Chapter 25: The Great Wizard of Solomon

Days had passed since the battle.
Kanata remained unconscious in a quiet hospital room, surrounded by the steady rhythm of heart-monitors and the scent of disinfectant.
Outside, the world was already changing.

When Solomon Caine Velarius, Grand Archmage of Nevantrax, descended to Earth, Tokyo erupted into frenzy.
Reporters swarmed the airport. Cameras flashed. A sea of young witches and civilians screamed his name.

“Lord Solomon!”
“You’re even more handsome in person!”

Caine stepped onto the red-carpet walkway with a composed smile.
Silver-gray hair framed his face neatly; violet eyes shimmered beneath the morning sun. In his perfectly tailored suit, he looked less like a ruler of mages and more like a model stepping off a runway.

He waved politely to the crowd, voice calm and magnetic.

“Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

The cheers only grew louder. Security mages hurried to surround him before the crowd crushed forward.

Inside the limousine, the noise faded. Caine’s smile vanished.

“The ACID… again?”

He struck the seat armrest with his gloved fist, the sound sharp.

“How many times must these terrorists disturb the peace of others?”

Across from him sat Seraphine, his chief aide — a woman with long red-and-black hair and vivid green eyes. Her uniform bore the crest of the Nevantrax Guard; once, she had been a promising disciple under Naomi Kaname herself.

“Yes, sir,” she replied quietly. “They attacked during the capture of the entity called Envy. Casualties were high.”

Caine stared through the window at the glittering skyline.

“Humans and witches… living side by side, free of fear. I envy that.”

His reflection looked older than he remembered. In Nevantrax, the caste system still chained the people he ruled — a structure he’d tried and failed to abolish.

Hours later, his motorcade arrived at the Tokyo Branch of the Elite Mage Corps.
Officials, commanders, and even the Four Witches stood waiting in formation. Among them, Shiranui Itsuha stepped forward and bowed.

“Welcome, Lord Caine. We are honored by your presence.”

Caine glanced around the welcoming line of officers and witches.

“Someone’s missing,” he remarked, noticing the absence of one familiar presence.

“Ah — that would be Lady Lilith Arcrayne,” Itsuha explained quickly. “She’s the one in charge of this entire reception. She’s probably running late because she’s preparing everything for your arrival.”

Caine sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Haa… that girl. I told her to keep things simple, but she always insists on turning every greeting into a ceremony.”

He followed the escort into the interrogation chamber.
Inside, Envy sat motionless, wrists bound by glowing mana cuffs.
The golden dragon’s human form looked fragile now — tired, pale, and quiet.

“Enough,” Caine ordered gently when he saw the guards pressuring her. “Let her rest. Give her food and water.”

“But sir — she’s a threat to humanity itself!” a commander protested.

Caine’s gaze turned icy.

“And yet she breathes. That means she still has a choice.”

The room fell silent. Moments later, the guards obeyed. When Envy finally ate, her hands trembled. Between bites, she whispered that everything — the attacks, the chaos — was a misunderstanding. None of them believed her… except Caine, who listened longer than the rest.

Later that day, one of the senior officers approached him.

“Sir, there was a witness to the entire incident — a student named Tendou Kanata.”

Caine’s brows lifted.

“The boy who carries the dragon’s mark?”

“Yes, sir. But he’s still unconscious from the injuries he sustained.”

Caine stood abruptly.

“Then I’ll see him myself.”

By the time he reached the hospital, Kanata had finally awakened.
Inside the small private room sat Nagisha, Haqua, Celestine, and Naomi Kaname. The moment Caine entered, the atmosphere changed — his presence filled the space like a calm storm.

Kaname looked up, smiling faintly.

“It’s been a long time, Solomon.”

“Too long,” he answered. “You still overwork yourself, Naomi.”

They laughed softly, old friends meeting after decades. To the younger witches watching, it felt strangely human — as though the legends in front of them were just siblings reunited.

Kaname gestured toward the bed.

“These are my students — and that troublemaker lying there is Kanata.”

Kanata tried to sit up, muttering, “Troublemaker? That’s rude…”
Nagisha immediately grabbed his ear and yanked.

“Show some respect, idiot! This is the Grand Archmage!”

“N-no, no,” Caine said quickly, chuckling. “Please, no formality. Let’s call this what it is — a family visit.”

The tension eased. Even Kanata managed a weak smile.

Caine’s tone shifted as he turned serious.

“Now… about what happened that day.”

They spoke for nearly an hour. Kanata recounted the black-cloaked man, the explosion, Envy’s attempted rescue. When he described the attacker’s burnt hands, Caine’s eyes hardened.

“…So it really was him.”

“You know that man?” Kaname asked.

“Not just know.” Caine’s voice dropped. “He was once my closest friend — before you succeeded him as Chief Mage. His name is Lenny Abraxas.”

The room fell silent.

“Abraxas?” Celestine repeated. “The one who vanished decades ago?”

Caine nodded slowly.

“He was brilliant — equal to Naomi, perhaps even stronger. But arrogance consumed him. When the elders chose me as Grand Archmage instead of him, he left Nevantrax swearing vengeance.”

He folded his hands, remembering.

“We met again only once — on the battlefield. His power rivaled my own. I burned his right arm that day… and thought I’d ended it.”

Kanata felt a chill.
That explained the black cloak, the scarred hands.
The ACID … a second threat after Envy.

“If Abraxas truly leads that group,” Caine concluded, “then our war has only just begun.”

He stood, adjusting his coat.

“As for Envy, she’ll be transferred to Nevantrax for judgment. Her crimes concern both worlds.”

Kaname frowned but said nothing. The others nodded uneasily.

Outside, on the hospital rooftop, Schwartz and Erika Lakia watched Caine’s limousine drive away.
For dragons, they were practically invisible, cloaked in layered concealment spells — yet as Caine passed, he looked up briefly and met their eyes.

“…He saw us.” Schwartz exhaled, unsettled.
“Impossible. No human should pierce that concealment.”

Erika folded her arms.

“Something about him isn’t right.”

Down below, Kanata shifted restlessly in his bed. A dull ache burned in his chest — a whisper that told him something about Envy’s capture was wrong.
That maybe she wasn’t the villain everyone believed.
That maybe someone wanted her silenced.

He stared at the ceiling, heart pounding.

“This feeling again…”
“Something big is being hidden from us.”

The monitors beeped quietly, marking each second that pulled him deeper into fate.

The door creaked open.
Itsuha peeked inside, followed by Aine, still bandaged from her duel days earlier.

“B-b-baka! Don’t misunderstand!” Itsuha stammered, holding out a small gift bag. “I only came because Celestine forced me to!”

Kanata smirked.

“You’re terrible at lying.”

Aine sighed, setting a bouquet on the bedside table.

“Rest up, idiot. You’re not allowed to die until I beat you properly.”

For a moment, the room filled with laughter again — soft, fleeting, and painfully human.

But far above Tokyo, clouds began to twist in unnatural spirals, as if the heavens themselves were preparing to open once more.