Imperial Zenith School — Library

A student with an unremarkable face quietly entered the vast library, blending effortlessly into the environment as if he had always belonged there.

Without hesitation, he made his way toward the westernmost section, where books on history, personal discoveries, and old journals were preserved.

His steps were steady, his presence subtle, yet for a brief moment, his eyes darkened.

With a single sweep of his gaze, he located the book he had come for.

An old journal, belonging to a long-forgotten mage, sat inconspicuously among countless other volumes.

At first glance, it appeared ordinary, its worn cover giving no hint of significance.

He picked it up.

Within seconds, he had read the entire book.

His attention settled on a particular page near the end, where a note had been written, though much of it now appeared partially erased, as if forgotten with time.

Even the language was a bit different, but he could see the similarities the modern language had to this, as if it was a simplified version of this language.

And what remained was just enough for him to deduce its meaning.

...So, the ██████ one... the cards of Am███ that I have ███████... may they bring peace and █████████ in this █████, rather than the ███████ they were originally meant to bring.

[P.S.] There is no need to █████ about this being █████ to ██████. As per the Fate █████’s ███████████, only a ███████ few in this █████ can perceive this █████. To ███████ else... it simply does not █████. (✌️)

There was even a small peace sign drawn at the end.

The student’s lips twitched faintly.

"This old man was quite talkative," he muttered.

A flicker of fire appeared in his hand, and in the next moment, the journal was reduced to ash, leaving no trace behind.

’At least I have completed my original objective,’ he thought calmly, his mind shifting to the pendant he had previously obtained from within this School.

Even so, a trace of curiosity lingered.

"I wonder who ended up with those cards..." he murmured

At that very moment, a terrifying surge of mana descended.

Not just upon him, but across the entire school.

The air itself seemed to grow heavy.

The student remained still as he felt an overwhelming gaze sweep through the library, scanning every corner with absolute authority.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished.

The student remained still, unfazed.

’I cannot allow you to discover me yet... can I?’ he thought.

If that old man had been present in person, things might have been different, but deceiving a distant gaze was well within his capabilities.

’It is fortunate that the princess is still within the dungeon. Otherwise, this would have been far more troublesome.’

A faint smile formed on his face.

After all, the "gift" he had prepared there had required considerable time and effort.

And now, with his objective complete.

It was time to return home.

Once again.

***

After finishing his brief speech, Caelum turned toward Loreal, his expression turning serious.

"Hold them off for a little longer. I’ll deal with Anastasia first."

Loreal’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Excuse me? Will you not help me first? Can’t you see I’m the one fighting here?!" she snapped, clearly annoyed. To her, this looked like blatant favoritism.

"We need to stabilize Anastasia first. If something happens to her and she turns into an idiot, you’ll blame me next," Caelum replied calmly, cutting off her argument before it could continue.

Loreal clicked her tongue but didn’t argue further.

After all, her highest priority was Anastasia.

"...Fine. Just make it quick."

However, things rarely went according to plan.

In the very next moment, Matilda suddenly appeared in front of Caelum, her movement abrupt and unnatural.

Caelum looked at her with a deadpan expression.

"You know, this little space trick of yours doesn’t work on me."

His eyes glowed faintly blue as he traced the distortions in space, pinpointing the exact path of her movement.

Then, he threw a punch.

It was not refined, nor elegant, but it carried terrifying raw force.

His cultivation technique, [Myriad Heavenly Ascension], continuously enhanced his already formidable [Boundless Warrior Physique], pushing his physical strength to monstrous levels.

The result was immediate.

With a single strike, Matilda was sent flying nearly a hundred meters away, her body crashing through the surroundings as several bones shattered on impact.

Without wasting a second, Caelum moved toward Anastasia.

He examined her condition carefully.

The malicious energy clinging to her was still present, but this time, it had changed.

It was no longer self-contained.

A thin, almost invisible thread extended upward from her body, connecting to something far beyond this level.

Caelum’s gaze sharpened.

’Is that thread... leading to the next level?’

Without hesitation, he raised his sword.

A brilliant blue Sword Qi coated the blade as he swung it upward, slicing through the invisible connection in a single clean motion.

The thread snapped.

For a brief moment, Anastasia froze completely, then her body went limp as she collapsed.

Caelum quickly checked her condition.

She was no longer in pain.

She was simply asleep.

Only then did he turn his attention back to the battlefield.

Loreal was still engaged in combat, barely holding her ground against the two.

In an instant, Caelum appeared beside her, intercepting Zoe’s incoming strike aimed at her leg.

"You should step back and rest," he said firmly.

Most of Loreal’s injuries had come from their spatial movement techniques and their unnatural invincibility.

Unlike them, she was still human, an Adept pushing herself beyond her limits.

For once, Loreal didn’t argue.

She exhaled in relief and immediately retrieved a black token from her School Badge.

Channeling mana into it, she sent an urgent message toward the Imperial Capital, directly to her mother – Agent 101.

Until now, she had been too focused on protecting Anastasia to call for backup.

But now, help was on its way.

Meanwhile, far above them, on the highest floor of the dungeon, just below the Observation Room.

A man suddenly frowned as the triangular artifact in his hand shattered without warning.

Confusion flickered across his face.

He did not fully understand what had caused it, but his focus remained divided.

He was currently maintaining the stability of the space above, ensuring that the battle unfolding within the Observation Room did not leak outward.

Because even a fraction of that clash escaped containment, the consequences would be catastrophic.