It had been a chilly night—the kind that made the walls feel closer than they were.
Rick had been sleeping beside his mother when the door creaked open. Heavy footsteps followed. Before either of them could react, two men stood in the room, their breath thick with alcohol, their laughter careless and cruel.
"What are you doing?" his mother demanded, pulling Rick against her chest.
One of the men scoffed. "Get out of my way."
Rick remembered the way her arms tightened, the way her body trembled—not with fear, but with resolve. Then another man stepped forward and grabbed him, wrenching him away from her grasp.
"Leave him!" she screamed.
Rick struggled, kicking, clawing, crying—but he was small, powerless. When his mother tried to intervene, the man struck her without hesitation.
That was the moment something inside Rick shattered.
He lunged forward and bit down with everything he had.
The man screamed.
The next instant, Rick was thrown against the wall. Pain exploded through his back, his head, his chest. He slid to the floor, coughing, his vision blurring as fists came down again and again.
"How dare you bite me?" the man roared.
Rick couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
He could only hear his mother screaming his name as another man restrained her, forcing her to watch.
Powerlessness.
That feeling etched itself into his bones.
The assault ended only because others arrived—knights drawn by noise, not justice. The men were dragged away, still laughing, still unafraid.
Rick thought then—surely now someone will act.
He was wrong.
The men were released. Orders from above. His grandfather's word. His father's silence.
That day, Rick felt something colder than hatred.
Disappointment.
He was angry at his father. Angry at the world.
But most of all—he was angry at himself.
For being weak.
For being unable to protect her.
That night, he made a promise no one else heard.
I will never be powerless again.
And now—years later—that same promise burned inside him as he walked toward B-Class.
Another man. Another threat.
The same sickness wearing a different face.
Rick's fist clenched so tightly that blood dripped from his palm. His, Mana leaking from his body unconsciously.
But Rick didn't knew that.
He only saw the past replaying itself.
Rage surged through him—not wild, not blind—but sharp, focused.
The kind that breaks limits.
Mana spilled outward, violent and raw.
And without knowing it, Rick crossed a boundary.
External Art—manifesting not through training, but through will.
Through trauma.
Through resolve.
But Rick still didn't knew that.
Rick reached the B-Rank classroom after a long, restless walk through the academy halls. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
The room was nearly empty. Desks lay abandoned, sunlight slanted through tall windows, and only a handful of students lingered—evidence that lunch break had not yet ended. Rick's eyes scanned the space, sharp and searching, looking for one name, one face.
Vein.
A voice cut through the silence.
"Hey, who are you?"
Rick did not answer. His gaze moved past them, already certain. Vein wasn't here.
Without a word, Rick turned and walked out, ignoring the whispers behind him. His footsteps echoed as he moved through the academy, asking around, piecing together fragments until the truth surfaced—Vein had went up. To the A-Class floor.
Rick's blood boiled.
Every second felt wasted. He took the stairs two at a time, reached the first floor, turned left, then right, and continued down the corridor until the air itself seemed to tighten. At the far end of the hallway, he finally saw them.
Vein stood there, relaxed, flanked by two other students, directly in front of the A-Class entrance.
"Hey, Vein, let's go. Class has already started," one of them said casually.
The other scoffed. "Don't tell Vein what to do."
Then, with a laugh, the first continued, "Seriously though, what are we even doing here?"
Vein answered with thinly veiled pride. "This is the A-Class. The elite of the academy attend here. And one day, I'll be included among them."
"Oh—by the way," one of them added, leaning closer, voice dropping. "About that girl."
Vein turned, confused.
"The one you invited to your room." the other continued with a grin.
"Oh! Her, Man she's really beautiful. When I first saw her, I thought she was a noble. But then i found out she was just a commoner but still she can be my plaything at least." Vein pausing for a while " So what about her. " he added.
They chuckled. "Well, We were hoping that after you're done with her, could you give her to us."
Hearing that Veing gave a smile. "Yeah. You can have her."
"You really are the best, Vein," they said in unison. "We'll always follow you."
They were still talking—still laughing—when one of them finally noticed movement at the end of the hall.
Rick.
He was charging straight toward them.
The moment Rick spotted Vein, his body moved on its own.
At first, he walked—slow, controlled, his eyes locked onto that familiar figure at the end of the hall. Then his pace quickened. His footsteps grew heavier. And finally, restraint shattered.
