บท 18: Demonic Cult Assault

The bell rang, and all students attended their respective classes for morning lessons. As for the first and second graders, they were gathered in the auditorium hall because there was something to announce.

"Why is today so dark? This does not bode well for me. Will the calamity fall today?" A young man clad in a magic academy uniform muttered as he looked up at the dark, cloudy sky.

His heart had been restless since he woke up this morning, but someone suddenly smacked his back without prior notice. "Ouch!"

"Hi, good morning, Chen Fan. Why are you staring at the sky? The weather has been unpredictable recently, and it might rain soon." A cheerful young girl greeted the young man like a jolly bird.

"You physical abuser. Don't get too close to me. I don't know you. Also, don't try to use me as your shield to get rid of your pursuer again. It's troublesome." Chen Fan rubbed his back and distanced himself from the troublemaker.

It was just a young girl who was a year older than him. She possessed a fresh and cheerful charm, but he felt gloomy because of her arrival.

"Oh my, why is that? Shouldn't you be overjoyed to have a close relationship with a beautiful senior sister of yours? For you to know, I am so high in demand." The young girl poked her junior brother's cheek with her dainty finger.

"..." Chen Fan's veins popped as he felt irritated. This girl was his childhood friend, but she liked bullying him.

He was considered a genius within his clan but had never won against this girl. If only he had the upper hand, he would teach this girl lessons not to mess with him.

"I don't care. You watch. After I study and comprehend more magic and stuff. I will beat you and bully you, Wang Zi-Zhen." Chen Fan pushed his childhood friend aside and walked into the auditorium.

She was one of the beautiful flowers at the academy. Still, he could see nothing but an annoying bully within her. He was better prepared just in case she did her usual little stunt.

"Fufu, I can't wait to see it. Please entertain me then." Wang Zi-Zhen followed his junior brother closely from behind, but her friends soon called her over. Thus, she bid her farewell to her junior brother.

"Phew, that disaster is finally gone. I feel tired just dealing with her." Chen Fan leaned his head on the table, ignoring all the envious and hateful gazes from the other boys.

"Yo, what kind of bastard do we have here? Is it our gloomy friend?" A fatty classmate clicked his tongue.

"Huh? You're still complaining even though you have a beautiful senior sister who loves you? You really can't appreciate a childhood friend's beauty." A lanky classmate greeted his buddy with an envious remark.

"You just don't know. If you are someone who is inclined to like her abuse, then you are a real masochist beyond help. Please don't talk to me. I feel tired." Chen Fan flapped his hand to drive his friends away.

"Haha, if we didn't know you better, we'd think you were lying. But, well... I guess she was doing that to get your attention." The fatty classmate spoke in a whisper-like voice.

"Yeah, you are dull and practically a loner, while she is a bright and cheerful flower. She only bullies you, but no one receives affectionate treatment. It's her pursuers' dream, you know? She acts like a delicate flower in normal times." The lanky classmate smirked.

"Shut up. She will only throw trouble at me, not to mention those jealous young masters." Chen Fan sighed and then buried his face

A few moments later, the teachers, instructors, and student council members entered the auditorium. The students sat down in their seats as the student council president stepped up to the podium to announce a few things.

The first one was about the holy saintess. Their academy would hold a magic event today, and the saintess would shed some light on divine magic, unlike the holy magic from the church, but a typical divine power that only a saintess could possess.

Chen Fan was lost in thought as he compared this student council president to his childhood friend. The student council president was like the graceful noble with the firm demeanor of a magic knight, while his childhood friend was like an energetic young bud.

Despite being only two years older than him, the student council president possessed the elegant mature charm of an eighteen-year-old girl. Someone could only be treated as an adult after passing that age.

'Ejiri Ritsuko, huh...' Chen Fan muttered, but the figure of the kind angelic beauty he encountered yesterday still lingered in his mind. He only met her once, but she quickly became the first-ranked beauty among all the beautiful girls he had met.

He received the news yesterday. That black-haired angelic beauty was apparently a saintess from the holy land. It was like the Deity to a mortal. Their statuses and backgrounds couldn't be compared. Yes, only a place like that could produce an exalted figure like that angelic beauty with a great sense of kindness.

"We have to leave a good impression of our academy's name. That's all from me. Thank you." The student council president then stepped down from the podium.

*Bam!*

The entrance was suddenly smashed open, and dozens of people in black ninja-like outfits entered.

"Don't move, or your life will be at stake." One of the ninjas drew his sword. His subordinates immediately surrounded the students.

