Chapter 3: Mortal Enemies with an Ally
In a corner of a facility dedicated to maintaining public order across the Academy Archipelago.
Inside the detention center at the Discipline Gobot Branch—a lower organ under the Management Bureau—Ginion sat across from a woman.
"You have suffered much on my account, Ginion," the woman said through the speaker of the reinforced glass partition.
She offered no idle pleasantries, getting straight to the point the moment she sat down.
"Your words are far too kind, My Lady," Ginion replied, bowing his head deeply.
Following his defeat at the hands of Kuro, Ginion had been taken into custody at the Discipline Gobot Branch detention facility.
This was standard protocol following the incident at the 107th Branch School. Though Gobots held humanity in open disdain, their programming mandated strict compliance with human rights. Since Ginion had not yet received a formal sentence, the Gobots had no reason to reject her visitation request, allowing the meeting to proceed without a hitch.
"Despite going into battle fully prepared to lay down my life, I have disgracefully survived to bear this shame," Ginion admitted, remorse weighing heavily in his voice.
"It is commendable to face death bravely, but I see no sense in feeling ashamed for surviving," she replied smoothly, her voice a calm balm. "You performed admirably."
"...I am unworthy of such gracious praise," Ginion whispered, deeply moved.
Ginion let his master's comforting words sink in.
Yet he could not afford to be swept away by emotion for long. The mere fact that his master had come to visit him in person underscored the grave gravity of the situation.
"May I ask how matters have progressed since my arrest?" Ginion inquired.
"I have already made my move against Laurier and her allies by providing key intelligence to our collaborators at Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus," she explained coldly. "Therefore, Ginion, I need you to tell me everything. Describe every single detail of what transpired at the 107th Branch School."
"Understood. I shall tell you everything," Ginion responded resolutely. "Including the factor that turned me—a man who had succumbed to the infection and transformed into a monstrous Vampire—back into a human being. The work of an irregular."
Ginion straightened his back, resting his folded hands neatly on his lap as he looked straight ahead.
Before him sat the sovereign he would gladly lay down his life for—his master, Claudia Tritonis.
"Lady Claudia... are you familiar with a boy named Asahino Kuro?" Ginion asked.
And so, Ginion began recounting the details of the youth he had clashed with during the recent crisis—Asahino Kuro.
＊＊＊
Stepping out of the pool complex, Kuro found himself sitting face-to-face with Wormwine.
Though Kuro had worn a sleep mask and sworn up and down that he hadn't seen a thing, Wormwine had apparently surrendered right before being stripped completely bare. Immediately after the match ended, her maid had used threads to haul her up like a landed fish, cocooning her completely before whisking her off to the safety of the women's locker room.
Now back in her school uniform, Wormwine sat across from him with a perfectly composed expression, as if the fact that she had nearly been stripped buck-naked had never even happened.
Needless to say, the atmosphere was agonizingly awkward for Kuro.
"Um... why me, exactly?" Kuro asked nervously.
"Princess Laurier and the others are busy shopping, as you well know. As a gentleman, you should consider it an honor to afford a lady her leisure," Wormwine replied haughtily.
The shopping trip was to replace the swimsuits that had been slightly melted by Wormwine's digestive fluid. True to her promise to reimburse them, Laurier and Pina—funded by Wormwine—had dragged along Haruhana, who hadn't taken part in the beach volleyball match, and stormed into the commercial district near the pool.
Since the Kaldi siblings had vanished to parts unknown the moment they finished playing in the water, Kuro was left sitting at the negotiation table with Wormwine completely unassisted, lacking both backup and moral support.
"Besides, as a newcomer, there is something I wish to ask you," Wormwine continued, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Before our match, Princess Laurier shared your school's reconstruction plan with me... but that wasn't her idea, was it?"
"...What makes you say that?" Kuro asked guardedly.
"I simply cannot imagine Princess Laurier coming up with a fairy tale like forming an academy composed entirely of Single Numbers," Wormwine stated matter-of-factly.
As Kuro grew cautious, Wormwine took a delicate sip of the black tea poured by her maid.
"For better or worse, Princess Laurier is a grounded individual," Wormwine observed. "While she possesses the open-mindedness to entertain outlandish proposals, she lacks the recklessness to originate such a wild scheme. And given that no similar solution was brought forward before now, it clearly wasn't proposed by the other two who were there from the start either."
Having accurately deduced the inner workings of Royal Tritonis Academy, Wormwine fixed a sharp, calculating gaze on Kuro.
"So tell me, are you truly serious?" she pressed. "Nine Single Numbers at the current Tritonis Academy... Well, with Fifth Seat Haruhana already enrolled, that leaves eight. It is fundamentally impossible for your school to produce that many top-tier rankers on its own."
"I agree with you, Wormwine," Kuro admitted readily. "I don't think Tritonis Academy can assemble nine Single Numbers on its own either."
Despite being the very person who had grandly declared that Tritonis Academy would monopolize the Single Numbers to become the dominant hegemony school, Kuro conceded her point without a fight.
In truth, trying to achieve it through conventional means was beyond reckless. For starters, the school didn't even have nine enrolled students in total.
"However," Kuro continued, leaning forward, "what if we simply had the existing Single Numbers across the Academy Archipelago join Tritonis Academy?"
Kuro had no intention of raising nine Single Numbers from scratch at Tritonis.
If the Single Numbers currently scattered across the archipelago simply registered with Tritonis, the goal of creating a school comprised exclusively of Single Numbers would be fulfilled all the same.
"You... intend to have students from other academies remain affiliated with their home schools while being dispatched to Tritonis Academy, don't you?" Wormwine gasped, catching on.
"Exactly," Kuro confirmed with a nod. "Though the four of us currently at Tritonis intend to reach the Single Numbers ourselves, we plan to fill the remaining five spots with Dispatched Students from other schools."
In the Academy Archipelago, a student was permitted to belong to more than one school simultaneously. Because of the constant magical battles known as Counter-Battles, this Dual Enrollment system was often utilized to hire exceptionally useful mages from outside schools as mercenaries.
"So, Wormwine," Kuro proposed straightforwardly, "for the sake of our goal, would you consider becoming a Dispatched Student to Tritonis Academy?"
"Setting Haruhana and Princess Laurier aside, I highly doubt whether someone like you can climb to the single digits..." Wormwine retorted, scoffing slightly. "And what could I possibly gain by aiding your quest? Coming from Earth World, you may not realize this, but Dual Enrollment comes with substantial drawbacks."
As Wormwine pointed out, while Dual Enrollment was occasionally used on a temporary basis for large-scale Counter-Battles, maintaining long-term registration in two schools carried massive disadvantages.