Rick broke into a run.
One of the students beside Vein noticed him and burst out laughing.
"Hey, look! There's an idiot running in the hallway."
They laughed louder, careless and cruel. Vein didn't even turn. None of them paid Rick any attention, too absorbed in their own conversation—until something changed.
The laughter faltered.
The student who had been watching Rick felt his smile die, replaced by a sudden, cold unease.
"…Vein," he muttered, eyes widening. "That bastard is running straight at us."
Hearing that, Vein finally began to turn—
"Vein, watch out!"
But it was oo late.
Rick slammed into him with full force, driving his shoulder into Vein's stomach. The impact lifted both off his feet. The doors of the A-Class burst open as Rick carried Vein straight inside, crashing into the room in front of everyone.
The mage class which was already in session.
Students sat frozen at their desks. The instructor stood at the front—unmoving, expression unreadable—as Rick tackled Vein across the polished floor. The collision didn't stop there. Momentum carried them through the far side of the room—
Glass exploded.
The window shattered outward as both bodies burst through it, vanishing from the classroom in a storm of shards and wind.
"Are you,..... insane?!" Vein shouted as they fell.
They plunged from the first floor.
Below, the academy's open courtyard was alive with students—some walking, others sitting, talking quietly—until a thunderous crash tore through the air. Two bodies hit the ground hard, rolling across the stone.
Gasps erupted. Shouts followed. Students froze in disbelief.
Above them, A-Class students rushed to the window, staring down in shock. Even the instructor approached the shattered frame—but he did nothing. He simply watched, cold eyes observing without intervention.
Whispers spread like fire.
Both Rick and Vein slowly pushed themselves up from the ground, bruised, dust-covered, breathing hard.
Vein stood first, a crooked smile spreading across his face.
"I don't know who you are," he said calmly, eyes sharp with malice, "but I'll make sure your academy life becomes miserable."
Rick rose next, fists trembling, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached but it was not from pain but from anger. His voice was low, restrained—dangerously so.
"Worry about yourself," he said. "Because I'm afraid… I might kill you."
For a moment, silence ruled.
Then Vein laughed.
A loud, mocking laugh that echoed across the courtyard.
"Ha… ha… ha…" He wiped his mouth, still smiling. "Hey, everyone, listen to him. Looks like this guy has a few screws loose in his head."
The air crackled with hostility the moment their eyes met.
"Do you even know who I am?" Vein sneered, his voice sharp with pride and provocation.
"Why? Did your mother didn't told you?" Rick smiling, rolling his sleeves.
That indifference ignited Vein's rage.
"What did you say?" Vein in anger.
"Are you deaf? You son of a mother fucking bastard." Rick with a smirk.
The situation was getting tense untill,
"Stop—right there!"
The command rang out from behind. Two instructors coming to stop them.
But then came anothe voice.Instructor Nick's voice, cold and decisive.
"Don't interfere," he said.
Hearing that one of the instructor said " But Instructor Nick, we have to stop it before it escalate into a fight."
" Don't interfere." Nick with a sharp look."If it becomes a fight, I'll take responsibility."
Shock rippled through the crowd. Even Rick glancing toward Nick in disbelief. Since he thought they would stop them.
Vein laughed bitterly. "Looks like even the instructors don't care to save you. What an unlucky day."
Rick didn't answer.
He moved.
In a blink, Rick closed the distance, his fist driving into Vein's stomach with brutal precision. The impact stole Vein's breath, his body folding as he collapsed to his knees, the ground meeting him like a final judgment.
Silence followed—thick, stunned silence.
Everyone had believed Vein would overwhelm Rick effortlessly. Yet something was wrong.
Instructor Nick narrowed his eyes, observing the flow of mana Rick wielded. It was raw. Unrefined. Rick had barely reached the threshold of External Art, yet his speed and power rivaled those who had long mastered it.
"Just how pure his mana to have that much power?" Nick wondered, unease creeping into his thoughts.
Vein gasped on the ground, clutching his stomach, pain burning through his body and pride alike." What… was that?" Vein in his mind. "I thought he was nothing. This power—this is far too much."
When Vein finally looked up, Rick stood over him, eyes blazing—not wild, but controlled, terrifyingly so. Anger coiled behind that stare, restrained by a thread ready to snap.
