(Julius Argenti POV)
The last couple of months of school passed in a flash. Nothing eventful happened other than completing our end-of-year exams.
Violet was the top scorer in academics for all those taking the mage course, while I was the top scorer in the mage course, barely inching out Amina.
Though she was currently stronger than me, my fundamentals were better, meaning I took the top score.
When I reflected on the mage course this year, I released I barely learnt anything. This year was about securing our fundamentals- learning mana control, hand-to-hand combat, techniques used universally, etc.
I had already learned this at SUITE, so it was just a refresher course. Though from next year onwards, we would develop our individual combat styles. This would be the time that students could become disciples.
I looked at the passing trees as I sat on the train back to New Blackwell.
Ataxia after failing to cause any meaningful damage to the relationship between the nobles and government would definitely not be satisfied waiting around.
On the surface, it looks like everything has calmed down, but there was a war raging beneath the depths. SUITE was in dire need of members as even I had to participate in missions on the weekends.
As a B rank, I was a SAC (Special Agent in Charge). With my strength, I was one of the top agents of SUITE. With the title, I was expecting that I would be called up to complete more missions next year.
"Sigh, what a pain."
***
(An S in an underground facility)
"How are recruits doing?"
"Good sir. They have been scoring well."
I picked up the report cards of some students and analysed their scores. With the opening of 50 students, I've managed to insert some of our agents into the A sector.
Now that the school year was over, Ataxia could now focus on other projects. With my authority, getting some of our people into high places wasn't difficult.
"Hmm?"
"What is it, sir."
I could feel some changes in the atmosphere. Though when I extended my senses I found nothing. An ordinary person would think it was their imagination, but I didn't get this far without listening to my instincts.
I motioned for the agents to be wary as I exited the room. What greeted me was nothing. Not a single soul. It was as if everyone else disappeared into thin air.
"CHECK THE CAMERAS!"
Who could've killed so many people without alerting me?
"Sir, the cameras have shown nothing."
An image of a man pops into my mind. Only one person could have done this.
"Umbra Moria..."
I whispered unintentionally.
"Good guess."
A good-looking man with jet-black hair, dressed in a dark trenchcoat suddenly appeared and approached us.
I quickly summoned my weapon to my hand, as darkness started enveloping us. I didn't worry about the other agents. They were dead either way and I couldn't protect them.
I was surrounded by darkness with the only light being from the eyes of the attacker. Its glow soon reduced as I descended in complete darkness.
'That must be the famous {Hawk Eyes}.'
Despite my lack of sight, I didn't worry about a sneak attack. I could see everything perfectly through my other senses.
I didn't know his purpose for creating a domain like this. I could easily escape such a thing. I sensed shadows appearing from everywhere around me. I couldn't feel any danger coming from them though.
'He's trying to capture me? How arrogant. You may be SS rank, but I'm still an S rank and you are still injured from the war. Soul damage won't heal that easily.'
We continuously fought in the darkness with me constantly on the defensive. The other people in the room were already dead.
"I didn't you of all people would support Ataxia. You're an S rank designated to protect the next generations, yet you still revealed the location of the training camp to allow it to be attacked."
Umbra Moria suddenly struck up a conversation.
"It's for the greater good."
I retorted back to him.
"Hmm, I don't think killing innocent children is for the greater good."
"Don't tell me you don't know what is happening. I've seen children orphaned because their parents accidentally offended a mage. Nobles live in luxury while none of it goes to those who need it. With the ever-present corruption and abuse of power, the system needs to go!"
"Yes, but not like this."
"HAH! How naive! Do you think the greedy nobles who have been in power for generations will be willing to relinquish it?"
"I've decided to believe in Rebecca. In the past, I've shunned her because reality doesn't match to ideals. However, now that the war is over, I'm going to follow her. She has the power, will and charisma needed to create a future for the next generation."
"I didn't think you'd be like this. Reports have told me you are a rational and efficient person. What is so rational about believing in ideals."
"It may seem irrational to you. It probably is. I've also seen my fair share of horrors and I abhorred it. If it was me in the past, I would've considered joining you. Sacrifice a few for the future."
"But now after the war, I want there to be peace. Maybe I've grown softhearted after all this time, but I want to believe in the next generation. A change doesn't need to be as forceful as this."
"Believe in the future generation. How ridiculous. All that is going to happen is that the new generation will replace the old, further securing their power. Nothing will change."
"There's no point arguing with you. We are S ranks with immense willpower. We will not break from our stances no matter what. Though even if I did agree with you, the act of endangering my granddaughter is an unforgivable sin."
Umbra went silent as he rushed at me, attacking thousands of times in a split second. Not only was he a close-range expert, but his dark attribute and {Shadow} concept were bombarding me from all sides.
'Tch, his darkness is difficult to deal with.'
Darkness attribute was renowned for being the most difficult to master. This stems from the fact that we knew so little about dark matter and energy.
The only abilities that were known about the dark attribute were creating solidified dark matter weapons and expanding space to create a place void of matter.
That meant whenever you were fighting a competent dark attribute user, you didn't know what they could do.
I used my solid attribute to create shields from the never-ending attacks I was receiving from him. These shields were made out of chromium, and reinforced by my {Rot} concept that weakened all attacks, yet they were destroyed in seconds.
I felt shadows crawl up my leg, putting pressure on my leg. I was completely immobilised by the world's greatest assassin.
Within this domain, everything was his weapon. With dark matter spears barraging me from all sides I desperately tried to weaken them to protect myself.
Despite offence not being my strong suit, I didn't think I was this helpless before him. I didn't the gap between us was this wide.
Within my shields, gaps kept appearing allowing for more attacks to contact with my body. Each attack that hit me, weakened my concentration which in turn weakened my shields creating an infinite cycle.
I didn't have an endless amount of mana, and I soon collapsed onto the floor exhausted and drained of mana.
The darkness soon disappeared revealing an empty room, completely undamaged.
"Haa...ha.."
I could barely let out a chuckle. So that was the strength of the 20 Rulers. Even while weakened, I wasn't his match.
Even the environmental damage was zero. I wanted to curse my fate. But I had no one to blame but myself. His SUITE agents were too good at their jobs.
I didn't regret selling out the location of the training camp. Every year it was changed, and the students would only know about the locations only a week beforehand.
No organisation would be able to plan an attack such as that unless they were informed months beforehand.
"Kill me, that's what you're here for."
"Unfortunately not. They've asked me to capture you alive."
He suddenly pulled out a chain from his back pocket. From the aura it was emitting, it wasn't an ordinary chain.
"Gleipner."
I sighed as the name of the chain came to my mind.
"2 out of 2, good job."
Umbra Moria taunted me as he tied me. I didn't resist. I didn't have to energy to.
Gleipner was a special chain made of extremely rare magical metals and could only be crafted by an S rank enchanter. They could even seal away the powers of an SS rank.
However, the conditions for the chains were difficult to activate. If the target was an S rank or above, they had to weaken and only another S rank would be able to capture it.
With Moria completing the two requirements effortlessly, I was soon shipped off to Tartarus. Even though it was the cause of my demise, I didn't regret joining Ataxia.
I truly hoped that Ataxia would recover from the loss of losing an S rank. They were the only hope for this continent.