Boom!
The ground shook.
Loud horns screamed across the academy.
Students ran. Teachers shouted. The sky turned red.
Monsters were here.
Real ones.
Not in training.
Not in a dungeon.
This was a real attack.
---
Eiden stood in the hallway.
He looked up at the sky.
His eyes were calm.
But deep inside, he felt something hot rise.
A flame.
A flame that had been quiet for a long time.
---
Screams filled the air.
"Help! A monster is in the east tower!"
"The barrier is broken!"
Eiden turned and ran.
Not to escape.
To fight.
---
At the training field, Kai was trying to protect two younger students.
A giant monster roared in front of him.
It had sharp claws, glowing red eyes, and black smoke around its body.
Kai swung his sword hard—but the blade bounced off the monster's skin.
"Kai!" Elara shouted from the wall above.
She threw a fire spell—but it did nothing.
The monster raised its claw.
It was going to kill Kai.
---
But then—
Slash!
The monster's arm fell off.
Everyone froze.
A boy stood behind it.
Sword in hand.
Eiden.
His bandages were gone.
His hair blew in the wind.
His eyes glowed like quiet ice.
---
The monster roared and turned.
It swung its other arm.
But Eiden didn't move.
He whispered something.
The wind stopped.
His sword glowed faintly.
He stepped forward—
One strike.
Clean. Fast.
The monster's body split in two.
---
Silence.
Then, more monsters ran from the broken barrier.
A small army.
Students screamed.
More teachers came to help.
Spells flew. Swords clashed.
Chaos.
But Eiden didn't stop.
He moved like a shadow in fire.
Fast.
Silent.
Precise.
Monsters fell one by one.
Some students didn't even see him pass by.
---
Above, on the roof, the same black-coated man from Chapter 29 watched him.
He held a small crystal to his eye.
"Found you," he whispered.
---
Back on the battlefield, Elara stared at Eiden.
"He's… not normal."
Kai gritted his teeth.
"That sword form... He's hiding something."
But Sera only smiled.
"He's cool."
---
Eiden stood alone when it was over.
Monsters gone.
Smoke rising.
His blade was still clean.
He turned, walking away.
Not waiting for thanks.
Not looking back.
---
Later that night, whispers filled the school.
"Someone saved us."
"Not a teacher."
"He moved like a ghost."
"A blade in the smoke…"
---
In a dark room, the headmaster looked out the window.
He sipped his tea.
"The Ghostblade, hmm…"