Turning Point

-Elijah Knight PoV-

The scene played out in slow motion for me.

I rubbed my eyes just to be sure, but no matter how many times I rubbed and blinked, her figure wouldn't change. Though disheveled and matted with dirt and blood, there was no mistaking that distinct gunmetal hair.

My mind raced as a part of me wrestled to figure out what had happened, how she appeared here, while another part of me was still in denial. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be with Arthur.

Whispers and mutters began to erupt as the students and faculty members alike realized that one of the prisoners was the student council president, and the other a member of the disciplinary committee.

"Shhhhh." Draneeve waved his hand theatrically for us to settle down before continuing. "I'm sure you are all just dying to know what is going on, but before I explain, I'd like to introduce myself."

He took a few steps forward and straightened his robe, combing his hair back with his fingers. "As you have heard, I go by Draneeve."

He paused dramatically, as if expecting a round of applause. When nothing happened, he just shrugged and continued.

"I know that, at this moment, you may see me as some sort of bad guy. I wouldn't be surprised, what with the attacks and the deaths, but I assure you, I am on your side."

That ridiculous statement caused an uproar and jeers and shouts reverberated through the crowd.

"Silence."

His voice couldn't have been louder than a low growl, but the weight of that one word, and the immediate pressure following it, seemed to crush the air from our lungs and everyone fell silent.

"My name is Draneeve, and I have come to save you all." Draneeve spread his arms out in a grandiose manner, his robe fluttering in the wind. I had to admit, he looked pretty impressive.

Not a single person said a word, no one dared to; too afraid of what he might do; we simply waited for him to continue speaking.

"You see, I come from a faraway land. This land is a cruel, cruel place for the weak. Yes, I am talking about you—all of you. Those of you who have gathered here are considered the elite, whose background and potential make you the future of this continent, but from where I come from, you—are—trash." Draneeve's last words were spat out in a mocking staccato.

"That being said, I made the long and troublesome journey to come here and prepare those I deem worthy. So when the time my lord comes and becomes the new ruler of this continent, you will have a place in his kingdom and not be tossed aside like the trash you currently are."

I glanced back to see everyone just looking around, confused. By the expression on some of their faces, they were in disbelief. Not just surprised, they sincerely looked like they thought the whole thing couldn't possibly be real.

"To those who stand before me today, congratulations on being chosen as honored pawns of the new ruler of this land. Lukiyah, show them a glimpse you have the newfound power that have been bestowed on you."

Lukiyah... No, it can't be...

The figure that had been holding Tess by her hair stepped forth, dragging her with him. I bit my lip, struggling to keep calm. Underneath his hood, he seemed to be looking for someone before he stopped. I could feel his eyes on me, and I stood transfixed as he removed the hood of his robe.

My suspicions were confirmed. It was Lucas Wykes.

His eyes seemed to be laughing as he continued to stare at me. Slowly, the corners of his lips curved into a vicious grin as he tugged Tessia up by her hair, just enough so her neck was next to his face.

Lucas's mocking gaze never left mine as he ran his tongue slowly, gratingly up her neck to her ear, only to stop and wink at me.

Any sort of inhibition controlling my rage disappeared at that instant, leaving me with just enough sanity to shout out, "Lucas, you son of a bitch! How dare you!"

My vision reddened as my mind began to go numb. Suddenly, as if some inner force was pushing my consciousness out, my body felt like it wasn't mine anymore… like I was an entirely different person, simply watching my body from behind.

A voice echoed in my head. 'Kill.'

I had never felt a sensation like this before, but I knew that whatever was controlling my body knew how to use my powers better than I could myself.

'Kill.'

It was a peculiar feeling, one that I knew wasn't normal. It felt like the monster I had been trying to keep locked away had switched places with me.

My vision distorted, pulsing with what I assumed to be adrenaline. I couldn't hear anything besides the beating of my heart. My body seemed like a shell, controlled like a puppet by someone who wasn't me.

'Kill.' The voice was getting stronger.

What the hell was happening to me?

Black spikes ruptured from the earth around me, injuring some of the students who couldn't move out of the way fast enough.

I felt the need to apologize but my attention was fixed on Lucas.

