Chapter 41
Blaze lay on the ground, body aching from exhaustion, as his dazed eyes locked onto the yellow-haired warrior standing before him.
"Who… the hell are you?" he muttered, confused.
The stranger's yellow hair shimmered, his piercing yellow eyes brimming with electricity. His stance was effortless, completely unbothered by the overwhelming army of Kuma's clones that had just beaten Blaze to the ground.
"Since when did we become friends?" Blaze thought. He racked his brain, but no memory of this guy surfaced.
The clones surrounding them sneered.
"What on earth are you thinking, you black scum?" one clone scoffed, stepping forward.
FWIP.
The next second, his head was gone.
Not a single soul had seen the yellow-haired boy move.
The headless clone stood there, frozen in time, before vanishing into a puff of smoke. The air hummed with a lingering crackle of electricity.
Blaze's eyes widened.
The other clones instinctively took a step back. Even Kuma, standing at a distance, tensed up.
"What… was that speed?!"
Kuma gritted his teeth.
"You Black Department freaks are all insane!" he spat.
With a roar, he shouted—
"ONE HUNDRED CLONING SPELL!"
The ground trembled as hundreds of clones surged forward, encircling the yellow-haired warrior from all angles.
"Let's see you deal with this!" Kuma sneered.
The yellow-haired boy simply closed his eyes.
The clones lunged.
"First Lightning Art…"
A spark of yellow lightning flickered at his feet.
"Lightning Flash."
Then—
BOOM!
In a fraction of a second, he disappeared.
A streak of yellow light zipped through the battlefield, leaving behind only the sound of crackling electricity.
Then—
Slash.
Slash.
Slash.....
The entire army of clones—hundreds of them—froze mid-attack.
One by one, their heads detached from their bodies, dissolving into smoke.
Within seconds, every single clone was erased from existence.
The only sound that remained was the gentle hum of electricity in the air.
The yellow-haired warrior stood in the exact same spot as before, his body completely still, as if he had never moved.
Blaze's jaw dropped.
Kuma's eyes trembled. Sweat poured down his forehead.
"What… what the hell just happened?" he stammered.
The entire battlefield had been wiped clean in an instant.
Kuma clenched his fists.
"I-Impossible…"
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet.
"HUNDRED CLONING SPELL!" he roared again.
More clones erupted into existence.
But—
"Second Lightning Art…"
The yellow-haired warrior vanished.
"Lightning Execution."
A yellow blur zipped through the battlefield.
Within the blink of an eye—the new wave of clones collapsed into smoke.
Kuma fell to his knees, panting heavily. His body shook from exhaustion.
"T-This can't be real…"
The yellow-haired warrior walked toward him, hands in his pockets.
Standing over the fallen Kuma, he spoke in a calm, controlled voice.
"I'll spare you this time." His yellow eyes glowed. "But if you ever attack my friend again… I will crush you."
Kuma swallowed hard. He had never felt this much fear before.
"What kind of… monsters exist in the Black Department?" he muttered.
With that, the yellow-haired warrior turned away and walked over to Blaze.
Blaze, still recovering from his beating, sat up and let out a weak chuckle.
"Okay… thanks for saving my ass."
The yellow-haired warrior nodded.
Blaze wiped some blood from his lips. "But… who the hell are you? And why did you call me your friend?"
The boy gave a proud smirk.
"My name is VOLT." His yellow eyes glowed with confidence.
"I like your bravery. Your sense of justice. So I've decided… that you're my first friend."
Blaze blinked. "Huh?"
He raised a brow. "So you just… made me your friend? Just like that?"
The yellow-haired warrior nodded seriously.
Blaze rubbed his temples. "Do I… get a say in this?"
"No."
Blaze nearly choked. "Are you serious?!"
The yellow-haired boy folded his arms. "Do you not want to be my friend?"
Blaze sighed. "It's not that, it's just… you can't force friendship on people like some kind of divine decree."
The yellow-haired boy simply shrugged. "Too late. It's already been decided."
Blaze facepalmed. "This guy…"
Just as Blaze was trying to process his newly assigned friendship, a sudden blast of light erupted in the distance.
The entire sky lit up, a strange radiant glow pulsing from deep within the forest.
The two of them turned their heads.
Blaze stood up. "That's not normal."
The yellow-haired warrior's eyes narrowed. "It could be some kind of a treasure."
Blaze smirked. "Well, only one way to find out."
He stretched his arms. "C'mon, let's check it out."
_ _ _
Blaze and Volt sprinted through the dense forest, leaping over fallen trees and darting past thick foliage. The mysterious bright light in the distance pulsed like a heartbeat, growing stronger as they approached.
