My harsh statement seemed to rattle the two of them… which was good.

Edward bit his lip in frustration and I could see Jerry clench his teeth. They both knew their limits, especially in comparison with me.

I turned away and toward the door and prepared for my exit.

My thoughts were focused on the road ahead, as well as Ana whom I longed to see. I hoped she was fine, but the best way to know for sure was to actually find her and the girls in her dorm.

“I’m off.”

In a flash, I moved from the premises and left the girl’s dormitory. Usually, the barrier would have prevented me from leaving, but I temporarily disabled it to an extent, only allowing the area I was passing through to be open.

The moment I passed through the dome, it once again resumed its airtight form.

‘Huu… I should hurry!’

WHOOOOSSSHHHH

Using such speed as I hadn’t displayed throughout the night, I made my way to Ana’s location. Having no one to slow me down turned out to be the best. With Edward, Jerry, and Aloe holding the fort, I could focus on other pressing matters.

‘The Upper-Class Students should be done on their end… I wonder what they’re doing…?’

I shrugged off the thought and decided to focus on my mission instead.

*********

“Weak…” Muttered Kuzon.

His eyes were focused on the Shadow Demons that made their way to the Upper Class dormitory.

He had sensed them afar off and even took the liberty of dressing up and intercepting the group before they entered the building that was his residence.

Unlike the Middle and Lower-Class dorms, the Upper-Class students had three buildings within their vast compound. Each belonged to the respective Years that existed in Ainzlark

The buildings were lovely, attractive, and well-designed. Compared to the others, it was the epitome of perfection.

As a result of the buildings being segmented, the space each student had to themselves was quite large. A regular Upper Class student had even more space than an Elite of other Classes. Such was the disparity.

Kuzon, in his large room, had picked up a strange vibe in the vicinity and sprang to his feet. The aura he sensed baffled him, causing a bit of unease to lurk in his heart.

“This… shouldn’t be…” He whispered with widened eyes.

Perhaps it was because of the vast cluster of emotion within him—a bitter memory he would rather not remember—Kuzon’s usual ease completely dissipated.

No longer did he don the nonchalant and casual expression. Rather, the glint in his eyes were the opposite. Kuzon, for the first time in a while, made a grave face.

In a jiffy, he changed to his clothes and used Magic to summon the few Items he treasured most.

His necklace appeared.

A ring manifested on one of his fingers.

A bracelet appeared on his hand as well.

The three heirlooms he had—the only things that connected him to his previous life, when he was… someone else.

“What are ‘they’ doing here?” He murmured as he exited his room through the window and leaped to the vast compound beneath him.

There was no way Kuzon could forget those distasteful beings.

They were the ones who took everything away from him. No, that wasn’t quite right. They simply allied with someone who did something of that effect. Even though his hate should have been channeled to the mastermind behind it all, the fact that he could sense even a vestige of the perpetrators was enough to make his blood boil.

The man he was after was currently out of his reach, and Kuzon had found himself slowly giving up on actively searching for him. But, the story was different this time. They had come to him!

‘Are they here for me?’ The golden-haired boy wondered as he landed on the grassy plains.

The moment his feet touched the ground, his face sharply tilted to the front… and then around him. He could sense them—they were coming in large numbers.

‘At least a hundred. That’s too much. I can’t take them on, unless…’ His eyes squinted as the thought of his items he equipped crossed his mind.

No, it was too soon to decide that.

Kuzon kept a level head and decided to make the pre-emptive strike.

WHOOOSHHH!!!

In a flash, he ascended to the top of his building and stood atop the roof. With this, he gained a better line of sight. Since the Demons had taken the initiative of surrounding the compound, this was a vantage spot for him.

Of course, Kuzon had been using Magic for some time now. In fact, he never turned off his Magic usage. It started as a form of training, but developed to his special form of defense.

With enhanced eyes and heightened senses, he scoured the area and spotted multiple shadows approach the compound.

‘Shadow Demons…?’

They weren’t the kind he was familiar with. He had mistaken the miasma they exuded and their uncontrollable bloodlust for the ones from back then. Still, Demons were Demons. Why were they here?

Were they after him?!

The closer they came, the better he was able to perceive their ranks. Kuzon could tell their level of strength—the total amount of energy in their possession.

‘What’s this…? They’re weak…’

If they were truly after him, then the Demons who would come were supposed to be stronger. With that out of the way, Kuzon could only conclude that the Academy had been breached somewhat.

“I always knew it would be a matter of time, but… to think they decided to invade now…” Kuzon whispered.

The Demons were already in the compound. They were one hundred and twenty-five. In terms of quantity, they were certainly not lacking. However, their quality left very little to be desired.

“Something’s still not right, but I won’t bother with that for now…”

With Kuzon’s gaze narrowed and his eyes fixated on the bloodthirsty vestiges of darkness beneath him, he prepared for his assault.

‘I should finish you guys off first.’