"I am Raiku Samarudi."
The old man's voice rolled through the ruined chamber with the weight of absolute authority, thick with pride and ancient arrogance. I stared at him silently, my expression cold.
The introduction meant nothing to me.
I already knew what he was.
A monster pretending to be a teacher.
The scent of blood and death clung to him too naturally.
Next, one of the disciples stepped forward with a smug grin plastered across his face.
"I am Jacob Rasu."
Everything about him irritated me instantly.
Perfect posture. Perfect speech. The kind of pride carried by nobles and academy prodigies who had never truly suffered a day in their lives.
It reminded me of Satre.
Not the Satre I knew now.
The old Satre.
The prideful genius who once believed nobody could rival her.
The memory twisted something painfully inside my chest.
For a brief second, I imagined driving my dagger straight through Jacob's throat.
But I held back.
Not yet.
Then came the third disciple.
A woman staggered forward holding a bottle loosely in one hand.
"I'm Kasia Cravil," she muttered with a crooked grin.
Drunk.
Or pretending to be.
Her dark eyes watched everything too carefully for someone truly intoxicated. She radiated danger beneath the laziness.
Annoying.
I immediately decided she was the type of person best avoided unless absolutely necessary.
One by one, the others introduced themselves.
Names blurred together.
Faces faded into irrelevance.
None of them mattered.
None except two.
The fifth disciple stepped forward quietly.
"Amela Latsa."
The moment I saw her, my body stiffened instinctively.
Long white hair flowed down her back like moonlight against snow. Crimson eyes stared at me with an intensity sharp enough to cut skin. Calm. Elegant. Dangerous.
And familiar.
Not because I knew her.
But because something about her presence reminded me of Satre.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
That same overwhelming confidence.
That same terrifying talent hidden beneath silence.
I immediately marked her as someone I couldn't underestimate.
Then came the ninth disciple.
"Lais Reed."
Unlike the others, she didn't hide her emotions.
Fiery red hair.
Sharp golden eyes.
Explosive magic leaking from her body constantly like sparks escaping a furnace.
Impulsive.
Proud.
Strong.
Had she lived another life under different circumstances… maybe she could've been someone decent.
But that didn't matter now.
I wasn't here to save anyone.
I was here to survive.
And eventually…
To kill Raiku.
Silence settled over the chamber afterward.
The disciples observed me carefully while I remained near the shattered wall, arms crossed quietly beneath my cloak.
I could feel their curiosity.
Their hostility.
Their arrogance.
Good.
Let them underestimate me.
The second disciple eventually clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Tch. He doesn't even look strong."
Without warning, he attacked.
Palm-shaped blasts of condensed energy exploded toward me rapidly, tearing through the air like artillery fire. Each strike carried enough force to vaporize buildings instantly.
Fast.
Twice the speed of light at least.
But after everything I'd endured recently…
It looked slow.
Painfully slow.
I stepped sideways casually.
Another blast.
Duck.
Pivot.
Spin.
The attacks shredded the chamber behind me while I danced through them effortlessly.
For over ten straight minutes he continued assaulting me relentlessly, growing more frustrated with every missed strike.
I almost laughed.
The moment one blast came too close, my eyes glowed faintly purple.
The magic unraveled instantly.
Canceled.
Erased before it could even touch me.
That finally made him panic.
So he switched tactics.
A massive broadsword materialized in his hand as he rushed forward for close combat.
Finally.
I drew my daggers smoothly before merging them together into a long black staff.
Our weapons collided violently.
BOOOOM.
The entire chamber shook.
Shockwaves erupted outward, shattering pillars and ripping apart sections of the ceiling. Sunlight burst through the cracks for the first time in what felt like forever.
Warmth touched my skin.
I almost forgot what sunlight felt like.
My tied-back dark purple hair shifted lightly behind me while the sunlight reflected across my glowing eyes. For a brief moment, I simply stood there parrying strike after strike effortlessly.
The battle became rhythmic.
A dance.
His sword carried overwhelming force.
My staff carried precision.
Every movement flowed naturally.
Then suddenly—
Chains exploded toward me from the side.
Amela.
I caught the chain instantly and yanked hard, dragging her toward me with overwhelming force.
I aimed my blade directly for her throat—
But another presence intercepted.
Lais.
Her kick collided against my shatter step directly.
BOOOOM.
The impact split the floor beneath us.
Interesting.
She was strong.
Much stronger than most people I'd encountered recently.
Still not enough.
I vanished instantly.
Appearing behind both of them in a blur, staff already mid-swing—
And then—
AGONY.
My body froze.
The slave mark around my wrist ignited violently.
Pain unlike anything else ripped through my nervous system, forcing me to one knee instantly. It felt like my bones were being shattered repeatedly from the inside.
Raiku.
That bastard.
I gritted my teeth hard enough to crack them.
But I refused to scream.
I refused to give him that satisfaction.
"Stop there, my disciples."
Raiku's calm voice echoed through the chamber.
Instantly, the pain vanished.
I released Jacob's throat slowly while breathing heavily, my body trembling faintly from the backlash.
Rage boiled inside me so intensely I could barely think.
But Raiku simply looked amused.
"It is time," he said calmly, rising from his throne-like seat, "for this one to reveal both his name… and his true power."
His hands folded behind his back as he turned away.
"Follow me."
I stared at him silently.
One day…
One day I would kill him slowly.
The others stepped aside while I slid my daggers back into their sheaths.
Despite everything…
I still refused to become like them.
I wouldn't kill meaninglessly.
I wouldn't lose myself.
No matter how much pain they inflicted on me.
No matter how much hatred burned inside my chest.
I would survive.
I would grow stronger.
And when the day finally came…
I would stand above every single one of them.
Including Raiku Samarudi himself.
For now, though…
I followed quietly behind them.
Watching.
Learning.
Waiting.
Because vengeance, like destruction…
Was most beautiful when perfected.