The Academy buzzed with awe. Rael, a "commoner," had effortlessly defeated Leonhart Margrave, heir of a prestigious noble house, in a public spar.
But Rael hadn't gloated. He had smiled gently, even helped Leonhart up, saying, "Thank you for the match. I admire your strength."
To the crowd, Rael was a humble prodigy—an angel with a sword.
Eris watched him from the stands. Her heart thudded. He's... not like the others, she thought. Strong, but not arrogant. Kind… maybe even noble despite being a commoner.
She blushed at the thought, shaking her head. Stupid. Get a grip, Eris.
But behind the angelic smile, Rael's thoughts were far from pure.
The sun had long set. The academy grounds were quiet, save for the distant hum of magical barriers and the rustle of wind in the trees. Most students were asleep.
Rael stood in the east garden, alone beneath the moonlight, admiring the calm.
But he wasn't surprised when he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned slowly, as if startled.
"Leonhart?" he said softly.
Leonhart Margrave stepped out from the shadows with three of his lackeys—noble-born students with twisted grins and cruelty in their eyes. They each held enchanted training swords, more than enough to injure or maim, especially with killing intent behind them.
"I warned you, peasant," Leonhart hissed. "You humiliated me in front of everyone. You'll regret it."
Rael's face showed confusion. "Humiliated? I apologized. I even offered my hand."
"You dare mock me again?" Leonhart snarled.
One of the lackeys charged. "We'll beat you within an inch of your life!"
Rael sighed.
The air changed.
His kind demeanor faded—just a flicker. His eyes that shimmered like both sun and moon turned cold. Dispassionate.
"You picked the wrong devil to challenge," he whispered.
The first attacker swung hard, aiming for Rael's head. But Rael stepped aside fluidly, not wasting a single movement.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist, twisted it until it shattered with a sickening snap, then yanked the blade and rammed it through the boy's neck.
The scream never came.
Rael had slashed his throat with a secondary dagger from his sleeve—coated in muffling magic.
Blood gushed silently as the boy crumpled.
The second lackey froze in horror.
Rael was already behind him.
A thin wire of mana—shaped into an invisible garrote—wrapped around the noble's neck. With a sharp pull, the wire sliced clean through skin, muscle, and vertebrae. The head dropped before the body even hit the ground.
Leonhart backed away in terror. "W-Wait! Wait, we can talk!"
The third lackey ran.
Bad idea.
Rael reached into his coat and pulled out a small black orb—a gift from heaven, he mused.
He threw it.
Boom.
A whisper of black fire exploded, devouring the third lackey in seconds. The magical flames ate through flesh and soul, leaving only scorched bone. The screams never escaped the dome of silence Rael had formed.
---
Leonhart fell on his knees.
"I-I didn't mean to! It was them! They dragged me into this! Please—!"
Rael approached calmly, sword dripping.
"I gave you mercy once. You spat on it."
He crouched, grabbed Leonhart's jaw, and forced him to look him in the eyes.
"Now I'll make you useful. Everyone will believe a monster did this."
He slashed his face with claw-like arcs.
He used his mana to simulate beast marks—ragged, deep, and uneven. He shattered bones just enough to mimic the crushing force of a monster's bite. Then he stabbed the corpse repeatedly in random patterns, making the scene appear frenzied and chaotic.
He splashed blood on the trees, on the stones, even clawed into the dirt with his blade to fake monster tracks.
When he was satisfied, he cast a darkness spell over the area to stall any magical detection for at least a night.
Rael stood silently, watching the crimson pool at his feet.
He whispered, "One less arrogant worm."
Then, with the same serenity of a man watching stars, he turned and walked away.
---
The next morning, panic erupted.
"Four nobles gone?!"
"There's blood everywhere!"
"It looks like a high-rank beast attacked them!"
Students cried. Professors investigated. The academy issued emergency lockdowns.
And Rael?
He wept in public. Perfectly.
He trembled. Convincingly.
"They were… they were my friends…" he whispered, voice cracking as needed.
Students hugged him. Teachers comforted him.
Even Eris stood beside him, her eyes filled with warmth and admiration.
"You're so strong… staying kind after this," she said.
Rael smiled.
Behind his eyes that shimmered like both sun and moon a devil smiled too.