"Attack!!!"

Rie, at the rear of the rebels, shouted to the soldiers.

As she shouted, she wondered,

'Is this really okay?'

Originally, Rie's role was to encircle the enemy completely.

When the rebels failed to break through the canyon ahead, they planned to capture all the fleeing enemies.

Though the order was issued a bit early, capturing all those troops seemed like a tough task.

"We'll have to reduce their forces as much as possible,"

Rie said, looking at Locke beside her.

"Understood. Let's do that,"

Locke replied, then dashed forward, running faster than the soldiers and shouting,

"For the Empire's eternal glory!"

"Glory!"

Locke led the troops, boosting their morale.

Thus, the northern soldiers collided with the rebel troops.

"Argh!"

"Block them!"

The rebel soldiers shouted, trying to stop them, but the northern soldiers' strength was overwhelming.

Ordinary soldiers fought like knights, each against three or four enemies.

"Is that the level of a soldier?"

"It's magic tools! They're equipped with magic tools!"

The reason for their strength was precisely the magic tools.

The magic tools provided by the Empire's Magic Tower.

Armors engraved with strengthening magic, swords with lightening magic, and various other magic tools were at their disposal.

With the already experienced Northern Army equipped with magic tools, they became soldiers worth a hundred men each.

"Princess!"

Seeing this, Venderwood walked towards Rie, who was standing far away.

"Capture the commanders!"

The Northern Army rushed towards Venderwood.

"Interference."

Venderwood swung his sword at the approaching soldiers.

"Argh!"

"Block!"

Even though they were equipped with magic tools, ordinary soldiers couldn't stand against Venderwood.

Locke saw the soldiers being cut down by Venderwood's sword and immediately ran towards him.

"Northern swordsmanship, Blue Blade."

A blue sword energy flew towards Venderwood.

Venderwood swung his great sword, wrapped in sword energy, cutting through the blue blade.

"The guardian's son?"

The guardian referred to Locke's father, the guardian of the north.

Locke responded,

"I am now the guardian."

Though Locke hadn't officially inherited the Lord's position, he was virtually no different from a Lord.

He took care of the domain's affairs and was equal or superior in strength to his father.

The reason he hadn't inherited the domain was merely because he hadn't graduated from the academy yet.

"Is that so."

Venderwood held his sword with a calm face.

"Then come at me, guardian."

Locke prepared to charge with his sword.

Then,

"Hey."

"?"

A voice came from behind Locke.

That was Rie's voice.

Venderwood furrowed his brow.

Rie was supposed to be quite a distance away.

He hesitated for a moment, surprised she had gotten so close so quickly.

"What's the matter?"

"You, what did you say?"

"?"

"Didn't you tell the soldiers to advance? Why are they getting held back by this guy?"

"But..."

"I'll take care of this guy."

Rie, manipulating her mana, looked at Venderwood.

"I owe this guy one."

When the rebels attacked the academy, Rie had been defeated by Venderwood.

As a result, Yuni had been put in danger.

Rie hadn't forgotten that.

She constantly played it back, dwelling on the feeling of defeat and training hard.

Just as Rudy had changed, so had Rie, all to get back at this guy.

"What are you doing?"

Rie hit Locke on the back.

Locke, looking puzzled for a moment, then ran towards where the soldiers were. Rie watched Locke run off into the distance and then turned her head.

"You said you were a slave, right?"

Venderwood, confused by Rie's sudden question, nodded anyway.

"Yes, as you know, I'm a Princess and soon to be Empress. Normally, just meeting me should move you to tears. But let's skip all that today."

Rie rolled up her sleeves and threw off cumbersome decorations to the ground.

"Forget about status and all, just throw everything aside and fight."

Red light gleamed in Rie's eyes.

Venderwood flinched at the sight of Rie smiling.

She was different from before.

Rie wasn't on the throne yet and was still young.

Yet, she had an overwhelming presence.

And that wasn't all. She exuded the air and composure of a veteran warrior.

"I wonder if you know how much I've wanted to fight you."

Rie stretched her arms to the sky and manipulated her mana.

