It had been several weeks since Thalamik first joined the Enhancement Magic class, and against every expectation—including his own—he had not yet dropped out, broken something, or murdered an elf.
Miracles, apparently, did exist.
Every morning, the ritual started with the same: Instructor Gralhund stormed in, his beard braided tighter than his tolerance for complaints, barking at students while holding a rune-inscribed clipboard that could just as easily be used as a weapon.
And every morning, Thalamik found himself standing between two constants of chaos: Trish Il Lupache, the white elf noble with too many questions and too many opinions, and Lulu Velulu, a bunny girl who radiated energy like a minor sun and had zero concept of personal space.
The two had become his teammates, thanks to Gralhund's cruel sense of humour—or perhaps fate's even crueller one. Or perhaps because of Diko's interference.
Today's training was "Compound Enhancement Relay." According to Gralhund, it was designed to simulate fast-paced mana application during combat, boosting, reacting, and enhancing under pressure. Each group had to cross a series of suspended platforms while channelling active buffs onto their teammates without falling off or faceplanting into the muddy moat below.
"First team to make it across with full mana flow gets extra merit points. Losers? Push-ups till your arms go numb," Gralhund announced.
"Oh great," Thalamik muttered as he stood at the edge of the first platform, eyeing the swaying planks ahead. "Another death trap designed by dwarven sadists. I'm sorry for his wife."
"I know, right? Wait, did he even have a wife? Anyways, don't worry too much." Trish said, fixing her hair. "We've improved a lot. Just trust us this time." She winked.
"Yeah!" Lulu chimed in. "I even practised my burst-casting last night! I only blew up three potted plants!"
Thalamik arched a brow, followed by a single sweat. "Lulu... this is mana enhancement class. I believe destruction magic class is that way..."
"Yeah! If I can do destruction magic that well, controlling has got to be easier."
What is this airhead demi-human thinking? Wait, are all demi-humans airheads? Thalamik bit his lip.
But despite his complaints, they got into formation. Lulu at the rear, ready to cast speed bursts charge to make the team go faster. Trish in the middle, prepared for stability and mana redistribution. Thalamik is at the front, leading the charge, as usual.
The moment the whistle blew, they moved.
Thalamik sprinted first, channelling mana into his legs. Behind him, Trish cast a stamina enhancement, while Lulu timed her bursts for momentum. The flow of power felt smoother than ever before.
As the trio began to reach the platform's edge, they conjoined their hands as Lulu cast the speed burst charge to propel them upward to land perfectly at the next Platform. For the first time, they weren't just three random students flailing toward synergy—they moved like a unit.
"Wo!!!! Let's go to platform two!" Lulu called.
"On it!" Trish responded, eyes glowing as she sent a pulse of reinforcement to Thalamik's calves.
They leapt across the suspended beams, ducking under swinging pendulums and surging across rune-lit gaps. At one point, Lulu tripped on her landing, ears flopping wildly, but Thalamik caught her arm before she could fall. He didn't even think about it.
"Got you," he grunted.
She blinked up at him, wide-eyed. "Thalamik… you saved me."
Getting annoyed, Thalamik started to let go of his grip.
"HEY HEY DON'T LET ME GO!"
"Then hurry up and climb!" Thalamik barked.
"Hehe, thanks for helping," she whispered gleefully.
They reached the end platform—first place, flawless mana channels, not a single dropout. Gralhund actually grunted in approval. That was basically a standing ovation by dwarf standards.
"Hey… we're getting pretty good," Trish said, cheeks flushed from the effort.
Lulu beamed. "We're amazing!"
Thalamik didn't say anything, but he didn't roll his eyes either. To his teammates, this felt like genuine affection.
"Alright, so shall we go to the cafe we talked about?"
"Nah. I'll pass," Thalamik said as he started to walk away.
"Alright, see you! Oh, by the way, Lulu, that Chicken Cordon Bleu was so amazing. I think I will order it again for today!" Trish said.
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU????
