The battlefield was a war zone of dust, fire, and chaos. The seven newly emerged Demon Minotaurs stood like towering titans, their crimson eyes gleaming with pure malice. Each step they took made the earth tremble, their deep growls sending chills through the air.
Bolt barely had time to process the betrayal before the beasts charged. His heart pounded. Seven A+ rank beasts at once? Even for him, this was pushing it.
Akane's voice cut through the chaos. "Bolt! Orders?!"
The members of the Black Squad were holding their ground, but barely. Aether and the others were already locked in combat, dodging massive swings from the minotaurs' axes. One of the beasts roared and sent a shockwave through the ground, knocking two Black Squad members off their feet.
Kairos stood a short distance away, smirking. His golden-red eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched the carnage unfold. "What's wrong, Bolt? Not as confident now, are we?"
Bolt clenched his fists, rage burning inside him. "You set this up. You planned all of this."
Kairos laughed, flames flickering around his hands. "Of course I did. Did you really think I'd let you walk around, acting like a leader, without testing you?" He tilted his head mockingly. "You're the Warborn, after all. It was only a matter of time before I pushed you to your limit."
Bolt's eyes widened slightly. He knows.
But he had no time to dwell on it. One of the Demon Minotaurs let out a deafening roar and swung its massive axe at him. Bolt barely dodged, rolling to the side as the weapon cleaved into the ground, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
Akane leaped over another beast, flipping midair and slicing its shoulder with her twin daggers. "We're getting overwhelmed here!" she shouted.
Aether blasted a wave of wind to push back two minotaurs, but they barely stumbled. "We need a plan, Bolt!"
Bolt gritted his teeth. Think. Think.
His body was already pushing its limits, but it wasn't enough. He needed more power—he needed to break past his current threshold.
Then, deep inside his mind, something stirred. A voice—his own, but stronger, more ancient.
"You're progressing... but you're not ready."
A sharp pain shot through his chest, and suddenly, his body was engulfed in energy. The air around him crackled as power surged through him, his mind instantly unlocking knowledge—seven elements at once.
Fire. Water. Earth. Ice. Lightning. Wind. Shadow.
Bolt's breathing steadied, his body adjusting to the newfound energy. He clenched his fists, feeling the sheer strength coursing through his veins.
Kairos' smirk faded. "Oh?"
Bolt exhaled slowly, his eyes flashing with raw power. "Let's see how you handle this."
With a single motion, he raised his hand—and the battlefield erupted into chaos.