In the end, I was thoroughly scolded for destroying the old school building during my duel with Jade Calamity. Well, it's only natural. There was no way I could cause that much destruction and expect to get away with it unnoticed.

───So, this is the first lecture of my second life...

Even though the building was no longer in use as a school facility and no students besides us were there, it was still a huge mistake to demolish an academy building without permission. While the structure was deteriorating and could have been torn down at any time, it wasn’t fragile enough to collapse from just a mere student’s Rank Advancement Duel. It was still in a usable state. So, when it suddenly crumbled, it was only natural that students and faculty members would gather in a frenzy. Naturally, both Calamity-senpai and I, the culprits, were caught red-handed.

───That was seriously awkward.

And the reason was obvious. There was no way we could talk our way out of it.

Neither of us had expected to die from something like a collapsing tower, but after all that bravado, I never imagined we’d be sitting side by side in the headmaster’s office getting chewed out. Fortunately, since the building was already scheduled for demolition and there was no real damage otherwise, we weren’t officially punished for our actions.

"You’re lucky this happened during the approved Rank Advancement Duel period."

That was the verdict of Guin BClaysicle, the headmaster.

From his words alone, it was clear that under normal circumstances, we would have been hit with severe penalties. Who knows what kind of punishment would have awaited us if not for the duel period? We really dodged a bullet.

"It’s so dark..."

By the time we were finally released after a thorough scolding, night had completely taken over. There were still a few students engaged in duels at this hour, but compared to the daytime, things were much quieter.

Exhausted both physically and mentally from an unexpected duel and the subsequent lecture, I should have been filled with regret, reflecting on my thoughtless actions. But this time, I felt none of that. Well, that’s not entirely true—I do think I went overboard, and I am reflecting on it. But for some reason, I also felt oddly refreshed.

───Not that I intended for any of this to happen...

I never imagined I’d be having these thoughts after coming to this academy. I had a clear goal, and attending the academy was just a means to an end, nothing more than a stepping stone.

"Hah..."

A dry chuckle escaped me as I reached my room, where Weiss greeted me with a surprised look.

"I’m back."

"Welcome... wait, what happened to you, Clay!? That outfit—!"

"Ah... A lot happened. I fought a student from a Faction."

"Why!?"

Even after hearing my explanation, Weiss still couldn't comprehend the sorry state I was in. The hero looked utterly shocked.

Well, his reaction was reasonable. Even I had to admit—I was completely wrecked. My wounds were already healed, but my uniform was soaked in blood. This wasn’t something that would happen in a normal Rank Advancement Duel. No wonder Weiss tilted his head in confusion.

"Who the hell did you fight...?"

"Jade Calamity, the head of one of the most promising Factions and a top contender for this year’s Pentagram."

"J-Jade Calamity!?"

As I peeled off my bloodstained uniform, Weiss’ shock only deepened. From his reaction, it was clear that he knew of Calamity-senpai. To be honest, I only knew the name, so I asked in return.

"You know him?"

"Of course! He’s famous! He comes from a common family, but his talent for magic is extraordinary. Almost every student at this academy knows the title Tempest Thunder!"

"Huh... I see..."

Weiss spoke with excitement, leaving me slightly overwhelmed. Now that I thought about it, Calamity-senpai was incredibly strong. It made sense that he was famous, considering he was the leader of a Faction. But strangely, I didn’t remember him from my first life.

───Maybe I was too preoccupied with my own struggles to gather information properly.

It was clear now—my memories from my first life were unreliable. Or rather, my memory itself was unreliable. From now on, I needed to be more diligent in gathering information and exercising caution. As I resolved myself, Weiss spoke hesitantly, fidgeting slightly.

"S-So... how did the fight go? Did you actually win against Tempest Thunder?"

I felt bad for disappointing the hopeful look in his eyes and shook my head.

"Unfortunately, the duel was interrupted before we could finish. We were fighting on the rooftop, but the entire building collapsed halfway through."

"The building collapsed!?"

"Yeah, so it was a no-contest. We'll settle things in the official matches."

Weiss’ reaction was so priceless that I couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing me in a good mood, he tilted his head in curiosity.

"───So, have you decided which Faction to join?"

"...Not yet. I plan to visit the remaining two tomorrow before making a decision."

For the time being, I intended to check out all the Factions, but if I were being honest, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about joining any of them. If I wanted to stand against that Faction, a half-baked group wouldn’t cut it. Instead...

"By the way, Weiss."

"W-What?"

"What’s your Academy Rank right now?"

"Uh... I’m currently Fifth Rank. If things go well, I might be able to reach Fourth Rank soon."

"Oh...?"

His response genuinely surprised me.

Not too long ago, he was intimidated by the leader of his class. Now, he had climbed all the way to Fifth Rank, which even upperclassmen struggled to achieve. As his mentor, I couldn’t have been prouder. At the same time, the vague idea lingering in the back of my mind started to feel more realistic.

───I really wasn’t planning on this at all...

Today's duel had thrown everything off course. My life had never once gone according to plan. And yet, for some reason, I felt good today.

"If, hypothetically, I were to form a new Faction, would you join me, Weiss?"

"Eh? You mean..."

"Just hypothetically, of course."

Seeing Weiss react as if he had caught on to something, I quickly added a disclaimer.

Even though... we both knew that disclaimer meant nothing.