Looking up at the rolling Shadow Magic Clouds, Oliver and Augustine exchanged a glance, both showing a flicker of understanding in their eyes.

  Today, they had publicly executed Leah precisely to draw out her hidden allies within the Academy.

  "Sure enough, there are accomplices!" Oliver snorted coldly, his battle intent surging."Today, these Demon Tribe trash will come and never return!"

  Augustine nodded heavily, a spark of excitement lighting his eyes as well.

  But as time passed, the certainty on their faces gradually gave way to shock, their brows knitting tighter and tighter.

  The magical power within the clouds was rising at an incredible rate, far beyond their expectations, forming an oppressive force that made it hard to breathe.

  "This… the intensity of this magic…" Augustine stammered, unable to form a complete sentence for a long moment, his voice trembling.

  Such terrifying Shadow Magic was beyond anything he could withstand. Even Oliver appeared insignificant in the presence of this power.

  Leah, still bound to the stone pillar, slowly lifted her head. Looking at the familiar magical clouds, she bit her lip, tears rolling down her cheeks, and murmured softly,"Demon King…"

  She knew this aura all too well. It was the power of the Demon King.

  The name Demon King reached Oliver and Augustine, and both turned pale with shock, their blood seeming to freeze in their veins.

  "Activate the protective magic arrays! Immediately!" Oliver shouted, panic clear in his voice.

  "It is the Demon King! The Demon King himself has arrived!"

  The elders, hearing this, did not hesitate for a moment. They immediately summoned their magic, pressing their palms against the runes etched into the plaza floor.

  In an instant, a brilliant golden barrier rose, enveloping the entire Academy.

  Augustine looked at the confused and panicked apprentices below the platform and shouted to the crowd,

  "Everyone, run! Leave the Academy! This magic array cannot hold him for long!"

  These words shattered the last remnants of composure among the apprentices.

  They surged toward the Academy gates like a tidal wave, cries, footsteps, and collisions blending together as chaos instantly consumed the Academy.

  The Shadow Magic Clouds above grew even denser, rolling faster and faster, completely blotting out the sky. The sunlight was entirely blocked, and the Academy seemed to have plunged into night.

  "Release her."

  A commanding voice echoed from within the clouds high above.

  Oliver and Augustine were filled with disbelief. They were only executing a single Intermediate Mage of the Demon Tribe.

  Yet it had drawn the Demon King himself. This was completely beyond reason.

  Augustine looked at the apprentices still trapped within the Academy. A resolute light flashed in his eyes as he shouted to Oliver,

  "Oliver! Do not be afraid! We will fight him! Buy time for the children to escape!"

  Oliver nodded solemnly, gathering magic in his palms. The light around him blazed like the scorching sun.

  At that moment, the magical clouds above surged violently. A colossal black hand slowly reached out, warping the air wherever it passed, and struck the golden barrier of Radiant Magic Academy with devastating force.

  The massive hand slammed down onto the magic array, yet the array could not even delay it for a moment. In an instant, it shattered into countless golden sparks, dissipating into the air.

  Seeing this, Augustine and Oliver roared in unison, unleashing all their power.

  They poured all their magic into their bodies and leapt into the air, charging at the colossal hand above.

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  Another deafening crash shook the heavens and the earth. Immediately afterward, the two figures were thrown backward, crashing heavily onto the plaza floor and scattering a shower of debris.

  Their combined, all-out strike had no effect at all on the hand, not even slowing it down.

  Augustine looked down at the terrified apprentices still fleeing chaotically. His heart sank as if all hope had been extinguished. He muttered under his breath,

  "It is over… The Demon King's magic is beyond comprehension. We are powerless to resist."

  Beside him, Oliver clutched his chest in intense pain, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Yet a flicker of confusion passed across his eyes.

  "No… this cannot be! The Demon King's magic has weakened! He could have killed us with a single strike, yet he held back!"

  Augustine froze at his words, then responded in disbelief,

  "How is that possible? Could it be that he truly showed restraint?"

  Both men were Archmages, absolute masters in this place, yet against a world-class powerhouse like the Demon King, it would normally be impossible to survive a single blow.

  Augustine struggled to stand, only to find his meridians disrupted by the aftershock of the hand, his entire body immobile. He could do nothing but watch as the colossal hand slowly descended.

  At that moment, the black hand enveloped the stone pillar to which Leah had been bound.

  As the hand gradually dissipated, Leah, who had been chained to the pillar with obsidian chains, had vanished without a trace.