'Kill, kill, kill!' My mind felt like it was going to split open from the pain.

I walked rather unsteadily toward the ingrate who couldn't be described with mere profanity. As I approached the barrier, I worried whether or not I would be able to break through, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern. Some sort of black plasma suddenly engulfed my hand, and, like butter thrown into a hot pan, the barrier hissed and melted at my touch.

I nearly burst out with wild laughter at Lucas's surprised expression, but the look on Draneeve's face was far more unexpected. His gray face paled, twisting and contorting in a way that I could only interpret as fear. He held his hands out in a placating manner, as if trying to calm me down. At that moment, the mana beasts all sprang out to attack me, dozens of them, but it was futile. With a flick of my wrist, black spikes shot from the ground, skewering the discolored mana beasts in mid-leap.

Was this me? I had never seen magic like this before. It was unnatural—almost evil in a way—as if it was a power meant solely for killing and destroying.

I ignored the dead mana beasts and slowly drew nearer to Lucas, who glared at me with furrowed brows and a tinge of unease around his eyes. The other robed figures released their prisoners and seemed about to collectively rush toward me but, for some reason, Draneeve stopped them. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he seemed to be pleading, and his hands constantly moved in calming gestures.

Suddenly, a sharp pain seared into me like a burning blade, making my body go rigid. In some way I couldn't understand, I knew I was reaching my limits.

No. Not yet. I knew I couldn't control my body, but at this point, I desperately wanted to at least kill Lucas.

I began staggering, each step becoming more unsteady than the last.

Almost…

My hand rose, and a black spike as long as my arm shot toward Lucas. It didn't kill him as I had hoped, but the projectile's speed was enough that Lucas couldn't completely dodge it.

He tumbled back from the force of the blow. I could barely make out the black spike sticking out of his right shoulder.

Just one more…

My vision dimmed and my body stilled; I was losing consciousness. I looked once more at Draneeve, who seemed even more confused now. Just before my consciousness completely faded into the darkness, I thought I saw him. I may have been only hallucinating, or it may have been just my wishful thinking, but I thought I saw an ally.

I thought I saw Anos.

—————

-Claire Bladeheart Pov-

Humility. Loyalty. Resoluteness. Courage.

These words had been instilled in me before I even understood what they meant. These were the four qualities necessary to have a heart as sharp as a sword. This was the creed of the Bladeheart family.

Ignorant as I was as a child, I had truly believed I would be able to follow this sacred doctrine upon which my family was built, no matter what the circumstances.

How truly ignorant I was.

This was the thought that clawed at my mind, making my heart ache as I stood helplessly watching—simply watching.

Simply watching as Theodore was beaten and burned into an unrecognizable state.

Simply watching as Elijah, despite being unaided, fearlessly tried to defy a figure so powerful I could only submit and hope—hope that I'd somehow make it out alive.

Even with my eyes fixed on the scene, I had trouble registering what exactly was occurring, much less believing it to be real.

What all the student mages here could not hope to do, what all the professors had failed to accomplish, Elijah, single-handedly, had achieved.

I had never considered him anything more than Arthur's silly friend. He had given me the impression of being easy-going, almost ditzy at times, but not at that moment. After he had cursed aloud at Lucas, his demeanor had shifted and become unrecognizable.

As thoughtless and downright mad as he may have been, Elijah displayed the courage and strength that I couldn't.

As if his enraged cry had released his soul, Elijah's body seemed almost lifeless. His shoulders slumped and his head was hunched forward. I looked away when a sudden blast of black metallic spikes shot out of the ground. I thought he had already died; then I realized it wasn't Draneeve or any of his henchmen who had invoked the mysterious spell.

Elijah had cast it.

The spell he had used was unusual, almost unnatural, but it was when he placed his palm on the surface of the barrier—when a black flame-magic began coiling around his hand, melting the transparent barrier as if it were butter—that a cold chill ran down my spine.

Seeing that mysterious magic so easily destroy something that not even all the professors combined had been able to scratch, I felt hope. Maybe he would be able to end this.

In that moment, alongside that feeling of hope, I felt an almost tangible contempt for myself.

