The six remaining students entered the classroom and took their seats. At the front of the room stood Darius, their lead mage and teacher, beside the board, with Commander Corvik standing at his side. Both men noticed that two students had yet to arrive. As the others settled into their seats, Darius stepped forward with a wooden pointer in hand and prepared to speak.
"Alright, since you're all staying behind while the others go on their adventure, let's work hard and continue improving, shall we?"
One of the students raised his hand, prompting Darius to nod and point toward him, permitting him to speak.
"Shouldn't we wait for the other two, Tatsu and Haru, Professor Darius?"
"Ah! Haha! I completely forgot about those two. Well, we can wait for them for a little while." He then turned to Corvik. "Could you go find those two young heroes?"
Corvik nodded to Darius. "Certainly." He approached the door and reached for the handle. Before he could open it, however, the door suddenly burst open. Tatsu stood on the other side, his eyes fixed on Corvik with a look of deep betrayal. Behind him, Haru stood trembling, his face pale with fear as he stared at Corvik as well.
Corvik's eyes widened. "Tatsu? Haru?"
"You lied!" Tatsu marched up to Corvik, glaring at him furiously. "You! Professor Darius! And the King! You all lied straight to our faces!!"
Two of the six students rose from their seats, their faces filled with confusion as they tried to understand what Tatsu had just said. Corvik glanced at them curiously before turning his gaze back toward Tatsu.
"What exactly did we lie about, Tatsu"
"All of it! The story about us being destined heroes, the gods of this world summoning us to save you, even the time difference between our world and this one! You lied to us about everything! And now you've sent our friends out there to face monsters they know nothing about!"
Darius stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at Tatsu. "And where, exactly, did you hear that?"
"From my friend Haru! He heard everything you and Teba said!"
All six students in the classroom gasped in shock at Tatsu's revelation. Murmurs quickly spread throughout the room, filled with confusion, fear, and growing resentment. They couldn't believe that Corvik and Darius had kept the truth hidden from them this entire time. And what frightened them most was the thought that their families might still be searching for them back in their world, unaware that they had been gone for so long.
Darius stared at the frightened, resentful students before shifting his gaze toward Tatsu, his expression turning threatening. "Agh, do you have any idea what you've-"
Corvik quickly stepped between them, holding out a hand to stop Darius. "Darius, don't! This whole method was your idea to begin with!"
"Listen, I understand that you're angry that we kept the truth from all of you. But we need the firepower to stand a chance against the monsters that have descended from the stars"
Haru tilted his head, confused. "Monsters from the stars? Hold on... are you talking about aliens?"
"We know little about what these creatures truly are, only that they are vicious and intelligent. They can infect the living and the dead alike, twisting them into monsters of their own kind. Their numbers continue to swell, and a single army of them could bring an entire kingdom to ruin in the blink of an eye."
Corvik's explanation left the students horrified. Their thoughts immediately turned toward their friends beyond the castle walls, imagining them being devoured or infected and transformed into monsters. Worse yet, they began to wonder if the same fate could someday befall them.
"What makes you think we're valuable enough to fight in this war against the monsters?" Tatsu asked Corvik.
"When people are summoned into this world, as all of you have been, they often possess unique energies and traits that do not originate from this world. Such foreign energy allows them to develop their abilities at a remarkable rate, achieving in three to five weeks what might take us years to accomplish. This mysterious power within them can awaken abilities unlike anything known in this world. That is precisely why the chosen students are so valuable to us, particularly a prodigy such as Hirito Ishikawa."
Tatsu lowered his head, weighing his options carefully. They could stay and help this world until the threat was gone, but doing so meant leaving their own world behind as time continued to pass. Or they could return home and leave this world to deal with its own problems. Finally, Tatsu looked Corvik straight in the eyes and said.
"Please, just be honest with me for once. Do they still know the spell that can bring us back home?"
Before Corvik could utter a word, a loud bell echoed across the city. It rang again and again, its warning spreading through the streets. Enemies were approaching the city walls. Corvik and Darius exchanged a tense glance as they realized what was happening.
"Wh-what is it?! What does it mean?!" Haru asked nervously.
"It's them! The monsters are coming! They're heading straight for the city!" Darius shouted
"Damn it! Why now?! All of you, evacuate through the evacuation tunnel alongside the citizens! We'll hold the monsters back and buy them as much time as we can!"
Corvik and Darius rushed through the hallway, leaving Tatsu and the remaining students behind in the classroom. The moment they reached the courtyard, Corvik spread his wings and launched himself into the sky, soaring above the city. Darius drew his wand and swept it through the air. A brilliant glint flashed from its tip as a spell took hold, lifting him effortlessly into the air beside Corvik.
The two of them flew across the sky before landing atop the city walls. Below them, soldiers hurried into position, preparing their weapons as they marched along the battlements. Corvik and Darius gazed out toward the distant wilderness, their eyes fixed on the horizon.
"What is that?" Darius said, staring in complete shock.
As dusk finally gave way to darkness, something enormous appeared on the horizon. Corvik, Darius, and the soldiers on the walls could only stare in horror as a gigantic eldritch being flew above the wilderness as if it were swimming in the sky. Its grotesque form resembled that of a colossal manta ray, but its body was far too unnatural to belong to any known creature.
Thick, dark armored shells covered its outer body, while numerous tails stretched behind it like twisted appendages. Four enormous cephalic lobes protruded from its head, each ending in a sharp, horn-like point. Beneath its body, countless tendrils writhed endlessly, spreading beneath its belly and along its enormous fins. Eight eerie green lights burned where its eyes should have been. The same unnatural glow traced the edges of its fins, outlining its enormous silhouette against the darkening horizon.
Teba landed beside Corvik with a massive steel greatsword in hand and presented it to him. "Commander."
Corvik took hold of his greatsword and raised it high before resting it against his shoulder. At that moment, two hundred eagle birdfolk knights descended onto the walls and formed ranks, standing ready to receive their commander's orders. Corvik turned his gaze toward his assembled forces.
"Soldiers of the skies! An enemy has appeared on the horizon! We will not allow that creature to enter our skies and spread its infestation! Ready your blades and bring it down! And if it takes your life, then drag the beast into death with you!"
"Hooray!!!" The eagle birdfolk knights shouted in unison, raising their spears high into the sky. Their battle cries echoed throughout the walls as they prepared to confront the approaching monsters, each one knowing that this battle could be their last.