I regressed and became the Sword Ice King-Chapter 426- Festival 157- The Sun Comet 6

POP!

An explosion of flesh and blood smothered the air and floor in a paint of crimson.

Its tendrils stretched far and wide as a portal anchored itself from the visceral left of what was once Katherin Starblaze.

Behind the Portal, Phestus stood. Bathed in the guttural insides of his once-known Professor.

A look of shock and amazement was plastered on his face as he froze.

His gaze trailed the Portal as it hummed to life.

A brilliance ensued around it as the Caster stepped out with a majestic hue.

The Witch of the West.

’Kira Merlin.’ The name sparked in his head as his gaze narrowed.

Arms stretched out to wipe away the murky liquid from his face.

’That was...too coincidental.’

He thought to himself.

A Portal appears right in the middle of a human being.

It wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t an easy thing to do either.

You see, Portals were conduits.

They served as doors brought to life through Magic.

’The fact that she was even able to project a Portal in a Territorial Space dying from a mana reflux is incredible.’

It didn’t just showcase her skills and abilities as a Grand Mage, but her proficiency in the manipulation of mana.

’It’s a possible thing, but none of us here are capable of that.’

After all, controlling mana itself, particle by particle, was akin to looking into the very fundamentals of magic.

The skeleton that made its framework.

Not only was it difficult, it was impossible.

’Though, not for the Merlin household.’

They were a family of Mages, after all.

Other than her mana manipulation, visualisation was needed to anchor a portal to a particular place.

To do so, one must have seen it before.

Now this was what bothered him.

More so than the fact that her portal had directly cut off Katherin from life altogether.

’I heard Headmaster Rhabanz was the first to have a Sub-territorial space as an office.’

It was news limited, so it shouldn’t have gone far to the masses.

Neither was it a place where anyone could see it.

’...but she arrived here on her own...without using the Transport portal.’

The transport portal was mandatory to be used to get to his office.

’Suspicious.’

Kira Merlin walked into the office with grace and calm.

Her sparkling crimson eyes, akin to Ciara’s, yet held a wisdom far superior glancing around the room with ridiculous disinterest.

The world around her seemed to bend to her presence as they all remained still.

Unable to speak.

Or move.

Or think– well, they did think. Just not enough to distract them from her presence.

She just naturally held that much presence in the room.

As if it were breathing for her.

A few seconds passed and her expression shifted for the first time.

From disinterest to an alleviated form of disinterest.

Just a bit of it.

"I’m unimpressed, Rhabanz. For a Sub-territorial space, this is quite lacklustre."

Headmaster Dreau scoffed slightly.

"Well, not everyone can create a whole different dimension just for their floating castle, Kira."

Her gaze narrowed as she turned slightly to her back.

Immediately, the portal switched off.

"That lady. Who was she?"

She asked, with her gaze lingering on the pile of flesh that hung beneath the once vibrant portal.

Headmaster Dreau adjusted his monocle.

"Katherin Starblaze. A former professor..."

A moment of silence, then...

"Was she a trainee at one of my towers?"

"The Flame Tower to be specific, yes."

The Merlin household possessed four major towers.

The Flame Tower. The Earth Tower(formerly green). The Aqua Tower. The Wind Tower.

All under the name of the Merlin household, and performing various tasks ranging from testing new spells to creating magical artefacts.

"I see." She said with a sigh. "A shame."

With a shake of her head, she looked up.

Locking gazes on Phestus, who was still covered in the scarlet ichor of his former Professor.

Her expression wrinkled.

"Boy, do you like bathing in your own Professor’s guts?"

Phestus’s face cracked for a second.

Plain annoyance held back by years of restraint.

"Hah..hah..hah..." He laughed, awkwardly. "Not at all."

"Hmph." She muttered as she turned away.

Her scarlet, silky robe swayed with the accentuated curves of her body.

While her onyx hair jumped across her shoulders.

She took a step forward, and the motion seemed to demand attention, not call for it.

A beauty proportional to pricelessness.

Her pale, porcelain skin seemed to glisten with the light across the room, and her red, flushed lips were a vivid contrast to the delicate hue of her skin, like roses blooming in snow.

Her presence held weight.

And that weight made the room seem small.

"I’ve observed what I needed to when I arrived." She stated with a sigh. "You’ve done a terrible job, Rhabanz. The state of the school is in peril."

The Headmaster sighed as he took his seat. Folding his hands while he waited for her to take the other.

"I admit, I made a grave mistake, letting them stay for too long."

He shook his head slightly.

"But the deed has been done. Reprimanding my methods will simply waste time."

Kira’s gaze flickered for just a second as she took her seat.

Adjusting her presence in the world so it resumed its original state.

