Rael let out a guttural growl, his golden fur shifting as his body underwent its Berserker transformation.
His muscles expanded slightly, his height increasing, but the most terrifying change was his fur—
It turned from golden to a ghostly white, and the crackling thunder around him turned from yellow to blood-red.
The air distorted around him.
Raw, unstable mana surged from his body like a violent storm, his lightning sparking chaotically.
His Berserker Mode wasn't just a strength increase— It altered his very nature, making him faster, stronger, and far more destructive.
The moment his red lightning surged through his limbs—he vanished.
BOOM!
A massive crater exploded where he had been standing.
Rael reappeared in front of Alistair, his red lightning-coated fist swinging at full speed.
"Try dodging this!"
Alistair's black eyes remained cold.
He moved—not backward—but sideways, effortlessly avoiding Rael's thunderous punch with the barest of movements.
Rael's fist hit empty air, his muscles tensing in shock.
But before he could recover—
SHING!
A blade of ice sliced toward Alistair from the side.
Lyria.
She had moved in perfect synchronization with Rael's attack, using the moment Alistair dodged to strike from his blind spot.
The mist she had conjured obscured the battlefield, her ice-cold aura masking her presence.
But—
It didn't matter.
Alistair's black eyes flickered as he raised a single finger—
CLANG!
His abyssal tendrils surged out, forming a black-red barrier that blocked her reaper before it could reach him.
Lyria's eyes widened.
Rael didn't waste the opportunity—he grabbed a massive chunk of ruins from the ground, his strength boosted by his berserker mode, and hurled it at Alistair.
The massive boulder-like debris shot toward him at blinding speed.
"Not bad."
Alistair simply raised his hand.
His shadow tendrils whipped forward, slicing the massive stone into dust before it could even touch him.
Rael and Lyria both attacked at the same time.
Rael attacked from the front, his lightning-coated fists breaking through the darkness.
Lyria struck from behind, using her ice-infused reaper to target his weak spots.
A perfect combination.
But—
The next moment—Alistair vanished.
Rael's eyes widened as his punch hit nothing.
Lyria's reaper slashed through empty air.
Then—
A cold voice whispered behind them.
"Too slow."
Before they could react, Alistair struck.
His elbow crashed into Rael's ribs, sending him flying backward through the mist.His knee smashed into Lyria's stomach, making her gasp in pain before being thrown away like a ragdoll.
"Ugh—!"
Rael rolled across the ruined battlefield, stopping himself by digging his claws into the ground.
Lyria stabbed her reaper into the earth, barely stopping her momentum.
She gritted her teeth, sweat forming on her forehead.
"He's… toying with us."
Despite being a Berserker mode, despite using their best techniques, they couldn't even land a hit.
Alistair simply stood there, his expression unreadable.
His black hair barely moved in the wind.
His abyssal tendrils swayed lazily, as if waiting for their master's command.
His eyes remained cold, calculating, as if this entire fight was a mere formality.
Rael wiped the blood from his lips, his ember-like golden eyes burning with frustration.
"We can't keep fighting him like this."
Lyria narrowed her eyes.
"Then we change tactic.
****
This time—
Rael didn't charge first.
Lyria didn't attack immediately.
Instead, they used the battlefield.
Rael ripped chunks of debris from the ruins, throwing them with devastating force. Lyria conjured thick walls of ice, obscuring Alistair's vision.
Then—
They both moved within the mist, striking from unpredictable angles.
The battlefield became chaotic.
Lightning crackled.
Ice shattered.
Shadows twisted.
But—
Even as they attacked with everything they had—
Alistair still controlled the fight.
His footwork was perfect.
His movements were precise.
His reaction time was inhuman.
It was like fighting a ghost.
Every time Rael's thunderous fists came close—they missed.
Every time Lyria's reaper flashed through the mist—it was blocked.
But then—
A loud crash echoed across the battlefield.
Lyria and Rael turned—
And their team had finally finished wiping out Alistair's teammates.
The remaining survivors from Rael's team—though injured—turned their focus onto a single target.
Alistair.
One of them—an elf spear user, called out.
"He's alone! We can take him together!"
The surviving six members of Rael's team charged forward.
Alistair's black eyes flickered toward them.
Then—he sighed.
The moment he raised his hand, his shadow tendrils pulsed, growing even sharper.
