Dark clouds covered the sky above the academy.
A cold wind swept across the training grounds as students gathered in small groups, whispering about the news that had arrived from the capital.
A city had been destroyed.
Not by demons.
By a single hunter.
Ren stood near the edge of the field while Lyra paced back and forth.
"I still don't understand," she said. "How can a hunter destroy an entire city?"
Captain Kael stood with his arms crossed, watching the distant academy gates.
"There are hunters far stronger than the ones trained here."
Lyra frowned.
"Stronger than demon generals?"
Kael answered calmly.
"Yes."
Headmaster Aldren added quietly, "The Hunter Association has many hidden weapons."
Ren asked one question.
"Why is he coming here?"
Aldren looked at him directly.
"Because of you."
The wind suddenly grew stronger.
A guard on top of the academy wall shouted.
"Someone is approaching!"
All eyes turned toward the massive gates.
A lone figure walked slowly down the long stone road leading to the academy.
Each step was calm.
Unhurried.
But the air around him crackled with faint blue lightning.
Students standing near the gate instinctively stepped back.
The man stopped a few meters away.
He looked to be in his late twenties.
Tall.
Lean.
His long coat moved in the wind.
Small sparks of electricity flickered across his fingers.
His eyes slowly scanned the academy grounds.
Then they stopped on Ren.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"So you're the one."
Captain Kael stepped forward immediately.
"State your name and purpose."
The man looked at him casually.
"You must be one of the academy captains."
Kael did not move.
"Answer the question."
The stranger stretched his neck slightly as if bored.
"My name is Raizen."
Several instructors reacted immediately.
Varis whispered in shock.
"Raizen the Storm Hunter?"
Students nearby began murmuring again.
"That's him?"
"The guy who hunts entire demon armies alone?"
Raizen ignored the whispers.
His gaze remained fixed on Ren.
"So the rumors weren't exaggerated."
He took a few more steps forward.
Lightning flickered across the ground beneath his boots.
"Shadow power."
"Interesting."
Lyra stepped beside Ren.
"You're the one who destroyed that city."
Raizen shrugged.
"It was already overrun by demons."
"So I erased everything."
Lyra looked disgusted.
"You erased the people too."
Raizen looked at her calmly.
"They were already dead."
His eyes shifted back to Ren.
"But that's not why I'm here."
Ren spoke for the first time.
"You want to fight."
Raizen smiled wider.
"Exactly."
The lightning around his body intensified.
"I've been hunting powerful demons for years."
"But a Shadow King…"
His eyes shone with excitement.
"That's something new."
Captain Kael stepped forward again.
"This academy is not your battlefield."
Raizen glanced at him briefly.
"Relax."
"I'm not here to destroy the place."
He pointed directly at Ren.
"I just want to see if the rumors are true."
Ren remained calm.
"What rumors?"
Raizen answered.
"That you might become the strongest hunter alive."
A moment of silence passed.
Then Raizen's lightning aura exploded outward.
Cracks spread across the ground beneath him.
Several nearby students fell back in fear.
Lyra whispered to Ren.
"This guy is insane."
Raizen rolled his shoulders.
"Come on."
"Let's test your power."
Before anyone could stop him—
Raizen vanished.
A lightning bolt struck across the training field.
Ren reacted instantly.
His shadow expanded across the ground.
BOOM.
Lightning collided with darkness.
The explosion sent dust flying across the courtyard.
Students shielded their eyes.
When the dust cleared—
Raizen stood directly in front of Ren.
His fist pressed against a wall of shadows.
Ren had blocked the attack.
Raizen's smile widened.
"Good."
Ren's shadow energy began spreading rapidly across the field.
"You're not here to talk."
Raizen laughed.
"Now you understand."
Behind Ren, the ground suddenly shifted.
Shade rose silently from the shadows.
The massive creature stood beside Ren like a silent guardian.
Raizen's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Oh?"
"A shadow servant too?"
The lightning around his body surged even stronger.
"This just got interesting."
Across the academy, every student and instructor watched as the battlefield formed once again.
The storm hunter had arrived.
And he wanted to test the power of the Shadow King.