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I followed Han Si-hyun.

I’m so hungry…

They said we had to leave immediately, so I couldn’t even eat.

There was warm milk, too.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Is the ‘central’ referring to the main building?”

The building that sits right in the center of the academy grounds is indeed the main building.

Typically, students have no reason to enter there.

There should be the Principal’s office and the Vice Principal’s office, and maybe an administration office?

It’s not like it was clearly explained in the original work, so I don’t particularly remember.

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t the main building accessible at any time?”

There’s no specific reason for students to go in, but it’s not impossible.

In other words, there shouldn’t be any reason to sneak in, as Han Si-hyun said.

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

We arrived at the main building.

A massive structure standing tall.

Isn’t this the largest facility in the school?

There was a guard right in front of the entrance.

What’s this? They said we shouldn’t get caught, but haven’t we already?

The guard looked at our faces and name tags, then asked.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m running an errand.”

“For whom?”

“The student council president.”

“Hmm.”

He started jotting something down in a ledger he was holding.

“Go on in.”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

How can he be so calm about it?

Once inside the building, I whispered.

“If we get caught, won’t it be a big deal?”

“It’s fine for now.”

Can I really trust that…?

Saying it was an errand from the student council president is obviously a lie.

But seeing how easily he was fooled, it seems the student council president has quite a bit of authority.

I lifted my head in the wide hall lined with marble.

It was astonishingly high.

It felt more like being in a luxury hotel than a school building.

“So, where are we going now?”

“Downstairs.”

“…downstairs?”

“Yeah. From here on, we can’t get caught by anyone.”

Swallowing hard.

Just saying that made me even more nervous.

By the way, what’s down in the main building’s basement?

I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this in the original work.

Of course, I might have forgotten.

I don’t really remember all the details.

But I recall most of the major points.

Or could it be something from the side stories released after the conclusion?

I haven’t actually read those…

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Do we need to take the stairs?”

“It’s a big problem if we run into someone in the elevator.”

“Quite right. That makes sense.”

It’s the same problem running into someone on the stairs.

At least we could run away then.

We stealthily descended the stairs.

“…this feels a bit scary.”

“It’s fine. Probably.”

Leaving room for uncertainty is what makes it more unsettling.

The stairs felt endless.

It wasn’t just a one-floor descent.

It just kept going. Constantly.

“How far do we have to go down?”

“Not sure.”

“…maybe it’s better to go back now?”

What can I say?

It’s starting to feel like crossing a river we can’t return from.

Just as my weak stamina began to fade…

Finally, we reached the end of the stairs.

A firmly closed door awaited us.

“…”

I tried to push the door open with all my might, but of course, it was futile.

I shot Han Si-hyun a resentful gaze.

She casually pulled something out of her pocket.

Her student ID.

The student ID of the student council president, Han Sehee.

“Is this… correct?”

This isn’t about theft anymore.

We’re diving into the abyss.

“Don’t you want to know my ability?”

“Ugh…”

Having come this far, I couldn’t turn back now.

I ultimately gave my implied consent.

Beep.

[Confirming Level 2 Classified Access.]

“Wh-what? It’s classified…?”

“It’s best not to speak about what you see here to anyone else.”

In an instant, it felt like a spy movie.

The door opened, and Han Si-hyun stepped forward.

Then she looked at me intently.

As if asking what I was doing standing there.

“…ugh!”

I shut my eyes and stepped in.

I’m going to die next week anyway, so what does it matter?

The basement was filled with utter darkness.

The weak lighting barely enough to discern my surroundings.

And surprisingly, the noise level was quite high.

Was that the sound of motors running?

It felt like I was in a factory.

What was clear is that there were only the two of us in this vast basement.

“Now, explain properly. Why are we here, and what exactly are we trying to do?”

“Do you know how students are selected for the academy?”

“…students? Well.”

They probably look for those who have awakened, right?

The moment I thought that, my words were stifled.

“The Level 2 classified access points to this very underground space.”

“…what do you mean?”

“This place is a massive database that collects information beyond just the academy but about the world. It holds a wealth of information.”

That felt familiar.

It probably passed briefly in the original work.

The academy’s information-gathering capability reportedly surpassed that of most countries.

“And what does that have to do with my ability?”

“Using that information, we don’t just manage the academy’s system but also select gifted students from around the world for admission.”

“That would be the AI Magi.”

“Oh, I know about Magi.”

Not because I read the original work, but because this is common knowledge.

It’s not classified information that the academy’s system management is done by AI.

That the AI is called Magi is also known.

“The essence of that Magi is right here in this basement.”

“…huh? Really?”

That was something I hadn’t seen in the original work.

“If I hadn’t heard it from my sister, I would have never known in my life. Come on.”

I followed Han Si-hyun.

As she explained, I looked around, and while I didn’t know the details, it was a sea of computer parts.

What do you call those? CPU? Memory?

Han Si-hyun, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

In front of us was a particularly unusual-looking computer.

“Is that Magi?”

