---
**[Scene - Royal Magic Academy – An Ordinary Day]**
Academy life had resumed.
Kuro and Rei walked back into class, slipping unnoticed into the same room, ordinary, distant.
Rei sat beside him, watching him intently while quietly sketching magical runes in her notebook.
Kuro rested his chin on his hand, staring out the window, his silver hair softly glowing in the sunlight, looking bored, but not uncalculating.
> "Everything is the same," Rei whispered, her voice like a breeze.
> "Deception is a form of comfort..." Kuro replied coldly. "Even illusions take time to shatter."
---
**[Scene - A Few Days Later – Sky Over Ironwood]**
The serene sky was torn by a cruel laugh. Unidentified magical amber hues dispersed through the air, though no one watching seemed to notice.
A colossal, invisible flying fortress soared over the capital city of Valerion's walls in the Ironwood Kingdom, arriving near the Ironwood Royal Magic Academy.
Then suddenly, the invisible fortress decloaked, appearing directly above the Academy.
Academy students looked up, watching the enormous flying fortress, shrouded in mist, hovering over the Royal Magic Academy.
Panic spread like wildfire.
The fortress lowered approach ramps and platforms. From its belly poured forth dozens of winged demons, hooded troopers, and robed demonic extremists—the remnants of the Eastern Demon Lord's army.
The objective: Capture high-potential magic students and break their wills for dark rituals.
---
**[Scene - Academy Grounds – Chaos Begins]**
Shouts echoed. Students ran. Some fought. Most were overwhelmed.
Kuro ran through the corridors, feigning panic like a frightened child, disappearing into the crowd.
> *"Good,"* he mentally recited. *"They still believe I'm weak."*
Ryuto watched from a vantage point, his eyes sharp.
> *"They're here… the remnants of the demon army."*
He leaped onto the battlefield, activating one of his divine sigils. Light enveloped his surroundings as he drew his sword, forged by the Goddess Elmyria herself.
> "I will protect this place."
Blades clashed. Runes blared.
---
**[Scene - Princess Alisa Joins the Fight]**
Princess Alisa ran into the chaos, her eyes blazing with fierce resolve. She summoned a brilliant lance and stood beside Ryuto.
> "I'll fight with you, Ryuto-kun!"
> "Princess! This is too dangerous—"
> "I'm not just a princess!" she shouted, slicing through a demon. "I'm a mage of Ironwood!"
The two fought in perfect sync—Ryuto's light complementing her radiant lance.
---
**[Scene - Rei's Hidden Power]**
Elsewhere, Rei stood calmly before a regiment of invaders.
> "You chose the wrong place," she whispered, her dark eyes glowing violet, "to attack where my Master resides."
She raised her hand, channeling ten percent of the dark energy granted by Kuro, summoning Shujin's power.
The air warped. Gravity collapsed.
Her spell—Oblivion Chain—detonated, releasing a massive sphere of bound black energy.
Dozens of enemies screamed and vanished into nothingness.
The flying fortress shuddered.
---
**[Scene - Ironwood Palace – Emergency]**
Inside the throne room, King Arvedis Ironwood paled as he received the report.
> "The Academy… is under attack?! My daughter…"
He slammed his fist on the armrest.
> "Mobilize the royal army! Get there—now!"
But by the time the soldiers arrived, the battle was over.
Thanks to Rei, Ryuto, and Princess Alisa, the flying fortress cloaked itself again and retreated.
---
**[Scene - The Academy – Aftermath]**
The academy grounds were left in ruin, walls cracked, towers smoldering. But there were no deaths. Only a handful of injuries.
But the flag still flew.
Ryuto stood, tired but proud, his sword dripping with black ichor.
Alisa knelt beside him, disgusted by the slaughter.
Rei stood silently alone amidst the indescribable corpses.
Kuro returned later from the shadows, sporting a bandage on his arm and an act of "injury."
> "Master… you missed the worst of it," Rei whispered to him.
> "Good. Let the world believe I missed all of it."
---
**[Scene - That Night – Rei and Kuro]**
The two stood on the academy roof, the moon shining dimly above them.
> "You did well," Kuro said.
> "Only because Master empowered me," Rei replied, leaning against him.
Kuro didn't respond.
His eyes were on the sky.
> "A flying fortress… a bold move, but they're growing desperate."
> "Now there are more pieces on the board… It will soon become more interesting."
---
**[Scene - King's Castle – Alisa's Reflection]**
The King tightly hugged his daughter upon her return.
> "You're safe... Thank the gods."
But Alisa's gaze was distant.
She remembered the shadow that had once saved her life.
> "Darkness isn't always evil," she whispered. "And light isn't always true. Must we kill for good to happen?"
---
✦ **To be continued...**