My F-Rank Sagea is Secretly an EX-Rank Calamity

Chapter 5: Midnight Rescue

​"Erebus! Shadowdash, now!" Rowan commanded, his voice slicing through the dust of the battlefield.

​The colossal silver wolf blurred, creating a flawless duplicate constructed entirely of pure shadow energy.

The illusionary clone lunged forward, sinking its phantom jaws into the python’s tail and forcing the massive serpent to break its deadly grip on Headmaster Maverick.

​Rowan vaulted over a shattered stone pillar, utilizing the brief distraction to close the distance. Suddenly, a glowing blue status interface materialized directly in front of his vision:

​[Current Mana Output: 10% of Maximum Capacity]

​This absolute insanity is only ten percent of my potential? Rowan thought, a surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins.

​"Cursed Chain!" he roared, slamming his palms into the earth. Heavy, glowing violet links erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around the Argentrix’s massive torso and instantly neutralizing its magical output.

​"He actually did it! The beast is contained!" a student screamed inside the assembly hall, triggering a massive wave of cheers.

​Rowan exhaled slowly, watching the defeated python dissolve into spiritual particles. It felt almost too easy.

​Back in the upper tiers, Asher silently dropped to his knees, a sickening wave of relief and intense bitterness washing over him.

Within minutes, the academy’s automated broadcasting system delivered the official decree: for his extreme valor, Rowan Flynn was officially awarded the prestigious title of Academy Captain.

​Later that night, back in the quiet safety of his dorm room, Asher buried his face deep into his pillow.

​"Does his success really bother you that much?" Kaito asked, sitting on the wooden headboard.

​"I feel like this school is physically tearing us apart,"

Asher muffled into the fabric, his voice thick with frustration.

"We’re becoming total strangers. He’s out there becoming a living legend... Academy Captain..."

​Kaito hopped down onto the mattress, his small voice surprisingly grave.

"Asher, I may not possess the sheer physical mass of Erebus, but I hold ancient knowledge that spans millennia. The only entity capable of limiting your evolution is yourself. Remember that."

​KNOCK! KNOCK! Asher bolted upright, his eyes wide.

"Get down!" he whispered frantically.

Kaito vanished into a cloud of spiritual mist just as Asher reached for the door handle, cracking it open slightly.

​He blinked in absolute shock. Remi Faye was standing in the dimly lit corridor, looking thoroughly terrified, clutching a plush pillow tightly against her chest. "Hey... Asher. Can I come in?"

​Without a single second of hesitation, Asher threw the door wide open and ushered her inside.

>>>>><<<<<

​"Are you completely certain about what you saw?" Asher asked a few minutes later, sitting on the edge of the bed.

​Remi nodded rapidly, her face pale.

She explained that for the past week following the Argentrix attack, a grotesque, shadowy entity had been manifesting outside her third-story window, completely destroying her ability to sleep.

​"Yeah, it’s real," Remi whispered, shivering.

​Asher frowned, a sudden thought striking him. "Why come to me with this, Remi? There are dozens of elite guards and instructors who handle entity sightings."

​Remi looked up, her round eyes fiercely sincere. "Because you’re the only person in this entire place I actually trust. Call it a gut feeling, but something tells me you can handle this better than they can."

​Asher stared at her, completely bewildered.

’That gut feeling is definitely my passive charm aura working on her’, he thought bitterly. I’m going to kill that squirrel.

​Meanwhile, in the elite Auric training grounds, Rowan was pushing himself through a brutal, non-stop physical regimen with Erebus.

"Let’s take a brief breather, buddy," he panted, wiping sweat from his forehead as he walked toward the observation benches.

​Fang was sitting there, quietly watching the session with a strange smile.

Over the past week, Fang had been trailing Rowan constantly.

While the rest of the student body assumed Fang had a highly unorthodox, intense rivalry with the new Academy Captain, Rowan just thought the guy was incredibly weird.

​"You finally done practicing?" Fang asked, sliding a small container of fresh rations across the bench.

​"Yeah, thanks," Rowan muttered, accepting the food and taking a bite.

​Fang’s smile widened as he stared intently at Rowan’s face. ’He looks incredibly cute when he’s completely exhausted’, Fang thought, his heart racing.

’I could literally eat his cheeks right now’.

​Rowan swallowed, glancing over. "Did you eat yet?"

