CHAPTER 178: DANIEL’S REVENGE!

Ten minutes before Chaos....

When Daniel finally arrived back at the villa, the tension in his shoulders hadn’t eased.

The vast estate loomed before him, its crystalline walls reflecting the artificial moonlight.

The automated gates hissed open, recognizing his biometric signature, and the Voidshadow rolled smoothly into the underground garage, its engine quieting into a whisper before shutting off entirely.

Daniel exhaled, running a hand through his hair. His thoughts were a chaotic mix of relief at being home and a lingering dread of the inevitable confrontation.

He stepped inside, the villa’s ambient lighting adjusting to his presence, casting a soft glow across the polished floors.

The scent of something rich and savory lingered in the air, Lia must have cooked and not the automatic chef!

He found them in the large living area, lounging on the plush sofas, the remnants of a late lunch scattered across the low table between them.

Lia, calm and graceful as always, sat curled up with a datapad, her silver hair falling over one shoulder.

Olenna sat with her usual elegance, sipping from a porcelain cup, her sharp violet eyes quietly watching.

And then there was Ayra.

She sat with her back to him, her muscular frame hunched slightly as she focused on the intricate task of sharpening one of her S-Grade Crystal Gauntlets.

The rhythmic scrape of whetstone against crystal filled the room, a sound so deliberate it felt like a warning.

"Daniel! You’re back!" Lia greeted him with a warm, welcoming smile, her calm grey eyes holding a hint of amused sympathy.

Olenna, offered a subtle nod, a knowing glint in her eyes that made Daniel’s stomach clench.

Ayra, however, just grunted, not looking up from her task.

Lia, ever the diplomat, decided to break the thick, uncomfortable tension.

"Daniel, we were just discussing your training. You must tell us, what was it truly like? Your strength-sealing manacles are gone.

The Principal must have been pleased with your progress."

Daniel took a deep breath, stepping further into the room.

The air between him and Ayra crackled with unspoken tension. "He was," he said, his voice steady.

"The foundation is tempered. The first two stages are complete."

He looked directly at Ayra, who had paused her sharpening, her head still bowed.

"And yes," he added, his tone deliberate, "my power is fully restored."

Ayra’s head snapped up, her fiery eyes locking onto his.

For a fraction of a second, Daniel saw a flicker of something that looked almost like panic ,a flash of vulnerability that was so out of character for the indomitable Rock Pugilist that it almost made him hesitate.

Then, it was gone, replaced by her usual mask of fiery defiance.

"Oh?" she said, her voice deceptively casual.

"Fully restored, you say? That’s... good. Very good." She cleared her throat, setting the whetstone down with exaggerated care.

"I was just, uh, thinking about heading to my room for a nap. All this lounging has made me... tired."

She stood up abruptly, her movements stiff and unnatural.

"Yes, a nap. That’s what I need. Don’t want to be sluggish for tomorrow’s training."

With that, she practically fled, her hasty retreat a noticeable shift from her usual confident swagger.

Lia and Olenna exchanged glances.

"Well," Daniel said, turning to them with a weary sigh. "I suppose I should go... unpack. I’m also feeling a bit... tired."

He offered a weak smile, which Olenna returned with a look of profound, almost pitying, amusement.

He followed Ayra, his footsteps silent thanks to the passive effects of his S-Grade [Twilight Phantom Step].

The hallway stretched before him, dimly lit, the luxurious carpet muffling any sound.

He reached her bedroom door just as she was fumbling with the lock, her usual precision abandoned in her haste.

He didn’t knock.

Instead, he slipped through the solid wood with a faint rush of displaced air, emerging in silence as his form took shape in the dim light.

Ayra spun around with a startled yelp, her hand flying to her chest, her face pale with shock. "Vance! What in the blazes!"

She didn’t get to finish.

He was on her in an instant, his speed a terrifying blur.

She tried to fight back, her Rock Pugilist arts flaring to life, her S-Grade Crystal Gauntlets raised to block.

BOOM!

The impact of her block against his casual, intercepting hand was like a small thunderclap.

The wind shrieked through her bedroom, sending clothes and datapads scattering.

Her defense, which could have stopped a charging Stonehide Crusher, might as well have been made of wet paper.

His strength was on a completely different level now, refined, focused, and overwhelming.

He easily pushed past her guard, his A-Grade Kinetic Void Gauntlets humming softly as they effortlessly absorbed the force of her desperate struggles.

He backed her against the wall, his hands pinning her wrists, his body trapping hers.

She was completely, utterly, and hopelessly overpowered.

"You seem surprised, Ayra," Daniel murmured, his face inches from hers, his voice a low, dangerous purr that made her shiver.

"I thought you enjoyed a good, spirited discussion."

Her eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and a new, dawning fear. "You... you tricked me!" she spat, though her voice lacked its usual force.

"Did I?" Daniel countered, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "Or did you simply underestimate the consequences of poking a sleeping dragon?"

He felt her tremble in his arms, her immense strength useless against his own.

He looked into her wide, furious eyes, and saw the trace of vulnerability she tried so hard to hide.

He repeated the words she had spoken to him in his own moment of helplessness, the taunt now turned back on her with a chilling, intimate finality.

"The more you resist, Ayra," he whispered, his voice a silken whisper against her skin, "the more excited I become."

The fight drained out of her then, replaced by a shudder of something else entirely, a complex cocktail of fear, grudging respect, and a new, unfamiliar stirring of desire.

The game had been reversed. The hunter had become the prey!

And tonight, Daniel Vance was going to collect his debt, no doubt. With interest!