Evo panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. He gripped his sword, its blade gleaming intensely with the tip resting against the ground, as his eyes scanned the scene before him.
Beneath his feet and all around, the bodies of enemies and students lay intertwined. The thick scent of blood and iron clung to the air, stinging his nostrils. It was a pitiful sight.
– Harrrrrrr! – He exhaled deeply, exhausted and mentally drained.
The other members, having finished the slaughter, approached Evo, who still stared at the ground with cold, empty eyes.
– Uhhh, Leader... are you alright? – Velra asked cautiously, sensing his foul mood.
He turned his gaze slightly toward her and replied:
– Yes, I am. I have a mission for you.
– Of course, Supreme. Please, tell us what we can do for you – Luneth said gently as she came closer, trying to lighten his mood, though it was pointless.
He answered with the same detached tone:
– Three of you will stay here and provide support for me, Freya, and Ravina if needed. As for the other three, I want you to find a way to contact the Empire. Request reinforcements and high-level clerics. Tell them it's an extreme situation and must be handled immediately.
He sighed before continuing:
– We have instructors and a few students who can use healing magic, but... it won't be enough. There are too many wounded for so few healers.
Everyone listened and understood. They were veterans — they didn't need every order spelled out.
The group quickly divided. Umbra was the first to speak, saying he'd stay, insisting he was best suited for support.
Evo looked his way but said nothing, waiting for the others to decide. Umbra, Velra, and Sevran stayed with Evo, as they were the best fighters. Luneth, Selentia, and Kaelith went to seek reinforcements.
Meanwhile, in another part of the battlefield...
Outside, above the academy, three figures — Freya, Ravina, and a cloaked man — clashed in a balanced fight. Sometimes Freya and Ravina struck; other times, the man managed to hit back.
Seriously... I had no idea how that guy was still standing.
– Har, har, har... y-you monsters! – he panted, his cloak shredded, one arm missing, his body covered in wounds — cuts, burns, even holes like bullet marks.
His appearance was finally visible: messy dark-gray hair, short pointed ears resembling an elf's, and white irises. Despite it all, he was a fairly handsome young man.
– Hahahahaha! You're stronger than that pest down there, but that's all! Nothing impressive – Freya taunted with a deliciously devilish grin.
– I must give you some credit. For weaklings, you landed a good hit. But... – Ravina's gaze pierced him as she spoke, her tone sharp. – You practically went on a suicide mission. Was it worth it?
– Hahaha... – He chuckled lowly. – Was it worth it? Oh, it was. Getting rid of you two will be worth even more — for our cause.
The two women looked at him with pity. He could barely stand anymore.
– Har... enough. We can't waste more time, Freya. We need to help Eylam. Looks like he and the rest had a rough time – said Ravina, glancing toward the main hall and then to the academy's entrance, where three figures ran toward the central courtyard.
– Seems Eylam sent them to call for reinforcements. Smart move... I thought he'd forgotten about that – she muttered softly.
Freya nodded.
– Alright. I was just about to finish this anyway.
She vanished from the man's sight in an instant. He looked around, panicking — until a cold voice echoed from ahead.
– Did you forget I'm still here? – Ravina's tone was icy as she pointed a finger at him like a gun.
At her fingertip, a small sphere of magma formed — no larger than a marble, yet radiating terrifying heat and power. Waves of scorching energy rippled outward, making his instincts scream danger.
The man's eyes widened. He hastily raised a shield.
– Die. – Her voice carried not a shred of mercy, cold enough to freeze one's very thoughts.
The sphere compacted even further. Vibrations shook the air as everything nearby charred or burst into flames.
This was one of Ravina's abilities — The Volcanic Witch, the woman who wielded Lava as her main element. Her power could incinerate everything in her path — not just with heat, but with sheer, oppressive weight.
Bang! – The sphere shot forth like a meteor toward the man's head, leaving behind streaks and embers of fire.
When that miniature sun struck the barrier, the explosion was both small and catastrophic. The ground beneath him caved in as he struggled to hold his shield. It might've looked comical — a man suffering against such a tiny orb — but only to someone ignorant of what that sphere truly contained.
Its greatest strength was compression. Ravina condensed the magma until its temperature tripled, amplifying both heat and impact to catastrophic levels.
– What kind of insane power is this?! – the man snarled, teeth grinding.
Ravina watched him suffer, delight gleaming in her eyes.
– Hihihihi... – She covered her lips daintily, pretending innocence. – Do you know why they call me the Volcanic Witch?
– Ghhk! What the hell are you babbling about, bitch?! – He roared, straining to hold the barrier as the sphere pulsed violently.
– Let me ask you something – she said, tilting her head slightly. – What happens when a volcano's magma builds up and compresses under immense pressure?
He scowled, clueless about where she was going.
Ravina sighed, visibly disappointed.
– Harrr... patience, patience. Fine. – She straightened and gave a wicked smile. – When that happens, the volcano erupts! There are other factors, of course... but pressure and sheer volume are the key. Hahahahaha!
– And you know what? This little sphere has the same properties... under the same conditions.
His eyes widened in horror. He looked at the sphere pressing against his mana shield — cracks spiderwebbed across it, ready to burst. The air grew hotter, the ground began to glaze like molten glass, his clothes caught fire, and even his shield started to melt.
– Damn it! – he growled, while Ravina laughed in pure amusement.
She snapped her fingers — and the sphere began to expand, pulsing wildly, spilling magma in all directions like a dam ready to break.
Then it did.
Instantly.
A torrent of magma crashed down upon him. Glowing droplets splattered his body as he tried in vain to dodge. Wherever they landed, they melted flesh, bone, and armor alike. The stench of burning meat filled the air.
The academy's rooftop was practically erased under that power.
Desperate, the man used his last resort — a cheap short-range teleportation artifact.
– Thank the gods I kept this... – he muttered, activating it. A flash enveloped him, flinging him skyward. He sighed in relief, looking down at the devastation. – Whew... that was close.
– You think you're getting away that easily? – a playful voice teased above him.
When he looked up, all he saw was a foot descending straight toward his face.
He didn't even have time to react.
Freya's heel smashed into his forehead. The crack of bone echoed through the air as his body was hurled down at frightening speed — straight into the ceiling of the main hall. The structure gave way instantly, his body tearing through it like paper before crashing into the ground below.
BOOM! – Another crater formed.
Freya and Ravina descended slowly from the sky, gazing at what was left of him — a mangled, broken doll.
Evo, approaching from the distance, caught sight of the two. The moment he saw their smiles, a chill ran down his spine.
– What the hell are those two up to now? – he muttered, as the three behind him gawked at the devastation.
– Oi, oi, oi! Look at the mess you two made! – his voice echoed from behind them.
The two women turned in unison, their smiles deepening when they saw him.
– Ev! – Freya called out, delighted.
– Nice work, Eylam! – Ravina praised with a soft smile, different from before.
But both of them froze as soon as they noticed his expression.
There wasn't a trace of warmth left in his eyes — only emptiness. His face looked lifeless, hollow, like a shell. His elegant clothes, once pristine, were drenched in blood and torn in several places. His sword hung from his hand, still carried with that same grace, as if merely holding it was an honor.
They immediately understood what had happened.
– He's broken... – Freya thought, eyes filling with regret.
– We shouldn't have dragged him into this... damn it. – Even Ravina, the composed one, cursed under her breath, unable to bear the sight.
Behind them, piles of corpses painted the floor red. The three instructors approached slowly.
Evo broke the silence, his voice hollow:
– What is it? Why are you two looking at me like that?