Yuki smiled, humming slightly to herself as she walked. She’d finally managed to break the ice with him! And it had been surprisingly easy. Who’d have thought that the boy who fought like a trained warrior would be so gentle outside of combat? He was kind. A little too serious. Had a sense of honour too. And he was funny. Her father would have approved. With a start, she realized what she was thinking, and shook her head, face red. He’s just a friend, nothing more! Wait, are we even friends? We’ve only just spoken once. What if he thinks nothing of it at all? But he said he wouldn’t forget. Though he was talking about me helping him out. Maybe that’s all there is to it? He just feels like he owes me? Nngg… that’s no good!

Fretting over such important issues, she barely noticed her surroundings as she made her way up to the 25th floor of the school’s Primary Tower. This was the point beyond which students and teachers were not permitted to ascend. The higher floors were used for research and development, and as such, were restricted to scientists, engineers, staff and School Board members. Yuki’s father happened to be a Board member himself, and while she was aware of many of the projects her own family’s labs were working on, she had never really asked what kind of work was happening in the school’s higher floors. Strangely, the subject was almost taboo at Elysium. Students never openly spoke about any of the floors above the 25th, and nor did the teachers. Some whispered rumours in hushed voices when no one was around, but Yuki had never paid much heed to these, dismissing them as little more than fanciful fiction.

Stopping in front of the pair of ornate wooden doors, she knocked.

“Come in!”

No sooner had that voice spoken than the doors swung open inwards. She entered, looking around at the rest of the Student Council, who were already present.

“Vice President,” said Philip, the Record-Keeper. “You’re a little late. Did something happen?”

Yuki’s thoughts wandered back to a few minutes ago, her head filling with images of unreasonably sculpted arms and pectorals. A healthy tinge of red made its way onto her face. She cleared her throat.

“Ahem. N-no, not at all. Just got held up by some… things.”

Hoping her voice had been steadier than it had sounded to her, she made her way over to the table and took her place at it, adjusting the papers in front of her more deliberately than needed. She waited a few seconds, and felt relieved when no one pressed the subject. Right when she was about to relax, Ace, the Treasurer, spoke up.

“Ah, speaking of student disputes, I heard that Flawed got into another fight yesterday. Beat up a bunch of idiots in front of the Library.”

Yuki all but grimaced. Already?! Do people have nothing to do but spread rumours? Although to be fair, this one is true. She looked up from her papers. Philips’ reaction was the stock look of surprise mixed with some anxiety. Ace was mostly unreadable, as usual, though it was no secret that he didn’t like 3F, and especially Sura. Alphonse’s eyes had narrowed at the mention of the Flawed fighter. His gaze flitted towards Yuki for a second, and he felt an indefinable blend of irritation and unease. He had defeated the boy only a day ago. Sure, he had stood up right afterwards, but a loss like that had to leave its mark on one’s spirit. Yet, he was fighting again the very next day. And winning. He shook his head slightly. It didn’t matter. With his abilities, Sura would always be at a disadvantage against him. Feeling slightly better at that comforting thought, he looked at Yuki again, his own face growing a little warm. The incident with Sura had caused a rift between them. But she was in a much better mood today. Perhaps this was his chance to mend things with her. So he thought, but it was easier said than done. He had always been nervous when approaching her. Before he could think any further on it, though, he was interrupted by a voice.

“Well, he is a little violent, but I can’t deny that he makes things interesting.”

Alphonse looked up at the one who had spoken.

At the head of the table, leaning back in his chair, was a boy with silver hair that was swept back untidily. A pair of glasses rested upon the bridge of a sharp nose. Despite his graceful features, he had a surprisingly firm jawline. An easy, carefree smile played on his lips. He looked like a boy with not a single worry in the world. It was only when one looked into his eyes that one saw why that was. There was power in those grey depths. Untold power. After all, there was no other reason the existence of such an individual would be tolerated by the Kingdom.

Alphonse nodded his head to him slightly.

“President?”

The President of the Student Council glanced out the window at the setting sun. Brilliant fiery light flooded into the room. “One with no Magic, and no allegiance to the Kingdom’s ideals,” he said. “He should be dead. His very existence goes against the world, doesn’t it?” Yuki frowned, about to protest, but the President went on. “Yet, he continues to live. Even if the whole world is his enemy.” He turned to face the Council once more, a bright smile on his face. “Don’t you think someone like that makes everything more interesting?”

Alphonse clenched his teeth involuntarily. For the most part, he agreed. After all, that was the reason he had challenged the Flawed youth only the day before. It was to see if someone without the gift of Magic could indeed crawl up, rise, and strike down the heavens. Sura had fallen short. After facing him, Alphonse could not think of a way the boy could close the gap between them. It was tragic, but this was the extent of what the Flawed warrior was capable of. No matter how many times they fought, the result would not change. That was what he believed. Then why did he feel this persistent unease? Was it the news that Sura was already fighting again? Or was it the fact that the President himself had called him interesting? Alphonse didn’t know.

