[Orca Academy has incurred the penalty by attacking Ocien Academy before the fourth dayâ¦]
[Any Academy can now target Orca Academy from now without incurring any penaltyâ¦]
[Trinity Academy has incurred the penalty by attacking Ocien Academy before the fourth dayâ¦]
[Any Academy can now target Ocien Academy from bow without incurring any penaltyâ¦]
[Blue City Academy has incurred the penalty by attacking Ocien Academy before the fourth dayâ¦]
[Any Academy can now target Blue City Academy from now without incurring any penaltyâ¦]
[Ocien Academy has incurred the penalty by attacking Zealand Academy before the fourth dayâ¦]
[Any Academy can now target Ocien Academy from now without incurring any penaltyâ¦]
[Ishtar Academy has incurred the penalty by attacking?Zealand Academy before the fourth dayâ¦]
[Any Academy can now target Ishtar Academy from now without incurring any penaltyâ¦]
The series of announcements dumbfounded all the Academies, even the people watching the broadcast weren't sure what had transpired.
Max and Lisa looked at each other in surprise after hearing the announcement. They seem to have an idea about the people behind the chaos.
Max released Lisa from his embrace but she still seemed to have not realised it.
"You don't wanna leave?'' Max's words woke her up and her face burned in embarrassment as she coughed lightly and got up.
"Then I will be going downstairsâ¦" Lisa said as she got up and hurriedly ran away.
Max smiled as he shook his head before returning back to the spirit world.
Andriel still sitting where he had left her. Her head was hanging low. She seemed depressed and Max could see her eyes glistening.
He came and sat down in front of her and grabbed her face with both of his hands before lifting it up.
''Look at me and be truthfulâ¦.what's going on?'' He asked.
"N-Nothing...I am just depressed that my plan failedâ¦" Andriel replied with a smile.
"Leave me aside...you sure had your fun out there after leaving meâ¦" She gave him a meaningful look.
"All thanks to youâ¦" Max said with a wry smile.
"It seems your resolve has finally loosened a bitâ¦" Andriel said with a smirk.
"What else did you expect? You know how I am...if I do something, I will stand for itâ¦." Max replied.
"I know... that's the reason, I have been trying to seduce youâ¦.as long as you make a move...its my win. But it seems Lisa got ahead of meâ¦'' Andriel replied with a smile.
Max had made his decision to not get involved in this sh*t and he still couldn't help but feel troubled honestly.
But since he went ahead and did that, he honestly felt a bit responsible and couldn't act like everything was normal.
He should have been able to hold back the heat but his own pent up frustration seemed to have gotten the better of him...not to mention Lisa's actions had sent a ripple across his heartâ¦
Max seemed to have finally realised something. He could finally understand why he didn't feel so bitter at the end of that particular trial.
It was because the person whose role he was playing in that previous era died with no regret whatsoever.
He loved the person with all his heart and followed his will without carrying for anything else...
Even now Max couldn't tell whether the path that person took on was right or wrong.
Whether that guy could have emerged victorious if he restrained himself like Max tried toâ¦but it was hard to tell.
Still, one thing was clear from the emotion's Max had experienced through him. He surely believed in his pathâ¦.even though he ended up terriblyâ¦he still was the person closest to defeating Vaccaria after Arkansas.
His name was Silvaâ¦.
His unclear last words seemed to be finally becoming clear to Max a bit. He felt very close to grasping it, but it slipped away like an ad from his hands.
Every Trial from 5th stage onwards had left Max with some kind of message with an opportunity to understand what was above the Supreme Tier and it was finally today that he felt the haze thinning a bitâ¦.yet it still wasn't enough it seemed...
'Was I wrong the entire time?' Max couldn't help but ask himself.
The next moment, he cleared his mind for now and looked at Andriel. He was here for something else nowâ¦.
"Anyway, at least someone had managed to put a crack in your defense. I will be the next oneâ¦'' Andriel said with a smile.
Max looked at her and finally spoke, "I really am confused. I can't understand what you and Elly keep thinkingâ¦I just made some progress with another girl...and you are smiling? You really don't mind it? I would have gone crazy if I was in your placeâ¦"
Max was truthful on this. Because any sane person wouldn't act like herâ¦.Elly was insane that's for sureâ¦.she would go to crazy length just for her grandfather's words.
"I don't know about others. But it's pretty common in the upper worldâ¦.and even if it wasn't, just being by your side is enough for meâ¦.I don't mind anything else..." Andriel said as he looked at him lovingly.
Max slooked at Andriel as his expression suddebly turned serious, "I have been feeling it for a whileâ¦.but I think I confirmed it today. You aren't lustful at all...right?"
Andriel's body stiffened for a second.
"Just like you said as a love sick idiot that my presence by your side is enough for you...in that case, there must be some reason that you come at me like thisâ¦."
As Max continued, the smile on Andriel's face began to fade. Max noticed it as well and sighed.
"I really don't wanna pry on your secrets Andriel. But the last few days, you really have been desperate and it's starting to worry meâ¦are you really alright? Tell me if there is anything wrong?
"It's...not like thatâ¦" Andriel said in a low voice, still seemingly reluctant for some reason.
But Max's expression didn't change for a second, "Am I not capable enough to solve your problem?"
"Tell meâ¦.I am here for youâ¦'' Max said as he looked as he ocean again pulled her face up meet her with his clear and determined eyes.
"It's not fairâ¦.why do you have to be like thisâ¦.I can't refuse anymoreâ¦" Andriel's eyes started to glisten, she broke her usual character for the first time in front of Max.
That older mature lady could no longer be seen anymore leaving behind a crying little girl.
"You really are that reluctant to tell me about it?" Max asked as he patted her head.
"I will lose my chance to make you fall for me..â¦things might progress in a direction that I didn't wish forâ¦.I don't want you to force yourself..."
"Could you please not decide the things for me? I am still alive to do that..." Max replied with a smile as he wiped her tears away. "I promise I will do my best to find a solutionâ¦.without forcing myselfâ¦"