One of them tossed a pair of weapons toward Rey and Jett—clearly aiming to sabotage. Rey caught his with one hand: a rusted battle axe, chipped and dull at the edges. Jett's eyes widened as a bent old halberd landed at his feet like a cruel joke.

"…What is this, a museum?" Jett muttered.

The crowd laughed.

Rey spun the axe in his hand, testing the weight. "Light," he said, voice flat.

"You're not seriously thinking of using that, right?" Jett asked, picking up the halberd reluctantly.

Rey shrugged. "They gave it to us. We'll make it work. You need to stop relying on your skills and the fact that you can cast magic. Actually taking time to learn the basics is good too."

"Yes Dad... I'll be sure to remember that next time when I'm no being dragged into fights." Jett replies sarcastically as he was visibly annoyed with the whole setup.

Across from them, the five third-years formed a loose arc. The leader stayed back, arms folded, while the remaining four took the front, swords, a spear, and twin daggers glinting under the hallway lights.

The spectators at the hallway was increasing with each passing second.

The boy with the spear stepped forward first, slamming it against the floor. "Let's show them how real students fight."

Rey cracked his neck. "Jett, left."

"On it."

No signal. No hesitation.

Rey shot forward like a bolt, closing the distance before the staff user could cast. His axe came down, not with brute force, but with calculated speed. The staff-user barely blocked, stumbling back as the impact knocked the wind out of him.

Jett moved to the left, deflecting a sword strike with the halberd's haft. Despite its reluctance, he flowed with the weapon like he'd trained with it—awkward but oddly precise.

"You're not bad," said his opponent, swinging again.

'I've only ever used a sword and spear. Seems like my [Weapons Mastery] skill's finally coming in handy. Jett grinned. "I'm worse than bad. I'm just lucky."

A third-year with daggers rushed in, aiming for Rey's blind spot. But Rey spun with brutal efficiency, dragging the axe behind him in a low arc that forced the dagger wielder to jump back.

Two more third-years joined the fray, trying to overwhelm them through sheer numbers.

Rey parried a strike with the axe handle and kicked his attacker square in the chest, sending him crashing into a wall. The crowd howled with excitement.

Jett, meanwhile, had gone from defense to chaos, swinging the halberd like a man half-guessing and half-dancing through attacks.

"Why do I feel like I'm in a circus act?" he shouted.

Rey didn't answer. He was too focused. Calm. Controlled. For every attack that came at him, he met it with minimum effort and maximum result—disarming, dodging, countering. Even with a broken-down axe, he made it look like art.

'They adapted to a new weapon this quickly? Or was the Intel wrong?" The leader of the third-years narrowed his eyes, watching as his teammates faltered. "Pathetic."

He stepped forward, finally drawing his blade.

The crowd quieted—anticipation rising again like a held breath.

Jett let out a sigh. "Oh good. Someone else wand to join the fun."

"Weird how you're challenging us with this much confidence… like you actually think you'll win." Rey's gaze locked onto the leader of the third-years, cold and steady. "Be honest, who sent you?"

"That would make more sense," Jett added, casually stepping back to widen their formation. "No offense, but I doubt you all woke up this morning craving a beatdown."

The leader didn't answer. But something about the twitch in his jaw said Rey had hit a nerve.

Rey shifted his attention for a moment, eyes narrowing. "Let's wrap this up. Someone's watching us."

Jett scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, Captain Obvious, we've got a whole stadium-worth of eyes on us right now."

"Quit exaggerating I'm not talking about them," Rey muttered, his voice low and sharp. "There's someone else. Farther back. Their gaze is different. It's a bit unsettling."

Jett paused. He didn't have Rey's perception, but he trusted that tone. "Damn those Hero perks," he grinned, and in the next second, he was right behind Rey, matching his rhythm without question.

Jett moved like flowing smoke, using the halberd as a misdirection more than a weapon, baiting their opponents into overextending, then punishing them with swift jabs and sweeping counters. He wasn't textbook perfect, he didn't need to be. He was unpredictable, and that was worse.

"You're really good with that, even thought of switching?" Rey teased.

"Oh shut up." Jett replied, trying not pay him any attention.

Rey, on the other hand, was pure pressure. Calm. Clinical. He moved through the third-years like water through cracks, striking with speed and precision that made it impossible for any of them to breathe.

His rusted axe didn't matter. He could've been fighting with a spoon and still dominated.

It ended in under two minutes.

Weapons clattered to the ground. Groans echoed through the hall. The watching crowd was stunned into silence.

"All done?" Jett asked casually, tossing the bent halberd aside and dusting off his hands like he'd just finished cleaning up a mess.

"Yeah…" Rey murmured, but his focus was elsewhere. His eyes drifted upward, toward the roof of one of the buildings in the distance. No movement. No presence. But something still felt… off.

The crowd suddenly surged in, like a dam breaking.

Students swarmed them from all directions, shouting praises, questions, admiration, some even trying to touch their shoulders like it would bring them luck. It was chaotic loud and overwhelming.

Jett blinked. "We're really gonna get an earful this time. And for once, it wasn't my fault."

Before Rey could respond, Jett's body sank straight into the ground like mist. A heartbeat later, he reappeared just outside the crowd, unseen by everyone else.

Rey's eyes flicked toward him with mild betrayal.

"I'll see you in class!" Jett called cheerfully, then bolted without looking back, 'Portal magic is just another kind of fun.'

"What the… Hey! You're seriously leaving me here?!" Rey shouted.

Jett didn't answer.

Then…

[Blinding Light]

A brilliant flash exploded across the space like a flash of lightning. The crowd shielded their eyes, gasping in confusion. For a moment, everything turned white.

And when the light faded, Rey was gone too. A stunned silence hung in the air.

"Get back here, you asshole!!" echoed down the corridor behind Jett's fleeing figure.

*****

High above them, on the rooftop Rey had sensed earlier…

The air shimmered and two figures slowly emerged as the veil of their cloaking spell faded away like melting fog.

"He knew we were here even with your [Light Veil]." said the boy, arms folded, his expression unreadable as he looked down at the aftermath.

"No," replied the girl beside him, a sly smile on her lips. "That was just instinct. He picked up your bloodlust. You're not as good at hiding it as you think."

The boy didn't argue.

"So?" she pressed, watching Rey and Jett vanish into the school grounds. "What's your verdict? You had me follow all the Divine Lords. Even the one who's always with them."

The boy was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I've decided. They won't join us willingly… which makes them troublesome. We'll need countermeasures. Sooner rather than later."

"Aww," she pouted, drawing circles in the air with her finger. "That prince was really my type. So was his friend, too bad."

The boy didn't respond. But his eyes burned with resolve.

*

*

*

Who's planning what now?