ARC SEVEN:CH-7.4

The first day of the tournament went by.

"Hey.....did you hear that rumour?"

"What?"

The whispering gossip amongst the student intensified whenever they were in the cafeteria.

"That rumour about the 'Colder than ice king.'"

"Oh....you meant senior Sorrel? What about him?"

"Apparantly he is more approachable now a days. The air around him has changed and others have been receiving well....they have been seeing him smile more often these days."

"Eh...is that true? Really?"

"Psst. This morning I just walked by him and greeted him. Guess what? Senior also greeted me back with a slight smile. His usual cold face was brimming with a blinding halo when he revealed that dangerous smile. Its true that he has become friendlier now."

"Eh? But when I look at him he still has that usual cold face."

"That's because you haven't seen him smile. Once you do you will be shocked for your dear life."

The gossiping continued amongst them.

"Could it be something to do with Lord Ansel?"

"Who knows but that's probably not the case I think."

"Senior Sorrel smiles more often when he is with Commander Hitty and senior Lytch than with Lord Ansel."

The cafeteria instantly quieted down when they saw the topic of their gossip enter the hall. Their stares followed where the person was, curiously peeking at that person.

The pairs of eyes falling on their senior widened when a few of the students greeted Senior Sorrel brightly. The other person also greeted them back politely, a slight smile blooming on his beautiful face.

Everyone who were seeing that smile for the first time froze. When a rare beautiful flower blooms the onlookers are immediate to get hooked on its beauty because it seldom blooms, catching the attention of those who saw its rarity at the appex. That was the kind of smile they were witnessing right now. Sorrel Inaha was a lone wolf. He was cold and withdrawn. It wasn't that those who saw him disliked him. With lovely red eyes and pale skin, his snow white hair, a face as if crafted by the gods there was no way those who saw him didn't wanted to be close to him. Infact they did tried to get close to him when he was brought back to the academy but because of how reserved and unresponsive the person was they gave up hope. Unlike Aouli who was easy to approach and befriend Sorrel had build walls around him that forbade others from invading his personal space. Even then they never disliked this beautiful person. They stopped trying to befriend him but that didn't mean they hated him. However now the lone wolf was smiling at those students, it was as if they were being treated specially by him. Those who saw it couldn't help but feel envious when Sorrel greeted them back. When the others saw this they couldn't help but wish they would garner the same reaction from this beautiful, mysterious senior of theirs.

*Rattle*

"G.....good day senior Sorrel."

One of the guys who have been actively gossiping about the white haired beauty stood up greeting Sorrel. He even stood up giving his seat to his senior.

Ivar thanked him as he sat down placing his tray on the table. Well..... Making friends wasn't that hard. For him to complete the mission all he had to do was give them fake smiles and some pleasantry. Although he knew that the bond friendship was something deeper at least being in good terms with those around him helped him accumulate a lot of points. Lytch was probably the only person who could be considered as a friend for now.

"Yo. Aren't you popular these days?" Lytch sat down beside him teasing him as usual. "Don't tell me your spring is finally here."

Spring? Ivar snorted on the inside. His spring has long begun already, with a devastatingly handsome man. Thinking of his husky voice calling his name over and over again Ivar couldn't help but display a lovelorn expression. His cheeks were tainted with a light blush, his eyes rippling with softness as he thought of his man.

But what others saw was an angel's face radiating with a blinding halo. His plump red lips smiling revealing a dazzling face that could enchant them.

Ivar woke up from his trance when he felt a finger poke his cheek. He glanced at Lytch, the owner of the culprit.

"Please stop doing that. Don't poke my cheek."

With a mischevious smile, "Why? You little kid..." He kept poking and poking before eventually stopping. Sorrel have been very responsive towards him these days so perhaps they could be said to be a bit closer now.

He could feel the envious stares falling on him. All these students at the cafeteria probably wanted this kind of relationship with Sorrel for maybe years. With what he did now he has dispelled the rumour of sorrel being cold as usual. Now that they have seen it there were going to be a lot of people approaching Sorrel to befriend him.

Afterall bees and butterflies flock around the most beautiful flowers around them. Being attracted to beautiful things wasn't a sin.

When Ivar was done eating he left the cafeteria. The mission bars were half way green. Specially the first and the thrid mission bar. The fourth and the second still required some work.

"A month is too long." He thought to himself. He was going to rush up the mission board, filling it up as soon as possible.

"Brother Ansel, if I win the tournament you must promise to bring me to the most expensive restuarant and buy me delicious food." A charming voice spoke, the excitement in his voice obvious to the ears.

Ansel pat the boy before him on his head. The action was done lovingly. "All you think about is food each and everyday. You like eating a lot don't you."

The beautiful boy standing near him looked up at the taller person. His eyes were rippling with a lovely smile as he hummed happily.

"Yes. I do love food. So you must promise me."

With a slight chuckle. "Okay. I promise."

Tsk. Ivar clicked his tongue in silence. The two couple were being so affectionate in the open. Even those few students present couldn't help but giggle at their sweetness. Better leave before being noticed. He thought to himself.

Well too bad.