Most academies in the Academy Archipelago were operated as representatives of specific nations or organizations. Unlike students from Earth World who enrolled of their own free will, people from Heaven Disc World came to the archipelago largely as part of national policies to absorb Earth's knowledge and bring it back home.
If someone affiliated with a home nation joined an outside academy under those circumstances, they risked being treated as a double agent and shunned by both sides. It wouldn't just ruin their campus life—it could undermine their standing and even put their family's position back home in jeopardy.
"There's definitely a benefit for you," Kuro asserted calmly.
Facing Wormwine's skepticism over whether any gain could outweigh such drawbacks, Kuro answered without hesitation.
"If a clear top school is established in the archipelago and you belong to it, taking hegemony with Tritonis Academy would completely crush any internal factional struggles in your main school," Kuro explained. "For someone like you who has rival factions of equal or greater standing within your own academy, that ought to be a massive benefit."
Wormwine's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Before coming to the pool, Kuro had received intelligence regarding Wormwine from Laurier. Her home school, St. Guinness Girls' Academy, was a religious institution bitterly divided between two factions—the Faith Faction, which prioritized doctrine, and the Practical Faction, which focused on tangible benefits.
Wormwine was the leader of the Practical Faction—the disadvantaged side of the two warring power blocs splitting St. Guinness Girls' Academy.
"...Aiming for the top and actually being at the top are two entirely different matters," Wormwine countered coolly. "St. Guinness Girls' Academy is one of the Two Great Schools in the Academy Archipelago. Claiming you will achieve hegemony is all well and good, but straddling a school with no prestige alongside mine would call my dignity into question. How do you intend to address that?"
"Tritonis has prestige too," Kuro replied firmly.
He presented the foundation for why Tritonis Academy, currently dismissed as a weak school, possessed the rightful pedigree of a top-tier institution.
"The Tritonis Royal House is the most historic royal lineage in all of Heaven Disc World, isn't it?" Kuro asked.
The Tritonis Royal House was indeed one of the oldest noble bloodlines in Heaven Disc World. Royal Tritonis Academy had been founded by First Princess Claudia and was currently operated by Second Princess Laurier. As far as noble lineage and prestige were concerned, its pedigree was flawless.
In the first place, Wormwine's original attempt to recruit Laurier had stemmed from her desire to bolster her faction by welcoming a prestigious royal from the Tritonis bloodline. Her preference for political authority over raw magical combat prowess was evident from the fact that she had demanded Laurier, not Haruhana, as collateral for the debt.
A subtle, amused smile softened the corners of Wormwine's eyes.
"I see," Wormwine murmured, relaxing slightly. "You are surprisingly capable of coherent reasoning. That provides me with a modicum of relief."
"Feel free to breathe easy," Kuro chuckled dryly. "I'm not a Gobot—I can hold a normal conversation."
"Oh, forgive my bluntness," Wormwine huffed, waving a hand dismissively. "St. Guinness is a religious academy, after all... When dealing with the dogmatic fanatics infesting our halls, I frequently find conversing with Gobots to be far more productive. Honestly, those sheltered fools haven't the slightest grasp of the sanctity of economic activity...!"
Evidently harboring deep resentment on the matter, Wormwine gripped her teacup so tightly that the liquid surface trembled with her annoyance. Taking a quiet sip of tea to compose herself, she fell into deep thought.
Had Tritonis Academy been nothing more than a run-of-the-mill weak school, Kuro's proposal would not have been worth a second thought.
Yet during the recent beach volleyball duel, Kuro and his team had demonstrated extraordinary potential, pushing her hard enough to force her recognition. Moreover, as tangible proof that he wasn't all talk, he had achieved the satisfying feat of defeating and crushing an Imperial Style Doji Academy branch school—a triumph Wormwine herself found immensely cathartic.
And above all else, they possessed Haruhana.
The Fifth Seat of the Academy Archipelago, known as "Black Box"—Haruhana Bacchus.
She was a titan capable of crushing ten average academies all by herself. Even setting aside her royal lineage, Laurier was a prodigy who held the Seventeenth Seat despite being only a second-year middle schooler. And while Pina appeared modest, she was a skilled mage who had mastered Mysterion.
Regardless of whether Kuro could ultimately achieve his grand objective, as assets to serve as vanguard shock troops for her faction, their combat power was more than sufficient.
Yet when all was said and done, that was where it ended.
"Your proposal was mildly entertaining..." Wormwine declared, breaking her silence. "However, I must decline."
Despite taking time to ponder it, the refusal that left her lips was unexpectedly sharp and definitive.
"You are severely underestimating the fallout of a faction leader affiliating herself with an outside power," Wormwine explained coldly.
"Is it really that bad?" Kuro asked, blinking.
"Indeed," she affirmed. "Regardless of the truth, the leader of an organization must never appear to bow before another group. Unless one can present overwhelming benefits to their own followers or possesses such immense charisma that no subordinate would dare voice dissent, it is completely out of the question."
The negotiation had failed.
The incentives Kuro offered hadn't been enough to sway Wormwine's resolve. As Kuro slumped his shoulders, Wormwine softened her posture, adding with a slightly sheepish look:
"However... regarding Lord Pornelia, I offer my sincere apologies. I have heard that there were several impolitic excesses during the debt collection. Please convey to Princess Laurier that I shall take stringent measures to ensure nothing of the sort occurs again."
Kuro blinked in surprise at her unexpectedly earnest apology.
Given the arrogant demeanor she had displayed back at the pool, he hadn't anticipated such a straightforward and graceful expression of remorse.
"...By the way, why did you hire Ginion's school to collect the debt in the first place?" Kuro asked.
"He was a nobleman of the Tritonis Kingdom and a direct subordinate of First Princess Claudia," Wormwine explained. "It never occurred to me that he would act disrespectfully toward her younger sister, Princess Laurier. I presumed delegating the matter to him would cause far less friction than collecting the debt myself... Needless to say, his turning into a monstrous Vampire and running amok was entirely beyond my imagination."
Put that way, her logic was entirely sound.
As Kuro relaxed his subconscious guard upon hearing her completely reasonable explanation, Wormwine smoothly slipped in her next words.
"Furthermore, a monster infected as a Vampire reverting to a human being is a phenomenon completely unheard of, even to me," she murmured.
Kuro's shoulders flinched involuntarily.
Noticing his sudden agitation, the meekly apologetic front Wormwine had maintained vanished, replaced by a triumphant grin.
"Oh? Does something about that ring a bell?" she purred, leaning in.
"N-No... I have no idea what you're talking about," Kuro stammered, frantically trying to play dumb.
He tried his best to feign ignorance, but he lacked any confidence that his twitching expression hadn't betrayed him.
