Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 93: His Decision

Dozens of Mystic Arts slammed down toward the stage at the same time, streaks of fire, lightning, wind—all kinds of Elements rained down at once.

Aren’s eyes widened as the attack struck.

"NO!" he cried out, but it was already too late.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire amphitheater disappeared in a storm of explosions. The shockwaves alone blasted apart the remaining stage equipment as a curtain of smoke enveloped the whole area.

One of them lowered his arm slowly.

"Target neutralized."

Then—

A figure stepped forward...Daniel.

The senior stood at the center of the ruined stage, his spear planted firmly into the ground as cracks spread across the concrete beneath his feet.

Aren blinked in disbelief.

Did he use his Art? But there’s no way he could’ve survived a combined attack of that level?!

But that was when Aren saw it. Daniel was holding something in his other hand.

A small cup.

It was no larger than a drinking cup, yet its surface gleamed with intricate golden engravings and embedded jewels that faintly shimmered with ether.

His eyes widened immediately.

No way...an Heirloom. That’s—that’s the Golden Chalice!

Before he could even say anything, the commanding officer immediately stepped up. His eyes locked onto the small cup in Daniel’s hand.

"The Golden Chalice—?!" he exclaimed.

The man’s expression shifted instantly from confidence to disbelief.

"...That would mean..." his gaze snapped toward the figure standing in the smoke.

"...Is that you?"

"Daniel Lancaster?"

For a brief moment, the entire stadium went silent. Daniel immediately yelled out, still holding the chalice.

"Stop attacking!"

Daniel suddenly locked his gaze on Aren. At first, he was confused, but realization kicked in as Aren pushed himself upright gingerly.

"You can’t kill it!" he said loudly for all to hear.

Several of the officers frowned immediately. The commanding officer narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Aren pointed toward the center of the stage.

"That thing isn’t an independent monster," he said. "It’s her Bloodline."

His finger shifted slightly toward Miu’s unconscious body.

"If you kill the Siren..." his jaw tightened.

"...you kill Miu Harmonia with it."

A murmur spread across the officers along the rim.

The commanding officer’s expression darkened slightly as he processed the information. But before he could respond, another officer stepped forward.

This one was slightly older than the rest and wore a black coat instead of the usual white for the Mystic Law Enforcement uniform. His expression remained cold regardless of what Aren said.

"So?" he said easily. "That changes nothing."

His gaze shifted from Aren to the Siren right behind Daniel. "If we allow that creature to remain alive, it will continue draining ether from everyone here."

"Hundreds of civilians are still inside this stadium," he looked back at Aren.

"If we eliminate it now..." his eyes hardened slightly. "We sacrifice one life—"

"To save many others."

Aren’s jaw tightened at the officer’s words. He knew the man wasn’t wrong, but still—

"Give us a chance!" he yelled.

The commanding officer narrowed his eyes slightly.

Aren gestured toward the center of the stage where the Siren was now coiled protectively above Miu’s unconscious body.

The cold officer immediately scoffed. "You’re asking us to gamble hundreds of lives on a theory from a student."

"We won’t listen to such ridiculous—"

"Enough," the commanding officer cut cleanly through the tension between them.

The commander’s gaze returned to Aren before flicking briefly toward Daniel and the Golden Chalice.

"Five minutes."

Aren blinked.

"If that creature is still standing after that..."

The officer lifted his hand slightly. Behind him, dozens of Mystics tightened their grips as ether began to gather once more.

"...We’ll finish the job."

Five minutes. That was all the time he had.

Aren exhaled slowly before he stepped past Daniel. The senior blinked in surprise.

"Hey—what are you planning to do?"

Aren didn’t answer.

His eyes remained locked on the creature as he walked toward the center of the shattered stage. Every step sent another spike of pain through his ribs, but he forced himself forward anyway.

There wasn’t time to worry about broken bones.

Think.

If I attack it directly...

His gaze flicked briefly toward Miu.

Then she dies.

That meant brute force was out of the question. Blue light flickered across his arm.

[Dragon Gauntlet]

The scales along his forearm shifted as the gauntlet formed over his hand, the draconic plating turning into his familiar gauntlets.

Behind him, Daniel frowned.

"...Junior?"

Aren rolled his shoulder once, ignoring the sharp stab of pain that followed. His eyes narrowed slightly.

If I can’t kill it...

Then there was only one option.

I’ll have to tire it out.

