As time slowed to a crawl and color faded from the world, despair filled my soul. The last member of my team was about to perish because of my weakness. Then time stopped.

  At first, I thought I had unlocked a new mysterious power. However, what I felt next made me realize how terribly wrong I was. The aura of the Dean exploded with a will so strong it stopped time itself. When I looked at him, he appeared like a brazier of white shining light, the ghostly shape of a pair of wings softly shimmering in the mana around him. He walked calmly with his cane toward us before simply pushing the dagger aside and kicking Leo in the face. Time resumed as the roundhouse kick collapsed Leo's face inward in a bloody mess and partialy decapitated him. The students were completely stunned into silence as they saw the attack and the Dean appear in a flash faster than light to kick the instructor in the face.

  This wasn’t the end of our surprise, however.

  Leo stood back up, his head hanging onto his neck by only a thin slice of skin. His neck was broken. He ripped his shirt open, revealing what looked like a grotesque parody of a face stretched across his chest—a grinning smile filled with rows of sharp teeth, and his pectorals covered with hundreds of eyes. His arms elongated significantly, and power started brimming out of his body. The taste of putrefaction soured my mouth, and my nose crinkled at the rancid smell emanating from what used to be a somewhat good-looking elven prince. The sheer level of power radiating from him made me incredibly nervous, and some students suddenly started running as the monster and the Dean collided again.

  "Samael, take Jibby and run. Go somewhere safe and wait. I will come find you," Kladius yelled as he and Leo began exchanging blows that sent ripples through the building around us. I grabbed Jibby's hand and sprinted as fast as I could, which, surprisingly, was faster than a 50cc scooter.

  However, Leo didn’t intend to let us go. He started speaking in a voice that sent shivers down my spine, pointing fingers at us. A few students I recognized as Empire nobility had artifact light up arround their neck before they began ripping their skin off while sprinting at us with screams and sounds that could only belong to some eldritch horror. I felt the sanity of those around us slipping away as a few students started tearing out their own eyes while praying. I just kept running, the monsters keeping pace behind us. As we crossed paths with other students, some fled, while others turned into beasts, forcing us to dodge and weave as the circle around us grew tighter.

  As one of the monsters was about to latch onto Jibby, I saw a flanged mace flash into existence for a second before disappearing again.

  “What the fuck is going on?” I asked, glancing at Jibby. But she looked back at me with the same confusion. Clearly, she didn’t know either. “Fuck, where can we go if even the Grand Academy isn’t safe?”

  We could hear people screaming in the corridors and on the stairs as more and more students turned into grotesque, skinless demons. People were dying left and right.

  “Hope! Get Lilith out!” I yelled, knowing she was close.

  “Sam, I would love to, but these are not my orders.”

  “Well, if you don't, we will. Is that good with you?”

  A sigh came from nowhere. “Fine, I’ll go. Just don’t do anything more stupid than what you already do on an everyday basis, okay?” I heard her voice whisper close to me.

  “Deal! Meet us at St. Gabriel’s Basilica. We’ll figure out stuff from there.”

  She didn’t answer, but I knew she would do her best.

  Jibby ripped her hand away from mine, fully locked in and ready for battle. She pulled out Handy from my holster and started loading it.

  “Come on, let's move. Thanks for saving me back there, but it’s not time to relax yet.”

  I pulled the Triplet out, still loaded with two slugs. We turned a corner and saw Victoria, the royal dark elf, locked in a fight with a monster filled with white larvae spilling from its open wounds. I blasted its head off with a quick shot.

  “Hurry up, come with us!” I shouted as she turned to see us. Without hesitation, she joined our ranks. Jibby re-holstered Handy, and we kept moving as fast as we could, trying to save as many students as possible on

  Our way out came at a heavy cost.

  As we turned a corner, I saw a young man clawing desperately at a pendant absorbing light around his neck before starting to peel his own skin off like it had never truly belonged to him. His eyes snapped to us, and he rushed forward with a surge of power that would’ve placed this first-year student—who wasn’t even part of the Elite class—at a high-level Stage 3.

  He pounced, and I fired.

  BANG!

