For a long moment, no one moved. The haze hung heavy, the air thick with smoke and static.
Then the two knights stepped back through the swirling dust, their faces darkening in the fading light. They stood side by side again, silhouettes carved against the dying sun.
Kaelen's voice cut through the silence, low and steady.
"What makes you think we're going all out…?"
Drake tilted his head, a grim smile ghosting over his face.
"You lack intel on us, Angel."
The last of the sun sank behind the horizon. Shadows stretched long across the ruined forest, and the brothers' forms began to waver, ripple, change.
"We are the Ghoul Brothers, "Kaelen said, his voice deepening into something guttural, otherworldly. "And you're about to see why."
As the final sliver of light vanished, their appearance changed as well.
Their coats torn and fell away in bits and pieces. Skin darkened, peeled back, and vanished altogether. What stood before Samael were not men anymore—only monsters. Their eyes burned a deep, feral red. Flesh was gone from their jaws, leaving their teeth bared in a perpetual grin—rows of jagged, predatory canines gleaming in the dark.
The forest held its breath.
And in the silence between heartbeats, the Ghoul Brothers moved.
The Ghoul Brothers vanished.
To any mortal eye, they ceased to exist—only the rippling distortion of air and the sharp whisper of movement betrayed their presence. Samael's pupils narrowed, to keep track of their movement.
His voice broke the chaos, calm yet thunderous with divine authority.
"Oh Divine Light, protect me… and enlighten this place in Your grace."
The heavens answered.
A golden beam split the clouds, roaring down like a spear of judgment. The forest ignited in radiance—every leaf, every shattered root glowing as if the sun itself had descended.
Daylight returned where night had every right to be.
But even light casts shadows.
The Ghoul Brothers slipped through them like wraiths—streaks of darkness darting from trunk to trunk, laughing, their voices slithering through the brilliance.
"How long will your light protect you, Angel?"
"You don't even know what we are… what we can do."
"Throwing stones in a fog, hoping to hit something—pitiful."
A massive tree tore free from the ground, hurled with enough force to split mountains. Samael pivoted, blades flashing, cleaving it in two before it reached him.
The brothers' laughter echoed from everywhere and nowhere.
"We are the night itself—and we love to play with our prey."
"In the records, you're the only knight to rise to Guardian ranks without a Celestial Dominion."
"But the rumors say you have one, don't they? Transformation type… that of an angel."
"Show us, Samael. Show us your power—so we can devour it."
Samael's eyes burned white-hot. He dispelled the blades and summoned another—a sword that erupted in holy flame. The heat rolled across the clearing in waves, and with one sweeping arc, he carved through the land itself.
The forest fell. Trees disintegrated. The earth leveled under divine fire.
Silence.
Then—laughter again.
A whisper that seemed to crawl from the deepest shadow.
"Celestial Dominion…"
The light around Samael flickered.
"Umbralis Eternum."
The world inverted.
Daylight shattered like glass. Every trace of radiance was swallowed by an endless, living dark. Even the sound of the wind died, leaving Samael standing in a realm of absolute shadow—alone, save for the echo of the brothers' unholy mirth.
The Ghoul Brothers' voices echoed through the endless dark.
"Domain-type Celestial Dominion," they said, their tones merging into one."You're in our world now. Where the darkness is our will painted across the universe. Here, everything bends as we desire. One small mistake, and your body will turn to blood mist. We are the gods of this realm."
Their laughter rippled through the void like blades scraping over stone.
"What will be your move now, Angel?"
Samael exhaled softly, the faintest hint of weariness in his voice.
"Forgive me, Danthiel… I'm forced to use it before your demise."
Though wrapped in utter darkness, Samael's eyes locked on the brothers with an unwavering calm. He could not see them—but he felt them. He saw their souls flickering in the void like black flames.
For the first time, the Ghoul Brothers hesitated. Something was wrong. Their dominion—their perfect domain—wasn't sealed. The edges trembled, unfinished, as if their world is clashing with something. But with what?
Then came a roar that split the dark.
"SAAAAAMAAAAAEEEEEELLLLL!"
The next instant, something enormous broke through the incomplete domain—pure force incarnate. A massive figure slammed a fist square into Samael's face, the impact echoing like thunder across the void.
"You're supposed to invite me whenever you're in a fight!" the newcomer bellowed. "How could you keep all the fun for yourself!?"
