"Ugh..."

Gray groaned lightly as he pushed himself upright on the bed. His head felt heavy, and he blinked several times until the blurry room slowly came into focus.

"...That bastard really had to switch during the exam?" he muttered, rubbing his temples as he looked around.

Everything in the room was exactly the same except for a single new letter resting on the bedside table.

[Ahh… uh?]

Jasmien's sleepy yawn echoed inside his head, mixed with sudden surprise.

"Something wrong, Jasmien?" Gray asked, picking up the letter and tearing it open.

He scanned the contents slowly.

Most of it explained that the other Gray hadn't done anything major besides training nonstop. There were a few notes about his relationships, too—some things had gotten a bit tense, but apparently nothing Gray couldn't fix.

"...So he really didn't cause chaos this time. But he started training like a maniac… why?" Gray frowned, confused.

His eyes moved down the page. and widened.

"And the fusion… it only happens when I reach the King realm?!"

He was a little shocked, after all, although he was a little close to the King Realm... it was only in paper because to get there... would take a long time.

The realms were:

Trainee Knight/Mage → Elementary → Intermediate → Advanced → Master → Grandmaster → Great Grandmaster → King → Saint → Emperor → Sovereign.

He was only a Late Advanced Knight.

So, for Gray to reach the King realm, he still had three full realms and one minor stage to climb.

"Why the hell does it need to happen that late…?"

[...He must have some other plans. Just trust him... for now, at least.]

Gray blinked.

"What do you mean for now?" His voice sharpened a little.

Jasmien had always praised the other Gray, always spoke of him like he was a miracle waiting to happen, so her sudden change made him quite perplexed.

[He… attacked my origin.]

Gray froze.

"...What? Is that even possible?!"

[I don't know. But he did it, and because of that... It's clear that he wants the body back. Only by erasing me... can he easily take over the body. So you'd better start strengthening your soul now because when the fusion comes, only one of you gets the upper hand.]

Rip!

Gray's hand tightened until his knuckles cracked.

"That fucking bastard… trying to steal my body?"

The bitterness in his tone made Jasmien fall silent. After all… this wasn't technically "his" body at all, but she didn't correct him.

"Status!"

[———✵ Status Panel ✵———]

Name: Gray Vireux D'Aurélion [2]

Titles: Vessel of Beauty & Destruction, Exiled Noble, Incubus In Human Form

Race: Human (?)

Class: [✧ Clown (Intermediate) ✧]

Rank: Late Advanced Realm

Unique Skill: [✧Swap✧]

Unique Talent: Nullification [200/200]

Active Skills: Puppet Strings (Class), Madman's Mirror (Class), Nine Illusionary Dream Steps [0% (9th Step)], Dimensional Storage

Passive Skills: Blessing of Beauty (Vessel Skill), Laughing Veil (Class), Combat Intuition

Ultimate Skills: Final Masquerade (Class)

——+——+——+——

"...Nothing changed at all."

[What exactly were you expecting?]

"Well… last time my class went up in grade—" Gray shrugged slightly.

[That was because the other Gray didn't care about getting the body back, so he helped you. But now he wants it.]

Gray's eyes darkened at Jasmine's words.

"I need to clear off my mind," he exhaled and stepped out of his dorm.

Today was Monday... so he didn't have any important classes, in other words, it wouldn't be a problem skipping them.

"...Oh, I forgot to check out the suit he bought for the ball..." Gray stopped in his tracks, but then continued going forward either way.

And without realizing... he had reached the training grounds, where he went to a private room with a motionless dummy.

His eyes looked over it, and instantly... a rage overwhelmed his body.

His fingers twitched instantly.

Snap.

Fwish!

Thin silver strings shot out from his gloves, slicing through the air, wrapping around the dummy's neck, torso, arms, legs.

"MOVE."

Gray yanked.

The strings tightened, digging into the dummy's reinforced wood. The surface cracked, splinters snapping off.

He pulled harder, causing his shoulders to flex, his muscles to tense, mana flooding into every tendon, but the dummy didn't break.

The strings shook violently, vibrating in frustration.

"Come on… COME ON!"

He dragged his arm back like he was trying to rip the whole thing apart with brute force, but the reinforced dummy refused to give in.

Every slice barely left dents as mana sparks flickered and died on impact.

"Tch."

He snapped his wrist, the strings retreating back into the gloves with a hiss, swallowing the rage for a single breath.

BANG!

Then, his fist smashed into the dummy with a sound so loud it echoed off all four walls.

"WHY?!"

Another punch.

THUD!

"WHY WOULD HE WANT THE BODY?!"

Another.

BAAAM!

