SSS Class Infinite Regression: Ascension of the Mad Dragon Prince

"Don't say that, Selene. You're part of our House," Louis said, smiling at her and petting her head. "If anyone dares to laugh at you or say anything, I will personally deal with them."

"Ooh…!" Selene's eyes sparkled with respect and admiration. "O-Okay… can I hold your hand, Prince Louis?"

"Fine." Louis took her soft paw. Selene felt more confident and walked forward.

"It's fine!" Melisa smiled, holding her other hand. "We've got you, Selene. We won't let you ever be alone anymore."

"T-Thanks…" Selene shed a few tears as she nodded.

Despite her wild nature and appearance, Selene was a very sweet and soft girl inside—someone who might have walked a completely different path if she had not met Melisa and Louis.

With them and everyone else by her side, she felt truly confident. Even if the world might reject her, as long as she had those who cared for and loved her… she felt she could stand against the world.

"Oh, this is beautiful," Anastasia said, admiring the view as they passed through the red gate.

They entered a vast open area—a literal town built inside the castle walls of the immense academy, filled with large towers and buildings. People wandered everywhere, and students admired the sights. Stairs and floating crystals hovered in the sky, constantly supplying the area with rich mana.

Beyond the colorful castle town, stairs led directly to the academy. They had to climb them on foot. Mirai groaned in annoyance.

"Ough, my feet hurt already… how long are we going to climb these stairs?" she sighed. "What a bad design…"

"Don't tell me you've been skipping training?" Louis asked. "Climbing these stairs is nothing difficult, Mirai."

"B-But…" Mirai cried. She had been acting very spoiled lately because Louis spoiled her too much.

"Enough. Come on now, let's go." He took her hand and helped her move forward, though a little forcefully.

After some time, the entire group looked slightly exhausted. The stairs felt never-ending. Louis began to realize there was a reason for that. The farther they climbed, the denser the atmosphere became and the more energy filled the air.

As someone who had obtained the Five Elements Spirit Body, this posed no problem for him. He felt as fine as ever. Everyone else, even his father, grew slightly weary.

Nonetheless, once they reached the academy gate, they arrived at a vast open area with dozens of large buildings, towers, and smaller fortresses surrounding the main building.

"These must be the dormitories for some of the staff and the students…" Louis wondered.

"So we're not sleeping in the big castle?" Mirai wondered.

"We are. All nobles do," Louis said. "Commoners will rest here, along with the academy staff. Whatever the case, we're finally here."

In front of them, dozens of students walked toward a vast open area resembling a Roman Colosseum, with an immense stage surrounded by civilians, nobles, and others who had come to witness the inauguration.

It did not look old; the entire stage-like colosseum was vast, made entirely of bright white stone and decorated beautifully with paintings of the Four Houses representing the academy today.

The moment Louis stepped onto the stage with his fellow students and his father, he immediately sensed several powerful auras and presences everywhere.

"Hoh, here they are…"

The students quickly gathered together. Those belonging to no house wore pale gray uniforms with black lines and no insignia other than the neutral symbol of the Sinners Academy, resembling a globe of Earth.

Those of House Yamato wore bright red uniforms with Japanese motifs. Most carried katanas; there were many swordsmen in this house. They had gold linings, and their insignia matched their banner—a rising sun behind a golden pagoda. Most members were Japanese with black hair and red, orange, or golden eyes. A few exceptions stood out, such as a tall, muscular oni girl with red skin and a smaller oni girl with dark blue skin—both sisters.

House Camelot's uniform was bright blue with gold and silver linings. Their insignia—an ancient castle and Excalibur—adorned their chests. Their uniforms resembled Frostbane's. These people were mostly white-skinned, often with white, silver, or blonde hair, though some had blue, pink, or green hair, frequently tied to fairies or spirits. A couple even had fairy-like wings.

House Mesopotamia wore yellow-mustard-colored uniforms decorated with golden imprints, their insignia centered on their chests. Most members were tall and strong-looking, with clear brown to dark brown skin and usually white or black hair—some had red. Their eyes ranged from blue to brown or black. Exceptions existed, of course, such as the girl Louis assumed was Amethyst and Drakda's daughter—his cousin. In her Dragonoid form, covered in scales with large wings, a tail, and horns, she glared at him for a moment before averting her gaze, seemingly uninterested.

"So much diversity! I've never seen so many people of all sorts of appearances before!" Agustina said with awe.

"Y-Yeah…" Timothy muttered. "Are those ice giants and fire giants? They're small."

"No, those are Oni, a race originating from Zipangu that has mostly moved to Yamato," Louis explained. "And although it is diverse, isn't our country pretty diverse too? What are you two even talking about?"

They quickly remembered that Frostbane itself hosted all sorts of fantasy races and fell silent.

"Um, Louis, so who are the other House Lords?" Mirai wondered, standing by his side. They all lined up with the Lord at the front and the sub-leader behind.

"There," he said, pointing with a slight nod of his head.

"Oh!"

Mirai looked at the three leaders of House Yamato, House Camelot, and House Mesopotamia, with their most trusted aides as sub-leaders right behind them.

The leader of House Yamato stood proud—a tall young lady with a slender frame, holding a bright red fan and waving it gently. She had long, silky black hair and eyes that glowed like suns, mixing orange, red, and yellow. A red sun-shaped mark adorned her forehead. She wore a special uniform resembling a kimono, with a golden crown over her tied hair styled in a long ponytail. Her sub-leader was a handsome, tall man with short black hair and red eyes. He surveyed the surroundings in silence and carried a sheathed katana tied to his belt.

The leader of House Camelot smiled pridefully—a tall, gorgeous young man with short blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a sheathed golden longsword. He carried the aura of a king. Mirai noticed he wore a necklace with a blue jewel and a golden ring with a cross. His sub-leader was a tall young woman with a strong, muscular physique, wearing armor over her uniform and even a helmet. Long silvery hair peeked from beneath it, and she had bright blue eyes. She carried a sheathed Greatsword.

The lord of House Mesopotamia was the most striking and handsome after Louis—tall, with clear brown skin and a slender yet strong figure. His face was extremely handsome, with beautiful blue eyes and short black hair waving in the wind. He wore more golden accessories—earrings, necklaces, rings—than anyone else. By his side stood his sub-leader, a tall, muscular guardian of a man with a stoic face, dark brown skin, short white hair, and black eyes. He carried no golden accessories unlike his lord.

Mirai noticed that all the Lords suddenly stared at her specifically, and then at Louis. The Lord of House Camelot narrowed his eyes at Louis the most, as if harboring some sort of hatred, even though they had never met before. The Lord of Mesopotamia waved playfully at her with a smile and even spoke. "Hiii~ Hey, Mirai, right?"

"E-Eh?" Mirai gasped, covering her mouth. The professors had stepped onto the stage and were giving speeches, yet this young man did not seem to care.

"Yes, I'm talking to you, dear," he said. "Hm, aren't you cute?" He started walking toward them.

"W-What are you doing, my lord? Wait…!" his servant called, grabbing his shoulder and stopping him. "Please behave during the inauguration ceremony…"

"Hmmm, haaa…" the Lord sighed, shrugging. "So boring."

He walked back in line and smiled at Mirai while winking, leaving her deeply confused about what he wanted.

Louis, meanwhile, engaged in a staring contest with the Lord of House Camelot. Both glared hatefully, as if trying to kill each other with their eyes.

In the end, the Lord of House Camelot smirked and looked elsewhere, confident in himself.

Louis still had no idea what the hell his problem was, but he would deal with it later.

As the professor continued speaking and Louis paid attention, he recognized all of them. Some were truly quite the lookers, similar to his uncle in form and origins.

Some were ordinary Espers, and a couple were Sinners like him and Mirai.

Among the "normal-looking" people stood the director. Nothing about him was normal, however, given his size and musculature.

Almost as tall as a mountain giant and as muscular, he had a short black-and-gray beard, long black hair, a proud smile, and several scars across his burly arms and one across his face. One eye was white and blind; the other bright blue. This man was the assigned Director of the Sinners Academy—a genetically enhanced human and awakened Esper, former Special Agent Chris Bluefield.

"Welcome, students. It is an honor to finally see you here. The Sinners Academy has been something we planned to create for over a decade, and it fills me with pride that our dream has finally come true. This is the beginning of a new era—not just for all of you, but for the world. Sinners worldwide face all sorts of discrimination due to your origins and the dangerous powers you possess. But in this academy, you will learn how to properly use and control your abilities, grow stronger, study our world and its history, and everything else that must be known. Then you will become the guardians of this planet. The future is now in your hands, young students, and it is an honor to greet you. Thank you."

The director smiled warmly at all the students before looking back at the paper he was reading and nodding.

"Very well. I will now call the names of all registered students to ensure everyone is here. I apologize if this feels tedious, young nobles, but it is necessary and an important part of the inauguration ceremony. We will begin with the House of Frostbane."

"Lord Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil."

"Mirai Takeguchi."

"Cardoon Zorba."

"Timothy Andersen."

"Melisa Drakeheart."

"Selene Drakeheart."

"Agustina Red Leaf."

"Anastasia Frostblade."

Upon confirming everyone was present, the director nodded and continued.