Samael staggered, then straightened, wiping a smear of blood from his lip. His grin was unmistakable even in the dark.
"Danthiel…" he said, half-laughing.
Before him stood the legend himself—Danthiel, the strongest of the Guardian Knights, Master of the Beastfang Academy, and Samael's oldest comrade. His towering frame glowed faintly with wild, bestial energy, the sheer presence of his aura pushing the shadows back.
The Ghoul Brothers recoiled instinctively, their bravado flickering. They hadn't planned for this. Danthiel was supposed to be on the other side of the world—resting, far from the reach of this battle.
Samael tilted his head.
"Aren't you supposed to be on vacation right now?"
Danthiel crossed his arms, his tone gruff but his grin feral.
"I was. Then I heard the government's sticking its nose where it doesn't belong. My instincts said the deaths of three knights were about to be pinned on you."
He cracked his knuckles, the sound like mountains grinding together.
"So I told my surveillance team to teleport me now. Figured I'd show up before you managed to wreck half the continent again."
The shadows around them shuddered as his aura expanded, tearing cracks of gold through the Ghoul Brothers' dominion.
The Ghoul Brothers' snarls twisted into grins.
"It doesn't matter," Kaelen hissed. "You're already inside our domain. It's only a matter of time before it closes—then you'll be food, just like him."
Danthiel chuckled, low and dangerous. His laughter rolled through the shadows like distant thunder.
"You're pretty foolish for your rank," he said. "A Domain-type Celestial Dominion always seals itself—creating a separate dimension beyond the laws of this universe. The only time it fails to close…" He leaned forward, his grin widening. "…is when it's clashing with another domain."
The words hit like a hammer.
The Ghoul Brothers froze. The confident smirks vanished. In the oppressive dark, both dropped to their knees, trembling. Their silence said more than any cry could.
"That's right," Danthiel said, voice calm now, almost bored. "While you're struggling to seal your domain, mine is pressing against it, keeping it open. You're not fighting just him anymore. You're fighting me."
He cracked his neck, eyes glinting faintly gold.
"But honestly—you two are lightwork."
The brothers' voices trembled as they tried to recover their composure.
"Even… even with a partial domain," Drake growled, "we can still kill you!"
Danthiel raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Then—he moved.
One step forward.
That single step cracked reality itself. The darkness shattered, splintering like fragile glass. The void screamed, collapsing inward as light tore through from every direction.
In the blink of an eye, the world of shadows was gone.
They stood once again in the ruined forest—charred earth, broken trees, the night sky blazing with stars. The Ghoul Brothers stared in disbelief, their bodies trembling.
"We're both of Guardian rank…" Kaelen muttered, voice breaking. "Then why…"
Drake's shout tore from his throat, raw and furious.
"THEN WHY THE HELL IS THERE SUCH A GAP OF STRENGTH BETWEEN US AND HIM!?"
They lunged, their rage igniting one final reckless charge.
Danthiel didn't hesitate. His form blurred, vanishing in an explosion of dust.
A heartbeat later, both brothers were caught mid-stride—Danthiel's massive hands gripping their faces, one in each palm.
The ground erupted as he slammed them down with devastating force, the impact echoing like an earthquake. Soil and stone exploded outward.
Drake groaned, trying to push himself up—but Danthiel's boot came down hard, driving his head back into the dirt. Kaelen thrashed in his grip until Danthiel hoisted him into the air by the neck like a disobedient child.
"You have no idea," Kaelen spat, voice shaking, "what you're getting into…"
Their bodies began to lose shape—dissolving into black mist.
Danthiel released them, watching as the vapor retreated and reformed a short distance away.
"We will be back," their voices whispered in unison, carried by the wind.
Then they were gone.
Only the whisper of the night remained, rustling through the wreckage of the forest.
Danthiel cracked his knuckles, dusting his hands off.
"Lightwork," he muttered, "Vacation's over, huh?"
Samael gave a tired half-smile. "Looks like it."
Samael exhaled, lowering his gaze to the shattered ground.
"Caris."
"Yes Master Lucerne", Caris said while appearing right beside Samael.
A heartbeat later, the ruined forest was gone.
They emerged within the marble halls of the academy, the night air replaced by the faint scent of incense and polished stone.
Danthiel stretched his shoulders with a yawn.
"Been a while I've been here"
Samael said nothing as they walked down the quiet corridor toward the Zen Room, the faint hum of aether following in their wake.
Danthiel broke the silence first.
