- The clang of steel on steel echoed across the training grounds, a sound Leon had grown to know as well as his own heartbeat.
- Sunlight glinted off Anna's polished blade as she lunged, her movements a blur of practiced grace.
- He parried her strike with a satisfying shing, the impact running up his arm.
- Anna was a pure swordswoman, her skill honed through countless hours of dedication.
- He held his own, but only by focusing entirely on his technique, keeping the magical side of his true self locked away.
- Beside them, Noah moved with a different kind of fluidity, a dance of steel and spell.
- As he slashed, the blade itself seemed to hum, a faint blue aura of magical energy wrapping around the steel.
- It was a visual representation of his unique skill as a magic swordsman, the perfect blend of two disciplines.
- Rose, the Saintess, stood a short distance away, her hands glowing faintly as she healed a minor cut on one of the younger students.
- Her presence was a comforting beacon of light in this world, a constant he could rely on.
- He loved this—the sense of normalcy, the quiet, almost-perfect life he had built.
- He'd avoided the terrible villainous acts he was supposed to commit, and in doing so, he had become a hero to his friends.
- A sudden, sharp tear ripped through the air just beyond the training dummies.
- It wasn't a loud sound, but it was impossible to ignore—like the tearing of thick canvas.
- A patch of darkness, no bigger than a plate, shimmered and then spat out a small, hunched figure.
- It had jagged teeth, scaly black skin, and a low growl that was swallowed by the bright, normal day. A Lesser Demon.
- The students froze, their whispers turning into gasps. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not here. Not yet.
- "What in the…?" Noah began, his sword hand tensing. The blue aura around his blade flared brighter in response to the threat.
- Anna reacted first, her training kicking in. "Don't let it get closer!" she yelled, already charging.
- The demon was pathetic, clearly weakened by the academy's powerful wards.
- Anna's blade sank into its chest without resistance. The creature let out a high-pitched shriek before it dissolved into black smoke.
- It was over in an instant, a flash of conflict that left everyone feeling confused rather than afraid.
- "That was easy," Noah said, letting out a breath. "Maybe it was just a stray?"
- The others nodded in agreement, a nervous energy giving way to relief.
- Rose, however, looked at Leon. She saw his shoulders were rigid, his jaw tight. He wasn't relieved. He was terrified.
- "Leon? Are you alright?" she asked, walking toward him.
- He barely heard her. His mind was racing. That demon… it wasn't supposed to appear until the third-year expedition into the Shadowlands.
- This was a class C demon, and yet it had breached the most powerful wards in the kingdom.
- Something was very wrong. The story had deviated in a way he never expected. It wasn't just his actions that were changing the world, but something else entirely.
- "I'm fine," he said, the words coming out clipped and distant. He looked at the lingering wisp of black smoke and then to the tear in reality that was already starting to fade.
- It was a wound in the world, a mark of something deeper and more sinister.
- Just then, a rider in the principality's colors galloped into the training grounds, dust flying from the horse's hooves.
- He was a messenger, and he looked grim. He dismounted quickly, his eyes scanning the crowd for the headmaster.
- "An urgent message for the academy leadership!" he shouted, his voice cracking with panic. "The Shadowlands… they've fallen. The Northern Border is under attack by a demon horde!"
- Silence fell over the training grounds, broken only by the horse's heavy breathing.
- Leon's heart sank. He knew this couldn't have been a simple mistake. A demon horde wasn't in the story.
- This wasn't a game event. This was a new threat, a threat he had no knowledge of, and it was here.
- The headmaster, a tall, imposing man with a long white beard, strode forward and took the message scroll from the messenger.
- He read it once, then again, his expression growing grimmer with each line. His voice, when he finally spoke, was low but carried a chilling authority.
- "All faculty, and all students in their second year or higher, assemble in the main hall immediately."
- Everyone was stunned by the news and every student except first years went to the Main hall.