"Light that illuminates the world, come to this place."

Rie's mana rose to the sky through her arms.

Red energies twirled upwards, forming a large flame above, like the sun.

Rie whispered,

"Helios."

Venderwood stared blankly at Rie's flames.

Rie then said to Venderwood,

"Let's settle the score for hurting my sister."

Meanwhile, at the academy.

"Block them!"

"Protect the students! Evacuate them!"

An emergency signal went off at the academy. The students were sent to safety, and the professors came forward, risking their lives.

"How long do you plan to hold out? Do you think holding out will let you do anything?"

Aryandor faced the professors with a relaxed expression.

The professors were no match for Aryandor.

Most professors remaining at the rear specialized in research.

This was because the professors capable of fighting were already on the battlefield.

"What will you do?"

The professors spoke quietly while facing Aryandor.

"Can Professor Gracie fight?"

"It doesn't look likely. Her condition is currently not good. And even if Professor Gracie was in her normal state, this guy"

The professors had already unleashed several attacks on Aryandor.

However, Aryandor hadn't fallen.

In fact, he hadn't even received a scratch.

The professors' attacks were all nullified by Aryandor's time magic.

Aryandor's attacks were not weak either.

His attacks, involving dozens of sword techniques, were unpredictable and each strike was lethal.

The professors, quick to judge, had already concluded the outcome of this fight in their minds.

Defeat.

The word filled the professors' heads.

Still, they had to hold out.

It was uncertain whether they could afford to do so on the battlefield, but they had to wait for reinforcements.

As the professors were thinking this, Aryandor spoke up.

"Let me make you an offer."

The professors listened.

"Saint Haruna is here, isn't she?"

Silence fell on the professors' side.

"Just tell me where she is, and I'll spare your lives and those of the students hiding far away."

Everyone's lives could be spared.

By sacrificing just one person.

"How about it? It's quite an enticing offer, isn't it?"

Aryandor smirked coldly.

Sacrifice Haruna.

Then everyone's lives...

Upon this, the professors fell into a dilemma, but one of them spoke up.

"We refuse."

"What?"

Aryandor looked at the people beside him.

They, too, stared back at Aryandor with stern eyes.

"So you're saying you all choose to die?"

Aryandor spoke with a face that couldn't understand.

Yet, the professors' opinion did not change.

Aryandor ground his teeth.

"So you're pretending to be noble? You're not like that. Sacrificing one for the sake of everyone..."

Aryandor began to say something incomprehensible and then closed his mouth.

"So... you've decided to make that decision."

He drew his sword.

"Then die. All of you."

After Aryandor and the professors began their fight,

"Saint, will you just stay here?"

"Yes."

"But... Aryandor is coming...!"

"I can't leave this place."

A slight argument was happening in the student council office.

This conversation was between Haruna, who was determined to protect the sacred place, and Yuni, who was trying to convince her to escape.

Yuni tried everything to make Haruna flee, but Haruna wouldn't budge.

So, Yuni could only pace anxiously.

"We could escape now and plan later..."

"There won't be a later. Once this place is overtaken, it's over."

"What?"

After pondering Haruna's words for a moment, Yuni asked,

"Did you see the future?"

"I won't talk about that. Staying here is the best option for now."

Yuni sighed deeply and sat down after staring at Haruna for a while.

Seeing Yuni sit, Haruna quietly said,

"How about you run away, Yuni?"

"How can I run if you don't? I'd surely get a scolding from my senior if I ran away now."

Haruna asked,

"Are you afraid of getting scolded?"

"I'm not afraid of being scolded. Getting scolded by my senior is almost a daily thing. But I'm really scared of my senior disliking me."

Yuni shuddered at the thought, and Haruna smiled gently.

"You must really like Rudy."

"Of course. But I wonder if that blockhead senior knows how much I care about him."

"He knows. Very well. It's just that the timing doesn't allow for expression."

"Really? To me, it seems like he's just clueless."

"Well, I can't say he isn't clueless."

Yuni and Haruna continued their chat, sitting on the floor. This conversation somewhat eased the tension.

