Chapter 225: World Dyed in Darkness

I slowly reached out and took her hand.

Anna’s hand was cold—far colder than it should’ve been. Fragile, trembling, like she might shatter if I let go.

The moment our fingers touched, she tightened her grip around mine.

As if she was clinging to the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Will you just shut that mouth!!"

Signut’s roar tore through the air.

A surge of violent energy exploded from him as he burned his very soul to fuel his strength. The aura surrounding him twisted wildly, unstable yet overwhelming.

Then—

CLANG—!

The sound of steel crashing against steel rang out, sharp enough to make my ears ring.

His sword came down with terrifying force, far beyond anything he’d shown before.

It wasn’t just stronger—it was on an entirely different level.

For a moment, it even looked like Leonardo was being pushed back.

But only for a moment.

"Anna," I called softly.

"...Huh?"

She turned toward me, her expression still shaken, her eyes unable to fully process what was happening in front of us.

"Let’s get out of here."

Her grip tightened again. "But... what about Lord Signut...?"

I glanced back at the battlefield.

Right now, Signut was overwhelming him. His attacks were faster, heavier—driven by desperation and something close to madness.

But I knew better.

This wasn’t victory.

It was a countdown.

"Soul Burn..." I muttered under my breath.

A technique that forced out power by burning one’s own life.

Temporary. Explosive.

And fatal.

"No matter how strong it looks," I said quietly, "it won’t last."

Anna’s eyes widened slightly.

"The power he’s using—it’s not something a human body can sustain. Once it runs out..."

I didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t need to.

The answer was obvious.

Signut wasn’t winning.

He was buying time.

For us.

Another deafening clash echoed behind us as sparks scattered across the ground. The floor cracked under the force of their strikes, dust rising into the air like smoke.

Leonardo slid back a step this time—but his expression hadn’t changed at all.

Calm.

Unshaken.

Like he was simply observing. Waiting.

That alone told me everything I needed to know.

And as if sharing my thoughts,

Leonardo was actually buying time by dodging or blocking Signut’s attacks.

Waiting for his life force to run out.

"We can’t waste what he’s doing," I said firmly.

Anna hesitated. Her eyes flickered between me and Signut, torn.

"...I can’t just leave him," she whispered.

I tightened my grip on her hand.

"If we stay, we die."

The words came out colder than I intended—but they were the truth.

"And if we die here," I continued, lowering my voice, "then everything he’s doing right now... becomes meaningless."

Anna bit her lip, her body trembling.

Another explosion of force shook the area, sending a shockwave rushing past us.

Signut’s aura flared again.

Brighter. Fiercer.

But thinner than before—like a flame burning through the last of its fuel.

He was reaching his limit.

I clenched my jaw.

He’s... burning out.

Each surge of power looked overwhelming on the surface, but I could tell what was really happening. The intensity wasn’t increasing—it was condensing. Compressing everything he had left into a final stand.

A last gamble.

I stepped closer to Anna, lowering my voice so only she could hear.

"If we stay here, everyone’s going to get caught in it," I said quietly. "That’s not what Signut wants... is it?"

Anna didn’t respond immediately.

Her eyes were fixed on Signut, who stood at the center of the battlefield like a blazing pillar, holding back the enemy almost single-handedly.

There was hesitation in her gaze. Conflict.

Of course there was.

Leaving meant abandoning him.

But staying...

Staying would make his sacrifice meaningless.

Clang—!!!

The ground trembled as another clash echoed through the area. A violent shockwave swept past us, sending dust and debris flying. Some of the nearby students flinched, others froze completely, unable to process what was happening.

If we wasted even a few more seconds, we’d lose the window he created.

"...Alright."

Anna’s voice was quiet—but resolute.

She turned sharply, her hesitation gone in an instant, replaced by the authority she was known for.

"Everyone, retreat!" she shouted, her voice cutting cleanly through the chaos. "We’re leaving this place—now!"

For a split second, no one moved.

Then—

"Yes, President!"

The students snapped back to their senses. Panic turned into urgency as they began moving, helping each other up, gathering the injured, and heading toward the exit routes.

Some glanced back at Signut.

Others didn’t dare.

I grabbed the arm of a nearby student who looked frozen in place. "Move!"

That seemed to break whatever spell they were under.

At first, the crowd moved in chaos—people bumping into one another, voices overlapping in a mess of panic and confusion.

But little by little, order began to form.

Students started following directions, guiding each other toward the exits. The scattered noise turned into a steady rhythm of footsteps, the flow of bodies gradually becoming a controlled retreat.

