Within the corridors of the Council Hall, tension had reached its breaking point. A soldier's voice rose, gasping for air, his tone thick with panic:
"Yes, sir... the news is confirmed. The monster is approaching the shores of Nevara Beach!"
Chris's features darkened, and he barked with sharp authority:
"Move, now! Alert all classes; I want a general mobilization in less than a minute!"
The soldier answered with an eerie steadiness:
"They have already been notified, sir. Forces are on their way."
Chris turned toward the seat where Dalia had been sitting and shouted heatedly:
"Lady Dalia, you must—!"
The words died in his throat, and his eyes widened in sheer bewilderment. The seat was empty; only the fading echo of her presence remained. She had vanished in the blink of an eye.
On the other side of the island, Nevara Beach was bathed in a deceptive serenity. The sky was as clear as a shard of crystal, and the waves caressed the white sands in a gentle symphony. Children chased volleyballs, their laughter mingling with the fresh sea breeze.
In an instant, the dream shattered.
A mysterious entity appeared, floating above the water's surface, advancing slowly like an omen of doom. Breath hitched and faces paled as the horrific truth set in: this thing was not human. A single scream pierced the silence: "Run!"
Peace collapsed into absolute chaos. People scrambled in every direction, but Headmistress Dalia had already arrived, crossing vast distances through her instantaneous leaping ability. At the Academy, distress signals flared for Classes S and A, sending Alex, Atsuri, Amani, and Yuya racing toward the coast in a sprint against death.
Yuya was the first to arrive at the scene of the nightmare. He froze as he laid eyes on a terrifying, feminine creature; her body was covered in shimmering green scales, and upon her chest was a black spider mark pulsing with malice. Her wide, black eyes were devoid of any spark of life, and her pale skin suggested she had been sculpted from the corpses of the dead.
Most horrifyingly... she was holding a living man, devouring his face with a chilling indifference as if consuming a piece of fruit.
Yuya shuddered for a second, but a warrior's instinct overcame his fear. He summoned his golden armor and massive sword, lunging forward to tear through the air with two violent strikes. But her body didn't budge, as if pain could find no path to her. She tossed the corpse aside like refuse and said in a voice dripping with mockery:
"Greetings, little youth... I heard the humans of this island were worth a visit."
Suddenly, Dalia's commanding voice rang out:
"Yuya! Fall back, immediately!"
The monster pounced with her claws, but Dalia was faster; she grabbed Yuya by the shoulders and leaped away, then lunged forward with her sword, which ignited with scorching mana flames. The monster shrieked in agony as her wings caught fire:
"How dare you... you—!"
Dalia gave her no room to spew her venom; with a movement as swift as lightning, she severed the creature's hands, then drove her flaming blade into its chest, pinning it to the ground in a heroic display. Alex and Atsuri arrived at that moment, as Dalia shouted to the soldiers:
"No one get close! We will handle this monstrosity!"
Hours later, the monster—whose name was revealed to be "Shaltra"—was placed inside a reinforced glass chamber, bound in shackles. Dalia stood watching her in heavy silence until Rion entered.
"Has she confessed to anything?" Rion asked sharply, "Did she mention 'Valdoris'?"
Dalia shook her head:
"She said she flew in from the other side. But how could a creature like her cross the vast distance between Valdoris and Kenimar?"
Rion lowered his head, doubts gnawing at his mind:
"The distance is far too great... something is wrong."
Alex pointed to the spider mark:
"Rion, does this mark belong to the 'Fros' species?"
"I don't think so," Rion replied quietly, "Only Stellar monsters carry clear genetic marks, like Mira and myself... but my mark is unique due to the mixture of my parents' genes."
Dalia began listing the types of monsters she had encountered:
"I've known two types; the plant-based monsters carrying a black rose on their chests, and the serpentine ones with human upper halves and reptilian bodies."
Rion commented coldly:
"Yes, I encountered them during my escape from the city."
Dalia raised an eyebrow in surprise:
"Your escape? Why haven't you told me about this past?"
Rion took a step back, his features hardening:
"I don't think I'm ready to talk about that right now." He left the room, leaving behind a silence that weighed heavily on the air.
At the training grounds, Amani was fighting a war with herself. Sweat poured off her, and her spear movements were fast but erratic. She stopped suddenly, slapping her cheeks with her palms:
"Come on, 'Menmen'... wake up! You aren't weak, it was just a lapse!"
"Amani..." The voice came softly from behind her.
Amani jumped and turned to see Rion watching her with a cryptic smile.
"Rion! How long have you been lurking?" she asked in embarrassment.
"I didn't hear much," he said, folding his arms playfully, "just the word 'Menmen'... it seems you pamper yourself behind that serious mask. Am I allowed to call you by that name?"
Her face turned bright red:
"No, please! Forget what you heard, don't tell anyone!"
Rion chuckled softly:
"Rest assured, your secret is safe with me."
Amani gathered her courage and asked suddenly:
"Rion... do you see me as weak?"
He replied calmly:
"And why do you ask?"
"I want to test myself," she said, raising her spear in a playful challenge, "How about a small spar? I want to know where I stand."
Rion smiled:
"With pleasure, but I'm sure you'll win."
