The gust of wind swept through the black smoke, making it drift across the dark sky.
The rushing wind was split apart by a massive black sword flying around the city, with the headmaster surfing atop it, his long white hair fluttering.
He and his black sword cut through the city that had become a battlefield.
The smell of burning filled the air everywhere.
His brows furrowed.
"There are too many chimeras…."
The headmaster raised his hand upward.
Dozens of black swords formed out of nothing.
His gaze swept across the corners of the city in an instant.
"There are also black-robed users scattered everywhere, are they really subordinates of the Clay family?"
The headmaster took a breath, locking onto his targets.
He swung his hand downward, the wind surged around him, and his black swords shot toward their respective targets.
Sheeshh
Shesh
Boom
Boom
Screams of pain echoed, signaling his attacks had hit their marks.
The headmaster exhaled.
A presence was felt behind him.
One of his brows lifted.
He flipped the black sword that supported him in the air.
Sreet
There, a cloaked figure appeared, floating in the night sky.
Part of her face was exposed, her yellow hair flowing out of her hood.
The headmaster's expression changed to shock.
He swallowed.
"Darla?..."
Darla's empty gaze stared at the headmaster.
The headmaster clicked his tongue.
"Was it Clay Overmas who ordered you? Or did you and the others betray us?"
Darla did not answer, her gaze still empty.
She raised her right hand, her fingers moving as if manipulating something.
The headmaster's eyes twitched.
Under the moonlight, something glowing became visible, forming threads wrapped around Darla's fingers.
Darla moved her hand as if clawing the air.
The headmaster lowered his altitude.
Sreet.
Buk
Darla's movement split half of the building behind where the headmaster had been.
The headmaster looked at Darla from below, then shot toward her.
Darla stepped on the air, each step making the air beneath her reflect moonlight from thin threads.
Sret
Sret
Sret
The headmaster formed a black sword in his right hand and charged toward Darla's back.
Fwosh
He attempted a horizontal slash.
But Darla stopped midair, only her right foot acting as support.
She turned her body to face the headmaster.
The headmaster's eyes widened, his slash becoming hesitant.
Darla raised her left palm and made a crushing motion.
The headmaster clicked his tongue.
His body became stiff, unable to move, as moonlight reflected off the thin threads binding him.
The headmaster's eyes widened, a familiar scent reaching him.
'This smell?.... demonic energy?'
He dismissed the black sword in his right hand.
A breath of smoke escaped his lips, his mana surged.
Around Darla, eight black swords appeared, all pointing directly at her.
"What are you doing, Darla? Why does demonic energy come from you?"
Darla only stared at the headmaster with empty eyes.
The headmaster looked at her with pity.
The swords around Darla shot toward her the moment they finished forming.
Darla avoided them by dropping herself downward.
Boom
The black swords collided with each other.
Darla fell downward, her gaze looking up at the headmaster flying with his black sword.
The headmaster raised his hand upward.
Black swords formed again in the sky.
His eyes focused on Darla who had fallen.
'What exactly is happening?....'
The headmaster waved his hand downward toward Darla.
Dozens of black swords rushed toward her.
Darla halted, her body not touching the ground, her gaze fixed on the dozens of black swords targeting her.
She moved both of her hands.
Boom!
Boom!
The headmaster's attacks exploded upon clashing with Darla.
The headmaster created another black sword, this one larger than before.
'This will stop her for a while'
Before the headmaster could release his attack, grains of dirt struck his face.
The headmaster's eyes widened.
A voice he knew very well echoed in his head.
'Adams….this might be the last time you hear my voice…forgive me…but something is strange..'
The headmaster's eyes widened.
'There is demonic energy coming from Ophi….isn't that strange?.....there is a possibility something bigger is happening.'
The headmaster's face turned into a grimace.
'It might be harder going forward…I am leaving it to you this time…please take care of my children, and the others as well'
The headmaster's body trembled.
A thunderous scream echoed throughout the city, louder than anything else happening at that moment.
"ADAMSSSS!....."Tears unconsciously fell from the headmaster
His gaze turned toward the source of the voice.
"TERESAAA!..."
The headmaster accelerated his black sword, slicing through the night sky and the city that was far from okay.
The sight of the headmaster surfing through the sky drew the attention of others. They followed behind him.
The headmaster's eyes searched everywhere.
His gaze finally reached something he desperately wanted to see.
His eyes widened.
