The return was quiet.
No sudden attacks.
No distortions tearing the sky apart.
No ancient forces rising to challenge him.
That alone made it suspicious.
Harold walked at a steady pace, the Academy already visible in the distance.
It looked the same.
Untouched.
Normal.
Storm frowned.
"…I don't like this."
Frost nodded slightly.
"…It's too calm."
Harold didn't stop.
"…They're watching."
Inside—
The Counter-Sovereign confirmed it.
"Multiple high-level observers detected."
Unity added,
"Balance… being measured."
The Devourer rumbled low.
"…Predators waiting."
The Monkey King grinned.
"Let them watch. I'm bored."
They reached the Academy gates.
Students moved as usual.
Training grounds were active.
Nothing seemed out of place.
And yet—
Everything felt different.
As Harold stepped inside—
The air shifted.
Not violently.
Acknowledging.
Frost's voice lowered.
"…They know."
Storm scratched his head.
"…Yeah, I can feel that too."
Eyes turned.
Not all at once.
Not obviously.
But enough.
Whispers spread quietly.
"…That's him."
"…He's back."
"…Something's different…"
Harold ignored it.
He walked forward.
Then—
He stopped.
Because someone stood in his path.
An instructor.
Calm.
Composed.
But their presence—
Was heavier than before.
"…You've returned."
Harold looked at him.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…And you've changed."
Harold didn't respond.
Because there was no point denying it.
The instructor studied him for a moment longer.
Then stepped aside.
"…The Headmaster is waiting."
Storm blinked.
"…Already?"
Frost frowned slightly.
"…That was fast."
Harold walked past them.
"…Of course it was."
Inside—
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"High-level meeting initiated."
The Monkey King smirked.
"Ooooh, serious talk."
The Headmaster's chamber felt different.
Not larger.
Heavier.
As if the space itself had been reinforced.
Harold stepped inside.
Storm and Frost followed.
The Headmaster stood at the center of the room.
Not alone.
Three others were present.
All unfamiliar.
All watching him.
Storm immediately tensed.
"…Yeah, I definitely don't like this."
Frost's eyes narrowed.
"…They're not normal."
Harold stepped forward.
"…You called."
The Headmaster didn't waste time.
"Yes."
A pause.
"They've come to see you."
Silence.
The three figures stepped forward slightly.
Their presence—
Controlled.
But unmistakable.
Sovereign-level.
Not fully revealed.
But enough.
One of them spoke.
"…So this is him."
Another tilted their head.
"…He doesn't look like much."
The third remained silent.
Watching.
Measuring.
Harold met their gaze calmly.
"…You came all this way just to look?"
The first one smiled faintly.
"…No."
A pause.
"We came to decide."
Storm frowned.
"…Decide what?"
The second one answered this time.
"…Whether you're allowed to exist like this."
Silence filled the room.
Frost's expression darkened instantly.
"…Allowed?"
The third one finally spoke.
"…You've gone beyond the system."
A pause.
"Beyond balance."
Another.
"Beyond control."
Their eyes locked onto Harold.
"That makes you a risk."
Inside—
The system remained calm.
No warnings.
No urgency.
Just awareness.
The Monkey King cracked his neck.
"…Here we go."
The Devourer rumbled.
"…Conflict inevitable."
Unity pulsed steadily.
"Balance intact."
The Counter-Sovereign whispered,
"Outcome… undefined."
Harold looked at them.
Unbothered.
"…So what's your decision?"
The first one smiled.
"We're still thinking."
A pause.
"But we'd like to test something first."
The air in the room shifted slightly.
Not explosive.
But controlled.
Focused.
The Headmaster stepped back.
Storm clenched his fists.
"…You're really doing this here?"
No one answered him.
Because it had already begun.
One of the three stepped forward.
"…Let's see if you're truly beyond us."
Harold didn't move.
Didn't prepare.
Didn't react.
He just stood there.
Calm.
Ready.
Not because he needed to prove anything.
But because this—
Was inevitable.