The clearing was tense, the air thick with anticipation. Word of the earlier assault on Riven and Lily had already spread, and members from nearby factions had gathered at the edges of the forest, curious and wary.
Kairo stepped forward, his crimson eyes scanning the Wind Faction assailants with icy precision. He didn't speak further than necessary. Igron had traced their location and left him to handle it. Now, the burden of retribution rested solely on Kairo.
The assailants, thinking the absence of Igron meant they had the advantage, raised their weapons and advanced with forced confidence. They were unaware that every bone in Kairo's arsenal was already moving in anticipation, his mana flowing silently, calling forth deadly constructs from the earth.
The first wave charged, only to be met with a sudden eruption of bone spears from beneath the ground, pinning their weapons and pushing them back. Cries of surprise echoed through the clearing.
From the sidelines, members of the Ice, Earth, and Wind factions watched in shock. Whispers spread quickly: "Is that… bone magic? Alone?"
Kairo's movements were fluid, precise, and relentless. Spear after spear formed, not randomly, but with perfect strategy, forcing the assailants into tight formations and then breaking them apart. Their coordinated strikes were rendered useless against his control and anticipation.
A second wave attempted to flank him, but Kairo's crimson eyes caught every motion. Bone blades erupted in midair, blocking paths, slicing through the forest floor to restrict movement. The assailants fell one by one, bruised, battered, and humiliated.
Even the spectators couldn't look away. Every strike, every maneuver was calculated. Not a single bone was wasted. Kairo didn't kill them outright—this was a display, a punishment, and a warning. By the end, the Wind Faction assailants were reduced to staggering, injured messes, their morale completely shattered.
"Tell your masters," Kairo said, voice calm but carrying across the clearing. "Eclipse Faction doesn't crumble when we're divided. And the next time you test us… it won't end like this."
The factions around the clearing murmured among themselves. Even those who had underestimated Eclipse Faction now understood: Kairo wasn't just powerful; he was precise, strategic, and deadly without overexertion.
The assailants had no choice but to retreat, battered, humiliated, and shaken to their core. Kairo watched them disappear into the forest, his crimson eyes finally softening as he thought of Riven and Lily, knowing their attackers had been decisively dealt with.
As he turned to leave, murmurs of awe and fear followed him. The display had been more than retribution—it was a message to the entire academy: Eclipse Faction, even without its full force, was not to be underestimated.