Deep inside the Black Forest of Veyrath, where no ordinary mortal dared step foot, the air was unnaturally heavy. Every tree, every rustle in the leaves seemed alive with menace. The silence was suffocating—as though the forest itself held its breath.
And yet, in the heart of that darkness, a single figure sat in calm stillness.
Lei Shan.
Cross-legged on the cold earth, his body hovered a few inches above the moss in a meditative trance. One hand rested lightly against his chest, while the other turned a string of glowing purple beads. His lips moved in a low, steady murmur—ancient chants flowing like rivers that no mortal tongue could imitate.
Around him, the entire forest seemed to breathe with him. Golden streams of energy—imperceptible to normal eyes—coursed through the roots of trees and the veins of leaves, converging upon him. His aura shimmered faintly, as though heaven itself bent its light to his form.
Meditation was his way. Whenever unoccupied, he devoted himself to it.
Lei Shan's senses stretched further than even the sharpest S-Rank Noblesse. Through the veil of night, his inner sight pierced the faraway mountains. He could see the team of Noblesse assembled there, their bodies taut with readiness, their hearts beating like war drums. He heard even the faintest heartbeats of villagers miles away.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
And then—the voice of his Master resonated within his mind.
"You've arrived earlier than I expected."
Lei Shan's lips curved faintly. "Yes, Master. I sense no monsters yet… but the Noblesse are here."
"I've seen them as well. I've decided to alter your mission."
Lei Shan opened his eyes slightly, his gaze glowing faint gold. "What change, my Lord?"
"You will watch their battle. If the rabbit monsters overpower them, you may intervene. But remember this well—no one must see you."
"Your command is absolute, my Lord."
The voice faded into silence. Lei Shan
eyes slid shut once more. The beads in his hand glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with his breath, as the forest itself trembled with hidden anticipation.
The Watching Eyes of Power
Far across
. Veyrath (West Continent)
within the shining capital Myrrhvale Official sitting in Operation room.
Walls of enchanted crystal panels reflected shifting images—each linked to aerial scrying orbs that floated above the Black Forest. Operators whispered incantations, adjusting focus and angle. Every heartbeat of the battle-to-come would be recorded.
The president sat at the forefront, flanked by General Hoss, commander of the
Veyrath armies, and David, a stern emissary of the G.P.F. Together, they watched the Noblesse team standing at the edge of the forest, every move cast in cold light.
The orbs had been deployed with three purposes:
Research. The rabbit monsters captured on regional mirrors bore no resemblance to any known species.
Combat study. W.N. and the G.P.F. required firsthand knowledge of Noblesse techniques, their coordination, and the monsters' weaknesses.
Response. Should the Noblesse fail, reinforcements from the AA- or even S-Rank ranks would be dispatched immediately.
For now, however, the world's leaders could only watch.
_______
On the opposite slope of the Black Forest stood thirty Noblesse from Ichihara Academy, blades and staffs gleaming under moonlight.
At their head paced Elina Ford, brows furrowed, hand gripping the hilt of her sword too tightly. Her anger burned not only for the mission, but deeper.
Today was her younger sister Reena's birthday. Reena—bedridden and half-paralyzed since the accident that had claimed their parents—had begged Elina to stay home. Elina had been granted leave… until the Academy revoked it that very morning and forced her to lead this mission.
The thought of her sister alone on her birthday burned like fire in her chest.
Nearby, Taylor swaggered, swinging his brand-new Dragon Slayer sword with exaggerated pride.
"Do you see this blade?" he boasted. "Forged of red steel, sharp enough to sever a mountain! It cost me five million Blue Crystal Coins. Five million! There's not a sword in the Academy to match it."
His teammates rolled their eyes. Taylor only grinned wider, twirling the blade as though the monsters themselves would tremble at its price.
Elina clenched her jaw. This fool…
Then the earth itself shuddered. The mountain groaned as a vast blue light tore open the air at the forest's edge. A portal.
From its swirling depths, hulking shadows emerged—giant rabbit monsters, each taller than a house, fangs glistening, claws dripping with malice.
_______
The Noblesse froze in awe and terror. The monsters were nothing like the ones they had trained against. Training ended now.
Elina's blade rang as it left its sheath.
"Formation! Attackers to the front, Defenders raise shields! Wizards prepare spells! Medics at the rear!"
Steel scraped as Noblesse locked into position.
Elina sprinted at the nearest monster.
And perfrom her deadly move "Sky-Cleaving Arc" (a signature A-Rank strike).
With inhuman agility she severed its fingers mid-air, vaulted onto its massive shoulder, and swept her sword across its neck. The beast's head tumbled free, its body crashing like a felled tower, crushing another beneath its weight.
The ground shook with the impact.
Rustin's axe split into another rabbit's skull with raw force. Ozzy's chain-spear pierced an eye before tearing free in a spray of gore.
Taylor slashed dramatically, the crimson glow of his Dragon Slayer flashing in the night.
"Ha! Did you see that? One swing! Worth every coin!"
The monsters roared, clawing and thrashing, but the Noblesse pressed on. Their only chance was to strike at the neck—hard and fast. One by one, beasts began to fall.
But the tide was far from turned.
____
At the rear, Brock—the team's B-Rank wizard—watched grimly. His staff pulsed with restrained power.
"Listen!" he shouted above the clash. "We'll never win like this. But if we herd them into a circle, I can unleash my strongest spell. It will wipe them all at once."
