The sky darkened as if shrouded in a dense mist of dusk.
As Kazama Rei was led to the student council headquarters, the entire administration building glowed with an unnatural white light, as though a spirit pressure crystal had been activated by force.
Their guide was Vice President Shirogane Byaku.
His footsteps were so light that they seemed almost inhuman; as if a gentle breeze might scatter him into the shadows.
'You look nervous,' Byaku remarked, tilting his head so that his silver hair fanned out like blades.
'First time being summoned — anyone would be.'
Rei didn't reply; he could only feel something pressing down on his chest.
"Student Council President Jinguji Kai wishes to see you."
He had heard those words since morning, yet they still felt like some impending judgement.
White Crow halted before a thick black door deep within the corridor.
Engraved upon it was the academy crest, its centre slashed open to resemble an eye or a fissure.
'We're here.'
White Crow knocked twice. Instead of swinging open, the door automatically split apart from within.
Unnatural light seeped through the gap like a cold, transparent mist.
Rei stepped inside.
The Chamber of Judgement
Its interior was far larger than he had imagined, resembling an underground courtroom.
Semicircular pillars of white light lined the walls, each one engraved with pulsing incantation patterns and an extremely faint spiritual pressure.
At the centre stood a black, elongated table.
Seated behind it was a young man wearing a deep blue uniform —
Jinguji Kai.
He was younger than Rei had imagined, yet he commanded silence with his cold, blade-like presence.
Kai lifted his eyes. His pupils were an intense silver-grey, like the centre of an ancient seal.
Rei felt a stab from that gaze, his chest tightening involuntarily.
"Fūma Rei."
Kai spoke, his voice low yet clear.
"Sit."
Rei sat down instinctively, his palms slightly sweaty.
Kai watched him, his tone neutral.
'Your action report from yesterday... Amagi Yuuto has already briefed me. You activated the 'Eye of Judgment' for the first time."
Rei's breath caught.
White Crow stood beside the table with his arms crossed over his chest. 'Frankly, surviving that is quite impressive.'
Rei frowned. "What exactly was that?"
Gray didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised his left hand.
The next instant, the runes across the entire Judgment Chamber seemed to activate and beams of light flared up instantly.
Rei's pupils contracted sharply.
At that moment, Gray's left eye quietly opened—
It had a silver-white iris that resembled both an abyss and a judgmental lamp.
Deep within that pupil were minute, intricate fissures that resembled patterns from the spirit realm.
It was a 'Judgment Eye' almost identical to Li's own.
Rei's heart nearly leapt into his throat.
Gray's voice was calm and profound:
'You are neither the first nor the only one.'
With difficulty, Li asked, "You are also an inheritor?"
'To be precise, I am the host of the previous generation.' Gray closed his eyes and the pillar of light instantly dimmed.
White Crow added softly, 'The Eye of Judgement doesn't awaken in every generation. Sometimes it's a decade, sometimes a century." The two of you existing simultaneously is unprecedented."
Rei's mind went blank for a few seconds.
Gray looked at him, his tone suddenly deepening.
'You must be wondering why it's you.'
Rei lifted his head.
'Saint Oath Academy was built on top of a rift in the spirit realm. The barrier here relies on the 'Eye of Judgment' to remain stable."
Hui tapped the tabletop, causing a faint ripple of suppressed spiritual pressure to spread through the air.
'And that barrier is cracking.'
White Crow added, 'Our monitoring shows that the rift's vibration frequency is five times higher than last year. This year is historically abnormal."
Hui pointed towards the ceiling, where a massive barrier diagram was projected.
Across the image, countless fine cracks spread like a spider's web.
'Do you think the recent surge in spirit disturbances is a coincidence?'
Hui asked.
Rei shook his head.
'Every incident is linked to the worsening rifts.' Gray paused, his gaze piercing enough to see through souls.
'And your awakening? It's because the rifts are calling for a new vessel."
Rei's pupils dilated sharply. "Vessel?"
'The Eye of Judgment isn't a power; it's an organ.' Gray's tone was icy.
'It belongs to the spirit realm and is nourished by the host's soul and flesh. When the previous host's lifespan, soul or power nears its limit, the Eye of Judgment automatically seeks the next suitable vessel."
Li felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
'Then... will I become like you?'
Gray didn't answer. Instead, he asked:
'When you awoke, did you feel pain?'
Rei's spine tightened. 'Like being torn apart.'
Hui murmured:
'That wasn't an illusion. It was your soul being reshaped."
White Crow tapped his finger on the tabletop. 'This isn't a curse, nor is it a gift. It's a responsibility. And a price."
Rei couldn't help asking:
'Why tell me all this? I'm just a transfer student."
"No. Gray cut him off abruptly.
His gaze was like a blade.
"You are not 'just'. You were chosen because deep within your soul, you possess the ability to bear sin.'
'Meaning, you were born to be a Judge.'
Those words weighed heavier than any spiritual pressure.
Gray stood up and extended a stiff card towards Li, engraved with a new insignia. 'Core Member of the Judgment Division.'
'From today onwards, you are no longer a passive awakener.'
Gray's voice was low, like a verdict.
'You are the gatekeeper of the spirit realm's fissure.'
The next judge who will maintain the academy's barrier.'
Rei's fingers trembled slightly as he grasped the card.
It wasn't just a status symbol — it was a contract binding him to the academy's very fate.
Hui leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
'Feng Jian Li, from the day you awoke, your life no longer belongs to you.'
Rei's heart clenched violently.
The next instant, the crimson alarm deep within the Judgment Chamber erupted.
Electrical static pierced the silence.
'Spirit pressure anomaly! Unknown entity detected near the rift!"
White Crow looked up, his expression shifting in a rare display of change.
Gray's face was colder than steel.
"Rei," he said. "Come with me."
'You must witness the true duty of a Judge.'
Rei took a deep breath and stood up.
He knew there was nowhere left to retreat.