The echo of Vladamir's words followed Albedo into the night.

'If she already has… then you had better not disappoint her.'

Vladamir was undoubtedly one of the most powerful persons Albedo had met during his life, and unlike the others, Albedo knew there was an actual threat that Vladamir would kill him if he dared to break Lilian's heart.

Even after returning to the academy's guest chambers, Albedo didn't sleep, sitting awake for a large portion of the night thinking of his plans and how'd he'd maneuver for the next few weeks while in the Demon Kingdom.

Due to that, time quickly flew by and it was already the next morning, where the Exchange would officially begin with the first activities.

Albedo walked through the halls of the Demon Academy, and he could already feel the effects of what happened. Students all started at him, recognizing him probably from various videos and whispers quickly spread.

They didn't even bother hiding it, some of them were even outwardly hostile to him, probably those of whom had crushes on Lilian and felt devastated after hearing what happened.

Albedo decided to just ignore it, and arrived at the gates for the chamber where him and his classmates were told to meet. The chamber was carved like a cathedral.

Vaulted ceilings painted with constellations glimmered overhead. The Academy had spared no expense for their guests. Sunlight streamed through slitted windows, illuminating the figures already gathered within.

His classmates.

For a heartbeat, silence filled the chamber once he entered. The students from both the Elves & Humans stared at Albedo but didn't say much. However, he could notice the curiosity in all of their eyes as he found his spot next to Elara, who awkwardly gave him a couple glances.

This awkward silence remained until the Professors, led by Arannis & Raphaeline entered the class and spotted them.

"Good," Arannis said, his voice calm yet carrying to every corner of the chamber, "You are all here."

Arannis's eyes swept across the gathered students, human, demon, elf, lingering only briefly on Albedo before moving on. If he had any opinion on the events of the previous day, he kept it buried beneath that serene, unreadable mask.

"Today marks the beginning of the Exchange in truth," Arannis continued.

A ripple of anticipation moved through the chamber.

Arannis raised a hand, and an illusion flared to life behind him, painting the air with shimmering light. A river appeared, broad and dark, its surface ash-grey, its waters sluggish as if poisoned. Black mists coiled above it, and shadows stirred beneath the surface.

"The Trial of Ashen Waters," Arannis said.

The name alone was enough to silence even the boldest of whispers from the Demons.

"The Demon students will know this story, but the others probably don't so I'll explain it quickly," Arannis said before continuing.

"This river was once a lifeline during the Abyssal Wars. A place where armies marched, supplies flowed, and blood was spilled in endless measure. The Abyss ravaged it, twisting its essence, leaving it poisoned and infested. Its waters no longer nourish and its a haven for corrupted monsters."

The image shifted. The river darkened further. Shapes began to rise from its depths, scaled, spined, their eyes burning with cruel hunger. Shadows lunged and writhed, dragging themselves onto the banks.

"The Ashen Waters are a trial for all Demon Academy students seeking to ascend to higher classes. It is a crucible in which weakness is burned away. Many do not return."

Albedo noted the subtle pride in Arannis's tone. For the demons, this was not merely a test. Instead it worked like a proving ground to show that they were deserving of gaining more advanced knowledge & techniques.

"But today," Arannis continued, "It'll be our Exchange Partners who'll be embarking on this trial. We'll see whether your training & resolve can match the standards required to be a successful student at this academy,"

The illusion pulsed, zooming deeper into the river. The monsters grew larger, their auras oppressive. One was a serpent with scales like cracked obsidian, its fangs dripping tar. Another was a hulking beast, part bear, part insect, its carapace bristling with jagged spikes.

"The deeper one ventures, the stronger the corruption becomes. Your goal will be the Amethyst Rank portion of the river. You can work together or by yourself, just be sure to succeed,"

The illusion dissolved into mist, leaving only the weight of Arannis's words echoing across the cathedral-like chamber.

Arannis stepped forward, his robes rustling with quiet grace. "We will travel by spell-gate."

He raised one hand. Emerald glyphs blazed into existence, spiraling outward in an intricate pattern. They hung suspended in the air, weaving together into a vast arcane circle.

Raphaeline, standing beside him, lifted her hand as well. Dark violet runes bloomed, intertwining with his, stabilizing the gate with an authority only one of her station could wield.

The room vibrated with raw power. The air thickened, heavy with the pressure of two master-class beings shaping reality itself.

"When you step through, you will find yourselves within the boundary of the Ashen Domain. Remain disciplined. Monsters lurk even near the entrance. Remember, this is not a place of training dummies. You will be tested from the first step."