Kuro finally realized her true motive for singling him out for this private talk. Wormwine had come to probe who among those present during the battle with the monstrous Ginion possessed the power to restore a Vampire to a human.
Wormwine was already familiar with the abilities of the girls at Tritonis Academy. Having eliminated Pina, Laurier, and Haruhana, she deduced that the remaining individual involved in the 107th Branch School incident held the key to curing vampirism, and she was digging for answers.
And Kuro—an Earthling who inexplicably wielded magic within his body—was the prime suspect.
"How about it?" Wormwine offered, her eyes gleaming with ambition. "If you provide me with the method to cure a Vampire, or intelligence regarding the mage capable of doing so, I will accept your proposal this instant. Coming from Earth World, you might not fully grasp it, but if a universal countermeasure against the vampiric infection were established, its value would be beyond measure."
"I really wouldn't know..." Kuro replied, keeping his voice flat. "As I showed you during the match, my ability is just simple physical reinforcement."
To the inhabitants of Heaven Disc World, where Vampires raged as humanity's natural predator, the secret to curing a Vampire was intelligence of paramount importance.
He had to keep the secret that the holy, evil-dispelling blood flowing in his veins was responsible tightly under wraps. If its value was deemed too astronomical, instead of becoming a bargaining chip, Kuro risked being taken prisoner and spent the rest of his life being farmed for his blood.
As Kuro fell silent to avoid leaking any stray clues, Wormwine offered a captivating, mysterious smile.
"Very well, keep your secrets," she said softly. "...After all, my true target of interest is the Watarase family."
Karane had also been present when Kuro defeated Ginion. As Kuro maintained a poker face to avoid showing any reaction to the name "Watarase family," Wormwine did not press the issue any further.
"In any case, the recent incident has drawn significant attention to Tritonis Academy," Wormwine warned. "Word has it that Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus is already making moves regarding the 107th Branch School affair. You would do well to watch out for opportunists and schemers."
Despite her sharp tone, her warning sounded genuinely sincere, sparking a sudden realization in Kuro.
"Wait, Wormwine... did you come to the pool using the debt as an excuse just to check if Laurier and the others were okay?" Kuro asked.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Wormwine huffed, quickly looking away. "Do I look like such a softhearted fool to you?"
She turned her head away with a sharp huff. Though her composure remained outwardly unbroken, Kuro caught the maid standing behind her hiding a giggling smirk, confirming that Wormwine was merely blushing out of embarrassment.
Sensing Kuro's warm, knowing gaze, Wormwine turned around and noticed her maid's muffled snickers, her eyes narrowing in irritation.
"At any rate! Make sure you convey our discussion properly to Princess Laurier!" Wormwine barked, clearing her throat to regain her dignity. "While I shall not enroll at Tritonis Academy under Dual Enrollment, it is a fact that I lost our Counter-Battle in beach volleyball. I will honor my promise and cut your debt in half—and I believe building a stronger cooperative relationship moving forward is by no means a bad proposition."
"Really?!" Kuro exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
"Indeed," she nodded smoothly. "I graduate next year, after all. I must solidify my faction's foundation before handing the reins to Memet. Expanding our network of allies for next year and beyond is vital."
There were no universities in the Academy Archipelago, nor was repeating a grade permitted; eighteen was the absolute maximum age limit for remaining in the archipelago. Wormwine's agenda was clearly to fortify her faction's position as much as possible before her impending graduation.
"Establishing a light alliance is the most sensible compromise for now," Wormwine stated. "Moving forward, feel free to try bringing benefits persuasive enough to recruit me to your cause, or plot behind my back—do as you see fit."
"We won't be plotting behind your back," Kuro laughed, bowing slightly. "Understood. I look forward to working with you as an ally!"
Though he had failed to secure his main objective of having Wormwine officially enroll at Tritonis Academy, gaining her offer of cooperation—even conditional—was an extraordinary breakthrough.
As the tension from the negotiations melted away, Kuro let out a long sigh of relief, only for a realization to suddenly strike him.
Wormwine had addressed her attending maid as "Memet"—the exact same name she had mentioned as the successor to her faction.
"Wait, is the maid standing behind you the one taking over your faction next year?" Kuro asked, pointing a finger.
"...I offer this piece of friendly advice," Wormwine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If you enter negotiations armed only with half-baked knowledge, exercise caution with your questions and refrain from unconsidered debate. You are exposing the shallowness of your understanding."
Snapping her fingers at Kuro after he exposed his ignorance for the second time, Wormwine commanded her maid:
"Memet. Introduce yourself to this ignorant youth."
"Understood, My Lady," the maid replied softly.
Stepping forward from her unobtrusive position behind Wormwine, the maid offered a flawless, graceful bow.
"I am Memetrilitt Amnesium," she announced smoothly. "A second-year student at St. Guinness Girls' Academy Senior High School, holding the Eleventh Seat. As an unworthy servant who has yet to reach the Single Numbers, please feel free to address me simply as Memet."
The Eleventh Seat.
Hearing that her rank was higher than Laurier's—second only to single-digit powerhouses like Haruhana—Kuro's breath caught in his throat.
Nearly half of the current Single Numbers were high school third-years. Once they graduated next year, the girl introducing herself as Memet would undoubtedly be promoted to a Single Number, making her a guaranteed future elite.
Furthermore, her surname "Amnesium" was identical to Wormwine's. Kuro involuntarily looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Are you two... sisters?" Kuro asked.
"My Lady and I are cousins," Memet answered calmly.
"She is the sole child and legitimate heir of the main Amnesium household, which oversees the four branch houses," Wormwine added. "I, on the other hand, was born into a branch family."
Kuro's eyes widened in sheer disbelief at the revelation. In other words, within the Amnesium lineage, Memet was actually higher in social standing than Wormwine.
"...Then why are you wearing a maid outfit, Memet?" Kuro blurted out, baffled.
"This?" Memet asked, tilting her head.
The stoic, deadpan expression Memet had maintained up until now suddenly dissolved. Beaming with playful pride, she pinched the hem of her long skirt and gave it a flourish to show off her attire.
“I just love maid outfits—they’re absolutely adorable!”
The reason Memetrilitt Amnesium, the Eleventh Seat of the Academy Archipelago, was roleplaying as a maid for her cousin was remarkably simple.
Around the exact same time Kuro was negotiating with Wormwine...
“Haruhana! Where are you~?” Pina called out into her phone.
Wandering through the shopping mall near the pool complex, Pina held her smartphone to her ear, calling out her friend’s name into the speaker.
Taking advantage of their day out, Pina had tried dragging Haruhana—who habitually wore a track jacket over her school swimsuit—into a clothing boutique to dress her up in cute outfits. The moment Haruhana realized what was happening, her face twisted into the look of a giant dog tricked into a trip to the vet, and she had bolted.
