Samuel lay on the ground as he gazed at the bright sun hanging high in the sky.
The entire roof of the training grounds had collapsed.
Sunlight poured through the massive opening while pieces of debris remained scattered across the arena.
After a long silence, Samuel finally spoke.
"So all this time..."
"You were the son of Lucivar Valen."
I had already explained everything to everyone.
My identity.
Astryx.
The war.
The Valen Family.
To be honest—
I wasn't entirely sure how they would react.
After all, I was from the enemy nation.
The nation Verilian had fought against.
Yelena was the first to break the silence.
She chuckled lightly.
"Well, with the war over, it doesn't really matter anymore."
Darius crossed his arms.
His expression remained calm as always.
"How exactly did the Valen Family become nobles in Verilian?"
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I honestly wonder the same thing."
Darius sighed.
"Somehow that's exactly the answer I expected."
Before anyone could continue—
a furious voice erupted throughout the ruined training grounds.
"H-HEY!"
Everyone froze.
I slowly turned around.
Instructor Ron stood there trembling.
His face was completely red.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
He pointed toward the destroyed arena.
Then toward the shattered walls.
Then toward the giant hole in the roof.
"W-WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
"Hm?"
I blinked.
His eye twitched.
"W-WHO IS GOING TO FIX MY DAMN ROOF YOU IDIOTS?!"
Ah...
Right.
The roof.
...
A tactical retreat was immediately initiated.
---
Soon afterward—
I found myself walking through the academy corridors alongside Silver.
The moment students noticed me—
whispers immediately spread.
"Isn't that..."
"Wait..."
"No way..."
"I thought he left the academy."
"That's Noctis."
Everywhere we walked, eyes followed us.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"It's been a while."
"And it seems like you have something you want to ask."
I glanced toward Silver.
Those cold blue eyes met mine.
Unlike everyone else—
he wasn't interested in my identity.
Or Astryx.
Or the war.
There was only one thing on his mind.
Silver finally spoke.
"How strong are you now?"
I blinked.
"Hm?"
"I thought I already showed you my strength."
Silver's expression remained unchanged.
"You were holding back."
A small smile appeared on my face.
As expected of him.
I didn't bother denying it.
Instead I answered honestly.
"I've broken through S Rank."
For the first time—
Silver's eyes widened.
Only slightly.
But they widened.
Silence followed.
Slowly—
understanding appeared in his gaze.
The person standing before him wasn't merely talented anymore.
Wasn't merely unique.
Wasn't merely someone who could challenge geniuses.
I had already stepped onto an entirely different path.
A path none of them had reached yet.
After a moment—
Silver suddenly let out a quiet chuckle.
The sight alone was rare enough to shock most people.
"It's nice to have you back."
A genuine smile appeared on my face.
"Yeah."
"It's nice to be back."
Meanwhile—
throughout the academy—
news spread like wildfire.
The mysterious cadet who had vanished for an entire year.
The genius swordsman.
The former Apex.
The monster who had once dominated the Nexus Festival.
The person everyone believed had abandoned the academy.
Noctis...
Had returned.
And by the end of the day—
both the Third Years and Fourth Years were completely shaken by the news.
...
Inside the cafeteria reserved for the First Years—
a boy with deep blue hair sat alone near one of the windows.
Cold blue eyes silently observed the crowd around him.
An obsidian cloak rested on his shoulders.
The symbol of the S-Class.
Around him, conversations echoed endlessly.
"Did you hear?"
"Apparently some famous swordsman from the Third Year came back."
"Huh? You mean Noctis?"
"Yeah, that guy."
"I heard he disappeared for an entire year."
"No way."
"I wonder if he's stronger than Samuel Crimson."
The table behind them immediately burst into laughter.
"Stronger than Samuel?"
"You're joking, right?"
"There isn't anyone in the academy stronger than Samuel."
"Exactly."
"He's practically a monster."
The blue-haired boy quietly listened while taking another bite of his meal.
Noctis?
Who is that?
