Inside the academy's observation hall—
The massive screens dimmed slightly as the chaos of the exam finally came to an end.
For a few seconds—
No one spoke.
Then—
Ron exhaled deeply, leaning back in his chair.
"…Phew. It's finally over."
Elise let out a small laugh, though there was still tension in her shoulders.
"Haha… I suppose."
Even she hadn't fully relaxed.
Emma Hawthorne brought a hand up to her forehead, wiping away a thin layer of sweat as she stared at the now-quiet display.
"…It seems like we have a very special batch this year."
Her voice carried a mix of awe—and concern.
Elise crossed her arms, her gaze still fixed on the rankings.
"…To think Alyssa Croft was hiding something like that."
A faint, wry smile tugged at her lips.
"That level of power… isn't normal."
Ron snorted lightly, though his expression remained serious.
"Yeah… 'isn't normal' is putting it lightly."
He leaned forward again, elbows on his knees.
"That makes absolutely no sense."
A pause.
"…Erasing everything in one move?"
He shook his head.
"Even for the Croft family—that's ridiculous."
Silence returned briefly.
Because deep down—
They all knew.
That wasn't something that should exist in the hands of a student.
—
At the front of the room—
She hadn't spoken once.
Aurelia Lioren.
The headmistress.
Her posture remained straight, composed as ever, hands resting calmly before her.
But her eyes—
Hadn't moved.
Not even once.
They weren't on Alyssa.
Not on the rankings.
Not on the destruction.
They were fixed on something else entirely.
A single image—paused on the screen.
A boy.
White hair.
Crimson eyes.
Standing in the middle of everything that had just unfolded.
Silent.
Unyielding.
Interesting.
Aurelia's gaze narrowed ever so slightly.
Then—
She spoke.
"…Declare the result of the first exam."
Her voice was calm.
Cold.
Final.
Every professor straightened immediately.
"Yes, ma'am."
The command spread instantly through the system.
The exam—
Was over.
—
[Inside the Croft Estate]
A vast chamber, quiet and dimly lit by soft violet lamps.
At its center—
A woman sat, one leg crossed over the other, posture effortless yet commanding.
Her long purple hair flowed down her back like silk, each strand catching the faint light with a subtle sheen. Her features were refined, almost dangerously so—sharp eyes, smooth skin, and a gaze that held both elegance and quiet authority.
There was a natural allure to her presence.
Not loud.
Not forced.
But undeniable.
The kind that made people hesitate without knowing why.
Her amethyst eyes were fixed on the screen in front of her.
Then—
She sighed.
And smacked her forehead lightly.
"M-my daughter… ugh—"
A small groan escaped her lips as she leaned back.
"I suppose this was my fault…" she muttered, half amused, half exasperated.
"I should've expected her to lose control eventually."
She closed her eyes briefly, exhaling.
"Haah… let's just hope everything works out."
This was Marian Croft.
An SS+ rank mage.
And the Duchess of the Croft House.
—
[Inside the Emberheart Mansion]
The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Heat lingered in the air—subtle, but constant.
Behind a large desk sat a woman, posture rigid, fingers tapping slowly against the surface.
Her eyes burned.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
"Fifth position?"
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…Fifth?"
The word echoed slightly in the room.
"Absolutely horrible."
The temperature rose sharply for a moment before settling again.
A man standing nearby stiffened immediately.
"Nerk."
"Yes, my lady."
"Call Reina."
A pause.
"And explain her next steps."
Her gaze sharpened further.
"…Also inform her that I expect a far more satisfactory performance during her time at the academy."
No hesitation.
No room for argument.
This was Irina Emberheart.
The strongest fire archmage on the planet.
Duchess of the Emberheart House.
—
[Inside the Zephyr Mansion]
In contrast—
The air here was calm.
Quiet.
Almost peaceful.
An old man stood in an open courtyard, a simple wooden sword resting in his hand.
A panel floated before him.
Displaying the rankings.
He watched silently for a moment.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
"…Not bad."
No pressure.
No anger.
Just quiet approval.
This was Kazis Zephyr.
He was known as the Storm Sovereign in his old days.
—
[Inside the Abyss Guild]
A private chamber rested in silence, lit only by the pale glow of a floating panel.
Before it stood a man with brown hair and sharp green eyes, posture straight, expression unreadable.
This was Quill Thorne.
Another SS+ Ranker also considered as the leader of the Abyss guild.
His gaze was fixed on a single image.
A boy.
White hair.
Crimson-red eyes.
Noctis.
A sharp tone interrupted the stillness.
A call.
He glanced at the screen.
Samuel.
He answered immediately.
"Guild Master, I—"
"It's fine, Samuel."
Quill's voice was calm, steady, leaving no room for guilt.
"Even finishing in the top three is an achievement worthy of pride."
A pause.
"No one could have predicted the two variables above you."
"…Understood."
The response came quieter this time.
"Also," Quill added, "tell Selena she performed excellently as well."
