Volume 12 : Chapter 6 – ALL A CIRCLE (2)

“It makes me feel bad,” the tall man with the long blade said with a mocking laugh, “that all I get to do is kill a bunch of foolish women who only know how to clean and cook.”

He sighed dramatically.

“I really envy those guys… having the time of their lives dealing with other real pests.”

“Hey! How dare you disrespect us like that!”

“Yeah! You have no right to talk to us like that!”

The maid trainees protested, their voices shaking with anger.

The man’s smile vanished.

“Shut up.” His voice dropped cold. “Did I ask for your opinion, woman?”

SHING.

His blade flashed.

In one swift motion—

SHHHK—

The massive tea table split cleanly in half.

Wood cracked apart. Plates shattered. Teacups burst. Chairs toppled.

Snacks and table decorations flew through the air like startled birds.

“…So,” he said, lowering his blade with a smirk, “what were you saying?”

Silence.

The maids instinctively stepped back, their earlier courage crumbling. No one dared to speak.

—Except—

“Ah! My cookie!”

Hana sprang forward, chasing a lone biscuit spinning dramatically through the air, completely out of sync with the terror around her.

The others looked desperately toward Madam Elowen.

But she remained seated.

Calmly sipping her tea. As if nothing had happened.

The man’s smile twitched. That indifference irritated him even further.

He began walking toward her, boots crunching over broken porcelain.

Around him, the maids scattered—like frightened mice fleeing a predator.

The tall man enjoyed it. The fear. The chaos.

But this—old woman sitting so peacefully drinking tea in front of him… was irritating.

“Hey, old hag,” he sneered, lowering his blade near her neck. “Did you not hear me? Or are you simply not afraid of dying?”

Madam Elowen opened her eyes.

Without a hint of urgency, she lowered her teacup and placed it neatly onto the tray resting on her lap. Her movements were elegant.

Then she finally looked at him.

“Young man,” she said calmly, “the only thing I fear more than dying is getting my clothes dirty.”

Her gaze shifted to his blade.

“So if you would kindly move your sword… it is staining my outfit.”

Her tone was firm, like a teacher correcting a misbehaving child.

The man’s expression darkened.

“How dare you talk back to me—”

SMACK.

Before he could finish—

Madam Elowen rose in a single smooth motion and brought the teacup down onto his head.

The cup shattered into pieces. And hot tea splashed across his hair and face, dripping slowly down his cheeks.

“You have ruined my tea time by shouting so loudly,” Madam Elowen said, now standing with both hands on her waist, visibly annoyed.

Behind him, a few maids covered their mouths, trying not to laugh. Others stared in complete shock.

After all, the man had a sword while Madam Elowen stood undaunted in front of him with only a teacup.

“Now then,” she continued sternly, pointing at him, “get down on your knees and repent.”

The tall man stood frozen as tea dripped slowly down his face.

“You lack discipline. Your hair is unkempt. You need to trim it and shampoo it daily. And your body smells too. Do you need to be taught how to use soap properly even at such a big age?”

Madam Elowen stepped closer, unfazed by his towering height.

The difference in height was almost absurd. She barely reached three-fourths of him.

And yet he looked smaller.

Madam Elowen crossed her arms as if running out of patience. “Honestly… what are they teaching children these days? Hurry up, apologize.”

The man blinked.

Once.

Twice.

He was completely dumbfounded. And not just him—

Every single trainee in the room stood in stunned silence.

“Old hag… have you lost your mind?” the tall man snarled, wiping the hot tea from his hair.“You’re dying here. Right now.”

“Madam!” Hana and the other maids cried out in alarm.

“Stay where you are,” Madam Elowen said calmly, not even glancing back. “There is no cause for concern. I am merely disciplining a brat.”

The man’s face twisted with rage.

“So those are your last words.”

He raised his sword high and brought it down with terrifying force, cleaving through the air itself.

WHOOSH—

But Madam Elowen simply stepped to the side.

Effortless and graceful.

The blade missed her completely.

“You think I’m done?!” he roared.

In one fluid motion, he twisted his wrist mid-swing, redirecting the blade upward in a diagonal arc—aiming to cut her in half.

This time—

Madam Elowen didn’t dodge.

From within her sleeve—

A simple hand duster slid into her hand.

CLANG.

The wooden stick met the blade as she perfectly parried the tall man’s strike.

The impact deflected the strike and threw the man off balance.

Madam Elowen turned her head slightly—just enough for one calm eye to meet his.

“Here’s your punishment for talking back to your elder.”

She tapped his head lightly with the duster.

SWISH.

Strands of hair fell.

In an instant, his long, messy hair was trimmed into a neat, military-style cut.

She nodded in satisfaction. “There. Now you look like a properly groomed young man.”

The man froze.

“…What did you do to my hair?” His expression darkened. “Now I really am going to kill you.”

He stepped back, fury boiling over.

“You must not care about your students. If you had just obeyed quietly, none of this would’ve happened.”

He let out a sharp whistle.

From the forest, tiny figures began to emerge.

Dozens. Then hundreds.

Goblins poured into the clearing, surrounding the area from all sides.

“What do we do…? There are goblins everywhere.”

“We’re surrounded…”

The maids panicked.

“I found a large goblin colony, and after killing their leader, I took over their colony.” The tall man’s smile widened. “And the best part is I’ve kept them starving for over a week now.”

The goblins snarled, eyes filled with hunger.

“They’ll strip and eat your students down to the bone. Not a scrap of flesh will remain.”

Madam Elowen clicked her tongue.

“You are still just a brat. You require stern discipline.”

She stepped forward, trying to place herself between the goblins and her students.

“Not so fast.” The tall man moved to block her path. “I’m not letting you go. You’re dying by my hand.”

“How insolent.” For the first time, Madam Elowen’s lips tightened slightly.

“Now you’ll feel despair,” the tall man laughed. “You’ll watch your students die while you can do nothing.”

Madam Elowen held her duster straight. Then, with a flash, her duster moved like a whip, but this time, the man was ready.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

He blocked every strike, his sword moving fast enough to keep up with Madam Elowen’s quick, short movements.

“I’ve figured you out!” he shouted.

He dodged one of her attacks and spun—

SLASH—

A horizontal strike tore through the air toward her.

But before it could cut through her—

THUD.

A goblin slammed into the space between them, sent flying like a rag doll.

Both fighters staggered back.

“What—?”

Another body flew.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Then more.

Goblin after goblin crashed into the ground.

They turned to find the cause of this anomaly.

On the other side of the clearing—

A small girl stood amidst the horde. Her fists raised to her chin. Jumping lightly on her heels like a boxer. She stepped forward and threw another punch.

BAM.

A goblin flew several meters back, crashing into others.

Another came—

BAM. BAM. BAM.

“That’s my girl,” Madam Elowen said proudly. “I’m glad I taught my maids boxing.”

“…What?” the man blinked. “Who is that little girl? And why would you teach maids how to fight like that?! Are you insane?!”

“A maid must always be prepared for everything and in all situations to protect her master.” Madam Elowen replied calmly.

As if on cue, emboldened by Hana’s fearless stand, the other maids stepped forward. Their fear vanished, and they moved as one.

Some raised their hands, casting spells to control the battlefield’s terrain using earth magic and prevent the goblins from overwhelming them by raising barriers to form a protective fence.

Others drew hidden weapons—slim knives, collapsible spears, even reinforced umbrellas—drawn seamlessly from beneath their garments. They moved with coordination like trained warriors.

The tide of battle began to shift as goblins began to fall one after another.

“Useless monsters,” the tall man spat, watching the goblins fall. “Once I’m done with you. I’ll kill every last one of them.”

