Amidst the giggles of the girl, the spirits screams merged, intensifying the atmosphere of terror.

"Hey, ex-fiance. What do you think of that? Isnt that magic?"

After exhaling smoke for one final time, Findenai had discarded her cigarette butt on the floor and crushed it.

Just moments ago, Erica had lost her composure due to overwhelming emotions, but now, her head cleared as if drenched in cold water. She regained her calmness.

"While it may resemble magical barriers, it's neither Four-Elemental nor high-level."

Swallowing her bitter emotions, Erica added.

"It seems to be some kind of black magic."

"Black magic?"

Gideon's voice turned sharp with confusion, and he stared at the girl.

Still standing at the entrance, she continued swaying her body from side to side, enjoying herself as if dancing to a rhythm.

"So even the spirits are now resorting to magic?"

In response to Gideon's words, the girl, with a smile on her face, slowly approached Erica.

[But is that really all? I've prepared quite diligently. Could you please explain my efforts in more detail, perhaps?]

"...I have no knowledge whatsoever about black magic."

[Really? I see.]

The disappointed girl seemed to be upset that her efforts weren't acknowledged.

However, even if Erica were to ask other mages, they would have the same response as she did.

After all, regulations regarding black magic in the Griffin Kingdom were incredibly strict.

Occasionally, underground merchants sold related books, but only those in the know were aware of them.

Moreover, ordinary mages loathed black magic to the extreme, which meant that they didnt even want to hear, or get close to the study.

[This is a very unique magic. It is a type of barrier that breaks the boundary between the living and dead.]

"It breaks the boundary?"

[Yes, from now on, some enjoyable things will happen.]

Erica hurriedly tried to grab the girl, but she had already disappeared.

Suppressing her frustration, Erica swiped her hand through the empty space where the girl had been.

"She doesn't seem to be the problem right now."

Findenai shrugged her shoulders and pointed outside the railing. There, enormous insects were pouring out of nowhere and rushing towards the three of them.

[Kraaaah!]

"Sigh, losing my weapon is a big problem."

Since Findenai had lost her axe in the battle against the one-armed Bushi, she had no choice but to continue fighting barehanded.

"Worthless pests."

Gideon drew his flaming sword. He bit his lips out of frustration, bleeding.

"So, breaking the boundary between life and death means this?"

Realizing that she could now directly interact with the spirits, Erica began manifesting her golden magic.

* * *

No matter how chaotic the academy had been, the lectures proceeded like normal. That was the only area where students could feel that the academy was still fulfilling its purpose.

But now, even that sense of normalcy was actively invaded by evil spirits.

As the sky darkened and the lights turned off, the students who were attending the lecture became confused.

The professors were also desperately trying to calm the students down, but they were finding it difficult to dispel their fears; it was slowly magnifying through the recent incidents.

"Calm down."

At that moment, a black-haired female student stood up, emitting a white light.

The concentration of mana was extraordinary. In just a brief moment, perceptive individuals recognized that she possessed considerable magical talent.

It was Aria Rias, a first-year student.

Despite being from a commoner background, she was recognized for her exceptional talent and was admitted to the prestigious Loberne Academy as a top student.

"Let's stay calm. If we get caught in the confusion, we'll be the only ones harmed."

Her words were rational, which caused some of the students to regain their composure and nod in agreement.

"You're right."

Among them, Eleanor, the youngest daughter of Griffin Kingdom's king, calmly continued Arias words.

"If we panic here, we'll only end up as a spectacle for the enemies to enjoy."

Princess Eleanor used the word 'enemies' to awaken a sense of urgency.

The students, too, began to closely follow what Princess Eleanor had to say next.

"We need to assess the situation first. Someone should scout outside."

Since the windows in the classroom were dark, as if painted with black ink, it was impossible to see anything outside. Thus, it was necessary to send someone to get a clearer portrayal of the situation.

"What do you think, Professor?"

Eleanor subtly shifted the responsibility to the professor, who had been conducting the lecture before.

The professor nodded, as he already realized his position.

"Yes, that's what we should do. I'll go check and come back. Please wait a moment."

He didnt say this without fear. However, the professor couldnt withstand both the pressure from Princess Eleanor and the students.

Seeing this, the students felt that the situation was changing. They started to calm down, breathing a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Eleanor approached Aria. She sat next to her and softly asked.

"You're quite calm You're Aria, the top student of this year's admission, right?"

"Yes, that's correct, Your Highness."

"We're classmates right now. There's no need to be overly formal."

"Then..."

"Feel free to call me Eleanor."

