No More Pain For This Villain.

[Ren Hilton POV.]

"Are you fine up there? Like isn't this a lot?" asked Blaze.

A lot? I don't think so—isn't it what they say? Like the more you laugh, the more you cry?

I glanced at the girl I had slammed onto the floor; the ground had a crack, and Helga's blood from the broken skull seeped into it. It took three professors rushing up to begin pouring whatever potions they had on them.

Her knee joint was bent in the opposite way too. I looked around—the silence. I always loved this kind of silence.

Where their eyes were fixated on a single person. I never wanted to be that person. Even when I saw it happen to someone else, it was fine because I knew it was something that rarely occurred.

I don't think they're looking at Helga anymore. Not at the professors either—just at me, and me alone.

"Princess, enough," Blaze said. Enough? Enough of what? I hadn't done anything yet.

I turned towards the professor and tapped on his shoulder, "Announcement," I reminded him.

He looked at me with an expression of surprise, disgust, and a small fraction of fear mixed in.

He turned around and said, "Results for this match will be announced later."

I wanted to ask why, but then I remembered that was the same as Aron's and Vexa's, so I just walked—

Someone grabbed my wrist before I could step down. I could hear a particular voice, but before I could see who it was, the professor said, "You are not going anywhere. Just wait here."

Wait here, huh?

I didn't say anything, I just waited.

Helga was taken away, granting me time to see Adam, who was being held by the people around him as he cursed something unintelligible.

This one's going to put me in his bad books for sure, if I'm not there already.

Some professors approached him and escorted him away, knowing how to calm him down, as I saw him leave with them, following the way Helga was taken.

I stood there, under everyone's gaze, until Stormborne himself came.

His robes brushed against the ground as he walked with a frustrated and worried face, immediately ascending the stage—

Tug*

The tension in the air was palpable, suffocating almost, as Stormborne's hand clamped down on the hem of my collar. I felt the weight of his grip intensify, his voice carrying a foreboding warning that echoed through the arena.

"It was clear that one must not injure someone to the point of death!" His words, controlled yet seething with an intensity that chilled me to the bone, resonated amidst the charged atmosphere.

"And you almost killed that girl!" His accusation, measured and sharp, pierced through the silence, causing a collective intake of breath from the onlookers. It felt as if every pair of eyes bore into me, dissecting my every response.

'Be careful. He wields power that can kill us in an instant,' Blaze's caution reverberated in my mind, a stark reminder of the precariousness of the situation.

"So did a few others, Headmaster," I countered, motioning towards Vexa. The unspoken implications hung heavily in the air, a challenge veiled in the undertones of my words. Stormborne held my gaze, an acknowledgment of the insinuation, but refrained from displaying any overt hypocrisy.

Turning away, he strode purposefully fast. His departure seemed almost anticlimactic, as if his presence was merely a performance, a show of authority to the onlookers.

He gestured curtly to the professor before exiting the arena, his words echoing behind him, "Ren Hilton won!"

The weight of his words lingered in the air, suffusing the arena with an electric buzz. The spectators murmured amongst themselves, their eyes darting between me and the departing figure of Stormborne. The tension hung thick, an unspoken sense of unease swirling around.

'Phew... never thought escaping this mess would be this simple,' I thought. Blaze had cautioned me, but I had pushed forward, considering others had been pardoned for similar actions. The headmaster wasn't oblivious to the ramifications of blatant favoritism.

Stepping down from the stage, I looked for my shoes, but they were nowhere to be seen. Disappeared.

Returning to my spot, someone called out, "Ey."

Turning, I saw Vexa, everyone around her tensing slightly.

"What?" I replied.

"Why did you point at me?" she asked.

"I showed that you did the same as me, so they can't blame me alone," I admitted, surprisingly opting for honesty.

She paused, focusing on the soil, tracing abstract patterns.

My attention shifted to Aron, looking at me as if I were mad—his demeanor anxious, clutching his spear in readiness for a possible attack.....dude calm down.

And there lay Erik, unconscious.

The fight, for me, had been eerily silent, though I couldn't tell how it appeared to the spectators.

The Arena resumed its usual hustle minutes later. The professor, now less jocular, handed the bowl to Professor Night to draw the chits.

Two white chits emerged. "Aron Velcrow And Peter Perkler," he announced.

"The First Prince versus the Competitor from the Student Council."

"Weird-ass name," Blaze remarked.

they walked in with a determined expression. The contrast in their demeanors set the stage for an intense showdown.

Aron's gaze met mine, a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes. It was the first time I noticed his acknowledgment, a nod of acknowledgment, perhaps, or was it disdain?

"Hm?"As the tension simmered down and the Arena returned to its routine, I noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Whispers floated through the air, curious gazes lingering on me. I took a moment to catch my breath.

Unexpectedly, a commotion erupted near the exit. It seemed like Adam had returned, escorted by the professors, his expression a mix of fury and determination. His eyes locked onto mine, a fire burning within them, sending an undeniable message—this was far from over.