The grand academy courtyard, once a bastion, lay in ruins. Where manicured lawns once flourished, the ground was now churned with scorched earth and shattered flagstones. The very air vibrated with a faint hum, the lingering echo of a colossal battle.
Dominating the scene were the grotesque remnants of demons. Scores of creatures, each a monstrous corpses of nightmare, lay sprawled in various states. Some were hulking brutes, their grotesque flesh still smoking faintly, their enormous limbs twisted at unnatural angles. Others were skeletal horrors, their bony frames bleached white by some arcane energy, their empty sockets staring sightlessly at the twilight sky.
Closer inspection revealed the macabre details. A horned demon's head, its horns still gleaming with an unnatural sheen, lay severed from its torso, a jagged gash marking the clean kill. Further away, a winged creature, its once leathery wings now tattered and singed, lay crumpled, its claws still clutching a handful of pulverized cobblestones. The process of dissipation was evident everywhere. Wisps of dark smoke curled from the larger corpses, slowly dissolving into the twilight air. Ethereal embers flickered around the skeletal remains, like dying fireflies struggling for their final glow. The very air crackled with a faint static energy, the remnants of potent spells cast and countered.
"That is all of them, I detect only the Chaosmaw's," Professor Eudora noted with a frown as she scanned the area. The other professors had dealt with the demons already, and she was finished with her end here. Though those two Chaosmaws worried her.
"Good work, Elizabeth," she heard a familiar voice, turning to it Aleister approached her momentarily taking in the sight of the destroyed courtyard.
"Headmaster," she greeted. "All students have been accounted for, no casualties and only a handful injured," she reported. The headmaster's face remained impassive upon receiving the information.
"I see, that's good. I've taken care of some demons on my way here," his statement elicited a frown from her.
"Headmaster, with that curse of yours, it would be wise not to battle at all," she advised. He shrugged.
"Well, I wouldn't be much of a headmaster if I sat back while you did all the work," he mused, his tone even.
"Even so, you are much too reckless, sir," Professor Eudora sighed. Now was not the time to chastise someone. She looked into the forest in the distance. "Alexander is engaged with one of the Chaosmaws," she frowned, "As is one of the students, Adrian Graves. William and Ruby as well, and I detect a faint mana signature there. Alexander's mana is fleeting as well, I should-"
"There is no need," Aleister interrupted, he smiled despite the situation. She looked at him with a questioning gaze, so he quickly clarified. "I've informed James of the situation here, I had him send someone over." Professor Eudora heaved a relieved sigh.
"Lucinda, correct? That's good, then this whole-" She cut her off as Aleister shook his head. "What? Then... who did he send?"
"Mikoto," Aleister answered. It took a few moments before the name registered with her. He was a student sent on the special curriculum. Furthermore, he was somewhat of a troublemaker, sleeping in class and disrespecting Professor Gregory. For a moment, she could not comprehend why he would be sent as reinforcement instead of someone like Lucinda. "During these past few weeks, I've been getting reports from James periodically," Aleister started, noting her confusion. "There have been some interesting developments, but they're better discussed with a larger group, so I'll only focus on the students. Firstly, Agatha and Mirabella, it seems our theories of them being this era's Inheritors proved fruitful." Her eyes widened at the statements.
"Truly? Both of them?" She questioned.
"Indeed, James mentioned a knight captain having a method of weeding them out. Young Agatha seems to have awakened, but Mirabella might need my assistance," the headmaster stated with a grin. The knowledge that they possessed two more Inheritors was a huge breakthrough for Galadriel. Contemplation filled Professor Eudora's eyes as she unwound all of the information she heard. But still...
"How does this connect to Mikoto being sent instead of Lucinda or one of the other girls?" Professor Eudora asked with a frown, crossing her arms under her chest she continued. "I understand Mikoto Yukio was found competent enough to be considered for the curriculum; however, sending him here to face off against those monsters is naught but suicide!"
"Calm down, Elizabeth," he merely waved her worry off. "I still have yet to get to the interesting bit." Professor Eudora furrowed her brows. What on earth could have been more interesting than having discovered two Inheritors? "See, some circumstances led to some disagreements with Vel'ryr troops stationed within Verdantis." Now Professor Eudora looked completely lost.
"Vel'ryr? Where is this even going?" She questioned incredulously.
"Well, apparently none other than the crown prince was there, and if James' words are to be believed, then Mikoto battled him and survived," Aleister would have no shame in admitting that he took some joy in her utterly baffled expression. "Once more, those tremors our region experienced were their doing." And he dropped another bombshell. Professor Eudora could not help but rub her eyes at the absurdity. Yet this news came from Professor Eugene himself, and there was no reason he would lie.
But even so, it was difficult to comprehend that a fifteen-year-old boy matched and survived a monster like the crown prince of Vel'ryr. And to cause such tremors, wards had to be placed all around the region just so cities, towns, and villages did not collapse.
"This is just so absurd..." She mumbled.
"Mayhap, but you do know what this means, right?" Professor Eudora looked at him with a questioning gaze as he continued. "Lucinda no longer needs to bear the burden of being our trump card. Without a doubt, Mikoto just became a most valuable asset for this kingdom. Maybe even this world."
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The air was filled with an unnatural tension, thick enough to choke on. In the heart of the destroyed forest clearing, Professor Fergus stood like a weathered oak, the muscles in his thick arms straining as he braced himself against a monstrous fist. Arne, the colossal demons name apparently, roared in rage, his dark hide reflecting the fading light of the setting sun. Fergus, with a guttural curse, slammed his magically reinforced fist into Arne's oncoming blow. The impact sent shockwaves through the forest floor, uprooting trees and flinging debris like confetti. Fergus winced, a bead of sweat tracing a path down his face. Despite the magical fortification, the impact rattled his bones.
