"He is… the Summoner.
Archmage Eldrick."
Raze Kyler's voice echoed through like a blade slicing through silence.
For one long heartbeat—
No one moved.
Then—
Whispers erupted.
"Impossible…"
"Archmage Eldrick?"
"He's one of the King's strongest mages!"
"He served the kingdom for decades!"
"Why would he summon a demon!?"
Eldrick froze.
Shock.
Confusion.
Fear.
Flickering across his face so briefly it almost looked rehearsed.
Then he stepped forward with a gentle, practiced smile.
"Your Majesty," Eldrick said softly, "the boy is clearly traumatized. I cannot imagine why he would accuse me of something so terrible."
The king sighed heavily.
"Kyler… Eldrick has served the crown loyally for years. How can you accuse him without proof?"
Eldrick placed a hand over his chest in fake offense.
"Exactly, Your Majesty. The child is overwhelmed. An extra like him wouldn't understand real magic or the burden of responsibility."
Then he pointed toward the princess beside the king.
"And most importantly—Princess Arlia can sense demonic energy. If I carried even a trace of demonic aura, she would have noticed immediately."
Princess Arlia nodded quietly.
"I… sensed nothing from him."
Relief washed through the hall.
Knights relaxed.
Students exchanged confused whispers.
Even the king looked ready to dismiss Raze entirely.
Eldrick's lips curled in a tiny, victorious smirk.
But Raze did not look defeated.
He stepped forward, his voice sharp and calm.
"Princess Arlia can sense demonic aura… but she cannot sense it if someone uses an artifact to hide it."
Silence dropped like a stone.
Raze lifted a finger—
And pointed straight at Eldrick's right hand.
"That ring. The silver one.
Remove it.
If you're innocent… prove me wrong."
Gasps rippled through the hall.
"Ring? What ring?"
"Is it an artifact?"
"Why would an Archmage hide his aura?"
Every eye locked onto Eldrick—
And the elegant silver ring on his finger.
Eldrick's smile twitched.
Not with fear.
But anger.
"How dare you accuse me of such nonsense? This ring stabilizes my aura. Removing it could be dangerous—life-threatening."
The king nodded.
"Kyler, that's enough. He doesn't need to prove anything."
Raze turned slightly, eyes still fixed on Eldrick.
"…If he were innocent, he would've removed it instantly."
Gasps.
Eldrick trembled.
Then Raze bowed to the king.
Raze stepped closer and bowed his head slightly.
"You know what… maybe I was wrong."
The entire hall blinked.
Even Eldrick did.
Raze continued quietly:
"I apologize for my rudeness. If you want to punish me… I accept it."
Eldrick's lips curled into triumph.
"So you finally admit it. Good. Let me teach you something—never disrespect—"
He raised his hand to strike Raze.
Everyone thought Raze was submitting.
Everyone thought Eldrick had won.
They were wrong.
In the next instant—faster than a blink—
SSSHING—
A flash.
A slice.
Blood splattered across the marble floor.
Eldrick screamed as his ring finger spun through the air, the silver artifact still attached.
The finger hit the ground.
CRACK.
The aura-hiding enchantment shattered.
A burst of purple demonic smoke exploded from Eldrick's hand.
Princess Arlia gasped, eyes wide.
"I… I feel it! Demonic aura!"
Chaos erupted.
"Demonic aura!?"
"He was hiding it!"
"Archmage Eldrick betrayed the kingdom!?"
Eldrick's scream warped—twisting into dark, venomous laughter.
"Raze Kyler…" he hissed, clutching his bloody stump. "I underestimated you. I thought you were nothing but an extra. But you killed my precious pawn… and ruined my perfect disguise."
His eyes glowed purple.
"I will never forgive you."
He slammed his bleeding hand onto the floor.
"WAKE UP, MY CHILDREN—
AND KILL THEM ALL!"
A massive summoning circle tore open beneath him.
Purple smoke flooded outward.
Skeletons—dozens—crawled out of the circle, bones etched with cursed runes.
Knights charged—
But the first skeleton cleaved open a knight's chest.
Another shattered a guard's shield like glass.
Panic spread instantly.
"Undead!?"
"In the royal hall!?"
"We're doomed—!"
Students staggered back in fear.
"If Ms. Seraphina were here, she'd kill them all in one blow…"
"She crushed a demon beast with her bare hands… these skeletons are nothing to her…"
But Seraphina wasn't here.
Only Mrs. Kelly Hartwell— And the summoned heroes.
