The arena was still shaking from Ren Qin's battle.
Broken stone covered the battlefield while medics carried Lucien Graves away beneath heavy silence. Students from both academies continued whispering among themselves, unable to forget the image of Ren standing bloodied in the middle of the arena after defeating Blackthorn Academy's captain.
But the exchange wasn't over.
Not even close.
At the center of the battlefield, Darius stepped forward once more while the giant screen shifted above the arena.
"The current score stands at one victory for Astral Vire Academy."
The names appeared instantly.
2v2 Match
Kai Ryan Korr & Aeris Vale
vs
Selena Vire & Gareth Fenrir
Blackthorn Academy
The arena exploded immediately.
"Kai and Aeris together?!"
"This match is insane!"
"No way Blackthorn sent Gareth too…"
Kai stepped into the battlefield calmly, crimson eyes focused forward while Aeris walked beside him in complete silence, icy pressure naturally spreading around her.
Across from them—
A girl wearing dark violet robes smiled faintly.
Selena Vire.
Dark mana swirled around her fingertips like living shadows.
Beside her stood a tall ash-gray-haired boy stretching his neck lazily.
Golden eyes.
Sharp teeth.
Wild grin.
Gareth Fenrir.
The moment his eyes landed on Kai—
He smiled wider.
"…You smell strong."
Kai narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Wolf bloodline."
Gareth cracked his knuckles loudly.
"Good." His grin became savage. "I hate weak prey."
Unlike Lucien—
Gareth looked completely unstable.
Excited.
Like violence genuinely entertained him.
Aeris crossed her arms quietly.
"…Let's finish this quickly."
Kai glanced at her briefly.
"…You worried about Ren?"
Aeris immediately looked away.
"…Fight properly."
Kai almost smirked.
Almost.
Darius raised his hand.
"Begin."
BOOOOOOM.
Gareth transformed instantly.
Gray fur exploded across his body while his muscles expanded violently. Bones cracked loudly as massive claws tore through the arena floor.
A gigantic humanoid wolf appeared in the battlefield.
The crowd erupted instantly.
"He transformed fully?!"
"That pressure is insane!"
Gareth threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"NOW THIS FEELS GOOD!"
Then he vanished.
The arena exploded beneath his speed.
Kai barely reacted before Gareth's claw smashed into him like a truck.
BOOM.
Kai was launched violently across the battlefield before crashing hard into the arena wall.
Dust exploded everywhere.
The crowd gasped loudly.
Fast.
Monstrously fast.
Meanwhile—
Selena calmly raised one hand.
Dark magic circles instantly surrounded Aeris.
Then exploded.
BOOOOOOM.
Black flames erupted upward violently.
Aeris leapt backward immediately while frozen blades formed around her body, slicing through the incoming dark magic.
But Selena smiled faintly.
"Beautiful ice."
Then dozens of dark spears formed behind her.
The battlefield pressure intensified instantly.
The spears launched.
Like a storm.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions swallowed the battlefield repeatedly.
Kai and Aeris were being pushed back badly.
Dominated.
For the first time since the exchange began—
Astral Vire Academy was losing completely.
Gareth appeared in front of Kai again.
His massive claws tore downward violently.
Kai blocked—
CRACK.
The impact forced him to one knee instantly.
Gareth grinned savagely.
"That's it?!"
Then he slammed his forehead directly into Kai's face.
BAM.
Blood flew.
Kai staggered backward while Gareth laughed loudly.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE STRONGER!"
Kai's jaw tightened sharply.
Blood slid down his forehead slowly.
Meanwhile Selena's dark magic exploded around Aeris again.
A massive sphere of darkness swallowed half the battlefield while chains erupted from the shadows beneath her feet.
Aeris barely escaped in time.
Her breathing had become heavier now.
Even her movements slowed slightly.
Blackthorn Academy students erupted loudly from the stands.
"They're crushing them!"
"Astral Vire is finished!"
Kai slowly pushed himself away from the shattered wall while Gareth stalked toward him like an actual predator.
"You know what your problem is?" Gareth growled.
His claws scraped across the ground.
"You're holding back."
Then he grinned wider.
"…So let me break you properly."
BOOOOOOM.
Gareth attacked again.
Claws.
Fangs.
Raw monstrous strength.
Kai blocked another strike only for Gareth's claw to tear across his shoulder violently.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Aeris' eyes narrowed sharply.
"Kai!"
Selena immediately attacked her again.
Dark magic exploded violently around Aeris while Gareth continued overwhelming Kai through sheer brutality.
Then—
BOOOOOOM.
