Spiral of Madness: Ascension of the Villainous Dragon Prince

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Louis stood in silence, eyes narrowing. For a moment he considered doing to them what he had done to Mikoto, but he refrained from being in such a crowded public space.

"Who were they?" Mirai asked, returning to Louis after browsing jewelry with her friends.

"...I have no idea," Louis replied. "But there was something strange about them... They... I hate to admit it, but they looked like... us?"

"...?" Mirai tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? What does that even mean...?"

"Forget it," Louis shook his head. "Let’s go somewhere else for lunch. My treat."

Louis could not fully shake the strange feeling. Such instincts had often warned him of danger before, so he stayed alert, expanding his aura around his body to avoid any sudden surprises.

In the end, they enjoyed a good meal at a restaurant run by Zipangians, savoring classic eastern dishes reminiscent of the Chinese and Japanese food William had known in his previous life. While everyone else had a great time, Louis found it less surprising.

"I’ve been wondering something, Louis..." Mirai said after finishing her meal. "What do you think about visiting other countries eventually? I-I mean, I don’t want to leave your side, but I want to see the world."

"Ah..." Louis noticed Mirai had grown more curious, which was only natural. "I feel the same. There are many places to... sightsee. And as we start practical exams and agent jobs, we’ll travel the world cleansing Fantasy Fields anyway."

"Oh, that sounds so fun..." Mirai said.

"...Hm." Louis could not find such things "fun" with death lurking at every corner. Mirai could be surprisingly laid-back sometimes. "Don’t take things too lightly, Mirai. Remember what we went through. Never forget it."

"I know," she replied more seriously. "I just think worrying too much only wears down the mind... Sometimes we have to enjoy the little moments."

"The little moments..." Louis sighed. "Maybe..."

♢♢♢♢

While the sun was still high, Louis and the members of his House headed to the academy to explore its interior before classes began. As they entered, Louis marveled at how closely the architecture matched the Sinners Academy game, down to every detail. The resemblance felt strangely creepy.

The more he observed the white halls, large pillars, and sci-fi Greco-Roman aesthetics blended with influences from around the world, the more bizarre it seemed that a game from another world could mirror his reality so perfectly.

Or perhaps it was the reverse. Either way, both ideas made little sense, and the more he tried to connect them, the less everything held together.

"That Mirai from the game was definitely sentient. Is the game some kind of entity? A Grievance connecting two realities? William’s soul was likely pulled here by that parallel Mirai, but... if the one here is not her, then where is the other? In another timeline? Haaa... there is no point wondering about things I cannot solve."

Louis shook his head, realizing he was doing exactly what Mirai had warned against: worrying too much, which only led to more confusion.

"I will find answers eventually."

The academy entrance opened into a long corridor leading to a grand hall lined with ten white pillars and statues of heroes from Yggdrasil, Zipangu, and Spiritias. At the center, four branching paths led to even longer corridors and dozens of classrooms in the vast, almost labyrinthine building.

The central path opened into a large training area where students could brawl, practice, and spar. Weapons and equipment lay ready, and many students were already training and making friends.

There were plenty of students from Camelot and Yamato, the most dedicated to weapons training. Few from Mesopotamia were present, as they were often seen as lazier and more reliant on their unique abilities or magic.

"Looks like everyone is training and warming up today," Mirai wondered. "But is it necessary? There won’t be physical classes yet, right?"

"Hm? When did I say that?" Louis raised an eyebrow. "Every day we attend classes there will be physical training. Sparring matches are the norm, especially between Houses. Tomorrow we will likely fight another House or be split into smaller teams."

"Eh?" Mirai tilted her head, having hoped for a peaceful start to her school life. "W-What do you mean?"

"The Sinners Academy has some indoor lectures where you listen to professors about essential topics, but those last barely an hour," Louis explained. "The rest of the day, four to six hours, consists mostly of physical exercises, sparring, and learning about your own skills and strengths. This is essentially a military school designed to make you as strong as possible. We might even be allowed to enter the Academy’s Labyrinth by the end of the week to prepare for the Dungeon Games."

