Talbion City

In a grand hall with a menacing atmosphere, the ceiling soared high, and luxurious furnishings adorned every corner, creating an elegant space. All eyes were fixed on their master seated on the throne with an air of arrogance, draped in black robes. Everyone in the room wore the same color, though their styles differed.

They all bowed. 

"Oh, chosen Seven Deadly. I wish to inquire, who among you is willing to execute a task for me, right now?" the imposing figure in the black robes spoke.

The Seven Deadly were ready. They all volunteered. Their seriousness was unmatched. They would execute any order from their master, even if it meant risking their lives. It should be noted that the Seven Deadly were the strongest individuals in "Deadly" by choice, deemed worthy to occupy the "Seven" seats.

"Excellent. I inform you, the city of Talbion is to be taken over by a group of scoundrels. I need some of you to undertake this task to prevent their plans from succeeding," he said, growing more serious.

Without hesitation, three girls raised their hands higher than the others. 

There was no trembling, no fear. It meant they were ready to take responsibility. 

One of them asked. "Excuse me, when will this order be carried out?" 

"Soon. Any issues?" the man in the black robes responded, his tone tinged with sarcasm. 

"No issues. My apologies, Kato-sama," the girl blamed herself. 

"For those of you not on this mission, continue to play your roles as you have been." 

"Understood!" came the simultaneous response echoing in the room. 

Talbion City was the target. Talbion City was in grave danger. Talbion City was threatened with being lost to those who sought to seize it. The city held no special significance in his eyes, but Kato disliked wrongdoing. Even though all he did was the same as them. However, Kato's goals were vastly different from what people thought. 

Peace had to be maintained. 

Hence, the Deadly intervened to thwart the evil plot of taking over the city, ensuring the native inhabitants could continue living happily and going about their daily lives as usual.

Inwardly, the man in the black robes changed his tone (Actually, my goal is to find the red gem's whereabouts. But, well, who knows if this mission will yield results).

~

Three girls gathered in different places after the dispersal. The atmosphere tonight was chilly. But they paid no mind to such trivial matters. They were focused on the orders given by Master Kato.

From their expressions, they seemed enthusiastic and carried the meaning of "let's not fail because of our negligence." 

•

Talbion Academy. An academy that produced impressive experts in fields such as martial arts, magical arts, and sciences. Social status and wealth didn't always play a major role in admissions here. The doors were always open to students who wanted to join this academy. Of course, there were entrance exams to assess suitability.

This academy was the second recommended academy, after the first academy established its position as the best. Talbion Academy was not inferior to Falmari Academy, as mentioned earlier, meaning Talbion Academy was the second option if students failed to enter Falmari Academy.

This morning, a commotion erupted between two male students. The cause of their quarrel in what should have been a peaceful morning was uncertain. However, teachers tried to calm the students down. For now, nothing serious happened beyond verbal exchanges.

On the other side, a male student just entered the courtyard and was surprised to see the commotion. 

He was Kamiya Kaito. A first-year student who was neither famous nor had outstanding achievements at this academy. He had black hair with a typical male face, appearing standard. Yet, he managed to become a student at the academy in his own way. 

Kamiya took steps towards another student who happened to be a bystander. 

"What's with the morning commotion?" 

The student he spoke to didn't turn but answered, "I don't know." 

The female teacher here looked tired of hearing the conversation. "Alright, alright, let's calm down, okay? Class is about to start." 

It seemed the teacher was not their homeroom teacher. Perhaps she accidentally caught sight of them. However, this bright morning didn't support peace. 

"Ah, stop it, please. Anyone, stop this!" The teacher continued as if on the verge of tears, "Never mind, just wait for Emily to sort them out." 

As Emily's name was mentioned, she yelled to Emily for help.

"Emily!!!"

Eventually, Emily managed to separate the two students with her anger. It was not a loud anger but enough to disperse them. On the other side, the teacher felt inferior to Emily. How could she not, when she tried, her students seemed indifferent. But when Emily acted, the students complied with her request.

---

The teacher stood in the classroom to start the main lesson of the day. She was a woman with beautiful long white hair and bright blue eyes.

