Several hours later, in a training hall, Yuta and Gia were locked in combat.
Their swords clashed fiercely in the center of the arena, the sheer force of their strikes causing the ground to crack. Yuta held the upper hand, while Gia spent most of the time on the defensive. Given the significant gap in their ranks, even using only 3% of his full power was more than enough for Yuta to overwhelm her.
Yuta stepped back, giving her some space to see what she would do next. He hadn't agreed to this spar to show off his own strength, but rather to gauge the level of power Gia had attained. He was well aware of his own superiority; there was no need to constantly flaunt his strength when it served no purpose.
As he effortlessly parried one of her attacks—much to Gia's visible frustration—he remarked with a tone of genuine admiration:
"Gia, you've grown stronger since the last time we fought."
Gia narrowed her eyes, finding his words deeply irritating, and thrust her sword toward his neck. Yuta deflected it with ease, then added, his voice laced with mockery:
"There's a very strange scent—unusual for a human, though faint and hard to pin down. Hahahaha! Oh, I've got it! It's the scent of your failure." Jia gritted her teeth and intensified her attacks, her face twisted in visible rage—a reaction that only made Yuta's smile widen with every passing second.
"You're so incredibly arrogant, Yuta Casiral. But one day, I'll surpass you and defeat you—and your head will be my prize."
Her tone was heavy with the promise of his defeat and death.
In response, Yuta knocked her sword several meters away and pointed his own blade toward her face, speaking with a mix of confidence and mockery:
"I highly doubt you'll be able to do anything of the sort. Besides, today's training is over."
He gave her forehead a light push with his finger, causing her to collapse to the ground—the result of the exhaustion that had been building up, given that she had barely rested and had pushed herself to the limit over the last twenty days.
As she drank an energy-restoration potion, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then looked toward his phone and said in a calm tone:
"I'm heading to the restaurant. Are you coming?"
Jia shot him an annoyed look for a few seconds as she finished the potion, then stood up immediately.
"I'm going to take a bath first; then I'll think about it—alright?"
Yuta said nothing, simply nodding in agreement. He had no real intention of eating; he had something else in mind—a fact that Jia herself had already realized.
She headed toward the women's washroom without another word. Yuta watched her go with a mischievous glint in his eyes, then shifted his gaze upward toward the ceiling, where a spy was watching their every move. Nevertheless, he decided to let him do as he pleased, provided he did not overstep his bounds.
However, it seemed the spy was desperate for death; Yuta moved toward him with such speed that the spy could not even register the movement.
Yuta grabbed him by the throat, leaving the spy utterly shocked—he had only intended to follow Gia to complete his mission.
"How are you doing, pal? You seem like a rather ill-mannered fellow. Spying on underage girls while they bathe—that's quite inappropriate, don't you think?"
"......"
The spy couldn't utter a single syllable, as Yuta was pressing down hard on his throat—specifically right over his vocal cords.
Yuta flashed a chilling, sinister smile, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth as he looked at the spy, his voice dripping with a terror that froze the man to his core:
"You know what? I've never tasted the flesh of the beings in this story before. It should be quite interesting to see what it's like."
The man's expression went completely blank with dread. In a single bite, Yuta devoured his head—an act that helped sate the craving he had been struggling with for the past few days: a hunger for the inhabitants of this world.
His own head transformed into that of a pitch-black dragon, his aura reeking of death. He swallowed the rest of the spy's body in one gulp, then returned to the ground, wiping away any traces of blood or the scent of it from his mouth and clothing.
A few minutes later, Gia emerged from the women's bath. She cast a suspicious glance toward Yuta, sensing that the presence of the fool—whom she had intended to kill herself for trying to watch her bathe—had vanished entirely. Deciding to brush the whole matter aside, she spoke in a tone that suggested complete indifference toward what had transpired in her absence:
"Let's go. Lunch is on you, Mr. Yuta Caseral."
Yuta cast a slightly annoyed glance at her for a few seconds before they both headed toward the academy's dining hall.
As they walked, Gia muttered to herself in a quiet voice, glancing toward Yuta every now and then:
"Just one more day, and I'll be heading to the city of Berhais with Yuta. The Summer Festival—it's the event I've been waiting for all this time."
A sigh, tinged with bewilderment, escaped her lips as she recalled their encounter on Gigua Island following the attack by the Scorpion Organization.
Flashback
Gia and Yuta sat atop the corpses of the Scorpion Organization's henchmen and various beasts, their expressions cold as they gazed up at the sky.
A faint smile appeared on Yuta's face as he looked toward Gia, who was staring into the void, her gaze unfocused.
"Do you remember what I said—that I would kill the Magic Emperor, Aster Guilford, one day?"
