Chapter 5: Imperial-Style Children's Center, Branch 666

A single-car train glided smoothly along a set of tracks laid straight through the open sky.

The single rail gripping the train's wheels wasn't suspended from above, nor was it held up by steel girders or bridge pillars. Completely unsupported, the lone track stretched onward into the cloud-dappled expanse.

Riding the aerial train tracks suspended high in the azure expanse, the solitary carriage hurtled forward.

Having wrapped up their discussion in the infirmary, Kuro had wasted no time putting their plan into motion. Now sitting in a gently swaying seat, his eyes sparkled with childlike wonder as he watched the unbelievable scenery stream past the window.

"Man, this is unbelievable!" Kuro exclaimed, leaning closer to the glass. "Are they keeping the whole track afloat with magic or something?"

"Negative! From what I hear, this is actually super-advanced science!" Haruhana chimed in smartly, standing tall beside him.

"Huh, science?" Kuro blinked in surprise. "I had no idea science could do anything like this!"

"Is that right?!" Haruhana gasped, her eyes widening. "If someone from Earth like Kuro hasn't even heard of it, then this mystery science must be truly incredible!"

"Right? It's completely wild!" Kuro agreed with a grin.

The breathtaking fantasy landscape rushing past their window—framed by an endless ocean of blue—was magnificent enough to temporarily blow away the mountain of worries weighing on Kuro's mind.

The Academy Archipelago were a massive cluster of floating islands suspended within the Dimensional Chasm that separated the Earth World and the Heaven Disc World. The archipelago was made up of five massive Main Islands surrounded by countless smaller Outlying Islands. The aerial train Kuro and his companions were currently riding ran along a transit line connecting the Main Island housing Tritonis Academy to a chain of these Outlying Islands.

"Hey, bro," Hororokka piped up from her seat across the aisle, slumping back. "Boss and the girl sure look like they're having a blast."

"Sure do, sis," Kurulukka replied with a cool, nonchalant wave of his hand. "That innocent, childlike wonder we mature adults left behind is downright blinding."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Kuro snapped, whirling around from the window. "Who wouldn't get hyped about riding an actual aerial train?!"

Kuro voiced his outrage passionately, but his protest fell completely flat on the twin delinquents, who just stared back with utterly unimpressed expressions.

"Dude, the entire Academy Archipelago are literally floating islands," Kurulukka pointed out, resting his chin on his palm. "Is a track floating in midair really something to lose your mind over?"

"Bro's got a point," Hororokka agreed, shrugging. "Don't they just line parts of the tracks with float-stones? You can dig up rocks like that anywhere around here to make stuff float."

Apparently, exotic materials non-existent on Earth were what made a floating, supportless sky track a practical reality. Kuro nodded to himself in quiet understanding.

"Okay then," Kuro pressed on, driven by pure curiosity. "Why do the Academy Archipelago float in the first place?"

Spurred by Kuro's earnest question, the three natives of the Heaven Disc World exchanged glances in confusion.

In their native Heaven Disc World, numerous floating islands drifted near the Canopy—the hemispherical dimensional boundary blanketing their flat world—and plenty of scholars devoted their entire lives to studying the phenomena.

Even so, individuals knowledgeable enough to fully comprehend every single property of those floating landmasses were exceedingly rare.

"Well, as for floating islands like the Academy Archipelago... they just kind of float!" Haruhana declared with full confidence.

While Haruhana's innocent, carefree answer was fairly common sense in the Heaven Disc World, it left Kuro pulling a thoroughly conflicted face.

"R-Right... Got it," Kuro muttered awkwardly. "So these islands just... float."

"I mean, Boss, do you actually wanna hear all that complicated theoretical nonsense?" Hororokka chimed in, leaning forward. "I could break it down for ya if you're that desperate."

"Don't go wearing my little sis out, Boss," Kurulukka grunted, holding up his phone. "Just search for it online. The guys at USE uploaded some bizarre explanation video about it, but even they couldn't make heads or tails of it. It's complete gibberish."

"If nobody can even understand it, then what's the point of asking...?" Kuro grumbled, slumping back into his seat.

Apparently, even fantasy worlds came with their own headache-inducing logic. If he wasn't careful, he might end up subjected to a theory so mind-bogglingly complex it rivaled trying to explain "What is gravity?"

"...Whoa," Kuro gasped, spotting something out the window. "Is that it?"

"Ooh!" Haruhana marvelled, pressing her face against the window. "I've heard rumors, but seeing it in person is truly impressive!"

Kuro and Haruhana's eyes were glued to the bizarre, imposing structure coming into view up ahead on the tracks.

A sizable floating island was entirely consumed by patchwork structures, transforming the entire landmass into one gargantuan building. Lacking even a shred of architectural unity, uneven sections protruded haphazardly in every direction as if built without any master plan. To top it off, the entire island was completely encased within a heavy, ominous cage-like iron grid.

“Hell yeah, you bet it is!”

Taking in Kuro’s overwhelmed expression at the utter chaos and complete lack of urban planning—something unimaginable back home in Japan—the Kaldi siblings puffed out their chests and pointed proudly with their thumbs.

This was their destination, where Kuro and Haruhana were heading to find a way to save Pina, who was currently shut away all by herself.

“Behold our turf! That right there is our school—Imperial Style Doji Academy 666th Branch School!” Kurulukka declared with a grin.

In order to enlist the cooperation of Dotou Jou, Kuro and his companions were heading straight into the 666th Branch School.

St. Guinness Girls’ Academy.

Bearing the name of St. Guinness, a legendary figure carved into the history of the Heaven Disc World, this combined middle and high school for girls was famed as one half of the archipelago’s Two Great Schools. Serving as an enclave for highborn young ladies, it operated under a strict, mandatory boarding system. Its vast grounds housed far more than just academic facilities—they encompassed an independent commercial district occupied by numerous private enterprises.

Boasting the largest campus area in the entire Academy Archipelago, St. Guinness functioned as a fully self-contained city within its perimeter. It was said that certain students spent their entire academic careers without ever taking a single step outside its gates.

And it was into this exclusive domain that Laurier Tritonis had come, visiting all by herself.

“Welcome, Your Highness Laurier,” greeted a voice filled with honeyed grace.

Facing Laurier inside an understated yet undeniably luxurious reception room was Wormwine Amnesium, clad in her school uniform. Behind the smiling heiress stood Memetrilitt, quietly standing at attention in a crisp maid outfit.

“What transpired with Miss Pina was truly a tragic affair,” Wormwine remarked smoothly. “Just to set the record straight, I assure you I had absolutely no hand in the Imperial Main Campus’s despicable actions.”

“Of course, I am fully aware of that,” Laurier replied earnestly. “Which is precisely why I have come to ask a favor of you, Lady Wormwine.”

The Amnesium family, into which both Wormwine and Memet were born, ranked among the wealthiest dynasties in the Heaven Disc World. Their influence reached all the way into the Empire. Though Wormwine herself attended St. Guinness, someone of her standing possessed enough clout to push demands even onto the Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus.

“In order to rescue Pina, would you please lend us your assistance, Lady Wormwine?” Laurier pleaded.

“Why, of course,” Wormwine responded with a glowing smile over her teacup. “If it is a request from Your Highness Laurier, I would be more than happy to oblige.”

She cradled her delicate porcelain cup in one hand, her face blossoming into a radiant smile.

Yet Wormwine’s sweet smile was merely a web designed to entangle her bargaining counter-party.

“So, may I take this to mean Your Highness has finally resolved to enroll here at St. Guinness?” Wormwine asked sweetly.

Her prior dealings with Kuro were one thing, but this was a completely separate matter. If an opportunity presented itself to bring Laurier into her fold, she would seize it without hesitation. As the tide turned, so too did the price of admission.

“…I have brought an entirely different set of terms,” Laurier replied evenly.

“Oh?” Wormwine hummed.

Wormwine arched her eyebrows with an exaggerated air of curiosity.

“That sounds intriguing. I do so enjoy fascinating propositions. Please, do enlighten me.”

“The truth is, my elder sister is currently visiting the Academy Archipelago.”

Wormwine’s eyes widened in surprise as Laurier steered the conversation in an entirely unexpected direction.

“Your Highness’s elder sister…?” Wormwine gasped, leaning forward. “Do you mean… C-Crown Princess Claudia is here?!”

“Yes,” Laurier confirmed with a firm nod.

Laurier’s elder sister—First Princess of the Tritonis Kingdom, Claudia Tritonis.

Laurier’s homeland, the Tritonis Kingdom, was an ancient realm boasting one of the rich histories in the Heaven Disc World. As the first in line to the throne, Claudia had possessed remarkable foresight: during the early days when the Academy Archipelago were being established, she founded an academy and served as the pioneer who introduced Earth culture into the Heaven Disc World. Her achievements in fashion and culture were especially legendary; she was the darling of high-society ladies and idolized as a trendsetting icon among young women throughout the Western Nations.

Wormwine’s generation fell square into the demographic who idolized Claudia above all else.

“If you agree to help me…” Laurier declared, seizing the momentum, “I will ask my sister to host an exclusive private tea party with you!”

“I-Is that truly real?!” Wormwine shrieked, slamming her hands onto the table.

Wormwine lunged across the desk, utterly casting aside her poised composure. At her fangirl-like squeal, Memet—who had been standing quietly at attention behind her—gave a subtle twitch.

While Memet (a zealot devoted solely to the absolute cuteness of maid uniforms) remained unmoved, Wormwine was an ardent fanatic of Princess Claudia. Sensing she had struck oil, Laurier pumped her fist in secret victory under the desk.

“What do you say, Lady Wormwine?” Laurier pressed smoothly. “My sister’s schedule is incredibly demanding and fills up quickly. Forgive me for pressing, but could I trouble you for an answer on the spot?”

“O-O-O-Of course!” Wormwine babbled, her eyes sparkling. “If I can meet the legendary Princess Claudia, I will humbly accept whatever request Your Highness—”

“My Lady,” Memet cut in impassively.

“What is it, Memet?!” Wormwine snapped, whipping her head around.

Her shoulder had been tugged firmly from behind, prompting her to glare back in irritation.

“I am in the middle of the most vital negotiation of my life! Know your place and hold your tongue!”

“Indeed, My Lady,” Memet replied without missing a beat. “As you just stated, this is a vital negotiation, so please compose yourself.”

“What nonsense are you spewing?!” Wormwine screeched. “An introduction to Lady Claudia herself! Could there possibly be anything more advantageous in this world?! No! Absolutely not!!”

