---
The festival was over. The colorful lights and temporary laughter had vanished like smoke. The academy grounds, once filled with joy and noise, had returned to their usual rhythm.
But within Kuro—no, within *Shujin*—something was shifting.
He sat alone under a tree, shadows gathering thickly around him. His eyes stared at the sky, as unreadable as ever. Yet inside, a quiet dissonance had surfaced—was it warmth? Pain? Confusion? He could not name it.
> "Why do I feel... changed?"
He unconsciously clutched his chest.
From a distance, Rei, the girl who would not let him fall completely into the darkness, watched him silently. Her gaze was soft, yet firm.
> "That's a good sign, Kuro-sama... It means that, deep in your core, you are still human."
She smiled faintly.
---
Meanwhile...
That very day, two new faces passed through the pristine walls of the Ironwood Royal Magic Academy.
**The Transfer Student:**
* **Name:** Lucien Vael
* **Persona:** A quiet, refined noble from a distant land.
* **True Nature:** A demon secretly dispatched by the First Summoned Hero himself to infiltrate the academy, gather intelligence on potential "threats" within the human kingdom, and observe.
Lucien walked through the academy gates with a calm demeanor, his silver-black hair drifting in the breeze. His eyes held a faint violet glint, but only for a moment.
Inside, the demon's presence coiled under his skin like smoke behind a mirror. Hidden. Calm. Dangerous.
---
**The New Teacher:**
* **Name:** Professor Selvaria Nocturne
* **Subject:** Secret History and Forbidden Magic
* **Appearance:** Youthful and elegant, with jet-black hair and amber eyes. A cold beauty.
* **True Identity:** A high-ranking demoness who was once a strategist in the demon realms, now serving under the First Summoned Hero to assess humanity's progress.
When she introduced herself to Class B, her voice was captivating.
> "I wish not only to teach... but to understand each of you students."
The students clapped politely, all unknowingly charmed by her intellect.
All except two.
---
**Suspicion:**
From the back row, Kuro's sharp eyes did not miss the unnatural aura emanating from the newcomers. His instincts flared.
Beside him, Rei narrowed her eyes slightly at Lucien.
> Rei whispered, "He doesn't feel like one of us, Kuro-sama."
> Kuro: "No. He is something else... and so is that teacher. They are demons."
They did nothing. Not yet.
Even the usually energetic Ryuto seemed oblivious to the threat, laughing and chatting with other classmates, welcoming the new student.
> "He's just a student," he said. "Don't worry."
But Kuro knew better. The scent of deception hung thick in the air.
---
**To Be Continued...**