"If the government's sending their own knights after us, it means they're preparing for something big. An all-out war, maybe—one that would flip the entire hierarchy. Once the academies fall, they'll hold absolute control."
Samael nodded lightly, hands in his pockets.
"Wouldn't be the first time they've tried."
"No," Danthiel said grimly, "but this time, they might not stop until they've erased us completely."
They reached the Zen Room door. Samael was about to slide it open when Danthiel spoke again, quieter now.
"Samael"
The name alone made him pause.
"We won't be able to protect them forever," Danthiel said. "I treat you like a brother, but it's a harsh truth—the greed on the other side never ends. Even if today's rulers fall, worse ones will take their place. I hope you're preparing the next generation well."
Samael gave a faint smirk.
"Always."
He slid the door open.
Inside, the Zen Room glowed with an otherworldly calm. Mark sat cross-legged at the center, eyes closed, surrounded by a swirling current of azure light. A soul candle burned in front him, its blue flame steady and bright.
Across the floor lay Alden and Selena, both flat on their backs, unmoving but alive.
Danthiel blinked, momentarily stunned.
"That output… from a new recruit?" He whistled softly. "Remarkable. To generate that much aether in such a short time…"
His gaze shifted to Selena—and then he barked out a laugh.
"Selena, you're going soft! What happened to the Fist of Calamity? Hah!"
The sound jolted Mark from his meditation. His eyes opened, dazed but alert.
Danthiel grinned and offered a hand.
"Name's Danthiel or you can call me Dan. Strongest Guardian Knight, according to the paperwork. You've got potential, kid. It's a shame Samael found you first...I would have loved to train you"
Selena crossed her arms, frowning, though her glare carried more sass than venom.
Danthiel chuckled, lowering his voice.
"Don't be shy, Selena. The gates of Beastfang are always open if you ever want to train under me again."
Before she could retort, Caris stepped forward from the doorway, his tone crisp.
"Master Lucerne, urgent report. A Category-Three Death's Child has been sighted inside Silverwood High School. Confirmed casualty—one night guard. With 2 people still unconfirmed"
Samael's expression hardened.
"Understood. Alden, Mark—you're on this one."
Danthiel raised a hand lazily.
"Count me in. I'll observe from a distance."
Samael frowned.
"You'll just observe?"
Danthiel smirked.
"If it turns into a life-or-death fight, don't expect me to interfere. Let the kids learn."
Samael turned toward Alden.
"Before you head out, show Mark the armory. Let him choose a weapon that fits him."
Alden finally pushed himself up, dusting off his coat. He turned to Mark, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"About time the two brothers got a mission together," he said. "Maybe it's my fate to guide you into becoming a better knight."
Mark managed a small smile. It's his first mission...splitting his mind into anxiety and excitement.
Alden clapped him on the shoulder again.
"Come on, rookie. Let's get you geared up."
Mark nodded, still a little dazed from the shock of him being assigned on his first mission. The two of them headed down the corridor, their footsteps echoing against the marble. Danthiel followed a few paces behind, hands tucked into his pockets, his eyes thoughtful.
He watched Mark quietly, the flicker of that azure flame from earlier still etched in his mind.
A new resonant… maybe even unrefined, he thought. But that soul—there's weight in it. The kind that bends fate if it wants to.
He remembered the brightness of the soul candle, its azure flame burning steady even under the lingering pressure of his own aura. That alone was telling.
Grade Two output already… Danthiel mused. If that's his baseline, he could surpass most knights before he's twenty. Maybe even me—if Sammy trains him right.
They turned a corner, descending a spiral stairwell that led into the heart of the academy's lower chambers. The air grew cooler, drier—the scent of steel and old leather thickening as they approached a reinforced door engraved with protective runes.
Alden pressed his hand against the sigil plate. The locks shifted, gears humming, and the door groaned open.
The armory stretched out before them like a cathedral of steel. Rows upon rows of blades, halberds, spears, staves, and artifacts lined the walls—each one humming faintly with restrained power. No guns, no crude machinery. Just crafted instruments of discipline, legacy, and destruction.
Mark's jaw fell open.
"By the gods…" he whispered.
Alden chuckled.
"Welcome to the playground."
Danthiel smirked faintly from behind them, the glow of the armory lights catching the edge of his grin.
Let's see what kind of weapon your soul sings to, kid.
And with that, the three stepped fully inside, the heavy door sealing shut behind them.