“As if I would allow that.”

The tall man smirked. “You don’t understand, old hag.” His voice lowered. “So, watch carefully and witness my true power.”

The tall man slowly sheathed his sword. Then, gripping the hilt tightly, the man focused by closing his eyes.

“Aural Arts. Graviton Sword.”

The blade slipped free of its sheath.

The world snapped.

Space twisted—then collapsed inward. An unseen force detonated outward, warping everything in its path.

Rocks. Debris. Even Madam Elowen herself. All were dragged violently toward him.

At the center stood the sword.

Madam Elowen’s body lurched forward—

But—

At the last possible moment, she thrust her duster forward.

CLANG—!

The two forces collided.

A shockwave burst outward, pushing them apart.

When the distortion settled—

They were no longer in the same place.

Madam Elowen landed lightly on a floating slab of stone.

The tall man stood across from her on another.

Around Madam Elowen, now a hollow world stretched endlessly in all directions. Floating rocks drifted through the void. Fragments of land suspended in nothingness.

“This is my domain,” the tall man said, his voice echoing through the warped space. “Everything here is drawn toward my sword.”

He then raised his sword slightly.

“There is no escape. You can’t run away now with your fancy moves.”

Madam Elowen adjusted her glasses, calmly observing her surroundings.

“And so, what?” she asked.

The man frowned. “Already scared? If you think you can stall for time. Forget it. Every other teacher who has entered these mountains is facing the same fate right now.”

His grin widened.

“They’ll all die at the hands of our organization.”

“…Haa… haa…” Madam Elowen laughed out loud.

The sound echoed strangely in the distorted space.

The man’s expression darkened.

“What are you laughing at? Have you finally gone mad?”

“You think I am in danger?” she said, her tone light. “If this is all your organization is capable of… There is nothing to fear.”

The man’s face twisted.

“I am a Knight-Class Aural Arts user!” he shouted. “Soon I will ascend to Upper Knight Class!” His voice echoed with pride as he hoped to see his opponent panic from the mere fact.

Madam Elowen’s gaze sharpened slightly. Contrary to his expectations, she did not seem shaken at all.

“You should know something, young man.” Madam Elowen’s voice turned firm. “At the Grindelwald Magic Academy, all class teachers are at minimum Commander-Class Aural Arts users.”

With a slight pause, she continued. “And I, myself, am a Commander-Class.”

“…That’s impossible,” the tall man muttered.

Then louder—

“You’re lying!” His grip trembled. “Do you know how many years it took me to achieve this power?!”

Aural Arts users are classified by their ability to manifest and control their domains.

Starting from the Knight Class, then comes the Upper Knight Class, then the Commander Class. And finally, the General Class. At this level, an aural arts user can form a temporary domain within the bounds of reality itself.

Beyond that class lies the new realm where beings could distort reality itself. Sage Class and Emperor Class. At this level, their manifested domains could take actual permanent form even in the real world.

And past all known ranks exists a domain said to only exist in legends —where the True Hero and the True Demon Lord once stood. The Sovereign Class… and the Transcendent Class. Powers so absolute, they do not follow the laws of the world—but can also rewrite them.

The tall man’s voice cracked with anger.

“And you’re telling me… you’re above me?” His eyes burned. “Do you think talking will save you?!”

Madam Elowen said nothing.

But the man growled as he bit his tongue. It took him years of hard work and sacrifices to reach here. And in his eyes, now an old lady claimed to be more powerful than him.

“There’s no way…” the man whispered. “That can’t be true…”

He couldn’t accept it. Because from the place where he comes from—

Weakness meant death.

“I’ll show you!” he roared.

The tall man’s aura surged violently. In response, the gravitational pull intensified.

Rocks shattered as they were dragged toward him. The entire domain bent inward, collapsing toward his blade.

Madam Elowen’s footing shifted as she was pulled forward this time.

Madam Elowen simply closed her eyes. And took a step forward.

“Aural Arts. First Serving — Dust Veil.”

The moment Madam Elowen materialised her soul core—

The world changed.

A suffocating storm of dust erupted outward, devouring the entire subspace. The floating rocks, the air, even the light itself—everything was swallowed into a raging, blinding haze of black dust particles.

The tall man’s grin faltered.

“What—?!”

His Aural Arts: Graviton Sword was still active.

Which meant—everything… was being pulled toward him.

The storm, instead of scattering, started gathering around the tall man.

Every speck of dust surged violently toward him like a collapsing star—flooding his vision, clogging his breath, tearing at his senses.

“I can’t—see—!”

The tall man now swung his sword aimlessly. His blade tried to tear through the storm with explosive force—but hit nothing.

The more he attacked, the worse it became. His own gravitational pull dragged the storm, making it denser—turning his domain into a prison of his own making.

“No… no, this isn’t right…!” Panic crept into his voice.

The tall man’s expression paled as he saw the control of his domain slowly fade away. The entire domain now twisted as Madam Elowen’s Aural Arts overwrote his.

In the world of Aural Arts, when two domains collide. The weaker one ends up erased.

And that is exactly what happened. The hollow void shattered, and the floating rocks dissolved into fine grains.

“No… this is my domain. Damn it! I can’t lose.” The tall man tried to focus, but all he saw was dust swirling around him.

It was now Madam Elowen’s turn to make the next move.

“Aural Arts. Second Serving — Sweep Execution.”

“…There—!” The tall man turned wildly, trying to pick up even the smallest sensation to locate his opponent.

But it was already too late.

Madam Elowen descended from above like a falling petal—and then spun.

Her leg extended, cutting through the air. The storm of dust followed her movement, taking the shape of piercing execution lines that struck at him.

Thin lines appeared across his arms… his chest… his face…

“…gh—?!” His body froze mid-motion.

In a single instant, they passed through him, leaving tiny, invisible holes that blocked the flow of blood through his veins, rendering his body immobile.

His grip loosened, and his sword slipped from his hand, dropping to the ground.

With a final blow, Madam Elowen brought down her duster, striking his head in a hard vertical arc.

The man collapsed to the ground. Unable to move or fight.

Once Madam Elowen was certain he could no longer move.

The dust storm settled, and the space returned to normal.

Madam Elowen adjusted her glasses and stepped forward—not a speck of dust on her clothes.

“…Now then,” she said, as if concluding a lesson, “let us proceed with your interrogation—”

Suddenly, she halted before getting too close, sensing a flicker of heat.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a flaming mark ignite on the man’s forehead.

“No… no, not this…!” the tall man cried in fear. His voice trembled, as if there was something he feared.

“I didn’t fail! I promise! I’ll kill her next time—I swear! Just—give me a chance—!”

The man’s arrogance was gone. What remained was pure, animal terror.

The mark burned brighter, forming a golden sun on his forehead. It intensified until it finally became a pitch-black sun.

Madam Elowen stopped.

“…So, it’s really them,” she said, as if she understood both the cause—and the man’s inevitable fate.

The man screamed, his voice tearing through the air—only to vanish the next heartbeat, devoured by a silence that felt like death itself.

His body ignited in dark flames from within—his soul core rupturing violently as he was reduced to black ash.

For a brief moment, Madam Elowen’s expression turned distant. As if she recognised that mark…

But then, hearing the cheerful noises around her, she turned.

Her students stood across the battlefield, victorious, surrounded by fallen goblins.

Then she noticed they were covered in filthy goblin blood; her eyes became more than serious.

Madam Elowen, without giving herself a moment of rest, walked toward them.

The moment the maid trainees saw Madam Elowen return, they stiffened. Not one of them dared to move.

