Elaina Arcveil:
Damn it, have I been tricked? No way I almost missed that extraordinarily well-camouflaged transparent veil—someone sealed off the Academy to avoid suspicion?
Something no ordinary student would even consider… Elaina Arcveil thought to herself. She murmured a few incantations before pushing her body through the veil.
An eternal silence enveloped her as her ears crossed the threshold, followed by a surge of heat that shocked her body—until finally, she saw flames raging, turning the night into something that no longer felt like night.
As she slowly approached, a girl came toward Elaina only seconds after she managed to see the situation from a distance.
"Gladius Arcveil. Forgive me. I believe you arrived at just the right time," said Sherlyn, maintaining her usual cold demeanor.
Elaina wasn't in the mood for long conversations and asked straight to the point, "Do you know who's behind this attack?"
"I'm sorry, but there's no time. We must head there now," Sherlyn refused to explain, yet began walking with such conviction that Elaina was compelled to follow.
Truly a pointless conversation with no structure or clear sense of what it even was… Elaina silently followed Sherlyn, who guided the way with unsettling calm.
Lucas Lordmurt :
Lucas felt a savage pain—his stomach felt like it would explode, his blurred vision darting aimlessly as his eyes trembled in all directions.
Wein had a purpose here. He walked slowly toward a place that was his top priority. Lucas's gaze shifted from Wein to the obsidian-colored wolf.
Dire Wolves were extinct—so when did he obtain one? The bitterness boiled inside Lucas. He was the one who deserved such loyalty.
The entire space fell silent as a figure in an elegant black coat walked forward, accompanied by beasts larger than himself.
As he drew closer to the burning building in the background, Wein's gaze was sharp and flat. Lucas tried lifting his head to make eye contact, but it was useless.
"An impressive monster. Do you think that thing can help you? Look around! All of this—was done by me alone. Can't you see that building reduced to ash? And that professor you once admired—I crushed him underfoot like a useless insect." Lucas chuckled, finally feeling a calm superiority over someone he once saw as an equal.
Wein's two wolves shifted their formation. The brightest and whitest one growled, intimidating the onlookers whose screams pierced the night—but not Lucas.
He locked eyes with Wein again. The truth was, the wolf could kill him—but what truly terrified Lucas was Wein himself.
Ignoring Lucas's taunts, Wein walked toward him like one would ignore a child throwing tantrums.
The professors still capable of baring their fangs smiled grimly through their pain. Several demon beasts and divine beasts stared at the wolves.
The crowd stayed silent, some shaking in fear.
As Wein came closer—
Lucas began to realize Wein's target wasn't him. His eyes never once focused on Lucas, who was nothing but a nuisance.
My legs froze while my hands trembled, soaked in water and nerves, as he passed by me carrying an aura that crushed everything in its path.
The pressure and mana radiating from Wein made Lucas's body nearly crumble. The disgust grew when Wein passed him without even a glance.
How dare that bastard!
The fact that Lucas could kill him right then and there only fueled his ego. He was enraged that Wein treated him like air.
Ignoring everyone who wished to take Lucas down, Wein merely walked past—and then knelt beside the elven girl.
Wein lowered his head toward Loraine, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at the helpless, wounded elf girl.
The sulking Lucas used this moment to strengthen his resolve. A wide grin spread across his face, followed by a soft, mocking laugh. "She cried for you, you know. Even called your name—while you stood no chance of winning against me."
Wein didn't respond.
"Oh sure, she was strong at first, but the longer we played, the weaker she became. And the sensation of choking her by the neck—" Lucas chuckled.
Wein remained silent, speaking softly to Loraine, ignoring the world.
His wolves glared at Lucas. Lumine began to circle him, creating her own perimeter, eyes glowing with a predatory gleam that once terrified him.
"Too bad I couldn't fully enjoy the elf. Someone higher up warned me not to touch her, but I liked her, you see. So what's the harm in seeking a little thrill first? That also gave me time to plan how to crush you. I'm sure after this, you'll be begging for mercy." Lucas's laugh echoed in the vast, veiled space, the most despised sound in the ears of the crowd. No one dared interrupt him now.
Lumine sniffed the air, baring her fangs and preparing to pounce—yet she stopped abruptly, freezing in place.
Lucas twitched, shame creeping in as Wein Arcveil continued to ignore everything he'd said.
"WEIN ARCVEIL OF THE HOUSE OF—" He didn't finish.
Wein raised a hand, as though squeezing air.
Lucas choked—though Wein hadn't touched him at all. The pressure alone silenced him, paralyzing his voice, and then the ground suddenly cracked beneath his feet.
Lucas struggled to regain balance, turning toward Wein—only to find nothing there. Only the white wolf stood, staring at him.
Then came the blow—an invisible grip colder than death spiraled through Lucas's body.
It was like the air had been wrenched from his lungs. The pressure now burned instead of froze, scorching his arms to the point of collapse.
Lucas gasped sharply. He couldn't calm himself. His hands trembled, and it felt like his soul wanted to flee his body.
He realized it wasn't just his body that was trembling—his very core had been shaken. Breathless. Terrified.
He turned.
Lucas couldn't comprehend why something so simple was so terrifying. As their eyes locked, Wein's piercing violet gaze stabbed through him like a blade, and it felt like all air fled his lungs.
Suddenly, Lucas began hearing incomprehensible words—some so agonizing they made him suffer in silence.
He refused to accept it.
Lucas ignored the screams of pain wracking his body. He forced himself to meet Wein's gaze again.
"Oh, so now you acknowledge me? Now you're speaking to me?" he spat mockingly, shifting his gaze from Wein's eyes to his feet, which kept stepping forward.
He was the greatest Duke in the Kingdom. If Wein killed him, the consequences would be life-ruining. The son of a great noble house—shouldn't Wein fear that?
"I consider you nothing more than a mosquito buzzing around at night. No more than a filthy insect," Wein said coldly, quickening his steps.
"But even the purest of men will kill a mosquito if it lands on him before sucking his blood. I wouldn't hesitate to crush a mosquito trying to drink mine." His emotionless eyes were cold and vacant, and his bloodlust spiked as mana surged behind him.
He didn't just insult Lucas—he genuinely saw him as an insect. As if they could never be equals.
This isn't how it was supposed to be. Lucas Lordmurt muttered inwardly. His power had surpassed many, nearly reaching Gladius-level—yet he still couldn't defeat Wein? He tried to resist, but his body was limp.
How could a boy his age strike more fear into him than Faergyrn ever did.
How many humans and monsters had he killed to forge such an oppressive, choking aura?
As the shadow neared, Lucas opened his right hand and summoned a black orb—how was he using that element?
His feet left streaks of light in their path—again, how did he possess both of the great elements?
His heartbeat quickened, all his organs threatening to explode from within.
Turning his eyes from Wein to Loraine, he saw one of the wolves curled protectively while the other kept circling to guard.
In silence, as Wein approached, Lucas saw a storm in those eyes. He was the storm—rushing toward him like a calamity.
I am Lucas Lordmurt, third son of House Lordmurt. Aetheris Academy is in ruins by my unmatched power, reduced to ash like ancient relics. I was supposed to be that storm.
A flurry of thoughts urged Lucas to run. Every instinct screamed at him to flee from the ever-approaching Wein. Madness seized his body as he resisted the burning desire to escape. I'd rather die than beg for my life.