The Vengeful Extra's Ascension

The next day dawned with little of the quiet calm one might expect after such a turbulent series of events. As Albedo walked through the hallways towards today's class, he could hear all the murmurs of students as they saw him.

However, he easily ignored them as he headed towards today's exchange event. Today was mostly a rather boring event, as they'd simply be attending theory classes alongside their Demon and Elven compatriots.

The first class he was heading to was Demonic Magic Theory, an advanced study that blended applied Arcane Magic with the understanding of ancient demon magic and demonic energy, which is just mana converted into a special type of energy that is much easier for Demons to wield, as their bodies are more adapted to wielding this rampaging energy.

For most Humans and Elves, it was uncharted territory, a chance to glimpse how their ancient rivals perceived the very essence of mana. For Albedo, however, it was an opportunity to once again widen his arsenal of skills.

The classroom was expanded, reshaped through runic spacial formations to accommodate both Human and Elven exchange participants. Rows of obsidian benches curved in a semicircle around a raised platform where intricate glyphs pulsed faintly on the stone, awaiting activation.

Albedo's gaze flicked across the room as he entered. Elves sat together in the far left rows, their postures straight, their expressions cool as they waited the class to begin. Their seating was obviously strategic as all of them surrounded Princess Fade, who patiently sat in the middle.

A cluster of Demonic students sprawled along the opposite side, crimson eyes glittering as they whispered among themselves, and these whispers only grew more as Albedo entered.

Most of Albedo's classmates sat across the middle of the lecture room. However, at the back of the class Albedo spotted Lilian, who leaned back with indifference, one leg cross over the other as she was on her phone.

She had chosen a seat far away from the other Noble-born Demons, and the ones that came in after her were very careful not to sit too close to her, for although her beauty was magnetic, her name carried a certain weight with it.

Albedo did not hesitate. He strode forward and, with casual certainty, slid into the open seat beside her.

Lilian herself turned, her crimson eyes narrowing to sharp slits as her lips parted in disbelief, "You," she hissed under her breath, voice pitched so only he could hear, "What in the Abyss do you think you're doing?"

Albedo leaned an elbow lazily on the bench, meeting her glare with a faint, knowing smirk, "Sitting beside my partner," he replied evenly, his voice low, carrying the barest trace of challenge.

Her blush was almost imperceptible, but Albedo caught it—the faint flicker of pink against her pale skin before she masked it with a scoff, "We are not partners. Don't twist my words from last night."

He tilted his head toward her, close enough that the faint hum of his Source Code seeped through the air between them, "How are we going to go about finding who interfered?"

The question sent a ripple of unease down her spine as she shifted slightly, angling her body so their exchange would look casual to any onlookers. "You're far too bold," she whispered. "Do you realize where we are? Surrounded by half the Academy? This isn't the place,"

"Perfect place," Albedo cut in smoothly, though only she could hear the whisper of his voice. "Everyone's too busy watching us to suspect anything useful is being said." His eyes flicked toward the group of whispering Demons across the aisle.

"If someone tried to tamper with Ember's battle, odds are they're watching me still. I want to see how they react when we're seen together. I suspect me being so close to you is a big reason I'm being targeted, alongside my strength, of course," Albedo explained.

Her heart stuttered at his implication, together. Lilian covered it with a dry, annoyed laugh that earned her a few curious looks from nearby classmates. Leaning in just enough to maintain appearances, she spoke from the corner of her lips.

"You are insufferable," she said, though the venom in her words was dulled by curiosity. "And reckless. If anyone so much as suspects you're plotting with me, you'll have half the noble houses breathing down your neck,"

Albedo smiled faintly, "Then I'll let them choke."

Before she could respond, the classroom shifted as the Professor of Demonic Magic swept in. A tall, sharp-featured Demon draped in flowing black robes traced with runes, his mere presence bent the ambient mana.

He raised a clawed hand, and the room dimmed as the glyphs on the stone platform ignited, bathing the hall in eerie violet light.