“I will not be fooled so easily,” came Haruhana’s sulky voice through the receiver.
The pouting tone vibrated against Pina’s ear.
“You and the others intend to force me into garments devoid of all practical functionality, do you not?” Haruhana accused.
“Yep,” Pina replied with a cheeky grin. “No tricks about it—we fully intend to dress you up.”
Why Haruhana bothered answering her phone while actively fleeing was a total mystery. Pina offered a wry smile at her friend’s earnest protests over the line.
“Come on, Haruhana,” Pina urged, rolling her eyes playfully. “You know you can’t hide from me forever. Give it up and stop running already.”
“Negative! The outcome has yet to be decided!” Haruhana shot back stubbornly.
Pina’s true specialty lay in traps and detection spells. If she cast a thermal tracking spell, she was certain she could pinpoint Haruhana’s location in seconds. The only problem was that casting magic in public might draw a swarm of Gobots suspecting an unsanctioned Counter-Battle.
“Besides, what’s so terrible about regular clothes anyway?” Pina asked candidly. “You used to wear super cute outfits all the time back in the day.”
“That was back when we resided in the Heaven Disc World!” Haruhana asserted with absolute gravity. “Upon arriving in the Academy Archipelago, I awakened to true fashion! Compared to the supreme mobility and functional superiority of a school swimsuit and tracksuit, I refuse to wear garments that become heavy and restrictive the instant they get a little wet!”
“The worst part is that she actually makes a little sense...” Pina muttered, scratching her cheek in exasperation.
Living in the Academy Archipelago meant suddenly getting dragged into combat at any given moment. That held especially true for Haruhana, who had climbed the ranks by apprehending violent criminals. It was hard to argue when she claimed to be constantly preparing for combat emergencies.
“See? I am correct!” Haruhana pressed triumphantly. “Why not adopt a swimsuit and tracksuit as your daily attire as well, Pina? It is the ultimate, flawless outfit—ready for sprinting or swimming at a moment’s notice!”
“Hard pass,” Pina replied instantly. “I think everyone has their own definition of fashion and perfection.”
“Is that so...” Haruhana murmured, her voice deflating instantly.
Her crestfallen tone made Pina feel like she had just spurned a needy puppy. But having known Haruhana for years, Pina refused to be swayed by the act. Sensing an opening, she pressed further.
“So, Haruhana,” Pina probed carefully, “you’re still inside the building, right?”
“Correct. Laurier has taken up a defensive position at the main exit, so I am currently lying low, waiting for an opportunity to execute a breakout.”
“Aha,” Pina coaxed gently. “So you’re hiding somewhere with a clear view of the entrance.”
“Ah! That was a leading question!” Haruhana squeaked, realizing her mistake.
This building had only a single exit. Even Haruhana wasn't reckless enough to leap out a window during a friendly game of tag. All that remained was for Pina to pin down her hiding spot, or for Laurier to intercept her if she tried to break past the entrance.
“Anyway, Haruhana,” Pina urged softly. “If you don’t come out soon...”
Her voice trailed off, the sentence hanging unfinished in the air.
If Haruhana truly refused to yield, what could Pina actually do to stop her with her current strength?
“What is the matter?” Haruhana asked through the speaker.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Pina recovered smoothly, forcing a light tone. “I’m gonna find you real soon, so prepare yourself. Once either Laurier or I tag you, you have to surrender quietly, okay?”
“Challenge accepted!” Haruhana declared boldly.
Having set the ground rules for their game, Pina ended the call. She stared silently at the darkened smartphone screen in her hand.
She was confident that a single detection spell would reveal Haruhana’s hiding spot.
Yet that was the absolute limit of what she could accomplish on her own.
Even if she managed to locate her with magic, the moment Haruhana decided to resist, Pina wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance at catching her.
Of course, Haruhana would never do such a thing. This was all just harmless fun between friends. As they had just agreed, the moment Pina or Laurier tagged her, Haruhana would meekly surrender.
However, that wasn't the point.
“Single Numbers...” Pina whispered softly to herself.
The weight of the title hung heavy on her tongue.
Kuro had boldly declared his intention to staff Tritonis Academy entirely with Single Numbers.
Haruhana was already the Fifth Seat. Laurier, holding the Seventeenth Seat as a mere second-year middle schooler, possessed talent so remarkable that her entry into the Single Numbers was practically guaranteed. Even Kuro, unrefined as a mage, possessed raw potential that suggested he might reach those legendary ranks one day.
...So where does that leave me?...
The moment that realization struck, a shadow fell across Pina’s face.
Pina didn't look down on her own abilities. Precisely because she was born a Dampiel—shunned and despised by society—she had pushed herself relentlessly so she could stand proudly beside Laurier, a royal princess of a historic kingdom, without feeling a trace of shame.
Even by the rigorous standards of the Academy Archipelago, Pina was an exceptionally elite student.
She maintained top-tier academic marks and had mastered Mysterion before even finishing middle school. Out of over a million students, she had secured a spot among the top thousand mages in the entire archipelago—a feat she proudly knew was impossible without extraordinary effort and natural talent.
Yet despite all her pride and achievements, the realm of the Single Numbers remained painfully out of reach.
One look at Haruhana made that painfully clear. Beyond the current gap in combat strength, their underlying attitudes toward magic were fundamentally worlds apart.
Haruhana never bragged about her hard work. In fact, she didn't even perceive it as effort. Even though her daily training regimen far surpassed Pina's absolute limits, and despite having already secured the title of Single Number, Haruhana wasn't satisfied with her current standing as a mage in the slightest. She was always looking ahead to the next horizon.
The Single Numbers were a den of true geniuses and prodigies—monsters who forced undeniable results down the throats of the human-despising Gobot Administration Bureau. It was never a throne meant for someone who was merely "competent."
...If there’s any way for me to bridge that gap...
“If I drink Kuro’s blood...” Pina murmured under her breath.
Drinking blood amplified her magical power. The boost she received from consuming Kuro’s blood, in particular, was on an entirely different level compared to anyone else’s.
She caught herself mid-sentence and shook her head furiously. That was shameless of her. Even though she had confessed her feelings, they weren't officially lovers yet.
Yet her fangs throbbed with an unbearable ache. She clicked her teeth together, trying to distract herself from the tingling itch. The audible snap of her fangs brought home just how deeply she craved it, sending a burning blush rushing to her cheeks.
Until yesterday, Pina couldn't look toward the future with any sense of optimism. Having fun at a pool complex without a care in the world was something she couldn't have imagined just days ago. Trapped in a position where she was forced to betray Laurier, driven into a corner, she had been on the verge of pulling the trigger to destroy Tritonis Academy herself.
