Leo did his best to mask his shock, keeping his grip steady on his sword.
"I'm trying to use Telepathy, but it's not working," Liamond muttered, his brow furrowed in frustration.
"Let me try," Leo said.
He activated his enchanted ring, which had a five-hundred-meter range, and focused his thoughts outward. He attempted the connection several times, but each attempt met with silence.
"…Nothing," he admitted.
"Whatever this thing is, it's blocking our connections," Liamond said grimly.
Frank tightened his grip on his shield and sword, his stance shifting. "Liamond, we need to fall back. We don't know what rank this thing is."
"I agree," Liamond said, eyes locked on the figure. "But I don't think it's going to let us leave."
Leo quickly assessed their situation.
Three of them. Liamond was a C minus rank. Frank and he himself were D minus, though Leo knew his actual combat power was closer to C minus.
Two C's and one D. We should be able to take it.
But before he could plan their next move, the homunculus lunged.
It moved with terrifying speed, its clawed hand swiping toward them.
Frank barely had time to raise his shield. The impact sent a tremor through his entire body, his boots scraping against the stone as he struggled to hold his ground. His arms shook from the sheer force behind the attack.
Leo saw the opening. Without hesitation, he swung his sword over Frank's head in a swift, downward arc, aiming to cleave through the creature.
What happened next sent a chill down his spine.
The homunculus bent backward—far beyond what was humanly possible—arching until its head was nearly level with its ankles. Leo's blade whistled through empty space.
Reacting instantly, he forced his muscles to halt the momentum of his sword mid-swing and redirected it downward.
The homunculus sprang backward just in time, avoiding the slash once again.
Liamond, anticipating its retreat, had already prepared his attack.
A glowing spear of light shot from his hand, slicing through the air toward the homunculus's head.
"You can't dodge in midair," Liamond said with confidence.
The spear was fast—faster than the homunculus. All three of them watched, their breath held, waiting for impact.
Their hope shattered in an instant.
The homunculus reached out and caught the spear midair. Its clawed fingers clenched around the glowing weapon, and with a sharp crack, the spear of light splintered into nothing.
A heavy silence followed.
Liamond exhaled sharply. "…It's at least C plus."
Liamond placed a hand on his grimoire. A pulse of golden light erupted from the pages as he whispered, "Light Enchantment."
A warm glow surrounded the three of them, and Leo instantly felt power surge through his body. The sensation was familiar—he had felt this spell before, back when Captain Cirnath used it on them. His movements felt lighter, his reflexes sharper.
Liamond's book flipped to another page on its own, responding to his intent.
"Light Platform."
A luminous platform materialized beneath their feet, stretching across the entire shadow-covered area. The ground pulsed with light magic, dispersing some of the oppressive darkness.
"While you're inside, you'll move slightly faster," Liamond explained.
At the same time, Frank whispered his own incantation. "True Light."
His sword and armor ignited with divine radiance, their glow cutting through the gloom like a beacon.
Leo followed suit, activating his sword, letting light envelop the blade. He raised his free hand, summoning a swirling sphere of fire in his palm.
With a flick of his wrist, the fireball shot toward the homunculus.
The creature dodged effortlessly, its movements unnervingly fluid. Without missing a beat, it charged forward again, straight at Frank.
Frank braced, raising his shield, but at the last second, the homunculus shifted direction with inhuman agility, darting toward Leo instead.
Its claw-like fingers slashed through the air, aiming straight for him.
Leo barely managed to twist away, the enhanced speed from Liamond's spells allowing him to react in time. As he turned, he swung his sword in a sweeping arc, aiming to cleave the creature in half again.
The homunculus leaped into the air, avoiding the strike with unnatural grace. Midair, it struck out again, throwing a devastating slash toward Leo.
Before the blow could land, Frank was already on the move.
With a burst of speed, he slammed into the homunculus with his shield, sending it hurtling backward. The creature crashed into a stone wall with a dull thud.
Liamond didn't waste the opportunity.
Three orbs of light shot from his fingertips, streaking through the air toward their target.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each sphere struck the homunculus dead-on, engulfing it in flashes of golden energy.
