Axelius strolled back toward Elias with a grin plastered across his face, his steps light and full of pride. As soon as he reached his butler, he scooped Owen up into his hands, placing the invisible creature on his shoulder. "Well? How was my fight, Elias?" he asked, his tone dripping with smugness.
Elias smiled warmly, bowing his head slightly. "You did well, Young Master. Quite... unpredictable, I must say. Your tactics were effective," he replied, placing his hands neatly behind his back.
Axelius's grin grew wider, but before he could respond, Owen piped up, practically bouncing on his shoulder. "Effective?! That was reckless, you lunatic! I thought you had this grand plan, and all you did wasdodge and provoke! I swear, if I had hands, I'd slap some sense into that thick skull of yours!"
Axelius burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Hey, it worked, didn't it? You gotta admit, I looked cool out there," he replied, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Cool? You looked like a rabid squirrel!" Owen huffed, crossing imaginary arms. "I thought you actually had some kind of strategy! All you did was provoke him and dodge like a maniac!"
Axelius chuckled, stretching his arms lazily. "Yeah...well, the truth is," he began, his expression softening a bit, "I'm nowhere near Cyruz level. I get tired easily. Just dodging around like that wore me out." He looked at his hands, flexing his fingers slowly. "If Cyruz wasn't so angry, he would've noticed. I was just bluffing, you know?"
Elias, still standing beside him, nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, Young Master. Even so, what you did was smart," he remarked, his eyes glimmering with a touch of admiration. "Provoking your opponent...making them lose their focus. An angry person fights recklessly. Their form falters, their movements become predictable."
Axelius looked up at Elias, and chuckled, "Hear that Owen?"
Elias confirmed. "You may not have the strength of Cedric or the experience of Cyruz, but you have something else...your wits."
Owen snorted. "Wits? I call it insanity," he muttered,
Axelius just laughed, swinging Owen playfully through the air. "Insanity or not, it worked!" he declared cheerfully.
Elias chuckled softly, adjusting his gloves. "Just try not to get yourself hurt, Young Master. Provoking everyone might not work every time."
Axelius grinned mischievously, his eyes glimmering with a sense of mischief. "Guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?"
Elias smiled back, shaking his head in amusement. "Indeed, we shall."
Axelius stretched his arms and yawned dramatically. "Alright, I'm done here. Let's go," he said with a satisfied grin, turning to Elias.
Elias nodded promptly. He stepped forward, giving a respectful bow toward Vivienne and the rest of the Dravenhart siblings. "Thank you for the opportunity. Young Master Axelius and I will be taking our leave now," he said with perfect politeness.
Vivienne only raised an eyebrow, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. Cedric crossed his arms, watching as Axelius strolled away, practically skipping with each step. Cyruz, on the other hand, still stood stiffly, his fists clenched and his face flushed with irritation.
As Axelius and Elias disappeared from sight, Cedric turned to Cyruz, his expression almost amused. "You fell for his bluff?" he asked casually, raising an eyebrow.
Cyruz snapped his head toward Cedric, his eyes flaring up. "I couldn't help it, okay?! That brat kept dodging and laughing like a lunatic! Anyone would've lost their cool!" he spat,
Cedric chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You let him control the fight. You threw everything at him, and he just danced around it. You know better than that," he replied calmly.
Cyruz huffed, crossing his arms defensively. "He's just...so annoying! That smug face!"
One of the nearby guards who witnessed the whole thing couldn't help but chuckle, quickly covering his mouth when Cyruz shot him a death glare. "What?!" Cyruz barked, his patience running thin.
"N-Nothing, Young Master," the guard stammered, bowing his head quickly.
Ellory smiled brightly as she approached Cyruz, her eyes still shining from the excitement of the fight. "It was a fun fight, brother! Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay!" she said cheerfully.
Cyruz looked at her with a tired sigh. "Come on, you too, Ellory?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ellory just laughed, shrugging lightly. "Well, you know me—I always like a good challenge."
Seraphine, who had been watching quietly nearby, finally spoke up, her tone thoughtful. "Axelius' moves... they looked like he was trying hard not to get tired. It's like he planned everything to save his energy, but still keep the fight going. Clever, really."
Vivienne stepped forward then, her voice gentle but firm as she addressed Cyruz. "Cyruz, you must remember—Dravenhart family members should not be so easily provoked. We have to keep control, no matter the situation. Showing anger too quickly only makes others see weakness."
Cyruz's shoulders dropped a little as he nodded slowly. "Yes, sister... I understand," he muttered, still a bit annoyed but taking the words seriously.
Vivienne gave a small, encouraging smile. "Good. Let's use this as a lesson and move forward. We all have room to grow."
Ellory grinned again, nodding in agreement. "Next time, I'll cheer even louder for you, Cyruz!"
Cyruz managed a small smile back, feeling a little lighter now.
As they talked, some of the people around began to notice something strange about Axelius. They remembered him as the quiet, shy boy who always stayed in his room, rarely speaking or showing much feeling. But now? He was laughing loudly, almost like a lunatic, his eyes bright and wild as he taunted and teased everyone around.
Seraphine whispered to Andrius, "Is that really Axelius? He seems... different. So loud, so bold."
Even Vivienne raised an eyebrow but smiled quietly. "He's changed a lot. Maybe this is the real Axelius coming out."
Cyruz, still annoyed but watching, muttered, "He's acting like he owns the place... like nothing can stop him."
Little Ellory laughed softly, "Well, it's kind of fun seeing him like this,He's not quiet like before. He's like a big, loud lion!"
Andrius just stayed quiet, thinking to himself, Cyruz crossed his arms, still a bit annoyed but trying to look proud, and said, "Not only that—he also bit me!" He lifted his arm to show the fresh bandages, making sure everyone noticed.
Ellory's eyes got wide. "Wow! Axelius is really scary now too!"