Chapter 457: Chapter 456 - "Professor Seraphina is here!"
The instant the blue spear of light descended from the heavens, the entire battlefield changed.
A deafening explosion shook the collapsing sanctuary as brilliant azure light crashed between Luca and the chained figure, tearing through the corrupted mana flooding the ruins. The impact generated a violent shockwave that spread outward in all directions, dispersing darkness, shattering tendrils of corruption, and forcing even the chained being to retreat several steps backward.
The sanctuary trembled.
The abyss below churned violently.
The gigantic crimson eye narrowed.
And for the first time since its awakening—
The corruption lost ground.
An enormous pillar of wind erupted from the point of impact while countless streams of water spiraled through the air like living dragons, circling the battlefield before crashing down upon the corruption spread throughout the ruins.
Wherever the water touched—
The blackened mana hissed violently.
Purified.
Destroyed.
Erased.
Luca instinctively raised an arm against the overwhelming pressure while dust and debris swirled around him. The familiar mana signature washing over the battlefield left absolutely no room for doubt.
Professor Seraphina had arrived.
The winds gradually settled.
The shining pillar of water slowly dispersed.
And standing at the center of the battlefield—
Between Luca and the chained being—
Was a woman with long sky-blue hair flowing behind her.
Her academy coat fluttered violently amidst the lingering winds while streams of compressed water mana revolved around her body like protective rings. Usually, Seraphina carried herself with elegance and composure.
Not today.
Today—
Her expression was cold.
Dangerously cold.
The kind of expression that made even experienced mages think twice before speaking.
Her blue eyes swept across the battlefield.
The unconscious students.
The injured seniors.
The collapsing sanctuary.
The gigantic eye beneath the abyss.
And finally—
Luca.
For the briefest moment—
The coldness in her gaze cracked.
Only slightly.
Just enough for relief to flash through her eyes.
Then it disappeared immediately.
So quickly that nobody else would have noticed.
Nobody except Luca.
His chest tightened faintly.
"Professor..." he muttered.
Seraphina’s gaze lingered on him for only a second longer before shifting toward Sylthara.
The corruption spreading across the dark elf’s shoulder.
Lilliane helping support her.
The blood on several students.
Then finally—
Toward the chained being.
The temperature throughout the sanctuary seemed to drop.
"You have caused quite a mess."
Her voice sounded calm.
Yet beneath that calmness lingered something dangerous.
The chained figure smiled.
"Another one arrives."
The corruption around it stirred restlessly.
"And a strong one at that."
Seraphina did not respond immediately.
Instead, several massive magic circles appeared around her simultaneously.
One.
Three.
Five.
Ten.
The sheer number made several club members stare in disbelief.
The surrounding mana surged.
The air itself grew heavy.
Even Adrian’s eyes widened slightly.
Despite being one of Arcadia’s strongest students, he could immediately feel the difference.
This—
Was a true academy professor.
A combatant who had survived real battlefields.
Not training grounds.
Not tournaments.
Battlefields.
"You have exactly three seconds," Seraphina said quietly.
The winds around her intensified.
Water mana condensed into countless razor-sharp spears surrounding the battlefield.
"To return wherever you crawled out from."
The chained being laughed.
Not loudly.
Softly.
Amused.
The gigantic crimson eye beneath the abyss pulsed once.
Then—
The creature raised one hand.
Corrupted mana erupted upward.
The sanctuary shook again.
And suddenly, Seraphina moved.
The world blurred.
The winds screamed.
A hurricane exploded throughout the sanctuary as Seraphina appeared directly before the chained figure, her hand wrapped in compressed water mana dense enough to distort the surrounding air itself.
The punch landed.
BOOOOOOOOM—!
The resulting shockwave shattered the remains of nearby pillars instantly.
The chained being was launched backward like a cannonball, crashing through three separate walls before disappearing into the darkness beyond.
Everyone stared.
Silence followed.
Then John whispered weakly—
"...Remind me never to skip Professor Seraphina’s lectures again."
Nobody laughed.
Because nobody could take their eyes off the battlefield.
Seraphina slowly lowered her hand.
Her expression remained unchanged.
Then she turned toward the students.
"Can anyone still move?"
Several nodded immediately.
Adrian stepped forward.
"Most of the injured can be evacuated."
Seraphina nodded.
"Good."
Her gaze shifted toward Sylthara.
"The corruption?"
"Contained for now," Sylthara answered honestly.
Lilliane immediately added—
"I’ve been purifying it continuously."
Seraphina’s eyes softened slightly.
"Good work."
Then—
Almost instinctively—
Her gaze found Luca again.
Checking him.
Looking for injuries.
Blood.
Signs of corruption.
Anything.
The concern vanished almost immediately behind her usual composure.
Yet it was there.
Just enough for Luca to notice.
Just enough.
"You."
Seraphina pointed directly at him.
Luca blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
A faint frown appeared on her face.
"Why are you always at the center of every disaster?"
For a brief moment—
The tension throughout the group eased.
Even Adrian looked away to hide a smile.
Luca opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Then sighed.
