Lirian Grand Academy was no stranger to danger.
But this—this was different.
The third-years were abuzz. The instructors tight-lipped.
The first-years? Anxious.
Because today, their field trip wasn't a survival simulation or a mock duel.
It was a real hunt.
The region lay just beyond the Academy's mana-shielded perimeter—infamous for its unstable leylines and "wild bleed" exposure. Magical beasts mutated faster here. Dark things crept through gaps.
And now, a minor demon had slipped through.
One too weak for a full squad of hunters.
But too dangerous to leave unattended.
Professor Malven's tone was sharp.
"You will be in controlled zones. Each group accompanied by a faculty observer. Objectives are simple: track, engage, and assist in the neutralization of a Class-C demonic presence."
Whispers spread among the crowd.
Demon hunts weren't normal for first-years.
Kaleid Ashvale
Lyrelle Falcon
Jeyne Falkholt
Thom Arlen (heir of a minor merchant house; mid-tier talent)
Even Kaleid raised an eyebrow.
> Lyrelle?
She met his gaze with a curt nod. "I asked for this team."
No explanation.
No smile.
Just precision.
Into the Hollow
The deeper they walked, the more warped the world became.
Trees pulsed with residual mana. The ground hummed faintly beneath their boots. The air shimmered with the scent of ozone and sulfur.
"Demon's nearby," Jeyne muttered, blade out.
Thom wiped sweat from his brow. "Why not just let the instructors kill it?"
"Because," Lyrelle said coolly, "this is politics disguised as curriculum."
Kaleid smirked faintly.
> She's not wrong.
The system pulsed beside his vision.
---
[Environmental Hazard Detected]
> Corruption Field: 2%
Demonic Echoes within 250 meters
Threat Class: Low-C / Possession Subtype
Weakness: Light pulse / Logic collapse
> Logic collapse?
Interesting.
It dropped from the trees like a shadow with teeth.
Twice the size of a normal beast. Eyes glowing violet. Runes of corruption pulsing across its ribs.
Thom panicked. Jeyne leapt forward.
Lyrelle prepared a chant.
Kaleid didn't move.
He simply watched.
Analyzed.
"Lyrelle, it's anchoring on your mana signature. Shift pattern—three steps right, reduce channeling."
She blinked, obeyed—and the demon faltered, suddenly confused.
Kaleid continued.
"Jeyne—disengage. It adapts to aggression."
"What?!"
"Trust me. Thom—don't cast. You'll anchor its second phase."
Thom stammered, froze.
The demon snarled… then hesitated.
> It doesn't understand him, Kaleid realized.
And it can't.
Because demons thrived on emotional logic. Fear, rage, pride.
But Kaleid's mind was a void. His presence? Dispassion. His strategy? Clinical.
It unraveled the demon's instinct.
He stepped forward.
Raised a weak mana spark in his palm.
Then triggered it behind the beast, just as it lunged.
The light pulse struck its tail end—disorienting its sensory tether.
Jeyne attacked. Lyrelle followed.
The demon collapsed, howling, just as Professor Malven arrived to seal it.
Aftermath
"Did… did Kaleid just command a demon into confusion?" one student muttered.
"Lyrelle didn't speak for a long moment.
Then:
"That's not prediction. That's higher-order deduction. Like solving a living equation."
Malven overheard.
And smiled—just faintly.
---
System Notification
[Demon Encounter Complete]
> Demon Class-C Neutralized
System Rating: Strategic Disassembly – A+
Sync Progress: +1%
Origin Influence: +0.5% → 1.0%
---
[New Trait Unlocked: Calm Logic Field (Passive)]
> While under mental stress, reduce enemy aggression by 5% per 1% Origin Influence
May cause "Cognitive Drift" in demonic or chaotic entities
Trait Status: Unstable
---
> I'm affecting things I don't understand yet, Kaleid thought.
---
Later – Under the Moonshade Tree
Lyrelle approached him in the quiet.
"You weren't afraid."
"No," he replied.
"You weren't proud, either."
"I didn't see a reason to be."
She considered that.
"I expected clever," she admitted. "Not… surgical."
He tilted his head. "You expected a bluff?"
"I expected someone still figuring himself out. Instead, I found someone who reduced a demon to data."
She extended a hand.
"I'd like to work together again."
Kaleid hesitated.
Then shook it.
---
[Bond Formed: Lyrelle Falcon – Level 1: Respectful Allies]
> +4 Analysis Efficiency when paired
Shared Tactical Vision enabled during group combat
She turned to leave.