Somewhere near the epicenter of the Academy Final exam field…
The clearing was a graveyard. Dead beasts and fallen recruits littered the ground, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood and scorched earth.
Dom and Dae remained frozen, the hairs on their necks stood on end, and their throats dried as they finally noticed the beast that managed to sneak up on them.
Time itself seemed to slow, each heartbeat loud in their ears, as the shadowy presence watched, patient and deadly.
Then, it straightened--
Dom's temple glistened with sweat as he watched the massive, lizard-like magical beast rose to its full height. Its black, armor-like scales gleamed beneath layers of blood, covering every inch of its hulking body and slithering tail.
Dom gritted his teeth. This thing is huge… and I didn't even notice it. He thought, gulping nervously as he perceived the intense red aura oozing out of its frame.
Dae's eyes narrowed with caution, his hand already hovering over his sword.
Meanwhile, the beast clicked ominously as it tilted its head; its red glowing eyes perceived its surroundings as a colorless void. Filled with different-sized shadows like the trees or corpses.
But its vision was drawn to the two colored lights before it. The purple and blue mana shrouds represented Dae and Dom.
When the colors flared slightly, it let out a deafening shriek, closing the gap with terrifying speed and slamming its sharp claw into the ground with enough force to hurl rock and debris into the air.
The beast's eyes scanned the dust cloud beneath it, then shifted toward the blue shroud, who now knelt several feet away with a weaker yellow shroud still in his arms.
"Dom…" Sam mumbled, spotting the blood streaking Dom's shoulder.
Dom clicked his tongue at the gash, the pain searing through his skin, but chose to ignore it as he turned his gaze to the slowly advancing beast. "Can you walk?" He asked, gently releasing Sam.
Sam nodded weakly. But when he tried, he stumbled.
Dom's attention drifted to Sam for a second--which was enough for the beast to close the gap, its shadow covering the two mages instantly.
"Dominic!" Dae shouted from a distance, his voice tense as he watched the beast's tail rise.
Sam froze, wide-eyed, once he realized that the beast was now towering over Dom.
Without a second thought, Dom shoved Sam out of the way just as the beast's tail swung into his side with devastating force.
Blood spilled from his gritted teeth, pain erupting through him as something inside his chest snapped right before the impact flung through the clearing. His body whistled as it tore through trees like paper before stopping with an explosive crash of wood and debris deep into the forest.
Sam tumbled safely to the ground, dazed but alive, while Dae's eyes widened at the path of destruction left by Dom's body.
The beast's eyes then shifted to Sam, who froze, paralyzed with terror as it raised its arm, its sharp claws gleaming under the sunlight.
"No," Sam muttered, trembling as the beast suddenly thrust down on him, its claws slashing through the air—long, deadly, precise—but a streak of purple lightning intercepted, snatching Sam away before the strike made contact.
The beast growled as it turned to the purple shroud, which skidded back into the clearing, the weak yellow shroud now hidden among the surrounding bushes.
As Dae pulled his swords free, he glanced at the broken trees and dug ground. I seriously doubt Dominic survived that. He thought, his fingers tightening on his sword hilts at the implication of that.
As the beast advanced, he narrowed his eyes, sweat sliding down his temple as he sensed its dense mana.
This isn't a B-class beast. It's at least A-class… maybe even higher.
He spun his swords, then calmly took a defensive stance.
Dominic's dead. I've failed the exam. There's no need to fight anymore. Should I run?
He flinched as the beast let out a deafening shriek again. The ground trembled as it charged, a sonic wave warning of its speed.
In a heartbeat, it stood above Dae, claws raised for the kill.
It's fast… too fast for something of its size.
Dae looked up as the beast swung its claws down. His eyes sparked with violet electricity as he suddenly leapt away, narrowly evading the claw by some inches, leaving the attack to gouge the earth where he had stood.
The beast shrieked again, following after Dae with towering form and unnatural speed, but Dae evaded each strike with slightly faster movements.
I might be able to get away on my own. But…
He glanced at a certain bush--where Sam panted quietly, watching while pressing his hand on his still bleeding wound.
He needs medical attention. If I leave him, he'll die or get killed by this thing.
Dae grunted, blocking a sudden tail swing with his swords. As the impact flung him across the air, he gritted his teeth.
I can't carry him fast enough. It'll catch up.
He landed with a heavy thud, quickly adopting a defensive stance as the beast charged again.
Despite its rapidly approaching body and the ground trembling with each heavy step, Dae released a calm breath, his grip tightened on his blades as he narrowed his eyes.
I have to bring it down.
Another strike tore through the forest floor.
Dae evaded again, sliding past the beast while changing the grip on his swords, their edges crackling with purple electricity.
