The Vengeful Extra's Ascension

"I trust all of you already have your primary techniques," Kayle began, her voice cutting clean through the murmuring thoughts of the students.

Pretty much all of the students nodded when she said that, and Kayle took that as an invitation to continue speaking, "You wouldn't of done so well in the Entrance Exam if you didn't. But allow me to shatter a dangerous misconception before it solidifies in your minds."

She raised one gloved hand and a small, dazzling orb of light formed in her palm, glowing faintly with a warmth that felt almost like sunlight.

A small, dazzling orb of light formed above her palm, glowing faintly with a warmth that felt almost like spring sunlight.

"Most of you must think techniques are just methods of training that increase your speed of improving your rank with bonus' of special abilities right?" Kayle said.

The light in her palm shimmered, then flickered erratically.

"That's wrong."

The orb collapsed in on itself with a soft hiss.

"Techniques," Kayle said slowly, "are marks on your soul. Every technique you use is like a brand that is etched into the very essence of your being. They are not just methods of ranking up, they are the blueprints of your existence, paths you walk that shape the way you fight, think and eventually, exist."

The silence was complete. Even Dorian Lewis, who had dozed off earlier, now sat up straight, fully alert.

"Holy Rank beings are proof of this. If you've ever seen Pope Morgan on TV, you'd notice the entire environment around him warping with his every step, light raining down from the heavens. Or, how when Raphaeline entered the auditorium, the temperature changes. This is not only a manifestation of power, it is a manifestation of the techniques you have used on your journey."

Kayle stepped away from the podium.

"When you execute a technique, you're not just burning mana or drawing symbols in the air. You are invoking a philosophy. One that will influence how your Domain is formed once you reach Star Rank. One that will determine the Laws you comprehend when you push into Holy Rank."

She let that statement linger like smoke on still air. Then, she spoke again.

"The primary technique you use is the center of this philosophy, everything branches off of it, it grants you the most power, it effects you the most, it is the most important."

"So let me ask you, do you truly believe the technique you're using now is the one you will carry forever? Is it worthy to become the foundation of your Domain? The melody your Soul sings at the peak of your power?"

The room was deathly still.

Everyone was thoughtful after they heard what she said, and the only one who wasn't surprised about this lesson was Albedo.

In his past life, the original Novel had hinted at this, though never in so many words.

Albedo remembered that in the Novel, once characters reached the Star Rank, they fought using the Laws of the World, invoking them and pairing them with their techniques to enhance their power.

They also invoke their soul force, creating a Domain that shapes the battlefield based on their Soul.

Naturally, as techniques are marks on the Soul, choosing the right techniques is extremely important.

"I won't force you to change your primary technique now, that decision is far too impactful. As Myth-Class students, the school can sponsor you one technique as a luxury, so for those who want to change, you can contact administration through your watch."

Kayle said and wait for anyone to say anything. Once everyone remained silent, she continued, "If you believe your current technique is the one you wish to walk with through the gates of Ascension, then now is the time to begin exploring its boundaries."

She waved her hand. A shimmering sigil appeared above her, spinning slowly, etched with golden runes that pulsed with a hypnotic rhythm.

"I will now release a soul-relaxing incense. It will induce a light trance, not one that suppresses your will, but one that quiets the noise inside. This is a tool. Use it to inspect your technique. Question it. Walk with it. See what it shows you."

She gestured toward a sealed crystal container on the podium. With a flick of her wrist, it cracked open, releasing wisps of silvery-blue smoke into the air.

Instantly, the scent filled the room, light, ethereal, tinged with a hint of moonflower and something colder beneath.

"Breathe slowly. Let the trance take hold naturally. Fight it, and you'll miss the chance."

The room dimmed slightly as the magical lights above dimmed in response to her will. One by one, students settled into stillness. Breathing slowed. Postures relaxed.

Albedo leaned back, relaxing and letting the scent barrage his senses. He closed his eyes and his senses slowly faded, and by the time he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the classroom.

There was no desk beneath him, no Kayle Belair at the podium, no classmates breathing beside him.

Instead, he was in a blank space, with a Crimson Moon hanging in the sky.

The moon was vast, burning crimson in the void like a second sun. However, the moon didn't bring any warmth, instead, it had a tyrannical aura that suffocated Albedo, making him truly aware of how terrifying his physique was.

The Moon's presence completely overwhelmed everything in the space. There was no stars, no clouds, just that singular celestial body, staring down at him like an eternal eye of judgement and power.

Albedo floated beneath it, suspended in an endless field of shadowy nothingness that shimmered faintly with reflected red light. There was no floor. No ceiling. Only space. Endless, hollow, infinite space.

Then, the ground formed, but it didn't appear, it ignited.

Intense flames erupted all around Albedo in a blooming circle of fire. None of these flames were ordinary, each of them flickering a different color.