“My Lady? Please regain your usual needlessly arrogant, stylish demeanor,” Memet advised deadpan. “I have always preferred your delightfully grandstanding, overconfident self.”

“I AM perfectly calm!” Wormwine insisted hysterically. “Argh, I can’t just sit around! I need an outfit fit to present before Lady Claudia—no, wait! Perhaps I should fly back to the main estate to prepare!”

“… …”

Thoroughly done with Wormwine as her mistress’s excitement spiraled into orbit, Memet casually reached out and lifted the heavy porcelain teapot.

Assuming her maid was about to pour a fresh cup, Wormwine offered her teacup, her face beaming with ecstatic delight.

“Now, we must begin immediate preparations! So that I will not embarrass myself before Lady Clau—gyah?!”

A heavy, dull thud echoed through the room, accompanied by Wormwine’s sharp squeal of pain.

Memet had, without a single word of warning, brought the teapot crashing down onto Wormwine’s head.

For any ordinary maid, such violence would be an unforgivable breach of etiquette. But Memet was not actually her servant; she was the sole heiress of the Amnesium main house, dressing and acting like a maid purely out of personal obsession.

She looked down with ice-cold eyes at her branch-family cousin, who was currently balancing a teapot on her head.

“Wine-chan.”

“…Yes?” Wormwine whimpered.

“Switch places.”

“…Understood,” Wormwine meekly conceded.

At the curt gesture of Memet’s fingers, Wormwine dejectedly stood up, thoroughly chastised by the pet name.

As they swapped places, Memet unfastened her maid apron and passed it over. Wormwine dutifully tied the strings around her waist, grabbed the frilly headband off Memet’s head, and placed it atop her own hair.

With Wormwine instantly transformed into a maid standing behind her, Memet—now clad in her sleek student uniform—sat down across from Laurier. Because St. Guinness’s uniform consisted of a black one-piece dress, simply strapping on an apron created an instant maid outfit, a piece of completely trivial knowledge Laurier was forced to absorb against her will.

“I must apologize for my cousin’s disgraceful behavior, Princess Laurier,” Memet said gracefully.

“N-Not at all…” Laurier stammered, flustered by the swift exchange.

Memet’s apologetic posture possessed the refined grace of a true noble heiress. Though thoroughly bewildered by the role reversal that had just occurred, Laurier managed to regain her composure and offer a polite response.

Memetrilitt Amnesium.

Her true nature was largely unknown to the public. As the sole daughter of the main Amnesium lineage and an elite mage holding the 11th Seat, she remained obscured in the shadow of her far more flamboyant cousin.

Even when representing the Amnesium family, Wormwine was the one who operated out in the open across the Academy Archipelago. That was precisely why Laurier had assumed winning Wormwine over would seal the deal.

In reality, Memet was the true proxy of the Amnesium house within the archipelago.

“Wine-chan, tea,” Memet ordered flatly.

“Yes, yes, right away… 『Octopus』,” Wormwine grumbled.

Tentacles sprouting from Wormwine’s waist deftly grasped the pot and poured a smooth stream of tea into a fresh cup. The movement was surprisingly fluent and practiced.

“Is it certain that Princess Claudia is currently within the Academy Archipelago?” Memet asked, getting straight to business.

“It is true,” Laurier replied. “She is staying incognito, accompanied by only a tiny entourage.”

“And what is her purpose here?”

Memet’s tone was sharp as she accepted the cup poured by Wormwine’s tentacles.

“To claim custody of Ginion following his recent outrageous conduct,” Laurier explained. “Shameful as it is, he remains a noble of our realm. Even turned into a Vampire, our crown must negotiate his extradition with the Gobot Bureau.”

Demanding the extradition of one’s own subject was a national duty. Just as her sister had mentioned suspecting Ginion’s treason for some time, there was nothing suspicious about Claudia’s arrival.

Yet Memet’s brow furrowed in skepticism.

“…Princess Claudia herself departed the royal court to come here in person? At a time like this?”

“Yes,” Laurier answered. “It was by no means a minor incident, after all.”

“Is that so… No, I see. In other words, Your Highness is completely unaware.”

“Pardon?” Laurier blinked, tilting her head.

Laurier’s bewildered reaction only seemed to confirm Memet’s dark suspicions.

Laurier felt a chill of unease run down her spine, unable to read the true intent behind Memet’s words. Steeping her fingers thoughtfully, Memet lowered her hands onto her lap.

“In that case,” Memet said coolly, “we are all the more unable to accept your terms.”

The temperature in Memet’s tone dropped below freezing.

Laurier had clearly blundered. Worse still, she had no idea what mistake she had even made.

“Memet,” Wormwine interjected hesitantly from behind. “May I have a word?”

“What is it, Wine-chan?”

“Given the way this conversation is going… does this mean… no tea party with Lady Claudia…?”

“Of course not,” Memet replied coldly. “We have far bigger problems to worry about.”

At her cousin’s merciless response, Wormwine’s fidgety tentacles slumped down in utter defeat.

It was a total failure. The primary bargaining chip Laurier had prepared had evaporated into thin air. She bit her lower lip in bitter frustration.

If at all possible, I really didn't want to play my final hidden card...

“Speaking of which, Princess Laurier,” Memet remarked, redirecting her focus. “The siblings who accompanied you at the pool… Has Tritonis Academy formed ties with students from the 666th Branch School?”

“We are not deeply acquainted yet, but we share a slight connection,” Laurier admitted meekly. “Even though those two are from the 666th Branch, they are not truly bad people… Well, their conduct is atrocious, I suppose.”

“I have no intention of criticizing you,” Memet assured her with a gentle smile. “On the contrary, forging a relationship with the 666th Branch School is an extraordinary accomplishment.”

If all was going according to plan, Kuro should have arrived at the 666th Branch by now. Offering a soft smile, Memet advised that maintaining ties with the notorious outlaw academy would be entirely in Tritonis’s best interest.

“Even within the Imperial system, the 666th Branch is a distinct anomaly,” Memet noted. “…If anything, it carries far more weight than the Main Campus itself.”

“Special?” Laurier repeated curiously.

“Indeed. That institution is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the elite top schools in the Academy Archipelago.”

Across the Academy Archipelago, where over a thousand magic academies vied for supremacy, which institution truly held the title of ‘top school’?

To that question, there were many answers.

In pure academics, USE stood supreme. In terms of financial backing, St. Guinness reigned king. In total student population, the Imperial system with its vast network of branch schools eclipsed all others. In an archipelago teeming with institutions, the summit took many different forms.

Yet in what metric did the 666th Branch—infamous across the realm as a haven for delinquents—claim top standing? Even Laurier, who had arrived in the archipelago only a year ago, knew the answer.

“When you say the 666th Branch is at the top, Lady Memet,” Laurier ventured, “do you mean in terms of individual combat prowess?”

“Precisely,” Memet confirmed. “Because the 666th Branch once birthed the single ‘Strongest’ mage the Academy Archipelago has ever seen.”

Roughly ten years ago, the Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus and St. Guinness Girls’ Academy formed a joint coalition to launch an all-out war against the 666th Branch. The Two Great Schools, the dual titans of the archipelago, mobilized every single affiliated academy under their control in an attempt to erase the rising criminal school from the map entirely.

The result was a crushing victory for the 666th Branch.

Having shattered the school banners of both the Imperial Main Campus and St. Guinness, the representative of the 666th Branch demanded neither monetary reparations nor property rights.

What they demanded was an immediate rematch.

They exercised their right as victors in a Counter-Battle to force an instantaneous rematch.

The 666th Branch won, won, and kept on winning, invoking mandatory rematches after every single victory. They did not fight to gain territory or wealth; it was a relentless campaign waged day and night over six full-scale clashes, designed solely to crush the spirits of their enemies. Victorious in all six rounds, the 666th Branch utterly shattered the minds of every student who dared stand against them.

When the 666th Branch demanded a seventh match, their rampant rampage forced the Gobot Management Bureau to step in with an order to stand down, which was promptly ignored. As the functional stability of the archipelago collapsed, the Gobots attempted to physically quarantine the 666th Branch, while the Two Great Schools seized the opportunity to launch a desperate final offensive. The entire archipelago descended into absolute chaos—a bloody war zone entangling humans and Gobots alike, paralyzing the entire region.

And yet, stomping over even that absolute chaos, the 666th Branch emerged victorious. With every power in the Academy Archipelago arrayed against them, they claimed victory and proved themselves the ultimate apex predator.

The sole reason the 666th Branch had demonstrated such absolute, terrifying dominance was due to the presence of a single student.

“Famous… or rather, legendary, isn’t it?” Laurier murmured. “The entity known as the archipelago’s ‘Strongest,’ born within the 666th Branch.”

During the early era of the Academy Archipelago, when the 666th Branch sat at the absolute bottom of the hierarchy, it was the former Second Seat who stepped forward as its symbol. Almost entirely single-handedly, this warrior crushed the Two Great Schools and elevated their outcast academy to the apex. Though the Single Numbers had shifted over the past decade and that person’s name had vanished from the rankings, their reputation as the absolute ‘Strongest’ remained undiminished.

Still, Laurier had never witnessed that overwhelming strength firsthand.

“Against the 666th Branch’s Strongest… would even Haruhana fall short?” Laurier asked softly.

“Miss Haruhana?” Memet mused. “I am not qualified to measure raw talent, but… what do you think, Wine-chan?”

“Judging by the accounts of that person’s golden era,” Wormwine answered without hesitation, “even Miss Haruhana falls noticeably short as she is now.”

Hearing Wormwine declare it so decisively, Laurier pressed her lips together into a thin line.

Laurier herself had never won a single sparring match against Haruhana, nor had she ever succeeded in making Haruhana take a fight seriously. Yet here was a definitive declaration that even Haruhana stood no chance.

“The 666th Branch maintains exceptionally tight bonds between its alumni and current students,” Memet noted calmly. “Forming ties with them offers nothing but advantage. It would be a stroke of fortune if the Amnesium family could share in Kuro’s connection with those siblings.”

“Um… Lady Memet,” Laurier cut in, seizing the opportunity while Kuro’s name was on the table. “May I raise one more proposal regarding our effort to rescue Pina?”

Hearing Kuro’s name had provided the perfect opening. As Laurier struck the spark to reopen negotiations, Memet met her gaze with a polite smile.

“I am listening. I take it you have another scheme to save Miss Pina?”

“No,” Laurier stated clearly. “It is something far grander and more proactive than that.”

Laurier locked eyes with Memet, her gaze burning with unwavering resolve.

