Psychic Overlord

Time passes in the world, and whole major events occur at each turn, but they are soon forgotten by the tide of time.

It’s now winter in the United Federation as the year is about to end and Christmas was looming in the distance, with many people having gone on vacation for the holiday, be they workers, students, or the like.

Today was the 11th of December and was a special day because it was the day before the beginning of the End of Year Assessment for students. This End of Year Assessment was rather varied, lasting ten days and taking the form of a written test, a practical test, and a tournament between students of various years, esper grades, and echelons.

There were also sports events and extracurricular clubs showing off their prowess on the final days, so it was lively and almost festival-like, the part of the year that even the failing students looked forward to in the academy.

Today was also special because it was the day that Kaizer would be ending his intense three-quarters of a year-long retreat where he had cut off all contact with the outside world, minus Rina, who visited him every day and was the only one allowed to since Kaizer ate and slept in the observatory with the Dean.

At the foot of the mountain where the observatory-like Training Room 0 was located, there was a bunch of people waiting there with vehicles parked nearby.

The winter winds blew through the open parking lot at the foot of the training mountain, snow gently dusting the earth in patches while the main road had been cleared for Rina’s travel. One could even see a dusty and snow-covered Dodge Viper ACR parked there silently, radiating endless loneliness after being abandoned by its master.

At the front of the parking lot, sunlight reflected off the sleek surfaces of several luxury vehicles lined up nearby, their engines idling or silently dormant, gleaming against the icy scenery.

Leading this makeshift gathering was Hector Dais, leaning casually against his freshly repainted pink and white Nissan Fairlady Z, a car that screamed midlife crisis despite the fact that Hector was barely twenty.

He wore a thick floral bomber jacket layered over a hoodie and matching pink joggers, capped off by snow boots and a black beanie with gold trim. His hair was still its iconic spiky yellow, but frost clung stubbornly to the ends.

Beside him was Lisa, arms crossed and chewing a toothpick while leaning on her matte black 1970s Mustang GT, clearly modded beyond legality.

Her outfit was seriously underwhelming for this kind of winter cold, being a pair of ripped denim shorts over thermal leggings, a cropped puffer jacket, and fingerless gloves.

Somehow, she didn’t look cold at all and that was possibly because she radiated enough fire and disdain to melt the snow.

"Remind me why we’re standing in the cold waiting for our recluse prince?" Lisa muttered, narrowing her eyes toward the path leading up the slope.

Hector scoffed with dissatisfaction. "Because we’re his friends, remember? Even if he treats us like NPCs in a side mission."

Over the months, despite having given Kaizer their number, the fellow never called or texted once!

Of course, how could these two know that Kaizer had forgotten what it was like to have friends?

"And because I don’t want to owe Rina a favor," Lisa added grudgingly, trying to pretend she did not care.

Before Hector could respond and cruelly expose her lies, the air was split by the low growl of six expensive engines pulling up in exaggerated synchronicity.

From different directions, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Ferrari SF90, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Tesla Roadster, a Koenigsegg Agera, and a custom matte-blue Porsche Taycan rolled into view, gliding to a stop in perfect formation like some ridiculous high-society power ranger convoy.

Out stepped the Divine Cognitive Order, dressed in an aggressive fusion of scholar-chic and nouveau-riche absurdity.

Julius, their "leader," wore a long cashmere cloak lined with neural circuit patterns, his sapphire monocle glinting with unnecessary gravitas.

"We have arrived and in sync, as foretold!"

Morgan, still the smallest and loudest, wore a schoolgirl uniform jacket over a tactical vest, a fox-tail keychain swinging from her belt.

"We bring intellect. You bring what? Biceps?" she said as she pointed at Hector and Lisa.

Cornelius waddled out in a three-piece tweed suit and a scarf twice his size, holding a hot chocolate with two marshmallows that floated slightly above the cup.

"The atmosphere is quaint. Like the entrance to a forgotten shrine."

Eloise stepped out in a military-style coat over an elegant violet dress, frost literally evaporating from the ground around her due to the psychic energy radiating from her boots.

"I feel so academically stimulated just by breathing near this mountain."

Dante, the so-called Titan, wore a fur-lined vest and ski goggles despite no one skiing, fists taped like he was ready for a street brawl at a research conference.

