The moment Rein pushed open the massive iron doors—nearly twenty feet tall—a blast of icy wind surged inward. Snow spilled across the threshold, sweeping into the corridor like a white carpet rolled out from the frozen world beyond.

  The hallway was lined with polished black basalt, its surface glossy enough to catch and reflect the pale glow of the mana lamps mounted along the walls. They stretched far into the distance, their light thinning into dimness as the corridor ran on for hundreds of feet. Above, the ceiling rose nearly forty feet high, layered and intricate—architecture meant to inspire awe through sheer scale.

  And yet—

  That grandeur had been broken.

  Rein slowed, his gaze settling on the shattered remains of a crystal chandelier scattered across the dark stone floor. Shards glittered faintly, crunching softly beneath his boots as he stepped closer.

  …Was that from the shockwave when I activated Ignis Drive?

  His thoughts drifted outward—to the cracked pillars beyond the entrance, the marble eaten away by poison, the scars carved into stone by spells that had not been meant for this place.

  Actual damage.

  The kind that didn’t vanish with a cleanup spell—and would cost a fortune to repair.

  “Those repair costs…” Rein muttered. “The Council’s definitely sending the bill to me.”

  His shoulders sagged. Whatever adrenaline remained from the battle drained away in an instant, replaced by something far more terrifying.

  Money.

  He had savings on his gold card, sure—but he also knew exactly how obscene the prices of high-grade magical materials could be.

  If they fine me seriously, I’m done. Back to broke. Back to borrowing from Boris and Mira again…

  He sighed, stepping carefully over the crystal fragments as he moved deeper into the corridor.

  What unsettled him most was the silence.

  There wasn’t a single Guardian in sight. The corridors were stripped of patrols and staff alike, leaving the area entirely abandoned.

  It was as if every last unit had been sent outside to deal with him—and none had returned.

  Each footstep echoed unnaturally loud, rebounding off stone and ceiling alike as he walked alone.

  At the far end stood another pair of towering metal doors, each over ten feet tall. Their surface was carved with ancient sigils and symbols of authority worn smooth by time. Above them, a metal plaque bore a simple inscription:

  [Special Interrogation Chamber — Student Council]

  Rein stopped.

  In just two months, he’d already been interrogated more times than he cared to remember. If this was another one, he felt no trace of nerves.

  Still… something was off.

  Places like this were never left unattended.

  Not unless someone wanted it that way.

  Or worse—

  Frowning, Rein pushed the doors open.

  The interrogation chamber unfolded before him.

  A vast hall designed to intimidate.

  The floor rose sharply ahead, climbing nearly ten feet toward a wide, semicircular stone staircase. Above it all, the ceiling vanished into darkness, chandeliers suspended high overhead. Their light fell in narrow shafts, cutting through the gloom and leaving deep shadows pooled in the corners.

  At the top of the stairs sat a long black stone table, arranged in a half-circle. Behind it loomed twelve high-backed chairs—silent, imposing, like thrones waiting to pass judgment.

  Brass nameplates lay before each seat. But eleven chairs were empty.

  Only the central seat was occupied.

  Light from above fell with uncanny precision, illuminating the figure seated there: a third-year student’s uniform, long golden hair, a face carved into perfect stillness. A gold ring gleamed faintly on his finger—the unmistakable mark of supreme authority within the Academy.

  The nameplate before him read:

  [Lance Crown]

  Rein stared.

  Lance’s presence was heavier than Marcus’s had ever been—sharper, calmer, absolute.

  “We need to talk,” Rein said at last, his voice steady as he met Lance’s vacant eyes. “About Marcus. Your younger brother.”

  Lance remained a statue. The air between them didn't so much as ripple; no flicker of recognition crossed his face, nor did his breath hitch at the mention of his brother's name. It was as if Rein were speaking to an empty suit of armor.

  A red alert window snapped into place at the edge of Rein’s vision.

  [LIZ: This is bad, Rein!]

  [LIZ: Thermal radiation analysis confirms—Lance Crown, the individual seated there… is deceased.]

