"Igory is under investigation for his questionable actions," the dean said, "and his words can't be taken seriously as he is accused of big crimes."
"Then take my words instead," Jim said while moving towards the central stage, "other than him, I was the one standing next to master Igory all the time."
"We can't let a disciple meddle in the middle of such an investigation."
And as flies flock together, Pol's voice came to make Jim turn towards him and couldn't help but laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" the dean asked and Jim pointed towards Pol as he said:
"I just recalled the bitter loss he had in front of my team yesterday. He couldn't even speak a single word correctly back then," Jim's voice rang in the entire hall and most of the attendees laughed at what he said.
After all they were present there at the stadium and saw what happened like many others.
"You…" Pol's face turned dark but he couldn't say anymore as the dean calmly raised his hand to stop him.
"What if you are also a suspect?" the dean said, "how can we take your testimony then?"
"Take master Mark's words then," Jim simply shrugged without even stopping his approach from the stage, "after all he was the first to attend the class after what happened there."
The dean glanced at Mark for a moment before dropping off that idea.
"Then tell us what happened?" the dean asked Jim in a helpless tone.
"I… really dunno what happened," and Jim only said in a very casual tone that made even some masters chuckle in audible voice.
And the eyes of the dean squeezed as he seemed not to take this answer lightly.
"I'm not joking!" the dean said.
"And I'm not lying," Jim shrugged, "what I can say is that a giant ball of fire appeared inside a mirror and that made even me feel terrified."
"And that ball… how come it appeared there?"
"This is a question I kept asking myself many times," Jim calmly answered the dean's question, "but as all the other disciples stood in front of it and nothing like that happened, I only could think of something."
"Which is?"
"There was such bad luck looming around master Igory at that moment," Jim calmly said and the dean didn't show a sign of approval to any word he said.
"This isn't a joke, and if you can't provide valuable info then you should be dismissed."
"I'm not the one who summoned me here," Jim casually said before stopping just at the bottom of the stage before adding, "and if the truth doesn't suit your taste, then the dean can simply ditch away my words and take the fake lies of that one beside you instead."
"…"
The dean seemed to be enraged, yet Jim strangely felt a gush of power and heat rising up from the depth of his soul. It seemed like he was extremely terrified a moment ago, but now he felt like there was nothing to fear.
Even that scary dragon seemed to be smaller and weaker than before.
And that was thanks to the bloodline Jim had in his body, dormant but it could shine up in some moments like this one.
"I can't say anymore but if the core campus can't accept such explanations then I can resign from my role as a master of the inner campus!"
"I'll also resign!"
"My resignation is ready!"
"If there is no fair, then I can't continue here."
"I'll resign as well."
"I won't accept such injustice from the core campus… I also resign!"
Suddenly Mark said, and then a wave of voices stepped in while expressing their firm stand against that matter.
And from their words, Jim finally got what this was all about.
'So the inner campus is at war with the core campus,' he thought before glancing at the places where no one stood and spoke up, 'and even they brought some of their masters here… they got some guts.'
Jim thought and he knew the dean was hearing every single word he thought of. He turned his gaze and watched the dean moving his gaze towards that public stand of most of the masters of the inner campus with a plain expression over his face.
"You misunderstood this," the dean finally said, "I'm not here on behalf of the core campus to intervene in your business as the inner campus… I'm here as a dean."
"Then why did you bring up all those masters from the core campus?" Mark calmly said while pointing in the direction of Pol, "don't say this is just a coincidence like our little disciple showing up here."
The dean glanced at Mark in silence, while Jim could feel the mighty suppressive aura raging wild from the dean's body, flooding the entire stage and even affecting him.
"Humph, but I won't let that matter pass by this easily without explanation," the dean said before turning to Igory, "as for you… consider yourself lucky to have all this support. Next time I pray your luck will run thin."
The dean waved and the shackles surrounding his body slowly vanished, gradually melting away into nothing.
Igory didn't hurry to leave his seat and only felt his wrists as if he was feeling some uncomfort at them. The dean turned to Jim and glanced silently for long moments.
'Don't try to step beyond your boundaries kid, or else you won't see from where the hit would come.'
This harsh tone of the dean reverberated inside his head all of sudden, startling him. Yet Jim regained his composure even after getting suppressed by the dean.
"Let's go boys," the dean suddenly said, turning his attention to the masters who came here to join him, "this place isn't worthy of our presence."
The masters started to vanish, one by one, using different methods. Some used extreme speed to move away, causing even wind to hit the faces of the inner campus masters. Some were surrounded by feathers and vanished alongside them.
All vanished in his or her own style, and the dean remained there before finally issuing a direct challenge.
"I didn't care much about the upcoming expedition… frankly the top five was always my goal and other ranks don't appeal to me. But today I'd like to declare that the top one hundred list will be entirely off my kids."
"We'll see about that," Mark didn't show any weakness while meeting the bold declaration of the dean with a calm smile over his face.
"Humph, pathetic inner campus," the dean sneered before finally vanishing in a grand blaze of black fire, "it seems you forgot who your masters are. This is good, this expedition will be a good lesson for all of you. Pray that half of your disciples will return alive."
Just as the fire engulfed his giant body his cold threatening words echoed in the entire hall before vanishing and leaving nothing but dark ash behind.
"Humph, as if the academy has only prodigies inside the core campus," Mark sneered before suddenly turning towards Donald. "You are fired from the campus," he simply waved his hand and a strange symbol appeared.
Then Donald vanished off the sight of Jim without even saying a single word there.
"Scary!" and Jim could shockingly mutter while gazing at Mark, "This academy is full of scary monsters!!"