Leon tightened his grip on his sword, divine energy flickering.
"If we don't fight… the king will die."
Borden swallowed hard.
"Y-Yeah… damn it… I can't run either!"
Nichle's voice trembled.
"S-Soul-bound skeletons… they don't feel pain…"
Reid analyzed rapidly.
"Magically reinforced. We need either pure strength or precise damage."
Suzu raised her staff, voice trembling but steady.
"I don't want anyone to die. I'm helping too."
Tamao summoned her illusionary chains, calm and silent.
Mrs. Kelly inhaled deeply.
She didn't command them—
But she didn't stop them either.
"…If you choose to fight," she whispered, "I'll support you."
Golden magic circles bloomed around her hands.
"Acceleration Blessing."
A surge of divine light exploded outward.
Leon's muscles ignited with power.
Borden's reflexes sharpened.
Nichle's spirits materialized instantly.
Reid's constructs stabilized and hardened.
Tamao's chains multiplied.
Suzu's healing magic accelerated.
Borden grinned wildly.
"Holy—! I feel like I can punch a dragon!"
Leon smirked.
"Save it. Just don't die."
Mrs. Kelly added softly,
"Seraphina taught me that spell."
ACCELERATE—
The first skeleton lunged.
Leon charged.
"DIVINE STRIKE!"
His glowing sword shattered it instantly.
Borden slammed another into pieces.
Nichle's spirit wolves tore bones apart.
Reid's golem crushed undead skulls.
Tamao's chains bound several at once.
Suzu healed wounded knights instantly.
Magic flashed.
Bones cracked.
Swords clashed.
Chaos swallowed the hall.
And through it all—
Raze Kyler did not move.
He stood alone on one side of the battlefield, eyes cold and emotionless.
He didn't take a stance.
He didn't prepare a spell.
He was simply waiting.
Eldrick noticed Raze standing calmly and snarled.
"Trying to act cool, huh!? Let's see how long you stand there!"
He sent fresh skeletons directly at Raze.
They sprinted toward him—
Raze didn't budge.
He raised a fist.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Each punch shattered a skeleton instantly.
No magic.
No stance.
No footwork.
He stood rooted in place, unmoving.
Eldrick's eye twitched.
"You're still standing there!? Are you afraid to come fight me!? Afraid to DIE!?"
Raze stared at him.
"I don't need to come to you," he said calmly.
"You'll die even if I don't do anything."
Eldrick froze.
"What the hell are you talki—"
He staggered.
Blood dripped from his nose.
Then his mouth.
The king and princess gasped at the same time.
Eldrick grabbed his face, horrified.
"What—what is this!? Why am I—!?"
Raze simply watched.
Because he already knew.
Eldrick wiped the blood away—his hand trembling.
"…Poison?" he whispered.
Then shouted—
"POISON!? How did you find it!? This shouldn't work on me!"
"So that's it…! When you cut my finger… the dagger had poison on it!?"
Dark veins crawled across his skin.
"But This is impossible… my body resists low-tier toxins! Why—WHY is this happening!?"
Raze tilted his head, a cold smirk rising.
"That's a secret."
Eldrick's breath hitched, panic ripping through him.
"You… you bastard… WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
Raze said nothing.
He didn't have to.
Eldrick's screaming suddenly stopped.
Silence.
The hall froze.
Eldrick… laughed.
A hollow, broken laugh.
"So this is it," he whispered. "I summoned you heroes… I thought I could use your power. Manipulate you. Reshape this rotten kingdom."
He pointed at the king.
"This ugly king lives in luxury while the people suffer. I wanted to make this kingdom equal. Better."
His smile twisted with regret and madness.
"But you ruined everything. My plans. My future. Me."
He coughed more blood.
"But I won't die like this."
He slammed his hand on the floor.
A massive, jagged magic circle erupted—crimson and black.
"I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING!!"
The runes spun violently.
Blood flowed into the circle.
Shadows thickened.
Temperature plummeted.
His body turned to ash and violet flame.
With a final scream—
"DEMON OF THE ABYSS!!! TAKE MY LIFE AND DESCEND!!"
A monstrous roar tore through the hall.
A colossal demon stepped out—dark stone skin, two massive horns, and a war hammer glowing with hellfire.
A Demon Lord-class monster.
Students fell back in terror.
Knights froze.
Even the king paled.
The demon lifted its hammer—
The ground cracked.
Eldrick's fading voice echoed from the burning circle:
"BURN WITH ME—ALL OF YOU!!"