"I don't understand."

Zekken was confused by the current situation.

"It should have been easy to get in since everyone would be sleeping at this hour, but... what does this mean!"

The reason he was confused was because of what his eyes were seeing.

"Get the hell out of here!"

"We won't let you through!"

"We'll protect the academy."

The students were throwing rocks like fireballs at Norden's soldiers and the Codes.

The academy wall was fortified with a defensive spell. They couldn't break through it even with the conjurers they had.

"Reporting!"

A messenger approached.

"We can't breach any side of the academy, there are no openings and even the ground was fortified to prevent us from digging... there's no way in."

"..."

Zekken thought upon hearing that.

(How would they have found out? And, who must have been the mastermind behind such prevention?)

◇◇◇

-30 minutes ago-

"... Huh? Fortify the academy you say?"

"Eli, are you serious?"

"Very serious."

In the middle of the night, Eli came to her brother's room.

He thought she had gone back to the time where she made excuses to sleep together.

He hoped that with having Rei she would stop doing that, he had been wrong.

Eli came very seriously, she even changed into her uniform instead of her pajamas.

"What are you basing that on?"

"You see, this happened when my prince left."

◇◇◇

Several weeks ago, Eli was bored.

She placed her chin on the table.

"There's nothing to do in my spare time."

Rose was with her.

"Princess Elicia, you can read or go for a walk."

"I've done all that since I was born. I was hoping that with the prince all that would stop, but it's still the same."

Rose understood Eli a little, as she was partly the same as Rei. They hate boredom.

Rei was never sitting, always doing something, even if it was wasting time.

Suddenly, a card appeared from a magic circle.

It was scheduled to appear at this very table and time as agreed.

There were two cards, one for Eli and one for Rose.

They both opened them and smiled as they read that Rei was well.

So went the days, Rose smiled to see that her beloved master was well, but Eli was strange.

Rose asked her.

"Is something wrong, your highness?"

"No. Well yes, it's this."

Eli showed Rose the letter, she didn't notice anything strange, but Eli did.

"The prince says he's been boringly spying on Norden's army."

Rose showed a vein in her forehead as she heard how he toyed with the enemy.

"He writes that one of the soldiers talked about the equipment sent to the herdsman."

"Herdsman? Couldn't the Master have made a mistake?"

"I thought the same thing until I remembered this other letter."

Eli pulled a letter out of her drawer, she said to Rose.

"In this letter they talk about a Pepe sending gifts to a Walsh. It may seem strange, but I feel like he's trying to tell us something."

"The Master?"

"Yes. Maybe he's busy with the war and is sending us a coded message for us to decipher."

"Why would he do that instead of just telling us?"

"Perhaps... there is a traitor in the Kingdom."

The friendly atmosphere suddenly turned dark.

"Princess, that's a bit."

"Rose-sama, you've known him longer than I have. I'm sure you understand that if it were irrelevant information he wouldn't bother to tell us."

Eli was wrong, in reality Rei would write anything, it was just that she paid attention to what was most suspicious in the letters.

She sent to investigate her maids in that time lapse.

◇◇◇

"If everything goes as I have assumed. There will be an attack on the academy today."

"On what basis do you say that?"

"Today it was notified that the Norden Kingdom was conquered. According to my guess, Pepe will attack the academy to take us hostage."

Sig became serious at that word.

"If nothing happens, you would look ridiculous. So would I."

"Onii-sama, that's a risk I'm willing to face. Of course, I'll say that you were simply fulfilling one of my whims."

Eli was willing to be a public laughing stock if necessary.

It was a guess, there was no high success rate.

"Suppose I believe you. why don't we run away then?"

"Because the city will be in chaos, something would happen to us while we're running away."

"In chaos? Why?"

"Something serious is going to happen because of the bills. haven't you felt that the paper feels heavier?"

"Yes, but isn't that normal? They're new bills."

"I feel like they were modified and their expiration date is near."

"Eli... this is not gambling, what you say would involve Marquis Harvey and Marquis Catley in a very serious situation."

"Onii-sama, please give me your support on this."

Sig wanted to turn her down, but seeing his little sister very serious only made him sigh and agree.

"I hope you're wrong and say it was because of the stress of the war."