"Hey, elf girl. Did you say the cafe has chicken cordon bleu?"
"Yes, they do, human boy. What is it? Did you change your mind?
"How much is it?"
"It's my treat!"
"No, I'll pay."
"No. I insist."
"You won't pester me later and use it to blackmail me because I am a human, right?"
"No, I won't. Wait, what did you say about blackmail?"
"You won't suddenly trick me in to dine dashing forcing me to pay all the foods right?"
"Thalamik, you do know I am of the noble family, right?"
"You won't suddenly-"
"FOR GOD'S SAKE, LET'S JUST GO. WE CAN SORT THE PAYMENT LATER! IT'LL PROBABLY BE AROUND 10 UROS ANYWAY!"
"Ah.. why didn't you say so then? I'll join you!" Thalamik said.
"Yay, Thalamik joined our leisure cafe hangout!"
The next few days passed with a strange rhythm—equal parts training and something dangerously close to camaraderie. Sparring, strategy meetings, and late-night review sessions became the norm.
One particular night, they met again at the training hall—well past curfew. The overhead lanterns were dimmed, their soft gold light pooling across the polished floor.
Trish sat cross-legged on a cushion, reviewing spell diagrams on a glowing tablet.
Lulu twirled a mana-infused ribbon, trying to make it form shapes in the air. It mostly resembled spaghetti.
"UWAA I AM BORED!" Trish said as she threw away her tablet and textbook, "Why is the mana theorem written like it wants me to hate life? Who writes these textbooks? Who hurt them?"
Thalamik didn't even look up from his notes. "Probably a committee of retired Saint-Class scholars."
Lulu giggled beside him. "Maybe they just needed hugs. Or carrot cake. That always fixes my mood."
Trish raised a finger from her lying-down position, wiggling it like she had a grand proclamation. "I hereby propose we replace all theory lessons with dessert therapy."
"I second that motion," Lulu beamed.
"No," Thalamik replied flatly, flipping a page. "Focus."
"Ugh. You're like a walking chastity belt for chaos," Trish pouted, sitting up with a huff. "Fine. But if I don't rant, I'll explode."
He finally looked at her, eyes narrowed. "Then explode somewhere else."
"Rude," she mumbled, brushing back her long, silvery hair. "You're lucky you're kinda cool when you're grumpy."
Lulu blinked between the two. "Are you two flirting or threatening each other?"
"No," they both said in unison.
After a brief pause, Trish and Lulu chuckled. The tension eased a bit.
Trish leaned her elbows on her knees and sighed. "Alright, cards on the table. I haven't really told you both much, huh?" She looked to the side, a bit more serious now. "I'm actually from one of the old noble houses. Lupache family. You probably guessed from the name."
Thalamik raised an eyebrow. "Figured. You carry yourself like someone who's never lost an argument… or paid rent."
Trish giggled. "Fair. But there's more. I'm actually a special auditor here."
"...A what now?"
"It means I can technically skip classes whenever I want. My attendance is... optional."
Thalamik paused. Blinked. Looked at Lulu, who was now upside down on her elbows, trying to write a sentence from her inverted angle. "...And let me guess. She's one too?"
"Yup!" Trish chirped. "Lulu's my official family jester—well, she was. Now she's my personal caretaker-slash-classmate-slash-sanity buffer. My parents insisted she enroll with me to make sure I don't get, you know, assassinated or socially exhausted."
From her upside-down position, Lulu waved. "I also make great carrot stew!"
Thalamik exhaled through his nose, unsure if this was some elaborate prank or just his weird luck manifesting again.
Trish leaned back, stretching like a cat. "It's always just been the two of us. Most of the students here avoid us out of jealousy or snobbery. So... imagine my delight when the universe decided to seat you between us that day. A fate, don't you think?"
"I'm allergic to fate," Thalamik muttered. But that got him thinking, why is his fate always to meet problematic elves?
