Next day

All students had gathered near the huge airship. The airship had landed on the landing zone of the resort for airships.

Today was the day they would depart from this place, ending their small trip. But no one was sad. Why would they be?

After all, they would get summer vacation of one and half month after returning back to the Academy. Everyone was eager to go back home, meet their family. Sadly speaking, Amon was not one of them.

'Damn, I need to spend summer vacation alone at the Academy. Guess I need to focus on training in the meantime.' Amon thought dejectedly.

"Hey Amon~. Where were you last night? We all had dinner together, only you were not present. Marcus told us that you came late at night." Eliana asked from beside him, drawing Amon from his thoughts.

"Uhm, me?" Eliana was not the only one looking at him. Even Seraphina, Aisha, and Marcus were curious as well.

He didn't tell anything to Marcus. The moment he came back to the room last night, he went straight to bed. No talk with others.

Now the time came for them to ask.

Amon coughed and cleared his throat.

'What excuse should I use?...' He thought for a while, and then smiled.

"Well, it's a secret~ I can't tell this to you guys~." Yep. He used the most common excuse. Just keep it secret.

"Tch! Annoying." Marcus clicked his tongue.

"I bet he was fooling around the city… maybe flirting with random women." Aisha expressed her opinion with a frown.

"I don't think—" She paused in the middle, remembering the time when Amon flirted with her, Professor, and even Aisha.

And then she continued. "...maybe you are right, Aisha." Her voice calm.

"Hehehe~" Eliana giggled.

"What the heck? I didn't do anything like that… and yes, I won't tell you guys no matter what. Think anything you want." He of course wouldn't disclose it.

The group entered the airship in line while talking. Arnold silently behind them.

Once everyone had taken their seats, the airship trembled and started to move.

It slowly rose into the air. The airship began moving in the sky toward the direction of the Academy.

'Time to go back~. Bye, bye Lunaris Haven. I enjoyed my time here.' Amon looked through the window. The city looked smaller now.

---

The airship drifted higher and higher in the sky, leaving Lunaris Haven behind like a distant memory.

The morning sunlight reflected off its metal frame as it cut through the clouds with a soft hum.

Students were chatting, laughing, and discussing their vacation plans. Amon rested his head against the window, watching the colorful city shrink into the horizon.

Ten peaceful minutes passed.

The airship was now far above the mountains, gliding through the open sky. Everything felt calm.

But behind.

Lunaris Haven was about to fall into chaos.

---

Lunaris Haven – At the Same Time

Within the bustling streets of the city, amidst vendors packing up morning stalls and tourists walking lazily, several hooded figures stood scattered among the crowd. Strangers that blended too easily into the background.

One by one, their communication crystals vibrated with a faint red glow.

The message flashed across each crystal.

[ Academy Airship departed.]

The hooded figures stopped moving.

Their eyes sharpened.

Their footsteps synchronized as they slipped into alleys, rooftops, and shadowed corners. Taking predetermined positions.

Then.

Wuummm…

A low hum spread through the air. Most citizens didn't even notice it at first.

But then,

BZZZZZTT—BOOM!

A massive red magic circle erupted onto the stone ground near a busy marketplace. Intricate runes spun wildly, glowing brighter and brighter until the light became blinding.

People stopped in their tracks, staring in confusion.

"What's happening?"

"A magic circle? Here?"

Before anyone could react,

SHHHHHRRRCK!

A tear split open in midair above the rupture.

Space itself cracked like shattered glass.

From the opening, a swirling dark vortex pulsed. Hungry and alive.

And then…

GRAAAAHHHHHH—!!

The first monster burst through.

A hulking beast with twisted horns and jagged obsidian claws slammed onto the ground, its roar shaking nearby windows.

Screams erupted instantly.

"MONSTERS! RUN!!"

People pushed, stumbled, and scattered in panic.

While some citizens who were experienced drew their weapons to fight and protect.

But the horror had only begun.

Across the city, more red circles flared up, on rooftops, on bridges, even near the coastline. Each one opened into another portal, and more creatures descended upon Lavaris Haven.

It was as if someone had already been preparing for this movement for a long time.

Winged fiends shrieked overhead.

Four-armed brutes smashed through carriages.

Lean, shadow-like beasts crawled across walls, hunting fleeing civilians.

Chaos spread like wildfire.

Guards blew horns. Mages raised barriers. Restaurants and shops were abandoned. The peaceful resort city turned into a battlefield within seconds.

High on the ridge overlooking the city, the hooded person who looked like their leader watched the destruction spread, cloak fluttering in the wind.

"The students have left," he muttered.

"Now… begin the operation."

His crystal glowed blood-red as he sent out the final message:

The city roared with screams and monster cries as the attack unfolded.

And Amon, far above in the sky, still had no idea that the place where he had spent his happiest moments so far—

was being drowned in blood and chaos below.

---

Back to Airship.

It had been half an hour since they departed Lunaris Haven.

In the control room, where staff were controlling and driving the airship, they found something wrong.

A black-haired man who was sitting in front of a screen said in an urgent voice,

"The radar scanner is not working at all. What happened?"

The radar. Which detected suspicious objects or creatures in the surrounding area, was not working, showing glitches.

Another staff said, "The connection to the Academy has disconnected. It's as if there are huge jammers in this area."

Panic rose in the control room.

"Damn, nothing is working. Go inform professors about this." The person who was driving ordered.

One of the staff nodded. "Yes, Sir Colt."

The black-haired man rose from his chair and left the control room.

Something terrible was going to happen.

The man sitting beside Colt asked him, "Sir… what's our current location?"

Colt narrowed his eyes. "We are above Greenveil Forest."

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