『 Ice Generation (?? 1st-Level Spell ??) 』
In response, I summoned a cluster of ice shards in my right hand, just like she did. But there was a difference—
A faint violet glow traced their sharp edges.
I was infusing them with my Aura.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Honestly, I had held back enough.
I tried to be careful. I tried to avoid unnecessary fights. I even spared people who deserved worse, just because they might have connections to so big shots.
But not anymore.
And definitely not now.
"It is my duty as the Student Council President," she said coldly.
『 Crystal Generation (?? 1st-Level Spell ??)』
Dozens of crystal shards materialized around her, hovering in the air like a deadly swarm. Their sharp edges reflected the dim glow of the hallway lights.
Seeing her get serious, I slowly pushed back my sleeves, exposing the scars on my arms.
I didn't care if she saw them.
"...You see, Violet," I said calmly.
"If you actually fight , I won't hold back just because of our past interactions."
I was giving her one last chance.
It was her decision.
She looked at
for a mont, as if searching for hesitation in my face.
Then she tilted her head slightly and asked:
"...Aren't you getting a bit too angry? It was just a few photos."
I blinked.
Then—
I laughed.
Like, really laughed.
"Hahaha…"
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, shaking my head.
"Just so photos?" I repeated.
Of course, she would see it that way.
I an, she didn't appear in any of those photos.
She had no idea what they had done to the people in them.
The students who lost everything—banished from their hos, thrown away like garbage—just because of a few 'simple' pictures.
So even took their own lives.
But no one talks about that part.
The author of this world—the one who wrote the 'story'—didn't bother including those details. Why would they?
Those students weren't important.
They were just extras.
Background characters.
NPCs.
The kind of people no one notices, no one cares about. Just tools, ant to make the protagonist shine. Obstacles for them to step over.
But this isn't a story.
This is real.
And in reality, every life matters.
Well… maybe not to everyone.
If I said this out loud, I'd probably get so bullshit argunt about how "villains exist" or how "so people deserve what they get."
But is anyone really born evil?
No.
It's the world that turns them that way. The people around them. The system they're forced to live under.
And this academy?
It's just another rotten part of that system.
A place where the strong thrive and the weak are left to rot.
Where people like Violet—the Student Council President—turn a blind eye, pretending they don't see the corruption happening right under their noses.
Not even the professors step in.
No one lifts a damn finger to stop it.
Sure, they sotis take action.
But only for those who actually ask for help.
The world is full of selfish people.
They take what they want. Use others however they please. As long as they get ahead, nothing else matters.
The law of the jungle.
The strong rule. The weak suffer.
And people want
to believe the Demon King is the biggest threat?
Please.
The Dark Order? An organization made by a bunch of humans.
The Emperor? A puppet that only thinks with his lower body, controlled by Lilith, one of the Demon King's generals.
The real monsters are sitting on golden thrones, wearing fake smiles, pretending they're the 'good guys.'
So no.
I don't care anymore.
If the strong make the rules...
Then I'll beco strong enough to break them.
To rewrite them.
To protect the people I care about.
It's quite funny, huh?
Just completing my fusion with Aestrea's soul, caused my way of thinking to completely change...
"Fuuu..."
I exhaled slowly, my violet aura crackling to life around .
"…I hope you don't regret this."
One last warning.
"I won't," she answered firmly, her purple mana leaking out of her body.
Fine.
I gave her a chance.
She still doesn't understand why I'm acting this way.
But that's not my problem.
I'm not soone that needs to prove the way they act to soone. I don't need that kind of validation for my puny thoughts.
Violet didn't hesitate.
The mont she confird my intent, she launched her first attack.
『 Crystal Blade (?? 3rd-Level Spell ??) 』
A longsword of crystal materialized in her grip.
She lunged forward, slashing at my side.
CLANG!
I blocked it with my forearm, my aura hardening just in ti. Sparks flew from the impact. She twisted, bringing the sword up for another swing—
I ducked.
The blade whistled past my head.
I spun low, sweeping my leg toward hers.
SWOOSH!
She jumped, avoiding the sweep, and countered with a downward slash aid straight for my shoulder.
This ti, I didn't block.
I caught the blade between my aura-infused fingers.
Her eyes widened in shock.
CRACK!
With a squeeze, I shattered the crystal sword into dust.