"Okay, Eleanor."

Huh?

Whether it was ignorance or bravery, Aria spoke without hesitation. But it was enough to pique Eleanors interest.

"Can you tell me what you think of the current situation?"

Eleanor asked while tapping the desk like she was taking an exam. Aria furrowed her brows for a moment, then calmly expressed her thoughts.

"It's probably the spirits that were causing havoc in the academy. Besides that, I can't think of anything else."

"Hmm, I see. This is the first time I've heard that spirits can use magic in this way."

"That's the same for me However"

Aria approached the window and brushed away the darkness with her hand, muttering something to herself. At that moment, Eleanors next words resounded in her ears, breaking her thought process.

"It's probably a type of black magic. It must have cost a lot of mana. I wonder if they extracted it from the missing people"

You sound quite sure?

Aria raised her head and asked Eleanor, who scratched the back of her head awkwardly and smiled.

Haa, I was curious about how the academy would sort out the commotion, so I paid special attention. I couldn't stand around and do nothing.

Eleanor planned to report this incident and her investigations to the royal family, revealing the incompetence and the true state of Loberne Academy to uproot it from the ground.

Yup, its not because I'm a princess or anything... Hmm, I wonder where my escorts are.

Although they should have been caught up in the barrier as well, Eleanor was still confident that her highly skilled escorts would come and rescue her soon.

You couldnt stand around and do nothing?"

Aria asked Eleanor regretfully, who was absentmindedly twirling her golden hair.

It had not been much time since they interacted, but since she liked Aria's attitude, Eleanor blurted out words that seemed to prophesize the future.

"Wouldnt the academy be closed off for good? Even though it's a renowned academy, this is no ordinary incident."

Eleanor could easily transfer to another academy, or simply invite instructors directly from the royal family, so she didnt find it too big of a loss.

I wonder if there was a need to come here to learn in the first place.

It wasn't just because she was a member of the royal family. Eleanor was a genius, even surpassing the royal court magicians.

And Aria, who had surpassed her in academic performance, was quite intriguing to her.

A very interesting girl.

The moment she smiled, thinking that even if Loberne perished, they would meet again later

"Don't."

A fierce pressure engulfed Eleanors whole body.

It was a force that she hadnt experienced before, not even from her father, the highest authority in the country, or the absolute powerhouses like the head of the Royal Knights or the Archmage.

"What...?"

With a hoarse voice, Eleanor looked at Aria with bewildered eyes.

Aria's black pupils had suddenly clouded over, and she was emanating a dense aura toward Eleanor.

"Don't do it. This academy will eventually regain its original prestige."

"What...?"

Bang!

"Kyaah!"

"They're here! They're here!"

"What about the professor? What happened to the professor?!"

"Run for now!"

"Nonsense! Let's fight! Where can we run?!"

Before Eleanor could barely open her mouth, the classroom door shattered and spirits poured in.

Amidst the chaos and confusion, the students either fled or fought.

Eleanor and Aria looked at each other, coming to an understanding as if they were the only two people in this place.

Calmly drawing her mana, Eleanor gathered strength in her body and finally uttered a word.

"Do you think this situation can be salvaged?"

At her words, Aria turned her gaze to the window once again.

"Yes, it's possible."

The place was still filled with pitch-black darkness. However, just like cracks forming on a shell, suddenly faint crevices began to appear.

"Because..."

The heavy air gave the illusion that it was escaping outward through the cracks.

The situation was rapidly changing.

The evil spirits that had been rushing instinctively had turned their heads, gazing out of the window.

Some of the spirits seemed to be in distress as if they were encountering their arch-nemesis, while others growled and began to flee, cursing that they would die at any moment.

Although the barrier created by the spirits had not yet disappeared, and their forces remained strong with Loberne Academy still caught in their merciless grasp, a person entered through the small crack, stepping on the light that poured in.

Perhaps there had been an accident on the way, as the edges of his coat were slightly singed, and there were multiple burn marks here and there.

Nevertheless, he maintained a clean and cold appearance, and his determined steps showed no hint of hesitation.

His calm eyes took in Loberne Academys current situation.

Just that alone silenced the spirits eerie screams, and caused the beings who had forgotten fear to falter.

The wind suddenly shifted.

The spring breeze that entered through the crack gently embraced the surroundings.

He was the only lantern illuminating Loberne Academy, the Necromancer of Norseweden, Deus Verdi. He had finally arrived.

"You've come."

Accompanied by a tender smile, Aria reached out softly towards him beyond the window.

"My hero."