Nil’s last day at the Academy arrived, the twenty-eighth of the Blooming Moon. The morning was supposed to be dedicated to the final match of the championship, while the graduation ceremony would take place in the afternoon. However, since the opposing team had forfeited—again—Nil and their group spent the early hours taking the chance to relax.

As it had turned out, Corwyn was pretty adept at healing magic, and Kai wasn’t in critical condition, so he got healed in less than a day. Even so…

“Are you sure you’re okay, Kai?” Nil asked him. The whole team was hanging out together in the cafeteria, having breakfast.

Kai nodded, flexing his arms. “I’m as fresh as a daisy! We definitely need to recruit a healer into our team.”

“How can you be fine after…” Nova shook her head, sighing. “Well, I suppose it’s a good thing. Your mental buoyancy is admirable.”

Kai stroked his chin. “Well, I am frustrated. Those guys got the drop on me, and they had the advantage of numbers, but losing is always upsetting.”

“That’s not what I…” Nova looked dazed. “You were beaten quite badly. Even if your body is healed, I expected that to have affected you.”

Kai scratched his head. “Well, I used to be a boxer, so I always got pummeled left and right. I’m used to it.”

“So long as you’re fine, I guess,” Nova said, unconvinced.

Max was staring at the void, frowning, seeming a bit out of it. He’d been like that since they’d found out what happened to Kai.

Nil had also been acting distant; they felt uneasy after what they had done. During the activation of Peacemonger, it felt like the skill had taken over them. They didn’t regret it—those bastards did deserve it—but something about the experience terrified them. They had struggled to explain what happened to their friends. In the moments directly after the incident, they had looked afraid of Nil as well.

Ray was trying to lighten the mood. “Things may not have gone exactly according to plan,” he said with a smile, “but we still won! All’s well that ends well, right?”

“Damn right!” Kai exclaimed, beaming. “I can’t wait to see what class I get!”

“Speaking of,” Nova said, “they said that since the match has been canceled, the graduation would take place earlier than planned. It should start soon.”

Kai shot up from his seat. “Really? Let’s go, c’mon!”

He rushed to the exit without waiting for the others to follow.

Nova chuckled. “He really doesn’t change, huh?”

Nil and the others followed after him, and noticed a crowd already forming in the main hall of the Academy. Kai was standing near the entrance, visibly failing to contain his excitement.

“Has it started already?” Ray asked.

Kai shook his head. “No, but they’re getting the place ready. Look!” He pointed at the crimson and violet banners now hanging from the high walls of the hall, depicting a crowned owl. A broad magenta carpet flowed from one side of the room to the other. An ornate table stood at the very center, with two cauldrons on top of it. The larger one was brimming with a silvery liquid reminiscent of mercury, while the smaller one was only half full, and its contents gave off a golden glow.

“I think those banners represent the Exalted Union and the Iron Triad,” Max commented. “Their colors are red and violet, and we are in a city co-ruled by them. I didn’t know they had influence within the Academy, though.”

The group waited patiently for the ceremony to be prepared. Eventually, Durai appeared, walking up to the table amidst a sea of whispers. He turned to face the crowd, quieting it with his gaze, and he cleared his throat.

“It’s been only a short time since you all arrived in Asphodel,” he said. “However, I believe it’s fair to say you will leave this Academy prepared to face its dangers. Don’t forget all we’ve taught you; this world isn’t like Earth. Monsters roam the land, ready to prey on unsuspecting travelers. The political climate is as unstable as it gets, and you won’t have any of the commodities of the modern world.

“The reason we decided to open this Academy was simple: Too many Earthlings were dying. We saw clearly that the Tutorial wasn’t sufficient to prepare you for what comes next. It has been a year since we started welcoming newcomers, and even though things have gotten much better, people keep dying. I urge you to remain cautious, and avoid taking unnecessary risks. The promise of wealth and glory may be tempting, but nothing should be more important than your own lives.

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“To the ones who have failed to meet the requirements for graduation, do not despair. You will be allowed to remain here for the next moon, and for as many moons as it takes for you to graduate.

“To the many who have, however, I congratulate you. I hope the journey ahead turns out to be a fulfilling one. Now, I will call out your names one by one, in order to proceed with the Class Assignment. The first in line are the undisputed winners of the Academy Championship’s first edition: Ray, Nova, Max, Kai and Nil.”