Then, before she could react—
BAM!
I drove the palm of my hand to her stomach.
"Kagh!—"
She gasped, staggering back, but quickly regained her footing.
Her hands glowed as she prepared another spell.
『 Crystal Rain! (?? 3rd-Level Spell ??) 』
SHHHNK—!
The crystal shards exploded forward, streaking through the air like a storm of daggers. Each one aid to pierce straight through .
SWOOSH—!
I stepped forward—just once.
The shards should've torn through my skin, but instead—
CLANG!
With the flick of my wrist, my scythe cut cleanly through the incoming projectiles. One swing and her spell shattered into useless shards, the fragnts scattering across the floor.
Violet's eyes widened.
"Damn it...!"
『 Diamond Edge! (?? 4th-Level Spell ??) 』
A bigger blade of crystal than the one from before, ford in her grip, the transparent weapon glowing with a sharp light.
She lunged, aiming to slice across my chest.
Her foot slamd against the floor—
BOOM!
It cracked the marble tiles as she launched herself forward at full speed.
SWIPE—!
I leaned to the side.
The blade passed right by my ribs, missing
by a hair's width.
Her reaction was quick.
She spun on her heel, twisting her body as she slashed again, this ti aiming for my neck—
CLANG!
I raised my scythe, catching her weapon mid-strike. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed, the force sending a sharp tremor up her arms.
"Haaa—!"
She gritted her teeth and pushed forward, trying to overpower .
I let out a small breath.
Then, I lifted my foot—
CRACK!
—And drove my knee straight into her gut.
Her entire body jerked.
Her breath hitched.
"Guh—!"
And for a mont, her strength faltered.
I didn't hesitate.
FWIP—!
I spun my scythe, the blade slicing forward in a vicious arc.
SCHLK—!
The edge tore across her right shoulder, splitting through her uniform like paper.
Blood sprayed.
A deep gash ripped across her arm, flesh parting under the force of my attack.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Her scream pierced through the air.
She stumbled back, clutching her wound as crimson leaked between her fingers, dripping onto the cold floor.
Her breath was ragged, her face twisted in pain.
But she still wasn't done.
『 Crystal Armor! (?? 4th-Level Spell ??) 』
A thick layer of shimring crystal coated her body, forming a protective barrier over her skin.
It crawled up her arms, her chest, even the wound on her shoulder—trying to stop the bleeding.
I exhaled through my nose.
"Useless."
I stepped forward.
Violet's eyes sharpened.
She threw out her palm—
『 Crystal Spikes! (?? 5th-Level Spell ??) 』
BOOM!
The floor beneath
erupted, massive crystal spears bursting upward to impale .
FWOOOSH—!
I moved before they could touch .
A blur of motion.
The mont my feet left the ground—
『 Crystal Chains! (?? 5th-Level Spell ??) 』
Violet's hands clenched into fists.
The shattered shards around us suddenly ca to life, twisting together into glowing chains that lunged for my limbs.
SWOOSH—!
I spun mid-air, my scythe slicing through the chains before they could reach .
SNAP! CRACK!
They shattered into dust.
I landed a few steps away, completely unhard.
Violet's breath hitched.
Her face had gone pale.
She was running out of options.
I lifted my scythe again, its blade glinting under the light.
Then, I moved.
FWIP!
I shot forward, faster than before.
Violet barely had ti to react before—
SLASH!
The scythe ripped across her left arm.
"AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!"
A sickening CRUNCH echoed through the hall.
Her bone snapped.
Her left arm—shattered.
Blood gushed from the deep wound, her entire limb hanging limply at her side.
She scread.
Her knees buckled, her body trembling violently.
Her breath ca in short, uneven gasps.
"Haa...haa...haa..."
Her vision swimming from the pain.
Her uniform was ruined.
Torn.
Drenched in red.
But I wasn't done.
I raised my scythe again.
"VIOLET!"
A voice shouted in the distance.
Footsteps.
Fast and they were rushing toward us.
Looks like our ti was up.
I took a slow step back, twirling my scythe lazily.
Honeslty, I first thought that it would be more difficult dealing with her...
But... it was pretty easy.
Did my strength increase after fusing my soul with Aestrea's?
I should check it later.
Then, I took a glance at her.
