Octavia Blake loosed an arrow, the string twanging sharply as the shot pierced through the skull of a lunging monster. The beast let out a dying groan before collapsing with a thud, black mist dissolving into the air.
Kael Vi-rel glanced over briefly. "Really good," he muttered, half impressed. "I was worried she’d panic, but she’s actually holding her ground."
Octavia Blake’s face was pale, her breaths uneven, yet her aim remained steady. She fired again, hitting another creature in the chest before swiftly pulling out another arrow.
Perfect. As long as she’s covering me, I can focus on dismantling the barrier without worrying about an ambush.
Kael Vi-rel adjusted the sleek silver-rimmed glasses resting on his face the Vismora Glasses, an advanced artifact designed to analyze magic formations. The lenses glowed faintly as lines of text and glowing runes reflected across his eyes.
"Thankfully, I brought these," he murmured. "Without them, it’d be impossible to decipher this thing."
The air shimmered faintly around him as he began tracing his finger through invisible sigils, his Mana syncing with the barrier’s pulse. Complex geometric patterns appeared around his hand, each line shifting like liquid light.
His brows furrowed. "But if I don’t hurry... someone might die."
Through the faint hum of the barrier, he could feel a distant tremor Ronan Wolfe’s energy. It was unstable, growing stronger every second.
"Damn it, Ronan Wolfe," Kael Vi-rel hissed under his breath. "He’s definitely trying to force it open."
He clenched his fists, the blue interface from his glasses shifting as data streamed across his vision. "If Ronan Wolfe pushes too far, he’ll trigger a Mana backlash. His core won’t recover from that..."
He paused, a flicker of worry in his tone. "He’s the only S-Class hero with a deity contract the Cloud Demon, Little Sky. We can’t lose someone like him."
Kael Vi-rel’s expression hardened. "If that guy goes down, this country loses one of its strongest assets. And I... I lose my only chance to enjoy this second life peacefully."
The barrier pulsed again, stronger this time. Kael Vi-rel’s heartbeat quickened. "What is this feeling...? The formation is reacting."
His eyes widened. "Tch Ronan Wolfe must be forcing another strike!"
He gritted his teeth. "Shit. If I don’t bring this thing down before he uses his full power, he’s finished."
His hands moved faster, tracing new runes in midair. Mana surged around him, forming a faint aura that shimmered like heated air. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he pushed his concentration to its limit.
A faint blue light blinked before him.
You have broken a part of the barrier formation.
Kael Vi-rel exhaled sharply, almost stumbling to his knees. "Finally..." he breathed. "One section down."
Without wasting time, he sprinted toward the staff room, his footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.
"Wait—!" Octavia Blake’s voice called behind him, but Kael didn’t slow down.
The instant he burst into the room, the air felt heavier. Mana pressure filled the space like a storm cloud, crackling with unstable energy. At the center stood Ronan Wolfe, his sword raised high, aura flaring wildly.
"Ronan Wolfe! Stop!" Kael Vi-rel shouted, his voice breaking through the tense hum of magic. "Stop trying to break the barrier formation! Do you hear me, you wild idiot?!"
The S-Class hero Ronan Wolfe didn’t respond his focus was absolute. The storm above his sword intensified, lightning streaking through the confined air.
"Hey! I said stop, you damn bastard!" Kael Vi-rel yelled again, desperation in his tone.
"There’s no way I’m letting you destroy yourself! You’re way too important to die right now!"
He ran closer, ignoring the tremor in his legs. "I can’t lose someone who’ll shape the future of this world someone who’ll help me survive thus world!"
But Ronan Wolfe couldn’t hear him. His consciousness was half-merged with Little Sky’s power, locked in a battle of control.
Kael Vi-rel’s frustration boiled over. "Stop, you bastard!" he roared, leaping forward just as Ronan Wolfe swung his sword downward.
Their heads collided with a crack.
Ronan Wolfe’s concentration broke instantly, the gathered Mana dispersing in a violent shockwave. The blade dimmed, and the storm’s roar faded into silence.
Ronan Wolfe blinked, dazed. "Cadet... Kael Vi-rel?"
Kael Vi-rel groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Ugh... I told you to stop, didn’t I?"
Ronan Wolfe’s expression twisted in disbelief. "What did you just call me? A... bastard?"
Before Kael Vi-rel could answer, his own legs gave way. He stumbled forward, bumping into Ronan Wolfe’s chest before both of them toppled onto the ground.
The older man caught him instinctively but then realized Kael Vi-rel had fainted, exhaustion and Mana drain pulling him into unconsciousness.
Ronan Wolfe stared at him for a long moment before letting out a slow sigh. "You reckless kid..."
Still, his heart softened. The backlash he’d been building had vanished, neutralized by Kael Vi-rel interference.
"Phew..." Kael Vi-rel murmured weakly, half-conscious. "At least... I wasn’t too late..."
A few minutes later, the barrier flickered and dissolved completely. The once-sealed sections of the academy opened, letting light and sound pour through.
"Thank you, Cadet Kael Vi-rel." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝓷𝓮𝓽
Kael Vi-rel blinked awake to see Mrs. Seraphina Dusk, her expression calm yet curious. She was one of the academy’s top instructors graceful, intelligent, and terrifying when angry.
"Professor Edel Ty and her assistant Annie were outside the academy when the attack began," she explained. "That’s why we couldn’t dispel the barrier from within."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "But how did you do it? Even with considerable magical knowledge, breaking a formation of this complexity shouldn’t be possible for a student."
Kael Vi-rel forced a tired smile, rubbing the back of his neck. Ah, she’s curious. Of course she is.
He met her gaze calmly. "Well... let’s just say I got lucky and stumbled upon a weak point."
Seraphina Dusk raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Kael Vi-rel chuckled softly under his breath. Yeah, I’ll have to cook up a proper story later.