Gabriel groggily blinked as he struggled to stay awake in the middle of class. Mr. Tucker was still writing on the blackboard and teaching about random things.

Literally. Tucker wrote 'Random Techniques' on the blackboard as the topic for today's class. As for the specific topic he spoke about... Tucker was telling about the White Light.

"Statistically speaking," Tucker said. "...probably none of you will ever be capable of using this. But you should still know about it. It's called-" He rammed a piece of chalk onto the board. White dust burst into the air, crashing onto the blackboard and painting it pale.

"White Light."

The class remained quiet. Unwilling to remain in silence, Tucker quickly continued.

"White Light is a distortion in space caused by pure magic energy."

He continued. "When magic energy is applied to a physical impact within 1/1000th a second, it happens. And within that burst of energy, magic flashes white. And once it does, the force of the strike is squared."

Alexander's eyes widened at those words.

Almost as an answer to Alexander's question, Tucker smiled. "Yes. You heard that right. The force of the impact is not only doubled, but squared. Multiplied upon itself."

He cleared his throat.

"But as I said, it's an incredibly difficult process that requires intense concentration. If one can achieve the use of White Light, then the process of manipulating magic energy becomes as easy as breathing."

"Number 8," he said, pointing at Anastasia. "Explain how the use of White Light can forever change a magician."

Anastasia paused. There wasn't any way of knowing the answer to that. After all, they were learning as Tucker spoke, nothing more. "...Well-"

Mukuro Tucker quickly interrupted. "Wrong!"

"Magicians that have managed to use it have an incredible understanding of the essence of magic itself. The few that have used White Light, compared to those who are incapable, their essence of energy is immeasurably different."

And as Tucker spoke, Gabriel was still dozing off.

"Gabriel," Alexander whispered.

Alexander and Gabriel sat in separate desks, yet just a few feet away from each other, their only divide being the staircase at the center of the room.

And still, Gabriel didn't hear him, his head swaying back and forth as his eyes remained shut.

"Gabriel," Alexander repeated, a bit louder this time.

"...Huh?" he grumbled, barely opening his eyes in response to Alexander.

"Number 10!" Tucker shouted, launching a rubber eraser at Gabriel. The white eraser struck him directly on the forehead, leaving him to wince and grumble to himself even more. This wasn't the first time Tucker had thrown classroom materials at him with intense speeds and heavy precision. "What's White Light?" he asked.

Gabriel spat out a sigh and looked up at his teacher. "White Light is a spell-

"Wrong," Tucker interrupted.

Without warning, another eraser struck Gabriel's forehead once again. Gabriel's forehead was already pink from the impacts. And so, he pounded his fist on his desk and grit his teeth. "I didn't say anything wrong! And stop throwing erasers!"

"You called it a spell when it's not. It's a technique." Tucker quickly moved along. "Does anyone know who has the highest record of consecutive White Light attacks?"

"Sophia Tucker, with half a dozen. Six consecutive White Lights. Think about that. That's my wife." Mister Tucker paused to himself and let out a hearty sigh. "I'm proud of her for that. Damn, I love her." He continued. "Even with her record, she, as well as no magician— Listen. This is important. Not a single magician can use White Light at will. Not even the great Sir Charles Archibald, who can do it up to four times."

Gabriel was finally paying attention. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as he raised his hand, probably for the first time throughout the school year. "Excuse me, Mr. Tucker," he said, his eyebrows still furrowed. "But who the hell is strong enough to make Charles Archibald use White Light four times?"

Tucker smiled. "Lots of people. You'd be surprised."

Without giving Gabriel a proper answer, Tucker turned back to the board. "Alright, next topic. Anyone wanna tell me the difference between an Enclosed World and an Inborn Territory?"

- - - - -

"Alexander..." Hjálmarr said, staring out at the slowly approaching Titan. "An opponent of this caliber... can't be beaten with your conventional methods. There's only one path to victory."

He turned to Alexander, a smile growing onto his lips. "Do you understand, my liege?"

Alexander nodded. Still staring at Eve, he spoke. "Yeah. I understand," Alexander said. "I have to use White Light."

He swallowed his saliva. If Giovanna and Morgana were to try to escape, Eve would just target them. The only actual option was to take down the Titan right then and there.

That was the only option, Alexander reminded himself.

"Hjálmarr," he continued.

Hjálmarr shook his head. "You don't have to worry about me, my liege. I can keep up. And I'll be here by your side."

"Perfect."

And with that, they simultaneously burst forth at Eve.

With pure, dense energy wrapping around Alexander's entire body, he extended his arm to the side and clenched his fist.

'This time, he's on the attack...' Eve told herself.