Teresa lay there, staring at the sky.
The headmaster's gaze shifted.
There, blood scythe and Ophi were approaching.
'Damn it….I thought you had already entered the academy through that tunnel'
The headmaster created dozens of black swords.
He looked at blood scythe, and then longer at Ophi.
'Ophi….what are you doing?'
Veins bulged on the headmaster's forehead as he directed his attack toward blood scythe and Ophi.
Fwosh
Dozens of black swords shot forward.
blood scythe smiled in excitement while Ophi only stared without expression.
blood scythe tore open his own stomach, a foul smell spread, his blood turning into a blood mirror.
A horrifying scream came from blood scythe
"Argh…."
Dozens of swords slammed into the blood mirror protecting blood scythe and Ophi.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The headmaster descended slowly, kneeling beside Teresa.
His eyes trembled.
The headmaster stroked Teresa's white hair that spread messily, a faint smile etched on her cold face.
The headmaster's heart beat faster.
Blood came out from his lips, bitten by himself.
The explosion attracted all the chimeras attacking the city.
The black smoke caused by the headmaster's attack began to clear.
There appeared blood scythe and Ophi, their robes torn.
Fresh blood still flowed from blood scythe's stomach, forming a pool on the ground he stood on.
Growls emerged from behind blood scythe and Ophi.
Dozens of chimeras appeared along with dozens of black-robed figures.
In the sky, with the moonlight behind her, Darla arrived, her robe tattered.
All of them tried to surround the headmaster.
But, hundreds of presences appeared standing behind the headmaster.
One woman with long purple hair stepped forward.
She knelt in front of the headmaster, beside Teresa who lay there.
The purple-haired woman swallowed and tried to place her hand on Teresa's heart.
The headmaster's voice stopped her.
"Don't, Yuna. It's already too late"
Yuna looked at the headmaster, her expression turning into a grimace.
The headmaster let out a breath, his shoulders slumping.
"Please just bring Teresa back to the academy"
Yuna nodded slowly.
She carried Teresa's cold body and walked away.
The headmaster stood, looking at the crowd of black-robed figures and chimeras.
A breath escaped his lips.
'There really is something strange….I'll follow you for now, Teresa….'
The headmaster raised his hand upward, the ground trembled, the surrounding air temperature dropped.
Hundreds of black swords appeared in the sky.
Dozens of chimeras writhed just by seeing it, blood scythe smiled widely, while Ophi and Darla only stared blankly.
'But if they truly betrayed us….'
The headmaster's gaze turned cold.
'I will destroy them all'
The headmaster took a deep breath.
"CAPTURE THE SUBORDINATES OF THE OVERMAS FAMILY!"
Tanya, who stood at the front line, struck the ground with her long sword in preparation.
Meanwhile, Theo cracked his neck.
And hundreds of others prepared.
The headmaster's shout started the attack.
"ARGHH!!!"
Hundreds of black swords shot toward their respective targets.
BOOM!
The explosion was heard all the way to the academy field.
A black-haired boy stood still, staring toward the city.
The boy swallowed.
His body didn't move, a gentle touch on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts.
And a girl's voice followed.
"Hey Alex…"
Alex turned to his side, there a girl with dark red hair swaying in the night wind looked at him.
"Yeah? What is it, Katarina?"
Katarina sighed.
"Are you okay? You've been acting strange since the attack"
Alex exhaled, relaxing his body.
"Yeah…I'm fine"
Katarina brushed her hair and looked to the side.
There, a two-meter-tall boy stood stiffly.
"Aril hasn't found his family yet"
Alex looked at Katarina, whose gaze was on Aril.
"What about the people you sent? Why haven't they arrived here?"
Katarina rubbed her forehead.
"I don't know, communication is cut off"
Alex scratched his head.
"All of this is frustrating"
The wind carried the smell of medicine, cries of pain still echoed in several corners of the academy field.
The dark sky slowly faded, but signs of battle had not yet subsided.
A shout echoed, everyone who heard it stopped what they were doing and looked toward the source.
"Your Highness!...Aril!"
The sound of children crying followed the shout.
Aril, who had been standing like a statue, finally shifted his gaze after hearing the familiar cries.
Aril's eyes widened, he rushed toward the group.
Katarina and Alex also looked toward them.
There, Maya, her team, the orphanage children, and civilians ran toward Katarina.
Aril moved first.
