Destruction filled the streets of Blackmist. Fires still burned in the ruins. The stench of burning buildings and smoke filled the air. Numerous bodies of bandits and mages lay among the rubble. But the battle wasn't over yet.
Damian stood over Kyle's unconscious body. His body trembled with exhaustion, one hand still clutching the Setsu'ryū, which was embedded in the ground. Behind him, Kaelith knelt, panting. The magical light flowing from her hands was fading, her mana nearly depleted.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
CRASH!
A giant figure landed before them. An explosion of dust and cracks spread from the impact point. Black smoke billowed like a hellish mist, enveloping their surroundings.
The creature stood tall, towering over two meters. Its body was massive and solid, as if forged from solid rock that blended perfectly with the black armor covering its entire body. Fiery red veins pulsed beneath its surface, like unearthly streams of energy. Each breath was labored. The atmosphere around it held a heavy pressure.
It glared at them with glowing red eyes from behind its helmet, then spoke in a deep, thunderous voice.
"I'll finish you all off…"
"Nero, Vellia... Defend us all from the bandits, because it looks like we'll need a lot of firepower to defeat this monster. You hold off the bandits with all your might, and we'll fight this monster and defeat it," Rygar said loudly.
A few moments later...
The battle erupted in an instant.
Elric goes first, throwing a massive boulder with incredible force. The boulder hurtled, ripping through the air. Rygar followed closely behind, his flaming axe raised high, leaving a trail of embers with each step. From the opposite side, Damian charged at lightning speed, swinging Setsu'ryū from above, his sword surrounded by a blue aura. To their right, Brakth stomped the ground with both hands, creating a powerful impact that cracked the pavement. A wave of pressure spread out instantly, shaking the battle area. The combined attack struck the enemy from four directions at once.
But the creature didn't move.
With a single swing of his hand, Rygar's body was thrown against the nearest wall, creating a massive crack.
Elric followed, struck by an invisible blow that slammed his body into an iron pillar, causing it to bend.
Damian was struck by the mana-imbued monster's blow and sent flying, crashing heavily into the stone wall of an old building at the edge of the battlefield. Dust and debris fell as cracks spread across the wall where he struck. His clothes were torn by the wave of mana emitted from the monster's punch.
Brakth tried to defend himself and protect his friends by creating a barrier in front of him and his friends, but the monster threw a mana-imbued punch straight at him, shattering the barrier and hitting him squarely in the chest. Brakth's massive body was thrown back, crashing into a pile of rubble and destroying the remaining wall behind him.
Kaelith stood trembling, biting her lower lip. With the last of her strength, she raised her wand and filled the battlefield with a whirlwind of dust to help her friends attack the monster and defend against the attacks of the bandits and thugs. But that magic was her last. Kaelith fell, her body limp, her breath weak. She unconscious.
And within the whirlwind Kaelith had created... the enemy stayed in its place.
Four figures rose from their respective places of impact.
Damian, Rygar, Elric, and Brakth, four students from Zephyrus Academy, were the only remaining barrier between destruction and hope.
Rygar advanced first. Flames blazed from his body, his hair billowing as if ignited by the power of his fire. His gaze was fixed intently on the giant creature before him.
"You tortured my brother. Now, face me, you loser," he shouted.
Without warning, they all leaped in unison.
A wave of attacks came from all directions. Damian swung Setsu'ryū, an aura of ice freezing the area around the battlefield. Rygar, on the other hand, charged forward, his axe blazing brightly in a burst of fire, his slash filled with fury and raw power. The attack froze the monster's legs.
Then Brakth struck the ground with both hands, creating a brutal crack that spread rapidly, then conjured up pillars of stone with sharp tips and launched them at the monster. The attack struck the monster's arms, rendering it defenseless.
Elric leaped with all his might, his body radiating the light of his mana, then slammed into the monster with his two clenched fists. The attack from above struck, completely destroying the area where they were all fighting.
The creature, for the first time, was hit by their attacks.
Black blood poured from its mouth.
The monster... was truly wounded.
But then, a low voice rumbled from its throat. A voice that turned into a thunderous shout.
"ENOUGH!"
A burst of mana exploded from its body. A strong wind swept across the area, accompanied by the destructive pressure of an overwhelming force that could not be contained.
The four students were thrown simultaneously, thrown by the powerful blast of mana. Their bodies hit the ground hard, smashing against an old building and crashing into piles of rubble around the battlefield. Dust billowed. Stones crumbled. No one immediately got up from the attack.
Damian slammed into the hard rock. His vision blurred. The sounds around him faded, leaving only the sound of his heartbeat... and then darkness.
Zephyrus Academy was now in ruins, its buildings crumbling, and the atmosphere silent.
The corridors were filled with thick smoke. Walls cracked, classrooms shattered. Several students lay unconscious, lying helplessly on the floor. The smell of burning and dust filled the air of the school.
Velgrin Nocturne stood in the center of the school's training and competition arena. His body was surrounded by dark magic, and he smiled cruelly.
"I have come to rewrite history," he said, his voice echoing like a whisper from hell.
Before him, two figures stood, neither taking a single step back.
Liam stood at the forefront. His hands trembled as he raised his revolver, but his eyes remained unwavering, focused, and determined. Although his body trembled with fear, his determination to protect the school remained unwavering, remembering Damian's words.
Beside him, Sylas stood calmly. A green aura of healing magic enveloped him. His gaze was sharp, yet there was still something empty. He still hadn't fully grasped Velgrin's purpose in attacking this school.
And then, two figures entered the room casually.
Alzein Crownguard, Zephyrus's first-ranked student, stood tall and straight. His face was smiling. Every step he took cracked the ground. The magical energy around him was powerful and felt like it was pressing down on anyone nearby.
Seraphine Valeheart, ranked third, stood calmly. Her hair blew in the wind, and her eyes were sharp yet calm. The magic around her slowly glowed, indicating she wasn't afraid of Velgrin.
Velgrin swept his gaze over them and smirked.
"Hmph... You're not the strongest in this school," he said confidently.
No one answered.
Alzein stepped forward. Not a word escaped his lips.
CRACK!!!.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, as if unable to withstand the pressure of the mana aura he was emanating.
Velgrin was silent for a moment. His eyes narrowed.
Then... he laughed.
"HAHAHAHAHA, Interesting... Very interesting," he said with a laugh.
Velgrin's battle with the school's first and third-ranked students was about to begin.