Chapter 16: Journey to Paradise: The Truth

Masahiro Yuki moved through the night like a silent blade cutting through shadow.

The Magical Academy was quiet—too quiet—while her instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. The moment she learned the principal approved sending students to that island, she knew she had to uncover the truth herself.

She slipped into the main building, disabled several barrier seals, and approached the principal’s office. A single touch, a soft whisper, and the lock shattered quietly.

The door opened.

Darkness greeted her.

Stillness… and buried secrets.

Masahiro walked to the desk and began searching. It didn’t take long. Government-sealed folders. Confidential stamps. Urgent directives.

She opened the first document—and froze.

“...They forced him?”
Her voice trembled. Her eyes hardened.

Inside the files, the truth spilled out: the principal had been pressured by the Japanese Government to send students to the island—no matter the risk.

But the next folder stole the air from her lungs.

Her hand shook.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Inside were memos, transfer agreements, and unsigned drafts of military contracts.

The plan was unmistakable:

The island was to be turned into a U.S. military base.

The U.S. government had already transferred initial funding.

Japan had quietly accepted.

The public was never informed.

The horrors of the island—its monsters, wandering souls, unstable mana—were deliberately ignored.

And the most horrifying detail?

Kamito Ryuga, Natsume Airi, Mikoto Hikari, and Sera Amanai had been sent there as expendable test subjects, to assess the island’s “threat viability” before the planned takeover.

Masahiro’s fists tightened.

“Unforgivable… I won’t let them die for this.”

She activated a hidden communication crystal and contacted her most trusted ally—a journalist with deep media connections.

“Release everything. Now.”

Within minutes, the conspiracy hit every major news outlet.

Japan erupted.

Politicians panicked.
Government ministries scrambled.
T.U.A.D.F headquarters was flooded with pressure from both the public and international observers.

Moments later, TUADF command issued an emergency deployment order.

VTOL fleets launched. Ground units mobilized. Reinforcements prepared for immediate dispatch.

Masahiro boarded the first VTOL bound for the island.

She gripped the railing, expression cold but trembling beneath the surface.

“Please… let them be alive…”

But halfway through the journey, the sky darkened unnaturally.

A violent storm rose out of nowhere—twisting like a living wall of mana. Purple lightning flashed through the clouds without thunder, each bolt pulsing like a heartbeat.

The VTOL lurched violently.

“We can’t get closer! The storm is too strong!” the pilot shouted.

Masahiro narrowed her eyes.

A natural storm didn’t behave like this.

“A weather-type sorcerer… Someone doesn’t want us landing.”

They were forced to retreat, engines straining against the roaring winds. Communication channels fired urgently back to TUADF command.

She could only watch the churning sky, anxiety tightening her chest.

The order finally came from Commander-in-Chief Amana Kouji—Sera Amanai’s father.

Hold position.
Await reinforcements.
No reckless advances.

Masahiro exhaled slowly and whispered:

“Kamito… Airi… Mikoto… Sera… don’t die before I reach you…”

—

Meanwhile, deep within the cursed island—

A monstrous roar tore across the dead city.

Gouma Gyuryū had completed its evolution.

Kamito and Sera Amanai braced themselves as the ground vibrated beneath them.

But before they could move, a soft chuckle echoed from behind.

Sonobe Kirigaya stepped out of the shadows, her eyes illuminated with fanatical devotion.

“None of you will leave this island alive.”

She raised one hand.

Dark mana spiraled at her fingertips.

“Whatever the cost, I will stop you—
for the birth of the Dark God.”

Kamito and Sera stiffened.

This was only the beginning.