"Noted," Trish said, smirking. "Anyway, the truth is that not every student here gets to become a Hero Candidate. Those who aren't chosen from the get-go, like you usually end up as squires—supporters for actual candidates. Or worse... they get drafted into the United Front's peacekeeping forces. Not much glory in that, just glorified cannon fodder."
Thalamik nodded slightly. "I suspected as much. Isval wouldn't hate me so much if things weren't like that. And Celathis? She's full of bullshit the way I see it."
Trish's eyes sparkled. "Ohoho~ I've never heard a human speak so directly about elf nobles before. They usually just kiss their pointy boots. But you're absolutely right. Those two? Pricks. Grade-A, mana-polished pricks."
Before Thalamik could respond, the training hall's double doors slammed open with theatrical force.
"BIG BROOOO!"
In stormed Besitulars Gurathon, leader of the reformed Wolf Demi-Human Gang, followed by three of his burly comrades. Each carried a tray of food like waiters at a fine banquet. Besitulars himself beamed with pride, tail wagging as he approached.
"For our glorious Big Bro Thalamik, we have brought Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Chocolate Milkshake! For the noble Lady Trish, Macarons! And for Madam Lulu, a Double-Glazed Carrot Cake with extra sparkle dust!"
Trish clapped delightedly. "Ooh, how decadent~!"
Lulu gasped. "MY FAVOURITE! Did you guys read my food diary?!"
"Thank you," Thalamik said dryly. Then, without missing a beat, he pulled a small stack of parchment from his bag and handed it to Besitulars.
"What is this, Big Bro?" the wolf demi-human asked, ears perking up.
"Study materials," Thalamik replied. "Summary of our lessons this week. The midterm theoretical exam is coming up. I can guarantee you will pass if you memorise this."
There was silence.
Then—
"UWAAAAAAAAAH!!"The three wolf demi-humans burst into tears.
"BIG BRO CARES ABOUT US SO MUCH!!" one sobbed, clutching the papers like a holy relic." HE WANTS US TO PASS!!" cried another, nose streaming."WHY WERE WE SO MEAN TO HIM ON HIS FIRST DAY!? WE'RE SCUM!!" Besitulars wailed dramatically, collapsing to their knees.
Thalamik blinked. "...You guys done?"
"NEVER!!" Besitulars shouted. "WE SHALL STUDY! WE SHALL PASS! FOR THE SAKE OF BIG BRO'S HONOR!!"
"SHUT UP!" Thalamik finally barked, plugging his ears as the training hall echoed with their howling resolution.
Lulu, in the meantime, was clapping along with the wolves like this was a theater performance. "Encore! Encore!"
Trish sipped her tea daintily. "Well, I must say… this is the most chaotic study session I've ever had. And yet… weirdly comforting."
Thalamik sighed. "This is hell."
"Correction," Trish said, giving him a sly grin. "This is just how Vanguard Academy is."
***
The human trio sat at their usual spot in the Vanguard courtyard—a quiet stone bench overlooking a small mana-fountain that shimmered with soft blue light. It was a rare break between classes; for once, all three were there for no reason other than just to hang out.
Raymed sipped from a fruit pouch, stretched out like a sunbathing lizard. "Ahhh… now this is the life."
Carmilla smiled faintly beside him, her hands resting neatly in her lap. "Quiet. Peaceful. Almost suspiciously so."
Thalamik sat across from them, arms crossed, legs outstretched, glaring at a bird that had landed too close.
Raymed's eyes narrowed suddenly. "…Wait."
"What?" Carmilla asked.
He pointed dramatically at Thalamik. "You."
"…What about me?" Thalamik replied, not even blinking.
"You haven't insulted anything in the past ten minutes. Not the elves, not the food, not even my face. Something's wrong."
Carmilla tilted her head. "He does have a point. You're a bit different. Calmer. More behaved. Did something happen in your Enhancement class?"
Thalamik's brow twitched. "You two are imagining things."
Raymed leaned in closer, eyes sparkling with mock concern. "No, no, I'm serious. Did someone hit you with a pacification spell? Did you lose a duel? Blink twice if you're being held hostage by emotional growth." Raymed started blinking repeatedly and vigorously.
