According to Liakade’s estimation, Shadow Burial had already reached her at this moment.
Liakade leaped lightly backward, dodging the imaginary enemy’s attack.
Just now, Alice’s magic wasn’t entirely useless.
She illuminated Shadow Burial’s position for a brief moment, allowing Liakade to judge its speed and thus evade the attack.
However, in this completely dark shadow, with an attack launched from another plane, could Liakade, unable to see or sense it, really avoid it?
Everyone watched Liakade leap back.
It seemed she could dodge Shadow Burial’s attack through prediction alone.
Did she…really dodge it?
In the next instant, pitch-black darkness spread over Liakade’s jade-like finger.
There was no pain or sensation, but half her finger had truly vanished.
“…No, it doesn’t feel the same as when it manifested just now.”
Liakade quickly retreated a considerable distance.
She couldn’t see it visually or sense its presence.
It was too difficult to predict.
Moreover, based on Liakade’s feeling, when they were all enveloped in shadow, the distance between Shadow Burial and them was not as Alice’s illumination had shown.
Therefore, Liakade had to open up an even larger safety gap.
“You all, head to an open area.”
Looking at the blackness on Liakade’s hand, Sistem’s eyes immediately sharpened.
This strange attack was too difficult to handle.
She knew they couldn’t drag this out any longer.
Azure winds swirled around Sistem.
She finally leaped up, flying toward the dark cloud obscuring the moon.
“Big sis!”
Field saw Sistem still charge into the clouded sky and reached out her hand toward her.
“…You must come back safely.”
“Just trust me.”
Hearing her little sister’s voice, Sistem paused midair, turning her head.
“You guys too, do your best!”
With that, Sistem sped up again, rushing toward the clouds.
“We’ll head to the Back Mountain!”
Liakade made a snap decision, choosing the nearest and most open place—the Secret Base of Field, the Back Mountain.
At the cliff edge atop the Back Mountain, there were no trees or other obstacles, which also meant no shadows for Shadow Burial to hide in.
Liakade scraped off the black substance from her finger.
Her jade finger gradually regenerated and healed.
She turned and ran toward the Back Mountain with Field and Alice.
At this speed, Shadow Burial shouldn’t be able to lose track of them.
However, just as Liakade ran a few steps, she suddenly released her Demonization, sensing another presence approaching.
The next second, a female voice shouted toward Liakade and the others.
“Which class are you three from? Why are you running around the Academy so late at night?”
A graceful figure stepped out from the darkness.
It was their magic instructor, Fianna.
Earlier, Alice’s magic had lit up the entire Plaza.
Though only for a moment, Fianna, patrolling the Academy, noticed the strange light.
She rushed over and saw Liakade and the others running wild in the Plaza.
“Liakade? Alice? And Her Highness the Princess? What’s going on with you three? Not sleeping at this hour?”
Fianna walked closer and realized not only were these faces familiar, but they were also three big figures in the Academy.
However, when Liakade and the others heard Fianna’s voice, they didn’t even spare her a glance and continued running toward the Academy’s Back Mountain.
“You…”
Fianna felt as though she had been ignored, her face twitching slightly.
As a teacher, facing students violating school rules, she had intended to ask for the reason and be lenient.
But to think the students simply ignored her.
If that’s how it is…don’t blame the teacher for using force.
“You three, stop right there!”
As the teacher’s shout echoed, a strong tremor suddenly shook the ground, causing Liakade and the others to stagger.
“Coming out so late is one thing, but seeing a teacher and trying to run!?”
“Teacher…please don’t cause trouble, it’s a crisis right now!”
Liakade looked at the approaching Fianna in helpless frustration.
They were being chased by an invisible Shadow Burial.
Explaining would take ages.
Even if they told Fianna the truth, whether she’d believe it or not, by the time they finished, they’d be torn to pieces by Shadow Burial.
“Cause, cause trouble!?”
Fianna stared at Liakade in disbelief.
How could enforcing school rules become ‘causing trouble’ in their eyes?
“It’s a Shadow Demon! It infiltrated the Academy and is now hunting us!”
Field steadied herself with difficulty, anxiously explaining to Teacher Fianna.
“Shadow Demon!?”
Fianna’s gaze sharpened.
As a high-level Demon Race, Shadow Demons could hide in shadows and use unpredictable Shadow Magic.
As an Academy instructor, Fianna naturally knew this.
But then, she shook her head.
“Impossible. This is the Royal City. How could a high-level Demon Race infiltrate here?”
She couldn’t believe that a high-level Demon Race had broken through the double defenses of the Royal Family and Academy, infiltrating the Academy to hunt students.
Besides, Fianna couldn’t sense the presence of Demon Race at all.
Even if they were being hunted, Shadow Magic would emit magic fluctuations upon use.
Right now, Fianna felt no such fluctuations from others.
“I can’t sense any trace of Demon Race magic. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable?”
“Teacher Fianna! Look over there!”
In this situation, Alice had no choice but to use her magic again.
She illuminated the Plaza once more.
Shadow Burial was exposed on the ground for an instant.
“This, this is?”
Seeing the figure appear out of nowhere, Fianna finally realized they weren’t lying.
After a brief shock, she immediately attacked.
Massive stones rained down from the sky, smashing into where the figure had just been.
“Teacher! It’s useless! She’s different from other Shadow Magic! Anyway, just come with us to the Back Mountain first!”
“Understood.”
Fianna’s magic was only meant to briefly block the shadow’s advance, not destroy it instantly.
Hearing Liakade’s words, Fianna immediately chose to trust her students.
“Back Mountain, right?”
Suddenly, the ground underfoot slid.
Under each person’s feet, a large stone rose up, carrying them like a board as they sped toward the Back Mountain.