Chapter Twenty-Three: Between the Two

Kai knows about this scene very well.

After all, it was written in the novel.

But like right now, Kai does not really know why Helix barged inside the banquet hall. There is ice blocking off the exit, thunder rumbling outside, the wind blowing like a strong gust during a storm, and fire in his hand.

The scene looked like a scenario where chaos broke out. Actually, the chaos named Helix Vernon did break in.

Both Kai and Helix were looking at each other. Though it was subtle, Seth, who is beside Kai noticed it immediately.

'His condition earlier was so bad… How did he come here?' Though he didn't see it himself, what he heard on the other side of the door earlier was enough to make Kai believe that Helix's condition a few hours earlier wouldn't have allowed him to move from that room…

Meanwhile, amongst the crowd, two blue-eyed royal siblings stared at the fearless person who barged into the royal castle. One was speechless while the other, with wide eyes, was glaring with hate and anger.

"Helix… Vernon."

It was as if he was seething with anger towards the man whose name he uttered under his breath. Cain Rukadius' blue eyes glowed dangerously for a moment and even Edith noticed the gloomy aura surrounding him.

"Brother…?" Edith's voice fell on deaf ears as Cain continued to glare hatefully at Helix. It was as if he was his enemy.

Cain ignored Edith and walked past her instead, heading towards Helix. Only Seth and Edith noticed him.

His footsteps were heavy. It was as if all of his emotions were weighing him down with each step he takes toward that person.

"Helix, Helix Vernon…"

Cain was seething with an indescribable mixture of emotions.

-

Kai swallowed his words as he felt chills in his back. The glowing purple eyes were the same as he had remembered. However, those same eyes were staring at him with obvious dangerous intent. It was not just him that was targeted. The one beside him was much more focused on by Helix than him.

'How did things even end up like this?' he snuck a glance toward the king.

It was as he expected.

King Adamas was glaring at the son of his who abdicated and abandoned his throne and left to join the empire instead. His blue eyes were wide and his teeth were grinding. But he sat still in his seat.

But, after all, he cannot just sit there and watch as the chaos unfolds. He narrowed his eyes and ordered firmly. "Stop that man from causing even more damage."

Within a second he issued that order, the man beside Kai, Seth, disappeared. Kai only felt a strong gust of wind that replaced Seth's presence. A bit startled, Kai looked up and found the two powerful mages clashing against each other with their both strong and indomitable mana.

Both of their mana were so dense that it was practically visible and clear to everyone watching them.

Seth's mana is a mixture of white and gold color. It occupied a large area in the air but it was gentle and serene at the same time. While Helix's mana was denser but smaller in comparison to Seth's. The color purple and black surrounded him as his violent mana ran rampant around him.

Kai couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Scary people."

What did the Kai of the novel do in this scene?

He stood there while holding a glass of alcohol in his hand. His face was void of any emotions as he stared at the clash of the two great archmages.

'Mhm…'

Kai did his best to remain calm as much as possible. He doesn't know why Helix came here but once he and Seth met, it was an inevitable fate for them to go against each other. But, well, it's not like he can do anything about that. So Kai gave up thinking of ways to stop those two since they'd already started.

His emerald-green eyes narrowed at Helix's figure. Black robes fluttered from the violent gust of wind created by the clashing of their magic and mana. Although they seemed equal at first, the difference in strength slowly started showing. Seth is unscathed but Helix, from his clothes to some of his skin, small tears and wounds gradually appear.

Kai then moved his eyes to the people he knew. From the king who tightly squeezed the arm of his throne, to the princess who doesn't know where to look, to her teacher or to her brother, and then the prince who slowly approached the clashing two midair.

Cain Rukadius' expression is frightening.

'His dislike towards Helix was written in the novel.' it was more of hate rather than dislike. And hate is not even enough to describe Cain's feelings toward his older half-brother.

While reading the novel, Kai noticed how Cain's hatred was mostly what made the readers dislike both Helix and Cain. Kai even thought that their relationship was weird and Cain was too obsessive with defeating Helix. It was like the words the author wrote were the real and actual feelings both the author and Cain felt towards Helix.

