[ An hour before ]
The skies above the kingdom cracked with distant thunder, a foreboding omen that clawed at the heart of the world.
Rein stood atop a charred cliffside, his long silver coat billowing as flames and shadow clashed in the distance. The academy lay far ahead—but the carnage between him and it was a battlefield soaked in the screams of innocents.
He clenched his fists, veins glowing with raw mana. The defenses… breached? Already?
"Damn it." His voice was low, heavy.
Dozens of villages lay in ruin—fires consuming homes, shadow beasts tearing apart what was once life and laughter. He had sensed it. The moment the barrier around the academy trembled… he ran. But being a hero wasn't that simple. He couldn't let civilians die.
You cannot save them all, Rein…
But even so—he wouldn't abandon them.
He raised his hand, murmuring,
"Soul Purge – Chain of Light."
In a blinding flash, dozens of shadows within miles vaporized instantly, their cries silenced in divine brilliance. His eyes—gleaming like celestial gold—swept across the landscape one last time.
"Live on," he whispered, before turning and vanishing in a streak of golden light.
[Arrival at the Academy – Rein's POV]
He appeared midair, above the crumbling academy.
Below, chaos had slowed—students had been evacuated thanks to Elsa and the teachers. Yet he saw it.
Dozens of elite A-rank shadows circling the courtyard—locked in fierce combat with Ms. Elsa, Scarlett, Layla, and Professor Eldrin. The girls were bloodied but standing strong.
His eyes narrowed.
With a single flick of his wrist, he whispered:
[ Annihilation Pulse ]
The sky turned white for a moment—like day had swallowed night. The shadows were erased, not even ashes remained.
Gasps filled the air. Ms. Elsa looked up, disbelief and hope mixing in her voice.
"Headmaster… Rein…!"
He landed lightly beside her, gaze scanning the horizon.
"What happened?" he asked calmly.
Ms. Elsa pointed skyward, her voice trembling. "A domain… it's hidden—above. We couldn't see it at first, but… that's where Noah is. And Olivia. The Shadow Prince created it."
Rein's golden eyes locked on the sky—then he saw it. A distortion. A tear in the fabric of the sky itself.
"So… you dare."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Then, raising his hand high, he whispered with cold fury:
"Soul Breaker—Domain Severance."
A celestial symbol erupted beneath him, and the sky shattered. The domain trembled as if it had been struck by the wrath of the heavens themselves.
[Inside the Domain – Everyone Stops]
Noah, bloodied but standing, looked up—his body instinctively reacting to the overwhelming pressure pouring in.
The Shadow Prince turned, eyes narrowing.
"What… is this power?"
Then came the voice.
A voice that split the heavens.
"WHO DARES TO HURT MY STUDENTS?"
The world froze. Even the domain itself groaned under the pressure.
"You did well kid " he said ," Now leave the rest to me "
Noah immediately get back to check on Olivia where one of his clone was still healing ,keeping her barely alive .
The shattered domain twisted into silence, the air thick with pressure.
Across from Rein hovered the Shadow Prince, his regal aura wrapped in ancient malevolence. His smirk widened, lips curled in disdain.
"You think power alone can save them?" he sneered.
Rein floated forward slowly, shadows retreating from his presence.
"I don't think," he said calmly, his voice like a blade. "I know."
With a flick of his wrist, the sky turned gold—divine symbols etched into space, forming a radiant mandala above.
"Radiant Authority – Warden of Heaven."
A wave of holy light crushed downward.
The Shadow Prince raised his hands.
"Dark Coronation – Cloak of the Void."
Black energy surged, forming armor made of condensed shadow and grief.
It was shattered instantly.
BOOM!
The Prince was blasted through three planes of space, his body skipping like a stone across folded dimensions.
He screamed.
Rein didn't wait.
"Eclipse Severance – Sunlight Judgment!"
A blade of pure celestial wrath formed in Rein's hand. He slashed.
SLASH!
One of the Shadow Prince's arms was severed mid-flight.
"ARGHH!!"
The Shadow Prince crashed into the ground below, forming a crater that shook the entire battlefield.
From the skies, Rein descended like a god.
"You are nothing but a shadow playing king," he said coldly. "And I? I'm the dawn that burns it all."
[The Shadow Prince – Broken, Cornered]
Coughing blood, the Shadow Prince gritted his teeth.
He was not supposed to lose. Not like this.
"Damn you…" he hissed. "You dare humiliate me…?"
Rein stepped forward, eyes glowing.
"I haven't started yet."
Just then—
"Hngh…!"
A surge of corrupted magic screeched in the air, breaking the balance.
The Shadow Prince's gaze flicked to the distance.
Noah… was shielding Olivia, healing her.
His weakness.
The Prince raised his blood-soaked hand.
"Forbidden Art – Spear of Eternal Grief!"
A cursed javelin formed—aimed at Noah and Olivia.
Rein's eyes widened.
He vanished instantly—
"Chrono Break – Divine Acceleration!"
—And reappeared in front of the spear, arms wide.
BOOM!!!
The explosion lit the entire battlefield in black and red.
Smoke and ash clouded the air.
As the dust cleared, Rein stood—bloodied but still standing—shielding Olivia and Noah with his own body.
The Shadow Prince smirked, staggering back toward a swirling portal of shadow.
"A king knows when to fall back," he whispered mockingly.
"I'll return… and when I do… your corpses will burn beneath my throne."
Rein didn't move. He didn't chase.
But as the portal started to close—
He raised his hand and fired one final attack.
"Celestial Arc – Divine Annihilation!"
A golden beam ripped through the shadows, nearly catching the Prince as he slipped away.
Just a blink later, the Shadow Prince vanished into the void, his echoing voice left behind.
"Next time, Rein Shroud… next time."
[Silence Returns – The Aftermath]
Rein looked down at the unconscious Noah and crying Olivia trying to heal his broken body
His gaze softened. "Foolish brat… you bought time."
He gently knelt beside her, whispering a healing chant.
"Rest. You've earned it."
Above them, the torn sky began to mend.
The war wasn't over.
But today…
The Guardian stood victorious.
[To Be Continued…]