Chapter 346

Words : 1426 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 346: Chapter 346Chapter 346 "That’s it? The battle is over?" Raze, who had previously collapsed, staggered forward, his steps shaky as he approached the only part of the arena that hadn’t been completely torn apart. His voice trembled—less out of exhaustion and more from disbelief. As if answering his question, the shimmering portals—once wild and unstable—began to shimmer dimly. One by one, they flickered out of existence, shrinking with low crackles before snapping shut like vanishing stars in the sky. Silence followed. The portal break was over. "I’m so glad you all made it out," Amir exhaled deeply, relief washing over his battle-worn features as he approached the group. His eyes flicked to the rippling shadows nearby—and from them, Scarlet emerged, panting and singed, but alive. Kael lay unconscious on the ground, unmoving, his body still glowing faintly from his last explosive outburst. Grey stood eerily still, frozen in place, his expression unreadable. The others were scattered around, some lying flat, others dropping to their knees as exhaustion claimed them. "Today was... far too long," Arthur muttered, stretching stiffly with a grimace. He glanced sideways just in time to see Greg collapse—not from injury, but from grief. The weight in his chest had nothing to do with mana depletion. "Greg..." Jay’s voice cracked as he stepped forward, his eyes shimmering with unspoken sorrow. "No need to comfort me," Greg said hoarsely, turning his bloodshot eyes to Jay. "I’m... I’m fine." But he wasn’t. Jay could see it. Everyone could. "Hey, uh... why is Grey not moving?" Dante asked, his voice laced with worry. All heads turned toward the red-haired mage still rooted in place. Grey’s head was bowed low, his eyes locked on the burnt corpse of the ogre beast. His expression was blank, but his rapidly blinking eyes betrayed the storm of thoughts within. He was spiraling. Grey was stuck on the ogre’s last words—words that pierced through the chaos louder than any explosion. "Hail the devil." ’What did it mean? Which devil?’ Grey’s thoughts ran wild, his mental gears grinding faster with every second. ’Noir, you’ve lived far longer than I have. You’ve seen more. Do you know what it meant? What devil was that ogre talking about?’ A pause. Then Noir’s voice crept into his mind—but it was different. Weakened. Flickering. "I... I-I know the... the devil it spoke of..." the familiar’s voice whispered, strained and shaky. His speech fragmented, breaking apart as if something were pulling his consciousness away. ’Why are you stuttering? What’s wrong?’ Grey asked, panic starting to set in. "I... I’m not stut... stuttering... I’ve burned through all my energy. I... I don’t have enough to sustain... the mind link..." The connection wavered dangerously. ’Then hurry. Please. Who is the devil? What’s he got to do with all of this—this portal break? Just give me something.’ "The... the devil... is... the Lea—" The voice fell silent. ’What? The leader of what?! Noir?!’ Grey’s thoughts shouted into the void, but no response came. The line had gone dead. ’Noir! Come on! Don’t leave me hanging like this! Is the devil who I think it is?’ Only silence answered him now. Grey’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. His jaw tightened as frustration, confusion, and fatigue boiled beneath the surface. ’Damn it. Noir’s really out of energy. I wonder how long it’ll take for him to recover...’ He looked down at his trembling fingers. ’And if I can’t hear him anymore... where is he now? Still inside me? Or has he retreated completely?’ Grey shook his head with a heavy sigh, pushing the questions aside. ’There’s no point driving myself mad over things I don’t yet understand. I’ll only give myself a headache. Besides... my mana is completely drained. I’m running on fumes.’ He glanced around at the battlefield—what was left of it. Bodies of fallen beasts were strewn about like shattered relics of war. Ash filled the air. Craters and fissures marred the arena floor. It looked like a place where gods had fought—and barely survived. ’If that battle had lasted any longer, I would have collapsed. And with that, I would have surely lost my head.’ Grey closed his eyes for a second, the image of the ogre’s final moment burned into his mind... and those haunting words still echoing in his ears. "Hail the devil." But who—or what—was this devil? And why did it feel like this was just the beginning? "Grey!" Lyra’s voice rang out, sharp and laced with concern, finally piercing through Grey’s spiraling thoughts. His eyes blinked back into focus, and as if waking from a dream, he glanced around and noticed the others staring at him. With a small, weary smile tugging at his lips, Grey stepped forward, each stride slow and heavy with exhaustion. "Where were you lost? We’ve called your name at least a dozen times now," Raze said, frowning as his gaze scanned Grey, as though trying to read the storm behind his eyes. "Nowhere," Grey replied, voice low. "Just... reflecting on a few things." His gaze shifted, falling on Kael’s unconscious form lying on the ground. For a brief second, a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face—resentment perhaps, or gratitude masked by fatigue. "If it weren’t for the fact that he’s completely drained of mana and energy," Grey muttered, "I would’ve summoned a lightning bolt straight onto him as payback. But... I’ll spare him. He did protect you all." With a sigh, he turned to the rest of the group—and immediately noticed the heavy, sorrow-laden expressions on Greg and Jay’s faces. "I know," Greg said quickly, his voice shaky as he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "No need to blame yourself. You were unconscious—you didn’t know what was happening. I’m not holding anything against you." "Actually..." Grey said, walking toward him. He placed a steady hand on Greg’s shoulder, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "That’s not what I wanted to say." Greg blinked, confused. "Don’t be too hard on yourself," Grey continued. "I know you’re blaming yourself. You were there when they died—when Vorden and Gordon fell. You probably keep asking yourself what you could’ve done differently." Greg’s jaw tensed. His shoulders shook slightly, but he said nothing. "But blaming yourself won’t bring them back," Grey said. "All it’ll do is rot you from the inside, chain you down. And eventually, that guilt will hollow you out completely." He looked Greg straight in the eye. "If you have to cry, then cry. If you need to scream, then scream. Don’t wear that fake brave smile. I wasn’t close to Vorden... and I barely knew Gordon. But pain? I’ve lived with it. Bottling it up only makes it worse." Greg’s composure cracked. His eyes welled up as the weight he had carried alone for so long finally spilled out. A single sob escaped his throat—then another, until he was openly weeping. "There, there," Grey murmured, pulling him in and patting his back firmly. "Let it all out." Everyone stood still, watching the scene with stunned silence. ’Is it just me, or is Grey acting like a twenty-year-old man right now?’ Raze thought, eyebrows raised. ’Pain changes people,’ Amir mused inwardly. ’It forces you to grow—fast.’ But one person wasn’t moved. ’Whatever wisdom you spout doesn’t change anything,’ Dave thought darkly, his eyes narrowing as he watched Grey. ’I haven’t forgotten the humiliation I suffered today. It might not be tomorrow, or even next month... but I swear, I’ll tear you apart, Grey.’ "Alright, everyone," Amir clapped his hands together, breaking the silence. "Let’s return to the academy." He tapped his forehead, whispering arcane words under his breath. In response, a large white shimmering portal expanded before them, humming softly with spatial energy. One by one, they stepped through it—tired, battered, and changed. As the last of them disappeared through the portal, Amir knelt and gently lifted Kael’s unconscious body into his arms. Without another word, he followed the others through the gateway, leaving behind the broken battlefield. __ {A/N} And there we have it folks! The last Chapter of this tournament arc. I hope you all enjoyed it so far. Leave a comment if you all enjoyed this arc. Next arc is coming in the next Chapter drop guys! Anticipate this arc coz I will be taking such a turn and spin in Grey’s life which most of you won’t be able to anticipate. Have a nice day guys!✌️????

Chapter 346

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