"Hope the Overlord’s brain hasn’t been overused in his seclusion. We’ve got questions."

Hector eyed the convoy with a raised brow. "Well, well, well, look who’s back from their latest séance-slash-fashion show."

Lisa chuckled darkly. "How many IQ points does a Lamborghini add again? Asking for a friend."

Morgan stepped forward, nose scrunched. "How many decibels of ’I punch things for a living’ are you gonna radiate today?"

"Don’t start," Hector warned.

He glanced at them askance. "You people nearly caused a blackout last time you tried to ’harmonize brainwaves’ with the power grid."

Julius sniffed with pompous disdain. "Science requires sacrifice. Unlike... whatever it is you do. Graffiti kickboxing?"

Lisa cracked her knuckles. "We don’t need a sixth sense to tell that your Order’s been snorting too much scented candle smoke."

"You’re just jealous because he chose to bestow his teachings upon us first," Eloise said coolly, gesturing toward the mountaintop observatory.

"Oh please." Hector rolled his eyes.

"Kaizer talks to you the same way people talk to rogue AI... slowly, cautiously, and with full backup protocols." He shot back.

As the verbal skirmish escalated, all heads turned suddenly at the thunderous sound of a cloud of flame and ice billowing over like twin dragons roaring through the sky, aiming towards this spot.

From the western sky, a blinding arc of flame seared downward like a comet, exploding just meters away from the cars. The gathering of people here screamed, scrambling for cover until they realized the flames had curved at the last second, burning nothing but air and pride.

Then, from the opposite direction, a streak of diamond-clear ice howled through the sky, slamming down into the asphalt with surgical precision, leaving a perfectly carved trench that steamed and hissed as molten and frozen energies clashed in the middle of the lot.

Out of the drifting heat shimmer stepped Maria Rosenthia, the Sadistic Flame.

She wore a deep crimson winter coat over a dangerously short cheongsam slit up both thighs, her heels clicking confidently against the pavement. Her golden curls bounced as she walked, one hand twirling a fireball idly while the other held a designer coffee thermos she absolutely did not need.

"Step aside, plebs. A-rank approaching," she called out lazily, not sparing anyone a glance.

From the other side of the lot emerged Julia Bergkoff, the Crystal Ice.

She was draped in a high-collared midnight-blue cloak over a tight battle dress, her cyan hair braided back in a crown-like fashion (akin to Saber from FSN). Every step she took left a crackle of frost, and her eyes were as unreadable as ever.

"You scorched the trees again," Julia said flatly as she approached Maria.

"And you shaved a millimeter off my car’s paint the other day, so we’re even." Maria retorted with a venomous smile.

They came to a stop before the others, fully ignoring them, standing in front of each other with thin smiles that didn’t reach their eyes.

"Try that again, and I’ll melt your entire wardrobe. Even the backup collection." Maria threatened maliciously.

"You couldn’t melt a popsicle if I held it under your breath, you overcooked salamander." Julia mocked with a scoff.

The temperature dropped and rose in pulses around them, heatwaves and frost intertwining like dueling spirits.

Lisa instinctively took a step back. "Uh... do we intervene or let them kill each other?"

"They’re A-ranks, they either obliterate each other or start making out. Either way, we’re not stopping it." Hector muttered.

Julius cleared his throat grandly. "Clearly, a psychic mediator of my caliber is required to-"

Before anyone could respond, a faint ripple tore through space directly between the two women as a familiar figure stepped out of the void, soundless and serene.

Sophia Rochester, the Void Walker, materialized like an apparition made of grace and control, one hand gently catching Maria’s shoulder and the other tapping Julia’s elbow with surgical precision.

"Enough." Sophia chided the two.

Maria blinked, fire dissipating from her fingertips. "She started it."

"She always starts it," Julia muttered as her frost retreated.

Sophia just gave them both a patient, almost motherly glance. "Then you should both know better by now."

Julius whispered, awestruck. "It’s her... the Gentle Tyrant of Spatial Grace."

"She’s so cool..." Morgan gasped with shining eyes.

Even Lisa paused to whistle. "Okay. I see the hype."

Maria and Julia huffed, crossing their arms like scolded schoolgirls as Sophia stepped forward, her calm gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd.

"Kaizer will be descending soon, let’s not make him regret us showing up." She advised evenly.