The next day came, and no one saw Special Investigator Dahmer.
It wasn't until a few days later that an announcement was made regarding his demise and the message he left behind in his office before he perished.
"Beware the White Death."
Many students were freaked out at this point, and rightfully so. The Akashic Academy was regarded as one of the safest places in the entire Desgarron Empire, due to the caliber of Mages that taught in it, as well as its numerous facilities.
However, with the Academy Head being absent as a result of a particular convention in the Empire, as well as most of the more powerful staff being relegated to the other Wings, or acting as the backup force against the Barbarians of the North, the Academy was in a vulnerable position.
Perhaps that was why this entity, now known as the White Death had chosen to strike now.
Who or what this thing was remained unknown.
There was tight security around the premises of the Special Investigator's office, yet not one of them noticed anything was off. They didn't see the White Death enter or leave the office, and they didn't even hear the man's screams.
It wasn't until the next day, when they entered his office, that their eyes witnessed the gory image of his mutilated corpse.
The White Death had killed him without leaving a trace of its presence.
This scared everyone—Student and Instructor alike.
However, there was one person who was most shaken by this news, and it was none other than Ashfelt Zephyr.
His eyes were wide with genuine shock when he heard the news about the Special Investigator, and he couldn't contain the sheer unease that coursed through his body once he recognized the awful truth.
'This… the storyline has changed.'
***********
Classes ended very early for the day, and every student was made to head straight to their dorms.
A curfew was also implemented on the Campus, so students weren't allowed to leave their Dorms once it got dark. Security around the dorms were also doubled—not that it would help much against the kind of enemy they were up against.
Instructors also began to take rounds patrolling the Academy grounds—each of them moving in pairs. Despite understanding nothing about this new threat, they did their best to contain their anxieties and act for the benefit of the student.
No one had ever bypassed the Academy's security, so this was all very new.
… And very scary.
How was it possible that an enemy infiltrated the impenetrable walls of the Academy, and even used Spells that would have been detected by the Alarms? How could they slip past multiple security veterans, and how could they kill—not just a student—but an alumni of the Akashic Magus Academy.
It was an unprecedented disaster, and the worst part—something that lived rent free in the mind of everyone who was cursed with the knowledge of the incidents—was the fear that this could only be the beginning.
The White Death, whatever it was, had only just begun its work.
************
"Okay… let's think about this very carefully."
Ash was in his dorm room—the unimpressive residence meant for Beta Students. The whole dorm was a three-storey building, with a total of thirty rooms on each floor. Each room had only the most basic furnishings, with a small wardrobe and bathing facilities.
Due to the mass dropout of students in the Beta Class, there were many empty rooms in the dorms. However, no one even cared about that due to the current situation that now plagued the Academy like a curse.
"The first incident of the White Death was exactly as the novel described." He began. "It happened a week after the Selection Ceremony, and it also features the demise of an Alpha Student by the name of Archibald Leonald.'
The Academy, due to being short-staffed, and not wanting to resort to overly drastic measures, invited a private but specialized Investigator to look into the murder.
'Dahmer is very competent in his field, with a considerable list of track records that backs him up. It's no surprise he was called for the investigation, and even though he would eventually fall at the hands of the White Death… it would take a very long time.'
To be precise, it would take nearly two months.
'In those two months, we would have begun to learn more about the practical applications of Spirit Arts, as well as a host of abilities.' Ash sighed. 'So it would also make sense for the culprit to be more adept at killing someone like Dahmer.'
However, now that things had gotten to this point, Ash realized a terrible truth.
'The original timeline has changed.'
In the original story, the White Death was none other than a Beta Student who used the help of a very powerful Spirit to orchestrate the deaths of Alpha Students as an act of revenge for the way the students treated Beta Students.
The important element of the whole incident wasn't the nameless Beta Student, but the Spirit in question.
It was a unique Medium Grade Spirit.
'The Medium Grade Spirit made the Beta Student its Subordinate… the same way I made Nyx mine, and was controlling the Student's actions.'
