The air within the student council chamber was still and heavy with the quiet hum of magic coursing through the projection hovering before Alex. His crimson eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he watched Alan and Ben confront Keryu in the dimly lit prison.

A slow smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. “And now… all that’s left is to wait.”

As he said those words, his mind drifted back to the Zyrrak incident, right after the period when Keryu had tried to frame him and Zyrrak.

…………………………

The day after the Zyrrak incident.

Alex sat leisurely in his chamber, fingers tapping against the polished wooden desk before him.

He had known from the moment Keryu attempted to frame him that the so-called protagonist was bound to become a problem sooner or later. But Alex had no intention of facing the Demon Lord’s wrath by disposing of Keryu himself.

Instead, he would let another protagonist do it.

“Enter,” he called lazily, sensing the approaching presence before the doors creaked open.

Alan Nightshade stepped inside, his crimson eyes sharp, his long black hair cascading past his shoulders. But he wasn’t alone.

Trailing beside him was Ben, the idealistic golden boy of the academy. His blonde hair was slightly disheveled, and his green eyes were clouded with lingering doubt.

He had come willingly—but not without hesitation.

Alex studied them both, then gestured to the seats before him. “Have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

Alan took his place with a composed grace, but Ben remained standing, arms crossed, his expression wary. “What is this about?”

Alex leaned back, exuding an air of effortless confidence. “A mutual enemy. Keryu.”

Ben’s expression darkened slightly, but he remained silent. Alan, on the other hand, merely raised an eyebrow. “And what about him?”

Alex smiled. “Tell me, Sir Alan, what would you do if I told you that Keryu has been keeping a little secret? One that concerns you personally.”

Alan’s gaze flickered with concealed rage. “I assume you’re referring to his relationship with Maleshia.”

Alex chuckled, pleased by Alan’s sharp intuition. “Indeed. It seems our so-called demon realm’s prince has been enjoying more than just the academy’s teachings under her guidance.”

Alan’s fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair, his expression unreadable, but Alex caught the slight tightening of his jaw. “And you expect me to act on this?”

Alex tilted his head. “You already want to, don’t you? I’m merely offering an opportunity.”

Alan exhaled through his nose but didn’t argue. He wanted Keryu dead—it was just a matter of how and when.

Ben, however, remained guarded. “Why did you call me here? What do you want from me?”

He seemed like he wanted to get out of here.

Alex’s smirk widened. “Ah, now we get to the interesting part. You see, Ben, I have something to show you. Something that will make you reconsider who you’ve been calling a friend.”

As soon as he finished his words, his fingers flickered, and a projection shimmered into view.

Ben’s gaze snapped to the screen, confusion flashing across his face as he recognized the girl in the footage—a classmate of his, the one who had accused Zyrrak of misconduct.

The scene played out, revealing a conversation between her and Keryu.

It was subtle, but there it was—Keryu pushing her, manipulating her into filing the complaint, knowing full well that she hadn’t wanted to.

Ben’s fists clenched as he watched, realization dawning upon him. “He… he used her?”

“Used her and discarded her,” Alex added smoothly. “Do you recall what happened to her after the incident?”

Ben hesitated, then swallowed. “She was expelled…”

Alex nodded. “And when she tried to reach out and tell you the truth… she was silenced. Permanently.”

The footage shifted. Now it showed a dark alley, the same girl trembling as she tried to call someone, only for a shadow to move behind her. A moment later, she was gone.

Ben’s breathing became uneven. “Who… who killed her?”

Alex met his gaze steadily. “Keryu.”

A long silence stretched between them. Ben’s jaw was tight, his fists trembling. “That… bastard.”

Alex leaned forward, voice calm yet persuasive. “You see now, don’t you? Keryu isn’t a hero. He’s a manipulator, a coward who hides behind false ideals while stepping over those who trust him.”

Alex had known that Alan was a villain; it wasn’t a problem to get the guy on his side, as villains are supposed to do brainless stuff, but Ben was the one he needed the most.

Ben’s shoulders tensed. The anger in his eyes was raw, the betrayal sinking in. Alex could see it—Ben was on the edge, teetering between hesitation and resolve.

“Join me,” Alex said softly. “Help me bring him down.”

Alan remained silent, observing. He had already decided on his path. But Ben… Ben was the key.

The room was heavy with tension, thick with unspoken thoughts. And then—

Ben exhaled sharply, his fists clenching before he finally spoke. “I’m in.”

Alex smiled.

…………………………

Present.

Back in the prison, Keryu’s fists trembled at his sides. His teeth ground together as he watched Ben and Alan standing side by side.

“What do you mean by that, Ben? What have I done?” He asked Ben, trying to find out how Ben had turned against him.

Ben met his gaze with something Keryu had never seen—unforgiving, unyielding fury. “You betrayed my trust, Keryu. You used people like they were disposable. I won’t let you do it anymore.”

‘That’s… vague,’ Keryu muttered inwardly.

He wanted to make Ben reveal some info, but the thing the guy said about using people and betraying his trust… well, Keryu had done it more than once.

The problem was that he couldn’t say it out like, ‘Which betrayal are you talking about, exactly?’

