A short while before Sorciera fought the angel, Rinka had arrived at the headquarters of Silver Twilight.

Through a series of special procedures and an impossible-to-reach-by-chance route, she had finally made it to this hideout, which utilized dungeon space.

(It must be here. There’s definitely a reason they went through all this trouble.)

Rinka had realized that the escalating hatred between Kisou Academy and Mikage Academy was merely a step in a larger plan. And she had a rough idea of what that plan entailed.

(The angel’s control… No doubt, that’s the Silver Twilight’s doing. Which means their goal must be related to angels.)

Rinka advanced through the ruined temple.

Countless wires snaked across the ground, distorting the temple’s atmosphere into something grotesque. Machines strapped to pillars and discarded circuit boards were likely the failed experiments of the Silver Twilight’s geniuses.

(I need to move without being detected. If the Professor or the Doctor find me, it’s over. I don’t want to deal with Ouroboros again…)

As she cautiously proceeded, Rinka heard a voice and froze.

“……!”

Pressing herself against the wall, she tried to locate the source—but then—

“Cold?!”

The sheer frigidity of the wall made Rinka yelp involuntarily. It was a violent, biting cold, as if she had been pressed against ice.

Before she knew it, the area was filled with a chilling mist, and the ground began to freeze.

(What… is this…?!)

This wasn’t the work of the Professor or the Doctor. The phenomenon was more natural—and far more violent.

(This is bad. Did a new member join without my knowledge? If so, I need to retreat—)

Just as she thought that and tried to leave, the master of the ice revealed herself.

“Found you, you little rat!”

The wall shattered like thin ice.

And from within—a single arm shot out.

“—?!”

“Hahahaha! Got you!”

The arm effortlessly seized Rinka as she tried to dodge. Its owner then shattered the wall completely, stepping into view.

Blue hair. Crimson eyes.

Clad in Kisou Academy’s uniform, a mantle fluttering at her waist—this girl was none other than—

“You think you can fool the eyes of Hyououdou Rei?!”

(Wh—why is Kisou Academy’s student council president here?!)

The student council president, one of the S-Ranks reigning at the top of Kisou Academy alongside Rokuhara—that was Hyououdou Rei.

“You professors! Trying to ambush me with this?! Hahahaha! Futile, useless, hopeless! What can a single mediocre weakling like this do?!”

Her wide eyes brimmed with madness. Despite her reckless, brake-less-car-like demeanor, her ability usage was precise.

“Ngh… can’t… move…”

“Your body is frozen. Fool. To think you’d try to kill me… Hmph, perhaps I’ll use you as a hostage to negotiate with those professors!”

Effortlessly, Rei hoisted the immobilized Rinka onto her shoulder. Then, she froze the wall ahead and charged straight through.

“Walls are meant to be broken! Doors are meant to be smashed! And traps are meant to be crushed! Now, Professor—come out! I took your bait! Hand over the angel-control technique!”

As she shouted, Rei barreled through the pathless path. The sight of the supposedly sturdy walls freezing and shattering was breathtaking—but Rinka, slung over her shoulder, was far from calm.

(What is happening?! There’s no way Kisou Academy’s student council president should be here!)

“Why…?”

“Want to know? Of course you do! A clueless fool like you wouldn’t understand anyway! I’m sensitive to temperature differences! I can sense living beings in frozen areas! That’s how I found you and came straight here!”

“That’s… not… what I—”

Rei seemed to be misunderstanding. She cheerfully explained, her voice so loud Rinka couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

But Rinka’s thoughts didn’t stop.

(She came to steal the angel-control technique? So Kisou Academy still can’t control angels…)

By sheer coincidence, one mystery had been solved. As Rinka suspected, the Silver Twilight, disguised as Kisou Academy, was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

(If I can use her properly, maybe I can bring back some evidence…!)

Rinka’s goal was to uncover the Silver Twilight’s plans—and obtain proof that Kisou Academy was uninvolved.

“…You. You’re still hiding something, aren’t you?”

“?!”

“Looking at me like that?! How bold of you to size me up!”

While running, Rei activated her ability. Hers was a power that began with ice manipulation—and ended with the freezing of all things.

Without allowing any resistance, Rei froze Rinka’s Dive Gear. The protective programs in her expanded space ceased functioning.

“You can’t use your abilities now. So! Next, I’ll check your expanded space! You must be hiding a Relic in there—I know all about it!”

Rei forcibly pried open Rinka’s expanded space. Then, she began haphazardly grabbing its contents and stuffing them into her own.

“H-Hey… stop…!”

“Ahahahaha! Everything you own now belongs to me! Next time, be considerate and leave some snacks in there!”

Laughing boisterously, Rei acted like a petty thief, taking everything from Rinka’s assassination tools to her everyday stationery.

In any other story, such a character would inevitably face consequences—but Rei was an absolute being. Unbound by logic, she could freeze even concepts.

“Come out, Professor! This one’s out of tricks! Will you abandon your comrade?!”

“I told you… I’m not—”

Rei continued to wreak havoc, freezing everything around her. For Rinka, this was the worst possible situation.

Then—

“…I suppose this counts as falling into a trap, right?”

“! Ahahaha! Finally, Professor! Took you long enough!”

From beyond the drifting cold mist, the Professor appeared. His expression seemed somewhat troubled.

“Hmm, my apologies. We had some preparations to make. …Now then, what to do? Care for some tea?”

“Denied! This isn’t a negotiation—it’s a threat! Look, I’ve already captured your comrade!”

Rei thrust Rinka forward. The Professor and Rinka’s eyes met.

For a moment, the Professor seemed surprised—but soon, a gentle smile crossed his face.

“I see. So you survived. Glad to see you’re doing well.”

