Moving into the upper years marked a turning point, not just in the structure of our education but in the very atmosphere of Mythos Academy. Classes no longer followed the rigid schedules of the lower years. Instead, we each had individual timetables tailored to our chosen paths.
We still began the day with homeroom, a brief moment of unity before the splintering of our schedules sent us in different directions. For me, it also meant seeing less of the girls. I shared a few classes with Rachel and Cecilia, but none with Seraphina—dropping swordsmanship had made that inevitable.
Still, for now, we had homeroom, and so we made our way together to the fourth-year building, entering Class 4-A as a group. The sleek, futuristic halls of Mythos Academy gleamed with the hum of mana-powered systems, and the magnetic door to our classroom slid open as we approached.
The sight inside brought a smile to my face.
The familiar faces greeted me like echoes of the past three years, though they had all changed—hardened, refined. There was no mistaking the strength this group had gained.
Lucifer Windward sat near the front, his posture rigid, his silver hair catching the morning light filtering through the room's energy shields. He was at the same mana rank as I was, his development astonishingly rapid. In fact, he had even managed to best a low Ascendant-rank in the war in the Eastern Continent. Impressive, but still not enough to surpass me.
Near him sat Ren Kagu, Rank 3, his expression calm but his eyes sharp as always. He was approaching peak Integration-rank, his mana only slightly behind Rachel's, though in overall combat strength, he held the edge. Ren had always been a quiet storm, gathering strength until the moment he unleashed it.
Further back, Jin Ashbluff occupied a seat, his easy grin betraying none of the intensity of his progress. At Rank 5, he was steadily climbing, sitting somewhere between mid and high Integration-rank. His potential was unmistakable, and I knew he would push further still.
Ian Viserion, Rank 7, leaned back in his seat, his fiery red hair as striking as ever. He was at mid Integration-rank now, and like everyone else in this room, his talent was shining brightly. In fact, all eight students of Class 4-A had reached mid Integration-rank—a testament to the class's unprecedented potential.
It was staggering to think about. Just two years ago, Class 4-A had boasted only one mid Integration-rank student: the Rank 1. Now, every member of this class had achieved that milestone. This was a gathering of prodigies, each one pushing the boundaries of what Mythos Academy had ever seen.
Jin Ashbluff was the first to make eye contact with me. He nodded, his demeanor calm and composed. Compared to before, Subordinate A had changed considerably. His behavior had matured, and even his personality had mellowed. The burning drive to escape his father's shadow still lingered, but it no longer consumed him. It was no longer the all-encompassing force that dictated his every move. That change in mentality was one I could appreciate.
Lucifer's emerald-green eyes found mine next, and I was struck by the lack of envy in them. That was new. I had grown accustomed to the resentment that used to flicker in his gaze—the lingering bitterness of a man who felt everything had been taken from him.
And to be fair, I had taken a lot. Rachel had fallen in love with me, not him. The throne, metaphorically speaking, had shifted in my favor. I'd upended his world, intentionally or not. But today, his gaze carried something closer to neutrality, even grudging acceptance. It was a welcome change. I didn't want to be on bad terms with Lucifer; there were bigger battles to fight.
Ian Viserion, ever the playful one, greeted me with a cheerful wave, his demeanor as relaxed as ever. Ren Kagu, however, was a different story. His sharp purple eyes narrowed as he activated his God's Eyes, scanning me with their unnerving precision. A moment later, he clicked his tongue in irritation, clearly displeased by what he found—or didn't find. Typical Ren.
The four of us took our seats, settling into the quiet hum of the classroom. The atmosphere carried an unspoken anticipation, the kind that came with the start of something new. And then I felt it—the faint brush of a mana signature, powerful and deliberate, brushing against my senses like the edge of a blade.
Moments later, the door opened, and our new professor stepped inside.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm your new professor, hired by Mythos Academy," she said, her voice steady and confident as she strode to the head of the room.
I leaned back in my chair, studying her with interest. Her presence was commanding, her mana signature undeniable. 'Valerie pulled in a big favor for this one,' I thought as I recognized the figure standing before us.
