"Who are you?" Maruti asked, her voice serious and sharp.

Esdeath lowered her head slightly, then let out a scoff.

"I guess there’s no point in hiding anymore… I’m Esdeath Crimson—"

Before she could even finish her sentence—

"Switch back!"

Maruti’s loud voice rang out, cutting her off.

"What?" Esdeath blinked, confused.

But before she could react, Maruti ran toward her and grabbed her arms, shaking her wildly.

"I said switch back! Switch back! Switch back!" Maruti yelled, her tone filled with irritation and urgency.

"You little fool! Do you even understand what’s happening right now? This isn’t something you can handle! Switch back to Fable!"

Esdeath gritted her teeth. She yanked her arms free from Maruti’s grip.

"Stop it!" she shouted, her frustration spilling over.

"But why?" Maruti yelled back, eyes burning with disbelief.

"It’s my body!" Esdeath snapped. "It’s up to me whether I want to switch or not! Besides… I don’t even know how to switch back!"

Maruti’s eyes narrowed like a cat sensing danger.

"Huh? You don’t know?" she muttered.

That was bad. That was really, really bad.

Maruti felt like she had fallen into a nightmare. She wasn’t the type to come up with plans, and now she had to protect this Esdeath because if she died, then Fable would probably die too.

And how long would it take for Fable to return?

She had no idea.

"What a shitty situation!" Maruti groaned, rubbing her temples.

But then—

A deafening roar shook the sky.

Maruti and Esdeath's heads snapped upward looking outside from large window in second floor corridors.

A Divine Flame Phoenix soared above the academy, its massive wings flapping with power. Its golden-red feathers glowed like molten fire, illuminating the night like a second sun.

Then, it opened its beak—

And a huge orange beam blasted from its mouth.

The beam streaked across the sky—

Splash!

Splash!

Splash!

Everything it touched melted instantly.

The academy, one of the strongest magic institutions in the world, was cut in half.

The middle section simply vanished, reduced to molten liquid.

Anyone standing in its path didn’t even have time to scream.

They melted on the spot.

Their bodies turned into liquid, then evaporated into nothing.

The ground where the beam landed was now a glowing pool of lava, and anything nearby erupted into flames.

Students who had been close to the blast stumbled away, flames clinging to their clothes, their skin.

"Aaaahhhh! HELP! Water magic isn’t working!"

"It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Panicked screams filled the air.

Some students, desperate to escape, ran toward the academy doors—

But in just seconds, their burning bodies collapsed into piles of ash.

Not even their bones remained.

And the worst part?

The beam had struck just a few steps behind where Maruti and Esdeath had been arguing.

Maruti swallowed hard.

If they had moved just a little slower…

They would have been gone.

She took a deep breath, forcing down the panic clawing at her chest. There was no time to think about Fable anymore.

She turned to Esdeath, grabbing her hand in a tight grip.

"Fuck Fable for now! Take Selene and run! Now!"

She yanked Esdeath forward, sprinting toward the dorm room where Selene was.

If they didn’t move fast, they’d be next.

Outside the academy, two massive red dragons were wreaking havoc. They showed no mercy, tearing through both humans and monsters alike, their enormous claws ripping apart everything in their way.

Each dragon was over fifty meters tall, their colossal bodies casting terrifying shadows over the battlefield.

From their mouths, scorching breath poured out like liquid fire, melting everything it touched—the ground, the buildings, the people. Nothing could withstand their destructive flames.

Above them, the Divine Flame Phoenix let out another deafening roar. It flapped its mighty wings, ready to unleash a second beam of destruction.

But just as the phoenix was about to attack—

A blur of movement flashed through the sky.

It was fast. So fast.

Faster than the wind.

Faster than lightning.

Before the phoenix, or even the red dragons, could react—

A sharp sound echoed through the air.

Tck!

The next moment—

The phoenix’s head was gone.

Its massive body plummeted to the ground, lifeless.

As soon as it landed, an explosion of fire erupted from its corpse, lighting up the entire battlefield.

The two red dragons instantly turned their attention to the cause of this sudden death.

And the moment their eyes landed on the figure before them—

They froze.

Their dragon faces twisted into something close to fear.

Then, without hesitation, they flapped their enormous wings and moved back, putting distance between themselves and the one who had just appeared.

It was as if a towering mountain had suddenly descended upon them.

Because standing before them—

Was a dragon over a hundred meters tall.

More than twice their size.

Its silver scales gleamed under the moonlight, each one shining like polished steel.

Its sharp fangs looked strong enough to crush anything in a single bite.

And its claws…

They were long, curved, and deadly.

Just one swipe could tear apart anything in its path.

One of the red dragons finally spoke, its deep voice filled with unease.

"Lilith Maranthia…"

At that moment, blue lightning crackled across the silver dragon’s body.

And then—

The enormous creature began to shrink.

Its body rapidly transformed, shrinking down into a much smaller figure.

Within seconds, the towering dragon had turned into a young girl.

She was petite, almost doll-like, with long dragon horns curling from her head. Her silver hair flowed down her back, and her eyes burned with fury.

Despite her small size, she radiated an overwhelming presence—like a deity who had descended upon the battlefield.

