After meeting Professor Hong Feng, Knox and Simon ended up being the last members of Class A to arrive back at Kizen.
Thankfully, there were still more than two hours left before the afternoon classes began.
They returned to the dorms, changed clothes, and headed straight for the bathhouse to wash off the day's grime.
That was where they ran into Rick.
"Knox! Simon!" Rick waved at them enthusiastically, looking far more energized than he had any right to be.
"Hehehe! You won't believe what just happened to me!"
Simon raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Rick glanced around, lowered his voice, and leaned closer.
"I stepped on a teleport magic circle, and—bam! It felt like I smashed straight into something. When I woke up, I was somehow inside Professor Bahil's lab!"
Simon blinked.
Knox, meanwhile, smiled faintly—as if he already knew exactly what Rick was talking about.
"Professor Bahil?" Simon asked. "From Katarology?"
"Yeah!" Rick nodded eagerly.
"…Did something happen?" Simon asked.
Rick scratched his cheek. "He just made me clean the place."
"..."
Simon let out a dry chuckle. While Knox laughed outright.
"I've heard about this from upperclassmen!" Rick continued excitedly. "They call it a teleport scout! Bahil noticed me, right? That means I might become a direct disciple too!"
"That's the dumbest thing I've heard all year."
The voice cut in sharply.
Knox, Simon, and Rick turned.
Hector Moore stood a short distance away, flanked by two members of his faction.
"A penniless commoner like you," Hector sneered, "Professor Bahil's disciple? Even a passing dog would laugh at that."
His companions snickered.
Rick straightened and grinned.
"Aw, what's wrong, little noble? Feeling salty?"
He rolled his wrist mockingly. "Thought the world revolved around you, but Professor Bahil just happened to notice me instead?"
"…."
Hector stepped forward, Darkness flickering faintly around his palm.
"Watch your mouth, merchant trash."
Rick's smile didn't fade. "And because I'm merchant trash, I know your type perfectly."
He tilted his head. "I heard you insulted Meilyn during Magical Combat class too. Got thrashed by Knox right after, didn't you?"
His tone sharpened. "You think you're the only one with pain and a sob story? You're just a spoiled crybaby punk. Surviving the Moore family's training doesn't make you special."
Hector's face twisted.
Enraged, he swung his arm—
—but before his strike could land, a hand caught his wrist.
"Hector Moore," Knox said coldly, "are you asking for a beating?"
Hector stiffened. Slowly, he turned his head.
Knox stood right in front of him—expression calm, eyes utterly devoid of emotion.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across Hector's face.
"…You—"
But the moment passed. Rage surged back, hotter than before.
"Knox Aznable!" Hector snarled. "You again!"
"Don't think you can stop me just because you beat me before!"
He swung his other fist toward Knox's face.
To Knox, the punch was unbearably slow—like watching an elderly woman cross the street.
He caught it effortlessly. Now both of Hector's arms were restrained.
Hector struggled, pouring all his strength into breaking free.
Nothing moved.
Knox didn't even budge. In fact, he had time to smile.
"Bastard!" Hector roared. "I'll kill you!"
Darkness surged violently from his palms, twisting into a curse.
"No! Stop it, Hector!" one of his companions shouted.
"Are you insane?! Using curses outside class—!"
Before anyone could intervene—
Knox made his move.
His foot snapped forward, kicking Hector with brutal speed.
To everyone watching, the strike was impossibly fast—and devastatingly hard.
BOOM!
Hector was sent flying, his body slamming into a stone pillar with a deafening crash.
The bathhouse fell into stunned silence.
Students stared in disbelief.
Knox stepped forward calmly.
"Hector Moore," he said coolly, "it seems my warning back in class wasn't enough."
He looked down at Hector, who groaned in pain, struggling to rise.
"You even forgot that your curses don't work on me," Knox continued.
"Even though you already tested that in Curse Studies." Knox chuckled softly. "And you said you'd kill me?"
His gaze hardened. "Before becoming a student, I was a bounty hunter. I've heard that threat more times than I can count."
He raised a hand toward Hector.
An invisible force instantly seized Hector's body.
Suddenly, Hector was lifted off the ground, limbs straining helplessly as if crushed by an unseen grip.
"Urgh—!" Hector choked.
Only then did everyone truly realize—
Knox was doing this.
"Let me give you some advice," Knox said quietly.
"When someone says they want to kill another person…"
His fingers slowly tightened. the invisible grip tightening around Hector's body.
"They should be prepared to be killed in return."
"Arghhh!" Hector screamed in pain.
"Knox Aznable—stop it!"
Two of Hector's companions shouted at once, panic clear in their voices.
"Using magic outside of class is forbidden!"
"Release him! You'll be punished for this!"
Knox turned his head slowly.
His gaze settled on them—cold, sharp, and utterly indifferent.
"Punished?" he repeated.
His fingers tightened ever so slightly.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"Just moments ago, Hector tried to cast a curse on me."
His eyes flicked back to the man suspended in midair.
"So if I'm punished," Knox continued calmly, "doesn't that mean your brainless leader here gets punished as well?"
"…Ugh."
One of Hector's companions faltered, words catching in his throat.
Knox looked back at them. "Besides—"
He met their eyes directly.
"Look at me."
A brief pause.
"Do I look like I care?"
The bathhouse fell silent. All noise vanished, as if someone had pressed a mute button on the world itself.
Some swallowed instinctively.
Others held their breath, afraid that even the smallest sound might draw his attention.
Knox turned his gaze back to Hector, who was still writhing in agony. A smile curved his lips.
"So, Hector Moore," he said lightly, almost playfully.
"Any last words~?"
His tone was teasing—mischievous, even. What he was doing, however, stood in stark contrast to it.
Before Hector's panicking companions could say anything, Knox tilted his head.
"Hmmm~"
"At first, I thought I'd make you apologize to Rick."
His smile widened just a little.
"But considering your brain seems to be operating at a lizard's level…"
"I suppose teaching a stray dog to speak human language would be easier than getting you to say sorry~"
The words were light. The mockery was not.
Knox sighed softly. "Forget it. I don't feel like wasting any more time."
His hand moved.
The invisible force gripping Hector flung him aside—
BANG!
Hector's body slammed hard into the wall.
He coughed violently, blood splattering onto the floor.
"Hector!"
His companions rushed to his side, scrambling to help him up.
Knox looked down at them.
"Now scram," he said casually.
"Before I throw you all out of here."
He paused, tapping his chin as if thinking.
"Hmmm… or maybe I should toss you outside this building instead~?"
"Oh—or better yet, how about the girls' dormitory~?" He chuckled.
Despite the teasing lilt in his voice, Hector and his friends felt a chill crawl up their spines.
It didn't sound like a joke.
It sounded like a devil whispering, one that could end their social lives in an instant.