Calm Before The Storm (4)

Why is he looking at me like that?

Julius dodged another strike from Joseph, the wind roaring around him as he slid across the training grounds. He pivoted on his heel, summoning a razor-sharp gust of Demonic Wind to counter Joseph's incoming attack. The butler barely managed to parry, his eyes widening as the unnatural energy cracked against his blade.

But Julius wasn't paying attention to Joseph anymore.

His gaze flickered past him, locking onto Alex Clay.

The so-called Hero of Elysia.

And the boy looked furious.

Julius had never interacted with him before. Not once. Not in this life, at least. And yet, Alex was glaring at him like he was the embodiment of everything wrong in the world. His jaw was clenched, his fists balled at his sides, his blue eyes burning with barely contained aggression.

Why?

It didn't make sense. Julius had gone out of his way to avoid Alex until now, and they had no personal history. There was no reason for him to be looking at him with such open hatred.

Then, suddenly—

It clicked.

The Hero's Blessing.

Julius's blood turned to ice.

The divine gift that made Alex the protagonist. The power that ensured he could cut through any lie, see through deception, and most importantly—

Detect demonic energy.

Julius inhaled sharply. That's why Alex was suspicious of Doyle in the original novel. Doyle had been infused with a fraction of demonic power, and Alex's Blessing had allowed him to sense it, even before there was any real evidence against him.

But this time?

This time, Julius wasn't just tainted with a fraction of demonic power.

He had an Archdemon inside him.

Beelzebub, Lord of Gluttony.

Julius realized, with a sick sense of amusement, that Alex wasn't just suspicious of him.

Alex was staring at him like he was the fucking Demon King.

And then another thought struck him.

There's one other person in this world who can see demonic energy.

The Pontifex.

The leader of the Church of Light. The most powerful religious figure in Elysia. A man known for his fanatic hatred of anything remotely tied to demons.

Julius could already imagine it—the moment he stepped into the banquet, the Pontifex's gaze locking onto him. The way his holy eyes would see the monstrous energy writhing inside him, revealing him for what he truly was.

And the world would burn.

A breath hitched in his throat.

Then—

He started laughing.

Not a chuckle. Not a smirk.

A full, unhinged, psychotic laugh.

Joseph barely had time to react as Julius caught his sword mid-strike, stopping it cold in his grip. The butler's eyes widened.

What…?

Julius didn't care.

He was still laughing.

Laughter bubbled up from his chest, spilling from his lips in uncontrollable waves. His shoulders shook, his body trembling—not with fear, but with pure, delirious amusement.

The Hero could see him.

The Pontifex would see him.

And he couldn't wait to see how this world would react.

Julius's eyes snapped back to Alex. He tilted his head, his grin stretching wider.

"Hey, Hero," he called, voice sharp and mocking. "Let's duel."

Alex stiffened, his expression darkening.

"What?"

Julius spread his arms, still smirking. "You clearly have a problem with me. Let's settle it."

The gathered students whispered among themselves, eyes flicking between them.

Julius Vaelorian just challenged Alex Clay.

He's insane.

Does he have a death wish?

Alex's fists clenched.

"Fine."

The crowd erupted.

Before anything else could happen, however—

"Enough."

A sharp voice cut through the tension.

Chiyo Sakuragi stepped between them.

Julius's smirk twitched.

She wasn't looking at Alex.

She was looking directly at him.

Her crimson eyes burned with something too knowing.

"Julius," she said. "We need to talk. Now."

---

They stood alone in an abandoned classroom, the air between them thick with tension.

Julius leaned against the desk, arms crossed, as he stared at Chiyo.

He had suspected for a while that something was off about her.

At first, it was just a gut feeling. The way she avoided him like the plague, how her body tensed whenever their eyes met, how her movements were too careful, too calculated—as if she were afraid of him.

And why wouldn't she be?

In the original novel, he was the one who killed her.

Chiyo Sakuragi, Alex's first and closest friend at the academy, died because of Julius Vaelorian's actions.

She wasn't a major character, but she played a crucial role in Alex's development. Her death pushed him to take things more seriously, to grow stronger, to shed his naivety.

It was only natural that if she somehow knew the future, she would be terrified of him.

But that wasn't all.

She had somehow obtained Dark-Light Magic.

A forbidden hybrid magic that, in the original story, belonged to one person—the King of Lovina himself.

It wasn't just rare.

It was exclusive.

No one, not even the most powerful mages, could learn it without the bloodline to wield it.

And yet… she had it.

That was when Julius had known for certain.

She was like him.

"Let me guess," Julius said, his voice smooth and knowing. "You were some nerd back on Earth too?"

Chiyo scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"More like a high school girl with too much time on her hands."

