Academia - Ability Wielders

Chapter 10.1- 10.2

Chapter 10 - The Fallen Academy

Part I — When Heroes Bleed

The explosion swallowed the underground chamber.

Stone shattered like glass.

Ancient pillars that had supported the hidden kingdom of Astralis for centuries collapsed one after another, filling the tunnels with choking clouds of dust. The force hurled Fin backward, the Crownblade slipping from her grasp for a split second before instinct made her catch it again.

She hit the ground hard.

Her ears rang.

For several moments...

She couldn't hear anything.

Only silence.

Then—

A deep rumble.

The ceiling continued collapsing above them.

Cracks spread through the walls like veins across broken porcelain.

The Star Vault...

...had finally opened.

When the dust slowly settled, the silver blossoms that had once covered the corridor were gone.

Reduced to ash.

Only one flower remained.

It rested at Fin's feet, glowing faintly before its petals drifted away with the wind.

She stared at it.

"...I'm sorry."

She didn't know why she apologized.

Maybe because this place had protected her family for centuries.

Maybe because she had failed to stop its destruction.

Or maybe...

Because somewhere inside her heart...

She already knew this was only the beginning.

"FIN!"

Priston's voice snapped her back to reality.

He sprinted across the broken floor, ignoring the blood dripping from a cut above his eyebrow.

Without hesitation, he grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you hurt?"

Fin blinked.

"...I think so."

"You think so?"

"My entire body hurts."

"That's usually a good sign."

"...How?"

"If you're complaining..."

A relieved smile appeared on his face.

"...you're alive."

Despite everything happening around them...

Fin smiled.

"You really have terrible timing."

"I've been told."

A few steps away, Zanne slowly pushed a fallen pillar off his legs.

He winced as he stood.

His academy uniform was torn across one sleeve, and his glasses had disappeared somewhere beneath the rubble.

He squinted toward Fin.

"...Is everyone alright?"

Priston looked over.

"You lost your glasses."

"I noticed."

"You can't see."

"I also noticed."

"You look weird without them."

"...Must we discuss this now?"

Fin covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Zanne sighed.

"I suppose laughing means you're not dying."

"Not yet."

She answered.

Selene emerged from the dust cloud, coughing.

Her crimson cloak had been ripped nearly in half.

One of her daggers was gone.

The other hung uselessly at her side, its once-brilliant enchantments extinguished after touching the Void.

She looked toward the shattered Star Vault.

Her expression slowly changed.

"...No."

Her voice cracked.

"No..."

The enormous iron doors no longer existed.

Only twisted fragments of enchanted metal remained embedded in the walls.

Beyond them stretched absolute darkness.

It wasn't simply a room.

It looked endless.

Like the night sky without stars.

Like an ocean made of shadows.

And standing in its center...

Was a single figure.

Tall.

Motionless.

Watching.

Noctis had finally stepped beyond the seal.

He appeared almost human.

Almost.

He wore black robes that flowed as though underwater.

Long silver-white hair reached his waist, drifting in an invisible current.

His skin resembled flawless marble.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

Except for the cracks.

Thin black fractures spread across his face and neck, glowing faintly with darkness.

Where his heart should have been...

There was only emptiness.

A hollow space filled with moving stars.

Or perhaps...

Not stars.

Tiny galaxies dying over and over again.

His golden eyes slowly opened.

When they settled upon Fin...

He smiled.

"...How disappointing."

His voice echoed inside their minds rather than their ears.

"I expected the Starborn Queen..."

"...to be taller."

Silence.

Then—

Priston burst out laughing.

He tried to stop.

He genuinely did.

But he couldn't.

"You..."

He laughed harder.

"The ancient evil..."

"...opened with an insult?"

Even Zanne looked caught off guard.

Selene stared at Priston as though he'd lost his mind.

Only Orion closed his eyes.

"...That's still his personality."

Priston wiped a tear from his eye.

"I was expecting something dramatic."

"You know..."

He deepened his voice theatrically.

"'I shall consume the world.'"

"Not..."

He pointed toward Fin.

"'You're short.'"