Meanwhile, Inside the academy walls, far from the brewing violence, Lina clutched her chest in unease.
"Don't cry, Lina," Rin said gently, trying to calm her trembling voice. "Everything will be alright."
But before comfort could settle, hurried footsteps echoed through the halls. Students rushed past them, faces lit with urgency and excitement. Lina wiped her tears, curiosity overtaking fear, and stopped one of them.
"Hey—what's going on?"
The student hesitated, then blurted out, "Someone's fighting Vein. It's happening outside the sparring hall. Everyone's going to see it."
The words struck like lightning.
Lina and Rin exchanged a glance, dread flooding their expressions, and without another word, they followed the stream of students rushing toward the training grounds.
At the same time on training ground, "Where the hell is Rick." Rome in worry but then he saw some students rushing.
Instructor also noticed the growing crowd and barked, "Why are you all running?"
A student stopped, panting. "Sir… Rick is fighting Vein."
The instructor froze. Shock widened his eyes, but before he could say another word, Rome hearing that turned and ran—fear and urgency driving his steps toward the battleground.
Meanwhile, Vein glared up at Rick, hatred blazing in his eyes.
"Don't you dare look at me like that!" Vein roared, fury stripping away reason as he lunged forward, his fist cutting through the air.
Rick didn't flinch. He also threw a punch.
Their fists collided—bone against bone. Pain exploded through Vein's hand, a sharp, sickening crack echoing in his ears.
"My hand—!" Vein cried out, staggering back.
But Rick gave him no mercy.
A brutal punch slammed into Vein's jaw, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground. Vein groaned, struggling to rise, vision spinning—but Rick was already there.
Rick straddled him.
Then the blows began.
Punch after punch rained down with ruthless precision, each strike tearing away Vein's defenses. Vein tried to shield his face, arms shaking, but it was useless. Rick's fists slipped past his guard, smashing into his cheeks, nose, and brow.
Blood splattered the stone.
The crowd stood frozen in horror. This wasn't a fight—it was domination.
"Instructor Nick, we have to stop this!" one instructor shouted in worry.
But Nick's eyes never left Rick.
"Don't interfere," he said sharply.
Rick kept striking. Again. Again.
Vein couldn't even retaliate. He couldn't land a single hit.
What terrified the onlookers most wasn't the blood soaking Rick's hands—but whose blood it was.
Not Rick's.
Vein lay broken beneath him, overwhelmed by sheer power and merciless control, as Rick delivered blow after blow, proving to everyone watching that this battle had never been equal.
"Stop… please."
Vein's voice broke, desperation bleeding through every word. He begged—openly, shamelessly—but Rick did not stop.
Vein's eyes darted wildly through the crowd, searching for someone—anyone—to save him. But no one stepped forward. Fear rooted them to the ground.
He's going to kill me.
The thought looped endlessly in Vein's mind as tears streamed down his face. "Someone… please… help me," he whispered, his voice barely audible beneath the sound of fists striking flesh.
Rick didn't hear him.
Or perhaps—he didn't care.
Then, suddenly—
"Enough!"
A figure burst through the crowd. Rome threw himself between them, grabbing Rick with all his strength and dragging him away from Vein.
"Rick, stop! He'll die!" Rome shouted, struggling to restrain him.
"Let go of me!" Rick snarled, thrashing violently. "I'll kill him—right now!"
"Calm down!" Rome yelled back, barely holding him. "This isn't like you!"
More footsteps thundered closer. Two students—Leze and Krai— who also came running after hearing about the fight. They joined Rome. Together, the three of them forced Rick back, pulling him away inch by inch as he fought like a beast unleashed.
Only when Rick was dragged far from Vein did the tension begin to ease.
"Instructor!" someone cried.
Orders rang out immediately. One instructor rushed to Vein's side while another signaled for guards.
Vein lay motionless, blood soaking the ground beneath him.
The incident shook the academy to its core.
Never before had such bloodshed occurred between students. The academy was strict—unforgiving—but this was unprecedented. By nightfall, the story had spread to every corner of the grounds.
Vein was hospitalized under guard.
Rick was detained.
Escorted away in silence, Rick was taken to the faculty chambers, where judgment awaited him.
What began as a fight became a turning point.
From that day onward, the academy would never look at Rick the same way again.