The Villian Who Broke The Story

One week had passed since Kael officially joined the Disciplinary Committee.

Surprisingly, nothing about the committee had become normal.

If anything, Kael had slowly realized that the five members took their responsibilities far more seriously than he had expected. Cairo remained relentless in his pursuit of anything connected to the Velvet Gang. George spent most of his time going through reports, investigating magical traces, and maintaining the committee’s defensive formations. Mira and Miko were constantly moving around the academy, gathering information from students and keeping an eye on suspicious activity.

Lynx, on the other hand, continued sleeping whenever he wasn’t directly needed.

Kael had stopped questioning it.

The committee’s efforts had also begun producing results.

The academy had become noticeably more cautious about the Velvet Gang. Several suspicious students had been questioned, and a few second-year students had already been caught carrying information that connected them to the organization.

But Kael knew that wasn’t the only thing changing.

The second years had officially begun choosing their protégés.

The Student Council President had personally approached Aurella, who had now become the newest member of the Student Council. The Vice President had also chosen Zion as his Protégé.

That wasn’t surprising.

Auriella had finished the first-year tournament as the highest-ranked student after Kael’s unusual circumstances had prevented him from properly participating in the ranking ceremony, while Zion remained one of the strongest students of their year.

Kael wasn’t particularly bothered by either development.

What interested him more was what came next.

The academy had officially announced the Interhigh Tournament.

And unlike the first-year tournament, this one was considerably more important.

Kael sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes before heading toward the bathroom.

The Interhigh Tournament.

Just hearing the name was enough to bring back memories from the game.

The tournament followed roughly the same plotline as it had in his previous life.

Since the beginning of the academy’s participation in the tournament, their victories had been painfully limited.

The academy had won only once.

And that victory had happened a very long time ago.

The academy was still highly respected because of the monsters it produced, but reputation and victory were two very different things.

Other academies cultivated terrifying talents of their own.

There was the Imperial Arcanum Academy, an institution dedicated entirely to humans. Many of humanity’s strongest nobles sent their children there, and several of the most influential families had invested heavily in it.

The beast-kin had their own institution as well, known as the Fangcrest Academy.

It was filled exclusively with beast-kin.

Unlike ordinary schools, these race-specific academies received direct support from the royal families of their respective races.

Their purpose wasn’t merely education.

They were factories for producing elites.

There was even the Demon Academy.

Kael frowned slightly as he thought about it.

The Demon Academy wasn’t involved in the Interhigh Tournament.

Its purpose was different.

The academy’s primary objective remained the creation and cultivation of weapons capable of serving the Demon Realm.

Kael stepped out of the bathroom, towel hanging around his neck.

There were monsters being raised in those academies.

Literal monsters.

Some students who attended the academy where Kael currently studied weren’t even there because they needed the education.

They came because attending an academy with students from different races was considered a formality.

A way to gain experience.

A way to establish connections.

And sometimes, a way to hide just how powerful they really were.

Kael put on his uniform.

The Interhigh Tournament could easily be described as a miniature war between the races.

The Human Kingdom.

The beast-kin kingdoms.

The elves.

And several other groups would all send their strongest students.

Kael had watched the tournament countless times in his previous life.

He knew how brutal it became.

And he knew exactly how badly his academy performed.

The academy hadn’t won the Interhigh Tournament in the past decade.

Its first victory had happened shortly after the academy itself was founded.

That generation had been remembered as something beyond talented.

They had been monsters.

And according to the game’s story, the academy’s next true opportunity to win would come only after the arrival of the main character, Leon.

Kael frowned.

”That isn’t happening this time.”

He grabbed his jacket.

”I don’t really plan on loosing this years Interhigh tournament,” Kael thought with a sigh, as he walked towards class.

He wasn’t interested in watching the same story unfold.

Not when he had already changed so many things.

Kael arrived at Class 1-A with a faint smile.

The classroom was already alive with activity.

Students were scattered across their desks, reviewing notes and discussing possible questions for the upcoming examinations.

Some looked confident.

Others looked as though they hadn’t slept in days.

Kael understood the feeling.

Well, he understood it from their perspective.

For him, the exams weren’t particularly threatening.

He had played the game over and over again.

He knew the academy’s curriculum.

He knew the subjects.

He knew the kinds of questions the teachers liked asking.

He even remembered several questions from the original storyline.

Studying would almost be pointless.

Still, he had no intention of telling anyone that.

Kael walked toward his usual seat.

Then he noticed someone sitting at the very back.

Someone was sleeping.