The Siren’s glowing eyes immediately locked onto him as its massive tail lashed forward like a whip.

THWACK!

The impact slammed into his guard and launched him backward across the stage. Pain exploded through his arm, but he stayed standing...barely.

The Siren lunged again with its sharp claws.

CRACK!

The strike smashed straight into him as he was forced down to one knee, but still he braced.

Behind him, Daniel’s voice rang out.

"Junior!"

The senior took a step forward, lance already spinning into position.

"Stay out of it," Aren rasped.

"What?!"

Aren forced himself back to his feet but the Siren was already charging again. Another tail strike slammed into his guard, the force launching him across the stage again.

BOOM!

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. The Siren screeched, but Aren simply raised his guard.

Hit, impact, crash. Hit, impact, crash. Hit, impact, crash...

Time blurred without him realizing. The stage became a battlefield of shattered equipment and cracked flooring as the Siren relentlessly tore into him again and again.

Aren barely fought back. He forced himself back to his feet every time he was knocked down.

From the rim of the amphitheater, dozens of Mystic officers watched in grim silence. Daniel clenched his spear tighter.

"Damn it..." he muttered.

Another tail strike slammed Aren into the ground.

CRACK!

The wood beneath him shattered as he slid several meters before slowly pushing himself upright again.

The Siren shrieked in frustration.

Why wouldn’t he fall?

Aren wiped the blood from his mouth as he raised his guard again. But his mind wasn’t on the fight. It was on her, on Miu Harmonia. He remembered her words, her...light.

"The buildings were so close together you could barely see the sky..."

BANG!

"I’d just... sing along with whatever songs were on it."

THWOOOP!

"I thought if I sang loud enough, the stars would notice and finally peek through the smog."

CRASH!

Aren landed onto the wooden floor, wood splintering everywhere as he coughed up more blood. He lay there for a split second longer, breathing heavily.

Above him, the Siren shrieked again as its massive body twisted through the air.

"Thirty seconds!" the commander shouted from the rim of the amphitheater.

The creature dove again, its tail smashing toward him.

Daniel’s voice rang out from somewhere behind.

"AREN! STOP THIS ALREADY!"

BOOM!

Aren rolled aside just as the impact shattered the floor beside him, more splinters exploding outward.

Twenty-eight.

The Siren lunged again.

Aren barely raised his gauntlet in time as the blow slammed into him and sent him skidding across the stage.

CRACK!

Too much ether...too much...

But that was when he realized something. He had the solution on hand the entire time, something that was used on him to contain his massive amounts of ether.

The dampener.

The metal band there glinted faintly under the stadium lights. For a moment, his mind went into overdrive, almost like a million different versions of his voice were fighting at once.

"Twenty seconds!" the voice shouted from above

Should I remove it?

His hand went straight to the band on his right wrist.

No! That’s like broadcasting myself in the most dangerous place possible! A one-way trip to get ambushed by the Defilers.

Another voice in his head snapped back immediately.

Then what? Let them kill her?

Aren gritted his teeth.

So? I’ve just met her yesterday! Does that warrant more than my life on the line?

Even if I take it off... what happens after?

"Fifteen seconds!"

His fingers twitched toward the latch.

Another crash shook the stage as the Siren’s tail smashed into the floor nearby, sending splinters flying across the arena.

His body reacted but his mind had been somewhere else...back on a certain quiet rooftop as he imagined it.

"I love singing, Aren."

"But even if my voice hadn’t reached the stars...it was alright."

"TEN SECONDS, WE WILL FIRE!"

"I just wanted my voice to reach someone’s heart..."

"...Like how another’s voice once reached mine."

"Damn it."

Lightning burst through his legs as he launched forward, the creature’s claws tried reaching for him but missed entirely.

The impact shattered another section of the stage behind him.

"Five seconds!" the commander shouted.

Ether began gathering along the upper rim as the Mystic officers prepared their final volley. Daniel’s voice echoed from behind.

"AREN, MOVE!"

But Aren wasn’t running away.

He was running straight toward the center of the stage.

Toward Miu.

The Siren realized it instantly. With another furious screech, the massive creature twisted and lunged after him, its jaws opening wide. Aren slid across the broken stage floor and reached her first.

For a brief moment, the world seemed to go quiet. He looked down at the unconscious girl.

"...You really did reach someone’s heart."

He muttered under his breath.

"Even when the world pulls me far away..."

His hand moved.

"...Your warmth is the song that helps me stay."

CLICK.