The Kingdom Festival was over.
I had survived the execution event.
I had successfully overturned the fate of the villainous noble Albert von Kronstadt—the man destined to be brutally murdered in the climax of the second chapter of the original game, Arcana Academia. I had finally cleared the death flag I feared most.
And yet, a far greater shock loomed over me.
Walking down the academy corridors, I clenched my jaw.
Klaus von Winterfeld—
The son of the Knights Order Captain, and the man I had turned into my kin through a Blood Covenant. I had performed the Kin Transformation magic to save him when he was at death’s door. I still believed that choice hadn’t been a mistake.
The problem occurred immediately afterward.
Verdict had hijacked Klaus’s body to manifest in the physical world.
A transcendent being dwelling within the ancient magic of blood, a former Demon King clad in a crimson military uniform with hair like leaping flames and a presence that commanded absolute terror. He was the Blood Star King—the one who had once brought the world to the brink of ruin.
And now, that monster was here at the academy.
Wearing Klaus’s face.
"Dammit..."
I never imagined the Blood Covenant—which I thought only created a kin and granted the power of Frenzy—possessed such a horrifying secondary effect.
I had been keeping a close eye on Verdict since the festival ended, but he was living his life perfectly as Klaus. He conversed normally with his noble classmates and smiled with easy grace. If I didn't know the truth, even I wouldn't have noticed the swap. Since he possessed Klaus’s memories and innate talent, he was capable of a flawless mimicry.
I had unleashed a nightmare upon the world.
...But there was no use wallowing in regret.
I had to defeat him. Since I was the one who brought him here, the responsibility was mine alone.
In the first place, I couldn't afford to be a bystander even if I wanted to. Verdict had declared his intent to create the world’s first "second" Ancient Magic. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he was looking for a peaceful hobby; his success would inevitably result in the destruction of the world.
If I turned a blind eye, the world would end. To protect my own life, I had no choice but to fight.
I had to stop him.
I was the only one who could stop the Blood Star King.
Good grief... and to think this was happening exactly when the current Demon King, Aristia, was supposed to be on the verge of resurrection!
Simmering with irritation, I pushed open the door to one of the academy’s meeting rooms.
As the name suggested, these were private rooms used by academy personnel for confidential discussions. A large table sat in the center, surrounded by a neat row of chairs.
I took a seat and waited until the door opened again.
A beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes entered with an elegant stride.
"I apologize for the wait, Albert-san."
It was Princess Eliana.
A member of the royalty and one of the main heroines of the original game. Beneath her regal facade lay a black-hearted strategist who prioritized the subjugation of the Demon King above all else. She was a troublesome individual who viewed me as her "trump card" for that very mission.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near her, but—
"How rare," she remarked. "To think you would be the one to initiate a meeting."
She wasn't wrong. I had approached her during class to set this up.
"I assume you have a proposal of some significance. Please, tell me your business."
She was incredibly direct. It was only natural; as a member of the royal family, every second of Eliana's time was precious. It also suited her personality, which loathed any form of waste.
"I want to make a trade."
"A trade, you say?"
"I want access to the Forbidden Library inside the Royal Palace."
I knew for a fact that the library held records regarding Ancient Magic. I was going up against a monster like Verdict; I needed as many cards in my hand as possible.
"Oh?"
Eliana’s eyes sharpened for a fraction of a second.
"That is an intriguing request, but I hope you understand the weight of what you're asking."
"What do you mean?"
"The library isn't 'forbidden' just for show. Even for the eldest son of a ducal house, permission to enter is not granted lightly."
"You're the one who needs to understand me correctly. I said this was a trade, not a request."
I paused for a beat before continuing.
"That Demon King subjugation you wanted my help with? I'm willing to commit to it."
There. She took the bait.
Eliana, who usually maintained a perfect poker face, leaned forward ever so slightly.
Of course she did. She had been desperate to recruit "the lazy Albert" by any means necessary. This was my strongest card, and I’d just played it.
"...Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. I have... certain circumstances to deal with. And I'm in a hurry."
"And what might those circumstances be?"
"Give me a break. As long as you have my word that I’ll help with the Demon King, you should be satisfied, right?"
There was no point telling her that Ancient Magic possessed its own will or that Verdict had hijacked a student’s body. Besides, researching Ancient Magic was strictly taboo.
"I see. In that case, I will not pry."
Sensing the steel in my voice, Eliana immediately backed off. I appreciated people who were quick on the uptake. This didn't involve her. Our interests aligned on one point and one point only: the defeat of the Demon King.
"I thank you for such a tempting proposal. I accept your terms."
"That’s a relief."
"However, even for royalty, opening the Forbidden Library is no simple task. Please allow me some time to finalize the procedures."
"I understand."
"Well then, as comrades in the subjugation... I look forward to our partnership."
Eliana offered her right hand.
Ugh, I really didn't want to take it.
But I had to. I needed power to defeat Verdict. I was already going to kill one Demon King. Killing two didn't make much of a difference!
I couldn't afford to be picky about my methods anymore.
"Leave it to me," I said, firmly grasping her hand.
While I waited for Eliana's word, the academy entered the proficiency test period.
Despite my hectic schedule, I never neglected my studies. Thanks to Albert’s natural brilliance, I could memorize the material with ease.
I was certain I’d get a perfect score again.
Actually, the last time I’d taken a test, I’d scored 850 points—surpassing the "perfect" mark of 800. I didn't want to stand out that much again. I just wanted a clean 800.
With those thoughts in mind, I headed toward the bulletin board where the scores were posted.
I pushed through the crowd of students to look at the rankings.
1st Place: Klaus von Winterfeld — 900 points 1st Place: Aristia — 900 points 3rd Place: Albert von Kronstadt — 800 points
...What?
Two people exceeded the perfect score?
I could hear the surrounding students buzzing with confusion.
"How the hell is it 900 points when the max is 800!?"
"Apparently, they demonstrated such extraordinary mastery in Magic Theory that they were given extra credit. It’s the same logic they used for Albert’s score a while back."
"Klaus got that in Magic Theory? But he’s a knight! How?"
"Who knows? More importantly, who is this Aristia girl?"
"Wait, did we even have a student by that name?"
I knew why Klaus had that score—his inner self was Verdict. He was living a normal life, but clearly, he had no intention of hiding his brilliance. He probably didn't care if people suspected something was off.
I moved away from the crowd, my mind fixated on the other name.
Aristia.
In the original game, Arcana Academia, that name belonged to—
"Uhehehe... It’s a pleasure to meet you, Albert-kuuuun."
A voice suddenly called out to me.
Standing there was a girl I didn't recognize. She had long, unruly blue hair that stood out compared to the other students. Her skin was pale, her posture was slumped, and the dark circles under her purple eyes gave her a distinctly sickly appearance.
Between her looks and her unsettling, sticky way of speaking...
She was clearly a total eccentric.
"I’m the transfer student, Aristia. Nice to meet youuu."
Aristia.
That name, in the original game...
"...Are you... the Demon King?"
My voice was raspy. Aristia nodded in response.
"I came all this way just to see you, Mr. Ancient Magic User."
My heart skipped a beat. She even knew about my Ancient Magic?
"See you laterrr. Uhehe, I’m so looking forward to this."
After staring at my shocked expression with apparent satisfaction, Aristia turned around and sauntered away at a leisurely pace.
The Demon King... here at Arcana Academy?
Wait a minute. This development never happened in the original story.