Luna's blue-black hair lay still against her back, the faint fae sheen threading through it like starlight caught in ink.
Whatever the Demon Lord had been about to reveal—whatever truth hung in the air—made her skin prickle.
What was he talking about…?
Her thoughts cut off abruptly.
The shadows at her feet shifted.
Not erratically. Not defensively.
Deliberately.
One of them peeled away from the others, stretching thin before bulging outward—then opening.
An eye blinked into existence.
Blue and black sclera swirled together like a night sky, veins traced in delicate gold patterns that pulsed softly, alive.
The pupil adjusted, focusing, reflecting the throne, the Demon Lord, the Empress—
Recording.
Luna barely moved her lips.
"Yeah," she whispered, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Definitely documenting this."
The eye drifted upward, hovering just behind her shoulder, unseen by anyone not attuned to shadow or fae magic.
--
The Strategic Operations Room hummed with restrained power.
Runic projections floated above the central table, casting cold light across the faces gathered there.
Outside the glass walls, Shadowreach's night sky churned with drifting mana currents.
Professor Gensai stood unmoving at the head of the table, coat hanging straight, the air around him heavy with veteran authority.
Opposite him stood the three SSS-Ranks.
They didn't need to announce their presence.
Power moved with them naturally.
Jinro stood still as winter stone, broad shoulders squared, silver-gray hair falling loosely around sharp lupine features.
His aura felt like deep forest night—silent, predatory.
Even unmoving, he gave the impression he could cross the room in a single step if needed.
Beside him, Raigen rolled his neck once, and faint lightning crawled across his collarbone and down his arms before fading.
His dark hair shifted slightly despite the still air, charged strands lifting with static.
Every breath he took hummed faintly, as if thunder waited just under his skin.
Leaning casually against the wall, Saek looked almost bored.
Her crimson hair, tied loosely behind her head, slipped over one shoulder as she shifted.
Faint blood sigils pulsed beneath her skin, glowing softly along her wrists and neck.
The magic moved slowly, like liquid circling beneath glass.
Her smile was lazy.
But her eyes were sharp.
Gensai broke the silence. "The situation is simple."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Tsuramo killed a Koryu."
Silence answered him.
Raigen clicked his tongue. "Which means the Shinryu will move."
Jinro nodded slightly. "And they'll target the one who proved dangerous."
Saeko leaned against the wall, arms crossed loosely. "So the CM kid just painted a target on his own back."
Gensai tapped the table.
The map shifted.
Multiple energy signatures appeared deep inside Wolf Realm territory.
"Three confirmed Shinryu movements," he said. "Possibly more."
Even Jinro's expression tightened.
Raigen exhaled slowly. "And you think Tsuramo can fight them?"
Gensai shook his head.
"No."
That answer surprised them.
"He can't do it alone," the professor continued. "And if we send only SS or SSS units, the Shinryu will retreat before engagement."
Saeko's eyes sharpened slightly. "You want bait."
Gensai met her gaze. "I want the one they are hunting."
A brief pause followed.
Jinro folded his arms. "Then who leads the operation?"
Gensai pressed a control.
A new profile appeared.
TAKARA AYAME — FIELD COMMANDER.
Raigen frowned instantly.
"Her?"
Jinro's brow creased. "You're assigning Ayame to lead the operation?"
Saeko lifted an eyebrow, amused. "Now this is interesting."
Gensai didn't flinch. "She commanded the Tokoshima operation."
"And nearly lost control of it," Raigen countered.
Jinro added, quieter but firm, "Reports state she was overwhelmed inside the domain. Tsuramo finished the fight."
A thin silence settled.
Gensai looked at each of them.
"And yet," he replied calmly, "every member of that squad returned alive."
No one answered immediately.
Gensai continued. "A commander isn't judged by who swings the strongest sword."
He tapped the display again.
"They are judged by who brings their people home."
Silence lingered.
Raigen clicked his tongue but didn't argue further.
Jinro exhaled slowly, conceding the point.
Saeko, meanwhile, smiled faintly.
"So," she said lazily, "you're sending Ayame to babysit our dragon slayer?"
Gensai's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sending someone he trusts."
A pause.
"And someone who knows how he fights."
He turned toward the door. "Send her in."
Moments later, footsteps approached.
The door slid open.
Ayame Kazehara entered.
Tall, composed, her long dark hair tied neatly behind her. Her uniform coat hung open over combat gear still faintly marked from recent repairs.
Her violet eyes swept the room once.
She noted the SS-Ranks present.
And the displayed corpse of Ryugan.
She stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"You called, professor?"
Gensai nodded. "You've been reassigned."
Ayame straightened. "Details?"
"A Shinryu incursion is forming in the Wolf Realm."
Her expression sharpened instantly.
"And my unit?"
"You'll lead retrieval and engagement."
Her eyes flicked to the display.
Then back.
"Who's on the roster?"
Gensai answered simply.
"Tsuramo."
A brief silence.
Ayame's gaze sharpened slightly, but she showed no surprise.
"I see."
Behind her, Raigen scoffed softly.
Ayame turned slightly, eyes cool.
"Something amusing?"
Raigen shrugged. "Just wondering if you can handle a mission that size this time."
The room tensed.
Ayame held his gaze without blinking.
"If you're volunteering," she said calmly, "I'll put you on evacuation duty."
Saeko snorted.
Jinro hid a faint smile.
Gensai cleared his throat.
"Enough."
The tension faded.
Ayame faced forward again.
"When do we move?"
"Soon," Gensai replied. "But you won't go alone."
Saeko pushed off the wall.
"I'll join."
All eyes turned to her.
Raigen frowned. "You're serious?"
Saeko shrugged lightly.
"I want to meet the kid who kills dragons."
She looked at Ayame, smiling faintly.
"And if things go bad, you'll need another blade."
A pause.
Ayame studied her briefly.
Then nodded once.
"Fine."
Gensai exhaled quietly.
"Then it's settled."
The display shifted to show Shadowreach Academy.
Somewhere within its towers—
Unaware of the storm gathering around him—
Tsuramo walked back toward his dorm.
And soon—
War would come looking for him.
--