Beatrice let out a cruel cackle. "Impressive, Professor," she sneered, her voice dripping with sadistic amusement. "But can your old bones handle much more of that?" She flicked her wrist, her crimson nails catching the dying sunlight. Adrian watched one, Beatrice or Arne, he couldn't decide who was more dangerous at the moment. They were still playing around, but from what he could gauge, Beatrice seemed to specialize in modern magic despite being a Chaosmaw, while Arne only had basic reinforcement spells much like Professor Fergus.
Suddenly, Beatrice's eyes gleamed with a light. With a flourish, two glyphs pulsating with an ominous purple energy materialized behind her. From them erupted twin beams of dark fire, each the size of a fallen tree trunk. The flames roared through the air, leaving a smoldering trail of destruction in their wake.
Adrian reacted with surprising speed. With a focused thought, he ripped a tear through reality. A massive demon, its body forged from dark scales and crackling with raw defensive mana, materialized just in time to take the brunt of the infernal flames. The creature roared in defiance, its form flickering momentarily as the flames engulfed it, then it dissipated into wisps of dark smoke. The forest floor smoldered.
Meanwhile, a much larger demon materialized before Ruby, Juliana, and William. This one, a hulking beast of pure shadow with glowing crimson eyes, intercepted the flames aimed at them. Its immense form shielded them from the fire, but just like its counterpart, the demon screeched and dissolved as the flames consumed its essence. William, his face pale with worry, glanced at Ruby, whose eyes were glazed over in pain. Juliana, her face drained of color, coughed weakly, her mana reserves still completely depleted.
"You little pest," Beatrice spat, her voice laced with annoyance. "How can you even tame demons?!" Adrian simply raised a hand, his face unreadable, and began channeling his summon once more.
Suddenly, a rough hand yanked him backward. Professor Fergus, his face contorted in anger, bellowed at him. "Eyes open, boy! Don't get tunnel vision!" He gestured towards Arne, who had charged past Adrian, his enormous fist demolishing a cluster of ancient trees in his path. Adrian, unfazed by the near miss, simply nodded.
Beatrice, taking advantage of the distraction, summoned another volley. Two streaks of dark energy shot out from behind her, aimed squarely at Adrian and Fergus. The Professor, ever the pragmatist, roared and activated his magical defenses, a shimmering shield crackling with mana erupting in front of them. The dark energy slammed into the barrier, leaving a scorch mark but failing to penetrate.
"Still so lackluster," Beatrice mused, her eyes scanning the area. They landed on Juliana, a flicker of recognition crossing her features. "Ah, a spawn of his, I see. And drained of power, how... inconvenient." Her gaze darted back to Adrian, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face.
"Enough chit-chat, you hag!" Professor Fergus yelled. "Let's get on with it!"
Beatrice's lips twitched in a cruel smile. "Don't worry, Professor," she purred. "We haven't even begun to play." Her eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger. "Chaosmaw doesn't just unleash raw power, you know. We've had time, Professor. Time to hone our magic."
With a snarl, Fergus slammed his fist into the ground, mana crackling around him. He activated his defenses tenfold, a shimmering barrier enveloping him completely. Beatrice, with a theatrical flourish, sank her teeth into a single thumb on her outstretched hand. A single drop of blood oozed out, then expanded at an alarming rate. It spiraled outwards, twisting and contorting like an unseen whip. She flicked her wrist, sending the blood projectile hurtling towards Fergus.
It bypassed his magical defenses, carving a gory gash across his chest before wrapping around his right arm. Fergus roared in pain, his eyes widening in shock. The blood constricted, tightening its hold.
The scene unfolded in a horrifying display. As the blood-whip tightened, tearing clean through Fergus' magical defenses, Arne seized the opportunity. With a bellow that shook the very ground, he unleashed a heavy punch at the Professor. The force of the blow was enough to snap a small mountain in half. It connected with Fergus' already-injured arm, sending a sickening crack through the forest.
Fergus, his face one of agony, was thrown through the air, his scream cut short as he landed with a bone-jarring thud beside William and Ruby. William's eyes widened in horror. "Professor!" he screamed, scrambling to his side. The blood-whip, its work complete, dissipated into wisps of dark smoke.
"Fergus!" Adrian called out, his voice momentarily tinged with concern. He watched as the Professor lay crumpled, seemingly unconscious, on the forest floor. But there was a flicker of movement, a low growl escaping his lips as he attempted to rise.
The clearing fell silent for a moment, broken only by the ragged gasps of the injured and the crackling embers of the consumed demons. Then, the ground trembled once more. Arne, his enormous right arm dripping with Professor Fergus' blood, charged toward Adrian. The boy poised for action yet none was needed.
A monstrous screech of immense pain erupted, seemingly shaking the forest. It came from Arne, the reason? Well, his enormous right arm was suddenly on the ground as if it was cut off.
Suddenly, a figure materialized in front of Arne, clad in a black and gold academy uniform. His hair was black, and his face was hidden behind a white mask with a permanently grinning expression. His right arm was up high, and on that arm, just above the wrist, a faint red line pulsed with energy.
"Arne!" Beatrice yelled out. For such a sadistic demon, she seemed uncharacteristically worried. The masked boy lowered his arm and gazed past Adrian and toward William.
"Yo, William!"