Chapter 37
Nephis, Akira, and Kaito moved carefully through the Dead-Leaf White Forest, the eerie mist curling around them like ghostly tendrils.
"I feel like we're being watched," Nephis muttered, her sharp eyes scanning the dense foliage.
"You feel that too?" Akira added, her voice low.
Kaito, however, was far less concerned. "Nah, it's probably just your imagination. Or maybe a ghost. Or worse… a debt collector."
Nephis shot him a glare. "Kaito, shut up."
They kept moving, but the unsettling sensation of unseen eyes remained. Shadows flickered in the corner of their vision, rustling in the trees above, yet no matter how quickly they turned, they saw nothing.
"Weird," Akira murmured. "I swear I just saw something move, but—"
Before she could finish, a sudden blur dropped from the trees right in front of them.
A monkey.
But not just any monkey.
It stood about waist-high, its fur shimmering in shades of red and orange, its eyes burning like tiny embers. But most alarming of all—it had three tails, each one pulsing with fiery energy, vibrating with contained power.
Kaito tilted his head. "Huh. That's new. I mean, I've seen monkeys before, but never one that looks like it just stepped out of a furnace."
Akira frowned. "That thing… it's at the early stages of the Collection Phase. That's trouble."
Before they could react, the monkey roared, its three tails igniting in a burst of flames.
And then—
More rustling.
Nephis's eyes widened as the surrounding trees filled with even more monkeys.
A whole troop of three-tailed fire monkeys, dozens of them, eyes locked on their prey.
Kaito slowly exhaled. "Okay. So. We're surrounded by angry fire monkeys. I just want to take a moment to reflect on all the decisions in my life that led me here."
"Less talking, more fighting," Nephis snapped.
The Battle Begins
Without hesitation, Nephis activated her three elements—fire, water, and wind. The air around her crackled with energy as she charged straight into battle.
Kaito, now at the early Collection Phase, grinned. "Guess I can't just stand around this time. Let's do this!"
The monkeys attacked in a fiery frenzy, their tails whipping forward to launch flaming projectiles. Nephis countered with a torrent of water, dousing some of the fire while following up with a wind-infused strike that sent several monkeys flying.
Akira kept to the back, trying to dodge rather than fight, muttering, "This is why I hate fire users."
Kaito, meanwhile, fought his own way.
"Alright, listen, you overgrown chimps," he said, dodging a fiery swing. "You may have three tails, but I have something better."
He raised his fists dramatically.
"The power of sheer dumb luck."
He immediately tripped over a root and dodged a monkey's attack completely by accident.
Akira stared. "Are you serious right now?"
"I call it combat instincts!" Kaito declared, rolling back onto his feet.
The battle raged on. Nephis unleashed a powerful cyclone, sending several monkeys flying into trees. Kaito used his agility and quick reflexes to dodge and strike when openings appeared. Even Akira, who had sworn not to fight, ended up slashing down a monkey that got too close.
After what felt like forever, the last monkey collapsed, and the battlefield finally fell silent.
Nephis wiped blood and sweat from her brow. Kaito collapsed onto his back, groaning. "I think my soul just left my body."
Akira, equally exhausted, muttered, "At least we're alive."
"Somehow," Nephis added.
As they sat there, catching their breath, a loud, mocking laugh echoed through the forest.
Nephis immediately snapped up, tensing.
Kaito groaned. "Oh, come on. We just finished a battle! Can't we get five minutes? Just five!"
Three figures stepped out of the mist, followed by two more. Five in total.
They were all wearing purple robes.
The Purple Department.
The boy standing in the center smirked, his arms crossed. His dark violet hair framed sharp, cruel eyes.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he said, his voice dripping with amusement.
The girl to his right scoffed. "A bunch of Black Department weaklings."
The boy continued, ignoring her. "Isn't this that so-called 'Black Hero Prince'? What's his name again?"
One of the others chuckled. "Blaze? No, wait. Blaze is the strong one. This is his weaker sidekick."
The leader then turned his gaze toward Kaito. His lips curled in amusement. "And of course, the clown. The crazy comedian who loves causing trouble."
Kaito put a hand on his chest. "Wow. They know me. I feel so famous."
"Don't take that as a compliment," Akira muttered.
The boy then looked at Nephis and smirked. "And then there's the sensible one." His eyes narrowed. "But unfortunately for you… because of your so-called 'hero prince,' today will be your downfall."
Nephis gritted her teeth. They had just finished an exhausting battle. She was injured. She wouldn't last long against a fresh group of opponents.
The leader of the Purple Department students activated his energy.
"You know the academy rules," he said mockingly. "No killing within school grounds. But out here?" His smirk deepened. "There are no rules."
He slammed his foot into the ground, and a massive shockwave of Earth energy shot toward them.
Nephis barely had time to react—she forced herself up, gathering what little energy she had left. She had to block it.
With a desperate burst of power, she unleashed her remaining strength, sending a counter-blast of fire and wind energy straight into the earth attack.
The two forces clashed in an explosion of power, shaking the very forest.
Nephis gasped, barely standing, exhausted.
The Purple Department students stood firm, unfazed.
The leader chuckled. "Still got some fight in you, huh? Let's see how long that lasts."
Will Nephis, Kaito, and Akira survive?
Or will the Purple Department crush them here and now?