"What is this?"
A young man stared at a confidential Church document, his obsidian-black hair falling over eyes that burned with a cold, zealot's fury.
He was dressed in the high-collared robes of the Blossom Church, but his posture was that of a predator.
I can't believe the Church knows a demon this dangerous is in the capital and they choose to do nothing...
He gripped the paper until his knuckles turned white.
They must have their reasons. Maybe they're busy with 'greater' threats. Fine. If the Church won't act, I will do it for them.
"Ryn," he whispered, his face twisting into a mask of righteous anger. "I am coming for you."
...
Soon, the man—Alistair—had disguised himself as a student and slipped into the Academy.
He didn't just want to kill the target; he wanted to evaluate the threat. He trailed Ryn to the library, sitting just two chairs away, hidden behind a stack of books.
What? He's leaving already? Where is he going in such a hurry? To commit a crime?
Alistair moved like a ghost, leaving minimum space between them. Ryn took a sharp turn into a secluded corner of the stacks. Alistair rounded the corner and his eyes widened in horror at the "atrocity" unfolding before him.
A beautiful girl with moonlight-white hair and crystal-blue eyes was pinned against the wall. A dark shadow seemed to illuminate her as she looked up with a flushed, trembling face.
Ryn had his hands slammed against the wall on either side of her, leaning in closer and closer to her face.
Alistair didn't wait to see more. He couldn't let this demon finish his evil deeds on an innocent maiden.
BOOM!
Alistair lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch toward Ryn. "What do you think you're doing with her?!" he roared, stepping between them to shield the girl.
Ryn stumbled back, slowly standing up and dusting off his trousers. He looked more annoyed than scared.
"H-he wasn't d—" the girl started, her face even redder now.
"Don't worry, Miss! I will not let this monster touch you!" Alistair interrupted, his hand resting on the hilt of his hidden dagger. He turned his glare back to Ryn. "Explain yourself!"
Who is this guy? Ryn wondered, squinting.
"Well, what else would a boy and a girl be doing alone in a dark corner of a library?" Ryn said, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.
"You... you lecherous demon! I'll kill you right now!"
Ryn's eyes widened. Did he just say demon?
POW!
Suddenly, Alistair was sent flying backward, crashing into a shelf of books. The girl had punched him.
"I told you, he wasn't doing anything!" she shouted, her blue eyes flashing with embarrassment.
Alistair groaned on the floor, his fury deflating into confusion. "T-then... what was he doing?"
"He was just helping me learn a difficult spell formula!" she snapped, before turning and bolting out of the library in a rush of shame.
Alistair looked up at Ryn. That doesn't explain why they were positioned like that...
If you're smart, you can get all the girls in class, Ryn thought, remembering his mother's old advice. I guess she wasn't wrong.
...
By the end of the day, Alistair had reached only one conclusion: Ryn was worse than a demon.
In Alistair's biased eyes, Ryn was a monster. He "murdered" innocent rats in the lab without blinking (ignoring that they were for Alchemy), he "molested" girls (the library misunderstanding), he was rude, and he was currently "destroying" the Alchemy lab with explosions.
I'm going to use the strongest dispel on him, Alistair decided. I'll reveal his true form in front of everyone.
Ryn was walking down the crowded hallway, blissfully unaware, when Alistair stepped out from behind a pillar. He aimed his palm at Ryn's back.
[Goddess's Dispel]
A blinding, holy white light erupted, swallowing Ryn's body. Students gasped, shielding their eyes.
The light began to dim, and Alistair waited for the screams as a hideous demon was revealed.
The light faded.
Ryn stood there, looking exactly the same, though a bit confused.
He looked around at the dimming glow. "What was that? Some kind of malfunctioning light fixture?"
What?! It didn't work? Alistair questioned himself, his heart hammering. Is he... not a demon?
That light was weird. I must be more tired than I thought, Ryn mused as he opened his dorm room door.
His heart nearly stopped. Sitting in his chair, looking cold and dangerous, was the guy who had been stalking him all day.
"You know this is my room, right?" Ryn asked, closing the door behind him.
"You. Are you a demon?" Alistair asked, his voice like ice.
How does he know? Stay calm. He's fishing, Ryn thought. "Well, do I look like one?"
"You're answering a question with a question," Alistair said, standing up. "In my experience, that means you're lying."
"Oh? What law says that if someone uses an answer to answer a question, they're lying?" Ryn shot back.
Alistair didn't argue. He drew two gleaming daggers from the small of his back and dropped into a low fighting stance.
"Another question. Don't worry. When I kill you, your corpse will reveal the truth."
System, I think it's time for an upgrade. I need that attribute.
[System Shop: Attributes]
• Item: [Spatial Attribute] (Rank E Requirement Met)
• Cost: 3,000 Glory Points
• Current GP: 9,600
• Remaining GP: 6,600
• [Yes] / [No]
•
Ryn clicked [Yes].
A strange, humming sensation filled his nerves. The room suddenly looked different—not just in three dimensions, but as a series of coordinates he could manipulate.
"What are you scheming over there?" Alistair asked, sensing the shift in the air.
"Don't worry, I'm ready," Ryn said. "And there's something I'd like to get from you, too."
Alistair vanished. He moved with such incredible speed that he left blurred after-images behind him.
Fwoosh!
Alistair's daggers sliced through empty air. Ryn had disappeared, reappearing instantly behind him.
Alistair spun around, his eyes wide. He has the Spatial Attribute... but teleportation is no match for my pure speed. It consumes too much mana!
He launched himself at Ryn again.
"Wait!" Ryn shouted. "It isn't fair if you're the only one using a weapon. I'd like to use one, too."
Alistair paused, his pride as a "Hero" flaring up. "Fine. Go and take your weapon."
"Thank you very much." Ryn walked over, picked up a practice sword, and returned to the center of the room. He took a basic swordsmanship stance, a small, dangerous smile on his face.
"Let's begin."