Yet here she was, looking ahead to tomorrow with a light, hopeful heart.
“It’s really all thanks to Kuro,” she murmured with a tender smile.
She caressed the Mana Crystal mounted on her ring, her lips curving upward softly.
She hadn't felt this genuinely happy since before coming to the Academy Archipelago, back when her heart was filled with boundless excitement for a bright new future.
“Alright!” Pina declared, pumping herself up. “I’m gonna give it everything I’ve got so I can catch up to Haruhana!”
Either way, her immediate goal was Haruhana. Just as she reached for her smartphone, wondering if Laurier had already caught her...
“My, my, my...” a soft voice cooed.
Without warning, someone was staring intently into Pina’s face from so close their noses nearly touched.
Startled by the absurd proximity, Pina instinctively jerked her head back.
Framed by chic, short black hair and bold crimson lipstick, a strikingly beautiful girl was studying Pina with mesmerizing eyes, her breath fanning across Pina’s cheek.
“W-Who are you?” Pina gasped.
No matter how lost in thought she had been, Pina had never allowed anyone to get this close without sensing their presence.
The stranger was a pale girl whose porcelain skin seemed to glow even in the shaded walkway.
Her attire was strikingly unique—a traditional Japanese kimono draped over the uniform of Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus. Under one arm she cradled a spherical Gobot painted vivid crimson, while her other hand held a white paper parasol to block out the sunlight.
Completely ignoring Pina’s reflexive question, the girl turned to look behind her.
“Aiming to catch up to the great Haruhana Bacchus... Ufufu,” the pale girl giggled softly. “Whenever I hear of such an impossible ambition, I feel compelled to offer my encouragement. After all, it provides a delightful opportunity to watch someone crumble under the crushing weight of their foolish ideals, breaking down in body and soul.”
“Spot-on as always, Kyoko,” a boy sneered from behind her. “A filthy half-breed parasite aiming to reach the Hero of Pestilence Extermination? That’s not even a bad joke.”
The spiteful provocation had the opposite effect, snapping Pina back into a calm, focused mindset.
They were students from Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus, one half of the Two Great Schools of the Academy Archipelago. As the central heart of the Imperial institution, considering Tritonis had just crushed Branch 107, alarms blared wildly in Pina’s mind.
Furthermore, the name Tick rang an immediate bell.
“Tick...?” Pina gasped, her eyes narrowing. “Tick Token? The Fifteenth Seat?”
“Aww, look at you knowing your stuff,” Tick mocked with a lazy grin. “What, got a little crush on Rankers or something?”
Pina didn't recognize the girl, but the boy—Tick—was the Fifteenth Seat, one of the premier combatants at the Main Campus. His presence here meant the Main Campus was finally taking serious measures against Tritonis Academy.
“You must be Pina Lycure of Royal Tritonis Academy,” the pale girl noted smoothly.
“I am, but...” Pina replied warily.
“My name is Kyoko Kasagaki,” the girl said with a serene smile. “This is quite convenient. Pina, let us hold a Counter-Battle.”
The challenge was delivered so bluntly and casually that Pina was momentarily stunned.
“...Retaliation for Branch 107?” Pina asked coldly.
“Catching on quick, aren’t ya?” Tick snorted, cracking his knuckles. “Even if it was just bottom-tier, you destroyed an Imperial branch school. You had to expect payback.”
Pina bit her lip at Tick’s confirmation. Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus had indeed mobilized.
Naturally, she had zero intention of accepting. In the Academy Archipelago, forcing an opponent to accept a Counter-Battle was the single hardest hurdle. If a superior fighter challenged you, you simply refused; conversely, if a lower-ranked opponent challenged you without offering worthwhile stakes, there was no reason to entertain them.
Knowing this, Pina turned on her heel, deciding that cutting the conversation short and walking away was her smartest move.
“You don’t have the option to decline,” Kyoko called out gently. “Isn’t that right, Tick?”
“You said it, Kyoko,” Tick laughed maliciously. “Prey that doesn’t even realize it has nowhere to run is just plain hilarious.”
While Kyoko spoke in her calm, melodic voice, Tick thrust his Student ID Card toward the crimson Gobot cradled in her arm.
“Tenth-year student of Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus, Tick Token!” Tick declared sharply. “Requesting a Counter-Battle against first-year high school student of Royal Tritonis Academy, Pina Lycure, under the Simple Duel Format with our personal freedom as stakes!”
“Request verified,” the red Gobot chimed mechanically. “Counter-Battle accepted.”
“...Huh?” Pina blinked in utter disbelief.
Pina hadn't even pulled out her Student ID Card, yet the Gobot had officially accepted the match.
Not only were they proceeding under the assumption that the Counter-Battle was locked in, but the format had already been decided. Under official rules, the challenged party held sole authority over choosing the battle format.
Shocked, Pina wondered if the machine had suffered some catastrophic glitch.
“W-Wait a minute... What is going on?” Pina stammered. “I haven’t even presented my Student ID Card!”
“The Counter-Battle has already been officially established,” the red Gobot repeated flatly. “Pina Lycure, please prepare for the Simple Duel Format.”
“What!?” Pina shrieked.
Something was deeply wrong with the Gobot. The mechanical administrators were supposed to be unflinchingly strict regarding regulations.
Pina glared at the machine, expecting an immediate correction, but none came. Kyoko gently stroked the shell of the crimson unit.
“Ufufu. To reveal the secret,” Kyoko purred playfully, “this little unit is a Stray Unit that I glitched using my magic. Right now, it’s programmed to automatically accept any Counter-Battle presented to it.”
Pina swallowed the disbelief rising in her throat before she could blurt out ...That’s impossible...
Gobots were mechanical lifeforms constructed from specialized Mana Crystals. Interfering with entities possessing processing power advanced enough to foster sentience should have been impossible under normal circumstances. Yet, Pina knew of exceptions.
Kurulukka of the Kaldi siblings had used magic to hack a Gobot. Ginion had hijacked a unit’s frame using his Trent spell. Rare as those occurrences were, interfering with a Gobot’s consciousness via magic was not entirely unheard of.
“Regrettably, I cannot tamper with its authority as an impartial referee when declaring victory or defeat,” Kyoko explained calmly. “However, the moment Tick issued his challenge, the match was set. The Management Bureau will process the outcome of this duel as entirely official. If you attempt to flee, you will suffer the full penalties of forfeit.”
Finally, Pina realized why this strange girl had accompanied the Fifteenth Seat.
Whatever the exact mechanism of her spell, so long as this girl was present, she could forcibly initiate a Counter-Battle anywhere in the Academy Archipelago.
