"So, what happens when a mage augments his body with mana, and when a swordsman or any close combatant does it?"
Fiona asked her class, and her diligent student raised her hand.
"Yes, Eliza."
Eliza stood up, a wide grin on her face, ready to answer the question. Irene and Rose didn't ask her why she was smiling throughout the whole class; even if they did, she probably wouldn't tell them.
"When a mage and a knight augment their bodies, their speed, strength, and defence increase. However, it is better for a mage to augment their mana veins rather than their outer body for better mana flow and output. Also—"
As Eliza was speaking, a woman knocked on the door. Eliza stopped talking, annoyed because of the interruption. Fiona walked towards the woman, lending her ears. Nobody heard what the woman was saying, but everyone saw Fiona's expression change—shock and relief, the two emotions she was portraying.
"Everybody, class is over. Do the assignments I gave you, and there will be no practical courses today."
After saying that, she left the room, leaving everybody shocked. Soon, there was happy cheering and whistling in the class because of the early leave as they packed their bags and left.
Irene and Rose packed their stuff, but Eliza didn't move. Her red eyes darted towards the door, still thinking about what was going on.
'Master came late at first, and now she left the class ten minutes early. Is it something so important that she has to leave the class this early?'
She didn't feel right about it. This was supposed to be her day, but she felt something odd, her happiness disappearing, and an immovable headache coming back. She glanced at the empty corner seat of the room and scowled as she packed her bag and left the room without waiting for Irene and Rose.
Both looked at each other.
"It must be that time of the month."
Rose too packed her belongings, smiling at the classmates who were sneaking glances at her.
Rose didn't notice, but Irene did and had been for the past few weeks. It didn't escape her eyes how Eliza was always annoyed and looked behind, and today her giddy attitude and last-moment annoyance proved her guess.
'Something is going on between those two.'
***
"My son."
*Bam*
The door to the school infirmary opened with a bang. Some were shocked, and some were angry because of the ruckus.
"Shush."
A nurse said, leaving the room, not knowing she shushed a Duke. It would be best for her to not know; otherwise, her heart wouldn't be able to handle it.
Duke Amon didn't feel offended as his eyes scouted the whole room to see his son sitting on the hospital bed surrounded by Roman, Fiona, and his knight Kuma.
"Ahem."
He put on a strict face and walked towards Blake as if he wasn't worried and ready to destroy everything for his son.
'So, now you act as a father, not a dad.'
Roman thought but didn't say it out loud. He didn't want another one of his academy's rooms gone.
"Who kidnapped you?"
Duke Amon went straight to the point. 'Are you fine?' He wanted to ask that, but his 'father' character had to be strict and an idol for his son who didn't falter. The others too looked at Blake, wondering who was the culprit so they could chase after them and deal with them for messing around.
Seeing Blake not answer, Fiona spoke.
"It's fine if you cannot speak because of the shock, but the earlier you tell us, the faster we find those fiends."
Blake didn't look at anyone. His eyes locked onto those white sheets, slowly turning red with blood and screams, turning dark like the alley he saw. Scary like the kid sleeping beside, with the same expressions he saw in those visions.
"Blake?"
Amon spoke in a loud tone. As a father, he knew Blake wasn't in the right mindset. He too didn't want to force his son to tell something that could potentially scar him, but they had to know.
'Don't worry, son. I will kill them with my own hands, rip them apart, and feed them to the orcs.'
Blake finally acknowledged the people surrounding him.
"I am sorry. What were you asking again?"
Blake said in a low monotone voice, devoid of any life, as if something had emptied him. Amon clenched his fist, and everyone in the room did.
"I am sorry for what has happened, Blake. It is my fault, and I am ready to face the consequences. But now, we need to know who did it so we can catch those bastards?"
Roman said as he bowed slightly, followed by Fiona, to express their apology.
"Find them?"
Blake looked at the three standing around him and turned his head to a sleeping Levi and his mentor Ryan sitting beside him.
"There is no need to find them; he killed every single one of them."
Silence, deadly silence, took over the room. Only the sound of Levi breathing and the clock ticking reverberated around the whole room. Everybody's eyes now on Levi, who looked peaceful, but that peace in him came at the price of lives.
They weren't shocked because Levi killed someone. Killing a villain in this world was justified. You would be hailed rather than sent to jail.
The question was.
'How did he kill them?'
They might not know who kidnapped Blake, but they did know they weren't ordinary awakeners. Kidnapping inside Hilica needed some serious strength, intelligence, and balls of steel.
