The battlefield was a disaster. Smoke rose in thick plumes, the ground cracked from the sheer intensity of magic clashing. Arthur and Gael lay motionless, groaning in pain.
Zayne walked past them, his cold, empty eyes looking down at their fallen forms. Lightning crackled at his fingertips.
"The punishment for the weak… is death."
Seraphina, watching this unfold, gritted her teeth in rage. Her sword manifested in a flash of radiant light as she lunged forward.
"I won't let you—!"
But before she could even react—
Zayne disappeared.
She barely had time to widen her eyes in shock before—
SLASH!
A streak of lightning cut through her. Pain shot through her body as she gasped, blood spilling from her lips. Her vision blurred as she fell to the ground, motionless.
Arthur's body trembled.
"No..."
His fists clenched. His breathing became uneven.
Leo, Felix, Gael, and the others—all still wounded—charged at Zayne together. Callista included.
"Attack at the same time!" Felix shouted.
Before they could even reach him—
CRACK!
A massive bolt of lightning struck down from above.
In an instant, they all fell.
Their bodies twitched, smoking from the electricity.
Zayne walked toward Riven and grabbed his head, lifting him up with one hand. His other hand sparked violently with lightning.
"You're all weak."
His eyes gleamed with madness as he thrust his blade through Riven's stomach.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
Arthur's world froze.
His breath caught in his throat. His vision blurred.
Everything… stopped moving.
Zayne pulled his sword out, and Riven gasped, coughing blood. He weakly turned his head toward Arthur before Zayne tossed him to the ground near the others.
Arthur couldn't breathe.
"No… No… No… No…"
His hands gripped his head.
"This can't be happening. Not you too… First Seraphina… now Riven…"
Something inside him snapped.
"NOOOOO!!!"
A violent black aura erupted from his body, forming a massive shockwave that shook the entire battlefield. His sword changed, glowing with eerie symbols etched in ancient script.
Hyorinmaru, still in spirit form, felt the shift and his eyes widened.
"Does Master wish to show himself…?"
Arthur's screams echoed, his energy spiraling out of control.
Hyorinmaru's expression darkened.
"No. He's losing control!"
Before anything worse could happen—
Water surged from beneath Arthur.
A massive tsunami formed, sweeping everything away. The battlefield turned into a raging flood, pushing everyone backward.
The water carried the unconscious fighters to safety, waking Callista in the process.
As soon as she saw Riven's lifeless body, her heart dropped.
"No…!"
She rushed over, placing her hands over his wounds.
"Healing Magic: Vital Bloom!"
Green energy wrapped around Riven as she desperately worked to keep him alive. She carried him to a shallow part of the battlefield where the water was calmer.
Meanwhile, Leo and Felix watched Arthur, still in a frenzy.
Leo's eyes narrowed. "Since when… did he have water magic?"
Felix shivered. "This power—it's too much."
Gael groggily sat up, rubbing his head.
"If Arthur doesn't calm down…" he muttered, looking at the rising waters, "we're all going to drown."
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.
"Arthur! Calm down! We're still alive!"
But Arthur didn't respond.
Instead, Zayne laughed.
A chilling, psychotic laugh.
"You're strong," he grinned, eyes gleaming. "This is getting fun."
Arthur's rampage continued—until…
Hyorinmaru intervened.
---
Hyorinmaru's Domain
Arthur gasped as his surroundings suddenly changed.
The battlefield was gone.
Instead, he stood in a vast, frozen wasteland. Ice-covered mountains towered in the distance. The air was cold and heavy, pressing down on him like an unshakable weight.
A familiar voice echoed.
"You fool."
Arthur turned to see Hyorinmaru, floating above the icy ground, his piercing blue eyes locked onto him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Arthur clenched his fists. "He—he killed them! He killed Riven and hurt Seraphina! I—"
Hyorinmaru cut him off.
"Are you fighting to save your comrades, or are you letting your emotions blind you?"
Arthur froze.
Hyorinmaru raised his claw and showed Arthur an image.
Arthur's heart dropped.
His friends were struggling—not against Zayne, but against the raging flood he had created.
Felix and Gael were helping the unconscious Seraphina. Callista was desperately healing Riven.
His own power… was endangering them.
"What am I doing…?" Arthur whispered.
Hyorinmaru's voice softened.
"That's what I want to ask you. Calm down."
Arthur swallowed hard, then slowly nodded.
Hyorinmaru, watching him, muttered to himself.
"It's not just anger. Master's energy syncs with his emotions. That's why he lost control."
---
The Battle Resumes
The raging water suddenly stopped.
The battlefield settled. The flood receded.
Felix let out a shaky breath. "Is it… over?"
The water drained downward, revealing a deep underground structure beneath them. A massive river had formed at the base of the dungeon.
Zayne scoffed, disappointed.
"How boring."
Arthur stood in the water, lifting his hand. His fingers curled into a fist.
"Water Magic: Hydro Prison."
A sphere of water engulfed Zayne.
Zayne thrashed inside, unable to breathe.
His mind flickered—
Eliara's voice echoed in his memories.
"Let's pass the exams and meet each other outside, okay?"
They had pinky promised.
Then, in a flash, he saw her dead body.
Lightning exploded from within the Hydro Prison.
The dungeon shook violently as a massive bolt of lightning struck from above, tearing through the battlefield.
The explosion blinded them all—
When it cleared…
They found themselves floating inside a protective water sphere.
Felix, panicked, looked around. "Wait—this is the same technique he used on Zayne! He's lost control again!"
Arthur, inside his own mind, thought carefully.
"I can't keep them in this too long. There's no oxygen… but…"
He modified the spell.
"Sea Cradle."
The new water barrier formed, this time circulating oxygen.
Leo smacked Felix's head. "Idiot. He's in control."
Gael looked down at the battlefield and paled.
"The water is… electrified."
Zayne, still on the ground, smirked.
"That's not fair."
He launched an attack.
Arthur swiftly created a personal water shield to block it.
Zayne cackled. "I told you, stop using cheap tricks!"
He raised his sword. Lightning descended again—
BOOM!
Arthur's Sea Cradle shattered.
Everyone started falling.
Thinking fast, Arthur manipulated the water beneath them, creating solid platforms for them to land on.
Zayne grinned. "You think shields work against true lightning?"
Everyone froze.
"True lightning…?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
"I need a plan."
An idea struck him.
Using water, he secretly wrote a message to Leo.
"At my signal, use your strongest fire technique."
Leo glanced at him but showed no reaction.
Arthur led Zayne toward the water's center, trapping him in a cold mist.
Zayne stabbed an ice clone, realizing too late—
Arthur, hanging from the ceiling, smirked.
"Welcome to my lesson."
Zayne frowned. "What?"
Arthur pointed at the electrified water.
"What happens… if we add fire?"
Leo smirked.
"Fire Magic: Fireball!"
Zayne's eyes widened.
"You idiots—fire gets quenched by wa—"
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted.
The dungeon shook.
Arthur's voice rang out.
"Electrolysis occurs."