On the Dragon Fang grounds, Nightshade Cang's inauguration ceremony was drawing to a close. Standing in front of the podium, wrapped in the black robe of the student council president, he calmly glanced over the academy's strongest. He didn't shout slogans or promise false peace - his voice was steady and firm.
> "I know some of you are not convinced."
The crowd stirred slightly. Some of the Combat Club members clenched their fists; a few top swordsmen exchanged glances.
> "But I don't care," Nightshade said flatly. "If you want to challenge me, I will wait."
At that moment, the air around the Four Great Clubs froze with tension.
Tendou Kyouichi grinned with crossed arms and said nothing. Gouzanshi Retsu bared her teeth in battle lust, ready to leap forward. Houtou Saya stood silently at the front of the archery club, her head bowed. On the other hand, Onimaru Setsura, hidden in the Javelin Club, wore an unreadable expression.
And just then - The loudspeakers crackled.
> Attention, all members. Emergency meeting. Student Council and the heads of the four major clubs - report to the principal's office immediately."
Nightshade frowned. The ceremony had just ended - and the next storm had already begun.
Principal's Office - Meeting with the Seiyu Foundation The entire Eastcloud Academy leadership had gathered - the mentors, the Discipline Director, the Vice Principal, and the Principal - along with Nightshade Cang, Tendou Kyouichi, and other student leaders.
At the long table, a man in an immaculate suit, a representative of the Seiyu Foundation, spoke slowly:
> "Other academies have begun to challenge Eastcloud."
A heavy silence fell.
> "We have received several declarations of battle - including from Azureflame Academy, Shinweikan, and the Royal Capital Martial Institute. They all want the title of 'Strongest Academy.'"
Night Shadow's fingers tapped the table lightly. External threats... Just as the internal clubs hadn't fully united, the predators outside had already smelled blood.
> "This is your decision?" he asked the headmaster.
The headmaster sighed and nodded.
> "Yes. We have no choice but to fight."
The Shadow Returns - The Rise of Black Blade Elsewhere, shrouded in dark mist, a figure stepped into the ruins of the old Sword Club training hall.
> "Eastcloud Academy... do you remember me?
He drew a blade wrapped in dark purple aura power not of this world.
> "Nightshade Cang... I'll show you that true swordsmanship is not bound by school rules."
Black Blade has returned.
His destination? Unknown.
His strength? Unfathomable.
The battle is far from over
Black Blade: Return of the King (Part II) In the abandoned dojo, the night over Eastcloud Academy was darker than ever.
The man in the tattered Sword Club robe looked up, his eyes glowing with otherworldly energy.
Three years ago, he was hailed as the strongest swordsman in Eastcloud - then he disappeared during a mysterious duel. No body, no trace. Forgotten by the world.
Now he walks again.
> "This aura... it's not magic. It's something deeper."
The black waves in his hand twisted reality.
> "Nightshade Cang... I will reclaim what is mine."
His ambition extended beyond the Sword Club - to absolute dominion.
Onimaru Setsura: Reforging the Warrior Thunder echoed through the training grounds of the Dragon Fang Arena.
Still nursing injuries from his defeat, Onimaru trained relentlessly, his mechanical spear "Gokuretsu" sparking with lightning.
> "How the hell... did he beat me?"
His anger was not directed at Nightshade, but at himself for failing to shatter illusion-based magic.
> "Nightshade Cang... Just wait."
The next blow would be more deadly than ever.
Houtou Saya: A Rift in the Archers > "Captain, your feelings for Nightshade Cang are endangering the Archery Club."
Saya remained silent.
The vice captain, Tachibana Yoi, cold and precise, looked at her with thinly veiled contempt.
> "If you can't hit the heart of the enemy, you don't deserve to lead us."
Saya raised her head.
> "Nightshade is worthy. But I will not let this club become your tool of slaughter."
> "If you doubt me, then face me. I will prove who is the strongest archer."
Yoi smiled faintly.
> "I was hoping you'd say that."
Midou Karuma & Hakuran: Strategic Reform of the Magic Club > "Nightshade's ascension to the presidency puts the Magic Club at the top of the heap," Midou said, his glasses glinting.
> "And that means more danger than ever," Hakuran added.
Having risen from obscurity, the Magic Club was now on the radar of every major power - including Black Blade.
> "We must evolve."
Hakuran's illusion magic flickered in his hand.
> "If Nightshade stands atop the tower, we will be the ones to keep it from falling."
The Seiyu Foundation Meeting - The Real Threat > "Eastcloud's success has attracted unwanted attention," the suited man continued. "Several elite academies have relocated."
"Which ones?" the director asked.
> "The most dangerous... is Azureflame Academy."
A chill ran through the room.
Based in the north, Azureflame was a brutal school known for pushing students beyond human limits.
> "Reports suggest they've developed a system of physical enhancements - possibly chemical or psychic stimulants."
But that wasn't the worst of it.
> "Their strongest division, the Combat Division, has issued an official challenge."
Unlike Eastcloud's physical style, Azureflame's fighters fused combat with mental pressure, will shock, and mind disruption-techniques that allowed intent to distort reality.
This was not just a clash of fists.
It was a war of ideologies.