She shook her head sadly:
"Don't mock me... I saw you in the city. I saw that transformation, and I was terrified."
Rion's expression changed, the light in his eyes fading:
"That isn't something to be proud of, Amani. When I transform, I lose Rion... I lose control."
"So it was rage?" she asked curiously.
"Perhaps, or something far worse."
Amani was silent for a moment, then said with a shy smile:
"Regardless, even in that nightmarish form, there was something about you that made me feel safe... something that told me you weren't an enemy."
A gentle smile touched his lips for the first time:
"That truly makes me happy."
Then Amani asked:
"Do you know anything about my past?"
"No, I only know your age."
Amani lowered her head, her voice thinning with the weight of years:
"Then... let me tell you my story. The story of Amani that no one knows..."
Amani's words flowed into the night's stillness like an unending wound; she wasn't just telling a story, she was vomiting up pains she had suppressed for too long. She spoke of the betrayal that devoured her innocence, of the loss that took up residence in her home, and of the bitter escape from the hell of "Valdoris" toward an unforgiving unknown. Her tone resembled a sob, her words a series of stabs into a heart whose wounds had yet to heal.
When silence fell, Rion found no words. Instead, he reached out a hand with gentle kindness and wiped away a tear that had rebelled on her cheek. He spoke in a resonant voice full of deep sincerity:
"Amani... you possess a strength that transcends physical limits. Many who faced what you did lost the last shred of humanity in their souls, but you are still here, with a heart that beats with mercy."
She smiled through her tears, wiping her nose like a child:
"Strong? Maybe I'll start believing that... but I still feel fear gnawing at my limbs whenever I remember."
Before the echo of her words could fade, the silence was split by a confident, sharp, and familiar voice behind them:
"I knew exactly that I'd find you here!"
They turned together to see a girl. She advanced with measured steps that radiated vitality, wearing a short sports jacket that revealed her finely sculpted abs, and loose black trousers that granted her freedom of movement, while her sneakers gleamed under the pale moonlight. Her features bore a natural sharpness, and her rebellious dark hair fell to partially cover her red eyes, which glowed with a mysterious spark.
She shot Rion a mocking look and remarked sarcastically:
"So, you're the 'Rion' whose news has filled the air? Honestly... you don't look like the titan they described."
Amani quickly stood up for him:
"He is actually very strong, Mai! I witnessed what he did!"
Mai laughed lightly and took a step forward:
"Hah, we'll see if he's really as you say. It seems my instinct is demanding I test you myself." She extended her hand toward him in a challenging gesture and said: "A pleasure to meet you... Rion."
Rion shook her hand calmly, but as soon as their palms touched, he felt an unusual hardness and a latent power in her grip. He said with a surprise he couldn't hide:
"Your hand is very tough... it seems you give the training walls hell."
Mai suddenly became flustered, withdrawing her hand quickly as if she had touched a hot coal. She began to fiddle with her hair, looking away:
"It's... it's not what you think."
Amani intervened with a gentle scolding:
"Rion! You should never tell a girl her hand is rough! Where are the sweet words?"
Rion laughed sheepishly, realizing his accidental blunder:
"I didn't mean to offend. I meant that she puts in a tremendous effort to hone her strength... and that is something that earns my respect, nothing more."
Mai's features softened, and she looked at him with a hidden admiration she didn't show. She said with a calm smile:
"It's fine... your apology is accepted. By the way, I'm not from the elite of Class S as you might think. I'm from Class A."
Rion raised his eyebrows in shock:
"Really? That's strange... your emitted energy is massive. I would have sworn you were one of the elite."
She replied confidently, crossing her arms:
"That was my choice. Don't underestimate me."
Rion smiled, his eyes appraising her powerful presence:
"Your hand is truly the hand of a real monster in terms of strength. You're amazing."
Mai burst out laughing this time:
"My God! You have no idea how to talk to girls, do you?"
Rion scratched the back of his head awkwardly:
"It seems Kairen was right when she said the same thing."
Suddenly, Mai's gaze turned serious, and she asked a question that pierced the silence:
"Rion... have you lived your life without a family?"
Silence fell like a heavy mountain between them. Rion didn't utter a word, merely looking at his shadow stretching across the ground, his eyes hiding a sea of dark secrets.
Mai smiled with a slight bitterness, realizing she had touched a nerve:
"Well, it seems each of us has a well of secrets we don't want to dig up. It's okay... but know this, Rion: even though you are a total stranger to me, I feel something drawing me to you... as if we share the same kind of pain."
Rion was taken aback by her honesty and replied kindly:
"Thank you... that's very kind of you to say."
Mai took another step toward him, her red eyes glowing with a playful defiance:
"Then get ready... because next time, I'll be your opponent in the arena. And if your strength truly impresses me... I might just fall for you, monster-boy."
Rion raised his hands in the air, surrendering with a slight smile:
"I'll consider that an official invitation to fight, then, Mai."
She replied wickedly as she walked away:
"Consider it a very... gentle threat."
The meeting ended, and smiles remained between the three under the moonlight—smiles that hid questions about the future and bonds beginning to be woven in secret between souls who had nothing in common but their wounds... and their strength.