His shoulders twisted violently, every muscle straining as he slammed his knuckles into the dummy's chest. He didn't even feel the pain as his rage drowned it out completely.

"WHY NOW?! WHY AFTER EVERYTHING?!"

His voice cracked, raw and filled with confusion he refused to admit.

His breath came out ragged and uneven. He stepped forward and threw a right hook that rocked the dummy back.

CRACK!

The frame holding the dummy in place creaked loudly.

Gray didn't stop.

His left fist slammed forward next, tearing through the air with a dull whomp.

"WHY DOES HE WANT TO ERASE ME?!"

He punched again.

His legs shifted automatically, one step forward, hips turning, spine straight, the perfect form of someone who had been fighting since childhood.

But there was nothing elegant now as his technique was drowned under pure emotion.

BAAM!

His knuckles dug deeper into the thick material.

"THIS IS MY BODY TOO!"

Another punch.

"MY LIFE!"

Another...

"My… existence…"

He barely recognized his own voice anymore.

It had turned quite hoarse... and it was even trembling.

Sweat rolled down his neck, fell down his chin, and dripped onto the floor.

His fists blurred.

Thud, thud, thud!

His breathing grew harsher.

"WHY?!" he roared again, his fist smashing directly into the dummy's core.

The air shook.

His glove tore slightly.

And still, the damn dummy stood there silently, as if mocking him.

Gray's punches slowed.

His arms trembled, and then, he took one more step forward and slammed his fist with everything he had left.

BOOM!

The sound rang out like a small explosion.

And then… nothing.

His fist stayed pressed against the dummy, his forehead leaning forward, sweat dripping down, falling onto the wooden surface.

His breath poured out in shaky waves.

"Why… why does he want to take everything from me…?" he whispered, voice hollow, broken in a way he didn't want anyone in the world to hear.

Silence filled the room.

Slowly, his fingers loosened as his hands dropped to his sides.

And just at that moment...

[Don't worry... I'm here with you, aren't I?]

A soft, warm voice flowed through his mind.

Gray froze.

Just those words... those simple words made something inside him unclench.

His breath steadied just a little.

[With the power of my soul… he will never be able to beat us.]

A faint shimmer appeared in the air behind him, and then a translucent shadow of Jasmien's figure manifested, her form made of soft golden light.

She moved without sound, drifting closer until she was directly behind him.

Her arms gently wrapped around his chest.

A slow, warm embrace, the kind meant to stop someone from falling apart.

Her touch sank into him like sunlight on frozen skin.

"Haah... fuuu..."

His breathing slowly calmed down as he felt the warmth radiating from Jasmine's soul form, and his fists slowly loosened up.

[You're not alone in this.]

Jasmine's voice brushed against his ear like warm breath.

Her head rested gently between his shoulder blades, the light of her spiritual form curling around him in a soft embrace.

[I'll make sure of it.]

Gray's eyes lowered, then slowly closed.

Slowly... his body wasn't so tense anymore, his fists weren't shaking, and the violent edge in his mind began to melt away.

They stayed like that for nearly twenty minutes with Gray breathing quietly, Jasmine holding him from behind, her soothing presence keeping his thoughts from spiraling again.

Only when his heartbeat returned to a calm rhythm did her figure slowly dissolve into thin golden wisps that drifted into the air.

Gray opened his eyes and exhaled.

He pushed himself upright, brushing the dust and sweat from his clothes.

His expression had changed completely—no more rage twisting in his hypnotic irises, no scattered thoughts or confusion.

Only a sharp determination remained.

"…I can do this."

BAAAM!

A sudden force surged through his body; it felt like something inside his core burst open.

He staggered for a second as a wave of power rushed through his limbs, filling him with a heat so dense it nearly made him gasp.

A breakthrough!

He was deeply surprised as he didn't think that clearing out his thoughts would actually make him break through to the peak of the Advanced Realm!

"Seriously… clearing my head was all I needed?" he muttered, eyes widening at the strength spreading through him.

He clenched his fists, then opened them again, feeling the way his mana flowed smoother, cleaner, stronger.

He was now at the peak of the Advanced Realm.

He could almost laugh.

"Haah… one more realm and I'm officially a Master."

His voice trembled with excitement.

He wanted more... Gray needed more!

He needed to close the distance between himself and the other Gray as quickly as possible.

So, he didn't have any time to waste, and instantly, his eyes locked on the motionless dummy next to him.

He decided directly that he would increase his training hours, to be able to compete with the other Gray, since the other Gray couldn't cultivate when he was sleeping!

He would take advantage of the fact that he had more time controlling the body than the other Gray had, and surpass him!

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