Everyone looked up at the sky, seeing the monster.

  It was a butterfly-like creature, its wings colored with hypnotic tones.

  The monster flew across the sky and, with the flap of its wings, generated powerful winds over the ground and through the air.

  “How are we supposed to get up there?” Dark asked, placing an arm in front of his face.

  Ingrid did the same and replied:

  “I don’t know. We can’t attack that unless we use magic.”

  “Magic…?” Dark already felt useless just thinking about trying to cast anything.

  Lavin decided to step into the situation, pulling Asami closer as well.

  “Actually… there is another way for us to attack it.”

  He opened his hand, and a portal appeared, continuously expanding in size.

  “This is a portal. I can teleport us to that monster,” Lavin said as he dispelled it.

  Dark, as serious as possible, approached Lavin.

  That worried the boy—after all, he had hidden this power, and Dark had already told him about his lack of mana.

  But Dark simply placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes shining with excitement.

  “That power is so cool! Why did you hide something so awesome?” His eyes sparkled with admiration.

  Ingrid pulled Dark aside and glared at Lavin.

  “But we also need to attack the monster from the ground using magic. How about you and Dark going up there?”

  “I don’t think Dark should fight something like that. He’s too weak,” Lavin said with a scolding tone.

  “I can’t let him go fight. I’m not letting my friend die like that.”

  “Dark is much stronger,” Ingrid argued.

  “He can help. He’ll be more useful up there than even me.”

  She crossed her arms, trying to impose authority.

  “Hey, guys! We shouldn’t be fighting. Let’s relax and focus on the monster up there,” Asami tried to stop the incoming argument.

  Still irritated, Lavin sighed in defeat.

  “Fine… Let’s go, Dark. But if you’re in danger, I’ll send you back instantly.”

  “Alright then,” Dark said, grabbing the sword on his back.

  Lavin was surprised by the weapon, though he said nothing.

  “Hey, Asami,” Ingrid called.

  “Yes, Ingrid?” Asami responded curiously.

  “I’ll need your help. Can you give me mana enhancement effects?”

  Asami gripped her staff tighter.

  “Yes, I can!”

  “Are you ready, Dark?” Lavin asked as he opened the portal.

  “I think so. Let’s do this.”

  Dark extended his closed fist.

  Lavin smiled and bumped his fist.

  Both entered the portal and were teleported near the butterfly high in the sky.

  As they emerged, they began falling.

  The wind slammed hard against their bodies.

  “My God! This is so weird! I’M FALLING!” Dark screamed, excited but with a hint of fear.

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  “Dark! Attack the monster! Don’t worry, I’m not going to let you fall. Trust me!” Lavin opened two more portals.

  “Got it!” Dark entered one, Lavin the other.

  Dark appeared close to the butterfly—far enough not to land directly on it.

  The air resistance made movement difficult, but he tried to attack anyway.

  After adjusting his angle, Dark finally straightened the blade and cut a small piece of the wing.

  Lavin appeared above the butterfly at the same moment.

  The creature went wild, shaking violently and flying rapidly.

  Lavin tried to stab his dagger into its body, but its skin was far too tough.

  He lost his balance and fell, but quickly opened two portals, sending himself and Dark back into the sky to try again.

  Meanwhile on the ground, Asami began chanting to bless Ingrid and give her a buff.

  Ingrid took a deep breath as the effect washed over her. She considered which spell to use.

  Wind magic is fast… it cuts…

  But since it’s an insect, fire might be stronger…

  “I got it.” Ingrid began chanting.

  “O great spirit of the wind, allow me to use a fraction of your power and show the heavens that I can wield your art. Wind Blade!”

  She prepared another spell.

  A fireball appeared in her hand, and she threw it right behind the wind magic.

  The wind slash hit the butterfly first, followed by the fireball, igniting one of its wings. The creature began to fall.

  Lavin opened portals and he and Dark returned to the ground, rolling.

  The butterfly crashed near the tree where the cocoon once hung.

  Even with only one wing left, it tried flapping, creating bursts of wind.

  It used wind magic, increasing the force of the gusts.

  “Stop that!” Lavin created a portal that moved them behind the butterfly.

  The creature rose, furious, now ready to truly fight.

  They all advanced—except Asami, who continued buffing them.

  Lavin tried attacking, but the skin was far too tough.

  Ingrid struck from above, but only scratched the surface.

  Dark tried approaching, but the butterfly unleashed a burst of wind, pushing all three back.

  Lavin opened a portal and saved them, dropping them near Asami.

  “Are you all okay?” Asami asked, worried.

  “I think everyone is… This monster is a problem. Its skin is too tough…” Lavin tried thinking of a strategy.

  “This is worse than the BearCrust from this morning… At least that one was easier to cut,” Ingrid muttered.

  “Is it really that hard? Well… I hit it once and managed to cut it,” Dark said casually.

  “How…?” Lavin asked, confused.

  “I told you, this boy is weird,” Ingrid said, crossing her arms with a proud smile.

  Suddenly, the butterfly flapped its wing, releasing mana-infused powder into the air.

  Ingrid, Lavin, and Asami collapsed, hypnotized.

  Dark remained standing.

  “Hey, guys?! What happened to you?!” He shook each of them, panicking.

  “Ingrid! Are you okay?! Wake up!”

  “Lavin! Lavin, get up!”

  Frustrated, Dark stood, grabbed his sword, and ran toward the monster with determination.

