"I saw the golden doors… and behind them was Lux. Impossible. He's no longer of this world… Does that mean I'm… too? No, no, no!"
Suddenly, Aria drew in a sharp, desperate breath, as if air had flooded back into her lungs all at once. She jolted upright, heart pounding wildly. Around her, the rest of the class lay sprawled on the ground, utterly spent, gasping, bodies slick with sweat, bruises blooming across skin, dust clinging to everything. Lamia's training had driven them far beyond their physical and mental limits. The woman was an absolute monster, a force of nature incarnate. Even when they tried to catch their breath, she hurled surprise attacks to sharpen their reflexes, turning every moment of rest into a deadly trap.
Aria clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, frustration burning through her. This training was the perfect chance to finally test her weapons… but those cursed chains binding her twin blades remained sealed, lifeless. They barely produced any damage—just a pathetic spark when she pushed. It was humiliating enough, but what gnawed at her deepest was watching the four top students of the class shine anyway, like stars cutting through a moonless night.
Leslie was drenched in sweat, yet she held her ground against Lamia's relentless onslaught. Her rapier flowed with breathtaking grace, no wasted motion. Agile and precise, she parried and countered under a literal storm of strikes. Miore excelled in magic mastery—she didn't even need her orb to channel powerful, perfectly controlled spells. In contrast, Leonard wielded his weapon as a flawless extension of his body, seamlessly switching between offense and defense with surgical accuracy; he used every clash to hone his technique into something deadlier. And then there was Daniel… He didn't hesitate for a second. He charged Lamia head-on, saber flashing, chaining attacks with raw, relentless, almost suicidal fury.
They were all incredible. Their skill far outstripped the rest of the class, who struggled just to keep up. Yet in the end, it changed nothing. A storm of cubes—those merciless cubic projectiles Lamia controlled like living extensions of her will—swept all four away in one fluid, devastating motion. They flew backward, crashing into the ground amid clouds of dust and gravel. I'll say it again: our professor is monstrous, a living legend.
"Well, training's over, kids! Come here. I'm going to point out your flaws and what you need to work on most."
After gulping water and gathering their wits, they sat in a circle on the ground before Lamia. She perched on a chair like a queen on an iron throne, scanning each of them with a piercing, almost surgical gaze. Then she stopped on Leslie.
"Good overall ability, perfect observation of your opponent… but you can't see yourself as strong. You constantly doubt your technique and put others on a pedestal of talent. Work on that. And you, Ben… you gave up way too quickly. You already see yourself as incapable of doing better. Pathetic. Is this really the limit of your determination? Don't you want to become strong?"
Leslie and Ben lowered their heads, sighing heavily. The truth hit them square in the face, impossible to dodge or deny.
"Miore, you're incapable of teamwork. You only think of yourself. Did you notice that without my intervention, you would have seriously injured Sasha? Learn to collaborate, to understand others. You're too arrogant. And speaking of arrogance… my idiot little brother! Aaah, who gave me such a cocky brother? I get your talent, Leonard, but remember the test: you used your classmates as bait to draw me away and recover your magic. In wartime, you'd be the type to sacrifice allies for victory and call it brilliant strategy. Not surprising for a pro noble like you…"
Miore gritted her teeth, frustration boiling to the core. Leonard seethed inside, fists clenched, but he stayed silent. Despite the harshness, the words carried an undeniable, cruel truth.
"Daniel, you're consumed by rage… You're not immortal, and charging headfirst hoping to get stronger is stupid… First, master your family's sword style—even if a traitor uses the same one."
Daniel burned with anger but said nothing. The truth scorched him like hot iron.
"Seraphine… I don't even know where to start. You did nothing but protect the princess. The rest? Nothing."
Seraphine raised her fan to her mouth, a cold, haughty smile curling her lips.
"Isn't it obvious? Only the princess deserves my attention. The rest of these lesser classes don't interest me."
Lamia rubbed her forehead, utterly exasperated.