  “…Again?” Rein muttered, slapping a hand to his forehead.

  Fate, it seemed, had once more decided to shove him straight into the center of a disaster he wanted nothing to do with.

  …

  …

  Rumors of the clash outside the Student Council building spread through the Academy like wildfire.

  By early evening, Ingrid, Mira, and the healers arrived—only to be stopped short by a solid wall of gray-cloaked Guardians. Hundreds of them sealed off the entrance completely.

  Snow fell heavier now, blanketing the ground. The bitter cold drove most students away, but Ingrid and the others remained, breath fogging into pale clouds.

  “They’re saying Rein’s a suspect…” Mira whispered, clutching her cloak tighter. “That he broke into the interrogation chamber.”

  “And murdered Lance Crown,” Boris added grimly, having just arrived with fresh information.

  “That’s impossible!” Ingrid snapped, shaking her head hard. “You know that’s not how he works.”

  Sure—Rein was blunt. Arrogant. Always half-asleep.

  But he never acted without thinking.

  “He calculates everything,” Ingrid said fiercely. “Every step. Every risk. He’s risked his life for us more times than I can count. He’s not some mindless killer.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  She and Mira pushed forward, confronting the Guardian commander at the barricade.

  “It doesn’t matter what you believe,” the man replied flatly, hands clasped behind his back. “These are direct orders from the Student Council. No one is allowed inside.”

  “Then what about Rein?!” Ingrid shot back. “What did you do to him?”

  Her eyes burned as she delivered the threat.

  “If you lay even a finger on him, the Department of Healing will declare a full boycott. No treatment for Guardians. Ever.”

  The words rippled through the line.

  Several Guardians exchanged uneasy glances.

  Truth be told—

  None of them were worried about hurting Rein.

  Not after they had carried nearly fifty Guardians away in critical condition.

  If anything, the ones they should have been worried about—were themselves.

  According to the reports circulating through the barricade, the first-year inside hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch.

  “He’s fine. For now, Ingrid.”

  The calm, authoritative voice cut cleanly through the tension.

  Ingrid turned—and froze.

  A tall, slender man stepped forward, his skin pale as moonlight. Silver hair gleamed like frost beneath the night sky, and rectangular silver-framed glasses sharpened already severe features.

  “Master Darian…!”

  Ingrid gasped.

  One of the Five Disciples of the Academy moving in person could mean only one thing.

  Whatever was unfolding inside the Student Council building—

  this had ceased to be a simple student dispute

  “I was asked to step in and assess the situation,” Darian said calmly, adjusting his glasses out of habit.

  The gesture was casual.

  The pressure it carried was not.

  His gaze settled on the line of Guardians blocking the path.

  “Stand aside. I am here under a direct order from Headmistress Helena.”

  The Guardians hesitated. Their orders had been absolute.

  Then Master Darian took a single step forward.

  The air grew rigid.

  The temperature plunged. Frost raced across the snow-covered ground, seizing it in solid ice within an instant. The cold radiating from his presence was absolute authority.

  Faced with a gap in power they could neither measure nor resist, hundreds of Guardians swallowed hard.

  Then, like a sea parting under an invisible command, they stepped aside.

  Darian paused, glancing back at Ingrid and the others, still frozen in shock.

  “Go back and rest,” he said quietly. “I’ll handle the rest.”

  The tone permitted no argument.

  He passed through the barricade toward the Student Council building, leaving only a lingering chill behind him.

  Outside the Special Interrogation Chamber, dozens of Guardians maintained a tight perimeter, wands raised, intimidation thick enough to suffocate.

  Inside, there was no movement.

  The ten-foot-tall doors remained sealed—less like a crime scene, more like a sanctuary under judgment. Orders were absolute. No one was to enter.

  Within, Lance Crown’s corpse still sat upright in his chair, body temperature steadily dropping.

  Rein hadn’t moved.

  But now, there were three others in the room.

  One was a girl with luminous green eyes—elegant, composed, unsettling. Long black hair fell neatly over a third-year uniform, a silver locket resting against the dark fabric.