It was a bit awkward to be called the undisputed winners when they had only fought one battle, especially one where only four members were present. Still, they stepped out onto the carpet. Nil felt Durai’s gaze linger on them.

The director grabbed a crystal chalice from the table and submerged it in the smaller cauldron, filling it with a sip of the golden liquid before handing it to Ray.

As he drank from the cup, Ray’s eyes widened, and a message window appeared above his head.

[Unique Class: ‘Dragoon’]

Insight confirmed that he had reached level 1 as well, at the same time. There were a few new skills as well.

The process continued for the rest of the team. Nova got the ‘Stalker’ class, Max the ‘Tactician’ class, and Kai the ‘Battlemaster’ class, all of them identified as unique.

Nil gulped as their turn finally arrived, nervously grabbing the chalice with shaky hands. As the golden drink slid down their throat, they felt pulses of mana emanating from their body, as if they were being overfilled with energy.

[You have advanced to Level 1.]

[You have awakened to the Unique Class ‘Nameless Guardian’.]

[You have awakened to the Class Skill ‘Vestiges of a Seraph’.]

A flood of information assaulted Nil’s mind, causing them to drop the goblet to the carpet and fall to their knees, gasping for air. They heard the panicked voices of their friends blur into the background as they faded into unconsciousness, hitting the carpet with a muffled thud.

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Nil—or, at the very least, the being Nil had once been—stood trial before their fellow Seraphim, the same ones who had accused them of treason. They had been stripped of their armor and forced to kneel, their ankles and wrists bound together. Their wings had been painfully chained to the wall of the dark cell, and they had been gagged and blindfolded.

All these measures were unnecessary, of course—the other Seraphim had to know that. During the entire process, Nil didn’t struggle or complain, simply going along with the orders. They accepted their entrapment obediently.

It would’ve been comforting if the prison smelled damp, since that would’ve been one familiar scent. However, it didn’t smell like anything. No, it smelled like nothing. Even the cleanest space smells like something. The distinct lack of smell was as uncomfortable to Nil as the most nauseant waste. It was the same in terms of sound—the utter absence of background noise would drive anyone insane. The voices of the Seraphim were the only thing Nil could sense.

“I propose we extinguish their flame, as a precaution and as a warning,” the Third Seraph said.

The Second shook her head. “That would be most unwise. They are still one of us; it would set a dangerous precedent.”

The Fourth scoffed. “You taint our names with your words,” he said. “They were the lowest of the low among us.”

“Even the Eighth was one of us, Fourth,” the Sixth said. “Do not let your arrogance cloud your judgment.”

The Seventh fidgeted in place. “I agree that Extinguishment is a step too far,” he said.

“You only say that because you would become the lowest rung of the ladder if they were gone, Seventh,” the Fifth said derisively.

As the First prepared to speak, all others ceased their bickering.

“You are all too concerned with hierarchies and position,” she said. “Second is right; they are one of us. Not only that, but they have always been more dutiful than any other Seraph.”

She stepped down from her seat, the highest seat, prompting low gasps of shock from the others. She walked up to Nil, and crouched down to their level before reaching for their chin with one hand, raising their head to look at their face. She took off Nil’s gag gently, causing even more gasps from the spectating Seraphim.

“You will be banished, child,” she told them. “And we will never hear from you again.”

Her voice, as gentle as moonlight, yet more commanding than any other, seeped into Nil’s body as they responded with a solemn nod.

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Nil woke up still on the floor of the Academy’s main hall. Only a few seconds had passed in the real world as they experienced the dream. Tears filled their eyes, and no matter how many times they wiped them away, they kept coming.

They had deluded themself into believing there was no way they could be that being from their dreams. In reality, they had been refusing to come to terms with the truth. They remembered clearly now—not everything, but enough to know one fact for sure: They had taken innumerable lives. The description of Peacemonger was a mockery.

Ray was shaking them until they finally awakened, and smiled widely as he saw them open their eyes. “Are you okay, Nil?”

Nil parted their mouth to answer, but a panicked voice cut in before they got the chance.

“What in hell is that?” Kai shouted.

Nil looked back over their right shoulder and saw… feathers.

A single dark wing had sprouted from their upper back.