Three days had passed since the battle at Shadow Academy.
The once lively academy was now under reconstruction.
Broken walls were being repaired.
Training grounds were filled with workers and healers.
Many students had been injured during the invasion, and several were still recovering in the academy hospital.
The battle against the Abyss General had left a scar on everyone.
But the academy still stood.
And that alone was considered a miracle.
Academy Medical Wing
Inside a quiet hospital room, Arata slowly opened his eyes.
White light from the window filled the room.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
His body felt extremely heavy.
"…Where am I?"
"You're alive. That's where."
A familiar voice answered.
Arata turned his head slightly.
Ren was sitting beside the bed with his arms crossed.
His ribs were wrapped in bandages.
"…You look terrible," Ren added.
Arata blinked.
"You don't look much better."
Ren smirked.
"Fair point."
A moment later, the door opened.
Lyra entered the room holding a small tablet.
She looked relieved when she saw Arata awake.
"You're finally conscious."
Arata tried to sit up, but his body protested immediately.
"…How long was I out?"
"Three days," Lyra answered.
Arata's eyes widened slightly.
"Three days?"
Ren nodded.
"You collapsed right after defeating the Abyss General."
He leaned back in his chair.
"The healers said your body almost tore itself apart."
Arata looked down at his hand.
The golden mark on his palm had dimmed again.
The power of the Second Gate was gone.
For now.
Lyra placed the tablet on the table beside him.
"The academy survived the attack," she said.
"But the damage was huge."
Several buildings had been destroyed.
Dozens of students were seriously injured.
And three students had died during the battle.
The room became quiet.
Arata closed his eyes briefly.
"…I couldn't save everyone."
Ren shrugged.
"You saved the entire academy."
Lyra nodded.
"If you hadn't defeated the General…"
"…the Abyss Gate would have fully opened."
Suddenly—
The door opened again.
Kaito walked into the room.
He looked exactly the same as always.
Relaxed.
Calm.
But the moment his eyes landed on Arata—
He smiled slightly.
"So the hero finally woke up."
Arata frowned.
"I'm not a hero."
Kaito shrugged.
"Tell that to the entire academy."
He leaned against the wall.
"The news about the attack has already spread."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Outside the academy?"
Kaito nodded.
"Across the entire country."
Arata looked confused.
"…What?"
Kaito's expression became more serious.
"The appearance of an Abyss General is not something that can be hidden."
He crossed his arms.
"And now…"
"…every major organization in the world knows about you."
The room went silent.
Arata felt a cold feeling in his chest.
"You mean…"
Kaito nodded.
"The successor of the Ancient God."
Ren sighed.
"Great."
"Now everyone wants a piece of him."
Lyra added quietly,
"Not just humans."
Arata looked at them.
"What do you mean?"
Kaito walked toward the window.
Outside, the academy courtyard was still under repair.
"The Abyss lost a General."
His voice became darker.
"They won't ignore that."
He looked back at Arata.
"Next time…"
"…they will send something much worse."
Arata slowly clenched his fist.
The Ancient Entity inside his mind finally spoke again.
The war has begun.
Suddenly—
A loud alarm echoed across the academy.
WOOOONN
Red warning lights flashed in the hallway.
Ren jumped to his feet.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Lyra checked the tablet quickly.
Her expression changed instantly.
"…This can't be right."
Arata looked at her.
"What happened?"
Lyra turned the screen toward them.
A map appeared on the display.
Several red markers were flashing across different regions.
Ren frowned.
"…Multiple distortions?"
Kaito's expression became serious again.
"Not distortions."
He looked at Arata.
"Abyss Gates."
The room fell silent.
Lyra whispered in disbelief.
"There are… five of them."
Kaito nodded slowly.
"The Abyss has started a full-scale invasion."
Arata slowly pushed himself out of the bed despite the pain.
His eyes hardened.
"Then we stop them."
Ren sighed dramatically.
"You literally woke up five minutes ago."
Arata looked at him.
"Rest later."
Kaito smiled faintly.
"…That's the spirit."
But deep inside—
He knew something was wrong.
The Abyss had never opened so many gates at once.
Which meant only one thing.
Somewhere in the darkness…
A far greater enemy had started moving.
And this time—
The battle would not be limited to Shadow Academy.
The entire world was about to become a battlefield.
To be continued....