A swirling portal appeared at the center of the arena. A man stepped out of the portal, his presence commanding immediate attention.
He wore a simple black tank top, a red scarf around his neck, and a skull mask that exuded a sinister aura. Twin swords were strapped to his back, and as he stood there, the temperature seemed to drop, the air heavy with malevolence.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man immediately. This was the same figure who had ambushed him after his return from the Abyss of Fallen dungeon.
Only Gabriel and the masked man knew of that encounter, where Gabriel had driven the man away, battered and beaten. Now, the man had returned, his arrogance and dark intent radiating from him like a poisonous cloud.
The man's cold, mocking voice echoed through the silent stadium. "Gabriel Heart. I see you're still alive."
Gabriel remained calm, his expression unreadable. "You came back for another round? Last time didn't end well for you."
The man's lips curled into a sinister smile beneath his mask. "You got lucky. That's all. But today, I'll finish what I started."
The man's aura flared as he activated one of his new skills, Yami no ō: Senmetsu Kiri. His killing intent materialized into a sword, extending from his blade to a terrifying 40 meters, its edge glowing a dark, ominous red.
Ziing!
The crowd gasped in shock as the massive weapon formed, the oppressive energy radiating from it sending shivers down their spines.
Gabriel's team immediately prepared for combat. Gareth's hands crackled with arcane energy, Jane melted into the shadows, ready to strike from the darkness, and Zhao Kong took a defensive stance, his shield gleaming in the light. But Gabriel raised a hand, signaling his team to stand down.
"He's mine," Gabriel said quietly. The others hesitated but obeyed, their eyes never leaving the skull-masked man.
The man laughed darkly. "Brave, but foolish. Let's see how long that confidence lasts."
He unleashed [Yami no ō: Kage Ryū*(Shadow Dragon)], a skill that allowed him to summon a massive dragon made of shadows. The dragon roared as it materialized, its eyes glowing with malevolence, before charging at Gabriel with terrifying speed.
Swoosh!
Gabriel didn't flinch. He met the attack head-on, summoning a [Light Barrier] to shield himself from the oncoming assault.
Baang!
The dragon collided with the barrier, sending a shockwave through the arena, but the shield held strong, protecting Gabriel from the dark energy and redirecting the shadow dragon back towards the Skull Masked Man.
The crowd watched in stunned silence, their earlier excitement now replaced with a sense of dread. "Who is that man?" someone whispered, fear creeping into their voice. "How is Gabriel going to fight something like that?"
----
In the VIP section, Professor Thane of Shell City Academy turned to his fellow professors, his face pale. "Should we intervene? This isn't just a threat to Gabriel; it's a threat to everyone here."
Principal Dalhmer, his eyes narrowed, shook his head. "Not yet. Gabriel's handling himself. We have to trust him."
Then he turned his head towards a certain direction looked, looking closely a two people wearing black each emitting a strong aura and murderous came in sight. Behind the two , countless of figures wearing same outfit is following them.
Principal Dalhmer, said in a calm voice, " Besides! We will become busy ourselves!"
Boom!
Theb a burst of aura erupted with him as the centre.
"Hanz, take care of the rest here, we will just walk a little bit." Principal Dalhmer said.
He then looked at Principal Chen of Blue Lotus Academy and nodded.
A moment later the two of them vanished.
Swishhh!
-----
Seeing that his attack was redirected back to him. The skull-masked man, his frustration growing, decided to raise the stakes. He activated [Yami no ō: Abatā], surrounding himself with a 30-meter protective armor that glowed with a dark, impenetrable aura.
Seconds later the shadow armour shook by the impact of shadow dragon.
Boom!
The man just grinned beneath his mask, confident in his invulnerability. "Let's see how you deal with this, Gabriel."
Gabriel's calm demeanor remained unchanged. He knew the man was dangerous, but he also knew he had the strength to defeat him. With a steady hand, Gabriel summoned his most powerful skill, [Celestial Judgment].