“In any case,” said the President, once more interrupting his thoughts, “there’s a reason behind this special meeting.”

Immediately, everyone gathered around the table sat up a little straighter. Most of the day-to-day running and activities of the Council were handled by Alphonse and Yuki, with Philips and Ace taking care of logistics and accounting, and the Head of the Disciplinary Committee helping with keeping the students in line. In other words, while the President himself attended most meetings, he played very little part in them, preferring to play video games on his phone. In any other school, someone like him would never even be able to win a seat on the Student Council, let alone become its President. However, due to Elysium’s unique rules, he had been able to do so. He had no interest in the daily activities of the Council. On the rare occasion when he did call for a special meeting, the reason was not to be taken lightly.

“School’s got a job for us,” he said, his tone not matching the words at all.

The Council members exchanged glances.

“What is it?” asked Yuki, cautiously.

The silver-haired youth turned to her, smiling innocently.

“We’re going to hunt a Vampire.”

For the next few seconds, a lightning bolt crashing into the room could not have made more of an impact.

“And I suppose we can’t turn down this unreasonable request, can we?” asked Alphonse, knowing the answer already.

“You can’t,” confirmed the bespectacled leader brightly. “As a matter of fact, the order came from your family, Alphonse.” He turned to Yuki. “Yours too, actually. I have to admit, I do like how Nobles are so keen on ensuring a quality education for their children. There are some things you just don’t learn in a classroom, after all.”

Alphonse cursed under his breath. Typical. His parents had gone and complicated things. Again. Hadn’t they learned by now to just leave well enough alone? They had already done enough damage to Alice. It seemed they still hadn’t learned their lesson. He sighed. Be that as it may, an order from the heads of the Wolvenheim and Matsudaira families could not be turned down, especially not when backed by the authority of the entire School Board. No decision was made without the approval of all members, meaning the Adams clan had also agreed with this idea.

“President. Will John be coming along for this mission?”

“Why, yes, he will. His father seemed most eager for him to do so.”

The blond nodded. It was just as he had suspected.

“Fine,” he said. “It’s not as if we have a say in the matter.”

Despite himself, though, he couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. This wasn’t the first such mission the school had sent them on.

The Northern Kingdom spanned almost the entire Northern Continent. But it wasn’t continuous. There were the 54 Districts, each of them walled territories that were all part of the Kingdom. The Districts were connected to each other by the Royal Ætherium Railway, a magnetized, three metre thick, single track rail that traversed both over and under ground. Aside from that, there was the Kingdom-wide Internet, which was an underground network of protected fibre optic cables meant for the sharing of information. These were the two foundations of the Kingdom’s connectivity. Both the Railway and the Internet lines were crucial, and both crossed through vast swathes of wilderness. Outside of the Districts, no permanent human settlements were to be found. There were bands of wandering nomads and outposts of maintenance teams for Rail and wires, but that was the extent of it.

This meant that outside the Districts lay a vast world, of which much was unknown. In terms of actual area, a great part of the Continent belonged to the wild. As such, it was the realm of Magical Beasts. These creatures, while rare in the wild, could be found in most natural environments. They thrived in the absence of humans, just as humans thrived in theirs. As such, the world functioned on a simple though unwritten rule.

The worlds of Magical Beasts and humans must not intersect.

Aside from the communication and transport lines running through the wilds, humans left the lands, water and skies alone. And in exchange, Magical Beasts did not tread within the Districts.

Of course, there were those who broke the unwritten rule. The afore-mentioned nomads were among them. But all who did so were doing it at their own risk. Any trespassers on either side were at the mercy of the inhabitants of the domain. This meant that humans that lost their way in the wilds were generally consumed, while Magical Beasts that entered the Districts were hunted down. And that was precisely why Vampires were a threat.

A sentient, highly intelligent species, they had existed as far back as humans could remember. And they had always been humanity’s natural predators. While their physical forms resembled that of human beings, that was where the similarities ended. Vampires were strong in all the myriad ways humans were not. They were the nightmares, the terrors in the dark, old as human fear itself.

Alphonse felt a thrill run through him. This would be an interesting field trip.

Fifteen minutes later, the Student Council was on a hover-craft, headed towards the nearby 5th District.

Ace held on to a safety rail while leaning his body out of the open side of the craft, feeling the wind rushing against him. “You know,” he said, turning back to look at the others, “I’m pretty sure teachers are supposed to accompany students on field trips.”

Of course, no teachers were to be found aboard the hovercraft. The only person on it aside from the Council themselves was the pilot.

The President laughed. “Field trips aren’t supposed to be about murdering elderly gentlemen either, but here we are.”

Ace laughed, but Yuki looked at them both uneasily. Alphonse shook his head.

Elderly gentleman? Yeah, right.