The children got down from being carried and ran toward Aril.
Aril crouched down, hugging the crying children.
Aril's breath hitched, his heart pounded violently.
His eyes scanned the entire group, but the person he most wanted to see was not among them.
Aril hugged his younger siblings tightly, their cries slowly subsiding.
"Big brother…big brother…mother is still there"
"Mother…is fighting those bad people"
"Mother said she would follow…but…but she didn't…"
Aril's hands, still holding his siblings, trembled, his breathing grew heavier.
Alex held his head with both hands.
Maya, panting, looked at Katarina with a face full of guilt.
Katarina only stared blankly.
Ken, Reva, Mira, Julian, and the others approached where Alex and Katarina stood.
Veins appeared on Aril's forehead as he looked at Maya.
"Please take care of my younger siblings for a moment"
Maya swallowed.
Aril was forced to release his younger siblings from his embrace.
Their cries grew louder.
"Big brother, where are you going?"
Aril swallowed, looking at his younger siblings.
"I…I want to see mother"
Aril dashed away, leaving his crying siblings behind, heading toward the academy gate that led to the city.
Alex clicked his tongue and glanced at Ken.
"Let's go! Ken!"
Ken followed Alex without hesitation.
Katarina took a breath and followed Alex and Ken.
Julian and Reva shouted.
"Where are you going, Rina!?"
"Your Highness! I'm coming too!"
Reva followed, while Julian turned toward Arthur and Eve.
"Let's go too!"
Mira immediately followed them.
Arthur showed reluctance to go.
But he was dragged by Eve.
"Eve….damn it. I don't want to go to that filthy battlefield!"
Eve clicked her tongue.
"Aren't you ashamed?! You should help your friend when they're in trouble!"
Arthur struggled slightly.
"I'll just ask my brother to represent me"
Eve ignored him and dragged Arthur along to follow Julian and the others.
At a slightly distant spot, a skinny black-haired boy nudged the girl beside him.
"Are we going, Billa?"
Billa clicked her tongue.
Her eyes looked at Arthur being dragged, and Arthur also looked at her.
He raised his hand.
"Hey Billa! Jiro! You guys should come too, damn it!"
Billa smiled widely.
"Let's go! I also know that big guy"
Billa and Jiro joined them.
Aril rushed far ahead.
Alex shouted.
"Hey! You need to calm yourself!"
Aril did not listen to Alex.
In his sight, the academy gate finally came into view.
There were still several buses and city residents slowly entering the academy.
The gate was guarded by senior students.
Aril did not slow down.
One of the senior students saw Aril charging forward, followed by others.
The senior student's eyes widened as he shouted at Aril.
"Hey hey where are you going!"
Aril ignored him.
The senior student was forced to stop him from passing the gate.
"Hey where are you going?! You can't go out right now!"
Veins bulged on Aril's forehead.
"I have to go out!"
The senior student gritted his teeth.
"You can't, the battle out there is too chaotic!"
Aril kept pushing, the senior student gritted his teeth and pushed the two-meter-tall Aril until he fell to the ground.
Buk
"You can't go, damn it! You'll die out there!"
Aril's eyes turned red, tears welling up.
Alex approached with the others.
Alex raised his hand.
"Sorry sorry… but can't you let us see the city for a moment?"
The senior student sighed.
"No… you are not allowed to pass this gate"
Katarina stared at the senior student without saying anything.
The senior student shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness… the headmaster is very strict"
The senior student glanced at Arthur and Eve.
"Especially since there are the younger siblings of the student council president and vice president"
Aril stood up with Ken's help.
Alex kept talking to the senior student, but their conversation was useless.
They drew the attention of everyone there.
Aril took a deep breath and closed his eyes, calming himself. He looked at the sky that was slowly turning white.
He closed his eyes again.
A cold gust of wind hit his face. Dew slowly formed on the leaves.
Alex's noisy voice negotiating with the senior student made him restless.
Another sound came from outside the gate. Alex and the senior student stopped arguing, and everyone's gaze turned toward someone entering.
Murmurs were heard, a purple-haired woman with an expressionless face became the center of attention.
But what drew attention wasn't her, but the person she carried.
The purple-haired woman carried
An old woman with loose white hair, dried blood visible on her missing right ear, her skin pale, yet a faint smile was etched on her face.
With each step the purple-haired woman took, the crowd of students and citizens parted.
