The End of School [ End of Arc III ]

“Save your breath! Killing me won’t change anything!” the Headmaster barked.

The leader of the assault just sneered.

“Not if we burn you all to the ground! Once we have your seal ring, we’ll blow this academy apart from the inside of the Arcaneum. And that’s just the beginning.”

The Headmaster gritted his teeth.

“I won’t let that happen!”

He uncorked a vial from his belt, drank it in one gulp, murmured a spell and unleashed a cascade of searing lightning through his barrier.

Two of the assailants were hit, flung across the room, and dropped dead to the ground.

Only the leader remained.

His blade devoured the lightning like a black hole, the room darkening around him.

“Go ahead, old man!” he taunted. “The more magic you throw, the stronger my anti-magic blade becomes!”

The archmage snorted.

“So the goblin stunt was just a diversion, huh…?”

The attacker flinched.

“Goblin? What are you babbling about? Losing your mind already?”

“Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what...”

A sudden crash.

The window shattered behind them, glass flying, and the group burst into the room.

Tairaku threw himself in front of the Headmaster and cast a new barrier.

Meiruna sent bolts of ice streaking through the air, but the attacker swung his blade, its glowing red veins devouring the magic instantly.

“Crap, magic’s no use on this guy!” Meiruna growled.

“Who the hell are you?!” the attacker shouted.

“Academy security! Surprise inspection!” Glizzy called out behind them.

Lucius stepped forward, summoned sword in hand. “I’ve got this…”

“If you stand in my way, you’ll fall like the rest of this academy!” the attacker growled.

Then their blades clashed.

A blinding flash burst with every strike. The anti-magic sword glowed blood-red, and each blow sent sparks flying, waves of magical backlash lashing Lucius even when he blocked.

He stumbled back, jaw clenched. 

Even from a distance, red energy surged from the blade, scorching his skin.

"Do you like the pain my blade inflicts on you, even though it never touches you?" the attacker laughed, twirling the blade in a deadly arc.

Lucius ducked under the next swing, countered with a sideways strike, but it only grazed his opponent.

“Tairaku! Any ideas?” he yelled as another jolt struck his shoulder.

“His weapon seems to feeds on magic, and since your weapon is a familiar weapon, it will only makes him stronger!” Tairaku called back.

Behind a toppled desk, Glizzy blinked and muttered, “Non-magical, huh…”

Lucius was losing ground, his sword trembled in his hands, his arms burned.

The next strike came from above, heavy and fatal.

But then, a loud crash.

A bookshelf slammed down with a thunderous boom.

The attacker looked up, eyes wide as he leapt, but too late.

The shelf crashed onto his legs, his sword flew from his grasp, clattering across the floor.

"Eat that!" Glizzy shouted from the top of the shelf she'd just knocked over.

Lucius surged forward, blade ready, but the attacker roared and shoved the heavy shelf aside.

Blood streamed down his leg, yet he lunged, tackling Lucius to the ground.

For a heartbeat they wrestled chest to chest, the man’s hands clawing for Lucius’s throat. 

“You think this ends me?!” he spat.

Lucius twisted, forcing his knee up between them, and shoved the man back just enough to free his arm and reach his blade.

With a guttural cry, Lucius drove the blade into his guts.

The attacker screamed in pain, staggered back...

... and Meiruna ended it, as another burst of icy wind erupted from her hands, slamming him into the wall and freezing him in place.

Crystals spread, locking his limbs, encasing his upper body.

He was done.

Silence fell, heavy and cold, then, the attacker groaned weakly.

“Forgive me, Enyo… Eris... I’ve failed… But no matter, Tiberun scum… Ares himself has given Valdrik the power to crush you… It’s only a matter of time now!

Lucius froze.

Enyo… Eris... and Ares?

The names echoed in his memory.

Where did I hear that names before?

But before he could ask more, the man convulsed. 

He was gone.

The Headmaster leaned heavily against his desk, robes torn, his breath uneven.

He stared at the group, wide-eyed. “You… you’re students, aren’t you?”

Then his eyes found Glizzy, and for a short moment he simply stared, until he recognized her.

“You… the goblin I had imprisoned this morning.”

Tairaku stepped forward, his tone steady and respectful.

"I believe there has been a misunderstanding, Headmaster."

He spoke of what had happened: how Glizzy had suspected the intruders, how she had followed them into the Arcaneum, and how her arrest had been a mistake born of confusion.

He recounted her courage during the battle, which proved her loyalty without a doubt.

The Headmaster listened in silence, each word seeming to weigh him down further.

At last, he rubbed his temples and sighed.

“If you speak the truth… then it seems I owe this girl more than I can repay. The charges will have to be reviewed, and her expulsion suspended until the council has spoken.”

No one argued.

Everyone knew there would be more talks, inquiries, endless paperwork once the council gathered.

But for now, those words were enough.

---

The next days passed in a blur.

Officials came and went, damaged halls were sealed, and whispers of war spread like cracks in the walls themselves.

The stolen book remained missing.

No one knew it was in Lucius’s possession, except for his three companions.

The academy grew quieter with every hour, students leaving, classes suspended, notices nailed to the gates.

One evening, Lucius found himself wandering the courtyard.

The fountains no longer ran, the practice fields stood empty.

He passed Meiruna and Tairaku debating in hushed voices, and Glizzy humming softly while stuffing her few belongings into a pack.

Lucius watched them unnoticed.

Well... I suppose it’s time to move on.

Still, the idea of leaving his newfound friends, left him strangely sad.

And finally, in the days that followed, the academy was officially closed.

With Valdrik confirmed as the attackers and the war still raging, plus Yashar’s southern invasion still not fully repelled, the administration deemed the situation too dangerous to continue.

The once lively halls, full of spells, laughter, and argument, fell silent.

Soon after, Lucius and his friends stood together at the main gate, boots laced, packs strapped tight.

“Well…” Lucius began quietly. “I guess this is farewell then.”

The others looked at each other. 

Meiruna frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean… this is where our paths split, right? You know my mission. I can’t waste any more time. And you… you’ll go home.”

Tairaku raised an eyebrow. “And you really think we’re going to let you charge into another rescue mission alone?”

“The journey back to Animshim takes months,” Meiruna added. “You’ll need someone to keep you in line."

Lucius looked at her in surprise and she blushed a little bit.

"Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s just until the academy reopens! Besides, our studies aren’t over or anything..." she added.

Lucius blinked. “Are you serious?”

Glizzy stretched her arms and yawned.

“Wasn’t that obvious from the start?” she asked. “No way I’m going back to my tribe now. You guys are way more fun.”

Lucius looked at them.

Tairaku, Meiruna, Glizzy.

A strange, mismatched bunch, but they were his friends now.

He nodded slowly and smiled.

“Alright then. Thank you guys… all of you.”

Glizzy tugged her pack tighter and skipped alongside him.

“Sooo… where are we going again?”

Lucius looked straight ahead, the wind tugging at his cloak.

“To a goddess,” he answered. “And then... We’re gonna rescue my wife."

Glizzys eyes widened.

“You’re married?! Why didn’t I know of that!?” she blurted out in shock.

The others just laughed, saying nothing, but their faces said everything.

And so, the four of them set out once more, toward gods, dangers, and whatever fate had in store for them.