Desire's Raid on Central
Though it was a Central facility, the first floor was guarded by no more than 4th-rank Sabers at best. The minimal staffing was all thanks to the entrance password.
A naive assumption that villains wouldn't dare come through the front door. But Desire shattered that illusion in an instant.
"Four 4th-rankers, and the password's 5912."
Cloa, disguised as a security guard with her magic tool, radioed in. The massive iron door ground open moments later.
"No way!"
"Desire?"
"Gahk!"
Those were their last words.
Fatal swung his pendulum, and they froze in place like lifeless dolls.
"That'll hold for ten minutes."
"Man, this is way too easy? Nothing much inside either. Fewer than three active 6th-rankers. Maybe one to eleven 5th-rankers at best?"
Cloa sneered as she spoke.
Teton slammed his fists together with a thud.
"The problem's that bastard Dennis."
As the conversation dragged on, Illusion cut in to wrap things up.
"We're grabbing three items. No time to waste."
"Acting like you're the boss and all."
Grumbling aside, Fatal stuck to the plan.
"Won't take three minutes."
Sisella flung a card at the wall.
Stick.
The card expanded on impact, and Sisella stepped through it like a portal. With her magic tool, the 6th-rank Saber Sisella slipped straight to Central's core without a hitch.
Teton muttered as he watched her vanish.
"Wonder if those guys even know the boss's real target?"
"Doesn't matter if they don't. It's enough that we know the truth."
Unlike Illusion's blind loyalty to the boss, Teton was more neutral. He followed because he believed the boss was more right than the council or Central—nothing more.
"...Right."
Teton reinforced his magic tool—his very body—and kicked off the ground.
Guided by the safety agent, Zien's strike team was thrown straight into action. He was the only one moving separately from the rest of his members, but no one objected. As party leader, Zien was the strongest in the group. Adding the others would throw off the balance.
Spreading strength evenly is textbook tactics.
Plus, Celia Academy had Bluma, a 6th-rank Saber, heading to reinforce that spot. It was safe.
The others too...
Amy, Kua, and Isabel were off to the building's core—the safest area in the Gate Management Bureau.
But.
Zien was headed to block Desire's retreat path. Central was going on the offensive to cut off their escape. The safety agent said cautiously to Zien,
"Having student Zien on support duty is truly an honor!"
The agent was active-duty but only 3rd-rank. Compared to Zien, who'd cleared a 5th-rank gate as a mere student, the gap in skill was immense.
"How's the personnel split?"
"Too many spots to cover...
We've paired them up two by two. Dispersed them first, then radio for backup as needed."
"...Our forces?"
"Here we've got two students out on extracurriculars, four 5th-rank Sabers, and twelve 4th-rankers."
Zien's face darkened at the briefing.
Impossible.
In Zien's eyes, the support teams had zero chance of stopping Desire. Not even a sliver.
He knew their strength well from clashing with Illusion.
Top-tier even among 6th-rankers. Just two together would wipe a support team.
And now they were shorthanded and dispersed to boot. He understood, but the odds were abysmal.
I'll have to hold them off myself.
Zien had awakened his third skill in the battle with Jeokhyeol. A skill from clearing a 6th-rank gate in his past life—far beyond any student's power.
His mana hadn't reached 6th-rank Saber levels yet, but he had the experience to bridge that gap.
"Then I'll head to Team C."
The safety agent nodded firmly, face full of resolve.
"Yes, sir!"
In the corridors of the Gate Management Bureau,
Even with just a handful of villains infiltrating, Central's defenses were on full wartime footing. This place held secrets Sabers had to defend with their lives. Especially the core manifesting this 5th-rank virtual gate and all the gate data—priceless beyond measure.
So Central was willing to throw in extracurricular students if needed to stop this terror attack.
"Hey, Camille. That thing I said earlier about safety agents being sweet."
"Yeah."
"Take it back. Total garbage."
In the end, even students like Stella and Camille were mobilized for suppression—frontline support, just like Zien.
"Building this huge is part of the problem. Too many spots to cover."
"Agreed."
Stella grumbled while Camille adjusted her glasses. Eight corridors split their sixteen personnel into eight teams. Peak inefficiency.
Still, they were Arcana's third-years from a prestigious school. And Stella was top of the third-year rankings.
