Jax stood with his sword tilted down, eyes fixed on the group in front of him.
Four enemies.
One ally at his back, bleeding out and barely standing.
Kai Steele, avatar name Myra – Spirit Caller, clutched his summon weakly.
The wolf was fading, its body trembling, mana almost drained.
The enemy team spread out. Shadows moved. Blades gleamed.
The assassin, [Name: Shade – Shadow Assassin], twirled his dagger, a grin hidden behind his mask. "You walked into the wrong fight," he said, voice sharp like steel. "This will be quick."
Jax smirked, tilting his head. "Quick? We'll see about that."
[Achievement unlocked: Facing stacked odds.]
The words flickered for a moment in his vision. He ignored them. His eyes scanned.
Ignis – fire caster, in red robes. High burst damage, weak defense.
Sylph – wind ranger, long range, mobility freak.
Eryndor – plain blade, sword style balanced, steady but not special.
Shade – assassin, the real threat, sneaky and fast.
Four different styles. A trap for anyone who wasn't prepared.
Jax stepped forward, sword dragging with a faint clench sound against the stone.
Shade struck first.
A flash of shadow, his dagger aiming for Jax's ribs. But Jax twisted his wrist, clink, blade met dagger. The rebound sent sparks flying.
"Tssk," Shade hissed. "Lucky."
"No," Jax muttered. "Skill."
The fire caster raised both hands.
A ball of flame swelled, glowing hot. Ignis shouted, "Burn!" The fire roared forward.
Jax grabbed Kai's collar and shoved him down.
He spun, his blade slicing through the air.
Whoosh!
The fireball split into two halves, flames licking his arm but leaving him standing. Smoke curled around his figure.
The ranger laughed from behind. "Nice trick, but let's see how you dodge this!" Arrows flew rapid, each coated with green wind energy.
Thum-thum-thum!
Jax crouched low, sword flashing. Each arrow cut mid-air, but one grazed his shoulder.
His HP bar dipped slightly.
Kai whispered weakly, "Buddy, you can't… it's four of them."
Jax didn't turn. He licked his lips, grinning. "Four? That's fair."
Shade blinked. "You cocky bastard."
They charged together now.
Fire rained.
Arrows zipped.
Sword swung.
Dagger blinked in and out.
For the first minute, it was chaos.
Jax deflected, rolled, and parried.
Every clash made the sound of clench and clang.
His movements looked almost desperate, barely keeping balance.
His HP dropped with every exchange, 300, 280, 240.
The assassin sneered. "He's cracking. Finish him!"
But then, Jax's eyes narrowed. His breathing slowed. His steps sharpened.
Now he wasn't defending. He was watching. Calculating.
Every flick of their wrist, every small delay. Patterns revealed themselves.
Ignis needed three seconds to charge fire.
Sylph needed one breath to pull back her bow.
Eryndor raised his shoulder every time before a slash.
Shade flickered left after every missed strike.
"Got you," Jax muttered.
He ducked beneath Eryndor's sword and slammed the hilt of his blade into his chest. Thud! The boy stumbled back, gasping.
Before Ignis could chant, Jax hurled a loose stone at him.
Crack! It smacked his forehead, canceling the cast.
Sylph's arrow flew, but Jax sidestepped and let it pierce Eryndor's thigh instead. "Arghh!"
The assassin lunged, blade for Jax's throat. Jax pivoted.
Clang! His sword caught Shade's dagger, and with a twist, he locked their blades. Face to face, eyes inches apart.
"You've got spirit," Jax whispered, grin devilish. "Shame it won't save you."
[Achievement unlocked: Humbling another loudmouth.]
He kneed Shade's stomach. Whump! The assassin gagged, stumbling back.
The tide flipped.
Jax pressed forward. Sword gleamed as he slashed at Ignis.
The fire caster panicked, throwing flames wildly.
But Jax darted through, blade slicing the caster's chest. His HP crashed to zero. Eliminated!
"Impossible!" Sylph screamed, firing arrows in panic.
Jax spun, sword flashing in a storm of steel. Every arrow split mid-air, pieces raining down like sparks. He dashed forward, grabbed her bow, and yanked her off balance.
Crack! A headbutt.
She dropped instantly, HP gone. Eliminated!
Eryndor roared, "Fight me straight!" His plain blade swung heavy, smashing into the ground. Boom! Dust rose.
Jax laughed. "Straight? Sure."
They clashed.
Steel on steel. Sparks flew.
Eryndor pushed with raw strength, veins bulging, teeth clenched.
Jax leaned in, calm, smile never fading. Then he twisted, foot sliding.
Eryndor's sword slipped wide.
In one clean arc, Jax's blade slashed across his chest.
Clench!
Eryndor collapsed. Eliminated!
Only Shade remained.
The assassin staggered up, clutching his stomach. His eyes were wide now, fear creeping in. "You… what the hell are you?"
Jax tilted his head. "Just better."
Shade vanished into shadows.
Shhhk!
He reappeared behind Jax, dagger raised. But Jax was ready.
He spun, parried, and kicked him in the chest. Shade crashed into the dirt, coughing blood.
"End of lesson two," Jax said, raising his sword.
The blade came down. Shade's HP dropped to zero. Eliminated!
Silence.
Only the sound of poison gas creeping closer.
Drip… hissss…
Jax HP bar blinked at 150.
The system chimed, restoring it to full as the team was wiped.
He exhaled slowly, sheathing his sword. "Too easy."
Behind him, Kai crawled up, his face pale.
He looked at Jax like he was a monster, then broke into a shaky smile. "You… you were awesome, buddy. Wanna be my friend?"
Jax didn't answer. He grabbed Kai's arm and yanked him up.
Without a word, he leapt back, dragging him out of the poison's reach into the safe zone.
--x-- --x-- --x-- --x-- --x-- --x--
From the projection in the academy, the classroom erupted with gasps.
Students stared, mouths open, unable to believe the fight they had just seen.
Thalia Steele sat still.
Her hands clenched on her desk, her chest rising and falling quickly.
Her eyes stayed glued to the screen.
What just happened? She replayed it in her head.
A boy, cornered by four, had not only survived but dominated them. His eyes… cold, sharp, scanning everything. Eyes that refused to lose.
She exhaled, lips curling into a small smile. "Jax Steele," she whispered. "I am eager to meet you. Don't disappoint me by eliminating early."