The warning came three days later.
Rin was in Advanced Bond Theory when a senior student entered, handed Professor Corvin a sealed letter, and left without a word. The professor's expression darkened as she read.
"Mr. Eldraven," she said carefully, "you're wanted at the Headmaster's office. Immediately."
The class erupted in whispers. Being summoned to the Headmaster was never good.
Rin gathered his things, aware of every eye following him. As he left, he heard Kira whisper, "Good luck."
The walk to Headmaster Silvanus's tower felt like a march to execution. Rin's mind raced through possibilities. Had someone discovered the corruption marks? Had Adrian's family filed a formal complaint? Was this about Elena?
The headmaster's office was circular, lined with bookshelves and strange artifacts from dozens of dimensions. Silvanus sat behind an ornate desk, his aged face unreadable.
But he wasn't alone.
Three senior students stood before the desk. The one in the center was tall and broad-shouldered, with platinum blonde hair and a face that seemed carved from marble. His uniform bore the insignia of the Student Council, and his summoning mark, visible on his neck, glowed with golden light.
"Ah, Mr. Eldraven," Silvanus said. "Allow me to introduce Dante Solaris, Student Council President and current rank one among all academy students."
Dante turned, and Rin felt the weight of his gaze. This was someone who radiated authority and power.
"So you're the demon summoner," Dante said. His voice was smooth, cultured. "I've heard interesting things about you."
"Sir?" Rin managed.
"Dante has brought a proposal," Silvanus explained. "One that technically I cannot refuse, though I personally find it premature."
"The monthly ranking tournament is in two days," Dante said. "As Student Council President, I have the authority to issue special challenges to promising students. Consider this an evaluation of your abilities."
Rin's stomach dropped. "You want to fight me?"
"Not me personally. That would hardly be fair." Dante smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, I'm offering you a choice. You may face one of my council members in an exhibition match before the tournament, or you may wait and face randomly assigned opponents in the standard bracket."
"What's the difference?"
"The exhibition match would be public, heavily attended, and serve as a demonstration of your demon's capabilities. It would also earn you automatic placement in Silver tier if you win, bypassing the lower brackets entirely." Dante paused. "Of course, if you lose, you'll enter the tournament at a disadvantage, already exhausted and injured."
It was a trap. Either way, Dante won. If Rin accepted and lost, he'd be weakened for the tournament. If he refused, he'd look cowardly and face the tournament cold.
"Why are you doing this?" Rin asked.
"Because you're an unknown variable," Dante said bluntly. "A student with an unranked demon lord who's already beaten a Silver rank and corrupted a Platinum summon. The Student Council exists to maintain order. You represent chaos."
"I haven't broken any rules."
"Not yet. But power without accountability leads to disaster." Dante's expression hardened. "I'm offering you a chance to prove you're more than just raw strength. Show us you can fight with honor, control, and strategy. Or prove everyone right about you being dangerous and uncontrollable."
Silvanus spoke up. "Mr. Eldraven, you are not obligated to accept this challenge. I want that to be clear."
"But refusing would mark him," Dante countered. "The academy watches everything. Students, faculty, even the Board of Directors. A refusal would be noted."
Rin looked at his hand, where the summoning mark pulsed beneath his sleeve. He felt Malachar's presence stirring, curious about this development.
"What do you think?" Rin asked silently through their bond.
"This Dante is clever," Malachar responded. "He's using social pressure to force your hand. But he's also afraid. Powerful people don't bother with manipulation unless they see a genuine threat."
"Can we win?"
"Against one of his council members? Probably. Against him personally? That would be interesting."
Rin made his decision. "I accept. Who will I fight?"
Dante's smile widened. "Excellent. You'll face Vera Nightshade, our Vice President. Shadow magic specialist, Gold tier rank three. The match will be tomorrow evening at the Grand Arena." He turned to leave, his companions following. At the door, he paused. "Oh, and Eldraven? Vera doesn't lose. Ever."
When they were gone, Silvanus leaned back in his chair. "That was foolish."
"I know, sir."
"Vera Nightshade is one of the most talented students this academy has produced in a decade. Her summon, a Shadow Drake, is nearly Platinum tier in power. She's fought in inter-academy tournaments and never been defeated."
"Then why did Dante choose her? If he wanted to be sure I'd lose, why not fight me himself?"
Silvanus smiled slightly. "Because Dante is smarter than that. If he fought you personally and won, people would say you never had a chance. But if Vera defeats you, it proves your demon isn't invincible. And if, by some miracle, you win..." He paused. "Then Dante learns your capabilities without risking his own position."
"So I'm being used as a test subject."
"Welcome to academy politics, Mr. Eldraven. Where every fight is about more than just fighting."
That evening, Rin found Kira in the library, surrounded by books about shadow magic.
"I heard," she said before he could speak. "Vera Nightshade. Are you insane? She's legendary! Her Shadow Drake can become intangible, move through darkness, and its breath weapon is pure entropy!"
"I didn't have much choice."
"There's always a choice! You could have refused, taken the tournament normally, avoided painting a target on your back!" She took a breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Sorry. I'm just worried. This isn't like fighting Marcus or sparring with Elena. Vera's different. She's been training since she was five years old. Her family are professional monster hunters."
"Then I'll need to be better prepared than ever." Rin sat down across from her. "Help me, Kira. I need to understand everything about shadow magic and how to counter it."
She looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay. But you owe me so many favors after this."
They worked through the night, studying every recording of Vera's fights they could find. The Shadow Drake was indeed formidable, a serpentine creature of living darkness that moved like liquid night. Its attacks were unpredictable, phasing between material and immaterial states.
"The key is light," Kira explained. "Shadow magic weakens in bright light. But Vera knows that, so she always starts by creating a field of darkness around the arena. Once you're in her domain, visibility drops to nearly zero."
"Malachar can see in the dark," Rin said, remembering how the demon moved so confidently in shadows.
"That might work. But the drake isn't just hiding in darkness, it becomes darkness. How do you hit something that's not really there?"
"We'll figure it out." Rin hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.
The next day arrived too quickly. The Grand Arena was the academy's largest combat venue, capable of seating over a thousand spectators. By evening, it was packed.
Rin stood in the preparation chamber, alone with his thoughts. Through the walls, he could hear the crowd's excitement.
"Nervous?" Malachar asked.
"Terrified," Rin admitted.
"Good. Fear keeps you sharp." A pause. "Listen, boy. This Vera is skilled, and her drake is powerful. But remember: I've fought in wars that would make this tournament look like a children's game. Trust me. Trust our bond. And we'll prevail."
A knock at the door. Professor Corvin entered. "It's time."
Rin walked into the arena to thunderous noise. On one side, students chanted for Vera. On the other, a smaller group cheered for him, led by Kira waving a hastily made banner.
Across the sand, Vera Nightshade waited. She was tall and elegant, with long black hair and eyes like polished obsidian. Her summoning mark, visible on her collarbone, pulsed with dark energy.
Dante Solaris stood as referee. "This exhibition match will demonstrate proper summoner combat. Standard rules apply. First to yield or take five solid hits loses. Begin!"
Vera moved first. Shadows exploded from her feet, spreading across the arena like spilled ink. Within seconds, the entire combat area was plunged into unnatural darkness.
"Welcome to my domain," Vera's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "Let's see how your demon fares when he can't see his enemy."
In the darkness, something roared. The Shadow Drake had manifested, and it was hunting.