Deep within the forest, at its central heart.
The only thing to rely on was the moonlight.
People were present, yet their presence was imperceptible.
A voice came from the shadows of the forest.
As the darkness rippled, one, two, three figures emerged one after another.
A masked individual, someone with a hood drawn over their head, and a man of immense stature.
At the center stood the man in the mask.
Even in the dark, his presence was unmistakable.
The air around him subtly distorted.
The Demon in the hood cautiously opened their mouth.
“Is everything proceeding smoothly?”
Moras.
Few within the Demon realm were unaware of his name.
One holding a mid-level position in the Demon hierarchy, his specialty—temptation—made him one of the trickiest foes.
The Demon in the hood, staring at the masked man with palpable tension, said,
“As for us… Just Moras-sama’s involvement is an honor… but Medusa has proven difficult to subdue.”
A faint chuckle spread.
The masked man tilted his head slightly as he replied.
“And?”
His tone was lethargic.
“You proposed the plan, and I prepared the best strategy to match. Questioning its possibility now… what does that imply?”
The larger Demon hesitantly interjected, fidgeting his enormous hands as if making an apology.
“…That’s not it. We simply wanted to ensure, Moras-sama…”
“Ensure?”
The masked man chuckled softly, seemingly intrigued.
Then, he began to move slowly.
“Ensure… hmm…”
As his fingertips brushed the air, faint mana swirled in the atmosphere.
“If you can just restrain them, everything will be resolved without difficulty.”
After his words, a short silence fell.
The Demon in the hood whispered softly.
“Will the students really… fall for it?”
At that moment, the masked man laughed.
Though his expression was hidden by the mask, the subtle, twisted laughter was clear.
“As long as they have desires, they cannot refuse.”
He extended his hand, the afterglow of magic spreading ominously in the void.
“They…”
“…will fall into the illusion of making their own choice.”
“…and ultimately betray.”
At this, the two Demons nodded.
The larger Demon clenched his fists, suppressing his excitement.
“So please, successfully summon Medusa.”
Moras’s voice was quiet, but the command within was absolute.
The leaves of the forest softly rustled. The Demon’s plan had already begun.
I am now sitting atop the VIP room located at the highest point of Gaon Academy.
From here, I can see the entirety of the Gaon facilities.
The reason why I’m here is simple.
“Because I can see everything.”
I looked below.
Crowds of students were visible from this dizzying height. The flow of people could be traced everywhere, their cheers faintly reaching me.
First, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the Demon would summon Medusa.
There are four candidates: A Stadium Plaza, B Stadium Plaza, C Stadium Plaza, and Central Plaza. Medusa will be summoned randomly from these four locations.
Because of this, I came here to monitor all the places at once.
It was worth the strenuous climb since dawn.
In this operation, speed will be the key. Medusa is merely bait. The real danger lies elsewhere.
“Moras.”
Not a high-ranking commander and not particularly skilled in combat, he’s still quite a troublesome Demon.
Mastery over fascination and replication is his core ability.
When all the heroes are distracted by Medusa, he targets the exceptional or the needy students.
He probes their latent desires, tempting them with something they think they could achieve, encouraging them to defect.
The key students targeted by him include Cheon Yeoul and Yoo Hana.
For Cheon Yeoul, he offers the coveted top position of the church as a temptation; for Yoo Hana, he stimulates her desire for overwhelming power.
And there are other students who will be targeted.
But I can’t possibly cover everywhere. So, I need to quickly eliminate Medusa, clear the atmosphere, and stop him.
This is why I obtained the Harpē.
From afar, the faint voice of the referee conducting the events reaches my ears. By now, battles have commenced across each stadium.
I crossed my arms slowly, narrowed my eyes, and looked toward the plaza.
From this moment on, I have to observe the situation.
The lounge prepared within the VIP room.
Inside, there was Bishop Sung Young-il of Arcadia’s Church Order and Crusader Jayden.
Several documents were scattered chaotically across the table.
One was a petition for the removal of ‘Crusader Jayden’s position from within the church,
Another was an official complaint and disciplinary request sent from Gaon Academy.
The seals stamped all over the documents signified official pressure.
Jayden stood silently before the bishop, his hands folded behind his back.
His cheek was already swollen red.
-SMACK!
The bishop’s palm struck Jayden’s face again, smearing blood across his lips.
“Did you have to do all of that in front of so many people?”
“You should’ve dealt with it quietly if you were going to do it.”
The bishop’s fury stemmed not from the act itself, but from the fact that it happened in front of too large an audience.
Jayden merely stood still. But this time, he spoke.
“…I am a Crusader. I acted only for the sake of Lord Johan.”
His gaze was unwavering.
“The opponent was excessive. I judged that failing to stop him would jeopardize the church’s authority. I had no intention of killing.”
The bishop clenched his teeth.
True, even he hadn’t expected Lord Johan to be pushed so far. An unprecedented sight. But soon enough, he calmed down.
The problem was Jayden.
He had always known he’d taken in a reckless brute. This blind loyalist to the church and the Crusaders was an easy weapon to wield but also a ticking time bomb whose exact moment of explosion couldn’t be foreseen.
Still, he hadn’t expected him to act this way.
And then there was that cunning fox, Cheon Yeoul.
Lately, her influence was eroding the Church’s position internally.
