The battlefield trembled under the weight of one hundred charging beasts.
Their claws tore into the earth.
Their hollow eyes burned with mindless rage.
Their speed—
Far faster than the coreless beasts they fought before.
But this time—
Rynelle Aeris and his team were not the same.
They were stronger.
Sharper.
More experienced.
---
Kael roared loudly.
"COME ON—!"
He launched forward like a storm.
Wind spiraled violently around his spear.
"Wind Pierce!"
BOOM.
His spear tore through the chest of the first beast.
The body exploded backward.
---
But unlike before—
Kael didn't hesitate.
Didn't panic.
Didn't struggle.
---
He moved again.
Fast.
Controlled.
Precise.
Just like they learned from hours of endless fighting.
---
Soren darted between enemies like flowing water.
His daggers flashed repeatedly.
SLASH.
SLASH.
SLASH.
Three beasts dropped instantly.
Their bodies splitting apart cleanly.
---
"…They're fast…"
"…But predictable."
His voice remained calm.
Focused.
Confident.
---
Elric stepped forward heavily.
His sword raised.
Blocking.
Countering.
Striking.
Every movement efficient.
Every strike lethal.
---
"LEFT SIDE!"
He shouted.
Kael reacted instantly.
Spinning his spear sideways—
CRACK.
Another beast collapsed.
---
Rynelle stepped forward calmly.
Mana flowed smoothly.
No panic.
No wasted movement.
Just precision.
---
"Weaver Step."
His body flickered.
Vanishing instantly.
Appearing behind two beasts.
His sword moved once—
Clean.
Sharp.
Perfect.
---
SHHHK.
Two beasts split apart instantly.
Their bodies fell lifelessly.
---
The battlefield became chaos.
But controlled chaos.
Not fear-driven chaos.
Not desperate survival.
But skilled combat.
---
Because now—
They knew how to fight these creatures.
They understood their movement.
Their attack patterns.
Their weaknesses.
---
Kael laughed loudly.
"…THIS IS DIFFERENT!"
BOOM.
Another beast shattered beneath his spear.
"…We're faster now!"
---
Soren nodded while moving.
"…We learned."
SLASH.
Another beast fell.
"…That swarm helped more than we thought."
---
Elric spoke calmly.
"…Efficiency increased."
CLANG.
He blocked two strikes—
Then countered.
CRACK.
Two beasts dropped instantly.
---
Rynelle moved again.
Okkotsu Movement activated instinctively.
His body flowed smoothly.
Sliding between claws.
Avoiding attacks with minimal effort.
---
His sword rotated.
Then struck.
Again.
Again.
Again.
---
Bodies dropped rapidly.
One after another.
Faster than before.
Cleaner than before.
More controlled than before.
---
Minutes passed.
Not hours.
Not endless suffering.
Just efficient battle.
---
Soon—
The final beast remained.
It lunged wildly.
Desperate.
Violent.
---
Kael stepped forward.
"…Mine."
He thrust his spear forward.
Clean.
Precise.
---
CRACK.
The final beast fell.
---
Silence.
Heavy.
Short.
Victorious.
---
Kael exhaled sharply.
"…That was way easier…"
---
Soren wiped sweat from his forehead.
"…Experience makes everything easier."
---
Elric scanned the surroundings.
"…Remain alert."
---
Then—
The ground trembled again.
Harder this time.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
---
Kael groaned loudly.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
---
The air grew colder.
Darker.
More dangerous.
---
Then—
They appeared.
---
Fifteen figures.
Tall.
Deadly.
Glowing blue eyes.
Sharp claws.
Cold breath.
---
Night Walkers.
Fifteen of them.
---
Soren gripped his daggers tightly.
"…Round two…"
---
Elric nodded.
"…Stay focused."
---
Rynelle raised his sword slowly.
His crown glowing faintly above his head.
Mana surged once more.
---
Kael smirked tiredly.
"…Let's finish this."
---
The Night Walkers roared.
Then charged.
---
Kael moved first.
"Wind Pierce!"
He launched forward violently.
His spear struck directly into the chest of the first Night Walker.
CRACK.
Core shattered.
Beast collapsed instantly.
---
Soren followed immediately.
Sliding between two beasts.
His daggers flashed rapidly.
One strike—
Missed the core.
Second strike—
Hit perfectly.
---
CRACK.
Another beast dropped.
---
Elric blocked two claws at once.
CLANG.
CLANG.
The impact shook his entire body.
But he held firm.
---
"CORE—!"
He struck downward.
CRACK.
Another beast collapsed.
---
Meanwhile—
Rynelle moved like flowing wind.
Okkotsu Movement fully active.
His body twisted and turned smoothly.
Avoiding attacks effortlessly.
---
"Weaver Step."
He vanished instantly.
Appearing behind a lunging Night Walker.
His sword thrust forward—
Perfectly.
---
CRACK.
Another core shattered.
---
The battlefield burned with movement.
Speed.
Skill.
Determination.
---
One by one—
The Night Walkers fell.
Not easily.
But not overwhelmingly either.
Because now—
They were stronger.
Smarter.
Sharper.
---
Kael collapsed briefly to one knee.
"…Last one…"
He panted heavily.
---
The final Night Walker roared loudly.
Charging directly toward Rynelle.
Claws raised.
Mouth wide.
Ready to kill.
---
Rynelle stepped forward calmly.
Okkotsu Movement activated again.
His body shifted sideways smoothly.
Avoiding the strike by mere inches.
---
Then—
He thrust his blade forward.
Straight.
Precise.
Unwavering.
---
CRACK.
The final core shattered.
The final beast fell.
---
Silence returned once more.
Heavy.
Still.
Absolute.
---
Kael fell backward onto the ground.
"…That…"
"…Was intense…"
---
Soren collapsed beside him.
"…Agreed…"
---
Elric lowered his blade slowly.
"…Second phase completed."
---
Then—
A sound echoed again inside their minds.
---
[Ding… First Section Completed]
[Ding… Second Section Completed]
[Ding… Proceeding to Third Section]
---
The battlefield dissolved instantly.
Light consumed everything again.
Reality twisted.
Space shifted.
---
Then—
Darkness formed.
Cold.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
---
A new message appeared.
Clear.
Unavoidable.
---
[Ding… Third Section Initiated]
[Ding… Trial of the Past Activated]
[Ding… Face a stronger version of your past]
---
Kael blinked slowly.
"…What does that even mean…"
---
Soren frowned.
"…Stronger version… of our past?"
---
Elric spoke quietly.
"…Personal combat trial."
---
Rynelle stared forward silently.
Something deep inside his chest tightened.
A strange feeling.
Unfamiliar.
Unsettling.
---
Then—
The air shifted.
Mana gathered violently.
Figures began forming.
Shapes emerging from darkness.
---
And before each of them—
A figure appeared.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
---
Rynelle's eyes widened slightly.
Because standing before him—
Was himself.
But different.
Stronger.
Colder.
More dangerous.
---
A version of Rynelle—
From the past.
But enhanced.
Empowered.
Deadly.
---
The Trial of the Past—
Had begun.