Magister Insanity

Heading back to the academy was the only option left.

Thanks to Soul Killer's interference, the priority targets had slipped away without me noticing. There was no way to know for certain where they had gone. Perhaps they were already at the academy, but the only way to find out was to return.

Even if they were somewhere within the male dormitory, it wasn't as simple as barging into their rooms and eliminating them in their sleep. Murder, in practice, was an art that required meticulous planning. A single misstep could turn a perfect execution into a deadly mistake. For instance, I hadn't been implicated in Zephyr's death since he had been devoured by Scavengers, but hypothetically leaving behind something valuable could expose me.

On top of that, there were countless mysterious sequence abilities I didn't understand, some capable of tracing footsteps or even scent. Not to mention Sorcery, which could complicate matters further.

Whatever the case, targeting Kael or Xyler within the academy's premises was out of the question.

At least until I devised a better plan.

Shoving those thoughts aside, I resumed my stride toward the academy. My stomach growled audibly, reminding me of a more immediate problem. I glanced down at the shadow beside me and muttered:

"Sorry… due to a hiccup, I couldn't get you any souls."

The shadow's eyes dimmed slightly. Starvation was unpleasant. Its frustration was understandable. Back on the Forbidden Isle, I had felt the same gnawing hunger, so I could relate.

Ugh. If only killing people weren't a requirement.

With a weary sigh, I forced a tired smile.

"But don't worry. Sooner or later, I'll get you something to eat. Just… a little more patience, okay?"

The shadow didn't respond, but I could sense its intent.

「 I want to feed. 」

Gritting my teeth, I summoned every ounce of strength and dragged my body toward the academy, all the while trying to ignore the persistent, gnawing hunger.

Finding the gateway that led to the interior of the academy was not difficult, but the challenging part was moving through the crowd. The outline and full shapes of their souls entered my vision, accompanied by an irresistible sweet aroma. It was a familiar scent.

Whenever the shadow hungered, I became able to see the souls of others. Some would say this was a good ability.

Most people could not see souls. There was only one person confirmed to be able to interact with them, and that was none other than Soul Killer Rin. By interacting with the souls, I meant soul destruction.

According to rumors, she could ruin anyone with a single cut.

My situation was completely different from hers. The shadow of the Dream God had the innate ability to see souls whenever it became ravenous. I wondered if this was unique to it or if it could see them by default, considering my sequence ability, Soul Eater.

In order to eat something, you must be able to see it.

You literally cannot eat what you cannot see. Otherwise, people would be eating ghosts and wandering spirits for breakfast and dinner.

Would something that intangible even have a price tag?

'Come to think of it, what are the chances that there would be someone called Soul Killer and my sequence ability is Soul Eater?'

I paused, letting the thought linger as I pondered the matter.

Was it a coincidence?

No. Coincidence did not exist. Everything happens for a reason and could, in theory, be explained scientifically. Yet there was no science to govern the strings of fate and destiny, leaving it unexplainable. It was a contradiction in the laws of the world, and yet everything flowed seamlessly.

What was I even thinking? This was pure nonsense!

I exhaled a weary sigh and retraced my steps until I reached the alley I'd come from. That was when my eyes caught an odd movement.

A silhouette staggered along the darkness, then collapsed to the ground.

Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the fallen figure. The man was in his late forties, judging by the faint lines etched across his face, though exhaustion and grime made it difficult to tell for certain. His hair was disheveled and streaked with sweat and dust, falling down his forehead in damp, uneven strands.

The strong scent of alcohol hung in the air; he was clearly drunk. Every now and then he let out a hiccup that confirmed it.

From the fragments I could piece together, he must have been out drinking with friends. The faint echoes of laughter and voices carried from the distance, as though his companions were still searching for him. Somewhere along the way, he must have wandered off and gotten separated.

I froze, blinking in disbelief.

This was ridiculous. A few minutes ago, I had been agonizing over how to feed my shadow, and now there was a perfectly useless, clearly inebriated man right in front of me who probably couldn't tell left from right.

The strings of fate had a cruel sense of humor.

Was this some kind of test? Am I being tested? There was no way this was not a trap, right?

I glanced around. No one seemed to be present.

Nobody was watching.

Biting my lips, I turned my gaze back to the drunken man.

Wasn't this the perfect condition to get away with murder?

According to my calculations, it would take his buddies a few minutes to reach this part of the alley. In that time I could finish my business quickly and slip through the gateway.

No one would know what happened here.

No one except me and the shadows.

There was no need to worry about retaliation either. In his drunken state he would not be able to defend himself, especially against a surprise attack. Even if he were a Sleepless with greater strength, his fighting ability would be badly diminished by the alcohol.

There were so many ways to kill him it was almost laughable. The simplest was to crush his neck.

Because I had confirmed that I left almost no presence, it was possible to bypass the natural five senses in the darkness. All I needed to do was walk over and stomp on his neck.

Better yet, if I lacked the courage to do even that, my shadow could handle it while I did nothing. After it ate the body and soul, there would be no trace for anyone to follow.

Truly, a perfect chance to commit murder and get away with it.

There was absolutely no better condition than this.

Any hesitation died when my stomach let out a low, ominous growl, and a wave of excruciating hunger washed over me. My eyes flashed predatory as I crept toward the unsuspecting target.

A few slow steps and I stood over the man, looming above his sleeping form. I raised my foot, coiling to deliver the finishing blow. Then hesitation returned.

'Can I really kill this person?'

My foot trembled. The shadow flailed, urging me to end it. Still my leg shook. The man looked so peaceful in his sleep.

「Kill him.」

No.

「Why can't you do it?」

I can't.

「What do you mean you can't? That didn't stop you the first time.」

I...

I clenched my teeth and tried to force my resolve back into place. It slipped through my fingers like smoke. No matter how I willed it, I could not bring my foot down.

Why couldn't I kill him?

Before I could sort myself out, voices echoed into the alley. I dove behind a row of trash bins as two figures rounded the corner.

"Heh, so this is where he wandered off to."

"Seriously. Collapsing in a dark alley? Does he have any sense of danger at all?"

"Whatever. We found him. Help me carry him. He's not exactly light, you know."

The two of them grunted as they hoisted the drunk between them, dragging his weight over to one shoulder like he was nothing more than a sack. They laughed as they stumbled away, swapping half-formed insults and crude jokes while the drunk snored softly between them.

My whole body tensed. Perhaps it was still possible to claim my target. The gnawing hunger persisted as if urging towards that direction.

But the moment passed. They moved too quickly, already turning the corner and melting into the crowd before I could force my legs to obey. The alley swallowed their footsteps and just like that, the opportunity evaporated like a breath.

Stepping out from my hiding spot, I could only stare after the direction they'd taken.

Why couldn't I kill that man when I had the chance?

There was no good reason. In fact, there was no reason at all. I couldn't explain my hesitation.

It boiled down to one stupid thought.

Why does he remind me of Dad?

I scowled at the thought.

No way. He's nothing like Dad. Dad wouldn't drink himself to a stupor. If he did, Mother would have given him a proper bea... I mean, scolding afterward.

I let out a humorless chuckle.

Whatever the reason, it wasn't his time.

The shadow at my feet regarded me with what could only be called annoyance. Was it silently calling me pathetic?

Maybe it was right. But surely it was more pathetic and cowardly to kill a sleeping man, wasn't it?

Besides, surviving on other people's misery felt like a different kind of pathetic.

As if reading my thoughts, the shadow glared at me with disdain. I shrugged and stepped through the gateway back into the academy.