"...!" Mirai gasped.

"Woah, so, uh, we’re going to be forced to fight even more? Damn, I just wanted to chill," Timothy sighed.

"It’s better this way," Anastasia said. "We have to train hard if we want to make a real difference in this world."

"Hiii!"

"What’s your name?"

As Louis listened to his friends, he heard Melisa and Selene speaking with someone who had approached them: a tall, slender, handsome blond man with sharp blue eyes and a striking aura of light.

"Move aside, mutt."

He kicked Selene away with an annoyed grunt. The girl cried out as she fell.

"Ouuh...!"

"Selene! Are you okay?"

"I’m not a mutt..."

"Tsk."

The man glared at Louis with a defiant smile. "Well, well, there you are! I was planning to see you tomorrow, but you came all the way here, Louis Drakeheart! I challenge you to a duel!"

"..." Louis analyzed the man in silence, then glanced at Selene crying on the floor. She was tough and not physically hurt, but her feelings clearly were. "You called her a mutt?"

"...What?" the young man raised an eyebrow. "Are you not even going to address me?! I am Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelo— Mmmghh?!"

Louis moved faster than Arthur could finish speaking. He grabbed the prince’s face, silencing him. Arthur gasped as a cold wave of ashen frost spread across his body. His eyes widened in shock while his hands flailed, trying to break free. The rest of his House noticed and rushed to help.

"Who are you calling a mutt?" Louis pulled Arthur closer, staring coldly into his blue eyes. "I could crush your skull right now. Who is the mutt now?"

"Leave him alone!"

"How dare you!"

"Brother!"

Arthur’s older sister charged at Louis, swinging her fists, only for a flash of darkness to appear in front of her. Zorba caught her punch effortlessly despite his slender frame.

"Please refrain from touching my lord."

"Nnnggh?! You damn...! Release my brother, Louis Drakeheart, or I will report you!"

"Hm... Hahaha... You’re lucky your sister came to save you, Arthur."

Louis released him, but not before delivering a sharp slap that broke several teeth and sent Arthur spinning into his sister. Both crashed to the floor.

CRASH!

"Ah, my bad. My hand must have slipped; would you forgive me? Let me heal you..."

Louis stepped forward. Bright light enveloped Arthur, easing the pain, but wounding his pride far more. The prince stared in disbelief.

"Y-You damn bastard! How dare you hurt me! How dare you do this to me! I am going to kill you right now! I am going to execute you! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!!!"

"Ahh, how loud. Can you shut your little brother up, woman? He’s so annoying."

Like a chihuahua barking at something far larger and stronger, Arthur was held back by his sister, who glared at Louis and his group in shock.

"H-How are you so strong?" she asked. "You trained to this level before even entering the academy?"

"Hm? What? You didn’t?" Louis raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I bet you lived luxurious lives thanks to your talent. Well, newsflash: talentless people don’t have that privilege. We train until we bleed and nearly die, then rest and do it all over again until dying feels better, yet we continue anyway."

He walked over and patted Arthur’s head. "Arthur, I accept your duel. Let’s fight. Show me how strong the prince of Camelot truly is."

"Y-You damn lizard, acting like you know anything...! I’m going to slice you to shreds!" Arthur screamed furiously.

"Brother, stop! Classes have not formally begun. We cannot duel for points yet!" his sister warned.

"Shut up!" Arthur roared, shaking her off and stepping toward Louis. He had to look slightly upward; Louis was currently the tallest student in the academy aside from a few muscular giants. "I’ll kill you!"

"Hahaha! Well, you’re more fun than Mikoto. And aren’t you adorable? Like a little dog," Louis laughed, staring back into his blue eyes. "Ah, maybe you’re the real mutt here."

"Grrr!" Arthur summoned a glowing sword of golden light, but his sister quickly grabbed his arm and forced him to dismiss the holy sword spirit.

"Enough, Arthur!" she said. "Or I’ll stop you myself!"