He went through the mission briefing he had been handed. The target had been responsible for the death of ten people in the last two weeks. Local authorities had attempted to engage, but kept their distance upon realizing what they were dealing with. They had, however, managed to track down the target to a structure six kilometres outside the 5th District. They had also found the bodies of the victims, and photos of the same had been enclosed with the report.

They reminded Alphonse of empty packets of juice, or of raisins. It made him sick to the stomach.

“Don’t we have the Royal Army to deal with things like this?” he asked.

It wasn’t out of fear of the encounter. On the contrary, now that he had seen its handiwork, he couldn’t wait to tear the thing apart. He simply wanted to know why it had even been able to enter a District unimpeded.

“We do,” answered Yuki slowly. The general troops of the Army are all Level 3 Mages. And that’s precisely why they can’t handle it.”

Alphonse gritted his teeth. He knew she was right. The average student at Elysium was a Level 3 in terms of power. While soldiers had considerably more skill and experience, they were trained to fight humans. Not monsters. A Vampire’s power was closer to a force of nature than any kind of living entity. No matter how skilled a Level 3 Mage was… they stood no chance. Of course, there was more to the army than just Level 3’s.

“They could just send the Executioners,” he said aloud.

Yuki looked up at him.

“They could,” she answered simply. “But I doubt the people will thank them for sending the Death Troop to their doors.”

She looked out at the night sky.

“Elysium is more than just a school. As members of its Council, it is our task to protect the pride of Mages. As Nobles, it is our task to protect our people. That’s why our parents insisted we take this mission. After all, if we can’t send one measly shadow back into the dark, what kind of future can we build?”

Alphonse blinked. Looking at her in that moment, he was reminded why he felt the way he did about her. Illuminated in the moonlight, her black hair shone. Her snow-like, pale skin seemed almost to glow with a faint sheen of its own. She looked more like some otherworldly being descended to the world than a mortal human. For a while, all he could do was stare, before he caught himself and looked away.

“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose we have no choice.”

“It has nothing to do with the future, or choice,” said another voice.

Alphonse glanced at the figure standing a little further away. At over six feet, he was the tallest member of the Council. Wide shouldered and broad, he had a powerful build and was once easily the most physically intimidating student at Elysium, until a certain Flawed boy had come along. His dark hair was neatly slicked back and his cold eyes looked out from under the shadows of his heavy brow. As always, his face was like a statue. It was an unnerving gaze, and the reason why the school avoided the Disciplinary Committee.

“Nearly took you for an optimist, John,” said Alphonse. “You want to watch all that positivity. It’s practically overflowing.”

John Adams junior did not respond to the quip, instead closing his eyes as he waited for the ride to end.

Ace grumbled.

“I thought high school was supposed to be fun.”

The hovercraft began to slow down, and a moment later, it began to gently descend, until it landed.

“This is the place,” said the pilot. “You kids got this, right?”

Alphonse stood up.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?”

One by one, they stepped off the craft, landing lightly on the dried grass below. The vast field stretched in every direction around them. There were few trees, and those were mostly bereft of leaves, withered. In the distance towered what was undoubtedly the Vampire’s home.

“We certainly won’t have to waste any time searching,” said the President.

The castle was massive, nearly as large as Elysium’s Secondary and Tertiary Towers. Built of solid stone, it was surrounded by a high wall. Despite the moonlight, it seemed somehow shrouded in shadow, a foreboding sight in the wilderness.

Alphonse exhaled, watching his breath condense. He felt a chill in his bones, though he was sure it had nothing to do with the temperature. He didn’t even have to say a word. The President walked forward.

“Take off,” he said to the pilot. “You don’t want to be around for this.”

“Roger! Signal when you need pickup!”

The hovercraft took off, but the President wasn’t even looking at it. He was walking towards the castle. Alphonse found himself having to take long strides to keep up. He glanced at the silver-haired youth’s face. His gaze was locked on the castle, laser focus in his eyes.

“John. Immobilization’s your job.”

The hulking youth nodded silently and fell into step next to them.

“Ace. You know what to do. Turn the odds in our favour. But don’t gamble like an alcoholic.”

“Gotcha, chief.”

“Alphonse. You’ll be doing damage, as usual. Stay at range. Don’t break formation.”

“Understood.”

The blond was so surprised, it took him a moment to utter the reply. It had been so long, he had almost forgotten what it was like: the President could take charge whenever he wanted.

“Yuki. I dislike asking this of a woman, but you’ll be our tank. Break him into pieces.”

Yuki nodded slightly.

“Rest easy. It will be my honour.”

“Philip. You’ll be handling inventory. Be on point, will you?”

“As you say, President.”

The President nodded himself, as if to confirm the orders he had given. His gaze sharpened.

Alphonse couldn’t help but smile wryly.

All these orders… they’re just to put our minds at ease, aren’t they?

The amount of Magic energy surging from the President was utterly terrifying. Sense of temperature, hearing, even sight: Alphonse could feel all his senses distorted slightly. The very gravity felt heavier, and as they passed by, the grass around them for yards was flattened.

They approached the front gate of the castle, a massive slab of iron that stood at least twenty feet high.

Without a word, the President held one palm up while continuing to walk forward.

Metal screamed and groaned as the gate was torn clean off its hinges by telekinetic force before being ripped in half mid-air. Each half was sent flying forward, edge-first. Let alone the castle door: the entire front wall of the keep was smashed to smithereens.

“Knock knock,” said the President.

Alphonse had raised his Barrier a while back. It was the first precaution to take, even before entering enemy territory. He now summoned his Magic, focusing it with his mind, infusing it with memories of countless hours spent honing his skills. The crystallization of his love for Magic, and music. The Magic gave shape to those hours spent practising his instrument, and a golden violin materialized in his hands, with a bow to match.

Unique Skill: Arcane Instrument

Gently, he put bow to strings, and teased out the lightest of sounds from the violin. In response, Magic energy manifested, still raw, but ready to be shaped and hurled at the slightest change in the music. Arcane Instrument could handle the entirety of his offence and defence. But he still needed a way to perceive and react to attacks. He coursed Magic through his eyes, ears, nose, even his skin, and his nerves: Enhancing his senses and reactions. Immediately, the world around him became clearer. Instead of night, it was as if he was looking at the ruined castle in broad daylight. He strained his senses and focused, trying to catch the tiniest hint of their prey’s presence.

A little further away, he could sense the Magic energy signatures of each of his companions. They were all holding their power at the ready, but had not unleashed it yet. The Magic energy had been summoned and shaped, meaning the release would be immediate, with no delay. As the team’s specialist ranged unit, he had gone one step further, and already brought out his weapon. It was on him to make the first move, strike the enemy before he could even get close.

That was the plan.

Yet, for all his preparedness, he did not see it coming.

All he felt was a force crash into his Barrier, before he was sent flying.

From behind?! But how?

He swiped the bow across the strings, a hurried note that matched his desperation. In response Arcane Instrument’s limbs manifested. Tendrils composed of Magic, these additional limbs were capable of moving with far greater force and speed than Alphonse’ own body. They responded immediately to his thoughts. Two of them wrapped around him, while another four extended outwards and touched the ground, breaking his fall. Using the tendrils, he turned and lifted himself into the air, looking for his attacker.

He saw him standing in the midst of the rest of the group.

He was tall. Taller than John, taller even than Ms. Muramasa. His frame was wiry and slender. Perhaps it was an illusion created by that build, or perhaps it was indeed the case, but his arms and legs were longer than should have been the case for someone of his size. He was garbed entirely in black: a pair of trousers and matching boots, and a loose, open shirt that exposed his torso and arms. This skin was completely pale, matching the moon above. Long, jet black hair trailed from his head. A pair of blood red eyes glinted in the night.

For the second time that night, Alphonse felt a chill run through his bones.

A single look at him was enough to know.

The creature in front of him was not a human.

The Vampire smiled. Disturbingly, his face was quite handsome by human standards. When he spoke, his voice echoed slightly, as though amplified.

“Hmm… now this is curious. I’m generally used to going to my prey. This is the first time it’s come to me.”

Alphonse’ mind was racing.

How did he get that close to us without any of us noticing? No, never mind that, how did he hide that Magic energy?

Vampires possessed Magic naturally, much like human Mages. However, their power was on an entirely different level. Mages could be categorized into various tiers from Level 1 to 5 based on the combination of their skill and strength. Vampires could not be categorized according to that scale at all. The simple reason was that even the weakest recorded Vampire in history had displayed abilities beyond most Level 5 Mages.

The creature standing in the midst of the Student Council right now had an energy signature that dwarfed even the President’s.

Said President laughed.

“You’re mistaken,” he said to the Vampire. “You see, we are here to kill you.”

Alphonse’ eyes widened. In spite of himself, he could not help but feel amazement.

Looking up into the eyes of an inhuman monster that would snuff out a life without a moment’s hesitation, the President did not so much as have a tremor in his frame.

“Ah. Is that so? Well then, you’ll have to try your best, won’t you?”

“Likewise.”

The President’s energy surged: the telltale sign of a Skill being cast. Alphonse realized immediately what was happening. It was a signal to attack.

The Telekinesis Skill wrapped around the Vampire’s arms and legs, holding him in place, a stationary target. Not even a second later, an ice-enclosed fist smashed into his face. With no way to fall and disperse the force, the creature’s neck was bent backwards and broken right away, shards of vertebrae sprouting through the throat in a gruesome sight.

The momentum of her punch had carried Yuki several metres away, where she landed with a thud that shook the ground. Her armoured body gleamed in the moonlight.

Unique Skill: Frozen Knight

It was something no one would have believed of the graceful, slender girl… but Yuki was the heavy hitter of the Student Council. It was one of the reasons none of the students crossed her: because if they did, it was not painless defeat by some kind of mysterious Skill that awaited. It was a brutal pummeling ending in broken bones.

Frozen Knight, her signature Skill, combined Yuki’s abilities in several different disciplines.

Projection: the art of emitting one’s Magic energy outward from the body. This is used in the form of telekinesis, to capture and draw in water vapour from the surroundings.

Alteration: the art of using Magic to alter the properties of a body. This is used to absorb heat rapidly from the water vapour, forcing it to freeze. The ice is then shaped into armour that coats the body. Alteration is also used to modify the density of the ice, making it weigh thousands of times its natural weight.

Enhancement: the art of using Magic to increase existing properties of a body. This is used to magnify the physical strength of the wielder to superhuman levels to survive and move around while encased in super-dense ice.

The heat absorbed from the water vapour is used to regulate temperature inside the armour.

Yuki was not a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, but she didn’t need to be. In Frozen Knight form, she was a 50 ton juggernaut made of ice.

“That takes care of tha-”

“Interesting.”

Her eyes widened as she whipped around.

With a crunching sound, the broken neck pulled itself back into the right position. From where they were standing, the rest of the Council could see the vertebrae twisting and flowing as though water, as they were arranged in the right place, where they solidified once more. The ruined flesh of the trachea and esophagus was knitted together, and the pale skin sealed shut over it all.

The Vampire rolled his neck around, whole once more.

Yuki almost couldn’t believe it. She had heard stories, but seeing it in person was different.

“Instant healing factor…”

“My, my. But you do pack a bit of a punch, don’t you?”

Yuki barely managed to get her hands up, as with an explosion of Magic, the Vampire burst free of the President’s telekinesis and launched himself right at her. The hit that slammed into her icy gauntlets jarred her entire frame, sending her sliding back though she dug her spiked greaves into the ground. She gritted her teeth and straightened up just in time to see him dash right in front of her. Roaring, she swung her right hand at him with all the force she could muster, but connected only with thin air.

He had stepped back and avoided the blow.

Before she could recover, he immediately stepped forward again, using the motion to punch her right in the gut.

Even with the armour, she felt the force of the blow get through, nearly doubling her over.

He’s strong!

Not just that, his movements were efficient and precise. He knew exactly how and where to strike, and how to defend against attacks.

Like Sura! Is he using the same skills?

“You’ve got power, little girl. Unfortunately, you don’t know how to use it.”

“You get away from her!”

Before he could follow up on the attack, a tendril made of Magic and wreathed in flame shot towards him. The sounds of a violent symphony filled the night as Alphonse played the Arcane Instrument, launching attack after attack at the Vampire.

The speed with which he reacted to them all was frightening.

The gangly creature seemed to blur out of sight as though warping around the battlefield, avoiding every single blow.

Alphonse backstepped furiously, making sure he couldn’t get close.

He’s fast! Is that pure speed? No, that just can’t be possible. I can sense faint spikes in his energy signature. He’s using some kind of Magic-based movement technique. He can only dodge an attack if he has time to see and react to it.

He remembered his experience from fighting Sura. The Flawed youth had also dashed and leapt around the battlefield, dodging attacks, though he had not used a Magic technique to do so.

If that’s the case…

He launched two tendrils right at the Vampire, both from the left.

The being warped out of sight again, reappearing several metres away to the right… where Alphonse had already sent another two tendrils to attack.

He grinned.

“Gotcha. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest at hearing the Vampire’s voice from right behind him. Wheeling around, he tried to leap away, but he couldn’t move.

Telekinesis? No… my Barrier would have protected me.

The Vampire was walking away from him, but his movements were far too quick. It was as if he was being fast-forwarded. A moment later, Alphonse noticed that it wasn’t just the Vampire whose movements were faster. It was everyone else’ as well. Yuki was moving many times quicker than Alphonse knew she was capable of, as she launched herself at the creature. That, and the pitch of sounds seemed to have gone up several octaves.

They haven’t gotten faster. I’ve gotten slower.

He looked at the Vampire in horror.

He trapped me in slowed time.

Time manipulation using Magic had been written of extensively in the old texts. It was still researched heavily in centres all across the Kingdom. But by and large, the consensus was simple: it couldn’t be done without True Magic, Magic that ignored the laws of physics entirely.

This bastard… has True Magic.

Trapped in his bubble of slowed time, Alphonse could only look on as the battle continued around him. He struggled to break free, but it was useless. He was moving at a speed comparable to a tortoise in comparison to the rest of the people on the battlefield.

Yuki looked at Alphonse, who seemed like he was wading through invisible molasses as he attempted to run to get to her.

She turned to the Vampire.

“What the hell did you do to him?”

“It’s interesting, wouldn’t you say? The effects of slowed time.”

Yuki’s eyes widened as she realized the implications of what he had just said.

