Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

"How is she?

" Philius asked quietly, his eyes fixed on the empty table before him.

There was nothing written there—nothing to focus on—but he couldn't bring himself to look up.

The Vice-Headmaster replied, "She's behaving normally, at least on the surface.

But Professor Morkel suggested it would be best to place a few roommates with her for now.

"It had been a few days since Rhea returned to the academy, and classes had resumed.

No one wanted to talk about what had happened during the break, but it lingered in the air like a shadow.

The quiet whispers in the common halls, the empty seats left behind by students who had lost family in the war… everything was a constant reminder of the pain they had endured.

Rhea was one of them.

She had been caught in the chaos.

She had seen someone dear to her taken by the storm.

Philius couldn't fully understand her pain, but he had tried.

He offered comfort, tried to give her something to hold on to, even if it was just a few hopeful words.

And although Rhea smiled and spoke with the same gentle voice as before, pretending as if nothing had changed, her sorrow and anger were not hidden from anyone.

It lived behind her eyes, always there, always waiting.

"Is there anything we can do to lift their spirits?

" Philius asked softly.

He knew the semester had only just begun—and for the first-years, this was supposed to be the time to build foundations.

But under these circumstances, something had to change.

They needed a spark—some light in all this gloom.

Hayden remained silent, unable to think of anything right away.

Then—KNOCKA firm knock broke the stillness.

"Who is it?

" Hayden asked, moving toward the door.

"It's me, sir.

Austin.

"The name caught them both off guard.

The Vice-Headmaster shot a glance at Philius, surprised.

Philius didn't hesitate.

"Come in," he said, rising from his seat as the door slowly creaked open.

"…!

"The moment Hayden's eyes met Austin's, he instinctively took a step back.

This was hunger.

Not the kind that came from missing a meal—but the raw, feral hunger he had felt only from demonic beasts.

A dark, consuming force that stripped away reason, leaving behind something terrifying and unnatural.

Yet the one standing before him wasn't a beast.

Nor was he a demon.

He was a boy.

A student.

But those eyes…Those eyes told a story—one that no teenager should ever carry.

They spoke of bloodshed and survival, of sights that could shatter a soul long before adulthood.

Eyes that had seen too much, and perhaps lost too much as well.

Austin wore his bloodlust like a second skin—a cloak that reeked of violence and power, heavy enough to suffocate.

It wasn't just a feeling—it was a presence.

The kind that could silence a room, make the strong falter, make the wise step aside.

This was the kind of aura only born from war… from slaughter.

From having taken down not one, not ten, but hundreds, maybe even thousands.

And Hayden, a man seasoned by years and hardened by battles, could see the truth.

Whatever Austin had done—whatever he had survived—was not something he would ever boast about.

It was not a medal.

It was a mark.

A weight he would carry for the rest of his life.

"Professor Hayden?

" Austin asked, having his feet stopped near the entrance.

"Control your emotions, my friend.

He is still our student.

" The Headmaster sighed.

The ex-hunter blinked in surprise before realizing he had summoned his Shard.

Exhaling an audible breath, he apologized, "Forgive my rudeness," his Shard fading into nothingness, as he said so.

Austin wryly smiled, "It's no problem.

You are the second person who reacted like that.

" The first being Sheldon.

"Come, sit here.

" Philius gestured toward the chair as he also sat down.

Hayden took his position diagonally behind the headmaster as Austin took the offer and got seated as well.

"When did you return?

I told the administrator chief to inform me.

"Austin smiled, "Just now.

The chief was about to rush toward your office, but I told him that I would go myself.

"Philius frowned, "Is there any urgent matter?

"Austin shook his head, "Just came here to meet you and get the recommendation.

"Hayden's brows elevated, "You are pursuing further studies?

" Mostly, every third-year student asks for a recommendation if they want to continue their studies and become a professional in their field.

However, "No, sir.

I want the recommendation for reassessment of my rank.

""Oh, so you finally decided to change the tag of D-rank, huh?

" Philius asked.

The boy before him was anything but a D-rank, but his identity card still showed such.

Even before this war, he had proven himself to be on a par with a B-rank, so Philius had suggested that he get a re-assessment.

At that time, Austin's response surprised him.

'I don't want to settle for B-rank, sir.

'At that time, Philius was at a loss, as without having his Shard go through any evolution, how did he even progress so far?

But now, Philius could tell that he had made the right decision to wait.

"May I ask, how many evolutions has your Shard gone through?

" Hayden asked.

The first thing asked during the assessment is one's Shard rank.

After all, unless one's Shard doesn't go through evolutions, they couldn't ascend to a higher rank.

Austin thought for a moment before lying, "Three evolutions, sir.

" It has gone through four...

but that would surely shock them beyond belief.

None of the Shards across the globe, including William's, has gone through four evolutions.

As such, to not draw unnecessary attention, he lied.

There was no method for them to discern the fourth evolution during the assessment, so it was all sorted.

"Hmm...

" Philius's brows elevated while Hayden nodded in understanding.

The presence he held was surely not something anyone below 'S' could possess.

After a brief pause, Philius told him, "I will give you the letter.

Do you need it right away?

"Austin shook his head, "I will just enjoy some quiet days and join the classes.

It has been quite chaotic recently.

"Austin could pay someone to just have a few leisurely days with his beloved.

Ever since the tournament began, he has forgotten the meaning of peace.

"Austin...

how are you?

" Philius asked out of the blue.

Austin sighed, leaning back, his gaze fell on the table, "Just holding myself together, trying to recover and look forward.

"Silence descended in the room.

The other two were not close to the borders; their duty was to keep the students safe.

However, they have heard the tales of the war.

Those who proudly announce the victory they earned, and those who shared indiscriminate details on how many losses were incurred from both sides.

Austin has also lost people close to him, yet he was sitting before them as if he had already moved on.

Philius has only once been a part of a war, and he was traumatized.

The flashes of the incident kept him awake for many nights.

The nightmares, the cold sweat, murmuring in his sleep...

he has faced it all.

Leaning forward and resting his arms on the table, the Headmaster softly relayed, "No one can change what happened.

You have to bear the burden and carry it forward.

But don't ever consider showing your vulnerable side as a sign of your weakness.

You do have friends and family who can support you, so rely on them.

"Austin smilingly nodded, "Don't worry, sir.

I don't belong to that group that tries to hide everything and get crushed under emotions each day.

"Philius nodded, his eyes smiling.

To lighten up the mood, Hayden asked, "Headmaster was thinking of an activity to uplift th students' mood.

Do you have any suggestions?

"Austin was surprised, "Is...

this a part of the curriculum?

"Philius chuckled, "I make the curriculum.

Don't worry and tell me if you have any suggestions.

"Austin hummed, thinking closely about what could be the best way to motivate them.

After a bit of thinking, he said, "I guess....

a trip?

"Hayden hummed in questioning, "Trip?

That's...

quite random.

"Of course, it would sound weird to them since, unlike on Earth, they don't take children on trips for fun.

They only travel if there is a contest or something.

"I think a trip would help them forget about what has happened in the past few weeks and reconnect with themselves.

I mean, it would work for me.

"Philius glanced at Hayden, and the Vice-headmaster shrugged, "He knows better than us what the children like these days.

" Truthfully, Hayden was thinking of arranging a battle royale or something.

But well, this would work too.

Philius nodded, "Okay then, I will discuss it with a few teachers before relaying it to the students.

"°°°°°°°°A/N:- A trip to the mountains with his beloved.

How romantic~And don't forget, they both are 18 now~~