The next day was the start of the school week and the Awakener Supreme was starting with a bang.

The morning air swept through the courtyards of the academy; crisp, cold, and practically vibrating with anticipation.

Outside the massive wrought-iron gates of the institution, a fleet of gothic buses sat idling. They looked like normal buses, but the steel was stronger and they were adorned with spiked arches and architecture of gargoyles.

Beneath their chassis, heavy treads rested on the cobblestones, while the engines vented soft plumes of colored steam into the morning mist.

"Keep the lines moving! First Years take the first seven buses!"

"Second Years take the next five buses!"

"Third Years to the next four!"

"Fourth Years, the next four after that!"

"Fifth Years? Any Fifth Year that wishes to go, we have two royal buses for you!"

"Alright you heard em! Everyone, find your designated transports!" A transportation instructor barked, waving a glowing baton to direct the chaotic sea of uniformed students.

"I can’t believe it. I literally cannot believe it," Kasto practically vibrated as he shuffled forward in the line, aggressively smoothing down the lapels of his Academy blazer. "We are going to the Royal Square. We’re going to see the King. And Lancet is going to be on the stage!"

"I know!" Anita squealed, hopping on her toes to see over the heads of the taller students. She clutched her doll to her chest like a shield. "I heard Lancet and the rest of the vanguard got ferried out hours ago in private cars! Everyone is talking about them!"

"Everyone is talking about Lancet, you mean," Kasto corrected, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Behind them, Luke let out a long, suffering sigh, his hands buried deep in his pockets. His uniform was slightly rumpled, and his eyes were half-closed with sleep. "It’s barely eight in the morning," he mumbled. "Why do we have to be there? We didn’t do anything."

"Because it is history, Luke!" Anita gasped, turning back to lightly smack his arm. "We are supporting our roommate! Besides, listen to what everyone is saying!"

She wasn’t wrong. The gossip flowing through the boarding lines was loud and relentless.

"Do you think they’ll bring out the Villainess?" a Year Two student whispered loudly as they stepped onto the metal ramp of the bus.

"Are you insane? The High Council would never allow a literal Demoness in the Royal Square!"

"But that Lancet guy, I heard he cut the Void-Rank Demon in half with his bare hands."

"No, idiot, he used a legendary holy sword. My roommate’s cousin is in the Vanguard, he saw the whole thing!"

Luke just rolled his eyes, finally stepping into the warm interior of the bus and collapsing into a window seat. Kasto and Anita squeezed into the bench in front of him, chattering endlessly as the heavy doors hissed shut and the convoy rumbled to life, levitating just inches above the ground before shooting forward toward the capital.

When the fleet of buses finally arrived at the heart of the capital, the scale of the Royal Square left the students breathless.

It was a magnificent marvel of architecture, perfectly blending ancient, reverent gothic designs with bleeding-edge magi-technology.

On all the sides, tall cathedrals of bright, white stone reached high for the bright morning sky. Winding along the edges of the ancient flying buttresses were thick cables of neon-runic trim, pulsing with golden energy.

Floating holographic banners—displaying the roaring golden lion crest of Aethelgard—were draped gracefully over stone gargoyles, while streetlamps poured amber light over the cobble ground.

The square was absolutely packed. Tens of thousands of normal citizens had gathered behind heavy, hard-light barricades, waving flags and cheering in a deafening roar of civic pride. Cameras hovered in the air like metallic hummingbirds, their lenses flashing as reporters documented the historic event.

"Stay together! Do not mix with the civilian populace! Academy students, into the viewing pens!" instructors ordered, herding Kasto, Anita, Luke, and hundreds of others into a cordoned-off section directly in front of the grand, marble-tiered platform.

"Look at all these people," Kasto breathed, his eyes wide as he gripped the velvet rope separating them from the press.

"This is incredible," Anita whispered, completely awestruck.

Suddenly, an enchanted bell rang. It was so deep and powerful that it vibrated right through the students’ chests. Instantly, the roaring crowd fell silent.

Seconds past, and then a voice broke the reverence.

"Presenting the Sovereign of Aethelgard!" a royal herald declared, his voice magically amplified to reach every corner of the square. "His Royal Majesty, King Romsgard Goldstone!"

From the grand double doors of the cathedral behind the platform, the King stepped out into the morning light.

King Romsgard was a mountain of a man, with an aura that could be felt from every corner in the square, demanding immediate respect from every soul. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He was battle-hardened, with broad, commanding shoulders and a thick, meticulously braided golden beard that rained over his chest. He was dressed in a heavy crimson mantle trimmed with white fur, fastened over a suit of shiny golden armor engraved with meticulousness.

Upon his head rested a crown forged from sun-metal and embedded with fiercely glowing runic stones.

His piercing, storm-grey eyes swept over the massive crowd. When he reached the podium, the magi-tech microphones flared to life.

"Citizens of Aethelgard," King Romsgard began, his thunderous voice commanding the attention of everyone present. "We gather today under the light of a new dawn, but let us not forget the shadows that sought to consume us."

He gripped the edges of the podium. "Just days ago, the Kingdom of Aethelgard found itself in a sudden state of dire emergency. A massive Demon Break tore through the borders of Hebthej. With our most esteemed, high-ranking Awakeners engaged in other perilous tasks, we were stretched thin. The darkness of the Second World encroached upon our homes, threatening to claim thousands of innocent lives."

The crowd was dead silent, hanging onto his every word.

"In our desperation, we sought help. We called upon the esteemed Academy, Awakener Supreme," the King continued, gesturing expansively toward the cordoned-off student section. "Though the Council and I feared the absolute worst—sending youths into a Gloom Domain is a heavy burden on a King’s conscience—these students answered the call."

A murmur of pride rippled through the Academy section.

"They outperformed every expectation," King Romsgard’s voice rose, vibrating with fierce pride. "They proved that the instructors and the administration of the Awakener Supreme are forging true protectors. They are doing a fine job molding the future of humanity."

The King paused, his eyes narrowing with fiery intensity.

"But let there be no mistake," he declared. "The administration’s success cannot, and will not, take the glory away from the brave souls who actually stood on that battlefield. The young Awakeners who sweat, bled, and fought in the mud of Hebthej. Those who put their lives on the line to ensure the ever-encroaching evil of Gloom does not enter our great Kingdom!"

King Romsgard threw his heavy, armor-clad arm toward the massive curtain at the side of the platform.

"Citizens! I present to you..." The King roared, the magi-tech speakers booming with triumphant power. "...The Defenders of Hebthej!"

Down in the crowd, Kasto and Anita leaned as far over the barricade as they physically could, their eyes shining with extreme excitement.

The heavy curtains tore open, and the Vanguard stepped one by one onto the platform.