The maids swallowed nervously. Some straightened their posture. Others tried to wipe the blood off their uniforms.

Madam Elowen stopped right in front of them.

“How many times must I emphasize that a maid must maintain proper cleanliness—even in combat?” she began.

The maids flinched, bracing themselves.

“But before I lecture you…” she paused.

“Good work.”

A collective exhale escaped the maid trainees as relief flooded their faces. Some nearly collapsed on the spot from exhaustion and tension.

Madam Elowen turned slightly, hiding the faint hint of a smile on her face.

“However,” she added sharply, “next time, try not to stain your uniforms. We must always present ourselves clean and immaculate when we serve our master.”

“Yes, Madam!” they responded in unison.

A collective sigh of relief followed.

They had not only survived but also won. And most importantly—they had not been scolded.

…At least not for now.

But the peace didn’t last long.

They suddenly felt it—

A sudden, unnatural chill took them by surprise.

It crept across their skin like cold steel, giving them goosebumps.

“What was that…?”

“What’s happening…?”

Even Madam Elowen’s expression stiffened.

A surge of magical energy spread across the land, like an invisible veil descending over everything. But it was completely different from the magical energy they had sensed a few hours ago.

Her gaze slowly lifted—

Toward the peak of the Scarlet Mountain.

She felt it. The source of this insane amount of magical energy was somewhere at the top.

But Madam Elowen wasn’t the only one who could sense it.

Hana was already staring at the summit. Her eyes trembled.

“…Master…” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Madam Elowen turned to her. “What’s the matter, Hana?”

“I think… my master is up there. And I… I…” Her tiny fists clenched.

Hana held herself in, knowing she needed to be with the group and work together in this moment of crisis. If she acts selfishly and runs on her own without knowing about the full situation, her actions might put her fellow trainees in danger.

“You want to go,” Madam Elowen said calmly.

Hana lowered her head. “…Yes. But… I can’t leave everyone here when—”

“You can.”

Hana froze.

“We are maids,” Madam Elowen continued, her voice firm yet gentle. “And a maid’s highest duty is to serve and protect their master.”

Hana glanced at her fellow maid trainees. They looked determined as they smiled at Hana.

“Don’t worry about us,” one said with a grin.

“We’ll manage somehow.”

“Yeah! We’re not that weak! We just laid down a hundred goblins.”

Hana looked at them—a strange, warm sensation filled her heart. Something that made her feel connected to these people. Just like how she felt for Regis and especially her master, Alicia.

But still, Hana had another problem at hand. She had no quick way to reach the top on her own. Even if she makes a run, it would take her hours.

“We’ll help you get there!” One of the maid trainees came forward to help Hana out.

“But how can we do that?” Another maid trainee asked.

Then—

One of the trainees snapped her fingers.

“I’ve got it!”

Everyone turned to look at the maid trainee, Jeniffer.

“We use Hana,” Jeniffer said.

“…Use me how?” Hana asked innocently.

Jennifer’s grin widened as she whispered the plan in other maids’ ears. And then all their faces widened with a grin, too.

“We are going to make you fly. That’s how. Ready to take off. Maid Hana.”

“Yes.” Hana gave a straightforward answer at the first chance to know that there was a way for her to get to the top fast.

Moments later—

A tall tree bent violently under the combined effort of several maids.

One held its base steady with earth magic, reinforcing the roots.

Another used water magic to soften the tree and make it elastic.

Another maid trainee, Stacy, used wind magic to know the wind direction and plan the trajectory of Hana’s flight path.

Others pulled it down with all their strength.

At the very tip—Hana sat.

“…Is this really gonna work?” she muttered.

“Of course. A light body like you will easily fly through the sky.” Jeniffer assured Hana.

“I can really fly?” Hana asked, her voice filled with excitement.

“Absolutely. You trust my math, right?” Stacy said with quiet confidence, boosting Hana’s morale.

“Hana, are you ready?” Madam Elowen asked.

Hana looked up at the Scarlet Peak. Her eyes sharpened like a hawk eyeing its prey.

“Yes, as long as I can reach my master.”

“On three!”

The maids started the countdown.

“1…”

“2…”

“3! Launch!”

WHOOOOSSSHHH—

The tree snapped back.

Hana was launched like a projectile into the sky.

Stacy activated her wind magic, which surged beneath Hana, stabilizing and accelerating her trajectory.

As Hana looked down. Below—

The world shrank. The land became a painting. The air around her felt cooler and lighter.

The maids turned into tiny specks.

“…WOAH—I am really flying.” Hana cried in joy, feeling the fast wind through her hair.

From down there, all the maid trainees watched Hana fly.

“She is going to make it.” A maid trainee muttered.

The peak was right there.

Then—

A sudden gust of wild, uncontrolled wind struck Hana mid-air.

“…Eh?” Stacy gasped, alarmed.

Hana’s body tilted.

“…Eh?” Jeniffer cried out.

Hana’s trajectory shifted.

“…Eh—?!” Madam Elowen and the other maid trainees exclaimed in surprise.

“EHHHHH?!?!” Hana squealed in shock.

Hana drifted.

Further. And further.

And further.

Past the peak, missing her chance to land on the top. The momentum pushing her past the mountain.

And in a blink—

She vanished beyond the mountain range.

Down below, where the other maid trainees and Madam Elowen stood, silence filled the air.

“…All of you.” Madam Elowen called out.

The trainees straightened instinctively.

“Let us honor Hana and her unwavering dedication, and hope with all our hearts that she succeeds.”

The maids formed a straight line.

Tears welled in some eyes. Others smiled proudly.

“To cleanse. To protect. To erase all threats—”

Madam Elowen said, raising her duster high, her voice surging with unyielding conviction. Other maid trainees raised their dusters too.

“—For our master.”

“For our master!” they echoed in unison.

◇◇◇

Ricky’s lips curled into a satisfied grin as his scythe sank deep into Miss Xu’s shoulder. And for a moment, he savored that certainty of landing a killing blow.

“Let’s see how long you can hold out like this,” he murmured, voice dripping with cruel amusement.

He tightened his grip and forced the scythe down further, muscles straining as he tried to force Miss Xu to her knees.

Miss Xu exhaled slowly and then took a deep breath.

Just once.

The trembling in her body vanished.

Her hand rose… and closed around the very blade lodged inside her.

Ricky’s smile faltered.

“What—”

Blood ran down her arm, warm against the cold steel. Then, with a sharp pull—

She tore it out.

Ricky pushed harder, trying to overpower Miss Xu, veins bulging along his arms and head. His face twisted in disbelief as Miss Xu’s power broke through his confidence.

Ricky clicked his tongue and leapt back, retreating to Garak’s side. Garak had just regained consciousness, his breathing uneven as he ripped a strip of cloth and bound the stump of his severed hand.

“Forgive me,” Garak said, his voice heavy, almost weary. “This… is not how I wished to end this duel. I suppose I lost the right to an honorable fight the moment I joined the organization.”

Miss Xu rolled her shoulder once, as if the wound were nothing more than an inconvenience.

“Life was never fair to begin with,” she replied calmly. “Why expect it to be now?”

Ricky clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. “Are you done talking? I really hate people who talk all big, but the fun part is that they just fall that easily,” he snapped. “Let’s finish her, big guy.”

Garak exhaled, his expression hardening.

“Aural Arts. First Wave.”

Ricky stepped forward, spinning his scythe in a tight arc, the air shrieking around its edge.

“Aural Arts. First Draw.”

Their voices overlapped. “Frost Death Expanse.”

The world shifted.

Aural Arts—at its core—was the manifestation of one’s soul. A domain imposed upon reality itself.