  [LIZ: Isabella Vane. Influential Council member from House Vane. Dark Magic specialist. Mana lineage traces back to an Disciple-class ancestor.]

  Through Mana Vision, Rein saw it immediately—dense, stabilized circulation.

  Primary Stratosphere-tier.

  A third-year who had already completed mana refinement. Compared to the Guardians outside, she was a genuine monster.

  [LIZ: Second—Henry Fairfax. Second son of Lord Fairfax. Earth Magic specialist, Department of Elemental Magic.]

  Henry was broad-shouldered, arms crossed as he leaned casually against the rear door. Quiet confidence radiated from his stance—yet his black eyes never once left Rein.

  And the last one—

  The most out of place of them all.

  [LIZ: Sophia Lancaster. One of the Academy’s most famous students. Excluding you.]

  A bright orange ponytail.

  She sat cross-legged atop the curved Council table, utterly unconcerned—a second-year occupying a seat reserved for third-year councilors.

  [LIZ: Illegitimate daughter of House Lancaster. Defeated the legitimate heir. Aeromancer. Ranked fourth in last year’s AGMT. Lost narrowly to the previous Rein.]

  So the original owner of this body really did leave unfinished business everywhere, Rein thought.

  The air tightened. Pressure built as patience thinned.

  Then—

  “I can’t stand this anymore, Bella,” Sophia groaned. “I’m not a tanky Geomancer like Henry, you know.”

  She stretched her neck, smiling—bright and lethal.

  “Wind exists to move.”

  Her gaze snapped to Rein.

  “So let’s dance again.”

  She vanished. Not blurred—just gone.

  For the first time, Rein lost a target entirely—Mana Vision returned nothing.

  Pure instinct took over.

  He ducked.

  Black strands of hair scattered through the air—sheared away by a lightning-fast aerial kick. A fraction slower, and it would’ve been his head.

  Before the severed hair touched the floor—

  Distorted air screamed past him.

  Vacuum blades clung to Sophia’s feet as five strikes descended from different angles in a single heartbeat.

  Fast.

  No—too fast.

  Faster than any Spellsword he’d faced. Even Prototype Haste wouldn’t bridge that gap.

  Shockwaves rippled through the chamber. The iron doors trembled—

  Then stopped.

  A dense black shadow surged upward, swallowing Rein completely. The Vacuum Blades vanished without a ripple.

  “…Darkness Armor?”

  Rein’s eyes widened.

  Sophia landed lightly, rolling her ankle, amused.

  “Seriously, Bella?”

  “We are here to restrain Rein,” Isabella said evenly. “Until the Academy’s envoy arrives.”

  Her gaze never left him.

  “We are not authorized to harm him.”

  The shadows withdrew, flowing back into Isabella’s feet.

  “If you want to play,” she said calmly, “do it later.”

  Rein watched the ‘Darkness Armor’ ebb back into the ground, merging seamlessly into Isabella’s shadow. He had encountered this type of magic before, but this was the first time he had witnessed such exquisite control.

  She commanded the darkness with a precision that allowed the armor to protect others as if it possessed a mind of its own.

  Sophia clicked her tongue and stepped back, arms crossing over her chest.

  “If he killed Lance,” she shot back, “we’re really just going to let him stand there?”

  “If he had,” Henry replied without urgency, “he’d already be gone—or counterattacking.”

  His gaze shifted briefly to Rein.

  “During that exchange just now, he only used baseline evasion.”

  “That’s because Bella interfered!” Sophia snapped. “You locked him in place!”

  “I stayed back to ensure he didn’t move,” Henry continued evenly. “And he knew it. The moment he shifts, I act.”

  A faint smile touched his lips.

  “So he chose the hardest option—handling you without moving at all. Even though escaping would’ve been trivial.”

  He turned his eyes toward Sophia.

  “You should understand that better than anyone. He already beat you once.”

  “That was an accident!” Sophia snapped. “If those busybodies hadn’t interfered, there’s no way I would’ve lost to a guy like him!”

