The mist hung thick over the Lake of Terror, curling around the boat like living fingers. Class 1-C had barely made progress—the previous three kilometers had been taxing, their muscles sore and nerves frayed. Even after the Kraken's defeat, the lake offered no peace. The air seemed heavier now, oppressive in a way that made the skin crawl.
Hiko Shinoegami sat at the prow, cursed flame coiling around his hands. The devil in his mind was unusually quiet, sensing the presence of something immense approaching. Something darker than the Kraken… it hissed. You are not alone.
Hinata Kiyomi, standing beside him, peered into the mist. "I feel it too," she whispered. "Something… wrong. Stronger than anything we've faced."
Rougen's calm expression faltered slightly. Gold Prasso's golden aura flared brighter than usual, an unspoken warning to the students.
From the shadows of the mist, a figure emerged. Silent. Precise. Every movement calculated. Black robes clung to his form, and his eyes gleamed like cold knives. No words. No warning. Just presence.
Rougen's eyes widened. "Impossible… he's—he's at the same level as a top-tier Calamity Level sorcerer," he muttered under his breath, voice tense.
Gold Prasso's golden aura brightened as well, rippling across the water. "This isn't a normal Rank 0 or 1 threat. Everyone, stay on guard!"
The figure's name was whispered among the shadows: Kenzuko Forami. Silent. Deadly. Psychopathic. His aura radiated absolute control, yet twisted with a calm, chilling pleasure. His gaze scanned the boat, the students, and even Gold Prasso as though analyzing them in fractions of a second.
Hiko's cursed flame flared instinctively, sensing the magnitude of power emanating from Kenzuko. This isn't a beast… it's a predator that thinks like a machine. The devil hissed, A human predator… dangerous beyond reckoning.
Kenzuko's presence was suffocating. The water itself seemed to darken near him, the mist curling unnaturally. His magic: Domination—a force that adapted to every attack, forming resistance to every type of offensive magic.
The first warning came almost immediately. A subtle shift in the mist, then the air around the boat thickened. Hiko felt a pressure, a force that subtly pushed against his cursed flame.
"This is… no ordinary opponent," Rougen muttered, voice tense but measured. "Domination. He adapts to every magic type. If we're careless…"
"Stay calm!" Gold barked. "Class 1-C, defensive positions. Don't engage unless instructed. Let us gauge him."
Kenzuko took a step forward, and the Dominating Zone activated. A black aura radiated outward in a 100-meter radius, imperceptible at first. Yet the students began to feel its effect. Each second they lingered inside the radius pressed subtly on their coordination, sapping confidence and allowing Kenzuko's power to influence the battlefield.
Hiko's cursed flame pulsed faster. I can't let him control this. I need to act… The devil whispered, Good. I like it when you fight.
Rex Calder shouted, "We have to move! Get out of his… zone!" But even as they tried, the boat rocked violently under unseen forces, waves rising higher and higher. Kenzuko's presence alone manipulated the lake's energy subtly, bending reality to his advantage.
The first real strike came without warning. A black flash of light erupted around Kenzuko—the Dominate. The radius of destruction was ten meters, obliterating waves, splintering parts of the boat, and throwing Class 1-C into disarray. Rina Solis barely managed a fire barrier to protect herself, Lio Fenris slashed tentacles of air to stabilize the boat, and Selene Mora froze water to cushion the impact.
Even Gold Prasso and Rougen were affected. Gold's aura flared, deflecting the worst of the Dominate attack, while Rougen's void energy absorbed residual distortions. But both adults understood immediately: this was a being who could adapt in real time to magic attacks, who could learn and improve while fighting.
Hiko's cursed flame erupted, stabbing toward Kenzuko with jagged precision. The black aura rippled. Kenzuko's body reacted almost imperceptibly, his domination magic forming resistance mid-motion. The flames met near-invulnerable defense, dissipating harmlessly.
