"What?!" Yami was stunned beyond words. "Say that again. I think I misheard you."

"A demon told me," Derek replied, keeping his voice calm even though he knew how absurd it sounded.

"Seriously? And you expect me to believe that?"

"You can believe it or not," Derek said evenly. "But every word I said is true."

Yami didn't respond right away. He sat there in silence, thinking deeply. Only after a while did he continue, "And how exactly did you meet this demon? Why would it reveal its purpose to you? And how did you return unharmed if you really encountered one? Don't tell me you expect me to believe you beat a demon senseless and forced it to talk."

"No. I didn't," Derek said.

Before Yami could speak again, Derek continued quickly, "My father did. Back when he was still alive, we once came across a demon." He continued as if he were sharing a story. "We were traveling through a dense forest when it ambushed us. It was a weak one, thankfully. My father managed to kill it, and we escaped without any injuries. But before it died, it… threatened us. Said that even if we killed one, its brethren would seek revenge and treat us like livestock."

He fabricated the entire story, and even he felt how unbelievable it sounded. Yami could sense something was off — maybe Derek wasn't telling the whole truth — but he was certain about one thing: Derek did know about demons. 'He really knows something… maybe he just can't trust me enough to share everything yet,' Yami thought.

Meanwhile, sweat trickled down Derek's back. He could feel how ridiculous his own lie sounded. 'Please… don't ask more about how I learned about them…'

Silence settled again.

Then Yami asked quietly, "What else do you know about these demons?"

"They are cold, cruel… and if they aren't handled properly, they will eventually bring destruction to this world," Derek answered with firm, unwavering eyes.

"And how can you say that?" Yami asked sharply. "Just from meeting one demon, which you claim to be a weak one?"

"Yes," Derek said with absolute confidence.

"And why do you think that? What makes you so sure?" Yami pressed.

This time, Derek fell silent. On one hand, he couldn't reveal that he had actually returned in time — and even if he wanted to, no one would believe it. On the other hand, he had to interrogate Peter. And without Yami's cooperation, that would be impossible.

After thinking for a long moment, Derek finally spoke again. "Master… I know everything I'm saying sounds ridiculous. And I can't explain how I know it. Or rather, I don't want to. Not yet. So if possible… please trust me. Let me talk to that instructor."

Yami didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at Derek with sharp, piercing eyes, as if trying to peel away every layer of his thoughts.

"Fine," he said at last. "I'll let you talk to him."

He stood up and pushed open the chamber door, stepping out into the hallway. Derek rose quickly and followed. For some reason, Yami decided to place his trust in Derek. In the end, what mattered wasn't where Derek learned it — but what he knew about demons.

They left the house and walked across the back side of the academy grounds. After a series of turns, they reached a small, single-story building.

Yami stepped inside, Derek right behind him.

Two guards were standing inside, but the moment they saw Yami, they bowed respectfully and didn't ask anything.

Yami then pressed his thumb against a specific spot on the wall. With a faint tremor, part of the wall shifted, revealing a narrow, hidden door. Yami entered without hesitation, and Derek followed.

Inside, the atmosphere changed immediately. It wasn't bright — only a few dim lamps hung along the walls of a descending staircase, their flickering light barely illuminating the way.

They walked down in silence.

Soon, they reached the underground — a row of prison cells buried beneath the academy.

Yami headed straight toward one specific cell.

Inside was a man whose face was barely recognizable, three of his four limbs severed, clothes drenched and hardened with dried blood.

It was Peter.

Yami stopped in front of the cell. "Peter," he said coldly. "I brought some good news for you. Our little friend here wants to ask you a few questions. Be a good boy and I might give you a day off from your… care."

By 'care,' he meant torture.

Peter slowly raised his head, his dull eyes struggling to focus. When he recognized Derek, a faint, broken smile appeared on his face. "Oh… It's you. I thought you died. Guess luck was on your side after all," he murmured, sounding like a man who had already given up on life.

Derek didn't bother responding to that. He simply stepped closer, stopping just a few centimeters away from the cell bars.

"Why were you working with demons?" Derek asked.

Peter's eyes narrowed, but he remained silent.

"He asked you a question, Peter," Yami warned. "Answer it, unless you want me to resume your treatment."

Instead of answering, Peter croaked, "How do you know about demons?" The moment Derek had mentioned demons earlier, the question had been eating at him. Now, hearing it again, he was certain — Derek knew things he absolutely shouldn't know.

"I don't think you're in a position to ask questions," Derek replied calmly. "You were an instructor of this academy, yet you collaborated with demons. You should be ashamed. And those crimson-colored cores… what were they?"

Peter stayed silent.

"Peter, you bastard," Yami snarled. "Don't test my patience. Answer what the boy asked!"

Peter let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Even if I talk, I die. If I stay silent, I still die. Whether it's you or… the master. So why should I help when my fate is sealed anyway?" he said, smiling weakly.

"Master?" Yami repeated in a puzzled tone. "What master? Don't tell me a House Master is involved."

But like before, Peter refused to say a single word he didn't want to.

A silence spread, and no one said anything for a while.

Then, Derek exhaled deeply and asked something that made both Yami and Peter freeze.

"Is an upper rank already here? And if yes… which number is he?"

Hearing that, Peter didn't just freeze in shock — fear flooded his expression, raw and unmistakable.

"H... How do you know about the upper ranks?! Who are you?!" Peter shouted, voice trembling.

Yami's eyes also narrowed sharply as he turned his gaze fully onto Derek. He didn't understand what 'upper ranks' meant, nor why Derek knew such things, but he could tell the term carried weight — terrifying weight.

Derek ignored Peter's question. His mind was racing. 'Judging by his reaction, he definitely knows about upper ranks… maybe he's even met one. When he said 'master'… could he have actually been referring to an upper rank?' he wondered.

Finding no other option, Derek looked at Yami. "Master… can I go inside? I think I can make him talk."

"You can?" Yami's eyes widened slightly. "You do understand he was a mage, right? Even in this pitiful condition, who knows what tricks he might still try? If you want, I can torture him a bit more until he spills everything."

But Derek shook his head. "Trust me, Master. I know what I'm doing," Derek said firmly.

Yami hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded. "Alright."

He unlocked the cell door.

Derek stepped inside calmly, walking toward Peter.

But the moment he moved, Peter flicked a finger — a sharp blast of air shaped like a translucent knife shot toward Derek.

Derek dodged it effortlessly…

And then froze.

Not because of the attack — that was nothing — but because of himself. The movement he had just performed… the speed, the smoothness, the burst of power he felt… it was far beyond what he expected. Even with his earlier abilities, he could have avoided the attack, but this time it felt almost too easy. The surge felt unbelievable.

Yami didn't miss it either as his eyes narrowed. 'He has really gotten stronger. Much stronger.' He thought.

Derek forced himself out of his brief daze and continued walking toward Peter.

Peter, meanwhile, was also stunned. Derek's movement a moment earlier was simply too fast, far beyond what he thought Derek was capable of.

Before Peter could even process what was happening, Derek's hand shot forward. He brought all five fingers together like a bird's beak and struck several precise points across Peter's chest in rapid succession.

The instant the final strike landed, Peter's face twisted. Something inside him erupted — like a swarm of insects gnawing through his flesh.

"AAARRRGGHHH!" he screamed, writhing in agony.

"Unless I undo the technique, the pain won't stop," Derek said confidently, as if he already knew exactly how things would play out. "Endure it if you want… but the moment you decide to cooperate, just say so."

To Yami's surprise, Peter broke almost immediately — not even a full minute had passed.

"I… I'll talk! Please… stop this!" he cried out.

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