  But he blasted a wave of air from his hands, shifting out of the slug's path with surgical precision before lunging again. I waited until the last second, aimed for his head, and squeezed the trigger.

  BANG!

  But he anticipated it, dashing out of the way faster than I could track with my poisoned arm, forcing me to retreat out of his reach.

  Bang!

  Jibby's shot hit him square in the chest, tearing a cavity wide open. Blood poured out like a fountain, splattering the wall behind him.But the assailant didn't stop. I shoved the pistol into my pocket dimension, unsheathed the saber as fast as I could, and slashed, channeling light and fire mana through the blade. I parried blow after blow, his hands now sprouting bone spurs like blades extending from his fingertips. I managed a few shallow cuts along his arms, but it wasn’t enough.

  Victoria moved in, backing me up and easing the pressure just a bit. But while her strikes landed, the wounds closed almost instantly. Mine didn’t.

  "Push fire or light mana into your blade!" I shouted, instinctively feeling that the aura of destruction and void around him demanded it. It was more gut feeling than logic, but right now, I’d take what I could get.

  The thing launched a reckless attack on Victoria, sensing no danger from her blade. It slashed at her stomach, leaving a deep, ragged wound as flesh tore apart. At the same time, she slashed its throat, her blade shimmering black and red. Blood spilled from the creature and was immediately drawn to her wound, knitting it back together. A vampiric attack. Even with two of us against it, the creature’s insane speed was overwhelming.

  BANG!

  Its head exploded.

  "Jibby, you are the best!" I called out with a grin. "Okay, let's keep moving."

  A few more creatures attacked, but they all hovered around Stage 2—probably a stage higher than the students they’d spawned from, I guessed. We slashed and blasted our way through groups of monsters, saving a few students who joined our ranks as we fought our way out.

  When we finally made it outside, the chill of winter bit into us, stark and indifferent to the chaos within.

  “Jibby, do you have the flare prototype in your bag?”

  “I do, but it’s midday, and no one is trained on it. What good is it?”

  “Better than nothing. We need to get to one of the guard posts and tell them to ring the alarms on our way to the basilica. Hurry up!”

  She shot in the air, the red flare round's parachute deploying high in the sky with a blast of red light

  “Let's go“

  When we arrived at the guard station, the soldiers were relaxed—after all, this was supposed to be the safest part of the city. But when they saw our faces, covered in gore and fluids of unknown origin, their attitudes shifted instantly.

  “The Grand Academy is under attack by monsters... demons!”

  “Calm down, kids. Demons aren’t real.”

  “And the blood on us is salt water? Get fucking moving!” I snapped, sending a bit of mana into my coat. The front of it shimmered, displaying the silver Inquisition aquilas.

  “Yes, sir! Immediately!”

  “Get us a carriage!”

  “Now?”

  “No, yesterday! Get moving!”

  “Yes, sir! Sound the alarm! The Academy is under attack!”

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  Thunderous bells began ringing, echoed by others signaling that reinforcements were on their way. But as I watched the chaos, an idea struck me. Communication here was painfully slow. Even if I couldn’t bring radios, Morse code would be a massive upgrade. It was like they’d spent the last two thousand years doing everything except innovating technology.

  We climbed into the carriage that had been sent to take us to St. Gabriel’s Basilica. Troops were already gathering in the streets, rushing toward the guard station.

  “What the shit was that?” Jibby asked, wiping gore from her face.

  “What do you mean? The demons? Or something else?”

  “Well, for one, since when are you a member of the Inquisition?”

  “Ahem... actually, I’m not.”

  “Did you just pretend to be a member of the Inquisition, you dumb fuck? Where did you steal that coat?”

  “Ho, an Inquisitor gave it to me, actually.”

  Jibby pinched the bridge of her nose. “Accepting the coat makes you a member. Ranked or not, at this point, it doesn’t matter, smartass. I bet you don’t use half the functions of that damn thing.”

  “Well, you just saw me change the color! And it fits really well, don’t you think?”

  “Are you telling me that’s all you think it does?”

  “Yep, of course. What else do you think it can do? I’m curious.”

  She grinned. “I heard you’re about to be a rich man, so it’s gonna cost ya.”

  “Hmm... what do you want?”

  “I want my own branch in your company. With a big flashy title.”

  “How about Head of Chemical and Alchemical Research and Development?”

  Her eyes gleamed. “I like it. Deal!” she said, offering her hand. We shook on it.

  “Technically, I know that the color switch is one of the two public functions known by most. But my cousin slipped up once when he was drunk. The second function is armor. This thing is made of chameleon wyvern scales turned into wool. The pockets have a special feature too. If you push mana into them, you get access to a pocket dimension and can will the stuff out straight to your hand. But he never told me the size. And the last feature he ranted about was thermo-regulation. Apparently, you could wear this thing in the middle of the desert and still be comfortable. He also said higher-ups get even fancier stuff.”

  I tried the pocket as she explained it and smiled brightly.

  “So he didn’t bullshit me after all. Good to know,” Jibby mumbled.

  “Why would the Inquisition give me a coat before I was even part of their organization?” I asked.

  “They’re claiming you publicly so no noble tries to grab you into their service. Once you’re claimed by the Order department's like the Templars, the Inquisition, or the Paladins, it would be seen as openly hostile to the Church to try and recruit you away. Basically, you’re now ‘engaged’ to the Holy Inquisition Order. Under which branch you’ll work, I have no idea, but this is a damn good opportunity for a country bumpkin like you. You should make sure to use it.”

  Victoria followed us in silence, just trying to figure out what was going on, but there was no way she could piece together all the missing parts by herself. Once we arrived at the Basilica and disembarked, we were immediately stopped by a dozen Templars in armor who wanted to verify our identities—even after showing the letter and seeing my coat. That told me things were worse than I thought.

  I obliged without question. However, as soon as my blood touched the crystal tablet, it flashed green before displaying a tag marked 'Restricted Information' with an Aquila.

  "Apologies, my Lord," the Templar nodded. "Please proceed."

  "Let as few people in as possible, and I'd recommend doubling security until further notice, if I may," I told the guard before making my way in, Victoria and Jibby in tow. We moved through the long, winding corridors, followed by that damn stairway to exhaustion that was the path to the Pontifex's office.

  When we arrived in the waiting room, the secretary looked at us sternly, clearly judging if he should allow us in or not covered in grime. Before I even reached his desk, he sighed. "What trouble are you bringing the Pontifex today?"

  "Demons," I answered.

  He stood up immediately and told us to wait, running to a briefing room instead of Aurelia's office. He came back after a few seconds, nodding toward me. "Get in."

  He then asked the two girls to wait in a separate room under the careful watch of two Paladins wearing complex articulated plate armor, covered in runic enchantments and purity seals depicting the seven-pointed star over a shield. Both Paladins stood easily over seven feet tall, towering over the two short ladies with an aura of intimidation, their faces hidden behind the metal visors of their helms.

  I entered the briefing room, the Pontifex was seated at the head of a long table, with three people flanking her on each side. My head instructor sat directly across from her, her expression grim.

  "The Academy is under attack," I began without preamble. "And I believe it’s of demonic origin."

  "Don’t be ridicu—" one of the advisors started, but the dwarvish woman beside him, with grey curly hair that reminded me a bit of Lilith, raised her hand. "Apologies, boy. Please speak," she said, her voice steady and firm.

  I nodded, gathering my thoughts. "I’m not sure about the specifics, but an instructor from the Elven Kingdom—who I believe might be a prince—transformed into a monster after attempting to kill a student named Jibby. She’s the heir to some big alchemical company from Valakia."

  I kept the explanation as concise as I could, detailing the chaos, the students turning into grotesque horrors, and Kladius's intervention.

  When I finished, the dwarvish woman leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. "Well, fuck," she muttered. "The Cult really does have a deep foothold then."

  On the table, maps and files were scattered, marked with notes and symbols. Some of the files had pictures of Imperial VIPs, and tall coffee mugs sat beside platters of sandwiches, cheeses, and greens—casual comforts in the middle of an unfolding disaster.

  Cardinal Saphere, take your Templars and clear the Grand Academy. Then put the survivors under tight watch.

