The corridors of Hogwarts were filled with shouts and hurried footsteps as professors and prefects ushered students back to safety. But Roy moved in the opposite direction—his pace calm, his focus unwavering.
His heart suddenly jolted.A scream echoed faintly from the second floor—high-pitched, desperate.
Even from far away, his Dark Phoenix bloodline pulsed to life, enhancing his senses. His hearing sharpened, and the cry reached his ears as though the person were standing right beside him.
Hermione.
Without hesitation, Roy sprinted toward the girls' bathroom. As he reached the doorway, a foul stench hit him—the smell of grime and rotting flesh. Inside, the mountain troll towered over Hermione, its club raised high.
Hermione's eyes were wide with terror.
The club began to descend—
And in a flash, Roy's body erupted with power. Crimson-gold Phoenix wings burst from his back, feathers shimmering like molten firelight. With a single, powerful beat, he propelled himself forward.
He kicked the troll square in the head.
The impact cracked like thunder. The giant creature was hurled across the room, crashing into the wall and shaking the stone foundations.
Hermione gasped, frozen between awe and disbelief.
Roy landed lightly, his wings dissolving into glowing embers before fading away. His expression was calm, almost cold.
"Stay behind me," he said softly.
Reaching into the invisible space of his system backpack, Roy drew his Zanpakutō—Ryūjin Jakka. The ancient blade shimmered with unbearable heat, the air around it distorting.
Roy murmured one word:
"Reduce all creation to ash… Ryūjin Jakka."
The world seemed to ignite. A wave of divine flame roared from the sword's edge, engulfing the troll completely. The monster let out a guttural howl before turning to ashes within seconds—nothing left but a smoldering outline on the stone floor.
When the flames subsided, Roy quietly sheathed his sword and returned it to the system. He turned toward Hermione, who was trembling.
Then she suddenly threw herself into his arms, crying uncontrollably.
"I—I thought I was going to die…"
Roy gently brushed her hair, his tone warm but steady.
"It's okay now. You're safe."
She clung to him tightly, sobbing into his robes until her tears ran dry.
Finally, Roy leaned close and whispered,
"Hermione… don't tell anyone about what you saw—my wings."
Hermione looked up, her face still wet with tears, and nodded earnestly.
"I promise."
Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside. The door burst open as Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick rushed in.
They froze.
Before them was a pile of glowing ash—and two first-years, standing amidst it.
McGonagall's eyes widened. "What—what happened here?"
Roy bowed slightly.
"The troll was attacking Hermione, Professor. I… killed it."
He then explained calmly why Hermione had been in the bathroom—the cruel words Ron had said, her running away, and the events that followed.
McGonagall's expression darkened immediately. Her eyes, sharp as daggers, turned toward the doorway—just as Harry and Ron appeared, panting.
Snape's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"And what, pray tell, are you two doing here? Out for a midnight stroll?"
Ron paled. Harry opened his mouth, but no words came.
McGonagall's fury boiled over.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley—fifty points from Gryffindor each! And you, Ronald Weasley—expect a letter to your mother. Perhaps she will teach you proper respect for others!"
Ron turned ghost-white. Even Snape raised an eyebrow in amusement.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore observed Roy silently. After a pause, he nodded.
"One hundred points to Hufflepuff—for courage and quick thinking beyond your years, Mr. Roy."
The professors departed soon after, leaving behind whispers of disbelief and a faint scent of ashes.
When the door closed, Roy turned to Ron, his calm expression gone.He walked up, clenched his fist—and punched Ron squarely in the stomach.
Ron doubled over, wheezing in pain.
"Never speak about Hermione that way again," Roy said coldly.
Harry, watching from the side, didn't intervene. He knew Roy was right.
After that, Roy gently guided Hermione back to the Gryffindor common room. Before leaving, he smiled faintly and offered her quiet advice:
"Try talking to others more. You don't have to be perfect—just… be you."
Hermione's eyes softened. She nodded shyly, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"That's your reward—for saving me."
Her face flushed red as she hurried into the dormitory. Roy chuckled softly and turned away, heading back to Hufflepuff.
By morning, the story had spread across the entire castle.
The boy who faced down a troll alone.The mysterious flames that turned a monster to ash.The Hufflepuff who stood for courage, power, and loyalty.
From that day on, Hogwarts had a new name for him—
"Shura."The warrior of fire.The protector of Hogwarts.