​The sudden question caught Fang entirely off guard. A dark flush crept up his neck, his face burning hot as he began to nervously fidget with his fingers.

’Is he actually showing concern for me?! No, Fang, get a grip! Don’t get ahead of yourself!’

​Rowan stared at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Dude, are you alright? You’re sweating more than I am."

​"Uh... never mind! It’s absolutely nothing!"

Fang stammered, looking away.

​It was a complete mess. Fang knew that if Rowan ever discovered his feelings, their fragile partnership would be utterly destroyed.

​Clearing his throat, Fang quickly checked his glowing status interface to change the subject.

"Our first official field mission drops tomorrow at dawn. Factions are being deployed to the Nevermore Forest."

​Rowan froze, his chest tightening instantly as he set the food aside. "The Nevermore Forest..."

​"Yeah," Fang nodded. "Why the sudden face?"

​"My parents told me about that place,"

Rowan whispered, his hands trembling slightly.

"My grandfather was a legendary Sagea explorer. He led an expedition into the deep trenches of Nevermore fifty years ago... and he never came back."

​"Oh... man, I’m sorry," Fang said softly. "It’s an incredibly hazardous zone. Apparently, the headmaster is deploying the Umbrax faction into the outer perimeter first at dawn."

​DOOM.

Rowan’s heart violently hammered against his ribs. ’The Umbrax faction? Asher belongs to that tier’.

​"Why the hell would they send the unbonded first?!" Rowan roared, standing up. "They have zero combat experience!"

​Fang leaped back, thoroughly shocked by the explosive reaction.

"Whoa, chill, dude! I don’t know the tactical details, but they aren’t going alone. A high lord from the Order of the Veil is overseeing the perimeter. Lord Malovik himself is commanding the drop."

>>>>><<<<<<

​Back in the residential wing, the midnight hour approached. Asher and Remi sat perfectly still in the pitch-black dorm room, waiting for the entity to manifest.

​"It’s incredibly dark in here," Asher whispered.

​"This is exactly how I sleep, I love the dark. Now shut up and keep watching," Remi whispered back fiercely.

​They ducked beneath the heavy oak frame of the bed, keeping their eyes locked onto the glass window.

Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind rattled the frame as the latch violently flew open.

​A small creature hopped onto the sill, illuminated by the moonlight. It possessed a wide, grotesque grin, massive glowing red eyes, and a sleek avian torso roughly the size of Kaito.

​Recognizing the silhouette, Remi gasped, desperately tugging the hem of Asher’s uniform shirt.

"Hey... whatever you do, do not look into its—"

​It was too late. It was a Pyropex Griffin—a rare entity notorious for its localized hypnotic gaze.

​Asher’s eyes locked onto the crimson irises of the beast, and his mind instantly went completely blank.

His expression went slack as he stepped out from the hiding spot, walking toward the open window like a mindless puppet.

​"Asher! No!" Remi screamed.

​She lunged forward, grabbing a high-powered tactical flashlight from her belt and snapping it on.

The blinding beam struck the griffin directly in the eyes, causing the creature to screech and flinch violently away from the light.

​Realizing the creature’s weakness, Remi turned to pull Asher back, but the boy had already climbed onto the outer ledge, preparing to leap into the dark abyss below.

"Asher, stop!"

​The Pyropex Griffin hissed in rage, spitting a thick, glowing glob of fluid directly onto Remi’s chest. The moment the saliva made contact, an intense paralysis curse surged through her veins, freezing her limbs completely.

’Damn it!’ she screamed internally, struggling against the invisible weights.

​The griffin let out a sharp, commanding shriek.

Asher stepped off the ledge, falling straight into the midnight air. The avian entity spread its wings, diving straight down after him.

​Remi’s heart completely shattered. Locked in place, she forced every single ounce of her latent mana into her vocal cords, screaming a desperate incantation: "Dispel!"

​The paralysis seal shattered into golden particles.

Remi lunged out of the window, tears blinding her vision as she prepared to watch her friend hit the stone courtyard below.

​But what she witnessed instead was a scene straight out of ancient mythology.

​A massive, colossal entity materialized from the clouds.

The Ignifax Dragon roared through the night, its magnificent wings burning with an ethereal flame that paradoxically radiated a freezing, icy chill.

With a single, fluid strike, the dragon caught Asher perfectly in mid-air while devouring the griffin whole in its massive jaws.