Even among the students, Iria is quite well-known. She has caused almost as many incidents as Ariel in a short amount of time.

Anyone attending the Academy would have heard of her at least once. There were likely fewer people who didn’t know about her than those who did.

So, rumors were bound to spread. The mysterious student wandering around campus on the day of the incident was actually Iria.

Of course, these whispers weren’t said to her face. After all, making an enemy of one of the Academy's top-ranked students was hardly beneficial.

The conversations were held in hushed tones.

They thought they were out of earshot, far enough away that Iria couldn’t hear them.

'But I can hear it all.'

For someone like Iria, whose senses far exceeded those of an ordinary human, the rumors were clear as day.

Iria didn’t react, as usual.

After all, it was nothing more than baseless gossip. It would probably be loud for a while, then eventually fade away.

However, she didn’t enjoy the attention. Feeling the piercing stares, she slipped out of the lecture hall.

Today, she felt like escaping the confined space and feeling the breeze.

People fear the unknown. It’s a survival instinct, something hard-wired into them.

Those present inside the Academy building on the day of the incident couldn’t forget the nightmare that had unfolded.

They had witnessed terrifying creatures they’d never seen before flooding in.

It was a place where students, once their peers, were easily slaughtered, and the stench of blood lingered heavily in the air.

It was also filled with the sounds of nightmares.

Hiding somewhere in the building, with their eyes closed, they could hear terrifying sounds echoing around them.

The shattering of windows, the roars of enormous creatures, the sounds of fierce battles, and the desperate screams of their classmates pleading for their lives.

Despite being students of an elite institution, most were theorists with little real-world experience.

Only a select few could act in the face of death.

Most were panicked, running in confusion, or too frozen with fear to even move.

Yet, among them, there was a girl who walked toward the creatures.

She was a presence radiating an intensely ominous aura.

From her uniform, it was clear she was an Academy student. Yet, she was heading toward a creature that even the professors couldn’t handle.

To other students, this red-eyed girl was an unknown entity too. Her precise nature was unclear, which only amplified their fear.

She might be a monster among them or a human controlled by a monster.

Fear is contagious. The fear of the unknown spread like a virus among the students.

Talking about it was only natural.

There were many things to discuss, so the conversations didn’t always stick to one subject, but Iria often heard mentions of the red-eyed girl while walking.

If it were only rumors, she wouldn’t have cared. Iria wasn’t one to listen closely to gossip.

But—

"Hey... you know, that rumor about the red-eyed student—was it you, Iria?"

"Who are you?"

"I was just asking..."

"It wasn’t me. Now, get lost."

There are always exceptions. Although most people here at the Empire’s top institution were rational, there were always some who weren’t.

Those who didn’t just dismiss rumors as idle talk.

Because of that, Iria was living through a period just as bothersome as when she had first claimed the top spot.

Most would get scared and run if she glared at them, but there were still those who disliked her from the beginning.

Fame works that way. Not everyone can be a fan. If some people liked Iria, others were bound to dislike her.

Mostly, these were people jealous of her skills, talents, or appearance. She had everything as a first-year student, which was reason enough for some to hate her.

They didn’t dislike her for any particular reason—they created reasons because they disliked her.

What started as mere rumors twisted once it reached their ears.

They claimed that Iria had been an accomplice in the Academy's monster attack.

Of course, it was an absurd and baseless rumor, but rumors are frightening like that.

They can blow up even the most nonsensical falsehoods.

"Hey, look. There goes Iria. Isn’t she shameless? Does she feel no guilt?"

"But are we even sure it’s true? Just because she looks similar doesn’t guarantee it’s Iria. Even if it is, I can’t buy the idea of her being an accomplice."

"You idiot, it’s not about the truth. What matters is that I dislike her, and conveniently, she’s been caught."

"That sounds like a witch hunt."

"Isn’t it?"

Third-year top student Amelia grinned.

She knew precisely the extent of her talent and strength, even as she held the top position.

She hated to admit it, but Iria’s talent surpassed her own. That much was clear from seeing Iria fight Sera.

Amelia had once lost to Sera in a duel. Knowing that Iria had defeated Sera, she was likely stronger than Amelia.

And that fact gnawed at her.

Sure, the second-year class was famously strong, but the idea of being outmatched by a first-year was a significant blow.

Frankly, she couldn’t accept it.

Despite breaking through intense competition to reach the top, there were still plenty stronger than her.

Amelia’s skills weren’t the issue. It was just that the top students above and below her were monsters.

The so-called "fortunate top student"—that was how others saw Amelia.

Every time she heard that her top position was just luck, it made her seethe.

So, with this incident, Amelia smirked.

"It would be nice if she crumbled from this. Ideally, she’d drop out."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Who cares? Honestly, I’ve never liked her red eyes. They look so ominous."

One thing was clear: Iria’s school life would only grow more exhausting.

That much was certain. While Amelia was poorly regarded, she did have her network as the top student.

Today had been manageable, but tomorrow promised more intrigue.

People’s reactions varied when they heard the rumors.

They were split into believers and skeptics, with a spectrum of attitudes in between.

Some would believe even mostly false information if there was a hint of possibility.

Even those who didn’t believe it wouldn’t view someone at the center of bad rumors kindly.

That was Amelia’s goal—to drag Iria’s reputation through the mud.

Sera, of course, was a minor concern.

She was notorious for her influence across the Academy, and Iria happened to be close to her.

But that’s what made this the perfect opportunity. Apparently, Sera was currently hospitalized with a severe injury.

'As long as I’m careful of her connections, Iria is relatively vulnerable.'

Iria was manageable.

Of course, not in terms of strength, but she rarely took action. Whatever people did, she usually stayed put, which made her seem an easy target.

The Madwoman and the Academy’s strongest were her allies, but Sera was hospitalized, and Ariel had no interest in these matters.

Maybe now was the time to drive a wedge between Ariel and Iria.

Ariel wouldn’t care about Iria.

Why?

Because they hadn’t become lovers yet.

Rumor had it that Iria followed Ariel around like a puppy.

This meant Iria harbored feelings for him, but Ariel kept his distance despite pretending to be close.

Ariel was only close to Sera. He had no interest in Iria.

With that thought, Amelia went to find Ariel.

She knew he spent most of his day training, so it wasn’t hard to locate him.

When the one-sided meeting happened, Amelia spoke first.

"Honestly, doesn’t Iria bother you a bit? Her red eyes make her look like a monster."

"…"

During his lunch break, Ariel had been practicing alone when he stopped swinging his sword.

He turned his head.

"What did you just say?"

"…Huh?"

The expression on Ariel’s face as he looked at Amelia was anything but casual.

This wasn’t the reaction she had expected.

She felt a sudden sense of unease.