Why is Background Character the Strongest Now?-Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Dust floated like a faded memory.

The forest lay in tatters—trees shattered, stone torn, mana still rippling faintly through the air.

Xavier lay broken, barely conscious. His breath came in shallow bursts, his body burned and bloodied.

Ezra stood alone amid the ruin, blade lowered, coat fluttering softly in the wind.

Above, perched on a scorched tree limb, Marcus Ardent watched in silence.

Then—he laughed.

Not in joy.

Not in mockery.

Something quieter.

Something heavier.

"Heh... ha... hahaha..."

He dropped to the ground with a soft thud, boots sinking slightly into the cracked earth. His gaze never left Ezra.

"You’re really the same, huh...?"

His voice cracked—just a little.

"And here I was... thinking I’d caught up. That maybe—just maybe—I’d surpassed you."

He shook his head, a bitter grin tugging at his lips.

"But in six months... you advanced an entire major realm."

"Unity flow technique. No backing. No ancient inheritance. Just... you."

He let out a breath.

"What a monster you are, Ezra."

Meanwhile, Xavier was still barely conscious. His body burned. His soul felt hollow.

Thoughts churned—half logic, half terror.

I’m exposed.

They’ll report me. The professors... the Council...

If I fail the Dark Order, they’ll kill her. My sister...

He sensed Kael’s presence hovering above. The barrier was still active.

So that’s why he didn’t kill me. He knew.

His eyes shifted toward Ezra—scarred, silent, unshaken.

With effort, Xavier forced himself to one knee. His head bowed low, voice raw and cracked.

"If... you can really... cure her... I... will give my life to you..."

Ezra didn’t smile. But his eyes softened.

Just slightly.

"Don’t worry," he said, quietly. "I’ll cure her. And you."

Xavier met his gaze for a heartbeat longer...

Then collapsed.

Kael Arkezen drifted down from above, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded.

"Ugh. You kids and your dramatic duels..."

He flicked a finger lazily. A soft healing glow wrapped around Ezra’s arm and ribs.

"This is the last time I let you drag me into a midnight miasma brawl. Next time, call me only if someone’s summoning a demon."

He looked down at Xavier with clear disapproval.

"I’m taking this idiot to the Vice Principal. Expect a call from the Headmistress tomorrow. Or don’t. I’m not your secretary."

With a flick of his fingers, Xavier rose, surrounded in telekinetic glow—then vanished in a flash of light.

Marcus stepped forward, the rest following behind him:

Lyria. Evelyne. Dravis. Dalen.

Dalen’s face was unreadable—lips tight, brows furrowed. Thoughtful. Maybe disturbed.

When Daniel transmigrated into Dalen Voncrest’s body, he was trash.

Then came the System. An S-rank core. A legendary cultivation technique.

And still—it had taken him six months to reach Peak Rank 2.

A huge leap... for most.

But Ezra?

Ezra had reached Rank 4 using a unity flow technique—outstanding but inferior to ultimate path.

And he didn’t just have rank. He had control. Comprehension. Technique mastery far beyond his stage.

What kind of monster are you?

Is there something above an S-rank core?

Maybe... Ezra was meant to be the protagonist of this world.

Beside Evelyne, Lyria stood frozen—her eyes locked on Ezra.

Not with affection.

But with awe.

She’d always been ahead as a child. Talented. Admired.

Then came Marcus. Then Dalen. Even that quiet boy she used to beat in training.

But Ezra?

Ezra wasn’t just stronger.

He was something else entirely.

Comparing us to him... is like comparing an E-rank core to an A-rank one.

The gap isn’t just wide—it’s impossible.

Ezra turned toward Marcus.

"Do you know why I called you, Marcus?"

Marcus paused mid-step. The others slowed behind him.

"Wasn’t it... to help?" he asked, cautiously.

Ezra said in low voice.

"I called you because you—and the others—have influence. Influence that can shape how people see what happened here."

Marcus frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dalen answered with a sigh.

"The academy’s under the High Council. Major events—like a miasma user being exposed—are always reported. Just like the bombing last semester."

Marcus blinked. "So... Xavier’s case..."

Dalen nodded. "Will definitely be reported."

Ezra gave a faint smile.

"Impressive, Dalen. As I’ve heard—sharp and capable."

Dalen flushed but stayed silent.

"Still," he said, "it’s not like we can stop the report. We’re students. Our families don’t exactly take us seriously."

Ezra shrugged.

"True. But what if you weren’t alone?"

Dravis raised an eyebrow. "You think the Headmistress would back us? She’s not part of the Council."

Ezra’s gaze stayed steady.

"I’m not talking about her."

Evelyne tilted her head. "Then who?"

Ezra’s eyes glinted faintly.

"The Sword Emperor—Ren Kurogane."

