Invasion of Arcanum?

Aurora's POV:

I was walking down the corridor, unbothered by the stares I was presented by the boys.

In my right, I held a file—our mission assigned by George, the supervisor of my unit.

"Anhh!", I yawned, clear indication of sleep deprivation.

Yesterday, I stayed up all night watching an anime movie.

I was not a training addict like Takahashi. I do like to take breaks once in a while.

I asked him to join me too, but...

How disappointing. That idiot didn't even bother to swing by my place.

Apparently, 'getting stronger' was more fun or some crap like that.

-"Sure, Svetlana is a Darkthorn, but there's no way she can take down Aeravat."

I overheard a group of students debate as I guided myself.

The seminar of who was the strongest first-year seemed to be on everyone's lips lately, especially after the latecomer, Svetlana, joined our ranks.

People were itching to find out who was the strongest. And to be fair, it was a valid question, but...

"It's pointless," I muttered under my breath, my voice carrying mild frustration.

It didn't really matter who was declared to be the strongest because there was a missing piece to this whole equation.

During the initial months of the first year, 'he' was surrounded by bad rumors.

Someone always causing trouble in training classes.

Labeled as the misfit, machete guy and what not.

The rumors surrounding him never stopped.

Recently, he rose up in ranks, so most professors believe that he is extremely gifted.

The first time I saw him, I thought that he was just a nobody trouble maker.

'But the more I observed him and the more I researched about him...',my thoughts trailed off into a light frown.

Always staying alone, always roaming alone.

'Did he even have any friends?'

He was not in any clubs and yet he selected the chemistry elective.

Who even chooses the chemistry elective...

Wait, did he perhaps choose chemistry so he could stay away from others?

Huh. Wow.

Even now, most people consider him a bit strange, while others believe he is extremely gifted.

Have to give the guy an academy award for his acting though.

Easily fooling everyone with his acting.

Fooled me.

A liar, that's what he is. Someone pretending, faking a persona. A master of deception.

I couldn't help but wonder—why?

Why is he doing all this? Why did he always act weak?

Why this elaborate charade?

I don't understand his motives at all.

Others aren't fully convinced by my theory, which is understandable since we don't have solid evidence, yet.

But for me, I don't need any more proof. I know it was him, the unstory of Genova.

I had so many questions in my head.

Why did he save us?

What was he doing there that day?

How the f*ck did he defeat the duo of vampire- werewolf?

If it weren't for him, I would have died. I know that it is him. There is no other way.

Should I just confront him?

In an instant, dark clouds obscured the once bright sun overhead, mirroring the sudden storm brewing in my mind. The nagging thought crept in—'What are you even hiding Noah?'

Part of me just wants to burn all my resources and dig into his past, see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

But part of me is grateful... albeit it's shameful to admit but, if he didn't save us that day...

Maybe, I should try to talk to him once? I do need to thank him after all.

***

Noah's POV:

'Blood beads, Aeravat, the main cast... I always kept my distance from the main cast, considering them to be nothing but trouble. But now, I wondered if that distance was even necessary.', thoughts raced through my mind at lightning speed.

"Anhh-hachyut!" I sneezed, breaking my train of thought.

Probably some dust found its way to my nose. Oh well, whatever.

As I walked along the sidewalk, I couldn't help but notice the vibrant atmosphere of this city.

Situated between Krenada and Feistia, the colossal Arcanum blades towered over the two cities.

And here I was, in Feistia.

Dressed in a casual black long-sleeve shirt and brown cargo pants, I blended in with the crowd effortlessly.

"Why are we even here?" suddenly Nola asked from behind.

"Who is this 'we' you're referring to?" I gave her a stern look, pausing my steps. "I didn't ask you to tag along. I need some time alone."

After making my intentions clear, I resumed my leisurely pace along the footpath.

Yes, technically 'we' were on a mission to gather information about certain people.

But truth be told, I didn't care much about this assignment.

All I wanted was to walk through the streets, escaping the chaos for a moment and feel normal.

I was not doing any investigation. I was just walking around without any aim. I just wanted to.

I never had the chance to feel a normal life. My previous world was apocalypse ridden. And after being transmigrated to here, I have been constantly pushing myself to do things to ensure that I can survive in the future.

But never once did I get a chance to feel what it's like to be normal.

To walk on the street, to take a fresh breath. To go to a food stall and eat. To sit on a park bench, watch the sky while listening to the humming of birds...

But, just for this afternoon, I wanted to feel normal.

'Maybe if Svetlana was here, I could hold her hand while walking-' My thought was interrupted as a frown creased my forehead.

What the heck? Why did that thought even cross my mind?

Lately, I have been thinking alot about Svetlana.

It's strange, but there's something comforting about it.

Whenever I'm feeling down, just the mere thought of her brings happiness to my heart.

Is this what having a true friend feels like?

I did wanted to met her today but I was going to be a bit busy.

Well, I can just met her some other time. It's not like she is going somewhere or anything...

I losened my frown and cleared my head.

"At least tell me where the heck we're going?" Karthik's voice echoed from behind me.

"It's not 'we,' Karthik," I corrected him, my tone conveying my annoyance. "You're more than capable of gathering information on your own. You could have tagged along with Kai Lee and Hannah."

