Nyssa activated her Dark Drive without the aid of a grimoire, her powers spiraling out of control. Her overwhelming dark aura made the arena tremble, and even seasoned combatants felt its suffocating weight. Sander and Windy don’t believe he can do that without the Grimoire.
Julius, who had been stunned earlier, finally staggered back to his feet. As Termina and I moved to support him, he raised a hand to stop us.
"I’ll handle her myself," he said, his voice firm despite his injuries. His pride as a mber of the Starlight family burned in his eyes.
Without hesitation, Julius unleashed his strongest technique: [Starlight Swordsmanship: Fifth Form, Nova Breaker]. His sword cleaved through the air, releasing an explosion of light akin to a miniature supernova. The radiant energy surged toward Nyssa with devastating force.
But Nyssa didn’t flinch. Instead, she stood firm, channeling her own magic.
"[High Dark Magic: Void Eruption]."
From the void, a wave of dark energy erupted, colliding with Julius’s attack. The clash was cataclysmic, shaking the arena to its core. Yet, despite the radiance of Julius’s technique, Nyssa’s dark magic consud it entirely.
When the light subsided, the aftermath was devastating. Julius’s sword lay shattered, his armor in ruins. He collapsed, barely breathing.
"Julius!" I shouted, rushing to his side alongside Termina.
Nyssa stepped forward, her scythe in hand. As I launched [Phantom Slash] followed by [Kazekiri], she effortlessly deflected my strikes, her movents precise and unyielding.
She turned her gaze to , her crimson eyes burning with malice.
"Naoki von Blackmore," she said, her voice chillingly calm. "A Dark Magic user, just like ... No. Not like ."
Nyssa pulled back her hood, revealing her twisted transformation. Her right eye had beco a gleaming Crimson Elixir Crystal, and horns began to sprout from her head. She let out a maniacal laugh, her aura spiraling further out of control.
As she began attacking wildly, Sander and Windy rushed in, combining their Lightning and Wind Magic to counter her devastating strikes.
"This isn’t the ti for a tournant, Naoki," Sander said firmly, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"He’s right! Let’s take her down together!" Windy added, her resolve unwavering.
Nyssa’s unrelenting attacks shattered the arena’s barriers, sending the crowd into a frenzy. She summoned Shadows and Abyssal Dark Knights, unleashing them on the terrified spectators.
Professors descended into the arena to contain the chaos, but their efforts were interrupted by none other than Instructor Morgan. He removed his signature sunglasses, revealing his blood-red eyes. From his chest, the gleam of a Demonic Elixir Crystal erged, marking his transformation into a demon.
I froze, my suspicions confird.
"So, it’s true," I muttered, my mind racing. Alia and I had speculated about his involvent with the shadows and demon worshippers, but seeing it unfold before my eyes was another matter entirely.
Morgan, now fully transford, joined forces with Nyssa. Together, they overwheld the professors with terrifying ease.
Professor Aldin, visibly shaken, muttered in disbelief. "Morgan... After all these years, how could you...?"
"That’s not Morgan anymore," I said, my voice heavy with resolve. "The person you knew is gone."
Professor Aldin, injured but determined, nodded reluctantly. "Then I’ll get the students to safety. Please... stop this madness."
Alia, Lyra, Freya, Marius, Luna, and even Kael rushed to join and Termina.
"We’re fighting with you, Naoki!" Freya and Lyra insisted.
"Fine," I said, though my tone was stern. "Lyra, focus on healing Julius. The rest of you, stick to the plan."
Lyra knelt beside Julius, her hands glowing with the soothing light of [High Support Magic: High Heal]. His most severe injuries began to nd, though he remained unconscious.
Sander and Windy offered their aid, and I quickly devised a strategy.
"We’ll split into two teams. I’ll take Freya, Lyra, and Sander to fight Nyssa. Alia, Termina, Luna, Kael, Marius, and Windy will handle Instructor Morgan. Alia, your Divine Magic is crucial—Kael and Marius, protect her at all costs."
Everyone nodded, determination blazing in their eyes. Lyra cast [High Support Magic: Sanctuary] to bolster our resistance to Dark Magic, followed by [Fortress and Knight] and [Booster], enhancing our defense and strength.