◇◇◇

"... It was all real after all..."

Sig watched in horror from the highest building of the academy as a group of armed men tried to enter through the front door as from the sides.

Sweat was pouring down his forehead and cheeks, it wasn't because of the situation, it was because it was real what Eli said.

"There was an attack... the city is in chaos... Eli was right..."

Sig couldn't process how her little sister was absolutely right.

Hurried footsteps approached the door, Alfred entered.

"Reporting! The barrier students led by Isaac say they won't be able to hold out for long. While those with Oliver indicate that they will soon run out of magic and stones, they will have to fight with the weapons we have."

The academy forbade weapons, only the knights protecting the surroundings had them, it was all inside, waiting for them to enter to fight.

Sig wiped off his sweat and said to him.

"I understand. Get the tired students to safety and those who can't fight, tell Isaac's group to create ramparts and reinforce the knights' weapons and wooden swords."

"I will also go to fight."

"You Sig! But, you are the crown prince."

"Al, right now it doesn't matter about that. We must hold out until the royal knights arrive... or at least he arrives to help us."

Alfred nodded and before retreating Sig stopped him.

"Al, tell Eli to hide."

"About that..."

"... I can't find her anywhere."

"What?!"

◇◇◇

"Please hold on princess."

"We should head to the shelter as soon as possible."

Eli was running through the hallways of the academy, Nadine and Emma were behind her.

Nadine had good physique like Emma, Eli was a girl who carried a great weight on her that should keep her from moving faster than them.

But she far outweighed them.

"I'm not going until I take Rose-sama with me."

Rose wasn't showing up. She wasn't in her room, or in the bathroom, or in the dining room.

Eli could not allow her to be alone at this time.

They left the central building and entered the secondary building, there was a huge garden there, in the distance a lump could be seen lying down.

"Rose-sama!"

Eli called out to rose who was sitting there sighing heavily.

As she approached, Emma went to check on her.

"What happened to you?"

Rose breathing as if she had asthma said.

"It hurt... both my head and stomach... my vision is blurry... my legs are weak too. I don't want to walk, Master, I need you."

Rose looked sick, they could not attend to her here as it was impossible under the circumstances.

"Nadine-dono, please help me carry her."

"Sure."

Nadine reached over and placed Rose's arm around her neck.

They carefully lifted her up and together with Eli headed for the shelter.

"I wanted to avoid as little damage as possible out of respect for being a learning center, but my patience is short."

Zekken destroyed the door.

A glow occurred and light blue flames were scattered with the debris.

Zekken set foot in the academy and smiled.

"Now... go get the king's sons."

The invaders entered the academy.

◇◇◇

A battle started between the invaders and the knights, the students were in the buildings sealing them so that no one would enter.

Zekken was walking relaxed as the soldiers entered, among them Norden's captain said to him.

"My group will go through the eastern sector, walk to the west."

"Understood."

Zekken didn't want to take orders from someone inferior to him, but there was no other way he thought.

It's part of the job he thought.

As he walked through the beautiful garden, he visualized a group of girls.

He couldn't see them, he could feel their magical power.

"My, my, what a surprise this is. Four fragile ladies in distress, and one of them has unusual magic power, I wonder if she is from the royal family─"

"How unusual, why is there a fifth─?"

"...!"

An object was approaching at high speed, Zekken dodged it, and as he hid behind a pillar. He felt a familiar presence.

"I see, you were the fifth presence, huh? Oriana."

Oriana had arrived on the battlefield.

Her face was showing her anger.

"Aniki... I swear I will kill you!"

◇◇◇

Until a few minutes ago, Oriana had been sleeping in Rei's room.

Her belly was exposed, hearing Rose open the door to leave, she reacted late.

She got dressed and went out to look for her scent, but other smells were beside her especially a very familiar one.

She knew who it was, Rose grabbed a flag from a building and threw it to pierce it, but Zekken dodged it.

And so it was they ended up in this situation.

◇◇◇

Oriana was very angry, her sharp teeth gnashed loudly as she had in front of her the cause of her tragedy.

Seeing him she said.

"I'm going to avenge mom and dad, you won't get away with this, Zeke!"

Zekken at the sound of that name became enraged.

