Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

Sylphie tightened her embrace even more, burying her face in Kael's chest. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it might explode, but she didn't care. She had waited so long for this moment, so long to see him again, and now that he was here, she refused to let go.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this!" Her voice came out muffled against his clothes, but it carried such intense emotion that Kael sighed.

She finally lifted her face, her green eyes shining with pure happiness. "I searched for you everywhere! Since the first day at this academy! I looked at every face, every new student! But you just never appeared!" She started speaking rapidly, without pause, as if she were pouring out all the emotions she had kept bottled up for so long.

"And then, I heard someone describing a red-haired boy holding lightning with his bare hands, and I knew right away it had to be you!" A bright smile appeared on her face, one of those smiles that could light up any place, and she hugged him tightly again. "I couldn't wait any longer! I thought I was going to lose my mind! You disappeared for so long, Kael!"

'She's adorable,' Kael, in turn, kept his calm expression, but anyone who knew him well would notice that he was relaxed. Her presence affected him more than he was willing to admit.

"Hey, I'm still here, you don't need to crush me," he commented with a small smile tugging at his lips. "I was actually going to look for you. But it looks like you found me first."

Sylphie laughed, her eyes teary with emotion, but filled with joy. She was finally with him again.

But then, Kael noticed something.

Silence.

An absolute, suffocating silence took over the courtyard.

Kael looked over Sylphie's shoulder and saw the reason: everyone was staring at them.

Some were shocked, others whispered among themselves, trying to understand the situation. Who was this girl who appeared like a white lightning bolt and threw herself into his arms? How was she looking for him? And why the hell was she hugging him so intimately?... not to mention those who knew who she was... the Princess of the Elves...

And then, something else caught his attention.

Amélia.

She was standing beside him, arms crossed and a look that bordered on murderous. If looks could kill, Sylphie would have been reduced to ashes at that very moment.

'Shit,' Kael almost laughed.

Her jealousy was practically tangible. Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes were half-closed, and her mouth was pinched into a thin line of irritation.

"So... who exactly is this?" Amélia asked with a falsely casual tone, but it was clear she wanted an answer immediately.

Sylphie finally seemed to notice the other girl's presence and blinked, still holding Kael. "Oh? Who are you?"

"Huh?! I should be asking that!" Amélia snapped, her voice a little louder than intended.

Kael sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Calm down, Amélia. This is Sylphie... Princess of the Elves, and an old friend of mine."

Amélia huffed and looked away, muttering something inaudible.

Sylphie tilted her head, curious. "Friend? Just a friend?" Her tone had a mischievous edge, but her eyes were still full of emotion.

Kael gave her a warning look, but Sylphie only smiled playfully.

Amélia, on the other hand, became even more irritated. "Since when do friends throw themselves into someone's chest and cling to them like an octopus?!"

Sylphie raised an eyebrow. "And since when do you have the right to question that? He's my savior, and he's going to be my..." She started to speak, but blushed, "My best friend, that's it!"

'I can't say he's going to be my husband!! This damn politics!! If I declare something like that... damn it!' Sylphie thankfully managed to control herself, but her words hadn't gone unnoticed.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment, just from the insinuation...

'Damn it...' Kael realized that, if he let it, this discussion could turn into something much bigger. So, he simply tapped Sylphie lightly on the forehead, gently pushing her back. "Let's calm down, okay?"

Sylphie pouted but backed off a bit, still holding his hand. "Alright, alright. But I'm not letting go of you anytime soon. I've waited too long for this."

Amélia huffed again and crossed her arms tighter, clearly displeased with the response.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students continued watching the scene, some whispering among themselves.

"Who is this girl? A princess?"

"She's so beautiful!"

"Why is she so close to Kael? Do they have some kind of relationship?"

"I think someone's going to have problems... look at Amélia's face."

Kael sighed once more. He really didn't like drawing so much attention, but it seemed like his fate was exactly that.

And considering who Sylphie was, this was far from over.

"Enough! This is not a theater, get back to your business. Now!" Mizuki's sharp voice rang through the courtyard, full of authority and impatience.

The cutting tone and the energy emanating from her were enough to make the students shrink back. The murmurs that had dominated the area ceased instantly, and one by one, they began to disperse, still throwing furtive glances at Kael, Sylphie, and Amélia.

The nine-tailed kitsune crossed her arms, her golden eyes sweeping over the remaining curious onlookers. "I said move. Do I need to draw it?"

That was enough to make the more stubborn students hurry their steps and leave before Mizuki decided to punish them.

Kael let out a sigh, watching the surroundings return to normal. He had expected something like this to happen, but it was still annoying to always be at the center of attention.

Sylphie, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to the chaos she had caused. She kept holding his hand, as if she had no intention of letting go anytime soon. Amélia, still with her arms crossed, huffed quietly and looked away.

Kael was preparing to deal with the two when Mizuki spoke again, this time addressing him directly.

"Kael, come with me." Unlike her previous order, this one was more controlled but still left no room for argument.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly?"

"I need your testimony as a witness." Mizuki pointed to the man lying on the ground, the supposed teacher who had allowed the duel to almost end in death. He was still pale, sweating coldly, trying to recover after being freed from the energy sphere.

"He's not a real teacher, just a temporary assistant. But with your testimony, we can ensure that not only will he be fired, but also barred from holding any similar position at this academy. His conduct was unacceptable."

Kael observed the man for a moment. While he wasn't too interested in getting involved in the academy's administrative matters, he couldn't just ignore what had happened.

Mizuki noticed his hesitation and narrowed her eyes.

"Or do you prefer for this kind of thing to keep happening? Because, if no one speaks up, you know full well it'll happen again."

Kael let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, fine, I got it. Let's get this over with."

Mizuki nodded, then turned to Sylphie and Amélia. "You two, no trouble while he's gone. And don't give me a reason to get involved in more drama today."

"Alright!" Sylphie gave a fake innocent expression, while Amélia merely mumbled something inaudible. "Bitch..."

Kael looked at the two, knowing leaving them together probably wasn't the best idea, but he hoped at least they wouldn't kill each other before he returned.

Shrugging, he followed Mizuki, leaving behind the unresolved tension between the two.

Kael followed Mizuki in silence, leaving the courtyard and the curious glances behind. The sound of their footsteps echoed down the empty hallway, until Mizuki, walking ahead, broke the silence with a question.

"How do you manage to get into so much trouble in one day?" She asked, her tone filled with a mixture of disbelief and amusement, as if this wasn't the first time she had encountered Kael's peculiar ability to get himself into trouble.

Kael shrugged, an impassive expression on his face. "The problems come to me, not the other way around." He responded, as if it were something inevitable, as clear to him as the very air he breathed.

Mizuki smiled slightly, still keeping her gaze focused ahead. "Is this strange spirit also one of the problems that came to you?" She asked, now with a hint of curiosity, her golden eyes narrowing as if waiting for an explanation she was already starting to guess.

Kael hesitated for a moment, the thought of the spirit crossing his mind. But soon, he let out a low laugh, knowing there was really no way to avoid answering. "Let's just say she has... a peculiar interest in me. But she's even cute, right?" He asked as Umbra perched on his shoulder, staring directly at Mizuki...

"A forest spirit with the ability to shapeshift souls, an almost impossible combination to exist, how interesting." She said, smiling.