“Be quiet, Swan! Something… has sneaked into the academy. It’s a Blood Race… and very powerful!”
Swan’s heart clenched sharply, jolting her out of frustration, her entire body tensing:
“Blood race? Could it be a Blood Pillar?”
“Aren’t they supposed to be active in the Central Region?”
“Why would they suddenly appear at Starlight Academy?”
Then she realized another issue,
“Wait, Iguneel, when did your perception become this sharp?”
After all, when facing Horn or Chise before, Iguneel could warn her, but it hadn’t been this clear or fast.
Iguneel was silent for a moment, her voice carrying a tremor of surprise even to herself.
“It was after you drank that Magic Potion the red-haired kid gave you.”
“My damaged remnant soul began to repair itself at a slow but steady rate. Now… my soul state has recovered nearly seventy percent.”
Seventy percent! That number shook Swan to the core.
What kind of existence was Iguneel at her peak?
Even as a remnant soul, her essence was terrifyingly high. A potion capable of repairing a soul wound of that level was an almost heaven-defying divine item!
‘Where had Senior Luke gotten something like this? Could it really be, as he said, purchased from a “Mysterious Traveling Merchant”?’
“Don’t worry about that for now.”
Iguneel pulled Swan’s thoughts back to reality, her tone serious.
“The intruder’s aura is very subtle, but extremely powerful—far beyond any Blood race you’ve encountered before.”
“He’s moving… with clear intent, as if searching for something. Swan, be careful, he might be—”
!
Iguneel didn’t finish her sentence, but Swan understood her meaning.
The other party was likely coming for her, or more precisely, for the “Dragon Soul” within her.
An icy chill shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of Starlight Academy’s intricate corridors and courtyards.
No.1 moved like a ghost.
He seemed familiar with the academy’s layout, evading all magic alert nodes and patrolling teachers and students, moving precisely toward the dormitory area.
Lord Jeral’s orders were clear and direct: Find the human boy named Swan Raymond, ensure the integrity of the possible “Dragon Soul” within him, and bring him back unharmed.
“Unharmed…”
No.1 repeated the word in his mind.
That meant he needed to act as discreetly as possible, avoiding large-scale commotion.
The best way was to directly find the target, subdue him quickly, and leave.
He needed information.
The simplest method was to find an “informed person” to ask.
Just as he thought that, a figure staggered around the corner of the corridor ahead.
The person walked awkwardly, as if carrying something heavy on his head. Looking closely, his head was… actually square-shaped, standing out bizarrely under the moonlight and lamplight.
No.1’s gaze involuntarily lingered on that cube-shaped head for a moment.
‘Were students at Starlight Academy now sporting this style?’
That one extra look immediately provoked the other’s displeasure.
“Hey! You there in the hood!”
Luke stepped forward, brows furrowed, face full of displeasure.
“Isn’t it a bit rude to stare at my head like that?”
After returning to the academy, Luke’s head—a side effect of incorrectly using the “Kamen Rider Transformation Device”—had become his biggest annoyance and joke.
Whether it was well-meaning inquiries or malicious mockery, it made him sensitive.
Seeing this strange hooded man stare so “intently” at his head, the frustration and anger accumulated over the past few days finally boiled over.
No.1 didn’t want to cause trouble. He planned to ignore this clearly troublesome red-haired kid, sidestepping to bypass him and find another, more “normal” student to ask.
But Luke sidestepped too, blocking him again, his tone even more hostile:
“Did I say you could leave? Are you deaf?”
He looked No.1 up and down—the other was dressed all in black, hood covering his face, with a subtle aura. He clearly didn’t look like a student.
“Also, you’re not a Starlight Academy student, are you?”
“Our academy has strict rules—outsiders aren’t allowed in.”
“What are you sneaking around here for?”
“I’m talking to you, can’t you hear?”
Too noisy. No.1 stopped, his brow furrowing imperceptibly under his hood.
This red-haired human, low in strength, was so recklessly noisy and provocative.
If not for the mission requiring stealth, he could shut this guy up forever with a single finger.
“Scram.”
No.1 spat out a single word, his voice soft yet carrying a bone-penetrating chill and an undeniable pressure.
But that word was like the final spark to a powder keg, igniting Luke’s already explosive mood—frustrated by the day’s various troubles: his head, Yize’s disappearance, and Riya’s defamation.
“Scram?”
Luke’s voice shot up, laughing in anger.
“You’re telling me to scram? Do you know who I am?!”
He abruptly reached out and grabbed No.1’s shoulder with considerable force.
“I’m Luke Wilson! The most promising fire magic genius recognized by the Four Major Magic Academies!”
“A hero who just returned alive from the Border Battlefield!”
Having gone through the baptism of the Betty Battlefield, witnessing higher-level power firsthand, and even personally using the power of “Kamen Rider” to contend with Bart, Luke’s mindset had unknowingly changed.
