Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

Nero’s sword was in his hand before he thought. ”Lux, clear the civilians. Adam, get to the float. Blake, cover the exits. Khione—”

”I know.” Her wand was already raised.

The creature’s chains snapped. It leaped from the cage, its bladed arms sweeping toward the nearest cadets. Nero moved. Lightning carried him across the square, his sword meeting the creature’s claws in a shower of sparks. The impact drove him back a step, but he held.

”Go!” he shouted.

Lux was already moving through the crowd, his light flaring, guiding people away from the danger. Adam reached the float, his earth-shattering fists crushing the remaining chains. Blake stood at the edge of the square, his bow drawn, covering the exits.

Khione raised her wand. Ice spiraled around the creature’s legs, freezing it to the stone. It roared, breaking free, but the pause gave Nero an opening. His sword blazed with fire, and he struck. The creature blocked, but the fire scorched its chitin, and it hissed.

Before Nero could strike again, a new sound cut through the chaos—boots on stone, rhythmic, disciplined. A squad of cadets in dark blue uniforms emerged from the side street, their movements sharp, their eyes cold. The Disciplinary Committee. Behind them, five figures in black and gold—the Student Council’s enforcement arm.

They did not hesitate.

The three mages fanned out, wands raised. Frost, fire, and lightning crackled in their palms. The five knights formed a wedge, swords drawn, shields up. Their leader, a tall young woman with a scar across her cheek, shouted orders.

”Contain the perimeter! No civilians get through. Mage squad, suppress the brainwashed monsters. Knights, focus on the demonized target.”

The crowd had already scattered, leaving the square empty except for the combatants. The brainwashed monsters—a dozen of them, trolls and goblins and a single, hulking ogre—snarled and thrashed, their eyes blank, their movements jerky. They had been puppeted, their wills stolen.

The mages moved first.

A girl with crimson hair raised her hands, and a wall of fire erupted between the monsters and the fleeing civilians. Not to harm, but to herd. Beside her, a young man with silver hair swept his wand in an arc, and ice coated the ground beneath the ogre’s feet. It slipped, crashing onto its side. The third mage, a stocky boy with brown skin, raised his arms, and lightning arced from his fingertips, stunning the goblins, making them stumble.

The knights advanced.

They moved in perfect coordination, their swords swinging in unison. The first two engaged the ogre, one striking high, one low. Their blades bit into its thick hide, and it roared, trying to rise, but the ice held. The third and fourth knights took the trolls, their shields deflecting clumsy blows, their swords finding throats and hearts. The fifth knight, the scarred leader, faced the demonized human.

It was tall, its skin a mottled grey, its arms elongated into blades. It had been human once, but the organization had twisted it, filled it with dark magic. Its eyes were black pits, and it moved with a speed that should have been impossible.

The scarred knight met it head-on. Her sword clashed against its bladed arms, sparks flying. She was fast, but the creature was faster. It drove her back, its strikes relentless, its hiss like steam escaping a pipe.

”Flank it!” she shouted.

The other knights broke off from the ogre and trolls—already dying, already falling—and circled the demonized human. The mages shifted their focus, their spells now aimed at the creature. Fire wrapped around its legs, slowing it. Ice encased one of its arms, freezing it in place. Lightning struck its chest, making it convulse.

The creature shrieked. It tore free of the ice, shook off the fire, and lunged at the crimson-haired mage.

The scarred knight intercepted it. Her sword took its arm at the elbow, black blood spraying. The creature howled, spinning, its remaining blade aimed at her throat.

The silver-haired mage reacted. A spike of ice shot from his wand, piercing the creature’s shoulder, pinning it in place. The brown-skinned mage followed with a bolt of lightning that struck its chest, stopping its heart.

The creature froze. Its black eyes went wide, then dim. It collapsed, twitching, then lay still.

The ogre and trolls were already down, their bodies dissolving into the dark mist that had animated them. The square was silent except for the panting of the committee members and the distant wail of academy sirens.

The scarred knight sheathed her sword. She turned to the watching cadets—Nero, Khione, Lux, Adam, Blake—and nodded.

”Situation contained. Thanks for holding the line.”

Nero inclined his head. ”We didn’t do much.”

”You bought us time. That’s enough.”

The committee began to clear the square, herding the last of the civilians, securing the area. The student council members gathered evidence, taking notes, speaking in low voices.

Nero’s group stood together, watching.

”That was efficient,” Lux said.

”They train for this,” Adam replied. ”The Disciplinary Committee is no joke.”

Blake stretched, yawning. ”Good thing we didn’t have to fight.”

Khione’s eyes were on the scarred knight. ”She’s strong.”

”She’s a Purple,” Nero said. ”Low level, but solid.”

They watched as the committee loaded the demonized human’s body onto a stretcher, covering it with a black cloth. The parade would not continue today. The festival would go on, but with a heavier security presence.

”Let’s go,” Nero said. ”There’s nothing more for us here.”

They turned and walked away from the square, leaving the cleanup to those whose job it was. The sun was still high. The festival still called. But the mood had shifted, the shadow of the organization reaching even into the heart of the celebration because once more the academy to get rid of potential spy had let this happen, one must remember that this is military academy, some might complain to how lowly the academy value its cadets lives but only this way they could form powerful cadets capable of facing the harsh world outside, it had been and would still be the academy way of doing things in the future.

Unseen, by the others from afar student council president, the future matriarch of the Raizen clan was watching Nero’s group, her golden eyes particularly locked onto Nero’s figure, she smiled while thinking he was growing up well and soon she would see the extend of this growth and completely thwart his plan and make him hers. She couldn’t wait for the competition to start as she knew he would target him, she had made sure he could.

’’Ufufu! Little brother struggle all you want, the result won’t change.’’ she murmured with absolute confidence, what could possibly go wrong? Fews in the academy except the zodiac and acting headmaster could pose her any threat, Nero wasn’t the only one who had gotten stronger after all. In the purple realm few actually in the entire academy could best her hence the overflowing confidence.