For a moment, dust and light mingled in the air. Then, as the glow faded, the silhouette of the homunculus emerged.
It stood up again.
Completely unfazed.
Leo pulled out three spell papers, his mind racing through possible strategies.
"Liamond, do you have any shield spells to protect us?"
"Yes, one. Why?"
"I have a plan. Can you distract it for a minute?"
"I can do that," Frank said, gripping his sword tighter.
"Attack on my mark."
"Frank, I also need to focus on my spell. Can you hold it off alone?" Liamond asked, his eyes flickering with concern.
A wave of mana pulsed outward from Frank, golden light igniting in his eyes. His presence became heavier, more commanding—it was a smaller version of the power Edmond had once used.
"Just for a minute."
With a powerful leap, he closed the distance to the homunculus and slammed his sword against his own shield.
BOOM!
A shockwave of force and radiant energy burst outward, momentarily illuminating the dark alley.
The homunculus reacted instantly, lunging toward him, but instead of attacking head-on, it veered sharply to the right, trying to slip past.
Frank was ready.
He sidestepped just as fast, cutting off its path and raising his shield again.
"You have to kill me first," he growled, his feet digging into the stone pavement.
Behind them, Leo was already moving. The spell papers in his hands were gone. Liamond stood with his eyes shut, his fingers pressed against the pages of his book, steadily feeding it mana.
Leo knelt and traced a glowing circle on the ground with his sword, every stroke deliberate.
He kept his focus locked on something else, his heart pounding. Frank was holding the homunculus back, deflecting its rapid blows with sheer determination.
The moment the circle was complete, Leo shouted, "Get inside the circle!"
Frank jumped back, and the homunculus followed him without hesitation. Liamond stepped forward, moving into position.
Leo, now seated within the circle, activated his spell.
A dome of magic surged to life around them, the barrier shimmering faintly with intricate runes. At the same time, Liamond raised his hand, casting his own shield spell, layering a second barrier over Leo's. The golden energy spread outward like ripples in water.
The homunculus darted toward them—faster than before.
But Leo was smiling.
From above, three spell papers drifted downward.
Just before Frank had engaged, Leo had thrown them into the air, using Telekinesis to arrange them precisely. They weren't just any spells—Mana Surge Snares.
The moment the homunculus stepped in front of them—BOOM!
The explosions rocked the alley, sending dust and black tendrils of smoke swirling through the air, but the twin shields held firm, deflecting the shockwave and keeping them unharmed.
That was the signal.
Frank burst forward from the right, his golden armor still flickering. Leo shot in from the left, his sword pulsing with light magic.
On the back, Liamond raised his hand, a spear of brilliant light forming above the homunculus.
Even with three Mana Surge Snares restricting it, the creature was already forcing itself up, its movements was sluggish.
Liamond didn't give it a chance.
The spear of light shot downward, piercing through the homunculus's back and slamming it into the stone pavement.
The creature spasmed, pinned to the ground.
That was their opening.
Leo and Frank didn't hesitate.
Both warriors raised their swords, their weapons gleaming with golden light, and with a final shout, they struck down with all their might.
CRACK!
A metallic screech rang out as their blades carved through the homunculus's back. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring their vision.
They stepped back, panting, watching for movement.
Frank stood in front once again, his breath ragged. Sweat trickled down his forehead. His eyes had returned to normal.
Leo activated his Moonlit Gaze, scanning the dust for any sign of movement.
Then he saw it.
A small sphere, glowing orange, shifting in the smoke.
His eyes widened.
"Be caref—"
Before he could finish, the homunculus shot out of the debris—faster than before.
Its body had changed.
Where its joints had once been solid, they were now held together by writhing, smoky tendrils of darkness, as if the shadows themselves had fused with its form.
It went straight for Frank.
Frank barely had time to raise his shield before the homunculus struck.
CRACK!
The impact sent a shockwave through the alley.
Frank was flung backward, skidding across the ground. His shield shattered into pieces, fragments of metal scattering around him.
Leo's breath caught in his Throat.
"Leo, attack me with your sword!" Liamond's voice rang out from behind.
Leo spun, startled—but he didn't hesitate.
