The scene shifted back to Ogier and Las.
Ogier proved himself a true Platinum Knight, forged in the fires of swordsmanship. The ability to nullify supernatural powers barely affected him. In this battle, he gradually seized the upper hand. The mysterious figure before him wielded strange abilities and possessed freakishly robust physical strength, but he appeared very young—his swordplay lacked any real polish.
And yet… that very youth made him all the more terrifying. For a human so young to command such dreadful power.
If he were allowed a few more years to grow, he might well threaten the Blood Race’s standing.
No matter what, as a member of the Blood Race, Ogier knew he had to capture or kill this human right here.
“Who the hell are you, exactly?”
“Heh~ Don’t bother asking pointless questions. You know~ I won’t answer.”
“Tch. Stalling for time, huh? Don’t think I can’t see through your little game. Your real target is…” Ogier’s mind whirred at full speed. In the next instant, his pupils contracted as understanding struck. “Iyefut… Cape…”
At those words, Las froze for a split second, his face betraying genuine surprise. He had let slip that he was buying time in their earlier banter, but he was no fool—he knew better than to expose his mark outright. No point pretending now. He sneered, “Well… yeah. So what? You’re stuck dancing with me, and the other instructors can’t tap their superpowers… The Red Lycoris is as good as done.”
However.
In the face of Las’s victorious proclamation, Ogier smiled as well. “You… seem to have forgotten one little detail.”
“What’s that?” Las’s expression soured. Ogier’s unshakable confidence left him feeling oddly uneasy.
“Foolish human, this is the Knight Academy. Particularly tonight—the students attending the ball are the cream of the crop. Even without counting the low-years and mid-grades, the senior graders alone include plenty of elite talents. They might lack a graduation certificate, but their power is the real deal. Some of them rival Silver rank… even Gold Tier.”
…
Iyefut Cape’s amber eyes widened in sheer terror as Adolf lunged at her. Had her supernatural ability been available, she could have blocked the strike. But with powers sealed, drawing her sword to parry was out of the question—her hands were too slow.
She simply had no time.
Iyefut… was no swordmaster.
“Gotcha!”
Excitement flooded Adolf’s heart just as over a dozen figures charged in. Leading them was the Student Council president—David Ketch.
David repelled Adolf with effortless grace.
Flanking him were more than ten senior-grade students, scions of great houses and frontrunners in the academy rankings. Each gripped a knight’s sword, their gazes fixed on Adolf with a mix of confidence, disdain, and icy detachment…
But not a single one betrayed fear!!!
David flashed a cocksure grin. “Foolish human assassin—don’t you dare lay a finger on our princess.”
Simon adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses with a grave look. “We’re the Student Council of Knight Academy City. We won’t allow you to harm our students, human or Blood Race alike.”
The other students—men and women both—echoed the sentiment. “You won’t touch Miss Cape…”
Good grief!
A dozen-odd flower knights—in their formal evening wear, no less. It might have looked comical at first glance, but these were the academy’s top senior-grade talents. Even without their graduation trials, their strength had reached Silver rank… Gold Tier… perhaps beyond. Don’t make the mistake of thinking students couldn’t match professors.
Forget the low-years and mid-grades for a moment. The senior-grade standouts—especially the top ten—were peerless geniuses. Diploma or no, their power was undeniable.
They’d mastered everything they needed to know.
They’d forged the strength they required.
They just lacked a bit of real-world seasoning… and that piece of paper.
Iyefut Cape stared at the group, still clad in their ball gowns and tuxedos, a swell of emotion rising in her chest. Unbidden, her mind began spinning one of its little fantasy scenarios…
Whoa, hold on. Not the time for an inner theater production.
Adolf had been driven back a short distance. Through his veil, his eyes bored into Iyefut with razor sharpness.
Damn it!
The Red Lycoris was right there—how could these minnows stand in his way!?
“Hmph! Give it up… You’re only human. Such puny power… utterly laughable.” David’s voice brimmed with smug assurance.
In that fleeting clash, he’d already sized up Adolf’s strength.
Truth be told, he’d pegged the assassin as just another low-rent intruder who’d slipped past the faculty defenses… because he was pathetically weak. Bronze rank, at best.
David had traded blows with Golden Knights in practice bouts. The only reason he lingered at the academy was to claim a Platinum-level diploma!
He was top ten in his senior grade!
Adolf? Just the low-year chief.
The gap between them was like night and day.
However.
David’s scornful words about humans made Adolf clench his teeth. A faint gray mana emanated from his body—his superpower, Bloodthirster, a name he’d given it himself. The heavier the killing intent, the greater the power.
