The battlefield had transformed completely.
The academy gates behind them.
Broken ground beneath them.
Void splinters and shattered puppet fragments scattered across the open field.
And above it all—
Noctivar Khaos watched with growing fascination.
One of the puppets lunged toward Arios again.
Faster than before.
Its fist tearing through the air hard enough to rupture the ground beneath its feet.
But Arios didn't move.
Lysera noticed immediately.
"…Brother?"
The punch landed directly against Arios' face.
BOOM.
Shockwaves exploded outward.
Dust rose violently.
But when the dust cleared—
Arios was still standing there.
Unmoved.
Not even pushed back.
A small trickle of blood slid from the corner of his mouth.
He spat onto the ground casually.
Then slowly folded his right fist.
White aura gathered around his arm.
Void energy condensed into a crushing point.
"…Void Strike."
He punched forward.
THOOOM.
His fist pierced directly through the puppet's chest.
Straight through the core.
The puppet froze.
Cracks spread instantly across its body.
Then—
It collapsed into shattered void wood.
Arios pulled his arm back calmly.
"…Pierce the chest."
He looked toward the others.
"That's their weak spot."
Veldama grinned.
"Got it."
The others echoed:
"Got it!"
Above them—
Noctivar's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So you discovered the core."
His hand lifted.
"…Kill them."
The puppets moved instantly.
All remaining units rushed the students at once.
The ground exploded beneath their feet.
Cecil smiled faintly.
Then dashed directly toward the incoming swarm.
"…Come on."
She jumped straight into the center of the assault.
BOOOOM.
Her landing cratered the ground.
A puppet immediately swung toward her head.
She leaned left smoothly.
Dodging by inches.
Then placed her palm against its chest.
"…Gravity Reversal."
The puppet shot upward violently.
Not thrown—
But forcibly rejected by gravity itself.
Its body spiraled uncontrollably into the sky.
Damrei adjusted his hood slightly.
Tiny sparks ignited around him.
"…REC."
The sparks multiplied.
Heating rapidly.
"…Burst."
BOOOOM.
He launched upward like a streak of fire.
Straight toward the airborne puppet.
Mid-air—
He grabbed its face with one hand.
"…Ignite."
For one second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
A massive explosion consumed the sky.
Fire erupted outward in a violent sphere.
The puppet's body shattered apart.
Damrei landed smoothly afterward.
Smoke rising from his sleeve.
"…That worked."
Meanwhile —
Two puppets charged toward Alex.
Alex didn't even blink.
"…Silent Death."
His presence vanished.
Not invisibility.
Not stealth.
Absence.
Shadows spread beneath the puppets instantly.
Then rushed upward.
Alex appeared behind them silently.
Right hand crossing left.
Left hand crossing right.
Index fingers extended.
A black line formed across both puppets.
Then—
SPLIT.
Their chests opened apart cleanly.
Both cores severed perfectly.
The puppets collapsed instantly.
Alex stood silently afterward.
Expression unchanged.
Even the air around him felt dead.
Veldama sliced her own palm casually.
Blood flowed outward instantly.
She clasped her hands together.
Then separated them slowly.
A crimson sword formed between her fingers.
"…Pretty."
She dashed forward.
Two puppets attacked simultaneously.
Punches aimed directly at her head.
She lowered herself instantly—
Sliding beneath both strikes.
Then swung upward.
SHHHK.
Her blood blade mutilated both puppets at the waist.
Before they even collapsed—
Another puppet attacked.
Veldama spun left fluidly.
Blocked the strike with her blood sword.
Then stepped inward—
And drove the blade directly into its chest core.
The puppet shattered apart.
Veldama flicked blood from her blade casually.
"…Too stiff."
Watching Under the Tree
Under the shade tree nearby—
Philis sat calmly with tea in hand.
"…Ooow."
He smiled slightly.
"…They're good."
Jin crossed his arms nearby.
Smiling proudly.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…That's why I trained their bodies first."
He watched the battlefield carefully.
"They already had talent in close combat."
"…They just needed refinement."
Another puppet exploded in the distance.
Jin nodded slightly.
"…Still room for improvement."
A faint grin.
"…But I'm satisfied."
Miss Bromet quietly sipped her tea.
Watching silently.
Then—
For the first time—
She smiled wider.
Borus stomped his foot into the ground.
BOOM.
Void fire erupted around his palms.
He rolled his shoulders once.
Then moved his hands in circular patterns.
Flames spiraling tighter.
Lex appeared beside him.
His previously fractured arm fully healed from Lysera's restoration.
He inhaled slowly.
Took stance.
Lightning exploded around his body.
Hair spiking upward.
Electricity crackling violently across the ground.
Lex glanced sideways.
"…Ready?"
Borus grinned.
"…Yeah."
Then both vanished forward simultaneously.
Borus struck first.
A heavy punch slammed into a puppet's chest.
Void Eclipse flames ignited instantly across its body.
Burning through its structure.
Then—
Lex appeared.
"…Supersonic."
The world slowed.
Not actually.
Just from his perspective.
Lightning surged.
Lex moved.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
A hundred strikes landed within moments.
Each one faster than the last.
The puppet's body finally cracked under the pressure.
Lex twisted his body mid-motion.
Then delivered one final strike directly into its chest.
THOOOM.
The core ruptured open violently.
The puppet collapsed apart.
Lex landed beside Borus.
Breathing lightly.
Electricity still dancing around him.
Borus laughed loudly.
"…Now THAT was clean."
But above them—
Noctivar wasn't smiling anymore.
Because the students weren't merely surviving.
They were adapting together.
And at the center of it all—
Arios Dreamveil stood calmly amidst the battlefield.
White aura radiating around him.
Eyes unreadable.
Becoming harder to understand with every passing second.