The teachers and instructors immediately acted to protect the students and restrain the intruders, but their magic was not working correctly.

"And who are you? How dare you cause trouble at the Luponia Magic Academy." A magic instructor took out his magic staff. He tried to cast his spell to protect the students, but his magic circle suddenly crumbled to pieces the moment it formed.

"Haha! Magic doesn't work in this anti-magic domain! We are daring, and you are our hostages. Come with us obediently. Perhaps, you may be honoured to see this academy's destruction." The ninja leader laughed sarcastically.

"Hmph! Even without magic, you think we are sheep that are easy to slaughter?" The old mage took out his sword. He moved nimbly and attacked the ninjas but was stabbed from behind.

"What the" The old mage widened his eyes in shock as he saw the flying sword covered in black magic pierce his chest. He fell to the ground, covered in blood.

"No, no, people die!"

"Uwaaa!"

"Murder, murder!"

"I can't use my magic!"

"Help!"

The students gasped in terror, then exclaimed frantically. This event was an actual terrorist attack!

"Your crime will not be forgiven. Reinforcements will come here. My magic sword will punish you in the name of justice." Ejiri Ritsuko unsheathed her magic sword.

"No one will come to save you. Looks like we need to do something first, then. Lives are most important to you, right?" One of the ninjas drew his double saber and dashed at the student council president with killing intent.

Chen Fan felt his blood boil as the student council president was about to be attacked. His body moved on its own to rush to her rescue.

*Clang*

The sword in the hand of the student council president was blown away by the dark magic slash. Another sword aimed at her throat, but a brave young man came between them.

*Stab*

The sword shrouded in dark magic pierced Chen Fan's shoulder. His face contorted in pain. "Argh!"

"E-eh?" Ejiri Ritsuko was stunned as the fresh red, warm blood splashed onto her face.

"Hou, playing a hero?" The ninja pulled out his sword and then kicked the boy aside.

"You, fool! Why did you rush at the enemy like that? You're not a shield!" Wang Zi-Zhen ran up to his junior brother in a panic and dismay.

She slashed her sword at the nearby ninja, and the other party chose to back off because their goal had been achieved. The students were terrorised as another casualty fell, and more people were injured.

"I, I don't know. Ghak! My body moves on its own." Chen Fan also needed to figure out why. He coughed up a mouthful of blood because of the dark magic invasion.

"Please don't die on me." Ejiri Ritsuko's face turned pale. She immediately took out a first aid kit and tried to stop the boy's bleeding.

Thirty seconds later, the students and teachers gave up their resistance as they could not win against the black magic practitioner in this anti-magic environment. Enemies could use black magic, and it was a clear threat.

Three people died during that initial resistance. Over a hundred people were herded out like sheep, driven by the predators.

Ely and Lily-Mae walked through a corridor with high-ranking ninjas escorting them inside the academy's main building.

The holy saintess surrendered without any resistance. Lily-Mae looked out the window and saw hundreds of students being led away by dozens of black magic practitioners. They were taken to the training ground as hostages.

Casualties might have been drastically minimized due to the holy saintess' requirement, but it couldn't salvage the current situation.

Her grandfather and the elders were clearly on to something. The Holy Church, Chivalric Order, and city guards will also come to their rescue. They just needed to buy time and stay alive. These terrorists actually didn't hesitate to kill if it was necessary.

"Aaah, please spare me!" An apprentice mage crossed the corridor's intersection as if he was frantically running away from something.

"Did you think I would let you go after your sneak attack, punk!?" A burly ninja slashed the apprentice mage's back.

Blood splattered like a fountain, and the apprentice mage fell to the floor. He was unwilling, but he felt cold and sleepy. It was so painful, but he was dead for sure.

Ely's expression turned grim. "You didn't keep your promise."

It was like a cold, threatening whisper that made the ninja leader fearfully shiver. He turned around spontaneously, but his subordinates convulsed on the floor.

The holy saintess held something like an iron rod and smacked his stomach. Everything was so fast, and twelve people already fell in such a short time without him knowing it? Sure enough, the holy saintess was still so powerful even though her power was sealed.

The ninja leader then fainted and slumped to the floor, convulsing like the others.

"Oh shit, an order not to kill at random was just announced. Hm?" The burly ninja noticed the two girls on the other side of the corridor, and more than ten ninjas were convulsing on the floor.

"Now, it's your turn." Ely held her stun gun baton with both hands, then approached the burly ninja.