“Primordial Dark?” the white-haired girl asked.

Anya transformed into her human form. Everyone looked surprised except for the girl.

“His body is the vessel of an annoying guy who commands all darkness in existence”, she said.

I love it when you praise me like that, Anya, Noir chuckled.

“No wonder she looked familiar. You’re not just a regular human if you have the Sword of Records”, the white-haired girl looked at me.

More demons arrived on the scene. Now that things were resolved, I should do what I was supposed to do.

“I’m going back to jail”, I said.

That sounds so wrong out of context, Noir commented.

“Wait. The jail isn’t a good place to talk. If what you say is true, then I’m going to have to take you to the Underworld Academy. I’m sure Dr. Choco would like to talk with you”, the white-haired girl told me.

“And who is the one taking us? It’s unfair if we’re the only ones who introduced ourselves”, Anya said.

Only Mikage introduced himself. That girl knew who you are without you telling it, Noir muttered.

Shut up, her voice echoed in my mind.

Can you guys not fight inside my mind? I asked them.

“I’m sorry. My name is Ayame Nakiri, the student council president of the Underworld Academy”, the white-haired girl introduced herself.

Wow. The Demon Realm must be in serious trouble if a student council president is doing things like these, Noir said.

“I’ll be bringing this man to the Underworld Academy. Are there any objections?” she faced the other demons.

“None, ma’am”, one of them said.

The demons in the same uniform picked up the unconscious demon who I just saved. After that, Ayame motioned me to follow her and she walked forward.

“You’re pretty influential. I thought it was only in fiction where student council presidents have impossible authority”, I tried to start a conversation with her.

“The Underworld Academy is an elite school that was built the moment the Demon Realm was founded. 4 out of 5 influential people in the history of the Demon Realm graduated from it. That’s why being the student council president of the Underworld Academy gives me a lot of authority”, she answered.

“Yoclesh and Oga are alumni of the Underworld Academy. If I remember correctly, Oga was the top student in his entire batch”, Anya told me.

“Oga is that amazing?

Ayame stopped in her tracks as her eyes beamed when she heard what I said.

“Oga?? Are you saying you know Oga Aragami?” she asked.

“Yeah. He’s my friend”, I answered.

“You have that person as your friend?!” 

“Why is something wrong with him?” 

“Nothing’s wrong with him! It’s just that he’s a legend in the Underworld Academy! He had the highest recorded grades in the Underworld Academy and achieved the highest possible rank before the end of his first year! He is also one of the rare demons who is able to go into his demon form!”

“Are you looking up to him?” Anya asked.

“Any demon looks up to him! He’s a legend! Although he disappeared after the Dark Times, his legends lived on! To think he’s still alive now!”

Was Oga really that amazing? He just looked like an approachable and nice dude.

Then again, he wasn’t even taking me seriously in the Idol Fan Tournament. He easily defeated me with a surprise attack with his shadow. If Noir didn’t take over my body, Oga wouldn’t even need to use his demon form.

Pssh. He’s nothing. No fighter can win if their own shadow betrays them, Noir scoffed.

We continued walking towards the center of the city. And I realized the greatness of the Underworld Academy when we arrived there.

I thought that the building in the center of the city was a palace where the king of the Demon Realm lived. It was a black-white castle that was far larger than the castles I saw back in my old world. There were many towers and each of them were higher than the Merak Tower in the Peafowl Kingdom. However, the sign in front of the gates told me otherwise.

“Now then, Mikage Kamishiro and Sword of Records, welcome to the Underworld Academy!” Ayame grinned.

###

I faced my palm towards a restrained demon and darkness came out of his body. After a minute, I drained all of the strange energy from him.

“Amazing. You really can drain that energy”, a blonde woman said.

Two black horns were on her head and a pair of black wings were on her back. She was wearing a white lab coat over a pink blouse.

“Do you believe me now, Dr. Choco?” I asked.

“I’ve seen you do it many times already so it’s safe to arrive at that conclusion”, she said.

Her Excellular rang and she picked it up. While she was talking to whoever else it was, I went to the next demon and absorbed the strange energy in him.

