Chapter 93: Elizabeth Makes Her Move

"You’re completely out of control, Valcor! First you brutally attack students outside of matches, then you resign from the council, then you orchestrate this mass challenge situation, and now you’re trying to murder someone in front of the entire Academy! What will you do next!?"

Damian’s expression remained completely calm as he lowered his axe and stretched his body, feeling completely at ease.

As if he didn’t fear Gareth at all!

"He accepted a challenge match and he knew the risks. If he wasn’t prepared to stake his life, he shouldn’t have stepped into the ring."

"That’s not how sanctioned matches work and you know it!"

Gareth took a step forward, his own Aura beginning to flare.

"You need to be stopped. Someone needs to put you down before you actually kill–"

SHING. SHING. SHING.

The sound of thirty-two weapons being drawn simultaneously cut through Gareth’s words.

Every single Mafia member had their weapon out and pointed directly at him.

Edrin’s twin swords gleamed in the afternoon light.

Ronan’s massive fists were coated in brownish Aura.

Lysa had an arrow nocked and aimed at Gareth’s head.

Zavier’s spear was leveled at his chest.

All thirty-two students had their Auras flared, their eyes filled with genuine killing intent.

The message was crystal clear: Touch Damian, and you die.

Gareth froze, his eyes widening as he realized the situation he was in.

These weren’t scared students anymore. These were students who had killed people before!

"You really want to start this? Right here, right now?"

His voice was strained.

Before anyone could respond, a new pressure descended on the entire training grounds.

It was overwhelming and absolute!

Elizabeth Murdock stepped forward, her purple hair whipping in the Aura-generated wind, her violet eyes blazing with power and authority.

Her B+ rank Aura erupted fully, completely suppressing Gareth’s B-rank presence.

"Gareth Blackwood."

Her voice was cold, commanding, carrying none of her usual gentle diplomacy.

"Stand down. Immediately."

Gareth looked at her in shock.

"Elizabeth, you can’t be serious. He almost–"

"I said stand down!"

The force of her words made Gareth actually stumble backward.

"I am the Student Council President. I am your superior in this hierarchy. And I have had enough of all of this pointless conflict!"

Her gaze swept across everyone present.

"Victor Cross issued a formal challenge. Damian Valcor accepted. The match proceeded under official supervision with Professor Vale as referee.

Everything that happened was within the bounds of sanctioned combat, regardless of how brutal it appeared. If the life of Victor was in any danger, Professor Vale would have saved him."

She turned her attention to Gareth specifically.

"You interfered in an active match. You violated the rules you claim to care so much about. So don’t you dare lecture anyone else about proper conduct when you can’t even follow basic protocols yourself."

Gareth’s jaw clenched, his face flushing with anger and humiliation.

But he couldn’t argue against her authority. She was right about the hierarchy, and her rank advantage made challenging her directly foolish.

"This matter is over."

Elizabeth’s voice carried finality.

"Everyone will return to their normal activities. There will be no retaliation, no continued conflict and no further escalation. Is that understood?"

Silence.

"I asked if that was understood!"

"Yes, President."

The response came from multiple voices, reluctant but compliant.

Gareth bent down and grabbed Victor’s unconscious form, lifting him with one arm.

His dark eyes met Damian’s for a long moment, filled with complicated emotions.

Then he turned and walked away, carrying Victor toward the medical wing.

Arielle followed behind them, casting one last worried glance at the axe in Damian’s hands before disappearing into the crowd.

Elizabeth stood there for another moment, her Aura still flared, making sure everyone understood the situation was truly over.

Then her gaze found Damian’s.

They looked at each other for several long seconds, an entire conversation happening in that silent exchange.

Finally, Elizabeth gave a single small nod.

Damian returned it.

She turned and left as well, the crowd parting before her like water.

****

The moment Elizabeth disappeared from view, the entire training grounds exploded with noise.

"Did that actually just happen?"

"He broke Victor’s sword! That was a family heirloom worth millions!"

"Forget the sword, he almost killed him! With one strike!"

"Did you see how Gareth and Arielle barely stopped that attack? They’re both B rank and they struggled!"

"What kind of weapon art was that? I’ve never seen anything like it!"

Students were practically screaming at each other, their phones out, recording, posting, sharing every angle they’d managed to capture.

The Academy forums were already going absolutely insane.

[BREAKING: Damian Valcor defeats C rank Victor Cross in under five minutes!]

[SHOCKING: First-year nearly executes second-year Imperial heir in sanctioned match!]

[REVEALED: Damian has a melee weapon art! Unknown axe-type technique that shattered Victor’s ancestral blade!]

