Beep!… Beep!… Beep!…

Loud sirens suddenly echoed across the entire academy. The sharp, shrill sound pierced the air, making everyone's hearts pound with unease. It wasn't just the academy—this alarm rang across the vast city, warning everyone of an incoming catastrophe.

Students who had been resting in their dorm rooms rushed out in panic. Some looked confused, others were already gripping their weapons, their instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong.

Then, a powerful voice boomed across the academy through the magical announcement system.

"All students, listen carefully!

This is Vice Principal Lilith Maranthia. A massive tide of monsters is heading this way. An S rank Level Formation has appeared, Covering a large portion of land, We can't ran away, Our communication systems are down, which means there is definitely a traitor among us.

Right now, we have no choice but to fight until we can restore communication and call for reinforcements!"

The message ended, leaving an eerie silence for just a moment—before chaos erupted.

Many students gasped in shock. Others clenched their fists, adrenaline surging through their veins.

"Hahaha! This is my chance!" one boy shouted excitedly, his eyes burning with ambition. "I'll kill these puny monsters and become a hero!"

Meanwhile, some students rushed to the rooftop, eager to see what they were up against.

The moment they saw it, their bodies froze.

A massive, endless wave of monsters stretched across the horizon. The ground trembled beneath their feet as thousands of creatures moved forward like an unstoppable tsunami. Goblins, orcs, skeletons, humanoid beasts—creatures from nightmares, all surging toward the academy.

Some students gasped in horror.

"I… I won't survive this…" one student muttered, his legs trembling.

His breathing grew rapid, panic creeping into his voice. "I need to run! If I stay here, I'll die!"

He wasn't alone. Many students shared the same thought. Their survival instincts screamed at them to flee.

--------

Ethan Rothslayer stood among the students, his expression dark and serious.

He clenched his fists. "I had a feeling something was off yesterday. It was too quiet. But something this big… it was bound to happen sooner or later."

His gaze turned sharp. He knew what he had to do.

Reaching to his side, he grabbed his sword and tightened his grip around the hilt.

"Last time, I ran away… and people died,Who could be saved!",

He exhaled, steadying himself.

"But this time… I won't run. I'll fight. I'll save even more people",

------

Meanwhile, inside a quiet dorm room, Esdeath Crimson stood before her daughter,Selene.

Her deep red eyes were calm, yet serious.

"Stay in the room," Esdeath ordered, her voice steady. "Don't leave until I come back. Okay?"

Selene silently nodded, her expression unreadable.

Esdeath turned toward the door.

She wasn't the fable but real Esdeath.

This was her first time stepping into battle, her first time fighting in a real war.

But even as she stepped forward, her heart did not waver.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

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It didn't take long before many students lost their courage. Fear gripped their hearts, and dozens of them decided to run for their lives. Without looking back, they sprinted towards the academy gates, pushing and shoving in desperation.

For a moment, relief filled their faces as they made it past the gates. But just a few minutes into their escape, something invisible struck them like a solid wall.

BAM!

Students tumbled backward, some falling onto the ground, others rubbing their foreheads in shock.

"What was that?" one boy gasped, blinking in confusion.

Then the realization hit.

"The vice principal wasn't lying… There really is a barrier!" Another student exclaimed in horror.

A girl with long red hair dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Sob… sob… So we really can't escape? We have no choice but to fight?" Her voice trembled as she clenched her fists.

"I don't want to fight! This must be a dream—no, a nightmare!" another student cried out, hugging themselves as panic spread.

But in the midst of their despair, a sudden burst of laughter echoed through the air.

"Haha! I'm saved! I actually made it through!"

A few students turned to see a boy standing on the other side of the barrier, cheering in excitement.

Another girl, her face full of happiness, jumped up and down. "I got past too! I can escape!"

The ones trapped inside stared with wide eyes, their mouths slightly open in shock.

"How?! How did they get out while we're stuck here?" one boy asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

That was when another voice spoke up. A tall, thin boy with orange hair and glasses calmly adjusted his frames. His expression remained cool and collected as he observed the scene.

It was Valen Vandris.

"It seems," Valen said, his voice smooth and confident, "this formation is only restricting those with a certain level of power. In other words, it treats the weaker ones as useless and lets them go."

A silence fell over the students as the weight of his words sank in.

"You!" One boy, his face red with anger, pointed at Valen. "Why are you acting so smug? You're standing outside the barrier too! That means you're just as weak as them!"

Valen chuckled, completely unfazed.

"So what?" He shrugged. "Sometimes, the weakest survive the longest. Unlike you, I don't plan on dying today."

With a carefree wave, he turned around and took off at full speed, disappearing into the distance.

Meanwhile, beyond the academy, a few monsters were still lurking, their glowing eyes fixed on the city instead of the school. Their numbers were smaller, but the danger was still very real.

