Chapter 35
The boys' dormitory in the Black Department was silent.
For the first time since Kaito moved in, there was no yelling, no sarcastic comments, no chaos.
Blaze sat on his bed, arms crossed. Lucas and Kaito sat across from him, eyes locked onto his face like hawks.
"Alright." Blaze exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You guys can ask."
Kaito immediately leaned forward, grinning. "Oh-ho! So you're finally spilling your big secret?"
Lucas, however, simply crossed his arms. "If you don't want to tell us, then don't. But don't make up some ridiculous story."
Blaze took a deep breath.
He knew this would sound insane.
Even to himself.
But he had to say it.
"Alright… I'll tell you everything."
Blaze's voice was calm, but his mind drifted back—
Cryoak City.
A Tier 4 city, one of the lesser-known places in the continent. It wasn't grand like the capital, nor was it filled with noble families.
It was just a quiet, simple place.
And now?
It was gone.
Blaze clenched his fists. "I was born in Cryoak City. A place that doesn't exist anymore."
Kaito blinked. "Wait—wait—hold on. Doesn't exist anymore?"
Blaze ignored him.
"I was training, just like any other day. I wasn't strong, I wasn't talented, and I had no magical affinity. Just another zero in a world where magic was everything."
Lucas listened silently, his expression unreadable.
"Then… it happened."
It was sudden.
Explosions. Screams. Fires that burned the sky itself.
The powerful wizards that descended upon Cryoak City weren't normal. Their robes were dark, their eyes filled with a cold, unnatural hunger.
They weren't there to conquer.
They were there to erase.
"I saw people—people I knew—turn to dust before they even had time to scream."
Kaito's grin disappeared.
Blaze continued.
"I ran. Not out of bravery. Not because I had a plan. I ran because… I was a coward."
His fingers dug into his palm.
"I was just a powerless kid watching everything be wiped away. Then—"
"A brown-cloaked figure appeared."
Lucas's eyes narrowed. "A brown cloak?"
"Yeah," Blaze nodded. "He was being chased by the black-cloaked ones. He was injured, bleeding… but when he saw me, he did something I didn't understand."
Blaze's heart pounded just remembering it.
"He shoved a chest into my hands."
Kaito sat up straight. "Wait. A literal chest?"
"Yes. He said, 'Run. Survive. And never—'"
Blaze hesitated.
"'Never let them take this.'"
Kaito whistled. "Ooooh. Mysterious. Classic. I love it."
Lucas shot him a look, and Kaito immediately shut up.
Blaze continued.
"I didn't get far. The black-cloaked wizards found me. Just as they were about to kill me—
"A massive explosion formation triggered."
"The entire battlefield turned into a sea of fire. I got caught in it… and somehow, I survived."
Kaito raised a hand. "Oh, let me guess—you absorbed some ultimate power and became a chosen one?"
Blaze rolled his eyes. "I wish it was that simple."
Lucas frowned. "Then what happened?"
Blaze took a deep breath.
"When I woke up… the Chaos System appeared."
A floating interface. Strange words and numbers. A voice that wasn't mine, yet spoke inside my head.
It called itself the Chaos System.
It granted me skills—
Astral Strike. Astro Punch. Lightning Feral Strike. And so on
It helps me level up like some kind of game.
And that's how I got stronger.
That's how I'm still getting stronger.
Blaze finished, exhaling. "That's the truth."
Silence.
A long, heavy silence.
Then—
Kaito BURST out laughing.
"PFFFFFT—OH MY GOD—THAT—THAT'S THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE HEARD ALL WEEK—"
Blaze scowled. "I'm serious."
Kaito clutched his stomach, gasping for air. "OH NO—HE'S SERIOUS—"
Lucas stared at Blaze, his face unreadable.
Then, he sighed and stood up. "If you don't want to tell us, then fine."
Blaze blinked. "Wait, what?"
Lucas turned, his back facing Blaze. "You could've just said 'I don't want to talk about it' instead of making up some ridiculous fairy tale."
Blaze's heart sank.
Lucas didn't believe him either.
Kaito was still rolling on the floor, laughing.
"OH GOD—OH GOD—IMAGINE IF THIS WAS REAL—A MAGIC SYSTEM?!—"
Lucas grabbed Kaito by the collar. "We're leaving."
Kaito waved his arms dramatically. "NOOOOOOOO—SPARE ME, MIGHTY LUCAS—"
Lucas dragged him out of the room.
Blaze watched them go.
Then he leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling.
"…Even I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived it."
Blaze stood up.
No point in trying to convince them.
He needed to train.
Get stronger.
And maybe—just maybe—prove to them that the impossible is real.
_ _ _ _
The weekend sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the academy grounds. Students roamed the corridors, engaged in their usual conversations, yet the unmistakable aura of division remained. The Black Department—the most shunned, mocked, and underestimated section of the academy—remained a target for ridicule.
As Blaze walked beside Kaito, his curiosity got the better of him. "Kaito," he asked, his voice low, "do you know why the Black Department has such a terrible reputation?"
Kaito let out a quiet sigh, his sharp eyes scanning the students passing by. "No matter how hard we try to change the name, the bullying never stops. They just won't listen," he muttered.
Blaze clenched his fists. He had felt it too—the constant whispers, the sneers, the isolation. No matter how much effort they put into their studies, the Black Department was treated as if it were cursed.
Later that day, in the library, the answer became clear.
"The Black Department—once feared," Kaito explained, his voice tinged with a mixture of nostalgia and regret. "Because of the Black Jaguar."
Blaze raised an eyebrow. "The Black Jaguar?"
Aito nodded. "A legendary force. The Black Department used to be one of the fiercest divisions in the academy. But when the Black Jaguar Squad was wiped out, it all changed. The outsiders, the public… they don't know the truth. They only see what remains: a broken department, weak and directionless."
Kaito's expression darkened. "Then if we want to change that, we have to bring it back. The Black Department must reform. A new Black Jaguar Squad has to rise again."
A heavy silence filled the room. Then, Blaze clenched his fist, determination burning in his eyes. "Then we'll do it. We'll bring the Black Jaguar Squad back."
As if in response to his resolve, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[Special Quest Received: Reform the Black Jaguar Squad]
Reward: Special Reward (Undisclosed).
Blazes breath hitched. A special quest? His mind raced with possibilities, but one thing was certain—this was the academy's way of acknowledging his resolve. It was giving him the chance to become stronger.
"This is it," Blaze whispered.
His comrades looked at him, understanding his resolve. They weren't just students of the Black Department anymore. They were warriors with a purpose.
The next morning, the academy was abuzz with activity. The announcement had spread like wildfire—students were to embark on their first Portal Expedition.
Blaze and his group stood in the training grounds, anticipation coiling in their chests like a tightly wound spring.
"Portals," Kaito murmured. "Countless opportunities… and countless dangers."
The expeditions were legendary. Portals led to unknown realms—wild landscapes filled with lost magic, forgotten creatures, and ancient treasures. But they also harbored deadly beasts, unpredictable threats, and territories where only the strong survive . Blaze tightened his grip. The Black Department had been cast aside for too long. This expedition was more than just a trial. It was their chance to prove that the Black Jaguar's will had not faded.
No matter what awaited them on the other side, they would face it head-on.
To be continued.