"But Ahmya specifically told me to stick with this Nola, for better chemistry," Karthik responded, seeming unfazed by the irritated look Nola was shooting him.

I couldn't help but look at Karthik with a hint of pity in my eyes.

Ahmya said this, Ahmya said that... Ahmya Ahmya Ahmya...this guy is completely under her spell.

Word recently reached me through Luke that Ahmya Xinzumi was one of the most feared in her cohort. It wasn't just because of her prowess, but her intelligence was also a force to be reckoned with.

The guys in her class were completely smitten by her.

Rumor had it that she was the most brilliant strategist among the second-year students, and possibly even the entire Academy.

Naturally, my curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to delve a little deeper into her background.

After some research, one thing became crystal clear: Ahmya was far from being a simple, ordinary woman.

She was undeniably smart, no doubt about that. Just how smart though, remained to be seen.

And it was becoming increasingly apparent that she had her eyes set on Karthik. I mean, Karthik was a talented guy with immense potential.

It only made sense for her to want him as her pawn in whatever twisted game she was playing.

I sighed. "Nola, you don't have to follow me either", I clarified, my eyes fixed on the traffic that suddenly came to a halt at the red light.

"I am not following you! We just happened to go the same way!"Nola retorted, her gaze meeting mine.

Another sigh escaped me. "Hah"

I couldn't help but take a moment to look into Nola's rosé eyes. I could see it. 'This girl...'

"Haaa..."—Another sigh escaped me.

I refocused my attention on the road.

Suddenly, I noticed an elderly woman struggling with a heavy suitcase as she tried to cross the street on the zebracrossing.

Approaching her with a warm smile, I extended my hand, offering help.

"Let me help you, Grandma," I said, in a cheerful tone.

She gave a gentle smile, nodding her head. "Thank you, young man." Passing me the handle of the suitcase, I lifted it with care and guided her safely across the road.

As we reached the other side, she turned back to give me a grateful nod, about to offer a bow of thanks.

I quickly intervened, gently stopping her. "No need, Grandma. You are my elder. It was my duty to help."

The old lady's eyes softened, her voice filled with warmth. "You're such a kind young man," she remarked, giving me a thorough once-over. "And quite handsome, too."

I smiled and replied, "It's not every day that I receive such kind words from a beauty like yourself."

Once I was done with the old lady, I turned around, wanting to head towards a nearby cafe.

But, I was met with Nola standing in my path, wearing a softer expression than before.

She looked at me with a gentle smile, while Karthik stood to the side, seemingly lost in thought as he scratched his cheek.

"What?" I demanded, feeling puzzled by her expression.

"Nothing," Nola replied cryptically before deciding to join me and follow along.

I guess they won't leave my ass until we are done completing this assignment?

I took out my phone and pretended to call someone, before talking to the speaker, "Nano. Send me the information from the school's records."

[Affirmative]

I was going to end this assignment in one day. And then, I can have some peace of mind.

***

Third person's POV:

Near the moon's orbit, a massive and bulky black slab-like object could be seen, floating in space.

It was a demon-warship, an ancient device, powered by magical artifacts, rather than scientific technology.

Many similar warships lurked near the Earth's orbit, concealing their presence from the planet's inhabitants.

These warships had two primary objectives.

Firstly, they aimed to locate suitable locations where portals could be established.

Portals that would be the means of travel for Azazel's army when he invades Earth. Fortunately, there were still several years remaining before this invasion was to take place.

And secondly, their ultimate objective was to eliminate potential threats from all five races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Rulers.

Inside one of the chambers within the warship, a demoness, bearing the noble rank of Marchioness, stood in contemplation, her gaze fixed upon a crystal glass.

In the hierarchy of demons, ranks were based on noble ranking, with the most powerful being the esteemed Demon King, of course.

Meanwhile, an informant stood behind her, relaying crucial information regarding the outcome of their latest mission.

"My Ladyship Vivian, a portion of our troops dispatched to the Revati continent has already taken the lives of fifty people who could have been the hero of light," stated the loyal informant.

The Marchioness Vivian, maintaining her regal composure, offered a subtle nod but refrained from diverting her gaze away from the crystal before her.

Letting out a sigh, the informant continued, "But-"

"But what?" Vivian immediately cut in, displaying a hint of irritation as she anticipated that the "but" would disrupt the otherwise delightful news she was hoping for.

The informant's heart raced with fear as he continued, stuttering, "B-but someone single-handedly cleaned our entire troop. We suspect it may have been the real hero of light this time."

The demoness grumbled audibly, clearly displeased by the unfortunate turn of events.

She turned to face the informant, revealing her striking features: reptilian fuchsia eyes, silver hair with glowing pink touch, and a pair of horns of golden-rosé.

"Inform Viscount Theodore that he is responsible for resolving this matter," she commanded sternly. "As for the other issue regarding Gavisti Ashwath... proceed with the invasion of Arcanum. It seems there are some promising younglings among the humans in Arcanum Blades Academy."

News had reached them of the potential talents nurtured within the academy's walls, and the demoness intended to snuff out any hope that these young promises might bring to humanity.