Or at least slow it down so it can't follow us.
With a sudden burst, he raced forward, his body a streak of purple light, the deafening thunderclap announcing his arrival at the beast's flank.
Its glowing eyes tracked Dae's presence immediately, its claws slashing through the air with lethal intent.
"Your speed…" Dae muttered, eyes sparking with electricity as he ducked, easily evading its swing. "…is no match to mine." His sword grip changed again, its sharp tips grinding against the floor as his mana flared.
The creature's eyes widened as it retaliated with another swing, but Dom leapt and swung its other claw.
"Form 15," He said, spreading his arms as he fell back towards the beast. "Lightning Coffin,"
He slashed with blinding precision. Each cut of the echoed like thunder, bathing its body in dozens of slashes in a single second.
Dae then landed behind it-- his eyes widened as his blades vibrated violently while the beast slowly straightened behind him, its armor completely unharmed.
"Hard," He muttered, then narrowly dodged a tail swing that snapped a nearby tree like a twig.
He rolled to the side, then charged again, sending another slash, but his blade failed to cut through the beast's impervious armor. He tried again, this time aiming at its joint, but the result was the same.
With a click of his tongue, he pulled away before the beast could strike him down.
Two minutes later…
Dae stumbled to a knee, his chest heaving and his grip trembling on his sword as he watched the beast turn to him again, its armor still unscathed despite his numerous attacks.
As it charged again, Dae stood and swayed on his feet, the fatigue accumulated from the past four hours had finally caught up to him. He barely evaded the next strike, then gritted his teeth as he raised his blades to deflect a slash, sparks flying from the brief contact.
As he quickly dashed away, the beast thrust its tail, the armor at its tip sharp and pointed like a spear, as it managed to graze the Dae's calf.
He groaned as he tumbled, his momentum sending him rolling across the floor before flinging him into the corpse of a large boar. He barely had time to catch his breath before evading the next charge, the ground vibrating with each heavy step while the beast's claws tore through the boar's flesh like paper.
None of my attacks are working… His thoughts faltered as he got back on his feet, his injured leg struggling to maintain its stance as it charged at him again.
As he deflected another strike, his eyes met the beast's gaze.
I've seen this beast before… where?
He slid to a stop several feet away, knee on the ground, and his swords dug into the dirt, acting as supports as he caught his breath.
As the beast turned its gaze to him again, he sighed deeply. "It doesn't matter." He mumbled, pushing down on his weapons as he forced himself to stand.
The beast huffed, scales glinting menacingly in the sunlight as it stalked forward.
"I could run… and get help from the trainers… but…" Dae groaned, his injured leg twitching as he tried to take a stance. He glanced at Sam, barely sensing his fading presence.
He then stomped with enough force to crack the ground.
The beast stopped, head tilted curiously at Dae's now flaring mana, electricity crackling around his body while his eyes glowed brightly.
If I run and leave that man to die… He thought, ignoring the pain in his leg as he lowered his stance. I wouldn't be able to face my master.
With his teeth gritted, Dae placed his blades together, their tips aimed at the beast while electricity raced through the steel surfaces like a roaring cannon.
aura flared, mana radiating from him, crackling in the air like static.
He planted his swords together, infusing them with blinding lightning.
The beast shierked and charged, its hulking form closing the distance in an instant. But Dae vanished, leaving its claw swinging aimlessly through the wind while he reappeared behind it, his aim unwavering.
As Dae's eyes burned with resolve, a flash of memory struck him: a blurry old man's face, smiling. Then the image distorted-- that same man now lying in a pool of blood, his fluctuating eyes dull and lifeless.
His grip tightened around the hilts. "I can't die here." He whispered as he intensified his magic, his blades steaming from the intense electrical current surging through them.
Meanwhile, hidden in the bushes, Sam weakly raised a trembling arm once he realized what Dae was about to do. "No… don't," He uttered, his voice completely drowned out by the thunder surrounding Dae's body.
"Viper's Bolt!" Dae shouted.
Lightning erupted from his blades, shaping into a snake-like projectile that lunged at the beast in a flash, its massive electrical fangs inches from engulfing the beast.
But in an instant, the beast's eyes glowed red, matching red patterns spreading across its hard exoskeleton as Dae's spell struck with a blinding light and deafening thunder.
Dae's hyper-kinetic eyes widened as he watched his spell shrink, its deadly current rapidly absorbed into the beast's armor until not a spark was left.
Barely a heartbeat later, the spell reemerged, twice as large and twice as fast as it fired back to its sender.
Dae instinctively guarded, but even his lightning resistance was overwhelmed by the devastating current that tore through his body, the residual shock gauging the earth behind him.
When the spell faded, the beast turned, hissing with an almost cocky gaze in its eyes as it stood, its armor unscathed.