What she was about to present was literally the trump card Kuro had put his own life on the line to offer. She could not afford to waste it.

“In order for Tritonis Academy to claim total dominance—surpassing even the legendary peak of the 666th Branch—I have brought the terms under which Kuro seeks to enlist the power of you both.”

Stepping off the aerial train and onto the extra-territorial grounds of the 666th Branch School, Kuro looked around with wide, inquisitive eyes.

“Not just the outside, but even the interior feels totally un-Academy Archipelago…” Kuro remarked, craning his neck. “This place is seriously unique.”

Subjected to countless haphazard expansions over the years, the interior was a tangled, labyrinthine maze. Dangling power cables and exposed plumbing lined the walls and ceilings. With many of the narrow corridors lacking windows entirely, sparse fluorescent lights flickered overhead as the sole illumination.

“’Cause there ain’t no Gobots here, man,” Kurulukka bragged with a casual grin. “Zero tourists, too. The Main Islands are way too chaotic and cluttered anyway.”

“We’re one hundred percent self-sufficient!” Hororokka chimed in proudly. “The Food Supply Department grows all our grub down at the farm, and whatever else we’re missing, we just swipe from the Main Islands!”

“Did you seriously just count pillaging under ‘self-sufficiency’?” Kuro asked, staring at them flatly. “What kind of wild cultural zone are you guys from?”

Even though the Mana Crystallization of 『Telepath』 allowed them to communicate seamlessly, their underlying values and definitions of words were miles apart. Kuro, who regarded lawfulness as basic common sense, quietly put some mental distance between himself and the twins.

“Still, Kuro, I for one rather enjoy this atmosphere,” Haruhana chimed in with her disciplined, military cadence.

“It’s definitely got a unique vibe, I’ll give you that,” Kuro agreed. “…Oh, hey, I’m getting cell reception.”

“Oh? So signal reaches even where no Gobots are present,” Haruhana remarked in mild surprise.

Network communications in the Academy Archipelago allegedly piggybacked off the Gobots’ private frequency. As Kuro and Haruhana marvelled at how far-reaching the Gobot signal coverage was, Kurulukka turned to them with a smug grin.

“We just ripped the antenna units right off the Gobots and slapped ’em up all over the building,” Kurulukka bragged. “Takes some serious tech skill to rig a mod like that.”

“Gobots are actually prime scrap metal!” Hororokka boasted cheerfully. “Check it out—that balcony over there is made entirely of Gobot armor plating!”

Even if a destroyed Gobot could simply restore its body from backed-up data, treating a sentient species as raw building materials was outright barbaric. Kuro stood utterly lost for words as Hororokka gleefully pointed at the balcony constructed from welded metal chassis plates.

Realizing that preaching basic morality on this lawless island was a total exercise in futility, Kuro silently resolved in his heart: I am definitely not getting involved in their crimes.

“By the way, where exactly are we heading?” Haruhana inquired.

“The cafeteria,” Hororokka answered naturally. “Snacking at the pool barely touched the sides, right?”

At her casual response, Kuro dredged his memory.

“The cafeteria… You mean the place run by the Food Supply Department?” Kuro asked. “Grabbing a bite is fine and all, but is Dotou actually there?”

“Nah, probably not,” Kurulukka replied smoothly. “But we just walked past a spot monitored by the Boss’s underlings. If we hang out at the cafeteria, they’ll come find us.”

“Ah, so those eyes I felt watching us belonged to Dotou’s men,” Haruhana noted with a nod of understanding.

“Wait a minute—did you two plan to use us as bait from the very start?!” Kuro called them out, narrowing his eyes.

Despite his vocal complaint, being brought to Dotou was precisely what Kuro wanted anyway. Chatting casually, the four of them followed the Kaldi siblings through the winding, maze-like corridors.

Given its reputation as a criminal school, Kuro had expected the interior to be decrepit and chaotic, but the atmosphere was surprisingly grounded. Laundry was hung out to dry beside doorways here and there, and groups of 666th Branch students sat on chairs dragged into the hallways, chatting amicably. Despite the underground setting, it possessed a warm, everyday liveliness.

Kuro and his group wound their way through the sprawling, illegal architecture for about ten minutes.

Reaching the heart of the complex, they emerged into a massive, open-ceiling dining hall.

Lined with simple wooden tables and chairs, the space was rustic and bustling, yet remarkably clean and spacious. A mouthwatering aroma wafted from the kitchen in the rear, while a plaque above the entrance displayed a prominent motto: Health First, Flavor Second.

Although it was past lunchtime, a surprising number of seats were occupied. What caught Kuro's attention was that the overwhelming majority of the patrons were children. He didn't just mean minors, either—even to sixteen-year-old Kuro, they looked remarkably young. Back in Japan, they would have been elementary schoolers.

Kuro blinked, caught off guard by the unexpectedly homely scene.

"There are kids here?" Kuro asked, glancing around. "Does the 666 Branch School have an elementary division?"

"Every Imperial school operates on a twelve-year system," Hororokka explained.

"Kids enroll as young as six and graduate at eighteen," Kurulukka added with a shrug. "Right about now is snack time for the little brats."

Following the Kaldi siblings' explanation, Kuro surveyed the cafeteria once more. The children occupying the tables seemed to be organized into small groups, with the older kids attentive to the younger ones.

He had pictured the place as a ruthless den of criminals, making this wholesome domestic atmosphere completely unexpected.

Even so, Kuro noticed how terribly thin the younger children looked. Noticing his concerned gaze, Kurulukka shrugged.

"A lot of the kids who just got here are eating a decent meal for the first time in their lives," Kurulukka said grimly.

"...What kind of kids end up enrolling here anyway?" Kuro asked quietly.

"Mostly kids scooped up by the Empire's Child Hunt," Kurulukka replied.

The unsettling phrase chilled Kuro to the bone. He was just about to ask what on earth that meant when a voice called out.

"Oh, if it isn't the Kaldi twins! Welcome back."

A female student wearing an apron over her school uniform approached their table with a warm smile.

She wore her long hair in twin braids resting over her shoulders. Small enough to be mistaken for a middle schooler—or even an upper elementary student at a glance—her unpretentious demeanor possessed a mature poise that made it clear she was older than Kuro and the others.

"Ugh, Chief," Kurulukka grunted, pulling a face. "You're actually here?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Hororokka chimed in. "Aren't you usually busy over at the Food Supply Department's farm around this time?"

"I've already handed off most of my duties, so I don't have much left to do," the girl replied cheerfully. "The plan is to make myself completely obsolete before graduation! Besides, watching the new arrivals plump up is my favorite hobby. Children's cheeks are supposed to be soft and chubby, after all."

She placed her hands on her hips, gazing at the young children with maternal affection. Her entire presence radiated decency and goodwill—a far cry from what one would expect of a student at the 666 Branch School.

"More importantly, you two," she chided, turning her stern glare toward the twins. "You've been eating out constantly, haven't you? I know you were spending all of Golden Week over on the main island, but you should at least come back for meals! How many times have I told you convenience store food is only for an occasional snack?"

"W-What does it matter?!" Kurulukka snapped back defensively. "It's our business what we eat!"

"Yeah, yeah! Stop nagging us just 'cause you're Department Head!" Hororokka yelled in agreement.

"My, my, so feisty," she teased with a gentle sigh. "And to think you two used to be so adorable."

Despite the Kaldi siblings' sulky rebellion, the girl in the apron handled them with unflappable ease. Shaking her head amusedly, she turned a curious gaze toward Kuro and Haruhana sitting opposite the twins.

"And who might you two be?" she asked politely. "You certainly don't look like 666 Branch students. Prospective transfers who got into trouble and couldn't stay at your old schools?"

"I am Haruhana Bacchus!" Haruhana declared, snapping a crisp military salute. "First-year high school student at Royal Tritonis Academy! It is an honor to meet the famed Department Head of the Food Supply Department!"

"I'm Asahino Kuro," Kuro introduced himself with a slight nod. "Same year as Haruhana at Tritonis. And we're... well, friends with these two."

"Wait... what?" Her eyes widened in genuine shock. "Friends? As in, actual friends of these two? You're not here to flee the law, start a gang war, seek revenge, launch a night raid, trespass on our farm, or kidnap children? You're really the Kaldi twins' friends?!"

"W-Well, more or less," Kuro stammered, overwhelmed by her sudden barrage.

As Kuro nodded beneath her intense scrutiny, the Department Head's eyes practically sparkled with delight.

"My goodness! A warm welcome to you both then!" she beamed, clapping her hands together. "Welcome to the 666 Branch School!"

Her unreservedly hospitable greeting left Kuro bewildered, completely unprepared for such wholesome friendliness in a notorious criminal school. Smiling radiantly, the girl introduced herself.

"I'm Irori Fuyuha," she said warmly. "A twelfth-year here at the 666 Branch School, and head of the Food Supply Department in charge of running the cafeteria and farms."

A twelfth-year in the Imperial system was equivalent to a high school senior. Since residency in the Academy Archipelago was capped at age eighteen, she was among the oldest students on campus.

"It makes me so happy to have guests from another school!" Irori added enthusiastically. "Our kids might be terribly behaved and completely hopeless when it comes to studying, but they aren't bad at heart. Please keep being good friends with them, alright?"

"Hey, Chief," a voice interrupted.

Just as Irori was delivering her questionable defense of the twins' character, another student stepped into the scene.

He appeared to be a member of the Food Supply Department. Resting a spiked wooden bat over one shoulder, he dragged a groaning student along the floor with his free hand.

"We finally nabbed the ringleader of that idiot group who blew up the kitchen," he reported deadpan. "What do you wanna do with him?"

"W-We were merely demonstrating our revolutionary will to overthrow this shitty cafeteria's tyrannical food dictatorship...!" the bound culprit sputtered defiantly. "Even if we fall here, a second and third comrade will rise up to take our—"

"Hang him from the wire mesh ceiling along with the rest of his dimwitted accomplices and leave them out to sun-dry for about three days," Irori instructed without missing a beat, her sweet tone turning ice-cold. "We need a strong deterrent to make sure no copycats get any ideas."

"Got it," the bat-wielding student muttered laconically before turning on his heel.

He would likely string the culprit up from the massive chain-link perimeter fence encircling the 666 Branch School. As the rebellious student was dragged off while ranting in vain, Hororokka pointed at him and burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Getting caught is so lame!"

"Honestly, those utter fools," Irori huffed indignantly. "What did they expect the little ones to do if they ruined their lunch? ...Oh, I'm sorry about that."

Noticing Kuro's stunned expression, Irori instantly smoothed her features back into a warm smile.

