"Alright," Kael said, nodding. "I'll walk you there. It's a big school."
Belle grinned, hopping off the couch. "How sweet of my baby brother."
Kael tapped his watch to open the school's map system. The two walked side by side through the grand halls, receiving stares and whispers as they passed. Kael ignored them. Belle basked in them.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a massive door carved with ancient emblems and intricate patterns. A golden plaque above it read:
"HEADMASTER'S OFFICE"
"This is it," Kael said, turning to her.
Belle smiled. "Thanks, Kael." She winked. "Try not to miss me too much."
Then she pushed the heavy door open and stepped into a room that looked like it belonged in a different era. Dark oak shelves lined the walls, filled with books older than the academy itself. A massive window cast warm sunlight over a scarlet rug, and in the center sat a grand desk, behind which was the Headmaster an older man with slick silver hair and calm eyes that had seen more war than peace.
He looked up, smiling. "It seems the best student has returned."
Belle laughed, closing the door behind her. "C'mon, you don't really think I was the best."
She paused.
"Even though I was."
They both chuckled.
The Headmaster leaned back, folding his hands. "You didn't come just to grace me with your ego. What's going on?"
Belle's smile faded.
She stepped closer. "The Northern part of Europe… has completely fallen."
His face tightened.
"Not to monsters," she said slowly. "But demons. Real demons. From the Demon Realm."
"…That shouldn't be possible."
"It gets worse." She held up a hologram of red markings and monstrous silhouettes. "They made a deal with an organization. One that's been moving in the shadows for years. Their name: Abyss Dawn."
The Headmaster's eyes darkened. "I've heard whispers… nothing concrete."
"It's concrete now," Belle said. "They're arming demons with enchanted weapons, boosting their numbers through forbidden blood rituals, and even breaking rifts into other realms. Europe's elites are barely holding them back. We need stronger people. Legends."
The room was silent for a long moment.
Then, the Headmaster exhaled through his nose.
"I can't," he said finally. "My duty is here. To this academy. To the South Korean gates."
"But..."
"With someone like you," he cut in, his voice firm but warm, "someone who's nearly breached SSS rank before the age of thirty the world doesn't need me anymore. It needs you. The new generation."
Belle was quiet. Then…
She grinned.
Back to her bubbly self. "You know I'm not gonna stop asking, right?"
He chuckled. "I know."
As she turned to leave, she waved over her shoulder. "Thanks for the tea-less, treat-less visit. You're as stingy as ever, old man."
The Headmaster just smiled, watching her disappear through the door.
Then he leaned back in his chair, staring at the space she once occupied.
"That girl… she's on her way to becoming the strongest ranker not only in this world… but in the other realms as well."