The name meant absolutely nothing to him.
Just another upperclassman.
At least that's what he assumed.
Before he could continue eating—
a shadow suddenly fell across his table.
The entire cafeteria became strangely quiet.
Whispers immediately erupted.
"Wait..."
"Isn't that—"
"The Student Council President."
"What is she doing here?"
"Who is she talking to?"
The blue-haired boy slowly looked up.
A woman with long black hair stood before him.
Sharp black eyes.
A confident smile.
A white cloak draped over her shoulders.
The symbol of the Student Council.
More specifically—
the Student Council President herself.
Clara Taylor.
The whispers around the cafeteria only intensified.
"Why is she talking to Leo?"
"Do they know each other?"
"No way."
"Even the S-Class students don't normally meet her."
Leo blinked.
Then spoke calmly.
"You're the Student Council President."
"Clara Taylor."
A grin immediately spread across her face.
Almost too wide.
Far too excited.
She leaned forward slightly.
"Hello my Lucky Char—"
She suddenly froze.
A violent cough escaped her mouth.
"Cough."
"Cough."
The smile instantly became refined and elegant.
As though nothing had happened.
"Hello, Leo."
Leo stared at her.
Silence.
Clara maintained her perfect smile.
Leo continued staring.
"..."
"..."
Finally—
he spoke.
"What were you about to say?"
For the first time—
the Student Council President looked genuinely flustered.
"Nothing."
"Absolutely nothing."
The strange grin returned.
"Anyway..."
"I've been looking for you."
And for some reason—
that sentence made Leo feel far more uneasy than it should have.
...
"Hm..."
What an interesting situation I'm in.
My eyes rested on the pink-haired girl sitting opposite me.
Small figure.
Pink eyes.
A pillow nearly larger than herself.
Alyssa Croft.
The bearer of the Stigmata of Sloth.
Out of every person in the academy—
she had somehow appeared in front of me, pointed toward the nearest restaurant, and silently demanded food.
What exactly did she want?
I had no idea.
Currently, Alyssa sat with her head resting on the table.
Asleep.
Completely asleep.
The food hadn't even arrived yet.
"..."
I stared at her.
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even twitch.
Haah...
What a waste of time.
I slowly reached forward and patted her head.
Perhaps as a sign that I was leaving.
Alyssa remained motionless.
Not even a reaction.
"...Right."
I stood up from my seat.
As I turned around—
my footsteps stopped.
My pupils shrank.
The restaurant was gone.
The academy was gone.
The city was gone.
Everything was gone.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
No voices.
No wind.
No sound.
Only an endless forest stretching beyond the horizon.
A cold chill crawled down my spine.
"Astarax."
The Chaos Dragon's voice immediately echoed inside my mind.
[Rio.]
For the first time in a long while—
there was tension in her voice.
[Be careful.]
My eyes slowly moved forward.
And then I saw it.
A gigantic cherry blossom tree stood at the center of the forest.
Its branches stretched into the heavens themselves.
Countless pink leaves drifted through the air.
Beautiful.
Unnaturally beautiful.
And beneath that tree—
stood a figure.
Long black hair flowed gently in the wind.
An ethereal cloak covered their body.
Two dark horns curved upward from their head.
Their appearance was impossible to define.
Man.
Woman.
Neither felt correct.
It was as if the concept of gender simply didn't apply to them.
Only one thing was certain.
The overwhelming presence.
The suffocating divinity.
The pressure that made even breathing feel difficult.
My heartbeat stopped.
No.
That's impossible.
Astarax's voice became grim.
[Rio.]
[That is not an avatar.]
[That is not a vessel.]
[You are standing before the real thing.]
The figure smiled.
A gentle smile.
A smile that carried neither malice nor kindness.
Only inevitability.
Cherry blossom petals drifted around them.
Then—
then it spoke.
The voice felt distant.
Yet it echoed directly inside my soul.
"Hello, Rio."
The world trembled.
And standing beneath the ancient tree—
was the Demon King of Sloth.