"You came here for lunch too, right, Kuro?" she asked cheerfully. "Sit tight! I'll whip up our recommended set meal for you. It's completely free of charge!"

With a sweet wave, Irori disappeared into the kitchen at the back of the cafeteria. She seemed so sensible at first, Kuro thought, but I guess she really is a native of the 666 Branch School after all.

Slightly unnerved by this glimpse into the criminal academy's casual ruthlessness, Kuro leaned over to whisper to Hororokka.

"...Is Irori really strong?"

"Chief? Nah, she's super weak," Hororokka replied casually. "She doesn't even carry Mana Crystals around with her."

"Just the other day, a pic of her getting cornered by a feather lizard with tears in her eyes went viral on social media," Kurulukka chimed in. "I saved that image instantly."

The feather lizards were the first creatures Kuro had encountered when he landed in the Academy Archipelago. They were ubiquitous pests, often seen hissing at sanitation Gobots collecting trash.

If she lost to creatures no more threatening than aggressive urban crows, her combat prowess as a mage was practically non-existent. Kuro reasoned that her authority stemmed entirely from her position as Head of the Food Supply Department. Controlling the student body's food supply gave her immense leverage—and beyond that, she clearly possessed a magnetic, maternal personality.

"By the way, what did you mean earlier by 'Child Hunt'?" Kuro asked, shifting the subject. "It sounds extremely dark. You guys aren't out here kidnapping kids, right?"

"Huh?! Why would we waste time kidnapping brats who won't fetch a single coin?" Hororokka scoffed. "The Child Hunt is just one of the Empire's trash policies."

"The Empire rounds up homeless orphans and minority kids who have nowhere to go and dumps them into the Academy Archipelago," Kurulukka explained grimly. "The 666 Branch School was essentially built as a dumping ground for the Empire's unwanted castoffs."

"They claim it's a win-win," Hororokka added sarcastically. "The Empire cleans up street urchins to improve public safety, and the kids get guaranteed food and shelter."

"On paper, students at Imperial branch schools are officially classed as 'dispatched students' from the Main Campus," Kurulukka noted. "That lets the Main Campus skim off the point currency allocated to us. But technically speaking, the system gives us the legal right to show up at the Main Campus tomorrow if we wanted to."

Hearing the bleak reality left a bitter taste in Kuro's mouth. He knitted his brows in disgust.

"Isn't that a complete violation of human rights?" Kuro asked grimly.

"You're naive, Boss," Kurulukka chuckled darkly. "In the Empire, if you don't have citizenship, you might as well not have human rights."

"And most people in the Empire don't have citizenship," Hororokka chimed in quietly. "We were brought to the Academy Archipelago through the Child Hunt too. Even if we graduate, we've got no home to go back to."

"That is simply how the Empire operates," Haruhana remarked with a quiet sigh. "I am truly glad to have been born in the Tritonis Kingdom."

Kuro had almost lost his own human rights in a Counter-Battle recently, but the twins' situation sounded far more systemic and cruel. Such a reality was unimaginable in modern Japan, yet Haruhana accepted it as common knowledge, proving the twins weren't exaggerating.

"However, the 666 Branch School is the exact opposite of Tritonis Academy, isn't it?" Haruhana noted. "It boasts the largest student population in the entire Academy Archipelago."

"...How many students are enrolled here?" Kuro asked with curiosity.

"Uhh... how many of us are there right now, Bro?" Hororokka asked, looking up at Kurulukka.

"Hmm? If I remember right, we passed fifty thousand this year," Kurulukka replied casually.

"Say what?!" Kuro blurted out, nearly jumping out of his seat.

He had assumed a typical academy would house around a thousand students at most. Fifty thousand blew his expectations completely out of the water.

With a twelve-year academic structure, simple math meant over four thousand students per grade level. This wasn't just a school anymore—it had the population of a small regional city.

"T-That's insane!" Kuro gasped. "That's not a school, that's a whole town! Do fifty thousand people seriously live on this island?"

"Totally real," Hororokka nodded. "Honestly, none of us really view it as a proper school. Once you turn twelve, you're pretty much free to do whatever you want. People come and go so fast that enrollment and graduation dates are totally random."

"This is news to me," Haruhana said, raising an eyebrow. "If everyone over twelve acts entirely at their own whim, how does the student body maintain any cohesion?"

"A ton of people join the Food Supply Department," Kurulukka explained. "Some quit school and head back to the Heaven Disc World, while those who actually want to keep studying get taught by eccentric volunteers acting as teachers. The rest of the crowd just wanders around doing their own thing."

"Ah... so that's why there are so many delinquents like you guys running around," Kuro said with a nod of understanding.

"Even though you say there are a lot, only about ten percent of us actually venture out to the main island like we do," Kurulukka countered.

Ten percent of fifty thousand still meant five thousand delinquents swarming out from the 666 Branch School. Unbothered by Kuro's exasperated look, Kurulukka began counting off the remaining demographics on his fingers.

"The really dangerous hardcore types stay locked up underground and never come out," Kurulukka added. "And though not many people know it, the smart and diligent kids actually commute over to USE to attend lectures."

"Huh..." Kuro mused. "By the way, why would students from Earth enroll in the 666 Branch School?"

Prior to Kuro's arrival, Tritonis Academy had faced a similar issue: the Management Bureau revoked operational permits if a school lacked students from both Earth World and the Heaven Disc World. Kuro assumed no Earth student in their right mind would willingly join a notorious criminal school, but the answer proved startlingly simple.

"Duh, because they got kicked out of other schools and had nowhere else to go," Hororokka answered naturally.

Her logic was undeniably sound.

People from Earth weren't all squeaky-clean model citizens. Outcasts with shady pasts who were expelled from other academies—yet still wished to remain in the Academy Archipelago—naturally drifted to the 666 Branch School as a last resort.

"Plus, during school open campus season, if we kidnap around fifty people, a couple of them end up enrolling," Hororokka added thoughtfully. "It's so weird, right, Bro? Why do you think those guys choose to stay?"

"Hold on!" Kuro yelled, nearly spitting out his breath. "Did you just say kidnap?! You guys are kidnapping people!"

"Hahaha! Don't mind my little sister's cute slip of the tongue," Kurulukka laughed off the accusation cheerfully. "It's recruitment! Standard open campus recruitment!"

Kurulukka smoothly brushed off Kuro's interrogation with a wave of his hand.

"Conditions have gotten way better over the years," Kurulukka continued. "Way back in the beginning, they just dumped kids onto an exposed, barren island."

"By the time we got here, current setup was already established," Hororokka admitted. "And when it comes to not starving, you really can't underestimate the Food Supply Department."

Starting from absolute zero, the founders had scrambled to secure their own food supply, giving birth to what was now the Food Supply Department.

They had wrested land rights for arable small floating islands away from the Gobots and successfully established their own agricultural production for native Celestial crops. Today, the department supplied over sixty percent of all Celestial produce circulated throughout the Academy Archipelago. Even the convenience stores operated by Gobots sourced most of their raw ingredients from the 666 Branch School's farms.

Apparently, they didn't just cultivate existing crops either—they actively crossbred Earth and Celestial species to engineer entirely new agricultural produce. Hearing all this, Kuro let out an appreciative whistle of awe.

"The Food Supply Department is seriously impressive," Kuro said with genuine admiration. "To be leading a department like that, Irori must be an incredible person."

"Irori is quite famous," Haruhana agreed with a nod. "I have wanted to meet her in person for a long time."

What they were accomplishing seemed far beyond the scope of mere student activities. Though the original founders had likely graduated long ago, Kuro felt immense respect for Irori, who carried their legacy forward with such devotion.

The 666 Branch School had built itself up through mutual aid among abandoned children without any help from adults.

Though they certainly earned their reputation as a criminal school, the tight-knit bonds of their unique community were undeniable.

Kuro turned a wry, affectionate gaze toward the Kaldi twins, who seemed to live in constant rebellion against that very system.

"So basically," Kuro teased with a smirk, "you guys complaining about the Food Supply Department is just you throwing a rebellious tantrum at your mom?"

"Huh?! Hell no, it isn't!" Hororokka squawked defensively.

"It's nothing like that!" Kurulukka protested loudly, waving his hands. "Purely... purely speaking...! The food in this cafeteria is purely—"

"Alright, here you go!"

Before Kurulukka could finish his desperate plea, Irori reappeared with a bright smile. Deftly balancing four steaming trays across her small frame, she set the meals down in front of them.

"Thank you so much, Irori!" Kuro said politely as he received his tray. "Oh, by the way, do you mind if I follow the Food Supply Department's social media account? Your follower count is insane!"

"My, how sweet! I'll be sure to follow you back," Irori beamed. "I'm managing the official department account right now. If anything ever happens involving the 666 Branch School, feel free to contact me. Send me a message anytime and I'll take care of it!"

"Seriously? That's so reassuring!" Kuro grinned enthusiastically. "I'll definitely hold you to that!"

"Hey! Don't hit on the Chief, Boss!" Kurulukka roared, slamming his hands on the table.

"I'm not hitting on her!" Kuro shot back exasperatedly. "Why are you snapping at me all of a sudden?!"

"Ah, me too!" Haruhana interjected, leaning forward eagerly. "May I also exchange contact information with you, Irori?"

"Of course, little Haruhana!" Irori agreed merrily.

After yelling back at Kurulukka for his bizarre accusations, Kuro and Haruhana finished swapping contact details with Irori and picked up their utensils to begin eating.

Kuro took a single bite—and his eyebrows instantly furrowed.

In that exact instant, he realized what Kurulukka had been trying to warn him about.

"This is... yeah. Wow," Kuro stammered out, chewing slowly. "It's... definitely something."

"It is, how should I put it..." Haruhana remarked stiffly. "It has a remarkably healthy taste."

"This cafeteria strips out every single ingredient that's bad for your body..." Kurulukka groaned pitifully. "It is purely, unadulteratedly bland!"

"And the portions are insultingly small..." Hororokka grumbled, poking her food. "Claiming it's for 'optimal eighty-percent satiety' or whatever crap."

Virtually zero oil, minimal salt, piles of unseasoned vegetables, low carbohydrates, and a total lack of flavor—paired with portion control designed to stop short of satisfying one's appetite. The most fitting description was hospital food.

Kuro's eyes drifted up to a framed slogan hanging on the cafeteria wall.

"Health First, Taste Second." Ah, I see, Kuro thought. Flavor was literally relegated to an afterthought. Eating like this would undoubtedly keep anyone in peak physical condition, but virtually no teenager on Earth would actually enjoy it.

