Martial Demons Ascension

Rhyka leaned against the outer wall of the classroom his golden eyes half lidded mask hanging lazily at his hip He had no need to press his ear to the wood his sharpened senses caught everything Every whisper Every stammer of disbelief Every hiss of humiliation from Eto as she admitted to her classmates that he had beaten her

His lips curled Good Make sure they all hear it straight from your mouth Make sure you choke on the words

Inside the murmurs carried on in low disbelieving waves Some students pressed her for details others whispered theories but all of it circled back to him To Rhyka Exactly as he wanted

He could almost picture the looks on their faces Millis forcing a smirk to cover his unease Hella whispering poison to keep control of the room Rin pretending he didn't care while his ears stayed sharp Loretta and Rinnte holding their ground refusing to take Eto's blame even as suspicion lingered on them

Rhyka exhaled through his nose satisfied That should keep the dojo's reputation growing for me Even her pride can work as advertising

Then the door creaked

The room quieted at once as a heavier presence entered Emmet

The man strode in with his usual steady gait but there was something different this time a faint curve at his lips almost a smirk as though he knew something the rest of them didn't His eyes flicked over the class lingering just long enough on Eto's bruises to make her stiffen then moving on

"Settle down" he said his tone calm but carrying weight The chatter cut immediately "Today will not be a normal day of drills"

The students sat straighter

Emmet clasped his hands behind his back his smirk widening slightly "We have a guest"

Gasps broke the silence

A guest was never trivial Every visitor who passed through the isolated mountain village and agreed to speak to the temple school had been someone of status wandering knights traveling scholars minor court mages Each one left behind techniques advice or insights the students could never have gained otherwise

And now there would be another

The room rippled with energy speculation sparking in whispers

"Who is it"

"A knight again"

"No Emmet wouldn't smile like that for just anyone"

"Could it be… another mage from the capital "

Even Loretta and Rinnte leaned forward subtly curiosity pulling at them Eto's hands clenched under the desk her pride already raw from the morning

Outside the doorway Rhyka tilted his head golden eyes narrowing A guest Here

His smirk returned faintly Whatever was coming it might just prove interesting

The tension in the room was already thick students leaning forward whispering under their breath about who the mysterious guest might be Every eye was fixed on the door

So when it slammed open the collective intake of breath was sharp enough to cut

Rhyka stumbled forward his arm gripped tightly by Emmet's hand He was dragged across the threshold and placed at the front of the classroom standing alone under the weight of every single stare

For a heartbeat no one spoke No one even breathed

It was him

Rhyka the dropout the magicless boy the one they had mocked and written off the one who had humiliated Eto and then vanished into self imposed exile The same boy they had grown used to talking about in hushed tones always assuming he was just outside listening

But this wasn't the same Rhyka

His appearance hit them like a slap

The Rhyka they remembered had always been tall for his age but lean almost gaunt his skin bronze and uneven from the constant grind of training and malnutrition His hair was usually a mess his posture lazy his expression smug in a way that made it easy to dismiss him

Now his very presence felt different

His hair tied into a loose ponytail gleamed in the light thick and healthy no longer ragged strands His skin looked… wrong Too smooth too uniform gleaming faintly as though tempered like polished steel His frame was denser his shoulders broader the way he carried himself no longer a boy pretending at confidence but someone grounded balanced unshakable

And then there were his eyes

Golden Not a reflection not a trick of the light Pure molten gold burning faintly with every flicker of focus When they swept across the class more than one student looked away instinctively as if afraid of being cut open by the intensity in them

Even his smell was different faint clean sharp as though the air around him had been scoured free of any trace of weakness

This was not the same outcast they had dismissed

The class erupted

"What"

"No way"

"Is that Rhyka"

"He looks… different"

"No this doesn't make sense he has no core"

Voices clashed in disbelief Some students recoiled in shock others leaned forward eyes wide trying to make sense of what they were seeing

Millis's jaw hung open before he snapped it shut his face twisting between confusion and jealousy Hella's scowl deepened as she gripped the edge of her desk hard enough to whiten her knuckles Loretta's lips parted slightly her eyes darting over him in awe Rinnte's normally calm face tightened his gaze flicking from Rhyka to Emmet then back searching for answers

Eto still bruised stiffened in her seat The memory of his fists slamming into her ribs and jaw replayed with cruel clarity Seeing him standing there transformed calm and smug made her cheeks burn

Emmet's voice cut through the chaos

"Quiet"

The command silenced the room instantly His hand remained on Rhyka's shoulder though not with the same firmness as when he'd dragged him in It was almost cautious now as if unsure whether he was holding back a student or presenting something else entirely

"This" Emmet said his tone clipped but carrying weight "is your guest"

The words rippled through the room like thunder

Gasps Sharp inhales Wide eyes

"Guest Him"

"He's not even in class anymore"

"How—how could he"

Emmet ignored them his gaze never leaving Rhyka There was a flicker in the teacher's eyes part disbelief part irritation and part shock When he had gone to fetch Rhyka he had expected to drag in the same boy who had dropped out a year ago Arrogant skilled but still bound by his lack of mana

Instead the boy who stood in front of him was nothing like what he remembered

Emmet had trained soldiers He had sparred knights He had even seen a handful of seasoned mercenaries in his time But the aura Rhyka carried now calm controlled grounded was closer to theirs than to any child in this room

He felt it when he grabbed Rhyka's arm to drag him in the density of his muscle the tempered hardness of his skin And those golden eyes…

What did you do to yourself boy

Rhyka for his part stood still letting the silence stretch The corners of his mouth curled upward just enough to show the smugness the class remembered but sharper now carried by someone who didn't need to pretend anymore

He lifted his chin slightly golden eyes sweeping across the room watching every reaction drinking in their disbelief their unease their awe

When his gaze lingered on Eto her jaw clenched and her fists balled under the desk When it slid over Loretta and Rinnte both straightened unconsciously When it passed Millis and Hella they both stiffened irritation and fear flashing across their faces

Finally he smirked outright

"…Surprised"

The word was soft almost a whisper but in the silence it landed heavy

The class didn't know how to answer

And that silence was exactly what Rhyka wanted