The Cult of Bones had grand plans for the entirety of Tron, and the Acadian Empire stood in its way.

So, attacking Ravenfell was a strategic move for the Cult, not only because it was home to one of the Four Pillars of the Empire, but also because the promising young Magi—the future of the Empire—would all be gathered in the city for the Grand Magus Tournament.

As such, the Cult spared no effort in destroying Ravenfell and taking their first step into conquering the Ulier Continent. To demonstrate their resolve, they had even dispatched seven Mana Core Magi.

This was a declaration of war.

Four Mana Core-level cultists were currently fighting Gerald Acadia, Black Fire Balthazar, and the Silent King in the mountain range north of the city.

Felix and Adam were fighting a separate battle in the mysterious depths of the spirit world.

The leader of the Cult's present forces and also an Elder of the Inner Circle, Marden Benton, was fighting a gruesome battle with Headmaster Marcus Blackwood.

Finally, there was the seventh Mana Core Magi, who had been tasked to infiltrate Saratoga Castle and burn it to the ground…

Daggett led over two hundred cultists, ranging from Mana Foundation to Mana Vortex Ranks, through one of the many secret passageways and arrived at a certain underground level.

As he appeared inside the vast, dimly lit chamber, he scanned the surroundings first. Near the entrance of the chamber, a few students had huddled together with despondent looks on their faces. They had just learned about the battle in Ravenfell, after all. So why wouldn't they feel downcast?

Daggett ignored them and looked around with curiosity.

"So this is the famous Saratoga Castle," he said.

Behind him, the excited, bloodthirsty screams of the cultists resounded in the underground chamber.

"W-who are you?! How did you get here?!" One of the students took notice of their arrival and panicked. He stood before the other students, seemingly protecting them.

"A-answer me! How did—"

The young man put up a brave front, trying to stall for enough time for the rest of the students behind him to escape and inform the professors.

But it was futile. In the face of a mighty Mana Core Magus, everything was futile.

Daggett swiped his hand, interrupting him. A dark green light flashed through the air, and the next moment… the students fell to the ground, their vitality drained off of them. In but a moment, they had perished, leaving behind nothing but dried-up corpses.

The cultist then turned to the people behind him and ordered, "Separate into groups of six. The Elite cultists shall work alone, assassinating key figures in the castle. There are fewer than a dozen Mana Vortex-level professors here, so it shouldn't be a problem. But there are quite a lot of students, so unleash your undead horde accordingly. And lastly…"

His lips curled into a cruel grin. "Burn this place to the ground."

The cultists were enveloped in a vile aura of bloodlust, their eyes flickering with the light of chaos and destruction. They had only one job: kill. And that was exactly what they were going to do.

These cultists immediately scattered, leaving behind only Daggett. He stood quietly in the vast, empty chamber that once served as a training ground for spell-casting.

With his hands calmly clasped behind his back, he looked around the place through his lifeless, dark eyes. His lips slowly curled into a faint smile.

"Saratoga Castle, one of the Four Pillars of the great Acadian Empire, will be destroyed today at my hands."

His eyes flickered with an insidious light as he made his way to the upper levels. He circulated the mana inside his body, ready to fight at any given moment.

Even though the Headmaster wasn't inside the castle, Daggett was still prepared for the worst. Saratoga Castle was an ancient arcane institution; as such, it could very well hold several trump cards that could defend against the mighty strength of even a Mana Core Magus.

That is why Daggett did not put his guard down. Marden had reminded him on several occasions never to think lightly of this great Pillar.

So what if its Headmaster was away?

Saratoga Castle still had the means to fight off intruders!

The cultist's dark eyes gleamed with a cold light, and the aura around him changed in an instant. It was sharp and reeked of death and rot. He was ready to fight.

"Alright then," he muttered under his breath. "Let's see what you've got."

***

In a vast hall, in the depths of this ancient castle, the majority of the students had gathered. Along with them, the contestants of the tournament, and their friends and family members, had also gathered.

Just a few minutes ago, loud bells had begun ringing from the steeples of this ancient castle. None of the people present in the hall knew what it signified. After all, these bells had never rung before since the founding of Saratoga.

But a tense atmosphere had already permeated the hall. That, coupled with the distant sounds of explosions and the low rumbling that spread through the ground, gave birth to a terrifying possibility.

Yet, these young Magi simply refused to believe it. They didn't dare think of that possibility.

Right at that moment, a secret door situated within the hall suddenly creaked open, taking everyone gathered by surprise. Some had even started preparing to cast spells in their state of panic.

"Calm down, children."

Professor Whitaker's gentle voice echoed in everyone's ears. Then, she, along with a couple of other faculty members, arrived before everyone's eyes.

"Professor, what is going on?!"

"What are those bells for?"

"Do you hear those explosions as well?!"

"Just what is happening?!"

"Please, answer us, Professor!"

At once, all the young Magi surrounded the elderly faculty members, hoping to receive a sense of comfort and support from them.

Mathilda looked at the panic and fear in everyone's eyes, then sighed. After several moments, she raised her hand, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. Then, she said evenly:

"Saratoga is under attack."

There was a brief silence. The students of this prestigious institution were seemingly unable to comprehend the gravity of those words.

And then… all hell broke loose.

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