Chapter 29 – Blood & Thunder
Everyone stared at Noah as if they'd seen a ghost.
"Since when has he been here?" the question rippled silently across the crowd, shock etched onto every face.
The central clearing was already brimming with tension. Hundreds of participants stood scattered around, none daring to turn their backs, all eyes wary—watching, waiting. A single breath felt like it could ignite the powder keg of silence.
The atmosphere was taut. The air crackled with anticipation. Everyone was waiting—for the second test, for chaos to begin.
Sophie strolled up to Noah, casting a glance at the green-haired girl standing beside him. Her voice was teasing, laced with mock jealousy.
"You've barely started, and you're already picking up girls behind my back, dear husband?"
Noah turned, lips curling into a smirk. "How dare I? My heart only beats for you. This little one just happened to tag along."
Anya frowned. "This little one has a name. It's Anya."
They both ignored her.
Sophie's eyes narrowed slightly, shifting back to the situation. "Any idea what the second part of the test is?"
Noah's smile deepened. "Isn't it obvious? Two hundred is too many. They need to cut us down."
He looked around, almost amused by the silence.
"And what better way than a good old-fashioned battle royale?"
As if cued by his words, Damon's voice boomed across the forest, rumbling through the trees like thunder.
"Two hundred of you made it. The rest… are already out."
"You were warned. The academy does not nurture the weak. We want monsters—the best of the best."
"So now, we reduce the number."
"You are exactly two hundred. I want at least half of you gone. Dead or crippled, it doesn't matter. I just need one hundred standing. Or less. Those will move on."
"The test begins—now."
Silence.
It fell like a hammer—heavy, crushing. No one moved. No one dared. The first to strike would be the first to die. Everyone knew it.
And yet, there are always those who don't care. Who don't need to care.
Enter: Rouge Bloodheart.
She threw her head back and laughed—wild, maniacal.
"HAHAHAHA! This is exactly what I wanted!"
BOOM!
A massive blood-forged hammer materialized in her hand. Without hesitation, she brought it down on a nearby participant. Flesh cracked. Bone shattered.
The body hit the ground, lifeless.
And with that—
Chaos erupted.
Skills lit up the clearing like fireworks—flashes of power, bursts of sound, screams. Combat ignited everywhere. Not even a minute passed before bodies began falling. Blood spilled. Cries rang out.
And at the center of it, the one who lit the spark had already found her next flame.
"NOAAHHHH!!!" Rouge's voice tore through the carnage. Her red eyes locked on him, wild with excitement. No one dared get in her path.
Noah's lips twitched. "Damn that girl."
He turned to Sophie. "My dear wife. That red lightning of yours? Quite the surprise earlier. Impressive."
His grin widened. "How about using it again? On the battle maniac sprinting toward me?"
He didn't wait for a reply. "Just keep her busy for a minute, okay? I've got things to do."
He dashed off, leaving only a parting sentence for the green-haired girl. "Anya, you're on your own now."
Anya blinked. Once. Twice.
Then the battlefield erupted.
Screams. Blood. Explosions of light, flame, wind, and worse.
She staggered back instinctively, hands shaking. The scent of iron hit her like a brick wall. She turned just in time to see a head hit the ground—and roll.
Her breath caught in her throat.
This isn't training. This is war.
And Sophie ?
Sophie's eyes twitched. Rouge, about to pursue Noah, was intercepted in a blur.
Crackle.
Lightning danced through the air as Sophie appeared in front of her. "Sorry, heir of the Bloodhearts. You're not going anywhere."
Rouge tilted her head, grin widening. "So you do want to fight, princess."
She clenched her fists. Around them, blood on the battlefield twisted and coalesced—spikes forming from the fallen. A grotesque tribute.
"Let's see what you've got, cheating princess."
Sophie's eyes hardened. Red lightning surged around her like a storm about to break.
In a blink, she was inches from Rouge's face.
BOOM! CRACK!
A lightning-coated punch connected. Rouge was sent flying, her body crashing across the clearing.
But Sophie was already in pursuit.
Rouge's laugh echoed. "YES! YES! PUNCH ME MORE!"
She hit the ground hard. Her nose broken, teeth scattered across the dirt. But then—regeneration. Skin knit. Bones reset. Her smile returned, fiercer.
And with it, her power surged. Her aura became fiercer.
By the time Sophie reappeared to strike again, Rouge had a blood barrier up.
CRACK!
It shattered under the force of Sophie's blow, and Rouge's arm broke. She was hurled again, her body skidding across the field.
She stood, arm mending before their eyes. Her voice was trembling with excitement. "Princess… you're incredible. I didn't know you were this strong."
"What is this red lightning of yours ?"
Sophie didn't respond.
Rouge laughed and suddenly her aura darkened. "Now it's my turn."
She raised a hand.
"Blood Explosion."
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions tore through the ground beneath Sophie's feet. She leapt back, but not fast enough. Blood trickled from a wound.
Rouge grinned. Because bleeding in front of her? It was suicide.
…
All across the battlefield, the story repeated in different forms.
In the northwest corner of this battlefield,
Elijah clashed blades with a blue-haired man cloaked in a deathly aura—the polar opposite of his own radiant presence.
"Who are you?" Elijah asked, parrying a dagger strike. "Why are you attacking me?"
The man smirked. "Malrik Thorneborne. And are you stupid? The test is to eliminate. I'm just following instructions."
His daggers moved like vipers—swift, precise. Elijah frowned, pushed on the defensive.
"You won't kill me. I haven't even used either of my talents. This is just swordplay."
Malrik chuckled. "You think you're the only one holding back?"
He raised his hands. "Fine. Let's turn it up."
The ground trembled. Corpses clawed out—humans, beasts, all undead. His aura warped the space around them, causing decay to creep across the battlefield.
Elijah cursed. "You asked for it."
Golden light flared in his eyes.
He raised his right hand: a sword of pure light. In his left, a blade of golden flame.
He vanished—and reappeared above Malrik like divine judgment.
"Brace yourself, you filthy thing."
Malrik only grinned, madness in his eyes. A skeletal dagger glowing green appeared in his grip.
"Bring it on."
…
Elsewhere, bodies dropped like flies.
Aphasia stood untouched, dancing through death with her wind spirits. Every approach ended in a slice—silent, clean, inevitable.
Her face calm and unbothered.
And Elizabeth ?
Elizabeth observed from afar, her blindfold fluttering in the wind. Sightless, yet she saw more than most. Her talent was eerie. Dangerous. Barely contained.
Only the blindfold kept it in check.
As she stood there, lost in thought, disgusted by the academy's methods—
A voice whispered behind her.
Smooth. Familiar.
"My dear Saintess. What a wonderful coincidence."
It was Noah.
—End of Chapter 29—