A red magic circle lit up beneath Kaien's feet. All eyes were on him. In an instant, a giant black wolf emerged from within the circle. Its fur was as thick as shadow, and its eyes were orange.
A roar echoed throughout the arena. The students watching in the stands fell silent, some swallowing hard, their faces tense.
Damian glared, both surprised and relieved as the pressure from the golem eased slightly. "Is that... your wolf?" he asked quickly.
Kaien simply smiled casually, as if this were all normal. "Just a warm-up," he replied lightly.
The black wolf leaped forward. With incredible speed, it pounced on one of their enemy wolves. Its fangs sank in with a single strike, knocking the monster down without a chance to fight back. The rest of the wolf pack scattered, intimidated by the creature's presence.
Lucien, still holding his shield in front of the golem, glanced over briefly. "So you can move after all," he said mockingly, though his eyes betrayed a hint of relief.
Rin stood frozen, her eyes wide. "That thing is so strong," he whispered.
Meanwhile, Damian gripped his sword tighter. The cold aura of his power collided with the scorching aura emitted by Kaien's summon. The difference in energy made the air around them vibrate, as if two powerful forces were pressing against each other.
The still-standing golem raised its arm again, ready to strike. But this time, the black wolf moved swiftly, crashing into the golem's side with full force. Large rocks shattered, and a roar mixed with a loud bang filled the arena.
CRACKKK!!!!
The audience in the stands cheered, some screaming in awe. The training, which had initially seemed chaotic, slowly began to turn around. The presence of Kaien and his summon had clearly changed the course of the fight.
The battle in the Zephyrus training arena was heating up. The howls of the magical wolves mixed with the pounding of the golems' blows, creating a tense atmosphere.
Damian raised Setsu'ryū high and slashed at a wolf that tried to pounce from the front. His breathing was labored, but his eyes remained focused.
"Rin, push them to the left!" Damian shouted.
"Okay!" Rin replied quickly. She raised both hands, and a strong gust of wind pushed the pack of wolves to the side of the arena.
Lucien stepped forward, his shield blocking the powerful blow from the remaining golem. The impact made the floor tremble.
"Damian, cover the right! Tessa, stop shooting randomly, focus on clear attacks!"
"I know!" Tessa replied, her face red with irritation. Flames appeared in both hands, and she threw a large fireball. The blast hit one of the wolves, but the heat almost hit Elric as well.
"OW!" Elric jumped back quickly, his long hair slightly singed at the ends. "You almost roasted me alive!"
"It's not my fault you keep moving recklessly!" Tessa retorted, her voice rising.
In the midst of the argument, Liam moved swiftly. His revolver was aimed, and then bang!—a flaming bullet struck the wolf that was about to attack Damian from behind.
"Seriously," Liam said gravely, "if you keep fighting, we'll all be destroyed!"
Kaien's summoned black wolf leaped again, crashing into two magical wolves at once, sending them both flying. Kaien stood relaxed behind, his golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"I told you, it was just a warm-up," Kaien muttered.
Instructor Van was still watching from the sidelines. His face remained impassive, but his hands were jotting notes quickly in his small notebook. From the stands, the other students whispered, a mix of awe, anxiety, and disbelief at the chaos unfolding on the field.
The teamwork was beginning to take shape, though it was still fraught with chaos.
The Zephyrus training arena was still filled with the howls of magical wolves and the thuds of golems' blows. Dust flew up, adding to the chaos.
Elric charged forward with a loud laugh. His massive fist, coated in a dense layer of mana, slammed into the chest of one of the golems. The stone body was pushed back, and several cracks even appeared on its surface.
Elric lifted his chin and shouted with satisfaction. "HAHA! See? I can handle it myself!"
Lucien, still holding his position with his shield in hand, was immediately enraged. "You idiot! Because you charged forward on your own, our formation fell apart!"
Elric turned around with a wide smile, seemingly unconcerned. "I don't need a formation! This power is enough!"
Lucien's shield shook as another attack struck him.
"Then why did you almost die?!" he shouted back.
The two glared at each other in the center of the arena, even though the enemy's attacks hadn't stopped. The wolves were still circling the formation, while another golem had already begun raising its arm again to attack.
Damian, standing between them, could only hold his head with one hand. His face was filled with frustration. "Why is it always like this..." he muttered softly.
Rin swallowed, panicking as the situation escalated. "Can you two fight later?!" he exclaimed, casting wind magic to hold back the wolves.
Liam fired a fireball at the approaching monster, then said, "If this keeps up, we won't survive this training."
Meanwhile, Kaien simply stood back, a faint smile still on his face. His summoned black wolf raced across the arena, taking down two magic wolves at once. "You guys are pretty strong. Interesting," he commented lightly.