  From within the magical clouds above, Allen held the gravely injured and weakened Leah and said,

  "Let's go. I will take you back to the Demon Tribe stronghold."

  Tears still streaked Leah's face. Her voice choked as she sobbed,

  "Please… save my brother…"

  Allen followed the direction of her pointing finger and saw the Holy Demon Prison Tower.

  It instantly made sense to him. Leah's exposure and capture must have occurred while she was trying to rescue her brother and accidentally failed.

  "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

  Leah lowered her head in shame, tears falling again as she choked out an explanation,

  "I dared not… I could not allow my personal matters to interfere with the Demon King's grand plan."

  Allen exhaled softly at her words.

  Looking at Leah's face full of guilt and pleading, remembering how she had resolutely refused to yield to death rather than reveal him, he had already made his decision.

  Allen looked at Leah's guilty expression and understood her thoughts.

  She likely felt that, having infiltrated Radiant Magic Academy and bearing the weight of her Tribe's monumental plan, she could not allow personal matters to interfere with her duty.

  He said nothing further and turned his gaze toward the Holy Demon Prison Tower. Magic once again coalesced in his palm, and then he slammed it down with a heavy strike.

  The enormous black magical hand emerged from the clouds once more. This time, Radiant Magic Academy had no barrier capable of stopping it.

  A deafening crash echoed across the land as the Holy Demon Prison Tower was instantly obliterated, its magical seals collapsing along with it.

  The surging magic swept down, carrying the weakened Demon Tribe man from within the tower and safely returning him to the magical clouds above.

  The remaining mentors and apprentices of the Academy stared in disbelief. Some were filled with terror, others with helpless frustration, yet not a single person dared to intervene.

  The gap in magical power was far too great. They did not even have the right to resist.

  ...

  Inside the Eleanor Estate, Evelyn leaned against the doorframe, staring at the terrifying magical clouds above. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

  She bit her lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth before she realized her lips were already cut and bleeding. The physical pain was nothing compared to the fear rising in her heart.

  "It's him… that figure…"

  Her chest heaved violently as memories of fire and screams flashed through her mind, recalling the night her family was slaughtered, as if she had returned to that nightmare.

  The familiar magical aura confirmed it immediately: the figure within the clouds was the very one who had massacred her family all those years ago.

  ...

  After destroying the Holy Demon Prison Tower and rescuing Leah's brother, the Shadow Magic Clouds above did not linger, quickly dissipating. In an instant, they vanished from the horizon over Radiant Magic Academy, leaving behind debris and a stunned, shaken crowd.

  Allen carried Leah and her brother as they raced to a village dozens of miles from Radiant Magic Academy.

  Deep within the village stood a courtyard, a secret Demon Tribe liaison point within Human Tribe territory.

  He gently lowered the severely injured siblings onto a stone table in the backyard. Both were gravely wounded and could not recover anytime soon.

  Morgan happened to be in the courtyard and hurried to the backyard when he heard the commotion.

  Seeing Leah and her brother in critical condition, his expression changed dramatically. His gaze immediately fell on Allen, and he dropped to one knee, bowing respectfully.

  "Your subordinate salutes the Demon King!"

  Allen waved his hand."Stand up. Saving them is the priority. Heal them first."

  He paused, then added,"Their injuries are severe. If there is a shortage of healing potions, contact Keller and have him prepare everything fully."

  Allen knew well that although Keller often pestered him and came up with reckless ideas, he was always reliable and efficient in his work.

  Hearing this, Leah and her brother struggled to rise and offer thanks, their voices weak.

  "We dare not trouble Keller…"

  Allen smiled, speaking casually."Trouble? It is no trouble. He has nothing better to do anyway."

  In truth, Allen was using this as a pretext to divert Keller's attention, since he needed to leave Radiant Magic Academy himself. With Keller busy preparing healing supplies, he would no longer follow Allen everywhere.

  The Academy was no longer safe. Although he had deliberately restrained his power and held back when rescuing Leah, suspicion was inevitable.

  Oliver had already noticed the anomaly in his magic; staying longer would risk exposing his identity.

  His destination was Luminara Magic Academy.

  Allen's heart was a mixture of emotions. Although he felt deep guilt toward Evelyn, the thought that he was the one responsible for the massacre of her family left him resolute.

  It was better to seize this opportunity to sever the budding feelings between them, preventing interference with her life while allowing him to focus on his next moves.