Chapter 335: Seeing Jasmine Once Again... (I)
"Mhm..."
Gray slowly opened his eyes, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains of his dorm room at Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful, until he turned his head slightly and nearly jumped out of his skin.
Elárien was sleeping right next to him.
The elf princess was curled up peacefully against his side, her long silver hair spilled across the pillow like liquid moonlight.
One of her arms was draped over his waist, and her face was nestled comfortably against his shoulder.
She looked completely at ease, breathing softly, as if she belonged there.
"...This girl..." Gray muttered, his lips twitching slightly.
He let out a long, tired sigh, rubbing his temples
"When did she even get in here?"
He carefully extricated himself from her embrace, trying not to wake her.
"Mhm...?"
Elárien made a small, sleepy sound of protest but didn’t open her eyes, simply hugging the pillow he left behind instead.
Gray got out of bed and stretched, then made his way to the bathroom.
He splashed cold water on his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
His gaze immediately landed on the delicate black ruby mark on his forehead, the so-called Mark of Beauty that had appeared after his breakthrough.
"...Jasmine."
[Yes?]
Her voice came softly in his mind.
From the moment he had created a meeting with Sanguina, her sister, Jasmine’s voice had softened considerably.
"When are you going to reveal yourself to me?" Gray asked curiously, continuing to wash his face.
He splashed water again, rubbing under his eyes lightly.
Splash... splash...
[...Whenever you want.]
Jasmine replied after a second of thought.
[However, you need to be alone. No one will be able to see me... but I just want it to be that way, so you don’t get seen as a weirdo talking to thin air.]
Gray paused, water dripping from his face, and raised an eyebrow.
"Sure."
He wiped his face with a towel, then returned to the room.
Elárien was still sleeping soundly. He opened his wardrobe and picked out some casual clothes, changing quietly while his mind wandered.
It had been exactly two weeks since he had killed his father.
As promised, he had started living at his elder sister Alina’s house during the weekends.
The massive estate felt strangely comfortable now. Alina had prepared an entire wing just for him, and she doted on him shamelessly whenever he was there.
She cooked for him, trained with him, and made sure he wanted for nothing.
It was... oddly nice.
He had also made sure to visit Selene during that time.
Their secret meetings were as passionate as ever, and he had teased Claire a little when their paths crossed, watching the shy girl blush furiously.
But beyond that, the two weeks had been relatively quiet as there were no major incidents or new crises at all.
Unfortunately, the summer holidays were about to end, which meant that the second year at the academy would begin soon.
Gray buttoned his shirt, staring out the window with a thoughtful expression.
Honestly, he no longer had much interest in the academy.
He had already reached the level of a professor, perhaps even higher.
Attending classes felt more like a waste of time than anything else. If anything, the best course of action now was to aim for a higher plane.
In other words... leave this lower realm.
Dante created a setting in which he divided the world into two major planes.
The Mortal Plane, also called the Lower Plane, was where most beings lived.
Mana here was relatively thin considering the Upper Plane, and the natural limit was usually the Sovereign Realm. Only rare geniuses or ancient fossils managed to reach the Monarch Realm here.
Then there was the Spiritual Plane, the Upper Plane.
This was where the true powerhouses resided. It was the remnant space of the ancient God & Demon War, a place where mana was far denser and cultivation advanced at an entirely different pace.
The Crimson Hollow Order, Sanguina’s organization, had its main base there. Her true body was somewhere in that plane as well.
Because of that ancient war, many gods had either ascended, been sealed into inheritance dungeons, or died.
Some had sealed themselves into tombs, hoping to awaken stronger later, though the risk of permanent death was extremely high.
Sanguina had been one of those who survived the sealing.
Gray finished dressing and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the ceiling.
’... Perhaps, I really need to go higher,’ he thought.
’Staying here won’t help me anymore.’
"Ummgh..." Elárien stirred beside him, slowly waking up. She blinked sleepily, then smiled softly when she saw him.
"Good morning..." she murmured, reaching out to grab his hand.
Gray sighed again, but there was no real annoyance in it. He gave her hand a light squeeze before gently pulling away.
"Morning, princess... I’m going to do something important," he said calmly.
"Don’t disturb me for a while."