And on top of that, Jayden goes and sets off an incident, making the situation worse—
-SMACK!
An even stronger blow came flying his way.
Jayden’s head wavered a little, but he stood motionless.
“How long do you think that rationale of yours will protect you?”
The bishop’s fingertips on the table turned white.
“Let go of this nonsense.”
“Your resignation is already required within the church ranks, and a petition for dismissal has already been submitted. Gaon Academy has the same demand. Actions taken for the good of the church have disgraced it.”
He disdainfully grabbed the documents, shaking them slightly before throwing them at Jayden’s feet.
“I’ve managed to block it to the extent I can, but with Gaon sending official documents, I can’t protect you anymore. …You will have to bear the responsibility.”
But Jayden didn’t move.
Calming, he gazed at the bishop and quietly muttered one sentence.
“I understand.”
The bishop scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.
He then pressed his forehead, muttering with an exhausted air.
“Bad luck… having to deal with someone connected to Vanguisher.”
The atmosphere became heavy.
The bishop slumped onto the couch.
-AH-!!!
At that moment,
A siren blared, shaking the entire lounge.
The bishop instinctively rushed to the window, pulling out a vibrating watch and answering the call.
“…Eh, alright. Got it.”
He answered briefly and cut off the call. Then, he left the window and hurriedly approached Jayden.
“Get your weapon and head to Plaza A immediately.”
Jayden lifted his head.
“Huh…?”
Grossly, the bishop grabbed the remote control and turned on the large TV mounted on the wall.
An emergency broadcast of Gaon Academy’s internal emergency situation was already airing.
“…Medusa.”
Jayden murmured. The bishop bit his lip.
“This is your last chance.”
He stared into Jayden’s eyes.
“Your actions have tarnished the Church’s honor, so you must restore it. Even a speck of dust.”
“…”
“Now, move. NOW!!!”
*
By the time Jayden reached the plaza, the grounds had already transformed into a battlefield.
The vast open space of the Academy was littered with shattered pillars and cracks. Fallen professors and heroes could be seen everywhere.
The serpent-like hair that crowned her head,
The cold, snake-like eyes beneath her shadowed face,
Medusa.
Jayden instinctively froze his steps upon arriving.
Even the distant energy emanating from her made the back of his neck tingle.
“Don’t make eye contact! You’ll turn into stone!”
A hero’s shout echoed through the field. Without facing her directly, the combat style was immensely restricted.
Medusa slowly turned her head. Her long tongue darted out as her sharp fangs gleamed under the sunlight. She raised one hand.
-SHRIIIK!
Instantly, a wave of petrification shot from her eyes, slicing through the air with a metallic hum as those around screamed and scrambled backward.
“…”
Jayden slightly averted his gaze. From a distance, he saw some members of the church running toward him, carrying something.
They held—
“Coming with the shield!”
The Order’s most treasured holy relic.
A shield capable of stopping any attack, made with sacred power.
[The Aegis (Ἀἰγίς)].
Jayden gripped Aegis tightly and raised his mace behind the shield, stepping forward cautiously.
He had resolved.
With this shield, he would restore the diminished dignity of the Order.
Then,
-Tap-tap-tap!
There was the sound of someone approaching from behind, at a rapid pace.
An inhuman speed, almost feral.
-Crunch.
And suddenly, a heavy presence pressed down on his head.
Jayden reflexively looked up.
An imposing silhouette leapt off his head, soaring into the air.
“Thanks.”
It was a voice.
Jung Hae-in.
He leapt lightly into the sky, soaring toward Medusa against the sun.
Medusa hadn’t yet realized the situation.
However—
In mid-air, Jung Hae-in, wielding the Harpē, was already aiming precisely.
Cradling the Harpē,
‘Catenaccio.’
Jung Hae-in twisted mid-air.
Falling against gravity, his ashen mana surged.
Perhaps the highest point of his life—yet there was no room for failure.
He recalled the day he used this skill for the first time and repeated it endlessly every day since then.
The weapon wasn’t a spear but now the Harpē—yet the principle remained unchanged.
He squeezed every ounce of mana from his body.
At that moment, four additional figures resembling him materialized in the air.
One more than last time. Jung Hae-in was satisfied.
Medusa must have sensed the menace, because for the first time, she suddenly raised her head. In front of her, five figures were closing in.
She twisted her body, unsure of where to direct her gaze.
“Go ahead, take your shot.”
Jung Hae-in gripped the Harpē tightly.
Medusa had no choice but to act. Beams of petrification shot from her eyes.
One of the figures turned to stone.
But instantly,
-CRUMBLE…
It shattered. It was a decoy.
At that moment, a low whisper reached Medusa’s ears.
“Gotcha.”
Medusa gasped and violently twisted her head.
But it was already too late.
—SWOOSH!
With a trail of gray, the Harpē slashed across her neck.
Medusa’s head spun through the air, her serpentine-like hair hissing wildly.
Her body stiffened as crimson blood sprayed across the sky.
“You missed.”
He shrugged off the Harpē lightly.
The edge gleamed with blood.
This time, it wasn’t a decoy.
It was the real Jung Hae-in.
Jayden stared blankly at the sky.
Though he held the Aegis in his hands—
The protagonist of the battlefield was neither the church nor Jayden.
