Days passed since the Magic Knight Entrance Exam. The Black Bulls had returned to their chaotic rhythm, but Kael could feel something shifting—an invisible tension threading through the air. The calm before a coming storm.
Kael was in the training yard, blades of wind and light floating beside him in a gentle orbit. His control had improved. Lyra's fusion harmonized better with his own rhythm now, and each motion felt like breathing.
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him—heavy, analyzing, measuring.
He wasn't alone.
---
A Watchful Presence
Captain Yami stood just beyond the fence, arms folded, one eyebrow raised. A cigarette hung from his lip.
"Been watchin' you for the last ten minutes," he said casually.
Kael turned, nodding respectfully.
"I didn't sense you," Kael admitted. "That's rare."
Yami smirked. "Means you're still green. Or I'm still better."
Kael chuckled lightly. "Probably both."
Yami's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're hiding something, kid. I can tell. But it's not danger. It's weight. Like someone carrying the end of the world on his back."
Kael's jaw tightened, but he remained silent.
"You planning to talk about it?" Yami asked.
"No," Kael said simply.
Yami exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Didn't think so."
---
Training or Test?
"Then let's do it the old-fashioned way," Yami said, cracking his neck. "You and me. Spar. I wanna see who you are."
Kael's blades floated downward, embedding into the ground as he nodded.
"Understood."
Yami unsheathed his katana with a smooth motion. "Don't hold back. I won't."
The moment the words left his mouth, Kael moved.
Wind exploded beneath his feet, launching him forward. His light blade struck with blinding precision—only to meet the flat of Yami's katana.
Clang!
Kael twisted, flipping over Yami and launching a volley of wind darts, only to find himself blocked again.
"You're fast," Yami muttered. "And clever."
Kael's left hand rose.
> [Skill: Dimensional Flicker – Space Manipulation, Short Burst]
He vanished for a fraction of a second—and reappeared behind Yami, blade aimed at his back.
But Yami had already pivoted, slamming his katana down.
Boom!
The clash sent a shockwave rolling across the field. The fence blew apart.
The squad ran out in confusion. Magna, Vanessa, Asta, Noelle, and Luck arrived just in time to see the two clashing again in a flurry of blade and speed.
---
The Crimson Edge
Lyra's voice resonated in Kael's mind. "Do not reveal too much."
"I know," Kael responded silently.
Kael summoned a third blade—this one forged from spirit light, glowing with his essence. Yami blinked at it.
"Triple casting?" Yami muttered. "And those aren't normal constructs…"
Kael stepped, slashing in a spiral pattern—wind, light, spirit—each stroke tracing elegant arcs through the air.
Yami parried, smirk widening.
"You're good, kid. Real good. You don't fight like a rookie."
Kael's next attack was faster, more forceful. Their blades clashed again.
And then—Kael stopped, stepping back.
"I yield."
Yami blinked. "Huh?"
"I could land a hit… but not without revealing something I'm not ready to."
For a second, Yami stared at him. Then he laughed. "You are interesting."
He slid his sword back into the sheath. "We're done here."
---
The Report
Later that night, Yami sat in his office, writing an encrypted report—not to the Magic Knights, but to an old contact in the Clover Kingdom's internal intelligence.
> "Subject: Kael of the Black Bulls.
Unusually powerful. Advanced magical control—possibly multi-elemental fusion.
Combat instincts surpass most lieutenants.
No clear background records before orphanage.
Spiritual signature is… layered. Possibly cloaked or fragmented."
He paused.
> "Conclusion: Dangerous if provoked.
But aligned with us—for now."
He signed it and burned the page in a sealed black flame.
---
A Warning from the Past
Elsewhere, deep in the castle of the Golden Dawn, William Vangeance stood in his private quarters, a sealed scroll in his hand.
He'd received a vision earlier that day—a flash of white hair, crimson eyes, and an impossible future.
"Julius needs to see this," he whispered.
As he turned to leave, a voice echoed in his mind.
> "He is the branch that could alter fate.
Protect him… or stop him."
William looked out the window.
"Crimson eyes, born again… Why does he remind me of the old war?"
---
Tension in the Ranks
Back at the Black Bulls hideout, Kael sat alone again on the rooftop, staring at the stars. A soft step approached—Noelle.
She sat beside him, arms folded. "You fought the captain earlier."
"I did."
"You didn't lose."
"I stopped."
Noelle looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why?"
Kael smiled faintly. "Not all victories are worth what they cost."
She stared a moment longer. "You're strange. But… not bad."
"Thank you."
She stood and walked away—but not before adding, "You'd better not die. I'd be… annoyed."
Kael's smile widened just a little.
> Relationship Progress: Noelle Silva – Growing Interest
---
Night's End
That night, Kael received a system alert:
> [Story Branch Identified – Future Event: Eye of the Midnight Sun – Early Awareness Gained]
[Reward: Shadow Detection Skill – Passive Alert Against Hidden Threats]
[Next Sync Point: Dungeon Arc]
Kael's crimson eyes flashed.
The game was changing—and this time, he wasn't playing blind.