"So that's what the sign meant..." Kuro muttered, a bead of cold sweat running down his temple.

"Do you get how we feel now, Boss?" Hororokka asked glumly.

"Claiming taste is second is purely arrogant," Kurulukka complained bitterly. "By any reasonable standard, flavor ranks fifth at best here!"

"If one views this meal as part of physical conditioning, it is exceptionally suited for body building," Haruhana analyzed stoically. "Though the portion size leaves much to be desired."

While Kuro and Haruhana's eating pace ground to a near halt, the accustomed twins grimaced as they forced the food down their throats.

Watching them pick at their plates, Irori puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"What's with those faces?" Irori huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Are you complaining about the Food Supply Department's proud daily healthy set meal? The nutritional balance is absolute perfection! You two used to tell me how delicious it was when you first got here!"

Her logic sounded suspiciously like a grandmother who kept serving her grandchild the same dish every visit just because they liked it once as a toddler.

"Back then, even this felt like a luxury!" Kurulukka groaned. "Having to eat like this every single day is why everyone heads to the main island whenever mealtime rolls around!"

"You can make delicious food when you actually try!" Hororokka whined. "Come on, Chief! It's so unfair that we aren't allowed to order anything except the healthy set!"

"Absolutely not!" Irori snapped sternly, pointing a reprimanding finger at the three of them. "Children who ruin their dietary habits eating junk on the outside must eat proper food when they're here!"

She wagged her finger sharply at the grumbling twins and Kuro.

"Anyone who eats salty, greasy food outside is restricted to the daily healthy set meal for five whole days!" she declared firmly. "There is no wealth greater than good health! I just want all of you to grow up big and strong!"

As the four of them reluctantly chewed their food under Irori's loving lecture, a sudden hush fell over the cafeteria, followed by a ripple of uneasy murmurs. Sensing the shift in mood, Kuro paused his chopsticks and looked up.

It was immediately obvious who had captured everyone's attention.

Striding through the cafeteria entrance was a hulking, imposing male student who commanded the entire room—Dotou Jou.

"Oh! Hey, President!" Hororokka called out loudly, waving her arm. "Over here!"

"Yo, Hororokka," Dotou grunted as he approached their table. "Loud as ever, I see."

A sharp, combative glint flickered in Dotou's eyes as he locked his gaze onto Haruhana, who was still systematically chewing her meal.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Tritonis duo," Dotou sneered, his voice heavy with threat. "I didn't expect you to march straight into my domain. Showing your faces here after pulling that stunt... I take it that means you're looking for a rematch?"

"Hm. Are we throwing down?" Haruhana asked, her eyes narrowing sharply as she kept her spoon gripped between her teeth.

Struck by the suffocating aura of their mutual bloodlust, Kuro stiffened, memories of their overwhelming defeat flashing across his mind.

Refusing to let himself be intimidated, Kuro set his jaw and glared back up at Dotou.

To save Pina, they had to defeat this delinquent leader and secure a victory no matter what.

Dotou blinked in brief surprise at Kuro's defiance, then let out a low rumble of laughter from deep in his chest.

"Ha! If you've got the guts, let me propose a Counter-Battle," Dotou sneered, cracking his knuckles. "The loser becomes the winner's errand boy—"

Thwack!

Kuro's jaw dropped as a dull impact cut Dotou off mid-sentence.

It was Irori. She stood on tip-toes, reaching her arm up as far as it would go to smack the towering delinquent leader on the head with a tray. Given their extreme height difference—roughly a hundred and ninety centimeters versus a hundred and forty—she had to stretch with all her might just to reach him.

It was a move that bordered on utter madness, yet after pulling the tray back from Dotou's head, Irori showed not a shred of fear. She simply glared at the President with half-lidded, stern eyes.

"Knock it off," Irori scolded sternly. "You've got nerve starting trouble with guests in my cafeteria, Dotou."

"W-Wait a second, Irori!" Dotou protested defensively, rubbing his head. "They're the ones who waltzed into the 666 Branch School right after picking a fight with us!"

"Quiet," Irori cut him off with a huff. "Knowing you, you were the one who picked the fight in the first place."

"Hmph," Irori snorted, crossing her arms as Dotou flinched back. Whatever dynamic governed their relationship clearly had nothing to do with raw battle power, and Irori was indisputably holding all the high ground.

"B-But if I don't settle the score, my reputation is shot!" Dotou argued desperately, flailing his arms. "I've got my pride as a Single Number to protect!"

"Oh, spare me your Single Number nonsense!" Irori scolded, putting her hands on her hips. "You grew huge on the outside, but your heart is still petty and tiny! Ranked Student status is just some meaningless order the Gobots made up! All you're good at is throwing punches, and yet you fuss over these stupid—"

"It's alright, Irori," Kuro interrupted, standing up from his seat.

Kuro cut into her lecture as he pushed back his chair.

He appreciated her trying to defuse the situation peacefully, but after all, challenging Dotou was the entire reason they had come here in the first place.

To gain enough leverage to rescue Pina, their plan was to bring Single Numbers other than Haruhana into Tritonis Academy, using them as a check against Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus.

Laurier had gone to negotiate with the Ninth Seat, Wormwine.

Meanwhile, Kuro and his group had come to challenge the Fourth Seat, Dotou, to a Counter-Battle.

"Dotou," Kuro declared, "we at Tritonis Academy are aiming for total supremacy over the Academy Archipelago. We're going to recruit the Single Numbers and make ourselves the undisputed top school."

"Ha! Talking pretty big, aren't you?" Dotou scoffed, sneering down at him. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Towering over Kuro, Dotou narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"You think a punk like you can take on me, the Fourth Seat?"

"No," Kuro replied. "Not me."

He shook his head calmly.

After being painfully taught his limits in his previous bout against Dotou, Kuro had already decided who to rely on to make up for his lack of strength.

"You will be fighting me, Dotou," Haruhana declared firmly. "When I win this duel, you will lend your strength to Tritonis Academy."

"...Is that so?"

A ferocious grin spread across Dotou's face at Haruhana's bold proposal.

"Hold on a second, Dotou," Irori interjected, frowning.

"Don't stop me, Irori. They called me out directly."

Realizing she had no right to intervene if both parties consented, Irori fell silent, a conflicted look lingering on her face.

"Then let's do this, Haruhana Bacchus."

Dotou nodded without hesitation. Though his gesture was casual, his voice carried a strange, heavy weight.

"If I lose, I'll be your errand boy, your lackey, whatever the hell you want."

The request for a Counter-Battle was processed swiftly.

The match between Haruhana and Dotou was set to take place on a small floating island at the outer edges of the Academy Archipelago.

A battle between two Single Numbers—the Fourth Seat versus the Fifth Seat.

Both were among the top combatants in the entire archipelago. Fearing the immense destructive scale of their impending clash, the Gobot Administration Bureau ruled that the fight could not be hosted on the main island, choosing an oval-shaped satellite island with a radius of roughly one hundred meters instead.

"Dotou," Haruhana spoke up. "May I ask you something before we begin?"

"If you're gonna whine about me beating up Kuro, save your breath," Dotou growled in reply.

It was late afternoon.

Walking toward his assigned starting position under the dimming twilight, Dotou didn't even bother to look back as he spoke.

"He picked a fight, and I answered. That scrap was between him and me, and no third party gets a say in it."

"...What did you think of him?" Haruhana asked.

"Weak as hell, but stupidly honest," Dotou scoffed. "I never expected some weakling to charge straight at me head-on. The guy really doesn't know his own place."

"I know exactly what you mean," Haruhana agreed warmly.

She nodded in complete agreement with Dotou's assessment.

When Kuro had first arrived in the Academy Archipelago, he had faced Haruhana's One-Hand head-on without flinching. Oblivious to the overwhelming gap in power, he had charged forward with reckless sincerity.

"It makes you happy, doesn't it?" Haruhana said softly.

"...Ha! Yeah, you could say that." Dotou let out a rough laugh.

Out of more than a million students, they stood in a league of their own as Single Numbers. And yet, an underdog had challenged them to a raw test of strength without resorting to petty tricks.

For someone who lived for battle, nothing was more thrilling.

"My duel with Kuro was the first time in a while I actually had fun," Dotou admitted. "That kid's gonna get a whole lot stronger."

"Yes!" Haruhana beamed, nodding with absolute confidence.

His answer was precisely what she had hoped to hear.

"But Haruhana..." Dotou paused, his tone sharpening. "You're gonna entertain me even more, aren't you?"

"Indeed," Haruhana replied with a crisp salute. "Thank you for accepting this duel, Dotou."

"Don't mention it," Dotou said, waving a hand. "Like you said, just having someone willing to square off with me head-on is a treat. And when that someone is a fellow Single Number? Even better."

Walking ahead of the girl who matched his standing, Dotou looked up toward the twilight sky.

"Listen, Haruhana," he remarked casually. "I might be sitting at the Fourth Seat, but I don't feel like I'd lose to the Third or Second Seats. When it comes to pure one-on-one combat, I'm definitely top dog."

Dotou's boast wasn't the mere arrogance of a street brawler.

The top one hundred rankings issued by the Gobot Administration Bureau were based on a holistic evaluation of how much a student's magic contributed to the Academy Archipelago. While combat prowess was certainly a factor, the primary criteria lay in the raw utility and nature of their unique magic.

As a result, some mages earned top ranks despite leaving onlookers scratching their heads, while undeniably powerful fighters were stripped of their ranks if their abilities posed too great a risk to public order.

Amid such a system, Dotou was a rare titan who had climbed all the way to the Fourth Seat purely on the back of his overwhelming combat power.

"And everyone below the Sixth Seat isn't even worth mentioning," Dotou scoffed. "Out of that lot, the only one with any real spine is the Ninth Seat."

"Everyone on the roster is an exceptional mage, you know," Haruhana pointed out.

"Oh, I acknowledge their magic," Dotou replied with a shrug. "Top to bottom, they're all way more versatile magic users than a brute like me. But when it comes to raw brawl strength? None of them get my blood pumping."

No one could accuse him of hubris.

Only three individuals stood above him. And the Second and Third Seats ranked higher not because of their dueling ability, but because their specialized magic provided extraordinary contributions to the archipelago as a whole.

With the elusive First Seat nowhere to be seen, it was an indisputable fact that Fourth Seat Dotou was widely rumored to be the strongest single duelist among the active Single Numbers.

"Which is why I'm so stoked, Haruhana," Dotou grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I finally get to taste what you're like when you go all out."

