Two days later…
Val stood outside Akira's hospital room, phone pressed to his ear.
"My help is needed where?… Jamaica?! Aren't there other Divine Visionaries there?… Fine. Give me thirty minutes, and tell them to focus on staying alive." He ended the call, inhaled deeply, and pushed open the door.
Inside, Akira sat up, green mana swirling around his body while Mr. Simon knelt beside him, hands outstretched.
"Try to tighten your fist," Simon instructed.
Akira curled his hand halfway, then stopped. "I… I can't," he admitted.
Simon sighed. "Well, it doesn't hurt. Give it time—you'll regain strength in those muscles." His gaze shifted to Val, standing quietly in the corner.
"I'll be taking my leave," Simon said, standing. "Keep up the training."
Val slid into the vacant chair.
"Akira Onome Seguru… how are you doing?"
Akira gave an uncomfortable glance. "I'm… good."
"I'm guessing your mom's from Nigeria?" Val continued.
Akira stiffened. "Look, I know you want to ask questions, but please… don't pry into my family life."
Val nodded. "I see… you don't joke about your family."
Akira stayed silent. Val pointed to the wall.
"Can you see it?" he asked.
Akira shifted his gaze and froze. A dark silhouette with golden eyes stood there.
"Y-y-yes," he stammered, sweating.
Val's tone was calm. "Relax. It's with me. It won't hurt you."
"Now… for the question. Are you a Necromancer?" Val asked.
Akira's heart skipped a beat. Does he know I'm Malakar? What will he do to me? he panicked.
"Y-y-yes… I am," he admitted.
"That explains a lot," Val said thoughtfully.
"How did you obtain this power?" Val pressed.
"I… I don't know. I just… discovered it," Akira replied.
Val nodded. "Your story adds up."
"Wait… how did you know I used Necromancy?" Akira asked, still wary.
"For one, you were able to see that entity," Val explained. "It's a spiritual being. Either you're high A-tier, or you manipulate souls—and this room? It's filled with over five hundred souls, all bound to you."
Akira exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness," he muttered.
"But something doesn't add up," Val said, cutting the relief short.
Akira braced himself.
"How were you able to hold your own against Dracula and his Horns?" Val asked.
"His… what?" Akira's face twisted in confusion.
"His Horns. It's a term vampires use for the two people who follow him. Honestly, I don't know why they call them that," Val explained.
"Oh, them. I didn't fight them—they didn't interfere. But Dracula… I had to gamble on something I discovered a while back. This," Akira gestured to the aftermath, "is the result."
"Nice work," Val said. "And I apologize for failing my mission."
Akira chuckled. "It's nothing, really."
Val's lips curved into a faint smile, and soon they were both chuckling.
Then, in an instant, the air grew heavy. The entire school shuddered violently.
Val and Oliver's smiles faded.
"They're here," Val muttered.
Dracula, Lilith, and Varin stood before the academy gates.
Varin held a security guard by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
The guard clawed desperately at Varin's arm as his vision blurred.
"Let us in," Varin commanded.
"K-k-kergh… I'm sorry… I can't…" the guard choked out as his limbs went limp.
"That's enough," Dracula said calmly.
Varin glanced at him, grip still tight. "Are you sure?"
"I said let him go. We aren't here for trouble."
Varin clicked his tongue and released the guard.
The man collapsed, gasping as he scrambled away in terror.
"What now?" Lilith asked.
"Sigh… I can just destroy the gate. I can take the full brunt of whatever spells hit me," Varin said.
"Anytime now," Dracula replied.
But before Varin could act, the ground beneath them ripped free, lifting high above the academy as if torn from the earth itself.
A voice rang out behind them.
"Did locking you in a coffin piss you off so much you came back for revenge?" Val asked.
Dracula didn't turn. "Believe me… you don't cross my mind."
Val's expression hardened. "Then what do you want?"
Dracula finally faced him. "I want to speak to Malakar."
Val's heart dropped. For a moment, everything in him froze.
Then golden mana erupted around him as his musket formed in his hands.
"Do I look like a joke to you?!" he roared, pointing the weapon at Dracula.
Lilith and Varin immediately readied themselves, mana rising.
Dracula didn't move.
"I don't jest," Dracula replied.
"You want me to believe that MALAKAR—the greatest evil the realms ever felt—is here in a school filled with children?!" Val shouted.
"Let me take his head already," Varin muttered.
"Even I'm confused," Dracula admitted. "But I have no doubt. No one else has those eyes."
"What eyes?!" Val demanded.
Dracula sighed. "The boy who manipulates souls."
Val's breath faltered. "Akira…? It can't be him…"
"I'm not here to start a battle," Dracula continued. "But if you force one, Varin or Lilith will release even a fraction of their mana—and every being in Europe will die. Every child in this academy will be reduced to ash because you couldn't control your anger. All that blood… on you."
Val couldn't speak.
Dracula turned toward the academy.
"Malakar! I know you're here! I don't know what happened to all that power—but I don't care. You owe me a fight to the death. Regain your strength… and I will come for you. Refuse, and I will give you reasons!"
Inside the hospital room, Akira trembled violently, sweat dripping down his face.
"Lilith," Dracula said.
"On it." She began forming a magic circle beneath them.
Varin pointed at Val. "I'm going to kill you soon."
Clap.
Their bodies glitched—
and vanished.
Every child in this academy will be reduced to ash because you couldn't control your anger. All that blood… on you."
Val couldn't speak.
Dracula turned toward the academy.
"Malakar! I know you're here! I don't know what happened to all that power—but I don't care. You owe me a fight to the death. Regain your strength… and I will come for you. Refuse, and I will give you reasons!"
Inside the hospital room, Akira trembled violently, sweat dripping down his face.
"Lilith," Dracula said.
"On it." She began forming a magic circle beneath them.
Varin pointed at Val. "I'm going to kill you soon."
Clap.
Their bodies glitched—
and vanished.
Moments later…
Val stormed through the academy halls, mana leaking from him like rage in physical form.
"Val! Val! Val!" Mr. Oliver called, running after him.
Val stopped. "Did you know?"
Oliver didn't answer.
"So what do you plan to do?" Oliver asked instead.
"Whatever is necessary," Val growled.
Stone surged up from the floor, swallowing his legs.
"So you're planning to kill a child?!" Oliver shouted.
"That's not a child. That's Malakar."
"And how do you know?!"
"He's using necromancy—magic that went extinct before your father became Sorcerer Supreme. You expect me to believe a boy with no magic lineage just 'discovered' ancient, forbidden magic?"
"Think logically," Oliver said firmly.
"Release me," Val warned, voice dropping into a deadly tone.
"He's a student in my school. I won't let you touch him."
"You know the gap between our powers," Val said.
"Not if you're turned to stone," Oliver snapped.
"We're not in the same ballpark when it comes to speed."
The stone shattered as Val burst free.
"Don't stand in my way."
"Lord Hakuren is sponsoring him," Oliver yelled. "You'd be stepping on the foot of a Sorcerer Supreme."
Val froze mid-stride.
"He knows everything. I've kept him updated on Akira. And if he has no problem with it… then there's nothing you can do."