The grand corridor of Elsgard Academy’s upper building shimmered with mana-light crystals, their glow reflecting softly off polished marble. Only a handful of students ever walked this path — those who bore the black uniform of the elite.

Leon stopped before an ornate door marked with a golden sigil: Class S — Special Division.
The room beyond this door belonged to the academy’s top talents — the best of the best.
And this time… he was one of them.

He took a quiet breath and pushed the door open.

Inside, the classroom was spacious and elegant, more like a council chamber than a place for study. Floating glyphs circled the ceiling, channeling faint traces of mana through the air. Each desk bore enchanted runes, designed to help stabilize magic flow.

Leon’s eyes immediately swept across the room — and froze.

They were all there.
The ten students who had passed the Gate of Trials.
The same ten from his past life.

Nothing had changed — except for one thing.
This time, there were eleven students in Class S.
And the eleventh was him.

As Leon stepped inside, several pairs of eyes turned toward him.
A few students merely glanced his way before returning to their books.
Others whispered quietly, sizing up the “extra” addition to their ranks.

At the back corner, Marcus Blaze glared openly, his fiery-red eyes burning with disdain. He leaned back on his chair, arms crossed. Two of his friends — twins with dark brown hair, Hugo and Helena Vayne — exchanged irritated looks beside him.

“Tch. The mirage trickster,” Marcus muttered under his breath, loud enough for Leon to hear.

Leon didn’t react. He simply walked past them, his black uniform brushing lightly against the desk rows as he made his way toward the back.

But then another gaze caught him — colder and sharper.

Elena Elsgard, the princess of the kingdom herself, turned her head slightly to look at him. Her expression was calm, her silver hair glinting like frost under sunlight. Yet beneath her composed demeanor, there was something else — a flicker of curiosity mixed with faint annoyance.

Leon met her eyes briefly, offering a polite nod. She huffed softly and turned away, though the faintest trace of pink touched her cheeks.

As Leon took his seat, he glanced around the room, letting memories from his previous life surface — every one of these students had made a name for themselves. Each one a prodigy, born of talent, lineage, or sheer will.

He knew them all.

Elena Elsgard — Ice Magic, her control precise to the point of perfection. She could freeze an opponent’s spell mid-cast and sculpt frost into any shape she desired.

Marcus Blaze — Fire Magic, fierce and unrestrained, specializing in high-output combustion and continuous flame control. His fire burned bright — but also wild.

Serena Vale — Wind and Spirit Magic, a gentle noble who could commune with sylphs and shape the air like silk.

Alric Dawnfield — Battle Mage, master of blending close combat with magic. Every punch or kick carried the weight of reinforced mana, making him devastating both at range and up close.

Hugo and Helena Vayne — Twin Lightning Magicians, siblings known for their perfect synchronization. When casting together, their combined lightning could tear through barriers that others couldn’t dent.

Clara Voss — Barrier Magic, the defensive prodigy. Her mana shields were so stable that even explosions from Marcus barely left a mark.

Rufus Grant — Earth Magic, a towering figure with strength that matched his spells, molding stone and soil into defensive or offensive constructs.

Iris Lunehart — Earth and Wind Magic, a long-range specialist who combined both elements to create supersonic “sniping” spells that could strike targets hundreds of meters away with pinpoint accuracy.

Sylvain Arcrest — Summoning Magic, a calm and quiet student who formed contracts with magical beasts. Rumor said he once tamed a wyvern before joining the academy.

And finally…

Leon Milford — the anomaly. The unknown.
The one who wasn’t supposed to be there.

Leon leaned back slightly, listening to the faint hum of magic that filled the room. In his past life, he had only dreamed of this place. He had admired them all from afar — the strongest of their generation.

But now, the world had rewritten itself.
Now, he sat among them.

He could feel Marcus’s glare boring into him from across the room, and Elena’s occasional glances as if trying to read him. But Leon merely smiled faintly to himself.

Class S… just like before. Except this time, I’m here too.

He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling. “Let’s see how far I can go this time.”

And as the clock’s bell echoed through the building, signaling the start of the day, the doors creaked open once more.

The sound of heavy boots approached, and a deep, commanding voice filled the room.

“Good morning, Class S.”

The instructor had arrived — and the first lesson of the elite class was about to begin.