Grey sat cross‑legged, eyes closed in deep meditation, perched about three to four metres from the heart of the battle.
Even at that distance, the air trembled with the thunder of destruction—curses, booming bangs, and the crackle of magic explosions all reached his ears.
Yet his focus remained unshakable as he drew mana from the ambient world, visible as wisps of white energy flowing into his nostrils, descending to fuel his core—no larger than a clenched fist but thrumming with potential.
His inner core had to be twice the normal size for someone his age, a testament to the heavy demands of his fire and lightning affinities.
As he meditated, the core swelled from half‑capacity toward fullness, each pulse of energy making it vibrate like a hummingbird's wings.
Around him, the battlefield's chaos threatened to intrude, but he forced himself to remain still—every second spent here meant more power for the fight.
'I can't believe they're holding out this long against those bats,' Grey thought, sensing the rhythmic cadence of his friends' spells. I estimated three minutes—but it's nearly five, and those explosions still ring out.
His concentration deepened, and his mana core shimmered brighter, when a cold, familiar voice broke through his thoughts.
"You really love underestimating , don't you? They're tougher than you give them credit for," Noir drawled from the edge of perception.
'Did I ask for your opinion?' Grey fumed silently. 'I'm still furious over your stunt on that planet. Don't think a single core apology fixes that.'
'C'mon, it helped boost your earth affinity, didn't it? So ease up on the grudge,' Noir retorted, amused.
'And the core wouldn't have saved me if the portal had snapped shut with me inside, would it? I'd be dead,' Grey seethed inwardly.
"But you aren't," Noir shot back. "So I call that a win."
"Tch…so annoying." Grey clenched his teeth as his core throbbed with energy. "Almost there—just one more breath…"
"Grey!" a shout broke through the voice in his head—Greg's, urgent and loud. He recognized the tone and stifled a sigh, choosing to stay silent and complete his meditation.
"You foolish peasant! Open your eyes right now!" Greg's second, more desperate shout rang out as Grey's intuitive senses picked up frantic life‑force readings speeding toward him.
'What on earth…?' Grey's calm mask slipped. 'Shit—the bats!'
With a snap, his eyelids snapped open to reveal ten bat‑beasts diving at him, wings extended like obsidian scythes mere inches from his face.
Instinctively, he thrust his palm outward, weaving a gust of wind that propelled him backward—still in a cross‑legged position—landing a metre away as the swarm cleaved through the air where he'd been.
"Oh thank goodness," Raze breathed, heart pounding, as he realized how close Grey had come to decapitation.
"What are they doing here?" Grey demanded, eyes narrowing as he glared at his friends. "Weren't you supposed to hold them off?"
"And we did!" Scarlet shot back. "Not my fault your show‑off move made them target you!"
"Tch! You're all useless," Grey snapped. The bats screeched and spat globs of green acid in his direction.
He flicked his wrist nonchalantly, sending swirling gusts of wind that deflected the acidic blobs harmlessly to the side.
A pair of bats lunged, wings slashing for his head. Grey sprang upward, lightning dancing along his legs as he channeled a bolt directly at one bat's chest, sending it tumbling through the smoky air.
'My lightning's never been my strongest affinity—Greg's still better—but at least wind magic can bail me out,' Grey thought, steadying himself amid the acid sprays. Each hiss against his shield of air reminded him of the battle's intensity.
"Will you just finish them off already?" Scarlet called, impatience creasing her brow as she watched him toy with the beasts.
Before he could answer, a bat‑beast accelerated in a furious dive. Grey pivoted mid‑air to avoid its wing‑blade, only to spot a splash of acid rocketing toward his face.
He whipped up a mini wind barrier, but another beast swept in from behind, its wing grazing his forearm and drawing a line of red.
'Are they learning?' Grey realized, tension creeping into his spine. 'These bats have intelligence—this is dangerous.'
"Is it me, or are the bats starting to catch up with Grey?" Raze called out, voice edged with concern.
"Yeah—he's slowing down," Gordon observed, gaze fixed on Grey's flurry of defensive spells.
"No, more like the bats are spooling up speed," Arthur countered, eyes tracking the beasts' coordinated maneuvers.
"This is getting dangerous," Vanica agreed, worry sharpening her features. "Grey, finish this now!"
"Tch! I wanted to study them longer, but I'm getting frustrated—playtime's over," Grey muttered. Lightning crackled around his lower legs and wrists, solidifying into glowing gauntlets and boots.
With a thunderous bang, he kicked into the air and slammed his fist into a beast's chest, its body exploding inward under the force. Before anyone could react, three razor‑thin wind blades flickered into existence around him, slicing clean through three more bats.
Six remained. Grey leapt high above the battlefield, hovering in the smoky twilight as the final six beasts swooped upward in unison, wings beating like war drums.
"Fusion magic!" Grey shouted, voice echoing in the charged air. Wind and lightning coalesced in front of him, compressing into brilliant arcs of energy that hummed with raw power.
"Thunder Gale!" he roared. The six crescent blades of wind and lightning shot forward at blistering speed, carving through the beasts mid‑flight.
Their screeches ended abruptly as the blades severed wing and limb, and the ferocious attack crashed into the ground, gouging a two‑metre trench in the cracked cobblestones before dissipating in a hail of sparks.
Silence followed. The wind died. Smoke drifted in lazy spirals as Grey floated down, boots touching earth with a controlled grace. His core, now brimming with energy, pulsed gently in harmony with his steadying heartbeat.
His friends stared at him with mouths agape, wide eyes reflecting equal parts awe, relief, and amazement. Each one silently echoed the same astonished thought:
'He's already mastered fusion magic!'