He still admired Senior Yize, but subconsciously, he no longer saw himself as that “newbie” who could only throw fireballs from the back.
Back in the relatively peaceful academy environment, this “inflated ego,” fueled by pent-up frustration, was more prone to explode.
‘I refuse to believe that after surviving on the Empire’s border, I could casually run into a monster capable of crushing me on my own turf at Starlight Academy.’
‘Senior Yize’s “Cautious Path” is correct, but once in a while… being tough for a moment shouldn’t hurt, right?’
‘Especially when facing such a suspicious, arrogant intruder.’
“I think you’re suspicious.”
Luke grabbed No.1’s shoulder, trying to turn him toward the Dean’s Office.
“Now, come with me to the Dean’s Office and explain your background! Otherwise—”
His words were cut short.
The next moment, Luke felt an irresistible force on the wrist that was gripping the other’s shoulder. His vision spun wildly!
Before he could even see how the other moved, he was effortlessly lifted, tumbling uncontrollably in the air, then crashed onto the hard stone pavement with a loud bang.
“Ugh—!”
Intense pain radiated from his back through his whole body. Luke groaned, black spots swimming before his eyes, nearly losing his breath.
That fall not only scattered his stance but also shattered that ridiculous “inflated ego” of his.
Before he could recover, a seemingly ordinary foot, as heavy as a mountain, ruthlessly stomped onto the hand that had grabbed him, grinding slowly.
“Crack…”
A faint sound of bone cracking. The piercing pain made cold sweat instantly bead on Luke’s forehead as he clenched his teeth.
No.1 looked down at him from above, a cold red glint flickering in the shadows under his hood.
He disdainfully used his other hand to brush off the shoulder where Luke had grabbed him, as if wiping away filth.
“There was clearly a way out, yet you chose to court death by provoking me.”
No.1’s voice remained flat, but even colder than before, carrying an impatience like dealing with an ant.
“Tell me, where is Swan Raymond?”
Luke grimaced in pain, a herd of alpacas stampeding through his mind.
‘What the hell! This is ridiculous! This isn’t the blood-soaked Border Battlefield; this is a peaceful magic academy! How could any random suspicious figure that popped up be this outrageously strong? The strength and speed to toss him around like trash… are definitely far above ordinary instructors!’
At this moment, he felt unprecedented deep agreement and regret toward Senior Yize’s “Cautious Path” mantra.
‘How could I have been so hot-headed as to forget Senior’s advice!’
But pain and fear didn’t completely drown out his loyalty and vigilance.
The other party was looking for Junior Swan? And his tone was hostile!
“You… what do you want with Junior Swan?”
Luke forced himself to speak through the sharp pain, trying to keep his voice from trembling, while his mind raced.
“Also, who are you?”
“This is Starlight Academy! If you cause trouble here, aren’t you afraid of alerting our Headmaster Kleya? She’s an 8th-tier Archmage!”
As he spoke to distract the other, his other hand, not pinned down, moved stealthily, enduring agony, very slowly toward his waist—where the [Kamen Rider Transformation Device] was clipped.
It was slightly damaged but had recently seemed to self-repair somewhat, a device that could give him power and confidence.
No.1 seemed completely unmoved by Luke’s threat and the name Kleya. He only confirmed one thing: “It seems you do know Swan Raymond.”
He increased the pressure on his foot slightly, making Luke gasp in pain.
“Tell me where he is, and you might keep your life and continue being your ‘genius’.” No.1’s tone was cold, as if granting a favor.
Sweat dripped from Luke’s forehead. He felt like the bones in his hand might really be broken.
But he clenched his teeth, scenes flashing through his mind: Senior Yize trustingly giving him a life-saving item, Junior Swan’s pale little face when worried about Yize, the backs of his companions supporting each other on the Betty Battlefield…
‘No! I absolutely cannot tell him!’
Luke hardened his heart.
“I… I’m in a lot of pain right now… My head… is fuzzy…”
Luke pretended to be even more pained and weak, his voice faltering.
“You… move your foot… let me catch my breath… and I’ll tell you…”
No.1 was absolutely confident in his own strength. He didn’t think this red-haired insect already crushed under his foot could do anything.
Loosening his guard slightly in exchange for faster mission intel was reasonable.
He slowly lifted his foot from Luke’s hand.
The instant the foot left and the pressure vanished!
A flash of desperate determination blazed in Luke’s eyes. The hand that had already reached his waist slammed the familiar button in the center of the [Kamen Rider Transformation Device] with all his might!
“Screw your mom—!”
“Hen—shin!!!”
Accompanied by a roar mixed with agony and fury, a blinding silver-gray light, along with a dense cascade of mechanical clicking sounds, burst forth from Luke’s body, instantly enveloping him!
A powerful wave of energy exploded, illuminating half the corridor and courtyard!
For the first time, the pupils beneath No.1’s hood contracted sharply.