Still, the tension in the air didn’t ease. If anything, it grew heavier with every passing second.

And then—

"Anna!! Where do you think you’re going?!"

Leonardo’s voice rang out sharply, cutting through the noise like a blade.

He had noticed us.

"Running away already?" he sneered. "Just like your father. I suppose it’s only natural—the daughter of a cowardly Emperor could never stand her ground."

The words were deliberate. Cruel.

Even I felt a flicker of irritation at how blatantly he was trying to provoke her.

Anna stopped.

Just for a moment, her steps faltered.

The students around us stiffened, some glancing back nervously, unsure whether things were about to escalate again.

But then—

Anna slowly turned her head.

"Do you really think I’d fall for something so shallow?"

Her voice was calm. Steady.

There wasn’t a trace of anger in it—only quiet certainty.

Leonardo’s smirk faltered, if only for a second.

"What matters to me," Anna continued, her gaze unwavering, "is the safety of the people who follow me. Not meaningless pride."

She stood tall, her posture straight, her eyes clear and resolute.

Just moments ago, she had been shaken—caught off guard by the chaos, by the sudden turn of events.

But now...

Now she looked like someone entirely different.

Not just a student.

Not just a noble.

But someone who carried the weight of leadership—and accepted it without hesitation.

Someone worthy of ruling.

...Impressive.

A loud clash snapped me out of my thoughts.

CLANG—!

Steel met steel as Signut blocked another of Leonardo’s strikes, sparks scattering with each impact.

"Focus on me," Signut growled, pushing Leonardo back. "You’re not getting past."

Leonardo clicked his tongue, clearly irritated, but didn’t press forward recklessly. Even he knew forcing his way through would cost him.

We had only just paused for a moment—about to turn back and follow the others—when it happened.

"Kyaaaah!!"

"Lisa!"

A scream tore through the air.

I turned instantly.

From beneath Lisa’s feet, something moved—no, rose. A shadow twisted unnaturally, stretching upward like a living thing before wrapping around her body.

"What—?!"

I rushed toward her without thinking, my heart pounding. And then I saw it.

An old man.

White hair, sunken eyes, his thin fingers wrapped tightly around Lisa’s neck as if he’d always been there.

"Kuhahaha...!"

A manic laugh echoed, dry and unhinged.

"I’ve finally obtained it... the power of a demon!!"

My blood ran cold.

Before I could react, his other hand reached toward Lisa’s face—toward her eyes.

"Stop!"

Too slow.

Dark energy began to seep out, drawn from her eyes like smoke being pulled into a vacuum.

"Kyaaaah!!"

Lisa’s scream was sharp, filled with raw pain. Her body trembled violently in his grip.

"Let her go!"

Students and guards alike rushed forward, weapons drawn, spells forming—

But the old man barely glanced at them.

"How annoying."

He waved his hand once.

That was all.

An invisible force exploded outward, slamming into everyone at once. Bodies were thrown back like ragdolls, crashing into walls, skidding across the ground.

"Tch—!"

I had already moved.

Anticipating something like this, I channeled mana into Furion, forming a barrier around myself as I charged forward. The pressure slammed into me, but I pushed through it, teeth clenched.

"Take those filthy hands off her!"

I thrust my sword straight toward him.

For a split second, our eyes met.

"It’s already too late."

The moment my blade should have pierced him—

He vanished.

Like smoke scattering in the wind.

"...What?"

My sword cut through empty air.

Where did—

A ripple of movement caught my eye.

Behind me.

I turned sharply.

He was already there—standing beside Leonardo.

"Don’t—!"

Too late again.

The old man placed his hand on Leonardo’s chest.

And then—

BOOM!

A surge of power erupted outward.

"Kuhak—!!"

The impact hit like a hammer. The ground trembled beneath my feet, and an overwhelming pressure descended from above, crushing down on everything.

My body suddenly felt unbearably heavy, as if gravity itself had multiplied. My knees buckled slightly under the weight.

"...What is this...?"

The air had changed.

No—the world had changed.

A suffocating darkness began to spread from the old man, swallowing the light inch by inch.

Leonardo’s body convulsed under his grip, veins of black energy crawling across his skin like living parasites.

The old man’s grin widened, eyes gleaming with madness.

"Now..." he whispered, his voice echoing unnaturally.

"Now the world shall meet its end."

The moment those words fell—

Everything went dark.

Not just dim. Not shadowed.

Dark.

As if the light itself had been erased.

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Author Note:

Thanks for reading the novel.