Well… I'm Damned

In the beginning, there were Elements.

Not magic, not spells, not endless glowing runes to the ceiling. Just three forces, clawing at each other for a place under the sun.

Yellow — Light. Red — Destruction. And Black — Darkness, which is now considered forbidden because, and I quote the ancients: "humans are too dumb to use it."

The eras passed, one after another.

First came the Age of Undeath, when corpses were trending. Then the Age of Dragons, when you either flew or burned. And finally, the Age of Humans — a time when anyone thinks they can be a hero just because they read a book.

You'd think that after dragons were dethroned, the Element of Light would rise to dominance. After all, it was Light that brought them down. But no. The Mages intervened.

From behind. From the bushes. Like rats in robes.

Magic didn't come from this world. It didn't burn or shine. It was imagined. Built from willpower, mental formulas, and something I still don't fully understand.

And with it came those who mastered it — long-nosed scholars who wiped out all Dragonslayers.

Their victory marked the end of an era. A new one began: the Age of Mages and those who couldn't decide between intellect and six-pack abs.

And guess who got stuck in between?

Yeah. Me.

…How many years have I even lived?

KRRRAAACK!

The arena roof exploded like a dumpling in a microwave.

A beam of light burst from me, splitting the sky in half, punching through the ceiling, and dragging a few philosophical questions about divine energy along with it.

I stood in the center of the ring, glowing like a maxed-out lantern. You could see my veins if you squinted.

"What the hell is that?!" gasped Memphis, the professor of High Magic. "It's coming from your student?!"

Dean, being the gallant hero, shielded her with his body.

The wind was so strong people could barely stay upright.

And then it was over.

The beam died. The light faded. Left standing was just me — and Saddler, at the edge of the ring. Half of his body looked scorched.

Seriously? Still on your feet? What does that guy eat — horse steroids?

Saddler raised his arms again, readying his signature clap. His body smoked, but his enthusiasm hadn't burned out. Bastard.

I was healed. My ability God's Winds, a Supreme-rank technique, fully restores me when I'm near death, burning up every last drop of mana in the process.

And now? Zero mana. My body felt like a sack of bricks. I was only standing out of spite.

"Enough!" Dean's voice cracked the air like thunder.

He floated above the arena like a judge from Olympus.

"The duel is over!"

That was it. We stopped.

When a professor declares the end of a duel, ignoring it is considered attempted murder.

Saddler said nothing. Neither did I. Too tired. The crowd? Silent.

No applause. No cheering. Just silence.

Because I showed them something strange. Something they didn't expect.

Like an E-rank pulling out an S-rank artifact and saying, "Let's play by my rules now."

Looks like the consequences of showing my true power aren't going anywhere.

My whole body ached. My head was spinning. My eyes twitching. But I was still smiling.

Let them remember me. Let them fear me.

I walked off…

…stumbling.

Mana — zero. Couldn't even fart magically if I tried.

Everything went dark.

Black screen.

Is it even worth telling what happened after?

Next morning.

First period.

The teacher was droning on as usual. Monotone lecture. Boring. My brain cells flatlined.

Lirael sat at her desk, resting her cheek on her hand. Pen near her lips.

She glanced at me. I was half-asleep, wearing a new burgundy shirt.

I caught her gaze — sharp, scathing, like a blade. It swept over me as if testing me: "Are you still alive, freak?"

Judging by her expression? Still hated me. Oh well. Nothing new.

Break.

While she packed up her stuff, I walked up to her. Hands in pockets — classic "I-don't-care-but-actually-do" posture.

"Hey. You alright? Everything okay?"

She walked right past me without slowing down.

"Don't act like I'm garbage on the floor!"

No one was around to hear. The hallways were already emptying out.

She stopped. Slowly turned back. Eyes full of contempt — and something sharper.

"We agreed. While we're in the Academy, you're nobody to me."

I scratched my head.

"Dunno. You just looked irritated."

"Gee, wonder why. What was that nonsense yesterday? A fight club? What if you'd gotten killed?!"

Whoa. Pause. Is she… actually worried about me?

"Not that I was worried," she muttered, averting her eyes. Her voice had softened. Almost shy. "The teachers already know you're a top-tier summon. Just… don't ruin my reputation. Please."

Oh, right. I'm not just another kid at Magic High. I'm a Dragonslayer.

"Alright. You win. I'm sorry for yesterday's show."

"Too late," she said, like a door closing softly between us.

She walked off. Serene was waiting by the door. They seemed to be getting along lately.

About yesterday? Want to know what happened after the fight?

Turns out I'd fallen off my feet.

Saddler himself called a servant to escort me to the Ataraxia family estate.

They called it a draw, but hell… I feel like I lost. Damn that weird kindness of his.

Where the hell did that come from, after the way he tried to annihilate me in the ring?

Still… I'm glad.

And I know. This place hides a lot more talent. And I want to fight them all.

Fight Club Leaderboard. A ranking of fighters and their victories. Draws were rare.

Naturally, the Academy buzzed with one question: Who won yesterday?

I became the eye of the storm. Their debates echoed across the campus.

After the next class…

I ran into an old acquaintance. Former groupmate.

Riven il Riverfall. Your average nobody. Glasses. Short. Curtain hair. He looked like prime bullying material.

Why did I like him? He reminded me of a kind-hearted scholar who occasionally says something smart.

Second-year. Top scores in his class.

I slapped his shoulder.

"Hey, Riven! Miss me yet?"

He almost dropped his books.

"Uhh… not really," he muttered through his stuffy nose.

"C'mon. You'll miss me when I'm gone. Appreciate me while you can."

"Actually, I'm glad we ran into each other! There's something I wanted to tell you."

"Now that sounds juicy," I leaned in. "Don't tell me you found a girlfriend?"

"What?! No! Of course not!"

He flailed like I accused him of murder. What are you, one of those?

"I... uh… last night I tried something. I made a portal. To another world. And I accidentally landed in someone's house."

He remembered the bedroom. The curtains. A shadow on the balcony.

A woman. Long hair. Killer body. A visual masterpiece.

"Seriously, I'm not lying! You'd totally be into her."

I squinted and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't mess with me, kid. Won't believe it until I see i! And how the hell did you learn to make portals?"

"Well…" he looked down and whispered, "I studied a forbidden tome from my dad's library."

"A-ha-ha! You idiot. How'd you even have the balls for that?"

"Shhh..! Don't shout it across the school."

And then… she showed up.

Not from my class.

Apricot-colored hair. Spiral, hypnotic eyes. Short skirt — not the point. She was just… strange.

She scoffed and walked toward us. Her friends were talking among themselves, ignoring everything.

But she looked straight at me.

…Why do I feel like trouble's coming?

"Go on ahead," she told her friends sweetly. "I'll catch up."

They passed by. She stopped by the window, whistling theatrically.

Definitely waiting for me to make a move.

Fine. Nothing to lose.

"Hey. You clearly want to say something. Drop the act."

"Hmm?" She raised a brow. "You must have me confused with someone else. The idiot room's down the hall."

Bold. Provocative. I liked her already.

I smirked, looking down at her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Umm, Atheron…" Riven hesitated. "That girl… she's my classmate. She came to see me."

Huh? I looked closer.

Weird eyes. Great figure.

Everything else? No idea.

"So… who are you supposed to be?"

She recoiled, like I'd slapped her with a fish.

"You… seriously don't remember me?!"

Seriously? I do.

And I don't like it.