Today was the darkest day in the dragon-slaying world.
Cassell College—the most renowned dragonslayer academy on Earth—had been punched clean through by four people in a single day.
Their faces would become legend across the hybrid world.
Who were they?
What were they?
The speculation would never end.
When Angers heard Cassell had been wrecked, he almost climbed out of bed—
until he found out the culprits were four familiar troublemakers.
"Ah. Never mind."
Then he heard they'd done all that just to stamp enrollment papers.
He stared, then burst into laughter.
"Wreck the whole academy for enrollment… Jesus. Hahahaha."
After laughing, he gave a calm order.
"Record their student status in the school network."
"Wow," the Night Watchman's delighted voice crackled through the phone. "You finally snapped?"
"Hmph. Shut up. Just do it."
"Alright, I'll tell my dear son. How're you doing over there? Your school gets trashed and you're still hiding in some bar or some woman's arms?"
"Do you think I'm you? Enough. Hanging up."
"Hey hey hey—wait!" the Night Watchman hurriedly stopped him. "I'm curious about something!"
"Speak."
"Those four… do you know them?"
Angers smiled. "No."
"Then how are you going to handle this?"
"Handle who? Them?" Angers' voice stayed level. "What should we use? Nuclear weapons? Bomb a city full of civilians? Send endless elites to hunt them?"
The Night Watchman choked. The elites today had just been him.
"Alright, old friend. Don't worry about it."
"So we just let it go?"
"Treat it like some naughty students causing mischief. The matter's over now."
"The Secret Party won't be as chill as you."
"Let anyone who wants a beating go find them." Angers paused. "Actually—do me a favor."
"Ugh, no." The Night Watchman groaned. "I refuse."
"It's small."
"Let's hear it."
"Send our two S-Rank and two A-Rank students their proper benefits and a letter of concern."
"…You're really treating them as students?"
"They enrolled, didn't they? Then they're our students. And Cassell doesn't short its students. Go."
He hung up without waiting.
The Night Watchman swore viciously into the air and dumped the errand on his dear son.
Manstein, after hearing the instruction, went silent—but nodded and accepted.
Meanwhile, where were those four infamous intruders?
"I wonder if we can get a cab out here," Yu Jin said, staring down an empty highway at night.
"Great question," the Doctor shrugged. "You ask me, I ask who?"
They were trudging down a road in the middle of nowhere—where the teleport had dropped them.
"By the way, what Word Spirit did everyone pick?" Stelle said, scrolling through the shop. "I got Judgment. Seems decent."
"I took Junyan," Kevin said.
"Nice. But Rhein plus my Black Sun is still the strongest!" Yu Jin bragged, then looked at the Doctor. "What about you?"
"Uh… Kamaitachi."
Yu Jin's face went solemn.
"Rhein is the strongest Word Spirit I've heard of.
Kamaitachi is the strongest Word Spirit I've seen."
"…Get lost."
"Gladly~"
No one knew how long they'd have to walk before reaching a city.
Yet somewhere along the quiet road, the talk turned soft.
"What are you guys going to do when you go back to your worlds?" the Doctor asked.
"Me? Probably nothing changes," Kevin replied.
"I might quit Herta Space Station," Stelle said, locking her screen.
"You're resigning?" Yu Jin blinked at her.
"Yeah." She stretched. "Adventure's fun. It's nothing like being stuck on the station. Maybe I'm just born to roam."
She looked at him. "What about you?"
"Smash my whole world," Yu Jin said without hesitation.
The other three fell silent.
"…I haven't told you what kind of world I live in," Yu Jin said slowly.
They shook their heads.
"Then let me explain what kind of trash pit it is."
A hopeless world.
A world people desperately tried to preserve.
A world doomed to decay.
He talked about Dark Souls—a cycle where "keep the fire" and "end the fire" were both rotten choices.
Picking the least awful option from a pile of garbage.
Rotten oranges were still rotten oranges.
Kevin and the Doctor patted his shoulders in sympathy.
Kevin: "If it's really that bad, come to my world."
Doctor: "Mine might be a mess too, but you can come over there as well. Once I figure out what's going on."
"And if nothing else, come be space pirates with me," Stelle laughed, giving a thumbs-up.
"Wait, weren't you going to the Astral Express?" the three said at once.