Violet collapsed onto her knees, her one good arm barely holding her up. She panted, her shoulders shaking, blood pooling beneath her.
Her face was twisted in agony.
"...You shouldn't pick on fights you cannot win."
My voice was cold, almost bored, as I pressed the blunt edge of my scythe against Violet's face, lifting her chin slightly.
She trembled.
Blood dripped from her torn uniform, pooling beneath her knees. Her breath was ragged, her body barely holding together after what I had done to her.
My eyes glowed.
"People like that die early."
Fwoop!—
The air twisted.
A presence rushed toward
at full speed.
I stepped back.
Just enough.
Fwip!
A blade slashed through the space I had just occupied, missing
by a hair's width. The silver edge glead, stopping mid-air before retreating.
I exhaled slowly.
My gaze flicked to the side.
A figure stood in front of Violet now, his sword raised defensively. His golden hair, his blue uniform, and the way his stance scread chivalry—it was obvious.
Prince Leon.
He turned to , anger burning in his eyes.
"Aestrea!"
His grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles turning white.
"How dare you attack the Student Council President?"
I tilted my head.
Huh.
That was the first thing he said?
Not "Why did this happen?"
Not "What the hell is going on?"
Just "How dare you?"
Tsk...
What did I expect?
I turned my gaze toward the doorway.
And—well. This was just getting annoying.
More figures stood there.
Ella's little lapdog, Telmo, was at his side, looking down at
with so kind of disgust—like I was filth beneath his shoes.
But that wasn't all.
The Hero's Group was here too.
"...Aestrea, you..." He started, but his words trailed off.
He looked at , at the blood-soaked floor, at Violet's trembling form. His eyes flickered with sothing like doubt.
Like he was trying to understand what had just happened.
But he wouldn't.
Because if we were being honest, Lucas was a good hero.
But only to those who asked for help.
He helped the ones who reached out, the ones who cried loudly enough for the world to hear.
But what about the ones who suffered in silence?
The ones who were bullied, ridiculed, and broken apart for things beyond their control?
The ones who had already fallen too deep into the abyss to even call for help?
What about them?
Would they ever be saved?
No.
Because they weren't his problem.
Tsk.
I sighed, rolling my shoulders.
...I should stop with those monologues.
I'm just racking my brain out.
If anything, it just increases my stress.
As I was lost in my thoughts, Prince Leon pointed his sword at .
"I won't let you get away with this."
…Oh?
A small smirk tugged at my lips.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it?"
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"You're a threat to the academy. I'll—"
BOOM—!
Before he could finish his sentence, I moved.
The floor cracked beneath my feet as I launched forward, closing the distance between us in an instant.
FWIP!
My scythe swung, a violet glow trailing behind its blade.
Leon barely had ti to react.
CLANG—!
He raised his sword just in ti, barely blocking my strike. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, forcing him back a step.
His arms shook from the force.
"Fuck...!"
Telmo rushed forward, a spell already forming in his hands.
『 Wind Cutter! (?? 3rd-Level Spell ??) 』
SWOOSH!
A razor-sharp blade of wind shot toward , slicing through the air at terrifying speed.
I didn't even bother dodging.
I simply swung my aura-infused scythe down.
SLASH!
The spell was cut apart, its magic dispersing into nothing.
Telmo's face paled.
The Hero's Group sprang into action.
『 Stone Spikes! (?? 4th-Level Spell ??) 』
BOOM!
The ground shattered as massive stone spikes erupted from the floor, aiming straight for .
FWIP—!
I moved between them effortlessly, my body a blur of motion.
『 Lightning Bolt! (?? 4th-Level Spell ??) 』
CRACKLE—!
A surge of lightning raced toward .
I lifted my hand.
『 Ice Wall! (?? 3rd-Level Spell ??) 』
SHHHHHK—!
A massive wall of ice rose in front of , absorbing the electricity before it could touch .
The Hero's Group looked stunned.
Lucas clenched his fists.
"Aestrea... this isn't right. You can't beat up those students just because they made a little article about your personal life..."
"Besides, you even injured Violet!"
I tilted my head.
"And?"
His expression darkened.
"...Then we'll stop you by force."
I sighed.
"Alright then."
I stepped forward.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The air turned heavy.
A deep, violet glow began to spread around .
"...Co at , then."
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