"Lyra... you’ve grown so much," I whispered, impressed by her mastery.
Before we parted, I whispered sothing to Alia. Her eyes widened in shock, her expression turning sorrowful.
"Naoki..Are you sure about this?" she asked.
"I am," I replied, gripping her shoulder firmly. "Trust ."
With a heavy heart, she nodded.
The teams split, each heading toward their respective battles. As we approached Nyssa, her distorted laughter echoed through the arena. Her aura flared, more chaotic than ever.
anwhile, Morgan lood over the second team, his demonic form radiating malice.
...
POV: Xerion von Solara
Far from the arena, Headmaster Xerion von Solara sat in a council eting with other academy officials when he felt a surge of dark energy.
"What is that...?" he muttered, standing abruptly.
"It’s coming from the tournant grounds," he realized.
Before he could act, the council mbers rose, blocking his way.
"Xerion, you can’t leave," one of them said.
"What are you talking about?" Xerion demanded, his brows furrowing.
"You’ll ruin everything if we let you interfere," another replied, their voice dripping with malice.
In an instant, the council mbers revealed their true forms—High Demons masquerading as officials.
"So, this is your plan," Xerion said, his expression darkening. "Fine. I’ll show you why they call the Saint of Light."
The demons cast a dinsional seal around him, forcing him into battle.
"Let’s see how you fare against , Xerion von Solara!" one demon taunted.
But Xerion simply smirked.
"You’ll regret underestimating ," he declared, his body glowing with radiant light.
And so, unable to aid the arena, Xerion prepared to face four High Demons on his own.
---
Switching Back to Naoki’s POV:
It had been several minutes since the battle began, and now my team and I were locked in combat against Nyssa.
Sander and I took the role of main DPS, focusing all our efforts on her, while Freya struck from mid-range with her blazing magic sword. Lyra supported us from the rear, casting her protective and empowering spells.
"Finally, we’re fighting together, Naoki!" Sander called out with a grin.
"That’s right, Sander! Let’s give it our all!" I replied, activating my skill, [Kasoseki], to boost my speed. Sander remained in Thunder Drive mode, pushing his limits further, while Lyra cast [Support Magic: Haste], accelerating us even more.
With newfound speed, Sander and I attacked Nyssa in perfect sync. My [Nissou-giri] and [Phantom Slash] weaved through her defenses, while Sander’s [Thunder Magic: Thunder Claw] ripped at her with electrifying fury.
Our relentless assault had Nyssa on the back foot. Sensing an opportunity, Freya unleashed the skill she had been preparing all this ti.
[Magic Sword Release: Burning Strike, Maximum Output!] A blazing slash erupted from her sword, engulfing Nyssa in a searing inferno.
"HAHAHA! Is that all you’ve got? Weaklings like you don’t stand a chance! Die!" Nyssa erged from the flas unscathed. She retaliated with [High Dark Magic: Void Eruption], the sa spell that had defeated Julius before.
"Naoki! Watch out! If that spell lands, Lyra, Freya, and Sander will all die!" Envi, the system integrated with , urged to act imdiately.
With no other choice, I prepared to use even more Dark Magic. Channeling my mana, I cast [Dark Magic: Veil of the Phantom] while Lyra erected [High Support Magic: Multiple Barrier], layering five protective shields in front of us.
Nyssa’s dark magic savagely shattered Lyra’s barriers one by one. I intercepted the remaining force with my own magic, though it flung backward, shattering the sword I had borrowed from Marius. Sohow, I managed to nullify her attack.
But the effort ca at a cost—an unbearable headache pounded through my skull, a side effect of overusing Dark Magic. My thoughts began to fray, threatening to push over the edge.
Lyra, Freya, and Sander scread out in concern, but I signaled them to hold on. "Sander, buy five minutes! I’ll recover and take her down!"
Sander nodded, trusting my plan, while Freya joined him in holding Nyssa at bay.
