CHAPTER 27: THE RISE OF CONTROLLED ARMIES AND THE BEGINNING OF THE HIDDEN WAR
The intensity inside Hero Academy continued to rise with every passing minute.
The Royal Battle had fully taken over the atmosphere. What started as excitement had now transformed into something heavier—something sharper. The air itself felt charged, filled with layers of mana colliding, dispersing, and rebuilding after every fight.
The arena was no longer just a battlefield.
It had become a stage where ambition, fear, and raw power clashed openly.
Students stood at the edges, gripping the railings tightly as they watched each match unfold. Some shouted strategies. Some silently observed, analyzing every movement. Others simply watched in awe, overwhelmed by the level of power being displayed.
Below, another fight was already underway.
One student controlled flames that twisted like living creatures around his arms, each movement precise and aggressive. His opponent stood calm, summoning sharp shards of ice that floated in the air like a defensive storm.
The moment the signal was given, both attacked.
Fire surged forward.
Ice collided against it.
The clash created a burst of steam that spread across the arena, briefly blinding both fighters. But neither stopped. They moved through instinct, attacking, defending, adapting in real time.
Explosions echoed.
Barriers cracked.
The ground beneath them fractured under the pressure of their abilities.
The crowd roared in excitement.
But above all this—
Krrish remained still.
He sat among the Royal Class, watching silently, his expression unchanged.
To him, these fights were… slow.
Not in speed, but in depth.
Predictable.
Limited.
His eyes followed every movement, but his mind wasn't fully present.
Because something far more important had already begun to unfold.
A disturbance.
Not something visible.
Not something anyone else could notice.
But he could feel it.
A shift in the balance of the world itself.
Krrish slowly closed his eyes.
And in that instant—
His consciousness slipped into the darkness of his inner space.
The Black Shadow stood there, waiting.
This time, its presence felt heavier than before.
More aware.
More serious.
"You understand it now," the Shadow said quietly.
Krrish didn't waste time.
"They can't enter the Human Realm."
It wasn't a question.
It was a conclusion.
The Shadow nodded.
"Yes."
"Not the Demon Emperor."
"Not the Demon Kings."
"And not even the Gods."
Krrish's eyes sharpened.
"Because of the laws."
"Exactly," the Shadow replied. "This world is governed by boundaries. Higher beings cannot directly interfere beyond a certain level."
"Then they'll find another way," Krrish said.
The Shadow's faint smile returned.
"They already have."
Silence filled the space for a moment.
Then—
"They will use what already exists in this world."
Krrish understood immediately.
"Humans… and beasts."
The Shadow walked slowly around him as it spoke.
"Every living being carries energy."
"In most, it remains dormant."
"But in some…"
"It exists as fragments of something greater."
"Demonic energy."
"Divine energy."
Krrish listened carefully.
"Those fragments don't awaken easily," the Shadow continued. "Only those who grow strong enough… or those who begin to understand even a single law of this world… can bring it out."
Krrish's voice turned colder.
"And once it awakens…"
"They can be controlled."
The Shadow stopped.
"Yes."
"No longer fully human."
"No longer fully themselves."
"Just vessels."
Weapons.
Puppets.
Krrish clenched his fist slightly.
"So the Demon Emperor is creating an army…"
"From inside the Human Realm."
The Shadow's eyes flickered.
"Not just him."
Krrish looked up.
"The Gods too."
There was no denial.
"They have already started."
"They are gathering those with divine energy."
"Awakening them."
"Binding them."
"Turning them into soldiers."
For the first time, a clear silence settled between them.
Because this truth—
Changed everything.
This was no longer a war between good and evil.
It was something far more dangerous.
A war of control.
Two forces.
Both unable to enter the world directly.
Both using the same method.
Both turning living beings into weapons.
Krrish spoke slowly,
"They're turning the Human Realm into a battlefield…"
The Shadow corrected him softly.
"No."
"They're turning it into a chessboard."
"And every human… every beast…"
"A piece."
---
Far away from the academy—
The first signs had already begun.
In a quiet town, a man collapsed in the middle of the street.
At first, people thought it was an illness.
They rushed toward him.
Tried to help.
But then his body began to tremble violently.
Dark veins spread across his arms.
His breathing became unstable.
His eyes—
Turned completely black.
A heavy, unnatural energy surrounded him.
"…power…"
"…more…"
His voice was broken.
Distorted.
And then suddenly—
He moved.
Faster than any normal human could react.
The ground beneath him cracked as he launched forward.
A nearby structure shattered from the impact of his strength.
Screams filled the area.
People ran.
But no one understood what had just happened.
High above the sky—
A hidden presence observed silently.
A Demon General.
Invisible.
Watching.
"Awakening confirmed…"
---
At the same time—
In a distant forest—
A completely different transformation was taking place.
A beast stood still.
Surrounded by a soft golden light.
Its body trembled—not in pain, but in response to something overwhelming.
Its eyes glowed.
Bright.
Pure.
The energy around it expanded outward, pushing the environment back.
Then—
A voice echoed.
Gentle.
Yet commanding.
"You are chosen."
The beast slowly lifted its head.
Its instincts… began to fade.
Replaced by something else.
Something controlled.
Above—
A divine entity watched.
Silent.
Calculating.
---
Back at Hero Academy—
Krrish opened his eyes.
The noise of the arena returned instantly.
The crowd.
The battles.
The announcements.
But now—
Everything felt different.
Because he knew.
What was happening outside.
What was coming next.
This Royal Battle…
Was insignificant compared to what was about to unfold.
He slowly stood up.
His movement alone caught attention.
Several students looked toward him.
Whispers began again.
But Krrish ignored all of it.
His gaze lifted slightly toward the sky.
"They've already started…"
His voice was low.
Almost inaudible.
Inside his mind, the Black Shadow spoke one last time.
"This won't be a simple war."
"It will be a war of influence."
"A war of control."
Krrish's eyes turned cold.
"Then I'll break that control."
A faint pressure spread around him.
Subtle.
But dangerous.
"If both sides are trying to use this world…"
His voice carried quiet certainty.
"Then I'll stand above both."
In the arena, a new match was announced.
Names appeared.
The crowd cheered.
The Royal Battle continued.
But Krrish walked forward with a different understanding now.
Every fight here—
Was nothing more than preparation.
Because soon—
The real war would begin.
And when it did—
Strength alone wouldn't decide the outcome.
Control would.
And in that war—
There would be only two kinds of beings left.
Those who could hold onto their will.
And those who would lose it… completely. 🔥