In an instant, a massive surge of mana erupted from Hayes.
Yet, instead of summoning any conventional magic, several black tendrils emerged from his body, thrashing wildly as they lashed toward Daniel.
These weren’t ordinary tendrils.
They originated from entities far beyond the comprehension of this world, existing on a plane that transcended normal reality.
Their power was unmatched within this realm; no mere mortal could hope to stand against them.
Hayes was already envisioning the outcome.
He eagerly anticipated the moment when these tendrils would crush Daniel, the so-called protector of Nora, in front of her eyes.
The satisfaction of proving her faith in him misplaced was intoxicating.
No matter what title Daniel bore, even if he was a true
tier-sage
, Hayes believed he had the upper hand.
With these tendrils—an extension of a power far superior to anything this world could produce—he was certain of victory.
As the tendrils hurtled toward Daniel, Hayes’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.
But then, the unexpected happened.
Daniel didn’t move. He didn’t dodge, nor did he counterattack.
Instead, the
Ring of Origin
on his hand glowed faintly, releasing an invisible barrier of energy. The barrier extended outward, enveloping Nora, Nina, and Daniel himself.
The tendrils struck the barrier, but instead of penetrating it, they only caused ripples across its surface. They couldn’t break through.
Hayes’s smile froze.
“This… this is impossible! How can you block their attack?”
Hayes’s confidence crumbled as he watched.
The tendrils—capable of tearing apart any being in this world—were rendered utterly ineffective.
The scene defied everything Hayes thought he understood.
Unless…
A chilling thought crept into his mind. Could it be that Daniel possessed power on the same level as the entity behind the tendrils?
“No… that’s impossible,” Hayes muttered, shaking his head to dismiss the notion.
Yet what happened next shattered his denial entirely.
Daniel raised his hand, calmly reaching for the tendrils.
In one fluid motion, he seized not only the writhing black appendages but also the
token
Hayes used to control them.
The token disappeared from Hayes’s grip before he could react.
A split second later, he realized it was now in Daniel’s hand.
“How did you…” Hayes stammered, his voice quivering with disbelief.
The tendrils, which had once exuded an aura of invincibility, curled up like frightened animals in Daniel’s grasp.
They trembled violently, shrinking into a small, quivering black mass.
Hayes was dumbstruck.
These tendrils, which he had always handled with the utmost caution, had cowed before Daniel like prey before a predator.
In the past, Hayes had avoided summoning them unless absolutely necessary, as their appearance always demanded a life in exchange.
Yet now, they were nothing but pitiful creatures in Daniel’s palm.
With a casual squeeze, Daniel crushed the tendrils and the token, reducing them to fine powder.
He then opened a small dimensional portal and tossed the remnants inside.
“Consider it fertilizer for the Trees of Origin,” Daniel remarked nonchalantly.
Hayes stared, his world spinning.
Everything he thought he knew, every certainty he held, collapsed in that moment.
Daniel turned to Nora and Nina.
“Stay here and keep an eye on him,” he said, gesturing toward the immobilized Hayes.
“Headmaster, where are you going?” Nina asked.
“There are a few ‘major powers’ here who’ve been playing dirty. I’ll deal with them. Since they’re all gathered nearby, it’ll save me the trouble of hunting them down one by one.”
At Dragonscale Bank headquarters, a heavy silence filled the room.
The
grand steward
sat motionless, his gaze fixed on the table in front of him.
Reno fidgeted, wanting to say something but unsure of how to begin.
The disastrous outcome of the Battle for Dominance weighed heavily on them.
Elise had warned them repeatedly about the risks, but they had dismissed her concerns.
Now, the consequences of their arrogance were undeniable.
If only they had heeded Elise’s warnings, the
grand steward
thought bitterly.
If he had visited Riverside City himself, perhaps things wouldn’t have spiraled so catastrophically.
Elise had been right all along, yet they had ignored her, blinded by hubris.
Reno finally broke the silence.
“This… this is my fault. I should’ve done a more thorough investigation of that girl from Karea Academy—Nora. I should’ve uncovered more information about her before we acted.”
“Investigate?” Elise’s voice was sharp and biting. “What’s the point of saying that now? I’ve told you time and time again about Riverside City and Crossbridge Academy. Did any of you listen to me? No! You dismissed everything I said.”
Elise’s anger boiled over as she remembered the final moments of her sister, Imora.
“And now? Imora is dead! Are you happy now?!”
Elise lunged at Reno in a fit of rage, fists clenched. Reno, knowing he bore responsibility, didn’t resist. He stood silently, his head bowed in shame.
“Elise, stop!” the grand steward commanded, raising a barrier to shield Reno.
Elise pounded her fists against the barrier, her knuckles bloody.
Though she was a powerful mage, in her grief-stricken state, she forgot to use magic, resorting instead to futile physical blows.
The grand steward sighed, casting a restraint spell on Elise to prevent her from hurting herself further.
“Imora’s death pains us all,” he said somberly. “But we must focus on the aftermath. That girl, Nora—she wasn’t from Karea Academy, was she? She’s from Riverside City, from Crossbridge Academy. Isn’t that right?”
Before Elise could respond, a calm voice answered from behind them.
“That’s correct. Nora is my student.”
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, their eyes widening in shock.
A man stood there, one who hadn’t been in the room moments before.
The grand steward’s expression darkened.
Whoever this was, he had entered the heart of Dragonscale Bank’s headquarters undetected.
“Who are you?” Reno demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and indignation. “Do you realize that trespassing here is punishable by death?”
The man’s gaze swept across the room before settling on Elise.
“You were discussing my student just now,” he said casually.
The grand steward’s eyes narrowed.
“You… who are you?”
The stranger stepped forward, the faint trace of a smirk playing on his lips.
“My name is Daniel, headmaster of Crossbridge Academy.”
The grand steward’s expression turned grim. This was the man they had dismissed as a myth—a supposed
tier-sage
from an insignificant academy.
“And what brings you here, Headmaster Daniel?” the grand steward asked, his voice carefully neutral.
Daniel’s smirk faded. His tone was calm but carried an unmistakable weight.
“I came to discuss how you’ve been meddling with my academy and my students.”