I looked down and realized my hand had unconsciously gripped the hilt of my sword. I scoffed at myself. What use was this sword of mine if fear rendered me unable to even take a step forward?

Looking back up, I fixed my eyes on Elijah. He swayed as he walked, staggering drunkenly, as if he wasn't really in control of himself. Anyone who tried to oppose him was intercepted by a black spike. The speed at which each spell was cast shouldn't have been possible. They couldn't even be called spells, but more of an automatic defense mechanism.

I had never heard of anything like this before, much less seen with my own eyes a magic so unnatural, so sinister—so evil.

But most confusing of all was how Draneeve was behaving toward Elijah. Elijah was killing his mana beasts left and right; he had already killed three of the robed underlings. Draneeve should have been angry—downright furious at him for thwarting his plans—but instead he looked… afraid.

I was only able to make out bits of Draneeve's words to Elijah, who was simply ignoring the mastermind of this disaster and making his way toward Lucas.

Draneeve kept repeating that he "didn't know." I also thought I heard him refer to Elijah as "sir"—but no, that couldn't be right.

When his attempts to distract Elijah proved futile, Draneeve started barking orders at his robed lackeys, telling them not to lay a hand on Elijah. It was a strange sight—our fellow student was trying to kill Draneeve's allies yet he was ordering them not to fight back.

The other students were baffled, not quite sure what to make of all this. Some were voicing their doubts as to whether he was actually on our side, perhaps suspecting that Elijah was in league with Draneeve. But then he collapsed on the ground, his final attempt at killing Lucas ultimately unsuccessful.

At first, Elijah's sudden outrage, and his display of cryptic powers, had left us too shocked to move. Then some of the professors composed themselves enough to realize that the fracture Elijah had made in the barrier gave us a chance to fight back.

This thought had already crossed my mind. I knew that with all the mana beasts either dead or badly injured, and Draneeve distracted by Elijah, now was the perfect opportunity to retaliate.

I knew this, yet my feet stayed nailed to the ground beneath me. I knew it, but I was still afraid…"Students, clear the way!" A small group of professors, led by a burly mage wielding a glowing staff, pressed through the crowd toward the hole in the barrier. The students shuffled out of the way without protest. For many, the images of Doradrea's severed head and Theodore's lifeless body were burnt in their minds, leaving them too discouraged to join in the battle. But some students still gathered the courage to try and join the professors.

Clive was one of them. I spotted him rushing forward, his hands already wielding his bow and arrow, but a professor in the back stopped him and turned him away.

"Fools," I whispered under my breath. It was still hopeless. Did the professors think they could now somehow beat Draneeve? They should know better than us. Was it their sense of duty that was driving them to their deaths like this? Or was it their pride, preventing them from being rational?

Was being courageous akin to dying a fool's death? Was that what the Bladeheart creed demanded of me?

Kathyln must've heard me. She turned to me, her eyes red and lips quivering, hoping for an answer.

But I didn't have one. I knew my limits. I knew only a fraction of what my enemies were capable of, and even that was enough to rob me of the confidence to unsheathe my sword.

It was like a scene from one of the stories my mother had often read to me before sending me to bed. I watched as the professors marched toward the breach in the barrier, like heroes on an expedition to save the princess from the evil magician.

I could see the burly battle mage, whose class I had taken last semester, in the lead. Behind him was the spell formations professor who taught underclassmen. Following a few steps behind was a professor I didn't recognize, with a crooked wooden staff, then Professor Glory. She caught my eye and gave me a firm, solemn nod before taking a second sword from her dimension ring.

The look she gave me sent chills down my spine. It was one I had never actually seen before, but I instinctively knew it was the look of someone accepting her death.

The Bladeheart creed clawed its way up into my mind.

Humility. Loyalty. Resoluteness. Courage.

Damn it.

A mixture of emotions rose within me: frustration for lacking the resolve and loyalty a Bladeheart should display for her academy; shame at lacking the courage to fight alongside them; and disgust at my pride for being ignorant enough to believe I had what it took to be the vice-leader of the disciplinary committee… to be a Bladeheart.

