[The Principal's Office - Midnight]
Elara's holy aura flared brighter, illuminating the towering glass windows and the frantic, watery shadows of the storm outside.
"You mock the Light!" Elara shouted, raising her silver rapier. "Your dark academy ends tonight, Principal! Holy Smite!"
A blinding beam of pure, destructive divine energy erupted from her blade, shooting directly toward Victor's chest. It was a high-tier spell, designed to instantly vaporize anyone harboring dark magic.
Victor didn't move. To his right, Princess Ignis—bound by her glowing golden debt chain —stepped forward with a frustrated groan, fully prepared to block the attack.
"Stand down, Ignis," Victor commanded smoothly. "Holy magic is inefficient. Let me demonstrate."
Victor raised the Tycoon's Ledger.
The blinding beam of divine light struck the ledger and instantly shattered, dispersing into harmless, glittering sparks that faded onto the mahogany desk.
Elara staggered back, the color draining from her face. "Impossible! That was the wrath of the Gods! No dark shield can block it!"
"It isn't a dark shield," Victor said, wiping a speck of dust from his sleeve. "Holy magic is powered by faith, Paladin. And faith is simply an intangible asset. The Ledger analyzed the market value of your 'faith' and determined it was completely worthless in my jurisdiction. Your spell was depreciated to zero before it even touched me."
Elara's sword arm trembled. She had trained her entire life to fight demons and necromancers. She had absolutely no idea how to fight an accountant.
"Seraphina, the total?" Victor asked, pulling his gold pocket watch from his vest.
"Unauthorized access, destruction of a lock, espionage, and attempted assault on a corporate officer," Seraphina rattled off, tapping her silver pen against her clipboard. "The baseline fine is four hundred thousand Gold, Principal Thorne."
"I am a servant of the Church!" Elara stammered, backing toward the shattered door. "I do not carry gold!"
"I am aware," Victor snapped the pocket watch shut. "The Holy Kingdom plans to raid my academy in thirty days. They call it a 'Crusade.' I call it a Hostile Takeover. I require an inside perspective on their operational logistics."
Victor tapped the glowing page of the ledger. A golden contract materialized, floating through the air until it hovered directly in front of the terrified Paladin.
"You owe me four hundred thousand Gold, Elara," Victor said, his Tycoon's Aura suffocating the room in pure, cold authority. "Since you are insolvent, you will pay off your debt through labor. You are officially drafted into the Abyssal Academy's corporate espionage division."
"I will never serve a villain!" she spat.
"You aren't serving a villain," Victor smiled a ruthless, predatory smile. "You are an Unpaid Intern. Sign the contract, or I will send a collection agency to the Pope."
Elara looked at the glowing chains of financial law hovering around the contract. She looked at the terrifying demon princess standing obediently by the desk. Realizing she had no escape, the Heroine of Light slowly reached out and pressed her thumb against the golden parchment.
"Excellent," Victor closed the ledger. "Seraphina, get our new intern a clipboard. We have an audit to prepare for."