"Sorrel." The voice of that person called him.

Being called out aloud like that there was no way he was going to ignore them now. Ivar heaved a sigh in silence as he turned around. Great. Now Ansel and Aouli were walking towards himself. He could only play along as he walked towards them at the same time.

"Its been a while sorrel." Ansel carefully observed the boy. He noticed that he has grown taller. His physique looked healthier than the last time he saw him. His dull red eyes were now brimming with a bit of expressive emotions visible to others.

"Brother Ansel. Its been a while." Replied Ivar in a soft voice. This male lead standing before him was one of the three people who actually cared for the orginal sorrel. Although Ansel did send him away for two years this guy never forgot to check on sorrel atleast once every month. In the original world even after he began dating Aouli he still kept his eyes on Sorrel's well being. However noticing that his presence wasn't helping the boy get over him he put some distance between them, giving sorrel enough time to heal. That continued until Sorrel left the academy for somewhere else. When the boy left he didn't ask him why or where he was leaving to, instead he would still check on his whereabouts and his well being whenever he could. Ansel was a responsible man in short. He was a decent man. From all the sons of fate Ivar have ever met this couple standing before them were much better than the ones he had seen so far.

"Hello, Sorrel." Aouli hummed happily. In the past whenever he tried to approach him the other would always leave right away or avoid him. But this time he actually received a reply.

"Hello."

Aouli was taken aback but he continued the conversation. "Yesterday you were amazing. The crowd was getting hyped thanks to you. Oh and you got stronger. Hehe. You must have worked very hard."

"Well. The same goes to you." Ivar could only say this.

Grumble...

Aouli blushed red as he pretended not to hear his stomach groan. He faked a cough.

"..." Ivar was speechless. That sound...it was the groaning sound of a hungry stomach. Now that he had a closer looked at Aouli this boy really was bright like the sky. The air around him was calming.

"It appears that you are hungry. You should take care of your tummy first."

Aouli blushed a bit as he glanced at Sorrel. "Well...cough. Then I will go first." He gave him a bright smile before leaving.

Thank god. Ivar was dying to leave. He bowed his head slightly towards Ansel. Just as he was about to turn around he noticed the hand of the other person stretching towards his head. Ivar leaned away from that approaching hand.

"Brother Ansel?" He looked at the taller man.

Ansel realised what he was doing. Withdrawing his hands he stared at Sorrel. This boy....he have changed. He thought to himself. If it was the Past then Sorrel would lean forward to have his head pat by him. It was only for two years but perhaps the little kid has grown up now.

"If you win the tournament..." He spoke. "Is there anything you wish for?"

Ivar raised his brow at him. A wish? Like how Aouli was asking him for a promise earlier?

"Brother Ansel I don't really have any wish in particular."

Even if he had one the only person who could fulfill that wish was his Wang Lei.

Ansel never expected sorrel's answer to be this. He was taken aback by a bit. But didn't say much. "Is that so? Do tell me if you have one later."

He saw the boy leave after the talk was done.

"Kids do grow up in a matter of years." The first time when he saw both Sorrel and Aouli, they were so tiny and small, as if they would break with just a little force. But now both of them were doing well. At this rate they were going to be fine even without his watch sticking on them. The two children he brought back here grew up to be good kids.

Two young boys stood facing each other. If one was bright like the sun the other was white like the snow.

Gulp.

Everyone who have been waiting for it swallowed nervously. They knew this was going to be the end result but now that the time has come they couldn't help but feel extremely thrilled, looking forward to the battle that was going to take place between the two rising stars.

Well....everyone have already expected this outcome. It was indeed inevitable. However the results were going to change this time.

"Oho....your kids are finally facing off each other." Senk whistled with excitement. She was eager to find out who was stronger.

Ivar was now ready to claim the crown for Sorrel.

Meanwhile in a far away world the tremble of their king made every hair on their skin stand up, goosebumps plundering their body from head to toe, electrifying them with an intense aura.

"What's wrong?" A person asked. He had a red horn elongating from the middle of his forehead. His hair was braided from all sides, with a strange skull ornament decorating his head. He stared at the person next to him who was frozen in the same spot. This person was trembling intensely, even his powers were shaken up visibly, reeking of fear and admiration.

"Hey, are you alright?" The horned man repeated himself to the person beside him.

Crackle!

Rumble. Rumble.

The sky above them changed. The calm atmosphere of the world drastically changed with tornadoes wrecking havoc. The strong winds of the Strom caused people around to look up at the sky which was turning darker and darker, an ominous aura reeking from it.

Blergggg.....

Those who could feel the close kinship linked to that man fell on their knees, the anger that was radiating from the sky made them shiver with fear, even the strongest amongst the people of this world were half kneeling on the ground.

This feeling.....

This raging anger that was rising rapidly...

They knew it.....

This feeling ploughing them right now was once directed at them at some point of time in some another place...

Their king is angry.

Their king....is enraged!

A three headed beast let out a loud howl towards the sky that was summoning them.

"This servant will response the king's summon."

WAR!

It was time for war!

Those who have awaken the sleeping beast inside their king were going to pay for it!