Thalamik's eyes narrowed. "That's just the same to you two. You both seem happier than usual."
Carmilla blinked. "What?"
Raymed chuckled. "Okay, yeah, fair point. I have been having a great time lately. I finally pulled off the 'Split Flow' technique Kiliar taught me. On a level I have never reached before."
He held out his hand, summoning a crackling orb of mana that hovered with tight precision. "Half for power, half for control. It's like juggling two rivers through one channel. Super tricky, but I'm getting the hang of it. I can do it without too many mana getting wasted."
Carmilla nodded enthusiastically. "I've been learning too. My instructor taught me Spell Transition—converting healing spells into sealing magic. It's delicate work, but I formed an intermediate Saint-Class glyph on my first try."
Raymed turned to her, impressed. "You what?! First try?!"
She smiled modestly. "It just… felt natural."
Thalamik grunted. "Congratulations. You both evolved. I didn't get anything new."
Raymed blinked. "Wait—nothing? No cool aura? No bone dragon upgrades?"
Carmilla tilted her head. "Didn't you start using armors for your fiends isn't that part new?"
Thalamik shrugged. "Already knew how to do that beforehand."
"Well, surely you got something," Raymed pressed.
"…I got new acquaintances," Thalamik muttered.
Raymed raised a brow. "Acquaintances? Not friends?"
Thalamik gritted his teeth. "…There's a difference."
Carmilla leaned in, eyes wide with interest. "Ooooh. Who? Tell us."
Thalamik sighed. "There's… Trish. An elf. Noble. Talks too much. Has theories about my gloves. She said the glove I used for combat must be an artifact to summon fiend creatures." For a split second, mana flicked on his eyes, unnoticeable.
Raymed blinked. "Hold up. An elf? You? Talking? Without punching?"
"Unfortunately, she sits next to me during class. Not my fault. And why make it seem like I have no self-restraint? Diko said himself I need to behave more right?"
"That's right," Raymed said.
Carmilla giggled. "To be honest, she sounds like a friend of yours."
"She is not."
Raymed smirked. "And?"
"…There's eh.. Lulu, a bunny demi-human. She bounces. And talks. And bounces while talking."
"Cute," Carmilla said.
"Annoying," Thalamik corrected.
"Still sounds like a friend," Raymed teased.
"She's not. She asked if my fiends could be used to give myself pep talks."
Raymed nearly choked on his fruit pouch. "WHAT?!"
Carmilla looked mildly concerned. "And you answered?"
"I changed the topic by threatening to summon cheerful pixies. Didn't help."
Raymed wiped his eyes from laughing. "Okay, okay, who else?"
"…Besitulars."
Carmilla blinked. "Bless you?"
"No. That's his name. He's the leader of the wolf demi-humans I beat up a few weeks ago."
Raymed leaned forward like he was watching a drama unfold. "Wait—the same wolves you slammed into a pillar?"
"Yeah, that guy. Apparently...they now follow me."
Carmilla's jaw dropped. "Follow? As in… classmates?"
"As in helpers. A gang(?) I don't know how to explain it."
Raymed stood up, pacing. "Is it some kind of cult?!"
"Maybe? I don't know. They called Big Bro. Well, I did tell them to stop. They didn't do it."
Carmilla put a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle. "Oh dear."
Raymed practically doubled over with laughter. "You?! The antisocial king?! The lone wolf?! Now has a bunny girl, a noble elf, and a wolf gang?!"
"I didn't ask for this!" Thalamik hissed. "I just beat them up and they declared loyalty!"
"That's how half of Isekai anime start," Raymed wheezed.
Thalamik crossed his arms. "All and all, they're acquaintances. Nothing more."
Carmilla beamed. "You're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You are!" Carmilla said with a smirk.
Raymed leaned in. "So… when are we meeting your acquaintances?"
"NEVER."
Carmilla poked his shoulder. "Come on, it's sweet. You're making progress."