Order in the Academy Archipelago was preserved precisely because Counter-Battlees required mutual consent. Yet her ability to override Gobot logic allowed the powerful to unilaterally force duels and strip away the rights of the weak at will.
And indeed, this forced battle had trapped Pina with no avenue of retreat.
“If I report this to the Management Bureau, a sham match like this will be voided instantly!” Pina declared, gritting her teeth.
“That would be futile,” Kyoko demurred gently. “The moment I release my spell, the bug vanishes without a trace, leaving zero evidence of foul play. Even if you contact other Gobots, this unit will gladly vouch for the match’s complete legitimacy.”
Kyoko lifted her hand away from the crimson Gobot.
“You’re a student of these islands, so you must already know the answer,” Kyoko added with a serene smile. “Between the word of a human and the word of a Gobot, which side will the Administration Bureau ever believe?”
She was completely right.
If another Gobot happened to witness this exchange, the foul play might be exposed, but there were no static security cameras in the area. In fact, surveillance cameras were virtually nonexistent across the Academy Archipelago, as the sensory data recorded by patrolling Gobots served that exact function.
The entire societal framework of the Academy Archipelago relied entirely on the absolute authority of the Gobots.
Which meant that the moment someone gained the power to manipulate Gobot logic, that person held absolute, terrifying authority.
“Well then, Tick,” Kyoko said, taking a step backward. “Now that the Counter-Battle is officially set, I shall take my leave and return to the Main Campus. I will leave this referee unit behind, so please be sure to bring it back safely.”
“You sure you don’t wanna see that acquaintance of yours, Kyoko?” Tick asked, jerking his chin toward Pina. “Since they’re at the same school, I figure if I bloody this girl up, your target will come running.”
“I want to see him more than anything,” Kyoko confessed softly, a dark, intoxicating glaze sweeping over her eyes. “However, if I were to face him right now, I have zero confidence I could control myself. It is still far too early for our reunion.”
With those final words, Kyoko set the crimson Gobot on the ground and glided away without a backward glance.
She clearly considered the outcome of the battle a foregone conclusion. Obnoxious as her condescension was, Pina couldn't utter a word in rebuttal. The abyss separating a non-Ranker like herself from the Fifteenth Seat was simply that vast.
“She’s as weird and selfish as ever...” Tick sighed, shaking his head. “Though I guess when you’ve got power like hers, you can do whatever the hell you want.”
Exhaling heavily, Tick turned a cruel, sadistic sneer toward Pina.
“So, you ready to get thrashed?” Tick sneered, cracking his knuckles. “When you lose, you’re spending a week at our campus—Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus—stripped of basic rights to serve as my personal errand girl. You should feel honored. A trash half-breed like you would never get to step foot inside our gates under normal circumstances.”
It was almost the exact same wager Wormwine had forced onto Kuro.
Yet the malicious intent festering beneath the surface was fundamentally far darker.
What happened when a person was isolated in an environment surrounded by malice? Born as a Dampiel—a marginalized outcast subjected to lifelong prejudice—Pina knew the horror of that reality all too well.
“...Mysterion,” Pina whispered, her eyes hardening with resolve.
...I have to win...
If she truly aimed to reach the Single Numbers, failing against anyone below that threshold was not an option.
She would triumph over this crisis and claim her future with her own hands.
“—Witchcraft!” she cried out.
Fully aware of the sheer recklessness of her actions, Pina plunged headfirst into a battle to surpass her own limits.
"Good grief, humans truly are foolish creatures," the Gobot chimed condescendingly.
Behind the repair counter of the electronics shop, the Gobot handed back Kuro's freshly serviced smartphone. It emitted an infuriating series of high-pitched electronic chimes—piro-pipi-pipi—before launching into a preachy lecture.
"There is an endless stream of humans just like you who fail to research basic facts in advance, strand themselves without network connectivity, and then beg us Gobots for adjustments. It serves as a textbook example of how technological progress fails to sharpen individual intelligence. Here, take your device."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks for fixing it anyway," Kuro replied, tuning out the machine's spiteful chatter as he powered up his phone. His eyes lit up. "...Woah, I actually have signal now!"
Brushing off the Gobot's sarcasm, Kuro stared down at the screen in delight.
The Academy Archipelago apparently operated on a specialized communication band, which had prevented Kuro's phone from connecting to the internet ever since he arrived. For three whole days, he had been practically cut off from the digital world.
"Of course it works," the clerk unit declared, its synthesized voice puffed up with pride. "Since I personally adjusted it, the workmanship is flawless."
In the Academy Archipelago, Gobots handled almost all adult labor that kept the economy running. Despite looking down their noses at humanity, these mechanical workers clearly possessed a sense of professional pride.
"Furthermore, this shopping mall is stocked with countless commodities designed to satisfy basic human desires," the Gobot added in a sales pitch that treated humans as little more than economic cogs. "As greedy creatures, you would do well to contribute to our commercial ecosystem."
Kuro stepped out of the shop with the robot's cynical pitch ringing behind him. Checking his screen, he saw the clock reading just before two o'clock.
Cutting through the shopping mall to the designated meeting spot, he spotted Haruhana waiting in her tracksuit. She waved her arms vigorously and dashed over to him, though neither Pina nor Laurier was anywhere in sight.
"Hey, Haruhana. All done shopping?" Kuro asked, glancing around. "Where are Pina and Laurier?"
"That is precisely the problem!" Haruhana huffed, puffing out her cheeks in outrage. "Those two were terrible! We were supposed to use the funds from Lady Wormwine to buy swimsuits, but they tried to force me into frilly, excessively ruffled dresses! I was looking forward to buying a new swimsuit, only to be ambushed like this!"
"W-Well, okay? Is that what happened?" Kuro stammered, bewildered by her bizarre outburst. "Wait... so what does that actually mean?"
Before he could make sense of Haruhana's nonsensical rant, Laurier arrived, running up to them out of breath.
"Kuro, thank goodness!" Laurier gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Please, help me catch Haruhana!"
"Gnnn... You caught up, Laurier!" Haruhana barked, taking a defensive stance. "This one will not be captured! I stand a much better chance in a footrace against you than playing hide-and-seek with Pina!"
"I won't back down, Haruhana!" Laurier insisted, puffing out her chest in defiance. "I swallowed my embarrassment and put on a swimsuit at the pool! Surely it is only fair that we dress you up in cute clothes in return!"
"You looked like you were having plenty of fun at the pool!" Haruhana countered indignantly. "My situation is completely different! Tell her, Kuro! You agree with me, right?!"
