The air was suffocating.
Pressure pressed down on the battlefield like an invisible ocean.
Kai stood still.
Eyes glowing faint red.
Breath uneven.
The Variant Rift Mauler tilted its head.
Then vanished.
"Behind—!" Ray shouted.
Too late.
CLANG!!
Kai caught the attack barehanded.
The impact cracked the ground beneath him.
His arm trembled violently.
"…You're slower," Kai muttered.
The creature pulled back.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
Inside Kai's mind—
A voice echoed.
Cold.
Ancient.
Alive.
Kai froze.
"…What… was that?"
The voice chuckled.
"You're still surprised?"
Kai's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're real…"
"I always was."
Kai's breathing quickened.
"Where were you?! I almost died!"
A pause.
Then—
"I was silent… because I was dying with you."
Kai's expression changed.
Shock.
Confusion.
Anger.
"…What does that even mean?"
"When you were killed," the voice continued,
"I used the last of my remaining energy to drag your broken soul back."
Kai's grip tightened .
"…So you've been recovering this whole time?"
"Yes."
Then colder—
"And you have been wasting time."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"Wasting—?! People are dying!"
A low pressure spread through his body.
"You survive because I allowed it."
Kai's expression hardened—but his eyes shook slightly.
"…Then what do you want from me?"
A pause.
Then—
"Evolution."
His body surged.
Pain shot through his veins.
"Skill granted: Blood Clone."
A second voice entered his mind:
"A construct formed from your blood. It carries 45% of your strength and regenerates as long as blood remains."
Kai staggered.
"…That's insane…"
"Blood Enhancement: 67% unlocked."
His body changed instantly.
Pressure exploded outward.
The Variant stepped back.
Across the battlefield—
Ray and Rex faced another Mauler.
"Too fast!!" Ray shouted, wind spiraling violently.
Rex wiped blood from his mouth.
"…Then we break it."
"Limiter release!!"
Rex's body expanded in power.
"Wind Break Mode!!" Ray roared.
Wind sharpened into blades.
"We finish this together!!"
Aeris stood alone.
Still.
Silent.
Then—
Something snapped inside her.
Her mana erupted violently.
The air cracked with freezing pressure.
"…No more holding back."
Ice formed around her feet—
But this time—
It didn't stop.
Her eyes darkened slightly.
Calm.
Empty.
Focused.
"…Ice Age."
The entire battlefield temperature dropped instantly.
The remaining Maulers turned—
Too late.
Ice spread across the ground like a living force.
One stepped forward—
And froze mid-motion.
Its body cracked—
Then shattered.
Another tried to escape—
But ice spears erupted from the ground—
Pinning it in place.
Aeris walked forward slowly.
Expression unchanged.
The air turned white.
Everything touched by her presence began to freeze at a molecular level.
The final Mauler collapsed silently.
Then—
Aeris stopped.
Her body trembled once.
Blood spilled from her lips.
She coughed.
Once.
Twice.
Then staggered slightly.
But her expression—
Barely changed.
"…It's over."
She wiped her mouth.
And stood still.
Back at Kai—
The Variant lunged again.
Kai didn't move.
"…67%…"
He vanished.
A blood clone appeared beside him.
The Variant struck—
But hit nothing.
Kai was already behind it.
"End."
A single strike.
The Variant staggered.
Another strike.
Crack.
A final strike.
Silence.
The monster fell.
Across the battlefield—
Everything stopped.
Ray dropped to one knee.
Rex exhaled heavily.
"…We survived…" Rex muttered.
Then—
The ground shifted.
One by one—
Students began waking up.
Groaning.
Confused.
Shaking.
"What… happened…?"
"I can't feel my legs…"
"Are we… alive?"
Some cried.
Some stayed silent.
Some stared at the destroyed battlefield in disbelief.
Ray looked around.
"…We actually made it."
Rex gave a weak laugh.
"…Barely."
Kai stood in silence.
Inside his mind—
The voice whispered again.
"You are beginning to understand…"
Kai didn't respond.
His hand was still shaking.
"…I almost lost myself back there," he whispered.
The voice replied softly:
"You didn't lose yourself."
"…What?"
"You simply met what you are becoming."
Kai's eyes lowered.
For the first time—
Not confidence.
Not coldness.
Uncertainty.
Far away—
The teacher watched silently.
Expression unreadable.
"…This level of evolution…" he murmured.
"…is no longer normal."
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