Chiyo let out a miserable groan, burying her face in her hands.

"I can't believe this. My favorite novel—the one I spent years obsessing over—and I end up stuck inside it."

Julius's smirk faltered.

"…Favorite novel?"

Chiyo gave him an exhausted glare.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Of course, I was a fan. I read all your behind-the-scenes posts. Your author notes? I even joined a Discord server for your novel. Hell, I probably knew your story better than you did."

Julius blinked.

Then, slowly, a grin spread across his lips.

"Well, well," he mused. "Didn't expect to meet a fangirl today."

Chiyo scowled.

"Shut. Up."

Julius blinked.

"…Wait."

Something clicked.

A high school girl.

A huge fan of his novel.

A girl who had probably spent hours dissecting his story, analyzing every event, debating in online forums—

Julius's heart stopped.

"…No fucking way."

Chiyo raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Julius's lips parted, his breath catching in his throat.

He stared at her.

Really stared at her.

The dark hair. The red eyes. The subtle hints of Japanese features that shouldn't exist in this world.

And then—

A memory.

A girl, walking across the street.

Eyes glued to her phone.

A bus, speeding toward her.

His body moving instinctively.

Shoving her out of the way—

Thud.

The world fading to black.

Julius felt like he had been punched in the gut.

"…It was you."

Chiyo frowned.

"What?"

Julius let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair. His fingers trembled slightly. He laughed—not his usual amused chuckle, but something raw, something disbelieving.

"You were the girl." His voice came out hoarse. "The one I died saving."

Chiyo's eyes widened.

For a moment, she looked like she couldn't breathe.

Her lips parted, then closed. She staggered back a step.

"Wait…" she whispered. "You're saying—"

Julius exhaled harshly, shaking his head.

"It's not just us being in this world. We were connected before. You—" He let out another incredulous laugh, raking his fingers through his white hair. "You got isekai'd because of me."

Chiyo's hands clenched into fists.

She was shaking.

"No." She shook her head, voice rising. "That doesn't make sense. I—I mean, yeah, I got hit by the bus, but I didn't even—" She swallowed, her breath uneven. "I didn't even see who pushed me. It happened too fast."

Julius smirked bitterly.

"Well, congratulations. Now you know."

Chiyo stared at him.

Then—

She let out a weak, hysterical laugh.

"This is insane," she muttered. "No. This is beyond insane. You—You're the reason I'm here?"

Julius spread his arms in mock grandeur.

"Guilty as charged."

Chiyo's expression twisted.

"So, what? I was just supposed to live my life, completely unaware that some dumbass sacrificed himself for me? And now we're both stuck in this world, playing a game of survival?"

Julius grinned.

"Yep."

Chiyo punched him.

Hard.

Julius's head snapped to the side.

For a moment, silence.

Then—he started laughing.

Chiyo clenched her fists, trembling with a mix of rage, frustration, and something else entirely.

"You're insane," she hissed. "Completely, utterly insane."

Julius tilted his head, smirking.

"That's what makes me fun."

Julius chuckled.

This was…

Unexpected.

And interesting.

They were both from Earth.

But Chiyo hadn't just read his novel—she had loved it. She knew things even he had forgotten.

That meant…

She could be useful.

"I have to ask," Julius said, leaning forward. "Since you were such a devoted fan—who was your favorite character?"

Chiyo scoffed.

"Not you."

Julius laughed.

"Ouch. My heart."

Chiyo rolled her eyes. But then, she hesitated.

She looked at him carefully. Thoughtfully.

"…What happens now?" she finally asked.

Julius's smirk widened.

"That," he said smoothly, "depends on you."

Chiyo crossed her arms.

"I don't trust you."

Julius chuckled.

"That's smart."

Chiyo exhaled, shaking her head.

"Fine. Whatever. Go have your stupid duel. Just don't die."

Julius grinned.

"No promises."

---

The duel was about to begin.

Julius stood across from Alex in the center of the training grounds. The crowd had grown even larger, students whispering excitedly, placing bets.

Alex's expression was stone-cold, his stance rigid.

Julius, on the other hand, was grinning.

He could feel the weight of the Hero's Blessing pressing against him, the sheer power radiating off Alex in waves.

But that only made it more exciting.

Joseph stood between them, acting as the referee.

"Standard rules," he announced. "No lethal attacks. First to be incapacitated or yield loses."

Alex drew his sword, its edge gleaming in the sunlight.

"Let's get this over with."

Julius chuckled, rolling his shoulders.

"Try to last longer than five minutes, Hero."

Joseph raised his hand.

"Begin."

Alex vanished.

Julius's grin widened.

This was going to be fun.