Raymed added, "Yeah. Next thing you know, you'll be holding hands with a skeleton."
Thalamik stood. "I swear if either of you repeats the word friend—"
Raymed and Carmilla said in unison: "FRIEND."
Thalamik groaned into his hands as the other two laughed like children.
Deep in his core, which has a seething contempt for elves, he felt something warm.
Unfortunately, that feeling was friendship.
Disgusting.
But tolerable.
"Fine," he muttered. "They're… tolerable."
"Translation: he likes them," Raymed grinned.
"Ugh."
Carmilla leaned over, whispering with a smirk. "Next thing you know, he'll be sharing lunch."
"I will raise an army of undead just to shut you both up," Thalamik growled.
But he didn't walk away.
And that—more than anything—was proof enough.
"If anything... my realest and best friends are you guys," Thalamik said with a warm smile.
In turn, Raymed and Carmilla were blushing at his genuine words of affection.
***
The city near Vanguard Academy, after nightfall, had entirely different scenery. The ornate towers and gleaming spires gave way to glowing street lamps and quiet alleys, where students slipped away for late meals, secret rendezvous, or forbidden magic experiments. For Thalamik, it was none of those.
He had business.
Raymed and Carmilla had long since split off, returning to the dorms after dinner. Thalamik had told them he'd catch up.
He lied.
His footsteps echoed faintly against the cobbled path as he turned down a quiet lane, passing through mana-lit stalls and humming fountains. The noise of the city faded behind him.
Then he stopped.
"You can show yourself, Kourin," he said softly, without looking back.
Behind him, a ripple shimmered like a stone tossed into water.
A white-hooded figure emerged from a spell of invisibility, the soft ripple of mana dissolving around her cloak. Her green eyes glowed under the hood, and strands of golden hair fell across her cheek. She didn't flinch at being caught.
"It seems my invisibility spell isn't even working on you," Kourin said, her voice steady.
Thalamik didn't turn around. Instead, he gestured silently for her to follow him, walking deeper into the city's shadowed veins. After three turns and two descents down twisting steps, they arrived at a dead-end alley—quiet, narrow, and cut off from sight.
Only then did he speak again.
"Unlike my friend, I don't have a colossal mana reserve. Even so, my control over mana is second to none. Sensing presence by different fluctuations in mana is too easy for me."
Kourin's expression remained unreadable. Her posture didn't shift. "I underestimated you. I thought I covered it perfectly."
"You didn't account for someone like me," Thalamik said flatly. "Someone who can read the ebb and pulse of ambient magic as easily as breathing."
The air between them tensed like a drawn bowstring.
"You're too knowledgeable about mana," Kourin said. "Who the hell are you?"
Thalamik took a single step forward, blue light flickering in his eyes. "I'm just a human with no purpose in life anymore. A dead-end human dedicated to delivering divine punishment to those who wronged him."
The heat behind his words made the air shift.
"I'll ask this once." His voice hardened. "Who are you, Kourin? Why are you watching us? Watching Raymed, Carmilla, and me. What's your goal?"
Kourin slowly pulled down her hood. Her green eyes shone in the half-light, but her expression was calm. "I have no obligation to answer you."
Thalamik sighed. "I've let you roam for weeks. I've given you chances. But if this is all you're willing to say… then you've left me with only one choice."
He raised his hand.
"Come out."
The shadows twisted at his feet. From the ground, four figures rose like summoned wrath.
First came Black, the towering skeleton knight clad in black armor, dragging a massive greatsword behind him. Kourin's eyes narrowed. She recognized him. They had crossed blades once.
Then came Arcuest, Passete, and Visha—ghoul knights in dark armor, all with swords at the ready, fangs bared in silence.
Kourin said nothing, but a golden shimmer gathered at her fingertips.
Another figure emerged behind Thalamik—another skeleton. He reached into its ribcage and drew out two daggers, their hilts forged from carved femur and obsidian. As he gripped them, blue mana began to ripple around him.
