As the students fell into the training hall, they immediately took up attacking stances, ready to fight. Piers, however, didn't want to fight his classmates unnecessarily.
"Rule over them like before, and they will calm down," the Phantom Insignia suggested.
Yeah, that will help, Piers thought. He knew he needed to maintain the facade of dominance to control everyone. "Umbrae Vocare." Black spirits materialized and surrounded him, looking like a moving black cloak or revolving slaves, making him appear frightening. Piers drew his Phantom Insignia and said coldly, "Stop, otherwise you will be stopped for good." The black spirits spread a cold chill, causing everyone to shiver.
However, this time, his peers felt stronger due to their newly enchanted weapons. "Do you think you are still special? I have my enchanted spear!" one said.
"Get ready, because I'm going to slay you with my longsword!" another shouted.
A boy walked slowly toward Piers until they were just inches apart. What? But why do they want to fight? Piers saw the malevolent eyes of his peers; they looked like they genuinely intended to kill him.
"These people can only understand the language of violence," the Phantom Insignia stated. "If you don't show your power to some, they will keep ignoring you."
This time, Piers didn't argue. Just like the last time, one got strength and immediately thought they were above someone else. Piers started chuckling, then laughed aloud. "You know, I thought you must have learned that fighting is not always necessary. Even Professor Severin is not here, yet you seek fighting. I can clearly see power means everything to you vermin. Looks like in order to keep you all in check, I will have to dominate you with all my power."
"We will see about that," the boy said. He used his gauntlets, which shone with a brilliant red light, readying a deadly attack. Piers was faster; he activated his Mephisto power and dodged the attack in seconds. But then the red pillar of energy turned and came back at him. Piers knew he had to act. He raised his hand to send out spirits, but suddenly his ring hummed. Piers concentrated on it, and the red energy was absorbed.
The boy was astonished. Other students also hurled energy at Piers with their weapons, but Piers absorbed the energy with his ring. "Just what is that ring? It's absorbing my powers!" one person asked.
"That ring is not worth much!" another said, trying to downplay it.
Wow, this ring really is very good! I will call it Devourer's Ring, Piers thought. He shouted, "Now to teach you vermin a lesson! Umbrae Vorax!" The black spirits around Piers immediately went toward the others, consuming their energy. Some students grouped up to defeat the spirits, but Piers immediately appeared in front of the group using his Phantom Sword Technique and started cutting them, severely injuring them.
Piers laughed as he slowly moved toward the rest. The remaining students, noticing Piers, quickly started running away. Piers laughed and said, "So you want to fight me? I will show you all how severely you overestimated yourselves."
Piers was right behind them when suddenly chains came between them. Severin appeared. "The fight is over. Classes dismissed."
"Fine," Piers said. He gave a glare and turned to leave for his dorm.
I would have to keep a close eye on that boy, Severin thought.
Piers used his Mephisto power and reached the dorm area in seconds. He went through the hidden entrance and jumped floor to floor until he landed on his dorm floor and entered his room.
"Everyone likes to fight in this world. It's like the very basis of their world is built from fighting," Piers sighed.
"Not just fighting. They enjoy deceiving, gambling, killing, and much more," the Phantom Insignia said. "However, you are different, Piers. Within this dark world, you are light. Dominate over them and keep them under your command. Make them docile and helpless. Make them obey you."
"Yes, I will do just that now," Piers agreed.
Everything is going as planned, the Phantom Insignia thought.
Piers took out his white arts book, The Luminarium, and looked for spells to master. He focused on a spell called Sol Invictus, which had the power to scorch dark creatures and spells into ashes. He started learning it and placed a black spirit in front of him for practice.
In a dark forest during midnight, a black mist spread. Three figures were running from someone. As they ran, wooden tentacle branches appeared, caught their legs, and bound them. The sound of someone slowly walking approached. Soon, a girl with azure hair and eyes appeared, holding a brush—it was Lyla.
"Nice to meet you," Lyla said. "I wanted to know what is new within the Black Devil Branch."
"We are not telling you anything," one figure growled. Suddenly, wooden branches wrapped around his neck and began choking him.
Lyla asked again, "Let me repeat my statement: What is new within the Black Devil Branch, particularly the boy named Piers?"
"Please spare me! I have heard about him. He has contracted with Mephis—" another figure pleaded.
"I know that he has Mephisto's powers and that he is heading to the Devil Hell Branch," Lyla interrupted. "I want to know what else you know about him."
"I know that even though he uses Mephisto's powers, he does not get corrupted," the figure said desperately. "Also, he is not directly contracted with the devil; the devil Mephisto has just made a mark that allows him to harness Mephisto's powers directly without any curruption, and he can't control his powers fully but is learning at an incredible rate."
That is definitely Rei, Lyla thought.
A red-haired boy, Kaiser, arrived and threw three more people near Lyla. "Bind them too; they gave me some good info," he said. The Navarion Tenko barked, having also gathered information from others.
"Looks like we are close to Rei," Lyla said.
A three-eyed crow watched them from nearby and then flew away.