"Amusing." She said, though her expression was anything but.

"The mana reflux will cause a collapse soon. What is your plan on dealing with that?"

At this point, Phestus had pulled himself into their conversation.

Walking over to the table with slow steps.

"I think a general evacuation should be in order."

Kira’s expression wrinkled.

Visible disgust.

She waited for the young boy to make his way to the table laid between the chairs before she turned to him.

"And who are you?" She asked. Her tone, laced with annoyance.

"Hah..." Phestus cleared his throat as he bowed. "Phestus Greenhorn, Miss. Merlin."

Kira raised a brow in curiosity. A bit of startlement laced with it.

"Are you that woman’s daughter? The King’s Alchemist?"

"Yes, I am."

He replied with a wry smile.

"Though my mother’s success is not mine. I am the Student Council President of this Academy, and I believe my opinions would matter in our predicament."

Kira stared at him for a moment. Unamused by his statement.

She turned away.

"Don’t fancy yourself, boy." She said, "Your opinions would not save anyone here."

Phestus stood up straight with a crooked smile.

A vein bulged on his scalp, ever so slightly.

’Hah....I see what Rebecca meant.’ He thought to himself. ’She’s...annoying. Straight to the point.

A Matron who doesn’t delude others but lets them see reality for themselves.’

He sighed at the thought.

’I see why Ciara ended the way she did...though, Raph may have influenced a part of that.’

"I agree that it may not matter, Miss. Merlin, but as the Student President, instructions sent through me will be attended to much faster."

Kira remained silent once more.

While Headmaster Dreau looked up at Phestus and then at Kira.

"I agree with the child. Let him stay. His presence won’t do us more harm than what has already occurred."

"Hmm." She said in resignation. "Alright then. Let’s get back on track."

Placing her arms on the table, she commenced.

"The Mana reflux, I can erase it. Patch up the holes caused and set the mana storms back into oblivion."

"Something of that level would require a vast amount of mana, though?"

Headmaster Dreau said.

"Yes, it would. When I noticed the change in the air when I sent this portal here, I had already inspected the mana wavelengths."

She sighed.

"It’s ridiculous how bizarre these wavelengths are.

The explosion which caused it must have been a mix of something more than just mana."

Headmaster Dreau chuckled wryly at her statement.

"Yes, you are right. It is a mix of mana and Miasma.

The executive of the Red Peacemakers, Mila Jack, has been killed."

Kira’s eyes flinched.

A subtle change to others, but people like Rhabanz, who grew up with her, knew it was more than that.

It was a vital shock. One that was akin to any expressive individual screaming at the news.

"By whom? Students?" She asked.

"Yes. Felicia Dreau, Monica Lorientt, Thalia Jun...and one more..."

Kira narrowed her gaze.

"One more?"

"Sophia." He said with a calm breath. "I had admitted her thinking she was a talented commoner who may have stumbled on a rare profession, but she seems more than that.

Her skills ranged from necromancy to mythical weapon summons.

Weapons that worked against Demonic Humans."

Kira’s expression shifted once again.

A slight twitch in the corner of her lips.

Amusement.

As if she had heard something exciting.

Well, she was always like that.

Someone whose hunger for knowledge never quenches.

Searching and collecting what she could get with her arms to experiment and learn from it.

"What is her second name?" She asked with a lick of her lips.

"That’s the thing." Headmaster Dreau said before he shook his head. "She doesn’t have one."

A moment of silence, then...

"I do have my suspicions, though."

Kira’s brows arched in curiosity.

"Suspicions? At a time like this, Rhabanz? Now is not the time to try to decipher people like some detective.

Wasn’t the monocle enough?"

Phestus’ gaze flicked in surprise while Headmaster Dreau coughed out loudly.

"Enough." He stated with a coarse tone. "You mentioned an evacuation? What’s your plan?"

Kira stared at him for a moment. Her pupils dilated and constricted while she observed his facial features. His expressions. His thoughts, then she continued.

"Since it is not ideal to try to fix what has already been broken...

Let us open portals throughout the Academy..."

She glanced at Phestus.

"If you are the Student President, then you must be in your final year."

"Yes, I am, Miss. Merlin."

"Good. Now, call for your people. The final years should be strong enough to protect the others.

Let them guide the students through the Portals, and block any others from trying to get in."

Headmaster Dreau tilted his head slightly.

"What do you intend to do afterwards?"

Kira turned to him, her gaze sparkling with something ancient. Sharp. Dangerous.

The corner of her lip curled into a smirk.

A remarkable feature of her beauty, yet the evil intent it held sent most men reeling backwards in fear.

"What else?" She said with a scoff.

"We wipe them out."