"It's not Zeke anymore, it's Zekken!"

He pulled out a sword and ran at high speed towards her, Oriana pulled out twin short swords and also ran to fight.

In a brief moment, their swords clashed, Zekken said to her.

"I can feel the strength of your muscles through the sword. You haven't done badly at all, Oriana... but it's not enough to defeat me."

Zekken was taller than her, he kicked her and flew off near the girls.

He smiled menacingly, he used his ability he was born with.

It looked like he was about to blow really hard because of how puffy his cheeks were.

"Icy Fire!"

As he blew, a large light blue flare was heading towards them, Oriana defended them in the same way.

"Icy Fire!"

After puffing out her cheeks she blew, both blue flares collided.

Within a second, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The fire froze instantly.

The strange thing was that a flower was hit by the flames, but it was not burned, on the contrary, it froze and in that block of ice began to disintegrate.

This was the ability of the white cat tribe. Also known as the Infernal Ice Cats.

They inhabited the neighboring continent, but it was destroyed by the empire and they fled to this continent.

The ice would not thaw, but also could not be broken without water spell, if a fireball was thrown at it, it would grow larger.

It was a terrifying ability, even if you used defensive magic, the magic shield would be frozen.

It could freeze anything in the world, including a volcano.

Zekken watched Oriana's growth as a warrior.

"Not bad. The level of those flames managed to be on par, but... so what?"

"You think that affects my victory?"

Oriana quickly turned to tell Rose's group.

"All flee-nya! This is not a safe place-nya!"

"Too late, Icy Fire!"

Zekken said after puffing out his cheeks again, but the move this time was different from before.

"Blood Point!"

As he blew, the fire turned to ice as it made contact with the air, as it escaped, the place they were in burned.

Instead of freezing the garden caught fire.

"Blood point allows you to return ice to its original form and turn it back into flames. Oriana, I'm sure you can't do this, it's useless whatever you do!"

After making sure Eli and the others escape, she jumped onto the roof, Zekken was still blowing ice floes that impacted the building and set it on fire in a matter of seconds.

Oriana thought as she ran away from those rapidly growing flames.

(He was always the best, but this is absurd. He got stronger.)

Oriana jumped from building to building as Zekken set them on fire.

"What's wrong with you, my little sister, is this all you can do?"

"This is all you can do for our father and tribes? How pathetic you are to run away from combat!"

Oriana stopped herself from running away.

"I... I... won't run away, I don't plan to run away anymore!"

She took a big breath as well and released her icy fire. Zekken smiled as he watched her fall into his trap.

"Thanks sis, now you'll lose."

"Icy Fire: Zero Point."

Zekken released his own flame as well, colliding with Oriana's, he used his hands.

"Mold."

The ice formed by the flames began to mold like clay, generating the appearance of a Chinese dragon.

"This is the power you get when you get the third tail. The power to control the icy fire and mold it. I needed someone to use an attack and thus give you the prerequisite needed to activate it."

"Die, silly little sister!"

The dragon roared as it swooped down to attack Oriana.

She didn't run away, she didn't want to do it again, she drew her swords to face the threat.

"I'm going to fight, I won't run away again!"

The dragon engulfed Oriana who thrust her swords into the top and bottom of the dragon.

It ravaged everything in its path, entered the building and began to destroy everything.

Oriana could barely handle the pressure of being crushed, added to the pounding of the debris that hit her from the dragon.

It came out of the building and Oriana was spat out, again the dragon changed its form again, this time to a gorilla.

Raising its arms to the sky, the gorilla gave her a strong blow.

Impacting against the ground generating a large crater.

There lay Oriana motionless.

Zekken undid the ice dragon, with his sword in hand he approached her as he spoke to her.

"In the end you are nothing but a pitiful little sister."

"You cannot avenge your parents, nor your tribe, and now you will die like a stray dog."

"I feel bad for you, little sister."

Zekken descended into the crater, raised his sword as high as he could to pierce Oriana.

"Farewell forever. Die."

The moment he lowered it.

"Icy Fire."

Oriana had her head against the ground, she turned quickly with her cheeks puffed out.

Zekken reacted late.

Due the crater was full of magic power residue, he couldn't notice it.