"Ah! Since you can see the future, why don't you take a look? We're going to keep hiding here anyway. What happens between me and senior in the future?"

"The future, you say."

"Ah, right. You said you can't see the process... Just the outcome, then! Will we be holding hands, going on dates, maybe even kissing..."

Haruna listened to Yuni with a stern face, then smiled gently.

"I think we're a little too relaxed."

"Eh? Are you changing the subject?"

"If I start looking into personal futures like that, there'd be no end to it."

"That's stingy of you, Saint. You've looked into your own future, haven't you?"

"I have... And that's why it shouldn't be done."

"What?"

Thud.

Then, a rumbling sound was heard.

Haruna quickly moved to cover Yuni's mouth with her hand.

"Mmph!"

"Let's be quiet for a moment."

Haruna listened attentively to the sounds outside, remaining silent.

"Where... Haruna... must find..."

A faint voice was heard.

It was Aryandor's voice. Aryandor had arrived on this floor.

'But he doesn't know we're here.'

Aryandor didn't know where the entrance to the sanctuary was.

That's why he was searching for Haruna.

Using the Saint, there was a way to find the sanctuary.

After holding their breath for a few seconds, no more sounds came from outside. Haruna sighed in relief and let go of Yuni.

"...Did he leave?"

"It looks like it..."

Suddenly, a tremendous explosion occurred.

The entire floor's rooms were split in half. The walls crumbled down, and all the rooms were exposed.

"What the..."

If they had been standing up even slightly, they would have been split in half.

More than that, the sheer power left them speechless.

The sword's force had sliced the entire floor in half, and they were astounded.

"Ah. Found you."

Then a voice was heard.

It was Aryandor's.

"Why are you trying so hard to hide? You were bound to be found eventually."

Aryandor, covered in blood, seemed to have killed many people on his way here.

"Uh..."

Haruna stepped back, biting her lip.

"Do you know how long I've been searching for you? It's been over five years already."

Aryandor broke through the walls and entered the student council office where Haruna was.

'Too fast.'

She hadn't expected to be found this quickly.

'I must hold out somehow...'

Haruna thought.

Was there a way to escape Aryandor in this place?

Haruna didn't have the ability to fight.

Physically, she was far inferior to Aryandor.

Even if she ran, she would be caught quickly.

So then... what to do...

As she pondered,

"Excuse me. Following someone around for 5 years? That's stalking. It's a crime, you know."

Yuni, who was beside Haruna, stepped forward.

Aryandor tilted his head in confusion at Yuni's appearance.

"...And who are you?"

Haruna was too terrified to speak properly.

Yet, this small girl stood up boldly.

"Y-Yuni... W-we need to r-run..."

"It's okay. I don't abandon friends."

Yuni turned back, smiling, and said,

"I'll protect you..."

Despite her words, Yuni's legs and hands were trembling.

Aryandor narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"You think you can stop me?"

"Why are you using informal language from the get-go? You're quite rude."

Aryandor was taken aback by Yuni's response.

"If you just hand her over, I could spare your life?"

"Do you really think I would do that?"

"Choosing death even when you have a chance to live?"

"No, what I chose isn't death. I'm simply doing what needs to be done. As the Student Council President, I have a duty to protect everyone inside the academy."

Aryandor lifted his sword.

"So, being the current Student Council President means you're the second Princess."

"You know about that?"

"I'm curious what expression Rudy Astria will make when you die."

At that, Yuni's expression hardened.

"Hearing about Rudy from you really puts me in a bad mood."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Yuni manipulated her mana.

"I'll fight."

Aryandor smirked.

"Go ahead, try."

"Stop right there!"

Suddenly, a woman's voice came from the other end of the corridor.

"Am I too late? Oh, maybe not?"

The woman spoke with a slightly flustered voice.

Her entrance was clumsy for what was quite a dramatic arrival.

Yuni looked towards the source of the unexpected voice.

"Huh?"

The owner of the voice coming from the end of the corridor was.

"Hey! Yuni! Are you okay?"

It was Luna Railer, an apprentice wizard from the Magic Tower.