Combined, crushing a 5th-rank was child's play. The issue? Their foes weren't 5th-rank.
"...Stella?"
"I see it too."
Camille and Stella wrapped their bodies in mana. Someone was approaching from the opposite end. Convinced it was the enemy, Camille reached for her radio.
"Here—"
But.
BOOM.
The foe's gadget unleashed a shockwave. Electronics nullified. The corridor lights flickered, but the mic stayed dead.
"An artifact?"
"...Desire."
Stunned Stella, tense Camille.
The opponent was a long-haired man, presumed 6th-rank Saber.
"Two more students in my way. Starting to get tiresome."
The voice belonged to Illusion.
"We hold him off together."
Stella's voice rang with resolve. Camille drew her bow magic tool. Stella's silver rapier gleamed.
"Charging in, huh? Fine by me. I've been curious."
Illusion finished speaking and clicked his shoe magic tool with a sharp clack.
Shhh!
Shadows erupted from the shoes, hurtling toward Stella at blinding speed.
"Stella!"
Camille loosed an arrow at the shadows, but it did nothing.
"Wh-what?!"
Stella recoiled in panic, but the shadows engulfed her. The shadow's true nature was Illusion's magic tool. An instant in reality, but to the victim, an eternity of cruelty.
A 6th-rank Saber's mana dragged Stella into nightmares she couldn't even measure—endless torment.
One second stretched to forever. Trauma looped into nightmares. Infinitely.
"Urk—bleurgh! Hngh, h-heuk."
Tears streaming, Stella retched. Illusion's magic tool was destructive. Shattering a student's mind and breaking their will? Trivial.
"Textbook reaction."
Illusion drew his sword.
Zien had been the outlier he'd faced in the mage tower. To still think of drawing a blade after that nightmare? Illusion couldn't fathom how a student had such mental fortitude.
"Ooo... hngh..."
Stella reached out weakly from the floor.
Camille gripped her hand tight.
"...Stella!"
She needed stability now.
No physical wounds, but combat was impossible.
"You gonna stand and fight?"
Illusion asked.
He already knew the answer. Zien had faced him down to the end, life on the line—and survived. But Camille? No chance.
"...I surrender."
As Illusion predicted, Camille declared defeat. He had no desire to take students' lives anyway.
"Easy."
Desire cleared one of their three targets in a flash. The only wildcard was 7th-rank Saber Dennis. The rest? Irrelevant.
Central defending the bureau versus invading Desire. On the surface, home-field Central seemed favored. But from the start, it was a lopsided fight.
Desire knew exactly what Central would defend. Central had no clue about Desire's targets.
Central piled personnel into the portal zone they deemed vital. But Desire never even glanced that way.
"Central got played hard."
Bluma, one of the strongest active 6th-rank Sabers, hadn't even encountered the enemy.
"Guild leader. Overheard this quietly, but the data vault's already..."
Irel whispered.
After all, Broom of Extermination was Bluma's private guild—not Central direct. But she was a Saber. Villains rampaging where she stood? Unacceptable.
"These bastards are sharp. We need more to support. What the hell are they doing?"
Bluma was genuinely pissed.
After mobilizing students to the frontlines, they couldn't afford to lose pricey portals—so sticking 6th-rankers there? Epitome of waste.
"No, how are 5th-rankers supposed to stop Desire? No common sense?"
"G-guild leader?"
Jackson cautiously reined in Bluma.
As urgency mounted, Bluma's cool facade was cracking. Any longer, and she'd go rogue per her temper.
"This won't do. Zien's on support too, right? I should head there."
As Bluma moved to act solo,
Someone blocked her path.
"No need."
Silver hair, golden eyes.
"I'll deploy to support. Guard the portal zone."
Looking down at Bluma was the sole 7th-rank Saber, Dennis. Even for her, he was a tough matchup. And with Central's ultimate weapon heading to support, no more manpower was needed.
He was the man who'd conquered a 7th-rank gate and claimed its skill. The pinnacle of all Sabers.
"No real reason to guard the portal zone, but... fine."
Bluma conceded, but venom laced her words.
"Still, even the council can't dodge blame for such inefficient orders."
"...Blame? That won't happen. This incident won't hit the media."
Dennis sneered at Bluma.
A beautiful, coercive smile. Bluma scowled.