Even the flare was small, but it was close enough to burn his left arm.

Zekken cut it off while about to freeze his body.

Seeing Oriana laugh, Zekken was taken aback.

"How are you still alive? The impact should have killed you."

"Aniki, you don't know what kind of training I've been through all these years. From sleeping in the scorching heat to bathing naked in freezing hot springs, I've exposed my body to pushing all its limits."

"Something as small as a ten-meter fall won't kill me. I've fallen off cliffs and survived."

"All for this day!"

Oriana quickly approached with her blades, which she ignited with her power.

They had been frozen, but were now sharper.

Zekken burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha. Very good, very good sis. This is certainly a fight worth achieving."

"I'll kill you with my hand. Don't think that because I only have one arm I'm inferior to you."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The two let out that cry as their swords met.

Despite having no arm, Zekken wasn't giving up, Oriana was using two swords, but her brother's speed made up for his lack of limb.

They were not the only ones fighting, the cries of knights fighting the invaders could be heard. The sounds of fireballs impacting a human being and swords clashing against each other, it was a truly hellish battlefield.

Zekken was taunting her even having a hard time.

"That's all you can do Oriana?"

"If you don't try to overcome your limits, you won't be able to defeat me, ever!"

Zekken kicked her hard and she went flying into a burning building. But she quickly jumped to escape, Zekken predicted that move and waited for her so he could jump before her.

He kicked her hard to send her to the ground, but Oriana used the speed of the fall as she landed on her legs, to propel herself into the sky.

"Zeeeeeeeeeeeeekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

In response, he said.

"Orianaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

They both threw icy fire, but there was something weird.

The icy fire that Zekken blew was not freezing, it was a zero point, but he couldn't mold it.

Then, it was too late.

Oriana jumped to the side, Zekken could not sense her presence.

This was because Oriana had used the icy fire on her swords, the swords being imbued with the magical power implied that she was there.

Oriana used that to her advantage and the moment she froze, she quickly climbed the giant tempanum, Zekken's ears were so focused on freezing that he didn't notice her climbing, but, still.

"Don't think that with a trap it will be the end of me!"

Again he was going to use his freezing fire, but Oriana beat him to it with something better.

She threw a tiny dagger at his neck with her tail, Zekken deflected it and there, that's where he lost.

"Icy Fire: Blood Point!"

"How!"

Oriana had long ago tamed the blood point, but at no point did she use it, so that he would think she could only use the normal ability.

Zekken could do nothing and was hit by the ice floes which upon touching his body caught fire.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

He screamed as he fell to the ground in flames.

Oriana didn't stop.

"Eat thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!"

With a somersault in the air, she kicked him hard in the stomach and he was sent with more speed into the destroyed water fountain that held a spear.

A dry sound was heard.

Zekken was impaled, blood was running down the spear and the fire it had generated was beginning to extinguish.

Oriana approached after falling to the ground.

She grabbed her brother and made the spear pierce him harder.

"Kah!"

He spat blood as he hit the ground, Oriana removed the spear, causing Zekken's life to be extinguished faster.

She raised her sword and said to him.

"This is the end, aniki. With this my vengeance will be complete. Our parents and acquaintances will be able to rest in peace."

"That's right, my little sister."

Oriana stopped suddenly, Zekken's tone was strange.

It felt like it was a warm voice.

Looking at his face, Zekken was smiling despite being covered in blood.

"With this, my sin can finally disappear, thank you for saving me."

She was confused.

"What are you talking about, you killed everyone, what do you mean I saved you?!"

Zekken was breathing heavily.

"Oriana... let me tell you the truth of that day..."

"The truth?"

"Yes... there's something you don't know..."

◇◇◇

At that time Zekken was Zeke, he was very quiet at home, his mother asked him.

"Oriana where is she?"

"She went to become a warrior."

"Why didn't you stop her? She is still a child."

"Mother, she's old enough to be a hunter, if you don't let her learn, she'll grow up to be a scaredy-cat."

"In any case go get her."

"Okay, okay."

Zeke went out to look for his sister.

He couldn't find her.

"I wonder if she's back yet? I can't find her anywhere─ ...!"

Returning to the village, he saw a hellish scene.

"Why!!!"

