"Get ready," Aurora said, as she moved forward.
In the very next moment, Zerak vanished from his spot and appeared in front of Ray, his sudden disappearance and appearance without sound showed just how much control he had over his body.
His claw moved with terrifying precision, aiming straight for Ray's heart.
Shit—too fast!
Ray, who acted on instinct, intercepted the claw with his sword. But the force behind the strike was too much—his arms trembled as the shock travelled through his weapon, and before he could brace himself, the blow sent him flying across the hall.
What the hell...?
He crashed against the ground with a dull thud, sliding over the cold stone floor. He groaned, breath knocked from his chest, vision blurring as the ceiling above him twisted out of focus.
But before Zerak could follow through, two shadows closed in.
Ethan and Irvin.
Irvin roared, stone erupting beneath his feet as he burst forward. His fist, covered in jagged rocks, moved towards Zerak with force, every step causing the earth beneath him to quake. His body shimmered with faint earthen light, like a living force of nature.
"EAT THIS YOU BASTARD!!"
Meanwhile, Ethan neither roared nor spoke. He simply melted into the shadows—one moment there, the next beside Zerak, twin daggers coated in shadow. His strike was swift, a precise lunge aimed at Zerak's neck.
Zerak didn't turn. He didn't even flinch. He allowed them to attack him, he welcomed it, savoring the desperation in their movements. Let them come, he thought. Let them feel the difference between filthy bloods and demons., let them despair.
As the daggers and fist collided with his body, they felt like they hit an impenetrable wall. It was like attacking a solid rock. The shock of their strikes reverberated through them, but they achieved nothing.
This is impossible...
"H-How...?"
They were beyond shocked.
"Cute," Zerak said, his voice playful. "But you're just filthy bloods. No amount of attack can harm me."
But who was Ethan? The son of a prestigious family—he wouldn't back down after just one try.
Ethan didn't retreat. Instead, he pushed forward, running as he shifted into an arc around Zerak, lunging with his daggers aimed at the demon's eyes.
*I'm not strong enough for this. But I can't back down.
But Zerak caught Ethan's dagger mid-air with two fingers, twisting it effortlessly. Before Ethan could react, Zerak kicked him square in the chest.
THUD!!
Ethan flew back, blood spraying from his lips.
Irvin didn't back out either. With his feet anchored to the ground, he unleashed a rapid barrage of punches aimed at Zerak's lower region, each blow faster than the last.
"I'LL MAKE YOU A EUNUCH!"
But Zerak simply moved back slightly, dodging the punches with ease, then slapped Irvin across the face with a force that sent him tumbling.
BAAM!!!
Irvin hit the floor, blood spraying from his mouth, as he struggled to breathe.
Behind them, Miraak raised his hand, unfazed by the chaos unfolding before him.
"Curse of Blindness," he intoned, his voice carrying the weight of a tolling bell.
A wave of dark energy pulsed out, and the air seemed to thicken.
"Dodge!" Aurora's voice rang out, sharp and clear, a warning in the midst of the battle.
Some moved, Some didn't.
Three second years dropped to the floor, hands clutching their faces, screaming in agony.
"I can't see…"
"My vision.."
Lyra wasn't fast enough, exhaustion from previous curse weighed her down, and she gasped as another curse struck her. Her eyes went wide and unfocused, her fingers clawing at the air as her body stumbled, disoriented.
"Lyra!", Grace ran to her side, hands already glowing with warm light, but the curse wasn't like any wound.
"Damn it…" Grace whispered, casting [Purify Touch].
Meanwhile, Aurora stepped forward, the air around her shifting. Wind stirred, faint trails of starry mana orbiting her like distant comets. Her eyes glowed violet, her hair swept upward as if caught in an unseen breeze.
"I don't know who you are," she murmured, "but you need to die." She raised her hand.
"Stellar Blast."
The air above her shimmered, and then, with a crack that split the tension, a lance of starlight descended from the sky, shooting toward the demon.
Miraak raised his arm lazily. The starlight collided with a dark barrier, exploding into a cloud of flares. Smoke and sparks filled the air.
"You shine pretty, little star," Miraak said, his smile never wavering, "But stars fall too."
He raised both hands, twisting them in a circle. Black symbols spun around him like a cage—dark, intricate, and pulsing with power.
"Curse of Weakening."
His gaze locked onto Aurora. The curse was meant for her alone.
Aurora staggered, feeling her body weaken under the curse's weight.