The gate stabilized, a swirling archway of black and green light opening into a void that pulsed with faint whispers.

Without hesitation, Arannis and Raphaeline stepped through.

The students followed, though not without tension. The demon youths carried themselves with confidence, their pride unwilling to show fear before outsiders and their confidence due to their experience challenging these waters before.

***

As Albedo stepped through the portal, the world tore sideways.

For a heartbeat, Albedo felt as though he had been submerged in a freezing sea of ink. Whispers licked at his ears, fragments of voices long since drowned. Then the pressure released, and his boots struck solid ground.

The Ashen Domain unfolded before them.

A vast expanse of wilderness stretched under a dim, grey sky. The air was thick with acrid mist, faintly glowing with embers that floated like dying fireflies. The ground itself was warped, soil ashen black, grass wilted to brittle husks.

Jagged stones jutted upward like broken bones. And far ahead, cutting across the land like a scar, was the river.

The Ashen Waters.

Even from this distance, it was a haunting sight. The river's surface was sluggish and dark, carrying streaks of ash like veins of corruption. Mist coiled upward in thick tendrils, and shapes moved beneath the water—slow, hulking shadows that promised hunger and malice.

The students instinctively quieted, their bravado fading in the face of this reality.

Arannis's voice carried over them. "This is the Domain of Ashen. It has remained in stasis since the Abyssal Wars. Do not think it less dangerous for its preservation. Every creature here has known nothing but corruption. Every root, every stream, every breath of air seeks to erode the unworthy."

He gestured toward the distant river. "Your trial lies there. But the domain will not grant you an easy approach. You will trek through its wastes, facing what spawns upon its banks. Only then will you reach the Amethyst Depths."

With that, he and Raphaeline vanished, disappearing into thin air, leaving the students alone.

A heavy silence followed.

"…So we're just tossed in like this," Zeus muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Figures. Guess we get to see who survives the hike."

"Don't be stupid," Morgana said sharply, her voice quiet but edged. "This isn't about survival. It's about proving we belong here. That we can match their standards." She flicked a glance toward the demons, who sneered in return.

"Don't worry," one demon youth said with a grin full of pointed teeth. "You'll have plenty of chances to prove yourselves…"

Albedo ignored their posturing. His gaze lingered on the horizon, tracing the line of the ashen hills that rolled toward the river. The mist shifted faintly, and he saw movement. Crawling shadows with too many legs. Figures slithering between the broken rocks. They weren't alone.

"Move," he said simply.

The group set off, tension thick between the mixed factions. Humans and elves tended to cluster near their own, while the demons strode ahead, eager to prove dominance.

It didn't take long for the monsters to find them.

The first attack came as a chittering swarm.

The ground beneath a cluster of shattered boulders cracked apart, and out poured creatures the size of wolves, their bodies half-carapace, half-decayed flesh. Mandibles clicked as their many legs tore across the blackened soil.

"Contact!" Zeus roared, drawing his great axe in a single motion.

The swarm split, half charging toward the humans, half toward the demons.

Albedo moved instantly. His eyes flashed purple, Source Code flickering alive within him. Havoc and Ruin materialized in his hands, their steel cold, their weight familiar. He raised them, twin barrels flaring as he pulled the triggers.

~BANG~BANG~BANG!~

Flashes of incandescent fire lit the mist as bullets tore through chitin and flesh alike. Creatures shrieked, collapsing mid-sprint as corrupted ichor splattered across the cracked soil.

Zeus met the charge head-on, his axe cleaving one of the beasts clean in half, its body splitting in a spray of ash and blood.

Lucian's blade flashed, green energy dancing along the edge as he struck with sharp precision, cutting through limbs with ease. Elara's hands glowed, her concoctions erupting into blossoms of searing acid that hissed against carapace.

And yet, for every monster that fell, more poured from the cracks.

Albedo spun Havoc and Ruin in his hands, reloading with a flicker of arcane light. His voice cut through the chaos.

"Don't waste time! Push forward. They'll only keep spawning if we linger."

Lucian gritted his teeth but nodded, cutting a path through the swarm. The elves fell in behind, their arrows striking true, shafts of silver piercing corrupted eyes with cold precision.

Step by step, the group carved their way through, leaving smoldering corpses in their wake.

Finally, the last creature screeched as Morgana's shadows lanced upward, skewering it through its chest and dragging it into nothingness. Silence returned, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.

And before all of them, they could see, a vast endless river of pitch black darkess.

The Ashen Waters!

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