"That attitude is your biggest flaw. Let's be clear: you won't have the princess as your dedicated partner anymore. As for Oria… you have talent, but you still don't know how to properly use your weapon—those strange boots. And your frustration explodes too quickly. Then Sasha, a piece of advice: those chains will never help you as long as you panic like that. Forget everything, fight for what you truly desire… and they'll become your allies. Elias, you're not used to two-handed weapons, but training will fix that. You're too quiet. You've seen your classmates' flaws, yet you hesitate to speak up, to show your dissatisfaction."
Seraphine was visibly fuming, her fan trembling slightly, but Lamia ignored her completely and rose smoothly.
"Kael and Runa, your teamwork is impressive for newcomers. The reason doesn't matter—you showed real synergy. Just forget that every time one of you gets hurt, you drop your guard to rush to the other's side. In real war, you'd both be dead. And finally… Aria."
Aria felt her stomach twist, a knot of dread rising in her throat.
"You'll never shine like Lux. You'll always be unable to match him. In my opinion, you'll never be a heroine as radiant as he was."
Aria stared at the ground, eyes misty. The words echoed her deepest fears. She thought of her big brother, the immense shadow he cast over her forever. She already knew this truth in her gut, but hearing it aloud hurt like a blade to the heart. She wanted it to stop, to be left alone… but Lamia continued, her voice softer now, almost compassionate.
"But tell me… is that really a flaw? As your teacher, I'm not here to tear you down. Look at your weapon. Ask yourself why it's like this, why those chains… In the meantime, you remain my weakest student—so never stop training. Okay, class dismissed. See you tomorrow."
Lamia walked away with confident strides, leaving the class alone in a heavy, suffocating silence filled with swirling thoughts like an inner storm.
Night fell quickly, draping the world in darkness. On the other side of the country, in a grim, gray forest, a man walked calmly, an enigmatic smile on his lips.
"Once upon a time… in a gray forest… lived a little king… His name was Vince."
Vince stopped in front of a weathered wooden house blackened by time and storms. He knocked gently on the door.
"Open this book… you'll find a surprise… Why inside… is my heart? Hmm… I'm finally here."
The door creaked open slowly, like a dying scream. A woman emerged. She looked like she'd walked through hell: endless tears streamed down her hollow cheeks, her torn, filthy clothes hung from her emaciated, worn body. She had no strength left to defend herself. She stared at Vince like a ghost—present yet absent, a shadow of her former glory.
"Hello. My name is Vince. It's an honor to meet you in the flesh… the great heroine, one of the seven blades… the mage Aria! Your name has inspired so many stories, so many legends."
The woman—Aria—retreated inside, exhausted, tears still flowing.
"What do you want? I don't want to hear that cursed name anymore… I'll never be happy. To think Lux chose the same name for his little sister… Oh, Lux… Lux, why… Why all of this?"
Vince stepped inside without hesitation and fixed her with a strange, almost joyful smile.
"Oh? Oooh no no no, you're really crying? He's been dead for so long… Wait, wait, wait! That's not why I came! Yes, I came to ask you to join the Devourers… and work for Vesp—"
Suddenly, the house exploded in a deafening roar, a pure blast of magic. Pages from an ancient book scattered into the sky like black snowflakes swirling in the wind. By magic, Vince reappeared behind the floating curtain of paper, unscathed. The ruins of the building hovered in the air, defying gravity. Aria walked on empty space, borne by her ancient magic, her faithful scepter gripped in her trembling but resolute hand.
"Vespia? You're one of her servants? Where is she? Where is Vespia!! Tell me everything!"
Vince watched her, delighted, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"You'll see, Vespia. I'll bring you to her. And I'll show you the true reason behind her actions toward Lux… My power can even give you the life you so desperately want. In exchange… become the one who devours magic. Work with us."
Aria studied him calmly, eyes red but fierce, a dangerous spark dancing within.
"I'll think about it… after I exterminate you."
Multicolored magic circles—fire, ice, lightning, earth, wind—erupted in the sky, lighting the night with a silent, apocalyptic devastation. The next day, newspapers screamed about the total destruction of the area: traces of a legendary mage, so vital to the kingdom that an immediate investigation was launched. But she had vanished without a trace.
Today, she walks beside Vince down a long, dark, cold, damp corridor.
"Open this book… you'll find a surprise… hahahahahaha… it's just me, Vince."
The loop begins again, inexorable.
End of Chapter 9.