Surprisingly Sander used his secret magic, it was an advanced level of lightning magic, [Plasma Magic: Radiant Edge] he created a sharp blade of high temperature plasma, increasing the cutting power and producing plasma sparks. He and Freya worked together to attack Nyssa with all their might.
...
Across the battlefield, I noticed Alia’s team struggling against Instructor Morgan. Marius and Kael were battered but shielding Alia with everything they had, while Luna and Windy launched desperate attacks. Despite their efforts, only Alia’s divine magic seed to injure Morgan, and even then, he barely staggered.
I clenched my fists, determined to trust in their strength. Closing my eyes, I focused on my next move.
"Our weapons are destroyed... I can’t fight at full strength like this. Envi, it’s ti to use that!" I said, my thoughts aligning with the system.
"Unleash it, then," Envi replied.
"Kagegiri, ARISE!" A dark magic circle ford beneath , summoning a black katana wrapped in ominous energy.
The mont I grasped it, my Dark Magic and aura surged—but so did the searing pain.
Kagegiri, the katana I got when defeating Canis, this katana gives 15% critical damage, 10% attack speed, and 25% dark magic damage. Seeing the power of this sword made understand the power of katana. However, the consequence of increasing Dark Magic is a stronger rebound effect and makes the percentage of getting the negative effect of ’madness’ will be greater.
Envi’s voice rang in my mind, warning that I could only withstand this power for ten minutes. Any longer, and I’d succumb to madness.
"Ten minutes is all I need," I assured him.
Five minutes passed in a blur. I roared to Sander and Freya, "Fall back!" They had done well—Nyssa was faltering, though Freya was exhausted, and Sander had reverted to his normal state, nearly out of mana.
Lyra cast [High Support Magic: Reflect] on , bolstering my defenses as I dashed toward Nyssa. She lashed out with her scythe-like magic, but I countered with [Blackmore Katana Style: Inazuma], slicing through her attack and dispelling her spell.
Nyssa retaliated with another spell, but I parried it using [Yanagi-Uke], closing the gap between us. Without missing a beat, I infused my katana with [Dark Magic: Shadow Katana], unleashing [Blackmore Katana Style: Tsurugi no Mai], a flurry of rapid strikes that shredded her defenses and forced her to retreat.
Nyssa scread in pain, her fury intensifying. She cast [High Dark Magic: Void Sanctuary], distorting ti around her and immobilizing .
But I wasn’t about to let her gain the upper hand. Pouring Dark Magic into every fiber of my being, I broke free from the spell and unleashed a ranged attack: [Blackmore Katana Style: Tenshō Kōsen], a wave of dark energy that tore through her defenses, severing her arm. She crashed to the ground, writhing in pain.
As her crystalized demonic elixir began regenerating her arm, I rushed forward to deliver the final blow—but was stopped.
Instructor Morgan appeared before , his form now monstrous: white hair, four horns, four wings, and a massive sword adorned with a single, glaring eye.
My heart sank as I glanced toward Alia’s team. They lay battered and unconscious, except for Alia, who barely stood, bloodied and gasping.
"I’m sorry, Naoki... Mid-battle, he evolved into a Unique Demon. I’ve used up almost all my magic..." Alia’s voice was weak.
Lyra rushed to heal her, but seeing Alia like this ignited a fire in my chest. My blood boiled with rage.
"Naoki! What’s happening here?!" Milly’s voice rang out as she entered the battlefield. She had ignored all warnings and rushed toward us, Aisha at her side.
Instructor Morgan sneered, "How convenient. Now I can finish my task."
Realizing his intent, I scread for Milly and Aisha to run. But it was too late. Morgan and Nyssa moved instantly, knocking Aisha unconscious and abducting her. Milly tried to fight back, but was swiftly struck down.
"MILLY!!!" I roared, sprinting toward her collapsed form.
Sothing inside snapped. My vision went dark as fury consud . Envi’s voice echoed through the void of my mind.
Skill Notification: [Abyssal Wrath] has been activated!
"How dare you hurt Alia... and now Milly... HOW DARE YOU!!" Envi, driven by rage and Dark Magic, took control of my body.
The battlefield plunged into despair as Envi unleashed a killing intent so overwhelming it suffocated the air itself.
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