Hate Me, Miss Witch!

"Doesn't matter much."

Xaya retrieved a large garbage bag, wrapped the black-robed assailant's corpse, and tossed it outside. Turning to Aurora, he reached out and lightly tapped the gleaming silver helmet she wore. "Alright, put it away. It's not good for a girl to look so fierce."

Aurora gave Xaya brief glance. Her armor shimmered with a pure white light, and in an instant, the heavy mithril plating dissolved into streams of silver radiance, swirling around her. Within moments, the silvery glow fragmented into countless ephemeral motes, merging into the gleaming knight's lance in her hand.

Her armor vanished, revealing her usual academy uniform beneath.

Watching the spectacle, Xaya let out a low whistle. "No matter how many times I see that, it's still cool as hell... Ancient fantasy armament, a lance anchoring the stars and stabilizing the world—Rhongomyniad."

Aurora sighed, a trace of helplessness in her voice. "Honestly, how do you come up with so many pretentious terms? You really live up to being the Royal Publishing House's top author."

Waving her hand, Aurora stored the radiant lance, still aglow, back into her contracted soul space.

In this world of extraordinary power, contracted beasts weren't limited to traditional animals. Plants, elemental lifeforms, digital constructs—even ancient weapons could be soul-bound companions.

Unlike Xaya, who embraced the conventional path of filling all his contract slots and raising multiple beasts simultaneously, Aurora epitomized the specialist type of beastmaster, investing all her resources and efforts into her singular, first contract.

Naturally, her chosen soul-bound weapon was far from ordinary.

During one of Xaya's numerous archaeological expeditions in search of ruins related to the Caelestial Principality, they stumbled upon other ancient relics. This silver lance came from a ruin unassociated with any known historical echoes.

According to Xaya's research, the ruins likely belonged to a legendary guardian knight who once served the founding emperor of the Freesta Empire. When exploring the site together, Aurora's spirit seemed to resonate with the sealed lance, leading to an unprecedented voluntary soul contract.

Though the lance bore no awakened spirit and lacked a definitive classification or rank, its immense power was undeniable.

After Aurora advanced to Tier 2, not only could she summon the lance, but the armor of a knight, including helm, gauntlets, and plate, manifested with it.

In direct combat, Aurora's strength was unmatched. Even among elite-level soul beasts of king-tier or higher, few could withstand her charge. This superiority catapulted her to the top rank at Saint Roland Academy.

Watching Aurora wield her armored form only fueled Xaya's envy, especially as someone raised on stories of armored heroes and kamen riders. He had personally ventured into countless ruins, but none of the artifacts had chosen him.

Looking back, it was likely his chaotic, fun-loving nature clashed with the golden virtues of knighthood.

The name "Rhongomyniad" was something Xaya had casually suggested. He hadn't expected Aurora to adopt it, but she did.

Outside, the chaotic shouts and crashes gradually subsided, leaving an eerie quiet.

Xaya dusted off his coat. "Alright, time to go."

Aurora frowned slightly. "If we were planning to escape, our best opportunity was earlier when the chaos and panic drew their attention. Now, it sounds like most of the students have been subdued or can no longer resist."

"If we break through now, we'll likely face multiple opponents alone."

She gestured toward the corpse outside. "Individually, these guys aren't a threat to us. But if they band together, they could pose a problem. And according to what he said earlier, the Ashen Cult sent a Tier 4 bishop along with some sort of contamination artifact."

"Our safest option is to stay here and wait for the professors or the military to rescue us."

"Wait for rescue?" Xaya pointed outside, exasperated.

Far off, the exits of the student dormitory area were engulfed in towering walls of flame. The blazing barriers formed intricate patterns that seemed to link into a massive formation, sealing off the dorms from the rest of the academy.

Even attempts to escape via flying contracted beasts were thwarted. Fiery bursts erupted skyward, forcing airborne students to retreat. The formation didn't merely block physical passage—it enforced a conceptual "no-exit" restriction.

"They've deliberately sealed the area," Xaya observed, noting the ominous fire pillars in the distance. "And they're not just killing everyone outright. They must have a specific purpose for us students."

Aurora closed her eyes, sensing the flames. "With Rhongomyniad at full power, I could briefly breach a passage for the two of us."

"And leave everyone else behind?" Xaya shook his head theatrically. "Aurora, this is our home. As the student council president said, we need to show collective honor and fight for our comrades!"

Aurora didn't respond. Instead, her ice-blue gaze met Xaya's.

Her unbroken silence forced Xaya to relent after several seconds.

"Fine, you got me. Saving everyone is secondary—I'm mostly interested in the Ashen Cult's artifact."

"But relax, if things get dicey, I'll scram. Shiny just learned Blink, so when it comes to fleeing, even the professors couldn't catch me."

Aurora regarded him quietly, then gave a small nod. "Alright."

Their dynamic was one of mutual understanding. Though Aurora occasionally tested Xaya's patience, once he made a decision, she followed unconditionally.

"Relax."

Xaya pushed the door open. The heatwave billowed against his dark trench coat, making it billow dramatically.

"Poverty, my friend, is the source of my endless potential."