Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 52: Tremendous Impact

Chapter 52: Tremendous Impact

Klaus inadvertently swallowed.

The moment he had been dreading had finally arrived. It was inevitable. As if woven by some twisted fate, he was destined to face off against this girl. Fortunately, this was just rudimentary training. He didn’t even want to imagine what he would do if they were actually forced to fight to the death on a battlefield.

Noticing his tense shoulders, Adrian slapped his back with a grin.

"Why are you so tense? Are you scared, perhaps?"

"Eh? What are you even talking about? Why would I be scared?"

"Hmm. So I was mistaken? That’s my bad. But then... why are you shaking so much?"

"..."

Adrian chuckled, clearly amused by Klaus’s silence.

"Relax, man. It’s not like she’s going to kill you... probably. I’ve noticed how she has been staring at you for a while. Maybe she’s holding a grudge of some kind."

Klaus shot him a glare.

"Damn it, that’s not helping at all!"

"Ha ha! You don’t have to be too worked up. I’m just messing with ya~ Also, do you know you look really scary when you glare at me like that?"

"You...!!"

Klaus wanted to say something, but before he could, Instructor Kai’s voice boomed across the room.

"Nikolaus and Seraphim! Step forward!"

Just like that, Klaus’s uneasy intensified. He forced himself to move, stepping onto the arena with legs that felt far too heavy. Across from him was Seraphim standing with a longsword in hand, maintaining her unreadable expression. The air around her was cold, unnervingly so that it only made her seem more terrifying.

Klaus took a deep breath.

Stay calm. Think. Just because she hasn’t used her ability yet doesn’t mean she won’t against you.

As he continuously repeated the words remain calm in his heart, something within him shifted. Like a gear clicking into place, a sudden change overtook him. His eyes turned icy cold, his unease and anxiety dissolving, washed away by an unknown tide.

It was as if he was no longer Nikolaus Reinhardt but something else lurking in the depths.

Unaware of this subtle change, Instructor Kai raised his hand.

"Begin!"

In that instant—

BAANG!!

A tremendous impact echoed. Accompanied by a loud crushing sound, before the instructor could even lower his hand, before anyone could blink, the moment the match started, Seraphim received a devastating blow on her face and flew out of the arena. Her body twisted in the air like a broken doll, spinning violently before crashing onto the ground with a dull thud.

Only then did the spectators register what had happened.

Klaus had punched Seraphim the moment the Instructor raised the signal. It was so fast that no one had seen the actual moment of contact or even when he moved from his position.

It was like his entire body had transformed into a sniper shot. He has simply vanished from everyone’s eyes.

At that moment, Klaus’ murderous eyes slowly regained their original light.

"Huh? W-what happened?"

He muttered, staring at his outstretched hand in confusion. For that matter, when did he move from his position? Had the match started?

Filled with those chaotic thoughts, his entire body froze in place.

Silence blanketed the training hall.

Every eye was locked on Seraphim’s unmoving body, sprawled across the ground. Blood gushed out from her mouth and nose, especially her nose which seemed to have been broken. Not only was she unconscious, from a certain perspective, it even seemed like she was dead.

Instructor Kai was the first to react. His figure blurred as he rushed toward Seraphim and knelt beside her to check her condition. The moment his fingers touched her pulse, he turned his head toward the still confused Klaus.

"What the hell was that?!"

Klaus took a step back. "I-I don’t know. I just—"

"Save whatever excuses you have in that mouth."

The instructor interrupted him. Even though he was currently wearing a blindfold, Klaus assumed he was glaring at him.

"Didn’t I say that this was only training? So why did I sense murderous intent behind that punch?! Were you trying to kill a student in my presence?!"

"N-No! I—"

"Shut it! You’re banned from attending this class until further notice!!"

Saying that, Instructor Kai gestured for the medics to come forward.

"Take her to the infirmary immediately! This is the end of the lesson today. Everyone return to your dorms!"

The students hesitated, glancing at one another, unsure whether to leave or linger. The tension in the air was heavy, and all eyes kept shifting between Klaus and the unconscious Seraphim.

Adrian, who had been watching everything unfold, clenched his jaw and quickly approached Klaus.

"Hey, what the hell just happened?" he whispered urgently. "You weren’t like this a second ago!"

Klaus didn’t respond. He was still staring at his trembling hands, his mind clouded with confusion.

It wasn’t normal.

The moment the match started, something he couldn’t pinpoint had taken over. A sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was as if his body had moved on its own... no, it was as if something else had guided him.

But what?

Ah, that is...

His eyes widened. The weight of what had just happened finally sank in. He had injured someone, badly. Worse, he had no memory of doing it.

It doesn’t matter whether he understood what had happened, it doesn’t change the fact that he had tried to actually murder Seraphim.

Yes, that was right. What had overtaken his mind was undoubtedly murderous intent and one at dangerous levels.

His hands trembled.

What... what the hell was that just now?

† †

Inside the infirmary, Klaus listened intently as a woman in a white laboratory robe, with a green knitted turtleneck underneath, explained Seraphim’s condition.

From her attire, he assumed she was the nurse. While he had known about the infirmary, this was his first time actually visiting it, making this their first encounter. He could immediately tell she had a pleasant aura. Still,

...What a beauty.

Short, jet black hair, venom-green eyes and beautiful features. She possessed an undeniable allure, with her figure perfectly balanced between grace and confidence. Even her voice, smooth yet carrying a slight huskiness, added to her charm. Compared to Sasha, her curves were even more pronounced, but there was something more captivating about her that he couldn’t pinpoint.

"Aspirant Nikolaus, are you listening?"

"Ah, yes. Please continue."

The nurse Vespera raised her eyebrow at him for a few moments. Then, she let out a quiet sigh before pushing up the bridge of her glasses.