But on rare occasions, two users could synchronize their cores, merging their domains into a single, shared territory. Making the two much stronger.

Miss Xu felt it instantly.

The pull, as if she were being warped to some other dimension.

Like the ground itself had swallowed her whole.

In the blink of an eye, the forest around her had vanished.

For a fleeting moment, she glanced back—relief flickering in her eyes when she saw that the students had not been dragged into this domain.

“Do you really have time to look around?” Ricky’s voice cut through the frozen air.

He had already taken the initiative to launch the first strike.

The scythe spun in his hand as it carved through the air toward Miss Xu’s neck.

Miss Xu reacted instantly—her body shifting back to evade—

—but then—

Her foot slipped.

She fell.

The scythe slammed into the ground inches from her face—

CRACK.

Fractures spread across the surface, producing a weird crackling sound.

Miss Xu glanced down.

“Ice.”

Endless, glass-like ice stretched in every direction. Above, the sky had turned a pale, lifeless white.

Ricky wrenched the scythe free, ice shards scattering.

“Looks like you have some crazy luck going on your side,” he said, lifting the weapon high above his head.

His shadow loomed over her.

“But this one won’t miss.”

The blade descended. Miss Xu lay directly beneath its path. And this time, there was nowhere left to slip.

Miss Xu’s expression changed. The cold against her palms… the sting in her shoulder… none of it mattered.

What stung her even more was the embarrassment of being so careless as to slip on ice when there were students outside depending on her. Still waiting for her.

Her jaw tightened ever so slightly, eyes dimming with quiet irritation—not at them, but at herself.

“…That won’t happen again.”

In a single motion, she drew her legs in and twisted her body along the ice—

Then snapped upward, making a clean, vertical arc.

CRACK.

Her heel connected cleanly with Ricky’s jaw.

The impact sent him hurtling backward across the ice, his body skipping and crashing several meters away.

Miss Xu rose to her feet.

“I suppose…” she said calmly, dusting frost off her sleeve, “I’ve been taking this too lightly.” Her eyes narrowed.

“From here on… I will be serious.”

In the same moment, her hands moved behind her head.

She pulled out a slender hairpin.

At once, her long green hair fell free, cascading down her back, brushing against her neck, strands swaying as the icy wind brushed against her neck.

She held the hairpin horizontally between her fingers.

Like a blade.

Ricky staggered to his feet, rubbing his jaw, a low hiss escaping him. “Tch… that actually hurt. You trying to break my skull or something?”

He spat to the side, a hint of blood staining the ice. Then he grinned.

“But seriously… what are you planning to do with that tiny stick? This bug guy uses bigger toothpicks than that.” Ricky alone laughed at his joke.

Miss Xu didn’t respond. Her gaze remained steady.

“Ruyi… Bloom.”

The moment the words left her lips—

The hairpin extended.

Lengthening… expanding… unfolding like a living thing—

Until a long, gleaming red staff stood in her grasp, taller than her own height, its surface smooth as polished steel.

Ricky’s eyes lit up.

“…Now that’s a weapon. Why don’t you let me have it, and I will give you a swift death?”

Miss Xu stood steady without a response as if asking him to come take it himself.

He glanced sideways. “Oi—are you done patching yourself up? Get over here and help me take her down.”

Garak stepped forward, his grip tightened around his double-headed axe. His bandaged stump darkened with fresh blood. His expression was conflicted—but his eyes were still focused.

“…Understood,” Garak said, knowing full well that for them, mission came first before honor.

“Come at me,” Miss Xu said, raising a hand and curling her fingers inward in a beckoning gesture. “Both of you.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“This will save me time.”

“Damn you,” Ricky yelled, enraged.

Then—

They moved, charging straight at her with full force.

Ricky from the left.

Garak from the right.

Ricky’s scythe tore through the air from one side—

Garak’s axe descended from the other.

Two killing blows converging at once. A perfectly executed pincer attack. There was no space to dodge, no angle to block both without consequence.

And yet—

At the moment, their weapons, where they should have met flesh—

Miss Xu vanished.

BAM.

A deafening metallic crash echoed across the frozen domain.

Both weapons collided—

Not with her. But with the staff, standing alone, perfectly vertical.

“…What?” Garak’s eyes widened.

“Where did she—” Ricky’s voice cracked.

“Missing me already?” A voice came.

Their heads snapped upward.

Above them—

Miss Xu stood lightly atop the staff, balanced effortlessly, her hair dancing in the frozen wind. A faint smile curved her lips as she looked down at them.

“Get down here!” Ricky snarled, launching himself upward, his scythe ready to tear her apart mid-air.

But he was too late.

Miss Xu slid down the staff in a blur, her grip shifting fluidly. In one seamless motion, she flipped the weapon, the lower end snapping upward—

WHAM—

It struck Ricky squarely, hooking him mid-movement.

With a powerful rotation, she lifted him clean off his feet and hurled him across the domain, his body spinning violently before crashing into the ice far away.

Garak was already upon her. His axe came down with crushing force—again and again—each strike heavy enough to shatter the frozen ground.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

Miss Xu’s staff flowed like water, meticulously deflecting and redirecting his strikes. Pushing him further back.

Ricky rejoined the fight with a snarl, using the domain’s icy terrain to accelerate. He slyly attacked from Miss Xu’s blind spots now—left, right, behind—

But Miss Xu’s eyes tracked everything.

Her counters came before their strikes fully formed.

“If this keeps up…” Ricky muttered, skidding back beside Garak, chest heaving, “we’ll burn out before she does. The domain won’t hold forever.”

He wiped blood from his lip and smirked. “Big guy… let’s raise it up a notch.”

Garak hesitated. “We’ve only just reached Upper Class. Forcing it now—”

“Do we really have a choice here?” Ricky snapped. “If we don’t, she’ll wipe the floor with us.”

“But—”

“If all you are looking for is an honorable death? Go ahead. Just don’t drag me into it.”

Garak silently nodded. “Understood…”

Miss Xu stood a short distance away, staff resting lightly against her shoulder, watching them without the slightest hint of concern.

As if their desperation meant nothing, and what it could possibly make them do.

Ricky turned back toward her, a grin returning to his face. “You act all high and mighty…”

He spun his scythe once—

“But even you can’t overcome the Aural Arts of two Upper Class Knights.”

“Aural Arts. Second Wave.”

“Aural Arts. Second Draw.”

“Frost Death Avalanche.” The two called out together.

For a split second, there was silence.

But then the frozen ground beneath Miss Xu’s feet shuddered violently, cracking as something immense began to rise.

Behind Garak, the earth split open, and from its depths surged a colossal mountain of snow and ice—towering, stretching into the heavens as though it sought to swallow the sky itself.

Miss Xu looked up.

Ricky leapt high, spinning his scythe overhead before bringing it crashing down onto the peak of the mountain.

The mountain split.

A thunderous crack echoed as the entire mass collapsed, transforming into a monstrous avalanche—an unstoppable wall of white fury racing toward Miss Xu, devouring everything in its path.

And atop it—

Ricky and Garak rode the descent like harbingers of death.

“Now what are you going to do?” Ricky’s laughter rang wildly. “You’ll be buried under this—and crushed into nothing!”

The avalanche roared closer.

But—

Miss Xu did not move.

She stood alone against the incoming catastrophe, her figure small before its enormity.

Standing still, holding her staff horizontally.

As if—

Waiting for the right moment.

Then, opening her eyes, she pulled back her hand, holding the staff like a spear in a throwing formation.

“Has she finally gone mad?” Ricky laughed at Miss Xu’s futile attempt.

“Aural Arts. First Bloom. Shulain Style: Dawnbreak Strike.”

