Conquering The Novel



As Erina and Claude made their way out of the maze with the unconscious Ziona, they suddenly realized that Penelope wasn't by their side.

"P-Penelope?" Erina called out, turning back to see Penelope standing still with a warm smile on her face.

!?

"Come on, we have to leave now," Erina said urgently.

Penelope's smile only grew wider. "Hey Erina, have you ever believed in love at first sight?" she asked.

Erina was confused and taken aback by the strange question. "W-What? Why are you asking that now?" she responded.

"I do believe in it!" Penelope replied, still smiling. Suddenly, her whole body was engulfed in flames.

!!

Erina and Claude watched in shock as Penelope's body transformed into a magnificent flaming phoenix. Without hesitation, she flew towards Maya, who was about to deliver a final blow to Ares.

Swooosh—

"What is she doing? Stop her!" one of the Shadow Organization members shouted, realizing that Penelope was burning her life energy.

Penelope's path left flames in her wake, and the Shadow Organization members who tried to stop her were burned instantly by her phoenix form.

"Ahhhhh!" They screamed in agony as their bodies burned.

"STAY...AWAY FROM HIM!" Penelope's voice echoed across the maze as she crashed into Maya like a missile.

Maya reacted quickly, but it wasn't enough to stop the Phoenix's momentum.

Boom—

The impact was devastating, and Penelope exploded upon impact, sending Maya flying across the maze.

Thud—

The resulting explosion created a cloud of smoke that filled the area, and there was a moment of stunned silence as everyone processed what had just happened.

Erina and Claude were equally stunned, watching in horror as Penelope gave her life to protect Ares.

"....."

But as the smoke cleared, they saw Maya emerge, coughing and sputtering, but otherwise unscathed. Not even a scratch could be seen on her body, despite the full force of Penelope's attack.

Cough— Cough

"...That crazy bitch got me good," Maya muttered, coughing and wiping ash from her singed clothes.

Claude shook his head, muttering under his breath about Penelope's sacrifice being in vain. "...She sacrificed her life for nothing."

Erina was in a state of shock and disbelief after witnessing Penelope's selfless act of sacrificing herself to save Ares.

Her mind was reeling with questions, unable to comprehend how Maya had survived the powerful attack unscathed while Penelope had been reduced to nothing.

With her eyes turned lifeless, she gazed at the location of the explosion lost in thought.

Claude's voice broke through the silence, bringing Erina back to reality. "Let's go," he said, his tone grave and somber as he began to walk away.

Erina lowered her head and followed in silence, still trying to process the events that had just unfolded. Tears welled up in her eyes as she walked away, mourning the loss of Penelope and other students, and grappling with the harsh reality of their situation.

***

Ares was baffled by Penelope's selfless act, wondering why she would give up her life to save him when they barely knew each other.

'Why? We weren't even that close,' he thought.

They weren't close friends, Although they had been on the same team during their mock gate test, where he had helped her escape a trap of arrows, and when she had supported him during his campaign for the representative position, they had never spoken beyond that. 

Despite Penelope's occasional smiles and glances in his direction, Ares had dismissed them, considering them to be nothing out of the ordinary as there were many women who acted similarly.

"So why? Why did she sacrifice herself for me?" Ares muttered, with a pained expression.

Her sacrifice opened old wounds for Ares, reminding him of a woman he had loved deeply in his past life, who had also sacrificed herself to save him.

As the Shadow Organization members approached him, Ares closed his eyes and was transported back to a painful memory of the woman he had once loved.

She had been a stunning blonde, her body soaked in blood as she lay in his arms, smiling despite the injuries she had suffered while shielding him from an attack.

Weakly wiping his tears with her bloodied hand, she had whispered her final words to him: "...I will meet you on the other side, Ares."

Lost in his memories, Ares's mind replayed the image of the woman he had loved and lost. Tears streamed down his face as he muttered her name under his ragged breath.

"...ERIS!" His plea hung in the air, and time seemed to freeze around him.

Then, as if in response to his desperation, a thin voice suddenly echoed in his mind, interrupting his thoughts.

"...It seems you are in trouble, Ares," the voice said.

!?

Ares was startled by the intrusion. "Who...are you?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I am someone who has always been close to you," the voice replied cryptically.

"...."

Ares was confused and a little unnerved. "What... do you want from me?" he demanded

"I can give you the power you need to overcome this situation," the voice offered. "But you must be aware that there will be consequences."

!!

Ares weighed his options. The thought of facing the consequences later paled in comparison to the possibility of dying now. "I am ready to face the consequences later. I need to survive now," he declared.

"Very well," the voice said simply. "I wish you luck in your journey ahead, Ares."

A deafening silence followed the mysterious voice's farewell. Ares was left alone with his thoughts, wondering if it was all just a hallucination.

Suddenly, time resumed with a rush of sound. Ares could hear the footsteps of the Shadow Organization closing in on him once again.

As if in response to the danger, the clouds overhead turned dark and thunder rumbled through the air. The wind picked up, becoming heavy and fierce.

RUMBLE— RUMBLE

The members of the Shadow Organization were taken aback by the sudden change in climate, their confusion evident in their muttered remarks.

"What's going on? Why did the weather suddenly change?" one of them muttered, as they tried to maintain their footing amidst the gusts of wind.

RUMBLE—

The thunder grew louder and the lightning flashes became more frequent, until a bolt struck the ground where Ares stood.

BOOM—

The impact caused by the lightning strike was so powerful that it sent debris and smoke flying in every direction, causing chaos among the members of the Shadow Organization. They quickly shielded their eyes from the blinding dust and rubble, which was whipped around by the heavy winds.

As the debris began to settle, they saw something stirring in the smoke. Through the haze, they caught a glimpse of a mysterious figure with piercing blue eyes that glinted like lightning in the darkness.

!?

"W-What in the world is that?" one of the members gasped, pointing at the figure emerging from the smoke.

As everyone's attention turned to the pair of piercing blue eyes, they vanished in an instant.

Swish—

And before they could comprehend what was happening, screams echoed through the air, sending chills down their spines.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

Maya's heart raced as she watched her fellow members fall one by one, their bodies now lifeless and headless.

Panic set in as she readied her sword, searching frantically for the unknown attacker.

"What is happening?" she muttered under her breath, her eyes darting around in search of any sign of the culprit.

To be continued...