After finishing the process of packing all my belongings into my travel bag and ensuring that everything was neatly secured.

I took a moment to glance around the room one last time, as if trying to etch every detail into my memory.

Suddenly, a sharp, rhythmic sound echoed through the quiet space, knock… knock… bouncing off the walls with an oddly solemn resonance.

"Are you there, Riel?" Dia’s familiar voice called out from beyond the door, her tone carrying a certain warmth that felt reassuring after such a long and emotionally exhausting night.

"I'm here, Dia," I responded without hesitation as I made my way to the door, reaching for the handle with a faint sense of anticipation.

As the door swung open, revealing her figure standing there in the dim corridor light, my eyes instinctively took in the sight before me.

Dia, dressed in a light blue sundress that perfectly complemented the striking clarity of her azure eyes and the soft cascade of her golden-blonde hair.

The way the fabric on her sundress swayed slightly in the air made her seem almost ethereal, as though she belonged to a different world entirely.

"That sundress suits you well," I remarked, my words carrying an honesty that I didn’t need to second-guess.

For a fleeting moment, I caught the faintest hint of flustered surprise in her expression.

Her eyes widened just a little, and her lips parted as if forming an unspoken thought.

But just as quickly as it appeared, she composed herself once more, brushing off whatever brief embarrassment she had felt.

"Thanks," she replied, her voice steadying as she redirected the conversation.

"Are you done packing your things?"

"I just finished," I said with a nod, shifting my gaze toward the travel bag resting beside my bed, right next to the two black swords, Decapitator and Devourer.

Dia’s eyes lingered on the weapons for a moment before she turned to me with an unexpected request.

"Can I carry one of the black swords until we get to your new room?" she asked, her tone casual, yet I could tell there was a hint of curiosity behind her words.

Surprised by her offer, I hesitated briefly before agreeing, though not without a word of caution.

"Sure," I said, glancing at her, "just don’t draw it."

She nodded in understanding before reaching for Decapitator, and to my astonishment.

She lifted it with an ease that most people, even trained soldiers, would struggle to achieve.

It was in that moment of realization that I was reminded once again that, like myself, Dia was a Blessed Child.

Someone gifted with extraordinary strength and abilities beyond those of ordinary humans.

Normally, the Decapitator was so overwhelmingly heavy that it would take at least two fully grown men to lift it, let alone wield it with any degree of control.

Yet here was Dia, effortlessly strapping it onto her back as though it were nothing more than a simple wooden practice sword.

"Do I look cool, Riel?" she suddenly asked, a playful glint in her eyes as she tilted her head slightly, clearly amused by her own display of strength.

"You do look great with Decapitator," I replied, offering her a small smile before securing Devourer on my left hip and grabbing my travel bag in one swift motion.

As I turned my attention back to the room, my eyes instinctively landed on Niko’s belongings, still sitting there untouched, a silent reminder of the promise I could no longer keep.

As if sensing my thoughts, Dia spoke up, her voice softer than before.

"The Sweepers will clean it up later and send his belongings to Niko’s family," she informed me,

her words carrying an unspoken understanding of the emotions I was struggling to suppress.

"I see," I murmured, offering a simple nod. "Thanks for letting me know."

She merely gave me a worried look, the kind that didn’t require words to be understood, before turning toward the door and pulling it open.

The hallway beyond stretching out in an eerie silence.

Before stepping out, a sudden thought crossed my mind, prompting me to ask, "Dia, have you eaten breakfast already?"

She glanced at me with a small smile.

"I ate a bit since my mom cooks breakfast every morning," she replied without hesitation.

"What about you, Riel?" she asked in return.

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"I finished breakfast about forty minutes ago," I answered, stepping into the hallway as I adjusted my travel bag.

"I see," she replied, continuing to walk beside me.

We had been walking for quite some time when a sudden, deafening gunshot rang out.

A young man with distinct Russian features had just fired his sniper rifle.

His target, me.

Without hesitation, I issued a calm yet firm command: "Wake up, Devourer."

The moment those words left my lips, the large-caliber bullet vanished mid-air, disappearing half a meter before reaching me.

Then, the young man shouted urgently, "Diana, get out of there!"

A name slipped from Dia’s lips, her voice laced with shock.

"Alex…"

Realizing this was likely a misunderstanding, I quickly called out, "I’m a friend!"

Before he could respond, a sharp female voice cut through the tension.

"We have no friend who casually carries thousands of grieving souls," she declared.

From my peripheral vision, I caught sight of a young woman, her stance suspended mid-air in a familiar sword-drawing technique.