I shook my head, hoping to clear my dark thoughts. Living through this would give me another chance to redeem myself, would it not? I couldn't be courageous, loyal, resolute, and humble if I was dead.

I turned my attention back to Draneeve, who had kneeled next to Elijah. He seemed to be checking for signs that Elijah was still alive—carefully, almost tenderly, like a royal attendant would for his king. Our professors, prized throughout the entire continent for their skill as mages, were summarily ignored while he barked out orders to his subordinates.

Finally Draneeve rose, carrying Elijah's limp body in his arms, and began walking toward the back of the stone platform. Several robed men were there, fumbling with what looked like an oddly-shaped anvil.

"Lukiyah. Change of plans. You will take care of the fools approaching, and dispose of this—" He glanced down at the captured students, his eyes stopping at our student council president, and finished, "—trash. I will be heading back first. I expect you to follow us through the gate promptly." The pompous expression Draneeve had once worn was nowhere to be seen.

"Why are you bringing that along wi—" Lucas's question ended in a gasp as his eyes bulged out. The arrogance on his face was gone in an instant as he crumpled to his knees, sweat dripping down his face.

"You are but a mere tool. You will do as I say, no questions asked. If you display this sort of ignorance again, there will be consequences." Draneeve's voice was commanding and sharp, different from how it had been when he'd first revealed himself.

Lucas struggled to remain calm, and he clawed at his heart until Draneeve kicked him, toppling him over onto his side.

"Say it!" he growled.

Even from here, I could see Lucas's jaw clench angrily, but he convulsed and repeated through gritted teeth, "I—am—but—a mere—tool."

"It is ready, my lord," announced one of the robed mages near the anvil.

Draneeve snorted derisively, then walked away, leaving Lucas heaving, trying to compose himself before getting up.

We all just stood there watching. Even the professors, brave enough to march toward the figure so powerful that he played with a disciplinary committee member like he was a ragdoll, seemed stunned that he had crumpled a mage to his knees with just a thought.

Professor Glory was the first to realize that something was amiss. She pointed toward Draneeve, who was heading for the now-glowing anvil, and cried out, "We can't let him leave!"

But before they could do anything, the barrier surrounding the entire academy shattered into pieces with a deafening roar. The barrier that trapped us in the academy and prevented reinforcements from arriving had been broken.

"Did you really think you'd get out of this place unharmed?" a familiar voice boomed, echoing through the academy.

Was it him? Did he finally arrive?

The barrier that separated the stone platform where Draneeve from us also shattered.

"What is happening?!" Draneeve's panicked voice cut through the chaos, his eyes wide with fear as he turned to face the source of the voice.

Suddenly, a bright white light surrounded everyone, including me. When the light faded, I found myself surrounded by allies. Elijah's unconscious body was also here, no longer in the custody of Draneeve.

All of the teachers and students that betrayed us were all grouped together with Draneeve and his minions, a good distance away from us. It seemed that whoever had broken the barrier had also separated the betrayers from the rest of us.

Now that I looked closer, even the one's that supposedly died were also among us, albeit unconscious.

Resurrection magic. There's only one person who could have accomplished such a feat.

"I'm away for a few days and this is what happens?"

The unmistakable black hair and familiar uniform… Each step he took displaying the subtlest, faintest, yet most unshakable confidence I had ever seen. And seeping from him, surrounding him like an aura, was a blatant coldness, lacking any semblance of warmth or compassion.

His eyes were devoid of mercy and emitted apathy that felt like it would destroy my very soul. The very air seemed to warp around him, and the earth beneath him crumbled under his might.

The voice belonged to none other than Anos Voldigoad, professor of the practical mana manipulation class and commander of the disciplinary committee. Arguably the most powerful mage in the school aside from the director herself.

—————

-Anos Voldigoad PoV-

-A few hours earlier-

"You are progressing quite smoothly, Alea," I remarked, observing the young woman as she cast Lionaja towards a boulder.

Lionaja is an intermediate-level spell that summons vines from the ground to entangle and suffocate the target. It wasn't anything outstanding, but it was impressive for someone who only started learning source magic a few days ago.

Alea nodded. "I have still have a long way to go, Master."

