The beast suddenly broke free again.
Akito's spell, which had looked so majestic before, shattered just like that.
The ground rumbled.
Dust exploded into the air. Students screamed.
I instinctively moved to step forward, but before I could, a heavy voice rang out.
"Ahem.
Instead of flirting in the middle of the field... maybe you two could help Akito?"
I froze.
'Flirting…?'
Only then did I realize—
I was still holding Aetheria's hand.
Or rather, she was still tightly gripping mine.
I awkwardly tried to pull away, but her grip tightened.
"Don't move, okay?"
Her voice was soft, almost whispering into my ear.
"Let my magic do the work."
Magic?
Before I could even question her, my crow screeched louder from my shoulder.
With her free hand, Aetheria raised her palm.
Golden light bloomed from her fingertips—a binding spell.
Threads of light danced through the air, wrapping around the beast's massive body, locking it in place.
All eyes turned.
From the subdued beast—straight to us.
Including Akito.
He turned around, storming toward us.
His gaze dark—way darker than just 'mildly annoyed.'
And then he saw it.
Aetheria.
Still holding onto my hand.
His face froze.
Ah, crap.
I quickly pulled my hand away. "Wait! She's the one—"
Before I could finish, Aetheria...
Started crying.
Not a loud wail, but small, trembling tears.
A sniffle here, a shaky breath there.
"R-Ren... how could you..."
Her voice cracked, perfectly timed for maximum effect.
Damn it.
It was obviously an act.
I shot her a look that screamed 'Seriously?!'
She just blinked innocently back at me, almost as if saying, 'Play along, dummy.'
From behind me, the whispers started again.
"Disgusting..."
"Pervert..."
"Weirdo..."
'IT WAS HER!!
CAN'T YOU ALL SEE THAT?!'
I wanted to scream it at the top of my lungs.
Instead, I just stood there, dying inside.
Akito reached me, his aura practically exploding outward.
"You bastard, Ren!"
His voice thundered across the field.
"Making her cry!!"
I instinctively took a step back, raising my hands defensively.
"Whoa, whoa! I swear, I didn't do anything!"
Of course, no one listened.
The magic pressure around Akito grew heavier.
The air trembled.
He lifted his hand, magic gathering at his fingertips, preparing to strike.
'No choice, huh.'
I slowly slid my hand toward my sword's hilt, ready to defend myself.
And just as the tension peaked—
"Stop."
Proya finally intervened, forcing Akito to stop. The dangerous magic aura around him dissipated, but his glare at me didn't soften in the slightest. If anything, it sharpened.
I let out a long breath, trying to shake off the tension in my chest.
Ren: 1.
World: 0.
For now, at least.
Proya, completely unfazed, turned to Akito with that ever-calm demeanor of his. "Let's observe the beast," he suggested, leading Akito away from the scene. It was almost as if Proya truly believed we were some sort of pairing—Akito and me—always the center of attention.
The murmurs of students began to die down as they, too, moved toward the beast that was still struggling against Aetheria binding magic.
I didn't pay much attention to them, though. Instead, I felt a soft, sudden pressure on my hand.
Aetheria—without warning—had taken my hand and gently placed it on her cheek, wiping away the fake tears that had already dried.
I froze for a second before instinctively pulling my hand away, but even after I did, I could still feel the faint dampness from her tears lingering on my fingers.
But as I processed the situation, a wry smile tugged at my lips.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" I said, my voice tinged with amusement. I couldn't resist, and began gently teasing her cheeks, but I didn't press too hard.
"I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to see you do something cool like that night," Aetheria said, her voice soft but earnest.
I continued pinching her cheek lightly, letting out a soft laugh. "You're so cute when you're flustered." The sight of her flushed expression only made me want to tease her more.
Aetheria looked completely caught off guard. Her cheeks turned a deep pink, and she couldn't even look me in the eye. "I-I'm serious, could you stop now?" she stammered, trying to pry my hands away.
