Inside the old warehouse, dust drifted lazily through the air — as if marking the end of a long day filled with lessons and revelations.
The soft, elegant voice of Lady Avalon came from Yuuto's flip phone, calm as ever, yet now laced with the warmth of a teacher satisfied with her student's progress.
---
"Alright," she said gently, smiling faintly through the holographic screen.
"With that, today's second lesson is complete. You learn fast, Yuuto. Now rest — let your mana stabilize itself."
She clapped her hands softly, like signaling the end of a formal class.
"Good night, my dear student."
But before the connection could end, Yuuto's voice came quickly.
"Sensei, wait a moment. I have a request."
"Hm?" Lady Avalon leaned forward on the screen, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"A request? Don't tell me you're already asking for a day off after just two sessions?"
Her tone was playful — but Yuuto knew she was teasing.
He shook his head slightly, even though she couldn't see him.
"Not that, Sensei. I want you to teach me transformation magic… or something similar."
"Transformation magic?" Merlin's tone turned curious.
"Why, hmm? Don't tell me you're planning something naughty?"
Her teasing tone made Yuuto sigh and roll his eyes.
"No, Sensei," he said firmly. "It's just that… you know my body now—"
He glanced toward the cracked mirror in the warehouse.
The faint golden light of Arthur's eyes shimmered back at him.
"—I look completely different from before. If I show up at school like this, people will panic. Who wouldn't question someone changing completely in two days?"
Lady Avalon was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"You're right. For an ordinary human, that would sound like some low-grade fantasy story."
She intertwined her fingers under her chin, her gaze soft yet thoughtful.
"Hmm… fine. I'll handle that for you. There's a minor concealment spell that can mask your appearance — stable and low-cost in mana. I'll send you the base formula tomorrow."
Yuuto exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Sensei."
"Think of it as a bonus from the most beautiful teacher in Avalon," she said proudly, with a playful wink before ending the call.
Click.
---
Yuuto stared at the dimming screen.
The warehouse was now lit only by moonlight and the faint shimmer of lingering mana.
He sighed deeply and looked down at his hands — hands that no longer belonged solely to him.
"Arthur… you must've been used to this, huh?" he murmured softly before slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket.
He grabbed the shopping bag he had left in the corner and walked toward the exit.
His footsteps echoed faintly on the cracked concrete, leaving behind the quiet, dust-scented air where mana still gently stirred.
When the door closed behind him, the moonlight framed his silhouette — the image of a student who had just taken his first steps on the path of a true magus.
---
Night had fully fallen.
City lights seeped through the apartment window, painting golden lines across the wooden floor.
Yuuto sat at the dining table, half of his dinner untouched — a plate of rice and side dishes growing cold before him.
He tapped his fingers idly against the table, eyes distant.
"Hmmm… what should I do next?" he muttered.
His mind still spun with thoughts of magic training — what to practice next, what he still needed to master.
He leaned forward.
"Maybe I should just keep practicing the spell…"
But before he could stand, a sound — a voice — pierced through the thin wall of his apartment.
A familiar voice. From next door.
His sharpened hearing — a gift from Arthur's body — caught every word, every breath.
A man's voice. Low. Lazy. Arrogant.
"Hey, babe… come on. Let's pick up where we left off. You stopped me last time."
Then came the reply — soft, but weary.
"Not now, Kenji. I'm tired…"
The man's brief laugh followed, then the shuffle of footsteps — and a whisper, too close.
"Come on, Sakura. Don't make me wait."
Yuuto closed his eyes for a moment, trying to block the sound.
But with his enhanced hearing, that was impossible.
Every word. Every tone. Every breath grew clearer.
More disgusting.
More invasive.
More… infuriating.
He sat up slowly. His jaw clenched tight.
"They…" he muttered under his breath.
The words were low — like embers smoldering beneath ice.
Mana from his Dragon Core thrummed faintly in his chest.
His eyes hardened — cold, sharp, as though they could pierce the wall and see through it.
"Those vile creatures…"
His hand gripped the table. The wood creaked under his strength.
"How dare they do something so disgusting… next to my room."
The air grew heavy.
His mana flared, unstable — the Sin of Pride resonating inside him.
A faint golden glow lit up around his eyes, burning like embers ready to ignite.
"I'll make them regret it."
He rose to his feet.
Each step he took carried the authority of a king descending from his throne to deliver judgment.
The sound of his shoes striking the floor became a cold rhythm in the stillness of the night.
Without a glance back, Yuuto walked out of his room.
Every movement radiated pressure — faint, but unmistakable.
An aura of pride beyond human measure.
The corridor air tightened as he stopped before the neighboring door.
His gaze was empty, but his presence was heavy — cold, oppressive, vibrating with invisible power.
He raised his right hand slowly.
Click.
The sound of his snapping fingers echoed softly — and the world plunged into silence.
The air stilled.
No sounds from outside.
No hum of electricity.
Not even the ticking of a clock.
Only Yuuto's breathing existed in that frozen world.
"Thirty minutes… that's the limit for now," he said flatly.
His voice carried the weight of judgment.
He knocked.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
Each knock reverberated through the stillness like the toll of a bell.
Seconds later, a lazy voice came from behind the door.
"Yeah, yeah… I'm coming."
The door opened — revealing Kenji, half-awake, hair a mess.
But before he could even speak, Yuuto shoved him backward.
Thud!
Kenji's body slammed against the wall, the air knocked out of him.
Sakura, sitting on the sofa, gasped in shock.
"Kenji?! What's happening?!"
She stood — but froze when she saw who stood in the doorway.
Kenji was pinned against the wall. Yuuto's hand clutched his throat.
Yuuto's face was emotionless — but his eyes… they were like blades of frozen steel.
"For daring to disturb me… you'll pay for it."
His voice echoed — layered, as if two beings spoke at once. Yuuto… and something older, prouder, mightier.
The first punch landed.
Then the second.
The sound of cracking bone filled the air.
"I don't care what you do — who you do it with, or where you do it…"
Another blow sent blood splattering onto the floor.
"But you will never do it next to my room again!"
Kenji could barely breathe. "P–please… I'm sorry…"
His voice rasped, choked with blood.
Yuuto looked down at him like a king staring at a servant who had defiled his palace.
"Sorry isn't enough. You've polluted the peace I've built."
The air trembled.
The walls groaned under the pressure of his mana.
Sakura clasped her mouth, trembling uncontrollably.
"P-please… stop…! I'm begging you!"
She rushed forward, grabbing Yuuto's arm in desperation.
Yuuto turned slowly.
His gaze alone nearly made her knees give out.
"You dare touch me with those filthy hands?"
His tone cut deep — not angry, but disgusted, as if her mere presence was an insult.
He released Kenji, letting the man crumple to the floor, then turned sharply — gripping Sakura's collar and pulling her close until their faces were inches apart.
"Don't think being a woman makes you untouchable."
His fist tightened.
But then — something pulsed within his chest.
A voice echoed — calm, regal, yet firm.
"Compose yourself, Yuuto-san."
It wasn't his voice.
It wasn't from outside.
It was Arthur's — serene and commanding, piercing through the raging storm in his mind.
Yuuto froze.
The light around his hand dimmed, his aura retreating like a tide drawn back to sea.
His eyes softened.
His breath trembled.