“What is that?” Garak asked.

Ricky scoffed. “Doesn’t matter! It’s useless! To break this, she’d need to be at least Sage Cla—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Something… felt wrong.

“No…” Ricky’s voice faltered. “Don’t tell me—”

Ricky and Garak could suddenly feel a small breach in their domain.

In this forsaken ice territory, suddenly, from behind Miss Xu, light emerged.

As if the horizon itself had split open—

The sun began to rise.

Golden light spilled across the frozen wasteland, piercing the pale sky, enveloping the very fabric of the domain. The biting cold receded, replaced by an overwhelming warmth that pressed against their very souls.

Miss Xu slowly opened her eyes.

They reflected dawn.

“Ruyi… Bloom.”

A pause.

“—One thousand-fold.”

She stepped forward—

And threw the staff.

At first, it looked insignificant.

A single line against a mountain.

But in the next instant—

It expanded. Becoming larger.

And larger.

And larger.

In a single breath, its length tore through the sky.

The staff transformed into a colossal pillar—rivaling the avalanche in scale, like a pillar of heaven.

Its momentum multiplied.

Its force compounded.

Ricky’s eyes widened in horror.

“No… NO—!”

The staff descended.

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM—!!

The collision shattered the world.

The impact of the avalanche and the staff colliding birthed a cataclysm.

Shockwaves tore through the domain, the avalanche halted mid-surge, before being obliterated entirely. Snow and ice erupted in all directions.

The sky now turned golden yellow with the sun in the sky.

When the storm settled…

The land was buried under a vast blanket of snow.

At the center of it all stood Miss Xu.

She exhaled lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, a faint smile touching her lips.

“…It’s been a while since I used Ruyi like that.”

The massive staff remained embedded in the earth—

Piercing skyward. Almost touching the sun itself.

“Now… shrink.”

The colossal staff trembled—then rapidly contracted, descending from the sky until it rested once more in Miss Xu’s hand, back to being a simple hairpin once again.

She tied her hair back as if nothing had happened.

Then—

A hand burst through the snow.

“…No… I can’t lose…” Ricky’s voice rasped, broken, desperate.

He dragged himself forward, body mangled beyond recognition. Blood soaked the snow beneath him, his teeth shattered, one leg gone entirely.

Yet he crawled.

Somewhere nearby, the snow cracked again.

Garak’s body lay half-buried—still, frozen solid, his life already extinguished.

“No… Garak…” Ricky choked, his voice trembling into madness. “We were supposed to win… You monster… I’ll kill you… I’ll—”

He stopped as a dark symbol ignited on his forehead.

A black sun.

The same mark burned onto Garak’s frozen form. Ricky’s face turned pale as he knew what that mark meant.

Dark flames erupted from both bodies until they were consumed, turning them to ash.

Miss Xu watched for only a second.

Then she turned away.

With a light clap—

The domain shattered.

The frozen world dissolved, reality snapping back into place as if none of it had ever existed.

Before the silence could fully settle—

“Miss Xu!”

A rush of voices broke through the stillness as the students sprinted toward her, surrounding her.

“Are you okay?!”

“Were you hurt?”

They surrounded her in an instant—voices overlapping, eyes filled with panic.

Miss Xu let out a small laugh.

“You all are overreacting,” she said lightly. “It’s just a scratch. It’ll heal.”

But none of them looked convinced.

A group of students hurried forward, carrying a makeshift stretcher woven from branches and broad forest leaves.

“Carefully lay her down here!”

Several of them gently lifted her, their hands trembling despite their effort to stay steady.

Miss Xu blinked, slightly surprised, but she didn’t resist. She allowed herself to be laid down.

“Here, give her this medicine! It will stop the bleeding.”

Another group rushed in, carrying crushed herbs, applying the paste to her wound with utmost care.

Another student came forward with a report, “Miss Xu, none of us were injured. And we have also organised a search party of four to look for Regis. We will be back with results soon.”

“Good. I will help too.” Miss Xu said, almost waking back up.

“No, you need to rest first.” One of the students forced her back.

“If only we had a healer…” another student muttered, voice shaking. “Next time—we’ll definitely recruit one.”

Miss Xu’s gaze softened.

“You’ve already done more than enough,” she said quietly. “You’re taking good care of me.”

“Where did those attackers go?”

“We’ll make them pay for this!”

“Yeah! I want to punch them in the face!”

Miss Xu said nothing.

She simply lay there, watching them work together.

One of the students said in surprise, noticing something different.

“…Is it just me… or has it suddenly gotten warmer?”

Another looked around. “…Yeah. You’re right.”

“But why—?”

Miss Xu didn’t answer.

She simply lay there, staring up at the sky, enjoying her prescribed rest, without saying a word.

Just then, all of the students suddenly stopped moving or whatever they were doing.

SHHHH……

Instantly.

Every voice coming from the forest died.

The wind itself seemed to vanish.

The students’ hands tightened around their weapons, instincts screaming as their bodies tensed, ready to strike at the slightest hint of danger.

Then it came.

A pressure.

An overwhelming surge of magical energy crashed down upon the forest—far greater than before they felt from the volcanic explosion.

Miss Xu’s eyes opened fully, her gaze lifting straight upward toward the peak of the mountain.

◇◇◇

“You idiot.” The woman’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “How do you let a weaponless woman outplay you, when you have a gun in your hand?”

She pressed the barrel harder against Athena’s temple.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you need to take advantage of their weakness and show them that you can pull the trigger.”

Her finger then tightened slightly on the trigger.

Athena shut her eyes.

“No—wait!” Miss Karin’s voice rang out.

The woman smirked… and eased her finger back.

“You see now,” she said casually. “That’s how it’s done.”

Miss Karin stood still, her finger-gun aimed steadily at the gunman across from her.

“What do you want?” she asked the gunwoman.

“You tell me.” The arrogant woman said with a smirk.

“Fine,” Karin said. “We both release our targets. And walk away.”

The woman chuckled softly. “Now we’re talking.”

Her grip tightened slightly on Athena’s shoulder.

“First, you go back into that cage,” she added lazily. “And if you try something funny again… I’ll paint the ground with her brains.”

Karin’s jaw tightened. “…Fine. But promise you will let her go.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the woman waved dismissively. “You have my word.”

“No.”

The word cut through everything. All three froze.

Athena opened her eyes as she spoke for the first time.

“Don’t listen to them, Miss Karin,” Athena said, her voice clear despite the gun pointed at her head. “Forget about me. You need to defeat them. Other students are counting on you.”

“…What?” The woman blinked, caught off guard.

Karin’s expression cracked. “But… Miss Alice—what about you?”

“Yeah,” the woman added quickly, her tone shifting, almost uneasy now. “Listen to your friend. Isn’t your life precious to you? You are making the wrong choice.”

Athena smiled faintly.

“Am I?”

The gunwoman’s smirk faltered.

“Why are you hesitating?” Athena continued. “You haven’t pulled the trigger. If you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it already.”

“Don’t test me.” The gunwoman’s grip tightened.

“It’s because you are scared that my friend here is stronger. And once I am out of the way, nothing will stop her.” Athena said while still at gunpoint.

“Have you gone insane?” she snapped. “Don’t talk nonsense! And you—” the gunwoman glared at Karin, “—if you don’t care about her, I’ll kill her right now!”

“Wait!” Karin stepped forward slightly. “I’ll do what you say. Just don’t hurt her. Alice, you need to listen to her—”

“No.” Athena’s voice was firmer this time. “You need to listen to me and finish them. Don’t worry about me and just shoot.”

