Ella's sharp gaze locked onto Jade Chan.
Her master's words echoed in her mind: This girl carries powerful artifacts. Ordinary monsters will not be enough.
That was why, the moment they entered the fifth floor, Ella took charge herself.
She spread her arms silently.
A plume of white smoke exploded outward.
Dozens of figures emerged from the fog.
"Those monsters… they're strong!"
Towering armed zombies stomped forward, their oppressive aura pressing down like a heavy weight.
Scanning the horde revealed them all to be second-level monsters. Half were the dreaded combat zombies and heavy-armored corpses the group had struggled with before.
And it didn't end there.
More and more monstrosities appeared—zombies, mummies, twisted undead—until their numbers far exceeded the thirty per floor they had faced earlier.
Unlike the starting creatures, these were not natural spawns. They were all summoned, pulled forth by Ella's necromancy.
Without a word, Ella lifted her hand. Her command was ice-cold and merciless.
"Kill them."
"ROOOAR!!!"
The horde shrieked and charged like a tidal wave.
"Run!" someone screamed, and panic erupted.
They scattered backward desperately—only to realize there was no escape.
"The Cow Talisman! Whoever uses it still has a chance!"
Jade fumbled in her bag and drew out the charm. Her grip trembled. She wasn't skilled with the talisman's power, but maybe… maybe in someone else's hands—
But the moment she revealed it—
"Masters don't like cheating."
Ella's voice slithered out of the mist, cold and sharp.
Before Jade could react—
SHHHK!
Her eyes widened. She looked down in shock.
Ella's clawed right hand had pierced straight through her chest.
"Jade!" Viper screamed, lunging forward.
But it was too late.
Ella withdrew her hand slowly, the Cow Talisman clenched in her bloodied grasp. Without another word, she faded back into the white smoke, her mission complete.
The rest she left to the monsters.
And so, for the first time, Shinobu Kocho and the others tasted the drowning terror of being utterly overwhelmed—crushed beneath the fear of death itself.
Lunch Break
During lunch break, Yami Tsukishiro glanced at his phone.
In the group chat, Takina Inoue had posted a message.
Takina: "@Yami, a woman was investigating you this morning. [Picture]"
Investigating him?
Yami tapped the image.
The photo showed a short-haired beauty, stylish and composed. At first glance, her face seemed familiar. On closer inspection, the resemblance struck him—she looked a lot like Yukinoshita.
Kurumi: "I checked into her identity. She's the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family—Yukinoshita Haruno."
Mizuki Nakahara: "The Yukinoshita family isn't large, but they do have a strong political background. Their connections run deep."
Yami's brow furrowed. Sure enough, that suspicious feeling he had when he saw her face was right.
Yukinoshita Haruno, huh? Investigating me?
On its own, not a big deal.
After all, he'd already heard whispers of it from Yukinoshita Yukino.
Chisato:"Do you want me to handle it?"
Yami: "No. Leave her be."
He pocketed his phone.
"…But who else is digging around about me?"
He wasn't worried—there wasn't anyone who could actually threaten him. Still, he preferred to avoid needless provocations. But as the saying went: The more you don't want trouble, the more it comes knocking.
Sure enough, as he stepped out of the classroom, someone blocked his path.
A blonde—confident, stylish, almost too charming—approached with a bounce in her step. She had the air of a flashy gyaru… until she stopped before him.
In an instant, her playful expression vanished, replaced by crisp professionalism.
"Good afternoon, Tsukishiro Yami. I'm Ai Hayasaka, maid to Shinomiya Kaguya of the Shinomiya family. My lady would like to request a meeting with you."
Yami recognized her immediately. Of course he knew Shinomiya Kaguya too—the renowned student council president. Still, they'd never spoken.
Considering the Shinomiya family's influence, he didn't even need to guess at their motives.
He checked the time. Utaha and Eriri were waiting for him on the rooftop for lunch.
"…Sorry, I'm busy."
He expected her to press the issue. Instead, Hayasaka surprised him by bowing politely.
"My apologies for wasting your time. I'll return when you're free."
With that, she excused herself gracefully.
"…That's… dedication," Yami muttered, watching her go.
He couldn't help but feel a little envious of Shinomiya Kaguya, having such a loyal maid. But only for a moment. He turned on his heel and made his way to the rooftop.
Meanwhile, inside the student council room—
"You said… he refused?"
Shinomiya Kaguya's composed smile faltered as she listened to Hayasaka's report.
"Yes. He declined after checking the time. Perhaps he truly had another engagement," Hayasaka replied evenly.
"…I see. Then we'll wait for another opportunity."
Kaguya sighed softly, then shifted the topic.
"Did anyone else in the academy make a move?"
"Not really. Most remain unaware. Only Ryuju Momo, the daughter of the Ryuju conglomerate's leader, attempted to dig into his data through the academy's database."
"Ryuju Momo…" Kaguya's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't just idle curiosity anymore.
Behind every inquiry were prestigious families, each curious about the mysterious boy protected by the Alliance's higher-ups. Supernatural power was an irresistible temptation.
No family could act openly, so they pushed the burden onto their heirs—children attending the same academy as Yami.
Her own father had only mentioned the matter in passing, never going into details.
If not for witnessing the monster incident firsthand, even she wouldn't have been connected to it.
But with Ryuju Momo already moving… Shinomiya Kaguya realized she couldn't stay passive any longer.
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