The capital was quiet that morning.
The snow that had fallen throughout the night draped the city in white, gathering in soft drifts atop rooftops and cobblestones.
The Academy courtyard was no exception. Even the usually rowdy voices of the students seemed to carry a certain sense of calm in the winter air.
Staring out the window, I found myself murmuring absentmindedly.
"...It’s still snowing."
That strange pattern I had found yesterday crossed my mind for a moment.
The thing buried under the snow that looked like a Magic Circle.
I wanted to believe it was just a case of chunibyo or the remnants of some student's magical research, but I couldn't shake that eerie sensation I had felt.
Then again, such oddities weren't exactly rare at a place like this.
Reaching that conclusion, I went back to my brooding.
...Still, why was I so bothered by it?
Then it happened.
—BOOM!!
A low, heavy tremor echoed from the distance.
For an instant, the very ground beneath us shuddered.
"...?"
A stir swept through the room.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway. Students rushed to the windows.
I instinctively looked outside as well.
In one corner of the Royal Capital—rising from the distant skyline—was a plume of black smoke.
"An explosion...?"
Immediately after someone whispered those words, the roar of clashing Magical Power echoed from another direction.
CRASH!!
The sound was like a massive sheet of glass shattering.
Then, one after another, more smoke began to rise from other districts in the distance.
"...Hey."
"W-What's going on...?"
The peace drained from the students' faces.
Abnormalities were erupting all over the Royal Capital.
It was as if—
As if the entire city were catching fire.
Soon after.
The Academy gate was violently battered down.
Without understanding the situation, I remained huddled with a large crowd as we were herded along.
With a roar, the gates were blown off their hinges, sending a cloud of snow into the air.
From my vantage point at the window, I saw the source of the noise.
Standing there was a group clad in black robes.
They had an aura similar to the ones I had seen back in the Elementary School Division, yet something about them felt distinct.
...This is definitely bad, isn't it?
I was worried about Yuka and the house. I shouldn't have left them behind today of all days.
The robes of the group were embroidered with an emblem resembling a gray flame.
They also wore masks that concealed the upper half of their faces.
Even I could sense how alien they were. A heavy, clinging Magical Power radiated from them.
"No..."
Someone gasped.
In the next moment.
"Do not move."
A low voice resonated through the room.
Simultaneously, a wave of Magical Power was unleashed.
BOOM!!
They were inside already?!
The intimidating blast struck the wall, sending the students into a panic.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Run!"
Screams and chaos erupted instantly.
However—
As one of the black-robed figures raised a hand, a Magic Circle that had been etched into the floor unnoticed began to glow.
A faint, sickly gray light.
The air grew heavy, like lead.
"...I told you not to move."
The voice was utterly devoid of emotion.
Magical Power erupted at the feet of a student who tried to bolt.
A section of the floor was reduced to splinters.
By that point, we were completely surrounded.
"Dammit...!"
I grit my teeth.
This wasn't a problem I could fix; I couldn't even process the situation fast enough.
Even the teachers were paralyzed—there were likely just too many of them.
And more than anything, the hysterical students were getting in the way.
These guys are losing their minds; they need to get a grip.
The presence was heavy, sticking to my skin.
My own legs began to tremble with fear; apparently, I was in no position to judge anyone else.
Thoughts of Fia and Yuka flashed through my mind.
Those explosions in the city—what if they had been caught in them?
Were Elysia and Lene safe?
Allen was... there he was. He was a distance away, but it looked like he’d been herded along just like I had.
"Take them all," the man in the robe said coldly.
The others surrounded the students and forced them to move.
Resistance was not an option. Under this kind of extreme pressure, the ugliest parts of people—the ones who turned violent or tried to scream about their status—came out in full force.
Naturally, I was forced to walk along with the rest of the students.
Where they led us was—the Academy plaza.
A massive crowd had already been gathered there.
It wasn't just students.
The teachers were there as well.
I've thought this before, but is the security here a joke?
Where are the teachers who can actually fight... Where's Gaius! Where did that man go?
In the plaza stood people who were clearly high-ranking Nobility.
Men and women in extravagant finery were being forced to kneel in the snow.
A chill ran down my spine.
...I see. That’s their target.
The Nobility of the Royal Capital.
Specifically, those with the strongest bloodlines.
They were faces I recognized from social gatherings.
Then.
"Hey, that's enough of this!"
A voice rang out.
A young man stepped forward.
Blonde hair, refined features.
And that voice!
"Cedric...!"
The name slipped out before I could stop it. Is he insane?!
It’s too dangerous, just stay down!
Cedric looked at the Apostles surrounding him and gave a mocking snort.
"Do you really think you'll escape unscathed after causing such an uproar in the capital?"
The black-robed figures offered no reply.
They simply watched him in silence.
Cedric drew his sword.
The silver blade caught the light reflecting off the snow.
"I'm sorry, but—"
His Magical Power swelled.
This is really bad. Someone stop him!
"—this ends here."
"Cedric, wait—"
He lunged, his boots kicking up snow.
In an instant, he closed the distance to one of the black-robed figures—and slashed.
SLICE!!
The robe was torn open, and the figure collapsed.
The surrounding crowd stirred with hope.
"Oh...!"
But Cedric didn't stop. His sword flashed toward the next target.
A second person, then a third.
It was a display of brilliant swordsmanship.
However.
"...So that's the extent of it."
The moment that voice spoke.
The very air changed.
"Are there more? The more insignificant they are, the more they flock together."
From behind the group that had gathered, a single man stepped forward.
He wore a Gray Robe, distinguishing him from the others.
An overwhelming weight radiated from him.
Cedric narrowed his eyes.
"...Are you the leader of this rabble?"
The man didn't answer.
He simply extended his hand toward Cedric.
In that instant.
BOOM!!
Magical Power like a pitch-black flame erupted, blowing Cedric off his feet.
"Gh—!?"
He tumbled across the snow.
His sword skidded away, piercing into the frozen earth.
The plaza fell into a sudden, suffocating silence.
Cedric groaned, trying to push himself up.
But.
The man was already standing directly over him.
"...Weak. Pitifully weak."
His voice was quiet.
And then.
THUD!!
A fist was driven into Cedric’s stomach.
Cedric's body was slammed into the ground, pinning him there.
"...Dammit."
Total silence followed.
No one dared to move.
And why would they? A self-styled hero had stepped up, only to be crushed by an even greater evil.
...I really wanted to look away.
"...Things seem to be proceeding according to plan."
"Yes. However, it appears it will still take some time to secure the Noctille, Gladio, and Berelmoria ducal houses."
Atop the Clock Tower, the tallest structure in the Royal Capital and its enduring symbol.
There, a long-haired man clutching a thick book looked down upon the burning city with an air of self-importance.
"And the Academy? That should be where the kindling is most easily gathered."
"...It seems the resistance there is fierce. Complete suppression is proving difficult."
"The Hero Candidates... How utterly loathsome."
The man grimaced.
He gripped the book in his arms tighter.
"...Calm down. Calm down... Just a little longer."
He muttered the words as if to convince himself.
"It will end. This Kingdom will be engulfed in those flames!"
With trembling fingers, he stroked the cover of the book.
The emblem engraved there began to pulse with a dark, rhythmic red.
"Heh... Hahahahahahaha—!"