Fin punched his shoulder.

"Not helping."

"I know."

"But it was funny."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Orion's lips.

Noctis tilted his head.

"I enjoy humor."

His smile widened.

"It lowers your guard."

Without warning—

He disappeared.

No flash.

No sound.

Simply...

Gone.

"Where—"

Priston never finished.

A hand closed around his throat.

His body lifted off the ground.

Noctis now stood behind him.

Still smiling.

"So fragile."

His voice remained gentle.

Almost curious.

"Tell me..."

He studied Priston as though examining an insect.

"...how many bones must I break before your friends stop believing they can save you?"

Priston gasped for air.

His fingers clawed at Noctis's wrist.

It didn't move.

Not even slightly.

"LET HIM GO!"

Fin charged.

The Crownblade burst into silver light.

She swung with everything she had.

Noctis didn't dodge.

The blade sliced directly through his chest.

Nothing happened.

His body rippled like water.

The sword passed harmlessly through him.

Fin's eyes widened.

"...What?"

Noctis looked down at the blade.

Then back at her.

"You've improved."

His smile never faded.

"But you still swing with anger."

He flicked one finger.

A wave of invisible force exploded outward.

Fin flew backward.

She crashed through an ancient pillar before collapsing onto the stone floor.

The Crownblade skidded several feet away.

Blood filled her mouth.

Her vision blurred.

She couldn't breathe.

Every rib screamed in pain.

"FIN!"

Zanne ran toward her.

Before he reached her—

Selene grabbed his arm.

"No."

He struggled.

"She needs help!"

"You'll die."

"I don't care!"

The words escaped before he realized he'd spoken them.

The corridor became silent.

Even Priston looked at him in surprise.

Zanne froze.

His cheeks flushed.

"I..."

He looked away.

"...Didn't mean..."

Fin smiled weakly despite the pain.

"...Liar."

Noctis laughed.

"What fascinating creatures."

He released Priston.

The young fighter collapsed to his knees, coughing violently.

"You love."

The Hollow King observed.

"You grieve."

"You hope."

He looked genuinely intrigued.

"No wonder humanity is so easy to break."

Orion slowly stepped forward.

His spear appeared in his hand, crimson lightning dancing along its blade.

"Noctis."

The Hollow King looked up.

"The little prince."

"I've missed our conversations."

"We're not here to talk."

"How unfortunate."

Noctis sighed.

"I rather enjoy them."

A heavy silence settled over the chamber.

Fin forced herself to stand, one hand pressed against her bruised ribs.

She retrieved the Crownblade.

This time...

She didn't rush.

She studied Noctis carefully.

Every movement.

Every breath.

Every glance.

He wasn't simply powerful.

He was reading them.

Learning them.

Like a predator studying unfamiliar prey.

Orion noticed.

A small smile crossed his face.

"...Good."

Fin looked at him.

"Don't fight his strength."

He continued quietly.

"Fight his arrogance."

"What?"

"He hasn't lost in thousands of years."

"He doesn't believe you can surprise him."

"So..."

Orion twirled his spear.

"...prove him wrong."

Noctis sighed dramatically.

"Must you always coach your opponents?"

"It's terribly inconvenient."

"Someone has to."

Orion answered.

"I'd rather she learn from me..."

"...than from her mistakes."

The Hollow King's golden eyes narrowed.

Then...

For the first time...

His smile disappeared.

"Very well."

The darkness surrounding him erupted.

The ground split apart.

Hundreds of black tendrils burst from beneath the stone like spears.

The battle truly began.

.

The Fallen Academy

Part II — The Cost of Standing Together

The chamber exploded into chaos.

The moment the tendrils burst from the ground, the ancient floor cracked beneath everyone's feet. Chunks of marble were hurled into the air as black vines thicker than tree trunks tore through the ruins of the Star Vault.

They weren't attacking randomly.

They were hunting.

Every strike was aimed with terrifying precision.

"Scatter!" Orion shouted.

His command echoed through the collapsing chamber.

Everyone moved instinctively.

A tendril slammed into the place where Fin had been standing less than a second earlier, reducing solid stone to dust.