Gia turned her eyes toward Yuta and stood up; the corpses they had been sitting upon—along with the others scattered around—vanished.
As she sheathed her blood-stained sword, she replied to his question:
"Yes, I remember. But why do you want to kill him? That's something I still don't understand. Is there some kind of enmity between you and my adoptive father, Aster Guilford?"
Gia's gaze remained sharp as she watched Yuta, keeping a close eye on his every move and gesture. A faint smile appeared on the corner of Yuta's lips as he looked toward Gia, who was observing him with an analytical gaze.
"As you said, your adoptive father. But more importantly, don't you want to know about your origins and your true family? Your father, your mother, your siblings—what happened to them? And why are you an orphan?"
"Why did Aster Guilford decide to take you in, specifically, and forbid you from using your abilities? The scent of your hybrid blood radiates clearly from your body; you are just like me—a hybrid."
"As for why I intend to kill Aster—it is because he, in turn, seeks to kill me and use me as a tool to bolster his own power. You, too, are no exception to this."
"I realize you may not grasp this just yet, but if you wish to uncover the full truth, why not accompany me to the celebration being held in the city of Berhais over the year-end holidays?"
"Think of it as a respite from the pressures you face—being the daughter of a high-ranking duke, Aster Guilford, and, simultaneously, the daughter of the Magic Emperor."
Gia stared at Yuta in silence. She could not fathom why he was reaching out to her, especially given that he neither liked her nor cared about her status as the daughter of Duke Aster Guilford—one of the most formidable figures on the Central Continent and a renowned, influential figure throughout the human realm.
Yet, he spoke openly of his intent to kill the Duke. Where did his confidence come from? Gia could easily inform Aster of Yuta's plot to overthrow him—a revelation that would surely lead to Yuta's execution for conspiring against a high-ranking official of the Empire.
Such an act would also be deemed treason against the Human Empire; after all, Aster Guilford serves as one of the vital pillars preventing the Empire's collapse—a fact that cannot be overlooked.
At the same time, Gia stood to gain—or lose—a great deal. Yuta Caseral was a dangerous rival with an unpredictable temperament; he bowed to no one and pledged his loyalty to no one. He could just as easily become her ally as he could her enemy.
Regardless, she could never truly trust him—unless, of course, she wished to die. Trusting a devil is foolish in itself, and Yuta had gone beyond the nature of a devil through his actions—murder, betrayal, and even the extortion of fellow students for his own gain.
She had been observing Yuta for the past few months and realized that he was not the type to give up on his goals, regardless of the methods he might employ to achieve them.
"From what you've said, it seems you know who my family is, and the true reason why Aster Guilford adopted me. And yet..."
"What is the *real* reason? Simply wanting to kill him isn't a sufficient explanation. My father is currently a 'High Holy Ruler' rank combatant."
"And you are stronger than him. You managed to fight me without any apparent effort, even when I invoked a 'Ruler's Blessing'—which boosted my power to the 'Master Ruler' rank at the time."
"Technically, that makes you stronger than Aster Guilford, who remains at the 'High Holy Ruler' rank. Yet, you speak as if he is far more powerful than what is rumored."
Jia spoke with an interrogative tone, a translucent violet aura swirling around her body.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha! You fool! Do you truly believe that what we see around us—or what we currently know—is the absolute truth, or a logical explanation for everything that has happened or is happening right now?"
Yuta laughed loudly, his gaze fixed on Jia.
Then, continuing in a calm, slightly mocking tone, he added:
"In this world—or any world, for that matter—there remains one immutable law: the strongest get to write the rules of the game." "Only the strongest get to write history as they please. Do you truly believe Aster Guilford still holds the rank of High Holy Ruler? How pathetic."
"But if you come with me during the year-end break, you'll find the answers to every question you've pondered—and even those you haven't thought to ask yet."
Although Gia has begun to learn about everything unfolding across the world, that doesn't mean she knows *everything*; in the end, she is just like anyone else in this world.
She only knows what she is meant to know—nothing more. As for the things she isn't supposed to know? She simply remains in the dark. It's that straightforward.
The world won't tell you everything. Some truths must remain hidden, for they have the power to shake the very foundations of the world and fundamentally alter how the populace perceives those in power.
Moreover, the authorities would never allow the general public to discover such things, as doing so would threaten their own personal interests.
[End of flashback]
Clearing her mind, she gazed toward the entrance of the academy's restaurant—exactly twenty-four paces away—before shifting her focus to Yuta, whose expression radiated absolute confidence.
His demeanor left her feeling uneasy. Yet, she remained by his side—partly because being with him caused her own strength to grow in strange, inexplicable ways, and partly to discuss what would unfold during the break, which was now only a few hours away. He entered the restaurant and headed toward the order counter. In a calm tone, Yuta said:
"I'd like two portions of grilled venison, a dragon fruit juice, a salad, and a tropical fruit jelly tart."