Aril opened his eyes, his gaze immediately fixed on the purple-haired woman.
But when his gaze shifted to the old woman she carried, his eyes widened, his heart almost stopped beating, his body became stiff.
Aril forced his steps toward her.
Each step felt heavy, his face twisted in pain.
Aril's steps stopped, his legs no longer had strength, both his knees hit the ground.
Buk
The purple-haired woman looked at Aril who had fallen, she took a deep breath.
She walked closer and knelt in front of Aril, showing the woman she carried.
Aril's eyes reddened, tears welling up, about to fall.
Aril moved his hand with all his strength, touching the old woman's face.
His hand jolted slightly, her skin felt very cold.
Aril stared closely at the old woman's entire body.
He gritted his teeth. His breath hitched, he clutched his chest that felt painful, tears fell heavily, but no sound came out.
Aril's body trembled violently.
Everyone only watched in silence.
Only the sound of birds chirping could be heard.
Alex looked away.
Katarina massaged her forehead, her expression turning bitter.
But the first sunlight of the day slowly shone on Aril's back and reached Teresa's face.
Yuna, who carried Teresa, looked at Aril.
"Let's go inside first, student Aril…."
Aril did not respond, his body only trembled.
Alex swallowed and approached Aril, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Aril only sank further to the ground.
Strength left his large body.
He fell asleep on the ground.
Yuna grimaced seeing Aril like that, she shifted her gaze to Alex.
"Bring Aril to the treatment center…"
Alex nodded slightly, he carried Aril with the others.
Slowly the crowd dispersed.
But not long after, attention once again shifted to the senior students guarding the gate.
The headmaster, along with professors and the city's security forces, was walking back to the academy.
Cheers of victory were heard.
The headmaster sighed, running his hand through his white hair.
His gaze was empty.
Theo, who stood beside him, asked.
"What will we do with Ophi and Darla, sir?"
The headmaster looked at the sky, whose light was slowly warming the academy.
"We will detain them for now, fix the communication immediately and contact the kingdom as soon as possible"
Tanya looked at the headmaster
"What will happen to Julian Overmas? Should we detain him as well?"
Theo looked at Tanya intensely.
"He doesn't know anything, Tanya."
Tanya looked at Theo, massaging her forehead.
"You know what happened, right? Madam Teresa died because of the subordinates of the Overmas family, what do you think Aril will do if he finds out?"
Theo did not know how to answer Tanya.
Tanya wanted to continue but the sunlight that had been warm suddenly turned cold.
The headmaster stopped, everyone's gaze turned toward him.
"Enough….we still don't know what really happened."
The headmaster cracked his neck.
Everyone swallowed nervously.
"Just focus on contacting the kingdom and getting the latest news from other cities"
The headmaster let out a breath as he looked at the sky.
The cold air slowly faded.
"As for Aril's matter, we'll just let it be. What happens, let it happen"
"But we still have to secure Julian. Because we don't know what the citizens will do once they learn the information when communication is restored"
The headmaster turned his body.
His face looked older than before.
Everyone lowered their heads.
"That's all….and we will prepare a mass funeral today as well"
Everyone responded in unison.
"Yes, sir!"
The night of tragedy ended with a significant number of casualties.
Almost every city in the human territory suffered the same attack, and in the capital, the situation became uncontrollable.
They were not attacked, they were also under the direct protection of the king.
But the loss of communication made the citizens restless.
In stark contrast to the unrest of the capital's citizens, a large house in one corner of the capital felt quiet and peaceful.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridors of the house.
Tok tok tok.
A man walked through corridor after corridor adorned with paintings.
His face occasionally showed a bright smile as the servants greeted him.
"Sir….what exactly is happening? Why has communication suddenly been cut off?"
The man smiled, his golden eyes dimming as the smile appeared.
"I'm just about to go to the palace to discuss that. Once I know, I'll inform you"
The servants smiled.
"You are always kind, sir"
"Is there no emergency happening?"
The golden-eyed man shrugged.
He showed his muscular arm.
"No one knows, but don't worry…I will protect all of you if something happens hahaha"
The servants' faces brightened.
"I need to go to my study first, continue what you were doing"
The golden-eyed man walked away.
The smile disappeared from his face.
He opened the door to his study.
Sreet.
A fragrant floral scent spread, sunlight pierced through the glass, warming the room.
The golden-eyed man walked and stopped in front of a giant bookshelf.
He took one of the books.