Strolling forward with his hands shoved deep into his pants pockets, Dotou showed not a shred of hesitation in turning his back to his upcoming opponent. His heavily muscled back was rooted in absolute confidence—a swagger forged through relentless self-discipline and combat.

"...Just one thing, though, Haruhana."

"Sir? What is it?" she asked.

"Don't hold a grudge if you end up dying."

Haruhana blinked in surprise at his sudden warning.

"I pulled my punches against Kuro because of our power gap," Dotou explained, half-turning. "But against you? I'll have to go all out."

There was no reply.

Dotou turned back toward the silent girl. Supposing that she might not have even prepared herself for death before challenging him, he shot her an irritated glare—only to be caught completely off guard.

Haruhana wore a tranquil smile. There was not a trace of fear in her expression.

"Why would I resent you for dying?" she asked softly.

Dotou had misunderstood her completely.

It wasn't that Haruhana believed she couldn't die. Nor was it that she assumed she wouldn't kill him.

"Living things die," Haruhana said simply. "That is just how it is."

To Haruhana, death was not something to be abhorred.

She had never feared it; if granted to her, she would accept it without complaint, just as she had never hesitated to inflict it upon her enemies. The sole reason Haruhana was standing alive today was simply that no creature had yet possessed the strength to enforce death upon her.

It had been true ever since her childhood, back when she belonged to the mercenary band that had purchased her.

Even as everyone around her fell, Haruhana survived. Without distinguishing between tragedy and joy, she swallowed whatever came her way and pushed forward with dogged resilience.

Because she was strong.

There was no reason for her presence here beyond that single truth. No other justification was needed, nor should there ever be one.

"Heh... Right you are," Dotou chuckled, realizing his question had been foolish.

He scoffed at his own sentimentality.

"Let's have some fun, then."

Both of them had fought their way through life to survive.

Neither harbored any regrets over a life where strength served as self-proof. They had sought power, refined their techniques, and vanquished foes to prove their existence. That was precisely why both of them understood the fundamental truth.

Strength was meant to collide.

Understanding the logic of the powerful, Haruhana smiled with innocent delight, even when standing before a force capable of taking her life.

"With pleasure!" she declared cheerfully.

And with that, their conversation came to an end.

Reaching their assigned starting marks, the two turned and faced each other across a brief expanse of ground.

Their only spectators were the referee Gobots hovering high above to record the battle. Given that this duel pitted two Single Numbers against each other, the Administration Bureau had dispatched multiple specialized referee drones to oversee the event.

"Greaves. Gauntlet. Vambrace."

Dotou chanted spell after spell, manifesting armaments of shimmering silver over his body.

This was the continuation of their aborted skirmish in front of the Main Campus. Haruhana stood calmly as Dotou equipped his silver armor piece by piece, taking a breath to recite the incantation she had been cut off from completing back then.

"Mysterion."

Stripping off her tracksuit jacket, Haruhana tied it tightly around her waist. As the fabric fluttered over her exposed blue school swimsuit, a dark, ominous mist billowed out from her hair tie, swirling into a tempest around her.

"Black Box!"

The space around them shuddered violently.

A colossal black cube materialized in the sky above, causing the entire floating island to tremble beneath their feet. Raising her arm toward the monolithic structure, Haruhana commanded it.

"One-Second Cube."

A massive section split off from the corner of the floating black box, falling as a smaller perfect cube.

"Set!"

One half of Haruhana's body was instantly swallowed in pitch-black shadow. It was a true, absolute darkness that absorbed every stray ray of light—devoid of reflections or gradients, rendering her silhouette like a flat void in reality.

"Come on then," Dotou taunted, gesturing forward. "I'll let you have the first hit."

Haruhana gladly took the invitation.

"Then I shall take you up on that offer—here I come!"

Before the last syllable of her declaration could even register in his ears, Haruhana's fist was already pressed right in front of Dotou's face.

Dotou threw up both arms purely on reflex. Tucking his upper arms tight and shielding his face with his forearms, his instinctual defensive guard—faster than conscious thought—had managed to intercept the blow in time.

The pitch-black fist swung through.

It possessed an absurd level of raw power that rendered half-hearted guards completely meaningless. Driving straight through Dotou's defensive posture, Haruhana's fist smashed directly into his face.

"G-Gah...!"

The impact was on an entirely different dimension compared to her attack outside the Main Campus. A single strike shattered the dense mana-forged gauntlets and vambraces into dust, sending shockwaves ripping through his bare arms to rattle his cheekbones and shake his brain.

She wasn't merely cloaking herself in mana. By absorbing the vast energy stored inside her floating Black Box directly into her physical body, she had unlocked boundless, uncapped physical capabilities.

Without pausing for even a microsecond, Haruhana unleashed a vicious low kick. Dotou endured an impact heavy enough to threaten to tear his shin from his socket, narrowly avoiding being swept off his feet, though at the cost of his silver greaves shattering to pieces. Before he could even grunt in pain, a third strike—a left elbow launched from his blind spot—blasted his shoulder armor into oblivion, stripping away his silver plating completely.

He had lost the armor that had barely kept him from sustaining fatal damage. She was undoubtedly moving in for the finisher. Sensing the lethal follow-up incoming, Dotou thrust both hands forward.

"Silver Shield!"

He threw up a massive barrier formed by diverting the vast majority of his mana armor into defense—a wall so sturdy he was confident it could withstand a commercial building being hurled at him.

A light, hollow pop echoed through the air.

It was the sound of Haruhana's straight punch effortlessly punching right through Dotou's defense.

"...Ha, haha!" Dotou let out a wry, disbelieving laugh.

Haruhana's fist had breached his Silver Shield so cleanly that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Her thrust was so precise and concentrated that it pierced the shield without leaving a single crack around the entry hole.

Dark mist swirled rapidly around the right fist that had impaled his shield.

"One-Hand!"

Dotou's entire field of vision was swallowed in absolute darkness.

Unleashed at point-blank range, a torrential burst of black mist obliterated what remained of his silver defense, slamming directly into Dotou's chest.

An impact ranked among the top strikes he had ever endured in his entire life of violence smashed into him. It was a miracle he didn't lose consciousness on the spot. Blown away helplessly into the air, the corners of Dotou's mouth twisted into a wild grin.

She's strong as hell.

Her martial arts were honed using a naturally gifted physique, backed by an unshakeable mind that adapted instantly to any situation without a hint of fear. Most terrifying of all was her lifestyle—unhesitatingly molding a high-utility magic system purely for the destruction of her opponents.

Fifth Seat Haruhana Bacchus, the Black Box, was a natural-born avatar of war.

Even while Dotou was flying through the air, Haruhana showed no sign of easing up. Against an ordinary foe, the match would already be over, but Dotou was anything but ordinary. She could not afford a single moment of carelessness until she had snuffed out his consciousness—or his life.

"One-Second Cube."

Another section of the massive black box floating above her severed itself.

"Up!"

In the next instant, a black box materialized at the exact coordinates where Dotou was flying.

The mid-air momentum sending Dotou flying was halted instantly as he was imprisoned inside the materialized cube. Enclosed within the solid box, Dotou couldn't twitch so much as a finger. Aside from the terrifying physical restraint crushing his body, the black box was rapidly siphoning energy from every cell in his body.

Haruhana locked her eyes on Dotou, holding out her palm as though resting the cube upon it.

Trapped inside the cube, Dotou was effectively held in the palm of her hand, merged directly with her magic.

"Comple—"

"—Mysterion!"

A dazzling flare of silver mana erupted from the Mana Crystal hanging at Dotou's chest.

Blinding silver radiance burst in all directions. The sheer shockwave of energy shattered the black box restraining Dotou into nothingness, forcing Haruhana's closing palm to be snapped back.

"Full Armor!"

As his solemn declaration echoed, the blinding silver light slowly began to recede.

Emerging from the glow, Dotou stood encased head to toe in an impenetrable, seamless suit of full-body silver armor.

A chill ran straight down Haruhana's spine.

The imposing figure of the silver-clad warrior commanded overwhelming awe. Her instincts screamed at her not to look away from the silver knight for even a split second.

The black cube repelled by Dotou returned to float above her head. There was plenty of distance between them.

Yet the ground beneath her feet was anything but safe. The sheer magnitude of energy Dotou currently radiated had entered a realm that triggered genuine survival warnings in Haruhana's mind.

Driven by the shuddering chill coursing through her body, Haruhana leaped back with all her might.

"Seven-Second Cubes!"

The monolithic black box above her split into seven distinct cubes, circling around her in high-speed orbit. Combined with the portion equipped to her body, she had divided the box into eight parts—committing every ounce of her Black Box to combat.

At that exact instant, Dotou moved.

He was fast—far beyond human movement, breaking through physical limits entirely. Dotou produced speed comparable to Laurier's Voltic Move without reciting a single incantation.

His physical stats were boosted by cloaking himself in unfathomably dense mana, augmented further by driving his outer armor like a powered exoskeleton. In stark contrast to Haruhana, who stored the energy of her Black Box internally, Dotou propelled his Full Armor externally to shatter the boundaries of common sense.

Haruhana's kinetic vision barely managed to track his motion.

Jerking her head to dodge, an armored fist skimmed past the side of her temple. She had avoided it—just barely. As the explosive shockwave rattled her hair, Dotou's arm reached full extension. Human anatomy dictated a brief lag before he could retract his arm. Sensing an opening, Haruhana prepared to strike back with a counter punch—

—only for the silver armor plating covering Dotou's arm to detach from his body and wrap tightly around her neck.

Haruhana's eyes widened. Completely independent of Dotou's bodily movements, the vambrace detached from his arm and clamped onto her throat with robotic precision.

Dotou possessed the ability to manipulate barriers freely, and his silver armor was an advanced application of that barrier magic. Rather than merely enhancing his physical capabilities, he could operate pieces of his armor autonomously. Having relied solely on brawling up until now was a calculated trick to make Haruhana believe he was just a straightforward melee combatant.

With her counter attack neutralized, Dotou drove a brutal knee strike right into Haruhana's abdomen.

"Guh...!"

The gut-wrenching impact squeezed a strangled gasp from her lips.

Unshielded, the sheer power of the knee strike could blow a person's torso apart even if they were cloaked in mana. If she took another blow like that, the portion of the Black Box she had set to her body wouldn't be able to absorb all the kinetic force.

Without a moment's pause, Dotou brought his elbow crashing down.

He was aiming straight for the back of her head, showing zero hesitation in delivering a lethal blow. If the damage exceeded what her black box could absorb, even Haruhana wouldn't survive. With her neck pinned down by Dotou's gauntlet, evading physically was an impossibility.

