Anna NewGate.

"Finally."

Grey stretched his arms and yawned.

"I'm done for the day..."

He had finally completed all the necessary paperwork and official procedures for his transfer to Lyronia Academy.

With a folder full of documents securely tucked under his arm and his bag hung on one shoulder, he made his way towards the condo complex where he would be residing during his time at the school.

'Thanks to that headmistress, I know where I'm headed...'

Lyronia Academy, known for its exceptional education and vast student population, had several condo complexes scattered throughout its sprawling campus.

Grey's designated residence was located in the scenic Blue Hills area.

'I already have my uniform and a short rundown on how the school operates, so that's not so bad... all I have to do now is locate Anna and I'm good to go.'

He strolled along the campus.

Grey reached into his pocket and retrieved a lollipop.

For him, it was just a small indulgence to savor.

He deftly unwrapped the colorful treat and allowed the sweet flavor to dance on his taste buds as he savored each lick.

Despite the vibrant atmosphere surrounding the academy, Grey noticed the absence of fellow students.

'Hm? Maybe they're all attending classes or maybe they're already in their rooms? It's oddly quiet...'

The sky was gradually transitioning to hues of orange and pink, signaling the imminent arrival of dusk.

A yawn escaped Grey's lips.

He was tired, yet he pressed on.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, jarring him out of his thoughts.

He frantically rummaged through his backpack and struggled to retrieve his phone.

With some effort, he managed to answer it, only to see that it was his younger sister, Anna.

"Oh, hey An—"

She hung up.

Then, Grey checked his phone again.

"Why'd she..."

He paused after noticing the '69 missed calls from Anna' on his screen.

Letting out a weary sigh, Grey slipped his phone back into his pocket and muttered to himself, "I'm so dead."

Grey activated his hover mode.

He nonchalantly tucked his hands into his pockets.

After, he gracefully levitated into the air; carefully, he surveyed his surroundings.

He wanted to ensure he knew exactly where he was going.

Minutes later,

Grey arrived at the luxurious condo complex situated atop the Blue Hills.

With a sense of urgency, he located his specific residential unit and swiftly unlocked the door.

Upon entering, he was met with the sight of young Anna perched on the couch, arms folded and a disapproving frown etched upon her face.

With her long black hair and blue eyes, she appeared both wise beyond her years and utterly displeased.

But overall, Grey saw her as the cutest thing to ever exist.

In the end she was no older than twelve.

"Hey Anna," Grey greeted her with a weak smile, hoping to ease the tension.

But his sister remained silent, her attention still fixed on the television screen.

Undeterred, Grey hesitated for a moment before confessing, "I... I got your missed call."

"All 69 of them?" Anna's voice turned cold, her gaze never left the TV.

Grey twitched. "Y... Yeah, but just a few minutes ago."

"And why is that?"

Her voice grew colder by the minute.

This wasn't the sweet, adorable angel he loved.

"I... I... I was distracted."

He knew that wasn't a sufficient reason.

"You really are a terrible big brother, aren't you?" she retorted. "You promised me that you'd wait for me to come pick you up today, but it seems like you were too engrossed with your distractions."

Deflated, Grey clasped his hands together and lowered his head in remorse.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I truly wanted to come get you, but I got caught up in a lot of things."

It was a sincere apology; not that she cared.

Rolling her eyes, Anna changed the channel without sparing Grey a single glance.

"I suppose those 'things' were women, right?" she sneered, even more disappointed.

Caught off guard by her astuteness, Grey struggled to find the right words.

"Eh... Uh... Yes, it was," he admitted.

There was an uncomfortable silence for about ten seconds; one which Anna broke.

"Hmph!"

Anna pouted even more as she threw her gaze further away from Grey.

Right after she told him, "I had a feeling you were wasting your time with those... women."

Grey gulped.

"Was it one...?" she asked.

Grey gulped slightly harder.

Annaʼs gaze was still on the TV. "Or maybe... there were two women."

An even harder gulp disturbed Grey.

Her eyes flashed like light bulbs and she glared at Grey.

"No, three, three women took away my big brother's attention— you should be ashamed of yourself for allowing them to steal you away from me, big brother."

Although what she felt was spot-on, her interpretation of what happened couldn't have been any more wrong.

However, such a thing was expected.