Lilith Maranthia gritted her teeth and pointed her sword directly at the red dragons.

"You traitors!" she shouted, her voice shaking with anger. "You broke the treaty between dragons and humans! That treaty has lasted for two hundred years! From this moment on, all dragons will be your enemies!"

But the red dragons' reaction was not what Lilith expected.

Instead of backing down—

A red glow surged through one of them.

The dragon in front began to change.

Its massive form shrank down, shifting into a human shape.

And when the transformation was complete—

A tall woman stood in its place.

Her skin was dark, almost bronze, and her long red hair cascaded down her back like flowing fire. She had a fierce, sharp gaze and a powerful aura.

She was also incredibly well-built—her chest heavy, her frame muscular yet feminine.

She looked like some kind of battle-hardened warrior, a force of nature in human form.

But more than anything—

She looked furious.

"You," she growled, her voice deep and filled with rage. "You, who are nothing but a slave to humans… What right do you have to accuse us of breaking the law?"

Lilith’s eyes widened in shock.

"What?" she muttered.

The woman’s fiery gaze locked onto her, filled with hatred.

"You kidnapped my newborn son!" she roared. "The prince of the red dragons! I can sense that he is here!"

Her fury burned hotter than dragon fire.

"By doing this, you and your pathetic humans were the first to break the law! And now—"

Her eyes narrowed, her voice shaking with wrath.

"You are all enemies of the dragon race."

Lilith’s heart pounded.

This was bad. Very bad.

The dragon race was small in number, and they rarely sought out conflict. They avoided war unless absolutely necessary.

But by stealing a newborn prince…

The humans had committed an unforgivable crime.

This wasn’t just a provocation.

It was a declaration of war.

"Wait, Vaelthara!" Lilith shouted, her voice desperate. "We didn’t do anything! This must be some kind of misunderstanding!"

But Vaelthara—the red dragon queen—only glared at her.

Her body shimmered—

And in an instant, she shifted back into her dragon form.

Her enormous wings spread wide, her claws digging into the ground.

She raised her head high, preparing to unleash a devastating attack.

"There is nothing to discuss!"

Her voice thundered across the battlefield.

"We will talk—"

Her mouth opened, flames flickering in her throat.

"After your death!"

--------------

"Ahh... Where are we even going? And what the hell is happening?!" Selene shouted, her voice shaky as she clung tightly to Esdeath.

Her whole body was bouncing up and down as Esdeath sprinted at an incredible speed, carrying Selene on her shoulders like she weighed nothing. The world around them was a blur, and Selene's stomach felt like it was flipping over itself.

Meanwhile, Maruti ran ahead, leading the way.

The entire area was in chaos—monsters howling, trees collapsing, and the ground trembling under the weight of the destruction. But the three of them kept moving, dodging debris and cutting down anything that got in their way.

Selene, still confused and terrified, tried to get answers. "Hey! Can someone at least tell me what’s going on?! Why are we running?!"

"Shut up, question kid! First, we need to get the hell out of here!" Maruti snapped, not even looking back.

Despite her words, she made sure to punch or kick away any monster that got too close. Some of them were cut in half, while others were sent flying like ragdolls.

Esdeath also fought when needed, but she couldn’t help but notice something.

"She's insanely strong for a first-year..." Esdeath muttered under her breath. She was fast, but compared to Maruti, she felt like a snail.

As they kept running, Esdeath finally asked the question that had been bothering her. "How the hell are we getting past the barrier?"

Maruti grinned, her confidence radiating. "Simple. The barrier only blocks beings above a certain power level, meaning it scans mana to check who gets stopped."

Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "And?"

"And..." Maruti smirked. "At the very last moment, I'll drain my mana to zero using a Rank B essence stone. That way, my mana will be too low to register as a threat, and the barrier will let me pass. Since I'm holding onto you, you’ll come through with me!"

She grabbed Esdeath's hand tightly, her grip warm and firm.

"Alright, full speed ahead!"

The barrier was now just a step away.

Maruti grinned and activated her ability. "Rank B Fire Body—!"

But before she could even complete the spell, her body had already passed through the barrier effortlessly.

Esdeath and Selene, however, slammed into it like they had hit an invisible wall.

BANG!

Both of them were sent flying backward, landing hard on the ground.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, as if their brains had just caught up with reality, Esdeath and Selene exchanged looks of pure disbelief.

"What the hell just happened?!" Maruti shouted, just as confused as them.

She took a step back inside the barrier. Then she stepped outside. Then back inside again.

She kept repeating the motion, stepping in and out with a look of amusement on her face.

It looked ridiculous—almost like a comedy skit.

Esdeath, on the other hand, stood up and placed her hand on the barrier. Unlike Maruti, who could only sense it, Esdeath could *see* it clearly.

A transparent green wall shimmered before her, with tiny electric currents running through it. The moment she touched it, a strong force repelled her hand, pushing her back.

She glanced at Maruti again, who was still stepping in and out like she was testing a new toy.

"There’s no way she’s weak… So why isn’t the barrier stopping her?" Esdeath thought to herself.

Her eyes widened slightly as she came to a realization.

There was only one answer.

One word formed in her mind.

"Divine Rank Essence Stone—'Freedom'."