"Sister?" Lucifer whispered, his voice tinged with shock. His usually unflappable demeanor cracked, and I caught a rare flicker of emotion in his emerald eyes.
The woman ignored him entirely, crossing her arms as she surveyed the class.
Lilith Windward. High Immortal-rank. A prodigy who had ascended to that level at just twenty-five years old—a feat as rare as it was awe-inspiring. And more than that, she was a legend in her own right. Lilith was the one who had sacrificed herself to help Arden Windward kill the Shadow Seeker Sovereign, an act of valor that had reshaped the balance of power on the continent in the future.
And now, here she stood, alive and well for now, as our professor.
The room was silent, the weight of her presence pressing down on us. Even Lucifer, usually so quick with a sharp word, was at a loss.
"Let's not waste time," Lilith said briskly, her tone cutting through the tension like a blade. "This is Class 4-A. You're supposed to be the best. Let's see if you can live up to the reputation."
Her eyes swept over the room, sharp and calculating, pausing briefly on each of us. When her gaze landed on Lucifer, her lips curved into the faintest of smirks. "And you, little cousin. I hope you've grown up since the last time I saw you."
Lucifer stiffened but said nothing, his shock still evident.
Lilith's emerald eyes finally settled on me, her gaze sharp and assessing. For a moment, she said nothing, her expression unreadable. Then her eyes widened slightly, the only sign of her reaction. "So, you're the one who defeated Nolan Wright?" she asked, her voice carrying an edge of curiosity. "How was the battle?"
"Not bad," I replied evenly, meeting her gaze without flinching. Her presence was weighty, her mana signature a subtle pressure in the room, but I'd faced far heavier. "He lacked experience."
Her lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "So, fighting against the Vice Captain of an Imperial Knights division was just 'not bad' for you, huh?"
I scratched the back of my head, pretending at casualness. "Well, that's how it felt," I said honestly.
Lilith raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. Her gaze sharpened further, as if she were dissecting my words for hidden meaning, but I wasn't hiding anything. The truth was simple. In terms of pure mana rank, Nolan had been far above me—a peak Ascendant-rank against someone still at Integration. By all rights, I shouldn't have been able to win.
But rank alone wasn't everything.
Nolan had been strong—stronger than Vaelor, who I'd faced before—but he hadn't been strong enough to defeat me. There was a difference, and it had made all the difference in the battle.
"Nolan's problem wasn't power," I continued, my tone steady. "If anything, his strength was impressive. But he was… soft. Like a flower blooming in a sheltered garden. Beautiful, perhaps. But fragile."
Lilith's smirk deepened, her interest clearly piqued. "Soft, you say? And yet he's the Vice Captain of an Imperial Knights division."
I nodded. "Rank doesn't guarantee grit. He panicked too quickly under pressure, didn't know how to adapt when things went sideways. His swordsmanship was strong—textbook strong—but rigid. Predictable. He didn't know how to react when his patterns were disrupted."
Lilith crossed her arms, leaning slightly against the desk. "And you exploited that."
"Of course," I said, shrugging. "That's how battles are won. If he'd had more experience, if he'd faced more unpredictable opponents, I would have lost. No question."
Her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, her expression contemplative. "Peak Ascendant-rank is a plane far above peak Integration-rank," she said, almost as if testing my understanding.
"It is," I agreed. "But planes of power don't mean much if the person standing on them doesn't know how to fight."
The room hung in silence, the weight of our exchange lingering like the echo of a bell. Lilith's sharp emerald gaze stayed on me for a moment longer, her expression unreadable save for the slight upward curve of her lips. Finally, she nodded, her smirk deepening.
"Interesting. You answered well," she said, her tone carrying a note of approval, though tempered with the kind of expectation that demanded more.
Lilith straightened, her arms unfolding as she addressed the room. "I wanted to touch on something critical—skipping ranks," she began, her voice calm but commanding. "You've all heard of it. Some of you have done it. And all of you will need to understand it if you wish to survive."