A chilling breeze swept through the forest as Drevon faced the three figures that now stood before him.
Miranda, with her hair flowing in the wind, her hands shimmering with faint frost.
Zane, his electric aura crackling faintly around him, his sharp eyes locked onto Drevon with burning intent.
And Alex, standing between them, fists clenched, blood still staining the back of his academy uniform, yet his stance remained firm.
Drevon chuckled under his breath, a low, menacing sound.
"So this is your little plan?" Drevon said, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. "Ambush me with numbers?"
Alex wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned. "You were getting cocky. Thought we wouldn't fight back?"
The wind around Drevon thickened, almost as if responding to his emotions. His clothes rippled violently, and a faint aura of condensed mana began to whirl around him.
"Three against one?" he sneered, cracking his knuckles. "Tch. I don't mind. It'll just make it more fun."
Without warning, he stomped forward, slamming his fist into the ground.
BOOM!
A powerful gust of compressed air erupted from the impact point, sending broken twigs and leaves flying toward the trio like razor blades.
"Scatter!" Alex shouted.
Zane dashed to the right, lightning surging through his veins, making him a blur. Miranda glided backward, skating on a thin sheet of ice she created beneath her feet. Alex, relying purely on speed, leaped sideways, rolling onto the forest floor before quickly regaining his stance.
Drevon wasted no time. His body blurred as he charged at Alex, wind coiling around his fists like miniature tornadoes.
"You're first!" Drevon roared.
Alex barely ducked under a sweeping punch, feeling the cutting pressure of the wind graze his hair. His instincts screamed at him to counter, but he knew better—he couldn't reveal his real strength yet.
He spun around, delivering a sharp kick toward Drevon's ribs.
Thud!
The blow connected, but it barely made Drevon flinch. Instead, Drevon retaliated with a backhand that sent Alex flying into a tree, splinters exploding everywhere.
[HP -2]
[21/25 HP]
Alex coughed, blood trickling from his lip, but his eyes remained sharp.
Regeneration Activated.
Energy: 75/100%.
The pain dulled almost instantly.
"Tough guy," Drevon said, brushing dust from his shoulder. "But not tough enough."
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning arced toward Drevon's exposed side.
ZAP!
Zane appeared midair, thrusting a lightning-charged punch toward Drevon's head.
Drevon raised a mana-infused arm to block, the impact sending a shockwave through the forest. Bark peeled off trees as the pressure slammed outward.
"Good try," Drevon said, smirking — but the distraction worked.
From the side, Miranda's eyes narrowed, and with a swift motion of her hand, sharp spears of ice erupted from the ground, aiming for Drevon's legs.
"Hmph!" Drevon clicked his tongue, stomping hard, releasing a pulse of wind that shattered the ice spears before they could trap him.
But that slight pause was all Alex needed.
He closed the distance, appearing behind Drevon like a ghost, his fist glowing faintly from his physical enhancement.
(He was careful — no ghoul claws, no transformations.)
Alex smashed his fist into Drevon's back.
BAM!
Drevon stumbled forward, gritting his teeth.
The three didn't give him breathing space.
Miranda raised her hands. "Freezing Field!"
A layer of frost spread rapidly across the ground, the air temperature plummeting. Ice crystals formed on Drevon's boots, slowing his movements ever so slightly.
Zane, ever the opportunist, capitalized immediately.
"Thunder Fang!"
Electricity coiled around his fist like a raging serpent as he lunged, aiming to pierce Drevon's chest with a devastating blow.
Drevon roared in frustration.
"Enough!"
He clenched both fists, spinning rapidly, creating a violent Wind Maelstrom around himself.
The icy ground cracked.
Lightning bolts dispersed harmlessly into the spinning winds.
Alex, Miranda, and Zane were blown back, tumbling across the ground.
"You're damn annoying!" Drevon spat, his eyes glowing faintly green from his mana output.
Alex skidded to a stop, coughing out dirt. His muscles ached, his energy was slowly draining, but a wild grin formed on his face.
"This is working..." Alex thought. "We're tiring him out."
Above him, the system notification popped up:
[Objective Updated: Survive and Weaken the Opponent!]
[Optional Bonus: Land a Clean Hit.]
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"No turning back now."
---
Meanwhile, back at the Healing Bay...
Kirito sat cross-legged on his bed, his shirt discarded to reveal a completely healed torso — no bandages, no scars. His eyes were tightly shut, his breathing deep and controlled.
Golden light began to seep from his pores, surrounding him like a holy flame.
"If I finish this," he muttered to himself, his voice steady, "I'll be able to fight... I'll be able to protect them."
The light intensified, forming a swirling vortex around him.
The room trembled lightly.
A heartbeat later—
BOOM!
A soft pulse echoed outwards.
"It's done"
---
Back in the forest...
"Zane! Miranda!" Alex shouted as he steadied himself. "We stick to the plan!"
Miranda nodded, her hands glowing blue with cold mana.
Zane smirked, crackling with electricity once again.
Drevon cracked his neck, wind swirling fiercely around him.
"Fine," he said with a smirk. "If you wanna die together—I'll grant your wish."
He raised his hands, condensing wind mana into a sharp blade-like form.