"...In my defense, I didn’t awaken the ancient horror."
"That is somehow not reassuring."
Before Luca could answer—
The silver-haired figure near the fractured tear suddenly spoke.
For the first time since Seraphina arrived.
"You should leave."
The words instantly restored the tension.
Everyone looked toward them.
The mysterious existence remained standing calmly near the tear in reality while observing the abyss below.
The gigantic crimson eye had not disappeared.
If anything—
It seemed angrier.
The silver-haired figure’s expression grew serious.
"The true battle has not begun."
The moment those words fell—
A roar erupted from beneath the abyss.
And the entire sanctuary shook once more
The roar that erupted from beneath the abyss did not resemble the cry of any living creature.
It sounded older.
Deeper.
As though an entire mountain had suddenly found a voice and screamed its fury toward the heavens.
The sanctuary shook violently.
Massive fractures spread across the remaining sections of ancient stone while countless chunks of debris fell endlessly into the darkness below. The gigantic crimson eye hidden within the abyss widened further, and for the first time since its appearance, genuine rage seemed to ripple through the corruption flooding the ruins.
Everyone felt it.
The pressure.
The hostility.
The unmistakable sensation that something beneath them was awakening faster than it should have been.
The silver-haired figure remained motionless near the fractured tear in reality, their gaze fixed entirely upon the abyss below.
Meanwhile, Seraphina’s expression had become increasingly serious.
No longer cold.
No longer annoyed.
Serious.
The kind of expression that instantly erased any remaining thoughts of hesitation from the students around her.
Because if even a professor looked like that—
The situation was far worse than anyone wanted to imagine.
"What exactly is down there?" Adrian finally asked.
His voice remained steady, though Luca could hear the tension beneath it.
The silver-haired figure remained silent for several moments.
Long enough that another tremor shook the sanctuary.
Long enough that several more sections of the ceiling collapsed.
Then finally—
"It would be more accurate to ask what remains down there."
The answer did not help.
At all.
Several students exchanged nervous glances.
Even John seemed completely lost.
"What does that even mean?" Eric muttered.
The silver-haired figure slowly turned toward them.
"The thing sealed beneath this sanctuary died long ago."
The words caused several people to visibly relax.
Only for the next sentence to destroy that relief instantly.
"Unfortunately, it never accepted that fact."
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
Luca felt a chill run down his spine.
The abyss below pulsed again.
The gigantic crimson eye blinked.
Then opened wider.
Much wider.
The corruption flooding the sanctuary began spiraling upward violently.
Like blood rushing toward a beating heart.
And suddenly—
Luca understood something terrifying.
The eye itself wasn’t the creature.
It was merely part of it.
A fragment.
A glimpse.
A tiny portion of something far larger hidden beneath the darkness.
The realization made his stomach tighten.
Just how big is this thing?
Before anyone could continue questioning the silver-haired figure, another wave of pressure exploded upward from the abyss.
This one was different.
Targeted.
Focused.
Every single person present instinctively staggered.
Except two.
The silver-haired figure.
And Seraphina.
The professor stepped forward calmly.
Water mana swirled around her body while the surrounding winds intensified.
Her sky-blue hair danced amidst the gathering storm.
And for the first time—
The silver-haired figure looked at her properly.
Not as a student.
Not as a mortal.
As a combatant.
"As expected."
The silver-haired figure’s voice carried faint approval.
"There are still some acceptable people in this era.."
Seraphina didn’t appear particularly pleased by the compliment.
"Flattery will not make me ignore the fact that none of us know who you are."
The silver-haired figure smiled faintly.
A small smile.
Almost nostalgic.
"You have bigger concerns at the moment."
As though responding to those words—
The abyss exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOM—!
The darkness beneath the sanctuary erupted upward like a volcanic eruption of corruption.
Everyone instinctively raised their guard.
The gigantic crimson eye vanished beneath the surge.
The entire sanctuary began collapsing faster.
And then—
Something emerged.
Not fully.
Not completely.
Just enough.
An enormous black claw slowly rose from the abyss.
The sight alone stole the breath from everyone’s lungs.
The claw was massive.
Large enough that a single finger dwarfed the pillars scattered throughout the sanctuary.
Ancient sealing chains wrapped around it.
Thousands of them.
Millions perhaps.
Each glowing with faded golden inscriptions desperately trying to suppress whatever lay beneath.
And yet—
The chains were breaking.
One by one.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The sound echoed endlessly.
Like a countdown.
The chained figure standing across the battlefield smiled again.
This time the smile looked genuine.
Satisfied.
Almost happy.
"The prison opens."
The words barely left its mouth before another chain snapped.
Then another.
And another.
The silver-haired figure finally moved.
For the first time since appearing.
One step.
Only one.
Yet the moment their foot touched the ground—
The entire sanctuary became silent.
The winds stopped.
The corruption hesitated.
Even the abyss seemed to pause.
The silver-haired figure raised a single hand.
And for the first time—
Their gaze hardened.
"Enough."
The word echoed across the battlefield.
Then—
Reality cracked..