The arena doors burst open.
Everyone turned instantly.
"…What?"
"No way…"
A bandaged figure stumbled into the arena entrance while several nurses chased behind him in panic.
Ren Qin.
Still injured.
Still pale.
Still smiling.
"STOP RUNNING, YOU IDIOT!"
Ren ignored them completely.
"…Damn…"
He looked around dramatically.
"…You guys really started without me?"
The arena erupted instantly.
Kai froze briefly.
Aeris' cold expression cracked completely for a second.
"…REN?!"
Ren pointed weakly toward Gareth.
"…Also… that giant dog is ugly as hell."
The entire arena burst into laughter.
Gareth's eye twitched violently.
"…What did you say?"
Even Kai almost laughed despite the blood on his face.
Ren slowly walked closer despite the pain visible in every movement.
His body trembled slightly.
But he still grinned.
Then his eyes landed on Kai and Aeris.
The joking expression softened.
"…Don't lose."
Silence filled the battlefield.
"…You two are way stronger than this."
Kai stared silently.
Something hit hard inside his chest.
Beside him, Aeris' fingers tightened slightly.
Ren laughed weakly again.
"…Besides…"
He pointed dramatically toward Aeris.
"…I still have dinner plans."
Aeris' face heated instantly.
"…Shut up."
But there was no coldness behind it anymore.
Then—
Kai suddenly lowered his head.
Silence.
Blood dripped slowly from his fingertips.
Gareth frowned slightly.
"…What?"
Kai looked up again.
And for the first time—
Real anger appeared in his eyes.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Violent.
Crimson energy exploded from Kai's body instantly.
BOOOOOOOOM.
The arena shook violently.
Blood aura surged upward like a storm while dark red markings spread across Kai's skin.
The pressure became suffocating.
Gareth's grin slowly disappeared.
Kai's voice turned colder.
"…You made him run back here injured."
The blood aura exploded harder.
"…And you made Aeris worry."
The killing pressure in Kai's voice made several students shiver.
Even Selena's smile faded slightly.
At the same moment—
Aeris slowly raised her hand.
The temperature of the arena dropped instantly.
Frost spread across the battlefield at terrifying speed while glowing ice symbols formed beneath her feet.
Selena's expression changed immediately.
"…Impossible…"
Aeris' silver hair flowed upward slightly as frozen energy erupted around her body.
Then—
An enormous ice domain expanded outward across the battlefield.
Everything froze.
The arena floor.
The walls.
The air itself.
Students gasped loudly as the battlefield transformed into a frozen world.
Inside the domain—
Aeris' eyes glowed icy blue.
Cold.
Absolute.
"…Domain Expansion."
Selena's dark magic flickered violently under the pressure.
For the first time—
Fear crossed her face.
Kai slowly stepped forward beside Aeris while blood aura surged violently around him.
The atmosphere completely reversed.
Now—
Blackthorn Academy was the one being overwhelmed.
Kai vanished instantly.
BOOOOM.
His fist smashed directly into Gareth's jaw hard enough to twist the massive wolf's body sideways.
Before Gareth recovered—
Aeris moved her fingers slightly.
Gigantic frozen chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Gareth instantly.
Kai attacked again.
Punch.
Elbow.
Knee.
Each strike exploded with blood aura while Gareth was beaten backward violently across the frozen battlefield.
Meanwhile Selena desperately unleashed dark magic—
But the ice domain froze the spells before they fully formed.
Aeris appeared directly in front of her calmly.
Cold.
Terrifyingly beautiful.
Then ice erupted.
BOOOOOOM.
Selena was blasted across the battlefield violently.
Kai grabbed Gareth by the throat before slamming the gigantic wolf into the frozen ground repeatedly.
The arena shook continuously.
Gareth coughed blood while trying to rise—
But Kai's crimson eyes stared down at him coldly.
"…Stay down."
Then—
Aeris raised one hand.
Kai's blood aura surged violently.
Ice storms and crimson energy merged together.
The battlefield exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The combined attack swallowed half the arena instantly.
When the smoke finally cleared—
Gareth and Selena lay unconscious inside a gigantic frozen crater.
Silence.
Then the entire arena exploded louder than ever before.
"KAI AND AERIS WON—!!"
Astral Vire Academy erupted into chaos.
Kai exhaled slowly while Aeris lowered her hand.
Then both turned instinctively—
Toward Ren.
Ren gave them a weak thumbs up with the dumbest grin imaginable.
"…Told you…"
Then his legs gave out instantly.
"…REN!"
Kai and Aeris moved at the same time while the crowd erupted once again.