  "Your will be done," Saphere said as she rose from her seat and left the room.

  "Please have a seat, Samael. At this point, I believe you might as well be in the room and provide some of your insight over the situation we are facing," said Aurelia before proceeding to spill the beans."Emperor Melenor, who we believed to be the strongest ally of our church, has declared himself the Nameless Hero. The few members of the dark races that were within the Empire have been put into slavery with control collars. Most of them are being sent to mines all around the Empire. Most of the port towns of Valakia have been deserted, and reports of mysterious creatures coming out of the ocean to attack fishermen on the shore have been pouring in from fishing towns all around the East Coast. Do you have any insight over the situation?" she asked.

  "Well, what I understand is that this is a planned attack aimed at destabilizing the Order's grasp. It also seems like the Empire is trying to push for a bloody war of extermination between the sapient races. I believe Melenor is probably a cultist that has been crafting a trap to bring the fall of civilization for hundreds of years. But it seems that whatever is sleeping in the ocean is even worse than the Empire.Normally, I would order the evacuation of all fishing towns until safety can be guaranteed. However, this is not realistic since people still need to eat, and without the fishing industry, the population might face a food shortage.I have a few ideas that could probably help reduce the deficit, but I'm afraid it probably won’t be enough in the short term. I’ll have a section of the new shop working on short- and long-term solutions. Vertical farming with stacked poultry and fish farms might be enough to help fill the gap in the mid to long term.As for the Grand Academy, I believe it would be best to send every Empire student into holding cells. As for members of other countries, I suggest scanning them before allowing them to stay in school. I would also suggest scanning any member of the Empire within the country to make sure they aren’t conspiring with the demons."

  "Anything else?" Aurelia asked.

  I lit myself a smoke before speaking."Yes, actually. I would advise building defensive stations all across the shores and along every frontier we have. I would send the same suggestion to allied countries. As much as no one wants to hear that demons are back, it is still the responsibility of those in the know to pass the information to their neighbors."

  "And you believe this will be enough?"

  "No, but I believe it might give me enough time to roll out breach-loading rifles. If we can put a rifle in the hands of half the citizens, then we might have a chance of surviving long enough for me to roll out the next generation of rifles and munitions."

  "I will send a few mages to accelerate the building of your factory. You can leave. Thank you for your insight, Samael."I nodded.

  "We are already short on resources, and you wish to spread them to build factories instead of defensive structures? This is ridiculous," a white-haired elf woman said. "A new gadget will never be enough to win the war! What we need is a plan to summon a new Hero. If the Nameless One cannot be called, we need to seek the guidance of the God-King in creating a new summoning spell. They are demons, and this greedy kid is just asking for the little resources we have to make himself richer, Pontifex! For all we know, he might even be working for the Cult!"

  "Lady Pepper, please control yourself," the dwarf stopped her.

  "Pepper?" I said reflexively. "Wait a second… the Pepperbox! Why didn't I think of it? With it, I could bring five-shooters. If I may, Pontifex, I believe I have to go to the labs and start drawing up some new ideas. I also cannot guarantee to honor the original order. Some of it might be replaced with more advanced products we will produce instead. If you have an expert on brass flute-making, it would also be of great help."

  "Flutes? Seriously?" said the elf woman, now fuming. "You’re gonna play fucking music while people are dying, you fucking rat?"

  "Shut the fuck up! You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm about to save your fucking sorry ass from a guaranteed demise, so keep your comments inside of your empty skull!" I yelled back. "If you spent the last two thousand years advancing your civilization, you would have reached the stars by now, but instead, you are still fighting with bows and arrows and moving around by horse. So keep your high and mighty attitude to yourself, as you’re the only person you are bringing shade to at the moment."

  My outburst stunned the woman. As she looked around the table expecting the others to back her up, her face paled as she realized they were judging her instead of me.

  "Thank you, Samael. Your insight is as sharp as usual. Dismissed."

  I pulled a long drag from the cigarette in the corner of my mouth and went to get the girls, waiting for Hope and Lilith at the entrance of the Basilica. It took everything I had to keep my language in check. No matter the world you’re in, there will always be some fucking idiot at the top making life miserable for their troops.