"If we're talking about that, you used to wear all those adorable clothes my sister gave you back in the Heaven Disc World!" Laurier shot back, turning to Kuro. "Kuro, please tell her she's being unreasonable!"
"Uh, sorry, but I have zero clue why you two are getting so dead serious about this," Kuro confessed with an awkward twitch of his brow.
Completely ignoring his reality check, Laurier and Haruhana remained locked in a tense standoff, slowly circling each other like duelists measuring their distance.
If they kept this up, nearby Gobots might mistake their squabble for an unauthorized Counter-Battle and intervene.
"Hey, listen up, both of you," Kuro interrupted, holding up his phone to diffuse the tension. "I finally got my internet working. Know any good apps recommended for the Academy Archipelago?"
"Oh! That is wonderful news, Kuro!" Haruhana declared, her eyes lighting up.
"In that case, we should install a messaging app right away!" Laurier suggested eagerly. "I've been wanting to set up a group chat for Royal Tritonis Academy!"
As Kuro brandished his freshly repaired phone to change the subject, the needless hostility evaporated instantly. Laurier and Haruhana leaned in from either side to peer over his shoulders at the screen.
"Yeah, a group chat sounds really useful," Kuro agreed, tapping the display. "Which app does everyone use around here for messaging?"
"This messaging app right here," Laurier pointed out. "Pretty much everyone in the Academy Archipelago uses it."
Kuro nodded, downloading the app and joining the new Royal Tritonis Academy group. Almost immediately, welcome messages from Haruhana and Laurier popped up on his screen.
"Also, this is the most popular social media platform in the islands," Haruhana instructed, tapping another icon. "And for watching videos, this one is very user-friendly. Just be sure to watch out for Troll Gobots."
"'Troll Gobots'?" Kuro blinked. "First time I've heard that. They're different from standard internet bots, right?"
"They are Gobot accounts that exist solely to provoke humans," Laurier explained. "Though online, any account or behavior aimed at trolling others gets lumped together as a Gobot."
"Ugh, gross," Kuro winced. "Right... so even the internet is infested with Gobots here."
"Affirmative. There are tons of them out there!" Haruhana warned with a somber nod.
Taking the advice of the local veterans to heart, Kuro downloaded the recommended apps and set up his accounts. He followed Haruhana and Laurier on social media, and since he didn't know any video channels yet, he subscribed to I Am Yursy: Strongest News, the channel that had livestreamed the recent incident.
"Alright, that should do it..." Kuro murmured, then glanced at the clock. "Wait, it's already past two o'clock. Where's Pina?"
They had passed their scheduled meeting time. At Kuro's muttered question, Laurier and Haruhana exchanged puzzled looks.
"We split up while chasing Haruhana, but..." Laurier knitted her brows. "This is unusual. Pina is never late for a meeting."
"Since you have your phone working now, Kuro, you should try calling her," Haruhana suggested, handing over the digits. "Here is Pina's phone number."
"Oh, thanks," Kuro said.
While taking her contact info without asking felt a bit improper, he was bound to get Pina's number eventually anyway. Entering the digits Haruhana gave him, he hit the call button.
To his surprise, a ringing tone echoed from nearby.
Turning toward the sound, Kuro spotted a thick crowd gathered nearby. From the snippets of conversation wafting over, it sounded like a Counter-Battle was taking place.
This was the Academy Archipelago, where disputes between students were a dime a dozen.
But if the phone he was calling was ringing dead center inside that crowd, that was a whole different story.
A bad feeling flashed through Kuro's mind. Pushing to disprove his suspicion, he cut through the spectators, with Haruhana and Laurier scrambling to follow close behind.
At the center of the crowd stood Pina. She was right in the middle of a duel—unable to even react to Kuro's call as she fell to her knees before a student from another school.
"And that makes this my victory," the opponent declared flatly.
Even as he declared his victory, the boy standing over Pina unleashed a spell.
An amorphous blob of light-blue liquid shot toward her. But the strike never hit its mark.
"...Huh?"
The male student blinked in surprise at the unexpected outcome of his attack.
Interposing himself between them, Kuro caught the incoming blast with both of his glowing red arms.
"Kuro..."
Pina whispered his name weakly, only to hang her head in shame a moment later.
Not wanting to leave the silence unbroken, the opposing student spoke up, addressing Kuro for crashing the match.
"You sure about this? It's a one-on-one Simple Duel format, so barging in automatically counts as your side forfeiting."
"The match was already over," Kuro growled, his voice laced with venom. "Why the hell did you follow up with another attack?!"
"Just finishing the job," the boy replied with a nonchalant shrug.
Confronted with Kuro's burning rage, the male student casually shrugged.
Glaring daggers at his opponent, Kuro lowered his arms. Blood was trickling from where he'd blocked the blow. That seemingly casual spell had penetrated his magically enhanced defense.
"Pina!" Laurier cried, rushing to her side.
"Are you alright?!" Haruhana asked urgently.
"Ah..."
Seeing the pair rush over, Pina lowered her eyes, unable to meet their gazes.
"I'm sorry... I lost," she murmured softly.
While Kuro had no idea how this duel had come to pass, Pina had clearly been targeted and hurt.
Yet despite the overwhelming hostility radiating from Kuro's group, the opposing student showed not an ounce of malice.
"Anyway, I know Haruhana Bacchus and Laurier Tritonis... but you must be that transfer student at Royal Tritonis Academy, huh?" the boy said, casually introducing himself. "Name's Tick. Nice to meet ya."
The student, calling himself Tick, spoke to Kuro with almost cheerful familiarity. His surprisingly friendly demeanor threw Kuro off, momentarily deflating the brunt of his rage.
"You're pretty lucky, though," Tick added with a mild grin. "I think luck is real important if you wanna survive around here."
Kuro hadn't the slightest idea what the guy was talking about.
Talking to this guy is a total waste of time, Kuro decided after their brief exchange. Turning away, he prepared to speak to Pina.
Before he could say a word, however, Tick twisted his lips into a nasty, spiteful smirk.
"You oughta feel honored," Tick sneered. "Starting tomorrow, that girl becomes a servant for Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus. Stripped of a few basic human rights, of course. Those were the stakes of our Counter-Battle."
Laurier snapped her head toward Pina in shock, and Pina gave a weak, miserable nod in response.
The stakes were almost identical to the deal Wormwine had offered Kuro back at the pool facility. But while Wormwine had possessed a modicum of decency, the boy standing in front of them was fundamentally different.
This was retaliation from Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus.
A chill ran down Kuro's spine. If Pina were forced to attend a hostile school that openly sought revenge, the horrors awaiting her were beyond terrifying to imagine.
"Why... why would you agree to such a thing...?" Laurier stammered, her voice quavering.
As the reality of Tick's words sank in, Laurier's voice shook with horror.
