Succubi Chapter 144. Damned Superhero
Ares didn't lower his weapon.
He gritted his teeth, pulled his sword back, and in one smooth, charged motion, swung.
Not a regular swing.
A skill.
The air cracked. Mana surged like a pressure wave screaming to be unleashed. His blade lit up with radiant energy, bright and sharp like holy fire laced with precision fury.
Valor Skill. Arc Radiant Slash.
It carved through the air in a long crescent, glowing gold and white, aimed directly at me.
I felt it before it hit.
The heat.
The pressure.
The weight.
It was the kind of blow designed to finish a fight. Not just to knock someone down, but to remind them who was stronger.
I could've blocked it.
Technically. Maybe. Probably.
But why bother?
I had Shadow Step.
I was about to move. Blink out. Slide through the mana veil and pop out five feet to the left, maybe even behind him for a cheeky dagger tap to the spine. I didn't owe anyone here anything. Least of all the Valor fan club drooling over his sword skills.
If I blocked, I might get bruised.
If I dodged, I'd live.
But…
That attack would fly straight past me.
Straight into the group of his own fans who were standing behind the safety zone like this was some afterschool show instead of a battlefield.
And were they paying attention?
Nope.
They were smiling. Recording. Whispering.
Did I see it?
Yes.
Did I care?
...
Eh. Not enough.
I was fully ready to step out and say "oops" afterward like the smug bastard I was.
Let the golden slash flatten a few Valor robes. Give them something to cry about.
I tensed. Mana curled around my feet. Time slowed.
I stepped…
And before I could disappear…
A voice.
Firm. Cold. Sharp.
"Enough!"
A flash of arcane blue cracked into my vision.
And then… just like that, someone was standing in front of me.
Long coat fluttering. Monocle glinting. Magic crackling in one hand.
Callahan.
Yeah.
Callahan.
Standing there like a damned professor mode superhero.
His palm was raised. A shimmering layered barrier pulsed outward like a dome of polished crystal and starlight.
Ares' Radiant Slash hit it head-on.
-BOOM!
The arena shook.
Energy exploded into a wave of pressure and scattered light. I felt it in my chest. The wind slapped my face.
But the barrier held.
Callahan didn't budge an inch.
Just stood there, one hand out, coat ruffling slightly from the force, lips pressed in a thin line of restrained annoyance.
Ares stumbled back a step, eyes wide. "Professor—"
Gasps rippled from the spectators.
Students froze. Half with awe. Half with confusion.
Even the Saint student on healing duty stood there blinking like his brain had glitched.
But not me.
Oh no.
I didn't blink.
I didn't even pretend to act shocked.
Because while everyone else was busy being stunned at "cool professional arcana professor Callahan" pulling off a barrier like he was starring in an academy recruitment ad…
All I could think was…
'This is the same man who cried in emotional defeat last night because Lilith hugged me between her boobs?'
Now he's glowing like a legendary mage with tenure?
The world was unfair.
Callahan finally lowered his hand, the mana fizzling out in soft arcs.
He turned halfway, not looking at me but definitely making sure I was still behind him.
His voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.
"This duel isn't a match anymore," he said. "It's turning into something else. I need to stop you both before it crosses a line."
Ares clenched his jaw, sword still at his side. "Why did you protect him?"
He didn't shout.
But his tone? Tight. Pressed. Holding something back.
From the crowd, one of the Valor girls whispered loud enough for half the arena to hear.
"That's not fair. Evan should've taken the hit."
Another student grumbled, "Professor's taking his side."
More murmurs followed. Hushed and sharp.
Callahan turned toward the crowd.
Didn't yell.
Didn't scold.
Just spoke.
"If Evan had dodged," he said calmly, "where do you think that attack would've gone?"
He gestured casually.
"To you."
The Valor fans went quiet real fast.
He adjusted his monocle, voice like glass. "Evan could have avoided it. Easily. But if he had… that strike would've landed on the students behind him. The ones filming. Laughing. Calling for more."
Silence.
I could feel it.
Callahan looked back at Ares. "You lost control."
Ares opened his mouth.
Callahan raised a hand. "You both did."
I folded my arms. Not denying it.
He exhaled. "And this is why duels are supervised. Not for rules. For responsibility."
There it was.
The professor tone.
Stern. Calm. Disappointed but fair.
Total Arcana aura.
I blinked slowly.
Okay.
That was actually kind of cool.
In a magic nerd way.
Ares looked at the ground. Then at me.
His gaze was different now.
Not angry.
But not done, either.
"I didn't want to kill you," he said quietly.
I raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."
"I wanted to know if I could push through someone like you."
I tilted my head. "You mean beat me."
"No," he said. "Surpass you."
That?
That hit a little different.
I didn't respond.
Callahan stepped back, letting the tension bleed out.
"I'll report the match as unresolved," he said. "No winner. No penalty."
He glanced between us.
"But if you two want to settle this later… do it properly. Get a sanctioned duel with referees and a safe perimeter."
He adjusted his coat.
"And maybe not in front of half the new students."
Leon finally spoke up from the side. "Does this mean I can finish my lunch now?"
Callahan gave him a side-eye.
Leon was unfazed.
"Cool. Just checking."
I returned.
Evelyn handed me my bag. Her lips twitched. "You almost got fan club casualties. That's a new record."
I sighed. "I was gonna dodge."
"And let them take the hit?"
"I was gonna say 'oops' afterward."
"You're unbelievable."
"I'm practical."
Callahan walked off without another word, barrier magic still faintly trailing from his coat cuffs like a subtle mic drop.
And I?
I stared after him.
Yeah.
He might be a crybaby pervert sometimes.
But today?
Callahan was kinda cool.
A little smug.
A little too serious.
But undeniably cool.
Then… I caught it. His stare. His gaze locked on me and Evelyn.
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