Wysteria Academy – Azure Sky Campus Grounds
Two days after intense multiversal excursions and ranked combat classes, Wysteria Academy finally granted its students a rare moment of respite.
Above the academy, twin suns painted the sky in molten gold and crystalline sapphire. The clouds glided lazily like swans across a pastel canvas, and the winds carried the scent of enchanted flora—jasmine-ether blooms, moon-capped lilies, and the faint iron tang of magic left lingering from yesterday's combat training.
The cobbled walkways of the campus shimmered faintly under enchantments, leading from radiant lecture halls to marble pavilions shaped like floating lotus petals. Hover-crafts hummed in the distance as aether-tech drones tended to the campus gardens.
From the north dormitory, Muhan Lockhart emerged.
Dressed in fitted grey trousers and a black hoodie adorned with faint runes stitched into the seams, his presence bent the atmosphere around him. His dimly glowing blue eyes, soft yet storm-charged, scanned the campus with quiet detachment.
Girls turned.
Whispers fluttered like cherry blossoms in spring.
> "That's him…"
> "He beat See-hoo…"
> "His eyes—so cold, so pretty…"
Muhan ignored them.
Their admiration meant nothing. His gaze drifted—not toward people, but to the subtle fractures in space, the changes in aether flow… the silence between heartbeats.
Beneath his calm exterior, something stirred.
---
Elsewhere on Campus – Moonwater Dorm Wing
Mi-cha, fresh from completing her system quests—100 flosses, 100 twists, 100 kicks—tossed her towel aside and stepped out into the sunlight. Her outfit was... bold. A short, checked skirt that kissed her thighs with every step, and a sky-blue crop top that revealed her toned midriff, glistening slightly from her post-workout sheen.
Her sapphire eyes shimmered with mischief, and her lips curved in a playful smile.
> "Let's see if I can sniff out that boy's cologne…"
She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling. Faint notes of sandalwood, storm musk, and peppermint. Muhan's scent.
With a playful hum, she traced it, skipping down the winding path.
The wind flirted with her hair. The shimmering leaves overhead cast playful shadows on the ground. Students passed, too stunned to even greet her.
---
The Incident
As Mi-cha turned a corner near the Floating Fountain Plaza, she accidentally stepped on the foot of Jin-ho, a broad-shouldered 1st Class student with a reputation for arrogance and underhanded tactics.
"Sorry," she said politely, bowing slightly and trying to move on.
But Jin-ho's pride was a fragile thing.
His hand lashed out, gripping her wrist, knuckles whitening.
> "So this is Muhan's precious girl," he said with a malicious grin. "Think you can step on me and just walk away?"
Mi-cha winced. His grip tightened. Pain shot up her arm.
> "He's stronger than I expected…"
Around them, whispers rose like a growing storm.
> "That's Mi-cha, right? Muhan's…"
> "She's in trouble."
> "Is he really going to touch Muhan's girl…?"
Mi-cha bit her lip. Tears welled up—not from fear, but frustration.
Then the temperature dropped.
The world pulsed.
A sonic whump echoed across the courtyard as Muhan materialized like a ghost out of the wind. His hoodie flared, eyes now burning with neon-lit cerulean fire.
He didn't speak.
He didn't blink.
With one smooth motion, he grabbed Jin-ho's wrist—the one clamped on Mi-cha—and peeled it off with terrifying ease. Then, with a punch that cracked the very sound barrier, he sent Jin-ho flying across the plaza, shattering the air with a boom.
Jin-ho's body crashed through the outer wall of the cafeteria, sending arcane-glass debris raining down like starlight.
The crowd gasped. No one moved.
Muhan turned to Mi-cha. Her eyes were wet, her cheeks flushed, and her lip trembled. But she smiled, even through her tears.
> "You're late," she whispered.
Muhan's heart tugged, a flicker of emotion cracking through his usually placid aura. He stepped closer, reaching out gently to wipe her tears with the back of his hand.
> "Sorry," he murmured. "I was… distracted."
For a moment, nothing else existed.
Then, through the dust, Jin-ho emerged, aura blazing in an angry sunfire orange. He brushed rubble off his coat, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Muhan narrowed his eyes. "I remember you… from the tournament. First Class, huh?"
Jin-ho smirked. "And you're the campus poster boy. You fight dirty."
He glanced at Mi-cha's wrist—where a faint red bruise had formed.
Muhan followed his gaze.
His smile vanished.
Time seemed to warp.
With a sound like folding metal, Muhan vanished, reappearing inches from Jin-ho's face.
His punches came fast—blindingly fast. Jin-ho barely blocked them, retaliating with a massive blow fueled by one of his core skills.
But Muhan was faster.
His "Extreme Punch Skill" ignited, a trail of azure flames flaring from his fists as he countered with a punch that collided mid-air with Jin-ho's.
The ground cracked. The impact sent shockwaves rolling across the field. Dust exploded outward. Trees bent. Windows shattered.
Students screamed. Alarm runes flashed red in the sky.
> "ENOUGH!!"
The voice boomed like the roar of a divine dragon.
Everyone froze.
From the air descended Professor Bora, Level 300 instructor, clad in stormsteel armor, her long coat flaring with divine wind.
Her aura pressed down like a mountain. Even Muhan and Jin-ho halted, their fists clenched mid-air.
> "This campus is not your battlefield," she said, eyes flashing gold. "Do this again, and I'll erase your levels myself."
Muhan cracked his knuckles, eyes still faintly glowing blue. "Understood, Professor."
Jin-ho sneered. "You won't be so lucky next time."
> "Next time," Muhan replied with a smirk, "fight me up front. Not through the girl. Or are you just a coward?"
Jin-ho's aura flared—blood-red and boiling—but Professor Bora raised her hand again.
> "Enough." she growled.
Mi-cha ran to Muhan's side, her hand slipping into his.
The crowd fell silent as they walked away.
---
Twilight Café – Campus Gardens
The two strolled under enchanted cherry trees, hand in hand. A gentle, healing breeze passed through the trees. Muhan bought an ice cream for Mi-cha, who blushed as he handed it to her, their fingers brushing. Her smile melted his calm exterior.
Some girls nearby stared in awe.
> "They're perfect…"
> "I wish someone like that would protect me…"
---
Professor Bora's Office – Floating Archive Tower
Bora slammed her door shut.
Her face was flushed.
> "What am I even doing…?" she whispered.
She sat down, shaking her head—yet her mind replayed the way Muhan's aura surged when Mi-cha cried. The way his hair swept when the wind caught him. That smile.
She scowled.
> "He's a student. Get it together, Bora."
She looked out the window—and saw Muhan smiling gently as Mi-cha licked the ice cream.
Her chest fluttered. She turned away fast.
---
Demi-god Fortress – Levelling Realm
High above mortal concern, the Demi-god sat on his throne of collapsing stars, watching all.
Through interdimensional scrying lenses, his crimson eyes zeroed in.
> "Muhan Lockhart…"
> "Your strength… interests me."
He leaned forward, smiling for the first time in centuries.
> "Let the games begin."