"I said I want to adventure, not that I have to be on the Express. Seeing another timeline of me might be cool, sure. But smashing fate and walking a new road? That's cooler."
She swung her arm like she was batting a ball straight through destiny.
"Fate is meant to be broken."
"You're right." Yu Jin smiled. "Fate is meant to be broken."
"Why do I have to choose between linking the fire and ending it?"
He stepped forward, flipped the sky off with a grin.
"Whatever you are—fate, gods, cycles—listen up. I'll save my world my way. I choose neither option. If this chat group can cross dimensions, then it can find a way to save one damn world!"
Behind him, Stelle, Kevin, and the Doctor exchanged looks—and smiled too.
Kevin walked up and clapped his hands on Yu Jin's shoulders.
"We're friends. Of course we help."
Doctor: "If one person can't do it, add more. We'll figure it out."
"And any enemy in our way," Stelle said lightly, "we just bat them into orbit."
Kevin laughed. "Count me in."
Doctor nodded. "That's a solid plan."
"Doctor," Kevin asked, "what about you? What'll you do after you go back?"
"Probably join Rhodes Island and see what happens," the Doctor said.
The four kept walking under the night sky until a kind driver finally stopped for them.
An hour later, they reached another unknown city.
—
Morning sunlight spilled into a rented room.
Some lazy dog in bed clearly intended to sleep in.
No work. No emergency. Why get up?
Then hurried footsteps sounded in the hall.
Knock, knock, knock.
Doors were hammered one after another.
"Wake up! Wake up! Something big happened!"
Kevin's urgent voice yanked the three sleepers out of bed.
Stelle snatched her bat and burst into the hall.
The Doctor released Kamaitachi to scan their surroundings, gun in hand.
Yu Jin came barreling out. "Who the hell is messing with my kid—?"
"I'm your dad."
"Forget that, look!" Kevin thrust a letter forward.
"What is it?" the Doctor asked, blinking.
Stelle squinted at the envelope. "What's this?"
Yu Jin's eyes narrowed. "Cassell College."
Kevin nodded. "Found it in the mailbox when I took out the trash. It has our names."
Yu Jin weighed the envelope. Something rattled inside.
"…Not a micro-bomb, right?" the Doctor muttered.
"It's a card and a letter." Stelle had already opened hers.
"Stelle," the Doctor groaned, "I know you're a beast, but maybe be cautious with these things."
Now that they knew it was safe, the Doctor opened his.
He ignored the black card and read the letter.
Dear Doctor,
Based on your outstanding performance in this enrollment assessment, Cassell College has classified your bloodline as A-Rank. You will enjoy all benefits afforded to A-Rank students.
If you require assistance, you may contact the academy, and we will provide support within reason.
The black card enclosed is your A-Rank scholarship: $20,000 USD. Please accept it.
Doctor: "…"
Kevin: "…"
Yu Jin: "…"
Stelle scratched her head. "So I was sleepwalking."
"If you weren't, why are you pinching me?" Yu Jin deadpanned.
"Did Cassell go insane?" the Doctor exploded. "They… rewarded us?!"
They had stormed the academy and slapped Cassell across the face.
Instead of bullets, they got scholarship money.
Yu Jin didn't understand it either.
But the four traded looks—
and instantly started grinning like idiots.
"Who cares why!" Stelle cheered, pumping a fist. "We're rich! Let's spend like maniacs for the last few days!"
The tiny rental exploded with laughter.
—
Back in the original city—
Lu Mingfei had changed.
Everyone felt it—classmates, teachers, family.
He'd grown quiet.
But not shy-quiet.
More like a volcano held under pressure.
No one wanted to be the spark.
Even the kids who used to step on him avoided him now.
Lu Mingfei didn't react.
He just moved through his days in silence.
Chu Zihang had changed too.
After school he no longer went straight home—he went to train.
Knowing the true world meant one thing: whether he wanted to enter it or not, he had to be strong enough to survive it.
After Chu Zihang begged him, Chu Tianjiao finally agreed to train his son.
Under an S-Rank father's guidance, his growth was far beyond the original trajectory.
Watching his son train, Chu Tianjiao nodded in satisfaction.
That's my boy.
Then his expression turned a little helpless.
"Those four idiots ran into Cassell and… sigh. At least they're alive. Wonder where they went. Couldn't even send a message."
-------
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