Once Bartus and his companions reached the pair, they proceeded to introduce themselves one after the other.

"Heya, name's Roku! I'm an all-rounder."

Roku possessed a round face illuminated by a bright smile, framed by long, black, curly hair that cascaded down to his large, brown eyes.

"I'm Raishu, Arsha adept."

Raishu stood tall, his head devoid of hair, with a notable absence of an earlobe and sporting a black goatee. Despite his mature appearance, he seemed to be in his early twenties, making him the closest in age to Bartus among the group.

"Marcia, I'm a Lacus adept."

Marcia possessed a cold expression, her mature countenance framed by sky-blue eyes and long, blond hair intricately braided.

"I'm Luna. Arsha adept."

Luna's black hair was partially pulled back, secured at the top by a vibrant red ribbon. Her gentle expression was complemented by fox-like green eyes.

"I'm sure you already know me, it's Eva, we're in the same section."

Eva, the Arsha adept, is the girl who had surpassed Naylu's range during the evaluation process.

No Nayum adepts, huh? I see that Bartus decided all Nayumers are not to be trusted.

"Pleasure to meet you, everyone. I'm Dariu, an all-rounder, and this is Naylu, he's an Arsha adept."

"Well, Dariu," Bartus remarked, "as promised, all those present here are trustworthy companions that we can rely on."

"That's all of them? What about Silas and Noah?" Inquired Naylu.

You already know the answer to that, Naylu.

"I understand that you may see them as companions, but they are Nayum adepts. We cannot say for certain if they're to be trusted," Bartus replied.

"So we're just antagonizing all Nayumers now?" Naylu questioned, his tone reflecting concern.

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"They are the ones who antagonized us first, dandy," said Raishu.

Dandy? What's that?

"Speaking of trust issues," Marcia interjected, "who's to say we can trust you?"

"I second that," agreed Roku, "aren't you guys the sneaky fellas who were outside last night? Seems mighty suspicious if you ask me," he expressed with a mocking, childish tone.

"I believe we have already resolved that matter with Bartus," said Dariu, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"You mean that obvious lie about experimenting with the curfew and whatnot?" Marcia challenged, her skepticism evident in her tone.

"It wasn't a lie!" Yelled Naylu.

"And just how can you prove that, dandy?" Questioned Raishu.

"Everyone, let's calm down, please," Luna attempted to diffuse the situation, "we have already agreed to trust in Bartus' judgment."

"That we did, Luna," said Roku,"but it still seems too odd, don't you think? No one else knew about this so-called loophole except for them and lovely murder gang."

"That's enough!" Commanded Bartus, his voice firm. "I understand you all have your concerns, but Dariu is our only chance to make a stand against The Nayum Tarra. Trusting him is not a choice; it's a necessity that will have no worse consequences than what we're already facing."

The others stayed quite, their agreement with Bartus conveyed through their silence.

"Dariu, I'm placing my faith in you once more. In the name of the great Mariadaishu, I promise to stand by your side if you stand by mine," Bartus proclaimed, his voice resonating with unwavering conviction, and his arm extended for a handshake.

Mariadaishu?! Did I hear that correctly?

"I got your back if you got mine," Dariu shook his hand, "just one question... Who do you think founded Arcadia?"

"What an absurd question... Mariadaishu, of course."

Alas, that guy's influence is far bigger than what I expected...

The whole group shifted uncomfortably in response to Bartus' declaration, as if they had felt secondhand embarrassment.

"Alright, let's recap what we know so far," said Dariu, seated cross-legged on the grass, the others forming a circle around him, "because Nayumers could master spells faster than us, they arrived at the absurd conclusion that they should start eliminating us from the start at our weakest in order to raise their chances of survival."

"And the reason why they attacked last night was because it was a 'blind night',"added Bartus.

"Exactly," affirmed Dariu, his voice calm yet resolute. "It was a night when Kornos needed to recast his spell, paving the way for an attack in the dorms before slipping away into the darkness."

"What about the fourth rule, though? Surely they should get expelled for what they've done," inquired Roku.

[Fourth rule: duels are permitted on school grounds on the condition that all parties involved are consentual to the duel and its terms. Any act of causing harm to a fellow student outside the confines of a duel will result in expulsion.]

"That's the thing," Dariu added, his brow furrowing in concern. "Kornos doesn't just control the night beasts. He also has various animals scattered around the school grounds under his command, likely using them to monitor any breaches of the rules. But on a blind night, when the spell is undone, any rule-breaking could potentially go unnoticed by Kornos."

"How can we be sure of that?" Asked Eva.

"It's simple, we did not see or hear of anyone getting killed by a teacher since this morning," answered Marcia.

"Precisely," agreed Dariu, his tone grave. "We've already witnessed how ruthlessly the teachers enforce expulsions. I doubt they would hesitate for even a moment if they knew the culprits."

"So, when is the next blind night?" Asked Raishu.

"In just five days," Dariu replied, his voice urgent, "that's the time we have to learn the two Daishi spells if we want to stand a chance."

"And you think that's possible?" Bartus inquired, his skepticism evident in his tone.

"Normally, it wouldn't be," he answered, "However, I know a way to do it... A shortcut if you may."

"How exactly do you know of this mysterious shortcut?" Asked Marcia.

"That I can't tell you."

"One last thing," said Bartus, "just why are you willing to share this shortcut with us?"

"I will let Naylu answer that," he said as he looked at his blond friend.

"We're just too damn pure for this place," Naylu declared with a smile, leaving the others stunned.

"Well... Yeah, that or... We're just so incredibly naïve that we don't want others to die," explained Dariu.

"Are you seriously expecting us to believe such—" Marcia began, only to be interrupted by Bartus bursting into laughter.

"And they call me mad for my devotion to Mariadaishu! Dariu, you two are actual lunatics, " he stated as he continued laughing.

"Yes, I know, I know," said Dariu.

"Well then, shall we begin?"