Meanwhile, Dae dropped to his knees, his body steaming with most of his shirt burnt away.
As he struggled to breathe, his muscles twitching from the residual current, his eyes widened. I remember now… He thought, then stiffened as he felt the familiar stomps of the rapidly approaching monster.
He managed to push himself to his feet, his blurry gaze perceiving the incoming shadow. But once he tried to move, his body froze-- twitching helplessly.
With a grunt, the beast smashed its head into Dae's torso. The impact forced the air out of his lungs, his open mouth leaving trails of blood in the air as he was hurled across the clearing and smashed into a large tree.
He groaned as his body remained engraved into its thick bark, then slipped free moments later. As he landed face-first into the ground, he groaned once he felt his left shoulder pop out of its socket.
A Reflezard… Dae thought, tightly gripping his aching shoulder while coughing up more blood. How could I forget?
His eyes widened as a shadow suddenly covered him, the following gust emphasizing the arrival of the fast monstrosity.
He looked up through his blood-stained hair to find the Reflezard staring down at him, hissing as it slowly raised its tail, the pointed spear tip glinting in the light.
A blunder…
Dae turned, finding one of his swords some feet away with the second one nowhere to be found. He reached shakily for it, but the hilt remained just beyond his twitching grip.
I can't die here… I can't…Not like this…
A deafening shriek drew his attention back to the beast, just as its tail whipped forward, the sharp tip whistling loudly as it rapidly closed the distance.
Instinctively, Dae closed his eyes, bracing against his inevitable demise. As memories flashed through his mind--both joyful and heartbreaking, a single phrase formed in his mind.
Grandfather… I'm sorry…
--Then, a gust of wind and dust slammed into his face, followed by a pained human groan.
Dae gasped, his eyes flew open once he realized that someone stood in front of him, gripping the Reflezard's tail, stopping its thrust.
"D-Dominic?" Dae muttered, recognizing the muscular frame and white hair immediately.
Dom gritted his teeth, blood covering one side of his face and his clothes torn in several places, including the spot he took that first hit, his large bruise visible.
As the ground cracked under his feet, his fingers tightly gripped the muscular tail. He spoke, his voice heavy. "That fucking hurt, you bastard."
The Reflezard shrieked in response, the ground crumbling beneath them as it pushed against Dom's grip.
Dae blinked as he watched Dom match its bone-crushing strength, then narrowed his eyes, anger replacing caution. "Forget it, Dominic. That's an A-class beast. We can't beat it." He said, pushing himself up, a hand cradling his dislocated shoulder.
"I don't give a shit," Dom grumbled, forcibly taking a step forward and pushing the beast back.
"Don't be stubborn," Dae said, his tone now frustrated at this exaggerated bravado. "We'll all die if we fight it. If you can move, get out of here and call fo-"
"Shut up!" Dom snapped.
Dae flinched, his senses perceiving the blue aura bleeding out of Dom. His anger fuels his mana.
"You think I'll just leave you here? Let this thing go? It killed my fucking friends, Dae!" Dom added, the white of his eyes reddened with raw fury. "This thing needs to die."
The Reflezard shrieked, reinforcing its stance and pushing with all its might. The tail slid slightly through Dom's tight grip, its tip nicking the skin on Dom's exposed torso.
"Don't be stupid! Run!" Dae shouted.
As the tail pressed deeper, drawing more blood, Dom smirked, completely unfazed by the pain in his stomach. "You're the one being stupid." He said.
Dae stiffened as blue mana flared out of Dom's body, his muscles and veins bulging across his arm as his fingers tightened on the beast's tail.
Once the armor beneath his thumbs cracked, the Reflezard shrieked as it now tried to retreat. Dom stomped his foot into the ground, his stance secured beneath the rocky surface while his grip remained firm.
"If I run away and leave you guys now…" Dom grumbled, his eyes glowing brightly as his fingers tightened, cracks spider-webbing across the tail's armor like cracks across a sea of ice. "… how am I supposed to surpass the Monarchs?!"
Dom grunted as he squeezed, widening the branching cracks across the tail's armor before shattering it completely. Fragments scattered in every direction while his hands easily crushed the muscular appendage itself, staining his fingers with black blood.
The Reflezard shrieked and retreated to a safe distance, its bleeding tail thrashing behind, spilling blood everywhere.
Dae watched, shock etched on his face as the once unbeatable beast trembled in sheer agony.
Dom walked forward. He raised a mana-infused fist while his other hand tore off his damaged shirt. He stomped again, eyes burned with relentless determination as he glared at the monster.
"Bring it on, you ugly lizard!" Dom roared.
The Reflezard shrieked, eyes glowing menacingly at the cause of its pain.