Chapter 53
“The Second Assault”
The Capital of Schemes and Intrigues, Part IV
When night’s veil descended over the academy city, the bustle of the day vanished as if it had been a lie.
The cobblestone alleys stretched out thin shadows under the lamplight, and faint glows leaked from the windows of the houses.
From the distant marketplace came hurried voices closing up shop and the laughter spilling out of taverns.
Kai walked down the road toward the dormitory.
In his hand was a paper bag—inside were fruits given by students and dried meat sent as gifts from local villagers.
“Can’t say I’m not grateful,” he muttered. “But this is a bit heavy for supper.”
Despite his words, there was a faint smile on his face.
To be appreciated as a teacher—that was the greatest reward of all.
However, the moment he turned a corner, the air changed.
One of the streetlights flickered out.
Then came footsteps—three of them, evenly spaced.
“…Knew you’d show up again.”
Kai stopped, quietly set the paper bag on the ground.
From the other end of the alley emerged three figures cloaked in black.
Their faces were hidden behind masks, and in their hands flickered the shimmer of magic.
“Kai Cross.”
“Outsider. Know your place.”
“Your existence is poison to this kingdom.”
Cold voices echoed through the narrow alley.
Kai rolled his shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Every time, it’s the same thing. Y’all ever heard of starting with a proper introduction before you start hurlin’ insults?”
“Silence!”
One of them began chanting.
The air vibrated—particles of mana crackled like sparks.
The next instant, all three simultaneously summoned their magic circles and unleashed arrows of flame, lightning, and wind.
Kai remained as calm as if he were facing a blackboard.
In his head, formulas lined up neatly.
(Three inputs. Output scattered. Align the waveform… shift the phase.)
He flicked his right hand.
White lines traced the air—
the arrows of fire, lightning, and wind collided, interfering with one another and veering off course.
The three spells twisted together in midair and arced back toward the casters’ own feet.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the cobblestones blackened.
The hems of the attackers’ cloaks were scorched.
“Wh—what!?”
“Impossible! Our spells—!”
“Just shifted the equations a bit,” Kai said with a faint smile. “Did the same thing last time, remember? Y’all didn’t study enough.”
One of the masked men snarled and drew a dagger.
The blade shimmered faintly, wrapped in a membrane of mana, glowing bluish-white.
“Die, outsider!”
He lunged straight at Kai.
Fast—clean—and aimed right for the throat.
Kai stepped half a pace back and raised his right hand diagonally.
A pane of air solidified before him, catching the blade.
He rotated the surface by fifteen degrees—redirecting the flow of force.
The dagger slid aside and drove itself into the cobblestones.
“Straight lines are easy to read,” he quipped.
But another presence was already behind him.
The instant Kai sensed it, a chill ran up his spine.
Before he could turn—
CLANG!
A clear metallic sound rang out.
The blade that had been aimed at his back was deflected by another sword.
“Get away from Kai!”
Standing there was Rutia, her blue eyes blazing with fire.
She gripped her slender sword, moving with fluid precision as she parried the second strike.
Sparks flew; the masked man staggered.
“I won’t let you lay a single finger on my husband!”
“Quit callin’ me that! I ain’t married!”
His protest disappeared into the night sky.
At that moment, two more figures appeared at the mouth of the alley.
“What’s going on here!?”
Leon strode in, his black uniform coat fluttering behind him.
Beside him was Philia, a glowing magic circle of light forming over her palm.
“To raise your blades against an academy teacher again… you’ve got nerve,” Leon said coldly, his voice steady and unwavering.
◆◇◆
The masked men clicked their tongues.
They dropped smoke at their feet and spun away.
In the next heartbeat, their figures vanished from the alley.
Only the scorch marks and lingering heat remained.
Kai pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled deeply.
“…Damn. My heart’s doin’ triple time.”
“Kai, are you okay?” Rutia ran up, peering worriedly into his face.
“I’m fine. Compared to grading a stack of pop quizzes, this is easy work.”
“Pretty sure that means your sense of normal’s broken,” Philia sighed with a wry smile.
Leon’s gaze stayed fixed on the scorched stones.
“The shadows are moving for real now… The darkness of the capital has bared its fangs.”
At those words, Kai straightened up, determination returning to his eyes.
(I just wanted to teach classes, y’know… but fine. Guess this’ll count as extra credit work.)