Blake too rationalized with everyone's shocked face because he too had the same moment, but after that nightmare, he didn't feel shock and felt relief.
'He went easy on them. No… I was in the way.'
Goosebumps ran through his body as he recalled everything again. Never did he want to see it again; if only he could erase his memory.
Blake then started explaining what had happened, how he got kidnapped, who did it, and how Levi saved him.
"He tried saving you?"
Kuma said, looking at a weak lying boy.
"He just didn't try, Puma; he succeeded."
A given fact. If not for Levi, Blake wouldn't be here.
He then started explaining more, how Levi killed Noel, how he was trapped in a weird contraption that was flowing purple liquid into his body, and how there was a traitor among his family knights. The fight, about the majin, Levi's strength and the devil that spawned but he didn't say anything about the nightmare.
"It tried to cast a spell but Levi killed it and the spell just put us into deep sleep."
That's all he described about the devils's power, his mouth incapable of describing further more.
Duke Amon's anger boiled out of him, but he didn't let his bloodlust out in an infirmary. He too was at fault if he let a traitor in their ranks.
Once Blake finished talking, all of them had to take a moment to realize what these two boys had experienced. Kill a human, fight a Majin and a high-rank awakener, and deal with a devil.
Roman and Amon's eyes met, and both knew exactly what they had to do. Fiona felt sorry for her students, and Kuma vowed to protect his young master and kill anything that threatened his life.
Blake didn't tell them about the vision that the devil showed him; he couldn't, not because he didn't want to. Maybe saying it would lift a burden as heavy as the mountains off his shoulders and his very soul. He just couldn't utter the words; whenever he remembered it, he forgot to speak, forgot the language, and all he knew was a single word.
'Murderer.'
That is all he could remember and nothing else.
"Levi was right."
Ryan said, looking at his hands and Blake.
"What did he say?"
Roman incited with curiosity. He owed Levi again, and this time he really came in clutch like last time.
"The virus going around the city isn't trying to kill its host or live inside them; it is really trying to change them."
Roman and Fiona knew Levi was working with Ryan. However, they had never anticipated him to be this good.
"When I healed you, I felt the virus in your body trying to change you. I cured you but in a different manner. Before, Levi and I would kill the virus in the body and be planning to find the cure by pulling the virus to a stronger and more resilient host."
"If you hadn't been saved, you would have changed, but Levi's intervention and my healing boosted your healing powers, making you a living cure for this."
A good new cause now they could extract Blake's blood and use it to make the cure. Blake's bloodline was stronger than anyone ever infected, even than Levi and Luna. It was luck that blessed them with the cure this easily.
"What were they trying to turn me into?"
Blake's tone changed when he asked it. A bit of fear and anger mixed in it. Everyone waited for Ryan, hesitating to answer.
"I can handle it, tell me."
Blake insisted.
Ryan sighed as he fidgeted to answer.
"A vampire."
Shock, absolute shock. Who would have thought this to happen? Nobody. and that is why the villain's plan worked but not reach their ultimate goal.
Humans could only turn into vampires if they cured their blood and injected a high amount of mana into their blood. Only high-ranking vampires could do this, and only some humans would turn into vampires. If the body was weak, the mana would explode the whole human into pieces, millions of pieces.
The whole situation was even graver than anybody would have imagined. If the whole city was infected, then it could definitely lead to a pandemic and even mass genocide. Somehow, it was good that Blake was kidnapped. The culprits behind it would definitely have enough materials to make such an atrocity again and affect other cities. It was good that Blake's bloodline came in clutch to create a cure.
Blake felt a hand on his head as he looked up to see his father angry and a bit of tears swelling in the corner of those golden eyes. He didn't say anything and kept looking at Blake.
Blake felt warmth and happiness seeing his father care for him, but something still bothered him.
"Headmaster?"
"Yes."
"Did Levi give the entrance exams?"
A curious but stupid question because everyone had to take the entrance exam that included writing and a battle exam.
"Of course, he did, and that is why he is here as a student."
"Why do you ask, Blake?"
Fiona said, looking at Blake who still had his eyes on Levi.
"Then you must have got his rank wrong, or he hasn't used his full strength in the tests."
It was weird seeing Blake admire someone. He never admitted if someone was strong at his age.
"How strong is he?"
Fiona asked, curiosity brimming in her mind, in everyone's mind.
"Strong, really strong. I don't know how much, but I don't know any other lower-rank killing awakeners two to three levels higher than them."