Kai never understood why the hatred was born in the first place.

All Helix did was abdicate from the throne and join the empire, although he was forced to do so.

As the child of the late queen, shouldn't Cain be more thankful to Helix rather than hate him? After all, he didn't have to fight his powerful older brother for the throne and strengthened his position as the crown prince of the kingdom. He was placed on the throne once Helix left…

There's only one explanation that could answer the question that confused the readers and Kai.

Seth's backstory only focused on him and nothing much about the royals.

Outside of the plot, no, outside of what was written from the point of view of the main character, there were living people living their lives as well.

Both Helix and Cain had a story that was not written in the novel…

'The two young princes of Rukadius…' Kai was immensely focused on his thoughts. It was as if he was not even in a life-and-death situation. And that he was far from danger.

"Brother?"

A low and worried voice snapped Kai out of his thoughts. His eyes went to the princess. Edith Rukadius. She was looking at the back of her older brother as he slowly stomped his way toward the two powerful mages.

Like he was remembering something, Kai's eyes blanked out for a moment. However, when he heard a rumbling sound and saw a few specks of dust falling near the princess, his eyes widens, and reached out his hands while his feet subconsciously moved toward her.

"Princess!"

The powerful clashes between the two slowly started to take a toll on the banquet hall. And now, the princess has a crumbled piece of the ceiling falling down on her,

Reacting to her name being called out, she turned her head towards Kai with a look of surprise and cluelessness.

Kai was far away from her.

'I can't make it?' Both of their eyes widened. Kai is in shock while Edith is afraid.

It was at that moment.

A formless magic shrouded with purple mana suddenly appeared out of nowhere, destroying the rubbles. It then turned into a transparent barrier to protect the princess from the leftover pieces.

Edith's eyes widened and she instinctively raised her head. Her eyes met the familiar purple eyes from the past and pursed her lips.

"... Brother… Brother Helix…"

Helix was staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. He then moved his focus back to Seth but the other took advantage of his distraction and closed the gap between them. Helix gritted his teeth and took the hit from Seth's palm on his stomach. He heard Seth's voice then. "Why did you come here, knowing fully well that it will only put you in danger?" Helix refused to answer this man's question and instead gathered his mana at his fist and generated purple electricity in his hands.

Seth noticed it and formed a sparking ball of fire in his hands as well. When the two faced off against each other while pointing their hands at each other, the banquet hall was brightened and everyone's shadows were darker than ever.

Their magic clashed and Seth's ball of fire remained still and absorbed the electricity that Helix created. The dark mage glared and grumbled, "You expected me to come here, didn't you?"

His mana fluctuated everywhere in the banquet hall as he continued. "Inciting me by putting your hand on that person… How could I not come and answer your provocations?" his words are firm and his voice sounds angry. However, Helix was hopelessly panting heavily while sweat drenched his clothes.

Seth stared at him indifferently for a moment before glancing in Kai's direction. "Both of you, Duke Zein and the Dark Mage of the Empire had truly changed the last time I met you two." He returned his gaze to Helix and mumbled, "Unlike that one, however, your situation is more normal…"

Helix was already busy stabilizing his body condition, he didn't have any more strength to hear what Seth had said.

The old sage looked at Helix blankly. "You'll die if we continue this, Helix." The dark mage widened his eyes for a moment before his expression turned ugly. Angered, Helix exclaimed, "You'll be the one dying-!" He didn't get to finish his words once Seth appeared before him and grabbed his arm firmly. It didn't hurt but he can't pull his hand away either.

"This place is unsuitable. I cannot treat you like this." Seth then placed his palm on Helix's chest and said in a low voice, "I will find you. But today, I will let you go. I didn't teach you how to live just to die in this place, didn't I?"

A glowing white magic array formed on Helix's chest. His eyes widened and he opened his lips, "Se…th!"

And just like that, Helix disappeared.

The people below there were confused and relieved all at the same time. "That lunatic's finally gone…!"

"How vicious…"

"Why did he even come here?"

Cain's eyes remained where Helix disappeared to. His face was blank and cold. He slowly clenched his hands close as he bit into his lips to the point of bleeding.

"... Again… It happened again."