But how... I'm covered in Star mana.
What is happening..??
Ash watched the curse sink into Aurora, Like I said, although Star and Moon mana can block curses and demonic energy, without proper guidance and experience, it is nothing but a dream.
His gaze shifted again,
Behind Aurora, Amelia dashed forward, spear in hand, her footsteps barely making a sound as she closed the distance.
Although this is my first fight... I can't back out now.
Her eyes locked onto Miraak's hands, searching for an opening in his casting.
But her steps slowed.
Her breath hitched.
Then she felt it. The surrounding air grew heavy. It wasn't just power—it was something deeper.
I can still do this... I have to.
She kept moving. Even if her strikes missed. Even if she knew she couldn't win—she had to draw his attention away.
And she did.
Miraak turned, amused by her resolve.
"So the little girl wants to dance too?" he said with a smirk, his next curse already forming, dark light spinning in his palms.
Meanwhile, On the far end of the shattered banquet hall—the ominous sound of stone cracking echoed like thunder tearing through the sky.
BAAAM!!
Irvin's body struck the ground with bone-rattling force, the marble beneath him fracturing into jagged shards.
Blood erupted from his lips in a harsh spray as he coughed violently, his limbs trembling under the strain of impact.
His uniform, once crisp and ceremonial for the banquet, was now torn and streaked with red, stained by both his own blood and the grime of battle.
Not far from him, Ethan crouched behind the fragmented remains of the floor, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
The sleek daggers he had relied on were gone, lost in the initial clash. He pressed his back to the cracked stone, trying to stay still, eyes darting for any hint of movement.
Across the hall, Zerak stood tall and looked at them in amusement. His laughter echoed louder than the crashing debris.
"HAHAHA....Still alive? That's adorable."
And then, without warning, the space he occupied twisted—and he vanished.
WHOOSH.
In less than a heartbeat, Irvin's body was yanked upward and flung like a discarded doll. He collided with the far wall hard enough to crater it, blood smearing the white stone like paint splashed in violence.
BAAM!
The chandeliers above, already flickering, swung violently from the shockwaves, casting erratic shadows across the hall. Shattered crystal rained down like glittering knives.
Ethan tried to move, tried to step out and retaliate—but a looming blur cut through the haze. Zerak was already upon him, claws outstretched, their tips gleaming with sickly red energy.
Until—
CLAAANG!
A furious clash rang out as Ray intercepted, his sword colliding with Zerak's claws mid-strike.
Sparks exploded from the impact, streaking through the air like dying fireflies. The force of the blow sent the demon skidding backward, deep claw marks gouged across the marble floor beneath his feet.
Ray stepped forward with calm defiance, his every movement radiating a dark green aura.
His blade—now sheathed in an ominous energy—pulsed as though feeding on his resolve.
{Right now only one ability unlocked due to your weak strength, that is [Soul Sever]. It'll drain his stamina and vitality little by little… it's basic, but it's something. You don't have time for a long battle, but even this might turn the tide.}
Ray's voice, low and unwavering, cut through the chaos like a blade through silk, "You won't touch them."
Zerak bared his fangs in a wide, savage grin, his crimson eyes alight with bloodlust.
"Then bleed for them, Golden Boy."
Their weapons met again in a violent storm of motion. Each strike released bursts of pressure that tore into the walls, toppling ornate statues and collapsing segments of the once-grand ceiling.
CLASH!
CLANG!
SHHRRIIIK!
They moved too fast for the naked eye—green light crashing against red in a dance of devastation.
Chunks of the floor buckled under their feet. Dust spiraled upward like smoke, mixing with the glowing fragments of mana residue.
Watching them, Ash narrowed his eyes and thought, He's toying with Ray... that's not even his full speed...
As if to confirm it, Zerak suddenly surged forward—his speed blurring beyond what Ray could follow.
One moment, Ray was deflecting a blow, the next, he was blasted off his feet and hurled across the hall, landing hard enough to carve a shallow trench through the cracked floor.
But Ray wasn't alone in his resistance.
Ethan, gritting his teeth through the pain, emerged from the shadows in midair—his figure a blur as he dove behind Zerak, aiming for the demon's ears with a desperate strike.
Zerak didn't even flinch.
He turned—
WHAM!
One brutal backhand connected, sending Ethan hurtling downward. He crashed through the weakened floor like a meteor, stone and splinters erupting around him.
CRACK!
He lay still in the rubble.
