Chapter 99: BonFire Night: The First Flame

–Chapter 99–

The fireworks had begun earlier and were still going by the time night arrived.. Dean didn't bother with those and only left the training grounds during the night.

By then, the outer grounds had been completely transformed from what he'd seen earlier. The orange flames of the bonfire were already up, the crackling sound of fire and wood filling the outer grounds.

Long curved tables surrounded the massive stone fire pit at the center while hundreds of lanterns cast an orange glow across the entire area.

Students from three different years moved around each other like oil in water, as if they wanted to mix up but just didn't realize how to.

That excluded the previous first years that had repeated. They easily communed with the present second years since they were once classmates.

Dean stood at the edge of the area, his eyes drifting around as he paid attention to everything he could grasp. It was easily discernible that everyone was performing for each other, or maybe it was just his distrustful nature talking…

Out of nowhere, Olsen appeared behind him as Ash, who was still in his chibi-like dire wolf form, purred.

Olsen stretched his hand forward, handing Dean a cup of whatever the academy had approved for their consumption tonight.

Watching Olsen for a second, Dean took the cup as he watched the boy drink his. Dean took a quick sip. He was feeling somewhat underhydrated after training for most of the day.

The drink tasted fruity with a hint of apple somewhere. It felt like a massage on his tongue and throat at that moment.

"Ahhhh," Dean offered.

"Good, right…?" Olsen asked as he tapped softly on Ash's transformed nose.

"Yeah," Dean replied, looking around for a second before he turned to Olsen again. "So where do we sit, Mr. Coordinator?"

"Ohhh…" the gentle giant smiled and brought out a pamphlet, looking at it for a second.

"There…" he pointed towards one of the tables at the centre, closer to the massive bonfire that still crackled.

Walking side by side, the boys made their way to the table and, on arrival, Dean squinted slightly.

He could swear that Richard must be responsible for this arrangement because it was the exact uncomfortable cross-species arrangement that the bastard could set up with the excuse of coexistence.

At the table and already seated were two Year 2 werewolf students whose body language announced their pack affiliation before their crests did.

There was also a quiet Year 2 human boy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else at this point.

And at the head position, a vampire with dark red lipstick and the kind of composed stillness that told you she was totally confident in who she was.

Gretchen Mercurien.

Dean didn't know the name yet, but he recognised the likeness to Astrea in terms of how they carried themselves in the eyes of the public.

From the moment he arrived, she watched him closely with a somewhat deadpan expression until he sat down on a chair opposite her. Ash rolled upside down on his shoulder without a care.

With the obvious attention aimed his way, Dean did his best to ignore it, or at least act as if he wasn't watching her as well.

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"Dean Gray," a boy called from the main stage, closer to the origin of the soothing heat that continuously washed over the area.

It turned out Dean had arrived just in time or, in his own reasoning, at the worst time.

This was because the first activity for the night was starting. It was a cross-species strength challenge. Pairs were being drawn randomly from each table, and Dean's name came up against one of the two werewolves at his table.

The irony, right!?

The werewolf in question looked broad and incredibly relaxed. The confidence of someone who had always been the strongest person in any room he entered.

Walking out alongside Dean, the werewolf settled across from Dean on the small challenge table. His expression was mild and slightly smug, as if this was just a formality.

And he was damn right to feel that way…

Dean barely lasted four seconds.

The werewolf's partial transformation had manifested the moment their hands locked, claws retracting slightly as the boy channelled strength through his shifted form and his grip became something closer to iron than flesh.

Dropping Dean's hand cleanly like it was nothing, Dean straightened from the arm wrestling position and flexed his fingers, stretching his hand slightly.

'That was clean,' he admitted inwardly. It was obvious that, at a base level, he wasn't physically there yet. Though he was taking on a werewolf, the truth was still the truth.

Dean didn't take it hard on himself and simply waited for the second round.

And when the call came from the boy at the main stage, Dean positioned himself on the table with a small smile playing on his lips.

This time, the Gray heir didn't meet strength with strength. Instead, he channelled the Rebound Core as onyx plates with pulsing orange veins materialised on his right forearm.

Matching the initial force of the werewolf's partial transformation, his armour absorbed the initial pressure of the struggle that left them at an impasse.

But the impasse only lasted for a second or even less as Dean converted a fair share of the stored impact and began pushing back the werewolf with the accumulated kinetic energy.

Deciding not to release the impact in a single violent burst, Dean pushed back the werewolf slowly as veins popped on the werewolf's neck. He kept fighting back but eventually went down.

Witnessing the exchange, the students were initially quiet. They watched as the werewolf stared at Dean and then at his own arm.

The look of surprise in his eyes seemed genuine, but it still gave off a hint of defiance, as if he couldn't accept such an outcome.

An unexpected tension began tethering between Dean and the boy for a second, just for a second. People thought shit was about to go down.

But much to the surprise of everyone, including Dean, the boy simply nodded in acknowledgement and smirked.

"Nice one, Gray…" he said while he looked at the burning crescent moon insignia on the left chest area of Dean's haori.

Dean returned the nod as they both walked back to their table, refusing to wrestle for a third round.

Immediately, cheers of excitement burst out from everyone that watched. The show of sportsmanship and understanding between the boys was something worth applauding.

Back at their seat, there was an obvious shift as Ash and Olsen welcomed him back with open and excited arms.

Dean smiled… and accepted the drink even as Gretchen watched him, an interested smile playing on her sexy red lips.

–End of Chapter–