Kael stopped.

That was strange.

Aside from him, practically nobody in Class A slept during lessons.

He walked toward the girl.

The closer he got, the more familiar she looked.

Then it clicked.

”You’re that Wind Elven Mage I fought during the last round of the tournament,” Kael spoke proking the girl out of her sleep.

The girl slowly sat up.

She rubbed her eyes before looking at him with an expression that suggested she would rather have continued sleeping.

”Oh, its you,” she said lazily before yawning, ”If I knew that that you were strong enough to be a top ranked student I wouldn’t have bothered with our fight.”

Kael blinked.

That was certainly one way to compliment someone.

He pulled a chair closer.

”That still doesn’t explain how you got to Class A, you seemed to lazy to stress yourself,” Kael asked, ”Well that is true, but my cousin, the student council president, wanted me to enter Class A and join the student council,” she replied, ”So, I just found a random student and blam, I’m in class of A rank,”

She looked down at her badge.

”Rank 35,” she completed.

Kael stared at the number.

”Hmmm, you’re at a higher rank than Charlotte,” Kael muttered confusing the elf, ”Who’s charlotte,” she asked, ”I doubt that you’ll know her, for now lets just focus on you, I don’t see you as someone, that just wait, because, Someone told you too,” Kael stated, ”Well, the Student Council president has her own way of being persuasive,” The Elf replied feeling quite snored, before slowly dozing off again,

Kael stared at her.

She had fallen asleep again.

He wasn’t sure whether he was impressed or concerned.

At least she wasn’t pretending.

She genuinely didn’t care.

Kael turned around.

He immediately spotted Charlotte.

Unlike the Wind Elf, Charlotte looked as though she was fighting for her life.

Books were stacked around her.

Notes were spread across the desk.

She was frantically reviewing everything she could before the examination began.

Kael sighed.

He walked toward her.

”Hellow there, Charlotte I expected you to be through, with your studies By now,” Kael asked,

Charlotte briefly looked at him before immediately returning to her books.

”I really don’t want you disturbing me, Kael,” Charlotte stated,

Kael pulled up a chair.

”Well I just wanted to ask, you a question,” Kael stated,

Charlotte stopped reading.

She slowly turned toward him with a glare.

”Well the question is not linked to the exam, just wanted to ask if you’ll be willing to join the Student Council,” Kael asked.

Charlotte paused.

She looked thoughtful for a moment.

Joining the Student Council wasn’t a small decision.

There would be responsibilities.

Training.

Political pressure.

And probably more work than she wanted.

But it would also give her access to better resources and opportunities.

”That’s where you are right, I guess, I’ll join,” She replied,

Kael smiled.

”Good.”

Before he could say anything else, the classroom door opened.

Lyra stepped inside.

The room immediately quieted.

She looked around at the students.

Then she smiled.

”Alright guys your exam starts Now,” She announced,

Chaos erupted.

Charlotte’s expression immediately changed.

Several students hurriedly flipped through their notes.

Others began whispering last-minute answers to each other.

Kael, meanwhile, leisurely walked toward his seat.

He sat between Zion and Aurella.

Both of them looked at him.

Aurella studied his expression.

”You don’t seem stressed,” Aurella asked,

Kael looked at her.

”Well, why would, I be,” he asked, Back,

Aurella raised an eyebrow.

”Because you didn’t study, maybe your confident because you know that you’ll fail quite brave,” She said

Kael bent over as though he’d been struck directly in the chest.

His hand went to his heart.

That hurt.

Not because she was wrong.

Because she had said it so confidently.

Zion quietly looked away.

Kael suspected he was hiding a smile.

A piece of paper magically appeared in front of Kael.

The examination had officially begun.

Kael picked up the paper.

He scanned the first question.

He smiled.

Then the second.

Another smile.

By the third question, he had to suppress a laugh.

They were exactly what he expected.

The academy hadn’t changed the examination structure.

The questions followed the same pattern he remembered from the game.

Kael leaned back slightly.

For everyone else, this was an examination.

For him, it was almost nostalgia.

He picked up his pen.

”I guess exams have finally begun,” Kael muttered to himself with a grin.

Around him, students began writing furiously.

Charlotte was already buried in her paper.

Zion worked through each question with the same calm precision he used in battle.

Aurella’s eyes moved steadily across the page.

Kael looked down at his own paper.

For the first time that morning, his grin widened.

The Interhigh Tournament was coming.

The academy’s future was beginning to change.

And apparently, the exams were going to be easier than expected.

For once, Kael couldn’t complain.