CHAPTER 237: HE SAW HER FINALLY BUT... : PART-1

Leo managed to arrive at the competition in the nick of time. His heart thumped as the crowd’s roar thundered across the stadium.

Azrael and Raphael were already waiting in their seats, banners and drinks in hand, while Ophis walked toward them through the bustling crowd of students.

"Where did you go?" Raphael asked with a worried expression.

Azrael barked, "The heck did you pull that shit for!! Do you know how much it costs, brat?!" Her voice carried across a few seats, earning annoyed looks from the others.

Ophis ignored both of them, shrugging their words off like dust. She plopped down on Raphael’s lap without hesitation and leaned forward, her eyes locked on Leo, who now stood among the other athletes stretching and preparing for the race.

"Go Leo! You can do it!" Ophis shouted furiously, waving both hands like a little cheerleader. Raphael and Azrael glanced at her with blank faces.

She really didn’t answer their question, did she?

Shaking their heads, they sighed but still looked forward. Despite themselves, they shouted too, joining her energy as if they couldn’t resist it. The three voices blended with the crowd’s rising chant.

Meanwhile, Leo stood alongside the other athletes, each one crouching, stretching, and adjusting their shoes. A few side glances cut toward him, and the air carried a mix of heat and competitiveness.

"What’s going on here?" He muttered under his breath, stretching his shoulders.

Just then, one of the athletes, a tall boy with a confident grin, walked toward him and raised his hand for a fist bump. "I will win this time," he said with a smirk.

"... Pardon?" Leo blinked, slightly confused.

The guy’s tone sounded serious, his expression sharp.

What the heck was he talking about?

This time?

Does that mean he lost before?

When that happened?

Leo smiled lightly and bumped his fist back. "We’ll see?" he said.

Then he walked toward his lane, rolling his shoulders as the referee called out, "Sprinters, take your positions!"

The crowd hushed for a second. The sound of footsteps on the track echoed sharply. Leo crouched down, fingertips brushing the white starting line. He could feel his pulse pounding in his neck.

Every breath felt heavier!!

"On your mark... set..."

The gun exploded. A cloud of smoke burst from the barrel, echoing through the stadium. The athletes bolted instantly, their shoes striking the track.

"Leo, Leo, Leo!!" Ophis screamed his name with wild excitement, standing on the seat now.

Not just her—Azrael joined in too, shouting louder than anyone.

Raphael sat there, watching both of them bounce like two excited kids, a helpless smile forming on her lips as nearby students turned their heads, whispering at their over-enthusiasm.

"Good grief..." she mumbled, trying to hide her embarrassment.

However—

"Hey, isn’t that guy way too fast?" someone in the audience muttered.

Raphael’s attention snapped to the track. Her eyes widened.

Leo wasn’t just fast—he was lightning!!

He tore across the lanes like a storm, his body leaning into every stride, the wind following him like a trail of energy.

He had already reached the 200-meter mark while the others were still barely crossing 100.

This was wrong.... Was he using his technique?

No, that wasn’t possible here.

Not in front of so many people.

And Leo would never cheat!

She knew it!!

Then how?

Was his body getting stronger—beyond normal human limits?

Raphael’s stomach tightened. If so, this was a problem... A serious one!!

If anyone noticed or tried to test him, what would they find? His blood... his cells... his energy... she didn’t want to imagine it. She didn’t want to see her nephew become some experiment.

"GO SLOW!!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the noise like thunder.

The crowd blinked, confused by her sudden outburst.

Not sure why, but Raphael’s words reached his ear. Leo’s body flinched mid-run. He turned his head slightly, catching sight of her pointing frantically toward the back. He looked behind him... and saw it. The students were far, far behind.

The gap was unreal!!

"Shit!" he cursed, his breath rasping. He forced his pace down, muscles straining to hold back the unnatural momentum.

"EVEN MORE!!" Raphael shouted again, waving both arms like a lunatic.

Leo gritted his teeth and slowed down even further, his speed visibly dropping. His breathing turned ragged as his legs trembled.

It was as if he had spent every ounce of strength at the start.

The crowd gasped as one of the other runners began catching up.

Only then did everyone understand—Leo had used all his energy in the first burst. His body couldn’t maintain that insane pace.

Now, each step looked heavier, slower, like the weight of the air itself was dragging him down.

Now everything makes sense!

The others were closing in fast. And in that split second, the crowd fell silent again, waiting to see if he’d collapse or hold on just a little longer.

Ophis and Azrael glared at Raphael.