At Athena’s words, the gunman became apprehensive and strengthened his grip on his gun, aimed at Karin.

Karin, in response, charged her finger gun, pointing back at the gunman now.

“Miss Karin—shoot!” Athena urged.

“Shut up!” the woman snapped, pressing the gun harder against Athena’s head, almost hitting her with it.

“Everyone just stop!” the gunwoman shouted. “Both of you—lower your weapons!”

Somehow, the situation collapsed into a perfect, suffocating stalemate.

“How did we end up back where we started?” The gunwoman felt totally frustrated by this development.

But then Athena smiled.

“I have a suggestion,” Athena said calmly. “How about this. You free me, and Miss Karin steps back… and we all walk away.”

The gunwoman let out a short laugh.

“Overconfident, aren’t you?” she sneered, tightening her grip as she yanked Athena’s hair back. “I’ve seen your type before. The ones who talk big, thinking they are in control, but they are the first to break and start begging for their lives.”

Athena didn’t flinch. She only smiled wider.

“Have you?” she asked softly. “Then tell me. How about now?”

Suddenly, a red dot appeared on the woman’s forehead.

She froze.

“I have a sniper ready to shoot you, from three miles away. Now make your choice.” Athena levelled the field with her words alone.

“…What?” the gunwoman’s voice cracked for the first time. “That’s impossible. I made sure there was no—”

“Wrong answer.”

Before she could even finish.

BAM—!

An elbow slammed into her face from the side, snapping her head violently. Her grip loosened—

That was all Athena needed.

She twisted free instantly.

Her hand shot up—grabbing the gun mid-motion—

Then, with a precise strike directly stimulating the woman’s nerve point. The weapon slipped from her grasp.

“Help me—!” the gunwoman staggered, trying to recover—

But it was already too late.

Across the clearing—

Karin didn’t hesitate either.

Her hand snapped forward, and a beam of light pierced through the gunman’s shoulder.

“AAARGH—!” The gunman screamed, dropping his weapon as his arm went limp.

Before he could react, a second shot came almost instantly.

His leg gave out beneath him, collapsing him to the ground.

Back to Athena—

She used her leg, sweeping out in a clean arc—

CRACK.

The woman was flipped off her feet and slammed face-first into the ground.

Athena stepped forward, now holding the gun.

She raised it calmly, pointed straight at the woman.

With her other hand, she brushed her hair back into place, fixing the strands that had been yanked moments ago.

Her expression was still composed.

“Believe me,” Athena said softly, “I value my life very much. And I have no intention of throwing it away.”

The woman coughed, blood staining her lips, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“…You… tricked me…”

Her voice trembled—not with anger—but fear.

Behind her, the gunman lay groaning, unable to move or even pull the trigger of the gun in his hand.

Athena tilted her head slightly.

“You had every advantage,” she said, tapping her temple lightly. “Unfortunately for you… You didn’t think far enough.”

For a brief moment, a flicker of excitement passed through Athena’s eyes.

‘I’ve always wanted to say something like that…’ She thought. ‘Maybe Sachi’s influence is rubbing off on me.’

But outwardly, she remained perfectly composed.

Out of the blue, a black sun symbol appeared on the two gunners’ foreheads.

Before anyone could react.

Both their bodies went up in dark flames and instantly turned into ash.

Taking both Athena and Miss Karin by surprise.

Miss Karin suddenly rushed forward.

“Miss Alice—that was amazing!” she exclaimed, grabbing Athena’s shoulders, eyes shining. “I wouldn’t have even guessed you were acting like a psycho… until that wink at the end!”

Athena blinked—then laughed lightly.

“I am glad you noticed that.”

“Of course I did!” Karin beamed. “That elbow strike, the way you disarmed her. My heart almost stopped watching that!”

She fanned her face with her hand, exhaling sharply. “You can feel my heart’s still racing…”

Athena rubbed the back of her neck, a little embarrassed.

“That was just some martial arts I learned to protect myself,” Athena said casually. “Since I don’t really have any attack magic. You were amazing yourself out there, with how you found the gunner’s position.”

Karin’s eyes widened, then she leaned in curiously. “Wait—then what about that red dot? I know you can use light magic, but how were you able to create something like that?”

Athena smiled faintly.

“Oh, that? Nothing special,” she said lightly. “I just used some metal fragments from the cage… angled them to reflect light and bend it into a focused point.”

Karin froze.

“…You can do that?”

Miss Karin’s expression lit up like a child discovering something new.

“Wow. I didn’t even know light magic could be used like that!”

She immediately began trying to mimic the idea, raising her hand, focusing intensely—

Only for the light to scatter awkwardly.

Athena watched, amused.

Then—

Something shifted under Athena’s feet. Her shadow flickered.

Just slightly.

“…Do you really think it’s okay not to tell her the truth?” A voice rose from beneath her feet.

Athena didn’t look down.

“…Yeah. I think it should be fine.” Athena said with an awkward laugh.

The shadow rippled, and within it, a faint outline of a face appeared. It was one of Athena’s Night Shadows.

“She’s remarkable on her own,” the shadow murmured. “Even we couldn’t immediately pinpoint the gunner’s position. And we still know almost nothing about her. Except that she just appeared at the academy a few years ago. She is highly suspicious to me.”

Athena’s gaze softened slightly.

“She’s not a threat.” Her voice slightly lowered, “At least not for now.”

“Noted.” The shadow affirmed.

“Also, you can tell Betty to relax now,” Athena added. “And thank her for taking the sniping position.”

“It’s our duty to protect you. If that woman had tried anything… her head would’ve been blown. Or I would have beheaded her myself.”

“I know. And I’m always grateful to you all for keeping me safe.” Athena smiled faintly.

For a moment, everything felt calm.

Then—

Karin suddenly froze.

At the same time, Athena’s shadow flickered violently, its form distorting as if reacting to something overwhelming.

“What… is that?”

A pressure spread through the air.

A massive surge of magical energy rolled down from above, swallowing the entire mountain.

All three of them turned toward the same direction—

The mountain peak.

And two of them already knew who that magic belonged to.

◇◇◇

“It’s a bomb.”

The moment Ione confirmed it, Noelle didn’t hesitate.

She grabbed her hard—and pulled her close.

A surge of frost burst outward.

Layer upon layer of thick ice wrapped around them as Noelle formed a dense crystalline shell.

Ione reacted just as fast. A translucent barrier shimmered into existence over the ice, reinforcing it.

But even as the magic settled—

She knew.

‘It won’t be enough.’

Those weren’t ordinary bombs. From the condensed chaos magic they packed inside—

Anything within range would be reduced to ash.

There was nothing left to do… but wait.

Ione closed her eyes. Her heartbeat synced with the ticking.

3… tik…

2… tik…

Her fingers tightened.

1…

***

High above, on the branch of a towering tree—

A girl stood.

Her academy cloak fluttered lightly in the wind, marked by two black stripes along the shoulders.

She raised her hand before her face.

Then—

Her eyes opened. Her fingers snapped apart.

A flash of absolute black consumed her pupils. Like a void swallowing light itself.

Two fingers aligned before her gaze.

“Abyss: WARP.”

…

The ground beneath Ione and Noelle split open.

A deep crimson glow bled through the cracks—pulsing like a heartbeat from beneath the world itself.

Then, it emerged.

A colossal mouth, forged from writhing black miasma, surged upward.

Without a noise, in an instant, it swallowed everything.

The bombs.

The bodies.

All of it—devoured in a single, monstrous gulp.

And then—

BOOM—

A distant explosion thundered.

But nothing touched them.

The mouth sank back into the abyss from which it came. The earth sealed shut.

As if nothing had ever happened.

