Just as Ayal was about to deliver the final blow, someone suddenly called his name.
"Ayal!"
The masked man slowly turned around.
Standing there… was Reinhard.
"You gain nothing from fighting him," Reinhard said calmly.
The masked man chuckled.
"Are you here to fight me instead?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"I don't really remember why I came here. But fighting him was… quite entertaining. So I'll take my leave for now."
With those words, he stepped back into the black darkness—and vanished.
After he disappeared, Reinhard finally looked around.
The area was nearly destroyed.
Broken ground. Cracked walls. Burn marks everywhere.
It was clear a fierce battle
had taken place.
Then he saw Ayal.
Blood was dripping from his body. His shirt was torn apart. Yet… Ayal was smiling faintly.
Soon after, Ayal was carried to the God Academy's medical room.
It was the first time in history that God
Academy had ever been attacked.
In the Medical Room
Although Ayal's injuries were severe, the academy's treatment magic restored his body.
After some time…
His eyes slowly opened.
"Where… am I…?"
His voice was weak.
"Ayal… you're finally awake."
Hearing his name, Ayal slowly sat up.
"Where am I?"
"You're safe now," Reinhard replied calmly.
Suddenly, Ayal remembered everything.
"That person…! Where is he?!"
Reinhard smiled faintly.
"You did well."
"I… did well?" Ayal asked, confused.
"The one you fought… was an S-Rank."
Ayal's eyes widened.
"S-S-Rank Hunter?!"
"Yes."
"You know him?"
"I do."
"How?"
Reinhard sighed.
"That's a long story."
"Just tell me a little."
After a short pause, Reinhard nodded.
"The one who attacked you… isn't alone. He belongs to a large organization."
"A large organization…?"
"Yes. A group that works for money. If someone pays them enough—or offers something valuable—they will do any job."
"How do you know they're a group?"
"Because of the mask
. They all wear masks. It's their rule."
Reinhard looked at Ayal seriously.
"What surprises me is… you were able to fight someone ranked fifth in their organization."
"Fifth…?"
"Yes. He was number five."
Ayal fell silent.
Number five… and he almost died.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his head. He held it tightly.
"Are you alright?" Reinhard asked.
"I'm fine," Ayal replied, though something felt strange… like a missing memory.
"Are they demons?" Ayal asked.
Reinhard shook his head.
"No. They're something else."
"What?"
Reinhard only smiled.
"That's another long story."
Before leaving, Reinhard looked at him one last time.
"You're progressing… just as I expected."
Then he walked away.
Ayal was left confused.
Visitors
Suddenly, someone rushed into the room.
"Ayal!"
It was Aira, followed by Hinata and Alya.
"Ayal! Are you okay? I heard you were attacked!"
Aira grabbed him tightly.
Hinata, blushing, asked softly, "Are you… really alright?"
Alya crossed her arms.
"Hmph! I didn't even want to come. They dragged me here."
"We told you to come yourself!" Aira protested.
"Y-Yes!" Hinata agreed.
Alya turned red. "W-What are you saying?!"
Their argument was interrupted when Aira suddenly lowered her head.
"The one who attacked you… wasn't caught. But the one who hired him was captured."
Then she bowed deeply.
"This happened because of me. If you weren't with me… you wouldn't have been attacked."
Ayal was shocked.
"No, it's not your fault. Something like this would've happened sooner or later."
Hearing that, Aira began to cry and hugged him tightly.
Ayal froze.
Hinata turned her face away, cheeks red.
Alya shouted, "W-What are you two doing?!"
Koji's Arrival
A few hours earlier—
Koji couldn't sleep.
For the first time, someone had called him a friend.
He kept thinking about it.
The next morning, he noticed the academy grounds were almost destroyed.
He overheard two students talking.
"Did you hear? There was a fight yesterday."
"Really? I didn't notice."
"They say it was an S-Rank… and the one fighting him was a student from our academy."
"What?!"
"I heard his name is… Ayal."
Koji's eyes widened.
"S-Rank…?"
"He's alive though. He's in the medical room."
Without another word, Koji ran.
He burst into the room.
"Ayal!"
Seeing him safe… Koji felt relieved.
But when he noticed the girls standing around him… something felt strange in his chest.
"Are you okay?" Koji asked, breathing heavily.
"I'm fine. You didn't have to rush like that," Ayal said with a smile.
Aira looked at Koji.
"Is he your friend?"
"Yes," Ayal replied.
The three girls looked surprised.
"You had another friend besides us?" Aira asked.
Koji introduced himself.
When he said his name, the girls exchanged glances—they seemed to recognize it.
Suddenly, the door opened again.
A voice echoed in the room.
"What are all of you doing here?"
To be continued…