Before Erie jumped into the fight, he quickly checked his system. He was curious. He didn't know how to activate the Sun Slash, but if he recalled correctly, all he had to do was think about the move.
He then checked his energy reserves, as the system had told him that using the move would cost 5 percent of his energy.
"Energy reserve: 100 percent."
Erie smiled. "Perfect."
He readied himself and found the perfect opportunity to strike. The bulky kid had just used an ability and had his guard down, charging in after Alex. Erie wasted no more time analyzing him; Alex was about to be overwhelmed, and he had to step in.
When Erie thought about the move, energy emerged from his stomach, swirling around him and flowing into his hand. With a sharp punch, a large yellow aura burst from his fist and struck the boy before him.
"System update."
"Minus 5 Energy."
"Looks like you've been having too much fun without me, Alex."
Alex stood firm. He wanted to thank Erie but held his words back. Instead, he readied himself and focused on the two opponents before them. As the bulky kid got back up, Kyle stepped beside him.
"It's best a bronze ribbon like you stay out of this fight! Because I won't hold back!"
Erie didn't reply. He knew Kyle was his main target—but this fight was on a whole different level. Around him, the students began to cheer and shout.
"Hey, it's the Triple-F-ranked kid again! He beat the bald kid from before!"
"Yeah, but he can't win this. He's facing a Rank-Double D silver ribbon. That guy's leagues ahead."
"I can't watch! But I don't wanna miss the beatdown that's coming."
Kyle moved first. A trail of smoke left his hand, and explosions crackled from it. The blasts rocketed toward Erie. He quickly activated his Concentration skill.
It gave him just enough time to dodge. The smoke zipped past, barely missing him. Erie started closing the gap, sprinting toward Kyle. Another combustion blast hit the ground before him, knocking him off balance.
"Concentration has ended."
"Shit. So even one hit or distraction ends it," Erie muttered.
Kyle smirked as the ground beneath Erie shifted, and a large tree rose and began falling toward him. Just before Erie could get up, a pebble zipped past his head and struck the tree, breaking it into chunks.
The buffed boy from before waved his hand in a circular motion, shifting the earth again. Alex raised another tree, and vines burst forth. He hurled small rocks back at the earth-user, forcing him to react.
Erie glanced back at Alex. Alex gave him a nod—he had things handled.
Erie studied Kyle. There was a pause between his attacks. Was there a cooldown? Or did it just take time for Kyle to charge?
He didn't want to waste the opening. The delay between the earth's shift and the next tree forming could be enough for another strike.
"If I time this right, I can activate Concentration and dodge his next attack."
Explosions rang out again—this time aimed at Alex. He was panting, drenched in sweat, doing his best to dodge. Erie seized the moment and activated Sun Slash once more.
His punch hit Kyle's face, scattering a yellow aura across his skin and slightly burning him. Kyle staggered but then grinned.
"You shouldn't have gotten this close to me, orphan!"
The air around Erie exploded.
"Critical damage is taken."
"30 of 100 health points."
"Damn, that hurt!" Erie shouted.
A sharp pain tore through his stomach and up to his chest. It felt like an entire building had slammed into him. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"One more hit like that, and I'm done."
Kyle was slow to rise. Erie quickly checked his status.
"Kyle Markenburger."
"19 of 100 health points."
"He's low on health… so that move drains him bad. I still have a chance if Alex can keep the earth freak busy."
Before Erie could make another move, students began to scatter in all directions, fleeing the campus. Lilly ran toward him and offered her hand, helping him up. She waved for him to follow her out of the battle area.
Erie looked back and saw the courtyard engulfed in flames. Above the wreckage, a teacher clad in full battle armor hovered.
"We have cameras in this schoolyard!" she shouted. Erie squinted, trying to see who was speaking.
"We will review footage and call every student involved in this fight! You'll be tried based on the evidence!"
Lilly and Erie took off, running back toward the dorms. Alex peeled off in a different direction.
Erie turned back one last time. The courtyard was deserted. He wanted to return and finish the fight—he was sure he could win—but it was over. All he saw now were medics picking up injured students and vanishing into the distance.
The teacher floating above turned her head. For a moment, it looked like she was staring directly at Erie.
"Wait… is she looking at me?"
Though teachers didn't intervene during student fights, that didn't mean the academy lacked rules. If a fight went too far, punishment followed.
And this one had gone way too far.
With so many students involved, there would be an investigation. That worried Erie. Her words echoed in his mind.
"They have cameras…? But where? Are there cameras in the library, too?"
He tried to push the thought aside. Right now, he had another issue—Lilly. She'd been trailing him since earlier, and she hadn't reacted when he absorbed that boy's energy. It was almost like she knew what he was. Even stranger, she'd covered for him in the clinic.
"Is she going to blackmail me?" he wondered.
Lilly tugged his arm, snapping him out of his thoughts. They'd made it to an isolated area—grass stretching for miles. In the center, miniature buildings and training panels were neatly arranged.
"These buildings… they're only big enough for one person. Where are we?" Erie asked.
"This is a training area," Lilly said sharply. "But don't worry about that now."
She turned on him, eyes narrowed. "What the hell was that?! Why are you using those moves out in the open?"