[Student Council in chaos - Elizabeth Murdock forcibly ends confrontation between Gareth and Damian’s Mafia!]

[WATCH: All 32 Mafia members draw weapons on B rank Gareth Blackwood simultaneously!]

[The Mafia’s Complete Dominance - 33 victories in one day, zero losses]

The comment sections were moving so fast they were almost unreadable.

"I can’t believe what I just saw. That wasn’t a fight, that was an execution attempt."

"Victor deserved it tbh. He’s been a pompous ass for two years. Someone needed to humble him."

"Did anyone else see Elizabeth’s face? I’ve never seen her that angry before. She completely dominated Gareth."

"The way all the Mafia members drew weapons at once gave me chills. That’s not a student organization anymore, that’s a military unit."

"Okay but can we talk about how Damian just stood there and let Victor talk for like two minutes straight without saying anything? That’s some psychological warfare shit."

"My cousin is in the second year and she said Victor was unconscious for twenty minutes after the match ended. He literally fainted from fear."

"GARETH’S ARM WAS BLEEDING. He’s B-rank and Damian’s attack went through his defense like paper. How strong is this kid actually?"

"I heard from someone in the medical wing that Victor won’t be able to use his family’s weapon art anymore because the sword that was attuned to his Aura for years was destroyed. That’s basically crippling for his future development."

Among the crowd still gathered at the training grounds, former Mafia members stood frozen in place, their faces ashen.

"We could have been part of that."

One of them whispered, staring at the thirty-two students now surrounding Damian protectively.

"We could have been standing with them. Protected by them. Growing stronger alongside them."

Another shook his head slowly, his expression haunted.

"Instead we’re here watching from the outside like cowards. Like everyone else who was too scared to take a risk."

A third student, who’d been one of the earliest to leave when pressure started mounting, looked down at his hands.

"I thought I was being smart. I thought joining a Noble as a subordinate was the safe, practical choice. But look at them. Just look at them."

His voice cracked slightly.

"They’re not subordinates to anyone. They’re equals, they’re warriors... They’re family. And we gave that up because we were scared of a little pressure."

The regret in their eyes was palpable, crushing.

They’d made their choice. And now they had to live with watching others succeed where they’d been too afraid to even try.

In another part of the crowd, Adrian Murdock stood with Victoria White, both of them processing what they’d witnessed with very different reactions.

"Your sister is terrifying when she wants to be."

Victoria’s voice was quiet, respectful.

"I’ve never seen her use her full authority like that. Gareth looked like he wanted to argue but couldn’t even form the words."

Adrian nodded slowly, his purple eyes still fixed on where Damian stood.

"Elizabeth sees things we don’t. Her seer abilities have been warning her for weeks that Damian was going to become something unprecedented. I think she just decided to stop trying to control the situation and instead position herself correctly for what’s coming."

"And what is coming?"

"Change. Real, fundamental change to how this entire Academy operates. Maybe even how the Federation’s social structure works."

He smiled slightly.

"And honestly? I’m looking forward to it."

****

Seraphina Vale yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head with complete disregard for the chaos around her.

She walked over to where Damian stood and grinned at him with genuine satisfaction.

"Well, that was entertaining. Haven’t seen someone that scared since my last battlefield deployment."

She glanced at the thirty-two Mafia members still standing protectively around him.

"You lot did good work today too. Congratulations on your ranking victories. All of them. That kind of thing doesn’t happen by accident."

Edrin bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Professor. Your training methods helped considerably."

"Don’t thank me too much. You’re the ones who put in the work."

She turned back to Damian, her violet eyes sharp despite her lazy demeanor.

"That weapon art of yours is dangerous. Really dangerous. You know that, right?"

"I’m aware."

"Good. Just making sure. Even though I don’t know much, I just heard some disturbing things about it from some professors."

She picked up her coffee from where she’d left it and took a long sip.

"Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a nap scheduled. Try not to almost kill anyone else today. My paperwork is already going to be a nightmare."

She walked away, still drinking her coffee, completely unbothered by everything that had just transpired.

Damian watched her go, then turned to face his Mafia members.

All thirty-two of them looked at him with expressions of absolute loyalty and devotion.

They’d won their battles!

They’d proven their strength!

And they’d shown the entire Academy that the Mafia wasn’t just Damian Valcor and his subordinates.

It was a force to be reckoned with.

"Let’s go."

Damian’s voice was tired but satisfied.

"We’ve made enough of a statement for one day."

As they walked away from the training grounds together, the crowd parted before them with something approaching reverence.

The age of Noble dominance in the Academy was ending.

And everyone knew it.