Grand Return System-Chapter 95: Frost and Flame Return

Frost and Flame Return

"Oh," Leon replied calmly. "They are cultivating on the cliff. They should be back soon."

That choice came without effort. Each pause, each inhale, each comeback lived inside him like clockwork. Guessing never entered the picture. He simply knew.

The breeze shifted.

A hush moved under the door, trailing cold rock smells and air from far off. Not rushing, the petals drifted in after, floating low without hurry, as if time didn’t matter at all.

Stillness settled, just for a breath.

Footsteps paused when he finished speaking

Into the room came two graceful shapes, moving fast. They appeared without warning, their forms lit by the sudden light.

Frost-tipped strands shine under the sun, sparking as they move. Sunlight dances along pale threads, each motion pulling light into view.

A flicker of red moves slow, not quite smoke but close - threaded through air like it owns the space. Flame without burn clings to every step, restless. Impossible to look away when it shifts, always shifting.

"Teacher, we’re back..."

Out of nowhere, laughter spilled into the space, sharp and close, still buzzing from moments just lived. The people followed only after, moving like echoes catching up to sound.

Selena entered first, fingers laced with Rias. The door shut behind them, slow and quiet.

Still moving with the beat of old drills - each step light, exact, never rushing. Strength lived in their silence while walking, the sort that stays hidden on purpose. Around them, mana breathed low, warmth left behind by fire, calm but not gone yet.

A quiet breath slipped out as Selena tucked back a pale lock that strayed near her cheek, her pulse nudging the air beneath her ribs. Not quite still, Rias traced the rim of her deep red cuff like it mattered - yet her gaze moved ahead, slicing through corners before anyone noticed.

That was when silence fell between them.

They noticed Kevin.

Her eyelids snapped shut, then open again. A flash of wonder lit up those clear blue eyes, bare for anyone to see.

"Eh, Senior Brother Kevin, long time no see. Why are you here?"

Her voice didn’t sound stiff. It wasn’t cold or held back. Warmth came through, clear and real. Not forced. Just how she spoke.

He stood apart, somehow, in her eyes. Not simply one more older face passing by.

That day she entered the Academy - soft steps, tight grip on her bag, thoughts spinning - he was already there, matching her pace without asking. Questions tangled in her throat, but he answered before she could speak them. Not fast. Never hurried. Just clear words, calm voice, eyes level with hers. Hall after hall opened up slowly because of him - the ranks, the training schedules, the quiet zones where silence mattered. One detail at a time, the maze became paths she could walk alone.

Footsteps light, she held back. Words weighed heavy before spoken. Each move planned without sound. Silence shaped her days.

Now -

Up she stood, spine aligned, arms loose at her sides, calm in a way that needed no effort. Not something worn like armor now - confidence just lived in her bones. As if it had never been away.

It caught Kevin’s eye as well.

A moment passed before he looked away - no shock, just recognition settling in. He saw it, then moved on.

Lightness came into his voice, a soft laugh rising like steam from warm tea. Familiarity lived in the sound, carried on a breath that didn’t rush.

"Junior Sister Selena, long time no see. You’ve become much prettier."

A hint of pink touched her face, though the joke meant no harm. Her pale skin caught the color like dawn light on snow.

"Senior Brother..."

Her eyes dipped down, just for an instant, then she steadied herself again.

A slight tilt of Rias’s head broke the stillness, crimson gaze fixed on Kevin like he’d just stepped into a story already in motion. Her look held questions without words, drawn by something unspoken between them.

Faster than a blink, Selena spun to face her.

"Rias, this is the eldest Senior Brother of our Celestis Academy. His name is - " she paused and corrected herself smoothly, "Kevin. You can call him Senior Brother Kevin."

A soft curve shaped Rias’s lips, while strands of crimson tumbled past her collarbone - smooth as water on glass.

"Senior Brother Kevin."

A softness shaped each word she spoke, a quiet courtesy woven through. But underneath hummed something warmer, just shy of hidden - the trace glow of who she carried inside.

"Senior Brother Kevin," Selena continued cheerfully, "this is Teacher’s new student, Rias, my junior sister."

A flicker of alertness crossed Kevin’s gaze.

Footsteps shifted something inside him before a word was spoken.

"Another innate divine bone?"

His heart jolted.

As soon as Rias crossed the threshold, he felt it—a powerful fluctuation buried deep within her spiritual core. Its grade was no inferior to Selena’s Divine Ice Bones. If nurtured properly, it could evolve into something terrifying.

An immortal-grade bone.

An existence comparable to an Instinct Supreme Body.

"Oh my god... this is incredible."

He almost said it aloud.

Amethyst Summit Division only had two students in total.

But each one...

Monstrous.

Most other Divisions were filled with certified background characters—numbers over quality. Plenty of noise. Few true talents.

But Amethyst Summit Division had always adhered to its ancient principle:

Better empty than mediocre.

Kevin’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward Leon.

Back then, when Respected Zeon had accepted Leon as a student, the other Divisions had laughed. They mocked him for being old and confused, accepting a so-called waste.

Ten years later—

Leon had stepped into sage Realm.

A waste?

One man alone could suppress an entire Division.

Weak?

Weak my ass.

Kevin inhaled slowly, steadying himself.

"Junior Sister Rias is indeed talented and intelligent. It’s our first meeting, and I’m truly shocked. No wonder you were accepted as Guardian Elder Leon’s student. You possess an innate divine bone and excellent comprehension. Your future is limitless."

His praise was sincere.

Rias blinked, unexpectedly shy.

A faint blush crept up her cheeks.

She knew better than anyone—

Her so-called aptitude had not been natural fortune.

It had been carved, refined, forced into existence by Leon’s guidance, by the Sacred Arts he had taught her, by the relentless tempering of the Inferno Lotus Art.

Without him—

She would still be wandering blindly.

"Senior Brother Kevin is exaggerating," she replied softly.

Leon watched the exchange quietly, hands folded behind his back, expression calm.

Inside—

He felt a subtle satisfaction.

Not pride in talent.

But pride in growth.

"By the way," Kevin suddenly said, remembering his purpose, "Junior Sister Selena, what is your current cultivation?"

Headmaster Mike’s instructions echoed in his mind.

Observe.

Assess.

Report.

Selena hesitated for a moment.

Her fingers tightened lightly at the edge of her pale blue sash.

Should she reveal it openly?

She instinctively looked toward Leon.

His gaze met hers.

Steady.

Reassuring.

No need to hide.

No need to fear.

That look alone strengthened her spine.

She turned back to Kevin, expression composed.

"Senior Brother... I’m already at two-star Astral Realm."

The words left her lips clearly.

The air in the hall seemed to still for a heartbeat.

Kevin froze.

Two-star Astral Realm?

In barely two months?

His throat felt dry.

He had expected progress.

He had not expected this.

His eyes moved between Selena and Leon.

So this... is what he has been quietly nurturing?

The bamboo outside rustled again, petals drifting past the doorway like silent witnesses.

Amethyst Summit Division—

No longer poor.

No longer forgotten.

And no longer weak.