Meanwhile.

Edwin, bloodied and panting, forced his body to move. One demon still stood, regenerating from its wounds.

(they are damn strong) Edwin thought.

He planted his sword into the ground, drawing on every last drop of energy left within him. His vision blurred.

"If I can’t even beat these things... what right do I have to call myself a hero?"

The demon lunged, its claws gleaming.

Edwin’s sword flared like a miniature sun.

"Blazing Spiral!!"

The explosion tore through the valley — a blinding beam that split the air and reduced the demon to ashes.

The force rippled outward, cracking the quartz pillars and scattering dust across the battlefield.

Edwin collapsed to one knee, gasping. His uniform was shredded, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Still... alive. huuh"

He looked toward the east, where Kael’s faint figure disappeared into the mist.

"Was that Kael?"

To the other side.

Kael knelt beside Ryn, who lay unconscious.

"Stay down, Ryn. Don’t move. I’ll handle the rest."

He rose to his feet, gripping his blade.

He looked at the attacking three of his classmates.

"They’re being controlled..."

"No," he corrected himself, "they’re already half-corrupted."

The first lunged forward, sword whistling through the air.

Kael sidestepped, the blade grazing past his shoulder.

The second swung a staff, releasing a burst of crimson energy that cracked the nearby rock.

Kael ducked low and drove his knee into the attacker’s chest, sending him staggering back.

Before Kael could catch his breath, the third one came from behind — a dagger flashing toward his neck.

Kael twisted his body and parried with his forearm, sparks flying.

"Tch... not giving me a moment, huh?"

The three surrounded him now, eyes void of thought, attacking in mechanical unison.

Kael weaved between them, boots scraping against gravel.

Far above, hidden within the mist-covered cliffs, Elysia crouched low on a ledge.

"Common..." she whispered to herself.

"Kill him. Kill... him..."

Her voice cracked — more pleading than hateful.

She drew in a long breath, focusing her mana into the arrow’s tip.

The arrow shimmered faintly with a blue aura before fading into light.

From her vantage point, she could see everything — Kael’s movements, the rhythm of his attacks, the exhaustion building in his posture.

"He’s slowing down..." she muttered.

"Now’s my chance."

Elysia released the string.

The arrow cut through the air like a streak of moonlight.

Kael barely sensed it before impact.

A sharp whistle.

Then pain — blinding, burning pain.

"Ahhhhhh!"

The cry tore from his throat as the arrow pierced through his left arm, pinning it against the rocky wall behind him.

He stumbled, teeth clenched, his sword clattering against the stone.

Blood seeped down, glimmering faintly under the crystal glow.

"Where—?" Kael’s gaze darted wildly. "Where did that come from?"

He turned toward the cliffs, but the mist obscured everything.

The corrupted students didn’t stop. They lunged again, blades flashing in the faint light.

Kael barely raised his injured arm, the pain making his vision blur.

Then one of them spun and kicked directly into Kael’s right thigh.

A jolt of agony ripped through him. That was the same spot still healing from his fight with Dakin.

His leg buckled.

Kael fell to one knee, sweat dripping down his face.

The three surrounded him like predators circling prey.

Elysia drew another arrow.

"One more shot... straight to the heart," she whispered.

"Then it’ll be over."

The bowstring sang once more.

The second arrow struck — this time piercing Kael’s right hand, forcing him to drop his sword.

"Damn... ahhh!" Kael gritted his teeth, his body trembling.

Elysia’s eyes widened slightly.

"No... missed again."

She lowered her bow slightly.

"Why can’t I do it?" she murmured. "Why can’t I finish this?"

Below, Kael gasped, pulling against the arrow lodged in his arm.

Blood smeared across his sleeve.

"Enough..." he shouted.

He forced his body to move, mana crackling around his fists.

"Astral... Severance!"

The shockwave sent the three corrupted students flying backward, their weapons scattering.

Kael staggered forward, panting heavily. His right hand trembled uncontrollably from the wound.

"Who’s there!" he shouted toward the cliff. "Show yourself!"

Only silence answered. The mist swallowed his words whole.

Then there was a little movement. A faint outline, like a shadow against the moonlight.

Elysia froze. Her eyes widened as Kael looked directly toward her position.

(He saw me...?)

She quickly turned, sprinting along the narrow ledge.

Kael took a step forward, pain twisting his face. He clenched his wounded hand, forcing mana through it despite the agony.

"Astral Punch!"

His fist struck forward, gray energy exploding outward.

The students were sent crashing into the rocks, unconscious.

Elysia stumbled from the tremor but kept running.

Kael stared after the fleeing silhouette — a flicker of hair disappearing behind the rocks.

"You’re being manipulated by the demons!" he shouted toward the shadow.

"You don’t know what you’re doing!"

But the figure didn’t stop.

The fog rolled in thicker, hiding everything once again.

Kael fell to one knee, gasping for breath. He pressed his hand against the wound on his arm.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

"That arrow... had purification mana. It wasn’t demonic."

"Then... who was it?"

He glanced toward Ryn, who was still unconscious.

"Whoever that was, they were manipulated. And they wanted me dead. I will hunt down every demons in the entire world"

He stood, pulling the broken arrow from his arm with a hiss of pain.

"Fine." He looked toward the cliffs again. "If you want to kill me, come do it face-to-face."

Far above, hidden among the shadows, Elysia sprint against the cliff wall.

Her hands shook violently as she set her bow aside.

"He... he shouldn’t have seen me," she whispered.

"Did he?"

Then she threw her arrow.

Meanwhile, Kael limped through the broken gorge.

Kael gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain burning through his arm and thigh.

Blood dripped down his sleeve, but his eyes were locked on the faint, retreating shadow figure ahead.

His boots pounded against the gravel.

"Oyeee! Stop!" Kael shouted.

"Who are you? Why are you running?!"

But the figure didn’t stop—it only moved faster, vanishing and reappearing among the glowing crystal woods.

"Damn it... I won’t let you escape!"

Elysia darted. She could still feel Kael’s shouts echoing behind her.

"He’s still coming?" she whispered, biting her lip.

"Even wounded, he’s that fast..."

She didn’t dare look back. Her legs trembled as she sprinted across a narrow path, until she finally reached the edge of a cliff, where the valley dropped into a dark abyss below.

She stopped, breathing hard.

Then her eyes widened—someone was already there.

Standing near the cliff’s edge was Dakin.

Elysia froze.

"D-Dakin...?" she whispered, stepping back instinctively.

A grin spread across Dakin’s face.

"Well, well. Look who wandered in," he said.

"A little swordswoman from Arcadia... and alone, too."

"I came at the right time"

Elysia took her sword from behind. Her fear was clear, but so was the flicker of resolve in her eyes.

"Stay back," she warned.

"I’m not your prey."

Dakin chuckled darkly, taking a step forward.

"Not my prey? Then why are you shaking?"

Elysia swallowed hard. Her mind raced—if she ran, she’d fall off the cliff. If she fought, she might not win. But then she glanced over her shoulder—the sound of Kael’s footsteps was getting closer.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Maybe... this is the right time," she whispered to herself.

"If I can’t kill Kael myself... I’ll let the demon do it."

"Umbra Fang... Second Form!" Dakin shouted.

"Show me your fear."

He lunged forward with inhuman speed. The force of the attack shattered nearby stones and wood.

Elysia raised her sword.

The collision sent a shockwave through the cliffside—dust and light erupted in all directions.

Far behind them, Kael stopped at the edge of the path breathing heavily. His eyes widened as he saw flashes of battle in the mist.

"What the hell... who’s fighting there?"

"I can’t see well".