  She hopped back onto the stone table with a huff, crossing her legs. Her cheeks puffed out as she blew a stray lock of orange hair out of her eyes.

  Henry chuckled, then looked back at Rein.

  “Am I wrong?” he asked, his tone light—almost friendly.

  …This guy reads the game far better than his appearance suggests.

  Rein remained silent.

  He had calculated the risk from the moment he stepped inside. If he moved even a fraction of a millimeter, the fragile equilibrium would collapse.

  What followed wouldn’t be a decisive clash—but a drawn-out contest of attrition. A pointless escalation where everyone lost.

  That wasn’t why he’d walked into the Student Council bearing a bill of damages.

  He’d come to settle this with reason and truth—not brute force.

  Still, dodging the carrot-top’s vacuum blades without shifting his coordinates had been nearly impossible. The black-haired girl knew that too. That was why she’d intervened—to preserve the room’s “order.”

  “Hmph.”

  Sophia scoffed sharply.

  She was the type who preferred clear victories and clean defeats—anything but this suffocating, silent tug-of-war.

  Then—

  The heavy iron door creaked open.

  A surge of biting cold seeped in, swallowing the oppressive heat of the chamber.

  Every voice fell silent.

  All eyes turned toward the figure stepping across the threshold.

  “Master Darian.”

  These entries expand the lore and mechanics introduced in this chapter.

  Completely optional—read only if you enjoy diving deeper into the system.

  Location

  Special Interrogation Chamber — Student Council

  A high-security chamber within the Academy used for formal interrogations of students. It is designed to intimidate, with grand architecture, steep steps, and massive iron doors. The space implies authority and secrecy. The nameplates and seats suggest a council of twelve members, though at this moment, only one—Lance Crown—is present, albeit deceased.

  Key Characters

  Lance Crown

  The elder brother of Marcus Crown and an influential third-year student with supreme authority in the Student Council. At the beginning of this chapter, his body is found seated and lifeless, illuminated in eerie stillness. His death sets off a major investigation and power shift within the academy.

  Isabella Vane

  A third-year Student Council member from House Vane. She is a specialist in Dark Magic and has mana lineage tracing back to an Disciple-class ancestor. Exhibits refined Primary Stratosphere-tier mana control. Her Darkness Armor showcases elite precision in magic manipulation.

  Henry Fairfax

  Second son of Lord Fairfax. A third-year and Earth Magic specialist from the Department of Elemental Magic. Strategically minded, calm, and perceptive. Henry observes Rein’s non-engagement and draws accurate battle-read conclusions, suggesting high combat intelligence. Displays political awareness as well.

  Sophia Lancaster

  A second-year student with an orange ponytail and a rebellious personality. Illegitimate daughter of House Lancaster.

  – Specializes in Aeromancy (Wind Magic).

  – Ranked 4th in the AGMT last year, narrowly losing to the previous Rein.

  – Her movement techniques allow her to move faster than Prototype Haste, vanishing from visual and mana-based perception.

  Master Darien

  One of the Five Disciples of the Academy.

  – Wields immense power, enough to freeze the battlefield by sheer presence.

  – Arrives under direct orders from Headmistress Helena.

  – His command overrides all Guardian authority.

  – His mana causes frost to spread, indicating possible Ice Elemental affinity or Absolute Pressure-type mana

  Magic & Spell Techniques

  Darkness Armor (Update)

  A powerful Dark Magic technique used by Isabella. Different from basic defense, Isabella’s version responds dynamically—intercepting attacks meant for others. It merges back into her shadow when no longer in use. Described as possessing intelligence-like reaction time.

  Vacuum Blades

  Wind magic techniques formed around Sophia’s feet that strike at blinding speed and multiple angles. Used in a high-speed aerial combat style.

  Competition

  The Arcadia Grand Magic Tournament (AGMT) (Update)

  A formal, ranked combat tournament used to determine young mage and student rankings and magical skill levels. Sophia was 4th in the previous year’s results.