"Stay calm and stay back!" Rylie barked, stepping in front of the students as he advanced toward the gym entrance.

He had been giving extra lessons, and a few others were still sparring. It was nothing out of the ordinary. After classes, various students prefer to have a light training and the exchange students were just here to get a feel of the place.

But then, suddenly the ground trembled and distant explosions echoed through the walls.

He quickly calmed the students, preparing to step outside when—

"Ah!"

A sudden gust of wind blew in, and with it, a familiar figure burst through the door.

"H-Headmistress?" Blake gasped, his voice shaky. "What happened to you… And them?"

Ariana didn't answer right away. She gently laid Elizabeth and Rose on the ground, both of them scorched and unconscious.

"The little firecracker you all heard?" she muttered, dusting off her singed coat. "We were right in the middle of it."

Her voice rose into a sharp command, "We're under attack! Blake—secure the other entrance, now!"

Blake snapped into action and dashed toward the far end of the gym.

Ariana scanned the students—twenty-five in total. Among them, she spotted Tony and Emi, their eyes wide and frightened.

"Headmistress," Allen stepped forward, serious and calm despite the panic, "was it the Acolytes again?"

"Yes," she replied. "But listen to me carefully—I don't want anyone doing anything stupid. You understand? Don't make this worse for me."

Allen gave a firm nod but said nothing more.

Turning to Rylie, she continued, "I'll guard the front. You stay here as the final defense. Tell Blake to try and disrupt the barrier—"

"It's no use," came a voice from the shadows.

Everyone turned as a brown-haired figure stepped into view.

"A-Adrian?! How did you get in?" Ariana asked, surprised. He had been confined to his office.

"The only way out was by nullifying the mana. The two dormitories and the main building are completely sealed off," he said, raising his revolver. "I used this. But I don't have enough bullets to get anyone else through. It's just us."

Ariana clenched her jaw. "Then we make do."

She stepped forward—but Adrian gently blocked her path, holding something out.

"Going without this?" he asked, offering her flail.

A wide grin spread across Ariana's face. "You actually brought it."

He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Don't do anything reckless. If you're in danger, I'm pulling you out."

Before she could reply—

DHAK DHAK

Heavy thuds echoed through the air.

Ariana stepped out of the gym—and froze.

In front of the building, a row of orcs had formed up, shoulder-to-shoulder. Massive, green-skinned beasts with crude weapons and wild eyes. They were lined up like a war wall, their muscles twitching with anticipation.

"Fuck," Ariana muttered, unlocking the chained flail from the crown. With a few powerful swings, she spun it around her before planting it hard into the ground.

And then—

AGHUOOOOOOOO!!

A thunderous roar exploded from the Orcs, sending out a massive wave of raw sound.

Ariana reacted instantly.

WHUMP

She slammed the spike down, and a thick dome of hardened mud erupted around the group of orcs—dense, compact, and layered in swirling runes that shimmered with golden light.

The shockwave crashed against it, and the whole barrier trembled violently.

"Shit… It's breaking," Ariana hissed, her teeth clenched. Cracks had already started forming through the dome's walls. Even a reinforced Second-tier earth barrier wasn't holding against this kind of force.

Just as she began forming the next spell, a hand rested gently on her shoulder.

She turned.

Adrian stood beside her, calm as ever, his revolver raised.

His eyes told her everything—I've got this.

Ariana paused.

And watched.

THA

The bullet left the barrel with a flash of violet light. It tore through the center of the mud dome and soared toward the orcs.

A heartbeat later—

FWWUUMMM

A black orb erupted where the bullet landed, swirling like a vortex of night.

The wind roared.

Ariana watched, stunned, as her dome didn't shatter—but got pulled into the orb.

Along with it, the Orcs began to scream as their feet lost grip, their bodies twisting and dragging toward the growing sphere.

"Was it that same bullet..?" Which you were about to use on Elizabeth...she didn't add the last part but he understood

Adrian simply nodded.

Ariana heaved a sigh, "I probably saved you from the charge of a small massacre."

Adrian chuckled before reminding her, "We still have things to take care of."

Ariana looked forward and found several more monsters walking towards them.

"Well, this is a nice warm-up."

....

Inside the gym, Allen was pacing in tight circles, his expression tense.

Olivia watched him with growing worry.

"What's wrong? Is there something you want to say?"

Allen stopped, then motioned for her to follow. They stepped a little farther from the rest—not exactly a corner, but far enough to not be overheard.

He leaned in and spoke in a low voice, "You understand what's happening, right? Why did the attack happen now? And why did the Headmistress come straight here? It's because she knows who the real targets are."

Olivia blinked, confused. "Who? You?"

Allen stared at her. "…Sometimes I seriously wonder how you became the Council President."

Olivia huffed and pinched his arm, flustered.

But Allen wasn't joking.

He sighed and whispered, "They're after the exchange students. It's obvious. If they get hurt or worse, the relations between the nations will collapse."

Olivia's eyes widened as it finally clicked. She glanced toward Tony and Emi, who were busy tending to Elizabeth with a few other students. The girl was lying still, her wounds looking worse up close.

Then Allen dropped another whisper.

"There's a spy among us."

That made Olivia freeze.

Before she could ask anything, Allen continued quickly, "Think about it. The barriers went up the exact moment most teachers were in their rooms or had left for the main building. And the gym was one of the few places not locked down. How did they know the exchange students would be gathered here? The timing was too perfect."

Olivia frowned. Her heart raced.

He was right. It couldn't be just luck. The plan was too clean, too precise.

And if Allen's guess about the targets was right… Then whoever set this up didn't just want chaos—they wanted war.

She slowly looked around the gym, eyes scanning each student.

"Then… who could it be?" she whispered.

The tension in the room suddenly felt heavier.

Like the enemy might already be watching them.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment