Before he knew it, it was already five in the afternoon.
Dark grabbed a few pastries in the snack room to tide himself over, washed them down with a cup of "flavorless black tea," and packed up to leave the library.
He'd still drawn on "Pride" today to build up a reserve. His goal was to earn as many credits as possible before Friday afternoon, then trade them for a container with a longer shelf life and return the Thought Bottle to Professor Kazel.
As he passed Emma, Dark happened to catch a glimpse of what she seemed to be studying: The Value of Currency?
He was a little taken aback. Was the girl going down the wrong path?
Thinking of the argument she'd had with Victor and Robert over credit debt, Dark couldn't help shaking his head.
Astronomy class was held in the Spiral Clock Tower, at the center of St. Marian Castle.
Students had to climb the outer spiral staircase all the way to the twelfth floor to reach Professor Didi's astronomy classroom.
If they didn't set out early, it was easy to arrive late.
Dark was glad he'd always made a habit of getting to class ahead of time.
This lesson was still attended by all four houses. The students from Magister House were clearly more interested in astronomy; quite a few were already in the classroom, whispering excitedly before Dark arrived.
All in all, Professor Didi was a very kind pixie. As the head of Fool House, she never got the least bit angry, even when taking points from students.
And once class was over, she was very easy to talk to.
She didn't mind the students chattering away in the classroom like they were now.
—Yes, Professor Didi was already sitting at the lectern.
Six o'clock sharp.
The bell didn't ring.
Instead, a resounding chime heralded the change from day to night!
"Dong!"
The chime echoed across the campus.
The sun set. The moon rose.
On the dimming spiral staircase, Victor and Robert bounded upward like rabbits, doing their best to hurry.
They'd set their alarms and gotten up right on time—then lazed in bed for another ten minutes before rushing out of their dormitory.
Naturally, they hadn't eaten.
And of course, they hadn't slept well.
Their billionth game of Magic Chess before bed had cost them precious sleep.
Running on empty and sprinting at the last minute only made their exhaustion worse.
"We're done for!"
The despairing chime struck them right in the heart.
"Bang!"
They flung open the door and charged into the classroom!
"Five points each, Gaude and Broheim."
Professor Didi didn't even turn to look at them. She simply began drawing a moon on the blackboard.
She was clearly planning to teach astronomy related to the moon that lesson.
Victor and Robert slunk into the classroom and sat down in another corner of the back row.
As for the credits they'd lost, the two of them didn't care as much anymore.
It wasn't as if they could scrape together enough anyway, was it?
Ha ha.
Since this was the first astronomy class of the year, Professor Didi didn't teach anything too advanced.
Once class was into its second half, she suddenly waved her hand, and the classroom ceiling turned transparent.
It was as if it had become a mirror of water, bringing the night sky within reach.
The students had never observed the moon from so close.
Above the rippling, inky-black night sky hung a full moon that filled their vision, like a jade plate!
"Wow!"
The classroom's dull atmosphere vanished.
In an instant, it grew lively.
Professor Didi watched the children point at the full moon and chatter excitedly, her expression gentle. This time, she didn't stop them.
But two people couldn't suppress the surging excitement in their hearts as they stared at the moon from so close.
One was Dark.
The other was Victor.
Victor Gaude Into the Abyss
By the time Astronomy ended, night had fallen.
Only the bright full moon hung high in the sky.
Only then did the students realize that tonight was the night of the full moon!
Dark Dimon walked down a narrow path, keeping well away from the crowds. He needed to find a secluded corner and calm down.
St. Marian's castle was full of passages that connected to one another, and at night, Golems patrolled the halls.
He avoided the Golems and found a nearby window. He squeezed himself into the opening and perched sideways on the sill. Tilting his head back, he could see the full moon in the night sky.
Staring directly at the full moon from close range atop the Clock Tower had made his emotions surge beyond his control. His whole body felt a little warm.
The cause was undoubtedly "Bliss" at work!
The [Bliss +1] drifting slowly across his field of vision made him realize that the moon symbolized "Bliss"!
Until now, he'd never imagined that the Seven Deadly Sins could be so closely connected to the stars.
The Great Sins, said to be the source of evil.
The stars, hailed as the origin of the gods.
How could they be connected?
What was the true nature of the Great Sins?
Thinking was a kind of movement.
Once it began, it was hard to stop.
Dark's gaze shifted, and he suddenly noticed a figure darting across the Outer Bridge below.
It seemed someone else, like him, couldn't stand the solitude of the night.
Victor Gaude knew he'd reached a crossroads in his life.
He'd transferred his credits to Robert earlier, leaving himself with just thirty.
With the hundred credits he'd received, Robert could finally go to Professor Kazel and buy the materials for making a Magic Phantom Beast, which cost a hundred credits per set.
He'd heard that the materials for making a Magic Phantom Beast were quite expensive, and that the chance to buy them for a hundred credits only came during this early stage.
There was only one night left before the next Magic Guidance class. Tonight was Robert's last chance.
This was a crucial moment. Victor should have been by Robert's side, helping him with the assignment.
But he'd slipped away while Robert went to see Professor Kazel.
This was Victor's first time going out alone at night.
When the enormous castle surrounded him and no one else was around, it inevitably felt lonely and eerie.
Victor was fairly brave, but he still couldn't help folding his arms and shivering.
The chill gradually faded only when he reached an Outer Bridge and focused his attention on the thick Black Leather Book in his hands.
Once he was sure the moonlight could shine straight onto it, Victor opened the cover by its light. A short sentence met his eyes:
[Enter the abyss, and gaze into it.]
The moonlight fell upon the words. The neat lettering suddenly began to tremble in Victor's vision, then transformed into another kind of writing—one he had never seen before, yet could somehow understand.
→[Part the mist, behold the truth. The full moon will guide you.]
He'd found the book Into the Abyss on his second day at school, when he first entered the library.
He'd been looking for information on the Minotaur to complete his Summoning Technique assignment.
That was when he found Into the Abyss hidden away in a corner.
After Robert confirmed that he was the only one who could see the words change, Victor wondered whether to call it a pleasant surprise or a sense of destiny.
He felt very much as if he'd been "chosen."
His surname was Gaude, and his bloodline came from the legendary Hero. But aside from the welcome and congratulations he'd received from his fellow students at first, he hadn't felt anything special about being the Son of the Hero.
Not until he discovered this book!
"Full moon!"
The words alone were fascinating.
After more than a month of fun, he'd almost forgotten about the book hidden in his drawer.
Then, tonight, he'd gazed at the full moon from close range in Astronomy class.
Only then had Victor remembered the book.
Unable to contain his excitement, he'd taken it with him and come here.
After the moonlight had shone on the page for about fifteen seconds, the transformed text changed once more.
Pink mist rose and gathered into a shape that pointed the way.
Victor's heart leapt with joy, and he immediately ran after it.
Upstairs, Dark was sitting sideways on the windowsill and happened to witness the whole thing. He even saw the pink arrow that only certain people could see, and his expression gradually turned strange.
"Should I follow him, or just leave him to it?"
If this had happened yesterday, Dark would definitely have pretended he hadn't seen a thing.
But tonight, he couldn't calm his mind.
He took out his Sorting Card and infused it with a trace of magic, summoning DemiDevimon.
"Go. Follow him."
"On it!"
DemiDevimon immediately spread its wings and flew down.
Before you continue