Instructor Van remained watching from the sidelines. His expression was impassive, his pen in hand, scribbling something quickly. From the stands, the other students cheered, some laughing at Elric and Lucien's commotion.
The pressure in the Zephyrus training arena intensified. The largest golem, which had been silent for a while, suddenly cracked in several places. A bright red light erupted from the cracks in its stone body. Its roar boomed, far louder than before, causing everyone in the stands to fall silent and the students on the field to take a half step back.
"He… evolved?!" Rin exclaimed in panic, her body trembling.
Damian turned quickly, her eyes sharp. "No! He's going to start attacking usee!" he replied curtly, his breathing rapid.
Lucien was at the forefront. His massive shield shook violently as the golem's massive arm slammed into him. His teeth clenched, his face tense. "Kkhh… at this rate, my shield won't hold up any longer!" he shouted.
Damian swung his sword, and a wall of ice formed again beside Lucien. But the cracking sound was heard within seconds. The cracks spread rapidly.
"Not strong enough!" Damian exclaimed.
Behind him, Liam continued to pull the trigger on his revolver. The sound of explosions filled the air, his fireballs taking down several magic wolves. But the enemy numbers remained unabated. For every one that fell, two more attacked.
Rin finally collapsed to the ground, her shoulders heaving, her face pale. Her breath was gone, and her hands were shaking, unable to summon any more wind.
Tessa bit her lip hard. The fire she had formed in her palms trembled uncontrollably. "No… focus, focus!" she whispered to herself, but the small explosions that erupted indicated her magic was becoming increasingly unstable.
Amidst the chaos, Nero emerged from the shadows. Her movements were swift, her eyes cold. In an instant, her hand sliced through the head of a magical wolf. She didn't speak, just kept moving, finishing off one monster after another with terrifying precision.
The students watching from the stands fell silent. The clamor that had filled the arena turned into a dead silence. All eyes were fixated on Nero.
The Zephyrus training arena was in chaos. Damian's ice wall finally shattered completely, the cracks spreading before crumbling into fragments. He was gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his pale face. He nearly fell to the floor, his knees wobbly.
Elric, on the other hand, remained standing, his body covered in wounds. Blood flowed from his temples, dripping onto the floor. But a stubborn smile remained on his face, even though he was clearly exhausted.
Lucien knelt in front of him, his massive, sturdy shield now riddled with cracks. His arms trembled, struggling to withstand the golem's onslaught.
Liam raised his revolver once more, but he was out of mana. His gun was also out of ammo. He gritted his teeth, looking down in frustration.
It seemed like everything was at its end.
That was when Kaien stepped forward. His casual expression was gone, replaced by a rarely seen serious expression. His voice was low, but firm. "Enough. It's my turn."
Kaien stepped forward. "Lucien," his voice was calm but firm, "protect them all. I don't need protection."
He slapped the ground with his left hand. A tremor immediately spread throughout the arena. A large red magic circle appeared, larger than before. The light spread, making the arena floor seem to glow from within.
A low roar was heard, not from the black wolf from before. Something much larger was awakening. A giant shadow formed behind Kaien, slowly emerging from the magic circle he had created.
Damian, still struggling to stand with his sword in hand, stared at Kaien with wide eyes.
"What have you summoned this time…" Damian muttered softly.
The arena fell silent. Everyone, friends, foes, and spectators alike, waited for what would emerge from the magic circle.
But before the creature could fully form, something strange happened. From the ancient mural chamber directly beneath the arena, a faint, vibrating sound was heard.
Damian, feeling a similar vibration and feeling as he made the ancient painting react to him, immediately turned toward Kaien. His eyes widened, his body immediately tensed. Lucien and Nero also saw it, reflexively looking at each other. Their expressions were the same: confused and wary.
"Could it be that painting…" Damian said softly.
Elric, on the other hand, just stared wide-eyed. Sweat and blood still dripped from his forehead, but his mouth was open in awe. "OI! That painting HAHAHAHAHA… He really is our friend, Damiannnn!" he shouted, leaving several students in the audience confused as to what Elric meant.
"So to be their friend, we have to be at least as strong as Kaien?" said one student from the stands.
"That's crazy, no wonder they're all monsters, if they're that powerful," another student retorted.
Rin swallowed hard. Her shoulders trembled, her hands empty of any magic power. He took a half step back, his body looking small amidst the chaos.
Tessa, her face pale, also unconsciously took two steps back. The fire in her hand simply extinguished, unable to fight the sudden fear.
Liam stood stiff, witnessing Kaien's power.
Kaien remained standing in front of him, his expression unchanged. A faint smile appeared on his face, calm and confident. His gaze focused on the giant golem still standing before him.
"Now…" his voice was low but clear, echoing throughout the arena. He raised his hand slightly, and the magic circle beneath him glowed even brighter. "...it's our turn."