A beam of divine light shot down from the heavens, aimed directly at the skull-masked man.
Zip!
Boom!
The divine light clashed with the dark armor of [Yami no ō: Abatā]. For a moment, it seemed as if the two forces were evenly matched, but then the light began to pierce through, cracking the armor with its holy power. The man's eyes widened in shock as his protective shield began to falter.
But he wasn't done yet. Desperate, he unleashed his final skill, [Yami no ō: Zetsumei (Death's Embrace)], a powerful attack that enveloped the area in a field of deathly energy, draining the life force of everything within its range.
Gabriel gritted his teeth as the dark energy swirled around him, trying to sap his strength. But with a fierce determination, he pushed through, casting [Goddess Blessing] on himself and his team. The spell increased their attack power and granted them a shield that absorbed the deadly energy, keeping them safe.
-----
Mr. Hanz, watching intently, nodded in approval. "Gabriel's doing it. He's matching the skull-masked man's every move."
One of the other professor, with a tense voice, asked, "But can he win?"
Mr. Hanz smiled slightly. "He already is. Look at him. He's not just surviving—he's outmaneuvering his opponent."
-----
The skull-masked man, now desperate and enraged, lunged at Gabriel with his massive sword. But Gabriel was ready. With a swift motion, he dodged the attack and countered with a powerful blast of [Light Hurricane], striking the man directly in the chest three times simultaneously.
The impact sent the man flying backward, his sword dissolving as the light magic overwhelmed him. He crashed to the ground, his protective armor shattered, and his dark aura flickering weakly.
The man struggled to his feet, his breathing labored. "This isn't over, Gabriel," he spat, blood dripping from beneath his mask. "You may have won today, but I'll return. And next time, you won't be so lucky."
He opened a dark portal.
"No you don't" Gabriel said, He then Activated his talent [Yin-Yang Soul Harmony] then cast [Darkness Grip] slowing the skull mask man at the same time dropped [Curse Totem] in between the man and the portal hoping to destroy the portal using the shockwave when the totem is summoned.
However his plan was for a naught. Before the totem could drop the ground, a powerful energy is preventing it from falling.
Gabriel watched frustratingly as the man stepped at the opened a dark portal behind, taking with him is Damian who Gabriel and his team defeated earlier, their body already dissolving into shadows. "Next time, I won't let you get away," Gabriel said quietly, but his voice was firm, resolute.
The skull-masked man disappeared into the portal, leaving the stadium in stunned silence. For a moment, no one moved. Then, slowly, the crowd erupted into cheers, louder and more fervent than before.
"Damn! Again!" Gabriel ignored the crowd his face is frustrated, although he had faced the darkness and emerged victorious once again. He again let it escape.
As the cheers echoed through the stadium, the mayor turned to the professors, a mix of relief and concern on his face. "Gabriel's stronger than we thought. But this enemy… we need to be prepared."
Professor Lin nodded. "Gabriel's ready. But we'll need to support him more than ever. This fight isn't over."
Gabriel's team gathered around him, their expressions reflecting their admiration and respect. Gareth grinned, clapping him on the back. "You did it again, Gabriel. That guy didn't stand a chance."
Jane, her eyes full of quiet pride, added, "You're really something, we cant even compare ."
Zhao Kong gave a rare smile. "We're ready for whatever comes next."
Gabriel looked at his team relaxed his face then, a calm determination settling in his heart. "This was just one battle. I can sense that this is just the beginning, they will be back and there's more to come."
With his friends by his side and his resolve stronger than ever, Gabriel knew they were ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
The skull-masked man may have escaped today, but Gabriel would be prepared when they met again.
---
As the stadium buzzed with the aftermath of Gabriel's intense battle, Principal Dalhmer and Principal Chen reappeared far from the crowd, facing the two cloaked men who had just arrived. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with the impending clash of titanic powers.
