[Academy – Midnight]
The stars blinked behind heavy clouds. The world held its breath.
Then—
Five streaks of divine light pierced the sky.
The assassins had arrived.
No alarms rang. No guards stirred.
These were no ordinary enemies.
> [Warning – Divine-Class Hostiles Detected]
[Number: 5]
[System: Emergency Combat Protocols Activated]
---
[Winter – Dormitory Roof]
Winter stood barefoot under the snow, her staff glowing cold blue.
She felt them—like poison threading through the air.
Then—
A blade of light slashed toward her throat.
She blocked, barely, ice exploding around her.
"Found one," the assassin whispered.
"Target Winter Arclight. Begin extraction."
Winter's eyes narrowed.
"Like hell."
She unleashed a storm. Frost wolves lunged from her staff, crashing into the attacker.
But more were closing in.
---
[Kael – Training Yard]
Kael stumbled out, shirtless and holding a glowing red blade. "What the—!?"
A shadow darted behind him. He ducked just in time.
> [Kael's Trait Activated – Flame Reflex: Rank C+]
[System Bond: Reacting to Lohan's Battle Teachings]
He parried the next blow.
"I was eating noodles!"
Flames erupted from his sword. The yard lit up.
> "Fine. You want a fight? I'll show you spicy!"
---
[Lohan – Tower's Base]
He watched the chaos from a window above.
> [Assassins identified: Divine Executioners – Code Class: G4]
[Estimated Rank: Peak A+ to Low S]
He didn't hesitate.
He opened his armory.
Inside sat a sealed case—black and silver, etched with runes of resistance.
> [Artifact Unsealed – Magebane Armor (Legendary)]
[Effect: Nullifies Divine Pressure, Amplifies Spell Output by 300%]
He suited up, runes crawling across his arms, chest, and back.
The air grew heavier.
The gods had sent death?
He was sending it back.
---
[Battlefield – Academy Courtyard]
Two assassins circled Winter. One fought Kael to a deadlock. Two more leaped toward Lohan from the shadows.
But the moment they got close—
He snapped his fingers.
> [Spell: Temporal Lock – Rank A]
Time slowed.
He walked between them.
"You forgot something."
He activated Heavenbreaker Sigil: Fragment Mode.
A chain of red light exploded from his palm, shattering the divine blades, cutting clean through their armor.
The assassins blinked in confusion—just before the pain hit.
---
[Aftermath – Moments Later]
Three assassins dead. One retreated. One—frozen in a block of ice by Winter's last strike.
Kael sat on the grass, panting, clothes scorched.
Winter leaned on her staff, breathing hard.
Lohan stood tall, armor gleaming in the moonlight.
"They sent gods to kill mortals," he muttered.
He looked at Winter and Kael.
"Next time… we kill faster."
---