Black Dragon X [LitRPG • Dark Fantasy]-Chapter 55 - 54 : Shadow Eruption

In the heart of the courtyard, Lilithia still stood motionless.

The sword was planted in the ground before her. The shadow network she had released moments ago spread in all directions, black marks covering the ground, the walls, and the towers. The air grew heavy. The terrified students retreated.

But suddenly, One of the black marks beneath Lilithia’s feet... shook. A slight tremor. Then, The shadow within it cracked. A thin line of black opened like a wound in the ground.

Lilithia stopped moving. Her eyes slowly lowered toward the ground. The mark... was tearing apart. Then,

Booooooooooom!

The shadow suddenly exploded. Stones flew. Dust surged into the air. And from the heart of the explosion. A hand emerged. A hand that gripped the edge of the ground firmly.

The body of a man slowly rose from beneath the courtyard. Stones fell from his shoulders. Dust slid off his dark hair. It was Draven.

He stood upright. Dust swirled around him. But in the next moment, He froze. His body... suddenly trembled. Then,

Pop!

Something exploded beneath his skin. A small black spot appeared on his neck. Then a second. And a third. As if something... was trying to come out from inside.

Several red seeds burst from beneath his shirt. A piece of cloth tore. Sparks of dark energy scattered into the air.

The nearby students froze in place. One of them whispered fearfully:

—"...What is this?"

But Draven, did not seem surprised. He lowered his gaze toward his chest for a moment. Then, he let out a short breath. Slowly... he raised his hand. He grabbed his coat. Then he tore it open.

The sound of fabric ripping echoed through the air. He removed the coat completely. And threw it aside. And before it touched the ground It exploded.

The seeds planted within it burst all at once. A brief red flash. Then... silence.

Draven slowly raised his head. His eyes moved upward. Toward the school rooftop. The wind passed over the stone towers. And above the edge Mirei stood there.

Her golden hair moved with the wind. Her eyes were calm... watching the courtyard. Their gazes met. A brief silence passed between them.

Draven spoke. His voice was low... but sharp.

—"Mirei..."

He paused for a moment. Then he said slowly:

—"...You damned witch."

Mirei’s expression did not change. But a slight smile appeared on her lips. Then she replied calmly:

"Draven..."

She paused for a moment. The wind lifted a few strands of her hair. Then she said in a cold voice:

"...If that mirror were to break."

She stopped. Her gaze remained fixed on him. Then she continued slowly:

"Then you...will regret it for the rest of your life."

Silence fell over the courtyard. Dust still hung in the air. The students looked between them. And tension began to weigh on the place.

As for Draven, He smiled faintly. But his eyes... did not laugh. As for Lilithia She was still standing in the center of the courtyard.

The sword was planted in the ground before her. And the black network she had released moments ago still covered the entire school. But Something strange began to happen.

The black marks scattered across the ground... shook. The shadow lines began to tremble. As if a hidden force was moving within them.

Draven’s eyes widened:

—"What is this...?"

But before he could continue A faint light emerged from one of the marks. Then The shadow opened. Not like a crack in the ground... but as a circular ring of black.

The air inside it rippled slowly. A gate appeared. Then, a second gate. A third. And a fourth. The black marks scattered across the courtyard began to turn into dark passages. Circles of shadow rose from the ground. As if they were holes in the world itself.

The students froze in place. One of them whispered in a trembling voice:

—"...Gates?"

But the reply did not come from among them. But From one of those black circles. A calm... deep voice emerged. A man’s voice.

—"...The time has come."

From inside one of the gates A tall man stepped forward. A dark cloak moved slowly behind him. His steps were quiet. His eyes half-closed.

It was Commander Oboro. He stood at the edge of the gate. He looked around slowly. The courtyard. The students. The black marks. He raised his hand slightly. And spoke in a clear voice:

"Stone Art - Gate Stone"

He paused briefly. Then he said:

"Level Six."

The very air seemed to stop. Then He continued in a calm, heavy voice:

"Inverted Passage."

In the next moment, All the black gates in the courtyard shook. The dark circles expanded. The shadows within them deepened.

Then, They began to emerge. The Drakhaen soldiers. One by one. Black cloaks. Dark weapons. Cold eyes. Their heavy steps struck the courtyard ground.

From one of the gates... Villiam appeared. He stood at the edge. His long sword hung at his waist. He looked at the courtyard with a slight smile.

Dozens of soldiers came out behind him. And from another gate A group of Drakhaen leaders appeared. Dark energy surrounded them. And dozens of soldiers followed them.

A third gate Two more deputy leaders emerged from it. Soldiers poured out behind them like a black stream.

The courtyard, which moments ago had been full of terrified students... was now beginning to fill with an entire army. A teacher standing near the western gate froze in place. He whispered in a low voice:

—"...This is impossible."

But the soldiers continued to come out. Row after row. Until it seemed as if the shadow itself was giving birth to them.

And atop the rooftop, Mirei stood, watching the scene. The wind moved her golden hair. Her eyes observed the courtyard slowly filling with Drakhaen soldiers. Then She smiled. A calm smile.

And below, Draven stood in the middle of the courtyard. Dust swirled around him. His eyes moved slowly between the gates... and the soldiers emerging from them without pause.

The corner of his lips rose slightly. A faint smile. As if the scene... merely piqued his interest. He lowered his head slightly, then said in a clear voice:

—"Invasion?"

He paused for a moment. Then continued in a calm tone:

—"Do you intend to annihilate the School of Sorcery?"

His voice was not loud. But his words spread across the courtyard like an arrow. And from one of the gates, Oboro stepped forward slowly. His dark cloak moved with the wind. He stopped a few steps away from Draven. His calm eyes settled on him. Then he said in a low... steady voice:

—"You... are the ones who started this war."

A brief silence followed. The soldiers were still pouring out of the gates. But atop the rooftop. Another voice arrived. A female voice... cold.

"We have come...To reclaim what was taken from us."

Eyes lifted upward. On the edge of the school rooftop Mirei stood there. The wind moved her golden hair. Her eyes looked down at the courtyard from above. A calm gaze... free of hesitation.

Below Draven let out a short laugh. A rough laugh escaped his chest. He slowly raised his head toward her. Then he said with clear sarcasm:

—"Mirei..."

His laughter stopped. And his eyes became colder.

—"...You bitch."

He paused for a moment. Then continued in a sharper tone:

"No matter what you do for those Drakhaen... That will not change your truth."

He slowly raised his hand. Pointed his finger at her. Then said clearly:

—"...You bitch.""...You are one of us."

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard. The students froze in place. But Mirei Her expression did not change. On the contrary... A small smile rose on her lips. A calm... mysterious smile. Then she said in a calm tone:

"I wanted... To continue this conversation with you."

She paused for a moment. Her gaze remained fixed on him. Then she continued:

"But I have something more important to do."

The wind passed over the rooftop. It lifted the edges of her cloak slightly. And in the next moment She disappeared. There was no flash. No spell. Just emptiness.

The rooftop became empty. As if she had never been there at all.

Below Draven remained standing in place. His eyes were still fixed on the spot where she had stood. Then He let out a calm breath. And the black gates behind him... were still opening the way for an entire army of shadows.

And the courtyard was on the verge of exploding. With war.