The crackling of fire echoed through the ruins of a shattered city.Buildings that once stood tall were now nothing more than piles of rubble—crumbled, crushed, and consumed by flames.
Thick smoke covered everything, choking the air,swallowing light and sound alike.
Three figures in mage uniforms dashed through the wreckage,their faces drenched in sweat and tension.
"Damn it! The first squad's all dead!?"The short-haired man gasped for breath,his eyes widening at the sight before him—bodies scattered across the ground,burned, frozen, slashed apart… every corpse killed in a different way.
The female mage bit her lip.
"This… this can't be the work of just one person."
"Don't jump to conclusions yet," said the man leading them,his tall figure casting a long shadow.Jet-black hair, golden eyes—his mere presence radiated pressure like a storm.
They pushed deeper through the remnants of unleashed magic,and with every step, the air grew heavier, stranger.
The battlefield looked as if hundreds—no, thousands—had fought here.
Spikes of stone, trails of fire, frozen craters, torrents of water—a chaotic blend of every element imaginable.
"Renzo…" the woman called softly."Whats you think?" The short-haired man asked, causing the three to halted and start scanning the surroundings as the atmosphere thickened.Each took a different direction, moving with wary steps.
Then—the world itself seemed to press down on them.
The pressure hit like a mountain.Renzo dropped to one knee, gasping, sweat pouring down his face.When he looked up… he saw it.
A shadow stood amid the flames, wearing a twisted mask glowing with runes—symbols that writhed like they were alive.
"Renzo!! That pressure—!"His teammates came running back, but their legs buckled the moment they felt it.
"What the hell is this power!?"
"Run!!" Renzo shouted, forcing his body to move.
"Those spells— all these traces— they're his! He's using more than one magic-technique!!"
The masked man tilted his head slightly, like a predator studying prey.
Every instinct screamed run, but the three of them stood their ground,fighting against the crushing aura with sheer will.
"Like hell we're leaving you behind, Captain!"
"Yeah… we'll fight together, Renzo!"
Their voices trembled, but their eyes burned bright with resolve.
The masked man stepped forward. The ground trembled.
And then the world exploded.
Lightning, fire, water, earth, wind—the five elements clashed, screaming in a storm of chaos. The air tore apart with every impact.
But it was over in seconds.
When the dust settled, only Renzo remained standing—barely.Blood dripped down his face.His weapon was bent, his legs shaking.
"...Tch."He raised his staff one last time,but the masked man didn't even speak.He simply flicked his hand.
Reality behind him twisted—a vortex of black void opened like a wound in space.
"Renzo!!!"The echo of his fallen comrades rang in his earsas the darkness swallowed him whole.Only the crackling fire remained,devouring the ruins of the dead city.
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Midday.
The wind rustled through the trees, sunlight spilling down between the branches.
Maddymontis City—a city surrounded by forests and mountains,yet far from primitive.Massive screens and monorails lined its streets.A city of both nature and technology.
But on this ordinary day—a thunderous explosion shook the outskirts.
At the middle school's training grounds,a massive circular arena glowed with the traces of magic chalk.The ground erupted in flame,a fiery blast swallowing the entire field in smoke and sparks.
Cheers roared from the crowd,their voices echoing over the barrier dome.
A boy in a black gakuran uniform—buttons undone like some delinquent—was sent flying across the arena,slamming into the glowing barrier with a loud boom.
Everyone's eyes were on him. Inside the field, everything burned red and wild—a scene straight out of hell.
And yet, inside that inferno, there was silence.Only the faint crackle of fire remained.
Then—a sharp inhale.The boy woke up, coughing hard, throat dry and stinging.
He looked down at the molten remains of his staff—once elegant, now a warped hunk of metal.
"Tch…"He tossed it aside, pulling a backup wand from his jacket.Each step he took made the ground hiss beneath his feet.He scanned the fiery haze carefully.
"Where are you hiding, Onishima!?"
No answer.
"Come on out! Hiding won't save you now!"
'…Maybe he's out cold? No—focus. Don't let your guard down.If he's down, fine. If not, one mistake and I'm done too.In this firestorm, we'll both pass out soon anyway.Humans can't breathe here for long…'
Fwoosh!
Movement—behind him!
He spun instantly. "Fireball!!"
A blast of flame hit the shadow dead on—engulfing it completely.
'Got you—!'But as the flames cleared, he froze.
"…A jacket!?"
Too late.
He turned—and Onishima was already there.
'Shit—!'
A punch crashed into his ribs,sending him flying into the barrier wall with a THUD.
"Gah—! Fireba—!"
He couldn't finish.Onishima rushed in, fists blazing,hammering him again and again until he collapsed unconscious.
Onishima stood over him, breathing raggedly,blood dripping down his arm.
"I… win…" he muttered, barely standing.His vision blurred, lungs screaming for air.Every breath burned like fire.Still—he forced himself to rise.He had to.He needed to prove his victory.
But before he could—
BAM!
Something heavy slammed him down.A dwarf-orc pinned him to the ground,its weight crushing every ounce of strength he had left.
'Damn it… move… MOVE! This bastard—cheating!?'
The short-haired boy, battered but alive,stumbled closer, smirking."You really went all out, huh, Onishima Ao…Fitting name for Maddymontis's Mad Dog."
"I said one-on-one, you bastard!!"Ao struggled, but the orc slammed him down again.
The flames faded,revealing the boy's crew standing around him,wands aimed straight at Ao.
He approached slowly, grin widening."Thanks for the hard work, Onishima.Now burn— Fireball."
The red glow of the spell reflected in Ao's furious eyes.He gritted his teeth, his body trembling with rage.
"You break the rules… and you still think you'll walk away!?"
The boy shrugged. "Rules? Oh, that? I forgot."
"It was one-on-one, damn you!!"BAM! Another hit pinned him down.
"Doesn't look like anyone's complaining."He turned to the crowd—and the cheers answered him like thunder.
"Finish him, Slasth!!" "Burn him!!" "End that freak!!"
The crowd screamed his name.Ao's vision shook with fury.
"Honestly, Onishima…I never wanted trash like you in my crew.Once you're gone, your spot's mine.So just disappear."
"You lured me into this… just to kill me…"Ao's voice cracked under the crushing weight.
"Seems everyone agrees it's time you vanished."The fire at the wand's tip flared brighter—and the smirk on Slasth's face widened.
"Now then—let's end this."
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"