Just as Hjálmarr sprinted at the titan, Alexander slowed down and stamped his foot onto the ground.

The ground shook and burst apart, stones and dirt rising into the air from the impact alone. Crevices and cracks exploded into the ground all with Alexander's touch. And within the trembling of the ground and the approaching elf, Eve's face contorted in confusion. Within the despair and anguish in her heart, Eve's hand was clenched into a fist.

Eve simply stepped away and evaded each of Hjálmarr's incoming hits. But as she stepped away, Alexander forced his way to her blindspot. From behind, he spun at her, his leg swinging until it struck her at her side.

His bleeding foot crashed into Eve's ribs, knocking her back just a few inches in the dirt.. 'Attacking with an injured foot?! What's... What's with this kid?! His attacks, his movements, they're all so... different!'

'But he's weaker!' she reminded herself. That strike of his was nothing special compared to his previous his.

And as Alexander was still twisting in the air, he clenched his fist. 'Her body's wide open!' he told himself. All because Eve underestimated him. All because he pulled his punches. And now was the chance.

"Do it!" Hjálmarr said with a smile. 'Create the White Light!'

Alexander's fist struck Eve square on her chest. The gargantuan force of magic energy and Alexander's physical power caved into her stomach. Spit and saliva spewed through her teeth, but... No white light.

"Crap!" Alexander shouted.

Alexander's attack was coordinated. He fought with the intention to create the White Light. But... With that intention comes doubt, comes fear. Without that intense, nearly thoughtless concentration, it cannot be achieved. And so...

Eve was quick to respond. Far too quick. Her clenched fist was thrust out to Alexander's jaw.

The two struck each other in the same instant. Alexander's face twisted to the side, blood forcing its way and gushing through his teeth and mouth. Still, he spoke through his gritted, bloodied teeth. "Now!" he shouted as he raised his other clenched fist.

Eve's eyes widened.

At the start of their fight, Alexander carried a blade. It was only after a minute that he had dropped it. And... Hjálmarr had disappeared and now carried the silver sword as he dashed at the Titan of Life.

She thrust her arm to the side, her palm already containing a singular seed.

Just a few meters, just a few seconds away, Hjálmarr froze on pure instinct and raised his arms to block whatever attack may come next. And the seed flew out of the Titan's hand.

"Hjálmarr!" Alexander cried.

But the elf only smiled. 'Worry not, my liege,' he thought. I'll strengthen my body with magic! So much so, that this pesky seed will bounce off me!'

Wait.

Hjálmarr focused his thoughts. 'My liege must have received his wound from this very attack. If it's strong enough to cause him that much damage, then what could it do to me? He understands that I can protect myself, and yet he felt such concern over me. My apologies, my liege. I made you worry.'

Time elapsed: 0.01 Seconds.

Wait.

'His open wound was far larger than this seed. What does that mean? ...The seed was larger upon removal. So... It grew. But from what? Blood? It's possible. But it's a spell. A manifestation of magic. So what's more likely? ...Magic energy! It grows off magic!'

Hjálmarr withdrew every ounce of magic energy he could back into his body.

Time elapsed: 0.02 Seconds.

The seed struck Hjálmarr's side and bounced off, falling to the ground. Eve's eyes widened. She didn't expect Hjálmarr to move so quickly.

"Thank you, my liege!" he shouted with a smile. "You've saved me yet again!"

Alexander laughed in confusion. He didn't know how Hjálmarr did it, or why he's thanking him, but he wasn't hit. So now... "It's time to finish this, Hjálmarr!" he yelled.

It was at the same time that Eve placed her hand on her stomach. 'Three hits. He's only hit me three times. And I've taken this much damage.'

'And the elf boy disengaged all of his energy in such a short amount of time. He must have realized the effect of magic energy on the seeds!'

Leaving no time to waste and no time for thought, Alexander and Hjálmarr rushed in once again.

Eve had two affinities. 'Well, at least two,' Alexander thought to himself. 'That seed spell must be a product of plant magic. Plus... Blood magic. But using blood takes time and preparation. If we move quick enough, we can limit her attacks!'

Hjálmarr was thinking the same thing. All they had to do was move quick enough.

A thin wooden root sprung from the ground and wrapped itself around Alexander's ankle. "Oh," he muttered.

It burst from the ground and flung Alexander to the side, shooting him against a tree. With the impact alone, blood and saliva burst through his mouth. He coughed onto the ground as Hjálmarr cried out to him, "My liege!"

He still dashed at the Titan and brandished his blade once again.

Once again, Alexander instinctively knew what Eve was doing. If she could split them apart, each one would be easier to kill.