She didn't want anyone stealing her big brother away from her.

Grey slapped his palms together and took in a deep breath.

He sharply went down on his knees, unable to look his little sister, Anna, in the eye.

"Anna, I'm a terrible big brother," he confessed, squeezing his eyes shut before turning to her. "I'm sorry for everything I've done that may or may not be wrong," he added earnestly.

With no response, Grey awkwardly opened one eye slowly to look at her.

Anna averted her gaze, her expression unreadable, and muttered, "I don't care."

Determined, Grey continued, his voice laden with regret, "I'm not worthy of your unconditional love, but please, just give your big brother another chance."

No response.

"Come on! What else can I do?!" he shouted regretfully.

Looking away from him, Anna softly said, "There's only one thing you can do to make it right."

"What is it?" Grey asked, scratching his head in confusion.

'Wait a minute, don't tell me she wants to...'

Anna remained unyielding, changing the TV channel nonchalantly. "You know what it is. Don't play dumb," she said coldly.

'If I'm gonna do this, then I need to make sure everything's secure...'

Sighing, Grey stood up and walked toward the door. He locked it and then checked outside through the window before shutting the blinds. Dimming the lights in the room except for the glow of the television, he finally approached his little sister, gently kissing her forehead.

There was a very loud scream from outside the moment this happened.

"Huh?" Grey said, momentarily sensing something.

Anna blushed, a smile playing on her lips. Opening her eyes, she teased, "See? Was that so hard?"

Rolling his eyes, Grey retorted with a grin, "Yeah, I guess not."

He then sat beside her, flashing a playful smile.

"So, do you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

"Just this once," Anna relented, "but next time, it'll be three kisses and a date."

"Sure," Grey agreed with a chuckle.

The two siblings were back to their usual playful exchange.

After offering to help Grey unpack, Anna smiled radiantly— a lot like an angel.

As Grey gently ruffled her long black hair, she let out a joyful giggle and closed her eyes to savor the moment.

"I can help you unpack, big brother. I don't mind," Anna offered with a cheerful smile.

"No need, Anna," Grey replied, still patting her head. "We can do it after school tomorrow."

"Big brother?"

"Yes?"

"It's not that I'm not happy you're here," Anna said, her smile slowly diminishing to a more serious look. "But do you know the real reason why grandfather insisted you come to this school? You're one of the strongest mages I've ever seen... So I don't know why you'd need to come to the academy."

'I guess I'm not the only one who's surprised by all this...'

Grey, puzzled, rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

What he thought and what he would say were two different things.

"Are you sure you don't mean the strongest mage you've seen?" he teased.

Anna playfully pointed at him. "Big brother, your bad habit is showing again..." she then sighed. "You really should stop boasting."

Despite her warning, Grey found her pouting adorable. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry," he smiled at her.

As she withdrew her hand and folded her arms, Anna expressed her concern, "If you keep boasting about your strength, it'll get you in trouble someday."

'I don't see the point of strength if you can't brag about it... In the end, if someone is afraid they'll get attacked for their strength and as a result choose to hide it, then doesn't that mean they were never strong to begin with?' Grey thought.

Taking Anna's words seriously, Grey responded, "Well, your lectures aside, I'm not entirely sure why Gramps brought me here, other than the fact that I'm a Demon Lord Contender."

Anna, looking determined, stood on the couch, using her little legs that were covered with long socks for balance.

"That's it! I'll demand an explanation from grandfather."

Much like Grey, she was frustrated by the lack of clarity.

"Ehhhh, I doubt you can intimidate him," Grey said, watching Anna's fiery spirit.

"Why not?" Anna frowned.

"Because no matter what you do, you're the cutest thing Gramps has ever laid his eyes on," Grey confessed, causing Anna to blush.

"Y... You really think so?" his little sister blushed.

Grey smiled and nodded. "I know so." He then shrugged and said, "And besides, the only thing Gramps is scared of is hernia and gonorrhea..."

"Gonorrhea?" Anna tilted her head as she repeated his words.

Grey stuttered, "E... Eh, nevermind..."

Meanwhile,

Elsinia, concealed on the roof of the condo complex, watched the siblings with pure envy.

"That should be me my darling Grey showers with affection, not her," she muttered through gritted teeth.