"It's time to get serious," Apollo muttered, a mocking smile forming on his face.
Nathan, who had been wearing a smug expression moments ago, suddenly felt a sense of dread. The dozens of Yoma surrounding him made his hair stand on end, especially as each clone raised their hands, releasing lightning, and conjuring different techniques—Fire Blast, Wind Blast, Water Blade Disintegration, Great Serpent Sword Transformation, and more.
Bel recognized familiar Great Serpent techniques, the ones only taught to Seniors in her martial school, who gained access to them only upon reaching the fourth floor of the library. Seeing all these techniques used at once, by a single person, left her indescribably shocked. Furthermore, each of the fourth-floor techniques Yoma displayed was at the beginner stage, which even talented seniors took months to master!
How long had Yoma been the Personal Disciple? And how did he manage to learn all this?
"Father, you should stop them," Bel advised.
"Let's see first," Mathias replied, his body tense, ready to intervene if things took a turn.
"Hey, why don't we end this spar with your loss?" Apollo asked.
"Not until I lose consciousness!" Nathan shouted, his black hanfu robe expanding to cover his whole body and stretching a few meters into the air.
"Well, if you insist," Apollo smiled, raising his hand and clenching his fist.
"You should have taken the chance he gave you," Mathias said with a sigh. "Your fiery head finally met someone you shouldn't have messed with."
"I was just careless, okay?" Nathan said. He was sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, gathering Unrefined Qi before refining it to heal his injuries. His body was in a lot of pain, with some burnt skin exposing muscle and bone. His face bore cuts and was red from the previous attacks.
"Reckless—that's the word you should use," Mathias chuckled, glancing around his personal training ground.
What had once been a grassy field now resembled a battlefield. The ground was shattered, ruptured, full of slashes and cuts.
"I am not reckless, alright?" Nathan glared at his friend. "I was just testing out our new friend. You know, we can't head into battle with one of us dragging our feet."
"I know, but you learned he won't drag our feet the hard way, right?" Mathias replied. Nathan didn't answer, unwilling to admit the truth, as it would bruise his ego. The Helflick family head shook his head before looking to the side, where Bel was following after Yoma, who was already heading out of the mansion.
"Why are you following me?" Apollo asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"You…" Bel hesitated before taking a deep breath. "You are the same person."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Apollo said, quickening his pace.
"Yes, you do!" Bel kept up with him, grateful that her strength had improved enough that walking faster—and even running—was no longer an issue.
"No, I don't," Apollo shook his head as they walked down the hallway, their voices and footsteps echoing.
"Don't lie. My savior, Yoma, and Can Deez! You're the same person!" Bel insisted as they turned a corner.
Apollo halted, sighed, and turned to Bel. "Yeah, that's me."
The beggar didn't lie this time, not that it mattered if she knew the truth. He no longer cared if people discovered his identity, even if they learned he was the heir of the destroyed Leone family.
Now that he'd completed his mission to kill the mayor and the person responsible for his family's downfall, hiding his true identity felt pointless. Initially, he kept it hidden out of fear that it would attract more trouble. But this time, he was ready to be one of the troubles that came for them.
Bel's eyes widened at his confirmation, then her face lit up with a radiant smile. "I see… thank you. Thank you for saving me back then and saving my life again."
"No worries," Apollo said, waving her off as he turned and continued walking.
Bel kept pace with him. "Just tell me what you want, anything you need—I'll make it happen!"
"Haha, the thought alone is enough. No need to do anything," Apollo replied with a chuckle. "I just did it because I wanted to."
"But it means so much to me, just like it did for Filly. It means so much to us," Bel said earnestly. "I know you're a good person. If you ever need anything, the Helflick family will always be by your side."
"Really, don't make a big deal out of this," Apollo sighed.
"I can't," Bel said, shaking her head. Though she looked down at the beggar in stature, in her heart, his status rose to equal her father's—a respect she wouldn't dare break.
This is getting annoying, Apollo thought. "Let's talk another time, alright? And it'd be best if you kept my identity a secret."
"Okay, don't worry about it! Your secret's safe with me!" Bel smiled. Soon, they reached the mansion's gate.
"Alright, goodbye," Apollo waved as he approached the waiting carriage with the Great Serpent insignia on its side.
"Bye," Bel said, her eyes following him. Deep down, she wondered how to properly thank her savior. She realized that Yoma—or Can Deez—didn't want too much attention; why else would he hide his identity? His humility only made her respect him more.
The moment Apollo sat inside the carriage, he let out a sigh, his mind drifting back to his sparring match with Nathan Kleinford.
Conjuring all of the techniques he knew at once had not been a good idea. Cloning his body dozens of times using the Hydra Mirage and channeling techniques through each clone had nearly caused him to pass out.
Using both Unrefined and Refined Qi simultaneously had instantly drained his refined Qi reserves and exhausted the surrounding Qi. While each technique was weaker in strength compared to when he used them individually, he had compensated with sheer quantity, allowing him to overpower Nathan. Yet, as soon as the spar ended, his vision blurred, and a splitting headache took hold. Now, he wanted nothing more than to return to his beggar spot, restore his refined Qi, and rest his mind.