Dalhmer, his presence like the calm before a storm, observed the cloaked figures with a sharp, calculating gaze. The air around him began to stir, the wind responding to his will as it danced around his form, picking up speed. His mastery over the wind was evident in the subtle yet powerful currents that swirled at his feet, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. As a peak Gold-level Orarion, Level 69, his command over the wind was nothing short of absolute.
Beside him, Principal Chen stood, his aura serene but equally deadly. The temperature around him began to drop, the air crystallizing into snowflakes that shimmered with a cold, deadly beauty. His Ice Attribute magic was as formidable as Dalhmer's wind, capable of freezing anything—or anyone—within its reach. He was the calm eye of a blizzard, a force of nature with the power to encase entire battlefields in ice.
The cloaked men, their dark robes billowing ominously, exuded a sinister aura, their murderous intent barely concealed. But even with their own powerful auras, they couldn't suppress the palpable pressure radiating from the two Principals. They knew they were facing no ordinary opponents.
Dalhmer smirked, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Looks like you brought company," he said, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "Too bad for them."
Chen's gaze remained cold and unwavering. "Let's finish this quickly. We can't afford to let them disrupt the peace any further."
The first cloaked man, his voice a low, guttural growl, stepped forward. "You talk big for someone who's about to die."
Without another word, Dalhmer raised his hand, and the wind howled in response. He unleashed his epic skill, [Tempest Dominion], summoning a colossal storm that covered the battlefield. The sky darkened as hurricane-force winds whipped through the trees, uprooting them with ease. Within this tempest, Dalhmer had absolute control, able to direct the winds with pinpoint accuracy. He formed razor-sharp wind blades within the storm, each one capable of slicing through steel like paper. The winds converged on the cloaked men, leaving them no room to escape.
At the same time, Chen moved with icy precision. He activated his skill, [Frostbound Eternity], which instantly plunged the entire area into an eternal winter. The ground crystallized into ice as massive glaciers erupted from the earth, encasing everything in their path. The temperature plummeted to deadly levels, with snow and ice spiraling around him in a blizzard that seemed to defy nature. From within the storm, Chen summoned colossal ice dragons, their frosty breath freezing the very air around them. The dragons roared as they charged at the cloaked men, their icy forms leaving trails of frost in their wake.
The cloaked men reacted quickly, their dark magic flaring as they countered with their own attacks. One of them unleashed a torrent of shadowy tendrils that lashed out at the Principals, seeking to entangle and crush them. The other conjured a barrier of darkness, trying to stave off the combined assault of wind and ice.
But Dalhmer and Chen were already anticipating their moves. Dalhmer's winds swirled around the tendrils, slicing through them before they could reach him, while Chen's ice formed a barrier that shattered the dark energy before it could take shape.
The battlefield became a chaotic clash of elements, with wind and ice colliding against darkness and shadow. Dalhmer's wind whipped up into a massive tornado, tearing through the enemy's defenses, while Chen summoned a blizzard that engulfed the area, freezing everything in its path.
The cloaked men, realizing they were outmatched, attempted to retreat, their dark magic forming portals behind them. But Dalhmer was faster. With a surge of wind, he closed the distance in an instant, his hand glowing with wind energy as he prepared to deliver a finishing blow.
Chen, not far behind, summoned a massive ice spear that shot forward with lethal precision, aimed directly at the cloaked men's retreating forms.
"Not this time," Dalhmer muttered, his voice low and deadly.
The combined attack of wind and ice struck with devastating force, the cloaked men barely managing to escape with their lives as their portals closed behind them, leaving behind a scene of utter destruction. The ground where they stood was torn apart by wind and frozen solid by ice, a testament to the overwhelming power of the two Principals.
As the dust settled, Dalhmer and Chen stood victorious, their auras gradually calming as the last remnants of the battle faded away.
"We've sent a message," Dalhmer said, his voice firm. "They won't be returning anytime soon."
Chen nodded, his gaze still fixed on the spot where the cloaked men had vanished. "But we should remain vigilant. This was just the beginning."
With the threat momentarily neutralized, the two Principals turned back toward the stadium, ready to rejoin the others.