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's temple glistened with sweat as his eyes locked on the source of the chaos: a massive, lizard-like magical beast. Its black, armor-like scales gleamed even beneath layers of blood, covering every inch of its hulking body.
Dom gritted his teeth. This thing is huge… and I didn't even notice it.
Dae's hand hovered over his sword, cautious.
The beast's eyes scanned the battlefield like dark voids, drawn to the bright purple and blue mana shrouds before it. When the colors flared, it let out a deafening shriek, its forelimb slamming down with enough force to hurl rock and debris into the air.
The beast's eyes scanned the dust cloud beneath it, then shifted toward Dom, who knelt several feet away with Sam still in his arms.
"Dom…" Sam mumbled, spotting the blood streaking his shoulder.
Dom glanced down at the wound, ignoring the pain, before fixing his gaze on the advancing beast. "Can you walk?" he asked, gently releasing Sam. Sam tried, but his legs gave out, and he stumbled to the ground.
Dom moved to steady him, but a familiar shadow loomed behind him, and his instincts screamed.
"Dominic!" Dae shouted from a distance, his voice tense. Sam froze, wide-eyed, as he realized the beast now towered directly over Dom.
Without a second thought, Dom shoved Sam out of the way just as the beast's tail swung with devastating force. It slammed into his side with bone-crushing impact, pain erupting through him as something inside snapped.
Gritting his teeth, he grunted through the agony while a shockwave tore his body across the clearing. Trees shredded beneath him like fragile paper, the deafening crash of wood and earth echoing deep into the forest.
Sam tumbled safely to the ground, dazed but alive, as Dae skidded to a halt, eyes wide in shock. The ground vibrated beneath him.
The beast's eyes shifted to Sam, who froze, paralyzed with terror. Its claws slashed the air—long, deadly, precise—but a streak of purple lightning intercepted, snatching Sam away to safety.
A split second later, Dae slides back into the clearing, eyes wide as he assesses the path of destruction. I doubt Dominic survived that. His fingers gripped his swords tightly, sweat sliding down his temple. At least A-class… maybe higher. Run?
A deafening shriek split the air again. The ground trembled as the beast charged, a sonic wave warning of its speed. In a heartbeat, it stood before Dae, towering, claws raised.
Fast… too fast.
Despite the beast's claw slicing mere inches from him, Dae leapt away, leaving the attack to gouge the earth where he had stood. The Reflezard shrieked again, following up with another swipe, but Dae's movements were fluid, precise, untouchable.
No. It'll just follow us. I can't carry him fast enough… I have to bring it down.
Another strike tore through the forest floor. Dae's hands went to his blades, lightning crackling along the edges.
Or at least slow it down.
He surged forward in a blur, a streak of purple light and thunderclap announcing his arrival at the beast's flank. The Reflezard shrieked, its claws slashing through the air in a lethal blur.
"Your speed…" Dae muttered, eyes sparking with electricity, "…is no match to mine."
The creature's eyes widened as it swung its other claw. Dae evaded with a spin, sprinting along its extended limb toward its head. "Form 15: Lightning Coffin," he said, slashing with blinding precision.
Each cut echoed like thunder—but the Reflezard remained untouched.
Dae landed meters behind it, chest heaving, blades vibrating and chipped from the battle. He wiped sweat and blood from his brow. "Hard," he muttered, narrowly avoiding another swipe that shattered a rock behind him. He rolled to his knees, assessing the shallow slash on his arm, then charged again, desperation fueling his every move.
Two minutes of relentless attacks passed. The beast was unharmed; Dae's body was battered. A slash across the back of his leg sent him tumbling, pain screaming through him as he came to a stop atop a corpse. He barely had time to catch his breath before evading the next charge, the ground vibrating with each heavy step.
None of my attacks are working… His thoughts faltered as he narrowly avoided another strike. I've seen this beast before… where?
He slid to a stop, knee on the ground. It doesn't matter. The Reflezard huffed, its gaze fixed on him, scales glinting menacingly in the dim light.
"I could run… get help… but…" Dae groaned, his injured leg twitching. He wouldn't approve. His aura flared, mana radiating from him, crackling in the air like static.
He planted his swords together, infusing them with blinding lightning. The beast charged, slicing the air like a hot knife, but Dae vanished from its path, reappearing behind it with blades pressed to its back.
A flash of memory struck him: a blurry old man's face, first smiling, then distorted, lying in a pool of blood. Dae's eyes burned with resolve. "I can't die here." He planted his foot, cracking the earth beneath him, muscles coiling with determination.
From the bushes, Sam weakly raised a trembling arm. "No… don't," he whispered.
"Viper's Bolt!" Dae shouted. Lightning erupted from his blades, shaping into a snake-like projectile that lunged at the beast. The spell collided with its armored back, exploding in blinding light and deafening thunder… but the energy was absorbed.
Only after a heartbeat did it reemerge, twice as large and twice as fast. Dae screamed as the current tore through him, leaving devastation in its wake.
When the energy faded, the Reflezard turned, unscathed. Dae's body steamed, clothes mostly burnt away, aura nearly gone, sparks of electricity twitching across his battered form. Behind him lay a deep trench carved into the forest floor.
I remember now… he thought.
The Reflezard charged.
Dae tried to move, but his body only twitched.
The beast smashed its head into his torso. Wind was knocked from his lungs, blood spewed from his mouth, and he was hurled into a tree, engraved into its thick bark.
Moments later, his body slipped free, landing face-first with a heavy thud. Pain screamed through him.
A Reflezard… Dae coughed blood, recognition striking him. How could I forget?
A shadow loomed. He looked up through dripping blood to see the Reflezard raising its tail, its tip sharp and armored, glinting in the light.
A blunder… Dae reached shakily for his sword.
The tail whipped forward. Dae braced, closing his eyes. Memories flashed—Grandfather… I'm sorry… A fleeting, haunting face crossed his mind.
Then, a gust of wind and dust slammed into his face. A groan cut through the chaos.
Opening his eyes, Dae saw someone gripping the Reflezard's tail. The beast shrieked, thrashing, cracking the ground beneath its assailant's feet.
"D-Dominic?" Dae gasped.
Blood streaked Dom's face, bruises across his body, yet his grip on the tail was unyielding. "What do you think you're doing to my partner?" Dom growled. The Reflezard shrieked in reply.
Dae blinked, relief flashing before his eyes narrowed. "Forget it, Dominic! That's an A-class! You can't beat it!"
"Shut up!" Dom snapped, rage burning through him. "So what? It killed my friends."
The Reflezard's tail lashed, piercing Dom's gut. Blood soaked his shirt.
"Don't be stupid! Run!" Dae shouted.
Dom smirked through the pain. "You're the one being stupid."
The tail pressed deeper, drawing more blood, but Dom's grip didn't falter. "If I run now… how am I supposed to become the greatest knight?!"
His hands clenched harder. Cracks spiderwebbed across the tail's armor. The beast struggled to pull away, but Dom held firm, sliding forward as the armor shattered. Fragments flew, and his hands crushed the tail itself, black blood splashing through his fingers.
The Reflezard shrieked in pain, retreating to a safe distance.
Dae stared, shock etched on his face. Dom tore off his damaged shirt, revealing more injuries, but his eyes burned with relentless determination.
"Bring it on, you bastard!" Dom roared. The Reflezard hissed, eyeing its bleeding tail.