The throne hall released them slowly.
Not because it wanted to—but because it allowed them to leave.
Their footsteps echoed against the obsidian floor as they turned away from the throne, the pressure easing only slightly with every step.
Malakar did not stop them. He did not speak again.
He didn't need to.
Tsuramo walked first, posture straight, expression unreadable.
Masakiro followed half a step behind, unusually quiet.
Luna's hands were buried in her pockets, shadows clinging close to her boots.
Virelia glanced back once—just once—before the massive doors sealed shut behind them with a deep, final sound.
Outside, the crimson sky breathed.
The air felt lighter. Still heavy—but no longer crushing.
Waiting near the gates stood Shiora.
She straightened when she saw them, her usual gentle smile returning, though her eyes searched their faces carefully.
"…I see you're finished," she said softly.
Masakiro exhaled a long breath. "Define finished."
Shiora smiled a little wider, choosing not to ask.
She stepped forward and raised one hand.
Light folded inward again, space trembling as a familiar glow gathered at her palm.
"Then," she said calmly, "I will take you back to Shadowreach."
Luna nodded first. "Yeah. Let's go."
Virelia stretched her arms behind her head. "Whew. Royal vibes are exhausting."
Masakiro glanced at Tsuramo. "You okay?"
Tsuramo didn't answer immediately.
He looked once more at the towering mansion—at the spires, the banners, the throne hidden deep within.
Then he turned away.
"…Let's go," he said quietly.
Shiora opened the portal.
And as they stepped through, none of them noticed the way the mansion seemed to watch them leave—
or how the shadows lingered just a second longer around Tsuramo, as if reluctant to let him go.
Light closed.
Stone vanished.
And Shadowreach waited.
The portal spat them back into the open air.
Shadowreach's outer ridge stretched before them—floating stone paths, drifting runic lights, the academy's distant towers cutting through the darkened sky like spears of shadow and flame.
They had taken only a few steps when—
The air changed.
Not sharply—but absolutely.
Tsuramo slowed first.
Masakiro felt it next, his shoulders tightening as if something unseen had pressed down on him.
Luna's shadows drew closer to her feet, restless.
Even Virelia's smile faded into something quieter.
Ahead of them stood three figures.
They didn't speak.They didn't move.
They didn't need to.
Three SS-Rank students—each radiating a presence so dense it bent the space around them.
Shiora stopped.
"…Ah," she said softly.
The one in the center stepped forward.
Jinro Fenrath — High Wolf Realm
Tall, broad, and still.
Ash-gray hair framed sharp lupine eyes that missed nothing.
His aura carried the scent of cold forests and iron.
Power rested on him naturally—like a predator that didn't need to prove it was dangerous.
To his right stood—
Saeko Myōrin — Blood Bloom Clan
Crimson hair tied high, eyes half-lidded and amused.
Faint blood sigils pulsed under her skin, glowing softly at her wrists and throat.
She smiled like violence was a private joke only she understood.
To his left—
Raigen Kurotsume — Thunder Fang Clan
Scarred arms crossed, lightning crawling lazily across his knuckles.
His golden eyes crackled with restrained force, each breath humming with contained storms.
Raigen's gaze locked onto Shiora.
"Where did you vanish to?" he asked, thunder echoing quietly beneath his voice.
Shiora inclined her head. "I was escorting guests."
Saeko's eyes flicked past Shiora—briefly landing on Tsuramo.
"…Guests," she repeated, amused.
Jinro spoke next, voice calm but firm. "We're heading to the Wolf Realm. The paths are unstable. Take us."
Shiora didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
She stepped away from the group.
Her expression sharpened—not colder, but focused.
She lifted her wrist.
Her eyes ignited—deep forest green threaded with twilight blue, ancient and alive.
The wind collapsed inward.
A roar split the sky as three enormous shadows descended.
With thunderous wingbeats, three giant eagles emerged—massive, regal creatures with feathers patterned in Shiora's colors: deep forest green, dusk-blue twilight, and dark root-black veins threading their wings.
Their golden eyes burned with intelligence.
The SS-Ranks moved instantly.
Raigen leapt first, lightning snapping beneath his boots.Saeko landed lightly, blood sigils dissolving as she mounted.Jinro vaulted up with a single smooth motion.
Shiora flicked her wrist.
The eagles screamed—sharp, commanding—and launched skyward, wings shattering the air as they vanished toward the Wolf Realm.
Silence followed.
