He hoped Nihara was okay. Maybe close by. He needed to find her quick. Limping through the halls, he saw the courtyard full of students sitting. Cloaked men stood all around them. He tried to form a ball of light, but once again it failed. There might've been an artifact somewhere preventing energy use for the students. If so, Nihara was in trouble. An angels body isn't easily harmed, but not being able to fight back with energy would mean it was more likely for her to get captured.
Someone put their hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned his head, seeing a blonde-haired teen.
"My names Mikael Varus. Need some help?"
"Sure do."
He put his arm around him and started walking.
"I wonder why they decided to raid us."
"They're looking for the Void Angel."
"Void Angel? Sounds fimiliar, but I dunno. Why would an angel be here?"
René kept quiet and continued walking.
"What's the plan here?"
"Don't got one, really. We need to locate the thing stopping Myen use. No clue where the hell that would be."
"I would guess the artifact is being held by the leader, who could be out there with the students. Or the councils room, I tried to get in but was stopped. And if you don't know already, the raiders are able to use Myen. Unless all the tens of thousands of students fight back, there's nothing we can do. Unless.... We manage to find it, use a strategy to disable it, and everyone's saved. No fighting."
They ran through the chaotic halls, stepping over debris and the unconscious bodies of students and invaders alike. Cries echoed in the distance, some defiant, some desperate. They passed by small groups of students who were still resisting, pushing back against the raiders with sheer willpower and whatever techniques they had left despite their Myen being suppressed.
As they neared the council's room, a figure walked toward them, shrouded by the dust. Deep blue hair... It was...
René barely had time to react before she slammed into him, forcing him back. Arms wrapped around him, tight, shaking. It was Nihara.
"Nihara—"
Her grip tightened. "You're okay... I was so scared, Rene. I—I thought you—"
She took a deep breath to regain her composure.
"Let's find the artifact or whatever it may be, now. I can slightly sense it... but just barely. Follow me."
Standing in the wreckage of the academy courtyard, amidst scattered students either unconscious or struggling against the Myen suppression, was the raid leader. A towering figure clad in dark armor, a knight mask obscuring his face. The black-and-white orb of the Nullification Veil floated just above his gloved hand.
"That's the nullification veil orb. It feeds on Myen and stores it, therefore making it a potential bomb. Though somehow, I can still use my powers."
"Wait, what?! Hold on... that actually makes sense." He leaned closer and whispered so Mikael wouldn't hear. "It seems they can program it so certain people can still use Myen. They want you to use your powers so they know you're the Void Angel."
"You're right... but I have no other choice. I'll kill the leader so no one will know."
"I trust your decision."
With that, she shot a beam of energy at the orb, knocking it away. She repeatedly formed beams, overwhelming him.
"You two! Go get the orb and disable it!"
Mikael nodded and dashed alongside Rene to the courtyard.
"You grab it, I'll distract." Rene said.
"Feeble children. Two more challengers approach." The leader spoke.
René gestured him to come closer as Mikael snatched the orb behind his back. As he tried to pick it back up, he realized it was no longer there. He looked around in high desperation. Before he could take one step forward, a sudden beam pierced through his helmet. With a loud thud, the leader fell.
"Turn off, turn off!" Mikael shouted.
The orb flickered—then dimmed, its power fading.
The suppression was gone.
Students cheered as their Myen returned in full force. Some cheered, gathering around René and Mikael in triumph. Others bolted toward the remaining intruders, eager to rid of them. But before the celebration could last—a blur of movement sliced through the air. A student, standing tall amid the chaos, blade gleaming.
She wore a sharp and pristine deep navy uniform. Her rapier, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, shimmered under the scintillating sun. Her hair, long and pale golden, swayed gently.
Yara.
He knew her by reputation. Fast enough to vanish from sight. A duelist whose blade sliced through armor like paper. The raiders certainly knew it too. The remaining enemies hesitated, backing away slightly.
"You should have known better than to attack the academy." Yara said, flicking the blood off her rapier.
Mikael exhaled sharply. "Damn… good timing."
She turned her gaze toward René. "Situation?"
"We shut down the Nullification Veil, but there's still a high-ranking enemy inside. A knight took the council hostage. He's the last major threat."
