The night had already grown deep in the heart of Makazhar City.

Inside a towering, modern-style building—the local branch office of Alasia Group—the soft glow of warm lighting illuminated a luxurious room filled with an atmosphere of calm professionalism.

Seated elegantly in her chair was Ai, her semi-formal attire radiating both sophistication and the commanding aura of a woman born to lead.

Across from her, a female assistant and a male assistant sat on a plush sofa, a mountain of official documents sprawled across the glass table before them.

Scratch. Scratch. Stamp.

The repetitive rhythm of paper being flipped, marked, and stamped filled the silence of the night—until finally…

"Huahhh… finally done!"

Both assistants let out a sigh of relief in perfect unison, stretching their arms and backs as though they had just completed a marathon through bureaucratic chaos.

Their eyes met; they exchanged a look of shared triumph and bumped their palms together—a victory gesture that only overworked office soldiers could truly understand.

Ai glanced at them, a faint yet genuine smile curving her lips.

"Done already?" she asked softly.

Both turned toward her and nodded gracefully.

"All completed, Queen," replied the male assistant.

"Everything's perfect. Absolutely perfect," added the female one with pride.

"Good. You both look very relieved," Ai commented with a hint of amusement.

"Of course we are, Queen," the woman chuckled. "After nearly a whole month sorting through these endless files, anyone would be! Haha." She slumped slightly into the sofa, stretching in pure satisfaction.

The man nodded in agreement.

"And that means… we're getting extra vacation days, right?" he said while standing and cracking his shoulders.

Ai's eyes gleamed playfully.

"Or… it could also mean our patrol schedule's about to get a lot busier," she teased, her tone light yet carrying that dangerously casual edge.

"Queen!" The woman's protest came out half a groan, half a plea.

The man just sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping.

Ai let out a soft, melodic laugh.

"Just pray that Master and the units stationed in this area don't end up overwhelmed. Even though it's not as chaotic as Ameria, this region can still be… tricky. Especially after Axis's appearance."

"True, Queen," said the man seriously.

"Yeah," added the woman. "Even with Sir Sebastian and Sir Michaelis here, those strange incidents still keep giving Master and the others headaches."

"That's how it is," Ai said calmly. "But don't worry. This region isn't our primary jurisdiction anyway. Master won't push us too hard unless the situation truly demands it."

Both assistants nodded silently in agreement.

"The number of active magic users across Asia is still quite high," the female assistant noted thoughtfully. "Most are novices, but around thirty percent of them are traditional dark-energy users—and that makes them very unpredictable. Very tricky to deal with."

"Different from the ones we usually face in American region," the man added. "Back home, most magicians already mix traditional magic with modern technology. They've evolved—but so has their arrogance." He chuckled.

The woman's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.

"If we're talking arrogance, I'd say the people on this continent aren't any different. Remember that man, Darius? Even when he was the one begging for help, he still acted like he was doing us a favor."

"Haha, true," the man said. "But we're talking about magic users, not ordinary people."

"My point exactly," the woman replied. "If ordinary humans can already be that arrogant, just imagine those who wield power beyond human understanding."

"Fair enough," he laughed, and both of them shared an amused look.

Ai chuckled too, resting her chin on her hand.

"In the end," she said softly, her voice carrying that calm, queenly tone of someone who had seen too much, "those blessed with power almost always end up blinded by it. Their arrogance only fades when they face a strength that utterly dominates them."

Both assistants nodded solemnly.

You're right, Queen," the woman said. "Just like our group's secret motto—under your leadership—power stands at the pinnacle, unlike the groups led by the other Queens."

"Yeah," added the man with a smirk. "In this merciless world, survival of the fittest is the only law that matters. Power decides everything."

Ai raised a single finger to her lips, her smile playful yet warning.

"Psst… careful. Master doesn't like that phrase, remember?" she whispered teasingly.

The two assistants exchanged awkward grins and chuckled under their breath.

"Anyway," Ai said finally, her tone warm again, "good job, Reina. You too, Hans." She gestured a small 'okay' sign with her fingers.

"Thank you, Queen!" both of them replied in unison, voices filled with pride and renewed energy.

Reina then rose and approached, carrying the dossier that contained the compiled report of their exhaustive labor.

She placed the thick stack of papers on the glass table and, with a voice deliberate and measured yet edged with the crisp authority of someone accustomed to delivering unwelcome truths, began to explain:

"This is the consolidated synthesis of the data we gathered. Concerning the situation at HIHS, apart from the Virellano family, the two other most influential families have interfered far too deeply. Every rumor that Norvalien attempted to meddle in the school's internal affairs is confirmed here; it's all documented — and it links directly to their son, Rudi Norvalien, who is enrolled at this institution."

Hans picked up the thread without hesitation, his tone pragmatic and clinical as he added,

"And that boy is responsible for four of the five scholarship students dropping out, just as Master has recounted all along. The validated evidence finally came together — with this dossier in hand, we can proceed to execute the necessary measures."

Ai nodded, absorbing the report with her usual composed gravity.

"I think Lefon hasn't learned much from past precedent," she analyzed, her words smooth but incisive, "although his current actions tilt more toward an aggressive assertion of authority over the headmaster. Even if it doesn't financially harm the school, what difference does that make?"