Eve's fist was clenched. And within that fist... was blood. She had dug her nails into her palm and drawn out her own blood.

Making use of the vials around her belt was too noticeable, and thus, inefficient. The blood in her hand was congealed into an orb, compressed to its very limit, constricted to the point where it hadn't even come into contact with oxygen.

And then... That blood pierced Hjálmarr's gut.

Just like what happened to Alexander, the elf fell to his knees, blood already dripping through his mouth.

Hjálmarr quickly looked up, his arms already sprawled and pressed against his pierced gut. He looked at Alexander and uttered, "Go."

Alexander's eyes widened in shock and fear, but he didn't stop moving. Because with Eve's attack, she was the one who slowed down.

But with Alexander just a few meters away, Eve grit her teeth. Now was the time. Now... was when she would take his life.

Blood continues to leak down Eve's hand, dripping and collecting onto her nails. Sharpen it, hone the attack, and strike his throat.

But before either of them reached the other, Giovanna slammed her palm onto the dirt. And just like earlier, a pillar of stone burst from the cracked terrain. The earthen spike flew through the forest, aimed directly at Eve.

Eve dropped herself to the ground. The angular stone pillar remained, hovering just inches from her face.

But Alexander continued running towards her.

And this time... Just as Eve got back up, she was the one who was slow to react. She managed to ram her fist into Alexander's jaw once again, forcing more blood to his mouth and through his teeth. But that didn't matter. Because in the same instant, Alexander's hit landed.

Eve crashed into the ground and through the dirt. Discombobulated, she stood and spun to her sides.

Alexander bit his tongue in pain as the force of Eve's hit continued to reverberate in his skull. He stared to the side where Eve had landed.

It was then.

Eve stared at Morgana, their eyes meeting for just a moment. She was confused and delirious. But that simple sight of the fearful young girl, the simple sight of obsidian black eyes was enough for those thoughts to take root in her mind.

Morgana was... important to Alexander. That's right, she told herself. He had been fighting for her safety. That white-haired girl... Was she related to him?

It was only by instinct that she raised her palm and readied an attack. But even as she thought, she made her choice. And an ovular chunk of wood began to materialize and glow with dense magic energy.

"Morgana!" Giovanna shouted out.

By Eve's instinctual estimate, it would take less than a tenth of a second to hit Morgana. The seed wouldn't have to grow within her body to kill her. The impact alone of the bullet of wood would be enough to take her life.

Morgana winced and raised her arms over her head.

Alexander's eyes widened as he dashed forward. The illusion of time began to slow with each step Alexander took.

Despite the violence that raged around her, Morgana didn't scream or cry. She had a simple expression, one most people wouldn't expect in the first place. She shut her eyes and grit her teeth. Morgana kept silent and braced for pain, as if she had no choice but to take it.

She was already accustomed to simply surviving. She had already gotten used to suffering.

Alexander fumed at the sight of Eve readying herself to take Morgana's life. "You..." he mumbled.

It was only an instant for Alexander to catch up to Eve. He clenched his fist just as she spun to her side. 'How'd he get here?'

He let out a sharp breath.

The will to stop the seed, to stop Eve from reaching Morgana. The determination to protect others, even at the cost of his own life. That is that simple sincerity that defines Alexander Lane.

With innate combat sense and physical capabilities that surpass even Marx Ashford... And with the power bestowed to him... He is beloved by that energy.

Alexander thrust out his fist.

First, was the impact. Instead of a dull thud as his fist struck Eve's body, the only sound to be heard was a hollow pop.

Second, it was the magic. Applied within 1/1000th of a second, it flashes white. And that's exactly what happened.

Jagged streams of white light burst into the darkness of the night. It was the sight of pure and pale lightning exploding into the night. For just a fraction of a second, the brilliant flash of light shone brighter than any star and shattered past the darkness of the night.

Every single Virtue turned to that nearly blinding sight.

"What the hell...?" Gabriel mumbled, his ice-blue eyes widening at the explosion of white light.

Finally, it was the energy. Within the distortion of space caused by the instant application of magic, the force of the impact is multiplied upon itself.

All of that occurred within the same instant. And the impact threw the Titan's limp body into the forest.

Alexander swallowed his saliva as he stared at his hands. His breaths were labored, his eyes were widened. He stood motionless, oblivious to every sight or sound around him, fixated on the warm flame that had engulfed his body.

No. What Alexander was feeling wasn't the warmth of any flame. He felt the warmth of magic energy itself. And even despite the heat that coursed through his very veins, every nerve in his body shivered.

Hjálmarr smiled as he stared at Alexander from afar. "My liege," he mumbled. "Congratulations."