Chapter 5 : The Three Emperor

As the sun sets on the mysterious Cross Academy, Leonard finds himself the lone male in Block 12, surrounded by powerful and enigmatic female peers. The stage is set for a dramatic confrontation as Dylan Leroy challenges the student council president, Shimizu Ami, one of the three emperors of IPO. 

Unravelling connections emerge, with Yuri Ivanov, the Devil Emperor, revealing a surprising link to Leonard's past. As tensions escalate, the academy becomes a battleground of secrets and alliances. 

In the dimly lit auditorium of Cross Academy, the atmosphere was charged with an air of mystery and tension. The three powerful figures, known as the Emperors of IPO, Yuri Ivanov, Shimizu Ami, and Dylan Leroy, stood at the centre of the stage. Each held an air of absolute excellence, their prowess unmatched. They were not just students; they were the enigmatic rulers of the academy.

Leonard, an ordinary student caught in the middle of this high-stakes drama, couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. What began as a cool and mysterious experience at Cross Academy soon turned into a nightmarish reality.

"I really wanna go home right now," Leonard muttered under his breath, glancing nervously at the unfolding scene.

As the tension reached its peak, the Headmaster, a figure of authority with an aura of command, entered the auditorium. The room fell into an eerie silence, and the students exchanged uneasy glances. The Headmaster's expression was stern, and the atmosphere turned icy cold.

"Shimizu Ami, leave," the Headmaster declared, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. Ami's eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. The Headmaster continued, "Leave your badge and the rest. 'The Emperor' has returned alive. I hope you don't have any hard feelings."

The crowd held its breath, anticipating the next move. Ami, once the powerful Emperor, now looked vulnerable, on the brink of breaking down.

Dylan Leroy, the Heaven Emperor, took this moment to assert his challenge. Breaking the silence, he declared, "As I said earlier, I am here to challenge the emperor, not for some flashy show-off." The tension escalated.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure entered the auditorium. A girl, resembling Dylan Leroy, covered her face with a mask. She approached the Headmaster with an air of authority. The room was transfixed as she received the badge from the Headmaster, who bowed and knelt before her.

Ami, devastated by the turn of events, looked on in despair. The others, however, regarded the masked girl with a mix of respect and fear. Leonard couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Ami, caught in the midst of a power struggle that went beyond his understanding.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken conflict. Yuri Ivanov, the Devil Emperor, stood face to face with a mysterious woman, and their exchange seemed laden with history.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, her eyes searching Yuri's with intensity. Yuri met her gaze, his expression surprisingly gentle as he replied, "It's been a long time. How have you been?" His smile was genuinely pretty, but something in Leonard's gut told him that things were not as they seemed.

A glance backward revealed Ami, once a powerful figure, now sitting on the ground with a devastated look, as if a storm of emotions raged within her. Leonard couldn't help but feel like an unwitting spectator to a drama that transcended his understanding.

Ami's voice cut through the charged atmosphere, a desperate plea mixed with confusion. "Why?"

The Headmaster, an imposing figure, responded with a casual "Hmm?"

"There is no way she is 'her'. She must be an imposter," Ami declared with conviction.

The Headmaster questioned, "What do you mean by that, Ami?"

"Valeria. She was killed by the assassins three months ago," Ami explained.

The Headmaster seemed intrigued, "What makes you say that?"

Yuri's voice cut in with a bombshell, "That's because Ami was the one who hired the Blood Gang to assassinate her without a trace."

Ami, seemingly caught off guard, vehemently denied, "I didn't, I didn't do anything."

Yuri, with a chilling calmness, reminded her, "Ami-chan, you forgot something. Valeria was never someone who could be killed just like that. She is the Emperor, after all."

Ami's frustration spilled out, "Why do you always stand by her side?"

"Because she is my favourite," Yuri responded, his loyalty unwavering.

Ami, with a bitter laugh, expressed her ironic love, "Hahaha, I always loved you, and yet you never looked at me. But to her, you show your kindest smile. What an irony."

Yuri's tone turned stern, "Shimizu Ami, you better leave without causing a scene. After all, not all the time we will be forgiving like now, for such a big crime."

Ami laughed hysterically, seemingly unfazed. However, a sudden surge of bloodlust emanated from Yuri. In a swift motion, he appeared behind Ami, holding her own dagger against her neck. The room fell silent as the true nature of these prodigies unfolded—a bloodthirsty beast concealed beneath an alluring appearance. Leonard shivered, realising he was witnessing a clash of titans with consequences far beyond his imagination.

The atmosphere in the room became charged with an unseen tension, a revelation unfolding that seemed to shatter the very foundations of reality. Yuri Ivanov's words cut through the air like a blade, leaving everyone in a state of disbelief.

"No matter what, this is the real us. The so-called human emotions never were applicable to us," Yuri declared with a cold detachment, his eyes revealing a depth of experience far beyond the ordinary.

Leonard, standing on the sidelines, felt a surge of confusion and intrigue. "What does he mean by the real us?" he wondered, trying to make sense of the cryptic statement. The academy, once a place of mystery, now seemed like a theatre for a drama Leonard was ill-prepared to comprehend.

Yuri directed his attention towards Ami, whose expression mirrored the shock and confusion that echoed in Leonard's own mind. "Ami, I really hate to break this to you, but what you and your family thought was happening around was nothing but an illustration created by us," Yuri revealed, a smirk playing on his lips.

Ami, still grappling with the revelation, stammered, "What?"

Yuri continued with a brutal honesty, "You think someone who can't even hold her foot properly can be the emperor and all. Just how low is your IQ?"

The revelation hung in the air like an unspoken truth, challenging the very fabric of Ami's reality. As Yuri spoke, Valeria, a figure previously thought to be dead, approached with an eerie calmness. Leonard couldn't help but be captivated by the unfolding drama, a spectator to a revelation that defied all expectations.

"Thanks, Yu-chan, for setting the stage for me," Valeria acknowledged Yuri with a serene smile, her presence casting an otherworldly aura. Leonard, caught in the crossfire of this revelation, couldn't fathom the complexities of the relationships and emotions at play.

Valeria's calm demeanour as she approached Ami added a layer of surrealism to the scene. Leonard's internal monologue echoed with disbelief and realisation, "This academy, once an enigmatic haven, has turned into a stage for a saga beyond my wildest imagination. What is the truth, and what is illusion? I can't distinguish between the two anymore." As the drama unfolded, Leonard found himself drawn deeper into the mysteries of the academy, where reality seemed to be a constantly shifting landscape.