"Is this because he's gained enough independence—enough power of his own—that he believes even if their partnership with the school ends, his family will still be safe?" she pondered aloud, seeking confirmation.

Reina affirmed the assessment with a quiet nod.

"Correct, Queen. Thanks to our intervention, the Tamarvich family can now concentrate more fully on their commercial enterprises, and indirectly they leverage our association for business advantage — sometimes implicitly using the Alasia Group's name in their promotions."

"That's why they now feel more independent, even without us. When in truth, everything they have began because of us." Hans added.

Ai responded with a short nod, riffling through the pages of the dossier as if the motion itself helped her organize thought and intent.

"I suppose that's to be expected. To the extent of our reach, we'll issue formal reprimands and will consider removing them from the school's administration; I think that would be the preferable course of action."

Reina and Hans both agreed, their faces reflecting relief that a decisive path had been proposed.

"Huff… Lefon appears reserved and dignified, but he's cunning as well. I hope he does not err again—especially not in a way that involves Master," Ai added, her voice tightening with an unspoken warning.

"Indeed, Queen. One more mistake, and perhaps we can afford to be a little brutal." Reina said with a half-smile, half-threat, the kind of remark that carried both jest and menace.

Ai inclined her head and continued, turning another page as if to underline the gravity of what followed.

"And… Darius Norvalien, Rudi Norvalien — their deceit seems rooted down to the very core of their lineage. Their ability to conceal this level of corruption is formidable; amassing such incriminating data took us nearly a month. That lag is regrettable compared to the speed of our typical investigations."

"Correct, Queen. Usually criminals keep evidence of their crimes so it can be used later, but they chose the opposite path. Even so, that choice is reckless and exposes them to significant risk," Hans replied, the practitioner's pragmatism plain in his voice.

Ai and Reina exchanged a look of agreement at Hans's observation.

"And with all these findings, even without that girl's interference prompting Nipponia's company to compete with Norvalien, Darius was fated to collapse," Ai declared, her words edged with an almost cold inevitability.

"In the end... This year was scheduled for the fall of the Norvalien house. Only divine intervention could save them now."

She then fixed her gaze on both of them and issued a curt order as she handed over the dossier, her tone leaving no room for delay: "Then finalize this. Tomorrow we go to HIHS."

"Understood, Queen," they answered in unison, accepting the papers and returning to the sofa with a renewed, efficient composure.

Ai rotated her chair and turned toward the expansive window behind her, which framed the nocturnal panorama of Makazhar's glittering skyline; the city lights flickered like distant constellations, indifferent to the machinations happening within the office.

She inhaled slowly, the breath drawn deep enough to steady her spirit, until her eyes sharpened with a focus that seemed to pierce through the urban clamor beyond the glass.

Norvalien. If not for Master's mercy toward you, you would have been ruined long ago. Now there is no avenue of escape left to you. Your downfall stands at the threshold. The thought registered in her mind with resolute clarity.

Her fingers found the center of her chest, pressing lightly as if to feel the rhythm of her heartbeat against the weight of that certainty. Yet despite the assertion of impending ruin, an unexpected unease took root inside her.

What is this feeling—why do I feel anxious about something? Is Master all right? she wondered inwardly, concern knitting the lines between her brows.

She folded her hands over her sternum, closed her eyes, and bowed her head slightly, allowing a quiet petition to form in the sanctuary of her own thoughts.

I hope you are safe, Master, she murmured in prayer.

Her invocation did not dissipate into empty air; it was answered by a far grimmer scene: a bunker in utter disarray under the looming presence of an agent of death.

Al lay captive, held firmly within the iron clasp of the death agent.

"You're right. Who you are is irrelevant. You are merely an unfortunate child who got lucky enough to inherit tremendous power. Yet in the end you are an anomaly that disrupts the world's order," the Agent intoned, voice flat and implacably certain.

"So?" Al retorted, defiance sparking in his tone.

The divine agent offered a small, almost amused smile. "It means you should never have existed in this world." His words were delivered with the blunt finality of an oracle pronouncing doom.

From the agent's flank, a black energy began to condense, coalescing into a spiraling, razor-sharp vortex that pointed directly at Al like the tip of a merciless spear.

Al's pupils widened as comprehension slammed into him. He tried to rebel, channeling energy through every fiber of his being, but the effort yielded nothing; it was as if his power itself were being suppressed and rendered impotent against the agent's dominion.

"Damn. What do you intend to do?" he muttered through clenched teeth, irritation and fear braided together.

"As you already know, I am an agent of death. Death is at my command. And because you are something that should not be, your annihilation is necessary," the agent declared.

With a subtle, fluid motion the spiral surged forward, aimed straight at Al's heart.

Just as the spiraling blade of darkness was about to pierce his chest—

a radiant golden light erupted from Al's body, halting the agent's movement in mid-trajectory.

The agent's eyes widened, his composure cracking ever so slightly as he hissed, "This — this is it?!"

Al, too, watched in stunned disbelief. The object — the thing — reacted?!

then...

WOSHHH!

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