His strength swelled bit by bit, on the verge of shattering Bronze’s shackles!
But Adolf’s modest power-up left David and the others unmoved. They weren’t some mid-grade pushover like Bell Hodhua. A boost like that didn’t faze them in the slightest.
“Still too feeble! Take him down!”
…
The scene returned once more to Ogier and Las.
“Foolish human—among tonight’s ball attendees, even setting aside low-years and mid-grades, the senior graders boast no small number of elite students. Diploma or not, their strength is legit!”
Las blinked in momentary shock at Ogier’s smug declaration, but his face didn’t darken. Instead, he clapped a hand over his mouth and burst into roaring laughter.
The confidence drained from Ogier in a rush. He stared at Las, bewildered. “What the hell are you laughing at? What’s so damn funny?”
Las ignored the question, his expression one of utter certainty as he locked eyes with Ogier.
He wouldn’t have tasked a low-year student with something this critical without good reason. Those dual-colored pupils of his had spotted something terrifying in Adolf’s potential. The kid might not measure up now, but that spark could be fanned into something useful.
Seeing this, Ogier wheeled around, intent on racing back to the ballroom. A bad premonition gnawed at him—he couldn’t afford to waste more time on this enigmatic dual-pupiled youth. He had to protect Iyefut Cape.
But in the instant Ogier turned—
Las shot forward like an arrow, his form blurring into a spectral haze as he closed in behind. Eyes deep and unreadable, he murmured, “Your opponent is me… You’re not going anywhere…”
Ogier nearly slipped up, but his reflexes saved him. He dodged the strike and leaped back, creating distance. Something felt off…
No good!
He couldn’t keep tangling with this guy—he had to get back, fast!
Just then.
A deafening explosion erupted behind him, flames roaring toward the heavens amid a profound crimson glow. Within that eerie light lurked some uncanny force.
Ogier peered intently. Wasn’t that right near the ballroom?
Shit—something awful had gone down there!
Las eyed the crimson gleam, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. “Go on, then! Taylor… end the Red Lycoris’s life!”
…
At the same time.
David Ketch and the others crumpled to their knees, eyes glued to the black-clad figure amid the blaze and red radiance. They couldn’t fathom what had just happened. The man had been on the ropes, on the brink of defeat—then his body had ignited with scorching crimson light, triggering a massive blast.
Next, he’d drawn some bizarre weapon that spat blood-red mana bullets. From nearly a hundred meters away, it still wounded them all.
Sneak attack or not, it had felled everyone in one go.
No…
Student Council president David Ketch searched his soul and admitted the truth: even one-on-one, he couldn’t beat that monster…
In that moment, Adolf clung to the last threads of his sanity. The red stone pulsed with a soul-seizing, abyssal allure, luring his heart into darkness. The sensation felt dreamlike, unreal—yet the power was brutally authentic. It had catapulted him from Bronze straight to Gold… stronger than your average Gold, even.
For the first time in his life, he tasted such overwhelming might.
“Spider lily… Red spider lily… I must kill her!”
David and the rest knew they were powerless to resist Adolf’s chilling words. “Miss Cape, run! He’s after you…” They urged Iyefut to flee. No one left could stop the black-clad killer now.
David was sharp enough to see it. If he couldn’t spot Adolf’s target now, he ought to step down as president.
Iyefut Cape nodded. “Mm…”
She wasn’t trying to run away. Instead, she wanted to lure this mysterious man away and keep him from harming anyone else.
“Wind, carry me away…”
The instant the words left her mouth, Iyefut remembered that her superpower had already failed. She wasn’t skilled with the sword, and her physical conditioning was just average.
She decided to skip the little drama playing out in her head.
Two chibi figures kept waving their tiny pink fists, pounding away at her skull: “Iyefut, you big dummy…”
“Waaah~”
Iyefut snapped back to her senses. Even without her superpower, she had to escape—but her movement speed was far too slow. To Adolf, it looked like nothing more than a snail inching along.
Adolf stowed his Revolver—the Goddess of Vengeance.
In a flash, he blurred forward at blinding speed and dropped from above onto Iyefut. He raised the Knight’s Sword in his grip, aiming straight for her head in a ruthless strike to end the delicate beauty.
David and the others lay sprawled nearby, staring helplessly at the scene before squeezing their eyes shut. No one wanted to watch their woman lose her head like that—it was simply too brutal.
Iyefut’s pupils contracted. This time, she was truly finished!
“Save me, Mad Rogue!” In her moment of desperation, she cried out for him.
The instant her words rang out…
A short, scrawny figure appeared, clad in a tuxedo and wearing a pure black mask.