“Don’t lose focus,” shouted the President. “Keep moving! His technique is reliant on enclosing a target within a bubble.”

Jolted back to her senses, Yuki dashed forward, determined to not give the Vampire another chance to use his time manipulation.

“Again?”

As she entered close range, she lashed out with several punches and kicks, each of which were parried aside easily before the towering fighter took the offensive himself, effortlessly sweeping her legs out from under her with his foot, tossing her into the air. Before she could fall, he struck her with the heel of his palm, sending her flying backwards, along with all 50 tons of armour she was wearing.

Yuki braced herself for impact. Before she could hit the ground, however, she was saved once more.

The President had used his telekinesis to grab her out of the air.

“Stay calm, and work together.”

Once more, they rushed at him.

Yuki was no longer confident in her ability to hit the Vampire. He was skilled, and incredibly strong physically. Whether that was innate or he was using Magic to boost his ability, she couldn’t tell. His energy signature had been sky high throughout the entire fight, with only small spikes in it when he used his warping Skill. Be that as it may, it was still her job as the tank to take him head-on, and so, she dashed right at him resolutely.

She actually saw him roll his crimson eyes.

Grunting, she swung at him once more, prepared for a counter, aiming to bait one out, and hit with the second strike. As she turned her hips and threw her left forward, however, a miracle happened.

She lost her balance.

As she began to fall to the side, the counter-jab the Vampire had thrown out missed her completely. On the other hand, her own strike, twisted off course, connected with his temple.

The creature recoiled, wincing slightly.

As she fell, Yuki happened to catch a glimpse of Ace several feet away, and realized what must have happened.

Unique Skill: Probability Manipulation.

While it bordered on True Magic, it was in fact very much in the realm of the laws of physics. A rare ability, one that couldn’t be replicated by any known theory. Ace was capable of it instinctively. The effects of it amounted to increasing or decreasing the likelihood of immediate possible events happening… and as just proven, a single lucky blow could make all the difference in a fight.

Before the Vampire could recover, he found thick iron chains wrapped all around him. Though he struggled, he couldn’t break free of them.

As Yuki crashed to the ground, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“It doesn’t matter how strong you are. Those chains can’t be broken by force.”

The Vampire’s crimson eyes narrowed in anger, and he turned his gaze upon the one holding the chains.

John’s face was as emotionless as ever. But if one looked closely, they might be able to see the tension in his eyes.

Unique Skill: Unbreakable Bond

The trick behind the chains was quite simple, but no less effective because of it. Made of a special material, they absorbed Magic from whatever or whoever they touched, and used it to increase their own strength. The one exception to this rule was John himself, who had programmed this property to not respond to his unique energy signature. Essentially, this meant that once the chains were wrapped around a target, they wouldn’t be able to break out, since they would use their own power against them.

Trapped in place, the Vampire decided to use his Warp Skill to get away. As he did so, he utilized the Illusion Skill he had used earlier as well, to fool Alphonse into thinking he had hit him. As he phased out of the chains, he summoned his illusory self into a prominent location, while he himself reappeared in the blind spot of his enemies-

“Gotcha.”

Pain exploded in his chest.

His crimson eyes widened as he looked down, and saw a metal blade sticking out through it.

“You…!”

“Sorry,” said the President. “I’ve always been good at noticing boss patterns.”

“Hell yeah!” shouted Ace. “Nice job, chief.”

The damage done from a destroyed heart was great enough that the time manipulation Skill he had cast earlier was dispelled. Alphonse felt the world around him return to normal speed, and he rushed over to join the rest of the Council.

“Finally over,” he said.

He helped Yuki, now out of her armour, back to her feet, glaring at the defeated enemy all the while. The Frozen Knight form was tremendously taxing physically, and she was exhausted. As for him, he hadn’t taken any damage yet, but he was relieved it was over. The Vampire was far too dangerous to leave alive for even a second longer.

“Hmm. Not bad at all.”

The sound of that hated voice immediately made him step in front of Yuki on instinct. His Barrier was destroyed immediately by the hit, but it managed to save him, and by extension, Yuki. The force of the impact sent him crashing into the Vice President, and the two of them fell to the ground several metres away.

Before the rest of the Council could react, the assault continued.

John was the next to be targeted. He couldn’t quite see how it happened, but a moment later, his prized chains were cut. He watched in shock as the severed links fell, and thus, couldn’t block the punch that smashed into his chest, knocking the breath out of him and bringing him to the ground.

Ace, being the fourth target in the space of little more than one second, had enough to gather his wits, and began to use his probability manipulation to ensure that none of the Vampire’s attacks would hit him, but was trapped in a bubble of slowed time before he could finish casting.

With that, only two members remained.

The Vampire did not rush in to attack the President. From the youth’s Magic energy signature, he sensed that his speed and reactions must be significantly faster than his companions. He wouldn’t be able to blitz him. There was also the other boy cowering behind the President, but it was very unlikely that he had any combat skill. Whatever ability he did have must be meant for support, not direct offence.