The interior of the classroom was spacious, almost like a small hall. The teacher's podium sat at the front of the room, facing the desks arranged on the tiered floor that elevated people at the back of the room. There were about forty people in the class.

"Uh, I should avoid it if the same thing happens in the courtyard. Forget it."

"All right, everyone. The lesson is about to begin. But before that, we have a new student joining us. Please be quiet!" she continued.

"A new student? Wow!"

And there was a sense of joy in the eyes of all the students in the room as they welcomed their new friend. Whispers could be heard in the class. It was natural for them to see a beautiful girl joining their class.

"Go ahead," the teacher said softly, shifting her position and making room for the girl to introduce herself.

"Allow me. I'm Priscilia. Friends, please cooperate," Priscilia introduced herself. 

Priscilia. She had long violet hair cascading down her back, with bangs that rested on her forehead tied up neatly, and dark purple eyes making her even more striking. 

A moment of silence ensued. 

"Y-yes, that's about it, everyone familiar?"

The teacher waited for more introductions besides the self-introduction. For example, where she lived, her hobbies, or why she joined this class?

Although left silent, the teacher... Late, understood enough. Then, she spoke softly, "Come on, there's an empty seat back there. You can sit there." 

"Thank you," Priscilia replied. 

As she walked towards her seat, she greeted Kamiya with elegance. 

"Hello." 

All eyes turned towards the owner of the voice. It was odd for a boy like him to be addressed upon their first meeting, as if Kamiya was an old acquaintance. 

"Enough, enough, our lesson starts this morning. There's a test today," Late tapped her palm as a signal. 

-

Then, it was break time. 

Kamiya sat alone, chewing on his food. Soon, Priscilia appeared with her two new friends and sat nearby. They stared. 

However, their gaze seemed to beckon him. Priscilia smiled while her two friends engaged in conversation. Yet, Kamiya hadn't reacted yet. 

"Oh, what's up, Priscilia?" 

Her friend noticed that she wasn't joining their conversation. 

 "I... am curious about... him." Under their gaze, Kamiya turned away.

"Oh, Kamiya Kaito? Ah, he's a strange guy," her friend elaborated. 

"How so?" Priscilia asked.

"Suddenly begs for food, sometimes absent from class, and... I forgot, he's just so strange."

"You shouldn't be like that. It hurts his feelings," another girl defended without being prompted.

"Haha, yeah, it's cruel." Priscilia chuckled softly.

(Perfect, very good.) Kamiya said in his mind. The meaning behind his words was not yet known, but he enjoyed it while finishing his meal. Then, he waved proudly at the girls.

"See, that's weird. Just stay away," the girl looked at him with disgust.

--- 

Before going home, Late announced the exam scores. If anyone scored below the criteria, a retest would be held, and they would be late going home. Kamiya and Priscilia's names were mentioned, with no other names besides theirs.

As evening approached, the sun set its rays. They were in an empty classroom. Kamiya put his hands in his pockets as he headed towards his usual desk and sat on it. 

As if knowing that his answer was awaited, Late... No... Rea bowed obediently, followed by Servetti. 

"Report, we haven't found anything yet."

"Continue. Don't forget and waste too much time. Because we don't know what actions the enemy is planning."

"Roger!"

"That's it. I have business after this. Stay vigilant." Kamiya leaped from his desk towards the exit door, but he didn't leave; instead, he vanished using teleportation magic. 

They stood again upon their master's departure. Servetti was very excited, with a bright and cheerful face. "Aaaahh... Kato-sama, you are the greatest. I feel honored when you look at me today." 

Rea took a breath and reprimanded, "Stop your lustful desires." 

"I'm sorry, I can't contain this feeling. Truly, even though Kato-sama appears as a student, he still looks cool." 

The truth about them was that they were part of an organization.

An organization formed by their master. Their master had just left them this afternoon. That master... Kato, he was the ultimate leader of the Deadly organization.

Rea and Servetti were also part of it but under different categories. 

Rea and Servetti entered the 'Seven Deadly' seats, a nickname given at Kato's discretion. 

Rea and Servetti were the fifth and last members, the strongest among the 'Seven Deadly'.