…

“It’s… over,” Ione whispered.

Noelle stared at the ground, her brows tightening.

“What… was that?”

Before either of them could process it—

A figure dropped down lightly in front of them.

They looked up.

“You’re… a senior,” Noelle said, recognizing the uniform. “Second year… Miss Celestina.”

The girl adjusted her glasses, her expression calm, untouched by the chaos around her.

“Just call me Celes,” she said. “You two look fine.”

Her gaze flicked between them.

“Where’s the other one? You were all together, right?”

Ione and Noelle’s expressions darkened. They exactly knew who that question was aimed at. But they didn’t know the answer either.

Before either could say something—

It came.

A massive wave of magic tore through the air.

The pressure hit instantly. Like the weight of the world crashing down on their shoulders. Breath caught in their neck.

For a split second—

They couldn’t move.

Slowly—

All three turned toward the mountain peak.

The very source of that magical pressure.

Celes narrowed her eyes.

‘Just what kind of monster did you let into the academy… old man? I didn’t sign up for this.’

◇◇◇

“Just stop running! We’re going to get lost at this rate!”

Alicia’s voice echoed through the narrow tunnel as she sprinted after the small black dragon darting ahead of her.

“Says the one lagging behind,” the black dragon shot back without turning. “Just follow me.”

“Oh, great. Now you’re bossing me around?” Alicia scoffed between breaths. “Don’t forget whose summon you are. Just a few more days and—”

The dragon paused for a brief second—just enough to glance back at her.

Then, without a word, it continued forward, following a scent only it could detect.

“Hey! At least stop so I can breathe!” Alicia called out, still chasing after it.

A few minutes later—

The dragon finally halted.

Alicia caught up, slightly out of breath.

“You finally—” She stopped mid-sentence.

Alicia saw a dead end right in front of them. A solid rock wall blocked the path ahead.

“I told you we were going to get lost,” Alicia muttered, though a small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips for being right.

Krr… rr… kk…

A faint cracking sound echoed beneath them.

“…Wait.”

The ground gave way.

“AHHHHH—!”

“GWAHHHH—!”

Both Alicia and the black dragon dropped as the ledge collapsed, sending them tumbling into a narrow tunnel below. They rolled uncontrollably, stone scraping against skin and scales.

The tunnel steepened.

They moved faster.

And faster—

“We’re going to crash!” Alicia yelled.

“No—no—NO—!” the dragon roared.

A wall rushed toward them.

Seeing that impact was inevitable, the black dragon curled up its body to protect its inner side.

BOOOOM—!

They slammed into it—

And broke through.

The force of the dragon’s body shattered the rock, sending both of them bursting into open air.

A vast cavern opened beneath them.

Land!

Alicia spotted it instantly.

Twisting mid-air, she flipped gracefully and landed first. Knees bending to absorb the shock. A clean landing.

In the same motion, she caught the falling dragon in her palm. She gently placed the black dragon back on the ground.

Then dusted her hands.

“Safe.”

“…Who are you? And where did you just fall from?” A cold voice cut through the cavern.

“Alicia…?”

Alicia heard a familiar voice call her name.

Her eyes scanned the massive underground chamber.

Two figures stood before her.

One—an unfamiliar man, his sword coated in frost, a chilling aura surrounding him.

The other—

“Is that you, Rhea?” Alicia blinked. “You look… different.”

She completely ignored the man.

Rhea stood frozen.

Her breathing was heavy, uneven. Cuts and bruises marked her body, her clothes torn from battle. The faint traces of her dragon form still lingered around her.

Rhea’s eyes widened as Alicia suddenly appeared before her.

“Alicia… how—”

Her words were cut short.

In an instant, Alicia was right in front of her.

So fast… even Rhea’s dragon-form eyes couldn’t track her.

“Hold still. Let me heal you first,” Alicia said calmly. “And what’s this new form? You look amazing.”

A soft, golden-white light bloomed from Alicia’s hands.

It wrapped around Rhea’s body like a warm embrace.

Warmth spread through her veins. All her wounds sealed, and her bruises faded. And her strength returned.

Rhea exhaled, her body feeling lighter—revitalized.

But then—

Her gaze locked onto Alicia.

Even behind the mask, those eyes…

They weren’t just looking at her.

As if they were looking straight through her—like analyzing every detail of her dragon form.

There was no trace of fear.

“You think you can just barge in and save your friend?” the swordsman scoffed. “You’re both going to die here.”

He lunged forward with his blade drawn.

“Alicia, get behind me—!” Rhea shouted.

“I’ve got you—” the man grinned.

But—

Just as he closed the distance—

He leapt back.

Not by choice.

His body moved on instinct alone, forcing him to make a split-second retreat.

“…Oh?” Alicia tilted her head slightly, amused. “You saw that. You must have sharp instincts.”

“Saw… what?” the man muttered.

The man touched his face; the moment he felt a sharp sting. His fingers came away wet.

Blood. A thin red line had already formed across his nose.

His eyes widened.

“What did you do?”

Alicia smiled faintly. “Does it matter now?” she said lightly. “It’s over. We’re leaving.”

She turned to Rhea. But Rhea didn’t move.

Her gaze spoke of other intentions. She knew full well that there was no escape.

Not while the man in front of them was still alive.

“Alicia… you need to go,” Rhea said firmly. “It’s not safe here.”

Her eyes shifted—to the small black dragon.

Then—to the egg lying nearby.

The one she had risked everything to protect.

She picked it up carefully… and placed it in Alicia’s hands.

“Take this. Keep it safe.” Alicia froze for a moment.

The black dragon stared at Rhea, its eyes widening. Something about her form…

It stirred an old memory. And something he then regretted saying.

Rhea then turned to the black dragon, her expression softening.

“Little dragon. Will you take care of her… and this egg?”

Then, in a low voice, she spoke in Draconic.

“You can talk to me, you know.”

Both Alicia and the dragon stiffened in shock.

“…You knew?” the black dragon asked.

Rhea gave a faint smile.

“Yeah. But you two were being so hush about it, so I let it be.” She glanced at the egg again. “I didn’t get to talk to you much… but this place… This is my home.”

Her voice grew firmer, taking a glance at the egg. “Our home. So, I have to protect it.”

“Come with me,” Alicia said quietly. “You might not win,” Alicia said, as if she knew Rhea was determined to stay here. So, she felt saying the truth might change her mind.

Rhea took a slow breath. Then smiled.

“Take care of the egg,” she said, gently pushing the egg closer into Alicia’s arms. “It’s more important to me than my life.”

A pause.

“We’re friends… right? You’ll keep it safe.”

Alicia’s eyes widened slightly behind the mask.

But Rhea couldn’t see that.

“I’ll come back for it.”

“You think you can just let your friend run away with that egg?” the man sneered. “Our master ordered that egg to stay here. So, it stays here. While the two of you will die by my hand, just like how your other companions must be dead by now.”

His gaze shifted to the dragon.

“And that beast I will have it for lunch,” he grinned coldly, “Looks like its flesh has got plenty of vitality.”

“Why do you only want to eat me?!” the dragon snapped.

Alicia let out a small, amused laugh.

“There’s no time,” Rhea said.

Her horns flickered with dim light. She raised her hand and launched a blazing fireball.

BOOM.

The cavern wall exploded, opening a path large enough to escape.

“Go! I’ll hold him off!” she shouted. “That path will lead you straight out of here!”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

The man raised his sword, and frost burst outward in a sudden surge.

“Aural Arts: First Shower—Icicle World.”

The temperature plummeted instantly. Ice spread across the ground, the walls.

The air itself seemed to freeze as a domain was forming.