“What do you know: stabbing the heart doesn’t work”, said the silver-haired youth.

Despite the seemingly precarious position, the smile on his face had only grown bigger.

“We didn’t write the stories. Your kind did,” said the Vampire.

“Fair point. A touch more accuracy would have been nice,” the youth mused.

“President,” groaned Alphonse from where he lay on the ground. “Now might not be the best time for your jokes.”

“I-I believe he’s got a point, President,” agreed Philip, who was still taking cover behind him.

The bespectacled boy sighed.

“None of you have any sense of fun. You have to enjoy these moments, you know? Real life and death battles don’t happen every day.”

Even as he bantered, however, he did not take his eyes off the Vampire. He noted that the creature was holding a weapon in one hand now: a scimitar that seemed to be made of solid shadow.

“Well, there’s nothing for it,” he said. “It’s the leader’s job to clean up the team’s mess.”

His eyes, which had been laser-focused from the start, went up yet another notch in intensity. And just like that, the entire atmosphere changed once more.

“Philip,” he said. “You want to live through this, I presume?”

“T-that would be ideal, President.”

“Good. Then put those inventory management skills to use.”

The Vampire widened his stance, drawing his sword arm back. He knew that the one he was facing now was the real threat. The boy was better than his allies. But even so, he did not have what it would take to win here. He would slice him in half before this was over.

“No retreat? I admire your courage.”

The President’s arm moved with blinding speed. The knife he had been holding screamed through the air towards the Vampire, who raised his own blade and knocked it off course.

“Philip, item no. 4, please.”

As per his order, the Record-Keeper closed his eyes, and a pair of short, curved knives materialized out of thin air. Grabbing one in each hand, the President dashed in, even as the Vampire rushed forward to meet him. Shadow and gleaming steel clashed under the moonlight.

The Vampire had the advantage in reach, and swung downwards, aiming to cleave the youth in half before he could even get in range. To his surprise, however, the boy blocked the slicing blow, matching his physical strength and speed. The night-hunter’s eyes narrowed as he realized the boy’s Magic energy signature had been steadily growing.

He had been hiding his power all this while.

Growling, the towering warrior swung his free hand in a curving blow, even as their blades remained locked in a struggle. Seeing the punch coming, the President used both his knives to force the shadow scimitar to the side. As he did so, he threw up an elbow, guarding against the punch.

The Vampire was taken aback by the counter, and thus, a fraction of a second late to react as a knee came up and smashed into his gut. The blow was hard enough that he felt pain, making him take a step back, even as he raised his sword in front of him as a guard against a follow-up move. He glared at the youth. The boy had both his hands up in front of him in a stance reminiscent of a fist-fighter’s. The knives were both held in back-handed grips. A moment of pause, as both fighters gauged their opponent, looking for an opening. Then, they rushed in again.

Once more, the night hunter used his reach advantage, this time with a flurry of slashes, each aiming for a vital point. Every one of them was knocked off course. With tight, efficient movements, the President used the short blades as he utilized movements from unarmed fighting styles to parry the blows, waiting for his moment. With each failed attack, the Vampire’s frustration grew, until he overbalanced on a downward swing. It was only by a little, but it was enough. The President trapped the scimitar in an X-guard and pulled the swing to the side, making the Vampire stumble. Even as this happened, he stepped forward, finally entering his own offensive range.

Belatedly, the Vampire realized that the boy’s choice of weapon had not been random. Their physical abilities were more or less evenly matched. Thus, his own superior height and weight gave him an advantage, and this was compounded by his longer sword. Instead of trying to compete, the youth had chosen the short blades to gain the advantage of leverage. Whenever their weapons locked in a struggle, he would be able to take control due to being closer, and using both arms as opposed to one.

Even as that realization came, the President’s attacks found their mark.

Fifteen times he struck, within the span of a second, before stepping backwards once more, out of range.

The Vampire screamed in agony, blood dripping from his mouth, even as his innards spilled out from his body, which had been brutally slashed apart.

“Philip, item no. 6!”

“Roger, President!”

The knives vanished, replaced by a katana.

His opponent had already begun to heal up. Not willing to give him the chance, he went right in. The Vampire used warped away, desperate to gain time and distance. He needed just a little, enough to recover. He barely managed to win himself a few seconds.

The President had caught up to him already.

On the back-foot, his reach advantage neutralized, the Vampire struggled to defend against the slashes that came from every angle. With every block, every parry, he realized this boy was not like the others. He knew how to fight.

But he was still green on the battlefield. Unused to the reality of battle. Even as he pressed the offensive, the Vampire deliberately allowed his defence to weaken, until it seemed like he was only barely deflecting the blows. It was all a ruse, of course. He was simply distracting his opponent by creating the illusion of imminent victory.