She rolled across the floor, barely regaining her footing before another spear of darkness came crashing toward her.

He's predicting my movements...

The realization chilled her.

Noctis wasn't faster than her.

He was reading her.

Above the Academy

Far above the underground battlefield, Academia was burning.

The western tower collapsed in a shower of flaming debris.

Students rushed through smoke-filled corridors, helping the wounded toward the central sanctuary while professors fought desperately to keep the invading Shadow Legion at bay.

The academy that had once felt untouchable now echoed with screams, clashing steel, and collapsing stone.

Professor Seraphine stood atop the broken western wall.

Her white combat uniform was stained with blood—not all of it hers.

She drove her glowing sword into the ground.

"Earth Division!"

The stone beneath the battlefield erupted upward.

Massive walls of rock separated the invading soldiers from the fleeing students.

"Move!"

she shouted.

"Get the first-years underground!"

A young professor sprinted toward her.

"They've breached the eastern dormitories!"

Seraphine cursed under her breath.

"The barrier?"

"Holding..."

The instructor hesitated.

"...Barely."

She looked toward the distant castle.

"...Where's the Headmaster?"

Seraphine's eyes lowered.

"I don't know."

And for the first time since becoming an instructor...

That answer terrified her.

Beneath the Academy

Priston ducked beneath another strike.

The tendril scraped across his shoulder, shredding part of his uniform.

"Damn it!"

He slashed downward with all his strength.

His sword cut through the black vine.

For one hopeful heartbeat...

It separated.

Then the two halves twisted.

Merged.

And reformed.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Noctis smiled from across the chamber.

"Steel cannot kill emptiness."

Priston glared.

"I wasn't aiming for emptiness."

"I was aiming for your face."

"...A commendable effort."

Fin watched the exchange carefully.

Every attack.

Every movement.

Every failed attempt.

She remembered what Orion had said.

Don't fight his strength.

Fight his arrogance.

Her breathing slowed.

She had spent her entire life reacting.

Running.

Surviving.

Maybe...

For once...

She needed to observe before she acted.

Her gaze followed Noctis.

He never moved unless he wanted to.

The tendrils attacked for him.

The shadows defended him.

He hadn't taken a single real step since leaving the Vault.

"He's conserving energy..."

she whispered.

Zanne, standing beside her, heard.

"What?"

"He isn't lazy."

Fin's eyes remained fixed on Noctis.

"He's hiding something."

Noctis's golden eyes shifted toward her.

"You've begun thinking."

His smile returned.

"Excellent."

"I was worried this would become boring."

Orion's Assault

Without warning, Orion vanished.

One heartbeat he stood beside Selene.

The next—

He appeared directly in front of Noctis.

His crimson spear flashed like lightning.

The attack came too quickly for ordinary eyes to follow.

CLANG!

For the first time...

Noctis raised an arm.

Darkness condensed into a black blade.

The two weapons collided.

A shockwave ripped through the chamber.

The remaining pillars shattered.

Fin shielded her face against the blast.

The air itself screamed.

Orion didn't stop.

He attacked again.

And again.

Each strike faster than the last.

His movements were elegant.

Disciplined.

Every thrust flowed seamlessly into the next.

He wasn't fighting with anger.

He was fighting with experience.

Thousands of battles refined into perfect efficiency.

Noctis blocked every attack effortlessly.

Yet...

His smile had faded.

Priston stared in amazement.

"...He's incredible."

Zanne nodded.

"I've read about Orion's fighting style."

"But books..."

He watched another exchange that split the stone floor apart.

"...don't do this justice."

A Father's Lesson

Selene quietly joined them.

"He taught me something once."

"What?"

Priston asked.

She watched her father fight.

"'The strongest warrior isn't the fastest.'"

"'It's the one who makes the fewest unnecessary movements.'"

Fin noticed it immediately.

Orion never wasted motion.

Not once.

Even when forced backward...

His feet landed exactly where they needed to.

Nothing was flashy.

Nothing was for show.

Everything had purpose.

Noctis laughed softly.

"You've improved."

"I had twenty years to practice."