Elina spun on him, eyes blazing. "That's madness. The risk is too high. If you fail—"
But desperate voices rose.
"Let him try!"
"We can't hold this forever!"
Elina bit her lip, then gave a sharp nod. "Fine. Do it."
The fighters split into four squads, charging from each direction, striking and taunting until the monsters clustered together in confusion.
Brock stepped forward, white staff raised high. His body trembled as he poured thirty percent of his Soul Power and Spirit Power into a single devastating spell. His voice cracked with strain.
"Quadraclysm – Wrath of the Fourfold Elements"bAir howled. Water surged. Earth split. Fire blazed.
The elements fused into a blinding pillar that erupted outward, engulfing the herd in a storm of annihilation. The mountains shook. Trees ripped from their roots. The ground itself cracked open.
When the light faded, silence reigned. Blood and limbs littered the crater. The rabbit monsters were gone.
The Noblesse erupted into cheers, voices echoing across the peaks.
But Brock did not cheer. His staff sagged in his hands, his face pale as he stared at the portal. Its glow had darkened. Its edges pulsed. Something worse was coming.
_________
In Veyrath Official Operation room.
Alarms blared as scrying orbs flickered. From the portal crawled a new shadow—immense, terrible.
A colossal black wolf, its body steaming with dark blue aura, its four orange eyes blazing like suns of death. Its tail bristled with "Iron fang Barrage" Hair on his Tail are like iron Nails.
David's voice cracked in horror.
"No… it cannot be… That's an Oxag Wolf! A mythical beast! Not here—not in this world!"
Panic rippled through the control room. The President gripped his chair, knuckles white. Orders flew for AA-Rank reinforcements, but hesitation dragged like chains.
On the mountain, the Noblesse would face it alone.
______
They fought valiantly. Rustin's axe shattered against its skull. Ozzy's spear glanced off its hide. Elina's blade barely scratched it.
The wolf roared,Oxag Abyss Howl" (soundwave that shatters defenses).
the sound itself a weapon. The shockwave hurled Noblesse into trees, bones cracking on impact. Its "Ironfang Barrage
Tail" lashed & spikes flying like arrows. Shields splintered. Defenders screamed.
Elina's breath caught as a volley of spikes tore toward her chest.
Her eyes closed. Reena… I'm sorry.
But before they struck, a shadow leapt before her.
Taylor The spikes pierced his chest clean through. His body convulsed, his heart ruptured, his breath stilled.
Elina screamed, voice raw with grief.
"TAYLOR!!!"
She fell to her knees, gathering him in her arms. Tears streamed down her face as the battlefield froze around her sorrow. The fool, the braggart, the boy Of course she didn't like him, but he was a good friend who had made her laugh in the Academy halls—lay still in her embrace.
_________
Then the ground shook. From deep within the forest, a storm of purple light erupted, streaking through the trees like a thousand shooting stars.
Lei Shan "Celestial Mantra Purple Beads – Thousandfold Strikes" (attack form).
They slammed into the portal, cracks racing across its surface before shattering it into fragments of nothingness. In the same breath, they swarmed the wolf, striking its massive body again and again. The beast writhed, howling so fiercely the sky seemed to split. But the beads did not relent.
At last, the largest bead Change the attack pattern & drove into its skull. Its soul attack "Celestial Mantra Purple Bead – Soulbinding Verse"
The wolf's soul screamed once before being sealed away. Its body collapsed with a thunderous crash.
And then—silence.
________
No one in Myrrhvale control room
spoke. General Hoss's voice finally broke the hush.
"A portal… destroyed? But portals can't—they can't be destroyed!"
David's face was pale. "What power is this…?"
Back on the mountain, Elina's tears fell onto Taylor's lifeless face. She looked up toward the direction the purple light had come and whispered through broken sobs:
"Whoever you are… couldn't you have come just a little sooner?"
Her words cracked, carried into the forest as though she spoke directly to the unseen savior. Silence answered, broken only by the wind rustling the leaves.
Then another light appeared.
Lei Shan sitting in same pose Murmured
"Light of Aeterna" (divine-class miracle, whispers of LORD). As he says this, the golden bead light increases even more.
It floated gently before settling into Taylor's broken chest. Unlike the violent storm before, this glow was tender, wrapping around him like a mother's embrace. Flesh knit. Bones mended. Breath returned.
Taylor gasped, chest heaving.
Elina froze, wide-eyed. He was alive.
Brock staggered closer, his voice trembling. "Impossible… Even the greatest magic cannot revive the dead… What are we witnessing?"
Elina clutched him tightly, sobbing—not in grief, but in joy.
And then, with a soft tremor, a golden blast shot out from the forest, streaking past Elina before climbing into the night sky.
She felt warmth against her chest, reached into her jacket, and drew out a small golden bead, glowing in the starlight. It lay warm and impossibly real in her palm.
What is this? How did it get here?
After a long moment, she slipped it quietly away, keeping it close.
Around her, the Noblesse stood silent, mouths open, stunned at how close the light had passed them without their notice. Who had done this? Who could wield such power?
Elina bowed her head, whispering through tears:
"Thank you… thank you…"
Her words lingered like a prayer, carried by the night wind—not only for Taylor, but for Reena, for herself, for every soul that would live to see another dawn because of this unseen protector.
To b continue...