They stepped into the heart of Blackmist City, and hell officially began.
Wild shouts, maniacal laughter, and magical explosions clashed in the air. This city was no longer fit to be called a place to live. It had become a battleground of chaos and madness.
In the center of the city's streets, over a hundred outlaws had gathered: armed bandits, bloodthirsty criminals, and exiled mages with their eyes filled with vengeance. Not only that, but some of them lurked from the rooftops and ruins of collapsed buildings.
Rygar led the charge. Brakth walked beside him on his left. Damian and Elric guarded the right flank, while Nero, Kaelith, and Vellia secured the rearguard. None of them showed any fear.
Atop a pile of old crates, a large man with tattoos on his face stood confidently, his loud voice echoing.
"Look who's here," he said mockingly. "Arrogant Zephyrus kids! Our boss said, Whoever brings your heads is free to ask for anything in return!"
Cheers erupted from the outlaws. A magical aura began to gather, exerting pressure from all directions.
In the middle of the line, Damian drew Setsu'ryū. A pale blue light radiated from the blade. The surrounding air immediately changed, cooling sharply, as if winter had descended suddenly.
He stared ahead, his eyes sharp. Icy vapor billowed around him.
"We will survive this mission," he whispered, and the battle began.
The battle began with an explosion of chaos.
Elric leaped into the crowd, his muscles flexing as he lifted one of the bandits and threw him into a pile of iron barrels. "THERE'S NOBODY STRONGER HERE, HUH?!" he shouted, his voice booming like a thunderclap.
Not far from him, Brakth slammed his fists against the ground. A large crack spread from the impact, and stone pillars immediately rose from the ground, trapping five enemies in a hard cage. The ground beneath them shook violently, before rising abruptly and crashing into them from below, sending them all flying far from their feet.
Rygar stepped forward calmly, swinging his axe forward and slashing through several of the thugs who were attacking him. He then used his fire powers to expel flames from his hands, pushing back and defeating many of the others.
On the other side, Nero emerged from the shadows. In one motion, he plunged a black knife into a mage's back. Before the body could fall, Nero vanished again, vanishing like mist.
Kaelith stood slightly behind, raising her wand. A powerful wind spread across the battlefield, obscuring everyone's vision. She then used the wind to her advantage, attacking the thugs who had difficulty seeing in the fog. She utilized the wind's detection power to pinpoint the positions of her enemies. She then maneuvered Damian to avoid the attacks of the two enemies behind him.
Damian immediately turned. A fire spell shot toward him, but with a single horizontal slash from Setsu'ryū, the air instantly cooled. The fire vanished instantly, and the enemy who had launched it fell, frozen, immobile in fear.
Vellia moved almost silently. Her body emerged from the shadow of the wall, two knives in her hands. With deadly accuracy, she threw them at an archer on the roof. The knives pierced the archer's chest. Before anyone could react, Vellia had vanished again.
Amidst the chaos of Blackmist City, Damian stood alone on the main street. Dust and smoke enveloped his surroundings, but his eyes remained sharp. Three magic users emerged from the rubble, combining fire, earth, and wind magic, and aimed it at him.
Damian didn't move a step. As the three launched their attacks simultaneously, he leaped into the air, his body spinning lightly amidst the explosion.
Setsu'ryū swung in a full circle.
An instant later, a wave of ice expanded from its center, sweeping across the street, the walls of the buildings, and even the air around him. The temperature plummeted. The dilapidated buildings behind him began to freeze from roof to foundation, cracking slowly like thin glass. His enemies fell one by one, their bodies covered in ice.
A thug who remained standing, seeing Damian's ice power, immediately turned pale and shocked.
"What was that..." he whispered, barely audible. "Why... are these kids... so strong?"
Damian stared at them silently. There was no smile. No satisfaction.
"Stand back," he said quietly, his voice solemn.
"Or I will freeze you all." He continued.
Amidst the flames of magic and the rubble of collapsed buildings, Zephyrus's seven students fought earnestly against all the villains in Blackmist.
Brakth lifted two enemies at once, smashing their bodies into each other. Then he said, "These guys are relentless. I think I've defeated over a hundred of them since we started."
Nero, no less terrifying, sent five shadows of himself onto the field. They all attacked from different angles, confusing, deadly, and untouchable. Only one Nero was real, but no one knew which one until they all fell trying to fight the shadows.
Kaelith stood in the center line, wind magic flowing steadily from the tip of her wand. With a light swing, she directed a large vortex of wind to strike the enemy, who was trying to attack Vellia from behind. At the same time, a thin vortex of wind formed around her team, creating a flexible barrier that moved with their movements.
Vellia herself moved nimbly in the shadows. Blades were thrown silently, aiming for the enemy's vital points. No one saw it coming; only exhaustion began to affect her focus on the battle, so she didn't notice an enemy attacking her from behind. Then she said, "Thank you, Kaelith. I won't be careless anymore. I will finish off all the criminals in this city quickly."
On the front lines, Rygar and Elric fought side by side. Massive blasts of fire and mana fused into their attacks, shattering barricades and enemy formations with brutal force. They were like two fighting giants moving in sync in the chaos.
And behind them, Damian supported from the center, with ice cutting, shielding, and controlling the battlefield.
These were not just students.
They were all prodigies of Zephyrus Academy.
The streets of Blackmist were now nearly empty. Hundreds of criminals lay unconscious, while others fled through narrow alleys, screaming in terror. Magic smoke and the dust of rubble hung in the air.
Amidst the chaos, Damian stood, his body slightly hunched. His breathing was labored, his shoulders heaving with the rhythm of his labored breathing. His hand still tightly gripped Setsu'ryū, now coated in thin ice and streaked with blood.
His gaze swept across the battlefield they had just won.
"They've been lured," he muttered to himself. "Now... It's Instructor Drein's turn."
The afternoon breeze blew gently, bringing chill and tension to the burning dusk.
Meanwhile, far from the main commotion, Instructor Drein moved silently through the shadows of the city. His body blended into the darkness, slipping from one corner to another without a sound.
Before him stood a dilapidated, old building. Its walls were charred, its windows cracked, and the air thick with a dark, magical aura.
Instructor Drein hid behind a crumbling wall, staring at the building, contemplating a plan to rescue Kyle.
"That's where Kyle is being held," he whispered. His voice was barely audible, as if speaking only to himself.
His eyes were sharp. Focused. Resolute.
"Kyle... wait a little longer."
He continued his steps, slipping into the old building.