The blood-infused blades at the tip of his tendrils glowed ominously.
Then—
They moved.
*****
The Observation Room --
The Grand Arcanum Academy's observation chamber was filled with tension.
Rows of professors and instructors sat before a massive holographic displays, each screen showcasing different battlefields.
One screen showed Leon Valerius and Morganna Draven locked in battle against Dain Drakonis. Another displayed Evelyn Aurelius clashing with Kieran Azurios in an intense elemental duel. Other battles between rising stars played across different screens.
But despite the dozens of matches occurring simultaneously—
Only one screen held everyone's attention.
The match featuring Alistair Vaelthorn.
The instructors watched in stunned silence as the battlefield settled.
Alistair stood alone, his black hair unruffled, his abyssal tendrils retracting. Around him, the corpses of Rael Thunderfang, Lyria Starfang, and their entire team lay motionless. Rael's once white-furred Berserker form was now dyed crimson, his body covered in deep wounds.His teammates' avatars flickered—signifying their complete defeat.
And yet—
Alistair had barely moved.
"He… wiped them all out."
The observation room was silent for a long moment before murmurs broke out.
---
Professor Lucien Ashvale, the Arcane Artificer, adjusted his monocle, his sharp gaze locked onto the display.
"This… isn't normal."
Beside him, Ignatius Pyros, the Infernal Warlord, let out a deep laugh.
"Hah! The boy's a monster. We knew he was strong, but this? Taking out an entire team after they had already wiped his own? That's pure dominance."
Professor Selvaris, the Abyssal Magic expert, gave a rare smirk.
"His mastery over blood and shadow magic is increasing at an absurd rate. But that's not the true source of his strength."
Lady Selena Loventis, the Enchantress of Desire, leaned forward, her golden eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"Then what is?"
Selvaris crossed his arms.
" His lack of hesitation when killing."
The room fell into thoughtful silence.
Professor Darius Stonefist, the Unbreakable Guardian, let out a gruff sigh.
"We tried to balance the teams. Even when adjusting for his strength, there was no way to create a 'fair' matchup among first-years."
"Only way to make it equal is to make him fight against all elite students from 1st year."
" That's match will be equal, is also not guaranteed" Ignatius Pyros said.
"At this rate, even most of the fifth and sixth years would struggle against him."
The average rank of a graduating student was D+.Only the most talented reached C- or higher.Even among seniors, only a handful could fight at Alistair's level.
Professor Valeria Duskbane, the Phantom Duelist, tapped her fingers against the table.
"Outside of the top elites," Valeria continued, "our senior students are no match for him."
The instructors exchanged looks.
They had never seen a first-year dominate to such an extent.
While the instructors were analyzing the battle, another group was also watching.
The Academy's upperclassmen had gathered outside the observation hall, watching the VR battles displayed on massive floating screens.
Many were members of the Student Council. Some were leaders of research groups and elite clubs.
Others were scouts for the Academy's Discipline Committee.
Their goal?
To observe the strong first-years and recruit them.
Most of them recognized Leon Valerius—his duel with Cedric had already made him famous.
But today—everyone's eyes were on Alistair Vaelthorne.
A tall, fourth-year student, dressed in an immaculate uniform, crossed his arms.
"That's the same guy from that combat video—the one where he used Aura in a duel."
A fifth-year, part of the Student Council's Combat Division, nodded.
"I didn't think much of him then. But now? I'm reconsidering."
A sixth-year, a leader of one of the top elite groups, frowned.
"He's strong, but he doesn't belong to any faction yet. That means he's a wildcard."
A discipline committee officer chuckled.
"Let's see if we can change that."
****
Among the watching seniors, one woman stood out.
She had golden-blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a calm, elegant aura.
She was Isolde Valerius—Leon's older sister and the Student Council President.
She leaned back in her chair, watching the screen with a soft, warm smile.
Her focus, however, was not on Alistair.
It was on Leon.
Beside her, a woman with a cheerful personality, dressed in the Student Council's Vice-President uniform, grinned.
"You're staring too much, Isolde."
Isolde simply chuckled.
"My little brother is growing stronger. It's interesting to watch."
The Vice-President smirked.
"You should say hi to him sometime."
Isolde didn't reply.
She simply continued watching.
---
To Be Continued…