Before Marius Cloud even arrived, the Slytherin Prefects were already gathered and deep in discussion.
"This little brat named Marius is taking his sweet time," a female Prefect huffed impatiently, glancing at her pocket watch again and again. "Why isn't he here yet?"
"We did tell him the meeting starts at exactly three o'clock," said Steve calmly.
"I'm a year above you, Steve. You should call me Prefect Leif," snapped the blonde girl named Kelly. "And arriving early for a meeting is basic etiquette!"
"Prefect Leif," Caesar Cliff interjected with a smirk, "I heard your brother—Brunel Leif—has already pledged himself to this Marius kid. Is that true?"
Kelly's eyes narrowed. "Who knows what spell that brat cast on him… probably some kind of brainwashing. But you, Prefect Cliff—what's your angle here?"
"Alright, enough!" came a voice from across the table. It was Lisa Joestar, the sixth-year female Prefect. "We're here to discuss Marius Cloud, not turn this into a family drama. Save the infighting for after the meeting."
"Hmph. A child this young, so arrogant—it's usually a sign he's compensating for lack of real talent," sneered Samuel, another Prefect.
"Samuel, weren't you there last night too?" Steve turned toward him. "You saw what he did. You felt his power. You should know better than anyone—below fifth year, no one can match him."
Even so, Samuel scoffed. "That may be true. But for a first-year to challenge all the Prefects? That's pure lunacy."
A murmur of agreement swept the room.
He wasn't wrong. No matter how strong Marius was for a first-year, challenging six experienced Prefects was madness.
A guaranteed loss. A humiliating one at that.
"Why are we even wasting time discussing this nonsense?" Caesar rolled his eyes. "The whole challenge is absurd. Just ignore it."
Caesar hadn't seen Marius in action the night before, so to him, it all sounded like exaggerated rumors. Steve's report had failed to impress upon him the full gravity of what Marius had done.
"Exactly!" Kelly, surprisingly, found herself agreeing with Caesar. "It's ridiculous. We're wasting time over a delusional child's fantasy!"
If any of them thought about it objectively, this entire meeting did seem like a waste.
Was Marius strong? From the rumors, yes.
But could he single-handedly defeat six upper-year Prefects, all of them dueling champions in their own right?
That was like betting on a hippogriff outrunning a lightning bolt.
So why were they even here?
-----
"But What If..."
"But... still," came a soft voice. It was Pauline, the fifth-year Prefect. She rarely spoke in meetings, but her words made everyone quiet down.
"He single-handedly defeated three Shadow Prefects. That alone makes him qualified to challenge us."
She wasn't wrong. All of them had once held the title of Shadow Prefect—the dueling champion of their year group. They knew exactly what that meant.
There was no padding in that title.
If Marius really beat three Shadow Prefects at once...
Even now, none of them could confidently say they could pull that off.
Lisa Joestar exhaled slowly. "Pauline's right. And considering the traditions of Slytherin House—if a student is bold enough to propose a challenge that favors us in every possible way, and we still refuse to accept it… then it's no different than surrendering before the battle has even begun."
Everyone fell silent.
Put that way... it really did feel like refusing Marius's challenge would be as good as admitting defeat.
And just then—
Bang.
The door opened.
Marius Cloud stepped into the room, calm as ever. With an unhurried stride, he made his way straight to an open hardwood chair and sat down like he belonged there.
The Prefects snapped out of their daze.
Slytherin's Prefects may have hailed from prestigious lineages, but they were well-trained in etiquette and composure. No matter what they were thinking inside, their expressions remained polite and distant.
"Welcome, Marius Cloud, first-year Shadow Prefect," said Caesar Cliff, standing up. He and Kelly, as the seventh-year Head Prefects, took the lead in offering the formal greeting.
"And welcome to your fellow Shadow Prefects—Brunel Leif of Second Year, Joseph Burton of Third Year, and Barry Adrien of Fourth Year," Kelly added, her voice crisp and formal.
The three boys nodded in response.
But instead of taking the empty chairs available, they positioned themselves behind Marius, forming a triangle—standing silently like loyal bodyguards.
The air in the room shifted.
Every Prefect stared at them in surprise.
This... this was the posture of retainers standing behind their liege. They weren't just allies of Marius. They were his followers.
And for students of their caliber—each of them former dueling champions—it was almost unheard of.
What kind of person could earn that level of loyalty?
Especially Kelly—who had to sit there and watch her own brother standing behind Marius without hesitation. Her hand clenched the armrest of her chair so tightly it creaked.
Marius glanced at Caesar, then lifted his hand in a casual gesture.
"Looks like you were all having a lively discussion before I arrived," he said with a small smirk. "Don't stop on my account. By all means—carry on."
How... how did he know?
Caesar and the others exchanged baffled glances. He coughed a few times to cover his surprise.
"Well then," he said at last, straightening his robe, "before we resume our discussion, allow me to introduce myself. I am Caesar Cliff, Seventh-Year Male Prefect of Slytherin House."
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