I ignored her attempts, still holding her cheeks gently. "No, let me play with you a little longer."
She protested, but her words didn't reach me. I didn't notice the depth of her embarrassment until I saw her face, completely flushed, clearly unable to hide it anymore.
I blinked, a sudden realization dawning on me.Aetheria's face was bright red, and it became painfully clear what I'd been doing. I quickly pulled my hands away, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry... I think I got carried away," I muttered, my own embarrassment setting in.
Aetheria, avoiding my gaze, whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "If you really want to do something like that... maybe it's better if it's just the two of us."
I tried to hide my own embarrassment, focusing instead on her cute reactions. But then, it hit me. I noticed the subtle tension in Instruktur Proya's expression. His eyes flickered, a trace of concern—or was it unease?—creeping into his gaze.
My smile faltered for a moment, and I turned my attention back to him. Something felt off.
I quickly tried to suppress the awkward flutter in my chest, focusing back on Instruktur Proya.
But before I could properly assess the situation—something soft curled around my wrist.
I glanced down.
Aetheria's familiar, the small white snake, had silently slithered onto me, tilting its head as if curious.
...Not the time for this.
A faint chuckle escaped me, but just as quickly, Proya's voice snapped through the air like a whip.
"Focus."
His tone left no room for argument. Even the snake stiffened in response, sensing the shift.
I straightened my back, instincts kicking in. My senses sharpened immediately.
The playful warmth from earlier evaporated, replaced by a cold tension prickling at the edges of my awareness.
Something was wrong.
Something dangerous was coming.Aetheria, avoiding my gaze, whispered just loud enough for me to hear, "If you really want to do something like that... maybe it's better if it's just the two of us."
I tried to hide my own embarrassment by focusing on her flushed, adorable face. It was working, until I caught a glimpse of Instruktur Proya's stiff expression out of the corner of my eye.
...Something was wrong.
My playful smile faded.
I straightened my back slightly, casually brushing off the invisible dust on my sleeve — a habit whenever I needed to shift gears. From teasing idiot to someone who actually had a working brain.
A low, barely audible hiss brushed against my ear.
I turned my head, only to find Aetheria's snake—still coiled loosely around my neck—flicking its tongue dangerously close to my face.
"...Seriously?"
The snake blinked at me innocently, as if it had done nothing wrong.
I sighed, gently picking it up and handing it back to Aetheria. "Your familiar's got a sense of timing, huh."
She smiled sheepishly, accepting it with both hands.
Meanwhile, Instruktur Proya had already motioned toward the beast restrained in the center of the field.
I narrowed my eyes, feeling a low tension thrumming under my skin.
I smirked as the tiny white snake coiled lazily around my wrist, its crimson eyes blinking up at me.
"You're quite bold for someone so small," I muttered under my breath, lightly tapping its head with a finger.
Aetheria stifled a small giggle behind me.
For a second, it felt like the tension had lifted—like we were just students goofing around.
But then, Proya's sharp voice cut through the atmosphere.
"Focus."
The air shifted.
Cold. Heavy.
The snake froze, tightening slightly around my wrist as if it too sensed the danger.
I sighed and shook off the momentary warmth, my smirk fading into something colder, sharper.
Right. This wasn't over yet.
I shifted my gaze forward, locking onto the beast—and whatever was about to happen next.
Then. The ground shook.
One cage.
Then another.
The air split with the sound of snapping steel and roaring.
Beasts, once docile behind their enclosures, began to thrash wildly, their eyes rolling with madness.
The students screamed in confusion.
Instruktur Proya barked an order, his voice sharp and commanding, "Get back! Everyone, retreat to the east side!"
Akito, naturally, stepped forward like he was born for moments like this.
With a single dramatic pose, he rallied the panicking students.
I could already see it—the adoration in their eyes.
Yeah. Classic protagonist energy.