Shiora exhaled.
The glow faded from her eyes.
She turned back to the group and smiled gently, as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
"…Now," she said, gesturing ahead, "please follow me. Shadowreach isn't far."
Masakiro stared at the sky."…I think I just felt my soul leave my body."
Virelia let out a slow whistle. "Okay. That was impressive."
Luna clicked her tongue, shadows relaxing. "SS ranks are ridiculous."
Tsuramo said nothing.
His eyes lingered where the eagles had disappeared—
Thoughtful.Measuring.
Then he stepped forward.
And followed Shiora toward Shadowreach.
--
The moment the eagles crossed the boundary, the world shifted.
The sky above the Wolf Realm churned in layered silver and iron-gray, clouds moving in slow, circular patterns like a great eye that never closed.
Below, endless forests stretched for miles—ancient, scarred, and quiet in the wrong way.
Trees bore deep gouges, claw-marks etched so high no ordinary beast could have made them.
The eagles descended.
Jinro Fenrath landed first, boots striking black stone. His cloak fluttered once before settling.
Saeko followed, graceful, barely making a sound.
Raigen came last—lightning flickering briefly along his arms before fading.
Waiting for them was the ruler of this realm.
King Vargrin Moonfang.
Towering, broad-shouldered, his silver mane flowed down his back like mist caught in moonlight.
His eyes glowed a steady pale blue—calm, ancient, and merciless when needed.
The power he carried wasn't aggressive, but it pressed against the chest like deep water.
He did not greet them.
"You felt the disturbance," Vargrin said, voice low and steady.
Jinro inclined his head. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Vargrin turned toward the forest beyond the throne platform.
"One of the old ones has fallen."
Raigen frowned. "A Shinryu?"
The king shook his head once.
"No."
He looked back at them, eyes narrowing.
"The creature slain in the Tokoshima Tunnel was not a Shinryu."
Saeko's brows lifted slightly. "Then what was it?"
Vargrin spoke the name with weight.
"Koryu."
The air tightened.
Raigen sucked in a breath. "That's—"
"A dragon that stands beneath the Shinryu," Vargrin finished. "Older than most recorded realms. Smarter than beasts. Crueler than monsters."
Jinro's jaw clenched. "And it was killed."
"Yes."
"By whom?" Raigen asked.
Vargrin's claws pressed faintly into the stone beneath him.
"Not SS-Rank.Not AA-Rank."
Silence stretched.
Saeko's smile faded. "…You don't mean—"
"A CM-class student," Vargrin said.
Raigen laughed once, sharp and disbelieving. "That's impossible."
Vargrin's gaze cut to him. "The corpse exists."
Jinro exhaled slowly. "Name."
"Tsuramo."
The name settled heavily between them.
Saeko tilted her head, eyes glinting. "So the rumors were real."
Vargrin continued, his voice darker now.
"Koryu are not solitary by nature. They are watchers—pathfinders."
He gestured toward the forest.
"Deeper within my realm, true Shinryu remain."
Raigen stiffened. "Plural?"
"Yes," Vargrin confirmed. "They are moving. Testing territory. Hunting."
Saeko's fingers curled slightly. "And your wolves?"
"Being taken," Vargrin said bluntly. "One by one."
Jinro looked up sharply. "Then why summon us?"
Vargrin turned fully toward them.
"Because the one who killed Koryu can kill what comes next."
Raigen's voice dropped. "You want a CM to face a Shinryu?"
Vargrin's eyes burned faintly.
"I want the only being proven capable of killing dragon-blood."
Saeko's lips curved slowly, interest returning.
"So you want him brought here."
"Yes."
Jinro bowed deeply. "We will retrieve him."
Vargrin's gaze lingered on them.
"Do not underestimate him," the king warned. "And do not provoke him."
The audience ended there.
Wolf Realm — Outer Path
They walked in silence until the wind filled the space between them.
Raigen broke it first. "This is insane."
Jinro didn't argue. "It's dangerous."
Saeko smiled, eyes fixed on the distant forest.
"CM-class," she murmured. "Kills Koryu. Catches the attention of Shinryu."
She looked amused.And intrigued.
"I really want to meet Tsuramo."
Raigen glanced at her. "If he's unstable—"
Saeko's smile sharpened.
"Then he's exactly what this realm needs."
Jinro stopped, looking toward the horizon.
"Either way," he said quietly, "the balance just shifted."
Deep within the forest—
Something vast stirred.