The attendant looked at him for a few seconds before heading toward the kitchen.
Turning to Yuta, Jia asked in a quiet voice:
"What happened to that cook who used to treat you so kindly—the one who would prepare your food before you even asked for it?"
Yuta looked at her for a few moments with a faint smile, then walked over to a seat:
"I'm not really sure. Still, your asking about her caught me by surprise. I suppose you're becoming more sensible, little by little."
Jia didn't respond to his comment; instead, she walked over to the table where he was sitting, fixing him with an inscrutable gaze.
As soon as she sat down, she began to probe—prompting a look of bewilderment from Yuta:
"So, what are your plans for the break? I highly doubt you're heading straight for the city of Berhais, are you?"
Yuta listened, his expression remaining calm. He realized that trying to beat around the bush with her would never work. Besides, since she would end up accompanying him anyway, she was bound to find out his destination—and lying would only complicate things. "You're right. We'll make a stop in the city of Yuhr Spek. Be careful, though—the city is crawling with gangs that use internal power-suppression devices. That said, I doubt they'll have any effect on you; after all, you managed to defeat the Goblin ruler, Kaflieur, and fight the Orc ruler to a draw."
"After that, we'll head to the Market of Mysteries. There are things I want to buy there, and you should take advantage of it too—it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Immediately afterward, we'll set off for the city of Berhais. Once we arrive, I'll decide what our next steps will be leading up to the Summer Festival."
Jia said nothing, listening to Yuta's words with the utmost attention. If what Yuta said was true, the upcoming Summer Festival would completely transform the way she viewed the world.
A waitress arrived to serve the food, cutting Jia off before she could say a word—a wise precaution, given that she had no idea who was working with whom, or who might be working against whom. Still, she felt certain that Yuta was somehow working with everyone at once, while simultaneously working with no one at all.
The thought nearly made her laugh. She watched Yuta, who was watching her—while also keeping an eye on her father, Aster, who in turn was watching her back. It dawned on her that everyone was watching everyone else; everyone was allied with everyone, yet everyone was also pitted against everyone.
She turned her gaze toward the food, her expression calm, and began to eat a steak without uttering a syllable. Yuta followed suit, remaining equally silent.
Several minutes passed before Yuta spoke, pausing between bites of a tropical fruit jelly tart:
"The students who took the final exam are coming in today, aren't they?"
Jia looked at him, puzzled for a few seconds as she tried to discern his true intent. Deciding to play along, she replied:
"Of course. Tomorrow is the final day; the headmaster will deliver his closing address before the gates of Farsalkin Academy shut for the next five months—giving everyone time to prepare for our journey to the Khaleedin Celestial Academy."
Yuta's expression shifted, becoming serious as he fixed his gaze upon her. Jia's own expression changed in response; she knew that what was coming next would be significant.
"When we reach world 3525336 DF, be on your guard against someone named Yao Chang-ji. He will prove to be an extremely dangerous enemy over the next ten months." Jia said nothing, but she etched the name "Yao Chang-ji" deep into her mind. As she sipped her dragon fruit juice, she gathered her scattered thoughts.
Setting her glass down on the table, she spoke:
"Even so, are you certain you'll be able to carry out your intentions?"
It wasn't difficult for Yuta to grasp the true intent behind Jia's words—she was referring to the 'Magic Emperor,' Aster Guilford. Yet, Yuta didn't consider Aster an opponent worth much concern. After all, Aster was still stuck at the '02-FI' rank; he hadn't even managed to secure a primary wing of his own—let alone a secondary one—despite being an adopted son of the Guilford family.
"Without a doubt, I will achieve what I set out to do. After all, what people mistake for a mere pawn might actually be the mastermind behind the entire game—not just a player."
Yuta's tone was laced with both confidence and malice as he popped a piece of fruit jelly into his mouth, completely unfazed by Jia's skeptical gaze.
She stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with profound distrust:
"It seems our discussion has reached its end, Master Yuta Caseral."
Yuta watched her for a few moments before replying:
"You won't be addressing me that way once the Summer Festival in the city of Berhais concludes."
"..."
Jia offered no comment. Having heard exactly what she came for, she saw no reason to prolong the conversation—especially with someone as untrustworthy as him—and promptly walked out of the academy restaurant. Nevertheless, Yuta did not stop her, well aware that the passage of time creates both enemies and allies—that today's companions might effectively be enemies, while tomorrow, they could become allies.
It is the right time and place that determine the nature of any relationship. Yet, such connections will always rest upon two pillars: exploitation and mutual self-interest—and nothing more. Ultimately, every relationship in this vast world is built upon these two foundations.