In the next instant, she unleashed two high-speed, parallel vertical wind blades from her black cutlass, hurtling toward me with deadly precision.

If I had Decapitator in my hands, I could have easily blocked the attack, but right now, it is strapped to Dia’s back.

With a cold voice, I gave another command.

"Devourer, it's time to eat."

The moment the blades near me, they, too, vanished, erased from existence just like the bullet before them.

The young man and woman stood frozen, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"Alex?! Yui?! Why are you attacking Riel!?" Dia shouted, stepping forward in frustration.

"Diana, can’t you see it?" the young woman replied.

"The countless souls that haunt him?"

Just as I was about to draw Devourer, a strong, calloused hand suddenly grabbed my right arm.

It was Old Man Andrei.

"Calm down, you two," he stated in a cold, commanding voice. "He’s a friend."

He let out a sigh before fixing them both with a stern look.

"Are you trying to get yourselves killed?" he asked.

Then, turning to me, he continued, "Forgive them, Riel.

They just returned from a mission."

"It’s fine," I replied, my voice even.

"I understand... it was just a misunderstanding."

"But weren’t you about to draw your sword?" Old Man Drei asked, his gaze scrutinizing me.

"That girl looked dangerous," I answered simply.

"I was just preparing to defend myself."

With visible hesitation, Alex and Yui slowly approached after securing their weapons.

"Let me introduce these two," Old Man Drei began.

"The tall young man is Alexander Makarov, and the young lady is Yui Hasegawa."

Taking a step forward, I introduced myself in return.

"I’m Asriel Sanchez… I mean, Asriel Kurokiba, grandson of Shiratora Kurokiba."

At the mention of my grandfather’s name, both of them stiffened, their eyes widening in shock.

Alexander, however, still looked at me with lingering fear.

Then, his expression shifted into something almost unreadable as he suddenly asked,

"Why is there a silhouette of a dragon on your back?"

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

"So… you can see Devourer?" I asked, my interest piqued.

"He can," Dia interjected. "Alexander was cursed in his right eye, he has the ability to see souls."

I let out a small breath before giving my final command for the day.

"Devourer, you may rest now, you’ve had your fill," I said, allowing the energy around me to settle.

After a moment of silence, Yui finally spoke again, her tone shifting.

"Those two black swords… they belonged to the Sword Saint," she stated in recognition.

Then, looking at me directly, she offered a small bow.

"Hi, I’m Yui Hasegawa, but you can just call me Yui. I… apologize for attacking you," she said sincerely.

Alexander exhaled and gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"I’m Alexander Makarov," he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Asriel."

"You two can just call me Riel," I said with a small nod.

"In that case, call me Alex, and, uh… sorry for shooting you," Alex apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

"It’s fine. I get it, Yui and Alex," I replied casually.

Both of them turned toward Old Man Drei, seeking confirmation.

"I told you two about him a year ago," he reminded them.

"Yeah, but you never mentioned that he casually walks around with a cursed black sword," Yui pointed out.

For a moment, the five of us just stared at each other in silence before Alex finally spoke.

"General Andrei, Yui and I will head back to our room to rest," Alex said.

"Go ahead," Old Man Drei responded with a nod.

Just then, Dia chimed in.

"By the way, Riel is going to be our new housemate, Alex and Yui."

Alex turned to us, clearly surprised.

"So we're heading in the same direction, then," Dia added with an amused smile.

I could see Diana trying not to giggle at Alex and Yui’s reactions.

Alex scratched his head before saying,

"Look, I know we didn’t exactly give you the best first impression, but we’re not the kind of people who just shoot on sight."

"Don’t worry about it," I said, waving it off.

"I’m used to it."

"Used to it!?" Dia suddenly protested, narrowing her eyes at me.

Yui perked up, looking curious.

"Wait… don’t tell me Dia shot you when you first arrived?"

I smirked. "She emptied an entire magazine on me."

Alex and Yui burst into laughter at the thought, while Dia, flustered, playfully smacked my shoulder in protest.

"You two seem really close," Yui observed with a knowing smile.

"She’s just worried about me," I replied, my expression dimming slightly. "I wasn’t able to save my friend, Nikola Fischer, yesterday."

At the mention of his name, Yui’s expression softened. "Nikola Fischer… he was a skilled fighter.

I didn’t expect him to…" she trailed off, looking genuinely saddened.

"He was up against a Sword of Sin wielding Tyrfing," Dia added somberly.

"Then there was nothing we could’ve done," Alex said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

We walked in silence for a few more steps before arriving at a large two-story building more of a spacious house than a dormitory.