"What the hell are you doing? He could have won the match without competition, you know?!" Azrael shouted, her tone filled with infuriation and disbelief. Her fist slammed against the armrest, earning a few startled glances from the seats behind.

Ophis nodded furiously, "Yeah! I wanted them to eat his ass!! He could’ve left everyone in the dust!" she said, her eyes flashing with excitement.

Raphael exhaled and rubbed her forehead.

"Are you insane? This is a normal running competition, not a battlefield. And he was moving way too fast—no normal human could keep up. Look..." she pointed at the rows of students,

"...everyone’s phone is recording! What if someone finds out, slows the video, and starts asking questions? What if someone comes after him? We can’t afford to put him in danger over pride!"

The tone was calm, yet trembling with genuine fear.

Hearing that, Ophis and Azrael exchanged a look. Their defiance softened as reality sank in. They looked around and noticed the flashing phones, the murmuring crowd, the dozens of lenses catching every move. Understanding the situation, they both sighed at once.

"Tsk, then it’s boring," Ophis muttered under her breath, pouting like a child deprived of her favourite toy.

Raphael awkwardly smiled, "Still, we should cheer for him, you know? He’s doing great out there." She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Go Leo~!"

Her voice carried faintly across the field, but Ophis and Azrael didn’t share her enthusiasm. Both had a disappointed expression, shoulders slumped like deflated balloons.

"Yeah, yeah..." Azrael grumbled.

"Go on and finish it already," Ophis said with a sigh, leaning back.

Meanwhile, Leo, breathing heavily, wiped sweat from his forehead. His lungs burned, chest rising and falling sharply... Well, he tried to act like he was struggling!

Not sure if it was working or not... but he was trying his best to act!!

He slowed down, and soon the others caught up. One of them looked at Leo with a teasing grin and said,

"Haha... You lose, man. Guess you ran outta gas too early."

Leo shook his head lightly, forcing a faint smile. He ran slower on purpose, reaching third place, maintaining the illusion of exhaustion.

Deep inside, he knew he had to look normal—to show struggle like everyone else. His breathing came rough and forced.

’Guess, I will play around-’

But then his eyes... fell on a purple-haired figure in the stands.

Leo’s eyes widened. His heartbeat stumbled. Among the crowd stood... Sakura. Her purple hair fluttered in the wind, and her gaze locked on him, eyes hollow and broken, her expression drenched in sorrow.

He froze mid-step. "S-Sakura?" he whispered.

For a brief second, he forgot where he was. The stadium noise vanished into static.

He tried to move toward her, but a bird flew right across his vision, white feathers cutting through the sunlight.

When he blinked again... she was gone.

Only the crowd remained, cheering and screaming.... No trace of her.

His heart skipped a beat. "Sakura..." he muttered weakly, the name leaving his lips like a ghost’s breath. For a moment, he stood there, dazed, before returning to the race.

By then, the others had already reached the end. His eyes went blank for a heartbeat. Then—

Step!

His foot slammed against the track. In an instant, his body exploded forward. The air cracked as he surged ahead with inhuman speed, blurring past the lanes.

No, he didn’t use his technique!

When Ophis and Azrael saw that, they jumped from their seats, shouting back in sync.

"FASTER, MY BOY!!" Azrael roared, both fists in the air.

"Yes! Fuck them up!!" Ophis howled, her grin wide and wild.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter, clapping their hands together.

For once, they were on the same page when it came to Leo—it was pure pride, pure thrill.

And in a matter of seconds... the first boy who was about to reach the ribbon—cheering, confident, his hand raised in victory—blinked.

Then his expression vanished.

Thuck!

The sound of the ribbon snapping echoed sharply.

Leo had crossed it.

Ophis and Azrael stood up, screaming together. "YAYA...!"

Their voices drowned in the crowd.

Azrael threw her arms up and shouted with a huge grin, "THAT’S MY BOY, FUCKERS!!"

The stadium erupted, a wave of voices and disbelief rolling through the field. Raphael could only cover her face, sighing with a half-smile as her two children lost control completely, their cheers echoing louder than the referee’s whistle.

Ophis grinned even more, her voice echoing through the stunned crowd. "THAT’S WHAT YOU GET, DON’T FUCK WITH LEO YOU FUCKING SHITHEA—"

Before she could finish, Raphael and Azrael both lunged forward and covered her mouth at once. Everyone turned toward them, staring at the little girl who had shouted those words without a hint of hesitation.

The audience’s judgmental looks were almost visible daggers... Did those two even know how to raise a child?

Raphael and Azrael froze, their faces turning crimson in embarrassment as they smiled awkwardly at the people around them.

But to their surprise, Leo wasn’t stopping.