A heavy silence settled over the assembly hall as the students processed Dogma’s words.
While some surely harbored doubts about a sorting process that relied on a magic item of unknown principles, the eerie, oppressive atmosphere kept any objections from being voiced.
Under normal circumstances, Yugo might have been thrilled. Green and black? Just like a Two-in-One Detective! Or wait, maybe it’s more like the Brother Knights of Gale and Majesty? But right now, he didn't have the mental capacity for such fantasies.
In the hushed hall, Dogma continued her explanation.
"I understand your hesitation to trust us. We do not claim the Flame of Judgment is a flawless tool. However, by investigating those identified as reincarnators, we may find answers. Regardless, we must act; otherwise, nothing will change. I ask for your cooperation!"
Dogma bowed her head deeply. Faced with such a humble gesture from a refined Sister, neither the faculty nor the students could bring themselves to protest. They simply exchanged uneasy glances and remained silent.
"Sister Dogma... for the record, I wish to confirm one thing," Uno said, speaking up as the sole voice looking out for the students' safety. "Even if someone is identified as a reincarnator, you will not take their life before we understand the full situation. You aren't lying about that, are you?"
"I swear it before God. Our actions here will be limited to detention."
Dogma affirmed his question with a serene smile. Then, she signaled her subordinates—the Masked Monks. They began the sorting process, moving down the rows of students with the Flame of Judgment.
"I shall repeat: this is merely a verification. We wish to see if the oracle was correct in stating that reincarnators are among you. Students, faculty—please, cooperate with us."
Her tone was polite, yet it carried an underlying force that brooked no refusal. Realizing there was no escaping the test, the crowd began to comply. One by one, they took the magic items from the Masked Monks and peered into the flames flickering within the lanterns.
"Th-things have really gotten out of hand, haven't they?" Fee whispered.
"Reincarnators... I wonder if people like that actually exist," Yui murmured back.
Yugo watched them, unable to suppress the agitation and confusion roiling within him. If Dogma was telling the truth—if his very presence as a reincarnator was causing distortions in the world—then he ought to disappear immediately.
For a moment, Yugo considered stepping forward to confess the truth. But then, a sharp gasp erupted from the front of the line, and his head snapped up.
"The... the flame turned black!"
"Then that means... he's a reincarnator!?"
"No! No, you're wrong! I-I’m not one of them! I’m not a reincarnator!"
The student holding the lantern screamed, his face turning ghost-white as a black, flickering flame roared inside the glass. Yugo didn't know his name, but he recognized the boy as one of the so-called Hero Candidates. Before he could process the shock, another scream rang out from a different section.
"It turned black over here, too! This one's a reincarnator!"
"N-n-no way! It's a mistake! I was born in this world! Please, you have to believe me!"
Another person had produced a black flame. As Yugo and the rest of the student body realized that this boy was also a former Hero Candidate, a third student from the same group suddenly drew a weapon and began to thrash about.
"Stay back! Get away from me!"
"Watch out!"
The former Hero Candidate brandished his sword and bolted toward the exit. He charged directly toward Yugo and his friends, who were standing near the doors, but the Masked Monks stepped into his path and subdued him in an instant.
"No! I don't want to die! Please, let me go!"
"Help me! Someone, help!"
"This is a mistake! Just listen to me!"
"Strip them of their weapons and magic items. Take them into custody," Dogma directed. "We are not here to listen to pleas. Please, handle this with quiet efficiency."
The screams and desperate entreaties of the former Hero Candidates echoed through the assembly hall. Amidst the chaos and hellish din, Dogma remained perfectly calm. She approached the student who had been captured near Yugo's group and gave further instructions to the monks holding him.
"Hey, Fee... do you think maybe the reincarnators who snuck into the academy are..."
"The people they called Hero Candidates?"
Just as Fee and Yui suspected, everyone in the room was beginning to notice the pattern. As if to confirm their fears, the Flame of Judgment continued to flare black in front of the Hero Candidates, one after another.
One by one, the sobbing candidates were dragged away. Even those who turned violent in a fit of suicidal desperation were quickly subdued. Yugo’s anxiety reached a fever pitch.
With the former Hero Candidates panicking and causing such a scene, it was becoming impossible for him to step forward and admit he was one of them. He couldn't bring himself to blame them—he understood the despair of facing the possibility of being purged from existence—but their actions were making his situation much worse.
Worse still, Yugo was starting to spiral. The sheer number of reincarnators was staggering. If all of them were from another world, did that mean the enemies he had fought, like Isaac and Cyan, were the same? His mind raced, struggling to grasp the scope of it all, until Dogma’s quiet voice cut through his panic.
"Now... only you all are left."