Around them, the few remaining demons—wounded and leaderless—fell back into the shadows.
So limped away, dragging broken limbs. Others simply collapsed where they stood, their dark energy fading into nothingness.
The students slowly erged from their hiding places.
Edwin stepped forward, sword still in hand. "Professor... what was his na.. I didn’t hear his na?"
Sylvia’s gaze lingered on the blackened rooftops where the demon had disappeared.
"His na is Dakin... "
Edwin stood in the middle of the ruined street.
Blood streaked across his face, sared along his jaw and dripped down his uniform.
His sword trembled in his grip, still slick with the black ichor of slain demons. His eyes burned not just with exhaustion, but with fury.
He turned sharply toward Kael, who sat slumped against a cracked wall, barely able to lift his head.
"KAAELL!" Edwin shouted out loud.
Kael flinched, lifting his gaze in confusion.
Before he could speak, Edwin stomped forward.
"Are you planning to kill all of us?!" Edwin’s voice cracked with rage.
"Do you even realize what you’ve done?!"
Kael opened his mouth, but no words ca.
His vision blurred from blood loss. He barely had ti to raise his hand in weak protest before Edwin’s fist tightened around his sword.
"You—" Edwin lunged forward with a burst of speed, his anger exploding into action.
"Wait, I—" Kael tried to stand, but his legs failed him.
WHAM!
Edwin’s kick slamd into Kael’s chest with brutal force. The impact echoed like a thunderclap, sending Kael hurtling across the square.
He crashed through a half-collapsed wall, debris exploding in a shower of dust and splintered wood.
A section of a nearby house groaned and collapsed under the force.
"STOP!"
The professor Sylvia said. She strode forward.
But Edwin wasn’t done.
With a snarl, he tightened his grip on his sword and started toward the wreckage where Kael lay.
"You brought those demons here, didn’t you?! You’re the reason the villagers—"
A shadow dropped from above before he could finish.
THUD!
Elysia landed between them, her boots skidding across the broken stones.
Her normally calm face was twisted with fury. With the last of her remaining strength, she leapt forward.
"KAEL!" she shouted—and then kicked.
Her foot connected with Kael’s ribs, sending him spinning across the debris.
His body struck a broken beam with a sickening crack before collapsing into a heap.
The young swordsman didn’t even cry out. His head lolled to the side, eyes fluttering shut as darkness claid him.
"Elysia, that’s enough!" Sylvia’s voice rang out again.
"I said STOP!"
She stepped forward, slamming the base of her staff into the ground.
A ring of silver light flared out from beneath her feet, halting Edwin mid-step and forcing Elysia back with a gust of cold wind.
Both students froze as the chill of Sylvia’s mana pressed against their skin.
Her piercing blue eyes swept over the battered group.
"What is the aning of this?" she demanded.
"Why are you attacking each other when the enemy has barely been driven away?"
Edwin, chest heaving, pointed his sword at Kael’s unconscious body.
"He—he brought them here! The villagers—" His voice cracked, anger warring with grief.
"The villagers are dead because of him!"
Sylvia’s gaze flicked toward Elysia. "Is this true?"
Elysia clenched her fists.
"We had a plan," she said.
"We were supposed to lead the villagers to a safe location. But Kael..." Her eyes darted toward the unconscious boy. "...Kael led the demons toward us instead. We couldn’t save them all."
Sylvia’s expression hardened.
"Do not bla one person for a tragedy of this scale. You are all strong. You are all responsible. When you fight as a team, you share victory—and failure."
"But, Madam—" Elysia began.
"There is no but," Sylvia cut in sharply.
"This is not the ti for argunts. You should have worked together, not turned on one another like wild dogs."
Edwin lowered his sword and said nothing.
Sylvia took a slow breath and looked around at the devastated square.
"And where," she asked coldly, "are the villagers?"
Silence followed. Even the crackling fires seed to quiet.
Finally, Elysia lowered her head.
"We... we couldn’t save them all," she admitted softly. "So... so didn’t make it and only a few of them are alive."
Edwin, who monts ago burned with rage, looked away, his anger dimming into silent grief.
"We will discuss this further when we return to the academy. For now, heal eachother."
"Yes, Madam," Elysia said quietly.
"Yes... Madam," Edwin echoed reluctantly.
Sylvia turned to Kael, who lay crumpled amid the rubble, barely breathing.
Blood trickled from a deep cut across his forehead, staining the dust beneath him.
"Kael," Edwin said, "We are not done yet."
"Madam!" Alina rushed to Kael’s side. She knelt beside him, her healing light flickering faintly around her hands.
"He’s heavily injured—his ribs might be broken. I... I’ll try to heal him."
Sylvia crouched next to her. "Do what you can. The dical team is on their way."
Alina pressed her glowing palms over Kael’s chest. "Stay with us, Kael... please..."
Sylvia rose to her full height, turning her eyes toward Edwin and Elysia. "No more fighting," she said.
"The enemy may return at any ti, and I will not waste resources on internal bloodshed."
Edwin swallowed hard "Understood, Madam."
Elysia nodded silently.
Monts later, the sound of rushing footsteps echoed through the ruined streets.
A group of robed healers and armored guards appeared, the academy’s dical team finally arriving.
Their lanterns cut through the darkness, illuminating the blood-soaked ground.
"This way!" Sylvia called out, stepping aside as the team hurried forward.
Two dics knelt beside Kael, carefully lifting his unconscious body onto a stretcher.
"Severe bruising," one muttered. "Possible internal bleeding. We need to stabilize him."
Another healer moved to Edwin, inspecting the deep cut across his arm.
"You’re bleeding badly. Sit down before you collapse."
"I’m fine," Edwin muttered, though his legs wavered beneath him.
"No, you’re not," Sylvia said flatly. "Do as they say."
The dics quickly began treating the others—binding wounds, sealing cuts with mana, and carrying the more severely injured onto stretchers.
As Kael was lifted onto the stretcher, Edwin stepped forward.
"We will talk when you get well".
Sylvia shot him a cold glance. "That is enough, Edwin. Whatever grievance you carry will be addressed later. For now, he is your teammate. Rember that."
Edwin turned away with a frustrated sigh.
The healers began escorting the injured students toward the waiting carriages at the edge of the village.
The fires continued to burn behind them, painting the night sky with a cruel red glow.
Then few of the villagers approached her.
Reviews
All reviews (0)