Sreet.
The bookshelf shifted, revealing stairs leading underground, only darkness awaited below.
The golden-eyed man descended the stairs, the shelf closed again.
Tok tok tok
A whistling sound echoed in the dark underground corridor.
As the stairs ended, a massive room appeared.
The room contained only a large wooden table with a big chair in the corner and strange symbols on the walls.
The golden-eyed man walked to the table, sat in the chair, and placed his feet on the table.
One of the symbols on the wall lit up, and from it emerged seven black-robed figures.
The golden-eyed man looked at them.
The seven cloaked figures lined up before him.
The golden-eyed man scanned them, then raised his hand toward one of them.
He clicked his tongue.
"Ck, why do you always come back in such a mess? blood scythe?"
Blood sycthe chuckled while looking at the golden-eyed man.
"Kikikik, you know I attacked the hardest city, Tony Adams was there…."
A sinister smile appeared on blood scythe's face.
"And Teresa the Silent Mover was also there!"
One of the golden-eyed man's brows lifted.
"That woman? She was there? I didn't expect that."
blood scythe shrugged.
"Yes she was there! She was quite—"
blood scythe's words were cut off by the golden-eyed man.
"We'll discuss the details later."
blood scythe clicked his tongue.
"Did you all successfully leave the subordinates of the Overmas family in their respective places?"
The seven of them answered in unison.
The golden-eyed man smiled.
He clapped once.
"In that case, next we just need to call reinforcements from the south"
The golden-eyed man massaged his forehead.
"How is Ray's situation?"
blood scythe scratched his head.
"He will have difficulties and needs time to bring the others. The beastmen and their saints are cornering us more and more in the south"
The golden-eyed man sighed.
"No matter what happens, when the time comes, everything must be ready"
The golden-eyed man stood up.
blood scythelooked at him in confusion.
"Is that all?"
The golden-eyed man shrugged, took out a white robe from his smart bracelet, and put it on.
"Yes….that's all"
The golden-eyed man smiled.
"I'm already late, you know?"
blood scythestroked his chin.
"What's going on?"
The golden-eyed man took out perfume from his smart bracelet and sprayed it on his body.
A floral scent spread.
He looked at blood scythe.
"I have to go to the palace and arrest Clay Overmas of course."
The golden-eyed man walked away, but his steps stopped. He turned back and looked at the seven of them.
"Damn…next time you should take a bath before meeting me"
The golden-eyed man clicked his tongue and covered his nose.
"You smell too much like blood"
The golden-eyed man went back up the stairs to his study.
blood scythe only stared blankly.
"Damn….if he's no longer needed, I'll slit his throat with my own hands.
The golden-eyed man's footsteps echoed through the corridor, occasionally greeting the servants with a wide smile.
He stopped in front of a large door and opened it slowly.
Sreet.
He peeked inside the room.
The scent of flowers filled the room.
A large bed could be seen, and a woman was sleeping.
The golden-eyed man's face became blank.
He sighed and closed the door again.
Then walked back into the corridor.
Every step of the golden-eyed man showed confidence, his body scent refreshing, sunlight shining on him but his golden eyes still gleamed.
Only his shadow was darker than usual.
The golden-eyed man brushed his hair.
A cold air pierced his back, his shadow manifested into something dark.
A black hand with long claws grabbed the golden-eyed man's neck from the side.
On his left side appeared a black shadow forming a face with red eyes.
A cold breath touched the golden-eyed man's skin as the face breathed.
His steps did not falter.
The black face opened its mouth.
A voice that should not exist whispered into his ear.
"How….long….must…I….wait"
The golden-eyed man kept walking.
"Soon, I will obtain the Bone of Malakar…"
The black face chuckled.
"Make….your….heart….even….darker"
The golden-eyed man swallowed.
"You….have….no….way….back"
"Or….I….will….take…the…child.. And…"
The golden-eyed man cut off the black face.
"Enough. I already know what I will do, soon everything will be realized"
The black face laughed.
The golden-eyed man stopped.
"Please hide deeper within my shadow"
"The king has been very sensitive lately"
The black hand gripping his neck slowly disappeared.
The black face gradually vanished as well.
"Damn….I….will….kill…that…Max…first….later"
The black face disappeared completely, the golden-eyed man's shadow returned to normal.
Cold sweat flowed down his forehead.
The man wiped it.
And sprayed perfume again.
"Damn….."