I, on the other hand, found myself facing something else entirely.
A shadow slithered past the wreckage.
Long. Powerful. Unnatural.
Its head rose above the smoke: two legs clawing at the ground, a thick, sinuous body coiled tight like a spring.
A lindworm.
I tilted my head, recognizing it from the books I'd read.
'Oh. So that's what they really look like.'
The creature let out a chilling screech, its forked tongue lashing out in the air.
A wave of rancid breath hit me. I grimaced slightly.
Beside me, Aetheria tensed, ready to use her magic again, I caught her wrist lightly, shaking my head.
"Go to instruktur Proya.I'll handle this."
She hesitated,
"Stay safe okay? "
She obeyed and ran off without another word
Leaving just me... and the beast.
The lindworm lunged.
I barely sidestepped, feeling the wind slice past my ear.
Before I could fully regain my balance, the beast twisted its massive body, its tail whipping at my side.
Impact.
My vision spun as I was thrown across the ground.
I rolled twice before coming to a stop, dust clouding around me.
...Ow.
I slowly pushed myself up, patting the dirt off my clothes.
Nothing broken. Just my pride, maybe.
The lindworm snarled, its body coiling again, ready for a second strike.
I smirked, drawing my blade.
"Alright.
Let's dance."
I tightened my grip on my sword and sprinted toward the Lindworm.
My boots pounded against the grass floor, loud and steady.
The beast caught sight of me immediately, letting out a low, vibrating growl.
It lunged with its jaws wide open, aiming to swallow me whole.
I sidestepped just in time, feeling the foul breath brush past my skin. Without hesitation, I counterattacked, slashing at its front limb.
A deep gash opened, and blue blood splattered onto the ground.
'Blue blood? Cool.'
The Lindworm roared in pain, thrashing wildly.
Its massive tail came swinging towards me with enough force to shatter bones.
I lifted my sword horizontally, bracing myself — the impact shoved me back a few steps, but I stayed standing.
"Is that all you got?" I muttered with a lazy grin.
The beast didn't like that.
It gurgled deep in its throat, and without warning, a spray of greenish acid shot from its mouth.
I twisted my body aside — fast, but not fast enough. Some of the acid splattered onto my right shoulder.
I smelled burning fabric immediately.
Looking down, I saw my uniform smoking, a hole melting through the sleeve.
My skin underneath? Completely fine.
'Hah. So that's why we have spare clothes,' I thought, completely deadpan.
The Lindworm screeched again, enraged.
I adjusted my stance, exhaled slowly.
"Alright, fun's over."
I dashed forward, my world narrowing down to just me and the beast.
With a clean, decisive slash, I sliced through its head.
The Lindworm let out a pathetic gurgle and collapsed, twitching for a few seconds before falling still.
I stood there, sword dripping, watching the blue blood pooling around my boots.
I looked at the hole burned into my sleeve and chuckled dryly.
"Yeah... definitely gonna need that spare uniform."
As the adrenaline drained from my body, I let out a slow, steady breath.
The room had finally settled.
The other beasts had been handled too—though judging by the murmuring crowd, not without trouble.
I could see Akito and Aetheria standing nearby, surrounded by a group of relieved students.
Their teamwork wasn't bad.
Not bad at all.
I glanced down at the ruined sleeve of my uniform, poking the edge of the melted fabric with mild curiosity.
Could've been worse.
Without thinking, I raised my arm slightly—
expecting to feel the familiar weight of my crow perched on my shoulder.
Nothing.
I blinked.
Turning my head, I realized the small creature wasn't there.
A strange emptiness clung to me for a moment, like a forgotten habit.
"...Where the hell did you run off to?" I muttered.
Just as I was about to shrug it off, I felt a soft flutter in the air.
A small shadow dropped from above, landing neatly on my uninjured shoulder.
My crow.
Safe and sound.
It rubbed its tiny head against my jawline affectionately, a low, contented sound rumbling from its throat.
