They arrived at the hotel around six in the morning. Han met them at the door. Scanning them from top to bottom, he remarked, "Looks like the vampires are done for." Amor replied, "Yeah, can we go and rest now? I'm completely exhausted," and brushed past him up to their rooms. With everyone else departing, Sol and Han were left alone.
"Why didn't you call us?" asked Han.
Sol answered, "Our time was limited; we had to hurry."
"You know as well as I do that's no excuse, Sol. What you did was utterly foolish. You put your lives at risk for nothing."
"Well, we're all alive, aren't we? I don't see a problem here."
"It's a matter of discipline and trust, Sol. Failing to inform us goes directly against the military discipline we operate under. The academy could even launch an investigation into your actions."
"Don't you dare try to lecture me on discipline, Han!" Sol snapped, grabbing him by the collar. Though slightly taken aback by his reaction, Han seized Sol's wrist and threw his hand off.
"If you ever do that again, you won't have a hand left to grab my collar with."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Take it as a warning. I don't care for threats."
Sol grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. Saying nothing more in response to those words, he turned on his heel and went up to his room. Neptune was the only one awake inside.
Neptune asked, "I heard yelling—what's going on?"
Sol replied, "I'll tell you when I wake up. The vampire situation is partially closed."
"Partially? Sol? Did you just fall asleep?"
Before Neptune could finish his sentence, Sol drifted off to sleep. The battle had worn him out completely. Neptune stepped out of the room and spoke with Han, who was training nearby. Han offered a brief summary of the argument and closed the topic. Wanting to keep the matter from escalating any further, he asked Neptune to forget the conversation. Neptune agreed, yet noted that sooner or later they would have to report this to Aidoneus. He was right; such behavior from the squad leader could cause serious trouble down the line.
Meanwhile, Hekate went to the hotel infirmary to get her ribs checked, suspecting they were broken. They were not fractured, but two had suffered hairline cracks. The infirmary staff administered a potent painkiller and advised her to lie flat on her back and rest. They also strictly warned her never to constrict her chest with tight clothing or corsets, as it could intensify the pain and delay healing. Leaving the infirmary, Hekate made her way back to her room.
None of the girls were awake. Exhausted, Hekate showered and collapsed onto her bed. She pondered where the intimacy growing between her and Amor might lead. Diana was already fast asleep, leaving Hekate with no one to share these swirling thoughts with. Resting her head upon the pillow, she closed her eyes.
While all this was transpiring, Magni was just waking up. He was striving to keep pace with the others by strictly adhering to the training program Aidoneus had designed specifically for him. His treatment was complete, and he had regained his former strength. Just as Aidoneus had instructed, he headed to their training ground. His master was already there waiting for him.
Aidoneus yawned, "Alright Magni, what is this technique you wanted to show me?"
Magni replied, "If I can pull it off properly, I'll be using a named attack."
"A named attack? Well then, let's see it!"
"I have one request. I'd like you to summon your most durable soldier for this technique. Only then can I truly gauge how effective it is."
"Very well. Heir Technique: Cerberus."
As Aidoneus pressed his hand against the ground, a colossal fissure split the earth open. Echoing from within were screams and the agony of suffering souls, soon drowned out by a menacing growl. It was a hound—a three-headed one. This gigantic beast was nearly the size of a five-story building. Even the Alpha Chimera Magni had fought looked small beside it; Cerberus had to be three or four times its size.
"What if my attack kills it?"
"Don't worry, it won't kill him—he's already dead. He can't feel pain, either. But he's quite playful, so feel free to have a little fun with him," Aidoneus chuckled.
Magni drew a deep breath and centered his focus. A sudden burst of wind and a clap of thunder caught Aidoneus off guard. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, cloaking almost the entire academy. These clouds were so heavily charged with electricity that the crackle of lightning bouncing between them shook a person to their core. Under the curious gaze of his watching master, Magni pulled his fist back. The clouds began to swirl like a tornado. As Magni bellowed, "Ragnarok... Weapon!", a massive bolt of lightning crashed down from the vortex.
The sheer shockwave blew Aidoneus backward. The descending lightning enveloped Magni's fist, and with every ounce of his strength, he struck Cerberus. The force of the blow launched the three-headed hound flying straight toward the academy buildings. The strike was so tremendously powerful that it tore through the air with a sonic boom. Seeing the massive hound hurtling toward the academy walls, Heracles leaped into the air toward the beast, attempting to intercept it in mid-flight. Catching the giant hound, he brought them down onto the soft earth, his feet sinking deep into the soil. Though he slammed into the academy wall and shattered part of it, he managed to bring the beast to a halt. Knowing it belonged to Aidoneus, he began walking back toward the direction it had come from.
