In the heart of the Kingdom of Stoneheart, King Xalzar stood before his throne, his expression carved from iron as a trembling villager knelt at his feet.
"Your Majesty… it's another village. They're gone. All of them."
Silence swept through the grand hall like a winter wind.
That made ten.
Ten villages. Entire populations vanished—without a single body or clue.
Xalzar's fists clenched.
"Summon my elite knights," he growled. "Scour the borders. I want answers."
As his voice echoed through the stone walls, dark clouds gathered over the mountain realm.
Far beyond those peaks, a different storm was already raging.
---
Whispering Forest – Final Trial: 24 Hours Remaining
The final phase of the Academy of the Silvermoon tournament was nearing its end.
In the heart of the dense forest, Aika Shirogane moved carefully between twisted roots and thick underbrush. Sweat clung to her brow, and her breath came shallow. Her mana reserves were dangerously low.
Beside her, Fenris trotted in silence—his spectral form flickering with instability.
"Just a few more cores," she whispered, spotting a mana beast in a clearing ahead.
But something moved behind her.
Steel flashed. Aika spun, barely raising a barrier in time to block a sudden strike.
Two figures stepped from the shadows—Ren and Subaru.
She blinked in disbelief. "What are you doing?! Why are you attacking me?!"
Their smiles twisted into something inhuman.
"We were never your allies," Subaru said flatly.
"We serve Sloth—the Demon General of the Third Circle," Ren added, as their forms shimmered.
Their features twisted. Skin darkened. Horns curled from their temples. Their eyes burned red like coals, and their once-human auras turned suffocating and vile.
Aika's pulse thundered in her ears.
> "Demons...?"
Fenris growled, placing himself between her and the traitors.
Blades clashed. Spells cracked the air. The clearing erupted in chaos.
Aika fought desperately, but the demons overwhelmed her defenses. Fenris held them at bay—but only for an hour.
Then came the killing blow.
A single piercing strike shattered her summon. Fenris vanished into light.
"FENRIS!" she screamed, staggering backward, blood on her arms, her legs trembling.
Mana gone. Energy gone.
The demons moved in for the final strike.
Then—light.
A golden arc of steel tore through the gloom.
Cassian Lionheart stepped forward, sword drawn, his cloak scorched and his eyes burning with resolve.
"Aika!"
She gasped. "Cassian?! Why are you here?! Run—you can't beat them!"
He didn't flinch.
"Who said I can't?" he said softly. "These two are nothing but low-rank demons."
Without warning, he launched forward. Blades met claws, fire met shadow.
Cassian fought with precision and fury. Aika, still kneeling, activated a healing circle around herself, her mana flickering back to life just enough to seal her wounds.
She could only watch—and support—while he fought.
Steel rang. Fire danced.
Then Cassian whispered the name of his ultimate technique.
> "Five-Star Skill: Heart of the Infinite Flame."
His blade ignited, each swing trailing arcs of golden fire that carved through trees and stone alike. The forest burned in streaks of brilliance as the demons faltered, retreating under his relentless assault.
It seemed—for a moment—like he would win.
But the moment passed.
Two hours in. Then three.
Cassian dropped to one knee, blood dripping from a dozen wounds.
> "Still… not enough…"
The demons advanced, grinning.
"End of the line, Lionheart."
Cassian looked back.
"Aika," he said quietly. "Find an examiner. Get help."
"No!" she cried. "I'm not leaving you—"
"I can handle them," he said, even as blood ran down his face. "Trust me."
Something in his voice—an unshakable calm—forced her to believe.
She turned and ran.
---
Within the Soulspace
Cassian collapsed.
And in the void within, a shadow smiled.
A mirror image of himself—eyes crimson, grin cruel—stepped forward.
"You really thought you'd won?" the voice echoed. "You're weak. Soft. You're me, and I'm you. Just sleep already."
Cassian reached out—and was consumed by darkness.
---
Back in the Forest
Ren raised his blade.
"Shame. He had potential."
Then a pulse of crimson mana exploded outward.
Cassian rose.
Eyes glowing red.
A chill swept through the clearing.
His posture was different—rigid, yet graceful. His aura—no longer bright or noble—but cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
> "What is this…?" Subaru whispered.
Cassian turned toward them slowly, a dark smirk tugging at his lips.
> "You've talked enough."
He vanished.
Reappeared behind them.
Steel howled.
This time—it was demon blood that spilled on the forest floor.
---
To be continued…