I couldn't help but chuckle under my breath.
"Guess you were having your own adventure too, huh?"
The crow cawed softly, almost like a proud little warrior returning from battle.
I reached up and ruffled its feathers lightly.
"Alright, alright.
Once we get back to the dorms... I'll give you a proper name."
The little creature seemed to puff up with pride at that, gripping my shoulder a little tighter with its tiny claws.
Somewhere behind me, I could hear Instructor Proya starting to rally the students, dismissing the class early with a heavy sigh.
Given what had just happened, no one seemed to object.
I glanced one last time at Akito and Aetheria, who were practically being pushed out the door by the excited students.
Aetheria shot me a desperate look, almost like she was silently begging for help.
I simply gave her a lazy half-smile and waved.
Good luck with that.
I slung my sword over my shoulder, adjusted the crow's perch, and strolled casually toward the exit.
For me, today had been a good warm-up.
As the students filed out, the tension that hung in the hall didn't fully disappear.
Instructor Proya stayed behind, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the broken training ground.
His hand twitched slightly—a subtle movement almost no one would notice—
and from the scattered shadows, thin tendrils of dark magic slithered across the floor.
They moved like living things, weaving through the wreckage, until they wrapped themselves around a single figure hiding near the shattered cages.
The man gasped in pain as the dark magic bound him tightly, dragging him forward without mercy.
Proya stepped closer, his boots echoing against the cracked floor.
The captured man struggled, but it was useless.
The magic tightened, suffocating any attempt at resistance.
With a cold, steady voice, Proya spoke.
"Now then... care to explain why you tampered with the beasts, before I crush your skull?"
The man's body trembled.
He was cloaked in a ragged robe, a strange symbol stitched onto his back—a silver crescent moon, half-smeared with blood.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, his face twisted into a wild grin.
"Praise the Demon of the Moon!" he howled.
Without warning, the man's body began to distort.
Dark veins bulged beneath his skin, glowing faintly.
Proya's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he snapped his fingers, conjuring a barrier of pure magic around himself.
The man's body exploded—
a violent, unnatural burst of dark energy that shook the training hall.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
When it cleared, Proya stood unharmed within the shimmering remains of his shield, his face grim.
No information.
Nothing left but ashes.
He let out a slow breath, as if brushing off the failed interrogation.
"They're getting bolder," he muttered to himself, turning toward the now empty hall.
His gaze darkened.
"This... isn't over."
With a final gesture, he dispelled the shadows and walked toward the exit, the heavy weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders.
When I arrived at my dorm room, the raven immediately flew to the desk tucked into the corner.
I leaned against the doorframe, staring at it for a moment.
"What should I name you?" I muttered.
The raven looked back at me, tilting its head slightly—as if it was thinking too.
After a few seconds of silence, I nodded to myself.
"Alright. From now on, your name is Azel."
At the sound of its new name, Azel let out a soft croak, sounding surprisingly satisfied.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
And then it hit me.
My stomach growled loudly.
Ah. Right.
I forgot my lunch.
Without wasting any more time, I changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed toward the cafeteria. Azel perched on my shoulder, surprisingly well-behaved.
The cafeteria was still open when I got there, thankfully.
I scanned the menu board—and there it was. A brand-new menu item.
[Exclusive for Azure Shard holders]
I raised an eyebrow.
Curious, I asked the staff about it.
It turned out they had just introduced a special menu for Azure Shard students.
Nice.
I ended up ordering two sandwiches this time. "Thank God they allow seconds," I mumbled under my breath.
Eating as I walked back to my dorm, I thought about today's schedule.
Maybe I should practice Lunareth's techniques again tonight.
Even if I'd already mastered them, there was no harm in repeating the basics.
After a short training session, a shower, and some stretching, I collapsed onto my bed.
Azel followed without hesitation, nestling beside me.
...Guess I didn't really have a choice.