Orion answered.

"And twenty years..."

Noctis's expression darkened.

"...to decay."

Their weapons collided again.

This time...

Orion staggered.

Just slightly.

But Fin saw it.

So did Selene.

The corruption spreading beneath Orion's skin pulsed with black light.

His breathing grew heavier.

He was slowing down.

The Hidden Weakness

Fin looked at the Crownblade.

Then back at Noctis.

He's watching Orion.

He's ignoring us.

A thought formed.

Dangerous.

Reckless.

Exactly the kind of idea Mira would call stupid.

And Priston would absolutely encourage.

She smiled.

"...I've got an idea."

Priston immediately frowned.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because I have a plan."

"...I don't like plans."

"You don't even know it yet."

"I know your plans."

"They usually involve almost dying."

"...Fair."

She turned toward Selene.

"Can you distract him?"

Selene raised an eyebrow.

"That's your plan?"

"Part of it."

"I'll need Zanne too."

Both of them looked at her.

"What are we doing?"

Zanne asked.

Fin took a deep breath.

"We stop fighting separately."

Teamwork

They gathered behind a fallen pillar while Orion continued dueling Noctis.

Fin quickly explained.

"Noctis keeps reading one opponent at a time."

"So..."

Priston caught on first.

"...we become unpredictable."

She nodded.

"Exactly."

Zanne adjusted the broken frame of his glasses—still unusable, but a familiar habit.

"I can create barriers."

"Not strong ones."

"I don't need strong."

Fin answered.

"I need timing."

Selene twirled her remaining dagger.

"I can force him to dodge."

"And I..."

Priston rested his sword on his shoulder.

"...hit things."

"You do."

"...I'm surprisingly good at it."

"You are."

For the first time since the battle began...

They all smiled.

Across the chamber...

Orion blocked another devastating strike.

His knees buckled.

Blood dripped onto the cracked stone.

He looked toward Fin.

Just for a second.

He saw the four younger fighters standing together.

Planning.

Trusting one another.

A small smile crossed his face.

Good.

They're finally becoming a team.

The First Combination

"Now!"

Fin shouted.

Selene moved first.

She disappeared into crimson flames, reappearing behind Noctis.

Her dagger slashed toward his neck.

He blocked.

Exactly as expected.

A silver barrier suddenly appeared beneath his feet.

Zanne.

The barrier wasn't meant to trap him.

Only to interrupt his footing.

For the first time...

Noctis stumbled.

Barely.

But enough.

Priston was already there.

"Hey!"

He grinned.

"You missed me?"

His sword came crashing downward with enough force to split the earth.

Noctis caught it with one hand.

"...Predictable."

"Good."

Priston smiled wider.

"I wasn't the real attack."

Noctis's eyes widened.

Too late.

Behind him—

The Crownblade erupted with brilliant starlight.

Fin had been waiting.

Watching.

Learning.

She didn't swing wildly this time.

She aimed.

For the tiny crack that had appeared across Noctis's black blade during Orion's relentless assault.

The Crownblade struck.

CRACK!

The black blade shattered into a thousand fragments.

For the first time...

Noctis looked surprised.

A thin silver cut appeared across his chest.

Not deep.

But real.

A single drop of black blood fell onto the stone.

The entire chamber fell silent.

No one moved.

No one breathed.

Noctis slowly touched the wound.

He looked at the black blood staining his fingertips.

Then...

He laughed.

Not politely.

Not mockingly.

Genuinely.

A deep, delighted laugh that echoed throughout the ruins.

"Wonderful..."

His golden eyes blazed brighter than before.

"At last..."

He looked directly at Fin.

"...someone has managed to hurt me."

The darkness around him began to expand.

Faster.

Violently.

Orion's face went pale.

"No..."

He whispered.

"Everyone get back!"

Fin looked at him in confusion.

"Why?"

Orion's voice thundered through the chamber.

"YOU MADE HIM SERIOUS."

The smile vanished from Noctis's face.

When he spoke again...

His voice no longer sounded human.

It sounded like an entire abyss speaking through one mouth.

"Then let us stop playing."