"Then I'll handle him."
Rene nodded, gripping his weapon. The battle wasn't over yet. But with her on their side, victory felt within reach. At the center of council chamber stood the final threat. He was taller than the last one, broader, and his armor was thicker. Behind him, the academy council remained bound. Their expressions were grim, but no one dared move.
The knight stood still. Unmoving. Waiting.
Until—
A gust of wind.
A single footstep echoed.
The knight's head twitched slightly—an instinct. He gripped his axe tighter, raising it into a ready stance.
And then—
Yara was upon him.
A silver flash streaked through the air.
The knight reacted, swinging his axe in a brutal arc meant to split his opponent in half—
But she wasn't there.
Yara reappeared just behind him, her rapier read.
SLASH.
A clean diagonal cut carved across his plated shoulder.
Sparks flew.
His armor split.
But before the knight could retaliate—she was gone again.
He turned sharply, swinging his axe in a sweeping motion—
Only to see nothing.
A flicker. A blur in the air.
Another Yara appeared to his left. No—two. Then three.
Afterimages.
The knight's vision, already limited by his helmet's narrow slit, turned his greatest weakness against him. He couldn't tell which figure was real.
Snarling, he swung wildly, his war axe crashing into the marble floor with a deafening impact. The ground shattered beneath the force.
But Yara was already moving.
She danced between the afterimages, each one fading the moment he struck at it.
And then—
A line of silver sliced across his leg.
The knight stumbled.
His thick greaves—cut clean through.
Before he could recover, another razor-thin slash tore across his side. Armor meant to withstand hammers and blades alike—carved apart as if it were cloth.
This was Yara's gift.
Speed beyond the eye. Precision beyond belief. A blade that needed no weight—only a single perfect strike.
The knight roared, lifting his axe high.
But Yara was already in front of him.
One final thrust.
Her rapier pierced through the slit in his helmet.
A sharp, wet gurgle.
The knight shuddered. The axe slipped from his grasp, embedding into the ruined floor.
Then, slowly—he collapsed.
Silence.
The academy council, frozen in their binds, barely dared to breathe.
Then, Yara flicked her rapier to the side, letting the blood drip cleanly from the edge.
She turned, eyes calm, voice steady.
"It's over."
The council stared at her—then at the fallen knight.
One of them let out a breath.
Another gave a shaky nod.
They worked together to untie everyone's ropes. The council was still in shock, needing some time to process everything.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Hours later, butlers arrived at each students dorm. They were invited to see the council. As they entered the main hall, a group of faculty and council members awaited them at the top of the grand staircase.
"René, Nihara, Mikael, Yara." one of them spoke, an older woman with silver hair tied in an elegant bun. "Step forward."
They did.
The Grand Sanctum's leader, Chancellor Edric Vaughn, a sharp-eyed man with streaks of gray through his jet-black hair, looked at them. Despite his composed demeanor, something about his eyes conveyed a deep gratitude.
"We owe you a great debt." he said. "You defended your fellow students, dismantled the invasion, and restored order. The council has convened and reached a decision."
He gestured to a woman beside him, who held an intricately carved case.
"As of today, you are granted access to The Grand Sanctum."
Mikael raised an eyebrow. "The what now?"
"The Grand Sanctum." Yara repeated. "The highest section of the academy. Reserved for the elite."
The councilwoman opened the case. Inside were four insignias, each engraved with their names.
"This is your key to the Sanctum. It grants access to its quarters, dining halls, and training grounds. Consider it both a privilege and an investment."
René exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't need some elite reward. We just did what had to be done."
Mikael nudged him. "Speak for yourself, man. You're telling me you just got invited to a place with actual good food, and you're gonna say no?"
Yara, inspecting the insignia, smirked slightly. "It's not just about luxury. This means they see us as more than students."
Nihara hadn't spoken. Her fingers brushed over her insignia. "Good food you say? We accept."
Mikael scoffed. "I'm in. No way I'm turning down good beds and better training."
Yara simply nodded.
René sighed in defeat, shaking his head with a smirk. "Alright, alright. You win."
The council members gave approving nods, then dismissed them, allowing them to process everything on their own.