Rhea, for one final time, looked at the egg.

Then, with perfect timing, she shoved Alicia forward.

Alicia was pushed out of the forming domain while Rhea remained inside.

The ice sealed behind her.

…

Inside the domain, Rhea found herself trapped in a frozen nightmare.

A world of ice thorns stretched endlessly. Jagged icicles jutted out from the ground, walls as if the entire space was alive and hostile.

Cold bit into her skin.

“So… you let your friend escape,” the man’s voice echoed through the frozen domain. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll kill you first… then hunt her down.”

Rhea’s eyes narrowed.

“No… You won’t.”

Flames ignited around her fists. Her dragon eyes sharpened as she lunged forward.

But the moment she moved—

The domain responded. At the flick of the man’s will, spears of ice erupted from the ground.

From the sides. From behind.

Rhea twisted mid-step, barely avoiding a lance that shot up beneath her feet. Another grazed past her shoulder as she pushed forward, forcing her way through the icicle onslaught.

“Tch—!”

Even her fire felt suppressed. Her flames flickered weaker, devoured by the overwhelming cold.

She opened her mouth. A burst of dragon fire surged forward.

But the moment it left her—

It dimmed, scattering into embers on colliding with the man’s frost energy.

The man smirked.

“This is my world.”

He raised his hand slightly. And then swiftly brought it down.

From above, giant icicles came crashing down.

Rhea’s eyes widened. There was barely any space to move.

She leapt—twisted—rolled—

But the sheer number was overwhelming.

CRASH—!

One struck her side.

Another slammed near her feet, the shockwave throwing her off balance.

She staggered, barely managing to stay standing as the icy pillars boxed her in from all sides, forming a prison.

“…Now then,” the man said, stepping forward slowly, his frost-covered blade gleaming. “Those dragon horns of yours… It’s my first time seeing something like that. They must be quite rare.”

His gaze lingered on them greedily.

“I wonder how much they’d fetch on the black market.”

Rhea clenched her fists. Flames flickered weakly around them.

Thud.

A faint sound echoed, distracting the man’s focus.

BAM—!!

The entire domain trembled violently.

Cracks spread across the icy world, like glass shattering from within.

The man froze.

“What—?”

BOOOOM—!!

…

Alicia stood silently outside the domain. While in her arms, she held the egg carefully, almost unconsciously.

The massive dome of swirling energy loomed before her. At first glance, it looked cold and impenetrable.

“What are you doing?” the Black Dragon snapped, pacing restlessly. “We need to go back and save her!”

But Alicia didn’t respond immediately.

The dragon tugged at the hem of her dress, chewing at it in frustration.

“…Why do you think she gave me this egg?” Alicia finally spoke, her voice quiet.

The dragon paused.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because—” The black dragon thought of answering that question.

“She said this egg was her family,” Alicia continued. “Something more precious than her own life.”

Her grip on the egg tightened slightly.

“Then why did she give it to me? We barely know each other. And yet… she trusts me.”

Her eyes lowered. For a moment, something from her past flickered across her expression. Something that had stayed unresolved in her heart for a very long time.

The dragon watched her carefully now.

“Wouldn’t it be better,” he said quietly, “If you ask that question to her yourself?”

Alicia’s eyes lifted. The hesitation disappeared from her eyes.

“…Yeah.” A faint smile formed. “I think I will do that.”

She looked up.

In front of her stood a massive sphere of energy formed from the enemy’s soul core.

Breaking into an Aural Arts domain from the outside wasn’t impossible—just nearly so, with a success rate of less than two percent.

Raw strength alone wouldn’t work. Forcing it would only cause the domain to reject the intruder—or collapse it entirely.

But Alicia already knew the perfect trick to get the job done.

She stepped forward and placed her palm gently against the surface.

A strange fusion of divine energy and black miasma flickered to life in her hand.

Balancing the opposing forces perfectly, she pushed them against the domain wall.

The dome reacted instantly.

The point of contact began to distort—destabilizing.

Immediately, the rest of the domain reacted, surging to repair the imbalance.

But that—

That single moment—

Was enough for Alicia to slip into the domain.

…

From the drifting frost, Alicia stepped into the domain.

Unharmed.

The man’s eyes widened.

“H-How… did you get in here?”

Behind him, Rhea shouted—

“Alicia! Why did you come back?!”

Alicia glanced at her. “Well… I had something to ask you. So, I came back.”

“Are you mocking me?” The man’s voice dropped, cold and furious. “No matter what trick you used, this is my domain.”

Frost surged violently around him.

“I am a General class Aural Arts user and the second strongest here. I will freeze you in this eternal winter and keep you alive to suffer.”

He scanned Alicia carefully. And could not find anything out of the ordinary. She had average magic power and no weapons.

That had to be it.

A lucky intruder with some kind of artifact.

Meanwhile—

The Black Dragon rushed to Rhea, still trapped between jagged ice pillars.

With a fierce headbutt—

CRACK.

The icicles shattered.

“Aural Arts: Second Shower—Freezing Storm.”

The man’s blade glowed, frost spiraling violently around it.

He lunged straight at Alicia.

“We need to help her!” Rhea shouted.

The dragon didn’t even look back.

“Don’t worry. She’s got this.”

The man closed in. His blade descended.

Alicia didn’t move.

“Didn’t I tell you?” she said, her voice flat, almost bored. “This was over the moment I stepped in.”

From her sleeve—

A fan slid into her hand.

The blade struck the edge of the closed fan.

“[ABSOLUTE ZERO]”

From the edge of the fan—

A cold spread so absolute that even the domain around the impact itself froze.

The man’s body halted mid-motion. Perfectly still.

Now encased completely in transparent ice.

Alicia opened her fan in one swift motion.

CRACK.

The frozen figure shattered.

Not into chunks. But into fine, glittering particles.

And with it, the entire domain followed.

The icicle world collapsed into shimmering dust, drifting through the air like frozen starlight.

Rhea and the black dragon rushed toward Alicia.

Rhea’s eyes trembled, still not able to believe what she was seeing with her own eyes.

“…Alicia… what was that?”

Alicia closed her fan.

“I don’t think we have time for that. He said everyone’s under attack. I need to locate them and make sure they are safe.”

‘Al… can you do that for me?’

[Affirmative.]

Al processed instantly. Mapping energy signatures across the mountain.

A report flashed in Alicia’s mind.

Her brows furrowed.

‘Are you joking? Why is Hana flying mid-air?’

[No malfunction detected. Observation confirmed.]

“That has to be a miscalculation.”

[Negative.]

“I guess the magical residue from the volcanic explosion here must be interfering with your readings.”

She closed her eyes.

Then—

A wave of energy surged outward from her body, spreading across the entire mountain like an invisible tide. Erasing the lingering magical interference.

What Rhea then felt was a magical pressure almost on par with her mother, maybe even stronger. And she could tell Alicia wasn’t even trying.

Alicia’s eyes snapped open.

“Found them.”

◇◇◇

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To everyone who is reading my novel and loves Alicia on her exciting adventures in this new fantasy world.

Thanks a lot for all your support! It really means a lot to me.

Till now I have published from volume one to volume eleven for free and I hope to continue to do so even today. I have put a lot of time and effort into creating a story that I always hope you will enjoy reading and have something to think about.

Keeping the text error free takes a lot of revisions and consumes time, but no work is ever perfect. With your support and reviews I know that I have improved a lot in my writing. I know the initial volumes sometimes could be a mess in my disastrous writing and the current writing still leaves a lot to be desired as the story proceeds and new characters keeps popping up. And I intend to take this challenge head on and improve everyday in this year as well.

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