"Welcome," the Professor intoned, his voice carrying effortlessly across the chamber, "I understand we have the Exchange students today so I'll try to keep this as easy to understand as possible. Today, we'll be discussing how us Demons transform Mana to Demonic Energy and how we're able to wield it,"

As the lecture began, Albedo reclined slightly, his expression attentive, though his focus remained tethered to Lilian. His voice brushed her mind once more, quiet as the shifting of shadows.

"So. What's your suggestion, BloodHaven? Who among your kind would risk interfering in a public match, and why?"

Lilian kept her eyes forward, face composed, though her nails pressed lightly against the bench's obsidian edge. She knew he was baiting her, pulling her into the game whether she wanted to play or not.

"If I had to start somewhere? There are three Houses petty enough to try to sabotage you already. And only one that would be subtle enough to tamper with wards without leaving a trace."

Albedo's lips curved in the faintest of smiles. "Then we'll start with that one."

Her crimson eyes flicked toward him for the briefest heartbeat, torn between irritation and reluctant intrigue. He made it sound so simple, as though unraveling a noble conspiracy were no different than winning a duel.

"You're going to drag me straight into trouble," Lilian whispered.

"Of course," Albedo said, violet runes in his gaze pulsing faintly with restrained mirth. "That's why I picked you."

Lilian cursed herself for the heat in her cheeks as she snapped her attention back to the lecture. But the pounding of her heart told her she had already stepped onto his board, and she wasn't sure she wanted to step off.

Albedo waited until the Professor turned his back to scrawl jagged runes across the glowing slate before leaning the smallest fraction closer, his tone more suggestion than sound.

"So. Which House?"

Lilian's jaw tightened, her crimson eyes fixed forward. She looked every bit the disinterested student, chin propped lightly on her palm, as if the lecture were beneath her notice. But her voice, no louder than a breath, curled into his ear.

"House Duskveil."

The name hung between them like a venomous blade. Albedo's lips twitched faintly, though not in surprise, more in confirmation.

"Duskveil," he repeated softly, testing the syllables like they were another enemy's weapon. "Valerian's House."

"Correct," Lilian murmured, her nails tapping once against the obsidian bench in slow rhythm. "The Duskveils control the majority of the Noble Faction within the Academy. Their influence extends into the council that decides disciplinary measures, funding allocations, even the dueling rosters. Nothing moves within these walls without them knowing about it, not when their daughter sits at the center of their web."

"Hecate Duskveil," Albedo supplied, recalling the name with a casualness that made Lilian's lips curve faintly.

"Sharp of you," she allowed. "Valerian is the Heir to the house, their pearl, while Hecate, the Eldest Daughter, is their pawn. She does what they want no matter what, and her talent allows them to maximize their plans. With you embarrassing their house by beating down Valerian, they probably already have her pulling moves,"

Albedo let his gaze drift briefly across the lecture hall. Valerian sat further down the row, posture immaculate, his dark hair falling like polished silk across his shoulder, "Then I should thank them."

Lilian cut her gaze toward him then, sharp as a blade's edge, "Thank them?"

"For underestimating me," Albedo said smoothly. "And for showing their hand so early."

Her heart gave a sharp, traitorous skip before she crushed it beneath practiced calm. "You're reckless. If you think you can stride into a feud with Duskveil and come out unscathed, you're more of a fool than I thought. You're an exchange student remember, you can't cause too much drama,"

Albedo tilted his head, eyes glowing faintly violet as Source Code pulsed once in the depths of his gaze, "Drama? Who said anything about drama? I can handle this easily,"

For one breathless moment, Lilian forgot the room, the lecture, the curious stares from across the aisle. She felt only the pull of his certainty, the inexorable weight of someone who wasn't bluffing, who had every intention of dragging her into a storm that could consume them both.

Her lips parted, then closed again as she angled her body slightly away, breaking the tension with a dismissive flick of her hair, "You're going to make enemies you can't put down."

"And you're going to help me," Albedo said, almost idly, as if it were the most natural fact in the world.