The students were overwhelmed with stress, unable to defeat the formidable Dragon Earth Beast. Unlike their previous opponents, this one was twice the size, far stronger, and highly resistant to attacks.
"This must be the Big Boss! Ahhh! Run for your lives!" one student screamed in panic.
The Dragon Earth Beast roared, spewing rocks of various sizes mixed with sand.
"WATCH OUT!!"
"Watch me nae nae—"
"What the hell?! That was so cringe!"
"DODGE!"
"WHOA—"
"OH MY!!"
"FLYING ROCKS!? OMG!"
"Are we really in a demo, or are they actually trying to kill us?!"
"Oh my Spriggans! I don't wanna die yet! Not before I get a girlfriend!"
"Same! Leave this to me!"
"Huh? Hey! Where are you going?!"
A male student suddenly stopped running and raised both his hands. Then...
"Mirror of Depravity: Reflection!"
A massive mirror materialized before them.
The Dragon Earth Beast's attack was absorbed into the mirror and a second mirror appeared above the creature, reflecting the barrage of stones and sand right back at it.
"He... just returned the attack?!" Ish eyes went wide, admiration evident.
"Thank goodness this guy is more afraid of dying single than dying in battle—PFFT!" Dy bemused.
The Dragon Earth Beast was buried under a pile of rocks but the nightmare wasn't over yet. The beast stirred then burst out of the debris, sending rocks flying in every direction.
Each student scrambled to evade the incoming projectiles.
One particular student, who had accidentally offended Azure and Ish earlier, quickly summoned a Self-Shield—a bluish barrier with an intricate turtle shell pattern. The unique design didn't go unnoticed.
"Whoa! Look at that! That shield is amazing!" most student exclaimed in disbelief and amusement. The shield is so aesthetic.
"So aesthetic." commented by the student encased in a floating bubble.
Inside those bubbles, that surround the said student, were the rocks that had been launched earlier. Even the Dragon Earth Beast was now encased in a bubble.
"Are we going full-on Powerpuff Girls now?" Dy half-laugh half-amused.
"Bubbles' power?" Ish couldn't help but raise a brow.
In a blink, the bubbles surrounding the Dragon Earth Beast explode—shattering one of its wings. The beast let out a deafening roar before charging forward, enraged.
"Why's it coming straight for us?!" Sol paled as he hastily conjured a shield.
"Sol! Solar Shield won't work against that thing! Remember?!" Dy reminded her twin brother.
"Seth! Stop it with your gravity thingy!" Azure ordered.
Seth tried, but in his panic, he couldn't focus. "Guys! I can't do it!"
"What do we do?!" Maye, now floating mid-air, looked ready to flee.
"Hey! Not fair! Maye, get down here!" Azure commanded.
"My fire won't work against it either." Ish said as he rolled his eyeballs. His pissed off about his flame not able to work against the predicament they're in.
Just as Class Tala was about to succumb to fear, one of their classmates took action.
A student, simple yet handsome, pale-skinned and tall, released an icy gust of wind, slowly freezing the Dragon Earth Beast. But the creature was tenacious—it resisted, pushing forward even as frost crept up its body.
The unknown student began to struggle, running out of oxygen, but before he could collapse, another unknown classmate stepped in to help.
The sand user, named Fall, observing from afar, scowled. Something caught his attention.
"Both of them can blow winds but..." He frowned, deep in thought. "A while ago, I swear I saw that guy release electricity when he was startled. Could it be...!?"
Floating atop his own sand, the sand user watched the battle unfold, his pale face twisted in contemplation.
His friends exchanged glances.
"Fall, this will take forever if we don't step in," the bubble user sighed as he rubbed his temples. "Was my contribution earlier enough?"
"Gin is right! We should assist." said the twins, speaking in unison.
"Quiet, Yang, Yin!" Fall snapped at them. "Gin can help so there's no need for you two to use your weird abilities."
"Wow, rude. Weird? Really?" the identical twins muttered under their breath.
"This is so boring. Let's end it quickly. I want to eat watermelon already." Fallen said with commanding tone.
At his command, Gin moved swiftly. He created a giant bubble, trapping the Dragon Earth Beast inside. Then—
BOOM.
A deafening explosion echoed through the forest.
"YEHEY!"
"WOW!"
"AWESOME!"
And—
"HIGH FIVE!"
"NICE KILL!"
Then—
"PARTY! PARTY!"
"Let's party!"
"Party?"
And finally—
"Guys! Everyone's invited to my mansion! Let's celebrate!"
The students erupted into cheers.
"The weaklings are celebrating?"
"Just let them be, Boss. Can't they enjoy for once? Don't be such a killjoy."
"Yang!" Gin scolded.
The group froze as Fall's eyes widened in shock. Yang immediately covered his mouth, but it was too late.
"You wanna be buried alive, Yang? Huh?!" Fall's voice turned dangerously low.
"Boss, please forgive my twin. Hehe." Yin chuckled nervously. "Besides, if you bury him, you know it means war between you and I."
Fall eyed the Emerald twins, contemplating why he even befriended them in the first place. All of his friends came from wealthy families, but something about these two was unsettling. He sighed, watching the other students leave.
"Who were those guys? I've never seen them before," he suddenly asked. "Maybe they were too insignificant before, which is why I never noticed them," he mused.
"They're from Class Tala but they didn't come from Leviathan. They transferred here from another school." Gin explained.
"Wait—so they're not from ALVAACAD's 'Little Sister'? I thought only students from Leviathan were accepted here?" Fall's curiosity deepened.
"Ew! That means outsiders actually set foot in ALVAACAD?! Our ALVAACAD!? No way!" Yin dramatically exclaimed, both palms on his cheek.
"Brother, stop being so dramatic. So what if they're from another school? Does it bother you?" Yang couldn't help it but rolled his eyes.
Fall glanced at him, deep in thought.
"What're you thinking, Fall?" Gin asked, intrigued.
A slow smile spread across Fall's lips.
"Pssst. Yin, our boss is going crazy." Yang whispered.
To Be Continued...