Steel clashed.
Magic erupted.
The peaceful mountain pass became a battlefield in seconds.
"Protect the students!"
Professor Elena’s sword ignited with crimson mana.
She cut through three masked assassins in a single swing.
One fell.
Then another.
The third never even hit the ground before her boot sent the corpse flying into a fourth attacker.
She wasn’t holding back.
Neither were the assassins.
Team Seven formed a defensive circle.
Damien planted his spear into the earth.
BOOM!
Stone walls burst upward.
"Stay inside!"
Sophia darted between the barriers like the wind.
Her twin daggers flashed.
One assassin screamed before collapsing.
Eric stood beside Noah.
"So..."
He grinned despite the chaos.
"Guess today isn’t boring."
Noah snorted.
"You had to say it."
Then—
The attackers charged.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Maybe more.
Every single one ignored the professors.
Ignored the nobles.
Ignored Luna.
They wanted Noah.
The realization hit everyone at once.
Sophia looked at him.
"...Who the hell are you?"
"I wish I knew."
The first assassin reached them.
Damien’s spear thrust forward.
THUD!
It pierced the attacker’s shoulder.
Before Damien could finish him—
Another assassin appeared behind him.
Luna moved.
A single ice spear flew.
CRACK!
The assassin froze solid before shattering into glittering fragments.
Eric whistled.
"Remind me never to annoy you."
Luna didn’t answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
Noah ducked beneath another blade.
Shadowfang slashed upward.
The assassin staggered back.
Fast.
Very fast.
But...
Not fast enough.
Noah drove his shoulder into the man’s chest.
BAM!
The assassin crashed into a tree.
Before Noah could follow—
Predator’s Instinct exploded.
DANGER!
He threw himself sideways.
A black arrow pierced the space where his head had been.
It struck the ground—
BOOM!
The entire road exploded.
Smoke swallowed everything.
"Noah!"
Eric shouted.
No answer.
High above...
On the cliffs...
A hooded archer calmly loaded another black arrow.
"This one’s mine."
He drew the bowstring.
The arrowhead glowed violet.
Far stronger than the previous one.
He aimed directly at the smoke.
Released.
Inside the smoke...
Noah heard it.
The whistle.
He looked up.
"Shit."
The arrow descended like a meteor.
No time to dodge.
No time to think.
Instinct took over.
The Broken Crown Mark burned.
For the first time since Blackthorn Forest—
Crimson lightning erupted around Noah’s body.
His eyes flashed crimson.
Time...
Slowed.
The falling arrow.
The drifting dust.
The panicked expressions.
Everything became painfully clear.
The System exploded with alarms.
WARNING
Synchronization Rate: 12%
Ragnarok Response Detected
Suppress Immediately
Noah ignored it.
He grabbed the arrow.
Barehanded.
The explosive mana surrounding it vanished.
Silence.
Every nearby student froze.
The assassin archer froze.
Eric froze.
Even Luna’s eyes widened.
Noah looked at the arrow in his hand.
"...Huh."
Then...
It cracked.
Turned into dust.
The crimson lightning disappeared.
Time returned to normal.
Noah immediately felt dizzy.
His knees almost gave out.
"Too much..."
"I only touched it for a second."
Professor Elena saw everything.
Every second.
She whispered,
"...Impossible."
No first-year...
Should have been able to stop that attack.
The archer recovered first.
He laughed.
"So it’s true."
"The Seventh..."
"...has awakened."
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
Every masked assassin immediately stopped fighting.
They all knelt.
Not to Noah.
To someone standing behind him.
A shadow stretched across the battlefield.
Slow.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Boots echoed against broken stone.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Noah turned slowly.
A man emerged from the smoke.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dressed in black armor etched with silver runes.
Unlike the other assassins...
He wore no mask.
A long scar crossed his left eye.
His expression was emotionless.
The assassins lowered their heads.
"The Commander..."
One whispered.
The man’s cold gray eyes settled on Noah.
"So..."
He said quietly.
"You carry Ragnarok."
He drew an enormous black greatsword.
Its blade was taller than Noah himself.
"I was hoping the rumors were false."
Noah forced himself to stand straight despite his exhaustion.
"...And if they aren’t?"
The Commander raised his sword.
"Then I’ll remove your head..."
"...before the world has a chance to regret your existence."
The mountain shook.
Professor Elena immediately stepped between Noah and the Commander.
Her crimson aura erupted.
The Commander smiled for the first time.
"Good."
"I was wondering how long you’d watch from the sidelines."
The air became heavy.
Everyone could feel it.
This...
Was no longer a battle between students.
Two true monsters...
Were about to clash.