Chapter 49: Fractured But Unbroken
Jessica moved quickly, her pace just shy of a full sprint as she descended toward the arena floor. Zyrenia clung to her hand, struggling to keep up, her small legs barely able to match Jessica's urgency. With an exasperated sigh, Jessica scooped the vampire child up in one motion, shifting her against her hip as she continued forward.
Hannelore kept pace beside her, silent, but her eyes never left Tobias. Her normally composed expression was locked into something unreadable—her ice-blue gaze flicking over every inch of him, assessing the damage before they even arrived.
Tobias was still standing, but he might as well have been a statue. His legs were locked in place, body visibly trembling under the weight of injuries he hadn't yet processed. Blood coated his arms, his chest—dried in some places, still fresh in others. The jagged remnants of earth spikes were embedded deep in his skin, their edges dulled, but their presence unmistakable. He had held himself together through sheer will alone, but that will had limits.
Jessica exhaled through her nose, not bothering to call out to him yet. He wouldn't move, not until he physically collapsed or someone forced him to sit.
Above them, the Headmaster still remained in his private viewing box, unmoving, watching as the healers hurried down from the opposite entrance. Tobias hadn't even attempted to remove the spikes himself—either too weak to use his magic or too stubborn to acknowledge he needed help. It was hard to tell which.
As they reached the edge of the field, Zyrenia finally spoke up, her voice smaller than usual. "He doesn't look good."
Jessica didn't reply. She already knew that.
The healers arrived, hesitant at first, as if expecting Tobias to resist, but the moment one of them touched his shoulder, he let out a long breath and seemed to finally accept it. His knees buckled slightly, but he caught himself, jaw clenched as the first of the spikes were carefully pulled from his flesh.
Tobias blinked, shifting his focus slightly as Jessica approached. Then, with a tired smirk, he rasped, "You do realize you just brought a vampire straight to a blood-soaked mess, right? Has she even eaten today?"
Jessica blinked, looking between Tobias and Zyrenia as if only now registering the issue. Zyrenia's arms were looped around Jessica's neck, but her golden eyes were locked onto Tobias with a slightly narrowed gaze, her lips pressing together tightly.
"I'm fine," Zyrenia muttered quickly, but Tobias just gave her a lazy, knowing grin.
"Yeah? You sure, Princess? I don't need you getting all bitey."
Zyrenia immediately puffed up in irritation. "You're disgusting! Why would I even want to bite you?"
Tobias snorted. "You tell me."
She crossed her arms with an indignant huff. "Would you eat a steak after it fell on the ground?"
Tobias, still barely able to lift his arms, ran a sluggish hand through his muddy, blood-matted hair, as if only now realizing the full state of himself. He let out a slow, hoarse chuckle. "Fair point."
Jessica watched the exchange with vague amusement, shifting Zyrenia in her grip before focusing back on Tobias. "Still with us?"
It took him a second too long to respond, but finally, he smirked. "You tell me."
Jessica exhaled through her nose. "Idiot."
Hannelore stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "You should go to the infirmary."
Tobias shook his head, jaw tightening. "Not yet. I've got a match to watch."
Hannelore's eye twitched, but she kept her posture composed, her expression a mask of neutrality. Only the way her jaw clenched betrayed her irritation. She inhaled sharply through her nose. "That's your decision."
Jessica, who had been vaguely aware of the stares from the noble spectators, now noticed the shift. Several nobles were openly watching them, their eyes flicking toward Hannelore with barely disguised curiosity. They had heard her scream Tobias' name. They had seen the Ice Queen break.
Hannelore, ever aware of scrutiny, only lifted her chin slightly in response, returning her gaze to Tobias as if she hadn't noticed the attention at all.
And then Jessica felt it—a gaze drilling into the back of her head.
She turned slightly, her eyes landing on Duke Vaelora, watching her from his high vantage point. His expression was unreadable, but she could practically hear the thoughts running through his head. She had carried a vampire princess into the middle of a blood-soaked arena, only for her to start bantering with a mud-covered, half-dead Tobias.
Jessica stared back at him for a moment, blinking. Fear? No. Respect? Not really.
After a beat, she awkwardly lifted a hand in a small, stiff wave, still holding Zyrenia with the other arm. As if this were normal.
The vampire lord's expression didn't change, but somehow, she swore his gaze intensified.
Jessica ignored it and turned toward Magnus, who had been standing quietly nearby. "You alright?"
Magnus barely shifted, his deadpan expression unchanging. "I'm fine."
Jessica tilted her head. "Do you plan on taking the spikes out of Tobias?"
Magnus let out a dry, single laugh. "I'm spent."
Jessica immediately shook her head. "Liar."
Magnus blinked, actually looking at her for the first time, confusion flickering across his face. "What?"
Jessica shrugged. "You have enough mana in your network. I can see it. You just have to concentrate."
Magnus' eyes widened slightly. How the hell could she see that? And then it hit him—she had said he went supernova. She had told Tobias he had to fight, and Tobias had believed her. Had she lied? Had she just decided how long the fight was going to last based on what she wanted?
The thought was ridiculous. What kind of warrior relies on a lady's cheers?
Apparently, this one.
He let out another dry laugh at the absurdity of it all but turned his focus toward Tobias. He could still feel the remnants of earth lodged in the other boy's body, and with effort, he concentrated, forcing his depleted mana to obey. Slowly, the spikes loosened, pulling free one by one, about ninety-five percent of them dislodging completely. The healers, seeing the shift, immediately moved to handle the last few that had already started coming loose.
Jessica just watched, expression unreadable.