Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 357 - 294: No way

Aurianna slid out of Queen’s grasp and landed lightly on the ground. With a sharp snap of her fingers, her burnt, tattered clothing vanished, replaced by a new dress materializing over her body, as though nothing had happened.

"Walpurgis," Aurianna whispered under her breath, raising her hand. A crystal bow appeared in her hands, similar to the weapon Vanuer had summoned, and the sheer destructive energy it summoned gathered so wildly on the tip of the mana arrow that it exploded in a flash of light before it could even fully stabilize.

Vanuer’s jaw dropped. "You... replicated my skill?"

Aurianna’s lips curved into a sharp, pleased smile. "Yes. I can replicate skills. So, I, Aurianna Vanluad humbly request the opportunity to study under you, Saintess of Light."

Without waiting for a reply, she dropped to one knee, lowering her head in a gesture of respect.

Vanuer, after a pause, chuckled softly and extended her hand. "Of course, that was the deal. But before that..."

She materialized two simple-looking silver bracelets, ornate symbols carved along their edges. With a gentle clink, she locked them around Aurianna’s wrists.

Aurianna blinked, staring at them. "Eh? What are these?"

Vanuer smirked. "Your power’s too unstable. These bracelets will suppress it. While you’re on campus grounds, your strength will be limited to that of a regular Arc Human. You won’t be able to kill anyone — the moment you try, the side effects will handle the rest. Oh, and you can’t remove them."

Aurianna raised an eyebrow, inspecting the smooth metal. "So... a skill based on rules, huh?"

"Exactly," Vanuer replied, satisfied.

Aurianna’s gaze lingered on the bracelets for a moment longer, then she nodded. "Hmm. Alright. I accept the terms."

Vanuer’s smile deepened, a spark of intrigue flickering in her eyes. "Good. I’ll do my best to teach you, Aurianna Vanluad."

Aurianna teleported in an instant, appearing right in front of Ralph, who sat stiffly in his seat, pale-faced and trembling as their eyes met. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, dread creeping up his spine the moment her shadow fell over him.

"You’re lucky today, big brother," Aurianna hissed, her voice cold but sweet, "But once you graduate..." Her lips curled into a chilling smile. "I’ll make sure you die."

Ralph’s body tensed, his legs shaking so violently he couldn’t stop them. His face twisted in fear, and the next moment, a dark stain spread across his pants. He had wet himself.

Aurianna stepped back, clicking her tongue in disgust. "Pfft, how pathetic. I didn’t even have to lay a finger on you."

"Well, it’s over now, students! You may use your keys to return to your dorms. For those with classes or scheduled events, I apologize for the interruption. I was just a little too excited to finally meet the Saintess of Beauty in person!" She laughed lightly, as if the whole exchange had been nothing more than a funny little how. "New students don’t forget to teleport, press the orb on top of your key!"

One by one, the students vanished, leaving the seats empty as colored flashes danced across the arena.

Aurianna, without sparing Ralph another glance, pressed the orb atop her key and disappeared just like the others,

_____

Left alone in the quiet hallway, Ralph stumbled backward until his legs finally gave out, and he sank to the floor, burying his face in his hands.

"Why... why, why, why of all people did it have to be her?!" he groaned, his voice breaking.

"And if she’s a Saintess, why is she even here? She should be with Father!!"

His thoughts spiraled, and the fear clutching his chest only grew heavier. Summoning what little strength he had left, he crawled toward the figure walking through the hall his Master Saintess Vanuer.

"Master Vanuer!" he called out hoarsely, his hands gripping the hem of her robe as if it were a lifeline. Tears clouded his vision. "Please... please don’t let her take me away! She’ll kill me! I know she will!"

Vanuer looked down at him, her expression calm but distant, her eyes showing no hint of comfort. She sighed quietly.

"I don’t know what you did to make your sister hate you so deeply, but once you graduate and leave this school, I can no longer protect you." She shook her head, "You should start making a plan for when that day comes. She’s not someone I can afford to offend... and for that same reason, I can’t accept you into my church either."

Ralph’s breath hitched, the realization dawning on him like a slap across the face. "But Master... You’re one of the strongest women in the world," he whispered, his voice quivering. "Why are you afraid of her? She’s just my sister..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Vanuer’s lips twitched slightly, as if the question itself was hard to answer. She turned her gaze toward sky, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon.

"Strength isn’t always about who stands taller at the moment," she murmured. "Your sister... she’s not like others. She’s a genius. Given enough time, she’ll catch up to me, maybe even surpass me. And that hatred she has for you..." She glanced back at him, her eyes sharp and cold. "It’s the kind of hatred born from more than just childish grudges. Did you do something to deserve it?"

Ralph swallowed hard and shook his head, his voice cracking under the pressure. "I didn’t! I swear! I only teased her when we were kids... but that’s all! I never went too far! I never thought she’d hate me this much!"

Vanuer studied his face for a long, silent moment. "I see," she finally said, her tone unreadable..

’He’s not lying... so the real reason must be he did to her in the future she supposedly saw,’ Vanuer thought grimly.

_____

It didn’t take long for the news to spread like wildfire across the academy. Whispers filled the halls and classrooms, buzzing with disbelief and awe.

"Did you hear? Some human girl actually stood up to the Saintess of Light!"

"I was shocked that she didn’t die."

"And she wasn’t just any human, she’s the new Saintess of Beauty!."

"She is beautiful but she looks scary."

____

Aurianna stood still for a moment at the gate of her new dorm, her eyes drawn to the front yard where golden flowers swayed gently in the breeze. Their petals glistened under the sunlight, almost as if welcoming her. For the first time that day, her tense expression softened as she admired the small patch of beauty.

But her peaceful moment was cut short.

*SMACK!*

A sharp sting shot through her back as someone smacked her hard enough to make her stumble forward. It was clear that the silver bracelets on Aurianna’s hands also reduced her senses and powers.

"Ack!!" Aurianna gasped, spinning around with a scowl, only to find Elena standing there, grinning from ear to ear.

"Surprise~!" Elena chirped, hands resting casually on her hips.

Aurianna’s jaw dropped. "Don’t tell me... you’re my housemate?!"

Elena raised a playful finger, giving her a wink. "Bingo!"

Aurianna’s face twisted in disbelief. "This is a nightmare. Nope. I’m leaving." She spun on her heel and started marching back toward the gate.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" Elena rushed after her, grabbing her by the wrist. "You haven’t even met the others yet!"

Aurianna raised an eyebrow, her curiosity mildly piqued. "Others? What others?"

"Everyone!" Elena grinned wide. "Peter, Juvin, Batholem, the whole group! We all share this house now!"

Aurianna froze, blinking in surprise. "Wait... you guys came to this school too?!"

"Of course!" Elena puffed out her chest with pride. "You think we’d miss out on the chance to study at one of the most prestigious academies in the world? No way!"

Aurianna crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as the pieces slowly fell into place. "Hmph... this is going to be a headache."

Elena looped her arm around Aurianna’s shoulder, dragging her back toward the house. "Oh, don’t be such a grump. It’ll be fun! Just wait until you see the inside, we even have a backyard pool."

Aurianna sighed, allowing herself to be pulled along. "You better hope the inside is worth the trouble."

As they stepped through the door, the sound of familiar voices filled the air, and Aurianna couldn’t help but crack a small, reluctant smile.