City outskirts , an abandoned house
On the far western edge of the city stood a lone, abandoned house. Hidden behind a mountain and nestled near a small river, it was completely isolated,no neighboring buildings, only dense forests and rugged hills surrounding it. A narrow road, long forgotten and poorly maintained, led straight to its entrance.
A masked man suddenly appeared on that road and entered the house.
From the outside, the structure looked close to collapse. Several sections of the roof were missing, and the walls were cracked with age. Strangely, however, the house was sealed from every side except the broken roof. The windows were intact, without a single scratch. Inside, the furniture still remained, though everything was buried beneath a thick layer of dust.
The masked man moved quickly to the uppermost floor and entered what appeared to be the master bedroom. He stopped in front of an old painting and tilted it slightly to the right.
Click.
As if triggered by a hidden mechanism, all the furniture in the room slid away on its own, clearing the center of the room in an instant. A magic circle lit up beneath his feet, glowing with a sharp, eerie brilliance.
Without hesitation, the man cut his finger and let a few drops of blood fall into the center of the circle.
The glow intensified.
In a flash of light, the man vanished. The magic circle faded, the furniture slid back into place, and the room returned to its abandoned state,exactly as it had been before.
This was a short-distance teleportation circle with blood recognition. Such circles had limited range and strict conditions, but they were fast, secure, and nearly impossible to detect. By embedding blood samples, only designated individuals could activate them.
When the man reappeared, he found himself in a pitch-dark corridor. He pulled out a lamp and began walking forward. After nearly fifteen minutes, he stopped before a small, unassuming gate.
Despite its fragile appearance, the gate could withstand attacks from an S-rank individual.
He knocked on the door in a precise rhythm.
The gate opened.
Inside, several masked figures were seated around a massive round table. The newcomer took an empty seat and remained silent. No one spoke. Time passed.
After fifteen minutes, the final member arrived.
The person seated at the center finally spoke.
"Now that everyone is present, let us begin. Report your task completion."
"One. Completed."
"Two. Completed."
"Three. Completed."
…
After the tenth report, the leader nodded.
"Good. Everything is proceeding as planned. Our agent has successfully infiltrated the academy."
"The plan will continue unchanged."
"We must capture Lia and Kira before the chaos caused by the mana bomb subsides."
"There can be no mistakes."
"One way or another, we will force their fathers to surrender the artifact. Kidnapping remains the most efficient method."
"Does anyone have additional information?"
One of the masked men raised his hand.
"Seven. Speak."
"My subordinates reported that Lia is frequently seen with a black-haired boy. What should we do if he interferes?"
The leader paused briefly.
"About that boy…"
"If he becomes an obstacle, eliminate him. We do not need unnecessary complications."
"Understood."
"Anything else?"
Silence.
"Then this meeting is adjourned."
One by one, the masked figures departed, their movements precise and practiced. It was clear this was not their first operation. Every member held a B+ rank, while the leader stood at A+,an elite unit by any guild's standards.
Though no match for an S-rank alone, together they could eliminate anyone below that threshold.
Freya Academy , Shopping District
Rio sat at a table, waiting.
More specifically, he was waiting for someone to finally emerge after trying on what felt like her fiftieth outfit.
The moment they had entered the shop, the attendant greeted them warmly and guided Lia toward the dresses. Rio had felt a bad premonition then,and it proved accurate.
He was immediately bombarded with questions.
"How does this look?"
"What about this one?"
"Be honest,this or that?"
The sheer speed of the questioning left him defenseless. In the end, all he could do was nod blankly.
Passersby glanced at him with sympathy. The shop attendant, on the other hand, wore a smile as if she were enjoying a romantic drama unfolding in real time.
This is more exhausting than training, Rio thought.
Just as boredom began to overtake him, a familiar, nervous voice pulled him back.
"S-so… h-how d-does this l-look on me? I-it's n-not like your opinion matters or anything… I-I'm just asking."
Rio turned.
Lia stood there in a tight top, a short skirt, and stockings.
His mind went completely blank.
"W-what is that expression? Just say something already!" Lia snapped.
"Cough,! You look really cute,cough! But,cough,! Isn't that a bit… short?" Rio replied awkwardly.
"Short?" Lia tilted her head.
A breeze passed.
Realization struck.
Lia's face turned bright red.
"Idiot! Don't look!"
She bolted back into the dressing room.
"Hahaha…" Rio laughed weakly.
Half an hour later, Lia returned in casual clothes. Simple, comfortable,and somehow even more stunning. Even Rio, who usually kept an unreadable expression, couldn't help but stare.
Lia noticed.
She blushed, glared at him, and tried to look fierce.
It only made her cuter.
The shopping continued with small, sweet moments like that. By afternoon, they settled into a nearby restaurant for lunch.
Some passersby admired how well they looked together. Others stared at Rio with envy before fainting under a certain girl's overwhelming aura.
Then, two uninvited guests arrived.
Fade and Kira.
With no other seats available, they sat across from Rio and Lia.
Coincidence,or fate.
This was the first time the original protagonist, Fade, and the greatest anomaly of this world, Rio, faced each other directly.
Silence followed.
Until Kira spoke.
"What a coincidence… I didn't expect to meet you here, Lia."
"I just happened to be here," Lia replied coldly. "It is surprising to run into you."
Just like the novel, Rio thought. She's distant toward Kira.
Fade frowned.
"Why are you even here when you knew I was coming?" Lia asked.
"Well…" Kira hesitated, lowering her head.
She's still kind, Rio noted. Even in the novel, she never stopped caring.
Fade clenched his fists.
"Enough!" he snapped. "Why do you keep fighting with Kira? I'm sick of it!"
"I warned you,if you bother her again,"
"Otherwise what?"
Fade froze.
The quiet boy beside Lia was now looking directly at him.
Fade's heart pounded.
That pressure… it felt familiar.
The same unease he'd felt when facing the S-rank octopus.
"Who are you?" Fade demanded.
The answer left all three stunned.
"Me?"
"I'm Rio Flash,a swordsman."
"And Lia's boyfriend."