"As I was saying, Aspirant Seraphim suffered a broken nose, a slight skull fracture, and mild internal bleeding. She’s stable for now, but she needs proper rest. A few days in the infirmary should be enough for her to recover."

Klaus swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at his insides.

He barely remembered what had happened, but the consequences were all too clear. His knuckles tightened at his sides as he hesitated before asking,

"And... she’ll be fine, right?"

"The answer to your question would be ’yes.’ However, the appropriate answer would be that she’s stable for now. There’s still a possibility that her condition might change," Vespera added with a calm smile. "But you don’t have to worry about her health. My healing prowess is not to be underestimated, after all. There’s no one better than me in this field, so she’s safe in my hands."

"I see. Thank you."

Saying so, Klaus bowed his head to show his gratitude.

"While we’re at the subject, do you mind explaining what explained? I already received a rough explanation from Lancer Kai, but it would be better if I heard it from your mouth, yes?"

"T-That..."

Klaus’s expression turned sour. Then, he continued:

"To be honest, I don’t really know what happened. One moment, I was preparing myself for the fight, and the next... it was over. I don’t even remember moving."

Vespera tilted her head slightly.

"So you don’t remember throwing the punch?"

Klaus shook his head, his hands still clenched at his sides.

"No. I just... something inside me clicked, and then everything went blank."

Vespera hummed thoughtfully, tapping a manicured finger against her chin.

"That is rather concerning. Temporary loss of control over one’s actions, especially in combat, is not something to be taken lightly."

Klaus felt his stomach sink further. He had already known that, but hearing it from someone else made it worse.

"So, what does that mean? Do you think I was possessed or something?"

Vespera chuckled softly.

"Possession? No, I highly doubt that. But... you said something clicked inside you. Almost like a trigger, yes? Have you ever felt something like that before?"

Klaus hesitated to answer. He had never experienced anything this extreme. The only thing remotely close to it was when he fought that strange Shadow Wolf inside the Nightmare. Perhaps he should tell her about that... but he didn’t want to reveal anything related to his Attribute.

Vespera noticed his hesitation and said with a firm voice but not unkind:

"Aspirant Nikolaus, I suggest you undergo a full evaluation. There could be underlying factors at play like mental conditioning, or something more... insidious."

Klaus stiffened.

"Something more insidious?"

She smiled faintly.

"I do not mean to alarm you. But whatever happened back there, it wasn’t normal. And if it happens again, you might not just injure someone. You might kill them if proper care is not taken."

Her words settled over his mind like a gray fog. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet her gaze.

"...What do you suggest I do?"

Vespera leaned back, satisfied that he was taking this seriously.

"First, you should rest. Your mind is clearly shaken, and stress will only worsen the situation. After that, we’ll conduct some tests. Until then..." She gestured toward the infirmary bed where Seraphim lay unconscious. "... I suggest you reflect on what happened today. And prepare yourself for whatever we might uncover."

"... Right."

On Vespera’s words, Klaus nodded, his tone subdued. He painfully understood the situation. Fortunately, Seraphim’s life wasn’t in danger right now, but that didn’t change the fact that he could have killed her if he hadn’t subconsciously pulled back his punch.

Suddenly, the academy’s broadcast sounded:

[Ms. Vespera, please report to the staff room at once. I repeat—]

"...Oh, right."

Vespera sighed wearily and walked toward her desk on the opposite wall from the beds.

She pulled open a drawer and took out some documents.

"Sorry, I have to attend a meeting for a while. I won’t be able to attend to Seraphim in the meantime, but someone else will come and take my place. So, take this."

Saying so, she tossed something small and silver to him. Klaus caught it reflexively.

"That’s the key to the infirmary. I’ll inform the instructors, so lock the door and return the key later."

Leaving those words behind, Vespera turned toward the door. Then, she suddenly paused.

"Ah, I forgot to mention, you don’t have to be anxious. This entire incident would be listed as an accident during sparring so you won’t be facing any charges."

"Why so?"

"If that was not the case, then you would have already been punished. Attempted murder is a serious crime y’know?"

"...!" Klaus gulped whereas Vestera continued:

"However, that is not happening so you should be at ease. And her condition is quite good after being healed so we won’t have to worry about any potential accidents unless something shifts in her condition. I’ll also talk to Instructor Kai to revoke your punishment considering this is an accident."

"Thank you."

"No," Vestera shook her head. "You don’t have to thank me. In the first place, Kai has always been so strict due to something that happened in the past. He’s actually a chill guy if you get to know him, but I will only be able to do this once. If you try something like this again, then you won’t get off this easy. Understood?"

"Yes."

With that, Vestera nodded and exited the room. Then, she stopped midway once again and turned back.

"Also, there’s something I forgot to say..."

"...Yes?"

"Please, for the love of God, don’t bring girls in here and fuck inside this room. This is an infirmary! Too many sneaky idiots try to do just that. If you don’t know this already, I hate cleaning up after them. I won’t tell any of you to stop screwing around, but at least have the decency to do it somewhere else. That’s a sickbed. There are plenty of other spots like behind the academy, for instance."

"Wait, wha—?"

Klaus immediately froze in confusion. How had the conversation taken this turn? More importantly... there are people who actually do that in the infirmary?

Vestera continued seriously.

"While we all share the common goal of obtaining the Intelligence of a higher power, we’re not gods, ourselves included. There are things we can do and things we can’t. We were once like you. But if you can at least follow the school rules to some extent, I’ll make sure to protect you. So don’t do anything that would turn us against you. Don’t fuck in places you shouldn’t, and more importantly, don’t try to murder your companions. You never know who might end up saving your life in the Shadow Realm."

Saying that, Vespera left the room this time for sure.