I already cured thirteen demons. There were still thirty of them. If these many people had that strange energy inside them, the Demon Realm was in danger.

“Are you okay, Mikage?” Anya asked.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked back.

“If I’m correct, you’re absorbing that energy. The last time you did, you went out of control and lost your memories.”

“I don’t feel anything weird right now. Maybe I have a tolerance for it. Or maybe because Noir is here, I won’t go out of control. Right, Noir?”

…Huh? What? he asked.

“Were you even listening?” Anya asked.

Sorry. Lots of things are on my mind.

What are you thinking about now? I asked.

It’s nothing important. Don’t mind me please.

That was odd. Noir was being timid right now. What could he be thinking about which made him like that?

Time passed and I finished draining the energy from all of the demons. All of them passed out but according to Noir, their lives were no longer in danger.

“Thank you, Mikage. I was worried that I might lose another life thanks to that strange energy”, Dr. Choco bowed down.

“Lose another life?”

“It’s best if we exchange information in the nurse’s office. We can have the rest of the staff take care of these demons”, Ayame interrupted us.

We went to the nurse’s office and Dr. Choco brewed some coffee. She handed Anya, Ayame, and I some cups and we took a sip.

“From the analysis of other professors who used advanced machines, we can say that all of the patients you cured before have no trace of that strange energy inside them. Thank you, Mikage”, Dr. Choco bowed down once more.

“So what exactly is happening in the Demon Realm? Why is everyone getting that strange energy?” I asked.

“It all happened more than four months ago. One demon started attacking anyone in sight. And when he was detained and taken to professionals, we found out that there’s a strange energy inside him”, Ayame explained.

“We don’t know anything about the strange energy except that it converts the Life Force into power. I already cooperated with many magicians and scientists but the only thing we could do was weaken the strange energy and slow down the conversion. Thanks to our lack of ability, many demons have already died”, Dr. Choco added.

“Which brings us to you. How are you able to drain that strange energy?” 

“I honestly don’t know. All I know is that the strange energy is somehow related to the Primordial Dark inside me since I can freely manipulate it. I think it’s some sort of Dark Magic since I can control it as the vessel of the Primordial Dark”, I answered.

No. It’s not Dark Magic. It’s different, Noir said.

“What do you mean?” Anya asked.

If it was magic, then they could easily find ways to remove it. There are many ways to remove magic, after all. You guys are dealing with something different. Something that is a part of me.

“A part of you?”

The Dark Corruption.

“Excuse me but are you talking to someone right now?” Ayame asked.

Ah.

“Oh yeah. They can’t hear Noir”, Anya said.

“Do I have to pass the message to everyone?” I groaned.

There’s no need for that. Mikage, enter Synchronicity and call that white-haired shorty, Noir told me.

You mean Ars? I asked.

You know, she’ll kill you if she finds out you called her short, Anya said.

Just do it, Noir told me.

Anya held my hand as I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.

“Synchronicity Release!” 

My clothes transformed into a black outfit and Anya began glowing.

Oiii! Shorty! Get over here! Noir shouted.

There was no response.

Ummm… Ars? I need your help, I said.

Are you implying that I’m short? her annoyed voice rang in my mind.

I’m sorry. I’m seriously sorry, I apologized to her.

I call it how I see it! But that’s not important right now. Lend me a bit of your power. I would want to do it myself but I can only control darkness, Noir chuckled.

If you want someone’s help, be more respectful to them!

I’m sorry for telling the truth that you are a short girl. Now can we please move on? Mikage can’t possibly keep Synchronicity for a long time.

… Fine. I’d rather not argue against something that can easily overpower me.

Noir explained his plan to her and Ars instructed me on what I should do.

And then, a black-haired man appeared in the room. He looked exactly like me except that the sclera of his eyes were black and his irises were red.

“Is this Mind Magic which lets us see illusions?” Dr. Choco asked.

“Got that correct, Dr. Choco! That saves a lot of explanation so I’m going straight to the point”, Noir said.

All of us were ready to hear what he had to say. Since he was the Primordial Dark and he could manipulate the strange energy, he must know something.

“Now let’s have a crash course on the thing known as the Dark Corruption!”