---
The Grand Hall was still abuzz with murmurs from the emergency announcement. Kaito leaned against a pillar, his sharp gaze scanning the room, catching fragments of conversations.
“Why here?”
“Could Astraea truly be their target?”
“I heard there’s a massive summoning circle at the northern borders…”
Kaito’s attention snapped to the last comment. Summoning circle? Northern borders? That doesn’t align with their last known movements… He turned to Yumi, who had been quietly observing him.
“Did you hear that?” he asked in a low voice.
Yumi nodded, her brows furrowed. “A summoning circle… but didn’t the council mention demon forces near the heart of the continent? Why would they be focused on two separate locations?”
Kaito tapped his chin thoughtfully, his mind already piecing together the fragments of information. “It’s either a diversion or…” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing.
“Or what?” Yumi pressed.
“Or we’re not dealing with one coordinated attack,” Kaito said grimly. “It could be multiple factions working simultaneously. If that’s the case, the scale of this war is far worse than they’ve let on.”
---
Kaito’s unease deepened as he mulled over the implications. That evening, after most of the academy had settled into their routines, he gathered the misfit class in the dormitory common room.
“We need to investigate the summoning circles,” Kaito announced bluntly.
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Toru frowned, resting his sword on his lap. “Investigate? Isn’t that the council’s job? What can we do?”
Kaito’s eyes sharpened. “The council will only act on information they already have. We’ve seen how slow bureaucracy is. But we…” He gestured to their group. “We’re not bound by their red tape. And we have something they don’t—initiative.”
Elara hesitated. “But how do we even begin? It’s not like they’ll let us waltz into a war zone.”
Kaito smirked faintly. “They don’t need to. We just need to access the records in the restricted section of the library. It’ll have details on previous summoning rituals and known demon tactics.”
Rian crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. “And you think they’ll let a bunch of misfits into the restricted section?”
“They don’t have to,” Kaito replied. “We’ll do it quietly.”
---
The restricted section of Astraea’s library was heavily guarded by magical wards and patrolling instructors. But Kaito’s unparalleled adaptability made short work of their defenses.
Using his space magic, he created a small subspace to store a crystal imbued with his essence. He marked a hidden corner of the restricted section, then teleported directly to it. The rest of the group followed through a shadow bridge conjured by Rian.
Once inside, the team spread out, searching the dusty tomes and ancient scrolls for anything related to demon activity.
Yumi’s voice broke the silence. “Here—‘On Summoning Rituals and Their Significance.’” She placed the book on a nearby table.
Kaito flipped through its pages, his eyes scanning rapidly. “Summoning circles of this scale aren’t meant for standard demons,” he murmured. “They’re designed to call forth generals or higher entities. The northern one might be bait, but the central location…” His voice trailed off as he reached a diagram.
The others leaned in, their expressions tense. The diagram depicted a colossal summoning formation spanning miles, with runes designed to tear through dimensions.
“This isn’t just a summoning,” Kaito said, his tone heavy. “This is an invasion.”
---
Before they could fully digest the information, the faint sound of footsteps echoed through the library. Kaito acted swiftly, signaling the group to hide.
The patrolling instructor paused near their hiding spot, muttering under his breath. “Damn council… keeping us in the dark about the central summoning. If they don’t act soon, we’ll all be demon fodder.”
As the footsteps receded, the group emerged from their hiding spots, their expressions grim.
“Looks like even the instructors are questioning the council’s judgment,” Yumi said quietly.
Kaito closed the tome and slipped it into his subspace. “Then it’s up to us to find out the truth before it’s too late.”
---
The following days saw an increase in the academy’s training intensity. Kaito, despite his growing mastery of magic, remained deeply focused on unraveling the mystery of the summoning circles.
During a sparring session, Alaric von Rothen confronted him again, this time with more malice.
“You think sneaking around will make you stronger, Kaito?” Alaric sneered. “You’ll always be a failure, no matter how many books you read.”
Kaito sidestepped Alaric’s fiery attack with ease, his voice cold. “You’re right. Knowledge alone isn’t enough. But it’s more than you’ll ever have.”
The exchange drew murmurs from the crowd, but Kaito didn’t care. His focus was solely on preparing for the inevitable clash with the demons.
As the chapter closed, Kaito stood atop one of the academy’s towers, gazing out at the horizon. The weight of the impending battle pressed heavily on him, but his resolve was unshaken.
“They think Astraea is the target,” he muttered. “But what if we’ve already lost sight of the real threat?”
---
End of Chapter 7: Part V