Aidoneus could not conceal his astonishment. In all his life, he had never witnessed an attack utilizing such raw, unadulterated power—and he himself was an Inheritor. Approaching Magni, who was clutching his arm, Aidoneus noticed that his fingers and wrist were broken, and the bones of his forearm were crushed. Paying no mind to the excruciating pain, Magni exclaimed with joy, "I did it!" Aidoneus immediately took him by his side and started walking back toward the academy.
Along the way, Magni kept babbling, "Did you see that! It really worked!"
Finally unable to contain himself, Aidoneus grabbed Magni's crushed arm and said, "This is not success! Yes, you've created an extraordinarily powerful technique, Magni, and I congratulate you for it—but I am personally forbidding you from using it on the battlefield until you master it. If you deploy this in the field, you will be rendered completely helpless! Therefore, until you learn to use this technique without destroying your own body, you may only use it during training sessions with me. Furthermore, Lady Selkis will be joining your training from now on."
"No, Mr. Aidoneus, please listen! I can make it usable for the field, just reconsider! There are others weaker than me who go into the field. I'm stronger than them in every way, aren't I?"
"Magni, yes, you are strong. Even if I used all my power, I couldn't throw a punch like that. But you're forgetting something: you don't fight for yourself; you fight for the citizens of this realm and for your team. Consider this: what if you need to protect your team, and this 'Ragnarok Weapon' fails to bring the enemy down in a single blow? Would you rather be able to fight a prolonged battle, or be a one-shot bullet?"
The words Sol had spoken to him on his very first day surfaced in Magni's mind: "Maybe it's fate, what do you say? Maybe it's meant to make you realize you don't belong among people like us." No, this was the exact reason he was here. To protect people and his friends. Hadn't his father done the same for them? Hadn't he stayed behind to protect his family? He felt he needed to be a true son to his father. Aidoneus was right.
"I'm sorry. When I threw that punch, I felt so powerful that I forgot my true purpose. There will be people stronger than me along my path. What matters is that I stand stronger against them. I'll do as you say. I'll keep growing stronger until I can wield the 'Ragnarok Weapon' properly. For my friends, and for the people."
Aidoneus replied, "I'm glad to see you've come to your senses. Once Selkis finishes healing you, come to my office. Tell Selkis we are heading to the PEAC."
"What's the 'PEAC'?"
"The 'Pure Energy Assessment Center.' I want to measure the raw force of your punch. I'll bring Heracles along as well. Meet me at my office, as I said."
Just then, they noticed Heracles approaching them. Heracles greeted them and asked what had transpired. After Aidoneus gave him a quick rundown, Heracles let out a booming laugh.
"Did you launch Cerberus like that? Not bad, Magni. Keep this up and you might just catch up to me. Should I be worried?"
Just how powerful is this man? Magni thought to himself.
When they all returned to the academy building, they found Cerberus lying in front of the collapsed wall with Bacchus standing over him. Seeing Aidoneus, Cerberus bounded up, leapt onto him, and shrank into a tiny pup, licking his face with all three heads.
With a warm smile, Bacchus asked, "Aidoneus! What brought you to summon this lovable rascal?" Bacchus was a middle-aged, stout man around 1.70 meters tall, balding slightly at the front and top of his head, sporting a thick, long beard, and wearing silver earrings shaped like grape clusters. From what Magni could gather, damage to the school buildings didn't seem to bother him much.
Extending his hand to Magni, he said, "Ah! I'm Bacchus, and you must be Magni. Forgive me for not introducing myself in person sooner; I've been extremely busy lately. Planning the upcoming tournament is no easy task."
Magni had never seen a smile suit a man so well.
Giving in to his curiosity, Magni replied, "Yes, I'm Magni. And you must be Mr. Bacchus, the Headmaster. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir! If you don't mind me asking... what tournament?"
"No need to be so formal, Magni! Yes, I may be the headmaster of a military academy, but at the end of the day, you are all like my own children. So relax a little. Aidoneus was actually going to mention it. Aidoneus?"
Aidoneus dismissed the little Cerberus back through the portal he came from and stood up, a bright, cheerful smile across his face.
"Yes, Mr. Bacchus, I haven't mentioned it to them yet. I was waiting for the others to return."
Bacchus continued, "Very well, then I shall explain. This tournament is the 'International Cosmo Tournament,' where the first-year students from the Cosmo academies of all five regions compete. The main purpose of this event is to show the entire world which academy holds the strongest up-and-coming student, and to honor the Gods. Five individuals will be chosen from your class to represent our school."
Heracles interjected, "I was selected for the representative squad back when I was a first-year. I tied with Hermaios in the finals. Hermaios wanted me to take the victory, and then he just vanished afterward. I wonder where he is now."
Bacchus turned to Magni, "Feel free to drop by my office sometime. We can discuss this further over tea, Magni. I'd also love to get to know you better."
Everyone filed into the main academy building. Magni headed to Selkis to have his injuries treated. Around the same hour, the rest of the class was gradually beginning to wake up. Sol and the others were waiting for breakfast to discuss the events of the early morning.