The battlefield held its breath.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Even the air itself felt sharp—like stepping forward would cut you apart.
At the center stood two beings.
Leo.
And the hunter.
One calm.
One absolute.
Then—
They moved.
At the same time.
The ground beneath them shattered instantly.
A shockwave burst outward, forcing everyone watching to step back or fall.
Kai covered his face, barely holding his ground.
"…I can't even see them!"
Ryu narrowed his eyes, trying to follow.
"…They're too fast…"
Milan whispered,
"…No… it's not just speed…"
"…They're bending space while moving…"
Luna said nothing.
Her eyes strained—
Trying to see what others couldn't.
And she did.
Barely.
Two figures colliding again and again.
Not just physically—
But at a level beyond that.
Leo appeared mid-air, his blade already swinging.
The hunter blocked.
A sharp metallic sound echoed—
But the space around them cracked like glass.
The hunter retaliated instantly.
Its hand moved—
And dozens of invisible lines shot outward.
Not random.
Perfectly calculated.
Each one aimed to kill.
Leo twisted his body mid-air.
Dodging most.
Deflecting some.
But one line cut through his side.
A deep wound opened.
Blood spilled.
Golden.
The moment it appeared—
The battlefield reacted.
The air trembled.
The ground shook slightly.
The hunter paused for the briefest second.
"…Confirmed increase in divine output."
Leo landed roughly.
Breathing heavier now.
But his eyes—
Sharper.
More focused.
"…You're analyzing me?"
The hunter didn't answer directly.
Instead—
Its body flickered.
Then multiplied.
Three.
Five.
Ten identical figures surrounded Leo.
Each one real.
Each one lethal.
Kai's voice shook,
"…Which one is the real one?!"
Milan's expression darkened,
"…All of them."
The hunters moved together.
A perfect synchronization.
Attacks from every direction.
Above.
Below.
Behind.
Blind spots that shouldn't even exist.
Leo stood still.
For a moment.
Then—
He closed his eyes.
Silence.
Everything slowed.
The sound of destruction faded.
The chaos… disappeared.
Inside him—
The divine blood pulsed.
Calm.
Guiding.
"…Feel it."
The voice whispered.
"…Don't chase them."
"…Understand them."
Leo's breathing steadied.
Then—
His eyes opened.
Golden light flickered within them.
The attacks reached him—
But—
He moved.
Not faster.
Not stronger.
But perfectly.
He stepped forward—just enough to avoid a strike.
Tilted his head—just enough to evade another.
His blade moved once.
Clean.
Precise.
Three hunters disappeared instantly.
Erased.
Not cut.
Gone.
The remaining ones paused.
"…Adaptation detected."
Leo didn't respond.
He stepped forward again.
This time—
He attacked.
A single swing.
But the effect—
Massive.
The air split.
The ground cracked.
And half the hunters vanished.
The real one stepped back.
For the first time—
Distance.
"…You are evolving mid-combat."
Leo pointed his sword forward.
"…You're slow."
The hunter's presence shifted.
Heavier.
Darker.
"…Then escalation is required."
The sky above twisted.
A massive distortion formed.
Not small attacks anymore.
Not precise cuts.
This was destruction on a different scale.
A huge line of energy formed—
Stretching across the sky.
Everything beneath it—
Began to split.
The academy walls cracked.
The ground opened.
Students screamed.
"This is insane!!"
"We're going to die!!"
Teachers tried to form barriers—
But they shattered instantly.
Luna's eyes widened,
"…Leo…"
Leo looked up.
At the incoming attack.
Then—
He raised his hand.
Not his sword.
His hand.
Silence fell again.
The massive spatial attack descended.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
It stopped.
Right above him.
Frozen.
The entire sky seemed to hold still.
The hunter's voice, for the first time, changed.
"…Impossible…"
Leo's hand trembled slightly.
But didn't fall.
"…I told you…"
His voice was calm.
Cold.
"…You're too slow."
He clenched his hand.
The sky cracked.
The massive attack collapsed inward—
Compressed—
And vanished.
Not dispersed.
Not blocked.
Erased.
Shock spread across the battlefield.
Kai dropped to his knees,
"…What… was that…"
Ryu stared, unable to speak.
Milan whispered,
"…He didn't stop it…"
"…He removed it."
The hunter stood still.
Processing.
Recalculating.
"…Threat level exceeds initial prediction."
Leo stepped forward again.
His aura stronger now.
Less controlled.
More visible.
The ground beneath him cracked deeper.
"…Then update your prediction."
The hunter's body shifted.
Energy surged violently.
"…Final protocol initiated."
Its form began to change.
The armor cracked.
Light burst out from within.
Not soft.
Not warm.
But blinding.
Terrifying.
Its presence multiplied instantly.
The pressure alone forced everyone back.
Even Leo paused.
For a moment.
"…So you had more."
The hunter's voice echoed differently now.
Layered.
Distorted.
"…Elimination guaranteed."
Silence.
The battlefield trembled again.
Not from impact—
But from what was about to happen.
Leo slowly raised his sword.
His eyes glowing brighter now.
The divine blood inside him surged.
Responding.
Awakening further.
"…Let's see."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…how far you can push me."
The hunter disappeared.
And in the same instant—
Reappeared directly in front of Leo.
A strike already descending.
Leo moved to block—
And the collision—
Shattered everything around them.
The real fight…
Had only just begun.