The rift screamed.
Cracks spread wider across the sky, tearing reality apart as darkness poured through like a living storm. The air grew heavy, pressing down on everyone below.
Students ran.
Teachers formed defensive lines.
Energy clashed against shadow.
But the Riftborn kept coming.
Relentless.
Unnatural.
Ryo launched forward first.
His aura ignited around his body like wildfire, heat distorting the air as he drove straight into the nearest cluster of Riftborn.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
His fist slammed into one creature, shattering its upper body. He spun instantly, driving a kick into another, sending it crashing across the courtyard.
But they didn't fall for long.
Their bodies reformed.
Distorted.
Twisted.
Alive.
"Yeah… they're annoying," Ryo muttered, rolling his shoulder.
Elias stepped forward calmly, raising one hand.
The space around him warped slightly.
A Riftborn lunged—
Then stopped mid-air.
Compressed.
Crushed inward by invisible force.
Elias' eyes sharpened.
"Core instability confirmed."
His hand clenched.
The creature collapsed into fragments of fading shadow.
"Destroy the center. Don't waste energy."
Then—
The ground shook.
Hard.
A deep vibration rippled across the academy courtyard.
All movement slowed.
Even the Riftborn paused.
Kai felt it instantly.
That presence.
Cold.
Ancient.
Watching.
The rift above tore open wider.
And something massive began to descend.
A towering Riftborn — larger, denser, its body layered with hardened void-like armor. Cracks of unstable energy pulsed across its surface like veins.
Its eyes burned deeper than the others.
Aware.
Focused.
It landed with a violent shockwave.
Students were thrown back.
Glass shattered.
The air trembled.
Ryo grinned despite the pressure.
"Finally… something worth hitting."
He charged—
Fast.
Explosive.
His fist ignited brighter than before as he drove a full-power strike into the creature's torso.
BOOM.
The impact echoed.
Smoke cleared.
The Riftborn stood unmoved.
Ryo's eyes widened slightly.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
The creature moved.
Too fast for its size.
Its arm swung—
Ryo blocked—
But the force crushed through his defense, sending him flying across the courtyard, slamming hard into shattered stone.
"Kgh—!"
Elias reacted instantly, raising both hands.
Space warped again, compressing around the giant Riftborn.
Pressure built.
The creature slowed—
Then roared.
Its energy spiked violently, shattering Elias' hold.
Elias staggered back, breath sharp.
"…It's adapting."
Then—
Silence.
The Riftborn turned.
Its gaze locked onto one person.
Kai.
For a moment…
Everything stopped.
Wind.
Sound.
Movement.
Kai stood calmly.
Unshaken.
Unmoved.
Watching it… the same way it watched him.
Deep inside his chest—
Something stirred.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Recognition.
The creature lunged.
Fast enough to kill.
Kai moved once.
A single step forward.
The Riftborn's strike reached him—
And stopped.
Its arm trembled inches from Kai's face.
Not blocked.
Not deflected.
Just… unable to move further.
The air around Kai distorted faintly.
Pressure.
Invisible.
Unseen.
But absolute.
The creature hesitated.
For the first time—
It felt fear.
Kai raised his hand slowly.
Then—
The Riftborn roared, its energy surging violently as it forced through the pressure, breaking free and unleashing a massive strike—
And the battle truly began.