---
**[Cutscene - Academy Training Grounds – Morning]**
Sunlight warmly bathed the training field. Magic glittered around the academy training grounds, creating safe zones for unleashing powerful spells.
Lucien stood alone at the edge of the field. He closed his eyes, and crimson auras glowed faintly as he focused on control.
> "...Must control it..."
"If they see... it would ruin our mission."
His demonic face flickered with each wave of concentration, disappearing and reforming. He gritted his teeth. Sweat streamed down his face.
From a distance, Selvaria watched from a long bench, arms crossed.
> "You're not hiding it well, Lucien. If a royal mage saw you, it would be over."
Lucien wiped his brow and yelled softly.
> "Then I'll eliminate them."
> "No." Selvaria narrowed her eyes. "Control yourself. That's the difference between humans and demons."
---
**[Scene - The Other Side of the Field]**
Princess Alisa held a silver sword gleaming with elemental light. She dashed forward, striking a magical training dummy, neatly slicing through its core.
> "Again!" she commanded, summoning another target.
Nearby, Saria concentrated on her elemental magic—shooting ice and small streams of water at moving targets.
> "They say only the top eight will advance to the real battles," Saria said between shots.
Alisa aimed her sword at the ground, breathing rapidly.
> "Then we must make sure Kuro-kun is watching us from the audience…"
> "Or from the shadows," Saria laughed.
As they rested, sweat dripped from their brows, and they exchanged light laughter.
---
**[Scene - Valerion City Streets – Afternoon]**
Rei's eyes sparkled as she curiously explored the capital city of Valerion. She moved gracefully under arches of blooming flowers hanging from a roadside shop.
> "Wow… everything seems so bright when Kuro-sama isn't here."
She stopped in front of a bakery, bought a sweet pastry, and took a bite with a smile.
> "Even if he says he doesn't like it, I should buy something for him…"
She explored further—fabric shops, gift vendors, jewelers. Girls chatted and laughed around her, and Rei blended in at once—no one knew she was a magical being.
She stopped by a fountain, watching the gentle water flow.
> "Someday… I want to live a life like this with Kuro-sama. Quietly… peacefully…"
She covered her heart with one hand and closed her eyes.
---
**[Cutscene - Academy Library – Late Afternoon]**
The entire library fell silent. Kuro sat at a large wooden table with a dark psychology book open in front of him. Stacks of books surrounded him—magic theory, war strategies, even demonology.
He slowly turned a page.
> "The mind may forget, but the soul remembers. Emotional states can be reversed… sometimes."
His silver hair shimmered dimly under the sunlight streaming from a tall window. He wasn't reading—he was preparing. Watching. Calculating.
A nearby librarian glanced at him worriedly but said nothing. His presence was too intense.
> "Half a year has already passed…" he sighed. "Soon… the real games will begin."
He closed the book and leaned back slightly, gazing out the window.
---
**[Cutscene - Academy Background – Training Continues]**
Ryuto trained alone in a more secluded zone, breathing rapidly, his shirt soaked with sweat. But unlike the others, he did not use his godly powers. He fought with a wooden sword, parrying and attacking, pushing his physical limits.
> "I can't rely on Goddess Elmyria's power yet. Not now. I need to be strong on my own, too."
He thrust hard into a training post, his knuckles turning bruised.
> "Lucien… if you are a real threat… I will stop you. With my own hands."
---
**[Cutscene - Evening – Rooftop Garden]**
As dusk began to fall, students returned to their dorms. Selvaria stood in the rooftop garden, her robe rustling in the wind.
> "The pieces are starting to move… and the gods are beginning to move too."
She looked at the stars and whispered softly.
> "But the Darkness Lord… he is already ahead of us."
---
✦ **To Be Continued...**