Elárien nodded sleepily, still smiling that soft, affectionate smile as she curled back into the blankets.
"I understand... I’ll wait for you."
Gray left the room quietly, heading to one of the unused guest rooms in the dorm.
He closed the door behind him and raised a powerful barrier, one that blocked all sound and prevented anyone from entering.
Only then did he exhale and speak.
"Come out, Jasmine..."
At his words, a swirling red mist began to leak from his body.
It gathered in front of him, twisting and condensing with graceful elegance until it fully materialized into a breathtaking figure.
After years... Jasmine stood before him once again.
And just like before... she was the absolute embodiment of divine beauty.
Her long, flowing silver-white hair cascaded down her back like liquid moonlight, reaching past her waist in silky, perfectly straight strands that shimmered with an ethereal glow.
A few loose locks framed her face, accentuating her delicate yet sharp features.
Her eyes were a gorgeous, vivid red, both deep and captivating, filled with warmth and quiet power as she looked at him.
Her skin was flawless porcelain, glowing with an inner divine light that made her look almost otherworldly.
She possessed an impossibly perfect hourglass figure: massive, full breasts that strained elegantly against the fabric of her dress, a narrow, toned waist, and wide, shapely hips that gave her an alluring, fertile silhouette.
Her legs were long, slender, and graceful, with smooth, pale skin that seemed to shimmer faintly.
She wore a form-fitting black dress that hugged every curve of her body like a second skin.
The dress had a deep, plunging neckline that revealed a generous amount of her cleavage, while intricate lace patterns adorned the chest and sides, adding a touch of seductive elegance.
Long, flowing sleeves draped down her arms, and the dress featured high slits on both sides that exposed her long legs with every subtle movement.
The fabric clung to her body, emphasizing her full breasts, slim waist, and the graceful curve of her hips, while still maintaining an air of regal divinity.
A golden, star-like halo floated behind her head, its intricate spiked design glowing with soft golden light, giving her an almost holy yet dangerously seductive presence.
She stood barefoot in a shallow pool of water that had manifested with her, the liquid rippling gently around her ankles, reflecting the starry night sky visible through the background archways.
Jasmine looked exactly as before... breathtaking, powerful, and impossibly beautiful. Her red eyes softened the moment they met Gray’s, and her lips curled up directly.
Step...
She took a low and graceful step forward, her bare feet barely disturbing the shallow pool of water that had formed with her manifestation.
The golden halo behind her head cast a soft, ethereal glow around her figure as she approached Gray.
Her vivid red eyes were fixed on him, filled with a whirlwind of emotions... joy, nervousness, and even gratitude.
She opened her mouth, clearly wanting to say something meaningful, something she had rehearsed in her mind for what felt like an eternity.
But no words came out.
She closed her mouth again, biting her lower lip lightly as a faint blush colored her porcelain cheeks.
’I completely forgot what I was going to say!’ she thought in a panic, her mind racing.
’I had so many lines prepared...
"Thank you for everything," "I’m finally here," "You’ve grown so much..." Why is my mind blank right now?! We’ve been together every day inside his soul, but standing here face-to-face... it feels completely different. He’s looking at me. Really looking at me. What if I say something stupid? What if...’
"Jasmine?" Gray’s calm voice gently pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts.
She flinched slightly, her red eyes snapping up to meet his black ones.
"What?"
The words came out sharper and colder than she intended, almost defensive. The moment it left her lips, she screamed inwardly.
’Why did I say that?! That’s not what I wanted to say at all! Stupid, stupid, stupiid!!!’
Gray stared at her for a second... then started laughing softly, almost playfully, at her blank and quite awkward expression.
He shook his head lightly, his expression softening in a way she had rarely seen.
"Come here," he said quietly.
"I’ve wanted to do this for a long time now."
Before she could react, Gray reached out, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward into his arms.
...Twirl.
"H-huh...?" Jasmine’s breath hitched as her body pressed against his.
Her face flushed a deeper shade of red, and for a split second, her entire form twitched in surprise.
Then... she went completely still.
She slowly rested her chin on his shoulder, her arms hesitantly wrapping around his back.
Her silver-white hair spilled over his shoulder like silk as she closed her eyes, breathing in his scent.
"...Me too."