Kourin's mana surged in response—a golden aura bursting from her shoulders like wings of light. She drew her blade, etched with runes, and raised it to chest level.
No more words.
The alley exploded into movement.
***
This was his real strength.
The summoned fiends moved with superb control and teamwork. The Fiend Kaiser's aura was wielded with sheer precision. It clearly showed that this man was serious. Hell bent on harming Kourin.
The skeleton knight, Black, lunged first, cleaving downward with raw force. Kourin ducked, feeling the greatsword slice past her shoulder. Sparks scattered off the stone wall.
Then came Passete and Visha, darting in from the flanks. She spun, her golden blade catching theirs, sparks flying with each clash. Her body twisted, armor singing under the strain. A thrust from Arcuest grazed her shoulder, grazing the cloth, not flesh.
Kourin backflipped, landing with poise, only to find Thalamik already in front of her—silent, blue mana coursing through his veins, daggers flashing like twin fangs.
He didn't hesitate. His first slash aimed low, trying to sweep her knee. She parried with the flat of her blade. The second came high—a feint—then reversed for a gut stab. She twisted just in time, but felt the sting of the blade grazing her ribs.
"You're good," she hissed, steadying her breath.
"You're not the first to say that," he replied, darting back before she could counter.
The ghouls moved again—coordinated, relentless. A flurry of blades came at her like rain. She blocked, dodged, countered. Still, she took hits. Her cloak tore, sparks flared across her runes.
And she realized something.
These weren't just summoned puppets.
They were trained.
They had timing and tactics. They moved like real soldiers.
"Who are you…?" she muttered again, gritting her teeth as she caught Visha's strike and used the momentum to vault over her attackers. She landed on a wall, using it as a springboard to flip back into the fray, blade-first.
Her sword struck Arcuest in the shoulder. He staggered.
Then—
THUMP.
The ground pulsed.
Fiendish arms erupted from beneath her—clawed and spectral, grasping at her legs. She gasped as one caught her ankle, dragging her balance off.
Thalamik vanished from sight.
"Where—?"
She turned.
Too late.
He was already at her side. One dagger reversed, the other aimed directly at her core. His mana surged, focused and cold.
The dagger struck.
"GAH—!"
It bypassed her outer and inner garments—an artifact-grade cloak that resisted most enchantments. But his blade sliced through with mana-fueled precision.
Her body crumpled as pain lanced through her side.
She hit the ground hard, vision swimming.
Thalamik stood over her, expression unreadable, eyes glowing faintly blue.
He raised the dagger, preparing to deal a final blow.
CRACK—!!
A force slammed into Thalamik's side like a cannonball. He was kicked clean off his feet, crashing into the opposite wall with such impact that cracks spiderwebbed across the stone.
Kourin blinked through the haze of pain.
A new figure had landed beside her.
Short blue hair. Pale cloak. A strange, almost lazy grace to her movements.
"My, my," the woman said, crouching beside Kourin. Her voice was calm. Casual. But her mana rippled with controlled power.
"I didn't think you'd be in this kind of trouble, Kourin."
The woman laid a hand over the wound. A soft glow spread from her fingers, and Kourin felt the pain dull—then fade.
Thalamik groaned, pulling himself upright.
"Another one?" he muttered.
His five undead regrouped behind him in formation.
Kourin sat up slowly, clutching her side. "Suiko. I was fine."
Suiko gave a sly smile. "Sure you were. Bleeding out with a knife in your gut."
She turned toward Thalamik. "So you're the esteemed Fiend Kaiser, huh? I see the rumors weren't exaggerated."
Thalamik raised his blades again. "Let me guess," he said. "You're her backup?"
Suiko grinned. "Something like that."
He pointed one dagger toward them both. "I don't care who you are. If you get in my way—I'll treat you the same."
His mana surged again. Blue flames flickered behind his shoulders. The fiends tensed, ready to move.
Suiko's eyes glimmered. "Then let's dance, O' Kaiser."