Corrupted Beings, strong or weak, it didn't matter. They were to be killed on sight or reported to someone who could kill them before they caused more harm to their surroundings.
The innate ability to take the form of any creature existing on the planet made them a greater danger than remnants. So a set of rules was made.
If any corrupted being was found in the form of sensible lifeforms, such as dragons, elves, humans, etc., they are to be killed, no exceptions. Now that knowledge of how to tame corrupted beings exists, a fresh wave of political strife will rip through Yonus.
As a dragon, one thing was obvious to Jaylen: no one was going to be taming dragons, corrupted or not. And if someone did, all nine generations before and after him would be erased from existence for staining the bloodline of the dragons.
Was this an overreaction? No, not at all. Many others would most likely share in this belief, even humans.
And it seemed most of the members in the best taming club around the senior also felt this way, as their gazes were filled with undisguised disgust and scorn toward this senior.
With a few even noticing Jaylen's approach. But even then, the senior remained oblivious, continuing to dig himself into a deeper hole.
"Wouldn't having a pet True Dragon be cool or even a heavenly Dragon?"
His friends tugged at his sleeve, but even this proved useless as he continued. "I would rather have a heavenly dragon. In my opinion, True dragons are kind of overrated."
After finishing speaking, he finally noticed the surrounding changes. All the students stood around him in a circle. This would have been fine to him, but the distance they stood away worried him.
If he counted it out in his head, he was sure it would take at least six or seven steps to reach the edge of the circle.
"I don't care about those noodle dragons, but you wanna repeat what you said about True Dragons?"
Cold was all he thought, colder than the Styx River and filled with a dangerous edge that would make even the sharpest of blades dull.
The sun's light suddenly disappeared, sending shivers down his spine. He turned his head, a knot forming in his stomach as he silently cursed himself for his big mouth.
He could feel Jaylen's gaze piercing his own as if Jaylen could see deep within his soul. But a lingering sense of hope ignited deep within his heart when he saw the bronze stripe on Jaylen's uniform.
Almost as if he could see the hope deep within the senior in front of him, Jaylen's lips stretched into a wide, nearly disturbing grin.
It felt as if he reached out gently, grabbing hold of the hope within the senior before snuffing it out like a candle in the breeze as he spoke.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jaylen Orpheus, the first Transcendent of the first years."
Warning bells went off in his head, each muscle in his body screamed at him to drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness.
But before he could, Jaylen slowly raised his hand high above his head, like a blade raised high glinting in the sunlight, ready to strike down whatever stood in its path.
Jaylen's hand carved downward, its path undeterred, as it sliced toward the short senior before him.
"Wait!!"
Jaylen's hand froze just inches above the senior's head. The lingering force gently ruffled his hair.
Rika leaped in front of him in an instant, her arms raised in a defensive stance. Her head rattled side to side, a clear sign of her disapproval.
"This is not how you solve problems, Junior. He may be in the wrong, but that doesn't mean you get to decide how he should be punished arbitrarily. That power lies with the school and the school alone."
Her words, whether intentional or not, changed the public sentiment of those gathered around. The crowd buzzed with chatter, and several distinct voices rang loudly in Jaylen's ears.
"Yeah, he doesn't get to decide just because he's a noble."
"I bet he thinks he's better than everyone here because he's the first transcendent of year one," one person mumbled, their arms crossed tightly over their chest.
Another retorted with a huff, "What does that matter? His family just paid for him to be first."
A sharp, audible "Tch" escaped Jaylen's lips, slicing through the surrounding murmurs like cake. His expression turned cold and unreadable.
Without a second glance, he turned on his heel and strode away. The weight of his presence parted the crowd of students as they instinctively stepped aside to clear his path.
"Junior, wait!" Rika called out, her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes fixed onto his figure as if afraid to look away.
Jaylen pressed onward, ignoring her completely as he vanished into the crowd.