  …

  Ingrid woke up in a room.

  What happened? Was it all a dream? Where am I?

  She left the room… It was her mansion.

  Her body was small—she had become a child again.

  As she approached her father's office, she heard shouts.

  “A lady should never fight! How could you let her choose such a path?!” her mother screamed, desperate.

  “How can you allow your daughter to fight like that?!”

  “Calm down. It was her choice. If she wants to be a warrior, she can. She chose this path,” her father replied, trying to prevent more yelling.

  “Even so… I thought you wanted to protect her… Today she even fainted from exhaustion…”

  “I have nothing to do with her training. Everything she does is by her choice. I am not at fault that she chose to be a mistake to this family.”

  Ingrid ran down the hallway, tears falling involuntarily.

  The corridor twisted. She tried pushing away the thoughts… until she stopped in a dark, empty space.

  A version of herself appeared—black and white, holding a sword.

  “You… will never be perfect,” the shadow said.

  She approached, eyes filled with disdain.

  “You cannot prove yourself the best. You are weak. A mistake. You should never have followed this path…”

  Ingrid trembled, but did not step back.

  She wiped her tears.

  “I will fight to become strong… I will protect anyone who needs me… And I won’t let myself be the one who stops me.”

  She charged toward her shadow.

  …

  Asami found herself in the infirmary of her home.

  She saw her younger self crying beside her grandfather’s bed.

  “Calm down, my little one… Don’t cry for this old man who’s already dying…” he said, coughing.

  “Don’t say that, Grandpa! I’ll save you! Please!” the young Asami cried, trying to cast healing—without success.

  “Calm yourself, Asami… You don’t need to cry. Remember all we’ve been through. Be happy for our time together.”

  He touched her cheek.

  “I won’t leave you, my little one. I will guide you, even from the heavens…”

  The room darkened.

  The younger version stared at Asami.

  “You couldn’t save him… Because you were weak. You’re still weak. You failed the one who loved you most…”

  Asami wiped a tear and smiled gently, placing a hand on her chest.

  “No… I did fail. But it wasn’t my fault. Those hardships made me who I am today. I became stronger. And now I can protect everyone I love.”

  She glowed with devotion.

  She appeared in another dark place, where Ingrid fought her shadow.

  “Ingrid! I need to help you!” Asami ran to her.

  Ingrid smiled upon seeing her by her side.

  …

  Lavin sank into a deep void.

  There was a light above, but he couldn’t reach it.

  A voice echoed:

  “Lavin, I need you to succeed… to bring us into this world. Lavin… would you sacrifice yourself for your whole race and family?”

  Another voice surged, stronger.

  “Lavin!!!”

  So distant it felt like a whisper… but Lavin recognized it.

  “Lavin! Get up!!!”

  It was Dark.

  Lavin stopped questioning and simply followed the voice he trusted.

  He awoke.

  Dark was fighting the butterfly alone, injured, barely standing.

  Cut, bruised, breathing heavily.

  Lavin opened a portal and pulled Dark in.

  “Dark… calm down…” he said weakly.

  “Lavin! You’re okay?!” Dark asked.

  “I should be the one asking you…” Lavin laughed weakly.

  “The girls haven’t woken up yet…”

  “Well… if that’s how it is… we’ll have to fight together, right?” Dark held out his hand.

  “Yes… we will,” Lavin said, taking it as he stood with Dark’s help.

  “Don’t fall for the hypnosis again,” Dark warned.

  “I won’t. I think I’ll support you. I can’t hurt it, but… if you told the truth… then you can,” Lavin said, gathering mana.

  Dark ran. Lavin opened a portal.

  Dark emerged above the butterfly and sliced one of its antennae.

  Another portal opened beneath him.

  Dark slid to the side of the creature, cutting its body.

  The butterfly screamed in pain, using magic to generate roots.

  Before Dark could strike again, a vine pierced his shoulder.

  Lavin opened a portal and saved him at the last moment.

  “Dark, you’re—”

  “Let’s keep going. We can’t lose,” Dark interrupted, determined.

  “Alright… let’s go.”

  Dark entered the portal and appeared beneath the butterfly, cutting it in half.

  With its last breath, the creature tried to stab vines into his heart—but Lavin severed them using his portal.

  “Did we finish…?” Dark asked, exhausted.

  Ingrid and Asami finally woke up.

  “Dark!! Are you okay?!” Ingrid shouted.

  “Yeah… I’m okay…” Dark tried to walk but nearly fell.

  “Asami, heal Dark…” Lavin said, drained.

  Asami rushed to him and extended her hand, using her Full Heal.

  She healed his whole body—except his life energy.

  “Thank you so much, Asami…”

  “You’re healed, but you’ll still feel the exhaustion.”

  Dark’s sword returned to his body as his consciousness faded.

  He collapsed onto Asami, leaning on her shoulder.

  “You must be really tired to faint like that…” Asami stroked his hair, smiling happily to help him.

  The mana stones on their suits began glowing—except for Dark’s.

  They all shone and vanished: teleported back to the academy.

  Dark was taken with the other injured students to the medical wing.

  Asami delivered him to the staff.

  Lavin approached her from behind:

  “Will he be okay?”

  “Yes, he will,” Asami answered confidently.

  Ingrid placed a hand on Lavin’s shoulder.

  “Then all we can do now is wait…”

  Lavin sighed, defeated, just like earlier.

  “Yes… let’s wait. And pray it won’t take long for him to return.”