Pina had no reason whatsoever to accept a match with such brutal terms. Moreover, the battle had taken place during the brief ten minutes she was separated from the group. It was far too calculated to be a coincidence.
Mistaking Laurier's dismayed murmur for a question directed at him, Tick casually shrugged.
"She makes a perfect example out of Royal Tritonis Academy," Tick explained lightly. "We can't exactly lay hands on Haruhana Bacchus or a princess of the Tritonis Kingdom, after all. I was debating between her and that rumored transfer student, but she happened to be alone first."
Having said his piece, Tick turned to leave, resting a hand familiarly on Kuro's shoulder as he brushed past.
"Like I said before," Tick whispered into his ear. "You're real lucky it wasn't you."
He offered a smile that almost seemed cheerful before taking a step away.
Before Kuro could shout back at his retreating back, Pina tugged softly on the hem of his shirt.
"Kuro... this is the Academy Archipelago," Pina whispered, forcing a faint, trembling smile despite the tears welling in her eyes. "I lost, so it's my own fault."
Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes, yet she tried her best to look okay.
"I'm sorry for being a burden to Royal Tritonis Academy..."
Snap. Something inside Kuro broke.
There's no way in hell I'm leaving Pina in a trap like this!
"Hey. Don't run away, you short bastard," Kuro snapped.
"...Hah?" Tick grunted, pausing in his tracks.
Stung right in his insecurities, Tick—who stood a full fist shorter than Kuro—swiveled around, his expression souring instantly.
Having successfully stopped the boy in his tracks, Kuro pulled his Student ID Card from his pocket, eyes blazing with furious resolve.
"Accept my duel," Kuro commanded.
"Huh?!"
Tick sneered mockingly at Kuro's demand.
"Are you an idiot? Why the hell would I take a duel from you?"
"Did you really think I'd just sit back and keep my mouth shut after you hurt one of my classmates?!" Kuro snapped back.
"That's your problem, pal," Tick spat back with a callous scoff. "This is just the start of making an example of anyone who messes with Imperial Style Doji Academy's jurisdiction. She's a filthy Dampiel anyway. Just sit back and watch what happens to her once she's at Main Campus."
This guy too... The rage inside Kuro surged out of control.
Tick harbored the exact same irrational prejudice toward Pina simply because she was born a Dampiel.
"Besides, you're not even a Ranked Student," Tick scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Challenging the Fifteenth Seat like me is just plain delusion... Wait, ah-hah. You're trying to trap me with a verbal commitment so you can substitute Haruhana Bacchus into the match, aren't you? Nice try, but no thanks. Even I know I can't beat the Fifth Seat."
Haruhana hadn't uttered a single word. Gone was her usual cheerful warmth, replaced by a quiet, brooding stillness. While she was likely refraining from interfering because Kuro had stepped up first, her terrifying silence radiated a cold, furious anger.
"Truth is, I actually respect Haruhana Bacchus," Tick remarked, turning a glance her way. "She's the hero who wiped out a whole Vampire bloodline, after all. Eradicating an entire horde single-handed is seriously impressive."
"Don't flatter yourself," Kuro growled coldly, fixing his glare on Tick. "I never had any intention of letting you fight Haruhana."
He knew nothing about her past back in the Heaven Disc World, nor did it matter right now. Kuro stared straight into Tick's eyes.
"You're fighting me, plain and simple," Kuro demanded.
"And who's gonna buy that?" Tick sneered, gesturing mockingly toward Pina. "I'd look like an idiot if I got tricked. I'm not some airheaded half-breed who walks right into an obvious trap."
I knew it, Kuro thought, his suspicion confirmed.
There was no way Pina would recklessly accept a Counter-Battle against an upper-ranked student from another school. This scum had used some dirty trick to force her into a corner.
"If Pina had drunk my blood, a weakling like you wouldn't have stood a chance," Kuro stated through grit teeth, his voice burning with restrained fury.
At Kuro's deadly quiet threat, Tick's expression twisted in disgust.
"...Gross. You're feeding your own blood to a disease-spreading pest? You're completely insane."
The repulsive insult, dripping with prejudice, sent Kuro's fury soaring past the boiling point. Behind him, Laurier and Haruhana—who were gently supporting the injured Pina—glared at Tick with eyes full of murderous intent.
Kuro and Tick locked eyes, their gazes clashing like blades. Neither contained a shred of mutual understanding—only pure, unadulterated enmity.
"You picked a fight with me, so I'd love nothing more than to put a nobody like you in your place with a duel, but..." Tick began, trailing off with a wicked grin.
Suddenly, a sly, mocking smile spread across Tick's face.
"...I refuse. Denying you the match will hurt way more. Why don't you choke on your own worthlessness, knowing you aren't even worth fighting?"
This time, it was Kuro's face that twisted in frustration. Just as Tick said, denying the match left Kuro with no official way to overturn the duel's outcome or void the demands placed on Pina.
Of course, he could easily throw hands and beat the guy up right here without a formal duel.
But even if he and Haruhana pulverized the guy right now, it wouldn't solve Pina's crisis. Fulfilling the terms of a Counter-Battle was an absolute obligation for students in the Academy Archipelago. Defying the match results would draw out the Gobot Management Bureau, who normally ignored student skirmishes.
"Still... I really don't get it," Tick drawled.
Scooping up a crimson Gobot unit lying near his feet, Tick leaned in close, whispering in a low voice meant for Kuro's ears alone.
"Why is Lady Kyoko so obsessed with a piece of trash like you?"
"Kyo...ko...?" Kuro breathed.
For a split second, Kuro didn't understand who Tick was talking about.
But immediately, a cascade of vivid memories flashed through his mind.
The estate engulfed in flames from his dream this morning. The girl standing amid the inferno, one year older than him.
The hazy name buried in his memories suddenly crystallized into sharp clarity.
"Hey, wait..." Kuro demanded, his breath catching in his throat. "Kyoko... You mean Kyoko Kasagaki is behind this?! Is she here in the Academy Archipelago?! Her?!"
"Wanna know?" Tick taunted with a smirk.
What had she been doing ever since she burned down the Watarase estate back when they were kids?
And why had she done such a horrible thing in the first place? Kuro had a million questions he wanted answered, but he knew the guy standing before him wouldn't just hand over the truth out of the goodness of his heart.
Seeing Kuro choke on his words, Tick burst into a loud, mocking laugh.
"Pfft—ahahaha! Look at you! Like hell I'm gonna tell a scrub like you!"
Leaving behind his booming laughter and a deep, agonizing scar in Kuro's mind, Tick Token—the Fifteenth Seat of the Academy Archipelago—sauntered away into the crowd.
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