"Yes, sir."
The line ended.
He lowered the device and returned his eyes to the panel.
Then—
The darkness in the room shifted.
Not metaphorically.
It moved.
Shadow gathered in one corner, thickening unnaturally before peeling back like torn cloth.
A figure stepped out.
His body was wrapped in darkness, only two glowing purple eyes visible clearly beneath the gloom.
A grin stretched slowly across his face.
"You seem to have found something interesting."
Quill's eyes slid toward him.
Then back to the screen.
"This child."
He spoke evenly.
"Noctis."
"Do you know him?"
The man's glowing eyes turned to the panel.
They landed on the white-haired boy.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
His grin twitched.
His pupils shrank.
He stepped closer.
"…Hm."
Another step.
"He reminds me of—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His body stiffened.
Those purple eyes widened violently.
"…Subject 082."
Quill's brow furrowed.
"…What?"
Silence.
Then—
A sound escaped the man.
A small chuckle.
Low.
Dry.
Then another.
Then another.
Until—
He threw his head back.
"HA…"
His shoulders began to shake.
"HAHA…"
The laugh grew louder, sharper, more broken.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
He bent forward, clutching his stomach as if the force of it hurt.
The shadows around him twisted wildly with every burst of laughter.
"AHHAHAHAHAHAHA—!"
Tears formed at the corner of his eyes.
He slammed a hand against the wall to steady himself—still laughing.
"To think—!"
Another fit overtook him.
"HAHAHAHAHA—TO THINK HE WAS ALIVE?!"
The room itself felt colder.
More dangerous.
Quill didn't speak.
Didn't interrupt.
Because this wasn't amusement.
This was the laughter of someone who had just found a ghost.
The man slowly straightened, wiping a tear from his eye, grin stretched wider than before.
"…How wonderful."
This was Xeno — The Retainer of Death.
---
Inside a huge room within the academy campus—
Warm light spilled across polished floors and tall windows overlooking the grounds below.
Rio stepped out after taking a shower, steam still clinging faintly to the air around him.
His long white hair was damp, strands falling loosely over his face and down past his shoulders. Water traced through the silver-white locks, making them gleam softly beneath the light like threads of fresh snow touched by moonlight.
Against that pale hair, his crimson eyes stood out vividly.
Sharp.
Striking.
There was an effortless beauty to him—refined features, pale skin, and a calm expression that somehow made him look both elegant and dangerous at the same time.
Even in something as ordinary as stepping out of the shower, he looked unreal.
He was currently inside one of the academy dorm rooms.
A spacious chamber reserved for the highest-ranking students.
Then—
A notification interrupted the quiet.
Rio glanced at the panel floating near the bedside table.
[Guild Master]
His posture straightened slightly.
I accepted the call.
"Hel—"
"I thought we agreed on not showing your powers to the world."
Elena's voice cut in immediately.
Cold.
Controlled.
Yet beneath it, I could feel concern.
I looked away for a moment.
"You stood in front of the entire kingdom and revealed that you can wield three affinities."
A pause.
"Just like SamuelCrimsonof the Abyss Guild."
My voice lowered.
"…Yes."
"I apologize."
"I seem to have lost control in that moment."
I exhaled softly.
"I… just really wanted to win."
Silence followed briefly.
Then her voice returned—slower this time.
"And…"
"The most shocking thing of all…"
A pause.
"…was the Sword Field."
Even hearing it said aloud made my grip tighten.
"How is that even possible?"
I stayed quiet.
"Hah…"
Luckily, the child from the Croft family has taken over most of the news articles."
Her tone steadied again.
"And inside the academy, you should be safe. If it's Aurelia, she won't let anything happen."
That name alone carried weight.
"Rio."
Her voice sharpened once more.
"Make sure to utilize every resource presented to you inside the academy."
I nodded instinctively.
"Understood, ma'am."
Then—
Her tone softened.
Just slightly.
"…Also."
"Good job, Rio."
"You made us really proud."
My eyes widened a little.
Words I hadn't expected.
"T-thank you, ma'am."
As the call was about to end—
Voices suddenly erupted from the other side.
"Guild Master, let me speak to him too—!"
An old man's voice.
Loud.
Demanding.
I recognized it instantly.
Ogram.
"No. Back off."
Elena's cold reply came immediately.
"Bu—!"
"Tsk."
Another voice clicked her tongue sharply.
"Old man, you truly are pathetic."
"Act your age."
That would be Emma.
Then a softer, brighter voice slipped in behind them.
"Ah—ma'am, is that Rio?"
Lyra.
The room on the other side sounded far less dignified than I imagined.
A brief rustling followed.
Someone complaining.
Someone else clearly trying to push another person away from the device.
Then Elena let out a long, tired sigh.
And the call ended.
The panel dimmed.
Silence returned to the dorm room.
I stared at it for a moment.
Then a laugh escaped me.
Small.
Genuine.
"…She seems to be doing well."