“…Shut… up…”

Rinka glared, but it changed nothing. Right now, she was utterly powerless.

“Do you not care what happens to her? Hand over the angel-control technique if you don’t want her dead!”

“I don’t mind, but… no, we don’t need that anymore.”

“…You’d abandon your own?”

“No, she’s unrelated. So your threat won’t work.”

Rei stared at Rinka in disbelief, then unfroze the area around her mouth.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, damn it! How many times do I have to say it, you idiot?! If anything, they tried to kill me—we’re enemies!”

“I see… My apologies!”

With that, Rei hurled Rinka backward. The freezing had already been undone, allowing Rinka to twist midair and land safely.

“Don’t just throw me!”

“Don’t order me around! Ugh, a rat’s a rat, but a wild one at that…! Anyway, Professor! I heard you clearly! You said you’d hand over the angel-control technique!”

Placing her hands on her hips, Rei struck a domineering pose. The Professor nodded calmly.

“Yes, I did. In return, I have a request of my own.”

“Speak.”

“Could you unfreeze Trim?”

“Denied.”

There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation.

Rei flatly rejected the Professor’s proposal.

“So that was your goal. Lure me with the angel, then ask for Trim’s release.”

“You knew, yet you came anyway? As expected of Kisou Academy’s student council president. Fearless.”

“Fear? I know none! I stand at the pinnacle! Thus, I will never allow Trim’s unfreezing!”

In an instant, Rei vanished.

Simultaneously, the Professor’s body shattered into pieces.

At a glance, it was unclear what had happened—but Rinka immediately understood.

(That was time-stop…!)

Among Rei’s abilities, the freezing of time was especially formidable. Within that frozen moment, the Professor had been shattered.

“That thing is beyond even my control. How could lesser humans hope to wield it? Besides, the Stellar Plan will proceed just fine without it.”

Looking down at the shattered Professor, Rei spat those words.

“The Silver Twilight believes there are other ways to save the world besides the Stellar Plan.”

A voice that shouldn’t have returned—

It came from the very Professor who had just been destroyed.

“Trim is a magnificent Demonsgear. It rivals even the Starreader’s Staff.”

The fragmented body reassembled itself, intertwining and regenerating. Within seconds, the Professor stood there once more, clad in his gentlemanly attire.

“…Disgusting as ever. Even freezing the soul is meaningless.”

“Now, now. Delaying my revival by even a few seconds is impressive. …That’s why, among the S-Ranks, you’re the most troublesome.”

“?!”

Trusting her instincts, Rei leaped backward.

The next instant, a black converging blast swallowed the spot where she had stood.

“Aww, thought I had you.”

“Tch! A cheap ambush like that? My student council’s used to worse!”

“Your student council’s messed up.”

A girl in a black coat landed beside the Professor, greeting him casually with a “Hey.”

“Oh? I thought you were focusing on the other side today, Nameless.”

“Slipped away. Was worried. And look—just as I thought.”

Nameless raised her X-Gear, eyeing Rei.

“Well, perfect timing for a test run. The Doctor wanted usage data anyway.”

“You! State your name!”

“I am Nameless. Nothing more, nothing less. One who does not exist in this world.”

“I see! I am Hyououdou Rei, student council president of Kisou Academy! Move aside if you value your life!”

The temperature plummeted.

With just a glance, Rei froze both the Professor and Nameless solid.

The battle seemed decided in an instant—

“Huh. Cold.”

But Nameless muttered those words lightly.

Then, black flames erupted around them, completely incinerating the ice.

“You…! That’s the newbie’s ability! I’ve been wanting to fight her, but to think the first one I’d face would be a fake!”

Far from cowering, Rei grew even more excited.

Nameless, slightly taken aback, turned to the Professor.

“What about the girl in the back?”

Rinka stiffened as she was pointed at.

Every person here could kill her with ease.

This was far beyond what she had anticipated when she came here for reconnaissance.

“An old comrade of mine. Not interested in her now.”

“I see… Mind if I deal with her first?”

Nameless teleported in front of Rinka, gripping her collar firmly.

“L-Let go! What’s your problem?!”

“Who knows? Well, let’s make this quick.”

Nameless constructed a teleportation magic circle beneath them.

“This leads to the angels’ domain. Well… you get the idea. If you’re keeping angels, you gotta feed them. No bodies left behind—cleaner this way.”

“Angels?!”

Rinka struggled harder, but Nameless sighed, looking bored.

Then, just as she was about to hurl Rinka into the magic circle with full force—

“Say hi to Sorciera for me.”

“?!”

In the brief moment before the throw, Nameless leaned in and whispered those words.

(She knows Sorciera?! Wait—is she trying to—)

But Rinka had no time to ask.

Before she could voice her question, she was flung into the magic circle—and vanished.

“Whew! Cleaning complete! No mess left behind—good, right, Professor?”

“Well, someone already made a mess of the place.”

The Professor shrugged.

“Sorry for the wait, Rei.”

“No matter. The weak perish—that is the natural order. Besides, she didn’t ask for help. No reason for me to intervene.”

“Cold as ever…”

Nameless chuckled, raising her X-Gear.

Seeing this, Rei summoned countless ice swords around her and shouted—

“Nameless! I’ll defeat you here and prove once and for all that I am the strongest!”

“What happened to the angel-control technique? Eh, whatever. Professor, mind helping?”

“I think you can win alone.”

“No time! If I don’t hurry back, I’ll get scolded. And hellish training might get even worse…!”

Nameless shuddered. The Professor smiled wryly and stood beside her.

“En garde!”

“Yeah, yeah. Ready, set—go!”

The battle between the strongest.

It began with a direct, head-on clash.