A massive explosion erupted, shattering the gates and walls where Commander Gonan and Leader Sengturi stood waiting for the two disciples sent inside to scout the perimeter and seek clearance.

BOOOOOOMMMMM!

Everyone outside recoiled in shock. The two Golden Crane Academy disciples were thrown off their feet by the force of the blast. The surrounding crowd instinctively deployed defensive energy shields to deflect the raining debris and shockwaves.

What in the world is happening?!

As the dust cloud slowly dispersed, everyone outside peered through the shattered stone wall. In the dim light within the courtyard, fierce duels were actively taking place across the estate.

It was madness! The rest of the Sky Squad stood frozen in shock as they realized their comrades were already locked in combat inside. What's more, they were actively battling dark forces!

"Lao and Gayatri, alongside Warrior Jiro and Alicia? They're..." The remaining Sky Squad members struggled to make sense of the scene, wondering if their allies had uncovered dark operatives spying on them.

"What a lively reunion!" Gultron's thunderous voice echoed down from above. Still hovering effortlessly in midair, he called out, "Tell me, disciples of the Golden Crane Academy! Do you side with us, or do you side with the Sky Squad?"

Confusion rippled through the ranks at his words. Choose? What did he mean by choosing? Had the persistent rumors been true all along—that the Golden Crane Academy was indeed an arm of the Demon Lord's army?

Sengturi's face turned deathly pale. He looked over to find Commander Gonan staring at him with sharp, demanding eyes.

"What he says is the truth! The witness is right there!" Warrior Jiro declared, pointing directly toward Nasura.

"What are you implying, Commander Gonan?! What does that man Nasura have to do with us that gives you the right to throw around reckless accusations?!" Sengturi barked defensively, attempting to salvage his position.

"We brought the proof!" two voices called out.

Stepping forward through the ranks of the Sky Squad, two figures arrived escorting a man instantly recognized by everyone present. Barsha and Aaman stepped into the light, bringing with them Rakuta—the Chief Blacksmith of the Golden Crane Academy.

Sengturi's face flushed crimson with rage. Cornered on all sides, he abandoned all pretense. "Disciples of the Golden Crane Academy! Hear my command! Cut down every single soldier of the municipal government! We align ourselves with the forces of darkness to save our academy from ruin!"

Sengturi had no choice left. Remaining allied with the righteous forces while under active suspicion was a dead end—and defeating one of the Five Gates was an impossibility. By throwing the full weight of his academy behind the dark forces now, they could secure protection and expand the Golden Crane Academy under the Demon Lord's reign.

Even if it meant facing Alicia on the side of the Sky Squad, Sengturi was prepared to sacrifice her. He had pursued Alicia for a long time, harboring feelings for her despite already having a wife. Alicia's family had succumbed to his proposal, an arrangement meant to consolidate power for the Golden Crane Academy by bringing the granddaughter of the legendary Saint Yonan into his lineage.

Now, it was too late. Their treason was exposed, and Sengturi prioritized the survival of the Golden Crane Academy above all else.

The disciples of the Golden Crane Academy drew their armaments, turning their blades toward the Sky Squad. Along the surrounding rooflines and treetops, dark-clad operatives prepared to dive into the fray alongside them.

This marked the Sky Squad's first full-scale engagement against the combined forces of darkness. Yet, as elite members of the Sky Squad, they did not flinch. Drawing their custom armaments, they braced for the onslaught.

Commander Gonan's eyes burned with fury; the treason was indisputably proven. Leaping into the air, he leveled his artifact staff directly at Sengturi. Sengturi unsheathed his sword to meet him, and an all-out war erupted across every corner of the courtyard.

The Sky Squad engaged the combined forces of the Golden Crane Academy disciples and the dark operatives. Undeterred by the enemy's numbers, they relied on their rigorous conditioning, fully prepared for a crisis of this scale.

War had broken out in earnest! The Sky Squad was no mere assembly of recruits—they were elite martial artists who had proven their capabilities through the grueling three-stage selection exam. Furthermore, prior to arriving at the Golden Crane Academy, they had undergone intensive conditioning under Warrior Jiro's direct guidance. Now was the moment to demonstrate the fruits of their training.

