic energy.
Raya was stunned by what he was seeing. Just staring at the deep red glow in his right eye was enough to send a series of chills down his spine.
"What is this!" Raya yelled in panic. He slowly moved backwards, he could feel the immediate heat emitting from the red beam.
"Arrrrghhhh!!!" Dean screamed as he writhed in pain. He felt the entirety of his body being encased by the essence of the demomic energy. With the last bit of strength he could muster, he said only one word.
"Run!"
Raya didn't move.
His body froze in place, his instincts screaming at him, yet his mind struggled to catch up to what he was seeing.
The red light didn't explode immediately.
It compressed.
Dean's entire body trembled violently as the energy folded inward, collapsing into a single point at his chest. The ground beneath him began to crack, thin lines spreading outward like a fragile web.
The air grew unbearably heavy, hot,and suffocating.
Raya's eyes widened.
"What… is th..."
—
A blinding flash consumed everything.
The explosion didn't sound like anything Raya had ever heard before. It wasn't loud…
It was wrong.
A violent surge of red energy erupted outward, swallowing the entire hall in an instant. The force twisted the air, shattered the ground, and ripped through everything in its path with merciless precision.
Raya's body was caught in it.
His scream never fully left his mouth before the light devoured him.
—
The red glow lingered for a brief moment… flickering… before fading into nothingness.
Dean's body dropped lifelessly to the ground.