Pouring mana into his blade, he swung at Liamond with all his strength.
The instant his sword should have connected—Liamond vanished.
And the homunculus appeared in his place.
Leo had already positioned his blade.
With the momentum of his swing, he drove his sword straight into the creature's glowing orange core.
SHHHHRK!
The blade sank deep.
A burst of golden light erupted from within the creature, its dark energy twisting violently as the sword's magic burned through it. The homunculus spasmed, its fingers stretching toward Leo in one last attempt to reach him.
Leo yanked his sword free and stepped back.
He pulled out one final spell paper.
"You know… you're inside my Dome now."
He flicked the paper toward the homunculus.
BOOM!
The final Mana Surge Snare ignited, consuming the creature in a brilliant explosion of raw magical force.
Usually, he wasn't able to use so many spells at once, but after what had happened to him, his mana reserves had increased significantly.
Leo waited a few seconds, his eyes scanning the debris. When he saw the broken pieces of the homunculus fall to the ground, lifeless and without any lingering shadows, he finally let out a breath and sheathed his sword.
Turning around, he found Liamond and Frank standing stiffly, their faces flushed red.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked, confused.
Then it hit him.
Liamond had just switched places with the homunculus and it had been right on top of Frank.
Leo blinked.
"Oh… oh shit…"
And then he burst out laughing.
Liamond, still looking slightly embarrassed, slowly raised a finger and pointed at Leo. "No one will talk about this."
Leo tried to stop laughing, but the sight of Frank's deadpan stare only made it worse.
"Haha…" He coughed, trying to suppress it. "Of course."
Liamond sighed, running a hand through his hair before pressing two fingers to his temple.
"The Telepathy is working again."
Within moments, he relayed the situation to the others, and in just ten minutes, the alley was swarming with officers and paladins.
Among them was Edmond.
Leo watched as the man crouched near the remains of the creature, his sharp eyes scanning the broken pieces with an unreadable expression.
"It was a homunculus," Edmond finally said.
Liamond crossed his arms. "Can we find out who owned it?"
Leo tensed at the question, his fingers curling slightly.
"No," Edmond replied, shaking his head. "The shadow magic that controlled it destroyed any lingering mana traces that could have been used to track its owner."
Edmond stood, dusting off his coat before turning to the three of them.
"You did well. Great job, all of you." His gaze lingered on each of them before he continued. "Oh, and your classes resume tomorrow. Your schedules will return to normal."
Leo exhaled slowly, both relieved and exhausted.
"You're free for the rest of the day," Edmond added before turning his attention to Leo. "And Leo—Mrs. Brandon is going to be discharged soon. I'll leave the rest to you."
Leo gave a small nod.
With that, he and Liamond helped Frank to his feet, supporting him as they made their way back toward the association.
…
After finishing in the association, Leo returned home. As he stepped inside, he greeted everyone before his eyes landed on Eliza. Over the past few days, he had gotten used to simply calling her by her name.
"Eliza, your mother is going to be discharged. We need to go to the association."
Her eyes widened, but not in surprise—pure joy lit up her face.
"Really? I'll get ready now!" she said, rushing off without hesitation.
Within twenty minutes, they arrived at the association's infirmary. Lisa helped Mrs. Brandon prepare, and after a few signatures on the discharge form, they began their journey toward Eliza's house.
But just as they reached the front door, Eliza froze.
Fear flickered in her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
Leo placed a gentle hand on her head and cast Calm. A soothing energy spread through her, dulling the edge of her fear, but not erasing it completely.
He glanced at his mother, who met his gaze with a soft, understanding smile before turning to Mrs. Brandon.
"You should stay with us for the time being," Lisa said gently.
Alberada immediately shook her head. "No, no. We've already troubled you enough."
"Stay until you find a new place," Leo added. "Do it for Eliza."
He gestured toward the girl, who, even under the effects of Calm, was still shivering slightly.
Mrs. Brandon hesitated, then finally gave a small nod. "Then… we'll trouble you."
Lisa smiled warmly. "It's no trouble at all."
With that, they turned and walked back toward their home, the weight on Eliza's shoulders seeming just a little lighter.