Silence. The air shifted.

Dalen’s eyes widened.

"The Sword Emperor!? Why would he care about this? He never gets involved in academy politics."

Ezra chuckled softly.

"Don’t worry. He’ll come. You just need to convince your families before that. I’ll make sure Ren Kurogane shows up when it matters."

Marcus hesitated, still unsure.

"But... how are you going to cure Xavier’s sister? You know miasma corruption can’t be healed without Holy Power. And no one like that exists anymore."

Ezra turned away, the wind brushing his coat.

"I’ll handle it. Trust me."

He glanced back at the group.

"Now go home. Tomorrow’s going to be... busy."

⸻

Marcus watched Ezra walk into the darkened trees.

"You’ve changed, Ezra... but you’re still helping people. It’s good to see that part of you hasn’t gone."

Ezra paused—just briefly.

"Thanks for coming."

And then he disappeared dashing towards his dorm.

⸻

Silence returned.

The battlefield lay broken.

Splintered trees. Cracked earth. A scorched sky.

But in the middle of that devastation...

Something had changed.

The balance had shifted—subtly, irreversibly.

————————

Holy Power.

In simple terms, it was the blessing of the gods—a light that no darkness could corrupt.

But in this world, no one possessed it anymore.

At least... that’s what everyone believed.

In truth, one still remained. A girl—hidden, quiet, praying for peace in a world that had forgotten her.

She wasn’t a warrior.

She was a healer.

A commoner, born without status or name. Yet within her pulsed the last known thread of divine power—Holy Power, the only force that could purify miasma without destroying the host.

And that’s exactly why she was in hiding.

When the Demon Alliance began its rise, the first to be hunted down were those gifted with Holy Power. They were the demons’ greatest threat... and their first victims.

Only she had escaped.

And now, she lived in the shadows—silent, unnoticed, waiting for a final, peaceful end.

In the original novel, she had only appeared once.

During a major arc, the protagonist—Daniel, in Dalen’s body—had been infected by miasma during a deep-rank dungeon collapse. With no one able to purify him, she had appeared like a ghost from legend, healed him... and vanished without a trace.

Ezra remembered her name now. Simple. Unremarkable. Easily missed in a crowd.

But not to him.

She’s the key. Xavier’s sister won’t survive without her.

He’d already instructed Daisy to dig into the outer records and find her trail. Her features, her aura, her habits—everything.

Cassy had been told to confirm the name. Even if she was hidden, records would exist. Somewhere.

But Ezra knew the truth:

To reach her... I’ll have to leave the Academy.

He lay on his dorm bed, freshly changed into his nightclothes, the scent of hot water and soap still clinging faintly to his skin.

The room was quiet.

A single crystal lamp flickered softly by the window, its mana glow dimmed to a soft orange.

Ezra stared at the ceiling, thoughts spiraling.

Tomorrow, the Headmistress will definitely call me.

And soon after... the Council will be informed. Xavier will be put on trial.

Once the Council moves, everything becomes official. Unchangeable.

He exhaled, slow and steady.

I have to heal him before then. If I don’t... it’ll be too late.

I should inform Master too. Once I leave the Academy walls.

Outside, the wind rustled the trees gently. The world moved on.

But deep within Ezra’s mind... everything was accelerating.

————

Deep beneath the shattered lands, in a forgotten cathedral lit by flickering violet flame, silence ruled.

The Vampire Lord Alaric stood alone before a runic altar, sipping from a blood-gilded goblet. The scent of iron filled the air—fresh, warm, indulgent.

A shift in the shadows. A ripple.

A figure cloaked in darkness appeared and knelt wordlessly.

Alaric didn’t look back. "Report."

The voice came low and steady. "We found out who eliminated Isolde."

That caught the Vampire Lord’s attention.

He turned slightly, red eyes narrowing. "Isolde? He was only Rank 5, but not weak. Who? A High Ranker?"

The figure shook his head. "No, my lord. He was killed by... an eighteen-year-old boy."

Silence stretched.

The goblet paused at Alaric’s lips.

"...What did you say?"

"Ezra Celesterian," the figure said. "No affiliations. Enrolled in Etherlight Academy."

Varian’s eyes gleamed with sudden interest.

"Celesterian... is he related to that man? The previous Sword Emperor?"

"We don’t know," the figure replied. "From appearance alone... he doesn’t resemble him."

Varian stared into the goblet for a long moment, then set it down with a quiet clink.

"Continue the investigation," he said softly. "A boy who can kill Rank 5 at eighteen... is not a boy."

"He’s a threat."

"Before he grows... we end him."

The figure bowed. "Yes, my lord."

And just like that, the shadows swallowed him whole.

Alaric remained still, the candlelight reflecting in his crimson gaze.

Ezra Celesterian...

I will remember that name.

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