“Magi is an invisible AI. This is just a sort of phone to communicate with it.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand…”

“Think of this entire basement as Magi.”

That sounds a bit scary.

It feels like being inside a gigantic monster’s belly.

Again, as she placed the student council president’s card on the computer, it powered on.

[Confirming Level 2 Classified Access.]

“Then that means Magi knows what my ability is?”

“Yep. Magi determined you had an ability and admitted you.”

Then it’s a dumb machine.

I don’t even have an ability yet.

Indeed, I couldn’t trust a piece of machinery.

Anyway, Han Si-hyun was busy typing away on the keyboard.

She seemed to be looking at a screen that I couldn’t figure out.

“It seems ready.”

[Search Target: Han Si-hyun]

[Searching……]

[Code Name: Blade Master]

[Would you like to view?]

“Wow…”

“If you check this, all the ability information will be revealed.”

When I clicked ‘yes,’ Han Si-hyun’s information, including her abilities, streamed down.

[Ability: Can freely create swords. Increases swordsmanship proficiency.]

A very short and simple description.

At first glance, it seemed unimpressive, but with this one ability, Han Si-hyun reigns as one of the strongest characters beyond the second-year elite in the original work.

“Now, I’ll search for you.”

“Sure.”

It probably won’t show up.

Or will it say I’m powerless?

“Done.”

[Search Target: Yu Hana]

[Searching……]

[Code Name: מָשִׁיחַ]

[Would you like to view?]

“…what? What’s with that weird worm?”

“Did the letters get scrambled? That’s odd…”

I tilted my head but pressed ‘yes.’

And then…

[Access Denied.]

[Level 1 Classified Document.]

“What? That can’t be right… All student records should be Level 3 classified.”

“Why am I listed as Level 1?”

If it doesn’t show up, fine, but what reason is there for Yu Hana to be classified as Level 1?

In the academy, Yu Hana receives no special treatment whatsoever.

She didn’t receive special treatment; instead, she was abandoned amidst strict indifference, falling into the hands of the Demon.

Something feels off.

An effect from my possession?

Or is there something I don’t know about?

I suddenly felt a chill.

My body froze at the unsettling sensation.

Someone placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke in a discontented voice.

“This is not a space that students can freely enter.”

Han Si-hyun immediately turned around, looking flustered.

“……”

“Han Si-hyun. And Yu Hana.”

Chilling, intimidating eyes that made me tremble involuntarily.

A man with a patch over his left eye and a beard.

There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize that figure.

He’s the true number two of the academy.

“Vice Principal…”

“I remember your name. You caused quite a stir recently due to a disciplinary issue.”

Seeing him in person, the pressure was immense.

It felt like gazing at a finely sharpened sword.

A man whose cold blade of a gaze could slice through with just a glance.

“What brings you two sneaking into a place like this?”

“Uh… that’s…”

“Please don’t tell me you were planning something malicious because of that incident?”

“Th-that’s not it!”

“Hmm. Well, it shouldn’t be.”

The Vice Principal momentarily glanced at the computer in front of Han Si-hyun.

“Do you know what this place is?”

“Yes.”

“Being the little sister of the student council president, you should be aware. So, you also know the punishment awaiting a student who carelessly enters without permission.”

Swallow.

I wanted to stay as unscathed as possible, but that was hard.

My body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He gradually tightened his grip on my shoulder.

Though it didn’t hurt, the pressure was overwhelming.

I felt like a useless fly.

An insect that could be casually squashed with a mere motion.

In the heavy silence that lingered…

Finally, the Vice Principal spoke.

“This is a reprimand.”

“……”

“Haha! A place like this shouldn’t be entered carelessly. Though ultimately, you wouldn’t gain anything from coming in here anyway!”

He laughed boisterously, clapping me on the back as though to set the mood.

“And if you want to utilize Magi, you should properly obtain the authority. You should be capable of doing it without relying on your sister’s power.”

“Y-yes. Thank you.”

“Well, I don’t think you did anything wrong, so I won’t escalate this issue. Both of you should hurry and get back up.”

Han Si-hyun nodded and told me.

“Let’s go, Hana.”

“……”

“Hana?”

“Ugh, yeah. Let’s go.”

Finally, snapping back to reality, I hurriedly followed in Han Si-hyun’s footsteps as we escaped.

At the last moment, I glanced back and locked eyes with the Vice Principal.

“Huuh… Huuh…”

“Still, it’s a relief that we got caught by the Vice Principal. He’s the kindest one among the teachers. But why are you so shocked?”

“He’s the kindest among the teachers?”

That’s ridiculous.

He’s a Demon.

One of the most powerful among Demons, at that.

He appears as the main villain in the second part of the original work.

Okay, calm down.

Just calm down.

Right now, he probably sees me as just an ordinary student.

So it should be fine.

*

In the basement of the main building.

The man wearing the eye patch remained in place, not leaving but staying a moment longer.

He gazed at the computer screen where the two students had just been.

“Is it the Messiah?”

The whispered words of the Demon were drowned out by the sounds of motors filling the basement.