“I think there’s been some misunderstanding, Ben. Why don’t we try to talk—” Keryu still tried to sort things out, but Ben cut him off.

“No,” the original protagonist growled, his gaze absolute. “For what you’ve done, you only deserve punishment.”

Alan smirked seeing this. “I always knew you were filth. Now, I finally get to put you where you belong.”

Keryu gritted his teeth, unable to think of anything.

He had miscalculated. He had lost control—he knew.

But he couldn’t find an easy way out of this.

And worse still—

Alex, who had orchestrated everything, was still nowhere to be seen.

……………………….

In Alex’s chamber.

Alex leaned back in his chair, watching the projection of the prison cell with a satisfied expression.

“What will you do now, Keryu?”

Things were still going as he had thought them to, and he knew for sure that Keryu would try to talk his way out of this like he always does.

It was one of Keryu’s famous ways to resolve any situation.

……………………….

Just like Alex had guessed, back in prison, Keryu, after being unable to think of anything, was thinking of talking his way through this trouble.

The silence stretched, thick with tension, as Keryu let out a slow breath. His mind raced, calculating every possible move. He had to stall.

He had to stall because he knew that the moment he stopped talking would be when Alan and Ben attacked.

He forced a weak chuckle, lifting his hands in mock surrender. “Ben, Alan… You’re both letting your emotions cloud your judgment. You think you’ve uncovered some grand truth, but you’re dancing to someone else’s tune. You don’t even realize you’re being played.”

Ben’s fists clenched, his green eyes burning with fury. “Don’t try to twist this, Keryu. I saw the truth with my own eyes. You used her. You let her die.”

‘Her?’ Keryu frowned as he got some clue of what the problem with Ben would be, but he didn’t think he could defend himself against any accusation.

He was sure Alex had prepared a counterplan for his excuses.

With a sharp exhale, he subtly shifted his stance, his eyes flickering toward Natasha. She stood in the shadows, her sharp gaze locked onto him, waiting.

“I’m dancing to someone else’s tune?” Alan, on the other hand, growled, Keryu’s words hitting his villainous ego. “I’m not dancing to anyone’s tune! I’m simply cooperating.”

Ignoring Alan’s words for a second, Keryu focused, his thoughts reaching out through the thin telepathic thread connecting him and Natasha.

[Natasha. When the fight starts, go to that place. I’ll make an opening for you.]

A pause. Then her voice, hesitant but steady. [Are you sure?]

[Just do it.]

He kept his expression neutral, not letting a flicker of his silent conversation show.

“You say that,” finally looking into Alan’s eyes, he smirked, “but you can’t even say the name of the person behind all this.”

His gaze secretly swept across the room, landing on Maleshia. Their eyes met, and he attempted to activate their telepathic link—

Nothing.

A cold sensation prickled down his spine. Again, he tried, but the link remained dead, unresponsive. His frustration mounted. ‘System, what’s going on? Why isn’t it working?’

But before he could receive an answer—

“Enough of this!” Alan’s patience snapped.

With a sharp burst of mana, Alan lunged. His black coat billowed as he moved, a streak of darkness cutting through the dim prison light. His sword flashed, the edge gleaming with a sickly violet aura.

Keryu barely twisted in time, Alan’s blade slicing past his ribs, tearing through his uniform. The burning sensation of mana-infused steel seared his flesh.

He gritted his teeth, cursing his luck.

Alan didn’t stop.

He pressed forward relentlessly, his attacks fluid and unyielding. Keryu dodged, each step calculated, but Alan was fast—too fast. His crimson eyes glowed with a violent hunger, his blade seeking blood.

It wasn’t that Keryu couldn’t stop the attacks. He was stronger than Alan now.

Alan was a peak star formation realm expert or maybe an early star connection realm, so Keryu was sure that with his new powers, he could easily defeat the guy.

The problems, however, were Ben and Alex.

Ben was a protagonist, and if pushed to the limit, he might become more trouble than Keryu could handle.

And Alex, well, his recent defeat against him was still fresh in Keryu’s mind.

But as Keryu was defending against Alan’s attacks, Ben moved.

‘Fucking shit!’ Keryu cursed.

Golden energy erupted around Ben as he dashed forward, his sword materializing, crashing into Keryu’s arms, now covered in black scales.

Clang!

A metallic sound echoed through the prison walls. The impact sent Keryu flying, slamming into the cold stone wall and making dust rise.

Ben didn’t relent. He stepped closer, his aura crackling with barely restrained power. “I trusted you, Keryu. I thought you were my friend. But you were using me like everyone else.”

Keryu remained in the dust, keeping all attention on himself.

He could already sense Natasha moving, so he needed to keep all his attention on himself for a little longer.

He let out a bitter laugh. “Is that really what you think, Ben? That I never cared?” Stepping out of the dust unscathed, he gave Alan a sharp smirk. “And you, Alan. You always hated me, didn’t you? This is just an excuse to act.”

Alan scoffed. “I don’t need an excuse. You’ve been filth from the start.”

Keryu exhaled. His gaze sharpened, trying to bear with the beating for a while longer.

He knew that if Natasha succeeded, then maybe—just maybe—he could still turn this around.

Even if turning things around wasn’t possible, he could survive and have enough time to plan a counterattack.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep