The Next Day...
The sky looked brighter than usual.
As if trying to cover the fact… that part of the city had just been destroyed by someone known as the White Reaper.
In the dorm room of a first-year student...
Kazuki Altherion slowly rose from his bed.
His hair was messy, eyes half-open, with the blank expression of someone who had just shaken the world… then slept like an ordinary kid.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Oi! Wake up, oi! The train's about to leave, Kazuki!!" shouted Rean from behind the door.
Kazuki opened his eyes slightly, then muttered in a low, dramatic tone.
"…Morning already. The daytime stage begins."
He stood up slowly, grabbed his small bag and wooden sword, then opened the door.
Standing outside were Rean and Lucien, looking rushed but excited.
"Sorry... still sleepy. I was studying magic all night," Kazuki said flatly, with barely any intonation, but radiating a mysterious aura, as if hiding something inexplicable.
Rean stared at him for a moment, then laughed.
"Hahahaha! Studying magic, huh!? Kazuki, seriously... you couldn't even cast a fireball yesterday!" he teased.
Kazuki said nothing.
In his mind, he thought of five different ways to make the magic train disappear without leaving any trace.
But of course, that was just… the imagination of an ordinary boy.
The three of them walked toward the small station near the dorm.
The magic train was already prepared, floating several centimeters above the ground, powered by crystal mana flowing gently beneath its rails.
Other students had already boarded the cars. The morning bustle was lively.
Kazuki and his two friends boarded the rear car.
They sat side by side.
Outside the window, the city was slowly being restored. But to Kazuki, everything looked... hollow.
"I don't know why, but I like mornings like this," he muttered quietly, gazing at the sky through the window.
"Why's that?" Lucien asked, curious.
Kazuki replied calmly, without turning his gaze.
"Because no one would expect... that a kid with a wooden sword could destroy the world at any moment."
Rean and Lucien laughed.
"Hahaha! You're delusional, Kazuki!"
But Kazuki just gave a faint smile.
The smile of someone... who knew he wasn't the main character, but the leading actor in the shadows.
The magic train began to move slowly, cutting through the still-traumatized city, carrying Kazuki to the next stage.
Inside the train, gliding smoothly across the foggy mountains…
Kazuki sat near the window, gazing at the clear sky, as if last night's chaos had never happened.
His hair was slightly messy, and his face still bore traces of lingering drowsiness.
His two friends, Rean and Lucien, sat not far from him. Both looked more energetic than usual.
Suddenly, Rean spoke up, slightly panicked but excited.
"Hey! Did you guys see last night!? That figure in the black cloak... he appeared and then BOOM... gone!"
Lucien joined in, eyes sparkling.
"Yeah! Seriously, that was so cool! His magic... his power… his aura… whoever he is, he's not normal!"
Rean then turned to Kazuki with a puzzled look.
"But Kazuki… where were you last night? We looked for you everywhere, you know!"
Lucien added dramatically.
"Yeah! We even snuck out of the dorm wearing disguise cloaks and… we got caught in some super-tight rope trap while hiding!"
Kazuki slowly turned, expression blank.
"Ah... me? Hmm... I was pooping at the time. Then when I came out… the academy was already in ruins..."
Silence. Rean and Lucien were speechless.
Lucien finally shouted.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
Kazuki just shrugged lazily, chewing on some dry bread from his pocket.
"I don't get it either. But what's weirder… why are we still going to school, when the academy is just rubble?"
Rean folded his arms, thinking hard.
"Well... apparently, we're not having class today. But every student, teacher, and even city envoy... has been summoned to the royal capital. Even the King himself will be there."
Lucien leaned back in his seat, mouth agape.
"This... this sounds really serious… like a world meeting or something."
Kazuki stared blankly out the window, then muttered in a low, mysterious tone:
"…So the stage is getting bigger, huh."
Rean looked over.
"What was that, Kazuki?"
Kazuki immediately smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Ah, nothing. Just talking in my sleep."
---
Meanwhile… deep underground, in a hidden location.
A vast black throne room stood silently, lit only by blood-red magic torches.
Its walls were covered in forbidden symbols and magic circles that pulsed like a giant heartbeat.
A thousand cloaked figures stood in perfect formation.
They were silent. Still. Not even breathing.
Upon a throne made of dragon bones sat a tall man wearing a dark red cloak and a terrifying silver mask.
He was the Leader of the Abyss Howl Organization.
His deep voice echoed in the chamber, filled with chilling curiosity.
"Who… was that man in the black cloak?"
One subordinate stepped forward and knelt. His voice was low, respectful.
"We've gathered intel, my Lord. He is known as… the White Reaper. But his full power remains unknown. We believe… what we saw last night was only a fragment of his true strength."
The room trembled.
Their leader raised his hand, and dark magical pressure exploded from his body.
The walls cracked. Some soldiers knelt even deeper under the overwhelming force.
"Hooh...? White Reaper, huh…"
He grinned beneath his mask.
"Interesting. I like mysterious men."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"We shall fight the White Reaper!"
The aura in the room surged like a blazing storm.
But before anyone could respond, a green-haired executive stepped forward, his face serious.
"My Lord... latest intel suggests that the White Reaper is not acting alone."
"Oh?"
"He has a group... a shadow organization that appears only at night. They call themselves… Nocturne Eclipse."
Silence.
Suddenly, the leader chuckled.
It was soft… but it crept like poison.
"Kya... kya... kya... hahaha...!!"
He raised his hand, theatrically.
"Isn't this marvelous!? At last... someone worthy of becoming an enemy… or…"
He slowly stood from his throne.
Dark magic swirled around him like a hellish mist.
"…perhaps an ally?"
His gaze pierced through the solid stone walls, as if seeing far beyond them.
"White Reaper… if you can hear me from within your shadows…"
His voice turned sharp.
"I will find you. Whether to kill you… or make you my friend."
He opened his hand as if welcoming the coming stage of war.
"The world is about to become a theater… and when the curtain rises, I want you standing on the other side."
Behind the mask, a smile formed.
Not a peaceful one, but the smile of a predator who just caught the scent of blood.
---
Meanwhile…
Kazuki and the others finally arrived at their destination: the royal palace.
A towering, magnificent structure stood proud with glowing spires of magic.
Crystal pillars shimmered under the blue sky, and silver-cloaked guards stood firm, guarding the massive gates with stern expressions.
In front of the gates, students and teachers from the academy had already gathered.
Rean and Lucien stood among them, looking slightly nervous.
"So… we're really being summoned by the King himself?" Lucien whispered, eyes darting toward the hall.
"Y-yeah… and it's all because of last night's incident," Rean replied, swallowing hard.
Kazuki stood calmly behind them, wooden sword strapped to his back as always.
His face was blank. No emotion visible. He simply stared straight ahead… toward the grand gate slowly opening.
All the students began to enter, their footsteps echoing on the glowing marble floor.
The palace's main hall stretched before them, filled with softly floating magical lights.
At the far end of the hall, King Eldoria sat upon a golden throne, surrounded by advisors and grand mages.
Everything turned silent.
The teachers stopped.
The students bowed politely.
Even the usually noisy Lucien stayed quiet.
Kazuki glanced at the throne. Just for a second.
Then he gave a faint smile.
"So this is… the big stage, huh," he murmured quietly, almost inaudibly.
The King stood. His voice was firm, commanding, and echoed throughout the grand hall.
"Welcome. You all witnessed the disaster last night. And from this day forward… the world will never be the same."
Silence. Tension. Everyone waited for what came next.
But Kazuki only bowed slightly, with his usual blank expression.
As if he were nobody.
Just a regular student… who happened to carry a wooden sword on his back.
But in his silence…
Kazuki smiled faintly.
"With this… the next act can finally begin."