Across the chaos-torn banquet hall, chants rang out like a rising storm. The air shimmered with casting sigils, elemental energies swirling.
In the middle of it all, Miraak stood tall and composed—an island of eerie calm amid the destruction. His smile was serene, almost kind, but there was madness lurking behind his eyes.
"Curse of Confusion."
"Curse of Delay."
"Curse of Misfire."
With each word, the battlefield twisted. Aurora's blazing spells fizzled mid-cast.
Amelia's water blades veered off course. Lightning crackled sideways, harmlessly splitting the air instead of striking flesh.
Aurora's hands trembled. Her hair flared out behind her like burning strands of starlight, and her eyes glowed with unstable mana. Energy overflowed from her body in wild, spiraling arcs.
"What is he..." she whispered, voice shaking.
She clenched her fists tighter, her lips curling into a snarl. With a deep breath, she invoked one of her strongest spells.
"Star Shatter: Triple Comet Fall!"
Three colossal spears of condensed star mana tore through the ceiling, collapsing chandeliers and punching through the roof like divine judgment. Spiraling beams of celestial light crashed down toward Miraak.
BOOOOMM!!!!!!!
But he was already gone—swallowed into shadow.
He reappeared behind her, but this time, Amelia was waiting.
She lunged in a blink, spear slicing horizontally in a deadly arc.
CLANG!
Their weapons met, but Amelia's strike drew blood. A thin red line appeared on Miraak's arm. His eyes widened ever so slightly.
She exhaled sharply, "I saw your next move."
His smile cracked, becoming something feral. "You made me bleed... this filthy blood."
A moment later—
THWAAAK!
An invisible force lashed out like a hammer, slamming Amelia backward. Her body bounced off the floor before slamming into the wall, a cloud of shattered stone exploding outward.
BAAAM!
Grace's lips moved in fast, hushed chants, and healing magic poured from her hands in waves of warm radiance.
A soft golden hue passed over Lyra's eyes, and the summoner blinked rapidly, shaking as her vision began to clear.
"I can see."
Grace smiled softly, voice cracking, "Then summon. Now."
With shaky hands, Lyra drew a radiant summoning circle midair. Mana coiled around her fingers, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"SUMMON: Silver Panther!"
BOOOM!!
A bolt of silver lightning struck the floor as a massive panther emerged, its fur flickering with arcs of storm light, its growl deep enough to rattle the cracked glass.
"Attack!"
At her command, the beast lunged. Its massive frame collided with Miraak's side, sending the demon flying through several stone columns. Dust and debris exploded outward in a thunderous roar.
But as the cloud cleared, Miraak rose again—unharmed. Only his expression had changed. Annoyance gleamed in his blood-red eyes.
He turned slowly, voice low and venomous.
"You summon beasts?"
He raised both arms, and the Demonic energy around him twisted,
"Let me show you what it truly means to command beasts."
Behind him, space itself fractured little by little.
Cracks appeared in the air like broken glass, spreading outward in jagged lines. A small egg sized dark rift tore open behind him—howling, seething, pulsing with demonic energy that bled into the hall like smoke choking the light.
"DEMON REALM PORTAL: OPEN!"
The banquet hall—already devastated—shook under the pressure. Broken chandeliers fell with crashing wails. The golden inlays on the walls peeled and melted under the heat.
The distant murals depicting heroes and saints blackened as if scorched by unseen fire.
Even the second-year students staggered back, instinctively forming a defensive line.
Panic spread through the room like wildfire.
But at the front—
Ray was still holding the line.
CLANG!
SCRRREEECH!
Sword met claw in an unrelenting rhythm. Ray's movements were slower now, his body covered in gashes. Every breath hurt, and every bone ached—but he kept going, refusing to fall.
Behind him, Irvin pushed himself upright once more. Blood dripped from his chin, but his aura flared with fresh defiance.
"I'm not done," he whispered, his skin glowing faintly with a rebounding spell matrix.
A short distance away, Ethan clawed his way out of the debris, one arm hanging uselessly. Still, a crooked grin split his bruised face.
"Neither am I."
SWISSSSHHH!!!!!
Then suddenly their gazes were pulled sidewards—toward the swirling storm of demonic energy.
The small rift above shimmered like oil and lightning, spiraling faster with every passing second, tearing holes in space itself.
Zerak laughed, eyes glowing wild.
"HAHAHA! My little brother is calling the beasts to join the feast… Isn't this delightful?"
***