In the end, the main villain was the Spirit… not the student.
'I know the name of the Beta Student, and there's no way someone of his current caliber can take on the Special Investigator—at least, not at his current level.'
So what changed?
'Could it be—?!' Ash's eyes widened as he jumped from his bed. 'What if the White Death is someone else?'
All this time, Ash had taken it easy thinking he could apprehend the White Death at any moment due to his current knowledge. However, not only was the Beta Student in question not depicting any signs of being the White Death, but the recent occurrence made it highly unlikely that he was the culprit.
'Looks like the future has changed, which means I have to change with it.'
To do that, Ash had to start from the very scratch.
'I have to figure out who the real White Death is… and I have to do it fast.'
At least, before the next Incident.
***********
[Later That Night]
BBBBZZZZTTZZZ
The loud buzzing in the night attracted the attention of the two Instructors who were patrolling the area close to the spot where the first incident took place. Once they heard the sound, they rushed to the site instantly.
"See anything?" One asked, frantically looking around for any sign of their enemy.
"Not yet!" The other responded.
Despite the anxiety they both felt, and the strong tension wafting in the air, these two were determined to complete their tasks as proud Instructors of the Akashic Magus Academy.
Not even the terror of the White Death could deter their sworn dedication.
"There!"
A glassy white silhouette stood at the spot where the Instructor pointed at, creating even more buzzing sounds as it remained still.
"Attack!"
The moment they spotted the white blot, the two Instructors took immediate action.
First, they activated their respective Spirit Arts.
VWUUUSH!
Incredible amounts of energy surged from their bodies—crimson and azure respectively.
One of the Instructors was coated in crimson flames, with a blazing beastly creature standing right in front of him like a hunting dog. The beast resembled a lion, but it was made of crimson flames, with bright orange eyes.
The other Instructor had an azure bird floating right above his head, with the claps of lightning dancing around it.
This was [Externalization], a technique Mages used to externally project their Familiars so they could deal even more devastating attacks.
As their powers swelled, the alarms around them began to ring very loudly.
"This is the end of the line for you!" They screamed, instantly sending their most devastating blasts forward in the form of a Joint Destructive Spell.
"[Fiery Lightning Descent]!"
Their shouts were dimmed by the explosive noise of the attack, one so powerful that it easily created a considerably large crater on the ground and caused the very air to crackle with immense energy.
The alarms rang even louder, acclimating to the devastating noise of the Spell's effect.
Within seconds, this area would be swarming with backup guards and other patrolling Instructors.
Needless to say, this was the end of the line for the White Death.
… Or was it.
"U-UWAAAGHHHHH!!!" One of the Instructors screamed as he felt his entire body twist around despite the fiery cloak of energy that he wrapped around his body.
"H-help! Help me!"
He tried to shout, but before he could make another sound, his neck snapped, and the rest of his body followed… replaced by nothing more than a loud thud as his lifeless dropped to the ground, splashing on the pool of blood that had formed beneath him.
"F-Fernand—!" The other Instructor was stunned by this, but swiftly leaped to the air as he tried his best to retreat.
Suddenly, he heard the buzzing sound from above him and found the white silhouette in the sky.
"Kyaaahhhh!"
With a loud scream, he sent a crackling surge of electricity to the sky, swiftly descending to the ground where he was bound to find safety.
BZZZZTTTTTZZZZ!!!
Unfortunately for him, nothing but death awaited him upon landing.
"G-gahhhhh!!! Uwaaaahhhhh!!! GUAAAARRGHHH!!!"
More screams echoed into the night as his whole body twisted and the White Death watched from its position in the air.
It stood still… completely unharmed, still buzzing in the night sky.
Then, almost like it was never there, it vanished.
Before completely disappearing, though, a silent voice wafted where its remains evaporated.
"Haha… haaa…" The soft whisper was silenced by the alarms, as well as the numerous voices of the backup guards and Instructors that were approaching the area.
"This world… is so much fun."