The sky above Asa Academy was shrouded in thick clouds moving like invisible ocean currents, swallowing the moon and stars one by one. The wind whispered, carrying the scent of rain and metal, brushing against every corner of the roof and stone walls. Amidst it all, a single figure broke the silence—a man clad in a black robe, sitting on the edge of the highest rooftop, his legs dangling as if the world below were merely a painting.
In his hand, he held a pure crystal he had successfully obtained. From the beginning, his target had never been the weapon—it was this crystal.
A faint smile touched his lips—a smile that held no warmth, yet was not merely mocking.
In the air, two blades of light crisscrossed, slashing from the front. Headmistress Liliana, the undefeated legend, swung her longsword. The blade was not mere steel—it was wrapped in a thin layer of air-solidifying magic, producing a Swordmagic known to cut through even the strongest elemental shields.
With a small step, Thief Crow moved.
The blade passed a hand's breadth from his shoulder, tearing part of his robe. No blood was drawn. His movement seemed to harness the wind pull from the opponent's strike, gliding him to his next position. Thief Crow's eyes didn't even blink.
Thief Crow placed a small vortex of wind at his feet, using it to boost his speed and kick Liliana. But before the kick could land, Liliana utilized the moment to blind the thief with a burst of light from her sword, even if it meant taking a minor wound from the kick.
"Aura Spirit, activate."
Lisa Liondai advanced soundlessly, her right hand forming a strange mudra. Behind her, four translucent figures materialized from bluish-green light—Spirit Guardians. One held a bow, one a short sword, one a spear, and one merely clutched a scroll of spells.
The archer spirit drew its bow without an arrow. The air around it vibrated, condensing into an Arrow of Ether. Lisa fired three arrows simultaneously, each locking onto Thief Crow's movements from three different angles.
A long exhale.
Thief Crow lowered his body, letting one arrow whistle past overhead. His hand reached into his pocket, then tossed two small silver coins into the air. Instantly, two of the arrows struck the coins, shattering them and weakening the shots, deflected by an unnatural airflow.
"Graviton Lock."
Tiana Kingston's voice cut through the air like a military command. Gravity magic flowed from her palms, creating a three-meter-wide distortion field that trapped Thief Crow's position.
Thief Crow's movements slowed drastically, as if the space around him had turned into thick syrup. Every motion became ten times heavier.
Due to the backlash from the gravity spell, Tiana suffered significant recoil, but she ignored it. Sean raised his left hand. "Lumen Spear."
From the sky, a spear of light descended, aimed directly at Thief Crow's head.
But it only pierced an afterimage.
The real Thief Crow had already moved out of the distortion before the gravity magic fully locked him in. He left behind an afterimage, letting the light strike emptiness.
Liliana capitalized on Dex's landing, unleashing a Twin Arc Slash—sequential slashes cutting from two opposing directions. Thief Crow tilted his body, causing one of the slashes to nearly hit Lisa, who was advancing. It was only blocked thanks to her four spirits sacrificing themselves.
Liliana closed the distance and infused her sword with Spatial Step magic. Every slash could now bypass distance and cut from unpredictable angles.
Lumi, the Spirit of Thunder, merged with Liliana's sword. "Thank you, Lisa," Liliana whispered.
Tiana released a Double Cast Graviton Field to slow the area around the thief.
But Thief Crow raised his hand.
"Crows don't fly against the storm—they ride it." He released ten silver coins that scattered into the air.
Liliana thrust forward. Thief Crow spun, letting the blade pass, then pressed his fingertip against Liliana's shoulder. It wasn't an attack spell, but a binding magic—just enough to freeze her muscles for a few seconds.
Lisa threw a Spirit Lance, but the spear halted mid-air, blocked by the spinning coins clashing against it.
Tiana tried to destroy all the coins, but Dex appeared behind her, concentrating wind at his fingertips. One touch, and Sean was thrown far away, unable to move.
Thief Crow walked slowly among the three of them. He glanced at Tiana and Lisa, both exhausted of energy and mana.
Shifting his gaze, he looked at Liliana, who still held her sword warily.
"Is this all the strength of the revered Headmistress? The one they call humanity's last shield?" Thief Crown's voice broke the air, light yet piercing.
"Who are you? And… why? If you have power like this, why use it for… this?" Liliana's voice cracked, not from fear, but from anger mixed with disbelief.
To Liliana, power was a promise—a promise to protect, to bear burdens others couldn't carry. She had stood on the front lines, facing threats history didn't even recognize. Yet tonight, all of it was shattered by one man who didn't even seem to be trying.
"Is there not even a shred of humanity in your heart?"
Thief Crown laughed softly, almost like a whisper.
"Come now, don't exaggerate. I only stole one item. It's not as if I burned the whole world down."
"Humans are so strange, aren't they? From one falling apple, they can understand gravity. But from thousands of fallen lives, they still don't understand humanity."
To Dex, Liliana was still a hero—one who protected them from external dangers. But not from the ones within.
"What do you mean?" Liliana shouted, confused. Facing an enemy stronger than herself, her pride was utterly useless.
"You only see the surface of the sweet ocean. You're like someone guarding the surface of the sea, but you don't even know how deep it truly is, do you?"
Dex stopped right in front of her. His hand rose, his finger touching her chin, then moving up to her lips—a motion so slow that every second felt stretched.
Dex wanted to scream, to blame Liliana for what he had experienced. But seeing the clarity in her eyes made him waver.
"Never mind. It wasn't your fault anyway."
After saying this, Dex released his wind magic and propelled himself away, leaping high as if flying. Liliana could only watch the thief's back as he departed, powerless to do anything.