Was he angry? No, not at all. He couldn't be calmer, maybe a bit too calm but that was someone else's problem. He couldn't be mad; people would do anything to push a narrative that worked for them, even if it made no sense or was false.[1]
If he appeared as the bad guy, that was fine with him; good or bad were just labels that would slow him down.
As he made his way toward the next booth he planned to visit, two voices yelled out to him simultaneously, "Boss!"
Leo and Leonah dropped what they were doing at a nearby booth before making their way to Jaylen.
"Hey Boss, whatcha up to?" Leo asked curiously, slowing to match Jaylen's pace.
"Heading to the Arcane Club booth," he said curtly.
"That's great! Leo and I know the way there; we can take you," Leonah beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yeah, but there's this really weird guy there who kept saying 'the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed,'" Leo's voice cut through the conversation, his face a canvas of bewilderment and intrigue.
"Hmm," Jaylen felt a spark of curiosity ignite within him. Originally, he planned to meet Brandon there before going to Sarah and then Yuki, his last destination being the adventuring club.
But this was more interesting. What did he mean by 'the arcana is the means by which all is revealed'? Did he mean how by cultivating the magical energies filling the air, one got closer to the secrets of the universe?
With a thoughtful nod, Jaylen signaled his agreement, a spark of understanding lighting up his expression. "Alright, you two lead the way."
As they made their way over to the Arcana booth, the person in question was currently watching something on his handheld device.
He leaned forward, his head cradled in one hand, while the other grasped the device, a small, almost teasing smile spread across his face as he spoke, "You know these small devices are really great. Don't you agree, Neo?"
Standing beside him was a man who looked nearly identical to Jaylen yet different simultaneously. A sigh left the man's mouth as he spoke, "What are you doing? Put the cell phone away."
"Heh, why so serious, Neo? Take a seat, let's watch some Vtubers from the prime universe," he chuckled softly, gesturing to the empty chair beside him with a playful glint in his eyes that suggested he was in on a delightful secret.
Neo shot a fierce glare, his frustration palpable. He exhaled deeply, running his fingers over his temples in a futile attempt to ease the mounting tension.
"First, you pull Origin into the space of yours—now you're here using items from another which could mess with the flow of destiny. Tell me, why do you persist in messing with things involving them?" he asked, his voice tight with irritation.
"What is it so wrong for an older sibling to want to interact with his younger siblings?" With a curious glint in his eyes, he paused the video on his phone.
"Pft, the day we consider you our sibling is the day we fail to turn this multiverse into an omniverse." Neo stood with an exaggerated smirk, crossing his arms. As he shifted his weight onto one leg, he rolled his eyes with a flair that could only be described as theatrical.
"Do you really believe those twelve would be able to bear such a burden? You may be able to destroy omniverses with the flip of your finger, but they will need more time to reach that point."
The playful smile of the enigmatic figure had vanished, replaced by a serious expression that suggested there was no room for laughter. Something had shifted, and the atmosphere grew tense with unspoken words.
Neo's voice took on a weighty tone, rich with emotion, as he replied, "They'll have to. There's no other path."
"But…" Neo's gaze blazed with an unyielding resolve as he proclaimed, "Even if it takes eons, I will stand stronger than ever. Shield all of creation, and I will not take a step back!"
"Good, I'll take you at your word," the mysterious figure spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
As he strolled casually by Neo, a curious phenomenon unfolded; with each step, he began to dissolve into the very air itself, until he was nothing more than a whisper of existence.
"Haa, maybe you truly are my closest ally, unknown entity of existence." With those fateful words, Neo vanished into the ether, leaving nothing but a lingering sense of wonder in his wake.
Although both had seemingly vanished into thin air, to everyone else, it appeared as though they had simply walked away, leaving others to question the enigma surrounding the two individuals.
[1] I just wrote what i thought what would work here, but I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it does the trick.
For anyone confused, Jaylen hates the way those of weaker races act. But he can't be mad for that's their way of surviving; their survival of the fittest.