"App!" Haruhana cried.

Just a split second before his sharp elbow connected with her vital spot, Haruhana swapped positions with the black box behind her.

Taking the brunt of Dotou's strike, the black box was sent flying, but it instantly recovered to orbit around Haruhana once more.

"A swap spell?! You can even do shit like that?!" Dotou barked, his voice filled with thrill. "So your ability dips its toes into spatial manipulation, huh?!"

Dotou's eyes gleamed with excitement as Haruhana revealed another trick up her sleeve.

"And that's not all, Haruhana! You swapped places after my hit already connected, didn't you?! Yet you didn't take a single scratch! That means you can dump the damage you take onto that black box after the fact! Hah! Damn, you really are something else!"

Divided into eight equal segments—including the ones attached to Haruhana's body—the black boxes were fundamentally identical entities. They could induce localized spatial interference, enabling her to swap positions or stash away the damage she received into any single one of them.

"I'm honored by your praise!" Haruhana declared, her tone crisp and unyielding.

Obeying her fierce will, seven of the black boxes formed a tight ring around Dotou.

Positioned to his left, right, rear, and directly overhead, the formation allowed her to instantly teleport into his blind spots whenever she pleased.

With the black boxes whirling around her, Haruhana traded blows with the silver-armored warrior. Speed, brute strength, hand-to-hand mastery—encased in his mana armor, Dotou outclassed her in every aspect of close-quarters combat. Even if she tried to pull back into a mid-to-long-range magic duel, shaking off Dotou's insane speed proved nearly impossible.

Faced with Dotou's overwhelming melee capabilities, Haruhana held her ground by constantly swapping places with her boxes.

It was a blinding clash of offense and defense, back and forth in the blink of an eye. As the endless flurry of exchanges piled up, Haruhana carefully gauged the distance between their every movement and asked a question.

"You truly are impressive, Dotou," she remarked amidst the fray. "How did you manage to get so strong?"

"...Do you know who the strongest person in Branch 666 is?" Dotou asked in response.

Haruhana gave a small nod.

The 'strongest' of Branch 666. She had actually met that very person earlier today.

"That would be Irori, correct?"

"Yeah," Dotou agreed.

At Haruhana's unhesitating reply, Dotou, who currently ruled over Branch 666, nodded as well.

"Even now, people still bring up Irori's name."

Irori Fuyuha, the former Second Seat known as 'Result.'

Ten years ago, at just eight years old, Irori had taken on the entire Academy Archipelago single-handedly and emerged victorious.

Today, having paid the steep price for her overwhelmingly powerful magic, she had surrendered her Mana Crystal and devoted herself entirely to heading the Food Supply Department.

Yet despite that, even Haruhana—locked in combat with Dotou right now—had named Irori without a single moment of hesitation.

In an archipelago nurturing over a million student mages, being hailed as the absolute strongest was no hollow title. The prime of Irori Fuyuha, 'Result,' had been so dazzlingly intense that it remained burned into the memories of everyone who witnessed it.

"That's the reason I got strong," Dotou grunted. "I—no, all of us at Branch 666—have an obligation to surpass the Irori of back then."

"...Why is that?" Haruhana asked.

"Back then, she unleashed her absolute strongest magic just to protect Branch 666," Dotou explained. "Do you get what that means?"

It wasn't just Dotou's personal goal, but a shared duty binding all of Branch 666. Haruhana tilted her head at the puzzling words, prompting Dotou to deliver his quiet answer.

"Her magic was finite. It was us who burned up Irori's prime—the period when she was at her strongest."

While people praised Irori's prime as the absolute peak of power, there were also those who looked at her now and called her foolish.

Her reign as the strongest had lasted only a few short years. Now, she didn't even wear a Mana Crystal.

Seeing Irori reduced to less than a mage, outsiders pitied her. Those who understood the true value of her magic lamented that she had squandered her golden age before even reaching her mid-teens.

If only she hadn't chosen such a warped precocity... If she had grown into a mage proper, she would be completely unmatched across both worlds by now.

"That's why," Dotou spat bitterly. "We have to prove to those shitty onlookers that Branch 666—the school she spent her entire prime protecting—is worth even more than that prime ever was!"

A gathering of outcasts. A dumping ground for the Tohsei Empire. Branch 666 was a bottom-tier trash heap that everyone ignored as a stain on the Academy Archipelago, yet Irori had single-handedly supported it. She had staked her entire future to protect a place that was supposedly worthless.

And that was precisely why.

"We're gonna generate value from Branch 666 that surpasses Irori in her prime, proving once and for all that she didn't make a single mistake!"

They would prove that the sanctuary she chose to protect held far greater worth than her fleeting prime, crushing every piece of lip-flapping criticism from the peanut gallery.

They would roar at the entire world that Irori had been right to exhaust her golden years for their sake.

Dotou Jou, 'Full Armor,' had to transcend the strength of Irori Fuyuha, 'Result.'

"That's why I got strong," Dotou declared fiercely. "Strong enough to say I won't lose to any of the Single Numbers sitting on the high thrones right now, and strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the instructors from the Two Great Schools."

His words weren't mere bravado or bluffing. They were the absolute conviction of a man who had climbed the ranks of the Academy Archipelago through raw, unadulterated combat power—not utility or institutional contributions.

"But... can I beat Irori in her prime?"

It was a question Dotou posed almost to himself, one that had no answer.

Because Irori Fuyuha's prime was already lost, consumed by their past selves. It was impossible for the Dotou of today to pit himself against the Irori of yesterday.

"I need the title of the Strongest," Dotou muttered.

How could Dotou—whose magic was nothing more than a below-average upgrade to defensive barriers—demonstrate that he had surpassed Irori Fuyuha, a girl whose magic was hailed as top-tier even across the entirety of the Heaven Disc World?

Even if he couldn't rival her in magical rarity or tactical utility, how could he prove he surpassed her in pure, overwhelming power?

In the Academy Archipelago, there existed only a single title that could objectively prove he had surpassed the Irori of old.

At the absolute height of her powers, the rank Irori had claimed was the Second Seat.

"To prove I'm the strongest, my only option is to beat the First Seat!"

The First Seat of the Academy Archipelago—a wall that even the legendary Irori in her prime had failed to overcome.

"Even when Irori was at her peak, that bastard sat atop Imperial Style Doji Academy Main Campus holding the First Seat," Dotou vowed. "And I'm gonna beat them!"

Unknown by name, unseen by face, without even revealing their Mysterion title for over a decade in the Academy Archipelago.

Shrouded in mystery, the undisputed leader of the Single Numbers had never surrendered the summit for a single moment—the First Seat.

"Before I graduate, I'm dragging them out into the light. I'll beat the First Seat in an official match and prove I'm the strongest. So if I lose to a Fifth Seat like you, I've got no business talking big!"

Challenging and defeating the apex of the Academy Archipelago was Dotou's ultimate goal. This battle against Haruhana was merely a stepping stone on his path to claiming that title.

"I see," Haruhana said flatly.

Having processed his speech in her own way, Haruhana offered her conclusion with deadpan seriousness.

"In short, Dotou... you are head over heels in love with Irori."

"Say what?!"

Caught completely off guard by her absurdly off-target interpretation, Dotou visibly flustered.

"T-That's not what I was talking about at all! How the hell did you leap to that conclusion, damn it?!"

"Huh? Was it not a story about how you work so hard for Irori's sake because you love her so much?"

"I said, who the fuck was talking about that?!" Dotou roared, sputtering wildly.

Having clearly hit a nerve, Dotou went bright red underneath his full-face helmet, spitting saliva from the corners of his mouth as he hollered.

Surprisingly perceptive when it came to human emotion, Haruhana tilted her head, wondering if she had said something wrong.

"W-Whatever! I don't give a damn about your stupid misunderstanding!" Dotou huffed, trying to compose himself.

"Mmm... Was I mistaken after all?"

"I told you to drop it! Besides..." Dotou sneered, his voice dropping into a low threat. "Did you really think pulling away would give you the advantage, Haruhana?"

Haruhana instantly froze.

She had been retreating at a speed meant to go unnoticed while they talked, but he had caught on anyway.

The real problem, however, was why Dotou had let her move away in the first place. As a melee specialist, he had no reason to allow distance between them. While he had closed the gap during his initial Mysterion burst, Haruhana would adapt much better the second time around.

Either he was immensely confident in dragging her back into close combat... or the time gained by opening up distance suited Dotou's plans just as well.

"You better brace yourself, Haruhana Bacchus!"

Deciding it was the latter, Haruhana tried to close the gap again, but Dotou moved faster.

Hunching his back and thrusting his chin forward, he took a low, predatory stance like a carnivore ready to pounce on its prey.

A blinding light burst into existence right before his eyes.

A portion of Dotou's mana armor disassembled itself, converting directly into high-purity energy. Born from micro-level mana manipulation, it was a colossal force. Haruhana's eyes widened at the brilliant radiance of magical matter transitioning into raw energy.

Mana nuclear fusion.

A mana reaction that manipulated materialized magic power at the subatomic level, converting mass straight into energy. An unorthodox science developed and monopolized by the Gobots at the pinnacle of their technology was being wielded by a single mage through sheer godlike skill as his own personal spell.

"Howl!" Dotou roared.

A world-crushing magic unleashed its fury.

The heat output was absurd beyond measure—an overwhelming firepower capable of razing an entire city to the ground surged toward a single, solitary girl.

"Thousand Split!!" Haruhana shrieked.

Her incantation was practically a scream.

All around her, countless mini black boxes deployed, each side split into ten equal parts.

It was a split barrier that even repurposed the boxes she had 'Set' for physical reinforcement into absolute defense. Arranging a thousand black boxes into a perfect cube around herself, it was the ultimate defensive formation Haruhana could muster.

The outermost black boxes collided with the high-purity energy beam.

A singular roar was scattered in a thousand directions.

The lead boxes absorbed the blast and redistributed the energy across the remaining 999 boxes. Subdivided to become identical entities, the black boxes diluted Dotou's bombardment down to a thousandth of its original power. Abandoning any attempt to store the energy, she focused entirely on scattering, venting, and deflecting it in every direction.

Yet even so, it wasn't enough to neutralize it completely.

"Ngh... ghh!" Haruhana gritted her teeth.

Dotou's roar showed no signs of stopping. Haruhana was pushed backward along with the thousand deployed boxes. Slowly driven back, the boxes beneath her feet scraped against the floating island's surface. Still, the force didn't abate. Haruhana was driven straight into the bedrock along with her cubic defense. The dispersing heat melted the ground, creating a pool of molten lava that swallowed her whole inside her protective cube.