Crimson. Blue. Violet. Silver. Black. 

These flames didn't burn, nor did they consume, they wrapped danced around Albedo, and as he slowly lowered himself down to their level, the flames didn't harm him, they instead wrapped around him.

He didn't know what happened, but his body pulsed with energy, he felt lighter, clearer, his thought process sped up. He quickly decided to take advantage of this to cultivate and truly comprehend the meaning of the technique and physique.

As he cultivated more, his soul hummed in resonance.

This wasn't just his Soul-Space, this was the Crimson Moon Dimension, the plane of existence directly connected to his soul through his physique, a plane long lost to time.

It represented unparalleled power, destruction, and rebirth, and Albedo was currently learning how that affected him.

He felt his Soul being purified, his thoughts growing sharper. Every insecurity, every doubt…was fed into the fire and burned away.

And in return, he felt it.

Power & Perfection.

The Physique and Technique ran in tandem, and the flames around him weren't random, they were refinements, each color representing a different aspect.

The Silver flames cleansed his Soul.

The Violet flames perfected his Mana Veins.

The Crimson flames perfected his cell.

The Black flames improved his attack power.

The Blue flames improved his regeneration.

Each one worked in tandem to hone him—body, mind, and spirit, toward a singular, terrifying ideal.

Perfection.

I am not meant to grow stronger by simply stacking power. I am meant to become flawless.

That was the essence of the Crimson Moon, destruction for the sake of rebirth. To burn away all that was impure, all that was unnecessary, until only the perfect core remained.

And then, ascend.

Ascend above the Mortal Realm and become a God!

Albedo took a step forward, and the moon above pulsed in response. The flames parted before him, forming a winding path across the infinite plane.

A path of fire, leading toward a massive throne of molten obsidian, sitting at the very center of the dimension.

He knew what the throne represented.

Authority.

Not over others, but over himself.

His instincts told him.

If he could reach that throne, he would complete the first synchronization with the Crimson Moon Dimension. He would make its foundation his own, and the next time he invoked the Technique.

It wouldn't just empower him.

It would transform him. It would complete the first phase of his ascension, and after enough phases, he would truly become perfect.

He turned, and looked up at the moon once more.

And as he stared at it, the Moon blinked. Not literally. Not physically. But metaphysically. It acknowledged him.

He felt it in his soul.

And then, the entire Soul-Space collapsed into firelight, and Albedo woke up, opening his eyes and returning to the classroom.

As his eyes opened, he noticed all the others had already woken up, and he was the last one. Murmurs were already spreading across the classroom, as everyone had their own reactions.

Some were breathing heavily, as if they'd run miles, while others were seated stunned. A few wept quietly, having glimpsed some deep wound or truth they hadn't known they carried.

Kayle watched it all without judgment.

She stood calmly at the podium, arms crossed.

"Some of you may have seen something beautiful," she said, "Some of you, something terrifying. That's fine. That's the point."

"Your Soul does not lie. It reflects who you are and the path you walk."

Her eyes passed over the room again… then paused for a second longer on Albedo. Her gaze sharpened ever so slightly, but she said nothing in the end.

"Class dismissed."

She turned and left without another word, coat billowing behind her like the trail of a spear thrown toward the heavens.

The moment she left, chatter exploded.

"Dude, mine was just… fire. But like melting fire? What the hell does that even mean?"

"My technique screamed at me. No, I'm not joking. It screamed. I thought I was in a f*cking horror movie it was so terrifying."

"Mine turned into my mom! Am I losing it?!"

Everyone had burst into constant chatter, and while Albedo was still thinking about what happened, Morgana next to him began to speak, "What did you see?"

Albedo didn't answer immediately. He studied her expression, the faint edge of tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers idly tapped against the desk as though trying to banish what she had seen.

She wasn't asking out of idle curiosity.

"You first," he said quietly.

Morgana scoffed a little but didn't refuse.

"I saw a world," she said slowly, her tone distant, "drenched in blood and shadow. Everything was… warped. Endless fields of broken thrones, rivers of black ichor. The sky was made of screaming faces. It wasn't just dark, it was alive. Watching me. I wonder if that's my future."

Her gaze flickered down to her gloved hands.

"It felt like home. And I hate that."

A long silence followed. Then, he said, "I saw my potential."

Morgana blinked, turning back toward him.

"I saw the path forward. What I could become. Not what I fear. But what I'll forge. A version of myself burned clean of weakness. Reborn in the image of perfection. I saw a throne," he added quietly, "not made of bones or gold, but of fire."

His voice wasn't proud. It wasn't boastful.

It was simply… truth.

"A Throne of Fire huh. Interesting. Just make sure to not die before you sit on that throne. William has a way of breaking down people in his way." Morgana said as a warning.

"Don't worry, if William challenges me,

"I'd win!"