The agonizing screams continued... until a heavy exhale sounded from above. A thick blue smoke poured out from someone’s nose and mouth, suddenly spreading out across the entire barrier...

FSSHHHHH!

Zero’s eyes were fixed entirely on that figure’s face. Seeing so much smoke coming from a human body...

"How can a human body produce this much smoke...?"

In just a few moments, the blue vapor spread rapidly, swallowing the entire courtyard and completely reducing the visibility.

From that the skeleton knights suddenly grew sluggish and in a few seconds they couldn’t withstand it, so they simply collapsed down into piles of loose bones. One by one all of them.. everywhere.

Viper coughed. "What the hell is this smoke...? I can barely see my own hands!"

"It’s heavy..." Raven muttered, taking a cautious step back. "I feel a little stiff... this fog, it’s affecting us..."

Zero stuck his tongue out to taste the air, and instantly, his eyes went wide.

"Hold your breath and immediately circulate your inner core! This fog is a mana-draining toxin, do not inhale any more of it into your body!"

Before anyone could react to the Captain’s order, a sharp, heavy swish echoed from their right.

All of them instantly snapped their heads toward the sound.

Through the blue haze, a mesmerizing trail of orange fire slashed through the air like a blazing brushstroke, severing the skeletons into burning pieces.

Tap... tap... tap...

Then, the sound of bare footsteps drew closer. Stepping out from the blue fog with a molten sword resting on her shoulder, a girl with a high ponytail appeared. Seraphina was wearing nothing but a night short and an oversized T-shirt that had slipped off one side, showing her shoulder strap.

"My sleep is ruined because of all the commotion you shitheads made now you all are dead."

At that exact moment, a bone-white head came flying out of the thick blue smoke.

THUD!

It tumbled across the ground and rolled right to the assassins’ feet. It was the sundered skull of the towering Skeleton Lord.

Following right behind it, Elira stepped out from the haze wearing nothing but her usual net nightdress, leaving her black bra and panties almost completely exposed underneath.

Viper’s eyes immediately darted away from the skull to straight onto her exposed skin. A sleazy grin spread across his face as his gaze trailed up her bare thighs.

"Well, well... aren’t you a little masterpiece?" he licked his lips like a starving wolf. "Damn, look at that body... I might just have some fun with you before I kill—"

CHOMP!

Before he could even finish his sentence, a colossal shadow materialized for an instant before surging directly at him. Massive jaws clamped down on Viper’s entire upper body, shredding it to pieces and leaving only his lower half crumpled on the ground.

CRUNCH.

Zero, Raven, and Mantis instantly jumped back, their weapons drawn and their eyes wide with utter shock as they saw Viper’s mangled body.

Leisurely, the gargantuan snake slithered forward through the haze and gently lowered its scaly head down to the ground.

Sitting right there, completely cross-legged on top of the viper head, was Lucian. He rested his chin on his hand, looking profoundly annoyed.

[ Skill Activated: Aura of Dread ]

[ Skill Activated: Voice of authority ]

N. E. E. L. D. O. W. N.

A staggering pressure instantly crashed down onto the entire courtyard, hammering the remaining assassins like a titan’s fist, squeezing their lungs flat .

Lucian glared down at them with merciless eyes.

"Who gave that trash the permission to look at one of my girls?"

Meanwhile, a short distance away from the massacre, a faint golden light flickered through the heavy blue fog.

Aria was on her knees, her hands glowing as she feverishly healed a bleeding student.

"Aria, we have another one over here! He’s barely breathing!" another girl cried out in panic.

Sweat dripped down Aria’s forehead as she hardened her stare, pushing her mana to its utmost limit.

"Hold on, everyone! Don’t lose hope! I won’t let a single person die tonight! Just stay close to the light!"

Back at the scene...

Zero’s eyes were nailed straight to the ground. He wanted to look up, but that pressure that came from his voice... forget looking at him, it wasn’t even letting him move.

Still, mustering all his focus, he lifted his face up to... and tried to appraise him...

Zero’s pupils shrank, freezing as his face went ashen pale.

He’s a monster... a true unfathomable monster!

"F-fall back..." he choked out, trying to turn his head to his squad. R-Raven... Mantis...

SHWIIIISHH!

Before he could even pivot halfway, he glimpsed it — Sera had already cleaved Raven’s head clean off... and The severed skull struck the cobblestones with a wet thud.

On the right side, Elira loomed over Mantis... Staring down at that broken face pleading for mercy through her eyes alone...

"W-wait, just—

Splatter. Slam.

Blood splattered onto Elira’s face the moment she completely crushed Mantis’s entire face with her bare fist. Now, in place of Mantis’s elegant face, there was only a debris of bone, teeth, and meat left behind...

Lucian deactivated his skill...

The giant serpent violently dissolved into the air, scattering into fading black ash. Landing softly on his feet, Lucian casually dusted off his hands.

Well, I suppose that’s as long as I can maintain the dark summoning for now.

He walked over to Zero, who was still paralyzed on his knees.

"Y-You... demon..."

Lucian scoffed.

"Me? A demon? That’s rich coming from the wretch trying to turn our lovely academy into a slaughterhouse."

Zero kept his head pinned down, harsh shivers wracking his entire body. Regret gnawed at his chest. He never could have imagined the students of Astraviel Academy hiding this kind of power.

Why...? Panther’s intel swore no first-year could even touch our shadows. Then What the fuck are these monsters?!

Lucian leaned forward. Sera and Elira stepped up silently, flanking him on both sides like twin reapers.

"Let’s play a guessing game," he murmured, tapping his chin.

"You’re here for a relic? A hidden sword? Hmm... no."

Zero slowly lifted his heavy head.

"Ah... I get it," he smiled faintly.

"You just came here to cull the ’future heroes’ before they become a threat."

Zero’s pupils flinched. It was a microscopic reaction, though Lucian caught it instantly.

"Right on the money, So, whose leash are you on? Who sent you?"

Zero stared up into those empty, merciless eyes. Knowing he was already a dead man, he let out a weak, defiant scoff.

"Heh..."

"Shame."

Swish.

With a single flick of his fingers, a blade of condensed dark mana sheared straight through the air leaving Zero’s head split cleanly into two perfectly even pieces as his ruined blood soaked body collapsed onto the cobblestones.

Ding!!

[400 FP+]

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

[850 CB+]

Sera grimaced. Avoiding the blood touching her feet.

"Ugh. What a complete mess."

Lucian turned his back on the carnage, walking away as his mind began to swirl. These dark skills... Yeah. Taking the carrot was certainly the right choice.

Behind him, Elira turned to follow, stepping over the corpses with perfect serenity. Sera caught sight of the blood painted across Elira’s cheek, seeing that a smug grin crept onto her lips.

"Huh. Well, at least I won’t have to take a shower before going back to sleep."

"Unlike someone."

Elira didn’t even break her stride. She walked right past her, completely tuning out the red-haired girl’s existence, and glided smoothly up to Lucian’s side.

"Lucian, darling, Please, come take a bath with me."

Sera’s jaw dropped, instantly replaced by flustered, boiling jealousy.

"H-Hey! Don’t you dare ignore me!"