"Do you even know what we're running toward?" Blaze huffed, dodging a hanging vine.
"Nope," Volt grinned, effortlessly keeping pace. "But that just makes it more exciting!"
Blaze sighed. "This guy is insane..."
As they reached the clearing, they skidded to a halt.
A massive, glowing door stood before them, its intricate carvings radiating a golden aura. Dozens of students from different departments had already gathered, eyes locked onto the ancient structure.
When the Black Department students spotted Blaze, they immediately moved to his side.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"The Black Hero is here!"
"I heard he defeated ten late-stage Collection Phase fighters at once!"
"I feel safer just standing near him."
Blaze raised an eyebrow. "I swear, I'm not a walking lucky charm."
Volt patted his shoulder. "You are now. Embrace it, friend"
Blaze groaned. "I regret making eye contact with you."
Before anyone could step closer to the door, a low growl echoed through the clearing.
A massive beast emerged from the shadows—a four-legged, fanged creature at the early stages of the Alkan Phase.
It snarled, saliva dripping from its razor-sharp teeth, preparing to lunge at the nearest student.
But before it could—
"Earth Boulder."
A single flick of the wrist from a White Department student summoned a massive stone, which came crashing down on the beast.
The ground shook. When the dust settled, only a crushed carcass remained.
Blaze's eyes widened.
Rayden Hailo.
He had barely moved, yet his power was overwhelming.
Rayden casually walked toward Blaze, his sharp gaze locking onto him.
"Blaze, join our team." His tone was firm. "Whatever's behind that door, we'll need the strongest fighters together."
Blaze was about to respond when—
"No thanks."
Volt stepped forward, arms crossed.
Rayden's eyes narrowed. "And who are you?"
Volt smirked. "Blaze's best friend."
Rayden's eyebrow twitched.
"…Best friend?"
Volt nodded. "Yep. His closest, most trusted, irreplaceable companion."
Rayden turned to Blaze for confirmation.
Blaze immediately shook his head. "I just met this guy."
Volt gasped dramatically. "Blaze! How could you betray me like this?!" After we have finalized our friendship!
Blaze massaged his temples. "Volt, please shut up before he—"
Rayden's eyes darkened, his aura growing heavy.
Before things could escalate further, the nearby bushes rustled.
Everyone turned just in time to see—
A majestic White Tiger stepping into the clearing.
Rayden's group immediately launched their spells at the White Tiger, but—
"Water Wall!"
A barrier of water materialized, blocking every attack.
A familiar voice rang out.
"Don't hurt my pet."
Blaze's eyes widened. "That voice…"
From the forest, a brown-haired girl stepped forward, accompanied by two boys and another girl.
Nephis.
Behind her were Lucas, Akira, and Kaito.
Nephis walked over to the White Tiger, placing a hand on its fur.
The beast began to shrink, its large form dissolving until it became the size of a house cat, curling onto Nephis' shoulder.
The entire crowd gasped.
"Wait… That ability… That's a Summoner's power!"
"Nephis has awakened as a Beast Tamer?!"
"That's one of the rarest abilities!"
Nephis was already at the Second Stage of the Alkan Phase. With her summon at the peak of the collection phase, she was even stronger.
Lucas, standing beside her, grinned. His already at the peak of the collection phase.
Rayden sighed, backing away. "Fine. We'll leave you alone for now. But you…" He cast a cold glare. "Be careful with your words next time."
Volt waved him off. "Yeah, yeah"
As the tension eased, Kaito finally broke the silence.
He pointed at Volt. "Hey, who's this guy?"
Volt grinned. "The name's Volt." He threw an arm around Blaze. "Blaze's new best friend."
Kaito froze.
His face slowly twisted in horror.
"I'm sorry… WHAT?!"
Volt nodded. "You heard me. His first, closest, and most trusted friend."
Kaito gasped, clutching his chest.
"Blaze… HOW COULD YOU REPLACE ME?!" He dramatically fell to his knees.
Blaze groaned. "Not this again…"
Kaito pointed at Volt. "Listen here, you yellow-haired wannabe. I have been Blaze's best friend since the beginning! You can't just walk in and steal my title!"
Volt smirked. "Sounds like you're jealous."
Kaito gasped again. "I AM NOT!"
Lucas patted Kaito's back. "Don't worry. You're still his most dramatic friend."
Nephis sighed. "This is painful to watch."
Before Kaito could start throwing hands, the light from the massive door faded.
Everyone turned toward it, hearts pounding.
The carvings on the door shifted, and a deep rumbling noise filled the air.
Something was about to open.
The portal expedition had only four days left.
And whatever awaited them beyond this door…
Would change everything.
To be continued…