Simultaneous physical and Magical combat is extremely difficult. The brain struggles to process the amount of information it is receiving. As a result, most Mages either fight at a distance, or use only the most basic of Magic, limited to a Barrier and physical Enhancement. The use of complex Skills means keeping track of one’s own energy as well as one’s opponent’s all while playing the game of blows, counterblows, footwork and balance. Only true veterans were capable of it. The Vampire, with his two thousand years of life, had had the experience needed to hone that ability.

And so, even as he defended against the President, he gathered up energy, preparing the Time Trap Skill. He couldn’t help the beginning of a smile from showing on his face as the energy was finally ready to be unleashed. Before he could do so, however, he felt Telekinetic force latch on to his limbs, pulling them all to the sides, as he was suddenly held spread-eagled in the air.

This… this brat! He was doing the same as me?!!

While on the attack, the President had been gathering power for telekinesis. And it had gone unnoticed since his opponent had been focused only on his own trump card.

All the while, the rest of the Student Council members looked on in awe. In a desperate situation, with their backs against the wall, and death staring them in the face, the President had shown why he held that position on the Council.

Alphonse shook his head.

I forget sometimes. The President’s name never comes up in discussions about prodigies or geniuses. It makes sense. Those are human terms, invented for humans, by humans.

They were never made for monsters.

The President isn’t a genius, or a prodigy.

He is the single strongest Mage in the Kingdom.

The Wolvenheim heir looked on, as with a single, clean strike, the silver-haired youth severed the Vampire’s head from his body. Even as it bounced on the ground, the youth remained on his guard, immediately leaping back.

Where he had stood a moment ago, a near-invisible bubble of slowed time had formed.

He had dodged even the desperate counter-attack.

Tomorrow, if the Kingdom were to come under attack, and somehow, the entire Royal legion were to be destroyed, even then. So long as the President exists, we won’t lose.

The silver-haired youth looked up at the would-be corpse in front of him, which was already regenerating a head.

“So beheading doesn’t kill you either, huh?”

The Vampire’s mangled, still forming mouth screamed out garbled profanities.

The President nodded to himself.

“Philip,” he called out. “Good job. You can take a few days off when we get back. Remind me to treat you to lunch.”

“A-as you say, President.”

The Vampire had finally finished regenerating, and but he was still held up in the air, trapped by the President’s telekinesis. He was beyond furious by now, growling incoherently.

“It took me a while, but I think I understand your healing factor now. Destroying the heart, breaking the neck, destroying your organs, even beheading you: none of it worked. My theory is that as long as there is even a single cell of you left, you will regenerate. My task, then, is actually quite simple.”

The President held up his hand, and a light began to glow from them.

Alphonse had managed to make it to his feet. For the second time that night, he felt a chill run through his bones. He was glad he had stopped using Enhancement on his vision a few moments ago: by now, the light coming from the President’s hand had lit up the fields brighter than daylight.

The Vampire was staring at the youth in horror, as he pointed his fists at him.

“I simply have to obliterate every last cell of you.”

Alphonse had never seen the President use this particular Skill before, but it didn’t surprise him.

All Mages had a forte. For Alphonse, it was music. For Yuki, it was ice. For Ace, it was luck.

The President’s forte was inventing new Magic on the fly.

Given that the opponent was a Vampire, and the President was an avid reader of comic books, Alphonse knew exactly what the light coming from his hands must be, and thus, he yelled out his warning.

“Everyone! Close your eyes!”

The finishing blow was a single punch, which did not even need to touch the Vampire’s body. The energy from the President’s fist had been projected forward. Alphonse had been able to see the glow of it even through his closed eyelids. When he finally dared open them, the sight before him made his jaw open slightly, even though he was already aware of how strong the President was.

Not only was the Vampire gone, the entire castle and miles of ground behind it had been completely razed.

Not even ashes remained of them.

The President adjusted his glasses slightly, before walking over to the rest of the team, who were all dishevelled (and injured) to various extents.

“Boy, he really worked you lot good, didn’t he?”

Strangely, it was the usually polite Yuki who grumbled.

“Yes, the ancient Vampire did in fact beat us up, President. Are you surprised?”

“Hahahaha, you all need more training. I highly suggest you up your game. Things at Elysium are getting exciting.”

“What do you mean, Chief?” asked Ace.

“Hmm… I suspect that the next time one of you fights the Flawed boy, he will be a far tougher opponent than mister sunburnt.”

Alphonse’ eyes widened. He was about to protest, say that it was impossible, but the President was already walking away, holding his phone to his ear.

“Hey, can you come pick us up? The job’s done. Yes, it was no trouble. Well, almost no trouble.”

The hovercraft arrived moments later, and one by one, they boarded it. The last to get on was the President himself. However, right before he did so, he noticed a shadow moving across the ground from where the Vampire’s corpse would have been. As he looked on, the shadow merged itself with Yuki’s, who was none the wiser. Smiling, the President got on, without a word.