The students stared in shock. "His magic… it adapts!" Mira whispered. "Nothing hits him!"
Dain Kroft's shadow lashes struck, but Kenzuko's aura absorbed the shadows, reinforcing his own defenses. Even Daizen's earth magic, precise and powerful, was partially nullified.
Kenzuko's calm, silent expression never wavered. His eyes gleamed with a soft, chilling light. He took a slow step forward, and the Dominating Zone pressure increased. Each second the students remained inside, Kenzuko gained the upper hand, their every move slightly delayed, every spell marginally weaker.
Gold Prasso's golden aura flared fiercely. "Hiko, this is your chance! Use your cursed flame! Make it count!"
Hiko nodded, cursed flame coiling tighter. He lunged at Kenzuko again, strikes faster, sharper. The black-and-red flame stabbed and burned, each attack testing Kenzuko's resistance. But his adaptation magic countered every blow, growing stronger with every strike.
The boat rocked violently as Kenzuko moved with calculated precision. Destroyer activated partially—each punch landing with over 300 kg of force, sending small shockwaves through the lake and splintering parts of the vessel. Class 1-C scrambled, barely avoiding destruction.
Hinata shouted, "Everyone! Focus on evasion, give Hiko an opening!"
Hiko twisted mid-air, cursed flame tearing across Kenzuko's defenses, forcing him to retreat slightly. Kenzuko's silent, psychopathic smile was unsettling. He moved with efficiency, a predator enjoying the chaos while remaining utterly precise.
The lake around them responded violently, currents swirling, waves lashing at the boat, as if the water itself obeyed Kenzuko's will. Even the Kraken's ghostly memory seemed to pale in comparison.
Gold's golden aura collided with Kenzuko's black aura in a brief flash of light. "He's growing stronger the more we attack," Gold muttered. "Domination adapts, but so does his control. We have to be careful… very careful."
Rougen nodded, his eyes narrowing. "The students must survive, but this is beyond their limits. Hiko… you are the key here. Focus, or all of us may be forced to intervene fully."
Hiko's cursed flame burned brighter, jagged, black and red, responding to the energy around him. He sensed Kenzuko's Domination magic learning from every attack, reinforcing his defenses. Each strike Hiko landed partially bypassed resistance, but adaptation meant Kenzuko could counter faster than before.
The students huddled together on the boat. Fear rippled through them. "He's… unstoppable!" Rex gasped, his fingers trembling.
Hinata's hand rested on Hiko's shoulder. "You can do this. We believe in you," she whispered.
Hiko's eyes flared with determination, cursed flame roaring. Domination is strong… but it can be pushed. The devil hissed, Good. I like it when you fight.
Tentacles of cursed flame lashed across Kenzuko's form. The black-and-red fire clashed against the adaptive aura, the energy swirling violently. Kenzuko's eyes widened for the first time—not in fear, but in the thrill of a challenge. He had found an opponent who forced him to grow stronger mid-battle.
The Dominating Zone continued to pull at the students' coordination. Their spells were slightly delayed, their reactions slower, yet they persevered under the combined guidance of Gold and Rougen.
Kenzuko moved like a shadow, silent, psychopathic, and precise. He struck with Destroyer-level force, his fists tearing through the air with power surpassing 300 kg, splitting waves and threatening the boat at every step.
The lake roared, and Hiko prepared his next strike. He knew one wrong move would be fatal—not just for him, but for everyone. He took a deep breath, cursed flame coiling to its peak intensity, preparing to pierce Kenzuko's Domination defenses.
The battle had only just begun. The silent psychopath, adapting, growing, calculating every move, faced a boy whose cursed flame had already defeated a Kraken.
The water churned. The mist thickened. And the Lake of Terror itself seemed to tremble under the coming clash.
Part 1 of 2 ended as Hiko's cursed flame surged, colliding with Kenzuko's adaptive aura in a flash of black-and-red light, the battle escalating to heights even the lake had never witnessed.