Alys and the guardian monster surged toward each other, their auras twisting the world into a storm of crimson and thunder. The pressure between them cracked the earth first—splintering like fragile glass overwhelmed by forces too vast to contain.
A single heartbeat later, the atmosphere itself began to hum.
A low, vibrating heat rolled across the battlefield, dense enough to warp the very light. The blood-mist retreated. The thunder clouds flickered. Even the guardian monster hesitated mid-lunge, its tendrils curling back in instinctive confusion.
And then the sky—
caught fire.
A radiant, divine jade hue ignited overhead, blooming across the heavens like a second sun tearing through the dark storm.
Lura, who had been choking under the monster's suffocating pressure moments earlier, suddenly drew a breath—
a full, clean breath, one that didn't scrape her lungs or burn her chest.
The crushing darkness loosened around her like shackles snapping apart.
She blinked, stunned.
Then she felt it.
That warmth.
That energy.
That impossible familiarity—like a memory dragged from the depths of her soul.
Her lips parted, trembling.
"…Auren?"
His name left her in a whisper—fragile, disbelieving, drenched in hope.
And then—
BOOOOOOM.
A pillar of jade fire erupted from the far edge of the core, spearing upward like a celestial lance. It shredded the crimson haze, ripped apart the thunder clouds, and painted the entire world in emerald brilliance.
Ripples of flame rolled outward in waves, bending the atmosphere like molten glass. Every warrior froze instinctively—
Clera mid-strike,
Grey mid-dash,
Brian mid-breath.
The pillar widened—
And from its burning heart… a silhouette emerged.
A figure stepped forward with slow, steady motion, as though rising from the core of a star. The jade flames parted for him—almost respectfully—curling around his limbs like living spirits offering protection.
Auren.
The jade fire curled around his body in layered rings, a living shield of heat and light. They didn't burn him—they bowed to him, forming an aura that made the air itself tremble.
Auren opened his eyes.
Determination burned within them—deep, ancient, unbreakable.
He glanced down at his body for a moment, sensing every shift within.
Inside his inner world, his core—once surrounded by two flowing streams, the jade-blue flame and the pure white spiritual current—had transformed completely.
The jade flame, after devouring the corrosive core-rot, had condensed into something new.
A solid 4-dimensional cube of jade fire rotated silently around his core, like a cosmic artifact forged by an ancient god.
Each rotation sent ripples of power through him—stable, immeasurable, terrifying.
Auren closed his fist.
So this… is my new form.
The jade flames roared in answer, spiraling upward behind him in a vortex that shook the sky.
Across the battlefield, Alys froze.
Her crimson aura—so violent, so arrogant—wavered for the first time, shrinking under the dominance of the jade glow. A flicker passed through her eyes.
Not excitement.
Not rage.
Fear.
Lura and Mark turned toward Auren, emotion crashing through them.
For a moment—just a small, fragile moment—the corners of their lips lifted.
Relief.
Hope.
Warmth.
Something they hadn't felt since the battle began.
But the moment shattered instantly.
The guardian monster released a blade-sharp, high-pitched shriek—
KIEEEEEEEEEEEH!
The air quivered.
The ground trembled.
Thunder churned beneath its skin like molten storms.
Above them, the sky ripped open.
A torrent of violent purple lightning gathered into a single spear, descending toward the battlefield—powerful enough to erase everyone in a single flash.
Lura froze.
Mark's breath caught.
But far away, Auren simply raised his hand.
Jade flames roared—
FWOOM!
In an instant, fire wrapped around his arm, reshaping it into a blazing claw of emerald light. The shield-like aura solidified, flames forming skeletal patterns over his hand.
This was no ordinary technique.
This was Auren's Flame Body Transformation—
a technique he forged after studying the Beast Emperor's combat forms.
The transformation completed—
and Auren moved.
No—he vanished.
The ground beneath him exploded outward, leaving a crater in his wake. Trees bent backward, shattered mist curling behind him as he shot through the air like a jade comet.
In less than a heartbeat, he crossed a distance that normal cadets would need ten breaths for.
The purple lightning fell—
But a wall of jade fire rose to meet it.
BAAAAAAANG!
Flame and lightning collided, tearing shockwaves across the entire core region. The explosion bathed the world in emerald and violet. Sparks rained like burning stars.
When the light faded, Lura stared at the scene, trembling.
Auren stood between them and death.
Her tears fell silently—hot, uncontrollable.
Mark could only stare, breathless, unable to form a single word.
Auren looked back over his shoulder, his expression softening.
"…Sorry for being late."
No arrogance.
Only quiet, sincere resolve.
He turned forward again.
Ahead stood two figures shaping the battlefield:
To the right—
the guardian monster, roaring with thunder and malice.
To the left—
Alys, beneath a sky filled with crackling lightning, her body battered but unbent, her crimson shield trembling yet still intact.
Her eyes gleamed—dangerous, sharp, calculating.
She smirked—
the fear wiped clean, replaced by something sharper.
Confident.
Amused.
Hungry.
"I've been waiting for you," she said.
Her voice slid across the crackling air, equal parts threat and anticipation—like she had been craving this moment.
Behind her, the monstrous guardian raged, its thunder aura spiraling violently.
The air warped. The forest shuddered.
Alys smiled.
The monster roared.
Auren stepped forward, jade flames swirling tighter around him, burning like the heart of a rising sun.
The atmosphere bowed—
crushed beneath the weight of their combined presence.