CRASH! BOOOOOOMMMMM!

Dark operatives were sent flying through the air, crashing into structures as fierce duels raged on all sides. Yet, the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy began to press heavy on the Sky Squad.

Above the battlefield, Gultron remained still, holding his ground in midair. He felt completely in control, intending to descend only after the righteous fighters were thoroughly exhausted. Since the Golden Crane Academy had fully committed to their cause, he was content to let them bleed first. In Gultron's eyes, the Golden Crane Academy was nothing more than a pawn to be deployed and discarded. The academy itself was irrelevant; they had merely been useful as a supply pipeline for mass-producing weapons in preparation for the dark army's continental invasion.

Warrior Jiro moved fluidly across the battlefield, offering support to the Sky Squad wherever the line faltered. He aimed to reach Gultron and engage him directly, but the sheer volume of dark operatives pressing against his students forced him to delay. He could not abandon his squad to fight alone.

Gripping his dual high-grade daggers—forged from durable steel and imbued with dense elemental magic—Warrior Jiro prepared to unleash the signature technique of Saint Ganada.

"Ghost Speed!"

He moved like a bolt of lightning, his trajectory laced with crackling energy. Zigzagging across the courtyard, he struck down Golden Crane disciples and dark operatives alike in rapid succession. Moving as a high-speed roamer, he supported each member of the Sky Squad, creating critical openings for them to turn the tide.

In a matter of seconds, wave after wave of attackers were swept aside by his speed.

Elsewhere, Alicia tightened her grip on her sword. Disengaging from Lunox, she set her sights directly on Sengturi—the acting leader of the Golden Crane Academy, the man who had used his influence to pressure her into a marriage under the guise of saving her ruined family. He was a Mondu through and through. With her blade drawn, Alicia charged straight at Sengturi.

Sengturi raised his sword to parry her assault—blocking, deflecting, and exchanging swift slashes as their steel clashed repeatedly.

"Surrender and come with me, Alicia! I won't hurt you or take your life!" Sengturi called out mid-combat, pressing his attacks while still offering to spare her if she became his wife. He was convinced that everyone affiliated with the Sky Squad would fall tonight, never living to see the morning sun.

"Traitor! You have no shame!" Alicia retorted, her newly forged spellsword overflowing with radiant magic. "How dare you call yourself a martial artist when you act as a puppet for the Demon Lord?!"

Sengturi abandoned all restraint, dark energy erupting from his frame like a menacing black cloud as he met her strikes head-on. Yet, deep down, he was astonished by the dramatic evolution of Alicia's strength. She had grown vastly more formidable. In their previous spar long ago, Alicia had ultimately lost to him after an extended duel.

Now, her combat power had surged. Her control over her spellsword was exceptionally refined, her magic output remarkably stable and precise. Realizing he could no longer afford to hold back, Sengturi reinforced his defenses with the dark magic he had inherited from his father, Drakos.

Another heavy collision echoed through the air. Sensing an opening, Sengturi shoved Alicia back as their blades locked. Though forced backward, Alicia immediately reset her stance, preparing to lunge forward once more.

"Give up already! Do you even know how your father really died?" Sengturi sneered mockingly amid the surrounding explosions.

Alicia froze, her eyes widening in shock. "What are you talking about, Sengturi?!"

Anger flared within her. She had once held a measure of respect for him, but learning he was part of the Mondu had shattered it entirely.

"Your father died of poison! We were the ones responsible for his death! Ha... ha..." Sengturi gloated. It was too late for the truth to save her father, and goading Alicia into a rage would make it much harder for her to maintain control over her energy reserves.

The air surrounding them seemed to plunge into a sub-zero freeze. Alicia's eyes flared with a fierce brilliance as crackling arcs of crimson lightning enveloped the length of her blade.

"So it was you... you monster!"

Her eyes burned with a force that threatened to incinerate everything in her sight. Gripping her hilt with raw, crushing force, Alicia raised her sword high into the air. The sky above seemed to answer her fury, channeling a colossal bolt of lightning straight down into her raised blade.

Sengturi gasped in horror. How could she possibly command such overwhelming power?!