Everything was on fire.

He ran home to check on his parents, upon arrival he was horrified.

He watched as a figure in black plunged its dagger into his father's back while his mother was wounded in the side.

At the sight of that sinister figure, Zeke ran.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"...?"

But it was useless, the mysterious figure hit him hard and he went flying.

Before stabbing the mother, a small voice was heard among those flames.

"Mom! Dad!"

It was Oriana.

Zeke reacted, the mysterious figure noticed that and spoke to him.

"... That little girl's voice, is she related to you?"

"Don't go near her!"

"Absurd. I'll kill her in front of your eyes... unless."

"... Unless?"

Zeke cursed himself for saying that, he wanted to save his sister, but this was something much worse for him.

"Kill your mother in front of her and do it the best way you can."

"I will hide nearby, if you try to tell her to escape, I will kill her instantly, tell me, what will you do?"

It was too cruel to accept, but his mother with tears smiled at him.

Zeke... he agreed to save his sister at the cost of his mother's life.

He would earn her hatred and rejection, he won't be able to sleep at night, his conscience would torment him every day, but... she will live.

"By the way, don't even think of going after her later. I came up with more interesting things to do with you, kekeke."

◇◇◇

Oriana heard the truth of that day.

"No... it can't be... that can't be true..."

Zekken looked at her with a smile, his conscience was finally clear.

"After that, that person took me from here to there to help kill more tribes."

"I knew what I was doing, but I was guaranteeing your safety."

Crying she told him.

"Why couldn't you defend yourself?"

"It was too strong... one day he took me to a cave, in it was a strange group called the cult of the goddess of death."

"It forced me to become a member. That person is female and joined to gain power and massacre the semi-human tribes."

"For what reason?"

"I don't know... I only know that she belongs to the black panther tribe. Oriana, you have become truly strong."

"It made my attacks go a little out of your direction, but you dealt with them and ended up fighting even harder."

"You really have become strong. I feel proud as your brother, now, I will be able to leave knowing that the whiny girl is no more... and a strong woman was born."

"No! Don't go, Zeke! Anikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Be... happy─"

Zekken opened for the last time his eyes that could only see the silhouette of his angry little sister, but now those eyes were looking at a strong woman who can manage on her own.

Zeke was named Zekken for a reason, in his home country, zekken means absolute, an absolute resolution for someone like him.

Oriana named a pet rabbit they had with that name, that's why he opted for that name, to show how much he appreciated her.

"Noooooooooooooooooooo! Come back, anikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

The battlefield was still going on despite their leader no longer being here.

◇◇◇

"Let's escape my lord."

Meanwhile at the Catley mansion.

Joachim and some servants were escaping through a secret passage, the angry mob broke through the gate.

"Damn, each and every one of you are a real pain in the ass."

After a few minutes of running, they came to a forest.

There was a carriage waiting for him.

The gate opened and Sophia climbed down from it.

Joachim said to her.

"You made it out alive, I see. Anyway, we're off, point me in the direction of that place you mentioned to tell the driver."

Sophia approached with a smile.

As she stood face to face with her husband.

"What is it?"

She pulled out a knife and inserted it into his abdomen.

"...!"

Joachim fell to his knees as he bled.

The servants grabbed Sophia and pinned her down.

One of the servants knew healing magic so after taking out the knife he healed his wound, Joachim was so upset that he shouted at her.

"You idiot bitch, look what you did!"

"Fine, if you want to die so badly. I will grant you with my own hands your wish."

"If I am to die, it will be with my husband."

She said with a sad face.

Joachim in reply said to her.

"Even to the end you insist on the same garbage. I never loved you, it was an arranged marriage, you are a very idiotic woman to think that such a thing exists love."

Sophia nodded slightly.

"A wife will always believe in her husband whether for better or worse."

Joachim picked up the knife and stepped closer.

"In your case it will be the hard way."

Before lowering his hand.

"It seems I didn't need to make you talk. A scumbag will be a scumbag."

Rei was hovering above them.

He was holding Sasha in his hands.

At the sight of Rei, they were all quizzical.

"Now then, Joachim Catley. It's time to die for your crimes both with the Kingdom and against your wife."

A wicked smile from the side of justice showed.