I nodded back. "So you do. Is there anything else noteworthy that happened while I was away?"

"I noticed an opening near the edges of the city that lead to a cave system. I investigated and found an unusual metal door at the end of the cave. It seems to be enchanted with a powerful locking spell, but I couldn't decipher its purpose or how to unlock it."

Oh? Now that's interesting.

We were currently at New Dilhade, an underground city that I built as a recreation of its namesake from my era. When I construction the city, I made sure to clear out the surrounding areas, including caves and tunnels, but it seems I missed this particular cave system. A hidden metal door with a powerful locking spell? It certainly piqued my curiosity.

"Show me the way," I instructed Alea. "I'll take a look at this door myself."

We made our way to the outskirts of the city, where Alea led me to the entrance of the cave system. We went inside and walked for a while until we reached the metal door Alea mentioned.

I marched straight ahead and stood before the metal gate. There, I gave the gate a light nudge, but it didn't move.

Hmm.

"Is there a problem?" Alea asked.

"It's locked with Dejit," I said, inspecting the gate with my Eyes.

It had probably been set up so that only those given permission would be allowed to enter.

"If we force our way inside, it'll probably do something that we won't like. We should just give up—"

"Open."

At my order, the magic lock—Dejit—clicked open. The power in my words had compelled it to allow us entry.

"Hmm, that should do it. It seems we're allowed through after all."

"You got past Dejit without even a spell... How?" Alea examined the gate with her own Eyes by pouring magic power into them, attempting to figure out how I'd done it.

I pushed the gate open.

Inside the room beyond the gate was dimly lit, with torches lining the walls. The air was stale, and a musty odor filled my nostrils. The door closed behind us as we entered.

There, in the center of the room, stood a pedestal with a source resting upon it. The source was time-locked with Rivide, causing not a single moment to pass by for the source.

I grabbed hold of the source and drew a magic circle on my palm. The magic I'd activated was Eviy, a spell that could evoke memories, even of the distant past.

As the memories flooded my mind, I witnessed scenes of the past. Who the source belonged to and what purpose it served.

"Ingall."

With a single drop of blood and a verbal incantation, I drew another magic circle. With a flash of light, a skeleton was resurrected. It was Ivis Necron.

Ivis Necron, one of the seven demons I created from my blood through magic to expand my bloodline so I could have a vessel to reincarnate to.

"Rise, follower born of my blood."

After granting him some of my magic, light appeared in the eyes of his skull.

Dazed, he stared out at me. Then, Ivis began to speak. "I had long forgotten my master... Even now, I cannot remember him. However, my source recalls this fear. Forgive me, my most revered Demon King, Anos Voldigoad."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I do not know... My memories remain erased for the two thousand years after your death."

"How much time do you think has passed since you were last conscious?"

Ivis hesitated before responding. "Perhaps six thousand years, my lord."

Six thousand years... If you added in the two thousand years of Ivis' unconsciousness, that would mean a total of eight thousand years since my previous life. Quite a long slumber indeed. I glanced at Alea, who was observing the scene with wide eyes.

"Master, who is this?" she asked, indicating Ivis.

"This is Ivis Necron, one of my subordinates from long ago."

Alea didn't seem to question my statement, simply nodding in understanding.

"Ivis, I have awakened you to assist me once again. Much has happened in between my reincarnation."

Ivis bowed his head. "As you command, my lord."

With Ivis by my side, I knew my plans would advance much more smoothly. But first, there were matters to attend to in Xyrus.

"Alea, go with Ivis and return to New Dilhade. I'll be dealing with some pests in Xyrus."

"As you command, Master," Alea replied, bowing respectfully before leading Ivis out of the room.

Alone once more, I focused my magic eyes on the academy.

"I leave for a few hours and this is what happens. Gatom."

—————

A/N: Cliffhanger-kun strikes again! I greatly underestimated my workload and am now dealing with the consequences!

All jokes aside, we'll be resuming our weekly update schedule until the end of this arc, which will last for at least 3 more chapters. I'll be rereading the novels of both series to refresh my memory on the two, so expect a one-two month hiatus, which I realize isn't uncommon for me to do lmao.

Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the chapter since the next one will be all Anos action!