The passageway finally opened with a breath of cold air.

  Akitsu Shouga stepped out first, boots touching damp stone that glimmered faintly under moonlight. They had walked for minutes through twisting tunnels—stairs, slanted corridors, turns that made direction meaningless. When they emerged, the city on this side felt… different. Quieter. Older.

  Behind him, Kaito Morikawa exited the passage as the hidden door sealed itself into the wall.

  They stood beneath an abandoned aqueduct near the outer edge of the city.

  “You routed us far,” Akitsu said calmly.

  Kaito nodded. “Far enough.”

  Footsteps echoed.

  From the shadows beneath the arches, figures emerged—men and women wrapped in dark coats, faces partially concealed, movements disciplined. They stopped in a loose formation, all eyes on Kaito.

  One stepped forward and knelt.

  “We’re glad you’re safe,” the man said. “The place went up exactly as planned.”

  “I know,” Kaito replied. “Status?”

  “No survivors among the guards who entered,” another voice said. “The tunnels remain secure.”

  Kaito acknowledged them with a small nod.

  Then one of the subordinates stepped forward, holding a sword wrapped in deep blue cloth. He knelt again and presented it with both hands.

  “The relic,” he said. “As you ordered.”

  Kaito unwrapped the cloth slowly.

  Moonlight kissed steel.

  The sword revealed itself—Joyeuse.

  Its blade was straight and broad, forged of bright, polished steel that seemed to catch and reflect light unnaturally well. A golden fuller ran down the center of the blade, engraved with faint, ancient script barely visible unless one looked closely. The crossguard was short and thick, fashioned from gold alloy, its ends subtly flared and etched with floral motifs. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, worn smooth by time, and the pommel was a rounded gold disc engraved with a radiant sunburst.

  Even still, it felt… warm.

  Akitsu’s eyes lingered. “That’s Joyeuse?”

  Kaito took a brief glance at the blade—then, without ceremony, turned and handed it to Akitsu.

  Akitsu caught it instinctively. “…Why?”

  Kaito’s red eyes met his. “Joyeuse is known as a treasure that blinds its enemies with a flash brighter than the sun.”

  Akitsu frowned. “A sword that blinds?”

  “Yes,” Kaito said flatly. “When drawn with intent. Use it carefully—if mishandled, it will blind you as well.”

  Akitsu looked down at the blade again, skeptical. “Sounds like a myth.”

  “Most truths do,” Kaito replied.

  Akitsu hesitated, then nodded once. “I’ll keep it.”

  Kaito turned to his subordinates. “We move.”

  They bowed in unison.

  As Kaito walked away with his syndicate, Akitsu lingered a moment, watching them disappear into the city’s veins. Then he turned the opposite way, cloak fluttering slightly as he vanished into the night—Joyeuse silent at his side.

  Morning broke with panic inside the royal palace.

  The medical bay overflowed.

  Guards lay on cots and benches, armor stripped away, bodies bandaged and burned. The air smelled of antiseptic and blood.

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  “How many injured?” a noble demanded.

  “Thirty-seven,” a healer replied grimly. “Twelve critical.”

  Another voice shouted, “They walked into a death trap! The criminals knew exactly where they’d go!”

  A captain slammed his fist against the wall. “This is a failure. A complete failure.”

  Whispers rippled.

  “Cultists found dead beneath the academy…”

  “Drug syndicate still active…”

  “Who’s leaking our movements?”

  Fear replaced anger.

  The palace buzzed with unease.

  By midday, Kaoru returned to Fiester Academy.

  She wore her uniform neatly—red blazer, crisp white button-up, black trousers pressed clean. Students from different years crossed the courtyard in clusters, conversations hushed and tense.

  Something was wrong.

  Kaoru felt it immediately.

  She didn’t head to the dorms.

  Instead, she walked straight to the student council room.

  Knock. Knock.

  “Come in,” came the familiar voice.

  Kaoru opened the door.

  Miyazuki Ashen sat behind the long table, amber hair tied back, amber eyes focused on stacks of documents. She looked up.

  “…You didn’t have classes today,” Miyazuki said.

  “I didn’t,” Kaoru replied. “I wanted to help.”

  Miyazuki gestured to a chair. “Sit.”

  Kaoru obeyed.

  “The Ashveil situation,” Kaoru continued. “I want to assist with the investigation.”

  Miyazuki studied her for a moment—then nodded. “Good timing.”

  She leaned back slightly. “Things escalated last night.”

  Kaoru stiffened. “How bad?”

  “The royal guards found multiple cult members dead in the sewers beneath the academy,” Miyazuki said. “All confirmed fatalities.”

  Kaoru’s eyes widened. “Underneath… the academy?”

  “Yes,” Miyazuki replied. “The headmaster and disciplinary committee believe someone has been operating there for a while.”

  “…That’s horrible,” Kaoru murmured.

  “There’s more,” Miyazuki said. “We believe there is a spy inside the academy.”

  Kaoru froze. “A spy?”

  “Our plans. Patrols. Schedules,” Miyazuki continued. “They keep leaking. That’s how Ashveil has spread without detection.”

  Kaoru clenched her hands. “Then the man who came here… the one who said the academy would fall—”

  “—was likely telling the truth,” Miyazuki finished. “He resembled members of the cult found dead.”

  Kaoru swallowed. “So the cult, the drugs, the syndicate—they’re all connected.”

  “Yes,” Miyazuki said quietly. “And last night’s chase confirmed it.”

  She exhaled. “The royal guards were pursuing syndicate members through the sewers. It was a trap. Multiple men died.”

  Silence settled between them.

  Kaoru spoke softly. “…What do we do?”

  Miyazuki’s eyes hardened. “We proceed carefully. And we assume someone here is watching.”

  Kaoru nodded. “Then I’ll help however I can.”

  Miyazuki allowed a faint smile. “I expected nothing less.”

  Outside, the academy stood unchanged.

  But beneath it—

  Something dangerous was moving.