Chapter 23 – The Final Fortress and the Final Lie
The battlefield roared like thunder. Fire burned high into the sky as Andrew, now adorned in his battered officer uniform stained with ash and blood, stood before the towering obsidian walls of the last enemy fortress. His eyes narrowed, cold calculation in each step as he ordered his battalions forward.
"Formation Theta-7. Archers, rain on their mages. Vanguard, punch a hole through the southeast barricade."
The enemy, caught between two siege units and three frontal assaults, tried their last desperate spell barrage. But Andrew had predicted this. With the flick of his fingers, magic-nullification shields surged from the elite mages behind his front line, rendering the enemy's final defense ineffective.
Yet, as Andrew moved toward the main gate, the earth trembled. A creature, monstrous in scale, burst forth. A cyclopean beast—twelve meters tall, covered in black scales, a single glowing red eye in the center of its forehead.
The battle paused for a breath.
It roared.
Andrew activated his aura blade, but no matter where he struck, the creature twisted out of the path as if it knew each move in advance. Five soldiers vaporized in a single sweep of the beast's fist.
"What the hell…" Andrew muttered. "It's predicting me."
He cleared his mind. Still, it dodged.
He fought blind, relying on instinct. Still, it anticipated him.
The battlefield turned grim.
And then—he stopped thinking altogether.
Andrew closed his eyes.
He let his mind go blank.
One breath. Two.
When the beast moved again, Andrew moved with it—without logic, without form. Just flow. A single clean strike.
The blade pierced the eye.
The giant dropped.
Cheers erupted. The fortress fell.
The battle was over.
Back at the camp, Andrew walked through the remnants of war, surrounded by smoke and broken spears. He sat down in front of his crystal communication orb.
"Record Message. Private channel: Mario."
Andrew looked tired—no, not tired. Done.
**Message One:**
"Yo, Mario. It's done. Fortress is down. But I need a favor. In five minutes, I'll send you another message. Show *that* one to the girls. Tell them I died. Tell them I fell like a hero. Make up whatever nonsense makes Caroline cry the least."
He exhaled. "This... this is my surprise. I'm coming back to the academy. But I want it to be a shock. The mission was classified. Let's keep it that way."
**Message Two (five minutes later):**
"To all my friends at the academy… if you're hearing this, it means I've fallen in battle. I've always known this day might come, but I faced it proudly, knowing you're all safe. Caroline… forgive me for not saying goodbye properly. Mario, keep being annoying for me. Emma, protect him from his own idiocy. Sofia… don't burn the dorm down. My last wish is for all of you to live, laugh, and maybe—just maybe—think of me sometimes."
End message.
Back at the academy...
Caroline dropped to her knees. The message ended. She clenched the crystal orb in her hands, silent tears falling. Emma hugged her, equally stunned. Sofia turned around, fists trembling, refusing to cry. Even the instructors stood in silence.
Mario, in the background, whispered to himself: "You better come back, idiot."
And somewhere in the shadows of a travel-worn road, Andrew smiled faintly under his hood. "Now… let's go see some surprised faces."