But valen clearly had greater advantage of surviving outside of formation.

"Don't worry lady boss, I'll bring reinforcement with me!",He thought as he ran.

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

A few minutes had passed, and the academy was already in chaos. Explosions, flashes of lightning, and deadly attacks echoed from every direction.

The ground trembled from time to time, and the horrifying screams of humans mixed with the roars of monsters, sending waves of fear through the air.

Many students were so terrified that they fainted just from hearing those dreadful sounds.

Even though most of the monsters and demons were fighting against the academy forces outside, some had managed to sneak inside.

One such intruder was a low-rank demon.

He had gray skin, a narrow black horn, and bloodshot red eyes.

Right now, he was fighting against two female students.

Even though he was only a low-rank demon, for those girls, he might as well have been the Demon King himself.

They exchanged a few moves, trying their best to hold their ground, but soon, exhaustion overtook them. They collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

The demon showed no mercy. With a swift swing of his sword, he beheaded them both in an instant.

"Tch. Damn humans," he muttered in disgust. "After everything we did for you, you ridiculed us. And now, you think we'll just stay silent while you steal what's rightfully ours? You all deserve to die!"

But then, his sharp senses picked up something.

He turned his head towards a nearby pillar. "Who's there?" he demanded.

He was right—someone was hiding behind it.

It was none other than Esdeath Crimson.

Her expression was grim as she clutched her head, trying to figure out a way out of this situation.

"Urgh...shit, What shitty situation i rank into?",

"I've never learned any magic," she thought anxiously. "I only have fragments of memories of what my other personality did these past few weeks!"

She had weapons, but she didn't know how to use the storage-type essence stone. And even if she took something out, she wasn't sure how to wield it properly.

The only weapon she somewhat understood was her ZK-20, but she wasn't like Fable, who could turn it into guns or snipers. Her knowledge was too limited.

"There's no point in hiding," the demon sneered. "Come out and accept your death!"

Esdeath took a deep breath, calming herself.

"I guess you got me," she said, still behind the pillar. "But what exactly are you trying to prove by killing me?"

The demon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you earlier," Esdeath continued, her voice steady. "You're attacking because humans took your resources, and now you want revenge, right? But I assure you, I don't have anything valuable. Killing me is just a waste of your time."

The demon scoffed, crossing his arms. "Hmph… It's not just about resources. You humans killed our innocent people—even children to take away our resources and Now, I'll take revenge by killing all of you!"

At that moment, a slow, wicked smirk spread across Esdeath's face.

"Huh? Then aren't you doing the exact same thing by killing an innocent person like me?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery. "What's the difference between you and the humans you hate?"

The demon's breath hitched.

For the first time, doubt flickered in the demon's eyes.

Esdeath's words struck something deep within him, making him question his own sense of justice.

But he quickly shook off the hesitation and tightened his grip on his sword.

"Enough chit-chat—" he began, raising his weapon.

Before he could finish, Esdeath interrupted with a soft, almost playful voice.

"Besides, we're on the same side."

The demon narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Same side?"

Esdeath slowly stepped out from behind the pillar, finally revealing herself.

Her skin was ghostly pale, almost like a fairy from a dark tale, and her deep red eyes glowed with an eerie light.

The demon instinctively lowered his guard. He understood now.

"What is a vampire doing here in the academy?" he asked, still holding his sword but without the same hostility.

Esdeath was so close to looking like a vampire that even Lortell had been fooled. Forget about this low-rank demon—it was easy to trick him.

Adding to the illusion, she was still wearing the same outfit from her date with Lortell. It was elegant and far from the standard academy uniform, making it easy for the demon to assume she wasn't a student.

On the outside, Esdeath's expression remained calm and composed. But inside, she was brimming with excitement.

"Thank goodness he took the bait!" she thought to herself.

She looked at the demon with a serious face, her voice carrying a hint of pride.

"I'm Esdeath Bloodborne, a low-rank vampire. I saw the commotion and figured it would be a good opportunity to suck some human blood and get stronger."

The demon let out a small sigh of relief. "I see. Alright then, just don't get in my way."

Esdeath took a step closer to him, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

"There are some students over there," she said, pointing towards a direction. "They're too strong for me, but I think you can handle them."

The demon smirked, satisfied with her words.

"Hmph, leave it to me." He turned and started walking towards the area she had pointed to. "Alright then, let's not meet again—"

*Srrrrrr...*

A chilling sound echoed in the air.

The demon's eyes widened in shock.

A long, thin sword had pierced cleanly through his back, stabbing straight through his chest. It was over a meter long, yet barely three centimeters thick—a deadly weapon meant for swift and precise kills.

He coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth.

Slowly, he turned his head, struggling to look behind him.

There stood Esdeath, holding the sword with a wide, wicked grin.

"Yeah, let's not meet again," she whispered, her voice dripping with amusement.