Even then, the onslaught pressed on relentless.

"Ghh... RAAAAAGH!!"

Haruhana let out a battle cry of her own.

If her concentration slipped for even a split second, she would be blown to bits. Pouring every ounce of her soul into the effort, she pushed herself to the absolute limit to scatter the incoming energy.

Having deduced that Haruhana's magic fundamentally boiled down to 'storing,' Dotou's tactical response had been brutally simple.

If she could dump damage onto her other boxes, then all he had to do was unleash an attack big enough to shatter every single box at once. He forced his overwhelming power through, determined to prove her thousand-fold split couldn't stop him.

Dotou's maximum firepower clashed violently against Haruhana's thousand-fold dispersion as she held the line.

Neither yielded an inch in the desperate deadlock.

But the island acting as their battlefield reached its limit first.

The earth shattered.

A blinding flash combined with a deafening detonation. The shockwave distorted the air in every direction, shaking skin and bone. The violent aftershocks of their clashing magic obliterated the two-hundred-meter floating island into fine dust.

All that remained was a thick plume of dust and debris. Fragments of shattered rock floated in midair, scorched and melted in places.

"Still breathing, huh?" Dotou called out.

As the wind cleared the haze, Dotou hovered in midair, his eyes burning with battle euphoria.

Haruhana was alive—and still standing.

"Not over yet! We're just getting started!" he grinned wolfishly.

Though she had endured Dotou's blast, Haruhana hadn't come out unscathed. Her school swimsuit and knee-high socks were in tatters, her exposed skin marred by cuts and minor burns. It was practically a miracle the track jacket tied around her waist was still intact.

Conversely, the fact that she had suffered only this much damage was proof of her insane resilience.

"You're damn strong, Haruhana! I'm gonna conquer your strength and climb even higher!"

Compared to the battered Haruhana, the full-body armor shielding Dotou shone without a single blemish.

Haruhana slowly raised her head at the silver warrior's declaration.

"I don't understand a single word you're saying, Dotou," she stated flatly.

"Oh? And what part didn't make sense to you?" Dotou asked with a smirk.

"Beating someone doesn't make a person strong," Haruhana replied quietly. "True strength is the manifestation of daily discipline. Victory is merely a byproduct."

Battered as she was, Haruhana spoke with quiet conviction.

"After all... I am strong simply because I am strong."

A strength that required no victory over anyone to prove itself.

Her strength wasn't something to be swayed by the validation of others.

"So as someone who is inherently strong, I will use this strength to defeat you... and save Pina."

It was the pure arrogance of a natural-born powerhouse. Hearing her state her existence without needing excuses or decoration, Dotou burst into laughter.

The Irori of the past had been just like her.

An absolute magical force that left effort, intellect, courage, and even talent in the dust.

There were indeed people whose strength required no justification, and they invariably wielded that power for the sake of others.

That was precisely what made them worth challenging. To overpower a strength that transcended admiration into sheer worship—that was why Dotou had clawed his way to power.

"Man, now I wanna crush you even more, Haruhana!" Dotou roared.

"...Dotou, you mentioned earlier that the essence of my Black Box lies in 'storing,' correct?"

"Yeah, pretty sharp of me, wasn't it?"

"Regrettably, if it could be explained so simply, it wouldn't be called 'Black Box.'"

Dotou frowned in confusion as she shattered his deduction.

Haruhana offered no further explanation, merely glancing up above her head.

Floating above her, the black box flickered in and out of sight, venting unstable energy. Reminiscent of electrical discharges, the space-warping distortion was clearly distinct from known physical phenomena. Though it had continually dispersed and vented Dotou's Howl, the excess energy it couldn't bleed off was now overflowing from the box.

"It has been a long time since it became this full," she murmured.

The black box now contained a raging tempest of energy that threatened to detonate and shatter with the slightest lapse in control.

Haruhana flashed a faint smile and chanted her spell.

"All In."

Every single black box sank directly into Haruhana's body.

Without a millimeter of space left bare, her skin turned pitch-black.

With only her eyes retaining their natural color, an ominous, overwhelming aura radiated from her body.

"Ha, bring it on!" Dotou shouted.

Finally, he was going to witness Haruhana's full power.

Dotou's eyes shone with thrill—until he heard her next incantation and couldn't believe his ears.

"Dice Roll."

It wasn't an offensive spell.

The ink-black color coating her body concentrated into her mouth. The immense power condensed into a single point, forming a tiny cube atop her tongue.

After rolling it around inside her mouth, Haruhana opened her lips.

Sticking out her bright red tongue, a jet-black six-sided die rested upon it.

"...What in the world is that?" Dotou muttered, utterly baffled.

Even Dotou, a battle-hardened veteran of a hundred fights, couldn't hide his bewilderment.

What he was witnessing was far too removed from any magic Haruhana had displayed before. In fact, throughout his entire combat career, he had never seen an innate weapon undergo such a drastic transformation.

The shape of an engraved Mana Crystal was supposed to reveal the true essence of one's magic. Yet, the moment the innate weapon passed through Haruhana, it altered completely.

No, wait... A different hypothesis flashed through Dotou's mind.

Haruhana's Black Box took the form of a cube. Until now, judging by the effects of her magic, Dotou had been fixated solely on the aspect of the box that meant "storing things away."

But a cube possessed six distinct sides.

What if the magic she had shown until now was merely one of those six faces?

"Hah! So that's... the true form of your power, huh?" Dotou barked, a fierce grin breaking out across his face.

As a thrill ran down Dotou's spine, a pitch-black die dropped from Haruhana's tongue.

The black die had been rolled.

The black die tumbled through empty space with a crisp clatter. Strangely, Dotou found himself unable to question the impossibility of a die bouncing off thin air. It felt almost natural that something so absurd would happen, and the die eventually came to rest right at Haruhana's feet.

"A four, is it?" Haruhana remarked calmly.

Looking down at the number she had rolled, Haruhana tilted her head in slight trouble.

"I don't have full control over this one myself, so... Dotou. I would be grateful if you didn't die," she warned politely.

Her words sounded like a sarcastic retort, but Dotou could feel right down to his skin that it was no idle threat.

Anticipating the violent clash to come, a tremble of fierce excitement shook Dotou's body.

Haruhana had not yet revealed the true contents hidden within her box.

"...Pandora's Box," Haruhana chanted softly.

The moment her incantation left her lips, the altered Black Box opened its lid.

＊＊＊

"...Intriguing," Claudia murmured softly.

Ever since Pina had lost her Rank Match to Tick, up to this very moment...

Having reviewed the entire sequence of events surrounding the commotion, Princess Claudia muttered quiet thoughts to herself.

Kuro's maneuvers to save Pina had dragged both the 666th Branch School and St. Guinness Girls' Academy into the fray. The scale of the disturbance was far greater than anything expected for the sake of rescuing a single student. More extraordinarily, it was a feat accomplished by someone who had arrived in the Academy Archipelago less than a week ago—proof that the boy at the center of it all had rallied an astonishing number of allies in a brief span of time.

However... Claudia pulled his enrollment documents from her desk drawer and scanned them thoroughly.

The most noteworthy detail lay in the records prior to his arrival in the archipelago.

"This registered address... belongs to none other than the Watarase Clan," Claudia observed, running a finger over the paper.

The Watarase Clan.

Even in the Heaven Disc World, it was a family name known to those in the loop. Seventeen years ago, on the day a rift opened in the skies of the Heaven Disc World, the name Watarase had etched itself deeply into Claudia's memory.

A boy originating from that very place, yet lacking the Watarase surname... How ought she to interpret his existence?

A clue was close at hand.

Rising from her principal's chair, Claudia made her way down the hallway and entered a specific room.

It was the infirmary where Kuro and Haruhana had been resting earlier.

Sweeping her gaze across the spot where Kuro and Haruhana had stood, Claudia found what she was looking for almost instantly.

A stain of dried blood.

Claudia wiped the blood onto her fingertips.

This blood belonged to Kuro, who had been injured earlier. Without hesitation, Claudia brought her finger to her lips and licked off the crimson trace.

A violent shock jolted straight through her mind.

"...gh!" Claudia gasped.

A powerful sensation surged from her tongue up into her brain, cascading down through her entire body and making her tremble involuntarily.

Since turning into a Vampire, Claudia had fed on blood several times before. But the overwhelming impact of the flavor coating her palate—from just a single taste—was on an entirely different level.

"To think it was this potent... No wonder Pina lost herself in his blood," Claudia breathed, her voice trembling.

If someone experienced this intoxicating sensation during their very first feeding, it was only natural they would lose their mind over it.

It was completely different from ordinary human blood. Only after savoring its rich flavor and dense magic power did Claudia's suspicion solidify into absolute certainty.

"A magic user born on Earth. An ability eerily identical to a Vampire's. And the Watarase Clan..." Claudia murmured, ticking off each piece of evidence.

Claudia dispassionately laid out the unnatural elements surrounding the boy named Asahino Kuro.

The very premise of Asahino Kuro's existence was bizarre from the start.

Yet, the taste of his blood had unraveled the enigma of his character, weaving separate threads of clues together in her mind. His background, his ability, and the potency of his blood—everything connected, forming a compelling hypothesis about his true identity that led to a single conclusion.

"So that boy from the Watarase Clan—Asahino Kuro—was the 'Heart' we have been searching for all along," Claudia declared with a satisfied smile.

At last, every key piece needed to outmaneuver the transcendent figures ruling the Academy Archipelago was firmly within her grasp.

As a triumphant smile graced Claudia's lips, her smartphone vibrated inside her pocket.

Could it be the informant who has been leaking intelligence on Tritonis Academy? she wondered, but the name displayed on the screen was Laurier's.

"What is it, Laurier?" Claudia answered smoothly.

"W-Well... um, there's someone I would like to introduce to you, Sister... or rather, um..." Laurier stammered over the line.

"If you have business with me, state it clearly," Claudia instructed firmly.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Laurier squeaked.

After Claudia pressed her timid sister, Laurier swallowed hard, her faltering tone turning resolute.

"Sister! At your earliest convenience, could you please host a tea party with Lady Wormwine...?!" Laurier pleaded desperately.

"...Pardon?" Claudia blurted out.

Having yielded to Wormwine's relentless entreaties following their earlier conversation, Laurier had blurted out the absurd request in a trembling voice—causing the normally composed Claudia to let slip a shockingly bewildered response.

ToC